South Africa: No request for assistance from Namibia, says Justice Ministry The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services says there is no official record of the Namibian Police Force concerning a request for mutual legal assistance in respect of a suspect by the name of David Imanuwela. Imanuwela is allegedly linked to a robbery that reportedly took place at President Cyril Ramaphosas farm in February 2020. In a statement, the Ministry said there are established procedures for serving requests for mutual legal assistance. The first service process was the requesting State submitting the request at the South African Embassy or High Commission in that particular State. The South African Embassy or High Commission would then submit the request to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). DIRCO then provides a proof of receipt and then transmits the request to the Central Authority, being the Director-General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, said Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri. The second service process, he said, sees the requesting State serve the request for mutual legal assistance via its Embassy or High Commission in the State from which it seeks information or assistance. The requesting States Embassy or High Commission will serve the request on DIRCO. DIRCO then provides proof of receipt and transmits the request to the Central Authority. When reference is made to diplomatic channels, these are the processes that are being referred to. To date, he said, all requests for mutual legal assistance have followed these processes without any complications between the two states of Namibia and South Africa. South Africa and its sister Republic Namibia continue to work together in a collaborative manner on issues of mutual legal assistance in accordance with the Southern African Development Community Protocol and other related bilateral treaties. So far there has not been any development that necessitates any change of approach when dealing with matters of this nature, said Phiri. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese premier stresses ensuring grain security, energy supply Xinhua) 08:24, June 22, 2022 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects a wheat field in Fangguan Town, Gaobeidian City, during an inspection tour in north China's Hebei Province, June 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) SHIJIAZHUANG, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday urged efforts to ensure grain security and energy supply to maintain the stability of the economy and prices. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in north China's Hebei Province. While inspecting a wheat field in Fangguan Town, Gaobeidian City, Li learned that there was a bumper wheat harvest this year. He stressed efforts to ensure that grains are harvested in time and stored in good conditions. The sufficient supply of grains serves as an anchor for price stability, Li said, noting that China's bumper wheat harvest not only satisfies its own domestic needs but also contribute to the stability of the international grain market. Seeing that farmers are sowing corns, the premier said it is important to ensure that sowing is done in time and on as many lands as possible to ensure good harvest in the autumn, further contributing to the country's grain security. At a thermal power company in Zhuozhou, Li said that, as China is now at the power-consumption peak, efforts should be made to tap the production capacity of coal to further enhance the power supply. He also pledged resolute efforts to stamp out power rationing and called for moves to facilitate the clean and efficient production of coal power and expedite the building of pumped-storage hydroelectric plants. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 France proposes to import oil from Iran, Venezuela Moscow Exchange starts trades in Armenia national currency Iran FM meets with Turkeys Erdogan White House announces conversation between Biden and Jinping in coming weeks Georgia confirms: Traffic restored at 136th km of the Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Lars road EU countries agree to fill all gas storage facilities to at least 80% by next winter Traffic restored at Lars, road is open Erdogan promises to document 'hypocrisy' of Sweden and Finland Armenia Economy Minister: Transport communication with Russia will be restored within two hours EU energy ministers agree on energy conservation laws Increased imports force Armenian producers out of domestic market Scholz says return to pre-war relations with Russia is impossible Armenia FM: Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian POWs and civilians hostage Israel to work with world powers to influence any deal with Iran Azerbaijanis moving cross-stone on road of Berdzor NATO to increase size of its rapid reaction force by almost eight times 'Armenian Genocide: Evidence from the German Foreign Office Archives, 1915-1916' published in Persian Mohammad Bagheri says Iran will respond to Israeli intervention in region Representatives of ICRC office in Baku visit Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan Robert Habeck: Gas shortage this winter could lead to 'serious economic crisis in Europe' Armenia FM: OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs play key role in Karabakh conflict settlement US, European officials look forward to NATO summit to make progress on Finnish and Swedish accession Leaders of NATO, Turkey, Sweden and Finland meet in Madrid Zelenskyy tells G7 leaders he wants war in Ukraine to end by the end of 2022 Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia to hold joint military exercises G7 leaders to support Ukraine for as long as it takes EEU to provide duty-free import quotas for cheese, alcohol infusions to Serbia in 2023 Turkey announces creation of grain operations center Dollar, euro go up after long decline in Armenia Armenia premier: Reforming education sector is one of governments absolute priorities NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg promises to protect Baltic countries from external threats Upper Lars checkpoint on Georgia-Russia border to be closed for 1 week? Armenia ruling force lawmaker submits resignation from parliamentary seat Artsakh FM pays working visit to Russia Armenian FM meets Greek President Azerbaijan-Turkey-Kazakhstan transport working group to be set up Armenia legislature secret ballot for electing new judges to cassation court to kick off at 3pm Welt: Putin is preparing a new raw material trap for the West through lithium mining in Bolivia CNN: US intends to supply Ukraine with medium and long-range missile defense systems Armenian FM's visit to Greece begins Armenia economy ministry does not say when Lars motorway will reopen Birmingham explosion leaves 5 people injured Armenia Supreme Judicial Council member presents Court of Cassation candidate judges biographies Israel may allow Iran to export oil under US supervision Armenia appellate court considering appeal against PM Pashinyan Ibrahim Kalin says Turkey has no enmity with Armenia Heavy rain hits northern Turkey Turkey doesn't impose sanctions on Russia because of its energy dependence Cavusoglu says they are waiting to open Zangezur corridor as soon as possible Process kicks off aimed at building new nuclear power unit in Armenia European Commission head doesn't support G20 summit boycott if Putin attends 139 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia past 1 week Aliyev: New weapons, most modern equipment have been, are being brought to Azerbaijan Peskov rules out Russia's disconnection from global Internet World oil prices dropping Drug smuggling by Iranians is prevented in Armenia Armenia parliament to convene special session Copper rises in price Armenia finance minister meets with Asian Development Bank representatives Yerevan mayor to pay 12-day official visit to France Earthquake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone At least 4 dead after stand collapses during bullfight in Colombia Microsoft to end support for Windows 8.1 in January 2023 95% blind Japan skateboarder breaks 2 Guinness World Records NASA to launch Capstone satellite for future creation of habitats on Moon US intends to raise $200 billion as part of G7 program, competing with China's Belt and Road project 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 Kuwait's crown prince on Wednesday dissolved parliament and called for early elections, AP reported. In a televised address to the nation, 81-year-old Sheikh Mishaal al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah said that while the ruling family respects Kuwait's constitution, which gives the country's parliament more power than anywhere else in the Persian Gulf sheikdom region, popular discontent with deepening dysfunction has forced the emir to step in. Our goal with this constitutional solution is the firm and sincere desire for the people themselves to have the final say in the process of correcting the political course anew by choosing who represents the right choice," said Sheikh Meshal. A date for the legislative elections has not yet been announced. The country's cabinet resigned more than two months ago over disagreements with parliament, leading to a prolonged paralysis. Last week, more than a dozen Kuwaiti lawmakers began a sit-in in the parliamentary chamber to press for the formation of a new government and to express their opposition to the worsening political crisis. The struggle has left many Kuwaitis deeply disillusioned with the 50-member elected legislature. Parliament has the power to pass and block laws, question ministers, and pass motions of no confidence in high-ranking officials. The final authority, however, rests with the ruling emir. Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, appeared briefly on state television on Wednesday to say that he had authorized his successor to deliver a national address. Lithuania is a member of NATO Alliance, we are adhering to the commitments we have made to the NATO Alliance, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a briefing. "That includes, of course, a commitment to Article 5 that is the bedrock of the NATO Alliance. This is a campaign that includes dozens of countries around the world, including blocs of countries, in this case the EU but also individual countries using their national authorities. Lithuania has been a stalwart partner in this. We stand by NATO. We stand by our NATO Allies, and we stand by Lithuania," a representative of the US Department of State said. Earlier, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that possible retaliatory measures to Lithuania's limitation of Kaliningrad transit would be not diplomatic, but practical, and were already being considered at the interdepartmental level. According to her, the EU and Lithuania "were told about the need to change the steps taken, and if this does not happen, then retaliatory measures will be introduced. As it was reported, since 18 June, rail transit of cargoes to Kaliningrad region from other regions of Russia was considerably cut by the Lithuanian authorities within the framework of sanctions policy. A ban was imposed on the transit of a large number of sanctioned products. Earlier on Tuesday, it became known that Lithuania had imposed restrictions on the transportation of sanctioned goods in Kaliningrad as well as for the transit of cargo by trucks. The Charge d'Affaires of Lithuania in Russia, Virginia Umbrasene, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. A protest was made to the head of the diplomatic mission. The Russian side demanded the immediate cancellation of the restrictions. Lithuania, for its part, said that it had not imposed unilateral restrictions, as such a ban is provided by the EU sanctions. They were imposed on Russia due to its actions in Ukraine, Interfax reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree introducing a new temporary procedure for the fulfillment of obligations under the foreign currency debt of Russia. Payments will be made in rubles. The National Settlement Depository (NSD), against which sanctions were previously imposed, will open ruble "I" accounts in the name of foreign depositories for payments to holders of Russian Eurobonds. The procedure for determining the amount will be established by the Russian Ministry of Finance. The Russian authorities will consider the obligations on Eurobonds fulfilled if the payments are made in rubles in the amount "equivalent to the value of obligations in foreign currency and calculated at the rate of foreign currency, formed in the domestic currency market of Russia on the day when Russia made the payment to the central depositary". At the beginning of June the European Union imposed sanctions against NSD. The Russian Central Securities Depository described the situation as an emergency. In fact, the EU only legitimized the actions of the European depositories Euroclear and Clearstream, which stopped all transactions with NSD back in March, Kommersant reported. BEIJING, June 22 -- Yuanwang-21 and Yuanwang-22, Chinas first two rocket carrying ships, returned to the home port at China Satellite Maritime Tracking and Control Department (CSMTC) on June 21, after completing the maritime transport mission of Long March-5 Y3 carrier rocket and containers. Since their departure on May 9, the two ships have sailed through the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea for 44 consecutive days, a voyage of about 10,000 nautical miles in accumulation. Thanks to the CSMTCs careful organization, the rocket hoisting, transportation and unloading works have been carried out in a safe and smooth manner, withstanding the test of complex sea conditions. According to this years plan, the Yuanwang rocket carrying ships will carry out several more maritime transport missions. The two ships had already begun their preparations for the new missions on the way back. Michael Clery, MD, is joining the City of Atlanta Mayors Office of Violence Reduction as the inaugural deputy director. Clery is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Emory Universitys School of Medicine and an emergency medicine physician at Grady Health System Emergency Department. Clery will continue to work clinically while dedicating part of his time to the Office of Violence Reduction and Mayor Andre Dickens administration. Dickens has set forth a bold agenda to keep Atlanta communities safe using evidence-based public health measures to expand the citys tools for violence prevention beyond law enforcement. The Mayors Office of Violence Reduction will direct this work under the leadership of the inaugural director Jacquel Clemmons Moore and Clery as deputy director. The Department of Emergency Medicine and the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE) look forward to collaborating with the City of Atlanta in violence prevention. We celebrate Emory emergency medicine physician Michael Clery joining the City of Atlantas Office of Violence Reduction and know that his experience, passion and commitment will benefit the work being done to identify violence reduction strategies for all of Atlantas residents, says David Wright, MD, chair of emergency medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. Clery is a dedicated physician with over a decade of experience in research on violent injury and public policy responses. He participated in research focused on youth violence while in medical school and residency training at the University of Michigan. He has authored papers describing adolescent firearm possession and effective follow-up practices for assault-injured youth. He also pursued a master of public policy degree at the Harvard Kennedy School where he studied social urban policy with a focus on strategies to implement hospital-based violence intervention programs. Building on this work, he became a Detroit Public Health Fellow during residency training to help design a violence reduction strategy for the city. Since joining Emory University faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine, he has become a steering committee member of IPRCE. He is also a member of the United States Injury Prevention Partnership (USIPP) and collaborates with colleagues and community partners to design interventions for violently injured patients. Clerys clinical work at Grady Health System also includes improving care for victims of trauma such as violent injury, domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking. I am proud of the City of Atlanta for investing in public health approaches to intervene and prevent violence that will make all Atlanta residents safer, and I am excited to be part of the Office of Violence Reduction, says Clery. June is Gun Violence Awareness month, and the Office of Violence Reduction is convening stakeholders across the city to build strategies that protect Atlantas communities. During the month, look for events across the city aiming to educate, activate and engage Atlantans around the topic of gun violence and proven public health strategies to support Atlanta communities. Follow the City of Atlantas social media and visit atlstrong.org to learn more. Emorys Department of Emergency Medicine was founded in 1975. The department includes the IPRCE and five patient care centers: Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Grady Health System and the Atlanta VA Medical Center. The Emory Emergency Medicine mission is to deliver exceptional prehospital and emergency care, advance groundbreaking science through translational and public health research, accelerate innovation and provide an unmatched education to a diverse group of trainees and communities. Oklahoma wheat harvest is 75% complete Media Contact: Alisa Boswell-Gore | Agricultural Communications Services | 405-744-7115 | alisa.gore@okstate.edu Oklahoma wheat producers are finally making great strides in their harvesting season following a week-long delay stemming from heavy rains across the state. According to recent wheat harvest reports from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, a large majority of the crops from Clinton, Weatherford and Carnegie, down south to Pocasset and Chickasha received major hail damage and heavy rains and were still fighting mud as of last week. This, along with severe drought during the growing season in areas west of Interstate-35, will impact overall statewide numbers. Recent reports also said elevators are reporting more sprout due to excessive moisture in the southwest, south central and central regions. These three regions are nearing the harvest finish line. OSU Test Plots and Variety Trials We didnt make much progress the week following the rains, but fortunately, we were able to get back at it, said Amanda Silva, Oklahoma State University Extension specialist for small grains. Until early last week, it was stop and go. We started, then we had to stop because we got some rain. We tried to cut early the week following the rain, and it was too wet. With no rain and hot temperatures this past week, OSU crews were able to harvest test plots in the northwest, north central and south central regions. As of Monday, most OSU plots were harvested, with crews finishing up in the Panhandle. One OSU location in Altus was lost altogether because of the drought. Silva said overall, yields vary for a number of reasons, including drought, hail damage, root/crown rot fungal diseases and brown wheat mite infestations. Any amount of time a crop spends in the field beyond maturity increases its risks of shattering, sprouting and low test weights. Although sprout damage has been reported, and test weights may have dropped with the latest rains, conditions do not appear to be dire, according to Silva. Protein is favorable in most places, too. Southwest Oklahoma Gary Strickland, Jackson County director and southwest regional agronomist for OSU Extension, said the crop in southwest Oklahoma is no less than what wheat experts and producers expected, with acre abandonment at a little over 50% due to long-term drought conditions. The east side of the southwest area is better off than when you head farther west, Strickland said. They got enough rain that some producers have gotten up to 40 to 50 bushels per acre, but as you go west, the drier it gets. Yields for the southwest region average anywhere from 5 to 25 bushels per acre. The biggest yield Ive seen in the Jackson County region is 27 bushels per acre, Strickland said. Despite this, test weights are coming in around 57 to 60 pounds per bushel. Northwest Oklahoma A large portion of northwest crops were harvested last week with average yields of 20 to 35 bushels per acre, with some crops reaching as high as 80 bushels per acre, according to Josh Bushong, northwest area Extension specialist in agronomy. Bushong said test weights and protein for the region are right where they need to be. Heavily grazed wheat and wheat following a summer crop last year have been the fields yielding the least, Bushong said. Some fields, even while being stunted in height with a thin stand, have yields better than expected. I believe the main difference in the variability from field to field is largely due to variety genetics and timely spring rains. Bushong said he foresees some issues with test weight as harvest continues to move west. I think were going to see some shriveled grain, so test weight will fall off a little bit, he said, adding that there have also been isolated issues with hail damage, and crown root rot damage is causing premature deaths in other crops. Some fields will be less than average production from drought damage. The worst fields for sprout damage appear to be earlier maturing varieties, so if a field is planned to be harvested for seed wheat, producers should be extra cautious, Bushong said. Bushong said producers who established their crops early ran into more disease issues, while those who planted later faced the negative effects of a drought. Several fields with short and thin wheat stands are starting to show issues with weed pressure, such as crabgrass, horseweed and pigweed. Bushong said producers have been considering harvest aids, such as 2,4-D, dicamba, glyphosate, metsulfuron and carfentrazone. Farmers, applicators and harvest crews should keep in mind most of these products have at least a seven-day pre-harvest interval, he said. The biggest concerns farmers have right now is every rain we get on a fully mature crop, the lower the test weights are going to be. Bushong said farmers need to harvest their wheat as soon as possible to quickly establish their summer crops, such as grain sorghum, soybeans and sesame, so they have a chance to finish out before the killing freeze this fall. For the latest harvest reports, visit Silvas World of Wheat blog, SUNUP TV or the latest Oklahoma Wheat Commission report. Xi warns about 'expanding military alliances' Xi Jinping calls for solidarity and cooperation to support a global economic recovery. File photo: AFP President Xi Jinping warned against "expanding" military ties on Wednesday in a speech at the opening ceremony of a virtual summit with leaders from Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa. Xi told the Brics business forum that the "Ukraine crisis is... a wake-up call" and warned against "expanding military alliances and seeking one's own security at the expense of other countries' security". He also called for solidarity and cooperation to support a global economic recovery threatened by an epidemic and security challenges. The influential club of Brics emerging economies accounts for more than 40 percent of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world's gross domestic product. Three of its members China, India and South Africa have abstained from voting on a UN resolution condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine. In a call last week, Xi assured his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that China would support Moscow's core interests in "sovereignty and security". Xi also took a swipe at US and European Union sanctions on Russia in the speech on Wednesday, saying "sanctions are a boomerang and a double-edged sword". (AFP/Reuters) New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI/PNN): Monetas Global, a new generation blockchain gaming solutions company, has launched its biggest staking programme for its community members to lock and earn MNTG tokens in a decentralised manner akin to making interest from a high-yield savings bank account. At the biggest staking program launch event held in Jammu in association with Nelson Mandela Nobel Prestigious Peace Award on June 11, Monetas Global stated that the staking mechanism aims to increase further the utility of the Monetas ecosystem and its related platforms. Staking is yet another example of the power of decentralisation, where the tokens or currency are used to validate transactions on a network to earn rewards or interest. It is a very robust mechanism to facilitate consensus in a decentralised manner and trumps the measly rates banks offer. "Monetas' staking is a much-anticipated scheme that will allow our community members to lock and earn MNTG tokens, which will only increase scarcity on the open market." Monetas has a large community of supporters, each of whom now has the opportunity to earn MNTG tokens in a decentralised fashion, similar to making interest on a high-yield savings bank account. We see a lot of promise in the market. "We are launching more than 100 hypo casual games in the market after the debut of Ludo games," stated Dr Mayur Shrivastav, CEO of Monetas Global. The company is introducing a gaming series including titles like "To the Moon," "Race to the Moon," and "Shoot to the Moon." Along with Ludo and Rummy, the corporation is developing most of the real money games played around the world, such as poker, spin wheel, Teen Patti, Roulette, Blackjack, and so on. MNTG is the first platform that allows the use of any crypto asset. MNTG tokens can also be integrated into various blockchain gaming platforms without limitations. It changes the outlook of the entire virtual payments and allows the users to use them for transactions on multiple integrated gaming solutions. For more information visit: https://monetasglobal.com/ This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 22 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Source.One, a cutting-edge commodity distribution platform plans to hire 80+ individuals over the next few quarters in order to double its staff. The hiring exercise will be carried out across many roles, such as analytics, P&L owners, software engineers, marketing, data and strategy, and so on. It will be betting high across Experienced professionals and fresh Talent, from Tier II and Tier III cities, something it has relied heavily upon till date. The new hiring plan will increase the company's total headcount to 140+ by March 2023. In FY 23-24, it plans to hire an additional 150 people. "We maintained hiring during the Pandemic," says Arun Singhal, Founder & CEO. "We are only getting more aggressive now. Ours is a business with very strong fundamentals, as seen by our robust Turnover-to-Capital and Profit growth." "Our hiring strategies follow the adage: Slow and steady wins the race. We've never believed in hyperbole! Our employee retention rate of 90 per cent reflects our people's belief in long-term value and Wealth creation. Commodity businesses are very difficult to grasp, act counter-intuitive to most Industries, but are extremely scalable. This reality guides our Talent requirements: Innovative minds & short-term patience combined with long-term ambition. We are in it for a very long haul." To smoothen the journey, Source.One has partnered with a number of companies to organise training courses in a hybrid format, combining in-person and virtual sessions. It also encourages new staff to pursue professional growth through formal courses and certifications. It runs its entire team out of a new 200-seater facility in Pune. Source.One raised $8 million in its first round of funding earlier this year to help its expansion, beyond petrochemicals into other commodities such as bulk chemicals, specialties, and so on. Sarv.One, the company's recent expansion into packaging, has already gained popularity. In just over three years of operation, Source.One has evolved to become one of the largest commodity distribution platforms in India. It maintains a one-of-a-kind WhatsApp-layered Platform that interacts with 20,000+ businesses at once while optimising the transaction, logistics, and payment processes. Source. One is the fastest-growing B2B distribution company in the world, with unheard-of financial growth in a short period of time. The team is made up of commodity veterans, technology enthusiasts, and individuals from both new and old industries. It has already assisted over 5000+ MSMEs in streamlining their procurement processes. "We employ an Innovative usage of Knowledge, Data, Technology, and Operational excellence to solve difficult Supply chain problems." Says Shrinath Balakrishnan, CTO & Co-founder. "We've evolved to be agnostic about a person's background. Experimentation is an entrenched advantage we have. We're growing our analytics, product management, P&L ownership, logistics, and other teams. We'll hire you for whatever you can think of. As a result, we meet the majority of those who apply. This takes time, but we occasionally come across tremendous talent." Shrinath Balakrishnan, CTO and Co-Founder, quips. "For far too long Technology has evaded Commodity Businesses. We are fast-tracking it." He concludes. 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 project offers over 400 compact and mid-size offices, besides retail spaces with a choice of area options ranging between 450 square feet and 1000 square feet. When complete it will be one of the tallest commercial towers in Mulund West. The project is expected to be ready for possession by June 2026. Located on the arterial LBS Marg which connects residential neighborhoods from Ghatkopar to Thane, Kalpataru Summit offers easy access, shorter commute time and the opportunity to work near home. The project is designed by architect Kiran Kapadia and P Landscape Architects. It comprises full glass facade tower, double height air-conditioned main lobby, 3-tier security with Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) system and boom barriers at the checkpoints and 9 levels of car parking. Kalpataru Summit is also registered with the Indian Green Building Council for new building rating which encompasses parameters such as Sustainable Architecture and Design, Site Selection and Planning, Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Building materials and resources, Indoor Environmental quality and Innovation and Development. The project's luxury office spaces with amenities and facilities will enable entrepreneurs and business owners move up the aspirational value chain. Mulund (West) is transforming at an unprecedented pace. Improvement in infrastructure and connectivity with upcoming office spaces for IT, manufacturing and commercial sectors are factors driving the area's growth. Mulund (West) also has a well-established social infrastructure comprising choice of recreational avenues, restaurants, cafes, hospitals and educational institutions. Kalpataru has developed several properties in the commercial realty space, such as Kalpataru Square which was Asia's first Platinum LEED Certified building for Core and Shell by US Green Building Council. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Alphalogic Techsys had earlier announced that it is setting up a grain based distillery to manufacture bio-ethanol from broken rice with a production capacity of 150000 litres per day. The company has been allotted around 17.141 acres of land from MIDC in Tadali Growth Centre in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra for this project. Alphalogic Techsys will sell the bio-ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies as part of the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) of the Government of India. The company has also got environment clearance nod to set up cogeneration power plant of 3.3 MW for its captive use. Alphalogic Techsys shares gained 6.95 per cent at the close of trade on Tuesday. On the BSE, Alphalogic Techsys Ltd shares were last trading at Rs 31.55, up Rs 2.05 from Rs 29.50 the day before. This story is provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK) New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI/ATK): If you are new to the world of crypto, more often than not new investors find choosing a cryptocurrency to invest in confusing. The investors who are more knowledgeable about the market aren't having the best time, as a lot of things have shifted in the world of crypto recently. Prices dropping almost every day and some users pulling their investments from certain coins because of the dip, new investors should be encouraged to buy the dip and set themselves up for a potential bull run in the years to come. If you are a new investor and you are struggling to decide which cryptocurrency to invest we will be looking at Polygon (MATIC), and if the current state of the crypto market is worrying you then there is a new coin yet to be launched that aims to make its users worry less, a new meme coin called Mehracki (MKI). Mehracki (MKI) - Curing Crypto With One Laugh at a Time Originating from the Greek word 'Meraki', which best defines an individual that is ready to complete a task or do something with love, creativity and soul. The meme coin sector has been heavily dominated by the two household names Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) but Mehracki (MKI) aims to revolutionise and revitalise the meme token industry. Meme tokens are under more scrutiny than any other cryptocurrency category, due to their real-life applications and utility of the tokens. Here are some reasons why Mehracki could potentially be superior to their rivals, utilitarian model, real-life application and incentivised adoption. The Mehracki coin MKI is used to verify and authenticate transactions in the ecosystem, the coin can also be used as a unitary value exchange between customers and hospitality businesses. This is why the utilitarian model is essential to its growth, as hype, buzz and the influencer market can do so much for Mehracki. Mehracki is a meme token built on the Solana, that puts its community at the forefront of its vision so that users will be able to partake in stress-free activities. Choose Polygon (MATIC) if You Want to Build Profit Polygon (MATIC) is a Layer 2 scaling solution aiming to ameliorate the velocity and take away the cost and complexities of transactions on blockchain networks, specifically Ethereum. Polygon essentially revolves around Ethereum, a platform that is home to an assortment of artwork, virtual worlds, decentralised applications, and a range of financial products. Polygon wants to give developers the opportunities and tools they need to bring the most enticing products to the market with ease and efficiency. Polygon allows its developers to efficiently create many kinds of scaling solutions that can be utilised with Ethereum. Nonetheless, Ethereum has a lot of constraints in terms of scalability, due to a large amount of network usage, congestion is caused within the Ethereum blockchain which leads to slow transaction speeds and high gas fees. This means that despite everything Ethereum has to put forward, many are deterred from using or developing on the network due to its limitations. Mehracki Token (MKI) Presale: https://buy.mehracki.io/register Website: http://mehracki.io Telegram: https://t.me/Mehracki_Official This story is provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK) Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh co-chair the 13th China-ASEAN Defense Ministers Informal Meeting via video link on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Xu Dong) BEIJING, June 22 -- The 13th China-ASEAN Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting was held via video link on Wednesday. The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh. "In November last year, President Xi Jinping and the leaders of ASEAN countries announced the establishment of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, which is a new milestone in the history of bilateral relations," said General Wei Fenghe, adding that over the past 30 years, China-ASEAN friendly cooperation has yielded fruitful results. China and ASEAN should continuously adhere to mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation, make joint efforts to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, and an institutionalized system for defense and security cooperation, to maintain regional security. On the South China Sea issue, all parties involved should exclude interference, adhere to the "dual-track approach", and make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, said General Wei Fenghe. Ministers of the ASEAN countries stated that the establishment of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership brings new opportunities for the deepening of bilateral defense cooperation. The ASEAN appreciates China's respect for ASEAN's key role in regional cooperation, and is willing to further strengthen defense and security cooperation with China to jointly maintain regional peace, stability and sustainable development. Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe delivers a speech at the 13th China-ASEAN Defense Ministers Informal Meeting via video link on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Xu Dong) New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI/GPRC): The world has been a witness to the rise of many businesses and brands across the world, out of which a few of them always make sure to enthral people with what they offer. Among the many industries that have been on a constant growth pedestal, the education sector is one that has constantly developed and has offered students excellent opportunities to up their academic learning like never before. Since the shift of industries into the digital world, the education sector too jumped into the online bandwagon to provide students with the best online learning courses. Topping the list of such hand-curated learning platforms is JOTOBOTO, an incredible English and Social Science learning platform powered by animation and visuals. Learning core subjects has now become easy as JOTOBOTO brings a digital platform to help students learn in a novel way. JOTOBOTO is all about creating, curating, and offering attractive, meaningful, and appealing videos for every lesson, which provides students with the opportunity to learn their curriculum while also getting entertained. Learning becomes accessible and easy with just a few clicks on a device, says Jacqueline Chinai, the founder and mentor of JOTOBOTO, who has more than 35 years of rich experience teaching English and Social Science. Speaking on JOTOBOTO, the best e-learning platform, she says, "When learning gets powered by powerful visuals, it creates a greater impact on the young minds and repeated viewing helps in higher retention of the course, ultimately turning them into more skilled individuals." The material that JOTOBOTO offers them helps in improving their pronunciation and vocabulary, which helps in improving their English skills. Also, the e-learning platform has self-tests for helping students with self-assessment, and PDFs are also made accessible to refer to and learn their answers. Be it the quality of the videos, the visual explanation of every chapter, the use of pictures and visuals for proper narration, and much more have only given JOTOBOTO the most positive reviews and testimonials so far, where each student has learned something new, and improved their learning skills overall. For Social Science, the e-learning platform covers subjects of Geography, History, Economics, and Civics, while for English Grammar, they have separate videos with tests. All these videos help teachers to create a wholesome learning experience, reinforcing what is taught in class through the power of visuals. JOTOBOTO is determined to excel students in English and Social Science through its one-of-a-kind online visual courses and videos. This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC) New Delhi/ Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): Ecole Centrale School of Engineering, Mahindra University (MU) Hyderabad, one of India's fastest-growing multidisciplinary educational institutions dedicated towards the technology domain today announced five new interdisciplinary M.Tech. programs. These new future-ready M.Tech. programs include CSE, Data Science and AI, Embedded Systems and VLSI, Systems Engineering and Power Electronics will be accompanied by the existing M.Tech. programs which include M.Tech. in A-EVs (Autonomous Electric Vehicles) and M.Tech. in Computer Aided Structural Engineering (CASE). The programs aim to nurture advanced level of specialization across relevant new-age technology domains enabling widespread adoption of emerging technologies. The course structure is targeted towards providing an interdisciplinary integration of engineering from systems understanding and management, application to life cycle management. On the introduction of new courses Dr Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor, Mahindra University said, "Over the past few years, the Indian job market has experienced a tectonic shift in terms of required tech talent. Owing to the increased digitalization and the resulting upswing in demand for premium tech talent, India is projected to face a shortage of 14-19 lakh tech professionals by 2026. Our vision behind the introduction of these new-age M.Tech programs is to bridge this talent demand-supply gap by imparting best-in-class education to our students while equipping them with superlative industry-ready skills." Over the past few years, India has emerged as an innovation laboratory within the tech industry and its digital talent pool accompanied by the existing vibrant innovative ecosystem is poised to redefine India's global stature as a technology leader during the upcoming techade. Bishnu P Pal, Professor, Dean School of Engineering and Academics said, "The vision behind these M.Tech. programs is to forge and educate the engineers of tomorrow by helping them adapt with global engineering and IoT challenges and adopt new-age technologies that would help redefine the future of IoT and engineering in India." The newly launched industry-specific M.Tech. courses and the existing M.Tech. courses are as follows:- M.Tech. in Power Electronics and Renewable Energy Systems: The M.Tech. program in Power Electronics and Renewable Energy Systems is a 2-year full-time master's program offered to students who are interested in learning and building a fruitful career in the broad field of power electronics and drives. Looking at the substantial growth in demand for sustainable energy solutions, the program is specifically curated to lay emphasis on training the students towards the latest developments in the renewable energy sector. M.Tech. in Embedded Systems and VLSI: This program will have a duration of two years where the students will be involved in VLSI Design, Advanced Computer Architecture, Advanced Algorithms in Design Automation, Machine Learning for VLSI Design, Low Power VLSI Design, Logic Synthesis, Testability and Design for Testability, Logic Synthesis, and Physical Verification Flows. To further facilitate those who have been enrolled within this program, Mahindra University is in the process of breaking ground on a new laboratory facility that will give students the hands-on opportunity to use the latest design automation software from the leading EDA company Synopsys. M.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science: The M.Tech. program in AI and DS is designed to enable engineering graduates to acquire an advanced level of specialization in this domain, in terms of the latest advances as well as the different streams of technology development and application that reflect in both industry and academic research. To further improve their learning experience the students are introduced to reinforced learning with a flavor of autonomous systems. The students are also introduced to Financial Risk Management where Data Analytics, Machine Learning and DL are going to play a steadily growing role. M.Tech. Program in Systems Engineering: This M.Tech. program is specifically curated for students who are interested in advanced learning and research in the field of Systems Engineering with a focus on inter-disciplinary integration of engineering, systems understanding and management, and application to life cycle management. This involves learning system architecture, design, integration, implementation and sustaining it (i.e., manage, evolve and re-engineer), utilizing advanced methods of evolutionary computation, Operation Research (OR), Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), System reliability, energy management system, distribution management system, etc. M.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering: The M.Tech. program in Computer Science enables engineering students to acquire essential knowledge related to Computer Science and advanced knowledge in one of the streams of technology development relevant to industry and academic research. The curriculum has been curated in such a way that it enables the applicants to sharpen their understanding of fundamentals and strengthen the foundations required to acquire specialization in one of the theme areas of the current R&D effort. M.Tech. in A - EV's (Autonomous Electric Vehicles): Looking at the burgeoning demand for technology talent across the EV, the university proposed M.Tech. program on A-EVs. The program enables students to comprehend and understand the various components of an Electric Vehicle, individually and as a whole. The program enables them to conceptualize and design fully autonomous vehicle and gain expertise across multiple domains such as Intelligent Transport System (ITS), infrastructure-based communication for vehicles, synthesizing intelligent mechanisms, Battery Management Systems (BMS), electric drive system along with associated electronic circuitry. M.Tech. in Computer Aided Structural Engineering (CASE): This M.Tech. program was curated with the vision to integrate the strengths of Computer Science into Structural Engineering for providing robust, accurate, fast, economical, and sustainable solutions for the current and future challenges. Eligibility criterion for admission to these masters' programs is full-time bachelor's degree from any recognized University/Institute with a minimum aggregate of 60 per cent or equivalent grade. All applicants with a valid GATE percentile score of 80 and above have to go through an interview for admission. Those with GATE percentile score of less than 80 have to additionally write a written test to be conducted by ECSE-MU. For students who take admission through the GATE Scores, an academic fee of Rs 1,00,000 per annum will be charged. These students will be offered teaching assistantships, which will include a Stipend of Rs 15,000 per month plus free Boarding and Lodging in the in-campus hostels. For the Non-GATE route admission, there will be Academic Fees of Rs 1,00,000 per annum and Rs 2,00,000 per annum (Hostel Charges covering both boarding and lodging). However, for non-GATE pass applicants to the MU M.Tech. programmes, the University PG Admissions Committee may suggest awarding Teaching Assistantships for select candidates based on exceptional performance in the M.Tech. Admission Test and subsequent interview conducted by MU. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New York [US], June 22 (ANI/PRNewswire): Leading international math learning program, Creta Class, has recently been recognized by the 2022 Mom's Choice Award as being among the best in family-friendly media, products, and services. Creta Class was granted the prestigious Gold Award for its 5-stage learning program. Complementing their MCA success, Creta Class was also awarded the Spring 2022 Academics' Choice Smart Media Award, while granted kidSAFE accreditation and earned a 5-star evaluation from the Educational App Store earlier this year. Aside from being an exceptional learning tool, Creta Class was granted the 2022 Mom's Choice Gold Award for innovation in remote and application-based mathematics teaching. This has been exceptionally important since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and has led to the program being a key component in countless virtual classrooms and homes around the world. With additional award-winning platforms available, the app can be found and explored by more families interested in mathematical thinking and learning. Upon receiving the award, Christy, Curriculum Development Head of Creta Class said, "We are very grateful for the recognition. At Creta Class, we see it as our mission to understand and guide the cognitive development of young children, cultivate their enthusiasm for learning, guide them step by step as they explore. Moving forward, we are excited to continue extending the reach and depth of our learning materials to help more young children unlock their learning potential." Creta Class addresses this issue by introducing children to principles of math education from an early age through 240 lessons, 1,200 animation videos, over 2300 interactive exercises, and 1-on-1 tutoring to work through each year. The syllabus covers a wide range of areas, including number concepts, operations, shapes, space, and much more. With daily lessons only 15 minutes in length, children are encouraged to focus on short bursts and commit their lessons to long-term memory, giving them a strong foundation to support their future math studies. "We are happy to award deserving apps like Creta Class," said Dawn Matheson, CEO of Mom's Choice Awards. "Our panel of judges really felt this app merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendly products that parents and educators can feel confident in using." Creta Class utilizes cutting-edge technology to provide a mathematics educational program that is fun, engaging, and safe for young learners. The team of early education and IT industry veterans designed the course to help 3-8 years old kids establish systematic knowledge through progressive learning pathways. The program features engaging animations and hands-on interactive exercises supported by AI technology to ensure maximum immersion to realize a learning experience for children. For more information, please visit Creta Class and on social media on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI/SRV): Healthroid an online healthcare media publishing company is all set to launch a free online blood donation platform. Donating blood is an act of solidarity and critical for saving lives. While many people choose to donate blood through local blood banks, Healthroid's blood donation platform will make it easy to donate blood from anywhere in the world. Manual blood donation systems have a number of restrictions and disadvantages - it is time-consuming, leads to errors, consume substantial manpower, lack donor information, retrieval of data takes a lot of time and percentage of accuracy is less. Healthroid's blood donation platform is a digitized management system that will not only maintain the information of blood donors and recipients, but also provide them functionality to connect with each other in times of emergency. Highlighting the website features, Priyank Pandey, Founder of Healthroid, shared, "Healthroid's online blood donation management system will help in maintaining the list of blood donors and also helps the recipients to track and search the right donor easily. With more than 100K monthly visitors, Healthroid's upcoming feature will enable readers and followers join for a good cause." Priyank further added, "There are many people who choose to donate blood because they know how important it is. Some people donate because a loved one needs blood, while others donate simply because they want to help others in need. No matter the reason, donating blood can make a huge impact on someone's life." Key features of our Blood donation platform: Search donor by blood type Search donor by distance Became a donor Donor profile Request a blood Donors can schedule appointments and donate directly from their smartphones. All donations are safely and securely processed. Healthroid is an online, healthcare media publishing company that provides health information, including news, articles, and blogs. Healthroid is one of the most emerging healthcare sites on the internet with a concept is to make healthcare information more efficient and accessible to the commoners, in just a click. Priyank said, "Our articles are written with the average person in mind, and we aim to make complex topics easy to understand. We hope that our website will be a go-to source for reliable health information for everyone. For millions of people, Healthroid is the trusted healthcare portal where they know they'll find easy-to-read, in-depth, authoritative medical information to take good care of themselves and their family with some new ways to live healthier." Priyank invited everyone to join this noble cause by saying, "Giving blood is one of the simplest and most selfless things we can do to help others. The need for blood is constant, and each donation can save up to three lives. Every day, patients in hospitals across the country rely on blood transfusions to survive surgery, serious injuries, or life-threatening illnesses." To know more, please visit - https://www.healthroid.com/ You can directly connect with the Founder here -https://www.facebook.com/priyankpandey42/ This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 22 (ANI/SRV): Magik Cook, one of the leading food processing brands of the Northeast, will supply free Atta, Maida, Sooji and Besan for the preparation of food for the various outstation pilgrims that have gathered at the Kamakhya Temple for the annual Ambubachi Mela that will commence from today. As a token of goodwill gesture, Magik Cook has vowed to extend the services of providing essential ingredients for the preparation of food for the various outstation pilgrims from across the country. Ambubachi Mela is the annual festival that is celebrated every year in the Kamakhya temple premise symbolising the fertility cult of the goddess Kamakhya. This annual festival that reflects India's spiritual, cultural and social values is being frequented by devotees from various parts of the country. After a gap of two years, thousands of pilgrims, starting from sadhus-sadhvis to householders, from all over India, have already gathered in the Nilachal Hills to offer their prayers in the famous Kamakhya temple. Commenting on the initiative, Sanjeev Bajoria, Managing Director, SMFL said, "Ambubachi Mela is the biggest spiritual festival of the region and lakhs of devotees throng the temple every year from various parts of the country and abroad. We feel privileged to extend our hospitality to the devotees and the visitors of the festival in our own simple way." Commenting on the initiative, Anahita Bajoria, Deputy Managing Director, SMFL stated, "We feel privileged to get the opportunity to extend our support in helping the pilgrims that have come a long way to seek Devi's blessings." She further stated, "We hope that Devi Kamakhya answers the prayers of all the pilgrims that have travelled from far and nearby places during the holy period of Ambubachi Mela." The decision to provide Atta, Maida, Sooji and Besan for the preparation of meals for the outstation pilgrims is being applauded by all the visitors and devotees as well as other voluntary organizations working at the Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple. Magik Cook is the flagship brand of Shree Mahabir Foods Limited which is engaged in manufacturing an assortment of Wheat Flour, Fresh Semolina, Gram Flour, Maida Flour and Bread Flour. Owing to their longer shelf life, purity, these products are highly demanded. Company has spacious warehouse, modern packaging facilities and a wide distribution network. Under the excellent leadership of the mentor of the organisation Anahita Bajoria the company has gained a good position in the market. This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI/SRV): Online Docs might not be a name known to many readers, but its potential to revolutionise the Indian Healthcare sector is exorbitant. It's a new venture, ready to provide its services in the domain of mental health issues which is an urgent matter of concern in this country. The vision behind it is inspired by Dr Chaudhari's years of practice and his altruism for his motherland. It is a first-of-its-kind online project which will act as a one-stop platform for providing an array of mental health solutions to any patient with mental illness in India. The platform will be a 24*7 healthcare provider and starts its services in June 2022. This facility can be availed from all over India, through any new-age digital device. India is home to 1.38 Billion people and has the world's largest youth population. According to one WHO report, India is also the world's most depressed country. Even though it is a financial superpower, half its workforce suffers from depression! And, how will a startup like Online Docs help overcome the depreciating average mental health in India? To answer these questions, we talked with Dr Yashwant Chaudhri, who is also the Managing Director of California Medical Behavioral Health, about this new venture of his. As a Doctor who is already a known physician in Scripps Mercy Hospital and Alvarado Parkway Institute while alternately running multiple psychiatric clinics, Dr Chaudhari's take on depreciating average mental health in India is insightful and intellectually thought-provoking. His statement, "Intelligence may be the necessity for success in life; but in the race of being successful, we have forgotten to be humans", is something to ponder. Dr Chaudhari is an MBBS, MD (Psychiatry) and has been practising psychiatry for over 40 years in the US and has encountered uncountable patients whose sanity has been a victim of their very own intelligence. When these individuals face even the most minor setback, their subconscious response toward the stimulus is erratic, dysphoric and often catastrophic for their mental wellbeing. Such patients always had a common issue of pushing their boundaries beyond the limits to thrive and succeed in life while unknowingly gaslighting their mental health. Dr Chaudhari remembers his days at Kellogg School of Management (Illinois), from where he pursued his MBA and exclaimed how he, his friends and his other classmates at the college used to be relaxed about their studies and careers. Unlike today, even the students at the primary level of education are being made to work like machines and act like supercomputers. He also mentions that he might have achieved modest virtue in the US, for which he will always be obliged, but he had always wanted to pay his due debt to the country he was born and brought up in. Dr Chaudhari remembers that while he was completing his Master's degree from the prestigious TUFT School of Medicine in Boston, he always had a dream of opening a mental wellbeing institute in India so that he could provide the highest quality of psychiatric help to the people who have been fighting their battles in silence. Therefore after years of hard work and multiple international collaborations, he has invested in this public wellbeing project called Online Docs, which is a new-age and technology-based method of providing mental health assistance. It is a telepsychiatry service that guarantees a double layer of professional screening by the best psychologists and psychiatrists from India and the US for mental health patients in India. He hopes that Online Docs will not just be equipment for mental peace but also a comfort zone that will help eradicate the social stigma around mental health in a developing country like India. His vision is to improve the ranking of India on the current World Happiness Index (which currently stands at 136th) and make it one of the happiest countries to live in. https://www.onlinedocs.us/ This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] June 22 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company and global performance and lifestyle footwear brand, completed an agreement with leading real estate developer Lodha for a new 1.1 million-square-foot distribution centre built-to-suit transaction at Lodha Industrial and Logistics Park, Palava. The centrally located Skechers Distribution Centre will expand the Company's existing distribution capabilities five-fold, transitioning its existing facility to the technologically advanced centre--fortifying Skechers' ability to grow its business in the Indian market over the next five to seven years. The Skechers Distribution Centre will be undertaken in two phases. The first phase, which will be 660,000 square feet, is planned to be fully operational in mid-2023 and will be capable of shipping up to 100,000 units of footwear, apparel and accessories per day. The expansion of an additional 440,000 square feet is planned for completion in the next three to four years. The Skechers Distribution Centre, which is expected to be one of the tallest warehouses in the region with a height of 17 metres at the eaves, is designed to be an IGBC Platinum pre-certified building. David Weinberg, COO, Skechers, said, "India's sneaker market is pegged at USD 2.6 billion and is expected to grow at 11 per cent year over year. Skechers has always been a frontrunner in technology and innovation while keeping a progressive mindset. Growing our capabilities is a definitive step in strengthening our presence across India. With this, we hope to meet the burgeoning demand in the footwear and apparel sector." Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd added, "It was essential for us to find the right developer to meet our near-term needs and drive our business forward--and the Lodha Industrial and Logistics Park supports our growth on every level. The Skechers Distribution Centre is a testament to our commitment to the Indian market, enabling us to serve the consumer as we achieve scale. It is a great time to be operating in India's rapidly growing footwear category--and we have fully geared up to take this leap towards establishing a stronger presence in the country." Skechers entered the Indian market in 2012 and now has more than 330 Skechers stores across the country. Consumers can also purchase Skechers at numerous department stores and independent retailers, as well as through Skechers.in. The new development will be undertaken by Palava Induslogic 2, where Lodha and an affiliate of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing ("MSREI") have partnered for developing a warehouse park spread across 72 acres land parcel. 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 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): On the occasion of Father's Day, IntrCity, India's leading inter-city mobility platform, launched a campaign in honour of their bus drivers and cleaners, who also are fathers and work relentlessly for the future of their children. The initiative is to recognize the hard work and dedication of the company's bus staff that has contributed immensely in creating India's safest inter-city bus fleet. To celebrate Father's Day, IntrCity wanted to reciprocate the care and affection given to these fathers by giving "A Gift of Health to #PapasOnDuty". As part of the campaign, IntrCity organized a comprehensive medical check-up camp across the country for their 1000+ bus drivers and cleaners, who dedicate their time and efforts on-ground to ensure the safety of the inter-city travellers and making sure the buses depart and arrive on time. IntrCity SmartBus is known for its 98 percent+ punctual bus departures, with a 95 per cent fill rate across 700+ routes in India. With the industry's first-of-its-kind campaign, IntrCity wants to drive the core message of appreciating the bus staff who help the brand in building the best-in-class journey experience for more than a million loyal inter-city travellers. Similar to working fathers everywhere, IntrCity drivers and cleaners prioritise the safety and comfort of their bus passengers and guarantee that all of them reach their respective destinations on time, every single day. Speaking about the campaign, Vivek Madhukar, Chief Business Officer, IntrCity, said, "It is our constant endeavor to appreciate the effort and hard work of every member working as a part of IntrCity platform, including drivers and cleaners employed by bus operators. We took the opportunity of Father's Day to applaud the tremendous contributions of the drivers and cleaners of the IntrCity SmartBus fleet. They have always been important to us, and their betterment has remained one of our top priorities. We are delighted to offer comprehensive medical check-ups for them across the country. This campaign was one such gesture to show that they matter to us, as much as our other stakeholders." IntrCity SmartBus has upgraded the inter-city mobility ecosystem by focusing not only on inter-city travellers but also on the ease of operation of bus operators. IntrCity is assisting SMEs in implementing the cutting-edge IntrCity Mobility Technology, which has transformed the private bus industry. Today, all IntrCity-affiliated bus operators and bus owners can implement not only digital bookings and real-time tracking, but also earlier unforeseen analytics such as fleet management analytics, real-time vehicle monitoring and performance, and driver performance evaluation from a remote location. The IntrCity Mobility platform consists of a collection of applications, including the Consumer Platform, Crew App, Operator Dashboard, 24X7 Command centre and IoT-based Fleet Analytics. IntrCity is India's leading intercity mobility platform, offering both train and bus services to budget travellers. Its flagship brand IntrCity SmartBus provides safe, trusted, and standardised travel options around India's long-distance routes, operating across 700+ routes in 18 states. Its companion brand, RailYatri, provides comprehensive train travel information, serving more than 12 million users monthly. For more information, please visit www.intrcity.com. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 22 (ANI/PRNewswire): Ahmedabad-based outsourcing and fintech company, Entigrity Pvt Ltd entered into a partnership with the Government of Gujarat. Aims to invest INR 150 crores and create 3,000 jobs in the IT and Outsourcing Industry of the state. Entigrity Pvt Ltd is a global leader in outsourcing for accounting firms across North America and the United Kingdom. On June 20, 2022, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Gujarat under its IT/ITES policy 2022-27. As part of the Government's IT/ITeS policy 2022-27, under this MOU, the company intends to generate upwards of 3,000 employment opportunities across Gujarat and invest upto INR 150 crores in the coming 3 to 5 years. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel. Vijay Nehra, Secretary of the State Department of Science and Technology along with Entigrity CEO, Shalin Parikh and COO, Valay Parikh attended the signing ceremony. Through this MoU, Entigrity joins the State Government in bolstering its efforts to assist the Information Technology sector, empower youth through ICT skills, and position Gujarat as a preferred location for global knowledge workforce and industry. Shalin Parikh, Founder and CEO of Entigrity said, "Government of Gujarat's IT and ITES policy initiative, under the leadership of Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, will really boost investment and enable the whole ecosystem to grow. Gujarat will immensely benefit from these policies and we are happy that we have been selected among the Top 3 companies to sign an MOU to strengthen the government's efforts. These policies will really help companies like ours in building infrastructure, hiring right talent and being more globally competitive. Our aim is to go to tier 2 cities of Gujarat and set up our offices there and generate progressive employment opportunities for the youth of these cities." Started in December 2015 with 4 team members in a short span of 6 years, Entigrity has grown to more than 1250 employees, with offices in 6 different cities of India. Entigrity also has offices in Houston, TX and Toronto, ON. With its main office in Ahmedabad, in the coming years, the company plans to expand its presence to cities such as Rajkot, Baroda and Surat. Entigrity hired almost 700 people during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 and grew by more than 100 per cent in the last two years. Shalin further says, "We have completely bootstrapped our business from scratch to scale and have never raised any funding from Investors or VC's, and we would love to remain that way. We have had several investment offers over the years, however, our focus has been to grow profitably while prioritizing employee welfare and client satisfaction. Our core strength is our team." Entigrity focuses on 3Es for every Entigritian i.e. Enhance, Empower and Elevate. #enhance - continuous upskilling amongst its employees by providing quality training and development all the while upholding its core values #empower - providing the right platform and environment for growth and development of each team member. #elevate - all the Sr. Management positions at Entigrity are being held by employees who have grown and elevated in their careers at Entigrity. Entigrity believes in elevating their homegrown talent to all senior and leadership positions as they have given the sweat and blood in building the foundation. In a short journey of less than 75 months, Entigrity has hired 800+ CA dropouts and have thereby provided them with progressive career opportunities. They intend to continue their endeavor and provide opportunities to those dropouts and individuals who have unfortunately failed in their CA exams. Providing such opportunities would result in gainful employment creation, because these candidates, who failed in their CA careers often don't get the kind of opportunity that they truly deserve. In most cases, if one is not able to clear the CA exams, the opportunities and growth in the job market for such a student would be significantly lower compared to one who has become a chartered accountant. The knowledge and skills gained by them during their articleship and while preparing for their exams is what is far more valuable in the eyes of the company rather than just a title or degree. As far as statistics are concerned, there are more than 5 Lakh semi-qualified/dropped-out CA aspirants in the market struggling for a gainful opportunity. In this video, Shalin Parikh has shared the story of his friend Arun and how he struggled pursuing his career of Chartered Accountancy. (Here is a link) Not only that, but Entigrity also provides sponsorship to all its staff members if they wish to pursue CPA (Certified Public Accounting) or EA (Enrolled Agent) program while working with the company. Elaborating on the same, Shalin says, "We want to reach out to this pool of talent who have dropped out of CA exams because of various reasons, financial, social or otherwise, so that we can break the stigma around these dropped out CA aspirants and provide more advantageous and progressive working opportunities. I believe they deserve better job opportunities and financial growth considering the amount of hard work they have done in preparing for their CA exams and the knowledge they have gained by working in a CA firm for 2 to 3 years. We at Entigrity, respect hardwork and knowledge over any title or degree." Speaking about their plans to scale the business, Valay Parikh, COO and Co-founder said, "We plan to hire more than 3,000 professionals in the state of Gujarat in the next 3 to 5 years across multiple cities. Apart from expanding our operation in Ahmedabad, we will be opening up our offices in Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, and Vadodara, thereby generating direct employment of 3,000+ professionals in the state of Gujarat. With this increased hiring, we would continuously increase our investment in expanding our Infrastructure, building state-of-the-art research and development centres, continuously upgrading our learning and development infrastructure, expand our investment in technology and cybersecurity capacities, especially in the area of Automation, Robotics and Edtech, to cater our clients. We plan to invest between 100 and 150 crores in the state of Gujarat in the next 3 to 5 years. Our focus would be to provide economic and job opportunities to the youth of Tier 2 cities of Gujarat so they don't have to migrate to Pune, Bangalore or Hyderabad and they get the same opportunities in their hometown." The company has also taken great efforts to give back to the community and support the less fortunate. They started with an Initiative in March 2022 called the "1 Child Education Support for 1 Employee" wherein they support the complete education of 1 underprivileged child for every employee they recruit. With a target to support more than a thousand children before the end of 2022 and a double of that by the end of 2023, this MoU will go a long way in aiding Entigrity's goal. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): John Jacobs, a premium contemporary eyewear brand, has partnered with Overture to bring to life Soulmate's The Summer of Love Tour. Soulmate is a legendary Blues Rock band credited for having revived the Blues Rock phenomenon in India. Overture, a Bangalore based music management company, has worked with Soulmate several times and this is the biggest Soulmate tour they have produced to date. On the milestone accomplishment Arpan Peter, Founder, Overture, says, "We've worked with Soumate for the better part of a decade and it is an absolute privilege to bring to fruition the idea of doing a multi-city tour with them especially with a young modern brand like John Jacobs. We hope to be able to do a lot more shows with more artists like Soulmate." Soulmate, widely regarded as the best live act in India, closed the successful first leg of their tour with the band performing to packed houses across Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Pune and Hyderabad. The tour empowered by John Jacobs is a testament to how new-age brands are leaning towards lending support to niche performers from niche genres to create a community of people who crave holistic and newer experiences. John Jacobs' association with Soulmate comes as no surprise because of the brand values they uphold. John Jacobs' brand ethos is essentially a marriage of modern sensibilities with traditional values which reflects in their collection as well. With patrons riding the wave of emotions driven by nostalgia and the future past, John Jacobs' association with Soulmate is a strategic way to build resonance and impact the existing John Jacobs customer. On the association, Apeksha Gupta, CEO, John Jacobs says, "Soulmate has played a pivotal role in bringing blues-rock to Indian audiences with a refined flair for the past 20 years. Band members Rudy and Tipriti have significantly contributed to the genre with their fresh improvisations and fearless experimentation. John Jacobs customers are ardent patrons of cultivated musical experiences, and Soulmate blends into the zeitgeist they live in." John Jacobs has been a proud advocate of providing a platform to non-mainstream acts and this sensibility is a strong part of their overall narrative and brand story. The association has proved to be extremely successful and the first leg of the tour was sold out with an upcoming second leg to be announced with cities like Chennai and soulmate's home city of Shillong on the radar. They hope to have many more meaningful associations such as this one and engage with their patrons a lot more through immersive experiences like this one. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New Delhi [India] June 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): Leading voices from research, academia, and industry today echoed the need for a relook at AI and emerging technology to ensure inclusivity and diversity. This insight session on "Inclusivity and Diversity in AI and Emerging Technologies" was facilitated by Taylor and Francis Group in partnership with the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) at IIT Madras and INDIAai (The National AI Portal of India), the session highlighted the importance of representation of people from different backgrounds in AI, biases that exist in AI systems and initiatives taken to make data more accurate, transparent, and accessible. Aimed at fostering a comprehensive conversation on building knowledge and capacity within the AI research ecosystem in India, the speakers at the session included Jibu Elias, Content and Research Lead at INDIAai; Malika Malik, AI Practitioner; Dr Himanshu Sinha, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Madras; Dr Sriparna Saha, Associate Professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Patna; and Amith Vijayakumar, Manager, Insights and Analytics, Taylor and Francis Group. "Taylor and Francis Group is pleased to have facilitated this discussion on the importance of an inclusive and diverse ecosystem for Artificial Intelligence in academia and industry. This is part of our mission to support and connect the work of researchers and diverse knowledge makers to maximize their contributions and the impact of their work. We are grateful to our partners, Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, IIT Madras, INDIAai and other eminent experts who are building awareness and addressing researcher concerns in AI," said Nitasha Devasar, Managing Director, Taylor and Francis India and Vice President and Commercial Lead, India, South Asia and Africa. "IIT Madras is committed to inclusivity and diversity. The Institute has been selected as a pilot institute for "Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions (GATI)", an initiative that aims to establish a Gender Equality framework. At Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) we are promoting training programs which specially encourage women to work in data science and AI. We also collaborate with SuperBloom Studios to increase the representation of women in STEMM in social media and Wikipedia," added Dr Himanshu Sinha, Associate Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The next session in this partnership series with RBCDSAI titled 'How does AI Impact our Everyday Lives?' will put forth a panel discussion on the implications of Artificial Intelligence on our everyday lives, across different areas like healthcare, and agriculture etc. Register here to attend: attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1132967990211876110 Taylor and Francis Group partners with researchers, scholarly societies, universities, and libraries worldwide to bring knowledge to life. As one of the world's leading publishers of scholarly journals, books, eBooks and reference works, its content spans all areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Science, Technology, and Medicine. From our network of offices in Oxford, New York, Philadelphia, Boca Raton, Melbourne, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Cape Town, and New Delhi, Taylor & Francis staff provide local expertise and support to our editors, societies and authors and tailored, efficient customer service to our library colleagues. The Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) aims to leverage data science to give insights to make actionable, reliable, and impactful decisions for adoption in engineering, finance, and healthcare domains. They are one of the pre-eminent interdisciplinary research centers for Data Science and AI in India with the largest network analytics, deep reinforcement learning, and the most active natural language processing and deep learning groups. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) "We wish to inform you that the Board of Directors of Vodafone Idea Limited at its meeting held today i.e. 22nd June 2022, has, inter-alia, approved raising of funds aggregating upto Rs 436.21 crore by way of issuance of either: (a) upto 42,76,56,421 Equity Shares of the face value of Rs. 10/- each; or (b) upto 42,76,56,421 Warrants convertible into Equity Shares, to Euro Pacific Securities Ltd. (a Vodafone Group entity and promoter of the Company), on a preferential basis," Vodafone Idea said in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. Vodafone Idea said it will issue the equity stake to the Vodafone Group entity in accordance with Chapter V of the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018 ('ICDR Regulations'). The relevant date, in terms of provision of ICDR Regulations for determining the floor price of the Preferential Issue, in either case, is June 15, 2022, the company said. Vodafone Idea is jointly promoted by UK-based Vodafone Group and India's Aditya Birla Group. The Board of Directors of Vodafone Idea in the meeting held on Wednesday also approved convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company on 15th July 2022, to seek approval of shareholders for the aforesaid Preferential Issue. Share price of Vodafone Idea rose 0.71 per cent to close at Rs 8.53 on the BSE. The company's share closed in the positive despite selloffs in the market. The 30 stock S&P BSE Sensex slumped 709.54 points or 1.35 per cent to 51,822.53 per cent against its previous day's close at 52,532.07 points. The Sensex has slumped after two consecutive days of gains. The Sensex had gained 934.23 points or 1.81 per cent on Tuesday. The Sensex has closed in the red for the seventh time in the past nine trading sessions. There was heavy selling pressure in the market last week. The Sensex had lost 2,943.02 points or 5.41 per cent last week. (ANI) Indian comedian, Kapil Sharma, on Wednesday, with his team left for Canada for his upcoming show 'Kapil Sharma Live'. The comedian on his Instagram shared a series of pictures, where the whole crew can be seen all excited for their upcoming Canada tour. Sharing these pictures, the 'Firangi' actor wrote, "Flying to Vancouver now.. can't wait to meet our lovely fans in Canada". In the pictures, Kapil Sharma can be seen posing with his 'The Kapil Sharma Show' team members Krushna Abhishek, Sumona Chakroborty, Chandan Prabhakar, Rajiv Thakur and Kiku Sharda. Fans swamped into the comment section and pour wishes to the whole team for their upcoming tour. "We are waiting for you and looking forward to see you at PNE" a Canadian follower commented. The 'Kis Kisko Pyar Karoon' actor recently shared 'Kapil Sharma Live' show details of the Canada tour on his Instagram account. 'The Kapil Sharma Show' team will be arriving in Vancouver and Toronto for their upcoming show. Post Canada, the team members will be leaving for the USA tour as well. Team 'TKSS' wrapped up the last episode of the second season of the show, in which the star cast of the upcoming film 'JugJugg Jeeyo' arrived and had a fun chat with all the team members. Comedian Bharti Singh was seen missing from the group picture, Kapil posted on his account, and will not be part of this tour in future as well. The 41-year-old comedian, on the last episode of 'The Kapil Sharma Show', promised all his fans that he will be back with the new season of the show soon after returning from the world tour. (ANI) Days after separating from model Lori Harvey, Hollywood Michael B. Jordan has apparently removed his pictures with his ex-girlfriend from his Instagram account. The move comes two weeks after Harvey, 25, also appeared to eliminate all traces of Jordan from her Instagram feed, People reported. At the time, Jordan still had photos on his account of him and Harvey stepping out for Vanity Fair's Oscars After-Party, where they made their red carpet debut in March, as well as a photo from February of Harvey sporting an all-white look that he captioned, "I love her." Harvey and Jordan called it quits earlier this month. "Michael and Lori are both completely heartbroken. They still love each other. Michael matured a lot over the course of their relationship and was ready to commit for the long term. He let down his guard with her, opening up emotionally in a romantic relationship for the first time. They had great times together and brought out the best in each other," a source close to Jordan and Harvey told People. Another insider told People that Harvey "wasn't ready to commit" and that she and Jordan "realized that they weren't on the same page" while they "were making plans for their future." Jordan and Harvey began dating in November 2020. After months of romance speculation, especially following a visit to Lori's hometown for Thanksgiving and a trip to Salt Lake City, the pair went Instagram official in January 2021. In November 2021, the pair each took to their Instagram profiles to commemorate their one-year anniversary together. Jordan posted a photo of Harvey kissing him on the cheek, writing "Happy Anniversary."Last December, Jordan told E!'s News how his relationship provided the inspiration for his role in the film 'A Journal for Jordan'. "I wanted to experience love in a relationship in a way that I could pull from," he explained at the time. (ANI) After representing India at Cannes 2022, she has now reached Spain for the Cartier event. Several pictures from the event have been doing the rounds on the internet in which the 'Piku' star is seen standing next to Hollywood star Rami Malek and Egyptian actor Yasmine Sabri. Dressed in an ivory white gown, Deepika looks stunning. The gown has layers of frill on it. She tied her hair in a bun and wore a diamond necklace with a diamond. Speaking of her make-up, she opted for dewy touch. Malek opted for a tuxedo, while Yasmine donned a red off-shoulder gown. Deepika's pictures with Rami Malek and Yasmine have left fans excited. "Oh My God! Our DP is slaying," a social media user commented." "Woaaaah. Deepika and Rami Malek together," another one wrote. Meanwhile, on the film front, Deepika will be seen sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in 'Pathaan', which is all set to release on January 25, 2023. 'Pathaan' marks Deepika's fourth collaboration after 'Om Shanti Om', 'Chennai Express' and 'Hapyy New Year'.She is also a part of 'Project K' -- featuring Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan, and 'The Intern' Hindi remake. (ANI) As per reports, the project will be a romantic drama. Soon after the rumours of both actors working together went out, the actors' fans became excited and flooded social media with the posts regarding the duo's collaboration. "Kriti Sanon and Aditya Roy Kapoor are finally starring in a film together?! God heard my prayers" a user tweeted. "If the rumours about Aditya Roy Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next are true I'm actually going to faint," another user wrote. A fan commented, "Aditya Roy Kapur has that potential of being A MegaStar, this film Of SLB will prove that for sure!!! ". Aditya and Kriti have earlier worked together in 'Aira Gaira' from the film 'Kalank'. The official confirmation about the film is awaited. Meanwhile, Aditya is currently promoting his forthcoming action thriller film 'OM: The Battle Within', which is slated to release on July 1, 2022. The film also stars Sanjana Sanghi and Jackie Shroff in prominent roles and is the actor's first-ever 'in and as' film. Kriti, on the other hand, was last seen in 'Bachchhan Paandey' opposite Akshay Kumar and has recently won the 'IIFA Best Actor Award' for her performance in the film 'Mimi'. The actor will be next seen with Tiger Shroff in 'Ganpath - Part 1'. The 'Ram-Leela' film director is currently working on his first web series 'Heeramandi' which will stream on Netflix. (ANI) A survivor from Netflix's 'The Chosen One' accident that claimed the lives of actors Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez, stated that he does not blame the van driver or the production company. The actor Yeray Albelda says, "it's the norm that people are exhausted in many productions." The Mexican actors union ANDA also held a remote press conference on Tuesday to weigh in on the fatal crash, as reported by Variety. Albelda, in an interview with Variety, said, he was told a "mechanical failure" could be the cause of the crash. While he was told that others have speculated that the driver was trying to avoid a pothole or even a deer. However, no official report has yet been submitted. Sources close to the production have confirmed that the filming has resumed. "For sure, long days and nights are the norms in most productions, people are exhausted," the survivor said. Albelda does not remember the actual crash. The actors were on their way to an early morning flight to Tijuana for a break when the van they were on was off the road, before flipping over. He just remembers regaining his consciousness with an ambulance. "I was told that I answered questions but don't recall doing that," said Albelda, who suffered from his concussion, collarbone and shoulder fractures. According to Albelda, production manager Rolf Helbig was with him all along while he was transferred to a major hospital in the city of La Paz. Albelda, who plays a miner in the series, remembers that the van driver was new. He says that he hadn't noticed anything unusual about the van's condition. "I made my statement to the police and I don't blame the driver or the production," he said, adding that the driver remains in custody while the investigation continues, as per Variety. In a conference call with the media, Alejandro Calva, Secretary of Labor of the actors' union ANDA, said the two actors killed were not members. "But we are closely tracking the case. They were important cultural figures in our country," he said. He said two ANDA members, Cristina Martinez and Alaide Penarosa, were injured in the accident, adding that Martinez had been hospitalized with more serious injuries, but is now stable. He stated that the production had covered all costs associated with the accident. "Redrum is one of Mexico's leading production companies and operates on an above-average budget," he said. Redrum, founded by Stacy Perskie and Adrian Grunberg, has been one of the key production companies in Mexico, has provided production services to titles including 'Narcos: Mexico,' Apple TV Plus' 'The Mosquito Coast,' 'Elysium,' 'Blade Runner 2049' and 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters.' (ANI) Revealing the professional secret of her 'increased height' in the upcoming movie 'Thor: Love and Thunder' Hollywood actor Natalie Portman said that to attain nine inches she bulked up her body and walked on a special 'deck' for the film. According to Variety, Portman trained with a professional for about 10 months before and during the filming process. She bulked up her body and practised walking on the 'deck' for the role of Mighty Thor, which stood about 6 feet tall, about 10 inches taller than Portman's original height. "I definitely got as big as I've ever been. You realize, 'Oh, this must be so different, to walk through the world like this. As a 5-foot-3 woman, I don't know that I'm ever going to be cast again as a 6-foot character, I really relished people seeing me as big," said the 'Black Swan' actor. However, as it was practically impossible to elongate one's body, the director of 'Thor: Love and Thunder' along with his crew, devised a new method for Portman to achieve the required height for some of the scenes where she needed to walk with her co-stars, reported Variety. Portman explained that the directors would 'build a path' for her that was some feet 'off the ground'. The actor's co-star Tessa Thompson who would reprise her character of Valkyrie in the film said that the special path was called 'a deck'. "We'd rehearse the scene, they'd see the path, and then they'd build a path that was like one foot off the ground or whatever, and I would just walk on that," revealed Portman, as reported by Variety. Later, the Oscar-award winner, Portman explained that the whole process to get into the required 'appearence' for the film was indeed 'intense'. She praised her co-star Chris Hemsworth for working 'so hard' and constantly doing 'some sort of training'. "It's a quite intense and quite disciplined lifestyle to get to that appearance. Chris works so, so hard. Just constantly, every time he has a break, he has to be doing some sort of training... It's also the eating and saunas and ice baths and sleeps, all this stuff to get everything looking right. It's a full-time job!" said Portman. Marvel had announced the title for 'Love and Thunder' back in 2019 at San Diego Comic-Con, where studio boss Kevin Feige revealed that Natalie Portman would be returning to the franchise for the first since 'Thor: The Dark World'. Besides Portman, other stars include debutants Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista. Portman returns with her role of Jane Foster, the brilliant astrophysicist and ex-girlfriend of Thor but with a twist as Mighty Thor. Mighty Thor will be Jane's superhero personality which she transforms into when she possesses Mjolnir, the mystical hammer, reported Variety. 'Thor: Love and Thunder' is to open in theatres on July 8. (ANI) Legendary actor and Monacan princess, Grace Kelly's granddaughter Pauline Ducruet, will soon be featured in the latest documentary, titled 'Forming'. According to Variety, 'Forming' would narrate Ducruet's glamorous life, focusing on her gender-neutral fashion brand, and making sustainable clothing. Ducruet was inspired to create this brand by watching the Monaco royal family women. The documentary would also portray the life of the royal, who is an Olympic diver, standing in the 16th line to reign on the throne of Monaco. The documentary would also give a sneak peek into the never-before-seen closet archive of Grace Kelly. It wil also give a glimpse of Ducruet's relationship with her mother Stephanie, the Princess of Monaco. Several notable fashionistas of the world are set to make special appearances in the documentary as well. Paul Beahan and Kapil Mahendra will be the producers along with Nathalia Pizarro and Sandy Climan, known for winning the Golden Globe for the film 'The Aviator', reported Variety. Producer Beahan revealed that he was intrigued by the 'mystique' and 'glamour' of the Monaco family ever since he was a kid and that his new documentary would narrate the 'role and responsibility' of the young royal Ducruet in advocating fashion for the future. "The mystique of Princess Stephanie and the breathtaking glamour of Princess Grace Kelly is tattooed on my creative mind... Pauline Ducruet of Monaco, is the perfect blend of both. She is the real deal in her creative endeavours with her fashion line Alter and her commitment to sustainability. 'Forming' showcases the invaluable role and responsibility of a famed young woman coming forward to advocate for the future of fashion." said the producer. 'Forming' will commence shooting in Paris from March, reported Variety. Meanwhile, Beahan and his co-producer Mahendra are doing some notable work. They recently made a docu-series, titled 'Restaurant Recovery' and are presently working on a new project 'Protect/Serve', another docu-series featuring the life and works of philanthropist, Martin Luther King III. (ANI) Pampa Metals Corp. (CSE:PM) (FRA:FIRA) (OTCMKTS:PMMCF) owns a highly prospective, wholly owned, 62,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively progressing four of its projects, including completed and planned drill tests, and has two additional projects optioned to Austral Gold Ltd., with Austral already drill testing its first target on Pampa Metals' ground. The Company has also signed an agreement with VerAI Discoveries Inc. giving Pampa Metals access to the latest in artificial intelligence technologies in relation to mineral exploration, as well as a further 18,700 hectares of highly prospective terrain in the core of the highly productive mineral belts of northern Chile. The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper or gold discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. Meanwhile, the Covid positivity rate has dropped to 7.08 per cent, while the number of active cases has also slightly dropped to 5,054. With 1,466 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has gone to 18,94,164. The number of patients being treated in home isolation has risen at 3,892. With new Covid cases, the total caseload of the city has jumped to 19,25,460 while the death toll has reached 26,242. The number of Covid containment zones stand at 291 in the city. A total of 13,099 new tests -- 9,635 RT-PCR and 3,464 Rapid Antigen - were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 3,89,19,278 while 26,453 vaccines were administered - 1,853 first doses, 5,167 second doses, and 19,433 precaution doses. The total number of cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 3,47,32,097, according to the health bulletin. --IANS avr/vd ( 193 Words) 2022-06-22-21:44:02 (IANS) August, 1947 was the month that changed every Indian's destiny forever - it was the month of glory, the month of courage; the month when India won its independence. This year, we are celebrating 71st Independence Day, and it's time we go down in history and instill patriotism in us. Paytm Travel brings you top destinations in India and helps you learn about their relevance in Indian History. - Delhi: Celebrate being an Indian by visiting the capital city, Delhi. Delhi is India's powerhouse and it has a significant relevance in Indian history. Attend the most important event that takes place this day - the flag hoisting and parade at Red Fort. While in Delhi, also pay a visit to the innumerable monuments and heritage sites that give Delhi its cultural identity. How to reach: Indira Gandhi International Airport is the main airport for Delhi and NCR. The city is well-connected to all major cities and town by air, rail and road. - Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarat: Pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and know more about his role in Indian history by visiting the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. Located on the bank of the Sabarmati River, this place was the epicentre for Indian Freedom Movement such as Civil Disobedience, Non Violent Movement, Swadeshi Movement, etc. Gandhi Ji lived here for about 12 years. The ashram also has a museum that has Gandhi Ji's relics, and it is a must visit for every Indian. How to reach: The nearest international airport to Sabarmati Ashram is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. There are regular buses and trains from all major cities to Sabarmati Ashram. - Jodhpur, Rajasthan: If you want to experience the grandeur and glory of India, Jodhpur is a must visit. This beautiful blue city will leave you enamoured. The narrow lanes, medieval streets & massive forts are what Jodhpur is made of. Don't miss the magnificent fort of Mehrangarh when here! How to reach: Jodhpur has got an airport, and is well-connected by rail and road as well. - Cellular Jail, Port Blair: Located in Port Blair, the Cellular Jail is a reminiscence of the sacrifices that our heroes of the National Freedom Movement made, and the confinement that they suffered over the years during the colonial rule. When here, do watch the sound and light show, which encapsulates nerve-wracking stories from the past. When in Port Blair, you must visit the silver sandy Andaman beaches to relax and rejuvenate. How to reach: Veer Savarkar International Airport also known as Port Blair Airport, is a customs airport located 2 km south of Port Blair and is the main airport for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. - Agra, Uttar Pradesh: Agra is popular for its prized possession - the Taj Mahal, one among the Seven Wonders of the World. Visit this magnificent town to get a glimpse of the Taj Mahal and also, the Agra Fort, an integral part of the British history of India. The Fort was the site of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and today, it's one of the world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO. Located by the Yamuna River, this incredibly beautiful fort features a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture. How to reach: Agra is well-connected to all major cities in India by air, rail and road. - Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh: If you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the cities and enjoy the true sense of freedom, visit Dalhousie. A quaint little hill station where the most famous spot is Khajjiar. Imagine lush green meadows, the clouds coming down to greet you & the beautiful hills. What more could one want? How to Reach: The nearest domestic airport is Pathankot, approximately 78 kilometres away from the city. - Hampi, Karnataka - Situated on the banks of Tungbhadra River, Hampi is an extremely significant place in terms of history and architecture. This beautiful village, marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to a plethora of ruins and an intriguing mythological past. Hampi was the capital of Vijayanagara Empire from 1343 to 1565. Hampi Festival, held for 3 days in November, is the most important festival celebrated here, and it attracts many people from around the globe. It is organized by the Government of Karnataka with dance, music, drama and processions. How to reach: The nearest international airport to Hampi is Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, and the nearest domestic airport is at Hubli, about 143 kilometres away. There are regular buses and trains from all major cities to Hampi. -Alleppey, Kerala: If you want to take advantage of the long weekend and set off for a family vacation, visit Alleppey. Alleppey backwaters are famous for their amazing houseboats and boat rides. You can easily book a boathouse for an entire day, which can be a completely different adventure altogether. In addition to this, you can also take your kids canoeing in the exotic canals amidst the rice fields. How to get there: The Cochin International Airport, located at a distance of 75 kilometres, is the nearest airport to Alleppey. - Sikkim: The beautiful states in the northeast are pride of India, and most of these states are very little-explored. Celebrate India's beauty at the enchanting land of Sikkim: mesmerizing waterfalls, Buddhist monasteries, snow-capped mountains, and wildlife sanctuaries make this misty and quaint state of Sikkim, a prime destination. Travellers vouch for Sikkim as being one of the most serene and humbling choices for a peaceful family vacation. How to reach: The nearest airport is in Bagdogra in West Bengal, around 124 km from Gangtok. You can take a taxi or bus from Bagdogra to Gangtok. - Udaipur, Rajasthan: Udaipur is a fortress of luxury. Visit this magical town to experience India at its glorious best. Udaipur with its unique architecture and opulent grandeur, gives you a sneak peek into royalty. Also known as City of Lakes, Udaipur offers variety of activities for your family. Do visit Lake Pichola for a memorable boating experience. How to reach: The nearest airport is the Maharana Pratap Airport, situated about 20 kilometres away from the city. It is well-connected by air to all major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, and Jaipur. (ANI) In a new study, the US researchers have revealed that Covid-19 is associated with life-threatening blood clots in the arteries of the legs. Published in the journal Radiology, the research has shown that Covid-19 patients with symptoms of inadequate blood supply to the lower extremities tend to have larger clots and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death than uninfected people with the same condition. "We found that arterial thrombosis associated with Covid-19 infection was characterised by dire outcomes, namely strikingly increased rates of amputation and death, which in our series were 25 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively," said study lead author Inessa A Goldman from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US. Covid-19's association with blood clots in the pulmonary arteries is well-established. Less is known about the virus' connection to lower extremity arterial thrombosis, a condition characterised by blood clots in the arteries that impede the flow of oxygenated blood to the lower extremities. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City, radiologists observed an increase in patients testing positive for lower extremity arterial thrombosis on CT angiography exams. The patients had arrived at hospitals with coldness, pain or discolouration of their legs. Frequently these symptoms of leg ischemia, a condition in which blood flow to the lower extremities is restricted, were accompanied by respiratory distress, cough, fever and altered mental status. The alarming trend prompted the researchers to look more closely at a possible connection between Covid-19 and lower extremity arterial thrombosis and whether people with the virus had a worse prognosis. In March and April 2020, they identified 16 Covid-19-positive patients, average age 70, who underwent CT angiography of the lower extremities for symptoms of leg ischemia. These patients were compared with 32 Covid-19-negative patients, average age 71, who underwent CT angiography with similar symptoms in previous years and who were well matched with Covid-19 cohort for demographic and clinical characteristics. The findings showed that all patients with Covid-19 infection undergoing lower extremity CT angiography had at least one clot in the leg, compared with only 69 per cent of controls. The clots in the Covid-19 patients were significantly larger and affected arteries higher up in the leg with greater frequency than those in controls. Death or limb amputation was more common in Covid-19 patients. "For comparison, the rate of both amputation and death was only three per cent among controls," Goldman said. The research team noted that with infection rates rising in many parts of the country, it is important that physicians be mindful of the connection between Covid-19 and lower extremity arterial thrombosis. --IANS bu/na/in ( 453 Words) 2020-07-17-13:22:18 (IANS) Congress is one of the allies of the ruling MVA coalition in Maharashtra which also comprises Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi has appointed Kamal Nath as a special observer to look into the political crisis, especially after some Congress members reportedly cross-voted during the recent MLC elections in Maharasthra. Kamal Nath shares a good rapport with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told the media, "There is crisis within the Congress as many MLAs did not vote for the designated party candidate in the MLC polls." Sources said the party is likely to replace Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat. Congress' Maharashtra in-charge H.K. Patil has also been rushed to Mumbai. About two-dozen Congress MLAs from Maharashtra had met Sonia Gandhi in April to discuss the issues facing the party in the state. The MLAs had complained that Congress ministers in the MVA government were ignoring the party workers and there was strong resentment against them due to this. --IANS miz/arm ( 225 Words) 2022-06-21-20:42:03 (IANS) Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Tuesday said the courts in India assist and support arbitration and "leave substantive part of adjudication to arbitral tribunals". In his address at the annual meet of Indo-German Chamber of Commerce on the theme "Arbitration in a Globalised World - The Indian Experience" at Germany's Dortmund, he said: "In recent years, there has been some apprehension in the minds of parties about increasing interference of domestic courts in the arbitration process. Let me assure you, Indian courts are known for their pro-arbitration stance. Courts in India assist and support arbitration and leave the substantive part of adjudication to the Arbitral Tribunal itself." He added that the geography of international arbitration is mostly concentrated around the business centres of the developed world: Singapore, London, Paris, or Stockholm, despite the fact that most disputes are generated in the developing world, and this needs to be balanced. The CJI emphasised that it is the responsibility of the host country to ensure that there is peace and stability in the country, and also an effective legal redressal system so that it attracts investments that generate employment. "The Indian judiciary is recognised for giving paramount importance to the rule of law. The Indian judiciary eternally guards the constitutional rights in the world's largest democracy. You can trust the Indian judiciary for its absolute independence and its inherent constitutional strength to treat all parties equally and equitably," he said. Chief Justice Ramana said the constitutional courts of India - the high courts and the Supreme Court - have the power to judicially review every act of the government. "They can strike down any law that is not in tune with the constitutional principles. They can also set aside the arbitrary measures of the executive," he said. He said international arbitration has several known advantages and it is in this spirit that the Indian judiciary delivers justice, to one and all, and the Indian courts do not discriminate on the basis of country of origin, and emphasised that all are equal before the courts of law in India. Chief Justice Ramana said: "For the past two decades, India is following the path of actively encouraging arbitration, mediation, and other modes of alternative dispute resolution. India adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law while enacting the Arbitration and Conciliation Act in 1996, to make the arbitral process more efficient and to harmonise it with the international practice and procedure". He added that to keep up with the changing global and economic scenario, the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996 was amended in 2015, 2019, and 2021. --IANS ss/vd ( 445 Words) 2022-06-21-20:44:02 (IANS) Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, with 33 party MLAs and seven independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat left Surat International Airport for Assam's Guwahati on wee hours of Wednesday. This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) In a latest development in connection with the CDSCO bribery case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested all the remaining accused, who were allegedly involved in waiving the Phase-3 trial of 'Insulin Aspart Injection' of Biocon Biologics. Meanwhile, the company in a statement denied the bribery allegations against it and its employees. The CBI said that they have arrested Guljit Sethi, the Director of Bioinnovat Research Service Private Limited; L. Praveen Kumar, the Associate Vice President and Head of National Regulatory Affairs of Biocon Biologics Limited; and Animesh Kumar, the Assistant Drug Inspector of CDSCO. The CBI had on Monday arrested E. Eswara Reddy, the Joint Drug Controller (JDC) of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Dinesh Dua, the Director of Delhi-based Synergy Network India Private Limited. Reddy is currently posted as JDC with CDSCO headquarters in New Delhi. A case was lodged against Reddy, Dua, Sethi, Praveen and Animesh and others. "It was alleged that Reddy was trying to exert undue influence on officers of CDSCO to waive the Phase-3 trial of Insulin Aspart Injection. The accused agreed to pay a bribe amount of Rs 9 lakh to Reddy for favourably processing the said three files related to Bengaluru-based Biocon Biologics Limited and also for favourably recommending the file of Insulin Aspart injection to the Subject Expert Committee meeting. The CBI laid a trap wherein Reddy was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 4 lakh from Dua. The CBI had on Monday conducted searches at 11 locations in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Patna and Bengaluru, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents. The Biocon Biologics had issued a statement saying its Aspart was approved in Europe and many other countries. "We deny few allegations reported in India. All our product approvals are legitimate and backed by science and clinical data. Our Aspart is approved in Europe and many other countries. We follow due the regulatory process for all our product approvals by DCGI. The entire application process in India is online and all meeting minutes are in public domain. We are co-operating with the investigation agency," it said. Claiming that it adopts global best practices in corporate governance, Biocon said that the rationale for waiver of Phase 3 clinical trials was based on the following Indian regulatory guidance {Similar Biologics Guidelines 2016 & New Drugs and Clinical Trials 2019 (GSR 227 E)}. The guidelines provide a framework for waiver of Phase 3 clinical trials to be conducted in India based on a commitment to undertake Phase 4 trial, the design of which should be approved by the Central Licencing Authority, Biocon said. "In line with the above regulations, Biocon Biologics presented a proposal for import and marketing of Insulin Aspart with a waiver of Phase 3 clinical trial in India. The company presented a detailed proposal along with CMC, pre-clinical and clinical trial data," the company said. According to Biocon, after detailed deliberation, the Subject Expert Committee (Endocrinology and Metabolism) at CDSCO recommended for grant of permission to import and market the drug with waiver of Phase 3 clinical trial in the country with the condition that the firm should conduct Phase 4 clinical trials in India. --IANS vj/arm ( 552 Words) 2022-06-21-22:46:03 (IANS) The three defence service chiefs on Tuesday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Agnipath recruitment scheme. Army chief, General Manoj Pande, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, and Navy chief, Admiral R Hari Kumar met the PM at his residence separately. As per reports, all the three apprised him about the successful rollout of the recently-launched scheme and the induction process. Earlier in the day, a tri-service press briefing was also held on the Agnipath recruitment scheme. This was the second press briefing after the announcement of the scheme last week by the three service chiefs in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The new requirement scheme has sparked widespread protests and agitation in several parts of the country. "Aginpath scheme balances three things, first youthful profile of the armed forces, technical savvy and adaptable people joining the Army, third makes the individual future-ready. We need the best for the country's security", said Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, in the briefing on Tuesday. "The regimental process will be unchanged. We will take an undertaking and aspirants have to submit pledge that they were not involved in any arson or vandalism", he said. Regarding police verification, he said it has always been a part of recruitment process. --IANS avr/vd ( 229 Words) 2022-06-21-22:50:05 (IANS) As per sources, the rebel MLAs, numbering between a dozen and two-dozen, will reach Surat airport soon from where they will be flown to Guwahati. Sources in Gujarat BJP said that a 50-seater chartered flight has been hired for taking the MLAs to Guwahati. The sources also said that Sena MLA Eknath Sindhe, who is leading dissident group, has managed the support of five Congress MLAs, who too will be joining the group in Surat. Party sources said this decision was taken after the Shiv Sena MLAs reached the Le Meridien hotel in Surat and had a meeting with Shinde. Though police deployment on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border has been beefed up since Tuesday morning, the BJP fears that if the Shiv Sena rebels are kept in Surat for a few more days, Shiv Sainiks could reach here which could lead to a law and order situation. --IANS haresh/arm ( 179 Words) 2022-06-21-22:56:03 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma on Tuesday filed a Rs 100 crore civil defamation suit against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in Civil Judge Court, Kamrup (Metro), Guwahati. AAP leader Sisodia, in a press conference On June 4, alleged that the Assam government had given contracts to the Chief Minister's wife's firms and son's business partner to supply PPE kits above market rates when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging in the country in 2020. Riniki Bhuyan Sarma's lawyer Padmadhar Nayak said that they are expecting that the case will list on Wednesday and they will move further. Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said he will initiate legal action against Sisodia after the AAP leader's allegations. In his clarification, the Assam CM had said, "At a time when the entire country was facing the worst pandemic in over 100 years, Assam hardly had any PPE Kits. My wife took the courage of coming forward and donated around 1,500 PPE kits free of cost to the government to save lives. She didn't take a single penny." Reacting to the allegations of irregularities in the supply of PPE kits, Sarma stated that the PPE kits were "gifted to the government" and his wife's company "raised no bill" for it. Sisodia had tweeted tagging a bill addressed to the JCB Industries from NHM-Assam mission director S Lakshmanan. He wrote, "Honorable Chief Minister @himantabiswa ji! Here is your wife's contract to buy 5000 kits in the name of JCB Industries at 990/- per kit... Tell me, is this paper false? Is it not corruption to give a tender purchase order to your wife's company as a health minister?" Rinku Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier issued a clarification over Sisodia's allegations.She wrote, "In the first week of the pandemic, not a single PPE kit was available with Assam. Taking cognizance of the same, I reached out to a business acquaintance and delivered about 1500 PPE kits to NHM with a lot of effort. Later on, I wrote to the NHM to treat the same as part of my CSR.""I didn't take a single penny out of the supply. I have always been transparent about my belief in giving back to society, irrespective of my husband's political standing," she added. (ANI) Archeologists Unearth Nearly 50 Assyrian Tablets in Nineveh Archeologists in eastern Nineveh said on Sunday they unearthed nearly 50 ancient tablets and the remains of a soldier from the Assyrian era. The artifacts were found by an expedition from Italy's University of Bologna inside the monks' hall in the ancient city. "They also uncovered the water channel that supplied the city from the Tigris, floors of Assyrian halls, a surveillance tower, and the remains of a soldier from 600 BC," Hamdoun al-Salem, an archeologist in Nineveh's Archeology department. "The expedition restored the ancient gate. It will be a monument once the work is completed here," he added. The head of Nineveh's Archeology Department, Kheir el-Din Ahmed Naser, told Shafaq News Agency that the governorate houses more than 1,000 sites. "It may become 2,000 in the next few years," he added, "we are working with foreign experts to restore some sites that were once a tourists' destination to their former status." In a prompt and swift search and rescue mission, the Indian Coast Guard saved the lives of 15 Syrian nationals working on the foreign flag ship MV Princess Miral, which ran aground off New Mangalore on Tuesday. The rescue mission was coordinated by Indian Coast Guard ships 'Vikram' and 'Amartya' braving the rough weather condition. The crew of the grounded vessel has abandoned the ship due to breech in hull and ingress of water in holds. The vessel was bound for Lebanon from Malaysia. The successful operation reaffirms Indian Coast Guard's capabilities as the nodal agency for search and rescue operations in the Indian Ocean Region, a note issued by the ICG stated. --IANS pvn/arm ( 153 Words) 2022-06-21-23:04:02 (IANS) The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a woman who used to honey-trap men and then blackmailed them, an official said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Johri Jabi alias Parveen (56), was arrested from Bhopal. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Rohit Meena, said that a man, who is doctor by profession, had filed a complaint in 2018 alleging that he was honey-trapped by a woman named Praveen on the pretext of her treatment. The complainant also alleged that she visited his clinic for treatment stating that she is a resident of Saudi Arabia and lives alone. It was also alleged by the complainant that the woman called him to her residence citing an emergency medical condition, and made physical relations with him after intoxicating him using cold drinks laced with drugs. Her associates already present there made a video of the doctor with the woman and after that they started demanding Rs 50 lakh from him. As per the complaint, a case under Section 384 (punishment for extortion) of the Indian Penal Code was lodged at the Jamia Nagar police station and investigation was taken up by the local police. During investigation, her two accomplices, namely Noor Majhar alias Aslam and Mahender, were arrested by the Special Cell in April 2019. But the woman could not be arrested as she absconded immediately after registration of the case. On June 16, information was received by the Crime Branch that the woman was staying in Bhopal under a false identity. Subsequently, a police team was constituted which went to Bhopal and arrested the accused woman. During interrogation, Johri Jabi disclosed that she used to trap rich people as per the direction of the kingpin of the gang, who has been identified as Jahangir alias Shekhu, while another gang member Mahender used to make videos. --IANS uj/arm ( 320 Words) 2022-06-21-23:16:02 (IANS) Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said that Udhampur has today emerged on the world seismological map with the installation of the latest upgraded Seismological Observatory by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. According to the Ministry of Earth Science, Singh said this while inaugurating a Seismological Observatory at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, an initiative of the National Centre of Seismology, Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. The Union Minister informed that during the last eight years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has installed more than 70 such observatories across the country, compared to just 80 installed in over 6 decades before. While dedicating this observatory to the people, the Minister said, "PM Modi has laid renewed emphasis on the scientific programmes by prioritising Science and technology-based developments and allocating sufficient budgets to the science departments." The Minister also said that in the last seven-eight years, departments that previously did not get their due importance are now being prioritised. "One such department that has been brought to the forefront is the Department of Earth Sciences that used to work in anonymity earlier," he added. Singh further said that India has a very long coastline of around 6000 km and India is the only country which has an ocean named after it. He said that it is a symbol and a legacy of our glorious past and a bright future towards which India is heading under PM Narendra Modi. While inaugurating this laboratory, Singh informed that in the next five years, 100 more such seismological centres will be opened across the country for improving real-time data monitoring and data collection. "India is moving closer to playing a critical role in seismological advancement and understanding," the Minister added. Elaborating on this development at Udhampur, he stressed that this observatory at Udhampur will record the data related to the inner activities of the earth's crust and will provide data to various seismological stations across the globe. The Minister maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is in the seismic zone especially South and North Kashmir where such Observatories have been established. He said that Udhampur is the third place in Jammu and Kashmir where such seismological observations will be recorded now. "Ocean resources, Coastal initiatives and Earthquake studies are among futuristic StartUp possibilities offered by the Ministry of Earth Sciences," Singh said. Explaining the special significance of Udhampur for setting up this observatory here, the Union Minister said that Udhampur district lies between the two seismological fault lines and thus can provide critical data related to the earthquakes. While elaborating on various developmental initiatives undertaken in the recent years under the leadership of PM Modi, many languishing projects have been completed without any political considerations, he said, "Many projects that had long-standing demands were taken up alongside other critical projects that although did not have any local demand but were based on judgement and expert advice." Singh also enumerated various developmental initiatives undertaken in Udhampur in the recent years like the setting up of Medical Colleges, Engineering Colleges, Degree Colleges, development works under "River Devika Abatement and Beautification Project", record number of PMGSY roads and bridges, construction of highways, establishment of Radio Station in Udhampur, Passport Office etc. He also mentioned that a new industrial estate has been established that should factor in the industrial sectors that will have relevance in the upcoming years. This should include start-ups in every sector, Singh added. Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences M Ravichandran was also present during the inauguration. (ANI) Kannada actor Diganth Manchale suffered a cervical spine injury while using a trampoline in Goa and was admitted to Manipal hospital, said Dr Sunny Kamat of Goa Manipal Hospital on Tuesday. The 38-year-old actor was in Goa with his family when the incident occurred. Later, Manchale was airlifted from Goa to Bengaluru on Tuesday afternoon for further treatment. His condition is stable. "Dighant Manchale was admitted to Manipal Hospital on Monday evening under my care. He had suffered a cervical spine injury while using a trampoline. He was posted for surgery on Tuesday. But since he was from Bengaluru, he wished his family members to be around during the time of surgery," Dr Kamat said. "That's why he wished to be shifted to Manipal hospital, Bangalore. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also helped him with the air ambulance. He was shifted on Tuesday afternoon to Bengaluru," he added. (ANI) Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha member V Hanumanth Rao on Tuesday filed a complaint against BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya for his remark to employ Agniveers for security at the party office in Begum Bazar Police Station in Hyderabad. He also termed Vijayvargiya's remark insulting to the soldiers and army. The BJP leader had said that he would give priority to Agnipath recruits for security jobs at his BJP office. "I will give preference to an Agniveer to hire him as security in BJP office, even you can. One of my friends hired 35-year-old retired army personnel as his security guard stating that he has faith in him. He is a soldier so I am not scared. This means a soldier is the name of self-confidence," Vijayvargiya had said. Talking to ANI, Rao slammed the Centre's Agnipath scheme and said, "For four years, they will give a job and after that, they will give Rs 11 lakhs while leaving. After four years what they will do how will they manage their families. They have to do labour or agriculture work. Previously they were 15 to 20 years term that was now cut down to four years." "Violence has been witnessed while opposing the scheme. At this point, the Chief of Army says we will not go back on Agnipath. This is not right," he said. "On the other side BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said after they complete four years, we will keep the Agniveers as security at BJP office. This is very insulting to the soldiers and Army, who protect people and give security to the country. So I have given a complaint in Begum Bazar police station against Kailash Vijayvargiya BJP leader," he added. The Congress leader further said he had requested to take immediate action and arrest Vijayvargiya stating that he had insulted the Indian soldiers. "Previously when Nupur Sharma Made remarks on Prophet Muhammad you were silent, today in Afghanistan, Kabul they attacked Gurudwara, 50 people died, the whole world is reacting on this issue. Other side BJP General Secretary is giving such a statement is an insult so that is the reason I gave a complaint and requested to take immediate action and arrest him. Otherwise, this will continue. He had insulted the Indian soldiers they should get arrested," he added. Meanwhile, clarifying his remarks, Vijayvargiya had said that all he meant was the excellence of these soldiers will be utilised in whichever field they go to after completing their tenure. "Agniveers who complete their service under the Agnipath scheme will definitely be trained and committed to their duties. This excellence will be utilised in the fields they choose after completing service in the army. This was what I clearly meant," he tweeted. He further said that the nation is well aware of the conspiracies of this toolkit gang against the national heroes-religionists. "People associated with the toolkit gang are trying to insult the workers by distorting my statement. This would be an insult to the 'karmveers' of the country. The nation is well aware of the conspiracies of this toolkit gang against the 'rashtraveeron-dharmaveeron'," he added. The newly launched Agnipath scheme has snowballed into a controversy with protests taking place in several states. A total of 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited this year but a top military officer said it will go up to 1.25 lakhs in near future. The entry age for all new recruits in the Armed Forces has been fixed as 17.5 to 21 years of age. However, 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 as it has not been possible to undertake the recruitment during the last two years. Agnipath recruitment scheme will begin on June 24 and the online examination would be held on July 24. (ANI) In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, the Congress on Tuesday deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. "The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. The decision came soon after reports that some Shiv Sena MLAs along with party leader Eknath Shinde moved to Surat posing threat to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde, with 33 party MLAs and seven independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat arrived at Assam's Guwahati on Wednesday morning. This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday claimed that 40 party MLAs have reached Assam and said that they will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. Shinde along with other MLAs was staying at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and took flight earlier today to reach Guwahati. His remarks came as speculation is rife that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. "A total of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program," Borgohain said. Speaking to media persons at the Surat airport here before leaving for Guwahati, Shinde said that they have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva and will carry it further," he said. Balasaheb Thackeray, who founded Shiv Sena on June 19, 1966, to advocate for the interest of Marathis or the people of Maharashtra, passed away on November 17, 2012. This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu offered prayers at Rairangpur Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Mayurbhanj on Wednesday morning. She also offered prayers at a Shiva Temple in Mayurbhanj's Rairangpur after which she swept the floor of the temple. In addition, Murmu visited a tribal worship place called 'Jahira' today. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman leader, was declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate. She is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister and is NDA's pick against Yashwant Sinha, a former Union Minister, the joint opposition candidate for the July presidential polls. She is likely to file her nomination on June 25, said sources on Tuesday. Murmu said she was surprised to learn about her candidature and was unable to believe it and noted that she will work according to the powers of the President enshrined in the Constitution. Speaking exclusively to ANI over the phone, she said she will reach out to members of the electoral college for their support. "I am surprised, I was not able to believe it. I am thankful, do not wish to speak much (at this stage)," Droupadi Murmu, a former Jharkhand Governor, said yesterday. "Whatever powers of President are enshrined in the Constitution, I will work accordingly," she said in response to a query about her priorities if she is elected as president. The voting for presidential elections will be held on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Droupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Coming from a poor tribal family in a village situated in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. (ANI) Amid a political turmoil in Maharashtra that has put up a question mark on the survival of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a State Cabinet meeting at 1 pm on Wednesday. This comes as speculation is rife that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Eknath Shinde, with 33 party MLAs and seven independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat arrived at Assam's Guwahati on Wednesday morning. Shinde on Wednesday claimed that 40 party MLAs have reached Assam and said that they will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. Shinde along with other MLAs was staying at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and took flight earlier today to reach Guwahati. "A total of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. A group of Maharashtra MLAs reached Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam today morning. Shinde, upon arrival in Guwahati, said that 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here. Shinde and some other MLAs were unreachable after suspected cross-voting in MLC polls. This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat.Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) Amid the political turmoil in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Maharashtra Congress MLAs held a meeting at Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat's residence in Mumbai on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by Maharashtra Congress-incharge HK Patil. In the meeting, 42 out of 44 Congress MLAs were present, along with party leaders Nana Patole, Ashok Chavan and others. The meeting took place following the reports that some Shiv Sena MLAs along with party leader Eknath Shinde went "unreachable" and moved to Gujarat's Surat posing a threat to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Meanwhile, 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs, led by rebel party leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the MVA government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city."A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. "The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Sinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) The Early Assyrian Monastery Built on a Sun God Temple in Turkey The Saffron Assyrian Monastery. MARDIN, Turkey -- Some places exude sanctity. Believe in the deity, don't believe in the deity, one may feel a frisson anyway. Something in the site thrills, awes, speaks to our inchoate spirituality beyond, say, its altitude. Maybe that explains why a temple to one god gets built on the temple to another, which happened a lot in human history. Maybe it's just an attempt to eradicate the old regime and replace it with the new. A few kilometers southeast of the city of Mardin is Deyrul Zafaran Monastery, the first incarnation of which was built on the mountain slope about 1,600 years ago. Deyr means monastery and zafaran means saffron in Arabic, so yes its name is technically the Saffron Monastery Monastery, and it was built smack on top of a temple to Shams, Shamash, Shamsum or call him what you will: the sun god. Deyrul Zafaran was built using cream-colored stone blocks that, in some parts, glow as yellow-orange as the spice. Its oldest sections date to the late fifth century -- early days for Christianity. On a visit by Israeli journalists to southeastern Turkey courtesy of the Turkish Ministry of Culture, we are told the monastery's present name stems from the hues of saffron, which is grown locally. Alternatively, some claim its name stems from crocus stigmas being actually mixed into the mortar during construction. The only sure thing is that at the time of our visit, the monastery gift shop didn't have any of the precious spice for sale. Jewelry, clothing, locally produced wine, ice cream and much more, but the only saffron available was in the tea. Another fact is that the Saffron Monastery arose on a site already held sacred, just not to the same god. Deep inside, almost buried in debris and dirt, lies what is interpreted as a temple to the sun god, dating to about the fifth century B.C.E., according to tour guide Alim Kocabiyik. Some think it may be centuries older. The temple's next incarnation wasn't as divinely inspired. Centuries after the house of worship to the sun god was erected, the Romans arrived and converted the building into a citadel. But as their empire imploded in the fifth century, the monastery began to rise. The year was, reportedly, 493. Inner courtyard at Deyrul Zafaran, Mardin in southeastern Turkey. ( Nevit Dilmen) Sun in your eyes The whole area has been occupied since forever. Early humans surely passed through; more modern ones too. Gobekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe, Nevali Cori and Mardin -- all feature remnants from an extraordinary pre-agricultural civilization of hunter-gatherers who came together and created monumental gathering places that, 12,000 to 11,000 years after the event, still impress with their power. The old city of Mardin itself was built in stone atop the mountain and cascading down its slope many generations after the Gobekli culture vanished. From the Old City of Mardin, one has a magnificent view of the Mesopotamian plain. On a clear day you can see not only Syria but as far as the Arabian Gulf, Kocabiyik says. We were not there on a clear day. The oldest part of the city, archaeologists deduce, arose down the slope of the last mountain in the southeast Turkish highland as much as 6,500 years ago, Kocabiyik says. Mardin Castle, top, stands over the old city of Mardin, in Turkey's southeast. ( Lefteris Pitarakis/AP) What its name was then, if cities had names at all, we do not know; its first known name from the historic period was Marida. The Syriacs call it Marde, and it would be the Arabs and Turks who gave it the present name. The people who lived on the plain at that time were known as the Subartu. The name of the monastery, like that of Mardin, has changed from time to time. Originally called Mor Shleymon (Suleiman), according to Syriac sources, it has also been known for centuries as Dayro d-Mor Hananyo -- after a beloved church patriarch, Saint Ananias of Damascus, Kocabiyik explains. According to the New Testament, Ananias was sent by Jesus to heal the eyes of Saul of Tarsus, who would subsequently become known as Paul the Apostle. Much of the monastery is fairly modern construction, which in this part of the world can date back centuries. But some parts and frescos have been preserved from its earliest incarnation as a small church on a hill, Kocabiyik says. Over the years it expanded to cover the slope of the adjacent hill too, and until the 1930s it was the center for the Syriac church patriarchate, which then moved to Syria. Inside the church are, among other wonders, stone vaults containing the seated, garbed bodies of former patriarchs of the church. Remains of a pagan temple dedicated to the sun in the lower level of the Syrian Orthodox Christian Monastery of Deyrul Zafaran in Mardin, Turkey. ( MehmetO/Shutterstock.com) Why was the sun temple built there, and on top of it this early church? Possibly because of spiritual frissons. Possibly because Mardin was on the Silk Road and therefore had, in its ancient territory, plenty of khans and caravansaries, and places where itinerants and locals could worship. Mark you, not all the faithful necessarily resided within the monastery over the ages. The mountainside consists of limestone and is riddled with holes and caves, some artificial, which served as domiciles for hermits. Today, some of the caves in the hillside above the town center house surprisingly spacious restaurants and cafes. Bury the shame To reach the sun god temple, one descends into the bowels of the monastery building into what looks at first glance to be a man-made cave, with a low stone brick ceiling. This is the oldest part of the structure, Kocabiyik says. Other people might have adored both the sun and the moon. Ancient Israel featured temples to both of these popular deities, and to this day some modern Israeli city names reflect these ancient beliefs: Beit Shemesh (sun), Beit Yerakh, even Jericho (moon), to name a few. In this temple beneath the church, the moon was not a factor. The faithful to Sol were known as Shamsi or Shamasi, says Kocabiyik -- devoted to the sun and to it alone. The cave-like room seems disturbingly low, but about 3 meters (9.8 feet) of soil and debris built up on the floor over time, he adds. Happenstance? Maybe. But it's plausible that the builders of the monastery tried to hide the shame of the building's pagan roots by burying it, and it "feels" like just a cellar. In fact, this habit may go back millennia. It seems that monumental gathering places erected some 12,000 to 10,500 years ago on the Harran plain were deliberately buried in soil and rubble after their use. Archaeologists can speculate why, but we don't actually know. But this chamber, that had been a place to adore the sun god, still has a window to the outside facing eastward, where the sun rises. The Shamsi would begin their daily ritual when the rising deity's rays reached that opening, Kocabiyik explains. Note that an Assyrian relief recently discovered beneath a modern Turkish house in southeastern Turkey features a procession of gods led by the storm god Hadad-Baal, and including the deities of the moon and sun. It may date to about 900 to 600 B.C.E. The view from the Old City of Mardin. On a clear day you can see not only Syria but the Arabian Gulf. Come the modern era, the monastery takes pride in having purchased the first printing press in the region, brought from England in the second half of the 19th century by the patriarch. It was used until 1969, printing books in Syriac, Arabic, Ottoman and Turkish. It was also, sources observe, the official printing press of the Turkish Republic in the region for the prosaic reason that it was the only one. The Central government has provided round-the-clock 'Z+' category armed security cover by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel to NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, officials said on Wednesday. The CRPF has provided the security to Murmu from Wednesday morning following orders received from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday evening, an official, privy to the development, told ANI. The move comes a day after the BJP named former Jharkhand governor Draupadi Murmu as the ruling National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate on Tuesday. If elected, the 64-year-old leader from Odisha will be the first tribal and the second woman to become the President of India. Murmu, a grassroots politician, has many firsts to her credit. She was the first woman and tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as governor of any state. She served as the governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021, the first governor to complete the term in the state. She was also in consideration for the presidential post in 2017 but later Ramnath Kovind made the cut. Her political career began when she contested and won an election for councillor in Rairangpur, Odisha. She later won the assembly election in 2000 from Rairangpur and became a minister in the BJD-BJP government in the state. She earned great respect in her tenure as an MLA and minister in the state. The BJP's move to name Murmu as its presidential candidate comes ahead of assembly elections in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The four states have 128 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes, of which the BJP had won just 35 seats in the last assembly elections. (ANI) Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has tested positive for COVID-19. He has been admitted to HN Reliance Foundation hospital, Mumbai on Wednesday for treatment purposes. Following the Maharashtra political crisis, rebel Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde was expected to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari claiming of having the support of 40 legislators. Thirty-three Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs, led by rebel party leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The Shiv Sena MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program," Borgohain said. When Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. Even the Congress also deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state on Tuesday to end the crisis. Shinde along with other Shiv Sena legislatures were staying in a hotel in Gujarat's Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and took flight earlier today to reach Guwahati. Amid the political turmoil in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Maharashtra Congress MLAs held a meeting at Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat's residence in Mumbai on Tuesday. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. "The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) The 8th International Day of Yoga was special in many respects. This year, many transgenders, specially-abled persons and orphans got a chance to do yoga with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time. As many as 15 transgenders participated in the yoga event on Tuesday at Karnataka's Mysuru. These transgenders considered this moment as a milestone in their lives and said that they have faith in PM Modi that he make their lives better by introducing a good scheme for their community. Speaking to ANI, Pranati Prakash (Transgender) said, "Today our enthusiasm is high. We never thought that we will perform yoga with PM Modi. People look down upon us. We are glad to be invited to the yoga event with the Prime Minister. For this, we practised yoga for the last 15 days. We were also given training. After which 15 transgenders were selected for the event." Pranati said that the number of transgenders in Mysore earlier was close to two thousand. "Due to a lack of employment opportunities here, a large number of transgenders moved to other cities including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, and Hyderabad. Today only 15 transgenders have come from our community. We will be participating in more such programs in the coming years." Nisha, another transgender participating in the event said, "It's a different day for us. During the COVID pandemic, we faced a financial crisis. That time, we were provided free rations through PM Modi's free ration scheme. We have defeated COVID with the free vaccines arranged by PM Modi. Today, we feel honoured to be invited to a program of this stature." Along with transgenders, 200 specially-abled and 100 orphan children also participated in the 8th International Day of Yoga in Mysuru. Mysuru resident and specially-abled Anjesh, who participated in the yoga event said, "I am very happy to witness a historic day like this." Ratna, an orphan, who was part of the event, said, "It is a matter of pride to do yoga with PM Modi. Millions of people have won the war against COVID with yoga. Therefore, everyone should definitely do yoga." On the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that yoga is becoming a way of life and has become a source of inspiration for health, balance and cooperation. The Prime Minister remarked that India is celebrating Yoga Day at a time when the country is celebrating its 75th year of independence, "the Amrit Mahotsav." This widespread acceptance of Yoga Day is the acceptance of that "Amrit spirit of India which gave energy to India's freedom struggle."Mass Yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country which have been witness to the glorious history of India and have been the centre of cultural energy." The experience of collective yoga at the historical sites of India is like tying together India's past, India's diversity, and India's expansion", he elaborated. He also informed about the novel programme 'Guardian Yoga Ring' which is a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad to illustrate Yoga's unifying power that surpasses national boundaries. As the sun apparently moves from the east to the west across the world, the Mass Yoga Demonstrations in the participating countries, if seen from any one point on Earth, will seem to be happening one after the other, almost in tandem, thus underlining the concept of 'One Sun, One earth'. "These practices of yoga are giving wonderful inspiration for health, balance and cooperation", he added. Prime Minister on Tuesday performed yoga at the main event of the eighth edition of the International Day of Yoga in the heritage city of Mysuru in Karnataka. More than 15,000 people participated in the Yoga celebrations along with the Prime Minister at the Mysore Palace grounds. Prime Minister said the yogic energy, which has been nurtured for centuries by the spiritual centers of India like Mysuru, is today giving direction to global health. Today yoga is becoming a basis for global cooperation and is providing a belief of a healthy life to mankind, he added. "Yoga has now become a global festival. Yoga is not only for any individual but for the entire humanity. Therefore, this time the theme of the International Day of Yoga is - Yoga for humanity", PM Modi said. He thanked the United Nation and all the countries for taking this theme globally. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal, officials of the Ministry of Ayush and the Government of Karnataka and other dignitaries performed yoga at the event. Addressing the gathering here, PM Modi said, "This whole universe starts from our own body and soul. The universe starts from us. And, yoga makes us conscious of everything within us and builds a sense of awareness. Yoga brings peace for us. The peace from yoga is not merely for individuals. Yoga brings peace to our society. Yoga brings peace to our nations and the world. And, yoga brings peace to our universe." He said that yoga is not only for any individual but for the entire humanity. This year the theme for the celebration is "yoga for humanity".Prime Minister's yoga programme at Mysuru is also part of the novel programme 'Guardian Yoga Ring' which is a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad to illustrate yoga's unifying power that surpasses National boundaries. As the sun apparently moves from the east to the west across the world, the Mass Yoga Demonstrations in the participating countries, if seen from any one point on Earth, will seem to be happening one after the other, almost in tandem, thus underlining the concept of 'One Sun, One earth'. Keeping the overarching theme of the 75 years of India's independence the Ministry for Ayush also identified 75 locations for Union Ministers to participate in the Yoga Day celebration. This year International Day of Yoga 2022 witnessed many firsts, including the 'Guardian ring', yoga demonstration by Union cabinet ministers at 75 iconic locations in India and a special digital yoga and static exhibition in Mysuru Dussera Grounds, Mysuru. The Digital yoga exhibition showcased the latest technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) to project the history and wisdom of yoga. The static exhibition consists of 146 stalls which have been taken up by yoga institutions, Ayush institutions under the ambit of the Government of Karnataka and the Government of India. According to the Ministry of Ayush, as many as 25 crores of people are expected to participate in International Day of Yoga 2022 celebrations across the world. Earlier, Yog Guru Ramdev performed yoga at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. Many children and other people also attend the event. It was during his speech at the UN General Assembly in September 27, 2014, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi first floated the idea of the International Yoga Day. The draft resolution passed by India was supported by 177 nations. With universal recognition and the growing popularity of yoga, the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015. (ANI) The upcoming presidential election appears to be family affair versus party commitment for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jayant Sinha, as his father and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha has been named the presidential candidate by the joint Opposition pitted against BJP's Draupadi Murmu. "Hearty congratulations to Draupadi Murmu ji on being made the NDA's presidential candidate. Her life has always been dedicated to tribal society and poor welfare. For this decision, I offer thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda," Sinha said in a Twitter post. "My father Yashwant Sinha ji, has been made a presidential candidate by the Opposition. I request all of you not to make it a family affair. I am a BJP worker and a parliamentarian. I will fulfil my Constitutional obligation," he said Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress vice president Yashwant Sinha has been nominated as the consensus candidate from the Joint Opposition for the upcoming presidential elections which will take place on July 18, 2022. He will file his nomination on June 27 said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday. Meanwhile, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu is likely to file her nomination on June 25, said sources on Tuesday. The late date for filing nominations for the presidential election is June 29, the polling will take place on July 18 and the votes will be counted on July 21. Expressing his gratitude to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Sinha said, now a time has come when for a larger national cause to step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. "I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step," he tweeted. Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) in March 2021 ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Sinha, a former IAS, had served as the Union Minister of Finance and External Affairs in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman leader, was declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate. She is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister and is NDA's pick against Yashwant Sinha. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. Coming from a poor tribal family in a village situated in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. (ANI) Amid the intensifying political crisis in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," said Raut in a Twitter post. Back-to-back meetings of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are taking place in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. on the contrary, Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal ruled out midterm polls in the state. "Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?,"Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said. Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down and weep as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the MVA govt in the state This came after 40 Maharashtra MLAs including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs exhorted their support to rebel Shiv Sena leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde by signing a letter, said sources. Sources further said the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking for floor test in the state Legislative Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati.The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. Earlier today, Raut told reporters, "Talks are underway with MLAs who are with Eknath Shinde, everybody will stay in Shiv Sena. Our party is a fighter, we will struggle consistently, atmost we might lose power but we will continue to fight." "Eknath Shinde is our very old party member, he is our friend. We have worked together for decades. It is neither easy for him nor for us to leave each other. I had a conversation with him for an hour this morning and the party chief was intimated about it," Raut said. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state."The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Sinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint/charge sheet against two people for allegedly operating "PP Poker Online Gaming App" and placing illegal bets and gambling, ED said on Wednesday. The persons who have been charge-sheeted were identified as Hardeep Singh and Ankur alias Rahul Khanna, both the residents of Kolkata. Earlier on April 6, the ED had arrested Hardeep and Ankur under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and also conducted searches on their residential premises as well as other club managers and agents situated in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The recent charge sheet was filed before a special PMLA court in Goa's Mapusa on June 3, under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. The Special Court had also taken cognizance of the same on June 17 and issued notices to the accused persons. ED initiated the money-laundering investigation on the basis of the First Information Report registered by the Goa Police under various sections of the India Penal Code and Sections 3 and 4 of Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976 and Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for illegal gaming activities and siphoning huge money through secret networks and thus causing loss to the exchequer of the government. The investigations by ED revealed that Hardeep and Ankur were operating a union namely 'Mini-India' on the said PP Poker online gaming app. "Under this union, it is observed that around 25 to 30 clubs are being operated by different individuals," said the ED. "Through these clubs' individual players are invited through WhatsApp chats for placing illegal bets through poker gaming app PP Poker. It is seen that the commissions were generated at the rate of 5 per cent to 10 per cent by these clubs on each table being run by them," ED said. The settlement of the commission and the betting amount is done illegally through hawala operators in cash or through anonymous crypto accounts with each individual player and union head by their respective club managers, said the agency, adding "the investigation has revealed that Hardeep Singh and Ankur had also invested Proceeds of Crime (POC) in the form of crypto accounts which were traced by ED". (ANI) Amid ongoing protests over the Centre's new military recruitment scheme Agnipath, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the scheme and asked if 'Agniveers' will feel insecure about their future, how will they be able to defend the country's borders? "They must not mess with the future of the youth at any cost. The questions that we had raised are not being answered. People are very upset. If these people have to feel unsure about their own future, how are they going to defend the border? questioned Tejashwi while speaking to reporters here today. "We have submitted a memorandum. Youngsters across the nation are upset over the launch of the Agnipath scheme. It is believed that the scheme could render 75% of the soldiers unemployed after four years. It is a matter of grave concern," Yadav said. "We demand that all the FIRs registered against the protesting youth should be quashed, and they should be released from prison," he added. RJD members, including leader Tejashwi Yadav, held a protest march from the Bihar Vidhan Sabha to the Raj Bhawan in Patna, calling for the withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme. On June 17, the three chiefs of Indian Defence services hailed the decision of the Central government to approve the Agnipath Scheme, a recruitment process for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces. "The Government has announced Agnipath scheme under which youth will be able to join armed forces. The age criteria will be 17.5 to 21 years. Happy to announce that for the first recruitment, the upper age limit has been revised to 23 years. It will benefit the youth. Air Force recruitment will begin on June 24," the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said in a virtual address on Friday. The Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande, in an exclusive interaction with ANI, informed that the training of first Agniveers will begin this December. "As far as the question of Agniveers going to recruitment training centres is concerned, the training of first Agniveers will begin this December (in 2022) at the centres. The active service will commence in the middle of 2023," said General Pande. Agnipath Scheme, which was approved by the cabinet on June 14, was launched in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing criticism, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar termed the Agnipath scheme as "one of the most transformational schemes for the armed forces."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. Indian Air Force also appreciated the government for increasing the upper age limit to 23 from 21 for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme for the year 2022. COVID-19 halted the Army's recruitment for over two years. In 2019-2020, the Army recruited jawans and there has been no entry since then. On the other hand, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force had both recruited in the last two years respectively. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Government has informed the Supreme Court that recent demolitions of properties carried out in the state were done following due process and were in no way related to taking action against persons accused of rioting. The government has taken action against rioters as per a different set of statutes, the UP government stated. "It was only after due service and providing adequate opportunity under Section 27 of the Act that the illegal construction was demolished by the Prayagraj Development Authority on 12.06.2022 after following due process of law and the same had no relation to the incident of rioting, " the UP Government submitted. UP govt submission came in an affidavit filed in response to Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind application against the recent demolition drive in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh government, in its affidavit, urged the Court to dismiss Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind application saying that it is without merit. Blaming the petitioner for cherry-picking including one instance of demolition of the house of one Javed Mohammed in Prayagraj, UP government said the process against that alleged unauthorised construction had been initiated much prior to incidents of rioting. Uttar Pradesh government stated through an affidavit that in so far as taking action against the persons accused in rioting, the State government is taking stringent steps against them in accordance with a completely different set of statutes. Countering the allegation levelled by petitioner Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, the UP government said that the applicant organization has merely hand picks certain media reporting relating to demolitions to make unfounded allegations against the State machinery and its officers, and seeks sweeping omnibus reliefs unfounded in either law or fact. UP government also accused Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind of attempting to give a mala fide colour to lawful action taken by the local development authorities as per the procedure established by law by cherry-picking one-sided media reporting of a few incidents and extrapolating sweeping allegations from the same against the State. UP government submitted that allegations levelled by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind are absolutely false and vehemently denied. UP government urged Supreme Court to dismiss the plea filed by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind which sought directions to the State of UP to ensure that no further demolitions are carried out in the State without following due process. UP government also apprised the court that aggrieved parties have not approached the top court. UP government said recent demolitions have been carried out by the Local Development Authorities, which are statutory autonomous bodies, independent of the State administration, as per law as part of their routine effort against unauthorised/illegal constructions and encroachments, in accordance with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1972. Uttar Pradesh Government told Supreme Court that it takes strong exception to the attempt by the Petitioner Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind to name the highest constitutional functionaries of the State and falsely colour the local development Authority's lawful actions strictly complying with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, as "extra-legal punitive measures" against accused persons, targeting any particular religious community. Uttar Pradesh Government stated that allegations are absolutely false and are vehemently denied. It also apprised the top court that recent demolitions have been carried out by the Local Development Authorities, which are statutory autonomous bodies, independent of the State administration, as per law as part of their routine effort against unauthorised/illegal constructions and encroachments, in accordance with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1972. Uttar Pradesh Government has taken strong exception to the attempt by the Petitioner Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind to name the highest constitutional functionaries of the State and falsely colour the local development Authority's lawful actions strictly complying with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, as "extra-legal punitive measures" against accused persons, targeting any particular religious community. Last week, the Supreme Court sought the response of the Uttar Pradesh government on pleas by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind and also asked the administration to follow the process of law for carrying out the demolition of alleged unauthorised structures. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has filed an application seeking to issue directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh that no precipitative action be taken in the state against the residential or commercial property of any accused in any criminal proceedings as an extra-legal punitive measure. The application by the organization Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has also urged the Court that any demolition drive that the authorities are planning to carry out in Kanpur District should be stayed during the pendency of the instant writ petition. (ANI) Yashwant Sinha, a former Union Minister and the joint opposition candidate for the presidential election will file his nomination on June 27 in the Parliament with five sets of nominations. Speaking to ANI, RSP Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, N K Premchandran said, "We have already decided to file the nomination on June 27 at 11.30 am. He will be filing the nomination and it will be supported by all the opposition political parties." "It will be signed by various Political Parties MPs and MLAs throughout the Country," he added. He further said they have also decided to run a 'good campaign'. The Campaign Committee is formed in which the Jairam Ramesh will be coordinating and Sharad Pawar will lead as the patron of this committee. "Definitely we are putting very serious fight and competition for the post of the President, the highest office in the country," he added. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Droupadi Murmu, tribal leader and former governor as the candidate for presidential polls. NDA's Presidential candidate Murmu, while speaking to ANI said, "I'm surprised, I wasn't able to believe it. I'm thankful, do not wish to speak much. Whatever powers are laid down for the President in the Constitution, I'll work accordingly." "There are candidates. Our work's to go to people, reach out to members of the electoral college and seek their cooperation. I'll request all parties and states for support," NDA's Presidential candidate told ANI, on Yashwant Sinha chosen as consensus candidate from Joint Opposition. The late date for filing nominations for the Presidential election is June 29, the polling will take place on July 18 and the votes will be counted on July 21. (ANI) Amid the deepening political crisis in Maharashtra, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The meeting was held at the residence of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Balasaheb Thorat. All India Congress Committees (AICC) observer Kamal Nath was also present at the meeting. Following the meeting, Kamal Nath said, "41 out of 44 MLAs attended the meeting here while 3 are on the way. The politics BJP has started is of money and muscle power. It is against the constitution. I have seen this a lot. Unity will prevail in Shiv Sena under Udhhav Thackeray. I have talked to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and he said that as of now there is no proposal to dissolve the Maharashtra Assembly." Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," said Raut in a Twitter post. Back-to-back meetings of Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are taking place in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal however, ruled out midterm polls in the state. "Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?," Bhujbal said. Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down and weep as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government in the state. This came after 40 Maharashtra MLAs including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs exhorted their support to rebel Shiv Sena leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde by signing a letter, said sources.Sources further said the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking for floor test in the state Legislative Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday morning. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Sinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Delhi Police on Wednesday apprehended a man from a house in the Maujpur area of the national capital for being involved in several crimes and recovered one semi-automatic pistol and two live cartridges from his possession. The apprehended man, identified as Almas Khan alias Allu alias Salman (30), has been booked under sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353(Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307 (Attempt to murder), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at PS Jafrabad. He has also been found involved in 12 other criminal cases including two cases of murder, four cases of attempt to murder, obstructing public servants in discharge of public functions, Robbery, snatching etc. The man was identified when the police were scanning CCTV cameras to trail the route of a suspect accused of jacking a bike in the area of PS Shastri Park, for which the FIR was registered on Monday under sections 392 (Punishment for robbery) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC. According to the police, an incident of bike jacking was reported in East District whose FIR was registered on Tuesday at the PS Preet Vihar, where it was found that the bike jacked from Shastri Park was used in the Preet Vihar incident. Modus Operandi in both the incident was looking similar. While working on it, the police came to know that the bike jacked from East District was prosecuted/seized by the traffic police near Durgapuri Chowk. After scanning CCTV footage, the information was further developed to establish the identity of the bike Jacker and more information was gathered (about the suspect) through technical surveillance and human intelligence. In the late evening hours, the suspect was zeroed in a house located at Shiv Mandir Marg in Maujpur. Keeping in view the topography of the area (narrow lanes where a number of families reside), a raiding party was prepared and at about 11.15 PM, the team reached the suspect's room. In the room, the police found three females who came out aggravatedly and manhandled the police personnel in order to push them away from the door. As per the police, in a brief scuffle between the police officer and the persons in the room, one person opened fire toward the personnel, whose bullet hit the wall, and the staff retaliated in self-defence which injured the suspect Allu, who was then shifted to the JPC hospital. The police personnel was later overpowered by Allu's associate whose identity was later established as Junaid belonging to Chauhan Bangar in Delhi. The other co-residents of Allu (both the females and one transgender person) have also been apprehended and are currently being interrogated. More details into the matter are underway. (ANI) An FIR registered in connection with Ranchi violence that took place on June 10, explained how the mob turned violent and miscreants opened fire at police. According to FIR, 60 to 80 rounds of firing were done by the miscreants and they made attempt to climb on Hanuman Temple at Ranchi's main road. The particular FIR has been lodged by Circle Officer (CO) Amit Bhagat who said that he was patrolling when thousand of people took out a protest against Nupur Sharma's objectionable remark against Prophet Muhammad. The FIR quotes that the protest march was without permission. Police tried to stopped the crowd, but they turned violent and started stone pelting targeting the police. The FIR content states, "In a planned manner, miscreants wanted to target the Hanuman Temple to instigate religious riots and continued stone-pelting." According to the FIR, the mob broke the police blockade in an "attempt to climb on the temple". "In this process, the mob and the miscreants fired on the police...many in the crowd even tried to snatch weapons of police personnel," the FIR stated. The FIR further explains that minor force was used by police but it did not deter the mob. It said attempts by even the Deputy Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police to talk to the protesters and pacify them yielded no results. Due to this, the FIR mentions, "controlled air firing and use of force" was ordered, which somewhat succeeded in dispersing the mob. "Five round of tear gas fired and several rounds of air firing was done and then lathi-charge...after which the crowd was controlled " "but again the crowd gathered, started stone pelting and firing while cornering the police teams from three directions...According to police officers at the spot, miscreants fired 60-80 rounds," the FIR further stated. As many as 29 persons have been arrested in connection with violence in Ranchi, informed police on Wednesday."A total of 29 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence in Ranchi on Friday, 10th June," said Ranchi Police last week. A protest erupted in Ranchi after Friday prayers on June 10 against the controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad made by suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal. Two people died and several others sustained injuries as the protest turned violent. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to provide all assistance to the petitioner/mother and her minor daughter (victim) to get medical treatment for pregnancy, if the victim so desires and to ensure that the foetus sample is preserved for the DNA profiling of accused. The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh on June 20, directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Sultanpuri Police station to provide all assistance to the petitioner and her minor daughter to get medical treatment for termination of pregnancy if the victim so desires. The SHO shall further ensure that the foetus sample is preserved for DNA profiling of the accused, said the court. Court noted the submissions of Advocate M.K. Verma, counsel for the petitioner/ mother that the minor child is wanting to terminate the pregnancy but the police were not cooperating in assisting the minor girl to terminate her pregnancy in a government hospital where the petitioner and her minor daughter want to preserve the sample of the foetus for matching it with DNA profiling with the blood sample of the accused. The court direction came during the hearing of a petition seeking direction to SHO Police Station Sultanpuri to arrest the accused person in the FIR dated May 17. In the FIR, one person Yash has been accused of committing rape on the minor daughter of the petitioner, as a result of which the minor became pregnant. (ANI) Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah will attend a conclave in the national capital on Thursday, which will discuss various issues related to Scheduled and Multi-State Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies and will also felicitate Urban Cooperative Banks that have completed 100 years of service to society. Shah will be the Chief Guest at the National Conclave of Scheduled and Multi-State Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies on "Future Role of Urban Cooperative Credit Sector". The Conclave will further strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Sahakar Se Samriddhi" (prosperity through co-operatives). The business sessions of the Conclave will include discussions on various issues related to Scheduled and Multi-State Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies and the Cooperative Credit Sector such as the future role of Urban Cooperative Banks and recommendations of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) Expert Committee, national cooperative finance and development cooperation as a game-changer as an umbrella organization for the Urban Cooperative sector, the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2020 and its impact and developments, the role of credit societies in the financial sector scenario with special reference to Multi-state societies and the issue of regulation and taxation of cooperative credit societies. The Conclave will also felicitate Urban Cooperative Banks that have completed 100 years of service to society. There are 197 such banks in the country. This gives an indication of the deep roots of cooperatives and cooperative banks in the country. Many of the banks are expected to be present at the Conclave to be honoured by dignitaries. Urban Cooperative Banks are among the oldest banking institutions in the country. They have been in existence for well over a century. They are banks organised and managed by a cross-section of people from society that could include teachers, lawyers, traders, doctors, engineers, social workers and others for providing banking services to their members. Minister of State for Cooperation B.L. Verma, senior officials from the Ministry of Cooperation, the Chairman Emeritus of the National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies Ltd. (NAFCUB) Dr HK Patil, the President of NAFCUB Jyotindra Mehta and the Vice President of NAFCUB VV Anaskar will also be amongst those who will be present during the inaugural session of the conclave. (ANI) As the future of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government appears to be uncertain, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Uddhav Thackeray who tested positive for COVID on Wednesday joined the meeting via video conferencing. State cabinet minister Aslam Shaikh said only the cabinet agenda was discussed in the meeting and not the current political scenario. "Only cabinet agenda was discussed. No discussion on the present political situation took place at the cabinet meeting. Subhash Desai and Shankar Rao Gadakh were physically present. Chief Minister Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray, Anil Parab and several others joined the meeting in virtual mode," said Aslam Shaikh. "No difficulties, everything will be alright. The government will continue," Maharashtra Min and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said when asked about Maharashtra Political Crisis and whether Government will continue for 5 yrs. "No. No discussion is needed," he said on being asked whether political crisis was discussed in cabinet meeting. Earlier today, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held in Mumbai. The meeting was held at the residence of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Balasaheb Thorat. All India Congress Committees (AICC) observer Kamal Nath was also present at the meeting. Following the meeting, Kamal Nath said, "41 out of 44 MLAs attended the meeting here while 3 are on the way. The politics BJP has started is of money and muscle power. It is against the constitution. I have seen this a lot. Unity will prevail in Shiv Sena under Udhhav Thackeray. I have talked to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and he said that as of now there is no proposal to dissolve the Maharashtra Assembly." He also informed that Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray tested COVID positive. Pertinent to mention, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has tested positive for COVID-19.He has been admitted to HN Reliance Foundation hospital, Mumbai on Wednesday for treatment purposes. Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," said Raut in a Twitter post. Back-to-back meetings of Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are taking place in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. (ANI) Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal however, ruled out midterm polls in the state."Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?," Bhujbal said. Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down and weep as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government in the state. This came after 40 Maharashtra MLAs including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs exhorted their support to rebel Shiv Sena leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde by signing a letter, said sources. Sources further said the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking for floor test in the state Legislative Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday morning. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Sinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) Amid the soaring political temperatures in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena issued a letter to party MLAs warning them to be present at a meeting to be held in the evening or else considered themselves to be out from the party. The meeting is scheduled at 5 pm in the evening. The ultimatum to party MLAs has been issued after rebel Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra cabinet minister Eknath Shinde claimed to have the support of 40 MLAs and back-to-back meetings are being held by the three coalition partners Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena to end the crisis. Shiv Sena's Chief Whip, Sunil Prabhu issued a letter to all party MLAs, asking them to be present in an important meeting that will be held today evening. The letter stated that if someone remains absent, it will be considered that the said MLA has decided to quit the party voluntarily. The letter also warned that if any MLA remains absent from the meeting without proper reason and prior information, they should keep in mind that action will be initiated to cancel their membership as per constitutional provisions. This came after 40 MLAs led by Rebel Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra cabinet minister Eknath Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday morning. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. 40 Maharashtra MLAs including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs exhorted their support to rebel Shiv Sena leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde by signing a letter, said sources. These MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. The rest of them are Shiv Sena MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," Shinde told ANI over the phone. "As far as the current political situation is concerned, I would say that we are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks and will continue to be Shiv Sainiks. As of now, we are not holding any talks with Shiv Sena or the Chief Minister. We have not decided on the future course of action," added Shinde. As the future of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government appears to be glooming, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Uddhav Thackeray who tested positive for COVID on Wednesday joined the meeting via video conferencing. State cabinet minister Aslam Shaikh said only the cabinet agenda was discussed in the meeting and not the current political scenario. "Only cabinet agenda was discussed. No discussion on the present political situation took place at the cabinet meeting. Subhash Desai and Shankar Rao Gadakh were physically present. Chief Minister Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray, Anil Parab and several others joined the meeting in virtual mode," said Aslam Shaikh. Earlier today, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held in Mumbai. The meeting was held at the residence of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Balasaheb Thorat. All India Congress Committees (AICC) observer Kamal Nath was also present at the meeting. Following the meeting, Kamal Nath said, "41 out of 44 MLAs attended the meeting here while 3 are on the way. The politics BJP has started is of money and muscle power. It is against the constitution. I have seen this a lot. Unity will prevail in Shiv Sena under Udhhav Thackeray. I have talked to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and he said that as of now there is no proposal to dissolve the Maharashtra Assembly." He also informed that Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray tested COVID positive. Pertinent to mention, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has tested positive for COVID-19.He has been admitted to HN Reliance Foundation hospital, Mumbai on Wednesday for treatment purposes. Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," said Raut in a Twitter post. Back-to-back meetings of Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are taking place in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal however, ruled out midterm polls in the state."Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?," Bhujbal said. Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down and weep as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government in the state. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Sinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) High voltage political drama intensified in Maharashtra as rebel Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including six to seven Independent MLAs. "Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," Shinde told ANI over the phone. Shinde said that the rebel MLAs are not in talks with the Shiv Sena or CM Uddhav Thackeray. "As far as the current political situation is concerned, I would say that we are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks and will continue to be Shiv Sainiks. As of now, we are not holding any talks with Shiv Sena or the Chief Minister. We have not decided on the future course of action," added Shinde. Forty MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam this morning. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. 40 Maharashtra MLAs including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs have lent their support to Shinde by signing a letter, said sources. These MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena issued a letter to party MLAs asking them to be present at a meeting to be held this evening. The meeting is scheduled at 5 pm in the evening. Shiv Sena's Chief Whip, Sunil Prabhu issued a letter to all party MLAs, asking them to be present in an important meeting that will be held today evening. The letter stated that if anyone remains absent, it will be considered that the said MLA has decided to quit the party voluntarily. The letter also warned that if any MLA remains absent from the meeting without proper reason and prior information, they should keep in mind that action will be initiated to cancel their membership as per constitutional provisions. Amidst the crisis in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a cabinet meeting today. Uddhav Thackeray who tested positive for COVID joined the meeting via video conferencing. State cabinet minister Aslam Shaikh said only the cabinet agenda was discussed in the meeting and not the current political scenario. "Only cabinet agenda was discussed. No discussion on the present political situation took place at the cabinet meeting. Subhash Desai and Shankar Rao Gadakh were physically present. Chief Minister Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray, Anil Parab and several others joined the meeting in virtual mode," said Aslam Shaikh. Asked about th speculations over Uddhav Thackeray's resignation as the CM, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said no decision will be made until the MLAs are back in Mumbai. "I am going to Varsha Bungalow. I will meet Chief Minister but whatever has to be done will be decided by Maha Vikas Aghadi together. Unless the MLAs are back in Mumbai, no decision will be made," Raut told reporters. Earlier today, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held in Mumbai. The meeting was held at the residence of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Balasaheb Thorat. All India Congress Committees (AICC) observer Kamal Nath was also present at the meeting. Following the meeting, Kamal Nath said, "41 out of 44 MLAs attended the meeting here while 3 are on the way. The politics BJP has started is of money and muscle power. It is against the constitution. I have seen this a lot. Unity will prevail in Shiv Sena under Udhhav Thackeray. I have talked to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and he said that as of now there is no proposal to dissolve the Maharashtra Assembly." He also informed that Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray tested COVID positive. Pertinent to mention, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has tested positive for COVID-19. He has been admitted to HN Reliance Foundation hospital, Mumbai on Wednesday for treatment purposes. Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," said Raut in a Twitter post. Back-to-back meetings of Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are taking place in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal however, ruled out midterm polls in the state. "Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?," Bhujbal said. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Sinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat.Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone.He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time," the BJP leader added. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs.The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (ANI) According to the police, a PCR call was received around 1.30 am on the intervening nights of Tuesday and Wednesday about a quarrel in the PS Adarsh Nagar area. On receiving the information, police immediately reached the spot in Meel wala Park in Delhi's Azadpur and found the body of the deceased lying in a pool of blood. The deceased was identified as Ritik (21), a resident of Railway line Azadpur. Later, he was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. The preliminary investigation into the matter revealed that five people beat him up and fled from the spot. Taking up the investigation, the police identified all the persons by analysing the CCTV footage and started conducting raids at all the possible hideouts. An FIR has been registered against all the five persons under sections 302 (Punishment for murder) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code in Adarsh Nagar. Further details into the matter are awaited. (ANI) Accusing the BJP-led government of weakening the armed forces with "new deception", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the government will have to withdraw the Agnipath recruitment scheme and the party is with the youth in the agitation to save the future of the country. In a tweet, Gandhi alleged that China's forces are sitting on Indian land and said the defence forces should be strengthened. He attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Agnipath scheme which allows youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of four years. "China's forces are sitting on Indian land and the real patriotism is in strengthening the armed forces but you are it with new deception. In this struggle to save the future of the country, we are with the youth. I am saying again, you will have to take back Agnipath," he said. Congress held a 'Satyagraha' at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Monday to protest against Agnipath scheme and ED summoning Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. A Congress delegation had met President Ram Nath Kovind on June 20 and submitted a memorandum which urged the government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme, hold wide consultations and address issues of quality, efficiency and economy, without compromising on the welfare of the armed forces. (ANI) The Chief Electoral Officer Delhi, Ranbir Singh, on Wednesday has appealed to the voters of Rajinder Nagar Constituency to serve the democracy by casting their valuable vote on the polling day, said a press release. CEO also appealed to the citizens to follow COVID-19 protocols and wear masks at all times while casting their votes at the polling booths. When coming to the polling booth, they should bring their voter slip. If a voter has not received a voter slip, he/she should check the name on the voter list by calling 1,950 or on the voter helpline app, added the statement. The seat fell vacant after its MLA Raghav Chadha, of the AAP, resigned and got elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab after his party stormed to power in that state.Further, Dr. Singh informed that all preparations have been made for conducting free and fair polls in Rajinder Nagar. The total number of voters in the constituency are 1,64,698 comprising 92,221 Male; 72,473 Female and four Third Gender Voters. There are 591 PwD Electors, 39 Visually Impaired Electors, and 64 Service Voters. First-time voters within the age of 18-19 years are 1,899. The Gender ratio stands at 786 and a total of 190 polling stations have been set up at 21 different locations in Rajinder Nagar Constituency to help the eligible voters cast their valuable votes on the polling day. CEO Delhi informed that a Free Pick and Drop facility for Divyangjan Voters, Senior Citizens (80+), Pregnant Ladies, and lactating mothers will be provided on the polling day. The beneficiaries may request the same by calling the Voter Helpline Number '1950' or by clicking on the Pick and Drop icon on CEO Delhi and DEO New Delhi websites. All senior citizens and PwD voters are registered to avail of the free Pick & Drop facility. The CEO, Delhi further added that a total of six companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed for the smooth conduct of the Bye-poll election in the Rajinder Nagar Constituency, which includes four men and two women companies. Besides this, 308 Delhi Police Personnel and 177 Home Guards have also been deployed to conduct a free and fair by-poll. All polling stations have been instructed to follow COVID protocols. The last one hour on the polling day will be used for voters who are COVID positive and in quarantine and wish to vote. CATS ambulances have been arranged for COVID-positive voters and this facility is being provided by the health teams of the New Delhi District. Voting for the Rajinder Nagar bypoll is set to take place on June 23, 2022. More than 1.64 lakh voters are eligible to vote at as many as 190 polling stations that will be in place at 21 locations for the MLA election. The counting of votes for the Rajinder Nagar Vidhan Sabha by-election will take place on June 26 The CEO further exhorted the voters to carry their Voter ID Card when going to the polling booth to cast their vote. Citizens without the Voter's ID Card can carry the following documents: Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC); Aadhar Card; MNREGA Job Card; iPassbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office; Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour; Driving License; PAN Card; Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR; Indian Passport; Pension document with photograph; Service Identity Cards with photographs issued to employees by Central/State/Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies; Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs, and; Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card, M/o Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. (ANI) The presidential candidate nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to file her nomination papers on Friday, highly placed sources said. The sources also informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be proposing her name for the nomination on June 24, which will be seconded by the party's national president JP Nadda. The sources also informed ANI that the BJP has invited all of their allies to join in the nomination ceremony including the chief ministers of NDA-ruled states of the country. Meanwhile, the National People's Party (NPP) chief and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma and Nagaland chief minister Nephiu Rio have already confirmed their participation in the nomination for the Presidential election on Friday. It is also being said that Nitish Kumar will also be present during the nomination. As per the sources, the preparation to prepare the papers for Murmu's nomination is in full swing. On Wednesday evening Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik made an appeal to all MLAs of Odisha to support Murmu's candidature. Notably, Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is not an ally of the NDA but is often seen supporting the NDA government on crucial bills and legislature. He openly came out and endorsed the candidature of Murmu for the upcoming presidential elections that are scheduled to take place on July 18. While addressing a press conference at the party headquarters on Monday, JP Nadda announced Droupadi Murmu as the NDA candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Nadda also said that over 20 names were discussed by the BJP Parliamentary board and all the allies of the NDA before finalising Murmu as a candidate for the presidential election. The results of the July 18 elections for the next President of India will be declared on July 21. Droupadi Murmu is all set to become the next president of India and if that comes through she will be India's first woman tribal President And the second woman president of India since its independence. (ANI) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday visited the relief camp set up at Phulaguri Higher Secondary School in Nagaon district of Assam to meet flood-affected people of the region. Sonowal visited the district to assess the support provided and interact with the affected people. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families and next of kin of all those who lost their lives in the devastating flood situations in the area. "To assess the damage and destruction caused by the devastating flood, a Central team would be visiting soon," the Union Minister informed. After the visit, the team will prepare a report and submit it to the government, so that all possible support and assistance could be provided to the people. After the visit to the flood relief camp, Sonowal informed that the flood situation in Assam is grim and the government is working for providing relief and support to all the people affected by this flood. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have enquired about the on-ground situation. "They have expressed concern at the fury of this unfortunate natural calamity and assured all possible help from the centre," he added. While interacting with the officials deployed at rescue, the minister thanked all the staff for extending every possible support to the flood-affected people and urged them to continue in the direction of the welfare of the people. He further added that the rescue team of Assam, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is working hard to tackle the situation and said that he has been talking to the Chief Minister in this regard, on a regular basis. Sonowal also reviewed the flood situation on either side of the National Highway between Guwahati and Raha. He was also briefed about rescue and relief support provided in this region. Over 41 lakh people in 34 districts of Assam continue to reel under the impact of ongoing flood and landslide situations. The flood situation in Assam's Karimganj district has deteriorated after the flood waters of the Kushiyara, Longai, and Singla rivers have inundated more areas of the district affecting more than 1.34 lakh people of the district. The flood waters have submerged several main roads of the district.82 people have died in floods and landslides in the state this year so far in Assam. More than 12.30 lakh people have been affected alone in lower Assam's Barpeta district followed by 4.69 lakh in Darrang, 4.40 lakh in Nagaon, 3.38 lakh in Bajali, 2.91 lakh in Dhubri, 2.82 lakh in Kamrup, 2.80 lakh in Goalpara, 2.07 lakh in Cachar, 1.84 lakh in Nalbari, 1.51 lakh in South Salmara, 1.46 lakh in Bongaigaon, 1.34 lakh in Karimganj district. The ASDMA also reported that seven people have gone missing amidst the natural calamity whereas 2,31,819 people took shelter in the 810 relief camps in the state. A total of 1,13,485.37 hectares of land have been affected because of the calamity, whereas the ASDMA in its report further stated that at least 11,292 people have been evacuated from the affected areas. The administration of the flood-hit districts has set up 810 relief camps and 615 relief distribution centres and nearly 2.32 lakh people are currently lodged in the relief camps. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the financial assistance scheme for Sthree Shakhti Sanghas will be launched on October 2. The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a convention of State Level Voluntary Service Organisations jointly organized by the Federation of Karnataka Voluntary Service Organisations, Karnataka Border Areas Development Corporation, Karnataka Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, and Sumangali Seva Ashrama. For the first time, a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh has been announced in the state budget for each Sthree Shakthi Sangha to enable them to contribute to State's GDP, an anchor bank is be linked to meet their needs of financial services, purchase necessary equipment, improve market access for their products, efforts are on to link them with online marketing platforms like Amazon to boost marketing facilities for their products, Bommai said. Stressing the need for empowerment of women, Bommai said, "the state government is keen to promote the Sthree Shakthi products in international markets. It would boost the state's economy." Karnataka is in the third spot in terms of GDP and only 30 pc of the population is contributing to it. The remaining 70 pc is toiling for subsistence. This needs to change. This 70 pc of the population would be economically empowered to contribute, Bommai said. Efforts are on for value addition of farm products, and the realization of a better price for farm products through Farm Producer Organisations. The scheme is being extended to artisans and fishermen too. Product-based Micro Clusters would be developed--Channapatna(Toys), Ilkal, Molakalmuru, Sidlaghatta(Sarees)--to encourage native artisans, Bommai said. The Chief Minister called upon women to utilize various schemes launched by the state and union governments for their welfare and economic empowerment. The Chief Minister lauded the services of Susheelamma and termed her as an icon for everyone in serving the society with supreme commitment. "Industries minister Murugesh Nirani has provided employment for about 75,000 persons. He is a man who walks the talk," Bommai said. (ANI) Beleaguered Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose government is facing a crisis due to revolt within his party, said on Wednesday that he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to the state Raj Bhavan. Thackeray, who addressed the people over Facebook, said he was also willing to quit as party chief if there is a demand from party workers. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" is against him. The crisis faced by Shiv Sena-led government deepened on Wednesday as party leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including six to seven Independent MLAs. Thackeray said he was willing to resign only on demand of party MLAs. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Versha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Thackeray said it is not about numbers but how many are against him and he will leave if even one person or MLA is against him. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," he said. Referring to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance that includes Congress and NCP besides Shiv Sena, Thackeray said when all three parties came together in 2019, NCP leader Sharad Pawar told him that he had to take the responsibility of the CM post. He said Pawar and Sonia Gandhi helped him a lot and kept their faith in him. "I didn't even have prior experience. But I took the responsibility. Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi helped me a lot, they kept their faith in me," he said. "But when my own people (MLAs) don't want me what I can say. If they had something against me, what was the need of saying all this in Surat, they could have come here and said this to my face," he said. Stating that the affection of the people is the "real asset", he said that the Chief Minister post will "come and go", and he was fortunate to get a "lot of affection from people". "CM posts will come and go but the real asset is the affection of the people. In the past 2 years, I was fortunate enough to get a lot of affection from people" Thackeray said he could not meet people in the last few months due to his health condition but was now doing so. "It's true that I could not meet people in the last few months due to my surgery and health condition. But now, I have started meeting people," he said. Taking a dig at party rebels, he said Shiv Sena is rooted in Hindutva and is the same party as it was when run by its founder Balasaheb Thackeray. "Some people say that it's not Balasaheb' Shiv Sena. They should tell what were the thoughts of Balasaheb. This is the same Shiv Sena that it was at his time 'Hindutva' is our life," he said. Shiv Sena had earlier issued a letter to party MLAs asking them to be present at a meeting at 5 pm noting that those not present will be considered to be out of the party. The ultimatum was issued after the political crisis hit the ruling alliance. Eknath Shinde said on Wednesday that numbers with them will rise. "Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," Shinde told ANI over the phone. Back-to-back meetings are being held by the three coalition partners Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena to end the crisis. Shiv Sena's Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu had issued a letter to all party MLAs, asking them to be present in an important meeting that will be held today evening. The letter warned that if any MLA remains absent from the meeting without proper reason and prior information, action will be initiated to cancel their membership as per constitutional provisions. Rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday morning. (ANI) Expressing dissatisfaction over the Centre's newly launched Agnipath Scheme, Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy alleged that it was a programme to bring Nazi forces in India which was back then in the Hitler era. Taking a dig at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he said, "Agnipath is the RSS idea, being implemented to enable their activities to infiltrate into the army." Speaking to the media persons, he further asked about the need to implement the scheme despite it being opposed by the youth all across the country. Asking the Centre about their intention behind the scheme, he questioned, "Has the country not been protected under the existing old system? Agnipath, whose plan was this?" "Has the Parliamentary Committee on Defense suggested it? Or did the army itself recommend something to implement this scheme?," he further asked urging the Centre to answer. "For what purpose are you recruiting ten million young people? Some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have said that they would take the trainees of the Agnipath scheme to open a barbershop. Need to get there and train for a haircut shop? Do Agniveers have to give me a certificate for a barber shop?" he asked. The Union Cabinet had approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath on June 14 and said that the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. After the policy, which allows Indian youths to serve in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces for a period of four years, protests started erupting in various parts of the country including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Assam. As the agitation intensified in some places, protestors went on the rampage setting trains on fire, torching vehicles and damaging both private and public properties. Protests have disrupted rail services in several parts of the country. A total of 491 train services have been affected throughout the country due to the ongoing agitation, informed railway officials on Sunday. (ANI) Amidst the intensifying political turbulence in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the coaliton government in the state. Shinde's remarks came a short while after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Facebook address in which he said that he was ready to step down if the rebel MLAs came forward and tell him on his face that they do not have the trust in him. "In the last two and a half years, M.V.A. The government benefited only the constituent parties. It's essential to get out of the unnatural alliance for the survival of the party. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," tweeted Shinde. Earlier today, the beleaguered Maharashtra Chief Minister whose government is facing a crisis due to revolt within his party, said that he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to Raj Bhavan. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" was against him. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Thackeray said it is not about numbers but how many are against him and he will leave if even one person or MLA is against him. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," he said. The crisis in the Shiv Sena deepened after party leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde today claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including six to seven Independent MLAs. Shinde accompanied by other rebels from the party had left Maharashtra a day ago for Gujarat, where it stayed for about a day in Surat. They arrived in Assam's Guwahati earlier today. (ANI) Amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country, sources have now learned that Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meeting with the core team of experts on Thursday. Sources have also confirmed that the meeting will be held in physical format tomorrow afternoon. Earlier, on June 13, Mandaviya chaired a meeting through video conferencing with Health Ministers and senior officials of States and Union Territories (UTs) to review the progress of the vaccination exercise HarGharDastak 2.0 campaign. "COVID is not over yet. There are reports of rising cases of COVID in some states. It is important at this time to be alert and not forget COVID Appropriate behaviour (CAB) such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance to prevent spread of the infection", he had stressed. Highlighting increased case positivity in some districts and States and reduced COVID-19 testing, Dr Mandaviya had stated that increased and timely testing will enable early identification of COVID cases and help to curb spread of the infection among the community. He had urged States/UTs to continue and strengthen the surveillance and focus on genome sequencing for identifying new mutants/variants in the country. He stated that the five-fold strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccination and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB) needs to be continued and monitored by States/UTs. States were also urged to focus on implementing the Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy for COVID-19 which focuses on surveillance of incoming international travellers and surveillance through health facilities, labs, community etc. Stressing on the importance of COVID vaccination among the vulnerable age groups, he urged the State Health Ministers to personally review the status and progress of the special month-long drive Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 campaign which has started on June 1. He had said, "Let us accelerate our efforts to identify all beneficiaries in the 12-17 age group for the first and second doses, so they can attend schools with the protection of the vaccine". He had urged States for focussed coverage of 12-17 age groups through school-based campaigns (Government/Private/ informal Schools like Madrasas, Day Care Schools), along with targeted coverage of non-school going children during the summer vacation. He added that the population group of above 60 years of age is a vulnerable category and needs to be protected with the precaution dose. "Our healthcare workers are going door-to-door to ensure that the vulnerable population is administered the precaution dose", he said. The States Health Ministers were urged to also review administration of precaution dose to 18-59 years age-group with the private hospitals on a regular basis. He said that we can utilize the learning from the first Har Ghar Dastak campaign to achieve 100 per cent coverage among the eligible population for ensuring extended protection against COVID. "Adequate vaccine doses are available across the country. Let us ensure accelerated coverage of COVID vaccination during the second phase of the Har Ghar Dastak campaign", he had stressed. Meanwhile, India reported 12,249 new COVID-19 infections and 13 deaths, while active cases went up by over 2,300 in a 24-hour span, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The latest updates pushed the country's overall COVID-19 numbers to 4,33,31,645 cases, 5,24,903 deaths and 81,687 active cases, the data showed. (ANI) Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh said that the 'purple revolution' has shifted focus to agri-tech startups. Purple Revolution was launched to empower domestic farmers and support India's aromatic crop-based agro-economy by reducing imports of aromatic oils and increasing homegrown varieties. While interacting with the media, Singh said that due to high monetary returns, farmers in hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir are switching from traditional farming to aroma crops like lavender in a big way. He added that aroma crops are both drought and pest resistant, and CSIR is providing all kinds of technical support for promoting this Agri Start-up boon in the Union Territory. The Minister informed that CSIR is also planning to introduce the aroma crops in other hilly States with similar climatic conditions like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and in the North-Eastern States. Dr Jitendra Singh said, "Centre's Aroma Mission, ably supported by CSIR, is changing the mindset of farmers and more and more of them are taking up the cultivation of aroma crops like lavender, lemon grass, rose and marigold for extracting costly oils to be used in many industries." He said, the oils selling about Rs 9,000 per litre are used in making incense sticks and also being used for room sprays, cosmetics and therapeutics. Jitendra Singh said, "There is a need for widespread publicity that IIIM Jammu was helping the startups in aroma and lavender farming to sell their produce. Prominent companies like Mumbai -based Ajmal Biotech Private Limited, Aditi International and NavnaitriGamika, etc are the primary buyers." Last month, Singh inaugurated the country's first 'Lavender Festival' at Bhaderwah, the birthplace of India's Purple Revolution and said that it became possible only because of the progressive thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who after taking oath as PM in 2014 stressed that the regions which did not receive due priority in the past would be raised to the level of developed regions. Singh informed that Aroma Mission is attracting startups and agriculturists from across the country, and during Phase-I, CSIR helped cultivation on 6,000 hectares of land and covered 46 Aspirational districts across the country. More than 44,000 persons have been trained and several crores of farmers' revenue generated. In the second Phase of Aroma Mission, it is proposed to engage over 45,000 skilled human resources with the aim of benefitting more than 75,000 farming families across the country. CSIR-IIIM introduced lavender to farmers in Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri, Pulwama, Anantnag, Kupwara and Bandipora districts of J&K. It provided free quality planting material and end-to-end technology package on cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing of the Lavender crop to the farmers. CSIR-IIIM also installed 50 distillation units -- 45 fixed and five mobile -- at different locations across J-K under CSIR-Aroma Mission. Lavender cultivation has employed about 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in geographically remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir. More than 1,000 farming families are cultivating it on more than 200 acres. (ANI) Shiv Sena's rebel MLAs led by Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde met here after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed people and said he was willing to submit his resignation to party MLAs. The rebel MLAs held a meeting in the hotel in Guwahati where they are staying after shifting from Surat. The meeting lasted about 50 minutes. Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das said it is "their internal matter". "They may be discussing the issue. But we have provided facilities to them so that they don't have any inconvenience," Das said. Shinde claimed earlier today that he has the support of 46 MLAs and the number will rise in the future. "Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," Shinde told ANI over the phone. Shinde said that the rebel MLAs are not in talks with the Shiv Sena or CM Uddhav Thackeray. "As far as the current political situation is concerned, I would say that we are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks and will continue to be Shiv Sainiks. As of now, we are not holding any talks with Shiv Sena or the Chief Minister. We have not decided on the future course of action," Shinde had said. Uddhav Thackeray, whose government is facing a crisis due to revolt within his party, said on Wednesday that he was willing to give his resignation to the party MLAs who can take it to the Raj Bhavan. Thackeray, who addressed the people over Facebook, said he was also willing to quit as party chief if there is a demand from party workers. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" is against him. Thackeray said he was willing to resign only on demand of party MLAs. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Thackeray said it is not about numbers but how many are against him and he will leave if even one person or MLA is against him. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," he said. (ANI) After Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he would tender his resignation if the rebel MLAs demanded it, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that he will "remain the CM" and the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance will "prove its majority on the floor of the House if given the chance". Shiv Sena leader said this while speaking to the reporters here as political turbulence intensified in the state. "Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said. Earlier this evening, NCP chief Sharad Pawar accompanied by Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad arrived at the Mumbai residence of Uddhav Thackeray. After the conclusion of the meeting which lasted around an hour, NCP leader Supriya Sule displayed a thumbs up and the Chief Minister came out to greet his supporters. Earlier today rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government in the state. Shinde's remarks came a short while after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Facebook address in which he said that he was ready to step down if the rebel MLAs came forward and tell him on his face that they do not have the trust in him. "In the last two and a half years, M.V.A. The government benefited only the constituent parties. It's essential to get out of the unnatural alliance for the survival of the party. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," tweeted Shinde. Earlier today, the beleaguered Maharashtra Chief Minister whose government is facing a crisis due to revolt within his party, said that he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to Raj Bhavan. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" was against him. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Thackeray said it is not about numbers but how many are against him and he will leave if even one person or MLA is against him. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," he said. The crisis in the Shiv Sena deepened after party leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde today claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including six to seven Independent MLAs. Shinde accompanied by other rebels from the party had left Maharashtra a day ago for Gujarat, where it stayed for about a day in Surat. They arrived in Assam's Guwahati earlier today. (ANI) Samsung is anticipated to announce the beginning of the mass production of 3nm chips next week. In doing so, the company will surpass TSMC, whose 3nm chip production is anticipated to start in the second half of this year. According to GSM Arena, in comparison to its 5nm process, Samsung's 3nm node will result in a 35 per cent reduction in area, a 30 per cent increase in performance, or a 50 per cent reduction in power consumption (which was used for the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100). By switching to a Gate-All-Around (GAA) design for transistors, this will be accomplished. The foundry can shrink transistors without affecting their ability to carry current, which is the next step after FinFET. The MBCFET flavor is the GAAFET design used in the 3nm node. Last month, US Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to the Samsung facility in Pyeongtaek to see a demonstration of the company's 3nm technology. There were rumours that the company might spend USD10 billion to construct a 3nm foundry in Texas last year. The plant is anticipated to start operating in 2024, with an investment that has grown to USD17 billion, as reported by GSM Arena. In any case, yield is the main concern with a new node. The yield of Samsung's 3nm process is "approaching a similar level to the 4nm process," the company said in October of last year. Analysts believe that Samsung's 4nm node had severe yield problems even though the company never provided official statistics. A MBCFET based 2nm node is also included in the company's roadmap for 2023, along with a second-generation 3nm node in 2025. (ANI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray left his official residence 'Varsha' along with his family members on Wednesday hours after he expressed his readiness to step down if rebel MLAs returned to Mumbai and made such a demand. Uddhav Thackeray left his official residence along with members of his family amid slogans of "Uddhav tum aage badho, hum tumhare saath hain" from his supporters. Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray along with his mother Rashmi Thackeray and brother Tejas Thackeray followed Uddhav Thackeray in a car as left the official residence. Luggage was also seen being moved out of the chief minister's official residence. The political crisis facing the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra deepened on Wednesday after rebel party MLAs claimed support of 46 MLAs. Congress and NCP are partners of Shiv Sena in the alliance government. Shiv Sena workers also gathered outside Matoshree, the residence of Thackeray family, to express their support. Earlier this evening, Thackeray addressed the people of the state via Facebook and said he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to Raj Bhavan. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" was against him. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut expressed confidence of Shiv Sena sailing through the crisis. "Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said. Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde, who is leading the revolt, said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the coalition government in the state. "In the last two and a half years, the government benefited only the constituent parties. It's essential to get out of the unnatural alliance for the survival of the party. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," Shinde said in tweets. (ANI) A video that has gone viral on social media shows Mahila Congress President Netta D'Souza purportedly spitting at police personnel in the national capital during a protest of party workers against the Enforcement Directorate questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The incident took place on Tuesday. "While detaining Congress workers, one of the protestors Netta D'Souza, President-All India Mahila Congress, obstructed/assaulted the police personnel on duty and spat over them for which criminal case is being registered under appropriate sections of the law," Delhi Police said in a statement yesterday. Last week, Congress leader Renuka Chowdary came under criticism after she grabbed the collar of a police official while she was being detained in Hyderabad during a protest. Mewnwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was not affected by the Enforcement Directorate, which recently grilled him for five days over his alleged role in the National Herald case. "ED and such agencies don't affect me, even the officers who interrogated me understood that a leader of the Congress party can't be scared and suppressed," the Congress leader said during an interaction with party workers at the AICC headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday, Gandhi was summoned for the fifth time for another round of questioning. The ED had summoned Rahul last Monday and questioned him for three straight days. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Sachin Pilot alleged that the party's leadership was being targeted. "Those in power are targeting the dissidents. It is clearly a politically motivated move. It is not just about Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, but the entire Opposition," he said to ANI. "The Congress leadership is being targeted because they have been vocal against BJP," he added. Accusing the BJP-led government of weakening the armed forces with "new deception", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the government will have to withdraw the Agnipath recruitment scheme and the party is with the youth in the agitation to save the future of the country. In a tweet, Gandhi alleged that China's forces are sitting on Indian land and said the defence forces should be strengthened. He attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Agnipath scheme which allows youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of four years. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi left the Enforcement Directorate office in Delhi after 12 hours of questioning in a money laundering case on Tuesday. Sonia Gandhi, who was discharged yesterday after treatment of post-Covid complications, has also been summoned by the ED but given time till June 23. The ED is investigating the Gandhis' role in what is known as the National Herald case. It involves the Young Indian's takeover of AJL (Associated Journals Limited), the company that ran the National Herald newspaper, a Congress mouthpiece which has since transformed into an online-only outlet. (ANI) Samsung, back in October, unveiled the Bespoke Edition of the Galaxy Z Flip3, offering a total of 49 colour combinations. Now, the 'Bespoke' option will be available on the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 4, and is rumoured to offer even more diverse options for extended use in new markets. When customizing the Z Flip3, users could pick one of two frame colours, five back and five front panel colours. Removing one colour combo that overlapped with the non-Bespoke phones, giving 49 options. For the Z Flip4 the Bespoke Studio will probably offer customizations for these same three elements, but with more options, as per GSMArena. Samsung has provided Bespoke customization services in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, South Korea and Australia. According to insider information, it plans to expand to other markets in Europe and Asia this year. Samsung has also offered customizations for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic wearables. This is a very simple customization: Pick the watch model you want, then pick a strap, as per GSMArena. Future Galaxy Watch 5 models will also be part of the Bespoke program and may be available in new markets. The Galaxy Z Flip4 (and Z Fold4) and Galaxy Watch 5 will be announced on August 10. It is not yet known if Bespoke Studio will be available after the first day. (ANI) According to the sources, the top decision-making authorities have agreed regarding the extension of Dr Guleria as AIIMS Director. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which is headed by the Prime Minister, has asked Union Health Ministry for more names for consideration for the post of director of the AIIMS. Sources said it doesn't mean the names which were given earlier after being shortlisted by search-cum-selection committee will not be considered. The search-cum-selection committee earlier shortlisted three names of doctors who were approved by the institute's body and these were sent to the ACC for approval. The names of doctors recommended earlier are Dr Nikhil Tandon, Head of the Department of Endocrinology, Dr Rajesh Malhotra, Chief of AIIMS Trauma Centre, and Dr Pramod Garg, Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology at AIIMS, Delhi. (ANI) Three persons have been arrested for attacking the medical staff of Neendakara Taluk hospital in the Kollam district, informed state president of KGMOA, Dr G S Vikayakrishnan on Wednesday. The arrests were made after the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) staged a protest against the attack. According to Dr G S Vikayakrishnan, the protesting doctors had demanded immediate arrest of the people who attacked health officials (doctor, nurse) and the security personnel on Tuesday night. Aa per the KGMOA President, three "anti-social people" had attacked a doctor, security staff, and ambulance driver of Taluk hospital in Kollam with iron rods, due to which the nurse was admitted to a medical college as she sustained injuries to her scalp. They alleged that all this happened without any good reason as they were agitated because of the case lodged against them for their abusive threatening to the medical staff, two days ago. Notably, on Sunday, the accused had taken their mother to the hospital where they were asked to wear a face mask and a huge gathering was restricted. "The hospital attack is a continuous story in Kerala. In the last two years, there is a significant increase in such cases in both the government and private hospitals. We staged a protest boycotting the outpatient and casualty services in Taluk hospital," the president said. "We demanded to arrest the culprits as such attacks affect the hospitals. The reason behind this attack was the lack of security personnel...We need trained persons as security otherwise it will affect our morale," the president added. (ANI) New Delhi, June 22 (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out searches at seven locations in Punjab in the Improvised Explosive Device seizure case at Batrara toll plaza in Haryana's Karnal in May this year. The searches were conducted in Ludhiana, Ferozpur and Gurdaspur of Punjab. The anti-terror agency claimed to have seized digital devices, details of financial transactions and property and other incriminating materials during the searches. The case relates to the seizure of IEDs and arms and ammunition from Batrara toll plaza in the Madhuban area in Karnal in which three IEDs, one pistol, two magazines, 31 live rounds, six mobiles and 1.30 lakh cash were recovered and four persons were apprehended from a white Innova. The case was initially registered on May 5 at Madhuban police station in Karnal district and re-registered by the NIA on the same day. During the investigation, it was revealed that Pakistan-based operative of BKI (Babar Khalsa International) Harvinder Singh alias Rinda had coordinated the delivery of explosives, arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan's intelligence agency for carrying out terrorist attacks in different parts of India in connivance with arrested accused persons, the NIA said. Further investigations are underway. (ANI) Mild tension prevailed during Telangana Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao's visit to Zaheerabad in Sangareddy district on Wednesday as the farmers staged a protest demanding fair compensation for the lands acquired for National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ). Police had to use mild force to control the protestors ahead of Rao's visit to lay the foundation stone for a defence unit. As the protestors tried to proceed towards the venue, police carried out a baton charge to disperse them. A couple of farmers were injured in the incident. Police had closed the roads leading to Zaheerabad from various villages in Jharasangam and Nyalkal mandals to prevent locals from staging any protest during the programme. The state government is developing the NIMZ over 12,635 acres and on Wednesday, KTR, as the minister is popularly known, laid the foundation stone for VEM Technologies' defence manufacturing unit which is coming up on 511 acres. Speaking at the event, he asked the district authorities and public representatives to ensure that those losing lands to NIMZ are adequately compensated. "If possible, pay them more compensation by going out of the way," he said. The minister also wanted the district administration and the industry to make sure the farmer families whose lands are acquired get employment in NIMZ. "Every family losing land to NIMZ should get employment in NIMZ, then they will cooperate. The industry also has to work with us. They are losing gold-like land and this will naturally cause pain but if they are assured their future generation will get jobs in NIMZ, they will come forward (to give lands)," he said. KTR urged VEM Technologies to give preference to locals in employment in semi-skilled and unskilled categories. "This will be a win-win situation for both you and local youth. "For industry to be in consonance with locals and local ecosystem is extremely important in terms of the longevity of the project." The minister welcomed a proposal by VEM Technologies to set up a skill centre for locals to train them for jobs in their unit. The company will bear 50 per cent of the cost for the proposed centre. --IANS ms/vd ( 371 Words) 2022-06-22-19:04:01 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requested Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to remove the separate capital gain tax on assets managed by the state company. During the meeting with the Union Finance Minister at her office here, Chouhan raised the issue. Madhya Pradesh had been given an incentive of Rs 1,055 crore under the special assistance to states for capital expenditure by the Government of India. "In Madhya Pradesh, the government has set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for public asset management. Capital gains tax is not levied when a government department is involved in asset management. But if you form a company separately, then capital gains tax is levied," he said. "I urged the Finance Minister that even if we are doing it by forming a separate company, we are doing it under our policy. Therefore, there should be no separate capital gains tax." Referring to the incentive of Rs 1,055 crore given to Madhya Pradesh, he said the state managed the public assets better by forming the public asset management company. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to do this, he said. Taking to Twitter, Chouhan expressed gratitude towards the Union Finance Minister stating that she has always shown interest in various schemes related to the development and welfare of the people of Madhya Pradesh and discussed them very positively. "I express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the people of Madhya Pradesh for your continued cooperation," he said. Chouhan also called on the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal and discussed various issues related to crop procurement and public distribution system in MP. He informed the Union minister that a special incentive is being given for the sowing of pulses in the state for crop diversification. This year's summer moong production is likely to be 16 lakh metric tonnes. The Chief Minister urged Goyal to release around Rs 6,000 crore pending for several years, for Madhya Pradesh, at the earliest. Goyal assured the chief minister to provide all support. (ANI) After reaching his family home 'Matoshree' in Mumbai on Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray greeted hundreds of Shiv Sena supporters gathered outside his residence. The chief minister left his official residence 'Varsha' along with his family members earlier today after he expressed his readiness to step down if rebel MLAs returned to Mumbai and made such a demand. Uddhav Thackeray left his official residence along with members of his family amid slogans of "Uddhav tum aage badho, hum tumhare saath hain" from his supporters. Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray along with his mother Rashmi Thackeray and brother Tejas Thackeray followed Uddhav Thackeray in a car as left the official residence. Luggage was also seen being moved out of the chief minister's official residence. Aaditya Thackeray showed victory signs on reaching 'Matoshree' today. The political crisis facing the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra deepened on Wednesday after rebel party MLAs claimed the support of 46 MLAs. Congress and NCP are partners of Shiv Sena in the alliance government. Shiv Sena workers also gathered outside Matoshree, the residence of the Thackeray family, to express their support. Earlier on Wednesday evening, Thackeray addressed the people of the state via Facebook and said he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to Raj Bhavan. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" was against him. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut expressed confidence in Shiv Sena sailing through the crisis."Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said. Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde, who is leading the revolt, said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the coalition government in the state. "In the last two and a half years, the government benefited only the constituent parties. It's essential to get out of the unnatural alliance for the survival of the party. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," Shinde said in tweets. (ANI) COP15 event relocated, China keeps presidency 08:26, June 22, 2022 By HOU LIQIANG ( China Daily Kunming, Yunnan province, has been decorated with flower clusters, landscaping and lighting to welcome the opening of COP15 in October 2021. [Photo by Hu Yunlong and Xu Jun/chinadaily.com.cn] The second phase of the United Nations' negotiations on the world's new biodiversity conservation goals through 2030, known as COP15, has been relocated from Kunming, Yunnan province, to the Canadian city of Montreal, between Dec 5 and 17, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The decision was reached following consultation among the Chinese and Canadian governments and the secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, a media release from the ministry said on Tuesday. The secretariat is based in Montreal. With the COVID-19 pandemic control situations at home and abroad fully considered, the arrangement was made to "accelerate the global biodiversity conservation process", it said. "China will continue to work as the presidency of the COP15," it said, adding that the theme of the gathering and its logo will remain unchanged. The Chinese government has always attached great importance to biodiversity conservation, the statement said. With consistent efforts to play its role as the host of COP15, China, together with other parties, will endeavor to see an ambitious and realistic post-2020 global biodiversity framework reached at the meeting. Dimitri de Boer, chief China representative of environmental law organization ClientEarth, said a lot of negotiations need to be carried out at the conference and the relocation helps address the uncertainties about the second phase of COP15. "This is very practical," he added. As the largest UN biodiversity gathering in a decade, COP15 was originally scheduled to be held in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, in October 2020. With the theme "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth", it is tasked with elaborating on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and identifying protection goals through 2030. Ecological civilization is a concept promoted by President Xi Jinping for balanced and sustainable development featuring the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. After being postponed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was rescheduled in August to be held in two phases, first in October 2021 and then in the first half of this year. The first phase was successfully held in Kunming from Oct 11 to 15, which included the opening ceremony, leaders' speeches and the issuing of the Kunming Declaration. Overseas personnel attended the meeting online. Via video link at the conference, Xi announced China's initiative to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries. China took the lead in investing 1.5 billion yuan ($224 million), and called for contributions from other parties to the fund. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) The decision was taken in the core committee meeting of the party headed by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, his son former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy and party President C.M. Ibrahim. The expelled JD(S) MLAs are -- K. Srinivas Gowda, a lawmaker from Kolar constituency and S.R. Srinivas, an MLA from Gubbi constituency. They have been expelled from the primary membership of the party. The core committee president Bandeppa Kashempur made this announcement here on Wednesday. The meeting has also decided to make an appeal to Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri to terminate the expelled MLAs' membership from the state legislature. A written complaint will be given in this regard to the Speaker in two days, Bandeppa Kashempur said. JD(S) had put up Kupendra Reddy as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election but he lost. The party had issued a whip for its MLAs to give their first preference vote to Kupendra Reddy. However, MLA S.R. Srinivas gave his first priority vote to BJP candidate Leher Singh and second preferential vote to Congress candidate Mansoor Ali Khan. K. Srinivas Gowda, MLA from Kolar, gave his first preferential vote to Congress candidate Mansoor Ali Khan and second preferential vote to BJP candidate Leher Singh. The report in this regard was given by H.D. Revanna, another son of H.D. Deve Gowda and former minister of JD(S). --IANS mka/skp/ ( 278 Words) 2022-06-22-20:08:04 (IANS) A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of a man accused of cheating a businessman on the pretext of a business proposal under the 'Make In India' programme and posing as a close relative of IAS officer Nripendra Mishra, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per the complainant Ravinder Pratap Singh, accused Daya Shankar Mishra in connivance with co-accused Piyush Bandopadhyay, who introduced himself as an IFS officer, and another accused Shweta Shrout induced him to invest in their business proposal. Accordingly, Singh invested Rs 2.39 crore out of which Rs 24.26 lakh were transferred into the account of Bandopadhyay through RTGS. Bandopadhyay has already been arrested and he is in custody and Shrout has been declared as a Proclaimed Offender. "In the present case, offence alleged against the accused is serious in nature and he has been actively involved in the commission of offence and allegedly induced the complainant to part with a huge sum of money which has not been recovered till date," noted Patiala Court vacation judge Sanjay Khanagwal in an order passed on Tuesday. The court also observed that the accused is absconding and proceedings under CrPC's Section 82 are already in operation. No change of circumstances is shown since the dismissal of the previous bail application, it said. During the course of the hearing, Mishra's counsel argued that not a single penny went into the account of the applicant and he has been falsely implicated in this case and he has nothing to do with the alleged false claim of his connection with the PMO. Praying for the anticipatory bail, counsel argued that the accused had already joined the investigation and he is no more required for further investigation. He also highlighted that the applicant is a senior citizen. On the other hand, the public prosecutor said that on previous occasions also, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant were dismissed and non-bailable warrants were obtained, and proceeding under Section 82 of the CrPC has been initiated against him. He submitted that the accused joined the investigation prior to dismissal of his previous anticipatory bail application on November 25 last year and thereafter, he never joined the investigation and is absconding since then. --IANS jw/vd ( 392 Words) 2022-06-22-20:38:02 (IANS) The BJP high command has summoned Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to Delhi. Accordingly, Bommai will leave for the national capital on Thursday afternoon and return on Friday. Those eyeing an entry into the state Cabinet are now hopeful that this time Bommai will get a green signal for a Cabinet expansion. There are five vacant posts in the Cabinet and the upcoming Assembly elections are less than a year away. The BJP reportedly wants to bring new faces into the Cabinet and drop the non-performing ministers. Sources in the BJP said that Bommai has been summoned to Delhi to discuss the Presidential election along with other CMs from the BJP-ruled states. However, party sources also said that the top BJP leadership might take a final discussion on Cabinet expansion. BJP leaders in Karnataka are upbeat after the two-day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party is preparing for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections after the 40-month challenge taken up by Modi to finish all infrastructure projects, including the ambitious and long-pending suburban rail project. --IANS mka/arm ( 192 Words) 2022-06-22-20:40:02 (IANS) While RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asked 20 questions related to the Agnipath scheme from the Narendra Modi government, BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal gave the answer to every question. He said that the answers are so long that Tejashwi Yadav could neither read them nor understand them. "There are many changes coming worldwide on the economic and strategic front and India cannot advance without addressing these issues. Hence, the chiefs of our defence forces have taken the decision. We have launched the Agnipath scheme on the demand of our armed forces," Jaiswal said. "At present, reforms are required in many sectors of the country. The Centre has brought reforms in economic, industries, education and other sectors in the country. The Congress party was against these reforms right from the beginning while regional parties were not given logical and justified views on these issues. The RJD has asked 20 questions from us and the majority of them were already given by the chiefs of the armed forces. Still, I replied to RJD," Jaiswal said. "It is a great opportunity for youths in the age group of 17 to 21 to become disciplined persons and serve the nation. The majority of youths are accepting it. The RJD is hungry for power. Hence its leaders are playing with the emotions of common people," Jaiswal added. Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav and his mother Rabri Devi slammed the Narendra Modi government for launching the Agnipath scheme. Tejashwi Yadav along with the RJD and the Left parties leaders handed over a memorandum to Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan on Wednesday. "We have handed over a memorandum to the Bihar governor and demanded the cancellation of all FIRs registered against agitators during the Agnipath protests in Bihar. We have also demanded the release of the students who were arrested during the protests," Yadav said. The RJD memorandum comprises of 20 questions related to the Agnipath scheme. The protest march started around 10 a.m. from the Vidhan Sabha. "The BJP government at the Centre is playing with the future of the youths of the country. If the youths are not comfortable with the future through this job, how could they perform duties on the borders? The Centre should withdraw the Agnipath scheme. If it does not do so, our youths will force them to withdraw the scheme," Tejashwi said. "The Narendra Modi government has sold Rail, Sail, Air India, airports, petroleum companies, telecom, agriculture and now you are interfering with the defence forces. We will not tolerate this. Our protest will continue," Tejashwi said. Rabri Devi, the former chief minister of Bihar said: "The Narendra Modi government has brought the scheme to force youths to cross the Agnipath. The youths of the country cannot tolerate him. The Narendra Modi government is playing with the security of the country." --IANS ajk/bg ( 486 Words) 2022-06-22-20:44:03 (IANS) Welcoming BJP-led NDA's decision to choose Droupadi Murmu as a presidential candidate, Adivasi Jan Parishad chief Prem S Munda on Wednesday said the Opposition parties should learn to include the tribal communities in the primary roles. He appealed to Opposition parties to unanimously elect Droupadi Murmu as the President of India. "All Opposition parties like RJD, Congress, TMC should learn to include the tribal communities in primary roles... I'd like to appeal to Opposition parties to unanimously elect NDA's candidate Draupadi Murmu as the President of India," Adivasi Jan Parishad president Prem S Munda told ANI. The Adivasi Jan Parishad president also stated that no tribal person has got election as NDA's presidential candidate after 75 years of independence in the country. "After 75 years of independence, never has a tribal person gotten elected as (NDA's) Presidential candidate. We welcome this decision," he added. Droupadi Murmu was on Tuesday declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate. She is a former Odisha minister. She is likely to file her nomination on June 25, said sources. On the other hand, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also announced that former Minister of Finance and External Affairs Yashwant Sinha will be the common candidate of the Opposition parties for the Presidential election, which will take place on July 18, 2022, said a statement. The late date for filing nominations for the Presidential election is June 29, the polling will take place on July 18 and the votes will be counted on July 21. The voting for presidential elections will be held on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Droupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Coming from a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women's College Bhubaneswar.She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, the Odisha assembly honoured her with the 'Nilakantha Award' for best MLA. She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president of state ST Morcha in 1997. Droupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJP's ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP's ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. (ANI) A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to a B.Tech student who had allegedly developed a fake 'helicopter ticketing website' which was used to dupe people who wanted to travel from Katra to Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu and Kashmir. His counsel argued that the second year B.Tech student was stated to have been not aware of the modus operandi of the other accused that the website would be used to cheat the innocent persons. The applicant was praying for bail on the ground that he has been falsely implicated in this case and he has nothing to do with the alleged offence. His counsel submitted that his B.Tech examinations are about to take place. It was further submitted that accused is no more required for further investigation. The accused is already in custody since May 21 and no criminal antecedents has been shown, it was submitted. "Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, role of the accused, young age and clean antecedents, he is enlarged on bail on his furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 25,000 with one surety in the like amount," said the order passed by Vacation Judge Sanjay Khanagwal of Patiala House Court. In a similar case, the court on Tuesday granted bail to another accused who had allegedly facilitated the fraudsters with the bank account number for the money transfer on the pretext of booking helicopter tickets for visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. --IANS jw/pgh ( 259 Words) 2022-06-22-21:50:05 (IANS) Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to restrain AIADMK general council meeting scheduled to be held in Chennai today from amending bylaws that will pave way for a single leadership. A division bench of Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan will hear a plea by AIADMK General Council member Shanmugam, who had appealed against the Madras High Court's order. The court said that it cannot interfere in such issues. The tussle between former Tamil Nadu chief minister and party co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and his former deputy CM and coordinator O Panneersevelam (OPS) did not seem to end over single leadership in the party with both camps refusing to budge from their views. Palaniswami is all for single leadership in the party and his camp is keen on passing a resolution in this regard in June 23 meeting while Panneersevelam claims that the general body cannot pass the resolution without his signature as per party by-law. After the demise of Jayalalithaa in 2016, the party has been following a dual-leadership formula with EPS as co-coordinator and OPS as coordinator. Voices grew louder for single leadership in the party since the district secretary meeting on June 14. Both camps have held several rounds of talks to resolve the issue but remained unsuccessful. OPS also wrote a letter to EPS demanding postponement of the general body meeting citing a "confused situation" in the party which the AIADMK co-coordinator rejected. In comparison to OPS, EPS enjoys the support of a large number of party MLAs and district secretaries. Amid all this drama, OPS' long-time loyalists have also joined the EPS camp. On Tuesday, Thiruvallur District Secretary Alexander and Puducherry State Secretary Anbalagan extended their support to EPS. "AIADMK Co-Coordinator Palaniswami will be chosen as AIADMK General Secretary on June 23 in General Council Meeting. We have respect for Panneersevelam but he should understand party cadres. But OPS camp behaviour is like DMK B team. Single leadership is the need for AIADMK," Anbalagan said. Earlier on Monday, senior AIADMK leaders inspected arrangements at a private hall in Chennai's Vanagaram for holding the general body meeting. The leaders who inspected arrangements were AIADMK party's deputy coordinator KP Munuswamy, former Ministers CV Shanmugam, Thangamani, Velumani, RP Udayakumar, Dindigul Srinivasan, Senkottaiyan, Vijayabaskar, Benjamin, Talawai Sundaram, AIADMK Deputy General Coordinator Cellur Raju, Kadampur Raju, Natham Viswanathan and Kamaraj. Last week, amid controversy over the issue of single leadership in AIADMK between OPS and EPS, the former held an "individual meeting" with his supporters and district secretaries at the party office here. (ANI) Two individuals will be on a week-long trip around the moon in 2018 on the Dragon spaceship as part of an initiative by US company SpaceX supported by NASA, a media report said. The Elon Musk owned space transport services company said on Monday that the names of the two individuals, who came to the company expressing their interest, will be revealed once they pass the physical and medical examinations necessary for such trip. The two would be the only Dragon crew to take off in 2018 from the historic Kennedy''s Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral in Florida, the same launch pad as the Apollo lunar missions, Efe news reported. This program consisted of eleven manned flights between 1968 and 1972, including the trip that led Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to tread on the moon for the first time on July 20, 1969. For California-based SpaceX this is one step on the way to their goal of transporting humans to Mars. "This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them," SpaceX said in a statement. The company said the space shuttle Dragon was designed to carry humans and already has "a long flight heritage." Musk''s company said that these flights with private crew, who "have already paid a significant deposit," according to the statement, are encouraged by NASA and will help reduce long-term government costs and improve the reliability of these missions. The trip to the moon would be followed by other flights that the company plans with National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA''s Commercial Crew Program. According to the company, there would be a flight later this year in automatic and unmanned mode as part of the program, with the launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft (Dragon Version 2) to the ISS. The subsequent crewed mission was expected to fly in the second quarter of 2018. SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. IANS in/ ( 356 Words) 2017-02-28-08:16:08 (IANS) First-ever DNA analysis reveals the reason behind odd mating habits, body features and evolutionary future of mites that live in the hair follicles of humans. According to new research, tiny mites that live in human pores and breed on our faces at night are becoming such simplified organisms due to their unusual lifestyles that they may soon become one with humans. The research was led by Bangor University and the University of Reading, in collaboration with the University of Valencia, University of Vienna and the National University of San Juan. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Molecular Biology and Evolution'. The mites are passed on during birth and are carried by almost every human, with numbers peaking in adults as the pores grow bigger. They measure around 0.3mm long, are found in the hair follicles on the face and nipples, including the eyelashes, and eat the sebum naturally released by cells in the pores. They become active at night and move between follicles looking to mate. The first-ever genome sequencing study of the D. folliculorum mite found that their isolated existence and resulting inbreeding is causing them to shed unnecessary genes and cells and move towards a transition from external parasites to internal symbionts. Dr Alejandra Perotti, Associate Professor in Invertebrate Biology at the University of Reading, who co-led the research, said: "We found these mites have a different arrangement of body part genes to other similar species due to them adapting to a sheltered life inside pores. These changes to their DNA have resulted in some unusual body features and behaviours." The in-depth study of the Demodex folliculorum DNA revealed: Due to their isolated existence, with no exposure to external threats, no competition to infest hosts and no encounters with other mites with different genes, genetic reduction has caused them to become extremely simple organisms with tiny legs powered by just 3 single cell muscles. They survive with the minimum repertoire of proteins - the lowest number ever seen in this and related species. This gene reduction is the reason for their nocturnal behaviour too. The mites lack UV protection and have lost the gene that causes animals to be awakened by daylight. They have also been left unable to produce melatonin - a compound that makes small invertebrates active at night - however, they are able to fuel their all-night mating sessions using the melatonin secreted by human skin at dusk. Their unique gene arrangement also results in the mites' unusual mating habits. Their reproductive organs have moved anteriorly, and males have a penis that protrudes upwards from the front of their body meaning they have to position themselves underneath the female when mating, and copulate as they both cling onto the human hair. One of their genes has inverted, giving them a particular arrangement of mouth-appendages extra protruding for gathering food. This aids their survival at young age. The mites have many more cells at a young age compared to their adult stage. This counters the previous assumption that parasitic animals reduce their cell numbers early in development. The researchers argue this is the first step towards the mites becoming symbionts. The lack of exposure to potential mates that could add new genes to their offspring may have set the mites on course for an evolutionary dead end, and potential extinction. This has been observed in bacteria living inside cells before, but never in an animal. Some researchers had assumed the mites do not have an anus and therefore must accumulate all their faeces through their lifetimes before releasing it when they die, causing skin inflammation. The new study, however, confirmed they do have anuses and so have been unfairly blamed for many skin conditions. Dr Henk Braig, co-lead author from Bangor University and the National University of San Juan, said: "Mites have been blamed for a lot of things. The long association with humans might suggest that they also could have simple but important beneficial roles, for example, in keeping the pores in our face unplugged." (ANI) China journalists and other analysts are facing a coordinated and large-scale online information campaign against high-profile journalists at media outlets including the New Yorker, The Economist, the New York Times, and others, according to a new report, which states that women of Asian descent face the worst of the disdain. "This kind of targeted trolling that female activists and journalists are facing has become so vicious, so concerted that it is driving some either off social media altogether or to practice some degree of self-censorship," said Mei Fong, chief communications officer at the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW). She told VOA that the campaign aims "to viciously silence those speaking truth to power." Fong is among the women named in the ASPI report who have faced the latest slate of harassment. "This campaign shows that the Chinese government is very likely increasing the sophistication of the campaigns that harass these women," said ASPI researcher Albert Zhang, who co-authored the report. "I can't imagine being on the receiving end of these types of activities." The Canberra-based think tank determined that the inauthentic Twitter accounts behind the operation are likely another iteration of "Spamouflage," a pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) network that Twitter attributed to Beijing in 2019. According to VOA, the goal of the current campaign is to discredit women's work in the eyes of both domestic and international audiences. The strategy goes well with Beijing's broader global media effort to improve its reputation around the world by influencing coverage in its favour and quelling criticism. The reports the Chinese Communist Party has a problem with women of Asian descent who have public platforms, opinions and expertise on China. "In an effort to counter the views and work of these women, the CCP has been busy pivoting its growing information operation capabilities to target women, with a focus on journalists working at major Western media outlets," it said. Based on open-source information, ASPI assesses the inauthentic Twitter accounts behind this operation are likely another iteration of the pro-CCP 'Spamouflage' network, which Twitter attributed to the Chinese government in 2019. Hundreds of accounts in this network have been created with the sole purpose of targeting these women; some target one woman while others target multiple women at a time. This latest campaign, in both English and Mandarin, includes a spectrum of psychological abuse, harassment, mass trolling and threats. The report states that some women have been bombarded with tweets on a range of topics, frequently from spam accounts accusing the target of fake news or anti-China coverage, though the tweets are often not personalised. "Other parts of the campaign are far more sophisticated and tailored. A number of women of Asian descent are being targeted by a widespread, coordinated, intimidating and malicious campaign that has been crafted to be highly personal, abusive and threatening. Content has been tailored to their individual circumstances, covering their work and personal lives. This would have required extensive surveillance of targeted individuals in order to tailor these tweets and their messaging," it adds. The think tank goes on to state that this isn't the first time the CCP has targeted women online. "Within China, women have been abused, censored, deplatformed, and sometimes even arrested for their work on women's rights, for example. Journalists working in China have long been targeted by authorities," it adds. According to ASPI, social media platforms need to urgently shift their thinking and move from taking down these campaigns though a defensive 'whack-a-mole' approach, to a more pre-emptive and proactive stance. "Platforms and governments need to work more collaboratively to build the infrastructure, capability and deterrence measures necessary to respond to cyber-enabled foreign interference and digital transnational repression," it adds. (ANI) A group of US lawmakers on Tuesday reached a much-awaited deal on a bipartisan gun safety bill after recent mass shooting incidents in Uvalde, Buffalo and Texas, that struck a nerve in the country. "Today we released text of our bill to make attacks like the one in Uvalde less likely, while protecting the Second Amendment. I am proud that this mental health and school safety bill places NO NEW RESTRICTIONS on law-abiding gun owners," Senator John Cornyn tweeted. The bill represents a rare moment of bipartisan agreement on a hyperpolarized issue, The Hill reported. The new bill aims to take firearms away from dangerous people and provide billions of dollars in new mental health funding. The lawmakers have crafted the legislation to prevent mass shootings, such as the mass-casualty events that left 10 people dead at a Buffalo, New York and 21 dead at the Robb Elementary School in Texas. The bill does not ban assault-style rifles or significantly expand background-check requirements for gun purchases, but it gives states more resources to take guns away from dangerous individuals. It also provides billions of dollars in funding for mental health treatment. "I want to make sure we actually do something useful, something that is capable of becoming a law, something that will have the potential to save lives," Senator Cornyn, the lead Republican negotiator said on the Senate floor Tuesday. "I'm happy to report as a result of the hard work of a number of senators in this chamber that we've made some serious progress," he said. The US has long been plagued with gun violence. It is not a blue city or a red state problem, but "an American problem". "Americans are good at sending Monday morning thoughts and prayers after seeing those reports of weekend violence. We shake our heads in disbelief and privately congratulate ourselves for living in the suburbs," said an article published by The Washington Post on Monday. However, the fact is that Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and New Orleans used to be the country's "murder capitals," while new cities keep joining that list: Aurora, Newtown, Parkland, Buffalo, Uvalde, according to the article. "So now that we know gunfire has no Zip code, are we ready to talk about stopping this?" asked the article titled "D.C. gun violence isn't an 'urban' problem. It's an American problem." "I will continue to emphasize this: the continued availability of firearms cannot be tolerated, and we must continue our work to get guns off the streets," Brianne K. Nadeau, a D.C. council member, was quoted as saying. (ANI) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed grave concern about the current tension between Lithuania and Russia over Kaliningrad. "We are, obviously, following these developments very closely in and around Kaliningrad, including the warnings we have seen of possible escalation, which are very concerning," said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. "It's very important for us that all sides deal with their concerns through effective dialogue with appropriate diplomatic channels, in accordance with international law, and to refrain from any statement or from any action that could aggravate the tense situation," said the spokesperson. Lithuania announced last week that it would ban the rail transit of goods subject to EU sanctions through its territory to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the Lithuanian charge d'affaires and demanded the restrictions be immediately lifted, calling them "provocative" and "openly hostile." Later on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the head of the European Union Delegation to Russia and demanded the restrictions be lifted immediately, saying retaliation would follow if cargo transit was not restored. Defence experts say Kaliningrad is the only Russian port on the Baltic Sea that is ice-free year-round and is an important launch point for the nation's naval fleet. The key port's strategic location prevents ships from having to circumnavigate Scandinavia by way of a northern passage, traveling through the Arctic Ocean. According to Defence News, this is the route ships have to take from the second port of the Baltic Fleet in St. Petersburg. Last Friday, state-owned Lithuanian Railways stopped the transit of goods between Russia and its Baltic Sea territory, the Kaliningrad region, citing EU restrictions. According to the Russian diplomat, Lithuania's ban on transit will ban the Baltic country itself and its citizens. "We went to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry today, we asked them a lot of questions. We talked about railway conventions, we said that you can't do this in a day, that you need to warn [us in advance]. It was simply read to us from a piece of paper that Lithuania, they say, has nothing to do with it, this is all the European Union, and what we are doing, we are simply doing what the European Union tells us," Ryabokon told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster. (ANI) The second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) will be held in Montreal, Canada from December 5 to 17 this year. Originally set for Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, in April this year, the meeting was postponed and relocated due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported. Chinese Environment Ministry said Beijing will continue to act as chair of COP15 in guiding substantive and political affairs. The first phase of COP15 was successfully held both online and offline in Kunming last October. Its achievements provided a strong political impetus to global biodiversity governance and the adoption of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. According to Xinhua news agency, China attaches great importance to biodiversity protection and will continue to work with all parties and stakeholders in the second phase of COP15 to advance negotiations on the global biodiversity framework and to make more contributions to building a shared future for all life. Earlier on Tuesday, said UN Convention on Biological Diversity executive secretary said the second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) will be shifted to Canada due to the continued uncertainties related to the ongoing global pandemic in China. "Due to the continued uncertainties related to the ongoing global pandemic, China, as COP President, with the support of the Bureau, has decided to relocate the meetings from Kunming to a venue outside of China. After close consultation among the Government of China as COP President, the Bureau, the Secretariat and the Government of Canada as host of the Secretariat, it has been decided that the second part of the Meetings will take place at the seat of the Secretariat, in Montreal, Canada from 5 to 17 December 2022," executive secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said in official notification. China, as COP 15 President, will continue to preside over the Meetings, with the logo and the theme of COP 15 maintained. "China will also convene the High-Level Segment and lead the facilitation of negotiations. To this end, the Government of China has agreed to fund the travel of Ministers from Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States to Canada to participate in the High-Level Segment," she said. "The Secretariat will work closely with the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Canada, and with the indispensable support from all Parties, to ensure the logistic arrangements for the second part of the Meetings are in place for December 2022," she added. (ANI) The eighth World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet (WPCT) will be held in Washington, DC. from June 22 to 23 to gather the world leaders in expressing concern over human rights violations and religious repression in Tibet. More than 100 participants from 26 countries, including from the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, will attend it both in-person and virtually. This convention, organized by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, is in continuation of the previous seven sessions of WPCT aimed to strengthen and coordinate support by parliamentarians from different countries to resolve the Tibet issue. The first WPCT was held in New Delhi (1994) honoring the foundational role India has played in the survival of the Tibetan identity after the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet. Subsequent conventions have been held in cities like Vilnius, Washington D.C, Edinburgh, Rome, and Ottawa. Despite decades of repression by the Chinese government in Tibet, Tibetans strive to preserve their religion, culture, identity, and environment and continue to advocate for human rights and freedom in Tibet through non-violence all over the world. "By holding the 8th WPCT in the United States, a country with fundamental values of democracy and equality, we honour the important role played by the United States Congress in formulating policy initiatives on Tibet, including institutionalizing support through several legislations," an official release read. "We also draw attention to our exile government's commitment to democratic norms and values. With the farsighted vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in exile, we have a democratic and popularly elected leadership that is accountable to the Tibetan people through the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile," it added. This WPCT will have panel discussions and briefing sessions on various issues facing Tibet by the honourable members of parliament of different countries, experts and activists. The highlights of the 8th WPCT will be a video message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and greetings from Speaker of the US House of Representatives honourable Nancy Pelosi. The main objectives of holding the World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet are: For parliamentarians to take a leading role in the international area on the question of survival of the Tibetan identity and its rich cultural heritage which has the potential to contribute for a more peaceful world. Moreover, these parliamentarians will consider initiatives in their respective countries to support early resumption of dialogue between the representatives of the Dalai Lama and China, for a negotiated solution on Tibet. (ANI) Pakistan's Punjab province has decided to declare an "emergency" amid a rapid increase of reported cases of sexual abuse against women and children. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Punjab Home Minister Atta Tarar said that an increase in such incidents was a serious issue for society and government officials. "Four to five cases of rape are being reported daily in Punjab due to which the government is considering special measures to deal with cases of sexual harassment, abuse and coercion," he was quoted as saying by Geo News. "To deal with rape cases, the administration has declared an emergency," he stated. The minister said that civil society, women's rights organisations, teachers, and attorneys would be consulted in the matter. Besides this, he urged parents to teach their children about the importance of safety. Tarar stated that the accused in a number of cases had been detained, the government had launched an anti-rape campaign, and students would be warned about harassment in schools. The home minister stated that now is the time for parents to learn how to protect their children. He stated that the government will raise the number of DNA samples on a fast-track basis. "A system on abuse will be implemented in two weeks, reducing the incidents," he added. Pakistan has been suffering and battling a gender violence epidemic and violence against women cuts across classes in the country. Pakistan ranks 153 out of 156 countries, just above Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan, according to the Global Gender Gap Index 2021 rankings. An article published in International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) said Pakistan reported as many as 14,456 women during the last four years, while Punjab reported the highest number in this regard. Besides this, women's harassment in the workplace, domestic violence against women and other discriminatory activities against women have also been rampant. "The 5,048 cases of workplace harassment of women and violence against women reported in the country during 2018 followed by 4,751 cases in 2019; 4,276 cases in 2020 and 2,078 cases in 2021", the Human Rights Ministry document said. IFFRAS said overlapping legal systems punctured with loopholes and a deeply engrained patriarchy in the society combine to ensure women survivors of violence are improbable to get justice as per the opinion of human rights activists, lawyers and survivors. "The whole process from the moment a crime is committed against a woman to registering it with the police -- and then the court procedure -- is structured in such a way that justice remains elusive," Nayab Gohar Jan, a prominent rights activist stated in May. (ANI) China's navy, called the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), celebrated the launch of its third aircraft carrier in a ceremony in Shanghai on 17 June. She is China's third carrier, but its second built entirely in China. This vessel - with a flight deck that is approximately 320m long and almost 80m wide according to satellite imagery estimates - is referred to as a Type 003 carrier. A short ceremony took place to mark the occasion, but festivities appeared to be at a minimum, probably because of strict COVID protocols. The Type 003 follows on from the Type 001 Liaoning - which was acquired second-hand and incomplete from Ukraine before being refurbished and commissioned on 25 September 2012 - and Shandong, China's first indigenously built Type 002 carrier that entered PLAN service on 17 December 2019. However, the ceremony at the Jiangnan Shipyard threw up the name of the new aircraft carrier, which had been the source of considerable speculation; she will be called Fujian, the name of a coastal province of China that faces Taiwan. This is perhaps symbolic, for Chairman Xi Jinping and his Chinese Communist Party cohorts want nothing more than to threaten and eventually conquer Taiwan, enfolding it into Mainland China's proud bosom. Chinese media, quoting officials, said Fujian displaces "more than 80,000 tonnes", with some observers suggesting her full-load displacement could approach 90,000 tonnes or more. Whatever her true displacement is, the Type 003 is considerably heavier than the preceding Type 001 and 002, and she is actually the first foreign carrier to approach the size and weight of American supercarriers. By comparison, the current Gerard F. Ford class of the US Navy (USN) displaces 100,000 tonnes and is 332.8m long. After her launch, this Chinese carrier was moved to a nearby dock where fitting-out work will occur. Mooring and then sea trials will follow before she is inducted into the PLAN under the pennant number CV-18. This process will take some time, especially if another COVID-19 outbreak occurs like it did earlier this year and caused restrictive lockdowns in Shanghai. Nonetheless, the US Pentagon stated in its most recent report on China's military that this "carrier is projected to be operational by 2024, with additional carriers to follow". As already mentioned, Fujian is China's second indigenous carrier. Apart from her larger size and displacement, there is another important distinction between her and her predecessors. This point of difference is that the Type 003 is equipped with catapults to help launch aircraft from the flight deck. In technical terms, this is called a catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) configuration. By contrast, the Type 001 and 002 carriers featured a ski jump on the bow rather than catapults for aircraft operations. This ramp at the front of the ship allows fighters to get into the air without any need for a catapult. However, one disadvantage of this classic Soviet configuration is that heavier aircraft struggle to get aloft, affecting how well-armed and well-fueled fighters are when they launch. Not only has China departed from its short tradition of ski jump-equipped aircraft carriers by employing catapults, but it has chosen catapults that are electromagnetically powered rather than traditional steam catapults. The vast majority of USN carriers, its ten Nimitz-class vessels, employ four steam catapults. It is only the newer Ford-class carrier (of which only one is in service so far) that also utilizes the same electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). Although this was known by analysts based on satellite imagery of Fujian during her construction in Shanghai, the adoption of EMALS means that the PLAN has completely bypassed steam catapults and gone straight to EMALS in something of a generational leap. Two electromagnetic catapults are on the Type 003's bow and one on her waist. In comparison, all USN carriers have four catapults, a configuration that permits faster rates of aircraft sorties. Although both current American and Chinese aircraft carriers features EMALS, there is a critical difference between them. Whereas the Ford class uses nuclear propulsion, China's Type 003 is still conventionally powered by regular engines. EMALS might offer the advantage of taking up less space in the ship, and having a higher aircraft launch rate, but it does require considerable electricity generation capacity. To shift aircraft to and from the hangar deck, the Type 003 has two elevators on the starboard side, and none on the port. This is fewer than the Ford class's three elevators, which might affect the speed of aircraft sorties in some situations. Where the Fujian will end up being based is still a matter of conjecture, but Hainan Island is perhaps the most likely location. A massive new dry dock has been constructed at the Sanya Naval Base on Hainan, and it is large enough to accommodate a Type 003-sized vessel. This suggests that the Fujian could be well supported from that base. The first carrier, Liaoning, belongs to the PLAN's Northern Theater Navy, while Shandong is assigned to the Southern Theater Navy. Fujian could therefore join Shandong. Another hint that this might be so is that Lingshui Air Base on Hainan is being upgraded, as this land-based facility would be used by PLAN carrier wings when not aboard carriers. Another interesting and important question to ask is how many aircraft carriers does China aspire to? It is clear that the PLAN will not be satisfied with just three vessels. Professor Collin Koh, research fellow at the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, earlier told ANI: "If you look at it from a technical perspective, if you want at least one strike group to be ready at all times, then you probably need at least three. Typically, you're talking about a year for a maintenance, repair and overhaul for a major refit ... So, three minimum to get an operational group at any time 24/7." However, China would surely want more than one carrier available at any one time. So this will require more carriers to be built. Most estimates by experts vary between four and six vessels. Certainly, six carrier strike groups would give the PLAN's three fleets a total of two carriers each. As China grows in confidence in its design and operation of carriers, it will doubtlessly envisage possessing nuclear-powered carriers too, just like the USA does. Nuclear propulsion gives almost unlimited endurance and a large source of power. Given her size and displacement, the Type 003 will carry more aircraft than China's first two carriers. The Pentagon report thus stated: "This design will enable it to support additional fighter aircraft, fixed-wing early-warning aircraft, and more rapid flight operations and thus extend the reach and effectiveness of its carrier-based strike aircraft." What aircraft are we likely to see aboard Fujian? The staple aboard the Type 001 and 002 are J-15 fighters, and that will be the case with the Type 003 too. The PLA has been developing a catapult-launched fighter variant known as the J-15T, which will presumably be ready for service the same time as Fujian is. China is also developing a twin-seat electronic attack variant of the J-15 aircraft that is known as the J-15D. Thus, J-15s will be able to operate equally from China's three carrier types. However, in years to come, the old and heavy J-15 that is based on a past-generation Russian Su-33 will be supplemented by a new Chinese carrier-based fighter. Tentatively called the J-35 (or J-31), the new fighter is based on the FC-31 that was created by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. This new twin-engine fighter type achieved its maiden flight last year. China is also developing the KJ-600 airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft for carrier operations. The KJ-600 closely resembles the E-2 Hawkeye used by the USN, distinguished by a large radome mounted above the airframe. Such AEW aircraft are vital for extending the situational awareness of a carrier strike group. They can use their radar and command-and-control equipment to detect incoming threats and to vector friendly aircraft towards them. The KJ-600, given its weight, cannot operate from China's first two ski jump-equipped carriers, but they will be capable of being launched by catapult from the Type 003 onwards. It is too early to say what a Type 003 air wing might look like, but it is possible to indulge in speculation. Potentially, up to 40 J-15 fighters, four J-15D electronic attack aircraft and four KJ-600 AEW platforms could be carried aboard. As production of the J-35 fighter ramps up, these would gradually replace a portion of the J-15s. Furthermore, these fixed-wing aircraft would be supplemented by 12 Z-20 and three Z-8 helicopters for utility and anti-submarine warfare tasks. Nor can aircraft carriers operate in isolation. Indeed, they are nothing more than very expensive sitting ducks unless they have the full range of protective elements necessary for a carrier strike group. Unsurprisingly, the PLAN has been rapidly commissioning suitable assets such as Type 052D destroyers, Type 055 cruisers, Type 901 replenishment ships and nuclear-powered attack submarines that can defend and support carriers. Once the Type 003 enters service in probably a couple of years' time, China will be able to deploy multiple carrier strike groups simultaneously. This offers considerable advantages in terms of power projection and creating a threat against possible adversaries. And make no mistake, China is all about enhancing its naval power projection capability. Aircraft carriers therefore reflect China's ambition to project power far from Chinese shores. This is all in accordance with China's 2015 Defense White Paper that stated "the traditional mentality that land outweighs sea must be abandoned, and great importance has to be attached to managing the seas and oceans and protecting maritime rights and interests". Carriers have immense prestige value, so they are important for the future image and capability of the PLAN. China already has a decade of carrier operations under its belt, as it gradually accumulates experience and gains institutional knowledge that will aid it in the future. On the other hand, it must be remembered that carrier strike groups require an inordinate amount of investment. The PLAN will have to attain through training, and maintain through operations, a critical mass of qualified sailors and aviators. As these large ships start to age and require more maintenance, they will also chew up vast amounts of money. However, this will not undermine China's ambition to advance its national naval power and compete head on with the USA at sea. (ANI) Pakistan became one of the most dangerous human rights abusers in the world during the rule of Imran Khan, a local media reported. After General Pervez Musharraf, Imran Khan was one of the notorious human rights abusers, who tried to suppress the media house, human rights groups, and social media activists with the help of Pakistan, Just Earth News reported. According to the publication, the killing of dissidents, the browbeating of journalists, and an assault on the freedom of speech became normal during his regime. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in its 'Status of Human Rights Report 2021,' released early this year, had stated that the rights to freedom of expression suffered the most in that year. "A summary of these curbs reads more like a dictatorial regime bent on usurping its people's right to speak and act as they please," the report reads. The report categorically labeled the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government as "one of the most repressive in terms of its intimidation of journalists". Highlighting at least nine cases of intimidation of journalists, the report cautioned, "If a government cannot protect freedom of expression - rather tries to curb it - it has a direct bearing on all other rights."According to the report, the Imran Khan government, in collaboration with the army had carried out a brutal crackdown on journalists, whenever someone writes against them. According to the publication, the true face of Imran Khan and his collaborators in khaki remains lost in the din and bustle of petty politicking and mudslinging which made Pakistan a laughing stock of the world. As the report highlighted "numerous incidents of enforced disappearances and persistent police excesses that targeted dissenting voices. Dissenters remained anathema to the government as it intensified its attacks on those who challenged it in any way. The same happened to marginalized segments of society that remained on the receiving end." Not only the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan but also the US State Department, in its 2021 report, stated that Islamabad witnessed a long list of human rights abuses like unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings by the government or its agents; forced disappearance by the government or its agents; torture and cases of cruel, its agents besides serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence against journalists, unjustified arrests and disappearances of journalists. The Human Rights Watch report 2021 stated that there was "a climate of fear" created by both government security forces and militant groups. According to the publication, journalists opted to stop writing against Imran Khan's government and the military. Journalists who dared to step out of line were abducted, beaten, locked up in secret prisons or prevented from working.(ANI) Padma Bridge, the 6.15 Km long road-rail four-lane bridge over the mighty river Padma, is going to be inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on June 25, 2022. The Bridge which has been constructed at a cost of Taka 30,193.6 crore (USD 3.6 billion), has been fully funded by the Government of Bangladesh after the World Bank refused to provide loans, citing corruption, on the alleged instigation of Mohammad Younus, a Nobel laureate economist having pro-opposition leanings and strong critic of Sheikh Hasina. Though the Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group (RMBEG) of China has constructed the Padma Bridge, the Chinese Government, in a bid to influence the people of Bangladesh, has stated that this Bridge is a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and through its front organisation, Bangladesh China Silk Road Forum (BCSRF). It had announced to organize a panel discussion, "The Padma Bridge: An example of Bangladesh-China Cooperation under belt and Road Initiative" in Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka on June 22, 72 hours before the formal inauguration of the bridge. BCSRF had also invited Li Jiming, the Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka as Chief Guest on the occasion. This propaganda has infuriated the Government of Bangladesh to such an extent that the Chinese Embassy has been informed of Dhaka's displeasure in linking the bridge with BRI. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka had, through a press release, refuted the statement of Bangladesh-based Beijing sponsored- organizations that the bridge has been constructed with the assistance of foreign funds and is a part of BRI. The Ministry had also categorically stated that both Bangladeshi and foreign construction firms were engaged in the implementation of the project. The e-card distributed for the event in the middle of last week mentions the name of the Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Li Jiming as the chief guest. The chairman of the forum is Dilip Barua, who was a minister in the Sheikh Hasina-led government (2009-2014). Soon after the e-card distribution began, various government authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, started doubting the intentions of the embassy. On June 20, the Chinese Embassy's Facebook page and website circulated a statement containing photos of an event in the embassy compound on June 19 and the ambassador's speech. The statement said, "The event was organized at the request of the Prime Minister's Office of Bangladesh". Since the Bangladesh government has taken various measures to promote the funding of the Padma Bridge and to prevent confusion in the public mind, its Foreign Ministry, was unhappy with this position of the Embassy and had asked the Chinese embassy to clarify its position on the Padma Bridge with a statement. In addition, the deputy head of the Embassy, Hulong Yan, was summoned by Kazi Russel Parvez, Director General (East Asia and Pacific Region), Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and was informed about the "government's annoyance". Yan was told that the Chinese companies in the project, including the main Padma Bridge and its connecting road, had only acted as contractors. The Government of Bangladesh is paying the cost of the construction of the entire project, including the bridge. In this situation, the claim that this bridge is part of the Belt and Road Initiative is devoid of reality and the involvement of the embassy and the ambassador in this related campaign does not fall within the diplomatic etiquette. Sensing a controversy and facing loss, the Chinese embassy informed the organizers that it would not be possible for the ambassador to participate in Wednesday's Forum. The chairman of the forum, Dilip Barua had to cancel the programme with the remarks, "The sequence doesn't match". Bangladesh Government is also unhappy with the claim of China that RMGEG is solely responsible for the construction of the bridge. In fact, technology and skills of various companies in 20 countries including Bangladesh, India, UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Italy, Malaysia, Columbia, Philippines, Taiwan, Nepal and South Africa were used. In addition, materials from 50 countries were also used to construct the bridge. On the domestic front, the opposition is also not happy with the inauguration of the bridge which will surely give an advantage to the current government in power in the next general elections. According to a Bangladeshi newspaper, Bhorer Pata, the Bangladesh government is also wary of sabotage of the inauguration ceremony by the BNP-Jamaat combine as a secret meeting led by BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was held recently at the Dhaka University club at midnight organized by teachers influenced by Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP. It is amply clear now that China's possessiveness on BRI and Chinese propaganda to highlight the construction of a Bridge in Bangladesh for domestic economic development into a BRI- linked project, has failed. (ANI) Pakistan may cede Gilgit Baltistan (GB), a Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region (PoK) to China on lease to pay off its mounting debt. Chairman of Karakoram National Movement, Mumtaz Nagri also expressed fear that the isolated and neglected, Gilgit Baltistan could become a future battleground for the world powers to compete, reported Al Arabiya Post. The northern-most part of Kashmir borders China and Nagri expressed fear that Pakistan may cede GB to China. Nagri is arousing people and has asked them "not to be scared of ISI and be prepared to go to jail," Pakistani media reports have said. Pakistan ceding GB that it illegally occupies would be a boon for China's South Asian expansion. It has made use of territory in the region that Pakistan ceded earlier and would like GB since the Karakorum is right on the trail of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Any such move could earn Pakistan hefty lease money that could help tide over its current economic woes. But this could also annoy the US to deny or delay the USD three billion bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But, this could also blacklist Pakistan for the foreseeable future from getting funds from the IMF, World Bank and other global agencies, reported Al Arabiya Post. A move on GB would not be easy, despite complete civil and military control from the federal government and extremely limited powers given to the local administration. For, it could trigger local protests as the population already feels short-changed by the way CPEC has bypassed GB at Islamabad's behest when it comes to development projects. Pakistani media reports said that GB has a dwindling population, able-bodied people migrating with their families wherever they get work and poor living conditions. One report alarmingly states that nine per cent of all suicides in Pakistan occur in GB. Despite providing power to the rest of the country, Gilgit-Baltistan has just two hours of power available, because the region is not part of Pakistan's national grid. In addition to this, it suffers food shortages and has no control over its hydropower or other resources. With such socio-economic conditions prevailing in GB, there could be trouble from a desperate population. On the other hand, the US, smarting under a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, and in no mood to quit the region, wants to prevent this likely Chinese expansion into South Asia and instead, may want an outpost of its own, reported Al Arabiya Post. Bob Lancia, a US Congress candidate for Rhode Island, said, "The US could have benefited in Afghanistan if Gilgit-Baltistan was in India and Balochistan was independent," reported Al Arabiya Post. (An) "Indian controlled Gilgit Baltistan would also be a major blow to America's number one rival, China, and China's belts & roads initiative, by denying China direct access to ports on the Arabian Sea," Lancia said in a June 8 report widely carried in the US. Lancia said that the US failed to exit from Afghanistan had much to do with not having India as a partner, reported Al Arabiya Post. Lancia is a former member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. He also took to Twitter to focus on India's strategic location and geopolitical prowess as a player in ensuring the interests of South Asia on the global map. He said that if Balochistan was an independent country, the US could have used it for supplying US forces in Afghanistan instead of depending on Pakistan, reported Al Arabiya Post. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde and discussed bilateral cooperation on education, health, investment, and many more. Taking to Twitter, EAM said that he and the Ethiopian President exchanged views on the regional and international situation. "Thank Ethiopian President @SahleWorkZewde for receiving me. A good discussion on our bilateral cooperation including education, health, investment, as also development partnership. Also exchanged perspectives on the regional and international situation," EAM said. After meeting the Ethiopian President, Jaishankar addressed the Indian community in Addis Ababa. Taking to Twitter, S Jaishankar said, "Addressed the Indian community in Addis Ababa this morning. Their role in education and employment generation has been commendable. Their contribution to Ethiopian society is widely recognized. Thank them for keeping India's flag flying high." Earlier, S Jaishankar inaugurated the new Indian Embassy Chancery building in the presence of Ethiopian Women and Social Affairs Minister Ergogie Tesfaye in Addis Ababa. Meanwhile, S Jaishankar is all set to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from June 22-25 in Kigali. The EAM will be leading the Indian delegation to the CHOGM, which had earlier been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Jaishankar will be representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Commonwealth Summit on 24-25 June, while attending the pre-CHOGM Foreign Ministers' Meeting on June 23 in Kigali. A number of Forums including the Commonwealth Youth Forum, Commonwealth Women Forum, Commonwealth Business Forum, Commonwealth People's Forum, and other side events are also planned on the side-lines of CHOGM by the incoming Chair of the Commonwealth, i.e. the Government of the Republic of Rwanda. The theme of the 26th CHOGM Summit is, "Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming". The Leaders of the Commonwealth Member States are scheduled to hold discussions on issues of contemporary relevance, including global challenges like climate change, food security, and health issues, and are likely to adopt the following four Outcome Documents: CHOGM Communique; Kigali Declaration on Child Care and Protection Reform; Declaration on Sustainable Urbanization and Commonwealth Living Lands Charter: A Commonwealth Call to Action on Living Lands (CALL). The Commonwealth provides an important platform to deepen India's engagement with Commonwealth members, in particular the Small States (SS) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). India is also one of the largest contributors to the Commonwealth and has assisted the organisation with technical assistance and capacity building. In 2018, India announced the creation of a Commonwealth Window, dedicating USD 50 million for development projects and assistance to developing countries of the Commonwealth. (ANI) China, the all-weather ally of Pakistan, is installing over 500 surveillance cameras in Gwadar city, fuelling speculations that it was never meant to be a port for trade. It is built like a naval base. Meanwhile, the ex-CM of Balochistan revealed that many people are being forcibly shifted from Gwadar to accommodate a fenced community project for the Chinese companies. The information was divulged by WLVN Analysis, geopolitics, defence, national security, wars and aviation think tank. Chinese firms are enjoying the lion's share of benefits from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its ill effect is directly affecting the local people of Pakistan. As per Islam Khabar, Pakistan is also landing in the debt trap of its "all-weather friend" China. Moreover, it's also speculated that in 3-5 years the world will see clashes between Chinese and Pakistani forces on a regular basis. The growing presence of Chinese citizens in Pakistan with the right to carry weapons for self-defence and also presence Chinese military is a case in point. Pakistan will have to deal with 250,000+ armed Chinese citizens in future. The economic crisis in Pakistan appeared grimmer after more than two dozen Chinese firms or Independent Power Producers (IPPs) threatened to cease operations at power plants on May 9, if payments are not made upfront, media reports said. Reportedly, Pakistan has to pay more than Rs 300 billion Pakistani rupees (USD 1.59 billion) in dues to several Chinese firms, which are operating in Pakistan. There are more than 30 Chinese companies which are operating under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in several infrastructural projects in various fields like energy, communication, railways, roads and highways - across Pakistan to facilitate trade connectivity. There was a myriad complaint from the Chinese side, including those relating to complex visa procedures for Chinese executives, heavy taxation and so on. About 25 representatives from Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) spoke one after the other and complained about the buildup of their accruing dues and warned that without upfront payments they would shut down within days, reported Islam Khabar. In March 2022, with China threatening to halt the multi-billion-dollar CPEC over differences in cost estimations and contractual disputes, the issue of overdue payments owed to Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) is near a breaking point. Reports claimed that Beijing was reluctant to pump in new funds under the CPEC arrangement until difficulties faced by Chinese investors are resolved and previous CPEC-related agreements are fully honoured by Pakistan. Beijing has voiced its concerns about the non-payment of power dues for some time, including at the highest level during Imran Khan's visit to Beijing in 2022. Geopolitical issues in Pakistan are also propped up, as the Baloch insurgency poses a constant threat to peace and stability. The Baloch insurgents are regularly targeting CPEC infrastructure projects, such as gas pipelines and electricity towers, because they consider China as an imperialist power that, along with the Pakistan government, wishes to plunder Balochistan's natural resources. China is surely facing a tough situation in Pakistan. There may have been no departure of Chinese workers from Pakistan after the Karachi University attack, but they look less confident about the country's ability to protect them. The CPEC project was started in the year 2015. In April 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Islamabad to inaugurate the CPEC, a US USD 46 billion investment in Pakistan's energy and transportation sectors. As part of China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, CPEC was planned to endorse regional linkages among Pakistan, China, and Eurasia. The two sides set up the "1+4" cooperation model, meaning the two sides take CPEC as the core while prioritizing Gwadar, Energy, Transport Infrastructure and Industrial Cooperation. The Chinese side of the CPEC vision is to further advance the western development strategy, encourage economic and social development in Western China, quicken the Belt and Road construction, make way for China's advantages in capital, technology, production capacity and engineering operation, and help the formation of a new open economic system friendly to China. On the other hand, the Pakistani side vision is to fully harness the demographic and natural endowment of the country by advancing its industrial capacity through the formation of new industrial clusters, complementing the regional socio-economic growth, enhancing people's happiness, and sponsoring domestic peace and stability. However, only three schemes have been declared completed by the CPEC Authority, including USD 4 million Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan. The other two schemes are the Physical Infrastructure of Gwadar Port and the Free Zone Phase-1 costing USD 300 million and the Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute which has been built with a USD 10 million Chinese grant. Keeping the slow pace of various projects and other challenges, it can be said that, CPEC is improbable to ever accomplish the aspirations that Xi Jinping and Nawaz Sharif envisioned in 2015, reported Islam Khabar. Pakistan had big hope since beginning with this mammoth multi-pronged investment under CPEC but it must have approached it with great caution. Pakistan should be an equal partner rather than giving China a free hand and be allowed to monopolize its energy sector. In January 2018, Dawn informed that Pakistani firms have been denied contracts for power and other projects including equipment and raw materials for the projects that were being imported from China. (ANI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Pope Francis in Vatican City on Wednesday. The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation to Rome and Dubai. The delegation is scheduled to visit the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome to share Odisha's "transformational journey" in food security and disaster management. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister paid tribute to freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi at the MG Memorial Statue at the Piazza Gandhi in Rome. Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said that he is inspired by the ideals and principles of India's father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. In 2018, during the first meeting of the National Committee for the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Patnaik had proposed that the greatest tribute India could pay to Gandhi on his 150th anniversary was to include the uniquely Indian ideal of Ahimsa, of non-violence, in the preamble of the Indian Constitution. Patnaik at that time also quoted Mahatma Gandhi that there can be no progress without peace. In 2019, Patnaik had unveiled the Gandhi Talisman in the Lok Seva Bhawan. At that time, he said that the Talisman will inspire all to work selflessly for the cause of the poorest of the poor. 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," a 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) Prime Minister of crisis-ridden Sri Lanka on Wednesday said that he will hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and arrive at an agreement to obtain an additional credit facility. "The only safe option before us now is to hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund. In fact, this is our only option. We must take this path," said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said while addressing the Sri Lankan Parliament. Wickremesinghe said that his country's debt-laden economy has "collapsed" after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity, and it cannot even purchase imported oil. "Following discussions with the Central Bank, Treasury, relevant government officials, professionals and experts this plan has already been formulated. I urge you to inform us of a better solution if available. In fact, if you are in possession of a practical and more favourable plan for the country we call on you to put it forward," said the Sri Lankan PM. The PM said that an IMF team had arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday. Wickremesinghe lauded the assistance provided by India, however, he said, "financial assistance provided by India is not "charitable donations" and the island nation facing severe economic crisis must have a plan to repay these loans." Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, leading to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, 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 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. The Indian credit lines since January this year have provided a lifeline to Sri Lanka amidst growing public dissent over the worsening economic conditions. Wickremesinghe said next Monday, a team of representatives from the US Department of the Treasury will also arrive in Sri Lanka. We intend to enter into an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. He also laid out the plans to bring out the island nation from this crisis. "Let me now in detail present to you the programme we have currently put into action. The majority of the cabinet was appointed by May 20. We began our programme from then onwards. First, we decided to revert back to the tax system we had in place in 2019. We then agreed to ensure a primary surplus in the national budget by 2025. Next, an IMF team on revenue and taxation visited Sri Lanka for discussions. They presented us with the relevant report. On Monday, the main IMF team arrived in Sri Lanka and the talks with the group will continue for the next several days." "We have concluded the initial discussions and we have exchanged ideas on various sectors such as public finance, finance, debt sustainability, stability of the banking sector and the social security network. The Sri Lankan PM also highlighted the debt restructuring plan with IMF. He said, "We will together with the teams from Lazard and Clifford Chance do our utmost to complete the framework for this plan before the end of July. Considering this planned framework and the official level agreement it is expected that the Executive Board of the IMF will then arrive at its final decision." Representatives of the financial and legal advisory firms Lazard and Clifford Chance are now in Sri Lanka to assist us in our debt restructuring efforts. The framework for debt repayment restructuring is being formulated," added Wickremesinghe. Explaining further, he said that parallel to holding talks with IMF, Sri Lanka will also organise a credit aid conference with India, Japan and China - the main lending countries to Sri Lanka. "We are also currently holding discussions with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United States, other friendly nations and heads of state to secure interim short-term loans till we receive IMF support. We will be able to lay the foundation to ensure economic stability following the successful completion of these tasks. But this by no means will be the end. In fact, it will be the beginning of our journey. A new journey toward a stronger economy. We will then have to forge ahead with our plans to strengthen and create a new Sri Lankan economy," said Wickremesinghe. (ANI) A regional party in Pakistan has urged the country's election body to postpone the local government elections in Sindh amid fear of rigging by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party in the province, a local media reported. Amir Ali Thebo, secretary-general of Sindh United Party (SUP) has requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the phase-I and II elections, Dawn newspaper reported. In a letter to ECP, Thebo claimed that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party believed it would sweep the polls through rigging, which it intended to commit at all costs. This is against the law, equity and conduct of elections as guaranteed in the Constitution and is also violation of the Election Act, 2017. He recalled that his party had in a press conference earlier suggested that elections in Sindh should be supervised by the judiciary or officers of good reputation from federal institutions like Wapda, National Highway Authority (NHA) and Pakistan Railways to avoid malpractices and ensure neutrality. But on the contrary, ECP delegated powers to the Sindh government to hold elections, he regretted. As a result, he alleged, the Sindh government started pre-poll rigging, Dawn said. Early this month, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh Chapter President Ali Zaidi has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to postpone upcoming local body elections in the province due to the non-completion of delimitations and alleged non-compliance of the apex court verdict on local bodies, The Express Tribune reported. According to the notification issued by the ECP, the first phase of the local government (LG) polls will be held on June 26 in Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, while the second phase is scheduled to start on July 24 in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Thatta. A notification issued by the ECP states that the first phase of the local government (LG) polls will be held on June 26 in Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, while the second phase is scheduled to start on July 24 in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Thatta. (ANI) Tension gripped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kurram district after unidentified people killed a man and left another injured, making it the second incident of the targeted killing in a month in the district. The incident took place near Sadda town of Kurram tribal district on Tuesday, Dawn newspaper reported. The victims were heading from Parachinar to Peshawar. Mobile phone service and internet were suspended in the district after the attack. This was the second incident of targeted killing in Kurram. Earlier on June 15, a car was attacked in Topaki village in the district's lower subdivision. The chairman of the local peace council, Momin Khan, along with two others was killed while another person was injured. After killing of the chairman, a video went viral on social media in which sacrilegious remarks were made. Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding Major General Aqib Iqbal held meetings with elders in Parachinar on Monday and discussed the prevailing situation, Dawn reported. Officials said that a meeting of local elders with GOC was cancelled after attack on the car near Sadda. Pakistan has been witnessing a tide of violence in recent months. Moreover, Pakistani policemen deployed in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were fired upon by unidentified persons on Tuesday, resulting in the death of one cop and leaving three injured. The police sources said that they were on routine duty in the Lower Chitral area of the province when the incident happened, reported Xinhua. "The cops tried to stop a vehicle at the check post for checking when the people on board fled by opening fire on them, leaving one policeman killed and the three others injured," the sources added. There were three people in the vehicle, out of which two have been identified during the investigation process and are being searched for while the third one remains unidentified, the sources said. The injured policemen have been shifted to a nearby hospital and their condition is stable, said the sources. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles and reviewed defence partnership between the two countries and the shared ambition to ensure a secure, prosperous and resilient Indo-Pacific. "A warm welcome and excellent first meeting with @DefenceMinIndia @rajnathsingh, instrumental in advancing #defence ties. We discussed our defence partnership & our shared ambition to ensure a secure, prosperous & resilient #IndoPacific," the Australian Deputy Prime Minister Marles tweeted. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment towards implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values, of democracy and rule of law. They also welcomed the growing diversity and frequency of defence exercises and exchanges between the two countries and undertook to build upon operational engagements through the India-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. Addressing the first bilateral Defence Ministers' meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Rajnath Singh said, "India and Australia share democratic values, having common visions for a free and open Indo-Pacific."He further said that relations between India and Australia were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in June 2020 during the Prime Minister-level virtual summit meeting. Defence Minister said that the close defence and security cooperation is an important factor of stability in Indo Pacific region. "Australia is a key partner in India's Indo-Pacific Ocean initiative," Rajnath Singh added. Both Rajnath and his Australian counterpart after the bilateral meeting announced in a statement that the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Research and Material Cooperation will meet in Australia later this year. The Ministers discussed further opportunities for industrial cooperation between India and Australia to increase the resilience of supply chains and deliver capabilities to their respective defence forces. Both sides also agreed to explore means to grow connections and opportunities between Indian and Australian defence industrial bases. In the meeting, they welcomed the plan to commence the landmark General Rawat Young Officer Exchange Programme in the latter half of 2022. The Ministers also reviewed strategic challenges and the regional security situation and reaffirmed their shared objective of an open, free, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo Pacific region. Earlier in the day, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Australia visited the National War Memorial and paid homage to the war heroes by laying a wreath at the monument. He was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour before the bilateral meeting with Rahnath Singh Singh. Marles, who is on a four-day visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday and discussed the complete range of comprehensive strategic partnerships, including a shared commitment to building a stronger and resilient Indo-Pacific. Marles arrived in India on Monday, which marks the first high-level visit from Australia after newly-elected prime minister Anthony Albanese took office on May 23. "Australia and India are Comprehensive Strategic Partners. I am committed to strengthening Australia's defence and security cooperation with India," said Marles.Marles stated that Rajnath Singh has been instrumental in advancing India-Australia defence ties and he looks forward to working with him to enhance the defence pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The minister also noted that India is one of Australia's closest security partners and the Government is focused on revitalising Australia's historically deep engagement with its partners across the Indo-Pacific. "The rules-based international order that has brought peace and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific for decades is experiencing pressure, as we face shifts in the geostrategic order," he said. "Australia stands ready to work closely with India in support of an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific", the minister said. (ANI) The accident occurred when the bus was taking a turn at high speed near the Rahimabad area of the region, Xinhua News Agency reported. Rescue teams and police reached the site after getting the information and shifted the victims to local hospitals, the report said. According to the news agency, there were 15 passengers on the bus. On June 8, at least 22 people were killed and a child was injured after a passenger van plunged 100 feet into a ravine near Killa Saifullah in Balochistan. The incident took place when the ill-fated van, with approximately 23 people on board, had left Loralai for Zhob, reported Dawn. "The vehicle fell from a hilltop near Akhtarzai and 22 travellers aboard were reportedly killed in the accident," said the district's deputy commissioner, Hafiz Muhammad Qasim. Immediately after the accident was reported, condolences started pouring in. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over the incident. In a tweet, the Pakistan Peoples Party media cell said that the party chairman has extended sympathies to the bereaved families. Bilawal urged authorities to ensure adequate medical treatment for the injured persons and called on them to take steps to avoid such accidents in the future. (ANI) India supports innovation across every sector and its digital sector valuations will cross USD 1 trillion by 2025, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday as he underlined the role of BRICS countries amid the global focus on post covid recovery. The Prime Minister made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum being hosted by China in a virtual mode. "BRICS was established with the belief that this group of emerging economies could emerge as engines of global growth. Today, when the world is focusing on post covid recovery, the role of BRICS countries will be very important," said PM Modi in a recorded keynote speech. "India supports innovation across every sector including drones, green energy and space. By 2025, India's digital sector value will cross USD 1 trillion valuations," he said. The Prime Minister noted that this year India is expecting 7.5 per cent growth. "Which makes us the fastest-growing major economy. Transformative changes are taking place in every sector of emerging New India," he added. He also emphasised that India's success is based on technology-led growth with innovation and startups. "The government emphasises on 'Ease of Living', building infrastructure with PM GatiShakti, digital transformation and digital economy." PM Modi will be attending the 14th BRICS summit in a virtual mode on June 23-24. "At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the 14th BRICS Summit hosted by China in virtual mode on 23-24 June 2022. This includes a High-Level Dialogue on Global Development with guest countries on June 24," the Ministry of External Affairs said in an earlier statement. The summit will host a High-Level Dialogue on Global Development with guest countries on June 24. BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of common concern for all developing countries. BRICS countries have regularly called for reform of the multilateral system in order to make it more representative and inclusive. Discussions during the 14th BRICS Summit will cover intra-BRICS cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, trade, health, traditional medicine, environment, S&T and innovation, agriculture, technical and vocational education & training, and MSMEs. The discussions are also likely on issues like reform of the multilateral system, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic recovery, amongst others. Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in Beijing on June 24. 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." BRICS is a multilateral forum consisting of five major emerging economies of the world, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. (ANI) In an apparent reference to Western sanctions on Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday described sanctions as double-edged swords and said the act of willfully imposing penalties will bring disasters to people around the world. Xi made the remarks when he delivered a keynote speech in virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum, Xinhua news agency reported. The Chinese President said those who politicize, leverage and weaponize global economy and willfully impose sanctions by taking advantage of dominance in international financial and monetary systems will eventually harm others and themselves and bring disasters to people around the world. During his address, Xi also called for joint efforts to seek and safeguard peace. History has shown that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontations bring neither peace nor stability, but rather war and conflict, said Xi. "The Ukraine crisis has again sounded the alarm for humanity: Countries will surely end up in security hardships if they place blind faith in their positions of strength, expand military alliances, and seek their own safety at the expense of others," said Xi. Urging the international community to abandon zero-sum game and jointly oppose hegemony and power politics, Xi called for the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity and justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation. Xi Jinping will host the 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing on June 23. 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." Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part in the summit virtually. Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum today, PM Modi underlined the role of BRICS countries amid the global focus on post covid recovery. "BRICS was established with the belief that this group of emerging economies could emerge as engines of global growth. Today, when the world is focusing on post covid recovery, the role of BRICS countries will be very important," said PM Modi in a recorded keynote speech. "India supports innovation across every sector including drones, green energy and space. By 2025, India's digital sector value will cross USD 1 trillion valuations," he said. He emphasised that India's success is based on technology-led growth with innovation and startups. "The government emphasises on 'Ease of Living', building infrastructure with PM GatiShakti, digital transformation and digital economy." (ANI) US President Joe Biden will call on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months, according to the White House, which added that the President will also call on states to suspend their own gas taxes or provide similar relief. At issue is the 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on gas and the 24.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on diesel fuel. If the gas savings were fully passed along to consumers, people would save roughly 3.6% at the pump when prices are averaging about $5 a gallon nationwide. The White House in its fact sheet stated that at present the federal government charges an 18 cent tax per gallon of gasoline and a 24 cent tax per gallon of diesel. "Those taxes fund critical highways and public transportation, through the Highway Trust Fund. But in this unique moment, with gas prices near $5 a gallon on average across the country, President Biden is calling on Congress to suspend the gas tax for three months - until the end of September - to give Americans a little extra breathing room as they deal with the effects of Putin's war in Ukraine," the statement added. "With our deficit already down by a historic $1.6 trillion this year, the President believes that we can afford to suspend the gas tax to help consumers while using other revenues to make the Highway Trust Fund whole for the roughly $10 billion cost," it added. The statement added that President Biden understands that a gas tax holiday alone will not, on its own, relieve the run-up in costs that "we've seen". But the President believes that at this unique moment when the war in Ukraine is imposing costs on American families, Congress should do what it can to provide working families, it added. The United States produced more oil under the first year of the Biden administration than it did under the first two years of the Trump administration, and is on track to set new records next year, the statement read. (ANI) "H.E. Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Hon'ble Minister of State for External Affairs and Education arrives in Laos on official visit," the embassy tweeted. On Tuesday, the Embassy celebrated the 8th International Day of Yoga at the premises. Ambassador Dinkar Asthana elaborated benefits of Yoga and encouraged everyone to practise yoga in daily life. "Yoga is a way of life to attain physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It brings peace to individual, society, our nations and to humanity. Embassy urges everyone on 8th International Day of Yoga to make yoga a part of daily life," it stated. On the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that yoga is becoming a way of life and has become a source of inspiration for health, balance and cooperation. The Prime Minister remarked that India is celebrating Yoga Day at a time when the country is celebrating its 75th year of independence, "the Amrit Mahotsav." According to the Ministry of Ayush, as many as 25 crores of people are expected to participate in International Day of Yoga 2022 celebrations across the world. It was during his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi first floated the idea of International Yoga Day. The draft resolution passed by India was supported by 177 nations. With universal recognition and the growing popularity of yoga, the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015. (ANI) Russian oil exports to China and India have noticeably increased and its presence in the BRICS countries is also growing, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday amid the Ukraine conflict that has resulted in heavy sanctions on Moscow. He made these remarks at the virtual BRICS Business Forum being hosted by China, the first such forum that Putin is attending with the heads of major economies since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking at the event, Putin noted that despite all problems and difficulties BRICS businesses have been "consistently enhancing mutually beneficial ties in the areas of trade, finance, and investment". "For example, in the first three months of this year, trade between the Russian Federation and the BRICS countries increased by 38 per cent - and reached USD 45 billion," he said. Analysts say the decision by the group to go ahead with the annual summit does reflect a view held by BRICS countries on the global order and, by extension, the situation in Ukraine, which differs from the Western countries led by the US. The Russian President said contacts between Russian business circles and the business community of the BRICS countries have intensified. "For example, negotiations are underway to open Indian chain stores in Russia, increase the share of Chinese cars, equipment, and hardware on our market. In its turn, Russia's presence in the BRICS countries is growing. There has been a noticeable increase in the exports of Russian oil to China and India," he said. "Agricultural cooperation is developing dynamically. Russia exports considerable amounts of fertilizers to the BRICS states. Russian IT companies are expanding their activities in India and South Africa, and our satellites enable TV broadcasting for as many as 40 million residents of Brazil," he added. India in recent weeks has spiked energy imports from Russian despite global sanctions on Moscow. US officials conveyed the message to India there is no ban on energy imports from Russia but they do not want to see a rapid acceleration. A number of institutionalized mechanisms have been set up for the development of economic cooperation between the India-Russia. However, the Ukraine war and subsequent sanctions placed by the Western countries have proved to be a hurdle in trade. On Tuesday, US National Security Council coordinator John Kirby was asked a question on reports of a spike in Indian energy imports from Russia. Kirby said India is a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region and the US lets Indian leaders speak about their economic policies, said Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, he said the US value this bilateral relationship with India but Washington wants international pressure on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. "India is also a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. And there are many ways that partnership represents itself both in defence and security, economic as well. I think we'll let Indian leaders speak about their economic policies," he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier this month hit back at the unfair criticism of Indian oil purchase from Russia amid the Ukraine war that has created a knock-off effect on the world economy. While defending India's oil imports from Russia, Jaishankar stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. He also questioned why only India was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the Ukraine war. (ANI) Thousands of children are at risk after a devastating earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday. At 01.30 local time on 22 June, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Central Region of Afghanistan impacting Paktika and Khost provinces. The earthquake - which was recorded at a depth of 10 km - was reportedly felt in neighbouring provinces including Kabul, as well as in Islamabad, Pakistan and India. A devastating earthquake shook the districts of Gayan, Barmala, Naka and Ziruk in Paktika Province, as well as Spira district in Khost Province in Afghanistan. "We don't yet know the full extent of the devastation, but we believe hundreds of people have been killed, including many women and children. Many more have been injured and many homes damaged or destroyed. These numbers are expected to grow as reports continue to come in," UNICEF said in a statement. The UN agency expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a quick recovery. It said "The de facto authorities have requested the support of UNICEF and other UN agency teams who are joining efforts to assess the situation and respond to the needs of the affected communities. In response to the devastating quake, UNICEF has dispatched several mobile health and nutrition teams to provide first aid to those who are injured. "UNICEF is also distributing critical aid, including kitchen equipment, hygiene supplies including soap, detergent, towels, sanitary pads and water buckets, warm clothes, shoes and blankets, as well as tents and tarpaulins," the statement added. Although OCHA is yet to confirm the number of people killed or injured. The number of casualties is expected to rise as search and rescue operations are ongoing. Already, the Ministry of Defense has dispatched five helicopters to Paktika province to facilitate medevacs, and one medical team to Gayan district. UNICEF has deployed at least 12 teams of health workers to Gayan district, and several mobile health and nutrition teams to Barmal district in Paktika province and Spera district in Khost province. Humanitarian search and rescue teams are on standby to deploy as needed. Immediate needs identified include emergency trauma care, emergency shelter and non-food items and food assistance. Families of those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed are being hosted by their relatives and other members of their communities, although some are reportedly living in the open. Given the unseasonable, heavy rains and cold, emergency shelter is an immediate priority. (ANI) The ministry in a statement issued here said the teachers' industrial action is illegal and teachers have no right to close schools. "All government employed teachers are advised to resume duty at their respective work stations by June 24, without fail," the ministry statement said. "Any government employed teachers who do not comply to this call will be regarded as having abandoned duty and resigned from public service," the statement added. The ministry noted that the teachers who are not willing to work under the prevailing terms and conditions are free to withdraw their labor. Teachers in government owned schools on June 15 started a nationwide industrial action protesting discrepancies in the payment between science and arts teachers. The teachers are protesting a government move to first increase the salaries of science teachers. (ANI/Xinhua) Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday said the "assault on Indian forces" along the Line of Actual Control with China in 2020 was a warning that the world should heed. He also noted that Beijing's military build-up is the most ambitious by any country since the end of the Second World War. In a speech at National Defence College here, Marles said his visit reflects the conviction and the commitment by the Albanese Government to place India at the heart of Australia's approach to the Indo-Pacific and beyond.He said geography of Australia and India makes the two countries stewards of the Indian Ocean region. "It's an ocean which accounts for about half the world's container traffic and is a crucial conduit for global trade. India's location makes it the natural leader of this region which Australia strongly supports." He said Australia does not question the right of any country to modernise its military capabilities consistent with its interests and resources but large-scale military build-ups must be transparent and they must be accompanied by statecraft that reassures. "China's military build-up is now the largest and most ambitious we have seen by any country since the end of the Second World War. It is critical that China's neighbours do not see this build-up as a risk for them. Because without that reassurance, it is inevitable that countries will seek to upgrade their own military capabilities in response," he said. Marles, who is also Australia's Deputy Prime Minister, said insecurity is what drives an arms race and India's own experience illustrates this maxim more than most. "The assault on Indian forces along the Line of Actual Control in 2020 was a warning we should all heed. Australia stood up for India's sovereignty then and continues to do so now. It is vital that China commits to resolving this dispute through a process of dialogue consistent with international law. The global rules-based order matters everywhere, including in the highest place on earth," he said. The Australian Defence Minister said as India and Australia continue to lift their defence and security cooperation, exploring longer-term reciprocal access arrangements is the logical next step. "It will not be lost on any of us that deeper Australian-Indian security cooperation is often seen as a response to a rising China. There is nothing remarkable about two democracies working together in response to strategic change. But it would be wrong to assume, as some commentators tend to, that China is at the centre of every decision," he said. . Speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Marles said the return of war in Europe is another warning. He said he has not come to India to lecture India on how it should respond to this conflict, or how it should manage its relationship with Russia. "But Russia's war on Ukraine does teach us that we cannot just rely on economic interdependence to deter conflict; and that deterrence can fail when one country's determined military build-up creates an imbalance of military power. An imbalance that encouraged President Putin to conclude the benefits from conflict outweighed the risks," he said. The Australian Defence minister said that Canberra's investments in deterrence capabilities, including long-range and precision strike weapons, are a necessary and prudent response to the military build-up in the Indo-Pacific region. "These investments are not only about Australia's security - they are about the region's security as well. And they will make Australia a more valuable and potent partner for our allies in the Indo-Pacific," he said. Marles arrived in India on Monday on a four-day visit. The Australian Defence Minister held a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Wednesday as both sides reviewed the regional security situation and reaffirmed their shared objective of an open, free and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. (ANI) Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said that the talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) will be held only under the framework of the Constitution. Addressing a press conference today, the Minister informed that the decision has been taken during the meeting on national security in Islamabad. He also said that it was also decided that an in-camera briefing will be held on the matter and later Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will brief the parliament. "The talks (with the TTP) will be taken forward under the guidance of parliament," Sanaullah said as quoted by Dawn newspaper. TTP had on June 2 announced an "indefinite ceasefire" in view of the "substantial progress" made in talks with the Pakistani government during a round of meetings in Kabul. The announcement had come a day after a 50-member Pakistani tribal jirga -- including a federal minister, representatives from the KP government and tribal elders -- joined the peace talks. Islamabad has increasingly complained of attacks across the border from Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of Kabul in August, an issue that has become a source of diplomatic tension. In March, Afghan officials said a Pakistani airstrike in eastern Afghanistan killed 47 people. Pakistan did not comment on the strike but urged Kabul to secure its border to prevent militant operations. The Afghan Taliban called the assault a "cruelty" that "is paving the way for enmity between Afghanistan and Pakistan". In March, the terrorist organisation Islamic State suicide bomber, who authorities say was an Afghan national, killed 64 people at a mosque in Peshawar. According to a statement issued after the meeting today, the institutions "responsible for national security" briefed the committee on the overall security situation of the country. The meeting was apprised of internal and external threats and the measures being taken by the agencies to handle the security situation. (ANI) Pakistan political party Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) chief, Sirajul Haq has called for the immediate arrest of the killers of its activist, Asadullah Shah and his companions, local media reported. During a phone call with Chief Secretary and Inspector General Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, the JI chief said that his party will not remain silent on the killing of Shah who was the President of Al-khidmat Foundation North Waziristan, Daily Frontier Star reported. On Sunday, Shah and at least four volunteers of a social organisation were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire at their car in Pakistan's North Waziristan district on Sunday, local media reported. District Police and residents said that unidentified men on two motorcycles opened fire on a moving car in the Haiderkhel area of Mirali tehsil, Dawn reported. All the deceased activists were part of a social organisation, the Youth of Waziristan. They all have been identified as Waqar Ahmad Dawar, Sunaid Ahmad Dawar, Aamad Dawar and Assadullah. The youth organisation, formed after the launch of military operation Zarb-i-Azb, has worked for the restoration of peace in the militancy-hit region. The organisation has also staged a protest and sit-in against target killings, reported Dawn. About two years ago security agencies took action against a sit-in organised by the Youth of Waziristan and arrested its founding president, Noor Islam Dawar. Meanwhile, another case has been registered in Mirali town in North Waziristan, where bullet-riddled bodies of two people, who were kidnapped from a market, were found near the Tochi river, also called the Gambila River on Sunday. The residents in Mirali town said that the unidentified gunmen had kidnapped the two people from Khadi market. Till now no group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing. The deceased belonged to the Lakki Marwat district. (ANI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Germany to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit set to take place on June 26-28, State Department said in a press release. "On June 25, Secretary Blinken will travel to Schloss Elmau to join President Biden for the G7 Leaders' Summit. G7 leaders will discuss a range of pressing global issues, including US' unwavering support for a democratic, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine, economic and democratic resilience, tackling the climate crisis, development infrastructure, global health security, and the food and energy crisis caused by Russia's war against Ukraine," it read. Prior to attending the G7 leaders' summit, Blinken on June 23 will join foreign ministers for the Berlin Ministerial Conference "Uniting for Global Food Security" on June 24. During the conference, Blinken will meet with the participants to advance global initiatives to address food insecurity, stemming from both "Russia's brutal, unprovoked war against Ukraine" and the continued challenges posed by climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, other conflicts, and supply chain challenges. The Secretary will also travel to Madrid, Spain, for the June 29-30 NATO Summit. At the NATO Summit, Allied leaders will endorse a new Strategic Concept to guide NATO's transformation over the next decade, from strengthening deterrence and defence to building resilience against transnational and hybrid threats, including cyber and climate, to deepening partnerships with like-minded partners in Europe and Asia in order to strengthen the rules-based international order. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Schloss Elmau, Germany for the G7 Summit on June 26-27. PM Modi is travelling to the country at the invitation of the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz. "During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi is expected to speak in two sessions that include environment, energy, climate, food security, health, gender equality and democracy. In an effort to strengthen international collaboration on these important issues, other democracies such as Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa have also been invited," Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The Summit invitation is in keeping with the tradition of strong and close partnership and high-level political contacts between India and Germany. The G7 Summit is scheduled to be held on June 26-28 this year, at Schloss Elmau, a castle resort in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany. The G7 comprises Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, the United States and Canada. (ANI) There are still over 6bn worth of paper 20 banknotes featuring the economist Adam Smith. Over 14bn worth of paper 20 and 50 banknotes will expire in exactly 100 days, with the Bank of England urging them to spend it before the deadline. The legal tender status will be withdrawn from paper 20 and 50 notes, meaning they will soon no longer have any value. The new polymer 20 featuring JMW Turner and the 50 featuring Alan Turing will be the only form accepted by retailers. The Bank of England has set a deadline for September 30, 2022, for when the old paper notes will withdraw from legal tender. Read more: Moderna to open massive UK COVID vaccine factory After this date, paper 20 and 50 banknotes will no longer be legal tender. So we are encouraging anyone who still has these to use them or deposit them at their bank or a Post Office during these last 100 days, the BoE said. There are still over 6bn worth of paper 20 featuring the economist Adam Smith, and over 8bn worth of paper 50 banknotes featuring the engineers Boulton and Watt, in circulation. Thats more than 300 million individual 20 banknotes, and 160 million paper 50 banknotes. Changing our banknotes from paper to polymer over recent years has been an important development, because it makes them more difficult to counterfeit, and means they are more durable, Bank of Englands Chief Cashier Sarah John said. Read more: Brexit deal will see a 470 real terms cut in worker pay every year The majority of paper banknotes have now been taken out of circulation, but a significant number remain in the economy, so were asking you to check if you have any at home. For the next 100 days, these can still be used or deposited at your bank in the normal way. The September deadline will also coincide with the one-year anniversary of the polymer 50 banknote featuring the scientist Alan Turing, on what would have been his 109th birthday. The Turing 50 completed the family of polymer notes, with all denominations (5, 10, 20 and 50) now printed on polymer. Watch: How does inflation affect interest rates? Accel, the 39-year-old venture firm, just pulled a major power move. It announced, via a simple blog post, that it has just closed a new, global, late-stage fund with $4 billion in capital commitments. The fund, which closed last week, would be notable in any market. It's a lot of money. But at a moment when two of Accel's fiercest rivals -- SoftBank and Tiger Global Management -- are seemingly low on capital relative to recent years, it must be a particularly sweet moment for the firm, which now employs around 100 investors (and 200 employees altogether) across offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, London and Bangalore. Indeed, assuming the market is undergoing a reset and not a major, years-long correction, Accel's timing could hardly be better. The only question is whether it should have scaled back its ambitions as market conditions shifted this spring. (We reached out to Accel earlier today for comment but a spokesperson pointed us back to the firm's blog post.) It wouldn't be the first time that Accel has given money back to its investors amid market turbulence. In 2001, Accel raised what was then its biggest fund ever -- a $1.4 billion vehicle -- only to reduce the fund size to $950 million in 2002 after the tech market -- which first soured in the spring of 2000 -- failed to bounce back and frustrated limited partners, or LPs, proceeded to make a stink. LPs seem highly unlikely to push back this time around considering what happened next. Before cutting back that $1.4 billion fund, Accel proposed splitting it into two $700 million funds: One to invest as planned and a second, $700 million fund to begin investing in 2004. The LPs who voted against that idea -- and the majority of them did -- are probably still kicking themselves. One of them is Chris Douvos, an investor for Princeton's endowment fund at the time. After the kerfuffle over the 2001 fund, he passed on Accel's next fund, out of which Accel led Facebook's $12.7 million Series A round in 2004. It became one of the best-performing venture funds of all time (ouch). Meanwhile, Douvos lost his access to Accel. ("Let's just say I'm not on their speed dial," he joked to this reporter in 2016.) Story continues All that said, it's hard not to wonder how much better Accel's returns might be if it raised at least a little less, particularly given that it has very aggressively fundraising in recent years. Just last year, it rolled out $3 billion in funds across a $650 million early-stage U.S. fund (its 15th), a seventh early-stage European and Israeli fund that also closed with $650 million, and a $1.75 billion global "growth-stage" fund designed to back companies like Qualtrics and 1Password, where a mature company has been bootstrapped previously and Accel helps turn its dials with a massive capital infusion. (In contrast, Accel's new $4 billion global "late-stage" fund aims to invest money into companies that have closed previous venture rounds.) These are enormous venture funds by historical standards, and they are getting deployed fast. (Accel closed its previous global late-stage fund with $2.3 billion just one-and-a-half years ago, in December 2020.) In fairness, Accel has seen some massive returns. It owned 24% of Slack at the time of its direct listing in 2019 and reportedly returned $4.6 billion to its limited partners on that bet alone. Accel also owned 20% of Crowdstrike when the company staged a traditional IPO in 2019, and even with tech shares tanking, Crowdstrike's market cap is currently $38 billion. Put another way, it's easy to appreciate why Accel's investors signed up for this newest fund, even as their overall assets may have been hit hard by broader market conditions. As for whether or not Accel has begun to overdo it -- the bigger the funds, the harder it is to produce outsize returns -- only time will tell. In the interim, the firm has grown noticeably more integrated in recent years, and it seems to be benefiting from the strategy. To wit, while Accel's London team (established in 2000), and India team (2008) are responsible for raising their own early-stage funds (the India team announced a $650 million seventh fund in March), Accel's global late-stage funds are community property. That means that each team can tap the firm's newest fund to make late-stage investments; they will also be responsible for generating its returns. In a world where giant companies are now springing up everywhere, it makes a lot of sense. For example, when India's Flipkart sold for $16 billion to Walmart in 2018, the profits from that sale benefited not just Accel's LPs but everyone who works for Accel, too. The same was true when the software company UiPath went public last year. Discovered by Accel London's team -- and specifically, a partner who has since been poached by Sequoia -- UiPath's success has since enriched the entire partnership. As Activision Blizzard faces numerous sexual harassment lawsuits and investigations, employee activists have rallied to get a seat on the company board to represent the voice of the staff. Despite major victories, like testers of Raven Software QA, an Activision division, winning the first union election at a major U.S. gaming company, shareholders quashed the organizers' request to give the workers a voice on the board. Just 5% of shareholders voted in favor of extending a board seat to employees. The bad news for activist employees didn't stop there. In November, a Wall Street Journal report found that top Activision Blizzard executives did not notify the board about alleged rape at the company, and a minority group of shareholders demanded that board directors Brian Kelly and Robert Morgado retire by the end of 2021. Now, months past that deadline, they've been reelected to the board, along with controversial CEO Bobby Kotick. Shareholders did, however, approve a proposal from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, which will require the gaming giant to share information about employee compensation, the total number of sexual harassment settlements, total pending complaints and general progress on improving company culture. This proposal may force Activision Blizzard to have some degree of accountability. But this is also a company board that investigated itself and found that it did nothing wrong, aside from "some substantiated instances of gender harassment." And yet, reports of toxic behavior, attempted union-busting and employee unrest at Activision Blizzard are rampant. As more tech workers reach historic firsts in union organizing like the unionizing of an Apple Store this week the movement led by Raven Software QA testers may continue within Activision Blizzard. Microsoft, the presumptive buyer of Activision Blizzard, entered a labor neutrality agreement last week with the Communication Workers of America, which helped Raven Software workers unionize. Under that agreement, Microsoft won't actively try to stop employees from unionizing. At least 1,000 people have died and another 1,500 were injured in an earthquake that struck Afghanistans Paktika province on Wednesday morning, officials said, almost quadrupling the death toll from earlier in the day. The quake struck about 44km (27 miles) from the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 51km, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, head of the Taliban administrations natural disaster ministry, said earlier that the majority of deaths were in the province of Paktika. Interior ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi said that most of the deaths were in the province of Paktika, where over 250 people had been killed and another 200 injured, reported Geo News. He added that in Khost province, 25 people had been killed and 90 taken to hospital. Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise further as search and rescue operations continue. "The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details, Mr Ayubi said. Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twiter: A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe. Rescue workers were arriving at the site by helicopter, reported the state-run Bakhtar news agency. But activists said the Taliban government in Afghanistan faced a challenge conducting effective rescue operations and rehabilitation, due to both the mountainous geography of the area affected and the country's deep economic crisis. "It's going to be a risky operation, there are efforts from the Afghanistan government and international organisations but this is not sufficient for the people in this situation," local activist Hidayatullah Paktin told The Independent. Story continues "On top of rescue operations, there is a rain problem, there is no food or shelter for many," he adds. "Afghanistan is already suffering from a critical economic crisis. There are international sanctions and a large part of the population is suffering under poverty." Mr Paktin said the population impacted by the earthquake is also the one suffering the most from poverty. The isolated mountainous region of Paktika, where the earthquake occurred, was full of traditional-style houses made of soil and concrete which were already damaged due to monsoon rains, he explains. "The region has a population of very poor people who do not have modern-style homes," he said. Photos and videos also showed people being rescued from the rubble in stretchers. In this photo released by a set-run news agency Bakhtar, Afghans evacuate wounded in an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar News Agency via AP) (AP) Every street you go, you hear people mourning the deaths of their beloved ones. Houses are ruined, a local journalist in Paktika province told BBC News. Many people are not aware of the well-being of their relatives because their phones are not working, another local journalist was quoted as saying. My brother and his family died, and I just learned it after many hours. Many villages have been destroyed. Residents said that the impact of the quake destroyed houses and immediately led to deaths and injuries all around. A local named Fatima said: The kids and I screamed. One of our rooms was destroyed. Our neighbours screamed and we saw everyones rooms. "It destroyed the houses of our neighbours," local resident Faisal said. "When we arrived there were many dead and wounded. They sent us to the hospital. I also saw many dead bodies." Tremors from the powerful earthquake were felt across over 500km in areas including in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said in a tweet. There were reports of damage to homes in some remote areas of Pakistan near the Afghan border, but it was not immediately clear if that was due to rain or the earthquake, according to Taimoor Khan, a disaster management spokesperson in the area. Pakistans Meteorological Department also measured the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.1 as tremors were felt as far as the capital Islamabad and elsewhere in the eastern Punjab province. In a statement, Pakistans prime minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences and said that assistance is being provided to Afghanistan. Deeply grieved to learn about earthquake in Afghanistan, resulting in loss of innocent lives. People in Pakistan share the grief & sorrow of their Afghan brethren. Relevant authorities working to support Afghanistan in this time of need, he said in a tweet. The mountainous regions of Afghanistan have been prone to earthquakes where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate to the north. Deeply grieved to learn about earthquake in Afghanistan, resulting in loss of innocent lives. People in Pakistan share the grief & sorrow of their Afghan brethren. Relevant authorities working to support Afghanistan in this time of need. Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 22, 2022 Over 200 people in Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan were killed in 2015 when a devastating earthquake struck Afghanistans northeast. In 2002 around 1,000 people were killed in northern Afghanistan by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake. And another 6.1-magnitude earthquake, as well as subsequent tremors, in Afghanistans remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people in 1998. Wednesdays earthquake comes as Afghanistan reels under severe economic stress after the US withdrew its forces and the Taliban took control of the country last August. Doctors in Afghanistan have told the BBC that many children may have been killed in Wednesday's earthquake. More than 1,000 people died in the disaster, and heavy rain, threadbare resources and rugged terrain are hampering rescue workers. Unknown numbers were buried in the rubble of ruined, often mud-built homes by the magnitude 6.1 earthquake. One woman in hospital in Paktika province told reporters she had lost 19 family members. "Seven in one room, five in another, four in another, then three in another, have all been killed in my family," she said from her bed. By Wednesday night Taliban officials said search and rescue operations had finished in most places, although in remoter areas some continued still. "We can't reach the area - networks are too weak," a Taliban spokesman was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying earlier. The United Nations is among those scrambling to provide emergency shelter and food aid to remote areas in Paktika. Survivors and rescuers have told the BBC of villages completely destroyed near the epicentre of the quake, of ruined roads and mobile phone towers - and of their fears that the death toll will rise further. Some 1,500 people were also injured, officials say. The Taliban authorities have called for more international aid. Villagers and rescue workers examine the damage in Bernal district Most of the casualties found so far have been in the Gayan and Barmal districts of Paktika. Locals report dozens of villages collapsed. "There was a rumbling and my bed began to shake," a survivor called Shabir told the BBC. "The ceiling fell down. I was trapped, but I could see the sky. My shoulder was dislocated, my head was hurt but I got out. I am sure that seven or nine people from my family, who were in the same room as me, are dead." Video: Ex-Afghan MP wants to hold Taliban accountable for failures A mother of six who was badly injured in the earthquake told the BBC many in her village had been killed, including seven of her own family members. Story continues "We are very poor. We cannot reconstruct our homes again," she said. "We have nothing to eat." All her family's food supplies are buried under the rubble. "There is nowhere to go," she added. "I demand the Taliban rebuild our houses." Valleys overflowing with tragedy Analysis box by Secunder Kermani, Afghanistan and South Asia correspondent All the villagers we meet want to show us the damage to their homes done by the earthquake. They have lost their loved ones, alongside homes and livelihoods. Possessions are scattered amongst the debris: blankets, pots, beds stick out from the rubble. The villagers want the world to see how their lives have been devastated, but also more tangibly, to have their names added to aid distribution schemes. A number of aid agencies have reached the scene but it's clear more help is needed. One man we meet has just arrived back in his village from Pakistan where he works as a labourer. Twenty members of his family were killed in the earthquake including his daughter. Another, elderly man now finds himself responsible for his five young grandchildren - after their father died. The valleys here are overflowing with tragedy. Many of the families are now living in makeshift tents, flanked by the rubble of the homes they had worked so hard to construct. Afghanistan: The basics The Taliban run the country: The hardline Islamists took over Afghanistan last year, almost 20 years after being ousted by a US-led military coalition There's a food crisis: More than a third of people can't meet basic needs and the economy is struggling, as foreign aid and cash dried up when the Taliban took power Women's rights are restricted: They have been ordered to cover their faces in public and teenage girls have not been allowed to go to school Read more about Afghanistan Image shows map The deadliest earthquake to strike the country in two decades is a major challenge for the Taliban, the Islamist movement which regained power last year after the Western-backed government collapsed. The earthquake struck early on Wednesday about 44km (27 miles) from the city of Khost and tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India. Afghanistan is in the midst of a humanitarian and economic crisis, and Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a senior Taliban official, said the government was "financially unable to assist the people to the extent that is needed". The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres said the agency had "fully mobilised" over the disaster. But Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of information for Paktika province, told AFP it was proving "very difficult" for rescuers to reach areas "affected by floods because of heavy rains last night". Afghanistan is prone to quakes, as it is located in a tectonically active region, over a number of fault lines including the Chaman fault, the Hari Rud fault, the Central Badakhshan fault and the Darvaz fault. Over the past decade more than 7,000 people have been killed in earthquakes in the country, the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. There are an average of 560 deaths a year from earthquakes. Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's emergency services were stretched to deal with natural disasters - with few aircraft and helicopters available to rescuers. According to the UN, 93% of households in Afghanistan suffer food insecurity. Lucien Christen, from the Red Cross, said Afghanistan's "dire economic situation" meant "they're [Afghan families] not able to put food on the table". Afghans warm themselves at a fire outside their home destroyed Additional reporting by Matthew Davies and Malu Cursino. Oil refinery belonged to Ukrainian pro-Russian lawmaker, now a suspect of state treason, Viktor Medvedchuk Read also: Belgorod authorities claim Ukraine has shelled a village in a Russian border region In the video, which has been posted widely on social networks, a drone can been seen approaching the refinery. It goes into a steep dive, hits the ground, and there is a powerful blast and fireball. No casualties from the apparent airstrike have been reported yet. The refinery was previously been controlled by the family of pro-Russian MP Viktor Medvedchuk, who is said to have been the closest political ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. Read also: Railway bridge collapses in Russias Kursk Oblast near Ukrainian border The refinery supplied oil products to pro-Kremlin terrorist organizations in the Donbas, for which it was put on the sanctions list of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. Amid the current tight labor market, employers have turned to an often overlooked pool of talent: applicants with criminal records. A recent analysis by Indeed Hiring Lab found postings noting fair-chance hiring last month increased 31% from May 2019, making up 2.5% of all job listings. "The share of job postings that advertise their fair chance hiring is still a small percentage of all job postings," said Indeed Hiring Lab economist AnnElizabeth Konkel. "But the fact that it has risen since 2019, it's telling me that employers are increasingly looking to to expand the recruiting pool and this group of individuals is one of them." Indeed defines fair-chance hiring as the idea that all qualified candidates should be fairly considered for a job, regardless of their criminal histories. In April, employers posted 11.4 million jobs, according to the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But criminal records keep some workers from finding jobs even though they represent a large pool of potential workers. More than half of unemployed men in their 30s have been involved with the criminal-justice system, according to a study by the nonprofit research group RAND Corporation, published in February. The Indeed analysis showed some employers have been highlighting their fair-chance hiring policies in job descriptions, writing phrases like "applicants with conviction records will not be excluded." The report noted that, "among the top fair chance job titles by posting volume were barista, shift leader and store manager." Job seekers, meanwhile, appear to recognize that employers are in a tight labor market and more willing to hire people impacted by the criminal justice system, Konkel wrote in her analysis. Searches for phrases like felon friendly and no background check grew 117% from May 2019. "There's potential additional kind of knock-on effects of this trend, Konkel said. There might be a broader societal impact, certainly for these individuals that face these barriers, that today's tight labor market, you know, has some positives for them, hopefully." Story continues Credit: Indeed Indeed is the largest job site in the world. Barriers to employment Of more than 50,000 people released from federal prisons in 2010, a third found no employment in the four years after their release, according to a 2021 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The report also found: People in the sample who were convicted of drug offenses had higher post-prison employment rates that those convicted of other offenses. A higher percentage of women than men were employed after their release, but they were paid less. People held an average of 3.4 jobs during the four-year study period. Some convictions may prevent applicants from getting certain jobs for instance, a person convicted of child abuse can't be employed in child care. But some employers might exclude potential workers with criminal records because of concerns over "brand awareness or negligent hiring lawsuits" and performance issues in the workplace, said Shawn Bushway, the lead author of the RAND study and a senior policy researcher at the organization. "There's this sort of general sense that everybody coming out of prison is going to fail," Bushway said. "And that's actually incorrect. Lots of people who get involved with the criminal justice system...including those who go to prison, which is a small subset of those involved in the criminal justice system, don't fail again." For Veronica Jackson, executive director of PIVOT, a Maryland-based women's-only reentry and workforce development program, hiring a person with a criminal record is a win-win situation for both businesses and individuals involved with the criminal justice system. "With returning citizens or people who have a criminal past, you have someone who is looking for a second chance, who is really looking for employment, and then there's a business that's looking to fill a work labor shortage," Jackson said. 'This is our time': How women are taking over the labor movement People with criminal records perform the same or better than individuals without criminal records, according to a 2021 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. And businesses that hire people with criminal records can help reduce recidivism, as individuals who are employed are less likely to reoffend. "If I have employment, it is something that helps me to feel like a productive member of society," Jackson said. "I'm able to maintain wages that will help me to provide for myself, provide for my family, provide for my children, and it is something that will help to definitely occupy my time in a structured way." Jackson encouraged employers to keep an open mind when considering applicants with a criminal record: "One thing that I think sometimes a lot of these employees fail to realize is that we all traveled this journey called life. And some of us need a second chance." More coverage of the economy for USA TODAY subscribers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amid labor shortage, employers turn to workers with criminal records At the same time that he is being hailed on Capitol Hill for upholding his constitutional duty during last year's Capitol attack -- and his aides are describing how he was urged to help overturn the 2020 election -- former Vice President Mike Pence is focusing on other issues in public. In remarks on Monday, Pence looked to move beyond the deadly rioting that briefly forced him into lockdown on Jan. 6, 2021, and tried to turn the page from the pressure campaign led by then-President Donald Trump seeking to have Pence reject the election results. Pence's appearances, most recently at the University Club of Chicago on Monday, have served as a split-screen with the ongoing hearings held by the special House committee investigating the mob. In Chicago and elsewhere, Pence has only briefly mentioned the insurrection, instead criticizing President Joe Biden's record and touting his time serving alongside former President Trump for four years. "We've all been through a lot over the last several years," Pence said in his speech in Chicago. "A global pandemic, social unrest, a divisive election, a tragic day in our nation's capital -- and an administration seemingly every day driving our economy into the abyss of a socialist welfare state." MORE: Trump's pressure on Pence: Key details you might have missed from Thursday's Jan. 6 hearing "Jan. 6 was a tragic day, and I know we did our duty. But I will always be proud of our record," Pence added in an interview with Fox News. "And I am not going to allow the Democrats to use that tragic day to distract attention from their failed agenda or to demean the intentions of 74 million Americans who rallied behind our cause." Pence has also repeatedly referred to the "Trump-Pence" administration in his remarks and said in an interview with Fox Business this week that he believed "there has never been a time in my life where a president was more disconnected from the American people" as Biden. Those comments mark a departure from Pence's posture earlier this year, when he was forceful in his denials of Trump's repeated claims that he had the power to overturn the last presidential race. Story continues PHOTO: President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence arrive for a campaign rally at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, Sept. 25, 2020, in Newport News, Va. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) "President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election," Pence said in a February speech. "The presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone. And, frankly, there's no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person can choose the American president." Meanwhile, with the House hearings, Democrats and other Trump detractors -- and some of Pence's aides -- have detailed his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, praising him for resisting Trump. MORE: Jan. 6 hearing told Trump knew plan to pressure Pence was illegal, went ahead anyway "In a time of absolutely scandalous betrayal of people's oaths of office and crimes being committed all over the place, somebody who does their job and sticks to the law will stand out as a hero on that day. And I think on that day he was a hero for resisting all of the pressure campaigns and the coercive efforts to get him to play along with this continuation of the 'big lie,' this big joke that he could somehow call off all the proceedings himself," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who sits on the Jan. 6 committee, said of Pence on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "Vice President Pence understood that his oath of office was more important than his loyalty to President Trump. He did his duty. President Trump, unequivocally, did not," Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee and arguably the biggest Republican critic of Trump, said last week. PHOTO: Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to a crowd of supporters at the University Club of Chicago, June 20, 2022 in Chicago. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) Such commendations, however, could irk those in the pro-Trump wing of the GOP -- who already may be skeptical of Pence -- at the same time that the former vice president has not downplayed future political aspirations. Among other moves, he has traveled to several states that host early presidential primaries, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. And while surveys have shown that he polls far behind Trump in a prospective 2024 GOP primary, Pence has indicated he could still run even if his former boss also launches a campaign. "We'll go where we're called," Pence told The New York Times in an interview published last month. Amid Jan. 6 hearings praising him, Pence talks past 'tragic' insurrection to tout time with Trump originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum holds a press conference on November 10, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. Three close midtern election races for governor, senator, and agriculture commissioner are expected to be recounted in Florida. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was charged Wednesday with fraud and conspiracy. Gillum, who lost to Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2018 by just 30,000 votes, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Gillum retreated from public life in 2020 after a widely publicized sex scandal. Andrew Gillum, the former Tallahassee mayor who narrowly lost the 2018 race to become governor of Florida, was indicted Wednesday on conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Gillum, 42, was charged in a 21-count indictment alleging that he and longtime advisor turned co-defendant Sharon Lettman-Hicks, conspired to commit wire fraud by "unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds" using "false and fraudulent promises," federal prosecutors said in a statement announcing the charges. The Justice Department also alleged that Gillum and Lettman-Hicks diverted some of those funds to a communications company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who in turn "disguised" the funds as payroll payments and gave them to Gillum for personal use. Gillum also faces an additional count of lying to the FBI. Prosecutors alleged that Gillum falsely told the investigating agents that he had not received anything from the undercover FBI agents posing as representatives of a company called Southern Pines. The indictment said that in actuality, the representatives had provided Gillum a hotel room, meals, a boat tour of New York Harbor, and tickets to the Broadway show "Hamilton." Gillum surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty in a court appearance. Lettman-Hicks also pleaded not guilty. Wednesday's indictment said the FBI first began investigating Gillum and Lettman-Hicks in 2016 when Gillum was still the mayor of Tallahassee. The indictment said the investigation initially began in 2015 as a public corruption investigation, which eventually expanded to encompass Gillum's activities. Prosecutors alleged that Gillum and Lettman-Hicks used Gillum's influence as mayor and a rising Democratic Party star to solicit grant money under the pretense of campaigning or providing voter education services, when really they were using the money for their own "personal benefit." Story continues Gillum, who lost the Florida election to Gov. Ron DeSantis by just 30,000 votes, has garnered national notoriety in the years since the loss, culminating in a 2020 sex scandal. Gillum retreated from public life and entered rehab after the episode, citing issues of alcoholism and depression, after he was found drunk in a hotel room with a male escort who reportedly had overdosed on methamphetamine. In an interview roughly six months after, Gillum came out as bisexual and suggested one day he might run for public office again. In a statement on Wednesday, Gillum reiterated that he was not guilty and said the case against him "is not legal, it is political." "There's been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee," Gillum said. "They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now." Read the original article on Business Insider ALIONA MAZURENKO MONDAY, 23 MAY 2022, 15:54 The Belarusian Armed Forces have continued and will continue training on borders with Ukraine and Western countries until at least 28 May. Source: Belaruski Haiun; Russian edition of RIA Novosti Details: This is evidenced by the schedule of exercises at Belarusian training grounds. In addition, on 22 May, three Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile systems were transferred to the border with Ukraine in Belarus. Preparations for large-scale training are also underway in June including the sending of summons to civilian reservists. It is noted that despite the increase in training time on the training grounds, the Belarusian army is still not ready for any offensive military action, but has become more prepared defensively. The Belarusian Defene Ministry said that the next stage of the "response to force check" had begun in their army, which included the withdrawal and conducting of control checks on weapons and equipment in storage. It is reported that a mobilisation of conscripts is not expected in Belarus. The continuation of exercises at the Belarusian training grounds at the moment looks like this: Borisovsky (227th) until 28 May Shooting range 1 near Minsk (Uruchcha) until 28 May Gozha (near Grodno) until 28 May Brest until 28 May Repyshche (Osipovichi) until 27 May Marjina Horka until 28 May Losvido (near Vitebsk) until 28 May Neman (near Berezovka) until 27 May Obuz-Lesnoy (near Baranovichi) until 28 May Chepelevo (near Slonim) until 28 May Domanovo (near Ivatsevichi) until 27 May Shooting range under Staryya Darohi until 27 May Zaslonova (near Lepel) until 28 May Background: The Biden administration is writing a plan that would order cigarette manufacturers to cut nicotine levels. This is part of a larger strategy to cut cancer deaths in half within 25 years. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< There are a lot of obstacles for the plan to succeed. The Food and Drug Administration must first publish the rule. It will then invite the public to comment on it before issuing a final ruling. However, the largest hurdle might be the possibility of tobacco companies suing. This could then lead to a years-long battle in the courts. Read: Family and friends identify two shot and killed in Southside parking lot This is not the first time that a plan to lower nicotine levels was introduced. In 2017, the Trump administration decided to put off a similar proposal brought up by the FDA. Discussions like the current plan being written by the White House have been circulating since 1994. The main goal has been to slowly deter the public from nicotine. The Wall Street Journal published the following points on the matter: Lowering nicotine in cigarettes has been a subject of discussion inside the FDA since the 1990s. In 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act authorized the FDA to mandate such a change with the stipulation that the policy be based on scientific evidence, a caveat that slowed the process for years. FDA officials have said reducing nicotine in cigarettes to very low levels would prevent future generations from becoming addicted to cigarettes, and prompt current smokers to quit. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] According to a number of researchers, such as Neal L Benowitz and Jack E Henningfield, opinion is split if cutting nicotine levels would cause a significant number of smokers to kick the habit. According to the CDC almost a half-million Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses. The American Cancer Society says that tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Congress to pass legislation that would create a federal tax holiday on gas and diesel fuel for three months to lower prices at the pump. The pause would trim 18 cents off a gallon of gas and 24 cents for diesel as the summer driving season is getting underway. The legislation would cost an estimated $10 billion, a senior administration official told reporters on a call. Biden said in remarks from the White House: "I fully understand the gas tax holiday alone is not going to fix the problem. But it will provide families some immediate relief, give them a little bit of breathing room, so we continue working to bring down prices for the long haul." Biden asked Congress to make the temporary adjustment in a way that doesn't harm the Highway Trust Fund, which gets its revenue from fuel taxes. Many lawmakers, mostly on the Republican side of the aisle, have cited the trust fund as a reason they wouldn't back a gas tax holiday, although some congressional Democrats have also been critical of it. Biden said he is also calling on companies to increase refining capacity to lower prices in the long term and gas station operators to come up with ways to bring down prices. These are not normal times. Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you are paying for the product, Biden said. Do it now. Do it today your customers, the American people, they need relief now. The Biden administration will face an uphill battle to draw support in Congress for its gas tax holiday proposal. A number of Republicans have already come out in opposition, and even Democratic leaders have expressed some concerns. Well, we tried. And the Republicans blocked it, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday at a weekly news conference. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he supports Biden's aim to lower prices at the pump, but he said he wasn't sure whether a gas tax holiday would have the "intended effect in terms of the retail price and whether in fact it will save consumers money." Story continues House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement that Democrats will see where the consensus lies on a path forward for the Presidents proposal in the House and the Senate, building on the strong bills to lower prices at the pump already passed by House Democrats including the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act and the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act. Democrats face significant political headwinds just months from the November midterm elections, as numerous polls find that gas prices and inflation are top concerns for voters. Biden also called on state and local governments to provide additional consumer relief by pausing state sales tax on gas or similar actions, senior administration officials said. Biden said, "States are now in a strong position to be able to afford to take some of these actions." Several states have implemented their own tax holidays. According to AAA data Tuesday, the national average price was $4.96, with higher prices in parts of the West Coast and the Midwest. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who is meeting with oil refining executives Thursday, told reporters at Wednesday's White House briefing that she plans to discuss actions that government and industry can take to increase capacity and to safely operate their existing refineries and to overcome the hurdles that are in the way to meeting Americas demand and to increase supply. Asked about Biden's ability to secure congressional support for the tax holiday, Granholm said the president has an "ongoing" conversation with Democrats and Republicans about mitigating consumer costs. I would hope that both sides of the aisle are listening to their constituents about getting relief," she said. The Biden administration stepped up its actions to combat gas prices in April by releasing 1 million barrels daily from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and issuing an emergency waiver to suspend a summer ban on the use of a specific ethanol blend of fuel. Pumping gas coldsnowstorm/iStock President Biden plans to ask Congress on Wednesday to suspend the 18-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax until September, Fox Business reports. As of Wednesday, the national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.96, up from $3.07 a year ago. According to The Washington Post, economists were "lukewarm on the idea," while "lawmakers in both parties" expressed "skepticism." Pausing the gas tax will stimulate demand, which could drive the price of gas up even further. Great for oil companies for consumers, perhaps not so much. A senior administration official said Biden is also "calling on states to suspend their gas taxes or else find other ways to deliver the same relief, such as consumer rebates or relief payments." The official also clarified that this three-month tax holiday will not strip any money from the Highway Trust Fund, which uses federal gas tax revenue to finance highways and mass transit. Other revenue will be redirected to fill in the roughly $10 billion hole in the trust fund's budget, the official said. You may also like People at Jan. 6 rally were 'well-behaved,' Trump tells Newsmax Is America abandoning religion or just remixing it? Jan. 6 committee subpoenas never-before-seen documentary footage of Trump and his inner circle (Evelyn Freja / For The Times) A correspondent's role on the venerable CBS News magazine "60 Minutes" is still considered the brass ring for TV journalists. Bill Whitaker toiled for years at CBS News before he finally got his shot in 2014, after a stint covering Asia and two decades in the network's Los Angeles bureau where he was a fixture on "CBS Evening News." Logging around 20 "60 Minutes" segments a year, ranging from explaining the supply chain crisis to riding along Wyoming's Green River Drift, the dapper 70-year-old Philadelphia native is now a familiar, authoritative prime-time presence. The Los Angeles Press Club will recognize Whitaker's successful journey on Saturday when he receives the Joseph M. Quinn Award for Lifetime Achievement. A former resident of Hollywood Hills now based in New York, Whitaker shared some thoughts on his career in a conversation last week. You were in the Los Angeles bureau of CBS News for 22 years. How did that prepare you for "60 Minutes"? It's got politics, immigration, and the economy, the military is out there, you've got environmental stories, the wildfires. You just name it, everything's out there. But here at "60 Minutes" you have the luxury of time and resources. You come up with a story the front office thinks is worthwhile, they'll give you the money, and the time, and the crews, and cameras, and say just go do it. And you'd better come back with the goods, but you get to travel the world. What's the most vital skill you developed working in L.A.? Television news is all about deadlines, but the deadlines in L.A. are brutal. I worked for an East Coast employer. The "CBS Evening News" airs at 6:30 Eastern time, thats 3:30 in L.A. My business day was truncated by a third. I learned the need to focus, to be organized, to use every minute wisely. I learned why my laptop is called a laptop. Many times I sat on a curb or in a car or a folding chair in the back of a political rally to write on my lap. I think I could write anywhere. And I learned to rely on my colleagues. Broadcast news is a collaborative endeavor. The producer, photographer, sound tech were all journalists. With the relentless L.A. time pressures we all have to count on each other to hit our marks every day, or well miss that deadline. Im happy to report we never did. Story continues "I'm so fortunate to have a job that allows me to see the world and I hope inform people and have an impact," said Whitaker. (Evelyn Freja/For The Times) You covered the O.J. Simpson trial for the network. What is your lasting impression of that era? My first years in L.A. I covered the federal Rodney King trial and the Reginald Denny beating trial, both big trials, but nothing compares, or prepared me for O.J. The sheer spectacle of the proceedings was mind-blowing: the throngs outside the courthouse; the media village with the networks tall towers across the street; a skywriter proposing to Marcia Clark overhead; the USC Marching Band; the Dancing Itos. It was murder trial as circus. Ive never witnessed a trial with so many gasp moments: the bloody glove, the N-word, the verdict. Still, the trial was about so much more. It was about race in America, about wealth and celebrity and policing, wrapped around two brutal murders. The verdict put a spotlight on our deep-rooted racial divide, a schism that plagues us still. "60 Minutes" is still the biggest news program on TV. But like everything else in TV, it's not as big as it used to be. Does the brand name carry the same type of clout? Oh, yeah. The opioid series that we did had an impact. Congress paid attention to that piece. We just recently did a story about drug shortages and the outpouring of people in Congress, people in the medical field, researchers, everybody, you know, we were flooded with people saying, 'What? I had no idea this was going on. We have to do something about this. It still has tremendous reach in this fragmented world. We are still reaching more people than any of the other news broadcasts. So even at a time when fewer people are watching traditional TV, you've never had to explain to anybody what the program is? Never. Not even overseas. Everybody knows about "60 Minutes." Do you consider yourself a New Yorker now? Yeah, I guess so. I have to tell you, if I had not sold my house, I probably would have gone back to Los Angeles when the pandemic hit and we were all able to work remotely. That was not an option. So I had to weather the pandemic here in New York, and that just sort of makes you a New Yorker. We all went through hell together. And we're coming out on the other side. As a matter of fact, the other day I was cursing the traffic. Because during the pandemic you'd get anywhere in a minute, no traffic anywhere. And now the traffic is back. What do you miss most about L.A. ? It was home. My kids grew up there. My oldest was barely 5 when we moved there, and they went all to elementary school and high school, and came home from college to Los Angeles. [Both of Whitaker's children graduated from Harvard-Westlake.] Had a lot of great friends. And I knew the city backwards and forwards. I could get everywhere without getting on the 405. It's a great city. New Yorkers, still today, have a tendency to kind of look down their noses at L.A., that everybody's into appearances and whatever. And Im like, "Oh, OK, if that's what you think don't go. It's too crowded already." You were one among guests hosts on "Jeopardy!" who appeared last year after Alex Trebek's death. How was your experience on the show? All the craziness happened after I was on the show. How was my experience? Well, I realized that there's television news, and that I'm familiar with. But Hollywood television with the studios, and the cameras, and the angles that's a different animal. Got to hit your mark. The camera's swooping in from the sides, you've got to look at this one when you're announcing something. And another one over the contestants, you have to make sure you look at that one when you're introducing the other thing. There's a lot of moving parts there. With TV news I have one, maybe two cameras, and they're static, and I'm looking at them all. So I did 10 "Jeopardy!" shows and probably around show seven, I was like, OK, I've kind of got this. I'm happy I did it, and happy I have a day job that I love. Whitaker at his "60 Minutes" office at CBS News (Evelyn Freja / For The Times) (Evelyn Freja/For The Times) Did you find yourself recognized even more on the street by women of a certain age because of that additional exposure? Being recognized after I got to "60 Minutes" that was a shock to me. When I used to work in Los Angeles, the evening news comes on at 5:30. Lots of people are still commuting. I had a very public job but I was not a public figure. And I loved that. I could go to dinner, I could walk down the street, it just wasn't an issue. So I was not prepared for coming to New York and being on "60 Minutes," and having people stop you on the subway, stop you on the street, come over to you in the restaurants. I'm still not used to it. But "Jeopardy!" sort of pushed it up a notch. That was just after being on for two weeks. There's been a lot of discussion in the last few years about improving diversity in newsrooms. Are you seeing it in the numbers, and are you seeing it in the approach to topics? I'm certainly seeing it with "CBS Evening News." There are many more diverse faces on air. And what people don't see behind the scenes, there are many, many more people of color behind the scenes at CBS News. The topics, I think so, but only in that how we are dealing with our increasing diverse democracy is front and center. It is the news. It can't be avoided. So when I tell the story of George Floyd, I'm not telling a Black story, I'm telling the story of America. Similar with the border and all of these stories, you can't slice and dice American society, and American history, and American news and say there's this history over here but this is, Black history or Latino history. So it's unavoidable today. And also because of the diversity behind the cameras and in front of the cameras these stories are coming to the forefront. You've been to 61 countries for CBS News. What's your takeaway after seeing so much of the world? I've always found that there is a human connection. We all want the same things: to be able to care for our families, and to have peace, and to live an interesting and fulfilling life. That's universal. And it's kind of hard to sit here in the United States where we are so fortunate and often we look at the rest of the world as being dangerous, and depending on which continent we're talking about it could be backwards. And I have not found that to be the case at all. I was recently in Uganda for a story coming up in the fall, and it was - in the southwest corner of Uganda and it was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen in my life. And people were generous, and beautiful, and warm, and giving. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Billie Eilish attends the 2022 Met Gala. Cindy Ord/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Billie Eilish opened up about body image during a recent interview with The Times. She described her relationship with her body as "a truly horrible, terrible thing." "I kind of think of my body as my friend. My ugly friend! It's complicated," she continued. Billie Eilish described her body as an "ugly friend" during a recent interview with the British newspaper The Times. Asked where she is in her body-image journey, the 20-year-old Grammy winner replied, "Nowhere good." "My relationship with my body has been a truly horrible, terrible thing since I was 11," she said. "I love that my body is mine and that it's with me everywhere I go," she continued. "I kind of think of my body as my friend. My ugly friend! It's complicated. But what are you gonna do?" Billie Eilish photographed at 15 years old in 2017. David Livingston/Getty Images Eilish rose to fame at 15 years old when her debut single "Ocean Eyes" went viral on SoundCloud. She quickly became known for her oversized, androgynous fashion sense. She has since revealed that she began wearing baggy clothes because she "hated" her body and never felt "physically desired." "Being known for the whole start of your career for one thing she wears baggy clothes and she sings like this it was driving me mad," she told The Times. Because she felt "trapped" by her public persona, Eilish dyed her hair platinum blonde and wore a form-fitting corset on the cover of British Vogue while promoting her 2021 sophomore album "Happier Than Ever." "No matter what you do, it's wrong and right," she said. "Wearing baggy clothes, nobody is attracted to me, I feel incredibly unlovable and unsexy and not beautiful, and people shame you for not being feminine enough." "Then you wear something more revealing and they're like, 'You're such a fat cow whore,'" she continued. "I'm a slut and I'm a sell-out and I'm just like every other celebrity selling their bodies, and woah! What the fuck do you want? It's a crazy world for women and women in the public eye." Eilish also said that, in retrospect, her adopted aesthetic for "Happier Than Ever" doesn't feel authentic. "I'm like, 'Don't know who that is, but that is not me!' I didn't have any time to think. I just decided who I was. I just became that vibe," she explained. "And I don't know if that was necessarily what I really was feeling. I was just grasping on to anything." Read the original article on Insider Deadline What may have been Colin Kaepernicks last shot at a National Football League job didnt go very well, according to Hall of Famer Warren Sapp. Speaking to urban news site VladTV, Sapp didnt hold back when Kaepernicks May workout with the Las Vegas Raiders came up in conversation. The VladTV host mentioned that there were [] The Senate voted Tuesday night to take up bipartisan legislation designed to address the spate of mass-shootings that have rocked the country in recent weeks. The bill, which advanced on a 64-34 vote, would direct federal funding to states to implement red flag laws and to bolster mental health and school-safety programs. Additionally, the bill would mandate increased background checks for gun buyers ages 18-21, giving the FBI up to ten days to review the mental-health and criminal records of young gun buyers. Negotiations over the legislation were spearheaded by Senators Chris Murphy (D., Conn.), Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.), John Cornyn (R., Texas), and Thom Tillis (R., N.C.). Fourteen Republicans voted to advance the legislation. Senator Pat Toomey (R., Pa.), who has signaled his support for the legislation, was absent. Today, we finalized bipartisan, commonsense legislation to protect Americas children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country, the four senators said in a joint statement. Unless a person is convicted of a crime or is adjudicated mentally ill, their ability to purchase a firearm will not be impacted by this legislation, Cornyn said in a statement. Cornyn was booed at the Texas Republican Convention in Houston on Friday over involvement in the negotiations. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) also released a statement in support of the bill. McConnell had already announced support for a framework for the bill last week. I support the bill text that Senator Cornyn and our colleagues have produced, McConnell said on Tuesday, calling the bill a commonsense package of popular steps to reduce mass shootings. Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah) released a statement Tuesday night arguing that lawmakers were not given sufficient time to review the 80-page bill before being asked to cast a vote to take up the legislation. With only moments to review, no committee hearings, and no regular order, a vote was held with implications concerning an essential constitutional right. The American people deserve better from the worlds greatest deliberative body,' the statement read. Story continues Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said he expected the bill to pass by the end of the week. This bipartisan gun safety legislation is progress and will save lives, Schumer said ahead of the vote. While it is not everything we want, this legislation is urgently needed. The bill comes weeks after a mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., in which ten people were killed and three others injured, and the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which 21 people were killed. The Uvalde shooter was killed at the scene, while the Buffalo shooting suspect has been charged with domestic terrorism and hate crimes. More from National Review Jun. 22BLOOMER A former Bloomer school district employee accused of having sex with a 16-year-old female pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of sex assault of a student by school staff. Noah R. Lane, 23, 714 Thompson St., was charged in Chippewa County Court in August. The criminal complaint states that Lane had sexual intercourse with the 16-year-old girl in the parking lot of a Bloomer business in December 2020. Lane appeared via video for Tuesday's hearing. He posted a $1,000 cash bond after he was arrested in July. As terms of his probation, he cannot have contact with the victim, her family, or her residence. He also cannot have any contact with any juveniles, or be near schools when juveniles are present. Chippewa County Judge Ben Lane set another hearing for Sept. 9; no trial dates have been set. Lane remains free on bond at this time. At the time of the arrest, Lane was a special education paraprofessional in the Bloomer Middle School. Bloomer Police Chief Jared Zwiefelhofer said one of his officers handled the investigation. His office was tipped off on an anonymous tip line, and there were two possible victims. When Lane was interviewed, he admitted to sex with one of the juveniles. Chippewa County assistant district attorney Scott Zehr said the investigation shows Lane also sent sexually explicit materials to the juveniles. Zehr said the victims are students at the high school. Bloomer schools Superintendent Brian Misfeldt said Lane was hired in fall 2018 and passed a background investigation. Lane was immediately suspended when the arrest occurred, and his contract was not renewed for the 2021-22 school year, Misfeldt said Tuesday. Elizabeth Sneed makes a statement about curvy surfers and athletes. (Photo: Marta Skovro/JOLYN) Body-positive surfer Elizabeth Sneed took to the streets of New York City with nothing but a bikini and her longboard to make a statement about curvy athletes. The content creator, who is known as Curvy Surfer Girl online, has gained a following of over 126,000 people on TikTok as a result of posting videos of herself hitting the waves of Honolulu, Hawaii. And while surfing is a sport that she simply loves to share, her page has since provided inspiration to people of all sizes to try something they've been afraid of. On June 15, she took her board and her mission even further as she arrived in Times Square to bare her body and her message. "I want the world to know women with curves are surfers & athletes," Sneed captioned a video shared on social media. "What better place than New York City to show the world." While rocking a hot pink bikini, the surfer made her entrance onto the busy city streets to find her light for some shots with her longboard. Even with people passing by, she hoped that her message was made clear. "I chose Times Square to represent the changing times of women's beauty standards," she wrote. Sneed was also making a statement with her choice of bikini as she announced her new role as a brand ambassador and consultant for the design team at swimwear brand JOLYN. "I will be fit testing the collection, consulting on designs and eventually designing & launching the Curvy Surfer Girl collection in 2023," she wrote in another Instagram post. "It's been 2 years in the making and together we have truly begun to shift the tides!" In a statement to Yahoo Life, JOLYN CEO Mondy Herndon praised Sneed's work, saying she's helped to "change the perception about surfer body types." The brand has already released select styles from the current collection in extended sizing and is also committing to provide a more expansive range of gear for surfers and athletes in its next collection. Story continues Sneed added, "I'm thrilled to be by their side ushering in a new generation of women's surfing. Collaborating with their team of design experts to create more inclusive high-performance swim is a dream come true not just for me but for the countless women who love the water and need supportive suits to follow their passions." Although the full line of inclusive surf gear isn't out just yet, Sneed has been praised for what she's done thus far in terms of representation for female athletes chasing their dreams despite rigid beauty standards her eye-catching photos included. "My inner little girl is so grateful to you," one person commented on Sneed's Times Square posts. "Thank you for everything that you do." Another wrote, "Loving this and what it's doing for our surf culture." While Sneed is helping others to fulfill their dreams, she can't help but to recognize that she's living out her own. "This is a moment that will live in my heart always & forever! I have tears in my eyes because Im SOO GRATEFUL & HAPPY for every single person here to share this moment with me! I love YOU so much!" she wrote. "LET'S GO CURVY SURFER GIRLS the sky is literally the limit!" Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. STORY: The celebrations began at dawn in cold temperatures as followers warmed to the first rays of the winter solstice sun. "Today in the morning, we offer an offering to the Pachamama, the mountains, and the Father sun asking for the sun's energies. Today we celebrate the year 5,530, so we make petitions to the Father Sun," said Placida Chambi, a Bolivian traditional teacher. Indigenous authorities started a bonfire and made offerings to Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and Father Sun in search of a bountiful crop and good health during the ancestral ceremony in El Alto. The Aymara believe "Al Tata Inti", the Father Sun, gives his warmth to Earth on the New Year, heralding the onset of spring. "We also ask for health, strength, and luck. We ask the sun god for that. That is why we all raise our hands to the sun God," said Cirilo Cruz, a Bolivian traditional teacher. In pre-Hispanic America, native people depended much on agriculture, and many of their rites were aimed at obtaining the gods' blessing to ensure an abundant crop. LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will remain under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Wednesday, days after the court blocked the government's move to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda. "We are staying in the ECHR," Raab told Sky News, but added it was "legitimate to push back" against ECHR rulings and that the UK parliament should have the last word on the law of the land. (Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James) OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's lower house of the parliament passed legislation on Tuesday that would bring online streaming platforms under the stewardship of the country's broadcast regulator and compel firms like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify to offer more local content. The bill, brought by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, cleared the House of Commons by 208 votes to 117, with support from the opposition New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois. The government says the legislation would ensure that online streaming services promote Canadian music and stories and support local jobs. Critics say it was rushed to a vote and concerns raised about the bill, such as the potential impact on independent content creators, were not addressed. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill in February, says the changes are meant for commercial programs streamed online and would not apply to individual Canadians. Bill C-11 will become law once the Senate, or upper chamber, adopts it and it receives royal assent. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; editing by Richard Pullin) After the deadly school shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas last month, safety is on everyones minds. Canonsburg Police surrounded an elementary school in Canon Mac on Wednesday to practice their response to a potential mass shooting. Officers were in riot and tactical gear with guns drawn. It was a frightening scene, but only a drill, which the Canonsburg chief of police said is important. Given the events that happened recently, active shooter is still a big problem, said chief Al Coghill. We wanted to take advantage of the summer hours when the school is unoccupied and do our mass shooting drills. WATCH the video above for more details. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: More E-ZPass customers getting $10 penalty charges Local gas station lowering prices to $2.38/gallon Wednesday Latrobe woman goes viral on TikTok after difficulty getting back to Pittsburgh International Airport VIDEO: Wendys in Harmar Township suffers extreme damage from fire, no injuries reported DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Pornhub just lost two top execs. Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images MindGeek CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo have resigned, Variety first reported. Mindgeek owns a collection of porn sites including Pornhub, Redtube, YouPorn. The resignations come a week after a report on underage and nonconsensual content on Pornhub. Pornhub's parent company MindGeek just lost two of its top executives. MindGeek CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo have both resigned, as first reported by Variety and confirmed to Insider by a MindGeek spokesperson. MindGeek owns various porn sites including Pornhub, Redtube, and YouPorn. "Antoon and Tassillo leave MindGeek's day-to-day operations after more than a decade in leadership positions with the company," a MindGeek spokesperson told Insider. The spokesperson said the company is looking for replacements, and in the meantime the executive team will run operations. Numerous outlets including Variety noted the resignations came the week after The New Yorker published a report on nonconsensual and underage material ending up on Pornhub. MindGeek's spokesperson denied the timing of Antoon and Tassillo's departures was linked to the article in a statement to Insider, and said their resignations have been in the works since early this year. "The New Yorker had the opportunity to seriously evaluate what works in fighting illegal material on the internet by looking at the facts, comparing the policies of platforms, and studying the results," the spokesperson told Insider. "Instead, they chose to ignore the fact that MindGeek has more comprehensive and effective policies than any other major platform on the internet, and decided to peddle the same gross mischaracterizations that anti-porn extremists have spewed for decades," the spokesperson added. MindGeek has seen bad press before. The New York Times published a column in December 2020 about underage content on Pornhub. In June 2021 a group of 34 women filed a civil case against MindGeek accusing it of profiting from videos of them that were posted to Pornhub without their consent. Out of the 34 plaintiffs 14 said they'd been the victims of underage sex trafficking. Antoon's name appeared in the press in April 2021 after a $16 million Montreal mansion he owned caught fire. Investigators said the fire was the result of arson, but no one has been arrested or charged in conjunction with the fire. Read the original article on Business Insider Five years ago, Wynne Nowland, then 56, waited in her car outside her office, becoming more and more worried. She had publicly transitioned and was going to re-introduce herself to her co-workers. For a moment, she paused to give herself a pep talk. Im saying to myself, OK, you have to get out. You have to do this now. The Band Aid is ripped off, you have to do it, the 61-year-old CEO from Long Island recalled to TODAY. I was tremendously anxious at that moment. As soon as she stepped into the lobby, those fears began dissipating. A few of my co-workers were coming out of the ladies room, and they came over and hugged me and were so sweet to me and caring that that anxiety melted away, she said. Since she was about 7 years old, Nowland knew she was female but didnt transition for decades. That meant she had years to become comfortable with the idea of what she'd look like after gender affirming care. But she understood it could also mean other people in her life would take longer to adjust. It didnt take me a long time to get used to it because this is how it always felt, Nowland said. But to your friends and co-workers and the owner of the butcher that you go to once a week or the waiter at your favorite restaurant, theyve known you as a certain gender for years and years. Youre all of a sudden looking very different. However, Nowland felt struck by how supportive everyone in her workplace was, from co-workers to vendors to clients. She believes it's because people appreciated her and simply wanted her to be happy. Some of the people she thought might have been the least supportive because of their politics became some of her biggest boosters. Most times people have these opinions on a relatively uninformed basis, specifically dealing with trans people. Theyve never met a trans person before, Nowland said. (My colleagues) knew the person I was before, and in many cases I had helped them in their careers and their success. So even if they might not have understood what I was doing, they gave me the benefit of the doubt. Story continues Nowland thinks that knowing her has helped them continue to confront some of their biases. I have taught them, and as time goes on, some of them understand it more and really have become true allies, she said. Nowland wanted to share her experience with transitioning because it felt so supportive and affirming something she knows that many trans people do not encounter. My story was really basically a positive one, and theres no horror story, Nowland said. I certainly had all of those anxieties and fears, but again this is just for me they really turned out to be unfounded. Since then, Nowland has been moved by gender euphoria, little moments often taken for granted by people who aren't trans. I have a whole group of new friends that are cis women. Most of them for whatever reason happened to be younger than I am, she explained. These are just relationships that I treasure and value so much never in a million years would I have thought that would happen. And my transition and my gender status is not even a blip for them. Im just one of the girls. But Nowland also knows that her experience might be vastly different than others'. I had a very positive experience. Now, I also recognize that I come from a position of privilege, she said. I was able to use those things to probably make my transition a little easier for instance than some 20-year-old person of color who is coming out. Its definitely a different experience for them than I had. Wynne Nowland hopes that by sharing her story that people will realize that 'a trans person is just a person like everybody else.' (Courtesy Wynne Nowland) Still, she wanted to share her experience to show the benefits of transitioning. People tend to be accepting of things and start to understand things when they become normalized, she said. If people get exposed to me and my experiences in the business world versus things that are out there in the media and in other sources, then I think it just helps normalize the process, and that can be beneficial. After five years, Nowland doesnt often need to explain herself because so many people have embraced her, though she has encountered some clients who don't want to work with her because shes trans. Its a small group, and she's not too bothered by it, hoping that when people hear about her experience, they'll learn something. A trans person is just a person like everybody else. We want to get up in the morning, do our thing, have our friends, do our jobs and enjoy our life just like everyone else wants, Nowland said. Ones gender identity really has nothing to do with who a person is. If you liked the person before, youre going to like them afterward. CR Fashion Book China has sparked outrage for including digitally reimagined images of Marilyn Monroe on the cover of its upcoming magazine issue. For CR Chinas fourth issue, the publication crafted a photoshoot starring a digitized, modernized version of Monroe in order to showcase what the late fashion icon might have looked if her cultural influence and popularity had occurred today. The magazines issue, which is already available on international newsstands, will consist of eight different covers that were digitally curated by CRs Founder and Creative Director, Carine Roitfeld. In a piece written by CR Fashion Books Vienna Vernose, Roitfeld discussed Monroes legacy and how she wanted to embody her timeless elegance and sense of empowerment in the photos. Shes a dream cover star for any fashion editor and someone Ive always admired for being a trailblazer in creating a captivating personal brand that extended beyond her work, she explained. This is a key facet of most celebrities today, but Marilyn was one of the first to do it. I embraced the unique challenge of imagining a modern photoshoot for such a classic star. The article also noted how CR used cutting-edge CGI imagery with Amethyst and Authentic Brands Group, the company that owns Monroe estate, to create these photos of the late actor. The Creative Director for the Marilyn Monroe Estate, Jim Gibb, also praised the publication and Roitfeld, as they knew that her team would be able to conceive Marilyn in a contemporary period without losing her signature it factor. On social media, critics have lambasted the magazines decision to digitize the late actress and accused it of creating new versions of Monroe for the sake of its own success. The amount of content using her face lately doesnt feel like homage to me, theyre just exploiting a person that cant allow or deny this only to sell magazines and merchandise, this is wrong, one Twitter user wrote. Story continues How about we all just leave Marilyn alone, another wrote. Let the woman rest! A third user added: The main thing she wanted was to not be exploited and instead people have gone out of their way to do so. Shame. The amount of content using her face lately doesn't feel like homage to me, they're just exploiting a person that can't allow or deny this only to sell magazines and merch, this is wrong o ultimo gay romantico (@s4nfer) June 21, 2022 Other people questioned why Monroes style needed to be reenvisioned for todays times and criticised her estate for approving the cover photos. Why would they modernise Marilyn Monroe? And put her in these ugly looks???, one Twitter user wrote. Why would they modernize Marilyn Monroe? And put her in these ugly looks??? https://t.co/z0vTmHcf4u Raquel (@eternallyraquel) June 22, 2022 The @MarilynMonroe estate has never been personally related to Marilyn Monroe, another added. I dont understand why its legal for them to do this. The least they can do is to promote to respect her image. Not support these individuals/groups that disrespect her. However, others on Twitter didnt have as much of a problem with CR Chinas reimagined images, one of which said: I think the pics are cool, & its nice to see someones image in new, fresh ways. A digital medium is just as artistically valid as painting her. maybe im disconnected from reality, but i dont see the issue w/ this that others are mad about i think the pics are cool, & its nice to see someones image in new fresh ways a digital medium is just as artistically valid as a painting her, which would be fine Ur all crazy yai / (@eivoza) June 22, 2022 CR Chinas covers comes on the heels of Hollywood capitalizing on Monroes legacy and style as of late, both off and on screen. Netflix recently released a trailer for its film Blonde, based on Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name, which features Ana de Armas as a fictionalized version of Monroe. The film is set to release in September. While attending the Met Gala in May, Kim Kardashian also made headlines for walking the red carpet in the iconic nude-colored gown worn by Monroe in 1962 when she serenaded President John F Kennedy on his birthday. Hays County prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against a 24-year-old man who is suing the city of San Marcos and a former police officer who used a stun gun on him during a January 2021 traffic stop. Albian Leyva of San Marcos alleges in his federal lawsuit that then-police Sgt. Ryan Hartman, who has since been dismissed from the force, used a stun gun on him "for no reason." Leyva, who was a passenger in the car that was stopped, had been charged with interference with public duties, a Class B misdemeanor. The Hays County district attorneys office did not provide a comment on the decision but shared with the American-Statesman a June 17 email in which Jeffrey Weatherford, an assistant criminal district attorney, confirmed that the state tendered a dismissal to the court this afternoon. Last week, Leyva filed his lawsuit, which not only claims that his constitutional rights were violated but also alleges that San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge failed to adequately supervise his department and Hartman, which allowed Hartman to think it would be OK to mute his body-worn camera audio and use the stun gun without cause. Rebecca Webber, an attorney representing Leyva, said the dismissed charges by the district attorneys office help prove Leyvas allegations and strengthens his case. More: $267 million film, TV studio proposed for Austin metro area First, it shows that Hartmans absurd accusation that Al was interfering with the San Marcos Police Department while his hands were in the air was a diversion to cover up and distract from the fact that he had just assaulted an unarmed, cooperative young man for no reason, she told the Statesman. Leyva had no previous criminal record, was unarmed and was compliant with police commands before the stun gun was used on him, his lawyer said. San Marcos police Sgt. Ryan Hartman faces another lawsuit Hartman, who was fired from the San Marcos Police Department for unrelated misconduct earlier this year, has been under scrutiny since June 2020 for his role in a Lockhart collision that left one woman dead. He was off-duty and driving his personal pickup. An open container of beer was later discovered in his center console. Police suspected Hartman of driving while intoxicated and charged him with criminal negligent homicide. Story continues But his blood toxicology report, which was ordered hours after the incident, came back clean, and a Caldwell County grand jury declined to indict him in December 2020. 'My world ended that day': Woman sues after San Marcos cop who ran stop sign in deadly crash stays on force Hartman is also facing a separate civil suit from crash survivor Pamela Watts, who is suing him for personal damages including hospital bills, emotional distress, disfigurement and impairment. The case has not been heard in court yet. In January, Hartman, who had worked for the San Marcos Police Department since 2007, was fired for misconduct related to deficiencies in duties and insubordination. The termination was not related to the crash, San Marcos city officials have said. Hartman has appealed for his job back, which played out during a two-day arbitration hearing in April. Leyva's lawsuit filing comes just weeks before a final decision on Hartman's reinstatement will be made. The 2021 use-of-force incident involving Leyva was discussed during the April hearing. According to city documents, Hartman was placed on unpaid leave for one week last July as a result of the incident. He was also required to retrain for de-escalation and minimizing use of force, and to retake officer tactical training. In a suspension letter from Standridge to Hartman, Standridge said that "you used force that was unnecessary and unreasonable, and you failed to provide notice to the suspect that you were going to use such force." What was Albian Leyva charged with in San Marcos According to an incident report from the night of Jan. 12, 2021, San Marcos police responded around 2 a.m. to a convenience store where a man had shoplifted eight phone chargers valued at $89. Police identified the suspected thief and pulled him over. During the traffic stop, police said they found the phone chargers and illegal drugs on the driver. Leyva was a back-seat passenger in the vehicle, and he did not steal anything or have any drugs, an internal city document states. According to the internal review report, Leyva got out of the back seat with his hands raised. The top of a flat black object was exposed in his back right jean pocket so he was then told to get on his knees. Police continued to give him commands, and Leyva continued to obey. More: Hays County closer to getting public defender's office up and running with vendor pick Leyva then preemptively reached into his back right pocket for his wallet to grab his ID, while police continued to yell commands at him. Leyva also eventually reached for his cellphone to possibly record video of the officers, but he continued to obey officer commands, the report states. Hartman then, in a lower volume, commanded an officer to shine a light on Leyva and said he was going to use a stun gun on him. For 15 seconds no further directions had been given to Leyva by anyone," the internal report states. Leyva had been standing with both hands exposed, one holding his phone at face level and the other in view at his side, during this time. Hartman, and two other officers, began to walk toward Leyva, when Hartman yelled to Leyva to walk back toward him but a second later Hartman used the stun gun on him before giving Leyva a chance to comply, the report states. A second officer used a stun gun just seconds later. No warning of possible taser deployment was provided to Leyva though there was ample time to do so, the report says. In addition, the report states that Leyva was not acting or saying anything aggressive, nor displaying any threat. Webber previously told the Statesman that Leyva is seeking damages for his physical pain from the use of force and his past and future mental anguish, attorneys fees, expenses and other costs. The lawsuit against Hartman and the city of San Marcos seeks a jury trial in federal court, but a date has not been set. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Hays County drops charges against San Marcos man suint city, police Starting next school year, dress code policies at Chicagos public schools can no longer ban head coverings tied to race, ethnicity or hair texture, a change approved without discussion Wednesday by the Chicago Board of Education. The Tribune last month found in a comprehensive review of recent school dress code policies that more than 115 public schools in the district banned protective hair-care items such as do-rags, wave caps, head-wraps, bonnets and bandannas. Some students of color who spoke with the Tribune said bans on protective head coverings made them feel like parts of their identities or their culture were not welcome at school. Some schools, including charters and military academies, are not subject to the districts dress code guidelines. Still, the new policy will apply to more than 500 public elementary and high schools in Chicago. The updated policy also bans schools from prohibiting hairstyles like locks, twists or braids in the 2022-23 school year, mimicking a new state law aimed at eliminating discrimination based on a students hair. The law, which took effect in January, does not extend to head coverings. In a written statement, Chicago Public Schools said that the changes are responsive to the needs of our students and our school communities and that school discipline should not be used to address the use of hairstyles or head coverings that are historically connected in a students culture, race, ethnicity or religion. Tina Curry, a CPS teacher and former equity coach, said it was about time that the district shifted its guidance on student headgear to be more welcoming. She said the new policy could help students feel more comfortable in their own skin at school. They can just walk in there with their bonnets on their heads, wear their do-rags, and not have to worry about being kicked out of class because thats what they wore to school, Curry said. She cautioned that students should expect some teachers and Local School Councils to resist the new guidance and that some adults still see certain head coverings as not professional. Story continues School administrators and Local School Councils are tasked with creating and implementing dress code and uniform policies at individual schools. The Tribunes review of recent dress code policies, most of them from the 2021-22 school year, found that dozens of schools appeared not to be following existing district guidance on dress codes, which requires gender-neutral rules and prohibits the loss of instructional time for violations. The statement from CPS said the district is working to ensure that policies are applied consistently. Some schools have already eased their rules on hair coverings. Two assistant principals at Westinghouse College Prep in Humboldt Park revamped their entire dress code policy during the last school year after discovering that some rules, including restrictions on hair-care items like do-rags and bonnets, were causing some students to be admonished more than others. The original dress code, it was very explicit: no do-rags, no bonnets, Assistant Principal Madisson Dickson said late last year. There were students that explicitly said that those are protective for specifically Black students and their hairstyles, and this is targeting a particular group of students in this building. ehoerner@chicagotribune.com A new U.S. law that would prevent imports linked to forced labor by Uyghurs and other persecuted groups in China took effect on Tuesday. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which President Joe Biden signed into law on Dec. 23, 2021, aims to penalize the Chinese government over its alleged oppression of the Uyghur people. It grants U.S. authorities increased powers to block the import of goods from the Xinjiang region. Ahead of the laws implementation, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency issued a notice to importers on June 13, 2022, telling them that they are expected to map their supply chains, including the source of their raw materials. This would help identify whether the products are made in part or wholly in Xinjiang or from companies with connections to forced labor. Even importers that source their supply outside of China are still being asked to check their full supply chains due to the risk that those goods could still have originated from forced labor in China before being transferred elsewhere. More from NextShark: Black and Chinese Community in SF Join Together to Remember the Murder of Vincent Chin In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the significance of the new law in combating forced labor in Xinjiang. We have taken concrete measures to promote accountability in Xinjiang, including visa restrictions, financial sanctions under Global Magnitsky, export controls, Withhold Release Orders and import restrictions, as well as the release of a multi-agency business advisory on Xinjiang to help U.S. companies avoid commerce that facilitates or benefits from human rights abuses, including forced labor, the statement read. Together with our interagency partners, we will continue to engage companies to remind them of U.S. legal obligations which prohibit importing goods to the United States that are made with forced labor. International nonprofit Human Rights Watch also released a statement urging the U.S. government to vigorously enforce the UFLPA. Story continues More from NextShark: Missouri man convicted of murdering Chinese wife pleads guilty to child abuse of their infant daughter The new US law means its no longer business as usual for companies profiting from forced labor in China, and Xinjiang especially, Jim Wormington, senior researcher and advocate for corporate accountability at Human Rights Watch, said. Companies should swiftly identify any supply chain links to Xinjiang and exit the region or risk violating US law and seeing their goods detained at the US border. Wormington also highlighted how important it is for U.S. Customs to send a message to businesses, China, and the American public that the US government will not ignore forced labor and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people. China has condemned the new law, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin claiming that the issue of "forced labor in Xinjiang" is a lie created by those who want to discredit the Chinese government. More from NextShark: Viral TikTok shows the harrowing moment a Chinese bus driver saves a suicidal mother and her son According to Wang, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the U.S. sanctions represent an escalation of the U.S. suppression of China under the guise of human rights and prove that the United States wantonly undermines the global economic and trade rules, as well as the stability of the international industrial chain and supply chain. Wang added that China is set to act forcefully to uphold the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and nationals. Recent research found cotton sourced from Xinjiangin T-shirts from some of Germanys biggest apparel companies, including Adidas, Puma and Hugo Boss. More from NextShark: McDonald's China unveils chocolate mochi burger, prawn and pineapple burger for Children's Day Featured Image via Channel 4 News Chris Noth is publicly supporting wife Tara Wilson. While their relationship status was unclear after he was accused of sexual assault by four women late last year, Noth touted her new play. The Sex and the City and And Just Like That... actor, 67, posed for a photo with the couple's 14-year-old son Orion alongside a poster for B.R.O.K.E.N Code B.I.R.D Switching, a play written by Wilson, at Berkshire Theatre Group's Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, Mass. He wrote on Instagram that he and his son "are so proud" of Wilson's play opening. In a story, he wrote that "the family is over the moon." (Screenshot: Chris Noth via Instagram) The play is about an attorney who takes a pro bono case representing a Black teen accused of murder. In December, two women accused Noth of sexual assault in 2004 and 2015. Soon after, two other women came forward with claims from 2002 and 2010. Noth, who has been married to Wilson since 2012, also sharing 2-year-old son Keats, vehemently denied the past allegations, calling them "categorically false." In the aftermath of the allegations, Noth was fired from The Equalizer. He was also removed from the And Just Like That... finale, with his TV wife Sarah Jessica Parker saying she hadn't spoken to him since the allegations surfaced. Noth was also set to sell his tequila company in a $12 million deal that fell through. There has been much speculation about his marital status amid the claims. Wilson was hounded by photographers, taking photos of her crying in her car after the allegations surfaced and without her wedding ring. Tabloid sources reported the marriage was "hanging by a thread." In late February, Noth returned to social media. He's posted a few photos of his sons but has yet to mention Wilson until now. The New Mexico Attorney Generals office welcomed participation of the Carlsbad Police Department in a statewide task force to combat human trafficking. Carlsbad City Councilors approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Attorney Generals office on June 14 which would include the Carlsbad Police in the New Mexico Human Trafficking Task Force (NMHTTF). One of the major hurdles in human trafficking investigations is identifying victims and survivors of human trafficking. Local law enforcement agencies, such as the Carlsbad Police Department, are a key component to a successful taskforce as their ability to identify potential victims and subsequent referrals to service providers is essential in a victim centered approach to human trafficking investigations and the recovery of victims, said Jerri Mares, Attorney Generals office spokesperson. More:New Mexico joins federal fight against human trafficking Created in 2008, the task force was a grant subsidized multi-agency endeavor funded by the U.S. Department of Justice designed to form collaborative approaches to fight all forms of human trafficking, read the MOU. Carlsbad Police Chief Shane Skinner recommended passage of the MOU in a separate memorandum written to the City Council, saying the department and city had benefitted in past agreements on statewide task forces. This MOU gives the Carlsbad Police Department the ability to continue its widespread cooperation and ability to bring strong and fair prosecution to offenders who commit such crimes, Skinner said. More:Homeless children's shelter in Carlsbad looks to address regional lack of resources Mares said one of the objectives of the NMHTTF was to obtain more comprehensive statistical data from across New Mexico. Our office remains concerned that the (New Mexico) Legislature has not secured funding for a uniform trafficking database that can be used across agencies, she said. Some of the challenges of underreporting stem from the inability of law enforcement and service providers to identify local trafficking offenses, lack of law enforcement training and a reluctance by victims to share information on their traffickers, making it difficult to separate human trafficking from other offenses such as prostitution, Mares said. Story continues More:Want police reform? Listen to police chiefs Since 2020, the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Unit investigated 62 cases which resulted in 31 convictions via the Internet Crimes Against Child law, read New Mexico Attorney General's Office data. Mares said the NMHTTF investigated 82 trafficking cases across New Mexico in the past two years with 269 victims identified to service providers. Fourteen individuals were found guilty, pleaded guilty or accepted plea agreements for human trafficking charges, according to Mares. Skinner outlined the Carlsbad Police Departments commitment to task force participation, including training coordination and cross-training of task force members and identify victims of all types of human trafficking, per his memo to City Council. More:Carlsbad grandmother charged with grandson's fentanyl overdose in 2021 released from jail The NMHTTF is dependent on the involvement and participation of local agencies and having their knowledge and expertise in their unique jurisdictions provides more effective and efficient law enforcement investigations, Mares said. By combining resources, task force members provide a more robust and effective team that leads to high quality investigations and successful recovery of human trafficking survivors, she said. Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: City of Carlsbad joins statewide effort against human trafficking In the waxing hours of first light on Feb. 24, as Russian soldiers lumbered across the Ukrainian border from their staging areas towards the fateful days objectives, elements of the Russian military and security services worked in conjunction to strike a crippling blow. Their target - critical Ukrainian government data. As the multi-pronged invasion commenced, cruise missiles struck a Ukrainian governmental facility housing servers full of important data. At the same time, Russian cyber operatives conducted wiper attacks on computer networks - attempting to delete all the stored information. Despite the sophisticated and holistic nature of the Russian attack, the Ukrainian data survived the onslaught. For a week earlier, it had been virtually smuggled out of the country. The data which had once singularly been stored on physical servers, had been uploaded to the cloud. The key to a countrys digital resilience in wartime is the ability quickly to move data outside the country while still connecting to and relying on it for a governments digital operations, according to a report from Microsoft on the cyber lessons of the Ukrainian war. One reason these kinetic and cyberattacks have had limited operational impact is because digital operations and data have been disbursed into the public cloud, it said. Microsoft, which competes with Amazon, IBM, Salesforce and other software and computer networking companies in providing cloud services to governments, published the report, Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War, on June 22. Prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, a data protection law prohibited the Ukrainian government from utilizing the cloud to store and process data, forcing all the data to be centralized and vulnerable, according to the report. The law was amended just days before the invasion to permit the very same information to be housed on the cloud. The cloud is a system of decentralized, networked computer servers spread out all over the world. Stored data, often encrypted and secure, is housed in duplicate across multiple servers and can be accessed via the internet from any location. The redundancy means that even if one server is destroyed, the data is not lost because it is copied elsewhere. Governments around the world have been exploring the idea of adopting the cloud for official use. The Pentagon awarded Microsoft a contract for just that reason in 2019 before rescinding it less than a year later. New DoD contracts for cloud computing are expected to be awarded this year. Its also important to think about the longer-lasting lessons that come from these efforts, the Microsoft report said. The last few months in Ukraine illustrate the very different defense needs that prevail during a war. WAPITI, Wyo. (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstones five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning after an estimated 2,000-3,000 vehicles entered the park in the first few hours in long lines that stretched for several miles at one gate. Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called bison jam where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which theyd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyomings Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. The whole purpose of our trip was to come here, Lonnie Macmillan said. We werent going to go home until we got here. The record floods reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at Americas first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. Story continues But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this, he said. To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1 percent of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the parks 400 miles of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials will impose a reservation system for entrance. Along the road to Yellowstones south entrance in Wyoming, a long, slow-moving line of cars snaked along a road with a sign that for days had been flashing Yellowstone closed but now alerted drivers that the park was open with restricted access. Gracie Brennan of Kentucky and two of her friends were going to Yellowstone as part of a tour of national parks. Old Faithful was the main thing I wanted to see, so if we can get there, which ever way we got to go, it doesnt really matter, Brennan said. The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. Its an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the parks geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. Thats turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. Theyre also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. In Red Lodge, one of those gateway towns cut off from the park, most businesses are open even as cleanup continues. The Montana Department of Transportation is beginning repairs to the road between Red Lodge and the scenic Beartooth Highway and the National Park Service is working to restore access to some areas in the northern part of the park. We have to remain optimistic, but we also have to remain realistic that theres a lot of things going on and a lot of moving pieces to make it happen, said Tim Weamer, who does marketing for the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R), who received criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesdays reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) also wasnt in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisc., who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the parks wildlife. We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages saying Dont come, dont come, she said. But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work. Hanson reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana at Yellowstone National Parks south entrance in Wyoming contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dr. John Leland Miller Dr. John Leland Miller was a farmer, physician, community planner, Robinson Crusoe, army major, surgeon, land speculator, and philanthropist. He and his wife Julia played vital roles in the history of Fairbury, Illinois, and Sheffield, Massachusetts. John Leland Miller was born in Adams, Massachusetts, in 1813 to Caleb Miller (1786-1861) and Nancy Mitchell (1786-1850). Although John was sickly as a child, he was a bright boy who read widely. At the age of 17, John became a clerk in New York but was driven out by an outbreak of cholera. John then moved to West Troy, where he became a salesman. John eventually purchased the business of his employer. This first business purchase indicated that John would be a businessman and speculator for the rest of his life. After the West Troy business burned to the ground, John began the study of medicine, attending a course of lectures at Woodstock, Vermont, and graduating from Berkshire Medical College in 1837. With tireless energy, John traveled to New Orleans and became the surgeon of a surveying party at the mouth of the Mississippi River. He then moved to Pensacola, Florida. Sailing back to New York, however, disaster struck. Like Robinson Crusoe, John was shipwrecked on the rocky island of Gun Key in the Caribbean. Once rescued, John moved to practice medicine in Providence, Rhode Island. He was appointed surgeon of General John B. Stedman's brigade of state troops when they were called out to suppress the Dorr Rebellion. Thomas Wilson Dorr led a rebellion in Rhode Island to change the state's laws. When General Stedman's troops approached, Dorr fled the area because he knew he would be defeated. Dr. Miller resumed his medical studies and, in 1844, became a professor of anatomy and physiology at Illinois College in Jacksonville. Dr. Miller stayed for three years until he resigned his professorship to join the U.S. Army. He became a major and a surgeon who joined the army at Vera Cruz, Mexico. Dr. Miller was in active service until the close of the Mexican War [1846-1848]. Story continues After the Mexican War ended, Dr. Miller moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, for a couple of years. Dr. Miller then decided to go West again to Illinois. On Feb. 10, 1851, a new Illinois law was passed, which authorized the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad to build a new line from Peoria to the Indiana border. In that era, individuals could purchase land from the federal government for $2.50 an acre. The farmland could be converted to city building lots if a new town was established. Speculators could make a great deal of profit by converting the inexpensive farmland into building lots. Between 1852 and 1855, Dr. Miller bought four tracts of land totaling 400 acres in what is now the Fairbury area. Dr. Miller was speculating the new railroad might come through the property he purchased. Four other men, besides Dr. Miller, had the same idea of buying farmland that could be made into a new railroad town. These four men were Samuel G. Cone, David Magie, John Atkins and Caleb Patton. In 1855, two years before the new railroad track was laid, Indian Grove Township became a hotbed of land speculation. The Chicago Weekly Tribune published a story about the land frenzy occurring down-state in Indian Grove Township. The Tribune recounted that Mr. J. Leland Miller had purchased 212 acres one year before for $12.50 per acre. Just one year later, Mr. Miller sold the land to Mr. John Cumston for $25 per acre. Mr. Miller had doubled his money in less than one year. A few weeks before the new railroad crew reached what is now Fairbury, Caleb Patton purchased more land from Dr. Miller. To win the competition of which farm the new railroad tracks would be laid, Caleb Patton offered Octave Chanute, the railroad engineer, one-half of the new city lots if Chanute would run the route through his farm. Chanute wisely accepted the offer, and the new tracks were run through Patton's land that he had just purchased from Dr. Miller. The TP&W, the successor to the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad, still owns some Fairbury lots even today. John Atkins was one of the farmers who lost out in the competition to have the new railroad run through their farm. Although Mr. Atkins lost this land competition, one could argue that he won on a bigger scale. Mr. Atkins had a daughter named Julia Atkins. In 1862, five years after Fairbury was founded in 1857, Dr. Miller married Julia Atkins. Mr. Atkins gained a very wealthy son-in-law from this marriage. Julia Atkins Miller Julia Atkins was a fascinating woman in her own right. Julia's mother, Anne Alden, was a descendant of John Alden of the Mayflower. Julia was in the first class of Evanston College (now Northwestern). Julia was part of a group that included notable feminists and reformers. Family legend states that she arose each day to read the New Testament in Greek. Shortly after Julia married Dr. Miller, the couple moved back to his home area in Sheffield, Massachusetts. With characteristic energy, Dr. Miller plunged into the life of the Sheffield community. He became president of the Housatonic Agricultural Society in 1876. They held Society meetings in his house on Miller Ave. Dr. Miller was a model farmer, and it was said that he never suffered "an obnoxious plant to grow on his place." Addressing the Berkshire Farmers Association at the Miller House in 1881, Dr. Miller said that farming was the most critical industry in Sheffield. Dr. Miller bragged that his well-tended 150-acre farm was as profitable as his 1,100 acre farm in Illinois. A photo of him taken around that time shows Dr. Miller with a definite twinkle in his eye. Like her energetic husband, Julia became very involved in the Sheffield community. She was the first president of the General J.G. Barnard's Women's Relief Corps, as well as being the vice-president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and clerk of the Sheffield Friendly Union. Dr. Miller and Julia had no children. Dr. J. Leland Miller donated $40,000 to Williams College in 1889. This donation would be equivalent to $1.1 million in today's dollars. This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Dale C. Maley column on Dr. Miller and his role in founding Fairbury Comedian Dave Chappelle said Monday night that he declined to have a theater at his Washington, D.C., high school named after him amid controversy over jokes about transgender people in his latest stand-up show, according to reports. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts had planned a dedication ceremony Monday honoring Chappelle and his "ongoing commitment and service to the school and advocacy for the arts." Dave Chappelle arrives at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington to accept the 22nd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Owen Sweeney The building will instead be called the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression. Chappelle, who attended the ceremony, said he was "sincerely hurt" by backlash from students to his controversial Netflix special "The Closer" when he visited his alma mater in November. NETFLIX CEO TED SARANDOS DEFENDS DAVE CHAPPELLE'S COMEDY: THE COMEDIAN OF OUR GENERATION "I took a lot of cold shots in business but that day, they hurt me," Chappelle told those gathered, according to USA Today. DAVE CHAPPELLE'S ALLEGED ATTACKER REVEALS MOTIVATION: I WANTED HIM TO KNOW WHAT HE SAID WAS TRIGGERING The comedian defended his special and his right to free speech. "No matter what they say about 'The Closer,' it is still (one of the) most watched specials on Netflix," he said. "The more you say I can't say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it. It has nothing to do with what you are saying I can't say. It has everything to do with my freedom of artistic expression." CHRIS ROCK, DAVE CHAPPELLE TO PERFORM JOINT STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW Comedian Dave Chappelle performs at Radio City Music Hall on June 19, 2014, in New York City. Mike Coppola CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER He said, when confronted by the students about the special, they "said everything about gender they didn't say anything about art." Chappelle, who was among the main donors to the schools theater, said he would be open to putting his name on the building in the future. WASHINGTON A former West Virginia legislator who stormed the U.S. Capitol on behalf of former President Donald Trump while livestreaming his felonious activity on Facebook was sentenced to three months in prison Wednesday. Derrick Evans, who had been sworn in as a Republican state delegate just a few weeks before the Capitol attack, was arrested and charged just after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. He pleaded guilty this March. Derrick Evans, a West Virginia lawmaker, at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Department of Justice) Justice Department prosecutors had sought the three-month sentence for Evans, saying he cheered on rioters and told his followers, "The revolution has started! His attorney told the court that being arrested and pleading guilty to a felony have "been a humbling experience for him" and noted that, as a result, he can no longer possess a weapon. Evans appeared virtually for his sentencing, his head framed by a large portrait of him and his family. He told the judge that he took responsibility for his actions and that he'd let down his family. He said he regretted that his actions would leave his kids "fatherless for months." U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth was sympathetic and noted Evans' "impressive" support system. But he said that he felt incarceration was necessary and that he initially had been inclined to give Evans six months. "I can't just give you probation in a case like this," Lamberth said. He added that he wished Evans the best, saying he didn't think he'd see him again and that he thought Evans could "live a good life again" after prison. Several of Evans' supporters in his legal case downplayed his conduct on Jan. 6 and indicated they, too, believed in Trump's lies about the 2020 election. Evans, a supporter wrote in a letter to the judge, rushed the Capitol "as a form of peaceful protest" and was there "with the greatest of intentions." A letter credited him with showing up to show support at the U.S. Capitol. Another supporter described him as a role model. Wrote another supporter: America would be a much better place to live if there were more people as passionate and caring as Derrick Evans. Story continues In the lead-up to Jan. 6, prosecutors said, Evans posted images on Facebook that read "FIGHT FOR TRUMP" and "JANUARY 6, We're Comin'!" On Jan. 6, Evans livestreamed from the eastern side of the Capitol as rioters confronted police. Were taking this country back whether you like it or not! Shame on all of you! You listen to your liberal mayor instead of the Constitution Patriots aint being quiet anymore. Patriots aint gonna stand down to tyranny anymore! Patriots aint gonna stand down for stolen elections anymore! prosecutors said he yelled. I bet Trump would pardon anybody who gets arrested for goin in there," Evans said on the livestream. Later, inside the Capitol, Evans recorded himself screaming, Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!" Evans admitted recording the video in his agreed-upon statement of offense. Evans is one of more than 825 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection and one of more than 310 who have pleaded guilty. There are still hundreds more cases to come. As NBC News has reported, online sleuths have identified hundreds of additional people who either entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 or assaulted officers outside the building and haven't yet been arrested. The House committee investigating the attack has another public hearing set for Thursday that will focus on Trump's efforts to get Justice Department officials to weaponize the FBI and the Justice Department on behalf of his efforts to overturn the election. A 76-year-old Vietnamese American man was fatally shot in the head shortly after his morning walk in Philadelphia. Loi Nguyen was returning home from his routine morning walk when he was gunned down near his driveway in the alleyway behind L and Claridge streets in Juniata Park at around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Investigators found one spent shell casing from a semi-automatic weapon close to the victims body. Surveillance footage in the area shows the suspect standing close to Nguyen before they open fire in an unprovoked attack, according to the police. A surveillance camera caught the suspect, wearing a red hoodie, running down the alleyway toward Hunting Park after the shooting. More from NextShark: Creator of Free Website for COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Uses Platform to Raise Anti-Asian Hate Awareness Nguyen was known for his friendliness and his morning walks around the neighborhood. It just all happened in the blink of an eye you just dont expect to see, Tony Peralta, Nguyens neighbor, told Fox 29. Yesterday I see him with his grandchildren just playing and smiling the next day you see him on the floor You dont have nothing inside your soul just to do that to a man thats so innocent and walks around, literally walks around. This is a tragic homicide, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC Philadelphia. Why someone would shoot a 76-year-old male returning to his home after taking his morning walk which family says he does on a regular basis we dont have a motive right now. We dont know if robbery was a motive. We dont know if this individual was targeted for some reason. More from NextShark: ER Doctor Fighting COVID-19 in NYC Reveals What's REALLY Happening Police said the incident is uncommon for the area. Authorities have not said whether the case will be investigated as an anti-Asian hate crime. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the shooting is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS. Story continues More from NextShark: Pakistani TikToker sexually assaulted by mob of 400 men in public for hours Featured Image via NBC Philadelphia (left); 6abc Action News (right) Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Witnesses Ignore Elderly Asian Woman Punched and Kicked in Broad Daylight in NYC (AFP via Getty Images) At least nine people have died while in the custody of the New York Citys Department of Correction this year, including two deaths this week alone. On Tuesday, a man died in custody in Bellevue Hospitals prison ward in Manhattan. On Monday, an inmate died at the George R Vierno Center at the citys main jail complex on Rikers Island. Last year, at least 16 people died while in custody at Rikers. Another man who was recently held at the facility, Antonio Bradley, died eight days after he tried to hang himself inside a holding cell at Bronx Criminal Court. He was on life support at Lincoln Hospital, but his death on 18 June was not recorded as a death in custody because he was granted compassionate release while on his deathbed, according to The New York Daily News. After visiting the troubled facility on 22 June, Mayor Eric Adams said that the era of neglecting the violence and dysfunction of our citys jails is over, pointing to the confiscation of more than 2,700 weapons at the complex, attributed to the return of uniform staff returning to the job and tactical search operations. Much work remains, but [Department of Correction commissioner Louis Molina] and I are committed to tackling the challenges facing us and implementing the reforms needed to build safer and more humane jails for those who live and work on Rikers, the mayor said in a statement. While City Hall reports that rates of slashings and stabbings at the complex have fallen 63 per cent since March, reports from the Board of Correction this month show violence spiked in April and May alongside use-of-force incidents among correction officers. A statement from the Legal Aid Society, which represented Albert Drye, who died at Bellevue on 21 June, said the department refused to provide his attorneys with the most basic information concerning his passing, an all-too-common scenario that we along with clients family members, friends and community routinely face in these tragic situations. Story continues The organisation demanded immediate answers from the city and the jail medical staff about his death, and revived calls to elected officials, prosecutors and others to facilitate the decarceration of local jails before another New Yorker has to spend their final moments confined to a cage in a facility grappling with a full-fledged humanitarian crisis. Today I saw progress on Rikers Island thats possible with the right leadership: 2,700 weapons were recovered. The crisis we face is not easy and much work remains, but we are committed to tackling these issues to keep everyone in our care safe. pic.twitter.com/ZOJusrQc88 Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 22, 2022 The mayors appearance and announcement at Rikers is both irresponsible and callous, according to the Legal Aid Society. This is emblematic of how City Hall views incarcerated people as second-class citizens, guilty until proven innocent and unworthy of compassion, the group said in a statement. The extraordinarily high death rate on Mayor Adams watch, and the suffering of all who are kept in abysmal conditions inside, are a humanitarian crisis that this administration seems incapable of rectifying any time soon. Advocates have pressed for federal authorities to address the crisis, but a federal judge this month approved the citys action plan for reform, potentially averting a federal takeover of the jail. The plan represents a way to move forward with concrete measures now to address the ongoing crisis at Rikers Island, according to a filing from US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. Judge Swain warned that the city could face consequences if officials do not fulfill their commitments and demonstrate their ability to make urgently needed changes. A 26-page plan released by the city in May outlines steps for the Department of Correction to address staffing issues and reorganise leadership. Mayor Adams also issued an executive order creating an interagency task force to address the crisis at the jail. As the plan makes clear and as the court has agreed, we have a strategy to aggressively untangle the dysfunction that has plagued the jails and set them on a path of real, enduring reform, Mayor Adams said in a statement earlier this month. We will not rest until the dysfunction on Rikers is rooted out, these reforms are implemented, and the people in our care and working on the island are safe around the clock, he said. A federal monitor appointed to oversee deteriorating conditions at the jail was cautiously optimistic about potential progress at the jail, but he warned that he had serious concerns about the citys ability to put the plan into action, arguing that the plan is not sufficient by itself to address daily danger, violence, and chaos inside the jail. After decades of mismanagement, quagmire of bureaucracy, and limited proficiencies of many of the people who must lead the necessary transformation, serious concerns remain about whether the city and Department are capable of fully and faithfully implementing this Action Plan with integrity, according to the federal monitoring team. Republican Katie Britt won Alabamas Senate primary on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump endorsed her, but the backing of the GOP establishment was more important. (Photo: Associated Press) Republican Katie Britt won Alabamas Senate primary on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump endorsed her, but the backing of the GOP establishment was more important. (Photo: Associated Press) Establishment-backed Republican Katie Britt won the GOP nomination for Alabamas open Senate seat Tuesday night, triumphing in a race where former President Donald Trump reversed his initial support for her opponent and ultimately endorsed her. The victory in deep-red Alabama virtually ensures that Britt will replace her former boss, longtime Sen. Richard Shelby, in Congress upper chamber. Britt defeated Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) in a runoff election, winning with 65.5% of the vote to 34.5% for Brooks when The Associated Press called the race for Britt at about 9:30 p.m. Eastern Britt won with the backing of former President Donald Trump but she does not owe her victory to him. Britt, who previously served as chief of staff for Shelby and led Alabamas state-level chamber of commerce, was the Republican establishments choice in the contest, and had the tacit backing of groups controlled by allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Brooks, a longtime Trump ally, fully endorsed the presidents false claims of a stolen 2020 election, while Britt avoided doing the same. Trump, accordingly, endorsed Brooks not long after Shelby announced his retirement. However, the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC controlled by McConnell allies, raised $4 million with Shelby to fund a group attacking Brooks. The group aired television ads that highlighted Brooks criticisms of Trumps conservatism and character from before his presidency. Those ads worked to drive down Brooks poll numbers. Seeing a sinking political ship, Trump used Brooks suggestion that voters move forward from his stolen election claims as an excuse to ditch the congressman. He un-endorsed Brooks in March. Mo Brooks of Alabama made a horrible mistake recently when he went woke and stated, referring to the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, Put that behind you, put that behind you, despite the fact that the Election was rife with fraud and irregularities, Trump said in a statement at the time, employing a very strange definition of woke. Story continues In the May primary, Britt won easily with 45% of the vote, but failed to break the 50% margin necessary to avoid a runoff. Brooks finished second with 29% of the vote. On June 10, long after it became clear that Britt would almost certainly win the runoff, Trump endorsed her. Britt is now set to face Democrat Will Boyd in November. Shes an overwhelming favorite in the heavily Republican state. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Authorities arrested Bryce Francis on Monday, who faces charges of distribution of a controlled substance within 2,000 ft of a school and possession of a controlled substance (Skiatook Police Department/Facebook) Authorities in Oklahoma arrested a fast-food worker after a customer allegedly received a bag of methamphetamine alongside their order. On Tuesday, the Skiatook Police Department said in a statement on their social media that theyd been made aware of a customer at a Carls Jr in the town of Skiatook, located approximately 20 miles north of Tulsa, who had placed an order for food, but had instead received a small baggy of drugs inside their bag. The customer, whose name has not been released, reportedly sat down at the Oklahoma fast-food chain to dig into his meal and was video chatting with his girlfriend when he made the unwelcome discovery tucked millimetres away from his meal, Fox 23 reported. Officers learned that the baggy had a crystalline substance inside of it that later field tested positive for methamphetamine, the police department said in a statement posted on Facebook. After returning to the restaurant, officers interviewed staff of the fast-food chain and later reported that theyd taken employee Bryce Francis into custody. The law enforcement agency reported that Francis was subsequently arrested and now faces charges of distribution of a controlled substance within 2,000 ft of a school, in addition to possession of a controlled substance. In a follow-up post to their original message on Facebook, the police department teased that the illegal substance, which was given to an unknowing customer, was still available for the person who it had been intended for. We would also like to add, the Skiatook Police Department wrote in a pinned comment to their original post. Iif you are the person that was SUPPOSE[d] to receive this order, it is waiting for you at the Skiatook Police Department. Just swing on by. Andrea Barr, the recently fired chief auditor of Baltimore County Public Schools, filed a letter of appeal to the Maryland State Board of Education on June 16, asserting that she was terminated unlawfully. During a school board meeting May 17, the board held a vote on whether to renew Barrs contract. Barr had been employed by the Office of Internal Audit since 1986 and became chief auditor in 2013 without a single blemish on [her] record, she wrote in her appeal. However, her contract renewal failed, not because of votes in favor of termination but board members choosing not to vote at all. Board members Moalie Jose, Rod McMillion, John Offerman, Makeda Scott, Erin Hager and student board member Christian Thomas voted in favor of Barrs contract renewal. Lily Rowe and Russell Kuehn recused themselves; Kathleen Causey, Lisa Mack and chairwoman Julie Henn abstained. The motion to renew the contract required seven votes. Barr, through her appeal, asks that the vote be stricken immediately and the matter be called for an emergency lawfully conducted vote overseen by the Maryland State Board of Education. She also requested offending board members to be investigated and considered for removal for their actions. Throughout Barrs more than three decades with the county schools, her contract renewal has only been put up for vote by the school board twice. She wrote that this practice is not commonplace; rather, her contract had only required superintendent approval in the past. The first vote took place in spring 2020 following an independent investigators report. Seven board members voted in favor of the renewal. Five other members, including then-chairwoman Causey, chose not to vote. Causey had been named in the independent investigation and in the aftermath threatened Barrs employment, according to Barrs appeal letter. Barr wrote that she began to experience a hostile work environment in 2019, specifically from Causey and then-audit committee chair Kuehn. She said the pair initiated a campaign of pressure and threats to influence the work of the Office of Internal Audit. Story continues That culminated in express threats to fire me or even to go so far as to abolish the Office of Internal Audit if I did not bend to their personal agendas, Barr wrote. Some of that behavior was also directed at the external auditor. Causey and Keuhn did not reply to immediate requests for comment. Since 2019, Barr has overseen two audits of the board that revealed irregularities and improper expenditures, according to the appeal. The second audit happened this April. Prior to the boards vote last month, Superintendent Darryl Williams, who has recently faced criticism from the Baltimore County Council, sent Barr a renewal of employment letter on April 1, which she accepted within the week. Following the May 17 board meeting, the chief human resources officer sent Barr a letter stating the board failed to renew your contract for the 2022-2023 school year and expressing gratitude for her more than 35 years with the school system. Barrs last day is June 30. The school boards deadline to file its dissent is July 1. STORY: The cause of the fire, which began around 8 pm on Tuesday (June 21), remained unclear. Reuters footage shows smoke billowing from the hills and police water cannon vehicles helping firefighters as the blaze spread through a forest in the sparsely populated area. Earlier on Wednesday, Forestry Minister Vahit Kirisci said the wildfire was largely contained after scenes of burning woodland reminded Turks of blazes last year that devastated tens of thousands of hectares across the region. Some 150 people from 51 houses were evacuated in the area as a precaution, he also said. Nearly 1,500 personnel, more than 360 vehicles, 20 helicopters and 14 planes were involved in tackling the blaze, officials said. Southern California's first lightning strike death in years was reported Wednesday as thunderstorms continued rattling across the region. The storms come as an area of low pressure off the coast funneled monsoonal moisture into the region. A woman and two dogs were killed by a lightning strike at 8:50 a.m. near the San Gabriel River in Pico Rivera, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jonathan Branham. The woman, identified by authorities as 52-year-old Antonia Mendoza Chavez, died in Pico Rivera and her last moments may have been captured on home surveillance video, according to ABC 7. Paramedics attempted CPR but authorities told KTLA they believe her death was instant. According to the National Lightning Safety Council, Chavez' death marks the first time someone has been killed by lightning in 2022. In 2021, they were a reported 11 deaths from lightning strikes. The city announced several outdoor activities were canceled due to the weather. The storms were accompanied by lightning and heavy downpours that were not typical of June in California, forecasters said. Monsoonal moisture at this time of year is more common in Arizona and New Mexico than in California. Amid concerns about lightning, hail and wind, the National Weather Service issued special weather advisories Wednesday morning for several parts of the region. HEAT: Everything you need to know 'REMARKABLE': How to see rare parade of planets in the morning sky through the end of June Southern California Edison reported power outages affecting more than 27,000 customers, mostly in Los Angeles County. The Weather Service said most rainfall was light but there were exceptions, including a cell over the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County where a gauge recorded nearly an inch of rain. Cloud formations move over Elysian Park overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. In the Los Angles area, Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Oxnard, said the monsoonal moisture, which is brought up from the south by a reversal in wind direction caused Wednesday by a low-pressure system northwest of Los Angeles usually only happens a few times a year, typically in July or August, the L.A. Times said. Story continues The lightning also raised concern about the potential for wildfires in the drought-stricken region. AccuWeather meteorologists are increasingly concerned about the risk for dry thunderstorms to develop across parts of California on Wednesday and into Thursday as a surge of mid-level atmospheric moisture arrives along with a jet-stream disturbance," AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. The threat of summer thunderstorms in the western US often puts firefighters on the alert because in the dry West, the humidity is often so low that rain falling from thunderstorms evaporates before reaching the ground. Such evaporating rain is called "virga." Even though the rain doesn't make it to the ground, flashes of lightning streak from the clouds to the ground. This lightning can start fires in dry woods with no rain to extinguish or slow the blazes. Lightning accounts for a large number of the forest fires in the West. The largest wildfire in California history, the August Complex Fire, burned more than 1 million acres after it ignited due to lightning in August 2020. That blaze destroyed more than 900 structures across seven counties and left 1 dead. Farther to the east, over the past several days, southerly breezes have kicked in over the interior Southwest, AccuWeather said. This change in the wind direction from the west to the south is known as the North American monsoon. The uptick in moisture has unleashed numerous showers and thunderstorms there, especially in New Mexico. In Southern California, forecasters said the weather would start calming down on Thursday and then become more Junelike. Contributing: Asha C. Gilbert, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thunderstorms in Southern California trigger lightning death near LA Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, right, stands with his wife Casey during a 2019 news conference. Lynne Sladky/AP Photo Casey DeSantis is ramping up official duties after taking a break during chemo treatments. The Florida first lady is cancer-free now and one of her platforms is children's mental health. "I'm feeling good, and I'm here, and I'm fit to fight," she said. Florida first lady Casey DeSantis declared Wednesday that she was "fit to fight" after recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year. "I'm feeling good, and I'm here, and I'm fit to fight, and that's a lot due to your encouragement," she said at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where she was announcing a new program for veterans. Casey DeSantis, the wife of rising Republican star Gov. Ron DeSantis, has been resuming public events during the last five weeks after taking a break when she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. The DeSantises first announced her diagnosis publicly in October 2021 and the governor said doctors declared his wife cancer-free in early March 2022. At Wednesday's event, Casey DeSantis thanked people who wrote her letters and who prayed for her when she was sick, saying, "I want you all to know that it didn't go unnoticed." The first lady is widely known among GOP circles to be her husband's closest confidante. Ron DeSantis is expected to easily get reelected governor this year and is widely considered to be a top GOP contender for the presidency in 2024. He has grabbed national attention for waging high-profile battles with the Biden administration and ignoring COVID-19 mitigation measures endorsed by federal health officials. As first lady of Florida, Casey DeSantis has focused her work on child mental health and resiliency. Wednesday's event was part of that platform, in which she announced the launch of a program called "Continue the Mission." The program will encourage veterans, military spouses, and former law enforcement officers to sign up to work as child protective investigators a high-stress, emotional job that faces high turnover because it requires investigating cases of childhood abuse and neglect. Story continues "Many when they are going from active duty and going into reserves or going on to become a veteran, many say they have lost their purpose," Casey DeSantis said of her conversation with Florida veterans. "They have been spending their entire life serving the country, doing something greater than themselves, and then they come back and some of them feel they have lost their purpose in life." Casey DeSantis, a former news show host who is 41, is a veteran spouse herself. Ron DeSantis, 43, served in the Navy from 2004 to 2010, including a deployment in Iraq. The first lady is also ramping up support for her husband politically. On Tuesday, she launched "Mamas for DeSantis" to support her husband's gubernatorial re-election, Fox News reported. "I kick a good guy out the door every day," Casey DeSantis said Wednesday. "I couldn't be more proud of everything he has done." Read the original article on Business Insider The founder of a flying car startup claims to have made the first ever commute to work using an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft. Tomasz Patan, who is also the chief technology officer of Jetson, flew the companys $83,600 vehicle ONE from his home in Tuscany to work, cutting the usual travel time by car by nearly 90 per cent. The low-altitude flight through the Italian countryside saw Mr Patan pilot the craft just metres above the ground in the one person craft, which resembles a large-scale version of a commercial quadcopter drone. A video of the flight, which took place in May, was shared to the companys official Facebook page, together with the tagline Everyone is a pilot. Jetson claims that the EVTOL craft will not require a pilots license to operate, though regulations and laws may prohibit its use in most countries. We are incredibly proud to share that after months of rigorous trial and testing we completed the worlds first EVTOL commute, a statement from the company read. A momentous occasion for the emerging EVTOL sector. As pioneers, we are focussed on further pushing the envelope during this aviation renaissance. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the aluminium aircraft has a top speed of 102 kilometres per hour (63 miles per hour) and can carry someone weighing up to 100kg. It also comes with a ballistic parachute that rapidly deploys in the event of an emergency. Our long-term goal is to democratise flight. We firmly believe the EVTOL is the future for mass transportation, said Mr Patan. The Jetson is built like a Formula One car for the sky and incredibly fun to fly. Most importantly, the Flight Stabilisation System makes flight super easy. Jetson is one of numerous flying car startups that are making use of significant battery and aviation advances in recent years to reimagine the way people travel in the future. Investments in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions grew from $76 million in 2015 to $1 billion in 2021, according to research published by GlobalData, heralding what it called a new mobility revolution. Former gubernatorial challenger and rising Democratic star Andrew Gillum is facing a 21-count federal indictment alleging that he illegally solicited campaign contributions between 2016 and 2019 and promised political favors in return for the financial support. The period of time hes alleged to have broken the law includes his failed 2018 bid against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The 26-page indictment unsealed Wednesday outlines a series of interactions with two undercover FBI agents, who are not identified in court documents and who posed as developers for a company called Southern Pines Development, which at the time was interested in contracts through the City of Tallahassee, where Gillum was mayor before running for governor. Gillum, among other things, solicited contributions from the undercover agents after promising something very significant in return, according to the indictment. Gillums adviser, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, also faces 19 counts, including allegations that some of those contributions were funneled to a separate company she operates, P&P Communications, rather than going to help Gillums run for governor. Marc Elias, a well-known Democratic attorney representing Gillum, pushed back on the allegations in a statement he released before the federal charges were made public. The government got it wrong today, Elias said. The evidence in this case is clear and will show Mr. Gillum is innocent of all charges. In his own statement issued through Elias, Gillum, who was taken into custody on Wednesday morning, said he is the subject of political persecution. Every campaign Ive run has been done with integrity, Gillum said. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Gillum and Lettman-Hicks each pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to all charges in Tallahassee federal court. Gillum wore a blue business suit and was escorted by two U.S. Marshals while wearing handcuffs and a large metallic chain around his waist. Lettman-Hicks used a wheelchair to enter and exit the courtroom and wore a patterned dress. Both declined to discuss the charges during the hearing, only answering briefly to procedural pre-trial questions asked by U.S. Magistrate Charles A. Stampelos, who set a trial for Aug. 16. Story continues Supporters who turned out for Gillum included some of his closest allies, including Tallahassee lawyer Daryl Parks, who declined comment after the hearing. An hour after the hearing ended, Gillum walked out of the front doors of courthouse. He declined to take questions as he walked to a waiting white Chevrolet Tahoe. Gillum was once seen as a rising star in Florida Democratic politics, but was hammered with corruption-related attacks during the campaign and lost to DeSantis by roughly 40,000 votes after a recount. The case was investigated by the FBI, and the indictment, which was first reported by NBC News, was announced by Jason Coody, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida and an appointee of President Joe Biden. In one example outlined in the indictment, a Gillum associate identified as Individual B met in January 2017 with two undercover FBI agents in Nashville. The individual asked one undercover agent for $25,000 in relation to three projects Individual B had proposed in the City of Tallahassee, and asked the second agent for $75,000 related to three different projects, according to the indictment, which does not specify who Individual B is or what work was being considered. One month later, the total $100,000 campaign contribution request was agreed to by an undercover agent and Gillum during a meeting in Jacksonville, and would be paid in two separate installments of $50,000 each. During that meeting, Gillum directly told one of the undercover FBI agents that he should separate in his mind the campaign contributions and the Tallahassee projects. During a meeting that summer with FBI agents, which took place months after Gillum had already announced his gubernatorial bid, Gillum allegedly promised city contracts in return for political contributions. During the conversation, Gillum falsely represented that Southern Pines representatives never offered Gillum anything or gave to Gillum anything, and that Gillum stopped having communications with Southern Pines representatives about the campaign contributions following their attempt to link the campaign contributions to support for potential projects in Tallahassee, read the indictment. A federal grand jury has been impaneled since at least November and has interviewed several former Gillum campaign aides, a former aide who was interviewed by the FBI told POLITICO on Wednesday. Among the things federal investigators asked that person about was money contributed by Donald Sussman, a founder and chief investment officer of a Connecticut-based hedge fund and major national Democratic donor. The person, who was granted anonymity to discuss the matter, did not believe Sussman was being investigated for any wrongdoing rather, it was to show how a contribution from him to Gillum was the focus of the scrutiny. A Sussman adviser did not return a POLITICO request seeking comment. Gillum has been the subject of intense scrutiny and political scandal for years, including being forced to remove himself from politics and public life in March 2020 after police found him in a Miami Beach hotel room too inebriated to talk with a male who is suspected to have overdosed. Police found three bags of suspected crystal meth, but Gillum said he'd had too much alcohol to drink but did not do any drugs. Pictures later emerged showing Gillum laying on the floor in his own vomit. In a national TV interview he did with his wife six months following the incident, Gillum, who has three children, said he was bisexual and expressed remorse. The city he once led has been under federal investigation since at least 2015, a probe that snared the activities outlined in the unsealed indictment. Central to that investigation was Gillums acceptance of unreported gifts from lobbyists, including a 2016 New York trip referenced in the indictment. During the trip, the undercover FBI agents posing as developers paid for his stay at the Millennium hotel as well as food, drinks, a boat ride around New York Harbor and tickets to the musical Hamilton. Gillum previously faced no criminal charges but agreed to pay a $5,000 fine brought by the Florida Commission on Ethics tied to the improper acceptance of gifts. Details of the relationship between Gillum and Lettman-Hicks were brought up during Wednesdays first court appearance. The indictment alleges that Gillum worked for a public relations company owned by Lettman-Hicks, and he continued receiving a salary from the company even though he told state elections officials that he had resigned in order to steer clear of impropriety. Gillums campaign headquarters was also first opened at Lettman-Hicks office in Tallahassee. Lettman-Hicks was represented by a public defender, attorney Elizabeth Vallejo, who said on behalf of Lettman-Hicks that she and Gillum were employed by a foundation which she did not identified in court. Retired Gen. Keith Alexander, the former National Security Agency chief and head of U.S. Cyber Command, warned Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to unleash cyberattacks against the U.S. financial sector as retaliation for the Wests involvement in its war with Ukraine. Alexander said Putin has stated that the U.S. was intending to launch cyberattacks against Russian banks following sanctions that crippled the countrys economy. The general said that type of statement, which could not be independently confirmed, could give Putin the power to go after U.S. financial institutions, including in cyberspace. I think he was actually putting it out there because [Russian] banks are having problems more so because of sanctions than anybody attacking them, Alexander said. [The statement] will also give him the authority to unleash his guys against our financial institutions, he added. Alexander made his remarks during a cyber webinar hosted by IronNet, a cybersecurity firm founded and led by the retired general. Alexander was joined by other panelists who discussed several key issues, including how nation-state threat actors such as Russia will use cyber as a weapon to target banks and other financial institutions. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and Western Europe imposed crippling economic sanctions against Russia, including cutting the country off from roughly $600 billion in reserves held by the Central Bank of Russia, suspending its access to the U.S. dollar and banning the state banks from using SWIFT, a messaging system used by banks to conduct international transactions. Alexander predicted that Russia will likely launch cyberattacks against the U.S. financial sector and other key industries to punish the country for its support of Ukraine. I think were going to see some of that as we go forward, Alexander said. I think its going to pick up, and I think it will be meant to be punitive. Story continues However, four months into the war, it seems that Russia has shown cyber restraint against the U.S. despite several warnings from cyber experts and government officials predicting that Russia would launch destructive cyberattacks, especially following the crippling economic sanctions. Those predictions even prompted Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to wonder why the Russians hadnt unleashed their cyber arsenal as many thought they would. I am still relatively amazed that they have not really launched the level of maliciousness that their cyber arsenal includes, Warner said in March. Although those predictions have yet to fully materialize in the U.S. specifically, some experts and policymakers have said that the Russians are likely saving their cyber ammunitions for upcoming U.S. elections, including the 2022 midterms. The experts said that Russia will likely unleash a range of cyber weapons, including disinformation campaigns and election hacking, in an attempt to meddle in the midterms. [Putin] is upset with a bunch of countries, perhaps most of all the United States, Alexander said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BRICS cooperation boosts common development, global recovery Xinhua) 08:36, June 22, 2022 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Despite rising uncertainties, BRICS nations have made remarkable achievements in cooperation, helping promote common development and global economic recovery. BRICS, an emerging-market group which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represents approximately 40 percent of the global population and accounts for about 25 percent of the global economy. Wang Youming, director of the Department for Developing Countries Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said that BRICS cooperation in areas such as poverty reduction, food security, green development, industrialization, the digital economy and connectivity has met the needs and aspirations of many developing countries. The BRICS-founded New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai, offers a glimpse into the group's efforts to tackle the infrastructure and development challenges faced by emerging economies while advancing the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The bank had approved more than 80 projects in member countries by May 2021, with a total portfolio of some 30 billion U.S. dollars, it said. Looking ahead, the bank said it will provide 30 billion U.S. dollars of financial support to member countries from 2022 to 2026, with 40 percent of the funds to be used to mitigate global warming. Wang said the majority of NDB loans are used for clean drinking water, environmental sanitation and green energy, helping member countries achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. BRICS countries are important producers and consumers of agricultural products, playing an important role in the global food system. As of May this year, three of the world's four major food producers are BRICS members, and the BRICS countries' total agricultural GDP accounts for more than half the world total. The 12th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture, held via video link earlier this month, adopted a joint statement from BRICS agriculture ministers and a document on a BRICS food security cooperation strategy. It also announced the establishment of a forum on the agricultural and rural affairs development of BRICS countries. In the eyes of Wang Wen, executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, the BRICS partnership has not only injected impetus into global development cooperation, but it has also functioned as a new booster for global economic recovery. Since the beginning of the 21st century, developing economies have increased their share of the trade in goods globally, and BRICS countries are playing a growing role in world trade, according to the Global Development Report released Monday. "Goods exports and imports of BRICS countries made up 19.8 percent and 16.4 percent of the world totals in 2020 respectively," said the report published by the Center for International Knowledge on Development. In 2021, despite the prolonged impact of COVID-19, the total volume of trade in goods of BRICS countries surged 33.4 percent year on year to 8.55 trillion U.S. dollars, official data showed. China is a key investor and trade partner in the BRICS group, and trade and investment cooperation between China and other BRICS countries exerts a very strong impact on the development of their economies, Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua. In the first five months of the year, trade between China and other BRICS countries recorded a 12.1 percent year-on-year rise to reach 195.96 billion U.S. Dollars, growing faster than China's overall foreign trade in the same period, Tuesday's customs data showed. During a recent online shopping festival guided by China's commerce ministry, a special "Buy in BRICS" section was launched, where the sales of chocolate and red wine from BRICS nations respectively skyrocketed 302.1 percent and 283.8 percent, according to the ministry. Under the theme of "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development," the 14th summit of BRICS, will be held this week in virtual format under China's chairmanship. "BRICS' multilateralism is very important for today's new world order," said Phea. "I believe that the summit's outcome will benefit not only the BRICS countries but also other developing countries as well as the whole world." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A former Tesla worker has rejected a $15 million payout, according to a San Francisco court filing. Owen Diaz, a former Tesla elevator operator, has accused the company of racial abuse. Diaz won a payout of $137 million in November 2021 but this was later slashed to $15 million. Owen Diaz, a former Tesla elevator operator, has rejected a $15 million payout, which was awarded after he filed a racial abuse lawsuit. Lawyers for Diaz turned down the payout in a filing in federal court in San Francisco. They said they believed the award was unjust and the payout was not enough to deter further racial abuse at Tesla. This means both Tesla and Diaz are heading back to court for a second time. Diaz's lawyers told Insider in a statement that the new trial will be about damages rather than liability. They contend the payout "does not adequately or reasonably compensate" Diaz for the "deep and long lasting" harm he suffered. Diaz won the original court case in October 2021 but the jury payout was slashed from $137 million to $15 million in April 2022. Insider reported that Tesla had argued the amount should be lowered to $600,000 and filed a motion for a new trial. The motion was denied by the judge on the condition Diaz accepted the payout. Lawyers for Diaz wrote in the filing that by rejecting the slashed payout he was asking a jury to evaluate what Tesla did to him and "provide just compensation for the torrent of racist slurs that was directed at him." Tesla did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours. Diaz alleged in his lawsuit that Tesla colleagues at the company's Fremont, California, assembly plant would verbally abuse Black workers, once telling him to "go back to Africa." He alleged that the constant abuse led him to suffer weight loss and sleepless nights, Insider reported. Tesla is also fighting a lawsuit brought by a former worker that accused the company of fostering a culture of sexual harassment, as well as a lawsuit from one of its investors that accuses the company of creating a toxic work culture. Read the original article on Business Insider Consequences of the shelling of Sumy region by the occupiers Read also: Taiwan to help finance rebuilding of Bucha, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhya The governor said that the Russians also shelled the Krasnopillia territorial community with mortars and other weapons in the afternoon on June 21. As many as 42 attacks were recorded in the past day. "In particular, the Russians fired at settlements," Zhyvytskyi said. Read also: Ukrainian security service detains Russian spy on Ukrainian-Russian border in Sumy "Houses, outbuildings, a school and a village council were damaged. A nice little park in one of the settlements of the territorial community was destroyed by enemy shells." Read also: Casualties reported as Russian invaders attack Sumy Oblast, says governor Earlier on June 20, one person was killed and another one was wounded as a result of the Russian shelling of Sumy Oblast. Help NV continue its work reporting on the Russian invasion PARIS (Reuters) - The Paris public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into allegations of rape against French Secretary of State for Development and the Francophonie, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, after two complaints had been received. A first complaint for rape was submitted on May 25, which led to the opening of the investigation on May 27. A second complaint was filed on June 16, the prosecutor's office said. Officials at the minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zacharopoulou, a trained physician, previously worked as a gynaecologist before moving to politics. French media earlier reported the complaints were linked to her professional activity. Another newly appointed minister, Damien Abad, Minister for Solidarity and the Disabled, already faces mounting pressure over rape accusations made by two women. Abad has denied the allegations and said he has no intention from resigning from the government. The investigation adds further pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government after this weekend's election setback in parliament. Voters on Sunday delivered what is for France a rare hung parliament, with Macron's centrist alliance 44 seats short of an absolute majority, and the far right and a broad leftwing alliance battling to be the main opposition force, while the conservatives could be kingmakers. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Angus MacSwan) The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled a judge should not have dismissed a juror during deliberations in the murder trial of three alleged gang members convicted of killing a man at Columbus Peachtree Mall in 2016. Because of this error, the high court overturned the convictions of two of the three defendants and sent the case back to Muscogee Superior Court. It involved the death of Anthony Meredith, shot 10 times outside the malls food court entrance about 7:30 p.m. on March 26, 2016, the Saturday before Easter. Convicted of murder and other charges were alleged triggerman Xzavaien Trevon Jones, 19; his sister Tekoa Chantrell Young, 24; and Terell Raquez McFarland, 26. Authorities alleged the three suspects were in the Crips street gang and together assassinated Meredith in retaliation for the earlier shooting of Christopher Twitty, also a Crip and Youngs boyfriend, gunned down at a time when he was having a dispute with Meredith over drugs. After all the trial evidence was presented and the jury went into deliberations in April 2017, some jurors reported that the foreman, a woman identified in the Supreme Court decision as L.M., refused to deliberate and was impeding their discussion of the evidence. A few also accused her of being abusive and insulting. After speaking with the trial lawyers and calling jurors out individually for questioning on the complaints, then-Judge Frank Jordan Jr. removed the foreperson and replaced her with an alternate juror, after which the jury found the defendants guilty. Attorneys for Jones and McFarland appealed, arguing Jordan abused his discretion, and the Supreme Court agreed, overturning those convictions. The high court said the findings on which Jordan based his decision were improper, though he could have cited other reasons that would have sufficed. Jordan, who since has retired, cited these grounds for removing the juror: She stopped deliberating after making up her mind as early as two hours into deliberations. She refused to cite reasons for her conclusions. She sought to physically distance herself from the other jurors. She asked to be removed from the jury. Story continues Removing a juror during deliberations because the individual already has reached a firm conclusion after viewing the evidence is not supported by legal precedent, the Supreme Court said: Jurors cannot be compelled during deliberations to change their minds just to reach a unanimous verdict. In other words, a jurors view of the evidence is not the sort of legally relevant purpose our case law requires before removing that juror, even when the jurors view of the evidence has a negative effect on deliberations, the justices wrote. But Jordan had other reasons he could have cited, based on other jurors testimony, that would have been sufficient, the court said: There was sufficient testimony from which the trial court could have found that L.M. insulted, threatened, unduly pressured, and intimidated other members of the jury, the sort of behavior unrelated a jurors view of the evidence that we have held can justify removal. Instead, Jordan cited reasons the appellate courts specifically have said do not justify removal: While the evidence the trial court developed during its investigation could have supported findings that would place this case in the line allowing removal, the findings the trial court actually made instead placed it squarely in the line prohibiting removal, the Supreme Court said. District Attorney Stacey Jackson was not involved in the case, having just taken office last month. He said his office is studying the matter. I did receive the news today from the Supreme Court, he said. Although we respect the courts decision, we disagree with it. Before the Supreme Court appeal, Muscogee Superior Court Judge Ben Land addressed the issues raised when the defendants sought a new trial, he said. We believe that Judge Land in denying the motions for new trial laid out legal reasons they should not be granted, Jackson said, adding his staff will consult the state attorney generals office about filing a Supreme Court motion for reconsideration. While this decision did not involve Tekoa Youngs case, she also has a separate appeal pending. BERLIN (AP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that he wants to discuss the outlines of a Marshall plan for Ukraine with the leaders of the Group of Seven countries at their upcoming summit in Germany. Scholz hopes for a united front on long-term support for Ukraine when he hosts the annual G-7 summit in Bavaria next week. The group of the world's leading economic powers is made up of the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Canada and Japan. The chancellor told Germany's parliament that rebuilding Ukraine will be a task for generations." Recalling his visit last week to Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that saw intense fighting, he said that some things there remind not just me of the pictures of German cities after World War II. Like Europe then, Ukraine today needs a Marshall plan for its rebuilding, Scholz said referring to the U.S.-sponsored plan that helped revive European economies after WWII. Billions of dollars will be needed to finance rebuilding over years, and that can only work if European nations, other major donor countries and international organizations work together, Scholz said. He has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the matter with the G-7 leaders by video link on Monday. Aside from funding, one thing is really decisive we must agree ... what such a Marshall plan for Ukraine can look like, he added. How we coordinate it internationally; how we decide together in the future what investments advance Ukraine fastest on its European path. Scholz said that, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he will call for a high-ranking expert conference on Ukraine to be convened under the umbrella of Germany's G-7 presidency. European Union leaders are expect at a summit Thursday and Friday to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership, kicking off a progress that will likely take years and whose success isn't guaranteed. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine The Shedd Aquariums Amazon Rising exhibit offers a glimpse into the many animal and plant species native to the faraway rainforest, including the emerald tree boa, white-faced whistling duck, dwarf caiman and wattled jacana. And now, the exhibit has welcomed a new slithering creature, one of the worlds largest snakes a green anaconda. The female snake, who is believed to be around 5 years old, was donated by a member of the Chicago Herpetological Society when the exhibit was in need of an anaconda, according to Amazon Rising manager Michael Yuratovac. I think shes beautiful. Shes a very large snake. Shes 10 feet 7 inches right now and she could get up to 20 feet. So its impressive people dont normally get to see a snake that size in person, Yuratovac said. The new anaconda drew many curious visitors, including several children who found themselves leaning against the glass that separated them from the snake, staring in awe as it slithered through the water and across several branches. Nathan Gonzalez, 16, visited the Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday and was especially excited to see the anaconda, which he had learned about in school: Its just amazing to see animals that Ive never seen before, especially the anaconda. The snakes native habitat is in South America and this species is known for its predator-like presence. As a constrictor, the anaconda can detach its jaw to swallow large prey whole, its mudlike coloring helping it blend into shallow waters and greenery. The animals are known to be capable of living in and out of the water, and are unique for having their eyes and nose on the tops of their heads, which helps them see and smell while swimming. As the Shedds new snake is getting used to its new environment, aquarium employees are working to make the anaconda less sensitive and responsive to touch. Yuratovac said this process involves touching her back for a moment or two and hoping she doesnt respond. By desensitizing the anaconda to touch, Yuratovac and his staff can ensure she does not put herself or staff in harms way during feeding or veterinarian procedures. Story continues We have to be very cautious that were not passing in front of her when shes in the water because she does look like shes just sitting there and then one second she could be striking up at you because she thinks youre food, he said. We are very cautious and were trying to feed her in a way where shell know that food comes from only this one spot. Many aquarium-goers viewing the anaconda were surprised by its size and reflected on broader concerns for critical ecosystems around the world. A news release from the aquarium noted that humans are the biggest threat to the snakes as they hunt the animals for their skin or out of fear. Indiana resident Tara Debish was visiting the Shedd with her children as part of a family trip to Chicago. She noted that her son was absolutely astounded by the large green anaconda. It opens my eyes to what kind of impact we have on these animals and how we need to work to protect them, she said. Daniyah Ahmed, another mom visiting Chicago with her family from Houston said her kids were pretty excited to learn about different aquatic species and ecosystems. You have a better, greater knowledge of seeing how many animals can be impacted by whatever were doing, so this exhibit is pretty good because you probably think of fish in a small range, but when you come here you see a lot of species so it gives you a broader view, she said. dgill@chicagotribune.com Greenwood continues its mission toward economic empowerment for the Black and Latino community. The digital banking platform just acquired Valence to provide communities with support for professional development and job recruiting. The news comes on the heels of Greenwoods acquisition of The Gathering Spot and solidifies the brands stance as a place where our people can not only learn skills for a better financial future but also get equipped with resources to survive and thrive. Valence was established in 2019 by Kobie Fuller, who is also the General Partner at Upfront Ventures. He, alongside Emily Slade and LaMer Walker, wanted to create a network specifically designed to help Black professionals connect with companies and vice versa. Now, Greenwood will leverage the companys pipeline recruiting database to help companies diversify workforces of all levels from early career to the C-suite. This is a legendary move set to equip Greenwoods community of roughly one million Black professionals with access to thousands of job listings and career opportunities, thus continuing the companys mission to close the financial wealth gap across America. Emerging Black leaders continue to face enormous challenges navigating career development and advancement, while companies and leadership struggle to attract and retain Black talent in their executive ranks, said Guy Primus, CEO of Valence in a statement shared with AfroTech. Valence provides a platform for executives, employers and Black business leaders to take meaningful steps to accelerate Black representation in the C-suite and drive positive change in corporate America. Primus will continue his duties as Valences CEO, but he will also be recruited as the Vice President of Greenwood. On the other hand, Fuller will join the financial institutions advisory board. Were being very targeted in how we can drive economic opportunity and wealth creation in the Black community, said Mr. Fuller. Joining with Greenwood is a commitment to our community and accelerates our mission towards creating new paths to success for Black professionals and fuels our efforts towards closing the racial wealth gap. Click here for more on how to join the Greenwood and Valence community. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida police officer is on desk duty after a video surfaced of him telling a Black driver this is how you guys get killed out here during a traffic stop, WTVJ reports. The driver, Gerard Nicolas, told the news station he was on his way to work when he was pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. When he asked me for my license, open the door, I started recording. I was looking for my stuff, my license because I didnt see my wallet. I was looking for my wallet and that wasnt my car, that was my moms car and I didnt know where the registration was. I was looking, looking. He got mad, Nicolas recalled in the interview. In the video, the unidentified officer is seen opening the drivers door. He asks Nicolas if he wants to go to jail today and then asks him to provide his license, registration and proof of insurance. Doctor accidentally gave 4-year-old vasectomy, lawsuit claims If not, you will not be going to work today. Simple thing man, the officer warns. This is how you guys get killed out here man. What? Say that again? Say what you just said, Nicolas asks. Registration and insurance. You want to give them to me? the office replies before shutting the door. I was scared, I was scared. I didnt think my life was going to make it, Nicolas told WTVJ. His video, titled #Being black in American is a crime, has been widely shared online. The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed it launched an internal investigation after learning of the video. The department said it was reviewing 30 minutes of body camera video along with other evidence, and that the officer had been moved from patrol duty to desk duty. Rest assured we are committed to transparency and community trust and will address all matters of public concern equitably, fairly, and in accordance with applicable laws, the department said in a statement to WTVJ. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Vice President Harris will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) annual conference, the group announced Wednesday. The 2022 conference will take place in Chicago, and it will be the groups first in-person conference since 2019. It is an honor to have Vice President Kamala Harris join us as we gather Latino leaders in Chicago for the nations largest Latino political convention, said NALEO Educational Fund CEO Arturo Vargas. Harriss presence at a Hispanic policymakers forum comes as the vice president has struggled to find her place in a crisis-laden administration, particularly taking heat over her management of the regional migration portfolio. For Harris, a California native, the NALEO speech is an opportunity to connect with a Hispanic power structure that holds particular sway in the West. With this year marking our first in-person Conference in three years, we are thrilled to facilitate this great opportunity for NALEO members and Latino policymakers across the country to connect with our nations leadership, said Vargas. And the administrations decision to send a top official to NALEOs 39th annual conference is a signal of its interest in Hispanic voters. NALEO is a nonpartisan grouping of the countrys more than 6,800 Hispanic elected officials. While Latinos are much more likely to vote for Democrats nationwide, Republican efforts in targeted Hispanic communities have paid off, creating a narrative of a Hispanic swing toward the GOP. In the most recent congressional special election, GOP Rep. Mayra Flores (Texas) beat Democratic contender Dan Sanchez in an 85 percent Hispanic district in South Texas. Despite minimal turnout in the special election to replace former Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas), Republicans touted the win as a signal of a rightward shift among Hispanics. In a recent presentation on NALEOs predictions for the Latino vote in 2022, Vargas remarked on the importance of direct outreach to Latino voters. Story continues We need to ensure that they are motivated that they are contacted by candidates and parties because that individual contact and touch is what drives Latino voter turnout, said Vargas. So our call to candidates and parties is dont take the Latino vote for granted. Whether youre Democrat or Republican, you have the opportunity to reach out to Latino voters if you invest in this electorate, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Whats it like to be a retired Westminster Kennel Club Champion? For last years champion, Wasabi the Pekingese, its pretty much the same as it ever was. Today in health care, President Biden celebrated COVID-19 vaccines becoming available for the youngest kids while taking a swipe at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where were following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, were Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Biden: No one should prevent vax of young kids President Biden on Tuesday took a swipe at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for declining to devote state resources to help providers pre-order COVID-19 vaccines for young kids ages 5 and under. Biden spoke at the White House to celebrate the day vaccines became available for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, the last group of Americans to be eligible. Lets be clear, elected officials shouldnt get in the way to make it more difficult for parents who want their children to be vaccinated and want to protect them and those around them, Biden said. This is no time for politics. Its about parents being able to do everything they can to keep their children safe. Flashback: DeSantis has been taking heat from infectious disease experts as well as national and state Democrats for his decision not to preorder from the federal government COVID-19 vaccines for infants and young kids. Florida was the only state that decided not to place an order. Read more here. AARP urges Manchin to support drug negotiation The AARP is launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign across print, radio, cable and TV broadcast networks in West Virginia, urging Sen. Joe Manchin (D) to support a reconciliation bill that includes Medicare drug price negotiation. The ads will start Wednesday and run through July 5 in markets across the state. The television ad, titled The Right Thing, urges Manchin to keep fighting for lower drug prices. Story continues Everybody knows Joe Manchin cares about West Virginians. And he knows too many of us are struggling to pay for our medicine. Thats why he supports letting Medicare negotiate lower drug prices, the ads narrator says. Context: The ads come as Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) privately tries to negotiate with Manchin to resurrect a spending bill that addresses climate change and lowers prescription drug prices. Manchin has long supported action to lower drug prices, including price negotiation, and recently spoke at an AARP event in West Virginia to say Democrats must pass drug pricing legislation before the midterm elections. But progressives are angry with Manchin for killing the initial bill that would have accomplished that. Actions speak louder than words, according to a top Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) aide. Read more here. MOST HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY EXTREME WEATHER Extreme weather events, like heavy rainfall, wildfires and heat waves, are occurring more and more frequently, partly due to climate change. This week, millions of people in the West and South are getting hit by a heat wave. While many people around the world have seen the effects of natural disasters year after year, people in the U.S. are increasingly experiencing these types of events as well. A new poll finds that the majority of households in the U.S. have been affected by extreme weather events, which have led to health and financial problems for some. Majority say theyre affected: The poll results and report released today from NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 78 percent of adults in the U.S. say that they have been affected by extreme weather events in the past five years. For U.S. households who participated in the poll who say theyve personally been affected by extreme weather events, some report serious health problems (24 percent) or financial problems (17 percent). Fourteen percent of them say that theyve had to evacuate from their homes and 14 percent say that theyve suffered damage to their home or property. Read more here. TAKING ON THE FIVE-ALARM MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS The latest rash of mass shootings has reignited the national conversation on gun violence and mental health. Its a pattern that leaves advocates such as Schroeder Stribling, president of Mental Health America, concerned about stigma and misunderstandings of mental illness. But she also sees room for action. The most important thing is that people with mental health conditions are far more likely to be victims of gun violence than perpetrators, Stribling said in a recent interview. That message can get lost very, very quickly. We have great concerns around stigma, she added. So when there is a shooting and the people turn first of all [to]: What was the mental health problem that caused it? Youth crisis amid pandemic: Stribling has been in her role at the nonprofit advocacy group about a year, coming to it as another crisis was resonating through the world of mental health: the COVID-19 pandemic. You can just look right down the list of risk factors and see that theres an acceleration of distress and crisis across the board, she said. However, clearly the five-alarm alarm is for youth. Read the full profile here. Mark Cubans drug prices could save Medicare $3.6B Has Mark Cuban found a better way to buy generic drugs? A new study suggests the billionaire entrepreneur might be on to something. Medicare could have saved up to $3.6 billion in 2020 if it bought generic drugs at the prices paid by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cubans drug company, according to a new study. The study from researchers at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests inefficiencies in the way Medicare currently pays for generic drugs. What is Cubans company? The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, launched online at the start of this year, seeks to simplify the convoluted supply chain for drugs and offer savings to consumers. It offers commonly used generic drugs at a 15 percent markup, plus a $3 dispensing fee and $5 shipping fee. It does not accept insurance, meaning patients pay out of pocket. Significant savings: That simplified model saves a good deal of money, the study found. The $3.6 billion in savings amounts to 37 percent of the $9.6 billion that Medicare spent on the 89 drugs examined in the study. There were savings to be had on 77 of those drugs, and 12 with no savings. Read more here. WHAT WERE READING On Covid messaging, Biden is caught between politics and public health (Stat) Women are more likely than men to develop long COVID, study finds (ABC News) COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 are finally here, but most parents arent jumping in line (USA Today) STATE BY STATE New Jersey backs down from $34 million fight with health insurer (Bloomberg) Medi-Cal will cover doulas at more than twice Californias initial proposed rate (Kaiser Health News) Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signs abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest (The Daily Advertiser) Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow. VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Twitters board of directors told shareholders to give the OK on Elon Musks offer to buy the company for $44 billion. Meanwhile, Democrats in the House and Senate introduced a bill that would bar tech companies from retaining data about users reproductive health. This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Send tips to The Hills Rebecca Klar, Chris Mills Rodrigo and Ines Kagubare. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Twitter tells shareholders to approve Musk deal Twitters board of directors on Tuesday unanimously recommended shareholders approve Elon Musks bid to buy the social media company. The board recommended stockholders approve Musks $44 billion offer, stating they determined it to be fair and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders, according to a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Once the merger is complete, stockholders will be entitled to $54.20 per share, the board said. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday, Musk said there were still some unresolved matters about the deal, amplifying concerns hes raised about the number of bots on the platform. Hes cast doubt on Twitters assessment that bots make up fewer than 5 percent of users. Read more here. New bill aims to protect reproductive data Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) and Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced legislation Tuesday that would bar companies from retaining data about users reproductive health without consent. The bill would also give people the power to demand companies disclose and delete the data, as well as the power to sue companies for violations of the law. The legislation was put forward in response to a draft Supreme Court opinion leaked in May that showed the court was prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that would trigger abortion bans or severe restrictions in a number of U.S. states. Story continues This is some of the most sensitive and personal data that exists. It deserves the highest level of privacy protection that the government can provide and thats what our bill does, Jacobs told The Hill. Read more about the bill. PRIORITIZE TECH ACCOUNTABILITY Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) led several House Democrats in a letter urging President Biden to use the upcoming Group of Seven (G-7) leaders summit to prioritize international collaboration on social media accountability to address online disinformation, extremism, hate and harassment. In the letter sent to Biden Tuesday, the Democrats said the U.S. should ensure it has a seat at the table as other countries continue to roll out new requirements for tech platforms. If the United States does not join these social media transparency efforts on an international level, it risks the formation and enforcement of new rules, standards, and best practices without American input, they wrote. Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) also signed the letter. Although Congress is discussing a range of policy proposals on social media accountability, the lawmakers said that given the international nature of most platforms it is beneficial to structure requirements in a modular way with consistent standards and frameworks that allows countries to have some additional requirements or approaches to enforcement. Read more about the letter. BIDEN SIGNS CYBER LAWS President Biden on Tuesday signed two bipartisan bills into law aimed at enhancing federal, state and local governments cybersecurity measures. The bills passage follows an increased pace of cyber incidents in recent years against government entities, including the SolarWinds hack, which involved Russian agents compromising nine federal agencies and at least 100 private sector groups. Biden had signed another cybersecurity bill last month that improves the federal governments collection of data related to cybercrime. Read more here. TESLA EX-EMPLOYEES SUE OVER LAYOFFS Two former Tesla employees filed a class-action lawsuit this week against Tesla, accusing the electric automaker company of violating federal law after they say executives recently approved mass layoffs without giving proper notice. The 10-page complaint, filed by John Lynch and Daxton Hartsfield in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas on Sunday, alleges Tesla violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act of 1988, which requires 60 days written notice before a mass layoff. Instead, Tesla has simply notified the employees that their terminations would be effective immediately, the complaint reads. Tesla has also failed to provide a statement of the basis for reducing the notification period to zero days advance notice. Read more here. DOJ, Meta settle discriminatory advertising case The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday said that it has reached a settlement agreement with Meta, the owner of Facebook, over allegations of discriminatory advertising on its social media platforms. In a statement, the DOJ said that Meta has until Dec. 31 to stop using an advertising tool for housing ads known as Special Ad Audience (previously called Lookalike Audience) that relies on an algorithm the department has called discriminatory. Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc., also has been ordered to develop a new system to address racial and other disparities caused by the use of the previous algorithm system, according to the settlement agreement. Read more here. BITS & PIECES An op-ed to chew on: Congress can do better than the Howey test for crypto regulation Notable links from around the web: State by state, some patients are losing telehealth access to doctors (NBC News / David Ingram) Researcher Hacks Into Backend for Network of Smart Jacuzzis (Motherboard / Matthew Gault) Twitter Accounts Hyped Company Seeking Covid Vaccine Trials (Bloomberg / Jeff Stone) Drivers Lawsuit Claims Uber and Lyft Violate Antitrust Laws (The New York Times / Kellen Browning and Noam Scheiber) Lighter click: Nate Silvers final boss One more thing: Airing NASA feuds When Lori Garver was tapped by President-elect Obama to become NASAs No. 2 official in 2009, she saw it as a chance to usher in a new era of space exploration for the U.S. and transform the agency into a more efficient bureaucracy. Garver, who grew up enamored with space and politics after witnessing Neil Armstrongs historic moon landing as a child, came prepared to effect massive change. Instead, Garver writes in her new book Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age, she encountered stiff pushback from lawmakers who wanted to keep existing space programs that benefited companies who contract with NASA. The resistance held the space agency and the future of space exploration back, according to Garver. Read more here. Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Technology and Cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow. READ FULL VERSION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A bipartisan guns deal endorsed by Mitch McConnell is landing with a thud among most House Republicans. Roughly a third of the Senate Republican conference helped advance the package on Tuesday night. But that means little in the House, where even supporters are warning they dont expect anywhere near the same ratio of GOP votes once the bill crosses the Capitol. House GOP Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) will whip Republicans to vote against the Senate agreement, a leadership aide told POLITICO. Scalise and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told members during a closed-door conference meeting Wednesday that they will oppose the Senate deal, a sign of where most Republicans are expected to land. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the No. 3 House Republican, also announced Wednesday that she would vote against the bill. Its a betrayal of Republican voters. It earns those senators no plaudits that will be durable, Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) said about the Senate agreement. I dont think it smells good at all, said Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas). I feel like the bill is gonna open the door to unnecessary gun regulations. Its the latest break between not only House and Senate GOP leadership but also between rank-and-file members over the past year and a half. It's spanned everything from a bipartisan infrastructure deal and raising the debt ceiling to how to handle the fallout from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. My pause, my concern, is due process on these red flag grants, Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) said, adding that while he and McConnell agree on a whole lot of things but we dont always vote the same way. That divide played out in real time on Wednesday. Shortly after McCarthy and Scalise privately announced their opposition, the Senate minority leader publicly touted the bill as a win for Republicans. This time is different. This time the Democrats came our way and agreed to advance some common sense solutions without rolling back rights for law-abiding citizens. The result is a product Im proud to support, McConnell said. Story continues Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a McConnell ally who helped spearhead the deal, also presented a slideshow during the Senate GOP lunch Wednesday aimed at rebutting criticism from conservatives. Additionally, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) proposed an alternative deal to the conference, according to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), that would give more money for police in schools and increase penalties on those who use firearms to commit a crime. Cornyn's first slide touted conservative wins, including funding for law enforcement, that it will only impact violent criminals and those adjudicated as mentally ill and that that the enhanced background checks for juveniles would sunset after 10 years, a source familiar with his presentation told POLITICO. Cornyn also used the slideshow to list provisions that were included in the bill at the request of the NRA, including money for hardening schools, mental health funding and providing exemptions to closing the so-called boyfriend loophole, which restricts the right to firearms for those who have abused their romantic partners. The exemptions highlighted include that limitations would not apply to past relationships unless they were recent. A separate slide detailed due process requirements that states would need to meet if they use the bill's funding to create red-flag laws, a key concern for Republicans. But those assurances did little to win over House Republicans. Lots of people up here dont seem to understand the meaning of conservative, Bishop said about McConnell and Cornyn touting the deal as having wins for Republicans. Members of the Second Amendment Caucus, including Bishop, railed against the Senate deal and the GOP senators who support it during a press conference on Wednesday. The group of House Republicans vowed that they would try to defund the legislation if and when they control the chamber. We will repeal this. We will defund this. This is unconstitutional, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said. House Republicans debated the Senate gun deal during their meeting on Wednesday morning. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) characterized Republicans as having mixed feelings coming out of the conference. I was hearing people on both sides of the issue, Bacon said. I heard one guy thats going to support it. One guy who is going to oppose it. House GOP leadership sent out a notice to their members on Wednesday afternoon urging them to vote against the Senate deal. The notice, which highlights opposition the bill has gotten from outside GOP groups, said the Senate bill takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes" and was an effort to slowly chip away at law-abiding citizens 2nd Amendment rights. The opposition from House GOP leadership comes after the Freedom Caucus announced that it would oppose the Senate agreement, raising particular concerns over a provision that would incentivize states to create so-called red flag laws, which allows the confiscation of firearms if someone is deemed a danger to themselves or others. Red flag laws permit the preemptive seizure of firearms from Americans without due process by allowing any person to report a gun owner to law enforcement and petition for the confiscation of that individuals firearms, even before the gun owner has an opportunity to defend themselves, the ultra-conservative group said in a statement. The House Freedom Caucus added that Senate Republicans should use every procedural tool at their disposal to ensure Members of Congress are granted sufficient time to study and analyze any legislative text that emerges from the Senates negotiations. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the group, questioned why Senate Republicans would negotiate with Democrats on the bill, given Democrats have stated objectives to take away our firearms. But the Senate GOP gun package picked up at least one GOP supporter shortly before the meeting. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who represents the community of Uvalde, Texas where a shooter killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in late May, announced that he would back the legislation in a Twitter thread Wednesday morning. Gonzales was not among the five House Republicans who voted for the House Democratic guns deal earlier this year. That bill would have raised the age for buying a semi-automatic weapon, required background checks for ghost guns and banned the sale of high-capacity magazines, among other provisions. As a Congressman its my duty to pass laws that never infringe on the Constitution while protecting the lives of the innocent. In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Senate bill, he tweeted. But the universe of potential GOP yes votes on the Senate gun deal likely remains small, closely mirroring the number of Republicans who voted for provisions of the earlier House bill. Asked if the size of Senate GOP support for the guns deal influenced the universe of House GOP yes votes, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), one of the GOP yes votes, shrugged it off: Not really. He estimated that about 15 or 20 of us would vote on the Senate guns legislation. Upton also pointed to the GOP votes on last years bipartisan infrastructure deal as another potential bellwether for House Republican yes votes on the Senates gun deal. At the time, 13 Republican House members supported the agreement. However, the political dynamics of supporting the development of roads and bridges is wildly different compared to those of a gun reforms package in the House GOP, which has long seen even narrower measures as a prelude to further restrictions on Americans' gun rights. Bacon, one of the House Republicans who backed the infrastructure deal last year, on Wednesday praised McConnell as a smart man and Cornyn as a great person, but said he was undecided on the Senate deal. The topline stuff sounds good, but I want to read the bill, because I think the sticking point has always been due process with red flag, Bacon said. I think it sounds promising on the high-level side. Burgess Everett contributed to this report. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misspelled Rep. Tony Gonzales' name. WASHINGTON House Republican leaders formally opposed the bipartisan gun legislation Wednesday and pushed lawmakers to vote against the measure. Democrats control the House and can likely pass the bill without any Republican support. In the Senate, the deal got enough Republican support Tuesday to clear a procedural hurdle, increasing the odds that the measure will be able to pass the chamber. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., told House Republicans that they oppose the measure at a closed-door meeting Wednesday. Later in the day, Scalise urged all House Republicans to vote no in an official notice. "This legislation takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes," he wrote. "House Republicans are committed to identifying and solving the root causes of violent crimes, but doing so must not infringe upon" Second Amendment rights. The legislation is likely to receive support from some moderate Republicans. A GOP lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide a frank assessment of Republican deliberations predicted that 10 to 15 House Republicans will defect and vote for the bill, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Former President Donald Trump, who continues to hold sway over his party, announced his opposition and encouraged Republicans to oppose the legislation. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Uvalde, Texas, announced Wednesday that he will vote for the bill. It was crafted after the mass shooting in his district last month in which 19 children and two teachers were killed, and another in Buffalo, New York, that killed 10 people. "I am a survivor of domestic abuse, my stepfather would come home drunk & beat on me and my mother. One night he decided that wasnt enough and shoved a shotgun in my mothers mouth. I was 5 at the time and not strong enough to fend off the wolves," Gonzales wrote on Twitter, adding that school was his sanctuary from the chaos at home and that he served his country in the Navy for 20 years, including in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Story continues As a member of Congress, he said, "its my duty to pass laws that never infringe on the Constitution while protecting the lives of the innocent," adding, "In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act." At least 10 Senate Republicans have signaled that they support the bipartisan bill, which means it is expected to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., aims to hold a final vote by the end of the week, before Congress leaves for a two-week July Fourth recess. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she plans to bring the bill to the floor for a vote once it passes in the upper chamber. Pelosi said in a statement that while more is needed to address gun violence, the legislation has beneficial provisions. "Communities across the country will benefit from House Democrats proposals included in this package, which will help keep deadly weapons out of dangerous hands by encouraging states to establish extreme risk protection order laws and by putting an end to straw purchases," she said. "This legislation will also move to close the 'boyfriend loophole,' which marks strong progress to prevent known abusers from acquiring a firearm." The House passed legislation this month that included stronger gun-related restrictions. The chamber approved the Protecting Our Kids Act in a 223-204 vote, with five Republicans joining all but two Democrats in support. Democrats Jared Golden of Maine and Kurt Schrader of Oregon opposed the bill. The five Republicans who bucked their party were Chris Jacobs of New York, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Fred Upton of Michigan, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. The Senate package includes narrower restrictions. The bill would offer "red flag" grants to every state, including those that do not adopt red flag laws, which could be used on other crisis prevention programs designed to prevent people in crisis from resorting to violence; it would close the so-called "boyfriend loophole"; and it would increase background checks for people 18 to 21 years old. The bill would impose tougher penalties for gun trafficking and "clarify" which sellers must register as federal firearm licensees, which would force them to conduct background checks. The bill would provide more money for mental health and school-based health. In his notice urging opposition from House Republicans, Scalise said the "vague language" in the red flag provision does not include sufficient "guardrails to ensure that the money is actually going towards keeping guns out of the hands of criminals or preventing mass violence." The bill would also transform those "under the age of 21 into second class citizens by creating a de facto waiting period of up to ten business days for legal, law-abiding firearm purchases and the consideration of whether an adult firearm purchasers juvenile record should prohibit the buyer from purchasing a firearm," he added. The National Rifle Association quickly announced its opposition, arguing in a statement Tuesday that the legislation "does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners." It is the closest Congress has come to passing significant legislation to address gun violence in nearly 10 years. After the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., struck a deal on background checks, but it was defeated in 2013. A convention goer passes the NRA desk at the 2015 NRA Annual Convention. KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images House Republican leaders are urging a vote against the Senate gun reform compromise. In a message to lawmakers, Rep. Steve Scalise cites opposition from the NRA. The Senate bill would restrict gun sales to domestic abusers and increase mental health funding. House Republican leadership is urging GOP lawmakers to vote against a bipartisan Senate gun reform bill, citing opposition from the NRA. "Leadership recommends a NO vote," states a message from Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana that was sent to lawmakers Wednesday evening. The message claims the Senate bill, which passed Tuesday with the support of 14 Republicans, is part of an effort to "slowly chip away at law-abiding citizens' 2nd Amendment rights." The Senate bill supported by Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky includes increased funding for mental health services and the state-level enforcement of "red flag" laws that allow police to temporarily remove firearms from someone believed to present an imminent threat. The measure would also close the so-called "boyfriend loophole," prohibiting convicted domestic abusers from obtaining guns. "Our colleagues have put together a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," said McConnell in a statement on Tuesday. But in their message of opposition, House Republican leaders claimed the bill "fails to provide explicit due process requirements" for red-flag gun seizures and includes unnecessary funding. In addition to gun manufacturers, House Republicans cite opposition from conservative groups such as Gun Owners of America and Heritage Action for America. Despite the Republican stance, the bill is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House and be signed into law by President Joe Biden. Read the original article on Business Insider Reuters An exceptionally well-preserved Roman floor mosaic, showing a rich variety of fish, animals, birds and ships, has returned to the site where it was first found in a Tel Aviv suburb after a decade-long tour of some of the world's top museums. The 1,700 year-old mosaic, from the late Roman period, was discovered in 1996 during highway construction work, but was not put on display until 2009, when sufficient funding to preserve it was donated. The colorful mosaic, 17 metres (55 ft) long and about 9 metres (29 ft) wide, may have served as the foyer floor of a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood of Lod, near what is now Tel Aviv, the Israel antiquities Authority said in a statement. New research on pre-pandemic academic achievement in Indianapolis is delivering a mixed bag of results: Students in K-12 schools there posted weaker learning gains in both reading and math than students statewide, while students who attended charter or charter-like Innovation Network Schools posted better results across virtually every demographic. The study, released June 9 by Stanford Universitys Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), focused on pre-pandemic performance, looking at the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. It found that in the 2018-2019 school year, charter school students learned the equivalent of 64 more days of instruction in reading and 116 days in math, compared to their district school peers. Black charter school students had even bigger gains, with 86 more days in reading and 144 days in math relative to Black students in district schools. Related: New Research Tracks Charters Early Moves During Pandemic In a statement, Indianapolis Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the study provides another piece of critical data in our relentless mission for all schools to be better. The findings reinforce the districts belief that diving into data about academic performance at all schools helps educators build on what works, and fix where we arent delivering for students, she said. Related: Stanfords CREDO Releases First Academic Study of Indianapoliss Innovation Schools, Finds Strong Growth The findings showed that Black charter school students in Indianapolis had more growth in math than the average Black student statewide; they showed similar growth in reading. Similarly, Black students in Innovation Network Schools saw growth on par with peers statewide. Innovation Network Schools are a group of 20 public schools in the city that enjoy complete, charter-like autonomy over academics and operations. While seven are actually charter schools, the remaining 13 are either new schools, strong district schools whose staffs are trying something new, or struggling schools that have been restarted with outside partners. Story continues But Black students in traditional district schools performed worse than the typical Indiana student in both reading and math. The new study, part of an ongoing CREDO series examining school performance in 10 cities, follows a 2019 study finding that growth in both reading and math was weaker than state averages in 2015-16 and 2016-17. When researchers compared student performance citywide for the current study, they found that students at charters and Innovation Network Schools outperformed district peers across subgroups: Black charter school students saw stronger growth than district students in both reading and math, and Hispanic students in charter schools and Innovation Network Schools showed similar gains. So did low-income students at charter schools. Similarly, English Language Learners in city charter and Innovation Network Schools saw better gains than district students. Related: Analysis: New Research Confirms that Charter Schools Drive Academic Gains for Their Own Students and for Kids in Nearby District Schools Brandon Brown (The Mind Trust) Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis nonprofit that has launched 41 schools, said one key to the charter sectors success in the city is that the vast majority are locally grown, with leaders who know Indianapolis. Most of those leaders, he said, are also people of color who directly reflect the racial backgrounds of students. The sectors performance is a direct result of schools that are created and sustained relative to what our community wants and needs. And I do think that thats pretty unique, when you look across much of the work thats happening nationally. Brown also noted that local officials look favorably upon charters the mayors office is the largest authorizer in the city and dont see their growth as a zero sum game. Theres nowhere in the country where the school district and charters work as closely together, he said. Darius Sawyers (Courtesy of Darius Sawyers) Darius Sawyers, principal of Paramount Englewood, a 5th-8th-grade school thats part of the five-school Paramount Schools of Excellence network, said the sectors small scale allows him to collaborate regularly with other charter leaders, in a kind of ongoing principals consultancy. Were talking best practices, were talking data, were talking, What are you doing to move the data or move the needle? He said being part of a local network has advantages. Everybodys right here, he said. If not in the same building, a block or two away. Austin Hauser, director of Academic Accountability at Herron High School, said his small network of three Herron Classical Schools is absolutely homegrown, founded by a local teacher with more than 30 years of experience. It was started really as a neighborhood movement. Being homegrown, he said, allows teachers and administrators to focus on exactly what we need in our community . Were not worried about who we should be in Chicago or in Cincinnati or wherever the network may be located. We are in Indianapolis. MarketWatch Companies are trying to bring back employees into the office. According to a new report by Placer.ai, visits to office buildings have yet to catch up to pre-pandemic levels in such major employment centers as San Francisco, Manhattan and Chicago. In May 2022, visits to office buildings in San Francisco were down by 67.8% as compared to three years ago, before the pandemic shuttered most of the country. Authorities in Iran have banned an Iranian movie about the struggles of a family in the sanctions-hit country after it was feted at this year's Cannes Film Festival. "Leila's Brothers" by director Saeed Roustaee has been banned until further notice by the Cinema Organisation of Iran, Culture Minister Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaili told state news agency IRNA. The movie "broke the rules by being entered at international film festivals without authorisation," the COI said. "Leila's Brothers" missed out on the Cannes festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, last month but won the award of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The film has been denied a cinema release in Iran because of its director's refusal to "correct" it in the manner requested by the ministry, the COI said. Roustaee, 32, had already wowed critics abroad with his 2019 police thriller "Just 6.5". From a working class district of Tehran, he told reformist newspaper Shargh: "I have a social commitment to the class in which I live... Nothing in my films is symbolic." For all the challenges imposed by Iranian authorities the country has long had a thriving cinema scene, with figures like Jafar Panahi and Asghar Farhadi scooping awards around the world. Iran's Zar Amir Ebrahimi won this year's Cannes award for best actress for "Holy Spider", in which she plays a journalist trying to solve the serial murders of prostitutes in the Shiite shrine city of Mashhad. Ebrahimi, 41, lives in exile following a smear campaign about her love life. Her award infuriated Iranian authorities who accused Cannes organisers of "committing a biased and political act by praising a false and disgusting film". ap/sk/kir/fz By Philip Pullella SAN SEVERINO MARCHE, Italy (Reuters) - At the opening of a new museum in the picturesque Italian town of San Severino Marche, the guests of honour did not dress up. They were firemen in gear worn when they rescued artworks damaged in earthquakes in 2016 and now restored and on display. The three main quakes, which hit central Italy between Aug. 24 and Oct. 30, 2016, killed more than 300 people and caused extensive destruction to homes, churches and museums. Six years on, some of the recovered art has found a permanent home. Other pieces are waiting to go back to their rebuilt churches or be relocated. In the Archdiocese of Camerino and San Severino Marche in the Marche region, 1,970 works of art were damaged, about half of them seriously. In bordering Umbria, thousands more were damaged when small churches and large basilicas crumbled. "Art can be an inspiration for reconstruction, joy and hope," Francesco Massera, archbishop of Camerino and San Severino Marche, said at the recent opening of the museum. Its name, Museo dell'Arte Recuperata (Museum of Recovered Art), conveys the passage from sickness to health "I feel like I am in a field hospital where survivors are treated until they are well," said prominent Italian art critic Vittorio Sgarbi. Some of the restored works are displayed next to photographs or videos showing dust-covered firemen rescuing them from the ruins. EARTHQUAKE-PROOF ART 'HOSPITAL' After a 1997 quake hit Umbria, damaging the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, the regional government decided to prepare for the next big one. Since 2006, an industrial area outside Spoleto has been home to Italy's first purpose-built facility to receive and restore art damaged in earthquakes. The huge earthquake-proof elastic building with cutting edge technology is divided into hermetic sectors holding thousands of works of art. The first, an emergency receiving area, is large enough for trucks to enter and unload. Huge vacuum tubes hanging from the ceiling remove dust. Story continues The other sectors are individually climate-controlled for each purpose - preventing further damage or deterioration, restoration, and storage while awaiting discharge. The mesmerizing array of paintings, frescoes, statues, chalices, candelabra, vestments, reliquaries and ornate wooden crucifixes can be overwhelming for the visitor. Outside, dozens of church bells are lined up like sentries. "It is very important to see the overall picture and that includes regular maintenance," said art historian Giovanni Luca Delogu, 55, the Spoleto facility's director. "You can't just intervene when there are tragedies like earthquakes. Some pieces already were in bad condition. Art needs constant care," he said, walking amid hundreds of chunks of the shattered Church of San Salvatore in Campi, parts of which dated back to the 12th century. The chunks, many with parts of frescoes still attached, have been sorted, tagged and assembled like puzzle pieces. They rest next to photographs of sections taken before the quakes. The church's two rose windows and an intricately carved stone screen panel that once joined the sides of an arch have been pieced together. St. Benedict's Basilica in nearby Norcia, the crown jewel of medieval architecture in Umbria's Nera River Valley and a major tourist draw, is being rebuilt. But the fate of smaller gems like San Salvatore in Campi or Santa Maria della Pieta in Preci is unclear. Delogu allows parish groups into the depository to see the statues they once prayed before. Some are lent to towns for religious events of deep local pride, such as processions on the feast day of a patron saint. "Even an earthquake cannot rupture some bonds," he said. (This story corrects paragraph 4 to show the figures refer to the archdiocese, not region) (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) By Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) - Italy's 5-Star Movement is not considering leaving Mario Draghi's government, party chief Giuseppe Conte said on Wednesday, dismissing suggestions he could withdraw after his group broke in two. Following weeks of tension with Conte, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio left the 5-Star to form a new parliamentary group, in a schism that threatens to bring fresh instability to Draghi's broad coalition. The 5-Star triumphed at 2018 elections when it took 33% of the vote but is now polling at less than half that level. Following Di Maio's move, there was speculation Conte could quit the government to try to halt 5-Star's slide in support. "Support for Draghi is not under discussion," Conte, a former prime minister, told reporters following a meeting of the party's leadership. Di Maio's new group, Together for the Future, includes 51 members at the lower house and political sources said at least 10 would join in the upper house Senate. As a result, the 5-Star is no longer the largest group in parliament, ceding that position to the rightist League. Di Maio has accused Conte of undermining efforts to support Ukraine and of weakening Rome's standing within the European Union, after the 5-Star became increasingly critical about sending weapons to Ukraine. But Conte said no one should question the 5-Star's pro-EU and pro-NATO stance. "I have been prime minister ... I cannot accept any lessons on this," he said. Although he has denied suggestions he might pull out of the coalition, party sources said this could not be ruled out ahead of national elections slated for 2023. Alessandro Di Battista, a former 5-Star heavyweight who quit the group last year after it decided to join Draghi's cabinet, urged it to go immediately into opposition. "Why the hell are you still in there? Get out of that vile mess. You didn't count for anything before let alone now. Is that so difficult to understand?", he said. If 5-Star does pull out of the government, Draghi would still muster a majority in parliament. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, Editing by William Maclean) Jason Ravnsborg South Dakota lawmakers have voted to impeach and remove from office the state's attorney general over a 2020 car crash in which he killed a man. Jason Ravnsborg has said he thought he struck a deer while driving home at night on 12 September 2020 and did not know it was a man until the next day. Prosecutors, however, argued Ravnsborg, 46, "absolutely saw the man that he struck in the moments after". The Republican had refused to resign over the incident. Despite facing opposition from all corners, Ravnsborg maintained his innocence in the death of Joseph Boever, 55. Last year, he beat the criminal case against him by taking a plea deal on misdemeanour traffic charges. But his luck ran out in the state legislature, where he was impeached by the House in April. On Tuesday, the Senate convicted Ravnsborg for committing crimes that caused someone's death, and on a malfeasance charge for misleading law enforcement and abusing the powers of his office. The move triggers his automatic removal from office. The chamber also voted unanimously to bar the prosecutor from holding future office in the state. South Dakota's highest-ranked lawyer was driving home from a party fundraiser when officials say he hit and killed Boever, a pedestrian, on a rural highway. Prosecutors say he was driving at 67mph (108km/h), 2mph over the speed limit, and that records show he had locked his mobile phone about one minute before the collision. Investigators arriving at the scene one day after the crash found a working torch, which was still on and only inches from the road, and bone scrapings on the ground. Ravnsborg is the first official to be impeached in state history. Governor Kristi Noem - a Republican 2024 presidential hopeful who pushed aggressively for Ravnsborg to be removed - will pick his replacement. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police arrested on Wednesday a Jewish suspect in connection with the deadly stabbing of a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported. Witnesses said the victim, identified as Ali Hassan Harb, was stabbed on Tuesday while Palestinians tried to remove a group of settlers off their land. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Harb, 28, was stabbed in the heart by a settler. An Israeli police spokesperson originally said it was unclear who had killed Harb and that the incident was under investigation. The stabbing took place during a time of increased violence in the West Bank and Israel. Since January, Israeli forces have killed at least 46 Palestinians in the West Bank, and 19 people in Israel have been killed in Arab street attacks. Hundreds of Palestinians marched in Harb's funeral in the Palestinian town of Iskaka near Salfit in the northern West Bank on Wednesday. About 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territory Israel captured in a 1967 Middle East war. Most countries deem Israel's settlements as illegal under international law, but Israel disputes this. The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, condemned the attack in a tweet. "Perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice," he wrote. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Writing by Henriette Chacar in Jerusalem; Editing by Leslie Adler) Johnny Depp has announced the revival of his supergroup, The Hollywood Vampires, for a 2023 European tour. The actor will reunite with the bands core members, Alice Cooper and Aerosmiths Joe Perry, with whom he formed the group in 2012. Rhythm guitarist Tommy Henriksen, who performed with them during their 2015 debut live performance in Los Angeles, will also be joining. On Tuesday (21 June), the rock bands official Instagram shared the news alongside a new tour poster. The caption reads: The Hollywood Vampires are BACK!! Were coming to Germany and Luxembourg Summer 2023! Tickets go on sale Monday 27 June at 11:00am CET. Since their formation, the group have released two studio albums, Hollywood Vampires (2015) and Rise (2019). The news follows Depps legal victory in his high-profile defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. A jury found that Heard had 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. Before and after his trial win, the actor and musician was seen performing around the UK with rocker Jeff Beck, ahead of the pairs forthcoming album, which releases next month. Recently, Depp issued a warning to fans addressing the rise in fake profiles pretending to be him. Heard however sat down last week with NBCs Savannah Guthrie in her first full-length TV interview since the trial. Lachlan Murdoch and Rupert Murdoch at Day 10 of the US Open held at the USTA Tennis Center on September 5, 2018 in New York City. Adrian Edwards/GC Images A judge said Dominion's defamation lawsuit against Fox News's parent company can proceed. Dominion argued that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch believed Fox News would benefit by pushing election lies. Delaware Judge Eric M. Davis said it sufficiently argued its case to move on to factual discovery. A Delaware judge on Tuesday said that Fox News's parent company must face a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, ruling that the election company's allegations that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch intentionally pushed election lies had enough merit to move the case forward. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis ruled in December that Dominion's $1.6 billion lawsuit could proceed against Fox News. The new decision denied a separate motion to dismiss the lawsuit from Fox Corporation, which is run by its chairman, Rupert Murdoch, and his son, CEO Lachlan Murdoch. According to Davis, Dominion has sufficiently argued that the parent company may also be liable for pushing falsehoods claiming Dominion rigged the 2020 presidential election against then-President Donald Trump and in favor of now-President Joe Biden. "Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch allegedly made a 'business calculation' to spread former President Trump's narrative through Fox News even though they did not personally believe it," Davis wrote, citing Dominion's filings. "Thus, Fox Corporation's employees and officers allegedly had 'direct responsibility' for airing the statements about Dominion." At the same time, Davis removed Fox Broadcasting, the entity that runs fox.com, as a defendant in the case, saying Dominion's lawsuit was overly speculative about its role in perpetuating lies about its role in the election. In legal filings, Dominion cited media reports saying Fox News "sought and gained the direct approval of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch before calling Arizona for Biden" an election night victory that drastically narrowed Trump's chances of victory. In the subsequent days, Fox News viewership plummeted dramatically while more fringe right-wing media organizations, Newsmax and One America News, gained popularity as they denied the reality of Biden's victory. Story continues "Dominion alleged the executives of Fox Corporation believed Fox News would benefit if it endorsed former President Trump's election fraud narrative and suffer if it did not; thus, the executives of Fox Corporations 'pressur[ed]" Fox News to "lure the Fox audience back home' and 'encouraged' on-air personalities to perpetuate false claims about Dominion; and Fox Corporation 'rewarded' those at Fox News who complied with the alleged instructions and 'punished' those who did not," Davis wrote, summarizing Dominion's arguments. Davis also noted that The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, two other media organizations under the Murdoch family's control, "condemned President Trump's claims and urged him to concede defeat," which supports "a reasonable inference that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch either knew Dominion had not manipulated the election or at least recklessly disregarded the truth." Dominion, Davis wrote, had sufficiently argued that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch acted with "actual malice" and should be subject to factual discovery in Dominion's defamation case. The decision comes as the House of Representatives continues to hold hearings over the January 6 insurrection, where a mob of pro-Trump rioters sought to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 election results. On Tuesday, election workers in Georgia testified about being terrorized by Trump supporters who believed they played a role in falsifying results, and the Republican speaker of the Arizona state House said Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani knew there wasn't evidence for election manipulation. The Tuesday court decision raises the stakes for Fox News's legal battles over 2020 election falsehoods. Dominion's lawsuit is set to go to trial on April 2023. The company is separately facing a $2.7 billion lawsuit from Smartmatic, a rival election technology company also ensnared in election conspiracy theories, which is moving forward in New York. Fox News has argued that the lawsuits against it amount to an "assault on the First Amendment." A representative for Fox Corporation did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Dominion and Smartmatic have also filed lawsuits against other media organizations and entities over election conspiracy theories, including Newsmax, One America News, Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Read the original article on Business Insider Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters A kidnapped woman was rescued on Sunday after sending a note asking for help through the food service app Grubhub. The New York woman sent in an order to the Chipper Truck Cafe, a restaurant in Yonkers, New York, with a note asking restaurant workers to call the police. Please call the police his going to call me when u delivered come with the cones please dont make it obvious, wrote the 24-year old woman in the Additional Information section of her order. A post on the restaurants Facebook page said that the woman had placed the order shortly after 5am eastern time. Ive often heard of this happening but never thought it would happen to us, read the post. Thankfully we were open and able to help her. Alice Bermejo, who owns the Chipper Truck Cafe, said that when the order came in, workers at the restaurant were unsure if it was a prank, but were encouraged by her husband to call the police. The message came in, and the girls read it and they called my husband to see what they should do, said Bermejo to CBS News. He told them, lets call the police, we cant take any risk or chance. Police arrived at the delivery address at 6.20am, reported NBC news, citing the New York Police department, and were able to rescue the woman, who was taken to an area hospital. The woman called the restaurant the next day, thanking the Chipper Truck Cafe team for their help. Its insane. You never think youre going to be the person to do that or that the situation is going to happen to you, said employee Alicia Berme to CBS. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with multiple counts including attempted rape, assault and sexual abuse. He is also accused of attempting to rape a second woman on 15 June, reports NBC. Kim Kardashian was forced to put her recent television interview on a brief pause, as her two sons, Saint and Psalm, started misbehaving during it. During an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday to promote her newest skincare line, SKNN by Kim, the 41-year-old reality star talked candidly about her hosting experience on Saturday Night Live last October. In the midst of her talking, Fallon chimed in and said that he was hearing kids. In response, Kardashian turned around to look at her two sons and their friend, Remi, and told them to stop making noise. Guys, can you stop? she asked. This is, like, your first time at work with me. Can you please? The camera was then directed towards Remi, Psalm, three, and Saint, six, who were sitting with Kardashians nanny. After Fallon greeted the children, the Skims founder continued asking her children to quiet down. My two boys are here, and I hear them making so much noise, she said. Guys, this is your first time at work with me. Dont mess this up. Come on. Although Kardashian went on with her conversation with Fallon, she later turned to her children again, as she heard them making a commotion, and said: Guys, seriously. You got to go. As Fallon laughed at the mothers comments, he also noted the children could go hang out backstage if they wanted to instead. The camera turned towards Kardashians guests, while she noted that Psalm had left with his nanny as he was the one who was being loud. Prior to the interview, the KKW Beauty founder had disciplined her children when they appeared on an Instagram Live taken while she was in her car in New York City. During the video, shared via a fan account, Psalm said hi to the camera while Saint said, hi, weirdos. In response, Kardashian told Saint to stop it. However, Saint stepped in a second time and said, if youre watching this, I hate you, which prompted his mother to, once again, tell him to stop it. Story continues Outside of Saint and Psalm, Kardashian is also mom to two daughters, North, nine, and Chicago, four. She shares her children with ex-husband Kanye West, whom she filed for divorce from in February 2021. Also during her trip to New York City this week Kardashian did an interview on Today where she discussed her children and how they met her current boyfriend Pete Davidson. According to Kardashian, she had consulted with a few therapists and decided not to introduce her children to the 28-year-old comedian until shed been with him for six months. I definitely wanted to wait six months and that was the marker. Its different for everyone and different things work for different people,she explained. But you just have to do what feels right and try to just be as respectful and cautious as possible. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Firefighter groups are applauding the Biden administration's steps to raise pay but warn that the temporary wage hikes won't be enough to combat staffing problems, as federal agencies compete with local fire departments and big box stores in a tight labor market. Its an effort and an attempt to try to keep people at their jobs, Jonathon Golden, a former federal firefighter from Park City, Utah, said of the move to raise federal firefighter pay. But it still falls woefully short of the pay in municipal departments and other state agencies. Wildfire season is raging throughout the western U.S. and fierce competition for workers is exacerbating challenges facing the land management agencies that employ firefighters. For years, firefighters and their advocates have decried stagnant pay and increased costs of living, arguing both are making recruitment difficult and attrition inevitable. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that infrastructure bill funds would go to backpay and giving all federal firefighters a raise for two years either a 50% bump from their base salary or $20,000, whichever is less. The move follows an executive order President Joe Biden signed last year to raise federal firefighter minimum wage to $15 an hour. And it implements provisions of last year's infrastructure bill designed to help recruit and retain firefighters, including $600 million in one-time funding to raise pay. Biden said funding for long-term pay raises remained a priority as climate change makes the U.S. West hotter, drier and more prone to wildfires. I will do everything in my power, including working with Congress to secure long-term funding, to make sure these heroes keep earning the paychecks and dignity they deserve, he said in a statement. Though officials say its an imperfect metric, the number of unfilled staffing requests on large wildfires or unable to fill orders, indicates growing problems: In 2019, there were 92 times where the National Interagency Fire Center couldnt mobilize crews to wildfires upon request. In 2020, there were 339 crew mobilization orders that couldnt be filled. And last year, 1,858 crew mobilization orders couldnt be filled. Story continues Ken Schmid, operations specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center, said unable to fill orders reflect staffing needs but also may depend on geography or time of year, particularly in months when agencies dedicate staff to training or other high priority work. What it comes down to is weve got more big fires out there and incident management teams with needs to try and corral them than we have folks available, said Grant Beebe, a former smokejumper and the Bureau of Land Managements assistant director for fire and aviation. Members of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters believe raises were long overdue. However, they warn that without permanent increases, some of the nation's most skilled firefighters including hotshots, smokejumpers and helitack crews may go work elsewhere. You can go to a Whole Foods and start off at $16 an hour with $1,000 signing bonus. Its just a tight labor market now, Golden, the former firefighter, said. In addition to facing competition from retail employers, federal agencies also compete with state and local departments that can pay more, offer more full-time positions and better benefits. Mid-career federal firefighters currently earn roughly half the pay of third-year firefighters employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, according to analysis from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. Incident commanders working for federal agencies can make as little as one-quarter of the pay of entry-level municipal firefighters working the same fire. Pay bumps and the creation of a new job classification that will allow more firefighters to be hired for year-round positions will narrow the gap between federal firefighters pay and benefits and their state and local counterparts, federal officials say. In a fact-sheet released this week, they say they expect the changes announced Tuesday to help firefighting agencies recruit more workers and create career advancement opportunities for those already employed. Both, officials say, should lower attrition rates for skilled firefighters who have left for other departments or industries. Land management agencies, mainly the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, hope to employ more than 30,000 firefighters during peak season this summer and have worked to recruit new employees throughout the spring. But the Forest Service said last month that staffing levels were 90% overall, but as low as 50% in some fire-prone regions, including California, Oregon and Washington. Randy Erwin, president of the union representing a majority of federal wildland firefighters, said recruitment and retention had been particularly difficult this year, amid a worse-than-normal fire season. He expects the pay bump to help agencies fill their firefighting ranks. Firefighters simply could not make ends meet on the hopelessly low salaries offered at federal agencies, so jobs were becoming very difficult to fill, he said in a statement. Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said there were few signs of competition for workers decreasing or hiring slowing down. Though the labor market remains tight, he said private sector employers have recovered to pre-pandemic levels more than public sector employers such as the federal agencies who employ firefighters. Firefighting may be an attractive profession for young people craving adventure and a sense of purpose, but Hershbein said the allure would likely not insulate federal agencies from broader trends in the labor market and the many factors that prospective employees weigh when considering jobs. Based on my read of everything going on in the labor market, unless they are going to be doing other things to attract people like bonuses and other incentives its going to be really hard," he said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who last month in a letter called looming staffing shortages an urgent threat to natural resources, public safety, and taxpayer dollars," applauded Biden's announcement. But he said more needed to be done for firefighters, particularly as blazes grow more severe. They deserve the basic decency of good pay and good benefits that fully recognize their sacrifice and essential work, and allows them to support their families," he said. Summer is here, there are firefighter shortages in Oregon and across the West, and there is no time to waste in getting these changes implemented on the ground. ___ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington, D.C. Metz reported part of this story from an Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources workshop in Boise, Idaho. Bakhtar News Agency/Handout via Reuters At least 1,000 people are dead after Afghanistan was rocked by a powerful earthquake early Wednesday, with the death toll expected to climb. Another 1,500 injuries have also been reported after the quakewhich had a 6.1 magnitude, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC)hit near the Pakistani border, around 27 miles from the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan. The horrific death toll was confirmed by a Taliban government spokesperson, NBC News reports. The quake was so powerful that tremors could be felt by around 119 million people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India across a 310 mile range, the EMSC says. Distressing images published by local media showed buildings destroyed and bodies on the ground in the aftermath of the disaster. Large numbers of the confirmed fatalities were in the Paktika province, where 255 Afghans were killed and over 200 injured, Reuters reports. Another 25 were killed in Khost province, where an additional 90 people needed hospital treatment. The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details, interior ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi said. He added that helicopters had been deployed in a rescue operation to reach further casualties and bring them vital medical supplies. Americas Catastrophic Afghanistan Exit Has Many Fathers Officials in the Taliban government have publicly called for support as the terrible scale of the crisis emerged. A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses, Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, tweeted after the disaster. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe. Karimi later announced that 1 billion afghanis (over $11 million) would be distributed in cash and other assistance. Story continues Wednesdays earthquake is just the latest horror to blight the Afghan people in recent months. Following the rapid withdrawal of U.S.-led international forces from the country last August, Afghanistan has been plunged into a litany of disasters. In November, the Head of the UN World Food Program said Afghanistan was dealing with the worst humanitarian crisis on Earth as some 22 million people faced starvation after a ruinous famine. The countrys health-care system and wider economy, which depend on vital international aid, have also been decimated by Western sanctions since the Taliban takeover. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE LAWYERS FILE FIRST LAWSUIT IN BRONX LEGIONNAIRES OUTBREAK PER THE LANGE LAW FIRM PR Newswire BRONX, N.Y., June 22, 2022 BRONX, N.Y., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Legionnaires disease Lawyer Jory Lange and prominent New York attorney Scott Harford have filed the first Legionnaires disease lawsuit in the Bronx Legionnaires Outbreak. At least 30 people have gotten Legionnaires disease in this outbreak, 28 of whom were hospitalized. Tragically, two people have died. The health department has linked the Jerome Avenue Residences at 1325 Jerome Avenue to the outbreak. The Complaint alleges that victims developed Legionnaires' disease after breathing water vapors contaminated with dangerous legionella pathogen. "The fact that invisible water vapor from a cooling tower can carry deadly pathogens like Legionella, and can cause so many hospitalizations, is alarming," said attorney Jory Lange. Attorney Scott Harford added, "this is particularly concerning as Legionnaire's disease cases are on the rise, especially in New York." About the 2022 Bronx Legionnaires Outbreak The NY Health Department analyzed sputum samples from patients and water samples from the cooling towers in the investigation area. These analyses showed the same strain of legionella bacteria found in one of the clinical specimens matched a cooling tower at the Jerome Avenue Residences. About Legionnaires' Disease Legionnaires' disease is a rare type of pneumonia with symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, chills headaches, and muscle aches. Occasionally, symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and confusion are experienced. Legionella become a health concern when they grow in human-made water systems. These bacteria thrive in water, especially hot water. Legionella is not spread from person to person. People become ill when they breath in mist containing the bacteria. Jory Lange and Scott Harford represent many New York residents who were hospitalized in Legionnaires' disease outbreaks. If you have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, you may be entitled to compensation. Call 833.330.3663 for a free consultation. Story continues Contacts: Jory Lange www.MakeFoodSafe.com Candess Zona-Mendola 833.330.3663 Candess@JoryLange.com Related Links: www.Legionnaires.com www.Harford-Law.com www.MakeFoodSafe.com ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2022 The Lange Law Firm, PLLC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is The Lange Law Firm, PLLC, 6300 West Loop South, Suite 350, Houston, TX 77401. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/legionnaires-disease-lawyers-file-first-lawsuit-in-bronx-legionnaires-outbreak-per-the-lange-law-firm-301573389.html SOURCE The Lange Law Firm Anna Svetlaya, 67, at her home damaged by a missile attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on June 20, 2022. (Laetitia Vancon/The New York Times) MYKOLAIV, Ukraine There is no door on Anna Svetlayas fridge. A Russian missile blew it off the other day. The detached door saved her, protecting her chest from shrapnel as she passed out in a pool of blood. It was just before 7 a.m. in a residential district here in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv when Svetlaya, 67, felt her world explode in a hail of metal shards, glass and debris as she prepared breakfast. Her face a mosaic of cuts and bruises, her gaze dignified, Svetlaya said: The Russians just dont like us. We wish we knew why! A retired nurse, she surveyed her small apartment, where her two sisters labored to restore order. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Its our brother Russians who do this, said one, Larisa Kryzhanovska. I dont even hate them, I just pity them. Since the war began, Russian forces have pummeled Mykolaiv, frustrated by their failure to capture it and advance west toward Odesa. But the citys resistance has hardened. Almost encircled in the first weeks of fighting, it has pushed back, becoming a linchpin of Ukrainian defiance on the southern front. But at regular intervals, with missiles and artillery, Russia reminds the 230,000 people still here that they are within range of the indiscriminate slaughter that characterizes Moscows prosecution of the war. A Russian strike Friday killed one person and injured 20, several of whom are still hospitalized. Mykolaiv is no longer under immediate threat of capture a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south is unsettling Russian forces but the wars toll is evident. Once a summer tourist destination, a city with a lovely setting at the confluence of the Southern Buh and Ingul rivers, Mykolaiv has become ghostly. Weeds advance across sidewalks. Buildings are shuttered. Drinking water is in short supply. More than half the population has left; those who remain are almost all jobless. About 80% of people here, many of them old, rely on food and clothes from aid organizations. Every now and then another explosion electrifies the summer air, tipping people into desperation when it does not kill them. Story continues Driven out of a nearby village, Natalia Holovenko, 59, was in a line to register for aid when she began sobbing. We dont have any Nazis here! she said, a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putins false justification of the war as needed to de-Nazify Ukraine. He just wants to kill us. In her imploring eyes the madness of this Russian project seemed etched. Without the Black Sea coast, a landlocked rump Ukraine would be a nation undermined, its ports lost, eight years after Putin seized Crimea. A grain-exporting nation, albeit one now facing a Russian naval blockade, it would find its economy upended. But as Russia advances mile by plodding mile in the Donbas region to the east, it has been held back in the south. Since their capture of Kherson, about 40 miles east of Mykolaiv, early in the war, Russian forces have stalled or been pushed back. Ukrainians, their resolve hardening, have retaken villages in the Kherson region. We will not give away the south to anyone, we will return everything thats ours and the sea will be Ukrainian and safe, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared after visiting Mykolaiv and Odesa last week. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraines deputy prime minister, said Tuesday that our army will definitely de-occupy these lands. Certainly, Oleksandr Senkevych, the mayor of Mykolaiv, exudes confidence. A man in perpetual motion in green camouflage cargo pants, with a Glock pistol at his hip and an almost manic gleam in his blue eyes, he said the next step is to move the Russians out of Kherson and then to move them out of Ukraine. Before that happens, however, Ukraine needs long-distance artillery, he said. Drawing on a paper place mat in a cafe, he illustrated how Russia could hit Mykolaiv, often with cluster munitions, from places Ukrainian artillery cannot reach. Right now, its frustrating, he said. When we have what we need, we will be able to attack them without big losses. That will almost certainly take many months. The mayors wife and two children left at the start of the war. He works round the clock. Water is a major issue. The Russians destroyed pipes that conveyed fresh water from the Dnieper River. The water from new boreholes is insufficient, and water from the Southern Buh is briny. Its a big problem, he said. But we are overmotivated, we know what we fight for, our children and grandchildren, and our land. They dont know what they fight for and so they are undermotivated. He sees this as a war between cultures in Russia, the leader says something and the sheep follow, he said, but in Ukraine, democracy has taken hold. In Putins Russia, everything said means the opposite: protect means invade and military targets means civilians. In Ukraine, Senkevych said, we live in reality. That reality is hard. Anna Zamazeeva, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, led me to her former office, a building with a gaping hole in its middle where a Russian cruise missile struck March 29, killing dozens of her colleagues. A last-minute delay in getting to work saved her life. That was a turning point for me, she said. Every day the spouses and children of those killed watched the bodies and rubble being removed, and I could not persuade them to leave. It was then I fully realized the cruelty and inhumanity that the Russians were capable of. This was not an easy admission. Zamazeevas mother is Russian. Her husband, who has left Ukraine with their two children, was born in Russia. Her grandfather lives in St. Petersburg. These sorts of family connections, and other bonds, are common, giving the war a particular quality of rupture and severance that may tend to savagery, because the other is not so other and must be effaced. Now I cannot speak to my grandfather because this conflict is too deep in my heart, Zamazeeva said. On the first day of the war he sent a message to our family Viber group, asking how we were. I replied, We are bombed, and so are your grandchildren. He replied, Oh, it will be good. You will all be freed. She deleted him from the family messaging group. Alone, she has returned to her fathers home. She sleeps in the room where she slept as a child. The war, she estimates, will last at least another year. Her days are consumed with trying to get food, water and clothes to tens of thousands of people, many of them displaced from their homes in nearby towns and villages. The war, for her, is simple in the end, captured on the olive-green shirt she wears. Across a map of Ukraine appears a single word: Home. I am a free-minded person and I cannot understand if someone does not recognize the freedom and self-expression of others, she said. Our children grew up free and I will protect them with my very chest. Because it was a day of appreciation for health workers, Zamazeeva attended a ceremony at a hospital. Vitaliy Kim, the head of the regional military administration and a symbol of the citys resistance, was also present. One of the women being honored kissed his hand and said with a big smile, Good morning. Were from Ukraine! The phrase, used by Kim in his video messages, has become a proud expression of the indomitable spirit of Mykolaiv. At another hospital, Vlad Sorokin, 21, lay in bed, his ribs broken, his lung punctured, his right hip and one knee blown to bits. He is another victim of the missile strike that injured Svetlaya. I am not angry, he said. I am just asking why. He struggled to speak, closing his eyes. The Russians have put themselves in a very bad situation. They keep silent and listen to what they are told from the top and dont think for themselves and so they think it is normal to attack others. What would be the first thing he would do when he got well? Have a smoke, he said. And then? Go for a run. In a second bed lay another casualty of the blast, Neomila Ermakova, a dental nurse. Flying glass and debris had gone into her ears, cut her head and concussed her. I believe in destiny, she said. I had to go through this. Its strange, Id just finished a renovation of my apartment and told my grandson, All this will be yours one day. 2022 The New York Times Company By Elizabeth Pineau and John Irish PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron threw the ball back into his opponents' court on Wednesday, asking them to think about how a fragmented parliament can legislate, as he acknowledged the current political crisis would mean working differently. Macron had enjoyed full control over parliament during his first term from 2017. But voters who re-elected him as president in April delivered a hung parliament on Sunday, angry over rising inflation and his perceived indifference, meaning he must now find support from among his political foes. Macron has spent two days consulting leaders of opposition parties, but there has been no sign that any of them is willing to help him build a working majority. That leaves him facing the prospect of having to enter into tricky negotiations on every single bill - although much is still up in the air. "I cannot ignore the fractures, the deep divisions that run through our country and are reflected in the composition of the new (National) Assembly," Macron said in a pre-recorded speech to the nation, his first comments since Sunday's election. "The responsibility of the presidential majority is to broaden, build a coalition contract or by finding majorities text by text. We must learn to do things differently." He ruled out a government of national unity. Macron's silence since the election result had concerned some allies and opponents who had wanted him to speak before heading off for a week of international meetings, including European Union, G7 and NATO summits. He said all sides would need to compromise, and that he wanted the political parties to clarify in the next 48 hours what decisions or actions they would be prepared to take. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon immediately brushed aside his speech, describing it as "ratatouille" and calling on Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who Macron did not mention, to put forward the government's roadmap to a parliamentary vote. Story continues "There cannot be any other realities than this: the executive is weak, the National Assembly is strong," Melenchon said. Voters delivered what is for France a rare hung parliament, with Macron's centrist alliance 44 seats short of an absolute majority, and the far right and a broad leftwing alliance that includes the far left battling to be the main opposition force. The conservatives could be kingmakers. An Elabe poll published on Wednesday showed that 44% of French people supported the idea of bill-by-bill negotiations. Fewer than 20% wanted a coalition or a government of national unity, as Macron had suggested to some of the party leaders over the last couple of days. Divisions also emerged among Macron's allies on whether his centrist alliance should rule out any deal at all with far-right lawmakers or work with them on an ad hoc basis. Some of Macron's ministers have been unequivocal about not working with Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN), which secured its largest ever contingent of lawmakers and is now the second-biggest party in the lower house of parliament. "Let me be absolutely clear, there cannot be any alliance, even a circumstantial one, with National Rally. We have no ideas in common with the National Rally," European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told Europe 1 radio on Wednesday. Macron made no mention of the far-right in his speech. Adding to the president's woes, the Paris public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into allegations of rape against Secretary of State for Development and the Francophonie Chrysoula Zacharopoulou after two complaints were received. Officials at her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Additional reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Myriam Rivet, Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by John Irish; Editing by Alison Williams and Catherine Evans) Man Arrested After Making Death Threats Against Local Pride A man in Washington was arrested last week after making anti-LGBTQ+ statements and death threats against the local community and an upcoming Pride celebration. Tyler Dinsmoor, 27, from Oak Harbor, was taken into custody last Friday by Oak Harbor Police Department and the Island County Sheriffs Office on a felony warrant and charged with felony civil rights malicious harassment with a hate crimes enhancement, according to a press release posted on the department's Facebook. In one of the threatening posts on the social media platform Gab, which has a large far-right base, Dinsmoor wrote that he was 9mm away from fedposting two f*gg*ts at home Depot, using a slang term for making statements about planned criminal actions that could later be used against him by law enforcement agencies. He also asked for prayers from his followers as he doubted his ability to make it through this fag month. In a subsequent post, Dinsmoor said he wished death upon every single gay person before they get a chance to molest and groom anyone else. In another post, Dinsmoor shared an image promoting the first annual Anacortes Pride Parade with the cryptic message talk me out of it. According to a report from local ABC affiliate KIRO, police had been called to the home of a woman who lives next to rental property owned by Dinsmoor on June 14, saying Dinsmoor had yelled an anti-LGBTQ+ death threat against her and her wife. It used to be legal to kill gay people! the woman claimed Dinsmoor had shouted. She said that she saw Dinsmoor a few days later with a firearm on his hip. Another neighbor claimed Dinsmoor pointed a gun at his young Black nephew who had wandered onto his property. The man added that Dinsmoor drove a black truck with the words Bible Bigot emblazoned on it. Dinsmoor remains in jail on $1 million bail. A man under the influence of narcotics crashed his car before going into a Buddhist temple and stealing one of its buses, according to a sheriff in Georgia. The man drove the bus down a path before wrecking it into a pavilion, according to a June 21 Facebook post from the Spalding County Sheriffs Office. The monks who live at the facility were not injured in the incident, deputies said. The temple is in Spalding County, about 60 miles northwest of Macon. First responders removed the man from the bus and flew to a nearby hospital for treatment of a head injury, according to the post. This was not an attack on a religious facility and there is no indication of any bias, deputies said. No one was injured except for the driver. He will face a vehicle theft charge among other charges, according to the post. The sheriffs office did not immediately respond to a request for further information. Man drives off in stolen patrol car and responds to 911 call, Colorado cops say Thieves in Lexus pull off brazen gas heist from U-Hauls over multiple days, SC cops say Youths break into $8 million Florida home, throw party and boxing matches, cops say A man was shot in the head and critically wounded on Staten Island Tuesday evening, police said. The 22-year-old victim was ambushed by three men on Victory Blvd. near Bay St. in Tompkinsville just before 6 p.m., police sources said. One of the suspects, who wore a gray hoodie, opened fire, sources said. The suspects ran west toward Monroe Ave., cop sources said. Medics rushed the victim to Richmond University Medical Center in critical condition. The marriage of YouTube duo "Jin and Juice," who rose to fame by sharing videos of their real-life marriage as an interracial couple, has come to a very public and explosive end with each side alleging physical abuse. Juice, whose real name is Cerose, initially posted a video on April 26 detailing that the couple had not posted much in recent weeks because Jin, also known as Gohan, was going through a rough time and had returned to Korea to take a break and spend more time with his friends and family. Its one thing to be an interracial couple, its a whole 'nother thing to be an international couple, Cerose explained, sharing that there was no definitive time for when he would return. More from NextShark: Complaint 'hidden' in 'Akira' by fed-up animator has been discovered 33 years after the anime's release To their nearly 1 million subscribers, she said cheerfully that it would be just her on their channel for a while and asked fans to comment with encouraging words because Gohans love language is words of affirmation. The couple share two children named Cevonne and Cephyr and had started the channel roughly two years ago after meeting in South Korea. Gohan has not only his family members names tattooed on his neck but also a large forearm tattoo of Ceroses face. The couple experienced success after their My Girlfriend Freestyle Raps in Korean video from a year ago went viral, garnering over 10 million views. More from NextShark: Aussie woman who woke up with an Irish accent last year says she still cant pronounce some words Some of their most popular uploads have included pranks, music videos, reactions and vlogs regarding their Korean and Black American backgrounds. On June 3, however, Gohan posted a shocking tell-all video titled Exposing Jin & Juice on a separate, independent YouTube channel under his rapper name, Yung Gohan. More from NextShark: Liev Schrieber and Naomi Watts' son perceived as 'too beautiful' by Japanese netizens In the video, Gohan explains in a mix of text and video that he had left for Korea not because he missed his family, but because he had been abused. Story continues Id say I escaped because I was going through domestic abuse, he states, adding, shout out to Johnny Depp for giving me the courage to make this video right now. More from NextShark: Mila Jovovichs daughter impresses fans with video of her Japanese language skills He lifts his shirt and reveals what appears to be a burn mark. He says he received the second-degree burn from a hair straightener set at 450 degrees Fahrenheit by his wife. He continues to tell his perspective of the relationship throughout the roughly 19-minute video, clarifying details he believes Cerose lied about. On June 15, Cerose posted her own response in a video called The End of Jin & Juice: Opening Up About Our Relationship. In a nearly 45-minute monologue, she begins by explaining that Gohan suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder and codependency due to the beatings he experienced from his father during childhood. She describes how these issues manifested themselves in their relationship shortly after they married in a whirlwind romance. I remember multiple incidents where Gohan and I would be having disagreements and he would immediately start slapping himself," she says in the video. "I had never witnessed anything like that before. Cerose states that Gohan eventually explained that it was a coping mechanism or trauma response, and that he would hit himself whenever he felt he had done something wrong, putting himself in the place of his father. In one particular incident, after getting married, Cerose was telling Gohan something he had done that had bugged her mother. He had a hydroflask in his hand and started repeatedly banging it on his head, she claims. According to Cerose, Gohan then went on to make homicidal threats to everyone and suicidal threats as well before running up the stairs of the house. When she attempted to approach him and ask what she did wrong, he purportedly yelled Get the fuck out of my way and repeatedly banged his head on the wall. According to Cerose, police got involved and Gohan was later diagnosed with PTSD and codependency. They were purportedly told self-harm was common in child abuse victims. She goes on to say that on January 26, 2020, after believing he would only ever hurt himself and never her, Gohan "proved me wrong." Cerose alleges that, in one fight, Gohan punched her. She says she justified his actions by telling herself that he was a kid who had been kicked around too many times. She is sure to clarify in her video, however, that the two also share beautiful memories, including the time she found out she was pregnant and told Gohan he did not have to stick around. I remember him holding my hands and looking at me, and saying, were gonna do this together, she recalls. At the end of her video, Cerose shares multiple text messages between her and Gohan that apparently show him admitting to hitting her. She also includes an exchange with his boss in which she tells him Gohan has resolved his mental health issues and was ready to return to work. Friends and fellow YouTube couple "Ash & Chris" have also spoken out about the couples ongoing public divorce. In a video posted onto their own account on June 18, real-life couple Ashley and Christian, who were friends with Cerose and Gohan, describe their own relationship with the pair, emphasizing that Gohan had betrayed their friendship. They allege that Gohan, who they blame for the couple's separation, had lied to Cerose saying that Ashley had come onto him, along with a series of other accusations. Featured Image via Jin & Juice; Jin & Juice An ice cream parlour in Massachusetts has struggled with a staffing shortage. Getty; Marianne Ayala/Insider A Massachusetts ice cream parlour has one-hour lines outside because there are not enough staff. The owner said three out of six new workers recently quit, leaving him with a shortfall of staff. He added that it's been hard to train staff properly during the busiest season of the year. Customers have waited in one-hour lines outside an ice cream shop in Massachusetts because the owner can't find enough staff. Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour, based in Mashpee, had wait times lasting more than one hour on Memorial Day weekend in May when the shop had a five-person crew, its owner Mark Lawrence told Insider. In early June, Lawrence managed to add six people to his workforce. Three out of those six new employees quit in recent weeks, leaving him with a smaller workforce, he said. Two of them didn't like the job, while the other one never came back or return calls, he added. Now, there are around eight people scooping ice cream, but Lawrence said there are still long lines outside Polar Cave's ice cream that can be 45-minutes long. Lawrence said it's been difficult to train his staff properly during the busiest season of the year and that he's offering "'on the fly' training at best." Video: How Ben & Jerry's makes nearly 1 million pints of ice cream daily "There is so much more to 'just scooping' ice cream that we are not up to full speed and lines are still long," Lawrence said. The job is a lot harder than people think, which makes hiring challenging, he added. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Polar Cave has suffered from a labor shortage, like many other small and large companies in the US. As the Great Resignation took its toll, many staff quit their jobs because of low salaries, few benefits, and poor working conditions. The shortfall of workers in the pandemic forced Lawrence to cut Polar Cave's operating hours from seven days a week down to four. Hiring a handful of staff means the shop can open five days a week, he said. Story continues Although he has three more employees, Lawrence was aware that some staff will leave in August to return to college or their home countries. "Last year, we closed for the last week of August due to lack of staff," he said. "Simply pushing the can down the road is not a solution to staffing issues." The Massachusetts minimum wage is $14.25 per hour, according to the state's government. Lawrence said he pays Polar Cave staff $20 an hour on average. No one makes less than $15 an hour and employees can receive bonuses throughout the year, he added. Lawrence, who works every day the shop is open, said it was "unrealistic" for him to pay his staff $25 an hour and provide benefits such as health insurance and housing, when he runs a small business. "There is a limit to how much anyone is willing to pay for an ice cream cone!" he said. Read the original article on Business Insider The mayor of Pilot Point, a small town in Denton County, has been arrested on charges of online solicitation of a minor, according to Dallas police. Police said Matthew McIlravy, 42, tried to solicit a 14-year-old online, a second degree felony. McIlravys arrest came after a five-month long investigation by Dallas police unit investigating internet crimes against children, the U.S. Marshals Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Collin County District Attorneys Office and other agencies. Dallas Police and the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led the investigation. They believe there are other victims who have not yet been identified and are asking anybody with information to contact Dallas police detective Michael Fontenot at 214-671-4281 or Michael.fontenot@dallascityhall.com. The Daily Beast Fox NewsKari Lake, the Trump-endorsed candidate for Arizona governor, was far from happy on Monday when Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked her about a report that linked her to drag queens.The interview, which was fairly tame on Baiers end, began with Lake falsely claiming that the 2020 election was fraudulent and that President Joe Biden is illegitimate. Baier responded by playing a tape of Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers testifying before the House Jan. 6 committee last week that the ele Vacation towns in New Hampshire and Maine are eager for Canadian tourists to return this summer, now that travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic have been loosened. The United States reopened its land border to fully vaccinated international travelers in November, after two summers in which Canadian tourists were unable to visit beaches like those in Hampton, York and Ogunquit. Canadians have historically vacationed in New Hampshire and Maine, which offer some of the closest beaches to provinces like Quebec. Last July, Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce President John Nyhan said a survey of businesses at Hampton Beach showed 20% of revenue was lost from the community because of restrictions on Canadian visitors. Chuck Rage, owner of the Pelham Resort and a Hampton Beach Village District commissioner, says businesses are looking forward to Canadians returning. The Maine Office of Tourism found that Canadian visitors spent almost $1.2 billion in Maine in 2019. They spent $329 million in stores in Maine, according to the agency, nearly one-fifth of all tourism-related retail expenditures in the state. We miss our Canadian friends, said Laurence Plotkin, owner of the Trellis House and the Blue Shutters Inn at Ogunquit Beach. He said Canadians can make up as much as 15% of their business each season, though he noted it depends on the currency exchange rate. Rising costs, exchange rate still a hurdle for Canadian visitors Todays exchange rate is not ideal for Canadians, Plotkin said, as Monday their dollar was only worth 77 cents in U.S. currency. He said challenges also remain for Canadian tourists due to rising costs in the United States. Gas continues to be expensive with the national average being $4.98 per gallon, and Plotkin said that could make it difficult for Canadians driving to Maine. He said rising costs in the hospitality industry, like labor, utilities and food, may also be prohibitive to Canadians. Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting 2022: Check out all the sculptures and see who won The Canadians are value-seeking as it relates to hospitality, Plotkin said. Its going to take some time to unwind these obstacles. Story continues Plotkin said Canadian tourists remain determined to make it back to their favorite American beaches, though. He said when the coronavirus pandemic closed travel between the two countries, many Canadians told him to keep their deposits to go toward their next opportunity to visit. I think theres a great deal of loyalty from the Canadian travelers, Plotkin said. The CAT returns to Bar Harbor Holly Roberts, executive director of the York Region Chamber of Commerce, said York has already seen some visitors from Nova Scotia and Quebec this season. She said the return of The CAT ferrys service from Nova Scotia to Bar Harbor, Maine, this year adds to the buzz for Canadian travel. Visitors to Hampton Beach from Canada account for about 20% of revenue, according to a chamber of commerce leader. York and Ogunquit beaches in 2022: New shops, eateries, shows and more The CAT, which also carries travelers with vehicles, halted its connection with Bar Harbor in 2009. It briefly began carrying tourists from Canada to Portland, Maine, until that was halted again in 2018. The coronavirus pandemic further prolonged the hiatus, but The CAT announced in the spring it was bringing back the connection. We know that they are anxious to return, Roberts said of Canadian tourists. It is impossible to predict the turnout, however, we all anticipate a very busy season. Hampton Beach 'looking forward' to return of Canadians At Hampton Beach, where the Canadian flag flies on a pole in front of the Seashell Stage, Pelham Resort owner Chuck Rage also said businesses are looking forward to Canadians returning. The highest volume of Canadian tourists often comes during Construction Holiday, a two-week vacation period celebrated in Quebec that starts the last Sunday in July. Hampton Beach: Big events returning in 2022. Here's the lineup. Rage said he lost several bookings in 2020 to Canadians who had reservations but were suddenly restricted from travel. Like Plotkin in Ogunquit, he had many tell him to keep their deposits for their next chance to visit Hampton Beach. They love the beaches here, Rage said. Chuck Rage, owner of the Pelham Resort and a Hampton Beach Village District commissioner, explains the importance of Canadian tourism dollars. Jimmy Trainor, who owns the Boardwalk Cafe in Hampton Beach, said Canadians tend to be good for restaurants, as they often stay for a week or more and spend more on restaurants than day-trippers. Rage, who also owns a Rexall Drug store, said they tend to buy a lot of souvenirs when they visit. Tom McGuirk, who owns McGuirks Ocean View at Hampton Beach, said the Canadians will serve as a noticeable bump for businesses at the beach this summer. He said with the rising costs faced by restaurant owners, Canadians serve as a welcome additional revenue stream. They come in droves, McGuirk said. Thats going to make a huge difference for the economy down here. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton, York and Ogunquit beaches welcome back Canadians after COVID Construction of the new Moderna facility is expected to begin as early as this year, with the first jab due to be made in the UK in 2025. Photo: Pasquale Gargano/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Moderna (MRNA) has announced plans to open its first vaccine factory in the UK, as it hailed Britain's "world-class life sciences and research community" which emerged during COVID-19. The vaccine maker will collaborate with the UK government to build a manufacturing centre for messenger mRNA vaccines for COVID and flu in a deal worth 1bn. Under the deal, which is an agreement in principle and needs final approval from both sides, Moderna will also invest in research and development efforts as it seeks to be a world leader in responding to pandemics. The Boston-based biotech firm has not disclosed how large the facility will be or where it will be built, although reports suggest it is considering between London, Oxford and Cambridge. Once built, the centre will produce up to 250 million doses per year, including some for export. The 10-year deal, which will be finalised this summer, also includes working together on research and development. Construction is expected to begin as early as this year, with the first jab due to be made in the UK in 2025. The coronavirus pandemic has seen vaccines production in the UK ramp up. Over 200m of taxpayers' money was poured into building the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre, during the pandemic. The mega-facility had originally been envisioned as a smaller research and production site, which firms could use to develop next-generation shots, but the crisis meant its scale was dramatically increased. It's expected to be completed later this year, after its opening date was pushed back, and is set to be able to make 70 million jabs in as little as four months. The facility was sold to US company Catalent in April. Shares in Moderna fell 1.9% in pre-market trading in New York. It follows talks between Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel and health secretary Sajid Javid in Boston earlier this year. Read more: Tether launching British pound stablecoin as redemptions escalate Javid said: "Our new partnership with Moderna will cement the UKs status as a science superpower, significantly boosting the economy and creating jobs and it has the potential to unlock the next generation of cutting-edge vaccines to fight diseases such as COVID-19, seasonal flu and RSV." Story continues Bancel, added: "We are excited to be able to continue our collaboration with the UK government and Vaccine Taskforce with this new mRNA Innovation and Technology Centre in the UK. The UK has established a world-class life sciences and research community." Commenting on the partnership, UK prime minister Boris Johnson, said: "Our investment will guarantee jabs in arms against some of the toughest viruses out there, bringing us to the forefront of the fight against future threats. "Weve all seen what vaccines can do, and todays partnership brings us one step closer to finding cures for some of the most devastating diseases." Watch: What are SPACs? shaunl / Getty Images It seems like a good idea -- getting that membership to Costco so you can save lots of money on groceries and household products. But if you're on the fence about whether a membership would be right for you, take some time to check out Costco's online site to see what products it has that you're interested in, or visit a location in person to look around. See: 10 Things You Should Always Buy at Walmart Learn: 9 Bills You Should Never Put on Autopay You can get a Costco membership for as little as $60 per year, which averages out to about $5 per month. If you shop once a month, do you think you can rack up at least $5 in savings during a single trip? To help you gain perspective and see how much you can potentially save with a Costco membership, here's a look at the price of 10 Costco signature products versus the price of 10 similar products at Kroger with the savings calculated for you. Chase Brock / GOBankingRates Olive Oil How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $4.34 Olive oil can be expensive and quality matters. Plus, according to the experts, Kirkland's Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is high-quality olive oil. A two-liter bottle of Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil is just $15.99 at Costco. To compare, a 51-ounce bottle of Simple Truth Organic Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil at Kroger costs $13.29. In terms of price, the Simple Truth product is $2.70 less than Costco's brand, but you get 16 ounces less product. The Costco product costs $7.99 per liter or $0.23 per ounce, while the Kroger product costs a bit more than $0.26 per ounce. Even though there's not a huge cost saving here, in terms of quality, the Costco product may more than make up for it. Live Updates: Financial Trends, Money News and More Costco Paper Towels How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $1.83 You can get a really good deal when you buy Kirkland Signature Create-a-Size Paper Towels with 160 2-ply sheets per roll in a 12-count pack for $21.99. To compare, a pack of six-count Kroger Select-A-Sheet Double Paper Towels with 110 2-ply sheets per roll is $11.49. So, you could buy two six-packs of the Kroger product for around the same price as Costco's product, but you'd get 30 fewer sheets per Kroger roll, which can add up. Story continues Kirkland paper towels cost about $1.83 per roll, and the Kroger paper towels cost $1.91. The only difference is you're losing 360 sheets (30 sheets X 12 rolls) -- or about 2 1/2 rolls (there are 140 sheets in each roll of the Kirkland product) -- if you buy the Kroger product. Chase Brock / GOBankingRates Maple Syrup How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $3.42 There's nothing like pure maple syrup on your pancakes. You can get Kirkland Signature Organic Pure Maple Syrup for $14.49 for 33.8 0unces or $0.43 per ounce. To compare, Private Selection 100% Pure Grade A Amber Maple Syrup at Kroger is $16.92 for 32 ounces or almost $0.53 per ounce. Amazon Dishwasher Detergent Tabs How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $32.87 At Costco, Kirkland Signature Platinum Performance UltraShine Dishwasher Detergent Pacs, 115-count, are $11.39 or $0.09 each. At Kroger, Finish Powerball Quantum Dishwasher Detergent Tabs, 50-count, are $14.29 or about $0.29 each. This is where you can really rack up the savings and pay for almost one-third of your Costco membership just by the savings you'll reap from buying this one Costco product. Costco Animal Crackers How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $2.96 If you have children or if you just like having something simple, yet sweet, to satisfy your sugar craving without going overboard, animal crackers may be something you'd buy. A 4-pound quantity of Kirkland Signature Organic Animal Crackers is $12.99 or around $0.20 per ounce. In comparison, two 8-ounce packages of Simple Truth Organic Animal Crackers from Kroger are $2.99 or $0.37 per ounce. If you're into animal crackers, you can really save at Costco. Costco Kitchen Trash Bags How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $49.44 Kirkland Signature Flex-Tech 13-Gallon Scented Kitchen Trash Bags, 200-count are $22.49 or $0.11 per bag. Kroger Tall Kitchen Super Flex Bags, 34-count, are $8.99 or $0.26 per bag. By buying the Kirkland trash bags, even though you have to buy more up front, you can save over $20. That's nearly the total price of the $60 Costco membership. Costco Weight Control Cat Food How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $6.30 Overweight kitties need a solution, and weight control cat food can help. Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight Cat Food is $32.99 for 20 pounds or $1.64 per pound. IAMS ProActive Health Chicken & Turkey Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Adult Dry Cat Food is $15.74 for 7 pounds or $2.25 per pound. Not only is the Kirkland formula cheaper but it also doesn't contain any corn, wheat or soy. ARTYOORAN / Shutterstock.com Is a Costco Membership Worth It? If you bought every item on this list instead of buying the similar products from Kroger, you could save $101.16 in just one trip to Costco, which more than makes up for the $60 membership fee. And that's just one trip. The membership fee is due once every year, so think about how many more opportunities you'll have to save. Yes, a Costco membership is worth it -- as long as you use it. More From GOBankingRates Methodology: It's difficult to find the same size of similar products at Costco and Kroger. In instances where the Costco product contained more ounces, pounds or units than the similar Kroger product, the "how much you could save by buying the Kirkland product" was determined by calculating how much the Costco quantity of the product would cost at the Kroger price and then subtracting the Costco price from the new Kroger price. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Does a Costco Membership Really Save You? PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Myanmar's military-appointed defence minister joined a meeting of his Southeast Asian counterparts on Wednesday, despite pressure from some countries in the regional bloc and pro-democracy groups to exclude the junta from such gatherings. General Mya Tun Oo is the most senior Myanmar official to attend a ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) since the junta was sidelined late last year over its failure to honour a peace plan agreed with ASEAN. Divisions persist within the 10-nation bloc over how to deal with the military that seized power in Myanmar last year and has led a bloody crackdown against its opponents. Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have urged current chair Cambodia to exclude the junta until progress is made toward ending hostilities. The Malaysian defence ministry said that even though Wednesday's meeting involved the military government, "this does not mean Malaysia recognises the (junta) as the legitimate government of Myanmar". Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said the Myanmar general's presence indicated a unified bloc. "This is a participation to find solutions and this accusation, that accusation, we can't respond to all of them," he told a news conference, referring to criticism over including Myanmar in the meeting. Details of the ministers' discussion were not available but a joint statement shared with media showed all of them pledged support for efforts to "bring about a peaceful transition to normalcy in Myanmar" through a special envoy. Democracy activists in Myanmar and elsewhere raised concerns that efforts to engage with the junta legitimise it. "(ASEAN defence ministers') engagement with the junta, which has included military exercises, may likely amount to the aiding and abetting of the junta's war crimes and crimes against humanity," the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights network said last week in an open letter signed by more than 650 civil society organisations. All 10 Southeast Asian defence ministers are also due to meet their Chinese and Japanese counterparts virtually later on Wednesday, Tea Banh said. (Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Additional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Ed Davies) Seemingly hewn out of boulders or icebergs, yet as refined and elegant as any furniture youve ever seen, Fernando Mastrangelos striking sculptural works are one of a kind. Blurring the boundaries between art and interior design, Mastrangelos furniture, mirrors, and installations use texture and form to their fullest potential. It would be hard to see these pieces in person and resist reaching out to follow their contours with your fingers. Sculptural sofa featured in Fernando Mastrangelo's DRIFT collection. Based in Brooklyn, Mastrangelo has a background in fine art that shows in every item he creates. His childhood in Mexico and Argentina inspired a love of nature that informs his stylistic choices. He describes his aesthetic as raw minimalism, preferring to work with materials like cast sand, wood, powdered glass, sugar, and surprisingly enough, human ashes. Pieces from Fernando Mastrangelo's DRIFT collection on display in a gallery setting. One standout collection is DRIFT, a series of sculptural pieces inspired by glaciers and natural earth formations from the designers voyages to Patagonia and the Grand Canyon. Consisting of a sofa, mirror, bench, and side table, DRIFT juxtaposes elements that are polished and highly finished with those that are raw and less controlled. Mastrangelo describes the sofa as coming together in a poetic mass of classic upholstery and sharp-edged sculpting techniques. Sculptural mirrors featured in Fernando Mastrangelo's CAPITAL collection. The CAPITAL collection is a series of three mirrors titled Aurora, Marina, and Sahara, which adorn reflective surfaces with hand-dyed sand to reference the natural beauty of Dubai. Another collection called RIDGE takes a darker tone, with layers of black, gray, and white sand creating the illusion of distant landscapes after sunset. These cast sand pieces include drums, tables, and wall-mounted slabs, as well as a 1,452-piece cut glass mosaic wall mirror mimicking the look of abstracted mountains. Dark sculptural pieces from Fernando Mastrangelo's RIDGE collection on display. You wont often see Mastrangelos work at indoor design fairs. As far as hes concerned, the next generation of buyers is not interested in walking through a booth-filled convention center where they dont feel connected to the experience, as he told Surface Magazine. They want to travel to see and interact and participate in the things they love. Story continues Fernando Mastrangelo stands inside his The designer often chooses to put his works on display in public spaces instead, such as Tiny House, an interactive pop-up full of lush plants that he parked in Times Square during NYCxDesign. This project shows off Mastrangelos vision of the future of design, using reclaimed materials and a small footprint to promote sustainability without sacrificing highly Instagrammable beauty. Where will Mastrangelos work go from here? Even bigger and more interactive. Fernando Mastrangelo stands outside his Im looking to use the language Ive created through my sculpture and furniture practices in new and interesting ways, he says. This has led me to a newfound fervor for designing experiential spaces. At last years Collective Design, I designed a booth called The Dream that was inspired by a Henry Rousseau painting; it was a space designed to evoke the lush feeling of the sun setting in the jungle. This year, I designed the Art Basel Lounge for Audemars Piguet which will travel the world. It also transports its visitors, but this time to a Swiss mountain range. The post Natural Textures Meet Polished Beauty in Fernando Mastrangelos Sculptural Furniture first appeared on Dornob. As North Carolinas Republican legislative leaders negotiate a state budget deal Wednesday in the General Assembly, Democrats and labor groups talked about a big budget priority: raises. State employees already will get a 2.5% raise this upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1 because of the budget Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law in November. The budget bill this legislative short session is a smaller bill that can make adjustments, such as more raises for state employees and teachers, tax cuts and other spending. Both Republicans and Democrats want to increase raises this year. Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, who lead the Republican-majority legislature, are meeting Wednesday to negotiate the amount of additional raises for state employees and teachers this year along with potential tax cuts and spending of an expected surplus of more than $6 billion. They plan to pass a budget bill to send to Cooper by the end of next week. What Democrats, labor groups want Senate Democrats told reporters Wednesday at a news conference that they want the budget to include an extension of the COVID-era free breakfast and lunch program for all students. That program, which was funded by the federal government, is set to end June 30. Berger said Tuesday evening that Democrats making a budget request this week probably is too late. I would say that the Democrats control the federal levers at this time, they ought to be talking to the folks in Washington if thats what they want, Berger said, referring to President Joe Biden and Congress. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, a Republican, and State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis sent a letter to North Carolinas U.S. senators asking for support of federal legislation extending the free lunch program beyond its expiration date, The N&O previously reported. Moore questioned the potential cost to the state for a program not using federal funds. Senate Bill 856, sponsored by Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, would allocate $78.7 million for free lunch for public school students in K-12. Story continues Beyond lunch funding, Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said educator pay continues to be an issue. The prior budget didnt go far enough to address educator raises, she said, which includes teachers, assistant principals and noncertified school personnel. She said NCAE, the statewide teacher advocacy organization, also wants additional funding for school nurses, social workers, guidance counselors and school psychologists. The 2021 state budget raises of an average 5% over two years for teachers does not keep up with inflation, she said. She said recent raises that are front-loaded, meaning focused on recruiting new teachers, leave out educators who have 15 years or more experience. What we would like to see is some parity, some wage parity, Kelly said. She wants consistent raises across the board, not just on average. Because of inflation, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for noncertified school personnel, like bus drivers and cafeteria workers, isnt enough. $17 [an hour] and above is getting us to where we need to be, she said. North Carolina Association of Educators President Tamika Walker Kelly, a teacher, talks to reporters about NCAE budget priorities and educator pay during a press conference at the Legislative Building in Raleigh on June 22, 2022. Employee requests In a separate news conference Wednesday, UE Local 150, the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, called for flat raises for all state employees. UE Local wants $3,000 for state workers across the board; salary range adjustments; and $2,000 bonuses for all state employees. There has been a 20% state employee shortage statewide this year, and salaries are a key issue in recruitment and retention, The N&O previously reported. Patrice Jacobs is a union member and cook at Longleaf Neuro-medical Treatment Center in Wilson, which is part of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. She said the state can do a lot better with pay for workers with longevity, especially those who worked throughout the pandemic. Gas prices have risen, all kinds of things your food bill, rent, mortgages, car payments, etc., Jacobs said. She said she hopes as workers keep pushing, theyll get some of the things theyve been seeking. They want Medicaid expansion, too, which is another issue that has been part of past budget negotiations. Medicaid expansion The Republican-majority Senate passed a bill that expands Medicaid earlier this session. Medicaid expansion has long been a sticking point in state politics. But this year, the tension is between chambers, not the governor and the legislature. House Republicans do not want to expand Medicaid this session, and Moore told reporters on Tuesday that the chambers agreed not to make it part of budget negotiations. As far as what the Senate passed, that bills a nonstarter. Were not going to take that up. Weve been very clear from day one. Are there other things to look at? Maybe so, Moore said. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senator Phil Berger, pictured April 26, 2021 during Gov. Roy Coopers state of the state address. Weve agreed to keep that separate and apart from the budget discussion. Weve agreed to do a budget and if we discuss anything on Medicaid, thats a separate conversation, he said. But Berger thinks otherwise. Weve not really agreed to anything as of yet, Berger told reporters Tuesday, other than our starting point is what our appropriations chairs have laid before us, and theres a list of things that they could not reach agreement on, and that there would be other things that either he or I would bring up in conversations. Berger and Moore are expected to meet sometime Wednesday. Both the House and Senate have late afternoon voting sessions. I intend to suggest as I have for awhile now that it would be a good thing as part of the budget, yes. Well see what happens, Berger said. For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it at https://campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts. SANAA, Yemen (AP) Suspected al-Qaida militants on Wednesday attacked a security post in a southern Yemeni province, sparking clashes that left five troops and three militants dead, officials said. The early morning attack took place in Ataq, the capital of the mountainous province of Shabwa, the officials said. At least four other troops were wounded in the attack, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press. No group claimed responsibly for the ambush, which targeted a post manned by troops loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, they said. The separatist council is backed by the United Arab Emirates and controls much of Yemens south. It is at odds with the internationally recognized government. The officials said reinforcements were sent to the strategic city, a gateway to oil fields and desert approaches to the Saudi border, the officials said, adding that al-Qaida militants operate in the area and are suspected to be behind the attack. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has long been considered the global networks most dangerous branch, and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland. AQAP, along with an affiliate of the Islamic State group are active in several regions of Yemen and have taken advantage of the yearslong civil war to make inroads. Yemens war pits Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the internationally recognized government, which is aided by a Saudi-led coalition. The UAE is part of the coalition. Investigators were headed to Miami Wednesday after a passenger jet's landing gear collapsed and it caught fire as it touched down at the US city's international airport, forcing more than 100 people to flee the burning and mangled aircraft. Three people were hospitalized after the crash of Red Air Flight 203 late Tuesday, according to Miami-Dade fire officials, but no deaths or serious injuries have been reported among those on board. Dramatic video footage showed people being evacuated from the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft, lying askew on the runway with its nose crumpled as thick black smoke billows from its body. Red Air, a Dominican budget carrier which only launched in November last year, said the plane was arriving from Santo Domingo when it met with "technical difficulties." "Red Air #203 from Santo Domingo had its landing gear in the nose of the plane collapse, which seems to have caused a fire," said a statement on the Miami International Airport's Twitter account. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US government agency in charge of probing civil aviation accidents, tweeted that its team would arrive in Miami on Wednesday. Red Air said there were 130 passengers and 10 crew on board. A Miami airport spokesman said there was "a total of 126 people on board" the plane. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear. bur-st/ec Reuters The recall is the first for the Ford electric pickup truck. Ford said the trucks tire pressure monitoring system light may not illuminate when intended and may not be able to provide adequate warning of low tire inflation pressure because the recommended tire cold inflation pressure value was incorrectly set to 35 psi rather than the correct inflation pressure of 42 psi. Ford said low tire inflation pressure may lead to poor vehicle handling and a possible loss of vehicle control, which could increase the risk of a crash. 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 We could soon be seeing some relief at the pump. President Biden has called for temporarily suspending the federal gas tax. Pumping the brakes on the federal tax would shave 18 cents off gas prices. According to AAA, the current average for a gallon of gas went down a penny overnight in Massachusetts to $4.99 per gallon. Thats an improvement from a week ago when prices reached a record $5.05 a gallon. And a year ago, we were paying just $2.96 a gallon. There has been a lot of talk about suspending the gas tax, and now the president is asking lawmakers to do just that. However, thats the roadblock. It will need Congressional approval. President Biden wants to put a pause on the 18-cent tax, but there is significant opposition from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. One argument is that they want to see immediate relief without taking away money from infrastructure projects. Biden is calling on state lawmakers to take action as well. There is currently a bill in the state senate that would suspend Massachusetts gas tax until Labor Day. Governor Baker and Republican state lawmakers have been pushing to pause it, and now it looks like the idea is gaining momentum with some Democrats, including Eric Lesser who is running for lieutenant governor. With the current state average at $4.99 a gallon, taking off the 18-cent federal gas tax would bring the price down to $4.81 a gallon. If the state follows suit, that would shave off another 24 cents, resulting in $4.57 a gallon. For a 14-gallon tank, a driver would save $5.88. Still, some of the opponents concerns are that the tax revenue would take away from road projects and it could also hurt the states bond rating. Connecticut and New York have suspended their gas tax, and gas costs are $4.93 and $5.00 respectively. Thats another concern for opponents. They are worried the savings will not be passed on to consumers. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WASHINGTON From the reliably blue nation's capital to rural red Alabama, voters made choices in Tuesday's primaries that will essentially decide the November elections and they chose several women. A contentious mayoral primary determined who is likely to lead Washington, D.C., which is dealing with an increase in violent crime. An endorsement from former President Donald Trump came so late that it probably wasn't much of a factor for the winner in a Senate race in Alabama. Two congressional races in Virginia determined who will face Reps. Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger two of the most vulnerable House races for Democrats. Democrats are fighting incumbent Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who put up a firewall against Trump's pressure to overturn the 2020 presidential election that Joe Biden won. Recap: DC mayor nominated for third term; Alabama Rep. endorsed then un-endorsed by Trump loses Here are some of the most notable results: In Alabama, Britt won because of GOP establishment not Trump Katie Britt's Senate campaign went into a runoff with a Republican rival during Alabama's primary race in May. Trump may take credit for Katie Britt's victory in Alabama's Senate primary runoff, but it was more of a win for the state's Republican establishment. Britt was chief of staff for Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., whose retirement opened the seat. She served as chief executive of the Business Council of Alabama. Related video: LA mayoral primary heats up as celebs lend their voices to campaign Shelby and the council helped Britt's candidacy as Trump endorsed Rep. Mo Brooks for the seat. Trump withdrew his endorsement of Brooks after criticizing him over his revised views of the 2020 election. Brooks told Trump supporters at a rally in August to put the election behind them. By the time Trump endorsed Britt on June 10, she was well on her way to victory over Brooks in the runoff. In November, she will face Democratic candidate Will Boyd. In declaring victory, Britt talked about the newness of her appeal. "Alabama has spoken," she said. "We want new blood. We want fresh blood." Story continues Bowser win is a loss for liberals Mayor Muriel Bowser attends Capital Pride events June 10 in Washington. Bowser seeks a third term in office. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser was renominated for a third term, despite increased crime in the nations capital. Two Democratic challengers from the city council unsuccessfully tried to unseat her. Her win was another ding against the far left during this months primaries, revealing differences between liberals and moderates on addressing violence. For example, voters spoke loudly in San Francisco this month when they recalled the liberal district attorney because of crime in the Bay Area's biggest city. Bowser, a moderate Democrat, faced a tough fight against Robert White and Trayon White, no relation, two left-leaning members of the Council of the District of Columbia. Both of them criticized Bowsers handling of crime, denying her requests for more police officers. Bowser said the city needs more police to restore public safety. Two teenagers were fatally shot over the weekend. Bowser has been one of the leaders in the districts fight for statehood and marched with social justice advocates, spending part of her first two terms squaring off against Trump. The primary winner is likely to cruise to victory in November in the Democratic stronghold. Dems take fight to Raffensperger in Georgia State Rep. Bee Nguyen challenges incumbent Brad Raffensperger in the race for Georgia secretary of state. At hearings this month held by a House committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, some Democrats described Republicans who stood up to Trump's pressure to overturn the 2020 election as heroes. Raffensperger, the Republican incumbent secretary of state in Georgia, pushed back against Trump and testified before the committee in Washington on Tuesday. He reiterated that state investigations found no evidence to support the former president's assertions of election fraud. Trump asked Raffensperger in a phone call to find enough votes to help him win. Raffensperger testified Tuesday that there were no votes to find, resisting the former president's pressure campaign on state officials. Democrats in Georgia are working hard to replace him. Primary voters chose state Rep. Bee Nguyen as the Democratic nominee to take on Raffensperger in November. Nguyen ran on a platform of debunking false narratives, claiming Raffensperger supported sweeping election overhauls passed last year by Republican state lawmakers. "When our voting rights are attacked, we all lose," she said in a campaign ad. She is running to be the first Asian American elected to executive office in state history. 2022 midterms: A new battleground in secretary of state elections Virginia races big battlegrounds for Dems Two moderate Virginia Democrats are struggling to hold onto their seats this fall. Reps. Luria and Spanberger are in two of the most vulnerable House seats, and the Republican primary determined whom they will face in the fall. Luria will face state Sen. Jen Kiggans, and Spanberger will face Prince William County Board Supervisor Yesli Vega. Republicans hope to pick up the two seats, which could help determine the party that controls Congress next year and the fate of President Biden's agenda. More: Inflation fears pressure Democrats in Virginia House races. Could they be a bellwether? Conservatives and some political analysts have warned of a "red wave" in competitive districts such as the ones Luria and Spanberger represent, where Trump lost in 2020 but Republican Glenn Youngkin won in the gubernatorial race in 2021. Democrats acknowledged the political headwinds against them, especially the economy, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday her party has no intention of losing the House. Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Primary takeaways: Voters set up midterm winners and tough races The Daily Beast Comic Relief/BBC Children in Need/ Getty ImagesPrince William has become embroiled in a new privacy row after a video of him shouting angrily at a paparazzi photographer who was filming his family while on a bike ride went viral Monday.In the footage, a raging William, wearing a down jacket and a peaked hat, tells the man his behavior is absolutely outrageous.The footage was posted to the YouTube account of Terry Harris whose online bio says he is a drone operator and photographer. He appears Edison Electric Institute recognizes utility's leadership in hardening and modernizing infrastructure NEWARK, N.J. --News Direct-- Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Photo: PSEG Chairman and CEO, Ralph Izzo, accepts the 2022 Edison Award at the Edison Electric Institute's convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla. NEWARK, N.J., June 22, 2022 /3BL Media/ The Edison Electric Institute named Public Service Electric & Gas the recipient of the 2022 Edison Award, the electric utility industry's highest honor, in recognition of its industry-leading efforts to protect New Jersey communities and customers from extreme weather conditions. The announcement was made Tuesday evening at EEI's Annual Convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla. PSE&G was recognized for initiatives that set a new benchmark for modernizing utility infrastructure. Specifically, in the years following Superstorm Sandy, the company launched a historic infrastructure modernization program to fortify New Jersey's electric and natural gas systems against future stormswith even more investment planned in future phases. "We are honored and grateful for this recognition and proud of our efforts to serve 2.3 million customers and enhance their lives and businesses by making our distribution systems more resilient in the face of increasingly extreme weather events," PSE&G President and COO Kim Hanemann said. Photo: PSEG Chairman and CEO, Ralph Izzo, accepts the 2022 Edison Award at the Edison Electric Institute's convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla. The investments to protect customers from the extreme weather caused by climate change are fundamental to PSEG's Powering Progress vision of a future where people use less energy, and it's cleaner, safer and delivered more reliably than ever. "Climate change has made fortifying New Jersey's energy infrastructure imperative. The benefits of this initiative were clear last fall when Tropical Storm Ida hit New Jersey hard, but significantly fewer customers lost power than during previous intense storms," said Hanemann. This is the third time in PSE&G's 119-year history that the utility has received the Edison Award. Story continues "Delivering resilient clean energy to our customers and to our communities always is the top priority for EEI and for our member companies," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "After Superstorm Sandy hit a decade ago, PSE&G's forward-thinking Energy Strong program, has reinforced its commitment to making the investments needed to enhance energy grid reliability and resilience. PSE&G is exceptionally deserving of this prestigious recognition, and I congratulate them for being named this year's Edison Award winner." About PSE&G Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey's oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, serving three-quarters of the state's population, as well as one of the nation's largest utilities. PSE&G has won the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 20 consecutive years. PSE&G received the 2022 ENERGY STAR "Partner of the Year" award in the Energy Efficiency Program Delivery category, and is a 2021 Customer Champion and Most Trusted Brand as named by Escalent. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 14 consecutive years (www.pseg.com). View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/pseandg-wins-electric-power-industrys-top-honor-for-strengthening-service-to-customers-and-increasing-reliability-and-resilience-in-the-face-of-extreme-weather-618308944 OLENA ROSHCHINA WEDNESDAY, 22 JUNE 2022, 14:06 On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, is holding an operational meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council. Source: RIA Novosti Details: In particular, Putin discussed with permanent members of the Security Council preparations for the National Election Day in Russia in September. "It is necessary to prepare and hold this major domestic political event with dignity, to provide the necessary conditions and security." Press Secretary to the Russian President Dmitri Peskov said earlier that on Wednesday Putin was working in the Kremlin: he had working meetings, an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council and preparations for the BRICS summit [BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa], which will be held by video conference on 23-24 June. Peskov has not disclosed the topics for discussion at the Security Council. The meeting is being held while active hostilities are taking place in Ukraine and amid rising tensions around the Baltic states. Background: According to one version, Russia may try to hold pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories on the National Election Day in Russia, on 11 September. Queen Elizabeth II sends message as Prince William and Kate attend unveiling of National Windrush Monument (PA/Getty) The Queen has issued a message to welcome the unveiling of the National WindrushMonument at Waterloo station. The 96-year-old monarch said the monument, which celebrates the courage of the Windrush generation, is a fitting thank you. She said in a written message: It gives me pleasure to extend my congratulations on the creation of the National Windrush Monument. The unveiling at Waterloo Station on Windrush Day serves as a fitting thank you to the Windrush pioneers and their descendants, in recognition of the profound contribution they have made to the United Kingdom over the decades. It is my hope that the memorial will serve to inspire present and future generations, and I send you my warmest good wishes on this historic occasion. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are attending the unveiling alongside members of the Windrush generation on Wednesday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by Baroness Floella Benjamin (left) attending the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station (PA) The statue, designed by Jamaican artist and sculptor Basil Watson, depicts a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases. Watson said his monument pays tribute to the dreams and aspirations, courage and dignity, skills and talents of the Windrush generation, who arrived in Britain with a hope of contributing to a society that they expected would welcome them in return. He said: My parents, along with a great many others, took the long arduous voyage from the Caribbean with very little or nothing other than their aspirations, their courage and a promise of opportunity for advancement. This monument tells that story of hope, determination, a strong belief in selves and a vison for the future. Communities secretary Michael Gove said: Seeing Basil Watsons magnificent monument, its easy to imagine the excitement, hope and apprehension that the Windrush pioneers must have felt as they arrived in the UK. Overcoming great sacrifice and hardship, the Windrush Generation and their descendants have gone on to make an immense contribution to public life. Britain would be much diminished without them. Story continues Jamaican immigrants welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship HMT Empire Windrush landed them at Tilbury in 1948 (PA) Next year marks 75 years since the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, bringing 500 passengers from the Caribbean. More than 100 leaders from politics, faith and civil society, sport, culture and business have signed a joint letter, published in The Times newspaper, starting the one-year countdown to the milestone. They write: This is not only black History - it is British history. It should be something we all know and commemorate. We call on the Government and all UK institutions, from politics to civil society, faith, culture, business and sport, to step up and fully play their part next year. Additional reporting by PA (Bloomberg) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should have spoken out to protest rampant corruption during his predecessors reign and didnt do enough to stop the theft of billions of dollars of taxpayer funds, a judicial inquiry found. Most Read from Bloomberg The finding is the second blow in recent weeks to the credibility of the 69-year-old, who came to power in 2018 promising to cleanse his country and the ruling African National Congress of graft after Jacob Zumas scandal-ridden tenure. Earlier this month, ex-spy chief Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa, saying he had concealed the theft of more than $4 million from his farm. The president has denied breaking the law. Ramaphosas testimony that he didnt act more decisively to stop the rot because he would have been removed by Zuma and the graft would have continued untrammeled, was dismissed by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Ramaphosa has estimated that more than 500 billion rand ($31 billion) was stolen from state during Zumas nine-year tenure. The ex-president has denied wrongdoing. If Ramaphosa had spoken out firmly against state capture and wrongdoing, and President Zuma fired him, that would have given hope to a lot of other members of cabinet who may have been looking to someone to lead, Zondo said in his final set of findings, which were released on Wednesday after a probe thats spanned almost four years. The option he chose did not prevent state capture from continuing, he said, using a local term for government-related corruption. The findings against Ramaphosa and the ANC were a searing critique of the party thats ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. Story continues Ramaphosa could have stopped the corruption but it would require a certain level of ethical commitment which is difficult to presume could have existed within the ANC, Ralph Mathekga, an independent political analyst, said. How things are coming out now makes it difficult for Ramaphosa to even say to people that he wants to enforce the Zondo commissions findings. The chief justice noted that there were media reports of corruption involving members of the Gupta family, who were alleged to have worked with Zuma to defraud the state, since 2010. Two of the three Gupta brothers were arrested in Dubai this month on an international warrant and South Africa is seeking their extradition. They have denied wrongdoing. Read: Meet the Guptas, Symbols of South African Corruption: QuickTake The ANC claimed not to have minutes of certain meetings it held between 2012 and 2017, an assertion Zondo said was improbable. Despite repeated undertakings, the party had done nothing to stamp out corruption within its ranks, and Ramaphosa and other senior leaders likely knew more about the graft than has been disclosed, he said. It is still somewhat opaque as to what President Ramaphosa knew, Zondo said. Zondos findings challenge Ramaphosas reputation as an anti-corruption champion, according to Mathekga, and the position the president finds himself in makes him vulnerable. We know hes an enthusiast about fighting corruption, but Zondos findings dampen the momentum, Mathekga said. ANC Rebuilding The ANC is engaging with the findings and recommendations of the commission to determine how these can help to enhance the process of fundamental renewal and rebuilding within our movement, the party said in a statement after the release of the latest findings. Zondo expressed little confidence that the ANC can redeem itself after it presided over a period in which the average South African became poorer, the power and rail utilities and other state companies neared collapse, and the country ultimately lost its investment grade credit ratings. For as long as the ANC is in power, the failure of the ANC to successfully reform and renew itself as undertaken by President Ramaphosa, will render the South African state unable to rid itself of the scourge of state capture and corruption, he said. If the ANC had not protected President Zuma and he had been removed from office, the Guptas would probably have fled as they did in 2018 and therefore would not have looted the way they did. The ANC must take responsibility for this, the judge said. Billions of rands of taxpayers money would have been saved. Read: The Brothers Who Bought South Africa (Updates with analyst comment in 10th paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday condemned parts of the recently announced bipartisan gun safety deal, describing some provisions as constitutional deficiencies and vowing to introduce amendments as it comes to the Senate floor. Unfortunately, this legislation was assembled as many are in secret, absent well placed leaks to journalists, Paul wrote on Twitter. There doesnt appear to be a willingness or time provided to read, understand, debate or amend this bill. I will try anyway, he continued. To this end, I will introduce amendments to correct the constitutional deficiencies of this bill and hope my colleagues and the Senate leadership will do the same. Senate negotiators on Tuesday released the text of a long-awaited deal on gun safety that would take firearms away from dangerous people and provide billions of dollars in new mental health funding, among other measures. The Senate quickly voted 64-34 on Tuesday evening to advance the legislation, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and 13 other GOP senators supporting the measure. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he expects the bill to pass the Senate by the end of the week. Schumers timeline aims to get ahead of the Senates upcoming two-week recess. But a quick passage of the legislation requires an agreement from all 100 senators, so Paul could delay the final vote if he doesnt give way. Paul said he supports some of the bills provisions, like a section that includes juvenile records in background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21. Looking at the recent criminal past of anyone is a good idea before assessing gun ownership, Paul said. However, that idea was paired with many questionable or bad ones in this legislation. He specifically raised concerns over a proposed $750 million in funding for states to implement crisis intervention orders, including red flag laws that allow a court to confiscate a firearm from someone deemed to be a significant danger to themselves or others. Story continues Paul raised due process concerns over some states existing red flag laws, explicitly referencing those implemented in New York, Washington state and Washington, D.C. He also criticized a prohibition on using the funds to train or equip school personnel with firearms. In fact, we should be doing the opposite, encouraging schools to train and arm proper personnel as desired and needed in their schools, Paul said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The coffin of slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba returned to his home on Wednesday for an emotionally charged tour and burial, more than six decades after his assassination. A plane took Lumumba's mortal remains -- a tooth that ex-colonial power Belgium handed over to his family on Monday -- from Brussels to Kinshasa for a nine-day trip around the Democratic Republic of Congo. The coffin and an accompanying delegation then flew to the central province of Sankuru, where the country's first post-independence leader was born in the village of Onalua in 1925. "Mr first prime minister," the DRC's police and armed forces "are lined up to pay their respects to you on your return to your native village", a police officer standing to attention solemnly said, in front of the coffin as it arrived at the aerodrome in the town of Tshumbe. From there, it was taken 25 kilometres (15 miles) to Onalua, where two days of tributes are planned. Transported by an army vehicle covered with a Congolese flag, the coffin arrived at the village square to the sound of tam-tam drums. A podium in the national colours of yellow, blue and red, tents and banners bearing Lumumba's face had been set up. The remains will visit sites symbolically important to Lumumba's life and be laid to rest in a mausoleum in the capital Kinshasa on June 30, following three days of national mourning. "His spirit, which was imprisoned in Belgium, comes back here," said Onalua Maurice Tasombo Omatuku, a traditional chief and nephew of Lumumba. Finally able to mourn his uncle but knowing he was assassinated in 1961, Omatuku said he was feeling emotionally torn. - 'The son is returning' - Onalua has since 2013 been part of a commune named Lumumbaville in honour of the anti-colonial leader. On Tuesday, ahead of the arrival home of its favourite son, a local resident pointed to a large, unfinished concrete house falling into dilapidation, with much of its roof missing. Story continues "That's the family plot where Lumumba was born," he said. Catherine Mbutshu said she felt joy at the idea that Lumumba's "relic" was finally returning to the land of his forefathers. "I'm old, my legs hurt, but I'm happy because the son is returning," said the woman believed to have once known Lumumba. "I spoke with him before his departure for Kisangani," his political bastion in northeastern Congo, she said. Lumumba earned his place in history as an anti-colonial icon when the DRC proclaimed independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960, delivering a fiery speech against settler racism. He was overthrown that September before separatists from the southern region of Katanga and Belgian mercenaries executed him and two close supporters, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, on January 17, 1961. - 'Worthy burial' - Lumumba's body was dissolved in acid and never recovered. Decades passed before human remains were discovered in Belgium, after a Belgian police officer who took part in Lumumba's death boasted about his actions in the media. Belgian authorities seized the tooth from the officer in 2016. In a solemn ceremony in Brussels on Monday, a casket containing the tooth was placed in a coffin that Belgium handed over to the Congolese authorities in the presence of Lumumba's family. "Father, we mourned your passing without performing the funeral prayer... our duty as descendants was to offer a worthy burial," said his daughter Juliana. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo apologised again for his country's "moral responsibility" in Lumumba's death. Two weeks before, Belgium's King Philippe on his first trip to the DRC reiterated his "deepest regrets for the wounds" inflicted by Belgian colonial rule. Historians say millions of people were killed, mutilated or died of disease as they were forced to collect rubber under Belgian rule. The land was also pillaged for its mineral wealth, timber and ivory. mbb/at/imm/gw-kjm/ah Located in Brazils southeastern region, Rio de Janeiro is the second-largest city in the country. Rio attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year from many parts of the world. Known for its beautiful beaches and impressive landscapes, tourists flock to visit the world-famous Christ The Redeemer statue and the Sugar Loaf mountain. From there, they can see some of the best views in the world. Enjoying the beach on a sunny day and lunching in one of the restaurants or bars near the beach are some of the citys favorite activities that many tourists love to do when they are there. But Rio de Janeiro has other interesting things to offer. As the house of the second-largest Black population in Brazil, with roughly 3 million people, almost 50% of the total population, the city is filled with a strong Afrocentric culture that shows the importance of its Black populations contributions to the city. Here are some of the Black history and cultural sites you should check out: Museum of Afro-Brazilian History and Culture (Muhcab) Its mission is to promote a wide understanding of Black history and culture in Brazil. Muhcab features hundreds of works highlighting the importance of African people in forming Brazilian culture, heritage and identity as known nowadays. Also, it celebrates the art and accomplishments of the Africans and Afro-Brazilians. New Black People Cemetery Museum Buried and forgotten for almost 200 years, a cemetery of enslaved Africans who arrived in Rio de Janeiro in the 18th and 19th centuries has been turned into a museum. Discovered in the 1990s during a renovation process of an abandoned house in Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Pretos Novos Cemetery (Newly Arrived Blacks Cemetery Museum) now lies in Rios downtown area, and it is one of the most painful sites from the slavery era in Brazil. The Valongo Wharf (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) The Valongo Wharf is a location where most enslaved Africans entered Rio and where a large slave market existed. Story continues In 2017, the Wharf has been declared a World Heritage site by the Unesco. Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black Men Igreja do Rosario. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. | Mapio.net The Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary was a lay benevolent association of Enslaved Black Brazilians dating back to the 1600s. The association built Catholic churches in many Brazilian states. In Rio de Janeiro, The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of The Black People was built in 1737, with the resources of freed Black Brazilians who live in an area called Little Africa. The church played an important role in receiving abolitionists; There, they gathered to establish plans to end slavery in Brazil in the late 1800s. Uruguaiana Street, 77- Centro Rio de Janeiro. Pedra do Sal Photo Credit: Riotur Pedra do Sal (The Salt Rock) makes part of the region historically known as Little Africa. There, freed Black people dwelled and promoted Afro-Brazilian culture such as Samba music and capoeira (Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music) in the late 1800s after the end of the slavery-era in Brazil. On the slaves houses and forros it has played the choro with flute, small guitarand guitar. On the backyard, it has happened the rural samba, played with the hands, with tambourine, plate and knifes; and dancing with tap dancing, sieved and umbigadas. It was there that was born the urban carioca samba, that came from popular sambistas and old ranches of the carnival. Pedra do Sal was also considered as a sacred place to orders and offerings from the African religions. As historical and religious heritage, from there, it was extracted by the slaves, in the XIX century, stone cuts for the building of roads and the Rio de Janeiro port. The place, that was very close to the sea, served as salt departure and arrivals, using to the leather manufacturing and meat preserves. Today, Pedra do Sal is an animated samba stage of Roda de Pedra group. The place has sympathetic colorful casarios, flanked by a staircase and the historical slope of rock. The party attracts tourists and youth from many neighborhood of the city. Black-Owned Restaurants Photo Credit: Agencia Brasil Afro-Brazilian cuisine features strong influence from West Africa. Malagueta pepper, dende (palm oil), seafood, coconut milk, banana, and okra are some of the main ingredients that make Black Brazilian food so unique. These are some of our favorite Black-owned restaurants in Rio. Didas Bar Casa Omolokum Afro Gourmet Casa do Nando Black Parties Baile Charme Madureira One of the best ways to experience Afro-Brazilian culture in Rio is to explore its several Black parties across the city. From the birthplace of Samba in Little Africa to R&B parties in Madureira, the Blackest neighborhood in Rio. Mangueira Samba School Party Casa Black Rio Samba do Trabalhador Baile Charme Madureira (Brazilian R&B Party) Robb Elementary School, the Uvalde, Texas, school where 19 children and two teachers were killed May 24 in a deadly massacre, will be demolished, according to the city's mayor. Mayor Don McLaughlin, at a Uvalde City Council meeting Tuesday, said officials planned to raze the building. My understanding and I had this discussion with the superintendent that school will be demolished, McLaughlin said, multiple news outlets reported. McLaughlin did not offer a timeline for its destruction, Reuters reported. You can never ask a child to go back or a teacher to go back in that school ever, he said. District Superintendent Hal Harrell said this month that the 550 students who attended Robb Elementary would be relocated this fall to two other elementary schools in Uvalde, according to The Texas Tribune. Uvalde, Texas: City Council denies school police chief Pete Arredondo's leave of absence request Southern California storms: Region's first lightning death in years reported as unusual June thunderstorms hit area State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, said President Joe Biden, who visited the city May 29, told him that were going to look to raze that school and build a new one," KSAT 12, an ABC affiliate in San Antonio, Texas, reported. This isn't the first time a school has been torn down after a massacre. Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and six adults were killed in December 2012, was demolished the following year. Also on Wednesday, Gutierrez sued the Texas Department of Public Safety, seeking official law enforcement records related to the Robb Elementary shooting, according to The Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network. After previously seeking ballistics reports and documents, Gutierrez argued in his lawsuit that the agency did not provide the documents, or seek an attorney general's opinion about withholding them, within 10 business days as required under state law. As a result, the lawsuit argues, the agency is required to provide the documents. Story continues "The State of Texas failed these families, and those families deserve to know the complete, unalterable truth about what happened that day," the lawsuit said. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Uvalde school to be demolished: Mayor reveals fate of Robb Elementary (Reuters) -Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and actress Jerry Hall are getting a divorce, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter. Murdoch got married to Hall in a low-key ceremony in central London in March 2016. The Fox Corp chairman and his former supermodel wife were frequent fodder for the tabloids, which chronicled their marriage at Spencer House and the festivities surrounding the elder Murdoch's 90th birthday celebration last year at Tavern on the Green in New York City. Murdoch's divorce, his fourth, is unlikely to alter the ownership structure of businesses he holds stakes in, which include Fox Corp, the parent company of Fox News Channel, and News Corp publisher of the Wall Street Journal, according to the report. The 91-year-old Murdoch controls News Corp and Fox Corp through a Reno, Nevada-based family trust that holds roughly a 40% stake in voting shares of each company. Bryce Tom, a spokesperson for Murdoch, declined to comment. A representative for Hall, who is 65, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The billionaire, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $17.7 billion, built a sprawling media empire with assets around the globe. He sold the Fox film and television studios and other entertainment assets to Walt Disney Co in a $71.3 billion deal that closed in March 2019. Murdoch previously was married to entrepreneur Wendi Deng, whom he divorced in 2014 after 14 years of marriage. They have two daughters. He split from his second wife, Anna Murdoch Mann, a Scottish journalist with whom he had three children, in 1999. He and his first wife, Patricia Booker, a former flight attendant with whom he had a daughter, divorced in 1966. (Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles and Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Lisa Shumaker) Russia has levied dozens of cyber espionage campaigns in 42 countries since it invaded Ukraine in February, according to a new Microsoft report. The report says those efforts have targeted entities across six continents and primarily focused on NATO allies and groups supporting Ukraine. The Russian invasion relies in part on a cyber strategy that includes at least three distinct and sometimes coordinated efforts destructive cyberattacks within Ukraine, network penetration and espionage outside Ukraine and cyber influence operations targeting people around the world, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in the report. The tech giant previously detailed Russian cyber operations against Ukraine itself during the invasion in April. Sixty-three percent of the observed Russian activity in the 42 countries beyond Ukraine targeted NATO members, according to the new report. The United States has been Russias top target, but the company also noted a large amount of activity in Poland which borders Ukraine and has provided significant military and humanitarian assistance to the country as well as the Baltic states. Microsoft also highlighted an increase in targeting against networks in countries such as Finland and Sweden, which have recently applied for NATO membership, and Turkey, which has raised opposition to those bids. Nearly half of the observed activity targeted governments, and another 12 percent focused on nongovernmental organization advising Ukraine on foreign policy or those providing humanitarian aid. Russias other attacks targeted IT companies, the energy sector and defense entities, according to the report. But those attacks were often fended off by organizations cyber defenses. Just 29 percent of identified Russian efforts were successful, and a quarter of those incidents led to confirmed exfiltration of the organizations data, Microsoft said. The tech giant argued the attacks call for additional investments in cyber defenses. Story continues The lessons from Ukraine call for a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to strengthen defenses against the full range of cyber destructive, espionage and influence operations, Smith said. The report also documents how Russias cyber operations are disseminating its propaganda. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the Ukrainian invasion as a special military operation and has cracked down on dissenters to the war. Microsoft concluded that Russian cyber influence increased the spread of the countrys propaganda by 216 percent in Ukraine and 82 percent in the United States since the war began. The tech giant said those efforts target Russians to sustain domestic support for the war effort, Ukrainians to undermine confidence in the countrys abilities, Americans and Europeans to undermine Western unity against Russia, and people in nonaligned countries to sustain Russias support in international bodies. Unfortunately, especially when pursued with patience and persistence, these cyber influence operations are almost perfectly positioned to take advantage of the longstanding openness of democratic societies and the public polarization that is characteristic of current times, the report stated. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a request for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. LONDON (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday said the West was spreading lies about the causes of the global food crisis which Moscow said was being stoked by the sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and European Union due to the invasion of Ukraine. Besides the death and devastation sown by Russia's invasion, the war and the West's attempt to cripple Russia's economy as punishment have sent the price of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy soaring, hurting global growth. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow she was dismayed by repeated Western statements that Russia was to blame for the global food crisis. "It is a lie - such accusations are complete lies," Zakharova said. "So the West can supply all these arms to Ukraine but for some reason nothing can be taken out of Ukraine?" The United States and European Union members, which are supplying arms to Ukraine, have accused Russia of stoking a food crisis by preventing grain exports from Ukraine - which accounts for about one tenth of global wheat exports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on June 9 that millions of people could starve because of a Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports which he said had left the world "on the brink of a terrible food crisis". Video: WTO seals global trade deals at last minute Russia and Ukraine are two of the most important producers of agricultural commodities in the world. Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter after the European Union while Ukraine is the world's top sunflower seed exporter. Both play a big role on the barley, maize and rapeseed markets while Russia is one of the worlds top fertiliser exporters. Western sanctions, Zakharova said, had tipped agricultural markets towards the edge of the abyss by disrupting payment systems, shipping, insurance which had prevented many Russian exports of food and fertiliser. Story continues "It is illogical - on the one hand the European Union... says a threat to global food security is being created but at the same time they block the delivery routes of goods to themselves on their own continent," Zakharova said. President Vladimir Putin and Russian officials do not use the words "war" or "invasion". They cast the action as a "special military operation" aimed at preventing the persecution of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. Putin also casts the war as a revolt against the United States, which he says has humiliated Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union by pushing for the enlargement of the NATO military alliance westwards. Ukraine says it is fighting for its survival against a land grab by Russia and that it will fight to the end to free its territory from Russian control. Kyiv dismisses claims that Russian-speakers have been persecuted. Eritrea, Armenia, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Somalia, Belarus, Turkey, Madagascar, Lebanon, Egypt and Pakistan depend on Russia or Ukraine for more than 70% of their wheat imports in 2021, according to United Nations data. Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Serbia, Honduras and Ghana rely on Russia for 50% or more of their fertiliser imports in 2021, according to the data. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Angus MacSwan) Two communities in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast came under fire from the occupiers Read also: Ukrainian officials urge Kherson residents to leave via Crimea Specifically, the communities of Apostolove and Zelenodolsk near the border with Kherson Oblast were struck. There were no casualties from the attacks, Reznichenko said. Read also: Kherson official denies minefields near Kherson were cleared before the invasion The village of Velyka Kostromka, next to Zelenodolsk, was left without power due to these attacks, he said. Read also: Explosion rocks car of Kherson penal colony head who sided with Russian invaders Ukraine has been conducting a counter-offensive in Kherson Oblast, with Ukrainian units now said to be approaching the city of Kherson itself, a strategically important, Russian-occupied regional center. Help NV continue its work reporting on the Russian invasion Police are searching for a gunman who allegedly opened fire inside a commuter train in San Francisco on Wednesday morning, fatally shooting one person and injuring another. The gunman fired inside the Muni Metro Castro Station around 9:54 a.m., according to Raj Vaswani, an investigations commander with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). Vaswani confirmed in a tweet one person was killed while another victim was recovering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Police are still searching for the suspect. Myrna Melgar, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, tweeted the suspected gunman fled from the Castro station after shooting. The Hill has reached out to the SFPD for further comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Daily Beast Paramount+According to everyone featured in Secrets of the Oligarch Wives, Vladimir Putin is a ruthless, greedy, sociopathic monster who cares only about his own power, wealth, and legacy as a titan who united and restored the glory of Mother Russia. The ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as the continued imprisonment and mistreatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, corroborates those claims, although the true hook of the Paramount+ documentary about the Russian president is its insider commen Shreveport's John-Henry Crawford is an award-winning cellist who has released his second album "CORAZON" which features other talented musicians to showcase 140 years of Latin American music culture. Crawford was accepted in the Curtis Institute of Music at 15 and went on to complete an Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music and a Master of Music at The Julliard School. Cellist John-Henry Crawford He has performed in 25 states as well as Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Germany and at the Louvre in Paris as part of its International Concert Series. Crawford has a strong Instagram presence where he attracts thousands of views on his #The1000DayJourney series. The series gives viewers a look into the working process of a musician through an artistic, cinematic lens. More in music: Who's playing at the Red River Revel this year? He comes from a musical family and performs on a rare 200-year-old European cello that was smuggled out of Austria by his grandfather in 1938. Crawford's newest album has him joining forces with various musicians to take the listener on a musical journey through Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Mexico. "In the summer of 2019, I traveled to Mexico to compete in the IX International Carlos Prieto Cello Competition, and little did I know, the trip would transform my life musically," Crawford said. "At the time I was very well acquainted with Latin American music, but after having the great fortune of winning first prize and returning to Mexico multiple times for performances, I fell in love with the music of Latin American, the culture, the history and the Spanish language. As the title suggests, this music pulls at the heartstrings and exudes romance and passion." "CORAZON" is available now to stream on Spotify, iTunes and Apple Music. Keep up with Crawford and his musical journey on his Instagram. Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport cellist releases second album inspired by Latin America (Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp.s Michel Combes is leaving his post as head of overseas arm SoftBank Group International (SBGI) five months after taking on the role vacated by former SoftBank Chief Operating Officer Marcelo Claure. Most Read from Bloomberg SBGI Managing Partner Alex Clavel will replace Combes as chief executive officer on June 30, SoftBank said in a news release. The division coordinates with SoftBanks Vision Fund to vet new investments while also providing operational assistance to group and portfolio companies outside Japan. Combes, who will close a five-year career at SoftBank, adds to a string of key departures in recent months. Claure left the firm following clashes with billionaire founder Masayoshi Son over compensation and responsibilities. Two of the three managing partners at the companys Latin America Fund departed to start their own venture business in April. In that same month, Ronald Fisher, Sons long-time lieutenant also stepped down from his role leading the Vision Funds US arm. The exiting SBGI chief has played a critical role in some of our most important investments and assets, and I wish him all the best with his future plans, Son said in the release. Im glad he will remain part of the SoftBank family by continuing to represent us on various portfolio company boards. SoftBank COO Leaves After Clashing With Masayoshi Son Over Pay The high-profile exits come during a trying time for the investment company. Five years of deploying billions of dollars into some of the worlds most celebrated startups saddled SoftBank with a record loss in the year ended in March after a global rout in tech valuations. With focus now on its own financial health, SoftBank this year will conduct fewer and smaller deals, and deal flow from the worlds biggest tech fund may dwindle to a quarter of last years, Son has said. Story continues Clavel -- a longtime Morgan Stanley investment banker -- helped SoftBank manage its investments in companies ranging from T-Mobile US Inc., Deutsche Telekom AG, WeWork and OneWeb, and he is on the boards of Arm China, Boston Dynamics, InMobi, SB Energy and Goggo, SoftBank said. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. By Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea plans to set up a delegation to NATO in Brussels, the national security adviser said on Wednesday, as Seoul pushes to strengthen its partnership with the organisation and play a bigger role on the global stage. Speaking to reporters about President Yoon Suk-yeol's planned attendance at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting this month, National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han said Seoul would seek to bolster relations with NATO members in the face of an "unpredictable" international situation. As part of the efforts, South Korea is talking with NATO about information sharing, combined exercises and joint research to counter emerging security threats, he said. Yoon, inaugurated in May, has said his main foreign policy goal is to make South Korea a "global pivotal state" with a focus on promoting freedom, peace and prosperity based on its liberal democratic values. Although the June 29-30 meeting in Madrid is expected to focus on the Ukraine crisis, Yoon plans to drum up international cooperation against North Korea's nuclear programme, Kim said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had said the upcoming summit is expected to agree on an assistance package for Ukraine that will help the country move from old Soviet-era weaponry to NATO standard gear. South Korea plans to announce additional humanitarian support to Ukraine at the meeting, but Seoul was not considering lethal aid, Yonhap reported. The new president could also hold a trilateral meeting with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Yonhap said, citing a presidential official as saying Yoon's attendance does not represent a policy against China or Russia. (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi. Editing by Gerry Doyle) A Philadelphia woman says she was fired after reporting alleged health and safety concerns at an Upper Southampton senior living community, where two former administrators were recently charged with covering up sexual abuse. Jeanne Black worked for roughly 10 months as a receptionist at the Landings of Southampton in 2020 before she says she was terminated after she refused to stop contacting outside agencies and corporate officials about problems she believed endangered residents. Black filed her wrongful termination lawsuit in Bucks County Common Pleas Court against Landings and its parent company LeisureCare LLC roughly three months before a Bucks County grand jury recommended filing criminal charges against former administrators Ashley Harker, 37, of Philadelphia, and Joy Alfonsi, 47, of Souderton. Among the problems Black observed were delays in assisting residents who had fallen, nurses who were unavailable or unable to address emergencies, residents who didnt get their medications on time and failure to notify family when a resident was taken to the hospital, according to the suit The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office alleges Harker, the facilitys general manager, and Alfonsi, the director of health and wellness at the Street Road community, failed to report sexual abuse of three residents and attempted to cover up the incidents. Philadelphia attorney Tamara Grimm, who is listed in the court docket as representing LeisureCare, did not respond to an email Friday seeking comment on the lawsuit. The alleged abuse incidents involving Harker and Alfonsi occurred in 2021, after Black was terminated, but her lawsuit alleges that she observed similar, troubling problems at the facility after it started accepting residents in February 2020. Among the problems Black observed were delays in assisting residents who had fallen; nurses who were unavailable or unable to address emergencies; residents who didnt get their medications on time; and failure to notify family when a resident was taken to the hospital, according to the suit. More:Bucks County case highlights potential for abuse in senior care facilities. Here's how to protect loved ones Among the biggest safety concerns Black cited was what she called a standing rule that Harker implemented that staff was not allowed to call 911 under any conditions before she was contacted, according to the suit. Story continues In an interview, Black said she first went to corporate with her health and safety concerns in September 2020, after an incident where a resident who fell claimed he was having a heart attack and a medical technician went to her unsure what to do because he couldnt call 911. I said, If he is having a heart attack, call 911,' Black said. Three hours after she reported the complaints to LeisureCares Vice President of Operations Michael Juno, the lawsuit alleges that Harker emailed Black regarding her attitude and gave her a list of areas of concern where she wanted improvement. Black claims in the lawsuit it was the first time since she started working at the facility that any issues about her demeanor and job performance were raised. To the contrary, Ms. Black had received several accolades and compliments from coworkers for her work performance, the lawsuit said. Black alleges after she brought her concerns to Junos attention that Harker embarked on a campaign of retaliation against her, which included telling other staff not to speak to Black or risk losing their jobs. Within five days after she spoke with Juno, Black alleges she received four emails from the management team outlining things that she was suddenly doing wrong and where improvements were needed. More on charges:Upper Southampton managers of memory care center charged with failing to report sexual abuse Also read: Grandfather talks of 'rock star' response by little girl after her mom was killed in their Northampton home When Black complained to Juno that she felt Harker was retaliating against her, his response was that the emails were not unreasonable, the suit said. Later that month Juno visited the center to investigate Blacks claims, but the lawsuit alleges that he only spoke with employees and residents that Harker recommended. In a follow-up meeting with Harker and the business manager, Juno told Black that his investigation found no serious concerns. When Black contacted another operations manager who visited the facility and found problems, Juno reprimanded her, stating the investigation was outside the scope of (Blacks) concern, and accused Black of an ulterior motive, the suit said. In late September 2020, two days after Black contacted the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging about her concerns, she claims she came into work and found a photograph on her desk vandalized. Someone had drawn X marks over her daughters faces, she said. When she returned to her desk after a break the next day, Black found a note warning her to watch your back, whistleblower, according to the suit. Black immediately notified management and reported the incident to the Upper Southampton police department, according to the suit. A week later, she said, Juno put a letter in her employment file addressing various performance issues. Finally, Black alleges she was called into a meeting on Oct. 22, 2020, where Juno told her to drop her reporting efforts. When Black refused, she was fired and escorted off the property, the lawsuit said. The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office brought the charges against Harker and Alfonsi on May 19 following a Bucks County grand jury investigation, which recommended charging them with failing to report that three female residents had been sexually abused by a male resident last July. All four residents were diagnosed with dementia. Authorities allege an 88-year-old male resident first sexually assaulted a female resident one week after he was transferred from the personal care section to its 36-bed secured dementia unit in mid-July 2021. After the first incident he allegedly sexually assaulted two more women within six days. Black's claims that employees were discouraged from filing incident reports and calling 911 mirror allegations contained in the grand jury report for Harker and Alfonsi. The AG's office alleges the two administrators instructed employees who witnessed the sexual abuse incidents not to document the incidents, according to the grand jury. The administrators also allegedly failed to report the abuse incidents to the Bucks County Agency on Aging and law enforcement. They also didnt report the incidents, as required by law, to the state Department of Human Services, which oversees personal care and assisted living centers. The Landings was cited by the state Department of Human Services in April, according to court documents. On April 12, the DHS revoked The Landing's certificate of compliance. The Landing was given a provisional license until October, which is when it has to provide a plan to correct the deficiencies, according to state records. Alfonsi and Harker were terminated from their jobs in October, according to the company. The women each face five felony charges for endangering the welfare of a care-dependent person and conspiracy as well as 11 related misdemeanor charges. The defendants, who are free on unsecured bail, face a preliminary hearing on the charges tentatively scheduled for June 30. Pennsylvania licensing records show Alfonsis nursing license, which she has had since 2008, is still listed as active with no disciplinary actions. Online records show her license is set to expire at the end of this month. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Whistleblower lawsuit alleges early problems at Landings of Southampton By Gilles Guillaume PARIS (Reuters) - Peugeot, one of Stellantis' French brands, unveiled its new 408 model on Wednesday, betting the "fastback" sedan will attract motorists suffering from sports-utility vehicle (SUV) fatigue. SUVs have been hugely popular in recent years in Europe, reaching a record 46% share of new sales in France in May, the same level as traditional sedans. But Peugeot believes their ubiquity has created a yearning among some drivers for more originality. "(Some Peugeot 408 customers) wish for a more original and innovating style than a compact SUV, which they deem too common (...)", it said in a statement. Fastbacks are known for a single slope from the roof to the rear of the vehicle, as seen for example on the Ford Mustang. So the new 408 is much lower and longer than Peugeot's 3008 SUV, with a flowing and aerodynamic line giving it a distinctive silhouette that sets it apart from mainstream models. However the new car, which will be built in Mulhouse in eastern France, does have some popular SUV characteristics such as a high ground clearance, big wheels and black plastic covering caps on the fenders, the sides and the rear shield. The 408 will be launched early next year in Europe and in China by mid-2023, where it will be assembled in Chengdu. It will initially be equipped with petrol and hybrid petrol-electric engines before switching to a fully electric version. (Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Writing by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Mark Potter) The Stonewall Inn in New York City is shown with rainbow flags in front of the bar. Next to it an image of the National Park Service placard is shown. The National Park Service will open a visitor center dedicated to LGBTQ+ history in New York City in the building adjacent to the Stonewall Inn, the iconic gay Manhattan landmark. Earlier this week, officials announced plans to reconnect the Stonewall Inn with its neighboring building in Greenwich Village, where the 1969 riot sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center will be home to rangers working to preserve Stonewall Inn, which was designated a national monument by President Obama in 2016. LGBTQ+ rights group Pride Live spearheaded the planning for the center. In addition to in-person and virtual tours, visitors will also be able to explore LGBTQ+ history and culture through lectures, exhibitions, and visual arts displays. Several leaders hail the move as a historic step forward for the LGBTQ+ community, especially in light of right-wing attacks. "The opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center is a remarkable moment in the history of Stonewall," Ann Marie Gothard, president of the Pride Live board of directors, said in the announcement. "We honor all those who came before us, most especially the queer people fighting for equality at the Stonewall Rebellion. The designation as a National Monument and the opening of this visitor center will memorialize their important legacy in the gay rights movement, and we hope will inspire future generations to continue fighting for LGBTQ+ equality." The Stonewall Inn originally consisted of two buildings: 53 Christopher St., where the current bar is, and 51 Christopher St., where a 3,700-square-foot visitor center will open in 2024. "The new Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center will serve as an important memorial for the Stonewall Uprising, an iconic and pivotal moment in the essential effort to fully realize America's founding ideal that we are all created equal," said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. "I'm proud New York will be home to the first LGBTQ+ visitor center within the National Park Service, honoring the LGBTQ+ community and their history. As a proud parent of a LGBTQ+ person, I won't stop fighting against the unprecedented and unjust discrimination the LGBTQ+ community continues to face today." Story continues Gothard told NBC News that one of the missions of this new visitor center is to connect young people with the legacy of Stonewall by capturing the essence of the era when the uprising took place over a half-century ago. Related Check out more of the Advocates news coverage on Pride Today: "If you've ever gone down and kind of just observed tourists visiting Stonewall Inn, you'll see that individuals of a certain age, because it's a bar, are not allowed to go in," she said. "So we really want to create a space that's welcoming for all, whether you represent the gay community or you're an ally." As a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Service is responsible for preserving national parks. Dedicated to the birthplace of modern civil rights movements for LGBTQ+ individuals, Stonewall National Monument is the country's first monument honoring that movement. A live stream of the groundbreaking ceremony will be available at YouTube.com/c/pridelive at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, June 24. The Daily Beast Nathan Howard/GettyA female Republican congressional candidate claimed on the campaign trail in Virginia last month that rape victims are less likely to become pregnant because its not something thats happening organically.Yesli Vega made the eyebrow-raising comments while being asked for her thoughts on what then promised to be a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the federal right to abortion.An audio recording of the remarks, which took place at an event in Stafford Co This undated photo shows Marcus McLin, 25, with his 2-year-old son, Marcus McLin Jr. He was shot April 2, 2022, outside of CherryVale Mall. CHERRY VALLEY Police announced Wednesday that a man wanted in connection to the fatal shooting on April 2 outside of CherryVale Mall has been arrested in Georgia. Elijah L. Lucena, 25, of Chicago, was identified as a suspect in the shooting of Marcus McLin, 25, who was gunned down in the parking lot of Macy's, 7200 Harrison Ave. Prior to officers arriving on scene, the suspect had driven away. Police from the beginning considered the shooting a "targeted attack." Lucena was identified as a suspect in the shooting and a first-degree murder arrest warrant was issued. More: Parents of 25-year-old CherryVale Mall shooting victim searching for answers In the early morning hours of June 17, a traffic stop was conducted on a car by the Fairburn Police Department in Georgia. During the traffic stop, a male passenger was uncooperative, providing officers with false names. The male passenger was then arrested for obstructing a peace officer and during the booking process, fingerprints revealed the man was Lucena. Lucena is being held in Fulton County Jail and awaiting extradition back to Winnebago County. Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Suspect in deadly CherryVale Mall shooting arrested in Georgia By Supantha Mukherjee STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -A Swedish appeals court on Wednesday upheld a ruling by a lower court that banned Huawei from selling 5G equipment in the country, in the latest setback to the Chinese telecoms company's hopes of staging a comeback. In 2020, Swedish telecom regulator PTS unexpectedly banned Huawei from supplying 5G equipment to Swedish mobile firms citing security concerns raised by Sweden's security service, a decision the company challenged in the court. A lower court last year confirmed that decision. The issue arose after the United States alleged that China could use Huawei equipment for spying and European governments followed suit by tightening controls on Chinese-built 5G networks. Huawei has denied being a national security risk. Sweden had asked its telecom companies to remove gear made by Huawei and Chinese rival ZTE from existing infrastructure and core functions before Jan. 1, 2025. Huawei's Swedish unit said in a statement on Wednesday it was disappointed by the verdict from the Stockholm's Administrative Court of Appeal. "We will analyse the ruling, and evaluate our next steps, including other legal remedies under Swedish law and EU law, in order to continue to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests," Huawei wrote. Sweden's tussle with Huawei has also led to Ericsson facing backlash in China. The proportion of revenue Ericsson earns from China has dropped to around 3% of its total from 10-11%, and the Swedish company was forced to reduce its operations in one of its biggest markets. (Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; editing by Terje Solsvik and Jason Neely) Too many Americans are still waiting for their tax returns to be processed, a watchdog for the Internal Revenue Service testified on Wednesday, a day after the agency provided a rosier view of its backlog. The IRS has said it is aiming to crush the backlogged inventory this year, and I hope it succeeds, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins wrote in her mid-year report to Congress. Unfortunately, at this point the backlog is still crushing the IRS, its employees, and most importantly, taxpayers. The report found the IRS still needs to process 10.5 million individual paper tax returns as of May this year both original and amended returns compared with 8.8 million left unprocessed at the same time last year. The agency would need to process 500,000 returns per week to get through the backlog this year, the report estimated, or more than double the pace of 205,000 returns the IRS clocked in May. The IRS pushed back on the report, noting the inventory numbers "are neither the most accurate nor most recent figures," according to a statement from the IRS. "Newer numbers through June 10 demonstrate that the IRS is ahead of tax return processing compared to a year ago." A man walks into the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, DC. (Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Getty Images) Processing the backlog is paramount for many taxpayer families who may be owed a refund and need it in a timely manner, Collins said, noting that a significant majority of taxpayers receive refunds. Particularly for lower income taxpayers who receive Earned Income Tax Credit benefits, tax refunds may constitute a significant percentage of their household income for the year, Collins said. Thus, these processing delays are creating unprecedented financial difficulties for millions of taxpayers and outright hardships for many. The reports findings come after IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig offered a more upbeat update on Tuesday, when he said the agency will complete processing all original individual tax returns received last year by the end of this week. Rettig noted that completed returns will only include those filed without errors. Story continues Business returns filed in 2021 will be completed shortly thereafter, and the IRS will continue to work quickly to resolve the few remaining 2021 individual returns that have errors, Rettig said in a letter to the congressional tax committees this week. Completing the individual returns filed last year with no errors is a major milestone, but there is still work to do. U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig testifies before a House Ways and Means Committee Oversight Subcommittee hearing on "The 2022 Filing Season in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2022. (Credit: Emily Elconin, Reuters) Due to severe staffing limitations and challenges related to the pandemic, the IRS entered this filing season with a historic backlog of 8 million unprocessed paper tax returns filed during 2021. While the IRS has taken several steps to address the paper jam, some taxpayers who filed last year will still have to wait some more before their returns are processed. As of June 10, the IRS has processed more than 143 million returns received in 2022, providing over $298 billion in refunds to Americans nationwide. According to the agency, electronic returns have been processed quickly, on average within 8-21 days. But anyone who filed a paper return this year could wait up to 10 months to see their tax refund, the National Taxpayer Advocate warned. Before the pandemic, it took the agency four to six weeks to process and send refunds to paper filers. An IRS employee walks through tax documents in the staging warehouse at a Internal Revenue Service facility on March 31, 2022 in Ogden, Utah. (Credit: Alex Goodlett, The Washington Post via Getty Images) Last year, about 17 million Americans filed their returns on paper. The reasons are myriad. Some dont have access to e-filing options, while others must file a tax form or schedule that the IRS cant accept electronically. Despite the progress, there are real challenges ahead, Rettig told lawmakers. Returns are largely processed in the order they are received. Because the IRS entered this filing season with a significant backlog, millions of paper returns received in 2022 have not been processed. To address the backlog and return the IRS to healthy levels of inventory by the start of 2023, employees have been working around the clock. According to Rettig, submission processing workers responsible for processing original returns have recorded around 500,000 hours of overtime this year. The IRS also shifted 2,000 employees from other departments to help process returns. But what constitutes a healthy level of inventory according to the IRS? Collins wrote that although the IRS has yet to provide a clear definition, from a taxpayer perspective a four-to-six week refund delivery period can be a reasonable definition of healthy. Women walk out of an Internal Revenue Service office in New York. Taxpayers had until April 18 to file their taxes on time this year. (Credit: Lucas Jackson, Reuters) Staffing remains a big obstacle. The IRS workforce has been thinned out to 1970s levels and strained further by the pandemic, Rettig told lawmakers. But the problems could run deeper according to the National Taxpayer Advocate as the current base salary for IRS employees is $24,749. Its not surprising that the IRS is having difficulty finding enough suitable applicants, Collins wrote in an address to Senate in February. In the last four months, the IRS also held nine recruiting events, issued 3,000 job offers, and onboarded over 1,500 new employees and thousands of additional contractors for support. What the agency requires to avoid a crisis like this in the future is sustained, multi-year funding to invest in overhauling antiquated technology, improving taxpayer service, and increasing voluntary compliance, Rettig said. The Biden Administration asked Congress for $80 billion in funding over 10 years to modernize the Internal Revenue Service on Tax Day this year. However, the push for funding has been in a state of limbo since. Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate for the Taxpayer Advocate Service, appears with Charles P. Rettig, before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 7, 2020. (Credit: Toni L. Sandys, Reuters) Despite the steps the IRS has taken to address the backlog, National Taxpayer Advocate notes that there were missed opportunities to act sooner. Had the IRS taken steps a year ago to reassign current employees to processing functions, it could have reduced the inventory backlog carried into this filing season and accelerated the payment of refunds to millions of taxpayers, wrote Collins. Having had those tools ready for the 2022 filing system would have reduced the need for employees to transcribe tax returns and inevitably create bottlenecks in paper filed correspondence. While the IRS has made some headway in that department, by launching the IRS Pilot program to test solutions and digitize tax forms more work needs to be done. On average, it took the IRS some 251 days to process a taxpayer's mailed responses to its correspondence, up from 74 days in 2019. While the IRS implemented chat bots to address phone inquiries of the 73 million calls received, only 1 in 10 reached an IRS worker. Had the IRS quickly used some of the $1.5 billion of additional funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was enacted 15 months ago, to hire and train additional employees," Collins said, "it would have worked through the backlog. Editor's note: The original version incorrectly stated the number of paper returns in the IRS backlog, according to the Taxpayer Advocate report. Gabriella is a personal finance reporter at Yahoo Money. Follow her on Twitter @__gabriellacruz. Read the latest personal finance trends and news from Yahoo Money. Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn. Ukrtelecom is owned by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov. Michael Gottschalk/Photothek/Getty Images Ukrainian telecom employees destroyed equipment in Russian-occupied areas to avoid Russian control. Ukrtelecom is the largest fixed-line operator in Ukraine, its CEO, Yuriy Kurmaz, told Bloomberg. Some of the company's facilities have been destroyed or damaged during Russia's war in Ukraine. In Ukraine's occupied territories, workers at one of the country's leading telecommunications providers destroyed equipment to avoid Russian control of internet and phone services. In an interview with Bloomberg, Ukrtelecom's chief executive officer, Yuriy Kurmaz, said employees at the company have experienced threats and some have been imprisoned by Russian forces throughout occupied territories in southern and eastern Ukraine. As Russian forces try to take over parts of Ukraine, Kurmaz told Bloomberg they've tried taking over parts of Ukrtelecom's network through hacking and cyberattacks, which the company has endured since March. But instead of letting Russian forces take control of the network, employees at Ukrtelecom facilities in the occupied territories "decided to delete crucial files from computers," Kurmaz told Bloomberg. "They put pressure on our employees to obtain the technical details of our network infrastructure," Kurmaz said about Russian personnel in the area. "But they failed." Kurmaz told Bloomberg that his employees "completely destroyed the software," so the Russians couldn't connect their own equipment to Ukrainian networks. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February, Russian forces have refocused their efforts to the eastern part of Ukraine since it failed to capture the capital city of Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking the West for more weapons, while his senior adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, told the BBC that the country was losing 100 to 200 soldiers each day. Ukrtelecom is Ukraine's largest fixed line operator, according to Kurmaz, and is used by the public, the Ukrainian military, and some Ukrainian government agencies. Story continues The telecom provider is owned by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov. During Russia's war in Ukraine, Kurmaz told Bloomberg that more than 30 of Ukrtelecom's facilities have been destroyed, and about 100 others have been damaged. But, Kurmaz said the company's been able to continue serving customers in over 80% of localities where it operates. In an interview with Ukrinform, a state information and news agency in Ukraine, Kurmaz said Ukrtelecom was able to restore its landline phone network in over 1,200 settlements, and more than 350,000 households have communication services. Due to the war, Ukrinform reported that telecom service is not available in the Luhansk and Kherson regions of Ukraine. Bloomberg reported that some smaller internet providers in occupied parts of Ukraine are operating under Russian control, but Ukrtelecom disconnected its networks in those parts of the country. "Our strong position is we will never collaborate," Kurmaz told Bloomberg. Read the original article on Business Insider Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (NYSE:TIXT) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for TELUS International (Cda) The model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$354.8m US$369.4m US$398.0m US$419.4m US$437.6m US$453.4m US$467.5m US$480.3m US$492.3m US$503.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x6 Analyst x1 Est @ 5.37% Est @ 4.34% Est @ 3.61% Est @ 3.1% Est @ 2.75% Est @ 2.5% Est @ 2.33% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.5% US$333 US$326 US$330 US$327 US$320 US$311 US$302 US$291 US$280 US$269 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$3.1b Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.5%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2031 (1 + g) (r g) = US$504m (1 + 1.9%) (6.5% 1.9%) = US$11b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$11b ( 1 + 6.5%)10= US$6.0b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$9.1b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$23.2, the company appears quite undervalued at a 33% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at TELUS International (Cda) as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.071. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Next Steps: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For TELUS International (Cda), we've compiled three important elements you should further examine: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with TELUS International (Cda) , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does TIXT's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill included a $7.5 billion tranche of cash set aside to build out a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers. Ever since Biden signed the bill into law, EV charging companies have been quickening their pace, eager to take advantage of national momentum and federal funding. Alongside the ambitious attempts at scaling, there has been a wave of consolidation. While some early adopters, like ChargePoint, EVGo, Electrify America and Tesla, have created large national EV charging infrastructure networks, they've by no means captured the entire market. A recent spate of acquisitions in the electric vehicle charging space is outlining what consolidation in this industry looks like and which players might come out on top. Blink Charging finalized Tuesday its plans to acquire SemaConnect in a $200 million cash and common stock transaction that will add 13,000 EV chargers to Blink's footprint, an additional 3,800 site host locations and more than 150,000 EV driver members, according to Blink. This brings Blink up to 48,000 chargers, according to the company, which means it's finally on equal footing with ChargePoint, the erstwhile leader of EV charging in the U.S. that boasts 30,000 stations with over 47,000 individual charging ports. The infrastructure bill also appears to be attracting foreign companies to increase their footprints in the U.S. EV Connect said Tuesday that it was acquired by Schneider Electric, a French energy management and automation company with a foundation in sustainability and e-mobility. Schneider is using the acquisition to beef out its own charging capabilities and footprint in the United States. Other companies seem keen to grow through M&A. Take ABB, for instance. Earlier this year, ABB's e-mobility business, which makes fast electric chargers for cars, buses and trucks, shared plans to spend $750 million on expanding operations, in large part through acquisitions. In addition to acquisitions this year of Indias Numocity and China's Chargedot, ABB has acquired InCharge Energy, a commercial charging infrastructure company, to strengthen its foothold in the North American market. Story continues For a company that doesn't have millions in venture funding or a legacy conglomeration backing it, Blink in particular has been coming in hot over the past year. The company, which is publicly traded and was founded in 2009, has long been something of an underdog when compared to the other big EV charging companies. However, it's been using its revenue organically to scoop up companies. Aside from SemaConnect, in 2022 Blink also acquired the U.K.'s EB Charging for $23.4 million. Last year, Blink bought Blue Corner for $24 million in cash and stock, and in 2020, the company acquired BlueLA and U-Go for undisclosed amounts. The SemaConnect buy is one to pay attention to, because it specifically allows Blink to take advantage of Biden's infrastructure bill and might signal the direction of future strategic acquisitions by Blink and others. Not only will Blink take on SemaConnect's in-house research and development, hardware design and manufacturing capabilities, but it also gets the company's manufacturing facility in Maryland. Blink's chargers are not currently manufactured in the U.S., so now, the company will officially be compliant with the Buy American mandates, which will allow it to tap into that $7.5 billion. "Although we have been actively looking into U.S.-based manufacturing, it would take significant time and resources," a Blink spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Utilizing the newly acquired SemaConnect facility greatly reduces those variables and qualifies us much quicker and more cost-effectively." Notably, even with the SemaConnect acquisition, Blink's network of deployed chargers are mostly Level 2, which takes about six to 12 hours to fully recharge a vehicle. Blink has at most 100 DC Fast chargers, all of which are first generation, according to the company. While it's a start, it's nothing compared to Tesla's. Globally, the luxury EV automaker has over 30,000 charge ports, almost all of them DC Fast. Historically, they've only been available to Tesla vehicles, but the company is slowly opening up its network to non-Tesla EVs. As the EV industry continues to consolidate, expect acquisitions that involve companies with manufacturing capabilities within the U.S., as well as companies that are finding innovative ways to commercialize and scale DC Fast chargers. Police vans outside Rotherham police station following the publication of a report that found around 1,400 children were sexually exploited in the town over a 16-year period. Failures by police investigating child sexual exploitation in Rotherham have been laid bare in a shocking new report which outlines how officers blamed victims for their abuse and treated vulnerable children like they "didn't matter". South Yorkshire Police (SYP) admitted we got it wrong and we let victims down after the report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded the force failed to protect vulnerable children. Between 1997 and 2013, more than 1,400 girls as young as 11 were abused, trafficked and groomed in the town by groups of men mostly of Pakistani origin. However despite the IOPC looking into 265 separate allegations made by 51 complainants, most of them abuse survivors, no officers lost their job over the scandal. Of the 47 officers investigated, eight were found to have a case to answer for misconduct and six had a case to answer for gross misconduct. Five of these officers received sanctions ranging from management action up to a final written warning. Another faced a South Yorkshire Police misconduct hearing earlier this year, and the case was found not proven by an independent panel. South Yorkshire Police (SYP) admitted we got it wrong and we let victims down after a report concluded they failed victims. (PA) In many cases, officers had retired and could not face disciplinary proceedings, the IOPC said. Only two cases reached the point of a public adjudication hearing. Read more: Rotherham child abuse scandal: IOPC report into police failings lets down grooming survivors Despite widespread failures by police officers to protect child sex abuse victims in Rotherham, no officer lost their job (Reuters) Here Yahoo News UK looks at some of the most shocking revelations in the report: Police said child victims "consented" to their abuse In some cases, police were not aware of the age of consent, and claimed girls as young as 12 were "consenting" to the sexual abuse. In one such case, investigators were told that during a 2001 child protection conference, a Detective Constable commented a 12-year-old girl had provided consent in different sexual encounters. IOPC director-general Michael Lockwood said in the report: We found that officers were not fully aware, or able to deal with, child sexual abuse and exploitation offences and showed insufficient empathy towards survivors who were vulnerable children and young people. Story continues We saw examples of SYP seeing children, and young people, as consenting to their exploitation, and a police culture that did not always recognise survivors as victims, or understand that, often, neither did those being groomed or abused. In one case, police received a report that a victim, aged 15, had been raped in a Rotherham park, suffering significant internal injuries. According to the survivors father, the male officer dealing with the incident was "insensitive" and, even suggested to their father that this would "teach her a lesson". A girl sits in Rotherham town centre. Officers failed to obtain statements from victims The report found officers "were not proactive in safeguarding victims", and there were "many" failures to obtain survivor statements, or to explore frequent missing from home behaviour, where the patterns could be linked to abuse. When one woman called police to report an inappropriate relationship between her 12-year-old stepdaughter and an older man, she was told if the girl would not make a statement, there was nothing the police could do. The woman felt there was no point in reporting the relationship and any future concerns, meaning the girl was further abused for the next four years. Police did not see the victims as vulnerable children Investigators discovered there were "stereotypes and misconceptions" relating to survivors which "persisted amongst officers" and police records sometimes indicated survivors were viewed as perpetrators associates. In 2008, concerns were raised that police had seen a survivor, in a stolen car, with a known perpetrator. Instead of treating the survivor as a victim, she was treated as the "co-accused". During one investigation, a former Detective Sergeant said described survivors as "worldly-wise and not meek and mild victims". The report detailed how one parent concerned about a missing daughter said they were told by an officer it was a "fashion accessory" for girls in Rotherham to have an "older Asian boyfriend" and that she would "grow out of it. One survivor - who was 13 at the time she was abused - told the report: "No matter what bad experience I was going through there was never any concern for me as a child. "I dont recall a single time when the police treated me like I was a vulnerable child. "Looking back, I now realise they had adult expectations from children regardless of a childs age. I was age 13 and I was told more than a dozen times I was responsible for my behaviour for being sexually abused and exploited by several grown men." Abusers weren't investigated after being caught with their victims Many survivors told investigators that they were stopped in cars with perpetrators, but their names were never linked with perpetrators names on police intelligence systems. There were also early intelligence records found regarding perpetrators, who were related, including concerns about them being seen with young girls and hanging around outside schools. But police appeared to take no action. The report detailed a survivor who was sexually exploited during the 1990s from the age of 11. In once instance she was in the passenger seat of her abuser's car when it was stopped by police. When she told the officer she was happy to be in the car, and volunteered information that she was living in a childrens home and that the perpetrator was their "boyfriend", the survivor said they were allowed to drive away. In another case, police did nothing after they saw a victim involved in a sexual act with a perpetrator. David Greenwood, a solicitor representing 80 Rotherham CSE survivors, said: It shows the British public the level of disregard shown by South Yorkshire Police to female victims of sexual exploitation, it explains that even by the pathetically low standards of the police service it was OK to not investigate these crimes properly or at all, and it will demonstrate how the system of police complaints has provided zero accountability and needs reform. His murderer could spend life in prison but what Trevon Perrys family wants most of all is closure. On Tuesday, the family of Perry, who was murdered by Paso Robles resident Nicholas Ron in an execution-style shooting in 2020, flew from Chandler, Texas, to speak at Rons sentencing in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. We wanted to face them and let them see our pain, Geary Perry, Trevon Perrys father, said in reference to Ron and Rons mother, Marie Holquin. We felt like we were owed that. Ron, 25, was sentenced in San Luis Obispo Superior Court to 28 years to life in state prison. He pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder with the use of a firearm on March 15 two years to the day after he killed Perry. Under the terms of his plea deal, Ron received 25 years to life for the murder and three years for using a firearm. Perry, 27, was living in Paso Robles when he disappeared in March 2020, four months after he testified against a North County man accused of murdering Perrys best friend in 2019. On June 30, 2020, hundreds gathered at a community vigil for Trevon Perry held in Paso Robles Downtown City Park after police found his remains and arrested a suspect accused of killing him. On March 15, 2022, two years to the day after Perrys disappearance, Nicholas Ron pleaded guilty to murder for shooting Perry in the neck while the two were riding in a car on March 15, 2020. Perrys disappearance sparked a months-long missing persons case before investigators found his body in the backyard of Rons grandmothers Riverside home on June 18, 2020, buried beneath a chicken coup. Ron shot Perry in the back of the neck execution-style at point-blank range while the two men were riding in a car driven by Mario Rostro, according to court testimony. San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Mike Frye told The Tribune that its significant that Ron pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, and it speaks to Rons willingness to accept responsibility for his actions. No words are enough to explain the pain the Perry family has gone through because of Ron, the prosecutor added. No number of years in prison could be enough to adequately pay for Trevons senseless death, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said in a news release. We continue to grieve for Trevons family and loved ones. Trevon Perry will always be missed and remembered. Story continues Nicholas Ron sits in Department 10 of the San Luis Obispo Superior Court awaiting his sentencing on June 21, 2022. He was sentenced to 28 years to life for the murder of Trevon Perry. Killers mother awaits sentencing Nine of Rons family members helped cover up the crime by moving the body, lying to police and destroying evidence and were charged with accessory after the fact. The maximum sentence for this crime is three years in California. Accessory after the fact, known as Penal Code 32, applies to anyone who helped someone hide or conceal any felony after the crime was committed. Sentencing guidelines for the charge are the same no matter the felony the person charged is alleged to have helped conceal. In other words, someone who is charged with accessory after the fact for felony shoplifting could theoretically get the same sentence as someone who is charged with accessory after the fact for murder or rape. Seven of the nine people charged in the Perry case did not serve time in jail. Rostro was given the maximum three years as a split sentence two years in jail and one year of probation. Holguin was the only other person to serve time in jail. She faced a maximum sentence of five years and four months, but was placed on supervised release on March 29 after serving one year and four months behind bars. Thats the entirety of the sentence she is expected to received later this month. Leniency toward family members was a part of Rons plea deal. I felt like Nick was able to choose his sentence, his mothers sentence and my sons life sentence and I dont understand, Kelli Perry told The Tribune. Both Kelli Perry and Scott cannot fathom how a mother could hide someones child from them, and much less help cover up the murder of someones child. How do you sleep at night with that? How do you know that theres other parents, four other parents, that have been involved with Trevon all his life and you were going to leave us without knowing where he was or what happened, Trevon Perrys mother, Kelli Perry, told the Tribune. As a mother, we just dont do that. Shannon Scott, Trevon Perrys biological mother, told The Tribune she feels Holquin could have stopped the violence but chose not to. Scott said she doesnt even consider Holquin to be a mother. How on earth could you help hide another mothers son? she said. The Perry family hopes to also attend Holquins sentencing in person, but it is scheduled for June 28 on Zoom. It was unclear Tuesday whether the sentencing will be rescheduled to be in-person so the family can travel to attend it. Murder victims family members give impact statements Speaking Tuesday, Trevon Perrys family members expressed feelings of anger, confusion and heartbreak. I havent heard a single thing that would make any sense of why (Ron) took (Perrys) life that day, Kelli Perry told the court in an impact statement. And were supposed to feel that we got justice? Through tears, Perry told the court how loved her son was, and how missed hes been. He was a star athlete, good student, and the best sibling, uncle, son and friend anyone could have, she said. My youngest son cant even be here because you took more like a father figure from him, Kelli Perry told Ron in court. He wont ever be the same again without him. While Ron will be able to send his family and loved ones letters from prison, the Perry family will never be able to hear from Trevon Perry again, Kelli Perry said. We wont get letters, she said. We have to go back to the letters we have from when he was a child, the letters he wrote us, and those are the only letters well ever see. A note Trevon Perry wrote his mother, Kelli Perry, when he was a child. Trevon Perry was murdered in Paso Robles in March 2020. Trevon Perrys family had hoped for a trial. They wanted Ron and the other nine people who helped cover-up the crime to receive the highest possible sentence. They also wanted to know why Ron killed Perry. But without a trial, they remain without answers. What hurts the most is that his kids will never know him, his new niece will never know him, Scott told the court, speaking about Perry. I just need closure. I just need to know why. Emotions ran high during Tuesdays sentencing. The courtroom has restrictions on what can be said during court proceedings, and those who speak must remain respectful, Frye said. Youre telling us to come in and be respectful how do you do that? Geary Perry asked Superior Court Judge Jesse Marino during the sentencing. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Jesse J. Marino sentences Nicholas Ron to 28 years to life for the murder of Trevon Perry on June 21, 2022. Marino told the Perry family he hopes Rons sentencing gives them some sort of closure. Rely on each other, he said. Youre a strong family, powerful family. Thats clear. Be patient with each other. Thats going to be your great asset. He said the most poignant moment for him during the victims statements was when Kelli Perry talked about never being able to receive a letter from her son ever again. Youre going to have to reckon with the fact that you caused that and come to terms with that, Marino told Ron. You cant make up for it, this sentence doesnt make up for it, no sentence provided for in California law makes up for it. Shannon Scott stands outside the San Luis Obispo Superior Court on June 21, 2022. Nicholas Ron was sentenced to 28 years to life for the murder of her son, Trevon Perry. How Trevon Perrys family is moving forward Scott said moving forward means celebrating she had with her slain son and living for the children she has that are still alive. She said the sentencing helped bring her closure, and she has to learn to forgive Ron.Kelli Perry said shes focusing on connecting with California legislators to change sentencing laws in the state so that when someone helps cover up a crime, their punishment better reflects the gravity of the crime they helped conceal. Ill either get (the law) changed and (Trevons) name will be on it or Ill die trying because I wont rest until thats there and I wont wait until another parent or a sibling is in the same situation, Kelli Perry told The Tribune. She called Perry a remarkable young man who always made sure his loved ones knew they were loved. He loved spending time outdoors with his dad, and the family recently moved on a lake and bought a pontoon boat, Kelli Perry said. He always wanted to have (a pontoon boat) so that we can have family trips out on the boat, she said. We have that now but were one short. It will just never be the same. (From left to right) Geary Perry, Tierra Perry, Kelly Perry and Alix Johnson outside of the San Luis Obispo Superior Court on June 21, 2022. Trevon Perry, who was brutally killed in March 2020, was Geary and Kelly Perrys son. His killer, Nicholas Ron, was sentenced to 28 years to life on June 21, 2022. Tierra Perry, Trevon Perrys younger sister, said she continues to fight for justice for her brother because she knows he would have done the same for her. Her brother was everything to her, she said. This is a life sentence for us, and thats why we didnt want anything less for Nick, Tierra Perry told The Tribune. This is every day for the rest of our lives. (Ron has) finally been sentenced and this part of it is over, but until that law is changed, were not done. My mom will fight for us even when were dead and gone. A true mother. Shes not done. And I know Tre is so proud of her right now. A U.S. airman suspected of carrying out an attack on a U.S. military base in Syria has been arrested by military law enforcement. "As part of an ongoing investigation, on June 16, an Airman was taken into custody stateside in conjunction with the attack in Green Village, Syria," according to an Air Force spokesperson. The airman's commander has made the decision to place the suspect in pretrial confinement. The blast in April was initially considered to be a rocket or mortar attack, but a week later, the Pentagon updated its statement and said the attack was the result of the "deliberate placement of explosive charges by an unidentified individual(s) at an ammunition holding area and shower facility." CNN was the first to report an airman had been arrested in connection with the April blast. The Pentagon is not releasing more details about the airman since the individual has not been charged yet, but a U.S. official previously told CBS News the suspect worked in explosive ordnance disposal. Four U.S. service members were evaluated for minor injuries and potential traumatic brain injuries following the blast. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs discusses Trump's 2020 election scheme Two Americans fighting for Ukraine believed to have been captured by Russian forces Sneak peek: The Life and Death of Nikki Kuhnhausen WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's request that Congress pass a three-month suspension of the federal gasoline tax "is dead on arrival," U.S. Senator John Thune, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said on Wednesday. "What the administration, of course, is coming up with is yet another gimmick, another Band-Aid and something they know is dead on arrival up here in Congress," Thune said. (Reporting by David Morgan; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK (Reuters) - Countries should ask the United States for help if they have any problems importing Russian food and fertilizer, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, stressing that such goods were not subject to U.S. sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine. "Nothing is stopping Russia from exporting its grain or fertilizer except to own policies and actions," U.S. State Department Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Assistant Secretary, Ramin Toloui, told reporters. But he added that concerns had been raised about "so-called over compliance with sanctions." Washington has slapped Moscow with a broad range of sanctions since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24. Facilitating Russian food and grain exports is a key part of attempts by U.N. and Turkish officials to broker a package deal with Moscow that would also allow for shipments of Ukraine grain from the Black Sea port of Odesa. A meeting between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and U.N. officials would likely be held in Istanbul in coming weeks, sources in the Turkish presidency said on Tuesday. "We are fully supportive of this and want to see that play out," Toloui said of the U.N. efforts. "We'll continue close coordination with the U.N. delegation and the government of Ukraine on ways to mitigate the impacts to global food security of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war in Ukraine." Russia's war has stoked a global food crisis. Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a key fertilizer exporter and Ukraine is an exporter of corn and sunflower oil. Moscow denies responsibility for the food crisis, blaming Western sanctions and Ukraine for mining its Black Sea ports. "The United States does not want there to be impediments to the ability of countries, companies to purchase Russian food, Russian fertilizer, and for those goods to access international markets," Toloui said. Story continues He encouraged countries to contact the U.S. Treasury Department or local U.S. embassies if they were having issues. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend a food security ministerial meeting in Germany on Friday ahead of a three-day Group of Seven (G7) nations summit, also in Germany, starting Sunday. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Marguerita Choy) A UK developer backed by Hong Kong billionaire Henry Cheng Kar-shun is planning to raise as much as 140 million (US$171.4 million) via a tokenisation plan, allowing individual investors to share the income from a residential tower in central London. Knight Dragon Developments, chaired and majority-owned by the tycoon who controls city developer New World Development, is selling 100,000 tokens at 1,400 each, giving holders a share of 80 per cent of the rental income from the residential tower. The tower forms part of a 1 billion mixed-use Greenwich Peninsula project known as Peninsula Place, which Cheng's family co-developed with investors including former lawyer Sammy Lee. 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. "Investors can potentially share the economic interests of the rental income of the 191 units" in the tower, Lee, vice-chairman of the UK developer, told the Post on Tuesday. Called KD84 Tokens, the digital asset offers a projected annual return between 3 and 3.5 per cent. As with any other risk assets, returns are not guaranteed, Lee added. A view of London. Knight Dragon claims its scheme is the first time a central London property has been tokenised. Photo: Shutterstock alt=A view of London. Knight Dragon claims its scheme is the first time a central London property has been tokenised. Photo: Shutterstock> This is the first time that a property in central London has been tokenised, Lee added. Law firm Baker McKenzie advised the firm on the legal structure, while Deloitte was consulted for finance and tax issues. HKbitEX, a digital asset exchange operated by Hong Kong Digital Asset Exchange, did all the technical work, Lee said. The investment scheme could be likened to a digital real estate investment trust (REIT) in that it promises to share the property's rental income. Story continues Announced in 2017, Peninsula Place includes apartment units, office space and hotel rooms. The tokenised building, known as Building 4, was rented out about two years ago and is typically fully occupied. Average rents have risen between 5 and 8 per cent, Lee said. A one-bedroom unit is typically leased out for about 2,000 a month, while a two-bedroom flat rents for about 2,700. Besides the potential dividends, buyers may also trade the tokens with other investors. Once Hong Kong regulators approve a platform for trading such securities, they may list the tokens so investors can trade them like shares on a stock market, Lee said. "At a corporate level, Knight Dragon has revolutionised the entire European property market and will now move to do so internationally," Lee said. "At an individual level, for a relatively modest investment, individuals can own a piece of central London real estate profit." When completed, Peninsula Place is slated to have 800 homes, office space, and 500 hotel rooms totalling 1.4 million square feet, sitting atop a complex that will house a bus station, cinemas, bars, and shops. The investment offering comes at a time when thousands of Hongkongers have relocated to the UK under the fast track residency scheme for holders of British National (Overseas) passports. As of May, 123,400 Hongkongers have applied under the scheme since its launch in January 2021. More than nine out of 10 have been successful in their application, according to the British government. 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. The UK government Wednesday introduced legislation allowing it to override rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), after a judge in Strasbourg blocked flights removing asylum seekers to Rwanda. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab denied the government intended to join Russia in abandoning the European Convention on Human Rights, which is overseen by the Strasbourg court. But Raab, who is also justice secretary, said the new "Bill of Rights" would "restore a healthy dose of common sense" to Britain's judicial system. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed anew to implement the Rwanda plan, aimed at deterring immigrants from making illegal crossings of the Channel. Rights groups and church leaders have criticised the policy as "shameful". British courts earlier this month gave the go-ahead for the first removal flight to leave, but the ECHR stepped in at the last minute with an interim ruling to block its departure. A UK judicial review of the plan's legality is due next month. In the meantime, Raab told parliament the Bill of Rights would "strengthen our proud tradition of freedom" dating back to Magna Carta in 1215. Magna Carta is considered the cornerstone of freedom, modern democracy, justice and the rule of law and has formed the basis of legal systems across the world -- and human rights conventions. "We will strengthen the separation of powers in this country, affirming the supremacy of the Supreme Court, being explicit that the UK courts are under no obligation to follow the Strasbourg case law and indeed are free to diverge from it," said Raab. "I'm proud of our world-beating judiciary, and what else is the point of a Supreme Court if it bows in subordination to a European one?" But Britain "intends to remain a state party" to the convention overall, Raab added. The rights pact is integral to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland after three decades of violence over British rule. "We would do nothing that jeopardises the Good Friday Agreement," Johnson's spokesman told reporters. Story continues "What we are doing is ensuring that UK courts have primacy. The Supreme Court is a superior court and obviously it's parliament that sets UK law. - 'Stunning hypocrisy' - At the weekend, Home Secretary Priti Patel suggested the ECHR decision was politically motivated, pushing a government narrative about European institutions overriding UK sovereignty. The UK left the European Union last year after a 2016 Brexit vote but the Strasbourg court is not part of the bloc. Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive, said the bill would be "a giant leap backwards for the rights of ordinary people". "This is not about tinkering with rights, it's about removing them," he said. The government in London promised to tighten the country's borders after Brexit, and "take back control" of immigration. But it is battling record numbers of people using small boats to cross the Channel from northern France. Britain has repeatedly accused the French authorities of not doing enough to stop the crossings, a charge denied by Paris in a spat that has further strained relations after Brexit. The new Bill of Rights would supersede Britain's 1998 Human Rights Act, which was enacted by the then Labour government of Tony Blair as part of the peace process for Northern Ireland. Johnson's Conservative government has already clamped down on the rights of protesters, in a move denounced by opposition parties and activists. Addressing Raab in parliament, Labour's justice spokeswoman Ellie Reeves said the legislation would hearten the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine. "What stunning hypocrisy from this government to preach to others about the importance of defending rights abroad while snatching British people's rights away at home," she said. jwp-jit/phz/kjm KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's largest steelmaker has urged customers not to buy any products made at its plants in Mariupol because it fears they may have been stolen by Russian forces occupying the southern city. Metinvest said in a statement that more than 234,000 tonnes of steel products manufactured by its Ilyich Steel and Azovstal factories had been in storage in Mariupol when Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. The two plants have not cooperated with Russian representatives since Russian and separatist forces took full control of Mariupol in May, it said. Russian forces have blockaded Ukrainian ports in the Back and Azov seas, preventing Azovstal and Ilyich Steel from exporting products to clients in Europe and the Middle East. But ships loaded with grain and metals will leave Mariupol soon, a pro-Russian separatist leader said last week. "Metinvest enterprises have underlined that there is a high probability of theft and smuggling of Ukrainian steel products," Metinvest said in a statement. "Metinvest Group's enterprises, therefore, ask all potential buyers to reject any offers related to the stolen products, as any purchase thereof would not be considered as having been made in good faith." The statement provided no evidence of theft. Asked why Metinvest considers any of its products that go on sale are likely to have been stolen, a company spokesperson provided no further details but said: "Because the occupiers are already looting it. They have already stolen some of the volumes and boasted about that in their media". Russia has previously dismissed Ukrainian allegations of stealing from territories it has occupied in Ukraine. Moscow says it is engaged in a "special military operation" to demilitarise Ukraine and rid it of dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and its allies dismiss this as a baseless pretext to launch an unprovoked war of aggression. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets, editing by David Ljunggren, Timothy Heritage and Barbara Lewis) Anastasia Vlasova/Getty A well-known Ukrainian photojournalist was executed in cold blood by Russian forces when he tried to retrieve footage hed shot shortly after the Feb. 24 invasion, an investigation has found. Maks Levin, a photojournalist who freelanced for Reuters, the BBC, Associated Press and several Ukrainian news agencies, vanished in the early days of the war, just a day after his 2-year-old sons birthday in mid-March. After frantic search efforts by family and friends, his body was found outside Kyiv in early April, along with that of Ukrainian serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov, a friend with whom Levin had been traveling. Now, Reporters Without Borders has revealed that its investigators found overwhelming evidence of a straight-up execution at the scene in Moshchun, outside Kyiv. An investigation by the group published Wednesday said evidence suggested that Levin, who was wearing civilian clothing and a bulletproof vest labeled PRESS at the time of his death, was likely either ambushed by Russian forces and executed at point-blank range, or interrogated first by Russian troops who set Chernyshev on fire before executing both men by shots to the head. Analysis of the photos of the crime scene, the observations made on the spot and the material evidence recovered clearly point to an execution that may have been preceded by interrogation or even acts of torture. In the context of a war heavily marked by propaganda and Kremlin censorship, Maks Levin and his friend paid with their lives for their fight for reliable information. We owe them the truth. And we will fight to identify and find those who executed them, said Christophe Deloire, the secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders. Levins burned out Ford Maverick was found at the scene with at least 14 bullet marks. His body, found about 14 meters away, was found lying on its back with three bullet impacts one in the chest and two in the head, the report notes. Investigators also determined that three Russian trenches had been dug at the last crossroads Levin had passed through in his car. Story continues Tragically, the investigation found that Levin had been killed as he tried to recover his drone, which contained images of Russias takeover. Vladimir Putins troops had moved in to seize control of the area in the three days since Levin lost his drone there. Investigators with Reporters Without Borders passed on all evidence obtained during their May 24-June 3 investigation to Ukrainian prosecutors investigating Russian war crimes. The evidence is said to include several items that may contain traces of DNA of the Russian forces in the area, including food packaging and plastic cutlery. The findings come a day after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that top Nazi hunter Eli Rosenbaum will lead a Justice Department effort to help Ukrainian authorities track down perpetrators of war crimes in the unprovoked conflict there. There is no hiding place for war criminals. The U.S. Justice Department will pursue every avenue of accountability for those who commit war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine, Garland said of the move. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing logistical support to import the equivalent of about 16 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles from Mexico starting this weekend, as part of its efforts to ease nationwide supply shortages caused by the closure of the largest U.S. manufacturing plant. The Department of Health and Human Services is expediting the travel of trucks that will drive about 1 million pounds of Gerber Good Start Gentle infant formula from a Nestle plant to U.S. retailers, the White House said, nearly doubling the amount imported to the U.S. to date. Cargo flights from Europe and Australia already have brought baby formula into the U.S., including two new rounds of air shipments that begin this weekend. The White House has been working to make supply more available as it has faced pressure from parents over supply issues after regulators in February shuttered a Michigan plant run by Abbott that is the largest domestic manufacturer of baby formula over safety concerns. The plant reopened on June 4 after the company committed to additional sanitizing and safety protocols, but shuttered again more than a week ago after severe weather caused damage to the plant. The company said it needs time to assess damage and re-sanitize the factory after severe thunderstorms and heavy rains swept through southwestern Michigan on June 13. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration moved to ease federal import regulations to allow baby formula to be shipped to the U.S., and Biden authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to provide federal support to move formula from overseas into the U.S. Wednesday's announcement also includes air shipments of 1.65 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Nestle NAN Supremepro 2 infant formula from Germany to Texas this weekend, and 5.5 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Bubs infant formula in two shipments on June 26 and July 5. The White House says that by June 26, it efforts, dubbed Operation Fly Formula," will have brought 32 flights and almost 19 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of infant formula into the U.S. Former U.S. Marine Corps officer Grady Kurpasi, who has not been heard from since April 23, is the third American to be reported missing in Ukraine this week. State Department spokesperson Ned Price announced during a press conference on Thursday that a third American had gone missing, although the name was not said. Kurpasis wife confirmed to CNN, however, that it was her 49-year-old husband who had been identified as missing. Kurpasi arrived in Ukraine on March 7 after deciding to volunteer as a soldier in the Ukrainian war. Having served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years before retiring in November 2021, he felt that his skillset would be valuable to the cause. More from NextShark: Group behind Karachi suicide bombing warns China of more deadly attacks if 'exploitation' continues He arrived in the countrys capital of Kyiv by March 21, and close friends reported last hearing from him April 23 and 24. According to a family friend, Kurpasi started receiving small arms fire on April 26 while stationed at an observation post, suggesting they were in crossfires with the Russian army. The last known communication with the veteran was when he had radioed the Ukrainian military to begin firing back. More from NextShark: No Asian countries make Ukraines thank-you list The other two American soldiers reported missing include Andy Huynh, 27, and Alexander Drueke, 39, both from Alabama and both of whom have military experience. Unlike Kurpasi, videos of Huynh and Drueke surfaced on Friday on RT, a Russian state-controlled international television network, showing they had been captured by Russian forces. RT broadcast that the two were being held by Russian-backed separatist forces in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. Despite the protections for prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions, including the guarantee of humane treatment and fair trials, the Russian military has responded that foreign fighters, including the captured Americans, are considered mercenaries and are not protected. Story continues More from NextShark: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene mentions 'yellow people' in speech about GOP diversity When asked to comment about the captures of American soldier volunteers, Biden reiterated on Friday, Ill say it again, Americans should not be going to Ukraine. Featured Image via U.S. Dept. of Defense More from NextShark: 'Dividing areas based on race is indeed racism': Alderman proposes Chicago remap with 48% Asian American ward Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images US senators have announced an agreement on a bipartisan gun violence bill, marking a small but notable breakthrough on gun control in the wake of recent mass shootings. Nine days after Senate bargainers agreed to a framework proposal and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs senators Chris Murphy, a Democrat and John Cornyn, a Republican, told reporters on Tuesday that a final accord on the proposals details had been reached. Related: Meta banned firearms sales. Why are they still available on Facebook and Instagram? The legislation would toughen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers, require more sellers to conduct background checks and beef up penalties on gun traffickers. It would also disburse money to states and communities aimed at improving school safety and mental health initiatives. The bill also contains provisions to curb domestic violence, including prohibiting romantic partners convicted of domestic violence and not married to their victim from getting firearms. And it would provide money to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that have red flag laws that make it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states that have violence prevention programs. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill Tuesday evening. The measure is estimated to cost around $15bn, which Murphy said would be fully paid for. The legislation lacks the far more potent proposals that Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed for years without success, such as banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Those measures were derailed by Republican opponents in an evenly divided Senate. But the bill, if enacted, will still represent a modest but telling shift on an issue that has defied compromise since Bill Clinton was president. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. Story continues Senators have seized on the momentum in the wake of devastating killings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde: I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that Ive never seen before. He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety and fear among voters not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful. The shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has put enormous pressure on lawmakers to act. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP This bill, Murphy said, was a partisan breakthrough that would save thousands of lives. Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school. Some think it goes too far, others think it doesnt go far enough. And I get it. Its the nature of compromise, Cornyn said. But he added, I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. Im confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction. The Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said his chamber would begin debating the measure right away and move to final passage as quickly as possible. And in a positive sign about its fate, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell voiced his support, calling it a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, said it opposed the measure. It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners, the gun lobby group said. The measure will need at least 10 Republican votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Ten Republican senators had joined with 10 Democrats in backing the framework, and Cornyn told reporters that I think there will be at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether the agreement and its passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual congressional action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip have yielded only stalemate in Washington. Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing, Murphy said. This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives. Getty A Seattle couple was on their "babymoon" in Malta when the woman began miscarrying. The fetus has a "zero percent" chance of survival, but doctors won't terminate the pregnancy due to the country's strict abortion ban. The woman is facing life-threatening complications while waiting to be transferred to the UK. Seattle couple Andrea Prudente and Jay Weeldreyer were celebrating the upcoming birth of their first child in the Mediterranean when Prudente began bleeding heavily. She was 16 weeks pregnant. Doctors on the island of Gozo, near Malta, gave her medication to help prevent a miscarriage. But on June 12, a few days later in Malta, the couple's main destination, Prudente's water broke. At the hospital, she learned her placenta had become partially detached and, two days later, that she'd lost all amniotic fluid, the Guardian reported. Doctors told her the pregnancy had "zero chance" of survival but that they coudn't remove it due to Malta's strict ban on abortion. Meanwhile, Prudente was diagnosed with a ruptured membrane and a protruding umbilical cord, greatly raising her risk of severe bleeding and infection. She also tested positive for COVID-19. She and Weeldreyer are trying to get an immediate medical evacuation to the UK, where they believe a termination could save her life. But they've already been waiting nearly a week to get the appropriate paperwork to their insurance company, according to VICE World News. Until they can travel, Prudente must continue to wait for the fetus's heart to stop beating or develop an infection so severe her life is in immediate danger. Only then, will Maltese clinicians intervene, reports, including from the BBC, say. "I just want to get out of here alive," Prudente told the Guardian. "I couldn't in my wildest dreams have thought up a nightmare like this." "It's an inconceivable form of emotional and psychological torture," Weeldreyer added. "Part of me still celebrates hearing the heartbeat and at the same time, I don't want that heartbeat there because this is just leading to more suffering for this woman that I love." Story continues Malta has a total ban on abortion, but some groups say there are exceptions Malta, a chain of islands in the Mediterranean, is the only country in the EU with a total ban on abortion. Anti-abortion organizations in Malta say, however, that there are exceptions to the ban when the mother's life is at risk. "Maltese law and medical precedent are absolutely clear: if a woman's life is at risk from her pregnancy, then it is absolutely legal for her pregnancy to be ended by delivering the child, even if that child has a heartbeat, and even if the child will sadly pass away. This would not be considered in Maltese law or medicine as an abortion," OB-GYN Dr. George Gregory Buttigieg said in a statement sent to Insider. "As a Professor of Obstetrics, I have delivered babies prematurely in life threatening situations and have never been worried about legal repercussions." He and others, including representatives of Life Network Malta, and Doctors for Life point to the country's low maternal mortality rate as proof their model works. Still, hundreds of women travel abroad each year to obtain an abortion, and increasingly others have been illegally accessing the abortion pill, the BBC has reported. Doctors for Choice Malta has publicized Prudente's story, per her request, "in the hope of avoiding a tragedy" like Savita Halappanavar. The former dentist living in Ireland was 17 weeks pregnant when she began miscarrying in 2012. After being denied a termination due to the country's abortion ban at the time, she died of sepsis. "We hope common sense prevails and this woman is allowed to have a termination before it is too late," Doctors for Choice wrote on social media, referring to Prudente. "We have also heard from Maltese women who were in similar situations but were scared to speak out. This is not right. Women have beating hearts too! American OB-GYNs have speculated about similar situations occuring in the US if Roe v Wade is overturned. Making abortion only legal when the mother's life is at risk puts doctors in an "untenable position," Shaina Goodman, director for reproductive health and rights at the National Partnership for Women and Families, told Stateline. "At what point is the life of the mother at risk, when she's coding on the table?" Read the original article on Insider Saying he was frustrated by a consistent lack of information from state officials, Uvalde's mayor lashed out during and after a City Council meeting Tuesday night, declaring that "the gloves are off" shortly after state senators were given an in-depth report on last month's school shooting. Mayor Don McLaughlin said he and other local officials have been told to keep quiet about the shooting and the law enforcement response while multiple investigations continue, which is why it was difficult to watch Steve McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, spend several hours briefing senators during a public hearing at the Capitol. "They can go to Austin and have public deals to talk about it ... and not share a damn thing with this city or anybody in this community, and that's wrong. That's totally wrong," McLaughlin said. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin criticized Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw's Tuesday presentation at the Capitol on the Uvalde mass shooting, calling it "the Bozo the Clown show." The mayor also accused McCraw of presenting a biased picture of the shooting by failing to acknowledge that 14 DPS officers were in the school hallway while the gunman was barricaded in a classroom for more than an hour. McCraw said local police should have confronted the gunman when they arrived on the scene. Instead, the incident commander, identified by McCraw as Uvalde school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo, "decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children" and held back law enforcement from breaching the classroom and killing the gunman. Nineteen fourth graders and their two teachers were killed. More: Exclusive: Officers arrived at Uvalde school with rifles, ballistic shield 19 minutes after gunman "What kind of farce do you have in Austin today?" McLaughlin said. "We had the Bozo the Clown show in the Senate today with, you know, McCraw parading out there and giving answers that they still don't have the facts to." McLaughlin also criticized the governor's office for ignoring repeated requests for information about the shooting. Story continues More: 74 minutes, 8 seconds: Inside the police response to the Uvalde shooting The day after the May 24 attack at Robb Elementary School, McLaughlin said, he and County Judge Bill Mitchell asked the Texas Rangers, a division of the DPS, for daily briefings. Although an agency official agreed, "to this day we have not received one briefing from the Rangers, or DPS, or anybody," McLaughlin told Uvalde residents at the meeting. "No one, so we're just in the dark just like you are, and we're tired of it." More: How Gov. Greg Abbott was first misled about the Uvalde shooting then took liberties of his own "Why do you think I invited the Justice Department to come in here for? The DPS, their story's changed four times in four days. Do you think I have any confidence there, that we're going to get a true story? I don't," McLaughlin said. "That's why I invited the Justice Department here, with state officials and federal officials asking me not to." DPS officials did not respond to a request for comment. Several Uvalde residents attended the meeting to oppose a request for a leave of absence from Arredondo, who was recently elected to the City Council. Arredondo did not attend the meeting or a previous emergency session held shortly after the shooting. A unanimous council declined to grant the leave of absence, meaning that if Arredondo misses the next two meetings, the council can remove him for abandoning his office. "We heard our citizens tonight, loud and clear," McLaughlin said. "If he misses his three meetings, I'm sure Pete will go. ... I'll vote yes" to remove him. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Uvalde mayor says 'gloves are off' after Texas DPS report of shooting Motley Fool Shares of the online car-buying company Carvana (NYSE: CVNA) were plunging this morning, likely after a Barron's article published over the weekend said that the company, in some cases, sold cars before it even had the title to them. Barron's said in its reporting that Carvana was selling cars too quickly during the pandemic, when demand for buying a car online soared, which led to problems in receiving the proper title for vehicles for some customers. Apparently, enough people have experienced this problem that a lawsuit is being brought against the car seller, saying that some customers went years without legally being able to drive vehicles purchased from Carvana. Mitt Romney on Capitol Hill (Getty Images) Shortly before the bipartisan group of Senators negotiating a bill to combat gun violence released the text of their legislation, I caught up with a few of them. Most of the negotiators seemed happy with the place they arrived on Tuesday evening. When I asked Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who was part of the group of 20 (and whose word is as good as edict in Washington), whether he thought a vote could happen by the end of the week, he said, Im very, very optimistic. When I asked Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, one of the other negotiators of the bill, how likely a vote this week could be, he replied: I would say very. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah said the ten Republicans negotiating the bill of which he was one had a call with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday to examine the wording of it. And I think all that spoke were satisfied, he told reporters. Romney also said he thought the legislation would make a substantial difference, adding, Fundamentally, this is about trying to protect human life, and finding a measure thats consistent with the Constitution, which at the same time will keep innocent children from being slaughtered. That doesnt mean there arent obstacles to the bill. Case in point: Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat who hails from rural Montana and previously opposed a ban on semi-automatic weapons, took a wait-and-see approach. I have not seen it, he told me, when asked about the bill. Once I see it, Ill be able to tell you for sure. (For what its worth, the potty-mouthed Tester and the wealthy Romney have formed a political odd couple of sorts, having worked together on the bipartisan infrastructure bill previously). Meanwhile, a few hours later, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri tweeted his criticism of the bill. Here we are voting to move on a bill negotiated entirely behind closed doors, released only an hour ago, that no one has had time to fully read, that ignores the national crime wave and chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law-abiding citizens he wrote. NO. Story continues Hawleys words were also a not-so-subtle rebuke to his fellow Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, who is part of the negotiating group. But Blunt, a former whip in House GOP leadership and a current member of Senate GOP leadership who is retiring this year, is very much a governing Republican a breed that faces extinction in his party while Hawley undoubtedly has his eyes on the national stage. But Romney also seemed to prepare for a strike from his more conservative colleagues. I know there are some who will say gosh, we havent got the bill. Well want to read it. Its like, well, you know, you could be part of the drafting. Or if people are concerned about a provision, you could have been part of the negotiations. The doors open. Anyone who wants to be part of the discussion can join in, he said. (This, of course, isnt the first time Romney and Hawley have clashed. During the Capitol riot, the usually mild-mannered Romney yelled at Hawley, You have caused this!) When asked if he was worried about whether Republicans would pull out of the deal, Manchin said, Youd need to talk with them about that and added that Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the lead negotiator on the GOP side, has done a good job working it. See what happens. But Cornyn has faced heat back home since becoming the GOPs point person on guns: this last weekend, attendees at the Texas Republican Partys convention booed him. Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Georgia Secretary of State Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling are sworn in Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images The Jan. 6 committee's hearing on Tuesday focused on former President Donald Trump and his attempts to pressure state and local officials into overturning the 2020 election results. The evidence presented included Trump's Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), during which Trump asked him to "find 11,780 votes" in his favor. There was also compelling testimony from several witnesses, including Rusty Bowers, Arizona's Republican House Speaker who was asked by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to look into removing President Biden's electors in his state, and Shaye Moss, a Georgia elections worker who was falsely accused of engaging in voter fraud. Under pressure Bowers testified that during his first conversation with Trump and Giuliani after the 2020 election, they asked him to convene the Arizona legislature to investigate their claims of voter fraud, with the intention of replacing the state's chosen electors with a group that would favor Trump. Bowers said he asked multiple times for evidence showing that fraud occurred, and while Giuliani said he would produce some, he never did. "I said, 'Look, you are asking me to do something that is counter to my oath,'" Bowers testified. Later, during an in-person meeting with Giuliani, Bowers said the lawyer told him, "We've got lots of theories we just don't have the evidence." Bowers stood firm, refusing to go along with the plan, and soon, Trump supporters began driving around his neighborhood, with one playing a recording that called him a pedophile; at one point, Bowers said, a man showed up with a gun and began threatening his neighbor. Bowers' daughter, Kacey, was gravely ill at the time, and could hear the fracas from inside her father's home; she died in late January 2021. The Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin praised Bowers, calling his testimony "stunning" and "amazing." He is a "patriot," she tweeted, lamenting that the GOP "could be the part of Bowers, not Trump/Eastman. That they choose the latter reveals a profound moral and intellectual collapse." Political analyst Jeff Greenfield was also impressed by Bowers, tweeting that as a "low-key, matter-of-fact narrator, he may be the single most compelling congressional witness I have ever seen." The Nation's Elie Mystal doesn't think that this is a reason to forget about Bowers' political opinions and the policies he has supported, tweeting, "Remember that Rusty Bowers, the Arizona man who almost cried about his constitutional duties, has helped to pass a boatload of voter suppression bills targeting Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans in his state. You know, in case anybody cares about such things." Story continues Powerful testimony resonates When it was Moss' turn to testify, she discussed what it was like for Giuliani to publicly accuse her and her mother, Ruby Freeman, of being involved in voter fraud. Both women were poll workers in Georgia's Fulton County, and Giuliani falsely claimed before a Georgia state Senate committee that the women smuggled in suitcases with fake ballots for Biden, which they then scanned multiple times. He bizarrely added that he saw video of the women exchanging USB memory sticks "as if they're vials of cocaine." Trump called Freeman a "professional vote scammer" and "hustler." None of this was true, Moss testified, adding that almost immediately after a recording of Giuliani's statement was made public, she began receiving threats, many of them racist, "wishing death upon me, telling me I'll be in jail with my mother and saying things like, 'Be glad it's 2020 and not 1920." After people showed up at her grandmother's house, saying they were looking for Moss in order to conduct a citizen's arrest, she had to go into hiding. "It's turned my life upside down," Moss said. "It's affected my life in a major way in every way all because of lies." Dr. Jason Johnson, a professor at Morgan State University and MSNBC contributor, tweeted his outrage over the way Moss and Freeman, who are Black, were treated. "Protesters show up outside SCOTUS homes and suddenly Congress gives them high priced security," he said. "A 70-year-old Black poll worker in Georgia gets death threats from MAGA Trumpers and she's on the run for two months and the FBI basically says figure it out. This is why people are angry." Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council official who once testified about Trump pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden ahead of the 2020 election, shared his support of Moss and Freeman, comparing their situations. "Lady Ruby and Shaye, I know what it's like to have the president of the United States attack me," he tweeted. "Stay strong. We are better than him and we will prevail. Much love!" He later added that the women are"public servants and this is public service!" Republican witnesses stay in the spotlight The Jan. 6 committee has now held four public hearings in the last few weeks, and each time, most of the in-person witnesses have been Republicans. The three GOP officials who testified on Tuesday Bowers, Raffensperger, and Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer in the Georgia Secretary of State's office are all avowed conservatives who supported Trump's re-election in 2020. CNN described their testimony as "damning," and one way to push back against Republicans like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) who have accused the committee of being unfairly partisan. There are two Republicans on the committee, including Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.); he tweeted that after hearing the day's witnesses testify, he was reminded "what honorable people look like. The first three reminded me of the GOP I joined. Shaye Moss and her mother, I mean .... America at its best. [McCarthy] probably feels ashamed today." You may also like People at Jan. 6 rally were 'well-behaved,' Trump tells Newsmax Is America abandoning religion or just remixing it? Jan. 6 committee subpoenas never-before-seen documentary footage of Trump and his inner circle John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the U.S. National Security Council Read also: In Zaporizhzhya, Russia threatens local resistance with death penalty "It's appalling that a public official in Russia would even suggest the death penalty for two American citizens that were in Ukraine," said John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the U.S. National Security Council. "And we're going to continue to try and learn what we can about this." Read also: US creates team to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine According to Kirby, "either way, it's equally alarming, whether they actually mean what they're saying here and this could be an outcome, that they could levy a death penalty against two Americans in Ukraine." "Or that they just feel it's a responsible thing for a major power to do, to talk about doing this as a way of signaling the president of the United States and the American people. Either one of them is equally alarming." Read also: Vladimir Putins dark journey from economic reformer to war criminal Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 20 the Geneva Convention the charter which sets out how soldiers and civilians are treated in wartime, including banning execution of prisoners of war does not apply to the two detained U.S. citizens. This is untrue, as the two U.S. citizens were serving with the regular Ukrainian armed forces at the time of their capture. Read also: Most Ukrainians think Russia will be defeated on battlefields Peskov said the death penalty could not be ruled out, but that it was a "decision for a court" and "not the Kremlin." The two U.S. citizens are Alexander John-Robert Drueke, 39, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huyn, 27. They were fighting alongside Ukrainian forces north of Kharkiv, but went missing on June 9. According to preliminary information, they were taken prisoner by the Russian invaders. Read also: First wartime rape case sent to court, Ukraine's prosecutor general says Earlier on June 9, the so-called "Supreme Court" of the Russian puppet authority in Donetsk sentenced three non-Ukrainian nationals to death for being "mercenaries," despite the court carrying no jurisdiction, authority, and the fact that the three are not mercenaries. These are the Moroccan citizen Saadoun and two U.K. citizens, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner. All three had joined the Ukrainian military prior to the full-scale Russian invasion on Feb. 24. Story continues Read also: UN commission to report on Russia war crimes in Ukraine in September Ukraine's General Staff has stated that all foreign citizens and stateless individuals who are participating in combat on the sovereign territory of Ukraine within the Armed Forces will qualify for signing a legal contract for military service, if they want to. As with all other Armed Forces service members, these individuals will have the status of combatants. This means, in case of their capture by the enemy, they should be treated as prisoners of war. Help NV continue its work reporting on the Russian invasion A former Wichita Public Schools special-education teacher accused of inappropriately touching a student with Down syndrome has pleaded guilty to three reduced charges of misdemeanor assault. Tommy Tarrel Rains, who taught at Levy Special Education Center, received a sentence of time served immediately after entering the June 10 plea, Sedgwick County District Court records show. The journal entry memorializing the case resolution says 64-year-old Rains let his teaching license lapse and has agreed to never seek to reinstate or renew it. He also agreed to not seek jobs in a school setting in the future, the document says. The journal entry did not specify exactly how long time served represents, nor did it note the reasoning behind the plea deal. But Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, in response to questions posed by The Eagle, said the case resolved after his office engaged in extensive discussions with the students caregiver that centered on sparing the special needs teenager from the witness stand. The desire to find a resolution that did not require the victim to testify was a primary factor in the decision to resolve the case, Bennett said by email, adding that the victims ability to articulate what happened as well as the passage of time since the alleged criminal behavior presented additional complicating factors that had to be considered. Originally, Rains was charged with two felony counts of aggravated sexual battery against the student, committed between 2014 and 2016. He was employed by Wichita Public Schools from Aug. 1, 2006, to Feb. 14, 2018, district spokeswoman Susan Arensman said this week. Given these limitations, the goal was to obtain a publicly filed journal entry . . . wherein the defendant acknowledged having engaged in criminal behavior and agreed not to seek another teaching position, Bennett wrote. Rains defense attorney, Nika Cummings, said by email that her client would have preferred a dismissal or acquittal but agreed to accept the plea deal to avoid the potential risks of trial. Story continues In a December 2020 court motion asking the court to order a psychological evaluation for the girl, Cummings questioned whether she had the capability to testify in court, accurately recall the past and understand legal proceedings. The judge denied the request, court records show. Tom Rains is innocent and the weakness of the States case is reflected in . . . their plea offer, Cummings told The Eagle in her email. Rains jury trial had been scheduled for June 13. Rains worked in elementary applied academics at Levy, 400 N. Woodchuck, with small groups of students, school records and a district spokeswoman said after his arrest. Although the judgment can be used to prevent Rains from obtaining another teaching license, it doesnt ban him from being around children generally, including in camp, child care or other settings, Bennett said. Authorities arrested Rains on Jan. 2, 2018 a few months after launching an investigation into the students possible abuse. Some time after she was moved out of Rains classroom, the girl told her parents she liked her new teacher at Levy because she doesnt get touched, according to an affidavit of probable cause released by the court in 2018. The student, who was 16 and 17 at the time of the alleged incidents, told her parents that on at least one occasion Rains had taken her into a classroom bathroom and instructed her to undress so he could inspect sores on her body caused by a skin condition, the affidavit says. He fondled her and had her touch him while he video recorded her, the affidavit says the girl reported. The student also reported that Rains had touched her inappropriately once in his car when he took her to the store for class supplies and bought her some chocolate milk. When interviewed, the students mother told authorities that Rains had called asking for permission to help the girl in the bathroom, which she refused. He also told the mother her daughter would make a good caregiver and that he wanted her to meet his disabled wife and family, she said. The mother told authorities that Rains had said he wanted to be the girls first dance at prom, was trying to lose weight to fit into a tuxedo he planned to wear to the event and that he felt distraught over her classroom change, the affidavit says. The student was 19 years old when the incidents were reported to authorities in November 2017. Rains is responsible for paying court costs and his booking fee associated with the case within 90 days, the journal entry noting his plea and sentence says. After that time, any unpaid amount will go to collections. Ranked a lowly 1,204 in the world and without a competitive singles match in 12 months, Serena Williams will sweep into Wimbledon targeting what would be her greatest triumph. The seven-time champion at the All England Club will also be chasing down a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. The odds have rarely been so stacked against the great American who can become the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon. With her 41st birthday just three months away, Williams hasn't played a singles tie on tour since limping out of Wimbledon in tears in the first round against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in 2021. "I hope I don't become the last player to have beaten her at Wimbledon," Sasnovich told AFP at the French Open last month. "She is a great champion and I want to see her back." Sasnovich may not be at the All England Club due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players, but at least she has got her wish for the return of Williams. The American star has been frustratingly marooned on 23 Slams since winning a seventh Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant. She was runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018 and 2019 as Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 majors remained out of touch. - 'Doubt I'd return? Absolutely' - "Did I ever doubt I would return? Absolutely, for sure. I would be dishonest if I said it wasn't and now my body feels great," Williams said on Tuesday after a winning return to the courts in doubles at Eastbourne. "It felt good but I always try to stay semi-fit because you never know when you are going to play Wimbledon." Williams remains the last woman to successfully defend a Wimbledon title in 2016. When she played her first Wimbledon in 1998, current world number one Iga Swiatek was still three years away from being born. - 'Something special' - The 21-year-old Pole arrives at the tournament with a second French Open title secured and on a 35-match win streak. That equalled Venus Williams' 35 straight victories in 2000 for the longest winning run by a woman in the 21st century. Story continues It also bettered Serena's mark of 34. "Having that 35th win and kind of doing something more than Serena did, it's something special," said Swiatek. Wimbledon will test her ability to keep the run going where last year's fourth round was her best performance even though she was junior champion in 2018. "Grass is always tricky. I actually like the part that I have no expectations there. It's something kind of refreshing," she said. The women's draw remains open with defending champion Ashleigh Barty having retired earlier this year. Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka, rarely a serious threat on grass, has withdrawn with an Achilles injury. The Japanese star, the world's highest-earning sportswoman, had already expressed reservations over taking part. She feared the status of Wimbledon had been reduced to that of an exhibition tournament after the ATP and WTA stripped it of ranking points. That was in response to the ban imposed on Russian and Belarusian players in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. Three of the top 20 women will therefore miss Wimbledon -- Aryna Sabalenka, a semi-finalist last year, 2018 quarter-finalist Daria Kasatkina and Victoria Azarenka, a 2011 and 2012 semi-finalist. None of the top five have ever made it to the semi-finals. Ons Jabeur reached the last-eight in 2021, Paula Badosa, like Swiatek, has yet to progress beyond the fourth round. Second-ranked Anett Kontaveit and world number five Maria Sakkari have still to get past the last 32. dj/bsp BRICS to take leadership role in ending global hunger, poverty: FAO By Zhang Hui and Zhao Juecheng (Global Times) 08:49, June 22, 2022 BRICS Photo: brics-russia2020.ru BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, accounting for more than 40 percent of the world's population and 20 percent of global GDP and producing more than one-third of global cereal production, are well-placed to take a leadership role in helping eradicate global hunger and poverty by 2030, and developing countries around the world looked to the successes of BRICS countries in economic development over the past few decades, Carlos Watson, the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in China, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview ahead of the virtual 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing on Thursday. Watson told the Global Times on Monday that in the post-pandemic era, FAO looks forward to strengthening multilateral agricultural cooperation with the BRICS countries, and facilitate the sharing of "BRICS solutions" to global food and agriculture governance. He said he had the pleasure to attend the 12th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture on June 8, which carried out profound exchanges on deepening practical cooperation in agriculture and rural development, highlighting the importance of ensuring global food security and reducing poverty, among others. Some Western media claimed BRICS has lost appeal or was a failure, but Watson believes developing countries look to the successes of BRICS countries in economic development over the past few decades as an example to follow. He said BRICS countries host experience and knowledge in accelerating rural development, which is the key to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to UN data, the poverty rate in rural areas is 17.2 percent globally, more than three times higher than in urban areas. Accelerating rural development can best be done through a combination of agricultural growth and targeted social protection, but also through growth in the rural non-farm economy, he said. Equally important is that the tools, approaches and technologies developed must be useful and accessible to poor farmers in developing countries so that they can increase production and productivity. BRICS countries host such experience and knowledge, which could be useful for other developing countries. Among the BRICS members, China has been exchanging experiences and sharing lessons on poverty reduction, in partnership with FAO and other UN agencies, as well as other developing countries, through the South-South and Triangular Cooperation and multilateral mechanisms, such as BRICS, Watson said. "China has shown to the world how to achieve the SDG 1 - No Poverty, and how other developing countries could learn from the 'China Model,'" Watson said. At the heart of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all UN members in 2015 are 17 SDGs, with Goal 1 being to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. "I often heard the saying that 'hold firmly the country's rice bowl in the hands of Chinese people,' and I think this is the exact description of the determination and achievement China has had on food self-reliance, underpinned by strong policy commitment and an enabling environment, enhanced infrastructure, increased investment, technical innovations and agriculture extension, and above all, the hard work of Chinese people," Watson said. China has made remarkable achievements in achieving and sustaining food security. China uses one-tenth of world's arable land to produce one-fourth of the world's grains and feeds one-fifth of the global population, he said. The incredible development achievements reached by China in record time, affecting record number of people, has resulted in what Watson called "a great Chinese national treasure of knowledge." He said this treasure is a vault filled with a vast number of proven solutions that China has developed and applied to achieve its own remarkable development results. Under the COVID-19 epidemic, food security and nutrition of the world's vulnerable populations is being threatened. The global demand for solutions is higher than ever before, he said. Globally, hunger levels remain alarmingly high. In 2021, they surpassed all previous records as reported by the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises, with close to 193 million people acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance across 53 countries/territories. This represents an increase of nearly 40 million people compared to the previous high reached in 2020. The report identified intensified conflict, significant economic shocks and some of the most severe weather extremes in recent years as the main drivers of increased food insecurity. Given China's experience in poverty alleviation and agricultural development, China is uniquely positioned to engage in development exchanges with other developing countries, especially in the post-pandemic era, he said, noting FAO greatly values China's willingness to work with and through the Organization in a variety of ways. Since 2009, China has committed $130 million as the Trust Fund to implement the FAO-China South-South-Cooperation Program. To date, the Program's Phase I and II has supported 25 national, regional and global projects with the fielding of 252 Chinese experts and technicians to carry out agricultural technical assistance and extension work in various technical fields and has reached more than 70,000 direct beneficiaries at the grassroots level, as well as several hundred thousand indirect beneficiaries, according to Watson. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Former police officer and Prince William County, Va., Supervisor Yesli Vega is projected to win the Republican primary for the states 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, setting up a match-up with incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) in November. The Associated Press called the race at 9:35 p.m. ET. Vega leaned heavily into her law enforcement background during the campaign and received notable GOP endorsements, including from Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Ginni Thomas, wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Cruz was in the district on Monday, holding two rallies for Vega. Spanberger is considered one of the more vulnerable House Democrats, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates her race as a toss-up. But the latest redistricting process moved her district closer to Washington, D.C., making it slightly more favorable to Democrats. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. 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 New York rapper Lil Tjay was shot at a shopping promenade in Edgewater just after midnight Wednesday, in what the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office called an attempted robbery against him and two of his friends. Prosecutors announced the arrest of Mohamed Konate, 27, of New York City, on charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and weapons offenses, accusing the man of firing at the rapper, whose real name is Tione Merritt, as well as Jeffrey Valdez, 24, and Antoine Boyd, 22, both of the Bronx, who were with him. Tjay was struck multiple times in the attack, which also injured Boyd, prosecutors said Wednesday night. Prosecutors had said earlier that one victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition but was by then described as stable, while the other victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and is in "good" condition. But the later announcement did not directly delineate whether Tjay was the one described as having suffered the more severe injuries. Valdez and Boyd were also arrested following the incident on weapons possession charges and were being held in Bergen County Jail, according to prosecutors. As of Wednesday night, Konate was awaiting extradition to New Jersey. TMZ reported Wednesday morning that Tjay, underwent emergency surgery, citing law enforcement sources. Edgewater police and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office were at the shopping center after 7 a.m. Wednesday, inspecting a red Dodge Durango with a bullet hole in the driver's window, as well as a blood-stained towel. Story continues below gallery Tjay has 7 million followers on Instagram and has released two studio albums through Columbia Records that each charted in the top 5 on the Billboard 200. His 2021 song with singer 6lack "Calling My Name" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. On Tuesday night, Tjay posted an Instagram story that said "Just because you've been around a person doesn't make you entitled to the fruits of that persons labor. Envy Is At An All Time High Be Safe Otchea." Story continues Related: Lil Tjay, hip-hop heartthrob, was looking forward to 'good summer' before shooting in NJ More: Cardi B, Offset and kids make a big splash at DreamWorks Water Park in American Dream The shooting happened at the western end of City Place, a mixed-use development on a former Hudson River industrial site with stores and restaurants on the first floor and five stories of high-end condominiums above. The complex is usually bustling in the evening but dies down considerably after the restaurants and stores close. The complex has 24-hour security with guards in cars patrolling the facility. Hatice Mumcu, who works and lives in the complex, did not hear or see the shooting and was surprised to learn about it Wednesday afternoon, saying nothing like this had ever happened there before. Adel Gobran, who is staying at the Homewood Suites around the corner from the Chipotle, said he isn't worried about staying there, despite the shooting. "It's quiet here, I like it," said Gobran, who lives in Queens. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rapper Lil Tjay shot in attempted robbery in Edgewater, arrests made A convicted serial killer has been charged 54 years after a young mother was found dead, bound and strangled outside of a mall in New York, according to police and media reports. Diane Cusicks worried parents found her body in the backseat of her car after she never made it home from going out to buy dancing shoes, the Nassau County District Attorneys office said in a June 22 news release. Cusick taught dance at Long Island school and was 23-years-old when she died. Now, Richard Cottingham, 75, who resides at a state prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey, is charged with second-degree murder after advancements in DNA technology connected him with Cusicks death, the district attorneys office said. Cottingham, who has been infamously called the Torso Killer, has served prison time since 1980 following convictions for five other murders, PIX 11 reported. He once told a criminal historian he had murdered more than 85 women. The cold case involving Cusick goes back to the evening of Feb. 15, 1968, when she called her parents and said she was going to the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, the news release said. Cottingham is accused of posing as a security guard or police officer at the mall to lure Cusick to go with him, NBC New York reported. The district attorneys office said in the release that when Cusicks body was discovered, she had an adhesive band placed over her mouth and her hands were tied. She fatally asphyxiated due to strangulation, according to a medical examiner, the district attorneys office said. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said in a statement that we make a promise to (Cusicks) surviving daughter today: we will bring her mothers killer to justice. In early 2022, DNA linked Cottingham to Cusicks death after the Nassau County medical examiner retested case evidence in 2021, the release said. Cottingham appeared in court on June 22 for an arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge against him, according to the district attorneys office. He is set to return to court on Aug. 18. Story continues If convicted, Cottingham faces up to 25 years in prison, according to the release. Woman vanished from cabin 41 years ago. Skull found in a ravine is hers, WA cops say Dog brought home dead baby in 1985. Now mom is charged with murder, Maine cops say DNA leads to charges for truck driver in womans 1993 slaying, California officials say Baby vanished after her parents murder in Texas. Shes found alive 40 years later With the approval of the board of supervisors, Nelson County is on track to apply for three state-funded intersection improvement projects. But the county is still years away from seeing any major changes to intersections on U.S. 29 and Virginia 151. At the boards June 14 meeting, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Lynchburg District Planning Manager Rick Youngblood presented the board with three concepts; for changes to the Virginia 151 and Virginia 6 intersection, the Tambark Drive and Virginia 151 intersection, and the U.S. 29 and Front Street signalized intersection. Youngblood explained the three projects are in the Smart Scale pre-application stage and are the product of previous studies. Smart Scale is a program by which VDOT evaluates and prioritizes transportation infrastructure improvement for state funding. Final applications for Smart Scale projects are due Aug. 1; Youngblood appeared before the board for the approval required to continue the process. Youngblood first presented a plan for the T-Intersection where Virginia 6 meets Virginia 151 to be converted to a single lane roundabout. Supervisor Ernie Reed asked about a timeline for the project. Youngblood said the estimated August 2025 start date included with the diagram would more likely be in 2027 or 2028. My only comment is not soon enough, Reed responded. The intersection lies in his district. The second project targets the Tambark Drive and Virginia 151 intersection, between the BP gas station and Sentara Afton Family Medicine. Improvements include a regrade of the embankment to improve visibility to 151, curve radius modifications and new stop signs at the intersection. The final project is to replace the current signal at the U.S. 29 and Front Street intersection with a signalized Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) intersection. Youngblood characterized the intersection as a priority 1 out of four location based on the number of crashes that occur from cross-feeding, turning movements, rear-end collisions you name it, youve had just about every accident at this location. He estimated some 16,000 to 20,000 vehicles pass through the location daily. A signalized RCUT would eliminate direct cross-feeding across U.S. 29 from Callohill Drive to Front Street and vise-versa. In the RCUT scenario, vehicles trying to cross U.S. 29 would instead make a right turn and then a U-Turn further up the highway. Vehicles would still be able to make left and right turns onto U.S. 29 from either street. The scenario includes a total of four 2-phase signals: two at the intersection to control traffic making left turns north and south and one at each U-turn point. In a June 17 email, Youngblood clarified the new signals will permit only certain movements, such as through and left-turn, whereas a typical 4-phase allow for all movements, including right turns. According to Youngblood, the signals actually allow for more through movement. Youngblood recognized the unpopularity of the scenario but told the board theres only so many possible alternatives that work at the location. He said the RCUT is the preferred alternative, and the safest, most cost-beneficial project, adding the change would reduce the 32 conflict points and Front Street intersections (and at any typical signalized intersection) to 24. VDOT defines conflict points as locations where vehicle travel paths intersect. According to Youngblood, a roundabout would reduce conflict points to 16 but isnt feasible at this location. U-turns are proven to be more safe and effective, he said of the new method for crossing 29, adding the RCUT design fits within the existing roadway footprint. Youngblood told the board an RCUT would also reduce speeds through the intersection by providing a more advanced warning. He said his department is considering adding flashing beacons before the intersection. Board Chair Jesse Rutherford expressed some hesitation: I just think it might be a little bit too soon for us to be the experiment for an RCUT, at least for our general area but said he was in favor of moving the project forward once Youngblood confirmed the county could withdraw from the project at a later date if residents say they dont want it. In February, the Commonwealth Transportation Board will begin evaluating the Smart Scale applications and decide which projects to include in the Six Year Improvement Plan (SYIP). A public comment period will follow before a final SYIP is set in June 2023. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Brightspeed, a fiber-optics company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has announced its plans to build its network in counties across Virginia. By the end of 2023, Brightspeed plans to provide high-speed internet to more than 60,000 residential and commercial locations in Charlottesville and parts of Albemarle, Henry, Campbell, Page, Henry, Rockbridge and Smyth counties according to a news release issued June 9, 2022. In Campbell County, Brightspeed will join other internet service providers already in place. Campbell County welcomes the expansion of broadband service and access throughout the county. It is a critical service. The Board of Supervisors is working in conjunction with Shentel, Riverstreet Communications and Firefly to expand service throughout the county. The Brightspeed announcement is a welcome addition to those efforts, County Administrator Frank J. Rogers stated in an email. In the next five years, Brightspeeds goal is to provide internet access for up to 3 million homes and businesses across 20 states as well as regions where fiber and advanced technology have not been previously expanded. Brightspeed will use the fiber-optic technology, which differs from a wireless broadband connection. According to the companys website, fiber-optics can deliver upload speeds that are just as fast as download speeds. We are looking forward to the start of our ambitious network build in Virginia. We are excited to offer a new choice in internet and the full capabilities of our advanced fiber network to the residents and businesses in our Virginia footprint, Brightspeed Chief Operating Officer Tom Maguire said in the news release. Ellowyn Steele Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As American citizens celebrated freedom and liberty in their nation on Independence Day, 1961, a government founded on notions of the inalienable human rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness took action at a local level to deny those rights to their fellow citizens whose skin was not white. This little-taught chapter of local history is being brought to life in an original play, "Buried Deep," produced through Endstation Theatre Company, affiliated with Randolph College. On that sweltering July day in Lynchburg, as many residents sought the relief offered by public pools, the city closed those pools down because some Black residents went to swim in the whites-only pools at Miller and Riverside parks. They were exercising their civil rights and making intentional strides toward integration and equality when many people were content to drag their feet despite a federal courts recent ruling that mandated desegregation nationwide. The Black community was not entirely without allies. Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, for instance, opened its pool fully integrated following the city's closure of the public pools at the parks, and maintained its integrated status even though some white patrons left in protest. Today, if one visits Riverside Park, an indentation in the ground where a pool once stood remains as a permanent scar of racial tensions in the not-so-distant past. Buried Deep is part of Endstations New Works initiative, a program which supports playwrights who create a script based on some aspect of Lynchburg-area history. Chicago-based playwright Josh Brewer, who had worked previously with Endstation, began developing this work in 2019 following something of a chance encounter during an excursion at Riverside Park. There, Brewer noticed the indentation in the ground which, upon investigation, he discovered to be a filled-in public swimming pool, accompanied by a plaque summarizing its history. He knew this was a story that had to be told. The idea to write a play about the city pools incident already was on a shortlist of brainstorms at Endstation Theatre Company, according to the company's executive director, David Lee. Since its founding in 2006, the local theater company has a history of telling community stories, particularly ones that address social issues on a local level. Buried Deep fit perfectly into this tradition. Using historical public records, newspaper articles from the era and primary source interviews with individuals still living who remember those fateful events, Brewer crafted Buried Deep with the Endstation team. The production is finally about to open after more than 20 drafts and revisions of the script and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Segregation was the law of the land through the 1960s, and Lynchburg was no exception. Even after federal court-mandated integration nationwide, many places strove to maintain racial divides. Miller Park, Riverside Park and Jefferson Park which was designated for Black people only during the era of legal segregation would have their pools filled in with concrete by 1968 after several years of disuse following the July 1961 shutdowns. The new play is living history, said show director Dennis Darling. Im passionate about anything that tells stories that raise issues that face people of color, or people that are marginalized and disenfranchised. When I read this piece, I said, This is history I dont know of. This is history that was erased, and I need to tell this story. And thats why Im here, Darling said. Protests against racial inequality and segregation were a major part of the civil rights movement, and one form of protest included sit-ins, where Black people would enter restaurants, cafeteria areas, businesses and other spaces designated for whites only. In Lynchburg, groups of Black people began organizing swim-ins at local public pools. We did that because we knew what was going to happen, James Jim White said in a previous interview with The News & Advance. White, who was 16 when the public pools were filled in, participated in swim-ins at the Riverside Park pool. If we jumped in the pool, they were going to make everybody get out of the pool because they had to take all the water out and replace it, because Black folks had been in it. They couldnt allow Black folks to jump in the pool and contaminate the water. So that meant they had to close the pool down for that day, and nobody could swim. And that was our objective in the first place," White said. When Black teens jumped into whites-only pools, White said, the white swimmers would jump out, many of them calling out racial slurs. Hylan Hank Hubbard, of Lynchburg, now in his 70s, spent the summer of 1961 in Washington, D.C., with his uncle when he heard his home city of Lynchburg finally cracked down on the swim-ins: local officials would rather no one swim than allow people with different skin colors to mingle together. The reason the city gave for its decision, Hubbard said, was violence would erupt if Black and white individuals came together. Its that whole notion of 'separate but equal' which they used to promote, Hubbard said in a previous interview with The News & Advance. We got the separate part right. We didnt get the equal part right. After completing two virtual readings of Buried Deep, the cast came together for a live, in-person reading and talk-back session with a small crowd at an event hosted by the Academy Center of the Arts and Endstation Theatre Company on June 14. The play jumps between present day and the past, primarily the 1960s, and actors play multiple roles. Woven throughout the script are news articles and court rulings quoted verbatim, which help convey the prevailing sentiments of society at the time but also highlight those in the community who recognized something wrong and stood up for what was right. Characters are based on the real-life Lynchburg citizens who were involved in the pools incident, on both sides of the issue, with a few fictional characters created for scenes of the play based in present-day. Some artistic license was taken in imagining interactions and dialogue between characters, filling out the story and making it more personal and accessible, but all was extrapolated from historic record and remains true to history. "Because this is lived history for so many members of our community, there is a sacred responsibility for us to tell the story in as accurate a way as possible, despite the fact that its a combination of real and imagined elements," Lee said. Among the audience at the exclusive reading were several individuals who lived through the events detailed in the play. For them, it was a time to talk openly about the incident that many would prefer to suppress or ignore, how it affected them and their communities, and engage in honest dialogue about painful but meaningful issues. Doris Lee Lewis Waller, 88, recalled the reek of methane gas emanating from Jefferson Park after the pool shut down as the city had filled it in not just with dirt, but with garbage. The day after the swim-in, Waller added, working Black people who participated were fired from their jobs in retaliation. She said she remembered one swim-in where only three white boys remained in one of the pools as other white swimmers jumped out of the water and she was grateful for those boys' example. Keelan Burns, an actor in Buried Deep and a rising senior at Liberty University, is a Lynchburg native but he said he had only heard the pools incident mentioned maybe once, and never in depth or given the "why." Like most of the rest of the cast, he learned the true history through the play. There was never really much discussion about that, and I never really thought to discuss it And especially why they closed the pools. The why is extremely important, Burns said. Chicago-based actor Blake Currie joined Endstations cast for the production. Being friends with the playwright, Currie said he got to read the earliest drafts of Brewers script as it developed. Being a part of telling this history, he said, has been a humbling experience. This story is what brought me here to Lynchburg, and honestly, I come from a place of reverence, he said. Its not necessarily my history, but I feel so privileged and honored to tell that history on behalf of this town. The play also addresses the consequences and aftershocks of the events described, including why the drowning rate among Black people is statistically higher than among white populations. Segregation and systemic disenfranchisement led to Black people having limited or no access to opportunities to learn to swim. As a result, statistics show death by drowning is higher among Black populations than white. Indeed, just weeks after the Lynchburg pools shut down, a young man drowned in the river. This event is solemnly recounted in the play, and some city residents still remember the tragedy vividly and how it rocked the Black community in particular. Waller said she herself never learned to swim. Lynchburg resident Earl Spinner, 72, likewise remembers the days of segregation and the pools incident. He observed some people call Black history divisive and would call this play divisive because it addresses a topic that, like the name of the play suggests, many would prefer to bury. Darling acknowledged this trend of labeling such discourse and teaching of history as "divisive" is another reason why telling this history is so important now more than ever. Factual events are factual events, Darling said. If we bring a light to them, there are lessons to be learned. We talk about repeating history, but if you dont know history, then things can be repeated. Recent years have proven starkly that racism remains ingrained in society and much work is yet to be done. Notable incidents include the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer later charged and convicted of murder; and the racially motivated slaying of Ahmaud Arbery, who was out for a jog when three white men pursued and fatally shot him. Just this month, a white man was charged with a federal hate crime after committing what authorities said was a racially motivated mass shooting at a store in New York, which resulted in multiple deaths. Each event sparked racial justice rallies nationwide. This play is not made to vilify Lynchburg, Lee said, but "it is about reckoning with our history in an honest way." Facilitating discourse in the community and being aware of its history, of its strengths and weaknesses, can help forge a better future for everyone. "We are hoping that our creative and artistic approach will create a tapestry of real and imagined elements that ultimately paint a very clear picture of what happened, and why its important," Lee said. Each performance will be followed by a community talk-back session where attendees can actively engage with what they learn: ask questions, have conversations and hear multiple perspectives. You cannot forget where you came from. But just keep on walking, Waller said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A former veterinarian was sentenced June 22 to eight months behind bars in connection with a pair of misdemeanor drug charges related to his personal use of a veterinary hospitals supply of hydromorphone, an opioid drug also known under the trade name of Dilaudid. Patrick Gries, 55, of Madison Heights, pleaded guilty in January to one count of adulteration of a drug held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce and one count of distribution of a controlled substance without a written prescription. From 1994 to 2021, Gries practiced as a veterinarian at a veterinary hospital in Amherst County. The hospital held hydromorphone for sale and maintained supplies of the drug for treating pain in the hospitals animal patients after surgery, a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh stated. Gries, who was the primary surgeon at the hospital, had complete access to the hospitals supply. According to the news release, in July 2020, without a valid prescription, Gries would divert hydromorphone for personal use by withdrawing a portion of the drug from the vial and injecting it into himself. Gries then would replace the diverted portion of the drug with another substance such as saline or butorphanol, a nasal spray also known as Stadol used to relieve pain severe enough to require opioid treatment, and return the altered drug to the hospitals supply. In Lynchburgs Western District of Virginia Court on June 22, Judge Norman K. Moon sentenced Gries to eight months on both charges, which are to be served simultaneously. Upon release, Gries must submit to drug rehabilitation stipulations in his sentencing report. Bryson Gordon Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Forest man who owned a Campbell County-based real estate management company was sentenced Wednesday to three and a half years in prison for an embezzlement scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Timothy Darrell Penick, 39, of Forest, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg in May 2021. This defendant violated the trust of his clients through his fraudulent behavior, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said in a news release. I am grateful for the work of the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that brought him to justice and will provide the victims in this case with restitution for the crimes committed against them. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Baudinet, Penick founded Lighthouse Properties of Virginia in 2011 and started a scheme to defraud several homeowners associations and property owners around the middle of 2018. According to a news release from the trial, Penick directly accessed bank accounts of the companys clients and transferred money to other accounts he controlled. He concealed the transfers by creating fraudulent bank statements for those clients, which were not authorized by the individuals. Penick was the only authorized owner and handler on the Lighthouse Properties accounts, according to the news release. Penick, who took the stand during Wednesdays sentencing hearing, said the money was taken to pay for several things at Lighthouse Properties, namely payroll. Penick said the company was undercapitalized from the start. Judge Norman K. Moon said Penick was robbing from Peter to pay Paul. Baudinet said when the company became strapped, Penick decided to turn to fraud and created what the Baudinet called a sophisticated scheme similar to a Ponzi scheme. The U.S. Attorneys Office sought a maximum 51-month sentence for Penick in addition to the large amount of restitution to be paid back. Penick, who apologized in court Wednesday to several of the people he defrauded, said he understands the egregious nature of the offenses and while he will have to pay restitution, which according to a tally that Moon read in court Wednesday totaled more than $950,000, he knows he can never make it whole. Moon ordered Penick to report for his sentence no earlier than Sept. 1, as he finishes online courses for a degree program, as well as to pay restitution upon his release. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Lynchburg man previously found guilty of four felonies in connection with a December 2019 robbery and homicide case will not serve any further jail time after a judge dismissed three of those counts Wednesday. Dakota Daquan Scott, 28, pleaded no contest in Lynchburg Circuit Court in February to charges of robbery, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and conspiracy to commit robbery. As a result of a mistrial in March in the case of Devon Corleogne Bailey, a Lynchburg teen accused of murder in the Dec. 28, 2019, shooting death of Darius Saunders Jr., 31, Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorney Bethany Harrison said the commonwealth was dropping the three charges against Scott. On a remaining count of attempted receipt of a stolen firearm, Judge F. Patrick Yeatts sentenced Scott to five years with all time suspended and ordered 18 months of probation. Scott served five-and-a-half months on the charges, Harrison said. The commonwealth is not seeking any additional incarceration, she said. Scott testified as a witness for the commonwealth in Baileys trial in March. After more than seven hours of deliberations, the jury acquitted Bailey of robbery and using a firearm in commission of a robbery. A mistrial was declared on the murder count after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Bailey, who according to court records turns 18 on June 23, maintained his innocence. Court records show Bailey now is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. A jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 8 in Lynchburg Circuit Court. The jury deciding to acquit Bailey of robbery factored into the decision to drop the three charges against Scott, according to Harrison. Responding to a call at about 8 p.m. the night of Saunders death, police arrived to find Bailey, 15 at the time, in the middle of the intersection at Maple and Hazel streets with a gunshot wound to his left arm. He was accompanied to the hospital, where officers received a cellphone belonging to him. At the scene, officers discovered a blood trail that started where Bailey was found and led back to a duplex in the 600 block of Gum Street. In the apartment, officers found Saunders dead from a gunshot wound to the chest with several cellphones and a bag of marijuana near him, according to evidence in Baileys trial. In line with the blood trail, officers found a Smith & Wesson .38 Special in the 700 block of Franklin Street with two intact bullets and two spent shell casings, Harrison said during previous court proceedings. Officers executed a search warrant on the phone recovered from the teen and found Facebook Messenger conversations between two users one of whom Scott later admitted was him, and another who prosecutors believe was the teenager setting up an opportunity for Scott to purchase a gun that would be delivered by the other users little bro ... wearing a gray jacket, Harrison said. After police arrested Bailey that night, police executed a search warrant on Scotts home, where he was at the time. They brought him to the department for an interview, where Scott denied knowing the teen. Scott said he had been in discussions about purchasing a firearm and he planned to sell the gun in New York. When Bailey arrived with the gun, Scott planned to give him fake cocaine but Bailey said he wanted marijuana instead, which Scott did not have, according to Harrisons evidence. The teen said he would hit a lick for the marijuana, which an officer testified is slang for robbery. According to Harrison, Scott knew Saunders sold marijuana and lived up the street, which prompted Scott to text Saunders asking if he was home and had any marijuana on him. Scott told officers Bailey threw the gun Scott was to purchase into some bushes around his house, and they walked down Hazel Street to where Scott could point out Saunders residence. Scott heard a loud bang after Bailey entered the residence, according to Harrison. Scott told officers he ran to his home on Maple Street, where he saw Bailey return roughly 15 minutes later and discovered the teenager had been shot in the arm. Harrison said during Scotts interview at the police station he said knowing Saunders, he thinks Saunders shot Bailey. Scott then said he believes the teen shot back at Saunders. Scott also said he did not know Bailey had another firearm on him. According to Harrison, the projectiles found in Saunders body, as well as the projectile found in his apartment both were consistent of a bullet from a Smith & Wesson .38. In sentencing Scott, Yeatts also ordered he have no further contact with Bailey or any street gang members he knows. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kings and Generals - Jun 17 Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on the history of Japan continues with an episode on how the Europeans tried to end the isolation of Japan during the late Age of Colonialism. We'll see how the Russians, French, Dutch and others attempted to open the country to trade, before the Americans under commodore Matthew Perry did it in 1854. Indonesia early Wednesday deported a Japanese man to Tokyo where police have accused him, his family and acquaintances of participating in a fraud scheme that netted $7.3 million intended for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. Mitsuhiro Taniguchi, 47, was presented to journalists at the Directorate General of Immigration office in Jakarta before he was sent on a morning Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo. He was deported from Indonesia since his passport has been revoked by the Japanese government and he had no residence permit. He will be banned from entering Indonesia in the future, immigration official Douglas Simamora said at a new conference confirming the mans deportation. Taniguchi was arrested on June 4 at a house that owned by a fish trader in Lampung province. During his stay there, he described himself as an investor and invited the local residents to invest in fisheries. Indonesian authorities are investigating whether other people in Indonesia were involved in the Japanese fraud scheme Taniguchi and a group of acquaintances allegedly submitted about 1,700 false applications for COVID-19 relief funds. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department believes they received subsidies on more than 960 of those applications totaling an estimated 960 million yen ($7.3 million). Iowa's two Republican senators split on Tuesday in their votes for whether to advance a measure aimed at keeping guns away from dangerous people in the wake of several mass shootings. The legislation, negotiated for two weeks by a bipartisan group of senators, was released Tuesday afternoon ahead of a procedural vote. It cleared the Senate with a 64-34 vote, with U.S. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley voting against and fellow Republican from Iowa, Joni Ernst, joining 13 other Republican senators in voting "yes" to advance the legislation past the 60-vote hurdle. The vote is an initial test of support for the bill, which is expected to come up for a final vote later this week. On a call with reporters on Wednesday, Grassley said he voted against advancing the legislation because he received the 80-page bill, called the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, in too short of time ahead of the vote to review the text of the legislation, which he said he and his staff are doing now. "Almost all of it is good, but I have some concerns that I will be wrestling with to decide a 'yes' or 'no' vote, and they deal with safeguarding constitutional due process," Grassley said. Among other measures, the bill bans convicted domestic abusers, including those in serious dating relationships, from purchasing a gun for at least five years, stepping toward closing a so-called "boyfriend loophole." Grassley said he thought the definition of a dating relationship in the bill was "too vague." The bill defines "dating relationship" as a "relationship between two individuals who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature." The bill also clarifies that "A casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context does not constitute a dating relationship." "I'm trying to get the best legal advice on it, but so far, it seems to me the text is pretty vague to be enforced in the definition of what a dating relationship is," Grassley said. "And then in regard to due process, respondents in courts won't be able to determine who's subject to law. Since these definitions are vague, and I think that needs to be clarified." The proposal would also make juvenile and mental health records available during background checks when someone under the age of 21 buys a gun and funnels federal funds to states enacting "red-flag laws" which aim to temporarily confiscate guns from people considered to be dangerous. It also puts millions of dollars toward expanding mental health programs in communities and schools and bolstering school safety. The bill also hardens penalties for so-called "straw purchasing," when individuals buy guns for people barred from purchasing firearms. Ernst was one of 14 Republican senators who voted to advance the bill. In a statement emailed to a Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus reporter by a spokesperson, Ernst said "this bill does not take away the rights of any law-abiding American." As a lifelong supporter of the Second Amendment, proud gun owner, and combat veteran, Im adamantly opposed to any infringement on our Constitutional Rights. This bill does not take away the rights of any law-abiding American," Ernst said, according to the emailed statement. "Every American wants to keep our kids and our schools safe and provide folks access to mental health treatment, and this proposal helps do that without placing new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. Ernst has previously objected to similar language, opposing a proposal that would've retroactively classified assault convictions as felonies and banned those convicted from owning or purchasing guns. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., praised the legislation as "the most significant gun safety reforms and violence reduction investments in decades," and acknowledged it didn't include everything Democrats wanted. "This bipartisan agreement will not end gun violence, but it is an important step towards making our nation safer," Durbin said in an emailed statement to reporters. WASHINGTON -- Legal Services Corporation is awarding $1.4 million to Iowa Legal Aid to support the delivery of legal services to low-income people impacted by the August 2020 derecho. LSC is also granting ILA an additional $34,577 to reimburse already incurred costs from providing services related to the 2020 derecho. ILA is one of 19 organizations around the country receiving grants for natural disasters faced in 2020 and 2021. Congress included $40 million for LSC in a $28.6 billion emergency supplemental appropriation attached to the September 2021 Continuing Resolution to fund the government in FY 2022. Survivors of natural disasters often require immediate legal assistance to file for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance and insurance benefits and to deal with related evictions, unemployment and document replacement. Legal challenges can haunt survivors for years. Cases involving FEMA appeals, bankruptcy, public housing and domestic violence will arise, and disaster victims can be vulnerable to fraud or scams. Low-income people who confront civil legal issues in the wake of natural disasters face an uphill battle, and they shouldnt have to go it alone, said LSC President Ronald S. Flagg. We are grateful that Congress recognizes the need for legal assistance in these recovering communities and provided this funding that will help our neighbors repair and stay in their homes, obtain key identification documents, apply for benefits and so much more. ILA will use the funding to enhance its capacity to provide direct representation to derecho survivors, engage more pro bono volunteers and conduct community building and outreach with Iowas disaster response groups. The grant will fund additional staff, advertisements in rural areas, new equipment and a mobile intake unit. A holistic case manager will provide support to attorneys and paralegals while connecting clients to vital resources. Members of Iowas congressional delegation voiced their support for Iowa Legal Aids work to help disaster survivors. Almost two years ago, Iowa suffered one of the worst derechos in our states history, causing roughly $11 billion dollars in damage and tragically taking the lives of three Iowans, said Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-4). As our rural communities continue to rebuild, I am grateful to Legal Services Corp. for awarding Iowa Legal Aid two grants in the amount of $1,405,000 and $35,000 to provide legal assistance to Iowans recovering from the devastating impacts of the 2020 derecho. I am pleased to hear that Iowa Legal Aid will receive more than $1.4 million in grant money to help provide legal assistance to Iowans who are struggling to recover from the impacts of the derecho, said Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-3). The high wind storm that swept across Iowa was absolutely devastating for so many, and this money will help Iowans with FEMA and insurance claims, consumer protection, and so much more. Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 132 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt de-ages, changing from an old man to a young boy across the course of the film. That's the work of Trent Claus. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers transforms from a guy too skinny and weak to be inducted into the Army into a muscle-bound super-soldier. Thats also a change created by the Lincoln visual effects artist, who has worked on more than 120 films and television productions, including 22 Marvel movies. Human effects. Making people look different, whether that be older, younger or thinner, or fatter, or taller, or shorter, or blue, thats our niche in the market, Claus said. 'Ive become very closely associated with aging and de-aging in my career. I've probably done more of it than just about anybody on the planet. Claus, who recently moved back to Lincoln to open a satellite office of his company Lola VFX, got into the visual effects business after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a studio art degree. I just really wanted to use my art degree in some way, Claus said. So I applied for positions with Disney and for toy companies and for trading card companies and some graphic design gigs and you know, just all over the country for various jobs. I hit up my friend who already worked in VFX and said, 'Hey, if anything else opens up, let me know.' And not too long thereafter, a matte painting position was going to be available. So I applied for that. And that's the one that I eventually got. Matte painting is literally, Claus said, painting on glass or computer an environment, scene or element in a scene that can't be assembled on a movie set, or for budget reasons, won't be assembled on site. So it's creating a painting to fool the audience into thinking that that painting was there, he said. Embracing that role, Claus started to work his way up in the VFX world to become a compositor. The last artist who touches the footage before it goes to the audience, the compositor takes all the elements in a film matte paintings, live-action footage, blue screen footage and computer-generated effects, like spaceships and dinosaurs and puts them together in a way that makes it look like they were always from the same place and time. He made that jump by self-educating on Autodesk Flame, then the state-of-the-art composition software. That was 15 years ago, a time when the software cost about $500,000, which made it impossible for most people to afford. "It wasn't something that you could get at home and teach yourself on," Claus said. "So I would stick around after hours and when everybody had gone home, I trained myself on that. The composition software is no longer so pricy. And the technological changes have made it possible for VFX work to be done from almost anywhere as long as the work can be secured and produced on time. That enabled Claus who grew up in Lincoln, went to Southeast High and Southeast Community College before enrolling at UNL his wife Jaime, who he met when both worked at the Journal Star, and their twin sons to move back to Lincoln, where hes opened a Lola satellite office. Were doing that with the hopes of doing everything we've done for the last 15 years, but from here in the Midwest, he said, adding that the company plans to recruit students from UNLs film, art and media arts schools to get their starts in the business without leaving the city. Claus is now a visual effects supervisor, overseeing all the artists on a project, like Black Widow, the 2021 Marvel movie starring Scarlett Johansson, providing on-set input to directors about how effects will work in scenes and making sure that all the production elements come together on time. That can be a good trick. We have to hit the all-important release date, the studio never wants to move the release date, he said. So however much production runs over and post-production gets shrunk, we still have to finish on time. It can really affect our home life for a couple of months. Claus still does some composition and matte painting. That allows him to do the aging-and-de-aging work for which he has won awards and let him fulfill a lifelong dream born in a Lincoln movie theater decades ago. On the Obi-Wan Kenobi that's out right now (on Disney+), I got to do a lightsaber fight, a big battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin. Talk about childhood wish fulfillment. I was a Star Wars' kid. Getting to play with lightsabers and Obi-Wan Kenobi, that's really exciting. Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com. On Twitter @KentWolgamott WISNER Having grown up in Germany, I am absolutely appalled at what is going on in this country with the constant mass shootings and the overall gun violence. Everyone talks about it, they wring their hands and send thoughts and prayers. Now Congress is talking about some kind of laws, lik We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Visiting Israels Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked reaffirmed on Tuesday her countrys support for Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara. Israel reaffirms its support for Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara, Shaked told reporters following talks in Rabat with Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. The talks focused on the strong bilateral relations and the common projects that the two countries will accomplish, she said. Earlier in the day, the Israeli Interior Minister discussed with her Moroccan peer Abdelouafi Laftit cooperation prospects, as the two countries foster bilateral ties since the resumption of their diplomatic ties in late 2020. Ayelet Shakeds visit is part of the momentum of the trilateral accord signed by Morocco, the USA and Israel and comes in a series of similar visits by Israeli government officials. Prior to Shakeds visit, Israeli ministers in charge of trade, the economy, defense and foreign affairs have paid visits to Rabat. Last month, a delegation of Israeli innovation firms held a meeting with their Moroccan counterparts in Casablanca, in a sign of growing economic interest by the business communities for joint projects. Israeli media reported that Morocco was planning to open its embassy soon in Israel, upgrading its already existing liaison office there. Israeli trade minister had announced during a visit to Rabat earlier this year that her country aspires to bolster trade with Morocco to 500 million dollars from 130 million currently, buoyed by increasing connectivity between the two countries. Morocco also hopes direct air links would attract more Israeli tourists to the country which was once home to the largest Jewish community in North Africa. Safran Aerospace group has extended its aircraft nacelles production site in Casablanca. The 6,000 m2 expansion will enable the group to step up the production of the high-end Gulfstream G700/G800 business aircraft nacelles. Safran has invested 11 million in the site, which integrates the highest standards in the aviation industry. It thus becomes Safrans reference site in Morocco, supporting a strong ambition to digitalize its production processes and reduce its environmental footprint. Following inauguration ceremony of expanded site, Moroccos Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour said this new state-of-the-art investment by the world leader illustrates the exceptional partnership and the dynamic that the aerospace industry is experiencing in Morocco. Safran provided its support for the development of skills and maturity in this industry, and the interest the Group is taking in the Moroccan aerospace platform and its human capital contributes to the strengthening of the sectors competitiveness and the integration of higher value-added activities, he added. Morocco is now entering a new aerospace industry era that will make our country a center of technology and excellence and will enable it to gain a position as a major player on a global scale, stressed the minister. For his part, Olivier Andries, Safrans CEO, said: I am delighted to inaugurate this extension, which confirms Safrans commitment to sustainably develop its presence in Morocco. Safran Nacelles Morocco, established in March 2005, is the largest aerospace production site in Morocco. It specializes in the manufacture of composite materials and the assembly of nacelles air inlet, engine cowls and thrust reversers and their sub-assemblies. Saudi Arabias airline, Saudia, has resumed its direct and seasonal flights to Marrakech, its second destination in the Kingdom of Morocco after Casablanca, with three flights per week from Jeddah. The flights to Marrakech will be operated with Boeing (B787-9) Dreamliner, which has a capacity of 298 seats, including 24 in business class and 274 in economy class, equipped to offer the highest standards of comfort to passengers, notably with quality electronic services that aim to make the travel experience enjoyable, said the Saudi carrier. The companys executive vice president of operations, Ahmed Al-Wasiya, noted that the resumption of flights between Jeddah and Marrakech will help facilitate the transportation of Moroccan pilgrims performing the Hajj and Umrah, as well as travelers in transit on domestic and international flights. This service will also help meet the growing demand for tourist and commercial travel between the two countries and the different continents. Tunisian President Kais Saied confirmed on Tuesday that Islam will not be listed as the State religion in the new Constitution he will put to a referendum on 25 July. In the next constitution of Tunisia, we will not talk about a state whose religion is Islam but (Tunisias membership) of an Ummah (nation) whose religion is Islam. The Ummah and the state are two different things, Saied told journalists at Tunis airport. Saied was handed a draft of the new constitution on Monday which he must validate before submitting it to a referendum on July 25, the first anniversary of the coup by which he took full power. The new Constitution is to replace the 2014 Constitution, which had established a hybrid system that has led to recurrent conflicts between the executive and legislative branches. The opposition and human rights organizations accuse Saied of seeking to pass a text tailored to him. Asked on Tuesday about the nature of the system of government to be introduced by the new Constitution, Saied dismissed the issue. Whether it is a presidential or parliamentary system is not the issue. What matters is that the people have sovereignty. For the rest it is about functions, not powers, he said. There is the legislative function, the executive function and the judicial function and a separation between them, he added. Fathi Bashagha, one of Libyas rival Prime Ministers, has said that the oil-rich African country has little chance of holding elections this year. Without a unified government there will be no elections and chaos will continue, he told Bloomberg in an interview. Fathi Bashagha, who is engaged in a stand-off over the premiership with Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, predicted the political upheaval would continue throughout 2022, deepening a rift in the North African nations fragile institutions. These statements raise the prospect of further uncertainty for the OPEC members oil industry at a time when the market is in urgent need of its crude. The former interior minister, however, downplayed the possibility of a new outbreak of civil war in a country that is trying to emerge from a decade of conflict. He pledged to hold free and fair presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible. The former Interior Minister has been appointed in February Prime Minister by Libyas legislature House of Representatives (HoR) which removed Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. However, Dbeibeh, who came to power in March last year, has refused to step down. He vowed to organize elections and surrender power to an elected administration. The UN announced on Monday that the third round of talks it organized in Cairo between politicians from the parliament in the east of the country and the High Council of State, in Tripoli, failed to reach an agreement. According to UN special adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, the rival sides ended the talks that were aimed at clearing the way for elections without a breakthrough. The talks, which stared on June 12, had sought to establish a constitutional framework for elections in Libya, but the two sides failed to agree on the measures governing the transitional period leading to the vote, Ms Williams said. She called on Aguila Saleh, the influential parliament speaker, and Khaled Al Meshri, head of the Tripoli-based council to convene within 10 days to try to bridge the gaps between the two sides. Libyan media reports claimed that the main contested topic was the criteria for a presidential candidacy. The Tripoli-based council insisted on banning military personnel from running for the countrys top post apparently a move directed at warlord Khalifa Haftar. A 5-year-old boy died after his mother left him inside a car outside the family's home in Houston while she prepared for her daughter's birthday party on Monday, a law enforcement official told CNN affiliate KTRK. The mother was in a rush when she got home with her son and 8-year-old daughter, and the young boy was left in the car when she and her daughter went inside the house, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told KTRK. It wasn't until two or three hours later that the mother realized her son was still buckled into his car seat, Gonzalez said. "This time the child didn't make it out and again with the business of the activities that they were preparing for, it took a while for them to notice that the child wasn't in the house," Gonzalez told KTRK. First responders pronounced the child dead at the scene, the sheriff said. It is unclear if the mother will face charges, KTRK reported. Temperatures in Houston reached a record high on Monday, as the Houston Hobby Airport reported a high of 101 degrees, according to CNN Weather. While the boy knew how to unbuckle himself, investigators believe he was not familiar with the vehicle because it was a rental car. "The door did not have any kind of child safety lock enacted or anything like that," Gonzales said. On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a car, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Children's body temperatures rise much more quickly than adults, and they can begin to suffer heatstroke when their temperature reaches 104 degrees. A body temperature of 107 degrees can be fatal, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The majority of pediatric hot car deaths occur because the child is forgotten by a caregiver, according to data compiled by Jan Null, a lecturer at San Jose State University's Department of Meteorology and Climate Science. While the hottest months see the most deaths, hot car deaths in children are a persistent problem across all months, and almost every state has reported an incident since 1998, according to the data. The NHTSA recommends that caregivers never leave children unattended in a car, even if the car is running with the air conditioning is on or the windows are cracked. The agency also advises that people make a habit of checking the front and back seats of a car before leaving it and placing a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat to ensure someone checks it before walking away. CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images Officials with the National Labor Relations Board have asked the U.S. District Court in Buffalo, New York, to reinstate seven fired Starbucks employees and to order the coffee chain to stop anti-unionization efforts nationwide. The petition filed on Tuesday accuses Starbucks of numerous legal violations, including the firings of union supporters, the New York Times reports. Federal labor regulators argue that the court must stop Starbuckss virulent, widespread and well-orchestrated response to employees protected organizing efforts and that without intervention, the chain will accomplish its unlawful objective of chilling union support, both in Buffalo and nationwide. The Times notes that while its not unusual for the NLRB to demand the reinstatement of fired workers, the breadth of the injunction it is seeking is far less common. From the agencys perspective, radical violations require radical remedies. In May, the Buffalo-area regional office for the NLRB issued a complaint accusing Starbucks of 29 unfair labor practice charges that included over 200 violations of the National Labor Relations Act, CNBC reported at the time. Worker firings have not been limited to the Buffalo area; across the nation, union supporters have described similar observations and experiences. Theyve been fired and intimidated, and some say theyve been threatened, recently, with the loss of trans-inclusive health benefits. Despite its best efforts, Starbucks is losing its battle to fend off unions, with more than 150 stores voting to join Workers United to date. Undaunted by its losses, Starbucks is doubling down against unions and the workers who want them. The company has adopted a similarly aggressive pose in response to the NLRBs request for an injunction. In a statement to the Times, a Starbucks spokesperson said the company believes the NLRBs claims are false and that it will be prepared to defend our case. Starbucks is not a minor enemy for the small and perpetually underfunded NLRB. Yet the company is wounded. Expensive lawyers have been unable to fend off a pro-union blitz at its stores, and its reaction to unionization has damaged the progressive image it cultivated. Its much harder now for Starbucks to pretend to be anything but what it is: a typical American corporation willing to sacrifice workers to power and profit. In fact, the company makes a fairly persuasive case for unionization. There can be no question now that Starbuckss interests and workers interests are opposed and that the average worker is better off safeguarding her security with a union than relying on the good graces of this employer. Starbucks can fight the NLRB all it wants, but in doing so it is unleashing a narrative that it cant control. SIRIUS MANAGEMENT CONSULTING The global engine oil market was valued at $77.5 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $105.5 billion by 2027. Chicago, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to latest research report by Arizton, the engine oil market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.26% during the forecast period. Engine oil market is changing as the customers are demanding better performing engine oil which will enhance the fuel economy and deliver better performance. In the past years, engine oils are used to manufactured from mineral oils which is derived from crude oil. Advancements in technology helped engine oil industry to cater to diverse needs such as increasing the shelf life of engine, reducing carbon footprint, improving fuel economy, supplying engine oil with low viscosity, and meeting the increasing vehicle emission standards. Increasing use of passenger cars in the emerging economies is fueling the engine oil market. Engine Oil Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details MARKET SIZE (2027) $105.5 Billion MARKET SIZE (2021) $77.5 Billion CAGR (2021-2027) 5.26% BASE YEAR 2021 FORECAST YEAR 2022-2027 LARGEST MARKET North America MARKET SEGMENTS End-Use, Oil Type, and Geography GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa KEY VENDORS Castrol Limited, Chevron Corporation, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Shell PLC, and Total Energies Click Here to Download the Free Sample Report Rapid Infrastructure Development Increasing the Demand for Heavy Equipment In recent years infrastructure development has grown substantially across the globe and due to this the demand for heavy equipment has increased. Generally, heavy equipment refers to heavy-duty vehicles used for construction and mining work therefore increase in heavy equipment will ultimately increase the demand for engine oil. For instance, According to Volvo CE, the South American market increased by 12% and China was up by 28%. In 2020, demand for heavy equipment increased in Europe by 20% but fell in North America by 18% compared to 2019. In Asia demand for heavy equipment increased by 39% compared to 2019 due to government motivation in China, as well as improvements in other markets. Story continues Key Insights Engine oils are important for smooth functioning of internal combustion engines. Major players in the segment include Castrol Limited (UK), ExxonMobil (US), Shell (UK), Chevron (US), and Total Energies (France) operate through strategies such as expansion, acquisition, new product launch to further their reach in the market. Automotive & Transportation is estimated as the largest end-use industry with 74.86% market share in 2021. Companies such as Ford (US), Tata (India), BMW (Germany), and Hyundai (South Korea) have formed contracts with engine oil manufacturers to develop good quality engine oils. Passenger car and commercial vehicle market in emerging economies is developing at rapid speed as many automotive manufacturers are taking advantage of foreign direct investment that results in to increase in demand of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, this will drive the engine oil market in upcoming years. Engine oils are manufactured from different oil types such as mineral oils and synthetic oils. Semi-synthetic oils derived from mixture of synthetic and mineral oil that offers properties of synthetic oil as well as mineral oil and during forecasted period it will show annual growth of 5.27%. The stringent emission regulation laid down by various government have impacted the engine oil market. Automotive manufacturers have invested large amount to develop hybrid powertrain vehicles which will mitigate the impact of emission of vehicle. Therefore, many lubricant manufacturers have developed engine oils compatible for hybrid powertrain vehicles which are eco-friendly and sustainable that resulted in huge investment in R&D. In future, advanced technologies such as engine oils for hybrid engines, innovative engine designs, weight reduction techniques of used engine parts, and next-generation vehicle design will further drive the market by enabling advantages such as higher efficiency, longer lifespan, and reduced operational costs. Emerging economies such as India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, and others are the major markets for engine oil. Growing population, developing infrastructure, rising disposable incomes, growing middle class, and growing prevalence of chronic diseases are major factors for growth in the region. Key Vendors Castrol Limited Chevron Corporation ExxonMobil Shell PLC Total Energies Other Prominent Vendors Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited BP PLC FUCHS Gazpromneft - Lubricants Ltd GS Caltex Corporation Gulf Oil International limited Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. Indian Oil Corporation Limited Kuwait Dana Lubes Company Liqui Moly Motul Pennzoil Petro Canada Lubricants Inc. Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) Phillips 66 Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH (Ravenol) Repsol SINOPEC Valvoline Inc. Segmentation by End-Use Automotive & Transportation Heavy Equipment Power Generation Others Segmentation by Oil Type Semi-Synthetic Fully Synthetic Mineral Segmentation by Geography North America US Canada Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe APAC China India Japan Indonesia South Korea Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa South Africa Iran UAE Saudi Arabia Rest of MEA Explore our chemicals materials profile to know more about the industry. Click Here to Download the Free Sample Report Read some of the top-selling reports: About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Click Here to Contact Us Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 CONTACT: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand is curbing imports of liquefied natural gas due to surging prices, potentially putting the country at risk of fuel shortages. Most Read from Bloomberg State-run importers cut purchases of LNG from the spot market because of skyrocketing prices and limited availability, according to traders. And while they plan to boost purchases of cheaper alternatives, like diesel and fuel oil, the deficit left by cutting LNG may be too large to be filled by other sources, said the traders who didnt want to be named as theyre not authorized to speak to the media. We wont let a fuel shortage happen, Thai deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said in response to a Bloomberg News inquiry on the prospect of a deficit. Thailand isnt struggling to get supplies, she said. Some of Thailands poorer Asian neighbors -- including Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- are in the midst of severe energy crises due to surging oil and gas costs. North Asian spot prices for LNG have jumped around 50% this month, taking them to more than triple what they were a year ago, as Russias move to curb exports to Europe boosted global competition for the super-chilled fuel. See also: Europes Plan to Quit Russian Fuel Pushes Pakistan Into Darkness Thailand isnt in a crisis yet, but the prevalence of gas in its power mix does raise the threat of rationing or blackouts. Almost two-thirds of the nations electricity was generated from natural gas in the first four months of the year, government data show. The risk is also exacerbated by rising demand due to Thai industry and tourism recovering after the virus. Imported LNG accounted for a fifth of gas used for power generation in 2020, according to figures from state-run energy company PTT Pcl. There was a rise in inward shipments in the first five months of this year to replace pipeline deliveries from Myanmar and less domestic output. However, overseas purchases are down by 35% so far in June from the same period in May, Bloomberg shipping data show, as the plan started to take effect. Story continues Curbing LNG imports due to high prices is being considered, said a PTT representative. The Thai government will postpone the planned shutdown of coal-fired power units at a state-owned utilitys power complex due to the surging LNG costs, Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow told reporters Wednesday. Four units at a plant in Lampang province will remain online until 2025, he said. Meanwhile, using more diesel and fuel oil, a highly pollutive energy source thats mainly used to power ships, would see Thailand emulate Bangladesh. The South Asian nation has been cranking up older power plants that run on fuel oil as imported LNG became too expensive. Using more coal and oil will push up global greenhouse gas emissions. Thailands government has cut excise taxes on fuels to make them cheaper to import. The amount of electricity produced from dirtier fuels has already been increasing this year. Diesels use in power generation in the first four months of 2022 was 14 times higher than in the same period last year, according to the countrys energy ministry. (Updates with plan to delay closure of coal plant in ninth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. A Chambers County Sheriffs Deputy died Monday while engaged in a car chase with a suspect, Sheriff Sid Lockhart said. JMar C. Abel, 24, of Auburn, was driving his assigned patrol vehicle, a 2017 Ford Explorer, at 3:38 p.m. Monday when he left the roadway, struck a ditch and overturned. The crash occurred on Chambers County 278, about five miles south of Roanoke and near the Georgia line. According to a press release from the Chambers County Sheriffs Department, Monday was Abels two-year anniversary with the department. At the time of the crash, the Chambers County Sheriffs deputies were helping the Roanoke Police Department pursue Brandon D. Rowe of Randolph County. According to Roanoke Police Chief Jonathan Caldwell, Rowe had multiple warrants out for his arrest and fled police when they tried to pull him over for speeding. During the chase, Rowe crossed into Chambers County, where the sheriffs department there, including Deputy Abel, stepped in to help. While they were able to stop Rowes vehicle close to the Georgia line using spikes, deputies lost contact with Abel during the chase. At some point theres a sharp curve on that road and the deputy wrecked in that curve, said Lockhart, the sheriff. The car they were chasing, a short time later another deputy spiked him there at the Georgia line. And when (Abel) did not show up, they got to looking for him and thats when they found he had wrecked in the curve. Bystanders helped get Abel out of the car and performed CPR. He was then transported to West Georgia Medical Center in LaGrange where he died from his injuries. He did a great job, Lockhart said of Abel on Tuesday morning. I never did get a complaint on him. He was very polite to people even if he wrote you a ticket; he was very professional and did a great job. In our line of work, if you dont get any complaints on you, thats something else. Lockhart said Abel had a fiancee who was 7 months pregnant with their child. Hes going to be sorely missed, Lockhart said. Were like family. You know, everyones grieving, and we just want people to keep his family and the department in their prayers. During Tuesdays election, voters across Lee County cast their ballots in a primary runoff election. Voters chose between a Democratic and a Republican ballot to elect their partys candidates for federal, state and county offices. Heres who won, and how much of the vote they got in Lee County. Democratic candidate for Alabama governor: Yolanda Flowers won the election against Malika Sanders-Fortier with a 55% majority of votes cast statewide. In Lee County, Flowers garnered 59% of votes cast. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate: Katie Britt won the election against U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks with a 63% majority of votes cast statewide. In Lee County, Britt garnered 77% of votes cast. Republican candidate for Alabama Secretary of State: Wes Allen won the election against Jim Zeigler with a 65% majority of votes cast statewide. In Lee County, Allen garnered 62% of votes cast. Republican candidate for Alabama State Auditor: Andrew Sorrell won the election against Stan Cooke with a 57% majority of votes cast statewide. In Lee County, Cooke garnered a 52% majority of votes cast. Republican candidate for Alabama Public Service Commission Place 1: Jeremy Oden won the election against Brent Woodall with a 52% majority of votes cast statewide. In Lee County, Oden garnered a 51% majority of votes cast. Republican candidate for Alabama PSC Place 2: Chip Beeker won the election against Robert McCollum with a 63% majority of votes cast statewide. In Lee County, Beeker garnered 54% of votes cast. Republican candidate for Lee County Commission District 4: Tony Langley won the election against Robert Ham with a 64% majority of votes cast in Lee County. I love Bowen's work on SNL, but I just can't stand Las Culturistas. I really tried but it just didn't work for me. Reply Thread Link have you listened to any of the darcy carden episodes? those are the best ones to gauge whether its you not liking them or an off episode. lol. Reply Parent Thread Link Darcy on podcasts really made me fall in love with her. She seems like the kindest, most supportive person in the world. When she was on Teacher's Lounge and started singing their theme song, I was done. I will love her forever. Reply Parent Thread Link And Betty Gilpin! Reply Parent Thread Link The one where they talk about American Idol is so good, I agree that starting with a good guest is best for getting into them Reply Parent Thread Link idk if it was las culturistas episodes or one of the many others i've heard her on, d'arcy being so obsessed with one direction kind of weirds me out. i'm pretty sure she believes in larry! Reply Parent Thread Link Comment twin! Bowen is such a great add to the SNL cast (the iceberg skit is forever iconic to me). But I tuned into one episode of the podcast last and it was just him going off for about 20 mins and I did not find it entertaining at all. Reply Parent Thread Link i love it, but it can really be made or broken by the guests matt can be a Lot but i feel like their dynamic balance each other out, and he's definitely grown/come into his own since bowen got on snl Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I wish Bowen wasnt a Taylor fan lmao. The award show was amaaaazing though from what I saw on insta, I wish Id live in the US. It looked like so much fun. Also that Cool For The Summer performance was iconic! Reply Thread Link yeah that's part of why I never got into this pod... anyone who is a taylor stan is not an expert on culture!!! half joking. I love tay tay but just hate how her stans act like everything she does is a masterpiece. she's talented but she's not god. Reply Parent Thread Link would you say shes a false god Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it was SO FUN omg Reply Parent Thread Link I'm excited for 1989 TV, some of my fav songs are on that album ONTD swifties, do you think she'll re-record self titled? I honestly don't think so lol Reply Thread Link I think she's gonna have to do them all or the Swifties are starting a war, and I also don't think she'd like the idea of her work being "incomplete" in some way Reply Parent Thread Link Lol I wonder if she'll bring the accent back Reply Parent Thread Expand Link she has to do self-titled - she'd be a fool not to. it's the only one that will definitively be better than the original just by default since her voice will be soooooo much better and the production can only really be improved. also she has about 200 potential vault tracks for that one lol 1989 was so beloved that the best the re-record can really hope for is to be *as good as* the original. the vault might save it, but we'll see. the only reason I think she wouldn't record self-titled or Speak Now is if she gets her masters back before then. but tbh she's probably already recorded nearly everything (except Reputation) so she might release all of them anyway, or at least the vault tracks Reply Parent Thread Expand Link if she does she needs to lean in and go full tongue-in-cheek country twang or do something interesting with the orchestration bc that album itself is not that good. tho cold as you is an underrated melancholy bop. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I think the plan is 100% to re-record Debut last, but with all of the legal shit, I don't know how she has any option other than debut for a while. But knowing her, I think she'll wait out the lawsuits. I would, too. She's not going to get a third chance to release her lifes work. Reply Parent Thread Link SHE BETTER THAT IS MY STAN ALBUM Reply Parent Thread Link Love Las Cultch, love cringe ass Taylor, hate that it's been a year since she announced the last release wtfffff Reply Thread Link She's re-recording most if not all her albums, right? Is this that shocking? Reply Thread Link Whats the meaning behind their podcast name being las culturistas..? Reply Thread Link they wanted it to be like maxinistas and are aware of what it sounds like. joel kim booster drags them for it every time hes on the pod. Reply Parent Thread Link what does it sound like?? Reply Parent Thread Link I am so happy for them! Fire Island is my new "put on before bed" movie. Matt is great in I Love That for You. He really holds his own up against some iconic actresses. The podcast is what got me into Taylor (my secret shame) so to see this moment is crazy!! Reply Thread Link imo matt stole iltfy. he was SO much better than i was expecting the discourse is toxic is a new gold standard quote line. Reply Parent Thread Link I could not stop laughing! Reply Parent Thread Link I really wanted the speak now re-release to be next but I would settle for 1989, it's summer! DO IT BITCH Reply Thread Link As a reader, I live!!!! As someone sick of hearing cringe white swifties on tiktok mispronounce Bowens name and pod name, I hate!! Reply Thread Link tell me theyre not pronouncing it yahng Reply Parent Thread Link nnnn Reply Thread Link 1989 will probably be disappointing since I think it'll be really hard to actually improve on those tracks, especially if she doesn't bring back Max Martin. vault tracks could be intriguing, my best guess is that if they're actually any good but didn't make the album it'll be because they were written way before she decided to go pop and couldn't be finagled with different production (for example, How You Get the Girl was apparently written in early 2013, and she didn't decide on the 1989 concept until after the 2014 Grammys) so... we'll see! Reply Thread Link Even with all that money it must be sf exhausting to be her Reply Thread Link this looked like a lot of fun! as a publicist, i wish i were there to advocate for my faves Reply Thread Link i went and waited on line for like 2 hours beforehand which is not something i do in my old age lol but it was so worth it. the guests were all so so funny, the videos were everything, the crowd wa so into it. they couldnt have done a better job Reply Parent Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said this week that China should increase its coal production capacity in order to prevent power outages, as the northern and central parts of the country are baking in a heatwave that is driving power consumption to record levels. China needs to resolutely prevent power outages, the premier was quoted as saying on Tuesday while a heatwave sweeps through northern and central China, while heavy rain in the southern provinces is flooding cities, including in the most populous province, Guangdong. Consumers are cranking up air conditioning in the north, driving power demand in China to records, and threatening to overwhelm the Chinese power grid again. China has significantly boosted its coal production in recent months, following government orders for more coal supply. Faced with power shortages last autumn, Chinese authorities ordered an increase in domestic coal production as global coal prices soared. In March, Chinas daily coal production hit a record high as it jumped by 15 percent compared to March 2021. However, Chinese miners are looking to meet the required quantity regardless of the quality, which is often low and less efficient when burnt at coal-fired power stations. So, despite a boom in coal production in recent months, China could experience another power crunch this summer as miners race to meet government targets with lower-quality coal, analysts and traders told Reuters earlier this week. China has put more emphasis on energy security in recent months. Earlier this year, China said it would continue to maximize the use of coal in the coming years as it caters to its energy security, despite pledges to contribute to global efforts to reduce emissions. China is concerned about its energy security after the autumn 2021 power crisis and, most recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which pushed energy commodity prices sky-high. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Though the use of fossil fuels is on the rise in the region, the bloc still has ambitions to ramp up renewable energy capacity. The European Union has made big pledges to go green, but the energy crisis is making its plans exceedingly difficult to achieve. When European gas prices began to climb last year, it was because of a fast-deepening mismatch between demand and supply of energy, with renewables underperforming at a crucial time. The mismatch is still here, and supply just got cut considerably. Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany will be firing up coal plants that were supposed to be retired in the not too distant future as the supply of Russian gas shrunk because of technical problems, according to Gazprom, or political reasons, according to Germany's economy minister. And a German utility just sealed the first European long-term LNG supply deal with a U.S. producer. The news about a return to coal and a long-term LNG supply deal might sound odd in the context of the European Union's continued determination to get rid of fossil fuels altogether at some point in the future. It certainly sounds odd in the context of the EU's aversion to long-term commitments to anything fossil fuel-related. Yet it is indicative of the material realities that the EU's transition ambitions have been ignoring. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times this week that "We have to make sure that we use this crisis to move forward and not to have a backsliding on the dirty fossil fuels. It's a fine line and it's not determined whether we are going to take the right turn." Yet judging by the news coming from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, the backslide on the dirty fossil fuels was unavoidable because there is simply no alternative to them at this point. It is difficult to imagine why else countries as transition-ambitious as Germany and the Netherlands would lift restrictions n their coal-fired plants. "The cabinet has decided to immediately withdraw the restriction on production for coal-fired power stations from 2002 to 2024," said the Dutch climate and energy minister this week, as quoted by AFP, adding that the Netherlands had "prepared this decision with our European colleagues over the past few days". Germany, for its part, reiterated its plans to close all coal-fired power plants by 2030, signaling the decision to reopen coal plants was only a short-term one, which should not cause concern to the champions of the energy transition in the European Commission. The Commission seems to be aware of this. On Monday, a spokesman for the EC said that "some of the existing coal capacities might be used longer than initially expected", adding that "We know that the energy mix and the plans of member states will adjust slightly because we are in an unexpected situation." The news about German EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg's deal with Venture Global LNG, however, is more interesting. The German utility closed two supply deals with the U.S. LNG producer, both with a 20-year duration. After the EU spent years developing the spot gas market to move away from long-term commitments. After the EU specifically shunned U.S. LNG because it has misgivings about fracking. And the deal will only come into effect in 2026, when the current crisis should be over. Related: Exxon Hits Back At Biden After Investment Accusations The EU plans to deal with this energy supply crisis by embarking on what the EC President called a "massive investment in renewables". The German Baden-Wurtemberg utility appears to have different plans, hence the long-term LNG supply deal. And this deal is the latest signal that ambitions are one thing, but actual needs are quite another. EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg will import 1.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas from Venture Global beginning in 2026. This is the first binding agreement involving a German company and a U.S. LNG producer, although earlier this year RWE closed a non-binding agreement with Sempra Energy for an annual 2.25 million tons, to be shipped from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 facility when completed. Germany is also building its first LNG import terminalanother sign of a long-term commitment to gas, because these facilities are neither cheap nor easy to write off as a stranded asset a decade after their completion. It appears, then, that fossil fuels are not going anywhere for the next twenty years, at least. Because this is what long-term contracts mean: they are a reflection of their parties' strong belief there will be demand for the product that is the subject of the contract over a long period of time. Of course, we live in an uncertain world, and it sometimes happens that a long-term contract becomes a burden rather than a solution to a problem. Yet last year, as autumn began, the wind was supposed to be blowing and the sun was supposed to be shining in Europe, but instead, we got a shortage of gas. And this means that "massive investment in renewables" might not be enough to secure the energy consumption of a continent that is only now beginning to come to grips with the notion of conserving energy. Because there is not enough gas. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China stated two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine that there is no limit to how far Russian and Chinese friendship may go and signed a swathe of huge oil and gas deals shortly thereafter that provided an additional layer of insulation to both countries from any U.S. sanctions in the future. Only a day after the invasion began on 24 February, however, Chinese President Xi Jinping held urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advocated peaceful negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. This was widely seen as a sign that Beijing had not believed that Russia would launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine before it did so and that Xi thought that overtly lining China up on the side of Russia against the U.S. and its NATO allies at that point on that issue might be too much too soon. Developments over the past week or so, though, indicate that Beijings caution in challenging U.S. supremacy around the globe might be dissipating. The practical ramifications for the global oil sector from such a shift would clearly be enormous, given that China remains the big global backstop bid for oil and that Russia remains one of the worlds top three oil producers. Last Wednesday (15 June and Xis birthday), Russian news sources in the first instance released statements from the Kremlin that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi, had enjoyed a warm and friendly telephone call during which Xi had pledged Chinas ongoing support for Russia. The Russian news sources cited the Kremlin as adding that President Xi had noted the legitimacy of actions taken by Russia to protect itself in the face of challenges to its security created by external forces. The Russian sources went on to state that the Kremlin highlighted that Putin and Xi both agreed that China-Russia relations were at an unprecedentedly high level and that they planned to deepen ties in energy, finance and industry. China has not contradicted any element of the Kremlins statements on the content of the lengthy call and nor has it sought to tone down any of the specific language used in the statements. Moreover, Beijing has still not condemned or overtly criticised in any way Russias invasion of the independent sovereign state of Ukraine. On the contrary, at the beginning of April, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, laid the blame for Russias invasion of Ukraine squarely at the feet of the U.S. As the culprit and leading instigator of the Ukraine crisis, the U.S. has led NATO to engage in five rounds of eastward expansion in the last two decades after 1999, he said during a virtual summit call with leaders of the European Union. With Russian troops still on the ground across sizeable portions of Ukraine, and keeping European theatre troops of the U.S. and its NATO allies focused on breakout threats from that war, Xi - on the same day as his call to Putin for the first time ever signed a document that provides a legal basis for Chinas military to carry out missions other than those directly necessitated by a war against China. According to local news reports, the new directive signed by Xi will: Standardise, and provide the legal basis for, Chinese troops to carry out missions like disaster relief, humanitarian aid, escort and peacekeeping, and safeguard Chinas national sovereignty, security and development interests [italics are OilPrice.coms]. As other Chinese news sources highlighted, the order signed by Xi, which came into effect from the moment he signed it on the 15th of June: [Comprises 59 articles and six chapters] that serve as a legal base for military operations other than war [and] aim to protect peoples lives and property, safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interest, and safeguard world peace and regional stability. Xi has always seen the self-governing Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinas territory, just as Putin has always seen Ukraine as being fundamentally a part of Russia. China has long pledged to reunite Taiwan with China, just as Putin as sought to reunite Ukraine with Russia in both cases irrespective of the wishes of the citizens of those two countries. China has long said that it wants to achieve this reunification of Taiwan by peaceful means but crucially it has never ruled out using force to achieve its goal. And Russia needed no clear and present danger to its own interests to launch its invasion of Ukraine in February. For its part, the U.S. has not openly deployed ground troops into Ukraine or enforced a no-fly zone across the country, partly because it has no legal jurisdiction to do so as Ukraine is not a member of NATO but principally because it fears escalation into a nuclear war with major nuclear power Russia. Both of these reasons for a lack of tangible response from the U.S. apply to Taiwan: first, it is not a member of NATO or a similar Asia-Pacific version of it; and second, the risk of escalation into a nuclear war with major nuclear power China is real. China knows all of this and is almost certain to have been strategising a scenario for launching a special operation- as Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine against Taiwan. This would give the U.S. all the get-out clauses it has for the Russia invasion of Ukraine, as China could insist it is simply a reunification and would never formally declare a war. At the same time as the political manoeuvring of China and Russia over their respective reunifications is going on, so is the positioning of oil supply and demand agreements between not just Russia and China but also the further massive supplies of oil that can come from Iran and Venezuela, to name but two of the biggest. Venezuela holds the biggest reserves of crude oil in the world, by a long way, according to EIA (and all other major industry agencies figures): 300 billion barrels-plus (much more than Saudi Arabia, even if Saudis figures are true). Iran has around 158 billion barrels, and Russia has about 80 billion barrels. These figures do not include oil from major oil states that could be said - by dint of their relationships either to Iran, or to Russia, or to China - to be favourably inclined to this formal or informal China-Russia-led alliance. Iran has a longstanding historical sway over Iraq (through a combination of political, economic, and military factors), which holds over 140 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, although this is likely much higher, as highlighted by OilPrice.com. The UAE has been especially keen in recent months to not be seen as in any way aligned to the U.S., and it has 98 billion barrels of reserves. And there has been an extremely significant shift away from the U.S.-led bloc and towards the China-led one by Saudi Arabia, as analysed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets, and the Kingdom supposedly has just over 268 billion barrels of crude oil reserves. A back-of-the-envelope totting up of daily crude oil production from these countries makes for extremely concerning conclusions for those that want oil prices to go lower, if even half of the total was taken out of the general volume available for supply in the freely flowing oil market. Going down the list from countries most likely to choose to side with China-Russia if and when required in the event of a Chinese special operation to reunite Taiwan, for example - and in order of timing: Russia can easily produce 11 million barrels per day (bpd), Iran 4.5 million bpd, Venezuela currently under 1 million bpd but can go a lot higher, Iraq 4.5 million bpd, the UAE 3 million bpd, and Saudi 10 million bpd (and if Saudi aligned with China-Russia then Kuwait would follow, adding another 2.5 million bpd). The total of all is 36.5 million bpd, out of usually around 90-100 million bpd used in the world, but readers can add or subtract countries to this figure according to their own views, of course. It is apposite to note here, however, the disproportionately extreme effect on oil pricing of just a relatively minor supply outage in recent months, such as those in Libya. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia has called the European Unions bluff. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, the EU and the West have been threatening to slap Russia with crushing sanctions, but have stopped shy of hitting the Kremlin where it really hurts energy exports. In truth, the European Union was and is far too dependent on Russian energy to cut off the supply. In order to avoid a devastatingly pyrrhic energy war with Russia, the EU has been working up to cutting out Russian energy imports in phases but the Kremlin has pulled the plug early, leaving Europe scrambling. After the EUs 6th round of sanctions against Russia, adopted on June 3, the European Union had announced a partial ban of Russian Crude oil, a total ban on Russian coal slated to start in mid-August, and still no sanctions against Russian natural gas. These piecemeal sanctions measures are a result of the continents enormous reliance on Russia to keep the lights on. As of last year, the European Union depended on Russian gas for 45% of its imports and around 40% of its consumption, accounting for about one-third of the entire worlds liquefied natural gas trade. Now, Russia is using that leverage to retaliate by putting a major squeeze on Europes natural gas supply. Earlier this month Russian state energy firm Gazprom slashed the capacity of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that transfers natural gas from Russia to Germany by way of the Baltic Sea. Russia has also warned that the squeeze may not stop there. Our product, our rules. We dont play by rules we didnt create, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said earlier this month at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Due to the fear that Russia may cut off natural gas supply going into the harsh winter months, Europe has begun what is being referred to as a bitter and reluctant return to coal. But even before this turn of events, the EU had already been ramping up coal imports from other countries to prepare for an exit from Russian energy markets. In fact, EU countries have been importing coal in record numbers from South Africa. Related: Why Nuclear Energy Is More Relevant Than Ever As soon as the Ukraine war started in February, Quartz Africa writes, EU countriesincluding the Netherlands, Italy, and Denmarkstarted ramping up coal imports from South Africa. The bloc has accounted for nearly 15% of RBCTs 24 million tons of coal exports so far this year, compared with 4% in all of 2021. Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) is the largest coal export terminal on the African Continent. For climate activists who have been pushing for rich countries such as those in the EU to help the poorest nations, such as South Africa, off of coal, this is a bitter pill to swallow. In fact, at last years COP26 global climate conference, rich nations pledged $8.5 billion in climate financing specifically allocated to help South Africa cut emissions from coal. Instead, the EU is helping South Africas coal industry expand. While the nation has agreed to work toward ending coal production, its not in an economic position to do so hence the need for $27.6 billion in climate financing. And with European demand for coal skyrocketing, the carrot far outweighs the stick. South Africas current unemployment rate is 34%, and the current spike in coal demand, as well as coal prices, will likely grow the 200,000 jobs presently offered by the domestic coal industry. According to the Columbia Climate School, entirely replacing Russian energy imports to Europe with other sources of gas or renewable energy would be a heroic, if not impossible effort. It would require 275 bcm of non-Russian LNG imports, representing more than 53 percent of the global LNG trade, or an additional 370 gigawatts (GW) of wind power, when the average annual installation rate is 14 GW. Alternatively, Columbia writes, Europe would need to add another 105 GW of nuclear capacity, close to the existing capacity installed in 2021 (115 GW). Looking at these numbers, some degree of increased coal consumption seems like an inevitability and South Africa will almost certainly continue to step up to the plate. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. of robotics in the oil and gas industry is expected to pick up significantly over the next decade after the Covid pandemic accelerated the digitalization of the industry. With digitalization and AI becoming vital components for the modernization of oil and gas, the use of robotics is expected to pick up significantly as energy firms look to innovate. Investment in robotics for oil platforms increased during Covid when oil firms around the globe were unable to send workers out to rigs, as pandemic restrictions were rolled out. With the emergence of a strong energy tech industry in the U.S. and other parts of the world, developments in robotics are boosting safety standards and efficiency in oil operations and helping firms save money in the long term. A whole industry of energy tech start-ups has emerged in recent years, recognizing the need for oil and gas firms to modernize in order to improve operations to help them become more competitive during the energy transition to renewable alternatives. Through greater modernization, increased efficiency, and cost-cutting, energy firms carrying out lower-carbon oil and gas operations can remain valuable even as renewable developments become more commonplace. Oil and gas companies have embraced modernization in the last few years, with most oil majors introducing AI, machine learning, and other digital innovations to their operations. An area that is only just beginning to be appreciated is robotics. And one robotics company in the U.S. now appears to be recession-proof', according to media sources, as it comes out of the pandemic better than it started. U.S. company Offshore Robotics has gained more and more attention over the last couple of years as its team of engineers design and manufacture robots to assist in oil operations. The firm operates alongside ARC Specialties, which builds the highly technical and precise machines. Working on an oil rig can mean facing extremely dangerous conditions, with well-known disasters, as well as regular perilous activities, leading to the death of hundreds of rig workers over the last few decades. This is where the robotics industry comes in. Tech companies are now designing robots that can carry out some of the dirtiest and most dangerous activities on oil platforms so that humans dont have to. Co-owner of Offshore Robotics, Dan Allford, believes that safety is the main demand driver for robotics, explaining We're getting the robots to do the stuff that's dangerous, he said. If we hurt a robot, nobody cares. Related: Why Nuclear Energy Is More Relevant Than Ever The robotics industry was thought to be worth approximately $45 billion in 2020. But this is just the start, as the sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28 percent between now and 2030. And its not just the U.S. that is investing in robots. As well as U.S. firms Exxon Mobil, Baker Hughes, and Chevron, Saudi Arabias Aramco, Norways Equinor, Frances Total Energies, and the U.K.s Shell and BP have all increased their investments in robotics. And now Japan is upping its robotics game. At present, workers conduct daily patrol and emergency inspections on oil rigs, but Japanese firms Yokogawa and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are looking to change this. The Nippon Foundation, a non-profit grant-making organization, is funding the two companies to develop an automatic inspection system, using robots, which can identify and predict hazards in offshore facilities. Yokogawa has already carried out research and development into the technology needed to link a robot service platform with multiple robots, allowing them to perform the necessary activities. One of the main challenges is reporting the data that the robots see, as human operators are needed to interpret the image and sound data accurately. In this case, the project will use an AI application to convert the data gathered by robots to then be interpreted. The companies believe the use of robots for online monitoring will help to reduce safety hazards for workers as well as help to identify any on-site concerns to be resolved quickly. In Germany, at the annual Hannover Messe trade fair, two companies introduced their new robot dogs. Boston Dynamics Spot and ANYbotics ANYmal were developed to be used for rig inspections, using Norwegian firm Cognites AI software-as-a-service (SaaS). The robots gather scans, sensor data, and imaging from remote locations so they can be analyzed by workers. Norway is already using the AI SaaS technology to monitor and analyze its power grid, using drones, and it expects to utilize more inspection robots across energy projects in the future. As well as enhancing safety in operations, Cognite thinks it can also help to decrease travel-associated emissions by reducing the need to send workers to site. Although robotics for oil and gas operations were developed long before the pandemic, recent innovations, as well as Covid-related restrictions for workers, have demonstrated the clear benefits that robotics, AI, and machine learning technologies can bring to the industry. Greater investment in robotics could help enhance safety in oil and gas operations, as well as help to improve efficiency, reduce emissions and cut costs. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and the resultant economic uncertainty, calls for self-sufficiency are likely to be amplified. Today, that is one of the key reasons why the U.S. is unable to control the price of gasoline, diesel, and natural gas at home. In the last decade, the U.S. oil and gas industry won a long-fought battle to lift federal restrictions that limited exports so that it could take full advantage of the shale revolution. The U.S. oil and natural gas industry long fought for and in the last decade finally won release from federal restrictions that limited exports. The ostensible reason was that because of the so-called "shale revolution" in the country's oil and gas fields, the United States would have plenty of oil and gas to spare for export. The real reason behind the push was that the oil and gas industry wanted what almost every other industry in America already had: The right to sell their products to the highest bidders no matter where they lived on the globe. This made it almost certain that as U.S. prices rose to match world prices, U.S. consumers would feel the pain. And, since energy prices affect everyone who votes, they are always politically consequential. So, it is unsurprising that with U.S. regular gasoline prices over $5 per gallon President Joe Biden lashed out at U.S. oil companieswhich are having one of their best years eversaying they need to increase production of refined oil products. The companies have responded that their refineries are running at close to maximum capacity and so there is not much they can do in the short run. What is left unsaid is that it has long been the policy of the United States to allow the export of refined (as opposed to crude) petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, and heating oil. The country has a refinery capacity significantly in excess of domestic needs and so exports a considerable volume of refined products including about 1 million barrels per day (mbpd) of gasoline and 1.4 mbpd of diesel and heating oil (for the week ending June 10). If the U.S. were to curtail such exports in order to reduce prices at home, the country would be violating long-term commitments to free trade and free markets, and would be reducing supply and thus raising prices for customers abroad. The boom in U.S. natural gas exports has also strained U.S. domestic natural gas supplies sending prices from less than $2 per thousand cubic feet (mcf) two years ago to about $7 per mcf today. (That's down from $9 recently.) That has meant sharply rising costs for residential and industrial heating and for natural gas-based plastics and other chemicals including nitrogen fertilizer derived from natural gas. Related: Why Nuclear Energy Is More Relevant Than Ever The boom in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports now sends about 11 percent of U.S. natural gas production abroad (based on shipments from January through March 2022). The volume of LNG exports rose by a factor of 50 from 2011 through 2021. (See these numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration here and here.) The world's free-trade advocates have long insisted that all commodities should circulate freely across the globe going to the highest bidder. These advocates also believed that government policies should not favor or subsidize one industry over another. The idea was crystallized in 1992 by Michael Boskin, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors under President George Bush, when Boskin was asked whether the United States should have a policy that encouraged domestic semiconductor production. He is reported to have said, "Potato chips, computer chipswhat's the difference?" Today, the country is talking about the very same issues. Does the United States need an industrial policy regarding semiconductors? Should the United States curtail oil exports? A debate on natural gas exports is likely to erupt soon. It turns out that it really does matter whether a country produces potato chips or computer chips. In the wake of the Russia/Ukraine conflict which has resulted in the sudden breakdown and wrenching realignment of the global trading system countries around the world are grappling with shortages of food, fuel, and crucial industrial goods including semiconductors. If nations increasingly decide that self-sufficiency and affordable domestic prices for exportable goods are more important than so-called free trade, look for many more dustups about whether governments should be more involved in setting industrial policies and determining what can and cannot be exported. By Kurt Cobb via Resource Insights More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Europe should prepare for a complete suspension of Russian natural gas deliveries, the head of the International Energy Agency told the Financial Times in an interview. Europe should be ready in case Russian gas is completely cut off, Fatin Birol told the FT. The nearer we are coming to winter, the more we understand Russias intentions, he added. I believe the cuts are geared towards avoiding Europe filling storage, and increasing Russias leverage in the winter months. As a means of countering the worst effects of such a scenario, Birol advised European governments to keep nuclear power stations running and take other contingency measures, too. These other contingency measures seem to focus on demand. I believe there will be more and deeper demand measures [taken by governments in Europe] as winter approaches, Birol told the FT, adding gas rationing was a distinct possibility in case of further cuts to Russian gas supplies. In the past three months, Russia has cut off supply to several European countries that refused to pay for gas in rubles. It has also substantially reduced the flow along the Nord Stream, effectively cutting off supply to France and reducing flows to Germany by some 60 percent. Gazprom and its equipment maintenance service provider Siemens Energy have blamed the reduction on a turbine delivery delay resulting from new Canadian sanctions against Moscow. Germany has blamed Gazprom. The European Unions largest economy is facing a certain recession in case Russian gas flows stop completely, an industry body warned this week. BDI cut its growth projection for Germany to 1.5 percent from 3.5 percent for this year and said that if Russia cuts off the gas, the economy will inevitably slip into a recession. Meanwhile, to make up for lost gas supply, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands are restarting coal power plants. The IEAs Birol defended the move in his FT interview, saying the restart was temporary and whatever the increase in emissions, it would be offset by future renewable energy capacity. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A fire erupted on Wednesday at an oil refinery in a southern Russian region close to Ukraine after two drones hit the facility, Russia says. Operations at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the southern Russian region of Rostov were suspended after an apparent drone attack, the regions governor Vasily Golubev said on social media. The fire that erupted has been put out and no injuries were reported. The refinery has a capacity of 7.5 million tonnes annually. The management of the refinery put out a statement to Russian media, in which it confirmed that the fire at the facility was the result of a drone attack. Two unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the technological facilities of the joint-stock company Novoshakhtinsk Oil Products Plant, as a result of which an explosion and a fire occurred, the refinery said in a statement carried by Russian news agency TASS. The crude oil tank at the refinery was damaged by the drone strike. The fire erupted after a Ukrainian drone crashed in the refinery, a source at the local authorities told TASS. Two Ukrainian drones had flown over the refinery, a police source also told TASS. Earlier this week, the Russia-installed head of Crimea said Ukrainian forces attacked offshore oil and gas drilling platforms in the Black Sea. According to a post on Telegram by Sergei Askyonov, who was appointed as head of the peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Ukrainian forces attacked drilling platforms of the company Chernomorneftegaz in the Black Sea. Crimea-based oil and gas exploration company Chernomorneftegaz, which operates in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, was seized by Russia-backed officials in Crimea from Ukraines state gas firm Naftogaz after the Russian annexation of Crimea back in 2014. Chernomorneftegaz has been under U.S. and EU sanctions since 2014. Last week, Ukraine said it had sunk a Russian vessel in the Black Sea headed to deliver weapons and troops to Snake Island, the strategic Ukrainian territory 80 miles south of the port of Odessa. UK military intelligence said the vessel was targeted by anti-ship missiles the West has recently provided to Ukraine. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russias unprovoked war in Ukraine has left Kazakhstan and several neighboring states on edge. Behind-the-scenes tensions between Kazakhstan and Russia over the war in Ukraine spilled into awkward exchanges at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, where discussions strayed beyond the economy into geopolitics. Vladimir Putin used the platform to advance the sweeping claim that the entire former Soviet Union was historical Russia. Against the backdrop of Russias invasion of one of its neighbors, the Russian presidents June 17 remarks could hardly fail to arouse alarm in other former Soviet states like Kazakhstan, whose president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was sharing the stage with Putin. Tokayev used the occasion to push back hard against territorial claims made on Kazakhstan by some Russian commentators, and to re-state his countrys refusal to recognize Moscow-backed breakaway territories of Ukraine. The UN Charter is the basis of international law, he said, even if two of its principles are at odds: the right of countries to territorial integrity and the right of nations to self-determination. It has been calculated that if the right of nations to self-determination was realized in reality on the entire globe, over 500 or 600 states would emerge on Earth, instead of the 193 states that are currently part of the UN. Of course that would be chaos, said Tokayev, a former diplomat who was once the secretary-general of the United Nations office at Geneva. For this reason we do not recognize Taiwan, or Kosovo, or South Ossetia, or Abkhazia. And in all likelihood, this principle will be applied to quasi-state entities, which, in our opinion, Luhansk and Donetsk are. Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi had already stated in February that recognition of the breakaway territories was not on the agenda. But Tokayevs clarification in public to his host Putin was a bold re-statement of that position, adopted as Kazakhstan tries to walk a diplomatic tightrope as its ally Russia wages war in Ukraine. His comments raised hackles in Russia, where MP Konstantin Zatulin responded with thinly veiled threats against Kazakhstans territorial integrity. They know too well that a whole range of regions and settlements with a predominantly Russian population have had a weak relationship with what has been called Kazakhstan, he said. We say always and everywhere, including in relation to Ukraine: If we have friendship, cooperation and partnership, then no territorial questions are raised. But if that does not exist, everything is possible. As in the case of Ukraine. At the economic forum, Tokayev had already expressed his displeasure over absolutely incorrect statements about Kazakhstan made by some Russian commentators. He did not name any, but there is no shortage of Russian pundits questioning Kazakhstans nationhood, making territorial claims against it, or criticizing it for invented offenses such as supposedly oppressing Russian speakers. Related: China May No Longer Be A Pillar Of Growth For Global Oil Markets Tokayev may have had in mind a recent tirade by pundit Tigran Keosayan, who accused Kazakhstan of ingratitude to Russia after the government cancelled a Victory Day parade last month and urged it to look carefully at what is happening in Ukraine. Keosayan is the husband of Margarita Simonyan, head of the Kremlin-run broadcaster and propaganda machine RT. She was moderating the awkward on-stage discussion in St Petersburg between Tokayev and Putin, who at one point (and not for the first time) mangled Tokayevs name as he tried to pronounce it. Keosayan suggested that Kazakhstan was ungrateful to Russia after it sent troops as part of a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) contingent under efforts to quell violent civil unrest in January. Tokayev used a media interview to reject the suggestion that his country was beholden to Russia because of that. In Russia some people distort this whole situation, asserting that Russia supposedly saved Kazakhstan, and Kazakhstan should now eternally serve and bow down to the feet of Russia, he told Rossiya 24. I believe that these are totally unjustified arguments that are far from reality. Speaking at the economic forum, Tokayev expressed his gratitude to Putin, who today has comprehensively set out the position of the top leadership, the Kremlin toward Kazakhstan. Indeed, we do not have any issues that can be manipulated in one way or another, sowing discord between our nations and thereby causing damage to our people and to the Russian Federation itself, he said. But such talk did little to disguise the fault lines that have emerged in the Russo-Kazakh alliance since Russia began waging war in Ukraine. By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The pandemic has also accelerated the size, volume and sophistication of cyberattacks. Russias invasion of Ukraine has led to an increase in cyberattacks and threats. Russias invasion of Ukraine has caused disruptions across the global economy, from food to energy, but it has also prompted an increase in the number and sophistication of cyberattacks, exacerbating similar impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a recent poll of 800 chief audit executives conducted by the UK-based Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, 77% of respondents thought the war had elevated cybersecurity and data-security risks. Indeed, senior cybersecurity analysts have said that the invasion has been accompanied by a sustained cyber-conflict, with a large number of attacks and threats launched since February. On February 23, one day before Russias military forces invaded Ukraine, a wave of distributed denial-of-service attacks attributed to Russian hackers disabled Ukrainian government, military and bank websites. That same day, US and UK intelligence agencies warned that a Russian state-backed hacker group known as Sandworm had created a new malware called Cyclops Blink. US government officials announced in April that they had disrupted the malware, but worries remain. While cybersecurity officials say that Russia has primarily focused cyberattacks on Ukrainian companies and infrastructure, rather than on targets in the EU, the US or emerging markets, there are nevertheless concerns that cyber-conflict could spill over as the war progresses. An example of this was seen in the February 24 cyberattack on Viasat, a US satellite communications provider used by the Ukrainian military. In May EU, UK and US officials blamed Russia for the attack, which affected customers not only in Ukraine, but also throughout Europe. Covid-19 contributes to cyberthreats The increased threat of cyberattacks builds on the already heightened cybersecurity environment triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. As financial transactions increasingly migrated online over the past two years, businesses around the globe became targets for hackers. According to security vendor SonicWall, ransomware attacks were up 105% in 2021, including a 1885% increase in attacks on government agencies, 755% in the health care sector, 152% in education and 21% in retail. Indeed, OBG has previously detailed how the pandemic heightened cyberthreats to the education sector and emerging markets with large digital industries. This threat has continued into 2022, with leading Nigerian betting platform Bet9ja announcing in early April that its website had been hacked by the BlackCat group, a syndicate of Russian hackers not believed to be aligned with the state. This followed a ransomware attack on Bank Indonesia, the countrys central bank, in January, which was ultimately unsuccessful in disrupting public services and did not result in critical data being leaked. Meanwhile, on February 27 the website of television broadcaster CNN Philippines was shut down after a cyberattack while the network was hosting a presidential debate in the lead-up to the countrys May 2022 election. Cryptocurrencies have provided similarly fertile ground for hackers around the world. A record $14bn in digital currencies were transferred to illegal addresses in 2021, according to blockchain data platform Chainalysis, up from $7.8bn in 2020. Combatting cyberthreats With cyberattacks on the rise in recent years, several emerging markets have taken steps to bolster security. In late May Saudi Arabias National Cybersecurity Authority launched the National Portal for Cyber Security Services (HASEEN), a body that aims to develop and manage cyber-services, support communication mechanisms and enhance cybersecurity capacities. Once it is fully rolled out, all government agencies will be able to access HASEEN, which planned to have the capacity to offer its services to more than 400 national entities by the end of 2022. Earlier in the year Saudi Arabia launched the initiative Wamda, which aims to develop the leadership skills of female Saudi cybersecurity specialists. The countrys approach to increase its flexibility and readiness in order to neutralise attacks as they evolve could provide an example for others in the region. According to market research platform MarketsandMarkets, the cybersecurity market in the Middle East is projected to grow from $20.3bn in 2022 to $44.7bn in 2028. Another country that has taken notable steps is Nigeria, which in June announced that it had created cybersecurity toolkits for more than 41m micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. Many other emerging markets have indicated that they will develop their own national strategies in the coming months. For example, Kenya announced in June that it planned to develop strategies to protect its digital ecosystem. Meanwhile, in a sign of the global importance being placed on the issue, last week international media reported that the US and the EU were developing plans to fund secure digital infrastructure in developing countries. The proposal marks the first time the US and EU will work together to fund and protect other countries critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. Initial projects are slated to take place in countries in Africa and Latin America. Regional variations in cyber-risk While cybersecurity awareness is rising globally, some regions remain at greater risk of attack than others. According to the most recent Cyber Risk Index for the second half of 2021 developed by Japanese multinational cybersecurity software company Trend Micro in partnership with the Ponemon Institute Latin America recorded the highest level of risk, followed by Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, which was perceived to have the lowest threat. Africa was not included in the report. Although the report noted that the global rise in cyberthreats in 2021 had largely stemmed from the pandemic and the increase in remote work, Latin Americas elevated risk was attributed to the lower level of perceived readiness of the regions organisations when it came to responding to cyberattacks. Last year the number of cyberattacks in Latin America increased by 600%, according to cybersecurity company Fortinet. Mexico was the target of 54% of the 289bn attempted attacks, followed by Brazil (30.6%), Peru (4%) and Colombia (3.9%). Elsewhere, Costa Rica has also experienced several waves of attacks in recent months, including 30 against public institutions in a single month earlier this year. Africa is another region that is confronting elevated cyber-risk. According to the Global Cybersecurity Index 2020, the most recent edition released by the UNs International Telecommunication Union, just seven African countries were ranked in the top 50, three of which were in mainland sub-Saharan Africa. As nations take stock of the risks and potential damages of cybercrime, it is expected to lead to greater demand for innovative solutions such as cyberinsurance. According to Vantage Market Research, the global market for cyberinsurance is projected to reach $28.5bn by 2028, up from $7.5bn in 2021. By Oxford Business Group More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A little over half of the respondents in a Rasmussen survey rated President Biden's handling of the U.S. economy as "poor," and they appear not to accept Biden's explanation of whose fault high gasoline prices are. The U.S. President has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and oil companies for the fuel price increase, with White House official communication referring to it as Putin's Price Hike. Apparently, this is not good enough for voters, based on the Rasmussen survey responses: Only 29% of voters think that oil companies are to blame for rising fuel costs, and only 11% blame Russian President Putin. Instead, 52% of those surveyed believe that President Biden's policies are the culprit. The number of voters approving of Biden's handling of the economy has slipped from 32 percent in December to 27 percent this month. Meanwhile, 57 percent said the President's handling of the economy has been poor, which is slightly up from 55 percent in December. Although modest in its sample of 1,000, the Rasmussen survey is not the only one pointing toward dissatisfaction among voters of federal energy policies. An earlier poll from this month, conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, suggested that approval for President Biden had fallen to 39 percent, close to the lowest since he took office. The President has been quite active in his attempts to rein in fuel prices, but so far, nothing has had a lasting effect. Among the measures taken so far was the planned release of a total of 180 million barrels of crude from the strategic petroleum reserve, appealsand threatsto the oil industry to pump more, and appeals to the refining industry to refine more. In a recent letter to the oil industry, Biden wrote that he was "prepared to use all reasonable and appropriate Federal Government tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term." The latest news from the price control camp is that the President is about to announce a gas tax holiday, which would lighten up the financial load on drivers but will reduce a revenue stream for infrastructure projects. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: President Biden is today expected to ask Congress to enact a gas tax holiday in his latest attempt to rein in retail fuel prices, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed source familiar with the situation. The idea of a gas tax holiday was recently mentioned by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in an interview with CNN, in which Granholm said President Biden was evaluating a gas tax holiday but noted that it was a problematic solution to the price problem because the federal gas tax is a major revenue source for infrastructure projects. The president, however, appears none too concerned about the impact of such a tax holiday on infrastructure spending. We have a giant infrastructure bill we passed -- giant, President Biden said on Tuesday, as quoted by Bloomberg. Its not like before. Look, it will have some impact, but its not going to have an impact on major road construction and major repairs. Some of his fellow Democrats in Congress, however, are concerned about the impact such a tax holiday will have on infrastructure spending. They also appear to be unconvinced it would bring prices at the pump down, according to a Bloomberg report. Asked about whether he had already made a decision, Biden said he would have a decision by the end of the week. President Biden has made clear he is committed to doing everything he can to reduce gas prices for the American people, and he will have more to say on this tomorrow, an unnamed White House official said on Tuesday evening, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. President Biden will be speaking at 2 pm Eastern Time today about the federal gas tax. Meanwhile, fuel prices remain high, although gasoline has slipped below the all-time high of over $5 per gallon it reached earlier this month. As of Tuesday, AAA reported an average national gasoline price of $4.968 per gallon, with diesel at $5.812 per gallon. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Irans crude oil exports are estimated to have jumped to an average of 961,000 barrels per day (bpd) between June 1 and June 19, according to data from seaborne oil trade analytics company Petro-Logistics cited by commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo. To compare, the average crude oil exports out of Iran stood at 461,000 bpd for the entire month of May, per Petro-Logistics data. Despite the diplomatic impasse over the nuclear deal, Iran has been preparing to rejoin the global oil market. The country has boosted production, as well as exports to its main market, China. If a new deal is reached between Iran and the world powers, the flow of Iranian oil abroad could increase by between 500,000 bpd and 1 million bpd, according to analysts. China has been the main outlet for Iranian crude oil exports since the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republics oil industry in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the so-called Iranian nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Most recently, Iran on Monday blamed the U.S. for the stalled talks on the revival of the nuclear deal. China has never stopped importing Iranian crude since 2018, and even the Chinese General Administration of Customs officially reported earlier this week that China did indeed import Iranian crude in May. Last week, China received 2 million barrels of Iranian crude, most likely with the purpose of sending the oil to state reserves, tanker-tracking firms told Reuters on Wednesday. According to Reuters, the crude cargo, delivered by a tanker owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), would be the fourth cargo to go to state reserves that China has imported since the end of last year. The shipment is also likely to be reported in the Chinese crude import data for June when figures are released in July. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Union should continue supporting Ukraine despite the lowered Russian gas deliveries to major EU customers and the economic toll from it, Elina Bardram, acting director for International Affairs and Climate Finance at the European Commission, told Reuters on Wednesday. Since last week, Russia has significantly lowered gas supply to several customers in Europe, including the biggest, Germany and Italy. The upcoming annual maintenance at Nord Stream that will completely halt deliveries through the pipeline for two weeks in July will also leave Europe scrambling to fill gas storage sites to adequate levels before the winter. "Our product, our rules. We don't play by rules we didn't create," Alexei Miller, the chief executive of Gazprom, said last week about gas supply to Europe. The EU, for its part, is turning to coal-fired power generation in an effort to replace gas in power generation as it seeks to send gas to storage. Germany will rely more on electricity generation from coal in order to conserve gas and fill its gas storage by winter, its Economy Minister Robert Habeck said this weekend. Neighboring Austria plans to convert a reserve gas-fired plant to run on coal, while the Netherlands is set to ease its current restrictions on coal-fired power plants. Commenting on the slashed Russian gas deliveries, the European Commission's Bardram told Reuters that "With the very rogue moves we are observing from the Putin administration in terms of Gazprom lowering the flow very suddenly, we are doing some very important measures, but all of those measures are temporary." The EU's 2050 net-zero goal remains intact, as does the 2030 emission-reduction target, despite increased coal use across Europe in the short- and medium-term as the bloc looks to conserve gas and fill storage sites ahead of the winter, Bardram said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: CASPER, Wyo. When organizers earlier this year settled on a summer opening for a new womens health clinic in Wyoming, they felt upbeat about their plans even as they knew they would face opposition to what will be the only such clinic to offer abortions in the state. There were the expected protests and harassing messages. Things got more tense after a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, if finalized, would likely make abortions illegal in Wyoming and half of the states. Then, their building was damaged by a fire police believe was deliberately set. None of it has derailed plans to open the clinic a rarity in heavily Republican parts of the United States where most abortion providers at the moment are fighting just to stay in business, let alone expand services. We cant be bullied into submission, Julie Burkhart, the clinic founder, said as she watched from across the street as Casper police and firefighters investigated the blaze. For years, Wyoming prided itself on live-and-let-live Western conservatism that took a hands-off approach to setting social policy in government, abortion included. Thats changing, however. In March, Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, signed a bill that put Wyoming among the states that would outlaw abortion should the Supreme Court overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion legal nationwide. The only exceptions would be in the event of rape or incest, to save the mothers life or to save the mother from severe, non-mental health problems. Gordon, whos running for re-election this year, hasnt made abortion and other culture war issues a feature of his campaigns or time in office. But a recent rightward shift of both the Supreme Court and State Legislature has elevated abortion into an issue in Wyoming. The planned clinic stands in stark defiance of that trend. Its backers include Riata Little Walker, a Casper resident who recently spoke out at a rally in support of the clinic. In an interview, Little Walker described herself as pro-life until two years ago, when fetal heart and chromosomal abnormalities doctors said would likely cause her to miscarry prompted her to get an abortion five months into her pregnancy. Had she not been able to get an abortion at a hospital in Colorado, Little Walker said she may have had to face a traumatic miscarriage at home. Not all aborted babies are unwanted, Little Walker said. This needs to be available for people when they need it, even if they wanted their baby and they have to make the hardest decision that any parent could possibly make. After the clinic fire, one minister and clinic supporter, the Rev. Leslie Kee of the local Unitarian Universalist church, called for tolerance by all. All this does is fan the flames of division and fear and helplessness and sense that things are spinning out of control, Kee said. Somebodys got to step up and call for calm and love and peace. That comes from the human heart. No one was injured in the blaze, which left the stucco house being renovated for the clinic with broken windows and smoke damage. Burkhart has faced daunting odds against opening abortion clinics before. She worked closely with Dr. George Tiller, a Wichita, Kansas, abortion doctor who was assassinated at church in 2009. Four years after his murder, Burkhart helped to reopen Tillers clinic. While abortions have continued in Wyoming there were 98 in the state last year and 91 the year before, according to state figures only a couple of medical providers at most do abortions regularly. The state doesnt track who the providers are and they seldom publicize their services. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Firefighter groups are applauding the Biden administration's steps to raise pay but warn that the temporary wage hikes won't be enough to combat staffing problems, as federal agencies compete with local fire departments and big box stores in a tight labor market. Its an effort and an attempt to try to keep people at their jobs, Jonathon Golden, a former federal firefighter from Park City, Utah, said of the move to raise federal firefighter pay. But it still falls woefully short of the pay in municipal departments and other state agencies. Wildfire season is raging throughout the western U.S. and fierce competition for workers is exacerbating challenges facing the land management agencies that employ firefighters. For years, firefighters and their advocates have decried stagnant pay and increased costs of living, arguing both are making recruitment difficult and attrition inevitable. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that infrastructure bill funds would go to backpay and giving all federal firefighters a raise for two years either a 50% bump from their base salary or $20,000, whichever is less. The move follows an executive order President Joe Biden signed last year to raise federal firefighter minimum wage to $15 an hour. And it implements provisions of last year's infrastructure bill designed to help recruit and retain firefighters, including $600 million in one-time funding to raise pay. Biden said funding for long-term pay raises remained a priority as climate change makes the U.S. West hotter, drier and more prone to wildfires. I will do everything in my power, including working with Congress to secure long-term funding, to make sure these heroes keep earning the paychecks and dignity they deserve, he said in a statement. Though officials say its an imperfect metric, the number of unfilled staffing requests on large wildfires or unable to fill orders, indicates growing problems: In 2019, there were 92 times where the National Interagency Fire Center couldnt mobilize crews to wildfires upon request. In 2020, there were 339 crew mobilization orders that couldnt be filled. And last year, 1,858 crew mobilization orders couldnt be filled. Ken Schmid, operations specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center, said unable to fill orders reflect staffing needs but also may depend on geography or time of year, particularly in months when agencies dedicate staff to training or other high priority work. What it comes down to is weve got more big fires out there and incident management teams with needs to try and corral them than we have folks available, said Grant Beebe, a former smokejumper and the Bureau of Land Managements assistant director for fire and aviation. Members of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters believe raises were long overdue. However, they warn that without permanent increases, some of the nation's most skilled firefighters including hotshots, smokejumpers and helitack crews may go work elsewhere. You can go to a Whole Foods and start off at $16 an hour with $1,000 signing bonus. Its just a tight labor market now, Golden, the former firefighter, said. In addition to facing competition from retail employers, federal agencies also compete with state and local departments that can pay more, offer more full-time positions and better benefits. Mid-career federal firefighters currently earn roughly half the pay of third-year firefighters employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, according to analysis from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. Incident commanders working for federal agencies can make as little as one-quarter of the pay of entry-level municipal firefighters working the same fire. Pay bumps and the creation of a new job classification that will allow more firefighters to be hired for year-round positions will narrow the gap between federal firefighters pay and benefits and their state and local counterparts, federal officials say. In a fact-sheet released this week, they say they expect the changes announced Tuesday to help firefighting agencies recruit more workers and create career advancement opportunities for those already employed. Both, officials say, should lower attrition rates for skilled firefighters who have left for other departments or industries. Land management agencies, mainly the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, hope to employ more than 30,000 firefighters during peak season this summer and have worked to recruit new employees throughout the spring. But the Forest Service said last month that staffing levels were 90% overall, but as low as 50% in some fire-prone regions, including California, Oregon and Washington. Randy Erwin, president of the union representing a majority of federal wildland firefighters, said recruitment and retention had been particularly difficult this year, amid a worse-than-normal fire season. He expects the pay bump to help agencies fill their firefighting ranks. Firefighters simply could not make ends meet on the hopelessly low salaries offered at federal agencies, so jobs were becoming very difficult to fill, he said in a statement. Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said there were few signs of competition for workers decreasing or hiring slowing down. Though the labor market remains tight, he said private sector employers have recovered to pre-pandemic levels more than public sector employers such as the federal agencies who employ firefighters. Firefighting may be an attractive profession for young people craving adventure and a sense of purpose, but Hershbein said the allure would likely not insulate federal agencies from broader trends in the labor market and the many factors that prospective employees weigh when considering jobs. Based on my read of everything going on in the labor market, unless they are going to be doing other things to attract people like bonuses and other incentives its going to be really hard," he said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who last month in a letter called looming staffing shortages an urgent threat to natural resources, public safety, and taxpayer dollars," applauded Biden's announcement. But he said more needed to be done for firefighters, particularly as blazes grow more severe. They deserve the basic decency of good pay and good benefits that fully recognize their sacrifice and essential work, and allows them to support their families," he said. Summer is here, there are firefighter shortages in Oregon and across the West, and there is no time to waste in getting these changes implemented on the ground. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington, D.C. Metz reported part of this story from an Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources workshop in Boise, Idaho. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Moderna announced Wednesday that its updated COVID-19 booster shot does a better job at thwarting the Omicron variant than the original version does. "We are thrilled to share the preliminary data analysis on mRNA-1273.214, which is the second demonstration of superiority of our bivalent booster platform against variants of concern and represents an innovation in the fight against COVID," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a company news release. "Looking at these data alongside the durability we saw with our first bivalent booster candidate, mRNA-1273.211, we anticipate more durable protection against variants of concern with mRNA-1273.214, making it our lead candidate for a Fall 2022 booster. We are submitting our preliminary data and analysis to regulators with the hope that the Omicron-containing bivalent booster will be available in the late summer," Bancel added. The results on the updated vaccine were impressive: A booster dose combining the original vaccine with the one specifically aimed at Omicron led to 1.75 times more neutralizing antibodies against Omicron a month after the shot. It's not clear if the updated vaccine will provide more lasting protection than the current one. Moderna did not release any data from the clinical trial, which included 437 volunteers, on the updated vaccine's effectiveness against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which now account for 13% of new cases in the United States and are spreading quickly. Some estimates suggest that within a month, they could outcompete the two other Omicron subvariants BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 that are dominant at the moment, The New York Times reported. The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are now widespread in South Africa, which "has seen a slight uptick in hospitalizations, but ICU utilization and deaths are really staying stably low," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the White House, told the Times. Moderna is still gathering evidence on how the updated vaccine works against BA.4 or BA.5, but Dr. Paul Burton, the firm's chief medical officer, said he doesn't expect a major difference from the Omicron results. "Omicron subvariants seem to behave pretty similarly," Burton told the Times. "We really feel like this is a sort of a fundamental turning point in our fight against this virus that we can adapt to a variant," Burton said. "It works." Pfizer and BioNTech are also testing Omicron-specific vaccines and their results are expected soon, according to the Times. The Biden administration would like to be able to offer an updated vaccine this fall to counter an expected winter surge of COVID-19. Outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are scheduled to meet June 28 to discuss the options. More information Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the latest on COVID vaccines. SOURCES: The New York Times; Moderna, news release, June 8, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. This advertorial is sponsored content provided by the advertiser and printed as is. Any claims, recommendations or errors are the advertisers own and the reader is responsible for evaluating all information contained herein. All Great Western branches in Omaha now welcoming clients as First Interstate Three months after joining forces, First Interstate is pleased to announce Great Western Bank locations in Nebraska have opened for business as First Interstate. While the logo on the front door has changed, the same trusted and knowledgeable bank staff that have served Omaha are still in place, providing financial guidance and support to its communities. First Interstates mission, both as a community bank and trusted financial partner, is to build on Great Westerns legacy of integrity, success, and collaboration throughout the region. Both our banks come from the same community-focused roots, so bringing on our newest team members has happened naturally, said Kevin Riley, President and CEO of First Interstate Bank. We all share a culture dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities we serve, and in every interaction we put people first, act with integrity, and strive to be a partner our clients can rely on. Its these values that will ensure First Interstate never loses sight of our vision to be the most relevant, everyday experience our clients have with their money. Not everything will remain the same; new First Interstate clients now have access to more products, digital tools, and convenient ways to bank. Local teams are eager to put these solutions to work so that Nebraska communities have what they need to grow and thrive. And as one of the countrys premier community banking franchises, clients can bank at any one of more than 300 First Interstate locations across 14 states. Of course, clients dont have to travel far to manage their finances. They can access banking services through their local First Interstate branch, online banking, or the First Interstate mobile banking app. Our business model is fueled by the interests of our clients and communities, said Marcy Mutch, Chief Financial Officer for First Interstate. We understand that to be successful, you have to take care of your neighbors, cultivate trust, listen to clients with positive intent, and show up when they need you most. This attitude and approach to doing business spurred on First Interstates decision to introduce a checkless, zero-overdraft account, reduce banking fees, eliminate non-sufficient funds charges on consumer accounts, and significantly scale back overdraft fees. Giving back has been at the heart of First Interstates values since its inception more than 50 years ago. Each year, First Interstate donates 2% of pre-tax earnings to its local communities. These funds are put into action to mitigate poverty, improve workforce development, boost early childhood education, and more. First Interstate also provides additional philanthropic support through donations, sponsorships, and volunteerism. Additional detail can be found in First Interstates 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report. We know the economic uncertainty of the last few years has had a significant impact on Nebraska communities, so First Interstate is stepping up its philanthropic and financial support to help our newest neighbors navigate these challenges, Riley added. As part of that effort, weve made a $21.5 million donation to the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation in concert with our merger. This gift makes it possible for First Interstate to have an immediate and lasting impact throughout Omaha and ensure our philanthropic presence is felt for years to come. To learn more about First Interstate and the ways our team can address the financial needs of Omaha residents and businesses, please visit firstinterstate.com or stop by a location near you. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this paid post belong solely to the advertiser and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company. 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. WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Breathing in air pollution can lead to toxic particles entering the brain -- and not just through the nose. New research suggests they have a direct pathway through the bloodstream, potentially contributing to brain disorders and neurological damage. "There are gaps in our knowledge around the harmful effects of airborne fine particles on the central nervous system. This work sheds new light on the link between inhaling particles and how they subsequently move around the body," said study co-author Iseult Lynch, a professor at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. "The data suggests that up to eight times the number of fine particles may reach the brain by traveling, via the bloodstream, from the lungs than pass directly via the nose -- adding new evidence on the relationship between air pollution and detrimental effects of such particles on the brain," she said in a university news release. The inhaled particles can enter the bloodstream after crossing the air-blood barrier. They eventually reach the brain. This can lead to damage of the brain-blood barrier and surrounding tissues as they do. Once these particles reach the brain, they stay there longer than in other main metabolic organs, Lynch and her colleagues said. In this study, the international researchers found various fine particles in human cerebrospinal fluids taken from patients who had experienced brain disorders. The team noted that recent evidence has shown a strong link between high levels of air pollution and marked neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's-like changes and cognitive problems in older people and even in children. Air pollution is filled with toxic components, but experts are most concerned about particulate matter (PM), especially ambient fine particles such as PM2.5 and PM0.1 because of their impact on health. Ultra-fine particles can escape the body's protective systems, including sentinel immune cells and biological barriers. The researchers said the findings offer new evidence in proving the risks from particulate pollution to the central nervous system. They recommended more investigation into the mechanics of how inhaled ambient fine particles reach the brain. More information The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more on particulate matter. SOURCE: University of Birmingham, news release, June 20, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. TOKYO (AP) A Japanese man accused of defrauding the government of 1 billion yen ($7.3 million) intended for small Japanese businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic was arrested on board a flight Wednesday after being deported from Indonesia, where he fled 1 1/2 years ago. Mitsuhiro Taniguchi, 47, was arrested by Japanese police who accompanied him from Indonesia. He was taken to a police station after landing at Tokyo's Narita airport, Japanese media reported. Police confirmed his arrest. Indonesian immigration official Douglas Simamora said earlier Wednesday that Taniguchi was deported after his passport was revoked by the Japanese government and because he had no Indonesian residence permit. Indonesian authorities arrested Taniguchi on June 4 at a house owned by a fish trader in Lampung province. During his stay there, he described himself as an investor interested in fisheries. Indonesian authorities are investigating whether other people in that country were involved in the fraud scheme linked to Taniguchi. In one case, Taniguchi and his accomplice Koichiro Ota, 34, who was separately arrested Wednesday, allegedly defrauded the government of 2 million yen ($14,700) by submitting a false application behalf of someone lacking eligibility for a subsidy, the Tokyo police said. Taniguchi and a group of acquaintances allegedly submitted about 1,700 false applications for COVID-19 relief funds to the Japanese government and illegally received subsidies on more than 960 of those applications, taking with them about 1 billion yen ($7.3 million), reports say. Police arrested Taniguchis ex-wife and their two sons believed to be part of a larger group in May on fraud allegations and were preparing to place Taniguchi on an international wanted list. The three suspects allegedly defrauded the government of 3 million yen ($22,500) in COVID-19 subsidies from June to August 2020. The case surfaced in August 2020 when the office offering the subsidies consulted with Tokyo police. Taniguchi entered Indonesia two months later on an investor visa. Jatmiko and Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. CLEVELAND (AP) Coinciding with unrelenting cyberattacks against Ukraine, state-backed Russian hackers have engaged in strategic espionage against governments, think tanks, businesses and aid groups in 42 countries supporting Kyiv, Microsoft said in a report Wednesday. Since the start of the war, the Russian targeting (of Ukraine's allies) has been successful 29 percent of the time, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote, with data stolen in at least one-quarter of the successful network intrusions, Nearly two-thirds of the cyberespionage targets involved NATO members. The United States was the prime target and Poland, the main conduit for military assistance flowing to Ukraine, was No. 2. In the past two months, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Turkey have seen stepped-up targeting, A striking exception is Estonia, where Microsoft said it has detected no Russian cyber intrusions since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The company credited Estonia's adoption of cloud computing, where it's easier to detect intruders. Significant collective defensive weaknesses remain among some other European governments, Microsoft said, without identifying them. Half of the 128 organizations targeted are government agencies and 12% are nongovernmental agencies, typically think tanks or humanitarian groups, according to the 28-page report. Other targets include telecommunications, energy and defense companies. Microsoft said Ukraine's cyber defenses have proven stronger overall than Russia's capabilities in waves of destructive cyberattacks against 48 distinct Ukrainian agencies and enterprises. Moscow's military hackers have been cautious not to unleash destructive data-destroying worms that could spread outside Ukraine, as the NotPetya virus did in 2017, the report noted. During the past month, as the Russian military moved to concentrate its attacks in the Donbas region, the number of destructive attacks has fallen, according to the report, Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War. The Redmond, Washington, company has unique insight in the domain due to the ubiquity of its software and threat detection teams. Microsoft said Ukraine has also set an example in data safeguarding. Ukraine went from storing its data locally on servers in government buildings a week before the Russian invasion making them vulnerable to aerial attack to dispersing that data in the cloud, hosted in data centers across Europe. The report also assessed Russian disinformation and propaganda aimed at undermining Western unity and deflecting criticism of Russian military war crimes and wooing people in nonaligned countries. Using artificial intelligence tools, Microsoft said, it estimated "Russian cyber influence operations successfully increased the spread of Russian propaganda after the war began by 216 percent in Ukraine and 82 percent in the United States. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. BEIJING (AP) Hong Kong is preparing to introduce new middle school textbooks that will deny the Chinese territory was ever a British colony. China's Communist rulers say the semi-autonomous city and the nearby former Portuguese colony of Macao were merely occupied by foreign powers and that China never relinquished sovereignty over them. It's not a new position for China, but the move is a further example of Beijings determination to enforce its interpretation of history and events and inculcate patriotism as it tightens its grip over Hong Kong following massive protests demanding democracy in 2019. Hong Kong has been Chinese territory since ancient times, says one new textbook seen by the AP. While Hong Kong was occupied by the British following the Opium War, it remained Chinese territory. It is one of four sets of textbooks being offered to schools to replace those currently in use, all stating the same position, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper reported earlier this week. WAS HONG KONG A COLONY? Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 until its handover to Chinese rule in 1997, with the exception of Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945. Its colonial status was the result of a pair of 19th century treaties signed at the end of the first and second Opium Wars, along with the granting of a 99-year lease in 1898 to the New Territories, which greatly expanded the size of the colony. Chinas Communist Party, which seized power during a civil war in 1949, says it never recognized what it calls the unequal treaties that the former Qing Dynasty was compelled to sign following military defeats. In the late 20th century with China unwilling to extend the lease on the New Territories, and the colony not viable without them Britain entered into protracted and often contentious negotiations with Beijing over conditions for the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule. Ultimately, China took control of Hong Kong in 1997 under a one country, two systems" arrangement that would keep the city's economic, political and judicial systems distinct from those in mainland China for 50 years. That was laid out in a 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration registered with the United Nations, although China now refuses to recognize the agreement. HAS THIS ISSUE COME UP BEFORE? In 1972, just months after the China seat at the United Nations was transferred to Beijing from the Republic of China government that fled to Taiwan during the civil war, the government acted to remove Hong Kong and Macao, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1999, from a U.N. list of colonies, effectively stripping them of their right to self-determination. At a time when European nations had granted independence to other colonies, China feared the same could happen to the British and Portuguese enclaves it wanted back. The settlement of the questions of Hong Kong and Macao is entirely within Chinas sovereign right and does not at all fall under the ordinary category of Colonial Territories,'" China's representative said at the time. Mary Gallagher, who teaches Chinese studies at the University of Michigan, said then-Chinese leader Mao Zedong wanted to ensure that Hong Kong would remain part of China. So Hong Kong moves between the Chinese empire and the British empire, but loses its right to determine its own future, she said. WHY IS HONG KONG CHANGING TEXTBOOKS NOW? The new textbooks are part of broader changes to education following the 2019 protests, in which many students participated and some played leadership roles. The texts are for liberal studies classes, which the government overhauled last year after pro-Beijing lawmakers and supporters said they encouraged opposition and activist thought. The classes now focus on themes such as national security, patriotism and identity. The textbooks promote the official view that the protest movement was the result of foreign agitation and threatened national security. The Beijing government used such arguments to pass a sweeping National Security Law for Hong Kong in 2020 curtailing free speech, criticism of authorities and political opposition. Authorities have launched a National Security Education Day on April 15, with students encouraged to learn more about national security and take part in educational activities that emphasize the importance of protecting China. WHERE IS THIS LEADING? The new textbooks are part of a push to bring Hong Kong's institutional values more closely in line with those of mainland China, especially in the areas of politics and history. Increasingly, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is imposing his vision of strongly nationalistic and increasingly authoritarian rule on the region. China has sought to eradicate any memory of the military's 1989 bloody suppression of student-led protests centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, citing pandemic concerns to ban once huge public commemorations in Hong Kong on the June 4 anniversary. The Communist Party has a monopoly of the truth and of history in China, said Steve Tsang, a Chinese politics specialist at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. In the Xi approach to history, facts are merely incidental. Only interpretation matters. And only one interpretation is allowed. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Fortenberry faces up to five years in prison or five years of supervised release on each of three convictions two counts of lying to a federal agent and one count of trying to conceal dirty campaign money. An Omaha police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation into his behavior during the arrest of a boy, police said Wednesday. Officer Tyler Hansen, a 14-year veteran of the department, is currently assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau and has had no previous use of force violations, according to a department statement. Hansen was placed on leave after Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said he became aware of a video of a Tuesday arrest that was circulating on social media. The video shows the arrest of a boy, described in the video as 12 years old, whose head is forcefully pushed against a police cruiser near 33rd and Burt Streets. Chief Schmaderer immediately asked for the involved officers to be identified and has authorized an internal investigation into the incident, according to a department statement. A 15-second Facebook post shows an Omaha police officer pushing a boys head into the side of a police cruiser before he puts the boy in the cruisers back seat. A police report on the incident said that Hansen and other officers were sent to the Atlas Apartments at 2929 California St. around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to investigate a report of trespassing. Apartment staff told the officers that a group of juveniles had trespassed in the apartment complexs pool and that the same group of youths previously had caused vandalism and criminal mischief there. Just before 3 p.m., officers were sent to a disturbance near 33rd and Burt, a few blocks from the apartment complex. The caller said four male juveniles were outside his apartment, refusing to leave. The man said the youths had arrived at his door asking about a missing or stolen iPad. The man told officers that he had denied knowing anything about an iPad, but the youths refused to leave and acted aggressively. One of the police officers then talked with six youths who were at 33rd and Burt and recognized that several of them were in the video from the Atlas Apartments. More youths then approached, and the officer warned the group about trespassing at Atlas Apartments. The officer also confirmed that some of them had been asking about the iPad. One of the youths then walked up to the officer, according to the police report, yelling profanity and acting aggressively. The officer warned the boy that his behavior was disorderly and that he needed to leave, but he refused. According to the report, the boy encouraged other youths to yell at the officers. The boy then lunged toward the officer, was pushed away, then lunged again and was taken into custody, according to the report. As the responding officer began placing the boy into handcuffs, the report said, the boy kicked, fought, and struggled to get free. After a brief struggle, the report said, the boy was handcuffed and taken to the cruiser. He continued to struggle and threatened or tried to spit on an officer, but he ultimately was put into the cruiser, the report said. The boy later was released to a parent or guardian and cited on suspicion of disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kevin Cole Kevin Cole covers Omaha crime and public safety news. Follow him on Twitter @KevinColeOmaha. Phone: 402-444-1272. Follow Kevin Cole Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Omaha city employees would get up to $3,000 in premium pay for working during the coronavirus pandemic under a plan Mayor Jean Stothert announced Tuesday. The premium pay plan was announced alongside other plans to use more than $112 million in funds the city received through the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. The City of Omaha already has selected United Way of the Midlands and the Omaha Community Foundation to administer $15 million of the citys ARPA dollars to nonprofits. The focus would be on basic needs such as food, housing, homeless services and mental health services. Another ARPA-funded program is on track to give $4.48 million to 46 area hotels through the citys Hotel Stimulus Program. That program seeks to offset the dramatic decline in local hotel revenues over the past two years. While the primary use of ARPA funds is for local governments to replace lost revenue through 2023, Stothert said, it also can be used to support community programs, respond to pandemic impacts and promote economic recovery. Stothert said Tuesday that $9 million would go toward premium pay for city employees police, fire and civilian. Full-time employees would receive $3,000, payable over several pay periods starting in late July. Elected officials, including the mayor and City Council members, are not eligible. The city has 2,700 full-time employees, Stothert said. The request for premium pay was brought to the city by the Omaha Police Officers Association, Stothert said. Congress passed the $1.9 trillion ARPA measure in March 2021 with the goal of counteracting the economic damage caused by COVID-19. The package included $350 billion for eligible state, local, territorial and tribal governments. Jurisdictions that accept the money have until 2026 to spend it and are required to regularly report their spending to the Treasury Department. Entities that fail to spend the money according to the guidelines must return those dollars to the federal government. Officials felt strongly, Stothert said, that premium pay couldnt be offered to one group of city employees and not all. Even though police, fire and civilian employees played different roles during the pandemic, they all came to work and were at risk of being exposed to the virus, Stothert said. Stothert also addressed the citys commitment to creating and preserving affordable housing and supporting access to affordable housing for renters, homebuyers and homeowners. The city has partnered with nonprofit Front Porch Investments on the endeavor. Front Porch Investments will match the citys investment with $20 million in philanthropic donations. The city also will apply for another $20 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That would make it the largest local program funded with ARPA dollars, Stothert said. She estimated that 1,000 to 1,100 affordable housing units could be created through the program. Affordable housing is defined by HUD as not paying more than 30% of income toward rent or mortgage, said Meridith Dillon, executive director of Front Porch Investments. We know that addressing the affordable housing crisis in the greater Omaha metro truly requires a collective effort, Dillon said. Fortunately, were seeing the urgency of our communitys housing needs being met with support from stakeholders across our community. Front Porch Investments will issue a request for applications this summer, Dillon said. The first round of funding will target projects needing short-term loans. The loans would be repaid in 2025, making the money available for a second time in the form of grants. The agreements addressing premium pay and affordable housing will appear before the Omaha City Council for the first time on June 28. City officials also will devote $10 million in funding toward improving parks and other public spaces. Stothert said improvements to public spaces was the top response in a survey completed last year. Improvements would be made at 10 parks and a handful of public spaces. This is an exciting opportunity to make an impact faster than we would have been able to do otherwise or in places we may not have had the chance to for a few years for now, said Parks Director Matt Kalcevich. Major changes are slated for Mandan Park, Pipal Park and Lynch Park. Projects include upgrades to existing playgrounds and shelters and road and parking improvements. Projects also are planned for Fontenelle Park, the Benson Community Center and Clarkson Park. Fontenelle will see an updated shelter. Benson Community Center will see an effort to create youth fitness programming. Clarkson Park will get a new playground surface. Hitchcock Pool and Elmwood Pool will receive repairs to existing infrastructure. The two pools are showing their age, Kalcevich said. Memorial Park will see upgrades to the colonnade and additional lighting. The Paxton-John Creighton Boulevard Trail will be resurfaced and expanded from 8 feet wide to 10 feet wide. Other improvements will be made to Plaza de la Raza in South Omaha and Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Dreamland Park in North Omaha. Other plans would split $1 million among business improvement districts that submit qualifying proposals. Two new city positions will be created with ARPA funding. A homeless services coordinator would coordinate a citywide approach to provide services for people experiencing homelessness. The role would be funded by ARPA money for two years. It then would become part of the general fund budget. Another new position would be a housing manager working in the Planning Department. That person would oversee implementation of the citys affordable housing action plan. The city last year contracted with Deloitte, a global consulting firm, to provide services related to the development, review and reporting of the citys ARPA funds. Deloittes payment from Omaha, which is not to exceed $250,000, will come out of the federal money. Were very, very careful with how we are allocating these funds, Stothert said. <&rule> Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Abby Mills is not an artist. The 16-year-old, who attends Mercy High School in Omaha, doesnt take art classes there. She doesnt spend hours drawing in her free time. But once a year when the College World Series rolls into town, Mills shows off her artistic skills on the sidewalk next to the tailgaters in Lot D outside what now is Charles Schwab Field. Armed with chalk, Mills draws the logos of all eight teams that qualified for the CWS on individual sidewalk squares. The drawings are all freehand. Mills said she pulls up a photo of the teams logo on her phone and goes for it. For some teams, the logo is simply initials, such as ND for Norte Dame. For Arkansas, Mills drew a teeth-baring menacing Razorback. This year, Mills started drawing the logos at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 17, and finished around noon. Her two sisters, Lily, 14, and Marly, 12, helped her color in the logos. The hardest part, she said, is drawing the logos in the heat, although her parents make sure she takes breaks. The logos still were intact Wednesday. Mills said she worries about getting tramped by fans while she draws the logos, but once theyre done, people go out of their way to avoid stepping on them. The chalk art began in 2017 when Mills and her sisters were bored at a tailgate. They used chalk to write out the names of all eight teams in the CWS. In 2019, Mills said, she started doing the team logos. I was shocked at my own artistic skills, Mills said of the results. Angie Mills, Abbys mom, said her daughter doesnt give herself enough credit. On occasion, she said, Abby will draw things for her high school or her sisters school, but its not as elaborate as what she does for the CWS. To prepare, Mills said, she has to go to multiple craft stores to make sure she has enough chalk in the right colors. This year, Mills said she watched the regionals and super regionals and cheered on teams based on their logos. Do they have pretty colors? Does she want to draw the logo? Can she actually draw the logo? Mills favorite logo to draw this year was Stanford University, which features a tree and an S. Fans love the chalk art. Sometimes they will ask Mills to stop by their tailgate spot to draw a logo near them even if their team didnt make it into the series. Some fans have asked Mills if she pours water over the logos as teams are eliminated. Normally, Mother Nature takes care of that and washes away all the logos with rain. But this year, she poured water over the Texas logo after the Longhorns were eliminated. Its the only time Ive ever done it, Mills said. I thought, Why not? because Ive been waiting to do it, and the rain normally does it for me. Angie Mills said her family has had tickets to the CWS for 40 years, but now her daughters sidewalk chalk art is how people find them every year to reconnect. I think its cool people get so much joy out of seeing it, she said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Katie Britt won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama Tuesday, defeating six-term Rep. Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his initial Brooks endorsement. The loss ends a turbulent campaign that pit Brooks, a conservative firebrand who has spent more than a decade in Congress, against someone who has never held elected office. Brooks ran under the banner MAGA Mo" and fully embraced Trumps election lies. But that wasnt enough for the former president, who initially backed Brooks in the race to replace Britt's former boss, retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, but then pulled his support as Brooks languished in the polls. The race was among a handful of contests held Tuesday at the midpoint of a primary season that has been shaped by Trumps effort to influence the GOP. By the time Trump backed her earlier this month, Britt was already considered the favorite in the race. She emerged as the top vote-getter in the state's May 24 primary, but just missed the threshold that triggered a runoff. Still, Tuesday's result gives Trump a win at a time when his influence over the GOP has come under scrutiny. The former president has had a mixed record of success in backing candidates this election season, helping lift Senate contenders in Pennsylvania and Ohio while floundering elsewhere, particularly in Georgia. Voters in the onetime Republican stronghold rejected his efforts to unseat the states GOP governor and secretary of state, both of whom rebuffed his extraordinary pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And his trouble in the crucial swing state deepened Tuesday as two of his endorsed congressional candidates faltered in their GOP run-off elections. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick beat Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans. And in the 10th District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins bested Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones. Trump persuaded Jones to run for the seat and drop his long-shot bid for governor to clear the field for his chosen candidate, former Sen. David Perdue. Perdue lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who endorsed Collins. The seat is being vacated by Republican Rep. Jody Hice, who also lost his bid to unseat Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another top Trump target. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser won the Democratic nomination to serve another term, fending off a pair of challengers amid concerns over rising crime and homelessness. But the Alabama Senate runoff had drawn particular attention because of the drama surrounding Trump's endorsement and because the winner, who will face Democrat Will Boyd in November, is considered the overwhelmingly favorite in the Republican state. Britt, 40, cast herself as part of a new generation of conservative leaders while disparaging Brooks, 68, as a career politician. If victorious in November, Britt will be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama and one of its youngest members. The states previous female senators had been appointed. Alabama has spoken. We want new blood. We want fresh blood, she said at her victory party. We want someone who will fight for Christian conservative values, who will fight for the freedoms and liberties this nation was founded on and will fight for the American dream for the next generation and the next generation. That argument seemed to resonate with some voters Tuesday. Shes young. Shes smart, said 86-year-old Carolyn Bowman. Thats what we need in Congress. Brooks, who is known for his bombastic oratory style, described the race as a battle for the soul of Republican Party, pitting the true conservative wing against establishment members of the GOP. He disparaged Britt, 40, as a RINO the GOP pejorative meaning Republican in name only and maintained he was the only one with a proven conservative record. The founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Brooks has a history of bucking party leadership and made his opposition to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a pillar of his campaign, embarking on a Fire McConnell Tour of town halls. In his concession speech Tuesday night, Brooks told supporters he respected the races outcome. But in a sign of the contentious race, he accused voters of having been seduced by false advertising and congratulated high-dollar donors and special interest groups for funding Britts campaign. We are sending to Washington, D.C., the exact opposite of what we need in the United States Senate. But the voters have spoken. They might not have spoken wisely, he groused. Brooks was initially considered the frontrunner when he announced his Senate candidacy, and Trump quickly offered his support, rewarding an ally who had been an ardent supporter of Trumps false claims of election fraud. Brooks voted against certifying Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory and delivered a fiery speech at the Stop the Steal rally that proceeded the U.S. Capitol insurrection, telling the crowd, Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass. But their relationship soured as Brooks struggled to gain traction. Trump eventually pulled his support in March, accusing Brooks one of the most conservative members in Congress of going woke for saying at a rally that it was time to move on from litigating the 2020 presidential election. Brooks clawed his way into a second-place finish in the May primary and tried once again to get Trump to back him. But Trump instead threw his support to Britt 11 days before the runoff she was widely expected to win. Elsewhere, in Virginia, Republicans chose a pair of Trump-aligned congressional candidates to take on two of the most vulnerable Democrats in the fall. In the coastal 2nd District, state Sen. Jen Kiggans won the Republican race to try to unseat Democrat Elaine Luria, a retired Naval commander and member of the Jan. 6 committee, in the general election. And in central Virginias 7th District, Yesli Vega emerged from a competitive six-candidate field to face Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger. At the polls Tuesday in Virginia Beach, Nanci Eves, 70, said she voted for Kiggans in part because she believes the candidate is best positioned to win in November. We need someone who can beat Elaine Luria, said Eves, a retired nurse who lives in Virginia Beach and who thinks Democrats have made a mess of the country while in power. Colvin reported from Washington. Ben Finley in Virginia Beach, Va., contributed to this report. Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing logistical support to import the equivalent of about 16 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles from Mexico starting this weekend, as part of its efforts to ease nationwide supply shortages caused by the closure of the largest U.S. manufacturing plant. The Department of Health and Human Services is expediting the travel of trucks that will drive about 1 million pounds of Gerber Good Start Gentle infant formula from a Nestle plant to U.S. retailers, the White House said, nearly doubling the amount imported to the U.S. to date. Cargo flights from Europe and Australia already have brought baby formula into the U.S., including two new rounds of air shipments that begin this weekend. The White House has been working to make supply more available as it has faced pressure from parents over supply issues after regulators in February shuttered a Michigan plant run by Abbott that is the largest domestic manufacturer of baby formula over safety concerns. The plant reopened on June 4 after the company committed to additional sanitizing and safety protocols, but shuttered again more than a week ago after severe weather caused damage to the plant. The company said it needs time to assess damage and re-sanitize the factory after severe thunderstorms and heavy rains swept through southwestern Michigan on June 13. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration moved to ease federal import regulations to allow baby formula to be shipped to the U.S., and Biden authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to provide federal support to move formula from overseas into the U.S. Wednesday's announcement also includes air shipments of 1.65 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Nestle NAN Supremepro 2 infant formula from Germany to Texas this weekend, and 5.5 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Bubs infant formula in two shipments on June 26 and July 5. The White House says that by June 26, it efforts, dubbed Operation Fly Formula," will have brought 32 flights and almost 19 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of infant formula into the U.S. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. MIAMI (AP) A prominent Mexican scientist who led a double life with two families on separate continents and was co-opted by Russian agents into surveilling a U.S. government informant residing in Miami has been sentenced to four years and one day in federal prison. Hector Cabrera Fuentes, 36, was sentenced Tuesday in Miami federal court, according to court documents. He pleaded guilty in February to acting in the U.S. on behalf of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. attorney general. Cabrera was arrested in 2020 at Miami International Airport as he and his Mexican wife -- the other is from Russia -- were looking to return to their home in Mexico City. A day earlier, Valentines Day, the couple attracted the attention of a security guard as they were caught on surveillance tape tailgating another vehicle onto the premises of a Miami-area condominium and snapping a photo of the U.S. sources car and license plate ignoring instructions not to take any pictures but just jot down the vehicles location. The bizarre tale of Cabreras botched intelligence mission began in 2019 when his Russian wife and her two daughters traveled from Germany to Russia to take care of a bureaucratic matter. When the woman tried to return to Germany she was not allowed to depart, an FBI agent said in an affidavit accompanying the original indictment. Cabrera then traveled to Russia to see his family and was allegedly contacted by a Russian official he had met years earlier in a professional capacity. The individual, who is not identified in court filings, advised Cabrera that his family shouldnt travel to Europe or seek a U.S. visa. It was around this time that Cabrera began to believe the individual worked for Russias FSB intelligence agency, according to the FBI. Later, at a subsequent meeting in Moscow, the same official produced old emails from Cabreras account in which the Mexican scientist appeared to be scouting for real estate in Miami. The Russian official brought up Cabrera's family situation and told him, We can help each other, according to the original indictment. At the officials direction, Cabrera traveled to Miami and, using an associate's name, rented an apartment in the same complex where the U.S. government source was living. Its not clear if the scientist knew why the Russians wanted him to rent the apartment, but frequently intelligence agents seek to insulate themselves by recruiting other people to carry out various tasks. Rarely does the recruit have full knowledge of the entire mission. The individual Cabrera was trailing is not named in court papers and is described only as a U.S. government confidential human source who previously provided information regarding Russian intelligence activities affecting U.S. national security interests. Prior to his arrest, Cabrera worked in Singapore as an associate professor at a medical school jointly run by Duke University and the National University of Singapore. He also was appointed director in 2018 of the FEMSA Biotechnology Center at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in northern Mexico, which said he earned doctorates in molecular microbiology in Russia and molecular cardiology in Germany. In his hometown of El Espinal, in the southern state of Oaxaca, Cabrera is something of a local hero, remembered for his work to promote scientific research, heal those suffering from diabetes and assist in the rebuilding of homes after devastating earthquakes. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. At least 16 US cities set or tied records for their highest temperature for the date, with Macon, Georgia, hitting 103 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported. That was 3 degrees higher than the previous June 15 mark in Macon, set in 2010. Chicago's O'Hare airport reported a record temperature of 96, which is 15 degrees above normal and well above the 77 degrees it was last year on that date. The prior mark was 95, most recently reached in 1994, according to the weather service. Records were set in states from Michigan -- where the Tri-Cities saw 94 degrees -- to Florida, where it was 95 in Tampa, equaling a mark set in 2001. More than 120 million people were under heat warnings and advisories Wednesday, according to the weather service. In a midday forecast the agency said: "Life threatening excessive heat will develop across portions of the Midwest" and Georgia will experience "dangerous heat." There are also warnings or watches in the Southwest, and parts of Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Oklahoma. Temperatures across much of the US are expected to remain higher-than-normal on June 15, according to forecasts. cnnweather A total of 32 places across the central and southern US may get close to or exceed high-temperature records, according to the weather service's Weather Prediction Center. Multiple cities, including St. Louis, Nashville and Charlotte, North Carolina, have already broken daily records this week. The dangerous temperatures come as many homes remain without power after storms across the Midwest on Monday. That includes about 180,000 customers without power in Ohio on Wednesday, according to Poweroutage.us. The majority of Ohio has been under an excessive heat warning and about a dozen cities are among those that could set temperature records, according to the weather service. A spokesperson for electric company AEP Ohio told CNN that some customers should prepare for outages to last until Thursday. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called on residents to use cooling centers and swimming pools on Wednesday to beat the heat, and to check on neighbors as power slowly comes back online. "AEP is dealing with the damage from last night's storms plus high demand because of excessive heat. They are working to restore power to everyone. I know it's tough -- I'm without power at my house as well," the mayor said on social media. Records have also been hit by some power-grid operators amid the surging demand for air-conditioning. Both the Tennessee Valley Authority and Texas operator ERCOT recorded highs for electricity usage. Schools have been forced to alter schedules due to the excessive heat. In Wisconsin, where a heat index of 108 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded by the weather service Tuesday at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee Public Schools officials dismissed students early and said they will do so again Wednesday. "Young children and persons with certain health conditions are especially vulnerable to heat-related distress," the district announced on its website. "For the safety of all, the district has decided to shorten the school day." More than a dozen schools in Minnesota that are not fully air-conditioned moved to e-learning on Tuesday, according to Minneapolis Public Schools. Detroit Public Schools announced they will close all in-person schools three hours early through Friday due to the extreme heat. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday two heat-related deaths are under investigation, and autopsy results are expected Thursday. CNN has reached out to the medical examiner's office for additional information. Relief may soon arrive for the Midwest as the heat is forecast to break late Wednesday, with a cold front due to bring cooler temperatures, scattered showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures will drop to more-average levels as the front moves through Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon and Chicago by Wednesday overnight. The cold front is forecast to move through Ohio by Thursday. Still, even with temperatures easing a few degrees, particularly throughout the Upper Midwest, temperatures in much of the region will remain above normal, with areas of record-setting temperatures persisting into the latter part of the week. On Thursday, temperatures are forecast to climb well above normal for much of the Great Basin, the Rockies and Southwest. An excessive heat warning has also been issued for parts of interior southern California and Arizona, where daytime highs are expected to soar once again well into the triple digits. Don't rely on fans to keep you cool in extreme heat. Here's how to stay safe. Wildfires rage in Arizona, New Mexico Meanwhile, states across the Southwest faced an elevated risk of wildfires due to windy conditions and relative humidity on Tuesday. In Arizona, the Pipeline Fire just north of Flagstaff has scorched more than 22,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, US Forest Service officials said. The blaze was first spotted on Sunday, according to a Tuesday update from InciWeb, a federal clearinghouse for wildfire information. A second fire just a few miles away, the Haywire Fire, has burned roughly 5,000 acres, according to the forest service. Firefighters in New Mexico continue to battle the two largest fires in the state's history, the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire just northeast of Santa Fe and the Black Fire in the Gila National Forest. They have burned almost 640,000 acres combined. There are 38 active large wildfires in the US as of Tuesday that have burned almost 1.2 million acres in four states -- Alaska, Arizona, California and New Mexico, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. LINCOLN Nebraska school choice advocates expect lawmakers to push harder for such programs in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court determined the state of Maine could not prohibit tuition aid for religious schools while providing it for other private schools. The ruling Tuesday will not directly alter policy in Nebraska, but officials on both sides of the school choice issue said it will almost assuredly factor into future legislative debates. While this ruling does not directly change Nebraskas laws or school funding, it should embolden our legislature to finally pass legislation that will provide real choice in education to families and students in Nebraska, said Nate Grasz, Nebraska Family Alliances policy director, in an email statement. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who has repeatedly proposed legislation intended to help low-income students attend private or parochial schools, said the courts ruling will make it harder for opponents to justify their position, though she believes passing legislation still wont be easy. States have taken different approaches to school choice, with some offering tuition vouchers for families who opt to send their children to private schools. Some states provide tax credits to donors who contribute to private school scholarship programs. As of March 2021, 16 states had voucher programs while 19 offered some kind of scholarship tax credit, according to the Education Commission of the States, a nonpartisan organization that researches education policy. Nebraska does not have a voucher program, and recent attempts to establish a tax credit for scholarship donations have failed. The state does have an enrollment option program to allow students to attend public schools outside of their districts. School choice is now the mainstream around the country, even if Nebraska remains backwards in this area, said Tim McNeil, Archdiocese of Omaha chancellor, in an email statement. Its what families want and need. In Maine, the state allows families who live in towns that dont have public schools to receive public tuition dollars to send their children to the school of their choosing. But the program has excluded religious schools. The nations high court ruled that policy violated the Constitutions protections for religious freedoms. Linehan said the Supreme Court ruling should eliminate the argument that including religious schools in choice programs violates the First Amendment. However, she said that has not been the leading argument opposing recent school choice bills in Nebraska. Linehans effort this year was Legislative Bill 364, which would have provided tax breaks to people or businesses that donate to a qualifying private or parochial school scholarship fund. It died because of a filibuster, with one of the primary arguments against the bill being that it wouldnt actually help low-income students as it was intended to but instead provide state funds to wealthy Nebraskans. Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, echoed that argument Tuesday. She said school choice programs are not a good use of tax dollars. She believes that money should primarily support public education, which is where 90% of Nebraska students receive their education. Benson agreed that school choice legislation will likely return in future legislative sessions, as she said it is usually a topic that comes up every session. However, she said she also expects opponents will continue to stand strong against it. Linehan said she plans to resurrect her scholarship tax credit bill in the next regular session, as she has been trying to get it passed for the past four years. She said she also expects other lawmakers will introduce their own school choice bills in the wake of the Supreme Courts ruling. Over the last five years, school choice has gained major momentum in Nebraska and that momentum will only grow because of the (Supreme Court) decision, McNeil said. The fate of these bills will largely depend on the outcome of the upcoming elections in November. A total of 23 districts in the 49-member Legislature have contested races. If Nebraska does approve a school choice program, Linehan said she doesnt anticipate many Nebraska students will end up changing schools. She said most families factor in their childs education options when deciding where to live. However, if many students do switch schools as a result of a school choice program, she said she is OK with that outcome, as well. More importantly, Linehan said it will help recruit younger people particularly young families to Nebraska. Nothing is more important to people than their kids, Linehan said. World-Herald staff writer Joe Dejka contributed to this report, which includes material from the Associated Press. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon will leave Nebraska on Friday for an extended trip into and across battle-torn Ukraine, where he will assess conditions and humanitarian needs. The trip replaces an earlier plan to travel to Poland, where he had intended to stay and assist in logistical and humanitarian activities for refugees who fled after the Russian military invaded Ukraine and initiated relentless bombardment of its cities, turning many of them into rubble. Brewer will fly to Krakow, Poland, where he will meet with Noah Philson, a young Nebraskan who is already there providing humanitarian assistance, and they will travel to Lviv in western Ukraine. Then, its on to the capital of Kyiv with a driver and interpreter who will take Brewer through the country, with the final destination of Odesa, a deep-water port on the Black Sea. That journey would transport them into war-torn country in the Donbas, where Russian forces have virtually destroyed the port city of Mariupol. Brewers mission is to assess humanitarian needs and figure out a way to break up the logjam of equipment and resources that is currently stacked along runways in Poland. Ukrainians are busy fighting the war, he said, and cant bring it in. Brewer said that its hard to judge how the war is going a world away and that this will help him assess challenges and needs. A retired U.S. Army colonel, Brewer is familiar with war zones; he was severely wounded in combat with the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2003 and wounded again in 2011 on his sixth combat tour. While he is in Kyiv, he said, he hopes to talk with Ukrainian soldiers about what theyre experiencing and what works and what doesnt work. After recently talking with military officials at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Brewer said he was cautioned to make sure not to message in real time while he is there, delaying any reports he may make a week or so when his location will have changed. The Russians are monitoring messaging constantly, he said. His approach in Ukraine will be to see and learn, Brewer said, while gathering information. The Ukrainians have shown us they really do want to remain free, he said. They have fought like tigers. Brewer said that his intent is to stay several months but that he would return to Lincoln for a special session of the Legislature if Gov. Pete Ricketts decides to call one after an anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning its previous abortion rights ruling in Roe v. Wade. But if Brewer is called back to Lincoln in a month or so, hell probably go back to Ukraine. His decision to go into Ukraine in the middle of war was prompted by a strong sense of duty and urgency, Brewer said. In the end, he said, he simply decided that you gotta go do it. A special season allows hunters to kill as many animals as possible in the area to relieve problems landowners are having with elk destroying their crops. It's believed to be only 15 to 20 of the massive animals. WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- After decades where millions of Americans who were at risk for cardiovascular trouble were told a daily low-dose aspirin would guard against strokes and heart attacks, new guidelines issued this spring recommend that the strategy is not worth the bleeding risks in those over 60. That's been plenty confusing for patients who aren't sure what is the safest course forward. Diane Manzella, a Southern California resident, is among them. Manzella, now 80, had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a "mini stroke," about 20 years ago. These attacks can be a harbinger of a future major stroke. Then she had a second TIA last month -- after stopping her daily dose of aspirin several months ago. Experts at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles have heard from other confused stroke patients about the new guidelines. "Both in the hospital setting as well as our clinic spaces, our patients are hearing, seeing the news and they are having family members telling them, 'You need to stop your aspirin. Hey, it causes harm,' because the general public does not know the difference between primary and secondary prevention," said Dr. Shlee Song, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Cedars-Sinai. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made its final recommendations tightening the use of low-dose aspirin usage in late April. Soon after, the American Heart Association (AHA) noted that those changes aligned with its 2019 guidelines. For now, the recommendations are that people with a history of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, stroke or stenting should continue to take their low-dose aspirin. But for people with no history of heart disease or stroke, taking low-dose aspirin is not recommended for preventing heart attack or stroke ("primary prevention"), especially in adults who have a higher risk for bleeding. Certain middle-aged adults may benefit from low-dose aspirin therapy, the AHA noted, if they are at high risk for heart attack or stroke due to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or a significant family history of heart disease. Those individuals should get specific treatment advice from their doctors. Aspirin still an option for some "The task force recommends a discussion with the doctor to see if the benefits outweigh the risk. There is a marginal risk reduction with aspirin in the 40- to 59-year age range and the physician or the clinical team member needs to really make sure that the bleeding risk does not outweigh the potential benefit here," Song said. Aspirin can harm people with stomach ulcers or bleeding issues in the gut, which is among the reasons it shouldn't be taken unless there is another reason to do so, Song explained. Doctors may screen for symptoms such as heartburn or changes in stool before making a decision to use aspirin for primary prevention, she said. "If a patient's doctor has recommended low-dose aspirin -- or any preventive medication -- the patient shouldn't discontinue taking it without discussing it with their physician," Song said in a question-and-answer session Cedars-Sinai posted recently to help patients understand the guidelines. Since the 1950s, doctors have been prescribing daily aspirin to help prevent recurring heart attacks. Many studies have shown that daily low-dose aspirin or similar medications can reduce the risk of major vascular events like heart attacks and strokes by up to 25% compared to patients who do not take aspirin or aspirin-like medicines, said Dr. Lee Schwamm, executive vice chair of neurology and director of the Center for TeleHealth at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The aspirin strategy works by inhibiting activation of platelets, which play a role in clotting, Schwamm said. Though that clotting action is useful after injury to a blood vessel causes bleeding, platelets can also cause a clot to form that can block blood flow or break off and travel to the brain or heart and cause a stroke or heart attack, Schwamm explained. Occasional aspirin for pain relief is still a safe alternative, and many patients with arthritis take aspirin regularly for their pain symptoms, Schwamm noted. "Many people have been confused by this message, especially if they only read the headlines of articles or hear the opening part of a news story," Schwamm said. "This is a very subtle message, and we need to do a better job of explaining the risks and benefits of over-the-counter treatments that can save lives for some people, but put others at risk." Talk to your doctor first For those who've had a past stroke or heart attack, that medical history doesn't just go away, even if it's been a number of years, Song said. "Some patients think they're in the same primary prevention group because the stroke or TIA or the heart attack happened years ago. [They think] 'So I'm with the general public, right?' No, you're not," Song said. "It's because you've had this relevant history that we need to continue the aspirin." Such was the case with Manzella. Her original TIA back in 2002 consisted of blurry vision, with temporary blackened vision on the lower half of her left eye. Her training as a speech pathologist made her think it could be a clot. Afterwards, she was prescribed low-dose aspirin. Last fall, after reading a newspaper story and talking with her new cardiologist, Manzella stopped taking aspirin. "There was a huge article in the L.A. Times and elsewhere in news media about the idea that the low-dose aspirin, taking it to prevent a stroke, wasn't all that effective unless you had had a prior problem," said Manzella, who thinks her cardiologist hadn't remembered her history of TIA. Last month, she had another TIA, which featured tingling on her left side, impaired balance and slurred speech. An ambulance brought her to a Cedars-Sinai hospital. "In hindsight, I shouldn't have" stopped taking the aspirin, Manzella said. After her recent episode, Manzella's medical team gave her some updated guidance. "This was their advice: Keep myself healthy, stay in touch with my doctors, and continue on the aspirin and start a statin drug," Manzella said. Now, "I'm feeling pretty good," she said. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on stroke. SOURCES: Diane Manzella, Marina Del Rey, Calif.; Shlee Song, MD, director, Comprehensive Stroke Center, vice chair, Neurology System Integration, and professor, neurology, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles; Lee Schwamm, MD, executive vice chair, neurology, director, Center for TeleHealth, and vice president, virtual care and digital health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Cedars-Sinai, news release, June 16, 2022; American Heart Association, statement, April 26, 2022 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. NORMAL Heartland Community College has spent almost a third of the $1 million that it dedicated to improving cybersecurity last June after a cyberattack in fall 2020. Heartland Chief Information Officer Scott Bross updated the Heartland board of trustees Tuesday night on the changes since the funding was announced in June 2021. IT is doing great when you guys are not talking about IT, and you guys have not talked about IT in about a year, Bross said. Many of the improvements focus on protections for the colleges data center and backups. The attack prevented Heartland from accessing files, which shut down classes and took months to fully fix. Thats one of the things they really attempt to do, is put down your ability to actually do business, Bross said. Data center changes included adding more detection for unusual activity and a review of the colleges firewall. Backup improvements include off-site backups and a move, in progress, to what is called air-gap backups, which are not connected to the institutions network. Board documents show that the air-gap backup move, at about $243,000, has used a majority of the funds spent so far. Another $29,000 has gone toward backup software and $39,000 has gone toward penetration testing. The college also is separating more of the widely accessed network from the parts of the network that hold important and valuable information, Bross said. Even just implementing a better plan for patches and updates to servers can be important in preventing hackers from exploiting the system, he said. If theyre not being updated, we can be attacked in just a brief window () this keeps us current, it keeps us in action, Bross said. Heartland also is requiring multifactor authentication for employees. This is a trend far beyond education, he said, and is becoming a standard practice across internet services. The multifactor addition is one of the more visible changes that employees encounter daily. President Keith Cornille said the college also is continuing its education efforts for students and employees to improve the human element of cybersecurity. Bross plans to implement yearly third-party penetration testing, in which the college hires experts who then try to hack into the system. This year the college gave the outside company a student login account. The test did reveal some issues the college should address, but nothing drastic, Bross said. Budget plans Later at the meeting, the board heard plans for the tentative fiscal 2023 budget, with a public hearing set for Sept. 20 before the scheduled board meeting. Heartland Controller Justin Knorr said the staff anticipates a balanced budget of around $37 million in the education fund and operations and maintenance fund. The tentative budget assumes a 3.7% increase in property values and even enrollment from the fiscal 2022 budget. The board has previously approved a $3 per credit hour increase in tuition and a $2 per credit hour increase in student fees. Expenses are expected to increase due to salary raises and rising costs generally, Knorr said. The balance of where funds are being spent, and where they are coming from, is expected to stay substantially the same as the 2022 budget. After a closed session, the board approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the Heartland Faculty Association, which represents full-time faculty at the college. The agreement includes raises of 2.5%, 3% and 2.5% over the next three years, respectively. The contract is for three years. "The HFA is committed to offering students quality educational experience, which can best occur when responsible compensation and supportive working conditions are provided for educational professionals," the union said in a statement sent out by the college after the meeting. Part-time faculty are represented by a separate union. In the same press release, HFA President Cherie Rankin said that the bargaining process included a salary study that led to one-time adjustments for most faculty, along with the scheduled raises. HFA President Cherie Rankin told The Pantagraph that most items up for negotiation were decided "quickly and smoothly." The last two years of teaching during the pandemic has shown a need for flexibility in instruction, Rankin said. "During COVID, the value of flexibility in terms of both location of work and student access to instructors was clear. That flexibility will largely continue whenever possible," she said. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter:@connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL Illinois State University is glad to see recent legislation that aims to address equity at the state's public higher education institutions, the university's diversity and inclusion lead said. We really welcome this plan, and a lot of the elements we are already implementing, said Doris Houston, interim assistant to the president for diversity and inclusion. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 5464 the Higher Education Omnibus Bill on June 7. The legislation requires Illinois public universities and community colleges to create equity plans to address disparities for historically underrepresented groups, including students of color, adult students, students from rural areas, women and students with disabilities. The Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board will manage the rollout of the plans. IBHE will help analyze institutions' current situations, then develop a framework for the schools to work on to create their own plans, said the agency's executive director, Ginger Ostro. "There isn't a one-size fits all," she said. Illinois State University progress One area where Illinois State will be glad to have IBHE support and advice is in setting benchmarks to measure improvement, Houston said. The benchmarks will give the school interim goals, but it can be difficult to decide where to set them. In other areas, she said, the university is well set as it implements equity programs. The university has been collecting data on topics like retention rates and parsing data to look at specific colleges, departments and even classes that seem to pose challenges, Houston said. Part of that process includes a five-year review of ISUs 2017 Campus Climate Task Force Plan, which Houston presented to the Academic Senate. The review pointed towards improvements in increasing diversity in the student body and more supports for students and employees from historically underrepresented backgrounds. But it also noted there was still work to be done, especially on graduation rates and recruiting faculty and staff from underrepresented backgrounds. Houston hopes to hold another campus climate survey, which had been planned for 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. The bill was passed with IBHE support and will help the states public universities and colleges progress towards the goals laid out in that agency's latest strategic plan, Ostro said. Key in that plan, theres three goals. The first is to close equity gaps for students who have been historically left behind, she said. The equity plans will be unique to each school, Ostro said. The challenges and solutions at one school might not apply at another. I think its an opportunity to build on what schools have been doing on their own, Ostro said. Houston said that the statewide strategic plan provided a model for schools to follow, while also adding in their own needs and challenges. The university will also be looking at the equity plans developed by the 25 members of the Illinois Equity in Attainment Initiative. There really is a structure and an outline for the equity plan, she said. Other changes Under HB5464, community colleges will also have to develop equity plans. Heartland College is waiting for the Illinois Community College Board to review existing plans at the states public community colleges, spokesman Steve Fast said. The school does not anticipate having more details from ICCB until the fall. Heartland is in the process of rolling out some of its large-scale equity plans, including implementing it Workforce Equity Initiative grant which is helping historically marginalized groups pay for Heartland programs and associated costs. The states fiscal year 2023 budget makes an important investment in equity and financial help for higher education students, Ostro said. That includes a more than $120 million increase in funding for the Monetary Award Program, which provides grants for Illinois students to attend college. Tied into those goals are two other bills signed by Pritzker earlier this month. House Bill 4201 requires the state's public universities and community colleges to designate a staff member as a benefits navigator to help students apply for federal, state and local aid programs they qualify for. Senate Bill 3991 amends the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program to allow the state treasurer to increase the deposits for children from financially insecure backgrounds. The Illinois Higher Education Savings Program will provide an initial deposit of $50 in a 529 College Savings account for every child born in the state starting Jan. 1, 2023. Similar savings funds have led to a threefold increase in children who go on to attend college and a four-fold increase in children who go on to graduate from college, the governors office said. Ostro said the investments included in the budget and recent legislation will help grow the state's economy. A core idea here that we keep coming back to are that educational equity and Illinois economic growth are inseparable, Ostro said. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter:@connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGDALE About half a dozen families were already waiting in the parking lot of Rana-Reagan Pharmacy in Bloomingdale when it opened Monday morning. Co-owner Bhavna Modi told the families that COVID-19 vaccines for young children had not yet arrived, and they might want to check back later. But they insisted on waiting. Some had brought coolers with food for the day. They said they dont mind waiting, Modi said. Its very emotional. They say their kids will be able to go to summer school and see their grandparents. Their patience was soon rewarded. The Bloomingdale pharmacy received its first shipment of Moderna vaccines for young children around 10:45 a.m. and began administering them within minutes, becoming one of the first locations in the state to give out the long-awaited shots. For more than two years, many families with children under 5 have waited for COVID-19 vaccines for their youngest kids watching as every other age group was given the opportunity to get immunized. This weekend, they cheered when vaccines for the youngest set were finally approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Monday, some Illinois providers began giving the first shots. Many more Illinois pharmacies, doctors offices and health departments plan to start administering the vaccines in the coming days. Health leaders are urging parents to check with their pediatricians first to see if theyll have vaccines available. Some pediatricians are planning to offer the vaccine and others are not. Walgreens plans to start vaccinating 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds this week. Illinois pharmacists can only vaccinate children 3 and older, but CVS Health will give Pfizer shots to children ages 18 months through 4 years starting Tuesday at its MinuteClinics, which are staffed by family nurse practitioners, physician associates and nurses. The Chicago Department of Public Health is planning a number of events for children 6 months and older throughout the summer. Various county health departments are also planning to offer vaccines this week. Though some parents remain hesitant about vaccines for their kids, those who streamed through the doors of Rana-Reagan Pharmacy on Monday were excited and relieved. Some traveled hours to the pharmacy, after hearing about it on the Facebook group Chicago Vaccine Hunters. Trista Countryman drove for about an hour from Plainfield to get Moderna vaccines for her twin 4-year-old sons, Rudy and Gryffin. She spent the weekend making calls to see who would have the vaccines first. As they stood in the waiting room of the pharmacy Monday, pharmacist Jignesh Gandhi asked if they were ready. Weve been waiting a year and a half, Countryman said. Were ready to go! Gandhi told the boys it would feel like a mosquito bite. Within a few minutes, her sons had been vaccinated and were clutching chocolate candy bars Gandhi gave them after the shots. I just wanted them to get vaccinated as soon as possible, Countryman said. I felt it was important for them to get their lives back a little bit. Soon it was 4-year-old Liam Grunwaldts turn. Since COVID-19 began, Grunwaldts family has been trying to protect him because he has kidney disease and pulmonary problems. Theyve tried to avoid eating indoors and large crowds. Weve been waiting for this day, Christina Grunwaldt said, through tears of relief. Now, if he catches COVID-19, she wont worry as much that hell have to be hospitalized for it, she said. We can do more activities, like before 2020, said Grunwaldt, of Carol Stream, as her two older, vaccinated children sat beside her. Becky Trimble drove about two hours from Mequon, Wisconsin, to Rana-Reagan Pharmacy Monday to get a vaccine for her 3-year-old son, Cole. Each day that we wait is another day hes unprotected, Trimble said. So if I can get in the car and drive two hours, thats what Im going to do. Many parents went to Rana-Reagan specifically because they had heard it had the Moderna vaccine Monday. Vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer were authorized Saturday by the CDC. Though the FDA has said both vaccines are safe and effective, the shots have differences that have some parents angling for one over the other. The Moderna vaccine for children ages 6 months through 5 years is supposed to be given in two doses, about four weeks apart, and each shot is about one-fourth of an adult dose. The Pfizer vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years consists of three doses, given over the course of about 11 weeks. Each dose of the Pfizer vaccine is about one-tenth of an adult dose. Many parents who want the Moderna vaccine for their kids are attracted to the shorter timeline to full vaccination. Amanda Mehrbrodt said she spent hours combing through the data for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines before deciding to pursue Moderna for her 4-year-old son, Adam. She drove about an hour from Frankfurt to Rana-Reagan on Monday. Shes eager for Adam to be fully vaccinated before he goes to school in the fall. He doesnt know anything other than COVID. He was 2 when COVID hit, Mehrbrodt said. She also has a 21-month-old who shes hoping will get vaccinated by the Will County health department later this week. Her younger child still hasnt met some family members, she said. Mehrbrodt is looking forward to traveling, playdates with cousins and just feeling less worried, once her kids are fully vaccinated. We want to get back to living our life, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD A federal judge in Chicago handed down a one-year prison sentence Tuesday for a former state senator who once chaired the Senate Labor Committee. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of embezzlement for receiving salary and benefits from Teamsters Joint Council 25 as a purported union organizer even though he admitted to doing little or no work for the union. Cullerton, 52, was first elected to the General Assembly in 2012 to represent the 23rd District, which at that time spanned a portion of northern DuPage County. He had previously worked as a truck driver and was a member of a local Teamsters union. In March 2013, shortly after being sworn into office, he was given a job at Teamsters Joint Council 25 and he remained on the payroll until February 2016. In addition to receiving a salary, monthly car and telephone allowances and bonuses, prosecutors said, Teamsters Joint Council 25 also funded Cullertons health and pension benefits through Teamsters Local Union 734, all totaling $248,828. Cullerton was indicted in August 2019 on 40 counts of embezzlement. But he maintained his innocence and continued to serve in the Senate, although he was stripped of his chairmanship of the Labor Committee. In March of this year, however, he entered a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in which he admitted to one count of embezzlement. He then resigned his Senate seat and was replaced by former state Rep. Diane Pappas, who is not running for a full term in that office. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman also ordered Cullerton to repay the union $223,828, an amount that reflected the fact that he had previously made a $25,000 restitution payment. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed not to seek forfeiture of his Villa Park residence Prosecutors initially asked for an 18-month sentence, which they said would reflect the seriousness of the crime. In a court filing earlier this month, they noted that after Cullerton lost his job at Teamsters Joint Council 25, he took another do-nothing job as a salesman for a video gaming company in 2017 where he received a salary of $1,000 a week, an amount that was later doubled to $2,000 a week, even though he brought in little if any business for the company. He was not charged in relation to those payments. He continued to receive those payments, prosecutors argued, until the investigation into his Teamsters employment became public. Cullertons defense attorney, however, argued for a more lenient sentence of three years probation, with an order to perform community service and pay restitution, arguing that Cullerton was currently employed doing shift work at a warehouse and that money continues to be a source of stress for his family. Tom is a good and decent man who made a terrible mistake, attorney Daniel Collins wrote in a court filing. He should not have accepted the Teamsters salary and benefits without doing enough to earn them. Tom will live the rest of his life with deep regret and shame, but he is determined to make it right and continue in some way to help his community. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHCIAGO Kellogg Company announced plans to split Tuesday, saying it will spin itself off into three separate companies focused on cereal, plant-based foods and snacks. The snacks company will be headquartered in Chicago, the company said in a news release, with campuses in both the city and Battle Creek, Michigan. The news comes a week after Caterpillar, the mining and construction equipment maker, announced plans to move its corporate headquarters from Deerfield to Irving, Texas, and less than two months after Boeing said it plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia. Kelloggs snacks division, which includes brands like Pringles and Rice Krispies Treats, accounted for 80% of Kelloggs net sales in 2021, the company said. The cereal and plant-based companies, which together accounted for 20% of net sales, will be headquartered in Battle Creek. All three companies will be publicly traded. These businesses all have significant stand-alone potential, and an enhanced focus will enable them to better direct their resources toward their distinct strategic priorities, Kellogg chairman and CEO Steve Cahillane said in a statement. In turn, each business is expected to create more value for all stakeholders, and each is well positioned to build a new era of innovation and growth. Cahillane will remain chairman and CEO of the snacks company, which had an estimated net sales of $11.4 billion last year, Kellogg said. The company said the management teams for the plant-based and cereal spin offs would be announced at a later date. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 President Joe Biden has a politically risky itinerary for his scheduled trip to Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia in mid-July. The question is, why he is doing this? The tour is scheduled to begin in Jerusalem, where the president plans to meet with Israelis leaders to discuss security, prosperity and increasing integration into the great region. All worthy topics, but not quite in sync with the moment. On Monday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced his resignation. According to the U.S. Embassy, Biden's visit is still on. When he arrives in Jerusalem, he will find a caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, and a government incapable of making major moves or decisions. Elections are scheduled for late October or early November. Biden will also meet with the opposition leader, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who polls say is most likely to lead the next government. His visit to the West Bank, where he plans to meet the head of the Palestinian Authority, is a controversy waiting to happen. No American president has ever visited the contested area before. The break from diplomatic precedent will be welcomed by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. But the battle here is for the future, and there is no reason to suppose that a summer chat between 87-year-old Mahmoud Abbas and the 79-year-old Biden will make much of a difference in the contours of the Holy Land. Irrelevance abroad wont prevent the presidents visit to the West Bank from becoming a talking point in America, with midterm congressional elections coming in November. Supporters and critics of Israel will argue over the departure from protocol. Biden may have concluded that this could be advantageous to his party. I wouldnt presume to argue politics with the president, but most public opinion polls show the Democrats are facing a landslide defeat in the House for reasons that have nothing to do with the West Bank or the moribund peace process, now going on for more than 55 years. The last stop on the presidents tour, in Saudi Arabia, is the one most likely to matter. Or maybe matter too much. According to the White House, Biden will be meeting the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and additional Arab leaders from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. The Saudi king, Salman bin Abdulaziz, will chair the gathering. The name of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was intentionally omitted from the announcement. The White House notes that Saudi Arabia has been a strategic partner of the United States for nearly eight decades. That is mostly true, but it requires an asterisk when it comes to the Biden administration. In 2018, Saudi agents in Istanbul carried out the lurid assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a longtime Saudi journalist turned Washington Post columnist. Khashoggi had many friends in the U.S. capital, and his murder became a cause celebre. In his presidential campaign, Biden accused the crown prince of ordering the murder. MBS, as he is known, is the kingdoms defense minister, heir to the throne of his 86-year-old father and the current power behind it. Not incidentally, he was regarded as a close ally of Donald Trumps White House. Biden vowed that, if elected, Saudi Arabia would pay a terrible price for murdering Khashoggi. He said he would end Americas special relationship with Saudi Arabia and turn it into an international pariah. But it was a pledge he couldnt keep. The kingdom, whatever its sins and flaws, is too big, too energy-rich and too widely allied to be isolated and turned into a pariah by presidential fiat. (Biden is now discovering that the same is true of Russia.) Bidens actual motive is to persuade the Saudis to pump enough oil to lower gas prices in the U.S. before November. This will not happen without the acquiescence of Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi royal family is famous for its hospitality. MBS will not want a public scene, especially with his father present. Bidens climb-down is already being choreographed. Three days after the official American agenda was announced, he amended it. I'm not going to meet with MBS, he told reporters. I'm going to an international meeting, and he's going to be part of it. Sure. Maybe the two men will bump into one another at the royal palace, shake hands and say no hard feelings. More likely, the sulha will be accomplished in private. No matter, everyone will be aware that Biden, the notional leader of the free world, came to the meeting as the supplicant of a prince young enough to be his grandson. Bidens trip to the Middle East is still three weeks off. There is no one to talk to in the Holy Land. There is no one he wants to talk to at the summit. He should find a way to make amends with MBS that doesnt require an almost 7,000-mile pilgrimage and offer the kingdom a generous oil deal it cant refuse. Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 We are writing this letter asking you to support our dad, Don Knapp, for 11th circuit judge. With Fathers Day, we could think of no better time to write this letter, as we have witnessed more than anyone the amount of work he puts into defending this community. Over his past almost four years as States Attorney, he has made himself available to law enforcement and the community 24/7 and there isnt a day we can think of over that time period where he hasnt been the first one out of the house and the last one home. What we admire most about him however is that even with his demanding position, he has always tried to make plenty of time for us and has been there for us when we need him. No one knows as much as us his love for this community that he has grown up in and how much pride he takes in keeping it safe. As judge, there is no doubt he would continue to keep this an incredibly safe region and continue to drive criminals out of not only McLean County, but also Ford, Livingston, Logan, and Woodford counties as well. No matter what happens in this election we are so proud of you for all the work you have put in and we love you so much. Jimmy Knapp, Bloomington Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Loved seeing in the news that incumbent Republican U.S. Rep Darin LaHood supports a cure for Alzheimer's. But it's not going to make us forget LaHood's debasing of democracy or his (waste of) time in public office. LaHood's role as a U.S. representative from Illinois has devolved into that of puppet for whatever Donald Trump or GOP leaders want. He serves only the far-right in the district, ignoring the rest of us. LaHood embarrassingly was recently rebuked with a solid F for "Failure in Democracy" by the Republican Accountability Project. Is it any wonder? He supported the infamous Texas lawsuit to remove Black votes in the 2020 presidential election. Blacks voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden, and their votes were attacked by insurrection leader Donald Trump as illegal. If counted, it meant he lost the election. Puppet LaHood mindlessly signed on to the lawsuit to disenfranchise black voters in Atlanta, Detroit and Philadelphia. The effort failed because we live in a democracy - where a majority of Americans hate Trump for who he is: A con-man and charlatan - and now add as a traitor to the U.S. Constitution by attempting our nation's first coup. Given the facts Mr. LaHood, were you guided by willful ignorance, racism or merely fraudulent opportunism? LaHood, co-chair of Trump's 2020 re-election campaign in Illinois, nor anyone else, has evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election that would change the outcome. It doesn't exist. And LaHood so far has been silent about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by Trump's "Stop the Steal" supporters who in an Orwellian twist tried to steal Biden's election. These are not the acts of a wise or rational person. It's lunacy, and un-democratic, making LaHood undeserving of our vote. Randy Kull, Bloomington Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has assured that government remains committed to implementing measures to address the perennial depreciation of the Ghana cedi against its major trading partners. The Minister gave the assurance when he responded to a question posed to him in Parliament by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bongo Constituency, Edward Abambire on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. According to the Minister, the government has so far implemented a 30% cut in expenditures as part of measures to reduce the fiscal deficit noting that this is geared toward helping reduce the pressures on the exchange rate. Government is complementing efforts to keep the cedi afloat through its fiscal consolidation measures and real sector interventions. The implementation of the 30% cut in expenditures and other expenditure measures approved by Cabinet are all helping to reduce the fiscal deficit and thereby reduce the pressures on the exchange rate, he said. He said, in addition, the government is undertaking real sector interventions including the Ghana CARES programme to support import substitution of products such as poultry, rice, and other essential commodities thereby reducing foreign exchange pressures from the imports of those products. Mr Ofori-Atta said the government is also arranging to raise about US$1.0 billion to support the 2022 Budget and foreign exchange reserves. This forex inflow he explained is expected to improve the supply of the foreign currency and the stability of the local currency. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video WhaleFin, an all-in-one digital asset platform powered by the leading global digital asset company Amber Group, is set to launch a series of educational initiatives about cryptocurrencies, web3 and blockchain technology in Africa. The series will take place from June 22nd to August 24th 2022. The series will bring in 10 key speakers covering a variety of cryptocurrency related topics with the goal of spreading understanding within the African community. The series will shed light on DeFi, Web3, trading strategies, dollar cost averaging, amongst other important subjects related to the cryptocurrency industry. The seminars will be hosted on the WhaleFin Africa telegram group and twitter via twitter spaces. The conversations are open to everyone in Africa looking for opportunities to learn and build digital wealth, to join and participate. We will select 30 participants and offer them the chance to win rewards throughout the 10-week period. To enjoy these rewards participants must: (1) Follow WhaleFin Africa on Telegram, Twitter and Facebook (2) Participate in the Live call (3) Register on WhaleFin Africa and Complete KYC (4) Fill out necessary Google Forms (5) Answer the educators questions and participate in the sessions activity Rewards will be shared 10 working-days after the completion of each series. About WhaleFin WhaleFin is Amber Group's flagship digital asset platform, empowering users with the right tools to build wealth in an increasingly digital era. It is essentially an all-in-one platform serving as the preferred digital asset gateway for customers at any experience level. You can sign up here: https://www.whalefin.com/web/home About Amber Group Amber Group is a leading digital asset platform operating globally. The firm provides a full range of digital asset services spanning investing, financing, and trading and spending. Its 24/7 trading desk serves over a thousand institutional clients globally while the integrated digital asset platform WhaleFin serves the individual investors via mobile and desktop applications. To date, Amber Group has cumulatively traded over $1T, with $5B in assets under management. This year, Amber Group raised $200M in Series B+ round led by Temasek at a valuation of $3B. To date, Amber Group has raised a total of $328 million in funding from world-class investors such as Temasek, Sequoia Capital, Paradigm, Tiger Global Management, Dragonfly Capital, Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Blockchain.com. Amber Group recently announced that it has successfully secured comprehensive global insurance coverage protecting digital assets held in its wallet infrastructure on behalf of clients, including direct insurance policy, indirect coverage and insurance-backed Theft Protection. Amber Group also recently announced that it has successfully achieved Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 compliance, ensuring customers are protected by institutional grade security controls that govern highly regulated industries. For more information, please visit www.ambergroup.io. Your browser does not support iframes. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has entreated local communities to be observant and help the Service to detect early symptoms and signs to prevent the spread of the Monkey Pox disease. He said the GHS had intensified surveillance and therefore required community support to help contain and prevent a possible outbreak of the disease in the country. Dr Kuma-Aboagye made the call when he interacted with health workers at the Sankore Health Centre in the Asunafo South District, as part of his two-day working visit to the Ahafo Region. He also tasked public health institutions to upscale COVID-19 vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of the viral disease. Accompanied by other key staff of the GHS and the Ghana Health Service Council, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye was in the region to interact with, identify and help address challenges confronting the health workers. He said COVID-19 cases were resurfacing, and expressed the fear that the pandemic could devastate communities that had less vaccination figures, and appealed to the health workers to support the campaign. Dr Kumah-Aboagye underscored the need for everybody to continue wearing nose masks and also observe other COVID-19 preventive directives and other health and safety protocols. He said the country recording more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases was an indication that the pandemic was resurfacing, and tasked the health workers to identify and vaccinate more people in the local communities. Dr Kuma-Aboagye explained the Health Service Council was rebranding the GHS, indicating that study leaves would be granted to qualified health workers who had at least served for three years and above. He said workers who had also served in deprived communities for at least two years could be considered for the study leave and advised health workers to accept postings to serve in the rural areas. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Africa is set to have its first-ever African-owned COVID-19 vaccine within the next three years, developers announced on Tuesday. They say the mRNA vaccine will be stored at temperatures used in regular refrigerators, making it easier to store and distribute in rural and remote locations where fewest people are currently vaccinated. "The Covid-19 vaccine will take up to 36 months because it will have to go through full clinical trials and we will position it as a booster," said Prof Petro Terblanche of Afrigen - which is collaborating on the vaccine with the Univercells Group. The development and production of this new vaccine will take place in Cape Town, South Africa. The announcement comes days after the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached a deal to waive a crucial intellectual property agreement, making it easier for developing countries to manufacture and export patented Covid vaccines without consent from the patent holder for five years. A lack of super-cold chains and the lack of local cost-effective production are still two major challenges affecting the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines. There also, however, seems to be an issue with demand. The South African firm Aspen Pharmacare had signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson to produce its vaccine in South Africa. But its plant may have to close as there are not enough orders. The continental health body Africa CDC says that 18% of the population has been fully vaccinated against Covid. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Addresses to summits and national parliaments around the world by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky have become a staple of the diplomatic calendar over the last few months. But when he spoke to the African Union (AU) on Monday only four heads of state from the continent listened in, with the others represented by subordinates or officials. The disappointing turnout was symptomatic of the unequal struggle that Kyiv faces in getting across its message in a continent of 54 countries where it has just 10 embassies - only a quarter of the Russian presence. So, in trying to shift African perspectives on Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion war, Mr Zelensky cannot deploy political or security clout comparable with Moscow's. Ukraine is not a global military power and it is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council, unlike Russia. As a result, many African leaders have concluded that they simply cannot afford to emulate direct Western confrontation with Moscow. That is particularly the case now that the blockage of grain export shipments from Ukraine is contributing to an already serious food crisis, driving up the price of imports and jeopardising the flow of wheat, other cereals and cooking oil to African countries that are not self-sufficient. Early this month Senegal's President Macky Sall, the current head of the AU, flew to the Russian Black Sea resort Sochi to discuss with Mr Putin how to free up the obstacles that are curbing desperately needed food exports from both Russia and Ukraine. And last week South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa called Mr Putin to discuss deliveries of Russian agricultural products and fertiliser to Africa. The talks produced some modest progress though not a decisive breakthrough. Meanwhile, there are some hints that the invasion of Ukraine may be putting strain on Russian military engagement in Africa, with unconfirmed rumours of some troops from the mercenary group Wagner being called back from Central African Republic (CAR). That would hardly be a surprise, given the demands of the intense military campaign in the crucial Donbas region. However, there is no sign of a reduction in Wagner's presence in Mali - where its men have frequently been seen on operations alongside national forces. Dramatic new international context Moreover, official Russian security and military deals in Africa are actually being reinforced, despite the needs of the Ukraine war. Cameroon has become the latest target of this charm offensive. Cameroon's Defence minister Joseph Beti Assomo was in Moscow last month to join his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in signing a five-year military cooperation agreement. This embraces intelligence, training and sharing expertise in tackling terrorism and maritime piracy. Joint exercises are planned. The document makes no mention of arms shipments but hints suggestively that additional forms of collaboration could yet be agreed. In fact, a 2015 deal had already provided for Russian deliveries of artillery and logistical and air support - useful for the campaign against jihadists in Cameroon's Far North region. Yet although this new agreement with Moscow is less specific, it appears to be stirring concern in Western capitals. Within weeks the French foreign ministry's Africa director, Christophe Bigot, had flown to Yaounde, seemingly to reassure Cameroon's Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute that Paris too remains committed to economic, cultural and anti-terrorist cooperation. However, Cameroon is going much further, taking the proactive decision to sign the new military cooperation agreement with Russia even as Russian forces continued to bombard Ukrainian cities. This distinctive stance is probably explained by the domestic situation in Cameroon. The French-speaking President Paul Biya is facing security challenges on two fronts: while his regime combats the Nigeria-based Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) in the Far North region, it is also engaged in a lengthy struggle to suppress the separatist rebellion in the country's two English-speaking regions, South-West and North-West. Besides Russia, Cameroon also has military cooperation agreements with France, China, Brazil and Turkey - and it used also to have an accord with the US. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Chief Executive, Hon. Dr. Okoe-Boye on Monday, July 20th, 2022 continued his nationwide tour to the Eastern Region. His team's two-day visit was to get acquainted with the concerns, opportunities and challenges available to staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). On day one, he visited the Regional Coordinating Council, Regional NHIA office and the Suhum district NHIS office. At the Regional and District offices, Dr. Okoe-Boye interacted with staff and reassured them of improving their general well-being. "We are committed to working hard to ensure that you are happy to improve efficiency. The regions will be given autonomy to flourish and I urge you to connect the output to push Universal Health Coverage (UHC) attainment." "We are willing to listen to you on the ground. Field operations will improve to ensure district offices' ownership of the NHIS." He emphasized the need for staff to intensify mass awareness creation to renew public confidence in the NHIS. "Inform the public about the goodness of the NHIS. Make NHIS more relevant and more efficient." The Chief Executive decried extra monetary demands (Copayments) by the NHIA credentialed healthcare providers for services covered by the NHIS and promised that it will soon be a thing of the past. "The biggest challenge we have is copayments and we have to take a critical look at it. Desks will be established in healthcare centres to crackdown copayments." The Board Chair, Dr. Ernest K. P Kwarko reaffirmed his team's support to executive management to deliver on their mandate. "Staff have no excuse than to support the new Chief Executive. Together, we will succeed. I want you to support him so that together we can do better." Later at a meeting with NHIS District Managers and Drivers, the Chief Executive's team addressed some of the concerns raised and promised to fix the problems. The Chief Executive's high-powered delegation comprised, the NHIA Governing Board Chair, Dr. Ernest K. P Kwarko, a Board member, Madam Joyce Zampare, Deputy Chief Executive, Administration and Human Resources, Yaa Pokuaa Baiden (Mrs.), Deputy Chief Executive, Operations, Vivian Addo-Cobbiah (Mrs.) and Deputy Chief Executive, Finance, Francis Owusu (Mr.). He was also joined by the Director, Membership and Regional Operations, Mr. Ben Kusi, Director, Private Health Insurance Schemes (PHIS), Mr. Hudu Issah, Head of Management Information Systems, Mr. Daniel Blankson, Head of Procurement, Mr Frank Agyekum and Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Oswald Essuah-Mensah. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Paramount Chief and elders of Akuapem Traditional Area in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, June 21st, 2022, wholeheartedly welcomed to the palace a high-powered delegation from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). The delegation led by the NHIA Chief Executive, Hon. Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye paid a courtesy call on Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, as part of a three-day working visit to the Eastern Region. Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III blessed the NHIA Chief Executive by saying, We will strengthen the brotherly alliance between us and help push the NHIS to higher heights." He said the Traditional Council will partner with the NHIA to advance advocacy on the NHIS Benefit Package to the masses. Dr. Okoe-Boye who described the revered Chief as a role model stated that he could not engage in any activities in the area without paying a courtesy call on him to seek his blessing. He hoped to learn more wisdom and enjoy the benefit of good guidance from the Akropong Omanhene, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III. He announced the recommendation to build a new NHIS Office in the Akuapem North District and thereby pleaded with the Chief and influential people in the area to support the NHIA's transformational agenda. He further urged traditional rulers to show interest in and acquaint themselves with important developments in the NHIS. Earlier at a meeting with the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr. Okoe-Boye explained that he touched base to get closer to the regions to interface with all stakeholders. "We are trying to build very good relationships with various stakeholders to make the NHIS more visible. We are on this drive to push hard the five Ds, comprising Digitization, Dissemination, Data, Decentralization, and Development." He proposed that government functionaries should highlight NHIS matters in their speeches, emphasizing the need to use the Mobile Renewal Service *929# for membership renewals. The Regional Minister, Hon. Seth Achampong stated, "We share in your vision to ensure that all residents in Ghana will enroll onto the NHIS and renew their membership using the Mobile Renewal platform." "We need to do that advocacy. It is very necessary. That is the surest way we can survive. The sustainability of the Scheme is key." The Chief Executive's high-powered delegation comprised, the NHIA Governing Board Chair, Dr. Ernest K. P Kwarko, a Board member, Madam Joyce Zampare, Deputy Chief Executive, Administration, and Human Resources, Yaa Pokuaa Baiden (Mrs.), Deputy Chief Executive, Operations, Vivian Addo-Cobbiah (Mrs.) and Deputy Chief Executive, Finance, Francis Owusu (Mr.). He was also joined by the Director, Membership and Regional Operations, Mr. Ben Kusi, Director, Private Health Insurance Schemes (PHIS), Mr. Hudu Issah, Head of Management Information Systems, Mr. Daniel Blankson, Head of Procurement, Mr. Frank Yeboah and Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Oswald Essuah-Mensah. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has stripped his Vice-President Saulos Chilima of all his delegated powers after the latter was named in a $150m (123m) corruption scandal involving government contracts. The vice-president has not yet responded to the allegations. A report by the country's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) named 53 current and former officials as having received money from British-Malawian businessman Zuneth Sattar between 2017 and 2021, the president said. This is in relation to 16 contracts that the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force awarded to five companies belonging to Mr Sattar. The officials named in the report include the vice-president and the head of police - who has been sacked. But Malawi's law does not allow the president to sack or suspend his vice-president as the latter is an elected official. "The best I can do for now, which is what I have decided to do, is to withhold from his office any delegated duties while waiting for the bureau to substantiate its allegations against him," the president said in a national address on Tuesday. Mr Chakwera joined forces with Mr Chilima to defeat incumbent Peter Mutharika in 2020 presidential elections. The pair had promised to fight corruption in government. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has warned of his readiness to refer the Minister of Transport to the Privileges Committee of Parliament if he continues to absent himself from the House to answer questions by members of the House on matters of national interest. The Speaker said the failure of Kwaku Ofori Asiamah to appear in the House to answer nine questions being advertised in his name in yesterdays Order Paper, in spite of the fact that he was made aware of them three weeks ago, was tantamount to breaching the privileges of the House. In his view, the minister failed to provide cogent reasons why he would not be able to attend the House to answer questions. Privileges Committee I am tempted to refer his conduct to the Privileges Committee, but because of the intervention of leadership, I will resist that temptation and will not refer him to Privileges Committee for today. But the next conduct tantamount to this behaviour will be referred to the Privileges Committee. I will not accept his request that the questions be rescheduled for Thursday, he said. Addressing Parliament yesterday[June 21, 2022], Mr Bagbin referred the nine questions back to the Business Committee to reschedule them to an appropriate day for the minister to appear and answer them. We have plenty questions for today and, therefore, I will excuse him for today. But give him notice that this House will no longer entertain that kind of behaviour; if for any good reason, chief directors and acting chief directors, must be told in a very clear language that we are not going to accept any language as the minister is unavoidably absent, he warned. Key ministers The Speakers warning came after he told the House that there were many questions that were to be answered by two key ministersthe Minister of Transport and the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. When he subsequently invited the Transport Minister to take the seat to respond to the questions advertised in his name, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, informed the House that leadership received correspondence from the minister that he was unavoidably absent and, therefore, was unable to appear and respond to the questions. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video AngloGold Ashanti Ghana (AGAG) is aware of the demonstration held in Obuasi town yesterday by the Obuasi Youth Community Mining Association, under the theme Obuasi Deserves Better. The purpose of the demonstration was to petition AngloGold Ashanti to relinquish additional areas of its core concession to facilitate community mining. The group also raised Obuasis high unemployment rate and asked that AngloGold Ashanti employ more people from the area. AngloGold Ashanti has in recent times surrendered over 70% of its original mining lease to the Minerals Commission and has only retained areas critical to its current and future mining and infrastructural requirements. Further, only the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources can grant a mining lease. AngloGold Ashanti does not have the power to release any portion of land which falls within the mining lease area to third parties. AngloGold Ashanti appreciates that unemployment is one of the most prevalent socio- economic challenges in Ghana, and Obuasi is not any different. Since commencement of the Obuasi Redevelopment Project in 2019, the company has prioritized employment of residents from the Obuasi communities, specifically Adansi and Amansie, in varying capacities and in temporary and permanent roles. This priority status of local communities has been formalized through a Local Employment Procedure. Through a three-year Social Management Plan, from 2019 to 2021, the company has also made significant investment in its host communities, including in the areas of education, skills development, health, water and sanitation, infrastructure support, and local content. Also, through its 10-year Socio-economic Development Plan, from 2021, AngloGold Ashanti continues to demonstrate its firm commitment to the development of the Obuasi communities by fostering local economic growth and nurturing relationships with the host communities. AngloGold Ashanti also contributes $2 for each ounce of gold it produces to the Obuasi Community Trust Fund, which has the primary objective of funding projects in the communities based on the recommendations of the communities themselves. Our principal focus is the safety of our employees and host communities and all the necessary precautions are in place to ensure the safety of our employees and host communities. Source: AngloGold Ashanti Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It was with joy that Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin welcomed a high-powered delegation from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to the Ofori Panin Fie. This was on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2022, when the newly appointed NHIA Chief Executive, the Board Chair, a Board Member, and Executive Management visited the Ofori Panin Fie, in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area of the Eastern Region. Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin glorified Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye characterized him as a visionary leader who is not self-centred. According to the celebrated Environmentalist, the NHIA Boss has never failed in his duties and urged the younger generation to emulate him. "Okoe-Boye is a listening public servant." The revered Overlord of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area recounted how the former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku constituency in the Greater Accra Region sought his advice before venturing into mainstream politics. He advised public servants to be humble and generous to the people they are serving adding, "Let's eschew tribal considerations in governing the nation.' He lauded the government's pro-poor programs such as Planting for Food and Jobs and Free SHS and concluded that such policies will benefit future generations. Dr. Okoe-Boye commended Okyenhene's transformational leadership, saying, "We need such traditional leaders with foresight to move the country forward in the right direction." He unveiled the government's agenda to include sickle cell treatment in the NHIS Benefit Package, effective July 2022. According to him, by July 2022, the ages above 70 years will have instant activation of their newly registered NHIS cards without serving the one-month period after fresh registration. Dr. Okoe-Boye's visit was to cement the bond between the NHIA and the Ofori Panin Fie. The Ofori Panin Fie's visit climaxed the NHIA Boss three-day working tour of the Eastern Region. The new NHIA Chief Executive, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye is on a nationwide familiarization tour which began in the Greater Accra Region on June 13, 2022. He has so far paid courtesy calls on the King of Ga State, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Okuapehene, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III and Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah has announced that the Accra-Tema motorway will be re-engineered into a 10-lane expressway. According to him, his outfit is working tirelessly to reconstruct the highway to meet the current and future pressure. The scope of work of the project includes 10-lane 19.5km motorway comprising 4 lanes of reinforced concrete freeway, 6 lanes of Urban Highway. The project also comes with reconstruction of Tetteh Quarshie to Apenkwa (5.7 km), Remodeling of Tetteh Quarshie, Apenkwa and Achimota Interchanges, Construction of 5 new Interchanges (Lashibi, Abattoir, Teshie Link, Fiesta Royale and Neoplan junction, 14No. Pedestrian Footbridges, Toll Plazas and Streetlights. Last week Friday, the ministry reopened a portion of the motorway ti traffic after a temporary closure to allow for reinforcement work on a damaged bridge along the 19 kilometres stretch. The renovation work created some inconveniences to motorists as a result of the heavy vehicular traffic the repairs work brought about. However, speaking in Parliament on Friday June 17, 2022, the Atiwa West lawmaker said the future programme is to expand the existing motorway to a 10-lane stretch. It will comprise of free-way, access control, three urban highways and a number of footbridges for pedestrian crossing. In August 2021, there were claims by the Minority in parliament that the expansion project had no parliamentary approval. The sector minister refuted the claim made by Kwame Agbodza, who called for the immediate abrogation of the contract awarded to Mota-Engil Engenharia Construcao Africa S.A. and also alleged that Mota-Engil is not qualified to undertake the project on design and build basis. The ministry, in a statement, said without the slightest equivocation that the assertions and conclusions made by the MP were inaccurate and misleading. We wish to state that the minister and ministry have not, in anyway, breached the requirement for parliamentary approval for the Accra-Tema Motorway Extension Project and, therefore, the full content of the Hon. Members press conference should be totally disregarded and ignored by the good people of Ghana. The ministry explained that it signed a commercial contract with Mota-Engil in December 2020. This commercial contract, as a standalone, cannot be sent to parliament without the complement of a financial agreement. As of now, the financing arrangements are yet to be concluded. It is, therefore, premature for anybody to claim or suggest that we have breached the law, when the documents to be submitted to parliament have not been finalised, the ministry explained at the time. The signing of a commercial contract for internationally funded projects with conditions precedent before its submission to parliament is not unusual. On the La Beach Road Completion project, the commercial contract was signed in September 2012 with similar conditions precedent. The cabinet and parliamentary approvals were secured in November and December 2018 respectively and the Contract became effective in 2019. Again, on the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Systems Project, the commercial contract was also signed in September 2012 with similar conditions precedent. The cabinet and parliamentary approvals were secured in November and December 2018 respectively and the contract became effective in 2019. The Ministry of Roads and Highways is an active promoter of local content. Indeed, for the Accra-Tema Motorway Extension Project, 40% of all works have been reserved for local contractors. However, we state for the avoidance of doubt that when the competitive bidding process was launched in December 2018, 23 companies expressed interest. None was Ghanaian. It is therefore not accurate to give the impression that Ghanaian companies were excluded. It is simplistic and ignorant for anybody to do a simple calculation of cost over kilometres and conclude that the cost of the Accra-Tema Motorway Extension Project is over bloated without recourse to the actual scope and works involved in the Project. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Renowned pollster, Ben Ephson has said comments by former President John Agyekum Kufuor about the vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is a boost to his campaign in the lead up to the NPPs flagbearer contest. The former president John Agyekum Kufuor described Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as a true son. He also said one of the virtues of Bawumia is loyalty, which makes him stand out among his contemporaries. Speaking with Beatrice Adu on the Big Bulletin Tuesday (20th June), Ephson said, The two frontrunners are obviously Alan Kyerematen and Bawumia. People expect that the Kufuor camp still supports whole-heartedly KyerematenIm not saying he is not supporting Kyerematen but Kufuors comments virtually give an injection to Bawumias acceptability amongst elderly people who will follow President Kufuor and his choices. It is obviously a positive for Vice-President Bawumia. He added, Im finishing my seventh book on Ghanaian elections. Theres a chapter on the NPP flagbearership race and I know what is being speculated that Bawumia is more of Akufo-Addo choice and the Kufuor faction are still supporting Alan You need to bear it in mind that Kufuor could have refused to attend the function. Thereve been innuendos of Kufuor and Bawumia not being on good terms. So from what weve been picking up, I interpret this as more of a positive, a plus for Bawumias campaign. The pollster said the emergence of the Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong in the NPP flagbearer race could relegate Alan Kyerematen to a third position. I think Kennedy Agyapong has entered the race and if [Im telling you exclusively] he meets Alan Kyerematen to third place, dont be surprised because this is an election by people within the party, Alan Kyerematen peaked 15 years; so if you are a delegate and you are below forty years you might not remember Alan. Kennedy Agyapong has been a Member of Parliament and this is his sixth term; dont be surprised if Alan places third and Kennedy places second. Ive interpreted this because I know what is going round and this [Kufuors comments] is a jab in the arm for Bawumia, he 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. Featured Video The Controller and Accountant-Generals Department (CAGD) has confirmed that monies paid to some Members of Parliament (MPs) as overpaid salaries have been refunded. The Kintampo South MP, Alexander Gyan; Pru West MP, Stephen Jalulah; and MP for Salaga North, Alhassan Iddi were said to have been overpaid a total of GH280,008.90 in the year 2021. While the Kintampo South MP and Pru West MP were allegedly paid GH119,004.45 each in excess of their salaries by the CAGD, Salaga North MP was over paid GH42,000, covering their tenure as DCEs and MPs. In separate memos dated January 28, 2022 and signed by the Chief Accountant, Charlotte Obro-Adibo, the CAGD acknowledged receipt of the amounts involved, saying that they have been paid back to government chest. The memo in respect of the Kintampo South MP said, This is to confirm that an amount of GH119,004.45 in favour of Hon. Gyan Alexander has been paid back to government chest. It continued, The amount represents salary that has been returned to chest by GCB, Tantra Hill Branch into CAGD Suspense Account at Bank of Ghana, Accra. For Mr. Stephen Jalulah, the memo indicated that the MP paid back his money into the CAGD Suspense Account at BoG through one Charles T. Banyu. The memo for the Salaga North MP indicated a similar statement for his return of the GH42,000. In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, the MPs explained that the overpayment was as a result of their transition from the District Chief Executive (DCE) positions to MPs. When we realised that we had been overpaid in August 2021, those of us involved came together and reported the development to the Controller and Accountant-Generals Department to stop the payment, and we refunded the monies in October 2021, Mr. Gyan stated. The Pru West MP, who even expressed shock about the latest report, said they returned the monies into government chest 75 days before the CAGD notified Parliament that they had been overpaid. Meanwhile, the Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro MP, Sylvester Tetteh, who was mentioned in media publication of having taken salaries as a former CEO of the National Youth Authority (NYA) has rejected claims he received double salary. According to him, the CAGD only started processing his salary during his tenure as CEO of the NYA after he was sworn in as MP, insisting that he indeed earned the salaries paid to him. He told Daily Guide that he worked at the NYA for 26 months without pay, stressing, I have never drawn a double salary. I am a man of integrity. When I was appointed CEO of the National Youth Authority, I worked for over 26 months for the authority, and I was never paid a salary until I resigned, he emphasised. The pro-NDC civil society group, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability, which brought up the issue, accused him and the other NPP MPs of having taken double salaries. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The brouhaha over payment of ex gratia to public service holders has been revived following the selfless recent action by the Paramount Chief and the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV. Togbe Afede XIV recently issued a statement in which he disclosed he had refunded a sum of GHC365,392.67 paid to him for his service as a Council of State member from 2017 to 2020 but his action has attracted mixed feelings. While some people consider his action as honourable, others argue he has slighted the other public servants who received their ex gratia. Some critics like broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere also bashed the Chief for returning his ex gratia. Paul Adom-Otchere argued that Togbe Afede XIV must refund more money than the ex gratia because he failed to attend meetings by the Council. According to him, out of 242 meetings held by the Council in 48 months, the Chief attended only 39 representing 16% but despite his failure to attend majority of the meetings, he collected all his salaries and other benefits. Touching on the issue of the ex gratia during a panel discussion on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, a Social Commentator, called for a halt in the payment of ex gratia to the public service holders. Particularly mentioning Parliamentarians and explaining it's taxpayer's money that is used to remunerate them, Allotey asked them to agree to forfeit their ex gratia so it can be used to develop the country. "From the Presidency to all government appointees, for the next two years, there should be no ex gratia until our economy improves...We are in hard times, so they should stop the payment of ex-gratia", the onetime kingpin of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) stressed. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The general architecture of a traditional MOSFET vs. a 2D FET. A FET (field-effect transistor) is a device for regulating the flow of charge carriers (such as electrons) across a channel with three terminals: a source, a drain, and a gate. A MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) is by far the most widely used type of FET and is a building block of modern electronics, used in commercial electronic devices for more than 50 years. One main difference between the traditional 3D MOSFET and the emerging technology of the 2D FET is that the channel in a traditional MOSFET is in a 3D material, while a 2D FETs channel is a 2D material. Credit: Sean Kelley/NIST Transistors are the building blocks of modern electronics, used in everything from televisions to laptops. As transistors have gotten smaller and more compact, so have electronics, which is why your cell phone is a super powerful computer that fits in the palm of your hand. But there's a scaling problem: Transistors are now so small that they are difficult to turn off. A key device element is the channel that charge carriers (such as electrons) travel across between electrodes. If that channel gets too short, quantum effects allow electrons to effectively jump from one side to another even when they shouldn't. One way to get past this sizing roadblock is to use layers of 2D materialswhich are only a single atom thickas the channel. Atomically thin channels can help enable even smaller transistors by making it harder for the electrons to jump between electrodes. One well-known example of a 2D material is graphene, whose discoverers won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. But there are other 2D materials, and many believe they are the future of transistors, with the promise of scaling channel thickness down from its current 3D limit of a few nanometers (nm, billionths of a meter) to less than a single nanometer thickness. Though research has exploded in this area, one issue has been persistently overlooked, according to a team of scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Purdue University, Duke University, and North Carolina State University. The 2D materials and their interfaceswhich researchers intend to be flat when stacked on top of each othermay not, in fact, be flat. This non-flatness in turn can significantly affect device performance, sometimes in good ways and sometimes in bad. In a new study published in the April 26, 2022, issue of ACS Nano, the research team reports the results of their measurements of the flatness of these interfaces in transistor devices that incorporate 2D materials. They are the first group to take high-resolution microscopy images showing flatness of these 2D layers in complete device arrays, on a relatively large scaleabout 12 micrometers (millionths of a meter) as opposed to the more common 10-nm to 100-nm range. Scientists successfully imaged a series of 2D-2D and 2D-3D interfaces in devices they created by using a variety of common fabrication methods. Their results show that assuming interfaces are flat when they are not is a much bigger issue than researchers in the field might have realized. "We are enlightening the community to a problem that has been overlooked," said NIST's Curt Richter. "It's holding back the adoption of the new materials. The first step to solving the problem is knowing you have a problem." Potential benefits include giving the scientific community more control over the fabrication of their devices. "A lack of understanding about 2D interface flatness is a major roadblock for improving devices based on 2D materials," said lead author Zhihui Cheng, of NIST and Purdue University at the time of publication. "We've put out a method to quantify flatness to angstrom resolution. This opens a lot of windows for people to explore the strain and interactions at the 2D interfaces." Not as flat as you think In a traditional transistor, a 3D source electrode releases electrons across a 3D channel to a 3D drain electrode. In 2D transistors, electrons travel across a 2D material. The areas where these different materials meet are called interfaces. A lack of flatness at these interfaces can cause problems with current flow in devices that use 2D materials. For example, if there is intimate physical contact between the source metal and the 2D channel, then there will also be intimate electrical contact and current will flow smoothly. Conversely, gaps between the 2D channel material and the source compromise the electrical contact, which reduces current flow. In their paper, the researchers explore several different types of 2D interfaces, including those made between nickel source and drain electrodes, a 2D channel made from the 2D crystal molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), an encapsulating layer of the crystal hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and aluminum oxide. Researchers generally expect that transistors fabricated with 2D crystals will have perfectly flat 2D-2D and 3D-2D interfaces (regions of contact). But new evidence shows that in reality, there are obvious bending and nanogaps at these interfaces. Credit: Sean Kelley/NIST Scientists typically put the 2D and 3D materials on top of each other during the device fabrication process. For example, researchers sometimes stack 2D materials onto pre-patterned metal contacts. But the research team found that this kind of stacking of 2D materials had a profound effect on their flatness, particularly near the contact region. Adding hBN caused the MoS 2 to deform as high as 10 nm on one side of the contact. Areas further from the contacts tended to be relatively flat, though some of these areas still had a 2- to 3-nm gap. While testing the effects of atomic layer deposition (a common technique used to lay down a thin layer of material) on 2D interface flatness, the research team found that a direct interface between aluminum oxide and MoS 2 is more deformed than the interfaces between hBN and MoS 2 . When investigating the flatness of the 3D-2D contact interface, the team found surprisingly large nanocavities forming in the interface between the nickel contacts and the 2D MoS 2 channel. To connect these non-flat interfaces back to real-world concerns about device performance, the team tested the electrical characteristics of a transistor made from these materials. Researchers found that the added non-flatness in the channel had the effect of actually improving the device performance. "Overall, these results reveal how much the structure of 2D-2D and 2D-3D interfaces depends on the materials as well as the fabrication process," Cheng said. To make its observations, the group used a type of high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (scanning TEM), capable of resolving the images to the level of single atoms. "So much of this field is pure research," Richter said. "People will make one device or maybe two, and they don't have extras that they can give to a microscopist to tear apart." In this study, on the other hand, the whole point was to make the devices and then analyze them. "We didn't do anything super special with the measurements," Richter continued. "But the combination of the electrical measurement know-how and the high-res TEM expertisethat's not a common thing." "With the sub-angstrom resolution and record length in cross-sectional TEM, plus the correlation with device characteristics, our work has expanded and deepened the viewpoints on the complexity and intricacy of 2D interfaces," Cheng said. With benefits to all Applications of the work include reducing unintended device-to-device variation, of which 2D flatness is a significant contributing factor, the researchers said. The imaging method could also ultimately help give scientists more control over fabrication. Certain processes introduce mechanical strain into the 2D structures, twisting them like a wrung-out washcloth or squishing and stretching them like an accordion. This can change the performance of a device in unpredictable ways that scientists don't yet fully understand. A better understanding of how strain affects device performance can give researchers more control over this performance. "Strain is not always a bad thing," Richter said. "The high-end transistors people make today actually have built-in strain to make them work better. With the 2D materials it's not as obvious how to do that, but it may be possible to use non-flatness to create the strain you want." The authors hope their work will inspire new efforts to increase the resolution of flatness measurements for 2D interfaces, even to sub-angstrom resolution. "We have some preliminary data, but it's really just the beginning of this investigation," Cheng said. Explore further Epitaxial multilayer MoS2 wafers promise high-performance transistors More information: Zhihui Cheng et al, Are 2D Interfaces Really Flat?, ACS Nano (2022). Journal information: ACS Nano Zhihui Cheng et al, Are 2D Interfaces Really Flat?,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c11493 Credit: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0592 A team of researchers from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, working with colleagues from several research facilities in Venezuela, has found evidence of babbling in wild baby parrots. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes the unique vocalizations of the baby birds, similar to human infants, and what they learned about the role of stress hormones in the development of their communication skills. Human beings have known for thousands of years that parrots have extraordinary vocal abilitiesnot only do they communicate well, but they can imitate other species including humans. But in all that time, the babbling of baby parrots has gone unobserved. The researchers suggest that this is because they live inside holes in trees where no one but their parents and siblings can hear them. The researchers discovered the babbling almost by accident. They were working as part of a team on a long-term field study involving parrots at the Masaguaral Biological Station in Venezuela. More than 10,000 green-rumped parrots there have been under study since 1988. As part of that effort, researchers have used PVC pipes to build nests for the tiny birds, and added tiny audio/video recording devices. Credit: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0592 In listening to the birds in their nests, the researchers found that the baby parrots tended to babble a lotmostly when alone or when their siblings were sleeping. They noted that a lot of the noises they made were random, while some noises were copied from their parents or other animals in the area. They also found the babbling tended to start when they reached 21 days old. Noting that prior research has shown that stress hormones in human infants accelerate the development of communication skills, they fed one small group of the baby parrots a tiny amount of corticosterone and then compared their babbling with others their age. This cohort began to babble approximately twice as much as they normally would. They suggest their findings indicate that stress hormones have a big impact on the parts of the brain associated with learning to communicate. Explore further Some baby bats babble like human infants, scientists find More information: Rory Eggleston et al, Vocal babbling in a wild parrot shows life history and endocrine affinities with human infants, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Rory Eggleston et al, Vocal babbling in a wild parrot shows life history and endocrine affinities with human infants,(2022). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0592 2022 Science X Network Credit: CC0 Public Domain 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 world's largest networks for sharing quantum informationa field of science that depends on paradoxes so strange that Albert Einstein didn't believe them. 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, it's opened up to businesses and researchers to test fundamentals of quantum information sharing. The network was announced this week by the Chicago Quantum Exchangewhich also involves Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin. 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 airthey contain both a 1 and zero, to be determined once it's observed. That quality of being in two or more states at once, called superposition, is one of the many paradoxes of quantum mechanicshow particles behave at the atomic and subatomic level. It's 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 containmaking 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. However, researchers must solve many practical problems before large-scale quantum computing and networking are possible. 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 applicationsbut they'd 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 Alzheimer's. In addition to driving research, the quantum field is stimulating economic development in the region. A hardware company, EeroQ, announced in January that it's 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. 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. 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. "We're betting in the next five to 10 years there'll be a true quantum advantage (over classical computing)," Gray said. "We're not there yet. Some naysayers shake their canes and say it's never going to happen. But we're positive." Just as early work on conventional computers eventually led to cellphones, it's 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. "That's why it's an exciting time," he said. "The most important applications are yet to be discovered." Explore further Quantum computer programming for dummies 2022 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Chromo is one of the healthy calves born during assisted reproductive technology research that looked at the relationship between chromosomal segregation errors and embryonic loss in cattle. This is the first time that offspring were produced successfully from bovine IVF embryos using nuclear/chromosomal imaging for the first time in non-rodent mammals. Credit: Satoko Matoba, NARO (Present Institute: National Livestock Breeding Center) Assisted reproductive technology, known as ART, is the umbrella term to describe fertility treatments that involve eggs and embryos. Many people turn to ART techniques like in vitro fertilization to resolve fertility problems, but this is an expensive process that can have a low success rate. In a paper published in June in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, scientists outline a new imaging technique tested in cattle to identify and understand the relationship between chromosomal errors that develop early and embryonic loss. Previous research in mice has shown a relationship between chromosome errors that happen early in a zygote's development leading to embryonic loss, but this relationship is not well understood in non-rodents. Cattle is an ideal model and next step for ART research because ART is frequently used in cattle breeding and a high rate of embryonic losses is common. There are also several similarities between cow and human embryos and how they develop. "Chromosome aneuploidy is thought to occur due to chromosome segregation errors that develop early, which may cause embryonic loss," said researcher Satoshi Sugimura of the Institute of Agriculture at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in Tokyo, Japan. "We developed minimally invasive live-cell imaging and showed the relationship between chromosome segregation error and in vitro and post-transfer embryonic development." Chromosome segregation happens after fertilization when the zygote begins to go through cell division. When the cell divides, both cells should have a complete set of chromosomes. When this does not happen as it should, it is called a chromosome segregation error. These errors lead to aneuploidy, which is when there are too many or too few chromosomes in a cell. Frequent aneuploidy has been reported in humans and cattle in the early cleavage stages, but its relationship to subsequent development has not been clarified in non-rodents. So, researchers tried to clarify the relationship using live-cell imaging with injection of mRNA encoding histone H2B-mCherry. "We produced phenotypically normal non-transgenic offspring from bovine embryos with live-cell imaging of chromosome segregation," said Sugimura, marking the birth of the world's first healthy calf from an embryo whose chromosome distribution was observed by the live-cell imaging technique. "Chromosome segregation error, especially micronucleus formation during early cleavage division was a potential hallmark of preimplantation embryonic loss in non-rodent mammals," said Sugimura. Researchers suspect that specific errors that occur earlier in the cleavage process, such as during the first three mitotic divisions, are more detrimental. These errors, which result in micronuclei formation, are considered severe. Zygotes with abnormal chromosomal segregation during the first three mitotic divisions rarely develop to the blastocyst stage. However, if they do develop into blastocysts, these embryos have the same birth rate as those that did not have abnormal chromosomal segregation. Half of the calves born during this study came from a group that showed evidence of chromosome segregation errors during early cleavage. Because of this, the error may not be a predictor of postimplantation embryonic loss. "This technique has shown potential for understanding the relationship between chromosome segregation error and subsequent embryo development, low ART success, and for selecting viable ART-derived embryos for medical and livestock production. In the future, if the mechanism of appearance and origin of chromosome segregation error in early cleavage division can be elucidated and controlled, ART success may be improved," said Sugimura. Explore further Identification of bovine IVF embryos without chromosome abnormalities by live-cell imaging More information: Tatsuma Yao et al, Micronucleus formation during early cleavage division is a potential hallmark of preimplantation embryonic loss in cattle, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (2022). Journal information: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Tatsuma Yao et al, Micronucleus formation during early cleavage division is a potential hallmark of preimplantation embryonic loss in cattle,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.05.075 Provided by Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Naked A. simplex and A. simplex coated with hydrogel sheath containing fluorescence dye. Credit: Shinji Sakai James Bond's legendary quartermaster Q provided the special agent with an endless array of tools and gadgets to help him accomplish his missions. Now, researchers from Japan have demonstrated equal prowess at equipping microscopic worms with a surprising arsenal of functional and protective factors. Researchers from Osaka University have revealed that tiny free-range worms called nematodes can be coated in hydrogel-based "sheaths" that can be further modified to carry functional cargo. Their study was published in Materials Today Bio. Nematodes are free-living, microscopic worms that typically live in the soil or other environmental niches, and in some cases can invade the human body. Anisakis simplex, a nematode that usually lives in marine environments but can colonize humans when ingested, has demonstrated an unusual predilection for cancer cells. "A. simplex has been reported to sense cancer, potentially by detecting a cancer 'odor,' and to attach to cancerous tissues," says Wildan Mubarok, first author on the study. "This led us to ask whether it could be used to deliver anti-cancer treatments directly to cancer cells within the human body." To investigate this possibility, the researchers first developed a system for applying hydrogel sheaths to nematodes by dipping them in a series of solutions containing chemicals that bind together to create a gel-like layer all over their surface. This process essentially custom-fits a suit about 0.01 mm thick to the worm in about 20 minutes. "The results were very clear," says Shinji Sakai, senior author of the study. "The sheaths did not in any way interfere with the worms' survival and were flexible enough to maintain the worms' motility and natural ability to seek out attractive smells and chemical signals." Next, the researchers loaded the sheaths with functional molecules and found that this protected the worms from ultraviolet light or hydrogen peroxide. What's more, the sheaths could be loaded with anti-cancer agents that the nematodes, protected but unimpeded by their hydrogel armor, could transport and deliver to kill cancer cells in vitro. "Our findings suggest that nematodes could potentially be used to deliver functional cargo to a range of specific targets in the future," states Mubarok. Given the adaptability of the hydrogel sheaths, this worm-based delivery system holds promise not only for delivering anti-cancer drugs to tumor cells in patients, but it also has potential applications in other fields such as delivering beneficial bacteria to plant roots. Explore further 'Worm-on-a-chip' device could someday help diagnose lung cancer More information: Wildan Mubarok et al, Nematode surface functionalization with hydrogel sheaths tailored in situ, Materials Today Bio (2022). Wildan Mubarok et al, Nematode surface functionalization with hydrogel sheaths tailored in situ,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100328 Mangroves like these from a village forest in Sumatra store an average of 1083 tonnes of carbon in their living tissues and the soil beneath. Credit: Benjamin Brown Mangroves ring the shores of many of Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands. But in the most populated areas, the world's largest mangrove forests have been steadily whittled away, and with them, the ability to store blue carbon. As the world's fourth-most populous nation has grown, pressure on the mangroves has too. More than 756,000 hectares of mangroves have been cleared and turned into brackish ponds to farm water shrimp and milkfish. Every year for the past three decades, another 19,000 hectares has been ripped out for aquaculture and increasingly, for oil palm plantations. As of 2015, an estimated 40% of the country's mangroves had been degraded or lost. Is this another predictable bad news story about the environment? No. This is a good news story. That's because Indonesia's government is, rising to the challenge of conserving its mangrovesand restoring lost forests. Government investment in mangroves is rising and the political will is in place. Indonesia's ambitious goal is to restore almost all of what's been lost, rehabilitating 600,000 hectares of mangroves by 2024. Why have Indonesia's mangroves been hard hit? In a 2012 interview, former Indonesian forestry official Eko Warsito explained why his country's mangroves were disappearing: "More than 50% of Indonesia's population lives in coastal areas, and most of them are poor. An ordinary plot of mangroves is worth $84 a hectare. But if it's cleared and planted with oil palms, it can be worth more than $20,000 a hectare." Credit: Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia Unfortunately, this difference in perceived value has seen mangroves degraded or replaced. You can glimpse the current state of Indonesia's 3.3 million hectares of mangrove area in the map below, which was released last year by Indonesia's environment and forestry ministry. Mangroves are broadly in good condition in the provinces of Papua and West Papua. But in the more populated areasespecially around the densely populated island of Javamangroves have been largely deforested and degraded. Recent analysis by the World Bank puts the value of mangrove ecosystems at between A$21,000 to $70,000 per hectare per year. Similarly, a 2020 cost-benefit analysis of mangrove conservation versus conversion to shrimp aquaculture in Indonesia's Papua province estimated the direct and indirect value of mangroves at A$34,000 per hectare per year. But these valuations are heavily influenced by the role mangroves play in providing ecosystem services. Without these services, mangroves are worth two orders of magnitude less, at around A$340 per hectare. Their real value lies in their ability to store large amounts of carbon, averaging almost 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per hectare. Until now, however, policy bottlenecks at the national level have stopped Indonesia from investing in better mangrove management and producing new revenue streams from stemming mangrove losses. Restoring mangroves requires human labour and machinery, as in this image of villagers in Sulawesi improving water flow and drainage into disused shrimp ponds. Credit: Rio Ahmad (Director of Yayasan Hutan Biru) Indonesia's mangroves have suffered because of this disconnect between their real value and government policies and institutions. Over 20 institutions have some level of responsibility for mangrove management in Indonesia. It's no wonder their agendas often conflict. But progress is being made. Two years ago, President Joko Widodo added mangroves to the mandate of the country's peatland restoration agency, after its success at restoring damaged peatlands. The goal for mangroves is to restore 600,000 hectares of mangroves by 2024. There are alternatives to aquaculture You might think it's too hard to restore mangroves once they've been turned into shrimp farms. Previously, this has been true, with an over-reliance on simply planting more seedlings rather than tackling the harder work of social and economic reliance on former mangrove habitat. In response, Indonesia's government has mapped around 77,000 hectares of the best restoration candidate areas across 300 villages in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), working in full collaboration with coastal villagers. To create alternatives to aquaculture, Indonesia's national farmer field school program will expand to include hundreds of coastal villages. These coastal field schools help local villages improve their management of the coasts and develop alternative sources of income. This Google Earth image shows how quickly mangroves can rebound after hydrological restoration to make water flows more natural. Credit: Google Earth Ratna Fadillah, an expert in non-timber forest product use, harvests holly mangrove leaves to make herbal green tea. These teas offer a low-cost opportunity to create a business, which many women and youth across Indonesia are adopting. Credit: Benjamin Brown These include learning to use Nypah palms alongside mangroves, to allow villagers to harvest the valuable sugar from the sap. This species is the only palm considered a true mangrove. They can produce 800,000 liters of sap per hectare per year, forming a sustainable commodity base for organic palm sugar production as well as bio-ethanol. Other options include encouraging production of honey, gluten-free flour, tea, juice, jam, and cosmetics. For some villages, eco-tourism could be an option, or shifting to more sustainable aquaculture. What's next? Indonesia's government is drafting a new mangrove policy, focused on balancing mangrove protection, sustainable use and restoration. We're already seeing welcome realignment between the nation's ministries. These efforts are being funded by the Indonesian government, with more financial support sought from other governments and multilateral organizations to scale up their mangrove management to a national scale. Indonesia's work to turn around the fate of their ailing mangroves will be shown on the world stage at the G20 summit in Bali in November. By then, there will be a public dashboard to represent progress captured by field-based and satellite monitoring. Explore further Remote sensing helps track carbon storage in mangroves This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The study states that the Wt1 gene is necessary for activating the pathways that determine the development of the male and female sex. Credit: University of Barcelona The deletion of the Wt1 gene during the early stages of the embryonic reproductive organ formation leads to differences in sex development in adult mice, according to an article published in the journal PLOS Genetics and led by the lecturer Ofelia Martinez-Estrada, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biomedicine Research Institute (IRBio) of the UB. Among the participants in the article are the experts Francesc X. Soriano, from the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB (UBNeuro), and Manuel Reina, from the same Department and the Research Group Celltec UB. A decisive gene in the biology of sex The Wt1 gene or Wilms tumor gene is expressed during the embryonic development of mammals in many organs and tissues (urogenital system, spleen, heart, diaphragm, etc.). In scientific literature, the mutations of the Wt1 gene are related to some pathologiessyndromes such as Denys-Drash, Frasier and Meacham's which include genitourinary defects and differences in the sex development (such as ambiguous genitalia or abnormal development of the gonads). These differences in the sexual development are congenital disorders in which the development of the chromosomal, gonadal or anatomic sex is atypical. Despite the efforts to understand the genetic factors that cause these alterations, the origin is unknown in many cases and it is hard to offer a precise diagnosis to the affected people. Murine models with modifications in the expression of key genes in the sex development are shaped as decisive elements for studying this complex process in mammals. Therefore, in recent years, new genetic tools have been generated in mutant mice models to study different aspects of the biology of the WT1 gene. As part of the study, the team presents a new genetically modified mouse model (Wt1KO) which revealed the importance of the Wt1 gene in the initial differentiation of the embryonic gonad at early stages and its impact in the formation of the reproductive system of adult mice. According to the conclusions, female and male Wt1KO mutant miceunable to express the Wt1 gene in reproductive organs from the early formation stagesshowed ambiguous genital tracts and their gonads remained at an undifferenced stage. "In this study, we state that the Wt1 gene is necessary for activating the pathways that determine the development of the male and female sex, since embryonic mutant gonads do not express the specific genes for each genetic program," notes lecturer Ofelia Martinez-Estrada, from the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology of the UB. To date, it has been hard to assess the functions of the WT1 transcription factorcoded by the mentioned geneduring the early differentiation of the gonad and its impact on adult sex development. The lack of development in gonads or in the genital tract (gonadal agenesis) and the embryonic lethality shown in Wt1KO mutant mice hindered the progress of research to elucidate the role of this gene in these development processes. "Based on the obtained results, we propose that this murine model could contribute to improve the knowledge on the functions of the WT1 gene in some progenitor cell populations in different organs and tissues, as well as the importance of these cell populations in the formation of organs in adults," concludes lecturer Ofelia Martinez-Extrada. Explore further The origin of reproductive organs More information: Alejo Torres-Cano et al, Deletion of Wt1 during early gonadogenesis leads to differences of sex development in male and female adult mice, PLOS Genetics (2022). Journal information: PLoS Genetics Alejo Torres-Cano et al, Deletion of Wt1 during early gonadogenesis leads to differences of sex development in male and female adult mice,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010240 A silhouette of a couple standing together. Credit: Oziel Gomez, Unsplash, CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) New evidence supports the idea that heterosexual relationship satisfaction is linked to fulfillment of people's personal preferences for receiving affection expressed according to distinct love languages. Olha Mostova of the University of Warsaw, Poland, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 22, 2022. Love languages refer to the popular idea that people differ both in the ways they express affection and the ways they wish to receive it. This hypothesis involves five distinct love languages: words of affirmation, spending quality time together, gift-giving, acts of service, and physical touch. Despite its popularity, the concept of love languages remains relatively under-explored by researchers. To deepen understanding, Mostova and colleagues conducted a study of 100 heterosexual couples who had been together for 6 months to 24 years. Participants were aged 17 to 58, and each completed a questionnaire with questions developed in prior research on love languages. The questionnaire evaluated participants' preferred love languages to use when expressing love to their partner, and in turn, which love languages used by their partner most make them feel loved. These data enabled the researchers to identify the degree of any mismatches within each couple. They also assessed participants' relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and empathy. This analysis showed that, for both men and women, participants whose partners used the love languages they preferred to receive had higher levels of relationship and sexual satisfaction. Greater satisfaction was also found among participants who reported using the love languages their partners preferred to receive. The researchers had hypothesized that empathy would be associated with a greater tendency for a participant to use the love language their partner prefers to receive. However, while the analysis showed some small support for certain sub-types of empathy affecting male participants' relationship experiences, this hypothesis was not supported overall. While the study only included heterosexual couples, the researchers suggest that focusing on partners' love-language needs might be effective in relationship counseling. They also suggest several directions for future research, such as examining whether love-language matching actually causes greater satisfaction, or instead arises from it or an entirely different factor. The authors add: "Our findings suggest that people who better match each other's preferences for love languages are more satisfied with their relationships and sexual life. Dimensional assessment may be preferable to typologizing love languages." More information: I love the way you love me: Responding to partner's love language preferences boosts satisfaction in romantic heterosexual couples, PLoS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE I love the way you love me: Responding to partner's love language preferences boosts satisfaction in romantic heterosexual couples,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269429 Interview: CEO says China to leapfrog in technology development 08:49, June 22, 2022 By Martina Fuchs ( Xinhua Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, speaks in an interview during the 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) TORONTO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, two of the world's largest and fastest-growing tech conferences, said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. Asked about his views on China's technology developments over the next couple of years, Cosgrave said: "I think it's firstly quite phenomenal. It was really interesting seeing Huawei file for a patent for a quantum computer chip. I think progress in semiconductors is moving faster than anybody expected." Last week, Chinese telecom giant Huawei announced a patent for a quantum chipset and said it would now dive into the world of quantum computers. "I'm particularly interested in the progress of COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China)," Cosgrave said. "In the aerospace sector, COMAC in time will be a competitor of Boeing and Airbus and I have no doubt they will make planes as successfully as Airbus and Boeing have been making them and they'll probably be cheaper, and they'll probably be lighter," he said. "I think that's good for the industry as a whole, that will inspire Boeing and Airbus to become even more innovative than they already are. I think competition is a good thing," the CEO continued. "We're seeing the same in the electric car industry. I think NIO, amongst others, will make fantastic progress in Europe over the coming years. It's going to be interesting for European car manufacturers. China will remain open, and I think Europe will remain open to Chinese imports," Cosgrave said. More than 35,000 people from around the world have convened at the Enercare Centre in Toronto this week for the largest tech event taking place in Canada since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Over 900 speakers, 1,500 startups, 1,200 journalists, 850 investors and 100 unicorn companies are expected to gather to discuss topics covering technology, artificial intelligence, data science, finance, autotech, and digital media. The executive said that he also plans to further expand global footprint with additional conferences. "We're continuing to create regional events. Web Summit is our mothership in Lisbon, that's our annual global gathering, and as the years have passed, more and more people have been coming from South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia." "We want to go to those markets to increase the brand awareness of Web Summit. In 2023, we're going to Rio de Janeiro, we've done a deal with the city, with the government and we're looking forward, we hope, to going to the Middle East and going to more places in Asia and Africa in 2024, 2025." Cosgrave added that the RISE conference, which is one of the most important media and tech industry summits for the Asian region and also produced by the team behind Web Summit and Collision, will return to Hong Kong during March 21-23 in the AsiaWorld-Expo. "We started RISE just over five years ago. It's our baby, our little sister conference in Hong Kong," he told Xinhua. "For us, it's a perfect meeting place for the East meeting the West, or the rest of the world." "Historically, we've brought some of the most interesting Chinese founders and investors together with some of the most interesting entrepreneurs and investors from the rest of the world. We've been so sad that we haven't been able to do it since 2019 but we hope in 2023, we'll be back in Hong Kong," Cosgrave said. With demand for in-person events increasing rapidly, the number of Collision attendees has grown by 40 percent, from 25,711 in 2019 to 35,562 from 130 countries in 2022, Collision said in a press release. Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, speaks in an interview during the 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Paddy Cosgrave (L), the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, speaks in an interview during the 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) This March 2022 photo provided by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida shows biologists Ian Easterling, left, and Ian Bartoszek with a 14-foot female Burmese python captured in mangrove habitat of southwestern Florida while tracking a male scout snake. Credit: Conservancy of Southwest Florida via AP A team of biologists recently hauled in the heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, officials said. The female python weighed in at 215 pounds (98 kilograms), was nearly 18 feet long (5 meters) and had 122 developing eggs, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida said in a news release. The team used radio transmitters transplanted in male "scout" snakes to study python movements, breeding behaviors and habitat use, said Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and environmental science project manager for the conservancy's program. "How do you find the needle in the haystack? You could use a magnet, and in a similar way our male scout snakes are attracted to the biggest females around," Bartoszek said. The team used a scout snake named Dionysusor Dion for shortin an area of the western Everglades. "We knew he was there for a reason, and the team found him with the largest female we have seen to date." Biologist Ian Easterling and intern Kyle Findley helped capture the female snake and haul it through the woods to the field truck. A necropsy also found hoof cores in the snake's digest system, meaning that an adult white-tailed deer was its last meal. This Feb. 2022 photo provided by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida shows biologist Ian Bartoszek with a 15-foot female Burmese python captured by tracking a male scout snake in Picayune Strand State Forest. Credit: Conservancy of Southwest Florida via AP National Geographic documented the discovery, highlighting the continued impact of the invasive pythons, which are known for rapid reproduction and depletion of surrounding native wildlife. Bartoszek said removal of female pythons plays a critical role in disrupting the breeding cycle. "This is the wildlife issue of our time for southern Florida," he said. Since the conservancy's python program began in 2013, they've removed over 1,000 pythons from approximately 100 square miles (25,900 hectares) in southwest Florida. This Dec. 2021 photo provided by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida shows biologists Ian Bartoszek, right, and Ian Easterling, center, with intern Kyle Findley and a 17.7-foot, 215-pound female Burmese python captured by tracking a male scout snake in Picayune Strand State Forest. Credit: Conservancy of Southwest Florida via AP Over that stretch, necropsies have found dozens of white-tailed deer inside Burmese pythons. Data researchers at the University of Florida have documented 24 species of mammals, 47 species of birds and 2 reptile species from pythons' stomachs. Prior to the recent discovery, the largest female removed through the conservancy's program weighed 185 pounds (84 kilograms) and was the heaviest python captured at the time in Florida, officials said. This Feb. 2018 photo provided by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida shows biologist Ian Easterling with a 15-foot female Burmese python captured by tracking a male scout snake in Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples, Fla. Credit: Conservancy of Southwest Florida via AP The state's python removal program runs for two weeks in August. Participants compete for prizes, including $2,500 for capturing the most pythons. Last year's challenge involved more than 600 people from 25 states. 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Ferraz et al Paleontologists from three universities in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, found a fossiliferous site lost for more than 70 years near the city of Dom Pedrito, the heart of the Campanha region and a city that borders Uruguay. About 260 million years ago, even before the first dinosaurs, the ideal environmental conditions were present for the preservation of the organisms that inhabited this area in the past, which, through the fossil record, were protected in thin layers of rock and, now, little by little, they are being revealed. The location where the fossils were recovered is known as Cerro Chato. It was discovered and described for the first time in 1951 by researchers who carried out geological mapping in the Pampa gaucho. At that time, fossils, especially of plants, were collected and described, evidencing the importance of the fossiliferous site for national paleontology since then. The technological resources available at the time, however, did not allow the exact geographic referencing of the fossiliferous site, which subsequently was lost for seven decades. Finally, in 2019, the paleontological site was located again due to a combined effort with the participation of researchers from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Ufrgs), the University of Vale do TaquariUnivates and the Federal University of Pampa (Unipampa). "This fossiliferous site represents a real treasure for world of paleontology, especially for studies on the floristic evolution of a unique geological period in Earth's history, the Permian," explains researcher Joseline Manfroi, a paleobotanist who is part of the team responsible for the discoveries. "For decades, the geographic location of this outcrop was unknown. It was sought as a true 'treasure hunt' and, fortunately, after so long, we will have the opportunity to continue writing this history, through the fossil record," says Joseline. The Cerro Chato fossiliferous site is currently the object of research by Master's student Joseane Salau Ferraz at the Federal University of Pampa. The studies are developed using part of the structure of the Laboratory of Paleobotany and Evolution of Biomes from the Science Museum at Univates. The group of researchers is continuing the excavations with a three-year projection for field activities. "The area to be explored is huge. I estimate that we haven't explored even 30% of all available space," says Joseane. Credit: Ferraz et al Scientists have already collected more than 100 specimens of plant fossils, including groups belonging to the ancestors of today's conifers and ferns, as well as animal fossils such as fish and mollusks. The fossils collected are deposited in the scientific collection of the Laboratory of Paleobiology at Unipampa, in Sao Gabriel. "On previous expeditions, only the surface of this outcrop was prospected, a very thick limestone that was difficult to explore," explains Joseane. "At that time, the materials were found because the surface was already relatively eroded. The researchers, however, were unable to explore deeper. If it's difficult to work in a place like this today, even with technology, imagine the challenges that it represented in 1951. We went there last year with a backhoe. It seems even scary to think about, since fossils are very delicate. Somehow we were sure it was going to work, and it did," she says. "The fossils we are studying are of global importance because they are direct testimonies of the environmental changes that occurred during the Permian period. These studies will help us to retrieve information about the distribution of these plants around the world, as well as collecting evidence on what the climate was like at the time. This new location will attract many eyes to our state," says Joseane. The end of the Permian period, from when the found fossils date, is marked by the most severe mass extinction known over geologic time, when more than 90% of life on Earth was decimated due to intense weather disturbances. The owners of the farm where the fossiliferous site is located and the Municipality of Dom Pedrito were key players during the excavation rescue work, offering all the necessary support for the collections. "The excavation of fossils as fragile as the ones we found on Cerro is a delicate job. With the help of the municipality and all the support offered by the owners, it was possible to carry out a controlled and efficient excavation at the site. This is the only way we can rescue the most delicate and complete fossils," says paleontologist Felipe Pinheiro, from Unipampa, who also coordinates the excavations. Credit: Ferraz et al For the owner of the area, Celestino Goulart, "the development of research is of great importance, as it helps to understand the changes that have taken place on the planet and brings a significant incentive to tourism in the Campanha region of Rio Grande do Sul." The team of paleontologists involved in the research says, "The research carried out in the Cerro Chato outcrop not only highlights the paleontological richness preserved in the strata of Rio Grande do Sul but also brings the opportunity to increasingly expand the community's access to knowledge, scientific research and to promote regional geotourism." A scientific article (in Portuguese) reporting the rediscovery of the paleontological site was published in the journal Paleontologia em Destaque, from the Brazilian Society of Paleontology. Joseane Salau Ferraz, Joseline Manfroi, Karine Pohlmann Bulsing, Margot Guerra-Sommer, Andre Jasper and Felipe Pinheiro sign the discovery. The team is developing other publications with the prospect of continuing the work on site. At the moment, the team works with the description of a fern, whose record is the first for the Rio do Rastro Formation in RS. Explore further A new 225-million-year-old reptile from Brazil Provided by University of Vale do Taquari Credit: CC0 Public Domain It's a quaint fantasy: pack up your belongings, hop on a plane and escape to a remote island or maybe even found a tiny nation of your own, where you can live unencumbered by the constraints of society. What could go wrong? Plenty, according to Raymond Craib, the Marie Underhill Noll Professor of History in the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences. In his new book, "Adventure Capitalism: A History of Libertarian Exit, from the Era of Decolonization to the Digital Age," to be published July 5 by PM Press, Craib explores the dubious track record of such utopian, free-market experiments. From building private, sovereign platformsor "seasteads"on the ocean to establishing free private cities, which attempt to do the same on territory ceded to settlers by a government, "the promoters of these plans are all driven by a desire to not only escape taxes and regulation, but also to build a community where life is structured entirely through market transactions," Craib said. These ploys often have calamitous consequences for local populations. Craib spoke with the Cornell Chronicle about the book. Q: Some people might be tempted to write off exit libertarians as comical or delusional crackpots. What are the consequences of the exiters' actions? A: These projects have serious consequences. I look at the case of exiters in the 1970s in places such as the Caribbean and the southwest Pacific, and their plans wrought havoc on communities attempting to emerge from the shadow of colonial rule. In the case of the New Hebrides, for example, exiters actually funded and armed a secessionist rebellion that they hoped, if successful, would facilitate the creation of a libertarian community and free trade zone. In other instances, just the mere prospect of exiter schemes created enormous political and social stress as communities worried about land loss and new forms of colonization. Q: A reccurring figure in your book is Michael Oliver, who "founded" his own country, the short-lived 1972 Republic of Minerva. What makes Oliver such a great case study? A: Oliver's story is a compelling one: Jewish, from Kaunas, Lithuania, he was the only member of his immediate family to survive the Holocaust and was 17 or 18 when rescued by U.S. troops outside of the Dachau concentration camp. He then emigrated to the U.S. and made a home for himself in Nevada. His experiences made him understandably hyper-attentive to his political surroundings, and he worried about the threat of totalitarianism, which like many U.S. liberals and conservatives alike, he associated with communism as much as with fascism. (This resulted in a convergence between libertarianism and social conservativism that is central to how we should understand U.S. libertarianism.) By the 1960s, fearful of social change and inspired by the writings of hyper-capitalist advocates such as Ayn Rand and Friedrich von Hayek, Oliver self-published a small book ("A New Constitution for a New Country") and began exploring places to build a new country. He was very strategic and focused his efforts on places trying to decolonize as well as reefs and seamounts such as the Minerva atoll in the southwest Pacific. Q: Why were the 1960s and 1970s a particularly ripe time for exit projects? A: These decades in the U.S. were shaped as much by the emergence of libertarian, anti-government politics as they were by the activism of the New Left. Libertarians organized against Roosevelt's New Deal and the regulatory state at the same time that fears of ecological, demographic and monetary collapse grew. Just think of some of the famous writings of the era: Paul and Anne Ehrlich's "The Population Bomb" (about overpopulation and famine), or Garrett Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons" (about over-exploitation of resources), or even Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger" (in which Auric Goldfinger plots to bring down the global economy by irradiating the gold supply). At the same time, the wealthy sought to escape their social responsibilitiesthink of white flight to the suburbs as well as exit plans to oceans and islands. It was not a big leap to imagine a gated community on the high seas rather than in Orange County, or a capitalist commune on a remote island rather than in northern California. Q: How do the original examples of libertarian exit compare with the like-minded efforts of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs today? A: Recent exit strategists (the seasteaders, the free private cities advocates and the Start-Up Societies promoters) share much in common with the exiters of the 1960s. They, too, are free-market fundamentalists and want to create new countries, and have similar intellectual influences. But the differences are also worth noting. Perhaps the most striking is that they hew more closely than their predecessors did to the more Nietzschean aspects of Ayn Rand's work. What I mean by this is that their projects are not driven by a fear of the masses and totalitarianismindeed, they seem indifferent to the general public and express disdain for democratic politicsbut by an urge, a will, to bend reality to their design. They seek not only to escape the state but then to recast it in their own image. Q: Are there any examples of successful and responsible exit projects? What might that even look like? Or is their very premise part of the problem? A: The premise is part of the issue. The hyper-capitalist orientation of the people I study sets them apart from other kinds of exit societies that one might find in the historical record: maroon communities forged by runaway slaves or by peoples fleeing state conscription and enslavement or autonomous territories, such as those founded by the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico. All of these might be considered experiments in territorial exit, but they share little in common, ideologically and structurally, with those of Michael Oliver, of seasteaders and of the advocates of free private cities. Form should not be privileged over content. Any analysis of exit needs to understand what it is people are striving to leave, but also what they are striving to build. Exile communities that grew from collective efforts to mitigate exploitation and that grew organically from the ground up are not comparable to escape plans that privilege property acquisition and individual sovereignty and tend to be preplanned and engineered from above. These bear distinct, and largely incommensurable, understandings of what constitutes freedom and of what constitutes oppression. Explore further A rebranding of 'freedom'? Coppens called himself one of Lucy's 'daddies' French paleontologist Yves Coppens, credited with the co-discovery of the famous fossil find known as "Lucy", died on Wednesday aged 87 after a long illness, his publisher said. "France has lost one of its great men," publisher Odile Jacob tweeted, adding that beyond his science skills, Coppens had also been "a talented writer, storyteller and non-fiction author". He was, with Maurice Taieb and Donald Johanson, part of the team that found the most complete remnants of an Australopithecus afarensis ever discovered, in 1974 in Hadar, Ethiopia. The team nicknamed the 3.2- million-year-old female hominid "Lucy" after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" which they listened to while labeling the fossils. Based on the large part of Lucy they found, 40 percent of her skeleton, the scientists were able to determine her height (one meter, 3.5 feet) and show that she was muscular and able to climb trees as well as walk upright. Coppens, who was born in Britanny and was the son of a nuclear physicist father, co-signed six hominid discoveries over his career. "At six or seven years old I already wanted to become an archaeologist," Coppens told AFP in 2016. "All my holiday time was spent at digs," he added. Coppens was admitted to France's prestigious CNRS scientific center in 1956 when he was still only 22. He began traveling to Africa from the 1960s, starting with Algeria and Chad. His first major discovery came in 1967, a 2.6-million-year-old fossil in the Omo valley in Ethiopia. Then in 1974 came the international expedition in Ethiopia's Afar triangle that was to make Coppens, his friend and fellow Frenchman Taieb and Donald Johanson, an American, world famous for the discovery of Lucy. Coppens often referred to himself as one of Lucy's "daddies" ("papas" in French). For a long time after the find, which comprised 52 bone fragments, scientists believed that she was a direct ancestor of humanity. But this claim is no longer widely believed, and Coppens as well as other paleontologists came instead to view Lucy as a distant cousin of mankind. Later Coppens ran digs in Mauritania, the Philippines, Indonesia, Siberia, China and Mongolia. Back home, he became director of the Musee de l'Homme (Museum of Mankind) in Paris, was given the paleontology chair in the prestigious College de France, and joined France's Academy of Science. He also won several prizes, served as an advisor on environmental questions to the French government, and wrote several books and more than a million scientific articles. Besides the discovery of Lucy, Coppens once told AFP, he was particularly proud to have "made an irrefutable link between the emergence of man and climate change". As forests gave place to savannas, man stopped climbing trees, began to walk upright and needed to develop brain power to keep carnivores at bay, he said. Explore further Did fall from tree kill famous human ancestor Lucy? 2022 AFP Members of Teamsters Local 710 walk the picket line on June 21, 2022, in Cicero. Over 100 delivery drivers with Breakthru Beverage in Cicero are on strike for a second week over concerns about job safety and benefits. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Delivery drivers for the wholesale alcohol distributor Breakthru Beverage remained on the picket line Wednesday as their strike continued into its second week. Between 100 and 120 delivery drivers are on strike, said Karen Burcham, a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 710, which represents the workers. Drivers are seeking better systems to manage safety threats on the job, provisions to stem increasing load sizes and the ability to take earned paid time off, she said. Advertisement We had four drivers in the last year robbed, two at gunpoint, said Jimmy Drews, a union steward and Breakthru driver who said he has been with the company for 19 years. Even afterwards, they did not have one meeting or make one move to do anything to secure our workplace environment, Drews said. Advertisement We are disappointed that the Teamsters Local 710 have initiated a work stoppage, especially after the Company agreed to a significant number of union demands and reached a tentative agreement, Breakthru Beverage Illinois said in a statement Wednesday. We have contingency plans in place and the business is operating as usual. We hope to reach a resolution soon and are committed to maintaining an open dialogue with our union partners, the statement said. Angelo Fallico, a 21-year member of Teamsters Local 710, walks the picket line at Breakthru Beverage in Cicero on June 21, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Breakthru drivers make alcohol deliveries to restaurants, bars, grocery stores and other retailers throughout the Chicago area. Drews said he typically works 11- to 12-hour days, delivering anywhere between 350 to 600 cases of alcohol. Breakthru drivers based in Cicero and the companys satellite location in Rochelle first walked off the job last Monday. On Friday, Teamsters General President Sean OBrien joined workers on the picket line. Burcham said the union was trying to address safety concerns in contract proposals with the employer. There hasnt been a lot of response from the company to kind of address these major safety concerns, Burcham said. Advertisement Burcham also said that drivers are being denied requests to take their earned time off due to understaffing. Drivers load sizes are also increasing, she said. In a statement, the company said there was nothing more important than the safety of our associates and that it had made our commitment to associate safety clear during our recent bargaining sessions. Breakthru said it had implemented a number of safety measures, including piloting safety cameras on trucks, hiring a safety manager and conducting monthly safety meetings. We regularly evaluate our service area and if it is determined that a particular location poses a heightened security risk, a helper is assigned to ride with the driver so that no one is alone on the route, it said. Drews said drivers had concerns that helpers, who he said were contracted workers, were unprepared for the job. Advertisement The drivers previous contract expired in March, Burcham said, though drivers were working under an extension agreement until early June, when the union canceled the extension. The last bargaining sessions drivers had with management took place on June 9, Burcham said. The union bargaining committee rejected the companys proposals at that session and drivers went on strike June 13. While the Union and the company had reached a tentative agreement, the proposed contract was overwhelmingly rejected by the membership, Teamsters Local 710 said in a statement, reiterating drivers concerns about safety, increasing load sizes, time off and benefits. The employer barely acknowledges these issues and seems tone deaf to the frustration of their employees, the statement said. The members are sending a message to the Company that it needs to address these concerns. We hope that this strike finally wakes them up. Members of Teamsters Local 710 walk the picket line on June 21, 2022, in Cicero. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Advertisement Burcham said the company brought in outside drivers to make deliveries while workers are on strike. Bernie Sherlock, a business agent for Local 710, said drivers were prepared to strike as long as it takes. Were here for the long run, Sherlock said. We want to get these issues settled, and, you know, move forward. Breakthru Beverage Illinois is part of Breakthru Beverage Group, which is co-chaired by Chicago Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz. The company was formed by a 2015 merger of Wirtz Beverage and New York-based Charmer Sunbelt Group. In 2019, Breakthru Beverage Illinois agreed to pay $950,000 to settle discrimination allegations after a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation found reasonable cause to believe that BBI discriminated against Illinois sales employees by offering them account and territory assignments that, when accepted, resulted in national origin or race discrimination. The company denied the discrimination allegations at the time. LAKE GEORGE After being forced to not hold the event for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sixth Adirondack Wine and Food Festival will return to the Charles R. Wood Park starting Saturday. During a press conference Tuesday, Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, said that throughout the pandemic the team organizing the festival spent months deciding whether to host a major event. Mintzer said that they didnt want to risk hosting a super-spreader event. They put safety above profits, and in doing so you will learn that this year is going to be bigger than ever as visitors and winery fans will be coming to the Lake George area in droves, she said. Sasha Pardy, president of Adirondack Winery, owner of Adirondack Festivals and producer of the Adirondack Wine and Food Festival, started the Adirondack Wine and Food Festival with her husband in 2014 after attending a number of festivals on their own with the winery. I saw that there was amazing potential to do something here in Lake George where we have the lake nearby, and so many attractions, Pardy said. She said that the festivals that she attended with Adirondack Winery were at fairgrounds in remote locations, so she felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring such an event to Lake George. In 2019, the last time the festival was held, over 6,700 guests attended, and 73% of them said that they had planned a trip to Lake George specifically because of the festival, according to a news release. This weekend, the Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park will be filled with vendors from more than 120 of the states best wineries, breweries, distilleries, cideries, artisan food producers, food trucks and more. This year, the event is expected to generate a $3.6 million economic impact on the region, with 4,745 overnight stays expected in the area. For the third festival, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks will be the beneficiary, with a portion of every ticket sold being donated to the organization. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentorship, tutoring and other experiences to youths in Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. The organization raised $15,000 the last time the festival was held in 2019. We have developed a great partnership with Sasha and her team while being the beneficiary of the Adirondack Wine and Food Festival, said Marie Busse, development coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks. She said that there are more than 140 kids on the organizations waitlist to be matched with a mentor, which is the longest the waitlist has been in its 47-year existence. Busse said that partnerships like the one her organization has with the festival can have a positive impact on surrounding communities. The funds raised through this event will help local children facing adversity be able to be paired with a role model that will encourage them to see futures for themselves that are beyond what they previously thought possible, she said. The festival will have VIP, designated driver and underage tickets available at the door along with one- and two-day tasting tickets. But it is recommended that those planning to attend buy tickets in advance. In the past, Saturday and VIP tickets have sold out, and Pardy said that Saturday tickets for this year are already almost sold out. I do see other side events in our future as we grow and look to the future, she said. But first things first: get this year done after COVID. I think its going to be big. 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. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BALLSTON SPA An Ithaca man has been sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison for stealing items from several residences in Moreau last September. Robert Porter, 39, was arrested on Sept. 21. The investigation started after state police responded to a residence on Sept. 16, when the homeowners discovered that someone had gone through their vehicles overnight. A person, later identified as Porter, took multiple credit cards and over $300. Porter charged over $7,000 worth of dollars in purchases, police said. Troopers conducted interviews and obtained surveillance video from the establishments where the illegal purchases were made and were able to get a description of the suspect. Police found him sitting a picnic table at a Stewarts Shop on Route 9. Porter pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court in April to one count of fourth-degree grand larceny. He was sentenced on June 15. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BALLSTON A man currently in Greene County Jail awaiting trial on a murder charge has been charged in connection with vandalism that occurred in 2017 at the Curtis Lumber property in the town of Ballston. Anthony J. Paradise Jr., 44, was arrested following a lengthy investigation into an incident that occurred on Nov. 27, 2017. Paradise is accused of spending several hours at the lumber yards property on Route 67 after the business was closed. Paradise allegedly sabotaged electrical and gas systems in several buildings, damaged buildings and computer systems, tampered with the 911 system on the Verizon Wireless tower and set fire to a storage building full of sub-flooring, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, according to a news release from the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office. Police did not state any motive for the crime. Paradise was charged with felony counts of third-degree arson, third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal tampering and second-degree criminal mischief. He was arraigned in Ballston Town Court and returned to Greene County Jail. Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said he was proud to announce the arrest in the case, which involved hundreds of police hours. Jay Curtis, owner and president of Curtis Lumber, also thanked investigators for their diligence and persistence solving this very unusual crime. We are extremely pleased and look forward to this being behind us, he said in a news release. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Warren County Health Services will open its COVID-19 vaccine booster clinic on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Warren County Municipal Center. The additional clinic was organized for this week in light of the closure of the New York state vaccination site in Queensbury earlier this month, officials said. The clinic is located in the rear of the Municipal Center. Registration is required, and can be done on the Warren County COVID hub. The clinic will administer Pfizer shots on Thursday, while Moderna shots were offered during Tuesdays clinic hours. Warren County Health Services reported 15 new COVID cases on Tuesday, seven of which stemmed from at-home test results. The current seven-day rolling positivity rate for the county is 4.9%. There have been 82 new COVID cases in Warren County over the last five days. Glens Falls Hospital currently has 13 COVID patients in-house, with none in the ICU, according to hospital spokesperson Liza Rucinski. There is currently one person in Warren County who is critically ill from COVID, according to Health Services. Capital Region/statewide There are 115 patients throughout Capital Region hospitals with COVID-19, according to Warren County Health Services. As of Tuesday, there were 113 new COVID cases out of 1,410 administered tests in the region. The seven-day rolling positivity rate for the region is 6.2%, while statewide, that rate is 5.2%, according to state data. Statewide, 3,700 tested positive for COVID out of 49,901 administered tests as of Tuesday, according to state data. Love 0 Funny 6 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Construction has begun on a new Metra station in Chicagos Auburn Gresham community, a project years in the making that officials said has the potential to boost investment in the area and improve transportation connections for residents. It holds the promise of economic renaissance for this hard-hit area, and a literal, as well as a powerful symbolic connection between this proud recovering community and the rest of the great city of Chicago, state Sen. Jacqueline Collins, a Chicago Democrat who is running for Congress, said at a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday. This station is also a crucial step in the direction of equalizing infrastructure investment across all our communities. Advertisement The new Auburn Park station will be near 79th Street on Metras Rock Island line that runs between downtown Chicago and Joliet. It will fill a gap along the line between existing stations at 87th Street in the Gresham neighborhood and 35th Street in Bronzeville. The station has been in the works for years. It was originally to be funded with Metras share of money from two state bond programs dating back to 2009, but the money was held up during state budget issues and ultimately cut in 2017, Metra has previously said. Advertisement State funding was later restored, and the project now will be funded mostly by the state, with Metra contributing some money, spokesman Michael Gillis said. The project is expected to cost a total of about $35 million, including a $28.2 million construction contract awarded to John Burns Construction of Orland Park, and will take about 2 years to complete, Metra said. After the station is built, the nearby Metra bridge over freight train tracks will be raised between a foot and 1 feet to allow more clearance for freight traffic. The Metra tracks will remain at the same height, meaning there will be less distance between the bottom of the bridge and the tracks, Gillis said. The new station is along one of the lines participating in Cook Countys Fair Transit South Cook pilot program, which in January 2021 slashed fares on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines and boosted service on the Pace 352-Halsted bus route in an effort to galvanize public transit on the South Side and in the south suburbs. Before the pandemic, Metra estimated 400 weekday passengers could use the station. The agency did not have updated numbers taking into account the pandemic or the fare pilot program. The Auburn Park station will be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and include a vendor building with glass storefronts. A staircase and two elevators will run between street level and the 480-foot platform, which is set to have a canopy and two shelters. Nearby roads will undergo work to allow vehicles to access the station, and an 84-space parking lot will include a drop-off area, covered bike parking and landscaping. A plaza will include bike racks, benches, trees and a canopy, and a living green wall is set to be created along an existing retaining wall, according to Metra. The platforms will be cleared by a snow melt system expected to eliminate the need for de-icing chemicals, Metra said. Advertisement Auburn Gresham is on the move, said Carlos Nelson, CEO of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, as he thanked a series of residents who live near the planned station for their work. Get on board, right here at the Auburn Park station. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com ATLANTIC CITY City Council passed a resolution in support of casino workers in their quest for a fair wage, and to "urge casino employers to raise wages and staffing and negotiate in good faith to avert a strike." The resolution passed unanimously at council's Wednesday night meeting. The threat of a strike is happening as the city prepares to host the national NAACP convention July 14 to 21. Councilman Kaleem Shabazz also was expected to hold a news conference in support of casino workers and their union, Unite Here Local 54, at 11 a.m. Thursday in the lobby of City Hall. "Our hope is there doesn't have to be a strike," said Shabazz. "Workers need to make livable wages." He said a strike would be disastrous and make national news. Atlantic Club $2.7 million behind on taxes ATLANTIC CITY The owner of the former Atlantic Club, who purchased the long-shuttered casi "We don't need that," said Shabazz, especially with the NAACP convention coming. As president of the hosting chapter of the NAACP, Shabazz has a lot riding on the success of the national convention. Members of Local 54 authorized their negotiating committee to call a July 1 strike against Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and the three casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment Caesars Atlantic City, Harrahs Resort Atlantic City and Tropicana Atlantic City and a July 3 strike against Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, if new contracts are not in place by then. The union says it is seeking significant wage increases in the next contract to help workers deal with financial setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and rapidly rising prices. The economic benefits of hosting the NAACP convention are expected to be substantial, according to Larry Sieg, executive director of the agency that works to bring conventions to town, Meet AC. Not only is it going to garner national and international media attention, we are looking at over 8,000 attendees 7,700-plus room nights for hotel properties, $9.3 million in economic impact, Sieg has said. The convention will be held at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and there will be events around the city and at the Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, according to organizers. Registration will be open to all, not just NAACP members, they said. Council on Wednesday also passed two ordinances to double fines for littering and dumping debris on city streets and sidewalks, and one to raise the cost of a jitney ride from $2.25 to $2.50. A detailed discussion of the city's proposed $236 million budget was also expected but did not happen. Some council members talked about holding a special meeting next week to consider the budget and handle other matters. Ordinance 27 amends existing city law to increase first littering offense fines from $500 to $1,000; and fines for second offenses and subsequent offenses from $1,000 to $2,000, plus community service. After a third offense, punishment could include 90 days in jail for each additional offense. Councilmen Muhammad Zia and MD Hossain Morshed, who represent the 4th and 5th wards, are sponsors of both anti-littering ordinances. Atlantic City Council finally gets detailed budget figures ATLANTIC CITY City Council finally received a detailed 2022 city budget that includes how Both have repeatedly asked the administration to address quality-of-life problems in their wards, such as broken street lighting, poor upkeep of properties, lack of parking for residents, and trash on the streets. Current fines have not been a deterrent, according to the wording of the ordinance, but it does not say how often tickets have been issued for littering or how much enforcement of existing law has taken place. A request for information from a police spokesperson about how often littering tickets have been issued was not answered Wednesday. Ordinance 28 addresses fines for creating obstructions on city streets or sidewalks by dumping trash, building materials and other debris. Upon conviction, the fine would be any amount up to $2,000 for each offense and/or 90 days in jail. The Associated Press contributed to this report. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TRENTON Most students and staff at New Jersey colleges and universities would have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to be on campus should proposed legislation become law. With fall classes only months away, Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., D-Burlington, has introduced a bill requiring students and staff to provide documentation that theyve received one of three approved vaccines against the coronavirus. If they cant or are not vaccinated, theyll be barred from on-campus employment and classes, according to the bill. Many state colleges mandate that their students and staff be vaccinated, moves that have remained controversial since the inoculations were first approved by federal health regulators in late 2020. New Jersey mandates that students and staff at higher-education institutions be vaccinated against other infectious diseases, such as meningitis. Colleges and universities can disregard the mandate for those unvaccinated for medical or religious reasons, should they be provided a written statement from a licensed medical provider. The rule also wont apply to anyone attending classes or working remotely, with no physical campus presence, according to the bill. The measure also assures that COVID-19 vaccines are offered by on-campus health services or through a contracted community health care provider. The bill was referred Monday to the Assembly Health Committee, which Conaway chairs. One local lawmaker, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, R-Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, is also a committee member. The committee is not scheduled to meet before the Legislatures summer recess, according to the Legislatures calendar. If the committee isnt called to meet before the recess, talks would likely resume in the fall, Rumpf said. While Rumpf approves of government vaccine mandates, he said the rules need to be the least intrusive mechanism possible to protect individual liberty, saying the bills portion allowing exceptions should not be removed. We need to ensure ones liberties are not infringed by virtue of whatever may presently be occurring with the pandemic, Rumpf said. An identical bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, has been referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ATLANTIC CITY The Board of Directors of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on Tuesday approved funding for three festivals. The board said yes to nearly $158,000 total for a Latino Festival, an Indian Multicultural Festival, and a health and wellness event. The resolutions include a tourism grant of up to $62,800 to the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County to help fund the 2022 Latino Festival, planned for Sept. 17 at Bader Field. A website about the planned event says it will include music, such as bachata, reggaeton, salsa and mariachi, as well as food vendors, childrens activities, and health and wellness screenings. The CRDA had funded the event last year, according to Karen Martin, acting director of communication and marketing. She told the board the city is also supporting the event, which will be free to the public. Its going to represent the rich heritage of about 20 countries, and they do expect to draw about 7,000 attendees, Martin said. Additional sponsors include Atlantic City in collaboration with the AC Initiatives Project Office, the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County, Organizacion Azteca and the state Department of Community Affairs. Atlantic City Latino Festival celebrates community, diversity of Latin America ATLANTIC CITY Hundreds of people came to Bader Field on Saturday to celebrate the citys L At the same meeting, a resolution was approved to fund $60,000 for an Indian Multicultural Festival this year through the Asian American Society of Atlantic City. The festival is planned for four days at Bader Field, Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, from noon to 8 p.m., Martin said. Music, dance and food will be used to celebrate South Asian cultures, she said, and the organization expects to draw visitors from throughout the state. In both cases, the special event grant is part of a tourism market expansion project, according to the posted agenda. A third vote awarded a grant of up to $35,000 toward a planned Sustainable Health and Wellness Village Festival, presented through Caresparc Community Connections. The organizations website lists that event as running Oct. 14 and 15 at the Showboat Atlantic City hotel. Martin said more than $50,000 of the estimated cost of the event will come from other sources. Among the elements the CRDA funding will cover will be transportation for senior citizens who live in Atlantic City, who will also get a lunch and vouchers for fresh produce. According to the organizations website, the event aims to connect at-risk populations with community providers to expand access to health care. Caresparc is based in Maplewood, Essex County, according to the site. Additional festivals are planned in Newark and New Brunswick. There were no votes against any of the grants by the board. Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. A former Ocean City pizza shop owner admitted he failed to pay the IRS $208,448 in taxes, the IRS said Tuesday. Ernesto Cannuscio, 70, of Linwood, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Karen Williams in Camden to conspiracy to evade income taxes and could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Cannuscio, a former 50% owner and operator of Marios Pizzeria & Restaurant on Bay Avenue, failed to deposit a significant number of cash receipts into the pizza shops corporate bank account between October 2013 and September 2018, and used a portion of those cash receipts to pay employees off the books, according to court documents and statements. He also did not tell his accountant about the unreported cash receipts and knowingly provided his accountant with business bank statements that did not have the unreported receipts, which caused the accountant to underreport gross receipts on the corporate tax returns, as well as the flow-through income that should have been reported on Cannuscios personal income tax. In addition, Cannuscio evaded employment taxes by not informing the accountant about the cash wages paid to employees, according to the IRS. Business owners have an obligation to properly report all of the income earned whether paid in cash, check or credit card, Tammy Tomlins, acting special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigations Newark Field Office, said in a news release. Failing to intentionally report income and paying employees cash off the books to evade taxes will not go unpunished. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25. Contact Selena Vazquez: 609-272-7225; svazquez@pressofac.com Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORTHFIELD A four-year contract to give about 16 superior officers in the Atlantic County Sheriffs Office raises averaging 3.85% a year passed at Tuesdays commissioners meeting. We believe thats fair and the union is happy, said County Counsel Jim Ferguson of PBA 243, covering sergeants, lieutenants and captains. Under the terms of the four-year contract, a two-tier system that paid those hired after Oct. 1, 2015, less than those hired before that date will phase out in the fourth year. In effect, in the final year of the contract, everyone will go to one tier, Ferguson said. The county got a concession regarding health insurance, Ferguson said, with the union agreeing its base medical plan would be a less expensive option than the current base plan. Officers will still have the option to elect the more expensive plan, but will have to pay the difference in premium, Ferguson said. Atlantic County jail retirees ask to be included in COVID-19 hazard pay bonuses NORTHFIELD Retired Atlantic County jail workers who were on the job in the early months of The unions also compromised on sick or terminal leave, Ferguson said, regarding payouts at time of retirement. Previously officers could get 100% of unused sick time up to a maximum of $22,500, but that has now been reduced to a maximum of $18,000 for those hired prior to May 21, 2010. Those hired after that date could get a maximum payout of $15,000, Ferguson said. County Administrator Jerry DelRosso said the COVID-19 pandemic caused the county to rethink its contracts and make efforts to raise salaries. We are giving higher percentage increases to counteract that we are asking the union to take (a less expensive medical option), DelRosso said. Medical costs to the county go down, now the salary goes up. The rank-and-file officers contract, covering about 80 officers, will come up later for renewal, Ferguson said. Also at the meeting, the commissioners tabled a resolution sponsored by Democratic Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick in support of a womans right to sovereignty over her own body. It resolved that the commissioners support the right of women to choose their own reproductive health care, and that the board supports federal legalization of abortion set by Roe v. Wade and statute if needed. The vote to table was 6-2, with all Republicans present voting to table and the two Democrats voting against tabling. The resolution now goes to a commission committee where it will be worked on to see if wording acceptable to all can be reached. I did let Commissioner Fitzpatrick know my opinion, said Republican Commissioner Amy Gatto. I dont totally disagree with some of the elements in the resolution, but she said she needed some changes to vote for it. Commissioners have previously passed resolutions about state and national issues, Fitzpatrick and others said. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Both the Atsion Recreation Area and Batsto Village reopened Wednesday morning now that a large wildfire surrounding them in Wharton State Forest is almost fully contained. Hiking and biking trails, however, will remain off limits to visitors until further notice. Kayaking and canoeing on the Mullica and Batsto rivers are also suspended, Wharton State Forest said on its Facebook page. Firefighters said Wednesday morning they had managed to keep the fire 95% contained, with the blaze having burned through about 13,500 acres of New Jersey pinelands. Crews have built a perimeter around the fire while burning materials on the ground that could aid the blaze in spreading. Wharton State Forest fire 95% contained A fire burning in Wharton State Forest was 95% contained as of late afternoon Tuesday, and f State Fire Warden Greg McLaughlin said Tuesday that investigators suspect the fire was caused by illegal campfire activity. On Monday, McLaughlin and DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette predicted the fire would burn about 15,000 acres, making it New Jerseys largest wildfire since 2007. The officials also said at least one campground was evacuated and more than a dozen buildings were threatened by the blaze. An investigation into the fire is ongoing. Anyone with information can call the New Jersey Forest Fire Services Division B at 609-726-9010. Smoke may still be visible throughout the area while firefighters continue working. Motorists should use caution, as emergency vehicles may still be working nearby, the Forest Fire Service said Wednesday. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TRENTON Most students and staff at New Jersey colleges and universities would have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to be on campus should proposed legislation become law. With fall classes only months away, Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., D-Burlington, has introduced a bill requiring students and staff to provide documentation that theyve received one of three approved vaccines against the coronavirus. If they cant or are not vaccinated, theyll be barred from on-campus employment and classes, according to the bill. Many state colleges mandate that their students and staff be vaccinated, moves that have remained controversial since the inoculations were first approved by federal health regulators in late 2020. New Jersey mandates that students and staff at higher-education institutions be vaccinated against other infectious diseases, such as meningitis. Colleges and universities can disregard the mandate for those unvaccinated for medical or religious reasons, should they be provided a written statement from a licensed medical provider. The rule also wont apply to anyone attending classes or working remotely, with no physical campus presence, according to the bill. The measure also assures that COVID-19 vaccines are offered by on-campus health services or through a contracted community health care provider. The bill was referred Monday to the Assembly Health Committee, which Conaway chairs. One local lawmaker, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, R-Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, is also a committee member. The committee is not scheduled to meet before the Legislatures summer recess, according to the Legislatures calendar. If the committee isnt called to meet before the recess, talks would likely resume in the fall, Rumpf said. While Rumpf approves of government vaccine mandates, he said the rules need to be the least intrusive mechanism possible to protect individual liberty, saying the bills portion allowing exceptions should not be removed. We need to ensure ones liberties are not infringed by virtue of whatever may presently be occurring with the pandemic, Rumpf said. An identical bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, has been referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Employers across the Quad-Cities are boosting worker wages amid a tight labor market moves aimed at retaining workers, luring others away from lower-paying or higher-stress jobs and convincing others to return to the labor force. Nationally, compensation for private-industry workers is up 4.8% year over year, and wages and salaries as a whole are 5% higher than this time last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its the fastest pace for wage increases in at least two decades. Whats that mean for your company? A worker shortage is driving up wages In March, Iowa had roughly 102,000 job openings and only 55,000 unemployed, according to the latest figures from Iowa Workforce Development about 1.8 job vacancies for every unemployed person. In Illinois, there were 426,000 job openings and 300,000 unemployed about 1.4 openings per unemployed person. Nationally, the figure is 1.8. So why arent more people working? Iowa State University economist Peter Orazem said Iowa, pre-pandemic, had a higher labor participation rate among people older than 45 compared to other states. Those in that age group, especially women, left the workforce over the course of the pandemic at higher rates, he said, and havent bounced back yet. He said that's likely contributing to Iowa's labor participation being half as quick to recover as the U.S. overall. The number of immigrants entering the workforce also declined nationally during the Trump administration and the pandemic, meaning fewer new Americans entered the labor force. In tight labor markets, Orazem said, the number of people quitting their jobs often rises while layoffs decline. In the Midwest, 3.1% of employees quit their jobs in December, but leveled off at 2.7% in March. According to a national Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults that quit a job in 2021, the top reasons included low pay, no opportunities for advancement, and feeling disrespected at work. Child care issues and flexibility in hours were also top reasons Americans surveyed left a job last year. What your company can offer It might not be as simple as pumping more into payroll. Some Quad-Cities workers say employers could do a better job retaining talent by improving working conditions and being more flexible with time off. Silvis resident Amanda Watson quit a high-stress, long-hour nurse management job for more regular hours as a receptionist at a family medical practice. Watson (no relation to the reporter) said if a nurse called in sick while Watson was on call, she would need to report in for work if no other nurses could pick up the 8-hour shift. That meant canceling dentist appointments last minute, missing her 16-year-old daughters extracurricular activities, or picking up her daughter early from an evening with friends. I don't know how many times I made a dentist appointment and then the day of I'm calling to cancel because someone called in or there was some kind of crisis and I just couldn't get out of work to go, Watson said. In fact, they told me if I did it again, I couldn't come back. Watson said she took a roughly $10-an-hour pay cut for a job that offered more consistent hours and time at home with her daughter. But she still can contract for weekend shifts when she chooses if she needs to make some extra money, she said. The difference is, she said, she can pick when she works overtime instead of being forced to work at the last minute. (Previously), someone calls in for third shift, and I'm calling her (daughter) and I'm like, I'm so sorry, but you have to come back home. I have to find somewhere for you to spend the night because I have to go into work, Watson said. So being able to not have to worry about that happening, I love it. I don't like the money but it's worth it to me right now. Greg Reed, 58, also recently changed jobs for better conditions. Reed has worked in the military and transportation logistics for most of his life. He accepted a training job that offered slightly higher pay but significantly less physical labor. "As I'm getting older, I'm finding out very quickly that I can't physically do what I used to be able to do," Reed said. Softening the blow from Illinois minimum-wage ramp-up Quad-Cities businesses are straddling a minimum wage difference between Iowa and Illinois, which will grow further until 2025. Springfield lawmakers approved phasing in raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, which includes a lower minimum for tipped employees, $9, and workers under the age of 18 working fewer than 650 hours a year, $13. The Quad-Cities Chamber opposed the move when it was proposed, citing that such a disparity in minimum wages could spell trouble for the bi-state region businesses competing for workers and lower-cost overhead. In 2022, employers must pay Illinois workers at least $12 an hour, or $7.20 for tipped employees. Thats compared to Iowas minimum wage at $7.25, the same as the federal minimum wage. In the hot labor market, wages have risen the fastest, however, in the lowest wage tail, including in food service, retail, and hospitality hourly jobs, according to Western Illinois Economics Professor Bill Polley. This is likely to lessen the impact of raising the minimum wage on businesses overhead costs, if businesses are already raising wages to attract workers. Emerging from the pandemic has put upward pressure on wages. But in the most recent Quad-Cities area wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2020, occupations with an average hourly wage below $16 an hour made up just about 15% of the Quad-Cities workforce. The Davenport, Moline, Rock Island metro area had an average hourly wage of $24.12. Even during the pandemic two years ago, you can see that the average wage in the lowest tier of occupational groups, so this would be the kind of jobs that we traditionally would think are primarily minimum wage or slightly above minimum wage jobs, were significantly above both the Illinois and the Iowa minimum wage at the time, Polley said. And so, what we can really take away from that is that most likely on both sides of the river a lot of those jobs were paying more than even the Illinois minimum wage, and that Iowa's wages in order to compete with Illinois employers Iowa's wages would have been significantly above the $7.25 Iowa minimum wage, Polley added. Food preparation and serving-related occupations in the Quad-Cities region had the lowest average hourly wage in 2020 at $11.86. Advice for companies straddling the river Whiteys Ice Cream, a staple part-time job for young people in the Quad-Cities, has so far raised its wages on both sides of the river to meet the phased-in Illinois minimum wage, said Annika Tunberg, Whiteys Ice Cream vice president. But she said, the company hasnt yet made a decision whether to scale that trend all the way to $15 an hour. I can't say that that's what we'll always do as the minimum wage continues to increase, but from our viewpoint, you know, our employees are doing the same great work on both sides of the river, Tunberg said. Tunberg said Whiteys is facing many of the same challenges attracting workers in recent months. Whiteys is looking to fill three or four positions at its manufacturing plant, and would like to hire more daytime storefront employees. Much of the storefront workforce are younger employees, in high school or college. One successful strategy to hire new workers: Offering a referral bonus to incentivize employees to encourage their friends to apply. That's been our best marketing strategy, if you will, to get employees, Tunberg said. It's always helpful to work with friends and be in an environment where you like where you work. Research by Orazem found that while businesses likely to employ low-wage workers don't move to a state where the minimum wage is lower, but there can be an effect on where those businesses open new locations. Orazem said there is also some evidence that as the minimum wage rises, employers reduce the number of hours. Bayside Bistro owners Darryl and Latisha Howlett took into account the minimum wage rising in Illinois when they opened a second location in Rock Island last fall. But the new location and its larger dining space ultimately proved the driving forces behind the decision. Rising food costs have compounded challenges in finding workers. The Howletts canceled the Village's Bayside Bistros dinner menu because they couldnt get enough food to supply the planned nightly menu. So, they concocted a different dinner menu for their Rock Island location and opened it just during dinner hours. In an effort to reward high schoolers that worked with Bayside Bistro throughout their high school years, the Howletts for the first time last year awarded a scholarship to one of their employees heading to college. Darryl Howlett said they hope to grow the scholarship for future years. Even with raising wages to attract workers, the Howletts said they're still struggling to hire workers who know how to clean, sweep, and bus tables, and communicate with their supervisors, which has surprised the pair the most. "If you're getting paid $12 or $15 to come in and wash dishes and sweep the floor and bus tables, or, you know, to answer phones or do something that's really simplistic, and they come in and they don't have the skill set," Latisha Howlett said. "They don't know how to do these things. They're not starting at a wage that could give them incentive to learn how to do these simple tasks." Higher wage traveling nurses used more to fill a health care worker shortage In healthcare, one of the region's largest industries, hospitals are turning to traveling workers to fill open positions, often at much higher rates than traditional, full-time employees. In the Quad-Cities, Genesis Health System is using at least triple the number of traveling health care professionals, including nurses, compared to before the pandemic began. Before the pandemic, Genesis would contract between 10-20 travelers, according to Heidi Kahly-McMahon, vice president of human resources at Genesis Health System. That includes traveling nurses, contracted respiratory therapists, medical technicians in the laboratory and occasionally surgical scrub technicians, according to Genesis. Now, Genesis contracts about 60 travelers, including 20 international nurses to meet our patients needs, according to Kahly-McMahon. The company keeps private what it pays traveling staff and registered nurses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median pay for registered nurses in 2021 was $77,600 a year or $37.31 per hour. The bureau doesnt separate traveling nurse wages, but according to Indeed, the average base salary for traveling nurses is $125,679. How can the Quad-Cities attract and keep workers? Quad-Cities business leaders are brainstorming ways to attract and retain a workforce with an eye to meeting the Q2030 goal of growing the area's population to 500,000 by 2030. Study: 'Striketober' didn't bring record labor activity In 2021, there were 265 work stoppages across the nation involving approximately 140,000 workers. Many involved demands for better pay and retirement benefits. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A vehicle traveling over 110 miles per hour in Whiteside County this week resulted in a multitude of charges against four men, including one who was wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder. The Whiteside County Sheriff's Department issued a news release Wednesday, which detailed a multi-county chase that is believed to have included Rock Island County. Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, a Whiteside County Deputy stationed on Interstate 88 clocked a Dodge Charger traveling eastbound at 111 miles per hour, police said. The car matched the description of a vehicle that was wanted by police in Rock Island County for fleeing and eluding. While the deputy initially gave chase, the pursuit was terminated at an I-88 exit ramp. As the Charger continued eastbound on U.S. Route 30, police said, it was located by the Rock Falls Police Department traveling 90 mph in a 40 mph zone. Sheriff's officials said the Charger was not being pursued as it continued, "at an extremely high rate of speed" before the driver lost control and rolled, coming to a stop in the 700 block of E. Route 30. "After the accident, four male Black suspects were seen attempting to exit the vehicle and flee the scene," Whiteside County Sheriff's Department personnel wrote in a summary of events. "One eyewitness reported seeing one of the suspects carrying a handgun as he fled on foot. "The first suspect was apprehended as he was exiting the crashed vehicle while attempting to flee." He is identified as Montriel D. Clark, 23, of Rockford. Clark was wanted out of Rockford on an arrest warrant for first-degree murder, among other charges, police said. "Additional officers from the Illinois State Police, Sterling, Rock Falls, Prophetstown and Fulton Police Departments were requested and established a perimeter that extended west to Route 40 and south to I-88," according to the news release. The officers next took into custody Gregory Gould, 28, of Rockford, who was hiding in a shed behind a residential property, they said. "The search was extended to a wooded area and included the use of the Carroll County K-9, aerial drones and officers on foot," the sheriff's department wrote. "The search resulted in the subsequent apprehension of the remaining two suspects, 20-year-old Jimmitreus J. Castleberry of Aurora, and 23-year-old Terrance T. Howard of Hazel Crest. "Castleberry was also wanted by the Illinois Department of Corrections on a parole violation warrant, while Howard was also wanted out of Rockford for failure to appear, fleeing and eluding." Police recovered at the scene a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun, a 9mm Glock handgun with an extended magazine and an installed after-market device that converts the semi-automatic weapon to fully automatic, along with multiple controlled substances, including crack cocaine, MDMA and cannabis, police said. All four suspects were in custody Wednesday at the Whiteside County Jail and charges include unlawful use of a weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of cannabis and intent to deliver cannabis and resisting/obstructing a peace officer. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lily Wang and Joe Briglio, co-owners of Nine Bar, a craft cocktail bar on Cermak Road in Chicagos Chinatown neighborhood, June 2, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) One of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Chicago has become the secretive site of the only craft cocktail bar in Chinatown. Lily Wang, whose parents own Moon Palace on Cermak Road, debuted Nine Bar on June 1, a dramatic new space hidden behind her familys restaurant, with partner Joe Briglio. Advertisement Were describing ourselves as an Asian-ish cocktail bar, Wang said. The personal and professional partners both worked as career bartenders. She was last at Estereo, and he at Blind Barber. Advertisement We liked the freedom of being able to pull from our past work experiences, Briglio said. They began the concept that became Nine Bar as a Lunar New Year pop-up at Moon Palace in 2019. Lunar New Year is one of my favorite holidays that Ive always celebrated with my family, Wang said. But I never really got to celebrate with friends. It made a lot of sense to us, Briglio said. Because it was the Year of the Pig, which is my year, as well as Lilys moms year. So it just felt like a nice connection. The couple pitched the idea to Wangs parents, but there was some confusion initially. I think they were under the impression that we just wanted to have our friends here just for a party, Wang said. But we were like, no, its going to be legit. Were going to make cocktails. Were going to sell stuff. And it ended up being pretty successful, Briglio said. In 2020, they hosted their second Lunar New Year pop-up, called Dim Sum Disco, and then the pandemic hit Chinatown first and hard with coronavirus fears. Advertisement My parents had already been experiencing a decline in business just because of fear wrapped around COVID, Wang said. It was just an all-encompassing xenophobic and COVID-related scare. When bars shut down, the bartending duo was out of work. Lily started posting pictures on Instagram of bento boxes, which was really just her cooking lunch for us, Briglio said. And people started messaging her asking if they could buy them. I think that really kind of snowballed into what became the Nine Bar konbini. The first iteration of the new brand took off from there as a virtual pop-up with impressive food and drinks. Because of Moon Palace, we were very fortunate to be able to share their space and use their liquor license for when we did start doing cocktails, Wang said. It was a true collaborative effort. Two years later, Moon Palace has become a completely redefined space, home to two new concepts. The former family restaurant has become primarily a takeout place, with Nine Bar hidden behind what looks like the kitchen door. Advertisement But theyve brought back a favorite sandwich familiar to fans. The McKatsu sandwich at Nine Bar, June 2, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) The McKatsu sandwich, Wang said. When we went back to our regular jobs, just bartending, people were like, When are you going to make that sandwich again? Its a panko-breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet with American cheese and pickled radish. The new mapo hot fries were inspired by her father. My dads mapo tofu is one of my favorite dishes, Wang said. And if I see loaded fries on a menu for me, its a no-brainer. Saucy chile pork, spicy mayo and pickled peppers smother french fries. Advertisement Chef Elvis Mom, last at Spinning J, where he held a Khmer and Southeast Asian pop-up, oversees the food. Meanwhile, the Nine Bar mai tai, from the original Year of the Pig Lunar New Year party, is a tribute to Wangs mother, and the history of tropical drinks at Chinese restaurants. The Nine Bar mai tai is shown on June 2, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) At Moon Palace, they had old-school bartending, with sour mix and premade juices, Wang said. But a lot of people really liked my moms mai tai. I think its probably because she makes them really strong. Ours is a connection and homage to that. Theyre using fresh juices, and making everything possible in house. We do the orgeat with almond cookies, Briglio said. We make a syrup out of the almond cookies, as the almond sweetener component. And in lieu of a traditional orange liqueur, were using the Apologue persimmon liqueur, which is made here in Chicago. An over-the-top garnish finishes the drink served in tropical glassware. Advertisement Low- and no-alcohol cocktails are also on the menu. One of our favorite lower ABV options is in the highball section of the cocktail menu. Its called the Chu-Hai, Wang said. Chuhais, short for shochu highballs, are popular in Japan, and often sold canned in creative flavors. Their variation uses shochu, melon liqueur, Calpico and Ming River baiju, the Chinese spirit thats made from sorghum. Its got some complexity to it from the baiju, like a little bit of funk, but its a pretty neon green drink, Wang added. If you want to drink, but dont want to get crazy, you can still have a fun, cute looking cocktail. Siren Betty Design, the design firm that subtly transformed the legendary California Clipper, created the new Moon Palace and Nine Bar spaces. The front is meant to be minimal and a little bit nondescript, Wang said. Its supposed to look like any other carryout Chinese restaurant that you would see anywhere in the country. Advertisement The entrance to the bar is what you would assume to be the kitchen behind the counter. And then when you walk in, its a very different vibe than the front, she said. Its dark. Its a little moody. Its a little industrial. At craft cocktail spot Nine Bar, on Cermak Road in Chicagos Chinatown, seen June 2, you sit at the bar or banquettes. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Nine Bar is first come, first served. You seat yourself at the bar or banquettes. There is counter service for drinks and food, dine-in only, and a server will be available on weekends. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, there will be DJs. In addition to craft cocktails, the new bar is trying to bring back the sake bomb with Asahi beer and sake on draft. I think its great communal fun, Wang said. Were not doing the chopsticks thing, but we are dropping the shot glass. 216 W. Cermak Road, 312-225-4081, ninebarchicago.com Advertisement More new and notable restaurant and bar openings, in alphabetical order: Chicago Sushi Chef Kenta Ikehata just celebrated the grand opening of his second restaurant, located two doors down from his critically acclaimed Chicago Ramen. Chicago Sushi opened Monday in Des Plaines. Ikehata features what he calls three-second hand rolls, marking the time in which you should eat the crisp nori wrap with warm rice and cool fish. He also offers red hot chili noodles not found on the ramen house menu, with a chicken soup broth available at your choice of spicy heat. 574 E. Oakton St., Des Plaines; 847-813-5647; instagram.com/chicago.sushi Kala Partner Stephanie Guerres family shared their recipes from Kalamata, the city in Greece famous for its purplish black olives. Kala, part of the growing modern Greek dining scene around Chicago, started serving June 12 in the Park West neighborhood of the Lincoln Park area. Youll find a skewer plate with pork, shrimp or keftedes. That last one is traditionally meatballs, made with meat, but here theyre made with plant-based feta. Plus the Greek burgers come with granch, a Greek yogurt ranch. 2523 N. Clark St., 773-560-6412, kalachicago.com Piccolo Buco by Coopers Hawk Coopers Hawk founder Tim McEnery fell in love in Rome with a pizza. The resulting Piccolo Buco pizzeria fired its first pies June 12 in Oak Brook. The collaboration with Roman chef Luca Issa, who makes a unique contemporary Neapolitan-style pizza, featuring an unusual super-puffy crust, is available in three sauces: classic red, under fried eggplant and Parmesan fonduta; sweeter yellow tomato, with four cheeses including Gorgonzola dolce and nutmeg; and white, for carbonara made with guanciale plus cured egg yolk. 1818 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook; 630-592-8885; piccolobuco.coopershawk.com Advertisement Selva Former Rye Deli + Drink chef Billy Caruso has created a new concept for the hotel that has taken over the old Ace space. Selva, a rooftop cocktail bar, began pouring June 10 at The Emily Hotel in Fulton Market. Beverage director Cristiana DeLucca, previously at The Office at The Aviary, pairs a Mexican-inspired menu (think chicharrones and queso) with a house daiquiri mixed with Uruapan charanda blanco, a rum-based spirit, and Chinola passion fruit liqueur. 311 N. Morgan St. (in The Emily Hotel), 312-764-1934, selvachicago.com Sushi Hall Chef and partner Mitch Kim, previously at Toro Sushi just down the street, is back behind the counter. Sushi Hall, a Japanese-inspired restaurant, just opened June 17 in the Lincoln Park area, a few doors up from The Wieners Circle. You can get a spicy tuna crunch roll now, but will have to wait for the seared Wagyu beef nigiri coming soon. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > 2630 N. Clark St., sushihallchicago.com In closing news: Reve Burger, Ever restaurants unlikely pandemic pop-up by chef Curtis Duffy, ranked among the best cheeseburgers in town, will close permanently July 2 in the West Loop, with its temporary home due to be torn down for a new tower. The Darling, a cocktail bar that featured burlesque performances, closed suddenly June 12 in the West Loop after a nearly four-year run, and the business has been bought by another hospitality group. Advertisement Vajra, the chef-driven Indian restaurant, which just retained its Michelin Bib Gourmand status in the guide released in April, closed unexpectedly June 19 in West Town, unable to weather the socioeconomic fallout of the pandemic. Know of a Chicago-area restaurant thats new and notable? Email food critic Louisa Chu at lchu@chicagotribune.com. More in recent restaurant and bar news: Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. The first vaccination clinic for babies and young children in Rock Island County is next week. The Rock Island County Health Department will begin giving COVID-19 vaccines to children ages six months to 4 years on Wednesdays by appointment with the first clinic on June 29. To make an appointment, call 309-794-7080. The clinic is located at the health department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. Clinics for this age group will offer Pfizer vaccinations during morning appointments and Moderna vaccinations during afternoon appointments. The health department set Wednesdays aside for vaccinations of this age group for the foreseeable future. COVID-19 treatments have changed, but the newer options are available in the Quad-Cities New COVID-19 treatments at Genesis Health System and UnityPoint Health-Trinity are helping hospitalized patients and those with compromised immune systems. The announcement follows the approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines for young children. The health department this week received both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine for this age group, agency officials said. Weve worked hard to protect tens of thousands of Rock Island County residents from the worst of the virus that causes COVID-19, health department Administrator Nita Ludwig said. We are happy now to be able to protect our youngest residents and offer peace of mind to parents. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized to be given to children ages 6 months to 4 years in three microgram doses, with a three-week interval between the first two doses, followed by a third dose at least eight weeks after the second dose. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized to be given to children 6 months to 4 years in two 25-microgram doses with 28 days between the two doses. We urge parents to continue to take this unpredictable virus seriously and have their children vaccinated as soon as possible, Ludwig said. Children who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine from school or day care after an exposure, unless they are showing symptoms. Every person who is 5 years of age and older can be vaccinated against COVID-19 on a walk-in basis. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Quad-City developer is planning a 120-unit apartment building downtown Davenport in place of a former Wells Fargo bank drive-thru. It's one building in an ongoing wave of conversions of downtown properties into apartments. This one is particularly high profile, given its location just south of the downtown public library at 3rd and Main streets. The developer, Davenport Bank Apartments-owner Rodney Blackwell, plans to build a four-story, 120-unit apartment building at an estimated cost of $9 million, according to an application for a tax exemption submitted to the city of Davenport. Blackwell expects demolition to begin soon and for construction to wrap up in December 2022. Davenport has approved a full 100% tax exemption over 10 years on an increase in property value, and Rockwell is seeking an Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Credit. It's one of at least eight Davenport properties applying for the state program that have gone before Davenport aldermen in the last month. The Iowa Economic Development Authority fielded 137 applications for workforce housing tax credits in 2021 and awarded close to $30 million to 49 projects across the state. In 2022, with applications due July 1, the state agency plans to award $35 million. The grant puts a cost-of-construction limit per unit, but doesn't cap rent at a certain amount. Other major projects in downtown Davenport seeking state funds in the 2023 round include a 40-unit renovation at Mississippi Plaza, 201 N. Harrison St., and a 79-unit renovation at 324 Main St., the Davenport building. According to a first quarter 2022 Downtown Davenport Partnership survey of apartment companies, between 2020 and 2026, so far, 254 units have been built, are under construction or are planned. However, it estimates the downtown needs 200 more market-rate units to meet demand in the next five years. Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment downtown, according to the survey, is $1,046 a month. According to the survey, 96.4% of downtown apartment are occupied, a bounce-back of six percentage points from the 2019 flood. City-wide, 97.2% of Davenport apartments are occupied. Affordable and rent-assisted housing units have even higher occupancy rates. Census data, however, shows a more complicated picture of overall housing units - not just rental. The 2020 census, which was conducted during a global pandemic, found the two census tracts representing the downtown had a mix of population growth and decline in the last decade, but the number of housing units did rise in the last 10 years across the board. 2020 census data from Census Tract 109, bordered by the arsenal bridge to the east, Division Street to the west, and railroad tracks to the north, saw the number of housing units increase from 1,056 units in 2010 to 1,319 in 2020, but the population declined slightly from 1,970 to 1,912. The neighboring Census Tract 106 to the east of the arsenal bridge, however, was the fastest growing census tract in Davenport in the last decade, with its population growing by 10.6% and the number of housing units rising 18% from 2010 to 2020. In 2019, the Gordon Van Tines lofts opened on Federal Street, adding 113 market-rate apartments in a building that in the early 1900s was the factory, warehouse and offices for a company that built read-cut, mail-order homes. In 2020, two new apartment complexes construction got underway one just south of the River Center and another on 2nd Street planned 111 new homes in downtown Davenport. At least two projects are underway that will double the amount of low-income units downtown, according to the partnership. Five properties had more than a 97% occupancy rate. A new apartment building just to the west of the R. Richard Bittner YMCA will construct 185 units reserved for people making at or below 60% of the median area income, which often is early-career young professionals. And 65 new units are planned to be renovated in the Kahl Building, home to the old Capitol Theater. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. COUNCIL BLUFFS The Sorensen Banned Book Library is open for business. A surprise 50th birthday gift for Council Bluffs resident Chris Sorensen, the chartered Little Free Library and the books inside are available to the public at no cost. All books in the library are selected from lists that various groups have attempted to ban from other libraries, Sorensen said. The idea of it is amazing, he said. There really is no greater gift you can give somebody, especially if its a book youve read and loved. Theres really something special about that. Sorensen loves to read and is passionate about sharing books, particularly those stories people have tried to silence in the past. Its important to show people that there is another side of the story, there are people who dont believe these books are banned, Sorensen said. And, in some small way, its a little bit of a push back against those that would want to ban books or ask for books to be banned from public or school libraries. Sorensens favorite title, Fahrenheit 451, is one thats often popping up on banned book lists. The storys main character is a fireman, like Sorensen, except Ray Bradburys dystopian future depicts firemen as the ones who are starting fires, not extinguishing them. Sorensen is headstrong in his belief that no book should be banned. He doesnt believe that any book is bad, or necessarily all good. I think its important to have them available to share, he said. Oftentimes, theyre being banned in groups of people just because they showed up on a list that somebody thought didnt meet their political agenda. To ban a book without having read it and knowing whats available in there I think there are thoughts that can be used from any book to develop your own thoughts and your own growth. Sorensen called the unique gift a complete surprise, presented to him during a celebration of his daughter Alysons law school graduation. Several of his friends and family members gave him books as presents. "Dad loves nothing more than connecting with people through books and getting people out in his community," Alyson said. A website had been set up with a list of suggested titles, and many selected their favorites to mail to the Sorensen household. To get a whole bunch of books all at once from friends and family knowing those books they donated had some meaning to them that was really special, Sorensen said. The family ordered a Little Free Library kit online and created a private Facebook event, inviting others to get in on the gift with book donations. We were thinking a lot about the news over the last year or so, the censorship in public and private schools across the country, Alyson said. Thinking about dad, his love for reading and love for ideas, it seemed pretty natural that finding some way to push back against that trend would be a good gift for him." Sorensen was also gifted a custom stamp, so that each book that circulates through the Sorensen Banned Book Library carries a piece of that with it. Ideas are important and it only takes on person to protect ideas, Alyson said. In my life, if theres going to be one person to protect ideas, its going to be dad. The library is in the front yard where dad can help make sure kids in the neighborhood, or people who happen to stop by, have access to books. Since the Banned Book Librarys opening last month, Sorensen said he has seen some books come and go. He has noticed new books have also been added. Books can be picked up or dropped off at readers leisure. They can be returned, but it is not required. Id rather they keep it or share it with somebody else that they think would enjoy reading that book, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sue Hafkemeyer is the new CEO of the Quad-Cities Community Foundation, one of the areas largest charitable organizations. She most recently ran the MercyOne Foundation of Dubuque. There, she raised more than $8 million to support MercyOne programs and started the foundations first planned-giving program. Hafkemeyer started her career at Loras College in the role of the college's communication and marketing director. She became the director of the Dubuque Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and partnered with other leaders to develop the city's $188 million river front revitalization. Quad-Cities leaders are anxious for Hafkemeyer to leverage that experience for our region. The Community Foundation is a major funder for some of the Quad-Cities most pivotal programs and charitable causes. As of this year, the foundation has granted more than $100 million back into the community. This includes recent grants to support training needs at Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley and Quad Cities Open Network, I sat down with Hafkemeyer just days before she started her new job to learn more about her goals and ambitions, and what she aims to accomplish in the Quad-Cities. MC: You ran the visitor bureau in Dubuque for 14 years. How did that experience ready you for this job? SH: The most impactful experience during my time there was destination development. I was fortunate enough to work on Americas River project, which really transformed our riverfront into a very vibrant tourist destination. It had been an industrial and manufacturing and kind of a rough area for a long time, and Dubuque had built a flood wall, but it didnt connect people to the river. And of course we were seeing visitors coming from all over the world wanting to touch the rivers edge. So we were really trying to reinvent ourselves and create a destination that focused on the Mississippi River. So we rebranded our community Masterpiece on the Mississippi. The convention and visitors bureau was a lead partner in making that riverfront project happen. We did the fundraising, we did all the studies for the convention center. And then we partnered with the Mississippi River Museum, the city of Dubuque and the chamber of commerce to really bring all the entities together to fundraise in a much larger way. MC: Youve got to know that Davenport, in particular, is interested in developing its riverfront. Its a resource thats not being leveraged to its potential. SH: Thats what excited me about this. Theres opportunity to work collaboratively, which I truly enjoy, on a similar project. MC: You had to navigate a lot of red tape in the Dubuque project. What did you learn from that? SH: A lot. In fact, the chamber of commerce was working on creating a fundraising campaign to help the City of Dubuque, and at the same time the river museum was looking at hiring a consulting firm. And, at the beginning, no one was working together. We realized it would make more sense to work together. So we made a collaborative agreement to showcase the project as one group, and once we did that we got so much support from all over, from private sector to public sector. We went to peoples homes to talk about the project anywhere we could talk to people. That collaborative piece was so important, and we had a city council who knew how to get the private sector to help. In the end, we ended up with 98% approval in our surveys. MC: How do you convince folks who dont live downtown Davenport that spending tens of millions of dollars on riverfront development is in their best interest? SH: I think from my experience, people want to see a bigger, broader vision for their community, and if you show a collaborative effort in a bigger way, people gravitate toward that. Once we showed a cohesive effort to leverage funds, not only locally but statewide and nationally, creating that transition would generate millions throughout the community. In the first phase of the Americas River project, we leveraged a half a billion dollars into the downtown. People immediately saw, and when we shared the vision we said, this is for all of us. MC: Your main goal at the Community Foundation will be raising money for charitable causes. Your most recent position was running the foundation at MercyOne. What will you bring from that experience? SH: Right after I started here, we began building our new cancer center. I was charged with running the capital campaign, not only with building the project but an endowed fund for those who need it. Its been an inspirational thing for me. At the same time Im involved in several community organizations Im the chairman of the board of the United Way, where were focused on eliminating poverty by focusing on education. I have a lot of experiences in my career and volunteer life that have prepared me for this position. MC: Where do you see opportunities in the Quad-Cities? SH: Probably what excited me most about the Community Foundation is the fact the area is already a vibrant community with a lot of passionate individuals who care a lot about the Quad-Cities. But the youth program the foundation has, Teens for Tomorrow, that really got me excited, because I know as much as we have a number of donors of all different ages, its important to cultivate philanthropy in our youth. Thats a learned experience. I think our colleges and universities are doing a great job educating our college students, too, on how to give back. When you talk about workforce development issues and developing employees, its not all about pay; its about experience. That really drew me to the organization. MC: Talk about how philanthropy has become an important part of business culture. SH: Employers who identify time for employees to give back and I know a lot of employers looking at that strategy now I think thats going to attract young professionals to the workplace. All these students are coming out with that passion for service learning and service to the community. And I think thats going to be a big part of employability moving forward. MC: What did you hear from Quad-Cities community leaders before you took the position? SH: I think the focus is on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. We talked quite a bit about the Q2030 program. We talked about the importance of scholarships in our nonprofits. MC: What are your plans for the Community Foundation? SH: While I dont have specifics formed yet, Im interested in coming in and meeting people so we can lay the groundwork to move forward. Im looking forward to listening, learning and collaborating. Those are my three key initiatives as I move into the position. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Over the past several months, much of the world has taken a less-restrictive approach to COVID. Even once-rigid U.S. mandates have given way to a living with COVID mentality. That is, except for China. After the initial outbreak in early 2020, China rejected a strategy of mitigation. Instead, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention argued that Future waves of COVID-19 can be stopped, if not prevented. Chinas zero-tolerance policy was born. The goal is simple, but lofty to eliminate the transmission of the virus within Chinas borders. The zero-tolerance policy relies on aggressive, and some may argue inhumane, controls to contain the virus. Individuals who test positive are isolated, with a mandatory 14-day quarantine for any close contacts. Entire residential and commercial buildings are locked down. Factories and shipping ports frequently close, sometimes from a single, positive test result. Entire cities have been placed on lock down. On March 27, Shanghai, Chinas biggest city of more than 26 million people, was locked down. Shanghai is also the worlds largest shipping port. More than 25% of all Chinas incoming and outgoing cargo run through it. Shanghais lock down comes less than a week after Shenzhen, Chinas third largest city and second largest shipping port, had its lock down removed. Lock downs force factories and ports to operate at reduced capacity, due to limited availability of workers. Partial shutdowns are rampant. Truckers and their cargo are sometimes not allowed to enter or leave a city. This strains global supply chains. China is the worlds largest manufacturer. According to the United Nations, in 2019, China produced $4 trillion of manufacturing output, 28.4% of the worlds total output. The U.S. was No. 2, producing $2.3 trillion, 16.7%, of the worlds total manufacturing output. Chinas Top 5 exports are broadcasting equipment, computers, integrated circuits, office machine parts and textiles. China is also the worlds largest exporter of steel. In 2019, China accounted for 15% of the worlds total steel exports, double that of Japan, the worlds second largest steel exporter. The U.S. relies on a steady stream of Chinese raw materials, component parts and finished goods to satisfy demand. The U.S. is the worlds largest importer of goods. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, in 2019, the U.S. imported $2.5 trillion of foreign goods. Our top supplier was China, who accounted for $452 billion, or 18%, of all foreign goods imported into the U.S. For Americas factories and businesses, Chinas policy has further compounded the limited availability of materials and goods. Its also led to skyrocketing shipping costs. According to global logistics company Freightos, the cost to ship a 40-foot container from China to Americas west coast has risen from $1,359 on Jan. 1, 2020, to $15,552. The cost to ship that container to Americas east coast has risen from $2,609 to $17,150. Both shipping routes set record highs above $20,000 in September 2021. Despite its zero-tolerance policy, China continues to be battered by the virus. The latest variant, omicron, created the largest spike in COVID cases in China since the start of the pandemic. Those infections show the inherent limitations and, perhaps, futility within Chinas controversial policy. Many argue the near-impossibility of Chinas monumental task to stop a virus in its tracks. Critics increasingly note with the vast availability of vaccines, the human and economic costs of a zero-tolerance policy far outweigh any proposed benefit. For China, its a policy thats getting harder to justify. Mark Grywacheski is an expert in financial markets and economic analysis and is an investment adviser with Quad-Cities Investment Group, Davenport. Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Any prices or quotations contained herein are indicative only and do not constitute an offer to buy or sell any securities at any given price. Information has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee that the material presented is accurate or that it provides a complete description of the securities, markets or developments mentioned. Quad-Cities Investment Group LLC is a registered investment adviser with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Jendaya Bailey has spent the COVID-19 pandemic moving from one job to another, raising three children and trying to find adequate child care that could take them all. The Rock Island resident has three daughters a 4-month-old, a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old. Before they made it off the waiting list at Skip-A-Long Child Development Services six months ago, Bailey's two oldest daughters were being watched by their grandmother, whose age and health issues made it difficult for her to be consistently available. Once her youngest was born, Bailey said they had to wait another two months before she could join her sisters at daycare. "It's really hard to depend on other people, and ask people to give their time and wait on daycares and call three, four different daycares trying to beat everybody else getting in," Bailey said. The young mom said she's been lucky that her previous job at Hy-Vee and current position at The Arc of the Quad Cities Area has been flexible about drop-off and pickup times, but wishes she had more support. Bailey is far from the only parent that has struggled to find a place for their children. She knows of seven families who share her experiences. The lack of accessible, affordable child care has been a persistent issue that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents entering or reentering the workforce have been hobbled by the search for sparse daycare openings, made more difficult by irregular work schedules and the child care industry's own shrinking workforce. The economic impact is significant. Iowa loses an estimated $935 million annually as a result of a lack of child care, according to a 2021 report from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' child care task force. In Illinois, the Bipartisan Policy Center estimates the long-term economic impact of the child care shortage ranges between $10.6 billion and $16.1 billion, equating to between $41,730 and $63,500 per child care gap. Iowas child care crisis touches every corner of the state, according to the governor's task force, impacting the livelihoods of families, economic growth of communities, expansion of businesses and stability of government. But efforts from local and state agencies are working to bridge the gap between child care providers, employers and parents. Child care industry workforce problems Skip-A-Long Child Development Services operates centers in Rock Island, Moline, Davenport and Milan. According to its website, the Davenport location is the only one completely full. Rock Island has slots for school-age kids. Moline has openings for 15- to 30-month-olds and Milan has openings for preschool-age children, ages 3 to 5. Debra Brownson, chief program officer at Skip-A-Long Child Development Services, said the organization has kids on wait-lists not because the centers are at capacity, but because classrooms have closed due to lack of staffing. According to a March study from Wells Fargo economists, employment in the daycare sector is 12.4% below where it was before the pandemic. The study estimates that around 460,000 families are left having to look for alternative child care options. According to a survey by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 4 out of 5 child care centers nationally said they are experiencing a staffing shortage. A variety of factors have driven employees from child care centers, Brownson said, from health risks to wages to struggling to find child care for their own children. Child care centers generally have set hours, and many parents wish for a more flexible schedule. How the work is perceived can also push people out, she said. "We still very much are a nation that thinks that child care is just babysitting. Whereas, if I teach preschool in a community district, that's more important than working with 2-year-olds in a childcare center," Brownson said. "So image, if you will, has always been in place, but maybe even more so than it had been in the past." For many child care employees, staying in the industry comes down to pay. Brownson said Skip-A-Long is contracted with the state of Illinois to offer a child care subsidy for workers, but often they make just a little too much money to qualify for the program. When it comes down to it, employees have to decide whether working at a child care center is worth most of their paycheck going to child care. "If I'm going to go to work, what can I afford to pay in child care and make it worthwhile for me to work?" Brownson said. "Because I need a car. I need gas. I need clothes. I need a lunch. ... What's leftover?" Illinois and Iowa work to make child care accessible to all Both Illinois and Iowa have made efforts to aid the child care industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. April Berthiaume, the director of Child Care Resource & Referral of Midwestern Illinois with SAL Family and Community Services, said the state has invested more than $700 million in child care since the pandemic began to September 2021, to keep child care center doors open, employees working and parents able to afford care. The Illinois Child Care Assistance Program was expanded to include three months of free child care coverage until June 30 to unemployed parents who meet the necessary criteria, according to a September announcement from Gov. J.B. Pritzker. In addition to the expansion, the co-pays for participating families were reduced to $1 a month if they met certain criteria. Around 80% of the families received the reduction. The state also offered a Child Care Workforce Bonus program through late April. In January, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she awarded $36.6 million in child care grants to 108 projects across the state. The grant funds would open up almost 5,200 slots for kids. The Iowa Department of Human Services is offering additional funding opportunities for individual child care employees and child care centers. Employees can apply for recruitment and retention bonuses, and child care programs can apply to receive a stabilization sub-grant, which comes from $200 million allocated from American Rescue Plan Act funds. Iowa lawmakers are also working to loosen regulations on who can work in child care facilities and how many children they're allowed to supervise. Lawmakers passed a bill for Reynolds' signature that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work unsupervised and for centers to run with one staff member for every seven 2-year-olds and every 10 3-year-olds. However, it remains to be seen if child care centers would take advantage of the changes. Collaborating to create solutions Berthiaume and SAL Family and Community Services have been working with the Quad Cities Chamber and Iowa organizations to develop shovel-ready solutions for businesses wanting to provide information or resources to their employees with children. Interim Chamber CEO and Chief Strategy Officer Mike Oberhaus said the Chamber's main role is to understand the problems businesses are dealing with and connect them with the right organizations to solve them. "With the current shortage of workforce in general, employers need to become more creative and how they compensate and create an environment that those that either aren't engaged or minimally engaged, can fully participate in the workforce," Oberhaus said. "Childcare is one of the potential hurdles for that." The City of Moline has made efforts to combat the child care shortage by facilitating the expansion of child care businesses. Entrepreneurs and businesses looking to open or expand existing child care facilities can apply to the ARPA Childcare/Workforce Infrastructure Forgivable Loan Program through July 31. Providers can apply for forgivable loans ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, with priority given to applicants who are looking to open a new child care center, particularly in low-income areas; offer more educational programs for early learning; provide child care for second, third and weekend shift workers; and more. Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati said the goal is to open more day care slots for young children and infants. The city has allocated $500,000 from American Rescue Plan funds to the program. "We knew that there were programs at the state level that are trying to help with the cost of childcare and that our best shot at helping people get back to work that was impacted by (the pandemic) was to focus on increasing slots and helping providers that exist or that want to become entrepreneurs in this area," Rayapati said. More information can be found online at https://tinyurl.com/ycxcxrch. Rayapati also connected Western Illinois University's Quad-Cities Campus with housing and downtown redevelopment firm Gorman & Company, who partnered to open a child care center in Moline Enterprise Lofts. Ron Clewer, Illinois market president for Gorman & Company, said the Spanish Bilingual Early Learning and Family Empowerment Lab should open this fall. Western Illinois University's Quad-Cities Campus will use the center as a learning lab for early childhood students, providing more open slots for kids and invaluable experience for future child care workers. Clewer said most of the communities in which Gorman & Company works lack access to child care. "You can't be well-employed and stably employed if you don't have good childcare, and you can't have good childcare if you don't have good childcare workers," Clewer said. "So it's really solving two workforce issues, and at the same time providing healthy places for kids to go in a very nice setting." Some ideas that have come up while trying to bridge child care and employment include creating a packet of resources for Human Resources to provide to parent employees and businesses partnering with a child care center to guarantee a certain number spots for employees' children. Berthiaume mentioned the example of an employee struggling to make it to shifts on time due to child care schedules, or the lack thereof. If their Human Resources department had the tools available, they could point the employee toward a day care that works better, or could discuss setting up neighbor care. In the end, there's no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem of accessible, affordable child care. But, Berthiaume said, businesses should do their best to provide as much information about employees' options as possible. "I'm not going to say we've got a magic bullet, I wish we could," Berthiaume said. "I'm sure the employees and the businesses wish that we did, but we don't. We're working to say, 'Okay, let's on each individualized basis work with your employees to figure out if we can find some sort of solution for them.'" Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Employers across the Quad-Cities are boosting worker wages amid a tight labor market moves aimed at retaining workers, luring others away from lower-paying or higher-stress jobs and convincing others to return to the labor force. Nationally, compensation for private-industry workers is up 4.8% year over year, and wages and salaries as a whole are 5% higher than this time last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its the fastest pace for wage increases in at least two decades. Whats that mean for your company? A worker shortage is driving up wages In March, Iowa had roughly 102,000 job openings and only 55,000 unemployed, according to the latest figures from Iowa Workforce Development about 1.8 job vacancies for every unemployed person. In Illinois, there were 426,000 job openings and 300,000 unemployed about 1.4 openings per unemployed person. Nationally, the figure is 1.8. So why arent more people working? Iowa State University economist Peter Orazem said Iowa, pre-pandemic, had a higher labor participation rate among people older than 45 compared to other states. Those in that age group, especially women, left the workforce over the course of the pandemic at higher rates, he said, and havent bounced back yet. He said that's likely contributing to Iowa's labor participation being half as quick to recover as the U.S. overall. The number of immigrants entering the workforce also declined nationally during the Trump administration and the pandemic, meaning fewer new Americans entered the labor force. In tight labor markets, Orazem said, the number of people quitting their jobs often rises while layoffs decline. In the Midwest, 3.1% of employees quit their jobs in December, but leveled off at 2.7% in March. According to a national Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults that quit a job in 2021, the top reasons included low pay, no opportunities for advancement, and feeling disrespected at work. Child care issues and flexibility in hours were also top reasons Americans surveyed left a job last year. What your company can offer It might not be as simple as pumping more into payroll. Some Quad-Cities workers say employers could do a better job retaining talent by improving working conditions and being more flexible with time off. Silvis resident Amanda Watson quit a high-stress, long-hour nurse management job for more regular hours as a receptionist at a family medical practice. Watson (no relation to the reporter) said if a nurse called in sick while Watson was on call, she would need to report in for work if no other nurses could pick up the 8-hour shift. That meant canceling dentist appointments last minute, missing her 16-year-old daughters extracurricular activities, or picking up her daughter early from an evening with friends. I don't know how many times I made a dentist appointment and then the day of I'm calling to cancel because someone called in or there was some kind of crisis and I just couldn't get out of work to go, Watson said. In fact, they told me if I did it again, I couldn't come back. Watson said she took a roughly $10-an-hour pay cut for a job that offered more consistent hours and time at home with her daughter. But she still can contract for weekend shifts when she chooses if she needs to make some extra money, she said. The difference is, she said, she can pick when she works overtime instead of being forced to work at the last minute. (Previously), someone calls in for third shift, and I'm calling her (daughter) and I'm like, I'm so sorry, but you have to come back home. I have to find somewhere for you to spend the night because I have to go into work, Watson said. So being able to not have to worry about that happening, I love it. I don't like the money but it's worth it to me right now. Greg Reed, 58, also recently changed jobs for better conditions. Reed has worked in the military and transportation logistics for most of his life. He accepted a training job that offered slightly higher pay but significantly less physical labor. "As I'm getting older, I'm finding out very quickly that I can't physically do what I used to be able to do," Reed said. Softening the blow from Illinois minimum-wage ramp-up Quad-Cities businesses are straddling a minimum wage difference between Iowa and Illinois, which will grow further until 2025. Springfield lawmakers approved phasing in raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, which includes a lower minimum for tipped employees, $9, and workers under the age of 18 working fewer than 650 hours a year, $13. The Quad-Cities Chamber opposed the move when it was proposed, citing that such a disparity in minimum wages could spell trouble for the bi-state region businesses competing for workers and lower-cost overhead. In 2022, employers must pay Illinois workers at least $12 an hour, or $7.20 for tipped employees. Thats compared to Iowas minimum wage at $7.25, the same as the federal minimum wage. In the hot labor market, wages have risen the fastest, however, in the lowest wage tail, including in food service, retail, and hospitality hourly jobs, according to Western Illinois Economics Professor Bill Polley. This is likely to lessen the impact of raising the minimum wage on businesses overhead costs, if businesses are already raising wages to attract workers. Emerging from the pandemic has put upward pressure on wages. But in the most recent Quad-Cities area wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2020, occupations with an average hourly wage below $16 an hour made up just about 15% of the Quad-Cities workforce. The Davenport, Moline, Rock Island metro area had an average hourly wage of $24.12. Even during the pandemic two years ago, you can see that the average wage in the lowest tier of occupational groups, so this would be the kind of jobs that we traditionally would think are primarily minimum wage or slightly above minimum wage jobs, were significantly above both the Illinois and the Iowa minimum wage at the time, Polley said. And so, what we can really take away from that is that most likely on both sides of the river a lot of those jobs were paying more than even the Illinois minimum wage, and that Iowa's wages in order to compete with Illinois employers Iowa's wages would have been significantly above the $7.25 Iowa minimum wage, Polley added. Food preparation and serving-related occupations in the Quad-Cities region had the lowest average hourly wage in 2020 at $11.86. Advice for companies straddling the river Whiteys Ice Cream, a staple part-time job for young people in the Quad-Cities, has so far raised its wages on both sides of the river to meet the phased-in Illinois minimum wage, said Annika Tunberg, Whiteys Ice Cream vice president. But she said, the company hasnt yet made a decision whether to scale that trend all the way to $15 an hour. I can't say that that's what we'll always do as the minimum wage continues to increase, but from our viewpoint, you know, our employees are doing the same great work on both sides of the river, Tunberg said. Tunberg said Whiteys is facing many of the same challenges attracting workers in recent months. Whiteys is looking to fill three or four positions at its manufacturing plant, and would like to hire more daytime storefront employees. Much of the storefront workforce are younger employees, in high school or college. One successful strategy to hire new workers: Offering a referral bonus to incentivize employees to encourage their friends to apply. That's been our best marketing strategy, if you will, to get employees, Tunberg said. It's always helpful to work with friends and be in an environment where you like where you work. Research by Orazem found that while businesses likely to employ low-wage workers don't move to a state where the minimum wage is lower, but there can be an effect on where those businesses open new locations. Orazem said there is also some evidence that as the minimum wage rises, employers reduce the number of hours. Bayside Bistro owners Darryl and Latisha Howlett took into account the minimum wage rising in Illinois when they opened a second location in Rock Island last fall. But the new location and its larger dining space ultimately proved the driving forces behind the decision. Rising food costs have compounded challenges in finding workers. The Howletts canceled the Village's Bayside Bistros dinner menu because they couldnt get enough food to supply the planned nightly menu. So, they concocted a different dinner menu for their Rock Island location and opened it just during dinner hours. In an effort to reward high schoolers that worked with Bayside Bistro throughout their high school years, the Howletts for the first time last year awarded a scholarship to one of their employees heading to college. Darryl Howlett said they hope to grow the scholarship for future years. Even with raising wages to attract workers, the Howletts said they're still struggling to hire workers who know how to clean, sweep, and bus tables, and communicate with their supervisors, which has surprised the pair the most. "If you're getting paid $12 or $15 to come in and wash dishes and sweep the floor and bus tables, or, you know, to answer phones or do something that's really simplistic, and they come in and they don't have the skill set," Latisha Howlett said. "They don't know how to do these things. They're not starting at a wage that could give them incentive to learn how to do these simple tasks." Higher wage traveling nurses used more to fill a health care worker shortage In healthcare, one of the region's largest industries, hospitals are turning to traveling workers to fill open positions, often at much higher rates than traditional, full-time employees. In the Quad-Cities, Genesis Health System is using at least triple the number of traveling health care professionals, including nurses, compared to before the pandemic began. Before the pandemic, Genesis would contract between 10-20 travelers, according to Heidi Kahly-McMahon, vice president of human resources at Genesis Health System. That includes traveling nurses, contracted respiratory therapists, medical technicians in the laboratory and occasionally surgical scrub technicians, according to Genesis. Now, Genesis contracts about 60 travelers, including 20 international nurses to meet our patients needs, according to Kahly-McMahon. The company keeps private what it pays traveling staff and registered nurses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median pay for registered nurses in 2021 was $77,600 a year or $37.31 per hour. The bureau doesnt separate traveling nurse wages, but according to Indeed, the average base salary for traveling nurses is $125,679. How can the Quad-Cities attract and keep workers? Quad-Cities business leaders are brainstorming ways to attract and retain a workforce with an eye to meeting the Q2030 goal of growing the area's population to 500,000 by 2030. Study: 'Striketober' didn't bring record labor activity In 2021, there were 265 work stoppages across the nation involving approximately 140,000 wor Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Rock Island Arsenal will become home to the largest 3D metal printer in the world as the U.S. Army increases its efforts toward modernization. The printer, called the Jointless Hull Large Format Tool, will have the capability of printing large parts for military ground vehicles. It is expected to be operational by late December and will have the capability of printing metal 30 feet long, 20 feet wide and 12 feet high. The multi-million dollar printer is being manufactured by ASTRO America in partnership with subcontractors Ingersoll Machine Tool, Siemens and MELD Manufacturing. The addition of the printer is another step toward the Arsenal's achievement as the 3D printer hub for the U.S. Army. Edward Flinn, director of the Advance Manufacturing Center of Excellence at Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, said the project includes installation of the hull-scale tool at JMTC. "Once operational, the Jointless Hull printer will be the largest metal additive manufacturing machine in the world, capable of fabricating large metal components including hulls and other types of equipment for military vehicles in one solid piece," Flinn said. "Traditional manufacturing methods require the production of dozens of individual parts that then must be welded together. The joints, or the sections where separate components are welded or fastened together, are typically the weakest points of the equipment." "The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Commands Ground Vehicle Systems Center will have a smaller version located at the Advanced Manufacturing Commercialization Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan," Flinn said. The smaller printer will produce parts measuring 3 feet by 4 feet by 5 feet, which will be combined with the larger parts manufactured at the Rock Island Arsenal. RIA-JMTC Advance Manufacturing Project Manager Nick Schrup said printing the components as one solid piece will result in faster production of vital military equipment and reduce the high scrap rate associated with joining together individually-made parts. The process also will save time and money as opposed to the traditional manufacturing practice of welding individual pieces together. "Printing parts will also enable the creation of components in certain shapes or patterns that are difficult or even impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods," Schrup said. "RIA-JMTC is noted as the Center of Excellence for Advance Manufacturing." Flinn said the Rock Island Arsenal JMTC contracts with both government and private industry. "RIA-JMTC is collaborating with all branches of the military as well as other government and industry partners, including ASTRO America, a major contractor on the Jointless Hull project," Flinn said. "Our organization looks forward to working with both public and private organizations for the Jointless Hull Tool. "The organization looks forward to working with potential partners from all sectors," he said. By the numbers: The Rock Island Arsenal The Arsenal is the largest local employer in the region with 5,089 civilian, 471 military, and 669 contracted employees. All told, 14,000 community jobs are tied to the Arsenal. 42% of Arsenal workers are veterans 54% live in Iowa 43% live in Illinois Average salary: $75,989 Estimated local annual economic impact: $1.2 billion Source: Bi-State Commission Meet the new commanding officer of Joint Munitions Command at Rock Island Arsenal Col. Landis C. Maddox is the latest commander of Joint Munitions Command on the Rock Island Arsenal. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Iowa's two Republican senators split on Tuesday in their votes for whether to advance a measure aimed at keeping guns away from dangerous people in the wake of several mass shootings. The legislation, negotiated for two weeks by a bipartisan group of senators, was released Tuesday afternoon ahead of a procedural vote. It cleared the Senate with a 64-34 vote, with U.S. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley voting against and fellow Republican from Iowa, Joni Ernst, joining 13 other Republican senators in voting "yes" to advance the legislation past the 60-vote hurdle. The vote is an initial test of support for the bill, which is expected to come up for a final vote later this week. On a call with reporters on Wednesday, Grassley said he voted against advancing the legislation because he received the 80-page bill, called the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, in too short of time ahead of the vote to review the text of the legislation, which he said he and his staff are doing now. "Almost all of it is good, but I have some concerns that I will be wrestling with to decide a 'yes' or 'no' vote, and they deal with safeguarding constitutional due process," Grassley said. Among other measures, the bill bans convicted domestic abusers, including those in serious dating relationships, from purchasing a gun for at least five years, stepping toward closing a so-called "boyfriend loophole." Grassley said he thought the definition of a dating relationship in the bill was "too vague." The bill defines "dating relationship" as a "relationship between two individuals who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature." The bill also clarifies that "A casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context does not constitute a dating relationship." "I'm trying to get the best legal advice on it, but so far, it seems to me the text is pretty vague to be enforced in the definition of what a dating relationship is," Grassley said. "And then in regard to due process, respondents in courts won't be able to determine who's subject to law. Since these definitions are vague, and I think that needs to be clarified." The proposal would also make juvenile and mental health records available during background checks when someone under the age of 21 buys a gun and funnels federal funds to states enacting "red-flag laws" which aim to temporarily confiscate guns from people considered to be dangerous. It also puts millions of dollars toward expanding mental health programs in communities and schools and bolstering school safety. The bill also hardens penalties for so-called "straw purchasing," when individuals buy guns for people barred from purchasing firearms. Ernst was one of 14 Republican senators who voted to advance the bill. In a statement emailed to a Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus reporter by a spokesperson, Ernst said "this bill does not take away the rights of any law-abiding American." As a lifelong supporter of the Second Amendment, proud gun owner, and combat veteran, Im adamantly opposed to any infringement on our Constitutional Rights. This bill does not take away the rights of any law-abiding American," Ernst said, according to the emailed statement. "Every American wants to keep our kids and our schools safe and provide folks access to mental health treatment, and this proposal helps do that without placing new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. Ernst has previously objected to similar language, opposing a proposal that would've retroactively classified assault convictions as felonies and banned those convicted from owning or purchasing guns. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., praised the legislation as "the most significant gun safety reforms and violence reduction investments in decades," and acknowledged it didn't include everything Democrats wanted. "This bipartisan agreement will not end gun violence, but it is an important step towards making our nation safer," Durbin said in an emailed statement to reporters. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES Iowa hunters will be able 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 including Republican Sen. Ken Rozenboom, an Oskaloosa farmer, said the new law is designed to 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 using semi-automatic rifles in the past, but they were limited to a few sparsely populated counties where deer were 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. The bill also will allow hunters during the new season to use smaller .223 caliber bullets, which could make it more challenging for a hunter to kill a larger animal like a deer. Charles City Democratic Rep. Todd Prichard, a former active-duty U.S. Army soldier and now a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, expressed concern when the bill was debated that the smaller caliber ammunition authorized in the bill could travel far enough to reach populated communities near hunting areas. Deer hunting with AR-15 rifles is allowed in other states. Many states have restrictions for when they can be used and regulate the type of ammunition allowed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Now streaming on Apple TV+ and playing a limited theatrical release, Cooper Raiffs romantic comedy Cha Cha Real Smooth clearly has a lot of peoples numbers. Far be it from me to dump on a graceless, self-flattering movies attempt to warm the worlds collective heart. Well. Not too far, apparently. Writer-director Raiff stars as Andrew, a 22-year-old bar and bat mitzvah party starter who beguiles Domino, the sexily messed-up single mother (the film doesnt imagine much for her beyond that) played by Dakota Johnson. Andrews way into Dominos heart is by winning over her autistic teenage daughter, Lola, played by Vanessa Burghardt in the movies sole grace note. Advertisement Hes not an operator; hes just the sweetest person ever, as she says, when shes not saying things like when Im with you, I feel so alive. Andrew graduated from Tulane with a degree in marketing. The movie is all self-marketing, all the time; Raiffs adorability campaign never ceases. Cooper Raiff, left, and Evan Assante in "Cha Cha Real Smooth." (AP) This is the filmmakers sophomore effort at triple threatdom, following his 2020 debut indie S---house. Cha Cha snagged the Audience Award at this years Sundance Film Festival. Apple peeled off a cool $15 million for distribution and streaming rights, hoping for another CODA, which took the top Oscar earlier this year. Advertisement With an ex-girlfriend over in Barcelona, Andrew pines away at home, near where he grew up in New Jersey. He minimum-wages his days at a place called Meat Sticks at the local mall; he shares a bedroom with a younger brother (Evan Assante) in a house with their mom (Leslie Mann) and stepdad (Brad Garrett). Over a series of bar and bat mitzvah parties, once he takes on the party-starter gig, Andrew gets to know Domino and Lola, eventually becoming Lolas babysitter whenever Dominos steely, unsympathetic and then suddenly conveniently sympathetic lawyer fiance (Raul Castillo) returns home from a case in Chicago. Now, there are many ways this movie couldve worked better. A different leading actor, for example. Raiff has some comic curveballs in his delivery, and a handful of decent zingers, but his main impulse and attribute on screen is a shambling, loosey-goosey approach to working in proximity to more skillful performers. Whats aggravating about Cha Cha Real Smooth, though, is more about Raiff the writer-director. Five minutes into the picture hes already used up his slow-motion montage quotient, backed by on-the-nose musical scoring thats more like a sedative than a complement to the storys contours. In rotation, practically every major character is shown in awestruck close-up following whatever funny/sensitive/awwww! bit Andrew is up to on the dance floor, or off it. This is romcom engineering, not human behavior. And am I the only gentile watching this thing who finds dialogue such as Domino: Sometimes I really envy Judaism. Andrew: Same! a tad patronizing? Raiff most likely wanted to make a movie about a well-intentioned guy in his early 20s who gradually finds his way to a better life. What undermines his efforts is a creeping smugness and self-regard, positioning every side character as an intern in the Andrew Improvement Program. Its too easy, maybe, to lump Cha Cha Real Smooth in with certain previous Sundance award winners, starting with The Brothers McMullen. Charm is an elusive commodity. To many, Raiff and his movie have it to spare. The rest of us can hope he seeks out co-writers and directors wholl push him past cuteness with his male protagonists, while making some actual, dimensional and emotional sense of the female roles beyond one more doe-eyed reaction shot. Cha Cha Real Smooth 1.5 stars Advertisement MPAA rating: R (for language and some sexual content) Running time: 1:47 How to watch: Now streaming on Apple TV+. Also playing at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema and the Marcus Orland Park Cinemas. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic. mjphillips@chicagotribune.com Twitter @phillipstribune Advertisement Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. PIERRE | The South Dakota Senate on Tuesday convicted Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of two impeachment charges stemming from a 2020 fatal accident, removing and barring him from future office in a stinging rebuke that showed most senators didnt believe his account of the crash. Ravnsborg, a first-term Republican who only recently announced he wouldn't seek reelection, showed little emotion as senators convicted him first of committing a crime that caused someone's death. They then delivered another guilty verdict on a malfeasance charge that alleged he misled investigators and misused his office. Ravnsborg told a 911 dispatcher the night of the crash that he might have struck a deer or other large animal, and has said he didnt know he struck a man 55-year-old Joseph Boever until he returned to the scene the next morning. Criminal investigators said they didnt believe some of Ravnsborgs statements, and several senators made clear they didn't either. There's no question that was a lie, said Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, the chamber's top-ranking Republican. This person ran down an innocent South Dakotan. Schoenbeck also criticized Ravnsborg for declining to testify in his own defense, saying Ravnsborg should have shared what the hell he was doing the night of the crash. There's a mic right there, and that's a damn short walk," Schoenbeck said. The convictions required a two-thirds majority in the Senate, controlled 32-3 by Republicans. Senators mustered the bare minimum 24 votes to convict Ravnsborg on the first charge, with some senators saying the two misdemeanors he pleaded guilty to weren't serious enough crimes to warrant impeachment. The malfeasance charge Ravnsborg also asked investigators what data could be found on his cellphone, among other things sailed through with 31 votes. Votes to bar Ravnsborg from future office, taken on both counts, were unanimous. Ravnsborgs face showed little emotion throughout the votes, holding his hand over his mouth as he had for much of the trial, then writing on a notepad in his lap. He did not answer questions from reporters as he exited the Capitol. Ravnsborg in September agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boevers widow. Nick Nemec, Boevers cousin who has been a constant advocate for a severe punishment for Ravnsborg, said the votes were vindication. Its just a relief. Its been nearly two years that this has drug on and it just feels like a weight off my shoulders, he said. Ravnsborg is the first official to be impeached and convicted in South Dakota history. Gov. Kristi Noem, who will pick Ravnsborg's replacement until the candidate elected to replace him in November is sworn in, called for her fellow Republican to resign soon after the crash and later pressed lawmakers to pursue impeachment. As the saga dragged on, Noem publicly endorsed Ravnsborgs predecessor, Republican Marty Jackley, for election as his replacement. Noem made no immediate comment on the Senate outcome. Ravnsborg has argued that the governor, who has positioned herself for a possible 2024 White House bid, pushed for his removal in part because he had investigated ethics complaints against Noem. As the impeachment trial opened Tuesday, prosecutors drove at a question that has hung over developments since the September 2020 crash: Did Ravnsborg know he killed a man the night of the crash? He absolutely saw the man that he struck in the moments after, said Alexis Tracy, the Clay County states attorney who led the prosecution. Prosecutors also told senators that Ravnsborg had used his title to set the tone and gain influence in the aftermath of the crash, even as he allegedly made misstatements and outright lies to the crash investigators. The prosecution played a montage of audio clips of Ravnsborg referring to himself as the attorney general. Prosecuting attorneys probed Ravnsborg's alleged misstatements during the aftermath of the crash, including that he never drove excessively over the speed limit, that he had reached out to Boevers family to offer his condolence, and that he had not been browsing his phone during his drive home. The prosecution played a series of video clips during their closing arguments that showed Ravnsborg's shifting account of his phone use during interviews with criminal investigators. The attorney general at first outright denied he had been using his phone while driving, but then acknowledged he had been looking at his phone minutes before the crash. When it was time for senators to speak, several noted an accident reconstruction that found Ravnsborg's car had veered entirely out of its lane, in contrast to his initial statement that he was in the middle of the road at the time of impact. Ravnsborg resolved the criminal case last year by pleading no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, and was fined by a judge. The attorney generals defense asked senators to consider the implications of impeachment on the function of state government. Ross Garber, a legal analyst and law professor at Tulane University who specializes in impeachment proceedings, told senators to impeach would be undoing the will of the voters. Ravnsborg was driving home from a political fundraiser after dark on Sept. 12, 2020, on a state highway in central South Dakota when his car struck something, according to a transcript of his 911 call afterward. He told the dispatcher it might have been a deer or other animal. Investigators identified what they thought were slips in Ravnsborgs statements, such as when he said he turned around at the accident scene and saw him before quickly correcting himself and saying: I didnt see him. And they contended that Boevers face had come through Ravnsborgs windshield because his glasses were found in the car. Weve heard better lies from 5-year-olds, Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo, acting as an impeachment prosecutor, said of Ravnsborg's statement. Investigators had determined the attorney general walked right past Boevers body and the flashlight Boever had been carrying still illuminated the next morning as he looked around the scene the night of the crash. Ravnsborg said neither he nor the county sheriff who came to the scene knew that Boever's body was lying just feet from the pavement on the highway shoulder. There isnt any way you can go by without seeing that, Arnie Rummel, an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation who led the criminal probe, said in testimony Tuesday. Prosecutors also raised an exchange that Ravnsborg had with one of his staff members three days following the crash, after he had submitted his phones to crash investigators. Ravnsborg questioned an agent in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation about what would turn up during forensic exams of his cellphones, even though the agency was supposed to have no part in the investigation to avoid conflicts of interest. We were not supposed to be involved, the now-retired agent, Brent Gromer, said as he described why the exchange made him uncomfortable. Ravnsborg's defense attorney contended that the attorney general had done nothing nefarious. His defense attorney, Mike Butler, described any discrepancies in Ravnsborg's memory of that night as owing to human error, and disparaged testimony from Rummel, the crash investigator, as opinion that would not hold up in a court of law. During closing arguments, Butler stated that the criminal prosecution found no criminal culpability for Boever's death and urged senators to refrain from rehashing that case. No amount of fire and brimstone changes that given fact, he said. Sen. Arthur Rusch, a retired judge who said he had gotten to know Ravnsborg when he was a young attorney practicing in Ruschs court, was among senators who didnt support impeachment on the first charge, but did on the second. He said he was bothered by Ravnsborgs actions in questioning Division of Criminal Investigation agents on aspects of the case and for issuing a press release on attorney general stationery. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The Cactus Cafe and Lounge in Wall a community staple for nearly seven decades was reduced to a heap of ash and smoke by Tuesday morning, after firefighters from 33 agencies worked through the night to stifle the flames and contain the fire to a single structure. The structure fire was reported around 9 p.m. Monday night, when responders found a free burning fire with heavy smoke condition, according to a press release from the Wall Volunteer Fire Department. No injuries were reported. Placards reading Frosted Mugs and Strawberry Daiquiris lay on the curb in front of the black mound of smoking ash and debris Tuesday morning, the only recognizable remnants of the Cactus Cafe. It has been a long-term establishment here in Wall, Mayor Mary Williams said. It catered to many tourists, she said, but was supported by the locals. Nearly every bystander watching from across the street had a memory at the Cactus Cafe. Social media was flooded with comments of stories written within its walls, coming in as they watched it disappear. Almarie Rancour, a Wall resident, remembered it as a nice place to go. Out-of-towners knew it well, too, including Mark Robertson, passing through on his way home to Glencoe, Minnesota. Williams said they served the best steaks in town. Robertson, returning from a road trip to California, was in the parking lot behind the Cactus Cafe having a sandwich when he saw smoke coming from its back door. The first thing we figured was it maybe was a grill fire or something like that, but then it got really intense really fast, he said. Robertson described black smoke billowing out of the Cactus as he and his wife looked on from the parking lot. He said they had been to Wall several times, and were familiar with the Cactus. The legacy of the Cactus Cafe seemed to sharpen the pain of its destruction, but it also revealed a silver lining. The resounding theme in the wake of tragedy was the strength of the community. The rapid response not only from Wall, but surrounding agencies, echoed the sentiment of communities ready and willing to help. The 33 responding agencies worked around the clock to ensure the flames didnt rage down Main Street. Pennington County Fire Administrator Jerome Harvey tied the hardships of Wall and the surrounding communities to the strength of western South Dakota. The strength of the community in western South Dakota that will pull the community through is definitely a significant impact, he said. Harvey said the effectiveness of the response teams is a testament to the city and county government, as well. The city here supports the volunteer fire, which is huge, Harvey said. And then the county supports the volunteer fire department on some issues, but it all works together. City government can have their politics, he said, but when it comes to things like this, this is where the city and county pull together. The ability to mobilize everybody, Harvey said, is a strength that makes all the difference, and certainly did Monday night. We put 150 firefighters out here in 45 minutes, he said. We have billions of dollars of equipment sitting here and that doesnt happen elsewhere. Harvey described the night as a battle against an incredibly dangerous, aggressive fire, that was stopped by a plan from Wall Fire Chief Jim Kitterman, and the emergency services that worked to put it into action. The Dakota Mercantile, the building right next to the Cactus, had flames reaching underneath its awning, and yet fire crews managed to hold the fire to the Cactus. The Mercantile survived with only cosmetic damage. Rick Hustead, owner of Wall Drug across the street, and the Dakota Mercantile that almost went up with the Cactus, watched intently Monday night from the roof of Wall Drug with his daughter Sarah Hustead. The firefighters responded quickly and fought it, Rick said, but it was huge. Embers floating past Wall Drug and down Main Street had them holding their breath for Wall Drug at one point. Rick saw what he counted a turn in the tide when the Ellsworth Air Force Base Fire Department and Rapid City Fire Department arrived with their ladder trucks. Sarah showed photos of the trucks shortly after 10 p.m., when they knew the Mercantile would survive. Rick said he told the Wall fire chief its miraculous you saved the Mercantile. Like so many others, Rick and Sarah spent a long night watching the firefighters battle the flames. They began watching around 9 p.m., and returned later around 1:30 a.m. But you kind of lose track of time, Sarah said, a sentiment echoed by Harvey. What the loss of an iconic establishment means for the community of Wall will be felt in the coming weeks and months. Right now, the first thing in front of us is to get the fire out, Williams said, and begin the cleanup process. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the containment and cleanup efforts continue. The scene Tuesday morning included crews working to seek and destroy hot spots, keep smoke down and preserve evidence for the ongoing investigation. Theres still active combustors, Harvey said. Crews continue to work in shifts, as they make plans for how best to utilize their manpower. As of late Tuesday, it is anticipated firefighters will remain on scene for several days. As the community begins to heal from the wound of a lost piece of history, they have also expressed their gratitude for the efforts of the firefighters and the strength of their community. As Harvey said, When neighbors are in trouble, neighbors help neighbors here. Contact Laura Heckmann at lheckmann@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Clergy members, students, staff, community members or any person who wants to give an invocation at the Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education meeting may be able to following board approval Tuesday night. The board approved the first reading of a revised copy of an invocation policy 5-0. Board members Amy Policky and Clay Colombe were absent from the meeting. The policy requires two readings and publication before it is made official. The revised policy, which was not attached to the agenda but was available at the meeting, states the purpose of the policy of the invocation is to support, wish guidance upon and encourage the board as it fulfills its duties and obligations as board members. Those hoping to give an invocation at a meeting would need to send a request to the district secretary and could not include content that would harass, discriminate, contain obscenities, threats or intimidations. It also could not violate board policy. Those that violate board policy would not be eligible to provide invocations at future meetings. Board member Troy Carr said his concern is that a person unfamiliar with how to give an invocation would do so and that it should be delivered by someone who knows what they're doing. He said a June 6 invocation led by Walter Rasmussen does not reflect Carr's beliefs or that of his church. The invocation in question cannot be heard on the district's video from the June 6 meeting, but public commenters described it Tuesday as a "thinly-veiled" attack on students in the LGBTQ community. Carr said his other concern is that someone giving an invocation may know the rule, but by the time they get to the podium and talk, the damage could be done. Board member Jim Hansen said the three minutes set aside for an invocation outlined in the policy is too long, although the time limit was not revised during the meeting. Some members of the public during public comment asked if an invocation was necessary at all. The board also discussed a classroom displays and decorations policy, similar to that adopted by the Lead-Deadwood School District Monday night. Materials would not be allowed to represent any "controversial subject matter or political or religious messages." This could include materials endorsing a candidate, platform, position, political party or slogan; concepts, images, slogans or phrases in the media and associated with controversy or a movement or cause; and concepts, images, slogans or phrases that would be deemed offensive, obscene or inflammatory. According to the policy, the United States flag nor that of any state in the Union, in an unaltered form, are not considered controversial. Temporary materials displayed for instruction are exempt from the policy as long as the items are part of a lesson and are based on the approved curriculum and content standards, and school and grade level appropriate. Materials on display on school property can be seen as an endorsement by the district and can be removed by the principal, superintendent or designee if determined to be in violation of the policy. Members of the public who commented on the policy said they wondered if the policy extended to jewelry or clothing. Board President Kate Thomas said the policy is on classroom displays and material, not what people wear. During the meeting, the board approved its consent agenda without discussion and no items were pulled. One item approved included a parental guide and reference page for parental/guardian rights. According to the resolution, the district has seen a need for parents and guardians to have a guided resource for explanations of rights in RCAS policies, South Dakota Codified Law and directions and procedures. The resolution creates a committee that includes three board members, a principal from each school level and at least one parent from each school to create a reference document that includes a list of common problems parents may encounter and which department to contact for solutions; a list of policies and procedures associated with solutions to common problems and links to policies; a diagram of how to move beyond the first administrative contact if the solution is not resolved; a list of links to the grade level and class standards; a list of links to class standards, curriculum, age appropriateness in curriculum, lesson material and homework assigned; links to grade level curriculum resources for each subject; and a link to a summary of each school's improvement plan. The document would be included in the student handbooks for each level or in a separate resource on an annual basis, housed on the district's website and the committee's work will be finished and materials posted before the start of the 2022-2023 school year. During the meeting, Thomas said she could not give an update on the original list of books slated for destruction on the surplus list because they are still under investigation. Nicole Swigart, who was named as the interim CEO for RCAS, said she started her first day Tuesday and attended the meeting. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Its official. The recount for District 30 Senate race is as follows: Pennington County Monday, June 27th at 9 a.m.; Custer County Monday, June 27th at 2 p.m.; Fall River County Tuesday, June 28th at 9 a.m. All recounts are held at the respective county courthouses with the Auditors Office in charge. All are open to the public. Also, the property tax summer study is having its first meeting at 10 a.m. on June 27 in room 362 in the State Capitol. Working backwards chronologically, we are gaveling in at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 21 in the House of Representatives for a Special Session regarding the impeachment trial of our Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. The Attorney General was impeached on April 12, 2022, by the House of Representatives. Now the Senate conducts the trial scheduled for June 21 and 22. This is unprecedented ground as a State Constitutional Officer hasnt been impeached since statehood November 2 of 1889. The Senates job is to conduct the trial to determine if the AG is guilty of the articles of impeachment. If the Senate decides that he is guilty, then their next job is to pass punishment which could include removal from office. Since the impeachment, Attorney General Ravnsborg has been suspended from his official duties. Another event happening soon is the State Republican Convention held this year in Watertown. The dates are June 23 through 25. The highlights of the convention will be selection of the Constitutional Officers to be on the ballot in the General Election held November 8, 2022. There are two hotly contended races among the Republicans. First is the Attorney Generals race. Previous Attorney General Marty Jackley is running against David Natvig, the current Director of South Dakotas Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). The other race is our current Secretary of State Steve Barnett running against Monae Johnson from Rapid City who has worked in the Secretary of States office in the past. The rest of the Constitutional Officers include Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden, State Treasurer Josh Haeder, Auditor Rich Sattgast, and Public Utilities Commissioner Chris Nelson. These each look to be unchallenged. The remaining Constitutional Officer post is School and Public Lands Commissioner. Ryan Brunner has served two terms, so is ineligible for re-election. State Senator Brock Greenfield looks to be the only candidate who is currently running for that post. Remember, at the State Convention only the delegates are eligible to vote, and they have to be present to vote, meaning no phone-ins or proxy voting. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The news last week was dominated by the historic flooding in south-central Montana and all the damage left in the wake of receding flood waters. As the flooding started to happen early last week, the state was putting out press releases with quotes from Gov. Greg Gianforte about the response from his administration about the flooding, and by Tuesday had issued a disaster declaration. But there was something less than standard about that executive order, because it was signed by Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras acting at governor. On this week's episode, Holly Michels of the Montana State News Bureau, talks about the governor's whereabouts last week and what's being done in response to the historic flooding. This podcast from the Montana State News Bureau is created in partnership across five newsrooms the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 FROMBERG A week after local efforts to repair damaged homes and equipment started following a massive flood, Fromberg residents got the chance Tuesday to tell Gov. Greg Gianforte what theyve experienced from the massive flooding last week and ask at a town hall whats being done for them. "Your community was, on a percentage basis, probably impacted more than any other community in this whole deal, Gianforte told those in attendance. "We're resilient as Montanans but nobody should have to go through this." At Fromberg school, he updated the residents in attendance on work being done with FEMA, the USDA and other state programs to raise funding for future repairs and consolidate resources. Dozens of locals in attendance made clear their needs, experiences and what else needed to be done. Fromberg resident and rancher Jay Stetson told the governor improved communication was needed from state offices and that calls to agencies have been going directly to voicemail. We voted for you and were thankful youre in office, he said. But now is the time that people need help and if we cant talk to somebody, that makes it a little bit frustrating. Various attendees pointed out that all disaster response efforts thus far were from volunteers through donated resources and time, many of whom were working all day. Residents in the small, mostly farming community expressed frustration that they felt emergency responses in Red Lodge and Gardiner were far quicker and prioritized higher than the more rural communities. Fromberg Mayor Tim Nottingham guided the governor through town on a side-by-side ATV, pointing out different areas that had been affected by the floods before taking him up to the Orchard Canal to show the damaged irrigation and farming equipment along the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. City officials counted the total number of residential homes damaged by the floods at 100, including 30 trailer homes, with gas and power lines still shut off to many of them. Commercial structures had not yet been counted and total damages to the community and surrounding areas were still unknown. Relief wont be coming for some time, though. The governor told people to inventory personal property and possessions lost and report it to the state's Disaster and Emergency Services website, DES.mt.gov. It was a glaring example of red tape standing in the way of needed relief. But Gianforte said the process would help expand the disaster declaration and lead to additional funding and resources coming from the federal government. Theres a form there to extend the disaster declaration to include individual residences and other damages, Gianforte said. We need to make the case that theres been enough private damages. Last week, Lt. Gov. Kristin Juras, acting on behalf of the governor while he was out of the country, filed a request to President Joe Biden to declare a national disaster for Montana due to the flooding. The request was approved Thursday and Juras made the announcement while touring flooding in Red Lodge. Aid was specifically requested from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Geological Survey. Shala Cullum, a Bridger councilor and relief volunteer, stressed the need for more funds and that previously available government resources were tapped out before the flood. As [agriculture] producers, we have already borrowed everything that we possibly can, she said. And if we dont get some help, financially, the production down this valley is done. Farmers (and) ranchers will no longer be able to produce. The governor says there would be announcements about relief efforts and funding later in the week as more resources were secured. The needs here are different than in Gardiner and Red Lodge, which is why I wanted to come and talk to you directly, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Commissioners from four counties filled the District 39 Montana Senate seat left vacant with the recent death of Democrat Mark Sweeney of Philipsburg, appointing Teamsters business agent Jessica Wicks of Anaconda on Tuesday. Wicks will serve the district for the next several months but fellow Democrat Jesse Mullen of Deer Lodge, a newspaper owner and manager, will be the partys nominee in the November election. Republicans plan to gather soon to choose their nominee. The next legislative session wont be until early next year but committees meet in the interim and Wicks plans to be involved in them and be accessible to constituents. Mark served on the Business and Labor Committee, on Energy and on Education, so my focus will probably be on those areas, she told The Montana Standard after her appointment. If theres something else I can to do help with Montana State Hospital and the prison I will definitely try to turn my focus there. Sweeney was elected to the seat in 2020 but died unexpectedly at his home in Philipsburg on May 6. He was running for the Democratic nomination to the eastern U.S. House seat now held by Republican Matt Rosendale. Penny Ronning won the Democratic nomination in the June 7 primary. Sweeneys state Senate seat wasnt up again until late 2024 but voters will decide in the Nov. 8 election who holds it in 2023 and 2024. Democrats from across the district met recently and nominated Mullen to be the partys candidate on the ballot in the November election, but under state law, it took commissioners to fill the seat until the end of the year. Party precinct officials gave them three people to choose from, including Mullen, Wicks and Anaconda Fire Department Captain Scott DeMarois. Commissioners from Granite, Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Powell and Butte-Silver Bow counties met via Zoom on Tuesday to choose Sweeneys immediate replacement. The commissioner votes were weighted based on the number of votes cast from each county in the district in the last election and how many commissioners each county has. Under that formula, votes from each of the commissioners in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County counted a little more than 12 percent and all voted for Wicks. She is a business agent at the Teamsters Local 2 in Anaconda and commander of Anaconda Pinter Search and Rescue. All but one commissioner from the other three counties chose Mullen but the five votes from Anaconda-Deer Lodge equaled more than 60 percent alone, giving Wicks the appointment. The votes for Mullen equaled just over 19 percent. The district covers all of Granite County and parts of Powell, Butte-Silver Bow and Anaconda-Deer Lodge counties, the latter a Democrat stronghold that includes the city of Anaconda and a big chunk of the districts voters. Republicans came close to flipping control of the seat in 2020, with Sweeney winning 50.8 percent of 8,756 total votes cast to 49.2 percent for Suzzann Nordwick of Walkerville. Republicans control the state Senate 31-19 and have a 67-33 majority in the House. Republicans from the four counties will meet soon to choose their nominee, said Kerry Graybeal, a Republican Party official from Granite County organizing the meeting. Libertarians and the Green Party can also place someone on the ballot and must complete that process by Aug. 24, according to state election officials. Mullen is the owner and CEO of the Mullen Newspaper Company based in Deer Lodge. The company owns and manages the Philipsburg Mail, Silver State Post in Deer Lodge and newspapers in Browning, Shelby, Stevensville, Cut Bank, Valier and Browning. It also owns two newspapers in Nebraska, one in Colorado and one in Idaho. Mullen and his wife, Sasha, also own Browsing Bison Books in Deer Lodge and Philipsburg. Mullen said he knew and admired Sweeney and he always responded to constituents. I have quite a bit of respect for him so when I heard about his death a number of people in this community were devastated and some of them approached me and I decided to throw my hat in the ring, he said. Mullen said one of his primary campaign issues is keeping the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge and the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. He noted recent comments from a Montana Department of Corrections official saying it might time to look at moving the prison to a city with a larger workforce pool. If we dont start advocating for those people immediately we are at risk of losing a number of jobs and I cant think of any issue more important to the economy of the region, he said. It would have a cascading effect. Mullen has been a reporter and editor in the past, he said, and believes politicians need to be transparent and accountable. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Thirty miles downriver from where their home was swept away by the Yellowstone River on June 13, Victoria and TJ Britton found their suitcase on a boat ramp. In it were precious wedding and family photos. A riverside landowner called the couple after noting the luggage tag with their name. Victoria also posted her phone number on the Park County Flooding Facebook site along with a plea for anyone finding clothes or household items to let her know. Right now, even pieces of clothing or parts of the house mean so much, she wrote on Facebook. We lost everything, she said Tuesday in a telephone interview. All kinds of things, big or small, mean the world right now. Some of their possessions are undoubtedly buried under the piles of sand, trees and brush stacked up where the river pooled, eddied or pushed its debris into fields. We lost everything, she said. Its really heart-breaking. So if you see shoes, clothes, tools or kitchen items along the Yellowstones riverbanks, Victoria would like them back. Shuddering The Brittons were living in an upstairs apartment just north of Gardiner in a five-plex that houses Yellowstone National Park employees. TJ Britton works for the agency and has lived in the complex for 16 years. Together, the couple occupied the upstairs apartment closest to the river. The night of June 12, Victoria said she could feel the house shuddering but thought it was from the large logs flowing downstream crashing together. Then, at 6:30 a.m. on June 13, a knock on the door alerted them to the worsening situation. Where normally there is 30 feet of yard before a slow drop-off to the river, Victoria saw only about 10-feet of bank left, and it was quickly crumbling. As a survivor of hurricanes Sandy and Noreen, Victoria wasted no time gathering belongings and fleeing the apartment. Ive had nightmares about this, she said. The couple grabbed important papers, some clothes and their pets, as well as items from their neighbors place downstairs who were away, before relocating to the towns rodeo grounds. Now her neighbors have nothing to come back to other than the clothes and a backpack full of toys the Brittons gathered for them. Watching Not far from their apartment, the Brittons sat on the hillside for hours and watched as their belongings were slowly consumed. When their deck fell in, the grill still stood upright with the lid open as it drifted downstream. Eventually a power pole next to the home was consumed by the river and transformers popped and blew. In the end, they witnessed the entire apartment complex collapse into the Yellowstone River and bob downstream. We watched our lives crumble away piece by piece, she said, and yet some people watching nearby cheered when the house fell into the water. Its really surreal, Victoria said. Im not sure its hit me yet. Seeking out her family and neighbors household possessions is providing her with a purpose and a distraction. Right now, things mean more to us than ever. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The last of four inmates who walked away from a minimum-security satellite camp at the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg surrendered Wednesday morning without incident, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Lamonte Rashawn Willis, 30, of Suffolk turned himself in just after 10 a.m. to U.S. Marshals and Federal Bureau of Prisons officials at the Federal Correctional Center Petersburgs Medium Security Facility in Prince George County, said Kevin Connolly, a supervisor with the Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Family offers $3,500 reward in connection to fatal Shockoe Bottom shooting The family of the 23-year-old Richmond man who was fatally shot in a parking lot in Shockoe Bottom last month is offering a reward for informa Two of the other escaped inmates, Corey Branch, 41, and Kareem Shaw, 46, surrendered just after midnight Tuesday to the staff of the facility where they were housed. Tavares Graham, 44, surrendered early Sunday morning. The four men left the satellite camp around 9:30 or 10 p.m. Friday, officials said, but werent discovered missing until around 1:45 a.m. Saturday. The satellite camp houses low-security risk inmates in a dormitory, which is adjacent to the Federal Bureau of Prisons minimum-security facility at 1100 River Road in Prince George. All escapees face new federal charges of escaping from a federal prison, which carries a punishment of up to five years incarceration. The four inmates were serving sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years for major drug offenses involving fentanyl, cocaine or heroin and/or crimes involving possession of firearms. Henrico County police said three individuals have been arrested in connection with a homicide that occurred May 19. Police arrested and charged one juvenile male a day after the crime occurred. In a statement Wednesday, police said they arrested a second juvenile male and Martel Marrow, 18, of Henrico. Officers responded to the initial incident around 4 p.m. along Interstate 64 on the Shockoe Valley Bridge. A Virginia state trooper was assisting a disabled vehicle when a second vehicle pulled alongside them, and the driver requested help, police said. Police discovered a juvenile female passenger was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. A trooper and a Virginia Department of Transportation Safety Service Patrol officer aided the girl, who was transported to a hospital, where she later died, police said. Detectives determined the shooting occurred on Byron Street near the Glenwood Farms community, said division spokesperson Karina Bolster. On May 20, Henrico police arrested and charged one juvenile boy in connection with the incident. He faces several charges, including attempted robbery and murder. The second juvenile was arrested Tuesday and faces several charges, including second-degree murder, robbery and use of a firearm. Both juveniles are being held in the Henrico Juvenile Detention Home. Marrow was arrested Monday and charged with accessory after the fact. Hes being held in the Henrico Jail without bond, police said. WASHINGTON Wandrea Shaye Moss testified Tuesday to lawmakers about how her life was upended when former President Donald Trump and his allies falsely accused her and her mother of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase in Georgia. The former Georgia elections worker recounted in a wrenching appearance before the House Jan. 6 committee how the defeated president latched onto surveillance footage from November 2020 to accuse her and her mother, Ruby Freeman, of committing voter fraud allegations that were quickly debunked, yet spread widely across conservative media. Advertisement Moss, who is Black, said she received messages wishing death upon me. Telling me that Ill be in jail with my mother. And saying things like, Be glad its 2020 and not 1920. Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, testifies as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, June 21, 2022. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) A lot of them were racist, Moss said. A lot of them were just hateful. Advertisement The committee also played testimony from Freeman, who sat behind Moss in the hearing room, showing support for her daughter and at one point passing over a box of tissues as lawmakers heard about their shattering ordeal. There is nowhere I feel safe. Nowhere, Freeman told the committee in the prerecorded video. Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States target you? The president of the United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one. But he targeted me, she added. The emotional testimony from mother and daughter was just the latest attempt by the Jan. 6 panel to show how lies perpetrated by Trump and his allies about a stolen election turned into real-life violence and intimidation against the caretakers of American democracy: state and local election officials and workers. Several of the people who bought into the election lies even showed up at the home of Moss grandmother to make a citizens arrest. Ive never ever heard her or see her cry, ever in my life, Moss testified. She called me screaming at the top of her lungs ... saying people are at her home. I just felt so helpless, she added. The barrage of threats against the two county workers mounted after Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani played surveillance footage of them counting ballots in a Georgia Senate committee hearing on Dec. 10, 2021. Giuliani said the footage showed the women surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if they are vials of heroine or cocaine. What they were actually passing, Moss told the committee, was a ginger mint. Advertisement Giuliani and Trump allies kept repeating the false conspiracy theory that Moss and Freeman, along with other election workers in key battleground states, were packing ballots into suitcases. The claim was disproven by several Georgia election officials, who investigated and found the footage showed regular ballot containers used in Fulton County. But it was too late. Conservative networks like One America News Network seized on the false claim and it began to spread with the help of Trump himself. Moss and Freeman eventually filed a defamation lawsuit against the network and Giuliani last December. The case against OAN has since been dismissed with a settlement. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Thursdays hearing, noted that Trump mentioned Freemans name 18 times in a call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. At one point Trump called Freeman a professional vote scammer and hustler. This has affected my life in a major way. In every way. All because of lies. All for me doing my job. The same thing Ive been doing forever, said Moss, who had been an election official for 10 years. With so many threats swirling, the FBI urged Freeman to leave her house ahead of Jan. 6 for safety reasons. She testified that she wasnt able to return for two months and felt homeless. The point is this: Donald Trump didnt care about the threats of violence, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the vice chair of the committee, said in her opening remarks Tuesday. He did not condemn them, he made no effort to stop them; he went forward with his fake allegations anyway. Advertisement Raffensperger, Georgias top election official, and his deputy, Gabe Sterling, also testified about the relentless attacks they and their colleagues faced as Trump falsely claimed widespread voter fraud in Georgia. Raffensperger and his wife were victims of organized harassment commonly known as doxxing. His wife, he said, received disgusting text messages that were sexual in nature, and supporters of the presidents election claims broke into the home of Raffenspergers daughter-in-law, where she was staying with her children. Sterling recalled the moment in December of 2020 that pushed him to speak out. It was a tweet about a staffer for Dominion voting machines the focal point of other Trump-promoted conspiracies about voter fraud that said you committed treason. May god have mercy on your soul. It included a slowly twisting GIF of a noose. And for lack of a better word, I lost it, Sterling told the committee. I just got irate. That day Sterling gave an impassioned plea at a press conference pleading with Trump to condemn the threats against election workers. This has to stop, he said. Since March 2020, Richmond Public Schools has purchased 36,783 Chromebook laptop computers for a total of $12.6 million, according to the divisions financial records system. The administration maintains that the purchase of 36,783 Chromebooks since March 2020 is fully appropriate, according to an audit memo presented to the School Board on Tuesday night. This month, an internal audit discovered roughly 20,000 division laptops are sitting idle and about 1,750 former students are still in possession of a Chromebook. The audit also found current and former students have multiple laptops, some as many as five. The audits results raised questions about how many Chromebooks the division purchased and about its inventory. During Tuesdays meeting, at roughly 10 p.m., the School Board received answers regarding the finances for the pandemic laptop purchases. RPS fronted the $12.6 million for the 36,783 laptops through a variety of funds, including federal pandemic relief ($6.9 million), state funding ($1.46 million), the Virginia Public School Authority ($1.2 million), the general fund ($1 million), miscellaneous donors ($1 million), Title I funding ( $825,000) and Perkins Act funding ($100,000), the memo states. (Federal Perkins Act funds are meant to boost career and technical education programs.) The $12.6 million covered the devices and add-ons: anti-theft, the technology vendors base fee, licenses, asset tags, warranty and more. While the quantity of purchased Chromebooks slightly differs between the financial records system, the inventory system and the division technology vendor, the memo states: We believe that AS400 (financial records system), provides the most accurate number of Chromebooks purchased given the connection to specific purchase orders. Tempest (inventory system) has incomplete data entry and it is likely some devices were delivered directly to schools during the pandemic and never were logged by TIG (technology vendor). The statement in the memo walks backs a previous comment from Milton Parker, RPS senior internal auditor, who said earlier this month: I just want to be clear for the record that Tempest is the source of truth, to determine the divisions Chromebook inventory. Nicole Jones, the 9th District School Board member, asked for clarification as to why earlier this month the district said it had 44,781 Chromebooks on hand and Tuesdays number was 36,783 laptops. On Tuesday night, RPS staff only discussed the Chromebooks purchased since March 2020, because prior to the pandemic, RPS had a laptop inventory, according to Michelle Hudackso, RPS chief of staff. Of the 36,783 pandemic laptops purchased, approximately 31,000 covered the divisions 1:1 device program (providing a device to every RPS student). While RPS has an enrollment of roughly 22,000 students, the division purchased an additional 20% laptops based off enrollment for the loss/damage device rate, instead of the typical 10% during the pandemic, according to the audit memo. ... Given it was not a typical time during the pandemic, RPS accounted for a loss/damage rate of approximately 20%, the memo states. The division purchased the remaining 5,600 devices or so for school and classroom-based computer labs. There is a policy in place that requires students to pay the cost for any school property, including computers, that they either damaged, destroyed or defaced. It is on us to carry it [the policy] out now, said Parker, the senior internal auditor, on Tuesday night. That has to be carried out in the schools. While RPS extended grace to students who damaged Chromebooks during the pandemic, if RPS abided by its own policy, students would pay $285.51 per damaged laptop, Parker said. School Board Vice Chair Kenya Gibson, who represents the 2nd District, doesnt fault RPS for not sending home invoices with students. However, an alternative plan needs to be in place where a student who damages a Chromebook loses the privilege of having one. We have a student body that understandably is not necessarily in a place that they can pay 200 some odd dollars to reimburse the cost of a Chromebook, Gibson said Tuesday night. Hudackso said protocols were in place during the virtual learning year, including that if students repeatedly damaged Chromebooks, they received a tablet instead and/or were encouraged to attend the facilitated learning center and not take a Chromebook home. School Board Chair Shonda Harris-Muhammed echoed Gibson on Tuesday, saying, Proper accountability ... some accountability has to be placed on our children, on our young people, just like in the workplace. It may not be financial; it may mean other means. This article originally ran on Page A1 of the Richmond Times-Dispatch on July 3, 2002. As two hunters and their rabbit hounds came around a corner, a boy's head popped out of the ground just off the dirt road. They stopped their pickup. It was a frosty January morning in 1973; they were in a heavily wooded area in what is now the city of Suffolk in southeastern Virginia. "He was screaming and hollering, and we jumped out of the truck and we run up there ... and the boy said that he had been kidnapped," one of the hunters later testified. The 13-year-old was chained inside a buried wooden box. His abductor, Richard Alvin Ausley, had spent the previous seven days sexually abusing him. The day he abducted Paul Martin Andrews, Ausley was scheduled to appear in a Portsmouth courtroom on a sodomy charge involving a 14-year-old boy. At the time, Ausley was on parole for the 1961 abduction of a 10-year-old boy whom he had hog-tied, sexually assaulted and left in the woods. Ausley, now 63, is due to be paroled again. He was sentenced to nearly 48 years in prison for the crimes against Andrews and other offenses. A law on the books that might have kept Ausley locked up will not be put into effect until 2004. So he must be released April 21, 2003, under the old parole rules that govern his convictions. (Update: In 2004, Ausley was murdered by his cell mate.) "I know I'm in here on some very bad charges, but my past is in the past and that's where it is going to stay. I've got too much going for me out there, too much to look forward to," Ausley said. "Am I ashamed? Very ashamed. Do I regret it? Definitely." He said he is not a threat to anyone. Andrews disagrees. He is now 43 and lives in Florida. "I don't think that he should be out on the street. He's a total sociopath. He has shown no remorse at any time for anything that he did to me or anybody else, and I don't think that that has changed," Andrews said. "This man is a monster. He preys on children. This is someone who raped and kidnapped and beat a child who's 13 years old ... and buried him in the ground and left him there to die. If it hadn't been for the grace of God, that those hunters that came out there on the last day of hunting season and found me, I would still be there." Andrews said he has kept track of where Ausley has been imprisoned. He said the last photograph he saw of Ausley - there is one on the Virginia State Police violent sex offender database - was taken in 1999. "He looks as though he's still pretty well put together," Andrews said. Releasing Ausley, Andrews said, "is a horrible thing on the part of the state of Virginia." Ausley, meantime, insisted his life has changed. Interviewed recently at the Augusta Correctional Center, Ausley is a slim man at 5 feet 7 inches tall. "Everybody calls me Peewee," he said. There is a crude crucifix tattooed in blue ink on his right hand. "I'm not the man I was 30 years ago. I don't intend to go back to the dark side of life that I lived." The nightmare he caused Andrews, who then lived in Portsmouth, began on Thursday, Jan. 11, 1973. It was a school snow day, and the eighth-grader had the day off. Andrews was running an errand when Ausley, driving a blue Ford van, approached him and offered to pay him to help move some furniture. Using various pretexts, he got the boy, who weighed 105 pounds, into the buried box. Andrews testified that once he was inside the box, Ausley told him: "You have just been kidnapped." The sexual assaults began almost immediately - three the first day, two the next. Andrews was threatened with a butcher knife and beaten. His eyes were blackened and his nose and a tooth were broken. It went on for a week inside the box that had been carefully constructed by Ausley, who was a carpenter. At times Andrews was let out of the box so the two could cook. At one point, Ausley threatened to hang his victim from a tree with a chain and beat him. On the second Friday of Andrews' captivity, he heard a pickup truck approaching while Ausley was away. "I reached up out of the box and I pushed the lid back as far as I could and I had my head up, and I could wave one arm by holding the lid, and I screamed and hollered at them, and told them that I had been kidnapped and to stop - 'Don't leave me' - and they slowed down," he testified. Police photographed him, still chained in the box, and rescue squad workers used bolt cutters to free him. Ausley went to prison in 1973 after being found guilty of abduction and sodomy. His story was that Andrews was running away from home and went with him voluntarily. A brief escape from the former State Penitentiary in Richmond aside, Ausley settled down in prison and became an accomplished artist, working in acrylics, pastels and watercolors. He painted still lifes, animals and pastoral scenes. He said a Southwest Virginia family for whom he has done artwork has offered to give him a place to stay when he leaves prison. "Right now, they're my second family. In fact, they're the only family that I have. My real family's all died out." Ausley declined to talk about subjects other than his art, and he became upset when he learned there would be a story about his crimes and upcoming parole. "It's the worst type of crime somebody could ever be in prison for. Even inmates frown on this type of thing. "There's not a day goes by I don't hear something - whispers, finger-pointing," he complained. "I got to live in this darn place. This is not going to make my life very pleasant here." He said that "30 years is a long time for punishment," and he urged, "Don't destroy what chance I have out there. Don't destroy what I have accomplished." Andrews had no sympathy for Ausley's plight. "It is a part of my life every day, and it has been for all of these years," Andrews said. "Hardly a day goes by that I don't think, in some way, about that week and what he put me through." After the attack, Andrews went to live with his father in North Carolina and attended school there for half a year. He returned to Portsmouth for high school and then went back to North Carolina for his senior year and graduation. He attended classes at Old Dominion University and in Florida, where he works as a computer repair technician. "I can't say I'm scarred. I don't walk around not living my life because of that, but it is certainly part of my psyche. Somebody like that can just take a part of your life and just insert themselves into it and it's there all the time. You can't get away from it. "I don't go around with my head hung all the time, nor am I ashamed of myself. I have no shame in the matter, but it does affect you in a lot of very subtle ways. "It's just something that you live with every day." The Valentine Museum on Wednesday unveiled the statue of Jefferson Davis that used to reside on Monument Avenue as a part of its This is Richmond, Virginia exhibition. On loan from the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the statue will be on display at The Valentine for six months. This is the great first step in beginning the conversation about whats next? said Valentine director Bill Martin. What is next not only for the monuments and for Monument Avenue, but what is next for this conversation. Originally unveiled in 1907, the Jefferson Davis statue stood on Monument Avenue in Richmond for over 100 years. Along with Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart and Stonewall Jackson, the Davis statue was constructed during the Jim Crow era. Edward Valentine, the artist and namesake of the museum, crafted the statue of Davis. Before his death, Davis came to Valentines studio, which is also on display, in anticipation of his monument. Valentine, as our first president, used his clout and his artistic skills to promote the Lost Cause, that effort after the Civil War to deny slavery as the central goal of the conflict and glorify Confederates as heroes, Martin said. On June 10, 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the statue. Today, it is displayed intentionally in its 2020 state. From falling, the head is dented and the arm is torn. Bubble gum pink latex paint is splattered down Davis body and on the podium, and flakes of a toilet paper noose are still stuck to the collar of the statue. This damage along with that pink paint that is decorating it really is that layer, that 2020 layer, said Christina Vida, curator and project manager. The Valentine has a lot of works by Edward Valentine; we do not have a lot of work that represent the social justice protest movement that took place in the summer of 2020. For us to have this additional layer on this work, I think, is truly important for the institution and is going to help us tell this much broader story about what has been going on in Richmond. The statue was installed Monday after being scanned and thoroughly documented. Notably, the statue is lying down like it was on the street in 2020. We thought this display technique was critical in making sure folks understand this object not as a man standing up looming over passersby on Monument Avenue, but as an object and storyteller for the social justice movement that took place in Richmond in 2020, Vida said. This is the first time the statue is on display in a museum after being in storage for two years. We are very excited and terrified, Martin said. I have always been honest. I think that the prospect of this is important for us. 2020 was an important moment for the city, and we hope to, in the next six months, try to capture that moment and all the feelings and all the events. Martin said the publics opinion was a leading factor in deciding to display the statue. We know that about 80% of Richmonders, according to our survey, want these monuments in museums, Martin said. What does that mean? We are about to find out. To continue including Richmonders in the conversation, The Valentine has a feedback survey and comments box next to the exhibit. On Wednesdays, the museum is offering free admission to give all Richmonders an opportunity to participate in this conversation. Co-curator Josh Epperson said he believes objects like the Davis statue belong in museums where people can consent to seeing them with the proper context. These objects are so powerful and were made for a very particular intention, for a group of people to try and convey their dominance over other free Americans, he said. These objects are very, very powerful, and they can be very painful for a lot of people. To have them off of public streets where you cant consent, to into a public institution of education and learning, to me is only natural. Epperson said displaying them is important to convey the complete history of Richmond. I dont think we should forget them, he said. I think if they stayed in storage, a child born today may not have any idea about how bad it really was. Someone could tell the story about it never happened. It is possible; this is why objects in these places are so important. Conveying his personal experience, Epperson shared that for the Black community, the removal of these statues is impactful. These objects were not built for people like me, he said. They were built specifically to make people who look like me feel inferior to the people portrayed in these objects. You could assume that these are just heroes on horses, Epperson said. If you have the context, the real story is illuminated. Attorney General Jason Miyares, joined by 22 other attorneys general, submitted a bipartisan letter to Congress on Wednesday calling for federal action regarding copycat THC edible products. The products are designed to look like popular brands such as Doritos, Nerds rope candy and Trolli gummy worms but contain THC, a psychoactive substance derived from cannabis plants. The Food and Drug Administration reported that from Jan. 1 to May 31, the National Poison Control Center received 10,488 THC exposure cases involving edible products; 77% of the cases were patients 19 years or younger, and 65% of cases were unintentional consumption of THC. At a news conference on Wednesday, Miyares announced the bipartisan letter calling for federal action and issued a warning to stores that willingly sell such products. What we do is make the cost of doing business, of doing this business of selling this garbage to our kids so expensive its not worth it, he said. That would be my message, if you are selling this garbage in your stores its not worth it. After July 1 someone in my office is coming after you. The letter provided examples of cases in which the THC copycat products cause harm. One example was from Stafford County. The letter states, on March 2, 2022, three Virginia parents took their children to the hospital for treatment after they observed lethargic behavior and discovered they had consumed THC-laden Goldfish crackers from their childcare facility. In addition to the letter, Miyares issued a warning to bad actors in Virginia that his office is prepared to take legal action following new state laws that are set to take effect on July 1. Emphasizing the danger posed to children, Miyares said the new policy aims to protect them. Among the state-level provisions is an age restriction of 21 and older for purchasing THC products, child-resistant packaging, clear food labels, and packing guidelines. They cannot depict anything that is shaped like a human, animal, vehicles, fruit or any trademark of any famous products or packaging as we see today, Miyares said. The Attorney Generals office plans to take legal action toward stores that sell the misleading packaged products through fines, making the cost of doing that type of business unattractive. While this is not a criminal offense, Miyares said he believes most suppliers will heed the warnings. There are going to be individuals on the consumer protection team that will be zeroed in on this, Miyares said. Holding up copycat products next to the authentic brands, Miyares compared the packaging issue to the tobacco industry. Now I wanted everyone to remind themselves about what happened when we criticized tobacco companies for using Joe Camel in tobacco advertising, Miyares said. Think about that and now look at what you have here. You can see how young children can inadvertently ingest this, he said. This is not by accident, and this is not somebody messing up a label. This is direct action, direct marketing products to our children. To further demonstrate the issue, Miyares office displayed a bucket filled with 27 THC copycat products purchased from stores around Virginia. This is not just localized to one area, he said. These are products openly being sold in stores, and they are clearly targeting our children. A spokesperson from the Consumer Brand Association, Stacy Papadopoulos, joined Miyares in warning consumers about the misleading and dangerous aspects of the copycat THC products. Sometimes the only way to tell the difference from a copycat product and the real thing are by the words THC written really small in the corner of the product or because the wrapper is a little shinier than the typical bag of chips or box of cereal, Papadopoulos said. These are minimal distinctions that children often miss whether because they just cant read or because they dont get the concept of the copycat. We are alarmed at how intensely the situation has intensified. Miyares instructed people to call his office to report illicit copycat THC edibles. With the Virginia budget finally done and the General Assembly out of Richmond for the summer, Gov. Glenn Youngkin picked an apt moment for a seasonal trip of his own to talk to fellow Republicans on the Great Plains. Youngkin will deliver the keynote speech to the Nebraska Republican Party Convention, meeting July 8-9 in Kearney, Neb., a foray with potential political reverberations because of its proximity to adjacent Iowa, where the quadrennial political caucuses will help begin the next presidential election season in 2024. It will be Youngkins first political trip outside of Virginia since his inauguration in January. He will share the stage with Gov. Pete Ricketts, who already knows him well as co-chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and Nebraska Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen, but the lanky Virginian will have the spotlight. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will deliver the keynote address at the 2022 Nebraska Republican Party State Convention as we celebrate Life and Liberty! the party proclaimed in an announcement on Twitter. The speech is a favor for Ricketts, who invited him, according to Kristin Davison, vice president of Axiom Strategies, the national consulting firm that managed Youngkins gubernatorial campaign and still advises him. Governor Ricketts was very helpful during the governors campaign and during the transition, Davison said Wednesday. Governor Youngkin is trying to help out Governor Ricketts, and I think as well he will be offering political support to Pillen in his gubernatorial bid. Youngkins aides arent saying whether the governors trip represents any larger effort to build a national profile, but with his first General Assembly session and budget behind him, veteran political fortuneteller Larry Sabato isnt ruling it out. Hes ready to stick his toe into the water, said Sabato, president of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, but its his little toe. The reaction would be different if Youngkin had been invited to speak at a prominent party gathering in Iowa or New Hampshire, he said. Then I think we could genuinely conclude that he was running for president. But the Nebraska Republican Party? It isnt unusual for Virginia governors to consider running for president or hope to land on a national ticket. Virginia and New Jersey are the only states to elect a governor the year after a presidential election. That means new Virginia governors gain an outsize amount of national attention between the presidential and midterm congressional elections. Seven of the nations first 12 presidents were born in Virginia, but a Virginian hasnt been elected president since Woodrow Wilson. Many have been mentioned as potential candidates for national office, particularly in the modern era, beginning with Linwood Holton, who in 1969 became the first Republican-elected governor in Virginia since Reconstruction. The list is bipartisan and includes Democratic Govs. Chuck Robb, Doug Wilder and Mark Warner and Republican Govs. George Allen and Jim Gilmore. Wilder briefly sought the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination that went to Bill Clinton. Gilmore, governor from 1998 to 2002, later sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2008 and in 2016. For a time, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell was mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was Hillary Clintons running mate in 2016, when she lost the presidential election to Republican Donald Trump, a century after Wilsons election to a second term. Youngkin has earned plenty of attention from national Republicans since he upset Terry McAuliffe last November, ending a GOP drought in statewide elections since 2009 despite the long shadow cast by Trump. Youngkin was a featured guest at the Republican Governors Associations annual conference in Arizona a few weeks after his victory. The governor also has positioned himself to influence elections and public policy in other states. In March, Youngkins political team formed the Spirit of Virginia political action committee under Section 527 of the federal tax code to raise money for political candidates in Virginia and other states, and Americas Spirit, a social welfare organization under the tax code to advocate for political issues but not campaigns. But Youngkins speech to Nebraska Republicans next month doesnt move the political needle for Sabato. I would put a notation on the calendar, but I wouldnt tear the page out of the calendar and stick it on the wall, Sabato said. Its not that significant. Republicans in coastal Virginia chose state Sen. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, on Tuesday as their nominee against Rep. Elaine Luria, D-2nd, in what could be one of the countrys most competitive fall congressional races. Kiggans, a former Navy helicopter pilot and geriatric nurse practitioner, will face Luria, a former Naval officer who has held the seat for four years. The Republican pick tweeted that she was humbled to be the nominee about an hour after the polls closed and The Associated Press had called the race. This is our chance to retake control of our country, she tweeted. Its time to restore American strength in our economy, at our borders, and on the world stage. Now lets get to work!!! Kiggans easily defeated Jarome Bell a far-right candidate who called for execution of anyone who committed election fraud in 2020 and two other candidates in the primary. Bells campaign included attacks on American democracy and elections. He called the 2020 presidential election a communist coup. Bell, who has been banned by Twitter, was endorsed by numerous figures aligned with former President Donald Trump and his attempts at overturning his 2020 presidential election loss. Endorsements included U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-5th, who voted against certifying the presidential election results. Kiggans also has questioned elections. In March, she told The Washington Post she did not know if there was significant fraud affecting the outcome of the 2020 election in Virginia. (There is no evidence of significant fraud). And she cast a vote in February for a $70 million measure which failed for an election audit after GOP Sen. Amanda Chase of Chesterfield raised election conspiracy theories. Luria is a member of the Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Bell and Kiggans campaigned against policies for protection of transgender students in K-12 schools. Bell questioned Kiggans commitment to opposing such policies while Kiggans, on her website, wrote she would protect our children from transgender policies. Kiggans raised $1,337,774 as of June 1, compared with $492,050 for Bell, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks money in politics. She is in her first four-year term in the Virginia Senate, having narrowly defeated Democrat Cheryl Turpin for the seat in 2019. Also running in Tuesdays primary was Tommy Altman, a disabled Air Force veteran and tattoo shop owner, and Andy Baan, a retired Naval captain and former prosecutor. The district includes Virginia Beach, Suffolk, parts of Chesapeake, the Eastern Shore and some rural areas nearby. It leans slightly Democratic but is evenly split right now in terms of the partisan preference of voters. And new boundaries this year based on required redistricting make the district even less Democratic with the removal of Norfolk. That makes the seat of national consequence as Republicans try to take control of the U.S. House. Twenty-nine Virginia lawmakers are urging the federal government to suspend Cumberland County beagle breeder Envigos license to prevent it from selling 500 dogs for research to fulfill its remaining contracts. We urge you to do so immediately as a first step toward protecting these animals from further suffering, the bipartisan collection of lawmakers wrote in the letter to Kevin Shea, administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture The lead signers on the letter are Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County; Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax; and Rep. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, sponsors of the beagle bills signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in April in an effort to protect dogs and cats that are bred for research. Even comedian Bill Maher, of HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher fame, sent a letter to Robert Leasure Jr., the CEO of Inotiv, Envigos parent company, calling on him to allow the dogs to be released for adoption. How can you look these gentle beagles in the eye knowing that they feel pain and fear just like the dogs who share our homes and sentence them to a lifetime of suffering? Maher wrote. These long-neglected animals have suffered enough in the name of profit for your company, [so] please give every last one the freedom to enjoy life with a loving family. Maher is a long-time supporter of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and a honorary director of the nonprofit. A federal judge in Lynchburg on Friday granted a preliminary injunction against Envigo, but said it can sell 500 of its remaining beagles for research to fulfill its remaining contracts. Inotiv, Envigos Indiana-based parent company, recently announced it plans to close Envigos beagle mill, which U.S. District Judge Norman Moon has castigated for its torturous abuse of dogs and puppies. In granting the preliminary injunction but allowing Envigo to sell about 500 dogs, the judge wrote: It must be emphasized that, at this juncture, the authority of the Court is limited to balancing the concrete burdens on both parties while preventing irreparable harms. Stanley said in a telephone interview that the lawmakers want the federal agency to step in and suspend Envigos license to prevent further sales. Their license needs to be ended and they shouldnt sell these dogs, Stanley said. These are 500 dogs that quite frankly dont deserve to be experimented on and deserve a loving home. Stanley said that if a cost for the 500 dogs is established, he is sure that he can help start a fundraising drive to pay the price and save the beagles. The judge has given federal prosecutors and Envigo until 5 p.m. Wednesday to tell him their plans for transferring the remaining 2,500 dogs and puppies beyond the 500 in question out of the Envigo beagle mill. Stanley, whose office previously worked with such partners as the SPCA to find homes for dogs rescued from Envigo and whose family adopted two Envigo beagles said he hopes his office will play a part in any agreement to put Envigos remaining beagles up for adoption. Stanley added that he gives a lot of credit to Jim Harkness, Envigos chief operating officer, who previously worked with Stanley to find homes for other beagles that were removed from Envigo and placed for adoption. acain@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6645 Twitter: @AndrewCainRTD Staff writer Colleen Curran contributed to this report. Thunderstorms formed in the early afternoon in Northern Virginia and strengthened as they raced southward, effectively paralleling Interstate 95. At around 3 p.m., they hit Ashland, already having caused damage with numerous power outages just to the north in Caroline County, then they spent the next hour racing south across Richmond. Damage reports starting trickling in from Ashland and Hanover County: numerous trees down, power outages. Radar also showed an area of winds in excess of 80 mph racing southward, meaning Richmond would be next. The severe thunderstorm warning for Richmond was issued at 3:09 p.m. from the National Weather Service office in Wakefield. Unlike most severe thunderstorm warnings, this came with a special tag, labeled destructive, indicating that the winds exceeded 80 mph. It is a higher level of alert than the typical severe thunderstorm warning for large hail or for winds about 55 mph, and the enhanced level of alert signaled cellphones to the impending storm. The core of the high winds continued southward along I-95, and the damage reports multiplied. 3:18: Multiple trees down on Ashcake Road in Hanover. 3:30: 5,000 power outages near Mechanicsville. 3:32: Roof torn off an apartment complex at 806 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. A spokesperson from the Richmond Fire Department later said no one was injured, but first responders were seen escorting several individuals from their home. 3:35: Numerous trees and power lines down in Richmond; a measured wind gust of 60 mph in Sandston. NWS meteorologist Michael Montefusco said: In this part of the country, you dont often see measured wind gusts that high. 3:49: Multiple trees down on Terminal Avenue in South Richmond. 3:54: Wind damage and 1,200 customers without power near Bellwood; numerous trees down on Woods Edge Road just north of Colonial Heights. 3:58: 4,000 without power around Petersburg. A few minutes after 4 p.m., the worst of the storm had moved south of Petersburg and, by 5 p.m., Dominion had 60,000 customers without power in Richmond and Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties. Adding the impacts from storms in Northern Virginia and Southside Virginia brought the total outages to 100,000 in the Dominion service area. Later, other reports from first responders came in. Richmond firefighters responded to several homes that were hit by trees in the Fan District and Fulton Hill. In Chesterfield County, firefighters escorted a man from his home on Swan Drive after a large tree fell on top of the roof, damaging the building. It fell right in the living room, said William Singleton, who added the tree fell around 3:40 p.m. Im just glad I was the only one in there. Singleton said he and his wife, Carol, and their daughter and granddaughter live in the rental residence. Thankfully, no one was injured, he said, and the American Red Cross is assisting in temporarily relocating the family. Usually, thunderstorms move in from the west or southwest, but not this time. Virginia was on the border between very hot air west of the Appalachians and relatively cooler air over the Chesapeake and the Atlantic. Steering winds were still from the north, a remnant of the relatively cooler and less humid air from the previous weekend. A small disturbance slid southward along that boundary, and the surge of heat and humidity on Wednesday provided the fuel for the storms. However, a quieter period follows through this weekend. Clouds keep temperatures in the 70s on Thursday with some spotty light showers, then more typical June weather returns for Friday and the weekend with sunshine and afternoon temperatures in the 80s to low 90s. The Supreme Court said Tuesday that Maine cannot exclude religious schools from a tuition assistance program that allows parents to use vouchers to send their children to public or private schools. The 6-3 ruling is the latest move by the conservative court to expand religious liberty rights and bring more religion into public life, a trend bolstered by the addition of three of former President Donald Trump's nominees. "Maine's 'nonsectarian' requirement for its otherwise generally available tuition assistance payments violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. "Regardless of how the benefit and restriction are described, the program operates to identify and exclude otherwise eligible schools on the basis of their religious exercise." Roberts was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The three liberal justices dissented. It is a loss for critics who say the decision will amount to a further erosion of the separation between church and state. Although only one other state, Vermont, has a similar program, the court's ruling could inspire other states to pass similar programs. Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said, "today's ruling puts states in a difficult position" if they choose to provide school tuition assistance programs. "Although framed as a school-choice ruling, it's hard to see how this won't have implications for a far wider range of state benefit programs -- putting government in the awkward position of having to choose between directly funding religious activity or not providing funding at all," Vladeck said. Writing a dissent joined by Justice Elena Kagan and in part by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Stephen Breyer said the court had "never previously held what the Court holds today, namely, that a State must (not may) use state funds to pay for religious education as part of a tuition program designed to ensure the provision of free statewide public school education." Responding to Breyer's emphasis on "government neutrality," Roberts wrote that "there is nothing neutral about Maine's program." "The state" he said, "pays for tuition for certain students at private schools -- so long as they are not religious." "That is discrimination against religion," Roberts said. "Maine's administration of that benefit is subject to the free exercise principles governing any such public benefit program including the prohibition on denying the benefit based on a recipient's religious exercise," he added. Sotomayor, in a dissent of her own, put Tuesday's ruling in context with the court's other recent moves to expand religious liberty, while accusing the court of dismantling "the wall of separation between church and state that the Framers fought to build." The majority, she wrote, did this by "embracing arguments from prior separate writings and ignoring decades of precedent affording governments flexibility in navigating the tension between the Religion Clauses." "As a result, in just a few years, the Court has upended constitutional doctrine, shifting from a rule that permits States to decline to fund religious organizations to one that requires States in many circumstances to subsidize religious indoctrination with taxpayer dollars," Sotomayor said. Religious conservatives and organizations praised the ruling, including the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, which filed a brief in the case. "This watershed Supreme Court ruling opens the door for our advocacy efforts at the state and local levels in key places like New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania and elsewhere," said Maury Litwack, executive director of the Orthodox Union's Teach Coalition. Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO, and chief counsel for First Liberty Institute, called the ruling "a great day for religious liberty in America." "We are thrilled that the Court affirmed once again that religious discrimination will not be tolerated in this country," Shackleford said in a statement. "Parents in Maine, and all over the country, can now choose the best education for their kids without fearing retribution from the government." This story has been updated with additional details. The-CNN-Wire Authorities pulled a body from Lake Michigan Tuesday night. Police said the body of an unidentified man, who they believe was around age 30, was taken out of the water around 9:30 p.m. in the 700 block of East 31st Street, where the 31st Street Beach and Harbor are located. Advertisement The Chicago Fire Departments marine unit had responded to a person in distress, police said. The man was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Police said detectives are investigating. Advertisement The recovery comes after the bodies of four people washed up along the shores of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan in a week in early April. The city saw a record number of drownings in Lake Michigan in 2020, when 6 people drowned there. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced that the government will be providing an additional Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) cash aid of up to RM100 for the B40 income group. This is in a bid to help them cope with the rising cost of living. Under this additional aid, B40 households will be entitled to an additional RM100, on top of the existing amount that is already being provided under the BKM programme. Meanwhile, B40 individuals will receive an extra RM50. According to the prime minister, these additional cash aids will be disbursed in stages starting from 27 June 2022 (coming Monday), and will be included along with the upcoming BKM payment. At present, the BKM programme which was introduced under Budget 2022 provides up to RM2,500 cash assistance for B40 individuals and households. Payments are to be disbursed in four phases, with the second phase set to take place this month. With an allocation of RM630 million, the prime minister said that this additional cash aid is expected to benefit about 8.6 million BKM recipients. This consists of 4 million households, 1.2 million senior citizens (single individuals), and 3.4 million single individuals. 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE Sixth District Republicans readily endorsed U.S. Rep. Ben Cline during a party primary election Tuesday. Political newcomer Merritt Hale from Frederick County had drawn less than 20% of the vote with a majority of precincts reporting on Tuesday night. Hale, a systems engineer and Navy veteran, conceded to Cline, R-Botetourt, with a post on social media before 8 p.m. Id like to thank Congressman Cline for running a respectful campaign, Hale said. Im confident hell continue to be a conservative champion for our district. The incumbent congressman Cline, who succeeded longtime Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte, is seeking a third term. In a statement Tuesday, Cline thanked campaign volunteers and said he was grateful to the districts Republican voters. I look forward to continuing our campaign in the months ahead as we discuss the issues with voters and how we can work together to find real solutions to the challenges we face as a Nation, Cline said. Cline will face Democratic nominee Jennifer Lewis of Waynesboro during the general election in November. Ahead of Tuesdays primary, Cline had raised more than $570,000 for his campaign, compared to $27,000 raised by Hale, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project. The Democratic candidate Lewis has so far raised about $35,000. The district now stretches up I-81 from Roanoke to the northern Shenandoah Valley, after newly drawn district boundaries were approved by the Virginia Supreme Court in January. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A federal appeals court has turned back the latest of many attempts by Southwest Virginia landowners to keep a natural gas pipeline off their property. Cletus and Beverly Bohon of Montgomery County had challenged Mountain Valley Pipelines use of eminent domain to take their land after they refused the companys offer to purchase an easement it needed for the buried pipeline. The Bohons and four other landowners argued that Congress improperly allowed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to give eminent domain powers to private ventures once their projects were approved, which the commission did for Mountain Valley in 2017. But in an opinion Tuesday, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that a district court in Washington D.C. lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, upholding the judges dismissal of the lawsuit. The Natural Gas Act requires lawsuits such as the Bohons to be filed in a federal appellate court, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled. That has happened in a similar challenge brought by other landowners, which was denied in 2019. Landowners respect but disagree with the Courts decision, their attorney, Mia Yugo, said in a statement. As we have seen on the world stage in recent months, natural gas is an important resource for promoting economic stability and national security, Yugo said. However, those concerns do not diminish the protections guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, including the separation of powers doctrine which restricts unchecked government power. Although Mountain Valley has seen its government permits for the 303-mile pipeline struck down repeatedly by the courts, it has fared better in the many legal battles over its power to take private land. When U.S. District Judge James Boasberg dismissed the Bohons case in May 2020, he called it the latest trickle in a veritable flood of litigation against Mountain Valley. In seeking the dismissal, lawyers for the company said the landowners arguments were simply a rehashing of the same flawed theories that have been rejected in the past. Eminent domain in most cases allows governmental bodies to take private land for a public good, such as a highway or power line, provided the aggrieved owner receives just compensation. Shortly after FERC approved Mountain Valley finding a public need for the natural gas that would be transported through the interstate pipeline the company filed suit against about 300 property owners in Southwest Virginia who had refused to sell easements for the project to pass through their rural land. A federal judge granted Mountain Valley immediate possession of the parcels in early 2018, and construction began shortly afterward. But logging on the Bohon property off Yellow Finch Lane did not occur until March 2021, after a longstanding tree-sit protest was broken up by police when Mountain Valley obtained an injunction in civil court. Multiple lawsuits by environmental groups and local opponents who cite the pipelines harmful footprint on natural resources have delayed its completion, and the company is currently seeking new permits that were struck down earlier this year. Meanwhile, the question of how much money landowners should receive is being resolved on a case-by-case basis. Most of the disputes have been settled, either through voluntary agreements or after a judges ruling on evidentiary issues forced a resolution. In two cases, juries awarded large amounts $523,327 and $430,000 to the owners of Bent Mountain tracts in Roanoke County. Mountain Valley recently filed a motion in Roanokes federal court that seeks to set aside the $523,327 verdict, arguing that it was based on improper evidence about the value of land owned by the Terry family. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon has yet to rule in the case. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The worker killed in Mondays cave-in at a Giles County limestone mine was part of a crew that was closing the facility, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Energy said. Stuart R. Moore, 50, of Oak Hill, West Virginia, died while working underground to remove spoil material left from mining operations as he and other members of a contractor team implemented a shutdown plan, said Tarah Kesterson, a public relations manager for the energy department. Environmental regulations mandate that the spoil be taken out before the mine can be closed, Kesterson said. Moore had been on the job for about nine weeks, she added. Kesterson said that while the mines owner, Lhoist North America, is shuttering the mine, she was not sure if the companys other operations at the Ripplemead site would continue. Besides the mine, there is the Kimballton Plant No. 1, a facility where limestone is heated and processed into lime. Kesterson said that every other lime producer in Southwest Virginia obtains its limestone from surface quarries. Only the Ripplemead facility used an underground mine, she said. Ken Curtis, a Texas-based spokesman for the company, did not immediately return calls Wednesday. Lhoist North America is a subsidiary of the Belgium-based Lhoist group. On Tuesday, Curtis said that the Giles County facility would be closed while an investigation into Moores death was carried out. Kesterson emailed an update to reporters Wednesday night that said investigators had completed their interviews. Next, they will send a drone into the mine to use Lidar, a system of measuring distances with a laser, to gather information about the collapse, she wrote. "It will also assist in identifying any remaining potential hazards or possible unstable material," Kesterson wrote. Earlier this week, Giles County Emergency Services Coordinator Jon Butler said that Monday's cave-in occurred after a berm that diverted water shifted. Moore was engulfed by material and died in the cab of his excavator. Moore was employed by Gillmann Services, a contractor working at the mine, Butler said. Kesterson said that she did not know how old the mine was but her department first issued a permit for its operations in 1974. A sign posted Monday outside the lime processing plant said that before Moores death, the facility had gone 2,376 days, or about 6 years, without a lost-time injury. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for two Virginia Beach natives who failed to return to Hampton from a sailing trip to Portugal Monday. Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, were reported missing by Jones daughter on June 20. Jones daughter contacted the Coast Guard Fifth District command center three days prior on June 17, reporting that she hadnt received any communication from her mother since the pair departed on June 13. Nikopoulos and Jones were sailing on a boat named Kyklades from Azores, Portugal. Coast Guard spokesperson Breanna Centeno said the pair left on June 8 from Old Comfort Point Marina in Hampton. They were en route to Greece from Azores, but on June 13, they notified family members that heavy weather had damaged their sailboat and they were turning around to head back to Hampton. The missing boaters were approximately 460 miles east of Virginia Beach at the time of the call. While there was not a set return date, Jones daughter indicated she was expecting Jones and Nikopoulos to return Monday, Centeno said. The Coast Guard is coordinating with Bermuda-based authorities to track cellphone and radio pings to narrow the search for Coast Guard air crews, according to a press release issued Tuesday evening. HC-130 Hercules crews from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City have conducted two overflights of the approximate area of Jones and Nikopoulos. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast has been issued by the Fifth Coast Guard District Command Center to alert boaters in the area to the situation. In situations like this, where there are so many unknowns, our coordination efforts need to cast a wide and intentional net, said Chief Brian Gainey, command duty officer. Its a lot of detective work, but its all in service to finding these two individuals and bringing them home to their families. The Coast Guard is asking that anyone with information related to the search for Jones and Nikopoulos to call the Fifth District Command Center at 757-398-6390. Rowing team including former Hanover resident completes 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic The Pacific Boys, a three-person crew including former Hanover County resident and Atlee High graduate Isaac Mackey, successfully completed their 3,100-mile rowing trip across the Atlantic on Friday when they rowed into sunny English Harbour on the island of Antigua. As President Joe Biden called on Congress for a three-month gas tax holiday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday pointed to Virginia Senate Democrats who spurned his state proposal. "Now, the White House is calling on states to move forward on gas tax suspensions demonstrating that VA Senate Dems are out of step with everyday people and their own party," Youngkin tweeted on Wednesday. "Gas prices are not sustainable for families in Virginia, and it is astonishing that Senate Democrats blocked my gas relief proposal three times and squandered the opportunity to do the right thing. Virginians deserved a better answer than 'no.' " In a speech on Wednesday Biden is expected to urge Congress to suspend the federal gas tax of 18 cents a gallon and the tax on diesel of 24 cents a gallon. Biden also is expected to call on states to suspend their own taxes. Virginia's average price for a regular gallon of gas is $4.793 and its average price for diesel is $5.796 a gallon, according to AAA. Youngkin on Tuesday ceremonially signed state budgets that do not include his bid to suspend the state's gas tax for three months. Senate Democrats spurned three Youngkin efforts to suspend the state gas tax. While Republican lawmakers urged Senate Democrats to help give Virginians some relief at the pump, Democrats said changes in the wholesale price of gas do not materialize at the pump. Democrats also asserted that the state should not be diverting funding from state transportation to pay for a gas tax holiday. On Friday Senate Democrats defeated Youngkin's third attempt to suspend the gas tax, this time via a budget amendment. Taxes have virtually nothing to do with the price of gasoline." Youngkin is likely to continue his push on the gas tax in Virginia's closely fought U.S. House elections and in next year's fight for control of the General Assembly. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday visited Vandenberg Space Force Base where she addressed nearly 200 members of the Space Force and Air Force on the importance of the U.S. mission in space and announced new norms for the international community in space. FLORENCE, S.C. Fridays the night to pull out the Big Hair, mullets, Spandex, lacey shirts, leg warmers and any neon clothing hiding in the back of your closet. Florence-area homies will have a gnarly time downtown at Florence After Five this Friday. Kids in America Totally 80s Tribute will bring the sounds of the 80s to the block party. Florence After Five tops our list of 3 Things To Do This Weekend. Of course, there are big happenings all over Florence and Darlington counties this weekend. For the complete list, visit the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.visitflo.com. 1 The downtown Florence block party starts at 5:30 p.m. on South Dargan Street. Kids In America will take the stage at 6 p.m. Kids In America is a six-member band based in Charlotte, N.C. The show covers the biggest hits and artists of the iconic 80s. The audience can bounce to covers of songs by Madonna, Michael Jackson, Guns and Roses, Duran Duran, Prince, Journey, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar and The Cars. Costumes and props turn the performances into a full 80s stage show. The concert is free. Food and drink vendors will be on hand to help you party down. After the event, audience members can head over to Wholly Smokin Downtown were the Analog Saints will perform at 8 p.m. 2 This one is going to be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Florence Little Theatres Summer Youth Production will be Mary Poppins Jr. a musical based on stories of P.L Travers and the Walt Disney film. As the Banks family nanny, Mary Poppins uses a combination of magic and common sense to teach the family how to value each other. The musical is directed by Lisa Sims, education director. Performances are scheduled Thursday through Sunday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performance start at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for people age 62 and over and $10 for students or those under 18. For more information, visit www.florencelittletheatre.org. 3 Celebrate Freedom in Darlington. The annual Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce Freedom Fest runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday in downtown Darlington. Admission is free. The event includes food and beverage vendors, merchandise vendors, a carnival, amusement-type rides for all ages and live music. For more information, visit the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerces Facebook page. If you have an event youd like to see featured in 3 Things To Do This Weekend, send information about the event to Managing Editor Chris Day at cday@florencenews.com. Chris Day Hours before the Chicago Board of Education was poised to vote Wednesday on the $9.4 billion budget for the coming school year, Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez pulled a $120 million line item for a proposed high school that would serve Chinatown, Bridgeport and South Loop. Conversations for the need of a neighborhood high school in the Near South have been happening for a decade now, with many advocates and community leaders urging CPS to take this step. Our team has done a great job in showing the need, with our Black students attending 95 different high schools and our Asian students traveling some of the longest distances across to other neighborhood schools, Martinez said at Wednesdays monthly board meeting. Advertisement We also have the opportunity to leverage state funding specifically designated for the construction of this school, but I want to take a little bit more time to answer questions that exist in the community about this proposal and our partnership with (the Chicago Housing Authority), Martinez said. Board members, I will bring this item back to the board in the near future. Though planning is still in the early stages, critics railed against the proposal for utilizing money promised to a different neighborhood and spending millions on a new school instead of improving the high schools in the area. CPS also has come under fire for exploring building the school in the footprint of the former Ickes Homes public housing complex without first seeking feedback from residents who live near there. Advertisement A view of the corner of 24th and State streets, the former site of the Ickes Homes public housing complex, in Chicago on Wednesday. It's been a location of interest for a potential new high school. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) I hope that with approval of this project, which will result in a high-quality neighborhood school serving a diverse student population, that all the communities in the area will be able to provide input and be allowed serious engagement with all levels of the decision-making process, from site selection to curriculum, and programming and family engagement, state Rep. Theresa Mah, who represents Chinatown and Bridgeport, said at Wednesdays meeting. Mah said she requested and secured the $50 million in state funding. The money, which comes from the school construction fund, was first included in the states fiscal year 2021 budget and re-appropriated every year since. Asked at an unrelated news conference Wednesday about Martinezs decision to pull the project from the CPS budget, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said it makes sense to her that he wanted more time to engage with our residents. She defended the plan, saying people in the Chinatown area have been begging for a neighborhood high school for quite some time and that data and analysis show theres not only a need for the school but it wont diminish the population of other nearby schools. Earlier this month, a 107-word paragraph about the project was tucked into page 187 of the 250-page CPS budget guide for the 2022-23 school year. All that was disclosed was the project would be funded by $50 million in state money and $70 million previously directed to build a Near West Side high school that never came to fruition. Then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the proposal for the Near West Side high school in summer 2018, ahead of that years budget vote. Armando Chacon, a real estate agent and president of the West Central Association, said his organization pushed for a high school for more than a decade to keep residents in the West Loop. Wells Community Academy High School in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood was not seen as a compelling option. Advertisement Things started to fall apart after Emanuels July 2018 announcement. He revealed two months later that he would not seek reelection. A proposal to build the high school at a police training facility near Skinner Park encountered opposition from Whitney Young High Schools principal, who said it would snarl traffic at her selective-enrollment school. Then CPS CEO Janice Jackson quit last year. The Near West Side high school proposal went nowhere and now the funding has been reallocated. Chacon said his group is focusing on creating an open-enrollment neighborhood program at Whitney Young to serve students within a boundary designated by CPS. He cited a $16.6 million expansion of Skinner West Elementary School in 2019 as a model. What has not changed is our determination to address this, Chacon told the Tribune. Wed like to hold the city and CPS accountable to their commitments. Chinatown residents, meanwhile, have been clamoring for a high school for more than 25 years, community leader C.W. Chan said at Fridays virtual capital budget hearing. The current options have led to unreasonable travel times, Chan said, while immigrant students have not had their learning needs met. The Chinatown/South Loop high school had come close to becoming reality a few times, but each time it was derailed for one reason or another, he said. Chan, founder and board member of the Coalition For A Better Chinese American Community, urged swift action and implementation of the high school proposal Friday. On Wednesday, after it was revealed that the item was being pulled from the capital budget, Chan called for the proposal to move out of the analysis phase. Advertisement Other community leaders have encouraged CPS officials to slow down and engage residents. Years ago the district proposed converting the National Teachers Academy elementary school in the South Loop into a high school, but activists successfully got CPS to drop the plan amid court action. Community members said the district should have instead devoted its resources to improving neighborhood high schools such as Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in the South Commons neighborhood and Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Bronzeville, both of which have large percentages of Black students. It disgusts me to say the new South Loop high school plan reeks of the same racism as the proposed closure of NTA. The districts $70 million allocation toward the South Loop high school is money which was originally allocated for a West Loop high school. Have those residents been consulted in this decision? former NTA Principal Isaac Castelaz said at Fridays capital budget hearing. He continued: There are pressing infrastructure and staffing needs in high schools across the city. Before constructing a brand new high school to satisfy South Loop residents, have all those vital needs been met? Niketa Brar, founding executive director of Chicago United for Equity, said she studied alternatives to transforming the NTA site, such as having Jones College Prep in the South Loop be converted to a neighborhood high school and investing in Dunbar, at 30th Street and King Drive. Brar said racial inequity is baked into multiple levels of the new high school proposal. Right now the proposal in front of you harms predominantly Latino students and Latino-majority schools, specifically Kelly, Juarez and others that will lose funding based on this districts student-based budgeting formula, Brar said at Fridays hearing. Thomas Kelly College Preparatory High School is in the Brighton Park neighborhood, while Benito Juarez Community Academy is in Pilsen. Advertisement On Tuesday, community members rallied to persuade CPS not to build the school at 24th and State streets, the site of the former Ickes complex that was demolished more than a decade ago. Board of Education President Miguel del Valle during Wednesday's meeting at CPS headquarters. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Roderick Wilson, executive director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center, said the city has not met its obligation of providing the replacement housing Chicago residents were promised. The first 206 apartments in the Southbridge development near Cermak Road and State Street including 68 units for Chicago Housing Authority families are substantially completed and in the leasing process, according to the CHA. Work is underway to get the next phase of the development under construction. Wilson noted at one time, there were more than 1,000 Ickes units. Troy Venning, senior pastor of Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in the South Loop, recognized the difficulty in balancing the needs of all community members in this process. Its not going to be easy. There are some things that CHA has promised to those residents that they displaced in 1999 that still hasnt happened, Venning said at Wednesdays board meeting. But then there are still people in an area thats exploding that need a high school and the kids at Dunbar and other places that need investment. tswartz@tribpub.com US Sentencing Commission releases another report on "Length of Incarceration and Recidivism" | Main | "Chronic Punishment: The unmet health needs of people in state prisons" June 22, 2022 Call for commentary for Federal Sentencing Reporter issue to provide "Advice for a new U.S. Sentencing Commission" I am pleased to be able to spotlight here a call for papers from the Federal Sentencing Reporter: Seeking Commentaries for Federal Sentencing Reporter's October Issue to provide Advice for a new U.S. Sentencing Commission Last month, President Joseph Biden announced seven nominees for the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and in early June the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for this full slate of nominees. The Commission has lacked a quorum since 2019, which has prevented the agency from amending the US Sentencing Guidelines in any way. President Bidens nominations, if the confirmation process continues to move forward this summer, should allow an all-new Commission to get to work on federal sentencing reform matters big and small. The editors of the Federal Sentencing Reporter are eager to invite judges, lawyers, other sentencing practitioners, legal academics, and sentencing researchers, to share Advice for a new U.S. Sentencing Commission, for publication in the October 2022 FSR issue. FSR commentaries for this issue could tackle big structural issues (such as how the Commission might review and reassess the entire guidelines system), smaller statutory issues (such as how to respond to reforms Congress enacted in the FIRST STEP Act), or any other topic of interest or concern to modern federal sentencing policy and practice. FSR welcomes advice from all perspectives, including lessons the Commission could learn from the states and other countries. Everyone with an informed interest in federal sentencing law and practice is encouraged to submit a commentary. FSR articles are typically brief 2000 to 5000 words, though they can run longer with light use of citations in the form of endnotes. The pieces are designed to be read by busy stakeholders, including lawyers, judges, scholars, and legislators (as well as, of course, members and staff of the US Sentencing Commission). Priority will be given to drafts submitted by July 25, 2022, and later submissions will be considered as space permits. Submissions should be sent electronically to berman.43 @ osu.edu with a clear indication of the author and the authors professional affiliation. June 22, 2022 at 10:58 AM | Permalink Comments I don't need 5000 words or even 2000. Three will do fine: Restore mandatory guidelines. The Booker majority all but invited Congress to do this provided that facts that would take the sentence above a statutory maximum would need to be proved BRD (in light of Blakely). If that were to be done, restoration of mandatory guidelines would go a long way to making the system look much more like what Congress enacted and intended, as Justice Stevens' dissent to the remedial portion of Booker compellingly argues. Posted by: Bill Otis | Jun 22, 2022 5:17:14 PM As you surely know, Bill, the USSC cannot make the guidelines mandatory, only Congress can do so. The USSC could say that all guidelines enhancement should be subject to proof BRD and jury findings, which might help us figure out how the guidelines would function now if made mandatory by Congress. Are you urging the new USSC to call for all guideline enhancement to be subject to proof BRD and jury findings? If so, I would eager draft a letter to this effect for both of us to sign. Posted by: Doug B. | Jun 23, 2022 9:59:02 AM Post a comment VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX: TMQ) (NYSE: TMQ) ("Trilogy" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Ambler Metals LLC ("Ambler Metals"), the joint venture operating company equally owned by Trilogy and South32 Limited (ASX, LSE, JSE: S32; ADR: SOUHY) ("South32"), has commenced mobilization for the upcoming exploration field program at the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP") located in northwestern Alaska. The UKMP includes the Arctic (volcanogenic massive sulphide, or "VMS") deposit ("Arctic"), the Bornite (carbonate-hosted copper, or "CHC") deposit ("Bornite"), and prospective adjoining mining claims. On May 11, 2022, the owners of Ambler Metals approved an updated summer field program resulting in an overall fiscal 2022 budget of approximately US$26.2 million for the advancement of the UKMP. The entire amount is fully funded by Ambler Metals and will consist of a minimum 10,000 meters of diamond drilling with additional meters contingent on drill performance, weather and approval of supplementary budgets. The 2022 exploration program is aligned with the strategy developed by Trilogy and South32. Priorities are advancing Arctic with additional infill drilling to further improve the confidence in the resource and the completion of a geotechnical study to further de-risk the project. Exploration outside of the Arctic deposit will focus on discovering copper-rich satellite deposits near Arctic, and in the Cosmos Hills and the Ambler Lowlands along strike from Bornite (see Figure 1). Preparations are underway with the mobilization of crews and equipment in progress, and drilling is expected to commence in early June. Major Drilling ("Major") was awarded a multi-year contract to provide three diamond drill rigs with crews. Major has experience at the UKMP from drill campaigns in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The drill program is helicopter-supported and is based out of Ambler Metals' expanded 90-person camp at Bornite. Story continues Tony Giardini, President and CEO of Trilogy, commented, "I am very excited that we will soon be opening camp for the 2022 exploration program. We expect to commence drilling by early June with first assay results being available in early fall. The proposed exploration program will be one of the largest programs in the history of drilling within the Ambler Mining District and we expect that it will allow us to expand our geological knowledge of this emerging world-class mining district." Richard Gosse, VP Exploration of Trilogy, commented, "We are pleased with the collaboration between South32, Ambler Metals and Trilogy geoscientists in developing this year's exploration program. The team had numerous meetings to interpret and discuss the results of last year's program and they've come up with some very compelling targets and target areas, ranging from reconnaissance targets to well mineralized prospects that have never previously been drilled that are a priority for the Ambler Metals team to evaluate this summer." Arctic Work Plan Following last year's 4,100-meter (18-hole) infill, metallurgical and geotechnical drill program, this year's program involves a minimum 6,000 meters in 27 holes, as part of an 8,400-meter infill program to increase confidence from Indicated to Measured in areas of the mineral resource block model that would be mined during the first four years of production based on Trilogy's Feasibility Study[] mine plan and with the highest estimated value (see Figure 2). In addition, three to five holes totaling 500 to 750 meters are planned to complete a geotechnical and hydrogeological assessment of Arctic that SRK Consulting commenced last year. Ambler Belt: VMS Exploration During the 2021 field season, geological mapping near Arctic assisted in defining three shallow VMS targets that Ambler Metals plans to drill this summer (see Figure 3). All three targets are visible in the airborne electromagnetic ("EM") data acquired during the 2019 Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic ("VTEM") survey that was recently reprocessed by Condor Geophysics. A first pass drill program at the three targets will require a minimum of 1,100 meters. Riley Ridge Located 2km NW of Arctic. Conductor plate modelling defined a discrete conductor approximately 100 to 200 meters from surface, beneath meta-rhyolite and silicified graphite mica schist that are interpreted to be the immediate hanging wall of the projected Arctic horizon. The conductor is the easternmost in a string of VTEM anomalies that trends for 6km across the COU target area that was mapped by Ambler Metals last year. 98-9 Located 3-4km NE of Arctic. The 98-9 prospect was discovered by Kennecott in 1998 but has never been drilled. Outcropping copper oxide mineralization occurs within a 50-meter vertical thickness of folded and altered Ambler sequence in two narrow gullies over 100 meters. Along strike to the south is a moderate airborne EM anomaly that is +500 meters in length and covered by alluvium. Kennecott completed three short soil lines over the EM anomaly, which produced a moderately strong Cu-Zn-Pb (+Ba-Cd-Au) anomaly. Further work was recommended, however Kennecott ceased exploration in the belt later that year. East Dead Creek Located 6km NW of Arctic. East Dead Creek was discovered by Kennecott in 1998 while following up top ranked airborne EM anomalies. At the time, alteration at East Dead Creek was noted to be the most intense in the district outside of Arctic and a soil survey outlined a 1.4km by 1km area of anomalous base metal geochemistry. Due to weather and safety, Kennecott drilled only one of their five drill targets at East Dead Creek hole 98-3-01 collared uphill of sub-cropping gossan, encountered three 1 to 4.5-meter-thick zones of semi-massive sulphides with chalcopyrite and sphalerite in the top 40 meters of the hole. Conductor plate modelling of the VTEM data defined several strong shallow conductors above a weakly conductive horizon interpreted to be the graphitic schist intersected in the lower part of hole 98-3-01. Ambler Metals' first hole will be directed towards the strongest of these shallow conductors, located about 600 meters up dip of the semi-massive sulphides in hole 98-3-01. In addition, Ambler Metals plans to conduct additional geological mapping and soil sampling at several other VMS prospects in the belt, including Ambler, Dead Creek, Sunshine and COU, as well as at high-priority VTEM anomalies. __________________________ "Arctic Feasibility Study Alaska, USA NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of August 20, 2020 and a release date of October 2, 2020 Cosmos Hills and the Ambler Lowlands: CHC Exploration Last year's exploration program for CHC, including soil sampling, detailed structural mapping, relogging historical core, trenching and two drill holes, outlined four areas for drilling. This year, in addition to drilling, which is expected to total about 2,400 meters, further detailed mapping and soil sampling and a minimum 2,000 meters of trenching are planned around Pardner Hill and the Bornite East target area. Bornite West Last year, hole RC21-267, a scout hole located 2km west of Bornite, encountered low grade copper in Bornite sequence carbonates. The intersection is encouraging as the hole was sited about one kilometer along the projected NE trend of mineralization at Pardner Hill, a 3km copper soil and rock geochemical anomaly in rubble cropping dolostone. Follow up holes, both up-dip and down-dip of hole RC21-267 are planned for this year. Pardner Hill Zone From 1961 to 1964, Kennecott defined a zone of shallow stratabound copper mineralization over an area of approximately 150 meters by 400 meters and varying from 5 meters to 35 meters in thickness. The zone which is open to the northwest, west and southwest, will be tested with three holes this summer. Pardner Hill North An additional two scout holes located 250 to 500 meters to the NE of the Pardner Hill mineralized zone are contingent on the results of the trenching program that will begin in June. Ambler Lowlands The second hole Ambler Metals drilled targeting the Bornite sequence carbonates in 2021, hole ALL21-001, was a stratigraphic hole located in the Ambler Lowlands, a 10-kilometer-wide glaciated valley separating Arctic and Bornite that is virtually unexplored despite its proximity to these deposits. Hole ALL21-001 was designed to redrill one of the only two holes ever drilled in the valley NANA-1, drilled in 1974, which historical drill logs show intersected dolomitized carbonate and carbonate breccia similar to the carbonates that host the Bornite deposit. Unfortunately, hole ALL21-001 was lost at a depth of 300 meters, above the expected depth of the Bornite sequence. Ambler Metals proposes to re-enter and complete the hole this summer contingent on drill production and weather. Figure 1. UKMP Prospective Areas and Key Prospects (CNW Group/Trilogy Metals Inc.) Figure 2. Arctic Drill Plan (CNW Group/Trilogy Metals Inc.) Figure 3. Drilling Locations Near the Arctic Project (CNW Group/Trilogy Metals Inc.) Qualified Person Richard Gosse, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration for Trilogy, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Gosse has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release and approves the disclosure contained herein. About Trilogy Metals Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metals exploration and development company which holds a 50 percent interest in Ambler Metals LLC, which has a 100 percent interest in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in northwestern Alaska. On December 19, 2019, South32, a globally diversified mining and metals company, exercised its option to form a 50/50 joint venture with Trilogy. The UKMP is located within the Ambler Mining District which is one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic VMS deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been found to host high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler Mining District the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within a land package that spans approximately 181,387 hectares. Ambler Metals has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler Mining District in cooperation with local communities. Trilogy's vision is to develop the Ambler Mining District into a premier North American copper producer. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to the proposed 2022 field exploration program at the UKMP; the merits of the UKMP; the Company's ability to complete at least 10,000 meters of diamond drilling at Arctic; the completion of a geotechnical study; the Company's ability to de-risk the project; the commencement of drilling in early June; the timing of the first assays; the size of the Company's exploration program; the Company's targets for the exploration program; the Company's ability to meet its targets; the Company's ability to advance the project to a construction decision; the Company's ability to complete a minimum of 6,000 meters in 27 holes and a 9,000 meter infill program; the future conversion of Arctic resources from indicated to measured; the completion of drilling to support the completion of a geotechnical and hydrogeological assessment of Arctic; Amber Metals' plan to conduct additional geological mapping and soil sampling; the outcome of the Bornite West drilling; the start of and drilling plans for the Pardner Hill trenching program; Ambler's ability to re-enter and complete the stratigraphic hold located in the Amber Lowlands; and the Company's ability to develop the Amber Mining District into a premier North American copper producer are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; success of exploration activities, permitting timelines, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services, uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests, unexpected cost increases and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2021 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trilogy-announces-details-of-the-2022-field-exploration-program-301563598.html SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/08/c5334.html This advertorial is sponsored content provided by the advertiser and printed as is. Any claims, recommendations or errors are the advertisers own and the reader is responsible for evaluating all information contained herein. All Great Western branches in Iowa now welcoming clients as First Interstate Three months after joining forces, First Interstate is pleased to announce Great Western Bank locations in Iowa have opened for business as First Interstate. While the logo on the front door has changed, the same trusted and knowledgeable bank staff that have served Sioux City are still in place, providing financial guidance and support to its communities. First Interstates mission, both as a community bank and trusted financial partner, is to build on Great Westerns legacy of integrity, success, and collaboration throughout the region. Both our banks come from the same community-focused roots, so bringing on our newest team members has happened naturally, said Kevin Riley, President and CEO of First Interstate Bank. We all share a culture dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities we serve, and in every interaction we put people first, act with integrity, and strive to be a partner our clients can rely on. Its these values that will ensure First Interstate never loses sight of our vision to be the most relevant, everyday experience our clients have with their money. Not everything will remain the same; new First Interstate clients now have access to more products, digital tools, and convenient ways to bank. Local teams are eager to put these solutions to work so that Iowa communities have what they need to grow and thrive. And as one of the countrys premier community banking franchises, clients can bank at any one of more than 300 First Interstate locations across 14 states. Of course, clients dont have to travel far to manage their finances. They can access banking services through their local First Interstate branch, online banking, or the First Interstate mobile banking app. Our business model is fueled by the interests of our clients and communities, said Marcy Mutch, Chief Financial Officer for First Interstate. We understand that to be successful, you have to take care of your neighbors, cultivate trust, listen to clients with positive intent, and show up when they need you most. This attitude and approach to doing business spurred on First Interstates decision to introduce a checkless, zero-overdraft account, reduce banking fees, eliminate non-sufficient funds charges on consumer accounts, and significantly scale back overdraft fees. Giving back has been at the heart of First Interstates values since its inception more than 50 years ago. Each year, First Interstate donates 2% of pre-tax earnings to its local communities. These funds are put into action to mitigate poverty, improve workforce development, boost early childhood education, and more. First Interstate also provides additional philanthropic support through donations, sponsorships, and volunteerism. Additional detail can be found in First Interstates 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report. We know the economic uncertainty of the last few years has had a significant impact on Iowa communities, so First Interstate is stepping up its philanthropic and financial support to help our newest neighbors navigate these challenges, Riley added. As part of that effort, weve made a $21.5 million donation to the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation in concert with our merger. This gift makes it possible for First Interstate to have an immediate and lasting impact throughout Sioux City and ensure our philanthropic presence is felt for years to come. To learn more about First Interstate and the ways our team can address the financial needs of Sioux City residents and businesses, please visit firstinterstate.com or stop by a location near you. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this paid post belong solely to the advertiser and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company. This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SIOUX CITY -- The Food Bank of Siouxland now has $10,000 in grant money to put toward a program meant to address childhood hunger. On Wednesday morning, the 11-county supplier of food pantries and soup kitchens in Siouxland announced it had received funding from the Arby's Foundation for its "BackPack Program" which provides a sack of food for kids who don't have enough to eat on the weekends. The program, at present, serves 10 area elementary schools, according to a press release. "With this grant, we are able to feed more families of Siouxland which is at the core of our mission at the Food Bank of Siouxland," Executive Director Jacob Wanderscheid said in the release. "Thank you to the Arbys Foundation for selecting us." According to the release, this is the third straight year the Food Bank of Siouxland has been awarded money by the Arby's Foundation. The organization has plans to spend $500,000 in communities where Arby's has a restaurant. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- The soft sobbing began as soon as the word "guilty" came from District Judge Tod Deck's mouth. Two families hoping for opposite verdicts, experiencing the same reaction. One family relieved at the thought of justice for a little girl whose life ended prematurely. The other family distraught, knowing a loved one had just been found guilty of a crime that will land him in prison for the rest of his life. After roughly two hours of deliberations, a Woodbury County jury of six men and six women on Wednesday found Tayvon Davis guilty of first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and multiple acts of child endangerment for the August 2018 death of 19-month-old Maelynn Myers, who never regained consciousness after Davis and Maelynn's grandmother rushed the unresponsive girl to a Sioux City emergency room. She died three days later at an Omaha hospital. Davis showed no visible emotions after the verdicts were announced. Maelynn's family immediately left the courtroom after the verdict and went to the Woodbury County Attorney's Office to meet with prosecutors. A victims advocate said the family did not wish to make a statement. Davis' family, as well as public defenders Jennifer Solberg and Laury Kleinschmidt, also declined to comment. Davis, 26, of Sioux City, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for murder. The other two charges both carry 50-year prison sentences. Deck did not immediately set a sentencing date. Prosecutors said the death was the result of weeks of abuse by Davis. He told investigators he had dropped the girl after giving her a bath, and she stopped breathing. Throughout six days of trial, prosecutors used witness testimony and evidence to convince jurors that Davis injured the girl numerous times while watching the child in the Sioux City apartment he shared with the girl's mother, Shannon Myers. The girl's health had deteriorated since Aug. 1, the beginning of a period in which Davis spent more time watching the girl alone while Myers was at work. In Maelynn's final three weeks of life, Myers and her mother took the girl to the doctor repeatedly for illnesses and other physical ailments doctors struggled to diagnose. The night before she lost consciousness, Maelynn was a sluggish child who hardly touched her favorite meal of McDonald's chicken nuggets and french fries. In closing arguments, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Nicole Leonard showed jurors a photo of Maelynn hooked up to a ventilator in the hospital. None of the defense's arguments that Maelynn was accidentally hurt when Davis dropped her or tried to revive her could explain the toddler's severe injuries. "That little girl didn't end up this way because of CPR. That little girl ended up this way because the defendant repeatedly beat her until her body broke down and couldn't take it anymore," Leonard said. A medical examiner ruled Maelynn's death a homicide caused by blunt-force injuries. The girl's long list of injuries included bruising on her forehead and back, bleeding throughout the brain, a torn blood vessel to her left kidney, hemorrhaging in both eyes, the abdomen and in the muscles at the back of her neck, bone fractures -- both new and healing -- in both legs, an arm, two vertebrae and several ribs. Medical experts disagreed on the possible causes. The state's witnesses concluded the injuries were caused by trauma of a force similar to being in a car crash. A defense expert disagreed, offering alternative medical explanations that, he concluded, showed the injuries were accidental or occurred naturally because Maelynn had stopped breathing for several minutes before she was revived in the emergency room. The fact doctors couldn't agree should raise enough reasonable doubt in jurors' minds to acquit Davis, Kleinschmidt said in the defense's closing arguments. "This isn't an intentional murder," she said. "Tayvon Davis is not a monster. Tayvon Davis did not beat Maelynn to death." The state's witnesses didn't even offer any ideas how Davis might have caused the injuries, Kleinschmidt said, and ignored Davis' explanation and the fact that the girl's mother and grandmother also spent long hours alone with Maelynn. "It's a case about the search for a reason why and the search for someone to blame for the loss of a child," Kleinschmidt said. But those injuries all had one thing in common, Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Kristine Timmins said. According to doctors' estimates on the age of the injuries, all fit into a time period when Davis spent several days watching Maelynn by himself. "She wasn't in a car accident. She wasn't in a multi-story fall. She was with the defendant," Timmins said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- Making the final argument to find Tavon Davis guilty of killing Maelynn Myers, prosecutors put up a photo of the toddler hooked up to a ventilator in the hospital. There was only one explanation for the 19-month-old's condition on that day in Aug. 22, 2018, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Nicole Leonard said. "That little girl didn't end up this way because of CPR. That little girl ended up this way because the defendant repeatedly beat her until her body broke down and couldn't take it anymore," Leonard told jurors shortly before they began their deliberations. Before Wednesday's closing arguments, a defense medical expert testified for a second time, saying that many of Maelynn's injuries could have been caused by Davis' CPR attempts to revive her after she became unresponsive while in his care. Public defender Laury Kleinschmidt said doctors who testified for the state said only that blunt-force trauma caused Maelynn's fatal injuries, but none offered any explanations for how Davis could have caused them. "It's a case about the search for a reason why and the search for someone to blame for the loss of a child," Kleinschmidt said. "Nobody can tell you what they think did it." Davis, 26, of Sioux City, is charged in Woodbury County District Court with first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and multiple acts of child endangerment. Prosecutors believe he injured Maelynn numerous times in the days leading up to Aug. 22, when Davis and Maelynn's grandmother rushed the little girl to a Sioux City emergency room. She was transferred to Children's Hospital in Omaha, where she never regained consciousness and died three days later. During six days of witness testimony and evidence, jurors became familiar with a long list of Maelynn's injuries: bruising on her forehead and back, bleeding throughout the brain, a torn blood vessel to her left kidney, hemorrhaging in both eyes, the abdomen and in the muscles at the back of her neck, bone fractures -- both new and healing -- in both legs, an arm, two vertebrae and several ribs. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by complications from blunt-force injuries. Medical experts disagreed on the possible causes. The state's witnesses concluded the injuries were caused by trauma of a force similar to being in a car crash. The defense expert disagreed, offering alternative medical explanations that, he concluded, showed the injuries were accidental. The fact doctors couldn't agree should raise enough reasonable doubt in jurors' minds to acquit Davis, Kleinschmidt said "This isn't an intentional murder," she said. Maelynn had numerous illnesses and trips to the doctor in the weeks leading up to her death. They began once Davis was spending more time alone caring for the girl while her mother, Shannon Myers, was at work, said Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Kristine Timmins, the lead prosecutor. "She wasn't in a car accident. She wasn't in a multi-story fall. She was with the defendant," Timmins said. Davis told investigators he dropped Maelynn after giving her a bath and she stopped breathing. His attempts at CPR were unsuccessful, but she was revived in the emergency room before she was transferred to Omaha. As the defense expert testified, those CPR attempts after a tragic accident explain her injuries, Kleinschmidt said. "Tayvon Davis is not a monster," Kleinschmidt said. "Tayvon Davis did not beat Maelynn to death." If found guilty of first-degree murder, Davis would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. If jurors find him not guilty of first-degree murder, they may consider lesser offenses, including second-degree murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, willful injury and assault. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A Texas man has pleaded not guilty of enticing a 13-year-old Sioux City boy to have sexual contact with him. Isaac Herrera, 21, of Brownsville, Texas, entered his written plea Tuesday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of enticing away a minor and lascivious acts with a child. According to court documents, Herrera was outside East Middle School on June 7 and told staff members he was the boy's guardian and was looking for him. He then gave a fake name to an officer at the scene. Police determined Herrera had met the boy a year and a half ago while playing online video games. In an interview with police, Herrera said he had been in town since June 1 and had been hanging around with the boy and two other 13-year-old boys at a place he was renting, court documents said. A search warrant was executed on Herrera's phone, and communications between Herrera and the boy revealed conversations about the two performing sexual acts on each other. Herrera also had asked the boy to send him nude photos of himself, court documents said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Police Department is searching for a man responsible for grabbing a 14-year-old girl. At 7:06 p.m. on Monday the Sioux City Police Department responded to a report of a 14-year-old who had been taken by an unknown man, according to a SCPD press release. Responding officers located the teen at a business after she had jumped out of the vehicle and ran to safety. The teenage girl reported she was walking in the alley of 1400 block of Pierce St. when a Hispanic male in a gray pickup truck pulled up behind her and told her to get in his truck, according the release. The man took a hold of her wrist to coax her into the truck. Out of fear for her safety, the teen got into the truck. The man then drove the truck away until the teen jumped out in the area of 41st and Hamilton. The girl is safe at home with her mother, according to the press release. The police department is looking for a Hispanic man in his late 30s or early 40s, who is about 5 foot 8 inches tall and about 180 pounds. He was described as barrel-chested and with a gap in his teeth. His truck is possibly a gray Ford extended cab pickup with branches in the back. Anyone with information on this person is encouraged to call the Sioux City Police Department. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City woman charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend is seeking a lower bond so she can be released from jail. Public defender Billy Oyadare on Tuesday filed a motion asking a judge to drop Katrina Barnes' bond from $150,000 to $20,000 with the option to pay 10% to bond out of the Woodbury County Jail, where she has been in custody since June 9, when, according to authorities, she shot Dolorean Wade outside her apartment at 516 Ninth St. Barnes has family in the area and is not a flight risk if released, Oyadare said in his motion, and she also has a limited record of nonviolent offenses and is not a danger to the community because the shooting was a dispute between intimate partners. A bond review hearing was scheduled for Monday in Woodbury County District Court. Barnes, 32, on Tuesday entered written pleas of not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. According to court documents, Barnes told police Wade rang her doorbell and yelled to her that he had been shot. Officers observed the apartment door had a bullet hole at about shoulder height. Barnes told investigators Wade had not been inside, but they saw blood throughout the apartment and found a spent shell casing inside the door. Jordyn Easton, who had been inside the apartment with Barnes, told officers Wade and Barnes had been fighting and arguing all day and Barnes obtained a handgun from another person after Wade left, court documents said. Wade banged on the apartment door when he returned that evening, and Barnes fired a single shot through it, striking Wade, who died a short time later at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. During the investigation, police found 18 pills believed to be laced with fentanyl in a purse in Barnes' bedroom, plus 17 grams of marijuana. According to court documents, Easton was present during the shooting and called 911 twice but immediately hung up. She then called an unidentified male, who came to the apartment and took the gun used in the shooting. About 12 minutes after the shooting, Barnes called 911. Easton, 25, of Sioux City, pleaded not guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of accessory after the fact. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa -- A judge has found a Sioux City woman guilty of first-degree murder for the 2020 slaying of a Lake Park, Iowa, woman. District Judge Shayne Mayer issued her ruling Tuesday afternoon in Dickinson County District Court, a month after Allison Decker stood trial on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree theft and conspiracy to commit second-degree theft. Decker had waived her right to a jury trial and chose to have Mayer decide the case. Mayer found her guilty of the Dec. 21, 2020, death of 25-year-old Angel Bastman, who was found with a belt around her neck the following day at her home at 104 Maple Ave. in Lake Park. A medical examiner determined the cause of death was strangulation. Decker was found guilty of reduced charges of third-degree theft and conspiracy to commit third-degree theft. Decker, 27, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled. A co-defendant, Justice Berntson, 25, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for attempted murder. Evidence and testimony at trial revealed that Berntson and Bastman had been using the belt to administer heroin, and they began arguing. The argument turned into a physical altercation between Decker and Bastman. Berntson testified he handed the belt to Decker and left the room as Decker was strangling Bastman. Statements and social media messages Decker sent to friends also linked her to the murder. The two stole electronics and other household and personal items from the house. Four days after Bastman's body was found, police spotted Berntson driving her missing rental car in Sioux City. A vehicle pursuit ensued, and Berntson, who gave an Elk Point, South Dakota, address at the time, was arrested after crashing the car. Berntson and Decker both later were found in possession of property belonging to Bastman and her family. Berntson also was charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty in December to attempted murder in exchange for agreeing to testify against Decker at trial. He must serve 17.5 years of his 25-year sentence before he's eligible for parole. As part of his plea agreement, the two theft charges were dismissed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In honor of Independence Day, Sioux City Journal is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th! Presented by Guarantee Roofing , Siding, and Insulation Company WINNEBAGO, Neb. -- The Winnebago Tribal Council this spring unanimously approved a resolution requesting an environmental impact study be conducted on the proposed Summit Carbon Pipeline and the proposed Navigator Heartland Greenway Carbon Pipeline, which would run near the tribe's lands. The Tribal Council has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors, Dakota County Commissioners and the Iowa Utility Board to require a study be done before any permits for the carbon pipeline are issued, the tribe said in a press release Tuesday. The Council is requesting each entity provide a response to the Tribe in writing. The resolution was passed in March and letters were sent out about two months later; the tribe is currently awaiting a response, a tribal spokesman said Tuesday. The Winnebago Tribe has consistently opposed the issuance of pipeline permits that could negatively impact our lands or water... An Environmental Impact Study would outline the effects of the proposed pipelines on the environment and should provide sufficient information to evaluate the relative merits of the proposed pipelines and alternatives. The permit-issuing bodies cannot make reasoned or informed decisions without this information. Nor can the general public," the Tribal Council said in the resolution. The proposed Summit Carbon Pipeline would pipe carbon dioxide from ethanol and fertilizer plants to an underground sequestration site in North Dakota, thus preventing the carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere where it would contribute to global warming, by forcing it under the earth. The pipeline would run through 30 counties in Iowa, including several in Northwest Iowa -- Woodbury, Plymouth, Sioux, Lyon, O'Brien, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida and Crawford, and would extend into Dakota, Dixon and Wayne counties in Nebraska. The Winnebago Indian Reservation lies mostly in Thurston County, but portions of the reservation extent into Dixon and Woodbury counties. The Tribal Council's press release noted that the pipeline construction would take place north of the reservation, "but would cross at the Missouri River, where the tribe is downstream," Winnebago Tribal Secretary Lorelei DeCora said in a statement The tribe is further concerned about the construction paths being on tribal ancestral lands and the possibility the pipelines could disturb burial sites, along with the possibility that, if constructed, the pipelines could fail and endanger the health of the tribe. "There is just too much unknown for these pipelines, thats why its important that this study be conducted. Its our duty to protect mother earth, DeCora's statement added. Ames, Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions, the company behind the pipeline, has sought to use eminent domain to get the pipeline built. Various farmers, groups and lawmakers in Iowa have expressed concerns about the project, and the possible use of eminent domain proved particularly contentious. The Winnebago Tribe stands in solidarity with area farmers who oppose these pipelines and the use of eminent domain to acquire access to lands without landowner consent. The health, well-being, and rights of everyone is important to us all," Winnebago Tribal Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan said in a statement. Summit says its carbon pipeline would prevent 12 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year. The Heartland Greenway pipeline, proposed by Dallas-based Navigator CO2 Ventures, would also run through Northwest Iowa and Northeast Nebraska, and parts of South Dakota and Illinois, plus a rather small leg in southern Minnesota. Like the Summit pipeline, it would transport captured carbon dioxide to be sequestered underground in Illinois. Navigator CO2 Ventures says the project, once it's on-line, would sequester 15 million metric tons of CO2 each year. Carbon sequestration projects, such as these, have been proposed as a means of slowing climate change, as carbon dioxide generated by industrial processes is thought to present little risk of warming the planet if it's pumped underground. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) A suburban Minneapolis city has agreed to pay $3.2 million to the family of Daunte Wright, a Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer who said she confused her gun for her Taser. The tentative settlement also includes changes in police policies and training involving traffic stops like the one that resulted in Wright's death, according to a statement Tuesday night from attorneys representing Wright's family. Wright was shot once in the chest by Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter, who is white, after the 20-year-old was stopped for expired registration tags in April 2021. The former officer was subsequently convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to two years in prison. Potter is heard on video yelling Taser several times just before she fires her pistol. Wrights family members hope and believe the measures of change to policing, policies and training will create important improvements to the community in Dauntes name, said co-counsel Antonio M. Romanucci. Nothing can bring him back, but the family hopes his legacy is a positive one and prevents any other family from enduring the type of grief they will live with for the rest of their lives. The Associated Press left a message Wednesday seeking comment from the mayors office. The fallout from Wrights death led the Brooklyn Center City Council to pass a series of reforms, including the use of social workers and other trained professionals to respond to medical, mental health and social-needs calls that dont require police. The changes also prohibit police from making arrests for low-level offenses and require the city to use unarmed civilians to handle minor traffic violations. The settlement is one of the largest involving police conduct Minnesota. Last year, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay $27 million to Floyd's family. Minneapolis previously paid $20 million to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, after she called 911 to report a suspected assault behind her home in July 2017 and was fatally shot by Mohamed Noor, one of the officers who responded to her call. Noor is Somali American and Damond was white. Find the APs full coverage of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Uvalde school police chief on leave after mass shooting DALLAS (AP) The Uvalde school districts police chief has been put on leave following allegations that he erred in his response to a mass shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Superintendent Hal Harrell said Wednesday that he put schools police Chief Pete Arredondo on administrative leave. Arredondo has faced criticism for his role as commander in charge of the response to the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Officers armed with rifles waited in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman carried out the massacre. Arredondo has tried to defend his actions, telling the Texas Tribune that he didnt consider himself the commander and that he assumed someone else had taken control of the police response. Biden calls for 3-month suspension of gas and diesel taxes WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months an election-year move meant to ease financial pressures. But it's not clear Biden has the votes to suspend the taxes. Many lawmakers in his own party have expressed reservations. Biden says he knows the move wouldn't reduce all the pain but it will be a big help. If the gas tax savings were fully passed along to consumers, people would save roughly 3.6% at the pump. Prices average about $5 a gallon nationwide. Biden also wants states to suspend their own gas taxes or provide similar relief. Powell: Fed aims to avoid recession but says it's possible WASHINGTON (AP) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sought to reassure the public that the Fed will raise interest rates high and fast enough to quell inflation, without tightening credit so much as to throttle the economy and cause a recession. Testifying to the Senate Banking Committee, Powell faced skeptical questions about the Feds ability to tame inflation, which has surged to the top of Americans concerns as congressional elections near. Democrats wondered whether the Feds accelerated rate hikes will succeed in curbing inflation or might instead just tip the economy into a downturn. Several Republicans charged that the Powell Fed had moved too slowly to begin raising rates and now must speed up its hikes. Afghanistan quake kills 1,000 people, deadliest in decades GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) Afghanistan's state-run news agency reported a powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of the country's east, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more. Wednesday's quake was the country's deadliest in two decades. Officials warned that the already grim toll may still rise. Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 earthquake near the Pakistani border. But early footage from villages tucked among the rough mountains showed residents picking through rubble of collapsed stone and mud-brick houses. The disaster posed a major test for the Taliban-led government. The Taliban seized power last year as the U.S. and its allies were withdrawing from the country. Ghastly shootings, political forces align to prompt gun deal WASHINGTON (AP) Last month's mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, have produced a groundswell for change in Congress. Years of mass slayings of children, worshippers and others have not prompted lawmakers to pass significant legislation, until now. Buffalo and Uvalde came just 10 days apart, and the victims were elementary school students, teachers and shoppers engaged in everyday activities. Lawmakers say that's helped prompt a visceral public demand for Congress to finally do something. Feeling pressure to act, bipartisan bargainers produced a compromise gun violence bill that the Senate is moving toward approving later this week. House action is expected sometime afterward. Jan. 6 hearings: What weve learned, and whats next WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection heard from election workers and state officials on Tuesday as it described former President Donald Trumps pressure on states to overturn his 2020 election defeat. On Thursday, they will hear from former Justice Department officials who resisted Trumps entreaties to declare the election corrupt. The committees fourth and fifth hearings are part of the panels effort to show how Trumps pressure eventually shifted to Congress, and how his false declarations of widespread fraud in the election led to the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters violently broke into the Capitol. Ukraine expects EU-wide support for candidacy to join bloc KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Ukrainian deputy prime minister overseeing the countrys push to join the European Union says shes 100% certain all 27 EU nations will approve making Ukraine a candidate for membership in the bloc. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday. She says countries that had been skeptical about starting accession talks while Ukraine is fighting Russias invasion are now supportive. Granting a country EU candidate status requires unanimous approval from existing member nations. Candidacy is the first step toward membership. It doesn't provide security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Andrew Gillum, once a Florida governor candidate, indicted TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has been indicted on 21 federal charges including conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly funneling donations through third parties back to himself for personal use. The U.S. attorneys office announced the indictment Wednesday. Gillum is also charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its the latest trouble for Gillum, who was the Democratic nominee for Florida governor in 2018. He narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a race that required a recount. In March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Sound off! Trumpet is 1st bloodhound to win Westminster show TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) A bloodhound named Trumpet has won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Trumpet bested six other finalists Wednesday night to snare U.S. dogdoms most coveted best in show prize. Trumpet beat a French bulldog, a German shepherd, a Maltese, an English setter, a Samoyed and a Lakeland terrier to take the trophy. Trumpet became the first bloodhound to win Westminster. The competition drew more than 3,000 purebred dogs, ranging from affenpinschers to Yorkshire terriers. The goal is to crown the dog that most represents the ideal for its breed. Kadri's OT goal lifts Avalanche over Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Nazem Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime and the Colorado Avalanche beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to move within a victory of dethroning the two-time defending champion Lightning. Playing for the first time since June 4 due to a thumb injury, Kadri skated in on Andrei Vasilevskiy and slipped a shot under the goaltenders right arm to give Colorado a 3-1 series lead. The Avalanche outshot the Lightning 11-3 in the extra period. Vasilevskiy stopped Logan OConnor on a breakaway, and Colorado had a shot clang off the post and another hit the crossbar before Kadri ended it. Game 5 is Friday night in Denver. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOSTON (AP) Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic leaders in the Massachusetts House and Senate are at odds over temporarily suspending the states gas tax. Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano issued a statement Wednesday in response to questions about the 24 cent-per-gallon gas tax. We hear from our constituents loud and clear that their dollars arent going as far as they used to, and we believe the Legislature has a role to play in providing relief. But we fear that, as many economists have warned, a gas tax holiday would result in billions of dollars in profits for oil companiesand only pennies in the pockets of consumers, the two said. This isnt fair, and we are not interested in benefiting multinational corporations while our residents continue to feel pain at the pump, they added. Baker, however, said its time for lawmakers to deliver some relief. He said he supports passing legislation to suspend the state gas tax, pointing to President Joe Biden, who on Wednesday called on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months. "Thanks to a balanced budget combined with surplus tax revenues, there is more than enough funding available to suspend the gas tax, pass our tax relief plan and invest in Massachusetts future, Baker said in a joint statement with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is meeting with his senior military officials to discuss national defense policies and continuing his arms buildup following a highly provocative run in ballistic missile testing this year that revived tensions with Washington and Seoul. Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim presided over a meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Military Commission that began Tuesday to review defense work during the first half of 2022 and confirm crucial and urgent tasks to expand military capabilities and implement key defense policies. The report did not specify any plans or mention any critical remarks toward the United States or rival South Korea. U.S. and South Korean officials have said in recent months that the North could be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test explosion since 2017 as Kim escalates brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. KCNA said the commissions members started discussing the agenda that was presented, indicating the meeting may continue for days. The members could discuss the progress in weapons development and plans to deploy some of the systems that were tested in recent months, including a purported hypersonic missile, a long-range cruise missile and the Norths newest intercontinental ballistic missile, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Koreas private Sejong Institute. The Norths ramped-up testing activity has come under a five-year arms development plan Kim announced in early 2021, when he revealed an extensive wish list of advanced military assets, including tactical nuclear weapons, nuclear-powered submarines, multiwarhead missiles and solid-fuel, long-range weapons. The meeting follows another major political conference earlier this month where Kim doubled down on his arms buildup in the face of what he described as an aggravating security environment and set forth further militant tasks to be pursued by his armed forces and military scientists. North Korea has already set an annual record in ballistic launches through the first half of 2022, firing 31 missiles in over 18 different launch events, including its first demonstrations of ICBMs in nearly five years. South Koreas military also detected the North firing suspected artillery shells into sea last week. Kim may up the ante soon as U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea has all but finished preparations to detonate a nuclear device at its testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. The site had been inactive since hosting the Norths sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it said it detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs. The Norths unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores Kims dual intent to advance his arsenal and pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear diplomacy, experts say. While the United States has said it would push for additional sanctions if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, the divisions between permanent members of the U.N. Security Council make the prospects for meaningful punitive measures unclear. Russia and China this year vetoed U.S.-sponsored resolutions that would have increased sanctions, insisting Washington should focus on reviving dialogue. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ATLANTA (AP) Three Democrats endorsed by Stacey Abrams won runoffs for statewide office Tuesday, while two Republicans beat other members of their party who had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Bee Nguyen beat Dee Dawkins-Haigler in the Democratic race for secretary of state. Charlie Bailey beat Kwanza Hall in the party's race for lieutenant governor, while state Rep. William Boddie Jr. beat Nicole Horn for the Democratic nod for labor commissioner. All three were endorsed by Abrams, meaning she got a racially diverse ticket for her November run against incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Georgia Republicans chose their nominees in two heavily GOP districts in Tuesday runoffs. In the 10th Congressional District east of Atlanta, Mike Collins beat former Democrat Vernon Jones. In suburban Atlantas 6th District, Rich McCormick beat Jake Evans. Both Jones and Evans lost badly after both were endorsed by Trump. That means that the majority of Trump's choices who were opposed in Republican primaries in Georgia lost, including former Sen. David Perdue, who was blown out by Kemp in the governor's race. Here's a look at races other than the Democratic secretary of state: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Bailey, who was the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2018, beat former Atlanta City Council member Hall. Bailey had trailed Hall in the May 24 primary but overtook him with backing by Democratic leaders, including Abrams Bailey will take on Republican state Sen. Burt Jones, who won the nomination after being endorsed by Trump. Republican incumbent Geoff Duncan didn't seek another term. Bailey had been running for attorney general again but shifted into the lieutenant governor's race. Bailey is promising to work with Abrams to cover uninsured adults, improve education and increase public safety. Bailey attacked 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 said he did nothing wrong. Hall, who also served out the last month of the late John Lewis' term in Congress, enjoyed strong name recognition from his time on City Council, but his low-dollar campaign wasn't enough to overcome Abrams' support of the better-financed Bailey. LABOR COMMISSIONER Boddie beat entrepreneur Horn for the Democratic nomination for labor commissioner and will face state Sen. Bruce Thompson, the Republican nominee, in November. Republican incumbent Mark Butler didn't seek reelection after the the state Labor Department was beset by complaints when Georgia's unemployment rate hit a record during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Boddie and Horn agreed that the department needs more money to hire more employees, ensuring jobless benefit applicants can get responses to questions. Boddie has said his legislative experience will help him persuade lawmakers to give the department more money. Boddie criticized Republicans for pulling Georgia out of the federal program that extended unemployment benefits months before the federal program expired. INSURANCE COMMISSIONER The Democrats' nominee from 2018 will get another run at being Georgia's chief insurance regulator, as Janice Laws Robinson beat insurance salesman Raphael Baker. She 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 has said she would also crack down on insurers taking advantage of policy buyers through unfair underwriting practices. Baker, a Democratic activist, said he wanted to lower auto insurance rates. He said Black consumers, in particular, pay too much, and he wanted to make insurance practices more equitable. CONGRESS REPUBLICANS In the 10th Congressional District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Collins easily beat Jones in a bitter runoff. Trump backed Jones, but Kemp, fresh off a primary triumph over Trump-endorsed Perdue, joined other GOP officeholders in backing Collins. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician McCormick romped over Trump-backed lawyer Evans. That race revolved around accusations by each candidate that the other is insufficiently conservative. The 6th and the 10th are both heavily Republican districts. In southwest Georgia's 2nd District, real estate developer Chris West, who finished second on May 24, edged out former Army officer Jeremy Hunt. West will carry forward Republicans' high hopes of knocking off 30-year Democratic incumbent Sanford Bishop in November. In suburban Atlanta's 7th District, frontrunner Mark Gonsalves beat Michael Corbin, and will face Democrat Lucy McBath in a district that became much more Democratic in redistricting. CONGRESS DEMOCRATS In coastal Georgia's 1st District, lawyer Wade Herring swamped Joyce Marie Griggs after outspending her. Herring told Democrats he would have a better chance of upsetting incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. Griggs, a disbarred lawyer, had lost to Carter as the Democratic nominee in 2020. But in the 10th District, Tabitha Johnson-Green will be the Democratic nominee for the third cycle in a row after losing to Republican incumbent Jody Hice in 2018 and 2020. She handily beat Athens real estate agent and musician Jessica Fore, and will face Collins in November. STATE LEGISLATIVE SEATS Party nominations were being settled in one state Senate and 10 state House seats. Banker Mike Hodges beat former state House member Jeff Jones 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 were two incumbents who didn't win majorities on May 24 and needed wins Tuesday to keep their chances of reelection alive. Republican incumbent Sheri Gilligan, a sometime critic of House Speaker David Ralston, was opposed by Carter Barrett in House District 24 in southwestern Forsyth County. Democratic incumbent Roger Bruce was 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. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON (AP) Ten years ago, the Texas Republican Party used its platform to oppose teaching critical thinking in schools. In 2014, it declared homosexuality a chosen behavior contrary to God and endorsed reparative therapy to reverse it. By 2020, the party was ready to remind the world that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States. But now the GOP platform in the country's largest red state long an ideological wish list that even the most conservative Texans knew was mostly filled with pipe dreams that would never become policy has broken new ground in its push to the far right. Approved by 5,000-plus party delegates last weekend in Houston during the party's biennial convention, the new platform brands President Joe Biden an acting commander-in-chief who was never legitimately elected. It may not matter who the president is, though, since the platform takes previous language about secession much farther urging the Republican-controlled legislature to put the question of leaving the United States to voters next year. The platform also says homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice and rejects bipartisan legislation in Congress seeking to raise the minimum age to buy assault weapons from 18 to 21, saying Texans under 21 are "most likely to be victims of violent crime and thus most likely to need to defend themselves. Though non-binding, the platform illustrates just how far Texas Republicans have moved to the right in the past decade from championing tea party ideals in 2012 to endorsing former President Donald Trump's continued lies about nonexistent widespread fraud costing him an election he actually lost by more than 7 million votes. The platform reflects the direction that party activists believe the party should take, said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist based in the Texas capital of Austin. He said that, rather than deciding elections or dictating legislative action, the platform is more relevant as a signal of "where primary voters are and what they care about. Mackowiak said items like considering succession won't be taken seriously, but Trumps policy agenda is here to stay. He said that, as the former president continues to question 2020 election results, he will continue to find a receptive audience in the Texas GOP. Are people really in doubt that Republicans have concerns about how the election was conducted? Mackowiak asked. Matt Rinaldi, a former state lawmaker who now chairs the Texas GOP, said state Republicans rightly have no faith in the 2020 election results and we dont care how many times the elites tell us we have to. We refuse to let Democrats rig the elections in 2022 or 2024, Rinaldi said in a statement. Democrats haven't rigged anything. An Associated Press r eview of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by Trump has found fewer than 475 a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, Texas' 2020 election was a romp even by the standards of Republicans who have dominated the state for decades. The party's candidates topped Democrats in key congressional and statehouse races as Trump easily carried its electoral votes. But that didn't stop the former president from praising the party's 2022 platform, posting Tuesday: Look at the Great State of Texas and their powerful Republican Party Platform on the 2020 Presidential Election Fraud. Such courage, he wrote, but thats why Texas is Texas. Trump was cheering language declaring, We reject the certified results of the 2020 presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected." That was a departure from as recently as 2014, when the Texas GOP platform questioned Barack Obama's commitment to citizens' constitutional rights," but at least recognized him as president. This year's platform also says that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto. Ed Espinoza, executive director of the advocacy organization Progress Texas, said some of the adherence to open discriminatory language might have receded if not for the rise of Trump who has demonstrated he could double down on the crazy and not suffer a consequence yet. Normally what happens is, when theres crazy in a party, people try to soften it, said Espinoza, former Western States Director of the Democratic National Committee. In this case, they saw it worked for Trump so they think itll work for them. Texas was an independent republic for nearly a decade until 1845. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, the 2020 Texas Republican Party convention was held virtually and degenerated into a leadership struggle. But it also featured platform language declaring, Texas retains the right to secede from the United States should a future president and congress change our political system from a constitutional republic to another system." That caveat about governmental system was dropped in the 2022 edition, which seeks a referendum for voters "to determine whether or not" their state "should reassert its status as an independent nation. Texas' rightward push was clear in ways beyond the party platform. Delegates booed Republican Sen. John Cornyn who has held his seat for 20 years and got more 2020 votes statewide than Trump did for working on bipartisan legislation seeking to impose modest limits on guns. Those efforts began following last month's mass shooting in the Texas town of Uvalde, which killed 19 elementary students and two teachers. Still, such state convention outbursts also arent new. Republican Gov. Rick Perry was booed in 2012 for praising fellow GOPer and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who was then locked in a primary battle for an open Senate seat with Ted Cruz. Some delegates also in the past walked out of a speech by then-Republican Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. It shows you how much QAnon may not be an outlier in the Republican Party," Espinoza said. Some people are very susceptible to conspiracy theory, and that appears to be a higher percentage the deeper you go into the Republican Party of Texas. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Ukrainian official overseeing the countrys push to join the European Union said Wednesday that shes 100% certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraine's EU candidacy during a summit this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar optimism, calling it a crucial moment for Ukraine. Ukraines membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders' summit starts. Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russias invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%. The EUs executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraines candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commission's endorsement as a game-changer that had taken the ground out from under the legs of those most hesitating." EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Ukraine's full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law. Stefanishyna told the AP that she think Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast. Were already very much integrated in the European Union, she said. We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years. To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms. In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Brussels summit as two decisive days that he, like Stefanishyna, thinks will result in approval of Ukraine's EU candidacy. That is a very crucial moment for us, for some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness," the Ukrainian president said through an interpreter. "In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivational factor for the unity and victory of the Ukrainian people. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraines candidate status. Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law," De Cross said. "But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward. Zelenskyy said he spoke with a total of 11 EU leaders Wednesday, following calls with nine the day before, in another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. In other developments: Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been coldly executed during the first weeks of the war as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers. Zelenskyy said Russian forces were carrying out very heavy air and artillery strikes in the eastern Donbas. Step by step they want to destroy all of the Donbas. All of it," he said in his nightly video address. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said in some battles, for every artillery shell Ukrainian forces fire, the Russian army fires at least six. Zelenskyy appealed to Western countries to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons to stop this diabolical armada. Russian forces captured three villages in the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said the villages are near Lysychansk, the last city in Luhansk still fully under Ukrainian control. The Russians have also taken a strategic coal village, Toshkivka, enabling them to intensify attacks, Haidai said. Russian forces continued shelling Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, and nearby towns, killing 10 people, including five women in the village of Pryshyb, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. He said Russian forces are advancing through the area around Pryshyb as they target Sloviansk, a Ukrainian-held city in the Donbas. All four of the medium-range rocket systems that the U.S. provided to Ukraine several weeks ago are now in the country in the hands of Ukrainian forces but it is not clear if they have used them yet, a U.S. defense official said. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems will give the Ukrainians greater precision in targeting Russian assets. The rockets generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military details. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian forces killed up to 500 Ukrainian servicemen in strikes Tuesday against a shipbuilding plant in Mykolaiv. Zelenskyy said the Russians fired seven missiles at Mykolaiv, wounding five people. He gave no details about what was hit. The Russian military also claimed Ukrainian forces evacuated up to 30 wounded and eight dead American and British fighters from near Mykolaivka, a town in the Donetsk region. There was no confirmation of this by Ukraine. Satellite images of Snake Island appear to show damage from a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied island in the Black Sea. The Maxar Technologies images taken Tuesday show three new scorched areas that were not there four days earlier. Russia and Ukraine offer conflicting accounts of the attack. The Ukrainian militarys southern command said it inflicted significant losses on Russian troops in an attack using various forces and methods of destruction, while the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses successfully repelled the Ukrainian assault. Russian forces captured the small rocky island in the first days of the war and have used it to strengthen their control over the northwestern part of the sea. Russian officials said a drone strike caused a fire at the largest oil refinery in southern Russia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a piece of machinery at the Novoshakhtinsk plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. Authorities said dozens of firefighters quickly contained the fire and no one was hurt. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the strike. Turkeys defense ministry said Wednesday that a Turkish ship was allowed to leave the Russian-occupied Azov Sea port of Mariupol following talks between Turkish and Russian defense ministry officials. A ministry statement said a Turkish freighter, Azov Concord, was the first foreign ship to be allowed to leave Mariupol. The ministry did not say what the freighter was carrying. The war has halted critical grain exports by sea. French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The exercise in Estonia, a NATO member that neighbors Russia, was executed as an act of strategic solidarity during Russias war in Ukraine. Associated Press writers Sam Petrequin in Brussels, Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (AP) A swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack on the central California coast Wednesday, police said. The attack occurred at midmorning at Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) south of San Francisco, the Pacific Grove Police Department said in a statement. The swimmer, a man, suffered significant injuries from the shark bite, and was taken to a hospital, police said. City officials said he had injuries to his stomach and leg. A friend, Jill Hannley, identified the swimmer as Stephen Bruemmer, a retired Monterey Penninsula College professor in his 60s. He suffered a broken femur but he was awake and was expected to recover, she told KION-TV. Nearby swimmers and surfers towed the injured man to the beach on a surfboard, where other good Samaritans began first aid before he was taken by ambulance to a hospital. I was nervous, I have to admit, rescuer Amee Johns told KNTV-TV. I was very nervous because I was at one point off my paddleboard and I was swimming and kicking because the surfer was pulling him and I was pushing from behind. It wasn't immediately clear what age, sex or type of shark attacked. Firefighters deployed a drone to search for the shark, but there were no immediate sightings. Police said the beach at Lovers Point, on the south end of Monterey Bay, will remain closed until Saturday. Shark attacks in California are rare. However, Tomas Butterfield, 42, of Sacramento was killed in a shark attack in Morro Bay in central California last Christmas Eve. It was the only unprovoked fatal shark attack in the United States last year. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A lawyer in the city attorney's office was acquitted Tuesday of a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge stemming from a May 2021 incident that his attorney cast as a landlord-tenant issue. Rick Tast, 49, entered a northeast Lincoln rental home May 21, 2021, where he awoke a napping family and briefly argued with the occupants before leaving with the property owner, his longtime friend, Jeremy Hosek, according to court testimony. Tast's presence in the house was undisputed throughout a bench trial last month, which centered on the alleged criminality of Tast's entry into the home. At Tast's trial May 19, nearly a year after the incident, Hosek said that Tast was acting as his agent and attorney when the two arrived at 3143 N. 56th St., where Hosek was preparing to evict his tenant, who he said was months behind on rent and had stopped responding to texts. Special prosecutors with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office disputed that rationale, noting that Tast was not an employee of Hosek's business venture, and his status as a lawyer or friend didn't grant him permission to enter the home. "My lawyer doesn't just come into my house whenever he wants," Assistant Attorney General Gail VerMaas told Otoe County Judge David Partsch, who heard the case because of Tast's ties within the Lincoln legal community. At trial, Hosek provided several reasons for entering the home that day. He and Tast initially thought the home may have been abandoned and had gone in to look for violations for an eviction notice, said Hosek, a city firefighter who also mentioned smelling smoke and observing a haze through the window. They did not encounter smoke or fire upon entry. The state focused much of its case on what happened inside the house, where Tast encountered a 14-year-old boy asleep in a bedroom, who he jostled awake, according to the teen's testimony. "(I felt) someone touching my leg, so I woke up," the boy said. "It wasn't too hard or nothing, they grabbed it and I realized it and I woke up and I freaked out." Tast, a registered nurse and former medic, later told Lincoln Police he thought the teen was dead or suffering a medical emergency, said former Officer Laura Stokey, the lead officer in the investigation who was terminated in January for mishandling evidence in an unrelated case. The teen, his sister and mom all testified that Tast then grabbed a black hoodie from the boy's room and walked to the kitchen, where he confronted the family and repeatedly asked "What is this?," referring to the sweatshirt. Korey Reiman, Tast's attorney, maintained that Tast removed a marijuana bong from the bedroom, not a sweatshirt. VerMaas also pointed to Tast's actions in the days after the incident as attempts to cover up his involvement in the case. "While you were talking to the defendant on the phone, did he ever make any requests of you at this time?" VerMass asked Stokey. "He requested to have his name left out of all police reports," Stokey said. But Reiman repeatedly cast doubt on the credibility of Stokey and other Lincoln Police officers involved in the case, including former Sgt. Angela Sands, Stokey's supervisor who was fired in December. And the defense attorney argued Stokey's testimony along with the other five witnesses called by the state did not prove that Tast had knowingly acted with criminal intent when he walked into the house, failing to clear the statutory hurdle required to prove first-degree criminal trespass. "The state failed to call the owner of the house," Reiman said, referring to Hosek, the only witness called by the defense. "They've left that hanging open, of whether Mr. Tast was given permission or told he could go in there. "That's what they have to prove. And they didn't do it. They didn't even try to do it." In the end, Partsch agreed with Reiman, pointing to the same argument in his six-page verdict issued Tuesday. "The state must prove in this case, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Tast entered this rental home knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so," Partsch said. "It has not met its burden." The verdict brought an end to a legal battle that had stretched on for more than a year a rarity for misdemeanor cases and brought vindication for Tast, according to his attorney. "From jump street, I didn't think this case should have been charged," Reiman said Tuesday. "And the verdict today supports that." Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A 71-year-old Iowa City man who seriously wounded a U.S. Marine while shooting an air rifle at a squirrel has been fined $855 after pleading guilty in April to a misdemeanor. The Press-Citizen reports that Philip Olson was issued the fine Thursday for violating an Iowa City ordinance prohibiting the discharge of toy guns and slingshots. Police have said Olson was shooting at a squirrel in his yard last October when he hit then 20-year-old Gabe Heefner, of Kirkwood, Missouri, who was driving by. Police found Heefner in a wrecked car with what looked like a gunshot wound to the head. At the time, Heefner was a lance corporal in the Marines who was in Iowa City visiting his grandparents and friends. A 17-year-old motorcyclist who police chased down O Street reached speeds as high as 100 mph as he fled a traffic stop Tuesday morning, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. The teenager, who voluntarily stopped the motorcycle as he approached 120th Street, had brass knuckles in his pocket and a concealed handgun in his backpack when troopers took him into custody at about 2 a.m., the patrol said in a news release. The pursuit began near 56th and O streets, when a trooper saw two motorcycles without license plates and attempted a traffic stop. Both motorcycles fled east at a high rate of speed, passing the city's eastern edge before one motorcyclist turned north and the other continued on O Street before stopping, the Patrol said. A spokesman said there was little traffic on O Street at the time. The 17-year-old was referred to the Lancaster County Attorney's Office on suspicion of willful reckless driving, carrying a concealed weapon and flight to avoid arrest. He was taken to the Youth Services Center. The Patrol has not located the second motorcyclist. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OMAHA -- No flyer likes turbulence, so the Fasten Seat Belts light will be turned on for this recounting of the early history of Eppley Airfield. The airport has made it through nearly 100 years at the same spot east of Carter Lake and with a $600 million update on the way, its not moving. Any obstacle now couldnt compare what was overcome before it was named for the late Omaha hotel magnate Eugene C. Eppley in 1960. Be it the original swampy ground, the trees that couldnt be cut down, the birthing pains or the Missouri River floods of 1943 and 1952, the notion of somebody goofed in selecting the site resurfaced. It was not the first location for a landing strip in the Omaha area. That distinction went to the Creighton pasture at 45th Street and Military Avenue, where Glenn Curtiss held an air show in 1910. Next, at the north end of Florence Boulevard on a dairy farm, was Omaha or Pulitzer Field. The latter name stemmed from the sponsor of the air races held there in 1921. Ak-Sar-Ben Field at 63rd and Center streets served as the landing field for Omahas first transcontinental airmail service for three years until a 1924 windstorm destroyed the hangar and seven planes. Operations were transferred to the Army field at Fort Crook west of Bellevue. Early in 1925, the Greater Omaha Committee recommended acquiring at least 160 acres for an air terminal that would be municipally owned. Omaha is so situated as to become an important station in the development of commercial aviation, the report said. The early development of air service facilities will tend to draw commercial aviation lines here. As a military asset, an airport in Omaha would be extremely valuable. It was essential, the committee believed, for a municipal field lest a privately owned one could keep out commercial lines. Rejected immediately was the Florence Boulevard airstrip as it was too close to the bluffs, the river and a railroad, and the 1921 air races had seen a parachute jumper drown in the Missouri River. The front-runner for a time was farmland around 168th Street and West Dodge Road, but the rumor of a possible conflict of interest killed the idea of a west Omaha airport. Imagine how that could have changed Omahas direction of growth. That left the low land east of Carter Lake. Not convinced that the city should buy the nearly 200-acre tract was city parks commissioner Joe Hummel (the subject of last weeks column). He said the swampy land was unfit for an airfield. If you men had visited that tract twice a week like I have for the past 30 years, you would realize it, Hummel said. You would be having to pull your airplanes out of the mud all the time. But buy it the city fathers did, for $189,000, and by dredging silt from Carter Lake, the ever-resourceful Hummel deepened the lake and filled in the low spots of the landing field tract. The first plane to land at the airstrip was on Oct. 5, 1925. After a lawsuit unsuccessfully tried to prevent the parkland from being used as an airport, Boeing Air (the parent of United Air Lines) began transcontinental airmail service on July 1, 1927. The turbulence that followed was on the ground. A Ford Reliability Tour plane had stopped in Omaha in June and the reviews were bad. A rough bumpy field covered with high grass greeted the Ford fliers. There was no water and no accommodations of any kind for them. This was Omahas greeting to the Ford tour, was from an editorial on July 16 in the Douglas County Legionnaire publication. Unless immediate action was taken, the Legion was concerned that Omaha would be dropped from the exhibition tour by Charles Lindbergh only months after he crossed the Atlantic and Boeing would move its Nebraska operation to Lincoln. A hanger and other accommodations were needed. The Legion backed up its words with action. It formed the Legion Airport corporation to raise $30,000 for the improvements. And they were lucky Lindy, in his Spirit of St. Louis, kept Omaha on his tour and landed at the airport on Aug. 30, 1927, in front of 4,000 spectators. He taxied his plane into a wire-enclosed hangar. A permanent hangar, built of brick at Joe Hummels insistence, was large enough for six planes. Its first use was on March 31, 1928. Traffic that year averaged four planes a day. Two were tri-motor, with the pilot in an open cockpit, that could carry 14 passengers. There was no terminal yet. Passengers climbed aboard on their own after checking in at a desk in the hangar. Hummels hangar was sold, at a loss, to the Rapid Airlines Corporation two years later. The next one built, by Mid-West Aviation, accommodated 22 planes. Omahas first night landing in 1930 didnt come off as planned. While lights had been installed, the city commissioner in charge had the only key to the light switch and he wasnt at the airport that event. The pilot frantically radioed for assistance and landed safely, the runway lit by the headlights of a half-dozen cars. The incident came at a time when Boeing (which had moved to Fort Crook) was reluctant to sign a 50-year lease to use the airfield because the Cornish family, which donated Carter Lake Park, was refusing to cut down cottonwoods that were obstructing takeoffs and landings. Once it was worked out, Boeing soon was operating mail and passenger service, with stewardesses aboard, out of a new $75,000 hangar. On the 30th anniversary of the Wright brothers first flight, the airports first administration building, including passenger amenities, was dedicated in 1937. It was used, with small additions and repairs, until the Omaha Airport Authority opened a $3.75 million passenger terminal in September 1961. Eppley had been a pioneer aviator in Ohio, known as Daredevil Eppley, who chills the crowd with the thrills of his air antics, and was active in airport affairs from the early days. He had sold his hotel chain for $30 million two years before his death in 1958, and his foundation donated $1 million, matched by federal money, for runway improvements. The airport authority unanimously voted to designate the airport as Eppley Field. When it got to ratification by the City Council, that body tweaked Field to Airfield. And there it has stayed, just like the airport itself. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In 2019, business leaders across Nebraska set an ambitious goal: Grow the states technology sector by adding 10,000 employees by 2025. Halfway through that timeframe, theyre about 13% of the way there. Nebraska went from 49,500 tech jobs in 2019 to 50,800 in 2021. Of course, there have been roadblocks along the way the COVID-19 pandemic being chief among them. The pandemic definitely just put a huge damper on everything for everyone. I feel like were still trying to climb out of that, said Jona Van Deun, president of Nebraska Tech Collaborative. Though the pace of growth in tech jobs has been slow, the state does appear to be on track with meeting growth goals for tech companies. The state set a goal of adding 300 tech companies by 2025. Thus far, it has added 147, according to data presented last month at the Aksarben Foundations stakeholders meeting in La Vista. The foundation brings together business and community leaders with the goal of bolstering Nebraskas workforce and economy. And the conversation on increasing the tech industrys presence within Nebraska is still humming which Van Deun considers a success. Three years ago, we werent talking about Nebraskas tech workforce, she said. The tech industry really rose to the occasion. The increase in tech employees is not limited to startups. Mutual of Omaha, for example, has added about 300 tech employees since 2019 for a company total of over 1,300 employees in that sector. Mike Lechtenberger, chief information officer at Mutual, said the Fortune 500 insurance and financial services company prefers to hire regionally in Nebraska and western Iowa, but there have been cases where the company went outside the region to secure talent. Even among Mutuals employees who live in and around Omaha, the ability to work remotely or in a hybrid setting is a highly desired perk. The question comes up almost every time during job interviews, Lechtenberger said. For some areas in Nebraska, remote work has opened doors for people to live where they want without sacrificing career prospects. Angie Stenger, executive director of Aksarben Foundations Northeast Nebraska Growing Together workforce initiative, said places like Norfolk, which is where the initiative is based, have fostered such arrangements by, among other things, emphasizing a tech- and entrepreneurial-friendly ecosystem. Growing Together has also partnered with Wayne State College to offer a scholarship program that provides internship opportunities at Norfolk area businesses. The program is available to students who major in computer science, business or communications. These kids are learning amazing things. We dont want them to have to go to the big city. We want to be their home, Stenger said. Average tech salaries in Omaha are slightly above $80,000 while Lincolns average tech salaries fall just below that number, according to a graph presented to the Aksarben Foundation stakeholders last month. Lincoln saw slightly higher wage growth at about 3% while Omaha was more stagnant at just over 2%. Compared with two dozen other metropolitan areas roughly similar in size, the average salaries and growth rate in Nebraskas two largest cities lag behind places such as Fayetteville, Arkansas, which Van Deun said leaped past many cities in offering higher average wages for tech employees and saw wage growth at nearly 4%. Compared to our peers we are not where we need to be, Van Deun said. Broadband access remains an issue in some rural areas. While various efforts are being made to increase access, its not an issue that has a quick fix. Some communities have gotten creative in bridging the gap. As an example, Stenger pointed to Invest Nebraskas plans to open a co-working space in Norfolk to provide high-speed internet to people who have otherwise limited or no broadband internet access. While young people are a primary demographic to fill tech positions within Nebraska, some businesses including Mutual are also looking at experience in other fields. Lechtenberger said one of Mutual of Omahas job training programs includes a partnership with Metropolitan Community College where Mutual identifies current employees who have the aptitude and qualifications to be trained for a technological job within Mutual. They know our culture. They know our business so its really a win-win to be able to find candidates like that and partner with MCC (to) make a pathway for them into an IT career at Mutual, he said. Business leaders are also encouraged by long-term demographic trends, particularly among Latinos. Latinos are projected to increase their share of the states population from the current levels of roughly 12% to around 38% by 2050. For Nebraska, thats our greatest advantage, said Sandra Reding, president of Aksarben Foundation, adding the Latino population is very young and could eventually help buffer an aging trend in the states workforce. Van Deun echoed those sentiments, saying the projected rise in the Latino population is something we really need to watch and lean into as it pertains to creating more opportunities for our students here in the state. Thats the long game, she said. That long game is something that Nebraska government leaders have taken stock of in an attempt to foster a more tech-friendly atmosphere in recent years. This past legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill introduced by State Sens. Terrell McKinney of Omaha and Julie Slama of Dunbar that will require high school students to complete at least one computer science or technology course in order to graduate from high school beginning with the 2026-27 school year. Its important to make sure that we prepare our kids for a future after school, McKinney said. If we dont emphasize the importance of tech, I feel as though students in Nebraska would get left behind. Through the various initiatives, business and government leaders hope that the state one day gains a reputation as one of the nations top tech environments where its smaller size could be considered an advantage. I would hope to see us at least in the top 25 places that people can go ... to build a company, Van Deun said. Because we are the size that we are, we have an incredible opportunity to connect people and connect them quickly. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PIERRE, S.D. (AP) The South Dakota Senate on Tuesday convicted Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of two impeachment charges stemming from a 2020 fatal crash, removing and barring him from future office in a stinging rebuke that showed most senators didnt believe his account of the crash. Ravnsborg, a first-term Republican who only recently announced he wouldn't seek reelection, showed little emotion as senators convicted him first of committing a crime that caused someone's death. They then delivered another guilty verdict on a malfeasance charge that alleged he misled investigators and misused his office. Ravnsborg told a 911 dispatcher the night of the crash that he might have struck a deer or other large animal and has said he didnt know he struck a man 55-year-old Joseph Boever until he returned to the scene the next morning. Criminal investigators said they didnt believe some of Ravnsborgs statements, and several senators made clear they didn't either. There's no question that was a lie, said Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, the chamber's top-ranking Republican. This person ran down an innocent South Dakotan. Schoenbeck also criticized Ravnsborg for declining to testify in his own defense, saying Ravnsborg should have shared what the hell he was doing the night of the crash. There's a mic right there, and that's a damn short walk," Schoenbeck said. The convictions required a two-thirds majority in the Senate, controlled 32-3 by Republicans. Senators mustered the bare minimum 24 votes to convict Ravnsborg on the first charge, with some senators saying the two misdemeanors he pleaded guilty to weren't serious enough crimes to warrant impeachment. The malfeasance charge Ravnsborg also asked investigators what data could be found on his cellphone, among other things sailed through with 31 votes. Votes to bar Ravnsborg from future office, taken on both counts, were unanimous. Ravnsborgs face showed little emotion throughout the votes, holding his hand over his mouth as he had for much of the trial, then writing on a notepad in his lap. He did not answer questions from reporters as he exited the Capitol. Ravnsborg in September agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boevers widow. Nick Nemec, Boevers cousin who has been a constant advocate for a severe punishment for Ravnsborg, said the votes were vindication. Its just a relief. Its been nearly two years that this has drug on and it just feels like a weight off my shoulders, he said. Ravnsborg is the first official to be impeached and convicted in South Dakota history. Gov. Kristi Noem, who will pick Ravnsborg's replacement until the candidate elected to replace him in November is sworn in, called for her fellow Republican to resign soon after the crash and later pressed lawmakers to pursue impeachment. As the saga dragged on, Noem publicly endorsed Ravnsborgs predecessor, Republican Marty Jackley, for election as his replacement. The governor celebrated the impeachment conviction on Twitter, saying it had lifted the dark cloud over the Attorney General's office. It is now time to move on and begin to restore confidence in the office, she said, but gave no indication as to who she will pick for the interim position. Ravnsborg has argued that the governor, who has positioned herself for a possible 2024 White House bid, pushed for his removal in part because he had investigated ethics complaints against Noem. As the impeachment trial opened Tuesday, prosecutors drove at a question that has hung over developments since the September 2020 collision: Did Ravnsborg know he killed a man the night of the crash? He absolutely saw the man that he struck in the moments after, said Alexis Tracy, the Clay County states attorney who led the prosecution. Prosecutors also told senators that Ravnsborg had used his title to set the tone and gain influence in the aftermath of the crash, even as he allegedly made misstatements and outright lies to the crash investigators. The prosecution played a montage of audio clips of Ravnsborg referring to himself as the attorney general. Prosecuting attorneys probed Ravnsborg's alleged misstatements during the aftermath of the crash, including that he never drove excessively over the speed limit, that he had reached out to Boevers family to offer his condolence, and that he had not been browsing his phone during his drive home. The prosecution played a series of video clips during their closing arguments that showed Ravnsborg's shifting account of his phone use during interviews with criminal investigators. The attorney general at first outright denied he had been using his phone while driving, but then acknowledged he had been looking at his phone minutes before the crash. When it was time for senators to speak, several noted an accident reconstruction that found Ravnsborg's car had veered entirely out of its lane, in contrast to his initial statement that he was in the middle of the road at the time of impact. Ravnsborg resolved the criminal case last year by pleading no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, and was fined by a judge. The attorney generals defense asked senators to consider the implications of impeachment on the function of state government. Ross Garber, a legal analyst and law professor at Tulane University who specializes in impeachment proceedings, told senators to impeach would be undoing the will of the voters. Ravnsborg was driving home from a political fundraiser after dark on Sept. 12, 2020, on a state highway in central South Dakota when his car struck something, according to a transcript of his 911 call afterward. He told the dispatcher it might have been a deer or other animal. Investigators identified what they thought were slips in Ravnsborgs statements, such as when he said he turned around at the accident scene and saw him before quickly correcting himself and saying: I didnt see him. And they contended that Boevers face had come through Ravnsborgs windshield because his glasses were found in the car. Weve heard better lies from 5-year-olds, Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo, acting as an impeachment prosecutor, said of Ravnsborg's statement. Investigators had determined the attorney general walked right past Boevers body and the flashlight Boever had been carrying still illuminated the next morning as he looked around the scene the night of the crash. Ravnsborg said neither he nor the county sheriff who came to the scene knew that Boever's body was lying just feet from the pavement on the highway shoulder. There isnt any way you can go by without seeing that, Arnie Rummel, an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation who led the criminal probe, said in testimony Tuesday. Prosecutors also raised an exchange that Ravnsborg had with one of his staff members three days following the crash, after he had submitted his phones to crash investigators. Ravnsborg questioned an agent in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation about what would turn up during forensic exams of his cellphones, even though the agency was supposed to have no part in the investigation to avoid conflicts of interest. We were not supposed to be involved, the now-retired agent, Brent Gromer, said as he described why the exchange made him uncomfortable. Ravnsborg's defense attorney contended that the attorney general had done nothing nefarious. His defense attorney, Mike Butler, described any discrepancies in Ravnsborg's memory of that night as owing to human error, and disparaged testimony from Rummel, the crash investigator, as opinion that would not hold up in a court of law. During closing arguments, Butler stated that the criminal prosecution found no criminal culpability for Boever's death and urged senators to refrain from rehashing that case. No amount of fire and brimstone changes that given fact, he said. Sen. Arthur Rusch, a retired judge who said he had gotten to know Ravnsborg when he was a young attorney practicing in Ruschs court, was among senators who didnt support impeachment on the first charge, but did on the second. He said he was bothered by Ravnsborgs actions in questioning Division of Criminal Investigation agents on aspects of the case and for issuing a press release on attorney general stationery. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 If we haven't said it lately -- and chances are we haven't -- thank you to our educators. They are the grade-school teachers who do the heavy lifting, the middle school teachers who add to our children's learning base and those high school teachers who help shape young adults into members of society. There's nothing simple about the job -- especially in the 21st century. If COVID hadn't already reminded folks of the heavy responsibility of teachers, a recent shooting in a Texas grade school that killed 19 young students and two teachers is a sobering reminder of the potential dangers of the job. The Associated Press recently wrote that standing in front of a classroom today seems to ask the impossible from teachers. Already expected to be guidance counselors, social workers, surrogate parents and more to their students, teachers are now sometimes called on to be protectors, too. That has created a new level of stress that can't be mitigated by a mere thank you, a plate of cookies, a coffee shop gift card or even a pay raise, which most would agree is deserved. We need to understand and ease this stress if we hope for them to continue growing as educators and expect others to enter this noble field. We're learning there's no guarantee of that. Omaha Public Schools announced recently that more than 1,250 teachers retired from the profession this year, most believing they would feel more valued doing something else. That's a loss, one that won't be quickly corrected by the school district's human resources department. The positions will be filled, but some very good teachers gave up on their profession. That's a big loss. It should also be a warning sign to everyone -- Lincoln Public Schools, included. Job retention is one of the biggest challenges facing corporate America today. It's no different with our school districts, which should be doing all they can to keep our best teachers engaged and incentivized to do the job. Unfortunately, they are dealing with a different aspect of the post-pandemic world. Nearly two years of Zoom learning gave birth to a number of bad habits that students brought back to campus with them. A year of behavioral issues with students, many of whom adapted slowly to being back in the classroom, was quickly made apparent. At home, online classes lacked the discipline and attention many students needed. It was just more added stress in a job that has only grown more difficult in these difficult times. We need to acknowledge the pressure our teachers are facing, while finding ways to mitigate it. And in the meantime, we need to show our appreciation for what they do. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The end of Yael Benvenuto Ladins senior year at Oberlin College in Ohio was in sight. After more than two years of pandemic learning, she wanted to finish her classes and her thesis, graduate, and go. Her campus activism days were over, the rising leaders behind her readying to take the baton. All that changed a month before graduation, when Benvenuto Ladin read about the leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively removing guaranteed federal protection for a legal abortion. She immediately organized last-minute abortion support training for Oberlin students and began trying to figure out what would happen to students in the 13 states where abortion will become illegal automatically if the draft opinion is adopted as the courts final decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, like students, college officials, and abortion access advocates in states with so-called trigger laws, shes bracing for what may come in the fraught and uncertain months ahead. She knows a great deal of training would be needed to sustain abortion access in a post-Roe world. There was a time before Roe, and unfortunately, theres going to be a time after Roe, Benvenuto Ladin said. Its not that that wont be incredibly harmful. It will, and should absolutely not be happening. But it doesnt take away all the work thats been done and all of the networks of community care that have been established. Reproductive rights advocates like Benvenuto Ladin, who was a leader in the Oberlin Doula Collective, rallied immediately, thinking of new ways to help students seeking abortions if they become illegal. If colleges are doing the same thinking, it is almost impossible to find out: Dozens could not answer questions about what they will do to guide students if the court decides to overturn Roe v. Wade. Advertisement Advertisement More than 30 colleges in the 13 so-called trigger law states declined interview requests or provided vague written answers, underscoring the tough political quandary they find themselves in. Thats partly because they are awaiting the courts decision and are worried about taking potentially divisive action, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. Advertisement Part of the issue is that weve got uncertainties layered on uncertainties, Mitchell said. Colleges and their lawyers are war-gaming different Supreme Court decisions for states even without trigger laws and what the implications will be for students, student health centers, medical centers, all of that. Public colleges rely on state legislatures for funding. Mitchell said states may be wise not to pick fights in the abstract, especially without knowing precisely what the boundaries of the decision will be and what state legislation it could trigger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And though some colleges may want to assure their students of complete safety and protection, they may be afraid to promise things they are ultimately not able to deliver, he said. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a final decision on Roe v. Wade by early July. In the likely case that Roe is overturned, its possible that President Joe Biden would take executive action to protect the right to abortion, but it is unclear what exactly he could do. Although colleges have yet to signal how they would respond, its clear that many health officials, student advocates, and college administrators are aware of the new era they may face, especially in states where abortion would be illegal with very few exceptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Traditional college-age women between the ages of 20 and 24 make up about 28 percent of those who obtain legal abortions, and women ages 25 through 29 make up 29 percent, totaling about 57 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Though the CDC tracked only women, others, including transgender men and nonbinary people, also get pregnant and obtain abortions.) Many of these people live in states that will immediately ban or significantly limit abortion if Roe is overturned. Among them are traditionally conservative states such as Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Idaho. Ohio, where Benvenuto Ladin went to college, does not have a trigger law but is considered likely to pass an abortion ban if the Supreme Court overturns Roe. Advertisement And while circumstances are likely to be complicated for many abortion seekers in those states, college students face special barriers. Often they dont have cars. Their health insurance typically comes from either their parents or their colleges. In addition to rigorous course schedules, students often hold jobs and have off-campus responsibilities, making it logistically difficult for them to travel to another state for an abortion procedure. Even students who live in states that protect their right to abortion would have more trouble with access, advocates expect, because clinics there would begin serving an influx of people from states where abortion is restricted. Advertisement Advertisement Students from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups, students who are undocumented, and low-income students would be hurt disproportionately by reduced abortion access, said Ushma Upadhyay, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco. These students are more likely than others to lack the financial resources needed to access abortions, she said. Advertisement Mitchell said students can expect a spectrum of responses from their colleges. Some will support reduced abortion access. Others will quietly affirm the rights of their students; still others are likely to pressure state legislatures to pass laws repealing the previous abortion restrictions. At a minimum, advocates say colleges should provide easy access to sexual health care, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections, contraception, pregnancy tests, and flexible attendance policies. Some urge colleges to develop financial and legal support for students seeking abortions as well. If college students lose access to abortions, Upadhyay said, she sees three possible outcomes. In order to terminate a pregnancy, they will need the time and money to travel for a procedure, or to order pills online and self-manage their abortion in isolation. If they dont have access to either of those options, she worries that students will seek to terminate their pregnancies in unsafe ways. If they have to carry a pregnancy to term, she said, they may suffer academic, financial, and mental health strains. What Advocates Are Doing Though students and advocates hope for support from colleges, they are not waiting for it. They have already built the systems and are developing the ranks of young people to help one another get the reproductive health care they need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benvenuto Ladin went to college in northern Ohio and has since moved back to her home state of Massachusetts, but shes been working with a network of other young people all over the country through Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit that works to empower young people in a variety of areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She helped design Advocates for Youths abortion doula training, which was in its fifth of six weeks when the draft Supreme Court opinion was leaked. Working to deal with the potential outcomes of the courts expected ruling both nationally and on her campus, she learned a lot of people were afraid, but they had no idea of what to be afraid of. Advertisement Benvenuto Ladin is concerned that the overturn of Roe would make it even more difficult to talk about already-stigmatized subjects like sex and abortion. Shes worried this could make matters worse for students who already lack reliable financial support and access to health care. One of the best things that people can do right now is to seek out education, Benvenuto Ladin said. Let people know in your community that this is an issue that you care aboutthat you believe this is health care. Advertisement Tamara Marzouk, the director of abortion access at Advocates for Youth, said the abortion doula training program prepares young people to support their peers before, during, and after an abortion. Though doula tends to have a medical connotation, Marzouk said, this is community knowledge, this is not some specialized training. Advertisement Trainees are asked to consider their own strengths and boundaries as they learn how to provide emotional and practical support to someone going through the abortion process. The practical support can include sharing information about resources, driving or accompanying someone to a clinic, sitting with the person afterward, or lending a heating pad to alleviate physical discomfort. The young people are also being taught how to organize and how to educate others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Niharika Rao, a student activist who just finished their junior year at Barnard College in New York, said they took incompletes in a couple of classes because the leaked draft opinion on abortion rights so disrupted the end of the school year. Hopefully, things become better. Which is insane to think about, because they probably wont for a while, Rao said. The world is in a very heavy place right now. Rao, who also helped design the abortion doula training, said that although the right to abortion will be protected in New York even if Roe is overturned, they know students in other states will be in a more precarious and confusing situation. Theyre helping to prepare fellow Barnard students to offer virtual support to such students. Advertisement The youth network established by Advocates for Youth is one of several that have formed across the country. Both URGE, a reproductive justice nonprofit, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America have youth networks with campus chapters. URGE, which stands for Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, helps students learn how to communicate with legislators about issues of reproductive health care, and generally uses a train the trainer model, said Emily Cuarenta, a Georgia state organizer who supports the campus groups. She tries to let them lead and decide which ideas they want to pursue and helps them find grants to fund initiatives related to sexual and reproductive health, she said. Advertisement Advertisement In Georgia, a federal judge blocked a 2019 state law that would have made abortion illegal after about six weeks, before many people know they are pregnant, but its now being appealed. Its unclear what will happen if the Supreme Court overturns Roe. Cuarenta said she is thinking about digital security, too, such as any risks associated with using online menstrual period tracking apps, and what it will mean to talk about abortion openly if Roe is overturned. We need to change the way were approaching this topic now, because eventually its going to become a very hostile environment on campus, Cuarenta said. Advertisement Advertisement Kate Cartagena, the director of youth campaigns at Planned Parenthood, encourages the 100,000 young people in more than 300 college and high school chapters to seek hyperlocal, specific solutions, like asking for flexible attendance policies, creating travel funds for students seeking abortions, and lobbying for more comprehensive sex education in their state. We need young peoples creative solutions, Cartagena said. We just have to listen to them. We have to hear them, and we have to help them move those solutions forward. This story about post-Roe on campus was produced by the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for our higher education newsletter. PLA warships circumnavigate Japan in distance sea drills amid US, Japanese provocations By Liu Xuanzun (Global Times) 08:59, June 22, 2022 Led by the Type 055 large destroyer Lhasa, a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla reportedly sailed from northwest to the east and south sides of Japan on Monday and Tuesday after making transits in three strategic straits near the island country, and the vessels are expected to make a full circle around Japan if they are to continue in their path and return to base, similarly to a voyage by a Chinese-Russian joint flotilla last year. Japan should get used to China's normal national defense development and stop hyping the "China threat" theory while joining the US in interfering in China's Taiwan question, as China will not threaten anyone, but has what it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and developmental interests, analysts said on Tuesday. A PLA Navy flotilla consisting of four vessels, namely the Type 055 large destroyer Lhasa, the Type 052D destroyer Chengdu, the Type 903A replenishment ship Dongpinghu and the Type 815 electronic surveillance ship Tianlangxing, sailed through the Tsushima Strait in the northwest of Japan and entered the Sea of Japan from June 12 to 13, then they exited the region and entered the Pacific Ocean between Thursday and Friday, with the Lhasa and the Chengdu going via the Soya Strait and the Dongpinghu and the Tianlangxing via the Tsugaru Strait in the north of Japan, Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff said in a press release on Tuesday. From Sunday to Monday, the Lhasa, the Chengdu and the Dongpinghu were spotted sailing south along Japan's eastern coastline but outside of territorial waters, with the whereabouts of the Tianlangxing unknown, according to the Japanese press release. On Tuesday, the three Chinese warships sailed to the south side of Japan, according to the Japanese press release. In October 2021, a Chinese-Russian joint naval flotilla circumnavigated Japan in a joint maritime patrol, with the Nanchang, the first Type 055, being the command ship, media reported at the time. Observers predict that the flotilla this time led by the Lhasa, the second ship in the Type 055 class, could repeat this voyage in a similar way. A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday that at this time, when Japan and the US have been making repeated provocations on China over the Taiwan question, the PLA's naval activities serve as a warning to them, as some of the most important Japanese and US military bases are located on the east side of Japan, like the US Navy base in Yokosuka. The US and Japan should realize and get used to the fact that the PLA is fully capable of safeguarding China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and developmental interests, and they should stop hyping the so-called "China threat" theory, attempting to contain China militarily and interfering in the Taiwan question, which is an internal affair of China, the expert said. The PLA flotilla's far sea drills are a deterrent to "Taiwan independence" secessionist and foreign military interfering forces, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times. Wei said that the powerful Lhasa has reached 100 percent operational capability, and it can carry out military missions in the far sea as the core of a flotilla. Just a few days ago, a flotilla of five warships from the Russian Navy also circumnavigated Japan, according to Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff. It is yet unclear whether the Russian naval activities were related to the Chinese naval activities like in last year's joint maritime patrol, as the two countries' vessels were not close to each other like last time, observers said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) One of the notable trends in the current Supreme Courts religion jurisprudence is the shrinking of the establishment clause as the free exercise clause grows ever more robust. The former prohibits the government from sponsoring a religion, while the latter protects individuals right to exercise their religion as they see fit. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor put it Tuesday, dissenting in a case requiring Maine to funnel taxpayer dollars toward religious education: What a difference five years makes. In 2017, I feared that the Court was lead[ing] us to a place where separation of church and state is a constitutional slogan, not a constitutional commitment. Today, the Court leads us to a place where separation of church and state becomes a constitutional violation. Advertisement But as new protections for religious liberty are allowed to swallow up other freedoms, the vexing question of religious liberty for whom is never fully addressed. After a series of recent cases in which the Supreme Court appeared to privilege the religious freedoms of Christian death row inmates, some efforts were made to ensure that adherents of any faith would be able to claim protection under the courts ample new views on religious freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign Up for the Surge The most important political nonsense of the week, delivered to your inbox every Saturday. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Enter a synagogue in Florida, which filed a complaint in state court last week claiming that the Florida legislatures new law, which goes into effect July 1, limiting the window in which women can access abortions, violates the state constitutions religious liberty provisions, which afford even broader protections than those of the federal Constitution.* In the complaint, petitioners note that while Florida seeks to ban abortion at 15 weeks gestation, in Jewish law, abortion is required if necessary to protect the health, mental or physical well-being of the woman, or for many other reasons not permitted under the Act. Advertisement Advertisement This kind of religious liberty claim, assuming away other procedural issues, should be recognizable to those who have successfully obtained religious exemptions from contraceptive coverage requirements under Obamacare, or from civil rights laws protecting LGBTQ Americans, or from public health rules limiting the size of religious gatherings during the pandemic. But will those who have defended the Supreme Courts expansive approach to religious freedom accept that adherents of other faiths might also have sincere religious objections to prohibitions on abortion? The answer to that question hasnt been addressed head-on, but it was surely predictable: Not every religion has an equal claim to religious liberties, and some religious adherents can be deemed less worthy of those claims than others. Advertisement Advertisement Some tentative thoughts to that effect were published this week by Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, who contends that the religious liberty interests advanced by Floridas Congregation LDor Va-Dor can be dismissed if proponents of religious liberty can get past their squeamishness about challenging the sincerity of the Jews seeking exemptions from the Florida law.* There are many reasons not to engage directly with these tentative thoughts, chief among them that they appear to be doctrinally unsound. But we have learned over recent years that right-wing ideas that are off the wall, and that shouldnt be given oxygen, can be rapidly absorbed into mainstream legal thinking when allowed to go unchecked. And that makes Blackmans suggestion that only Orthodox Jews have sincere religious duties not only offensive but dangerous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blackman posits that Jews who are not Orthodox cannot, in effect, sin in ways that burden their religious faith. Why? For Christians, perhaps, quantifying the consequences of committing a sin is easier. For Jews, however, the issue is far more complicated. Judaism is not a centralized religion. There is no Jewish equivalent of a Pope. Further, he writes, We often speak of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews, but even within these categories, there is no official or standardized set of teachings. Every Congregation, indeed, every Rabbi, may follow the teachings in different fashions. Advertisement Advertisement As Blackman sees it, One of the biggest differences between Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism turns on the treatment of Jewish Law, known as halacha. Orthodox Jews tend to view halacha as binding. Reform Jews tend not to. He urges that when Reform or Conservative Jews claim that Jewish law requires abortion in many health- and life-sustaining circumstances, this claim is not serious because if virtually every other facet of halacha is not binding on members of this congregation, how could it be that this one teaching on abortion is bindingso binding, that a states prohibition of that teaching actually substantially burdens the free exercise of religion? Advertisement As practicing Jews, we could pause here to comment on how disrespectful and disparaging it is when legal pundits describe our religious commitments as fickle and shifting by the moment. But here is Blackman declaring that Jews have no obligation to be consistent. A Jew could hold one opinion in the morning, and then change his mind over lunch, and go back to the original position after dinner. The old saw, Two Jews, Three Opinions, is apt. After characterizing the vast majority of American Jews as lacking obligationsand as thus having no affirmative duties of consistency or integrityseemingly because the Jewish conception of religious authority is not the Christian one, Blackman makes egregious legal errors that should worry adherents of any minority faith and nonbelievers as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, in order to get a religious exemption under the First Amendment or under religious freedom laws like the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, religious believers must show that the government has imposed a substantial burden on their beliefs or practices. If the government threatens to fine you or put you in jail for doing something that conflicts with your religion, thats usually enough to count as a substantial burden. Under that standard, pretty much all abortion restrictions would qualify. But Blackman disagrees. He says that to claim that their religious exercise is substantially burdened, I think there has to be some broader showing that the religious belief is obligatory in nature. And since, according to Blackman, liberal and progressive Jews can pick and choose their religious commitments, they dont in fact have any religious obligations. And since they dont have any obligations, they cant show that the government has substantially burdened them. And since theres no substantial burden, they cant claim religious exemptions from abortion laws, or any other law for that matter. Advertisement Now, one problem with this argument is that many Conservative and Reform Jews sincerely believe that they do have religious obligations. Because we do. (Blackman seems to feel that all non-Orthodox Jews pick and choose because he does.) But the fact that other Conservative and Reform Jews have these sincere beliefs is no obstacle for Blackman, who says that such Jews dont really believe their faith requires that women have abortions. In this telling, Jews who claim otherwise are lying. And courts shouldnt give exemptions to liars. Jewish women who seek abortion exemptions are like the boy who cries wolf, and Blackman thinks courts would do best to ignore them. Advertisement Advertisement The basic legal premise of Blackmans argument is absolutely wrong. Thats because the government can impose a substantial burden under the First Amendment and under RFRA, even if it doesnt require religious believers to violate a religious obligation or commit a sin. Congress was perfectly clear about this in the text of RFRA, which defines religious exercise to include[] any exercise of religion, whether or not compelled by, or central to, a system of religious belief (emphasis ours). Theres good reason to think that Congress was interpreting and protecting the First Amendment when it enacted that language. And the whole point was to block arguments like Blackmans about first- and second-tier religious commitments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It should go without saying that liberal Jewslike so many other liberal and progressive believers and nonbelievershave deep and abiding religious and ethical obligations. But as a legal matter, they dont have to stand on those obligations in order to show that the state has violated their religious freedom. If Jews sincerely believe that their religious values motivate their decisions about whether to abort or to help others receive the prenatal or emergency or mental health care they need, and if the government would penalize them for acting in accordance with those values, that is the end of the substantial burden inquiry for federal and state courts. Over the last decade, the Supreme Court has been more solicitous of religious exemption claims than at any time in its history. It has taken a highly deferential approach to claims that sincere religious beliefs are substantially burdened. But if the court, following the logic proffered by religious liberty proponents like Blackman, rejects religious exemption claims in the abortion context by questioning the sincerity of non-Orthodox Jews and other minority believers, or if it denies that they are substantially burdened despite the sincerity of their claims, it will be pulling up the ladder that it has extended to Christian conservatives, who have claimed that their religion was burdened by, variously, cake baking, worship attendance limits, and facilitating the use of contraception. To suggest that different adherents of other faiths should be denied that same solicitude by courts attacking their sincerity and accusing them, falsely, of crying wolf would be the most profound violation of what the Framers of the First Amendment sought to protect. Welcome to State of Mind, a new section from Slate and Arizona State University dedicated to exploring mental health. Follow us on Twitter. One of the earliest memories from my childhood is of watching my sister, Julie, attempt to die by suicide during a mental health crisis. I sat in the back of my mothers un-air conditioned Ford Windstar the summer sun baking me like a pernil al horno. My WCW T-shirt was damp, my upper-lip sweat mixed with the tang of a fruit pop Ma had purchased me from the bodega. Mango. My favorite. Advertisement My mother had driven to check on Julie, who had moved in with a guy I could only assume was a bad egg. Im not sure why she brought me, given the intensity of the moment. She encouraged Julie to break up with him, threatening to cut off financial support. Juliewho was later diagnosed with schizophreniawent into hysterics. She cried. She paced. She laid herself down on the train tracks that separates the good part of town (the south side) from the bad part of town (the north side), where Julie now lived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was 6 years old. Twenty-four years later, I would return to my childhood home in rural Central Pennsylvania to help take care of my sister. My hometown is the type where a traffic jam is caused by a wide farm tractor or an Amish horse and buggy. Some folks call it Pennsyltucky. Advertisement Advertisement By then, Julies mental health had seriously deteriorated. She heard voices. She heard a man in the attic. She trespassed on a neighbors property several times to interrogate them about captive children. The police were called. Not oncemore than 10 times in a little under a year. They knew my familys address and Julie by name. Some people in law enforcement might call her a frequent flier. Police relationships with communities of color are often fraught. Throw mental illness into the mix and things are even worse. People experiencing a mental health crisis are 16 times more likely to be met with deadly force and make up half of police fatalities. This, of course, complicated things for my parents. No one ever wants to call crisis hotlines or police on their child. Doubly so if that mentally ill child is a person of color in a largely white community. Advertisement Advertisement Yet we were lucky. Despite being a family of color, we retained a privilege that came in handy in our frequent interactions with local small-town police. Before we moved to Pennsylvania, my father was an officer with the NYPD. Local officers were in awe of his career, and whenever they were called to a scene involving my sister, they handled the situation with a delicacy and patience often not afforded to others. One officer interacted with my family so much he provided his private cellphone for future emergencies. No matter the time, if my sister was having a manic episode, we called this officer directly to help my elderly parents navigate a spiraling situation. With one call my parents could circumvent 911 and crisis hotlines. He would show up where my sister was, a familiar face to help de-escalate the crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My sisters manic episodes make her prone to blackouts. She was once found several hundred miles away in Delaware speaking to herself and dehydrated. In another episode she was caught trespassing on property in a gated community 15 minutes away from our family home. Responding officers immediately recognized her not as Julie, but as my fathers daughter. They would later drive her home to my parents. When the same thing happened two weeks later, officers called my parents and stayed with Julie until my mother picked her up. Advertisement Advertisement Officers giving such grace is almost unheard-of in communities of color. Thankfully Julie was never arrested, and no charges were ever filed. My family is lucky that my fathers profession offered Julie some protection. But that shouldnt be necessary. Advertisement A recent poll by the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that 72 percent of Americans believe mental health counselorsnot police officersshould respond to such crises. The poll also found 60 percent of participants are afraid law enforcement would hurt a loved one with almost half saying they wouldnt feel safe calling 911. Much like wed rather have a doctor perform the Heimlich maneuver at a restaurant than a waiter, so too is the American public hesitant to have a cop play psychologist. Sure, law enforcement officers may have some de-escalation training, but they are no specialists. Thankfully, one solution to crisis responses is on the way. In 2020, Congress agreed to replace the national suicide hotline with a far simpler 988. The Biden administration has committed $280 million to fund both the hotline and 24/7 staff increases for states. But thats not nearly enough money. Only four states have passed legislative funding to support their 988 call centers. Customers in these states will see fees from 24 to 80 cents on their phone bills to help support the infrastructure 988 needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But most states, even those that will have funding for their 988 centers, do not have funding for qualified crisis responders. This raises a critical question: When someone eventually does call the new 988 hotline, who will show up at the door? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that ideally, crisis responders would be licensed and credentialed clinicians and that law enforcement accompaniment should be a last resort unless special circumstances requires it. It also emphasizes the need for crisis planning and follow-up check-ins to make sure people are actually connected to needed services when things have calmed down. This not only is a moral responsibility but a fiscal one as well. Properly funded and supported crisis intervention teams save municipalities from hemorrhaging taxpayer money. In Louisville, Kentucky, over a nine-year period, the crisis intervention team program saved the city more than $1 million by diverting citizens experiencing mental health crises from jails to behavioral health facilities. Detroit found that incarcerating an individual came to the cost of more than $30,000 per year, while providing outpatient mental health care cost just $10,000 per year. Simply put, municipalities are retraumatizing communities with criminal justice system contact when it is neither appropriate nor beneficial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Americans agree that our mental health response system needs a revamp. 988 provides the historic opportunity to do so. All families deserve a mental health system that is responsive in a tailored manner like the support my family received, regardless of whether they have an in with local responders. Instead, it should be grounded in equitable access and compassion. A poorly funded 988 system may only parallel the inequitable systems we already have in place. If you need to talk, or if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. State of Mind is a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that offers a practical look at our mental health systemand how to make it better. The leak of the draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade has prompted numerous stories about the privacy of health data. For instance, Vice reported that data broker SafeGraph was collecting and selling the GPS locations of people who visited abortion clinicsin many cases, likely without their knowledge. There have also been numerous concerns raised about period tracking apps and other technologies that could enable surveillance of and even violence against those seeking medical care. Most Americans assume that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, and other health privacy laws prevent entities like their doctor from sharing sensitive personal informationand thats true. Health care providers are covered under HIPAAs privacy rules. Advertisement But companies outside the narrow scope of HIPAA, from data brokers to period tracking apps, can legally sell Americans health-related information, and they do, from a list of your surgical procedures to your mental health conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few years ago, the more than 100 million users of Flo, a period and ovulation tracking app, learned something startling: The company was sharing their data with Facebook. When a user was having her period or informed the app of an intention to get pregnant, the Wall Street Journal reported, Flo would tell the social media companywhich could then use the data for all kinds of activities including advertising. In 2021, Flo settled with the Federal Trade Commission for lying to its users about secretly sharing their dataand in the complaint, the FTC revealed the company had gone even further than was previously reported, sharing data with Google, Fabric (the then-name of a Google marketing service), marketing company AppsFlyer, and analytics company Flurry. Flo, in the FTC complaints words, took no action to limit what these companies could do with users information. Advertisement Advertisement While this case may seem outlandish, it fits into a broader pattern. The data brokerage ecosystembroadly, companies collecting, inferring, buying, selling, licensing, and otherwise sharing peoples datais a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States. Companies most of us have never heard of, like Acxiom or Babel Street, transact in everything from individuals demographic information (race, sex, gender, and much more) to locations to political preferences and beliefs. They compile datasets on individuals, package them, and make them available on the open market, for sale, advertising, or other purposes. Just some of their dataset titles include Suffering Seniors, Rural and Barely Making It, Ethnic Second-City Strugglers, Rough Start: Young Single Parents, and Credit Crunched: City Families. Advertisement Advertisement This matters in the case of conservative Supreme Court justices overturning Roe v. Wade because HIPAA does not stop many companies from selling peoples health information. As University of California Davis law professor Elizabeth Joh wrote for Slate, the end of Roe v. Wade should be understood in the context of our vast and underregulated surveillance economy, and the reliance of law enforcement on it. Even though law enforcement agencies may be prohibited from accessing certain company-held data without a warrant, they can typically circumvent legal and policy controls by purchasing that data. Many others, from angry individuals to right-wing organizations, can similarly weaponize the open data market against women and other people seeking reproductive healthcare. Advertisement Advertisement HIPAA is limited in scope to certain, covered health entities, like your doctors office or a university hospital. It does not cover companies outside that scopewhich means period tracking apps, online services to provide virtual therapy, and other digital health-related tools and services are typically allowed to legally buy and sell Americans health data. State laws are little help, either, as the data broker laws that do exist in California and Vermont do not limit companies ability to buy, sell, license, and otherwise share Americans data. For their part, the five state consumer privacy laws on the booksin California, Connecticut, Colorado, Utah, and Virginiastill permit companies to widely buy and sell individuals data, and their right to opt-out provisions place the burden on individuals to look up data brokers and submit do-not-sell-my-data forms of their own volition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The health information you can acquire on the open market is broad and detailed, and this problem has existed for years. In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission published a study on data brokers and found data brokers compiling data on such health-related issues as Expectant Parent, Diabetes Interest, Smoker in Household, Buy Disability Insurance, and Cholesterol Focus. In 2013, the nonprofit World Privacy Forum released a report detailing how data brokers sell lists of people suffering from mental health diseases, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and hundreds of other illnesses. It also detailed data brokers advertising a list of domestic violence shelters and a list of rape suffererswhat the organization described as an unjustifiable outrage that sacrifices a rape victims privacy for 7.9 cents per name. In the recent case, data broker SafeGraph was collecting the GPS locations of people visiting family planning centers and abortion clinics and then selling it online (it claims to have stopped selling this data, even though it still seemingly collects it). Advertisement Advertisement All of this data can be linked to individuals. To be clear: Buyers cant request health data on a specific person as far as I can tell, though the brokerage industry is opaque and needs more study. But some data brokers straight-up provide information with individuals names attached. For those data brokers that remove names from datasets before sharing them, there are still grave risks of reidentification. More than two decades ago, Harvard professor Latanya Sweeney, author of numerous groundbreaking studies in this area, linked supposedly deidentified medical information to a population register (e.g., a voter list) to re-identify patients by name. More recently, a 2019 paper in Nature found that 99.98% of Americans would be correctly re-identified in any dataset using 15 demographic attributes, such as ZIP code, gender, and date of birth. It does not require much work to link health data to individualsand with much of this available on the open market, the opportunities for harm are grave. Advertisement Take the case of Flo, the period and ovulation tracking app. After it was caught sending peoples data to Facebook, without their knowledge, Flo alleged that it depersonalized the information. However, individuals period and ovulation data was linked to an advertising identifier, which companies use to track people across devices and servicesin other words, a string that can be linked to a specific person. Law enforcement and right-wing organizations could attempt to acquire sensitive health data on women and other people to enforce anti-choice laws. They could buy information from data brokers on individuals who have visited family planning clinics, or they could even purchase data from period tracking apps or other companies directly. All of this can enable surveillance, targeted profiling, harassment, stalking, and violence. Even beyond abortion restrictions, the sale of this health data is incredibly dangerous, whether it enables foreign governments to hack and steal pre-consolidated spreadsheets of Americans mental health conditions or scammers to purchase datasets on seniors with Alzheimers and dementia to steal away their lifes savings. It also fundamentally undermines a basic assumption made by many Americans: that the government safeguards your medical information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though protecting consumers privacy should be a bipartisan issue, Congress still has not passed a comprehensive privacy law. But it can still act in the meantime. Placing strong controls on the sale of health data would protect millions of Americans from the current threats they face to their privacy, bodily autonomy, physical safety, and even economic and national security. Predatory companies, law enforcement agencies acting without warrants, violent extremists, and other dangerous entities can purchase your sensitive health information off the open market, no matter whether you like it or notand its time for policymakers to act. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Finally, kids under 5 are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Last Wednesday, a Food and Drug Administration panel unanimously recommended the authorization of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5.* It wasnt long before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended the vaccines for young children. Parents are already excitedly making appointments (or at least trying to). One important question remains: Is one of the available vaccines better than the other? You probably remember from the rollout of adult shots that the best vaccine is the one that you can get into your arm as soon as possible. The bottom line is that this is true of kids vaccines too. Advertisement But, as with their adult counterparts, the kids editions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not identical. Here, we break down everything we know about the options, including some pros and cons you might want to consider if you have a choice of which kind of vaccine appointment to book. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What are the major differences between the Pfizer and Moderna kids vaccines? Both are mRNA vaccines that are, most importantly, safe. However, they differ in terms of their dose size and number, side effects, and efficacy in clinical trials. Here come a bunch of numbers: Moderna is recommended for children 6 months through 5 years (previously, it was available just to people over 18). Its delivered in two doses, one month apart.* Each dose is 25 micrograms of mRNA (one-fourth the strength of an adult dose). The clinical trials, which started in December during the initial omicron wave, showed 50.6 percent efficacy against symptomatic illness in children ages 6 to 23 months old, and 36.8 percent efficacy in kids 2 to 5 (the efficacy was measured after two doses). Advertisement Advertisement Pfizers shot is 3 micrograms (one-tenth the strength of an adult dose) for children 6 months through 4 years (that is, kids about to turn 5). Its a three-shot regimen, with the first two shots three weeks apart, and the last one at least two months after the second. In clinical trials, the vaccine efficacy against symptomatic illness was 75.5 percent in the younger cohort, children ages 6 to 23 months, and 82.3 percent in the older one, kids 2 to 4 (the efficacy was calculated after three doses). Advertisement Pfizer sounds like the obvious choice efficacy-wise! Not necessarily. I wouldnt put any stock into the actual numbers, Jake Scott, a physician who specializes in infectious diseases, said. Its so hard to compare because the clinical trials were different, the doses were different, the populations were different. To get a little technical, the Pfizer data in particular had wide confidence intervalsbasically, the efficacies are more like pretty good estimates than numbers that the scientists are really certain of. Also, the virus is evolving and looks a little different from how it did when the trials started. We dont know how well theyre going to protect against infection from BA.4 and BA.5, which are probably going to dominate in the coming months, Scott said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One more question about efficacy: How well do these vaccines work against severe disease and death? Its hard to tell for sure. Theres no data available on those outcomes from the vaccine trials as they are relatively rare outcomes for kids in the first place (nationally, there have been 442 deaths from COVID in children 0 to 4). But based on data from adult populations, experts are very hopeful that the shots will help protect against severe outcomes from COVID-19 in kids. Advertisement Advertisement Why are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine dose sizesand number of shots required different? It really has to do with how much mRNA vaccine is needed to reach the appropriate level of antibodies. Additionally, the two manufacturers were pursuing different strategies when developing their respective shots. As an article in Stat News explains, Pfizer started developing the vaccine with a small dose to start but found that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine 21 days apart did not create a strong enough immune response (the FDA required that vaccination in young children had a similar level of antibodies as in young adults). The third Pfizer shot provides that extra boost. Moderna developers, on the other hand, decided to start with a larger dose initially and found that they only needed two shots to get to the desired immune response. Advertisement Advertisement Well, two shots sounds better than threeright? Fewer shots! Well, in theory, sure. But while the Moderna has a larger amount of mRNA, some predict that there will need to be a third shot anyway. We know for adults and teenagers that you need three doses against omicron, so I wouldnt be surprised and fully expect that there would be a booster for the Moderna vaccine to get that efficacy up a little higher against omicron, said Dr. Kawsar Talaat, an associate professor in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins University who was a principal investigator for the Pfizer vaccine trials in children. Advertisement Advertisement So the message is dont stress too much over the exact efficacy of either vaccinebut also, dont be surprised if the Moderna efficacy does need a boost. Advertisement Exactly. Another thing to keep in mind: The Moderna side effects might be worse. Really? Yep. One in 4 children who received the Moderna shot had a fever (in comparison to 1 in 20 with Pfizer), and more children in the Moderna group experienced irritability, drowsiness, and fatigue. However, the observed side effectsor as Dr. Scott calls them, the intended effectsare likely a result of the higher Moderna dosage. Its really important that people understand this is a sign of your immune response. Its a sign your immune response is doing what its supposed to do, which is making antibodies to block the virus, Scott said. I dont think its anything to worry about, I think its a good thing. You have to earn your immune protection. Advertisement What about myocarditis? Many parents are worried about the risk of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle that results in chest pain, shortness of breath, or arrhythmias. Although there have been some cases of myocarditis after vaccine administration, there were none observed in the clinical trials. Advertisement Advertisement The worry was going to be that if you went to younger kids, the lower the age, the risk would go up. The good news is, so far, it does not seem to be the case, although the clinical trials on younger kids are still fairly small, said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. OK, whats the bottom line here? Doctors must suggest one over the other. Advertisement Not really! Theres not really enough information to be able to discriminate [between] the two at this point, Hotez explained. The advantage of Pfizer is we already know that this is going to be a three-dose vaccine so you dont have to wait around and find out if you need another dose. The disadvantage may be that you require those three doses to get a strong immune response. The advantage of Moderna is you might be able to get a higher immune response after two doses, but then you have to worry about whether you need the third dose. The bottom line is you can argue either way and I treat the two as more or less equivalent in terms of overall safety and effectiveness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three of the experts I spoke to agreed that both would do the trick of preventing severe illness and deaththe goal of vaccines. At the end of the day, its just important to get those kids vaccinated. Because most cases of COVID-19 in children are mild, people have this impression that COVID-19 is no big deal in kids, Talaat said. But COVID-19 has killed kids more than any other infectious disease. Its really important that we vaccinate our kids. Doesnt matter which one. From 2023 residents in Spain will have to declare cryptocurrencies in their tax returns Spanish residents submitting their tax returns will have to include cryptocurrency holdings from next year Anyone who is resident in Spain and possesses cryptocurrencies like Bitcoins will have to submit this information in their annual tax returns from 1 January 2023, with detailed information on transactions and balances. Until now, the tax obligations for cryptocurrency holders were limited to the need to declare any profits or losses in their income tax returns , which in the 2022 income tax return has a specific section for these assets. You might also like: The deadline for filing your tax returns in Spain 2022 ends on June 30 The new obligation to declare all cryptocurrency transactions in 2023, as regulated by Spains new anti-fraud law, is set out in a draft bill incorporating several anti-fraud amendments, which is currently at the public hearing stage. The tax declaration will be made using special tax forms Modelo 650 and Modelo 660, and will have to include information on those who have held the cryptocurrency or been authorised beneficiaries of the cryptocurrencies at some point during the year. In addition, you will need to include details of what the final balances are at the end of the year, as well as data such as types of currency, how many units of the cryptocurrency are owned and how much the equivalent amount is in euros. Now read: 3 steps to turn your cryptocurrency profits into an investment for your future Image: Archive How much alcohol can you drink in Spain if driving? Blood alcohol level depends on a number of factors like weight and gender With the summer season kicking into high gear, traffic officers across Spain are ramping up their road surveillance and will be keeping a close look out in particular for people driving over the established alcohol limit . While its advisable to completely abstain if you plan to get behind the wheel, the DGT has this week clarified just how much youre actually allowed to drink and drive. The basic limits applied during a road-side breathalyser test are 0.5gr/l or just 0.3 gr/l in the case of novice drivers , but the level of alcohol in the bloodstream depends on a whole host of factors, such as the amount of pure alcohol ingested, the volume of alcohol drunk and even the weight and sex of the driver. How is the degree of alcohol calculated? This comes down to basic maths, but its quite a process to work out. Essentially, blood alcohol level is calculated by dividing the grams of pure alcohol ingested by the weight (in kilograms) of the drinker. Then, it is multiplied by 0.7 in the case of men or by 0.6 in the case of women, whose tolerance for alcohol is lower. Before this step, however, you need to know how to accurately calculate the amount of alcohol that has been ingested. To do this, simply multiply the alcoholic strength of the beverage in question, which is always displayed on the bottle, by the amount you have drank, which must be expressed in cubic centimetres of millimetres. Finally, multiply this figure by 0.8 (density of alcohol) and divide by 100. Even if the figure turns out to be lower than the legal limit, the DGT still warns that the effects [of alcohol] appear from the first moment, even with rates lower than those allowed for driving, and the best practice is to avoid drinking completely if you need to drive. According to the authorities, reaction time, coordination problems and under-estimation of speed can all occur after just two glasses of beer or a wine. Como podemos calcular cuanto alcohol hemos ingerido? Y el grado de alcoholemia? Como nos afecta? Para conducir, mejor ir a #cero. Pero, recuerda que el limite legal de #alcohol en sangre es 0,5 gr/l (0,3 para noveles). Mas informacion en https://t.co/XKx1UYIwSQ pic.twitter.com/hWMWYsmGSU Dir. Gral. Trafico (@DGTes) June 10, 2022 Image 1: Pixaby Image 2: DGT Neo-Nazi aristocrat in Spain employs illegal weapons arsenal in grisly double murder-suicide The Count of Atares, Fernando Gonzalez, allegedly killed his partner and another woman at his apartment in Madrid before shooting himself Two women and a man were found shot dead at an apartment in the centre of Madrid on Monday morning June 20 in a suspected grisly double-murder suicide. Neighbours heard gunshots in the apartment building at around 10am and called 091. When National Police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered three bodies with gunshot wounds, and paramedics could only confirm their deaths. It's believed the women were shot hours before the suspected suicide. El #SUMMA112 ha confirmado la muerte de dos mujeres y un hombre en una vivienda de la calle Serrano, en #Madrid. Presentan heridas por arma de fuego. Investiga la @policia. pic.twitter.com/XssuoalMM2 112 Comunidad de Madrid (@112cmadrid) June 20, 2022 Spokesperson for Madrid emergency services, David Garcia, explained that "there was no possibility of resuscitating the victims, who are a woman between 30 and 40-years-old, a man (aged 53), and another woman believed to be 70". An arsenal of illegal weapons and array of photos of dictators Adolf Hitler and Fransisco Franco were found at the ground floor property in the Salamanca neighbourhood which belongs to the alleged killer, the Count of Atares, Fernando Gonzaleza. It has since been revealed Gonzaleza had a police record for gender violence against his partner, sister and mother, according to police sources. Also read: An employee of Cristiano Ronaldo crashes his 2M-euro Bugatti into a Mallorca house One of the victims is the aristocrat's partner and mother to the couple's 10-year-old daughter who was on vacation in Paris at the time of the horror shooting. The other victim was a friend of the alleged killer's partner who was staying at the apartment for a few days. After shooting both women, the count and Marquis of Perija reportedly turned the gun on himself. Neighbours have since told police that the alleged killer had firearms at his home in Calle Serrano and was often seen shooting at targets in a courtyard at the property, and claimed they "lived in fear" of the "crazy" and "often angry" man. In 2009 he was denounced for mistreating his sister and mother and a restraining order was imposed on him. Years later, in 2018, the police acted as 'ex-officio' after the neo-Nazi aristocrat allegedly mistreated his partner, but she withdrew the complaint and the couple got back together. Now read: Catastrophic tsunami predicted in the Mediterranean in the next 30 years Image: 112 Comunidad de Madrid Five Czechoslovak pilots' bodies were found in the Netherlands. News: Receive notifications about new articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Remains of five Czechoslovak pilots found in Netherlands last year will be buried in the country. (Source: Public domain) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled When the Dutch army uncovered a World War II British bomber fuselage just last year, it found the remains of military pilots along with their personal items. Their remains will be buried after 81 years in the Netherlands with all military honours. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Analysis proved that the bone fragments belonged to five Czechoslovak pilots who were flying for the Royal Air Force (RAF): Alois Rozum, Leonhard Smrcek, Vilem Konstacky, Jan Hejna and Karel Valach, the TASR newswire reported. In the grave or still trapped in the plane I have heard on the radio that research was being conducted and they were searching for relatives, Lubor Kunc, relative of pilot Alois Rozum, said as quoted by the TASR newswire. A year ago, I had no idea that their bodies remained on the plane. We thought they were buried in a Dutch field grave. On the night of June 23, 1941, a six-man crew in Vickers Wellington bomber flew to the German city of Bremen. On its way back, the bomber was hit by a German Messerschmitt and fell to Dutch territory near the village of Nieuwe Niedorp. This is how the event was described by military historian Jiri Rajlich, TASR wrote. The only one to survive from the crew was the first pilot Vilem Bufka. Bufka gave testimony about the event then. Rozum's parents had no idea After the war, the parents of the Czechoslovak pilots were told their sons had fallen on the battlefield. Alois Rozum's parents didnt even know that their son was a RAF pilot. After he fled his homeland, Rozum made his way via Poland to France, where he joined the foreign legions. From there, he moved to Britain to the 311 bomber squadron where his journey ended. Czechoslovak soldiers to be buried in the Netherlands, Justice Minister Kolikova poses with an ostrich, and where to avoid falling rocks. News: Receive notifications about new articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Good evening. The Wednesday, June 22 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes. President to take Matovic's package to court Lawmakers rejected President Zuzana Caputova's reservations about Finance Minister Igor Matovic's package of measures and overrode her veto on June 22, 2022. (Source: TASR - Martin Baumann) MPs overrode the President Zuzana Caputova's veto of the package of measures designed by Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO). Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The 1.2 billion package, which should help some families, was adopted in late May for the first time. The president, who respects the MPs' decision, is going to turn to the Constitutional Court to assess the law-passing procedure. More stories from The Slovak Spectator website: MEDIA: Only 26 percent of Slovaks trust the media, a survey conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism shows. Only 26 percent of Slovaks trust the media, a survey conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism shows. SECRET SERVICE: Some foreign intelligence services try to influence Slovak politics, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) said. Some foreign intelligence services try to influence Slovak politics, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) said. TRAVEL: The Nitra Region now has its first ferratas. FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY Netherlands to bury Czechoslovak pilots The remains of five Czechoslovak pilots found in Netherlands last year will be buried in the country. (Source: Public domain) In June 1941, five Czechoslovak pilots died after their bomber was shot down by a German fighter. The bomber crashed in a village outside Amsterdam. Their remains will be buried after 81 years in the Netherlands with all military honours. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you. IN OTHER NEWS: Justice Minister Maria Kolikova has joined the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party. A few days ago, she was caught on camera as she stroked an ostrich outside the Presidential Palace . . Germany is ready to patrol Slovakia's airspace , Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. He added his country is prepared to send soldiers to Slovakia as well. (TASR) , Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. He added his country is prepared to send soldiers to Slovakia as well. (TASR) At next week's NATO summit in Madrid, Slovakia plans to back the change of the current enhanced forward presence on NATO's eastern flank to a long-term forward defence . NATO battle groups are also training in central Slovakia. . NATO battle groups are also training in central Slovakia. Slovakia is ready to provide Ukraine with Soviet technology only if Slovakia receives adequate compensation from the Allies , Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said. He admitted that Slovakia is running out of things that it could give to Ukraine. Most recently, Slovakia had given helicopters to Ukraine. , Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said. He admitted that Slovakia is running out of things that it could give to Ukraine. Most recently, Slovakia had given helicopters to Ukraine. The Defence Ministry has denied that it is considering buying F-35 fighters instead of F-16 fighters, some of which are to land in Slovakia in 2024. Slovakia's largest building, Eurovea Tower, which is still under construction, was on fire on the June 22 morning. A compressor started burning. (Source: TASR) Russia's hybrid activities have intensified across the board in Slovakia, the Slovak Information Service writes in its 2021 report. The secret service added that Russia had tried to influence political decisions, spread propaganda, divide society and even penetrate the state's structures. The Russian embassy was forced to reduce its staff in spring. have intensified across the board in Slovakia, the Slovak Information Service writes in its 2021 report. The secret service added that Russia had tried to influence political decisions, spread propaganda, divide society and even penetrate the state's structures. The Russian embassy was forced to reduce its staff in spring. Mountain rescuers do not recommend hiking in the area of the Maly Kezmarsky Stit Peak because of falling rocks. Watch a video. because of falling rocks. Watch a video. At a Bratislava hospital, a team of doctors removed the wrong eye of a patient . As a result, they are completely blind. (TASR) . As a result, they are completely blind. (TASR) The EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg has ruled that Slovakia violated several directives on habitats and birds in a case concerning the protection of the western capercaillie, upholding the Commission's lawsuit against the country in full. in a case concerning the protection of the western capercaillie, upholding the Commission's lawsuit against the country in full. Lenka Wittenbergerova, former head of the Financial Administration, received a suspended two-year prison sentence with a five-year probation period and a 50,000 fine for accepting a bribe, the Specialised Criminal Court ruled on June 22. If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Antonio Brown burned every bridge in sight during his exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers, but could a return to the team be feasible for one of the NFL's most mercurial players? Mike Tomlin is not holding his breath. The Pittsburgh Steelers discussed his former wide receiver and much more during an appearance on The Pivot Podcast. When asked about the possibility of Brown coming back to Pittsburgh, Tomlin was blunt: "Yall know that aint happening." Tomlin appeared to concede that Brown could sign a one-day contract to retire a Steeler, but shot down any ideas about him suiting up in black and yellow again: "In terms of putting a helmet on and running out of the tunnel and playing ball and stuff like that, man, hes moved on, weve moved on. We can sit around and chop that up and pretend like thats a realistic conversation, but we all know thats not realistic, man. What Ill say about AB is this, man. We had nine great years. I appreciate that dude in ways that I cant explain to yall. That I wont even bother to attempt to explain to yall because it sounds like Im defending him in some way, and to me, from that standpoint, the nature of our relationship and what we all did together requires no defense. You could digest it however you want to digest it. [Tomlin blows a kiss.] You know what I mean?" Brown infamously left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17 last season and hasn't exactly conducted himself like a person who plans to play in the NFL again. He said he would not undergo a necessary ankle surgery until a team signs him in March and outright stated fans shouldn't expect to see him playing football this upcoming season in May. He did indicate he wanted to retire with the Steelers, however. Just wanna Retire A Steeler AB (@AB84) May 16, 2022 Would the Steelers organization be amenable to that? It remains to be seen, though Tomlin went out of his way to praise Brown as a player, while acknowledging things weren't handled well on the personal front. Notably, he used nothing but past tense: Story continues "I dont think enough gets said about the will of that dude. About the work ethic of that dude. About the fearlessness in which he played the game. Is fear ever a factor in his play? ... I've never seen him blink on the football field I've never seen him shy away from anything that was uncomfortable on the football field. I've only seen him run into burning buildings on the football field. We talk about all this other stuff, man, but we don't talk about that. Unbelievable will. Unbelievable work ethic. Unbelievable belief in himself. That's what I think about when I think about the nine years I spent with that dude. "With success comes a lot of things. Some we deal with well, some we don't. Some he dealt with well, some of it he didn't. Some of it changed him in ways that were not as attractive. Someways he grew and grew in a big way ... Success is a slippery red carpet." If this is really it for Brown, he'll retire with 928 career receptions, 12,291 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns, with seven Pro Bowl nods, a Super Bowl ring and a spot on the NFL's 2010s All-Decades Team. Pretty good for a 5-foot-10 sixth-rounder out of Central Michigan. Brown's peak in Pittsburgh was one of the highest the sport of football has seen from a wide receiver, but even his most successful coaches are going to concede there are things he could have handled better. The third leg of the Graduate Series will highlight Saturdays card of racing at The Meadowlands, with six divisions going postward for the four-year-olds. Heres a preview of the $40,000 divisions: Graduate Series - Four-Year-Old Mare Trot Bella Bellini will take on just four foes in this compact division. Dexter Dunn guided the Richard Nifty Norman trainee to a third-place finish in the Armbro Flight Stake in her latest, and hell be back aboard the daughter of Bar Hopping-Bella Dolce this Saturday evening. Herculisa figures to put up a good fight based on the 2-0-1 record shes assembled so far this season from just four assignments. David Miller is slated to driver the Virgil Morgan, Jr. trainee from Post 2. Graduate Series - Four-Year-Old Open Trot Rattle My Cage totes a two-race winning streak into this tilt, with his latest victory coming in an eye-catching clocking of 1:50.2 for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Yannick Gingras is listed to pilot the son of Love You-Caress The Senses from Post 4. Cuatro De Julio marched to a 1:51.1 victory in a trip to Kentucky earlier this month, and hell look to build on that massive effort from Post 6 for the tandem of driver Andy McCarthy and trainer Marie Ortolan Bar. The second division appears to be a wide-open contest which features Ahundreddollarbill fresh off a 1:50.2 triumph at The Meadowlands. Todd McCarthy engineered that win, and hell depart from Post 2 with the Tony Alagna pupil on Saturday evening. Sonofamistery has racked up three wins from five starts this season, and hell try to bolster those impressive stats for the duo of driver Brian Sears and trainer Marcus Melander. The son of Muscle Hill-Mistery Woman will leave from Post 4. He was a Graduate Series winner over the New Jersey oval on May 7. Graduate Series - Four-Year-Old Mare Pace Test Of Faith will look to keep the ball rolling for driver David Miller and trainer Brett Pelling, who watched the daughter of Art Major-Cannae Cammie rally to an impressive win in last weekends Roses Are Red Stake. She now owns a 3-1-0 record from five starts this season, and the 2021 U.S. Horse of the Year will depart from Post 1 in her quest to add to her bankroll that stands in excess of $1.7 million. Graduate Series - Four-Year-Old Open Pace Carbine is the hot horse coming into this contest based on his three-race winning streak for trainer Tony Alagna. The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Shot Togo Bluechip will leave from Post 1 for driver Todd McCarthy, who guided the 10-time winner to a 1:49 triumph in a leg of the Graduate Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 4. He was also a Graduate Series winner at The Meadowlands on May 7. Theres a heavy Canadian presence in the second division thanks to the likes of Bulldog Hanover and Linedrive Hanover . Bulldog Hanover walloped a good group of older foes in a Free-For-All event at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 11 for trainer Jack Darling, who has shipped the son of Shadow Play-BJs Squall to the barn of trainer Noel Daley. Dexter Dunn gets tapped on the shoulder to babysit the 17-time winner from Post 6. The Michigan Harness Horsemens Association Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Agriculture, announced on Tuesday (June 21) increases to Michigan's summer stakes purses. The 2022 summer program offers two separate eight-week programs: one restricted to only Michigan-sired horses, and one open to both Michigan-sired and Michigan-bred horses. Each series will carry estimated purses of $11,000 per division per event and will culminate in $20,000 fair final featuring the best from the Michigan-sired and Michigan-bred program. This years Michigan Sire Stakes will boast a combined $800,000 in purses, as top two and three-year-old Michigan-sired horses will compete for $100,000 per division. Other notable updates include the $20,000 Great Lakes Stakes for Michigan-sired horses, $20,000 Michigan Breeders Stakes and the newly created Spartan Stakes, which will offer an estimated $25,000 per division. Michigan's summer program kicks off July 9 at the Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte, with the first week of the Michigan-sired series. The full summer schedule can be found at mhha.com. Archived race replays will be available all season long at trotandpacemarketing.com. (Michigan Harness Horsemens Association) Live harness racing will return to Miami Fair in Winnipeg, Manitoba for a pair of upcoming race dates in July. Miami Fair will host live harness racing on July 9 and July 16, with a 2 p.m. post time for both days. Qualifying races will be held on July 2 at 2 p.m. The two days of racing will be the only dates at Miami this year before The Loop opens. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Joel Reese said theres no doubt that the opening of the Carnation Milk Company in Statesville in 1940 changed the economy of Iredell County. Reese, the local history librarian at the Iredell County Public Library, talked about the history of the milk plant at a meeting Monday. The meeting was sponsored by the Iredell County Historical Society and was held at the countys agricultural center. Prior to the arrival of the Carnation plant, Reese said, most farming in Iredell County was tobacco and cotton. He said they were paid cash for their crops, maybe once a year and used cash to pay their taxes. Otherwise, he said, they were self-sufficient, growing what they needed to eat. The county agent at the time, Augustus Ray Morrow, proposed the idea that continued crop planting depleted the soil, and suggested farmers consider getting a milk cow and letting the land be used for pasture to replenish the soil, Reese explained. That would also mean the farmers would have a steady source of income, getting paid every two weeks, but that meant needing a source for the milk and thats where the idea of bringing the Carnation Milk Company plant to Statesville began, Reese said. Morrow and John W. Wallace, along with Chester E. Middlesworth, who had purchased The Landmark newspaper, put together an effort to encourage the Kent, Washington-based Carnation Milk Company to build a plant in Statesville. Morrow and Wallace worked to answer any concerns about the decision to locate in Statesville. Reese said, at one point, they were called up to allay concerns about drought in this area. Putting together information on annual rainfall totals to present to Carnation officials, they received a little help from Mother Nature. They had the worst downpour in four years, he said. The effort came to fruition in October 1940 when the new plant on West Front Street was dedicated. It spawned a Dairyland Festival which included a parade and milking contests in downtown Statesville. Those efforts helped turn Iredell County into the top dairy producer in North Carolina, something that holds true to this day, said Iredell County Agricultural Extension Agent Nancy Keith. She said that is despite the reduction in the total number of dairy farming operations in the county. Several people came to the meeting Monday and shared stories of the Carnation Milk Company or of the dairy industry in general. Rodney Oliver remembers playing in the trees in front of the Carnation Milk Company plant on West Front Street as his father loaded milk to be delivered throughout the county. Oliver and his sister, Deana Little, talked about their father, Rex Oliver, who drove a milk truck for 18 years. I used to go with him on his milk route around Iredell and Alexander counties as a little girl, Little said. The Oliver siblings attended the meeting with their mother, Wilma, but their dad had spent the day working on the farm and couldnt be there. Joe Cloaninger, 94, showed a photo from Celeste Henkels class of 1944. The photo was of the boys in the class and each one was holding a cow. He also remembered the Dairyland Festival in downtown Statesville. I took a Jersey cow and put it in the Merchants and Farmers Bank (window) so people could see it, he said. Steve Hill of the Statesville Historical Collection said another business did the same thing. The Carnation Milk Company and dairy farming, Reese said, brought the county together, and as indicated by the people sharing their stories, it continues to do so to this day. Greensboros North Carolina Folk Festival features the usual festival fare food, music, art and crafts but with a twist. This festival focuses on keeping alive traditions with local, national and worldwide roots. We celebrate the transmission of traditions from one generation to the next, said Amy Grossmann, president and CEO of the nonprofit festival. We showcase regional North Carolina talent, but we also have a global flare, she said. We highlight performers with different global roots and traditions. Artists may be from North Carolina, other parts of the U.S. or the world and carry on performance traditions from their home communities or countries of origin. The festival is a real celebration of people carrying cultural knowledge forward through performances and crafts they learned from their families and communities, Grossmann said. That is really the heart and soul of what we do. Four stages of diverse music After a successful pivot to a virtual event in 2020, the festival returns to downtown Greensboro Sept. 10-12 with an exciting lineup of performers including: Molly Tuttle who Grossmann described as an up-and-coming, incredible bluegrass and Americana performer Jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon who she called a legend in the jazz world Caique Vidal & Batuque/Oxente, African-Brazilian drummers The Mari Black Trio, Scottish performers from Boston, Mass. Shamarr Allen & The Underdawgs, a New Orleans funk and hip hop group Conjunto Guantanamo, Cuban performers from New York City. Theyre another great example of folks who are U.S. citizens but are carrying on performance traditions from their country of origin, Grossmann said. The public can keep up with whats on tap at the event by signing up for the festivals newsletter. A hunger to convene The pandemic has left us with a hunger to convene safely to enjoy great music and feel safe and be part of a cultural celebration again. Thats what we have to offer in Greensboro, Grossmann said. We are not ticketed; there are no gates or fences around our festival, she added. People can safely spread out, enjoy music, go to different stages and just have a really great time. Festival organizers are encouraging attendees to social distance and wear masks in places where others might convene. We are really hoping people can stay distanced and enjoy the music and enjoy a great day, Grossman said. The NC Folklife Demonstration area showcasing makers from North Carolina will be taking a break this year because of coronavirus concerns and will return next year, she said. Spinoff of national event The festival is a spinoff of the National Folk Festival, one of the countrys earliest multicultural celebrations. First produced in St. Louis in 1934, the festival used to travel to various cities. During the 1980s, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, organizer of the festival, decided to award it to one city for a three-year residency. The goal was to plant a seed for that community to carry on a legacy event after 'national moved to another community starting the residency all over again, Grossman said. Greensboro hosted the festival from 2015 to 2017. When that residency ended, national moved on, and we carried on with a legacy event we re-named the North Carolina Folk Festival, she added. Grossman is proud of the fact that admission to the Greensboro festival is free. We are 100 percent committed to keeping this festival free making sure that attendance is not limited by a persons ability to enter the site, she said. This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com. The Floyd County Board of Supervisors voted last week not to join the New River Valley Passenger Rail Authority after much discussion and answers from county Attorney Stephen Durbin. The choice ultimately came down to Board Chairman Joe Turman on June 14, who said he still isnt satisfied. Durbin said Floyd County would have two votes on the Authority board, the same as other localities involved, and its members would be allowed to suggest bylaws for the body, such as yearly limit increases. The NRV Passenger Rail Authority Board is subject to majority rule for general operations, Durbin said. County Administrator Dr. Linda Millsaps said it would cost $5,300 for Floyd to join as of June 14, the same amount that was requested last year, she said. Indian Valleys Kalinda Bechtold voiced concern about localities within localities also having two votes, such as Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Little Rivers Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch said Floyd residents are going to benefit from the Christiansburg station. She said supporting the Authority's efforts is a move in the right direction for transportation in Southwest Virginia. The Courthouse Districts Jerry Boothe said Floyds participation is a matter of having a seat at the table. Interim Locust Grove Supervisor Levi Cox and Turman echoed Bechtolds concern about Floyds benefit. Turman said until theres evidence Floyds citizens would benefit and Board members will really have a say in whats going on, he had to vote no. Bechtold and Cox also voted against joining, while DeVito Kuchenbuch and Boothe voted in favor. Just over a month from a massive storm front bringing damaging wind and hail and flooding to the county, another big storm struck on Friday dropping trees on power lines and leaving thousands of area residents in the dark for days. The last residents hit by the Friday outages due to high wind and heavy rain were expected to have power restored by Tuesday afternoon. At the height of the storm on Friday evening Appalachian Power reported about 130,000 outages in its three-state service area. There are about 17,097 customers in Smyth County. On Friday and part of the weekend, the entire town of Saltville was without power and the town hall was running on a generator. Saltville Councilmember Monica Johnson was keeping local residents informed of the outages and the work to restore power on her Facebook page. Just to assure folksCrews are working to try and help all of us, Johnson shared on Saturday. Its not an easy task at all and I know its hard on all of us to be without power but I just wanted to give a SHOUT OUT to all the men and women out getting it all done! American Electric Power - AEP We do appreciate all that yall are doing to help each and every one of us! Teresa Hamilton Hall with Appalachian Power communications noted that workers made tremendous progress on Sunday getting the power restored to 22,000 customers after completing repairs at 1,100 locations. More than 3,000 workers have been taking part in the effort, Hall said. As service restoration was completed in one area, workers moved to other locations to assist with repairs. Workers from as far away as Alabama, Mississippi and Florida assisted those from Appalachian Power with restoration in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. The last Virginia counties expected to have had power restored by Tuesday afternoon were Smyth, Washington, Wise and Dickenson. Hall said the main issue in Saltville was trees down on power lines or transformers, some in nearly inaccessible places. In some cases, Hall said, the downed trees were in places with only off-road access so workers had to walk in carrying equipment, climb poles, and haul debris out. Saltville is in the Glade Spring area of service, Hall said, which was hit particularly hard by downed trees. Appalachian Power deals with trees in its right-of-way but those on private property would need to be handled by the property owner. A handful of customers without power on Monday were in Marion, Hall said. Paul Morrison said his roof and probably the underlying structure was damaged when a very large tree fell on his house in Marion late Friday. A little trailer also sustained damage. It was the second time the roof has been damaged this year. He had to replace it after the hail storm in early May. They told us years ago that this would happen with storms getting stronger, Morrison said. Ive never seen a spring like this. Hall said the trend of more damage from worsening storms and the impact on electric service is being addressed at various levels of the power company. In March 2021, AEP, the parent company of Appalachian Power, issued the findings of a comprehensive climate impact analysis, Hall said. The report located at AEPs-Climate-Impact-Analysis.pdf (aepsustainability.com) provides a view of the business and the potential risks and opportunities created by climate change, as well as strategies for managing them. Climate change is a defining issue of our time, reads a statement from the company. It is also one of the most debated issues. AEPs position is that there are unmistakable changes occurring to the climate but that the speed of change and the future effects of those changes remain uncertain. We have experienced it in the form of extreme weather events across our service territory, from extreme heat and droughts to more intense and frequent storms and hurricanes. Our analysis showed that investments to harden and build resilience and reliability into the system are essential and having a positive impact. Weather extremes are becoming noticeably more severe, and AEPs geographic diversity provides a hedge against physical extremes in many climate-related variables because the impacts tend to be local or regional and can vary greatly by location. Storms that produce heavy wind and rain cause damage that can bring down power lines. Customers should treat all downed lines as live power lines and stay away from them. Keep children and pets away from fallen lines and anything the lines may touch. Never remove debris that's within 10 feet of a power line. Additional safety tips are posted at https://www.appalachianpower.com/safety/. Visit Appalachian Power.com to report an outage online anytime. Editors note: Information is provided by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department and local law enforcement agencies. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Vehicular homicide Kelso officers Tuesday arrested Charles Stapleton, 33, of Kelso on suspicion of vehicular homicide. Assault Kalama officers Monday arrested Joshua Anderson, 43, of Toledo, on suspicion of second-degree assault. Assault Longview officers Monday arrested Perry Lewis, 45, of Longview, on suspicion of second-degree assault, failing to register as a sex offender, criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and attempting to obstruct law enforcement. Stolen vehicle Woodland officers Monday arrested Abigail Downs, 27, of Wilsonville, Oregon, on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle. Stolen vehicle Woodland officers Monday arrested James Roach, 29, of Vancouver, on suspicion of motor vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, second-degree theft and retail theft. Harassment Longview officers Monday arrested Brandon Strehle, 28, of Longview, on suspicion of felony harassment. Eluding police Longview officers Tuesday arrested Lucas Bunn, 26, of Kelso, on suspicion of attempting to elude police. Assault Cowlitz County deputies Tuesday arrested Armando Martinez Jr., 30, of Kelso, on suspicion of second-degree assault and malicious mischief. Harassment Longview officers Tuesday arrested Cody Vannice, 32, of Longview, on suspicion of felony harassment, fourth-degree assault and malicious mischief. Harassment Kalama officers Tuesday arrested Virginia Wallis, 53, of Castle Rock on suspicion of felony harassment. Editors note: A software switch at Cowlitz County dispatch has prevented the agency from temporarily supplying 911 call logs and officer notes past June 6. The agency is working to create new reports to supply media outlets. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VANCOUVER Washingtons newest Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs, wants voters to know the states elections are secure. Hobbs traveled to Vancouver on Tuesday to visit the Fort Vancouver Regional Library and The Columbian as part of an effort to reach out to local communities. Hobbs said the department is currently focused on educating voters about disinformation and misinformation campaigns commonly seen during elections. While he said his office previously did not have the budget it needed to do extensive public outreach, the Legislature increased the agencys budget in the last session and Hobbs is now working to expand those efforts. My budget priorities were basically blessed by the Legislature: cybersecurity, combating misinformation and disinformation and outreach, Hobbs said. Hobbs said hes starting with good old-fashioned education of the public, which means going beyond reminding voters to cast their ballots and explaining how the voting process works, how security is ensured and what voters can do to help. Hobbs said the most common claims of voter fraud are ballots cast by deceased individuals and voters casting ballots in more than one jurisdiction or state. He said those claims typically turn out to be voters in the military serving overseas or college students still receiving ballots at their parents homes. Did you know theres something called the election registration and information center that, if somebody moves to another location, it gets picked up and we can cancel that persons vote? Or if someone dies, well know about it, Hobbs said. Hobbs was appointed secretary of state by Gov. Jay Inslee in November after former Secretary of State Kim Wyman resigned to join the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. As for this misinformation or disinformation, this narrative that elections are somehow rigged is simply not true, Hobbs said. But we havent really been talking about it. He also wants to educate voters on using common sense when interacting with social media. He said many people will repost or retweet things without examining where the posts are coming from, ensuring they are reliable sources or even that the person posting is human and not a bot. There are malign actors out there doing everything they can to spread this misinformation and disinformation, Hobbs said. Unfortunately, we have people within our own communities that just take it and run with it. Hobbs said his office has doubled its cybersecurity efforts and has a working relationship with the Army National Guards cybersecurity specialists. Nearly every county in the state, including Clark County, has a special device, called an Albert sensor, on the elections network that tracks data and activity. If you have a preponderance of data coming from or to a Russian IP (internet protocol) address, thats a red flag. Why would a Russian IP address collect data or send data to some place like Ferry County or Lincoln County? Hobbs said. The threats are real, and we have to protect against them. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 The Redmi K50i is expected to launch in India soon, having the same specs as the Redmi Note 11T Pro 5G in China. Here are all the details. Redmi K50i has long been rumoured to come to India and a new leak reiterates that once more. The Redmi K50i series is said to mark the return of the Redmi K series to India after a long absence. Xiaomi is expected to use the Redmi Note 11T Pro models from China as the underlying phone model, which is not a bad deal considering the specs are among the more powerful Android smartphones in the market. The Redmi K50i specs have been outed by a report from 91Mobiles, suggesting that the smartphone is largely based on the Redmi Note 11T Pro. That is not a bad deal, considering that you are getting the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chip at the helm. We had recently seen the Dimensity 8100 in action on the Realme GT 3 Neo as well as the OnePlus 10R. Hence, you can make a wild guess as to what kind of price will this Redmi smartphone command in India. ALSO READ: Best gaming smartphones under 20000- Redmi Note 11 Pro, iQOO Z6, Vivo T1 and more Redmi K50i launching in India soon While the launch date is yet to be revealed, it is said that the specs of the phone will remain identical to the Redmi Note variant from China. That means the phone will have the same Dimensity 8100 chip at the helm, guaranteeing the same kind of performance as the Snapdragon 888 phones. The phone will also bring support 67W fast wired charging for its 5080mAh battery. The display will be a 6.6-inch FHD+ IPS LCD unit with a variable refresh rate of 144Hz, promising 650 nits of brightness. The Indian unit will be available in two variants a base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, whereas the top-end variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Concerning the cameras, the phone is also expected to have a triple camera setup, consisting of a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The front camera will have a 16MP sensor. The phone will also get features such as a dual speaker setup and a headphone jack. The phone will boot MIUI 13 out f the box, although it remains to be seen what Android version it ships with. Realme has rolled out the June 2022 OTA update for three of its handsets. Know how you can check Realme is rolling out the June 2022 OTA update for Narzo 50i, Narzo 20, and Realme C11 smartphones. The Chinese smartphone brand has announced the same via its community posts. The new update will bring several new features and optimized network compatibility as well as improved system stability. Do note that the rollout is being executed in a staged manner. Check out the details of Realme June 2022 OTA update here Realme Narzo 50i and Narzo 20 OTA update The latest OTA update for the Narzo 50i and Narzo 20 handset comes with the UI version RMX3235_11.A.29 and RMX2191_11.C.17 respectively. It will not only Android security patches but will also bring some new features, optimisations, system stability and fixes of some known issues with the handset. In addition to these, Realme Narzo 20 will also get the May 2022 Android security patches. Also Read: Realme rolls out Realme UI 2.0 to Realme X7 5G Realme C11 OTA update changelog As shared on the Realme community page, the Realme C11 2021 have also started receiving the OTA update. It will come with the UI version RMX3231_11.A.79 and will have the June 2022 Android security patch similar to the above mentioned models. Also Read: Realme Pad WILL get Android 12! But this is when it will rollout Apart from these, the update for the Realme C11 2021 also comes with added features, fixes, optimisations, and improved device stability as the Realme Narzo 50i and the Realme Narzo 20. Since the update is being rolled out in a staged manner to ensure stability, some Narzo and the C11 2021 handsets may not have received the same yet. However, users need not to worry as the update is being pushed out randomly and if there are no critical bugs, the complete rollout will be done soon. Alternatively, the Realme Narzo 50i, Narzo 20 and C11 users can also check for the update in the Settings section of their device. They will have to go to the About Phone tab and then look for the System update. NASA's fourth attempt to complete a critical test of its Moon rocket achieved around 90 percent of its goals, but there's still no firm date for the behemoth's first flight, officials said Tuesday. Known as the "wet dress rehearsal" because it involves loading liquid propellant, it is the final item to cross off the checklist before the Artemis-1 mission slated for this summer: an uncrewed lunar flight that will eventually be followed by Moon boots on the ground, likely no sooner than 2026. NASA fuels Artemis moon rocket for 1st time in countdown rehearsal Also read: Teams at the Kennedy Space Center began their latest effort to complete the exercise on Saturday. Their objectives were to load propellant into the rocket's tanks, conduct a launch countdown and simulate contingency scenarios, then drain the tanks. Three previous bids, starting in March, were plagued by glitches and failed to fuel up the rocket with hundreds of thousands of gallons of supercooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. On Monday, engineers finally succeeded in fully loading up the tanks. But they also encountered a new hydrogen leak issue they were unable to resolve. "I would say we're in the 90th percentile in terms of where we need to be overall," Artemis mission manager Mike Sarafin told reporters Tuesday. He added NASA was still deciding whether it needed another rehearsal, or could proceed straight to launch. The agency previously said an August window for Artemis-1 was possible. NASA officials have repeatedly emphasized that delays involving the testing of new systems was common during the Apollo and Space Shuttle era, and the issues affecting SLS are not of major concern. With the Orion crew capsule fixed on top, the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 stands 322 feet (98 meters) high -- taller than the Statue of Liberty, but a little smaller than the 363 feet Saturn V rockets that powered the Apollo missions to the Moon. It will produce 8.8 million pounds of maximum thrust (39.1 Meganewtons), 15 percent more than the Saturn V, meaning it's expected to be the world's most powerful rocket at the time it begins operating. Artemis-1 is set to journey around the far side of the Moon sometime this summer on a test flight. Artemis-2 will be the first crewed test, flying around the Moon but not landing, while Artemis-3 will see the first woman and first person of color touch down on the lunar south pole. NASA wants to build a permanent presence on the Moon, and use it as a proving ground for technologies necessary for a Mars mission, sometime in the 2030s. Theres a new generation of smaller nuclear reactors that could power up to 60,000 homes per unit. We shouldnt let fear stand in our way. As energy security becomes a growing source of angst, its that clear large-scale, reliable use of renewable resources remain a distant reality in many countries. Thats allowed a more controversial and almost perfect alternative to make a comeback: nuclear. Trouble is, nobody wants a nuclear reactor in their backyard and the memories of past accidents remain a serious concern. But with costs rising and few solutions at hand, both governments and companies are turning to nuclear power as a cleaner and cheaper source to help them reach their ambitious climate goals. Even if a few years away, the development of, and investment in, nuclear energy sources and storage methods could ensure industrial operations highly dependent on pre-heating processes for raw materials and high temperatures are able to function as the world navigates its way through this energy crisis. With all the supply chain snarls over the past year, a power shortage is the last thing consumers and businesses need. In Japan, the median levelized cost of energy is far lower than utility scale solar and offshore wind. A recent survey showed that more than 80% of Japanese companies are in favor of restarting nuclear reactors to meet power needs. Electric utility Kansai Electric Power Co. is resuming work at one its idled reactors earlier than planned to manage energy demand. Bringing the Mihama No. 3 reactor online will lower need for liquefied natural gas, and the firms nuclear generation could grow 76% by 2023 as it brings back more reactors, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. In India and China, its proving competitive, too, where dirtier options like coal are now more expensive. South Korea is focused on reviving nuclear power, which contributes to about 27% of the nations energy mix. Earlier this year, the Biden administration issued a notice of intent for the implementation of a $6 billion nuclear credit program that supports the operation of reactors the nations largest source of clean power across the country. Last week, the US Department of Energy awarded over $60 million for 74 nuclear projects. British jet engine maker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd., backed by the UK government and other investors, said late last year it was going to begin building smaller and cheaper reactors. Some of its compact modular reactors are expected to come online by 2029 and the regulatory processes are already underway. The return to nuclear makes sense: The cost of extending the lifetime of power plants and building reactors in countries that have stuck by the energy form is cheaper and competitive. Those that havent are now struggling with their aging fleet of reactors and lack of other sources. The biggest stumbling block, though, is the deep-seated anxieties around safety and waste disposal. Memories of nuclear accidents like Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima Daiichi in 2011 continue to loom large in both public and corporate memory. Yet whats often forgotten is that on a deaths-per-unit of electricity basis, nuclear remains at the bottom of the list, while coal is at the top. The progress thats been made on alleviating issues around nuclear power is underappreciated. For instance, safety in reactors is typically based on an assessment of the core melting. To address these concerns, 14 countries have come up with lower-risk designs and development of a new generation of reactors. These systems will use different coolants, like molten salts or liquid metal, and methods that ultimately make nuclear power production cleaner, secure and more efficient. Reactors that use such materials seek to reduce or cut the production of dangerous gases that explode under pressure. A host of startups are working on making nuclear power more acceptable. NuScale Power LLC is building small modular reactors that could eventually power 60,000 homes per unit. The firm, which has received more than $450 million of support from Washington, is working with the US and Romanian governments to build a plant in the eastern European country. Meanwhile, Swedens Seaborg Technologies has teamed up with Samsung Heavy Industries Co. to build a floating, cBill Ga that could change energy use in logistics. Bill Gates-backed TerraPower also focused on small reactors has partnered with South Koreas industrial conglomerate SK Group to build these plants. Nuclear power stands to be the solution, or at least fill major energy gaps, in the coming years. In addition to the existing nuclear fission used in commercial reactors, startups are now pushing towards nuclear fusion technologies and have raised billions of dollars from the likes of Tiger Global LP and Bill Gates. Rejecting the power source out of fear isnt going to get us too far, and nor will scare-mongering. Companies and countries shouldnt be shying away from openly discussing nuclear energy and raising awareness. Public acceptance is key. Without it, well be breathing dirty air and living through outages. South Korea said Tuesday it had successfully launched its homegrown space rocket and placed a payload into orbit in a "giant leap" for the country's quest to become an advanced space-faring nation. The Korea Satellite Launch Vehicle II, nicknamed Nuri and emblazoned with the South Korean flag, lifted off at 4:00pm (0700 GMT) from the launch site in Goheung on the southern coast, trailing a column of flame. All three stages of the rocket worked, taking it to its target altitude of 700 kilometres (430 miles), and it successfully separated a performance verification satellite and put it into orbit, Seoul said. South Korea's space program "has taken a giant leap forward," said Lee Jong-ho, minister of science and technology, adding he declared the mission a success. "South Korea has now become the seventh nation in the world to launch a space vehicle with homegrown technology," he said, adding the government would continue its quest to become "an advanced space-faring nation". South Korea will launch a Moon orbiter in August, Lee added. The Tuesday test, South Korea's second test launch of its homegrown space rocket, comes eight months after the first test failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit. In the first test last October, all three stages of the rocket worked with the vehicle reaching an altitude of 700 kilometres, and the 1.5-tonne payload separating successfully. But it failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit after the third-stage engine stopped burning earlier than scheduled. In Tuesday's test, in addition to a dummy satellite, Nuri carried a rocket performance verification satellite and four cube satellites developed by four local universities for research purposes. The three-stage Nuri rocket has been a decade in development at a cost of 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion). It weighs 200 tonnes and is 47.2 metres (155 feet) long, fitted with a total of six liquid-fuelled engines. In Asia, China, Japan and India all have advanced space programmes, and the South's nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea was the most recent entrant to the club of countries with their own satellite launch capability. - Lunar ambitions - Ballistic missiles and space rockets use similar technology and Pyongyang put a 300-kilogram (660-pound) satellite into orbit in 2012 in what Washington condemned as a disguised missile test. South Korea becomes the seventh nation -- not including North Korea -- to have successfully launched a one-tonne payload on their own rockets. The South Korean space programme has a mixed record -- its first two launches in 2009 and 2010, which in part used Russian technology, both ended in failure. The second one exploded two minutes into the flight, with Seoul and Moscow blaming each other. Eventually a 2013 launch succeeded, but still relied on a Russian-developed engine for its first stage. "The fact that we now have our own space rocket means we will be able to test and verify technologies needed for space exploration projects down the road," Bang Hyo-choong, professor of aerospace engineering at KAIST, told the Yonhap News Agency. The satellite launch business is increasingly the preserve of private companies, notably Elon Musk's SpaceX, whose clients include the US space agency NASA and the South Korean military. The Tuesday test looks set to bring South Korea closer to achieving its space ambitions, including a plan to land a probe on the Moon by 2030. South Korea plans to conduct four more such test launches by 2027. UVALDE A legislative committee investigating the deadly shooting at a Texas elementary school last month was set to hear more testimony from law enforcement officers on Monday. State Rep. Dustin Burrows, who is chairing the committee investigating the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, said they would hear more witness testimony from the Uvalde Police Department, in addition to speaking with another officer from the school district police and a member of the Department of Public Safety. We want to at least compliment all the law enforcement agencies for being cooperative and providing the witnesses we have asked for, said Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock. After Burrows opening statements during the committee hearing in Uvalde, the committee went into executive session, blocking the public from hearing witness testimony. Last Thursday, Burrows signaled impatience with the Uvalde Police Department, saying it was unclear whether they would testify voluntarily before the panel. But he said Friday that Uvalde police officials had agreed to speak with the committee. Burrows said that testimony would continue on Tuesday in Austin. He said he hoped to provide information on when at least a preliminary report would be released to the public. An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at the school on May 24. Questions about why police did not confront and kill the gunman for more than an hour, even as anguished parents outside the school urged officers to go in and panicked children called 911 from inside. Law enforcement officials have provided little or conflicting information since the shooting, sometimes withdrawing statements hours after making them. Officials have declined to offer details, citing ongoing investigation. Some are concerned that Texas officials will use a legal loophole to block records from being released even to the victims families once the case is closed. The laws exception protects information from being released in crimes for which no one has been convicted. The Texas Attorney Generals Office has ruled that it applies when a suspect is dead. Officials also havent released records sought under public information laws to media outlets, often citing broad exemptions and the ongoing investigation. It has raised concerns about whether such records will be released, even to victims families. Others interviewed behind closed doors by the committee include school staff. Burrows has 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. On a gray, wet Sunday afternoon early this month, audience members stood in a long line to watch a show at the Yunhe Theater in the Gongshu district of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. The rain failed to dent their enthusiasm to see a 90-minute performance by Roushidongwu, a comic duo making their first tour, which also included stops in Wuhan, Hubei province, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, and Xiamen, Fujian province. Jia Yuhao, a member of the duo who is better known by his stage name Huanghuang, said, "We felt so excited to play to a capacity audience of 1,300 people in Hangzhou," adding that it was the first time they had performed to such a large crowd on the tour. The performance in Hangzhou on June 5, the last day of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, epitomizes the recovery seen in the city's culture and tourism sector from the impact of the latest outbreak of COVID-19. Hangzhou received more than 1.95 million visitors during the holiday, nearly the same number as the same period last year. It was a big surprise for Jia and his partner Da Mu when tickets for their first tour sold out. "It was a refreshing experience for us-so different to the times when we had to perform with other standup comedians during a show," Jia said. "We felt so relaxed and comfortable on the stage, as we knew that the audiences were coming to see us, and only us." As performers of manzai, a comic style in Japan that traditionally features two comedians quickly trading imaginative jokes, Jia and Da were initially not sure whether their gags would be well accepted by Chinese audiences. The comic art form, which includes strange, fantastic ideas and jokes centering on mutual misunderstandings and puns, is likely to better appeal to younger audiences familiar with animated series, comic books and video games. Jia, 38, a former video game producer and part-time standup comedian in Xiamen, teamed up with Da, a graphic designer, to perform manzai in 2019. Last year, they became the only manzai duo to reach the finals in the fourth season of the comedy talent show Rock & Roast, produced by the comedy company Xiaoguo, after which the duo gained a larger following as manzai performers. Jia and Da decided to become full-time comedians before being given the chance by Xiaoguo to stage their first tour. "Throughout the tour, we aim to promote this comic style, which is relatively new to Chinese audiences," Jia said. Before they arrive in a city, to better interact with audiences, the pair prepare jokes based on local customs and culture. Attendances for shows on the tour, along with good audience feedback, have strengthened Jia's confidence in the prospects for manzai and the recovery in the cultural and recreational industry. "The market is improving, and we're looking forward to performing to larger audiences in theaters," Jia said. During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Xiaoguo staged a total of 14 offline shows in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Guandong province, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and Hangzhou. Together, the shows attracted 10,000 audience members. Lu Yiyun, operations director for Xiaoguo's comedy shows, said that in addition to Xiamen, the company's performers will tour Guiyang, Guizhou province, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and other cities in the near future. "The popularity of our recent offline performances shows us audiences' desire for happiness and their affection for standup comedy. This gives us confidence in the prospects for this comedic genre," Lu said. "We will continue to spread joy to other cities, allowing more audiences to experience the attractions of offline shows." 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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The Board of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has created its regulatory proposals for managing aquatic wildlife, recreational fishing and boating. Any regulations adopted at the Aug. 17 board meeting will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Specific regulations focus on striped bass on Kerr Reservoir, walleye in the New River, trout in the North Fork Moormans River, and crayfish in the Big Sandy River drainage. Statewide regulations target bowfishing, gar and bowfin during their spawning period, cleaning and draining boats and trailers, limits on numbers and use of crayfish, collecting minnows and chubs for sale, and requirements for removing limblines. Additionally, there have been administrative changes to the life jacket and fire extinguisher regulations, and the move over law when vessels are operating in close proximity to law enforcement or emergency vessels while their emergency lights are energized. These regulations can be viewed at dwr.virginia.gov/regulations This process offers the opportunity for citizens to offer comment on these regulatory proposals directly to DWR. Comments can be submitted from June 11 to July 26. All items submitted will be reviewed by DWR staff, and summarized and presented to DWRs Wildlife and Boat Committee on Aug. 16 and the full board on Aug. 17. These presentations will occur at the DWR headquarters in Richmond. - Submitted by Paige Pearson The office of Probation and Parole District 37 of the Virginia Department of Corrections is scheduled to move in the near future. The office will move from its location on North Main Street to the old Moose Lodge on Grassy Hill Road, which closed a few years ago. Stephanie Coughlan, chief probation and parole officer for District 37, said, The building is being completely renovated and some additional space is being added. With the new office more than doubling in size, Coughlan said it will enable the staff to no longer have to double and triple up with offices. The new location will also allow for additional parking, which she added is desperately needed. Knowing it will take time, Coughlan said, It is my goal to expand services at the location to allow for one stop services. Given that the area has no public transportation and some individuals under supervision have to rely on family members/others for transportation, it is a goal to have service providers at our location on given days, enabling a person to be dropped off to meet with a probation officer, be assessed for substance abuse services, attend group, participate in a life skills training, etc. Theres so much more we can do in the community than people realize. One of Coughlans numerous responsibilities is that of co-facilitator of the local reentry council along with Toni Turner, director of Franklin County Social Services. The council is made up of stakeholders, that is, community members that are invested in people returning to the community. Examples include Piedmont Community Services and business owners interested in community development. Turner said the reentry council is designed to help the probation and parole office to offer all the resources the community has available for the supervisees as they reenter the community. Coughlan said that as the council identifies resources, it also addresses local needs such as housing and transportation. Reentry council meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Franklin Center. Coughlan said her office assists supervisees and their families in a variety of ways, one of which is a food and hygiene closet which has been primarily stocked by the staff and some donations from stakeholders and the community. With more space, she hopes to expand this service at the new location. The community can help the office in several ways, Coughlan said. They include: becoming educated about probation and parole, offering life skill workshops, food/hygiene donations on a limited basis and periodic assistance with specific needs (Adopt a Family for Thanksgiving basket). The current office is located at 245 Circle Drive in Rocky Mount and the phone number is 540-483-0854. Hall County Commissioners Tuesday approved funding and creating a new position: juvenile diversion alternative initiative (JDAI) coordinator. The JDAI program looks for alternatives for detaining juveniles, which is hugely expensive, said Hall County Attorney Marty Klein. Theres significant research out there that tells us that juveniles, when taken out of their home, have a worse outcome than when they are able to be maintained in their home, Klein said at Tuesdays board meeting. Its almost as bad or worst when juveniles are taken out of their school setting. County Commissioners in February approved creating the position contingent on the county receiving a juvenile services aid grant being offered by the Nebraska Crime Commission. We applied for a grant. That grant was not funded, Klein said. That opportunity is not there for us. The position will cost roughly $75,000 per year, Klein estimated. Klein advocated for adopting the position for a two-year trial period. In the short-term, the coordinator will develop relationships that will, in the long-term, have better outcomes for juveniles. The juvenile court system aims to help such youths achieve better outcomes so they can learn from the mistakes they make, be rehabilitated, and become productive members of society, Klein said. I believe that translates to less pressure on our system, less detention costs and an overall benefit to Hall County both for the juveniles and every part of the system that these juveniles would otherwise be touching if they were involved in the court system, he said. Judge Alfred Corey, 9th Judicial District, and a member of the states Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Collaborative Committee, voiced support for the position. We think this would be an opportunity to allow us to have someone focus solely on the alternatives, develop connections with the community, develop resources, review data and try to have better outcomes, which I think everyone wants, he said. Judge Arthur Wetzel, 9th Judicial District, agreed it is a tough ask when they are unable to provide specific figures on costs of the position and how much will be saved. The most recent statement I got from the detention facility was $8,000 for 30 days, and thats apparently gone up now again, he said. As you can see, it doesnt take deferring many kids from those facilities to save a pretty decent amount of money, and thats what were trying to do. Also in support of creating the new position, said Klein, are Hall County Sheriff Rick Conrad, GIPD Capt. Jim Duering, County Juvenile Services Director Randy See, County Director of Corrections Todd Bahensky and Grand Island Public Schools Associate Superintendent Robin Dexter, among others. Having all these people try to work on the problem, to sift through the data, to try to develop relationships, is a challenge, said Klein. I take a little piece and the judge takes a little piece and Capt. Duering takes a little piece. You dont have anybody to focus on that role, and we believe that role is important enough to have someone focus on it. Commissioners expressed concerns about the positions cost and its impact on the county. The resolution to approve funding passed on a 6-0 vote, with Commissioner Butch Hurst abstaining. Wheres this money going to come from? Hurst asked. Budgets havent been approved. Its easy to vote yes for this, but we need to figure out where this moneys coming from. And its not going to be just for this person. Youre going to have to staff it. You need a place for them. I think were moving too fast, myself. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Northwest High School student Ella Lorenz was awarded a gold key at the 2022 Scholastic Art Awards national competition. Creating a drawing, painting or sculpture and submitting it to a competition on its surface sounds almost effortless. Lorenz is special; she sees the logic in art, using problem solving in her creative process. (We see mistakes, and work out how to fix them.) The incoming junior uses ingenuity, sometimes using found or repurposed materials in her work, like her nationally-recognized hedgehog sculpture, Quills. I was going do just regular thumbtacks for the body, but then we couldnt find the same color. I ended up painting it and decorating it, Lorenz said. I found random scraps of paper and rolled them up. Being freely creative takes some bravery, too, her teacher Beau Studley said. He has been teaching art at Northwest High School for 14 years. One of the hardest things is to have students take ownership, just have an idea and go in that direction, Studley said. Theyre always trying to stay within the parameters. Studley encourages students to enter Scholastics competition, but its up to the student to make the move. Entry forms are filled out by students, who also help take photos of submissions. In short: art can be a lot of work. Lorenz puts in the work, for sure, Studley said. Quills took three and a half weeks of just in class time. Plus taking the project home to work on. Her mother, Jeri Lorenz, enjoys having her daughter create at home. She can see the way Ellas brain works. Its just fun to watch her mind at work, Jeri Lorenz said. Shell have to explain it to me and Ill think, OK, yeah, not sure how thats gonna go and then shes got it all drawn out. Im kind of getting it a little more and it clicks in. Yeah, I see what youre doing. Quills was born out of a prompt by Studley. And all of a sudden in my head, I was like, how about we make a hedgehog? Ella Lorenz remembered. She certainly wont forget the process, she said. I was glad it was over, Ella Lorenz said of Quills completion. I got poked by toothpicks a lot, but I was proud of how it turned out. It turned out how I wanted it to. After Quills was over, Studley and Lorenz chose works to enter in Scholastics art contest. It starts at the state level, which meant Lorenzs creations were pitted against others created by students in Nebraska. She shrugged modestly and said, I was surprised that it got as far as it did at the state level. Eventually Quills reached the top competition. According to the contests website: Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the students gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts. Thirteen Nebraska entries were recognized at the national competition, including Quills. There were more than 260,000 works of visual art and creative writing were submitted, a Scholastic news release said. Studley said, They really hone in on originality. Other Nebraska-based students received awards at the Scholastic Art Awards national level. The Scholastic Arts website said jurors (judges) look for originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Quills fit the description. Last week Lorenz travelled to New York City to accept her Gold Award for Quills and honorable ention on an ink drawing. Between Quills and her ink drawing, Lorenz said, talent-wise, (I liked) the one that got an honorable mention, because it was really fun to do. It ended up looking really cool. Jeri Lorenz, Ella Lorenzs mother, has a favorite, too. I think my favorite of hers is probably a watercolor that she did that had some irises. Art is in the eye of the beholder, but to be successful in art? Work, but most of all be willing to take risks, Studley said. One thing I think (Ella) really excels at is finding her own path and going in that direction, he said. Shes not afraid to take a risk. Oftentimes, a reward comes with that risk. Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OMAHA Sam Teplitsky never met a car he couldnt fix. Not in his Great Depression-era youth, maintaining fleets for grocery stores in the North Omaha neighborhood where he grew up. Not in the Army during World War II, where he kept trucks and Jeeps running for a unit fighting its way through North Africa and Italy. Not after the war, when he worked as a master mechanic at car dealerships and a hydraulics company to support his wife and seven kids. He was really skilled, masterfully skilled, said Brenda Teplitsky of Omaha, Sams daughter-in-law. He was always working on cars. Teplitsky pursued his passion well into his long retirement. The combat veteran died May 30 Memorial Day. He was 101. Sam Teplitsky was born Nov. 15, 1920, the youngest of three sons of Morris and Esther Teplitsky, Jewish immigrants from Russia who had settled in North Omaha, near 24th and Bristol Streets. His parents didnt say much about their life in the old country. His father was extremely private, said Joe Teplitsky of Gig Harbor, Washington, Sams son. He didnt know whether he had uncles or aunts. Teplitsky attended Kellom Elementary School and Omaha Technical High School. After his graduation, he landed a job as a mechanic for a local Hinky Dinky grocery in North Omaha. He later worked for the Omaha Potato Market, another grocery store. Teplitsky enlisted in the Army in April 1942. He was trained as a motor vehicle mechanic and, later that year, deployed to North Africa. He landed in Italy the following year, serving there to the end of World War II and beyond. My dad worked on anything that didnt work, even defective rifles, said Joe Teplitsky. Parts for vehicles and equipment were not always available, and my dad would do whatever he had to do with what he had, to make things work. Teplitsky was discharged in April 1946 as a member of the 86th Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company, which was headquartered in Livorno, a coastal town west of Florence. Joe Teplitsky said his father rarely mentioned his wartime service, and his children dont know what battles he saw though his unit was part of the Fifth Army, which saw two years of heavy fighting up the boot of Italy, and liberated Rome from the countrys fascist, antisemitic regime. What they do know is that Teplitsky grew to love Italy, and spoke Italian fluently. They also know that he met the love of his life, Antonina Licausi, who was from Palermo, Sicily, at a laundry. And he stayed in Italy after his discharge to marry her. She was a beauty, she really was, Joe Teplitsky said. Hes this Russian Jewish boy, and shes Italian Catholic. Married and with an infant son, Sam and Antonina who at the time spoke no English traveled to New York in February 1947, on storm-tossed seas aboard a liner called the Marine Shark. Sam had bought an Army surplus Jeep in Italy and shipped it to New Jersey. They picked up the vehicle, which had no top, and drove it back to Nebraska through snow and cold. His homecoming drew notice in The World-Herald. When he got home, he pulled that Jeep up and parked it in the backyard, Joe Teplitsky said. He never drove it again. He took a job as an auto mechanic, and the couple began raising a family that would eventually include seven children. He did side work, too, and fixed up cars to resell them. It was tough. I dont know how he did it, with seven kids, Joe Teplitsky said. Hard work was more important to him than anything. During his career as a master mechanic, Sam worked at Lied Buick, Rossi Motors and Mark Hydraulics Co. before retiring in the late 1970s. But he continued to fix cars for family and friends, and enjoyed his family. He attended synagogue into his 80s. He was a very forgiving, very kind person, Joe Teplitsky said. Antonina died in 1994. Teplitsky survived a bout with colon cancer at age 95, but he was in good health and continued to live in his own home with help from his son, Frank until a very recent fall. He thought he was going to live to be 105, Joe Teplitsky said. Everybody loved him. He was just a great guy. A private service will be held later. He is survived by his daughters, Rose and Rita, and sons Joe, Philip and Frank, along with 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Besides his wife, two of his children, Carl and Esther, and a grandson, Philip, preceded him in death. With the Illinois Primary Election less than a week away, here are a few things to remember. Today, June 23, is the last day to request a mail-in ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, June 28, and have to be received two weeks after the election to count. Early voters can cast ballots in person through Election Day on Tuesday. The primary election is Tuesday, June 28. The date of the election was pushed back due to changes in state and federal districts in Illinois and challenges to the redistricting. Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes said polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Counties have sample ballots available, and many are available on the county clerks website. Early votes are rolling in, according to county clerks across the region. Early voting has exploded this week, Union County Clerk Lance Meisenheimer said. His office has had 300 ballots cast in early voting before noon Wednesday. They also received 135 vote-by-mail ballots. He added that they are seeing 50 or 60 voters each day. Meisenheimer said early voting with continue through Monday. Union County will be open for early voting from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. In Williamson County, Barnes said 628 voters have cast early ballots. The county clerks office received 267 requests for vote-by-mail ballots, and 147 of those have been returned. Voters can change their addresses on Election Day and vote at the courthouse, Barnes said. Perry County is having a fairly normal turnout for early voting in a primary election, according to Harvey Gillespie in the county clerks office. Perry County has had 220 ballots cast in early voting. They have received 40 requests for mail-in ballots. The Primary Election is June 28, and we are ready in Perry County, Gillespie said. More information is available from the county clerks office in your county of residence or from their websites. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Chinese tech company Huawei is eager to cooperate and assist Namibia in becoming fully connected in alignment with its digital aspirations. This was affirmed by Huawei Namibia's managing director, David Yu in an interview with Xinhua Tuesday when asked how the tech giant could assist in fostering technological advancement in the country. Namibia launched a National Broadband Policy in early 2020 to achieve reliable and affordable broadband access services for all. "We look forward to more ICT cooperation with Namibia's government, large enterprises, and universities, to build a fully connected Namibia. This cooperation includes not an only commercial business, but also building an ICT talent ecosystem," said Yu. He said that Huawei Namibia always holds the belief "in Namibia, for Namibia" and at the beginning of the year, the company donated one solar-pump system to Etunda Farm Primary School to provide water supply for students and faculties in the future. Turning to Namibia's green energy prospects, Yu said Huawei fully recognized Namibia's Green Hydrogen Strategy, stressing that his company had the expertise and capacity to facilitate development in that area. "Huawei also has a digital energy business group. It means Huawei can be one of the solution and equipment providers in the green hydrogen chain. Huawei is willing to be a bridge to connect Chinese hydrogen companies with Namibia," he explained. Huawei offers leading Smart PV solutions harnessing more than 30 years of expertise in digital information technology. "By improving the utilization of solar power, Huawei has helped to power millions of residents and hundreds of industries globally. Huawei will continue to innovate and enable renewable energy to empower each individual, home, and organization," he outlined. According to Yu, Huawei came into Namibia in 2005 and has already provided telecommunication services for 2.3 million Namibians. "The significant milestone is that Huawei helped Namibia build the first 4G network and let Namibia become one of the first nations to reach the 4G era in Africa," he added. A 2021 paper presented at the Bank of Namibia's Annual Symposium noted that the Namibian economy "over the past years witnessed a rise in the use of technology to deliver services more efficiently in various industries and sectors such as banking, payment systems, foreign exchange services, insurance, investments, and the public sector." Meanwhile, Namibia's investment in Google's new submarine cable system Equiano which connects Africa and Europe is expected to enable faster internet speeds and lower connectivity costs for both businesses and consumers across the region. Despite having a degree as an animal medical technician and 14 years of experience with the Jackson County Humane Society, Cindy Nelson still had lessons to learn when she became Carbondales animal control officer in 1990. Lessons like how to deal with skunks. I eventually learned after being sprayed four times how to handle them. You can fold their tails down underneath them and they cant spray, she said. Skunk spray prevention is just one of the tricks Nelson has learned in her efforts to serve the animals and people of Carbondale. Its a technique she hopes she will no longer have to use after July 1 when she retires. Those sprayings are among the parts of the job Nelson said she will not necessarily miss when she retires from a role of 32 years, one that has changed a great deal over the years. When I started, I was bringing in over 100 animals a month. I actually saw packs of dogs then. It wasnt just one or two, it was a full pack, she said. Maybe thats why people in her line of work often were referred to then as dog catchers, a term she has worked to change. My big thing was professionalism and that it was animal control. I used to have to correct people, she recalled, adding that she regularly received specialized training and was Illinois first nationally certified animal control officer. She even was named the national animal control officer of the year in 1998. And, oh, the animals she has dealt with during her tenure. There have been countless dogs, cats, birds, reptiles (The biggest snake I ever dealt with was a 15-foot boa constrictor, she said.) and wildlife ranging from raccoons and deer to more recently armadillos. There has been a lot of on-the-job learning. Her work and her approach is part veterinarian, part psychologist, part reference librarian and sometimes, that of a detective. There are cases and situations where I actually go, OK, what am I going to do about this? Its like a puzzle and we have to figure it out. Occasionally, she's called on peers, one of whom she knew really well: her husband Lloyd. He served as the Jackson County animal control officer for 38 years prior to his death in 2019. We worked together really well, she said. If I had a problem, he had a problem. We didnt even have to speak. We knew exactly what the other one was going to do. Officially a member of the Carbondale Police Department, Nelson sometimes would have to call upon her colleagues on the police force for help and vice versa. I rarely would call for any assistance, but officers knew that when I did make the call, that I needed somebody right then, she said, adding that she tried to do the same for them. Our officers are great, but when you are going into an animal situation, you want an animal person. And, Carbondale Police Chief Stan Reno said the officers have always wanted her. She works so closely with our police officers. Most police officers are not trained, nor do they want to deal with animals, so shes there, he said. Cindy is incomparable in regards to her compassion and care for animals and for their protection and safety, he said. Shes always right by our side and is going to be greatly missed. As an animal control officer (or Puppy Police as she says), Nelson has the ability to issue citations and remove animals from homes, but its not something she prefers to do. Im not a big ticket writer. Instead, I try to educate people and work with dog owners. I dont want to take a dog out of its environment because that doesnt work, she explained. My philosophy has always been to do what is best for the animal, whether it is to rescue or simply education for the owner. But, she continued, If we feel the animal is in trouble, we can take an animal. Weve actually arrested people and there have been some sent to jail. Over three decades and thousands of calls, Nelson has seen a little bit of everything, including some situations she would like to forget: dog fights or cats killed under the hood of an automobile when it was started. Shes also been the one answering calls from pet owners in mourning. Ive done some things that are not in my job description. Ive had elderly people call when their dog has passed away and theyve had no means of disposal. In a way, those are some of the worst calls because theyre upset and I get teary-eyed. In that sense, her work has been as much about people as it has animals. I know how they feel and I am sympathetic. After all, Im a dog owner, too. She said not only has she learned over 32 years, but the publics approach to animals has changed, too. When I first started, the litter populations and the unwanted animals were large numbers, but now there are so many humane groups and spay-neuter programs that it is not like that anymore, she said. People now are so much more caring and theyre treating animals a lot better. Nelson said after a combined 48 years of working with animals, she is eager for a little bit of a break and spending time relaxing with her own dogs, thinking back on her time with the city. It's been a lot of hard work and you're in the elements, she said. You're hot, you're cold and youre dirty. Its been a tough job, but its been a good one, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 If youve earned a bachelors degree or accumulated a significant number of hours toward a degree and have ever considered a career in nursing, you will want to check out a new Southern Illinois University Carbondale program that allows qualified candidates to earn their Bachelor of Science in nursing degree in about a year with a fully funded scholarship. The ongoing partnership between SIU and Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) to address the shortage of nurses has advanced to a new level with the announcement that SIH is creating a scholarship program for SIUs accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. SIU Chancellor Austin A. Lane said the agreement that formalizes the scholarship program correlates well with SIUs Imagine 2030 strategic plan, and particularly the pillars that focus on improving student success and enhancing partnerships. As two anchor institutions in the Southern Illinois region, SIU Carbondale and SIH have a responsibility to meet the needs of our community, he said. I am grateful to SIH for its support and excited that our university is providing even greater opportunities to our students while benefitting the people who live right in our own backyard. There has been a severe shortage of trained nurses not only in Southern Illinois but throughout the country, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need the last couple of years, according to Rex Budde, SIH president and CEO. Our partnership with SIU on the nursing issue is a perfect example of a meaningful, effective collaboration, Budde said. It helps the students find a path for a great job and a wonderful career, and it boosts the SIU enrollment. And at the same time, it helps us because it expands the pool of well-qualified nurses that we can draw from. As two of the regions largest employers, its very nice to partner in this cooperative, collaborative way, working together to address needs. Qualifying for full scholarships People who already have a bachelors degree in another field or at least 70 hours toward a bachelors degree, including specific prerequisite courses, can qualify for this program and complete their BSN in just a year. Officials particularly encourage students with backgrounds in chemistry, biology, pre-medicine, pre-dentistry or other health sciences to apply. Kelli Whittington, SIU assistant professor and nursing program director in the School of Health Sciences, said its common for people to consider making a career change to help others after experiencing a personal or family health issue. Or they may consider a career transition when they learn of opportunities in health care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2021 median annual salary for a registered nurse is $77,600. Budde said the scholarships take the financial pressure off students. Its important to have options, Budde said. Sometimes people complete their undergraduate education and later decide they want to go a different direction. This gives them a second chance to use what theyve already learned in a different manner. Likewise, at times students will begin a career in one health-oriented field and then transition to another field, such as nursing, where they find a better fit, officials said. SIH is open to providing as many scholarships as there are qualified applicants, according to Jennifer Harre, SIH chief nursing officer. She said the scholarship funding will vary as it will be tailored to the individual needs of the student. The student will then agree to work at an SIH facility for a period of time commensurate with the amount of funding received. For details about the new scholarships and submitting an application, email Whittington at kellid@siu.edu. How acute is need? The nursing shortage is significant, Harre said. Its been very critical to our organization because weve had to backfill a large number of vacancies with higher dollar contracted employees, and thats just not sustainable. Even then we have had to close beds at times because we dont have the staff to cover all of the beds, and that means patients have go outside the region for care. We dont want them to have to do that. She said the need for nurses will continue. By working closely with SIU, we can build up our workforce and offer students a career path and guaranteed employment, Harre said. The scholarship program advances the collaboration that has been in place for some time between SIU and SIH. SIU began its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in 2019, thanks in part to a $1 million pledge from SIH. When fully operational, officials anticipate SIUs nursing program will provide training for about 300 students over a four-year period. SIUs nursing program offers three tracks: the traditional four-year bachelors program, RN to BSN degree-completion program and accelerated BSN program. Accelerated program is rigorous The accelerated program is concentrated, essentially covering the advanced skills typically taught over a three-year period in just a year, officials said. Students in this program typically have a track record of life and academic success. Its a very challenging, intense program, designed to turn out high-quality nurses, Whittington said. We are so appreciative of SIHs ongoing leadership and support of SIU and our students. Harre and Budde said SIH is also grateful to SIU for its leadership and efforts to help address the issue. Harre said Whittington and the rest of the faculty and staff are great to work with and SIH is pleased to offer the scholarships and other support. We are trying to help people go into health care because they want to help people, Harre said. Nursing is a hard but rewarding career. We want people who want to do it not just for the money but because they care about people. With this program, were telling them, if you can do this for one year, we will support you for that year. You can go to school and earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in just one year and then when you graduate, we want you to come work for us. Its a win-win for them, SIU, SIH and the community. Two more health care programs launching at SIU The university is also addressing other health care needs in the region and beyond with the addition of doctoral programs for occupational therapy and physical therapy. No other public university doctoral programs for occupational therapy or physical therapy are available within a seven-hour drive of SIU. The occupational therapy program is launching this fall while the physical therapy program is set to begin upon receipt of approvals from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and the hiring of faculty for the program. SIH pledged up to $470,000 toward the two graduate programs and helped develop the curriculum. SIU students will receive their clinical training at a variety of institutions, including SIH facilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth rate for physical therapists from 2020-2030 is 21%, much higher than for most careers, with a 2021 median annual salary of $95,620. The job outlook for occupational therapists is similar, with an anticipated growth of 17% in the decade ending 2030 and median 2021 annual salary of $85,570. The programs are designed for students who are currently certified occupational therapist assistants, physical therapist assistants or other allied health assistants, as well as qualified general admission candidates. The curriculum will be offered as a hybrid three-year, on-site program. For more information about these programs, visit sah.siu.edu or contact the School of Health Sciences at 618-453-7211 or health.sciences@siu.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An irreplaceable piece of South Carolinas aviation history sits in a rented corporate hangar in Columbia, being restored to its former glory by volunteers while it waits for a permanent home. The B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber, fished from the depths of Lake Greenwood back in 1983 where it sat for 39 years after it was lost on a practice run in 1944, is believed to be one of only three B-25Cs still in existence. The plane bounced from place to place for years and its chances of remaining in the Midlands were in jeopardy until a group called the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation formed in 2010 with the goal of restoring the bomber and using it as a way to teach people about S.C.s long history of aviation. Now, SCHAF volunteers spend two nights a week working on the plane to restore it to its original condition, and on the second Saturday of every month the groups members hold an open house at its hanger at Jim Hamilton-L.B. Owens Airport near Columbias Rosewood neighborhood to let the public view the plane and learn more about the restoration efforts. The goal, according to SCHAF President Kenneth Berry, is to eventually build a permanent aviation museum to house the plane and other artifacts the organization has collected over the years, many of which are on display at the hangar. This plane is an important part not only of the states aviation history but as a symbol of the history of the state and the nation, and what folks did for us back during World War II so we could live the lives we have today, Berry said. This plane has really taken on a life of its own since we bought it. The airport likes having it here because it attracts visitors and people, especially kids, like being able to see it and to visit the displays. B25s play a special role in the World War II history of the Midlands because pilots trained on the bombers at the Columbia Army air base, best known for producing the famous volunteer crews known as Doolittles Raiders who trained under Lt. Col James Jimmy Doolittle and bombed Tokyo in 1942, the first retaliatory attack by the U.S. on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Pilots trained on the B-25 in South Carolina played key roles in air battles overseas throughout the war. The plane currently owned by the SCHAF was stationed at the Greenville Army Air Base. On June 6, 1944, it was on a training run over Lake Greenwood when the instructor pilot swooped too low and was forced to ditch in the lake when the propellers touched the water. The five-man crew survived but the plane sank. Fast forward to 1983 when the plane was recovered, in an effort aided by several local women who witnessed when it went down and were able to pinpoint exactly where in the lake to find it. After that, the plane was owned by several different groups and eventually made its way back to Columbia, where it was first housed in the historic Curtiss Wright Hanger at the Owens airport. The bomber made appearances in 1992 at the 50th reunion of the Doolittle Raiders and again in 2002 in front of the State Museum at the groups 60th reunion. Many people get the SCHAFs B-25C mixed up with another B-25, which crashed in Lake Murray in 1943 and was recovered in 2005. That plane has since been relocated to an aviation museum in Alabama. Berry said the restorations goal is not to restore the plane to the point where it can be flown but to make it as authentic as possible for viewing on the ground. He said the SCHAF is always seeking sponsorships from both individuals and businesses to continue the work on the plane and to build the eventual museum. Over the years, volunteers have combed the internet and gone through other networks to obtain rare original parts for the plane. Some other components have been built by hand, a process aided by hours on the internet and many trips out of state to get original parts such as those that can be found in the meticulously reconstructed cockpit and the bombing turret in the planes nose. Berry said the plane has proved to be an important way to get young people interested in aviation. Some youth who participate in the Young Eagles aviation program at Owens have signed up to volunteer to work on the plane, and others gain interest after seeing the bomber on school field trips. Berry said one student who helped to work on the plane is now attending the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and another got into aviation after joining the U.S. Navy. Seeing something like this is a great way to get kids interested in aviation and also in the science and technology surrounding it, especially because a lot of kids arent exposed to the field these days, he said. Every once in a while, well get a student in here and you can see the interest spark as theyre looking at the plane. You can see that light go on in their eyes. SC Biz News is a leading business publication company with offices in Charleston, Greenville and Columbia covering all aspects of the South Carolina economy. Visit its website at scbiznews.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In honor of Independence Day, The Times and Democrat is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th! Presented by Fogle's Piggly Wiggly Orangeburg Countys property taxes could increase next year, but the county administrator is hoping other revenues will help offset the tax hit. It would be a three-mill increase if the revenue does not come in to support that, but we feel like it should, Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young said. When we get to October, that will tell the story of how many mills it would be, but council has committed to no more than 3 mills, he said. The county is anticipating revenue from a number of sources that could help offset the need for any tax increase, Young said. The revenue could come from the countys new residential developments, the state budget and federal funds earmarked by Congressman James Clyburn and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Young also said the county is going to receive tobacco settlement money. South Carolina received an $86.5 million payment from a settlement with four major U.S. cigarette manufacturers. Since 1998, the state has received a total of $1.8 billion in its share of tobacco settlement money. Council gave second reading to the countys budget ordinances on Monday. The county's 2022-23 fiscal year begins July 1. Young said the primary reason the county will need additional money is because of the request from the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office for a budget increase of about $1 million for equipment and personnel. In other business: Council unanimously agreed to amend the tax incentive agreement with Inbra Chemical Company. The company has invested $20 million and created 20 new jobs. That exceeds the companys original projection of a $7.7 million investment and 15 new jobs. Council gave 5-1 first reading to the rezoning of property at 2251 Magnolia St. in Orangeburg to commercial general for the purpose of opening a medical diagnostic testing facility. Council Vice Chairwoman Janie Cooper-Smith was opposed to the rezoning. The property, which is about .31 acres, is currently zoned residential general. The property has one structure on it that formerly operated as a nail salon/barber shop. The business operated prior to zoning, and the business use was grandfathered into the zoning ordinance, according to county zoning officials. The business has been closed for more than six months, meaning it needs rezoning approval before being allowed to operate as a business. Adjacent properties to the north, south and west are zoned residential general. Properties to the east are zoned commercial general. The surrounding area is comprised of a mixture of uses such as single-family housing, commercial and undeveloped properties, according to the rezoning application. The county's Planning Commission approved the rezoning request with a 3-1 vote earlier this month. Council gave unanimous first reading approval to rezoning about 71.13 acres of property on Academy Lane in Holly Hill to residential general for the purpose of residential housing. The property has been zoned forest agricultural. The change is being requested by Crescent Property Holdings LLC, which wants to create affordable workforce housing. The property is approximately 1-1/2 miles from the town limits of Holly Hill. The lot is currently undeveloped and vacant and is surrounded by land zoned forest-agriculture. There is a mixture of single-family residential, agricultural, public, commercial and undeveloped properties near the proposed site location, according to the zoning application. County planning officials say the developer has not submitted conceptual design plans for the property and has not provided an estimate of the number of houses to be built. Council gave unanimous first reading approval to rezoning a portion (about 2 acres) of property at 7324 Old Number Six Highway in Santee to commercial general for the purpose of a boat repair shop. The entire property covers about 11.25 acres and has been zoned forest agricultural. The property is about one mile east of the town of Elloree and three miles west of Santee. The site is a corner lot fronting Old Number Six Highway and Tee Vee Road. Adjacent properties to the north, south, east, and west are all zoned forest-agriculture. There are several commercial businesses operating in the vicinity of the proposed site as well, according to the zoning application. An individual voiced opposition to the plan to county planning officials via phone. The county's Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning prior to the matter coming before County Council. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Ground was officially broken Tuesday morning for a 497,000-square-foot speculative building located in an industrial park at the Lexington-Calhoun County line. The cross-dock speculative industrial facility is being built at the Sandy Run Industrial Park. It is the 761-acre park's first speculative building. The building is expandable to 663,000 square feet and is touted by project officials as the largest expandable spec building ever to be constructed in the market. Those officials gathered together on Wednesday morning, along Calhoun County officials and other members of the surrounding community, for a groundbreaking ceremony at the park. Columbia-based Red Rock Developments and NAI Columbia announced in April 2020 that they were developing the Sandy Run Industrial Park. Other investors include Calhoun Land Investors and Alliance Consulting Engineering. Calhoun County is providing Red Rock Developments with the fee-in-lieu of taxes incentive to develop the spec building at the park. The building will be paid for entirely with private dollars. This building meets all of the modern-day requirements for logistics and light manufacturing users, Red Rock Developments Chief Executive Officer William C. Smith Jr. said Tuesday. Smith said the site was chosen for several reasons. First and foremost, its in a great laborshed in central South Carolina, and the citizens here show a strong work ethic in this community. Thats vital in what we do as a company and where we locate buildings, he said. Smith said the areas pro-business community, its close proximity to the Port of Charleston and its location near where Interstates 26, 77 and 20 intersect were all factors which helped him make the decision to locate in the industrial park with the $35 to $40 million investment. The industrial park is located off U.S. Highway 21 near the DAK Americas property. Its also located near I-26s Exit 119. The industrial park is already home to Zeus Industries 148,000-square-foot plant. About 580 acres of the park can be developed. Smith said, Calhoun Land Investors, which is the park ownership group which Red Rock is a part of, donated 21 acres in the park to Calhoun County so that the county could construct a new fire station on Lot 9. We made that donation for the community. So thats just an example of what we do when we go into communities and give back to the communities. Smith said he looks forward to the spec building being the first of many buildings developed in the industrial park. As you can tell by the master plan, we can develop approximately six million square feet of this park, which is quite a capital investment for the county here. So were excited that this will be the first of many, he said. Calhoun County Administrator John McLauchlin Jr. who is also the countys economic development director, said Red Rock Developments investment in the park will create the jobs the community needs. Weve got a very strong workforce in Calhoun County. A lot of folks are underemployed to a certain degree. So these type of projects really mean a lot. Not only did they invest in the 800-plus acres out here, but theyre making true to their word to ultimately help our workforce. Its all about the jobs for us, he said. McLauchlin continued, I also want to thank Zeus, our anchor tenant, for coming in, starting in an 800-acre field and ultimately starting the process here and then Bill coming in. We really hope theres more to come from both Zeus as well as the other partners here. McLauchlin said the timing and size of the project was also optimal. This is at a time when the industrial vacancy rate is at an all-time low, which is 3.1 percent. Everybody needs product. Every county, whether you touch the interstate or not, you need product. Its definitely there to be had as far as being able to sell or lease, he said. McLauchlin also thanked Lexington County for its partnership in the park. A small part of this is in Lexington County. Weve got a multi-county industrial park partnership with them, but we feel like with what Red Rock has done, with what investors have invested in, and what the state (and) county has invested in, were ready for the future, McLauchlin said. He said Red Rocks investment also helped to keep Calhoun Countys tax structure low. We are proud of the fact that, on average, our taxes are 36 percent less than our adjoining neighbors. These types of investments are what we need to maintain that tax structure. So I want to thank you. All we can hope for is bringing more, McLauchlin said. Calhoun County District 3 Councilman John Nelson said he appreciated Red Rocks commitment to preserving the character of the local community and how the project will enhance economic development. Were glad to share that because were right up here between Richland and Lexington and Orangeburg counties. Thousands of those people come through and benefit as well. So were glad for that throughout. We just really want to continue to support the efforts, Nelson said. Dr. Walt Tobin, president of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, said he was also pleased at the development and what it means for his students. We are responsive to the needs of our community. So that means providing our students with the skills to be able to begin good careers and good jobs and earn good salaries, but at the same time contributing to the economic development by meeting the needs of our local employers, Tobin said. I think this just furthers our mission in that dual capacity to meet both of those needs. Were just excited about whats happening in this part of the state and certainly Calhoun County. Its good for everybody, he said. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Officials with Summerville Medical Center in Dorchester County accepted an infant surrendered under Daniels Law, the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on June 2. The S.C. Department of Social Services in Dorchester County took custody of the child, and the infant has been placed in a licensed foster home. The story of the infant is the time for South Carolina to be reminded of the law designed to prevent abandoning newborns -- at least in places where they cannot survive. The Department of Social Services has made a dedicated page on the agencys website regarding Daniels Law in South Carolina with current data. The Dorchester infant is the third Daniels Law baby surrendered in South Carolina during the 2022 calendar year. Since 2009, more than 50 babies have been safely given over to authorities. Daniel's Law is a safety net for parents to abandon a child, as long as the infant is under 60 days old and theyre unharmed. The baby must be surrendered to a safe haven, which can be a hospital, place of worship, or a fire or police station. Daniels Law is named after an Allendale County infant who survived being buried in a South Carolina landfill after birth. Nurses named him Daniel while he was at the hospital. Some provisions of the law are: Requires the safe haven to take possession of a baby voluntarily delivered by the infants parents who intend not to return for the child. Provides anonymity for the parent and baby. Allows a hospital or facility to notify the Department of Social Services that a baby has been taken into possession. Requires DSS to provide for the care and custody of the baby. Grants a parent immunity from prosecution for unlawful conduct or cruelty toward a child or any other violation for leaving the infant if the parent leaves the child with the safe havens personnel (provided the baby is less than 60 days old and has not sustained any physical harm or injury). Critics say the legislation promotes irresponsible behavior by parents. Hardly. Law or not, most parents in any situation would refuse to give away a child. Sadly, the chance of the law having widespread impact remains unlikely. A young mother and father willing to abandon a newborn are probably not going to be responsible enough to consider such an alternative. But getting the word out that there is such an option gives children a chance. Daniels Law which, in blunt terms, is designed to prevent babies being left for dead -- is not something we as a society would prefer to think is necessary. But it is. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday urged efforts to ensure grain security and energy supply to maintain the stability of the economy and prices. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in north China's Hebei Province. While inspecting a wheat field in Fangguan Town, Gaobeidian City, Li learned that there was a bumper wheat harvest this year. He stressed efforts to ensure that grains are harvested in time and stored in good conditions. The sufficient supply of grains serves as an anchor for price stability, Li said, noting that China's bumper wheat harvest not only satisfies its own domestic needs but also contributes to the stability of the international grain market. Seeing that farmers are sowing corns, the premier said it is important to ensure that sowing is done in time and on as many lands as possible to ensure good harvest in the autumn, further contributing to the country's grain security. At a thermal power company in Zhuozhou, Li said that, as China is now at the power-consumption peak, efforts should be made to tap the production capacity of coal to further enhance the power supply. He also pledged resolute efforts to stamp out power rationing and called for moves to facilitate the clean and efficient production of coal power and expedite the building of pumped-storage hydroelectric plants. The first months of the year saw 40% more overnight stays in Luxembourg's hotels than in 2021, but the number of people travelling to the Grand Duchy has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. Members from the Grand Duchy's tourism sector are pleased to see a return of activities, but overnight stays are still down by 30% compared to 2019. Nevertheless, the tendency is increasing by 2 to 3% each week, which still gives rise to hope. Tourism in Luxembourg City was hit harder by the pandemic than in the country's rural regions. 70% of business-related tourism in Luxembourg happens in the capital. However, hotels in Luxembourg City are currently seeing more weekend reservations than ever. City officials further plan on attracting tourists with the return of the big summer events, such as the National Day celebrations and the Schueberfouer. Furthermore, the Casemates, one of the capital's biggest attractions, will reopen on 5 June, also known as Whitsunday. Read also: The Schueberfouer and National Day celebrations are back! Read also: Knowledge Bites - Casemates Sebastian Reddeker from 'Luxembourg for Tourism' explained that advertising was much more targeted during the pandemic, as many regular activities were no longer on offer. Now, the whole Grand Duchy is being promoted again, he noted, and aside from the popular Mullerthal region, city tourism is back on the rise as well. Most tourists come from Luxembourg's neighbouring countries and from the Netherlands. The number of people coming to visit from the United States and from South America is also on the rise. However, people from Asian countries still seem more reluctant to make a trip to the Grand Duchy. Video report in Luxembourgish Born in Ukraine to a Ukrainian mother and Nigerian father, Karolina Ashion has been a well-known anchor and journalist for over 20 years. She now hosts Ukraine Update for RTL in Germany. In a special English episode of RTL 5Minute's Vous avez comme un accent podcast, hosted by Terence Jarosz, Ashion talks about languages in Ukraine and evokes her relationship with the Ukrainian and Russian languages. Before Russia's invasion, Ashion was a well-known anchor and news presenter in Ukraine with over 20 years of experience - a time during which she also worked with President Zelensky, who before becoming the country's president was a comedian and TV personality. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of this year, Karolina chose to leave Kyiv and ended up settling in Germany as a refugee. Not long after, she was approached by RTL Germany and N-TV, where she was asked to host a news bulletin called Ukraine Update. For those interested, we always host the latest edition of Ukraine Update in this article. You can listen to the full interview, in which Jarosz and Ashion discuss multilingualism as well as giving a glimpse into Ashion's story, below, through your favourite podcast player, or on RTL Play. Minister for Public Works Francois Bausch made this statement in his reply to a parliamentary question by MP Sven Clement from the Pirate Party. Clement based his question on an investigation by the Luxembourg Competition Council which suggested that a large part of tenders was won by a small number of companies. This would increase prices for taxpayers, according to the investigation. The Minister disagrees, asserting that Luxembourg is not in danger of becoming an "oligopoly". An oligopoly is defined by the Cambridge Online Dictionary as " a situation in which a small number of organisations or companies has control of an area of business, so that others have no share". Bausch cites an example in which a call for tender was answered by "about thirty architectural firms, as well as a dozen engineering firms, both in civil engineering and technology". The Minister claims that this demonstrates that there is indeed market competition. While Bausch acknowledges that the number of offices has decreased over the years, he pointed out that their size has increased. Thanks to these changes, the larger firms of today "have the necessary skills for large-scale projects," according to the Minister. The government has released an overview of aids distributed to the victims of the floods in July 2021. Minister for Home Affairs Taina Bofferding, Minister for Family Affairs Corinne Cahen, and Minster for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Lex Delles provided the figures in their joint reply to a parliamentary question by MPs Octavie Modert, Leon Gloden, and Max Hengel from the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). As of June 2022, the state has received 664 applications from private individuals. The Ministry of Family Affairs has processed 598 applications and paid out aids of around 7.1 million. Luxembourg's municipalities have reported around 21 million worth of damage. However, the bulk of municipal applications are still incomplete, which is why only 1.3 million has been distributed thus far. As for companies, calculations are still ongoing and have thus yet to be paid out in full. For this reason, the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises is unable to provide specific figures for the time being. The European Commission expects a delivery of 110,000 doses before the end of the month. This information was shared by Minister of Health Paulette Lenert in her reply to a parliamentary question by MP Claude Wiseler from the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). As for who should receive a monkeypox vaccination, the Superior Council of Infectious Diseases (CSMI) has not yet made a recommendation. According to the National Health Directorate, Luxembourg's health authorities expect that they will opt for a rather limited use of the vaccine, similar to other countries. As a result, there won't be a major monkeypox vaccination campaign. People who have previously received a smallpox vaccination appear to have some level of immunity against monkeypox, which has recently spread widely across Europe. Luxembourg will receive the required pharmaceutical Tecovirimat via a European order. The delivery will guarantee "100 complete treatments". The National Health Directorate thinks that this will be sufficient, as the drug will only be given to people experiencing severe complications. In the large majority of cases, monkeypox only causes mild symptoms. 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. Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder said Wednesday that the state will not comply with federal requirements to change nondiscrimination policies. He called on the state to reject federal money tied to lunch programs. Earlier this month, Schroeder denounced the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Services reinterpretation of discrimination based on sex in Title IX. The new interpretation includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Schools superintendent's denouncement fans debate over gender identity, sexual orientation A blistering statement from Wyoming's schools superintendent is again fanning the flames of debate over gender identity and sexual orientation. The change requires any organization that gets money from the Food and Nutrition Service to investigate allegations of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation and update their non-discrimination policies and signage to include prohibitions against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The USDA announced the change May 5. It was acting in accordance with a January 2021 executive order directing federal agencies to examine and change their nondiscrimination policies to include protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The interpretation in that executive order was based on the 2020 Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that the prohibition on sex discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act covers discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Schroeder came out strong against the reinterpretation, claiming it as part of the federal governments ever-relentless agenda of social engineering. He tied the change with funding for school lunches, which could be jeopardized if schools dont comply with the new nondiscrimination policy requirements. Teachers respond to Wyo schools chief's denouncement of non-discrimination policy changes We cannot allow childrens safety and well-being to become casualties of politicking in this state," one retired educator said of the Wyoming superintendent's statements on federal sexual orientation and gender identity policies. In language that hasnt been seen before from a Wyoming schools superintendent, Schroeder reiterated that sentiment in a statement on Wednesday. We categorically reject gender ideology and will not bow to the coercive will of a bully government, he said. Schroeder said Treasurer Curt Meier and a host of other state leaders had told him Wyoming has enough money to cover the cost of school lunches. (According to his statement, Wyoming gets about $40 million per fiscal year from the Food and Nutrition Service). We can cut ties with these federal lunch dollars and still provide for Wyoming kids it only requires two things: the will of the Wyoming people, and the determination of Wyomings governing leaders, he said. Schroeder called on Wyomingites to talk with their local legislators about the liberating prospects of severing our dependence on federal dollars, adding that such action would have to be a phased endeavor, but that its completely doable... Washington has shown its hand, and will never stop at forcing its woke agenda and ever-changing value system on people who refuse to embrace it, he said. Be fully assured, this is not the end they will be back (i.e. boys in girls sports, forced usage of pronouns, etc.). This is a defining moment for the identity and future of Wyoming and its schools. We must break free if we are to be free. Gov. Mark Gordon appointed Schroeder to the superintendent position in January after former superintendent Jillian Balow left the post to take a similar job in Virginia. Schroeder was among three nominees chosen by the Wyoming Republican Party. Now, Schroeder is contending for the post alongside five other candidates. Schools superintendent stands by denouncement of non-discrimination policy changes Wyoming's schools chief put out another statement denouncing non-discrimination policy changes involving gender identity and sexual origination. Critics accused him of politicking at the cost of children's well-being. Wyoming Department of Education spokesperson Linda Finnerty said in an email to the Star-Tribune following Schroeders first statement on the nondiscrimination policy change that his denouncement was not related in any way to the race. But some think otherwise. I think that hes willing to jump on whatever bandwagon that he needs to jump on to get as many votes as possible, Casper Classical Academy Librarian Rebecca Murray previously told the Star-Tribune. Wyoming Equality Executive Director Sara Burlingame also said that Schroeders statement had everything to do with politicizing. Ordinarily people dont campaign so nakedly from their office, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 8 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Natrona County Republican Party plans to appeal a judges decision to toss its lawsuit against the state GOP. A Laramie County district judge had granted the Wyoming Republican Partys motion to end the case before the matter went to trial. On Tuesday, the Natrona County GOP Central Committee affirmed in two votes that it would go ahead with the appeal. The tally was close: The first was 46-39 and the second was slightly closer at 45- 41. Before the vote, however, the appeal had already been filed. The lawsuit was originally filed in response to bylaws that were passed at the 2020 convention that required county parties to pay dues or not have their delegates sat. Because Natrona County which has been feuding with the state party for several years was not paying dues, it did not have its delegates sat at the state party convention. If this lawsuit dies, then we would have to pay county shares or they will reduce our representation at convention said county party chairman Kevin Taheri, who is an attorney. Thats how the bylaws read right now. At the time of the bylaw change, Natrona County was not the only county party that was withholding funds from the state party. Natrona County Republican leaders often point out that the central committee voted to not pay dues at one point and often mention that paying dues has not historically been required of county parties. In ruling in favor of the state party, the judge concluded the matter was moot since the bylaws had been adopted. The judge also noted that courts are reluctant to wade into the internal affairs of volunteer organizations. But Natrona County GOP state committeeman and major critic of the state party Dr. Joseph McGinley said that the appeal is necessary because the decision was solely based on the ratification of the bylaws as opposed to the facts of the case. During debate at Tuesdays meeting, a statement was read out from Peter Nicolaysen, an attorney and member of county party leadership who could not attend. Arguing in favor of the appeal, he argued Natrona County is fighting for every Republican in this state party. The statement was met with groans from others. In my opinion, this has gone on long enough, said Dan Sabrosky, a Natrona County GOP central committee member. Its a fight among egos and ideologies. The state GOP, meanwhile, characterized the lawsuit as baseless in an email to its members. Weve talked about lawfare in the past. Its a tactic used by opposition to derail, defund, and demoralize a group using baseless litigation, the email read. Sorry, that wont work in Wyoming! The good people of this state understand the petty tactics being used to criticize the party in efforts to defund and stifle the conservative voice in Wyoming politics. McGinley said the county GOPs lawyer recommended continuing with the lawsuit. McGinley also added that Peter Nicolaysen has $20,000 pledged from various people, with likely more on the way. Were gonna cover the attorney fees whatever they cost, Nicolaysen said. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Natrona County GOP called for Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathornes resignation Tuesday following multiple controversial revelations about him. Members of the Natrona County Republican Central Committee passed a resolution 48-35 that demanded Eathorne immediately step down as the partys top official. The resolution asserts that Frank Eathorne has consistently failed to represent the values of the vast majority of Wyomingites while also dividing the Republican Party here. It found support from a number of state lawmakers who represent Natrona County including Sens. Drew Perkins and Jim Anderson as well as Reps. Joe MacGuire, Pat Sweeney and Tom Walters. (Walters vote was secret because he is the parliamentarian, but he disclosed it afterward to a reporter.) The resolution does not carry a tangible punishment outside of making a statement on the matter. Despite the resolutions success, a number of people at Tuesdays meeting spoke out against it and questioned the allegations against Eathorne, including statehouse candidate Bill Allemand, who called it a sham and shameful resolution as well as a poppycock liberal vendetta. Natrona Countys call for Eathornes resignation is the latest conflict in the ongoing battle between the county party and the state GOP. Darcie Gudger, a local Casper Republican at her first central committee meeting, was frustrated that Natrona County issues werent being discussed and time was being spent on inter-party conflicts. All of this infighting is not what the voters want, she said. We want action for the people. This is all about egos. As a Republican voter, this is not what I expect from my party. Eathorne has served as Wyoming GOP chairman since 2017. His stature rose during the presidency of Donald Trump, and hes played a key role in Trumps efforts to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney for supporting impeachment. Trump mentioned Eathorne by name when he visited Casper for a rally last month. Eathorne, meanwhile, said he would run through barbed wire for the former president. The resolution gave a number of reasons for why the GOP chairman should step down, including court records that indicate Eathorne, as a police officer in Worland in 1994, barged into a coworkers 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 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. 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, the resolution states. 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. State Committeeman Dr. Joseph McGinley who is arguably the most outspoken dissenter against the Wyoming Republican Party and MacGuire first brought the resolution. MacGuire, who is up for reelection in August and facing a primary challenger, cited the growing conflicts within the party in explaining the need for Eathorne to resign. In my opinion he is failed in his leadership of the Wyoming Republican party. Hes fractured it, MacGuire said. And I think that we need new leadership to take it in a new direction. Natrona County Republicans have regularly clashed with the state GOP 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. Laramie County also lost most of its delegates at the convention over a bylaw violation. Both counties say GOP leaders are selectively enforcing rules against them because theyve stayed true to traditional Republicanism and have resisted the hard-line path that the state party has taken under Eathornes leadership. The resolution mentioned this trend. 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. One of the people carrying a proxy vote Tuesday evening was Mike Eathorne, brother of the party chairman. He voted against the resolution and declined to comment afterward. The chairmans brother and some others who voted against the resolution left after it passed. Frank Eathorne did not respond to a request for comment. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wyomings U.S. senators voted Tuesday night against a bipartisan gun control bill drafted in response to a string of mass shootings, including a massacre at a Texas elementary school that killed 21 people. The bill cleared its first hurdle by a 64-34 vote. Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso were joined by 32 other GOP senators in opposing the measure. Fourteen Republican senators voted for the legislation as did all 50 Democrats. To pass the Senate, the bill faces two more major votes to break a filibuster and then a vote on final passage. It has already garnered the support of the 10 Republicans necessary overcome a filibuster. Their ranks include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. I do not support this legislation and will continue to vote against it, Barrasso said in a statement. As a senator for Wyoming, I know the meaning of the Second Amendment. I will not vote for any legislation that would jeopardize the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. My focus has been on mental health, school safety, and better-enforcement of our current laws. This legislation goes beyond that. The 80-page bill includes millions of dollars for mental health, school safety and crisis intervention programs. It would allow authorities up to 10 business days to review the mental health records of gun buyers younger than 21. It also closes the so-called boyfriend loophole and allocates funding for states to implement red-flag laws. Red flag laws allow police or family members to request courts keep firearms away from people if they are a risk to themselves or others. Critics of the laws say they can violate a persons due-process rights. I was hopeful the Senate would act to prevent these kinds of tragedies in the future by addressing mental health issues and ways to make our schools safer, something I would wholeheartedly support, Lummis said in a statement. However, this legislation includes measures that infringe on the Second Amendment rights of lawfully abiding gun owners in Wyoming something I will always oppose. A bloc of conservatives in the Wyoming Legislature urged Barrasso and Lummis to vote against the bill. They focused their opposition on red flag laws. Twenty members of the Legislature released a letter earlier this week opposing any form of gun control while a second written by the Wyoming House Freedom Caucus also pushed back on attempts by Congress to implement new gun restrictions. Sen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper, also sent a letter of his own. Guns are sewn inextricably into Wyomings fabric. About two-thirds of Wyoming households possess firearms. In recent legislative sessions, lawmakers have drafted numerous gun rights bills in a state that is already one of the friendliest to firearms in the nation. The legislation could pass the Senate by the end of the week and would then move onto the House. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 7 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. China has recruited 1.48 million more full-time teachers for the country's compulsory education over the past ten years, bringing the total number of such teachers to 10.57 million, statistics released by the Ministry of Education showed Tuesday. China now has 158 million students in 207,000 schools for the nine-year compulsory education. The compulsory-education retention rate reached 95.4 percent, up from 91.8 percent in 2012. China's nine-year compulsory education includes six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school, with free tuition. Over the period between 2012 and 2021, China's compulsory education has achieved a balanced development at the county level based on full coverage, said Lyu Yugang, an official with the ministry, at a press conference. Lyu added that all students that dropped out due to financial reasons were identified and helped back to school timeously. The country has also focused on equal education rights for children with disabilities. In 2021, about 920,000 students were studying in the country's special education institutions, up 142.8 percent from ten years earlier. A nutrition improvement program for rural students benefited 37 million children each year, helping the rate of relevant students passing the physical health tests increase from 70.3 percent in 2012 to 86.7 percent last year. Over the decade, all-level governments have invested more than 1 trillion yuan (more than 149 billion U.S. dollars) to close the gap between urban and rural school conditions and ensure all compulsory education schools have internet access. Gov. Mark Gordon is appealing the biggest Bureau of Land Management acquisition in Wyoming history because of how quietly it was conducted, his office said Tuesday. The governor is frustrated by the process, which did not involve the public or stakeholders in this decision, said Michael Pearlman, Gordons communications director. Federal officials announced on June 1 that the Conservation Fund, a national environmental group, purchased the 35,670-acre Marton Ranch from its previous owners, then transferred the land to the BLM, using $21 million from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The acquisition opens and protects 8.8 miles of the North Platte River southwest of Casper, near the Alcova Reservoir, and unlocks 40,000 acres of existing state and federal lands that were previously inaccessible to recreators. Gordon supports public access. He supports private property owners rights. This is about the process the BLM used and the way it was handled, Pearlman said. More specifics including how the state wants the situation resolved have not been finalized, according to Pearlman. Gordons office has until July 17 to decide what relief it will ask for. The notice of appeal, filed Friday, argues that the BLM failed to seek feedback from the state and local agencies that could be affected by the acquisition, or evaluate how it could impact taxation, grazing, mineral development or other resource use. This cavalier disregard for public notice and participation violates the spirit if not the letter of the law, the notice reads. But Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, a conservation group that cheered the acquisition earlier this month, denounced the appeal on Tuesday as an egregious attack on private property rights and an insult to the people of Wyoming. She called for Gordon to rescind the appeal and instead embrace the expanded public access to Wyoming lands. Governor Gordon should be celebrating a sale that is a win for hunters, anglers, wildlife, and the Marton family, Rokala said, not trying to stop it. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Thirty miles downriver from where their home was swept away by the Yellowstone River on June 13, Victoria and TJ Britton found their suitcase on a boat ramp. In it were precious wedding and family photos. A riverside landowner called the couple after noting the luggage tag with their name. Victoria also posted her phone number on the Park County [Montana] Flooding Facebook site along with a plea for anyone finding clothes or household items to let her know. Right now, even pieces of clothing or parts of the house mean so much, she wrote on Facebook. We lost everything, she said Tuesday in a telephone interview. All kinds of things, big or small, mean the world right now. Some of their possessions are undoubtedly buried under the piles of sand, trees and brush stacked up where the river pooled, eddied or pushed its debris into fields. We lost everything, she said. Its really heartbreaking. So if you see shoes, clothes, tools or kitchen items along the Yellowstones riverbanks, Victoria would like them back. Shuddering The Brittons were living in an upstairs apartment just north of Gardiner, Montana, in a five-plex that houses Yellowstone National Park employees. TJ Britton works for the agency and has lived in the complex for 16 years. Together, the couple occupied the upstairs apartment closest to the river. The night of June 12, Victoria said she could feel the house shuddering but thought it was from the large logs flowing downstream crashing together. Then, at 6:30 a.m. on June 13, a knock on the door alerted them to the worsening situation. Where normally there is 30 feet of yard before a slow drop-off to the river, Victoria saw only about 10-feet of bank left, and it was quickly crumbling. As a survivor of hurricanes Sandy and Noreen, Victoria wasted no time gathering belongings and fleeing the apartment. Ive had nightmares about this, she said. The couple grabbed important papers, some clothes and their pets, as well as items from their neighbors place downstairs who were away, before relocating to the towns rodeo grounds. Now her neighbors have nothing to come back to other than the clothes and a backpack full of toys the Brittons gathered for them. Watching Not far from their apartment, the Brittons sat on the hillside for hours and watched as their belongings were slowly consumed. When their deck fell in, the grill still stood upright with the lid open as it drifted downstream. Eventually a power pole next to the home was consumed by the river and transformers popped and blew. In the end, they witnessed the entire apartment complex collapse into the Yellowstone River and bob downstream. We watched our lives crumble away piece by piece, she said, and yet some people watching nearby cheered when the house fell into the water. Its really surreal, Victoria said. Im not sure its hit me yet. Seeking out her family and neighbors household possessions is providing her with a purpose and a distraction. Right now, things mean more to us than ever. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The southern half of Yellowstone National Park reopened to the public as planned at 8 a.m. today, a week and a half after it closed due to severe flooding. Cars were backed up half a mile from the East Gate, outside Cody, an hour before the park opened. The first RV to arrive driven from Michigan by a family of six had been parked in front of the gate since 10 the night before. It was barely above freezing near the entrance, and many of the tourists meandering near the line wore winter coats or clutched blankets around their shoulders. Others huddled in their cars, turning them off to conserve gas and on again when it got too cold. Rangers surveyed the line, checking in with people who had odd-numbered license plates (which are only allowed inside the park on odd-numbered days, as part of an effort to prevent overcrowding until a reservation system is in place) to make sure they had reservations inside the park. When the barriers lifted, right on time, the hundreds of ranger-vetted cars and RVs the first tourists to enter the park since the flooding crept inside. Progress was slow, but steady. Many people had waited for more than a week to drive, at last, toward the snow-capped mountains and glassy lakes of the U.S.'s first national park. Right now, there is a sense of excitement to let people in, and have them enjoy the park and see what they came to see, said Rebecca Roland, the Tower Lamar subdistrict ranger for resource education and youth programs, one of the rangers stationed at the East Gate this morning. The National Park Service closed all five entrances to Yellowstone on June 13 as floodwaters washed out roads, damaged bridges and turned gateway communities near the northern edges of the park into temporary islands. Tourists who'd driven across the country to visit the country's first national park were stranded at its gates. Linda Vela and four family members drove a truck and a motorcycle to Yellowstone from Louisiana. They knew when they left their home that the park was closed. When they started the trip early last week, we were thinking that surely by Monday or Tuesday it would open, Vela said. Once they said they were going to open on Wednesday, she added, we said, Well, we'll just stay another night in Cody. On Saturday, park officials announced they would reopen three of the park's five entrances -- the East, South and West gates -- while implementing a system that used visitor's license plates to limit access to the park. That step was necessary because only the southern loop is open to tourists again. The northern portion of the park, which suffered the worst damage, will take take longer to reopen, though it could happen before summer ends. I would like people to know not to cancel their reservations, Roland said. We're so excited to welcome them into the southern loop. They can still see everything that makes Yellowstone Yellowstone. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. THREE private sector groups, and a local non-profit organisation that focuses on transparency, yesterday said they are extremely concerned that the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act has not been fully proclaimed and implemented. Expressing the extreme concern yesterday were AMCHAM T&T, the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association and the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute Spending time with dogs can help reduce stress in children. Thats according to a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE. The study examined stress levels in children in the UK before and after spending 20 minutes with a trained dog and professional handler. The sessions were twice a week for four weeks. COMPARING PRICES: Petra Hoyte compares the price of flour yesterday at Big H Supermarket, Independence Square, Port of Spain. As of today, the retail price of flour will rise by 28 per cent. Photo: ISHMAEL SALANDY As China has ramped up efforts to develop new products made from sea buckthorn berries in recent years, the industry has emerged as a key growth driver in local economies and offers new solutions for rural revitalization, said an industrial report. The report, released by a commission of the China National Sand Control and Desert Industry Society, investigated the country's sea buckthorn resources and analyzed the industry's prospects in improving the environment and facilitating poverty alleviation. According to the report, China has nearly 19 million mu (around 1.27 million hectares) of sea buckthorn forests. Domestic companies can process up to 100,000 metric tons of sea buckthorn berries every year, with annual industrial output totaling 26 billion yuan (about $3.9 billion). China started planting sea buckthorn in 1985 as a way of improving the ecology of the country's Loess Plateau. Since then, it has rolled out massive sea buckthorn planting efforts and the industry has grown rapidly, especially over the past two decades. Sales of sea buckthorn extract by domestic companies surged from 560 million yuan in 2016 to 2.1 billion yuan in 2019, with seed and berry oil products making the biggest gains in popularity around the world. A total of 3,189 domestic companies are now engaged in related business, 87% of which are located in China's main growing areas in northern, northwestern and northeastern regions. The industry has also been working to expand sales channels to help farmers boost their incomes. Statistics from the report show that farmers growing sea buckthorn berries can now earn 300 to 600 yuan per mu. Sea buckthorn forests also provide firewood for farmers and reduce coal consumption in rural regions. The plant's leaves are rich in organic acids and are better feed for livestock than ordinary fodder, wrote the report. In 2011, China's top juice producer Huiyuan Juice launched a project in Burqin county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to build both an ecological demonstration zone and a sea buckthorn berry processing plant. At present, the project produces around 4,000 metric tons of sea buckthorn berries every year, with annual output reaching 100 million yuan. In addition to providing hundreds of jobs for local farmers, the sea buckthorn forests have improved soil quality, reduced damage from winds and prevented sand movement, and are now home to dozens of wild animal species. After a two-year pandemic-forced hiatus, the colour, splendour and energy of the masquerade returned to a local stage on Saturday at YUMAs Carnival 2023 band launch, at Drew Manor, Santa Cruz. Awakened Treasure, a 12-section multicoloured bikini, feathers and heels display, led off the return of the annual band launch season. The Tragarete Road, Port of Spain, band spared no expense in marking the occasion with all the pomp and flair it deserved. Primary schools and non-exam secondary school classes are to remain closed on Tuesday as a r Will the 3,300 loaves of bread baked for distribution to the poor in Trinidad by the Progres This advertorial is sponsored content provided by the advertiser and printed as is. Any claims, recommendations or errors are the advertisers own and the reader is responsible for evaluating all information contained herein. All Great Western branches in Arizona now welcoming clients as First Interstate Three months after joining forces, First Interstate is pleased to announce Great Western Bank locations in Arizona have opened for business as First Interstate. While the logo on the front door has changed, the same trusted and knowledgeable bank staff that have served Tucson are still in place, providing financial guidance and support to its communities. First Interstates mission, both as a community bank and trusted financial partner, is to build on Great Westerns legacy of integrity, success, and collaboration throughout the region. Both our banks come from the same community-focused roots, so bringing on our newest team members has happened naturally, said Kevin Riley, President and CEO of First Interstate Bank. We all share a culture dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities we serve, and in every interaction we put people first, act with integrity, and strive to be a partner our clients can rely on. Its these values that will ensure First Interstate never loses sight of our vision to be the most relevant, everyday experience our clients have with their money. Not everything will remain the same; new First Interstate clients now have access to more products, digital tools, and convenient ways to bank. Local teams are eager to put these solutions to work so that Arizona communities have what they need to grow and thrive. And as one of the countrys premier community banking franchises, clients can bank at any one of more than 300 First Interstate locations across 14 states. Of course, clients dont have to travel far to manage their finances. They can access banking services through their local First Interstate branch, online banking, or the First Interstate mobile banking app. Our business model is fueled by the interests of our clients and communities, said Marcy Mutch, Chief Financial Officer for First Interstate. We understand that to be successful, you have to take care of your neighbors, cultivate trust, listen to clients with positive intent, and show up when they need you most. This attitude and approach to doing business spurred on First Interstates decision to introduce a checkless, zero-overdraft account, reduce banking fees, eliminate non-sufficient funds charges on consumer accounts, and significantly scale back overdraft fees. Giving back has been at the heart of First Interstates values since its inception more than 50 years ago. Each year, First Interstate donates 2% of pre-tax earnings to its local communities. These funds are put into action to mitigate poverty, improve workforce development, boost early childhood education, and more. First Interstate also provides additional philanthropic support through donations, sponsorships, and volunteerism. Additional detail can be found in First Interstates 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report. We know the economic uncertainty of the last few years has had a significant impact on Arizona communities, so First Interstate is stepping up its philanthropic and financial support to help our newest neighbors navigate these challenges, Riley added. As part of that effort, weve made a $21.5 million donation to the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation in concert with our merger. This gift makes it possible for First Interstate to have an immediate and lasting impact throughout Tucson and ensure our philanthropic presence is felt for years to come. To learn more about First Interstate and the ways our team can address the financial needs of Tucson residents and businesses, please visit firstinterstate.com or stop by a location near you. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this paid post belong solely to the advertiser and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company. 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. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstones five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning after an estimated 2,000-3,000 vehicles entered the park in the first few hours in long lines that stretched for several miles (kilometers) at one gate. Paul Nithyanand of Chennai, India, gathered around Old Faithful along with 1,500 people in the afternoon to see it erupt. Nithyanand was touring the western U.S with his brother and had already seen the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, but said nothing on his trip compared with Old Faithful. Its awesome, said Nithyanand, who was so impressed he waited around 80 minutes to it erupt again. Ive been seeing it in movies and on YouTube but seeing it live is amazing. Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called bison jam where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which theyd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyomings Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. The whole purpose of our trip was to come here, Lonnie Macmillan said. We werent going to go home until we got here. The record floods reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at Americas first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this," he said. To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1% of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the parks 400 miles (644 kilometers) of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials will impose a reservation system for entrance. Along the road to Yellowstones south entrance in Wyoming, a long, slow-moving line of cars snaked along a road with a sign that for days had been flashing Yellowstone closed" but now alerted drivers that the park was open with restricted access. Gracie Brennan of Kentucky and two of her friends were going to Yellowstone as part of a tour of national parks. Old Faithful was the main thing I wanted to see, so if we can get there, which ever way we got to go, it doesnt really matter," Brennan said. The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. Its an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the parks geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. Thats turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. Theyre also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who received criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesdays reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also wasn't in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the parks wildlife. We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages ... saying Dont come, dont come, she said. But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work. Hanson reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana at Yellowstone National Parks south entrance in Wyoming contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. PHOENIX The Arizona House of Representatives voted Wednesday to let any Arizona child get state funds to attend a private or parochial school. The party-line vote for universal voucher availability for all 1.1 million K-12 students came even after the Republican majority removed the only accountability provision inserted in the original plan a requirement for annual testing of the students who get these tax dollars. Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, who moved to delete the requirement, said whats happening at private schools is none of the governments business, even if the test results would not be made public. But Rep. Kelli Butler, D-Paradise Valley, said the fact that tax dollars will be flowing to those schools gives the state an interest in accountability. We will not know if students are using our tax dollars $7,000 is the typical award if theyre using that money to learn anything, she said. House Majority Leader Ben Toma, R-Peoria, who crafted the measure, House Bill 2853, said those who demand testing of students in private schools, even if their tuition is being partly or fully funded with state tax dollars, are missing a key point. Parents are the ultimate accountability, not government, he said. They know whats best for their children and we should trust them to do the right thing. The Arizona Senate already approved a nearly identical measure written by Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale. If the Senate concurs with the House version, that paves the way for the proposal to be signed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who has approved every other voucher expansion that has reached his desk. That may not be the last word, however. Critics say theyll go to voters Opponents pointed out that the last voucher expansion was overturned by Arizona voters in 2018 by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Leaders of the group Save Our Schools Arizona, which led that successful referendum, have vowed to once again take the issue to the ballot. They would need to gather 118,823 valid signatures within 90 days after the end of the legislative session likely meaning by the end of September at this point to delay implementation until voters could get the last word in the 2024 election. No matter the fate of this measure, however, it wont affect the rest of the state budget and, specifically, additional aid to public schools. Toma agreed to remove a requirement in his original plan that linked additional funds for K-12 education to the voucher bill taking effect and not being referred to the ballot. Expansion over the years Arizona lawmakers approved the first vouchers, officially called empowerment scholarship accounts, in 2011. Backers said they were necessary for students with special needs who could not get an adequate education in public schools. State and federal courts ruled that the structure of the plan giving the money as vouchers for the parents to use does not violate state constitutional provisions forbidding the state from giving money to private and parochial schools. There has since been an incremental expansion of eligibility, to the point where vouchers are now available to foster children, children of military families, reservation residents and students in schools rated D or F. Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, said extending that to everyone makes sense. I think that one size fits all probably doesnt work for all of our 1.1 million public school students across the state, he said. Less clear is how many students would take advantage of universal vouchers. Despite the broadened categories, fewer than 12,000 students now receive them. Issue of choice debated One issue may be who is able to take advantage. Choice is only available for parents that have access to transportation, said House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen. Choice is only available if a child is accepted into a private school. And a real key, he said, is whether the parents can afford the tuition charged by private schools, which can run far higher than the typical $7,000 voucher. Rep. Melody Herandez, D-Tempe, saw the idea a part of an elaborate strategy by those who run private schools to tap into state dollars. Its important to note that education is a multibillion-dollar industry and there are many who seek to profit heavily through it, through private schools, she said. At the same time, Hernandez said, these unregulated private schools can determine who to accept and what the curriculum and rhetoric in those private schools is. This is about keeping people who are not wealthy and who oftentimes are people of color trapped with only schools that severely lack the resources to truly provide that student with the ability to succeed and thrive in our state, she said. Toma rejected any suggestion of racism. This is exactly the opposite, he said. This is giving everyone an opportunity to make full use of all their potential choices. He cited testimony by Drew Anderson, senior pastor of Legacy Christian Center, who said private schools can be a path out of poverty, as they were for him. Hoffman suggested that the reason parents want vouchers is they dont like what public schools have become. I dont have any problem with our public schools except when they go down the woke agenda that they have been recently, he said. Hoffman has been a prime proponent of legislation to bar the use of what he calls critical race theory in public schools, a measure that would restrict how race and ethnicity can be taught. Cost to taxpayers Legislative budget staffers, in what they call a highly speculative analysis, said the programs cost to taxpayers could depend largely on how many students already in private schools, paying their own way, take advantage of expanded vouchers. One estimate puts the cost by the third year of implementation at $125 million. For students moving from public schools there would be minimal cost to the state, as the move would reduce state aid to that school. 2018 vote irrelevant? That leaves the question of whether voters, having rejected a similar voucher measure in 2018, would make the same decision today. Toma said this is different from that proposal, because the 2018 plan would have made vouchers available only to most and not all students. He said even some voucher supporters rejected it amid concerns approving it would have permanently cemented into law the limits on who could get vouchers. Anyway, Toma said, what happened in 2018 is irrelevant. By that logic, then, the voters could never possibly change their mind, he said. He noted there were prior efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use before that was approved in 2020. And he said just because voters reject a school bond or override does not mean the proposals cannot be put on the ballot again. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. China stands ready to continue supporting sustainable peace, security, dev't in Horn of Africa: envoy Xinhua) 09:13, June 22, 2022 Xue Bing (C), Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivers a speech during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 20, 2022. Xue Bing has reiterated China's resolve to continue supporting Horn of Africa (HOA) countries in their efforts toward sustainable peace, security and regional development. The Chinese special envoy made the remarks as China and countries in the region kicked off the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference on Monday. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Xue Bing, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has reiterated China's resolve to continue supporting Horn of Africa (HOA) countries in their efforts toward sustainable peace, security and regional development. The Chinese special envoy made the remarks as China and countries in the region kicked off the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference on Monday. China will continue to support countries in the region to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; protect regional peace and security; and silence the guns in the Horn of Africa, Xue told ministers and senior officials attending the peace conference in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The two-day conference, which runs until Tuesday, brought together ministers and high-level representatives of Horn of Africa countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti. Addressing the conference, Xue underscored China's readiness to support HOA countries to focus on development, accelerate regional integration, enhance connectivity, boost home-grown economic development, explore complementarity among one another, and step up cooperation in areas including agriculture, trade, manufacturing and infrastructure with a view to foster industrial and economic belt areas and create more jobs and growth. Xue emphasized the notable potential of the HOA, which is home for about 300 million people, as an intersection to the eastern and western civilizations with a unique geographical location and abundant natural endowments. He, however, noted that peace and development of the region are put into challenge in recent times, which necessitates building lasting regional peace and development. He said China, as a good partner of countries in the region, put forth the Outlook on Peace and Development in the HOA early this year based on the region's reality and past experience. The outlook is aimed at supporting countries in the region to steer clear of external interference, respond to the triple challenges of security, development and governance; and realize peace, development and prosperity, Xue said. Xue said China encourages HOA countries to step up experience sharing on domestic governance, synergize national development policies, and explore a way of growing relations among different ethnic groups, religions and cultures. He said China will continue supporting countries in the region to join their efforts, engage in a holistic approach, and make a common response to non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and the refugee crisis, among others. The special envoy reiterated China's readiness to contribute its share to the peaceful development of the Horn of Africa alongside the implementation of the "Nine Programs" that were made at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November last year. Meanwhile, the Chinese envoy called on the international community to step up investment in the region and make greater contributions to the independent and sustainable development of the region and Africa in general. Amid a series of old and emerging security perils, countries in the region urgently need to find fresh conflict resolution approaches to ensure stability and peaceful socio-economic development. China has been part of efforts to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when visiting Kenya in early January that China stands ready to propose the "Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa" to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged efforts to accelerate the construction of basic systems for data and improve work on administrative divisions. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while chairing the 26th meeting of the central commission for deepening overall reform. The meeting reviewed and adopted guidelines on the above-mentioned issues, as well as work plans to conduct pilot reforms of scientific and technological personnel evaluation and strengthen supervision over major payment platform enterprises. Xi, who heads the commission, stressed the significance of basic systems for data in national development and security, urging efforts to safeguard national data security, protect personal information and commercial secrets, and empower the real economy with more efficient data circulation and use. The country will enhance the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee on work regarding administrative divisions, ensure solid overall planning and avert unregulated and disorderly acts, Xi said. He also highlighted the importance of building an evaluation system for scientific and technological personnel that is oriented toward innovation, capability and contribution. Regarding large payment and fintech platform enterprises, Xi called for efforts to improve regulations, strengthen institutional weak links, ensure the security of payment and financial infrastructure, and guard against and defuse potential systemic financial risks. He also called for these enterprises to be supported in better serving the real economy and smoothing the "dual circulation" of domestic and international markets. Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central commission for deepening overall reform, also attended the meeting. China has made solid progress in the promulgation of data-related laws, the marketization of data factors, and the building of a digital economy, the meeting noted. It called for establishing a data property right system, as well as mechanisms concerning the circulation, transaction and revenue distribution of data factors. Security should be emphasized throughout the whole process of data governance, it stressed, saying that the country will build a multi-party data governance pattern involving government, enterprises and society, and tighten industry-specific and cross-industrial regulations. The meeting also underlined efforts to bring payment and other financial activities of platform enterprises under regulation based on laws and rules. China will tighten oversight of financial holding companies, financial institutions that platform enterprises have stakes in, and internet financial services including deposits, loans and insurance, said the meeting. Two men are facing murder charges in separate shootings in May that left two people dead, Tucson police said Tuesday. Rene Alejandro Uranga, 18, and Luis Isaiah Navarro, also 18, are facing numerous charges in the shooting deaths that occurred May 2 and May 20 on Tucsons south side. The two men were arrested by police June 15. They were booked into the Pima County Jail on suspicion of armed robbery, kidnapping and felony murder in connection with the two incidents. They are being held on $1 million bonds each. Tucson police linked the two men to the following incidents: On May 2 at 2 a.m., officers arrived at a home in the 100 block of West Kentucky Street, near South Seventh Avenue, where they found Alma Daniela Gomez, 40, with gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene. On Tuesday, police said Uranga, Navarro and 19-year-old Anyssa Delfina Rios-Sanchez forced their way into the home to rob the occupants when the shooting occurred. The three then fled in a vehicle. Police said the three suspects and the occupants of the home knew each other. Rios-Sanchez turned herself in to detectives on June 17 and was jailed under a $500,000 bond. She is facing charges of armed robbery, kidnapping and felony murder. In the second incident, police said Uranga, Navarro and a third man, Edwin Jonatan Gutierrez, also 18, forced their way into an apartment in the 6300 block of South Headley Road, near West Valencia and South Mission roads, at around 12:30 a.m. May 20. Police said the three intended to rob the occupants but gunshots were fired during the incident. Officers found Gutierrez shot inside the apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said earlier. The felony murder law allows authorities to file murder charges against a person if someone dies during the commission of certain types of felony crimes. Anyone with information about either shooting can call 88-CRIME. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Arizona continues to bus migrants to Washington, D.C., and a total of 637 migrants had volunteered for the trip as of Monday. Gov. Doug Ducey began the program May 9 of busing migrants who crossed the border in Yuma and volunteered to go to D.C. Arizona was following Texas example in sending migrants to the nations capital, despite the fact the federal government already pays to transport them. When asked what Arizona has spent on the program so far, the governors spokesman C.J. Karamargin said the final costs have not been calculated. There is a $15 million allocation in the states proposed general appropriations act for transportation of individuals who entered Arizona seeking asylum to other states, which passed out of two House committees Tuesday and was on the House floor Wednesday. The federal government already allotted $150 million in a spending bill passed in March to fund nonprofit organizations that serve migrants entering the country. Part of what those nonprofits do with those federal dollars is arrange transportation for the migrants to get to their sponsors in the United States. Pima County has already received more than $10 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency since April of 2021, which will continue to cover costs for migrant services for the next several months. The Tucson migrant shelter Casa Alitas is not taking part in the governors program. The amount that Yuma has received was not readily available. Its unclear how long the busing program will continue, but theres still a demand, Karamargin said. With the number of migrants arriving at the southern border increasing, the governors office has said border communities and nongovernmental organizations are strapped. We decided to step up and help alleviate the burden on our NGOs and get these folks closer to where they ultimately want to be, Karamargin said in May. The state is currently paying to transport the migrants and for other border security efforts through the Border Security Fund, established in 2021 in partnership with the Legislature. And Arizona is poised to spend more money on border security measures in the upcoming budget, currently being debated. The proposed budget includes $335 million for a border fence and another $209 million for the Border Security Fund for things like aid to local sheriffs and prosecutors. Migrants who volunteer to make the state-funded trip are connected to a nonprofit organization once they arrive in D.C., which then assists them in getting to their final destination where they have a sponsor, who is typically a friend or family member. The more than 600 migrants who have volunteered have traveled on 17 buses, Karamargin said. The majority of the migrants were from Colombia at 68%, followed by Peruvians at almost 17%, and then by smaller portions of people from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Chile, as well as very small numbers from the African countries of Senegal, Angola and Congo. The migrants all had final destinations in East Coast states, with 25% going to New York, 23% to New Jersey, 16% to Florida and smaller numbers going to Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts, the Carolinas, Maryland and Georgia. Contact reporter Danyelle Khmara at dkhmara@tucson.com or 573-4223 . On Twitter: @DanyelleKhmara Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Since John and Nancy McKearney got into the baking business 26 years ago, the Tucson couple has found ways to continuously reinvent themselves. First there was the bakery and cafe, Village Bakehouse, the couple opened in 1996, a year after moving to Tucson from Michigan. Five years later, after receiving high interest from local restaurants and grocers, the McKearneys decided to sell the business to instead focus on wholesale, creating Bakehouse Bread Company. By 2014, Bakehouse Bread went statewide, distributing its sweet breads to Frys Food and Drug stores throughout Arizona. It would go regional a year later in seven western states with Smiths Food and Drug. Today, you can find Bakehouse Breads sweet loaves in more than 2,000 stores nationwide. But the business, with about 55 employees and a facility on Tucsons west side, is looking to up the ante, as it prepares to pitch its products to one of the biggest players in the retail game: Walmart. More than 1,200 businesses applied for Walmarts Open Call, with just 12 Arizona companies selected. Bakehouse is the only Tucson-area business pitching to Walmart executives on June 29 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Open Call process is designed to bring shelf-ready products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. to shoppers across the country, both in-store and online. And the McKearneys say Bakehouse Bread is ready to take things to the next level, selling about 60,000 loaves weekly, with room for expansion. The opportunity came up after Nancy McKearney was engaging in market research, something she often does before launching new efforts within the business. I was in a Walmart store six to eight months ago and saw that they had upped their bakery game, she said. I thought to myself, I could see our product looking mighty fine here. Walmart always impresses me. You can see it when you go to the condiments aisle. If youre a mustard person, they have so much to choose from and I always think, theyre really taking a chance on businesses, and they seem very savvy. In addition to pitching their new coffee cake and other popular loaves, including zucchini, banana and cinnamon swirl, Bakehouse Bread Company will get to engage in Open Call seminars discussing finance, supplier diversity, logistics and sustainability. Each 30-minute pitch is considered on an individual basis and if accepted, could come to fruition in a variety of ways whether thats with an online presence on walmart.com, or landing on the shelves of a brick-and-mortar store locally, regionally or nationally. For the McKearneys this is the next logical step. We think this is a good move because weve been taking baby steps, John McKearny said. We were local for quite a long time and then we expanded out in this region and now that were nationwide our sales are fantastic. Our product gets positive results everywhere so this seems like the next logical step, to partner with Walmart, and keep our momentum growing. For more information on where to find the sweet breads, visit bakehousebreadcompany.com. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. As legislators rush to pass a budget before the June 30 deadline, its hard to believe the state Senates GOP leaders made time for this. In a strongly worded press release last week, they proposed, of all things, banning children from attending performances by drag queens. They cited a drag show put on by students in a Tucson High School club and a family-friendly drag show featuring Native American performers that took place June 3 at the Heard Museum. Southern Arizonas own Sen. Vince Leach is spearheading the effort, although he is also vice-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. That committee, of course, is hearing last-minute budget proposals rushed out this week. But we shouldnt lay the idea strictly at Leachs feet. He and the other GOP leaders acknowledged coordinating with officials in other states to develop this proposal. In Florida and Texas, too, GOP officeholders have proposed calling child-protection authorities on parents who take children to see drag shows. All these proposals are also linked to a bigger effort. Right-wing activists have been targeting events around the country during June, which is Pride Month. In the most notorious case, police in Coeur DAlene, Idaho, arrested 31 members of the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front as they rode in a U-Haul to disrupt a pride event. In San Lorenzo, California, a group of 10 apparent members of the Proud Boys group interrupted an event at a local library in which a drag queen was planning on reading to children during a story hour. They yelled that the performer was a groomer and a pedophile. This brings up the even broader context of the proposal Leach and company are making. It is essentially QAnon Lite, suggesting a pedophile threat without saying it. QAnon, of course, is the conspiracy theory that gripped millions of Americans during the pandemics first year or two. Inspired by cryptic posts made online by someone purporting to be a high federal official, believers concluded that a global conspiracy of Satanic pedophiles, largely Democrats or globalists, was trafficking in children and Donald Trump was secretly rounding them up. About 25% of Republicans, 14% of independents and 9% of Democrats believe the main QAnon story, a February report by the Public Religion Research Institute showed. And they are largely Trump enthusiasts. So its no coincidence that this year labeling political opponents as groomers or pedophiles became a major talking point among Trump-supporting Republicans. Even in the hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sen. Josh Hawley and others argued that as a judge she had been soft on child sexual predators, giving a nod to QAnon believers. It happens to Republicans like Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, too. He testified Tuesday to the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that he was harassed at his home after he refused to bow to Trumps demands that he try to decertify Arizonas 2020 election results. They have had panel trucks with videos of me, proclaiming me to be a pedophile and a pervert and a corrupt politician, Bowers said. None of this is accidental of course. One of the architects of the Critical Race Theory panic of 2021 has also been trying to construct a pedophile/groomer panic in 2022. Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, has publicly tried to frame issues so as to give them the most culture-war power. On June 17, for example, he tweeted, Conservatives should start using the phrase trans stripper in lieu of drag queen. It has a more lurid set of connotations and shifts the debate to sexualization. This is the political context for the Leach proposal, which, by the way, has not even been drafted into a bill yet and seems very unlikely to become law this year. Still, some Democratic senators used Mondays floor session to rail against the idea as dangerously associating lesbian, gay and trans people with pedophilia. If we want to start banning children from things based on some illegitimate cause and effect relationship, theres a long list of things we could be banning children from aside from just drag shows, Sen. Martin Quezada said. He cited the massive sexual abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts of America and the Southern Baptist Convention. If we care about kids, what are we doing about those things? he said. Leach appealed to Quezada and the other Democrats to join him in fighting the drag-show scourge. Im frustrated, Leach said. Im admitting theres a problem, and were getting push back when we call it out. Dont push back. Jump in the ship with me. But this really isnt a big problem, even using the example that the GOP leaders cited. In their press release, they linked to an Arizona Republic story about the Heard Museum show, which includes a 17-photo gallery that shows nothing much at all. Yes, there were children present, but it all looked pretty tame, not like the hyper-sexualized performances the press release decried. Now, I wouldnt want my children to have attended hyper-sexualized drag shows, but I would leave it up to the parents to decide what those are. That is, after all, in the spirit of what Republicans were demanding earlier this year parental, not school, control in raising their kids. Perhaps, though, the talk of drag shows is really a cover for discomfort with the unapologetic presence of sexual minorities in society. In a curious paragraph in the press release, the leaders seem to support discrimination against them. Policies of nondiscrimination regarding gender expression and sexual orientation are sending a message to society that we should disregard morals and values just to normalize these unscientific, broad, ill-defined and subjective terms, which set a dangerous precedent for our children that are too young to be exposed to such concepts. If this were really about protecting children from their greatest threats, I dont think drag shows is the place to start. But, as the reference to non-discrimination policies shows, thats not what this is really about. Contact opinion columnist Tim Steller at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Uvalde school police chief on leave after mass shooting DALLAS (AP) The Uvalde school districts police chief has been put on leave following allegations that he erred in his response to a mass shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Superintendent Hal Harrell said Wednesday that he put schools police Chief Pete Arredondo on administrative leave. Arredondo has faced criticism for his role as commander in charge of the response to the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Officers armed with rifles waited in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman carried out the massacre. Arredondo has tried to defend his actions, telling the Texas Tribune that he didnt consider himself the commander and that he assumed someone else had taken control of the police response. Biden calls for 3-month suspension of gas and diesel taxes WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months an election-year move meant to ease financial pressures. But it's not clear Biden has the votes to suspend the taxes. Many lawmakers in his own party have expressed reservations. Biden says he knows the move wouldn't reduce all the pain but it will be a big help. If the gas tax savings were fully passed along to consumers, people would save roughly 3.6% at the pump. Prices average about $5 a gallon nationwide. Biden also wants states to suspend their own gas taxes or provide similar relief. Powell: Fed aims to avoid recession but says it's possible WASHINGTON (AP) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sought to reassure the public that the Fed will raise interest rates high and fast enough to quell inflation, without tightening credit so much as to throttle the economy and cause a recession. Testifying to the Senate Banking Committee, Powell faced skeptical questions about the Feds ability to tame inflation, which has surged to the top of Americans concerns as congressional elections near. Democrats wondered whether the Feds accelerated rate hikes will succeed in curbing inflation or might instead just tip the economy into a downturn. Several Republicans charged that the Powell Fed had moved too slowly to begin raising rates and now must speed up its hikes. Afghanistan quake kills 1,000 people, deadliest in decades GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) Afghanistan's state-run news agency reported a powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of the country's east, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more. Wednesday's quake was the country's deadliest in two decades. Officials warned that the already grim toll may still rise. Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 earthquake near the Pakistani border. But early footage from villages tucked among the rough mountains showed residents picking through rubble of collapsed stone and mud-brick houses. The disaster posed a major test for the Taliban-led government. The Taliban seized power last year as the U.S. and its allies were withdrawing from the country. Ghastly shootings, political forces align to prompt gun deal WASHINGTON (AP) Last month's mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, have produced a groundswell for change in Congress. Years of mass slayings of children, worshippers and others have not prompted lawmakers to pass significant legislation, until now. Buffalo and Uvalde came just 10 days apart, and the victims were elementary school students, teachers and shoppers engaged in everyday activities. Lawmakers say that's helped prompt a visceral public demand for Congress to finally do something. Feeling pressure to act, bipartisan bargainers produced a compromise gun violence bill that the Senate is moving toward approving later this week. House action is expected sometime afterward. Jan. 6 hearings: What weve learned, and whats next WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection heard from election workers and state officials on Tuesday as it described former President Donald Trumps pressure on states to overturn his 2020 election defeat. On Thursday, they will hear from former Justice Department officials who resisted Trumps entreaties to declare the election corrupt. The committees fourth and fifth hearings are part of the panels effort to show how Trumps pressure eventually shifted to Congress, and how his false declarations of widespread fraud in the election led to the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters violently broke into the Capitol. Ukraine expects EU-wide support for candidacy to join bloc KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Ukrainian deputy prime minister overseeing the countrys push to join the European Union says shes 100% certain all 27 EU nations will approve making Ukraine a candidate for membership in the bloc. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday. She says countries that had been skeptical about starting accession talks while Ukraine is fighting Russias invasion are now supportive. Granting a country EU candidate status requires unanimous approval from existing member nations. Candidacy is the first step toward membership. It doesn't provide security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Andrew Gillum, once a Florida governor candidate, indicted TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has been indicted on 21 federal charges including conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly funneling donations through third parties back to himself for personal use. The U.S. attorneys office announced the indictment Wednesday. Gillum is also charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its the latest trouble for Gillum, who was the Democratic nominee for Florida governor in 2018. He narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a race that required a recount. In March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Sound off! Trumpet is 1st bloodhound to win Westminster show TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) A bloodhound named Trumpet has won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Trumpet bested six other finalists Wednesday night to snare U.S. dogdoms most coveted best in show prize. Trumpet beat a French bulldog, a German shepherd, a Maltese, an English setter, a Samoyed and a Lakeland terrier to take the trophy. Trumpet became the first bloodhound to win Westminster. The competition drew more than 3,000 purebred dogs, ranging from affenpinschers to Yorkshire terriers. The goal is to crown the dog that most represents the ideal for its breed. Kadri's OT goal lifts Avalanche over Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Nazem Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime and the Colorado Avalanche beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to move within a victory of dethroning the two-time defending champion Lightning. Playing for the first time since June 4 due to a thumb injury, Kadri skated in on Andrei Vasilevskiy and slipped a shot under the goaltenders right arm to give Colorado a 3-1 series lead. The Avalanche outshot the Lightning 11-3 in the extra period. Vasilevskiy stopped Logan OConnor on a breakaway, and Colorado had a shot clang off the post and another hit the crossbar before Kadri ended it. Game 5 is Friday night in Denver. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia Democrats chose state Rep. Bee Nguyen as their nominee for secretary of state, a position that assumed new importance after former President Donald Trump cast doubt on Georgias 2020 election results by making false claims of widespread voter fraud. Nguyen defeated former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler in the primary runoff Tuesday and is set to challenge Republican incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in November's general election. The significance of the position was highlighted by Raffenspergers appearance as a witness Tuesday before the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee. For the first time in our states history, an Asian American woman is going to be a nominee on a statewide ticket," Nguyen, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, told supporters Tuesday night. The question that Ive been asked as Ive been on this campaign trail for 14 months has been, Will Georgians vote for an Asian candidate? The answer is yes, Georgians will. Meanwhile, Republicans had no statewide runoffs but were voting in four congressional races. Trump had endorsed candidates in two of those races and both were defeated. In the 10th Congressional District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins beat former Democrat Vernon Jones, who had been endorsed by Trump, in a runoff to become the Republican nominee. Collins, the son of former congressman Mac Collins, was narrowly the frontrunner in the eight-candidate May primary, while Trump's endorsement helped push Jones into second place. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick held off Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans. That race has revolved around accusations by each candidate that the other was insufficiently conservative. The secretary of states race was the most high-profile of four Democratic statewide runoffs, with nominees also being selected for lieutenant governor, labor commissioner and insurance commissioner. Trump targeted Raffensperger after the 2020 general election for failing to overturn his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger who won the praise of some Democrats for refusing to bend to pressure from the former president dispatched a challenge from a Trump-endorsed primary challenger without being forced into a runoff. With Trump and his allies pushing false claims of widespread voter fraud in Georgia, Nguyen highlighted her work in the General Assembly to debunk false narratives and stand up for voting rights. We will remind Georgians that Brad Raffensperger aint our friend and we deserve better," Nguyen told supporters. "We deserve a secretary of state who will uphold the law and protect our freedom to vote. We can have both, yall. She has served in the state House since winning a 2017 special election to succeed Stacey Abrams in a district that includes parts of the city of Atlanta and is vice chair of the state Democratic Party. Abrams, who endorsed Nguyen in the runoff, is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor after narrowly losing the election to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018. A statement from Nguyen's campaign included comments from many of the state's top Democrats touting her strengths. Abrams said Nguyen is "a lifelong advocate for the people of Georgia, and her work on the front lines to protect our democracy and the freedom to vote exemplifies the courage and tenacity needed in our next Secretary of State. Dawkins-Haigler called the Democratic primary campaign spirited but said her low fundraising haul and lack of party backing stacked the deck against her in the runoff. "However, we still ran a race full of integrity, and now that its over Im going to make sure that the Democrats still try to win in November, she said in a phone interview. There were few policy differences between Nguyen and Dawkins-Haigler with both stressing the need to increase voter education and work more closely with local election boards to ensure universal access to free, fair and secure elections. They both also said Raffensperger is no election hero, targeting his endorsement of a sweeping election overhaul passed last year by Republican state lawmakers. In southwest Georgias 2nd Congressional District, Republicans have high hopes of knocking off 30-year Democratic incumbent Rep. Sanford Bishop. GOP voters chose real estate developer Chris West over former Army officer Jeremy Hunt in that race. In the other statewide Democratic races, Charlie Bailey beat Kwanza Hall for lieutenant governor, William Boddie defeated Nicole Horn for labor commissioner, and Janice Laws Robinson bested Raphael Baker for insurance commissioner. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Gun deaths in Oklahoma have increased since a permitless carry law allowing people over the age of 21 to carry a gun without a permit or training went into effect in 2019, according to a newspapers review of data. The Oklahoman analyzed state medical examiner data. It found that Oklahoma has recorded some of its deadliest months in history since the law took effect. In the decade before permitless carry, there had only been 10 months with 70 or more firearm deaths. From November 2019 until January, there were 10 months with more than 70 gun-related deaths. Following recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and in Tulsa, Republican leaders in Oklahoma have not shown an interest in any gun control measures. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstones five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning after an estimated 2,000-3,000 vehicles entered the park in the first few hours in long lines that stretched for several miles (kilometers) at one gate. Paul Nithyanand of Chennai, India, gathered around Old Faithful along with 1,500 people in the afternoon to see it erupt. Nithyanand was touring the western U.S with his brother and had already seen the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, but said nothing on his trip compared with Old Faithful. Its awesome, said Nithyanand, who was so impressed he waited around 80 minutes to it erupt again. Ive been seeing it in movies and on YouTube but seeing it live is amazing. Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called bison jam where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which theyd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyomings Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. The whole purpose of our trip was to come here, Lonnie Macmillan said. We werent going to go home until we got here. The record floods reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at Americas first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this," he said. To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1% of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the parks 400 miles (644 kilometers) of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials will impose a reservation system for entrance. Along the road to Yellowstones south entrance in Wyoming, a long, slow-moving line of cars snaked along a road with a sign that for days had been flashing Yellowstone closed" but now alerted drivers that the park was open with restricted access. Gracie Brennan of Kentucky and two of her friends were going to Yellowstone as part of a tour of national parks. Old Faithful was the main thing I wanted to see, so if we can get there, which ever way we got to go, it doesnt really matter," Brennan said. The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. Its an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the parks geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. Thats turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. Theyre also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who received criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesdays reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also wasn't in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the parks wildlife. We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages ... saying Dont come, dont come, she said. But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work. Hanson reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana at Yellowstone National Parks south entrance in Wyoming contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Signed this month by Mayor G.T. Bynum, the contract is part of the citys Retail Incentive Program and will help with infrastructure improvements related to the build-out on the Costco store near 46th Street North and U.S. 169. The Sand Springs Leader asked readers to submit their questions regarding the four-part, $15.7 million bond proposal that will be put before city voters June 28. Here are the submitted questions and their answers: Is this a new/additional tax, or does it replace a retiring tax?City Planner Brad Bates: It is both a new and existing tax. We have bonds that are rolling off the books that would lower our millage rate. These propositions would be new bonds that would be issued and subsequently paid off. There would be a slight increase in taxes as the council has authorized staff to issue bonds in amounts that would increase the millage rate from a maximum of 13 mills to 15 mills max. Besides the old gym, what part of the school buildings on Broadway would be torn down, and what would be done with the citys $1 million if the schools dont go through with that project?City Planner Brad Bates: They will also be demolishing the existing administrative offices adjacent to the gym. The historical building will remain and be preserved. If the school backed out, we would reallocate funds to projects within the same proposition or simply not issue the bonds for that part of proposition 4. Will the neighborhood trail improvements in Proposition 3 be asphalt overlay or new concrete?Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Edwards: We plan to replace the trails with new concrete. Will Oklahoma 97 get any of the money for the street improvements? Its really rough around IHOP.City Planner Brad Bates: Oklahoma 97 is not part of the mill and overlay projects that would be considered. Oklahoma 97 is the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Oklahoma 97 from Second Street to just short of the bridge will be redone and widened by ODOT in the near future as part of an already funded ODOT project. Second Street and McKinley north is also ODOTs responsibility to maintain. The entry to IHOP and McDonalds is going to be redone by the city of Sand Springs, as that is part of an old road that was taken out when IHOP and River West was developed. We will be patching those potholes this week and will be redoing the area in the fall when we do our next mill and overlay package. Do businesses pay the taxes, too, or is it just residential? What about apartment complexes?City Planner Brad Bates: All properties in the city of Sand Springs that are subject to property tax will be assessed the anticipated millage rate. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The words Native American cuisine usually conjure up one specific dish in the minds of Oklahomans. We get asked all the time, Do you do Indian tacos? said Jacque Siegfried, chef and owner of NATV in Broken Arrow. She punctuates the sentence with a rueful laugh. First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Indian tacos, she said, referring to fry bread creations that have become a staple of state fair midways as well as tribal gatherings. Weve done them occasionally, as a special item or as part of our catering work. But what I want to do is show different flavor profiles that are not seen so much, she said. Native cuisine is the original farm-to-table cuisine, and it goes back thousands of years. I try to draw as much as I can from different traditions, to create food that honors those traditions, but that appeals to modern tastes. Siegfried, a member of the Shawnee Nation, said she knew as a child she wanted to be a chef. She persuaded her parents to enroll her in the culinary program at Tulsas Nathan Hale High School and studied at Platt College. She then set out on a career, working at such places as Montereau, Cedar Ridge Country Club, the Mayo Hotel and the Tulsa Club Hotel. When the restaurant world was brought to a halt in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, Siegfried said she began to think seriously about leaving the hotel/country club world behind and going out on her own. My husband, Ricky, asked me, What speaks to your heart? and I said, Native American food, Siegfried recalled. Three days later, he said he had found a place he wanted me to look over as a possible site for a new restaurant. Although Siegfried was well-versed in the ways of the kitchen, she had never run her own business before. She enrolled in the Mother Road Markets Kitchen 66 program to get a better understanding of the business side of running a restaurant. Siegfried said she originally thought about opening a place in the downtown Tulsa area, but the spaces she looked at were either out of her price range, or would require too much renovation to get into shape. What sold her on the space in Broken Arrow was that it was already kitted out with such things as a large vent hood over the cooking area, and a walk-in freezer. A lot of the equipment we needed was already in place, she said. Mother Nature and the usual obstacles of licensing and other legal matters meant Siegfrieds goal of being up and running in six months was not going to happen. But as the restaurant was being readied, she was able to share some of her culinary ideas at the Tulsa State Fair, as well as through her catering business. Siegfried said she gets as much of her meat and produce from Indigenous farms and growers as possible; the beef she uses, for example, comes from the Quapaw Cattle Company, which raises grass-fed, hormone-free cattle. If no Native sources are available, she said, she looks to other Oklahoma producers. My companion and I paid a recent visit on a Tuesday night, as the city of Broken Arrow was preparing for its annual Rooster Days celebration. This made getting to the restaurant a bit of a journey, as the area of Main Street that NATV faces was already closed to traffic. We were the only customers that evening, but it apparently had been busy through the day as two of the dishes we had hoped to try, the Seared Trout ($18) and the Sunchoke Gnocchi ($18), had already sold out. I was able to sample the trout during the photo shoot; this is a dish that definitely will be worth a return trip. The flesh was tender and nicely seasoned, the skin had a bit of crisp to it, and the wild onion chimichurri sauce topping it was burst of herbaceous delight. Our second choices were the Seared Duck Breast ($42), accompanied by candied dandelion greens, and the Bison Poyha ($22), essentially a meatloaf topped with a rich, tangy sauce, and served with wild rice and a fried corn medley. Bison is a notoriously lean meat, and the majority of times Ive had it, it has been painfully dry. But Siegfrieds preparation here resulted in a moist, extremely flavorful dish that the fruity sauce complemented well. We did encounter a small piece of bone in the slice we were served. The corn medley melded sweet and savory flavors that worked with the relative blandness of the wild rice. The duck breast was cooked to the proper doneness, with the flesh still tinged with a bit of pink. I would have wished the skin and its subcutaneous fat had been rendered to a more crisp state. The warm salad of dandelion greens, mixed with sauteed onions, was the real star of the plate, blending bitter greens and sweet onions in a tart, vinegary dressing. We began the meal with the Relish Board ($11), an array of three types of salami-type sausages, with slices of pickled zucchini and yellow squash, blueberries and blackberries, with a rich local honey and a mustardy sauce. Everything on this plate was excellent. The sausages had slightly different degrees of spiciness, the berries were bursting with sweetness and the squash slices were tart and crunchy. The rosemary pecan crackers served with this were closer to a somewhat fibrous flatbread, but they were tasty when dipped in the honey or used to tame the tang of the pickled squashes. We shared Grape Dumplings ($8) for dessert, thick doughy noodles doused in a tart grape sauce and topped with whipped cream. Siegfried acknowledged that some are a bit put off by the texture, but there was no denying that the taste was intriguing, and not overly sweet. NATV offers several vegetarian dishes, such as the Vegan Succotash ($11) and the Three Sisters Stew ($6), made with corn, beans and whatever squash is in season, and served with fry bread (proteins can be added for those who wish). We also use a lot of nut flours, like the pecan flour we use for the gnocchi, and wild rice, which means a lot of our food is also gluten-free, Siegfried said. Siegfried said she will be launching a summer menu soon, adding that items such as the trout, the Pork Belly Succotash and the Three Sisters Stew will remain available, although the ingredients will reflect what is seasonal, as in the types of squash used in the stew. In everything we do, she said, were just trying to show off the true, natural flavors of the food we serve. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NEW ORLEANS (AP) The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes who sent more than 800 of his elderly residents to a crowded, ill-equipped warehouse to ride out Hurricane Ida last year was arrested Wednesday on fraud and cruelty charges arising from the squalid conditions. Bob Glynn Dean Jr., 68, had already lost state licenses and federal funding for crowding his residents into a facility in the town of Independence, roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans. There, authorities said they found ill and elderly bedridden people on mattresses on the wet floor, some crying for help, some lying in their own waste. Some had arrived without their medicine, according to one doctor. Civil suits against Dean's corporation said the ceiling leaked, toilets overflowed at the sweltering warehouse and there was too little food and water. On Wednesday, Dean was in custody in Tangipahoa Parish, facing charges of Medicaid fraud, cruelty to the infirm and obstruction of justice. Dean's attorney, John McClindon, said Dean was informed earlier this week of the warrant against him. A Georgia resident, Dean flew to Louisiana and turned himself in on Wednesday. McClindon said Dean was to be released on a $350,000 bond. Attorney General Jeff Landry said the criminal charges stem from allegations that Dean billed Medicaid for dates his residents were not receiving proper care at the warehouse and engaged in conduct intended to intimidate or obstruct public health officials and law enforcement. McClindon said he could not comment on all the charges because he had not yet read the entire warrant. But he said during a brief interview, I don't think Bob Dean did anything that rose to the level of criminal. In the days after Ida hit Aug. 29, the state reported the deaths of seven people who had been evacuated to the warehouse in the town of Independence. Five were classified as storm-related deaths. Dean later lost the state licenses for his seven facilities. In May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it was prohibiting Dean from receiving federal funding, including Medicare and Medicaid. At the time, McLindon, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate that Dean is appealing the state license revocations and would be reinstated for the federal programs if the appeals are successful. Ida blasted ashore last August as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out power to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River as it rushed from the coast into a major industrial corridor. Idas landfall with 150 mph- (240 kph-) winds also marked the first time in recorded historythat a state got back-to-back years of 150 mph winds or more. At the warehouse where Dean's residents were taken, state officials said conditions had deteriorated quickly in the storm. Generators used to provide power failed at times. Residents were in close quarters at a time when the state was urging social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some went without food for hours. Dean's nursing homes were River Palms Nursing and Rehab and Maison Orleans Healthcare Center in New Orleans; South Lafourche Nursing and Rehab in Lafourche Parish; Park Place Healthcare Nursing Home, West Jefferson Health Care Center and Maison DeVille Nursing home of Harvey, in Jefferson Parish; and Maison DeVille Nursing Home in Terrebonne Parish. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A man has been arrested in the stabbing of a woman who refused to give up her keys during an attempted carjacking. Donald Ray Shibley, 43, is accused of being the man who attacked an 86-year-old woman at a gas pump near 51st Street and Lewis Avenue just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to a Tulsa Police Department social media post. The assailant demanded her car keys, and when the woman refused, he struck her and pierced her in the neck with an ink pen before fleeing on foot, the post states. Officers searching nearby neighborhoods found Shibley and took him into custody Wednesday morning. According to investigators, Shibley is also accused in a Monday carjacking of a 72-year-old man; the stolen car was crashed into a restaurant near the University of Tulsa. Police identified Shibley as a tribal citizen, saying federal prosecutors will determine whether he will be charged in the crimes. Shibley has been in and out of Oklahoma prisons since 2000 on several Tulsa County and Creek County felony convictions, including robbery, drug possession and manufacturing, and larceny, Department of Corrections records show. He has been on probation since 2020 in a 2018 Tulsa County case of second-degree attempted burglary; he had been sentenced in late 2019 to six years in custody, according to online court records. Spectators gathered around the elephant barn at the Tulsa Zoo with mini elephant fans, journals and stuffed animals to witness a real-life elephant celebrate the construction of her new home. As Phase 2 of construction starts on the zoos newest exhibit, Sooky got to participate in the groundbreaking Wednesday. The Asian elephant planted her feet on a pile of dirt and used her trunk to dig and lift some of the earth out, repeating the action for a cheering crowd. Once completed in 2024, the Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Elephant Preserve will be one of the largest elephant preserves in an accredited North America zoo, according to officials. Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell spoke about how the exhibit will contribute to Tulsa tourism, the third largest industry in the state. The Tulsa Zoo will even be more of an economic driver for the state of Oklahoma, Pinnell said. This will allow us to continue to invest in ourselves to not just be a national tourism destination but an international tourism destination. At the ceremony, Mayor G.T. Bynum announced that the facilitys construction will generate a total output of more than $93.9 million, creating 728 paid jobs in Tulsa and more than $9 million in tax impact. It is a remarkable cultural attraction for us in Tulsa that is a tremendous economic driver, Bynum said. The zoo recently broke a new record in May with more than 116,000 visitors. The elephant preserve project will increase the zoos footprint by about 10 acres. The exhibit will include a bunch of streams, trees and a natural pond, according to Tulsa Zoo President and CEO Lindsay Hutchison. It will be the world-class exhibit that weve been talking about for years, Hutchison said. The preserve will house the zoos three elephants Sooky, Booper and Sneezy, all of whom are estimated to be about 50 years old and is designed to be able to accommodate a larger, multigenerational herd in the future. Sooky came to Tulsa from the Memphis Zoo in 1997. Sneezy also came from the Memphis Zoo and has lived in Tulsa since 1977. Booper came to Tulsa in 2020. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Voters selected the Republican nominee for Alabama's top election official in the runoff Tuesday, and the general election race for governor was set as Democratic voters picked their gubernatorial nominee. Three other statewide nominations plus a U.S. House seat also were on the ballot. Here is a look at the results: SECRETARY OF STATE State Rep. Wes Allen won the Republican nomination for secretary of state in a contest that featured both candidates promoting the need to tighten election security in harmony with former President Donald Trumps false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential race because of fraud. Allen defeated outgoing State Auditor Jim Zeigler and will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte, an Air Force veteran and corrections supervisor in Mobile County, in the general election to become Alabamas top election official. Zeigler received the most votes among four candidates in the primary election in May, but Allen overcame the deficit. Allen, from Troy, previously served as probate judge in Pike County. Citing the potential for fraud, he opposed 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. During the campaign, Zeigler 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. The current secretary of state, Republican John Merrill, couldnt run again because of term limits, and the GOP nominee will be a heavy favorite to win in November. GOVERNOR Yolanda Rochelle Flowers defeated state Sen. Malika Sanders Fortier in the Democratic race for governor to become the first Black person to win a major partys gubernatorial nomination in Alabama. Flowers, a career educator from Birmingham, narrowly led a six-person field in the May primary. In what will be the states first all-female gubernatorial race, she will be a decided underdog against Gov. Kay Ivey, who vanquished eight challengers to win the GOP primary without a runoff. Almost four times as many people voted in the Republican primary as the Democratic primary in May, and Republicans hold every statewide office. Flowers ran on a platform of reconstructing Alabama by rebuilding its economy and systems for education, health care and criminal justice, Among other things, she 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 states economy, schools and health care. She is the daughter of former state Sen. Hank Sanders and attorney Faya Rose Toure. STATE AUDITOR Andrew Sorrell claimed the GOP nomination for state auditor by defeating Stan Cooke, a win that was tantamount to election since theres no Democratic contender. Sorrell, a state representative from Colbert County who led balloting in the May primary, tried to make election security a prime issue, saying a strong auditor is needed to appoint county registrars who will keep voter rolls clean. Cooke, a pastor from the Jefferson County town of Kimberly, claimed Alabama is at a crossroads where it could remain a conservative state or come under the control of liberal Democrats. Echoing Trumps false claims of election theft, he highlighted the auditors role in appointing county election officials who can prevent Democrats from stealing elections. The current auditor, Republican Jim Zeigler, was barred from seeking another term. U.S. HOUSE Madison County Commission chair Dale Strong won the only runoff among the states seven U.S. House seats, claiming the Republican nomination for an open position in north Alabamas 5th District. Strong defeated Casey Wardynski, a former Huntsville school superintendent. Strong handily led a six-candidate field with about 45% of the primary vote in May but couldnt avoid a runoff. Strong will face Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton of Decatur in the mostly Republican Tennessee Valley district in November. The seat was given up by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who lost a runoff race 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 dispatched challengers to keep their jobs on the three-member utility-regulating board. Jeremy Oden, a former state legislator from Cullman seeking his third term, defeated attorney Brent Woodall, a PSC staffer and Republican activist, for the Place 1 nomination. Oden cast himself as a conservative bulwark against liberal environmental policies. Chip Beeker, a former Greene County commissioner first elected to the PSC in 2014, defeated Robert L. McCollum to win the GOP nomination for Place 2. Beeker portrayed himself as an opponent of Democratic environmental policies, while McCollum, a small business owner from Tallapoosa County, argued 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. PIERRE, S.D. (AP) The South Dakota Senate on Tuesday convicted Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of two impeachment charges stemming from a 2020 car crash in which he killed a pedestrian, triggering his automatic removal from office. A vote was pending on whether Ravnsborg should be barred from holding future office. Ravnsborg told a 911 dispatcher the night of the crash that he might have struck a deer or other large animal, and has said he didn't know he struck a man 55-year-old Joseph Boever until he returned to the scene the next morning. Criminal investigators said they didn't believe some of Ravnsborg's statements.. The Republican-controlled Senate voted to convict Ravnsborg, a Republican, on both impeachment charges against him: committing crimes that caused someone's death, and malfeasance for misleading law enforcement and abusing the powers of his office. Ravnsborg's face showed little emotion as the vote on the first article of impeachment went down to the final senator's vote and passed with the minimum needed for conviction. He held his hand over his mouth as he had for much of the trial, then wrote a note on a notepad in his lap. The convictions required a two-thirds majority. Ravnsborg, who was in his first term, is the first official to be impeached and convicted in South Dakota history. Gov. Kristi Noem, who pushed for Ravnsborg's impeachment, will appoint his replacement. The impeachment votes close a chapter that has roiled state politics, pitting Noem against Ravnsborg and some in her own party who objected to her aggressive pursuit of his removal. As the impeachment trial opened Tuesday, prosecutors drove at a question that has hung over developments since the September 2020 crash: Did Ravnsborg know he killed a man the night of the crash? "He absolutely saw the man that he struck in the moments after," said Alexis Tracy, the Clay County state's attorney who is leading the prosecution. Prosecutors also told senators that Ravnsborg had used his title "to set the tone and gain influence" in the aftermath of the crash, even as he allegedly made "misstatements and outright lies" to the crash investigators. The prosecution played a montage of audio clips of Ravnsborg referring to himself as the attorney general. As they questioned crash investigators, prosecuting attorneys probed Ravnsborg's alleged misstatements during the aftermath of the crash, including that he never drove excessively over the speed limit, that he had reached out to Boever's family to offer his condolence, and that he had not been browsing his phone during his drive home. The prosecution played a series of video clips during their closing arguments that showed Ravnsborg's shifting account of his phone use during interviews with criminal investigators. The attorney general at first outright denied he had been using his phone while driving, but then acknowledged he had been looking at his phone minutes before the crash. Ravnsborg has maintained that he did nothing wrong and cast the impeachment trial as a chance to clear himself. He resolved the criminal case last year by pleading no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, and was fined by a judge. He appeared in the Senate chamber Tuesday but did not testify. His defense attorney answered senators' questions. The attorney general's defense focused its arguments on the implications of impeachment during opening statements Tuesday, imploring lawmakers to consider the implications of their decision on the function of state government. Ravnsborg tapped Ross Garber, a legal analyst and law professor at Tulane University who specializes in impeachment proceedings. "This is undoing the will of the voters," Garber told the Senate. "Make no mistake, that's what you're considering doing." Ravnsborg was driving home from a political fundraiser after dark on Sept. 12, 2020, on a state highway in central South Dakota when his car struck "something," according to a transcript of his 911 call afterward. He later said it might have been a deer or other animal. Investigators identified what they thought were slips in Ravnsborg's statements, such as when he said he turned around at the accident scene and "saw him" before quickly correcting himself and saying: "I didn't see him." And they contended that Boever's face had come through Ravnsborg's windshield because his glasses were found in the car. "We've heard better lies from 5-year-olds," Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo, who was acting as an impeachment prosecutor, said of Ravnsborg's statement. Investigators had determined the attorney general walked right past Boever's body and the flashlight Boever had been carrying still illuminated the next morning as he looked around the scene the night of the crash. Ravnsborg said neither he nor the county sheriff who came to the scene knew that Boever's body was lying just feet from the pavement on the highway shoulder. "There isn't any way you can go by without seeing that," Arnie Rummel, an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation who led the criminal probe, said in testimony Tuesday. Rummel added that Ravnsborg had hardly behaved like someone who had hit a deer a common occurrence on the highways of South Dakota. Prosecutors also raised an exchange that Ravnsborg had with one of his staff members three days following the crash, after he had submitted his phones to crash investigators. Ravnsborg questioned an agent in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation about what would turn up during forensic exams of his cellphones, even though the agency was supposed to have no part in the investigation to avoid conflicts of interest. "We were not supposed to be involved," the now-retired agent, Brent Gromer, said as he described why the exchange made him uncomfortable. Ravnsborg's defense attorney contended that the attorney general had done nothing nefarious and instead had cooperated fully with the crash investigation. His defense attorney, Mike Butler, described any discrepancies in Ravnsborg's memory of that night as owing to human error. Butler disparaged the testimony from Rummel, the crash investigator, as "opinion" that would not hold up in a court of law. Ravnsborg was willing to take a polygraph test, though criminal investigators determined that it would not have been effective to test the attorney general's truthfulness. During closing arguments, Butler stated that the criminal prosecution found "no criminal culpability" for Boever's death and urged senators to refrain from rehashing that case. "No amount of fire and brimstone changes that given fact," he said. Noem called for Ravnsborg to resign soon after the crash and later pressed lawmakers to pursue impeachment. Noem also publicly endorsed Ravnsborg's predecessor, Republican Marty Jackley, for election as his replacement. Ravnsborg has argued that the governor, who has positioned herself for a possible 2024 White House bid, pushed for his removal in part because he had investigated ethics complaints against Noem. Ravnsborg in September agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boever's widow. OKLAHOMA CITY Republican Attorney General candidate Gentner Drummond on Friday said Commissioners of the Land Office Secretary Elliott Chambers needs to resign. The Tulsa World reported earlier this month that an internal auditor with the agency was fired and received a settlement after raising questions about a potential conflict of interest between Chambers and Victorum Capital, which was hired by the agency. The internal auditor said in notes provided to the Tulsa World via an open records request to State Superintendent Joy Hofmeisters office that Chambers had an existing, personal investment relationship with the company that had never been disclosed to the five commissioners of the Land Office. Hofmeister serves on the five-member board. It is clear to me that Secretary Chambers has an untenable personal conflict and should immediately resign from his position as secretary of the Commissioners of the Land Office, Drummond said. Chambers has failed to provide character and integrity, Drummond said. If he refuses to do the right thing and vacate his position, then I hope the commissioners will relieve him of his duties as soon as possible, he said. The scandals in state government are mounting, and we need an attorney general who will aggressively fight corruption and protect our tax dollars. Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor could not be reached for comment. He faces Drummond in the June 28 primary. Chambers declined to comment. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OKLAHOMA CITY The winner of the June 28 Republican primary for attorney general will face a Libertarian in the general election. Tulsa attorney John OConnor was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt on July 23 to fill the unexpired term of Republican Mike Hunter, who resigned. Tulsa attorney Gentner Drummond is making his second attempt for the office, running against OConnor, who is seeking a full term in the position. Hunter narrowly defeated Drummond by 271 votes in the 2018 runoff primary. OConnor, 67 and a Tulsan, is a graduate of Bishop Kelly High School. He earned a bachelors degree in political science and public administration from Oklahoma State University and a law degree from the University of Tulsa. OConnor said he has successfully practiced law in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and other cities across the state for 40 years. He and his partners built a firm with 28 lawyers, he said. As for his political positions, I stand up for state sovereignty, OConnor said. That is one of the most important things I have done. One of his first major acts in office was to join Mississippi in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion. He believes that life begins at conception. OConnor believes that the federal government over-reaches in its powers, infringing on those of the states. He said that in 10 months he has sued the Biden administration 15 times, including over vaccine mandates. He also joined other states in suing the Biden administration over what he considers a lack of enforcement of immigration laws. The issue has a major impact on the state in terms of illegal drugs and human trafficking, OConnor said. My job, in my opinion, is to protect public safety, our businesses, and individual rights, liberties and freedoms, he said. And that will lead me to try to stiff-arm the Biden administration when they try to encroach on our states rights. Some have accused OConnor of being a yes person for Stitt. In response, OConnor said he disagreed with Stitts decision to commute the sentence of death-row inmate Julius Jones to life without the possibility of parole. While they have been vigorously challenged in court, OConnor is confident in the states execution protocols. Drummond, 58, is a graduate of Hominy High School. He has a bachelors degree in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University and a law degree from Georgetown University. I want to defend our rights, uphold the rule of law, serve the people of Oklahoma and not the political elite, Drummond said. His top issues are transparency, accountability and shutting down illegal medical marijuana-growing operations. Lawsuits have been filed against the state of Oklahoma because the state refuses to be transparent, Drummond said. Drummond said a distinction between OConnor and him is that he is a job creator and an accomplished attorney. He said he owns seven companies with more than 900 employees. Drummond accused OConnor of taking a backseat to several scandals in the state, refusing to get involved. He said one of his first acts would be to launch an investigatory audit of every agency in the state. The state has squandered millions of dollars in unaccountable contracts, noncompetitive bids and signing off on blind invoices, he said. He said the attorney general needs to be independent of the governor and loyal to the people. While OConnor has campaigned on pushing back against federal overreach, the attorney general actually has signed onto numerous lawsuits brought by other states, essentially saying, Me, too, Drummond said. No Democrat filed for the seat, so the June 28 winner will face Lynda Steele, a Libertarian from Warr Acres, on the Nov. 8 ballot. Featured video: State Department of Education announces investigation; Epic Charter Schools responds Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OKLAHOMA CITY When the cost of remodeling six state park restaurants became a political hot potato for Gov. Kevin Stitt, his administration decided to pass the buck on to Swadleys Foggy Bottom Kitchen, according to a counter lawsuit filed in Oklahoma County District Court. The Stitt administration wrongfully terminated the agreement without proper notice, sued the company and pushed a public narrative aimed at falsely suggesting that Swadleys FBK had engaged in fraudulent and other wrongful behavior, the suit alleges. The reputation of the Swadley family and company have been irreparably damaged, according to the suit, which was filed Wednesday. These purely political decisions by the state and the Stitt administration fall short of the business friendly policies Governor Stitt called for in his 2021 State of the State Address and are only for the purpose of passing this political hot potato onto the only private entity who was willing to take on this difficult and ambitious project of remodeling, revitalizing, and ultimately managing the restaurants at the Oklahoma state parks, according to the suit. Despite Stitts statement that he needed hiring and firing authority over state agencies so the public would know the buck stops at his desk, the State quickly sprang into action to ensure that the buck would land nowhere near Governor Stitts desk, the suit says. The company alleges that the state could not find a private entity to make the improvements and solicited the company in late 2019. The suit says the company was reluctant but that the state promised to cover all construction costs, provide management fees, absorb operational losses and provide advertising. The restaurants at the state parks were in a completely dilapidated and rancid condition due to deferred maintenance, the suit claims. After the company agreed, the Stitt administrations micromanagement and timetable pressures during the COVID pandemic increased the cost of the work, according to the suit. In March, The Frontier, an online news outlet, reported on the costs. The state terminated the contract in April due to potential fraudulent activity and sued the company after questions arose about how much it had charged the state to operate Swadleys Foggy Bottom Kitchens restaurants at several state parks. The state alleges that the company violated its promises and obligations and was in breach of contract and refused to provide an accounting. The state paid the company nearly $17 million to install restaurants and make improvements at the parks. In April, Stitt accepted the resignation of Tourism and Recreation Department Director Jerry Winchester. An Oklahoma House committee is investigating the arrangement. In addition, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater has asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate. Swadleys countersuit lists a number of claims for relief, including breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and business disparagement and defamation. Stitts office did not respond to a request for comment. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Binh Duong smart city in the namesake southern Vietnamese province was listed in the worlds top seven intelligent communities for the second consecutive year. The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) and Binh Duong Peoples Committee organized a ceremony in the southern province on Tuesday evening to announce the 2022 Top 7 Intelligent Communities of the Year. Binh Duong smart city was named in the Smart21 Communities for the fourth year in a row and Top 7 Intelligent Communities for the second consecutive year in 2022. In order to get recognized as one of the Smart21 Communities, Binh Duong smart city and other cities around the world had to meet strict criteria including broadband coverage, equality in digital access, innovative workforce, and support for sustainable development, said Louis Zacharilla, co-founder of the ICF. The ICF gathers nearly 200 prosperous smart cities in the world, Zacharilla continued, adding that it offers a chance for organizations and businesses in Binh Duong and Vietnam in general to connect with the international community. Many provinces and cities across Vietnam are building smart cities, but Binh Duong has its own approaches, said Mai Hung Dung, standing vice-chairman of the Binh Duong People's Committee. The Binh Duong smart city project, initiated in 2016, focuses on the interaction between the state, research institutes, and universities and businesses to create an innovation environment and find solutions to increase labor productivity and improve incomes of local residents. It also highlights the cooperation with cities and major corporations around the world, creating an effective channel to attract investment, Dung elaborated. Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that Binh Duong Province led the country in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first five months of 2022 with over US$2.5 billion, followed by Bac Ninh Province with $1.65 billion and Ho Chi Minh City with $1.3 billion. The southern province recently started the construction of many new industrial parks and attracted major projects such as the $1 billion factory of LEGO Group. On the sidelines of the ceremony, hundreds of Vietnamese and international delegates attended a conference on post-pandemic recovery, digital transformation, and innovation. Tran Tuan Anh, Politburo member and head of the Central Economic Commission, and many officials of the Party and state were among the attendees. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, state, and people for assisting him in the early days to save Cambodia from the genocidal Pol Pot regime. PM Hun Sen made his remarks when he visited Vietnams southern border province of Binh Phuoc on Monday morning, as part of the 45-year anniversary of his journey to overthrow the genocidal Pol Pot regime, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The Cambodian leader was given a reception by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Loc Tan Commune in the provinces Loc Ninh District, where Hun Sen set his first footsteps 45 years ago seeking ways to save his country. The two PMs joined a tree planting ceremony in Loc Tan and PM Hun Sen met and talked with local residents. During his talks, the Cambodian government chief underscored the Vietnamese peoples pure, sincere, and righteous international spirit and the special solidarity and friendship between the two nations. He thanked the Party, state, and people of Vietnam, especially people in Loc Ninh who had taken care of and helped him in the early days of his journey building forces to topple the genocidal regime and save his fatherland. He said his first meal he got from locals when arriving in Loc Ninh 45 years ago saved his life after years of misery and was equal to tens of thousands of tons of rice in normal conditions. Without the help of Vietnamese people, there would be no Hun Sen and Cambodia as they are today, the Cambodian PM stated. Hailing the growth in Vietnam - Cambodia ties in all fields, the Cambodian leader said the two countries infrastructure has been connected smoothly in this border area. The two PMs agreed to build the borderland into a symbol of their cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and culture. The help of the Vietnamese people demonstrates the pure and good friendship between the two countries and the two peoples. I believe that this relationship will be green and sustainable forever, Hun Sen said. Also on the morning of June 20, PM Hun Sen hosted a ceremony to welcome PM Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend similar commemorative activities conducted by the Cambodian side in Memot District, Tboung Khmum Province. On June 20, 1977, Hun Sen, then a lieutenant colonel and a regimental commander in Region 21 of eastern Cambodia, along with his comrades crossed the Cambodia - Vietnam border and arrived in Binh Phuoc in seeking help from Vietnam to overthrow the genocidal Pol Pot regime to regain peace for his homeland. With Vietnam's support, Hun Sen and his associates gradually set up the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation and, together with Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, defeated the Pol Pot regime on January 7, 1979, liberating millions of Cambodians from genocide. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Mobile police forces in Vietnam will be furnished with aircraft and ships, in addition to weapons and other equipment, according to a new law passed by the countrys legislature last week. The lawmaking National Assembly approved the Law on Mobile Police at its third session on June 16 with over 91 percent of the votes from 474 delegates present. The law, which has five chapters and 33 articles, will take effect from January 1, 2023 and replace the 2013 Ordinance on Mobile Police. As per the new legislation, mobile police will be equipped not only with weapons, explosives, supporting tools, and vehicles as well as professional technical equipment, but also aircraft and boats to carry out their functions, tasks, and powers. Accordingly, mobile force units will be allowed to use aircraft and boats designated for them to implement their law enforcement activities when necessary. The government will issue detailed instructions to implement this regulation, the law says. The law stipulates seven powers of mobile police, in which five are inherited from the Ordinance on Mobile Police and the other two are add-ons. The first new power is to bring weapons, supporting tools, vehicles, and professional technical equipment to airports and get on civilian planes to carry out missions in the following cases: fighting terrorists and rescuing hostages; suppressing those who commit dangerous acts using weapons and explosives; protecting the transport of special goods; and escorting offenders of particularly serious crimes. They will also be permitted to use aircraft designated by competent authorities for handling complex security and order problems. The second new right is to prevent and disable unmanned aircraft and ultralight flying vehicles that violate no-fly or restricted-fly zones or attack or threaten to attack targets under the protection of mobile police. Among the other rights is to use armed measures and other means to launch offensive missions to repress and prevent acts that resort to force to violate or threaten to violate the lives, health, and assets of individuals and organizations, according to the new law. In urgent cases to protect national security, ensure social order and safety, or to prevent damaging consequences that are occurring or are at risk of occurring, mobile police units are entitled to mobilize civilian personnel, vehicles, and equipment for their missions. Mobile polices rights of entering the premises of offices, agencies, organizations, and individual residences shall comply with specific provisions of the law. When entering the headquarters of diplomatic missions, foreign consular missions, the representative offices of international organizations, and the accommodation of members of these agencies in Vietnam, mobile police officers follow the provisions of international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory, the law says. The new legislation also stipulates mobile police forces duties, including carrying out patrols in areas with complicated security and order situations, executing action plans to free hostages kept by malefactors, and dispersing gatherings causing chaos or disturbances. In addition, mobile police units are assigned to protect the security and safety for important political, economic, diplomatic, scientific, technical, and cultural targets, as well as major conferences and events, among other tasks. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news today: Politics -- The Indian Embassy in Vietnam announced on Tuesday that two Indian naval ships, INS Sahyadri and INS Kadmatt, will arrive at Nha Rong Wharf in Ho Chi Minh City for a visit from Friday to Sunday this week. Society -- The number of child inpatients at the respiratory department of Childrens Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City have markedly increased to the extent that staff have to add more beds along hallways. -- The Peoples Committee of south-central Phu Yen Province ordered penalties against people treading on coral reefs at the Hon Yen national relic site on Tuesday. -- The hospital ship Khanh Hoa 01 of the Vietnam Peoples Navy began providing medical examinations and drugs for more than 180 local residents of Phu Yen Province within the framework of the U.S.-led Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) on Tuesday. -- A passenger bus from south-central Binh Thuan Province to Ho Chi Minh City crashed into a median strip on National Highway 1 in southern Dong Nai Province and overturned, killing one person and injuring six others on Tuesday afternoon. -- Traffic police in Binh Thuan Province fined drivers of 46 ambulances for speeding when they were not on duty on National Highway 1 in the first half of this year, the provincial traffic police department said on Tuesday. -- A fire destroyed three cruise ships that were anchored and waiting for maintenance at a repair facility in Ha Long City of northern Quang Ninh Province on Tuesday. Business -- Vietnams RON95-III gasoline price increased 1.54 percent to a new record of VND32,870 (US$1.42) per liter on Tuesday, having surged 41 percent since the beginning of this year. Lifestyle -- The semifinal competition of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 pageant took place on Tuesday evening at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Residents in Hanoi, especially those working outdoors, were tormented by the extreme heat on Tuesday afternoon, with real-feel temperature reaching 55 degrees Celsius. The average highs in the capital city were recorded at 38 to 39 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported, adding that the humidity was around 43-65 percent. However, the actual outdoor temperatures measured by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh District were up to 55 degrees Celsius. Outside temperature reaches 55 degrees Celsius in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre Many streets were nearly empty as people avoided going outside during this time of the day. Meanwhile, those who had to work outdoors had no other choice but to continue their tasks despite the extreme weather conditions. At Dong Xuan Market in Hoan Kiem District, many porters were drenched in sweat as they carried heavy goods. A street vendor in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Xuan Bac, who has worked as a porter for 10 years, said he often works from 7:00 am until late in the evening. We have to work whether it is rainy or sunny because it is the nature of our job, Bac added. Nguyen Van Toi, 50, a motorbike taxi driver with 30 years of experience, stated that the number of passengers dropped significantly due to the scorching weather. A porter works in the hot weather at a market in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre Many people avoid going outside, while others choose to travel by taxi instead, Toi explained. The hot weather in Hanoi is expected to be less intense on Wednesday and Thursday thanks to chances of rains and thunderstorms, according to Hoang Phuc Lam, an official from the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting. However, the extreme heat may return on the weekend, Lam added. Porters work in the scorching weather at Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre A porter is pictured in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre A man transports a large amount of goods on a motorbike in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre A street is almost empty due to the scorching weather in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre A woman sits in front of an electric fan to cope with the heat in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre A delivery worker travels on a street in Hanoi, June 21, 2022. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! At some public hospitals in Vietnam, modern medical equipment, whose procurement was covered by the state budget or private firms, has been left idle, while patients are waiting for treatment. The situation will affect such patients and put them at a disadvantage if it lingers. The healthcare sector is facing difficulties as multiple healthcare officials, including the health minister, have faced criminal charges and been in detention for their wrongdoing in medical equipment procurement, suspending the purchase of medical equipment and medicines. Equipment has no fault As a case in point, two robots, named Mako and Rosa, had been used for joint and cranio-cerebral surgeries at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi since 2017. However, the two robots have been suspended and when they will be put to use again is unknown. These two robots are related to a price gouging case at the hospital whose former director was arrested along with many leaders and employees of the robot installation company. Currently, the robots are sealed off. The agencies who have the right to remove the seal are unknown. A former director of a hospital in Hanoi said he took his family member to Singapore for a shoulder joint surgery which cost up to VND600 million (US$25,950). Meanwhile, the cost for such surgery at Bach Mai Hospital is some VND50-60 million ($2,200-2,600). The case at Bach Mai Hospital has come to an end as guilty people have been imprisoned, but equipment did not cause the crime. Policies to resume the use of the equipment to serve patients should be considered, the former director added. At Bach Mai Hospital, apart from the robots, many other devices obtained through cooperation with private firms are also on ice. Patients must be transferred to other hospitals, use less advanced technologies, or wait for treatment, which will adversely affect the treatment results. Rotating gamma systems for stereotactic radiosurgery and PET scans used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients are treated as scrap, while the number of patients in need of them is huge. In February 2019, Peoples Hospital 115 in Ho Chi Minh City used the second-generation Modus V Synaptive robot in a delicate brain surgery for a woman in Tay Ninh Province. The hospital had earlier signed a contract with an investor to install the robot and would appoint staff to operate it and share profits with the investor. To operate the robot, the hospital sent Dr. Chu Tan Si to a training course in the U.S. in 2017 and another in Switzerland in 2018. However, the robot has been out of service after more than a year of operation. A leader of Peoples Hospital 115 said that the application of the robot to surgeries was limited. It had been used for serious brain tumor cases only. Compared with the robots capacity, the number of medical operations that need the machine is small," the hospitals leader. "Because of high costs and the small number of patients, the robot assisted the surgeries of only 20 patients during three years. The inefficient operation of the robot has led to the hospitals decision to return it." High costs, insufficient medical supplies It is difficult to operate machines and robots funded by the state budget. Being put to use in 2014, a surgical robot at the Vietnam National Childrens Hospital, which cost more than VND80 billion ($3.5 million), has been used in the surgeries of only 200-300 child patients, who did not have to pay for the utilization of the machine. However, the device has not been used due to the high cost, at $10,000, of each tool kit which can be used for only ten operations. Although surgeries are mainly financed by organizations, the investment in the robot is not effective. As compared to laparoscopy, robotic surgeries are more pre-eminent, but the differences between them are not too big," said a surgeon at the Vietnam National Childrens Hospital. "As for costs, robotic surgeries are much more expensive so most patients may choose laparoscopy. We are weighing the return of the equipment to the Ministry of Health so that the ministry can allocate it to hospitals for adults, but no institution has elected to receive it. Similarly, surgical robots using public investments at some hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City are sometimes left idle, despite the use of these machines being maintained. The Da Vinci robot, manufactured by the U.S., has been used at Cho Ray Hospital since late October 2017, bringing many benefits to patients. However, some patients said that certain surgical services using the robot are currently suspended. Dr. Nguyen Tri Thuc, director of Cho Ray Hospital, confirmed the information, saying that the robot was suspended due to a shortage of consumable supplies. Because of difficulties in bidding, a series of hospitals have faced a lack of supplies, causing patients to flock to Cho Ray Hospital, breaking our reserves," Dr. Thuc said. For example, the hospitals anti-rejection medication reserves for patients undergoing kidney transplants for six months have been used up within two months as patients from other hospitals have gravitated to our institution." Directors of hospitals in a dilemma In reality, directors of public hospitals are always in a dilemma. If they are determined to procure more equipment for their hospitals, they may make mistakes during the procurement process. Otherwise, their employees will find it hard to make ends meet and their patients cannot be treated with modern facilities. The position of a hospital director is currently full of risks and many have thought of resigning to protect themselves. A director of a major hospital in Ho Chi Minh City admitted that he would do his best for patients but with a thought of ensuring safety for himself first. Although we do not intend to commit violations, unclear mechanisms and overlapping regulations have caused difficulties in managing hospitals and we may face charges following inspections," he said. As the number of healthcare officials involved in violations is increasing, managers or operators of hospitals have become precarious positions. A director of another large hospital in Ho Chi Minh City was even advised to resign from the position. My parents advised me to resign and open a clinic, but as the hospitals leader who must take responsibility for the livelihoods of my employees and saving patients, I cant do that, he said. In the current situation, directors of many hospitals have chosen to make no headway, but my professional conscience does not allow me to do the same, as it will put my patients and medical workers at a disadvantage, he added. Service fees should be publicized As per the Ministry of Healths regulations, the bidding process for medicine and medical supplies at hospitals is as follows: designing bidding packages including estimated prices, which were earlier approved by the Ministry of Health if the hospitals are under its auspices, but now are approved by the medical institutions themselves bidding announcement of results. The process seems simple, but the head of medical supplies at a hospital in Hanoi commented that: Hospitals find it hard to know the benchmark prices of equipment. Sellers want to earn high profits, while buyers want to buy high-quality goods at low prices. There are many complaints about the prices of medical supplies and equipment, but how to determine the rates? In my opinion, it is necessary to disclose the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) price, develop a price frame, allow the use of the profit percentage plus the import prices (CIF prices), labor and transport costs, and bank interest to calculate the selling prices. "Goods that are priced abroad, which account for a small proportion, will be reviewed and handled later. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The number of child inpatients at the respiratory department of Childrens Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City has markedly increased to the extent that medical workers have added more beds along hallways. Despite the added beds, the respiratory department at the District 10-based hospital remains overloaded by the inpatient spike. Doctors and medical workers struggle to tend to each patient while the children's relatives wrestle against the scorching conditions to take care of them. The wave of annual respiratory diseases emerged earlier this year than previous years owing to the early monsoon season, which usually starts in August, according to Dr. Tran Anh Tuan, head of the respiratory department of Childrens Hospital 1. Family members take care of child inpatients at the respiratory department of Childrens Hospital 1 in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2022. Photo: Xuan Mai / Tuoi Tre The daily number of inpatients at Tuans department has reached about 200 children since the beginning of May and even mounted to over 300 kids on some days, which is double the wards capacity. Most of the pediatric patients admitted to Tuans department are under 12 months of age. They suffer from moderate to very severe respiratory diseases. Among these, many children require mechanical ventilation and intensive treatment for a long period. As a quick fix, Tuans department is prescribing home treatment and that patients with mild symptoms be admitted to other wards in order to ease the pressure. A nurse gives advice to a parent on how to take care of his child, who suffers a respiratory disease, at the respiratory department of Childrens Hospital 1 in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2022. Photo: Xuan Mai / Tuoi Tre Many other pediatric hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have also reported an increase in patients with respiratory illnesses. The number of children under five years old visiting the City Childrens Hospital in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City for examination and treatment of respiratory ailments since early May to date has soared about 20-30 percent over the same period last year, according to Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, the hospitals deputy director. The corresponding percentage increase in the past two months at the pediatric and neonatal department of Thanh Nhan Hospital in Hanoi is about 150-200 percent, according to Dr. Nghiem Thi Mai Sang. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The hospital ship Khanh Hoa 01 of the Vietnam Peoples Navy began providing medical examinations and drugs for local residents of Phu Yen Province within the framework of the U.S.-led Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) on Tuesday. The medical provision, expected to benefit more than 180 local residents, is set to run at Vung Ro Port through Thursday. The hospital ship Khanh Hoa 01 is among the most modern of its type in Southeast Asia. It also performs search and rescue missions at sea. A doctor tends to a local resident on the hospital ship Khanh Hoa 01 of the Vietnam Peoples Navy, which is docked at Vung Ro Port in Phu Yen Province, June 21, 2022. Photo: Trung Tran / Tuoi Tre The PP22 is taking place in Phu Yen from June 20 to July 3. The PP is an annual multinational mission for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness led by the U.S. government and is the largest of its kind in the Indo-Pacific region. This years event will focus on healthcare and diplomacy. It features a series of activities, including constructing new buildings for schools, providing medical care for locals, and exchanging expertise in disaster response, with the participation of personnel from the U.S. and other countries. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby has been found guilty of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. A Los Angeles County jury in a civil trial ruled in favour of Judy Huth, who is now 64, and awarded her $US500,000 (more than AU$717,000). Jurors found Cosby intentionally caused harmful sexual contact with Ms Huth, that he reasonably believed she was under 18, and that his conduct was driven by unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in a minor. The original filing claimed that the incident happened in 1974 when Huth was 15 years old, but the timeline was later revised to 1975 when Huth was 16. Ms Huths lawsuit was one of the last remaining legal claims against him after his insurer settled many others against his will. Cosby did not attend the trial or testify in person, but short clips from 2015 video deposition were played for jurors, in which he denied any sexual contact with Ms Huth. Since 2005, more than 50 women have come forward to accuse Cosby of sexual assault. After being convicted of assaulting Andrea Constand in Philadelphia, Cosby served just under three years in a Pennsylvania state prison before his conviction was overturned on appeal. He was released from prison in September 2021. This is the first civil case by any Cosby accuser to make it to trial. Source: ABC, Nine News Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 The fallout from Lisa Wilkinsons Logie Awards speech continues with a flurry of media stories, including the hiring of Matthew Collins, president of the Australian Bar Association, as her lawyer. Yesterday Collins appeared on Sunrise where the possibility of contempt of court charges was raised. Its certainly possible that the authorities will be looking at the speech that she made to the Logies and assessing that against the standard which applies in this branch of the law, he told Seven. A 10 spokeswoman told The Australian the network fully supports Lisa Wilkinson and confirmed the engagement of Dr Collins to represent both the presenter and the network. Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event, she said. In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Last year Wilkinson had also tweeted, Naming the man on social media & passing judgement could have dire consequences for the outcome of any trial. This week ACT Supreme Court Justice McCallum said she was reluctantly putting off the trial following the speech amid concerns it risked the chances of a fair trial. Updated: On Thursday, The Age reported Network 10 declined to say if the undertakings had been given but said in a statement some media organisations recent reporting on Wilkinson had been inaccurate and unfair. This reporting is now causing significant harm and we ask these organisations to cease this harassment to allow Lisa the best opportunity to give her evidence in court and to enable the trial to go ahead in a fair and timely manner, a spokesperson said. Justice McCallum today set a new trial date of October 4. Peter Ford reported that the speech was approved by network legal advisors but this has not been confirmed. Flash UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the killings of more than 100 people in terrorist raids in Mali, said his spokesman. "We add our voice to the strong condemnation by our colleagues in the peacekeeping mission, following attacks by extremist groups on a number of villages in the Bandiagara region of Central Mali," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for Guterres. The attacks over the weekend, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known by its French acronym as MINUSMA, left more than 100 civilians dead and several homes and shops burned, said the spokesman. Attacks also took place in several localities in the Gao region of Mali, causing dozens of civilian deaths and displacement of people, Dujarric said. "We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Mali and we wish a speedy recovery to those wounded." An integrated team from MINUSMA, operating from Mopti, assisted regional authorities in visiting the violence-hit areas. At the request of the Malian armed forces, the UN peacekeeping mission also assisted in the evacuation of wounded civilians to Sevare town, he said. Dujarric said that following its Security Council mandate, the mission is ready to support national authorities, assist the population and strengthen security, in close coordination with the Malian armed forces and would include ground patrols and aerial reconnaissance or aerial deterrence. The spokesman added that MINUSMA would continue to pursue its actions to support the stabilization of Central Mali, which is a strategic priority. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. It sits on the southern fringe of the Sahara in West Africa. Along with other countries in the Sahel, it recently has been hit with several extremist attacks. The final season of The Split, from writer Abi Morgan, returns to explore the fast-paced world of Londons high-end divorce circuit on ABC. This screened in the UK in April. The final series focuses on the split between Hannah (Nicola Walker) and Nathan (Stephen Mangan). The two divorce lawyers are facing their own divorce amicably and working towards an agreement until shock revelations prompt a painful and messy showdown. Meanwhile Ruth (Deborah Findlay) has moved in with Hannah, but is spending more time with lover Prof Ronnie (Ian McElhinney) than being a helpful grandmother. Nina (Annabel Scholey) is juggling being a single mum, holding down her job and negotiating a secret affair. And Rose (Fiona Button) and James (Rudi Dharmalingar) are beginning the adoption process but an unexpected event turns their lives upside down. Throughout it all this messy, blended, authentic family of lawyers and lovers prove that divorce doesnt have to mean failure and that there is great hope after The Split. 8.20pm Saturday June 25 on ABC. Shares in Evergreen Marine Taiwan (TPE:2603) are currently trading at TWD109.5 but a key question for investors is how geopolitical and economic uncertainty will affect the price. Part of the answer comes down to judging whether the stock is well placed to withstand economic shocks. To do that, it's worth looking at its profile to see where its strengths are. The encouraging news is that Evergreen Marine Taiwan has at least some of the traits that are often associated with two influential drivers of investment returns: high quality and a relatively cheap valuation. To understand where that shows up, here's a closer look: GET MORE DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS INTO TPE:2603 Buying quality at a fair price Good quality stocks are loved by the market because they're more likely to be solid, dependable businesses. Profitability is important, but so is the firm's financial strength. A track record of improving finances is essential. One of the quality metrics for Evergreen Marine Taiwan is that it passes 9 of the 9 financial tests in the Piotroski F-Score. The F-Score is a world-class accounting-based checklist for finding stocks with an improving financial health trend. A good F-Score suggests that the company has strong signs of quality. While quality is important, no-one wants to overpay for a stock, so an appealing valuation is vital too. With a weaker economy, earnings forecasts are unclear right across the market. But there are some valuation measures that can help, and one of them is the Earnings Yield. Earnings Yield compares a company's profit with its market valuation (worked out by dividing its operating profit by its enterprise value). It gives you a total value of the stock (including its cash and debt), which makes it easier to compare different stocks. As a percentage, the higher the Earnings Yield, the better value the share. A rule of thumb for a reasonable Earnings Yield might be 5%, and the Earnings Yield for Evergreen Marine Taiwan is currently 80.1%. In summary, good quality and relatively cheap valuations are pointers to those stocks that are some of the most appealing to contrarian value investors. It's among these shares that genuine mis-pricing can be found. Once the market recognises that these quality firms are on sale, those prices often rebound. What does this mean for potential investors? Finding good quality stocks at cheap prices is a strategy used by some of the world's most successful investors. But be warned: these factors don't guarantee future returns and we've identified some areas of concern with Evergreen Marine Taiwan that you can find out about here. The pirarucu is one impressive fish: a huge, thrashing Amazonian monster with red-and-black scales the size of serving spoons. Still, it's just a fish. How is it possible it could have gotten British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira murdered? Police say Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 41, were shot dead on June 5 returning from a research trip in Brazil's far-flung Javari Valley. At first glance, the jungle-covered region near the Peruvian and Colombian borders seems like one of the last untouched wildernesses, home to a sprawling Indigenous reservation with the biggest concentration of uncontacted tribes on Earth. But the double murder lay bare growing violence in the region fueled by illegal fishing, logging, mining and drug trafficking. Pereira had received death threats for his work fighting poaching on the reservation, where non-natives are banned from hunting and fishing. "He waged a major crackdown on illegal fishing. All those guys (the poachers in the region) knew Bruno," says Orlando Possuelo, 37, who worked with Pereira coordinating Indigenous anti-poaching patrols -- a job that has earned him death threats, too. Investigators say Pereira and Phillips were motoring down the meandering Itaquai river in a small boat when a group sped up from behind and shot them. Police have identified eight suspects, and arrested three so far. Locals in Atalaia do Norte, a sleepy river town near the northeastern edge of the reservation, say all three are poachers who illegally fish in Indigenous territory for pirarucu, a protected species that is the biggest freshwater fish in South America. - 'Everyone here knows' - Fishermen in Atalaia say poaching pirarucu -- a tasty, coveted fish that can reach 4.5 meters (nearly 15 feet) and weigh up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) -- is a big-money business linked to drug traffickers operating in Peru and Colombia. The traffickers allegedly use the black-market fish trade to launder drug money -- part of what the Brazilian Forum for Public Security recently called the "complex national and transnational criminal chains that operate across different economies" in the Amazon. Story continues "What happened to Bruno and Dom is the result of an increase in organized crime, which is in turn explained by the absence of the state," said Antenor Vaz, ex-chief of Brazilian indigenous affairs agency FUNAI's operations in the Javari Valley. The alleged drug-trafficking link has raised the question of whether the suspects acted alone. Federal police said Friday they did, ruling out the involvement of a "mastermind or criminal organization." The statement infuriated the Indigenous-rights group where Pereira worked, UNIVAJA, which accused the police of ignoring "considerable" evidence a "powerful criminal organization" was behind the killings. "Everyone here knows organized crime was involved," UNIVAJA head Paulo Marubo told AFP. - Pirarucu taboo - At Atalaia's fish market, a noisy hangar with concrete floors and white-tile stalls, pirarucu has disappeared since Phillips and Pereira went missing. Some pirarucu sales are in fact legal -- there are six local lakes outside the Indigenous reservation where restricted fishing is allowed. But much of the pirarucu on the market is likely illegal. A report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature found 83 percent of the illegal fish seized in Brazil from 2012 to 2019 was pirarucu. With the army, federal police and world media in town to investigate the men's disappearance, fishermen are taking no chances on pirarucu these days, even if landing one of the giants can bring in hundreds of dollars -- badly needed cash for most families in the region, one of the poorest in Brazil. "Legal fishermen are afraid to even go out right now, with the army here and everyone blaming us for this atrocity," says Roberto Pereira da Costa, 49, president of the local fishermen's association. Legal fishermen are being unfairly villainized, he says. "You can see the difference between the illegal fishermen and us. They've got big boats, fast motors, they're not just catching 15 kilos of fish to feed their families, they're trying to take out everything they can." - 'A bigger story' - In December, journalist Monica Yanakiew of Al Jazeera English joined Pereira on an expedition like the one Phillips accompanied. Her crew even captured him warning the fisherman who is now the lead suspect in the case not to fish on Indigenous land. Poachers got "infuriated" when Pereira's patrols seized their fish, says Yanakiew. But "it's a bigger story than that," she says. Pereira would not have needed to mount independent patrols if President Jair Bolsonaro's administration had not dramatically cut enforcement operations by FUNAI and environmental authorities, critics say. "The fact that the government has turned a blind eye to everything that is going on has empowered" criminals, says Yanakiew. "They think they can get away with murder." jhb/bfm FILE PHOTO: A branch of Credit Agricole bank is seen in Warsaw By Matthieu Protard PARIS (Reuters) -French bank Credit Agricole is targeting a net profit of more than 6 billion euros ($6.3 billion) by 2025 and sees strong potential for its business in Italy, it said on Wednesday as it unveiled a new strategic plan. France's second biggest listed lender, which last year made underlying net income of 5.4 billion euros, expects annual revenues to rise by around 3.5% on average in 2021-25 - with growth coming from large clients, specialist financial services such as its car leasing business, and Italian operations. The revenue and profit targets exceeded market expectations, analysts said, but the bank disappointed investors by leaving its payout ratio at 50% - lower than rivals, several of which have launched share buybacks recently - and not promising bolder costs cuts. "We find the cost guidance a bit lacklustre," Jefferies analysts said in a note. The bank's shares fell more than 2%. The bank expects to grow its retail customer base by more than one million by 2025 and is targeting a return on tangible equity of more than 12%. It added it would allocate around 20 billion euros to information technology and digital spending over the period. Executives singled out Italy, where Credit Agricole recently bought smaller peer Credito Valtellinese and also built up a 9.2% stake in Banco BPM, as one of the growth drivers going forward. Deputy chief executive Xavier Musca did not give details, only saying the lender could grow strongly in Italy and it saw a long-term development path in the country. The stake purchase in Banco BPM has fuelled takeover speculation, and some sources have mentioned possible closer ties with Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Musca poured cold water on the rumours, saying there was nothing on the table concerning the Tuscan lender. The French bank has said it is interested in investing in the insurance activities of Banco BPM, but Musca said there was little progress to report so far. Story continues "It's an open process. BPM has asked a certain number of insurers to make proposals for the takeover of insurance partnerships that they had created with other companies ... it's both for life insurance and property & casualties. At this stage, BPM has not entirely decided how a possible takeover may work," he told reporters. ($1 = 0.9529 euros) (Reporting by Matthieu ProtardWriting by Silvia AloisiEditing by Mark Potter) FILE PHOTO: Equinor's flag flutters next to the company's headqurters in Stavanger OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian energy company Equinor has submitted a funding bid to build a second major low-carbon hydrogen production facility in northeast England, which could help further trim carbon emissions there, it said on Wednesday. Equinor is partnering with the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) on the H2H Production 2 project in the industrialised Humber region, aiming to produce 1.2 gigawatt of hydrogen by 2028, it said. The partners have submitted a bid of 16.4 million pounds ($19.97 million) to the British government's Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, although 50% of this is privately funded, Equinor said. A successful bid would be a vote of confidence from the government, but further private and public investment would be required to take a final investment decision, envisaged for 2025, an Equinor spokesperson told Reuters. Equinor submitted a funding bid this year for the nearby H2H Saltend project, which has a hydrogen capacity of 0.6 GW. The two projects could jointly deliver 18% of Britain's target of 10 GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030, Equinor said. ($1=0.8212 pounds) (Reporting by Nora Buli; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) FCA signage is seen at their head offices in London (Reuters) - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority on Wednesday fined insurance broker JLT Specialty 7.9 million pounds ($9.66 million) for financial crime control failings, which in one instance allowed bribery of more than $3 million to take place. The watchdog found that JLT Specialty, which is based in Britain, failed to manage its business and risks responsibly and effectively. The broker placed business in the London reinsurance market for JLT Re Colombia, another company in the JLT group. The business had been introduced by a third party based in Panama. JLT Specialty paid $12.3 million in commission to JLT Re Colombia's parent company, which in turn paid $10.8 million to the third-party introducer. This introducer then paid over $3 million to government officials at a state-owned insurer in order to help secure business for the JLT companies. The financial crimes took place between November 2013 and June 2017. "Lax controls by JLT Specialty meant, ultimately, that money flowed into the pockets of corrupt officials," Mark Steward, Executive Director of FCA's Enforcement and Market Oversight said. The FCA previously fined the broker 1.9 million pounds in December 2013 for similar risk control failures around overseas introducers and bribery and corruption. JLT was bought by rival Marsh in 2019. This matter relates to a former employee of JLT who pleaded guilty to charges arising from actions that took place in Ecuador from 2014 2016, prior to the acquisition of JLT in 2019," a Marsh spokesperson said by email. "In early 2018, JLT voluntarily reported this matter to law enforcement authorities. As previously disclosed, we have cooperated fully with the investigation by the FCA and are pleased to put this matter behind us. ($1 = 0.8180 pounds) (Reporting by Shanima A in Bengaluru and Carolyn Cohn in London; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Jane Merriman) Former chief constable Jon Boutcher (Arthur Carron/PA) (PA Archive) A former police chief tasked with investigating Troubles crimes has expressed hope that controversial legacy legislation can be amended to gain support from victims families. Jon Boutcher, who heads an independent cold-case initiative called Operation Kenova, that is investigating a series of killings from the conflict, told MPs that the Government was open to talking about potential changes. The former Bedfordshire chief constable has received broad support from the victims sector in Northern Ireland for the approach he and his team have taken in examining historical killings. Giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Mr Boutcher said victims were concerned that a review of unsolved crimes planned in draft Government legislation would be superficial and not proactively seek fresh information. Families are concerned, and I understand this concern, that their cases will be looked at superficially, that only the readily available information will be considered Former chief constable Jon Boutcher The Governments contentious legacy Bill is currently going through Parliament. It proposes a new approach to dealing with the conflict, with more focus on truth recovery rather than criminal justice. Its most controversial aspects are the promise of immunity from prosecution for perpetrators who agree to provide information to a new truth body, and a move to end conflict-related civil cases and inquests. Mr Boutcher said without changes to the Bill he was concerned it would turn into a shop that no-ones going to visit. Under the plans, unsolved cases would be subject to reviews undertaken by a new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). Mr Boutcher said the Government needed to provide more detail on what the reviews would entail. Families are concerned, and I understand this concern, that their cases will be looked at superficially, that only the readily available information will be considered, he said. Story continues There wont be the active seeking out of lines of inquiry and the robust recovery of material thats held with the intelligence agencies previously that was kept within those agencies and not shared even with inquiries post-conflict and the Troubles. That needs to be set out in straightforward simple language so those families know they are going to get a review or investigation, call it what you will, that will make sure that every possible line of inquiry has been explored for them to understand what happened to their loved ones. PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton (David Young/PA) (PA Archive) Mr Boutcher said the Government may seek to claim that an intensive reinvestigation process could take decades. He described that as poppycock and nonsense. Weve got tried and tested processes that gather information very quickly, he said of Kenovas working practices. The long-serving officer added: I would want the Bill to be acceptable to the victims groups and the interested parties. I think the Bill does need to have some amendments which the NIO assured me they are keen to talk to me and others about. I think all efforts should be made by everybody to try and work to amend this Bill to something that could receive broad consensus. Mr Boutcher also told MPs that the Bill was silent on the delays inherent within the justice system in Northern Ireland, as he said that progress on Operation Kenova was being held up by a lengthy wait for prosecutors to review more than 30 evidence files. What isnt in the Bill, and needs to be in the Bill, is clarity around the criminal justice process and the efficiency and effectiveness of the timing of that, he said. I dont think the director of public prosecutions (Stephen Herron) would disagree with me that its not acceptable that decisions take so long. PSNI deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton told committee members that the police would not offer an opinion on policy choices made by the Government. Justice Minister Naomi Long (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire) However, he highlighted that the Bill set out an approach that was significantly different from the current model. Our work has been founded solely upon trying to follow the investigative principles as enshrined in the European Convention (on human rights) and also then the various and numerous deliberations of many courts over the years, he told MPs. In reading this Bill, obviously it declares at the outset that its about limiting legal proceedings, its about limiting criminal investigations, its about limiting police complaints. That is a departure from the current arrangements. It talks about conditional immunity, which obviously doesnt exist in the current arrangements where the police service is concerned. Stormonts Justice Minister Naomi Long also gave evidence to the committee. She criticised the content of the Bill and also the Governments bid to hasten its journey on to the statute book. The speed with which the Bill is being pushed through Parliament risks not only creating bad law, but further undermining confidence in the whole process, she said. On the Bills objectives, she noted that all Stormonts parties were opposed to them. These new proposals are fundamentally flawed and an irresponsible interference with the justice system, she said. Flash Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked on Tuesday over U.S. President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to Israel in July. Lapid is expected to serve as Israel's interim prime minister when Biden visits Israel on July 13. On Monday, Lapid and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced to disband their shaky coalition, sending the country to a new parliamentary election, the fifth in three years. "The visit will have significant implications for the region and the fight against Iran, as well as tremendous potential to significantly improve regional stability and security," Lapid was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Lapid said he was hopeful that Biden's first trip to Israel since becoming U.S. president "will be an opportunity to emphasize the president's deep personal connection to Israel, and U.S.' commitment to Israel's security, as well as strengthening Israel's status in the region." On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel is building a U.S.-sponsored air defense alliance in the Middle East. He said the apparatus would be boosted by Biden's trip. Israel and Gulf Arab countries have been drawn closer over the past years amid the shared concerns over Iran, their common rival. Emergency Response Class The Waco Office of Emergency Management will have a Community Emergency Response Class from Friday through Sunday at the Waco-McLennan County Emergency Operations Center, 721 N. Fourth St. The class is intended to provide the knowledge and skills volunteers need to effectively serve their communities. To sign up, go to bit.ly/WacoOEM. Storytelling Guild meeting The Heart of Texas Storytelling Guild will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Good Neighbor House, 2301 Colcord Ave. For more information, call 254-717-1763. Brook Oaks water festival The Brook Oaks Neighborhood will host a water festival at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Waco Family Medicine community gathering space, 1600 Providence Drive. There will be water games, snacks, educational activities from community partners and opportunities to check out books from the mobile library. Greater Zion food giveaway Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, in conjunction with Shepherds Heart Food Pantry, will have a grocery giveaway from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at 2625 S. 18th St. The giveaway will include meat, dry goods, canned goods, produce and drinks. For more information, call 254-722-7429. Radio club field day The Heart of Texas Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at W5NCD Workshop, 12772 Chapel Road, near Old Lorena Road. The event is open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend. Field Day is a showcase for amateur radio, which works reliably under all conditions from almost any location to create an independent communications network. For more information contact Mike Davis at mike@na5x.com or 254-722-4150. Submit printed or typed items to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco, 76702-2588; or email goingson@wacotrib.com. WAVERLY Parents were alarmed last week when a post was made in a Waverly Facebook group about children who were nearly hit by a car as they were crossing Amberly Road. According to the post made on June 14, the children were crossing on 145th Street from the Riley subdivision to attend summer school classes at Hamlow Elementary, using a crosswalk that is protected by a flashing pedestrian crossing sign. At the June 14 Waverly City Council meeting, City Administrator Stephanie Fisher brought the incident to the attention of Lancaster County Sheriffs Deputy Riley Lavene, who provides crime updates to the council. There were some kiddos that pushed the button, the flashers went off, they started crossing the street, and a car blew through the flashers and just about got some kids, Fisher said. The Facebook post, which was made by Jaci Kottman in the Waverly Parents group, said a person driving a white sedan blasted through flashing lights and appeared to be looking at their phone. Lavene said he would notify the other Lancaster County deputies who patrol Waverly and make them aware of potential violations at the intersection. Thats a super easy ticket, and thats a big ticket, Lavene said. Fisher said the school district had also recently contacted the city about activating the school zone flashing lights near the intersection. When the lights are flashing typically in the hours before and after school days drivers must follow a 25 mile-per-hour speed limit. During summer school, the lights are activated from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fisher said compounding a ticket for running through the crosswalk with a violation for driving over the speed limit in a school zone could result in a substantial fine. Waverly High School Band Director Brady Rohlfs appeared before the council to ask for ask for approval on a marching band parade route, which would be used for the Bob Maag Marching Festival on Sept. 24 Former Waverly High School band director Bob Maag was a big fan of parades, according to Rohlfs. Maag served as the band director at WHS for 33 years and retired in 1991, and became a local legend of sorts. Nearly a year to the day after Maags May 2021 death, a tribute concert was held in the high school auditorium to honor the longtime band teacher. Now, another event is in the works to pay tribute to Maags impact in Waverly. The marching festival will invite high school marching bands to Waverly to join in a parade through a residential section of Waverly, running from Waverly Intermediate School to Hamlow Elementary School, mostly along 143rd Street. Rohlfs said his goal is to have about 10 marching bands as part of the parade. It seemed like a natural fit to put a parade in the community, and that will hopefully help bring people into the town as well, Rohlfs said. The council voted 3-0 to approve the parade route. Sam Crisler is a reporter for The Waverly News. Reach him via email at samuel.crisler@wahoonewspaper.com. Flash Turkey is to host a four-way meeting with the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul next week to discuss a possible Black Sea corridor for exporting Ukrainian grains, local media reported Tuesday. A Turkish military delegation will travel to Russia this week to discuss the details of the planned corridor, the HaberTurk TV reported, quoting anonymous presidential sources. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wanted to attend the meeting, according to the sources. The United Nations had appealed to Russia and Ukraine, as well as Turkey, to agree to set up a maritime corridor to export Ukrainian grains. Turkey, a NATO member, has been making efforts to broker a deal to allow Ukraine export grains to avert a food crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Guterres discussed the issue over the phone on Monday. Turkey earlier said it is ready to take on a role within an "observation mechanism" if a deal is reached. According to the plan, representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations will create the observation mechanism. It is expected that the mechanism will become operational within one month and some 20 to 25 vessels will depart from Odessa port of Ukraine to sail across the Black Sea through the corridor, the Turkish presidential sources told the HaberTurk TV. It is expected that some 30-35 million tons of agricultural products will be exported from Ukraine in six to eight months, the report said. The plan is to open three corridors from four ports in Odessa of Ukraine. Kiev says clearing mines will take time so these corridors will come into operation to meet the urgent export of grains, HaberTurk reported. Ukraine is a major grain exporter to Africa and the Middle East. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict drags on, the disruption to the Ukrainian grain shipments has led to sharp rise in food prices. CEDAR FALLS The University of Northern Iowa will host a two-week Black Life Youth Camp for middle school students geared towards preserving local Black history through digital storytelling and imaging skills. The camp will meet July 25-29 and Aug. 1-4 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The camp is free with lunch and snacks provided. There is a maximum of 20 camp participants with a first come, first served registration. Participants will uncover hidden Black cultural resources in the Cedar Valley and add them to the Iowa African American Heritage Trail. Students will learn how to research and document stories of local African American pioneers and historic places all in the Cedar Valley. They will also investigate safe biking and walking routes in Waterloos historic Black Unity neighborhood. Students will help design a self-guided walking tour that allows users a chance to explore the neighborhood, get excercise and enjoy the outdoors. Camp participants will learn how to professionally scan family photographs, create photo montages and digital animations, and go on site visits related to the family stories they learn. Students will also have opportunities to bike on UNIs campus and Cedar Valley bike trails. The camps all-Black staff is made up of UNI faculty and student counselors. The camp is offered at no cost to students through the generous sponsorship of the Guernsey Foundation of Waterloo and the Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice at UNI. To apply, contact Professor Bettina Fabos by email at bettina.fabos@uni.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WAVERLY A residence hall complex on the Wartburg College campus will open under a new name when students return this fall. Centennial Complex, comprising Centennial, Vollmer and Hebron halls, is being renamed the Ubuntu Center to affirm the colleges shared commitment to diversity. Ubuntu is an African philosophy often translated to I am, because we are. And we are what makes Wartburg: students, faculty and staff coming together from all walks of life to cultivate a sense of community that is rooted in kindness and respect, Kryvstal Madlock, director of multicultural student services and a member of the naming committee, said in a news release. The word also has a deep meaning in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which used Ubuntu as the theme of its Youth Gathering in 2000 when Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the keynote speaker. The event draws more than 40,000 youth between the ages of 14 and 17. In addition to renaming Centennial Complex, the college also will rename Centennial Hall in honor of Harry and Polly Slife. Prior to their deaths in 1994, the Slifes were advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the Cedar Valley and on the Wartburg campus. Vollmer and Hebron halls will maintain their names. Harry and Polly were beloved members of the Wartburg community as well as of the wider Cedar Valley. Modeling the radical hospitality we aspire to offer, they constantly found ways to support and celebrate the diverse people they embraced as neighbors, said Wartburg President Darrel Colson. It seems fitting that Slife Hall would be part of the Ubuntu Center. The college started the process of discerning a new name for the complex in June 2021 when Jack and Sarah Salzwedel made a commitment to an $11 million transformation of Centennial and Vollmer halls. Their $2 million gift came with one request: The college should explore how the newly renovated residence halls could help students, faculty and staff live into, celebrate and highlight a commitment to diversity that is a hallmark of the new strategic plan. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CEDAR FALLS City Council expressed Monday, in a 5-2 vote, that it was not ready to commit to a plan meant to build a resilient community. Several members wanted more discussion and to instead narrow the focus. Councilors Kelly Dunn and Simon Harding voted in favor, one reason being the plan would attract new businesses. Three residents spoke in support of what was referred to as a guiding document, not one that mandates following through with all the recommendations. But that was not the feeling of the majority. I think approving and adopting today could put the city on the hook for things that we are not ready to tackle just yet, said Councilor Dustin Ganfield. It was the second time the same majority rejected the resilience plan. A few months ago, $25,000 allocated for the plans implementation in fiscal year 2023 was pulled from the budget as part of a flurry of cuts made to reduce the tax levy hike. The resilience plan was developed over a few years by volunteers, city officials, and a consultant. It focused on three core areas: the local economy and community; weather and nature; and energy and mobility. One example, given by City Planner Thomas Weintraut in a memo to the council, was for more renewable energy options that help fuel job growth in the renewable energy sector. Another involved blue-green corridors providing recreational opportunities and attracting talent while supporting natural habitat and reducing the costs associated with traditional gray infrastructure. A third was supporting mixed-use neighborhoods that provide affordable housing options with goods and services within walking or biking distance of residences, reducing reliance on automobiles. Diversity, equity and inclusion specialist to be hired by city of Cedar Falls The City Council approved the job classification on a 6-1 vote. Officials hope to hire the new specialist in two or three months. After merely receiving and filing the plan, councilors said they support its purpose. Many were present at the unveiling of the near-final draft in April. But councilors wont want to be held accountable for whats included in the lengthy, technical document without fully sifting through it. Councilor Daryl Kruse compared adopting the document to the big giant ball in Indiana Jones that cant be diverted, stopped or changed. However, City Administrator Ron Gaines emphasized any project within the framework of the resilience plan would come back before the council for approval before moving forward. And Mayor Rob Green noted how a lot of the guidance included in the document relates to what the city is already doing. As Ive learned and worked with staff, I have seen that the adoption allows them to incorporate these options and these ideas into other plans and gives them the flexibility to know that council wants them to just look at them as options, Harding said. Without us adopting it, (staff has) to wait for us to go through and nitpick through it at goal setting. ... This is a little bit more of a proactive approach, he added. Councilor Susan deBuhr said she felt more discussion is needed with other agencies referenced in the plan the Cedar Falls Community School District, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls Utilities, and Black Hawk County. Pledge of allegiance could be recited at Cedar Falls council meetings No public objections to the proposed change were raised by any of seven elected members while meeting in committee Monday night. Having your vote of approval shows us that you are taking this seriously, that these are things you want to work toward, said Hannah Crisman, president of the College Hill Partnership and a planning and zoning commissioner. Council had adopted the update to the Bike Network Plan last month with little objection. That followed a similar process, especially in its involvement of the public and city staff. In the recent past, some councilors have been criticized publicly for not respecting their time and work. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO A local grocery store, now five years in the making, came before City Council again on Monday to discuss a new subordination agreement. Developers of the All-in Grocers are finalizing financing this week for the downtown store and construction is set to start soon after. Councilors approved the agreement 5-1 with Dave Boesen dissenting. Councilor John Chiles was absent. The city approved a subordinate clause in January but this weeks approval was changing the specific language on the agreement due to the pushed back closing date on the financing, according to All-in Grocers lawyer Eric Johnson. Johnson said the grocery secured the site by mortgage to the city, but to get to construction required financing from lenders. He said the developers are always going to subordinate to that. The city has given $900,000 to $1.2 million for the project. The subordination agreement puts the city third in line to receive its grant money back if the developer doesnt finish construction. Residents, like Forest Dillavou, were upset about the subordination saying the people of Waterloo are being overlooked. We have a lot of money invested in this and its not coming back because this agreement puts the city of Waterloo at the bottom of the list, Dillavou said. Everyone gets their money first and the city last and thats where the taxpayers have always been last. Councilor Dave Boesen also expressed disagreement, ultimately voting no on the resolution. He asked what had changed from earlier in the year. Johnson said the developers made multiple attempts at financing the project after some of the options didnt work out. In December we thought there was government funding that was imminent and it didnt happen, then those funds were found from other lenders who agreed to put money in this project, Johnson said. It just gets reconstituted and the developers wish more than anybody that it wouldve closed a year ago because of where prices go. Boesen noted that prices of materials are rising, saying there is a 30% increase in supplies. Johnson said the budget is updated with increases factored into it. Back in January, developer Rodney Anderson said development was delayed due to rising steel prices. In October 2020, Noel Anderson, community planning and development director, said financial paperwork and the supply shortage from COVID-19 contributed to the delayed start date. In May of 2021, Rodney Anderson said contractors finished installing the buildings foundation during the winter but construction wouldnt start until late summer of that year. He then projected the rest of the work would take about seven months. The topic of concern for both residents and councilors is that the project is taking years to finish. Mayor Quentin Hart asked Noel Anderson if there are other projects that take 5 to 10 years to complete. Anderson said yes, although many projects are talked about in confidence, whereas the development of the grocery store has been talked about publicly since 2017. Both Noel Anderson and Johnson reassured councilors that closing will happen in the next week. Other residents, like Kathryn Mahoney, celebrated the updated closing date. All-in Grocery will be fantastic for our city, Mahoney said. It is needed. It is long overdue and, as regards to the subordination agreement, Mr. Johnson tells us this is standard. This is just updating something that was already done. The proposed building at Highway 63 and Franklin Street is expected to include a grocery store, restaurant, laundromat and community center. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CEDAR FALLS The city can move forward with the hiring process for a diversity, equity and inclusion specialist, now that City Council approved the job classification for the brand-new position Monday night. The full-time position had been a recommendation of the Racial Equity Task Force late last year. The person who fills the job will serve as the paid expert requested by the Human Rights Commission so that it can better carry out its mission. Hopefully, maybe we can get someone on board in two to three months, Finance and Business Operations Director Jennifer Rodenbeck told the council. Councilors voted 6-1 on the classification. The lone dissent came from Dustin Ganfield. I think we should have explored collaborative options between other entities like the community school district or the university, and that could have kept costs down and accomplished the same goals, he wrote in a text message. The position works with all city departments to advance and embed social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization and serves as a staff liaison to the Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission while providing education, outreach, advocacy and administrative support for the promotion of human rights in the community, said the job definition. Cedar Falls City Council confirms Berte's public safety director appointment in 5-2 vote Berte beat out two other finalists for the top position, and was recommended as the number one choice by Mayor Rob Green, Administrator Ron Gaines and a selection committee. A candidate is expected to have certain required knowledge. Some of that includes an understanding of the theory, history, and practices of human rights; diversity-related issues, legislation, and best practices; individual, institutional, and structural barriers to advancing equity; and adjusting policies and practices to achieve more equitable outcomes. The DEI specialist will be an employee of the human resources division. A candidate is required to have a bachelors degree and three years of human resource and/or human rights experience. Sturgis Falls Celebration, a one-of-a-kind Cedar Falls festival, kicks off Friday Unique is the one word its president Jay Stoddard, 75, constantly uses to describe the event that he helped organize for decades and envisions still leading come the event's 50th year. Invest in an internal staff position and external expertise to lead the development and implementation of the Citys Equity Plan, said the task force about its recommendation in its report. Provide the resources needed to support research, organizational assessments and audits, action plans, collaborations, education, evaluation and reporting, as well as the support that staff, elected officials and community members need to talk together about equitable programs, practices and policies in Cedar Falls. The council cut a new part-time human resources position that had been recommended in its Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Administrator Ron Gaines said at the time that it would expect to use some of the capacity in that (DEI specialist) to help make up for the removal of the part-time human resources position. In the job description for the DEI specialist, the position had some 20 responsibilities and duties. One example is seeking opportunities to incorporate diversity and inclusion practices where appropriate, such as in interview training and succession planning. Another is reviewing, revising and updating communication on city documents and the website to ensure nondiscriminatory, inclusive language is used. The new position had been estimated to cost $95,000 per year. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CEDAR FALLS Collette Ellison sits cross-legged on a beautiful rug surrounded by quartz crystal and metal Tibetan singing bowls in various diameters. With a small, wooden striker in each hand, she lightly touches the rims and sides of the bowls in fluid, continuous motions to create crystal-clear, bell-like and perfectly pitched tones. Ellison then turns to face a large gong on a wooden stand. She picks up a felt-headed mallet and strikes the large bronze plate. A deep, sonorous sound reverberates in the air, resonating throughout ones body, right down to the toes. Moments later, she is pounding a hand-held drum in a heartbeat rhythm and softly singing. Every living thing vibrates. All matter and everything in nature vibrates. Our bodies respond to the vibrations that sounds make, and those vibrations have healing properties. Stress, work, just our daily lives can cause our own natural resonance to get off kilter. Sound therapy brings it back into balance, explains Ellison, a certified sound therapist. Using sound to impact the human body in positive ways is an ancient practice, but modern science has shown that sound has a definitive impact on our brains and bodies. Ellison, owner of Heart Wide Open, also uses tuning forks, chimes and other instruments to perform sound baths or healing and meditative group and individual sessions. She has presented workshops and sessions at Hartman Reserve Nature Center, Hearst Center for the Arts, Three Pines Farm, New Dawn Yoga, all in Cedar Falls, as well as Holistic Hippie Wellness Center in Jesup, and numerous other locations throughout the Cedar Valley. Doors keep opening for me, and its amazing. People are interested in finding ways to regain calm, to feel better, to bring harmony to their lives and be more in balance, she says. Ellison began delving into sound therapy in 2015, after experiencing a session herself. I was overcome by a sense of joy and love. Those of us in that room barely knew each other, but you could feel it, and it was so beautiful, she recalls. It was very healing for me. I was sleeping better. I felt calm, like everything was in balance. I had to learn more. After studying courses offered through the British Academy of Sound Therapy and attending in-person training offered in Cedar Rapids, Ellison became a certified sound therapist in 2019. In 2020, she achieved level two, which adds to her credentials for vocal harmonics including using her voice and singing as part of her therapies. Sound can be soothing and relaxing, or energizing depending on the tones and vibrations Ellison achieves with her instruments and voice. Theres even sonic massage using a tuning fork to create vibrations to aid specific painful areas of the body, such as arthritic knees or ankles. Even I was a little skeptical at first, but Ive seen and experienced what sound therapy can do, how it can help people. Sound therapy lifts the mood, slows the heart, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, improves your mood, improves memory, encourages sleep and connects us to a higher reality. Ive always been interested in holistic, organic and alternative methods of healing, and sound therapy brings harmony to people, helping them find peace and calm, Ellison explains. At its core, it opens the mind and body to healing. Negative energy blocks your natural flow of chi, your life force, and certain sound therapies and meditations can help release those negative feelings and encourage healing. Ellison, a Reiki master, sometimes combines sound therapy with Reiki, a healing technique that guides energy through the body to promote healing and reduce stress. She also is new goods coordinator at Goodwill Industries of Northeast Iowa, a former adjunct instructor at the University of Northern Iowa, and studied interior design and gerontology long-term care administration at UNI. Ellison believes she has found herself through sound therapy. I love helping people heal. I feel like this is my journey on earth, she said. I feel like Im a healing force for good. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES Students can apply to open enroll to another public school district at any point in the year under a new law approved Tuesday by Gov. Kim Reynolds. It was among three bills Reynolds signed into law Tuesday, completing her work on all legislation that was passed this year by state lawmakers. The elimination of the previous March 1 deadline for an open enrollment request was one of the last pieces of legislation approved during the session, after it became apparent that majority Republicans did not have enough votes to pass Reynolds so-called school choice bill, which included a program that would have diverted state funding for public schools to private school tuition assistance. The March 1 deadline for open enrollment requests was put in place so school districts could plan for how many students they will have the following school year. And the previous state law included exemptions to the deadline for students who faced issues like bullying. Jack Whitver, the Republican Senate majority leader from Ankeny, said recently on Iowa PBS Iowa Press that Republicans felt removing the deadline was an important aspect of their school choice agenda. Whitver cited recent policies codified by the Linn-Mar School District to protect transgender students from discrimination. Some parents upset by the policies, which had been in place in practice in the district for years, requested and were granted a private meeting with Reynolds and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, both Republicans. Really anything the parents find that they dont like about that school (could be a reason for an open enrollment request), Whitver said on Iowa Press. Obviously one of the high profile ones is what was going on in Marion when they rolled out a transgender policy shortly after that March 1 deadline. Parents are saying, What is our alternative? And we dont think there is one. So we wanted to open that up. But thats just one (reason). It could be anything. School officials and Democrats who opposed the proposal warned that it will make it more difficult for districts to plan for the following school year. The measure was included in the Legislatures standings bill, which is a catch-all budget and policy bill that is often one of the last to be approved during a legislative session. This years standings bill, House File 2589, also contained a new ban on private funding for local elections operations. That provision was created in response to the reported $419 million in grants funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg that were designed to help election officials operate the 2020 elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott County ($286,870) and Black Hawk County ($267,500) received grants in 2020, according to court documents produced after a group sued the counties unsuccessfully over the grants. I do not believe that there should be conservative, wealthy people doing that. And I do not believe there should be liberal, wealthy people doing that, Iowa Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton and chairman of the Iowa Houses state government committee, said during the session. Im not comfortable, and I have yet to encounter anybody that can give me a reasonable counter debate on why private dollars with, in my opinion, special political interests in mind should be able to contribute directly to the election officials conducting their business. Other bills Small artisanal butchers that produce custom meats will get some help from the state in legislation signed into law by Reynolds. The new law is the result of recommendations made by a state task force that was convened last year to study ways the state could help small butchers. Small butchers in Iowa have said they are dealing with increased demand by consumers seeking artisanal and custom meats often from farm-to-table producers and are beset with supply chain issues caused by disruption in commercial meat processing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under the new law, the state will create a one-year artisanal butchery certificate program for community colleges to offer. The state education department is instructed to compile resources for meat processing plants that include information on an existing butchery grant program, apprenticeships and internships, and worker training and development. The legislation, House File 2470, was approved unanimously by state lawmakers. By signing (the bill), we are building on years of efforts to support our small meat processors in Iowa. This bill is a win for Iowas livestock producers, our agriculture industry and our entire state, Reynolds said in a statement to the bureau. It strengthens the partnership between our community colleges and Departments of Education, Workforce Development and Agriculture to provide much-needed support to Iowas local meat lockers and butchery programs. Reynolds also signed into law Tuesday House File 2581, which contains myriad programs under the state agriculture department. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Iowa Democrats make their pitch Thursday to the Democratic National Committees Rules & Bylaws Committee as to why they should remain an early-voting state in the nations presidential nominating process. State party officials will present proposed changes to its caucuses that modernizes and streamlines the process. The goal: Secure a renewed place at the front of their partys presidential nominating calendar. The Republican National Committee in April voted unanimously to keep Iowa at the front of the line in the GOPs presidential selection process. Iowa is among 16 states and Puerto Rico vying to be included in Democrats early presidential nominating window ahead of Super Tuesday in early March 2024. The DNC rules committee voted in April to reopen the presidential nominating window, forcing all interested states including the current early-nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina to apply for a spot. The move came after the current lineup of early-nominating states came under increasing fire following a chaotic 2020 caucus night for Iowa Democrats when a smartphone app meant to make reporting results easier failed. As a result, the official Democratic caucus results were not reported for several weeks. Critics have slammed Iowas first-in-the-nation status over the states lack of diversity and electoral competitiveness. And national Democrats complain the caucuses are too opaque and inaccessible, requiring in-person attendance that makes it difficult to participate for Iowans who work late shifts, lack access to child care or transportation or have health or mobility problems. To make their caucuses more accessible, Iowa Democrats are proposing to eliminate the requirement for in-person attendance and are reorganizing the caucus practice of identifying candidates viability over multiple rounds. The DNC rules committee is expected to meet in early August and recommend a slate of up to five states for the early nominating window. Whats proposed Under the proposed changes, Democrats would request a presidential preference card in the mail and would have 14 to 28 days to either mail it back or return it in person caucus night. On caucus night, the Iowa Democratic Party would report the results publicly. The caucuses themselves would focus primarily on conducting party business, such as electing delegates to county conventions. The state party also would contract with either a DNC-approved election vendor or with a county auditor or the Iowa Secretary of States Office to ensure a fair and trustworthy process. Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Ross Wilburn has said the changes will make the caucuses more straightforward, accessible and professional. While the nominating process should always be subject to critical examination, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina serve our party well as an accessible cross-section of the national Democratic electorate, and each state presents a unique, important test for presidential hopefuls, Wilburn wrote in a letter to the DNC. Iowa Code requires political parties hold caucuses at least eight days before any other states primary. It does not say how those caucuses must be conducted. Caucuses in Iowa have a history of higher turnout than many other states presidential nominating contests, despite some historical barriers, Wilburn wrote. We intend to simplify the process so that it is easy to understand and offers more options for participation. Such planned changes can only serve to expand an already-engaged electorate. Speakers Those who will present Thursday to the DNC rules committee will be Wilburn; House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights; Democratic state Rep. Ras Smith of Waterloo; and Scott Brennan, a former Iowa Democratic Party chairman and the only Iowan on the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee. I think our presentation will show Iowa is much more diverse than they think. And, there are many forms of diversity, Brennan said Tuesday. One of the forms of diversity that Iowa brings, frankly, is the rural working-class diversity. And its a group of folks Democrats have forgotten how to talk to, he said. And if we cant figure that out, under the Electoral College system, well be doomed to win popular votes and lose the Electoral College. And thats criminal, and thats on us if we cant figure that out. Brennan dismissed reporting over the weekend by the Des Moines Register suggesting Iowa Democrats lack fervor in their fight to stay first in the nation. Its hard to think in terms of the 2024 presidential cycle when whats facing us square in the face now is an incredibly important election in the fall of 2022, Brennan said. Bottom line is I dont think people are dispirited or uninterested. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa -- A judge has found a Sioux City woman guilty of first-degree murder for the 2020 slaying of a Lake Park, Iowa, woman. District Judge Shayne Mayer issued her ruling Tuesday afternoon in Dickinson County District Court, a month after Allison Decker stood trial on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree theft and conspiracy to commit second-degree theft. Decker had waived her right to a jury trial and chose to have Mayer decide the case. Mayer found her guilty of the Dec. 21, 2020, death of 25-year-old Angel Bastman, who was found with a belt around her neck the following day at her home at 104 Maple Ave. in Lake Park. A medical examiner determined the cause of death was strangulation. Decker was found guilty of reduced charges of third-degree theft and conspiracy to commit third-degree theft. Decker, 27, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled. A co-defendant, Justice Berntson, 25, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for attempted murder. Evidence and testimony at trial revealed that Berntson and Bastman had been using the belt to administer heroin, and they began arguing. The argument turned into a physical altercation between Decker and Bastman. Berntson testified he handed the belt to Decker and left the room as Decker was strangling Bastman. Statements and social media messages Decker sent to friends also linked her to the murder. The two stole electronics and other household and personal items from the house. Four days after Bastman's body was found, police spotted Berntson driving her missing rental car in Sioux City. A vehicle pursuit ensued, and Berntson, who gave an Elk Point, South Dakota, address at the time, was arrested after crashing the car. Berntson and Decker both later were found in possession of property belonging to Bastman and her family. Berntson also was charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty in December to attempted murder in exchange for agreeing to testify against Decker at trial. He must serve 17.5 years of his 25-year sentence before he's eligible for parole. As part of his plea agreement, the two theft charges were dismissed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation in Ukraine. The enemy suffers considerable losses. On June 21, an attack launched by high-precision armament of Russian Aerospace Forces resulted in the elimination of up to 500 servicemen of the 59th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), as well as their armament and military equipment deployed in the workshops of Okean shipyard located in Nikolayev. Servicemen of a battalion from the 57th Mechanised Infantry Brigade that had been defending near Gorskoye, Podlesnoye, Vrubovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) refused to obey the order of their command and abandoned all their positions after losing more than 60 per cent of personnel. This night, Ukrainian command evacuated up to 30 wounded and 8 killed American and British mercenaries to prevent their capture by units of the Russian Armed Forces in view of the possible defeat of the units from the 14th and the 24th mechanised brigades near Nikolayevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Russian Federation Armed Forces launch attacks at the military facilities located in Ukraine. Operational-tactical and army aviation have eliminated: 5 munitions depots of the AFU near Sidorovo, Verkhnyaya Kamenka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Miropolye (Sumy region), 1 Buk-M1 air defence missile system near Kurakhovo (Donetsk Peoples Republic), as well as manpower and military equipment in 151 areas. Missile troops and artillery have neutralised 253 manpower and military equipment concentration areas of the AFU, as well as 6 munitions depots near Lisichansk, Verkhnekamenka, Mirnaya Dolina, Loskutovka and Podlesnoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic). A fuel terminal that provided the AFU military equipment with fuel has been destroyed in Nikolayev. Within the counter-battery warfare, 13 Ukrainian multiple rocket launcher plattoons have been neutralised near Ostroye, Gornyak, Kodema, Dzerzhinsk, Kalinovo, Zoryanoye, Dmitrov, Novolugansk, Novgorodskoye, Leninskoye, as well as 10 cannon artillery plattoons at their firing positions near Stepnaya Dolina (Nikolayev region), Spartak, Podgornoye, Nikolayevka, Leninskoye, Zaytsevo, Semigorye and Dzerzhinsk. A U.S.-manufactured AN-TPQ artillery reconnaissance station has been destroyed near Nikolskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Attacks launched by aviation, missile troops and artillery have resulted in the elimination of more than 620 nationalists, 24 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, as well as 27 special vehicles. Russian air defence means have show down 1 Su-25 of the Ukrainian Air Force near Barmashevo (Nikolayev region) and 1 MiG-29 near Apostolovo (Dnepropetrovsk region). In addition, 16 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been show down near Bolshiye Prokhody, Malaya Kamyshevakha, Novodmitrovskoye, Vesyoloye, Belyayevkam Brazhkovka, Chervonoye, Dolgenkoye, Suligovka, Yasinovatoye and Snake Island. 3 Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles have been intercepted near Pashkovo (Kharkov region) and Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region), as well as 14 projectiles of a multiple rocket launcher near Snake Island, Yasinovataya (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Novosyolovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) and Suligovka (Kharkov region). In total, 211 airplanes and 132 helicopters, 1,308 unmanned aerial vehicles, 349 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,733 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 594 combat vehicles equipped with multiple rocket-launching systems, 2,081 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 3,801 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine @mod_russia_Enjoy WtR Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for joint efforts to seek and safeguard peace. History has shown that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontations bring neither peace nor stability, but rather war and conflict, said Xi in a keynote speech delivered in virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum. The Ukraine crisis has again sounded the alarm for humanity: Countries will surely end up in security hardships if they place blind faith in their positions of strength, expand military alliances, and seek their own safety at the expense of others, Xi said. We continue to carefully record the facts of criminal acts by the Kiev regime against the civilian population of Ukraine and the peoples republics of Donbas, as well as the use of civilian infrastructure by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and militants of Ukrainian nationalist groups for military purposes: in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Peoples Republic, in a residential house (Parkovaya st., 95), servicemen of the AFU have deployed a strongpoint with munitions and armament depots, while its residents are forcibly retained in their flats. In the schools 4 (M.Priymachenko st.) and 25 (B.Khmelnitskogo st.), nationalists have deployed firing positions and sniper points, while the population of the nearby residential houses had been intentionally left without evacuation; in Dachnoye, Odessa region, in the House of Culture and the gymnasium 2 (Mira st.), nationalists have deployed a strongpoint, as well as armoured vehicles and multiple rocket launchers at its territory; in Lisichansk, Lugansk Peoples Republic, in a milk factory (Artyomovskoye hwy.), nationalists of Ukrainian armed groups have deployed barracks, firing positions and a munitions depot, as well as West-manufactured armoured vehicles and artillery cannons at the adjacent territory. In Avdeyevka, Donetsk Peoples Republic, professionals of the Centre for Information and Psychological Operations of the AFU have carried out another provocation aimed at accusing the Russian Armed Forces of an alleged destruction of civilian infrastructure facilities. For this purpose, nationalists exploded the building of the comprehensive school 6 (Shevchenko blvd.) and spread fabricated photo- and videographic data in Ukrainian and western mass media. This kind of fakes is regularly replicated by the Ukrainian propaganda supported by the collective West. Moreover, in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk district, militants of Ukrainian armed groups have planted mines at the roadside along Geroyev Truda street adjacent to M-03 motor way, while the local population has been intentionally left uninformed. We warn the international community and international organisations in advance about this inhumane provocation prepared by the Ukrainian authorities that can result in victims among civilians, while the Kiev regime is going to accuse Russian servicemen of indiscriminate attacks as it has already been done according to a practiced method. Top News Today President of Russia V.Putin, Russian Defence Minister General of the Army S.Shoigu and Russian Defence Ministry Board members have taken part in the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. Delegations from Russian Federation Defence Ministry and Republic of Turkiye National Defence Ministry held negotiations on June 21 in Moscow. The parties have discussed the safe departure of Turkish merchant ships and grain export from Ukrainian ports, as well as approaches to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. The enemy suffers considerable losses. On June 21, an attack launched by high-precision armament of Russian Aerospace Forces resulted in the elimination of up to 500 servicemen of the 59th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), as well as their armament and military equipment deployed in the workshops of Okean shipyard located in Nikolayev. Servicemen of a battalion from the 57th Mechanised Infantry Brigade that had been defending near Gorskoye, Podlesnoye, Vrubovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) refused to obey the order of their command and abandoned all their positions after losing more than 60 per cent of personnel. The facts of criminal acts by the Kiev regime against the civilian population of Ukraine and the peoples republics of Donbas, as well as the use of civilian infrastructure by the (AFU) and militants of Ukrainian nationalist groups for military purposes continue being carefully recorded. In Avdeyevka, Donetsk Peoples Republic, professionals of the Centre for Information and Psychological Operations of the AFU have carried out another provocation aimed at accusing the Russian Armed Forces of an alleged destruction of civilian infrastructure facilities. For this purpose, nationalists exploded the building of the comprehensive school 6 (Shevchenko blvd.) and spread fabricated photo- and videographic data in Ukrainian and western mass media. Russian Defence Ministry has launched a new historical section entitled Heroes of the First Days of the Great War dedicated to the anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War 1,418 candles have been lit near the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces. Russian Defence Ministry has published the footage of Tor-M2 tactical air defence missile system and Su-35 fighter crews in combat action. Over the past 24 hours, the population of the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics have been provided with more than 183 tonnes of primary necessity items and groceries. Over 23 thousand people have been evacuated from dangerous areas of Ukraine and the republics of Donbass to Russia. #TopNews #MoD #Russia #Ukraine #HumanitarianResponse #HumanitarianAid @mod_russia_en WtR The USA sends mercenaries to fight against Russia. To kill Russians, many killed civilians. So as USAs illegal and intentional sent mercenaries are being captured? The USA is whining As you know, under the Geneva Conventions, fighting in a conflict is not something you can be tried for, so what are the crimes youre talking about? asked Simmons. Peskov replied that They are not [part of the] a Ukrainian army, they are not a subject to [the] Geneva Convention. This is true and these mercanaries are controlling factors and used to promote death, even by killing Ukrainian soldiers We have seen Peskovs comments on this. It is shocking that an official in Russia even suggests the possibility of the death penalty for two American citizens who were in Ukraine, John Kirby said. Well John, I ask why would it surprise you? They deserve what they get and you and your friends in the USA government paid these guys very good taxpayer money to kill You need to focus upon the fact that over 200 USA mercenaries have died in battle. That is okay in the minds of the psychos in the USA government, for the dead do not talk. But when captured alive? They talk John Kirby is typical of the USA government and in response? What he thinks and says means nothing anymore to the real world I would suggest to foreign western countries playing the mercenary game with Russia? Better get these scum mercenaries back home! Russia despises mercenaries and especially ones that intentionally are used to stir up trouble. As in killing civilians, instigating violence, shooting prisoners of war in the knees and killing Ukrainian soldiers whom try to surrender This is what the USA endorses against the world! Russia is done with caring about the west. If the mercenaries are guilty? They will be treated approximately. And having USA citizenship? Is all the more reason to prosecute them to the fullest Donbass is who will try them. Russia does not have the death penalty. But Donbass does and Ukraine is still trying to kill civilians in Donbass Besides USA, what about Assange? He has done nothing wrong. Yet, your actions will be a death sentence for him Two faced, forked tongue country, thy name is USA WtR The nations youngest children are getting their chance at vaccines for COVID-19. Shots began Monday at a few locations, though they were expected to ramp up after the Juneteenth federal holiday. The Food and Drug Administration cleared vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer last week and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final signoff over the weekend. Roughly 18 million youngsters under 5 are eligible. For the little kids, Pfizers vaccine is three shots and Modernas is two shots. Getting some parents on board may be a challenge given disappointing vaccination rates in school-age kids. Weather Alert ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM TO 8 PM PDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...Southwest winds around 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph expected. * WHERE...Washoe. * WHEN...From 2 PM to 8 PM PDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Check lake conditions before heading out and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind. && Natalia Melendez: I come from a musical family and was introduced to these sounds at a very young age. There was always live music around. The first time I heard a mariachi was at a family party when I was around 7 or 8, and I immediately gravitated to it. I cant really explain why; it was an emotional reaction. The trumpets got my attention, and the violins oozed feeling they just talked to me. There was this tall lady named Laura Sobrino, and she ended up being my music teacher. In addition to singing, I also play the violin. Natalia, was Mexican heritage very present in your family life? NM: My grandparents are from Leon, Guanajuato, and my parents were born in the U.S. Spanish is my second language, so I had to teach myself when I started performing. It was tough, because growing up, the only person who spoke Spanish was my grandmother. Was there a specific ranchera, or Mexican folk song, that became your favorite right from the start? CS: Me nace del corazon, written by Juan Gabriel, as performed by Rocio Durcal. We get tired of playing some songs, but I will never tire of this one. Its actually a huapango, not a ranchera, but I love it performed by a mariachi. NM: At the beginning, I couldnt distinguish a ranchera from a bolero I didnt know anything. I just knew I loved mariachi music. Looking back, its a cliche to say that I like all rancheras, but I really do. Even more than other Latin genres, mariachi music is steeped in machismo. What was it like growing up with those stereotypes? NM: I definitely felt them. Growing up, I was expected to act like a boy and I was so not that as a young person. I stood out. I didnt really care what people thought, but it was confusing for someone so young to grow up in such a macho culture. When I got older, the more I performed as part of other mariachi groups, there was a lot of discrimination from both the public and closed-minded musicians. It was rocky, but I used that as ammo. The only thing I could do is let my music speak for itself to sing and play better than my fellow musicians, so they would shut up and stop calling me maricon under their breath. CS: From the moment I came out, Ive had to deal with those stereotypes. I dont take injustice well. Like Natalia said, that kind of discrimination provides the very reason for having Mariachi Arcoiris and combating that machismo, that toxic masculinity. We provide a haven for both musicians and the audience. In the golden age of Mexican cinema, you would always see the man serenading a docile female. There are gay men who maybe would have loved to be serenaded themselves and thought it was never going to happen in their lifetime. But now we do serenade men. We get to give our audience that experience. At the end of the day, visibility creates normality. Most Americans look forward to getting together to enjoy the sights and sounds of fireworks on July 4. But for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the traditional holiday festivities can be far from welcome. For some veterans, the sound of fireworks can remind them of the sound of gunfire, said psychiatrist Amit Etkin, a former Stanford University professor and CEO of Alto Neuroscience, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. For those with PTSD, sensory memories like sounds, smells or even feelings in their gut may invoke reminders of trauma and cause symptoms to arise in a particular moment. As such, some service members attempting to celebrate the countrys independence may feel extreme panic while fireworks go off because they may feel they are reliving a traumatic event. Difficulties can go beyond the fireworks. PTSD sufferers may find that their anxiety goes up ahead of what Etkin calls an anniversary event. With respect to Independence Day, the anticipation of big crowds and loud celebrations can fill a veteran with dread before the holiday even arrives. Entertainment Regal Movie Tickets Members save up to 20% on ePremiere tickets purchased online View Details See All Benefits See more Entertainment offers > {"hideCategory":false,"useAlternateLanguage":false,"headlineIconAltText":"","listItems":[{"categoryTitle":"Entertainment","categoryUrl":"/benefits-discounts/?category\u003dentertainment","categoryDeeplinkParam":"entertainment","isLimitedTimeOffer":false,"offerJson":{"offer_id":"10033","offer_title":"Savings on Movie Tickets","offer_short_title":"","offer_short_description":"Members save up to 20% on ePremiere tickets purchased online","modified_on":1544637300,"created_on":1279665600,"featured_offer":"1","last_updated_by":"Gretchen Quiteles","offer_description":"\u003cp\u003eMembers save up to 20% on Regal ePremiere Tickets purchased online (conditions apply). Tickets are valid at all Regal locations nationwide for all movies and showtimes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlus, members can save $3 on popcorn and soft drink combos. 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For somebody whos been isolated, who has no support network, who may feel uncomfortable in crowds, it can be a really dispiriting event that leads to an exacerbation of symptoms, Etkin said. In response, people grappling with PTSD may further isolate themselves to avoid being placed in an environment thats out of their control and causing trepidation. Silumina Anodes Pilot Plant Construction Contract Executed Perth, June 22, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited ( ASX:ATC ) ( FRA:A3Y ) is pleased to announce that following a site visit this week by Altech's senior management in Saxony, Germany, a final construction contract for the Silumina AnodesTM pilot plant with Kuttner GmbH & Co. KG (Kuttner) was executed.Highlights- Silumina AnodesTM pilot plant construction contract executed with Kuttner GmbH & Co- Final plant engineering design and cost estimation completed- Strong experience in delivering metallurgical plant projects- Long lead items procurement has already commencedGerman engineering firm Kuttner has completed the final plant engineering design and cost estimation.The Basic Engineering phase has confirmed key design parameters, locking in key equipment capacities and validating operational criteria. Kuttner will immediately commence the procurement process, and construction of the pilot plant will follow when equipment begins arriving towards the back end of this year.The pilot plant is designed to produce 120kg per day of Silumina AnodesTM coated battery anode material, which will be made available to selected European battery manufacturers and auto-makers. The pilot plant will be established in Dock3 (leased warehouse space), next door to Altech's land in Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park in Saxony, Germany.Altech, with its cash position at the end of March 2022 of A$11.571 million, is well funded to construct and complete the pilot plant. The pilot plant is estimated to cost A$7.177 million, of which A$5.382 million will be funded by Altech (75% owner) and A$1.794 million will be funded by Altech Advanced Materials AG (25% owner).Kuttner is a German-based industrial plant engineering and EPC contractor, with strong experience in design, procurement, project and construction management and plant commissioning across a range of industries. They have previously completed metallurgical plant, water and off-gas treatment projects in Germany. Kuttner bringing valuable local knowledge to the execution of the project.About Altech Chemicals Ltd Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia. HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market. SANTA MONICA, Calif. Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. The Los Angeles County jury delivered the verdict in favor of Judy Huth, who is now 64, and awarded her $500,000. She said the fact that jurors believed her story meant more than the sum of money or the fact that she didnt win punitive damages. Its been torture, Huth said of the seven-year legal fight. To be ripped apart, you know, thrown under the bus and backed over. This, to me, is such a big victory. Jurors found that Cosby intentionally caused harmful sexual contact with Huth, that he reasonably believed she was under 18, and that his conduct was driven by unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in a minor. The jurors decision is a major legal defeat for the 84-year-old entertainer once hailed as Americas dad. It comes nearly a year after his Pennsylvania criminal conviction for sexual assault was thrown out and he was freed from prison. Huths lawsuit was one of the last remaining legal claims against him after his insurer settled many others against his will. Cosby did not attend the trial or testify in person, but short clips from 2015 video deposition were played for jurors, in which he denied any sexual contact with Huth. He continues to deny the allegation through his attorney and publicist. Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said they would appeal the verdict and he claimed the defense won because Huth didnt win punitive damages. Jurors had already reached conclusions on nearly every question on their verdict form, including whether Cosby abused Huth and whether she deserved damages, after two days of deliberations on Friday. But the jury foreperson could not serve further because of a personal commitment, and the panel had to start deliberating from scratch with an alternate juror on Monday. Cosbys attorneys agreed that Cosby met Huth and her high school friend on a Southern California film set in April of 1975, then took them to the Playboy Mansion a few days later. Huths friend Donna Samuelson, a key witness, took photos at the mansion of Huth and Cosby, which loomed large at the trial. Huth testified that in a bedroom adjacent to a game room where the three had been hanging out, Cosby attempted to put his hand down her pants, then exposed himself and forced her to perform a sex act. Huth filed her lawsuit in 2014, saying that her son turning 15 the age she initially remembered being when she went to the mansion and a wave of other women accusing Cosby of similar acts brought fresh trauma over what she had been through as a teenager. Huths attorney Nathan Goldberg told the jury of nine women and three men during closing arguments Wednesday that my client deserves to have Mr. Cosby held accountable for what he did. Each of you knows in your heart that Mr. Cosby sexually assaulted Miss Huth, Goldberg said. At least nine of the 12 jurors agreed, giving Huth a victory in a suit that took nearly eight years and overcame many hurdles just to get to trial. During their testimony, Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean consistently challenged Huth and Samuelson over errors in detail in their stories, and a similarity in the accounts that the lawyer said represented coordination between the two women. This included the women saying in pre-trial depositions and police interviews that Samuelson had played Donkey Kong that day, a game not released until six years later. Bonjean made much of this, in what both sides came to call the Donkey Kong defense. Goldberg asked jurors to look past the small errors in detail that he said were inevitable in stories that were 45 years old, and focus on the major issues behind the allegations. He pointed out to jurors that Samuelson said games like Donkey Kong when she first mentioned it in her deposition. The Cosby lawyer began her closing arguments by saying, Its on like Donkey Kong, and finished by declaring, game over. Huths attorney reacted with outrage during his rebuttal. This is about justice! he shouted, pounding on the podium. We dont need game over! We need justice! The Associated Press does not normally name people who say they have been sexually abused, unless they come forward publicly, as Huth has. Outside court, a group of four women who said they represented dozens of Cosbys sexual abuse victims celebrated the verdict. Chelan Lasha, who testified against Cosby in the Pennsylvania case, was in tears. She said he had drugged and assaulted her in the Elvis Presley suite of the Las Vegas Hilton when she was 17 years old. Hes a boogey man, hes a sexual predator, hes a deviant, Lasha said. Hes horrible. Its one more victory. I came here to stand with Judy. Im proud of Judy. Im glad for the outcome. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Put your money where your mouth is. Thats what the city is suggesting to Downtown businesses concerned about crime, annoyances and public safety issues. At a news conference at Central and Third on Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Tim Keller and Albuquerque Police Department leaders announced they are asking businesses to contribute to a fund to pay for a program similar to chiefs overtime. Typically, chiefs overtime consists of private businesses, organizations or event organizers paying for officers to be stationed in certain areas. The challenge is we are in a resource-constrained environment, Keller said. What we are announcing today Downtown is that we are going to do something very different. We are going to treat Downtown, essentially, like a neighborhood that has an acute crime problem. The initiative, called Targeted Enforcement Action Monitoring, will begin after July 4. Keller said the extra officers will be able to focus on traffic enforcement, DWIs, modified exhaust, illegal firearms and the parking lots where after parties and violence break out after the bars close. The city will also be adding more streetlights and is planning to open a substation on Central between Third and Fourth by the end of the summer. Officials said PNM has contributed $15,000 and so far there is a total of $90,000 pledged. Now I want to mention not all of the businesses are supporting this, Keller said. We want them to, we need them to. We have enough funding to get started and try this out this summer. Thats all the funding we have. But we hope were going to demonstrate how important this is and then well get enough funding to run this year round. Terri Cole, president of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber supports the plan. We think this proposal helps level the playing field for smaller businesses in the Downtown area, which were obviously supportive of, Cole said. Right now businesses like Home Depot and Lowes pay chiefs overtime during the day and it seems reasonable to us that Downtown businesses ought to be able to use the same model. In anticipation of the implementation of the plan, APD began moving officers off assignments at big box stores, said Chief Harold Medina. He said hes noticed recently that those stores are hiring private security instead. In response to questions about why private businesses should be asked to pay for extra police presence instead of the city itself, Medina said they have to choose where to spend public funds and have to be fair to the rest of the city. This is a way for people to fund Downtown, specifically, and not us devoting all our resources and money to just one specific part of town, Medina said. Because the moment I devote our resources and funding to Downtown, I guarantee theres going to be another part of town asking wheres my cut?' Keller said the city is committed to helping Downtown but Downtown has to take control of their own future, too by taking steps like creating a business improvement district. Were there to help them and were going to get it started but they cannot be dependent on the City of Albuquerque to continue to do everything for them every year, Keller said. Because that is exactly why weve gotten into this spot right now. To donate to the TEAM initiative, visit the One Albuquerque Fund website. Were puzzled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is using the wildfires raging across New Mexico as the reason for telling the federal government our state lacks the resources to accept immigrants crowded at the southern border. What state resources, exactly? Traditionally, multiple non-government organizations have provided direct assistance to undocumented immigrants in New Mexico. Numerous churches and charities stepped up when buses of asylum-seekers were sent here in 2019, providing them food and shelter. In addition, Catholic Charities provides rental housing and other resources for immigrants and refugees in order to preserve or restore family unity. The Center for Immigration and Citizenship Legal Assistance offers immigration representation in family-based immigration matters, consular processing, Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals renewals, permanent residence and naturalization. El Centro de Igualdal y Derechos works with Latino immigrant communities and allies to defend, strengthen, and advance the rights of our community. Theres also the New Mexico Dream Team, New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Albuquerque Interfaith, Santa Fe Dreamers and Somos un Pueblo Unido, to name just a few. Yet, the governor last week urged federal officials to delay a reported plan to transport migrants to Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and other cities due to overcrowding at the U.S.-Mexico border. In a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Lujan Grisham said New Mexico and other states would bear the brunt of adverse economic and social impacts if Homeland Security follows through on the relocation plan. Thats a 180-degree change from 2019 when, as she removed most of the 118 National Guard troops serving on the border in support roles to Border Patrol agents, she said: I reject the federal contention that there exists an overwhelming national security crisis at the southern border, along which are some of the safest communities in the country. Last year, she proclaimed New Mexico stood ready to accommodate refugees seeking asylum after fleeing Afghanistan. Where has that compassion gone? A cynic might conclude the Democratic governor is suddenly shunning immigrants because its an election year and shes in a tight race with a well-known Republican with a strong stance on border security. Her opponent, Republican Mark Ronchetti, describes the governors rebuff as an election year stunt. We repeat that our nations immigration system has been broken for decades and needs comprehensive reform, including a fair guest worker program something our governor and congressional delegation could champion. Yes, raging wildfires have charred more than 900 square miles of New Mexico lands and taxed state agencies. But the governor fails to explain what state resources would be needed to assist asylum-seekers and how they would take away from the funds being used to assist in fighting the fires and helping evacuees. As for any financial misgivings, the $45 million of state emergency spending for firefighting efforts, supplies and more will apparently be fully reimbursed by the federal government. Didnt President Biden just visit and say he intends to make the state whole that is, to pay 100% of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire relief costs? Quite simply, the governor needs to better explain her position or run the risk of fueling the perception her letter regarding migrant transfers is, in fact, an election year stunt. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. In her first week on the job at a Philadelphia abortion clinic, Amanda Kifferly was taught how to search for bombs. About a year later, protesters blocked the entrances and exits of The Womens Centers, at one point pulling Kifferly into something resembling a mosh pit, where they surrounded her and shoved her around. And on the night of last winters arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could end the nationwide right to abortion, people gathered outside a clinic in New Jersey with lawn chairs, a cooler and a flaming torch a sight that brought to mind lynchings and other horrors of the countrys racist past, says Kifferly, who now serves as vice president for abortion access. Such scenes have become familiar for providers and patients across the country over the decades since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion. At times the violence has been far more severe, including bombings, arson and murders from the 1993 killing of Dr. David Gunn outside a Florida abortion clinic to the 2015 fatal shooting of three people inside a Colorado Planned Parenthood. Now providers and some in law enforcement worry what will come next. Theyre preparing for an increase in violence once the Supreme Court rules, saying there has historically been a spike when the issue of abortion gets widespread public attention, such as after a state approves new restrictions. If the decision ends Roe v. Wade as a leaked draft opinion indicates may happen they also anticipate protests, harassment and other violence to be more concentrated and intensify in states where abortion remains legal. We know from experience, its not like the people protesting clinics in banned states just pack up and go home, said Melissa Fowler, chief program officer for the National Abortion Federation. The group and the hundreds of abortion clinics it represents have been on heightened alert since the opinion leaked, Fowler said. The organization has staff who specialize in security on call around the clock. They go out to clinics to do drills with employees and volunteers on scenarios such as bomb threats or active shooters and advise them on things like where to position security cameras. They also conduct safety assessments at the homes of physicians, monitor online threats and consult with local law enforcement. In some places, local police are working with clinics to try to tamp down the potential for violence. In Jacksonville, Florida, the sheriffs office said last month they would station an officer outside the clinic, and police in Little Rock, Arkansas, installed a camera atop a crane near an abortion clinic that has been the site of protests, hoping to deter bad actors. Immediately following the leak and for days afterward, police in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, initiated extra patrols around The Womens Center location, Kifferly said. But the relationship between clinics and local police isnt always positive, and clinics must weigh whether having a heavy police presence will frighten patients, Fowler said. In Kifferlys experience, how well clinics and police departments work together varies by city and state. She recalled asking an officer for help as she was assaulted outside the Philadelphia clinic, and the officer responding that she should call 911. A report released Friday by the foundation, which collects monthly data from more than 500 members on harassment and violence, showed a spike in some incidents last year, including invasions of clinics, vandalism, assaults, burglaries, stalking, and hate emails or internet harassment. Picketing and other types of incidents declined compared to 2020, but the number of incidents in all categories in 2021 exceeded the number in 2016, the year Donald Trump was elected president. Threats of death or harm were nearly five times as common last year as in 2016, according to the new report; assaults at or outside clinics tripled, and reports of trespassing skyrocketed, the group said. After Trump became president, extremists felt like it was OK for them not to be in the shadows, Fowler said. The coronavirus pandemic seemed to exacerbate things, Kifferly said, and in all four states where The Womens Centers operates New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia and Pennsylvania we were besieged by protesters angry that abortion clinics were open while their churches or businesses were closed. Providers in the United States, Canada, Colombia and Mexico City reported nine bomb threats last year, up from five in 2020, and the same number as in 2016, according to the federations data. But reports of suspicious packages or hoax devices jumped from 29 in 2016 to 71 last year. More than 90% of the providers reporting were in the U.S., the federation said. Abortion opponents also have been targets of violence, and say theyve also seen an increase in incidents since the draft opinion leaked, though the FBI in a 2020 memo described the incidents as historically rare. Shortly after the draft opinion became public, the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis said the draft had made extremist violence by people on either side of the issue more likely. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said there were more than 40 incidents of violence, intimidation and vandalism at pregnancy centers and churches in recent weeks. In early June, a man with a gun, knife, zip ties and other items was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaughs home in the middle of the night. He told police he wanted to kill the justice because he was upset about the draft opinion as well as the fatal mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The court is expected to issue its ruling in the coming days or weeks. As for what might occur next for abortion providers, much focus has been on how to provide care to people seeking it, should abortion be banned in more states. But Fowler said another concern is also front of mind: We also need to focus on safety. ___ Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report. LOS LUNAS The Niagara Bottling Co. is again asking the village of Los Lunas to increase the amount of water the company can extract from the aquifer that sits below Valencia County and beyond. Last year, the company asked the village if it could more than double its water production from 285 acre-feet per year to 650 acre-feet per year after leasing water rights from Public Service Company of New Mexico. Following backlash from the community, Niagara rescinded its request. Los Lunas Public Works Director Michael Jaramillo said this amended agreement between Niagara and the village is to protect the municipality in case the companys lease for water rights falls through. The village is always concerned about our water production and our water use. We have a policy and a process for commercial and industrial developments, Jaramillo said. What we always want to do is make sure the village can produce the water thats needed for any development including any kind of amended or increased development. Similar to 2021, Niagara again secured the water rights from PNM, which has been leasing out part of its water rights since beginning the retirement of the generating station in San Juan County, which is expected to close by the end of the year. Jaramillo said the village would without a doubt be able to meet the increased water needs of the bottling plant since Los Lunas installed a new well that Niagara and the entire Los Morros Business Park will be pulling from well No. 7 as well as doubled the pumping capabilities of well No. 3. We have plenty of water and we have the ability to pump a lot of water, Jaramillo said. It is what it is but, like I said, they are bringing the water rights in. If something should change on their end, thats why its on the agenda is to make sure we are not held responsible to provide them water if they lose any type of water rights. While the village will be considering the amended agreement with the water bottling company on Thursday, some residents are not happy about it. (Niagara) keeps wanting to go bigger in their system and produce more, but they dont produce anything , said Duana Draszkiewicz, a member of Valencia Water Watchers and a member of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors. The water is already there; the water already belongs to the people. So, they arent producing anything, they are stealing it. A newly-amended water contract with Niagara, which will be heard during Thursdays council meeting, could expand the companys water use from 285 acre-feet per year to 700 acre-feet more than 228 million gallons of water per year. Niagara did not respond to the News-Bulletins request for comment prior to publication. Intel Corp.s Rio Rancho site is bustling with construction activity under the companys $3.5 billion plan to enable the local chip-manufacturing plant to produce new types of semiconductor technology. Four towering cranes are visible to motorists commuting along NM 528 directly in front of the plant as they swing materials and equipment into place, and a fifth crane is on the way, Intel New Mexico public affairs director Erika Edgerly told the Albuquerque Economic Forum Wednesday morning. The parking lot is full with cranes and construction workers, Edgerly said. Its been busy. The company announced the multibillion dollar upgrade last year, representing the largest single Intel investment in Rio Rancho since the semiconductor giant began operating here in 1980. That announcement marked a sharp turnaround from years of declining activity at the site, as the company directed major new investments to Intel facilities in other states and overseas, bypassing New Mexico. From 2013-2017, the Rio Rancho workforce declined from 3,300 employees to about 1,100. But Intels local labor pool is now rapidly climbing again, reflecting efforts since 2018 to convert the plant into an innovation hub for new types of semiconductor technology, in particular, the companys new chip-packaging architecture called Foveros, which is based on stacking computing chips on top of each other. That creates a three-dimensional, compact package for super-fast computation. The current plant upgrade will turn the Rio Rancho facility into a global manufacturing hub for the Foveros technology, generating 700 new permanent jobs here by 2024. The company hired another 173 people last year pushing the employee count above 1,900 by December and 46 new positions are now open, Edgerly said. About 1,000 construction workers are also working on the upgrade. The newly refurbished plant should be operating by 2023, Edgerly said. The New Mexico expansion is part of an aggressive strategy by Intel to build up its domestic manufacturing capacity in the U.S., with other big investments now also underway in Arizona and Oregon, and plans to build two new mega factories in Ohio. That reflects efforts to re-shore chip production to decrease dependence on Asian counties, where most chips are now made, especially given the supply-chain problems caused by the global pandemic. A new federal bill, known as the CHIPS Act, would provide more than $52 billion in subsidies for companies that build semiconductor plants in the U.S. It has strong bipartisan support, but congressional conferencing committees are still working out differences in two separate bills passed by the House and Senate last year. If approved, the act could generate a lot more Intel investment in the U.S., possibly benefitting New Mexico as well, although Edgerly declined to comment on that potential. Intel is doubling down on the U.S., and the CHIPS Act helps with the economics of that, Edgerly said. It would make the U.S. more competitive, but I cant speculate on future investments. The current upgrade alone, however, will have a huge ripple effect on the local economy, indirectly supporting about 3,500 jobs outside the plant, said Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who attended Edgerlys presentation. Were very excited to see renewed investment from Intel in its New Mexico facility, Hull told the Journal. Jobs created at Intel have a substantial impact, exponentially creating more jobs throughout the community. By the numbers In 2022, Intel NM has had: Michael B. Chait is a man of patience. It has taken the filmmaker eight years to get his latest film, Wolf Hound, to the masses. Thats including two years we couldnt do anything because of the pandemic, Chait says. Thankfully, we were able to work through technology to get the film completed. Wolf Hound is playing in select theaters around the country. It is also available on-demand, where it has risen to the top 5 on digital platforms. Its getting a pretty good reception, Chait says. Im thankful for the journey weve been on. The first draft of the screenplay was written in 2014. Its been surreal to have it out to the world. Wolf Hound features action sequences using vintage aircraft. It is a World War II epic that shows how one mans courage can change the world. On a reconnaissance mission over Nazi-occupied France, pilot David Holden, played by James Maslow is shot down along with a B-17 bomber. He lands near an airfield, where he learns the Germans are loading the U.S.-marked aircraft with a city-destroying superbomb that could help the Axis win the war. Holden must evade search patrols and a vengeful Nazi soldier to rescue the captured crew and stop the doomsday plot. The idea for the film came about while Chait was working on another project at the Yankee Air Museum in Michigan in 2013. I was filming the B-14 in flight that they would invite the public to see, he says. I figured out that there was a story here and worked with them on letting us film with their B-14. Chait wanted to focus on this story because of World War II. As a Jewish man and director, I didnt mind having the Nazis as our evil villains, he says. They were and still are enemies. With the project being an action film, Chait also tried to get away from all the stereotypes to an extent. Of course, he wanted plenty of action. Yet, in between those sequences, he also wanted to place fully realized humans on screen. I was the one guy in film class that would go for the action short film, he says. Thats a real easy target for lack of story development or character development. I did try to put in as much heart and character into the leads and supporting leads. Chait grew up loving movies and remembers how he felt watching Star Wars and Top Gun as a child. With Wolf Hound, he wanted to create a similar feeling. The entire cast did their own stunts and it was amazing to see, he says. From the start, each person on cast and crew were in it for the long haul. We all wanted to see the film succeed. Chait is looking forward not only to a wider audience seeing Wolf Hound, but hes concentrating on his next project. Its a Western and will be filmed in New Mexico, he says. Chait says hes teaming up with a New Mexico organization in a similar way he worked with the Yankee Air Museum. Though its in the early stages, were looking forward to getting out there to film, he says. I want to create films that entertain as well as make people think. Im a fan of film and want others to enjoy movies the same way I do. SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART. On Demand Wolf Hound is available for rental or purchase on digital streaming platforms. Chocolate lovers rejoice. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science opened Chocolate: The Exhibition on June 17. Its been a two-plus year journey to get the exhibit up and running. We were able to purchase the exhibit from the Field Museum in Chicago because they were going to retire it, says Abigail Eaton, New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation executive director. Its something that we wanted for a long time. The museum owns it and once it premieres it will travel the state. After its run in Albuquerque, the exhibit will begin to travel the state, with its first stop in Hobbs at the Western Heritage Museum. The exhibit traces chocolate from its origin in the rainforest to status as a global economic commodity. Visitors will be educated on chocolates impact on human cultures and tropical ecosystems through scenic elements, original video, interactive pieces, rich imagery, and graphics, and over 150 objects of interest that tell the story. Eaton says museum visitors will learn how the small cacao bean, indigenous to the tropical rainforest, began to create an impact over 2,000 years ago when the Mayans, who were the first to grow and taste cacao, identified it as a drink of the kings and queens. Later the Aztec culture valued the sacred cacao bean as currency due to not being able to grow the bean in their climate. As legend has it, the cacao tree was brought from a god to the Aztecs. During the period of conquest in the 1500s, the precious bean was brought to Spain where chocolate meets sugar a recipe that changed the world. The museum will present educational discoveries of the explosion of manufacturing inventions that made mass production possible and chocolate available to all during the Industrial Revolution, to the ultimate resource of the chocolate economy and how hundreds of farmers rely on the crop all while protecting the rainforest and all its inhabitants. Visitors and school children will learn about the importance of this plant in many varied immersions from experiencing tactile elements, audio-visual environments, vivid imagery and the tantalizing scent of chocolate. From a replica of a cacao tree with its seed pods to the complexity of rainforest ecosystem that supports the healthy growth of this remarkable plant. Visitors will be able to learn about the myths and realities of chocolates effect on health, Eaton says. Traveling 2,000 years to current times where chocolate is enjoyed today through cooking, eating and celebrating. During the run of the exhibition, visitors will see expert chocolatiers share their chocolate curiosities, explore the chemistry of chocolate, and cast chocolate fossils. The museum is planning an extensive series of chocolate educational offerings. Look for adult nights, a stimulating chocolate lecture series, additional Family Days, in-exhibit demonstrations, hands-on classes, summer camp days and more. Our museum team is exploring the wide world of chocolate including topics ranging from the history of chocolate to the use of chocolate as currency, says Deb Novak, director of education at NMMNHS. The programming will arouse our scientific senses by teaching about the different types of chocolate, how they have been used, and how historically chocolate was consumed as a drink before it was a bar. The closure of the Bird Hot Pot on Gibson in 2020 left a void in the Albuquerque dining scene. Where was one to go to partake in the uniquely interactive and communal dining experience of Chinese hot pot? That question was answered recently with the arrival of Zu Hot Pot on Juan Tabo NE. Zu Hot Pot opened last fall in the former home of An Hy Quan, the terrific vegetarian restaurant that had been a favorite destination for local diners before changing ownership in 2020. The building, a freestanding stucco block set in front of a rather sad-looking strip mall on the west side of Juan Tabo, remains much the same. Hot pot cooking traces its roots back a thousand years to Mongolia, where horseman reputedly used their helmets as pots for cooking meat in boiling broth. The practice spread to China and developed several regional variations over the ensuing centuries. Like Korean barbecue, hot pot can be daunting for the uninitiated, and even if youve had it before, a little brush-up is welcome. Fortunately, Zu Hot Pots owner Felics Chen is there to guide diners through the process. Chen was an active presence in the dining room when my wife and I arrived recently for an early dinner. We were seated along the restaurants east side that looks out at the passing traffic on Juan Tabo. As Chen patiently explained to us, the menu consists of four broths ($6.95): Chinese Herb, Korean Kimchi, Thai Style Curry and Taiwanese Shacha, a variation based on a popular savory condiment with a slightly fishy taste. You can get the broths at three different heat levels. We ordered the Chinese Herb at the mild level and the Thai Curry at medium heat. Protein choices include pork, chicken, beef, lamb and seafood. There is an extensive list of vegetables, some more familiar than others. Upon Chens recommendation, we ordered the Mixed Vegetables ($6.95), which includes cabbage, Chinese broccoli, taro root and bok choy. After ordering, we journeyed to the immaculately clean condiments bar to mix up some sauces from the oils, thick, grainy pastes and fresh herbs on display. A sheet of paper taped to the wall provides a few recipes such as the classic combination of peanut sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic. Shortly thereafter, Chen set down a pot of broth with a metal divider in the middle to keep the two versions separated. She then turned on the electric stove and the broth came to a boil in a few minutes. The Chinese Herb broth was clear, the Thai Curry fiery orange. Chen told us the broth is made by stewing bones for roughly eight to nine hours. Both broths were pretty mild in flavor. The heat of the curry version at medium spice level was noticeable but tolerable. No sooner had we sampled the broth then Chen delivered a plate heaped with fresh veggies that included a mix of starches, leafy greens and mushrooms. She dumped them in the broth, dividing them between the two halves of the pot. The veggies brought an intriguing mix of textures. The cabbage stayed crunchy while the taro root softened and soaked up the flavors of the broth. Plates of thin-sliced beef (4 ounces for $6.95) and shrimp (six for $5.95) followed. By then, the too-small dimensions of the table had become apparent. The beef cooks in about 10 seconds; much longer than that and it becomes rubbery. We fished it out the broth with chopsticks and gave it a quick dip in the sauce before eating. Tender and chewy, it paired well with a mix of soy, chili oil and vinegar. The shrimp was ready in a couple of minutes and matched nicely with the peanut sauce. A side of Clear Noodles ($1.95) cooked to al dente in a few minutes; any longer and they started to turn mushy. Along with the hot pot, the menu offers a handful of mostly familiar appetizers like pot stickers and egg rolls. An order of Chicken Wings ($7.95) consisted of four wings and a couple of drumsticks encased in a tasty, crisp breading. The meat was piping hot and moist, but because of the cooking time, it was delivered after the soup and fixings. Zu Hot Pot is accommodating for gluten-free diners. All the broths and several of the appetizers are gluten-free. Unfortunately, theres no tamari offered at the condiments bar. Service was brisk and Chen checked on us several times throughout the meal. Theres a 3.5% fee tacked on to the bill for credit cards. After a brief absence, Chinese hot pot is back in Albuquerque. Felics Chens presence at Zu Hot Pot ensures a trouble-free introduction to the experience. The Board of Directors of Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (ABCPL) has approved the appointment of Barun Das as Managing Director and CEO of TV9 Network with effect from June 22, 2022. Das has been associated with TV9 Network since August 2019 and is currently serving as its CEO. Under his leadership, TV9 Network has achieved the distinction to become the undisputed number one news network in the country. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kolkata and the London School of Economics (LSE). His last corporate assignment was as the CEO of Zee Media Limited where he worked for over five years. ABCPL has also approved the appointment of veteran journalist Hemant Sharma, as Whole Time Director on the Board. Hemant Sharma, Ph.D. from BHU, who has been associated with TV9 Network since early 2019, will continue to supervise the editorial affairs of TV9 Bharatvarsh. Sharma is an award-winning journalist, author and academician. He has earlier worked in leadership roles across major print and television news brands including Jansatta, Hindustan, and India TV, among others. He also serves as Visiting Professor at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). These appointments are subject to AGM and other statutory clearances CredAvenue, Indias largest debt marketplace, has rebranded itself as Yubi. The new brand captures the companys long-term ambition of being ubiquitous to the debt ecosystem, an invisible infrastructure layer powering credit globally and ensuring frictionless access to capital. The new brand will reflect in every customer touchpoint through an overhaul that spans its website, social media handles and existing product lines. Yubi will deliver a richer, more consistent brand experience in line with its promise of helping its customers to Go Get Great. Speaking to Adgully for their column Talking Insights, Karanpreet Bindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Yubi, speaks at length about the rebranding exercise, how the company will provide a richer and more consistent brand experience to their customers, as well as establishing themselves as an enabler institution to win the trust of the larger business community. Rebranding any company is a big step forward. Whats the purpose and objective behind this rebranding? Have you redefined the vision and mission of your company to resonate with the new brand identity? The primary objective behind the rebranding exercise was to position the brand on a global platform, secure the trust of larger businesses and establish ourselves as a company that is ubiquitous to the debt ecosystem. We are set to expand outside India in the MENA region by opening offices in Dubai soon. With a captivating and iconic name, we hope to build an excellent brand recall among our many stakeholders and emphasise our role as an enabler in the debt ecosystem domestically as well as internationally. Our core focus, vision and mission as a brand remain the same. Yubi will provide a richer, more consistent brand experience in accordance with our mission to enable customers to Go Get Great. What is the thought process behind the new brand identity? Has any research been carried out with your stakeholders to cull out some insights for creating this new brand identity? The aim was to stand out and differentiate the brand and its unique offerings. Our products are what set us apart from any other company in the running, and we wanted a name that is singular and has an iconic brand recall. Our conversations with our customers and stakeholders are a massive motivation behind the rebranding. We believe that by humanising the brand, we will be able to bridge the trust deficit around data security, which is currently present in the ecosystem that we operate in. This will also help us continue to work on growing our platform, which thrives on fresh opportunities for both people and businesses. At the same time, we want to be a unique brand with a unique identity and win the trust of the larger business community. What will be the role of the new brand identity? How will it benefit the company? The companys long-term aims will be captured in the new brand identity, and its function will be to act as a facilitator for the business. The newly built brand identity will help build trust amongst the customers and create an infinite amount of opportunities for businesses. The new brand identity will also ensure that the company will make a name for itself on a global scale. Yubi has grown exponentially in the past six months, and it may even evolve beyond credit-giving platforms as businesses will learn about us and carry us with them in their entrepreneurial ventures. The new brand identity will also help us ramp up our hiring efforts across all verticals, including data science, product & design and engineering, as we grow and enter new markets. You must have worked with a design agency for your brand identity. What was the brief given to them? How did they translate the brief into a winning design? We have partnered with Venturethree, a global branding company, in order to create a disruptive brand focused on people and connections, ready for the new era of lending and possibilities. The brief was to form an identity that could redefine how people from all backgrounds can access capital within the Indian market and help drive business growth without the barriers that weve seen in the past. Together with the team of Venturethree, we have curated a brand that focuses on the power of connection, bringing much-needed warmth and humanity to the market. We want to present ourselves to the world as the largest debt platform in India. With a name like Yubi, we want to create excellent brand recall through the new captivating name. While our core focus as a brand remains the same, we are changing the way we will be perceived in the global market. How do you plan to reach your target audience with your fresh brand identity? Any media strategy chalked out to inform about the new brand identity? With the new brand identity, the company is preparing to get even more entrenched in the debt ecosystem. The media strategy will be devised focusing on the change seen across the company. Every customer touchpoint, including our social media handles, our website and the existing product lines, will also be revamped. YubiLoans: Term lending and working capital solutions for enterprises YubiCo.Lend: For banks and NBFCs for co-lending partnerships YubiInvest: Bond Issuance and investment for institutional and retail participants YubiFlow: A supply chain platform that offers trade financing solutions YubiPools: End-to-end securitisation and portfolio buyouts Gun violence nationwide problem for U.S.: article Xinhua) 09:29, June 22, 2022 NEW YORK, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Gun violence is not an urban problem, an inner-city problem, a blue city or a red state problem, but "an American problem," said an article published by The Washington Post on Monday. "Americans are good at sending Monday morning thoughts and prayers after seeing those reports of weekend violence. We shake our heads in disbelief and privately congratulate ourselves for living in the suburbs," said the article. However, the fact is that Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and New Orleans used to be the country's "murder capitals," while new cities keep joining that list: Aurora, Newtown, Parkland, Buffalo, Uvalde, according to the article. "So now that we know gunfire has no Zip code, are we ready to talk about stopping this?" asked the article titled "D.C. gun violence isn't an 'urban' problem. It's an American problem." "I will continue to emphasize this: the continued availability of firearms cannot be tolerated, and we must continue our work to get guns off the streets," Brianne K. Nadeau, a D.C. council member, was quoted as saying. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Background As descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada, the Metis evolved into a new and distinct Indigenous entity. The Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes the Metis as one of 3 distinct Indigenous peoples of Canada, along with First Nations and Inuit. The Metis have a rich history and have played a significant role in the early development of Western Canada. Brief summary of key dates in Alberta Metis history. Brief history of the Metis. Alberta has the largest Metis population in the country with over 114,000 Metis people living in the province. Alberta is the only province in Canada with a recognized Metis land base entrenched in provincial statute the Metis Settlements. Approximately 5,000 people live on the eight Metis Settlements, which cover a land base of 1.25 million acres. Metis organizations in Alberta The Government of Alberta has had a long and positive relationship with Metis communities in the province. These communities have played an important role in Albertas history, society and economy. We work with Metis communities and organizations on many initiatives supporting the shared goal of building strong, vibrant and sustainable communities. We work closely with the two main organizations that represent Metis people in Alberta: The Government of Alberta does not issue membership cards to the Metis organizations. Membership questions should be forwarded to the respective groups directly. We administer the Metis Settlements Land Registry and works with the Metis Settlements Appeal Tribunal and Metis and Indigenous Childrens Services offices. Metis identification and membership The Government of Alberta does not issue MNA membership cards or determine Metis identity. The MNA manages the membership reporting system for Metis people wishing to join the MNA. The definition for membership in the MNA is set out in the societys bylaws. The MNA has the Metis Identification and Registry and a Genealogy Resource Centre at its head office in Edmonton. It helps people who are researching Metis family ancestry and aids in MNA membership research. For over a half century, American institutions of higher education have been guilty of promoting oikophobia -- hatred of ones own people and, more generally, Western civilization. Instruction initially only occurred in traditional academic disciplines like English and Sociology where youngsters learned about Americas racism, sexism, and multiple other sins. Within a few years, America-bashing had its very own departments, notably Womens Studies, Black Studies, and other grievances studies departments. Remarkably, despite the plain-to-see pernicious impact of this education, it continues to thrive and expand. America-hating academics resemble drug addicts unable to achieve highs from the original dose and thus must move on to ever-larger amounts. At some point, alas, this addictive pursuit may prove fatal, and the same may be true in education as our schools continue to demonize America. The latest installment of this national suicide on-the-installment urge is the burgeoning field of social justice as a separate academic major. This is not just sneaking in some criticism of Americas in a traditional history course; nor some freshman orientation lecture to exorcize white privilege. Far worse. This is ROTC for the woke. The parallel are faith-based schools who train missionaries to spread the gospel. But unlike traditional missionary programs targeting heathens, these freshy minted preachers will spread the Doctrine of Woke to the elite. Why proselytize among the poor when you can preach the gospel at National Public Radio? Academic programs in social justice are rapidly multiplying, and this includes our most prominent institutions such as Brandeis University, Rice, Smith, and Columbia plus multiple less prestigious schools. There are also numerous masters programs whose existence signifies that being a social justice warrior is a certified profession akin to social work. Such professional programs exist at Cornell, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Columbia University, George Mason, Harvard, and elsewhere. Long gone are the days when fighting against injustice was a voluntary career for unemployed rabble rousers. Today you may need a degree to join the demonstration against campus racism. Consider CCNYs Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. Its radical agitprop agenda for CCNY undergraduates is hardly hidden: Racial Justice Fellows Program will continue to place students at the center of efforts to create systemic change, creating a pipeline for students to become deeply involved in antiracist movements. Its workshops will train students to reform the criminal justice system; fight voter suppression; empower Black communities; address environmental justice concerns; and close the racial education gap. The programs faculty is, predictably, heavy on social activism and light on traditional scholarship. These programs promise decent jobs for those who learn how to disrupt society, albeit from a leftish ideological perspective. George Washington Universitys Human Services and Social Justice Program is typical. Program graduates can look forward to careers in education, non-profits, philanthropy as well as healthcare and housing. Elsewhere students are enticed with careers in law enforcement, peace organization, legislative advocacy and, perhaps the biggest employer of all, government. Ever wonder why the environmental group the Sierra Club suddenly endorses reparations for blacks? Heres one answer -- recently hired young social justice warriors pushed it. This hoped-for transformation of America will be accomplished by thousands of youngsters now learning how to bring disruption thanks to schools that, to some degree, are taxpayer funded. When did the American public accept this new-found role for higher education? Would this evangelical crusade obligation survive a vote? I suspect not. Few Americans want to be transformed by these woke youngsters. These are academically flawed programs. Students are being told that they will advance social justice, but little if anything is said about the content of this enterprise. What, for example, does social justice entail when educating minorities? Eliminating racial discrepancies in school discipline? Or, just as plausibly, reducing racial gaps in academic achievement, a goal that might entail imposing more discipline on black students. As promulgated by universities, promoting social justice will invariably reflect political fashions. Todays racial justice may be tomorrow embodiment of systemic racism -- recall how the call for defunding the police has suddenly cooled as the black-on-black carnage soars. Such complexities are all easily ignored in the clarion call for signing up for some simple-minded doing good. Tellingly, programs tend to minimize the technical skills of policymaking in favor of just cataloguing the endless faults of American society. Improving the world requires competence in statistics, social science methodology, public administration, and avoiding these tough subjects almost guarantees failed policies. What about courses on the intricacies of voting rights and anti-discrimination law? Or how to find archival government data? As noted below, demanding mastery of these intellectually challenging subjects may well deny diplomas for those wanting easy-to-earn sexy degrees. Schools are thus graduating armies of do-gooders long on commitment and short on technical expertise. No wonder that todays progressive agenda overflows with unrealistic schemes that may make matters worse. Think of the disastrous consequences of bail reform. Two factors may explain this newfound academic infatuation with social justice. First, the need for warm bodies, particularly black students, at a time when attracting students has proven troublesome. Specifically, college costs are skyrocketing -- five times faster than family income since 1981 -- and schools want students who can pay or to take on substantial debt. So, whether this means luxury-hotel-like dorms or trendy gut majors -- got to fill the classrooms. Similarly, enrollments are in decline and, if that were not bad enough, add the growing threat of bankruptcy among many schools. Also, compared to teaching STEM, social justice is dirt cheap. It gets worse: enrollment of full-tuition students from abroad has sharply declined, so schools must now dig deeper into the domestic supply, and fashionable majors might be the solution. As for recruiting blacks, the good news is that black college enrollment is about proportional to white enrollment. The bad news is that top schools are hard pressed to achieve proportionality, and easy-to-pass social justice majors might boost minority enrollment. Further add that recruiting social-justice faculty is a convenient tactic to hire blacks without having to satisfy traditional disciplinary standards. The second explanation is ideological: program enrollees are the Lefts useful idiots in their transformative agenda. Cannon fodder, to be blunt. In some instances, this is also faculty economic self-interest. Fulminating against the misogynist patriarchy is far easier than pursuing serious scholarship, and together with inflated grades means larger enrollments that will put bread on the table. Why is this political masochism tolerated? Has any society allowed its educators to bite the hand that feeds them? Surely the well-being of colleges and universities is not more important than the survival of America itself. It is hardly the end of the world if a few colleges cease to exist due to falling enrollments. There are serious trade-offs here. Imagine if American universities during the Cold War openly taught students how to advance communism? For example, to infiltrate big-time philanthropic foundations to redirect their efforts to destroy the underpinnings of capitalism and private property. And do so openly, even boasting of this mission to attract students, particularly those from rich families. At least then, unthinkable. What has happened? There is something very wrong here. Image: Ted Eytan One of the most powerful scenes in the film It's A Wonderful Life shows a desperate George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) sliding and slipping through the snow and ice in Pottersville while looking for familiar and friendly faces. The place looks familiar to George, but he discovers quickly that it is a much more decadent version of the Bedford Falls he knows so well. The people are harder, and there are Girlie Show Emporiums, trashy music, and trigger-happy cops. In no time, he discovers that Pottersville is not a warm and fuzzy place but is, instead, a place of danger, double-dealing, and desperation. Worst of all, this town is named after Mr. Potter, the low-down, conniving, heartless son of a gun who makes everyone else in town miserable. Imagine now, if you will, how George Washington would react if he could come back and visit Washington, D.C. in 2022. Would he delight in the city named after him, or would he recoil in horror? There is a well known story that, when King George III heard that George Washington had resigned his commission after defeating the British, he said admiringly of Washington, "He is the greatest man in the world." Unlike power-hungry politicians in the capitals of the world, George returned to his farm, Mount Vernon, along the Potomac River. Later, when Washington was called back and elected our first president, he served only two terms, even though he could have served more. Image: Washington monument from Piqsels. What would Washington think of the professional politicians in Washington in 2022, who set their own salaries? How would his sense of fairness react to the uneven playing field for those who challenge them on Election Day? I never met George Washington, but I have read about him. He was a patriot and a man of honor. He risked his life and fortune to lead the ragtag American army against the Redcoats. As Americans, we owe Washington and the other Founding Fathers a debt of gratitude. A commission in 1791 named our capital after him to honor his role in our national birth. Washington, D.C. is no longer a place where patriotism, honor, public service, and self-denial are widely honored ideals. It has become a magnet attracting power-hungry politicians who desire to parlay their elective offices into personal fortunes. If George Washington could visit D.C., I strongly suspect he would take his name back in an effort to preserve his legacy. The name vacuum caused by Washington's withdrawal would give current politicians an opportunity to choose something more emblematic of our times. Grifterton, Clintonia, and Dissemblia would be strong contenders. Ned Cosby's new novel is OUTCRY, exposing the refusal of Christian leaders to discipline clergy who sexually abuse our young people. This work of fiction addresses crimes that are all too real. For more info, visit www.nedcosby.com. Rep Chip Roy (R-Texas) wrote an op-ed in the Washington Examiner Monday to address the crisis on the border. Roy acknowledged the ease with which migrants can enter the U.S. by bribing a criminal to help them cross the border and then seeking asylum with the Border Patrol. Roy acknowledges that ending the crisis is going to require Republicans in Washington, D.C. to "grow a spine, dig in, and fight to keep their promises for once" by securing the border. Rep. Chip Roy. Roy prescribes four solutions to protect the border. Require DHS to carry out border enforcement policies: Roy recommends that the DHS must have the authority to turn away illegal migrants. The term "asylum" needs to be redefined to prevent abuse. Statistics show that most migrants claiming asylum have no "credible fear" per federal law, yet thousands claim it and are then released into the U.S. "pending adjudication" of their claim. Roy endorses blocking taxpayers' money from funding nonprofit groups that facilitate illegal migration and auditing the activities of nonprofit organizations funded through the United Nations or otherwise. Complete all physical border infrastructure: In addition to completing the border fence, Roy recommends that there is a need to build easily accessible and navigable roads along the border for agents to effectively patrol. Roy suggests the removal of Carrizo cane, which grows as high as 25 feet in just a year and inhibits the movement of border patrol agents and allows cartels to make tunnels to move traffic through it. Require ICE to remove all illegal aliens: Roy suggests the closure of loopholes that allow DHS to circumvent current laws requiring them to detain illegal migrants while their applications for asylum are processed. Roy calls for an end to DHS's abuse of prosecutorial discretion and parole authority that allows them to release tens of thousands of illegal migrants into the interior. Roy calls for the deportation of illegal migrants who have been released or have been "just" here undocumented and visa overstays. Target cartels and criminal organizations: Roy recommends that the cartels be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations to open up new sanctions that would allow the government to prosecute or deport cartel members, associates, and affiliates. Roy also calls for stricter criminal penalties for human- and drug-trafficking. Roy concludes his piece as follows: If Republicans ever regain power in this town, we must immediately act to secure the border, rather than merely discussing it in press conferences, roundtables, or task forces. Too many innocent people have fallen victim on both sides of our open southern border, and we must prevent these atrocities from continuing. Since Biden took office, over 2.7 million illegal migrants have crossed the southern border. Over 100,000 Americans have died from drug poisonings due to the smuggling of illicit drugs across the border. Beyond crime and drugs, there are other serious issues when the border is left unguarded. First, resources such as infrastructure, education, medical facilities, recreational facilities, etc. meant for citizens will be overrun by undocumented and unknown outsiders. Second, working-class citizens will either be rendered unemployed or suffer depression in wages because illegal migrants may agree to work for meager remuneration. Third, a country is known by its people, values, and culture; if there is a drastic demographic change, those values begin to erode, and soon a citizen feels like an outsider in his own neighborhood. Most career politicians spend all of their waking hours attacking their opponents to distract voters from their dereliction of duty. What makes Roy's piece refreshing is that he holds his own party to high standards and demands accountability. Roy's solutions to protect the border are simple and ones that anyone with common sense should know. Every elected leader in Washington surely knows about this, yet they are unwilling to even talk about it. Only a handful of Republicans have talked about the border; the rest seem to be focused on Ukraine and red flag laws. Why? The reason is the inducements and threats presented by the Washington Establishment. If elected leaders side with the lobbyists and big donors, their campaigns are handsomely funded, and re-election is guaranteed. If they challenge the groupthink, then these handsome donations are made to their opponents, who can mount a vicious negative campaign that they have no means of countering. Quite often, party bosses are also involved in these shady deals. Seasoned politicians may be able to withstand attacks. But relative newcomers cannot; hence, they succumb to the establishment, and the needs of the voters are placed second. The cabal grows and grows. This is why President Trump called Washington, D.C. a swamp. At times, their votes on Capitol Hill perplex voters. Lawmakers instantly vote in favor of dispatching $40 billion for the welfare and protection of Ukraine but vote against dedicating a few million to construct a wall to protect the border of their own country. What helps the swamp is the two-party system. A conservative voter has no choice but to vote for the compromised Republican who has betrayed him because this Republican is slightly better than a far-left Democrat. It is therefore a pleasant surprise that an elected representative speaks freely without fear of repercussion. Is Roy just a man of words? He was among the few who voted against the 40 billion dollars being sent to Ukraine. He was also among the few who spoke against the vaccine and mask mandates. He voted against a bill that would facilitate the creation of a federal vaccination database; 80 of his Republican colleagues voted for this bill. He has spoken in favor of gun rights and against raising the debt ceiling. He also spoke against the proxy voting facility. Promising, indeed. The GOP needs more such as Roy, but for that to occur, there will have to be an overhaul of the system. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 license. It's the feel-good story of the day, courtesy of CWB Chicago, which deserves a Pulitzer Prize for its ongoing coverage of crime and urban decay. Christopher Cruz had a bad night. "Hey, hey homie. Let me go, man, homie," Cruz, bent like a pretzel, begged as 3rd-degree black belt jiu-jitsu instructor Idriz Redzovic pinned him to the floor of an Uptown convenience store Thursday evening. It didn't work. "He assaulted a 7-Eleven employee, so I jumped in and took him to the ground and did a gift wrap hold, which is taught in the art of Jiu-Jitsu," Redzovic explains. He teaches the martial art at Supreme Jiu-Jitsu Chicago. Mr. Redzovic, in addition to being a heroic martial arts master, is a bit of a philosopher. The video he took while he held Cruz contains quite a discussion about the attempted justification the perp offered. He also displayed real grace: The task was so easy, Redzovic even propped his phone up to livestream everything. At one point, Redzovic's car alarm activated outside. Redzovic cooly changed his hold on Cruz so he could deactivate the alarm with his key fob. "What are you, Russian?" Cruz asks. "Syrian?" "Im Bosnian," Redzovic replies. "We're Bosnian homies!" Cruz pleads. "You're a Bosnian nothing," counters Redzovic. Watch and enjoy a real-life hero in action: Photo credit: Facebook video screen grab (cropped). Andrea Widburg adds: Brazilian jujitsu (BJJ) is a beautiful martial art that combines wrestling and traditional Japanese jujitsu. When done right, it can turn a bad guy into a pretzel in just a few minutes, all without causing him any serious, or even minor, damage. It was certainly beautifully done in Uptown Chicago when a third-degree BJJ blackbelt tackled and held a young man who thought he could get away with assaulting a 7-Eleven clerk. Idriz Redzovic, originally from Bosnia, holds a third-degree black belt in BJJ and is a martial arts instructor. If his belt is purely for BJJ, he's an incredibly accomplished fighter, because BJJ has the slowest belt progression of any martial art. I always likened BJJ to physics in real time. It's not a striking martial art, and, unlike Japanese jujitsu, which is mostly a standing form of the art, BJJ takes place on the floor, using physics to trap an opponent. That's exactly what Redzovic did trap an opponent when he saw Christopher Cruz punch a 7-Eleven employee after first stealing food. He quickly got Cruz wrapped up, with his arms completely immobilized and Redzovic's weight on his body, blocking his legs and trapping one of his elbows. If it were up to me, I'd find a reputable martial arts dojo for every kid. Those kids who can do martial arts have so much confidence that they seldom get involved in fights at school, and if they do, they do so defensively, not offensively. I used to go to a dojo in San Francisco where all the black belt kids went to tough high schools. All of them stayed out of trouble, and everyone in their schools, knowing their belt ranks, didn't push them. Sadly, I didn't start martial arts until I was in my 40s, and my joints gave out by the time I was in my 50s. If I could do it all over again, I'd start at 6 and make it a lifetime commitment. Hat tip: Peter von Buol. A few years ago, in a television interview/debate between Sean Hannity and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, the discussion turned to gun ownership for the purpose of self-defense. De Blasio would not acknowledge the need for guns and said New Yorkers should just call the police. As Hannity pressed him, de Blasio kept repeating his "just call the police" mantra. Clearly, de Blasio did not really believe in the right of self-defense, but he probably found it impolitic to say so. That interview was echoed by a report of an incident in France in which a 35-year-old farmer was home with his three-year-old daughter when four burglars broke into his house. He fired twice with a large-caliber rifle, killing one of the burglars. The farmer was arrested and charged with murder. When asked, French president Emmanuel Macron responded, "Everyone must be safe, and the public authorities have to ensure it. But I am opposed to self-defense. It's very clear and indisputable because otherwise, the country becomes the Wild West. And I don't want a country where weapons proliferate and where we consider that it's up to the citizens to defend themselves." In the recent, predictable Democrat party push for gun control following the Uvalde shooting, has anyone asked the basic question, "Do you believe in the right of self-defense?" Many leftists believe that only the State has the right to defend its citizens. They believe that the State should possess a monopoly on the legal use of force. The "wait on the police" position on self-defense calls to mind an adage well known to gun owners: "when seconds matter, the police are only minutes away." In the case of Uvalde, the police spent over an hour milling around the hallway outside the room where the killer was executing students and teachers. Conservatives need to confront the fact that it is not just guns that the left wants to take away. The left wants to erode both the right and the ability of citizens to effectively defend themselves and their families. Image: PxHere. Last week, we learned that the usual Republicans who constantly "compromise" with Democrats by giving away constitutional rights were proud to join with Democrats to pass a "gun safety" bill. Yesterday afternoon, the bill finally showed up. It's 80 pages long, so I had the chance to give it only the swiftest review. What I can say is that (a) it ostensibly has due process protections, and (b) it probably will have a minimal effect on gun safety. Many Second Amendmentsupporters have been very worried about the fact that the "compromise" bill was set to include funding for state "red flag" laws. These laws are ostensibly intended to keep guns out of the hands of crazed mass shooters like the ones in Buffalo and Uvalde. New York's red flag law, however, failed. And while Texas doesn't have a red flag law, it allows law enforcement to intervene when it receives reports that someone is an imminent threat. That also failed. Existing red flag laws also deprive people of their weapons without any semblance of due process. Based on a complaint that may be politically or personally motivated, a judge issues a secret order, and the police seize a person's guns. Then the person deprived of his rights must fight to get them back. Because veterans are often both armed and conservative, there's a real fear that vets will be specially targeted. So the big question is whether the "compromise" bill will see the federal government funding states that strip Americans of their Second Amendment rights without due process. At a first hasty glance, it does seem as if the Republicans at least tried to insert some protections. Image: Senate Bill (edited). (Caveat: The problem with quickly reading these bills isn't just that they're long. They are also written to amend a multitude of existing statutes. That means that, if you really want to understand a proposed bill, you must read the other laws to which the bill refers. I have not done so.) Section 12003 of the bill is entitled "Use of Byrne Grants for Implementation of State Crisis Intervention Programs" in other words, using federal funds to help create state red flag laws. The proposed bill amends the Omnibus Crime Bill of 1968 and would add funds for states to implement, among other things, "extreme risk protection order programs." However, the programs, the bill insists, must include, "at a minimum," pre-deprivation and post deprivation due process rights that prevent any violation or infringement of the Constitution of the United States, including but not limited to the Bill of Rights, and the substantive or procedural due process rights guaranteed under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, as applied to the States, and as interpreted by State courts and United States courts (including the Supreme Court of the United States). Such programs must include, at the appropriate phase to prevent any violation of constitutional rights, at minimum, notice, the right to an in-person hearing, an unbiased adjudicator, the right to know opposing evidence, the right to present evidence, and the right to confront adverse witnesses; The bill also insists on the right to counsel (provided the government doesn't pay) and, at both pre- and post-deprivation hearings, heightened evidentiary standards sufficient to ensure all the constitutional rights set out above. Will the above language protect people's Second Amendment rights? The proof of this pudding will be in the eating. I suspect that many people hit with a red flag law complaint will be unable to obtain counsel and the government's not going to help. Without a lawyer to assert those rights, they may as well not exist. Also, these will be hasty proceedings, with judges terrified of possibly letting a future shooter go. Despite the protections, the bias will be to seize weapons and then good luck to the citizen trying to get them back later. As for the other stuff, the bill promises to expand mental health services, including in schools; open juvenile records for gun customers under 21; stop illegal trafficking in firearms; etc. The ability to review juvenile records, which are sealed, before allowing a person under 21 to buy a weapon is probably useful. As for the rest, I'm inclined to believe that our mental health and violence problems stem from a broken culture that sees politicians, the media, and educators encourage racial hatred; flood the country with illegal aliens, who bring with them illegal drugs, guns, and sex-traffickers; destroy the economy; create a culture of death with unlimited abortions; legalize marijuana, a drug strongly associated with psychosis and violence; ignore existing laws, including those against illegal guns and gun crime; and sow confusion about biological sex. All these things break a culture, and broken cultures produce broken, violent people. No additional mental health funding or red flag laws will change that. About 12 kilometers southwest of the ancient city of Ecbatana (modern Hamadan) in western Iran, and 2,000 meters above sea level on Mount Alvand, are two huge panels carved into the rock. They are cuneiform inscriptions made in the time of Darius I the Great and his son Xerxes I. At some point in antiquity, possibly after Alexander's conquest, the inscriptions became unreadable as there was no longer anyone who knew how to read the ancient cuneiform script. Local people began to make legends and conjectures about them, and came to the conclusion that they must contain the secret code that leads to a fabulous hidden treasure, so they called the place Ganj Nameh, literally book of treasures. The Ganj Nameh Inscriptions. Photo: Salman arab ameri/Wikimedia On his 1839 trip to Iran commissioned by the Institut de France, the painter and archaeologist Eugene Flandin made drawings of the inscriptions, which Henry Rawlinson, the father of Assyriology, was later able to decipher. According to Rawlinson, the inscriptions were created on the occasion of one of the trips that both Darius and Xerxes made annually between Ecbatana, the summer residence of the Persian kings and capital of the kingdom of Media, and Babylon. Ganj Nameh was thus on the northern branch of the royal road built by Darius, which led to Mesopotamia and ended in Sardes, already in Anatolia, after crossing the entire empire. The inscriptions are carved on a granite rock, just above a stream, and measure 3 meters wide by 2 meters high. They are flanked by holes, which probably served to secure some kind of protective cover. There is also a terrace carved into the rock above the inscriptions. Drawing by Eugene Flandin showing the inscriptions in 1839. Photo: Wikimedia The one on the left was made by Darius I the Great (549-486 BC) and the one on the right by Xerxes I (519-465 BC). Both are trilingual as was usual for Achaemenid inscriptions since Darius I. The left block of the inscriptions, 20 lines long, is written in Old Persian, then there is a Neo-Elamite block in the center, and the Neo-Babylonian version on the right. Old Persian cuneiform is the most recent of the three writing systems, requiring only 34 characters. It was a script of letters that read from left to right and used the wedges tilted to the left as word separators. By contrast, Elamite and Babylonian required 200 and 600 characters respectively, since they were syllabic scripts. The inscription of Darius, on the left, and that of Xerxes, on the right. Photo: Adam Jones/Wikimedia Darius's inscription reads: The great God is Ahura Mazda, who created this earth, who created that heaven, who created man, who created joy for man, who made Darius king, king among kings, ruler among rulers. I am Darius the Great King, King of kings, King of the lands of many nations, King of this great faraway land too, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid Xerxes says: The great God is Ahura Mazda, the greatest of the gods, who created this earth, who created that heaven, who created man, who created joy for man, who made Xerxes king, king among kings, ruler among the rulers. I am Xerxes, the great king, king of kings, king of the lands of many nations, king of this great faraway land too, son of Darius, an Achaemenid As can be seen, both use the same formulas established during the reign of Darius I the Great, which will be repeated in many other inscriptions throughout the Persian empire. The only difference between the two is the additional predicate on Ahura Mazda, the god of the Zoroastrian religion, who appears in the Xerxes inscription: the greatest of the gods . Since 1995, the English and modern Persian translations can be read engraved on two granite rocks, very close to the original inscriptions. Photo: Behzad Alipur/Wikimedia This article was originally published in La Brujula Verde. It has been translated from Spanish and republished with permission. Samsungs Galaxy S20 FE 5G is receiving the June 2022 Android security patch in the US. The carrier-locked variants of the phone are picking up the new security update first. The unlocked units should also soon get the latest SMR (Security Maintenance Release). International versions of the phone have already received this months SMR. The new update for the carrier-locked Galaxy S20 FE 5G (model number SM-G781U) in the US is rolling out with firmware version G781USQS7FVE2. The official changelog doesnt mention anything apart from the security fixes for this month. But lately, Samsungs changelogs havent been telling the full story. So we will have to wait for confirmation on that. As for the content of the June SMR, Samsungs updated security bulletin mentions fixes for more than five dozen vulnerabilities. These include several critical fixes from the Korean firm as well as Google. Advertisement Interestingly, the unlocked Galaxy S20 FE 5G (SM-G781U1) also started receiving a new software update in the US around the same time as the carrier-locked ones. But it didnt bring a new security patch. The new software package still bundled the May SMR, which was rolled out to the devices last month itself. The new update did bring some feature enhancements and performance improvements, though. It also contained a few bug fixes. Hopefully, Samsung will soon seed the June SMR to the device. If youre using the Galaxy S20 FE 5G in the US, you will get the new security patch as an OTA (over the air) update in the coming weeks. You can check for updates from the Software update menu in the Settings app. Samsung may be shelving the FE project The Galaxy S20 FE arrived in September 2020 as the first member of Samsungs new affordable flagship lineup, which it branded FE (Fan Edition). The device debuted with Android 10 on board and has received updates to Android 11 and Android 12. It will also get Android 13 later this year or in early 2023. Advertisement Unfortunately, the FE project itself may be coming to an end this year. The Galaxy S20 FE was a hit and Samsung followed it up with the Galaxy S21 FE earlier this year. But the latter found it tough to attract buyers. The devices pricing and launch time didnt help its cause. While the company seems to be preparing to launch the phone at a lower price soon, it may have had enough of the project itself. Reports suggest Samsung doesnt plan to launch a new FE phone anymore. We will keep you posted on this. The era of 3nm semiconductors is almost here. According to the Korean media, Samsung may announce the mass production of 3nm chips next week. The company will beat out its arch-rival TSMC in the race. The Taiwanese firm plans to begin 3nm mass production in the second half of this year. Samsung will produce its 3nm chips using the GAAFET (gate-all-around field-effect transistor) architecture. It is an advanced chip fabrication tech and a step up from the FinFET (fin field-effect transistor) architecture that the current generation of nanometer semiconductors employ. GAAFET is said to reduce the chip size by 45 percent as compared to 5nm FinFET chips. Simultaneously, the advanced tech will allow for a 30 percent performance boost without affecting power consumption. For a comparable performance to 5nm FinFET chips, GAAFET will consume 50 percent less power. Advertisement Samsung is hoping these advancements will help it expand its stature in the foundry space and win big manufacturing contracts. Thats because TSMC is sticking to the FinFET architecture for its 3nm chips. The Taiwanese semiconductor giant plans to upgrade to GAAFET with 2nm processors in 2025. Samsung will also jump to the 2nm level in 2025 and will have about three years of experience making GAAFET-based chips by then. These two companies have long been the top two in the foundry market. But TSMC has a huge lead over Samsung, with their market share for the first quarter of this year coming in at 53.5 percent and 16.3 percent, respectively. It remains to be seen how those figures will change over the next few years as the two giants make 3nm processors using different architectures. Samsung and TSMC are investing heavily in next-gen semiconductors As Samsung and TSMC prepare to begin the mass production of 3nm semiconductors, they are also increasing their respective investments in the industry. The former announced a $355 billion investment plan to bolster its semiconductor production in May. Thats on top of an investment of more than $150 billion it announced back in 2019. The company is building new factories and production lines, including one in the US. Advertisement US President Joe Biden has been personally urging Samsung to expand semiconductor production stateside. He began his recent tour to South Korea at a Samsung factory some 70 kilometers away from the capital city of Seoul. Samsung reportedly showcased its 3nm chips to Biden during the visit. TSMC is also constructing a new chip plant in the US, and four more in its homeland Taiwan. The company plans to invest around $120 billion in the semiconductor space over the next few years. It recently revealed the production roadmap for its next-gen mobile processors, starting with 3nm solutions later this year. (ANSA) - ROME, JUN 22 - Calabrian 'Ndrangheta mafia boss Vittorio Raso was arrested in Spain Tuesday night, El Pais reported Wednesday. Raso was caught with false papers at a routine traffic stop at Castelldefels in Catalonia, the Spanish daily said. He had been arrested in Spain in 2020 but went on the run. A leading figure in the Calabria Mob in Turin, Raso is wanted for drug trafficking, extortion and other mafia crimes. (ANSA). (ANSAmed) - NAPLES, JUNE 22 - The Middle East is one of the most vulnerable regions when it comes to climate change, newspaper 'The National' reports. The daily showed US military satellite images from 1960 to 1970 with a huge territory that changed significantly over a decade. A study by the World Resources Institute in 2019 revealed that 12 out of the 17 most "water stressed" countries are in the region, showing according to the parameters used by the research institute a risen in "pressures upon the state deriving from the population itself or the environment around it". Some of the countries in the area - including Yemen, Syria and Iraq - are experiencing water scarcity, climate change, conflict and mismanagement, which combined create a multi-sided crisis, worsening the impact of drought and desertification. The problem is reported in addition to strong population growth of the area in countries not involved in a war like Jordan and Saudi Arabia that are dealing with new challenges to maintain certainty on water. Images refer to 1970 when the Middle East had a population of some 120 million citizens, while 2020 estimates provided by the World Bank refer to over 420 million and could reach 700 million by 2050 if the current demographic trends continue. The images provide examples of how the territory has changed, like a picture from 1969 of Buraydah, in Saudi Arabia which has hosted since 1964 the Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport that brought over the years to the construction of new towns, universities and distinctive circular fields of center-pivot irrigation, the newspaper reported. It went on to explain that images of such a development emerging in dry environments point to the coming challenges to national water strategies, showing what is at stake for communities dealing with reduced water supply in the future. Over the years, strategies to deal with reduced water provision have emerged, like in Jordan and Iraq where irrigation has new and more efficient rules and water tariffs have risen to halt excessive consumption. Jawad Al Bakri, a professor of agriculture at the University of Jordan, has stated recently that a strong reduction in water in the agricultural sector will strongly damage fields, and that in the northern region of the country the search for groundwater must be activated to get the water necessary to continue activities. Water problems are also rising in Gaza, where images from 1967 until today show the transformation of large areas into agricultural land thanks to the use of more energy sources. However, today there is fear that these sources could dry up, bringing a desert area. To fight the phenomenon, Gaza has some seawater desalination plants producing water for more than 800,000 residents but also consumes a lot of energy in an era vying for sustainable development. (ANSAmed). (ANSA) - ROME, JUN 22 - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday thanked Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio for Italy's support for Kyiv against the Russian invasion after the Italian foreign minister formed a new breakaway party over his defence of further Italian arms supplies to Kyiv. "I'm grateful to Luigi Di Maio for his integrity," Kuleba said a day after the Italian foreign minister split from his formerly anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) to form his new party, Together for the Future (IPF), after disagreements over sending further military aid to Ukraine. "Italy has chosen the right side of history: supporting Ukraine is the only way to bring peace closer in Europe. "Denying Ukraine support would encourage Russia to continue the war and expand it beyond Ukraine's borders". Di Maio split with the M5S over leader Giuseppe Conte's call to end military aid to Ukraine arguing it prolongs the war and the country's suffering. The foreign minister said Conte's stance against sending more arms jeopardized Italy's pro-NATO and pro-EU position. (ANSA). Weber, 'let there be a clear roadmap for Tirana and Skopje' EPP chairman, 'Macron made a mistake by slowing down accession' (ANSA) - BRUSSELS, JUN 22 - "The EPP will call for a clear roadmap' for the EU accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia," said the chairman of the EPP party and group leader in the Europarliament Manfred Weber, ahead of the European Council meeting that will see the 27 EU member states give the green light to Ukraine's and Moldova's candidacies. The EPP aims to call for a concrete road map for the Western Balkans, and party sources explain that they "understand the frustration" in the region. The discontent could lead to postponing the summit between the EU and the Western Balkans scheduled ahead of the European Council. However, Weber does not blame the impasse over Albania and North Macedonia solely on the Bulgarian veto. The chairman underlined that Macron committed "a historic mistake' by slowing down the accession process in the past months." "Let's return to the roadmap there and show leadership," Weber remarked. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved Balkans: Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia OK EU summit (ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, JUNE 22 - The leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia will participate in the EU-Western Balkans summit scheduled Thursday in Brussels, the presidency in Belgrade announced on Wednesday, following uncertainty and doubts over the past few days evidently connected to dissatisfaction for progress registered by the three countries in their path towards European integration. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the premier of Albania Edi Rama and Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski held on Wednesday morning one last contact. "After detailed and widespread consultations with aides and government members, the leaders of the three countries have decided to attend the summit together, having agreed on the principles on which talks with European Union leaders will be based", said the Serbian presidency in a statement. Common participation in the summit, he added, "represents a further step for the advancement of our countries, but also a clear signal that, despite numerous obstacles, we are continuing to give concrete contribution to the path towards European integration". "We are aware that the themes on the agenda at the summit will not be easy, but our participation shows and confirms once more the commitment towards the European path of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia", the statement of the Serbian presidency noted. The three countries at the same time highlighted their determination to fight in favor of "dialogue as the only and main model for the solution of all the open issues". Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia are part of the initiative 'Open Balkan' launched in 2019 with the objective of creating a common market in the Western Balkans, and the three countries are showing growing harmony in their position on economic exchanges and reforms. On the European scenario, however, Serbia, which refuses to adhere to sanctions against Russia, should not register any step further in the negotiation process, while North Macedonia and Albania are waiting for the start of adhesion talks, blocked since the end of 2020 by Bulgaria, which has been engaged in a harsh dispute with Skopje over its past, language and national identity. The themes are on the agenda of Thursday's summit. (ANSAmed). ISTANBUL - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) was scheduled to undertake on Wednesday an official visit to Turkey to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Anadolu reports. MBS will be received at the presidential palace in the capital Ankara by Erdogan during a ceremony scheduled at 4:30 pm local time (3:30 Italian time). Talks will follow between the two leaders and three Saudi delegations as well as Turkish officials, Anadolu said. No press conference has been scheduled. Wednesday's visit is part of a normalization process of relations between Ankara and Riyadh which was started last year and brought in April the Turkish head of State to travel to the kingdom for an official visit to meet with the monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as with the crown prince. Over the past few years, relations between Ankara and Riyadh were complicated due to the different positions of the two countries on the embargo against Qatar in 2017 by some Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia. The crisis in relations however became explicit in 2018 after the murder of the Saudi journalist and a vocal opponent of the kingdom, Jamal Khashoggi, inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A CIA report highlighted MBS's role in the murder and Ankara strongly criticized Riyadh. After four years, in April, a court in Istanbul decided to close and transfer to Saudi Arabia a trial on Khashoggi's murder with 26 Saudi defendants, who were being tried in absentia over their alleged role in the reporter's death. Tunisia: magistrates to protest on Thursday Against sacking of 57 colleagues demanded by president (ANSAmed) -- TUNIS, JUNE 22 - Tunisian magistrates, who already went on strike on June 6, have announced protests on Thursday (a "day of rage") to demand the "annulment of a measure to sack 57 magistrates demanded by Tunisian President Kais Saied and to protest against attempts to submit the judiciary". Representatives of the judiciary have summoned all magistrates in front of the capital's tribunal at 10 AM. The coordination of organizations - including the Association of magistrates (Amt), Union of magistrates (Smt), Union of magistrates of the court of auditors (Umcc), the Union of administrative magistrates (Uma) and the Tunisian association of young magistrates (Atjm) - decided on June 18 to support a hunger strike of the magistrates who were fired and to prolong the strike for another week, the third, starting on Monday, June 20. However, no official data has been provided on the percentage of magistrates adhering to the strike, while the justice ministry has said that it will pay the due compensation to the 57 fired magistrates. (ANSA). Women will be able to take part in squads at the main Up Helly Aa fire festival in Shetland for the first time next year, organisers have announced. The Lerwick Up Helly Aa Committee decided to relax the long-standing custom of only allowing males to take part in the procession after members discussed how to take the event forward following a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event, which attracts visitors from around the globe, sees people dressed as Vikings march through the streets of Lerwick to recreate its ancient Viking past, in a tradition dating back to the 19th century. The walk is led by the Guizer Jarl, or chief guizer, and culminates in a torch-lit procession and a replica longboat being set alight. The committee said Up Helly Aa guizers will be able to manage their squads in keeping with the spirit of the fire festival, with no gender restrictions, for next years event. The festival takes place in January (Andrew Milligan/PA) The South Mainland Up Helly Aa festival appointed its first ever female jarl in 2015 and the decision on the Lerwick event comes after people campaigned for women to be allowed to take part. Lerwick Up Helly Aa Committee secretary Robert Geddes said: We felt that it was time to give squads a choice over their guizers, including allowing female participation. Everybody is looking forward to the return of Up Helly Aa after an unprecedented two-year break because of Covid. The decision means the festival in Lerwick on Tuesday January 31 2023 will have a different dimension to it, but we have no doubt that its essence and spirit will remain the same. Up Helly Aa for Aa, which has campaigned for equal opportunity for all in the festival, welcomed the decision. A spokesperson said: This is absolutely wonderful news and something that members of our community have been asking for over a long period of time. We are more than delighted that the Up Helly Aa Committee have listened to folk who want the festival to be inclusive. This is a great day for our inclusive Shetland community. We look forward to hearing more details and look forward to seeing an inclusive jarl squad lead the procession in future processions. Mr Geddes said the change would be evolutionary and within squads at this stage given that the festival is already at full capacity with 47 squads. He said: We run a large and popular fire festival and have unfortunately had to turn down applications from folk wanting to start new squads, or looking to increase maximum numbers within squads, over the past few years. That said, there is always a turnover of guizers within squads from year to year, and by giving squads the freedom to choose we are actively allowing change to happen. The other criteria for participation that guizers must be aged 16 or older and have lived in Shetland continuously for five years will remain the same. Shetland and neighbouring Orkney were ruled by the Norse for about 500 years until they became part of Scotland in 1468. The festival stems from the 1870s when a group of young local men wanted to put new ideas into Shetlands Christmas celebrations. American pharmaceutical giant Moderna will open a new research and manufacturing centre in the UK. It is hoped the move will guarantee British patients fast access to new vaccines and treatments. The new mRNA Innovation and Technology Centre will develop vaccines for a wide range of respiratory diseases, including Covid vaccines that can protect against multiple variants. Meanwhile, a large-scale mRNA vaccine manufacturing centre will produce new and current medicines while creating new jobs, officials said. Construction is expected to start as early as this year, with the first mRNA vaccine due to be produced in the UK in 2025. Government officials said the deal will see NHS patients get access to cutting edge vaccines while being able to enrol in clinical trials for vaccines developed by the firm. Modernas Covid-19 vaccine used messenger RNA (mRNA) these vaccines teach the bodys cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response. It is hoped the technology will go on to be used to tackle a wide range of diseases including cancer, dementia, flu and heart disease. Ministers said a new strategic partnership with the firm will help future proof the UK against future health threats. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: We are bringing supercharged home-grown vaccines right to our shores. I want the UK to be the brightest and best in research and technology, creating more jobs and securing our economic future. Our investment will guarantee jabs in arms against some of the toughest viruses out there, bringing us to the forefront of the fight against future threats. Weve all seen what vaccines can do, and todays partnership brings us one step closer to finding cures for some of the most devastating diseases. Health Secretary Sajid Javid added: Our new partnership with Moderna will cement the UKs status as a science superpower, significantly boosting the economy and creating jobs and it has the potential to unlock the next generation of cutting-edge vaccines to fight diseases such as Covid, seasonal flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). mRNA is a truly transformational technology and we have seen its life-saving power during the pandemic. Thanks to this new deal, NHS patients will benefit from scientific breakthroughs and the new state-of-the-art manufacturing centre will boost our ability to respond to the next pandemic by ensuring were able to produce vaccines rapidly on our own shores. And Stephane Bancel, Moderna chief executive, said: We are excited to be able to continue our collaboration with the UK Government and Vaccine Taskforce with this new mRNA Innovation and Technology Centre in the UK. We are committed to global public health, and as we continue to expand internationally, we are pleased to bring local mRNA manufacturing to the UK. We look forward to establishing our R&D (research and development) activities and capabilities in the country. The Governments chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the announcement is great news for the UKs R&D activities and future capabilities. He added: Rapid cutting-edge vaccines were vital in the response to the Covid pandemic. Developing the next generation of mRNA vaccines will be crucial in boosting our ability to prevent and respond to a wide range of respiratory diseases in the future. Boris Johnson has struck out at condescending opponents of his scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda ahead of talks with reported critic the Prince of Wales. The Prime Minister defended the faltering flagship policy as he prepared to fly to Kigali, where he will meet Charles for a discussion over cups of tea. The heir to the throne is said to have added to wide-spread criticism of the project disrupted by legal problems by describing it as appalling in private remarks. Mr Johnson will on Thursday join the prince in the Rwandan capital where they are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm). Gashora Refugee Camp Transit Centre, south of Kigali (Victoria Jones/PA) But the Prime Minister is planning to avoid visiting the accommodation in Kigali where migrants who arrive by unauthorised means would be deported to. It is understood the Prime Minister will visit Charles for a cup of tea on Friday morning, but Mr Johnson is not eager to raise the policy of removing migrants who arrive by unauthorised means on a one-way ticket. The meeting between Mr Johnson and the prince will be the first time they have spoken since the service for the Queens Platinum Jubilee and comes after the appalling remark was reported. Speaking to reporters as he prepared to fly to Kigali, Mr Johnson said the trip is an opportunity for us all to understand for ourselves what that partnership has to offer. Lets hope perhaps help others to shed some of their condescending attitudes to Rwanda and how that partnership might work, he added. Asked if he will tell the prince he is wrong, Mr Johnson said: I have no evidence for the assertion youve just made about the princes comments. I cant confirm that. What I can say is that the policy is sensible, measured and a plan to deal with the grotesque abuse of innocent people crossing the Channel. The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Stefan Rousseau/PA) He insisted he is looking forward very much to seeing Charles, but would not say whether he would be raising the policy with him. Despite it being Mr Johnsons first visit to the nation during his time in No 10, he is not planning to visit any of the accommodation earmarked for the scheme. You will know that the Prime Ministers time is always limited and to make time to do that he would therefore have to leave elements of the programme whereby hes working with a unique set of world leaders on quite crucial issues, his spokesman said. We think that the best use of his time for this short period hes in Rwanda is to dedicate himself to some of the issues that will be raised at the summit and to work with other world leaders on some of those issues weve talked about, not least Ukraine and global security. The first flight removing people to Rwanda was due to take off last week, but was grounded by successful legal challenges ahead of a full hearing on the schemes legality in UK courts. The policy is one element of a 120 million economic deal with Kigali, but has been widely criticised in part because of concerns about Rwandas human rights record. Mr Johnson noted that he would be arriving there before any asylum seekers despite the agreement being signed two months ago. Im conscious that Im arriving before anybody who has travelled illegally across the Channel, I cannot conceal that fact from you there it is but it is still the case that no UK court and no international court has ruled our plan unlawful, he said. But Mr Johnson said he will no doubt discuss the plans with Rwandan president Paul Kagame on Thursday. (PA) Mr Kagame has been lauded for his role ending the 1994 genocide that saw ethnic Hutu extremists slaughter about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus during 100 days of the civil war. But his regime has since been accused of political repression, alleged assassinations and the imprisonment of critics. Amnesty International UKs refugee and migrants rights director, Steve Valdez-Symonds, said: With their cruel and unlawful refugee scheme, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary are effectively supporting the continued repression of people in Rwanda under President Kagames regime. No country should be casting off its asylum responsibilities onto another, still less to a country such as Rwanda with a troubling human rights record alongside existing, large-scale asylum responsibilities of its own. The UK should be using its influence and the opportunity of the Commonwealth leaders meetings to encourage meaningful human rights progress in Rwanda, not seeking to excuse and potentially add to Rwandas disturbing human rights record. Mr Johnsons spokesman said he is expected to raise human rights issues as he has done in the past. We want Rwanda to uphold and champion the Commonwealth values, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. And we want due process for all those in detention and fair and transparent application of the rule of law, he added. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are already in Rwanda (Arthur Edwards/The Sun) The Prime Ministers wife, Carrie Johnson, will join him at the summit and is expected to take part in a programme of events for partners. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will also be there, as will Alok Sharma, the president of the Cop26 climate summit. Charles is representing the Queen as head of the Commonwealth at the summit, which is typically held every two years but was postponed during the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister also wants to use the meeting of the 54 nations, which are mostly former British colonies, to tackle the food and energy insecurity caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Commonwealth countries find themselves on the front line of many of these issues from climate change to rising food prices, his spokesman said. Green economic growth, boosting girls education and working with the Commonwealth to increase trade and job creation for UK businesses are also among No 10s priorities. Charles is representing the Queen as head of the Commonwealth at the summit, which is typically held every two years but was postponed during the coronavirus pandemic. It was not clear yet on which day he will hold talks with Mr Johnson, in what is expected to be an informal meeting on the margin of other events. Another item on the Chogm programme is the selection of the next secretary-general. Mr Johnson is opposing the incumbent, Labour peer Baroness Scotland, and instead backs Jamaicas Kamina Johnson Smith. Legislation proposing a new British Bill of Rights is shocking and unnecessary, Scotlands equalities minister has said. UK Justice Secretary Dominic Raab published the Bill on Wednesday, saying it would restore a healthy dose of common sense to the justice system. The legislation, which will work as a successor to the Human Rights Act, asserts that the Supreme Court is the ultimate decision maker on human rights issues in the UK and the country does not always have to follow case law from the European Court of Human Rights. The Strasbourg court previously disrupted the Governments flagship policy for asylum seekers who arrive on unauthorised journeys, which would see some sent to Rwanda. Our modern Bill of Rights will strengthen the UK tradition of freedom of speech, and better protect the public from dangerous criminals. We are restoring a health dose of common sense into the justice system. pic.twitter.com/ppzQF5I9fe Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) June 22, 2022 Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie has condemned the proposed legislation. This shocking and unnecessary legislation seeks to put UK ministers above some of the most fundamental checks and balances that underpin our democracy, she said. The fact remains that we do not need a new Bill of Rights. The Human Rights Act is one of the most important laws passed by the UK Parliament. For more than 20 years it has delivered fairness and justice protecting our rights to privacy and liberty, freedom of expression and peaceful protest. It has prevented discrimination, inhumanity and the abuse of power. The UK Governments Rwanda policy has been challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. This legislation appears to be part of its response an attempt to remove safeguards protecting every member of our society. As a founding signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the UK Government should be championing international human rights standards and the rule of law. Instead its ministers appear intent on damaging the UKs global reputation. Mr Raab sought to assure MPs that the legislation would not mean the UK would leave the ECHR, which underpins both human rights and peace in Northern Ireland. Ms McKelvie went on to claim the Bill is an act of vandalism, adding it would be unacceptable if changes are made that impact Scotland without the express consent of the Scottish Parliament. Devolved administrations are asked to consent on Westminster legislation that will have an impact on devolved areas, but the votes of legislative consent motions are not binding, meaning the UK Government is not required to heed the will of Scotland, Wales or Northern Irelands governments. The Bill proposes to swap out the Human Rights Act in the Scotland Act the legislation which created the Scottish Parliament replacing it with the Bill of Rights. Breast cancer spreads most while patients are sleeping, new research suggests. Researchers say the finding could significantly change the way cancer is diagnosed and treated in future. They add that their study may also indicate the need for doctors to note the time that cancer biopsies are performed, as this may also influence the number of cancer cells detected. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, and each year around 2.3 million people worldwide contract the disease. If the disease is detected early enough, patients usually respond well to treatment, researchers say. However, things become much more difficult if the cancer has already metastasised spread to other parts of the body. Metastasis occurs when circulating cancer cells break away from the original tumour, travel through the body via blood vessels and form new tumours in other organs. The new study by researchers at ETH Zurich, the University Hospital Basel and the University of Basel found that circulating cancer cells which later form metastases mainly arise while people are sleeping. Study leader Nicola Aceto, Professor of molecular oncology at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, said: When the affected person is asleep, the tumour awakens. Our research shows that the escape of circulating cancer cells from the original tumour is controlled by hormones such as melatonin, which determine our rhythms of day and night, added Zoi Diamantopoulou, the studys lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich. The study included 30 female cancer patients and mouse models, and researchers found the tumour generated more circulating cells during sleep. According to the researchers, cells that leave the tumour at night also divide more quickly and therefore have a higher potential to form metastases, compared with circulating cells that leave the tumour during the day. The scientists were also surprised to find that samples taken at different times of the day had very different levels of circulating cancer cells. Another clue was the high number of cancer cells found per unit of blood in mice compared with humans. As nocturnal animals, mice sleep during the day, which is when scientists collect most of their samples. Prof Aceto said: In our view, these findings may indicate the need for healthcare professionals to systematically record the time at which they perform biopsies. It may help to make the data truly comparable. Next researchers hope to establish how these findings can be incorporated into existing cancer treatments to optimise therapies. The findings are published in the Nature journal. Beer giant Carlsberg is set to conduct its biggest trial in a bid to launch its fibre beer bottle across Europe. Eight thousand of the groups new bottles all completely recyclable will be sampled by customers in eight markets across the continent including the UK, Poland and France. The bottle has been made with a wood-based fibre shell and contains a lining made of a plant-based Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF) polymer. Carlsberg said the materials can all be recycled and claimed it will retain the beers taste and fizziness against the same product in glass bottles. The bottle has a PEF polymer lining (Carlsberg/PA) Carlsbergs new offering could potentially stay colder for longer compared to its glass and can counterparts too due to the fibre exterior, the company claimed. Stephane Munch, vice president for group development at Carlsberg, described the product as a great achievement and said the company will continue to work with partners Avantium, who specialise in renewable chemistry and developed the polymer lining, and packaging company Paboco who produced the outer shell of the bottle to create developments in beer packaging. He said: Identifying and producing PEF, as a competent functional barrier for beer, has been one of our greatest challenges so getting good test results, collaborating with suppliers and seeing the bottles being filled on the line is a great achievement. He added that the bottle is 100% bio-based apart from the cap, which is currently needed to ensure the quality of the product, but that there are plans for an updated Fibre Bottle 3.0. The bottle will be trialed across eight European markets, including the UK (Carlsberg/PA) The pilot will also see the beer giant turn its sustainability efforts to its beer, which will use barley malt cultivated using fully organic and regenerative agricultural practices in partnership with barley malt supplier Soufflet. Other European countries set to sample the beer include Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany. News of the wood-based bottle was unveiled in 2019 and Carlsberg has been working with partners on the design since 2015. The pilot precedes the global launch of Carlsbergs ESG programme Together Towards Zero and Beyond which includes a commitment to reach zero carbon emissions and a 30% reduction in its full-value-chain carbon footprint by 2030. adamkaz / Getty Images If you're thinking about relocating to somewhere cheaper in retirement, you're not alone -- many Americans lack sufficient retirement savings to afford the cost of living in their home states after their working years are over. The pandemic also affected some people's savings and retirement plans. Moving to a more cost-effective area can help stretch your funds further in retirement, alleviating some uncertainty about your financial future. Discover: Best Cities To Retire on a Budget of $1,500 a Month Find: 15 Worst States To Live on Just a Social Security Check To help you choose the perfect place to retire, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the top 10 states where you can live out your golden years for less than $45,000 annually The study analyzed factors like groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare and the overall cost-of-living index in each state, all of which contribute heavily to your yearly expenses in retirement. These indices were then multiplied by the average annual expenditures of Americans aged 65 and older, which provided the final ranking of the top 10 states. The figures quoted in this article are per household. The most recent Census lists the average number of people per household as 2.5. To prepare for retirement, take a look at places to live that will cost you less than $45,000 annually. William Reagan / Getty Images/iStockphoto 10. Indiana Annual expenditures: $43,107 Early retirement might be possible in Indiana, a state where retirees can retire without paying exorbitant costs. Housing, in particular, is a steal at $7,763 annually. Utilities only run $3,745 per year, as well, and the cost of living index is 90.6. POLL: Do You Think You Will Be Able To Retire at Age 65? DavidByronKeener / Getty Images/iStockphoto 9. West Virginia Annual expenditures: $43,059 Early retirement is also a good possibility in West Virginia, where overall costs are pretty low. The annual housing cost is $7,793, and annual grocery bill only $4,057. Amdizdarevic / Shutterstock.com 8. Iowa Annual expenditures: $42,774 In addition to low housing costs, retirees in Iowa will be happy to find that other costs such as utilities are reasonable, at just $3,609 per year, and healthcare costs are only $6,661. Shutterstock.com 7. Missouri Annual expenditures: $42,726 Early retirement is definitely possible in Mississippi, the state where retirees spend only $7,962 annually in housing. Retirees will also find a reasonable food bill, at only $3,994. Kruck20 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6. Tennessee Annual expenditures: $42,345 This southern state treats retirees well across many categories. With healthcare at just over $6,000 per year, utilities at just under $3,500 and transportation costs at $3,326, it's easy living. Posnov / Getty Images/iStockphoto 5. Georgia Annual expenditures: $42,250 Georgia makes it easy for retirees to call this lovely state home, with an annual housing cost of just $7,377. Other expenses won't break the bank either: Utilities come to $3,424 annually and transportation to $3,326. Ron_Lane / Getty Images/iStockphoto 4. Oklahoma Annual expenditures: $41,822 Oklahoma should be on many retirees' radar as a place to enjoy your golden years without worrying about money. The annual housing cost is just $7,470, with utilities at $3,598 each year and healthcare at $6,301. Shutterstock.com 3. Alabama Annual expenditures: $41,822 The South really has cornered the market on affordable places to retire. Alabama is another winner in low housing costs, the third most affordable on the list, with just $6,950 in annual housing cost. Shutterstock.com 2. Kansas Annual expenditures: $41,156 You won't find many hills in Kansas, but retirees will find affordable housing, at just $7,198 annually, and lower overall expenses. Utilities come to just $3,791 per year, and groceries to just $3,855 annually. Shutterstock.com 1. Mississippi Annual expenditures: $39,633 The number one most affordable place to retire on the list is Mississippi. Even if you can't spell it, you can retire here, paying only a comfortable $6,574 annually in housing costs. Groceries will only run $3,876 per year. Utilities another $3,420 and health costs are just $6,315. dszc / Getty Images/iStockphoto States Where Your Retirement Will Cost Less Than $45,000 a Year The best places to retire on less than $45,000 per year are concentrated in the South and the Midwest. Mississippi, Kansas and Alabama captured the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively. Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri filled out the middle ranking states where your retirement will cost the least each year. Rounding out the bottom of the rankings are Iowa, West Virginia and Indiana. More From GOBankingRates Daria Uhlig contributed to the reporting for this article. Methodology: To find every state where retirement costs less than $45,000 per year, GOBankingRates first referenced data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find (1) the national average total annual expenditures for consumers 65 years and older. Then, GOBankingRates used cost of living index data for 2021 from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center to find (2) the cost of living index score of every state. Multiplying factor (1) by factor (2) for every state, GOBankingRates was able to estimate (3) the total annual expenditures for a consumer 65 years or older living in each state. Supplemental data was included on each state's cost of living index score and estimated annual spending in the following five necessities categories: grocery, housing, utilities, transportation, and health. All data was collected on and up to date as of February 24, 2022. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: States Where Your Retirement Will Cost Less Than $45,000 a Year By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A Black former elevator operator at Tesla Inc's flagship California assembly plant on Tuesday rejected a $15 million award in his lawsuit alleging racial abuse by coworkers, opening the door for a new trial after a judge slashed a $137 million jury verdict. Lawyers for Owen Diaz, who had sued Tesla in 2017, turned down the judge's award in a brief filing in federal court in San Francisco. They said in a statement that the award was unjust and would not deter future misconduct by Tesla. "In rejecting the courts excessive reduction by asking for a new trial, Mr. Diaz is again asking a jury of his peers to evaluate what Tesla did to him and to provide just compensation for the torrent of racist slurs that was directed at him," his lawyers said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. District Judge William Orrick lowered the jury award, which was one of the largest of its kind in a discrimination lawsuit, to $15 million in April. He had also denied Tesla's motion for a new trial, conditioned on Diaz's acceptance of the lower award. Earlier this month the judge denied Diaz's motion for permission to appeal that ruling and gave him two weeks to accept the lower award or agree to a new trial. [L1N2XU232] Tesla is facing a series of lawsuits involving alleged widespread race discrimination and sexual harassment at its Fremont, California factory, including one by a California civil rights agency. Last week, a Tesla shareholder filed a lawsuit accusing the company's chief executive, Elon Musk, and board of directors of neglecting worker complaints and fostering a toxic workplace culture. [L4N2Y40XI] Tesla has denied wrongdoing and says it has policies in place to prevent and address workplace misconduct. Diaz alleged that his colleagues and a supervisor subjected him to a hostile work environment that included slurs, caricatures and swastikas in his nine months working at the Fremont plant in 2015 and 2016. A jury had awarded Diaz $6.9 million of compensatory damages and $130 million of punitive damages last October, but Orrick in April said those numbers were excessive. Diaz's lawyers in their statement on Tuesday said Orrick's decision highlighted systemic bias that federal judges have against juries, which in turn violates the constitutional rights plaintiffs have to a trial by jury. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New YorkEditing by Jonathan Oatis and Mark Potter) A UK music teacher who fought to host an unaccompanied young Ukrainian musician through the Homes for Ukraine scheme said she was made to feel like she was trying to legitimise child trafficking during her struggle. The Government announced on Wednesday that Ukrainian children will be able to come to the UK without a parent or guardian under the Homes for Ukraine visa scheme. So far, children under 18 have been unable to get to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme unless they are with, or joining, a parent or guardian. But, for some weeks after the scheme opened in March, there was no mention of under-18s needing to do this in Government guidance, leading to confusion among potential hosts such as Deanne Campbell. Deanne Campbell and husband Darren Campbell (Deanne Campbell) Mrs Campbell, 52, from Stocklinch in Somerset, welcomed 16-year-old Anastasiia Sandalova to the UK on May 22 after weeks of difficulty having initially submitted an application on March 29. Ive been treated like Im trying to legitimise child trafficking or something, Mrs Campbell, a professional flautist and teacher for more than 30 years, told the PA news agency. Ive had so many confrontational emails back from people as if Im doing something dodgy by just trying to help this girl, and Ive been trolled on some of the Facebook groups. Im just trying to help someone here. The Governments announcement means that unaccompanied minors under the age of 18 will be able to apply for a visa to come to the UK under the sponsorship scheme if they have parental consent. The new policy will initially apply to more than a thousand unaccompanied minors who have already applied under the scheme. Mrs Campbell described Anastasiia as an extremely talented musician who plays the piano and guitar and also sings. The teenager fled Kyiv with her mother and two-year-old sister shortly after the Russian invasion of the country, going on to stay on peoples sofas in Montenegro. After submitting an application and setting up a bedroom along with a music room for Anastasiia earlier in the year, Mrs Campbell was told by her local council that under-18s travelling alone are ineligible. Somerset County Council told PA in April that they had always assumed unaccompanied minors would not be eligible, but did not have clear guidance until a letter from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities arrived on April 13. Meanwhile a Government spokesperson said at the time: Due to safeguarding requirements, unaccompanied minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reuniting with a parent or guardian in the UK. On May 22 Anastasiia arrived in the UK on the condition that her mother fly over to drop her off, according to Mrs Campbell. Others will follow under the new guidelines those who have already applied and are waiting will be written to this week by the Home Office, but additional security checks may mean it is a few weeks before visas are issued. Anastasiia Sandalova has really integrated well according to her host (Ivan Shtanko) Having been in the country for a month now, Anastasiia has settled in at school and has a music camp to look forward to in the summer Mrs Campbell said she hoped her story would inspire others to persevere. I said is living here all that you hoped it would be?' said Mrs Campbell. And she said yes, definitely, and a lot more. Shes really integrated well, she was saying last night Im so lucky Ive got a second family now. As far as Im concerned she is family to us now and we will do whatever weve got to do. I think there are hosts out there that are literally at the end of their tether, and (I want) to show that not only can you get them over, but theyre really happy. Elizabeth Sneed makes a statement about curvy surfers and athletes. (Photo: Marta Skovro/JOLYN) Body-positive surfer Elizabeth Sneed took to the streets of New York City with nothing but a bikini and her longboard to make a statement about curvy athletes. The content creator, who is known as Curvy Surfer Girl online, has gained a following of over 126,000 people on TikTok as a result of posting videos of herself hitting the waves of Honolulu, Hawaii. And while surfing is a sport that she simply loves to share, her page has since provided inspiration to people of all sizes to try something they've been afraid of. On June 15, she took her board and her mission even further as she arrived in Times Square to bare her body and her message. "I want the world to know women with curves are surfers & athletes," Sneed captioned a video shared on social media. "What better place than New York City to show the world." While rocking a hot pink bikini, the surfer made her entrance onto the busy city streets to find her light for some shots with her longboard. Even with people passing by, she hoped that her message was made clear. "I chose Times Square to represent the changing times of women's beauty standards," she wrote. Sneed was also making a statement with her choice of bikini as she announced her new role as a brand ambassador and consultant for the design team at swimwear brand JOLYN. "I will be fit testing the collection, consulting on designs and eventually designing & launching the Curvy Surfer Girl collection in 2023," she wrote in another Instagram post. "It's been 2 years in the making and together we have truly begun to shift the tides!" In a statement to Yahoo Life, JOLYN CEO Mondy Herndon praised Sneed's work, saying she's helped to "change the perception about surfer body types." The brand has already released select styles from the current collection in extended sizing and is also committing to provide a more expansive range of gear for surfers and athletes in its next collection. Sneed added, "I'm thrilled to be by their side ushering in a new generation of women's surfing. Collaborating with their team of design experts to create more inclusive high-performance swim is a dream come true not just for me but for the countless women who love the water and need supportive suits to follow their passions." Although the full line of inclusive surf gear isn't out just yet, Sneed has been praised for what she's done thus far in terms of representation for female athletes chasing their dreams despite rigid beauty standards her eye-catching photos included. "My inner little girl is so grateful to you," one person commented on Sneed's Times Square posts. "Thank you for everything that you do." Another wrote, "Loving this and what it's doing for our surf culture." While Sneed is helping others to fulfill their dreams, she can't help but to recognize that she's living out her own. "This is a moment that will live in my heart always & forever! I have tears in my eyes because Im SOO GRATEFUL & HAPPY for every single person here to share this moment with me! I love YOU so much!" she wrote. "LET'S GO CURVY SURFER GIRLS the sky is literally the limit!" Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 920 people and injuring 600 others in the deadliest temblor in two decades, authorities said. Officials warned that the already grim toll would likely rise. Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 temblor near the Pakistani border, but quakes of that strength would be expected to cause severe damage in the remote area, where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common. Rescue efforts are likely to be complicated since many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year and the chaotic withdrawal of the U.S. military from the longest war in its history. Rescuers rushed to the area by helicopter. Neighboring Pakistans Meteorological Department said the quake's epicenter was in Afghanistan's Paktika province, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost. Buildings were also damaged in Khost province. The U.S. Geological Survey, which recorded the magnitude at slightly lower at 5.9, put the depth at just 10 kilometers (6 miles) another factor that could increase the damage. Footage from Paktika showed people being carried into helicopters to be airlifted from the area. Others were treated on the ground. One resident could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble from destroyed stone houses. Afghans look at destruction caused by an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar News Agency via AP) The death toll, given by Afghan emergency official Sharafuddin Muslim, made it the deadliest quake since 2002, when a 6.1 magnitude temblor killed about 1,000 people in northern Afghanistan immediately after the U.S.-led invasion overthrew the Taliban government following the 9/11 attacks. Earlier, the director-general of state-run Bakhtar news agency, Abdul Wahid Rayan, wrote on Twitter that 90 houses have been destroyed in Paktika and dozens of people are believed trapped under the rubble. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe, Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter. In Kabul, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace to coordinate the relief effort for victims in Paktika and Khost. The response is on its way, the U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, wrote on Twitter. Pakistans Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a statement offered his condolences over the earthquake, saying his nation will provide help to the Afghan people. At the Vatican, Pope Francis offered prayers for all those killed and injured and for the suffering of the dear Afghan population. Afghans evacuate wounded in an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar News Agency via AP) In just one district of Khost province, the earthquake killed at least 25 people and injured over 95 others, local officials said. Some remote areas of Pakistan saw reports of damage to homes near the Afghan border, but it wasn't immediately clear if that was due to rain or the earthquake, said Taimoor Khan, a disaster management spokesperson in the area. The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquakes tremors were felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Mountainous Afghanistan and the larger region of South Asia along the Hindu Kush mountains has long been vulnerable to devastating earthquakes. In 2015, a major earthquake that struck the countrys northeast killed over 200 people in Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan. In 1998, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tremors in Afghanistans remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. President Biden holds a baby as he visits a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Church of the Holy Communion on Tuesday in Washington. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Biden visited a vaccination clinic Tuesday to celebrate that virtually all Americans can now get a COVID-19 shot Tuesday after the authorization of vaccines for kids under 5 over the weekend. Biden visited a vaccination clinic in Washington, where some of the first shots were given to young children in the last major age group ineligible for vaccines, hailing it as an important pandemic milestone that will support the countrys recovery. While anyone age 6 months and up is now eligible for vaccines, the administration is cautioning that it expects the pace of shots for the youngest kids to be slower than for older ones, as parents are more likely to rely on their children's pediatricians to administer them. The United States is now the first country in the world to offer safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months old, Biden said at the White House. Addressing parents, Biden said, I encourage you to talk to the doctor after you make a plan to get your child vaccinated. Biden also delivered a thinly veiled criticism of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who blocked his health department from ordering and delivering pediatric vaccines in his state, a move the White House said delayed the availability of shots for kids under 5. Lets be clear: Elected officials shouldnt get in the way and can make it more difficult for parents who want their children to be vaccinated and want to protect them and those around them, he said. This is no time for politics. Its about parents being able to do everything they can to keep the children safe. Earlier Tuesday, he and First Lady Jill Biden met with newly vaccinated kids and their parents at Church of the Holy Communion in southeast Washington. As he handed out hugs to kids, Biden spoke of his youngest grandson, Beau, 2, being newly eligible for vaccination. Everybody knows I like kids better than people, he joked. In a Friday interview with the Associated Press, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha predicted that universal eligibility for vaccines would be a huge psychological milestone for the country as it seeks to emerge from two years of pandemic disruption. When the president came into office, he was very clear, he said over and over again, that he wanted to make sure that every American had the access and availability of these life protecting vaccines, he said. We are now at the point where that vision, that expectation, that mission can now be fulfilled. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Bill Whitaker. (Evelyn Freja/For The Times) A correspondent's role on the venerable CBS News magazine "60 Minutes" is still considered the brass ring for TV journalists. Bill Whitaker toiled for years at CBS News before he finally got his shot in 2014, after a stint covering Asia and two decades in the network's Los Angeles bureau where he was a fixture on "CBS Evening News." Logging around 20 "60 Minutes" segments a year, ranging from explaining the supply chain crisis to riding along Wyoming's Green River Drift, the dapper 70-year-old Philadelphia native is now a familiar, authoritative prime-time presence. The Los Angeles Press Club will recognize Whitaker's successful journey on Saturday when he receives the Joseph M. Quinn Award for Lifetime Achievement. A former resident of Hollywood Hills now based in New York, Whitaker shared some thoughts on his career in a conversation last week. You were in the Los Angeles bureau of CBS News for 22 years. How did that prepare you for "60 Minutes"? It's got politics, immigration, and the economy, the military is out there, you've got environmental stories, the wildfires. You just name it, everything's out there. But here at "60 Minutes" you have the luxury of time and resources. You come up with a story the front office thinks is worthwhile, they'll give you the money, and the time, and the crews, and cameras, and say just go do it. And you'd better come back with the goods, but you get to travel the world. "I'm so fortunate to have a job that allows me to see the world and I hope inform people and have an impact," said Whitaker. (Evelyn Freja/For The Times) What's the most vital skill you developed working in L.A.? Television news is all about deadlines, but the deadlines in L.A. are brutal. I worked for an East Coast employer. The "CBS Evening News" airs at 6:30 Eastern time, thats 3:30 in L.A. My business day was truncated by a third. I learned the need to focus, to be organized, to use every minute wisely. I learned why my laptop is called a laptop. Many times I sat on a curb or in a car or a folding chair in the back of a political rally to write on my lap. I think I could write anywhere. And I learned to rely on my colleagues. Broadcast news is a collaborative endeavor. The producer, photographer, sound tech were all journalists. With the relentless L.A. time pressures we all have to count on each other to hit our marks every day, or well miss that deadline. Im happy to report we never did. You covered the O.J. Simpson trial for the network. What is your lasting impression of that era? My first years in L.A. I covered the federal Rodney King trial and the Reginald Denny beating trial, both big trials, but nothing compares, or prepared me for O.J. The sheer spectacle of the proceedings was mind-blowing: the throngs outside the courthouse; the media village with the networks tall towers across the street; a skywriter proposing to Marcia Clark overhead; the USC Marching Band; the Dancing Itos. It was murder trial as circus. Ive never witnessed a trial with so many gasp moments: the bloody glove, the N-word, the verdict. Still, the trial was about so much more. It was about race in America, about wealth and celebrity and policing, wrapped around two brutal murders. The verdict put a spotlight on our deep-rooted racial divide, a schism that plagues us still. "60 Minutes" is still the biggest news program on TV. But like everything else in TV, it's not as big as it used to be. Does the brand name carry the same type of clout? Oh, yeah. The opioid series that we did had an impact. Congress paid attention to that piece. We just recently did a story about drug shortages and the outpouring of people in Congress, people in the medical field, researchers, everybody, you know, we were flooded with people saying, 'What? I had no idea this was going on. We have to do something about this. It still has tremendous reach in this fragmented world. We are still reaching more people than any of the other news broadcasts. So even at a time when fewer people are watching traditional TV, you've never had to explain to anybody what the program is? Never. Not even overseas. Everybody knows about "60 Minutes." Do you consider yourself a New Yorker now? Yeah, I guess so. I have to tell you, if I had not sold my house, I probably would have gone back to Los Angeles when the pandemic hit and we were all able to work remotely. That was not an option. So I had to weather the pandemic here in New York, and that just sort of makes you a New Yorker. We all went through hell together. And we're coming out on the other side. As a matter of fact, the other day I was cursing the traffic. Because during the pandemic you'd get anywhere in a minute, no traffic anywhere. And now the traffic is back. What do you miss most about L.A. ? It was home. My kids grew up there. My oldest was barely 5 when we moved there, and they went all to elementary school and high school, and came home from college to Los Angeles. [Both of Whitaker's children graduated from Harvard-Westlake.] Had a lot of great friends. And I knew the city backwards and forwards. I could get everywhere without getting on the 405. It's a great city. New Yorkers, still today, have a tendency to kind of look down their noses at L.A., that everybody's into appearances and whatever. And Im like, "Oh, OK, if that's what you think don't go. It's too crowded already." You were one among guests hosts on "Jeopardy!" who appeared last year after Alex Trebek's death. How was your experience on the show? All the craziness happened after I was on the show. How was my experience? Well, I realized that there's television news, and that I'm familiar with. But Hollywood television with the studios, and the cameras, and the angles that's a different animal. Got to hit your mark. The camera's swooping in from the sides, you've got to look at this one when you're announcing something. And another one over the contestants, you have to make sure you look at that one when you're introducing the other thing. There's a lot of moving parts there. With TV news I have one, maybe two cameras, and they're static, and I'm looking at them all. So I did 10 "Jeopardy!" shows and probably around show seven, I was like, OK, I've kind of got this. I'm happy I did it, and happy I have a day job that I love. Whitaker at his "60 Minutes" office at CBS News (Evelyn Freja / For The Times) (Evelyn Freja/For The Times) Did you find yourself recognized even more on the street by women of a certain age because of that additional exposure? Being recognized after I got to "60 Minutes" that was a shock to me. When I used to work in Los Angeles, the evening news comes on at 5:30. Lots of people are still commuting. I had a very public job but I was not a public figure. And I loved that. I could go to dinner, I could walk down the street, it just wasn't an issue. So I was not prepared for coming to New York and being on "60 Minutes," and having people stop you on the subway, stop you on the street, come over to you in the restaurants. I'm still not used to it. But "Jeopardy!" sort of pushed it up a notch. That was just after being on for two weeks. There's been a lot of discussion in the last few years about improving diversity in newsrooms. Are you seeing it in the numbers, and are you seeing it in the approach to topics? I'm certainly seeing it with "CBS Evening News." There are many more diverse faces on air. And what people don't see behind the scenes, there are many, many more people of color behind the scenes at CBS News. The topics, I think so, but only in that how we are dealing with our increasing diverse democracy is front and center. It is the news. It can't be avoided. So when I tell the story of George Floyd, I'm not telling a Black story, I'm telling the story of America. Similar with the border and all of these stories, you can't slice and dice American society, and American history, and American news and say there's this history over here but this is, Black history or Latino history. So it's unavoidable today. And also because of the diversity behind the cameras and in front of the cameras these stories are coming to the forefront. You've been to 61 countries for CBS News. What's your takeaway after seeing so much of the world? I've always found that there is a human connection. We all want the same things: to be able to care for our families, and to have peace, and to live an interesting and fulfilling life. That's universal. And it's kind of hard to sit here in the United States where we are so fortunate and often we look at the rest of the world as being dangerous, and depending on which continent we're talking about it could be backwards. And I have not found that to be the case at all. I was recently in Uganda for a story coming up in the fall, and it was - in the southwest corner of Uganda and it was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen in my life. And people were generous, and beautiful, and warm, and giving. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Trainer Richard Baltas stretches out the front leg of race horse Two Thirty Five on Aug. 21, 2019. (John Gibbins / The San Diego Union-Tribune) In early May, Corey Martinez, who is in charge of Santa Anitas video surveillance, was going through video of the stalls of horses entered to race on May 8, just double-checking whether the last administration of Lasix was within the time guidelines. But what he saw was surprising. An employee of trainer Richard Baltas was seen giving Noble Reflection a product by syringe into the horses mouth. Regardless of the type of medication, it is illegal to administer any medication within 24 hours of racing. The stewards were informed and the horse was scratched from the 10th race. Santa Anita then started an investigation, as did the California Horse Racing Board. The track essentially suspended Baltas on May 12, not allowing him to enter any horses at 1st/Racing tracks, which included Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. On Tuesday, the CHRB went one step further, issuing a complaint against Baltas alleging 23 counts of violating the rule dealing with the administration of medications after a horse has been entered, 23 counts of violating the trainers insurer rule and one count of conduct detrimental to racing. The trainers insurer rule says that the trainer, regardless of his presence around the horse, is responsible for its conditions and what substances are in its body. Those with knowledge of the investigation but not allowed to comment told the Los Angeles Times that Baltas was not personally seen administering anything to his horses. The offenses allegedly occurred between March 15 and May 8. Attorney Darrell Vienna, who represents Baltas, had no comment on the charges. A hearing has been set for July 1. The discovery by Martinez, prompted 1st/Racing chief operating officer Aidan Butler to ask for a review of video of other horses under Baltas care. What they found, according several people with knowledge of the investigation, is that there were multiple cases of the administration of an oral supplement, which was believed to be used to help breathing. Santa Anita officials, not wanting to comment publicly while an investigation was ongoing, had no explanation for why the previous alleged violations were not detected earlier. The complaint said that testing showed the presence of Higenamine and Paeonol, both supplements with no traditional performance-enhancing properties. Weve put so much effort in to making California the safest racing place around and that remains the charge, Butler told The Times last month. So, we will never put up with anyone messing around. The CHRB took it off of Santa Anitas enforcement plate with the complaint. After he was not permitted to race at Santa Anita, Baltas transferred all of his Southern California-based horses, about 80 of them, to other trainers. Baltas has since raced six times at Churchill Downs in Kentucky and once at Lone Star in Texas. Santa Anitas season ended Sunday. Before his Santa Anita suspension, Baltas had 164 starters with 24 wins, 34 seconds and 19 thirds, for purses in excess of $1.9 million. Baltas has been outspoken at Santa Anita in his criticism of trainer Bob Baffert. The hall of fame trainer is currently finishing a 90-day suspension after former Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day. Many of the details around the Medina Spirit positive test are in various stages of litigation. On April 21, 2021, Baltas got into a scuffle with Tim Yakteen, a former Baffert assistant. According to a CHRB incident report, Baltas said it started when Baltas told Yakteen, Your boy got away with it again, who Baltas said meant Baffert. Yakteen responded with expletives and soon they were rolling on the ground with no punches thrown. A security guard was slightly injured breaking it up. Both trainers were fined $500. The comment was made after two Baffert horses that tested positive for lidocaine in Arkansas were restored as winners after it was determined the substance was ingested because of contamination as horses in other barns also tested positive. While the suspension of Baffert was removed and the victories and purses restored, Baffert had to pay a fine because he was in violation of the trainers insurer rule. On the same day as the scuffle, Baffert asked for a security officer to visit his barn. According to a report by security officer William Griffin, Baffert said: Richard Baltas has been bad mouthing him for a couple of months now. Baffert stated, every time Baltas sees him, Baltas starts yelling at Baffert by stating, You guys are always cheating and always getting away with it. The report concluded with Baffert saying: I always felt like hes been jealous of me. I dont trust Baltas, he is very distrustful. Im glad they have cameras here. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WASHINGTON (AP) Senate bargainers reached agreement Tuesday on a bipartisan gun violence bill, potentially teeing up final passage by week's end on an incremental but landmark package that would stand as Congress response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against Democrats' urban-centered backers of firearms curbs. That makes it one of the most incendiary culture war battlefields in politics and a sensitive vote for some lawmakers, particularly Republicans who might alienate Second Amendment stalwarts. The legislation would toughen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers, require more sellers to conduct background checks and beef up penalties on gun traffickers. It also would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic bargainer, said would be fully paid for. Resolving one final hurdle that delayed the accord, the bill would prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic violence and not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns. The compromise prohibits guns for a person who has a current or recent former dating relationship with the victim. That is defined in part as one between people who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature." An offenders ability to own a gun could be restored after five years if theyve not committed another serious crime. On another late dispute, the bill would provide $750 million to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that have red flag" laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. States with red flag laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm's removal. Momentum in Congress for gun legislation has a history of waning quickly after mass shootings. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-week July 4th recess by this weekend. The legislation lacks far more potent proposals that President Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years, derailed by GOP opposition. These include banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Yet after 10 Black shoppers were killed last month in Buffalo, New York, and 19 children and two teachers died days later in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and some Republicans decided that this time, measured steps were preferable to Congress usual reaction to such horrors gridlock. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde, I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that Ive never seen before. He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety among voters not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful." This bill, Murphy said, would save thousands of lives." Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Top GOP bargainer Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of the pact, Some think it goes too far, others think it doesnt go far enough. And I get it. Its the nature of compromise." But he added, I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. Im confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction." In a positive sign about its fate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voiced his support, calling it a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, expressed opposition. It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners," the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans especially in the House would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most hard-right voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the proposal. In another measure of conservative sentiment, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that the bill ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a possible White House contender, said it would restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials. The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Cornyn told reporters that he expected at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip have yielded only stalemate in Washington. Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing," Murphy said. This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives. The bill would require that federal background checks for gun buyers age 18 to 20 include examination of the purchaser's juvenile record. That could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The suspects in the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old, a profile that matches many recent mass shooters. There would be hundreds of millions of dollars to expand community behavioral health centers, telemedicine visits for mental specialists and train first responders to handle people with mental health issues. More than $2 billion would be provided to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. ___ Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is questioned by reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2022 REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A bipartisan group of lawmakers released the first significant gun control legislation in decades on Tuesday, paving the way for the U.S. Senate to move to a vote this week, following two mass shootings that killed dozens of people and sent shock waves through a nation plagued by gun violence. The 80-page bill includes provisions that would help states keep guns out of the hands of those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others and close the so-called boyfriend loophole by blocking gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners. After mass shootings at a New York grocery store and a Texas elementary school that authorities said were committed by teenagers, the legislation would allow states to provide juvenile records to the national background check system for gun purchases. Lawmakers said the Senate was likely to take its first procedural vote later on Tuesday on a motion to proceed to a bill from the House of Representatives that would serve as the Senate's legislative vehicle. "I believe that this week, we will pass legislation that will become the most significant piece of anti-gun-violence legislation Congress will have passed in 30 years. This is a breakthrough," Senator Chris Murphy, the lead Democrat in the talks, said on the Senate floor. "And more importantly, it is a bipartisan breakthrough." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged to move forward as soon as possible, with an expected motion to proceed. "This bipartisan gun-safety legislation is progress and will save lives. While it is not everything we want, this legislation is urgently needed," Schumer said in a statement. Schumer's Republican counterpart, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, called the legislation "a commonsense package" in a statement pledging his own support. With the 100-seat Senate split evenly, the legislation will need support from at least 10 Republicans to pass a procedural hurdle. The biggest gun lobby in the country, the National Rifle Association, said on Twitter that it opposed the legislation because it could be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases. The politically powerful group's statement could affect how many Republicans vote on the measure. Senator John Cornyn, the lead Republican negotiator in the bipartisan talks, held out hope the legislation would succeed. "We know there's no such thing as a perfect piece of legislation. We are imperfect human beings. But we have to try, and I believe this bill is a step in the right direction," Cornyn said on the Senate floor. The legislation's release on Tuesday would help ensure the odds of Senate passage before lawmakers leave for their two-week July 4 break. Some aides suggested lawmakers could stay into the weekend to vote on the bill. The bipartisan group has been working on a deal to curb gun violence since a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, less than two weeks after 10 people were killed in a racist shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. "RED FLAG LAWS" The measure announced on Tuesday does not go as far as Democrats including President Joe Biden had sought. Still, if passed, it would be the most significant action to combat gun violence to emerge from Congress in years. Lawmakers reached agreement on a provision to encourage states to adopt "red flag" laws, in which guns can be temporarily taken away from people who are deemed dangerous. It also provides funding for states that use other forms of intervention to accomplish the same outcome. The bill also aims to close the "boyfriend loophole" by allowing authorities to block gun purchases by those convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse against partners to whom they are not married. (Reporting by David Morgan; Additional reporting by Moira Warburton and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler) Researchers and military figures associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its nuclear program and its missile-development industry have either died after a series of mysterious incidents or were killed in planned assassinations over the past few weeks, according to the country's local media. Some officials in Iran and other experts said they believe that the deaths -- which are happening amid increasing international tensions over Iran's nuclear and missile programs -- could be linked. A commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said on Monday that the death of one of the "employees" at the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran was due to "industrial sabotage." General Mohammad Reza Hasani-Ahangar, commander of the IRGC-affiliate military university of Imam Hussein, was referring to a May 26 explosion at the facility, in which Ehsan Qadbeigi, an engineer working at one of the research units, was killed. Parchin houses several industrial and research units. MORE: Bloody protests in Iran are not just about food prices On June 12, Ali Kamani, a junior officer of the IRGC Aerospace Force, died in a car accident in Khomein, a town in central Iran, according to a provincial IRGC statement. The statement offered condolences to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and tagged Kamani as a "martyr" who worked for the aerospace force of the IRGC. Within a few hours of that announcement, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported the death of another officer of the aerospace force, Mohammad Abdoos, who was "martyred" while on a "mission" in Semnan, a northern province and home to a space launch center. PHOTO: This satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows a rocket preparing to be erected at a launch pad at Imam Khomeini Space Center southeast of Semnan, Iran, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Maxar Technologies via AP) Abdoos was also named a "martyr" in the report from Fars News, which is known to be close to the IRGC. The report did not provide an explanation for how he died. "I think [this series of deaths] can indeed be linked, especially in the case of two deaths on the same day," Farzin Nadimi, an associate fellow with The Washington Institute, told ABC News. He specializes in security and defense in Iran and the Gulf region. Explaining the sensitivity of the IRGC units where Kamani used to serve, Nadimi said that the IRGC's Aerospace Force "operates both ballistic missiles and suicide and armed drones, at what appears to be a logistical base in central Iran which might have been involved in the IRGC's logistical air bridge to Lebanese Hezbollah." Abdoos used to work at the Aerospace Organization of Iran's Ministry of Defense, which works on the design and development of ballistic and cruise missiles. MORE: Iran celebrates revolution's anniversary with defiant tone amid nuclear talks "There are a large number of missile development and test centers in Semnan, where he reportedly died 'in the line of duty,'" Nadimi said. The two incidents followed another mysterious death of an aerospace engineer. Ayoob Entezari died after allegedly being poisoned, his relatives said, claiming that he had received death threats before he passed away. Iranian judicial authorities, however, said he had not been a scientist but an ordinary employee of an industrial company and had passed away in a hospital after being sick. The deaths of the aerospace-related officers happened a few weeks after two other mysterious deaths. Colonel Ali Esmailzadeh, a commander of the notorious Quds Force, IRGC's external operations unit, died on May 30 after falling from the roof of his home in Karaj, west of Tehran, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Esmailzadeh was a colleague of Colonel Hassan Sayyad-Khodaei, who was shot dead in his car outside his home in Tehran in broad daylight on May 22. PHOTO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the 33rd anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran, on June 4, 2022. (West Asia News Agency via Reuters) General Hossein Salami, IRGC's commander-in-chief, appeared to say that the U.S. and Israel are responsible for Sayyed-Khodaei's killing, adding that Tehran would get revenge. "The enemy, from the heart of the White House and Tel Aviv, followed him for months and years, door-to-door and alley-to-alley to kill him God willing we will take revenge," he said. "If those deaths are indeed linked, and of 'unnatural' causes, Israel's Mossad could be one of the main suspects," Nadimi said. Nadimi added that "we cannot say anything with total certainty" about who was involved, "as the nature of such works is." The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. Iran embarked on expanded drone operations against Israel beginning in February 2018 when the Islamic Republic launched a drone from Syria. It tried again in 2021, launching two drones from Iraq earlier in the year. MORE: Biden's mounting nuclear threats from North Korea, Iran According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz has discussed drone threats from Iran many times over the last year. That report detailed how Iran has been training drone operators from the region. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday warned Iranian proxies that they would pay if they participate in Iran's plots. "We are currently witnessing Iranian attempts to attack Israelis in various overseas locations," Bennet said at his weekly cabinet meeting. "The security services are working to thwart attempted attacks before they are launched. We will continue to strike those who send the terrorists. Our new rule is: Whoever sends -- pays." The deaths came amid attempts by international officials to save the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, between Iran and world powers. With the negotiations stalled, Iran's nuclear capabilities, including its uranium enrichment level, signal the country is the closest its ever been to making a nuclear weapon, experts warn. Iran's "stockpile of uranium is now enriched to 60%, close to the roughly 90% weapons -- and in a form that can be enriched further," the International Atomic Energy Agency told ABC News in late May. "It grew from 9.9 kg to 43.1 kg. This number is approximate amount for manufacturing a nuclear explosive device. This possibility cannot be excluded." Israel opposes the JCPOA and the negotiations to restore it, saying it is "giving in to Iran's nuclear blackmail." "Iran won't just keep its nuclear program; from today, they'll be getting paid for it," Bennett said in an official message in November, amid talks to resume the deal. The Islamic Republic, which is under tough economic sanctions, said it is still interested in pursuing talks. "Iran won't distance itself from result-oriented talks," Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Twitter on Friday. Calling on the U.S. "to be realistic" and to "abandon sanctions lunacy," Amirabdollahian invited the IAEA to focus on "technical duties" instead of adopting a "politicized approach." Tehran accused the IAEA of politicizing its nuclear case and referencing "fake documents" in the verification process of its nuclear program, including what Israel provides to the agency. Israel has openly boasted about its intelligence operation's influence on Iran's nuclear program. PHOTO: In this May 23, 2021, photo, the Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna, Austria. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters) Bennet on May 31 uploaded an extensive stock of secret documents of Iran's nuclear program and shared the link with public access via his Twitter account, saying, "We got our hands on Iran's deception plan." U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price declined to comment June 16 about the possibility of the Iranian deaths being linked. He highlighted the White House's commitment to its allies, saying, "Iran will never be able to acquire a nuclear weapon." Tel Aviv has announced that it has embarked on a new policy described as "a turning point in the Israeli strategy vis-a-vis Iran," which it's dubbed the "Octopus Doctrine." "In the past year, the State of Israel has taken action against the head of the terrorist octopus and not just against the arms as was done in previous decades," Bennett said earlier this month. "The days of immunity, in which Iran attacks Israel and spreads terrorism via its regional proxies but remains unscathed -- are over." MORE: Blinken meets Israel, Arab partners as looming renewed Iran deal rattles ties Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi made it clear that Iran is determined to take revenge for the recent deaths. "I have no doubt that revenge against the criminals for the blood of this martyr is assured," Raisi said a day after the death of Colonel Sayyad-Khodaei. The "Iranian regime and especially the IRGC are certainly conducting a major counterintelligence house sweep right now to identify and get rid of any foreign spy," Nadimi said, emphasizing that "those deaths will not have any effect on Iran's nuclear or regional policies." Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday urged citizens in Turkey to leave "as soon as possible" over threats that Iranian operatives are actively planning attacks on Israelis in Istanbul. "Following the events of recent weeks in Turkey and after a series of attempts at Iranian terrorist attacks against Israelis who went on vacation in Istanbul, we call on Israelis not to fly to Istanbul and if you have no vital need do not fly to Turkey," Lapid said on Twitter. Iranian officers' mysterious deaths probed amid rising tensions with Israel originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, testifies Tuesday at the fourth hearing of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The fourth hearing of the House select committee investigating Jan. 6 focused Tuesday on the pressure former President Trump and his allies put on public officials to overturn results in key states. Led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), alongside committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R- Wyo.), the hearing featured testimony from the Republican Arizona House speaker, two officials from the Georgia Secretary of States office and a pair of former Fulton County, Ga., election workers. Here are some key takeaways from the hearing: The committee gets its star witness Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, a Republican first elected to the Legislature nearly 30 years ago, appeared in person before the committee, which GOP members of Congress have panned as a partisan panel given only two Republicans serve on the nine-member committee. Bowers' profile as a conservative Republican who put country over party provided the panel with a witness whose testimony delivered a message to partisans opposed to the hearings : The attack on the Capitol should be viewed as an attack against America rather than through a political lens. Bowers, who detailed appeals from the former president and his allies who encouraged him to violate his oath of office to help Trump stay in the White House, began his testimony by denying Trumps claim that he had told the president in November 2020 that Arizonas election was rigged and Trump had won. I did have a conversation with the president. That certainly isnt it, Bowers told Schiff, adding that he had never said anywhere, [to] anyone,[at] anytime that the election was rigged. Bowers told the committee he had asked Trump's lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani on multiple occasions for evidence of voter fraud in Arizona but never received any. He repeatedly stressed that he would not violate his oath. Still, Bowers testified, Giuliani would argue, Arent we all Republicans here? "He said, Weve got lots of theories. We just dont have the evidence," Bowers said of Giuliani. "And I dont know if that was a gaffe or maybe he didnt think through what he said, but both myself and others in my group both remembered that specifically and afterwards kind of laughed about it. When he learned that a secret group of alternate electors had met privately in Arizona and sent their electoral votes to Washington, Bowers recalled thinking of the book, The Gang That Couldnt Shoot Straight. I just thought, This is a tragic parody, Bowers said. He also read aloud a personal journal entry from December 2020 in which he drew on his faith: It is painful to have friends who have been such a help to me turn on me with such rancor. I may in the eyes of men not hold correct opinions or act according to their vision or convictions, but I do not take this current situation in a light manner, a fearful manner or a vengeful manner. I do not want to be a winner by cheating. I will not play with laws I swore allegiance to. With any contrived desire towards deflection of my deep foundational desire to follow Gods will, as I believe He led my conscience to embrace. How else will I ever approach Him in the wilderness of life knowing that I ask of this guidance only to show myself a coward in defending the course He led me to take? Following the end of Bowers' testimony, Schiff, Cheney and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) all approached him and gave him a hug while thanking him for his words. Trump ignored warnings that 'someone's going to get killed' The committee showed a now well-known video clip of Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer of the Georgia Secretary of States office, speaking on Dec. 1, 2020. Acknowledging that Trump likely lost the state of Georgia, Sterling urged the outgoing president to stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someones going to get hurt, he warned at the time. Someones going to get shot. Someones going to get killed. And its not right. Its not right. The committee highlighted a retweet from Trump, who added a response to a tweet quoting Sterling that day. The original tweet also included a video clip of Sterlings remarks. The fact that Trump implicitly acknowledged the original post by retweeting it from his Twitter account suggests he was aware of the harm his rhetoric could inspire well before Jan. 6, 2021, when Congress was set to meet to certify the results of the presidential election. Sterling said one particular tweet accusing a first generation American of treason with a GIF of a noose led him to his boiling point. I lost it, Sterling said. I just got irate. Trying to counter the presidents megaphone was frustrating, Sterling testified. Oftentimes, I felt our information was getting out but that there was a reticence of people who needed to believe it to believe it because the president of the United States, who many looked up to and respected, was telling them it wasnt true, despite the facts," he said. He likened the effort to using a shovel trying to empty the ocean. The problem you have, Sterling continued, is youre getting to peoples hearts. Sterling recalled walking an attorney through five or six claims that were untrue. The attorney told him, 'OK, I get that,' Sterling said, but at the end he goes, I just know in my heart they cheated.' Once you get past the heart, the facts dont matter as much, Sterling concluded. Faith reemerges in another hearing At a hearing last week, staff for former Vice President Mike Pence said the team prayed on the morning of Jan. 6. Former Pence aide Greg Jacob told the panel Thursday his faith "sustained" him through the insurrection, during which he read through his Bible. Tuesdays hearing showed that faith played a prominent role in others lives as well during the days following the election. Bowers said he leaned on his faith to explain why he rejected the Trump teams pleas. It is a tenet of my faith that the Constitution is divinely inspired by my most basic foundational beliefs, and so for me to do that because somebody just asked me to is foreign to my very being, he said. I will not do it. In her closing remarks, Cheney co-signed Bowers comment. The Constitution is indeed a divinely inspired document, she said. She said that Tuesdays hearing reminded the nation what it means to take an oath, under God, to the Constitution. In an interview clip broadcast by the committee, former Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman introduced herself to investigators and invoked her faith in God. Ive always believed in when God says that hell make your name great, but this is not the way it was supposed to be, said Freeman, a Black small business owner. She was alluding to the chaos that enveloped her and her daughters lives after Trump and Giuliani singled them out for allegedly in Giulianis words during a Georgia Senate hearing engaging in surreptitious illegal activity on election day. Freeman's daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, testified in person Tuesday to the racist threats she received with her mother seated behind her. The cost of standing up to Trump When the committee breaks for recess or adjourns a hearing, Thompson asks everyone in the hearing room to remain seated while committee members are escorted out by Capitol Police. But Tuesday's hearing demonstrated the scope of safety concerns emanating from Trump's false claims of voter fraud. Bowers, the Arizona House speaker, said he has been inundated with tens of thousands of emails, voicemails and text messages and has had to adjust to having unwanted visitors at his home on Saturdays. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's cellphone number and email address were posted online, and his wife has been targeted with sexualized text messages," he said. Moss has dealt with death threats, and the FBI advised her mother, Freeman, to leave her home for her own safety. The threats and harassment have made plain the cost of standing up to Trump and defending the Constitution, according to Tuesday's witness testimony. It is the new pattern or a pattern in our lives to worry what will happen on Saturdays because we have various groups come by. And they have had video panel trucks with videos of me, proclaiming me to be a pedophile and a pervert and a corrupt politician and blaring loudspeakers in my neighborhood and leaving literature both on my property and arguing and threatening with neighbors and with myself, Bowers said. Some people broke into my daughter-in-laws home, Raffensperger testified. My son has passed, and shes a widow and has two kids. And so were very concerned about her safety, too. Moss said she's gotten racist threats on social media, where people have told her she and her mother will go to prison. She also detailed a call she received from her grandmother, who told Moss that people had come to her home in an attempt to make a citizen's arrest. Moss told the committee she blames herself for putting her family in this position by choosing to become, of all things, an election worker. I no longer give out my business card. I dont transfer calls, Moss said. I dont want anyone knowing my name. I dont want to go anywhere with my mom because she might yell my name out. I havent been anywhere at all. Ive gained about 60 pounds. I just dont do nothing anymore. I dont want to go anywhere. I second-guess everything that I do. Its affected my life in a major way in every way. All because of lies from me doing my job. Same thing Ive been doing forever. In her video testimony, Freeman, who is known to her customers and friends by the name "Miss Ruby," said Ive lost my name, and Ive lost my reputation. Ive lost my sense of security, all because a group of people starting with No. 45 and his ally, Rudy Giuliani, decided to scapegoat me and my daughter, Shaye, to push their own lies about how the presidential election was stolen, Freeman said. For a while, she said, she even lost her home. Around the week of Jan. 6, the FBI informed me that I needed to leave my home for safety, and I left my home for safety around that time, Freeman said. I stayed away from my home for approximately two months. It was horrible. I felt homeless. I felt, you know, I cant believe I cant believe this person has caused this much damage to me and my family, to have to leave my home. In his closing statement, Schiff invoked Freemans remark that that Trump was supposed to be the president of every American, not target them. If the most powerful person in the world can bring the full weight of the presidency down on an ordinary citizen who was merely doing her job with a lie as big and as heavy as a mountain, who among us is safe? Schiff said. None of us is. None of us. Times staff writer Anumita Kaur contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Former President Donald Trump played a central role in the coordinated effort to send slates of fake electors to Washington as part of his attempt to hold onto power after his 2020 election loss, House investigators revealed Tuesday. Trump and one of the lawyers who led his push to overturn the 2020 election result, Rudy Giuliani, told Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, a Republican, that the goal of their effort was to have him replace electors for Joe Biden, who had won the state, with electors for Trump, despite having no evidence to back up their claims of voter fraud, according to Bowerss testimony. In a phone call shortly after the election, Trump and Giuliani asked Bowers for a special hearing of the Arizona House of Representatives to remove Bidens electors, Bowers testified Tuesday. We have heard by an official high up in the Republican Legislature that there is a legal theory or a legal ability in Arizona, that you can remove the electors of President Biden and replace them. And we would like to have the legitimate opportunity for the committee to come to that end and remove that, Bowers said Trump and Giuliani told him. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., at the House select committee hearing on Tuesday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) An enlargement of an email shown during the committee hearing. (House TV) Bowers said he repeatedly asked Trumps lawyers for the evidence of dead people voting, which they repeatedly claimed to have but never provided. Eventually, Giuliani admitted to him they had no evidence, Bowers said. Weve got lots of theories, we just dont have the evidence, Bowers said Giuliani told him. In his personal diary for the month of December 2020, Bowers wrote, I do not want to be a winner by cheating. I will not play with laws I have pledged allegiance to. Later that month, Trump called Bowers again to pressure him to overturn his election loss, and a few days later one of the other leaders of Trumps election effort, John Eastman, called Bowers and asked him to flatly decertify the electors for Biden. After Bowers said it would violate his oath to uphold the Constitution, Eastman told him, Just do it and let the courts sort it out. Trumps attempts to send fake electors people who would illegally cast ballots for him in Washington in a drive to overturn his 2020 election loss formed the centerpiece of the House Jan. 6 committees fourth hearing on what members of that panel have dubbed Trumps attempted coup on Jan. 6, 2021. Text communication between Sean Riley, an aide to Sen. Ron Johnson, and Chris Hodgson, former legislative director for then Vice President Mike Pence, displayed at the committee hearing. (House TV) And members of the committee, as they have in the three previous hearings, again tied the efforts to overturn the election results back to Trump himself arguing that he was aware what he was doing was illegal but did it anyway. President Trump and his campaign were directly involved in advancing and coordinating the plot to replace legitimate Biden electors with fake electors not chosen by the voters, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Tuesdays hearing. According to a video shown by the committee, Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to Trumps then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified that Meadows, Giuliani and members of Congress whose names she didnt remember had been involved in meetings around Thanksgiving 2020 to submit fake electors. Hutchinson also testified that the then White House counsels office told the same group that attempting the scheme would not be legally sound. Schiff with House select committee Chair Bennie Thompson. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images) Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, a longtime Trump ally, testified that Trump called her and then handed the phone to Eastman, who requested that the RNC help collect names of fake electors for submission in case Trump won. The RNCs role was more just helping them reach out and assemble them, but my understanding is the campaign did take the lead and we just were helping them, McDaniel testified. Former Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark and former Vice President Mike Pence's longtime counsel Matt Morgan also testified that they told another Trump lawyer coordinating the fake elector scheme, Kenneth Chesebro, that they wanted nothing to do with the effort. And one of the fake electors, former Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt, testified that he and others had been guaranteed by Trumps legal team that their signed forms would be submitted only if courts sided with Trump which they did not. That would have been using our electors in ways we were not told about and we wouldnt have supported, Hitt said in video testimony. In one stunning anecdote, former Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox recounted how a group of Trumps fake electors in Michigan debated hiding overnight in the Michigan Capitol so that they could fulfill the role of casting their vote, per law, in the Michigan chambers. John Eastman, a former lawyer for Trump, appears on screen during the hearing. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) I told [fake elector Robert Norton] in no uncertain terms that was insane and inappropriate, Cox said. Groups of fake electors met in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in December 2020 and later submitted falsified slates of electors, which committee staff said they were urged to do by the Trump campaign. In an email obtained by the committee, Eastman claimed that the fact that we have multiple slates of electors demonstrates the uncertainty of either. That should be enough. In previous hearings, Trump aides and others testified that a central goal of Eastmans tactic was to cause enough confusion to delay formal certification of Bidens victory thereby throwing the transition of power into chaos. Shortly before Pence presided over the Jan. 6 certification of Bidens win, as rioters were descending on the Capitol, a staffer for Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., attempted to hand-deliver fake certificates of electors to Pence. Johnson needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advise, Johnson aide Sean Riley texted Pences former director of legislative affairs, Chris Hodgson, according to evidence shown by the committee. Hodgson replied, What is it? Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didnt receive them, Riley said. Hodgson replied, Do not give that to him. _____ The rioters got within two doors of Vice President Mike Pence's office. See how in this 3D explainer from Yahoo Immersive. Gustavo Petro shows his ballot before voting in the presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday. He won. (Fernando Vergara / Associated Press) Its one of the United States few enduring alliances in an often-turbulent Latin America, one built around a decades-long partnership combating the nations drug cartels. But Gustavo Petros election as Colombias first leftist president is likely to test the U.S. special relationship with a major non-NATO ally like never before. During the hard fought contest, Petro, a former guerrilla, took aim at forced coca eradication and extradition centerpieces of the U.S.-backed drug war as well as a free trade agreement with the U.S. he blames for impoverishing Colombian farmers. It remains to be seen whether he can implement his progressive agenda amid a fractured Congress and opposition from powerful elites. But just his promise of sweeping change in a country that has long been a bulwark of regional stability has many in Washington on edge even if tracks the lefts resurgence throughout Latin America and was embraced by millions of Colombians fed up with enormous inequality and social injustice. Our combined efforts to combat transnational crime are over, said Kevin Whitaker, a retired U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador in Bogota from 2014 to 2019. Theres no doubt that hes going about this in a very different manner. But while Whitaker is skeptical of Petros motives and effectiveness as a leader, he said he couldnt be in more agreement with his campaigns overarching focus: boosting the presence of the state, not just security forces, in the long-neglected countryside. If he is able to explain his plan to the U.S., and bridge the deep urban-rural divide that has long been Colombias biggest challenge, then it doesnt have to be a conflictive relationship, said Whitaker. The U.S. helped Colombia pull back from the brink in 1999 with the launch of Plan Colombia to counter drug trafficking and the guerrillas who funded their insurgency through the transport of cocaine. Since then, successive Republican and Democratic administrations have provided more than $13 billion in military and economic assistance to Colombia vastly more than any other country in Latin America. Petro, 62, during the campaign criticized the linchpins of that bipartisan strategy. On extradition, he said his government would prioritize truth-telling and compensation for the victims of powerful criminal groups rather than sending capos to the U.S. to face justice. Every year, under special presidential order, Colombia extradites dozens of drug traffickers charged in the U.S. He also attacked the forced eradication of coca the base ingredient of cocaine for criminalizing otherwise law-abiding peasants and proving ineffective in reining in a record harvest. Instead, he would favor expanding crop substitution programs that provide credit, training and land rights to rural farmers. All of Petros goals, however admirable, face huge obstacles. In the U.S., a large bureaucracy consisting of hundreds of federal law enforcement agents has built up around close cooperation that will be difficult to unwind, says Whitaker. Petro is also likely to face stiff resistance from inside the Colombian armed forces, whose influence has expanded greatly on the back of U.S. assistance and training. Then there are the criminals themselves, who are unlikely to stand by idly if their profits are threatened. Despite being enshrined in a 2016 peace accord with the countrys largest rebel groups, voluntary crop substitution accounted for less than 1% of the 130,147 hectares of coca fields eradicated in 2020 a sign of just how tenuous the states presence remains outside urban centers. A significant dialing back of the security component would strengthen the hands of the criminal actors and would be a point of friction with the U.S., said Cynthia Arnson, a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington and a longtime observer of Colombia. In other areas, such as trade and Venezuela, Petro could also clash with the U.S. His campaign platform calls for the creation of smart tariffs to protect Colombias countryside from agricultural imports allowed under a decade old free trade agreement with the U.S. On Venezuela, he would reestablish relations with Nicolas Maduros socialist government a move likely to anger many Republicans in Congress and unsettle the nearly 2 million Venezuelan migrants who have sought refuge in Colombia. So far, Petro has avoided fueling any discord. In a 40-minute victory speech, he didnt mention the drug war once and his only reference to the U.S. was a call for dialogue to jointly address climate change a priority for the Biden administration. Its time to sit down with the United States and talk about what it means the fact that they, like no other country in the Americas, are the source of greenhouse gases that we absorb in our Amazonian jungle, he said. The U.S. has been similarly restrained, touting the fact that Petros victory came on the 200th anniversary of the day Colombia became the first former Spanish colony to be recognized as an independent state by the U.S. On Tuesday, President Biden spoke with Petro, congratulating him and Vice President Francia Marquez a prominent environmental activist on their election. During the call, Biden underscored his interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation on climate change, health security and implementation of the peace accord, according to the White House. President Biden also welcomed the opportunity to discuss bilateral security and counternarcotics cooperation, the White House said in a statement. But while Petro, a former senator and mayor of the capital, Bogota, has been a fixture of politics for decades, the U.S. has had only limited contact with him over the years. That in part reflects what, until recently, had been the limited prospects for the left in the socially conservative country. But the 2016 peace deal lifted many activists fears and breathed life into new demands by younger Colombians less burdened by the bloody conflict. Petro, after losing the 2018 presidential contest, then skillfully rode the wave of discontent, benefiting from protests during the pandemic that paralyzed the outgoing conservative government of Ivan Duque and laid bare the consequences of inequality worse than any other country in Latin America except Brazil. During Petros slow rise, U.S. officials described him alternately as a radical populist in the mold of the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, according to a 2006 secret U.S. Embassy cable published by pro-transparency group Wikileaks, or pragmatic, according to another report sent two years later. Whichever leadership style he embraces as president remains to be seen. But Petro has already made clear that in contrast with his predecessors, hes likely to look less to Washington and seek closer ties with fellow leftists in places such as Mexico, Chile and Argentina. The opportunity for the U.S. to influence the direction of his government has also been limited by the departure this month of Ambassador Philip Goldberg to take up his new assignment in South Korea. The Biden administration has yet to nominate a replacement. Its beyond disappointing that the Biden team has not nominated an ambassador to shepherd U.S. policy through this critical transition period, said John Feeley, a former U.S. ambassador to Panama who also served as a diplomat in Colombia during the hunt for Medellin cartel boss Pablo Escobar in the 1990s. They cant blame Republican obstructionism in the Senate for this one and they would do well to announce a nominee ASAP. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. In this Oct. 3, 2016, file photo, Justin Ross Harris listens during his trial at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga. (Stephen B. Morton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) ATLANTA (AP) Georgia's highest court on Wednesday overturned the murder and child cruelty convictions against a man whose toddler son died after he left him in a hot car for hours, saying the jury saw evidence that was extremely and unfairly prejudicial. Justin Ross Harris, 41, was convicted in November 2016 on eight counts including malice murder in the death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. A judge sentenced him to life without parole as well as 32 more years in prison for other crimes. All of the Georgia Supreme Court justices agreed that there was sufficient evidence to support Harris' convictions, but the majority opinion written by Chief Justice David Nahmias says that much of the evidence having to do with Harris' sexual activities shouldn't have been admitted and may have improperly influence the jury. The ruling means that Harris is entitled to a new trial on the murder and child cruelty charges against him. The high court upheld Harris convictions on three sex crimes committed against a 16-year-old girl that Harris had not appealed. The Cobb County District Attorney's office, which prosecuted the case, and a lawyer for Harris did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. 'Extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence' Prosecutors argued that Harris was unhappy in his marriage and intentionally killed his son to free himself. To support this theory, they presented extensive evidence of extramarital sexual activities that he engaged in, including exchanging sexually explicit messages and graphic photos with women and girls and meeting some of them for sex. The 6-3 majority opinion says that the jury heard and saw an extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence. It says that as prosecutors painted Harris as a man who "intentionally and maliciously" abandoned his child to die in the summer heat, they also presented a substantial amount of evidence to lead the jury to answer a different and more legally problematic question: what kind of man is (Harris)? Harris, who moved from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to the Atlanta area for work in 2012, told police he forgot to drop his son off at day care on the morning of June 18, 2014, driving straight to his job as a web developer for Home Depot without remembering that Cooper was still in his car seat. Cooper died after sitting for about seven hours in the back seat of the vehicle outside his fathers office in suburban Atlanta, where temperatures that day reached at least into the high 80s. Defense attorneys described him as a doting father and said the boys death was a tragic accident. Justice Charlie Bethel wrote a partial dissent that was joined by Justice Shawn LaGrua and Justice Verda Colvin. He said the state was entitled to introduce, in detail, evidence of the nature, scope, and extent of the truly sinister motive it ascribed to Harris. For that reason, Bethel wrote, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the challenged evidence. VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis on Wednesday blasted the violence that plagues Mexico as he mourned the slayings of two of his brother Jesuits who were gunned down in a remote Mexican church by apparent drug gang members. Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, offered prayers to the Jesuit community at the end of his weekly general audience, saying he was saddened and dismayed to learn of the slayings in Mexico's mountainous Chihuahua state. How may killings there are in Mexico! he said. Once again, I repeat that violence never resolves problems but just increases useless suffering. Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar, 80, were killed Monday inside the church in Cerocahui. A man being pursued by a drug gang had apparently sought refuge in the church, and the gang members killed him and the priests when they found him, authorities said. Francis ministered to drug addicts when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires and has long condemned the dealers of death who fuel the drug trade, which he has blamed on the devil and lust for money. During a 2016 visit to Mexico, he urged Mexicans to shun the trade, Prince William is speaking out about the protests he and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge faced during their tour of the Caribbean. William addressed their trip in a speech Wednesday at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument, which honors those who arrived in the U.K. from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971. Windrush Day, commemorated annually on June 22, is the day Caribbean immigrants arrived on Britain's shores on the ship Empire Windrush, in 1948. "Our trip was an opportunity to reflect, and we learnt so much. Not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present," William said. "Sadly, that is also the case for members of the Windrush Generation who were victims of racism when they arrived here, and discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for Black men and women in Britain in 2022." PHOTO: Prince William speaks during the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station in London, June 22, 2022. (John Sibley/Pool Photo via AP) During their Caribbean tour in March -- meant as a gesture of gratitude for the Commonwealth's support of Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated 70 years on the throne earlier in June -- William and Kate were forced to cancel a stop in Belize when protests broke out ahead of their arrival. The protests, led by indigenous people, some holding signs against colonialism, prompted the couple change their initial plans and visit another local cocoa farm instead of the one they originally planned to tour in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. MORE: Prince William celebrates 40th birthday Elsewhere that week, when the couple arrived in Jamaica, protesters gathered in the capital city of Kingston to protest the visit. A group known as the Advocates Network also published an open letter protesting the royals' visit to the Caribbean nations that make up the British Commonwealth, saying that British rule had over the years "perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind," the enslavement of African people in the region. As monarch, Elizabeth is the head of the British Commonwealth, which represents 54 nations, including Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas, which William and Kate also visited. The Caribbean nation of Barbados parted ways with the Commonwealth in late 2021, officially becoming a republic and cutting ties with the queen. MORE: Prince William, Kate appear at Garter Day as Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew skip public events In his speech Wednesday, William recognized what is known as the Windrush Scandal, when Caribbean immigrants in the U.K. were incorrectly targeted by immigration enforcement for deportation. "Only a matter of years ago, tens of thousands of that generation were profoundly wronged by the Windrush Scandal," William said. "That rightly reverberates throughout the Caribbean community here in the U.K. as well as many in the Caribbean nations." "Therefore, alongside celebrating the diverse fabric of our families, our communities and our society as a whole -- something the Windrush Generation has contributed so much to -- it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass," he continued. "Diversity is what makes us strong, and it is what reflects the modern, outward-looking values that are so important to our country." In addition to their stop at the National Windrush Monument, William and Kate spent time on Wednesday with younger members of the British-Caribbean community. PHOTO: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, speaks to children as they attend the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station in London, June 22, 2022. (John Sibley/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) PHOTO: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, meet with members of the association ELEVATE, which focus on the creative and cultural sector for the young ones, at Brixton House, in London, June 22, 2022. (Eddie Mulholland/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) PHOTO: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge uses a camera as she meets with members of the association ELEVATE, which focus on the creative and cultural sector for the young ones, at Brixton House, in London, June 22, 2022. (Eddie Mulholland/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The couple visited the Brixton House in South London and met with children taking part in Elevate, an initiative to "connect young people with creativity," according to its website. Prince William addresses Caribbean tour controversy, colonialism in new speech originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said the European Union could green-light Ukraine's candidacy into the bloc this week. (Nariman El-Mofty / Associated Press) A Ukrainian official overseeing the countrys push to join the European Union said Wednesday that shes 100% certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraine's EU candidacy during a summit this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed similar optimism, calling it a crucial moment for Ukraine. Ukraines membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In an interview with the Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders' summit starts. Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russias invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%. The EUs executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraines candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commission's endorsement as a game-changer that had cut the ground from under the legs of those most hesitating." EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Ukraine's full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law. Stefanishyna said she thinks Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast. Were already very much integrated in the European Union, she said. We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years. To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms. In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelensky described the Brussels summit as two decisive days that, like Stefanishyna, he thinks will result in approval of Ukraine's EU candidacy. That is a very crucial moment for us. For some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness," the Ukrainian president said. "In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivation factor for the unity and victory of the Ukraine people. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelensky on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraines candidate status. Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law," De Croo said. "But I am convinced that it is precisely the [postwar] reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward. Zelensky said he spoke with a total of 11 EU leaders Wednesday, following calls with nine the day before, in another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. In other developments: Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been coldly executed during the first weeks of the war as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers. Zelensky said Russian forces were carrying out very heavy air and artillery strikes in the eastern Donbas. Step by step they want to destroy all of the Donbas. All of it," he said in his nightly video address. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said in some battles, for every artillery shell Ukrainian forces fire, the Russian army fires at least six. Russian forces captured three villages in the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Wednesday. He said the villages are near Lysychansk, the last city in Luhansk still fully under Ukrainian control. Russian forces continued shelling Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, and nearby towns, killing 10 people, including five women in the village of Pryshyb, Gov. Oleh Sinegubov said. All four of the medium-range rocket systems that the U.S. provided to Ukraine several weeks ago are now in the country in the hands of Ukrainian forces but it is not clear if they have used them yet, a U.S. defense official said. The high-mobility artillery rocket systems will give the Ukrainians greater precision in targeting Russian assets. The rockets generally can travel about 45 miles. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military details. Russian officials said a drone strike caused a fire at the largest oil refinery in southern Russia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a piece of machinery at the Novoshakhtinsk plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. Authorities said dozens of firefighters quickly contained the fire and no one was hurt. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the strike. Turkeys Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a Turkish ship was allowed to leave the Russian-occupied Azov Sea port of Mariupol following talks between Turkish and Russian defense ministry officials. A ministry statement said a Turkish freighter, Azov Concord, was the first foreign ship to be allowed to leave Mariupol. The ministry did not say what the freighter was carrying. The war has halted critical grain exports by sea. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. KYIV/KHARKIV (Reuters) - Russian forces pounded Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv and surrounding countryside with rockets, killing at least 15 people, in what Kyiv called a bid to force it to pull resources from the main battlefield to protect civilians from attack. Inside Russia, a fire tore through an oil refinery just 8 km (5 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Russia's TASS news agency quoted a local official as saying it had been struck by a drone. Wednesday is marked in both Russia and Ukraine as the "Day of Remembrance and Sorrow", anniversary of the day when Hitler's Germany attacked the Soviet Union. An estimated 27 million Soviet citizens died in World War Two. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin was expected to lay flowers at a memorial flame for the dead. World War Two plays a prominent role in Russian propaganda over the Ukraine invasion, which Putin calls a "special operation" to root out "Nazis". The Russian strikes on Kharkiv, throughout Tuesday and continuing on Wednesday morning, were the worst for weeks in the area where normal life had been returning since Ukraine pushed Russian forces back in a major counter-offensive last month. It was shelling by Russian troops. It was probably multiple rocket launchers. And it's the missile impact, it's all the missile impact," Kharkiv prosecutor Mikhailo Martosh told Reuters amid the ruins of cottages struck on Tuesday in a rural area on the city's outskirts. Ukrainian service members patrol an area in the city of Sievierodonetsk, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues. (Reuters) Medical workers carried the body of an elderly woman out of the rubble of a burnt-out garage and into a nearby van. "She was 85 years old. A child of the war (World War Two). She survived one war, but didn't make it through this one," said her grandson Mykyta. "There is nowhere to flee to. Especially grandmother herself, she didn't want to go anywhere from here." Ukrainian authorities said 15 people were killed and 16 wounded on Tuesday in shelling in the Kharkiv region, with reports of more casualties from strikes overnight and on Wednesday morning. "Russian forces are now hitting the city of Kharkiv in the same way that they previously were hitting Mariupol - with the aim of terrorising the population," Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in a video address. "And if they keep doing that we will have to react and that is one way to make us move our artillery," he said. "The idea is to create one big problem to distract us and force us to divert troops. I think there will be an escalation." Kharkiv suffered punishing Russian shelling for the first three months of the war, but had largely been spared since the Ukrainian counter-offensive more than a month ago. Ukrainian service members watch while a tank fires toward Russian troops in the industrial area of the city of Sievierodonetsk. (Reuters) The main battlefield is now to the south in the Donbas region, which Moscow has been trying to seize on behalf of its separatist proxies. Ukrainian forces in the Donbas have largely been withstanding the Russian assault so far, with Moscow making only slow progress despite deploying overwhelming artillery in some of the heaviest ground fighting in Europe since World War Two. There was no immediate Ukrainian comment about the blaze that tore through Russia's Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, located on the Russian side of the frontier with Donbas territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Video footage posted on social media appeared to show a drone flying towards the refinery, before a large ball of flame and black smoke billowed up into the summer sky. The local emergency service, cited by Interfax, said no one was hurt and the blaze was put out. Ukraine generally does not comment on reports of attacks on Russian infrastructure near the border. In the past it has called such incidents "karma" for Russian attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Sievierodonetsk (Reuters) - Russian forces pounded Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv and surrounding countryside with rockets, killing at least 15 people, in what Kyiv called a bid to force it to pull resources from the main battlefield to protect civilians from attack. ECONOMY AND DIPLOMACY * The European Union will temporarily shift back to coal to cope with slowing Russian gas flows, an EU official said, as a tight gas market and rocketing prices set off a race for alternative fuels. * Sustainable palm oil is becoming harder to find as food manufacturers use it to replace sunflower oil sourced from Ukraine and to meet environmental goals, the CEO of retail brand owner Ahold Delhaize told Reuters. * Russia and the U.S. are exchanging signals on the issue of a American fighters in Ukraine but Moscow does not think Washington is ready to discuss a prisoner exchange seriously, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. * Moscow is working on a "practical" response to Lithuania's ban on the transit of goods sanctioned by the EU to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, Russian officials said, without elaborating. * President Vladimir Putin said Russia is rerouting its trade and oil exports towards the BRICS group of emerging economies, comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. * Ukraine said its grain exports in the first 22 days of June fell by 48% from a year earlier to 907,000 tonnes. Russia said Russian and Turkish delegations had agreed to continue talks on safe vessel departures and grain exports from Ukrainian ports. FIGHTING * International grain group Viterra said its grain terminal had been hit in the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv, after the regional governor reported an attack by six Russian missiles. * Operations at Russia's Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery near the border with Ukraine were suspended after a fire possibly caused by an attack by two drones, regional governor Vasily Golubev said. * The Russians are advancing towards the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk, attacking buildings of police, state security and prosecutors and taking nearby settlements, the governor of the surrounding Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, said. * Zelenskiy said the military situation in Luhansk was very difficult and his advisor Oleskiy Arestovych said Russian forces could cut off Lysychansk, and the fiercely-contested city of Sievierodonetsk across the Siverskyi Donets river, from Ukrainian-held territory. Between 7,000 and 8,000 civilians remain in Sievierodonetsk, supported by Ukrainian troops, the city's mayor said. * Ukraine's second biggest city Kharkiv, further north, came under Russian attack again overnight, Arestovych said, and the nearby village of Chuhuiv was under fire again, a day after at least 15 civilians were killed there. * Intense fighting was going on along the border with Russia in northeastern Ukraine, the governor of the Sumy region, Dmytro Zhyvitsky, said. Reuters could not immediately confirm the battlefield accounts. QUOTE * "The most important line of defence is between one's ears, as the war in Ukraine proves at the moment," Finnish armed forces chief General Timo Kivinen said in an interview, stressing that Finland had prepared for decades for a possible Russian attack. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Olzhas Auyezov, Ron Popeski and Reuters bureaux; editing by Philippa Fletcher) President Biden has moved forward with a full-throated call to suspend the federal gas tax for three months alongside other new actions to attack one of the biggest drivers of inflation. During the speech Wednesday at the White House, the president called for a suspension of both federal and state gas taxes through September which would require new legislation from Congress as well as new actions by the oil industry to pass along savings to consumers more quickly and also quickly increase refining capacity, The suite of actions taken together has the potential to reduce the cost of a gallon of gas by around $1, Biden aides say, but each measure could face an uphill battle from lawmakers on Capitol Hill to executives at the top gas companies. By suspending the federal gas tax "we can bring down the price of gas and bring families just a little bit of relief," Biden said during his speech Wednesday. President Joe Biden speaks about gas prices in the South Court Auditorium at the White House campus on June 22. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) The price of gas has risen dramatically in recent months with the most recent data from the American Automobile Association showing prices hovering at around $5 a gallon, up from around $3 just months ago. The increases have been driven by a range of factors, most notably disruptions in the global oil markets following Russias invasion of Ukraine. The measure that Biden is calling for would suspend the federal gas tax for three months and also include offsets to have no negative effect on the Highway Trust Fund, which has been troubled in recent years and is largely funded by gas taxes. The White House estimates that a three-month suspension of the federal gas tax, which is 18.4 cents per gallon, would cost roughly $10 billion in total. 'Give Americans a little extra breathing room' The new push will face lawmakers who have been skeptical about the idea in recent months and has been widely criticized from in various corners. Earlier this year, Democratic lawmakers floated the idea of a gas tax holiday and, back then, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky mocked the plans as a half-baked proposal that wouldnt work. On the other side of the aisle, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also criticized the notion of a federal gas tax holiday, saying that the savings wont necessarily reach consumers. Industry experts have also criticized the impact of a suspension. On Tuesday, Lipow Oil Associates President Andrew Lipow told Yahoo Finance Live that a gas tax suspension would result in a very small impact for the consumer." If enacted, the move would join other recent actions from the White House aiming to make a dent in gas prices, which has included releasing 1 million barrels per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Biden is also asking states to take similar action to suspend their gas taxes which many have already been mulling. Oil companies will also be in focus, with the president set to pressure oil companies to pass along savings more quickly while also prodding refining companies to increase their output in the months ahead. During his speech Wednesday, Biden called on the oil companies to pass along "every penny" in savings they receive. Gas prices in some areas - like at this Chevron station in Los Angles on June 13 - are approaching $7.00 a gallon. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson) Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is set to meet with CEOs of the 7 top oil refiners on Thursday to make the case directly. Biden recently sent a letter to top oil refiners blasting their high profits as "not acceptable." That meeting, according to a senior administration official, will be a discussion to see if there are some concrete near-term solutions and ways the federal government can be helpful to bring that additional capacity online as quickly as it possible. They added that we're certainly approaching it in a constructive, actionable, pragmatic way. Ben Werschkul is a writer and producer for Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC. Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube The Queen has paid tribute to the profound contribution of the Windrush pioneers as the monarch marked Windrush Day for the first time. The 96-year-old head of state described a new national monument, unveiled at Londons Waterloo station on Wednesday, as a fitting thank you. The Queen has sent a message to mark this mornings unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station, which will be attended by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.#WindrushDay pic.twitter.com/x9x8yMsT2E The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 22, 2022 In a written message, the monarch said she hoped the statue of a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases will inspire present and future generations. Buckingham Palace said it was the first time the Queen had marked the day, which was first observed in 2018. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the unveiling, with William using his speech to highlight the racism black men and women are facing in modern-day Britain. The National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station (John Sibley/PA) The Queens message read: It gives me pleasure to extend my congratulations on the creation of the National Windrush Monument. The unveiling at Waterloo station on Windrush Day serves as a fitting thank you to the Windrush pioneers and their descendants, in recognition of the profound contribution they have made to the United Kingdom over the decades. It is my hope that the memorial will serve to inspire present and future generations, and I send you my warmest good wishes on this historic occasion. The message was signed Elizabeth R. Jamaican immigrants are welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship HMT Empire Windrush landed them at Tilbury (PA) Next year marks 75 years since the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, bringing 500 passengers from the Caribbean, at the invitation of the British government, to help rebuild the UK in the aftermath of the Second World War. From the late 1940s to 1971, thousands of men, women and children left the Caribbean for Britain. But in the Windrush scandal, members of the Windrush generation and their children were wrongly detained and even deported and others denied access to official documents, healthcare, work, housing benefits and pensions despite living legally in the UK. The Duchess of Cambridge speaks to children at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo station (John Sibley/PA) A report into the scandal, published in 2020, found it was foreseeable and avoidable, with victims let down by systemic operational failings at the Home Office. The department demonstrated institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness towards the issue of race and the history of the Windrush generation, the review found. Williams speech on Wednesday highlighted the racism faced by those who travelled to live in Britain from the Caribbean, and the discrimination black people continue to experience today. Discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022, he said. He added: Every part of British life is better for the half a million men and women of the Windrush Generation. But William warned: it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass. The duke vowed: I want you to know that you can count on mine and Catherines continued support in helping us achieve a future they would be proud of. In 2020, the Prince of Wales, in a video message marking Windrush Day, spoke of the debt of gratitude the nation owes the Windrush generation as he heralded Britains diversity as its greatest strength. William praised the spirit of the Windrush generation in a speech during the Cambridges tour to Jamaica in March. The Government, which has provided 1 million in funding for the new monument, said it symbolises the courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK to start new lives from 1948 to 1971. YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain discussed preparations for the NATO Summit, which will be held in Madrid on June 29-30, 2022, during a telephone conversation on June 21, the White House said in a news release. The leaders welcomed the opportunity to see each other on the upcoming trip. President Biden thanked Prime Minister Sanchez for Spains hosting of the summit, at which Allies will continue to chart the course of NATOs transformation over the next decade, the statement adds. The world is waiting to see how Mr Modi responds to President Joe Bidens flattering overtures and the courtship of high American officials Like Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1950s, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being coaxed and cajoled to join a security pact under the leadership of the United States ostensibly to save democracy and strengthen global stability. Jawaharlal Nehru was adamant that Indias Asian destiny, of which he spoke ecstatically, could never mean playing second fiddle to a globally hegemonic America. Now, the world is waiting to see how Mr Modi responds to President Joe Bidens flattering overtures and the courtship of high American officials. Like his predecessors, President Biden wants an India that is not beholden to Russia on the American side. Kurt Campbell, his White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, calls the relationship with India the most important for the United States in the 21st century. His national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, stresses that India-US convergence on the Chinese challenge matters far more than the two countries differences over Russia. We are investing in a relationship that we are not going to judge by one issue even if that issue is quite consequential but rather that we are going to judge over the fullness of time, he explains. Mr Modis tightrope walking on Russias invasion of Ukraine which Sergey Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, insists is not an invasion at all but a special military operation is the immediate compulsion for the US and the West in general wooing him. The long-term rationale is the expectation that given New Delhis own historic problems with Beijing, the enemys-enemy logic will oblige India to support Washingtons strategy of containing an assertive and expansionist China. Next months planned virtual summit of the clumsily-named I2U2 (India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States) grouping is one invitation to form a core group with the US. Another is the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which was launched with much fanfare by 13 regional states India again prominent among them last month in Tokyo. Tokyo also saw the May 24 revival of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, which Mr Biden hints might now be revamped. A larger role for India? Its also suggested that AUKUS, the nuclear submarine pact the United States signed last year with Australia and Britain, might be further developed. Again, for Indias benefit? Mr Campbell has already announced that the US and its allies are ready to offer Mr Modi more security guarantees which the Centre for a New American Security, the Washington-based think-tank that he co-founded in 2007, had recently discussed. We need to help provide India with alternatives on the security side that means not only the United States providing capabilities but partners like Britain, France and Israel. The United States clearly wants much stronger intelligence, trade and economic links with New Delhi. These overtures are to be contrasted with Washingtons cavalier attitude immediately after Independence in 1947, when it denied India weapons and information, snubbed New Delhis attempt to establish a formal blueprint of relations, and practised a clever sleight of hand to deny cooperation. India was classified upwards to the category of countries receiving restricted US military information and a deliberate effort [made] to furnish the Indian military attache with relatively harmless but somewhat impressive military information India was then of negligible positive strategic importance, while Pakistan occupied one of the most strategic areas in the world. That the American perception had changed was evident when the joint statement issued by Mr Modi and President Donald Trump after the formers 2017 state visit to the White House referred to the two leaders as responsible stewards in the Indo-Pacific region, resuscitating a term that Karl Haushofer, the German geopolitician, probably first used in the 1920s. Not that India alone dominates Washingtons agenda. Alarmed by the Chinese advances in the Pacific region, an area of enormous strategic importance, according to Mr Campbell, the US has drawn up plans for its own counter-initiatives. President Bidens July 13-16 tour of Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia is more a matter of domestic American politics, with the President anxious to secure oil supplies and arms sales. No doubt he also hopes that people wont remember that he had labelled Saudi Arabia a pariah, the US intelligence report that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the 2018 murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, or Washingtons oft-stated commitment to a two-state solution in Palestine. But the primary focus is on Russia and China. President Biden knows that India was trying to reduce its dependence on Russian arms even before Mr Modi took over. He also knows that Russias share of Indias oil imports has actually gone up to more than 18 per cent from only one per cent in April, making Moscow Indias largest supplier of crude after Iraq. If this suggests ambivalence, so does Indian policy on China. The Chinese defence ministers angry references to the Quad and AUKUS at Singapores Shangri-La Dialogue may have been explained by Mr Campbells boast: Weve made behind-the-scenes, quietly remarkable progress in the areas associated with technology where not only the three countries (US, UK and Australia) are deeply engaged, but other partners are also supporting working groups. But will this cooperation under the American aegis help India to regain the Himalayan territory that China occupies, persuade Beijing to drop its reservations about Indias nuclear status, vacate its naval bases and outposts surrounding Indias coastal waters, or cease to flood India with inexpensive consumer products and even Chinese-made figures of Hindu gods and goddesses? Perhaps Mr Modi sees no incongruity in the last-mentioned trade since he reportedly sub-leased the steel frame and bronze cladding for the Rs 3,000-crore statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the so-called Statue of Unity, to a Chinese company in Nanchang. President Xi Jinping must be tickled pink to contribute so substantially to a monument that is of immense iconic value to Mr Modi, his ruling BJP and their vision of India. Leaving aside the ethics of relying on Chinese technology for an emblem of Indian pride, Indias rulers are obviously not driven by the same degree of animus that inspires the Wests anti-China strategy. All the more reason, therefore, why, emulating Nehrus refusal during the Cold War to be drawn into taking sides, Mr Modi too will probably continue to do business with Russia and China while verbally supporting the West. by Sumon Corraya Pope Francis appointed him yesterday. Hailing from the Diocese of Rajshahi, he says, "It is a grace from God for me to be entrusted with the responsibility of bishop." Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis yesterday appointed Fr. Emmanuel Kanon Rozario bishop of the Diocese of Barishal. Bishop. Until now he had been vicar general and pastor of Rajshani. "It is a grace from God for me to get the responsibility of bishop of Barishal," he told AsiaNews. "It is an opportunity to move from the diocese of Rajshahi to the diocese of Barishal and serve it as a local missionary." "Being a small diocese, there will be challenges," Msgr. Rozario added. "But I will not be alone. I will work with everyone: priests, nuns, religious brothers, including Catholics in Barishal. I will carry out my task faithfully relying on God." The diocese of Rajshani, founded in 1990, had as its first bishop Msgr. Patrick D'Rozario (now a cardinal) who came from Barishal. "We used to receive from others while now we give," explained the 59-year-old prelate. Born Feb. 8, 1963, in Deirpara village, Failjana parish in Pabna, Rajshahi diocese, Msgr. Rozario is the fifth of six brothers and two sisters. He studied philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Dhaka and was ordained a priest on Dec. 28, 1993. He completed his high school studies and received his license and doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Universitas Urbaniana in Rome. He worked in the parishes of Bonpara, Borni and Kolimnagar and served at the Major Seminary as teacher and rector for 11 years. The Diocese of Barishal was created by Pope Francis on Dec. 29, 2015 and is the eighth in Bangladesh. According to the Catholic Directory, 18,598 people reside there including a few dozen priests and nuns. Archbishop Lawrence Subrata Howlader of Chittagong served as apostolic administrator of Barishal for one year. Today's headlines: the number of Chinese seeking asylum abroad continues to rise since 2012; Indonesia expells a Japanese man accused of defrauding the government; Kyrgyz people may find employment in agricultural work in South Korea; Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman visits Jordan. AFGHANISTAN At least 250 people died in a powerful earthquake that struck the Afghan province of Paktika. The tremor was also felt in India and Pakistan. Local authorities reported that the death toll and injuries-estimated at 150-could rise in the coming hours. TAIWAN In response to China's provocatory air forcecmissions and exercises near Taiwan, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry yesterday scrambled some jets. Taipei considers Chinese military activities, which aim to wear down the island's forces and test its responses, a "gray area." Beijing had unveiled its third aircraft carrier on Friday. INDONESIA - JAPAN Indonesia has expelled a Japanese man accused of defrauding its government during the worst of the pandemic: Mitsuhiro Taniguchi and others allegedly applied for nearly million in government subsidies intended for small businesses affected by Covid-19. The fugitive had been arrested a couple of weeks ago and was sent back to Japan this morning. CHINA The number of Chinese seeking political asylum abroad has continued to rise since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. This is according to a newly released UN Refugee Agency report. In the there has been a gradual increase in asylum applications: from 12 thousand in 2012 to 120 thousand in 2021. INDONESIA - PAKISTAN According to a report published by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, women have borne the brunt of the spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia and Pakistan: two years after the start of the pandemic, while the percentage of employed men rose from 90 percent to 80 percent in both countries, only 60 percent of women remained employed in Indonesia and less than 40 percent in Pakistan. In addition, women in Pacific island countries were less likely to receive the second dose of vaccine due to misinformation issues. SAUDI ARABIA-JORDAN Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman landed in Amman yesterday-it is the first such visit in five years and comes at a time of severe economic hardship for Jordan. Some companies hope the visit will unlock at least billion in funding that Saudi Arabia had pledged to invest without ever materializing into projects.A RUSSIA The original of the new name for Russian McDonald's, which is now called "Vkusno i tocka!", "Just Good!", has been found. This is a Soviet street food initiative on stalls from the 1970s. KYRGYZSTAN - SOUTH KOREA Residents of Kyrgyzstan's Talas region will get a chance to find work in South Korea through a government-to-government agreement for seasonal agricultural work for up to 5 months, a program that had been suspended for Covid and will now further take Kyrgyz seasonal labor away from Russia. by Steve Suwannarat Delegates from 60 countries are converging on the Thai capital for an event that will jumpstart local congress tourism. Prime Minister Prayut stressed the important role Thai women now play. About 40 per cent of the countrys chief executive officers are in fact women. However, behind the figures, domestic violence and sexual exploitation highlight contradictions that linger. Bangkok (AsiaNews) The Global Summit of Women is set to open tomorrow in Thailands capital Bangkok, bringing a thousand delegates from 60 countries. This years meeting (23-25 June) will focus on Women: Creating Opportunities in the New Reality. The Thai government welcomed the initiative for its international resonance and as a step towards reviving the countrys crucial hospitality industry, especially congress tourism, an important market niche. While Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha highlighted the immediate economic benefits (about US$ 2.3 million), his spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, noted that the summit, the first major international gathering with participants in presence, will also showcase the country's potential, starting with its organisational capabilities and its commitment to environmental sustainability. For Prime Minister Prayut, a former army general who heads a civilian government that replaced a military junta that seized power in May 2014, the summit offers Thailand an opportunity to show its supports for womens greater role in the economy at both regional and global levels. On paper, Thailand appears to offer women greater opportunities and equality in the job market; for example, it is well positioned in the Women Economic Global Gender Gap Index for Economic Participation and Opportunity with women representing 40 per cent of chief executive officers (CEOs) in Thai companies and 34 per cent as chief financial officers. Thai women, who obtained the right to vote in 1932, now make up 47 percent of the labour force, a record in the Asia-Pacific area. However, the positions they occupy often do not correspond to their educational qualifications since the post-secondary education ratio is 1.41 women for every Thai man. Such laudable data suggest a great potential for the country, but geographical and social disparities persist; in fact, progressive legislation is still not reflected in practices and attitudes that still tend to evaluate women only in relation to their male counterparts. Several issues remain unresolved ranging from domestic violence to the lack of recognition of mens responsibility in unofficial relationships and the children that result from them, to real sexual exploitation and discrimination against immigrant women. More recently, womens positive contribution has been acknowledged in the 2017 constitution and the 2015 Gender Equality Act, not to mention the Women Development Strategy promoted by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in 2017-2021. Yet, Despite the fact that Thai women hold executive roles in [the] public and private sectors, they are generally still underrepresented, especially in the parliament, government, judiciary and administration both at national and local levels, this according to a report on Thailand by the Asia-Pacific section of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The study notes that, In rural areas, many women in Thailand remain affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation. They are largely concentrated in insecure and vulnerable jobs in the informal sector, including in agriculture and as own account and contributing family workers, with only a small minority in senior positions. What is more, while Thailand has transitioned to an upper-middle-income country [. . .] gender equality and womens empowerment challenges remain, particularly for certain groups and geographical regions including women from ethnic minorities, migrant women and women in the southern border provinces of Thailand in which violent conflicts have hindered human development. The pontiff called for help for the Asian country during this mornings general audience. Francis also lamented the murder of two Jesuit priests in Mexico. During the catechesis on old age, he focused on the interaction between the Risen Jesus and Peter, urging the faithful to follow Jesus in health and in sickness. Citing the World Meeting of Families that starts this evening in Rome, he expressed hope that the elderly "will pass onto young people the values of a happy family life rooted in God. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis held his weekly general audience this morning in St Peters Square in Rome. In it he once again spoke about the peoples who are suffering and expressed his closeness to those affected by violence and calamity. In the past few hours, an earthquake has claimed victims and caused extensive damage in Afghanistan. I express my sympathy to the injured and those affected by the earthquake, and I pray in particular for those who have lost their lives and for their families. I hope that with everyones help, the suffering of the dear Afghan people can be alleviated. Centred in the Afghan province of Paktika, the strong quake was felt in neighbouring Pakistan and India. The death toll has reached at least 950 lives so far. Such a tragedy is particularly serious in a country already experiencing a terrible humanitarian crisis since the Taliban came to power, bringing to an end many international cooperation projects. I also express my sorrow and dismay at the killing, in Mexico the day before yesterday, of two Jesuit religious my confreres and a layman, Francis said referring to the murder of two priests, Frs Javier Campos and Joaquin Mora, and a third unidentified man, in a church in Cerocahui, Tarahumara, the northern state of Chihuahua. How many killings there are in Mexico! he lamented. With affection and prayer, I am close to the Catholic community affected by this tragedy. Once again, I repeat that violence does not solve problems, but increases unnecessary suffering. The pontiff then turned to speak about the Ukrainian children who were with him this morning in the popemobile at the entrance to the square, saying let us not forget Ukraine. Let us not forget the suffering of that martyred people. Continuing his series of catechesis on old age, now at its 15th lesson, the pope gave his thoughts about the interaction between the risen Jesus and Peter at the end of Johns Gospel (21:15-23). From it one can see all the love of Jesus has for his disciples, especially Peter. According to the Holy Father, theirs is a tender relationship, but not melancholic [one]; direct, strong, free, and open. A relationship between men and in truth. In light of this, he urged people to ask themselves about how they might preserve an authentic relationship, like the one between Jesus and the disciples, fighting the temptation of enclosing the testimony of the Gospel in the cocoon of a sugar-coated revelation, to which is added our own circumstantial veneration? Such an attitude appears to be respectful, but in fact it creates a gap between us and the real Jesus. Francis also focused on two passages cited during Jesus talk with Peter, concerning precisely old age and the duration of time, namely the time of bearing witness and the time of life. First Jesus warns Peter that when we are young, we were self-sufficient, but when we are old, we no longer are masters of ourselves and our life. Tell me I have to go in a wheelchair, eh? said the pope with a touch of irony. Quoting Ignatius of Loyola, he explained: Just as in life, so also in death we must bear witness as disciples of Jesus. The end of life must be an end of life of disciples: of disciples of Jesus. The sequela of (following) Jesus is, in fact, important in every circumstance, Francis noted. Indeed, following Jesus is important: to follow Jesus always, on your feet, running, going slowly, in a wheelchair but always following Him. The conversation between Jesus and Peter provides a precious lesson. From our frailty we learn to express the consistency of our witness of life in the conditions of a life largely entrusted to others, largely dependent on the initiative of others. Certainly, for Francis, old age is also a time of trial, starting with the very human, undoubtedly, but also very insidious temptation of wishing to be at the centre of things at a time when this should increasingly diminish. You have to be a witness to Jesus even in weakness, illness and death, Francis said, in life when it is prosperous with many successes, and in life when it is difficult, in many bad moments of failing. The sequela of Jesus is possible at every age in life, but it must lead the elderly to learn to take their leave from life. The life of the elderly is a farewell, slow, slow, but a joyful farewell. The elderly must be able to say: I have lived life; I was a sinner but I have also done good. As the 10th World Meeting of Families gets underway this week, centred on Family love: a vocation and a path of holiness, Francis said in his address to French pilgrims: Let us pray that the elderly may pass onto young people the values of a happy family life rooted in God, such as faithfulness, love and truth." The Holy Father also mentioned the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the memory of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which the Church is preparing to celebrate in the coming days. These festivities remind us of the need to respond to Christs merciful love and invite us to entrust ourselves confidently to the intercession of the Mother of the Lord. PHOTO: Vatican Media by Vladimir Rozanskij Kazakhstani president defends Kiev's territorial integrity. Attacked by Putin cronies. Kazakhs fear that their country may be in the same situation as Ukraine in the future. U.S. notes distancing and signals openness to Nur-Sultan. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The diatribe between Vladimir Putin and Kassym-Jomart Tokaev on the stage of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum continues to provoke much discussion, when the Kazakh president defended Ukraine's territorial integrity by denying recognition of the annexation of Crimea and the "quasi-republics" of Lugansk and Donetsk, in a two-way talk on stage. Putin showed his contempt by repeatedly calling Tokaev by a deliberately incorrect patronymic, while moderator Margarita Simonyan, one of the regime's most vocal propagandists, shook her head at the Nur-Sultan leader's remarks. As if that were not enough, Tokaev also reportedly refused Putin's awarding of the Aleksandr Nevsky honor, one of Russia's most prestigious, justifying himself with the decision he made not to accept any kind of award or title as long as he remains president of his country. In fact, the refusal symbolically underscores the Kazakhs' aversion to the warlike adventures of the Russians: already at the time of World War I in 1916 there had been a resounding "Central Asian uprising" with tens of thousands of casualties and a "great exodus" of Kazakhs from Russia in order not to be involved in war operations. The memory of the events of the past is still very much alive in the memory and hearts of Kazakhs, who have not accepted even the Russian "victory mania" of World War II, which was distant and foreign to them, yet also brought tragedy for many Kazakhs forced by the Soviets to fight, as is the case today for so many Asians and Caucasians whom Russia sends to the Ukrainian front as "cannon fodder." Not to mention the very figure of Aleksandr Nevsky, elevated to legend by Russians and regarded by Asians as a dangerous symbol of Russia's imperial expansion, extolled by all tsars and commanders. Tokaev thus interpreted the deep-rooted feeling in his people about the Russian wars, despite the close ties still existing between the two countries after the long Soviet period. Some have even tried to interpret the spat with Putin as a "staged show" to show that the Russian president is also ready to argue with those who disagree with him, and grant his opponent a name as a reformer to him today as necessary as ever to overcome Kazakhstan's critical social issues. In fact, the negative reactions in Russia did not stop with comments on the Petersburg debate. The deputy chairman of the State Duma, Konstantin Zatulin, said that "Tokaev tried to be sincere, but in fact he was incorrect, making his words look like a gauntlet," and veiled threats that "if there is friendship and cooperation, then no territorial issues will arise, otherwise what happened in Ukraine may be repeated for Kazakhstan." The tension between the two countries is also evidenced by the fact that Russia is blocking Kazakh gas shipments, and Kazakhstan is halting the transit of Russian coal through its territory, so much so that 1,700 wagons of Russian coal destined mostly for India and China are stopped on the Russian "North-Caucasian" railway. Kazakhstan has also made a move to open up to Iran, whose citizens will be granted free entry into the country without a visa for 14 days, following Tokaev's visit to Tehran. The United States is also looking more favorably on Nur-Sultan, with public praise for the "democratization process" that opened with the June 5 constitutional referendum, as reflected in a letter from the U.S. State Department to the Kazakh president's representative for international cooperation, Erzan Kazykhan, offering Washington's readiness to support the path of reform. The latest UN report presented yesterday confirms the increasing use of capital punishment in the Islamic Republic. An increase coincided with the rise to the presidency of Raisi, who as a magistrate made extensive use of the executioner. More and more convictions for drug-related offenses and minors at the time of the crime. Tehran (AsiaNews) - In less than three months to early 2022, Iran executed more than a hundred people, accounting for about a third of the executions recorded last year and just under half the total in 2020. The escalation is shown by the data confirming the increasing use of the death penalty, even for minor offenses and people under 18 at the time of the crime, announced by analysts and experts following the presidential victory last year of ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi. Attorney General of the Islamic Republic and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in his career in the judiciary he had used the executioner extensively since the 1980s, sentencing thousands of political prisoners to death. The latest execution took place in recent days against a 21-year-old man of Uzbek descent who was responsible for a knife attack on April 5 near Imam Reza's shrine in Mashhad during Ramadan. In the assault the young man had killed two Shiite leaders and seriously wounded a third. The sentence was carried out by hanging in the presence of a group of citizens at the Vakilabad jail. Among the charges against the attacker was "war against God" (moharebeh), using a weapon to terrorize people inside and outside the shrine. In the report presented to the UN Human Rights Council yesterday, in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, deputy for Iran Nada Al-Nashif documented a sharply rising trend: "While 260 individuals were executed in 2020, at least 310 individuals were executed in 2021, including at least 14 women," she said, adding that the trend had continued this year." The study by UN experts reveals deep "concern" about the increase in the use of the executioner for minor crimes, including those related to drug use - and trafficking. "The death penalty," Nada Al-Nashif stressed to the council, "continues to be imposed on the basis of charges that do not amount to the 'most serious crimes' and in ways that are incompatible with standards based on fair trials. In March, he reveals, at least 52 people sentenced to death on charges related to drug trafficking and drug use were transferred to Shiraz prison for execution. There is also "continuous" use of the death penalty for juveniles, in blatant violation of international law. Between August 2021 and March 2022, at least two juvenile offenders were killed and another 85 juveniles are on death row. "In February 2022, in a positive development, the Supreme Court," added the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, "decided to overturn the death sentence against a juvenile on death row for 18 years. The expert went on to denounce other rights violations in Iran, especially in the wake of recent protests related to the continuing political, social, and economic crisis that has hit the country over the past year. "Excessive use of force," she added, "is the default response by the authorities during demonstrations. Between April and May this year, "at least 55 people" including teachers, lawyers, trade unionists, artists and academics were arrested during protests, many of whom face charges "against national security." The unnecessary deaths caused by the authorities' use of excessive force against peaceful protesters and detainees "have continued with total impunity." "And the scale of deaths in detention," she concluded, "is a cause for serious concern. The victim, 22-year-old Ali Hassan Harb, died from stab wounds following a violent dispute that broke out following settlers attempt to pitch a tent near the village of Iskaka, not far from the settlement of Ariel. As a result, Israeli security forces intervened. The two sides blame each other. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) A Palestinian man died yesterday from stab wounds received during a dispute with a small group of Jewish settlers in a central area of the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and Israeli rights groups, a row broke out near Iskaka, a Palestinian village near the Israeli settlement of Ariel, south of Nablus, after settlers began setting up a tent on village land. The victim, 22-year-old Ali Hassan Harb, died from stabs sustained during the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians after it turned violent. The stabbers identity is still unknown. Israel Polices West Bank division are investigating the incident. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a wounded Palestinian man [who] was evacuated in a serious condition, apparently from a stab wound, police said. Harbs cousin, Firas Naim, told AFP that Israeli security forces were present when Harb was killed. He added that when he and relatives, including Harb, heard that settlers were putting up tents on village land they rushed to the site. Once there, they were confronted by Israeli forces and settlement security guards, who fired shots in the air to intimidate them. After they shot in the air, the settlers attacked, Naim said. We were just standing there, and a settler came and stabbed him with a knife here [on the side of the body] for no reason. In a statement, Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group, said Harb was with his parents on private land near Ariel. When settlers tried to set up a tent, a row broke out between the two sides and the settlers left the place. The rights group noted that soldiers arrived soon after followed by the settlers, which again sparked more violence between the sides, during which a settler pulled out a knife and stabbed the young man to death. Israeli authorities have a different version of events, claiming that settlers were attacked by a crowd of at least 40 Palestinians with stones and sticks. The Rescuers Without Borders emergency service, a branch of the Israel-based United Hatzalah, said the rioters stole bags and equipment from the Israelis. It added that no Israelis were reported hurt in the incident. Violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and soldiers has increased in recent years. Although soldiers are legally authorised to intervene to prevent violent attacks, regardless of who starts it, by and large, they would rather leave the task of stopping attacks and arresting people to the police. Last October, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz issued a statement telling the military to act systemically, aggressively and uncompromisingly against settler violence directed toward Palestinians, activists and security forces. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Share This: Toyota on June 21 announced the team that will launch its newest plant in North America, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC). The plant represents a $1.29 billion investment and will be the first to produce lithium-ion batteries for Toyota in North America. Sean Suggs, president Suggs will be responsible for all manufacturing and administration functions, reporting to Norm Bafunno, senior vice president, Unit Manufacturing and Engineering, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). Under Suggs' leadership, TBMNC will employ 1,750 and house four production lines capable of delivering enough lithium-ion batteries for 200,000 vehicles each year beginning in 2025. Suggs will also manage facility expansion to at least six production lines with the capacity to produce batteries for up to 1.2 million vehicles a year. Suggs began his Toyota career in 1998 as a team leader at Toyota Indiana after proudly serving in the U.S. Army for eight years. He has held several subsequent roles including serving as president of Toyota's Mississippi plant and most recently as TMNA's group vice president and chief social innovation officer. Don Stewart, vice president of manufacturing Stewart will provide oversight for all areas of battery manufacturing including engineering, maintenance and production. In addition to his role as vice president, Stewart will serve as the plant operations lead. Stewart joined Toyota in 1997 as a maintenance group leader at Toyota West Virginia and has since held several leadership roles. He most recently served as TMNA's vice president of production engineering, overseeing the powertrain division across Toyota's North American operations. April Mason, general manager of plant services Mason will provide oversight for production control, facilities and local business planning, as well as... Share This: James Song has skills---as he demonstrated at the North Carolina State SkillsUSA competition, where he won first place in post-secondary automotive refinishing technology. I was definitely nervous when I walked in, but Id practiced three or four times each week for a month, plus I was fortunate enough to be prepped by Robbie Lynch, an instructor who has gone to states with previous students, Song, a student at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), recalled of his feelings on the date of the state-level competition. After about 30 minutes, everything fell into place. It felt like I was back in class, practicing. I started feeling really confident then; I knew I could do this. Even the couple of curveballs thrown his way didnt shake Song for long. I was unfamiliar with some of the alternate techniques they offered, but instead of allowing myself to feel pressured to do something different, I just did as I was taught, and the product came out really great. Although he felt pretty confident, Song found the win to be unexpected. I didnt expect to win. I wanted to compete so I could compare myself to others to gauge how advanced I am in the program and see how I compare to the rest of the industry. My friends thought Id place and were surprised when I took first place. Although my family had no idea what was actually going on, they knew Id win because of my confidence. Doug Irish, collision instructor at FTCC, was less surprised by his students success. James is a very good student," Irish said. "Hes focused and conscientious, and hes a little more mature than most other students since he has an associates degree in another field and a couple years college experience behind him already. Since James joined the class, he picks up the concepts very quickly and excels at transferring classroom knowledge into skillset development on the floor, Irish continued. When he misses a lab, he comes in after hours to practice and hone his skills. FTCC and I were very excited that James won North Carolina State SkillsUSA. Prior to enrollment in the collision technology program at FTCC, Song was working on the maintenance side, and as he considered... Its summer in the northern hemisphere, and if you feel like enjoying the warm weather in a classic muscle car with an open-top view of the sky above , then perhaps the pictured Chevrolet Chevelle Convertible is what you have been looking for. Work on the 1998 Toyota Tacoma race truck started back when the vehicle was inspected ahead of its first outing of this year. With flat tires and several months since its last start-up, the first test was to see if the engine would start. A fresh battery did the trick, and not leaving the tank full of gas allowed the team to refill it with the good stuff.Storing fuel in the long term is complicated, mostly because gasoline or diesel fuel are not meant to be kept as they are in a tank, but need substances to keep their compounds stable in time. In racing cars that use methanol, for example, they will need to be sure that the fuel has not gotten too much water vapor from the atmosphere, as that will cause other issues later.In the video below, you can see the two-time Pikes Peak winning Toyota Tacoma hit the dyno, as well as listen to what Rod Millen has to sa y about his purpose-built racecar that still has its signature Pennzoil livery.Since Pikes Peak only has its racing course open on race day, racers always have to be sure that everything is perfect in their cars before attempting to go against the clock up the mountain.A big challenge that tuners face when preparing an engine for Pikes Peak is the difference in altitude that they encounter, which can make some of the sensors on the vehicle deliver erroneous results.For example, a vehicle can drive fine and perform at its peak on the dyno in a workshop, but might struggle with fueling as it goes up the hill at Pikes Peak because of the difference in air pressure.Seasoned competitors already know how to tackle this, but those who do not take that into account will have to make last-minute adjustments to their ECUs. FWD kW Pretty sweet, right? More so if you remember the EPAs fuel economy ratings for the-only Maverick Hybrid. The most frugal specification of the lot is good for 37 mpg (6.3 l/100 km) on the combined test cycle, split between 42 mpg (5.6 l/100 km) city and 33 mpg (7.1 l/100 km) highway. Even more impressively, Johns truck was indicating 35.8 mpg (6.6 l/100 km) before hitting the Lookout Pass on the border of Idaho and Montana.The fuel-sipping truck in the featured clip was driven in tow/haul mode at 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). Of course, the aforementioned gas mileage wouldnt have been possible without regenerative braking.Still the most affordable new truck in the United States of America, the hybrid-powered Maverick is available for $19,995 excluding destination charge as long as youre fine with steelies and urethane for the steering wheels rim. Under the hood, youll find a 2.5-liter aluminum block and 16-valve head, aluminum pistons, powder-forged connecting rods, a composite intake manifold, and an integrated exhaust manifold. Produced in Mexico, the Atkinson-cycle lump is connected to an electronic continuously variable transmission, dubbed HF45 yet advertised under the PowerSplit handle.Gifted with 2.91:1 final gearing, the hybrid-powered Maverick has a base curb weight of 3,674 pounds (1,666 kilograms), a maximum payload of 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms), and tows up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms). The permanent magnet electric traction motor is officially rated by FoMoCo at 126 horsepower (94) and 173 pound-feet (235 Nm) of torque. SUV For starters, everyone around the world with a knack for Honda high performance is drooling over the seemingly never-ending 2023 Civic Type R testing procedures . The rest of the Japanese automakers fan base is keeping an eye out for the lengthy teasing process bestowed by the marketing department upon the sixth generation of the iconic CR-V crossoverWell, luckily, the end aka the official reveal is drawing closer. Until then, after we have previously seen the conservative looks based on a leaked patent design image, found out that a CR-V Hybrid is definitely coming to the U.S. market (alongside Accord and Civic Hybrids, of course), and saw its upcoming bold exterior lighting pattern, here is an uncamouflaged sneak peek at the new iterations cockpit.According to Honda , the all-new 2023 CR-V will advance towards a new interior styling direction with the advent of a sporty yet modern cabin atmosphere. We have no idea what trim is depicted in the teaser, but we did notice the orange contrast stitching, the honeycomb pattern on the dashboard, or the minimalistic styling that feels like a related step up from the HR-V design.Additionally, the Japanese carmakers swift press release mentions that fine craftsmanship, upscale touches, (and) even more space are in line for Americas top-selling SUV of the past quarter-century. By the way, the rest of the unanswered questions regarding the overall looks, the high-tech features, creature comforts, and especially about the powertrain and trim options will soon get official answers. This is because now we know the exact date of Hondas 2023 CR-V reveal: July 12th, 2022! The genesis NFT, as it is called, will be dropped on the Polygon network, and this is set to happen in September 2022. With its first venture in the NFT marketplace, Bentley wants to create an exclusive community, as well as enhance the relationship between the Crewe brand and consumers.The Bentley genesis NFT collection will be minted on Polygon, which is an Ethereum scaling platform that has onboarded millions to Web3. Since the Polygon Network has recently attained carbon-neutral status, and plans to go carbon-negative by the end of 2022, all Bentley NFTs will be entirely carbon-neutral. The latter is a bit of an issue with certain NFTs and cryptocurrency.At the same time, the Polygon Network has pledged to achieve end-to-end carbon neutrality by 2030, which is the same year when Bentley wants all its vehicles to be fully battery electric. With that in mind, the partnership between the two makes sense, and the British marque will use it as a steppingstone for its adventures on Web3 digital platforms.The best part of this NFT drop is that proceeds from this, and future activations, will further the brand's philanthropic efforts. Instead of cashing in on selling NFTs, Bentley wants to accelerate the support it offers for students who are interested in engineering, design, and manufacturing.Bentley's design studio has prepared a unique artwork that will be turned into the genesis NFT. Holders will get unique access, as well as exclusive rewards. We should learn more about the latter as we get closer to the drop. The free car show featured a list of 50 participating cars, and among them was Khoshbin's 1-of-1 Hermes Bugatti Chiron. This year's Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance had two events. The first was a moving car rally escorted through the city streets by Beverly Hills Police, and the second was a stationary Concours-style show on Rodeo Drive.Apart from Khoshbin's Bugatti , other interesting entries included the Ford GT Carbon Liquid, a 2008 Koenigsegg CCX, 1970 Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R, 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Suisse Graber Cabriolet, a 1912 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup, Fred Astaires Rolls-Royce among others."This year is my first year. I am going to do the drive, and I brought my Bugatti Chiron Hermes Edition," Khoshbin said. "The Rodeo Concours d'Elegance is more about classic cars, but more and more modern cars are coming," he added.Manny and the rest of the convoy drove through the city streets with the Mayor and the Beverly Hills Police in tow. He couldn't help brag that his Bugatti was the most powerful car in the fleet.While everything was happening outside, the event had a super VIP surprise underground in the Auto Vault lounge. The lounge had top-tier cars, including a Ford GT40 , Ferraris, Porsches, and a mingle section.At the end of the event, Manny Khoshbin's Bugatti Chiron Hermes Edition won an award for the most fashionable car."What a day, I got an award for the most fashionable car. I didn't even expect it. My first award ever, and hopefully one of many to come," he said. 25th SPIEF signals failure of western economic "blitzkrieg" against Russia Xinhua) 10:03, June 22, 2022 ST. PETERSBURG, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) concluding last week has signaled the failure of the unilateral sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other Western countries, analysts and government officials say. The forum, held on June 15-18, brought together political and business figures from over 130 countries and regions, who shared their ideas on major challenges facing the world economy and offered their solutions. Despite the U.S. boycott and the absence of many European countries, this year's forum has seen 14,000 participants and 691 business contracts worth 5.6 trillion rubles (about 100 billion U.S. dollars) signed, with all indexes showing increase compared with last year's event, according to the Roscongress Foundation, organizer of the forum. During a plenary session at the forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West has been imposing an unprecedented number of sanctions upon Russia at an unprecedented speed, yet the Western countries' "economic blitzkrieg" against Russia was doomed to fail from the beginning while sanctions as a weapon have proved to be a double-edged sword. Putin emphasized that despite efforts that are currently being taken by some countries to maintain a unipolar world order, this era is over and the arrival of a multilateral world system is inevitable. This year's event demonstrated Russia's self-sufficiency and its capability of responding to external pressure under a complex international situation, said Anton Kobyakov, adviser to the Russian President and executive secretary of the organizing committee of the forum. As many U.S. and European companies continue to leave the Russian market, Russia has decided not to limit its partnerships and to shift its focus to emerging markets, analysts here say. Topics through conferences during the forum showed that Russia has been focused on expanding cooperation with BRICS countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and looking for opportunities for further cooperation with Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said Russia was willing to work with the Eurasian Economic Union and other multilateral frameworks such as the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in order to strengthen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and green energy, and to further promote regional integration for further development. Mikhail Myasnikovich, chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, believes that the current global economic order is undergoing a transformation, and the establishment of the Greater Eurasian Partnership is conducive to solving the problems and addressing challenges currently facing Russia. He added that Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with other countries in infrastructure fields such as payment settlement, logistics and transportation. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Turkey can serve as a logistics hub for Russia to import goods from third countries and export Russian goods. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) SUV Automotive enthusiasts might know him better for the other channel by the name of Life With Corey! but he is also wildly active on different social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter, where he enjoys another couple of huge fan followings. Thus, is anyone surprised that he gets some of the stuff he likes for free, from his friends?Well, he does not get them without reason, as he clearly revealed the most recent #SSG (So Smooth Gang) whip he can flaunt on social media is a Spring Green-detailed Satin Black Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk that he received as a gift for his recent birthday. And, naturally, it came so flashily personalized from the source, as it was a present bestowed upon the Youtuber by none other than BIG A$H, aka Ashworth Barnes, the president of 713 Motoring Unfortunately, aside from Coreys thankful reveal that he got the feisty 707-horsepowerfor nothing from a friend, there are not a lot of other details about the actual build process. Sure, we can easily notice the numerous green accents across the body, as well as the contrasting Satin Black atmosphere, plus the fact that it rides lowered on a set of humongous aftermarket wheels.Those are, of course, of the outrageously cool Forgiato Designs variety with the Los Angeles, California-based, forged wheel experts also being responsible for uncovering what should have been a tasty high-performance Trackhawk build. But it probably failed a little due to the flashy accents and spring green details on the aftermarket wheels. Alas, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, so is this your minty cup of tea, perhaps? Codename C519, the fourth-generation Focus also known colloquially as the Ford Focus Mk IV, was revealed more than four years ago in sedan, hatchback, and station wagon form. Unfortunately, the new iteration brought sad news with it the demise of the nameplate in major regions such as North and South America, Southeast Asia, and others.Today, its limited reach covers the Old Continent as well as other places such as China, Taiwan, and Australasia. Still, even if there is less global love for the series nowadays, that does not mean it is any less enticing for virtual automotive artists. Case in point, Kleber Silva, a Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, has returned to Europe for a quick Blue Oval stint around the world More precisely, although the current Focus has already been refreshed in the real world by the U.S. automaker exactly two years ago, the pixel master proceeded to give it yet another, unofficial redesign. This time around, though, his vision is a bit larger and wide-encompassing, as the CGI expert decided to take advantage of the new styling premiered with the Chinese Evos crossover and fifth-generation full-size Mondeo ( formerly Fusion in North America ).Interestingly, this makes the compact Ford hatchback a kind of cross-regional mutant, sporting the five-door body style of a European Focus as well as the looks of a Chinese Mondeo or GCCs (Gulf Cooperation Council) new Taurus.So, what do you think should Ford update the Focus yet again with Mondeo/Taurus cues to make it more mature, especially since there are no fears of model overlapping as both the Mondeo and Taurus have been retired from their traditional markets? Christian Lindner, the Finance Minister of Germany, isnt a big fan of the EU's proposed ban on the sale of new gas- and diesel-fueled cars from 2035. The politician made it clear that Germany wont agree to this legislation because a key part of the bid to slash emissions isnt right. 7 photos This is now the sixth consecutive year when Gulfstream adds the IY&AA under its belt. For the G700, its a confirmation of its unique features. After all, it was presented as boasting the most spacious, innovative and flexible cabin in the business aviation industry.For example, its windows are said to be the largest available in the industry. Theres 20 of them, offering panoramic views and plenty of natural light. Passengers get to enjoy fresh air at all times, instead of recirculated one, as part of the Gulfstream Cabin Experience.They also enjoy reduced noise levels, and what Gulfstream boldly claims to be the lowest cabin altitude in the business aviation segment. Thats 2,916 feet (889 meters) while flying at 41,000 feet (12,497 meters).Another comfort-enhancing feature is the lighting system thats meant to help with jet lag. According to the manufacturer, this system can simulate the type of sunlight of the upcoming time zone, to prevent or minimize jet lag. Also, lets not forget about the comfortable seats that won the same prestigious award back in 2020.For those who care about a private jet s interior decor as much as they do about its performance, the G700 production-test interior revealed a classy design in light, neutral shades, with medium-gray and cinnamon brown accents.Last month, this award-winning business jet made its debut in Geneva. It wasnt a regular flight, but one that was powered by SAF (sustainable aviation fuel). Flying from Savannah, Georgia, to Geneva, Switzerland, it hit its top speed of Mach 0.9 (691 mph/1,112 kph). The G700 can be configured for either 13 or eight passengers, and it boasts a range of up to 8,631 miles (13,890 km). But just such an event happening on countless occasions has finally led to definitive legal action taken against the Hertz company. This week, it finally led to a monetary payout. The story goes something like this, at least according to those affected. As far back as 2017, reports of Hertz dealerships calling in bogus vehicle theft claims have led to as many as 300 or more reports of serious repercussions. Oftentimes, leading to the unjustified arrests of Hertz vehicle drivers for no discernable reason.But perhaps no incident more aptly contextualizes the brazenness of Hertz's false accusations than the story of Kelly Grady. Back in 2017, police camera footage from Plymouth Township in Montgomery County showed police pulling over the Hertz vehicle she'd been renting for six months after a car accident, all while menacing her with their weapons drawn. The distraught Grady was then taken into police custody and held for a scarcely believable 12 days.To add insult to injury, Hertz p rocessed a charge of over $4,000 to cover bringing in the vehicle for a state inspection the day before the fateful arrest. At last tally, 330 cases across the country have accused Hertz of similar transgressions and abuses leading to lost wages, severe emotional damage, and a slew of people nationwide scratching their heads as to why.According to reports from ABC 6 Philadelphia , Kelly Grady was awarded a settlement of $100,000 compensation for her predicament. Assuming other similar cases yield the exact same result, this could result in Hertz losing as much as $330,000,000 on the whole deal. We can understand if some among you believe even this amount is insufficient considering the damage. The Canadian office began a market survey in July 2019, and the U.S. division followed suit in September 2019. Come November 2021, the number of complaints in the U.S. market increased to five rusty trucks.Fast forward to May 2022, and Honda realized something. It was predicted the fuel tank mounting band separation from a corroded rear frame could cause the fuel tank to become unsecured and damaged from undercarriage impact, possibly resulting in a fuel leak. The automaker determined that a safety-related defect cannot be ruled out, hence the recall of 112k trucks.112,060 units of the first-generation Ridgeline, to be more precise, unibody pickups that were sold or registered in the salt-belt region of the United States. This callback specifically refers to vehicles from Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. There have been no reports of the aforementioned condition from outside the salt-belt region.According to the attached report, dealers have three ways of addressing this problem. Attaching a reinforcement brace, cleaning the rear frame, and applying some anti-corrosive wax is the best-case scenario. Repairing the corroded frame comes next. Lastly, the dealer may repurchase the truck.Dealers have already been informed of these outcomes, but customers will have to wait until August 1st to receive Honda -branded envelopes by first-class mail. Of course, owners who have paid to have the aforementioned repairs completed at their own expense are eligible for reimbursement.The suspect population of Ridgelines was manufactured between October 7th, 2004, and June 26th, 2014 across the 2006 through 2014 model years. kW Customers living in German-speaking countries, and the Netherlands, were the first to meet it, in Berlin, inside a former factory, on the banks of the river Spree. Subsequently, it was taken to London, UK, in a more modern setting, with a view over the River Thames, where guests from all over Western Europe attended its local unveiling. Finally, the tour concluded in Milan, Italy, at a former industrial estate, where Southern European attendees became familiar with the exciting model.The Huracan Tecnica marks a new era in the life of the Huracan. Not only does it deliver the latest technological innovations by our engineers, but this is equaled in a new, fresh design, said Lamborghinis Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer, Federico Foschini. With the events in Berlin, London, and Milan, we wanted to give our customers the opportunity to get to know our latest product in an authentic, intimate, and exclusive setting. Thus, they had the chance to enjoy a first impression of our latest creation.Unveiled a little over two months ago as yet another extreme take on the brands V10-powered supercar, the Huracan Tecnica bridges the gap between the Huracan EVO RWD and the Huracan STO. Even though it is based on the former, it has identical power to the latter, with the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter engine pushing out 640 ps (631 hp / 471) and 565 Nm (417 lb-ft) of torque. The Italian company claims that it will run out of breath at 325 kph (202 mph) and that it can deal with the 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) sprint in just 3.2 seconds.Besides the punchy unit, the Huracan Tecnica boasts enhanced aerodynamics, carbon ceramic brakes, torque vectoring, and rear-wheel steering, all of which make it a proper track tool. Deliveries of the supercar will kick off in early 2023, and customers are looking at a minimum of $300,000 for one. Its that time of the year when the worlds most popular luxury vacation destinations are flooded by equally-luxurious toys belonging to millionaires and billionaires. One of the superyachts recently spotted by Superyacht Times is Seasense, which anchored off Antibes, on the French Riviera. The 219-foot (67 meters) custom Italian pleasure craft is a rare sight, since its owner doesnt share it with anyone other than his family and close friends.Five years ago, Manhattan-based Charles S. Cohen was still amazed by his brand-new luxury toy. A real estate developer and movie producer, Cohen has many other interests, which he would summarize as a luxury collection of office buildings, apartment houses, showroom buildings, high-end cinema and film, in an interview with Boat International. He chose the acclaimed Italian ship builder Benetti because he also happens to be a big Ferrari and Lamborghini fan. Seasense boasts a striking military-inspired exterior. This was the result of a collaboration with Cor D. Rover Design, the Italian brands first project with the Dutch designer. It was also a first for the AREA Architecture Studio, which had never designed the interior of a superyacht before.The real estate developer and his wife were also very involved in the entire process, and detail-oriented. But it was worth it, and the multiple awards the Seasense won at its debut confirmed it. It can sleep up to 12 guests in six cabins, and its raised pool is one of the most beautiful ones on a superyacht, resembling those of luxury resorts.As powerful as it is stylish, Seasense is capable of a transatlantic range of 5,000 nautical miles (5,750 miles/9,260 km) at 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph). ATV Dirt bikes confiscated by the New York City Police Department were crushed under a bulldozer in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/4c71Y3Z69B Reuters (@Reuters) June 22, 2022 New York City residents often complain about the noise made by dirt bikes and ATVs. The Police are called to deal with those that use these types of vehicles to move around in the city. Theyre making a lot of noise and are almost always traveling in groups. This behavior scares many pedestrians as well. Sidewalks are often used by bikers to skip traffic.Drivers also report the bikers to the Police, but the NYPD cant catch them all. On some unfortunate occasions, dirt bikes and ATVs collide with cars and run off leaving the law-abiding citizens to deal with the damage themselves.Police agree that dirt bike andusers are a danger to the community and underline that these vehicles arent approved for on-road use, nor are they registered or insured.Dirt bikes and ATVs arent only a nuisance and an annoyance to us but theyre extremely dangerous. We know that. We see them all the time and hear them all-time at night. We see the large numbers moving throughout our street, and we want to be clear this is not acceptable, said Mayor Eric Adams.Footage recorded by Reuters and published on Twitter shows a bulldozer going over multiple two-wheelers after the mayor waives a checkered flag.The mayor and the NYPD Commissioner hope this action will send a signal, and Americans will understand that its dangerous to use these vehicles in the city.But upon seeing what happened in New York City , people reacted on Twitter. Most of them said this action was a waste and underlined that authorities shouldve auctioned them off or donated them to those that need transportation for work.On the other hand, other motorcycle enthusiasts said this was a good idea because dirt bike users ride around like maniacs. Curiously, that was a request Tesla made in its appeal to reduce the damages. The federal judge William Orrick refused Teslas request for a new judgment but granted it the reduction of the awards. If Diaz accepted it, that would be the end of the story. According to Reuters , he rejected it.At first, Diazs attorneys tried to appeal that ruling, but Orrick denied it. The former contract worker really had only two options: accept the lower damages or face Tesla in court for a new trial, which was what he chose to do.Diazs lawyers responded that Orricks decision demonstrated how federal judges have a systemic bias against juries, which would violate the constitutional right that plaintiffs have to submit their lawsuits to them. Diaz is asking a new jury to decide the case.While it may seem like Tesla has an advantage here, the context is much more favorable to Diaz than when he first went to court. At the time, racism cases in Fremont were just starting to emerge. Now, Tesla is facing several lawsuits for bad working conditions, including some for sexual harassment. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is also suing the company for hundreds of complaints about racism. Diaz presents this as the main reason for him to be willing to go to court again. According to his lawyers, the lower award would not make Tesla act against racism on its premises. In other words, Tesla would just pay and keep business as usual. He also said that the reduced damages were unjust. Diaz wants a new jury to decide about that. We would not be surprised if Tesla ended up having to pay an even higher award than the $136.9 million this time. And we have a clear example of that. So, the videographer behind the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube has prepared yet another enticing feature centered around a great quarter-mile dragstrip project build. It features Chris Merry's twin-turbo Pontiac, a G8 that was caught rumbling at TX2K in Houston, Texas. Then it was also fully exposed as a heavy hitter during the recent Street Car Takeover event that saw the wheels go round at US131 Motorsports Park (aka the fastest track in Michigan).Even better, somewhere down the line of rivals, there is a second, feisty Pontiac G8 trying to also make a name for itself. Imagine the chances of that encounter! That can only mean one thing: a select bunch of people is treasuring these rare full-size sedans like pirates gold while also living life one quarter of a mile at a time But first things first the perspective. That one comes from TX2K where the mid-to-low nine-second G8 first brawls with a vintage muscle car ahead of clashing with a Caddy CTS-V at the 1:02 mark. The result is equally impressive, with the G8 snatching a 9.31s victory against its opponents 9.91s performance. According to the description, disaster aka a bent driveshaft then struck ahead of Street Car Takeover but a friend found a suitable replacement, and the Pontiac was free to occupy its slot in the events Heavyweight Class.The first skirmish there (at 1:40) was against vintage stuff but it clearly represented no challenge (flawless 9.21s versus 12.14s victory). Unlike the next pass, where the twin-turbo G8 had to duke it out with a crimson supercharged Pontiac G8! Well, as it turned out, it delivered its best performance of 8.91s against an equally feisty 9.03s rival to advance into the class finals. There, it met a Dodge Challenger Hellcat who ultimately posed no threat whatsoever, given the 9.28s to 9.97s result. ABS Ducatis unrelenting Panigale V4 Speciale saw a production run of 1,500 units for the 2018 model-year, and it is best described as an absolute animal! Behind the creatures mesmerizing bodywork lies a fuel-injected Desmosedici Stradale V4 whose power can make even the boldest of speed junkies tremble with fear.The liquid-cooled engine packs a counter-rotating crankshaft, elliptical throttle bodies and a healthy displacement of 1,103cc. With the optional Akrapovic exhaust installed, this desmodromic brute is capable of supplying enough horses to defeat a Roman legions cavalry 226 of them, to be exact.As far as torque goes, the mill can achieve a peak output of 92 pound-feet (124 Nm) at about 10,000 revs per minute. This beastly force is transferred to the 17-inch forged magnesium wheel by a six-speed gearbox that boasts DQS ( Ducati Quick Shift) technology. When the oomph touches the ground, it lets the V4 Speciale pulverize the quarter-mile in just under ten seconds.Braking is the responsibility of dual 330 mm (13-inch) rotors up north and a single 245 mm (9.6-inch) unit down south, all of which are joined by Brembo calipers and Bosch cornering. Suspension duties are managed by a full suite of Ohlins goodies, comprising upside-down 43 mm (1.7-inch) NIX 30 forks and a TTX 36 monoshock with progressive linkage.What youre seeing in this articles photo gallery is an impeccable exemplar with 2,800 miles (4,500 km) on the counter. Currently, the Italian rarity still dwells in the stable of its original owner, whod an STM slipper clutch, a single CRG bar-end mirror and several Rizoma accessories.This unscathed Panigale V4 Speciale is now preparing to change hands for the very first time, and it will be listed on Bring a Trailer until Sunday, June 26. As of now, the highest bid is registered at precisely $16,250, which wont be very likely to meet the reserve for a machine whose base MSRP was just shy of forty grand. It may have something to do with the fact that this layout lost its appeal almost 100 years ago, but it's an important part of automotive history. Not only was it used on almost every automobile in the early days, but it also graced some of the most beautiful cars ever built.And even though it fell out of fashion in the 1930s, when closed cars and convertibles became widely available, the phaeton managed to survive until after World War II. That's when the Willys-Overland Jeepster , widely known as America's last true phaeton, was produced.But before we dive into Willys' attempt to transform the rugged military Jeep into a car, let's discuss what makes the phaeton a unique body style. And what sets it apart from the more familiar convertible.While the two layouts share some features, like a removable canvas top and a windscreen, the phaeton is not 100% weatherproof. Unlike convertibles, phaetons did not have sliding windows in the doors or the body, while the rigid or foldable roof provided limited protection against rain.Sure, some phaetons came with side curtains or screens that could be installed once the roof was in place, but this solution was only suitable for short trips. Just imagine how awful it must be to drive an old phaeton in the winter when it's snowing and the temperature tends to drop below zero.It sounds quite uncomfortable, but most of the early automobiles were open-air cars that had nothing more than a flimsy roof. It wasn't until the 1920s that steel bodies began to be mass-produced and the closed cars we are more familiar with became available to the average buyer.As automakers began offering coupes, sedans, and convertibles that came with side windows, the phaeton body style disappeared almost entirely in the 1930s.And when car production was revived after World War II, no major automaker returned to making phaetons. Except for Willys-Overland, that is!Established in 1912, the company is known for a couple of pre-WWII cars that became popular with hot-rodders and drag racers. I'm talking about the 77 and the Americar. But Willys' most notable achievement came in the 1940s when it rolled out the MB army truck . After the war, the MB morphed into the civilian Jeep and the rest is history.The Jeepster arrived in 1948, at a time when Willys was producing the civilian CJ-2A and a pair of larger Jeeps with station wagon and pickup truck body styles. And it was conceived to fill the missing automobile gap in the company's lineup.Granted, the Jeepster was also a utilitarian vehicle, but it offered more car-like features that weren't usually available on the CJ. The list included whitewall tires, sun visors, wind wings, a locking glovebox, a cigarette lighter, and a continental tire with fabric cover, most of which were considered deluxe on other low-cost automobiles. And they came standard too.But unlike other American cars of the era, the Jeepster also lacked side windows and it was only offered with a soft-top. So it was essentially a phaeton, even though it lacked the elegance of its pre-WWII ancestors.But that wasn't the only thing that set it apart from other American vehicles of the late 1940s. The Jeepster also combined the ride height of a Jeep CJ with the convenience features of an automobile. Yup, you can forget about the AMC Eagle of the 1970s, the Willys Jeepster was America's first crossover. Albeit a rather crude one.On the flip side, the Jeepster lacked the off-road capability of the CJ. Even though it shared many underpinnings with the latter, it came with rear-wheel drive only. So while it looked rugged and off-road capable, it was not.The engine lineup was similar to other Jeep products from the era. The Jeepster debuted with the 134-cubic-inch (2.2-liter) Go-Devil inline-four in 1948 but received the larger, 148-cubic-inch (2.4-liter) Lightning inline-six in 1949. The four-banger was rated at 63 horsepower, while the six-cylinder delivered 72 horses.In 1950, the Jeepster's final year on the market, Willys offered a larger, 161-cubic-inch (2.6-liter) version of the Lightning inline-six good for 90 horsepower.Even though it was praised for its distinctive design and solid performance, the Jeepster wasn't as successful as Willys had hoped it would be.The crossover did not catch on with the intended market due to poor advertising and Willys' small dealer network, while its limited practicality also kept regular Jeep customers away.The Jeepster was also relatively expensive at $1,765 in 1948 (equivalent to about $20,000 in 2022) and potential customers were unhappy about the lack of roll-up door windows, which resulted in poor all-weather protection. We could say that the dated phaeton body style was an important factor in the Jeepster's demise.Following a somewhat successful first year with 10,326 units sold, the Jeepster moved only 2,960 examples in 1949. Willys sold a further 5,836 cars in 1950 before putting an end to the nameplate. Total production included 19,132 examples.The name returned in 1966 as the Jeepster Commando under Kaiser-Jeep ownership. But unlike the original Jeepster, the Commando was a convertible pickup with roll-up windows and an available hardtop.Come 2022 and the Willys Jeepster is not a highly desirable classic, but it enjoys a cult following among fans of early Jeeps and odd vehicles. And while it gets some recognition as the last true American phaeton , it doesn't get much credit as a proto-crossover. kWh EV The company has only been working on the Arrival Van since 2020, which makes these achievements all the more commendable, given the short time frame in which it managed to successfully complete all certification tests, including the functional and safety ones required for its EUWVTA.The Arrival Van was conceived as an economically efficient and environmentally sustainable commercial vehicle. It is made using in-house lightweight composite materials that are durable, recyclable, and affordable. It has an aluminum frame and composite bodywork created with a proprietary blend of plastics and fiberglass.One major advantage the Arrival Van has over traditionally-made vans is the fact that it is built in what the manufacturer describes as rapidly scalable micro-factories placed in cities all around the world, rather than in a single, central facility. They are expected to have a lower cost of assembly and shorter commissioning time.Just like its other vehicles (the Arrival Bus and the Arrival Car ), the Van also takes a modular approach, which allows for the upgrading of both the hardware and software of the vehicle over time. The van consists of nine modules, one for the battery pack, which can range between 44to 133 kWh, and eight other modules for various hardware and software packages.Arrivals vans have a payload capacity of up to 4,354 lb (1,975 kg). They feature emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist, and other smart systems. Info in the cabin is displayed on a large 15.6 touchscreen display. The British manufacturer also plans to add automated driving functionality to all its vehicles, including the Arrival Van.Next, the Britishmaker says it plans to start trials with customers in the following months. Arrival boasts of having over 140,000 non-binding letters of intent and orders for variants of its van. Production is scheduled to start in Bicester, U.K., in the third quarter of this year. Its called Tails and its a custom van designed with the adventurous cyclist in mind. Were talking about the kind that drives to a destination, sets up camp and then heads out on his bike , with the mention that Outside Van created a van that also allows to bring someone along. After all, some hobbies are more enjoyable if they can be shared with a friend.Tails is described as the ultimate biking van and a complete mobile bike mechanic station, and it lives up to the name at least in the official presentation. It can sleep two people in relative comfort and comes with the basic creature comforts, and it can carry as many as six bicycles . More importantly, though, it comes rigged with everything you need to do a little tinkering on-site, both on your machine and your friends.Based on a 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144 van, Tails rides on Black Rhino Yellowstone 17 wheels clad in off-road tires, allowing you to get to wherever you want, no matter how rough the terrain. The van is all-wheel drive, most likely powered by an 188 hp 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, and features Fox 2.0 front and rear shocks, safari roof rack and a 50-inch LED light bar.But its whats in the back thats most likely to get bikers attention: in addition to the possibility of hanging four bikes on the rails outside, Tails can store two more in the back inside. Also here is the aforementioned bike mechanic station, with custom tool rolls, a flip-down worktable, a garage gear glider, Molle Panels, and an ARB air compressor with multiple attachment sites.Tails was built with avid cyclists in mind whether theyre mobbing down single track deep in the woods of British Columbia, trekking upwards on petrified sand dunes of Moab, embracing joyous torture that is cyclocross, and everything in-between, Outside Van says of its latest custom rig. Weve maximized every inch of this 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144. Tails is a full basecamp for overnight adventures.As a basecamp, Tails offers a two-person bed in the rear and a fold-down couch that serves as seating during mealtimes and could double as a secondary berth for one if need be. Theres a kitchenette with a deep sink with spraying faucet, induction stove top, microwave and refrigerator, and a 20-gallon (75.7-liter) freshwater tank. Bathroom facilities are predictably minimal, with a cassette toilet and an outside shower, but they will have to do. The interior is utilitarian in its layout and styling, but not devoid of style.Tails has AC and several power outlets for your gadgets, many of which are powered by a lithium-ion battery and roof-mounted solar panels. Strip away the biking gear in the back, and youd get a solid option for off-roading, though the market is filled with alternatives for that.Speaking of market, Outside Van doesnt offer pricing or availability for Tails, but there is clear indication that this is a real build that will reach customers at some point. HiConsumption reports that pre-orders will open soon, hinting that further customization from what is shown in the official presentation might be possible. EV Speaking to the Wall Street Journal , chief executive officer Jim Farley revealed that Americas second-largest automaker had a different styling direction prepared for the Mustang Mach-E before it was renamed Mustang Mach-E. Back in 2017 when Farley returned to Dearborn from his European stint, he discovered a rather dull prototype. It looks like a Prius, thats a joke, he recalled. Given this feedback, the all-electric sport utility vehicle had to be redesigned, pushing the launch date by several months.Can you imagine this highly successfullooking like a Toyota Prius on stilts? It certainly wouldnt have sold as well as the Mustang Mach-E we have today. Subtlety isnt a cherished attribute in the automotive industry of today, which is riddled with extremely questionable styling decisions that many peeps find interesting. Take, for instance, those nasty-looking fake exhaust outlets on vehicles from the Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz.Produced in both Mexico and China, the Mustang Mach-E for the 2022 model year is no longer available for retail order in North America. Ford mentions that limited inventory may be available at selected dealers, yet finding a dealer that sells at MSRP is like finding a needle in a haystack.Similar to the 2021 model, the 2022 can be had with rear- or all-wheel drive. Standard- and extended-range batteries are offered, and customers who expect their Mustang Mach-E to perform like a Mustang are presented with the GT Performance. A word of warning, though: maximum power is available for merely five seconds at a time , which rules out drag racing. More on this: 1 Forget Ferries, Seaplanes Are Ready to Take Island Hopping to the Next Level 2 VVA-14 Ground Effect Aircraft Dreamt of Dominating World for the Soviet Union 3 Worlds First Zero-Emissions Polar Exploration Vehicle Is Ready To Get On Ice 4 First High-Speed Electric Seagliders to Operate in Franco-British Waters by 2028 5 Worlds First Electric Seaglider Will Cruise the Seas at 180 MPH SUV In a collaboration that has lasted for more than 20 years, Lexus and the American high-end audio equipment brand Mark Levinson still not deviate from their Japanese 'kaizen' philosophy, always finding new ways to innovate.World Music Day (21 June) was a great opportunity for the two partners to count their accomplishments and tell the story behind their passion for bringing quality sound to every Lexus car.One of the most recent examples of Mark Levinsons work in a Lexus production model is the audio system tailor-made for the new NX 350h hybrid electric. Wanting to exceed customer expectations, Mark used the PurePlay architecture to create a 7.1 surround sound effect, bringing the sound closer to the listeners ear level, for a more intimate feeling. It took five years to complete such a system, and the shape and size of the car's interior were important issues to consider.As Savion Thompson, Acoustics Engineer at Mark Levinson explains, there is a lot of listening, months of vehicle study, lots of hand-made prototypes, simulations, measurements and presentations to be able to choose in the end the right fit for the car. One example of that is the NX project, where The Pureplay speaker layout features seven matched 90mm speakers, positioned strategically around the cabin to create an enhanced sound stage. All the sound in the cabin is amplified by an internally coupled subwoofer, an 8x9 door woofer and a brand-new, fully discrete 12-channel amplifier.Aiming to achieve near zero per cent harmonic distortion and crystal-clear acoustic performance, our goals align with Lexus very closely. That is one of the reasons why the partnership has lasted for more than 20 years., said Kyle Roche, Senior Global Marketing Manager at HARMAN, as is owned by Harman International Industries.Further innovations will be revealed later this year with the market launch of two all-new SUVs the new generation RX SUV and the ground-breaking, all-electric RZ. EV Apart from the friendly fire, the $4,500 credit was fiercely opposed by companies without unionized factories in the U.S., such as Tesla, Honda, and Toyota. They claimed that it would create an artificial benefit and impose unionizing even in factories that freely decided against it.The idea would also create massive legal embarrassments for the American government. Mexican and Canadian products made in factories with unionized workers would not be eligible, which would go against the USMCA deal the revised version of the NAFTA free-trade agreement. On December 2, 2021, Mexican Economy minister Tatiana Clouthier said the idea was totally contrary to free trade and promised to impose tariffs should it be approved.That was not the only international reaction the idea brought up. South Korea and Germany pledged to go to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to attack the idea and eventually land the U.S. with penalties for hurting international trade. In fact, any country exporting electric vehicles to the American market would probably join them in this dispute.The stillborn idea was apparently abandoned due to all the implications it would bring. However, that does not mean that the current federal incentives for electric vehicles will remain as they are. Manchin told Bloomberg that it is now penalizing American companies that reached the 200,000 unit quota and allowing foreign automakers to have a competitive advantage against them.When the Build Back Better Act revises these credits,incentives will probably be limited in price and family income. First, the H.R. 5376 wanted to establish price barriers at $54,000 for vans, $55,000 for sedans, $69,000 for SUVs and crossovers, and $74,000 for pickup trucks. Only individuals making up to $400,000 per year, heads of households earning less than $600,000/year, or joint fillers not exceeding $800,000 would be eligible for the credit.In August 2021, the U.S. Senate approved a non-binding amendment that lowered those values to $40,000 for all vehicles and the personal income restraint to $100,000 per year. Most electric pickup trucks would be excluded from such incentives, which suggests the discussions to reach a final text will extend for a lot more time. What we know for sure at this point is that the union-based EV tax credit is dead and rightfully so. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. ONeill is a founding member of the Massachusetts School Nurse Research Network and a fellow in the National Academy of School Nursing. The niece of a school nurse, ONeill said she was drawn to that occupation because she liked working with adolescents and wanted to make a difference in their lives. In addition to serving as a school nurse herself, she also took on leadership and advocacy roles within the school nursing community. She served two terms as president of the Massachusetts School Nurse Organizations and served for five years on the board of directors for the National Association of School Nurses. She said became active in policy matters, she said, because I knew that changes needed to be made and I wanted to be a part of that. Franz Fayot, Luxembourg's minister for development cooperation, humanitarian affairs and the economy, speaks in an interview on the sidelines of Collision, one of the world's largest technology conferences, in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) by Martina Fuchs TORONTO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China is a key trade partner of Luxembourg and the Grand Duchy hopes to boost business with China in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Luxembourg's minister for development cooperation, humanitarian affairs and the economy said on Tuesday. "China and Luxembourg are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. China is an important trade partner of Luxembourg," Franz Fayot told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of Collision, one of the world's largest technology conferences, which takes place in Toronto, Canada, from June 20-23. "We have six or seven Chinese banks that have their European headquarters in Luxembourg. We have other economic relations through Cargolux and a lot of Luxembourg's businesses which are active in China," he said. Given pandemic-induced disruptions and uncertainties in the world economy, Fayot voiced hope that the situation will stabilize and "will allow us to continue where we left off some more than two years ago." Since the first opening of an overseas subsidiary of Bank of China in Luxembourg in 1979, the Grand Duchy has become a gateway to the European Union for Chinese financial institutions and investors. Although Luxembourg is one of the smallest sovereign states in the world, it has been able to attract Chinese investors, banks, multinational corporations, state-owned enterprises, sovereign wealth funds, and high net worth individuals seeking to establish or expand their business in Europe. In 2011, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange listed the first offshore RMB bonds, also known as Dim Sum bonds. Since then, the exchange between China and Luxembourg has experienced rapid growth which prompted Chinese investors to list RMB bonds in continental Europe. "We managed the COVID-19 crisis quite well, coming out with a mild recession in 2020 and then bouncing back strongly in 2021," Fayot said on Luxembourg's economic situation. Fayot, who joins some 35,000 people at Enercare Center in Toronto for Collision this week, said Luxembourg is building "a digital economy, with strong infrastructure, cutting-edge data centers, supercomputer, strong cybersecurity capacity," and all this to capacitate strong businesses in fintech, health tech, clean tech and generally a data economy. Franz Fayot, Luxembourg's minister for development cooperation, humanitarian affairs and the economy, speaks in an interview on the sidelines of Collision, one of the world's largest technology conferences, in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sheryl Griffin, 76, of Jasper, Texas, never thought shed go to college in Illinois and fall in love with a man from New Jersey, but she did. On May 27, 1972 at 2 p.m., she married Ron Blankley of River Vale, New Jersey, two years her junior. And on May 27, 2022 at 2 p.m., they returned to the church where it all started: First United Methodist Church of Jasper. Theres no better place to be than Jasper, Texas, Ron said. It was his idea to return to Jasper, traveling 1,500 miles from New Jersey where theyve lived for roughly 40 years. When they met with a travel agent to plan their trip and gave her the 75951 zip code, she said, Thats deep in the middle of nowhere. Ron said, Thats exactly where were going. Sheryls sister, Lin Griffin, 10 years her junior, had never met anyone from New Jersey before. Still a teenager, shed never left Texas. Neither had most people in Jasper at the time. It was quite the talk of the town that she married a Yankee, she said. She hadnt even met her new brother-in-law until right before the wedding. Prior to heading to Wheaton College, Sheryls father, Jimmy Griffin, told her, My biggest fear is that youll marry a Yankee and never come home. On her wedding day, he drove her very slowly to the church and in a round about way, she said. She just wanted to get to there and couldnt understand why daddy was doing that, she said. Before walking her down the aisle, he told her, Its not too late to change your mind. She just looked at him and said, Ill always love you, daddy. Rons camp counselor from Christian Service Brigade, whom hed known since he was nine, married them. They wrote their own vows with Psalm 34 as their theme. Their parents came from humble beginnings and were of the Greatest Generation. Sheryls parents, Jimmy and Masel Griffin, came from humble beginnings. He was born and raised in a tiny home in Woodville, the fifth of nine children. She was born in Center, and moved to Jasper later on and her family experienced great hardship during the Great Depression. They were married in the house of Masels brother, Lee Alvis, who lived on Peachtree St. After Pearl Harbor, Jimmy enlisted in the Navy and headed off to the Pacific theater. She waited for him to return, living in a room of the home of the local jeweler for whom she worked in town. After Jimmy came home, they moved into their own place across the street from Jasper High School. Several years later, they had Sheryl and moved to a small house on First Street. Rons parents, Warren and Gladys Blankley, who grew up in northern New Jersey, met in high school. His mother would wait four years for Warren to return from the war prior to them being married. He served in the Army in North Africa and Italy. It was only after he died that Ron learned of the commendations his father had been nominated for, which were tucked underneath papers in a box. Warren, who was incredibly humble, never told anyone. Mutual friends introduced Ron and Sheryl at Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Illinois, one night towards the end of her junior year and his freshman year. He said hed never seen anyone with such beautiful long blonde hair. After he told her about his plans for the summer, she replied, Oh bless your heart! Hed never heard that before and was smitten. Theyd date and break up and get back together again, and eventually get engaged in February 1972. She planned the wedding from Minnesota while he was in Philadelphia. Friends and family from the East coast and the Midwest came to the small logging town having never heard of it before. Theyd never even been to Texas. But it was the place to be for a celebration. Fifty years later it was no different. This time, Ron and Sheryl stayed at the Swann Hotel Bed & Breakfast run by new owners, Roy and Sarah Crone. Their gracious and hospitable hosts made the stay feel like a home away from home, so much so that they stayed an extra night. Sixty years ago, the hotel was run by the Swann sisters who hosted the rehearsal dinner of Sheryls older cousin. Lin, her maid of honor 50 years ago, made arrangements at the church including asking Rebel Hood, who owns Bobbys Bouquet, to recreate Sheryls bouquet. Rebel made it look almost identical to the one she held walking down the aisle. Angie Neal of Angie Neal Photography in Jasper captured the moment on camera. They celebrated that evening at Rayburn Country Resort at Lake Sam Rayburn. and had an anniversary cake made by Sharon Miller, also of Jasper. Wherever they went during their visit, people remarked that it wasnt often theyd hear of a 50-year wedding anniversary. Marriage isnt easy, theyve acknowledged. Over five decades theyve shared better and worse times. But the purpose of marriage wasnt solely about them. It was always about God. They felt called to the ministry, first working with Campus Crusade for Christ, then later for evangelical bible teaching churches. They raised children whod later have grandchildren. But through it all, they kept in mind the verse of their vows: Oh magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! (Ps. 34:3) Only in Gods providence would someone from northern New Jersey be in Jasper, Texas, Ron said. But theres no better place to be. He says he cant wait to come back. President Joe Biden called on Congress on Wednesday to pass a federal "gas tax holiday" through the end of September to help ease rising gas prices at the pump. The proposal comes as gas prices continue to rise nationwide amid sustained inflation affecting the costs of everything from food and energy to new and used vehicles. Here are five things to know about the potential gas tax holiday. How much would people save at the pump? A gas tax holiday would suspend the federal gas tax, which is currently 18 cents per gallon of gas and 24 cents per gallon of diesel. That would reduce the nationwide average price of gas from nearly $5 to $4.775. In Texas, the average price of gas would drop from $4.638 to $4.444 if the federal gas tax were suspended. Biden needs the support of Congress in order to suspend the gas tax, something that has not been done since the taxs inception, according to CBS News. What is the gas tax? In addition to the 18.3 cents per gallon federal gas tax, there is also a 0.1 cent per gallon Leaking Underground Storage Tank tax, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The revenue from these two taxes flows into the Highway Trust Fund, which is used to pay for transportation spending. About $42 billion is expected to flow into the Highway Trust Fund this year with three-fifths of the funds coming from the federal gas taxes, according to CRFB. The White House said in a press release suspending the tax for three months would cost the fund $10 billion in revenue but that it could be replenished through the federal deficit. Each state also has its own gas tax. In Texas, the gas tax is 20 cents per gallon of gas, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The tax brought in $3.7 billion in revenue in 2018, making it the fourth-largest source of tax revenue in the state. Other potential relief On Sunday, when Biden first made comments about his consideration of a federal gas tax holiday, the president said he is also considering other relief measures, such as gas rebate cards. "That's part of what we're considering, that's part of the whole operation," Biden told reporters. In March, multiple bills were filed in Congress offering gas rebate cards and gas stimulus checks. One bill would offer families $300 a month for gas for the rest of the year, while another one would give Americans up to $360 per year to offset the rising costs of gas. Gas prices slightly dropped after hitting all-time highs The average price of gas in the U.S. is under $5 as of June 22 after hitting a record high of $5.016 on June 14, according to AAA. The same is true in Texas, where the average price of gas is $4.624, down from $4.695 on June 15. In the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, the average price for a gallon of gas is $4.572 as of June 22, AAA shows. This is down from an all-time high of $4.649 per gallon on June 13. Prices are continuing to rise Fuel oil prices are up 106.7% since May 2021, the largest increase in the history of the Consumer Price Index reports, according to the May 2022 CPI report. Fuel oil prices increased 16.9% from April to May, the largest month-to-month price increase of any item tracked in the report. Overall, prices for all items are up 8.6% year-over-year, the latest CPI report shows. Food costs have increased 10.1% since last year, energy prices have increased 34.6% and the cost of other items, such as vehicles, apparel and transportation, have increased 6% during this time. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) The mutinous soldiers who ousted Burkina Faso's democratically elected president early this year vowed they would do a better job at stopping the jihadi violence rocking the country. Five months later, however, attacks are increasing and patience with the junta appears to be waning. Many in Burkina Faso supported the military takeover in January, frustrated with the previous government's inability to stem Islamic extremist violence that has killed thousands and displaced at least 2 million. Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who led the coup and was later installed as interim president, vowed to restore security. But violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State increased nearly 7% during the junta's first three months of rule compared with the three months prior, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Beyond the immeasurable suffering, the effects of the violence and conflict which show no signs of abating are likely to lead to renewed popular discontent, said Heni Nsaibia, senior researcher at ACLED. The latest attack happened in northern Burkina Faso over the weekend when suspected extremists killed at least 55 people, authorities said Monday. Nearly 5,000 people have died in the last two years in Burkina Faso and conflict experts say there will be far-reaching consequences if the violence continues to worsen. The decline in Burkina Faso will absolutely fuel the spread of jihadist activity in the Gulf of Guinea states Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo where there already is jihadist recruitment and violence," said Michael Shurkin, director of global programs at 14 North Strategies, a consultancy based in Dakar, Senegal. Damiba has asked citizens to give him until September to see improvement. He's promoted younger officers with field experience and created a central coordination unit for military operations. His government also has supported local dialogues with jihadis to try to convince the fighters to put down their arms and return to their homes. Yet violence is intensifying. Since April at least 30 security forces have been killed and two foreigners kidnapped: an American nun and a Polish citizen. Last week, 11 gendarmes were killed by jihadis in Seno province in the Sahel, said the army in a statement. The government is losing control of swaths of land, particularly in the Center North and Sahel regions, as jihadis have increased their use of roadside bombs and use more sophisticated weapons. Government soldiers say they lack equipment and must resort to stealing guns and ammunition from jihadis they kill. Seeing so many of their colleagues die also has taken its toll, the soldiers say. Our situation is very difficult. Sometimes the enemy kills us because were regularly exhausted, said a soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to speak to journalists. Jihadis are changing strategy. They are targeting water sources, destroying 32 facilities this year which has reduced access to nearly 300,000 people, said a group of aid organizations operating in the country. The conflict is now putting at risk the very thing no one can live without: clean water, said Rebecca Bouchet-Petersen, country director for Solidarity International in Burkina Faso. Most of the destruction of water sources has been around Djibo in the arid Sahel region, which hosts the largest number of displaced people in the country and has been under siege for months. Last month local leaders in Djibo tried to negotiate an end to the blockade with the top jihadi in the country, Jafar Dicko, according to government officials. It was the first time the government gave logistical support for local dialogues, which have been ongoing for years. While the talks partially succeeded in allowing freer movement in and out of Djibo, community leaders say its a small improvement. I think its when the government negotiates that well see more significant results, said Boubacari Dicko, the Emir of Djibo who led the talks. But its unclear if Damiba's government is prepared to take that step. The previous government was publicly against such negotiations, although it did hold some in secret around the November 2020 presidential election. Theres also growing discontent about Damiba's crackdown on civic freedoms. The junta has restricted political demonstrations that could disturb public order or mobilize security forces who will be more useful for combat." Yet locals in hard-hit parts of Burkina Faso see few alternatives to the junta and say theyre willing to give it a little more time. In August last year, 45-year-old Awa Komi tried to return to her village to farm because her family had no food, but fled when jihadis started killing people, she said. In a makeshift displacement camp in the northern town of Ouahigouya where she now lives, shes hoping Damiba will restore security so she can go home. He said things would change in five months, the outspoken mother of 11 said, pumping her fist for emphasis. If its not better in five months, we, the women, will kick him out. NEW ORLEANS (AP) The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes who sent more than 800 of his elderly residents to a crowded, ill-equipped warehouse to ride out Hurricane Ida last year was arrested Wednesday on fraud and cruelty charges arising from the squalid conditions. Bob Glynn Dean Jr., 68, had already lost state licenses and federal funding for crowding his residents into a facility in the town of Independence, roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans. There, authorities said they found ill and elderly bedridden people on mattresses on the wet floor, some crying for help, some lying in their own waste. Some had arrived without their medicine, according to one doctor. Civil suits against Dean's corporation said the ceiling leaked, toilets overflowed at the sweltering warehouse and there was too little food and water. On Wednesday, Dean was in custody in Tangipahoa Parish, facing charges of Medicaid fraud, cruelty to the infirm and obstruction of justice. Dean's attorney, John McClindon, said Dean was informed earlier this week of the warrant against him. A Georgia resident, Dean flew to Louisiana and turned himself in on Wednesday. McClindon said Dean was to be released on a $350,000 bond. Attorney General Jeff Landry said the criminal charges stem from allegations that Dean billed Medicaid for dates his residents were not receiving proper care at the warehouse and engaged in conduct intended to intimidate or obstruct public health officials and law enforcement. McClindon said he could not comment on all the charges because he had not yet read the entire warrant. But he said during a brief interview, I don't think Bob Dean did anything that rose to the level of criminal. In the days after Ida hit Aug. 29, the state reported the deaths of seven people who had been evacuated to the warehouse in the town of Independence. Five were classified as storm-related deaths. Dean later lost the state licenses for his seven facilities. In May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it was prohibiting Dean from receiving federal funding, including Medicare and Medicaid. At the time, McLindon, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate that Dean is appealing the state license revocations and would be reinstated for the federal programs if the appeals are successful. Ida blasted ashore last August as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out power to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River as it rushed from the coast into a major industrial corridor. Idas landfall with 150 mph- (240 kph-) winds also marked the first time in recorded historythat a state got back-to-back years of 150 mph winds or more. At the warehouse where Dean's residents were taken, state officials said conditions had deteriorated quickly in the storm. Generators used to provide power failed at times. Residents were in close quarters at a time when the state was urging social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some went without food for hours. Dean's nursing homes were River Palms Nursing and Rehab and Maison Orleans Healthcare Center in New Orleans; South Lafourche Nursing and Rehab in Lafourche Parish; Park Place Healthcare Nursing Home, West Jefferson Health Care Center and Maison DeVille Nursing home of Harvey, in Jefferson Parish; and Maison DeVille Nursing Home in Terrebonne Parish. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday declared their determination to start a new era of cooperation during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as they set aside years of acrimony following the brutal slaying of a Saudi columnist. The Turkish fiancee of the slain journalist meanwhile, decried the crown prince's visit. Prince Mohammed making his first trip to Turkey following the killing, by Saudi agents, of Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul held one-on-one talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that lasted some two hours. Prince Mohammed is on the last leg of a Middle East tour that also took him to Egypt and Jordan. A joint statement released followed their meeting said the sides strongly emphasized a joint determination to start a new era of cooperation in bilateral relations ... including political, economic, military, security and cultural relations. The two sides also discussed the possibility of developing and diversifying trade and boosting investments and partnerships in various fields. The talks were held in an atmosphere of sincerity and brotherhood embodying the depth of excellent relations between the two countries, according to the statement. The crown princes convoy arrived at the presidential palace complex escorted by Turkish mounted honor guards. Erdogan greeted the prince at an entrance to the palace after which the two kissed each other on both cheeks. Efforts by the regional heavyweights to improve their ties come as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments from wealthy Gulf Arab states. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Talks with the UAEs Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year led to investment deals worth $10 billion after years of regional rivalry. Saudi Arabia, for its part, has been trying to broaden its alliances at a time of strained relations with Washington. The crown prince also seeks to put an end to the scandal over Khashoggis killing that damaged his reputation. U.S. President Joe Biden is due to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of a July 13-16 regional trip that includes stops in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, paying his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, a year before Khashoggi's killing. Ayham Kamel, head of the Eurasia Groups Middle East research team, said the princes regional trip this week is designed to cement Riyadhs regional role and expand reconciliation efforts" ahead of Bidens visit to Saudi Arabia. He said it could also serve to mediate between Egypt and Turkey, which are working toward reconciliation after their relations broke down over Turkeys strong opposition to the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Bilateral trade is likely to increase, and there is a good chance that Saudi tourism flows to Turkey will resume, Kamel wrote. Talks could also involve military/defense cooperation or arms procurement, as the Saudis are interested in exploring diversifying their suppliers. As relations with Turkey frayed over Khashoggi's Oct. 2018 slaying, Saudi Arabia launched an unofficial embargo on Turkish exports, dramatically curbing around $5 billion in bilateral trade. The kingdom also temporarily barred wildly popular Turkish soap operas. The killing in the consulate sparked global outrage and put pressure on Prince Mohammed, who was said to have approved the operation to kill or capture the journalist, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. The prince has denied any knowledge of the operation that was carried out by agents who worked directly for him. While never naming the crown prince, Erdogan has said the operation that killed Khashoggi was ordered by the highest levels of the Saudi government. Khashoggi entered the consulate to obtain papers to allow him to wed his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who waited for him outside. He never emerged and his body was never found. Cengiz said she welcomed the improvement in Saudi and Turkish relations but opposed Prince Mohammed getting welcomed to Ankara before Khashoggi's killers were brought to justice. As someone who has been wronged, I find it very heartbreaking, Cengiz told The Associated Press in a written response to questions. I object to this. Jamals body is still missing. I am devastated that this has gone unanswered and that those who killed him remain unpunished. Turkey opened a trial in absentia against 26 Saudis suspected in Khashoggis killing, but the court earlier this year ruled to halt the proceedings and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the countries rapprochement. An apology should have been made both to my country and to me, Cengiz said. She also was critical of Bidens plans to visit Saudi Arabia. Forgetting all the promises he made, he is now taking steps for his own countrys interests. He is violating the values that he believes in," Cengiz said. "With this visit, he is making the whole world question his sincerity. ___ Wieting reported from Istanbul. GettyImages/REB Images As we previously reported, the minimum income for Texans to be considered "rich" varies markedly across the Lone Star State with the average top 5% income ranging from $274,474 in El Paso to $503,284 in Dallas, according to a GoBankingRates report. SmartAsset, a consumer finance website, has an interactive map allowing people to peruse the wealthiest counties in the U.S. with data related to per capita investment income, median home value, per capita income and more. So, what are the wealthiest counties in the U.S. and Texas and how does Jefferson County compare? Mohamed Ali Hassan (1st R), permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, speaks during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China plays a constructive role toward the peaceful development and stability of countries in the Horn of Africa (HOA), a senior Djiboutian official has said. "China has always played a constructive role in our region and shares stable and dynamic bilateral relations with each and every country that we represent," Mohamed Ali Hassan, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, said on Monday. Hassan made the remarks in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference. Djibouti appreciates the role of China in its endeavor to support countries in the HOA to find lasting peace and development, he said. The First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference is "a timely and important initiative" to achieve genuine stability and socioeconomic development in the region, Hassan said, reiterating Djibouti's "full support" to the realization of the major aspirations of the regional peace and development conference. "We are at a stage of a process, which will certainly lead us in the near future to achieve a complete and comprehensive framework with a series of actions for the achievement of our common goals for peace and development in our region," he said. "We are all committed and eager to go the extra mile for peace and development of our region, and there is absolutely no doubt about that," Hassan told ministers and senior officials of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda attending the June 20-21 high-level regional gathering. He called on the involved HOA countries to adopt a different and effective approach to joint engagements, and come up with a clear and comprehensive strategy toward achieving regional stability and socio-economic development. Hassan said a wide range of factors are fundamental when considering the perspectives of peace and security in the HOA, including the role of external actors in the region, inter-state relations among countries of the HOA, as well as the appropriate tools and frameworks that are imperative for peaceful coexistence. "It is paramount that we strive for good and peaceful relations between our countries, because we are all addressing interrelated challenges," he said. Hassan said the regional peace and development conference will serve as a platform to "have enthusiastic discussions" toward the betterment of the region through collaboration and partnership among countries in the region. Ethiopia hosted the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference, which was joined by Xue Bing, special envoy for Horn of Africa affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Earlier this year, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when visiting Kenya that China stands ready to propose the "Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa" to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. The proposal, which received positive responses from countries in the region since its introduction, came after Wang visited Ethiopia in early December last year and Eritrea in early January, before his trip to Kenya. by Xinhua writers Shu Chang, Tian Dongdong, Liu Yifang BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Shabby infrastructure has troubled the Padre Leo Schneider School in northern Brazil for long enough. The road outside its gate -- muddy in winter and dusty in summer -- has scared off quality teachers and reduced student attendance. Things will change in a few months. Thanks to funding from the New Development Bank (NDB), the road will be paved with asphalt and built with a drainage system, part of an urban development project covering nine cities in Brazil's Para state. The project, together with many other BRICS-funded or initiated programs, has illustrated the importance of the group -- an acronym for the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- for developing countries and the world. The BRICS itself is home to over 40 percent of the world's population and about a quarter of the global economy. Facing headwinds like the COVID-19 pandemic and major changes rarely seen in a century, the world, particularly the developing south, has high expectations for this week's BRICS summit. FIVE FINGERS OF A FIST Like five fingers of a fist, the BRICS countries have closely cooperated since the group's inception in 2006. Infrastructure, green finance, the digital economy and global governance reform have been firm areas of collaboration. Since 2006, the BRICS countries have proven a constructive force in modernizing economies and reallocating aid resources to more deserving countries, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar. During the past 16 years, the BRICS has set up a series of cooperation mechanisms including the NDB, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution Innovation Center. To fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the group launched the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Center in March. In May, BRICS health ministers agreed to establish an early warning system for large-scale pandemics. Earlier this month, the group's economic and trade ministers pledged to deepen cooperation in trade, sustainable development, supply chains and multilateral trade mechanisms. Intensified collaboration has also been nailed down in aerospace, information and communications, the environment, new energy and biotechnology. BRICS mechanism is based on creating a spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. Common ground is sought while differences are preserved, Wang Lei, director of the Center for BRICS Cooperation Studies at Beijing Normal University, told Xinhua. Since assuming the BRICS chairmanship this year, China has held more than 70 conferences and activities, covering politics, security, trade and finance, people-to-people exchanges, sustainable development and public health. China has made practical contributions to BRICS regarding financial security, technology, human resources, agriculture and infectious diseases, said Wang. As the rotating chair, China has prioritized promoting poverty alleviation and food security, which is "a welcome step," said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University. "China's experience in poverty reduction and increasing the income of the peasantry would come in handy and be beneficial for poverty eradication." ECONOMIC BALLAST The BRICS mechanism provides a stage for the voices of developing countries to be heard, said Zhu Xufeng, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University. Amid a shifting international landscape and global pandemic, the five countries have become a ballast for global economic development, added Zhu. "The BRICS countries in the year 2022 become all the more important," said Herman Tiu Laurel, founder of Philippine BRICS Strategic Studies, stressing that the mechanism allows the BRICS countries to push the global community to focus attention on development again. Speaking of China's chairmanship, Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said he believes China will tap the occasion to promote the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. Under the theme of "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development," the 14th summit offers BRICS countries an opportunity to increase people-to-people exchanges, intensify coordination on major international and regional issues and broaden South-South cooperation. The summit aims to build consensus on achieving stronger, greener and healthier global development. "The BRICS will be able to play a more important role in preventing the fragmentation of the world," as developing and underdeveloped countries have suffered "the worst consequences" of the pandemic, climate change and geopolitical conflicts, Luis Antonio Paulino, a professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences at Sao Paulo State University, told Xinhua. BRICS EXPANSION DISCUSSED When China was the BRICS chair back in 2017, it proposed the "BRICS Plus" cooperation model, which aims to forge the most influential platform of South-South cooperation and build a broader mutually beneficial partnership with more emerging markets and developing countries. Several rounds of dialogue have been held since. The latest one in May was the "BRICS Plus" dialogue at the foreign minister level. It was attended by participants from the BRICS countries and Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal, United Arab Emirates and Thailand. "'BRICS Plus' reflects the true spirit of multilateralism and multiculturalism and can consequently guarantee the survival of emerging markets and developing countries," said Phea. "It would also enhance global security governance and safeguard world peace and tranquility." The start of a possible BRICS expansion is also being discussed, with many countries expressing readiness to join the group. In an online meeting in May, BRICS foreign ministers supported advancing the process of BRICS expansion and indicated that further discussions would be held on this issue. By acknowledging developing countries as a potent force for global economic growth, BRICS has earned the international community's respect, said Adhere. The "BRICS Plus" mechanism will "enable more developing countries and emerging markets to participate in BRICS cooperation, thus strengthening solidarity among developing countries and encouraging them to work together for the reform of the international governance system," said Wang Lei. "Otherwise, it will be very difficult to change." "BRICS cooperation enjoys bright prospects and boundless potential," said Zhang Rui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute of the Russian State University for the Humanities. The "BRICS Plus" mechanism will raise the voice of developing countries in the international arena, encouraging them to actively meet challenges and achieve peace and development. Enditem (Xinhua correspondents Luo Jingjing in Sao Paulo, Bai Lin in Nairobi, Hu Xiaoming and Jiang Lei in New Delhi, Yan Jie and Liu Kai in Manila, Sovan Nguon in Phnom Penh, Luo Xin and Wei Mengjia in Beijing also contributed to the story.) A fire from a gas processing plant burns behind a field of wheat after the plant was hit by shelling a few days prior in Andriivka, in the Kharkiv region, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, June 21, 2022. Updated at 8:00 a.m. ET on 2022-06-23 Concern about the global food crisis caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is driving Indonesias president and G20 chair Joko Jokowi Widodo to make a trip this month to "encourage" peace between them, his foreign minister said Wednesday. Retno Marsudi didnt give dates for the trip, but said the president would visit Ukraine and Russia after attending the G7 summit in Germany, which is scheduled for June 26-27. Jokowi would be the first Asian leader to visit the two countries since the conflict erupted in February, she added. Naturally, the president will meet with [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin, she told a virtual press conference. President Jokowi has elected not to stay idle, she said, adding that he would "encourage the spirit of peace." Jokowi also wants to contribute to dealing with the food crisis caused by the war, the impact of which is being felt by all countries, she said. One analyst called the trip a big moment for Indonesian diplomacy, while another said the visit wouldnt accomplish much, because Indonesia lacked leverage and sufficient understanding of the conflict. Russias TASS news agency reported last week that Jokowi was scheduled to meet with Putin on June 30. This is going to be a very important visit. We are preparing for it now, an anonymous source said, according to TASS. In its April report, the Global Crisis Response Group, set up by the United Nations secretary general, said Ukraine and Russia were among the worlds breadbaskets, providing 30 percent of its wheat and barley, a fifth of its maize, and over half of its sunflower oil. Russia is also the worlds largest natural gas exporter and second largest oil exporter. Indonesia is neutral Jokowis trip to the two conflicting countries is a testament to Indonesias non-aligned foreign policy, said Agus Haryanto, an international relations lecturer at Universitas Jenderal Soedirman in Purwokerto, Central Java. The visit to both countries is intended to show that Indonesia is neutral, Agus told BenarNews. And this will be a big moment for Indonesian diplomacy where we can play a major role in solving an international conflict, he said. Indonesia voted for a United Nations General Assembly resolution in March that condemned Moscows military strike on Ukraine but has not directly criticized Russia. The United States has urged Indonesia not to invite member-state Russia to the G20 summit, scheduled for November in Bali, but Jakarta so far has refused to disinvite Russia from the summit. Instead, Indonesia has invited Zelenskyy as a guest to the summit. In March, U.S. President Joe Biden said Ukraine should be able to participate in the G20 summit, if the grouping did not expel Russia. The Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors in Jakarta have tried to woo the support of Indonesians by holding regular press briefings, visiting local newsrooms and giving interviews to present their versions of events. Radityo Dharmaputra, an international relations lecturer at Airlangga University in Surabaya, expressed doubts that Jokowis visit would help bring peace between Russia and Ukraine. I do not believe that there is a possibility that Indonesia can reconcile [Russia and Ukraine], because Indonesia does not have sufficient capital leverage, due to a lack of proximity to the countries and sufficient understanding of the situation, Radityo told BenarNews. He said Jokowis trip was intended to burnish his image as the leader of the G20. Contrary to Radityo, University of Indonesia international law professor Hikmahanto Juwana said Jokowis planned visit to the two countries should be welcomed. Indonesia as the head of the G20 needs to take the initiative to help create peace and prevent a global food crisis, said Hikmahanto. Alvin Presetyo in Jakarta contributed to this report. Myanmar Defense Minister Gen. Mya Tun Oo (right) listens during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 22, 2022. A representative of Myanmars military regime attended the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday, despite an appeal from hundreds of pro-democracy organizations in the war-ravaged country that the Southeast Asian regional bloc not engage with the junta. Myanmar Gen. Mya Tun Oo became the most senior official to represent the self-styled State Administration Council (SAC) at a ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since the military ousted the countrys democratically elected government in February 2021. The 10 ASEAN-member states have appeared divided on how to deal with the junta, with some fearing that engagement might signal acceptance or endorsement of the regime and its bloody crackdown on its opponents. Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia all expressed to the 2020 ASEAN chair Cambodia that the junta should be excluded until there is an indication that hostilities in Myanmar will end. Even though there is participation from Myanmar involving a representative from the State Administrative Council in the meeting today, this does not mean that Malaysia has recognized the SAC as the legitimate Myanmar government, said a statement from Malaysias Defense Ministry delivered to BenarNews. Malaysia has always stressed that SAC should expedite the enforcement of the matters which were agreed on based on the 5 Point Consensus to find a solution to the political crisis in Myanmar, it said, referring to the agreement reached between ASEANs leaders and Burmese military chief Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on April 24, 2021. The agreement sought an end to violence in Myanmar, the provision of humanitarian assistance, the appointment of an ASEAN envoy, and talks among the various groups in Myanmar to be mediated by the envoy. Cambodias Defense Minister Tea Banh, meanwhile, said that Mya Tun Oos participation in the meeting showed that the regional trade bloc is unified on security issues. This is a participation to find solutions and this accusation, that accusation, we cant respond to all of them, he said during a news conference, responding to criticism over including Myanmar in the meeting. Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto told his counterparts to put aside their differences to safeguard their mutual interests. We must not allow outside powers to divide ASEAN and drag us into their competition. The future of ASEAN and our people rests on our shoulders, and I believe we all share the same view that we want peace and not conflict, cooperation rather than competition, he said. A coalition of 677 pro-democracy organizations in Myanmar last week co-authored an open letter to the ASEAN defense ministers, urging them not to invite a representative from the junta. The organizations said Mya Tun Oos representation would be inconsistent with other ASEAN decisions to exclude representation from the junta, such as at the 2021 ASEAN Summit and the 2022 Foreign Ministers Retreat. ADMMs engagement with the junta, which has included military exercises, may likely amount to the aiding and abetting of the juntas war crimes and crimes against humanity, the letter said. In allowing the junta to participate in ADMM, ASEAN is further risking complicity in the juntas atrocity crimes by providing support and legitimacy to the military and emboldening a military that is waging a nationwide campaign of terror. Cambodian state media reported that the ministers agreed in a joint declaration issued after the meeting to enhance cooperation between ASEAN defense forces for COVID-19 containment, boost support for ASEAN Women Peacekeepers, further collaborate between defense-oriented educational institutions, and share information to enhance maritime security. Reported by Radio Free Asia, an online affiliate of BenarNews. KUWAIT CITY, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved on Wednesday the parliament of the country, calling for an early general election, according to the official Kuwait TV. "We have decided, based on our constitutional right complying with the provision of Article 107, to dissolve the parliament and to call for general elections in the coming months, after preparing the necessary legal arrangements for that," he said on behalf of the Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah concerning the latest political developments in Kuwait. An Amiri decree of the National Assembly dissolution is to be issued in the upcoming few months, he added. The Kuwaiti constitution is untouchable and is the foundation of legitimacy in the pact between the leadership and the people to ensure Kuwait's security, stability and prosperity, he said, calling on the Kuwaiti people to elect a new house that could bear significant responsibility for maintaining state stability and accomplishing the citizens' hopes and aspirations. He also called on the upcoming National Assembly and the government to cooperate, coordinate and pay great efforts toward realizing the aspirations of the people. Philippine police display seized weapons in front of a group of suspects taken into custody following a gunfight in Maguindanao province, June 22, 2022. Seven alleged members of a private armed group in the southern Philippines were killed and a police officer was injured during a dawn shoot-out on Wednesday, the regional police chief said. Officers were about to serve an arrest warrant against Torque Uttoh Latip and his men on robbery and homicide charges at their hideout in Rajah Buayan town in Maguindanao province when a gunfight erupted, said Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, police chief of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Their armed followers opened fire on our troops. That triggered a shootout, Cabalona said, adding a police officer and six civilians were injured. We recovered nine high-powered guns and seven dead bodies. We are determining if these persons are affiliated with our existing threat groups in Maguindanao, he said. Those killed were drug dealers who also worked as body guards for local politicians, alleged a Maguindanao police source who was not authorized to speak to the media. In April, Philippine police said they had disbanded about 20 private armed groups working for politicians ahead of the May 9 election. Most of the disbanded armed groups were from the autonomous Muslim region in the south. The constitution stipulates that private armies and other groups not recognized by the government shall be dismantled. The Philippines, with its long-running gun culture, coupled with feuding clans in tribal areas as well as rival political dynasties trying to outdo each other, has faced violence linked to private armed groups. During the 2016 general election, as many as 50 people died in poll-related violence, according to police statistics. The bloodiest election-related violence occurred in November 2009 when members of the Muslim Ampatuan clan massacred 58 members of their rival clan, the Mangudadatu, their supporters and local journalists. Philippines National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon (right) and other government officials inspect high-powered firearms and ammunition seized from Islamist militants in Marawi city, Philippines, June 8, 2017. The Philippine national security advisers letter seeking to block more than two dozen websites, including independent alternative media, for alleged links to communist insurgents is brazen censorship, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. In a June 6 letter released Wednesday, Hermogenes Esperon, the outgoing top security official, asked the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to ban 27 websites. These sites, including the domain of Jose Maria Sison, the exiled founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and Bulatlat, a leading progressive news website, were deemed affiliated to and are supporting these terrorists and terrorist organizations, Esperon said in the letter. They have established a pervasive online presence through their website that they continually use to publish propaganda and misinformation campaigns in order to malign the Philippine government, recruit new members, and solicit funds from local and international sources, Esperon alleged. The NTC and the Department of Justice did not respond to BenarNews requests for comment. In a June 8 memorandum, the NTC ordered the websites blocked, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, described the move as another dimension in the governments efforts to harass journalists and activists. This is nothing less than a brazen attempt to undermine them and censor these media outlets and groups, he said in a statement. Whats astonishing is how easily the government escalates its defamatory rhetoric, moving from red-tagging them to classifying them as terrorists, in effect terrorist-tagging them. Red-tagging is a practice among Philippine military and police personnel of accusing individual people or groups of being communist rebels or sympathizers, rights activists allege. Following the release of the letter, Esperon issued a statement explaining his call for the websites to be blocked. Misinformation remains one of the nations greatest enemies; and is in fact a powerful tool used by the Communist Terrorist Group to sow enmity and discord dividing the Filipino people and separating us from objectivity and the truth, Esperon said in the Wednesday statement. To call our act of protecting the integrity of our nations digital space as an act of desperation, or a blatant attack on free speech, reeks of desperation because they not only are unable to counter these arguments through any respectable means, but they are actively pursuing acts of terrorism within their respective organizations. Hearsay One of the organizations on the list, Bulatlat, tweeted on Wednesday that subscribers could not access its website. The online news portal critical of the Duterte administration could be accessed in other countries. This is prior restraint against protected speech. It is downright unacceptable as it is based on Esperons mere hearsay, Bulatlat said in a statement. We raise the alarm that such arbitrary action sets a dangerous precedent for independent journalism in the Philippines, it said, asking readers, fellow journalists and the public to stand against attempts to muzzle legitimate sources of information. Bulatlat editors said they have been repeatedly and unfairly labeled as communist sympathizers and subjected to cyber attacks. Esperon had also asked the websites of left-leaning civic-political organization Bayan Muna be taken down. Its secretary-general, Renato Reyes, urged telecommunications firms to reject these illegal and baseless orders from the NTC and National Security Council. The next national security adviser is also urged to revoke these illegal orders and to cease attacks on free speech and freedom of association, Reyes told reporters. For his part, Esperon said restricting access to these websites does not necessarily mean a restriction for these organizations to engage in free speech. Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly and other websites stated in our letter to NTC are free to continue publishing articles and editorial pieces that fit their messaging lines, but they will not be accessible to internet users in this country. Long-running insurgency The CPPs military wing, the New Peoples Army (NPA), has been fighting with the Philippine government since 1969. Tens of thousands have been killed in the conflict, Asias longest-running active insurgency. Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-described leftist and a former university student of CPP co-founder Sison, has targeted the communists since 2017 after peace talks aimed at ending the rebellion failed. The Duterte administration declared the CPP and NPA terrorist organizations in 2020 and added their political wing, the National Democratic Front, to that list last year. In his letter, Esperon cited the resolutions that designated the CPP and its wings as terrorist organizations to justify his appeal to the NTC. In July 2020, the government passed the Anti-Terror Act, an update to an earlier measure that the countrys security establishment criticized as weak in catching and prosecuting terror suspects. The act allows the government to arrest suspected terrorists without a warrant and detain them without charges for up to 24 days. About six months later, Tetch Torres-Tupas, a reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was accused by a military general of being a propagandist for communist rebels after she reported on a petition by two members of an Aeta tribe against the act. She eventually was cleared by military officials. Duterte has been at odds with journalists for reporting on his administrations drug war, which has killed thousands since he took office in 2016. His legislative allies shut down the free channel of national broadcaster ABS-CBN Corp., while the head of online news site Rappler, Maria Ressa, was convicted of cyber libel. Ressa went on to share the Nobel Peace Prize with a Russian journalist. After six years, Duterte will hand the reins of government on June 30 to President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Jeoffrey Maitem in Cotabato, Philippines, contributed to this report. Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died Oct. 13, 2016, acknowledges the crowd in Bangkok during the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne, June 9, 2006. A bloodless revolution in 1932 overthrew the king, ending absolute monarchy in Thailand. The event, headed by a group of men who referred to themselves as the promoters, occurred on June 24. Since then, Thailand has experienced a degree of political instability with several military interventions, 13 successful coups and about a dozen foiled ones, according to historian Charnvit Kasetsiri. At the same time, Thailand has had 20 charters or constitutions. Most of them were the direct or indirect result of coups because, after each one, junta regimes would get rid of the previous constitution and adopt a new one. Only two have been written by elected legislatures the 1946 and 1997 constitutions. Appointed legislatures or executives with absolute or near-absolute power wrote the others. Here are some of the most important events since 1932: December 1932 Thousands of Thais live and work on small boats filling the canals of Bangkok, Sept. 22, 1932. [AP] Thailand gets its first constitution. Technically, it is the second after a temporary charter was adopted immediately following the coup in June. The Peoples Party had a rift over how to handle the economy with a communist-like approach proposed by Pridi Banomyong, and the military wing staged a coup in the first year. December 1941 Maj. Gen. Raishiro Sumita, chief of the Japanese military inspectors, signs an armistice agreement which terminated border warfare between French Indo-China and Thailand. [AP] Japanese forces arrive in southern Thailand. After brief fighting and negotiations, Thailand becomes an ally of Japan, allowing Empire troops to advance toward the British-controlled Malay Peninsula and Burma. A year later, Thailand declares war on Britain and the United States. June 1946 King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand celebrates his 20th birthday by continuing his studies at Lausanne, Switzerland, Sept. 25, 1945. [AP] A single gunshot ends the life of King Ananda Mahidol, 20, in a mysterious incident in Bangkoks Grand Palace. His younger brother, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, becomes monarch at 18. Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong, the civilian faction leader of the 1932 revolution, resigns starting decades of political upheaval. November 1947 A military faction of the 1932 revolution led by Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan organizes a successful coup, replacing the Pridi-backed civilian government with a royalist supporter as prime minister. Sulak Sivaraksa, a Thai social critic and intellectual, described this coup as a major setback for Thailands democracy. The coup solidifies the role of the Thai military in politics while the civilian faction of the revolution dissipates. January 1957 A new Criminal Code introduces Lese-Majeste laws against insulting the king, similar to the days of absolute monarchy, in addition to the existing crimes of threats or defamation. September 1957 Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, Thailands armed forces chief who seized power, sits in a car and talks with reporters after leaving Government House in Bangkok, Sept. 16, 1957. [AP] After allegedly rigged elections, unrest follows and an emergency is declared. Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat seizes power. A year later, he imposes military rule as democratic institutions are suspended and martial law is imposed. He is an ardent supporter of then-King Bhumibol. November 1971 Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, who succeeded Sarit when he died in 1963, launches a coup against his own government to suppress communists. He dissolves the parliament. Students start protesting for democracy. October 1973 Thai troops wearing gas masks order protesting students away from tanks during a massive riot in Bangkok, Oct. 15, 1973. [AP] The popular uprising by Bangkok students become a watershed event in Thailands history, resulting in the fall of the ruling military dictatorship of Thanom. It also starts the growing influence of Thai university students in politics. At least 77 die in protest crackdown. October 1976 Students surrender to Special Warfare Police as authorities move in on Thammasat University in Bangkok, Oct. 6, 1976. [AP] An attempted military coup in February is defeated. But the return of Thanom to Thailand inspires protests by students who face a violent crackdown by police and right-wing paramilitaries. More than 100 are killed on one of the deadliest days in Thai politics. Later that day, a military coup takes place. Students were labeled as communists who posed a threat to the monarchy. April 1980 Prime Minister Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda announces amnesty for all members of the Communist Party of Thailand. February 1991 Soldiers armed with M-16 assault weapons guard the street outside the Supreme Command headquarters in Bangkok after the military seized control of the country, Feb. 24, 1991. [AFP] Gen. Chatichai Choonhavan, leader of the first democratically elected government after 12 years of dictatorship, is ousted in a bloodless military coup. May 1992 Anti-government demonstrators fall to the ground as troops opened fire with automatic weapons, May 18, 1992. [AFP] More than 50 unarmed protesters in Bangkok calling for democracy are massacred by soldiers during Black May. The king intervenes. A period of democratic peace follows, resulting in the 1997 constitution drafted by a popularly elected Constitutional Drafting Assembly. January 2001 Thailand holds general elections in accordance with the 1997 constitution. Billionaire businessman Thaksin Shinawatra is elected prime minister on a populist platform. He wins reelection in 2005. September 2006 Thaksins government is overthrown by the army while he is attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It follows months of protests by yellow shirt royalists who accuse him of widespread corruption. Thaksin is barred from political activity. He has since lived in self-imposed exile, except for a brief visit to Thailand in 2008. March 2010 Red shirt activist supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra dance as they arrive at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, March 12, 2010. [AP] Red shirt activists, Thaksins rural and working-class supporters and urban liberal voters, start occupying central Bangkok. The occupation ends in a deadly crackdown by the state where at least 90 people are killed. A Thaksin-allied party wins elections in 2011 and Yingluck Shinawatra, his sister, becomes prime minister. May 2014 The military seizes power after the constitutional court throws Yingluck out of office following mass protests. Army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha takes over. October 2016 The symbolic urn is transported during the funeral procession of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Oct. 26, 2017. [AP] King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the worlds longest-reigning monarch, dies at 88 after ruling for 70 years. He is succeeded by his son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn. March 2019 Following the general election, Prayuth retains power as prime minister despite many critics saying the poll was rigged in his favor. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. ISTANBUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces brought down an Iranian intelligence cell operating in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul, and detained its members for allegedly preparing to attack Israelis, reported the Ihlas news agency on Wednesday. Turkish intelligence and security forces raided on June 16 three houses and a hotel, apprehending suspects and confiscating weapons, it said, adding the number of suspects is currently undisclosed. Turkish intelligence units had been observing the cell that arrived in Istanbul disguised as tourists, businessmen, and students, according to the agency. The Iranian team "included hitmen and consisted of both Iranian and non-Iranian individuals," said the report, noting that the team was tailing Israeli targets for a while. Israel had warned its citizens in Turkey of possible threats from Iranian cells one week ago, after Iran had accused Israel of assassinations against key figures with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Don't panic, but using a garbage disposal to eliminate kitchen food waste might not be such a great idea. In fact, after 52 years, an Adams bylaw requiring that every new residential unit have a garbage disposal installed in the kitchen sink has been rescinded by voters at the recent Adams Town Meeting. JERUSALEM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel has begun building a 9-meter-tall wall to replace the old fence barrier in the northern occupied West Bank, said Israeli Defense Ministry on Wednesday, citing security reasons. The 45-kilometer-long wall will stretch from near the Palestinian village of Salem, east of Nablus city in the northern West Bank, to the north of Tulkarm city, the ministry said in a statement. "The security barrier will include a massive concrete wall, protection measures and other technological means," the ministry said, The project was approved by Israeli government in April amid a wave of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israeli cities, and a total of 360 million shekels (about 104 million U.S. dollars) were allocated for the construction. The controversial fence barrier built about 20 years ago has been a key symbol of Israel's control over the West Bank, with Israel arguing it is necessary to prevent Palestinian attacks and the Palestinians charging it as a feature of racial segregation and the Israeli apartheid regime. NORTH ADAMS Tom Ryan is quick to answer when asked what he thinks about a resort proposed near his home. I dont like it, he said, standing on a back porch he estimates is 500 feet from the project site. For more than 30 years, he and his wife, Becky Ryan, have lived in their Notch Road home. Becky Ryan was not thrilled to learn a new developer wants the resort to operate year-round, rather than seasonally. She is worried about increased noise and traffic. The road is not that wide, Tom Ryan said. There are not sidewalks. But some in the neighborhood are happy about the project and revenue it would bring to the city, Becky Ryan acknowledges. One neighbor The Eagle spoke with said he saw two sides to the issue of development on this high ground, southwest of downtown, and agreed with them both: giving North Adams an economic boost, while protecting a neighborhood. Other neighbors said they want to get more information before making up their minds. In 2019, a developer proposed a glamping, or glamorous camping, resort on Notch Road near Mount Greylock State Reservation. The Planning Board approved a special permit for a seasonal resort with at most 48 canvas tents built on platforms. After a neighbor sued over the permit, additional conditions were added. A new developer based in Brooklyn, N.Y., 196 Marine LLC, has taken over the project, and the Planning Board last year approved a transfer of ownership on the special permit it previously approved, including its conditions, according to meeting minutes. Now, 196 Marine LLC is asking the Planning Board to amend its permit so it can make changes to the project. The request will be taken up at the boards July meeting. If permit amendments are approved, Crespi estimates the resort would open in two or two and a half years. A notable change from the original project: The new developer is asking that the resort would be able to operate year-round, rather than the previously approved 180 days a year. The originally proposed canvas tent structures would instead be hard-sided cabins, according to the new proposal. Another change is shifting the focus to a wellness focused sanctuary, as the application puts it. The new company decided that seasonal operation is not feasible, according to its manager, Ben Crespi. Sewer infrastructure doesnt care if its a glamping tent or a mansion, the fixed cost didnt justify seasonal use, he said. Crespi, whose background is in hotel development, has been meeting with neighbors on and off for the last year, he said. Still, some have concerns. One couple who lives nearby said they talked to Crespi and remain opposed to the project. While they expressed support for the citys vitality, they dont think it should come at the expense of their neighborhood. They called for a study of how the project would affect traffic, air quality and noise. The street, which leads south toward Mount Greylock, is typically quiet, other than the occasional roar of a motorcycle. The couple, who declined to be named, say they worry that will change with a resort that would have 220 parking spots. They are also concerned that cabins would be larger than 1,000 square feet, saying that is more like small homes. Some changes the new developer seeks would reverse conditions imposed by settlement of the legal complaint in 2020. For example, revised conditions filed in Massachusetts Land Court show that the initial developer agreed the resorts restaurant would apply for a beer and wine license only. The new development company notes in its application that it may pursue a beer, wine and liquor license. Revised conditions from the legal action also included a 200-foot vegetative buffer on the propertys northern and southern property boundaries. The new plan would shrink that buffer 50 feet. Crespi said the company plans to use local businesses for products and services, like maintenance and guides for recreational activities. It also would offer discounts of up to 80 percent for local residents who want to participate in its wellness programs. Year-round operation, he said, would create permanent, rather than seasonal, jobs. The company estimates it would create 60 to 80 full-time positions. Previously, the resorts hours were approved to be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The new developers are proposing to be open 24 hours a day, with quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. LENOX Trains are my favorite form of travel. My first trip to the West Coast, in 1950, was aboard the 20th Century Limited (New York to Chicago) and then the Super Chief to Los Angeles (a 56-hour journey grand total, with dining and sleeping cars and a domed observation car providing grand views of the passing scenery). But you dont need to be a train buff to enthuse about the growing prospect of east-west rail connecting Pittsfield to Boston for daily commuter service. State lawmakers are on the verge of approving $250 million in funding part of a $10 billion infrastructure bond bill. The rail funding, subject to Gov. Charlie Bakers approval, would be added to a previous $50 million passed two years ago. It would cover transportation planning, design, permitting and engineering, public hearings and engagement, acquisition of interests in land, vehicle procurement, [track] construction, construction of stations and right-of-way acquisition for regular passenger service between Pittsfield and Boston. This is worth a hearty cheer. More cautious enthusiasm is in order for Amtraks experimental Berkshire Flyer train between New Yorks Penn Station and Pittsfields Intermodal Transportation Center, which begins a two-year summer trial run on July 8. First, the good news about east-west rail (or west-east rail, as a key supporter, state Rep. William Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox, insists on calling it). On the phone Wednesday, Pignatelli called the combined funding a hefty down payment for the project, even though it doesnt include a rural rail authority to oversee the planning. Were not ready for prime time yet, he acknowledged. We have a lot of work to do before were in a position for a rail authority. Nothing prevents the state from applying for federal dollars for west-east rail. The money slated for approval by state lawmakers Thursday reflects a really strong commitment to the visionary plan, Pignatelli suggested. He calls it a long-term economic investment that depends on Bakers successor to move it along, starting on day one of the new administration next January. Public hearings will be planned in the western counties to evaluate tracks, road crossings and train stations. Im very optimistic and excited about the down payment were making Thursday, he said. With at least some remote work away from office hubs likely to become a permanent part of the employment landscape, an economic corridor linking Albany to the Berkshires and points east becomes even more enticing. Pignatelli describes a realistic live here, work there scenario enabling commuters based in the Berkshires to reach their workplaces when needed in Albany, Springfield, Worcester or Boston. With regular daily schedules and relatively frequent service, those of us needing medical services in the largest cities to our east and west or simply keen on taking in a show or concert in Boston would have an alternative to driving. We cant wait any longer; weve got to keep it moving, and this investment were making Thursday really puts the stamp of approval that were doing the right thing, Pignatelli emphasized. When it comes to the Berkshire Flyer experiment, however, I have my doubts. The weekend summer season pilot project begins on Friday, July 8, with a 3:15 p.m. departure on a four-hour journey from New York to Pittsfield. The return trip requires catching a 3 p.m. Sunday train, arriving in Manhattan shortly after 7 p.m. Cost each way runs from $45 to $65 per person. As chronicled memorably in an Eagle article last May 1, travelers arriving by train in Pittsfield on the Lake Shore Limited from Boston are often stranded if they dont have a pickup arranged, since taxi service is scarce, bus schedules are limited, Uber and Lyft are elusive and no car rental agencies are near the train station. Anything we can do to get people to the Berkshires from the city is a good move, Pignatelli said. But he expressed concern about the scheduling of the trains and whether it fits in with peoples work and life schedules. A lot of things need to get fleshed out, he noted, given the lack of transportation from the Pittsfield train station to hotels (other than the nearby Holiday Inn and Hotel on North). If I take that train once and Im not happy with the end result, Im not taking it a second time, he said. This summer will be a really big test of the Berkshire Flyers long-term viability. The pilot project has powerful supporters, including the 1Berkshire economic development agency, Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and our state Sen. Adam Hinds, who has said that this critical link will boost our regional economy through tourism and by allowing us to base more remote workers in the Berkshires. Amtrak has cautioned that the Berkshire Flyer pilots success will be studied to see if theres enough demand to continue the service, figure out its schedule and identify specific infrastructure improvements or service changes that may be necessary, according to a company statement. Meanwhile, theres the existing and relatively inexpensive Metro-North Railroad train from Wassaic, N.Y., to Grand Central Terminal, requiring a one-hour plus drive from the Berkshires, and Amtraks Empire Service connecting Rensselaer and Hudson, N.Y., to the city, a scenic but more costly alternative. Best of all would be the long-awaited goal of north-south service through Connecticut to Brewster, N.Y., and onward to New York City. For now, some travelers might try the Berkshire Flyer to see if it works for them while the rest of us dream of a time when all aboard could be heard daily, and often, at the Pittsfield train station. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. LANZHOU, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Fuxi, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation, was on Wednesday commemorated by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. At 9:50 a.m. Beijing Time, the ritual kicked off with drum beats at the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, which is considered to be the ancestor's birthplace. Fuxi is believed to be the inventor of writing, fishing and hunting. With over 300 worshippers, Fuxi's feats were honored with a dance at the end of the ceremony, after which they left floral tributes at his statue. At the same time, a similar annual event was held in New Taipei City, marking the ninth year that the legendary figure has been simultaneously commemorated across the Taiwan Strait. Chien Chien-hua, who came from Taipei to Tianshui to attend the ceremony, said, "The commemoration of Fuxi strengthens the cultural identity of the Chinese nation, and helps more young people learn about the profound Chinese culture." According to historical records, the commemoration of Fuxi has a history of more than 2,000 years in the Weihe River basin. In 2006, the ceremony was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage by the State Council. During the memorial ceremony in New Taipei City, Chiang Chi-chen, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said that the commemoration of Fuxi brings more profound cultural communication to people across the Strait. In view of the impact of COVID-19, livestreaming events and online commemoration platforms were organized to enhance cross-Strait exchanges. A bipartisan U.S. Senate agreement negotiated after high-profile mass shootings in Texas, New York, and Oklahoma lacks gun access restrictions that advocates say are needed to prevent such attacks. But the deals focus on mental health has raised hopes and doubts that it will help reduce gun suicides, particularly in rural Western states with wide-open gun laws. Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and Idaho perennially rank highest among states in gun suicide rates. And despite research that concludes stringent firearm safety laws help curb gun violence, lawmakers in those states have long rejected restrictions that experts say would reverse those decades-long trends. Conservatives in Congress, mirroring their counterparts in those Republican-led states, are resisting sweeping policies that would restrict access to guns, such as raising the minimum age for purchasing AR-15-style rifles to 21. Proposals to change age limits emerged after guns of that type were used recently in an elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas; a grocery store shooting in Buffalo, New York; and a hospital shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instead, 10 Republican senators signed on to a framework that includes a provision that would help fund red flag laws, which allow courts to temporarily confiscate firearms from people deemed a threat to themselves or others. Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have such laws. If all 48 Democratic senators and two independents who typically vote with the Democrats are in agreement, that group would be large enough to overcome any filibuster and pass the bill. The deal also includes enhanced background checks for people younger than 21 and significant investment in mental health and telehealth resources. A draft of the bill was released Tuesday. But gun control advocates say the deal leaves out measures that have been shown to help prevent suicides the leading cause of deaths involving guns in the U.S. such as mandatory waiting periods and safe-storage requirements. They also caution against linking high rates of gun suicide to mental illness. Its important to be really clear that people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of gun violence than perpetrators, said Sarah Burd-Sharps, senior director of research for the gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. Residents of rural states are particularly vulnerable to gun suicides. Research has found a relationship between isolated rural living and deaths of despair, those related to substance use, mental health issues, and suicide. Some studies suggest that living at higher altitudes a reality for many residents of the Mountain West increases the likelihood that a person will develop symptoms of depression or suicidal tendencies. Montana had the second-highest rate of gun suicides nationwide in 2019, according to the state health department. From 2010 to 2019, 86% of all Montana firearm deaths were suicides, compared with 61% nationally. Research overwhelmingly concludes that stricter firearm safety laws help curb gun violence. However, Montana has almost no restrictions on who can buy a gun, what kind of gun a person can purchase, when it can be bought, or how it can be carried in public. The state no longer requires people to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon in public places, and lawmakers in Helena passed a law in 2021 that bars universities from regulating firearm possession on campus. That law has been temporarily blocked during a legal challenge. Wyoming, Alaska, and Idaho similarly have high rates of gun suicide and relatively few restrictions on firearm purchases and possession. Andrew Rose, a 24-year-old living in Boise, Idaho, knows firsthand how permissive gun laws can have fatal consequences. Roses brother killed himself in 2013, using a gun he had purchased the same day. Rose describes his brothers suicide as a moment of crisis, one that might have passed if Idaho had a mandatory waiting period in place that forced him to pause and consider his plans. Rose believes the accessibility of guns has everything to do with the suicide rate and the death of his brother and others like him. Proposals to restrict gun access in these states are regularly scuttled, so advocacy groups have focused on prevention through mental health care services. But forcing someone who has a mental illness and is on the cusp of violence into treatment is difficult, said Matt Kuntz, executive director of the Montana chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In a state like Montana, where we have so many people who value their gun rights but who also need help, how do you make it as easy as possible? he said. Provisions in the U.S. Senate deal are worth exploring, Kuntz said, but any successful federal gun control legislation must be based on state laws that have been tested. States need to be the laboratories of innovation, he said. States with lower gun suicide rates tend to have stricter gun policies. Depending on the state, research shows that for every 10 to 20 firearms removed using a red flag law, also called an extreme risk law, one suicide is prevented. Nine states and Washington, D.C., have some version of a mandatory waiting period, in which there is a delay of three to 14 days for a person to buy a gun. A 2017 study found that waiting periods can reduce gun suicides 7% to 11% and gun homicides 17%. Waiting periods create a buffer of time for a person in crisis to think, Burd-Sharps said. It can be the difference between someone walking out with a gun and carrying out their plan in a suicidal crisis or reconsidering and saving their life. Safe-storage laws, or secure-storage laws, are considered one of the most effective ways to prevent a young person from accessing a gun kept in their household. In eight states and Washington, D.C., firearm owners must keep their guns unloaded, locked, and separated from ammunition. Nearly two dozen states have laws that make firearm owners liable if a child uses their weapon. But getting enough support for such measures to pass in an evenly divided U.S. Senate would likely be difficult. Even the red flag provision in the agreement came under fire as the framework evolved into legislation, said the lead Republican negotiator, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. Donald Trump Jr. stoked that opposition in a recent tweet, saying, Any Republican selling out to the left to support this trash might as well put a (D) next to their name. Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, has said he thinks Congress should not meddle in states decisions about whether to adopt red flag laws. Republicans arent the only lawmakers who have their limits when it comes to gun restrictions. Democrats from rural states are also sensitive to them. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, said measures with broad public support such as stronger background checks and more money for behavioral and mental health services would help combat Montanas high suicide rate. But Tester told HuffPost that he opposes other measures, such as raising the minimum age to buy semiautomatic rifles. Advocates for stronger gun laws say robust federal action beyond the current proposal is necessary to create real change. I wish everyone understood that if we act together we can make monumental change, Rose said. I wish people understood that it is fully within our power to save lives. We simply have to stand up and say the truth. (The Center Square) Bipartisan criticism has been leveled by two federal officials from Washington state against failures in a Department of Veterans Affairs recordkeeping system that is blamed for harming nearly 150 military families from Spokane and the surrounding area. Im outraged, Eastern Washington Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, wrote in a statement about a draft report by the VA Office of Inspector General. The report points out major flaws in a new electronic records system that have put scores of patients at risk. In comments released Sunday, McMorris Rodgers said she had repeatedly raised concerns about the system with leaders at the VA and Cerner, a Missouri-based corporation that operates the records system. She accompanied Donald Remy, deputy secretary of the VA, on a tour last April of the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane so that he could learn more about system failures. While the federal officials were at the facility, the electronic system went down for 45 minutes, which McMorris Rodgers said underscored ongoing problems. Time and time again, my concerns and the valid concerns raised by veterans and providers were dismissed, McMorris Rodgers' statement read. Its now clear the VA and Cerner both knew about major systematic flaws, yet they blatantly disregarded patient safety by rolling out the system to other facilities. These actions are reprehensible and entirely unacceptable for this agency, which has clearly lost sight of its sole mission of serving veterans. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Bothell, also issued a scathing statement after The Spokesman-Review reported last weekend that the draft report found thousands of orders from clinicians had gone missing in Cerners system that serves the Inland Northwest. Murray is a senior member of both the Senate VA Committee, which provides oversight of the Cerner rollout, and the Appropriations Committee, which funds the records system estimated to cost at least $21 billion over a decade. The OIG report alleges Cerner knew about a flaw in its system that caused more than 11,000 orders for specialty care, lab work, medication, and other services to go missing. There was no indication in the system that these orders had not reached their intended recipients. The lost orders resulted in delayed care that reportedly left one veteran on the brink of suicide and worsened health problems for dozens of other patients. The OIG called mitigation efforts by the VA and Cerner to limit the number of orders that get lost inadequate and warned of continued risks until the system was fixed. The consistent and recurring failures of the EHR System have been completely unacceptable, Murray said Tuesday. Were talking about real safety hazards and life-threatening risk to patients. She said it remains her focus to hold the VA and Cerner accountable for problems in the records system that has been piloted in Washington since October 2020. The report also discloses that Remy and other top officials were briefed last October about the scope of the problem. However, the VA proceeded to deploy the Cerner system in March at facilities in Walla Walla, Richland, Lewiston, Yakima, as well as sites in central Oregon. Cerner was acquired by Oracle in a $28.3 billion deal that closed June 8. Immediately after finalizing the acquisition, Oracles founder, Larry Ellison, promised to modernize the Cerner system to make it more user-friendly. "I have already spoken with senior officials at Oracle and impressed upon them the importance of making this right immediately, Murray said. I have raised this issue with increasing urgency in both public and private settings with [VA] Secretary McDonough at numerous Senate hearings and over many calls and meetings with him and other VA officials and I wont stop pressing for solutions and accountability until this gets fixed. First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain. Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that. And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details. If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Shows the great progress that has been made in the control of communicable diseases in the Region during the past decade A book titled Elimination of Infectious Diseases from the South-East Asia Region Keeping the Promise was recently launched in India. Edited by Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, the book is a compilation of chapters authored by public health experts and details the achievements by Member countries such as elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis, yaws, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and moving towards a leprosy free world. Dr Palitha Abeykoon, Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General for COVID-19 Colombo, Sri Lanka, said the book is inspiring, highly engaging and valuable collection of major achievements in communicable diseases control in our Region, as envisioned by Dr Khetrapal at the beginning of her tenure. We all applaud her that the promises have been kept. Prof N K Ganguly, former Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research, termed the book as a real time description of what we have done and different experiences of different countries. Professor A P Dash, eminent scientist and infectious disease expert said, because of global warming there is a changing pattern and behaviour of vector borne diseases. We need to reorient the control programmes according to these changes. Digify Africa is excited to celebrate this Youth Month with another Youth Digital Skills Forum installment. Brought to you with the support of Meta and the Department of Small Business Development, the Youth Digital Skills Forum will take place 24 June from 10am-12pm at Tshimologong, Johannesburg. Launched in 2021, The Youth Digital Skills Forum (YDSF) is a spectacular showcase of all the digital industry offers. The event aims to educate youth about the various opportunities in the digital economy and inspire dialogue around how they can leverage digital tools and technologies for career and entrepreneurship.This year the YDSF explores the impact of emerging technologies on the creative and cultural industries, which have experienced accelerated growth over the past decades. The advancement of digital technologies has not only made way for new career paths but also given rise to a rich creative landscape that offers diverse and exciting African narratives.From film, music, and advertising to emerging mediums like podcasts, digital innovations continue to present opportunities for building a robust creative economy that can benefit youth across the continent.The Youth Voices panel will feature young people at the top of their fields to unpack further the theme of the event about how emerging technologies impact the creative and cultural industries.Digify Pro alumni Xabiso Vili, Namibian filmmaker and animator Luise Manana, IAB SA Youth Action Council Lead Luzuko Tena, and Rusina Maluleke, CEO of Young Entrepreneurs Institute share their journey and offer valuable insights for young people looking to enter and thrive in this field.In addition, the event will feature a stakeholder panel discussion with Qhakaza Mohare,Digify Africa COO, Mark Ranja from Code for Africa, and Lukonda Lindunda from Bongo Hive, who will offer key takeaways about the various initiatives and support systems available for young people. Attendees will learn more about initiatives like Digify Pro and Boost with Facebook, which has provided a skilled pipeline for the digital industries.Were excited to collaborate with Digify Africa once again for the Youth Enterprise Skills Day. It's important to us that we continue supporting and empowering small business owners with the tools and resources they need to navigate new or updated ways of working. We have seen the importance of digital skills development to elevate the growth of small businesses. At Meta, we believe when small businesses thrive, economies do better too. - Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa, head of public policy southern Africa, Meta.The Youth Digital Skill Forum promises lively discussions and a chance to connect with industry leaders and the creative community. The event will also be streamed live on the Digify Africa Facebook platforms; attendees and viewers alike can look forward to gaining essential insights on how they can start unlocking economic opportunities in the digital economy.To register for the Youth Digital Skills Forum, visit www.digifyafrica.com Death and taxes are inevitable, but how do intangible assets such as trade marks, copyrights and other forms of intellectual property and their related income streams, transfer to heirs in a deceased person's estate? Immovable tangible assets are usually foremost considerations when drafting a last will and testament, but intangible assets, such as intellectual property, are often overlooked. Like immovable property, intellectual property has the ability to continue to generate an income stream after the owner's death, and if managed correctly, some forms of intellectual property, such as trade marks, may appreciate in value over their lifespan. Registered rights Copyright Know-how and trade secrets In South Africa the legislature has not limited the protection of the law in cases of copying to those who enjoy rights of intellectual property under statutes. The fact that in a particular case there is no protection by way of patent, copyright, or registered design, does not license a trader to carry on his business in unfair competition with his rivals. In my view there is not in the present case any sufficient countervailing public interest to displace one's initial response to Schultz' methods of competition. Unregistered trade marks Conclusion For example, the legacy that author of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, will leave behind will endure long after her death, but what happens to the copyright that has formed the foundation for the more than 800m that she is estimated to be worth? Copyright subsists automatically (without the need for registration) in a work resulting from the skill and labour of the author. The copyright in Rowlings literary works will expire 50 years after her death a comparatively long period for intellectual property rights.The market value and the mechanisms by which intellectual property in all of its forms, will transfer to an heir, are usually not considered in any detail in a will.An owners rights in a patent, design registration or a trade mark registration, which entitles him to the exclusive use of an invention, design or trade mark, are recorded in registers at the Patent, Designs and Trade Mark Office. The respective statutes governing these forms of IP provide for them to devolve to heirs by operation of law. A letters patent, design or trade mark registration certificate are, in this way, analogous to a title deed for an item of immovable property. Much like with immovable property, the heir must be recorded as the new proprietor in the relevant IP register. The rights will not be enforceable by the new proprietor until this step has been taken.Devolution of copyright, although unregistered, is also specified by our copyright legislation to be assignable by testamentary disposition. Furthermore, it may be sliced and diced so as to apply to only some of the acts which the owner of the copyright has the exclusive right to control, or to a part only of the term of the copyright, or to a specific country or other geographical area. In this sense, copyright can be thought of as a bundle of discreet and separable rights to prevent different things, in different areas for different periods of time.It would therefore be possible, for example, to dispose in a testament, of some rights of copyright in a particular work (such as an artistic, literary or musical work or a computer program) to one heir for a first territory and to another heir for a second territory. It would also be possible to dispose of the right to licence others to perform a work (eg. a musical work) to one heir but the right to reproduce and distribute copies of the work, to another heir. Similarly, one heir could inherit the right to use and adapt a work (eg. a computer program) but not to license others to do so (which may be the exclusive right of another heir).The devolution of common law rights in know-how (such as trade secrets) are at best, uncertain.The nature and transferability of rights in know-how (ie. information which is not generally known or readily ascertainable) are not regulated by statute. While an action for unlawful competition would certainly be possible under common law, the requirements, circumstances, or conditions which bestow such a right on a plaintiff are not as clear. Would a plaintiff have a protectable interest in know-how only if they created the know-how? What of circumstances where they arranged for and paid someone else to create it? Would acquiring knowledge of it legally entitle them to enforce rights in the know-how?When adjudicating on the issue of unlawful competition, our courts have relied heavily on public perception and the mores of the community on what constitutes fair and just. A dilemma that might present itself is what would happen if a plaintiff, purporting to have acquired knowledge of and rights in know-how, in the form of a bequest, institutes legal proceedings for misappropriation of this know-how. Is an heir entitled to institute such proceedings even though it is common cause that it was the deceaseds know-how on which a claim would be based?In(A), the court stated the following when considering the unlawfulness of the defendants actions:It would appear that, even if there are no registered rights protecting the know-how and no legislation governing the devolution of these rights to an heir, a regard for the public interest may still prevent unfair use of the know-how by another person, in competition with the heir.It is generally accepted that common law rights in trade marks (ie. rights in trade marks that are used but not registered) form part of the goodwill of a business and are only transferable as part of the business that used the trade mark and established the reputation.Generally, the owner of common law rights in the trade mark is entitled to prevent passing off by others. To succeed in a passing off action, the trade mark must have an established reputation and the use by another person of the same or a similar mark must be the cause of confusion in the market (ie. the products/services of a competitor are being associated with the trade mark by consumers).If a deceased operated a sole proprietorship in association with an unregistered trade mark and an heir took over this business, they may not immediately be entitled to institute a passing off action. It is unclear whether the goodwill of a sole proprietorship (including common law rights in an unregistered trade mark) transfers to an heir by testamentary disposition. This is one more good reason to register your trade marks!In summary, you may not have copyrights as valuable and significant as JK Rowling, but it may still be worth considering how your intellectual property rights should devolve to your heirs and taking steps now, such as registering unregistered rights or ceding unregistered rights expressly while alive, to ensure that this transfer is as simple and certain as possible. Richester Foods has launched an initiative called Business in a Box to empower unemployed Gauteng youth with a toolkit for starting their own sweets-selling companies. Throughout the month of June and July, the company will be inviting young entrepreneurial hopefuls to put their names into the hat to win one of 10 kits by entering its competition on social media. Image supplied The power in small beginnings Featuring a range of Richester Foods Coco Bongo chocolate-branded merchandise, a how-to guide with tips on running a micro-business, and 12 boxes of 24 individually wrapped Coco Bongo chocolates, the Business in a Box kit is designed to help entrepreneurs create sustainable and profitable businesses.To enter the Business in a Box competition, youth need to follow Richester Foods on social media. Next, they need to post a motivation as to why they should be a winner and how the box will help them to achieve their goals, tagging Richester Foods in their post.Richester Foods will select 10 winners from the entries, who will each receive a Business in a Box kit hand-delivered to their door.This kit is the ideal solution for ambitious and business-savvy youth to launch their own successful businesses, generate income, and gradually build thriving business empires, says Dr Hussein Cassim, managing director and co-founder of Richester Foods.Richester Foods itself was founded in our kitchen by producing sweets on our stove top, which is why we believe in the power and importance of even small beginnings like the Business in a Box toolkit for transforming lives and communities.Cassim notes that by selling the Coco Bongo chocolates at the recommended price of just R2.50 each, youth can still make a tidy sum for replenishing supplies while enjoying the benefit of some spare pocket change.Coco Bongos highly competitive price combined with its great taste makes it the perfect product for tempting both children and adults, ensuring that the sweets will quickly fly off the shelf, he says. China addresses fiscal irregularities following audit Xinhua) 10:13, June 22, 2022 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China has almost addressed all the fiscal irregularities spotted by auditors between June 2020 and May 2021, the country's top auditor said Tuesday. Such rectifications involve improvements to more than 1,520 rules and regulations, while more than 8,300 people have been held accountable, said Hou Kai, auditor general of the National Audit Office of China (CNAO), who delivered a report at the ongoing bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. From May 2021 to April 2022, the audit institutions scrutinized about 87,000 entities subject to audit. This has helped recover more than 380 billion yuan (56.8 billion U.S. dollars) of losses, according to the report. The audit results showed that the implementation of the central budget and investment plans is up to standard, and the implementation has played its role in helping boost the country's economic recovery, said Ji Jisheng, deputy director of the policy research office of the CNAO. From September 2017, the audit institutions have conducted a follow-up audit on the construction of venues for the Beijing Winter Olympics and the revenue and expenditure of the organizing committee, finding 549 problems. By the end of 2021, the problems had basically been addressed, according to the report. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) TEHRAN, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's UN envoy said the Islamic republic condemns the imposition of sanctions by some governments as political leverage in their bilateral ties, Iranian Students' News Agency reported on Wednesday. Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks on Tuesday at a UN General Assembly meeting, saying such measures are also the main obstacles to international efforts aimed at providing humanitarian assistance. Iran maintains that all the principles of the UN Charter, particularly respecting countries' national sovereignty and territorial integrity, must be observed by all states and humanitarian aid organizations, noted Takht-Ravanchi. The international community is facing with new and changing challenges, including natural disasters, armed conflicts, foreign occupation, the COVID-19 pandemic and unilateral coercive measures, which have reduced the international community's capacity for addressing the problems of the disaster-stricken states, Takht-Ravanchi regretted. Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the U.S.-led sanctions. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran. Ukrainian authorities have banned the countrys main opposition party and seized all its assets, once again undermining the narrative that President Zelensky is presiding over a beacon of democracy. The countrys Ministry of Justice announced the move via Facebook, revealing that the Opposition Platform For Life had been shut down and its assets, money and property transferred to the state. The party had previously had its operations suspended in March after it was accused of being complicit with Russia and being anti-Ukrainian. The ban means that Zelenskys main political opposition has been eliminated. The OPPL was the second largest party in the country and its popularity surpassed that of Zelenskys Servant of the People party last year. Its leader Viktor Medvedchuk, who claims he is merely looking out for the interests of the Ukrainian people by seeking better relations with Russia, was placed under house arrest last month. The announcement said the party was suspected of acting to undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine, with authorities have already banned 10 other political opposition parties for the same reason. Last month, President Zelensky signed a bill into law that gave the green light to ban any party that challenged the governments policy on the Russian invasion, empowering courts to seize assets without the right to appeal. While opposition parties are being obliterated, Ukrainians who engage in dissent are also being rounded up and arrested by armed men from the Ukraine Security Service. As we previously highlighted, Ukraine is also attempting to extradite and imprison citizens who live in other European countries if they criticize Zelensky. Meanwhile, President Zelensky is still being hailed by western legacy media outlets as a valiant defender of democracy in contrast to the brutal autocratic dictators who control Russia. What a joke. AP accompanies Zelensky's SBU thugs as they kidnap Ukrainians who speak out against the regime. This is an obvious propaganda piece designed to normalize crushing dissent. Imagine how they act when cameras aren't on. https://t.co/8YjRbQXDqT pic.twitter.com/o55SwvhvIH Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) April 30, 2022 Follow on Twitter: Follow @PrisonPlanet Brand new merch now available! Get it at https://www.pjwshop.com/ ALERT! In the age of mass Silicon Valley censorship It is crucial that we stay in touch. I need you to sign up for my free newsletter here. Support my sponsor Turbo Force a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown. Get early access, exclusive content and behinds the scenes stuff by following me on Locals. Chinese imports of Russian crude surged by 55 percent in May as the worlds biggest importer of oil took advantage of major discounts. Russia has now overtaken Saudi Arabia as Chinas top oil supplier. While Russia is sending lots more crude to Asia, it is unlikely that the Asian market can absorb all 4 million barrels that were going to Europe. China imported a record volume of Russian crude in May, with arrivals surging by 55 percent to nearly 2 million barrels per day (bpd). This has made Russia the top oil supplier to the world's leading crude importerputting it ahead of Saudi Arabia for the first time in a year and a half. A record volume of cheap Russian oil, which sells at steep discounts to crude from other countries, made its way to Chinese refiners last month, according to figures from China's General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. China imported 1.98 million bpd of Russian crude oil in May, up by 55 percent from May last year and up from 1.59 million bpd of Russian oil imported in April 2022, the data showed. The high purchases of Russian oil outstripped supply from Saudi Arabia, Russia's partner in the OPEC+ deal. Chinese imports of Saudi crude averaged 1.84 million bpd in May, up by 9 percent compared to May 2021, but down from 2.17 million bpd imported in April, according to the data cited by Reuters. Thanks to the increased shipments of cheap crude to China, Russia became the top supplier to the world's biggest oil importer for the first time in 19 months, per Reuters estimates. Russia has been increasingly selling its crude to China and India after Western buyers shun Russian oil and the EURussia's top oil customer before the war in Ukraineprepares to launch a phased-out embargo on seaborne imports from Russia by the end of the year. Russia is also estimated to have overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India's second-largest supplier of crude oil in May. The average daily rate of Russian oil exports to India stood at 819,000 barrels last month, compared with 277,000 bpd in April. Half of Russia's crude is headed east to Asia. This compares to 75 percent of Russia's oil exports which were being shipped to Europe earlier this year, Alexander Dyukov, chief executive of Gazprom Neft, said last week. Still, analysts doubt that the Asian market can absorb all 4 million bpd of oil that Russia was sending to Europe before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A relative of a Palestinian young man killed by an Israeli settler mourns at a hospital in the West Bank city of Salfit, June 21, 2022. A Palestinian young man died after an Israeli settler had stabbed him near the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Tuesday night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) GAZA/RAMALLAH, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man died after an Israeli settler had stabbed him near the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Tuesday night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. The Israeli directly stabbed Hassan Harb in the heart during confrontations with Israeli settlers who stormed the city's suburb, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said in a press statement on Tuesday. Israeli Police's West Bank division said it had launched an investigation following a confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians. The police confirmed a Palestinian man had been stabbed, though the identity of the stabber remains unknown, The Times of Israel reported Tuesday. According to Mo'ayad Sha'ban, chairman of the Corporation to Resist the Wall and Israeli Settlement in the West Bank, a group of young Palestinian men tried to confront the Israeli settlers who had established a settlement outpost. A group of settlers and an Israeli army force attacked the youths, he said. "This situation is very dangerous, and it is an open war against the Palestinians." "If the situation continues as it is now, we will be in ghettos and cantons separated from each other, and we will not be able to move without a permit from the settlements council, which receives the Israeli government's full support." Relatives of a Palestinian young man killed by an Israeli settler mourn during the funeral in the village of Iskaka near the West Bank city of Salfit, June 22, 2022. A Palestinian young man died after an Israeli settler had stabbed him near the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Tuesday night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A relative of a Palestinian young man killed by an Israeli settler mourns during the funeral in the village of Iskaka near the West Bank city of Salfit, June 22, 2022. A Palestinian young man died after an Israeli settler had stabbed him near the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Tuesday night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A relative of a Palestinian young man killed by an Israeli settler mourns during the funeral in the village of Iskaka near the West Bank city of Salfit, June 22, 2022. A Palestinian young man died after an Israeli settler had stabbed him near the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Tuesday night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) People carry the body of a Palestinian young man killed by an Israeli settler at a hospital in the West Bank city of Salfit, June 21, 2022. A Palestinian young man died after an Israeli settler had stabbed him near the northern West Bank city of Salfit on Tuesday night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Redwan Hussien (1st L, Rear), the national security advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister, delivers a speech during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 20, 2022. The First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference presents an opportunity for countries in the region to consolidate peace, security and development efforts, a senior Ethiopian government official has said. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference presents an opportunity for countries in the region to consolidate peace, security and development efforts, a senior Ethiopian government official has said. The remark was made by Redwan Hussien, the national security advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister with a rank of a minister, as China and the Horn of Africa (HOA) countries convened the regional peace and development conference from Monday to Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. "The opportunity should not be missed or squandered. If we are determined, we can be certain that we will not be alone. Friends of goodwill, like China, are ready in our endeavor," he said. "It is upon us to prove the conference results in concrete actions," Hussien told regional ministers and senior officials attending the peace conference, which was joined by Xue Bing, the special envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Addressing the high-level regional conference, Hussien called on ministers and senior delegates of HOA countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti to use the conference as a valuable platform to expedite regional integration efforts toward common development and peaceful coexistence. "It hovers on us to design and deploy different approaches, different thoughts, and different methodologies guided by strong political commitment and determination to succeed this time around. Failure is no more an option nor is it acceptable," he affirmed. Hussien said the HOA, home to an estimated population of 300 million, the majority of whom are young, is currently experiencing "one of the worst droughts coupled with man-made humanitarian crises that left millions of our citizens' livelihoods at risk." He, however, stressed that the HOA is not only a region of despair, but it is also of hope and immense potential. He said the HOA, with its untapped natural resources and strategic location, is a region that can resonate with hope to its people. He called for concerted efforts to transform and build a region at peace with itself, united in purpose and integrated for common benefits. Hussien emphasized the need to harness the nexus between peace-security-development in the region. "Making the region free from the burdens of war and conflict and ensuring peace and security remain the priority of all priorities," he said while underscoring the immense potential of strengthening regional economic, social and infrastructure integration so as to enable the region's peaceful development. The Ethiopian official also commended China's commitment and efforts in supporting countries in the region to find lasting peace and development. "I thank China for its solidarity and support extended to us; and I hope that it will continue as we strive to achieve the goals of peace, security and development." JERUSALEM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli archaeologists have discovered a rare rural mosque dated to about 1,200 years ago and a luxurious estate, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Wednesday. The estate and the mosque, among the earliest known worldwide, were uncovered in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev desert, according to the IAA. The mosque includes a square room and a wall facing the direction of the holy city of Mecca, and a half-circle niche in that wall pointing south, the IAA said. The excavation at Rahat sheds light on the beginnings of Islam in the Southern Levant, and provides graphic details of the gradual transition from Christianity to Islam, the IAA noted. It thus revealed that buildings with Christian and early Islamic characteristics are in close proximity to one another. This includes a farmhouse of the Byzantine period that apparently housed Christian farmers. It had a fortified tower and rooms with strong walls surrounding a courtyard. On a nearby hilltop, the team uncovered Muslim estates constructed about a hundred years later in a completely different manner, with lines of rooms next to large, open courtyards. This building includes halls with stone pavement, some paved with marble, and walls decorated with frescos painted in red and yellow. Remains of fine tableware and glass vessels, some decorated with drawings of plants and animals, evince the wealth of its inhabitants, according to the IAA. Amplifying antiquity with heavy metal music Jeremy Swist, a lecturer in the department of Classical Studies, has developed a major passion project - studying heavy metal musics perception of the Roman Empire. Ive been an avid heavy metal listener since the beginning of high school, around the time I began taking Latin, said Swist. Ive traveled to music festivals, supporting both local and international artists. Because of this, my two worlds, classical studies and heavy metal, were destined to collide. Through his research he has discovered a long list of heavy metal bands that reference Roman emperors (over 400 songs referring to the emperors!), use symbolism connecting to the Romans, and overall draw inspiration from the empires rule. He examines the appeal of the Roman empire and why artists across generations find a common ground with this ancient civilization. Swist, joined by his four long-haired cats, took some time to talk with BrandeisNOW about the path that inspired his passions and why anyone can benefit from Classical studies. How did you find your path to teaching and studying Classics? I grew up in the Boston area, visiting Maine every summer with my family. I loved it up there and really enjoyed seafood, so I thought being a lobster man on the water sounded really appealing. However, in the seventh grade I had an eccentric geography teacher who was a complete weirdo. He really inspired me to want to become a teacher. He was a complete oddball who showed me I could be completely myself and teach people a subject I enjoy. It wasnt until college that I began studying ancient history and classic literature. I then realized I wanted to become a college professor to research and teach these topics. When did you discover heavy metal bands were taking inspiration from the Roman Empire? In 2018 I finished my dissertation thesis on the historiographical reception of the seven kings of Rome under the Roman Empire. As I submitted the final product, I had realized I had spent two years dedicating myself non-stop to my research. After that I didnt know what to do with myself and my free time. My professor suggested I find something different to write about. After discovering the reception of the Roman Empire in heavy metal music, I knew it was something I wanted to study. I could see there were topics that could be given more attention. What is it that inspires heavy metal artists to write songs about the Roman Empire? What makes this a common theme? Fascination, sympathy, and even identification with the bad guys. Extreme metal, particularly death metal, often refers to antichristian symbols to defy the status quo. This connects to the Roman Empire because of many emperors' alleged brutality towards Christianity. The majority of primary sources about the ancient Roman persecution of Christians were actually written from the perspective of Christians themselves. Christians exploited their identity as victims of Roman persecution. These exaggerations formed the narrative that the ancient Romans were evil. These artists side with the ancient Romans as a result of opposing Christianity, the largest religion in todays society. The most popular emperors in metal tend to be those with a reputation not only for violent persecutions of Christians, but also for unfettered exercise of power, cruelty, and carnal appetites, hence Caligula and Nero are by far at the top of the list. Heavy metal celebrates the extremes of freedom, extravagance, and transgression against all systems of conformity and control. The stereotypical "bad" emperors constructed by both Hollywood and ancient sources like Suetonius are therefore tailor-made for heavy metal. Why do you think artists continue to reference the Roman Empire? There are two phenomena being conflated here. People of European descent are attempting to retrieve authenticity and preserve heritage through romanticizing narratives of prechristian and premodern Europe. This phenomenon has the potential to lead down dangerous paths politically, as it can easily be compatible with reactionary and rightwing politics, even fascism. The "decolonial" element of the above phenomenon comes through the perception that Christianity is a foreign religion that overtook and erased indigenous European traditions. Bands in other parts of the world, such as Central and South America, also tap into precolonial history and culture (i.e. the Aztecs) as a way of decolonization and rejection of the modern conditions brought about by European colonialism. Why is it important to contextualize modern references to Classical Studies? Its valuable to look at other forms of media to see how they are shaping peoples understanding of the spartans, romans, etc. We need to acknowledge and look critically at the mass of other media being consumed. Film, video games, and other media in the digital age cover topics like the fall of the Roman Empire. These sources tell historians the best way to engage and communicate with the general public to give them a better understanding of these topics. This can break down barriers between the academic world and the public. What advice would you give a student looking to find their passion? If something looks interesting then pursue it - even if it isnt related to your planned career. Theres such a pressure today, due to various economic ideologies and conditions, that says everything you learn needs to be geared towards your career. In classical studies, many of our students wont strive to become academic professors. However, the studies we teach are life lessons regardless of what students plan to do. If you want to pursue your interest in classics while becoming an accountant, its just as valid. I am a believer that if you find something interesting, it is just as valuable to study it. We are meant to be more than just workers. There is more to life than just productivity. Advertisement Advertise With Us Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has tested positive for COVID-19. Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson greets Ukrainian nationals on the first charter to land in at the Richardson International Airport, in Winnipeg, Monday, May 23, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has tested positive for COVID-19. Stefanson has posted on social media that she is experiencing minor symptoms and is working from home while self-isolating. The premier says her office has informed people she came into contact with over the last few days. Stefanson was at a few public events recently, including the unveiling of a mural at the legislature Monday which had dozens of people in attendance. Manitoba's other main party leaders have also tested positive for COVID-19 at different times during the pandemic. Opposition Leader Wab Kinew, who tested positive last November, wished Stefanson a speedy recovery on Twitter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022 BOGOTA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President-elect Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday that he has contacted the Venezuelan government to open the border between the neighboring countries. "I have communicated with the Venezuelan government to open the border and restore the full exercise of human rights on the border," Petro wrote on his Twitter account. The Venezuelan government partially closed the border with Colombia in 2015, in order to curb insecurity from the neighboring country. In 2019, diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken due to political differences during the administration of Colombian President Ivan Duque. During his presidential campaign, Petro promised that if elected, he would open the entire border with Venezuela. Petro won Sunday's runoff election and will assume the presidency on Aug. 7. Brandon Bear Clan is celebrating five years of downtown patrols this month but theres still plenty of work left to do, members say. Advertisement Advertise With Us Brandon Bear Clan is celebrating five years of downtown patrols this month but theres still plenty of work left to do, members say. Theres still lots of work for us to do in the community, said veteran patroller Lisa Ramsay. Clearly, we still have a drug problem in our community. Every week we continue to hear stories from women about how they dont always feel safe on our streets. One of the greatest aspects of Bear Clan is that, as an Indigenous-based organization, they address historical traumas in the community, Ramsay said. This knowledge provides a deeper understanding of why the people they serve are experiencing vulnerability. Bear Clan takes a non-judgmental approach in how it relates with people and this has earned the group the trust and respect of those they work with. We do tend to get to know each other the people that are without homes we come to know them well, as organizations we get to know each other fairly well so we can partner to close gaps and to support each other to meet the needs of the people. Bear Clan is a grassroots movement whose intention is to develop relationships with community members. A key aspect of the clans philosophy is focusing on de-escalation, comfort and support based on what people need in the moment, Ramsay said. While Bear Clan volunteers can be seen patrolling the downtown core Thursday and Friday evenings, there is significant front-end work that makes these walks possible. This includes staff preparing supplies and food for patrols. When patrols are ready to depart from the Brandon Friendship Centre, they are organized into groups and anything of note taking place in the community is announced. During patrols, we typically see the same group of people that we have come to have relations with, Ramsay said. They are typically very happy to see us, and we have a warm greeting and we check in on how their day is going and if there is anything we can do to help. Patrollers also share food and supplies with the people they encounter. Ramsay encourages Brandon residents to become involved with the Bear Clan, whether that through patrols or donations. Volunteers with the group reflect the Brandon community and include Indigenous, non-Indigenous, men and women from diverse walks of life. Criminal record, adult abuse and child abuse registry checks are required to walk with patrols. Were accountable to this community and we hold that value very, very close. Were dependant on the community, we believe that the voice of grassroots people is the voice that matters the most to us, Ramsay said. Its community-level people who determine are direction thats the voice that historically has been unheard and unmet. In some cases, people who have been served by Bear Clan now walk on patrol as a way to give back to their community. Theres been so many stories, everybody has one. I can think of some of the folks that we see on a regular basis that were initially very hesitant to trust or engage with us and theres some that it took a long time, and rightfully so, it took a long time for them to be willing to trust us. Historically theyve been so disappointed and hurt by systems that it was hard for them to engage, and now those are some of the people that literally greet us with open arms. A young Indigenous woman in Princess Park who spoke with the Sun said Bear Clan is awesome. When she sees Ramsay, she greets her with a grin and is eager to update her about her day. She will check when patrols will be out so she can connect with them. An older Indigenous man at Princess Park said Bear Clan members play a special role in the community. [They provide] safety. Encouragement to get up to face your day with the strength that these guys do every time they walk around, he said. He described Bear Clan members as leaders in the community who are committed to the people they serve. They just love you, he said. ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp The scent of burning sage filled the air of downtown Brandon Tuesday as part of the Smudging Our Streets ceremony. Advertisement Advertise With Us The scent of burning sage filled the air of downtown Brandon Tuesday as part of the Smudging Our Streets ceremony. The smudge was organized by the John Howard Society of Brandons Mens Resource Centre to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day and the summer solstice. It was booming. It was really good. The elders, the youth, the community came together, said program facilitator Valerie Sandy. It was really positive and healing. Around two dozen people gathered for the event. The day served as a chance for the community to come together for a feast and healing, while also celebrating Indigenous pride. Smudging Our Streets was designed to strengthen Indigenous cultures and spirits by helping people remember who they are and reinforcing peoples pride in being Indigenous, Sandy said. Its having that space to be us. We do feel that living in such a western society, we have to be reminded not only the people around us, but ourselves as well, that our roots are deep and our roots are strong, Sandy said. We have to remember the ancestors that walk with us and we have to continue on. It brings out the strength in us. During the community feast served before the smudge ceremony in Princess Park, more than 100 meals of stew and vegan bannock were served. Providing food to the community was an essential part of the healing process, Sandy said. When people gather in community spirit, it brings out positive energy in the community. Smudging is a sacred ceremony because it is a form of Indigenous prayer, she said. Sandy described it as a private moment of prayer and participants were asked to not take photos during the ceremony. The sage for the smudge was carefully placed and participants walked the downtown streets in united prayer. People visited various key areas of Brandons downtown, including the Mens Resource Centre, Samaritan House, The Blue Door, Huddle Brandon, Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and Three Sisters Bannock. These locations were smudged to reflect their important place in the community, she said, for those seeking help and support for their health and well-being. They carry a lot of grief, a lot of emotion and the workers themselves, the building itself, so we went there to offer a blessing, to offer a cleaning of the areas, Sandy said.Its an opportunity to celebrate. Three Sisters Bannock general manager Sary Innerst and her crew crafted the meals for the Smudging Our Streets feast. It was an emotional experience because it offered the chance to participate in the healing process. I always wanted to feed people with my food because I put healing into it and love and I want them to experience that, she said. ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp The City of Brandon will undertake one of its earliest rounds of mosquito fogging ever despite the usual thresholds not being met yet. As long as weather permits, fogging will take place overnight Wednesday and Thursday this week. Advertisement Advertise With Us The City of Brandon will undertake one of its earliest rounds of mosquito fogging ever despite the usual thresholds not being met yet. As long as weather permits, fogging will take place overnight Wednesday and Thursday this week. All areas of the city south of Victoria Avenue will be fogged Wednesday and north of Victoria Avenue Thursday, beginning around 10 p.m. Coun. Shawn Berry (Linden Lanes) raised the issue at Mondays city council meeting. He argued that since the last mosquito trap counts were taken, the city has seen significant rainfall and a corresponding increase in the number of mosquitoes. "No, were not, but we all know whats coming. Weve had a lot of rain and a lot of water laying around right now. Weve now had the heat wave and the hot weather, and now youre going to see an abundance of mosquitoes. Well have a smorgasbord of citizens within a week here. My point is, why wait until the trap counts are high enough for us to start fogging?" Berry said. With wind and rain conditions acting as barriers to mosquito fogging, Berry said the city should take the opportunity to carry out the process with end of school year and Canada Day celebrations approaching quickly. "Weve been cooped up enough and Im sorry, but to heck with policy and lets get it done," he said. "Because we might have to do it more than once." Mosquito fogging is triggered when the number of mosquitoes in the citys traps fall under the high category for two consecutive counts, if the average number of mosquitoes in traps exceeds 1,000 or if any individual trap contains more than 2,000 mosquitoes. There are five traps across the city, which are checked every Sunday and Monday during mosquito season. The most recent trap counts posted on the citys website from June 12 and 13 showed an average trap count of 573 and 479 mosquitoes, respectively. By far the busiest trap was No. 2, which recorded 1,520 mosquitoes on June 12 and 1,652 on June 13. Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) said it should be the citys policy to have administration carry out fogging as soon as its needed. "Weve witnessed in the last couple of years just how quickly the numbers can escalate," Desjarlais said. "We cant wait those five or six days, because its too late." He added that since the city has switched from malathion insecticide to a safer product, its easier for him to recommend fogging. Also in agreement with the plan was Coun. Jeff Fawcett (Assiniboine), who said that access to the outdoors is a benefit to mental health and having mosquitoes disrupt that could be frustrating coming out of a pandemic and a cooler spring season. "Theres not much we can do about $9.44 a gallon gas, but we can make their [residents] backyards more comfortable," Coun. Glen Parker (Riverview) said. Coun. Bruce Luebke (South Centre) supported the motion, but asked if city staff could undertake a review of the fogging policy to see if it requires an update. Residents will be given a 24-hour notice before fogging takes place. When the process is underway, it is recommended that windows be closed and equipment that draws air from the outside be turned off so the fogging material does not come inside. Mayor Rick Chrest said the idea of improving the fogging policy so that politicians didnt have to get involved in the decision-making process is something that preceeds his two terms as mayor and expressed hope that something could be changed. That way, councils input wouldnt be required during the middle of the summer when only one council meeting is held per month. "We dont have a meeting to tell them to plow the snow," Chrest said. "Weve got it all laid out there. They go in the middle of the night. Thats the kind of system I like. The fire chief doesnt call me to say someones called for an ambulance." Residents who are worried about the fogging can apply to the city to have a buffer zone placed around their home where the insecticide is not sprayed. The devices used to spray the insecticide are programmed with the GPS co-ordinates of the homes with buffer zones and turn off automatically when going by. According to the citys director of parks and recreation Perry Roque, two of the citys fogging trucks must be calibrated in Winnipeg, but the other two are available in the meantime. Fogging cant take place if the weather is below 13 C or if wind speed is above 16 kilometres an hour. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: ColinSlark A man was sent to prison for more than two years for his role as a helper in a drug trafficking network, which a judge said had a dire impact on the community. Advertisement Advertise With Us FILE The Brandon courthouse. A man was sent to prison for more than two years for his role as a helper in a drug trafficking network, which a judge said had a "dire" impact on the community. "Individuals like Mr. [James] Livingstone, who assist those who run mid- and high-level drug trafficking operations they assist in sort of the destabilization of the community as a whole," said federal Crown attorney Hugh Crawley during the sentencing for Livingstone on Tuesday. Livingstone, 61, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic a Schedule-1 substance as part of Project Debris, a joint investigation by the Manitoba RCMP, the Brandon Police Service and the Rivers Police Service that culminated in April 2021. The investigation was launched to probe drug trafficking by one of Livingstones co-accused, who is accused of bringing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl into Brandon from British Columbia to sell. Livingstones role in the operation was less defined than other people who were charged, Crawley told the court, and he was not the directing mind. He helped in the network where needed, at times reluctantly, and was not involved in actually selling the drugs at the street level. He was also not involved in the fentanyl aspect of it. That support included registering a vehicle for one of his co-accused and acting as a driver for the person accused of being at the head of the operation, Crawley told the court. "Mr. Livingstone would also run errands for [the co-accused], both of a non-criminal nature and some which were associated to the requirements of this drug trafficking network," Crawley said, adding Livingstone was either aware or willfully blind to what was happening. Some of the driving included going out to collect debts or assisting other people, Crawley said. During one outing on March 12, 2021, police pulled Livingstone over when he was driving the man accused of leading the network, and found a gun in the vehicle, Crawley said. After that, Livingstone helped him maintain control over the network from jail, according to the Crown. Livingstone was arrested in April 2021, when police executed a search warrant at his residence. They found various drug-trafficking paraphernalia and methamphetamine, Crawley said. Even though Livingstone didnt have complete knowledge of the operation, Crawley said he was still a participant in the conspiracy to traffic drugs in Brandon but at the lower end than other people charged in the investigation. Livingstone is remorseful for his involvement and sometimes didnt have all the information on what he was doing, defence lawyer Candace Olson told the court. "He really is only involved on the periphery or on the fringes a lot of times hes really being used to run errands," she said. Livingstone was only involved because of his partner at the time, who was also charged in Project Debris, Olson said. He was "reluctantly" involved and sometimes out of fear. At the time he was also using meth, and getting involved was a way to access the drug, Olson said. Despite this, he has been sober for approximately a year. His son, Mitchell Livingstone, was also recently sentenced to more than six years in prison for his own involvement in the network. Both Olson and Crawley jointly recommended a sentence of 30 months in prison for the crime, minus time already served. Speaking to the court through tears, Livingstone apologized for his role in the operation. Judge Donovan Dvorak said he had "no doubt" the multi-kilogram trafficking network "significantly impacted this community and surrounding communities in very dire ways." "At first he may not have known the specifics of what he was doing in each task when he was assisting, but he certainly was aware of the nature of the organization," Dvorak said, adding Livingstone assisted in "small ways" in operating the network. He endorsed the joint recommendation, sentencing Livingstone to approximately 30 months in prison, minus time already served. He also banned him from owning restricted weapons for life and a 10-year ban on owning any firearms. Livingstone was led into custody by Manitoba Sheriffs at the end of the hearing. Several others charged in Project Debris are still before the court and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ One of the Judith Neilson Institutes (JNI) most senior founding executives has accused the organisations leadership of lacking transparency in awarding grants, and endorsed plans by its benefactor to refocus on funding grassroots and investigative journalism. Prue Clarke, who moved her family from the US to Australia in 2019, said she quit the Institute after 18 months because she disagreed with the direction its leadership was taking. JNI was the first donor organisation Ive worked for that had no guiding strategy, Clarke said. I had concerns about the lack of transparency and process around how grants were made. Judith Neilson, who has established a institute for journalism and ideas, armed with $100 million. Credit:James Brickwood Over the course of this week, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has uncovered turmoil at the Judith Neilson Institute, the nations largest philanthropic journalism fund. The institutes four independent board directors, including former NSW chief justice and ABC chairman James Spigelman, abruptly resigned over concerns about its plans for funding allocation. And the institutes executive director, Mark Ryan, has engaged lawyers in a dispute over his ongoing employment. Billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson committed $100 million to creating the institute in 2018, with the funds to be allocated over multiple years in the form of grants, education programs for journalists and events. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have both received funding from the Institute, including to hire indigenous journalists and for reporting trips to Ukraine. Wouldnt it be exquisite if the first Australian performance of Peter Yeldhams Reunion Day since it was written in 1961 was halted by a police raid? Yeldhams screenplay, commissioned and broadcast by the BBC to critical acclaim and starring some of Australian theatres greatest alumni in 1962, is still subject to the censors ban which stopped it appearing on Australian screens 60 years ago. Ruth Caro and Brandon Burke will perform in a reading of Reunion Day. Credit:Dylan Coker Now 95 and in ill health, Yeldham hopes to attend the anniversary read-though at the Australian Film Television and Radio School this Sunday (June 26), along with daughter Lyn and son Perry. Yeldham was an aspiring young playwright/scriptwriter living in London as part of the Australian artistic diaspora when he was contracted by the BBC to write a TV play. I think Ive discovered a future star in Carol Raye, who sings and dances just about as well as any leading lady we have on the musical comedy stage, Lupino told The Daily Express. In 1945 Raye made her screen debut, starring opposite Billy Hartnell in Strawberry Roan. But it was as the Empress Maria, opposite Peter Graves, in Paul L. Steins musical romance Waltz Time which launched her international screen career on its release in April 1945. Publicity for the film took her to America, where she was immediately offered the lead, opposite George Coulouris, in the musical Bonanza Bound! Carol Raye and Peter Graves in Waltz Time (1945). Raye chose to turn down a multi-year Hollywood contract in favour of returning to London, where she was cast in a number of made-for television films for the BBC. She found further success in the West End playing in Vivian Ellis and A.P. Herberts Tough at the Top (1949) and reuniting with Peter Graves for Dear Miss Phoebe (1950). It was during this time, while visiting her recently retired parents in Goring-on-Thames, Reading, that she met and fell in love with a dashing young Yorkshireman, Robert Ayre-Smith, a student at the Royal Veterinary College (London), who was three years her junior. Ayre-Smith completed his studies and accepted a Fulbright scholarship. He and Raye were married in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1951. Raye worked selling ladies underwear in a local department store, while Ayre-Smith completed his obligations under the fellowship. They returned to London the following year. Within weeks of the birth of their first daughter, Sally, in August 1952, Ayre-Smith was offered a position by the British government to run the 1000-acre experimental farm in the Great Rift Valley in what was then known as the Kenya Colony in British East Africa. Despite the inherent dangers imposed by internal conflict between the Mau Mau (Kenya Land and Freedom Army) and British authorities, the young family settled in Naivasha Town, located on Lake Naivasha, west of Mombasa. Their son Mark was born the following year. Soon after, Raye accepted the offer by two young filmmakers, Alastair Scobie and Humphrey Downes, to appear as the lead in their film No Rain at Timburi, the first locally produced feature film. Over the next decade Raye supported her husbands career and, when they moved to Nakuru, took on a major fundraising role for the Nakuru Hospital Appeals Committee. Their third child, daughter Harriet, was born in 1961, by this time Ayre-Smith had been appointed as first assistant secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. The family relocated to Nairobi and, from 1962, Raye was contracted as producer/director and on-screen talent for the fledgling multilingual Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Rayes was one of the first faces on television in British East Africa. Following Kenyas independence in October 1963, Ayre-Smith accepted an offer to join the CSIRO in Australia, and the family emigrated in 1964. Raye carried a letter of introduction from the BBC and met with the ABCs Charles Moses; he in turn recommended her to James Oswin, CEO of ATN-7. She took a position working as network assistant to the general manager, and, prompted for ideas, Raye produced the pilot episode of The Mavis Bramston Show. The series was given the green light and began broadcast only a few months later in November 1964. Raye co-produced the series with Michael Plant, and starred alongside Gordon Chater and Barry Creyton, until her departure from the program in late 1965. Carol Raye and actor Hazel Phillips (right) in 1969 in the stage show Lie Back and Enjoy It. Credit:Fairfax Raye was then offered her own variety show at rival Network TEN-10, 66 and All That, supported by Peter Whitford, Barry Crocker and Mike Walsh. David Sale, creator and writer of the soap opera Number 96 provided her next leading role as the outrageous Baroness Amanda von Pappenburg; she appeared regularly throughout 1973-1974 before taking on the responsibility as creative director for the shows producers, Cash Harmon Television, reviewing storylines, casting regular characters and producing the many spin-offs. She subsequently made a guest appearance on The Young Doctors, and was a regular panelist on Graham Kennedys Blankety Blanks. Loading It was full circle when she was cast alongside Stanley Holloway (with whom she last partnered in pantomime in Manchester in 1940) and Douglas Fairbanks Jnr in the Australasian tour of The Pleasure of His Company in 1977. It was during this production that she was the subject of This is Your Life. Over the following two decades she made a return to the stage, appearing at the Ensemble, Hunter Valley, Marian Street and Sydney Theatre Companies. Raye flirted briefly with politics when she stood for pre-selection as a Liberal candidate for the federal senate in the early 80s. She did, however, accept a three-year appointment to the theatre board of the Australia Council. Thereafter, Raye acted in Australian films and TV movies until officially retiring in 2000, following a guest appearance in SeaChange (produced by her daughter Sally). Carol Raye (left) and actor Wendy Blacklock at the launch of David Sales book Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me, in 2013. Credit:Fairfax Ayre-Smith retired in 1996. The couple together developed a farm at Peats Ridge where they re-established Australian hardwoods and other trees, and reared cattle after which they settled in Edgecliff. Later they relocated to a residence on their daughter Sally and her husband Marcus Skippers farm in the Macleay Valley. Ayre-Smith died in 2016, after which Raye remained on the property under her daughters care. Loading Businesses are increasingly struggling to find and retain workers who can afford to live within an acceptable commuting range, with a major new study warning a chronic lack of affordable housing is set to cost taxpayers $25 billion a year if nothing is done. Some businesses have even taken matters into their own hands, offering the option of low-cost accommodation to lure workers unwilling to brave the long daily commute. Housing affordability is a major challenge for buyers and renters. Credit:Jason South The study, by public policy consultants SGS Economics and Planning, found decades of under-investment had triggered a collapse in the proportion of the housing stock regarded as affordable. Social housing a catch-all phrase covering public housing and other forms of subsidised or lower-cost housing now makes up just 4 per cent of national housing stock, a record low, and down from 6 per cent in 1996. The states controversial rail corporation will be dismantled if Labor wins government at the next state election, and control of billions of dollars worth of trains and other rail assets returned to NSWs transport agencies. Labors promise to abolish the Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) is one of its first major Treasury-related policy announcements ahead of the election next March. The policy pledge will be detailed on Thursday as part of the oppositions reply to the Coalitions budget. The controversial rail corporation controls billions of dollars worth of the states trains and other rail assets. Credit:Wolter Peeters The rail corporation has been the subject of intense criticism and a parliamentary inquiry since a Herald investigation last year revealed it had been set up to artificially inflate the NSW budget. Labor leader Chris Minns said TAHE had cost taxpayers $25 billion in write-downs and bail-outs, all the while putting at risk rail safety. The Queensland government has acknowledged funding gaps at two state watchdogs hit hard by pandemic-driven workloads, as repeated calls for more funding from other accountability agencies went unanswered in the latest budget. Queenslands Ombudsman and the Human Rights Commission both received quiet funding top-ups on Tuesday. This came amid a need to ensure the sustainability and independence of the Ombudsman, and to address base funding shortfalls and a backlog of complaints at the commission. The Ombudsmans office received numerous complaints related to COVID-19 measures, such as border closures. Credit:Matt Roberts/Getty Images The Ombudsmans office, headed by Anthony Reilly, investigates complaints about state government decisions. While not experiencing a sharp uptick in overall complaints in the past two years, many of those it did receive related to COVID-19 measures, such as border closures and hotel quarantine exemptions. The commission, under Scott McDougall, reported a significant jump in pandemic-related inquiries and workloads. Both have powers to make recommendations after an investigation, and confirmed last September they were looking at complaints about state border restrictions. HARARE, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government on Tuesday lifted a midnight-to-dawn curfew imposed as part of COVID-19 containment measures. The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to decrease over the past week while the recovery rate stood at 97 percent, acting Information Minister Jenfan Muswere told a post-cabinet media briefing. "No patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (over the past week). This indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic remains under control, as it has been for some months now," he said. The Cabinet stressed that the implementation of all COVID-19 public health and social measures must continue to be strengthened. Muswere said as of Monday, 55.7 percent of the population had received vaccinations. The Cabinet last week approved the introduction of COVID-19 self-test kits mainly at ports of entry in order to ramp up the country's testing capacity. The victim, 40-year-old Megan Kirley, died at a semi-rural property on Wembley Road in Karawatha, on Brisbanes southern outskirts, about 3am on February 9, 2019. The man who pulled the trigger and fatally shot a mother of two in a robbery gone wrong on a rural property in Brisbanes south has been found guilty of manslaughter. Cameron Lindsay Witoko, 31, Kobi Daniel Oram, 25, and Emma Louise Hinds, 45, each received nine-year sentences for manslaughter. Geoffrey Dale Granz Glenn, 35, was due to stand trial with Emmerson, but he pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month and will be sentenced on August 18. In the Emmerson trial, crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac told the court Kirley lived with her partner, Pieter Pickering, in a shipping container on the Karawatha property. At the time, only one of the two metal doors on the container could open. There was no other access. The surrounding property was covered in thick bushland. Kovac said earlier that night, the group of five had broken into two other locations and stolen money to buy drugs. Police alleged the group intended to steal cash from the shipping container. On a sunny Saturday morning in April, Trent Williams phoned his dad. The passionate scuba diver and marine educator was getting ready to dive at a shipwreck site near Queenscliff. It was a present his father had organised for his birthday. The 47-year-old father of three had been diving since he was 17. Marine educator, scuba diver and father of three Trent Williams. Credit:Rod Williams I spoke with him every day that week about his planning and preparation, his father Rod Williams said. And I spoke to him that morning because I was looking after his kids. Gabriel Shipton said that on Friday, after the extradition order was made, his brother had been strip-searched and moved to a bare cell because the prison [staff] were afraid that he would self-harm. What are we waiting for for Julian to die? Loading John Shipton, also in Berlin, said encouraging the Albanese government to try to bring the charges against his son to an end had been their main task. Insisting that they are sincere to their comments now is our next job, he said. A group of Labor, Coalition, Greens, teal and crossbench MPs are continuing their campaign to push the federal government to formally ask the US to drop its charges. Among them is independent Kooyong MP Monique Ryan, who met recently with John and Gabriel Shipton. She said she had been appalled at the decision of the UK government to allow the extradition of Julian Assange to the US. She urged the Australian government to intervene to repatriate the Australian. Enough is enough, she said. No useful purpose would be served by Mr Assanges extradition. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton this week warned against acting to help Assange, other than providing him consular assistance. The UK and the US have legal systems equivalent to ours, he told 2GB radio. People should conduct themselves according to the law. And I think they should be answerable to their conduct according to the law. I think Mr Assange has protracted this particular issue for years and years and years through his own conduct. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham this week said much of Assanges time incarcerated in prison or in Londons Ecuadorian embassy was the result of seeking to avoid the judicial process rather than engage in the judicial process. Assanges wife Stella. They have two children and were married in Belmarsh prison earlier this year. Credit:ABC Asked about the oppositions comments, Gabriel Shipton said they were not relevant. Youve got China using Julian as a whip for the UK and the US you know, like, Dont lecture us on press freedom when youve got a journalist and publisher locked up in prison. I think Peter Duttons arguments fall away pretty quickly. Assanges wife, Stella, who has two children with the Australian, said from her British home that her husband was running out of time, and she referred to his legal fight as a dark and nasty legacy of the past. Cool heads in both countries can resolve this shameful case because Anthony Albanese is right: enough is enough. Julian needs the Australian government to throw its political and diplomatic weight to end this madness, and it needs to happen quickly, before he is buried in a US hell-hole forever. Julian needs to come home to our children. Loading Friend and long-time campaigner to free Assange Felicity Ruby has repeatedly visited the 51-year-old in Belmarsh and the Ecuadorian embassy before that. Ruby also attended Assanges court hearings since December 2011, and said she was hopeful Albanese would intervene. She said watching Assange really deteriorate over 10 years might make my hope desperate, but I believe that Albo will try and make a breakthrough. He gets whats at stake and why it matters. Albanese said on Monday that writing in capital letters on Twitter was not an effective way to lobby diplomatically. Ruby said the PM was right to not use a loud hailer or twitter declarations. He will have to understand, however, that the loudhailers and tweets of campaigners will be directed at him until Julian touches down at Mascot a free man. Outspoken Assange supporter and Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie said Labor was not united on its approach to Assange. Assanges WikiLeaks website published internal US Democrat emails in the run-up to the American election in 2016 that hampered Hillary Clintons campaign. Some people quite wrongly hold Julian Assange responsible for the rise of Donald Trump, Wilkie said. Wilkie said the Australian publics view on Assange had changed, in part due to just the amount of time thats passed people are just over it and saying, For heavens sakes, hasnt he suffered enough or hasnt this dragged on long enough? Wilkie and former MP George Christensen convened a parliamentary supporters group that by the end of the last parliament had 25 MPs. Wilkie said he expected there to be more in the new parliament. Labors newest MP Fatima Payman laughs at the suggestion that she will be the first woman in Muslim headwear in the Senate. The Afghanistan-born senator-elect corrects the record: the honour actually goes to Pauline Hanson, who wore a burqa in parliament in 2017, a political stunt that was part of a call to ban the garment. Fatima Paymans demeanour is refreshingly candid, reflecting her newness to the political sphere. Credit:Hamish Hastie Unfortunately, I cant take the credit because Pauline [Hanson] stole my thunder, she jokes. It would be nice to maybe bond over the fact that I can teach her how to wear my style of a hijab. Movie star Emma Stone has sold her Malibu beach house for $US4.4 million ($6.3 million). Perched on a cliff overlooking the North Pacific coastline, the La La Land stars vogue abode has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and sits on a 12,950 square metre block. The home overlooks the Pacific. Credit:Sothebys International Realty The home is set off a winding cliffside lane. Credit:Sothebys International Realty Features include ocean views, a professional kitchen, a quaint living area with an open fireplace, a cosy alfresco space and lots of established native trees. Singapore: Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says he expects a more powerful China to have a stronger say in international affairs, but it has a duty to reassure its neighbours that it is not a risk to their security. In a speech to Indias National Defence College in New Delhi on Wednesday, Marles said Beijings military build-up had not been accompanied by effective diplomacy, forcing countries to upgrade their own defence forces in response. Defence Minister Richard Marles says Chinas military expansion requires reassuring statecraft. Credit:AP Insecurity is what drives an arms race, he said. Chinas military build-up is now the largest and most ambitious we have seen by any country since the end of the Second World War. It is critical that Chinas neighbours do not see this build-up as a risk for them. Marles, who is also defence minister, said Australia was not questioning the right of any country to modernise its military capabilities in line with its growing economic and geopolitical power. Kigali: Prince Charles has said the world must ensure a genocide like Rwandas is not repeated, following a visit to the countrys memorial in Kigali, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting beginning on Friday. Charles appeared deeply moved as he visited the memorial with wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The memorial contains photographs and personal items of some of the hundreds of thousands of Tutsis killed in the slaughter carried out by Hutu extremists. Prince Charles looks at photographs of some of those who died, at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda. Credit:AP Charles, according to one official, said: We must ensure it never happens again. Ukraine's secret, deadly rescue missions Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss NAIROBI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank said Wednesday it has approved a 2.3 billion U.S. dollar program to help countries in eastern and southern Africa tackle food insecurity. The World Bank said the money will help increase the resilience of the region's food systems and its ability to tackle growing food insecurity. "Ensuring regional coordination in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, market volatility, and the need for food policy reform constitute key priorities," said Hafez Ghanem, World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. According to the lender, an estimated 66.4 million people in the region are projected to experience food stress or a food crisis, emergency, or famine by July. It said food system shocks brought on by extreme weather, pest and disease outbreaks, political and market instability, and conflict are becoming more frequent and severe, putting more people at risk of food insecurity. According to the World Bank, the Ukraine crisis is further exacerbating these effects by disrupting the global food, fuel, and fertilizer markets. Ghanem said this is the first regional and multi-sectoral operation focusing on reducing the number of food-insecure people in eastern and southern Africa by increasing the resilience of food systems and preparedness to combat rising food insecurity. He said Ethiopia, where up to 22.7 million people are food insecure due to the most severe drought the country has ever faced, and Madagascar, where 7.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity because of historic droughts in the south of the country, will be targeted in the first phase of the project. The first phase will also support the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which will strengthen information and data sharing, and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa, which will leverage its existing networks and outreach tools for regional coordination mechanisms. The on Monday granted time to Rail Corporation till August 5, after noting that it has called for a proposal from banks for the loan so that it can pay the remaining Arbitral Award amount to Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL). Justice V Kameswar Rao granted time to after hearing the submission of the application moved by DAMEPL seeking enforcement of the arbitration award of May 11, 2017. Now the matter has been listed for August 16 for further hearing. DMRC's Counsel told the bench that it expects to process the bids of the banks by July 10 and sign the loan documents by August 15. The bench after noting the submission granted time to and directed it to comply with the direction on or before August 5. The bench also called for an affidavit mentioning the break up of the payments to DAMEPL within one week after complying with the direction. On March 10, the High Court had directed to pay the entire arbitration amount of Rs 4600 crore along with the interest in two equal instalments in two months. The Supreme Court upheld the order on May 5. DAMPEL in the present petition has stated that even after the direction of the High Court DMRC has made a payment of Rs 166.44 crore out of the total arbitral amount. It claimed that Rs 4427.41 crores are still outstanding. Therefore the bank accounts and other such assets should be attached. The arbitration award was based on an agreement between the DMRC and DAMPEL in 2008 to develop and operate the orange line of the connecting the Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal-3 to Sector 21 Dwarka. (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.) Realty has projected that real estate demand will remain robust despite economic headwinds, and is aiming at a 50 per cent jump in sales to Rs 750 crore in the current fiscal, a top company official said on Wednesday. The real estate arm of the diversified Group has targeted retiring its long-term debt by 2023-24, which is now pegged at Rs 118 crore, he said. The developer, which has a land bank of around 2,500 acres in 7-8 cities in the country, will leverage the resource for new projects and explore monetisation of a part of it in the next few years. "Economic headwinds, high commodity prices and other associated costs affected us by around 20 per cent. Despite all these, robust demand will continue and help overcome the challenges. We are expecting a topline of Rs 750 crore in the current fiscal from the standalone operations as against nearly Rs 500 crore sales achieved in FY'22," Realty MD and CEO Nitesh Kumar told PTI in a telephonic interview. The total revenue from projects, including joint venture ones, is pegged at Rs 1,180 crore during the fiscal. The combined revenue in FY22 was Rs 950 crore, registering an 85 per cent year-on-year growth. After the introduction of real estate regulations, home buyers have been switching to organised real estate companies, he said, adding that such a trend helps these firms maintain strong sales. Various supports from state governments to the sector have also helped bolster demand, he said. "Reputation we earned over the years by our consistent performance and the ability to keep promises to our customers have translated into phenomenal results," he said. During the current financial year, the company also plans to launch new projects worth Rs 1,000 crore. Last year, Emami unveiled projects worth Rs 700 crore. These include a 100-acre integrated township project at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, in Coimbatore on 62 acres of land, Astha, an eco-living project, in on 40 acres and an office building at the IT hub in Salt Lake and 20 lakh sq-ft housing projects in Mumbai. Kumar also said, "The debt level of the company had been reduced to Rs 118 crore as of March 2022 from Rs 264 crore with a strong cash flow. We are aiming at retiring the entire long-term loan outstanding by 2023-24. Only short-term operational debt will continue depending on projects." "Our land bank of 2,500 acres in eight cities is huge and it will be good enough for the next 7-8 years' growth plans. We will also evaluate monetising some land parcels," he said. Speaking about the market, he said, "We are bullish on the growth prospects in the city, driven by infrastructure development and policy incentives by the West Bengal government." Emami Realty Ltd has so far successfully delivered more than 24 residential and commercial projects, comprising a 36 million sqft area, primarily in . (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 (NHAI), after a Delhi High Court order, has paid Rs 308 crore to IRB Pathankot Amritsar Toll Road Ltd (IRPRL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Developers, over a dispute in payment related to the Pathankot-Amritsar project. We deeply appreciate the steps taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for providing interim cashflow access to developers in clear award scenarios till a final verdict is closed, said Virendra Mhaiskar, chairman and managing director of . The amount is 75 per cent of the Rs 419 crore arbitral award owed by the highways authority after a court victory in July 2021, said the company. It claimed before the arbitral tribunal that the amount was owed to it as the EPC contractor of Pathankot-Amritsar build-operate-transfer (BOT) project on account of time and cost overruns. IRB had claimed that the reasons for the delays were not attributable to the company. It sought a 518-day extension in the concession period. The tribunal had ruled in favour of the company, granting an arbitral award of Rs 252 crore and interest of Rs 167 crore. The nodal highways authority challenged the decision in the High Court, which upheld the tribunals decision and directed to pay up 75 per cent of the arbitral award. As per the cabinet committee on economic affairs, government agencies must pay 75 per cent of the arbitral award to the concessionaire or contractor against a bank guarantee, if the agency chooses to challenge the award. The Union cabinet had allowed for this provision in 2019 and codified it into the general financial rule (GFR) in November 2021. The provision was made following a proposal by NITI Aayog, keeping in view the potential of liquidity crunches arising for contractors due to delay in arbitral award payment as agencies would challenge the decisions, increasing the risk of them turning into non-performing assets (NPAs) for lenders. and have lost their fight against a antitrust of their proposed landmark joint venture, after Europe's second-highest court rejected their arguments. The two in 2019 had sought to tackle over-capacity and other challenges in the via the joint venture, which would have created Europe's second-largest steelmaker after ArcelorMittal. But the European Commission said the deal could result in significant price hikes and demanded remedies. at the time said would jeopardise the logic of the planned transaction. The EU competition enforcer in its 2019 decision said the had not offered sufficient steps to address concerns, forcing it to block the deal and the to challenge the finding at the Luxembourg-based General Court. "In today's judgment, the General Court rejects all the arguments raised by the undertaking and upholds the Commissionas decision," the Court said on Wednesday. The parties can appeal on matters of law to the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe's top court. The case is T-584/19. Thyssenkrupp, which has since explored and rejected an attempt to sell its steel division to Britain's Liberty Steel, said it had taken note of the decision. "We remain of the opinion that the EU Commission's blocking of the joint venture with Europe in 2019 was a disproportionate step," the company said. Europe declined to comment. Joint debacle The joint venture would have become Europe's 2nd largest steelmaker after ArcelorMittal European Commission, though, had said the deal could result in significant price hikes Since 2019, has explored and rejected an attempt to sell its steel division to Britain's Liberty Steel The parties can appeal to the Court of Justice of the EU, Europe's top court (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Tuesday detained 197 party workers, including 18 MPs, for allegedly violating prohibitory orders against gathering of people, while taking out a march against the summoning of by the (ED), officials here said. They also said that All India Mahila president Netta D'Souza assaulted the police personnel on duty and spat on them for which she has been booked. According to police, All India Committee (AICC) had requested for permission to hold a Satyagraha' at the Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. The programme was to be held against the Agnipath' scheme and the appearance of party leader before the ED, they said. A permission for dharna' was granted subject to the condition that only 1,000 party workers will be allowed at the site, police said. But instead of holding the dharna' at Jantar Mantar, the protestors assembled at AICC headquarters at 24 Akbar Road and marched out in the form of a procession in violation of the prohibitory orders promulgated under section 144 CrPC in force, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda said. A total of 197 Congress workers, including 18 members of parliament, were detained under section 65 DP Act to maintain public order in the area, he said. While detaining the Congress workers, one of the protesters, Netta D'Souza, president of All India Mahila Congress, obstructed and assaulted the police personnel on duty and spat on them for which a criminal case is being registered under appropriate sections of law against her, Hooda said. A video of the incident also circulated on social media in which D'Souza is seen spitting at security personnel while standing on the steps of a bus in which the party workers were being detained. D'Souza in a tweet later said she was only spitting out hair and some dust that had gone into her mouth while she was being heckled by police during the tussle. She said she did not mean to disrespect security personnel. In another incident, around 10 to 12 people gathered unannounced outside the residence of BJP President J P Nadda at Moti Lal Nehru Marg in the afternoon, police said. They were shouting slogans against the Agnipath' scheme and were carrying a long stick with some inflammable material, they said. The demonstrators put the material on fire and put it at the entrance gate of the house, Hooda said. The security personnel promptly came out and put out the fire, he said, adding suitable legal action is being taken against these people. (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.) More than a month after she was arrested for allegedly sharing an objectionable post about chief on social media, a court in Thane district of Maharashtra on Wednesday granted bail to Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale in connection with the case. District judge H M Patwardhan granted bail to her on a surety of Rs 20,000. With this, Chitale will be able to walk out of the Thane central jail, where she is currently lodged, her advocate said. On May 14, 2022, Thane police had arrested Chitale for sharing on Facebook a Marathi verse, which allegedly referred to chief in a derogatory way. Police at Kalwa in Thane had registered the offence against her under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for her post on Pawar. The offence was registered under section 505 (2) (statements conducting to public mischief), 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc). Complainant Swapnil Netke in his complaint had alleged that the post was likely to lead to a trouble between political parties. Her counsel advocate Yogesh Deshpande, who appeared in the court on behalf of Chitale, said after being granted bail by the court, she will now be released from the jail. The 29-year-old actor is currently facing over 20 FIRs regarding the Facebook post. Last week, a court here had granted bail to Chitale in another case registered against her under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in neighbouring Navi Mumbai in 2020. (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 of Army Staff Manoj Pande will be visiting Nepal in August, officials from Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed. As per the source, the 29th Army Chief of India will be conferred with the honorary title of Nepali Army by Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari during the visit. "Communication has been received from the about the visit of the Army Chief to Nepal in the month of August. We are working on the dates and schedule of his visit. The visit will entirely focus on honouring the Chief with the honorary title of Nepali Army, a tradition that has been continued for the ages," the source told ANI seeking anonymity. In the wake of the preparations being made in Kathmandu about the visit of Indian CoAS, Nepal's Ambassador to India, Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma also held talks with the Chief earlier on Monday. "Pleasure to call on Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande @adgpi. We discussed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and thanked the Indian Army for their continued support to Nepal. @EONIndia #NepalIndiaFriendship," Nepal's ambassador to India tweeted on Monday after the meeting. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) also tweeted on the same day, highlighting the issues that were discussed at the time of the meeting. "Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ambassador of #Nepal to #India called on General Manoj Pande #COAS and discussed aspects of Bilateral Defence Cooperation." Conferring the highest rank to the chiefs of each other's militaries is a tradition that has been followed by Nepal and India since 1950 after then Indian Army Chief General KM Cariappa visited Nepal. Earlier, Nepal's Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma came to India from November 9 to 12, last year, at the invitation of his Indian counterpart. General Sharma also was conferred with the honorary title of Chief of the Indian Army. During his visit, Sharma also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "Pleased to receive General Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chief of Army Staff, Nepali Army. His visit underlines the closeness of our relationship," the EAM tweeted. (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.) All India Mahila President Netta D'Souza will be booked by the for allegedly spitting on the police personnel during a in the national capital, a police official said on Tuesday. "One of the protestors namely Netta D'Souza, All India Mahila President, obstructed and assaulted the police personnel on duty and spitted over them for which a criminal case is being registered under appropriate sections of law," Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order Division, Sagar Preet Hooda. The has been continuously protesting against the summoning of former Congress President by the (ED) and also against the recently introduced defence recruitment scheme 'Agnipath'. The Agnipath scheme, termed as a historic and transformative measure by the Union government, has met unprecedented levels of agitations and protests in several states across India. The protestors in several states have been targeting trains and have torched several of them in the past few days. Meanwhile, left the ED headquarters at around 8 p.m. on Tuesday after being questioned for nearly nine hours in connection with the . (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.) Amid the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government facing a crisis following the revolt by a section of its MLAs, senior leader Kamal Nath on Wednesday said his party is united and its MLAs are "not for sale". Nath, who was on Tuesday appointed as the AICC observer in Maharashtra in the wake of the political turmoil in the state, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar are expected to meet Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray around noon. The Maharashtra cabinet meeting is also scheduled later in the day. The shares power in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and NCP. Talking to reporters on his arrival at the Mumbai-based official residence of Maharashtra Revenue Minister and Legislature Party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat, Nath said, "It is for the Shiv Sena to take care of its team and see how it wants to handle its MLAs." He asserted that the Congress leaders were united. "I am sure we will stay intact. It is for the Congress party to demonstrate unity. The Congress MLAs are not for sale," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said. The CLP holding a meeting at Thorat's residence on Wednesday. On Tuesday evening, 42 out of the Congress's 44 MLAs in the state were present at the meeting called by AICC secretary H K Patil. According to the Congress, its senior leader and Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar was abroad on an official trip and is scheduled to reach Mumbai on Wednesday, while MLA Subhash Dhote was also on way to the state capital from Chandrapur. (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.) Domestic air passenger traffic saw a strong recovery in demand as Indian carriers flew 1.20 crore passengers on the local routes in May, logging nearly five-fold year-on-year volume growth, data showed on Wednesday. Domestic air passenger traffic in May 2021 stood at a meager 21-lakh, as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data. Of the total 1.20 crore passengers flown by the domestic carriers in May 2022, market leader IndiGo transported around 70 lakh with 57.9 per cent market share, followed by Mumbai-based carrier Go First with 12.76 lakh passengers, accounting for 10.8 per cent of the total domestic traffic. The two full-service carriers -- Air India and Vistara, which are part of the Tata Group along with no-frills AirAsia India -- carried 8.23 lakh and 9.83 lakh passengers, respectively, in the previous month. AirAsia India flew 6.86 lakh passengers across the domestic routes in May 2022, the said. During the reporting month, budget carrier SpiceJet delivered the highest load factor at 89.1 per cent followed by Go First at 86.5 per cent, as per the monthly data. In aviation parlance, passenger Load Factor or Seat Factor is a measure of how much of an airline's passenger carrying capacity is used or average percentage of seats filled in an aircraft. In terms of On-Time Performance (OTP), AirAsia India, had its maximum number of flights operating on time with an OTP of 90.8 per cent across four key airports. Vistara had the second best OTP at 87.5 per cent in the month under review, said. At present DGCA publishes monthly on-time performance of domestic airlines from four metro airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. (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.) ABUJA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- At least five timber dealers were early this week killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen in a forest in Nigeria's Benue State, according to a local government official on Wednesday. Some 10 others had been missing since the attack in Udei, a village in the Guma local government area of Benue on Monday, said Caleb Aba, head official of the local government, while briefing reporters on the development. Aba said the gunmen had laid an ambush on the timber dealers who were returning from a forest where they went to fetch timber, noting they were 15 in number. "Five corpses have been recovered so far. The remaining 10 people have not been seen. We are not yet sure if they have been killed or taken away by the attackers," the local government official said. Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months. NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu swept the floor of a Shiva temple in her locality here in this nondescript tribal-dominated town in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district at the crack of dawn on Wednesday ahead of her journey to Delhi. It is a task she has done daily since she returned to her home town in August 2021 after her retirement as the governor of Jharkhand. Wednesday was no exception. Hundreds of local residents saw the NDA presidential candidate with a broom in her hand and clad in an ivory coloured handloom saree with a red border sweeping the temple floor in the early hours between 3 and 4 am. Like other days she offered her prayers at the temple after a bath and whispered into the ears of Nandi, the bull 'vahana' of Lord Shiva, a common practice, as hundreds of local residents looked on and the temple was cordoned by CRPF commandos provided to her after the Centre accorded her Z plus security cover. The commandos took over the security of 64-year-old Murmu early on Wednesday morning, a senior officer told PTI. When Murmu came out of the temple, she was surprised to find a large crowd despite the early morning hour. Two members of Iswariya Prajapati Brahmakumari organization also greeted her. We have come here to greet Madam over her success and consider it as a blessing of the almighty on her, the members said. After the temple rituals, she returned to her residence and met people and leaders of different political parties, including the ruling BJD in Odisha. However, opposition Congress leaders were not seen as the party is yet to take a decision on supporting the NDA candidate in the July presidential election. Later when Murmu left for the 285 km journey to Bhubaneswar by road people of the town stood on both sides of it to have a glimpse of the woman vying for the topmost position in the country. Women and children offered her flowers, men and youths brought their hands together in 'namaste' or waved at her. There was an air of festivity as some people were seen dancing to tribal music as they consider her candidature as a major victory for the tribal population since Independence. Huge welcome gates were put up in the town. Murmu will fly to Delhi from Bhubaneswar. A programme will be held in the capital city to felicitate her when she reaches there this evening, a person accompanying her said. Tribal people are elated over Murmu's candidature, said BJD MLA R K Das, who meet her at her Rairangpur residence. Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said BJP has fielded Murmu in the presidential poll keeping an eye on BJD's 2.85 per cent of votes in the electoral college. We may not support her in the elections even though she is the befitting candidate, he said. BJD MP Bhartuhari Mahatab appealed to all MLAs and MPs of Odisha to support Murmu in her journey to Raisina Hills. The ruling BJD has 2.85 per cent votes in the electoral college for the presidential poll while NDA is short of target by 1.2 per cent of votes. (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 Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange alert for rainfall in several parts of on Thursday and directed them to be prepared for the next 5 days. The RMC, had forecasted heavy rainfall in Raigad on Thursday and said that Sindhudurg can expect heavy rainfall today as well. Meanwhile, the RMC has been expecting Ratnagiri to experience wet showers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, has been issued with Yellow alert for receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places for the next three days. The India Meteorological Department has also predicted isolated heavy rainfall in the ghat areas of "Madhya Maharashtra" from Friday to Sunday. Under the influence of an off-shore trough and strong westerly winds along the west coast in lower tropospheric levels, the informed via a Tweet that isolated heavy rainfall is expected over Konkan and Goa, Coastal Karnataka and Kerala and Mahe during the next five days; North Interior Karnataka on 24th and 25th; Gujarat region on 22nd, 25th and 26th; Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 22nd June. It also informed that under the influence of southerly/southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast and adjoining East India, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal is also expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on Saturday and Sunday. "Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Gangetic West Bengal on 22nd; Vidarbha on 23rd and 24th; Bihar during 23rd-26th, Jharkhand on 24th and 25th and over Odisha and Chhattisgarh during 22nd-26th June," it informed in another Tweet. (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.) has said that incitement to violence is the antithesis of peace, tolerance and harmony and the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression under a constitutional framework plays an important and positive role in strengthening democracy and combating intolerance. Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine Incitement to violence leading to atrocity crimes' on Tuesday, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador R. Ravindra also said that undoubtedly terrorism is the antithesis of all religions and cultures. We need to collectively combat both radicalisation and terrorism," he said. He said the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression under a Constitutional framework plays an important and positive role in strengthening democracy, promoting pluralism and combating intolerance. Incitement to violence is the antithesis of peace, tolerance and harmony. has always believed that a society based on principles of democracy and pluralism provides an enabling environment for diverse communities to live together, Ravindra said. The United Nations has the responsibility to ensure that countering hate speech and discrimination should not be limited to a select few religions and communities, but should encompass all those affected. Expressing concern that the Ukraine conflict has impacted not just Europe, but the whole world, he said the conflict is having a destabilising effect with broader regional and global implications. continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation in Ukraine and reiterates its call for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities. We support all diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, especially talks between Ukraine and Russia. As we have said earlier, we endorse the call by the Secretary-General for an independent investigation into atrocities in Ukraine, he said. He noted that in the wake of the conflict, increasing fuel prices and shortage of food grains and fertilizers are having a disproportionate impact, in particular on developing countries. In this context, it is necessary for all of us to adequately appreciate the importance of equity, affordability and accessibility when it comes to food grains. Open markets must not become an argument to perpetuate inequity and promote discrimination, he said. He reiterated India's commitment to working constructively in mitigating the adverse impact of the conflict on food security. (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: Chief Minister on Wednesday called a meeting of all legislators at 5 pm in Mumbai amid a revolt within the party. Those who do not attend may have their membership cancelled, the party warned. Eknath Shinde, who leads the party rebellion, has claimed the support of 46 MLAs. Thackeray chaired a meeting of his cabinet virtually after he tested positive for Covid. "The ongoing political crisis in is heading towards the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," MP Sanjay Raut tweeted in Marathi this morning. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has tested positive for COVID-19. He has been admitted to HN Reliance Foundation hospital, Mumbai on Wednesday for treatment purposes. Following the political crisis, rebel Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde was expected to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari claiming of having the support of 40 legislators. Thirty-three Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs, led by rebel party leader and Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The Shiv Sena MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program," Borgohain said. When Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. Even the Congress also deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state on Tuesday to end the crisis. Shinde along with other Shiv Sena legislatures were staying in a hotel in Gujarat's Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and took flight earlier today to reach Guwahati. Amid the political turmoil in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Maharashtra Congress MLAs held a meeting at Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat's residence in Mumbai on Tuesday. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. "The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister will visit the Alpine castle of Schloss Elmau in southern on June 26 and 27 to attend the annual summit of G7 that is expected to delve into pressing global challenges including the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Indo-Pacific. From Germany, Modi will travel to the United Arab Emirates on June 28 to pay his condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the Gulf nation. Modi is attending the following an invitation by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. is the current chair of G7, a grouping of the world's seven richest nations. It comprises the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US. "Prime Minister will be visiting Schloss Elmau, at the invitation of Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, for the under the German Presidency on June 26 to 27," the (MEA) said in a statement. Modi's last visit to Germany was on May 2 when he travelled to the country to attend the meeting of the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the top leaders attending the summit. "During the summit, the Prime Minister is expected to speak in two sessions that include environment, energy, climate, food security, health, gender equality and democracy," the MEA said. In an effort to strengthen international collaboration on these important issues, other democracies such as Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa have also been invited, the MEA said. Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the participating countries on the sidelines of the summit. The MEA said the invitation to Modi to the is in keeping with the tradition of strong and close partnership and high-level political contacts between India and Germany. As chair of G7, Germany invited Modi and leaders of some other countries to the summit as guests. "After attending the G7 Summit, the Prime Minister will be travelling to the United Arab Emirates on June 28 to pay his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former President and Abu Dhabi Ruler," the MEA said. It said the prime minister will also take the opportunity to congratulate Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as the new President of and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the Gulf nation, passed away on May 13 after battling illness for the last several years. In a gesture of goodwill, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu visited the to offer India's condolences over the demise of the Sheikh. (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 Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Sanjeev Khanna, ex-husband of Indrani Mukerjea, arrested in the . Khanna was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court. He was allegedly involved in Sheena Bora's murder case and was in custody since August 2015. Last month, Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was granted bail by the Supreme Court. Indrani, facing trials for the alleged killing of her daughter Sheena Bora, was lodged at the Byculla women's prison in Mumbai, following her arrest in August 2015, and had spent over six years there. Following this, the Special CBI court granted bail to Indrani on Rs 2 lakh surety. Indrani had challenged the Bombay High Court order of 16 November 2021 that denied her bail. Earlier, the bench had asked the CBI to file an affidavit on Indrani's bail plea. Indrani has always maintained that Sheena was not murdered, and had gone abroad for her education in 2012, although Indrani could never prove her claims. The CBI has been investigating the Sheena Bora case since 2015, after taking over the case from Mumbai Police. According to the case registered by Mumbai Police, Sheena Bora was kidnapped and murdered by strangulation in April 2012. This case first came to light after the arrest of Indrani's driver, Shyamvar Rai in another case in August 2015. During the investigation, he confessed to the killing of Sheena Bora in April 2012 and said that he dumped her body in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. He had also told Mumbai Police that Sheena's mother, Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna (ex-husband of Indrani) were also involved in this murder. According to CBI's case before the court, Indrani killed Sheena Bora because she was furious over the relationship between Sheena Bora, whom she introduced as her sister to everyone, and Rahul Mukerjea, son of Peter Mukerjea (third husband of Indrani Mukerjea) from his first marriage. As per CBI, she (Indrani) had killed Sheena Bora as the latter was threatening to expose her in public over the fact that she was not her sister, but her daughter. Driver Shyamvar Rai turned approver in this case. (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.) Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was hospitalised for over a week for COVID-19 complications, wrote to the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday seeking postponement of her appearance in the Herald case by a few weeks till she recovers completely. The ED is learnt to have accepted her request and may give her a fresh date soon, sources said. The 75-year-old Congress leader, who was discharged from hospital on June 20, had been summoned by the agency for questioning on June 23 in the money laundering case related to the newspaper. Her son and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has already been quizzed by the probe agency for over five days. had earlier been scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 8 but had sought more time from the probe agency in view of her COVID-19 infection. The agency had then issued a fresh summons. "Since she has been strictly advised rest at home following her hospitalisation on account of Covid and lung infection, Congress President Smt. has written to ED today seeking the postponement of her appearance there by a few weeks till she has recovered completely," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot earlier said that Gandhi should not appear before the ED as she has just returned after many days of hospitalisation. " has just come back from the hospital after many days, I don't think she should go there now," Gehlot told reporters when asked about her appearance before the ED. He said she would cooperate with the ED but would not be able to go there. Gehlot again asserted the case against the Gandhis has nothing in it as it has been reopened by the ED seven years after it was closed by the same agency. He said since there is no money involved in the AJL case, the question of money laundering does not arise, an argument repeated by party leaders since the ED summoned the Gandhis. "They have created a case of money laundering where there is no exchange of money involved," the veteran Congress leader said. Gehlot said that never has such questioning of opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi taken place when they were subjected to long hours of questioning. The chief minister said that he is seeking time from the directors of the ED, the CBI and the chairman of the CBDT "to convey the feelings of people towards them and how their credibility is going down in the eyes of the public". He alleged that they were acting under pressure from the government and should not lower the dignity of the agencies as they are premier bodies of the country. Congress president Gandhi was discharged from the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here on Monday evening and was advised to rest at home, the party said. She was admitted to the hospital on June 12, days after she tested positive for COVID-19 on June 2. The Congress has accused the Centre of targeting opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies and has termed the entire action "political vendetta". (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 police on Wednesday declined to entertain a petition submitted by leader urging them to deny permission to the party General and Executive Council meetings scheduled to be held here on June 23. Underscoring law and order concerns in view of serious differences over the single leadership question within the party, Panneerselvam had on Tuesday urged the Avadi Police Commissionerate to deny permission for the meeting. Asked if the plea was being considered, a top official said the applicant has been told that his request was beyond the scope of police as the meeting was slated to be held indoors. "Whether to conduct the meeting or not is for the party to decide. We are fully following the High Court orders in this respect. We are geared up to provide security, strictly maintain law and order and ensure peace," a senior police official told PTI. "We are also planning traffic management. Some petitions, related to holding the party meeting, are also before civil courts and the subject is sub judice," the police official said. The Madras High Court had on Tuesday directed police protection for the meeting. OPS, as Panneerselvam is known, had written to the Avadi Police Commissionerate requesting that permission must not be accorded to hold the meeting on June 23 at a hall in suburban Vanagaram considering the need to maintain law and order. He had said party office-bearer and former minister Pa Benjamin seeking security for the meet was a 'unilateral decision'. Only the AIADMK Coordinator (OPS) and Joint Coordinator (Edappadi K Palaniswami-EPS) are empowered in this regard, he had said in his plea. OPS is fighting the EPS camp, which is determined to scrap the current dual leadership system and make EPS as the single, supreme leader of the AIADMK. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has told the that the plea against the recent demolition of houses is an attempt to give a mala fide colour to a lawful action taken by the local development authorities as per the procedure established by law. The state government in an affidavit, said: "Lawful action was taken by the local development authorities as per the procedure established by law." It added that the plea filed by the Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind cherry-picked one-sided media reporting of a few incidents and extrapolating sweeping allegations from the same against the state government. "It is submitted that the said demolitions...have been carried out by the local development authorities, which are statutory autonomous bodies, independent of state administration, as per law as part of their routine efforts against unauthorised/illegal constructions and encroachments, in accordance with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1972," said the affidavit. The state government justified demolitions, which were carried out in Prayagraj and Kanpur following protests against the BJP leaders' remarks on Prophet Muhammad. The state government said that allegations are completely false and misleading, and none of the actual affected parties have moved the top court in connection with the lawful demolition actions. It further added that the petitioner has deliberately obfuscated the true facts to paint a nefarious picture of alleged mala fides on the part of the administration, and that too, without stating any facts on affidavits. "The petitioner, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, has failed to place on record the facts duly supported by affidavits and has merely hand picked certain media, reporting to make unfounded allegations against the state machinery and its officers, and seeks sweeping omnibus reliefs unfounded in either law or fact," the government said. The state government, in connection with the demolition carried out in Kanpur, said the factum of the constructions being illegal, has also been admitted by the two builders over there. Also, in the case of demolition of Javed Mohammed's house, the state government said local residents complained against the illegal constructions and use of the residential property for commercial purposes for running the office of 'Welfare Party of India'. The state government added, "In so far as taking action against the persons accused in rioting is concerned, the state government is taking stringent steps against them in accordance with completely different set of statutes, namely: Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), UP Gangster and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, Prevention of Public Property Damages Act; and (iv) Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act, 2020 and Rules 2021." The Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, moved the top court against the recent demolitions carried out by the state administration in Kanpur and Prayagraj. The top court, on June 16, had told the Uttar Pradesh government that demolitions of houses must be done in accordance with the law and not as a retaliatory measure and sought response from it. --IANS ss/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ADDIS ABABA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation, John Mulimba, has called for concerted efforts to avert the ongoing refugee and internal displacement crisis in Africa. Mulimba, noting his country currently hosts more than 1.58 million refugees, has called for strong international support for refugees and host communities in Uganda and elsewhere across the continent. The Ugandan official made the remarks during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference, lasting from June 20 to 21 in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. "Africa continues to face some of the most complex humanitarian emergencies," Mulimba said, as he emphasized that humanitarian emergencies in Africa often lead to mass displacement of persons, both within and across national borders. He called for strong support to countries and communities facing the brunt of humanitarian catastrophes, which causes large-scale influx of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). "We call for increased support to refugees, IDPs, and host communities, including through the provision of adequate, flexible, predictable, and consistent humanitarian financing to enable host countries and communities to respond to immediate humanitarian and long-term development needs," he told the regional peace and development conference. The official emphasized that inadequate funding affects the protection of refugees as well as the provision of food, health, education and shelter. Mulimba further called for enhanced regional and international commitment to address the root causes of the refugee and IDP crisis in Africa. He emphasized the need to create conditions that are conducive to their voluntary return in safety and dignity, which in turn requires maintaining peace and security. Uganda hosts the largest refugee population in Africa mainly from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The high-level regional peace and development conference brought together ministers and senior officials of Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti who were joined by Xue Bing, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the conference, Xue reiterated China's resolve to continue supporting Horn of Africa (HOA) countries in their efforts toward sustainable peace, security and regional development. Xue also underscored China's readiness to support HOA countries to focus on development, accelerate regional integration, enhance connectivity, boost home-grown economic development, explore complementarity among one another, and step up cooperation in areas including agriculture, trade, manufacturing and infrastructure with a view to foster industrial and economic belt areas and create more jobs and growth. He also called on the international community to step up investment in the region and make greater contributions to the independent and sustainable development of the region and Africa in general. AP Inter Results 2022: The board of intermediate has announced the AP Inter Results 2022. The Board of Intermediate Andhra Pradesh, BIE AP declared the results of Intermediate 1st, 2nd Year Results 2022 at 12:30 pm on their official websites, bie.ap.gov.in, manabadi.co.in, local media confirmed. AP Intermediate 1st- and 2nd-year exams were held from April 27 to May 24. The BIE AP had said that a total of 1,001,850 students appeared for the IPE 2022, which was held in May and are expecting their results today. Of the total, 519,319 students appeared for the AP 1st Year Intermediate exams 2022, while the remaining 489,539 are waiting for their AP 2nd Year Inter Results 2022. Students can check their Manabadi AP Intermediate result 2022 on the official website, where they can login using their credentials, which will include their hall ticket number and date of birth. How to check AP Inter Results 2022 Step 1: Visit the official website at bie.ap.gov.in Step 2: Click on the link active for AP Inter Results 2022 Step 3: Key in your roll number and other details and log in The 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) kicked off here on Wednesday, with discussions focusing on key challenges and security in the region. Chaired by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh, the meeting brought together defence ministers or representatives from all ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, Xinhua news agency reported. Speaking in his opening speech, Banh said it was the first in-person meeting in over two years following the Covid-19 pandemic. "Our presence today underlines our commitment with high responsibilities to maintain ASEAN's centrality, unity and cooperation for peace and security in the region," he said. He said the meeting is convened at a time when the whole region is facing pressures arising from cross-border crime, terrorism, climate change, disasters and pandemics, among . "Our joint commitment (to address these issues) will lead our region towards sustainable peace, security and prosperity," he added. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Wednesday unveiled its first fully autonomous mobile robot called Proteus that autonomously moves through facilities using advanced safety, perception and navigation technology developed by the company. The robot was built to be automatically directed to perform its work and move around employees and does not need to be confined to restricted areas. "It can operate in a manner that augments simple, safe interaction between technology and people, such as the lifting and movement of GoCarts, the non-automated, wheeled transports used to move packages through our facilities," said in a statement. Proteus will initially be deployed in the outbound GoCart handling areas in fulfillment centres and sort centres. The aim is to automate GoCart handling throughout the network, which will help reduce the need for people to manually move heavy objects. Amazon have more than 520,000 robotic drive units, and have added over a million jobs, worldwide. Amazon will also add Cardinal, a robotic arm capable of lifting weights up to 50 pounds. The company aims to deploy the robotic arms in its warehouses sometime next year. "With Cardinal, package sorting happens earlier in the shipping process, resulting in faster process time in the facility. Amazon shipping operations run more smoothly because Cardinal converts batch-based manual work into continuous, automated work," the company said. --IANS na/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Group Corp.s Michel Combes is leaving his post as head of overseas arm Group (SBGI) five months after taking on the role vacated by former Chief Operating Officer Marcelo Claure. SBGI Managing Partner Alex Clavel will replace Combes as chief executive officer on June 30, SoftBank said in a news release. The division coordinates with SoftBanks Vision Fund to vet new investments while also providing operational assistance to group and portfolio outside Japan. Combes, who will close a five-year career at SoftBank, adds to a string of key departures in recent months. Claure left the firm following clashes with billionaire founder Masayoshi Son over compensation and responsibilities. Two of the three managing partners at the companys Latin America Fund departed to start their own venture business in April. In that same month, Ronald Fisher, Sons long-time lieutenant also stepped down from his role leading the Vision Funds US arm. Also Read: SoftBank Group's top executives pay slashed after historic Vision Fund loss The exiting SBGI chief has played a critical role in some of our most important investments and assets, and I wish him all the best with his future plans, Son said in the release. Im glad he will remain part of the SoftBank family by continuing to represent us on various portfolio company boards. The high-profile exits come during a trying time for the company. Five years of deploying billions of dollars into some of the worlds most celebrated saddled SoftBank with a record loss in the year ended in March after a global rout in tech valuations. With focus now on its own financial health, SoftBank this year will conduct fewer and smaller deals, and deal flow from the worlds biggest tech fund may dwindle to a quarter of last years, Son has said. Clavel -- a longtime Morgan Stanley banker -- helped SoftBank manage its investments in ranging from T-Mobile US Inc., Deutsche Telekom AG, WeWork and OneWeb, and he is on the boards of Arm China, Boston Dynamics, InMobi, SB Energy and Goggo, SoftBank said. A powerful struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern early Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the deadliest temblors in decades, the state-run news agency reported. Officials warned that the already grim toll may still rise. Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 temblor near the Pakistani border, but quakes of that strength can cause severe damage in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common. Experts put the depth at just 10 kilometers another factor that could lead to severe destruction. The disaster posed a major test for the Taliban-led government, which seized power last year as the U.S. planned to pull out from the country and end its longest war, two decades after toppling the same insurgents in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Rescuers rushed to the area by helicopter Wednesday, but the response is likely to be complicated since many aid agencies left after the Taliban takeover. Reaching rural areas even in the best circumstances remains difficult in Afghanistan, a landlocked nation just smaller than Texas with rutted mountain roadways that may now have sustained significant damage. Neighboring Pakistan's Meteorological Department said the quake's epicentre was in Afghanistan's Paktika province, some 50 kilometers southwest of the city of Khost. Buildings were also damaged in Khost province, and tremors were felt some 375 kilometers away in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Footage from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to waiting helicopters. were treated on the ground. One resident could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble from destroyed stone houses, some of whose roofs or walls had caved in. The death toll given by the Bakhtar News Agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern . Those are the deadliest since 1998, when a 6.1 magnitude temblor and subsequent tremors in Afghanistan's remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. In most places in the world, an of that magnitude wouldn't inflict such extensive devastation, said Robert Sanders, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. But a quake's death toll more often comes down to geography, building quality and population density. Because of the mountainous area, there are rockslides and landslides that we won't know about until later reporting. Older buildings are likely to crumble and fail, he said. Due to how condensed the area is in that part of the world, we've seen in the past similar earthquakes deal significant damage. The Taliban are still trying to reconstitute government ministries abandoned by staff loyal to its previous Western-backed government, and it was not clear how officials arrived at the casualty tolls reported by Bakhtar. In Kabul, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace to coordinate the relief effort, and Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter to urge aid agencies to send teams to the area. The response is on its way, the U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, wrote on Twitter. That may prove difficult given the situation Afghanistan finds itself in today. After the Taliban swept across the country in 2021, the U.S. military and its allies fell back to Kabul's Hamid Karzai Airport and later withdrew completely. Many humanitarian organisations followed suit because of concerns about security and the Taliban's poor human rights record. In the time since, the Taliban has worked with Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on restarting airport operations in Kabul and across the country but nearly all international carriers still avoid the country, and reluctance on the part of aid organizations to put any money in the Taliban's coffers could make it difficult to fly in supplies and equipment. The Afghan Red Crescent Society, however, sent some 4,000 blankets, 800 tents and 800 kitchen kits to the affected area, according to Bakhtar's director-general, Abdul Wahid Rayan. The Italian medical aid group Emergency, which still operates in Afghanistan, said it sent seven ambulances and staff to the areas closest to the quake zone. The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings, said Stefano Sozza, country director for Emergency in Afghanistan. This latest tragedy cannot but worsen further the condition of fragility and economic and social difficulties which Afghanistan has experienced for months. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said his nation would provide help. At the Vatican, Pope Francis offered prayers for all those killed and injured and for the suffering of the dear Afghan population. Some remote areas of Pakistan saw reports of damage to homes near the Afghan border, but it wasn't immediately clear if that was due to rain or the earthquake, said Taimoor Khan, a disaster management spokesperson in the area. The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquake's tremors were felt over 500 kilometers by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Mountainous Afghanistan and the larger region of South Asia along the Hindu Kush mountains has long been vulnerable to devastating earthquakes. Amid long delays in the completion of projects under the China- Economic Corridor (CPEC) from China's Xinjiang province, which was 'officially' launched in 2015 and over this, Islamabad's lackadaisical attitude had sowed the frustration in Beijing, a media report said. According to the recent CPEC Authority report, could complete only three projects in Gwadar but its "one-dozen projects costing nearly USD 2 billion remain unfinished including water supply and electricity provision" had irked the Chinese government. is now forced to reconsider the future of its financial and manpower investments in . According to the publication, is more worried about their nationals staying in Pakistan after the recent attack on them. The Chinese officials in Pakistan have expressed serious concerns and questioned Islamabad's inability to protect their nationals after the recent killing of three Chinese language teachers in Karachi. The Karachi University campus attack was the third attack on the Chinese in Pakistan which had questioned Pakistan's ability to maintain the security in their nation. Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of Pakistan's Senate Defence Committee recently remarked, "The Chinese confidence in Pakistan's security system's ability to protect their citizens and their projects is seriously shaken." Adding more to the CPEC problem, over two dozen Chinese firms operating in Pakistan have recently warned "that they would be forced to shut down their power plants in May unless payments of PKR 300 billion were made upfront," the publication reported. More than 30 Chinese companies operating CPEC, including 25 representatives from Chinese independent power producers (IPPs), in various areas including energy, communication, railways, and others, recently met Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal to lodge their complaints over the non-payment of dues. Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Zardari has sought to further strengthen "all weather strategic partnership" with China, including through the "rapid implementation" of CPEC. And on top of this, Pakistan doesn't stop to play their old blame game. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has blamed former PM Imran Khan for ruining the and assured the Parliament to prioritize the CPEC. There are other factors which had contributed to delaying the CPEC projects in the last three and half years. Politically, Pakistan is in a deep crisis after the Imran Khan government was ousted from power last month. The 11-party coalition government may fall anytime, even before the 2023 General Elections in Pakistan. Therefore, the Sharif-led government is not in a position to take big policy measures to sort out CPEC-related issues. According to the publication, It seems that like Sri Lanka, Pakistan had also fallen too deep into the Chinese "debt-trap," and its economy is in a deep mess. (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.) Europe needs to prepare "immediately" for Russia to turn off all gas exports to the region this winter, according to the head of the International Energy Agency, who has called on governments to work on reducing demand and keeping nuclear power plants open. Fatih Birol said that the reductions in supplies in recent weeks the Kremlin has attributed to maintenance work could, in fact, be the beginning of wider cuts designed to prevent the filling of storage facilities in preparation for winter, as Russia seeks to gain leverage over the region, The Guardian reported. "Europe should be ready in case Russian gas is completely cut off," he said in an interview with the Financial Times. "The nearer we are coming to winter, the more we understand Russia's intentions." "I believe the cuts are geared towards avoiding Europe filling storage, and increasing Russia's leverage in the winter months." EU countries are racing to refill storage sites, with Germany hoping to reach 90 per cent of capacity by November. Its stores are only half full, The Guardian reported. Member states have also been working to reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels, by sourcing gas from other countries, including the US, and by speeding up the switch to renewable energy, although officials have conceded that the race to phase out Russian oil and gas would mean burning more coal and keeping nuclear plants going. Birol said emergency measures taken by European governments to reduce energy demand had probably not gone far enough, and urged countries to work on preserving energy supplies. "I believe there will be more and deeper demand measures as winter approaches," Birol said. He added that gas supplies may need to be rationed, if Russia were to further reduce gas exports. Moscow has reduced or even cut off gas deliveries to several EU countries in recent weeks, in response to their decision to impose sanctions on the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine. Russian gas supplies to Europe received through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline - which runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany - have been falling, The Guardian reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A executive warned the UN Security Council Tuesday that cyberattacks, disinformation and other forms of information warfare being waged in are a crystal ball" for future problems elsewhere. States must find a way to turn the volume down and settle on some kind of deterrence doctrine for the cyber domain, Jared Cohen said at a council meeting on hate speech, incitement and atrocities in . He argued that while tech companies have needed expertise, there is no magical algorithm or single fix for this," and finding a solution will take a lot of experimentation. Cohen heads Jigsaw, a part of that aims to build technology to combat disinformation, censorship and extremism online. He said has been disproportionately targeted by advanced cyberattacks since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, adding: It is essentially our crystal ball for what is likely to come. The war in Ukraine upped pressure on tech companies to work harder to combat hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content online. The European Union is working on sweeping new rules that would require Google, Facebook parent Meta and other tech giants to police their platforms more strictly. Western powers on the Security Council have accused Russia of a campaign of propaganda, disinformation and hate directed at undermining Ukraine. A recent report from Mandiant, a cyber security firm, found that Russia used disinformation, fear and propaganda to demoralize Ukraine and divide its allies. Hate speech can also be a war crime, British deputy UN Ambassador James Kariuki said Tuesday, calling on Russia to stop making such statements. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia repeated his country's counterclaims that Ukrainian authorities' rhetoric has poisoned citizens against Russia and Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine, with Western encouragement. We see, from our side, a real incitement to violence and Russophobia in Ukraine, he said. Albania, which currently holds the council's rotating presidency, called for Tuesday's meeting. (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.) Washington [US], June 22 (ANI): India is a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region and the US lets Indian leaders speak about their economic policies, said US National Security Council coordinator John Kirby on Tuesday amid reports of a spike in Indian energy import from Russia. Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, Kirby said the US value this bilateral relationship with India but Washington wants pressure on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. "India is also a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. And there are many ways that partnership represents itself both in defence and security, economic as well. I think we'll let Indian leaders speak about their economic policies," he said. "What I can just tell you is we value this bilateral relationship with India and we continue to want obviously every country has to make those decisions for themselves. These are sovereign decisions but we want as much pressure put internationally on Russia as possible," he added. India in recent weeks has spiked energy imports from Russian despite global sanctions on Moscow. US officials conveyed the message to India there is no ban on energy imports from Russia but they do not want to see a rapid acceleration. A number of institutionalized mechanisms have been set up for the development of economic cooperation between the India-Russia. But the Ukraine war and subsequent sanctions placed by the Western countries have proved to be a hurdle in trade. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier this month hit back at the unfair criticism of Indian oil purchase from Russia amid the Ukraine war that has created a knock-off effect on the world economy. While defending India's oil imports from Russia, Jaishankar stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. He also questioned why only India was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the Ukraine war. Responding to a question on whether India's oil import from Russia is not funding the ongoing Ukraine war, Jaishankar said, "Look I don't want to sound argumentative. If India funding Russia oil is funding the war... Tell me then buying Russian gas is not funding the war? It's only Indian money and Russian oil coming to India funding the war and not Russia's gas coming to Europe not funding? Let's be a little even-handed." At the GLOBSEC 2022 Bratislava Forum in Slovakia, Jaishankar said, the packages of sanctions imposed by the European Union are imposed keeping in mind the interest of certain European nations. "...if you can be considerate to yourself, you can be considerate to other people. If a Europe says, if we have to manage it in a way impact on the economy is not traumatic, that freedom should exist for other people as well," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's Prime Minister on Wednesday told Parliament that financial assistance provided by India are not "charitable donations" and the island nation facing severe economic crisis must have a plan to repay these loans. has been facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948 which has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas and fuel across the island nation. We have taken loans amounting to USD 4 billion under the Indian credit line. We have requested more loan assistance from our Indian counterparts. But even India will not be able to continuously support us in this manner. Even their assistance has its limits. On the other hand, we too must have a plan to repay these loans. These are not charitable donations, Wickremesinghe told Parliament in an update on the government's mitigation measures taken so far. He announced that a team of high ranking officials from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is due to arrive in Colombo on Thursday to assess the local economic conditions. Wickremesinghe said is now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse. That is the most serious issue before us today. These issues can only be resolved through the reviving of the Sri Lankan economy. In order to do this, we must first resolve the foreign reserves crisis faced by us, he said. He said it is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves. For Sri Lanka, the only safe option now is to hold discussions with the Monetary Fund, he said. In fact, this is our only option. We must take this path. Our aim is to hold discussions with the IMF and arrive at an agreement to obtain an additional credit facility." The nearly-bankrupt country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had 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. The Indian credit lines since January this year have provided a lifeline to amidst growing public dissent over the worsening economic conditions. Wickremesinghe said next Monday, a team of representatives from the US Department of the Treasury will also arrive in Sri Lanka. We intend to enter into an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. As Wickremesinghe was making his statement, a media report from New York said Hamilton Reserve Bank, a US bank, has filed action against Sri Lanka for defaulting on a billion dollar sovereign bond maturing next month. It has alleged that the ruling Rajapaksa clan had orchestrated the default, who have been accused of mass scale corruption. It alleged that the Rajapaksa family had amassed a multi billion dollar fortune and hidden it in bank accounts in Dubai, Seychelles and St.Martin. (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.) by Nurul Fitri Ramadhan JAKARTA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- It was a dirty, broken doll holding a drum, however, "It is not a waste, it's a new toy," said 9-year-old Nina. She took the toy from a trash mound in Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi city, West Java province, around 30 km east of Indonesia's capital Jakarta. Nina also showed the other findings she collected from the trash, including toy cars and musical instruments. All the toys she found, of course, were never in perfect condition. "I just need to wash them a bit," Nina told Xinhua. Nina is just one of dozens of kids living around the Bantar Gebang landfill, the final disposal site which many people call a "mountain of trash" with an estimated height of 50 meters. Reports from the Bekasi authorities and international news agencies say that it is one of the world's largest landfills. According to the data from the Jakarta Environment Agency, the 117.5-hectare, foul-smelling landfill accommodates 7,500 to 8,000 tons of daily trash from Jakarta, home to more than 10 million people. The area itself also belongs to the Jakarta administration. Near the corner where Nina took her "new" toy, there were dozens of barefoot scavengers with large rattan baskets on their backs. Based on data from the Indonesia Scavengers Association (APPI), as of 2021, there were no less than 6,000 scavengers in Bantar Gebang who relied on collecting waste for their daily incomes. Among them was Sukamta, a 45-year-old who has been hiking the trash mountain and digging for plastic waste almost every day for more than 20 years. When Xinhua met him at the site recently, he was opening his lunch box prepared by his wife. He then just sat in the middle of a pile of garbage, cross-legged, while enjoying his lunch. "Many outsiders who came here and asked us how we could eat in a place like this. But all we can say is that we are used to it," Sukamta said, "The food tastes delicious. We are grateful that we still have food to eat." Sukamta earns around 3,000 to 3,500 rupiahs (0.20 to 0.24 U.S. dollars) for each kg of plastic waste he sells to garbage collectors. He said the income is enough to support the daily needs of his wife and two teenage kids, both of whom also scavenge there. "I want my kids to go to college. They should reach higher education, not like me," he said. Sukamta said he always told his sons that they did not need to be ashamed to be scavengers, because scavengers were trash heroes. "Scavengers help pick trash that can be recycled. We help the government to reduce the waste here. They should be thankful to us. Imagine if this landfill, or all landfills anywhere, does not have any scavengers," he said. Head of the Jakarta Environment Agency Asep Kuswanto said that every three months, the regional government distributes a compensation called "stinky fund" to the people living near the landfill area. Each family could get 300,000 to 400,000 rupiahs (20.2 to 27 dollars). "To date, there are around 24,000 families who live near the area and are impacted by the landfill," Kuswanto said. Sukamta, whose house is located inside the dump site, said that all the people living there suffered the same risk: skin infections and bronchial problems. Every year there were charity and volunteer groups coming to the landfill to offer projects aimed to improve the living conditions of the residents, Sukamta said. One of the organizations is the Seeds of Bantar Gebang (BGBJ). Its co-founder, Resa Boenard, spent her childhood in the landfill before she got a scholarship to study abroad. Many people call her "Garbage Princess" as she is one of the very few people in the area who could successfully reach higher education. The organization she established in 2014 now routinely holds a number of activities and projects in the landfill, including classes on a variety of topics, such as English, IT, health and nutrition, sports, music and art. "Some children here want to go to school but their parents say no because they think that is a waste of money. So, these children need the people who can motivate them," Resa said. However, it is not easy for her to find volunteers who would like to get there simply because the place stinks. Nina is one of the children who sometimes join class activities. She said she wanted to be a doctor to cure the people there who suffer skin infections. "I want to be a beauty doctor so that I can make the skins of people here become smooth without any scars," Nina said. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is planning to meet the leaders of and following the Group of Seven summit in Germany later this month. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Wednesday that Widodo will travel to Kyiv and Moscow after attending the G-7 summit in the Bavarian village of Elmau on June 26-27. The president's visits shows his concern for the humanitarian issues, trying to contribute to dealing with the food crisis caused by the war and its impact that is felt by all countries, especially developing and low-income countries, Marsudi said. Widodo in April officially invited Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a summit of leading rich and developing nations, known as the Group of 20, on the resort island of Bali. He said the gathering will be a catalyst for the world recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the war in . (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.) Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and US Secretary of State spoke over US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to in July. Lapid and Blinken spoke to each other on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. Lapid is expected to serve as Israel's Interim Prime Minister when Biden visits on July 13. On Monday, The Israeli Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced to disband their shaky coalition, sending the country to a new parliamentary election, the fifth in three years. "The visit will have significant implications for the region and the fight against Iran, as well as tremendous potential to significantly improve regional stability and security," Lapid was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He said he was hopeful that Biden's first trip to since becoming US President "will be an opportunity to emphasise the President's deep personal connection to Israel, and US' commitment to Israel's security, as well as strengthening Israel's status in the region". On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel is building a US-sponsored air defense alliance in the Middle East. He said the apparatus would be boosted by Biden's trip. Israel and Gulf Arab countries have been drawn closer over the past years amid the shared concerns over Iran, their common rival. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) recorded 5,499 new community cases of Covid-19 with 18 more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Among the new community infections, 1,637 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. In addition, 78 new cases of Covid-19 were detected at the border. Currently, 334 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, including four in intensive care units or high dependency units. has reported 1,282,212 confirmed cases of since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian President has said that the seventh package of EU sanctions against Russia must be approved as soon as possible. "In all negotiations with foreign partners, I constantly emphasize that the seventh package of EU sanctions is needed as soon as possible. Russia must feel the growing pressure for the war and its aggressive anti-European policy," Zelensky was quoted as saying Ukrinform news agency. According to the Ukranian President, new Russian threats to Lithuania, the next wave of energy pressure and the next portion of lies from Russian officials about the food crisis are arguments behind the need to approve the seventh package of sanctions. The is considering imposing sanctions on Russian gold as part of the next package of restrictive measures against Moscow for its aggression against . --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian exports to China and India have noticeably increased and its presence in the BRICS countries is also growing, President said on Wednesday amid the Ukraine conflict that has resulted in heavy sanctions on Moscow. He made these remarks at the virtual BRICS Business Forum being hosted by China, the first such forum that Putin is attending with the heads of major economies since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking at the event, Putin noted that despite all problems and difficulties BRICS businesses have been "consistently enhancing mutually beneficial ties in the areas of trade, finance, and investment". "For example, in the first three months of this year, trade between the Russian Federation and the BRICS countries increased by 38 per cent - and reached USD 45 billion," he said. Analysts say the decision by the group to go ahead with the annual summit does reflect a view held by BRICS countries on the global order and, by extension, the situation in Ukraine, which differs from the Western countries led by the US. The Russian President said contacts between Russian business circles and the business community of the BRICS countries have intensified. "For example, negotiations are underway to open Indian chain stores in Russia, increase the share of Chinese cars, equipment, and hardware on our market. In its turn, Russia's presence in the BRICS countries is growing. There has been a noticeable increase in the exports of Russian to China and India," he said. "Agricultural cooperation is developing dynamically. exports considerable amounts of fertilizers to the BRICS states. Russian IT companies are expanding their activities in India and South Africa, and our satellites enable TV broadcasting for as many as 40 million residents of Brazil," he added. India in recent weeks has spiked energy imports from Russian despite global sanctions on Moscow. US officials conveyed the message to India there is no ban on energy imports from but they do not want to see a rapid acceleration. A number of institutionalized mechanisms have been set up for the development of economic cooperation between the India- . However, the Ukraine war and subsequent sanctions placed by the Western countries have proved to be a hurdle in trade. On Tuesday, US National Security Council coordinator John Kirby was asked a question on reports of a spike in Indian energy imports from Russia. Kirby said India is a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region and the US lets Indian leaders speak about their economic policies, said Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, he said the US value this bilateral relationship with India but Washington wants pressure on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. "India is also a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. And there are many ways that partnership represents itself both in defence and security, economic as well. I think we'll let Indian leaders speak about their economic policies," he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier this month hit back at the unfair criticism of Indian purchase from Russia amid the Ukraine war that has created a knock-off effect on the world economy. While defending India's oil imports from Russia, Jaishankar stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. He also questioned why only India was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the Ukraine war. (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 energy security becomes a growing source of angst, its that clear large-scale, reliable use of renewable resources remain a distant reality in many countries. Thats allowed a more controversial and almost perfect alternative to make a comeback: nuclear. Trouble is, nobody wants a reactor in their backyard and the memories of past accidents remain a serious concern. But with costs rising and few solutions at hand, both governments and companies are turning to as a cleaner and cheaper source to help them reach their ambitious climate goals. Even if a few years away, the development of, and investment in, sources and storage methods could ensure industrial operations highly dependent on pre-heating processes for raw materials and high temperatures are able to function as the world navigates its way through this energy crisis. With all the supply chain snarls over the past year, a power shortage is the last thing consumers and businesses need. Also Read: India's nuclear power capacity to be hiked to 22,480 MW by 2031: Govt In Japan, the median levelized cost of energyis far lower than utility scale solar and offshore wind. A recent survey showed that more than 80 per cent of Japanese companies are in favor of restarting nuclear reactors to meet power needs. Electric utility Kansai Electric Power Co. is resuming work at one its idled reactors earlier than planned to manage energy demand. Bringing the Mihama No. 3 reactor online will lower need for liquefied natural gas, and the firms nuclear generation could grow 76 per cent by 2023 as it brings back more reactors, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. In India and China, its proving competitive, too, where dirtier options like coal are now more expensive. South Korea is focused on reviving nuclear power, which contributes to about 27 per cent of the nations energy mix. Earlier this year, the Biden administration issued a notice of intent for the implementation of a $6 billion nuclear credit program that supports the operation of reactors the nations largest source of clean power across the country. Last week, the US Department of Energy awarded over $60 million for 74 nuclear projects. British jet engine maker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd., backed by the UK government and other investors, said late last year it was going to begin building smaller and cheaper reactors. Some of its compact modular reactors are expected to come online by 2029 and the regulatory processes are already underway. The return to nuclear makes sense: The cost of extending the lifetime of power plants and building reactors in countries that have stuck by the energy form is cheaper and competitive. Those that havent are now struggling with their aging fleet of reactors and lack of other sources. The biggest stumbling block, though, is the deep-seated anxieties around safety and waste disposal. Memories of nuclear accidents like Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima Daiichi in 2011 continue to loom large in both public and corporate memory. Yet whats often forgotten is that on a deaths-per-unit of electricity basis, nuclear remains at the bottom of the list, while coal is at the top. The progress thats been made on alleviating issues around is underappreciated. For instance, safety in reactors is typically based on an assessment of the core melting. To address these concerns, 14 countries have come up with lower-risk designs and development of a new generation of reactors. These systems will use different coolants, like molten salts or liquid metal, and methods that ultimately make production cleaner, secure and more efficient. Reactors that use such materials seek to reduce or cut the production of dangerous gases that explode under pressure. A host of startups are working on making nuclear power more acceptable. NuScale Power LLC is building small modular reactors that could eventually power 60,000 homes per unit. The firm, which has received more than $450 million of support from Washington, is working with the US and Romanian governments to build a plant in the eastern European country. Meanwhile, Swedens Seaborg Technologies has teamed up with Samsung Heavy Industries Co. to build a floating, compact molten salt reactor that could change energy use in logistics. Bill Gates-backed TerraPower also focused on small reactors has partnered with South Koreas industrial conglomerate SK Group to build these plants. Nuclear power stands to be the solution, or at least fill major energy gaps, in the coming years. In addition to the existing nuclear fission used in commercial reactors, startups are now pushing towards nuclear fusion technologies and have raised billions of dollars from the likes of LP and . Rejecting the power source out of fear isnt going to get us too far, and nor will scare-mongering. Companies and countries shouldnt be shying away from openly discussing and raising awareness. Public acceptance is key. Without it, well be breathing dirty air and living through outages. on Wednesday signed a 15 billion yuan (USD 2.3 billion) loan facility agreement with a Chinese consortium of banks to help the country's cash-strapped in the wake of depleting foreign exchange reserves and depreciation of its local currency. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail in a tweet said that the "Chinese consortium of banks has today (Wednesday) signed the RMB 15 billion (USD 2.3 billion) loan facility agreement after it was signed by the Pakistani side yesterday (Tuesday)". Thanking the Chinese government for "facilitating this transaction", Ismail said the "inflow was expected within a couple of days". Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese leadership. "The people of are grateful for the continued support of our all-weather friends," he said. The loan agreement with Chinese banks will boost the crisis-hit Pakistan's reserves and enable Islamabad to make import payments while lending some support to the rupee as well. The Pakistani rupee has lost over 34 per cent since the beginning of the outgoing fiscal year 2021-22. The latest development comes as a massive relief to economic policymakers after foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) fell below USD 9 billion as of June 10, with the level staying at less than six weeks of import cover. The deal with also came on a day when reports emerged of Pakistan reaching an understanding with the Monetary Fund (IMF) to restore the stalled USD 6 billion assistance package from the global lender. It will also prop up Pakistan's dwindling cash reserves which are at USD 8.99 billion, as per data from the central bank, the Dawn newspaper reported. The deal with the IMF is expected to unlock doors for financing from other sources. The revival of the facility will immediately provide access to USD 1 billion, which Pakistan badly needs to buttress its dwindling foreign exchange reserves. The Finance Minister had last week warned that Pakistan's could be in a similar position as that of Sri Lanka if tough decisions were not taken. (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.) is expected to announce mass production of 3-nanometer semiconductors next week, sources said on Wednesday, beating its foundry rival TSMC in advanced chipmaking process. The next-generation 3nm chips will be built on the Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology, which Samsung said will allow up to 45 per cent area reduction while providing 30 per cent higher performance and 50 percent lower power consumption, compared with the existing process. The South Korean tech giant showcased its 3nm chips to US President Joe Biden last month when he visited Samsung's facility here, reports Yonhap news agency. TSMC, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, said it will begin mass production of 3nm chips in the second half of the year. The two have been in fierce competition to outperform each other by bringing the most advanced and efficient chips to the mass market and to win customers for contract chip manufacturing. Samsung, the world's largest memory chip maker and second largest foundry player, has said its 2nm process node was in the early stages of development, with mass production planned for 2025. According to industry tracker TrendForce, TSMC took up 53.5 per cent of the global foundry market, followed by Samsung with 16.3 per cent, in the first quarter of this year. In 2019, Samsung unveiled a massive investment plan of $151 billion in the logic chip and foundry sectors by 2030, as the tech giant eyes expansion of its leadership beyond the memory business. --IANS na/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Ukrainian deputy prime minister overseeing the country's push to join the European Union said on Wednesday that she's 100 per cent certain all 27 EU nations will approve making a candidate for membership in the bloc during a summit this week. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, on the first day of the two-day EU leaders summit in Brussels. Asked how confident she was that would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: The day before the summit starts, I can say 100 per cent. Countries that had been sceptical Stefanishyna cited the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark about starting accession talks with while it is fighting Russia's invasion are now supportive, she said. The EU's executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraine's candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described that decision as a game-changer and said unanimous support from the European Commission had cut ground from under the legs of those most hesitating -- not even sceptic -- but hesitating countries. Most of the EU leaders have explained that there is a consensus already, so there's no like, no discussion about the consensus on Ukraine, she told The AP. In other developments, press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been coldly executed during the first weeks of the war in Ukraine as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of the pair's car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers. Russian forces have captured three villages in the heavily contested eastern region of Ukraine, a local official said. Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the villages are a few miles from the city of Lysychansk, the last city in the area still fully under Ukrainian control. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of US lawmakers on Tuesday reached a much-awaited deal on a bipartisan gun safety bill after recent mass shooting incidents in Uvalde, Buffalo and Texas, that struck a nerve in the country. "Today we released text of our bill to make attacks like the one in Uvalde less likely, while protecting the Second Amendment. I am proud that this mental health and school safety bill places NO NEW RESTRICTIONS on law-abiding gun owners," Senator John Cornyn tweeted. The bill represents a rare moment of bipartisan agreement on a hyperpolarized issue, The Hill reported. The new bill aims to take firearms away from dangerous people and provide billions of dollars in new mental health funding. The lawmakers have crafted the legislation to prevent mass shootings, such as the mass-casualty events that left 10 people dead at a Buffalo, New York and 21 dead at the Robb Elementary School in Texas. The bill does not ban assault-style rifles or significantly expand background-check requirements for gun purchases, but it gives states more resources to take guns away from dangerous individuals. It also provides billions of dollars in funding for mental health treatment. "I want to make sure we actually do something useful, something that is capable of becoming a law, something that will have the potential to save lives," Senator Cornyn, the lead Republican negotiator said on the Senate floor Tuesday. "I'm happy to report as a result of the hard work of a number of senators in this chamber that we've made some serious progress," he said. The US has long been plagued with gun violence. It is not a blue city or a red state problem, but "an American problem". "Americans are good at sending Monday morning thoughts and prayers after seeing those reports of weekend violence. We shake our heads in disbelief and privately congratulate ourselves for living in the suburbs," said an article published by The Washington Post on Monday. However, the fact is that Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and New Orleans used to be the country's "murder capitals," while new cities keep joining that list: Aurora, Newtown, Parkland, Buffalo, Uvalde, according to the article. "So now that we know gunfire has no Zip code, are we ready to talk about stopping this?" asked the article titled "D.C. gun violence isn't an 'urban' problem. It's an American problem." "I will continue to emphasize this: the continued availability of firearms cannot be tolerated, and we must continue our work to get guns off the streets," Brianne K. Nadeau, a D.C. council member, was quoted as saying. (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.) South Africa: PRASA addresses concerns of traders The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it is clamping down on traders who lease out their allocated space at its stations to people who should not be trading. This comes after allegations made in the media by someone who purports to be a member of Operation Dudula claiming that South Africans are excluded from trading opportunities at its various premises/stations. In a statement on Tuesday, PRASA said it works with various informal trading associations to provide informal businesses and micro entrepreneurs with trading opportunities at various PRASA stations. Informal Traders belong to an association that liaise with PRASA on behalf of its members. Demarcation and allocation of trading space is done by PRASA. To trade at our facilities one would need to be registered with an association. It has also come to our attention of a practice where some traders lease out their allocated space to people who should not be trading on the spaces. We are clamping down on this practice through our own internal processes, the agency said. Recently the PRASA board approved the PRASA Informal Trading Policy, which seeks to further regulate the allocation of demarcated spaces and improve on the spatial areas where informal trade is allowed within the confines of the laws of the country and the Conditions of Carriage that set out the Terms and Conditions of using our premises. We are currently engaging all relevant stakeholders about the policy. PRASA supports economic development initiatives and will not discriminate micro entrepreneurs based on their race, gender, or nationality. However, only people who meet the criteria can operate on our spaces and the policy will ensure that any acts of illegality or criminality are prevented. PRASA has no control over trading spaces on other public spaces outside of our premises. It is within the ambit and jurisdiction of the said Metros and Municipalities to regulate public spaces outside of PRASAs jurisdiction, the agency said. SANews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese envoy calls for clear timeline to end cross-border aid delivery into Syria Xinhua) 10:16, June 22, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for a clear timeline for the termination of cross-border aid delivery into Syria, and suggested cross-line delivery be the primary avenue for humanitarian assistance in the war-torn country. Security Council Resolution 2585 on humanitarian assistance to Syria, which expires in July, has played a part in easing the humanitarian situation in Syria. However, it has not been fully and effectively implemented, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. The Security Council should conduct a comprehensive analysis and adopt an integrated approach to overcome the obstacles to humanitarian relief in a targeted manner, and make more reasonable and effective arrangements for the next stage of humanitarian relief, he said. The Chinese envoy noted that cross-line delivery should be the primary avenue for humanitarian assistance in Syria. However, despite the explicit requirements of Resolution 2585, there has been limited input in this regard. "The council must make specific demands to increase the efficiency and scale of cross-line delivery, promote capacity-building for parties to ensure safe passage, and support the efforts of international humanitarian agencies," he told the Security Council. China has always maintained that the cross-border mechanism is only an extraordinary arrangement made under specific circumstances, Zhang said, adding that the Security Council should assess the effectiveness and applicability of the mechanism in a timely manner in light of the developments on the ground, and make adjustments accordingly. Cross-border humanitarian operations in Northwest Syria must be carried out in strict compliance with the Security Council resolutions, and the neutrality and transparency of the assistance must be ensured, he said. A clear timeline should be set for the termination of cross-border delivery, and the transition to the cross-line approach promoted accordingly, he added. Zhang also called for the immediate lifting of unilateral sanctions against Syria so as to create a favorable external environment for economic recovery. It is estimated that the unilateral sanctions over the years have incurred tremendous economic losses for Syria and have greatly weakened the government's ability to raise resources and carry out reconstruction, he said. Unilateral sanctions run counter to the efforts of the Security Council and the international community to improve humanitarian access and resources in Syria, and have become the biggest obstacles to the improvement of the humanitarian situation in the country, he said. China urges the countries concerned to immediately and fully lift the unilateral sanctions, Zhang said, adding that the Security Council must make clear requirements in this regard. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) JAKARTA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit Moscow and Kiev by the end of June and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky respectively, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a press briefing on Wednesday. Retno said that during the visits, Widodo will discuss the food crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The "special visits" would show that Indonesia, as the host country of Group of 20 (G20) Summit in November, was actively responding to the ongoing geopolitical issue. Indonesia has fully expected that Russia, one of G20 members, will attend the summit, while Ukraine was also invited for the meeting as a guest country. "We fully understand that the situation now is very complicated, and all of the countries in the world know that. Thus, through the visits, the president wants to contribute to overcoming the food crisis that has been caused by the war and has impacted the poor countries. The president wants to push for the spirit of peace," Retno said. She pointed out that President Widodo would be the first president from the Southeast Asia region to visit both countries since the conflict broke out in February this year. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been going on since then, which has been widely reported to trigger a rise in global food and energy prices. Before traveling to Moscow and Kiev, Widodo will first attend the G7 Summit in Germany. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Hero MotoCorp: The company has further strengthened its commitment and operations in Turkiye with the introduction of Euro-5 compliant variants of its three globally popular products. The range of Hero MotoCorp products in the Turkiye include the Xpulse 200 4V motorcycle and Dash 110, Dash 125 scooters. Biocon: Biocon's subsidiary Biocon Biologics issued a statement in response to the media reports related to bribery allegations. Biocon Biologics said it strongly denies the allegations of bribery against the company and its officials associated with the approval process of one of our products in India. Astral: The company has subscribed to Optionally Convertible Debentures of Rs. 194 crore issued and allotted by Gem Paints Private Limited. Accordingly, Gem Paints Private Limited and Esha Paints Private Limited have become subsidiary and step down subsidiary of the company respectively. Greenlam Industries: The company has executed a share subscription agreement with Smiti Holding and Trading Company (Investor), for the issuance and allotment of upto 63,10,680 equity shares of face value of Re.1 at Rs. 309 per equity share of the company to the investor on preferential basis. Jain Irrigation Systems: Jain Irrigation and Temasek-owned Rivulis Pte Ltd., Singapore (Rivulis) announced that Jain International Trading B.V. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Jain Irrigation) and Rivulis have entered into definitive transaction agreements. The International Irrigation Business (IIB) of Jain Irrigation will now be merged with Rivulis and create a global irrigation and climate leader - being 2nd largest in the world with about US$750 million in revenues. Som Distilleries & Breweries: The company's mainline Beer Brand Hunter had a market share of 55% in the premium beer segment in May 2022 in Madhya Pradesh. The market share is the highest amongst all the premium beer manufacturers in the state. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jain Irrigation Systems jumped 8.80% to Rs 40.80 after the Jain International Trading B.V., a subsidiary of the company, and Temasek-owned Rivulis entered into share purchase agreements on Tuesday. Jain Irrigation's international irrigation business will be merged with Rivulis in a cash and stock transaction and the combined entity will have $750 million revenues. As it will have unparalleled market coverage spread across 6 continents and 35 countries driven by innovation, digital and sustainability. The merged entity will be dual headquartered in Singapore and Israel and will continue to be named Rivulis. The cash proceeds will be utilised for 45% debt reduction in Jain Irrigation by Rs 2,664 crore on a consolidated level while allowing it to retain a significant minority stake in the merged company. Jain Irrigation will also be able to release its corporate guarantee worth Rs 2,275 crore to creditors, bondholders and IIB lenders. Jain International business will hold 22% stake in the merged entity while Temasek will hold the balance 78%. Jain Irrigation will have a long-term supply agreement with the merged entity, which would drive revenues and profits. The merged entity will continue to use and promote prominent JAIN Brands in markets where they have significant presence and value. Jain will have representative directors and observer on the board of the company and will be able to help its growth through its significant expertise in micro-irrigation. Jain Irrigation retains potential future value generation from the creation of this large global irrigation leader. Anil Jain, managing director of Jain Irrigation, commented: We anticipate that the merger with Rivulis will create a world leading player ideally placed to serve its global customer base thanks to its geographic footprint, breadth of offerings as well as technological depth and expertise in micro irrigation. This will enable us all to address climate change and food security challenges with sustainable solutions and implement the critical knowledge transfer for water efficiency and productivity for growers. Jain added, We look forward to this value accretive long-term relationship to create meaningful positive impact in the agri and food ecosystem. At the same time, we also look forward to jointly explore collaboration opportunities with Temasek in the future of food and agriculture, including areas relating to ESG, hi-tech agricultural inputs, technology innovation, as well as solutions to benefit small holder farmers. Richard Klapholz, CEO of Rivulis said, While benefitting from significant operational economies of scale and a dedicated, diverse employee base, we will ensure that all commitments to our grower community and to our combined business partners are maintained and further strengthened. Our goal is to ensure that all our customers will continue to be successful and benefit from a broader offering, leading industry brands, expanded manufacturing base and the support of leading irrigation services businesses. Rivulis, before the merger, represented the combination of four companies, and through this merger, several more companies from Jain Irrigation's portfolio will be added, cementing our role as a market consolidator and leader across the globe and creating a single company with a much stronger financial foundation. Jain Irrigation Systems is engaged in manufacture of plastic products, and manufacture of fruit or vegetable juices, their concentrates squashes and powder. Its segments include hi-tech agri input products, industrial products and non-conventional energy. On consolidated basis, the company's net profit jumped 465.7% to Rs 277.82 on a 16.2% rise in net sales to Rs 2,083.61 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To cater to health and motor insurance requirements of rural India Mahindra Insurance Brokers (MIBL), a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (Mahindra Finance), today announced its partnership with BigHaat, India's leading Agri Digital Platform. This partnership will offer financial solutions to the informal Agri segment of India's workforce. Mahindra Insurance Brokers and BigHaat will together promote the Government of India's goal of higher insurance penetration in rural India. MIBL will offer health and motor insurance policies under this partnership. The health insurance policy will be sold to BigHaat customers via the BigHaat website and mobile application. This policy will offer a Sum Insured of up to Rs 5 lakhs in various combinations(Self/Spouse/Children/Parents). Additionally, hospital cash of daily sum insured of Rs.1000 for 15 days in a year will also be launched as part of the insurance policy. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde has rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray leadership. According to the media reports, Shinde has claimed the support of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs out of a total of 55 and took some of them to BJP-ruled Gujarat. They were reportedly shifted to Guwahati in Assam from Surat on Wednesday morning. Hours after the BJP trumped the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls on Monday night, Shinde, the State's Urban Development Minister and the Shiv Sena's legislative party leader, left Mumbai along with a group of MLAs for Surat in Gujarat. The Sena, in a swift move, removed him from his post as the legislative party leader and appointed Ajay Chaudhari, an MLA from Mumbai's Sewri area, to the position. Shinde reportedly asked the Sena leadership to not continue with the MVA and instead form the government with the BJP. The anti-defection law mandates that if two-thirds of the strength of a party agrees to a "merger", they will not face disqualification proceedings. At present, the Sena's current strength in the Assembly is 55 MLAs. If the rebels want to merge with BJP, 37 MLAs (two-thirds of 55) have to come together to ensure they do not face disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law. The Shiv Sena, which heads the tripartite MVA government in Maharashtra, has 55 MLAs, followed by allies NCP (53) and the Congress (44) in the 288-assembly. The current simple majority mark is 144. Shinde tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, remembering the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, and his [Shinde's] mentor, the late Anand Dighe. "We are staunch Shiv Sainiks of Balasaheb. Balasaheb taught us Hindutva. We will never betray Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe's teachings for the sake of power," Shinde tweeted, hinting his slant towards the BJP. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The domestic equity benchmarks traded with steep losses in the morning trade. Negative Asian stocks impacted the sentiment. The Nifty traded below the 15,500 level. All the sectoral indices on the NSE were in the red. Metals, healthcare and oil & gas shares witnessed major selling pressure. At 10:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 497.31 points or 0.95% to 52,034.76. The Nifty 50 index declined 160.40 points or 1.03% to 15,478.40. In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index slipped 1.24% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index shed 0.70%. The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,092 shares rose and 1,834 shares fell. A total of 125 shares were unchanged. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,701.21 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,066.41 crore in the Indian equity market on 21 June, provisional data showed. Politics: Political crisis has deepened in Maharashtra. Senior Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde has rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray leadership. Shinde has claimed the support of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs out of a total of 55 and took some of them to BJP-ruled Gujarat. They were shifted to Guwahati in Assam from Surat on Wednesday morning. To circumvent the anti-defection law, Shinde will need two-thirds of the 55 Shiv Sena MLAs which comes to 37, on his side. Buzzing Index: The Nifty Metal index slipped 4.42% to 4,512.10. The index gained 3.97% in the past trading session. Hindustan Copper (down 7.28%), National Aluminium Company (down 5.38%), JSW Steel (down 5.22%), Jindal Steel & Power (down 4.74%), Steel Authority of India (down 4.58%), Jindal Stainless (down 4.32%), Hindalco Industries (down 4.23%), NMDC (down 4.19%), Tata Steel (down 3.29%) and Vedanta (down 3.11%) edged lower. Stocks in Spotlight: Zomato rose 0.15% after the board of the restaurant aggregator and food delivery company is scheduled to meet on 24 June 2022 to consider a potential acquisition transaction by the company. The consideration of the potential acquisition may be discharged through preferential issue of the company's equity shares, Zomato said in a statement on Tuesday, 21 June 2022. Astral declined 2.42% after the company said it has subscribed to Optionally Convertible Debentures (OCDs) of Rs 194 crore issued and allotted by Gem Paints on Tuesday, 21 June 2022. Astral has appointed majority directors on the board of Gem Paints and Esha Paints and control is established in terms of the aforesaid debenture subscription agreement. Accordingly, Gem Paints and Esha Paints have become subsidiary and step down subsidiary of the company respectively in terms the applicable provisions of the Companies Act 2013. Jain Irrigation Systems surged 10.40%. Jain Irrigation and Temasek-owned Rivulis Pte Ltd., Singapore (Rivulis) announced that Jain International Trading B.V. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Jain Irrigation) and Rivulis have entered into definitive transaction agreements. The International Irrigation Business (IIB) of Jain Irrigation will now be merged with Rivulis and create a global irrigation and climate leader - being 2nd largest in the world with about US$750 million in revenues. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra president on Wednesday said Chief Minister has made it clear that there was no proposal to recommend dissolution of the state Assembly. Patole's remarks came in the backdrop of reports that the ongoing political developments in the state could lead to dissolution of the Assembly. "We will run the government effectively," Patole said quoting Thackeray. Patole said senior leader Kamal Nath, who is in Mumbai in the wake of the political crisis in the Maharashtra government, spoke to Chief Minister over phone, since the latter has tested positive for COVID-19. Patole told reporters that Thackeray has asserted that the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA- comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) will sail through the present crisis, and there was no proposal to recommend dissolution of the state Assembly. Earlier in the day, MP Sanjay Raut in a tweet said the ongoing political developments in Maharashtra could lead to dissolution of the state Assembly. Raut's remarks came amid the ongoing crisis in the state's Maha Vikas Aghadi after the rebellion by senior leader and minister Eknath Shinde. Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister and Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said 41 MLAs (out of the total 44 in the state) attended the CLP meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. The three others were on their way to the state capital, he said. "The Congress is united and all the 44 MLAs are together," Thorat said. Shinde has said he has 46 MLAs supporting him. I have more numbers (of MLAs) than needed (to form a separate group in the Assembly without inviting the anti-defection law provisions), he told a Marathi TV channel. The Sena has 55 members in the 288-member state Assembly. A chartered flight carrying Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs, who have rebelled against the party, arrived in Assam's Guwahati city early Wednesday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A meeting of the Legislature Party is scheduled to be held in the presence of All India Committees (AICC) observer amid the deepening political crisis in . arrived at the residence of CLP leader and minister Balasaheb Thorat.43 MLAs will be present at the meeting, sources claimed on Wednesday. Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister as an All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. Kamal Nath reached Mumbai late at night and today he will hold an important meeting with the MLAs of the Congress. According to Maharashtra Congress sources, the meeting with Kamal Nath will be attended by General Secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Congress HK Patil, State party President Nana Patole, State Cabinet Ministers Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and other senior leaders. This meeting is to be held at the official bungalow of Balasaheb Thorat at 11:00 am. According to the information, out of a total of 44 Congress MLAs of Maharashtra, 43 MLAs will be present in this meeting. 42 MLAs were present in the Congress Legislature Party meeting held last evening. According to party sources, Minister Vijay Wadettiwar was not in the meeting held last evening as he was out of the country, and another MLA could not reach Mumbai from Chandrapur. But in today's meeting, Chandrapur MLA Subhash Dhote will also be present. It is likely that after meeting with the Congress MLAs, Kamal Nath and other senior Congress leaders will also meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra Congress MLAs held a meeting at Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat's residence in Mumbai. The meeting was presided over by Maharashtra Congress-incharge HK Patil. In the meeting, 42 out of 44 Congress MLAs were present, along with party leaders Nana Patole, Ashok Chavan and others. Meanwhile, 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs, led by rebel party leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the MVA government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city." A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Shinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat.Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone.He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in at any time," the BJP leader added. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Wednesday alleged the BJP government "which calls itself nationalist" was "weakening" the armed forces through the 'Agnipath' scheme, and said Prime Minister will have to withdraw the military recruitment initiative just like he rolled back the farm laws. Taking a dig at the Centre over the 'Agnipath' scheme, he also said those who talked about 'one rank, one pension' were bringing in 'no rank, no pension'. Addressing Congress parliamentarians and legislators from across the country who converged at the party headquarters here to express solidarity with him after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, Gandhi said his questioning was an "unimportant" matter and the most important issue in the country is of jobs. "The spine of the country -- small and medium industries -- has been broken by the Modi government. I say to all those who train in the morning to get into Army, Navy and Air force that the prime minister has broken the spine of the country and this country will not be able to give jobs to its youth," the former Congress chief said. "No matter what the government does, it will not be able to give jobs as Prime Minister has handed the country to two-three industrialists who cannot ensure jobs to the youth," Gandhi said. Now, they have "closed" even the last resort for the youth -- to get into the armed forces, he said. "Now, train in the morning get into the forces and then go home. I guarantee that after your stint in the military, you will not get any job," Gandhi said. "The Chinese army is sitting on our land, it has snatched away over 1,000 square kilometre of our land. This truth has been accepted by the government," Gandhi claimed. He asserted that the army should be strengthened but this government is "weakening it". "When there is a war, results of this will be evident...they are weakening the army, it will harm the country, and they call themselves nationalists," Gandhi said, attacking the government. "I had said about farm laws that Modi ji will have to take them back and he did. Now, the Congress is saying Prime Minister Modi will have to withdraw the Agnipath scheme and all the youth are standing with us on this," he said. Gandhi said the youth of the country knows that real patriotism is about strengthening the armed forces and not in weakening it. Addressing party leaders and workers, he said the party will work together to get "this new betrayal of the army and country by the government" annulled. The former Congress chief also thanked party workers for their support during his questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in the Herald case, and said he was not alone during the questioning but all those fighting for democracy were with him. Gandhi said the officials at the ED asked him how come he did not get tired of the questioning and he cited the secondary reason that he practices Vipassana but the real reason was that all party workers and leaders were with him in spirit in that room where he was being questioned. "Officials also asked me about the secret of my patience and I said I cannot tell you that. I did not tell them but the reason for it I am telling you now is that I have been working in the Congress since 2004 and patience is there in all our leaders," he said, citing the examples of Sachin Pilot, Siddaramaiah and Randeep Surjewala. Gandhi asserted that a Congress worker never tires or gets scared. Later in a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi said the Chinese army is "sitting on the soil of India". "Mr. Prime Minister, true patriotism lies in strengthening the army, but you are weakening the army with a 'new deception'. In this movement to save the future of the country, we are with the youth," Gandhi said. "I am saying again, you will have to take back 'Agnipath'," he added. Addressing the gathering, Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal announced that the party has decided to hold a massive nationwide demonstration against 'Agnipath' on June 27, demanding the withdrawal of the scheme. Several parts of the country witnessed protests after the announcement of the scheme that seeks to recruit youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 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.) Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's sudden New Delhi visit scheduled for Thursday, his second this month, has sparked off speculation in political circles, especially within the ruling BJP, about the much-awaited expansion or reshuffle of his cabinet. According to the tour programme released by his office, the Chief Minister would reach New Delhi on Thursday afternoon and return Friday evening. His schedule in the capital includes meeting Union Ministers. Though there is no reference to any meeting with party leaders in the schedule, speculation is that it is the BJP central leadership that has asked Bommai to come to the capital. According to some sources, there is a possibility of discussion regarding Cabinet rejig during the meeting, while a few others felt it may be with regard to Presidential polls. The Chief Minister's Delhi visit in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to earlier this week and BJP president J P Nadda's tour last weekend has given rise to speculations. The Chief Minister is under pressure from some aspirants to expand his Cabinet at the earliest, ahead of Assembly polls next year. While some are of the opinion that at this juncture such an exercise would not be useful, as the tenure of the new inductees would be "very less", with Assembly polls fast approaching. Amid rumours in BJP circles that a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Cabinet cannot be ruled out, ministerial aspirants are hopeful that a decision on Cabinet expansion or reshuffle is likely soon, and there are even talks that several incumbents could make way for fresh faces. There are currently five positions vacant in the Cabinet, which has 29 Ministers, including the Chief Minister, against the sanctioned strength of 34. Some legislators have even been advocating a Gujarat-like overhaul of the Cabinet soon to make way for new faces, ahead of the Assembly elections. (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.) CANBERRA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Australian conservationists have called for federal legislation to protect the iconic koala from extinction. The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) has submitted a proposed legislation to new Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek that would make it illegal to interfere with koala habitats unless for a proven "benign" activity. It comes after two separate incidents where koalas were likely killed by humans. Thirteen koalas were found dead in "unusual" circumstances at a blue gum plantation in Western Victoria earlier in June and at least two perished during a planned burn in the state's southwest at the start of the month. The federal government in February officially listed the koala as an endangered species, acknowledging the iconic marsupial is at risk of becoming extinct after populations were ravaged by bushfires, drought, disease and land-clearing. However, conservationists argue that the protections offered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are insufficient to save koalas from extinction, calling for dedicated legislation to protect the species. "The act automatically says, 'If this is koala habitat then you can't touch it', and the only way you can touch it is if you prove that your activity is benign, which I think if you are a responsible industry you could do," AKF chair Deborah Tabart told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) of the foundation's proposed legislation. The AKF disputes government figures on koala populations. In Victoria, the state government estimates that there are 460,000 individuals in eucalypt plantations and forests but the foundation said the actual number is fewer than 24,000. "The bottom line is our government has said that koalas are endangered and in Victoria and South Australia the hospitals on the ground are still getting injured animals," Tabart said. "So do we not care about the welfare of this species, even though we're prepared to put it on every single tourism brochure in the whole planet?" Rebel leader Eknath Shinde had on Monday urged Chief minister to renew the party's alliance with the BJP, a senior Sena leader claimed. The leader said Thackeray had sent his confidante Milind Narvekar and Shinde's aide Ravindra Phatak to Surat to talk to the rebel leader, who is camping there along with other Sena MLAs since Monday night. A call was made to Thackeray from Surat, the leader said. "The chief minister also had a telephonic conversation with Shinde during which the latter asked him to renew ties with the and break the alliance with Congress and the NCP," the leader said. Thackeray's response to Shinde's demand was not known, the leader said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) rebel Eknath Shinde, camping in Guwahati, has claimed that he has the support of 34 MLAs of his party and passed a resolution on Wednesday evening reinstating himself as the leader of the legislative party, a day after he was removed from the post by the Sena leadership. The resolution passed by the rebel camp led by Shinde has named Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale as the new chief whip of the party and removed incumbent Sunil Prabhu from the post. The letter issued by Shinde in the afternoon bears the signatures of 34 MLAs of . Earlier in the day, Prabhu had issued a letter asking all the MLAs of Shiv Sena, including the rebels accompanying Shinde, to attend a legislature party meeting in Mumbai at 5 PM or face action under the anti-defection law. The letter issued by the Shinde camp stated that the Sena leadership's decision to sever ties with BJP after the 2019 polls had a "negative" impact on the party cadres and voters. Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. As per the provisions of the anti-defection law, a merger requires the consent of two-thirds of the members of a legislative party who have consented to merge with another political party. Shinde will have to ensure the support of 37 MLAs (two-thirds of 55 MLAs) to avoid disqualification. The letter also alleged that Sena's core ideology of Hindutva and protecting the rights of the "marathi manoos" were compromised upon while forming the MVA government with "ideologically opposite" NCP and Congress. The Shinde-led faction described the Maha Vikash Aghadi as a "corrupt government". The letter alleged "enormous discontent" amongst the cadres of the Shiv Sena for forming a government with NCP and the Indian Congress (in November 2019), saying they are ideologically opposed to Sena. Hinting at the causes behind their move to raise the banner of revolt, the MLAs said they and Sena workers were facing "humiliating queries" from voters for supporting the ideological opponents. "We have also been subjected to a lot of criticism for being part of this corrupt government," the letter stated. The letter, which is viewed as a snub to Sena president and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleged that Sena's core principles- Hindutva and Marathi manoos- were compromised while forming the MVA government. Shiv Sena is a party with a wide ideological base which was formed with an objective to fight for the rights of the local Marathi people, the letter said. "The ideology of our party's leader the late Balasaheb Thackeray was to give a clean and honest government to the people of and also without compromising on the principle of Hindutva, which was defeated on the first day itself by aligning with the opposing ideologies," it stated. The letter signed by 34 MLAs of Shiv Sena has used words like "party leadership" instead of taking the name of Uddhav Thackeray. "The act of our party leaders to sever ties with the BJP post-2019 assembly polls had a tremendous negative impact upon the voters and party cadre at large. There was a continuous hue and cry against the party leadership for aligning with Opposition parties (NCP and Congress), but it went ahead and formed the MVA government," the letter 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.) MLA Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said the party should renew ties with the BJP, as the Uddhav Thackeray-led government faces a crisis following a revolt by a section of Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. Sarnaik, the MLA from Thane's Ovala-Majiwada constituency, has been facing a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He had last year written a letter to Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, saying the party should team up with the BJP to save its leaders from action by central agencies. Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Sarnaik said, "I had first mooted the idea that the should go with the BJP." Sarnaik had in his letter to the CM last year said though the BJP and the are not allies anymore, their leaders have good relations and the Sena should make use of this. Notably, the ED had recently attached assets worth over Rs 11 crore of Sarnaik in the money laundering case linked to the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL). A number of politicians and ministers of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which comprises the Shiv Sena, and Congress, in the state have faced ED action in the recent past. On Wednesday morning, a group of 40 MLAs, led by dissident leader Eknath Shinde, arrived in Guwahati and they were taken to a luxury hotel on the outskirts of the city amid tight security. Earlier, the MLAs were taken to Surat in Gujarat from Mumbai on Tuesday, and the decision to shift them to Guwahati in Assam was taken on security grounds, according to a BJP source. (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 on Wednesday night vacated his official residence in south Mumbai and moved to family home in suburban Bandra, hours after offering to quit the top post amid rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde. The CM moved out of 'Varsha', his official residence, for Matoshri, the private bungalow of the Thackeray family, amid high drama as the political crisis that has rocked his government after Shinde's revolt two days ago, showed no signs of ebbing. Shiv Sena leaders like Neelam Gorhe and Chandrakant Khaire were present at 'Varsha' when Thackeray was leaving the official residence. Party workers raised slogans and showered petals on the CM as he left his official house along with his family members -- wife Rashmi Thackeray, sons Aaditya, who is a Cabinet minister, and Tejas Thackeray at around 9.50 pm. He reached outside Matoshri at around 10.30 pm. However, it took another 40 minutes for the CM to cover a short distance from outside Matoshri to his residence. Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks stationed themselves from Malabar Hill, where Varsha is located, to Matoshri in Bandra. Carrying placards and party flags, workers raised slogan of ' Zindabad' as some of them fought back tears. Thackeray stepped out of his car at Worli, the Assembly constituency of his son and Tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, and again near Matoshri and waived at Sena workers. Prior to leaving Varsha, Thackeray also met MLAs and MPs. Earlier, bags containing his personal belongings were seen being loaded in cars. During a 'Facebook Live' session in the evening, Thackeray had said he will be leaving 'Varsha' and residing at 'Matoshree'. #WATCH | Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray leaves from Versha Bungalow in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/50KgWLlAx0 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Thackeray, who also heads the Shiv Sena, had moved to 'Varsha' after becoming the chief minister in November 2019. However, Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut asserted Thackeray will not resign following the rebellion by a section of party MLAs, and maintained the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will prove its majority in the Assembly if required. The NCP and the Congress are also part of the MVA. (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.) Rebel minister Eknath Shinde, who is now at the centre of a deepening political crisis in the state, arrived in Guwahati on Wednesday morning along with 40 other MLAs. Upon his arrival, the leader said, "A total of 40 MLAs are present here (in Guwahati). We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," quoted news agency ANI. Shinde, along with other Shiv Sena MLAs, was camping at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat on Tuesday after suspected cross-voting in the Legislative Council (MLC) polls, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs took a flight in the wee hours of Wednesday to reach Guwahati. They were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at the Guwahati airport. Before leaving Surat, Shinde said, "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva and will carry it further." Amid the political crisis, a Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak met Shinde in Surat on Tuesday. Shiv Sena MP alleged that efforts were being made to topple the MVA government in as some MLAs, including Shinde, had gone incommunicado on Tuesday. He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Shinde, 58, has been instrumental in strengthening Shiv Sena in the Thane region and he was the Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly after 2014 polls, when BJP parted ways with the party. Shinde is a cabinet minister in the MVA government. Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said that the party is in 'wait-and-watch' mode, as he claimed that the MVA government is 'technically' in minority.' Forty Maharashtra MLAs including 33 and seven independent MLAs exhorted their support to rebel leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde by signing a letter, said sources. Sources further said the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking for floor test in the state Legislative Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. Shinde along with Shiv Sena and independent legislatures was staying in a hotel in Gujarat's Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and took flight earlier today to reach Guwahati. Before leaving for Guwahati, a video was released in which all the rebel MLAs are seen sitting together in a surat hotel. In another video, all the MLAs are seen putting their signatures on paper. It is believed that by releasing the video, the Eknath Shinde faction demonstrated its strength with the number of MLAs. Shiv Sena throughout Tuesday continued to say that only 10 to 15 MLAs are with Shinde however, after the video Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's claim stood false. Notably, Chief Minister has called a State Cabinet meeting at 1 pm on Wednesday. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Committee (AICC) observer in the state. "The president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Shinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings."Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government.However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat.Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader's post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. "It's too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in at any time," the BJP leader added. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rebel leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in was an "unnatural alliance" and it was imperative for his party to walk out of the coalition with the NCP and the Congress for its own sake and that of party workers. Shinde's reaction came hours after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray reached out to the rebels, saying he would quit his post if even one Sena MLA comes and tells him on his face that he was incompetent. The Sena strongman, a Cabinet minister, said the MVA, formed in November 2019, was beneficial only to alliance partners the Congress and the NCP, while ordinary Shiv Sainiks have suffered the most in the last two-and-a-half years of the coalition's existence. "It is necessary to quit the unnatural alliance for the sake of Shiv Sainiks and the . It is important to take a decision in the interest of the state," Shinde, who is camping in Guwahati along with rebel Sena MLAs, tweeted. His tweets were in Marathi with #Hindutvaforever. Shinde maintained that while the NCP and the Congress were growing stronger in the MVA alliance, the Shiv Sena, which heads the governing bloc, and its workers were getting systematically weakened. The formed the MVA after breaking its ties with the BJP post-Assembly polls in 2019. (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.) It is a unique coincidence that both the presidential poll candidates -- Droupadi Murmu and -- share a deep connection with . Murmu, who has been declared a presidential candidate by the NDA alliance, has previously served as the Governor for six years, while has been a three-time MP from Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency in . Droupadi Murmu has remained with the BJP, but Yashwant Sinha, who was previously a national-level BJP leader for nearly two decades and a minister in Vajpayee-led government, left the party and was with the Trinamool Congress before resigning to be a candidate for the President's post. Murmu was sworn in as the Governor of Jharkhand on May 18, 2015 and served it for 6 years and 48 days. However, in July 2021 she left for her native city Rairangpur (Odisha) after completing her term as the Governor of Jharkhand. Now exactly a year later, in July 2022, the ruling NDA alliance has nominated her for the country's highest constitutional post. Born on June 20, 1958 in Odisha to a simple Santhal tribal family, she started her political career in 1997 being elected as the Councillor of the district board in Rairangpur, Odisha. Prior to joining politics, she had worked as an honorary assistant teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research, Rairangpur, and as a junior assistant in Odisha Irrigation Department before joining . Murmu was elected twice as an MLA in Odisha and also got a chance to work as a Minister in the Naveen Patnaik government when the BJD-BJP coalition government was in power. She was also awarded the Neelkanth Award for the best legislator by the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The Opposition Presidential candidate, started his political career in 1984 after taking voluntary retirement as an IAS officer. He was fielded as a Janata Party candidate from the Hazaribagh parliamentary constituency in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, but faced a huge electoral defeat. Later in 1988, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha and served as the Union Finance Minister during the Chandrashekhar-led government at the Centre. In 1995, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was fielded as the party candidate from the Ranchi Assembly constituency. Thereafter, he became a member of the Bihar Assembly. Later, Sinha was also elected as the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly. However, only after a year and a half, the BJP decided to nominate him to the Upper House of Parliament. Later, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Hazaribagh constituency in 1998, 1999 and 2009. He also served as a Cabinet Minister during the then Vajpayee government at the Centre. (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 crisis in the Shiv Sena-led Vikas Aghadi (MVA) approached an endgame as an emotional Sena chief asked rebels to return, asserting that had a chief minister in the saddle and asking whether they could guarantee this if the alliance partners changed. The rebels, led by Eknath Shinde, for their part, stuck to their ultimatum to their chief: drop the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from the alliance and tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a more natural alliance: or we will do it for you. The rebels who have shifted to Guwahati claimed they had 46 with them 40 from the Sena and six independents. If that is the case as numbers are not verifiable the government is on its way out. However, although Thackeray said he was ready to quit any time, he did not resign. Instead, he said, in an emotional speech, speaking to MLA virtually as he has tested Covid-19 positive, that he was hurt at his own party men turning on him. Come to me and tell me to resign, to my face, and I'll quit as chief minister. The chief ministers position came to me accidentally its not something I yearn, Thackeray said. Despite (NCP leader Sharad) Pawar Sahebs and (Congress leader) Kamal Naths support, if my own people dont want me to be chief minister, then what should I do? I dont know if I can call them my people because they don't see me as theirs, he said. The only document available is a letter by 34 MLAs, who are at a hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam, to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari that Eknath Shinde is their leader. The signatories to the letter include 30 Sena and four independent MLAs. Shinde needs seven more Sena MLAs on his side to split the party without risking disqualification under the anti-defection law. Four more Sena MLAs took a flight to Guwahati on Wednesday evening, escorted by BJP chief Chandrakant Patil. Thackeray said he was getting calls from MLAs who have gone with Shinde claiming that they were kidnapped. Shinde made moves on Wednesday to assert himself as the boss of the Shiv Sena, challenging a Thackeray for the first time in the party. In the past two years under the MVA government, only the coalition partners benefitted while the Shiv Sainiks were left frustrated. While our allies gained strength the and Sainiks were deliberately weakened. For ensuring the survival of the party and Sainiks, it is necessary to step out of this unnatural alliance. It is time to take a decision for the greater good of Maharashtra, he wrote on his Twitter handle. He said he would carry forward the "Hindutva" ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray, indicating that had allowed the whittling down of the Sena's core ideology in its partnership with the ideologically opposed NCP and Congress. will never give up on Hindutva, Thackeray retorted. Some people are saying that this is not Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. I want to ask what I have done that this is not Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. The prime tactician, the BJP, said it had nothing to do with the drama that was playing out, even though its stamp on all the developments was more than evident. No Shiv Sena MLA in touch with us. We have not spoken to Eknath Shinde. This is Shiv Senas internal matter. BJP has nothing to do with this. We are not staking claim to form a government, said BJP leader Raosaheb Patil Danve after meeting with partys Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. This was an extraordinary assertion as it is in a BJP-ruled state that the Sena rebels have found protection. What Danves statement means is that Shinde and not Devendra Fadnavis is the BJPs candidate for CM, and they will support Shinde despite being the bigger party with 106 MLAs though whether they will join the government or will support from outside is unclear. This presents its own set of challenges for BJP. However, the party believes that is a bridge that needs to be crossed later. The developments are variations on theme used by the BJP to form a government from an existing assembly by engineering defections: first in Karnataka, then in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister met in City on Wednesday. Patnaik was accompanied by his private secretary VK Pandian to the meeting on the third day of his trip to . On behalf of the people of Odisha, the chief minister presented a 'Patachitra' painting to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, and sought his blessings, an official statement issued by his office in Bhubaneswar said. "It has been an absolute pleasure meeting His Holiness (@Pontifex) in City. Thanked him for the warm audience and wished him good health and a long life," Patnaik tweeted after the meeting. Many priests and sisters from India, who were at the Vatican, were happy to see Patnaik. They wished him well, the statement said. Patnaik is in at the invitation of the World Food Program (WFP), and would share the transformative initiatives of in the field of food security and disaster management. This is Patnaik's second foreign trip as chief minister of in the last 22 years. He will also visit Dubai and meet investors during this 11-day tour. BJP took a dig at Patnaik for not meeting Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati of Govardhan Peeth in Puri even once during his 22-year rule. "It would have been better had Patnaik met the Shankaracharya at least once as head of a secular government," BJP spokesperson Biranchi Tripathi 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.) KABUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Scores of people were feared dead after an earthquake struck the eastern Afghan region early on Wednesday, according to multiple sources. The quake, with a magnitude of 6.1, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake has damaged dozens of houses in the region and also caused land sliding in eastern Paktika province, local sources said. Googles Chief Officer, Keith Enright, has warned policymakers that frequent and large-scale sharing of citizen data, even if anonymized, can damage users . Pointing to research that shows data sets lose their anonymity if shared consistently over time, he said: I would encourage policymakers and to be extremely circumspect while proceeding in that direction. Anonymization is a technique that removes or modifies personally identifiable information, resulting in data that cannot be associated with any one individual. says it can build safe and valuable products for its search services by using anonymized data. On May 26, Indias ministry of electronics and information technology came out with a new draft framework for governance of citizen data that proposed ways to ensure that non-personal and anonymized data sets from both as well as private entities were safely accessible by the research and innovation ecosystem. The new draft did not talk about monetizing this data, which an earlier draft of February this year had and triggered a furore from activists. Enright, speaking to journalists in India from the United States during a virtual meeting, conceded that use of anonymous data posed fewer risks to personally identifiable information. However, the issue, he said, was how anonymous data was defined. Anonymous tends to mean different things in different contexts. Different legal regimes have defined anonymous or anonymization differently We need to be thoughtful and deliberate about how we define anonymous data, he said. Enright had a similar word of caution on localization of data. Governments worldwide think localizing data would help in law enforcement and taxation, or bring other economic benefits. But, he said, none of these areas had gained from data localization in the last 10 years. Instead, such localization risked fracturing the benefits of a globally distributed cloud. The cloud was optimized for security, availability, efficiency, and data localization sort of retreats for many of those benefits, he said. Indias Bill, which has been in the works, mandates data localization for storage of sensitive or critical personal data only in India. The contentious issue, according to the big technology companies, is that there is no clear definition of what constitutes sensitive or critical personal data. Recent media reports suggest the changes being made to the Bill will take care of this. Enright went on to say that giving users control over their data and a sense of safety on the internet was vital. It was for this that recently offered the auto delete feature, which gives users the ability to delete certain data from their account. Because we have made auto delete the default setting for all new accounts, it means activity data in a month is being automatically deleted for more than 2 billion users every day, said Enright. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 22 (ANI/PNN): IPS Academy, one of Central India's premier educational institutions, organised a national HR conclave on the theme 'Riboneru Rebuilding - Opportunities and Redefined Notions on its campus in Indore. Addressing the HR Conclave, Dr Anurag Batra, editor-in-chief of Business World and the chief guest, said, "To become a successful leader, you have to stay away from the three Cs, i.e. complain, comparison and criticism." "Blaming others for their mistakes is not a good leader's sign." Under the visionary leadership of its President Ar Achal Choudhary, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, IPS Academy has grown leaps and bounds. It boasts 16 colleges, 76 courses, 500 teachers, over 10,000 students, and a unique infrastructure spread over 60 acres of lush green terrain. Various institutes are housed in separate aesthetically designed buildings with state-of-the-art infrastructure, well-designed classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and qualified, skilled, and experienced faculties. Batra said, "A good leader should always have an open mind. He should listen to others whether the person who speaks is a small or big personality. The mind should always be open to getting new ideas and feedback." Giving tips for becoming a successful HR professional, Batra stated that the correct planning and constant follow-up are crucial to success. If the team member is at fault, correct them; if their work is good, then appreciate them. A panel discussion on the 'future challenges' was held at the conclave. The participants discussed that the young workforce is set to be decreased by 2035 due to the skewed sex ratio in the country. However, the retired employees must work extra time to fill the gap. Therefore, HR policies will have to be framed according to the needs and convenience of the elderly workforce. "If the employee is happy, then there will be business growth," said Dharmendra Jain, CFO and HR head at Yash Technologies. "The employee should feel that the company will stand by his side in times of crisis. There should be a culture where an employee can directly talk with the senior managers," said Dharmendra Jain, Chief Finance Officer and HR Head of Yash Technologies. Shastri PKV, Head of Global Delivery and Operations, Hexaware, was the special guest and Dharmendra Jain at the HR Conclave. Mayur Satyavrat of Adani Airport Holdings, HR Anand Dhruv, Associate Director of NTT, Sahil Nair, and Associate Director of KPMG, Dr Ankita Singh, Global Head HR of Signex, Debashish Ghosh, CHRO, Barcadia, and many other personalities were the speakers. The guests were welcomed by placement head Rajiv Shukla. At the end of the conclave, the Event Organizing Committee Chairperson, Nihit Jaiswal, expressed his gratitude. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The finance ministry on Monday struck a note of caution about the re-emergence of the twin deficit problem. It was also the first time the government explicitly spoke about the possibility of a fiscal slippage in the current financial year. So have the amber lights started flashing? What is the ground situation like? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, meanwhile, barred all non-bank prepaid payment instrument (PPI) issuers from loading credit lines-- a move which will impact players. Of late, the central bank has been coming down heavily on fintechs. RBIs 2025 vision document talks about the need to regulate fintechs in the payments space. So what is the road ahead for firms? After the firms, let us move on to telcos. Shares of Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel have mostly been in the red for quite some time now. Despite flow around 5G auction, and digital transformation, the shares have not generated expected returns. Lets delve into the issues denting the sector, and how investors can play the theme. A brief respite from the spell of negative cues gave the markets a reason to cheer -- as Indian equities saw an upward march for the second day running on Tuesday. However, experts are seeing bad days ahead. In a Reserve Bank of India paper, writers allude to the risk of black swan event, saying that it may lead to outflows of Rs 7,80,000 crore from India. So what exactly is black swan event? Listen to this and more in this episode of the podcast. Watch video Ireland ranked as the 5th most attractive labour market in Europe for international job seekers. This is according to new research by jobs site Indeed evaluating 21 countries. The report shows that there has been a strong rebound in international job search across Europe as international travel restrictions have eased and closed sectors of the economy have reopened. During the pandemic European cross-border job search at its trough fell 32% below pre-pandemic levels, but by April of this year it was off by just 10% and recovering fast. For Irish based jobseekers looking overseas the trough was also a 32% decline, rebounding to 16% below the pre-pandemic level by April. Searches by people living outside Europe looking for jobs in Ireland fell by 39% at its lowest point, recovering significantly by April, but still 19% below the pre-pandemic average. The research shows Ireland is one of only 5 markets experiencing a brain gain rather than brain drain with more incoming interest from jobseekers than outgoing. While most European countries have a negative net interest score, in Ireland 8.2% of jobseeker searches were incoming and 7.9% outgoing. The top 5 countries of origin for overseas jobseekers seeking a role in Ireland are the United Kingdom (26%), United States (7%), Spain (5.9%), India (5%) and France (5%). The trend is driven in part due to labour shortages and demand for qualified workers, particularly in highly-skilled and hard-to-fill positions. The research found that 78% of Irish businesses have hired foreign nationals in the last 5 years, and 80% of businesses plan to recruit foreign nationals for their operations in Ireland in 2022. Businesses appear to be taking advantage of increased international mobility to fill gaps in domestic labour supply, and its notable that roles in some of the hard to fill areas that are attracting the highest share of foreign job seekers. Sectors most likely to attract overseas interest include positions in software development, IT, management and accounting. Geopolitical events are also influencing cross-border job search patterns. The research is being published the day after the UNHCRs World Refugee Day and indicates employers across Europe have sought to accommodate refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. In Ireland, 46% of employers surveyed said they had made special arrangements to support Ukraine refugees (the 4th highest of the 8 countries reviewed on this metric), and 30% sought to fast-track Ukrainian refugee job applications. Despite the numerous benefits of employers drawing from the global talent pool, barriers and challenges remain. Of the Irish employers surveyed, 35% of businesses called on the Government to assist by speeding up the process of issuing visas or permits, 34% said the Government should reduce the cost of securing visas or permits, and 33% said we need to reduce immigration requirements for workers. Commenting on the research, Economist at Indeed, Jack Kennedy said, "This survey shows that Ireland is an attractive destination for internationally mobile, highly skilled people, whose experience is in high demand, particularly in the technology sector. Many businesses are already taking steps to hire foreign workers, such as posting jobs abroad, hiring recruiters with foreign language skills, and writing job descriptions in multiple languages." He added, "It's also interesting to see geopolitical events like the tragic war in Ukraine have an impact on other labour markets, with a notable surge of interest particularly in the adjacent Polish market. Its positive to see that Irish employers have been making efforts to accommodate people fleeing the war." Source: www.businessworld.ie Budget / In Depth: To keep stimulus flowing, Chinas local governments need a budget fix For China, fixing a slowing economy may hinge on making sure local governments arent strapped for cash. In the wake of the countrys worst Covid outbreak since 2020, central government policymakers have introduced a package of measures to stimulate growth, including tax and fee cuts, deferred social insurance payments for companies, more credit support for small businesses, and accelerated bond issuances to finance infrastructure construction. Most of this will be handled by local governments, whose budgets are already strained by an ongoing real estate slump and, in some cases, the mind-boggling cost of regular Covid testing for their local populations. Tangshan / Police officers probed over handling of Tangshan women's assault A district police chief and four other police officers are under investigation for their handling of cases linked to the brutal assault of four women at a barbecue restaurant June 10, after the police response was widely panned by the public as slow and sloppy. Ma Aijun, head of the Lubei district branch of the Tangshan public security bureau, is being probed by graft busters in the neighboring city of Langfang, while the four others are being investigated locally, according to a statement (link in Chinese) issued Tuesday by Hebei province graft watchdogs. The officers are suspected of serious violations of (Communist Party) discipline and law, a phrase that usually refers to corruption. Health code / Henan resident sues health authorities alleging health code abuse A resident of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, sued the provincial public health authority alleging abuse of the pandemic control health code system, adding another twist in a mushrooming scandal. The resident, surnamed Xie, said she wanted to hold the Henan Provincial Health Commission accountable after her health code suddenly turned yellow, restricting her from attending a court hearing on a dispute regarding the demolition of her house. Editorial: Against abuse of health codes FINANCE & ECONOMY Covid-19 / Lone Covid case sends Northeast China city back into lockdown A city in the border province of Jilin has gone back into silent management of its Covid risk, barring all of its 3.6 million residents from leaving their residential communities unless necessary, three months after a lockdown was called in the province when omicron cases were detected. Authorities in Jilin city implemented the measures after finding a single Covid case in the community Sunday. The measure will last from Monday through Wednesday, during which authorities will conduct three rounds of mass testing. Beijings Covid-19 flare-up produces no severe cases Biodiversity / U.N. Biodiversity Conference moved from China to Canada The United Nations will hold the second session of the 15th Biodiversity Conference in December in Montreal, Canada, rather than in China as previously arranged, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Chinese environment ministry. The Chinese government, the secretariat of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity and the Canadian government reached an agreement on relocation of the venue, the statement said, adding that China will still hold the presidency of the meeting. The statement did not give a reason for the relocation. Quick hits / Tencent-backed broker chases growth abroad amid China crackdown China junk bond sell-off enters new phase with record Fosun rout Fisher: Chinese stocks will rebound with or without more stimulus BUSINESS & TECH Benniu International Airport in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct. 4. Photo: VCG Flights / China resumes more international flights as crippling Covid curbs ease Chinas aviation regulator is seeking to revive more international flight routes as the nation gradually eases tough Covid-19 cross-border travel curbs. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is looking to increase flights to and from Vietnam and Thailand, according to local sources. Real estate / Property agency 5I5J cuts regional business amid sales drought Real estate brokerage giant 5I5J Holding Group Co. Ltd. decided to quit a provincial capital city in East China after months of declining sales, Caixin learned, sparking protests by its local franchisees. A source at 5I5J said that the company is exiting Hefei, Anhui provinces capital, closing not just its franchised offices but all self-operated outlets too. Quick hits / Tencent slashes wager on stock that soared 684% in edtech frenzy Tech Insider / JD.com shrinks group-buying biz again, TikTok shifts U.S. data Long Read / Chinese history offers lessons on sustaining charitable giving GALLERY Inside the Jumbo Floating Restaurant Recommended newsletter for you / Caixin Must-Read Newsletter brings you the best of our coverage and stories you cant miss. You can opt-in now and get hand-picked news coverage delivered to your inbox each week for free. Thanks for reading. If you havent already, click here to subscribe. More houses were ruined as Russia launched new attacks in Ukraines two biggest cities Kyiv and Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials said that Russia fired 14 missiles at the Kyiv region on Sunday morning, causing at least one death and four injuries. More people were evacuated from the premises of the Azot chemical plant after Russia announced full control of Severodonetsk Saturday after weeks of fierce fighting Jun 27, 2022 06:48 PM VIENTIANE, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A second consignment of 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Malaysian government has arrived in Lao capital Vientiane, local daily Vientiane Times reported Wednesday. Malaysia's first donation of 283,400 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Laos last December. The donations are part of Malaysia's contribution to global efforts to end the pandemic and support Laos' goal to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the adult population by the end of this year, the Lao daily report said. The latest batch of donated vaccine will be administered to people of all age groups and those with underlying health conditions, under the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan, said the report. Following the arrival of the vaccine at Wattay International Airport on Monday, the shipment was handed over to the Lao Ministry of Health. The Lao health authorities are expediting the vaccination program to bring an end to the COVID outbreak. Photo taken on June 22, 2022 shows a house damaged in an earthquake in Paktika province, Afghanistan. The death toll from an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday has surpassed 1,000, while more than 1,500 people were injured, a provincial official said, adding the number of casualties might rise further. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) SHARAN, Afghanistan, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday has surpassed 1,000, while more than 1,500 people were injured, a provincial official said, adding the number of casualties might rise further. "More than 1,000 people were killed and 1,500 injured as a result of the earthquake and subsequent landslide in two districts of Gayan and Barmal of Paktika," Mohammad Amin Haddifa, chairman of the provincial directorate of information and culture, told Xinhua. In the neighboring Khost province, at least 25 people were killed and 100 others wounded after more than 600 houses, mosques, and shops were destroyed by the quake, according to Khost provincial officials. Hours after the quake, Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund chaired an emergency cabinet meeting Wednesday morning, the prime minister's office wrote on Twitter. Hassan Akhund also ordered a grant of 1 billion afghanis (more than 11.2 million U.S. dollars) to assist the victims of the natural disaster. "The meeting has ordered all concerned agencies to rush to the spot immediately. Use all available resources to save the lives of the affected people and provide all necessary assistance," he said. The quake, with a magnitude of 5.9, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost. People stand on the rubble of a house damaged in an earthquake in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2022. The death toll from an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday has surpassed 1,000, while more than 1,500 people were injured, a provincial official said, adding the number of casualties might rise further. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) People stand on the rubble of a house damaged in an earthquake in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2022. The death toll from an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday has surpassed 1,000, while more than 1,500 people were injured, a provincial official said, adding the number of casualties might rise further. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China has provided mutual benefits and greatly contributed to regional peace, stability and development, Cambodian deputy prime minister and defense minister Gen. Tea Banh said here on Wednesday. Gen. Banh made the remarks while co-chairing the ASEAN-China Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting via video link with Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe. "In the last 30 years, ASEAN-China cooperation has made remarkable progress in all fields, which has provided mutual benefits and made significant contributions to promoting peace, stability and security, regional development and prosperity," he said. He added that since 2009, China has been a major trading partner of ASEAN, and in 2020, ASEAN has become a major trading partner of China. Banh recalled that at the ASEAN-China Special Summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China dialogue relations in November 2021, the leaders agreed to promote ASEAN-China relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which is a turning point in the history of ASEAN-China relations. He added that the leaders also agreed to continue to promote security and political cooperation by maintaining frequent high-level exchanges, increasing sharing of experience on governance to deepen mutual trust, and enhancing dialogue and coordination in ASEAN-led frameworks. "I am pleased to note that the People's Republic of China has actively participated in the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and worked together with ASEAN towards the conclusion of an effective and sustainable Code of Conduct to ensure regional stability and peace," he said. He said a close ASEAN-China relationship is very important to maintain and promote peace, stability, security, development and prosperity of the region and the world. Meanwhile, Banh also expressed his deep gratitude to China for supporting Cambodia in the fight against the COVID-19 since the beginning, creating conducive conditions for the kingdom to have a strong foundation to overcome this infectious disease. "In this connection, I would also like to highly evaluate the friendship and mutual support between China and Cambodia in promoting the development of Cambodia in all fields," he said. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will not remain silent over the continuous bullying by Western countries over its palm oil industry, a Malaysian minister said on Wednesday. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the long running campaign against the vegetable oil would affect the competitiveness of Malaysian palm oil exports in the long term, something which would harm the country's economy as it is a major revenue contributor. "The current practice of 'no palm oil 'or 'palm oil-free labeling' in France and Belgium can be traced back to 2008, when the French retail chain Carrefour started to substitute palm oil in potato chips with sunflower oil," she said in a statement. "Singling out palm oil with the 'palm oil-free marketing and labeling' campaigns convinced consumers that palm oil is terrible whether for nutritional or environmental reasons or both ... Malaysia is left with no choice but to retaliate against 'the bullies'," she added. Zuraida also pointed to the European Union (EU) which has classified palm oil as a crop with a high-risk rate towards indirect land-use change, hence deemed to contribute to deforestation and loss of biodiversity. "Such a classification exercise will affect palm oil being a potential biofuel source since its usage will be gradually reduced beginning in 2023 before being 'eliminated totally' as an EU biofuel source in 2030," she said. Zuraida said this has led to Malaysia initiating legal action against the EU and two of its members, France and Lithuania, last January under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism. She also said Malaysia will act as a third party in a separate WTO case lodged by Indonesia, which is the world's biggest palm oil producer, as a sign of solidarity and support, adding that the ministry will continue to closely monitor developments in the EU, which can potentially tarnish the reputation of palm oil and adversely affecting the viability of the industry in Malaysia. Malaysia is the world's second-largest producer of palm oil after Indonesia and according to the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, it is the single-largest commodity earner, contributing about 3.5 percent to 3.7 percent to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2020. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said that the export revenue of palm oil and other palm-based products is expected to improve by 1.4 percent to 110 billion ringgit (24.97 billion U.S. dollars) this year from 108.52 billion ringgit in 2021, with the higher revenue expected to derive mainly from higher palm oil exports of 17 million tons this year amid the global shortage of vegetable oils. According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), nearly 1 million people work in the sector, making it the country's second biggest employer and it is seen as the backbone of the country's social and economic development. (1 ringgit equals 0.23 U.S. dollar) At this point, were not entirely sure if this was supposed to be a secret, but thanks to a couple of sales agents, we finally have our firs... MINSK, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have decided to boost transport infrastructure, including developing a Eurasian transport corridor, to facilitate trade and logistics in the region, Mikhail Myasnikovich, chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, said on Tuesday. Myasnikovich made the remarks after a meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the EAEU on Monday and Tuesday in Minsk, capital of Belarus. During the meeting, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the infrastructure will become part of the East-West and North-South international transport corridors. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the EAEU enters the period of unlocking its potential of creating a common economic space and ensuring sustainable economic growth of the member states. Belarussian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and Chairman of Kyrgyzstan's Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Zhaparov also attended the meeting. The participants also discussed issues like food security, regulation of the alcohol market, development of the EAEU internal market, tariff adjustment, digital transformation and import substitution within the EAEU. Established in 2015, the EAEU includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. The purpose of the association is to achieve the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor within the union by 2025, as well as to pursue a coordinated economic policy. Warner has made a pair of exciting greenlight announcements, a Mexico-set, Aztec-era Batman feature and a sci-fi survival series from Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner. Both series were commissioned for HBO Max. Here are the details that Warner has shared about each so far: Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios HBO Max Latin America is working on a new feature-length animated film which puts one of DCs most popular heroes in a completely new time and place, Mesoamerica during the time of the Spanish invasion of Central America. The film was announced at the Guadalajara International Film Festival. Leading Mexican studio Anima, which just launched its adult-YA division in August of last year, is handling animation. Synopsis: In the time of the Aztec Empire, Yohualli Coatl a young Aztec boy experiences tragedy when his father and village leader, Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli escapes to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of imminent danger. Using the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, as a lair, Yohualli trains with his mentor and assistant, Acatzin, developing equipment and weaponry to confront the Spaniard invasion, protect Moctezumas temple, and avenge his fathers death. Warner Bros. Animation will produce with Anima and Chatrone. Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios is a Particular Crowd film and based on characters from DC. Juan Meza-Leon (Harley Quinn) will direct with Jose C. Garcia de Letona, Aaron D. Berger, Carina Schulze, and Fernando De Fuentes producing, while Sam Register and Tomas Yankelevich serve as executive producers. Alejandro Diaz Barriga, a consultant specializing in Mesoamerican studies and ethnic history of Mexico and the Andean region, will work with the creative team to ensure that the indigenous representation portrayed in the film is appropriate and relevant. Scavengers Reign HBO Max also ordered to series Scavengers Reign, an original sci-fi series with strong indie credentials. The show is co-created and executive produced by Joe Bennett (From Gods Mouth to Your Ears, Scavengers) and Charles Huettner (Scavengers, Ghost Stories). Scavengers Reign follows the surviving crew members of a damaged deep space freighter who are stranded on a beautiful yet unforgiving planet. As the small group uncover the true nature of this planet, they must do everything in their power to survive long enough to escape or be rescued. Titmouse is handling animation on the sci-fi series, which was unveiled at the Annecy Intl. Film Festival last week with a short video teaser, linked below. Benjy Brooke serves as supervising director with Chris Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, Shannon Prynoski, and Ben Kalina as executive producers for Titmouse. The series is co-executive produced by Sean Buckelew and James Merrill for Green Street Pictures. The two projects join an ambitious HBO Max animation slate which includes a Looney Tunes musical feature; two Scooby series; comedy project Chelm: The Smartest Place on Earth from Sacha Baron Cohen, Mike Judge, and Greg Daniels; two anime projects in Rick and Morty: The Anime and Ninja Kamui; and two kids and family commissions in Driftwood and Invincible Fight Girl. Said Meledandri: The minute you start using the point of view of Twitter or the point of view of every single culture, no matter how intolerant they are, to guide your creative expression, I think youre on a very slippery slope not only morally but creatively. Its impossible to protect the creative process and still be trying to figure out how to thread a needle thats never going to offend anybody. To that end, he addressed the minor controversy that was stirred when Chris Pratt, a non-Italian, was cast as Nintendos famously Italian front man Mario in the upcoming animated feature adaptation of that IP. Chris was cast because we felt he could give a great performance as Mario. And now that weve done about 15 recording sessions, and the movie is three-quarters done, I sit here and say that I love his performance as Mario When people hear Chris Pratts performance, the criticism will evaporate, maybe not entirely people love to voice opinions, as they should. Im not sure this is the smartest defense, but as a person who has Italian American heritage, I feel I can make that decision without worrying about offending Italians or Italian Americans. I think were going to be just fine. Meledandri was also asked his opinion on Pixars move to include a same-sex kiss scene in Lightyear, which eventually got the film banned in several countries. He was keen to point out that the future of filmmaking at Illumination is likely only going to get more progressive, and he understands that may alienate certain groups: There are topics of conversation right now that are very relevant to what were doing in the future that get into areas that potentially might not please everyone. I think you have to honor the stories that you tell, honor the choices that your filmmakers make, and you have to be willing to not have everybody pleased all the time. Perhaps some of Meledandris brazenness comes from surviving what very well could have been the death blow for a lesser executive, greenlighting Titan A.E. while he was the head of 20th Century Fox Animation. After joking about how unwise it is to lose 100 million of Rupert Murdochs dollars, he explained: There are things that are going to happen in your life that are highly dislocating, and you have to figure out how not to get crushed by them The key to whether or not youre going to get crushed by them is not the failure itself, failure is part of the price of admission to success, its really whether or not youre going to get swallowed up in fear. Meledandris comments were originally reported by Deadline. Origins of an Alien All the way back in the 1980s, Chris Sanders first created the original concept of the Stitch character. DeBlois explains that the initial idea was, a creature with unknown origin that lived in some great northern forest and was ostracized by the forest community. When the duo later pitched the idea to Thomas Schumacher, then-president of feature animation at Disney, he gave them their first official note, explaining that the forest community is already alien to us what about taking this character and placing him in a world with humans. DeBlois, eventually assigned as the second director on the film, recalls, The first thing Chris said to me was, Im really curious about whether or not we can pull off a story where we begin with the villain and we make him become a hero. Already they were thinking about challenging the established good-guy-bad-guy norms at Disney Animation. Both had just come off working in the story department for Mulan and were looking for a change of pace. Downsizing Mulan involved really large-scale crowds of people, armies, and cities and stuff like that. And I had a great desire to do a smaller story, says Sanders. Its like something a little more intimate and a little bit easier to deal with logistically I was thinking, well, maybe I could set this in rural America somewhere. But, as Sanders continues, I had been to Hawaii not that long before on a trip and I had a roadmap of Hawaii up on my wall. I was just staring at it, [and] slowly the connection was being made maybe we could put it in Hawaii. He initially hesitated thinking it might be too much fun, but eventually gave in and dove headfirst into the concept. When they visited Hawaii, the core values of what theyd been developing came to life through Hawaiian culture. DeBlois recalls, Once you veer off the tourist trappings and paths, you find these beautiful little towns and this beautiful sense of larger family where everyone has a cousin, an aunt, an uncle. And the real Hawaii is so enchanting and weirdly romantic in kind of a grounded, living day-to-day way. In planning the story, they made sure to pay a great deal of respect to local customs and ensured they got all aspects of the culture correct. Sanders explains, Ive never seen a place where the continuity of culture from person to person is so well kept. And its one of the first things that Dean and I realized If we were to embark on this journey, we had to be incredibly open and talk to people and listen and engage [with] as many people as we could that knew what they were doing. Lessons Learned By the time their pitch got the greenlight, they already had a blueprint of how they wanted their production to run having just come from Mulan. As DeBlois remembers it, Mulan was actually a pretty miserable experience. Both Mulan, and later Lilo & Stich, were among a small number of films animated at Walt Disney Animation Florida, a short-lived studio on the backlot of the Disney-MGM Studios theme park which was famous for overhead breezeways and large walls of windows that allowed tourists to see the animation process in action. In the end it was five years [on Mulan], but the Florida part of that everything was [running] behind and I just remember those late nights, says DeBlois. [The studio] was butted up against a theme park so youd hear the roller coasters and the people screaming and laughing and itd be 10:30 at night, and were still storyboarding, and theres somebody pushing a vacuum cleaner around in the hallways. To avoid a similar situation with Lilo & Stitch, they made it a goal that no one is going to get a divorce because of this movie. No ones gonna get sick because of this movie. No ones gonna like become estranged from their family and friends because of this movie, DeBlois recalls. Better Budgeting To that end, the directing duo decided to cut corners in ways that wouldnt be obvious on screen. As DeBlois recalls, We had to reduce line mileage you know; delete pockets off jean shorts or prints off t-shirts or reduce complexity wherever we had to in order to get there. We couldnt afford shadows, so we put our characters under the shade of trees and things like that throughout the movie. Ultimately, scaling down the production resulted in an entire crew of people and I know about this because of Facebook and social media [who say] that was their favorite moviemaking experience, he says. Sanders claims he never actually knew exactly how much the budget for the film was, but instead a producer would call them into the office and explain what sequence might push them over said budget. Those kinds of parameters are not a problem, explains Sanders. They actually, in some ways, help. As an example, he recalls a scene in which Lilo was coming onto the shoreline. It was the introduction of her character, and it was the first time you were gonna see her. We proposed that she would come in on this wave and run down the beach past people doing all these different things. [Eventually though,] instead of showing all that animation, she comes onto the beach and you see one really quick, wide shot where all the characters are actually frozen. Theyre not moving save for like one character thats throwing a Frisbee, and then [we] immediately cut really close to Lilo and shes running through lots of legs that are, again, not moving and you dont notice anything weird. Cutting Room Floor When asked if they would go back and change anything, the two joke about several scenes that regrettably had to be cut or changed for the movie. In one scene that was chopped, Sanders remembers, All these little girls come in to do the dialogue for Lilos friends. At one point one of the girls says, I bet you have rabies. Do you have rabies? And then another little girl, because she was so young said, If you have rabies, the dog catcher is gonna have to cut your head off. We had to take out the words, Cut your head off. Another change they chuckle about was a sequence in which Stitch put his hand in a blender. In the end, they happily changed that to the alien simply removing the lid from the blender. Sanders also recalls that they had to change a scene in which Lilo comes out of the tumble dryer, instead covering the action with a pizza box for the international release, which is the version currently available on Disney+. Legacy Summing up the experience of making Lilo & Stitch, DeBlois says, We talk about it with such clear memories and with such fondness because the entire experience of making that movie was [one of] working with a small crew that were really excited and passionate about what theyre doing. But we would also hang out on the weekends, go kayaking, go down to the Florida Keys, and wed go to the beaches and just travel around The whole thing was like a big adventure but it was mostly just fun and freedom. That found its way into the movie, he concludes. The movie feels like a big sort of, I dont know like spending time with family. It just has that kind of warmth to it. Few titles from Netflixs upcoming original animation slate are as hyped up as the family action-adventure series My Dad the Bounty Hunter. Following a series preview during an Annecy studio presentation last week, Netflix has given Cartoon Brew exclusive access to a behind-the-scenes look as the shows executive producers Everett Downing and Patrick Harpin visit for the first time the shows production studio, Dwarf Animation Studio, located on the outskirts of Montpellier, France. In the video, first-person testimonials about the series animation process are provided by Dwarf employees including compositing department supervisor Arnaud Boudon, animation supervisors Pascal Ropars and Jean-Yves Audouard, and environment and props supervisor Nicolas Carrie. Photo: The Canadian Press Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon is seen during a news conference in Calgary Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has announced multiple cabinet changes following resignations tied to his partys leadership race, with Nixon now taking over permanently as finance minister. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has announced multiple cabinet changes following resignations tied to his partys leadership race, with Environment Minister Jason Nixon now taking over permanently as finance minister. Nixon had been handling the portfolio along with his other duties after Travis Toews stepped down from the finance post three weeks ago to run to replace Kenney as United Conservative leader and premier. Whitney Issik, the associate minister of the status of women, takes over Nixons job as the minister for environment and parks. Calgary-South East MLA Matt Jones is the new minister for childrens services and Calgary-Currie member Nicholas Milliken will head up infrastructure as current Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda moves to the transportation portfolio. Backbencher Brad Rutherford will now be a cabinet minister without portfolio and also handle chief whip duties while Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk moves into cabinet as the associate minister of the status of women. The changes come after Toews and fellow cabinet ministers Rebecca Schulz and Rajan Sawhney resigned to run in the leadership race, which will see a new leader chosen Oct. 6. Photo: The Canadian Press Kenneth Fenton, left, arrives for a sentencing hearing at Western Communities Courthouse in Colwood, B.C., on Friday, July 7, 2017, for impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death of RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett on April 5, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito A man convicted of drunk and dangerous driving causing the death of an RCMP officer has been freed again on statutory release with a warning to stay away from drugs and alcohol and get counselling. Ken Fenton was convicted of crashing into Const. Sara Beckett's cruiser after running a red light in April 2016 near Victoria and was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. Fentons release was suspended in April when he admitted to overmedicating on prescription drugs in response to anxiety of the looming anniversary of the crash. The decision from the Parole Board of Canada released on Tuesday says a urine test also showed illegal drugs, and his release was suspended. It says Fenton has spent long periods of time in the community without problems, found full-time work and has the support of a girlfriend and family members. In reversing the suspension, the board says its concerned he cant follow the rules of his prescription marijuana program and negative feelings have him turning to alcohol but because hes near the end of the sentence, having access to support is essential so he can reintegrate into society. Fenton told the board he felt he had come a long way since his conviction. You have also written a letter to the board explaining how your addictions to alcohol developed during your adolescence and young adulthood," the decision says. "You expressed remorse of the harm you have done to the victim and her family and say that being successful on parole and recovering from your addiction issues are your top priorities." Photo: Jess Balzer The federal government now stands to lose money from its investment in the Trans Mountain pipeline, according to a new report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The latest analysis, released Wednesday, shows the net present value of the pipeline is negative $600 million, leaving it worth about $1.2 billion less than the PBO's estimate in December 2020. The new financial analysis takes into account new developments such as the budget overruns disclosed in February that peg the current cost of the Trans Mountain expansion at $21.4 billion, a 70 per cent increase from an earlier estimate of $12.6 billion. The new PBO report also reflects the fact that the pipeline's projected completion date has been pushed back to the third quarter of 2023. The 1,150-km Trans Mountain pipeline carries 300,000 barrels of oil per day, and is Canada's only pipeline system transporting oil from Alberta to the West Coast. Its expansion, for which construction is currently underway, will essentially twin the existing pipeline, raising daily output to 890,000 barrels to support Canadian crude oil production growth and ensure access to global energy markets. The Trans Mountain project was bought by the federal government for $4.5 billion in 2018, after previous owner Kinder Morgan Canada Inc. threatened to scrap the pipeline's planned expansion project in the face of environmentalist opposition. On Wednesday, Adrienne Vaupshas press secretary for federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said independent analyses from both BMO Capital Markets and TD Securities have found that the Trans Mountain pipeline project remains commercially viable. "The Trans Mountain Expansion Project is in the national interest and will make Canada and the Canadian economy more sovereign and more resilient," Vaupshas said in an email, adding the federal government still plans to launch a divestment process after the project is further derisked and after negotiations with Indigenous groups have progressed. A number of Indigenous-led initiatives have previously stated their intentions to pursue an equity stake in the pipeline. Environmental groups were quick to point to the PBO's report Wednesday as proof that the federal government should never have purchased Trans Mountain in the first place. "The federal government is losing money on the pipeline whose profits they promised would pay for green energy," said Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist for Greenpeace Canada. "Rather than pouring billions more into a money-losing, climate-destroying pipeline that only benefits oil company bottom lines, lets spend it directly on green energy solutions that help Canadians avoid pain at the pump while fighting climate change." In its report, the PBO also looked at what would happen if the federal government were to stop construction this month and cancel the Trans Mountain project indefinitely, suggesting that such a move would require the government to write off over $14 billion in assets. There has been no indication that the Trudeau government has any intention of cancelling the pipeline project. In February, Freeland said Trans Mountain Corp. a federal Crown corporation will need to secure third-party funding to complete the project, either through banks or public debt markets. However, the federal government has agreed to sign a $10-billion loan guarantee for the project. Part of the reason why the value of Trans Mountain is declining as the project costs soar is due to the way oil companies pay for the use of the pipeline through tolling arrangements. Due to Trans Mountain's existing long-term contractual agreements with oil shippers, only 20 to 25 per cent of the increased capital costs of the project can be passed on to oil companies in the form of increased tolls. That means that about $7 billion in cost overruns must be absorbed by Trans Mountain itself, ultimately eroding the projects returns. Until (B.C.s attorney general and minister responsible for housing) David Eby reveals the owners of the thousands and thousands of homes built in our city and our province, he will get no support from many of us for his calls to control municipal zoning. That's right, we want to know who is buying these homes in the high rises that have taken over our city before he spews out more ridiculous thoughts on the so-called housing crisis. All we hear as residents is "shortage of affordable, family housing, yet we are already building beyond what our municipal infrastructure can handle and there seems to be no change in the provincial governments rhetoric. I'm calling on the provincial government to disclose the ownership status of the dozens of high rises that Kelowna has approved and built over the past decade. I will personally fight Mr. Eby to the end of his political career if he thinks he can just cram housing wherever he pleases without the approval of the residents actually living in these municipalities. The government is treating this like an emergency, yet they are doing nothing to stop the purchasing of multiple houses by investors and speculators. In the Rutland (area of Kelowna) where I live, there are multiple houses that have sold during the past year, yet no one moves in until they hit the rental market. These are not families purchasing these homes, but rather investment companies and landlords adding to their wealth. The average family trying to purchase one of these so-called "entry level" homes is unable to outbid those who already have home equity to tap into, such as landlords or real estate investment funds. Let me be crystal clear, Eby needs to reduce his tone until he proves to the people who elected him that they are satisfied their community (in Ebys case the riding of Vancouver-Point Grey) isnt being sold out to investors and developers alike. Let's pull the drapes on the real housing crisis. He knows, just as well as we all know, there are no families purchasing homes in these sky scrapers being built here in Kelowna. The towers are selling out in hours or days to short-term rental companies or speculators hoping to cash in at our expense. Guess what? He may control a tiny part of the government, but he does not control the people who pay his (MLA and ministerial) wages. The only way he will get buy-in, is if he shows us the stats on how many homes are owned by one entity. No proof, no buy-in. Steve Brandel, Kelowna Photo: The Canadian Press President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair speaks with reporters as he arrives for a caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair both said Wednesday their confidence in RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki hasn't waned as allegations swirl about political interference in the investigation into the tragic 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia. Blair was the minister of public safety at the time of the shooting spree that terrorized communities and killed 22 people over 13 hours on April 18 and 19, 2020. A report published Tuesday by the inquiry investigating the tragedy includes notes from an RCMP superintendent alleging Lucki said she had promised Blair and the Prime Minister's Office that information on the guns used by the shooter would be released as it affected pending gun control legislation. The same report quotes an RCMP communications director as saying Blair and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were "weighing in on what we could and couldn't say" during media briefings. Blair categorically denied that Lucki had ever made such a promise or that he had asked for the information. Nor, he said, did he tell anybody what the RCMP should communicate about their own investigation. "I'm telling you, and I would tell the superintendent, if I spoke to him, that I made no effort to pressure the RCMP to interfere in any way with their investigation," he said. "I gave no direction as to what information they should communicate. Those are operational decisions of the RCMP, and I respect that and I have respected that." He also pointed out that at a news conference a day after the mass shooting, both he and Lucki said the investigation had to play out and that it would be inappropriate for the RCMP to release information on the guns until the investigation had verified the details. Blair and Mendicino both said Wednesday their faith in Lucki's leadership of Canada's national police force remains strong. "I think its important to say that on the easiest of days, its a very challenging and demanding job to be the RCMP Commissioner and certainly the worst mass shooting in the history of the country was probably one of the most difficult days, not only for law enforcement but for all Canadians," Mendicino said. Federal Conservatives dismissed the explanations provided by Blair and said Lucki herself must also answer the allegations. In a statement late Tuesday, Lucki said she would never take actions that could jeopardize an investigation. Briefings with the public safety minister are standard procedure and do not interfere with the independence of the RCMP, she said. Lucki said she met with Nova Scotia RCMP in the days after the shootings to discuss the flow of information to national headquarters and the public release of information. It was a tense discussion, and I regret the way I approached the meeting and the impact it had on those in attendance, she said. Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen called it "disgusting" that Trudeau and his government would leverage the massacre to advance their political agenda on gun control. She also said a deeper investigation into the matter is warranted. Mendicino said the inquiry is doing just that. "I think we absolutely should continue to be totally forthright with Canadians, which is why the mass casualty commission has within their remit an independent way to look into the circumstances around all of this," he said. Conservative House leader John Brassard said he's requesting MPs have an emergency debate in the House of Commons on the matter and then have a parliamentary committee dive deeper into the issue. Nova Scotia Conservative Rick Perkins said he's already been hearing from upset constituents and expressed surprise at Blair, a former police officer, for casting doubt on the note-taking done by a RCMP member. "Notes that have to be defensible in court he implied that they were wrong," said Perkins. New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh called for a full investigation into the allegations, saying the RCMP are supposed to act independently of the government. "The RCMP must always serve the public interest, not the governments political interest," he said in a statement. Dai Duong Lines 3 and 4 under review ICR Newsroom By 22 June 2022 Vietnams Ministry of Construction has proposed Thanh Hoas provincial authority to review the construction of Lines 3 and 4 of Dai Duong JSC to avoid a glut in supply, according to local media. The approval of the new lines will raise the countrys cement capacity to 150Mta by 2025, surpassing the government target. The provincial authority also has to seek consultation from the ministry for the project. In 2020-21 the cement company started construction on Lines 1 and 2 at Nghi Son economic zone in Thanh Hoa with a total capacity of 4Mta. Published under WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- One of the worst meningitis outbreaks in U.S. history has prompted public health officials to urge gay and bisexual men who live in Florida or plan to visit the state to get vaccinated right away. Twenty-four cases of meningitis (meningococcal disease) and seven deaths among gay and bisexual men are under investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Public Health. Officials said it was among the worst outbreaks ever among this group. "Getting vaccinated against meningococcal disease is the best way to prevent this serious illness, which can quickly become deadly," said Dr. Jose Romero, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "Because of the outbreak in Florida, and the number of Pride events being held across the state in coming weeks, it's important that gay and bisexual men who live in Florida get vaccinated, and those traveling to Florida talk to their health care provider about getting a MenACWY vaccine." MenACWY is shorthand for meningococcal vaccine. The CDC is also emphasizing the importance of routine MenACWY vaccination for people with HIV. Meningococcal disease can affect anyone. It includes infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and the bloodstream. Vaccination is the best protection against it. To find out where to get the shot, call your health care provider, pharmacy, community health center or local health department, the CDC suggests. Insurance should pick up the tab for those for whom it is recommended during an outbreak. During the outbreak, anyone in Florida can get a free MenACWY vaccine at any county health department. If you have symptoms of meningitis, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms can appear suddenly. They include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea/vomiting or dark purple rash. The symptoms can first appear as a flu-like illness, but typically worsen very quickly. The bacteria that cause the illness are spread through respiratory and throat secretions (saliva.) Typically, spreading these bacteria requires close or prolonged contact, such as kissing or being near an infected individual who is coughing. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on meningococcal disease. SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, June 22, 2022 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions A man entered Kanku's at 301 E. MLK Blvd. and walked to the back of the store where the beer is kept in cooler door shelves. He helped himself to two beers and walked back out of the store, never stopping at the counter to pay. The owner of Kanku's didnt want to press charges but wanted him located and trespassed. Police located the man at E. 11th Street and Baldwin Street and notified him of his newly obtained trespass for life from Kanku's at 301 E. MLK Blvd. * * * Police received a call from the Westin at 801 Pine St. about a broken window. Upon arrival police observed a shattered window in room 501. Hotel employees were unable to determine how the glass was damaged. * * * A man on E. 36th Street told police a man has been coming on his property in a Ford Explorer stealing stuff from this address. He didnt know the mans name. He will call back in later to give police his name. * * * A woman on W. 38th Street told police she was in a verbal altercation with her cousin at an unknown earlier time. The woman said she had left the residence and left her cell phone there. She last knew her cousin to be at the residence where she had left her phone and was requesting police to respond there to assist in getting her phone back. An officer attempted to make contact with her cousin at the residence and she was no longer there. The woman attempted to locate her phone using a cell phone application but her phone appeared to have been turned off. She said her cousin doesnt live at this residence and will be requesting a disorder prevention at a later time at her cousins residence to see if she can locate her cell phone. With the last known location of the womans phone being the residence on W. 38th Street, and no way to determine the whereabouts of her phone, at this time the womans phone will be considered lost property. * * * A man at the Econo Lodge at 150 Browns Ferry Road called police and said he was in a verbal disorder. Police arrived and spoke with the man who said he had just got a room for the night and felt uneasy about the adjoining door. He felt unsafe and wanted another room but the manager wouldn't listen to him. Police spoke with the night manager who said he was never approached by the man and would gladly give him another room. The man said this was fine and accepted the room and both went their separate ways. A woman on Chamberlain Avenue called police and said someone stole the license plate off her 2015 Kia Soul. * * * A man on Tremont Street reported to police that overnight someone had knocked his 2022 Honda CB1000R over onto its right side, causing damage. * * * A woman on Cushman Street told police she had registered and ordered a free government cell phone. She never received the phone and when she called the person back that was to have sent the phone, they told her she needed to file a police report to get a new phone. She gave the officer the case number she said was created by the supplier of the government phone. It is not known when and where the phone was lost. * * * A woman on Towerway Drive called police and said this girl" hacked her Facebook page and got her driver's license. The officer asked her why her driver's license was on Facebook, and she said that it wasn't. The officer asked how Facebook was involved, and she said her page was hacked and does not know how "this girl" got her license from Facebook. She said she was at a party last night and her friend showed her a picture of her driver's license and told her she got it off of Facebook. The officer asked for the name of "this girl" and she wasn't told the girl's name. She said "this girl" is using her ID asking for money on cash app. She has not seen this but was told at the party last night. She wants a report made about all of this. * * * A city employee was working the street sweeper on E. 11th Street and found a wallet and turned it over to police. The ID belongs to a man who lives in Ooltewah. An officer requested a county unit to check the address for the owner so it can be returned to him. If the owner is not located, the officer will turn the wallet into property. Many more people are moving into Chattanooga than moving out, according to the 2021-2022 Tennessee Migration Report prepared by the site moveBuddha. After examining all searches for moves into and out of Tennessee, they found that Chattanooga could see as many as 306 moves in for every 100 out making in the #1 city in the state for highest inflow. Other key findings include: Hamilton Flourishing continues to organize a, Solemn Assembly of Prayer, a time for the nation to join in prayer for The Supreme Court Justices as they deliberate Roe v Wade. The community will join tens of thousands of people across the nation on June 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Calvary Chapel Chattanooga, 3415 Broad St., to show solidarity through prayer for the country to take a stand for life and the unborn. Local and national speakers will lead this time of prayer. A live broadcast will be made available with the link promoted prior to the event. "A solemn assembly is when the people called by God gather to pray and repent for their nation because of current and impending divine judgement, (see Richard Owen Roberts booklet, The Solemn Assembly), said Doug Daugherty, president of Hamilton Flourishing. The impending decision on Roe v. Wade is such a time. The decision is critical to our nation, the states, the people, the land, the mothers and fathers, the church and the unborn. Next week, a professional shofar will be blown in four key places around the Chattanooga area welcoming and declaring the Solemn Assembly of Prayer. Each place holds historic significance for the city. They include Orchard Knob Civil War Park, Bragg Reservation on Missionary Ridge, Point Park and Signal Point. The shofar will also be blown to start the service at Calvary Chapel on June 30 at 6:30 p.m. "If the Supreme Court declares a ruling on Roe v Wade prior to the June 30 event, we will adjust accordingly and have a prayer of celebration or supplication for our unborn, said Mr. Daugherty. Co-sponsors of this national gathering include: Hamilton Flourishing Calvary Chapel of Chattanooga Right to Life of Greater Chattanooga National Memorial to the Unborn Partners for Christian Media, J103 National Prayer Committee Intercessors for America Susan B Anthony List Family Action Council of Tennessee American Value Gary Bauer Congressional Prayer Caucus Lou Engle and the Call Students for Life Many other national and political leaders For more information, please visit HamiltonFlourishing.org or email HamFlourishing@gmail.com. To view service virtually visit: calvarychatt.online.church A woman who pled guilty to homicide by vehicle in the first degree has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Lookout Mountain Judicial District Attorney Chris Arnt said Caitlin Elizabeth Milam, 22, is to serve eight years of the term. She appeared before Judge Brian House at Summerville, Ga., on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the homicide by vehicle as well as DUI, failure to maintain lane, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, speeding, and reckless driving on Monday. DA Arnt said Ms. Milam spent most of the night of March 14, 2020 partying with friends. In the early morning hours, her white Dodge Avenger was seen driving at an extremely high rate of speed past two witnesses at Mount Vernon Mills. Shortly after being seen at Mount Vernon Mills at approximately 6:30 a.m. traveling southbound toward Summerville, she crossed over into the northbound lane on Highway 27 and struck a vehicle being driven by Haley Smith, 22. Ms. Smith was on her way to work that morning. Ms. Smiths vehicle was overturned and she suffered catastrophic blunt force injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Ms. Milam was found to have a blood alcohol level of .206 (the legal limit is .08) and a toxicology report showed that she had cocaine and a sedation hypnotic in her system. Evidence downloaded from the Dodge Avenger showed that five seconds prior to the accident Ms. Milams speed increased as the steering wheel was turned to the left and the brakes were never used prior to the accident. Witnesses at Mount Vernon Mills, nearly two miles from the accident, said they heard the accident occur and described the accident as sounding like an explosion. DA Arnt stated, We are proud to finally secure justice for Haley. Due to COVID and other issues, this case took too long to secure justice for Haley and her family. But I am proud of my entire Chattooga County team for keeping constant pressure on the system to ensure this case was resolved. Without their diligence and hard work to expedite the case, this case might still be open. The case was investigated by Troopers Stephen Langham, Jonathan Maxwell, Logan Gass, and Scotty Smith of the Georgia State Patrol. Members of the Chattooga County Sheriffs Office including Chief Investigator Jason Burrage also assisted in the investigation. Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit (LMJC) Assistant District Attorney Clayton Fuller was the lead prosecutor on the case and gave the closing argument in sentencing. He was assisted by Victim Advocate Cara Parris, Administrative Assistant Jennifer McLamb, and Investigator Eric Sliz. DA Arnt said, My team will never tolerate a person getting in a car under the influence of alcohol and drugs and taking an innocent life. The Georgia State Patrol put together a strong case and Im so proud of my team for never ceasing to pursue justice for Haley and her family no matter what obstacles they faced. Despite a drop in patient volumes associated with lingering concerns over COVID-19, Erlanger Health System officials are projecting $24.1 million income from operations over expenses for the upcoming budget. The projected operating margin is 2.1 percent. However, the hospital is seeing rising debt associated with a planned $75 million loan from First Horizon Bank for certain capital expenditures. The debt will increase up to $75 million from $173,810,602 to $248,810,602. The capital budget request listed in the budget is for $41 million. The budget for 2022/2023 foresees net patient revenue of $1,140,223,269 - up from $1,097,991,318. Projected excess revenue over expenses is $16.4 million. The "other operating revenue" line in the budget for 2020/2021 was at $60,218,810 at a time when substantial federal COVID funds were being received. That line dropped to $33,991,377 in 2021/2022 and it is put at $26,700,521 for the new budget. Salaries and benefits rose from $570 million in 2020/2021 to $591.7 in 2021/2022. They are projected for a steep rise to $642,075,935 in the upcoming budget. The hospital has had a $50 million line of credit with First Horizon and has not had to draw on it. That will be taken down to a $25 million line of credit. The budget was presented at a meeting of the Hospital Board's Finance Committee. It was the first board session in which former CEO Will Jackson was absent. Hospital officials announced recently they were parting ways with Dr. Jackson. China adds 1.48 million full-time teachers in ten years Xinhua) 10:17, June 22, 2022 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China has recruited 1.48 million more full-time teachers for the country's compulsory education over the past ten years, bringing the total number of such teachers to 10.57 million, statistics released by the Ministry of Education showed Tuesday. China now has 158 million students in 207,000 schools for the nine-year compulsory education. The compulsory-education retention rate reached 95.4 percent, up from 91.8 percent in 2012. China's nine-year compulsory education includes six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school, with free tuition. Over the period between 2012 and 2021, China's compulsory education has achieved a balanced development at the county level based on full coverage, said Lyu Yugang, an official with the ministry, at a press conference. Lyu added that all students that dropped out due to financial reasons were identified and helped back to school timeously. The country has also focused on equal education rights for children with disabilities. In 2021, about 920,000 students were studying in the country's special education institutions, up 142.8 percent from ten years earlier. A nutrition improvement program for rural students benefited 37 million children each year, helping the rate of relevant students passing the physical health tests increase from 70.3 percent in 2012 to 86.7 percent last year. Over the decade, all-level governments have invested more than 1 trillion yuan (more than 149 billion U.S. dollars) to close the gap between urban and rural school conditions and ensure all compulsory education schools have internet access. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Ryan Andrew Contreras, 28, of Dalton, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge William T. Boyett to serve two consecutive life sentences, one without the possibility of parole. The sentences are for kidnapping with bodily injury and rape for which Contreras was convicted following a jury trial on Feb. 23. Contreras also received 20 years for family violence aggravated assault, 10 years for false imprisonment, and 12 months each for family violence battery and cruelty to children in the third degree. The non-life sentences were ordered to be served concurrently with the rape sentence. Contreras was represented at trial by Dalton attorney Richard Murray, and at sentencing by Atlanta attorney Mark Yuracheck. The state was represented at trial and sentencing by Assistant District Attorney Meg Deitz Parker who runs the District Attorneys Domestic Violence Unit. The sentencing had originally been scheduled in March but had to be postponed due to a pre-sentence investigation not having yet been completed by the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (State Probation). Contreras was on bond prior to trial but has been in custody since his conviction in February and will remain in custody pending transport to the Georgia Department of Corrections. The East Ridge Police Department invites all residents and business owners to a community meeting on Thursday, July 21 from 6-8 p.m. at the East Ridge Community Center. "We will talk about some programs started over the past couple of years that we have not been able to present due to COVID," officials said. "The Department would welcome your input as to what you would like to see us accomplish moving forward. Our mission is to create a safer East Ridge for our citizens and visitors by reducing crime, preserving the peace and protecting lives and property. We will be asking for your ideas on how we get there together." Last July, Bob Odenkirk had a small heart attack while filming an episode of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul. The actor collapsed in front of his co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, with whom he had grown very close over the years. Luckily, Odenkirk survived the incident and made a full recovery. Seehorn recalled the terrifying day when she saw her co-star collapse on set. Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images Bob Odenkirk collapsed while filming an episode of Better Call Saul While filming an episode of the final season of Better Call Saul, Bob Odenkirk collapsed on set from a heart attack. Id known since 2018 that I had this plaque buildup in my heart, the actor later told The New York Times. Odenkirk revealed that the doctors disagreed with his course of treatment. He heeded the advice of the doctor who told him he could wait to start medication. This worked out for a while, until, one of those pieces of plaque broke up, Odenkirk told the outlet. During a break from filming, Odenkirk went to play the Cubs game and ride my workout bike. He added, I just went down. The actor said that Seehorn later told him that he quickly turned bluish-grey. I had a great time having this talk, and expressing my personal disappointment in my anticlimactic near-demise!@latimes #TheEnvelope pic.twitter.com/xghbDWnlyB Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) May 20, 2022 Rhea Seehorn describes witnessing Odenkirks heart attack According to Variety, Seehorn and Patrick Fabian were chatting when they saw Odenkirk begin to collapse. We ran to catch him because its a concrete floor and didnt want him to hit his head, Seehorn told the outlet, and then realized that something much bigger was going on. We realized that he was having some kind of cardiac arrest. Better Call Sauls health safety supervisor, Rosa Estrada, and assistant director Angie Meyer arrived to administer CPR and hook Odenkirk up to an automated defibrillator. It took three tries to get a steady pulse back, Odenkirk told The New York Times. He was then taken to Presbyterian Hospital in an ambulance. That night Seehorn and Fabian invited many of their colleagues over to the house they shared with Odenkirk to support each other. I dont know that Ive ever heard anyone in my life as upset as Rhea was that evening, Better Call Saul co-creator Peter Gould told Variety. Im sure she held it together in front of people, but I think she was rocked in just a profound way. Bob Odenkirk on his heart attack: Hearing what Rhea [Seehorn] and Patrick [Fabian] did, kneeling down, Rhea holding my head, Patrick grabbing my handit sits with you, and it will resonate through the rest of my life. And our friendship will too. https://t.co/jllDgTenMD pic.twitter.com/FMgVdYgFRV Variety (@Variety) June 15, 2022 According to Seehorn, she and Fabian ordered a ton of pho from our Vietnamese restaurant while the group sat vigil. We were in shock, she adds. It was awful. We didnt know if he was going to make it, even after they got him to the hospital. I barely remember, but Im sure I had a lot of wine. Odenkirk is doing well following the near-death experience Luckily, Bob Odenkirk made a pretty speedy recovery. He was released from the hospital. In August 2021, the actor gave an update on his condition. I am doing great. Ive had my very own Its a wonderful life week of people insisting I make the world slightly better. Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but lets keep expectations reasonable! the actor wrote on Twitter. Eventually, Odenkirk was able to return to work on the final season of Better Call Saul. The actor doesnt remember what happened during his collapse but hearing the reactions of those who care about him was deeply moving. After hearing all the stories from all the people and hearing what Rhea and Patrick did, kneeling down, Rhea holding my head, Patrick grabbing my hand, them yelling at me to stay here, I mean, it was a massively impactful, devastating scenario that everyone participated in except for me, he told Variety. But having heard it, it sits with you and it will resonate through the rest of my life. And our friendship will too. Better Call Saul returns with new episodes of July 11. RELATED: Better Call Saul Season 6: Who Plays Kim Wexlers Mom? Royal Expert Explains What Prince Harry Did That Still Has Prince William Feeling Hurt and Wounded More Than Anything Else Prince William and Prince Harry once had a very close relationship so where things stand with them today saddens a lot of people. The siblings, who were always seen smiling and laughing whenever they were around each other, are now an ocean apart and there doesnt seem to be a reconciliation on the horizon. A royal expert believes thats because William is so wounded by what has transpired with his brother and claims that one thing Harry said stilll bothers the future king more than anything. Prince William looking on during a visit to the City of Derry Rugby Club | Tim Rooke Pool /Getty Images Expert gives take on what hurt and wounded William the most about rift with Harry The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said a whole lot about the royal family since they stepped down in 2020. But one thing they alleged is what a royal commentator thinks has hurt and wounded the Duke of Cambridge more than anything else. Express noted that royal expert Charles Rae spoke to GB News about the brothers once-close relationship and said: William is very hurt and wounded by things that Harry and Meghan have said. Particularly on the Oprah Winfrey [interview], the racist allegations. Rae opined because of that he doesnt think their relationship can be repaired as he cant see any way of it being solved. Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Princess Diana | Yui Mok WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince William had to answer a question about race Rae is referring to the explosive allegation Meghan and Harry made claiming that one senior member of the royal family wondered aloud what color the Sussexes sons skin would be prior to his birth. Not long after the interview aired, William and Kate were at an event where the prince was asked directly if the royals were racists. The Duke of Cambridge answered that they were very much not a racist family. But the damage was already done because whether Meghan and Harry were being truthful or not about what they alleged, they had put it out there for millions to speculate. William and Harry had little to no interaction the last few times they saw each other The first time Prince William and Prince Harry saw each other following the Sussexes bombshell interview in March 2021 was at their grandfather Prince Philips funeral a month later. Things were so frosty then that the brothers had to have their cousin, Peter Phillips, stand between them during the procession. After the service, Harry was seen making small talk with William and Kate outside the church. When the Duke of Sussex returned to the U.K. in July 2021 for the unveiling of Princess Dianas stature, the siblings put on smiles for the cameras but barely spoke to one another. And one body language expert observed William refusing to interact with his brother when Harry tried to engage him. In June 2022, both Harry and Meghan were in London for Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee celebration. During that trip not only did Harry and William refrain from speaking, but they didnt even make eye contact. RELATED: Royal Expert Believes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Wont Return to U.K. in the Near Future Because Wounds Are Very Raw The Umbrella Academy fans may have noticed Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan) mention Menudo in the Netflix series. The dish comes up in a significant scene in season 3 of The Umbrella Academy as well as another episode of the show. Find out what the dish is and why it makes sense that its Klaus favorite. [SPOILER ALERT: Major spoilers ahead for The Umbrella Academy Season 3. ] Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves, Aidan Gallagher as Number Five | Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix Klaus Hargreeves eats Menudo with his biological mom in The Umbrella Academy Season 3 The Umbrella Academy Season 3 reveals Klaus abilities go beyond communicating with the dead. Hes capable of dying and coming back from the dead himself. Javon Wanna Walton as Stan | Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix In the third season, Klaus seizes the opportunity to meet his biological mother, an Amish woman from Pennsylvania. She died in a mysterious accident, but Klaus speaks with her after he is accidentally killed by Stanley (Javon Walton). While sitting at a table on the beach, Klaus and his mother enjoy one of his favorite dishes, Menudo. Menudo is a hangover cure in Mexico Menudo, also known as pancita (little gut) or mole de panza (stomach sauce), is a Mexican stew. The primary ingredient is beef tripe (cow stomach). The stew also includes red chili pepper paste, hominy, lime, onions, and oregano. Its considered a hangover cure in Mexican culture. Klaus may not be of Mexican heritage, but his love of alcohol lends itself to his penchant for the dish. People believe that because its made from the stomach lining, the Menudo absorbs all the [alcohol] in your stomach, says Dan Garcia, vice president of operations and part-owner of Garcias Kitchen in Albuquerque, New Mexico (via 10 Best). I dont know if thats really true, but usually if you believe something works, it does. The Umbrella Academy Season 3 isnt the first time Klaus mentions the dish Previously, Klaus used drugs and alcohol to quiet his ability to speak to the dead. In the first season of The Umbrella Academy, Klaus works on his sobriety to better access his powers. In season 2, Klaus struggles with his sobriety. Klaus wakes up at Allisons (Emmy Raver-Lampman) house hungover in season 2 episode The Majestic 12. Shes panicking about her husband, Ray (Yusuf Gatewood), after the riot at Stadtlers Restaurant. Meanwhile, all Klaus can think about is the perfect hangover cure a bowl of Menudo. First thing were going to need is coffee, vitamin B12, and a piping hot bowl of Menudo and then were going to sort all of this stuff out, Klaus tells his sister. After regaling her with a fable about a scorpion and a frog that makes no sense, Allison walks away. In desperation, Klaus utters, Menudo Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves | Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix As a Mexican, I found [it] hilarious how Klaus wants some Mexican Menudo the number one cure for a hangover here in Mexico, said an Umbrella Academy fan on Reddit. While Allison goes after Ray, Klaus searches for Dave (Cody Ray Thompson), who he met in season 1 while he was in Vietnam. After failing to make a breakthrough with Dave and ultimately prevent him from joining the military to save his life, Klaus goes into a liquor store, buys a bunch of alcohol, and gets very, very drunk. See more from Klaus in season 3 of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. RELATED: The Umbrella Academy: Aidan Gallaghers Secret to Playing a 58-Year-Old Man in a 13-Year-Old Boys Body Global analytical science and device company Trajan Group Holdings Limited has announced the signing of a binding share purchase agreement and a real estate purchase agreement to acquire 100% of Chromatography Research Supplies, Inc. (CRS), a leading global manufacturer of high-quality analytical consumables based in Kentucky, USA. Having operated for over 25 years, CRS is a leading manufacturer of electronic and manual crimping tools, gas filters, ferrules, and injection port septa. Its products are used in analytical laboratories and various other industries worldwide and are known for their quality, ease of use and high levels of support. The acquisition is highly complementary to Trajan's existing product portfolio in the analytical workflow and consolidates Trajan's current market leading position in gas chromatography sample introduction, supporting the quality of flow path connection and sealing functions with two leading product lines septa and ferrules. CRS has been a long-term supplier of consumables to Trajan since Trajan's acquisition of SGE Analytical in 2013. In addition, the acquisition extends Trajan's portfolio via CRS' other product lines. Such product lines include tools that relate to sealing sample vials which are highly complementary to the Trajan Soltec business acquired in late 2018, and coating technologies that align strongly with Trajan's automation businesses Axel Semrau and LEAP Pal Parts which were both acquired in late 2021. Stephen Tomisich, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Trajan said: "The acquisition of CRS enhances multiple areas of our business and builds on our previous successful acquisitions to deliver comprehensive and best in class products in the analytical workflow." "Our market leadership in gas chromatography is enhanced with the addition of septa and ferrules components, as well as introducing a broader portfolio of products in other areas of the analytical workflow that build on our automation business. As with our previous acquisitions, we have partnered with CRS for many years, understand their business, and know precisely where they fit within Trajan. The acquisition is earnings accretive and able to be rapidly integrated. Importantly, our acquisitions are building on capabilities to achieve our vision of personalised, preventative, data-based healthcare." Trajan has a proven framework to identify, acquire and integrate complementary businesses into its infrastructure. This framework involves a 'founder friendly' approach which is driven by deep industry relationships, targets solutions within the analytical workflow that have the potential to become industry best standard, is complementary to one or multiple business segments, and provides accretive and strategic opportunity to enhance shareholder value. Utilising this framework Trajan has, over the past 11 years, built a strong track record of delivering acquisitive and organic growth. That process has accelerated since the Company's IPO in June 2021, having acquired laboratory automation business Axel Semrau GmbH in November 2021, microsampling business Neoteryx LLC in December 2021, and LEAP PAL Parts and Consumables in December 2021, as well as entered a strategic investment in consumer health monitoring with Humankind Ventures Ltd (trading as Forth) in November 2021. Acquisition consideration Trajan is acquiring CRS for US$43.3 million (A$61.9 million) through a share purchase agreement and a real estate purchase agreement, the latter being for the purchase of the land and building from which CRS operates in Kentucky, USA. The Company will fund the acquisition of CRS via a fully underwritten A$29.7 million Placement to eligible institutional, sophisticated, and professional investors, an acquisition debt facility from HSBC of A$20.0 million and A$13.4 million from existing cash. Completion of Trajan's acquisition of CRS is conditional on completion of the Placement and on Trajan satisfying customary conditions to drawdown under the HSBC acquisition financing facility. The Placement is being issued at an offer price of $2.00 per new share (Offer Price), which represents a 11.1% discount to the last closing price of $2.25 on 16 June 2022. The Placement will result in the issue of approximately 14.8 million new shares (New Shares), representing approximately 11.0% of Trajan's existing shares on issue. The New Shares issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing Trajan shares at their date of issue. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close There is a myth preventing tens of millions of children and families from thriving. The myth is this: children in orphanages dont have parents. Many have accepted this myth as fact and, as a result, jump to support orphanages and childrens homes. In fact, U.S. Christians give an estimated $2.5 billion to this type of orphan care each year. As long as this myth remains, efforts to help vulnerable children globally will fall short of finding the real answer to the problems these children face. The reality is 80 percent of children in orphanages and other forms of residential care have at least one living parent, and almost all have other relatives who could care for them. What keeps them apart arent intangible things, like love and connectedness. What keeps them apart are tangible needs that families feel they are unable to provideand the hope that those will be provided if their child is cared for elsewhere. Often, poverty is the kiss of death for family togetherness, as parents send their children to orphanages where they believe they will have access to food, clean water, housing, and schooling. The problem of course is that tangible itemsno matter how good they arecannot take the place of a family. I know this from experience. Growing up in Sierra Leone, I had a hard but full life. My parents were subsistence farmers who worked hard yet didnt have the means to send me to school. Our family was poor, but full of love. But when I was 7 years old, rebels came. When war came to my village, I lost my father, and I was separated from my mother. For nearly a year, I lived on the streets of a nearby town until workers from an orphanage came to help me. It was one of the most highly respected orphanages in the entire country. They gave me a safe place to live when I didnt have one. I was well-cared for and with their support was even able to attend college. Yet, I thought of my mother oftenI missed her and my father so much. I missed their reassuring presence and their endless love. The trauma I experienced being separated from my family is similar to what millions of children in residential care have also experienced. I did not know my mother was alive, but many children do know they have family, and they desire nothing more than to be reunited with their loved ones. The physical, emotional, and mental toll orphanages take on children into adulthood is well-documentedand equally devastating. These include, but are not limited to, attachment and trust issues, mental health struggles, and increases in criminal activity, the risk of being trafficked, and suicide rates. Many children are also subject to an increased risk of neglect and physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. For those who have a desire to help vulnerable children, my sincere hope is that stories like mine will point them to a better solution than supporting orphanages and childrens homes. Occams Razor Related to Orphan Care Occams Razor is a principle originally used in the scientific community that suggests the simplest solution is almost always the best. In pursuit of a simple solution to the orphan crisis, well-meaning individuals, churches, and organizations build orphanages. They work hard to provide the very best residential care possible for orphaned and vulnerable children. But what we really need is something radically differentand even simpler: family. The orphan crisis can only be solved when we center on strengthening families and safely reunifying children with their families as the solution. Note: Simpler here doesnt mean easier. Overcoming the barriers of poverty and the lack of opportunities that many families face takes creativity and collaboration as we work together towards success. Thankfully, many organizations, including my own, are now committed to getting children back into families, whether their own or local foster and adoptive families, as the only real way to provide a healthier and happier tomorrow for children who have been separated from their loved ones. At the age of 19, ten years after I entered the orphanage, I was reunited with my mother. From the day the rebels attacked, she had been moving from one refugee camp to another and dealing with lingering medical issues that resulted from the torture she had endured. I cannot explain what that moment meant to both of us when we first met. She fainted; I was overjoyed. Later, I became the director of the same orphanage I grew up in and began reflecting on my own experience. With the help of our staff and donors, we started shifting our work as a residential care facility to reintegrating children with their families. Now we strengthen and empower families and communities so parents never have to make that difficult decision to place their children in an orphanage. Discovering the true simplest answer to the orphan crisis begins with debunking the orphan myththat these children do not have living parents or family members. Once its globally recognized that we can solve the so-called orphan crisis by investing in families, providing resources, and caring for and strengthening those in poverty, we can move towards raising a generation of children who will thrive into adulthood. Having both their tangible and intangible needs met in a family, these children really will have a better tomorrow. The Better Samaritan blog is produced by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, a research institute which specializes in resilience and spiritual fortitude. To learn more and apply for a M.A. in Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership, visit our website Emmanuel Mohamed Nabieu is Director for Mission Advancement and Partnership at Helping Children Worldwide. The South Carolina supreme court ruled that the Anglican Church in North America must return 14 of 29 parish properties to the Episcopal Church. The congregations split from the Episcopal Church in 2012, taking about $500 million in church properties with them, after a general convention voted to allow blessings of same-sex unions. The state court ruled in favor of the breakaway congregations in 2017, but the decision was appealed. On second look, the court decided 14 of the disaffiliated parishes had agreed to a 1979 bylaw that said they held their property in trust for the denomination. United States: Woman claiming coerced baptism dies The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of a 42-year-old woman who was suing a sheriffs deputy for forcing her to get baptized. Shandle Marie Riley was pulled over in a traffic stop in 2019 and told deputy Daniel Wilkey she had a marijuana cigarette with her. She claims the deputy then offered her a choice: arrest or baptism. Riley chose baptism. The religious ritual was filmed by a second deputy. Riley later sued, claiming the law enforcement officers violated her freedom of religion. A Tennessee judge ruled in April that her lawsuit could go forward. One week later, Riley was found dead. Wilkey has also been accused of strip searching people on the side of the road and faces multiple civil lawsuits and criminal charges in Chattanooga. Dominican Republic: Evangelicals call for police reform The Confraternity of Pastors of Evangelical Churches of Ocoa is calling for police reform in the province capital after a 32-year-old man died in police custody. Medical personnel initially said Jose Gregorio Custodio was killed by a police beating but later changed ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. It was 2:30 in the morning on February 24 when Maksym Maliuta finally fell asleep. That night, he had been arguing with his college classmates, who dismissed warnings of a Russian invasion of Ukraine as Western media panic. No, Maksym insisted, the signs were all there: Vladimir Putin was building up to a massive military operation. Maksym had been asleep two hours when his phone rang. Russian airstrikes were raining on cities across Ukraine, his cousin called to tell him. Maksym went online and found a video of missiles exploding in Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city. Then he went into his parents room and woke them with the news: Putin was attacking their country. When Maksym walked to the bathroom to wash up, the shock finally splashed him full in the face, and he began shaking. The possibility of a Russian invasion had been looming in his consciousness since he was 10, when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. And yet, it seemed unreal when it actually happened, like a nightmare that finally came true. It should have been a relief that the Maliutas were, in fact, half a continent away from their home in Kyiv. Maksyms father, Ruslan, works with international evangelical ministries, and whenever people outside of Ukraine asked for his thoughts, Ruslan had answered, War is possible, but unlikely. But in mid-January, while on a prayer walk, Ruslan began wondering if, as a father of five children, he ought to prepare an evacuation plan, just in case. He reached out to a friend who owns a chalet in the Swiss mountains. That friend offered the chalet as a temporary safe place to his family but advised, If I were you, Id think about coming soon. Until then, the idea of leaving Ukraine had been hypothetical. But as Ruslan and his wife, Anya, prayed, they felt a nagging sense that they shouldnt wait. They needed to go soon. Within a few days, the Maliutas piled their luggage into the family van and headed toward Switzerland with mixed feelings. Ruslan wasnt sure what to expect; they could return home in a month or never see home again. Anya expected they would be back in two weeks. Maksym, their 18-year-old oldest son, was the most pessimistic: He feared war could erupt at any moment, that bombs might strike Ukraine before they even made it out of the country. When they finally crossed the Ukraine-Hungary border, he felt relief, then sadness. I had a very strong feeling that were not going to be back home for a long time. Image: Photo by Joel Carillet for Christianity Today A month later, when the invasion began, the Maliutas had temporarily relocated to an Airbnb in southern France because of a scheduling conflict at the chalet. They were turning it into a mini seaside holiday, hiking and strolling on the beach. But word of the war, 1,800 miles away, arrived like a storm cloud and blotted out the beauty and warmth of the French coast. For hours, Ruslan and Maksym fixated on their devices, watching their country turn to smoke and rubble. It felt surreal. Ruslan recognized a building that was ripped apart by a missile: It was a short walk from the hospital where all five of his sons were born. A friend called to tell them he was fleeing Kyiv with his wife and son, without a clue where they were going. When a garbage truck pulled up near the house making loud popping sounds, Ruslan jumped in fright. As the family finally went out for a walk to take a break from the news, Ruslan gazed at the happy people at the beach, uncomprehending, feeling as though he were observing life through a screen. There was a crystal-clear sense that life has changed. Article continues below For tens of millions of Ukrainians, February 24 sliced time into two eras: before and after. For Ruslan and Maksym, the weeks after felt like one unending, nightmarish day. But the family had a decision to make: How would they respond? Who would they become in the new era? Ruslan recalled Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, who once observed that those who found meaning and purpose were able to survive the horrors of concentration camps, whereas those who clung to unrealistic optimism or gave in to despair were doomed. We are living in a time of big changes, Ruslan said. We dont know whats coming, but we need to be ready in terms of our relationship with God, our priorities, the foundational thingsunderstanding what those are, and what it means to be ready for whatevers coming. Nobody is ever completely ready for war, even those who take precautions. On paper, Julia Sachenko was more ready than most. She leads the Ukraine branch of A21, a global antihuman trafficking organization. Because Sachenko and her team work for an international group, A21s security staff worried that, should Russians occupy Ukraine, they might suspect Sachenko and her team were spies. A21 advised Sachenkos team, including spouses and children, to relocate from Kyiv to a country house 25 miles outside the capital. On February 12, the entire staff moved into that house and began working there together, not knowing what to expect. When nothing seemed to happen, they got antsy, missing home. Sachenko convinced them to stay put until February 25. But on the 24th, Russian troops entered Ukraine. Sachenko and her team hastily packed their bags. She had two suitcasesone stuffed with clothes for her and her children, the other with work documents. Her husband helped her carry their two boys, ages four and six, to her Volkswagen Tiguan. They looked up at the missiles flaring overhead. Then they kissed goodbye. They had previously agreed that should something happen, he, a pastor in Kyiv, would stay behind with his congregation while Sachenko took the kids to safety in Poland. Image: Photo by Joel Carillet for Christianity Today For her boys, Sachenko tried to pretend like they were on a road adventure. But she could barely see the road through her tears. A staff member riding with her read Psalm 91 over and over: I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. More than 6 million refugees have fled Ukraine, while more than 7 million are internally displacedabout a quarter of the countrys entire populationa scale of human suffering and forced displacement that, according to the United Nations, far exceeds any worst-case scenario planning. Sachenko is one of more than 3 million refugees who crossed the border into Poland, a country of 38 million, where refugees from Ukraine are eligible for work permits, free health care, schooling, and bonuses for families with children. The vast majority of them are women and children arriving unemployed, bereft, and traumatized. Most say they plan to return home. But even if the war ended today, it would take months and years for some to go back while Ukraine rebuilt its economy and infrastructure and removed the land mines scattered like confetti across its terrain. Even when the war has seemed to abatesuch as in early April, when the Russian military retreated from the northern regions to focus assaults on the south and the eastmany refugees said they feel stuck in limbo. They dont know when its safe to return home or what to do in the meantime. Article continues below Sachenko was still in her car when she realized exactly what shed be doing during her exile. It took her and her team two days and two nights to clear the Hrushiv-Budomezh border crossing. The line of cars there was more than two dozen miles long. Sachenko estimates they traveled about 20 inches every 20 minutes. While her kids dozed fitfully in the backseat, she pinched herself awake in the dark. They relieved themselves behind bushes that stank of human excrement and dined on cookies and chocolate until a local man offered them hot borscht, tea, and hard-boiled eggs. At the checkpoint, Sachenko was troubled by the huge and chaotic crowds, mostly women with children lugging suitcases and backpacks. People pushed against each other, kids sniffled and cried, and husbands and fathers hugged their families goodbye as border guards turned away adult Ukrainian men, most of whom are prohibited from leaving the country in case theyre needed to fight. Sachenko saw strangers in private cars offering rides all over Europe. After more than 10 years in anti-trafficking work, her trained eyes flitted among all the signs of trafficking risk. Many of these strangers acted out of kindness and compassion, but how many were predators, pouncing on a litter of desperate, vulnerable victims willing to accept any help? She recognized a critical need thenone that her team was uniquely positioned to fill. Sachenko and her staff spoke Ukrainian and understood the mindset of wartime refugees, since they were becoming refugees themselves. Now here they were, entering the country that was receiving more Ukrainian refugees than any other. When they finally crossed into Poland, the face greeting them was no stranger: The pastor of Zoe Church in Warsaw had waited for them at the border for two days in below-freezing weather. By the time Sachenkos team made it to Warsaw, Zoe Church had booked hotel rooms for them and would soon find them an apartment. A staff members daughter had turned eight and Sachenkos son had turned seven at the border, so the pastors family prepared a chocolate birthday cake, presents, and chocolate eggs for the childrena small gesture that sparked delight in both kids and adults. But Sachenkos mind was already turning toward vulnerable refugees who didnt have a welcome team awaiting them. She committed to staying in Poland at least six months to do what she could to help. I dont think God brought us to Poland by chance, Sachenko told her team. We are here for such a time as this. They had work to do. For such a time as this. I heard this phrase often during my reporting. War may be senseless, but the Christian response has profound, eternal implications. The church has always preached, Love God, love people, said Czeslaw Kusmider, a pastor in Przemysl, Poland, whose congregation worked around the clock to host more than 40 refugees a night. Now God is saying, I want to check the love that you say you have for me and people. Were not just saying it anymorewere doing it. Polish pastors say they dont know of any church in Poland thats not in some way helping Ukrainians. In many towns, churches were the first responders: They retrieved refugees from the border; fed, clothed, and housed them; helped enroll kids in school; connected them with churches in other cities; prayed for them; and baptized them. Though most churches lack the resources of government bodies and international aid groups, when banded across cities and countries and denominations like a railroad network, they were able to act instantly, evolving their services swiftly and effectively without being encumbered by government bureaucracy. Article continues below Many churches in Poland have small congregations; some can barely afford a full-time minister. Gods Light Church in Lublin, for example, has only 30 members, mostly college students and fresh graduates. When I visited, they were housing about 60 refugees a night in four different locations. How does a 30-member church host a group twice its size? Jan Lukasik, 22, smiled and flexed his arm: We have very strong faith in God. Lukasik and his Ukrainian wife, Ania, got married in January. Since February 24, Anias cellphone has been buzzing nonstop with messages from Ukrainian refugees. She quit her job as a child psychiatrist to serve them full time. The day I met the Lukasiks at one of the church-run shelters, Anias phone was still pinging every few minutes. Putin took my wife, Jan half joked. Image: Photo by Joel Carillet for Christianity Today Gods Light Church holds prayer meetings every evening at its four sheltersrooms in office buildings and an apartment. Volunteers share the gospel or offer prayers whenever they can. Ania said at first she was nervous that people would resent God, asking why he would allow such terrible things to happen. But nobody did, and nobody rejected offers of prayer. In times of death and suffering, she said, God is the only hope. We see all this evil around us, but we also see God in peoplepeople who are neither rich nor powerful but still do everything they can to share the love of God. All over Poland, churches have doubled in size. Everyones a believer now, said Andrii Kokhtiuk, a pastor in Zabki, a town northeast of Warsaw. Theyre all crying out to God. The soil is ripe for growing and planting. Some Christians feel God is using Ukrainian refugees to bless the Polish people. Less than 0.1 percent of the Polish population identify as evangelical Christians, and though a majority identify as Roman Catholic, less than half regularly attend mass, and many view Catholicism as just part of Polish culture. Meanwhile, Ukraine has been an incubator for evangelical megachurches, seminaries, charities, and missions since the 1990s, after the Soviet Union dissolved. While many European countries secularized, Ukrainian churches sent thousands of missionaries to Russia, Central Asia, and Europe. Now many of these evangelicals are being scattered in a mass exodus from Ukraine. Were involuntary missionaries to the whole of Europe, Kokhtiuk said. Jonasz Skrzypkowski, whose father pastors Chem Baptist Church in Chem, a city 15 miles west of the Polish-Ukrainian border, said he was amazed by the faith of the refugees. He met one couple in their late 60s who crossed the border from Irpin with their two granddaughters. They had just bought a house with their entire life savings, but Russian shelling smashed that house like a cookie. The couple didnt know where to go. But God knows our path, Skrzypkowski said they told him. They kept saying, Praise God, praise God. They had no resentment, no blame towards God. Can you imagine? Chem Baptist Church was the first in its area to open a refugee shelter. The first day, 20 people showed up. The second, 120. On the third day and every day for weeks after, 200 people came. At first, the 80-member congregation was apprehensive. They were already struggling to pay the church bills. How could they handle hundreds of refugees? Article continues below So we took a leap of faith, Skrzypkowski said. He used his credit card to purchase new mattresses. The little church served 350 hot meals a day through the help of local restaurants and neighbors. Thanks to donations, the church sent five trucks to Ukraine packed with food and supplies worth $40,000 per truckload. Its regular annual budget is $50,000. Image: Photo by Joel Carillet for Christianity Today God completely changed us, said Jonaszs father and the churchs pastor, Henryk. We woke up from our comfortable life. Now we truly understand what it means to be the body of Christ. The day I met Jonasz, he looked exhausted. He sank onto the steps in front of the pulpit, groaning. It had been a while since hed sat down. But he also looked hopeful. We pray God will use the people in Ukraine, he said, just like God used the Jewish diaspora from Jerusalem to spread the gospel to us. Ukrainians told me they are overwhelmed and encouraged by the outpouring of support and compassion from other countries. When Ruslan and Maksym Maliuta traveled to Poland to introduce me to churches and ministries helping Ukrainians, they gazed around in amazement. Wherever they turned at the Warsaw Chopin Airport, they saw people cheering for Ukraine, the yellow-and-blue Ukrainian national flag, signs and posters offering aid to Ukrainians, and social workers in bright vests speaking in Ukrainian. Even the flight attendants of their Polish plane had pinned the Ukrainian flag to their breast. It felt a bit like home, Ruslan mused. Besides his day job working with a global children and youth ministry called OneHope, Ruslan leads a special task force on Ukraine for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). So far, WEA is financially supporting about 20 evangelical denominations and church networks in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary based on Ruslans connections. That work, Ruslan knows, would have been far more difficult or even impossible if he were still in Ukraine, preoccupied with his own familys survival under siege. When he met me in Poland in March, he was officially there for the WEA. But he and Maksym also had personal goals: They yearned for some relief from their sense of helplessness and distance. Everyoneall Ukrainians who are not in Ukrainehave survivors guilt, Maksym told me. You feel like your whole nation suffers, and youre not there. Throughout the trip, I watched him scroll constantly through channels on the messaging app Telegram, silently reading about a hospital and school in Mariupol that were bombed, about the 96-year-old Holocaust survivor killed in Kharkiv. He absorbed the information with numbness. Logically, he understood the calamities of warbut the reality didnt quite hit him until he stood at a warehouse of emergency supplies bound for hot zones in Ukraine. There, volunteers wearing yellow Pray for Ukraine vests were packing medical supplies and first aid kits that would go to Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines. They forklifted pallets of canned beef, cooking oil, buckwheat, flour, sugar, and diapers into 10-foot trucks. Almost all these volunteers were Ukrainians, many refugees. That was when Maksym grasped the magnitude of the war: all this food, going to real people. To his people. When war broke out, the Pentecostal Church for Ukraine in Warsaw, a Ukrainian immigrant church, received so many donations from locals and other churches in Europe that boxes and crates spilled out of their rented church space. Before he had shipped a single truckload to Ukraine, lead pastor Oleksandr Demianenko knew hed need to rent an actual warehouse. Article continues below That warehouse is now a bustling hub for Ukrainians from all over the world. Refugees, missionaries, ministry leaders, and volunteers from Ukraine, North America, Estonia, the Netherlands, Spaina once-scattered diaspora congregates in this Warsaw building through a common identity, faith, and mission. The first several days after the war started, Demianenkos prayers were mostly tears. He cried for three days under the weight of death, suffering, and hopelessness. He canceled regular church services and called his congregation to pray. It was time to get ready for action. Since February 24, the cellphones of church members have been blowing up with calls and messages from churches in Ukraine requesting help. I couldnt even use the toilet, one deacon told me. He estimated he had received more than 5,000 messages in one month. Image: Photo by Joel Carillet for Christianity Today The church quickly developed a streamlined system for their warehouse. They built a coordination team. They kept a fast-moving waitlist of requests from church leaders for supplies and evacuation. They calculated the cost of each truckful of supplies and slashed costs by ordering products directly from factories. They also mobilized a network of churches from Europe to North America to send donations and supplies to the warehouse, provide transportation for evacuation, or offer shelters for refugees. Most days, Demianenko marches about the warehouse from morning till midnight, meeting with church leaders and coordinating each days route for the delivery trucks. Ive never seen anything like this before, he said. Before, everyone was fighting for bread for himself. Now, everyone is fighting to give bread. This, he declared, is extraordinary and supernatural. This is God. He grinned wide. And its only the beginning. We will be different after this. We will changehe tapped his hearthere. Demianenko said he believes God called him to Poland in preparation for this crisis. I didnt want to move to Poland, he recalled. He was comfortable in Ukraine. He owned a house, had a good ministry, and has three young kids and a wife who also didnt want to move to Poland. But God told me, You wont understand now, but in time, you will. All I knew was we had to prepare for something. That was about five years ago. Demianenko planted a church in Warsaw, then planted 17 more throughout Poland. The moment war began, this entire network of churches turned on right away, Demianenko said. We were ready because we were already so well connected. But he was clear that his churchs original mission has not changed: We will follow Jesus Christ. We will spread the gospel until Christ comes back. We will fulfill Gods will. We will love our enemieseven the Russians. Daily reminders of war puncture the buoyant energy at the warehouse. The day I met Demianenko, he had just gotten word that Russian forces allegedly fired at vans from his warehouse near Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv. One driver was killed, another was wounded and died later in the hospital, he told me. A refugee volunteer at the warehouse recently received news from relatives in Mariupol: His nephew had gone out to collect baby food and apparently walked into Russian artillery. His family collected his body parts and buried him in their yard. Article continues below These stories and the relentless headlines struck close to home for the Maliutas when they received a call from a relative in late April: A cousin of Ruslans wife, Anya, had died in Mariupol, perhaps in a building collapse. So had two of her children, reportedly shot by Russian soldiers. When people argued about the pros and cons of enforcing a no-fly zone or sanctions from the West, Ruslan would shake his head: Im so past theoretical discussions. When he moved among the sophisticated skyscrapers and giant, westernized malls of Warsaw, Ruslan remembered what his country has lost: This could have been Ukraine in a few years. At the Warsaw Central railway station, Ruslan stood for a long time on the second-floor balcony, looking down at masses of weary refugees. The train station used to evoke anticipation of adventure and vacation. But there, you could sense the apprehension, Ruslan said. None of them are there by choice. Their needs are critical and long-term, causing some to worry about the societal backlash as Poland groans under the weight of almost three million refugees streaming in. Im not too optimistic, said Bishop Marek Kaminski, who heads the Pentecostal Church of Poland, a denomination of 275 churches. Kaminski had been vocal about supporting refugees back in 2015 during the migration crisis, when Poland, along with Hungary, closed its doors to refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Opinion polls then showed that about three-quarters of Polish people disapproved of accepting refugees. Today theyre responding very differently with the Ukrainians, who share a similar culture, language, and background. Currently, many Polish people and leaders are moved by emotions, Kaminski pointed out, but what happens when those feel-good emotions dry out? On a personal level and as a society, we want to love our guests, but our lives have changed to a degree that we dont want it to. Yet the gospel calls Christians to a different kind of life, he said. In January, Kaminski had preached a sermon calling his church to become an apostolic church. He urged churches in Poland to pray globally: Its time for us to stop being concerned only with ourselves. Its time for us to look at other people. He didnt realize then that he was being prophetic. He added, Now, two months later, everyone is praying for Ukraine. Two months later, millions of relationships are being formed across nations. ... We became an apostolic church. This is our apostolic mission. In Warsaw, Julia Sach-enko is also busy with a missionand her life has changed to something she never wanted. Shes functionally a single mother, a refugee whos leading international antihuman trafficking awareness and prevention campaigns for Ukrainian refugees. Sometimes, in the middle of the day, Sachenko startles to a jolt of surrealism: Is this a dream? Am I really in Warsaw because my country is at war, separated from my husband while people are dying and trafficked? At times, Sachenko just wants a long, long nap. But we realize we cannot rest right now. Its not our time to rest. She believes her team has the specific skills, expertise, and experience Europe needs right now. If the A21 team took a break, relief and deliverance would surely come from other places, but what will happen with us? she said, referencing Esther 4:14. God has prepared us for such a time as this, and if we didnt do anything? I dont ever want to be in that position. Article continues below One night, after reading reports of indiscriminate violence in the regions around Kyiv, Sachenko told her husband how overwhelmed she felt. Her husband reminded her of Matthew 24 when Jesus told his disciples not to be alarmed by wars and rumors of wars. Weve gotten too used to a comfortable Christianity, he told her. Whats happening is terrible, but it makes him even more determined to serve and love those who are still alive. And I thought, Hes right. He is so right, Sachenko said. Image: Photo by Joel Carillet for Christianity Today As for Ruslan and Maksym, life in the era after February 24 has also changed. Maksym has stopped obsessively checking the news. Hes trying to find a new normal: taking daily walks, meeting deadlines for school. Hes engaging with friends in Ukrainenot just exchanging facts and news, as he realized he had been doing, but really listening to whats going on in their lives. On their last day in Poland, the Maliutas picked up Maksyms cousin, who had just crossed the border that day. Ruslan had been trying to help his brothers family get out of Ukraine, but his nephew, who would turn 18 in two weeks, could not wait much longer before he would be barred from leaving. He now shares a room with Maksym in Switzerland. During dinner, as Maksym and his cousin chatted excitedly, giggling and joking, I was reminded that Maksym is still an 18-year-old college kid. Its easy to forget how young he really is, how much the war has robbed him of that world-is-your-oyster optimism of youth. Before February 24, his life had stability. He had his family and home, a routine of classes and work, friends and summer plans, career dreams. But now, I dont know what will happen tomorrow, he said. In August, his family will have to leave the Swiss chalet. But to go where? Even as they struggle with survivors guilt, grief, and fear, both Maksym and Ruslan believe theyre there for a reason. Ruslan says hes encouraged to see Christians in Ukraine doing what a church in a country at war should do. Hes encouraged to see Christians in Europe doing what the church should do for sojourners, foreigners, widows, and orphans. And hes encouraged that he, too, has a role to play: Were where God wants us to be. Its a reminder that hes in charge. He decides where each of us needs to be stationed, and our best response is yes. Its a small part of what God is doing through the church, but I feel blessed that Maksym and I are able to come alongside others. Perhaps thats why, at the warehouse in Warsaw, despite the heavy presence of war, another presence is also tangible, one of hope and anticipationand even joy. My last night there, during a dinner of Dominos pizza and Neapolitan ice cream, Demianenko encouraged his group of volunteers to press on in faith: The Holy Spirit is making us look more like Jesus Christ. When we look like Jesus, we are showing others the way to Jesus. We dont understand everything, but we continue to trust in Jesus. One volunteer called out, God is good! The group chorused back, All the time! God is good! All the time! Sophia Lee is global staff writer at CT. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. This article is the first of a four-part series based on the upcoming book by Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas, The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History, 16522022. Pastors falling into sordid sin and trying to cover it up. Thats a recent news story and a 19th-century one as well. Americans then expected pastors to be trustworthy. When they were not, and even used abortion as a cover-up, newspaper readers groaned and said, There oughta be a lawand soon there were. Three clergy-propelled abortions in particular stand out for their legal impact. The first saga, in 1820, starred Ammi Rogers, a middle-aged Yale graduate and Episcopal clergyman in Connecticut. He seduced Asenath Smith, the 21-year-old granddaughter of a dying church member, and then had her drink a potion that would purportedly cause an abortionbut it did not. The next step was his use of a tool of some kind, which caused bleeding, intense pain, and then delivery of a dead child. That led to Rogerss arrest and a trial that displayed, according to The Norwich Courier, the clergymans baseness and cold calculating depravity of heart. In those days, jury members often proceeded by common law, not a specific statute. Everyone knew abortion was wrong, and books by doctors had noticed and attacked the growing threat as more young people moved to cities away from familial supervision. One doctor, John Bums, criticized those who viewed abortion as different than murder, and another, Dr. John Beck, those who stifle the birth in the womb. Jurors, though, did not have clear evidence for a verdict of murder, which was a hanging offense, so they found Rogers guilty of giving Asenath pernicious drugs. He received a two-year sentence in Norwichs jail, not the much-feared Newgate prison. Connecticut legislators wanted to authorize more severe punishment, so they passed in 1821 the first state law against abortion: Anyone who would cause or procure the miscarriage of any woman could be imprisoned for life in Newgate. The Rogers case received coverage in Connecticut and New York. In 1833, an even more sensational case on the MassachusettsRhode Island border received nationwide coverage. Ephraim Avery, a 33-year-old married Methodist minister, impregnated Sarah Cornell, an unmarried 30-year-old millworker estranged from her family. She then committed suicide or was murdered. Image: Illustration by Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons Dozens of newspaper stories and eight short books recounted her travails in the nine mill towns where she worked in a dozen years of loneliness. Journalists emphasized the danger facing young women, especially if (like Cornell) they had the curse of beauty and attracted men amusing themselves at the expense of young women. Cornells life as a rolling stone left her without friends and natural protectors or a proper outlet for her affectionate and confiding disposition. Cornell had told people that Avery was the father of her baby. Because Americans held pastors in such high esteem, reporters reflected public shock that Avery had converted the temple of the most high God into a detestable brothel. Another wrote, Heaven will reap its vengeful curses on the wretch. After 16 hours of deliberation, the jury found Avery not proven guilty, since Cornell had confessed unlawful intercourse with several men. The evidence to link Avery to the abortion was insufficient. Still, he had to leave the ministry, and pro-life advocates once again used a scandal to gain support, with five more states passing protective laws during the next several years. Article continues below By 1865, unborn children had wide protection, but adultery (especially in wartime) was common. Illinois pastor James Jaquess, 46 and married with two children, hired a doctor to perform an abortion on his young mistress in Kentucky, Louisa Williams. Officials arrested and arraigned Jaquess for procuring the death of Williams and procuring the death of the child within her. Newspapers across the United States reported his arrest because Jaquess had been a friend of Abraham Lincoln and the organizer of the Union Armys preachers regiment, one made up largely of ministers. Image: Illustration by Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons The Jaquess trial, delayed several times because of illness and the absence of crucial witnesses, was in the headlines in mid-May 1866, one week before the US Senate debated the 14th Amendment, which stipulated that state governments cannot deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Senators read the Daily National Republican, published in Washington with a front page stating that Jaquess was in disgrace. As Republicans pushed for passage of the amendment, journalists criticized Jaquess and also the demons of society, abortionists. Senator Jacob Howard, the amendments sponsor, said the 14th Amendment would protect any person, even the weakest and most despised. The 1864 edition of Noah Websters American Dictionary of the English Language defined person as a living human being; a man, woman, or child; an individual of the human race. Doctors proclaimed that unborn children were living human beings from conception. The amendments primary sponsor in the House, Ohio Representative John Bingham, had gotten his political start in 1846 as a district attorney south of Cleveland, so he was almost certainly aware of abortion tragedies over the years, including two local victims in 1864, Flora Jones and her unborn child. The Cleveland Daily Leader had attacked abortion and concluded, The fiends in human form who would commit it or wink at it, deserve the utmost penalties of the law. It might seem strange, especially since Jaquess was in the news, that no one in the congressional debates suggested or specified that person includes unborn childbut the talk of the Senate was the May 13 Memphis massacre. In that tragedy, mobs of white residents killed 46 Black people and burned down all 12 of the Black churches and schools in Memphis. State and local officials led the mobs. Memphis City recorder John Creighton urged whites to go ahead and kill every damned one of the n race and burn up the cradle. Northern Republicans were incensed: For the Civil War to not have been in vain, the Constitution needed an amendment that would protect individual rights not only against the national government but against state officials as well. The emphasis was on protecting Black livesbut legislatures in Ohio, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Florida, Illinois, and Michigan, just before or soon after their ratification votes, also passed or bulwarked pro-life laws. Its ironic that US Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun in Roe v. Wade based a national right to abortion in the 14th Amendments guarantee of liberty and ignored the right to lifes prominence in 1866. What happened to pastor James Jaquess, whose infamy contributed to the pro-life mood? Witnesses testified to his adultery, but without an eyewitness to Jaquess doing the actual procuring of abortion, the jury reluctantly declared him not guilty. Jaquesss wife and the Illinois public, though, found him guilty: She left him, and Jaquess didnt show his face in the state ever again. He went south and failed at growing cotton. He then headed to England and became involved in a scam that led to a 20-month British prison sentence. The despised minister died in Minnesota in 1898. Today we sometimes name laws after victims. Megans Law and Jessicas Law were reactions to terrible sexual violence. American abortion history is like that: The laws that grew out of tragedies did not attach to personal names, but they were still attempts to keep what happened to one person from happening to many more. Content adapted from The Story of Abortion in America by Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas, 2023. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Six months before I flew to Poland to report on Ukrainian refugees, a truck hit my mother-in-law, killing her instantly. Six weeks before I flew to Poland, I discovered I was 23 weeks pregnant. A lot was on my mind when I boarded the plane to Warsaw. I had just started a new job. My husbands grief was still raw, and I sometimes heard him crying in his sleep, dreaming vivid memories of his mother. Neither my husband nor I felt ready to become parents in less than three months. And there I was, unborn child tumbling in my belly, his rolls and jabs as turbulent as my thoughts and emotions. I tried to pray then, but all I could muster was: Oh Lord, how I need you. In times of war and hardship, we seek stories of extraordinary courage and resilience. As a Christian journalist, I wasnt sure what to expect in my reporting, but I knew what I hoped to find: powerful testimonies, inspiring images of the gospel at work, quote-worthy statements of faith. I found all of those things in Poland as I visited churches, refugee shelters, train stations, and border crossings. It wasnt hard to find heartwarming stories of the faithful: One Ukrainian pastor in Zabki, a suburb of Warsaw, invited more than 10 refugees to stay with his family in their tiny home. The day I visited his church shelter, Ukrainian refugee children gathered on the steps to sing a sweet Ukrainian hymn about Gods protection, forgiveness, and mercy. I also saw giant steps of faith. Almost every church in Poland is helping Ukrainian refugees, but most can only offer short-term stays. The Church for the City in Krakow realized they needed a longer-term strategy. At first, the church began praying about hosting 700 refugees for six months. But the lead pastor, Zbigniew Marzec, wondered, Why only 700? Why not shoot for 1,000? Why not stretch our faith and go bigger, without limiting God? Hosting 1,000 refugees for six months would cost $5 million. The church decided to pray for 1,000. Marzec chuckled as he told me their vision: To think that three weeks ago, we were struggling to buy sound equipment that costs $300! It warmed my heart to hear confident, definite statements of faith, to see self-sacrificing, purpose-driven Christians working on the front lines of war. I longed for that expression of faith for myself, especially as so many things were uncertain and heavy in my own life. But that wasnt the only expression of faith I witnessed in Poland. Not every Christian I met had a well-defined testimony, particularly the refugees whose lives have been torn apart by war, by loss, by a looming future of uncertainty and instability. One refugee I met, Daniell, broke down as he recalled his horrible year even before the war. His firstborn daughter was born with a permanently damaged brain due to a botched delivery. Sometimes she suffered more than 300 seizures a day, and Daniell and his wife had spent sleepless nights trying to keep their little baby alive. Because of their childs condition, evacuating Ukraine was near-impossible, even as shelling and bombing rattled their home. Through the help of other Christians, they were at least able to flee to Warsaw. Daniell didnt quote verses about God working all things for the good or testify about finding purpose in his sufferings, which have not ended. He recounted the past year with hollow eyes: We lived life as though already dead. But Daniell, too, has an expression of faitha real, living one. He continues to pray. He doesnt pray leap of faith prayers declaring healing over his daughter; his lips burned through miracle-seeking prayers long ago. And yet, he prays. There is a name he calls out to, even if his prayers arent red-hot passionate or peppered with statements of profound conviction and Bible passages. He prays because, he explains simply, I cant imagine any other way of living. His faith isnt anchored in mission, in purpose, or in the miraculous. It is more like breathing, even when those breaths sometimes rasp out in gasps. Article continues below While I was interviewing refugees, back home in Los Angeles, my husband woke up one morning alone and sobbed. It was his mothers birthday. She loved birthdays. She always went out of her way to make sure everyone felt special on their birthdays, and liked feeling special on hers, too. Had she been alive, my husband would have been receiving an email from her reminding him about her birthday. That morning, no email came. One of the hardest struggles for my husband was the senselessness and suddenness of her death. Your mothers in a better place with Jesus, people murmured, words that brought no comfort, only anger and confusion. But why? Why did it happen? Why like this, with no closure or greater meaning? Such was my husbands expression of faith: He wrestled, not just with grief, but with God. He couldnt perform his usual daily devotions. All he could do was turn on worship music and listen to words of praise and joy he didn t yet have the strength or heart to sing himself. In the several months after his mother died, I watched my husbands faith evolve. Its not as exuberant and self-assured as before. Its simpler now, quieter, humbler, but in many ways, a lot more authentic. I saw similar expressions of faith in the stories of some refugees. One refugee told me she used to pray fervently out loud for God to stop the war. She had believed the war would cease in a week or two, but as the weeks dragged into months and the body count grew, her prayer changed. It now bears the wounds of much more pain, and her tone and expectations are not the same. And yet, she still prays. Like Daniell, like my husband, she prays, even if its short and simple, because he is listening. My last day in Poland, I visited a church-run warehouse in Warsaw that was sending supplies to hot zones in Ukraine. It was a tense day. The Russians had just bombed a critical bridge to Chernihiv, blocking the only way across the river. Meanwhile, they had eight trucks, each full of about $40,000 worth of emergency supplies, stymied on one side of the bridge. The team at the warehouse decided to build rafts out of 50 barrels that would be sturdy enough to carry 160 refugees and several tons of food across the river. Volunteers were still discussing this when a white-haired Ukrainian missionary gestured to my seven-month-pregnant belly with a smile: Boy or girl? He beamed, then asked, Can we pray for you and the baby? We would love to pray. Its so important to pray for a new life. I was taken aback. I had not expected a busy group of Ukrainians, besieged with the stresses and logistics of war, to pause their day to pray for a stranger from America. The missionary called everyone immediately to their feet and they gathered around, placed their hands on my shoulders, and began praying in unison in Ukrainian, with loud voices and raised palms and pumping fists. I had no idea what they were saying, but I understood their hearts and I soaked it all in: beautiful foreign words of faith, of blessing, of love and joy over a new life colliding with the presence of death and grief. It took all my willpower not to burst out crying. I had not had much mental and emotional space to be still and pray. I didnt realize how much I had needed thisan expression of faith declared by someone else over me, for me, to me. On the flight back to Los Angeles, I felt like a dam had broken. I had left with a heart in turmoil and was returning with a heart full. What I witnessed was diverse expressions of faith in the body of Christ; each was rich and powerful and alive in its own way, but woven together, they portrayed the image of Christ in his full glory and beauty. And now, beholding the glory of the Lord, what other response could I have, but cry out? So I did. In my seat I prayed, Oh Lord, you are good. A cry, and a worship. And in my womb, the baby danced. He wiggled and jiggled, did the booty pop and a pirouettehis own expression of faith, I suppose. Sophia Lee is global staff writer at Christianity Today. As the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) discusses its response to abuse at its annual General Assembly this week, a case involving a pastor suing former congregants over allegations against him is making its way through civil court and the denominations own system. Dan Herron, a PCA pastoror teaching elderaccused of sexual harassment, says the women making claims against him are lying and has sued them for defamation. Several presbyteries have passed measures requesting the PCA intervene. For an accused teaching elder to sue his accusers in a civil courtit is ugly, said Steve Marusich, a pastor in the Central Indiana Presbytery who has been closely involved in the presbyterys investigation. The country got a glimpse of defamation cases around abuse allegations with the recent Johnny DeppAmber Heard trial, where the actor accused his former spouse of defamation over an op-ed that implied he had abused her. After the ruling awarding Depp $10 million in damages, some legal experts worried that more abusers would use defamation as a strategy to silence victims. The threat of such lawsuits could discourage victims from coming forward. While church disputes dont usually turn into legal fights, Herron is among several pastors and ministry leaders who have filed defamation suits in recent years. These kinds of cases are costly and often drag out for years, grinding down victims and denominations trying to separately enforce church discipline. Civil proceedings during a church trial mean that witnesses in the church trial might be afraid of testifying for fear of being sued, or of other consequences in the civil trial. Civil cases also require extensive evidence gathering that might interfere with a church prosecutors investigation. Filing a civil suitwe just do not do that, said Dave Haigler, a PCA ruling elder who works as a federal administrative law judge. I dont think theres even anything in the BCO [the PCAs Book of Church Order] about that; it just violates Scripture. Elders referenced among other Scriptures the admonition in 1 Corinthians 6 to not take believers to court. Haigler previously served for two terms on the PCAs Standing Judicial Commission (SJC), which is essentially a high court for presbytery disputes. Haigler cant remember the SJC taking original jurisdiction in a case like this, but this month the SJC agreed to try the case against Herron. That ecclesiastical investigation and trial will coincide with pastors civil case. Over the past year, as more congregants are speaking up about sexual abuse and spiritual abuse, some of the accused are likewise pushing back in court. In March, Colorado megachurch pastor Jonathan Wiggins of Rez.Church sued former staff and members for defamation over accusations that he was in a sexual relationship with an assistant pastor, among other allegations. The church leadership told the congregation it found no moral, financial, or doctrinal failure on Wigginss part. In June, a Maryland pastor filed suit against three people, his son-in-law among them, over a blog full of allegations against him, including that he had urged a victim of domestic abuse to stay with her husband. In Herrons case, two women publicly accused him of sexual harassment and bullying. Herron denies the accusations, and declined to comment to CT. The Indiana Daily Student, the student newspaper at Indiana University Bloomington, first reported details of the allegations in 2021. While attending Herrons congregation in 2018, Kara Million said the Hope Presbyterian pastor had repeatedly sought her out alone, physically cornered her, and in one instance pressed against her breasts for 10 to 15 seconds. Millions husband, Chris Baker, was an intern for Herron and said the pastor would regularly ask him about his wife. The couple left Hope at the end of his internship, according to the news report, and havent joined any church since. Abigail Gschwend Harris alleged similar behavior, saying that Herron sought her out alone and pressed his body against her. Gschwend Harris declined to comment for this article. Herron has denied their characterization of events, both in media reports and in the defamation lawsuit. In legal filings, Herron called such moments incidental contact without sexual intent. He alleges that the womens defamatory statements in podcasts, on social media, and in news reports (including leaked materials from private presbytery meetings) cost him a job and forced him to seek counseling. He now works at a health organization in Indianapolis, though he retains his ordination as a pastor. The women, former members of Herrons church, first sent their complaints to the Central Indiana Presbytery in 2019. After many twists, turns, internal fights, and complaints filed with the denomination, the presbytery concluded its investigation and reported in May 2021 that it found a strong presumption of guilt and recommended a church trial against Herron. The presbytery, which said it was investigating various reports concerning [Herrons] Christian character, did not say what the presumption of guilt was about specifically. A few weeks after the presbyterys report, Herron filed a lawsuit against the women and accused them of defamation and a campaign of harassment against him. The trial is set for 2023. Million has also countersued, alleging that Herron had defamed her by calling her a liar. Civil litigation versus ecclesiastical justice Meanwhile, the trial process within the presbytery slowed. Thinking of the witnesses in the church trial, Marusich said they might be less likely to share accusations against Herron with the threat of lawsuits hanging over them: If youre already being sued, are you going to go in there and tell people what happened? Some of them feel like the process is designed to wear them out so theyll quit. In February PCA pastor Josh Holowell, the prosecutor for the Central Indiana Presbyterys trial against Herron, resigned. He was frustrated with the slowness of the presbytery to act while a civil case was proceeding against the women. The decision, he said in a statement, was based solely on the inability of the Central Indiana Presbytery to render justice, and my own personal weariness from the constant opposition to the pursuit of justice and truth. He continued: The rules of discipline as laid out in the Book of Church Order have been ignored to the benefit of the accused on multiple occasions. The bias of this presbytery has made the rendering of justice in this ecclesiastical court impossible. How can an ecclesiastical process be fairly adjudicated while civil action against the witnesses is allowed to continue? My soul is weary, and I can only imagine my weariness pales in comparison to that felt by the accusers and witnesses in this case. Million told CT in an email that from the perspective of a victim, the PCA ecclesiastical process has been horrific and heavily biased in favor of the accused. Many of the people originally handling the case were colleagues and close friends of his, she said, adding that he was able to be involved in his own case while, as a woman, she could not participate in deliberations restricted to church officers. Elders in other presbyteries around the country began hearing through informal conversations about the Indiana case. Later this spring, four presbyteries (Korean Capital , Chesapeake, Northern California, and Northern New England) passed overtures requesting that the denomination should take over and hear the accusations against Herron itself. One overture from Northern California said Herron had been credibly accused of impropriety and that the defamation lawsuit constitutes clear evidence of TE Herrons intention to employ the civil magistrate to prevent his accusers testimony against him, and thus preclude or undermine the proceedings of the ecclesial court. The Northern California presbytery asked the denomination to investigate and try the case for the express purpose of defending the honor of Christ, clearing the public scandal, restoring the peace and purity of Christs Church, and providing the care of a true shepherd to [teaching elder] Daniel Herron and to his accusers. Though the PCA is not a top-down denomination, the BCO has a provision that a minimum of two presbyteries can ask for the denomination to take up original jurisdiction of a case in certain situations of public scandal. Haigler, the elder who sat on the SJC, knows the SJC has the power to be the judge and jury for pastors facing abuse accusations but he had never heard of the SJC taking original jurisdiction in a case like this Indiana one. But in June the SJC agreed to hear the case. The SJC is made up of PCA elders, many of whom have backgrounds as judges or lawyers. Haigler thinks the SJC is generally a good system for the PCA because it brings finality to disputes. But for abused women seeking justice? The SJC doesnt work for that very well, said Haigler because it is so focused on the technicalities of church governance. He believes there is room for the PCA to adapt on this. I dont think theres anything in the rules that says we have to be judicial and we cant be pastoral, he said. Multiple people involved in the Indiana case repeated that refrain, saying the PCAs approach to abuse tends to be more judicial than pastoral. The PCA has a reputation for its commitment to process and rules, which can drag out the simplest actions with amendments and points of order. Because churches are elder-led and all PCA elders are men, only men are involved in the decisions about complaints of abuse within a presbytery. The judicial process of this denomination is not trauma-informed in any way, said Marusich, one of the Central Indiana Presbytery elders. Im not saying, Im Mister Trauma-Informed. But I realized in a way I did not two years ago that we are not trauma-informed. Instead of elders within one local presbytery hearing abuse complaints, Marusich thinks the PCA should move to a synod-type system where elders from outside presbyteries handle abuse investigations and where women are involved in cases involving women. Almost always, the victims I work with say that [the church process] was worse than the actual abuse, said Ann Maree Goudzwaard, the executive director of Help[H]er, a local church-based effort to help women advocate for women in crisis within PCA churches. Goudzwaard also served on the PCAs Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault committee, helping create the report that the denomination just released. The [Book of Church Order] was never written with abuse in mind. The church trial could have a bearing on the outcome of the civil case. US courts are hesitant to weigh in on church matters due to church autonomy doctrine, an American legal principle that differs from the UK, where the church and government were one and the same. US courts dont want to be entangled in church matters. Lawyers looking at this Indiana case thought that the existence of an ecclesiastical trial would make courts less likely to want to intervene because a civil ruling would influence the church trial. But cases with pastors suing over abuse allegations have few precedents. During the Catholic Churchs abuse crisis, some priests filed defamation suits to counter allegations against them. In the case of a Chicago priest, a state supreme court tossed the suit in 2006 on the grounds that it was a church matter the courts couldnt intervene in. In a 2013 case, a man sued his ex-wife for defamation over comments she made about him in church tribunal. The court said the process of discovery alone would interfere with the churchs tribunal proceedings and dismissed the case. In that case, though, the woman had not discussed the supposedly defamatory statements outside of a church court. The dismissal of such cases tends to be about whether a court is drawn into a theological debate. Nathan Adams, an attorney with experience on church autonomy cases, said even Herrons letter of defense in the court documents contains a lot of religious material, like referring to a sermon he preached. Theres lots of stuff in the dispute that has a religious nature to it, he said. Adams said a pastor suing parishioners is unusual, but the involvement of the church in the dispute here means that Herron shouldnt be fighting former congregants in secular court. Even if the church process is flawed, the solution to a flawed process is to fix it. 206-year-old church permanently closes due to dwindling numbers, failure to attract younger members In 206 years, Christ Church UMC in Southwick, Massachusetts, has survived changes to its name, facilities and membership. After more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, members voted in May to permanently disband the congregation on July 1 due to their dwindling numbers, and the pastor decided it was a good time to retire too. The time has come for this congregation of Christs holy church to disband and take leave of this building, the Rev. Ken Blanchard said at the churchs final official service on Sunday, according to Mass Live. It has served our holy faith well. It is fitting, therefore, that we should take leave of this consecrated house, lifting up our hearts in thanksgiving for this common store of memories. This is my farewell to pastoral service. When the church was started in 1816 with just eight members, the faithful met in private homes and district school houses. The preaching was also done by Methodist ministers known as circuit riders because they traveled by horseback throughout numerous towns, a brief history of the church posted on their website explains. Over the years the community would grow in size and witness and untold number of important milestones for families. How many people have been baptized, confirmed, married, or buried from here? How many sermons, hymns, prayers, and acts of worship have flowed from the hearts, minds, and souls of its ministers, laity, and constituents? the church recalled in a note. There are also connections with the broader community. How many people ate at its various strawberry dinners, potluck suppers, or Mother's Day pancake breakfasts? Did you ever go to one of its rummage sales, auctions, holiday sales, or Meet the Candidates nights? How many lives were served by hosting meetings of the Alcoholics Anonymous, providing space for weight loss groups, or educational programs offered by the Southwick Historical Society? And what about sponsoring Scout troops and other community organizations? Carol Jones who passed out red carnations to the approximately 30 people who showed up for the final service said her connection with the church is deep. I was christened here, she told Mass Live. My brother was the treasurer for 40 years and then I was the treasurer for the next 10. Church officials explained in their brief history account that they had started to accept that they were at the end of an era around 2019. With diminishing numbers and an aging population, by 2019 church members began to recognize that we could no longer do what we once did, the note added. So we have come to the end of an era: the closure of the church on July 1, 2022. Jones said she saw the end coming, too, when all the younger people moved away. The kids are all gone now, she told Mass Live. They moved away and at my age what else could we do. Another member, Carol Locke, who has been a part of the church for 22 years agreed. She said much of the revenue-generating work of the church required younger people and the church is short of that. We are a very old congregation. Most of us are over 80 and we cant do the potluck dinners and the craft fairs and all that kind of stuff, she said. It has been (a big part of her life), but unfortunately, I think the time has come. Many churches like Christ Church UMC, have been making the difficult decision to close permanently because their membership isnt sufficient to sustain their operation financially. After declining for years, the First Presbyterian Church of Des Moines in Iowa, which had been in operation since 1848, held their last service in April because they were unable to recover from the membership losses they suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were declining and the pandemic killed us, said Kathy Smith, who had been a member of the church since 1984. Last December, the 221-year-old First Presbyterian Church in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, permanently closed its doors on Christmas Eve due to declining membership and attendance. The Potters House of Denver also announced plans in December to sell its $12.2 million megachurch in Arapahoe County, Colorado, and go completely virtual due to declining donations amid the pandemic. Chestly Lunday, an expert in innovative leadership who has helped churches and companies lead in the digital age, recently told The Christian Post that one of the biggest reasons behind the declining statistics in traditional church membership is that the younger generation and innovative Christians have migrated online while older adults refuse to adapt. What we're seeing [now] is the exodus of the late majority [from traditional churches], Lunday said. We're not seeing the exodus of early adopters [of technology], and the early majority of innovators. They've been gone already for a while. So what you're seeing now, like one major church, where pre-pandemic people were coming 1.4 times a month, now they're coming 0.8 times per month, meaning one of the best communicators in North America can't get somebody [in church] to tell [them about Jesus] once a month a year anymore. That's what that means. Christ Church UMC member Mabel Johnson, who is 92, was sad to see her church close but she has accepted that she has come to the end of an era. I was brought up in the Advent Christian Church in Westfield. That got sold, and now this, she told Mass Live. I guess when you are my age all you do is say goodbye to things, to people and things. UK art teacher banned from profession over 'suggestive' photo shoot involving topless teen students A British art teacher who was previously fired for allowing her female students some as young as 15 to pose topless for what she called an art project is defending her actions after she was banned from teaching. A panel on the Teaching Regulation Agency, which investigates misconduct and other matters involving British schools, recommended a prohibition order to the Secretary of State preventing Emma Wright from teaching in the United Kingdom indefinitely on June 10. Wright, 41, taught art at Huxlow Science College in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England, until 2018, when she was terminated for permitting a photo shoot involving minors posing topless to take place in her classroom. As explained in the document compiled by a professional conduct panel, Wright allowed one or more students at the secondary school to produce photographs featuring teenage girls holding cigarette(s) and/or alcohol container(s) and posing for pictures with their hands or alcohol containers covering their otherwise naked breasts for their art portfolios. Other photographs showed teens posing with their hand inside their underwear or in a pose which simulated masturbation, exposing their torso whilst wearing school uniform and posing in swimwear. School officials launched an investigation in December 2017 after the schools head of design discovered the student portfolios featuring students, who were under the age of 16 at the time, in suggestive poses. As a result of the investigation, Wright was terminated the following year. Wright admitted to the Teaching Regulation Agency that she had introduced an artist to the class who specialized in suggestive pictures. However, as noted in the panels report, Wright insisted that she told the students this did not mean for them to do suggestive pictures and told the pupils that she did not expect them to be naked, but to use their arm, face, or something. The report concluded that despite a low risk of repetition of such an incident, the panel did not find that Mrs. Wright had fully reflected on the safeguarding implications of allowing pupils to take photographs of themselves or others in a state of undress. Additionally, the panel determined that Wrights actions constituted a breach of the Teachers Standards. The panel found that Wright failed to uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by having regard for the need to safeguard pupils well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions. The Teachers Standards also call on educators to have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach and have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities. Before her termination, Wright taught art at Huxlow, located approximately 100 miles north of London, since 2004. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Wright reacted to the prohibition order: I really feel very strongly about it. I am really quite upset about it. It is a position I never thought I would be in. Those students were wonderful students. I have no bad feelings towards those students at all, she added. Calling herself a victim of deep injustice, Wright said she would not appeal the ruling. She now runs a care home. While Wright said she would no longer pursue teaching, she must wait until 2024 to apply to revoke the prohibition order. FBI investigating attacks against pro-life clinics as potential acts of domestic extremism The FBI is investigating the recent attacks and vandalism of pro-life pregnancy centers and churches as potential acts of domestic violence or extremism ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. A source familiar with the matter told The Christian Post that the FBI is looking into potential FACE Act violations in certain cases. The legislation makes it a federal crime to use force or threat of force to prevent access to reproductive health services. The bureau is also investigating violent crime matters depending on the facts of each case. "The FBI is investigating a series of attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centers and faith-based organizations across the country," an FBI spokesperson said in a statement shared with media outlets. "The FBI takes all threats seriously and we continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and will remain vigilant to protect our communities." Following Politico's report last month on a leaked draft majority opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case that suggests a majority of justices are poised to overturn Roe, multiple churches and pro-life advocacy organizations have been vandalized or firebombed by abortion extremists. The bureau opted not to comment on any specific groups carrying out the violence, but a spokesperson told The Washington Examiner that an inquiry is underway. Earlier this month, more than 100 House Republicans sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the attacks against religious organizations and pregnancy centers as acts of domestic terrorism. "We write to express serious concerns over recent attacks targeting religious organizations and crisis pregnancy centers and request the Department of Justice respond with how its National Security Division plans to investigate these acts of domestic terrorism," the House Republicans wrote. The letter argued that "terrorists have targeted numerous pro-life crisis pregnancy centers two of which culminated in the firebombing and destruction of property by the terrorist group Jane's Revenge in Buffalo, NY, and Madison, WI." The group of abortion activists identifying themselves as Jane's Revenge claimed responsibility for an attack last month on the headquarters of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison. An incident report compiled by the Madison police department stated: "A Molotov cocktail, which did not ignite, was thrown inside the building. It also appears a separate fire was started in response. Graffiti was also found at the scene. No injuries have been reported." Pictures of the vandalism posted on Twitter by Alex Shur of the Wisconsin State Journal depicted the phrase "If abortions aren't safe then you aren't either" painted on an exterior wall of the building and an office damaged by fire with books scattered across the floor. The abortion activists also allegedly firebombed one of the offices belonging to CompassCare, a network of pregnancy centers serving women in New York. The pro-life organization announced on June 7 that its office in Buffalo was "firebombed by abortion terrorists." "The windows in the reception room and nurses' office were broken and fires lit. Graffiti on the building left by arsonists refers to the abortion terrorist group Jane's Revenge, reading 'Jane Was Here,'" the statement reads. Jane's Revenge demanded in a June 14 communique that these organizations disband, threatening to take "drastic measures" for their refusal to comply. "From here forward, any anti-choice group who closes their doors, and stops operating will no longer be a target," the abortion activists wrote. "But until you do, it's open season, and we know where your operations are. The infrastructure of the enslavers will not survive. We will never stop, back down, slow down, or retreat," they continued. In an email obtained by the anarchist website Abolition Media, Jane's Revenge boasted that it had smashed the windows of two Detroit-based pregnancy centers. The group also left behind the message: 'if abortion isn't safe, neither are you' and 'fake clinic.' Jane will have her revenge." Another pregnancy center in Vancouver, Washington, was covered in red paint and had "Jane's Revenge" written on the front of the building. Pictures of the vandalism at Options360 were posted on Twitter by journalist Alissa Azar on June 9. Churches have also been vandalized since the draft leak last month. Jane's Revenge took credit for vandalizing four Washington State churches over the weekend of May 21-22. Abolition Media posted an email sent by the activist group describing the destruction of the churches. "Last night we vandalized four anti-abortion churches in Olympia," the email read. "A Mormon church, Calvary church, Harbor Church, and St. Michael's Catholic church all received facelifts in the early hours of Sunday morning. We dumped red paint over the entryways and left messages of 'If abortions aren't safe then neither are you,' 'Abort the church,' and 'God loves abortion.'" A picture posted on the blog showed the phrase "If abortions aren't safe then neither are you" and the anarchist symbol spray-painted on two sets of double doors at the front of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In another incident, Stephen Pimpo of WCBI News, a northern Mississippi-based CBS affiliate, reported on May 24 that Lowndes County Sheriff's Department was investigating the vandalism of Mt. Avery Missionary Baptist Church. Photos of the damage depicted the message "girls just want to have fundamental rights" spray-painted on the doors of the church. Other photos showed the phrase "Keep Your Laws Off My Body" spray-painted in multiple locations on the church's exterior walls. In May 2021, a report declassified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security named pro-life and abortion activists on its list of potential domestic violent extremists. The report stated that "domestic violent extremists (DVEs) who are motivated by a range of ideologies and galvanized by recent political and societal events in the United States pose an elevated threat to the homeland in 2021." The document maintained that "mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism" and "use of strong rhetoric may not constitute violent extremism, and may be constitutionally protected." Fort Worth Episcopalians vote to join Texas diocese after losing $100M property battle A group of Episcopalians in Texas who recently lost a legal battle with a breakaway diocese over church property valued at $100 million have voted to join another Episcopal diocese. The Episcopal Church in North Texas (ECNTX), formerly known as the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, unanimously approved a proposal Saturday to join the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. At a special meeting of the Diocesan Convention at Trinity Episcopal Church of Fort Worth, the ECNTX voted 69 to 0 in favor of a "reunion" with the Diocese of Texas. Bishop Scott Mayer said during a sermon that the special meeting was "not about closure" but "an outward visible sign of faith, hope, and love by a liberated people." "You did more than weather the storm. You did more than survive the journey. You chose life and love," said Mayer regarding the years of litigation over the Fort Worth Diocese property. "The communities and people you serve can testify that your presence and witness matters in this world. You make a difference. And you are great." The ECNTX vote came several days after the Episcopal Diocese of Texas's Diocesan Council voted 526-14 in favor of the plan, in which ECNTX would become the Houston-based North Region of the Diocese of Texas. The majority of the Fort Worth Diocese voted in 2008 to leave The Episcopal Church over a disagreement with the mainline denomination's progressive theological views following the ordination of the first openly gay Episcopalian bishop. The separation led to years of legal battles over trademark and property disputes. In February 2021, the Anglican Church in North America secured control of the Diocese of Fort Worth after several years of litigation against The Episcopal Church and ECNTX. The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a state court ruling allowing the breakaway diocese to take control of up to about $100 million in church property. Currently, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas has around 160 congregations and about 72,000 active members, while the ECNTX has 13 congregations and approximately 5,000 active members. In April, the Diocese of Texas and ECNTX released a joint statement announcing that they were pursuing reunification, as ECNTX originally was part of the diocese in the 19th century. "Just as they did in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 schism, the resilient faithful people of the diocese found new places to worship and missed not a beat in carrying on the vital ministries and outreach to their neighbors," the joint statement reads. "On April 12, the Standing Committee of ECNTX voted to engage in conversations with the Diocese of Texas about potential reunification. On behalf of the Standing Committee, Bishop Mayer reached out to Bishop Doyle with an invitation to visit ECNTX and open formal conversations between the dioceses." The next step in the process will be for the merger to be approved by the Episcopal Church General Convention, which is slated to meet in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 8-11. If both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies approve the reunification, it will become effective following the end of the General Convention. Megachurch pastor says it's 'very unloving' for Christians to affirm friends' LGBT lifestyles A Virginia megachurch pastor recently tackled questions about how Christians should respond to LGBT activism in today's society, stressing that Christians must "communicate truth in love" and not affirm their friends' LGBT lifestyles. Gary Hamrick, senior pastor of Cornerstone Chapel of Leesburg, took part in a question-and-answer session on June 8, where he answered a series of questions on a wide assortment of issues from illegal immigration to religious exemptions to vaccine mandates. During the discussion, one person asked how parents can guard their children against "the push for the acceptance of sexual fluidity in their generation and future peer groups." "It's unavoidable. All you can do as parents [is] pray a lot for your kids. And it is OK to shelter them as best as you can," Hamrick replied. "You do your best and you trust God to protect their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus." Hamrick said parents will often expose their children to ideas of gender fluidity and sexuality too early because they are fearful their children will be too "sheltered" from "the real world." "You can shelter your kids as best as you can. And they're still going to eventually have to come to grips with the evils of the world. But you don't have to expose them at an early age. That's what's key," Hamrick said. "When kids get exposed to things at an early age, that's where it's much more detrimental." Hamrick encouraged parents to direct their kids to Bible passages such as Genesis 1:27, which reads, "God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Another audience member asked: "How should Christians respond to LGBT friends who argue: 'Love is love.'" Hamrick replied, "if you really believe the Bible is the basis for your belief system, then you are going to recognize that God calls homosexuality sin." "And if you operate from that standard, from that description, from that definition, then it's a matter of 'how do I communicate truth In love?'" he said. "Being loving is not denying the truth. That's a very unloving thing. Being loving toward somebody is figuring out a sensitive way to communicate the truth. It's a very unloving thing to say: 'Well, I'm just going to affirm them and not really tell them the truth.' So you're not doing them any good, and you're not being honest before the Lord or to yourself." Hamrick believes that "the Church has not done a very good job on this topic of homosexuality" because they fall into two "extremes." "[Churches are] either really harsh against homosexuals, or they're ... really affirming and [claim that] 'it's no big deal and God loves everybody,'" Hamrick said. "And the truth is, it's really easy to live in the extremes of life and to live in extreme conversations. I mean, that's easy. What's hard is to find that balance in the middle where you're communicating the truth in love. And to affirm somebody in their sin is just lying to them." Hamrick said Christians might face backlash when sharing the Bible's stance on homosexuality but encourages them to stand strong. "They may not accept it. But that's not on you. What's on you is 'how can I communicate this with sensitivity and love, without affirming what is wrong?'" Hamrick said. He stressed that sharing the truth about the Bible's stance on sexuality can be challenging because "our world and our culture has now affirmed something that God does not." "It's really easy to confront someone, even if you do it in a loving way, about something that the culture and God both agree on" but challenging when "the culture is saying the opposite," Hamrick said. "Just the fact that you might hold the belief that homosexuality is wrong, you're going to be labeled a hater, intolerant, a bigot," he warned. "You can't control that. All you can control is: 'I want to honor God and I want to always be truthful, and so I'm going to look for a gentle and sincere way to communicate truth when necessary when it comes up." Hamrick asserted that Christians shouldn't "affirm anyone for whatever the sin might be." "If somebody is a pathological liar, [and we tell them], 'Well, that's OK, everybody lies.' Why are you saying that?" said Hamrick. "Or somebody is a gossip, or somebody is in premarital heterosexual sex, [and you say], 'Well, that's OK. You know, we all have urges.' Why are we compromising the truth for the sake of just appeasing people?" Hamrick's son, Austin Hamrick, the church's assistant pastor, was on stage with his father during the Q&A event and said he disagrees with the phrase "Love is love." "The phrase: 'Love is Love' is not a very stable motto to stand on. I mean, I love a lot of things that are not beneficial for me. My daughter, she's 4. She loves to run in the middle of the road. And if she just said, 'Hey, love is love. Why would you infringe on what I love to do?' Well, it's because I know that there are harmful consequences to her love for running in the middle of the road," Austin Hamrick said. "You love Krispy Kreme doughnuts," he said to his father. "Now, to indulge in a lifestyle of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, there might be some harmful consequences to that." The younger Hamrick said Christians should look to the Bible to find what is truly "good love." Within Scripture, Austin Hamrick said Christians can discover what "God says [about] how we should flourish in our sexuality and in relationships." "Love is love means you should affirm everything that I want or desire. It's not true love. True love is to will the good of another," he added. As the session neared the end, the Hamricks were asked about being attracted "to both genders" and if same-sex attraction is a sin. "There are a lot of things that we might be drawn to in our hearts. And the one thing that we have to guard against is acting on it,' Gary Hamrick replied. "It's one thing to have certain feelings, but the Bible [in] Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he said, 'take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.' So we need to rein in our thought-life." It is not uncommon for Christians to have "unnatural sinful thoughts," Hamrick continued, but "the main thing" is "don't act on it." "You don't give in to it. You 'take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.' So at the thought level, as long as you are not taking it to a place of fantasy and lust, that's not going to be sinful. It's at the behavioral level that it's going to be sinful," he added. The senior pastor then quoted Martin Luther: "I cannot control the birds flying over my head, but I can control whether or not they make a nest in my hair." "There are a lot of things that are going to come in my head, and I can't always control that. And some of those desires or thoughts are wrong," Hamrick stressed. "But the main thing is, don't let it take root. Don't let it nest and don't act on it. That's the main thing. Fight those thoughts and those desires that aren't pleasing to the Lord." Wooden cross is only thing left standing after historic church burns down: 'A sign from the Lord' A fire that broke out Friday burned down a historic Texas church and consumed nearly everything but a wooden cross, which a pastor sees as a sign that God is watching over his congregation as they begin rebuilding. "I'm heartsick about it. You have to think and all of the ones who have been baptized there," Pastor Sonny Smith of the Balsora Baptist Church said in an interview with The Christian Post Tuesday. "It's a dramatic event for the whole community because we're about seven miles from the nearest larger city. We're kind of out in the middle of the country. So I knew how important the church was to a lot of people." The church stood for over 120 years before it burned down in the fire. The Wise County Fire Marshal announced that the fire broke out just before 1 p.m. and a couple of first responders suffered minimal heat-related injuries. A GoFundMe page seeking to raise funds to rebuild the church emphasized that "nobody was injured" in the blaze. According to Smith, Balsora Baptist is a "small country church." Around 60 to 75 people attended regular Sunday services, with the number of attendees usually rising to about 120 on Easter Sundays. The pastor told CP he was at home when church members called and informed him that the building was on fire. The church had been under construction to expand its kitchen and fellowship hall, but the building reportedly caught fire after the work crew stepped out for lunch Friday. Smith noted that the men who responded to the call were members of the volunteer fire department. He said that when a call like that goes out, it can take responders a while to get there. "They tried to stop it, but they could not get it out," Smith said. Aside from a stack of Bibles, all that survived the fire was a wooden cross. The pastor explained that the church sanctuary used to have a prayer tree where congregation members could hang their prayer requests. By that tree, there was a cross. "The church pretty well burned up except for that little wooden cross," he said. "It wasn't really that small; it was probably about four feet tall. But anyway, when you look at pictures, back at the sanctuary, and right there, there sat the wood cross with still a little fire coming off of it." The church leader stated it was "amazing" that the cross survived the fire, proclaiming the event to be a "miracle." "Of course, I told our church congregation I feel like that was a sign from the Lord telling us that, you know, you're going through fire, you're going through changes, but I'm going to be with you all the way," Smith recalled. "And He certainly has been. We have gotten numerous calls from area churches offering their facilities, anything they can do to help us. And that's Church of Christ and Methodist, not just our domination. It's been quite a thing to behold what God is doing." Last Sunday, the congregation met outside the burnt church to hold a prayer service and take the time to worship God. Smith acknowledged that the ministry needs a new location, as the Texas heat makes it "too hot" to keep holding services outside. "Plus, most of our church family is senior citizens. We do have some young couples, but by and large, it's older folks, so we have to consider their health in where we go and what we do," he said. While other churches have offered their facilities, Smith maintained that many know his church will be looking "quickly" for another location to move into before the rebuilding is complete. The pastor plans to meet with church leadership Tuesday night to "pray and seek God's direction" regarding where that should be. Smith could not yet provide an estimate regarding the cost of the repairs. He remarked that the church needs to determine how the new structure will look in terms of size and whether it should be a normal brick building or something else. He envisions the completed church will have room to seat 200 people, with a connecting fellowship hall serving as a "multi-purpose facility" for hosting events like potluck dinners and wedding receptions. The pastor acknowledged, however, that the church will have to consider all sorts of "different directions" as it rebuilds. After the meeting with church leaders, Smith plans to invite the congregation to vote and input their ideas. Smith revealed that he and church members continue to remind themselves that God is ultimately in control and has a plan. "We don't know what the next chapter will bring, but we know the author, Smith said. The "Rebuild Balsora Baptist Church" fundraiser on GoFundMe has raised $145 out of a $100,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon. The fundraiser indicates that "the church does have insurance, but it's likely to not pay enough to rebuild the building AND resupply the church (Bibles, hymnals, choir robes, office equipment, etc)." The fundraiser assures potential donors that anything they donate will "go towards furthering the cause of Christ" and that "anything over the amount needed to rebuild and resupply will go towards community outreach, missions, and our youth program." Church grieves after former treasurer gets probation for stealing $400K A Pennsylvania church that wanted to see greater punishment for a former treasurer who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $400,000 from their coffers is now grieving after she was sentenced to just 10 years of probation for her crime. The former treasurer, Melanie Lee Kummerer, 56, of Calvary Lutheran Church in Reading, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by unlawful taking and three counts of forgery, according to court documents cited by the Reading Eagle. Kummerer pleaded guilty on June 7 before Berks County Judge Patrick T. Barrett. The former treasurer was also ordered to pay restitution but the churchs interim pastor, the Rev. Lauren Wolfe Blatt, told the publication she wasnt sure if Kummerer, who forged more than 200 checks, would be able to repay the stolen money. "I think overall our congregation is really grieving," Blatt told the Reading Eagle. "They wanted to see a greater punishment for such a large crime." She explained that for congregants, Kummerers theft was more than just about money. The Berks County District Attorney's Office stated that a representative of the church first reported they had been the victim of a financial crime on July 24, 2019. An investigation showed that Kummerer was appointed to the position of Central Treasurer of the Calvary Lutheran Church in January 2009 and she received an annual stipend of $2,503. She held that post until she resigned on Feb. 25, 2019. During that period, Kummerer managed and kept the churchs financial records at her home. When the church got a new senior pastor, the Rev. Drew Neidig, in August 2018, the leadership raised concerns about the churchs finances. After the new pastors first financial meeting in October 2018, he asked Kummerer to provide a balance sheet and income statement at all future meetings. She failed to do that during the churchs next two financial meetings and the police were contacted. A forensic audit showed Kummerer forged more than 200 checks between 2009 and 2019, totaling approximately $391,444.03. Neidig explained that while Kummerer was busy stealing from the church the church was struggling to pay its bills. It put us in a very tough financial position. We were often behind in paying our bills and its because we did not have the money, Neidig said at the time. One of things that the church and other nonprofits do is assume that everyone is trustworthy and therefore they dont have good financial controls in place and that certainly was the case here because we assumed people were trustworthy, and we didnt have proper checks and balances. Blatt noted on Monday that because Kummerers theft impacted a community in need the light sentence she received is harder to digest. "When we think about it as just money, we can minimize it," Blatt said. "But when we think about it as peoples' hard-earned contributions to the church, it's harder to swallow. "We are a congregation that's active and moving," she said. "We are a congregation that uses the money we have to serve God's people. We are sad that we won't see the $400,000 she stole." Democrats push Google to limit, label search results for pro-life centers ahead of abortion decision A group of Democratic U.S. senators is urging Google CEO Sundar Pichai to take action after a report from a left-wing activist group found Google may be directing users who search for abortion services toward pro-life pregnancy centers. U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va. and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. led colleagues in a letter to Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google, citing research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which the letter described as "a U.S.-based nonprofit that fights online hate and misinformation." According to the June 17 letter, the CCDH report found that 37% of Google Maps results and 11% of Google search results for "abortion clinic near me" and "abortion pill" were for anti-abortion clinics in "trigger law" states, where laws would effectively ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Such a ruling may come down as early as this week. The CCDH report also found about 28% of Google ads displayed at the top of search results were for pro-life, "anti-abortion" clinics. After citing criticism leveled at Google in 2019 over a now-updated policy that allowed abortion-related ads from abortion providers and "non-providers" without clarifying information, lawmakers acknowledged Google already provides a disclaimer for such ads. But because non-sponsored Google search results do not require such disclaimers, the letter warns the "prevalence of these misleading ads marks what appears to be a concerning reversal from Google's pledge in 2014 to take down ads from crisis pregnancy centers that engage in overt deception of women seeking out abortion information online." That pledge came in response to a report from the activist group NARAL Pro-Choice America (NARAL), formerly the National Abortion Rights Action League, which stated that nearly 80% of paid ads for crisis pregnancy centers on Google deceptively advertised "medical services such as abortions." "Directing women towards fake clinics that traffic in misinformation and don't provide comprehensive health services is dangerous to women's health and undermines the integrity of Google's search results," lawmakers wrote. "Google should not be displaying anti-abortion fake clinics or crisis pregnancy centers in search results for users that are searching for an 'abortion clinic' or 'abortion pill.'" "If Google must continue showing these misleading results in search results and Google Maps, the results should, at the very least, be appropriately labeled." Pro-life pregnancy centers provide material support for women seeking to carry their babies to term as an alternative to abortion clinics and provide counseling to women unsure about abortion. Pro-life activists have long pushed back on claims by abortion advocates that pro-life pregnancy centers are misleading or "fake" clinics. "For years NARAL Pro-Choice America has tried to shut down alternatives to abortion by falsely branding (state certified) pregnancy medical clinics as 'fake clinics' and as an 'insidious threat to reproductive freedom,'" Ryan Bomberger, the founder of the Radiance Foundation, wrote in a recent op-ed. "In 2019, pregnancy help centers and medical clinics distributed 1.3 million diapers, 2 million baby outfits, 50,000 car seats and strollers, and hundreds of thousands of other items of material support. They provided 291,000 clients with parenting classes. All for free. Planned Parenthood reported providing zero of these items or services. That's not 'pro-choice.'" The senators' letter which was also signed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and others urged Pichai to provide plans on how to limit anti-abortion clinics "in Google search results, ads, and Maps" and add disclaimers to indicate whether a search result provides abortion services. Pichai was also asked to provide information on "Google's attempts to provide accurate search results pertaining to health care." The senators' letter comes at a time when there has been a drastic increase in vandalism and attacks, including firebombings, against pro-life pregnancy centers across the nation. The attacks follow the unprecedented leaking of a draft Supreme Court majority opinion suggesting the high court could soon overturn a 1973 ruling that made abortion a national right. A group of 16 Republican U.S. senators, led by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., signed a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for the Justice Department to act in response to the vandalism of pro-life pregnancy centers. A group of pro-life leaders has called on the department to investigate Jane's Revenge, a group that has claimed responsibility for multiple recent acts of vandalism and arson, and other violent actors. The group has published statements threatening the safety of pro-life activists and pregnancy centers. The conservative watchdog Media Research Center warns that the CCDH aims to censor organizations that it disagrees with politically and is led by an activist who wrote a book on defeating conservative ideas. While CCDC's website says the organization is "funded by philanthropic trusts and members of the public," CCDH has reportedly received at least $100,000 in funding from the Geneva-based Oak Foundation, according to data cited last year by MRC. The foundation has also given funds to support global infrastructure initiatives backed by the Chinese government. A screenshot of Foundation Directory Online data provided by MRC showed the grant was intended to support CCDH in "shining a spotlight on digital misinformation platforms that are polluting the public discourse on issues such as climate action, women's rights, and racial equality." According to its website, Oak Foundation gave nearly $339 million during the 2021 calendar year, including program and special initiative grants to more than 400 organizations based in over 40 countries. In 2018, the Oak Foundation reportedly donated $1 million to an organization called the ClimateWorks Foundation, "to support the greening of the Belt and Road Initiative." The Belt and Road initiative, inaugurated in 2013 by Chinese President and Communist Party chair Xi Jinping, is a Chinese global infrastructure project aimed at linking the country with the rest of Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific region. Evangelical church raises concerns over religious tolerance ahead of Nigerias presidential elections As Nigeria is preparing for its presidential election amid unabated violence, one of the largest Christian denominations in the country has warned of a deep and irredeemable crisis if the religion or region of the candidates is given more importance than the constitutional values of religious tolerance. Given the pluralistic configuration of Nigeria, we have seen deliberate effort since independence to preserve the peace and unity of the country by ensuring that the presidency is balanced in terms of religion and region, the Rev. Stephen Baba Panya, president of the Evangelical Church Winning All denomination, noted in a statement, according to Nigerias Daily Post newspaper. As per an unofficial agreement among Nigerias parties and politicians, the presidency should alternate between a Christian from the south and a Muslim from the north. About half of the population of Nigeria is Muslim, most of whom live in the north, where Islamist groups like Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and Islamic State West Africa Province have launched attacks on Christians in an apparent move to make a case for the separation of the Muslim-majority north from the Christian-majority south. Our national interest is greater than any individual or group interest, the Rev. Panya stressed, calling on all the political parties to maintain this balance for the 2023 presidential election and to caution those who are brazenly advocating for a Muslim/Muslim ticket to reconsider their unrealistic stance. Panya further underlined that we do not, and will not support a Christian/Christian ticket or a Muslim/Muslim ticket as this is capable of plunging the nation into deep and irredeemable crisis. He added, the corporate existence of Nigeria is founded on the principles of justice, fairness and equity. Section 23 of the 1999 Constitution, identifies religious tolerance and social justice as the national values which, Panya said, "must guide our conduct and relationships. Nigerias incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, a northern Muslim from the ruling All Progressives Congress Party, has served two terms, and the presidency is now expected to go to a candidate from the south. However, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has chosen Atiku Abubakar, 75, a former vice president and political stalwart who is a northern Muslim, as its presidential candidate. Theres a need, the ECWA said, to do away with primordial sentiments that seek to divide and destroy us and embrace the ideals of peace, love, unity and progress. The elections will be held next year amid rising attacks on Christians. Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, reported that at least 4,650 Christians were killed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. That is an increase from 3,530 the previous year. Additionally, more than 2,500 Christians were kidnapped, up from 990 a year earlier. Last month, the Islamic State terror group released a video showing the execution of some 20 Christian civilians in Borno State in revenge for the killing of their leader in Syria by the United States special forces in February. The video, published on an IS-linked news outlet, showed a masked militant executing a Christian civilian while saying it was revenge for the killing of their leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, an Iraqi Islamic terrorist and the second caliph of the Islamic State. In another recent attack, unidentified gunmen stormed a Catholic parish in northern Nigeria and abducted two priests, identified as Fr. Stephen Ojapa and Fr. Oliver Okpara from the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, and two unidentified boys from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Gidan Maikambo area of Katsina states Kafur Local Government Area, Vatican News reported. Nigeria was previously included on the U.S. State Departments Countries of Particular Concern list of governments that engage in or tolerate egregious violations of religious freedom. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed Nigeria from the list last November, just under a year after then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that country to the list in December 2020. Amid accusations that the Biden administration pushed a political narrative as the West African country faces increasing extremist and communal violence, the State Department released its annual international religious freedom report on Nigeria earlier this month, saying, There was pervasive violence involving predominantly Muslim herders and mostly Christian, but also Muslim, farmers, particularly in the North Central, but also in the North West (where most farmers were Muslim) and Southwest regions. Nina Shea, the director of the U.S.-based Hudson Institutes Center for Religious Freedom, told The Christian Post in an email at the time that the State Department has missed the big picture of vulnerable Christian minorities of northern Nigeria being repeatedly attacked and driven from their villages by Muslim extremists and their agents who act with complete impunity. Authorities fail to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these large-scale atrocities, and moreover prosecute and threaten local journalists who report on them, she said. Pastor, trafficked migrants held hostage by Mexican drug cartels released unharmed A pastor serving in whats known as the most dangerous city in North America is grateful to be alive and unharmed after he and more than a dozen migrants were held hostage by a Mexican drug cartel. Pastor Lorenzo Ortiz, who operates four shelters in northern Mexico to house, feed and assist migrants, was kidnapped June 2 in Nuevo Laredo, according to Fellowship Southwest. In a 45-minute interview with Cameron Vickrey, director of communication and development for Fellowship Southwest, and Elket Rodriguez, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field representative to migrants and communities along the United States-Mexico border, Ortiz said the ordeal began when he and about 15 other people were kidnapped from one of his shelters. During the abduction, the Baptist pastor recalled his captors asking him about how much he charges migrant families to stay at one his shelters. When he told them he did not charge a fee, the cartel refused to believe him and demanded that Ortiz tell them whether he was cutting into [their] business of transporting migrants. As Rodriguez put it, the cartels own the turf when it comes to transporting migrants. Its all a business to the cartel. They see humans as commodities, he said. But when officials received word of Ortizs humanitarian work in the region, the Mexican National Guard and other authorities responded and started working to have Ortiz and the other hostages released. After being held for an initial $40,000 ransom, Ortiz says his kidnappers dropped the demand for ransom and even replaced the tires on his van which they had slashed. On June 3, he was ultimately released unharmed a miracle Ortiz credits to the faithful prayers of hundreds. The cartel was shaken ... the cartel never felt so vulnerable, Ortiz said. Over the next several days, the cartel released the remaining migrants five at a time. Rodriguez told The Christian Post its unusual for cartels to target Christians in the field. The cartels overwhelmingly kidnap migrants and asylum seekers, he said. Pastors, missionaries, and other church workers are kidnapped when cartels believe that they represent a threat to their trafficking enterprise. A bricklayer by trade, Ortiz launched Pizzas el Buen Samaritano at one of his shelters in Nuevo Laredo just across the Rio Grande, according to Baptist Standard. Seeking to reduce crime and inspired by the book of Acts when Christians were together and had everything in common, Ortiz built a brick oven at the El Shaddai Shelter in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Nuevo Laredo, where he sought to reach out to the community and provide a means of income for refugees in his shelters. Since I am a bricklayer, I can do an oven in one day and sell pizzas on that same day, he told Baptist Standard. But even for those like Ortiz who have reputations for doing good in the community, Rodriguez said not even Christians are safe from the reach of criminal organizations. Many of those seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border refused to join cartels in their native countries when they were being recruited, Rodriguez told the Baptist Standard. Sadly, many Christians, especially from Central America, are fleeing persecution for upholding their faith in the face of threats from criminal organizations, he added. Texas AG can't intervene in lawsuit against hospital over puberty blockers, trans hormones: judge A Dallas County judge has ruled that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has no authority to intervene in a lawsuit involving a Dallas hospitals ability to provide gender transition services for trans-identified youth. The law firm Aldous/Walker LLP announced in a statement Friday that Judge Melissa Bellan removed Paxton from the lawsuit involving Dallas Childrens Medical Center and physicians at the facility. She ruled that the state had no authority to act in the case. Bellans ruling came four days after the state of Texas filed a petition to intervene in the case, where Dr. Ximena Lopez is suing the hospital for preventing her from offering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors. 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, said attorney Charla Aldous. The state of Texas disagrees with that analysis, insisting that intervention is essential in this case because the State has well-recognized sovereign interests in the uniform application of its laws and the welfare of children in this State. Paxton has taken a strong interest in issues related to medicalized gender transitioning of minors, declaring in a non-binding opinion issued in February that so-called sex-change procedures experimental and irreversible puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and genital mutilation, including elective mastectomies and castration constitute child abuse under several provisions of chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code. Beyond the obvious harm of permanently sterilizing a child, these procedures and treatments can cause side effects and harms beyond permanent infertility, he wrote. The American College of Pediatricians has identified osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, [and] cognitive impairment as side effects of puberty blockers and warns that cross-sex hormones lead to an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers. A summary of the two-hour hearing in front of Judge Bellan Friday compiled by Lopezs legal team maintains that attorneys for Paxton questioned whether Dr. Lopez was following the proper standard of care, but the court rejected those arguments. At that hearing, Lopezs legal team stated that the Texas Department of Health and Human Services has approved puberty blockers as a treatment for gender dysphoria. A spokesperson for Aldous/Walker told The Christian Post that as of Monday afternoon, the court order is awaiting signoff of the draft from the attorney generals office and had not yet been filed with the court. Lopez believes the suspension of gender transition surgeries for minors at Childrens Medical Center came in response to a letter last August by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Jaime Masters, which classified genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery as child abuse, subject to all rules and procedures pertaining to child abuse. Masters letter came after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested that the agency issue a determination of whether genital mutilation of a child for purposes of gender transitioning through reassignment surgery constitutes child abuse. In March, the Houston-based Texas Childrens Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the United States, announced that it would no longer provide puberty blockers to children after Paxton wrote the opinion. Following a temporary injunction handed down by Bellan last month, Lopez and other physicians could resume providing gender transition services. Alabama church gunman drank alcohol moments before opening fire, survivor says A survivor of the shooting during a potluck dinner at an Episcopal church in Alabama that left three dead recalled that the suspected gunman sat alone and rejected invitations to socialize before the killing started. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills was hosting a "Boomers Potluck" for older attendees when the suspect, who authorities identified as 70-year-old Robert Findlay Smith, produced a handgun and began shooting. The man is a formerly licensed federal gun dealer cited by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on Feb. 7, 2018, for shoddy recordkeeping. According to authorities, he's now facing capital murder charges for the deaths of one man and two women related to the shooting incident. As The Associated Press reported Sunday, 73-year-old Susan Sallin was seated at a table with the three people who died. She remembered that Findlay seemed "disengaged," sitting by himself and drinking from what appeared to be a small bottle of scotch. While Findlay had previously attended services at the church and gatherings for baby boomers, Sallin claims he didn't interact much with others. "I personally invited him to come and sit at our table twice because I wanted him to feel a sense of inclusion, but he did not come," she said. A woman married to a man who was later killed in the shooting had offered to fix a plate for Smith, but he declined. Sallin didn't remember any arguments or conflicts breaking out before the shooting started. But she did recall hearing a "loud metallic sound," which she mistook for a metal chair falling over. "And then there was another sound and another sound, and I realized it was a gun," she said. "People were diving for the floor. I was diving for the floor. When I got down to the floor, I realized that two of my girlfriends who were sitting at the table with me had been hit." The woman crawled across the floor to reach her friends to calm them, saying, "'You are not alone. You are not alone.' That's the message that I wanted them to get." The Rev. Doug Carpenter, a former pastor at St. Stephen's who retired in 2005, heard another man at the potluck subdue the gunman by hitting him with a folding chair before wrestling him to the ground and taking the gun. "I did see him get the gun out of the man's hand and hit him on the head with the gun," Sallin said. During a Friday press conference, Vestavia Hills Police Captain Shane Ware called the man who subdued the gunman a "hero," stating that the act was "extremely critical in saving lives." He also revealed that police officers and the Vestavia Hills Fire Department were dispatched at 6:22 p.m. to deal with the active shooter situation. Ware identified 84-year-old Walter Rainey and 75-year-old Sarah Yeager as victims who died at the church. An 84-year-old woman was also injured during the shooting and taken to the hospital. An update posted on the Vestavia Hills Police Department's Facebook page Friday afternoon revealed the third victim succumbed to her injuries and died. Bishop Glenda Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama discussed the shooting during a prayer vigil at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook on Friday. "I am proud of my people for praying, for hitting their knees," she said. "We're going to help everybody walk through it by reminding them that we're a people of hope." Curry said services will continue as scheduled throughout the diocese and encouraged people to "come to church." "Go to a church and pray for peace and pray for healing and pray for the love of Jesus to transform the world," she said. "When Christians are slapped, they try to reach out in love. That's what we do and we try to pray for guidance which is beyond us when things beyond us are happening." Sudanese police arrest 2 Christians leaders during church Bible study JUBA, South Sudan Police in Sudan walked into a church Bible class on Tuesday (June 14) and arrested two Christian leaders for violating public order, their attorney said. Officers in Omdurman, across the Nile River from Khartoum, took Pastor Kabashi Idris of the African Inland Church and evangelist Yacoub Ishakh of the Independent Baptist Church into custody in the presence of those at the Bible study at the Baptist church in the Hai Al Thawra West area of the city, said attorney Shinbago Awad. Charged with violating public order under Article 77 of Sudans penal code, they were released on bail the same day, he said. They were accused by a radical Muslim neighbor who filed a case against them at the police station in the area, prompting the police to arrest the two church leaders, Awad said. The radical Muslim told police his children were singing the songs of the Christians and feared they might convert to Christianity. Last month the radical Muslim whose house is near the church building filed a complaint of disturbing the peace, ostensibly because the church was worshiping in song, Awad said. Police on May 19 summoned and interrogated the two church leaders and released them. A guilty verdict could result in a prison sentence of up to three months, a fine or both, and the court could issue an order to cease worship services, Awad said. Following two years of advances in religious freedom in Sudan after the end of the Islamist dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the specter of state-sponsored persecution returned with a military coup on Oct. 25, 2021. After Bashir was ousted from 30 years of power in April 2019, the transitional civilian-military government managed to undo some sharia (Islamic law) provisions. It outlawed the labeling of any religious group infidels and thus effectively rescinded apostasy laws that made leaving Islam punishable by death. With the Oct. 25 coup, Christians in Sudan fear the return of the most repressive and harsh aspects of Islamic law. Abdalla Hamdok, who had led a transitional government as prime minister starting in September 2019, was detained under house arrest for nearly a month before he was released and reinstated in a tenuous power-sharing agreement in November. Hamdock had been faced with rooting out longstanding corruption and an Islamist deep state from Bashirs regime the same deep state that is suspected of rooting out the transitional government in the Oct. 25 coup. Persecution of Christians by non-state actors continued before and after the coup. In Open Doors 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Sudan remained at No. 13, where it ranked the previous year, as attacks by non-state actors continued and religious freedom reforms at the national level were not enacted locally. Sudan had dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in six years when it first ranked No. 13 in the 2021 World Watch List. The U.S. State Departments International Religious Freedom Report states that conditions have improved somewhat with the decriminalization of apostasy and a halt to demolition of churches, but that conservative Islam still dominates society; Christians face discrimination, including problems in obtaining licenses for constructing church buildings. The U.S. State Department in 2019 removed Sudan from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom and upgraded it to a watch list. The State Department removed Sudan from the Special Watch List in December 2020. Sudan had previously been designated as a CPC from 1999 to 2018. The Christian population of Sudan is estimated at 2 million, or 4.5% of the total population of more than 43 million. This article was originally published by Morning Star News. WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian has narrowed its search for the sites of the planned National Museum of the American Latino and Smithsonian American Women's History Museum to four spots on the National Mall. The historical Arts and Industries Building, on Jefferson Drive SW next to the Smithsonian administration building known as the Castle, is the sole site with a structure and the only one under the control of the Smithsonian. The three other options are undeveloped land: the Northwest Capitol site, located on the eastern side of the Mall north of the Capitol Reflecting Pool; the South Monument site, on Jefferson Drive SW, across the Mall from the National Museum of African American History and Culture; and the Tidal Basin site, home to a rugby field and bordered by Raoul Wallenberg Place SW and Maine Avenue SW. The U.S. Capitol has jurisdiction over the Northwest Capitol site, and the others are controlled by the National Park Service. The Arts and Industries Building was considered for the African American Museum. Their proximity to the Mall led to their selection, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III said. "Thinking about the African American Museum, I understood the power of having sites on or near the Mall," said Bunch, the museum's founding director. "It wasn't my endgame. The process led us to this moment, but I understand the power of that symbolism." In December 2020, Congress authorized the Smithsonian to create the two museums, and it set a two-year deadline for the selection of their locations. The institution hired the Baltimore design firm Ayers Saint Gross to analyze the sites based on six criteria: the symbolism of the location, existing site conditions, access to transportation, environmental factors, cost and the challenges of acquiring the site. The firm began with more than two dozen possibilities; the Smithsonian revealed at a public hearing in March that it had narrowed the options to 14. Officials will continue to evaluate the four finalists while consulting with members of Congress, the National Capital Planning Commission, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the Architect of the Capitol, as required by the authorizing legislation. The Smithsonian Board of Regents is expected to meet Congress's deadline by choosing two sites before the end of the year. "There's no perfect site," Bunch said, noting that the ongoing analysis will reveal the trade-offs that each site presents. Officials will have to weigh each site's size and design challenges and the obstacles to acquiring the land. The Arts and Industries Building will need to be studied for how it can be reimagined as a 21st-century museum, he said. Advocates for the museums have pushed for them to be built on the Mall, considered by many to be the nation's front lawn. The two newest Smithsonians, the African American Museum, which opened in 2016, and the National Museum of the American Indian, which opened in 2004, sit on opposite ends of this symbolic space. Finding a place for each new museum is more difficult now because the open space on or near the Mall is limited, Bunch said, and finding two at the same time is even more challenging. "It's kind of like having kids. You have two kids, it's not just twice the work," Bunch said. "You want to make sure each museum feels they have been given the respect, the attention, the visibility they deserve." The announcement from the Board of Regents comes days after the opening of the Molina Family Latino Gallery in the National Museum of American History. As the precursor to the Latino Museum, the gallery will host exhibits and programs until the museum opens. The Smithsonian has assembled advisory boards for both museums. Jorge Zamanillo was hired as the founding director of the Latino Museum earlier this year. Officials are interviewing candidates for director of the women's history museum. Zamanillo said he was excited about all of the options. "Whichever is selected, I am sure we'll build a significant, amazing museum," he said. "But what I'm more impressed with is how thorough and transparent the process was. We briefed everyone, met with people in the community, with national and local leaders from Latino organizations. To me, that's the best thing that has come out of this." A breezy January morning made the mid-30 temperatures feel even chillier. But it was an important day for the young man pushing 30 himself . He was about to face his entire family to ask for a loan to seed his new business idea. He had contributed to the familys savings circle, but he was asking for a withdrawal this time. WHAT IS A SAVINGS CIRCLE? A savings circle is a group of family members or friends who regularly contribute to a collective fund. Members gain access to a share of the proceeds on a rotating basis or as needs arise. A savings circle can also be called a money pool. Or flip the benefit, and its known as a lending circle. The practice carries many names worldwide and among American immigrant communities, including tanda, sou-sou or tontine. It can be an informal gathering with regular monthly contributions and one disbursement or one individuals request for funding approved by the group. Some savings circles predetermine automatic withdrawals for each member in a particular order. THE SAVINGS CIRCLE THAT ROCKED THE WORLD Berry Gordy was 29 that cold Detroit day in 1959 when he faced the familys pointed questions regarding a $1,000 loan from the Ber-Berry Co-op named after his parents, Bertha and Berry. After a lengthy discussion, the group voted to give him $800. And with that seed money, Motown Records was born. David Ellis, a digital media curator at the Motown Museum in Detroit , says Gordys parents created the savings effort to help seed family business ideas. Each family member, including spouses, contributed $10 monthly to the fund. The funniest part is the interest that Berry Gordy had to pay. They were family, but they were still very professional people, Ellis adds. Unlike many traditional family and friends savings circles, Gordy had to repay the loan and would be charged 6% interest if he didnt pay off the note within one year. However, repayment wasnt a problem. Motown Records became a music institution, and Gordy sold the label for $61 million in 1988 . A 50% share of the Motown song catalog garnered an additional $132 million for Gordy in 1997. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER Right out of grad school, Fonta Gilliam was working as a U.S. foreign service officer in South Korea, stamping visas at the consulate. This lady walks up to my window wanting to immigrate to the United States to start a business. She was going to start a dry cleaner if I remember correctly. The woman, a street vendor, had six figures of cash in a savings account. I remember thinking, OK, this is fraud, Gilliam says. But the woman related how she had participated for years in a savings circle with friends in her neighborhood, and it was finally her turn to make a withdrawal. I learned how a lot of people around the world are using informal saving and lending traditions sou-sous, tandas as a way to build wealth outside of the banking system, she adds. Gilliam discovered that the social savings circles in these underbanked and underserved communities often have a low default rate . The social factor is key. People are more likely to keep strong financial habits when their peers keep them accountable, she says. HOW TO START A SAVINGS CIRCLE OF YOUR OWN If you are looking to start your own savings circle, enlist trusted friends and family. Emphasis on trusted. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer alert about pyramid schemes tied to sou-sous. Your group will need to determine the amount and frequency of deposits and the order of individual withdrawals. For example, if 12 members put in $100 per month and distributions occur monthly on a rotating basis for one year, who gets the first $1,200? Its an important consideration because early withdrawals are essentially zero-interest loans, while later distributions are effectively interest-free savings plans. A few savings circle apps have been developed in recent years, such as Esusu Savings and MyMAF, which manages lending circles set up through Mission Asset Fund. And later this month, Gilliam and a team of fintech developers in Washington, D.C., are set to release a savings circle and social banking mobile app called Wellthi. While group savings goals will be shared, funds in Wellthi will be tied to individual digital wallets, linked to a payment card and never commingled. And it all began with that chance encounter when the Korean woman was looking to start a business in America. It really kind of changed my life, to be honest. And I had almost denied that woman a visa, Gilliam says. ___________________________________ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Hal M. Bundrick is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: hal@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @halmbundrick. RELATED LINKS: NerdWallet: How to Save Money: 22 Proven Ways Federal Trade Commission: A real or fake savings club? DETROIT (AP) A white Detroit-area man who said he feared for his life when he fatally shot a young Black woman on his porch in 2013 was given the same 17-year prison sentence Wednesday at a new hearing ordered by the Michigan Supreme Court. Ted Wafer was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Renisha McBride in Dearborn Heights. But about halfway through Wafer's prison term, the Supreme Court in February unanimously threw out the manslaughter conviction, saying he couldn't be punished twice for the same homicide. Wayne County Judge Dana Hathaway said the prison sentence won't change: 15 years for second-degree murder, plus two years for using a gun during a crime, which Wafer has already served. She noted that the murder sentence still was within the scoring guidelines. Wafer, 63, gets credit for roughly eight years in custody, making him eligible for parole in 2031. Wafer has been a model prisoner but the facts remain the same," the judge said. You cannot murder someone for simply knocking on your door in the middle of the night. You had choices, Hathaway said. Wafer opened his front door and shot McBride, 19, through a screen door before dawn. He said he was awakened by pounding and feared for his life, though he didnt call police first. A jury rejected his self-defense claim. Prosecutors speculated that McBride, who was drunk and had crashed her car hours earlier, might have been confused when she arrived on Wafers porch. I remain terribly sorry," Wafer said Wednesday. Some people wondered in the aftermath of the shooting whether race was a factor, likening it to the 2012 shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. But race was hardly mentioned during Wafer's trial in 2014, and the judge at that time said she didn't believe it played a role. McBride's mother said her daughter is deeply missed. Holidays are no longer holidays because we have no joy, Monica McBride said in court. Every day is a living nightmare that we cant and wont wake up from. ___ Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwritez From the federal arrest of a former Middletown resident accused of killing his mother at sea to the fatal stabbing of a Fairfield Prep student at a Shelton gathering, a number of criminal cases with ties to Connecticut will be moving through state and federal courts during the second half of 2022. Although some serious cases were stalled when most court operations were altered or shut down amid the pandemic, Judicial Branch officials said trials and cases have been moving forward more rapidly. Federal cases are also moving, with many court appearances online. Some of these cases may see a resolution by the end of the year. Others may take more time. Here is a look at some of the high-profile state and federal cases to watch during the second half of 2022: Michelle Troconis to request trial in Dulos case H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis, the former girlfriend of Fotis Dulos who faces conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering charges in connection with the disappearance and presumed death of Jennifer Dulos, will ask for a trial during her next court date in July, her attorney Jon Schoenhorn said. But Schoenhorn said he will not know when a potential trial could be set until his client makes the request. The case predates the start of the pandemic with Troconis first charged in June 2019 one week after the New Canaan mother of five vanished with evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. Troconis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder in early January 2020, just weeks before the pandemic hit Connecticut. Fotis Dulos was charged at the same time with murder and kidnapping, but died by suicide three weeks later. State police investigators accused Troconis of being with Fotis Dulos when he threw out bags in trash bins along a busy street in Hartford the night of the disappearance, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Some of those bags were later recovered and contained Jennifer Dulos blood and clothing, arrest warrants stated. Troconis has remained free on more than $2 million bail, but her movements have been monitored by a GPS device. Troconis is scheduled to appear remotely July 15 in state Superior Court in Stamford. Kent Mawhinney awaits trial in Dulos case Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Kent Mawhinney, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the death and disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, is also taking his case to trial. He is accused of providing an alibi for Fotis Dulos the morning of the disappearance. Similar to the case against Troconis, it is unclear when a resolution will be reached. Mawhinney spent months incarcerated on $2 million bond before he was released in October 2020 on reduced bond weeks after he spoke with state police, Schoenhorn said in court documents. The bail reduction led to questions from Schoenhorn whether a deal was struck between prosecutors and Mawhinney, records show. In separate motions, Troconis attorney has asked for any information related to a potential agreement between Mawhinney and prosecutors. In a hearing early in 2021, prosecutors said Mawhinney would likely be called to testify against Troconis if her case goes to trial. Mawhinney resolved separate charges in a South Windsor domestic violence incident that occurred in 2019 last week. He was sentenced Friday to a suspended jail term and three years of probation. Slaying of Fairfield Preps James McGrath Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media The case of the fatal stabbing of a Fairfield Preparatory School student will likely take a few years to resolve. A 16-year-old from Milford was charged with the murder of James McGrath, 17, of Shelton, following a stabbing that injured multiple people during a May 14 house party, Shelton police said. Raul Eliah Valle, a student at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, is also facing three counts of first-degree assault, officials said. Around 11:55 p.m. on May 14, police and paramedics were called to a home on Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton for a reported fight and stabbing, officials said. At the scene, police said they found numerous teenagers outside of a residence, including four victims who had been stabbed. McGrath died from his injuries after being taken to a hospital, police said. The stabbing rocked several communities, including Fairfield where McGrath attended school. Valle is free after posting $2 million bond. Nathan Carmans attorneys investigate allegations The federal case against Nathan Carman, a former Connecticut resident accused of killing his mother off the coast of Block Island to inherit a portion of his familys estate, is on hold while his attorneys conduct an investigation into the allegations, which are years old. Carman, 28, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in May to first-degree murder and multiple fraud charges in the death of his mother, Linda Carman. The federal eight-count indictment, which was unsealed May 11, also alleged Nathan Carman shot and killed his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his Windsor home in 2013 to defraud insurance companies. However, Carman has not been charged in that killing. Windsor police said that case is being handled by the Chief States Attorneys Cold Case Unit. Federal prosecutors contend that Carman went as far as killing two family members to get his hands on a share of the familys $42 million estate. Linda Carman would have inherited one-fourth of her fathers estate, court documents said. Her three sisters kept the estate in probate for years to prohibit Nathan Carman from getting his hands on his mothers share since they believe he played a role in his grandfathers death. Although a federal prosecutor accused Nathan Carman of having a history of untreated mental health issues that made him a threat to public safety, a judge determined he is competent to stand trial and participate in his own defense. Peter Manfredonias cases may quickly move forward Peter Manfredonia, who faces charges in separate 2020 killings in Willington and Derby, has yet to reach a resolution in cases he faces in Milford and Tolland judicial districts. But he does have courts dates coming up on Thursday and Friday that may move the cases forward. Connecticut State Police Manfredonia, who is incarcerated on a combined $12 million bond, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including murder, felony murder, attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery and first-degree assault, records show. The Newtown High School graduate and former University of Connecticut student was accused of attacking two men in Willington the morning of May 22, 2020, according to arrest records. One victim, Ted Demers, was killed in the attack, and a second man, John Franco, was critically injured but survived, according to authorities. Two days later, authorities tracked Manfredonias movements to Derby, where they found the body of Nicholas Eisele inside a Roosevelt Drive home, according to arrest records. Manfredonia is also accused of killing Eisele, a fellow Newtown High School graduate, and kidnapping the mans girlfriend before releasing her in New Jersey, records show. Authorities eventually apprehended Manfredonia at a Maryland truck stop on May 27, 2020. John Griffin offered deal Vermont State Police Former CNN producer and Stamford resident John Griffin has been offered a plea agreement to resolve federal charges after authorities say he forced a 9-year-old girl into sexual activity and tried to lure others to his Vermont ski home. But the case may not be settled for months. Griffin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He is also battling a lawsuit brought on by the victim and her guardian and is the middle of divorce proceedings, court documents indicate. His wife, who filed for divorce about a month after the arrest, is seeking their Norwalk home and custody of their three children, court documents said. She said in court documents Griffins federal charges have created a toxic environment. He is also accused of bribing the 9-year-olds family with a $4,000 payoff after the child and her adoptive mother stayed at his Vermont ski home, court documents said. Griffin was first arrested by FBI agents in New Haven on Dec. 10. He was presented before a federal judge in New Haven before his case was transferred to U.S. District Court in Burlington, Vt. He was detained following the arrest and prosecutors have argued that he should remain incarcerated. He had been employed by CNN since 2013, but was fired after his arrest, according to the company. Jose Morales gets new attorney, daughter still missing Jose Morales, the New Haven man charged with murder in the 2019 death of Christine Holloway in Ansonia, has hired a new attorney, Edward Gavin, two years after he was arrested, records show. Police said they are still searching for the former couples daughter, Vanessa Morales, who was an infant when she vanished after the killing. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Left: Ansonia Police Chief Andrew Cota, III, (left) speaks at a press conference at Ansonia City Hall on February 7, 2020 announcing charges or murder and tampering with evidence for Jose Morales related to the homicide of Christine Holloway. (Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media) Right: Jose Morales appears for a pretrial hearing on felony weapons charges in Superior Court in New Haven, Conn. on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. (Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media) Prosecutors have repeatedly said they continue to examine many leads in the childs disappearance, but none have panned out. Gavin told a judge in May that he is still working on a defense for the case. Morales has never been charged in the disappearance, and an arrest warrant affidavit details that he told investigators he had nothing to do with Holloways death or his daughters disappearance. He was previously represented by the firm of Pattis and Smith. Morales, who is being held on $5 million bond, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is scheduled to appear July 12 in state Superior Court in Milford. Albert Kokoth faces competency hearing Albert Kokoth, 77, accused of fatally shooting his wife in their New Canaan home in May 2021, must undergo a competency hearing before his attorney can use a mental health defense, court records show. New Canaan Police Department Kokoth told investigators the fatal shooting was accidental, according to arrest records. However, prosecutors said early in the case that the shooting appeared to be intentional. Its now pretty clear that the defendants version of events is not consistent with the evidence. This appears to be an intentional act, Assistant States Attorney Dan Cummings said during Kokoths arraignment in Stamford Superior Court. Two months after he was charged with second-degree assault and illegal discharge of a firearm, Kokoth was charged with murder in connection with the death of his wife, Margaret Kokoth, records show. Kokoth, who remains in jail on $2 million bond, will face a judge June 30 in state Superior Court in Stamford. This story includes previous reporting by Ethan Fry, Peter Yankowski, Nick Rondinone, Brian Gioiele and Pat Tomlinson contributed to this story. SALEM, Ore. (AP) Officials at the Oregon Department of Human Services are considering a move that would make it harder for the public to access child abuse investigations. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports similar records in the past have helped reveal systemic child abuse. The state agency is considering narrowing the type of abuse records that can be accessed for children who are placed in care outside of a home, such as a boarding school, a wilderness facility or some other kind of residential program. The rule change being proposed would allow agency leaders to largely deny most public records requests, blocking any details of substantiated or unsubstantiated abuse. In 2018, the state started quietly increasing the number of children placed in foster care who were sent to facilities in other states. Initially, child welfare officials didnt alert the public or lawmakers. OPB reports they often delayed responding to public records requests in a timely fashion, including revealing the names of the facilities where children were sent. Two years later, after a protracted battle to get the agency to turn over relevant records it was evident most of the youth being abused were being sent to facilities owned by one company. That company has now been forced to close its residential treatment facilities across the nation. and Oregon leaders have pledged to no longer send children out of state. Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, who has a reputation for watchdogging the state agency and relied on records to uncover abuse herself, said shes worried the proposed rule protects adults, not vulnerable young people. Confidentiality should protect children and families and not the state and people who are paid to take care of children and have harmed them, Gelser Blouin said. The Oregon Department of Human Services tried to convince legislators to make this change in 2021, but lawmakers refused. Now, the agency is trying to accomplish the same goal through the rulemaking process. Jake Sunderland, a spokesman with Oregon Department of Human Services, said the effort began when an employee within the departments Office of Training, Investigations and Safety (OTIS) noted their belief that the level of information being disclosed in Oregon could conflict with federal child welfare privacy laws. There is a lack of clarity whether that is actually an issue, Sunderland said, adding the agency is now planning on a comprehensive analysis to determine whether that is the case. Sunderland said the agency is going to extend the public comment period of the rulemaking process to allow for further discussion. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld Arkansas law requiring state contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel, finding the restriction is not an unconstitutional violation of free speech. The full 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed a 2-1 decision last year by a three-judge panel of the court that found the requirement to be unconstitutional. The Arkansas Times had sued to block the law, which requires contractors with the state to reduce their fees by 20% if they dont sign the pledge. (The law) only prohibits economic decisions that discriminate against Israel," Judge Jonathan Kobes wrote in the court's opinion. Because those commercial decisions are invisible to observers unless explained, they are not inherently expressive and do not implicate the First Amendment." A federal judge in 2019 dismissed the Times' lawsuit, ruling that the boycotts are not protected by the First Amendment. A three-judge panel of the appeals court reversed that ruling, and the state appealed to the full appeals court. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the Times, said it planned to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. We hope and expect that the Supreme Court will set things right and reaffirm the nations historic commitment to providing robust protection to political boycotts," Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney for the ACLU Foundation's Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, said in a statement. The new ruling didn't give a breakdown of how judges decided, but at least one dissented, saying the law is written so broadly that it could go beyond boycotts. One could imagine a company posting anti-Israel signs, donating to causes that promote a boycott of Israel, encouraging others to boycott Israel, or even publicly criticizing the act with the intent to limit commercial relations with Israel' as a general matter," Judge Jane Kelly wrote in her dissent. And any of that conduct would arguably fall within the prohibition." The Times lawsuit said the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College refused to contract for advertising with the newspaper unless the paper signed the pledge. The newspaper isnt engaged in a boycott against Israel. Today is a resounding victory for Arkansass anti-discrimination law and reinforces Arkansass relationship with our long-time ally, Israel, Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, whose office defended the law, said in a statement. Republican legislators in Arkansas who drafted the 2017 law have said it wasn't prompted by a specific incident in the state. It followed similar restrictions enacted by other states in response to a movement promoting boycotts, divestment and sanctions of Israeli institutions and businesses over the country's treatment of Palestinians. Israeli officials say the campaign masks a deeper goal of delegitimizing and even destroying the country. Similar measures in Arizona, Kansas and Texas that were blocked were later allowed to be enforced after lawmakers narrowed the requirement so it applied only to larger contracts. Arkansas law applies to contracts worth $1,000 or more. Citing its anti-boycott law, Arizona last year sold off millions of dollars in Unilever bonds over subsidiary Ben & Jerrys decision to stop selling its ice cream in Israeli-occupied territories This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An Australian state has become the first in the country to pass a law banning the public display of Nazi swastikas, as concerns grow about the rate at which local young people are being radicalized. The Parliament of Victoria, Australias second-most populous state, passed laws late Tuesday that set penalties of 22,000 Australian dollars ($15,213) and 12 months in prison for displaying the Nazi swastika, or Hakenkreuz. Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, which fights antisemitism, said Wednesday he expected Australias most populous state, New South Wales, and the states of Queensland and Tasmania will soon pass similar laws. The fact that weve got a resurgent white supremacist and neo-Nazi movement is a cause for concern in every state, said Abramovich, who lives in the Victorian capital, Melbourne. What the bill does is to say to those forces of evil that are trying to break our spirit and instill fear that the laws no longer on their side, he added. Abramovich began a national campaign to ban the Nazi symbol five years ago. The law becomes official in two weeks and the ban takes effect six months later following a public education campaign. The law does not prohibit the display of swastikas in certain religious and cultural contexts. The swastika for Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and other faith communities was an ancient and sacred symbol, a Victoria government statement said. Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said she was proud the law had passed with the support of opposition lawmakers. Im glad to see that no matter what side of politics, we can agree that this vile behavior will not be tolerated in Victoria, Symes said. Mike Burgess, directory-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the nations main domestic spy agency, said in his annual threat assessment in February that concerns were growing about the rate at which young people were being radicalized. Children as young as 13 were embracing extremism, both religiously and ideologically motivated, Burgess said. Three years ago, minors represented less than 3% of ASIOs new counter-terrorism investigations. Last year, they accounted for 15% of such investigations and most of ASIOs highest-priority investigations, Burgess said. A Black man from Mississippi is appealing his conviction on charges stemming from a traffic stop in North Carolina in 2020 in which a white National Park Service officer forced him to the ground for not putting his hands behind his back to be frisked. Marvin Minor was sentenced to four months in prison by a magistrate after he was convicted on multiple charges last March 29 in U.S. District Court. The appeal was filed June 6, shortly before Minor's sentence was to end. The traffic stop resulted from a report that the car Minor was riding in had crossed the center line. The appeal makes multiple references to the fact that the traffic stop involving Minor occurred two months after George Floyd was murdered by a white Minneapolis police officer, who pinned Floyds neck to the pavement with his knee for more than 9 minutes as Floyd said he couldnt breathe. Former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's murder in 2021. Certainly, two months after the roadside killing of George Floyd, Mr. Minor was understandably hesitant to leave himself completely at the mercy of a person who had clearly decided to degrade him to an extent far greater than the offense that (the officer) had witnessed would seem to merit, wrote Asheville attorney Eric J. Foster in the appeal. Foster didn't respond to a request for additional comment on Wednesday. A National Park Service spokeswoman wasn't immediately available for comment. According to the appeal, Minor, 47, of Natchez, Mississippi, had been drinking a can of beer while he was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend. The couple was on their way to a celebration of his sister's 20th wedding anniversary in the Tennessee mountains when they were stopped on July 25, 2020, on U.S. 441 on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The National Park Service officer had stopped the car after seeing it cross the center line. According to the appeal, the ranger saw the open can of beer in the backseat and then ordered Minor out of the car to assume a submissive position so the officer could frisk him. Minor rejected the officer's command, although he did get out of the car and put his hands on the roof, the appeal said. The officer was dissatisfied with that action and then told Minor to put his hands behind his back as if he would be handcuffed. Minor refused that command as well, but kept his hands on the roof of the car. According to the appeal, the officer spun Minor, then grabbed him by the waist and leg and both men fell to the ground. Minor got to his feet first, returned to the car and put his hands back on the roof. In the appeal, Foster wrote that Minor's resistance to the officer's commands was not unlawful, but that the officer's actions were, raising concerns about the subsequent sentence. ... The commands themselves exceeded (the officer's) constitutional authority, and therefore the sentence was, in fact, for having a single open beer as a passenger in a car, the appeal said. It is difficult to imagine a person outside of law enforcement who believes it necessary to cage a person for four months for that offense. Minor was charged with failure to obey a lawful order, fighting with an officer and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. In the officer's report, he said he saw an open case of beer and asked Minor and his girlfriend if there was any open beer in the car. They answered no, but the ranger saw Minor reach into the back of the car before placing his hand on his waistband, suggesting to the officer that Minor was possibly checking for, reaching for, or hiding a weapon to ensure it remained concealed. The officer suggested in his testimony that he was concerned that both occupants of the car may have had weapons. ... Mr. Minor urges this court to recognize that when the National Park Police and the Department of Justice claim that Mr. Minor is armed and dangerous, they mean he is Black, talked back to the officer and did not move swiftly enough for (the officer) or the prosecutor. The officer's report said he pointed his stun gun at Minor as he asked him again to put his hands behind his back. Additional officers arrived on the scene and helped get Minor handcuffed, according to the report. ___ Foreman is a member of the AP's Race & Ethnicity team. ADELANTO, Calif. (AP) State officials are investigating after a Southern California sheriff's deputy shot and killed an unarmed person following a traffic stop early Tuesday, authorities said. The motorist ran from the scene after being pulled over around 2:40 a.m. in Adelanto, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a news release. BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) A 55-year-old California man and his 10-year-old son were identified as the victims who died in last weeks fatal rafting incident on the Nooksack River. John Coleman of Berkeley, California, and his son died when they were swept downriver after a raft overturned on the North Fork of the Nooksack River Tuesday, June 14, the Whatcom County Sheriffs Office told The Bellingham Herald in an email. REED CITY The City Council of Reed City made decisions on several propositions Monday night during their regular council meeting. Water system improvement plan: The council also held a public hearing on a proposed water system improvement plan before their regular meeting. The proposal includes the replacement of a water supply well, 1,450 feet of water main distribution, and 350 water service lines, amongst other repairs to the system. The council was asked to be proactive, as the city's water system has not been updated or refurbished in some time, and elements of it are aged and in disrepair, according to Scott Rasmussen, a representative of the engineering firm Flies & Vandenbrink. Funding is being requested from The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program. The overall cost of the project is around $3.5 million. The council voted unanimously to approve this project. Great American Crossroads Celebration: Jesse Kailing, president of the board of the Great American Crossroads Celebration, appeared seeking approval for drink tents, road closures, and noise ordinances for the event. "We're doing the best we can," Kailing said, regarding the lack of personnel the project now has. Some aspects of the celebration, including the craft show and kickball tournament have been cancelled. The most important part of the celebration, according to Kailing, is the kid's carnival, which they are doing their best to keep as part of it. The council granted all requests Kailing made for the celebration, and thanked him for keeping it going. New beer festival: Deanna Murphy of the Reed City Brewing Company appeared seeking approval of a new beer festival in Reed City. Mayor Roger Meinert said it was an "awesome idea" and an "outstanding opportunity." "What a great way to bring new people to our city that wouldn't normally come here," Meinert said. "I love it." The council voted to approve all requests related to the new beer festival. Connecting trails: Another project, to improve Reed City's existing park system by connecting the city's trails to municipal trails, will hopefully allow for more hikes that loop, rather than straight shots that require hikers to experience the same scenery twice. Reed City has an existing culture of outdoor recreation, with the Purple Heart Trail and Rambadt Park drawing many outside to enjoy nature. But there's currently no connections between the trails, and the community has been asking for a way to turn the trails into a loop so they can hike without having to double back. The council voted to approve this project as well. 220th corridor enhancement: Finally, the council also considered a request to move forward with a request for the 220th Corridor Enhancement project, in tandem with Richmond Township. City Manager Rich Saladin said it's the "gateway" to their community and hopes this road improvement project will lead to more joint projects with Richmond Township. The council voted unanimously to approve this project. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims. Monday, June 20 10:18 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township location regarding a woman who was intoxicated and arguing with neighbors. Prior to the Deputies arrival, the woman had left the scene on foot and was unable to be located. 9:38 p.m. - A Deputy spoke with a 32-year-old Lee Township woman who requested information regarding installing a security camera at her residence. The deputy assisted the woman with her questions. 8:49 p.m. - A 24-year-old Lee Township woman reported that her mother-in-law did not return their child for their court order parenting time. The woman advised that she knew she had to contact the probate court but her attorney advised her to also get a police report. 9:15 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Greendale Township. residence for a dispute between a 29-year-old woman tenant and her 63-year-old female landlord. The tenant left the residence for the night and the landlord was explained the eviction process. 8:39 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Lincoln Township residence regarding a 43-year-old woman who was intoxicated and being disorderly. The woman received a ride home from a friend. 7:59 p.m. Police were called to the 5900 block of Woodpark Drive for a civil complaint. 3:45 p.m.- A 37-year-old Midland man called 911 and reported that he was yelled at by a neighbor while cutting grass at his work in Lee Township. Deputies spoke to both parties, and they agreed to leave each other alone, and will no longer cut each others grass. 2:37 p.m. A deputy spoke with a subject who was having issues with her deceased fathers estate. The woman was advised to contact probate court and to handle the matter in court. 2:35 p.m. A 68-year-old Edenville Township woman advised that her ex-boyfriend, a 65-year old man returned to the house and was yelling. The man left prior to arrival. The woman was advised of the eviction process and personal protection order process. 11:23 a.m. - A Deputy returned a license plate to a 53-year-old Hope Township man that was found near his residence in Hope Township. 9:21 a.m. - Deputies responded to a construction site in Mount Haley Township, for report of stolen power tools and equipment. Approximately $52,440 worth of items were stolen. No suspects at this time. 8:41 a.m. Police were called to the 100 block of N. Saginaw for a private property crash. 6:20 a.m. A 40-year-old Coleman woman reported that her 42-year-old ex-roommate violated a served personal protection order and damaged two windows on her trailer. A report was forwarded to the prosecutor. 3:52 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence for a domestic. Deputies contacted a 27-year-old Lee Township man who advised his wife, a 28-year-old Lee Township woman was drinking and they were arguing. Upon further investigation, the 28-year-old woman was arrested for domestic violence and transported to the Midland County Jail report was sent to the prosecutor for review. 1:48 a.m. Police were called to the 200 block of Harold Street for a domestic violence complaint. 12:56 a.m. - A deputy was dispatched to a Jerome Township residence reference a verbal argument between a 48-year-old Lincoln Township man and his 41-year-old Jerome Township sister. Both parties were intoxicated, and the man was provided with a ride to his residence. The deputy provided advice on how to prevent future issues. Sunday, June 19 11:27 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Coleman business reference a suspicious man in the parking lot with a flashlight. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with a 33 year-old Coleman man who had permission from the business to remove scrap metal from their Dumpsters. 10:02 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township. residence reference a 31-year-old Lee Township man complaining about texts he was receiving from his 33-year-old sister. Deputies advised the man to block her number and explained the PPO process. Subsequently, the man was arrested on an out-of-county warrant. 1:48 p.m. - A deputy responded to a Porter Township residence for an unwanted 20-year-old man at his 44-year-old father's house. The 20-year-old man was given a ride to Mount Pleasant by a Michigan State Police trooper. Saturday, June 18 11:32 p.m. Police responded to the 1400 blk of Haley Street for a loud party. 11:14 p.m. Police were called to the West US-10 and Eastman Avenue off ramp for a hit and run crash. 10:34 p.m. - Deputies were sent to a Jerome Township campground regarding campers refusing to leave. Contact was made with the man and woman campers who agreed to leave for the night and return the next day to retrieve their camper. 4:33 p.m. - A deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding on Coleman Road near Short Road. The driver did not have a license and was cited for driving while license suspended. The vehicle was reported stolen in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but the driver did not appear to be the suspect in that matter at this time. The vehicle was impounded for the agency out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. 12:34 p.m. - A 65-year-old Midland Township woman called reference a vehicle that had been parked near her residence for a couple days. A deputy checked on the vehicle which came back to a dealership down state. The vehicle had a note in it advising they were visiting and would have it removed in a couple of days. The woman was going to call back to have it tagged as abandoned if it was not removed. 5:09 a.m. Police were called to the 500 block of Buchanan Drive for aggravated/felonious assault. 3:42 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to Jerome Township in reference to a report of a suspicious situation involving a man sleeping in a vehicle. Deputies spoke with the 52-year-old male occupant of the vehicle and determined there were no signs of suspicious activity or foul play involved. 1:16 a.m. - Deputies were sent to Warren Township for a report of a loud party and a wellbeing check of a 10-year-old. Contact was made with the homeowner who agreed to turn the music down and the 10-year-old was checked on and was all set. Friday, June 17 11:53 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township residence in reference to a report of a 31-year-old man that overdosed. Deputies arrived on scene and assisted with medical treatment. The man was transported to the hospital via ambulance for further treatment. 10:42 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Warren Township residence regarding a 39-year-old woman reporting that she was assaulted by a 76-year-old man. The woman didn't sustain any injuries, and just wished for the incident to be documented. The woman didn't want to press charges. 9:53 p.m. - Deputies spoke to a 37-year-old woman regarding her 14-year-old daughter being sexually assaulted 10 years ago. Ultimately it was discovered the incident did not take place in Midland County. Report to be sent to the correct jurisdiction. 8:21 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Midland Township residence reference an assault between a 33-year-old woman and her 27-year-old live-in boyfriend. Both parties suffered minor injuries. The parties were separated for the night. A report is being sent to the prosecutor. 7:53 p.m. - Deputies spoke to a 43-year-old woman regarding suspicious activity at her residence. Deputies suggested setting up security cameras and calling if anything further happened. 6:44 p.m. Police responded to Meadowbrook Drive and Jefferson Avenue for a property damage crash. 5:02 p.m. A 41-year-old Lee Township man contacted the Sheriff's Office with questions regarding his wife. The man advised he had been arrested for domestic assault the previous night. When he bonded out it was discovered that his wife had taken numerous items belonging to him from the residence where he stays. The man was advised that due to them being married that it was a civil matter. The man just requested that the Sheriff's Office document that he reported the incident. 4:14 p.m. - A deputy, EMS and Coleman Fire were dispatched to M-18 near Baker Rd regarding an injury crash involving a motorcycle striking a deer. The driver and passenger were transported to the hospital for treatment. A crash report was completed. 2:35 p.m. - Police were called to W. St Andrews and Jefferson Avenue for a property damage accident. 11:54 a.m. - A deputy responded to a Lee Township residence for a verbal argument between a 28-year-old man and his 57-year-old mother. The woman didn't agree with the woman the man was dating and they had an argument. There was no assault and the parties had already moved onto a different topic when the deputy arrived. They advised they would separate next time they started to argue. 9:43 a.m. - A 52-year-old Lincoln Township man reported a larceny from his residence. The stolen rifle is valued at approximately $500. There are no suspects currently. 4:43 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to Homer Township regarding a third-party caller reporting a vehicle being pulled out of a ditch by a tow truck. The caller reported that the vehicle appeared to have struck a tree. The vehicles were gone prior to Deputies arrival and no further reports were made to the Sheriff's Office. 12:26 a.m. - A 39-year-old woman reported she was assaulted by her 41-year-old husband at one of their Lee Township. properties. After the assault the man fled the property. The man was later located and arrested for the assault. The man was transported to the Midland County Jail, where he was lodged without incident. A Report has been forwarded to the prosecutor for review. PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine unnecessarily institutionalizes youths with mental health and developmental disabilities because of a lack of sufficient community-based services that would allow them to stay in their homes, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday in declaring a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Justice Department conducted its investigation after advocacy group Disability Rights Maine filed a complaint on behalf of a group of children. The rights organization said the children were not able to access community-based services, resulting in institutionalization or risk of institutionalization that violated the ADA. The Justice Department concurred, saying it found many Maine children with disabilities are unable to live with family because of the state's lack of community services. That means children in the state enter emergency rooms, come into contact with law enforcement and then remain in institutions when they could otherwise remain in their homes, the department said. I hope that the violations identified by the Justice Department can be remedied so that these children and their families are able to obtain quality services in their own communities," U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine said in a statement. The Justice Department findings said the state suffers from lengthy waitlists, too few behavioral health providers, and a lack of crisis services and support for foster care parents. That means many children need to enter facilities, including out-of-state facilities and the state-run juvenile detention facility Long Creek Youth Development Center, to receive behavioral health services, the department found. The Justice Department findings include recommendations for how the state can come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The recommendations include using more state resources to maintain a pool of community-based service providers. Another recommendation states Maine should implement a policy that requires providers to serve eligible children and prohibit refusal of services. The administration of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Wednesday that improving behavioral health services for Maine children is one of its goals. The administration also said the shortcomings of the state's behavioral health system stretch back many years, and the COVID-19 pandemic set back progress. We share the strong sense of urgency in ensuring that Maine children with disabilities have timely access to an array of high-quality, evidence-based services that prevent institutionalization whenever possible and will continue to work diligently towards that end, said Jackie Farwell, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Atlee Reilly, legal director for Disability Rights Maine, said that the deficiencies in the children's behavioral health system in Maine have been well documented and that now it's time for action. We're grateful for the findings of the Department of Justice," Reilly said. "We're not surprised by the findings, because we hear from these families all the time and we hope that these findings will ensure that these longstanding and well-documented problems are addressed with the sense of urgency that they require. The Justice Department report says Maine's lack of behavioral health service has resulted in Long Creek, the state's only juvenile justice facility, filling the gap. The report states its investigation found that Maine's lack of community-based behavioral health services leads to unnecessary and prolonged incarceration. It says the state is using Long Creek as a de facto children's psychiatric facility. The future of Long Creek has been a subject of much debate in recent years. Mills vetoed a bill to close the facility last year. ___ Associated Pres writer David Sharp contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - Shaye Moss's life forever changed on Dec. 10, 2020, when Rudy Giuliani, then President Donald Trump's top campaign lawyer, publicly claimed that she and her mother, a fellow poll worker in Fulton County, Ga., had rigged the outcome in her state. Moss's supervisor suggested that day that she check her social media accounts to see if she had received any threats, as others in the office had. She was stunned by what she saw when she pulled up her Facebook Messenger account. "It was just a lot of horrible things there," Moss said at a hearing Tuesday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Many of the messages were racist and "hateful," said Moss, who is Black. "A lot of threats wishing death upon me, telling me I'll be in jail with my mother and saying things like, 'Be glad it's 2020 and not 1920.'" That was only the beginning. Moss eventually stopped going to the grocery store, where she feared acquaintances might say her name and call attention from believers of Trump's voter-fraud claims. Election deniers showed up at the home of her grandmother and tried to push their way in to search for evidence of fraud. Both she and her mother, Ruby Freeman, were forced into hiding. They quit their jobs with the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections, where Moss had proudly served as a poll worker for more than a decade. "I've always been told by my grandmother how important it is to vote and how people before me, a lot of people, older people in my family, did not have that right," Moss told the committee. "So what I loved most about my job were the older voters. They like to call. They like to talk to you. I was excited always about sending out all the absentee ballots for the elderly disabled people. I even remember driving to a hospital to give someone her absentee ballot application." Moss's and Freeman's emotional testimony capped a riveting hearing, the committee's fourth so far, that focused on Trump's pressure campaign on state and local officials to reverse his loss in a half-dozen contested states. The mother and daughter, in particular, revealed in searing detail the cost of Trump's baseless accusations about the 2020 contest on the lives of rank-and-file election workers, many of whom have described violent threats. Moss said she was speechless when her supervisors showed her a recording of Giuliani's statement to a Georgia state Senate committee investigating the 2020 result. Giuliani claimed that Moss and Freeman had plotted to kick out observers at the State Farm Arena, where the county had set up a ballot counting operation. They had brought in suitcases filled with fraudulent ballots for Joe Biden and scanned them through the tabulating teams multiple times, he said. He described surveillance video from the arena that he claimed showed the two exchanging USB memory sticks, presumably containing fraudulent vote counts, "as if they're vials of cocaine." "I mean, it's obvious to anyone who's a criminal investigator or prosecutor that they are engaged in surreptitious, illegal activity," Giuliani said. "And they're still walking around Georgia. They should have been questioned already. Their homes should have been searched for evidence." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led the questioning at Tuesday's hearing, asked Moss, "None of that was true, was it?" Moss's answer: "None of it." Schiff then asked about the USB memory sticks. "What was your mom actually handing you on that video?" "A ginger mint," Moss said. Trump also attacked Freeman and Moss personally in a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, R, just days before the Capitol attack, mentioning Freeman 18 times and describing her at one point as a "professional vote scammer and hustler." The Washington Post obtained a recording of the call and published it last year. The threats and harassment that ensued even reached Moss's grandmother, who called one day, screaming, to say people had knocked on her door and, when she had opened it, had tried to push into the home in search of Moss and Freeman. Moss recounted how awful she felt telling her grandmother, "who likes to get her steps in walking around the neighborhood," that she had to stop exercising outside for her own safety. At night, pranksters "continuously" sent pizzas to her home that the delivery drivers expected her to pay for, Moss testified. "I just felt so helpless and so horrible for her," Moss said. Schiff closed Moss's appearance by asking her how many other election workers pictured in the State Farm Arena surveillance video are still working for Fulton County. "There is no permanent election worker or supervisor in that video that's still there," she said. The committee played videotaped testimony from Freeman, who sat behind her daughter on Tuesday but did not testify in person, about how her life was upended by Trump as well. The testimony left Freeman in tears and Moss wiping her eyes and shaken. Freeman told the committee that she is known as "Lady Ruby" and had built her own small business, a shop "catering to ladies with unique fashions," using that moniker. She was wearing a shirt proclaiming "Lady Ruby" while ballot counting at State Farm Arena - but she won't wear it again. "I won't even introduce myself by my name anymore," Freeman said. "I get nervous when I bump into someone I know in the grocery store who says my name. I'm worried about who is listening. I get nervous when I have to give my name for food orders. I'm always concerned of who is around me. I've lost my name, and I've lost my reputation. I've lost my sense of security." Moss and Freeman filed defamation lawsuits last year against Giuliani as well as pro-Trump media outlets including One America News. They settled with OAN in May for undisclosed terms. As part of the settlement, OAN aired a segment reporting that Georgia officials had concluded there was "no widespread voter fraud by election workers" at the State Farm Arena and that neither Freeman nor Moss engaged in ballot fraud or criminal misconduct. Giuliani filed a motion to dismiss his suit in early June. The week of Jan. 6, the FBI contacted Freeman to tell her to leave her home for safety. She stayed away for two months. "There is nowhere I feel safe. Nowhere," Freeman said. "Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States target you? The president of the United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one. But he targeted me, Lady Ruby, a small-business owner, a mother, a proud American citizen who stood up to help Fulton County run an election in the middle of a pandemic." - - - The Washington Post's Jacqueline Alemany contributed to this report. SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images SpaceX may be building a new facility in Central Texas near Austin, according to reports from the Austin Business Journal and Austonia. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who could possibly be the worlds first trillionaire by 2024, recently opened Tesla's Giga Texas factory in Austin. The new SpaceX facility would be in Bastrop County along FM 1209, which is east of Austin and about 20 minutes away from the new Tesla factory. SpaceX is based out of South Texas with a launch facility in Brownsville. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM (AP) After barely 12 months in office, the leaders of Israel's broad-based but severely weakened coalition government threw in the towel this week, saying they would dissolve parliament and hold new elections the fifth in 3 1/2 years. Why does this keep happening? The simplest answer is that Israel is deeply and almost evenly divided over whether Benjamin Netanyahu should be prime minister. But it's also because Israel's political system consists of an ideologically diverse array of parties that have to form alliances and sometimes break them to get what they want. Here's a look at how Israel reached this point and what comes next. ___ MULTI-PARTY POLITICS Israelis vote by party, and in the country's 74-year history no single faction has won a majority in the 120-member parliament, known as the Knesset. So after every election, any would-be prime minister must form alliances in order to cobble together a majority of at least 61 seats. That gives small parties outsized power. After nearly every election, attention focuses on one or more potential kingmakers and their particular demands. Thirteen parties were elected to parliament, for instance, in last year's election. This can result in weeks of negotiations and horse-trading among various party leaders. If no one can assemble a majority, as happened after elections in April and September 2019, the country goes back to the polls and the government remains in place as a caretaker. Still, it shouldn't be this hard. Nationalist and religious parties captured a majority of seats in the Knesset in each of the last four elections, if only they could agree with one another. That's where Netanyahu comes in. ___ LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM To his right-wing and religious supporters, Netanyahu is the King of Israel an unapologetic nationalist and veteran statesman who can go toe-to-toe with world leaders, from Russia's Vladimir Putin to U.S. President Joe Biden, shepherding Israel through its myriad security challenges. To his opponents including the leaders of the outgoing coalition he is at best a crook and at worst a threat to democracy. They point to his ongoing corruption trial, his domineering style and his habit of stoking internal divisions for political gain. Netanyahu was Israel's longest-serving prime minister, and his Likud party came in first or a narrow second in all four elections. But he was never able to form a right-wing majority because some of his ideological allies including former aides refuse to partner with him. Take Avigdor Lieberman, for example. The West Bank settler who heads a right-wing party and was long known for his fiery anti-Arab rhetoric would seem an obvious ally. But he broke with Netanyahu in 2019 and refuses to sit in a government with him or his ultra-Orthodox allies. Lieberman even champions a bill that would bar anyone indicted on criminal charges from serving as prime minister an attempt to end Netanyahu's political career. ___ AN UNWIELDY COALITION Last year, after election No. 4, Netanyahu's opponents succeeded in ousting him. Naftali Bennett another right-wing former Netanyahu ally and centrist Yair Lapid cobbled together a coalition of eight political parties from across the ideological spectrum from right-wing nationalists to advocates of Palestinian statehood, including a small Arab Islamist party. The factions set aside their ideological differences and worked together, for a time. The government passed a budget, weathered two coronavirus waves without imposing a lockdown, improved diplomatic ties with Arab and Muslim countries, and avoided war. Bennett, as prime minister, even tried his hand at mediating between Russia and Ukraine. But from the beginning, the government had the slimmest of majorities, and Netanyahu marshalled enormous pressure against its right-wing members, accusing them of partnering with terrorists and betraying their voters. Several right-wing members of the coalition received death threats, including Bennett. In the end, many buckled, and Bennett's Yamina party all but collapsed. The government lost its majority in April. This month, it failed to pass a law extending special legal status to Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, which most Israelis view as essential. ___ NEW ELECTION, SAME DIVIDE Israelis are now expected to return to the polls as soon as October, where they will wearily confront a familiar choice. Netanyahu is hoping for a comeback, and the Likud and its allies are expected to win more votes than they did the last time around. Some of his right-wing opponents, weakened by their association with the coalition, could lose some or all of their seats. But it's far too early for any reliable polling, and even if Netanyahu and his allies secure more seats, they could fall short of a majority yet again. If that happens, it would be left to many of the same parties that formed the outgoing government to cobble together a new coalition, one that would face the same stressors as the last one. And if neither side has enough support to form a government? You guessed it: New elections. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Miami (AP) Its one of the worlds highest-fetching wild-caught fish, sold for $32 a pound at Whole Foods and served up as meaty fillets on the menus of upscale eateries across the U.S. But Russias obstruction of longstanding conservation efforts, resulting in a unilateral rejection of catch limits for the Chilean sea bass in a protected region off the coast of South America, has triggered a fish fight at the bottom of the world, one dividing longtime allies, the U.S. and U.K. governments. The diplomatic feud, which has not been previously reported, intensified after the U.K. quietly issued licenses this spring to fish for the sea bass off the coast of South Georgia, a remote, uninhabited U.K.-controlled island some 1,400 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands. As a result, for the first time since governments banded together 40 years ago to protect marine life near the South Pole, deep-sea fishing for the pointy-toothed fish is proceeding this season without any catch limit from the 26-member Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources or CCAMLR. The move essentially transformed overnight one of the worlds best-managed fisheries into a France-sized stretch of outlaw ocean at least in the eyes of U.S. officials threatening to bar U.K. imports from the area. In a world beset by conflict, the U.K. is playing a risky game, said Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace U.K. The history of Antarctic protection is one of peaceful cooperation for the common good of humanity. Russias consistent willingness to abuse the process cannot excuse unilateral action by other Members. We trust that countries who have previously imported South Georgia toothfish will not accept the catch of what is now an unregulated fishery. For decades, the fishery near South Georgia was a poster child for international fisheries cooperation, one that brought together sometimes adversarial powers like Russia, China and the U.S. to protect the chilly, crystal blue southern ocean from the sort of fishing free-for-all seen on the high seas. Last year, as tensions with the West were rising over Ukraine, Russia took the unprecedented step of rejecting the toothfish catch limits proposed by CCAMLR scientists. The move was tantamount to a unilateral veto because of rules, common to many international fisheries pacts, that require all decisions to be made by unanimous agreement. But critics say the U.K.s response issuing licenses without a CCAMLR-approved catch limit is unlawful under the commissions rules and weakens the Antarctica Treaty established during the Cold War to set aside the continent as a scientific preserve. U.S. officials have also privately told their U.K. counterparts that they would likely bar imports of any toothfish caught near South Georgia, according to correspondence between U.S. fisheries managers and members of Congress seen by The Associated Press. The fight underscores how Russias attempts to undermine the West have extended to even obscure forums normally removed from geopolitical tussles. It also risks reviving Britains tensions with Argentina, which invaded South Georgia in 1982 as part of its war with the U.K. over the Falkland Islands. But the outcome couldnt be more consequential: With fish stocks across the globe declining due to overfishing, consumers are demanding greater transparency about where the filets on their plates are sourced. Central to that effort is rules-based international fisheries management on the open ocean and environmentally sensitive areas like the polar regions. It sets a dangerous precedent, said Evan Bloom, who for 15 years, until his retirement from the State Department in 2020, led the U.S. delegation to CCAMLR. What the Russians did clearly violates the spirit of science-based fisheries management, added Bloom, who is now an expert on polar issues at the Wilson Center in Washington. But that doesnt necessarily mean that the U.K. can act unilaterally. Three of the four vessels authorized by the U.K. to fish near South Georgia starting May 1 belong to Argos Froyanes, a British-Norwegian company that pioneered techniques credited with dramatically reducing seabird mortality in the south Atlantic. One of its customers is New York-based Mark Foods, the largest U.S. supplier of sea bass certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, the industrys gold standard for sustainability. CEO Barry Markman declined an interview request but said his company would not import any product deemed illegal by U.S. authorities. We have been working collaboratively with U.S. officials to resolve this situation in a favorable manner, he wrote in an e-mail. Chilean seabass the commercial name of Patagonia toothfish from South Georgia is sold at both Whole Foods and Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, which operates the fine-dining chains Eddie Vs and The Capital Grille. Neither company responded to a request for comment. An official from the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which issued the licenses in coordination with the U.K. foreign office, said it took action so as not to give in to obstructionist tactics by Russia that it doesnt expect will end anytime soon. The fishery is one of the best managed in the world, with catch limits set by South Georgia below even the quota recommended by CCAMLR. In addition, all vessels authorized to fish near the island have observers and tamper-proof electronic monitoring equipment on board. Officials say that closing the fishery wouldve taken valuable resources away from research and monitoring because about 70% of the island chains budget comes from the sale of licenses. They point out that the population of toothfish a bottom-dwelling species capable of living up to 50 years almost collapsed in the 1990s from poachers drawn to the high prices paid for the bottom-dwelling fish, which can weigh over 200 pounds. However, thanks in part to the multinational efforts of CCAMLR, the species has bounced back. The solution isnt ideal but it is in the best interest of the fishery, according to the official who declined to be identified by name. ___ Follow Goodman at @APJoshGoodman ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/ WASHINGTON -- The Senate advanced a bill Tuesday night that would toughen federal gun laws and provide billions of dollars in new money to prevent future mass shootings after negotiators settled key disagreements, putting the legislation on course to be passed into law later this month. The breakthrough came more than a week after 20 senators -- 10 from each party -- signed on to a framework agreement that coupled modest new gun restrictions with some $15 billion in new federal funding for mental health programs and school security upgrades. The release Tuesday evening of the 80-page Bipartisan Safer Communities Act concluded a crash effort to translate those elements into fine legislative detail, one that appeared to be in jeopardy late last week. Tuesday's 64-to-34 test vote, which took place less than two hours after the final text was circulated, put the legislation on a path to pass the chamber by the end of the week. Key players on the political right took sides immediately after the text was released, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., backing the bill and the National Rifle Association opposing it. The leaders of the small bipartisan group that forged the deal, meanwhile, called it a watershed moment in Washington's long struggle to address high-profile acts of mass gun violence. The group, led by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., came together in the hours after the May 24 killing of 19 children and two teachers inside a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school. "This is a breakthrough and, more importantly, it's a bipartisan breakthrough," Murphy said Tuesday. "This bill will be too little for many; it'll be too much for others. But it isn't a box-checking exercise. This bill is not window dressing. This bill is going to save lives. This bill is going to save thousands of lives. It is going to be something that every single member of this Senate who votes for it can be proud of." Cornyn, too, acknowledged the compromise was likely to leave those on both extremes of the political spectrum dissatisfied. But he said the time had come for lawmakers to heed the public's calls for action: "We know there's no such thing as a perfect piece of legislation. We are imperfect human beings. But we have to try, and I believe this bill is a step in the right direction." If passed, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act would enact the most significant new gun restrictions since the 1990s, though it falls well short of the broader gun-control measures that President Biden and other Democrats have called for, such as a new assault weapons ban or restrictions on high-capacity ammunition magazines. One sticking point resolved over the weekend concerned the "boyfriend loophole" -- a gap in current federal law thatprevents domestic violence offenders from purchasing firearms only if their victims were either their spouses or partnerswhom they had lived with or had children with. The framework proposed expanding restrictions to include offenders who have been in a "continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature" with their victims. Defining precisely what constitutes such a relationship, however, was challenging, as was addressing GOP desires to create a process allowing offenders to have their gun rights restored. The bill released Tuesday would bar a misdemeanor domestic-violence offender who has a "current or recent former dating relationship with the victim" from owning or buying a gun. What constitutes a "dating relationship" is not precisely defined in the draft text, which would instead allow courts to make that determination based on the length and nature of the relationship, as well as "the frequency and type of interaction" between the people involved. The text excludes "casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context." Those offenders would be automatically entitled to regain their gun rights after five years as long as they do not commit any further violent misdemeanors or other disqualifying offenses. Negotiations over the legislation bumped up against a self-imposed deadline of getting the bill written and onto the Senate floor this week so that it can be debated and passed before a scheduled two-week recess that begins Thursday. Although leadership aides say that senators could stay a day or two longer to complete work on the bill, a longer delay has been seen as untenable by senators of both parties. Despite the broad public popularity of the gun provisions in question, Republicans are facing a brewing backlash from the most conservative elements of their voting base. Democrats, for their part, are wary of getting mired in protracted negotiations due to deep skepticism of the GOP's willingness to consummate a gun deal. They also fear that it could sap political capital from their other priorities this summer - including a possible resurrection of Biden's party-line economic agenda, previously known as Build Back Better. After their last in-person meeting Thursday, the four lead negotiators -- Cornyn, Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. -- pledged to work throughout the weekend to bring a deal to fruition. Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator, struck an optimistic note, saying progress continued. "We'll find a way to get this done," he said. But Cornyn, the lead GOP negotiator, publicly took a harder line, telling reporters on his way out of the room that he was "done" negotiating on key sticking points before he left for Texas for the weekend. The next day, in Houston, Cornyn was heartily booed as he gave a speech to the Republican Party of Texas's annual convention -- a vivid public display of the considerable political risk he and other Republicans are assuming by merely floating a deal to tighten federal gun laws. While the subset of party activists who attended the event is not representative of the electorate as a whole, in Texas or elsewhere, the episode illustrated some of the political forces that have made it difficult to forge a compromise on new gun laws over the past three decades - despite the public outcry over the recent spate of mass shootings and persistent street violence involving firearms. "I will not, under any circumstance, support new restrictions for law-abiding gun owners," Cornyn told the crowd at the Houston convention. "And despite what some of you may have heard, the framework that we are working on is consistent with that red line." The crowd booed nonetheless. Social media postings captured attendees chanting "No red flags!" -- a reference to a provision of the tentative deal that is particularly unpopular on the right -- as well as garbage cans full of Cornyn lanyards. The state party also adopted a resolution opposing the deal and rebuking the GOP senators involved, on the grounds that "all gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God-given rights." As the talks wore on last week, there was reason to think the deal could remain insulated from a right-wing backlash. For one, the framework won tentative backing last week from McConnell -- an important public vote of confidence from a powerful GOP player who has played a key role in snuffing out previous attempts at compromise. Of the 10 Republicans who signed onto the framework last week, four are not seeking reelection, and five others are not up for reelection until 2026. McConnell on Tuesday lent the bill firm support, calling it "a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens." "For years, the far left falsely claimed that Congress could only address the terrible issue of mass murders by trampling on law-abiding Americans' constitutional rights," he said. "This bill proves that false." Yet McConnell, who rarely finds himself out of step with fellow GOP senators, was solidly in the minority among Republicans in supporting the deal. The NRA's immediate decision to oppose the bill Tuesday after it was released underscored the firm commitment among conservatives to a hard-line defense of gun rights. The bill, the group said, "falls short at every level." "It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners," the NRA statement continued. Meanwhile, gun-control advocacy groups quickly endorsed the bill, calling it a breakthrough moment while acknowledging that its provisions were relatively modest. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said the bill's release moved the country "one big step closer to breaking the 26-year logjam that has blocked Congressional action to protect Americans from gun violence" and urged the Senate to quickly pass it. All 50 members of the Democratic caucus supported the procedural motion Tuesday, plus 14 Republicans -- Roy Blunt, Mo.; Richard Burr, N.C.; Shelley Moore Capito, W.Va.; Bill Cassidy, La.; Susan M. Collins, Maine; Joni Ernst, Iowa; Lindsey O. Graham, S.C.; Lisa Murkowski, Alaska; Rob Portman, Ohio; Mitt Romney, Utah; and Todd Young, Ind.; as well as Cornyn, McConnell and Tillis. Sen. Pat Toomey, Pa., did not vote Tuesday but issued a statement supporting the bill. Besides the "boyfriend loophole" issues, another tricky area concerned federal grants to states that Democrats have publicly pitched as an effort to encourage red-flag laws, which allow authorities to keep guns away from people judged to represent a danger to themselves or others. Many conservatives are deeply skeptical of those laws, so Republicans insisted on structuring the grants so that the money would be equally available to states that pass red-flag laws and those that do not. According to a summary of the draft bill, an existing Justice Department grant program would be expanded to allow funding for state "crisis intervention programs," including not only red-flag laws but also drug courts and veterans' courts. The bill provides $750 million in new funding for those programs, the summary said. The third major gun provision concerned how background checks are handled for gun buyers under 21. While that group is already barred from purchasing handguns, people 18 or older can still buy rifles and shotguns, including the military-style semiautomatic rifles that have been used in numerous recent mass shootings. The framework deal included an agreement to require a search of juvenile justice and mental health records for the youngest gun buyers for the first time. But because of disparate state systems and standards for searching and maintaining juvenile records, negotiators struggled with the mechanics of that provision. The bill will include an "enhanced search" window for gun buyers under 21, to allow local authorities to scour confidential databases, according to the bill summary, with a total of 10 business days available to complete a review of those young buyers if an initial search raises a potentially disqualifying issue. While that structure stands to be especially contentious for gun rights advocates, who have long opposed the prospect of creating a de facto waiting period for purchasing a gun, the "enhanced search" provision is set to expire after 10 years - after which, the bill's architects envision, juvenile records will be routinely incorporated into the existing instant background-check system. Other provisions include new federal gun-trafficking offenses and a broader definition of which gun sellers are required to register for a federal firearms license, which in turn would require them to conduct background checks on their customers. Other elements of the framework included creating a broader network of "community behavioral health centers," more federal support for in-school intervention programs, broader access to telehealth services for those in a mental health crisis and new funding for school security programs. The new spending is offset through a one-year delay of a Medicare drug-rebate provision. According to the bill summary, the federal savings are estimated at $20.9 billion, which is being used to fund more than a dozen new mental health and school security programs. A Republican aide familiar with the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe the talks said the bill will not spend the full offset, only up to $15 billion. HONOLULU (AP) A Hawaii public school teacher was ordered held without bail on a charge of distributing child pornography, which U.S. prosecutors said included videos of him having sex with a 13-year-old student. According to a criminal complaint, Alden Bunag, 33 worked as a substitute teacher at multiple schools and sent videos of himself having sex with a boy during school lunch breaks to a teacher in Philadelphia. He distributed child pornography between November 2019 and October 2021, prosecutors said. In her first week on the job at a Philadelphia abortion clinic, Amanda Kifferly was taught how to search for bombs. About a year later, protesters blocked the entrances and exits of The Womens Centers, at one point pulling Kifferly into something resembling a mosh pit, where they surrounded her and shoved her around. And on the night of last winter's arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could end the nationwide right to abortion, people gathered outside a clinic in New Jersey with lawn chairs, a cooler and a flaming torch a sight that brought to mind lynchings and other horrors of the country's racist past, says Kifferly, who now serves as vice president for abortion access. Such scenes have become familiar for providers and patients across the country over the decades since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion. At times the violence has been far more severe, including bombings, arson and murders from the 1993 killing of Dr. David Gunn outside a Florida abortion clinic to the 2015 fatal shooting of three people inside a Colorado Planned Parenthood. Now providers and some in law enforcement worry what will come next. They're preparing for an increase in violence once the Supreme Court rules, saying there has historically been a spike when the issue of abortion gets widespread public attention, such as after a state approves new restrictions. If the decision ends Roe v. Wade as a leaked draft opinion indicates may happen they also anticipate protests, harassment and other violence to be more concentrated and intensify in states where abortion remains legal. We know from experience, its not like the people protesting clinics in banned states just pack up and go home," said Melissa Fowler, chief program officer for the National Abortion Federation. The group and the hundreds of abortion clinics it represents have been on heightened alert since the opinion leaked, Fowler said. The organization has staff who specialize in security on call around the clock. They go out to clinics to do drills with employees and volunteers on scenarios such as bomb threats or active shooters and advise them on things like where to position security cameras. They also conduct safety assessments at the homes of physicians, monitor online threats and consult with local law enforcement. In some places, local police are working with clinics to try to tamp down the potential for violence. In Jacksonville, Florida, the sheriff's office said last month they would station an officer outside the clinic, and police in Little Rock, Arkansas, installed a camera atop a crane near an abortion clinic that has been the site of protests, hoping to deter bad actors. Immediately following the leak and for days afterward, police in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, initiated extra patrols around The Women's Center location, Kifferly said. But the relationship between clinics and local police isn't always positive, and clinics must weigh whether having a heavy police presence will frighten patients, Fowler said. In Kifferly's experience, how well clinics and police departments work together varies by city and state. She recalled asking an officer for help as she was assaulted outside the Philadelphia clinic, and the officer responding that she should call 911. A report released Friday by the foundation, which collects monthly data from more than 500 members on harassment and violence, showed a spike in some incidents last year, including invasions of clinics, vandalism, assaults, burglaries, stalking, and hate emails or internet harassment. Picketing and other types of incidents declined compared to 2020, but the number of incidents in all categories in 2021 exceeded the number in 2016, the year Donald Trump was elected president. Threats of death or harm were nearly five times as common last year as in 2016, according to the new report; assaults at or outside clinics tripled, and reports of trespassing skyrocketed, the group said. After Trump became president, extremists felt like it was OK for them not to be in the shadows, Fowler said. The coronavirus pandemic seemed to exacerbate things, Kifferly said, and in all four states where The Womens Centers operates New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia and Pennsylvania we were besieged by protesters angry that abortion clinics were open while their churches or businesses were closed. Providers in the United States, Canada, Colombia and Mexico City reported nine bomb threats last year, up from five in 2020, and the same number as in 2016, according to the federations data. But reports of suspicious packages or hoax devices jumped from 29 in 2016 to 71 last year. More than 90% of the providers reporting were in the U.S., the federation said. Abortion opponents also have been targets of violence, and say they've also seen an increase in incidents since the draft opinion leaked, though the FBI in a 2020 memo described the incidents as historically rare. Shortly after the draft opinion became public, the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis said the draft had made extremist violence by people on either side of the issue more likely. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said there were more than 40 incidents of violence, intimidation and vandalism at pregnancy centers and churches in recent weeks. In early June, a man with a gun, knife, zip ties and other items was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home in the middle of the night. He told police he wanted to kill the justice because he was upset about the draft opinion as well as the fatal mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The court is expected to issue its ruling in the coming days or weeks. As for what might occur next for abortion providers, much focus has been on how to provide care to people seeking it, should abortion be banned in more states. But Fowler said another concern is also front of mind: We also need to focus on safety. ___ Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report. BOSTON (AP) The highest court in Massachusetts ruled Wednesday that the wording of a summary of a ballot question for a proposed millionaire tax constitutional amendment is legal and the measure can go before voters in November. The amendment, if passed, would impose a 4% surtax on the portion of an individuals annual income that exceeds $1 million. The question was challenged by a business group, some lawmakers, and other voters who said the attorney general-approved summary of the question is completely misleading because it said revenues raised by the surtax would be spent on education and transportation. The Supreme Judicial Court in its decision said the question summary and one-sentence statement both of which appear on the ballot describing the effects of a yes vote are in compliance with the state constitution. The proposed amendment does not address how the Legislature may spend monies other than those raised by the amendment, the court ruled. Consequently, the Attorney Generals summary need not opine on whether, as plaintiffs contend, monies that historically have been spent on education and transportation could, at some future point, be spent elsewhere. The summary need only describe the amendment itself; we hold that it does so fairly, in compliance with the state constitution. Supporters have said the measure could generate about $1.9 billion in annual revenue. The group pushing the proposed amendment welcomed the ruling. This decision is a victory for everyone who wants Massachusetts to be a place where the very rich pay their fair share to make our schools great and our roads and transit safe and efficient, Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign spokesperson Steve Crawford said. The ballots simple language accurately describes what the Fair Share Amendment will do. Critics of the proposed amendment said they fear voters wont fully understand what they're voting for. Were disappointed in the courts decision not to clarify the language that goes on the ballot to prevent voters from being misled into thinking that a vote for the amendment would result in increased spending on education and transportation, said Chris Anderson, of the President Mass. High Technology Council. The states constitution currently requires all income be taxed at uniform rates. The $1 million threshold would be adjusted each year to reflect cost-of-living increases. The proposed amendment reads in part: To provide the resources for quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation, all revenues received in accordance with this paragraph shall be expended, subject to appropriation, only for these purposes. Critics are focused on the phrase subject to appropriation. The Massachusetts High Technology Council said it fears the summary of the question and a one-sentence statement about the effect of a yes vote could lead voters to believe the money could only be spent on education and transportation. Instead the money is subject to appropriation by lawmakers, meaning theres no guarantee, critics said. Those filing the lawsuit say the yes vote sentence should instead read: A YES VOTE would amend the state Constitution to impose an additional 4% tax on that portion of incomes over one million dollars to be used, subject to appropriation by the state Legislature, on education and transportation, though the Legislature could choose to reduce funding on education and transportation from other sources and replace it with the new surtax revenue because the proposed amendment does not require otherwise. In a court hearing earlier this year, an attorney representing Attorney General Maura Healeys office argued that language would be confusing and potentially misleading to voters. Healey, a Democrat, is running for governor. The proposed amendment is being pushed by a coalition of labor unions, community organizations and religious groups. A similar effort to raise taxes was knocked off the 2018 ballot after a legal challenge by several business-backed organizations. The Supreme Judicial Court threw out that version of the millionaire tax, ruling it violated restrictions placed on citizen initiatives by combining taxes and multiple spending proposals in a single ballot question. The current proposal though identically worded was initiated by legislators rather than voter petitions, allowing it to bypass those restrictions. ___ Associated Press reporter Mark Pratt contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli lawmakers voted in favor of dissolving parliament in a preliminary vote on Wednesday, setting the wheels in motion to send the country to its fifth national election in 3 1/2 years. The development was the first step in a series of votes before the formal dissolution of the 120-seat Knesset. It came two days after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced he was disbanding his unraveling governing coalition of eight ideologically diverse parties just over a year after he took office. The historic coalition, which unseated longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu, was wracked by infighting and defections in recent months. It included dovish parties committed to a two-state solution with the Palestinians, hawkish ultranationalists who oppose a Palestinian state, and a small Islamist faction, the first Arab party to join a government. A series of proposals for dissolving parliament were passed by a vast majority of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. But a final vote on at least one of the motions is still required in order to dissolve parliament, and that is expected to be held next week. Once it passes, Bennett will step down as prime minister and hand over the reins to his ally, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. New elections are expected to be held in October. Bennett and Lapid formed their coalition of parties united solely in their opposition to Netanyahu last year after four inconclusive elections in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Parliament was deadlocked between those who supported a Netanyahu-led government and those who refused to join forces with him while he was under indictment for corruption. Netanyahu is on trial and faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three high profile cases. He has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly dismissed the accusations as part of a witch-hunt to oust him from office. Early opinion polls published Tuesday project that Netanyahus Likud party will remain the largest in parliament, but a path toward forming a majority coalition remains unclear. Following the vote, Bennett wrote on Twitter that he would vote against proposed legislation that would disqualify a lawmaker accused of a crime from becoming prime minister. Several senior members of his coalition said this week that they would advance such a bill, which would effectively bar Netanyahu from retaking office. Bennett said that definitely on the eve of elections, one cannot try to change the rules of the game," and that Israeli voters must decide who should assume office. DOVER, Del. (AP) The judge presiding over the criminal corruption trial of Delaware State Auditor Kathy McGuiness limited or prohibited testimony from several prosecution witnesses Tuesday after the defense attorney complained of prosecutors trying to engage in a trial by ambush. Superior Court Judge William Carpenter Jr. disallowed testimony from one prosecution witness and set parameters on the testimony of three others. Defense attorney Steve Wood argued that certain testimony from the witnesses should be prohibited because it involved alleged conduct not included in the indictment against McGuiness or involved matters for which the witnesses would have no personal knowledge. McGuiness, a Democrat elected in 2018, is responsible for rooting out government fraud, waste and abuse. She faces felony counts of theft and witness intimidation, and misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, conflict of interest and noncompliance with procurement laws. Prosecutors allege, among other things, that McGuiness hired her daughter and a friend as temporary employees in 2020, even though other temporary employees had left because of the lack of available work amid the coronavirus pandemic. Prosecutors also say McGuiness, in her role as auditor, orchestrated a no-bid communications services contract for My Campaign Group, which she had used as a campaign consultant when running for lieutenant governor in 2016, then deliberately kept the contract payments under $5,000 each to avoid having to get them approved by the Division of Accounting. McGuiness also is charged with intimidating and retaliating against employees who reported her alleged wrongdoing or who she believed might be cooperating with investigators. Prosecutors allege that the intimidation, which included monitoring employees emails, began as early as March 2019, even though McGuiness was not told until September 2021 that she was the subject of a criminal investigation. On Tuesday, Carpenter prohibited testimony from one former employee who claimed to have done campaign work for McGuiness on state time after Wood noted that the indictment does not mention any such activity. The judge also limited questioning of two people who were expected to testify about alleged witness intimidation by McGuiness. According to prosecutors, Melissa Schenck, who still works at the auditors office, thought she was treated unfairly because officials rescinded approval for her to work from home because of the coronavirus after she showed up at the office to attend an employee luncheon. Dan Hamilton, a former high-level auditor, was reprimanded for several statements he made about co-workers, including that some of them were shady and engaged in a cover-up in advance of McGuiness trial, and for suggesting in a conversation with male colleagues that a female chief of staff was dressed inappropriately for a budget meeting with state lawmakers. Hamilton was specifically prevented from testifying about a purported investigation he had conducted regarding McGuiness use of employee recognition funds. He acknowledged under cross-examination that, apart from the reprimand, he was treated fairly by the auditors office. Carpenter also limited testimony from Andrena Burd, a former employee of the auditors office who Wood, the defense attorney, said had a long-running vendetta against McGuiness. Prosecutor Mark Denney told Carpenter that Burd was a critical witness for the state who could offer testimony supporting their claim that McGuiness knew her alleged conduct was wrong. Denney noted that Burd had helped McGuiness in her 2018 campaign before going to work for her and had told her of problems in the office and alleged misdeeds by former chief administrative officer Kathleen Davies, who ran against McGuiness in the 2018 primary. With the jury out of the room, attorneys questioned Burd and argued over how much of her testimony should be allowed in front of the jury. Carpenter refused to allow certain testimony to be presented to the jury and lashed out at Denney at one point when the prosecutor began shaking his head. It is your indictment, the judge told Denney in a loud voice. Its what you wrote. Its your words. Im at a loss a little bit as to where were spinning this case, the judge added. In front of the jury, Burd testified that she had told McGuiness about fragmenting of contract payments during the previous auditors tenure to keep them under the reporting threshold, and of the misuse of state credit cards that Burd had discovered while working at Delaware State University between stints at the auditors office. Prosecutors will likely rely on that testimony to argue that McGuiness knew about the impropriety of similar conduct in which she later allegedly engaged. Burd also testified that McGuiness told her at one point to delete text messages regarding Davies, who returned to the auditors office in 2019 after being terminated by McGuiness predecessor, and told Burd to ask other employees to do the same. Burd also said she informed a co-worker after discovering that the employees email was being monitored by McGuiness. BOSTON (AP) A federal jury has awarded $650,000 in damages to a Massachusetts construction worker who said his employer retaliated against him after he was injured on the job by sparking an immigration investigation that led to his arrest. The jury on Tuesday ordered Tara Construction to pay $50,000 in compensatory damages for emotional distress and the company and its owner to pay a total of $600,000 in punitive damages to Jose Martin Paz Flores, who is referred to as Paz in court documents. The U.S. Department of Labor sued on behalf of Paz in March 2019, alleging the company and owner Pedro Pirez retaliated against him in violation of federal law. Even though Paz was allegedly in the U.S. illegally, federal labor law prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their workplace rights, regardless of immigration status, the agency said. Paz, a drywall taper, broke his leg when he fell off a ladder in March 2017, according to court records. Pirez contacted Boston police, who with the help of federal immigration officials, initiated an investigation into Paz. About two months after the injury, Pirez asked Paz to come to his office to pick up some money, where he was arrested, according to court records. Pirez was concerned because there was some confusion over Paz's name and didn't envision the arrest, his lawyer said Wednesday, noting that his client is also a Latino immigrant who cares deeply for people in Mr. Pazs situation. He needed to know Pazs real name because the hospital was pressing for information, and he never foresaw what would ensue, Daniel Dwyer said in a statement. Later, ICE discovered information on its own that led to its decision to arrest. Pirez feels he was misjudged by the jury and is considering an appeal, Dwyer said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAO PAULO (AP) Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva laid out his campaign platform Tuesday, including a pledge for zero deforestation initiatives and appeals to moderates as seeks to unseat Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil's election in October. The 76-year-old leftist, who governed in 2003-2010, leads the far-right incumbent in all opinion polls on the presidential race. Da Silva unveiled his plan at a hotel in Sao Paulo standing next to former Sao Paulo Gov. Geraldo Alckmin, a right-leaning politician turned ally who will be his running mate. Da Silva said the 34-page document will be later updated after national gatherings with allies. Everyone here, even those who are not engineers, knows that a house starts with good foundations, he told supporters in a televised address. These are our foundations. We will build our house overtime. Da Silvas plan includes a promise to fight environmental crime promoted by vigilantes, land grabbers, logging traffickers and any economic organization acting in defiance to the law. Our commitment is with the relentless combat against illegal deforestation and the promotion of zero net deforestation, which means the restructuring of degraded areas and reforestation of the biomes, the document says. The plan also says the standard for mineral regulation should be modernized, and illegal mining, particularly in the Amazon, will be fought against severely. Bolsonaro is a staunch supporter of miners and says they should have the right to operate on Indigenous lands, which are often are among the best protected against deforestation in Brazil. The plan also talks about green jobs at state-run oil giant Petrobras. The company should operate in segments linked to environmental and energy transition, such as gas, fertilizers, biofuels and renewable energies, the document says, without mentioning how much would be spent on that initiative. Drafted by members of seven parties supporting Da Silva, the plan doesn't include an expected call for scrapping a labor law overhaul passed by congress in 2017. It says only that da Silva would seek to annul the regressive parts of the current labor laws. The document also is silent on several other matters that had been expected to be addressed, including regulation of the media, policies for land reform and a clear defense of abortion rights. Allies of da Silva said those drafting the document sought to appeal to business leaders who have expressed concerns about da Silvas bid to return to the presidency. They said the anti-deforestation tone is aimed at politicians like environmentalist Marina Silva, a moderate who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in the last three elections and has yet to endorse anyone in this race. Speaking about zero net deforestation is what Marina does, said Sen. Randolfe Rodrigues, a da Silva ally who from the Rede Sustentabilidade party. The rest of the language is indeed for moderates to take heed, look at what we are doing." Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, said the plan is adequately wide and superficial so moderates can be attracted to the bid by da Silva, who is called Lula by Brazilians. Lulas challenge is not to cause an impact with this document. He is speaking little about what he will do so no divisive talking points become the focus, Melo said in a phone interview. A Bolsonaro supporter briefly interrupted the presentation by shouting at da Silva from a few meters (yards) away, a security breach that unsettled the staff of the former president. The heckler, far-right politician Caique Mafra, is a friend of lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of the president, and will run for Sao Paulo states legislative this year. He came in, teased us, but there was no attack, said Aloizio Mercadante, one of the coordinators of the campaign document. This incident only stresses how much care we need to have with security in this tough campaign. In the last presidential contest, Bolsonaro was stabbed in his abdomen during a campaign rally. Doctors said the wounds nearly took his life, but he recovered in time to emerge victorious over leftist Fernando Haddad, an ally of da Silvas. Bolsonaro has undergone six surgeries because of damage from the stabbing, most of them in his intestines. The attacker, Adelio Bispo, has been in a mental institution since the incident. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) A man who drove his car through crowds of people in Times Square in 2017, killing a young tourist and maiming helpless pedestrians, was cleared of responsibility Wednesday because of mental illness. A jury in New York City accepted an insanity defense claiming Richard Rojas was so psychologically disturbed he didnt know what he was doing. The judge has said the finding would qualify Rojas for an open ended involuntary mental commitment instead of a lengthy prison term. He ordered Rojas held while he drafts an examination order, and said there would be a hearing on the matter Thursday. Rojas, 31, who was impassive throughout the trial, had no visible reaction to a verdict reached after less than two days of deliberations. The defendant was accused in an attack that injured more than 20 people and killed Alyssa Elsman, 18, of Michigan, who was visiting the popular tourist destination with her family. The jury was instructed that if it found prosecutors had proven elements of murder and assault charges, it also had to decide whether or not Rojas lacked responsibility by reason of mental disease or defect. Rojas' attorney Enrico DeMarco told reporters outside court that the verdict right and humane, adding that winning over the jury was an uphill battle because it was such a horrible act. In a statement, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office's condolences continue to be with the family, friends and loved ones of Alyssa Elsman, who suffered a terrible and tragic loss, and all of the victims of this horrific incident. Jyll Elsman, the mother of Alyssa, reacted with dismay in a social media message. Really the only thing I have to say is if this had happened to any of the juror's children would they still have said not responsible? she wrote. The trial, which began early last month, featured testimony from victims who suffered severe injuries from what prosecutors labeled a horrific, depraved act. On the defense side, family members testified how Rojas descended into paranoia after he was kicked out of the Navy in 2014. That Rojas was behind the wheel of the car was never in doubt. Multiple security videos showed him emerging from the vehicle after it crashed. That put the focus of the case on his mental state. In his closing argument, prosecutor Alfred Peterson conceded that Rojas was having a psychotic episode, including hearing voices, at the time of the rampage. But Peterson argued Rojas showed he wasnt entirely detached from reality by maneuvering his vehicle onto the sidewalk and driving with precision for three blocks, mowing down people until he crashed. One victims pelvis was separated from her spine. Doctors were certain she would die, but she somehow survived. Elsmans younger sister Eva, then 13, testified during the trial about her own injuries: broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a compound leg fracture and other wounds that kept her in the hospital for weeks. The defendant made a decision that day, the prosecutor, Peterson, said. He made a choice. He went to the crossroads of the world, a high profile place where everyone knows theres lots and lots of people. Once there, he was in full control of his car, he added. DeMarco told jurors there should be no doubt his client met the legal standard for an insanity finding. The evidence, the lawyer said, showed Rojas lacked a substantial capacity to know what he was doing was wrong because of an underlying illness schizophrenia, as diagnosed by a defense psychiatrist who testified. The defense attorney played a videotape in the courtroom of Rojas jumping out of his car after it slammed into a sidewalk stanchion. Rojas could be heard yelling, What happened? Oh my God, what happened? as he was being subdued, and could be seen banging his head on the ground. Rojas, the attorney said, lost his mind. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A federal judge has sentenced a 25-year-old man who threw Molotov cocktails at police in Portland, Oregon, during mass protests against police brutality to 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez in Portland sentenced Malik Fard Muhammad, of Indianapolis, on Tuesday. Prosecutors said Muhammad traveled from Indianapolis to Portland and on several days in September 2020 threw Molotov cocktails at police, broke windows in buildings, and provided bats to others so they could do the same. One of the devices exploded when it hit the ground on Sept. 23, creating a fireball and setting the pant leg of an officer on fire, prosecutors said. On Oct. 11, prosecutors said he was seen smashing windows of the Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University and businesses with a metal baton before police arrested him. Police said he had ditched a loaded pistol before the arrest and was found with a loaded magazine in his pocket. Assistant Federal Public Defender Fidel Cassino-DuCloux said Muhammad has been diagnosed with bipolar and post traumatic stress disorders and has been on medication since his federal arrest, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. I just regret my decisions, and if I could take them back, I would, Muhammad told the judge. Im here now to atone for them. He pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices. In state court, he pleaded guilty in March to four counts of riot, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, four counts of criminal mischief, and one count each of manufacture of a destructive device, possession of a destructive device, possession of a firearm and second-degree assault. Muhammads federal sentence will run concurrently with a 10-year sentence imposed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said the sentencing deal was reached after negotiations between federal and state prosecutors and Muhammads defense lawyer. Prosecutors said they took into account Muhammads past military service and history of abuse as a child. During a racial justice protest in Indiana in 2020, Muhammad was at the center of a dramatic moment in which he and a police lieutenant reached a compromise to turn a march away from the governor's residence. He will serve his sentence in Oregon state prison, prosecutors said. MANISTEE The 2022 Manistee National Forest Festival is packed full of exciting events and activities, but this year, with July 4 as the last day of the festival, it seems like the best has been saved for the last. Events on July 4 begin at 9:45 a.m. with a flag raising ceremony at the corner of River and Division streets, then the Independence Day Parade down River Street begins at 10 a.m., and at dusk (approximately 10:30 p.m.) there will be fireworks over Lake Michigan at Douglas Park First Street Beach. Also on the Fourth of July, activities at the beach include the Whispering Pines Mobile Zoo from 10 a.m. until dusk, the Festival Marketplace from noon until dusk and the Anderson Midway Carnival from noon until dusk. According to Keith Graham, commander of the Manistee County United Veterans Council, the flag raising will begin with a prayer by the United Veterans Council chaplain, then the raising of the flag, followed by the national anthem. Stacie Bytwork said it is more than appropriate to begin the day by honoring America and its veterans. Manistee is definitely a very patriotic place and we are happy to celebrate the start of Independence Day with the flag raising ceremony honoring all those for their service, she said. Graham said members of all the United Veterans Council organizations will be represented at the flag raising. We have a ritual team comprised of the American Legion, DAV, VFWs, Rolling Thunder and all of the veterans organizations that are members of the Manistee County United Veterans Council, he said. Bytwork noted that every year its the parade and fireworks that bring the most people to Manistee. Kenny Kott and Paul Anderson are our awesome parade organizers this year, she said. We are extremely excited to host the parade that is sponsored by Edward Jones Jeff Reau and the Spicer Group. The parade will run the length of River Street, from the intersection with Division Street to the Armory Youth Project parking lot. According to the chamber of commerce, each year there are over 80 parade entries. The parade entries are coming in nicely, Kott said. The Scottville Clown Band will be here this year sponsored by Manistee Ford and the Manistee Area Public Schools band will also play. There will be many familiar faces, but I do not have a full list at this time. Good weather is always a plus, but its an event well have rain or shine, Kott continued. It seems like its typically very sunny and hot, so we encourage everyone to stay hydrated. The Boy Scouts and potentially other groups will be around selling water as a fundraiser again this year. Manistees fireworks are among the most unique in the state, launched from shore over Lake Michigan. Little River Casino Resort, an enterprise of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, has graciously stepped up to sponsor the fireworks show again this year, Bytwork said. The fireworks are put on by Melrose Pyrotechnico. Melrose Pyrotechnics, now known as Pyrotechnico, started doing fireworks in 1889 and today is the largest fireworks production company in the nation with offices across the country. Pyrotechnico produces over 100 Michigan shows every year. According to the companys website, its creative team has won many international awards for unique choreography and synchronicity. We very excited to have been invited to be a part of the Manistee National Forest Festival, said Michael Falk, Grand Rapids-based account manager for Pyrotecnico. The setting on the waters of Lake Michigan can't be beat and makes this show a must see. This is our first year shooting the Forest Festival fireworks and we are bringing new product lines never before seen in Manistee. Falk said his company will be coordinating the fireworks to music for the first time ever on WMTE-FM 101.5 The Eagle. Tune in to get the full experience, he said. The show will last 20 minutes and is expected to start at 10:30 p.m. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) A motocross instructor who visited states from New York to Georgia has been charged with producing child pornography, federal officials said Wednesday. Ryan Meyung, 30, is accused of engaging six minors in sexually explicit conduct to produce sexual abuse images and with transporting and possessing images of child sexual abuse, the Justice Department said in a news release announcing his indictment. BANGKOK (AP) Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was transferred Wednesday from a secret detention location to a prison in the countrys capital, legal officials familiar with her case said. Her ongoing court cases will be tried at a new facility constructed in the prison compound, they said. Suu Kyi was arrested on Feb. 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government. She was initially held at her residence in the capital, but was later moved to at least one other location, and for about the past year has been held at an undisclosed location in the capital, Naypyitaw, generally assumed to be on a military base. She has been tried on multiple charges, including corruption, at a special court in Naypyitaw that began hearings on May 24, 2021. Each of the 11 corruption counts she faces is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Already she has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment after being convicted on charges of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions. In addition to the corruption cases that are underway, she also has been charged with election fraud and violating the Officials Secrets Act. Suu Kyis supporters and rights groups say the charges against her are politically motivated and are an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the militarys seizure of power while keeping her from returning to politics. Many senior members of her government and party were also arrested and tried, and several are co-defendants in some of her cases. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a private organization that tracks government killings and arrests, a total of 11,174 people are currently in detention for suspected opposition to the ruling military council. Suu Kyi, who turned 77 on Sunday, spent about 15 years in detention under a previous military government, but virtually all of it was under house arrest at her family home in Yangon, the countrys biggest city. Three legal officials said Suu Kyis lawyers were informed Tuesday that a new building at the prison has been completed and all Suu Kyi's remaining court hearings will be held there starting on Thursday. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release any information about her cases. One of the officials said the government intended to put her in solitary confinement after her first conviction last year, but had to wait until the new facilities at the main prison in Naypyitaw were completed. No government spokesperson was available to confirm Suu Kyi's move. The secret location where she had been held for about the past year was a residence where she had nine people to help with her living arrangements, along with a dog that was a gift arranged by one of her sons. Australian economist Sean Turnell, who was an adviser to Suu Kyi, is being held at the same prison where Suu Kyi was sent. Turnell and Suu Kyi are being prosecuted in the same case under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, so both are to appear at the court inside the prison on Thursday. In addition to the 11 counts of corruption, Suu Kyi and several colleagues have been charged with election fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of three years. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) A North Carolina man described by law enforcement as a serial killer linked to the deaths and disappearances of at least four women pleaded guilty Tuesday to kidnapping resulting in death. Daniel Printz, 59, of Bostic was sentenced to life in prison without parole in return for his cooperation in helping law enforcement solve various kidnappings and killings with which he has been associated, The Charlotte Observer reported. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is meeting with his senior military officials to discuss national defense policies and continuing his arms buildup following a highly provocative run in ballistic missile testing this year that revived tensions with Washington and Seoul. Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim presided over a meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Military Commission that began Tuesday to review defense work during the first half of 2022 and confirm crucial and urgent tasks to expand military capabilities and implement key defense policies. The report did not specify any plans or mention any critical remarks toward the United States or rival South Korea. U.S. and South Korean officials have said in recent months that the North could be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test explosion since 2017 as Kim escalates brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. KCNA said the commissions members started discussing the agenda that was presented, indicating the meeting may continue for days. The members could discuss the progress in weapons development and plans to deploy some of the systems that were tested in recent months, including a purported hypersonic missile, a long-range cruise missile and the Norths newest intercontinental ballistic missile, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Koreas private Sejong Institute. The Norths ramped-up testing activity has come under a five-year arms development plan Kim announced in early 2021, when he revealed an extensive wish list of advanced military assets, including tactical nuclear weapons, nuclear-powered submarines, multiwarhead missiles and solid-fuel, long-range weapons. The meeting follows another major political conference earlier this month where Kim doubled down on his arms buildup in the face of what he described as an aggravating security environment and set forth further militant tasks to be pursued by his armed forces and military scientists. North Korea has already set an annual record in ballistic launches through the first half of 2022, firing 31 missiles in over 18 different launch events, including its first demonstrations of ICBMs in nearly five years. South Koreas military also detected the North firing suspected artillery shells into sea last week. Kim may up the ante soon as U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea has all but finished preparations to detonate a nuclear device at its testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. The site had been inactive since hosting the Norths sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it said it detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs. The Norths unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores Kims dual intent to advance his arsenal and pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear diplomacy, experts say. While the United States has said it would push for additional sanctions if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, the divisions between permanent members of the U.N. Security Council make the prospects for meaningful punitive measures unclear. Russia and China this year vetoed U.S.-sponsored resolutions that would have increased sanctions, insisting Washington should focus on reviving dialogue. OLATHE, Kan. (AP) An Olathe man has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for a 2018 hit-and-run crash that killed two people. Bradley Woodworth, 48, was sentenced Tuesday to 19 year in prison after pleading guilty in February to two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of 18-year-old Matthew Bloskey, of Overland Park, and 20-year-old Samuel Siebuhr, of Kansas City, Kansas, television station WDAF reported. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Andrii Parkhomenko, University of Southern California and Eunjee Kwon, University of Cincinnati (THE CONVERSATION) The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea If companies allowed more of their employees to permanently work from home, businesses would gravitate toward city centers, while people would primarily live in the periphery, resulting in less traffic congestion and falling real estate prices downtown. Those are our main findings from a model we created to forecast pandemic-driven changes in Los Angeles. Many of these changes were beginning to happen back in the spring of 2020, when we began this research. We wanted to build a model that could show the effects of more widespread telecommuting over a long period of time post-pandemic. Our model is like an artificial world think Sim City in which virtual people choose where to live and where to work. Virtual companies provide jobs to workers, while virtual real estate developers provide offices, warehouses and housing, setting prices that match supply with demand. Using pre-pandemic information about where people lived and worked as well as their commutes, we built the model of the Los Angeles metropolitan area with economist Matt Delventhal. The model also uses pre-pandemic data on commercial and residential real estate prices. From 2012 to 2016, fewer than 4% of workers telecommuted in the Los Angeles metro area, according to our calculations from the American Community Survey. Today that figure is nearly 40%. Based on estimates that about a third of workers in Los Angeles have jobs that could be done remotely, our model predicts three important long-term effects if telecommuting at around this level becomes permanent: - Residents would increasingly move from city neighborhoods to the suburbs, while companies would gravitate to the center. - Average residential and commercial real estate prices would fall in central city locations, while housing prices in the suburbs would increase. - Traffic congestion would ease everywhere and commuting time would drop. Why it matters The pandemics arrival in early 2020 upended daily life for millions of American workers and the businesses that employ them. Working at home, uncommon before the pandemic, became a necessity, which led employers and workers to realize that telecommuting is pleasant and productive. This resulted in large migrations of people who became untethered from their employers. In Los Angeles, increased telecommuting led workers to relocate to the suburbs, driving up real estate prices. Our model takes this a step further and assumes these changes will become entrenched. This prediction may be coming true. NPR recently reported that since 2020, homebuyers relocating from cities have been driving lower-income renters out of the suburbs. This suggests our model can be a valuable tool to help business leaders, economists, policymakers and others make informed decisions as they try to make sense of the pandemics far-reaching economic impacts on their cities. What still isnt known Any model is a simplification of reality. In our model, all the workers and employers are identical. However, the real-life responses of different types of workers and businesses to increased telecommuting may vary. Another important unknown is the ongoing effect of telecommuting on productivity. During the pandemic, employers and workers have not reported substantial productivity losses if anything, workers have reported being a little more productive at home. At the same time, productivity often benefits from opportunities to build and sustain professional networks. These networks may weaken as more people spend more time telecommuting. Whats next We continue to observe and study how the rise in telecommuting may affect city centers. For example, barbershops, restaurants and other businesses that have long concentrated in traditional business districts may find they need to follow a large exodus of residents to suburbs or smaller cities to survive. However, not every worker or business can relocate. Our newest paper models the distribution of jobs and residents across 4,502 U.S. locations and explores well-being and income gaps emerging between those who can telework and those who cant. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/pandemics-impacts-on-how-people-live-and-work-may-change-city-centers-for-decades-to-come-179547. FAIRFIELD Police said Tuesday the victim of a shooting at a busy sushi bar over the weekend is not cooperating with their investigation. The shooting just after midnight Sunday at Wafu Asian Bistro on Post Road left one person injured with a gunshot wound to the arm, according to police. The restaurant has not reopened since the incident, and the state Department of Consumer Protection suspended its liquor permit indefinitely on Tuesday after citing several instances of dangerous and unlawful conduct. Fairfield Police Lt. Michael Paris said Tuesday the victim was released from the hospital within hours of being admitted, and is not cooperating with investigators. No suspects in the shooting have been apprehended, Paris said, and its unknown if the man who was shot knows the assailant. Around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Fairfield authorities began receiving several 911 calls for shots fired at the restaurant, according to police. As police from Fairfield and Westport arrived, several vehicles and patrons were fleeing the area, Fairfield Police Chief Robert Kalamaras wrote in a letter to the state Department of Consumer Protection. Police learned that the bistro was hosting a large party called Sin City. While investigating the incident, police looked at the restaurants Instagram account, which shows flyers for several DJ events and videos showing what appears to be the restaurant converted into a gentlemens club, Kalamaras said in the letter. A dispute and physical altercation started in the restaurant, resulting in gunfire. One man was struck, as well as the tile backsplash at the end of the bar at head level where patrons were said to have been seated at the time, Kalamaras wrote. Video surveillance showed that once the shots were fired, many patrons fled. At least two people could be seen exchanging gunfire about 10 shots in the parking lot, Kalamaras wrote in the report. He said a nearby business and a parked vehicle were also struck by bullets. Employees told police they heard shots fired following an altercation, but police said no gunshot victims were found at the scene. It wasnt until minutes later that police were notified by Bridgeport Hospital that they were treating a man who claimed to have been shot in Southport, police said. The victim suffered a bullet wound, which traveled through his left arm and into his left side, Kalamaras wrote. The mans injury was not life-threatening. Police said several items of evidentiary value were found at the scene including shell casings. Police found that several surveillance cameras inside the restaurant did not work, according to Kalamaras. Authorities are asking anyone who may have cellphone footage of the encounter to contact police. The restaurant has not reopened since the incident, a manager with Wafu Asian Bistro told Hearst Connecticut Media Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday, Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull suspended the restaurants liquor permit. Wafu Asian Bistro cannot serve alcohol until further notice. Wafu was the scene of a large party, brawl, and shooting during which approximately 10 rounds were fired and at least one person was shot, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection said in a press release. This incident closely follows several instances of dangerous and unlawful conduct requiring police and DCP involvement. The agency noted a handful of incidents this year. On June 18, just the day before the shooting, police were called to the bistro for a report of an assaulted patron. The restaurant also hosts regular college night events, which draws underage students, according to Kalamaras. In late March, liquor control agents found the restaurant serving alcohol to 11 minors. Earlier that month, the fire marshal had to shut down the bistro due to it being over capacity, according to the Department of Consumer Protection and the letter from Kalamaras. In February, the Department of Consumer Protection said a bouncer unlawfully pepper-sprayed six patrons without cause. Additionally, Numerous local colleges and residents have complained to police about the general conduct of the premise, the agency added. It is clear from these repeated events, that this establishment currently poses a significant public health and safety risk to the surrounding community, Seagull said in a statement Tuesday. We expect our permittees to be good neighbors in their communities and to take the health and safety of their customers and neighbors seriously. Anyone with information can call the Fairfield Police Detective Bureau at 203-254-4840, or submit an anonymous tip through the Fairfield police mobile app, or through texting the keyword FPDCT, followed by the tip to 847411 (Tip411). This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN FRANCISCO (AP) One man was killed and another was wounded in a shooting on a San Francisco subway train Wednesday that ended in the city's historically LGBTQ neighborhood just days before Pride celebrations, police said. The shooting occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on a commuter train as it pulled away from a residential station toward the station in the city's Castro neighborhood. There, officers found two victims, one dead at the scene. The other person, a bystander, was taken to a hospital with an injured knee, said San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar, whose district includes the residential Forest Hill station. She said witnesses reported three or four shots and a heated verbal argument between the suspect and deceased victim. She said the suspect ran out with other passengers when the train stopped. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro District, said the victim and suspect appeared to know each other. It's cold comfort, but it does not appear that this was random, he said. It was not someone who, you know, got on the train and just started shooting, which would have been even more horrible. This was horrible enough. While authorities said the shooting was not connected to upcoming Pride events, the death cast a glum start to the celebrations at a time when members of the LGBTQ community are experiencing heightened threats, including protests at libraries where drag queens read to children. The station where the suspect ran out is at the heart of San Franciscos famous Castro neighborhood, which is internationally known for its LGBTQ activism. There have been horrible incidents around the country and even in the Bay Area. So people are nervous, and Im sure this doesnt help. People should be alert, said Mandelman. Police provided few details Wednesday on what happened or how many people were on the train, although Melgar initially said on social media that the train was packed. They have not released information on the victims or the suspect but said the public was not at risk. The shooting is believed to have been the first ever on a train with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency also known as Muni. The agency operates most public transit in the city, including trains, buses, streetcars and San Franciscos iconic cable cars. The incident that took place this morning is unnerving and yet another reason why we need to do more to prevent gun violence, Melgar said in a statement. There are too many guns out in our society, escalating a verbal argument into a senseless death of a young life. Erica Kato, a spokeswoman for the transit agency, said she did not know how many passengers were on board but noted that overall ridership is about half of what it was before the pandemic. She said ridership to San Francisco's downtown core is even less. The shooting comes just four days before San Franciscos Pride parade, which typically draws thousands of people from around the world. Still, sidewalk traffic was light Wednesday morning. "Never heard of anything like this over here," said Deeno Nasher, manager of the Castro Smoke House. Its kind of concerning for this neighborhood because Pride is this weekend and they try to be safe and secure as possible, and for something like this to happen, kind of puts them on edge. Police were looking for a man described only as wearing dark clothes and a dark hooded jacket. San Francisco police spokeswoman Officer Kathryn Winters said all Muni trains and subway stations have cameras, and police were reviewing the footage. Subway service had been restored by the afternoon. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JOHANNESBURG (AP) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has received the final chapter of a report on an extensive judicial investigation into corruption. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed over the last installment of the report, reportedly 1,000 pages long, to Ramaphosa. The earlier segments of the report have laid bare the rampant corruption in government and state-owned companies during former President Jacob Zumas tenure from 2009 to 2018. Speaking at the handover of the final chapter, Ramaphosa emphasized that he didn't know what's in the conclusion, not even the commission's findings on his own testimony. Not for once has the chief justice even wanted to discuss the evidence that I have presented to the commission. And he has said that he has a chapter or so dealing with evidence that I presented at the commission but I dont even know what that is because of the high regard I have for him," said Ramaphosa. He could have made a negative finding against me, which I will accept, Ramaphosa said. Ramaphosa has already received four installments of the report which have been made public and have damning findings against politicians and business people linked to his ruling African National Congress party. The earlier parts of the report recommended that many people be criminally prosecuted. The last segment of the report is expected to detail corruption in South Africa's intelligence department, the State Security Agency, which was headed by former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser during Zumas tenure. Fraser was later appointed head of the countrys prisons and controversially approved Zumas release from prison on medical parole. Zuma was he was jailed for refusing to testify before the judicial commission chaired by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Fraser is currently at the center of the controversy engulfing Ramaphosa because he lodged a criminal complaint alleging that the president covered up the theft of about $4 million in foreign currency from his Phala Phala game farm in the northern Limpopo province. The scandal dubbed Phala Phala-gate in South Africa's lively press has tarnished Ramaphosa's anti-corruption reputation and has prompted calls by opposition parties for him to step down. The release of the final chapter of the report has been delayed as it was initially set to be handed over to Ramaphosa and released to the public last week, raising the ire of main opposition party Democratic Alliance. The report is also expected to deal with allegations of wrongdoing at the countrys state-owned public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The institution has already been fingered in wrongdoing by earlier versions of the report which dealt with how money flowed from the broadcaster and other state-owned companies to sponsor projects of The New Age newspaper, which was controlled by the controversial Gupta family. Two brothers, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, were arrested in Dubai two weeks ago in connection with corruption charges against them in South Africa. South African authorities are expected to press for their extradition so they can stand trial in South Africa, where some of their associates are already facing corruption charges. The Guptas allegedly used their close ties with Zuma to influence his cabinet appointments and to win lucrative contracts from government departments and state-owned companies. JUBA, South Sudan (AP) Some young girls are still auctioned off into marriage for cows in South Sudan one of the social challenges that activists had hoped to highlight during Pope Francis now-postponed visit. The price of a daughter, determined in negotiations between her father and would-be husband, is typically 50 to 100 cows, each worth up to $1,000. A girl viewed as beautiful, fertile and of high social rank can bring as many as 200 cows. One girl in a well-publicized case a few years ago was auctioned off for 520 cows, plus cars. The younger the girl marries, the more the family gets cattle in return, said Jackline Nasiwa, executive director of the Center of Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice in South Sudan's capital, Juba. They sell their daughters so that they get something to survive. Though South Sudanese law limits marriage to those age 18 and over, it's rarely enforced, particularly in rural areas. South Sudans independence from Sudan in 2011 brought widespread hope for prosperity and peace for the countrys 12 million people, but little of that has materialized. The new country quickly plunged into five years of civil war that ended with a fragile peace deal in 2018, but deadly intercommunal violence continues, and most people remain trapped in poverty. Climate shocks like flooding, along with rising food prices caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine, have deepened widespread hunger. South Sudan has the worlds fifth-highest prevalence of child marriage, according to the U.N., which says the practice is a violation of human rights, a serious impediment to literacy and a major cause of persistent poverty. About a third of girls in the country are pregnant before turning 15, according to UNICEF. Against the odds, some South Sudanese girls have fought back. I refused, said 21-year-old Nyanachiek Madit, when her father said she would be married to a man about 50 years old because her family couldnt afford to send her to school. She was 17 at the time. I didnt accept to get married because I am disabled and my education will be my leg later on, said Nyanachiek, who was born with a congenital disorder. Convinced that schooling would give her a better life, she stood up to her family and dared them to beat or even kill her. Her family didn't force her to marry, but refused to pay her school fees as punishment. Nyanachiek's plight came to the attention of ChildBride Solidarity, which offers scholarships to girls whose parents abandon them after they oppose early marriage. With the group's assistance, Nyanachiek now studies in South Sudans capital. I am now happy, she told The Associated Press. Early marriage can be deadly. The United Nations Population Fund has said South Sudan is one of the riskiest places to be a mother. Mothers die in 1,150 out of 100,000 live births, one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. You cannot have a healthy mother, you cannot have a happy mother, if you are marrying off your children and making them mothers, Chris Oyeyipo with the U.N. Population Fund said during an event marking Mothers Day in Juba. The U.N. wants child marriage eliminated worldwide by 2030. But poor families in South Sudan see laws against child marriage as barring them from profiting from their daughters and threatening their very survival. Only about 10% of South Sudan's girls finish primary school because of factors including conflict and cultural beliefs, according to UNICEF and Plan International. Experts say some families worry that sending girls to school exposes them to dangers such as sexual assault that could lower their value when it comes time to look for marriage offers. And yet the experts say early marriage exposes girls to domestic abuse, including rape. Authorities have a long way to go to change such attitudes, said Aya Benjamin, South Sudans minister of gender, child and social welfare, who as a girl watched some of her friends be married off. It is our collective responsibility to make sure that our girls are allowed to enjoy their childhood, she told the AP. We are not discouraging marriage. "We just say allow girls to be children. Allow them to be themselves. Let them grow up and let them go to school and allow them to decide what they want to be in life, and in that way we can have a healthy society. STAMFORD Shipping-and-mailing firm Pitney Bowes announced this week that it would sell its BorderFree e-commerce services business for approximately $100 million to e-commerce services provider Global-e. Stamford-headquartered Pitney Bowes agreement with Petah-Tikva, Israel-headquartered Global-e focuses on a business within Pitney Bowes global e-commerce division that helps retailers enter new markets by localizing their domestic websites in more than 200 countries and territories and also assists them in simplifying compliance and regulations processing. This acquisition follows our strategy to support the global expansion of brands of all sizes in the most sophisticated way possible, Global-e co-founder and President Nir Debbi said in a statement. By partnering with Pitney Bowes and utilizing Borderfrees demand generation capabilities, Global-e will continue to enhance the value it brings to global brands looking to fully capitalize on their cross-border (direct-to-consumer) channel. In addition, the acquisition will further cement our leadership as the end-to-end solution of choice for any size of merchant, from small and emerging brands all the way to the worlds largest enterprise brands. The sale is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022, subject to customary conditions. In 2022, Borderfree is projected to generate more than $40 million in revenues. Including Borderfree, Pitney Bowes global e-commerce revenues totaled about $1.7 billion in 2021, up 5 percent from 2020. Global e-commerce revenues were the largest source of Pitney Bowes 2021 revenues, which contributed to the company ranking No. 729 on the 2022 Fortune list of the largest U.S. corporations. Borderfree employs about 85 people, including four based in Pitney Bowes offices in Shelton. The rest of them are based in other parts of the U.S., Israel, United Kingdom, Ireland and Poland. All of them are expected to transfer to Global-e when the deal is completed. At the same time, Pitney Bowes and Global-e announced a strategic partnership and commercial relationship, in which Pitney Bowes would provide cross-border e-commerce logistics services to Global-e and its clients. In exchange, Pitney Bowes clients would gain access to cross-border solutions on the Global-e platform. Pitney Bowes is excited to form a strategic partnership with Global-e to further extend our suite of Designed Cross-Border services as Pitney Bowes continues to grow and invest in our advanced suite of e-commerce logistics services for delivery and returns, Gregg Zegras, Pitney Bowes executive vice president and president of global e-commerce, said in a statement. Merchants will benefit from the combination of Global-es best-in-class cross-border localization technology and best-in-class e-commerce logistics capabilities from Pitney Bowes, a strength we will continue to build globally. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content. Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton (THE CONVERSATION) For nearly three-quarters of a century, one issue in education has come up before the Supreme Court more than any other: disputes over religion. Carson v. Makin, a case about Maines tuition assistance program for students in districts without high schools of their own, continues the pattern with potential consequences for schools, families and courts across the country. On June 21, 2022, the court ruled that parents in rural districts lacking public high schools, but who receive state aid to send their children to private schools instead, can use that money for tuition at schools with faith-based curricula. In a 6-3 order, the court held that Maines requirement that tuition assistance payments be used at nonsectarian schools violated the free exercise clause of the First Amendment because parents could not send their children to the schools of their choice. In two recent cases on similar issues, the court ruled in favor of families. Carson continues this trend of allowing more public support to students in faith-based schools, which has been developing for more than 20 years. To the school choice movement which advocates affording families more options beyond traditional public schools, but having the government help foot the bill Carson represents a chance for more parents to give their children an education in line with their religious beliefs. Opponents fear that cases such as Carson could establish a precedent of requiring taxpayer dollars to fund religious teachings. Based on its most recent judgments, many legal analysts maintain that the current court is increasingly sympathetic to claims that religious liberties are being threatened but, in so doing, is creating too close of a relationship between religion and government. SCOTUS shift in thought Religion in schools emerged as a significant issue at the Supreme Court starting in 1947s Everson v. Board of Education, when the justices upheld a New Jersey law allowing school boards to reimburse parents for transportation costs to and from schools, including ones that are religiously affiliated. According to the First Amendment, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof an idea courts often interpreted as requiring a wall of separation between church and state. In Everson, however, the Supreme Court upheld the law as not violating the First Amendment because children, not their schools, were the primary beneficiaries. Everson signaled the start of the child benefit test, an evolving legal concept that I have written about in my work on education law. According to this test, which has guided many of the courts decisions about religion, money and education, children who attend faith-based schools are the primary beneficiaries of the state aid they receive, rather than their schools. In other words, this logic reasons that the government is not directly supporting particular religions. In recent years, though, the court has expanded the boundaries of what aid is allowed as it has now done again with Carson. The decision extends the Supreme Courts two most recent judgments on aid to students in faith-based schools: In 2017s Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, the Supreme Court reasoned that states cannot deny religious people or religious institutions generally available public benefits simply because they are religious. Three years later, in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the court decided the states tuition tax credit program cannot bar private, faith-based schools from public benefits solely because of the religious character of the schools. Mainers education Maines Constitution mandates the creation of public schools. But many rural towns dont have their own secondary schools: In fact, of the 260 school administrative units in Maine, more than half lack a secondary school. In areas without access to public schools, Maine law allowed students to attend other public or private schools at public expense, but not faith-based ones. The state requires approved schools to be nonsectarian, in accordance with the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Carson v. Makin began in 2018 when three sets of parents unsuccessfully filed suit on behalf of their children, arguing that the rule discriminated on the basis of religion. The federal trial court in Maine ruled in favor of the state, affirming that its tuition aid requirements did not violate the rights of the parents or their children. On appeal, the First Circuit unanimously affirmed in favor of the state, rejecting all the parental claims. The decision When, as the parents in Carson alleged, state actions limit fundamental rights such as free exercise of religion, courts apply what is called strict scrutiny, meaning that public officials must prove they have a compelling interest in restricting such a right. When the Supreme Court applies strict scrutiny, as it did in Carson, state restrictions typically fail. Writing for the court, Chief Justice John Roberts declared that the Maine program effectively penalizes the free exercise of religion. Relying on Trinity Lutheran and Espinoza, he wrote that a neutral benefit program in which public funds flow to religious organizations through the independent choices of private benefit recipients does not offend the Establishment Clause. He also declared that a states interest in not violating the establishment clause does not justify excluding people from a public benefit because they are religious. The previous recent cases dealt with schools status as religious schools, rather than whether their actual teaching is religious. Lower courts decisions about Carson, on the other hand, looked at how religious schools would actually use the funds: whether they would provide an equivalent education to the one that Maines public schools deliver. But the Supreme Court held that both status-based and use-based refusals to allow state aid for students at religious schools are offensive to the Free Exercise Clause. As often occurs in such high-profile cases, the dissenters disagreed strongly. Justice Stephen Breyer, joined in full by Justice Elena Kagan and partially by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, wrote of an increased risk of religiously based social conflict when government promotes religion in the public school system. Dissenting separately, Sotomayor expressed concern that Carson is leading us to a place where separation of church and state is a constitutional slogan, not a constitutional commitment. Today, the Court leads us to a place where separation of church and state becomes a constitutional violation. Carson is unlikely to end disagreements over public funds and religion or religion and schools more generally. But two clear points emerge in Carsons wake: the courts ongoing support for the child benefit test and its continuing to lower the wall of separation between church and state in education. This is an updated version of an article originally published on Nov. 29, 2021. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content. The committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has solicited the testimony of a host of men and women who held esteemed titles: attorney general, senior adviser to the president of the United States, federal judge, secretary of state. And they all described, often in emotional terms, how they, in some way, spoke truth to power. They did not believe former president Donald Trump's fiction about a stolen election. They refused his entreaties to find nonexistent votes and would not legitimize conjured up electors. They ignored Trump's threats. On Tuesday afternoon, a trio of Republican men from Georgia and Arizona told their stories of defiance and certitude at the committee's fourth public hearing: Brad Raffensberger, Gabriel Sterling and Russell "Rusty" Bowers. They were men of some clout and privilege in politics, men whose party affiliation was made plain as further proof of their courage. They were men who were accustomed to being heard and even obeyed. Men for whom the system was built. "The system held, but barely," said Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif. And yet, our democracy only really functions at all because of folks like Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss. She held a far less impressive title: employee. Her testimony held the weight of a country's shame and sorrow. Moss was an election worker for more than a decade, and during her time at the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections in Georgia, from 2017 to 2022, she handled voter applications and absentee ballot requests. She also helped process ballots after the 2020 election. She chose her job not because it afforded her prestige or wealth, but because it was steeped in meaning. "I've always been told by my grandmother how important it is to vote and how people before me, a lot of people, older people in my family, did not have that right. So what I loved the most about my job were the older voters," testified Moss, who is Black. "Older voters like to call; they like to talk to you; they like to get my card; they like to know that every election, I'm here. Even college students, a lot of parents trusted me to make sure their child does not have to drive home -- they'll get an absentee ballot. They can vote. I really found pleasure in that." "They want a new precinct card; they don't have copy machine or a computer or all of that, I could put it in the mail for them. I was excited always about sending out all the absentee ballots for the elderly or disabled people," Moss said. "I even remember driving to a hospital to give someone her absentee application. "That's what I love the most." And so, the system chugged along. Because of people like Moss. Until Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a chorus of enablers tried to break the system by destroying her, just one of an assortment of schemes. They falsely accused Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman, who also helped process ballots, of being election hustlers - of being a cabal of two who tainted Georgia's election results. The women were stalked and threatened on social media and in real life. The FBI told Freeman she needed to leave her home, for safety. Vigilantes on the hunt for the two election workers thronged to Moss's grandmother's home with plans to make a citizen's arrest. The mother and daughter received messages filled with rage and hate and racism. The Trump mob, in all its populist hubris, went after these women who live at a far distance from the deep state, the Washington swamp and the coastal elite. Moss walked into the crowded hearing room with her mother. Freeman took a seat in the front row of spectators, and her daughter settled in at the witness table, but not before glancing back to maker sure her mother was okay -- that her mother was there. Freeman wore red; Moss was dressed in black. Moss looked up at the committee. She took several deep breaths. She bit her lips. She looked slightly pained. Her face, her body language reminded the audience that this is not easy. This is not normal. Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., greeted Moss and asked, "Would you like to introduce your mama?" It was a genial offer. Hospitable even. Moss gestured to her mother, and Freeman smiled and waved at the chairman. In that moment, the starched formality of the hearing softened. The testimony that was to come was not about electors and scanners and far-fetched lawsuits. It was not a referendum on politicians and oaths of office. It was about this daughter and her mama. The committee has spoken at length about the threat to our democracy posed by Trump and his mob. And that is undeniable even if this "clear and present" danger at times feels more like an unnerving intellectual exercise. Moss expressed the damage in sad and human terms. She raised her right hand and agreed to tell the truth. Her nails were all gussied up with a stiletto manicure in cheerful shades of orange and yellow. A charm bracelet danged from her wrist. She was not staid federal Washington. She was colorful and personable. She was the human face of an election bureaucracy. A true believer in civic duty. A Black woman instilled with the value of the vote. Moss testified about what Jan. 6 -- and all that led up to it and all that followed it -- cost her. "It's turned my life upside down. I no longer give out my business card," she said. "I don't want anyone knowing my name. I don't want to go anywhere with my mom because she might yell my name out over the grocery aisle or something. I don't go to the grocery store at all. I haven't been anywhere at all. I gained about 60 pounds. I just don't do nothing anymore; I don't want to go anywhere. I second-guess everything I do. "It's affected my life in a major way. In every way. All because of lies." Moss is no longer an election worker. "I want to say how very sorry I think we all are for what you've gone through. And tragically, you're not alone," Schiff said. "Other election workers around the country have also been the subject of lies and threats." She is damaged. The system is broken. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) The British government on Wednesday unveiled plans for a Bill of Rights it says will strengthen free speech and the power of Parliament but that critics argue will rip up human rights protections for ordinary people. The government published the bill days after courts in the U.K. and Europe, on human rights grounds, stopped Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative administration deporting people seeking asylum in Britain to Rwanda. If approved by Parliament where it faces a battle the legislation will raise the bar for bringing human rights legal claims. It will reduce the ability of foreign nationals convicted of a crime in Britain to challenge deportation on the basis of their human rights. The government says the goal is to reduce trivial and frivolous claims. The law will also give British courts the power to ignore rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, currently the ultimate arbiter of rights law for dozens of countries, including the U.K. It was an ECHR judge who ruled last week that an Iraqi man shouldn't be sent to Rwanda under the governments controversial deportation plan, a judgment that led to the flight being grounded. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the bill, which would replace the U.K.s Human Rights Act, would curb abuses of the system and inject a bit more common sense into human rights law. He told lawmakers that the law was designed to rein in elastic interpretations of human rights that have developed through court rulings without meaningful democratic oversight by the House of Commons. Raab said Britain would retain its fundamental commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights, but its move could set it on a collision course with the Council of Europe, which oversees the Strasbourg-based rights court. The government depicted the Bill of Rights as an assertion of British sovereignty in the wake of the country's departure from the European Union. However, the European Court of Human Rights is unconnected to the EU; it is an international tribunal supported by 46 countries. Rights groups said the governments move would remove some of the main tools the public has to hold the powerful to account, by raising the bar for human rights claims and weakening an obligation on public bodies to actively protect human rights. Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International U.K., said the public is being stripped of its most powerful tool to challenge wrongdoing by the government and other public bodies. Stephanie Boyce, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said the Bill of Rights was a lurch backwards for British justice. Authorities may begin to consider some rights violations as acceptable, because these could no longer be challenged under the bill of rights despite being against the law, she said. Several pieces of legislation passed through the Michigan Legislature and were signed into law by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during the week of June 13. Bills covered everything from allowing 17-year-old wait staff to sell and serve alcohol (House Bill 4232) to updating Michigan's high school curriculum to include a financial literacy course as a first for the state (House Bill 5190). "Since I took office, I am proud to have signed over 849 bipartisan bills, and today we are adding to that total with a bill to help small businesses across the state," Whitmer said in a press release issued June 14 by her office. Here's what to know about the pieces of legislation. House bills: HB 4232 allows 17-year-old wait staff to sell and serve alcohol at restaurants and other businesses to expand the eligible workforce to fill labor shortages. "Bars and restaurants throughout Michigan that have been struggling with employment issues applaud the governor for signing this bill into law," Michigan Licensed Beverage Association Executive Director Scott Ellis said in a statement. "I know our businesses in northern Michigan and other tourist areas will benefit tremendously from the signing of this bill." To serve booze as a 17-year-old, the person must complete a server training program as required by the Liquor Control Commission. And, during the person's shift, the "on-premises licensee" is required to have supervisory personnel that is at least 18 years old and has also completed a server training program, according to the state. HB 4232 was introduced by Rep. Michele Hoitenga R Manton. HB 4527 increases safety requirements on owners or operators of carnival or amusement rides. For instance, the bill requires operators of carnival rides to receive an annual inspection in the spring before they can allow any riders. It also establishes sanctions for people who violate safety provisions within the Carnival Amusement Act. HB 4527 was introduced by Rep. Thomas Albert, R Lowell. HB 5258 amends the Michigan Election Law to change the timetable for filing, processing and distributing proof ballots for elections. "HB 5258 saves taxpayer dollars while easing communication between clerks and candidates," Rep. Matt Koleszar, D Plymouth said in a statement. "Its a common-sense solution that is a win for everyone." HB 5258 was introduced by Rep. Matt Koleszar, D Plymouth. HB 5287 gives county political party committees the authority to appoint to fill a local township office vacancy for the remainder of a term or select a candidate to run for the position in an upcoming special election. Any appointed candidate must be confirmed by the local township board and any nominated candidate must still be elected by voters in the special election to take office, according to the state. The authority was expanded from township to county political party committees. HB 5287 was introduced by Rep. David Martin R Davison. HB 5386 allows the option for township boards to allocate costs of private road improvements equally among the property owners benefiting from the maintenance or improvement of the road. HB 5386 was introduced by Rep. Sue Allor, R Wolverine. HB 5555 helps ease the up-front unemployment insurance tax burden of seasonal small businesses of 100 or fewer employees by allowing first-quarter payments to be spread out throughout the year, according to the state. HB 5555 was introduced by Rep. Sue Allor, R Wolverine. HB 5875 extends the sunset date of a provision that limits a countys maintenance of effort rate for Medicaid-funded long-term care services. This will streamline Medicaid operations to save counties money, according to the state. HB 5875 was introduced by Rep. Bronna Kahle, R Adrian. HB 5983 and HB 5984 allow the consumption of food and beverages in public swimming pools, and the service of alcohol in public swimming pools under certain circumstances. The bills cut restrictions and create entrepreneurial opportunities that allow public pool operators to maximize business heading into a "Pure Michigan summer," according to the state. "The Bavarian Inn Zehnder Family applauds Governor Whitmer and the Legislators for approving the swim-up bar legislation," Michael Keller Zehnder, general manager for Bavarian Inn Lodge said in a statement. "This will enable hospitality business operators the opportunity to provide a new experience for their guests which will boost the Michigan Tourism Industry" HB 5983 was introduced by Rep. Rodney Wakeman, R Frankenmuth. HB 5984 was introduced by Rep. John Cherry, D Flint. HB 5190 updates Michigans high school curriculum to include a financial literacy course for the first time in state history. The bill will prepare young Michiganders for the future and empower them to take control of their finances, according to the state. "Adding a financial literacy requirement to Michigan's education curriculum makes sense if our goal is to prepare students for success, in both careers and life," Rick Baker, president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce said in a statement. "Too many young adults are unprepared when it comes to making major financial decisions." The legislation adds a half-credit personal finance course as a high school graduation requirement, starting with ninth-graders in 2024. The course requirement could fulfill a half credit of the four-credit mathematics requirement, the two-credit language other than the English requirement or the one-credit visual, performing or applied arts requirement. The course could also be completed as part of an approved career and technical education program. HB 5190 was introduced by Rep. Diana Farrington R Utica. Senate bills: SB 821 allows emergency authorities to purchase real or personal property under an installment purchase agreement and allows emergency authorities to issue bonds or notes. "This legislation opens the door to offer a new and more cost-efficient option for cities, townships and villages to equip their EMS authorities and provide care to area residents," Senator Wayne Schmidt, R Traverse City said in a statement. "Installment purchase agreements have been available for other local entities to purchase real or personal property, and now emergency services will be able to take advantage of this more effective financing option." SB 821 was introduced by Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R Traverse City. OCONTO, Wis. (AP) False imprisonment charges have been dismissed against a northeastern Wisconsin school superintendent accused of illegally detaining some students in a high school bathroom during searches for vaping devices. A judge in Oconto County on Tuesday said facts in the criminal complaint against Kelly Casper were insufficient to support the six counts of false imprisonment against her. Theres nothing here that would allow me to conclude that there was a lack of consent or the defendant would know there was a lack of consent, or that she would know she did not have lawful authority to confine or restrain, Judge Marc Hammer said. Several dozen supporters in the courtroom gallery broke into applause when Hammer announced his decision. The 52-year-old Casper resigned as Suring School District superintendent effective June 30. She was charged last February with confining six female students who were asked to take off some of their clothes in a school bathroom during the searches Jan. 17 and 18. Oconto County District Attorney Edward Burke determined the searches were lawful. However, he filed the false imprisonment charges, saying the students were illegally confined. The school board placed Casper on paid administrative leave soon after. Forget the strip search for a minute, shes not charged with that, said Corey Chirafisi, Caspers attorney. If she puts them in a room to confine them to do something that shes allowed to do, which is search because of reasonable suspicion, I think were done. Hammer said the district attorney can refile the charges or file new ones. The annual Midland County Medical Society Viola M Coleman MD Memorial Scholarship Awards Dinner was held June 16 at Midland Country Club. For more than 35 years the medical society, whose membership comprises approximately 175 physicians in Midland, has awarded scholarships as part of their philanthropy. These scholarships are presented to students from the Midland area who are enrolled in medical schools in Texas. Matching grants were again received this year from the Texas Medical Association Foundation Medical Student Scholarship Fund and the Hispanic Medical Student Scholarship Fund of Dr. Roberto J. and Agniela M Bayardo. We gratefully acknowledge these matching grants, which enabled the medical society to increase the amounts of their scholarships to seven deserving medical school students this year. Shelby Corbitt graduated high school in 2015, Her interest in the medical field grew in high school when she took anatomy and physiology and other advanced science classes. Her desire to pursue a medical career influenced her education path at Texas A&M, where she was on the Deans Honor Roll. She completed the Biomedical Sciences Research Certificate program where she learned how research is developed and applied in the medical field. She continued her education at Texas Tech University Health Science Center where she completed an MS in Biomedical Sciences, and where she is currently enrolled as a medical student. Her parents supported her various educational and many volunteer opportunities throughout her high school, college and medical school years. Her older sister has been a tremendous help and example to her, based on her own experiences as a medical student at TTUHSC. Shelby has not selected the exact medical path she plans to pursue but is particularly interested in the specialties of obstetrics and gynecology, surgery and urology. After residency, she would welcome the opportunity to practice medicine in West Texas, especially Midland, which she considers home. Asher George is a third-year medical student at Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine. He holds a Bachelors degree in Microbiology from Texas Tech University and has obtained his Master of Public Health degree from TTUHSC. He is originally from Mesquite and is the eldest son of a blessed family. His parents have raised him and his brothers to unconditionally serve others as Christ did. He continues to pursue a calling to serve others through medicine. After medical school, Asher aims to complete a residency in urology, where he hopes to gain surgical and clinical competence, which will then allow he, and his wife, Sarah, who is also a medical student in Houston, to conduct international medical missions. He has had a vast array of experiences during his clinical rotations in the Permian Basin, where he has worked alongside phenomenal physicians and surgeons who continue to inspire as they live out the Hippocratic Oath. As a result of his experiences and the continued need for urologists and physicians in Midland County and the surrounding Permian Basin and his desire to serve patients from underserved populations and rural areas of Texas and the US, Asher hopes to potentially return to Midland to practice medicine. He appreciates the West Texas values found throughout Midland County and the region and aims to be an ambassador for the region as he begins his last year of medical school. Mayra Gomez, as a Hispanic female, expresses heartfelt thanks for the support and vote of confidence this scholarship affords her as she begins her third year of medical school at Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine. Her medical goals primarily involve working as a family medicine doctor in a rural area during and after residency. West Texas has been full of opportunities for learning and growth, thanks to TTUHSC and the partnering hospitals. She would be honored to give back service through her medical career. She states that her education at TTUHSC has been phenomenal, and because of her prioritization of rural health, she is able to do exactly what she wants in rural medicine. One of the programs she is part of is FMAT, the family medicine accelerated track. With this program, she will be able to graduate from medical school in three years instead of four and start her residency here in the Permian Basin as a family medicine doctor. After her residency, she plans to either continue in the Permian Basin or another rural area in West Texas. She is looking forward to many wonderful experiences here, as others have similarly expressed about their time in this community. Albert Machuca stated that growing up in West Texas formed many of his core values. Some of these values include community, loyalty, and education. He experienced just how underserved the West Texas area is through the trips that his family has had to make to seek medical care. This included traveling more than a 100-mile radius from the Midland/Odessa area. He was a student with ECISD for his entire 13-year public education. Albert graduated from Odessa High School in 2017 and went on to attend UTPB, where he graduated with his Bachelors in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. Currently enrolled at UT Health Sciences Center San Antonio Long School of Medicine, he is interested in pursuing the field of Internal medicine, because Internists are required to know so many details about each body system. He enjoys being tasked with understanding how these complex body systems work in coordination to keep us alive. He feels it would be very rewarding to be able to give back through his medical service to the community that raised him. Enrique Mangan became a Midland resident in 2013, attending sixth grade at St. Anns Catholic School and later attended Early College High School at Midland College. That opportunity generously paid for enough college classes to earn an Associate degree. During his senior year of high school, he was given the opportunity to join the Primary Care Pathway Program, which allows students to earn early acceptance at University of North Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM). The purpose of this program is to bring back qualified physicians into the Permian Basin area. The program has given he and his fellow students various opportunities for health care experiences, such as hospital shadowing but also emphasized the importance of non-health community volunteering such as Keep Midland Beautiful and Midland College Chemistry Club, two organizations he was a member of. After graduation from TCOM, he hopes to match into an Internal Medicine residency but, more importantly, a residency in the Midland-Odessa area. As a young physician he hopes to provide personalized care, especially for Spanish-only speakers, that will help them feel confident and comfortable with their medical care. Enrique wants to encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle and get timely medical exams that focus on preventative care, thereby decreasing the amount of emergency medical procedures that arise from ignoring or postponing treatment. He hopes to be part-owner of a clinic where he can have input in administrative decisions which would allow him to place an emphasis on treating patients in their preferred language. A long-term goal is to hold a position of public office where he can continue to work toward better health care outcomes for all peoples in West Texas. Though any political goals are in his far distant future, he believes becoming a primary care physician and serving his West Texas community is an excellent start. Jonathan Markgraf is a medical school student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. His career goal is to complete medical school residency with an end goal to practice Primary Care in West Texas. Having been born and raised in Midland, he expresses a desire to work and serve here. He hopes to make a positive impact on the people of West Texas by providing medical care for them. Jonathan stated that one of the main factors influencing his decision to go into medicine has been his fathers commitment to servanthood. Because of his example, service has been a driving force at the center of his activities and relationships for most of his life. Being a physician would give him the opportunity to fulfill this calling in a one-on-one fashion, while also allowing him to focus professionally on the medical sciences, which he finds fascinating and fulfilling. The volunteer opportunities he has experienced have shown him how fortunate and blessed he has been throughout his life. He expresses gratitude for the privilege of growing up with two parents who love him and have encouraged him to succeed. Consequently, he feels an obligation to give back and serve others. He believes becoming a physician will allow him to work with people to maintain their health, bringing him joy while doing so. Willard Taylor Williams graduated from Lee High School in 2013, then went on to serve for two years as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in various parts of Bolivia. He then graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah, and now attends Sam Houston State School of Osteopathic Medicine near Houston. Though he has enjoyed his time in each area, Midland has been the only place where he has truly felt like he belongs. The people of Midland, as well as the staff of Midland Memorial he worked with as a surgical aide, have given him everything. He stated that it is thanks to these people that he is the man he is today and has the blessings that bring his life joy. It is only natural that he wants to give back what he can to these people and the community. He does not have a specific specialty as of now but has interest in psychiatry or surgery. He stated that he will use the knowledge he gains in any field as he completes rotations , to be able to create jobs for the hard workers that make Midland so strong and allow him to serve the hands that hang low. Midland will always be his home; he is honored by this opportunity and plans to turn it into an investment for the people of Midland for whom he has so much admiration. They say don't run right after eating. Apparently, that applies to flying too. Two independent researchers recently shared their findings that bird regurgitation is likely what caused fish to rain from the sky over Texarkana in late December. Residents in the East Texas town encountered the fishy phenomenon after strong thunderstorms moved through the area. While some experts theorized that the fish may have gotten swept up by waterspouts, National Weather Service meteorologists told the Dallas Morning News that data shows there was no such activity in the area at the time. Sharon Hill, a geologist and independent researcher based in Pennsylvania, and Paul Cropper, an author in Australia, found evidence indicating that a flock of birds, specifically cormorants, may have regurgitated the fish while flying over Texarkana. "We're both interested in finding out what, if anything, happened in a strange situation," Hill told the Dallas Morning News. "We're not going to be dismissive, we're not going to default to a paranormal explanation, but we're looking to document what happened and what can be the possible natural causes." The pair, who previously worked separately on similar investigations related to natural phenomena, collected evidence from the area and reached out to locals who reported seeing the fish to rule out several theories. They first determined that the incident was not a hoax. "This was one of the better ones, because we had never seen fish-fall being documented over such a wide area," Hill told the Dallas Morning News. They also ruled out the idea that flooding washed fish up onto the ground, because the fish were found to be above ground level, in truck beds and rooftops. The fish were also not dropped from a plane, Hill told the Dallas Morning News, since no records backed up that theory. "The last one that we knew that was a reasonable explanation was the birds, either carrying them in their beaks, their talons or their stomachs," Hill told the Morning News. The fish, which were later identified as Gizzard shad, also had characteristics indicative of partial digestion, Hill and Cropper found. Additionally, cormorants have a habit of expelling their stomach contents, they said. The pair also studied security footage from a Discount Tire in Texarkana that appears to show six fish hitting the ground during the storm. The video evidence supports that fish did indeed fall from the sky that day, Hill reported. Residents told Hill and Cropper that they had seen cormorants around the time the fish fell from the sky in December. Hill and Cropper also spoke to Paul Merlich, executive director of the Texarkana Regional Airport, who told them flocks of cormorants regularly fly near the airport, the Dallas Morning News reported. They usually appear around the same time that the Dec. 29 storm moved through the area, he said. Mehrlich told the Morning News that cormorants typically migrate through the area between fall and spring. He also said that on the day of the storm, staff found fish "all over" the airport runway. Crews had to shovel up ten pounds of fish, causing a delay for one of the planes at the airport, he said. The University of Texas Biodiversity Center in Austin will verify Hill and Cropper's findings. However, Hill told the Dallas Morning News the pair is confident in their conclusion. WASHINGTON (AP) Senate bargainers reached agreement Tuesday on a bipartisan gun violence bill, potentially teeing up final passage by week's end on an incremental but landmark package that would stand as Congress response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against Democrats' urban-centered backers of firearms curbs. That makes it one of the most incendiary culture war battlefields in politics and a sensitive vote for some lawmakers, particularly Republicans who might alienate Second Amendment stalwarts. The legislation would toughen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers, require more sellers to conduct background checks and beef up penalties on gun traffickers. It also would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Susan Walsh/AP Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic bargainer, said would be fully paid for. Resolving one final hurdle that delayed the accord, the bill would prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic violence and not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns. The compromise prohibits guns for a person who has a current or recent former dating relationship with the victim. That is defined in part as one between people who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature." An offenders ability to own a gun could be restored after five years if theyve not committed another serious crime. On another late dispute, the bill would provide $750 million to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that have red flag" laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. States with red flag laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm's removal. Momentum in Congress for gun legislation has a history of waning quickly after mass shootings. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-week July 4th recess by this weekend. The legislation lacks far more potent proposals that President Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years, derailed by GOP opposition. These include banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Yet after 10 Black shoppers were killed last month in Buffalo, New York, and 19 children and two teachers died days later in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and some Republicans decided that this time, measured steps were preferable to Congress usual reaction to such horrors gridlock. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde, I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that Ive never seen before. He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety among voters not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful." This bill, Murphy said, would save thousands of lives." Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Top GOP bargainer Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of the pact, Some think it goes too far, others think it doesnt go far enough. And I get it. Its the nature of compromise." But he added, I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. Im confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction." In a positive sign about its fate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voiced his support, calling it a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, expressed opposition. It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners," the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans especially in the House would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most hard-right voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the proposal. In another measure of conservative sentiment, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that the bill ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a possible White House contender, said it would restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials. The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Cornyn told reporters that he expected at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip have yielded only stalemate in Washington. Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing," Murphy said. This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives. The bill would require that federal background checks for gun buyers age 18 to 20 include examination of the purchaser's juvenile record. That could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The suspects in the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old, a profile that matches many recent mass shooters. There would be hundreds of millions of dollars to expand community behavioral health centers, telemedicine visits for mental specialists and train first responders to handle people with mental health issues. More than $2 billion would be provided to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. ___ Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report. After the Unite The Right rally brought chaos and bloodshed to Charlottesville in 2017, white nationalist hate group Vanguard America, one of the infamous event's co-organizers, faced internal turmoil. Dallas native and then-Vanguard America member Thomas Rousseau capitalized on the groups strife, recruiting from within its ranks to create a Texas-based spin-off group called Patriot Front in the fall of 2017, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Patriot Front, which the SPLC and the Anti-Defamation League both now identify as a hate group, made news again last weekend when 31 members packed into the back of a UHaul were arrested by local police in Coeur dAlene, Idaho. "They came to riot downtown," said Lee White, Coeur d'Alene Police Chief, at a press conference. All 31 were charged with criminal conspiracy to riot, a misdemeanor, according to White, for allegedly planning to incite an uproar at an LGBTQ Pride event in Coeur dAlene on Saturday, June 11. Among the group were at least eight Texans, alongside members from across the U.S., whod traveled to Idaho to participate in planning the alleged riot. However, last weekend's bust was "a departure" from typical local law enforcement responses to white nationalist groups, said Michael German, a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law who spent 16 years infiltrating neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups as an undercover FBI agent. Law enforcement has for decades had a deficient response to far-right violence, in contrast to local Coeur dAlene cops response to Patriot Front last weekend, German said. Law enforcement agencies tend to avoid acknowledging or investigating crimes committed by white nationalists, German suggested. However, When [white nationalists] commit a crime thats too public for law enforcement to completely ignore, they tend to describe it in terms of lone individuals criminal activity, German said, rather than a coordinated plot devised by an organized group of hate-motivated extremists. In general, county sheriffs and municipal police departmentsas opposed to state or federal agenciesare prone to outright enabling of white nationalists because many white-nationalist sympathizers populate their ranks, according to multiple leaked FBI reports collected by German. The incursion of white nationalists into local law enforcement agencies became so pronounced in recent years that the FBI issued a directive in 2015, according to an investigation by the Intercept's Alice Speri, which instructed federal agents to mark a watchlisted police officer as a "silent hit." This categorizing would effectively mask the officer's involvement in white nationalist groups from the National Crime Information Center's database "to prevent domestic terrorism investigations from being obstructed by members of law enforcement," Speri explained. The FBI sounded the alarm about white nationalist cops nine years before issuing its 2015 directive: The primary threat of white supremacist infiltration of law enforcement, authors of a 2006 FBI intelligence assessment warned, arises from the areas of intelligence collection and exploitation, which can lead to investigative breaches and can jeopardize the safety of law enforcement sources or personnel. But even after receiving multiple warnings about the urgent threat of white supremacist terrorist groups and their presence inside local law enforcement agencies, cops general response to white nationalist groups has been inadequate, opined Dr. Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate, who researches extremism. For groups like Patriot Front, for a while now, law enforcement has essentially been slow on the uptake to understand the threat they pose, Beirich said, in part because police have long seen the left as much more of a problem. The January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitolduring which far-right insurrectionists killed and brutalized multiple police officersserved as a wake up call for law enforcement to the threat of white nationalist terrorism, Beirich said. The light hand with white supremacists weve seen in some communities came from the idea that these far right groups would be more respectful of law enforcement, and that was certainly shown to not be the case on January sixth, which may have informed local polices response to Patriot Front in Idaho, Beirich added. Criminal proceeding for the arrested Patriot Front members are at the early stages. All 31 were bonded last week and will face court dates in the coming weeks, authorities told Reuters Tuesday. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, is suing the Texas Department of Public Safety over records related to the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary last month. In the wake of the senseless tragedy, the people of Uvalde and Texas have demanded answers from their government. To date, they have been met with lies, misstatements, and shifts of blame, Gutierrez said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday. State and local Uvalde officials have fought the release of records that could provide clarity on the botched emergency response to the shooting that killed 19 children and two educators. Law enforcement responding to the shooting waited more than an hour on the scene before breaking into the classroom to kill the shooter. Gutierrez said he filed an open records request on May 31 for documentation about police presence and ballistics at the shooting, and he still has not received a response. Per state law, DPS had 10 business days to either respond or make a case to the attorney general. Neither Gutierrez nor DPS immediately responded to requests for comment for this story. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune also submitted about 70 public information requests related to emergency response documentation during the shooting, including 911 audio recordings, body and police car camera footage, and communications among local, state and federal agencies. Four weeks after the shooting, government officials have not provided the news organizations a single record related to the emergency response. Gov. Greg Abbotts office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Marshals Service and the city of Uvalde have asked the state attorney general for permission to withhold some records. In most cases, the agencies are arguing that releasing information could interfere with ongoing law enforcement investigations. Abbotts office on Tuesday said all information related to the shooting has been shared with the public or is in the expedited process of being released. Full results of the ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers and the FBI will also be made public, according to the governors office. That same day, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said city officials have been left out of briefings related to the investigation from entities, such as DPS, the Texas Legislature, the Uvalde County District Attorneys office and the FBI. McLaughlin accused state authorities of selectively releasing information about last months school shooting to scapegoat local law enforcement and intentionally leaving out details about the states response to the massacre. He said he had been asked by other officials to refrain from sharing details about the investigation while it was ongoing, but said Tuesday he would now start releasing that information as it became available to city officials. The gloves are off. If we know it, we will share it, he said. Join us Sept. 22-24 in person in downtown Austin for The Texas Tribune Festival and experience 100+ conversation events featuring big names you know and others you should from the worlds of politics, public policy, the media and tech all curated by The Texas Tribunes award-winning journalists. Buy tickets. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/22/roland-gutierrez-sues-dps-uvalde/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. In the wake of the deadliest school shooting in state history, the Texas Education Agency plans to check whether hundreds of thousands of external school building doors lock properly before the next school year begins. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told Texas senators Tuesday that the agency will review external entry points of every school in Texas, which is about 340,000 doors. It will evaluate school facilities to determine what repairs may be needed to secure campuses. There will also be a review of each districts safety protocols and meetings held between state officials and each districts school safety committee. Moraths comments came during a Texas Senate committee hearing about the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, during which a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. At the same hearing, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said the law enforcement response to the shooting was an abject failure and police could have stopped the shooter three minutes after arriving. McCraw also told lawmakers the teacher who taught in the conjoined classrooms where the shooting occurred had flagged to the school administration that the door would not lock. The Uvalde shooter entered the school through a back door, according to school surveillance footage. Authorities said a teacher closed the door and the automatic lock failed. There are more than 1,200 school districts in Texas and more than 3,000 campuses, but Morath on Tuesday promised lawmakers that his agencys plans to review doors and safety plans will be completed this summer. In 2019, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 11, which tasks the Texas School Safety Center with making sure school districts have adequate emergency plans. The agency can call on the TEA to act as conservator to make sure plans are up to standard and school districts are compliant, Morath said. Morath said the TEA has rule-making authority over things such as safety drills and threat exercises. The agency will come back to lawmakers once it has a dollar amount for how much hardware upgrades would cost, he said. We are moving with a great deal of speed on this, he said. In the weeks since the tragedy in Uvalde, questions have swirled around the actions of police and whether some lives could have been saved if officers confronted the barricaded gunman sooner. Authorities have shared conflicting information about who was in charge, who confronted the shooter and when. A debate over whether the locked classroom doors could be breached gave way to the discovery that they may never have been locked at all. Morath spent much of his time Tuesday talking about SB 11 and what it did to harden schools, plus what powers it grants to him and to the safety center. Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans have touted the bill. But, the law may have fallen short. Schools didnt receive enough state money to make the types of physical improvements lawmakers are touting publicly. Few school employees signed up to bring guns to work. And many school districts either dont have a plan for responding to an active shooting or produced insufficient ones. Experts have said there is no indication that beefing up security in schools has prevented any violence. Plus, they said, it can be detrimental to children, especially children of color. Morath also gave more information on the 18-year-old shooter. He started being chronically absent in the sixth grade and in his last year at Uvalde High School, he failed every class except web design. Bettencourt asked if anyone on the schools threat assessment team shouldve noticed the chronic absenteeism and truancy as a red flag. In Texas, it is mandated that schools have a safe and supportive school program team, which determines the risk an individual poses and what the appropriate intervention is. Any kind of ongoing absenteeism, I wouldnt call it threat assessment, Morath said. The safe and supportive team should notice that and then begin the process of intervening. Join us Sept. 22-24 in person in downtown Austin for The Texas Tribune Festival and experience 100+ conversation events featuring big names you know and others you should from the worlds of politics, public policy, the media and tech all curated by The Texas Tribunes award-winning journalists. Buy tickets. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/21/texas-school-door-locks-uvalde/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. Hours after Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw called the Uvalde police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting an "abject failure," Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin accused the top state cop of lying about the events that took place during the May 24 massacre. During a city council meeting Tuesday, McLaughlin alleged that McCraw has an agenda to protect state troopers and Texas Rangers so he continues to "lie, leak, or misstate information" about law enforcement's response to the mass shooting in which 19 children and two teachers were killed. McLaughlin also accused McCraw of presenting biased information by not acknowledging that 14 DPS officers stood in the school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman went on his rampage inside two classrooms. "Every briefing he leaves out the number of his own officers and rangers that were on scene that day," McLaughlin said. McLaughlin claims he and other local officials were instructed to keep quiet about law enforcement response to the shooting while investigations continue, so he was frustrated by McCraw's testimony during a special Texas Senate committee hearing in Austin Tuesday. However, McLaughlin declared that now, "the gloves are off. As we know it, we will share it. We are not going to hold back anymore." Additionally, McLaughlin said he is frustrated with a lack of information from state officials. "They can go to Austin and have public deals to talk about it and different things and not share a damn thing with this city or anybody in this community, and that's wrong," he said. "That's totally wrong." During his testimony Tuesday, McCraw said officers had enough firepower and protection to take down the gunman within three minutes of arriving on campus. Instead, McCraw said Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo "decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children" by holding back officers from breaching the classroom. McCraw's testimony came as new footage was released showing officers arrived at the campus fairly quickly after the shooting started with rifles and ballistic shields. However, they waited 58 minutes to breach the classroom and kill the gunman. McLaughlin said four agencies have control of bodycam footage. "They are the Uvalde district attorney, the DPS, the FBI and the State Legislature and someone has chosen to release bits and pieces of body cam [footage], surveillance videos of their choosing... to create chaos in the community and keep the whole truth from coming out." "What kind of farce do you have in Austin today?" McLaughlin said. "We had the Bozo the Clown show in the Senate today with, you know, McCraw parading out there and giving answers that they still don't have the facts to." McLaughlin also condemned the governor's office for ignoring repeated information requests about the shooting. McLaughlin explained that the day after the shooting, he asked the Texas Rangers for daily briefings. However, he said while the agency agreed, "to this day we have not received one briefing from the Rangers, or DPS, or anybody. No one, so we're just in the dark just like you are, and we're tired of it." McLaughlin continued, telling residents at the meeting, "Why do you think I invited the Justice Department to come in here for? The DPS, their story's changed four times in four days. Do you think I have any confidence there, that we're going to get a true story? That's why I invited the Justice Department here, with state officials and federal officials asking me not to." More than 338,000 lives couldve been saved if the U.S. had universal healthcare, according to estimates tabulated during a Yale University study published last week. The current healthcare system in the US is economically inefficient and leaves millions of Americans without adequate access to medical treatment, Alison Galvani, leader of the Yale School of Public Healths Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis and the studys head researcher, told the Guardian. Galvani and her fellow authors wrote that financial barriers to medical care have kept many Americans from seeking treatment after catching COVID-19, which has driven up viral spread and death numbers throughout the pandemic. A nationwide single-payer health insurance system would have reduced the number of deaths caused by the confluence of negative COVID-related factors by about 212,000 in 2020 aloneand saved the U.S. more than $105 billion in medical care costs in the more than two years since the coronavirus first reached the U.S. These figures are especially relevant in Texas, where the rate of uninsured residents is higher than any other state and twice the national uninsured rate, according to 2020 census data released in March. The virus has killed more than 88,000 Texans so far, according to a count by The New York Times. This figure is only about 3,300 less than Californias death total, even though Texas has nearly 10 million fewer residents. In Harris County, the most populous county in Texas, more than 11,000 people have died from COVID-19, far more than in any other county. About one in four Harris County residents is uninsured, according to the latest available census dataabout seven percent higher than the state average and well over two times the national average. Universal healthcare, the Yale study suggests, would have saved thousands of lives in Texas through multiple interventions, including by increasing residents baseline health with higher quality and more frequent checkups and increasing rates of early diagnosis and quarantining. Instead, the authors write that the fragmented and inefficient healthcare system in the United States yielded an unnecessarily high death ratefar higher than those in other comparably wealthy nations with single-payer systems. The study comes as the amount of COVID-19 in Houston wastewater has ballooned in recent weeks. WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 403 PM PDT Wed Jun 22 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Riverside County through 445 PM PDT... At 403 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles northeast of Desert Center, moving north at 10 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Desert Center. This includes the following highways... CA Interstate 10 between mile markers 105 and 110. CA Route 177 between mile markers 1 and 22. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3370 11519 3370 11540 3399 11547 3399 11514 TIME...MOT...LOC 2303Z 178DEG 9KT 3378 11530 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Eastern San Diego County through 445 PM PDT... At 404 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Hwy 74 Between Anza And Palm Desert to near I-8 Between Boulevard And Imperial County Line. Movement was north at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail. unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Borrego Springs, Hwy 78 Between Borrego Springs Rd And Ocotillo Wells, I-8 Between Boulevard And Imperial County Line, Hwy 78 Between S2 And Borrego Springs Rd, Hwy S22 Between Borrego Springs And Imperial County Line, Hwy S2 Vallecito Creek Rd, Ocotillo Wells, Hwy S2 Between Agua Caliente And Canebrake, Fish Creek Wash, Borrego Palm Canyon, Hwy S2 Between Canebrake And Imperial County Line, Hwy S22 Between Ranchita And Borrego Springs, Hwy S2 Between Shelter Valley And Agua Caliente, Canebrake, Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Rec Area, Agua Caliente and Jacumba. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 3263 11618 3266 11622 3272 11621 3271 11623 3329 11646 3334 11643 3334 11648 3342 11649 3343 11628 3335 11621 3332 11615 3337 11615 3340 11620 3342 11617 3342 11621 3343 11620 3342 11609 3262 11611 3261 11620 TIME...MOT...LOC 2304Z 198DEG 16KT 3349 11647 3272 11618 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO SACRAMENTO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Sacramento CA 208 PM PDT Wed Jun 22 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Hot temperatures with highs 100 to 108 in the valley, 95 to 105 in the foothills. * WHERE...Sacramento Valley, Northern San Joaquin Valley, Carquinez Strait and Delta, and adjacent foothills. * WHEN...Until 10 PM PDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. Widespread moderate, locally high, heat risk is expected. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties through 300 PM PDT... At 210 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Cabazon, or 8 miles northwest of Mt San Jacinto State Park, moving north at 25 mph. HAZARD...Winds of 40 to 50 mph and frequent lightning strikes. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Mt San Jacinto State Park, northwestern Desert Hot Springs, Whitewater, Cabazon and Morongo Indian Reservation. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. LAT...LON 3384 11668 3390 11680 3405 11674 3400 11657 TIME...MOT...LOC 2110Z 187DEG 21KT 3394 11672 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Country singer Dallas Smith returned to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thursday night, for a night of high energy entertainment. The Canadian performer had a banner year in 2021 winning the Country Music Awards entertainer of the year, as well as the single of the year. The band is cu Canada sees record-high job vacancies in the first quarter of 2022 High job vacancies coupled with low unemployment make for a tight labour market in Canada. Canada sees record-high job vacancies in the first quarter of 2022 High job vacancies coupled with low unemployment make for a tight labour market in Canada. Canada sees record-high job vacancies in the first quarter of 2022 High job vacancies coupled with low unemployment make for a tight labour market in Canada. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Job vacancies in Canada climbed to 957,500 in the first quarter, the highest quarterly number on record according to Statistics Canada. The number of job vacancies has spiked by more than 72% representing about 401,900 positions compared to the first quarter of 2020. Job vacancies in Q1 2022 surpassed the previous record high numbers recorded in Q4 2021 by nearly 3%, representing 24,900 more vacant positions. The health care and social assistance sector reached another all-time high at 136,800 vacancies. Labour shortages in this sector were high before the pandemic, but COVID-19 pushed up demand even further. Compared with the first quarter of 2020, vacancies rose nearly 91% (65,100 positions) in the first quarter of 2022. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration The construction sector is also seeing record high numbers of vacancies. In Q1, Canadian construction employers were seeking to fill 81,500 vacant positions. Quarter-over-quarter, the construction sector saw an increase of over 7% (5,400 positions) from Q4, 2021. Job vacancies are continuing on an upward trend in the manufacturing and retail trade sectors. Vacancies in manufacturing peaked at 87,400 last quarter, and retail trade employers were seeking 114,600 jobs. There was little change in professional, scientific and technical services. Employers in this sector were looking to fill 68,800 positions, little changed from the record high reached last quarter. Accommodation and food services had about 133,800 vacant positions in Q1. Despite the large number, it had actually decreased about 12% from the previous quarter. On a national level, the unemployment to job vacancy ratio was 1.3 in the first quarter, down from 2.2 in the same quarter of 2020. Before the pandemic. This means the pool of unemployed workers has shrunk as job vacancies continue to grow. The unemployment to job vacancy ratio also varied across Canadian provinces. While there was less than one unemployed person for every job vacancy in Quebec and British Columbia, there were almost four unemployed people for every vacancy in Newfoundland and Labrador. A lower ratio indicates a tighter labour market and possible labour shortages. Canadian employers are facing significant hiring challenges. In the first quarter, there were nearly 34 newly hired employees for every 100 job vacancies. By comparison, in Q1 of last year, there were about 48 new hires for every 100 vacancies, and 82 in the first quarter of 2016 when comparable data first became available. When looking at sectors with high demand, accommodation and food services employers hired about 23 new employees for every 100 vacancies. Health care and social assistance also hired about 23. Professional, scientific and technical services employers hired about 50. According to the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions from January 4 to February 7, recruiting skilled employees was expected to be an obstacle for nearly two-fifths of businesses, and retaining employees was expected to be an obstacle for about 30%. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The digital economy has kicked into gear. As it does so, were witnessing increasing collaboration between education, science, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and industries across all sectors, helping to navigate the transformation journey of organizations of all sizes. Digital talent development has therefore become paramount. Asias Huge Potential Simply put, talent development and innovation in digital infrastructure will further accelerate Asias digital economy. ICT, the cloud, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are essential for any enterprise or organization looking to play a role in the digital economy. Even after the toll of COVID-19, many parts of Asia have shown the world the way toward stabilization, due to a sound digital ecosystem, a long-standing culture of innovation, and a long-term focus on talent development. Huawei aims to ensure that no one is left behind in this digital world. We hope to build an open, shared ICT talent ecosystem that benefits all. It cannot be over-stressed how important it is to invest in digital infrastructure and a talent ecosystem for a global digital revolution. Going Digital with Talent and Technology Over the past two decades of operations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, Huawei has connected over 90 million households and enabled a further 2.2 billion mobile connections. It will continue to use partnerships to build a talent development ecosystem conducive to innovation. Huawei has also been working on a technology innovation and application ecosystem, with the goal of helping the region navigate digital transformation efficiently and effectively. The next decade will see the wide deployment of new ICT, including 5G, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT). As the cornerstone of the intelligent world in 2030, this new ICT combined with digital talent will drive industries to go digital. Since the turn of the millennium, Huawei has invested heavily in developing local digital talent with our Seeds for the Future program, now launched in 15 APAC countries and regions and benefiting more than 5,000 students from over 90 universities. We have trained tens of thousands of engineers and technical experts in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand through our certification programs. Elsewhere, with an eye on sustainable equality, our Digital Training Bus project in Bangladesh has provided digital training for women in remote areas, helping to bridge the digital divide. Within academia, Huawei is already working with top universities and has established more than 259 ICT Academies in the region. Our Singapore Research Center has cooperated with local research institutes on 93 projects, covering technologies related to communications, video, voice, and security. In Sri Lanka, weve partnered with the University of Moratuwa and the National Defense College to build innovation labs that provide the software and hardware required for ICT application and development, encouraging students to innovate in areas such as 5G, AI, the cloud, and other cutting-edge technologies. A Bigger Role to Play Through Forging Larger Partnerships In 2019, we launched our Huawei Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Academy, with the aim of conducting joint operations with local governments, enterprises, universities, carriers, and industry organizations. In addition to cultivating digital talent, the academy promotes innovation within startup communities and among small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs). The program has trained more than 130,000 participants in local communities, covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. Huawei ASEAN Academy is one of our crucial talent development programs, and we expect it to play a bigger role in the future. Innovation and development rely on a talent ecosystem. Huawei is prepared to work with its partners to build a talent development ecosystem conducive to innovation. Over the next five years alone, Huawei will invest US$50 million to develop 500,000 digital talents in the APAC region. Huaweis 20-year legacy in the APAC region has been a journey to discover like-minded friends. The digital world is becoming as essential as running water or electricity. Its imperative that we work together to build an inclusive, innovative, and vibrant ecosystem; attract and cultivate more digital talent; and jointly promote the development and prosperity of the region. To learn more, click here. The pandemic has brought significant challenges to everyday life, also throwing a spotlight on the digital divide and the urgent need for socially balanced services, inclusive education, and industrial development addressed through digital technology infrastructure. The future will be resolutely digital first, with this technology and infrastructure driving economic growth and green development. Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent Asia Pacific (APAC). Digital Infrastructure Is the Main Engine of Future Economic Growth From connectivity to cloud computing, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure is the foundation of the Digital First Economy (DFE). However, its development is uneven around the world. Among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), cloud penetration is less than 20%, Long Term Evolution (LTE) penetration sits around 54%, and fixed broadband penetration is approximately 35%. Such numbers show that millions of people and families still lack digital access. Aside from basic network coverage challenges, the quality of network connections also needs to be improved to ensure that the ICT infrastructure base is robust enough to support a digital-first world. Indeed, strengthening ICT to develop the digital economy is now a commonly held priority for countries in the region. Urgent action is therefore required to prepare for the digital economy. To this end, 170 countries have already laid out detailed national digital strategies to drive economic digital transformation. Some 58 countries have rolled out 5G and fiber dual gigabit networks for frontier technologies. And some industries notably, the transport, finance, and education sectors have expedited digital transformation based on ICT networks and the cloud. Looking forward, the world is evolving toward a data- and intelligence-driven digital society, casting data as the key asset of the age. From 2021 to 2024, data consumption will increase accordingly, from 70 ZB to 150 ZB. Data governance monetization will move from US$2 trillion to US$13 trillion. Energy consumption is also expected to increase by 50% by 2050, with renewable energy and ICT technology helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency, promoting a green and sustainable economy. The Kind of Digital Infrastructure Countries Should Build to Lead the Way If the core theme of the DFE is the use of digital technology and digital infrastructure to drive economic development, what kind of infrastructure should countries build and how can they ensure that they are leading the way? Every country should push forward targeted DFE development policies and planning recommendations, focusing on ICT digital infrastructure to drive national economic competitiveness and GDP growth. To begin with, developing policies and top-level plans for digital transformation have to be priorities. A shift from a reactive response to proactive planning will bring clear benefits, creating new value and improving the competitiveness of enterprises. Organizations need to reprioritize digital investments to increase business resilience and prepare for digital transformation. It has been said that 4G changes life while 5G changes society. But 5G in APAC is still in its infancy. It is clear from the 4G example that, in markets with high spectrum prices, 4G investment and development are relatively slow. But the APAC 4G penetration rate has already exceeded 50%, and 4G prices are reasonable in major APAC countries. As a key technology to improve national digital competitiveness, 5G spectrum prices should therefore be lower than 4G. Chinas model is worth learning from, as the government provides free spectrum to promote the development of the digital industry. This same digital industry continues to contribute tax revenue to the government, achieving a mutually beneficial outcome for the government, operators, and industry. Government industrial policies, such as spectrum prices and tax incentives, therefore have a big role to play in promoting the digital industry. The advice to governments of developing countries has to be: adopt friendly industry, spectrum, and tax policies to encourage long-term investment and innovation in digital infrastructure. Next, new economic horizons are emerging, enabled by ICT investment and ICT talent. This requires countries to accelerate ICT infrastructure capabilities and skilled digital talent, in order to plan and guide technologies such as a national broadband network, the 2GHz spectrum, 5G and the Fifth-Generation Fixed Network (F5G), Fibre To The Room (FTTR), cloud-first, XaaS, and more. Talent is the driving force of digital innovation, but the distribution of talent across APAC is uneven. APAC countries should increase investments in talent planning and actively cooperate with universities. Huawei is contributing to talent development in APAC through its Seeds for the Future program, which provides students with opportunities to access the latest technologies, and the Huawei ASEAN Academy, which already works with governments and enterprises and has trained 88,000 individuals in ICT talents since 2019. Over the next five years, Huawei will cultivate a further 300,000 local ICT talents in APAC, empowering the development of the regions digital economy. Finally, cloud computing needs to be encouraged, while targeting carbon neutrality. New cloud-native business practices should be adopted by building business capabilities on the cloud, then growing on the cloud. In the future, the majority of data will be stored and processed on such a cloud platform, making cloud infrastructure a fundamental core for digital industrial development and a key part of economic resilience. Most developing countries should proactively plan a 30/6X carbon peak and carbon neutrality commitment with National Determined Contributions (NDC) to avoid carbon trading taxes or trade barriers set up by developed countries. When building a cloud data center, use the very latest technologies to boost Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), bringing the figure down to 1.2. Power consumption per bit can be minimized by using bits to manage watts: this is where Huaweis leading ICT infrastructure combines digital and electronic technologies to improve the worlds energy efficiency and enable cloud computing thats genuinely green and sustainable. Huawei is willing to strengthen cooperation in 5G, cloud services, and AI technologies to become a strategic partner of all APAC countries for digital transformation, building leading digital infrastructure in the region and accelerating progress toward the DFE. To learn more, click here. Malaysia entered the digital era in 1996 with the introduction of the Multimedia Super Corridor. Since then, the country has recorded many success stories, attracting both domestic and foreign companies working in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to invest and set up operations across various economic zones. It was also this early initiative that enabled Malaysia to adopt and embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), a key enabler in the transformation and advancement of the manufacturing and services sectors. Huaweis foray into the country began in 2001. Since then, the company has deployed 3G and 4G networks throughout the nation, provided training to develop ICT skills across various industries, and worked closely with various stakeholders to advance Malaysias digital economy. IR 4.0, along with the rapid advancement of disruptive technologies, including 5G, the cloud, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), have already proven their capabilities to transform the worlds economic landscape significantly. With COVID-19 causing major disruptions and challenges, the need for digitalization has been further amplified in order to provide continuity for Malaysias society, businesses, and the government. Calls to bridge the digital divide have also become more urgent, especially to promote remote interactions and business activities, conducted through digital platforms and technologies. Huawei is fully committed to creating value for the communities and markets in which it operates. The company works closely with partners, including private enterprises and government-owned organisations, to foster a positive, lasting impact while turning to innovation and collaboration to address global challenges. The Digital Infrastructure Landscape Malaysias technology landscape has evolved and progressed impressively, to date. Huawei is both pleased and honoured to have had opportunities to work with some of the leading telecommunications companies in Malaysia over the past two decades, particularly on connectivity-driven initiatives in recent years. As the main technology provider in the Malaysian telecommunications market in the 4G era, Huawei has long introduced industry leading technologies to Malaysian operators to support them in building the best experience networks for end users. In order to explore 5G technology in Malaysia, Huawei has cooperated with communications service provider Maxis to set up a 5G TechCity project. Under this project, Maxis and Huawei have jointly developed several 5G use cases for Malaysian enterprises and also researched the use of 5G technology, such as Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), in the 4G network. In other initiatives, Huawei has provided relevant Smart City use cases as reference, such as Sunway City Kuala Lumpur (SCKL), for example. It also helped the Sarawak state government adopt intelligent solutions, nurture and boost its ICT talent, and drive various initiatives to promote economic growth in the state, all through digital transformation. Plus, Huawei worked together with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to provide a better airport experience for customers and passengers. In summary, the company has played a key role, replicating and transferring skills and knowledge drawn from global examples and successful experiences, all to benefit local industries. Since 2019, Huawei has cooperated with telecommunications operators, exploring new opportunities for 5G technology and business. We installed the first batch of 5G sites at Langkawi and set up a 5G showcase to introduce the most advantageous 5G use cases to Malaysia. Huawei also worked together with Maxis on the 5G Smart Airport at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). In addition, the company supported Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom) as it built a 5G smart campus with the Sunway Group. And we continue to help Malaysian operators explore new use cases. Recently, the first Smart City Operating System (OS) in Malaysia was launched and will be developed in Kuching under the Kuching Smart City Masterplan (KSCMP), launched by Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg. The Kuching Smart City ecosystem will help optimize the use of resources and foster collaboration, leading to sustainable, accelerated growth for the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC). The launch saw the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Huawei Malaysia with SMA, Sains, SDEC, and Centexs, with the aim of helping the state government adopt intelligent solutions as well as nurture and boost local ICT talents. Huawei Malaysia also had the honor of having its newly refurbished and upgraded Huawei Customer Solution Innovation Center (CSIC) launched by Malaysias Prime Minister, Dato Sri Ismail Sabri Bin Yaakob, in November as part of the celebrations to commemorate the companys 20th anniversary in the country. In December 2021, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, launched the 5G Cyber Security Test Lab or My5G at CyberSecurity Malaysia. The Ministers speech was read out by the Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek. My5G is a joint-collaboration between Huawei, Celcom, and CyberSecurity Malaysia and is the first-of-its-kind in Southeast Asia. My5G also aims to obtain accreditation from the Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) and will become a specialist security evaluation and test laboratory for the 5G ecosystem. Huawei will fully support CyberSecurity Malaysia, helping establish My5Gas as a regional cyber security test center. Cloud Computing: TM ONE Alpha Edge Starting in 2020, Huawei has partnered with Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) to build the only Malaysian-owned End-to-End Cloud and AI Infrastructure, which addresses data sovereignty and which will help in efforts to position Malaysia as the ASEAN Digital Hub. By tapping into Huaweis Cloud technology, which provides a powerful computing platform and an easy-to-use development environment, TM ONE Alpha Edges cloud services will enable customers to also enjoy the power of a reliable, secure, agile, and future-ready Cloud and AI platform as well as services to accelerate their digital transformation journeys. There is tremendous potential for the growth of Cloud services in Malaysia, which has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the whole world moving to digital during lockdowns, businesses have had to learn fast that they need access to flexible and scalable IT infrastructure to weather through the pandemic. Spark Programme The Huawei Spark programme was first launched in 2020 as a hybrid accelerator programme for deep tech startups with a presence in Asia Pacific. The programme aims to drive output in areas such as e-commerce, Fintech, healthcare, manufacturing, and Smart Cities. The programme is targeted at firms that use Machine Learning & Analytics, IoT, Edge Computing, and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, leveraging Huaweis leadership in technology and innovation. Recognising its benefits, Spark was introduced for the first time here in Malaysia in 2020, and was rolled out in collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), TusStar (Malaysia) as incubator partner and powered by TM ONE the enterprise and public sector business solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) through its Alpha Edge Cloud platform. Huaweis Spark programme is powering local companies with financial, go-to-market, mentoring, and networking support as well as marketing exposure to deliver and compete on the global stage. After the successful run of the first Huawei Spark in Malaysia, the second segment of the competition was launched in December last year. Helping SMEs As an industry leader, Huawei Malaysia believes that it is our responsibility to leverage our expertise and knowledge to help enterprises, especially SMEs, transform digitally in order to grow and succeed. Our mission is not only to serve our customers, but we also aim to help the countries we operate in to advance digitally across every sector, industry and layer of society. Among the companys various notable efforts is its joint venture with SME Corp Malaysia, aimed at driving digitalisation among SMEs by leveraging Huaweis tech expertise. This is done via the provision of a matching grant as well as Huaweis digital solutions for SMEs, and to also encourage SMEs to create their own innovative products using Huawei Cloud. Another success story is the collaboration between Huawei and the SME Association of Malaysia to launch an eServices Hub to help other SMEs in Malaysia go digital and build a healthy SME-sell-SME ecosystem. To achieve this, Huawei Malaysia is collaborating with tech SMEs to jointly develop solutions and provide a digital marketplace for tech SMEs to cater to local SMEs for the creation of business and job opportunities. Investing in Digital Talent Development In Malaysia, Huawei has partnered with Malaysias Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) since 2014, running the Seeds for the Future programme. This has helped more than 116 students from various universities across the country level up their digital skills. In 2021, Huawei Malaysia, through the Huawei ASEAN Academy, joined hands with the SME Association of Malaysia (SME Malaysia) and the National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) to train and future-proof over 10,000 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as well as the wider technology community, over a period of just one year. The training programme provided guidance on industry trends and raised ICT awareness, nurturing talents with technical training and certification. It also helped SMEs and the technology community to upskill. This was accomplished by the end of 2021. In addition, Huawei teamed up with the Asia-Europe Institute (AEI) of Universiti Malaya (UM) in April 2021, to drive the country towards an advanced digital economy by 2030. The collaboration aims to foster closer cooperation between industry and academia. In conjunction with this collaboration, the first jointly hosted Digital Economy Summit is scheduled to be held in the near future, with universities, think tanks, and industry associations converging to share knowledge and exchange ideas. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world, and Huawei has not forgotten the important role women play. Huawei Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Women Leadership Foundation (WLF) to work together in developing a leadership programme for female leaders in the country. A Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership in Technology Boot Camp will also be held soon in Sarawak. Huawei Malaysia: A Permanent Feature in Malaysia For any foreign company in Malaysia, having a foothold in the country for 20 years is an achievement in itself. Huawei Malaysia sees itself as a permanent resident in this country and not just a visitor. As such, we are determined to contribute further towards the development of the country for many years to come. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary in the country, Huawei Malaysia is proud to look back at its two-decade-long journey in Malaysia, becoming one of the nations top technology partners in recent years. Huawei pledges its commitment to continue driving change among Malaysians, one initiative at a time. From helping to bring loved ones together, bridging geographical divides, to empowering businesses to thrive by adopting digital solutions, Huawei is honoured and proud to have supported Malaysias digital growth over the past 20 years, touching countless lives along the way. To learn more, click here. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated the adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Singapore, but that has left vulnerable groups even further behind in the digital era. Huawei firmly believes that technological advancement should benefit everyone, regardless of race, gender, or economic status. No One Should Be Left Behind in Todays Digital World Over the past 20 years, Huawei has worked closely with local telecom operators to help Singapore build world-class network infrastructure. As new technologies mature, cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities will gradually be integrated into this infrastructure. Will individuals and businesses be able to keep up with the changes? How can we enable more Singaporeans to learn and deepen their digital skills? How do we help local businesses successfully digitally transform? And how can corporations play a part in helping Singapore to build a more resilient digital ecosystem? These are the questions that we at Huawei ask ourselves every day. Accelerating Digital Transformation When it comes to digital transformation, Huawei is committed to be the best possible partner for local businesses, including small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) as well as startups. Besides providing integrated ICT solutions and services to our customers, we also offer stable, reliable, secure, and sustainable cloud services to help local businesses go digital and go global. On the national level, Huawei has been working closely with the government to support the countrys Smart Nation Singapore goals, including the provision of high-quality and efficient public services to benefit all Singaporeans. In todays digital age, security and trust are both imperative. Huawei has always been committed to building secure and trusted digital products and services. It has joined the Cyber Security Agency of Singapores (CSA) SG Cyber Safe Partnership Programme, to act as an advocate to help businesses, organizations, and enterprises in Singapore strengthen their cybersecurity posture. Building a Mutually Beneficial Digital Ecosystem Success does not happen overnight. The health of a nations digital economy depends on ever stronger public-private collaboration, where industry players form and contribute to a robust and vibrant digital ecosystem. Huawei is already working with more than 200 local suppliers, helping to build up their digital capabilities. In addition, Huawei has invested tens of millions of dollars to develop innovation labs in Singapore including OpenLab, AI Lab, and DigiX Lab in order to provide open development and testing platforms for industry partners, as well as jointly explore new industry innovations and applications to pave the way for the development of new ICT. To have a sustainable digital economy, Singapore has been playing a proactive role in helping startups. Huawei launched its Huawei Spark accelerator programme to provide technical support and industry resources and capabilities to startups. It has attracted thousands of them from more than 90 countries and also partnered with more than 30 venture capitalists. We are happy to lend support to local startups with exciting potential such as Scantist, UCARS, and AiDA Technologies and will continue to help them explore opportunities to enter the Chinese market, the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, and the rest of the world. Cultivating Local Talent In any organization, talent is an important pillar of success and Huawei recognizes the importance of talent development. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of digital talent through various programmes, such as Seeds for the Future and the Huawei ICT Academy. We also provide on-the-job training, industry work attachments, and specialized courses for fresh graduates, as well as mid-career talent. We are committed to cultivating Singapores next cohort of trailblazers who are able to seize exciting opportunities regionally and globally. At Huawei, we believe women are more than capable of driving technological innovation. We value and celebrate our female employees, who are already playing a unique role and making important contributions to the company. Indeed, many have distinguished themselves and become notable leaders, such as our Chief Security Researcher, Ms. Liu Fei, who was included in this years Singapore 100 Women in Tech (SG 100 WIT) list. Working Together for a Sustainable Future The pandemic has changed the ways we live and work. With the demand for ICT increasing rapidly, digitalization is destined to become an increasingly urgent issue. In this environment, Huawei will open more pathways for digital transformation, promote local innovation, and help Singapore to stay at the forefront of the digital world. When it comes to tackling the global challenge of climate change, Huawei is already taking strong action, doing our part to build a sustainable future. By using digital and power electronics technologies, Huawei is committed to helping people and industries in Singapore benefit from clean solar energy, accelerating the transition to renewable energy. We look forward to working closely with more local partners and contributing to the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Huawei Singapores success can, in large part, be credited to Singapores relentless pursuit of world-class excellence. We have always believed that working with the industry and local ecosystem is the best way to achieve our shared objectives. And while we continue to encounter fresh challenges posed by COVID-19, we look ahead with hope and confidence, eager to push the boundaries of innovation and make Singapore a hub of endless digital opportunities, with lasting sustainability and purposeful, real-world impact. To learn more, click here. At the Asia-Pacific Innovation Day Digital Talent Summit, Professor Dr. Sirirurg Songsivilai delivered a keynote speech to address the cultivation of digital talent and advancing ongoing collaborations in the region. This is an edited version of his speech. Even though we find ourselves still in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is light at the end of the tunnel. So we have to chart a path for ourselves for the next phase of recovery, as well as build resilience for future pandemics, which will unfortunately inevitably happen. COVID-19 has undoubtedly been a major threat, but it has also provided major opportunities to learn and do things differently. For example, COVID-19 has given us full online education. It has also given us rapid expansion of e-commerce and virtual meetings, among many others. All of these were things that we could not have imagined before the pandemic hit. In the post-COVID world, Thailand is preparing for full recovery and resilience, which will hopefully be even better than pre-COVID plans. First, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation is encouraging the development of a specialized, high-performance workforce that meets the needs of Thailands target industries, in accordance with the governments policy framework and future development. We are cooperating with industries and national and international businesses through the co-utilization of researchers in important fields to provide a desirable quality and quantity of this workforce. Second, we are also supporting more scholarships in higher education for students who have talent in science and technology through the Science Classroom in the University-Affiliated School Program initiative. Students in this program will practice their digital skills through university study in computer science courses. The ministry also offers government scholarships to students pursuing a degree in electronics and computer technology, both domestically and internationally. Third, were expanding the Thailand Massive Open Online Course (Thai MOOC) platform, which enables everyone to have access to knowledge, promoting lifelong learning to all citizens. Fourth, the Reinventing University policy is the key to reform the university system, support the effort to provide education and research, and produce graduates according to the strength and focus of each individual university. There is an increasing focus on reskilling and upskilling, either with degree or non-degree programs. In this respect, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is both the tool and the target for workforce development, without necessarily having to go through the whole process of getting a degree. Fifth is a program called Cooperative and Work Integrated Education (CWIE). This involves cooperation between higher education institutes and enterprises with the aim of producing graduates with competencies that match the precise needs of the market, allowing individuals to develop relevant skills and better prepare for their future. The curriculums focus is on the development of students through learning while engaging in practical work in private enterprises themselves meaning that students are ready to work immediately after graduating. Sixth, the ministry also supports the mobilization of personnel in higher education institutes or government agencies to work in the manufacturing and service sectors through the so-called Talent Mobility Program. This program supports the sharing of personnel between the two segments to solve problems and develop competitiveness. It also encourages the industrial sector to invest more in Research and Development (R&D). This supports cooperation between the different sectors in R&D as well as curriculum development and management mechanisms, with the aim of producing a better-skilled workforce by encouraging students to learn from actual practice. Lastly, I would like to mention that Thailand also has an eye on certain fields of rapid growth, and future direction including Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and other fields. Recently, the ministry entered into an agreement with Huawei to build up knowledge of digital technologies through the establishment of the Huawei Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Academy. This will help unleash the potential of Thailands digital workforce to build an innovation-led society developing an innovation ecosystem and digital technologies that create a platform for collaboration between government agencies, universities, research institutes, and the private sector. Together, these organizations will jointly develop much needed talents and enhance capabilities, digital skills, and innovation, while building technological knowledge through world-class experts and scientists. But these endeavors cannot be successful without strong cooperation and strong commitment from all sectors. As digital becomes a part of all our lives, the ministry is both prepared and willing to play an important role in cultivating digital talents. We will expand human resource development cooperation to the whole Asia Pacific (APAC) region, to jointly enhance capabilities of the digital workforce and create the technological knowledge necessary to achieve a leap forward. This will be an important mechanism for the economic and social development of the region, looking ahead. To learn more, click here. Interview: BRICS is certainly part of the solution to international problems -- Brazilian expert 11:14, June 22, 2022 By Zhong Wenxing ( People's Daily Online [Photo/CHINA DAILY] The BRICS cooperation mechanism has made immense contributions to the development of the world, a Brazilian economist has said. Looking at BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as a whole and their fields of collaboration with each other and with other parts of the world, there are many novelties, such as the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), as well as other great examples like the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eurasian Union and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Elias Jabbour, a Brazilian economist and professor at the School of Economics, State University of Rio de Janeiro, prior to the 14th BRICS Summit. The world today is facing great challenges on the path to recovering international political and economic stability and these disturbances will not end anytime soon, the scholar said. The BRICS is certainly part of the solution to international problems. Maintaining the economic growth of its member countries is a big step towards tackling international problems, Jabbour told Peoples Daily Online. For the forthcoming BRICS summit, the scholar expected BRICS to seek the consolidation of a consensus on multipolarity and to oppose the use of U.S. economic coercion against any countries that do not agree with the current status quo. Jabbour noted that BRICS countries should enhance mutual investment mechanisms to consolidate a BRICS market. He also made positive comments on the joint statement released after the conclusion of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting held in May 2022, when the ministers called for the implementation of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. I believe that in all areas a great engagement of the BRICS members is possible, Jabbour said. China is at the forefront in the production of technologies aimed at green industrialization. Brazil has clean energy as its largest source of energy supply and Russia is a major producer of natural gas, he explained. Thus, he concluded that the combination of all these attributes and a strategic political articulation will place the BRICS at the forefront of ongoing discussions on the UNs sustainable development goals taken at the international level. Speaking of China-Latin America ties, Jabbour believed that cooperation has been fundamental not only for regional development but also for opening up new possibilities for markets and partnerships beyond the U.S. and Europe. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele The chief executive of the Charity Commission has warned that the sector will face a test of leadership and resolve as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at Wales Council for Voluntary Actions online gofod3 event yesterday, Helen Stephenson said charities currently operate in one of the toughest economic climates in a generation and may face significant financial pressures in the coming months. She said: The cost-of-living crisis may have a significant impact on charities across Wales and England. It is to charities that many families will turn for help when they find it difficult to pay the bills. At the same time, many of those who previously donated regularly and generously to charity will feel the pinch in the months ahead, and some may curtail their charitable giving. For some charities, this may mean facing a double squeeze of increased demand and reduced income. However, she pointed out that times of crisis, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, often show charities at their best and the public at their most generous. But when people feel the pinch, when budgets are squeezed, they also crave evidence that charities are what they say they are, and that peoples hard-earned money is being put to good use, she said. So it's important that the public knows theres a regulator who is unafraid to step in when needed, willing to hold trustees and charities to account. Difficult months ahead Stephenson said the challenges facing the sector are not just about making ends meet and securing donations and funding they need to continue to operate. The months ahead may present a wider test of leadership and resolve, she said. Scrutiny of charities and their management especially their financial management may well intensify, and if that happens, leaders will need to explain their decisions openly and with integrity. She went on saying that the Commission cannot shield charities from media scrutiny and criticism from high-profile individuals, urging trustees to ensure every penny you spend, and every decision you take, serves your purpose and the people you exist to help. She advised charities to ensure your accounts and public communications paints a clear and vivid picture of how you translate the money and resources you hold into lives improved, and communities strengthened. Building a trusted relationship with trustees is key Stephenson reiterated the Commissions commitment to better engage with trustees , as outlined in its business plan for 2022-23. According to her, trustees are more likely go to their peers when seeking information than to the Commission. The Commission is doing work to change this, notably through tools such as the upcoming charity portal and five-minute guides. Stephenson said: Reaching out and being able to have a relationship with those trustees for me is really key, because relationship builds trust. And all of that work is about building the muscle of the Commission that is there to be supportive to stop things going wrong. We have to do both of those things robustly. Touching on equality, diversity and inclusion within the sector, Stephenson recognised that charities that have a diverse group of trustees with different perspectives are more attuned to issues around these topics. She said: Our desire in the Commission is to make sure that trustees make good decisions. My perspective on this is that if you have a more diverse and inclusive trustee base, then that will help trustees make better decisions that reflect the communities they serve. sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, On Monday of last week, I wrote in this newsletter about a lengthy interviewconducted by reporters at the Texas Tribune and republished on the front pages of major papers statewidewith Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for the school district in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed nineteen children and two teachers nearly a month ago. In the interview, Arredondo, who had remained tight-lipped to that point, responded to spiraling public criticism of his slow response to the shooter entering the school, insisting that he wasnt in charge at the scene but had nonetheless done everything he could do as quickly as he could do it. In particular, Arredondo said that he and a colleague had found that the doors to adjoining classrooms that the shooter entered were locked and impossible to kick in, then described an agonizing wait for rings of keys that he tested, in vain, on an adjacent door before a working key was located. On Monday of this week, the Tribune published another lengthy storywritten by Terri Langford and based on law enforcement transcripts, surveillance footage, and reports in other outlets, from the New York Times to Austins American-Statesman and KVUE-TVpiecing together what happened inside the school and casting sharp doubts on many of Arredondos most important claims. At least some officers at the scene believed that Arredondo was in charge there. One officer claimed that a tool that might have forced open the classroom doors was available from the first minutes of the law enforcement response, but went unused during the wait for a key. And Langford reported, building on an earlier, anonymously sourced story in the San Antonio Express-News, that no surveillance footage of the incident shows Arredondo or any other officer trying to open the classrooms the gunman had entered. Some law enforcement officials, Langford wrote, are skeptical that the doors were ever locked. ICYMI: A tale of two amendments in Uvalde When I wrote about the Arredondo interview last Monday, I did so as part of a broader article exploring the difficulties reporters have faced in establishing the facts of the shooting and covering its aftermath, with key officials supplying contradictory information then largely staying silent, Uvalde City Hall refusing to fulfill records requests, and police officers threatening to arrest some reporters for trespassing at the local school district and impeding others as they tried to cover funerals and memorial eventsapparently, at one point, with the assistance of dozens of bikers. Since then, considerable obstacles to journalism in Uvalde have persisted. Also last Monday, Motherboard reported that the Texas Department of Public Safety had asked the states attorney general to block a public-records request for police body camera footage and other evidence from the scene, citing the ongoing investigation into the incident and arguing, in part, that disclosure might help a hypothetical future gunman to anticipate weaknesses on the part of law enforcement. In the days that followed, Motherboard and other outlets reported that officials in Uvalde had themselves asked the state attorney general to suppress swaths of records related to the shooting, citing a litany of grounds for noncompliance, from confidentiality to risks of emotional or physical harm and the embarrassment of individuals with criminal backgrounds. Officials have also exploited a loophole in Texas records laws that bars disclosures related to crimes where no one has been convictedeven if, as in the case of the Uvalde shooter, the perpetrator is now dead and thus cannot stand trial. When news stories about the shooting have cited official records, it hasnt always been explicit where they got them, but they often seem to have been leaked. The office of Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, has also gone to the attorney general to fight records requests, though it did promptly release Abbotts handwritten notes from an early press conference at which he praised the law enforcement response to the shooting. The notes appeared to corroborate Abbotts claim, at a subsequent presser, that hed been misled, though by whom, exactly, remained unclear. On the same day as that second presser, Steve McCraw, the director of the Department of Public Safety, also gave a press conference at which he slammed the law enforcement response and pointed blame at Arredondo. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The stream of pressers quickly dried up, alongside other forms of official communication. A state house committee probe of the shooting got underway behind closed doors; on Monday, when members traveled to Uvalde to interview officers, reportersand, apparently, victims relativeswere ejected from city hall by a fire marshal, on the grounds that someone is intimidated. Yesterday, finally, a state senate committee held a hearing in public, allowing the press to hear once again from McCraw, who was called to testify and did so at length. Once again, he excoriated Arredondo, accusing him of placing the lives of officers before the lives of children and claiming that local police could have stopped the shooter as soon as three minutes after they arrived at the school. McCraw also pledged to publish surveillance and body camera footage of the incidentjust as soon as Uvaldes district attorney gives him permission to do so. Also yesterday, Don McLaughlin, the mayor of Uvalde, put out a statement defending the citys decision not to share records about the ongoing investigation into the shooting or comment on anonymously sourced news stories about it, also citing a request from the district attorney. There is no coverup, McLaughlin said. Anyone who suggests the City of Uvalde is withholding information without legitimate and legal reasons is wrong and is spreading misinformation. Then, last night, McLaughlin appeared at a city council meeting and struck a radically different tone. Im gonna be throwing people under the bus tonight in a speech because for too long, weve been told we cant talk, we cant answer, and we cant say anything, he said. Today, thats over with. McLaughlin went on to lambast McCraw, accusing him of a tendency to lie, leak, mislead, or misstate information in pursuit of an agenda, and suggesting that he has sown a partial narrative about the shooting that damns officers in Uvalde without mentioning his own department and other agencies present on the scene. McLaughlin also promised that the City of Uvalde would be more transparent going forward. The gloves are off, he said. If we know it, we will share it. We will see. Whatever information is revealed next, and by whom, it seems certain that the mudslinging between various authorities implicated in the disastrous response to the shooting will continue, and will continue to play out in the press. As it does so, its worth reflecting, at what feels like a possible inflection point in the blame game, on why it matters, beyond the brash characters and interpersonal drama. Earlier this month, NPRs Sacha Pfeiffer spoke with Dannagal Young, a communications professor at the University of Delaware who warned that overly episodic coverage of shootings, focused principally on individuals and their actions around a given event (in this case the police response in Uvalde), can obscure thematic coverage that puts the whole thing in a wider context (in this case the epidemic of gun violence in America). Even if the police had responded the way that they were supposed to respond, Young said of Uvalde, it is likely that many of the children who died that day would have died that day. Young stressed, in the same interview, that its possible for news organizations to balance both types of coverage, and we should keep that in mind as the Uvalde story advances from here. Clearly, its urgent that the individuals who botched the response to the shooting be held accountable, and the sharp stories that weve already seen to this end, a great many of them at the local level, should continue. At the same time, we collectively have numerous opportunities to broaden the lens here. At the state level, this is a story about law enforcement systems in Texas, and, from a media point of view, the ways they try to withhold evidence of malfeasance. It also ties into the much bigger story of law enforcement systems and the narratives they spin nationwide. As we learn more details about more ways police misled the public about Uvalde, the journalist Wesley Lowery wrote yesterday, we should all remember that the vast majority of claims about individual crimes/police interactions that appear in media are based completely on the unconfirmed and uninterrogated word of unnamed police spokespeople. Uvalde is an opportunity to stress the universal value of interrogation. The story of the police response is also intimately connected to the broader debate around Americas gun lawsnot least because it has been catastrophic for the common right-wing narrative that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. No little coverage has made this point in recent weeks; it has often taken the form of commentary, but this morning, for example, the Times published a rigorous, data-driven visual explainerunder the headline Who Stops a Bad Guy With a Gun?showing that shooters end attacks themselves far more commonly than the police or bystanders stop them. Such stories show that news outlets can not only balance episodic and thematic stories, but can wind the two strands together in the same stories. Both can be valid approaches. This morning, several front pages in Texas juxtaposed the story of McCraws scathing remarks about Arredondo with a story about a bipartisan coalition of US senators finally releasing the text of a gun reform package then voting to advance it. The front pages of the Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle ran the McCraw story with more prominence, splashing photos and the words abject failure in big bold text. Online, as of the early hours of this morning, the homepage of the Tribune was giving slightly more prominence to the gun reform story. The Senate vote capped a momentous day, it read. Then it mentioned McCraw and McLaughlin. Below, more on Uvalde and shootings: Other notable stories: ICYMI: The complicated conversation about the impact of the January 6 hearings Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. A forest fire burning in southern New Jersey was 85% contained as of midday Tuesday, and firefighters were confident it would not spread beyond perimeter lines they had created. The fire in Wharton State Forest is believed to have been caused by an illegal, unattended campfire in the woods, said Greg McLaughlin, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. He said the fire had burned 13,500 of the 15,175-acre containment area that was set up around it. No one was injured and none of the 18 structures threatened was actually damaged. The blaze broke out at 10 a.m. Sunday and quickly spread to areas in Washington Township in Burlington County and Mullica Township in Atlantic County. It was essentially a makeshift (camp) fire, McLaughlin said. We suspect that people were passing through, whether on the river or hiking. But we have ruled out natural causes. At least 50 people had to be evacuated from remote camp sites within the forest that were only accessible by river or through hiking. The fire was burning in a remote area of the forest where access is difficult because of the configuration of roads through the park, and the fact that many of them are pitted with holes that fill with water, slowing the progress of arriving firefighting vehicles. Firefighters used 22 engines, a helicopter with a 325-gallon bucket, and other equipment to battle the fire, which was expected to continue to spew smoke for several more days. Local roads near the fire were opened Tuesday morning. The blaze threatened nearly half the 40 historic structures in Batsto Village, a tourist attraction popular with hikers and canoers. Fire trucks were stationed near these buildings as well as some private structures that were in the path of the fire to protect them. Hiking trails in Wharton State Forest will continue to be off-limits for several days until they can be inspected for any safety hazards. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) Villagers in northeastern Bangladesh crowded makeshift refugee centers and scrambled to meet boats arriving with food and fresh water as massive floods, which have killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of thousands there and in neighboring India, continued to wreak havoc Tuesday. In Sylhet, one of the worst-hit areas in the extreme northeast of the country near the border with India, villagers waded, swam and paddled makeshift rafts or small skiffs to a boat delivering aid that had moored to one shelter, its ground floor covered half way to the ceiling with water. The low-lying village along the Surma River is prone to flooding, but with the extreme rainfall at the start of this years monsoon season, villager Mehedi Hasan Parvez said hes never seen anything this bad. In some cases even the second story of buildings has been inundated, the local businessman said, sitting in a small boat as he waited his turn to receive a package of rice, canned goods and other staples. Some people have been without water at home for three days, he said. They have no food at home and cant get to the market to buy supplies. Monsoon rains in South Asia typically begin in June. But this year heavy downpours lashed northeastern India and Bangladesh as early as March, triggering floods as early as April in Bangladesh. With rising global temperatures due to climate change, experts say the monsoon is becoming more variable, meaning that much of the rain that would typically fall in a season is arriving in a shorter period. Meghalaya, the mountainous region of India to the north of Sylhet, and neighboring Assam state, renowned for its tea plantations, have seen far more rain in June than usual. In the settlements of Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, some of the worlds wettest areas on the southern fringes of Meghalaya state that overlook Bangladeshs plains, more than 970 millimeters (38 inches) of rain was recorded on Sunday alone, according to Indias Meteorological Department. Meghalaya has already received 174% of its total average June rainfall over the first three weeks of the month. Assam is at 97% of its average for the month over the same period. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina surveyed many of the flooded areas by helicopter on Tuesday and urged regional leaders to speed up relief efforts at a meeting with them. So far, reports of fatalities in Bangladesh range between 12 and 32, but the U.N. childrens agency said about 4 million people have been cut off by the floods in the countrys northeast and are in urgent need of help. UNICEF said in a report Monday that they include 1.6 million children and that without fresh drinking water, they could be in serious danger of waterborne diseases. In the Sylhet region, 90% of health facilities have been flooded and thousands of people have taken refuge in overcrowded shelters, the agency said. At one makeshift shelter, a village woman shared a small room with more than a half dozen others and two of her familys cattle, saying she had been left with little choice. My house has been destroyed by the floodwaters, said the woman, who identified herself only as Jainabunnesa. On the other side of the mountain range to the north of Sylhet in Indias Assam state, the torrential rains sent the Brahmaputra River spilling over its banks in many areas, causing destruction and triggering massive landslides. Assam authorities reported 10 more flood deaths on Tuesday, bringing its total to 64, with 17 others killed in landslides. The National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Army have evacuated thousands of people in the last week from the roofs of their houses with inflatable boats. They fear some people are still missing. Nearly a quarter-million people are now living in emergency relief camps. The Brahmaputra River flows from India into northern Bangladesh on its way to the Bay of Bengal, and Bangladeshs Flood Forecast and Warning Center warned Tuesday of dangerously high waters for the next five days. Ghosal reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers David Rising in Bangkok, Julhas Alam in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report. About the photo: A woman hangs clothes to dry outside her flooded house after continuous rainfall in Gauhati, India, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (With rising global temperatures due to climate change, experts say the monsoon is becoming more variable, meaning that much of the rain that would typically fall in a season is arriving in a shorter period of time. AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review a pair of decisions by the Minnesota Supreme Court that held employers cannot be required to reimburse workers for marijuana used to treat on-the-job injuries because the substance is illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. An insurer that otherwise would have been required to pay for an injured workers marijuana had urged the court to let the Minnesota decisions stand. The US Solicitor Generals Office also argued that federal law preempts any state regulation requiring reimbursement for an illegal drug. Respondents agree that [t]he judgments below are correct for the straightforward reason that when a federal law such as the CSA prohibits possession of a particular item, it preempts a state law requiring a private party to subsidize the purchase of that item,' attorney Susan K.H. Conley, representing State Auto/ United Fire & Casualty Group, said in a June 2 brief to the court. Conley declined to comment on the decision after being contacted by the Claims Journal. Injured workers are increasingly turning to marijuana to treat pain as insurers and regulators cracked down on the overuse of prescription opioids which led to an epidemic of abuse. And states that have steadily moved to legalize use of the substances even for recreational purposes are becoming more tolerant. New Mexico was the first of five states where courts ordered workers compensation insurers to reimburse injured workers for marijuana. The Connecticut Workers Compensation Review Board, an appellate court in New York and the supreme courts in New Hampshire and New Jersey followed. In two separate cases heard last year, the Minnesota Workers Compensation Court of Appeals ordered employers to reimburse injured workers Daniel Bierbach and Susan K. Musta for marijuana used to treat their at-work injuries, citing state workers compensation statute that requires employers to provide necessary medical treatment. But the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in October that federal law preempts any state statute that requires employers to pay for an illegal drug. In February, the Supreme Court asked the Solicitor Generals Office to state its position on the question of preemption. In a brief filed on May 16, the office urged the court to let the Minnesota decisions stand without review. The office acknowledged that Congress since 2014 has passed successive appropriations bills that prohibit the US Justice Department from enforcing the federal law that bars possession of marijuana in states that have legalized it, but marijuana has not been removed from the controlled substance list and remains illegal. The office told the high court theres no reason to hear the Minnesota decisions. If states could enforce laws compelling third parties to subsidize federal crimes, they could directly undermine congressional determinations, the brief says. For example, no legal principle would preclude a state from requiring private employers to reimburse the use of other federally prohibited products or substances, such as LSD and other psychedelic drugs, based on perceived benefits. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form ARVADA, CO - OCTOBER 26: Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court addresses an auditorium full of students at Pomona High School before he and the other six members of the court hear two cases at the high school on October 26, 2021 in Arvada, Colorado. The visit is part of the Colorado judicial branchs Courts in the Community outreach program. (Photo By Kathryn Scott) Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form By Katelyn Sattler Staff Writer Sergeant Fred Brophy of the Columbus Division of Police gave a safety update to the Greater Hilltop Area Commission at its June meeting. He reminded everyone that the new concealed carry law went into effect on June 13, so a permit is not needed to carry a concealed firearm in the state of Ohio. You will no longer need to have a permit to carry a concealed firearm in the state of Ohio, said Brophy. That is going to dramatically change a lot of things when it comes to the number of firearms that are going to be out in our community. We need to make sure that those people who do possess firearms, if theyre doing it legally, are alwayskeeping it secured and locked up and not being able to be accessed by persons who should not have them, or be able to be easily stolen. Brophy said that a recent homicide on the westside was committed by a person who had just stolen an unsecured firearm from a motor vehicle. Its an ongoing investigation, so I cant really say too much more than that. We need to be good, studious owners of those types of things, if thats where were going to go. Brophy also spoke about one of the initiatives for All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) enforcement that CPD is performing in conjunction with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office and local townships. On Sullivant Avenue, 14 vehicles were impounded out of one enforcement crack down, four people were arrested, two stolen dirt bikes were recovered, one person was charged with OVI, and one person was in possession of narcotics. This is a project thats going to continue throughout the rest of the summer at different points in time. Were not necessarily announcing too much more ahead of time when theyre happening, but I will give updates as they come, said Brophy. We do know that the ATVs and the reckless operation of dirt bikes on the streets is a significant concern to our citizens, so we want to try to address that as best as we can. Talking about summer initiatives, Brophy announced that the West Side Safe Streets program is up and running again. Safe Streets officers can be reached at WestSideSafeStreets@columbuspolice.org. In other news, commissioner Aden Mohammed stepped down from his appointment to the commission, leaving his seat empty. Chairman Dan Fagan asked for nominations for the vacant appointed seat for the term that expires in December of 2023. Commissioner Leah Brudno nominated Kayla Davis to the seat. Brudno introduced Davis as the founder and executive director of a Step in the Right Direction, and also an employee of Huckleberry House. She is a Hilltop native. Commissioner Malik Moore nominated Chelsea Golterman. Moore introduced Golterman as a qualified candidate who has a whole litany of experience and work in public service. She is currently a senior legislative aide to Senator Teresa Fedor. Commissioner Jennie Keplar nominated Joe Argiro. Keplar said many know him as past president of the Highland West Civic Association, a lifelong western Columbus resident who works as an education researcher for Central Ohio Technical College. Each candidate was able to speak about their other qualifications and why they were interested in the position. After two rounds of voting, Kayla Davis was elected to the vacant appointed seat. Since it takes 30 days to process the election, Davis wont take her seat until after the July meeting. Fagan encouraged the candidates who did not get the seat to run for election at the end of the year, when four members will be elected. Psst: Come close. Your Android phone has a little-known superpower a futuristic system for bridging the physical world around you and the digital universe on your device. It's one of Google's best-kept secrets. And it can save you tons of time and effort. It's a little somethin' called Google Lens, and it's been lurking around on Android and quietly getting more and more capable for years. Google doesn't make a big deal about it, weirdly enough, and you really have to go out of your way to even realize it exists. But once you uncover it, well, you'll feel like you have a magic wand in your pocket. At its core, Google Lens is best described as a search engine for the real world. It uses artificial intelligence to identify text and objects both within images and in a live view from your phone's camera, and it then lets you learn about and interact with those elements in all sorts of interesting ways. But while Lens's ability to, say, identify a flower, look up a book, or give you info about a landmark is certainly impressive, it's the system's more mundane-seeming productivity powers that are far more likely to find a place in your day-to-day life. So grab your nearest Android gadget, go install the Google Lens app, if you haven't already, and get ready to teach your phone some spectacularly useful new tricks. Google Lens trick No. 1: Copy text from the real world Google Lens's most potent power and the one I rely on most frequently is its ability to grab text from a physical document a paper, a book, a whiteboard, a suspiciously wordy tattoo on your rumpus, or anything else with writing on it and then copy that text onto your phone's clipboard. From there, you can easily paste the text into a Google Doc, a note, an email, a Slack chat, or anywhere else imaginable. [Want even more advanced Android knowledge? Check out my free Android Shortcut Supercourse to learn tons of time-saving tricks for your phone.] To do that, just open up the Google Lens app and tap the "Search with your camera" area at the top of the screen. Point your camera at any text around you, then tap your finger onto any area of the viewfinder and you'll be able to select the exact portion of text you want as if it were regular ol' digital text on a website. All that's left is to hit the "Copy text" command in the panel at the bottom of the screen, and every last word will be on your system clipboard and ready to paste wherever your thumpy little heart desires. Google Lens trick No. 2: Send text from the real world to your computer Let's face it: Most of us aren't working only from our Android phones. If you need to get some real-world text onto your computer, Lens can handle that for you, too. Just go through the same steps we did a second ago, but this time, look for the "Copy to computer" option in the panel at the bottom of the screen. As long as you're actively signed into Chrome with the same Google account on a computer any computer, whether it's Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chrome OS that option should appear. And when you tap it, you'll get a list of all available destinations. All you've gotta do is pick the system you want, and just like magic, the text from the physical document will be on that computer's clipboard ready and waiting to be pasted wherever you want it. Hit Ctrl-V (or Cmd-V, on a Mac), and shazam! It'll pop into any text field, in any app or process where pasting is supported. Google Lens trick No. 3: Hear text from the real world read aloud Maybe you've just been handed a long memo, a printed-out brief of some sort, or a letter from your dear Aunt Sally. Whatever it is, give your eyes a breather and let Lens read it for you while you're on the go and between meetings. Just point your phone at the paper, exactly as we did before, and tap that "Text" option once more. Select whatever text you want and this time, look for the little "Listen" option in the bottom-of-screen panel. Pound your pinky down on that bad boy, and the Google Lens app will actually read the selected text out loud to you, in a soothingly pleasant voice. Hey, Google: How 'bout a bedtime story while we're at it?! Google Lens trick No. 4: Interact with text from an image In addition to the live stuff, Lens can pull and process text from images including both actual photos you've taken and screenshots you've captured. That latter part opens up some pretty interesting possibilities. Say, for instance, you've just gotten an email with a tracking number in it, but the tracking number is some funky type of text that annoyingly can't be copied. (This seems to happen to me way too often.) Or maybe you're looking at a web page or presentation where the text for some reason isn't selectable. Well, grab a screenshot by pressing your phone's power and volume-down buttons together then make your way over to the Google Lens app. Look for the screenshot on the Lens home screen, tap it, and tap "Text" along the bottom of the screen. And then, you can simply select the text you want. From there, you can copy the text, send it to a computer, or perform any of Lens's other boundary-defying tricks. Speaking of which... Google Lens trick No. 5: Search for text from any physical document or image After you've selected any manner of text from within the Google Lens app, swipe your finger toward the left on the row of options in that bottom-of-screen panel the one with "Copy text," "Copy to computer," and so on. You'd never realize it from looking, but even more options are hiding to the right of those initial choices. One of 'em is the simple but supremely useful "Search." (And sometimes, Lens will even put related results right there in that bottom-of-screen panel, without any additional searching required.) Keep that in mind as a super-easy way to get info on text from any physical document or captured image without having to manually peck in the words on your own. And on a related note... Google Lens trick No. 6: Search for similar visuals In addition to searching for the text from an image, Lens can search the web for other images that match the actual object within your photo or screenshot. It's a fantastic way to find visually similar images or even identify something like a specific phone model or product seen within a photo. To pull off this bit of Googley sorcery, look for the "Search" option within the main sliding bar of options at the bottom of the Lens interface which, confusingly enough, is not the same as the text-oriented "Search" command we just went over. Google Lens trick No. 7: Create a calendar event Anytime you see something with a date involved a flyer, a billboard, an appointment card, or even a physical invitation to your dear Aunt Sally's weekly canasta game save yourself the trouble of typing the info into your digital calendar and instead just open up the good ol' Google Lens app. Aim your Android phone's camera at the paper and then tap on the date. Lens should give you a "Create calendar event option" at the start of its bottom-panel choices, and tapping it will beam the info right over to your preferred calendar app so you can tweak it as needed and save. And a quick bonus tip: Don't forget that all this stuff will work even if you hold your phone up to capture an image of something on your computer screen. That's a spectacular way to save yourself time and steps when working across different devices. Google Lens trick No. 8: Save someone's contact information If you find yourself holding a business card and thinking, "Well, blimey, I sure as heckfire don't want to type all of this into my contacts app," first, congratulate yourself on the excellent use of blimey and then sit your beautiful person-shell back and let Lens handle the heavy lifting for you. Open Lens, point your phone's camera at the card, and tap on the person's name. The Google Lens app should recognize the nature of the info and prompt you to add a contact. One more tap, and the deed is done. Google Lens trick No. 9: Email, call, text, or navigate to a website Got an address or number you need to get onto your phone for a specific sort of action? It could be on a business card, on a letter, or even on the front of a random business's door. Whatever the case, just open the Google Lens app, point your phone at it, and tap the text. (Or, option B: Snap a photo of the info in question and then pull it up in the Lens app later.) Once Lens sees it, it'll offer to do whatever's most appropriate for the sort of info involved. Then, with a single tap, you'll have the address ready to roll in a new email draft, the number ready to call or text in your dialer or messaging app, or the website pulled up and ready for your viewing in your browser no time-wasting typing required. Google Lens trick No. 10: Translate text from the real world If you ever find yourself staring at a sign in another language and wondering what in the world it says, remember that the Google Lens app has a built-in translation feature. To find it, open the app, aim your phone at the text, and tap the word "Translate" along the bottom edge of the screen. Before you know it, Lens will replace the words on your screen with their English equivalents (or with a translation in whatever language you select, if English isn't your tasse de the) practically in real time. It's almost spooky how fast and effective it is. Pas mal, eh? Google Lens trick No. 11: Act as your on-demand calculator The next time you've got a numerical challenge in front of your weary peepers, give your musty ol' brain a break and let Lens do some good old-fashioned solvin' for ya. Just open up Lens and point your phone at the equation in question whether it's on a whiteboard, a physical piece of paper, or even on a screen in front of you. Scroll over along the line at the bottom of the Lens viewfinder screen until you see the word "Homework" (and don't worry: Despite what that label implies, you don't have to be an annoyingly youthful and bushytailed student to use it). With everything from basic equations to advanced math, chemistry, physics, and biology, Lens will eagerly do your calculation for you and spit back an answer in the blink of an eye. I won't tell if you don't. Google Lens trick No. 12: Scan codes galore 'Twas a time when Android code-reading apps were all the rage and plenty of folks still have 'em hangin' around today. So long as the Google Lens app is on your phone, though, guess what? You don't need anything else. Just open up Lens, aim your camera at any barcode or QR code, and poof: Lens will offer to show you whatever that code contains faster than you say "What does QR stand for, anyway?" But wait: There's more! If you've got one of Google's own Pixel phones, the process is even easier... Google Lens trick No. 13: Use Lens from Image Search, Photos, and your phone's camera All those tricks we just talked about can work not only from the actual Google Lens app but also from a few other potentially useful places on your phone: Google Image Search: Anytime you're looking at an image within images.google.com on your phone's browser, keep an eye out for the Lens icon in its upper-right corner. Tapping that will activate Lens and give you any relevant info about whatever's being shown. Anytime you're looking at an image within images.google.com on your phone's browser, keep an eye out for the Lens icon in its upper-right corner. Tapping that will activate Lens and give you any relevant info about whatever's being shown. Google Photos: See that third icon along the bottom when you open an image in Photos? That's Lens! Tapping it will fire up Lens and let you copy text, activate links, and get additional context about anything Lens is able to recognize. Your camera: On Pixel phones, you can find Lens right within your regular camera app. Just open the camera and then press and hold your favorite fingie on any spot in the viewfinder. That'll launch an on-demand Lens search for the item in that area and the results will then pop up right then and there, without the need for any app-switching or extra searching. (If you've taken my Pixel Academy e-course, congratulations: You already knew that, along with mountains of other exceptional Pixel secrets!) Google Lens trick No. 14: Get to Lens without lifting a finger Last but not least, a bit of a meta tip: When you want to open the Google Lens app in a hurry, skip the usual swiping and tapping and instead say: "Hey, Google: Open Google Lens." So long as you've got the Lens app installed, your friendly neighborhood Assistant will happily oblige. Being a mobile-tech magician has never been so satisfying. Get six full days of advanced Android knowledge with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You'll learn tons of time-saving tricks for your phone! 90% Website enlaradio.com.ar 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 100401 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 32079 bytes (31.33 kb uncompressed) and 8097 bytes (7.91 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-30, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. AREA is pleased to announce that two associations, Assofrigoristi and OGKT, were welcomed as members during the annual General Assembly meeting in Athens, Greece on 13 May 2022. Assofrigoristi, the Italian Refrigeration Association, is a non-profit association which brings together companies and SMEs that carry out the design, assembly, installation, maintenance, repair and disposal of industrial refrigeration and non-domestic air condition systems. They are committed to the qualification of the HVAC&R professionals and joining AREA is a natural step towards participation in the European sphere regarding legislation and regulation for our industry. Marco Oldrati, Managing Director of Assofrigoristi, stated, The networking possibilities, offered by AREA, is a precious resource that Assofrigoristi will exploit and cooperate to with the maximum effort. The Athens assembly was the natural place to discuss, at a continental level, what is relevant in our daily business and how the world of HVAC&R professionals will evolve in the future. We hope to take an active role in the development of a safe, environmentally sustainable, and efficient market. The Osterreichische Gesellschaft der Kaltetechnik (OGKT) is the independent network of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump technology in Austria. They are committed to the development of education and training as well as to the exchange of knowledge, experience and information. They provide professional expertise to public authorities and companies in a range of topics including standardisation. Harald Eros, President of OGKT stated, We are proud of how far we have come in the past few years and are happy to be able to participate on a European level at AREA. AREA is proud to have 25 associations from 21 countries, including 19 out of the 27 EU Member States, as part of its membership. In January, the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) discovered wiper malware in more than a dozen networks in Ukraine. Designed to look like ransomware but lacking a ransom recovery mechanism, we believe this malware was intended to be destructive and designed to render targeted devices inoperable rather than obtain a ransom. We alerted the Ukrainian government and published our findings. Since then, we have continued working closely with Ukrainian government officials and cybersecurity staff at government organizations and private enterprises to identify and address threat activity against Ukrainian networks. This focused engagement, in combination with our unique view into affected systems, has offered insight into ongoing Russian cyber targets, tactics, and procedures. In the process, we have also discovered new strategies on how to approach network defense in the midst of military conflict. Based on our observations of Russias cyber assault on Ukraine, weve developed top strategic recommendations for global organizations. A brief overview of Russias destructive attacks on Ukraine Microsoft has observed known and suspected Russian nation-state actors use multiple techniques to compromise Ukrainian targets, including phishing campaigns, exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities in on-premises Exchange servers, and compromising upstream IT service providers. Threat groups with known or suspected ties to the GRU, Russias military intelligence service, have also developed and used destructive wiper malware or similarly destructive tools on Ukrainian networks. From February 23 to April 8, 2022, Microsoft saw evidence of nearly 40 discrete destructive attacks that permanently destroyed files in hundreds of systems across dozens of organizations in Ukraine. More than 40% of the attacks were aimed at organizations in critical infrastructure sectors, and 32% of destructive incidents affected Ukrainian government organizations at the national, regional, and city levels. After each wave of attacks, threat actors modified the malware to better avoid detection. While we cannot observe all ongoing activity in Ukraine, we estimate that there have been at least eight destructive malware families deployed on Ukrainian networks to date including one tailored to industrial control systems (ICS). Common Russian intrusion techniques Throughout our engagement in Ukraine, weve observed several common tactics, techniques, and procedures by Russia-aligned cyber operations. These include: Exploiting public-facing applications or spear-phishing with attachments/links for initial access. Stealing credentials and leveraging valid accounts throughout the attack lifecycle, including within Active Directory Domain Services and through virtual private networks (VPNs) or other remote access solutions. This has made identities a key intrusion vector. Using valid administration protocols, tools, and methods for lateral movement, relying on compromised administrative identities in particular. Utilizing known publicly available offensive capabilities, sometimes disguising them with actor-specific methods to defeat static signatures. Living off the land during system and network discovery, often utilizing native utilities or commands that are non-standard for the environments. Leveraging destructive capabilities that access raw file systems for overwrites or deletions. In an attempt to proactively counter these attacks, Ukrainian organizations enabled controlled folder access in Microsoft Defender and were able to meaningfully mitigate some of the damage done by destructive wiper malware. Additionally, because our Ukrainian partners were using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, we were able to observe how endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions can respond to alerts and remediate intrusions before destructive attacks were launched. 6 ways to safeguard your operations Based on our observations in Ukraine so far, we recommend taking the following steps to safeguard your organization: Minimize credential theft and account abuse: Protecting user identities is a critical component of network security. We recommend enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) and identity detection tools, applying least-privilege access, and securing the most sensitive and privileged accounts and systems. Secure internet-facing systems and remote access solutions: Ensure your internet-facing systems are updated to the most secure levels, regularly evaluated for vulnerability, and audited for changes to system integrity. Anti-malware solutions and endpoint protection can detect and prevent attackers, while legacy systems should be isolated to prevent them from becoming an entry point for persistent threat actors. Additionally, remote access solutions should require two-factor authentication and be patched to the most secure configuration. Leverage anti-malware, endpoint detection, and identity protection solutions: Defense-in-depth security solutions combined with trained, capable personnel can empower organizations to identify, detect, and prevent intrusions impacting their business. You can also enable cloud-protections to identify and mitigate known and novel network threats at scale. Enable investigations and recovery: Auditing of key resources can help enable investigations once a threat is detected. You can also prevent delays and decrease dwell time for destructive threat actors by creating and enacting an incident response plan. Ensure your business has a backup strategy that accounts for the risk of destructive actions and is prepared to exercise recovery plans. Defend against destructive attacks: Leverage features within Microsoft Defender such as Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) and Controlled Folder Access (CFA) to help safeguard your organization against destructive attacks. Based on our observations, these features have been successful in defeating destructive attacks in Ukraine and elsewhere. Review and implement best practices for defense in depth: Whether your environment is cloud-only, or a hybrid enterprise spanning cloud(s) and on-premises data centers, we have developed extensive resources and actionable guidance to help improve your security posture and reduce risk. Microsofts security best practices covers governance, risk, compliance, security operations, identity and access management, network security and containment, information protection and storage, applications, and services. What this means for the global cybersecurity landscape As the war in Ukraine progresses, threat actors with a vested interest in the conflict will be increasingly pushed to fill critical intelligence gaps and achieve their tactical objectives. We expect to discover new vulnerabilities and attack chains as a result of the ongoing conflict, forcing already well-resourced threat actors to reverse patches and carry out N-day attacks tailored to underlying vulnerabilities. These new discoveries will likely expand across multiple categories of threat actors. Additionally, as the conflict persists and countries provide assistance to Ukraine, Russian nation state threat actors may retaliate. Russia-aligned actors active in Ukraine have shown interest in and conducted operations against organizations in the Baltics and Turkey all member states on NATOs eastern flank that are actively providing political, humanitarian, or military support to Ukraine. We encourage all organizations that are directly or indirectly associated with the conflict in Ukraine to proactively protect themselves from the threats weve observed so far and actively monitor for similar actions in their environment. Microsoft respects and acknowledges the ongoing efforts of Ukrainian defenders and the unwavering support provided by the national Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) to protect their networks and maintain service during this challenging time. For a more detailed timeline of Russias cyber assault on Ukraine, explore the full report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Shoppers will have a new reason to go the Danbury Fair mall in the not-too-distant future. Officials with Macerich, the California-based company that owns the mall, said Tuesday that discount retailer Target will open a two-level, 126,000-square-foot store in the space formerly occupied by Sears. Officials with Macerich arent saying when the new store will open, but Shane Kitzman, a Target spokesman, said the Danbury Fair mall location will open in the next few years. The new store will be Targets second store in the Danbury area and bring the number of stores the chain has in Connecticut to 22. The Minnesota-based retailer has a location a few miles east of the mall off Interstate 84 in Bethel that opened in 2004. Macerich President Ed Coppola said the malls terrific merchandise mix and attractive demographics surrounding Danbury Fair make this property a great match for all that Target has to offer. Shay Nagarsheth, the citys economic development director, said the new Target is going to be a great addition to the mall and to the west side of Danbury. Burt Flickinger, managing director of New York City-based Strategic Resource Group, said Targets plan to open a store in Danbury is a strong strategic move. Because it is a bigger store, it will draw from a larger radius than the typical Target, Flickinger said. I would expect the mall store to draw shoppers from as far away 15 miles. Claiming the space in Danbury Fair mall also keeps other discount retailers such as Burlington or Kohls from taking the space, he said. Flickinger said despite the fact that Target currently has 21 Connecticut locations they are significantly understored in Connecticut and southern New England. For Target to fully saturate Connecticut, theyd have to open twice the number of stores that they currently have, he said. The announcement did not say specifically what would become of Primark, the second-level store at the mall or what the exact impact of this two-floor Target might be. The 1.2-million-square-foot mall still has one anchor store space that remains empty following the Lord & Taylors departure at the end of 2020. Christine Broad, a spokeswoman for Macerich, said the mall operator is currently exploring options on the best use for the Lord and Taylor space. When it comes to filling the former Lord &Taylor space, Flickinger said Macerich doesnt have many options when it comes to finding a retailer to take the full amount of space. BJs Wholesale Club might be interested in having a store there, he said. The retailer already has a location in Brookfield, but Flickinger said heavy traffic volume in northern Fairfield County might convince BJs Wholesale Club officials that a Danbury store might be successful. BJs opened a store in Commack, N.Y., that had once been a Macys location, he said. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com SOUTH WINDSOR Less than a month after a mass shooter in Uvalde, Texas killed 19 students and two teachers, a Connecticut police department is running active shooter drills in a former elementary school. Like many departments in the state, South Windsor police have been doing such training since well before Uvalde. They try to conduct them every few years, most recently in a vacant school that gives them a realistic setting many towns and cities lack stairs to climb and a long, narrow hallway full of rooms to check in pursuit of a gunman they hope never exists. You really can get very close to a real-life scenario, said Sgt. Mark Cleverdon, department spokesperson and training coordinator. Inside active shooting drills at the former Orchard Hill Elementary School last week, officers used simulated ammunition, called simunition, in real guns that are painted blue to set them apart from weapons with live ammo. For even more protection, no real guns are allowed in the building during training. Trainers even checked Chief Kristian Lindstrom for his service pistol as the chief put up his hands to show his empty holster. The simunition contains colored laundry detergent so officers who have been shot will bear the telltale signs, like a scarlet letter. Of course, theres another sign thats obvious to the officer on the receiving end of gunfire. It hurts, Cleverdon said. One thing thats not realistic is helmets. Trainees wear the head gear with safety glasses and thick, protective fabric Velcroed to them during active shooter training to protect their heads, eyes and necks. Checking classrooms for danger Officers spent part of the day practicing how to check rooms to be sure theyre safe, a process called clearing. During the drills, two officers slowly made their way down a hallway, pointing rifles in front of them. Before they go into a classroom, one pointed his gun down the hallway while the other pointed his in the opposite direction. Once they were in the room, one checked the left half while the other checked the right. On the way out, they do the same thing, with each officer pointing their gun in a different direction. Officers have to move a certain way to stay out of harms way. They cant move too fast, but they cant move too slowly, either, Cleverdon said. They cant linger in the doorway, which would make them an easy target. Its a very systematic act, Cleverdon said. Theyre really deliberate. Lindstrom added that while every movement is planned, it also has to be very fluid. You have to be able to change, to adapt. Thats what Deputy Chief Brian Eckblom had to do when he ran out of ammunition or simunition during an active shooter drill. He had to reload his rifle with a new magazine while trying not to expose himself to gunfire. He briefly took cover behind an open classroom door, clicked it in and was on the move again. An armed burglar lurks One scenario involved a break-in where no one was supposed to be inside the building. Handguns drawn, two officers, Eckblom and Officer Peggy Sue Clouser, carefully walked down the hallway, checking rooms as a shrill burglary alarm pierced the silence, thanks to the cellphone app of Cpl. Chris Poehnert, a trainer. The trainers dont tell the officers where a burglar may lurk, or if there is more than one. The pair encountered a burglar, Sgt. Stephen Hoover, in the right corner of a room and Clouser yelled for him to show his hands and get down on the floor, which he did amid protest. At the same time, Eckblom checked the left side of the room and found a second burglar kneeling behind a desk; he commanded him to show his hands as well. The second burglar was Poehnert. He said Eckblom spotted him quickly enough to avoid being shot. I dont think I would have had a chance to get a shot off, Poehnert said. Both trainees had yelled their commands loudly, and the tension in their voices was clear. Participants in the drills often are breathing heavily after the heart-racing scenarios. Woo, Im sweating now! Clouser later said. The scenario didnt have the same ending for the next pair of officers. Both focused exclusively on the first burglar until Poehnert Burglar No. 2 fired his simunition round at the floor near the second cop to get his attention, prompting him to return fire. The officer was supposed to check the left side of the room. He said he hadnt even seen Poehnert, who ended up with a welt on his arm from being shot. Its what the trainers call tunnel vision. Active shooter fires at police Another mistake was made during the active shooter exercise. Two officers stopped to help a wounded person (Hoover) they found lying on the floor at the top of the stairs at the entrance to a long hallway. They dragged him away from danger, but the shooter (Poehnert) took advantage of their change of focus and fired at them from down the hallway. Youre getting caught in that fatal funnel, Officer Peter Korchari, an instructor, later said. In that situation, you leave him. As hard as it is to do, Lindstrom said officers are trained to pass the injured when there is an active shooter. Their priority is to stop the threat. The chief said hed rather see such an error during training than in real life. We want them to make that mistake here, Lindstrom said. First passed in 1969 and enforced in 1980, Connecticuts racial balance law seeks to prevent towns from confining students of color to one or two schools while leaving others overwhelmingly white. But as outlined in a recent Hearst Connecticut Media report, some school districts have struggled to comply with the law, allowing certain schools to stay imbalanced year after year. In 2022, McKinley School in Fairfield was imbalanced for the 15th time in 16 years, New Lebanon School in Greenwich was imbalanced for the 16th consecutive year and Hamilton Avenue School in Greenwich was imbalanced for at least the 23rd straight year. A school is considered imbalanced if the percentage of white students among its student body is 25 percentage points higher or lower than the average of the district it sits in. Additionally, a school can be characterized as having impending imbalance if its share of white students is 15-25 percentage points off from the district average. Though the racial balance law has plenty of critics, including those who consider it unfair, those who think it lacks ample enforcement mechanisms and those who see it as an overly narrow solution to a much broader problem, its proponents say it is one tool to boost integration efforts in a state whose schools are among the nations most segregated. Takeaways from the racial imbalance data include: Seventeen schools across 10 districts have been imbalanced at least once since 1999. Five of those districts (Greenwich, West Hartford, Groton, Hamden and Manchester) have had multiple schools imbalanced at least once. Three (Greenwich, West Hartford and Manchester) have had multiple schools imbalanced at the same time. Just five schools account for well over half of the total racial balance infractions in Connecticut over the past two-plus decades: McKinley School in Fairfield, New Lebanon School in Greenwich, Hamilton Avenue School in Greenwich, Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford and Smith School in West Hartford. Each has been imbalanced at least 15 times during that time period. Additionally, Church Street School in Hamden and Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School in Groton have been repeatedly out of compliance in the recent past. Charter Oak, Smith and Hamilton Avenue are the only schools that have been in the imbalance or impending imbalance categories each year since 1999-00. Most schools that have been out of compliance have had student bodies that were disproportionately nonwhite, as opposed to disproportionately white. Exceptions include Buckley School in Manchester and Bear Path School in Hamden, which were determined to be far whiter than their districts average. It has been common, however, for disproportionately white schools to land in the impending imbalance category. Bugbee School in West Hartford, for example, has had impending imbalance all but three years since 1999-00. Unsurprisingly, most districts that have been in imbalance or impending imbalance are those with substantial populations of both white students and students of color. Districts that are overwhelmingly white or overwhelmingly nonwhite may be segregated from their neighbors but are not as likely to the specific type of segregation that triggers the racial balance law. Though New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford and other cities have occasionally had schools in impending imbalance, they are partially protected by a clause in the law that says schools cannot be considered imbalanced if they are in a district that is at least 50 percent minority and have a student body that is between 25 and 75 percent minority. Because of this carve-out, an all-white school in a majority nonwhite district would not be considered imbalanced. The vast majority of schools that have been in imbalance or impending imbalance have been elementary schools, although several middle schools (including Western Middle School in Greenwich, West Side Middle School in Groton and Cutler Middle School in Groton) have appeared on the list as well, as have Hillhouse High School in New Haven and Briggs High School in Norwalk. The number of schools in one of those two categories had dropped from 40 in 1999-00 to 22 this past school year. Still, 10 districts continue to have at least one school in imbalance or impending imbalance. Altogether, more than 110 schools have been in imbalance or impending imbalance since the 1999-00 school year. alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Katie Britt won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama Tuesday, defeating six-term Rep. Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his initial Brooks endorsement. The loss ends a turbulent campaign that pit Brooks, a conservative firebrand who has spent more than a decade in Congress, against someone who has never held elected office. Brooks ran under the banner MAGA Mo" and fully embraced Trumps election lies. But that wasnt enough for the former president, who initially backed Brooks in the race to replace Britt's former boss, retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, but then pulled his support as Brooks languished in the polls. The race was among a handful of contests held Tuesday at the midpoint of a primary season that has been shaped by Trumps effort to influence the GOP. By the time Trump backed her earlier this month, Britt was already considered the favorite in the race. She emerged as the top vote-getter in the state's May 24 primary, but just missed the threshold that triggered a runoff. Still, Tuesday's result gives Trump a win at a time when his influence over the GOP has come under scrutiny. The former president has had a mixed record of success in backing candidates this election season, helping lift Senate contenders in Pennsylvania and Ohio while floundering elsewhere, particularly in Georgia. Voters in the onetime Republican stronghold rejected his efforts to unseat the states GOP governor and secretary of state, both of whom rebuffed his extraordinary pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And his trouble in the crucial swing state deepened Tuesday as two of his endorsed congressional candidates faltered in their GOP run-off elections. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick beat Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans. And in the 10th District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins bested Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones. Trump persuaded Jones to run for the seat and drop his long-shot bid for governor to clear the field for his chosen candidate, former Sen. David Perdue. Perdue lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who endorsed Collins. The seat is being vacated by Republican Rep. Jody Hice, who also lost his bid to unseat Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another top Trump target. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser won the Democratic nomination to serve another term, fending off a pair of challengers amid concerns over rising crime and homelessness. But the Alabama Senate runoff had drawn particular attention because of the drama surrounding Trump's endorsement and because the winner, who will face Democrat Will Boyd in November, is considered the overwhelmingly favorite in the Republican state. Britt, 40, cast herself as part of a new generation of conservative leaders while disparaging Brooks, 68, as a career politician. If victorious in November, Britt will be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama and one of its youngest members. The states previous female senators had been appointed. Alabama has spoken. We want new blood. We want fresh blood, she said at her victory party. We want someone who will fight for Christian conservative values, who will fight for the freedoms and liberties this nation was founded on and will fight for the American dream for the next generation and the next generation. That argument seemed to resonate with some voters Tuesday. Shes young. Shes smart, said 86-year-old Carolyn Bowman. Thats what we need in Congress. Brooks, who is known for his bombastic oratory style, described the race as a battle for the soul of Republican Party, pitting the true conservative wing against establishment members of the GOP. He disparaged Britt, 40, as a RINO the GOP pejorative meaning Republican in name only and maintained he was the only one with a proven conservative record. The founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Brooks has a history of bucking party leadership and made his opposition to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a pillar of his campaign, embarking on a Fire McConnell Tour of town halls. In his concession speech Tuesday night, Brooks told supporters he respected the races outcome. But in a sign of the contentious race, he accused voters of having been seduced by false advertising and congratulated high-dollar donors and special interest groups for funding Britts campaign. We are sending to Washington, D.C., the exact opposite of what we need in the United States Senate. But the voters have spoken. They might not have spoken wisely, he groused. Brooks was initially considered the frontrunner when he announced his Senate candidacy, and Trump quickly offered his support, rewarding an ally who had been an ardent supporter of Trumps false claims of election fraud. Brooks voted against certifying Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory and delivered a fiery speech at the Stop the Steal rally that proceeded the U.S. Capitol insurrection, telling the crowd, Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass. But their relationship soured as Brooks struggled to gain traction. Trump eventually pulled his support in March, accusing Brooks one of the most conservative members in Congress of going woke for saying at a rally that it was time to move on from litigating the 2020 presidential election. Brooks clawed his way into a second-place finish in the May primary and tried once again to get Trump to back him. But Trump instead threw his support to Britt 11 days before the runoff she was widely expected to win. Elsewhere, in Virginia, Republicans chose a pair of Trump-aligned congressional candidates to take on two of the most vulnerable Democrats in the fall. In the coastal 2nd District, state Sen. Jen Kiggans won the Republican race to try to unseat Democrat Elaine Luria, a retired Naval commander and member of the Jan. 6 committee, in the general election. And in central Virginias 7th District, Yesli Vega emerged from a competitive six-candidate field to face Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger. At the polls Tuesday in Virginia Beach, Nanci Eves, 70, said she voted for Kiggans in part because she believes the candidate is best positioned to win in November. We need someone who can beat Elaine Luria, said Eves, a retired nurse who lives in Virginia Beach and who thinks Democrats have made a mess of the country while in power. ___ Colvin reported from Washington. Ben Finley in Virginia Beach, Va., contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Uvalde massacre began after the 18-year-old gunman entered the school through a door that could only be locked from the outside then got inside a classroom that had a busted lock, experts testified Tuesday. Securing doors has long been a focus of school safety drills, and the inability to do so during the May 24 attack that left 19 children and two teachers dead is raising alarms among experts and politicians. When doors are not secure, your first step, your first line of defense has now been eliminated," said Ken Trump, the president of the National School Safety and Security Services. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt said unlockable doors make lockdowns and shooter training worthless, adding that there was zero obstacle to the shooter." Questions about how the shooter entered Robb Elementary and what happened at multiple doors have been a big part of the changing information about the attack. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE GUNMAN REACHED THE OUTSIDE DOOR? State police initially said the gunman entered the school through an exterior door that had been propped open by a teacher. Days later, state police retracted that statement to make it clear that the teacher closed the door. But somehow it didn't lock. Nearly a month after the rampage, Col. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, further amended what his agency's investigation shows: The teacher did close the door, but unbeknownst to her, it could be locked only from the outside. The gunman walked straight through, McCraw said Tuesday in blistering testimony at a state Senate hearing in Austin. Ronald Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety Center, said he was astonished" that the exterior door could only be locked from the outside. He likened it to a house that could only be locked from the outside. Shouldnt the security of the school be as safe as the security of your home?" he asked. Experts did not explain during the hearing why the schools exterior door locked from outside. Robb Elementary is an older building, constructed in 1955. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE GUNMAN REACHED THE CLASSROOM DOOR? Once inside the school, the shooter then entered a classroom though a door that was designed to be locked from the outside, according to McCraw, who also said a teacher reported before the shooting that the lock was broken. This is ridiculous and its inexcusable, McCraw said of the fact that the classroom door could not be locked from inside. Stephens and Trump also raised alarms about the fact that the door was broken, describing it as a maintenance issue. McCraw also disclosed Tuesday that despite the door being unlocked, there was no indication officers tried to open it during the standoff. He said police instead waited for more than an hour for a key. To me," Stephens said, theres just a whole cascade of apparent failures that took place in this particular situation." WHY DID THE DOORS LOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE? Many schools designed in the 20th century featured classroom doors that locked from the outside, allowing the teacher or administrator to lock up as they left for the day, Todd Ferking explained in an email. Ferking is a design leader for DLR Group, an architecture firm that specializes in school design. Locking from inside the classroom may not have been a popular option out of concern that students could lock the teacher out, he said. The Columbine tragedy led to an evolution in school construction, he said, with most new classrooms designed to provide locking from inside via a key or thumb turn. Today, it also is general practice that all exterior doors are locked during school hours, except during drop-off and pick-up, he said. HAVE THERE BEEN PROBLEMS BEFORE? At Sandy Hook Elementary School, the doors of the two classrooms where all 20 children were killed in the 2012 massacre, along with their teachers, could only be locked from the hallway with a key. Some victims families have said lives could have been saved if teachers had been able to lock classroom doors from the inside, and they questioned whether two teachers who were killed in the shooting, Victoria Soto and Lauren Rousseau, even had access to keys. Another teacher who could not get a classroom door locked told investigators that she looked into the hallway, saw a janitor who yelled at the gunman to leave and motioned to the janitor to lock her door. Sandy Hook Elementary was built around the same time as Robb Elementary, in 1956. Mo Canady, the executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, spoke publicly about the importance of being able to secure doors after Sandy Hook. He lamented that it was still an issue a decade later. That school," he said of Robb Elementary, I can promise you, is not the only one in this country that you cant lock the doors from the inside." Such doors, he said, occasionally are spotted during assessments of buildings, particularly older ones. He described it as unacceptable" and urged schools to fix busted doors and retrofit doors that only lock from the outside while students are on summer break. The basics are so important, and if your school district does not have doors that will allow the teachers to secure those in a lockdown, thats a priority," he said. Those things really can and do save lives." WHAT STEPS ARE RECOMMENDED? State and federal panels charged with reviewing individual mass shootings have repeatedly advised schools to limit access by locking exterior doors, as well as forcing visitors to enter through a secure door and requiring teachers to lock classrooms while classes are in session. Teachers and students drill for how to respond. Lock the door, turn off the light. Get the kids and staff into a hard corner, meaning not in the direct line of sight of the window where somebody can shoot through, and be quiet," Trump said. He said those actions can absolutely" save lives. Uvalde in March had retained PBK, a design, architecture, engineering and planning firm that focuses on schools, to conduct a review of its buildings as it considered a potential bond issue, said Ian Powell, who heads safety and security for the firm. Powell said part of that review involved ensuring that the school's safety protocols met the standards of the Texas Education Agency. The review also included everything from evaluating cooling systems to windows. He said more schools are opting for so-called door lock indicators, which make it easier for teachers to see whether their door is locked while inside their classrooms. Texas doesn't require such locks. Powell said he doesnt know any jurisdiction that does, although the firm recommends them. But before that review got underway in earnest, the shooting happened. Since then, Powell said, the district has asked the firm to expand the scope of its security review. Other districts also have been calling seeking security reviews. We would all have wished that something would have been implemented and would have had the time to be implemented before they had the exposure to this type of a situation, he said. ___ Find more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting PIERRE, S.D. (AP) The South Dakota Senate's decision this week to remove Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg from office was an emphatic victory for Gov. Kristi Noem, whose hard-driving effort to oust her fellow Republican likely sealed his fate even as some GOP lawmakers backed him. Noem, who has sprung to national prominence within the party and is widely considered a potential 2024 White House contender, began pushing Ravnsborg to step down within days after he struck and killed a pedestrian with his car in September 2020. He refused but was removed Tuesday through impeachment proceedings, with the Senate voting to convict the first-term Republican and then unanimously prohibiting him from holding public office again. Noem pressed impeachment through the Republican-controlled Legislature, providing crucial support on an effort that at times faced razor-thin vote margins. Though her aggressive approach riled some lawmakers, Ravnsborg's ouster allows Noem to name his replacement, discredit a one-time adversary who had investigated her and claim political independence because she held a fellow Republican accountable. Noem celebrated the impeachment conviction Tuesday on Twitter, saying a dark cloud over the attorney general's office had been lifted. It is now time to move on and begin to restore confidence in the office, Noem said. She has endorsed Ravnsborgs predecessor, Marty Jackley, for the Republican nomination for attorney general, but it's not clear whether he will be her choice to fill the job temporarily until the candidate elected in November is sworn-in. Noem and Jackley ran a biting primary campaign for governor in 2018, and their mutual endorsement came as a surprising development as the House evaluated the merits of impeachment earlier this year. Noem could wait to name the interim attorney general until after Saturday, when the South Dakota Republican Party decides its nominee for the November election. The votes against Ravnsborg in the GOP-dominated Senate showed that senators didn't believe his account of the crash. Ravnsborg had told a 911 dispatcher the night of the crash that he might have struck a deer or other large animal and has said he didnt know he struck a man 55-year-old Joseph Boever until he returned to the scene the next morning. Noem's advocacy for Ravnsborg's removal and his refusal to step down roiled state politics that are overwhelmingly dominated by Republicans. After Ravnsborg was quietly pressured to take a leave of absence by Noems chief of staff three days after the crash and later faced public calls from the governor for his resignation, he showed an increasing willingness to disrupt the political establishment by taking up investigations into the governor and those aligned with her. In an April letter sent to House lawmakers on the eve of the impeachment vote, Ravnsborg said he would not resign in part because his office has multiple ongoing investigations into the Governors alleged activities and people associated with her. Ravnsborg made a pair of complaints to the state's Government Accountability Board, which evaluates ethics complaints against state government officials. The board is set to meet Monday as it weighs whether to investigate both Noem's use of state airplanes to attend political events and her interference in a state agency that had denied her daughter a real estate appraiser license. The friction between the governor and Ravnsborg possibly led Ravnsborg to be more diligent of a watchdog of the governors office, said Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University who closely watches Statehouse politics. Even impeachment proceedings gave Ravnsborg reason to investigate Noems circle. When an organization created to promote the governors agenda sponsored billboards attacking lawmakers for not supporting Ravnsborgs impeachment, his office probed whether the organization broke campaign finance laws. Before the crash, the attorney general's office had also launched an investigation into the state's richest man, T. Denny Sanford, for potential possession of child pornography. While Noem refused to distance herself from Sanford and accepted several donations from him on behalf of the state totaling more than $100 million, Ravnsborg continued to evaluate charges against Sanford. The attorney general's office last month indicated it would not pursue state charges against Sanford. The timing rankled Republican lawmakers who were supportive of Ravnsborg and pointed out it came as Ravnsborg was forced to take a leave of absence pending the Senate impeachment trial. The Denny Sanford case just mysteriously went away, said Republican House Speaker Spencer Gosch, who clashed with the governor during impeachment proceedings. The governor received sharp criticism from some Republicans for goading an impeachment investigation committee forward, as well as in 2021 releasing videos of Ravnsborg's interviews with criminal investigators while a trial was pending. She does not want anyone who won't bend to her will, said Gosch, who recently lost a primary legislative race when the governor supported his opponent, Sen. Bryan Breitling. It cost the state of South Dakota and it cost the Republican Party. The House committee that Gosch oversaw recommended against impeachment, but Noem was not deterred. Her administration pressed lawmakers to vote for impeachment, and two articles of impeachment passed by a single vote in the Republican-controlled House. The Senate's vote on the first impeachment charge committing crimes causing Boever's death passed Tuesday without a vote to spare. The Senate convicted him on the second charge with a comfortable margin, then unanimously voted to permanently bar him from holding state office. Schaff, the political science professor, said the vote showed both a victory of the facts brought by the prosecution and a political victory for Noem. Nick Nemec, Boevers cousin who has also pressed for Ravnsborgs ouster in the Legislature where he once held a seat as a Democrat, said he was grateful Noem fought for Ravnsborg's removal. Gov. Noem is a polarizing figure," he said. Theres a lot of stuff she says and does that I disagree with wholeheartedly, but Im sure glad she was on our side on this issue. Hearst Connecticut Media file photo OLD SAYBROOK The Old Saybrook Historical Society will host a ceremony to honor a WWII veteran and former resident who perished on the B-17G Belle of the Brawl during a bombing mission to Cherbourg, France, in May 1944. The event, which will be held on the Town Green, 302 Main St., in memory of the late Claude Cabby Zanni, a U.S. Army Air Force staff sergeant, will begin at noon. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two officers in Connecticut have been placed on paid leave after a man was seriously injured in the back of a police van and dragged around the police station before being taken to a hospital with signs of paralysis, authorities said. New Haven Assistant Police Chief Karl Jacobson said at a news conference Tuesday evening that Officer Oscar Diaz did not follow a department policy that requires officers to call for medical assistance and wait for paramedics when someone is in distress in a police vehicle. He said Diaz braked hard to avoid an accident, injuring Richard Cox. This is a horrible thing that happened to this young man, and were going to do everything possible so it doesnt happen again, Jacobson said. City police on Tuesday also released videos of their handling of Cox and said state police were called in to investigate. Cox, 36, of New Haven, was arrested on a gun charge Sunday. He was being treated at a hospital and there was a chance he could be permanently paralyzed, Mayor Justin Elicker said. On Wednesday, the president of the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP, Scot X. Esdaile, said he will be asking federal authorities to investigate how New Haven police officers treated Cox. They need to be held accountable for this man being paralyzed, Esdaile told The Associated Press. Esdaile said the situation reminded him of the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. Gray, a 25-year-old Black man, died in 2015 after he suffered a spinal injury while handcuffed and shackled in a Baltimore police van. Cox, who is Black, also was handcuffed when he was in the back of the New Haven police van, and there were no seat belts. He flew headfirst into a wall when Diaz braked hard to avoid an accident, police said. A camera recorded the moments when Cox was injured. Diaz then resumed driving to the police department despite Cox calling for help and saying he was injured and couldn't move, according to the video and officials. A few minutes later, Diaz stopped the van to check on Cox, who was lying motionless on the floor. Diaz then called paramedics, but told them to meet him at the station instead of waiting for them, Jacobson said. At the station, officers dragged Cox out of the van by his feet and put him in a wheelchair, video shows. Police then booked Cox, took him out of the wheelchair and dragged him into a cell, where he was left on the floor, video shows. Paramedics arrived minutes later and took Cox to a hospital, officials said. Elicker said Tuesday evening that he found the officers' action, and inaction, quite concerning. Once the handcuffs go on, youre then in the care of the New Haven Police Department and theres an obligation to treat every individual in a manner that ensures their safety and well-being, he said. Some of the actions taken by the officers, in my personal judgment, fall short of that. Diaz and Sgt. Betsy Segui, who works in the department's detention area, were placed on paid leave pending an investigation. Three other officers have been transferred out of the detention area, officials said. Officers are heard on videos telling Cox at various points to stand up or move, but he could not. Messages seeking comment were sent to Diaz, Segui and the local police union. Lawyers Lou Rubano and R.J. Weber III said in a statement that they are representing Cox and questioned police officers' handling of him. We are praying for Mr. Coxs well-being. He has a long and painful recovery ahead of him. His family is united and by his side, they said. In the Freddie Gray case, six officers were charged. Three were acquitted and Baltimores state attorney dropped the other cases. The Justice Department declined to bring federal charges. HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) All four inmates who escaped a minimum-security prison satellite camp in Virginia over the weekend are now back in custody, the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons announced Wednesday. The inmates were discovered missing from the satellite camp of the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg in Hopewell, Virginia, around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, the bureau said in a news release Saturday. Tavaraes Lajuane Graham, Corey Branch, Lamonte Rashawn Willis and Kareem Allen Shaw left the minimum security camp around 10 p.m. Friday and it was a couple of hours before their absence was detected, Senior Inspector Kevin Connolly of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force said. Graham returned to the camp and surrendered early Sunday and Branch and Shaw surrendered Tuesday, officials said. Willis surrendered at Petersburgs medium security facility on Wednesday, officials said. Bureau officials did not release any details about the escape but said Saturday that an internal investigation has been initiated. According to the bureau's website, its minimum-security satellite camps have dormitory housing and limited or no perimeter fencing. They provide inmate labor to the main institution and to off-site work programs. The U.S. Marshals Service and the bureau continue to investigate and will relay findings to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Richmond, Connolly said in a statement. 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. 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. 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. NORWALK In 1995, Michelle Waites was hired as a patent attorney at workplace-technology provider Xerox Holdings after graduating from law school at the University of California-Berkeley. Her discovery that Xerox had an employee resource group called GALAXe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer professionals figured prominently in her decision to join the company. Today, Waites ranks as one of the Norwalk headquartered Fortune 500 companys longest-serving executives, now holding the titles of vice president, legal counsel and corporate secretary for CareAR, the software startup launched last year by Xerox. At the same time, she serves as co-president of GALAXe. Each June, Waites and her colleagues in the approximately 600-member GALAXe organize programs to celebrate Pride Month. Beyond this months events, networks such as GALAXe play a leading year-round role in fostering more equal and inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ professionals across corporate America advocacy that has carried on amid the rise of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The world has changed and fortunately its changed for the better for us. LGBTQ people arent ostracized in the way we were before, Waites said in an interview. Members who come into GALAXe now really do expect to be treated fairly. Now, people dont feel like they have to join GALAXe to be activists, whereas earlier on I think that was a bigger part of it. Xerox is very responsive, so you dont have to fight for much. Widespread support for LGBTQ professionals Pride Month events have been fixtures on corporate calendars for years. The pandemic-sparked upheaval of the past two years has moved much of that programming online, with many of those engagements featuring guest speakers discussing key issues facing the LGBTQ community. But executives said the digital format has not diminished Pride Months significance. During Pride month, Xerox encourages all of our employees to learn about Pride, as well as how to get involved with various events GALAXe hosts. We also change our logos internally and externally to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community, Suzan Morno-Wade, Xeroxs chief human resources officer, said in a statement. Diversity, inclusion and belonging is an essential part of the Xerox culture. We have a team that works tirelessly day in and day out to create a workplace that allows all of our employees to thrive and to bring their true, whole selves to their work. For 20 consecutive years, Xerox has earned a 100 percent score in the Human Rights Campaign Foundations Corporate Equality Index. The CEI focuses on four areas: non-discrimination policies across businesses; equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families; support of an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility. We wanted to maintain our 100 percent score, Waites said. Its great to be honored, and its also a good way for companies to benchmark against each other to see what everybody else is doing for LGBTQ people. In addition to Xerox, 14 other Connecticut-based companies also earned 100 scores in the 2022 Corporate Equality Index: AQR Capital Management, BlueTriton Brands, Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Bridgewater Associates, Cigna, Diageo North America, FactSet, Gartner, The Hartford, Otis Worldwide, Pitney Bowes, Stanley Black & Decker, Synchrony and Thomson Reuters. This year, a record 842 businesses, employing a total of more than 14 million workers, earned 100 scores and the designation of being a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality up from 13 in the CEIs first edition 20 years ago. Companies with strong track records in supporting LGBTQ professionals are often based in cities with local governments with similar values. Last year, Norwalk and Stamford were among the cities that earned 100 percent scores on HRCs Municipal Equality Index scorecard. Xeroxs 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaigns Corporate Equality Index makes me proud to have them here in Norwalk, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said in a statement. We know that the LGBTQ+ communitys presence here in Norwalk brings an unparalleled strength that directly contributes to what makes our city so special. We hope that more companies that fully embrace and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community continue to come to Norwalk. But not all large companies scored highly on this years CEI. Among the Fortune 500 firms headquartered in Connecticut, Amphenol, Emcor Group and Frontier Communications received unofficial scores of 20 and W.R. Berkley was given an unofficial score of 10 because the HRC Foundation said that they were among the companies that have not responded to repeated invitations to the CEI survey. These ratings are based on publicly available information as well as information submitted to HRC from unofficial LGBTQ employee groups or individual employees. When this years index was released, Frontier officials said the company received an unofficial score because the HRC Foundation had been contacting an employee who no longer works at the company. They said the company had reached out to HRC to update its score. Messages left this week for Amphenol, Emcor and W.R. Berkley were not returned. Longstanding work Groups such as GALAXe have played a vital role in efforts to secure greater rights and create more inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ professionals. In response to a GALAXe recommendation, Xerox last year rolled out a self-identification option in its systems in the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom that allows employees and external candidates to disclose information including gender identity and sexual orientation in their personal profiles. We want to ensure that everyone can bring their whole self to work and be comfortable doing so, which is an important step in our journey to becoming a more diverse and inclusive workplace, Morno-Wade said. We also encourage all employees to share their preferred pronouns in their email signature, which is a concrete, impactful way to show advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals. Among earlier initiatives, Waites said that she was proud of Xerox becoming in the late 1990s one of the first companies to offer domestic-partner benefits to same-sex partners of employees. It wasnt a common thing to have back then, said Waites, who lives with her wife in Westchester County, N.Y. Looking ahead, HR experts see the rise of remote working since the beginning of the pandemic as a foundation for companies to recruit more LGBTQ employees and professionals from other underrepresented groups because they can consider candidates beyond the areas within a daily commute of their offices. Thats created a huge opportunity for companies that in the past struggled on diversity for the simple fact that they were locked in on local candidate pools, said David Lewis, founder and CEO of the Norwalk-based HR services firm Operations Inc. Employers used to say that local candidate pools had nothing to offer in terms of a good, solid and diverse population from which to hire. Now that excuse is out the window because you can hire a diverse population from anywhere in the U.S. Waites said that GALAXe welcomes newcomers, regardless of whether they are members of the LGBTQ community or straight allies. We get a lot more allies joining now, Waites said. Every fight for equality gets stronger when people outside the marginalized group join them in the fight and demand change. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott Interview: Mexico's ruling party leader urges U.S. to stop meddling in LatAm's internal affairs Xinhua) 11:25, June 22, 2022 MEXICO CITY, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States should adhere to non-interference in the internal affairs of Latin American countries and show respect for their sovereignty, said the leader of Mexico's ruling party National Regeneration Movement (MORENA). It is not easy to share a border with the United States, which continues to meddle in Latin American countries' internal affairs as it has gotten used to regarding the region as its "backyard," Secretary General of MORENA Citlalli Hernandez Mora told Xinhua in a recent interview, adding regional countries are "struggling for" their sovereignty. Recalling the exclusions of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua by the United States from the Summit of the Americas earlier this month, Hernandez said such a move hindered regional cooperation and revealed U.S. disrespect for Latin America. "As long as there are no real mechanisms for cooperation, exchange, dialogue, we will not be able to create serious opportunities where we can raise the issues that concern the continent," Hernandez said, citing arms smuggling and drug trafficking as examples. She said the United States continues to evade its responsibilities on domestic problems that have spilled over the border to Latin American countries. For example, Mexican authorities estimated that at least half a million weapons flow illegally each year from the United States into the hands of criminal organizations in Mexico, fueling gun violence in the Latin American country, Hernandez said. The United States also overlooked its role as the world's leading consumer of narcotics, and blamed Mexico for more illegal drugs circulating in its own land, she said. Hernandez called on the United States to show respect for ideological and governmental differences in the whole continent, "leading to a foreign policy of collaboration, solidarity and joint problem-solving." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has pulled up the state government for the withdrawal of cases booked against peoples representatives without taking court permission and also for violation of a Supreme Court order. A division bench of Chief Justice Prashant Mishra and Justice DVSS Somayajulu on Wednesday heard a petition filed by AP Journalists Federation president Krishnanjaneyulu. The petition challenged the withdrawal of prosecution cases against Jaggaiahpet MLA Samineni Udhayabhanu through a government order. Petitioners counsel Jada Sravan asked as to how the cases booked against public representatives could be withdrawn based on directions from the DGP and district collector. He said that the Supreme Court, in its order in 2021, made it clear that withdrawal of cases should be done only with high court permission. The court asked the government pleader as to how such cases were withdrawn without taking its permission. He admitted that this was done. The court said this would be considered as contempt of court and directed the government to submit details as to how many cases booked against the peoples representatives were withdrawn so far; and, in how many such cases were the courts permission taken through an affidavit? Counsel admitted that cases booked on charges of distribution of money to voters during elections and attacks on officials were withdrawn. WASHINGTON (AP) Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser won the Democratic primary on Tuesday, overcoming a progressive rival and virtually guaranteeing that she will win a third consecutive term to lead a city confronting inequality, crime and public safety concerns. Bowser defeated At-large Councilmember Robert White, who harshly criticized her response to spiraling violent crime rates, and Councilmember Trayon White, who represents Ward 8, the poorest and most crime-ridden area in the district. The winner of the Democratic primary is the prohibitive favorite in the November general election in the heavily Democratic city. That would make Bowser the second mayor to win three consecutive terms, tying with Marion Barry, who presided over the city continuously from 1979 to 1991. The primary in Washington unfolded as many cities that are Democratic strongholds debate how to contend with crime. In Washington, homicides have risen for four years straight, and the 2021 murder count of 227 was the highest mark since 2003. In January, a candidate for the D.C. Council, Nate Fleming, was carjacked at gunpoint. On Sunday night, gunfire erupted at a street concert 2 miles from the White House, killing a 15-year-old boy and wounding three others, including a police officer. Under pressure from activists calling to defund the police, Bowser largely stood by her police department, fighting public battles with the D.C. Council over the police budget. She quietly replaced an older white police chief with a younger Black successor and has pushed for funding to build Metropolitan Police Department staffing, currently at 3,500, up to 4,000 officers over the next decade. In April, the D.C. Councils judiciary committee cut $6 million from Bowsers $30 million budget proposal to hire more officers, targeting incentives Bowser claimed were vital to attract good candidates. The committee, on which neither of her challengers serves, did approve a $20,000 hiring bonus to help recruit more police officers, something Bowser announced a few days before the primary. Ive never been to a community where they said they didnt want the police. Never, Bowser said in a radio debate last month. We need the police that we need. In the summer of 2020, following mass protests over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Bowser publicly feuded with then-President Donald Trump after racial justice protesters were forcibly cleared from an area near the White House. Bowser responded by renaming the protest epicenter Black Lives Matter Plaza and commissioning a mural with Black Lives Matter painted on a stretch of 16th Street, one block from the White House, in giant yellow letters. Bowser, 49, campaigned on her experience and leadership and her history as one of the faces of Washingtons ongoing quest for statehood. She also received good marks for her handling of the pandemic, generally operating in coordination with the D.C. Council. Robert White, 40, had a history of successful insurgent campaigns, having unseated an entrenched incumbent for an at-large Council seat in 2016. He proposed tackling crime through a massive public and private youth jobs program that Bowser derided as unsustainable. Trayon White, 38, invoked the spirit of Barry, the late mayor and council member who remains a controversial but beloved figure among many Washingtonians. A former grassroots community activist, White was a protege of Barrys and opposed Bowsers bids to hire more police officers. He favors community violence intervention programs, something he says Bowser was slow to embrace. OLD SAYBROOK The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is presenting musician Josh Rouse in concert June 28 at 7:30 p.m. You dont have to work hard to enjoy Josh Rouses music, the venue said in a press release. His songs present themselves to you with an open heart, an innate intelligence and an absolute lack of pretension. They are clear-eyed, empathetic and penetrating. Without pandering, they seek to satisfy both your ear and your understanding. The verses draw you in with telling detail, both musical and thematic, and the choruses lift and deliver. They resolve without seeming overly tidy or pat, the news release continued. Rouse was born in Nebraska and following an itinerant upbringing, he eventually landed in Nashville, where he recorded his debut Dressed Like Nebraska (1998). The albums acclaim led to tours with Aimee Mann, Mark Etzel and the late Vic Chestnut. The follow-up, Home (2000), yielded the song Directions, which Cameron Crowe used in his film Vanilla Sky. For his breakthrough album, 1972 (2003), which happens to be the year he was born, Rouse decided to cheer up a bit, the venue said. I figured this is my career, I might as well try to enjoy it, he said in a prepared statement. Rouse has continued writing and recording, even after relocating to Spain, and most recently released Love In the Modern Age (2018), which took its musical inspiration from the thinking mans pop of the eighties: The Blue Nile, Prefab Sprout and the Style Council. In 2019, he tackled the Christmas album on The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse, but instead of well-worn carols or classics, he wrote an entire record of original holiday-themed pop songs. Opening the show will be the acoustic duo of Shellye Valauskas and Dean Falcone of the Shellye Valauskas Experience. Based in the New Haven area, Valauskas and Falcone write meticulously crafted power pop songs, with an emphasis on power. The songs hearken back to the finer moments of the 1970s and 1980s and are filled with sparkling melodies powered by sharp and often jangly electric guitars; think Big Star, The Raspberries and Aimee Mann, the Kate said. The latest release, History of Panic, is a collection of catchy choruses, swirly guitars and melodies that instantly draw you in and satisfy on every level. For tickets, visit thekate.org or call 860-510-0453. WESTON A group of residents have filed a lawsuit appealing the Weston Conservation Commissions recent approval of the towns modified dog park plan. In the lawsuit, filed last week in Stamford Superior Court, the 14 residents argue the commission, First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor and Town Counsel Ira Bloom participated in unlawful conflicts of interest, violated state regulations regarding the plan and didnt properly map the wetlands and grounds. Residents are looking to appeal the modified permit for the dog parks construction, as they said it would sit on top of wetlands within the town-owned forest and could harm the environment. I feel very confident that this lawsuit has no merit and the town will prevail again, Nestor said in a statement. This isnt the first time the dog park proposal is headed to court. The dog park was approved by the towns conservation commission in 2018 and then upheld by the Superior Court, Nestor said. The town made minor modifications this year to save costs, and the Conservation Commission upheld it again. The opponents raised the same issues that the Court rejected before. The Court will reject them again, our attorneys believe. The lawsuit argues Conservation Commission Chairwoman Sarah Schlechter should have recused herself as she did when the permit was first approved in 2018 and that not doing so this time was a conflict of interest. Residents sent her a letter in April asking her to recuse herself, pointing to the reasons she gave back in 2018 that she was a member of the commission and had made her opinion known. Schlechter did not respond immediately to the request for comment. However, she addressed the matter during a commission meeting in April. At the meeting, Schlechter declined to recuse herself. She said that given the passage of time between her email to the Board of Selectmen in support of the dog park in 2017 to the April meeting, she did not believe it was necessary. She then said that she would listen to the application with an open mind and adhere to the regulations. I assure you that I am able to separate my personal opinion regarding the dog park from the objective review necessary to determine if the proposal before us will harm the wetlands, as I have on many applications that I voted on as a member of this commission, Schlechter said at the meeting. The complaint also alleges Schlechter attempted to limit aspects of the intervenors presentations about the modified application. The chairwomans refusal to recuse herself and her subsequent participation and actions further created an appearance of impropriety that undermined the confidence of the intervenors and public in the integrity of the proceedings and independence of the commission, the complaint states. The lawsuit also argues Nestor had conflicts of interest since she was the applicant, but also participated in the commissions consideration of the application as an ex-officio member. Nestor also leads the process of appointing and reappointing commission members, according to the complaint. According to the complaint, Nestor made a series of statements that were in support of the application that were inaccurate or misleading. It also says that Nestor did not follow the commissions requests from 2018, where commissioners urged the selectmen to consult and collaborate with the intervenors if they intended to seek any changes to the permit. The lawsuit argues this didnt happen for the modified permit. As for their claims against me, Nestor said, I have no voting rights on the Conservation Commission, so that claim is just wrong. The lawsuit also argues Bloom accepted dual, conflicting roles during the commissions consideration and deliberation of the application. He first challenged the residents arguments of the new application and urged the commission dismiss them on behalf of his client. He then became the commissions legal advisor, according to the lawsuit. Bloom declined to comment. The complaint also says the map for the proposed site in the towns plan didnt show wetlands or topography, which they said violates the Connecticut State Agencies Code of Ethics. The engineer did admit the existence of a steep slope and unmapped wetlands, raising environmental issues at the commissions final hearing on the matter, according to the lawsuit. It also says the commission failed to treat the application as new and ignored evidence that the proposal could pollute wetlands and state-protected waters downstream. For these reasons, the lawsuit says the approval of the application was arbitrary and capricious. The lawsuit also argues the commission exceeded its authority by approving the portion of the application about constructing a vehicle entryway, parking area and storm water management system hundreds of feet from the closest wetland, watercourse or upland review area. The commissions authority is limited to the protection and use of inland wetlands and watercourses, the lawsuit states. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Puente Pub is now open in the Unionville section of Farmington, bringing what owners Luis and Kerry Vazquez call "American-Latino" fare to the area. The restaurant opened earlier this month at 81 South Main St., following the closing of Taprock Beer Bar & Refuge. Puente will offer a mix of Latin American cuisines, with dishes featuring Puerto Rican, Spanish, Mexican, Argentinian, Cuban and Venezuelan flavors, Vazquez told Hearst Connecticut in May. The menu will also have classic American preparations using Latin ingredients, and vice versa, he said. Jim DeMicco / Skyeline Studios The dinner menu features several small plates, including a twist on chili fries, with yuca, picadillo, cheddar curds and pickled cherry peppers; and "margherita pizza" empanadas inspired by the tomato sauce and cheese-stuffed empanadas Vazquez ate growing up. Other dishes include chicken tinga taquitos, pork belly "lollipops," octopus ceviche, chicken pot pie "croquetas," choripan (Argentine sausage sliders) and provoleta, an Argentinian dish of molten provolone served with crostini and chimichurri. "Stay a while" large plates and entrees include chicken and sausage rice, NY strip with chimichurri, swordfish marinated with cilantro, garlic, and Mexican oregano; and pork and chicken pinchos (kabobs.) Fish n' chips are served New England style with traditional batter, or "Puente" style, crusted in plantain chips. A "Papi Chulo" plate is Puente's take on a Colombian paisa plate, with sirloin steak, grilled sausage, chicharron, rice, beans, sweet plantain and fried egg. Puente's cocktail list also features American-Latino influences, like the Farmington River Water with brewed tea, Evan Williams Honey Bourbon, lemonade, muddled mint and honey; and a Cuba Libre "made the way Chef Luis and his cousin Dario drink them in Puerto Rico" with chilled Don Q Rum, crushed ice, Coke and lime. A red sangria is available on tap, and other cocktails feature tequila and pineapple rum. Jim DeMicco / Skyeline Studios A longtime chef who helped open Farmington's Butchers & Bakers restaurant in 2017, Luis Vazquez grew up in Puerto Rico and attended culinary school there, later becoming an executive chef for the governor's residence. He also previously served as executive chef at Mohegan Sun's SolToro. Kerry Vazquez worked for the former Apricots restaurant in Farmington, later joining the team at Simsbury's Metro Bis. This is Luis Vazquez's first ownership experience, which has been a dream of his for "a long time," he told Hearst Connecticut last month. "We were driving by when we saw the place was for sale, and Kerry said, 'We've got to call it Puente,'" he said. "It just clicked in our brain, because 'puente' means 'bridge' in Spanish." "...There's a little metaphor there about what this bridge symbolizes as far as connecting people with the food and connecting people with each other, you know, and and just try to enjoy the restaurant experience again after a very rough couple of years." Puente is currently open for dinner only: Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. The restaurant will add lunch, brunch, takeout and delivery in the coming weeks. PHOENIX (AP) Maricopa County prosecutors announced Tuesday they plan to seek the death penalty for a couple if theyre convicted of killing an 11-year-old boy in Scottsdale five months ago. A grand jury indicted 52-year-old Stephanie Marie Davis and her 33-year-old husband, Thomas James Desharnais, in February on 11 felony counts that included first-degree murder, child abuse and tampering with evidence. Scottsdale police said the child died at a hospital the month before. According to police, Davis told dispatchers she found her grandson unresponsive in the bathtub of an Scottsdale hotel on Jan. 30. First responders said they removed a half liter of water from the boys body during life-saving efforts and notes numerous other injuries that were at various healing stages. Prosecutors said Davis and Desharnais allegedly inflicted bodily harm in an especially heinous or depraved manner on the boy since January 2019. Davis also is accused of striking the child in the head with a ratchet and failing to seek medical treatment for his injuries, according to prosecutors. Both Davis and Desharnais pleaded not guilty to the charges Feb. 17. They remain held on multimillion-dollar bonds as they await April 2024 trials. Calls and emails to the public defenders who represent the couple werent immediately returned Tuesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT The police departments minority officer organization is condemning the decision to again not require candidates for police chief to be college graduates. We teach our kids that by continuing education you will have greater opportunities in life. The Bridgeport Guardians are appalled, the groups president, Office Davon Polite, said in a statement released in response to a report published Monday by Hearst Connecticut Media. The city last week began accepting applications for a new permanent top cop. According to the list of qualifications, a college degree is preferred rather than a must-have. That is a sensitive issue because of the scandal involving the rigging of 2018s chief search to benefit then-Acting Chief Armando Perez. Perez, who is not a college graduate, was chosen by Mayor Joe Ganim in late 2018 out of three finalists to be permanent head of the force. Perez and former Personnel Director David Dunn were then arrested in September 2020 for cheating to make Perez chief, pleaded guilty, were sentenced to prison and have since been released. A federal complaint from September 2020 detailing the criminal case against Perez and Dunn specified how part of their plot to make Perez permanent chief involved the latter giving unusual instructions to the consultant used in 2018s search that would only benefit Perez, like there should be no requirement that a candidate possess a bachelors degree, or any penalty for candidates who did not have one. In Consultant-1s experience, it is unusual for a police chief not to have a bachelors degree, continued the complaint. Armando Perez ... does not have a bachelors degree and was the only applicant without one. In 2018 critics of the chief search at the time complained that applicants should have a higher education and alleged that requirement was eliminated to help Perez. The current chief search is being run by new Personnel Director Eric Amado and a new consultant, the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The job requirements were crafted based on best practices and on public input obtained through an online survey, three public hearings and meetings with various community groups and leaders. The city in response to the criticism last week argued this is not a replay of four years ago because candidates who have one or more degrees will receive preference. Please remember that the controversy (in 2018) arose from the former personnel director (Dunn) directing the consultant not to award preference points to candidates who had continued education or advanced degrees, Ganims administration said Friday in a statement. That is not the case in this current process. Polite in his statement indicated that approach is unacceptable. Most police departments across the nation mandate requirements (for) at the very least a police chief candidate to have a Bachelors degree and prefer a Masters or doctorate, he stated. Bridgeport is always behind on the curve in every process. We need to do better not only for the police department but for the great citizens of Bridgeport that weve taken an oath to serve and protect. Though Polite did not mention it, one individual who might benefit is current Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia, whom the Guardians a year ago said should be removed, alleging its members, especially Black officers, were being subjected to disparate treatment and a hostile work environment by Acting Chief Garcia. Garcia has not responded to requests from Hearst Connecticut about whether she intends to apply for the permanent position of chief and the city has ignored Hearst Connecticuts requests for her resume. However a copy of Garcia's resume from July 2019, filed in state Superior Court as part of a challenge against her promotion in 2019 to assistant chief, shows she received associates degrees and attended various policing/law enforcement courses. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The House's Jan. 6 committee plans to continue its public hearings into July as its investigation of the Capitol riot deepens. The chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, told reporters Wednesday that the committee is receiving a lot of information including new documentary film footage of Donald Trump's final months in office as its yearlong inquiry intensifies with hearings into the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election that Democrat Joe Biden won. The committee is also working on setting up an interview with Virginia Ginni" Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has responded to the panel's request to appear, the chairman said. She was asked to speak to the committee after disclosures of her communications with Trump's team in the run-up and day of the insurrection at the Capitol. Its our expectation that we will keep talking and trying to get her to come in, said Thompson, D-Miss. Thomas has previously said she cant wait to clear up misconceptions, suggesting she would comply with the panels request to testify. For the past year, the committee has been investigating the violence at the Capitol and its causes, and has interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses and produced some 140,000 documents. Nine people died in the attack and its aftermath. The next hearing, set for Thursday, is expected to highlight former Justice Department officials testifying about Trump's proposals to reject the election results. It would wrap up this month's work. The committee would start up again in July, Thompson said. The panel has issued a new subpoena for testimony to Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., who was among a group of five GOP lawmakers, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the committee wants to hear from about their interactions with Trump before or during the Capitol riot, the chairman said. Brooks, who was defeated this week in Alabama's GOP primary for the U.S. Senate and had lost favor with Trump, initially indicated he may speak to the panel. But Thompson said the subpoena had expired, so a new one needed to be sent. McCarthy and the other Republican lawmakers are declining to appear. Meanwhile, in a sign of a widening Justice Department investigation, federal law enforcement officials served a round of subpoenas Wednesday related to alternate or fake slates of electors who falsely sought to declare Trump the winner in their states in 2020. The House committee has already been investigating the matter, but the new subpoenas underscore the Justice Departments interest in the same area. The recipients of the subpoenas included David Shafer, the chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The Washington Post was first to report on the subpoenas. The committee had been scheduled to conclude this first round of public hearings in June. But additional information has come to the committee's attention, and Congress is set to recess for two weeks of remote and district work into the Fourth of July holiday. We have a new documentary from a person that were talking to, and we got to look through all his information, Thompson said, referring to the British filmmaker whose never-before-seen interviews with the former president and his inner circle were turned over to the committee this week. The footage was taken both before and after the insurrection. The revelation about the film came to light Tuesday when British filmmaker Alex Holder revealed he had complied with a congressional subpoena to turn over all of the footage he shot in the final weeks of Trumps 2020 reelection campaign. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., indicated Tuesday that the investigation's schedule may be changing. I would just say the original hearings would have wrapped up in June, but we are picking up new evidence on a daily basis with enormous velocity, Raskin said. And so were constantly incorporating and including the new information thats coming out. He added, But certainly the hearings will conclude before the end of the summer. The televised hearings launched with a prime-time session this month. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. ___ For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MILFORD Julie Nash envisioned Devons transformation when Dockside Brewery opened its doors in that area of Milford two years ago. Nash, the citys director of economic and community development, recalled how that move was considered the perfect ingredient to creating a growing business community in Devon. And that vision has become a reality. There is a lot more life down in the Devon area, a lot more traffic, a lot more people going to visit, and there has been an increase of people wanting to start a business there, she said. Dockside Brewery opened up in 2020, and for Nash, it is the business anchor for Devon. It brought what Devon needed, she said. Not to say there werent great places before them. Bridge House Restaurant has always been a great restaurant. You also have some great hair salons and service there. Recently Isabels Mexican Bakery opened in that neighborhood a grand opening long-awaited by business owners Emiliano Dominguez and Toni Quintero. When we did open, people werent coming out as much because of COVID, Dominguez said. But we managed to get by, and now the clientele is coming in frequently. Then there are businesses like Legrify Inspired, which offer more of an experience than retail, which is the way more and more businesses are moving, said Nash. Not only can you buy a candle they have there, but you can make the candle, she said. Having businesses like that is a big deal because it brings in people for the experience. A new business coming soon into the Devon area is going to be a co-working space, said Nash. When that opens up, its going to bring even more life into the Devon area, she said. From people working down there and riding their bikes down there as well. Im excited to see the future of Devon, Nash added. Its definitely bright, and theres a lot of cool stuff going on. Nash said Legrify Inspired business owners Julianna Shabarek and Joe Carrano have been instrumental in trying to organize a Devon Business Association to mirror the Downtown Milford Business Association. They have planned several events this year, and they were super successful, Nash added. Having many neighbors and residents coming down and walking and visiting the shops made it a great event. One of those events was the first Devon Stroll held in December 2021. A group of Devon merchants, including Shabarek and Carrano, organized the event. Nash credited Dockside for helping to bring more people to the area. Prior to Dockside, there were shops in Devon, but it recently has given more people more opportunities to see businesses in the area, stated Nash. As opposed to before, it just didnt have the life it had, she said of the neighborhood. Dockside was truly transformational for Devon. That really was a kicker to change everything. BRIDGEPORT An 17-year-old scooter rider involved in a crash last week has died, according to officials. Adolfo AJ DeJesus, 17, was on a scooter with an 18-year-old when they were struck by a pickup truck on Kossuth Street near Berkshire Avenue. My nephew fought hard, but unfortunately, his body couldn't handle the trauma, DeJesus aunt, Jovanna Hopkins, wrote in a GoFundMe page. Though the crash occurred a week ago, city officials would not provide much information about it Wednesday like who was operating the scooter at the time of the collision. Scott Appleby, director of the citys Office of Emergency Management, said Wednesday that the Bridgeport Police Department Traffic Division has no additional comment. The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed it is investigating DeJesus death, but said the cause and manner have not yet been determined. Authorities were called to the scene of the crash around 5:50 p.m. on June 15, after multiple 911 calls for a crash with injuries, officials said. Video from the incident reviewed by Hearst Connecticut Media showed the scooter was dragged for nearly a block during the collision. The driver of the pickup truck fled the scene, but later turned himself in after police were able to track down the vehicle, officials said. As of Wednesday, it was unclear if the driver is facing charges in connection with the crash the first of two serious accidents within days involving vehicles police described as scooters. On Friday, a 17-year-old and 3-year-old were injured seriously near East Washington and Housatonic avenues while riding on a stand-up scooter and colliding with another vehicle. Officials said its difficult to say whether the crashes are part of an uptick in accidents involving scooters. Appleby said the departments statistics dont track accidents involving scooters specifically. Eric Jackson, the executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute at the University of Connecticut, which oversees the states Crash Data Repository, said its difficult to get an idea of how many accidents involve scooters statewide as well because theres no category capturing data on the vehicles specifically. He said it seems the crashes seem like an abnormality as of now, just due to increased risk-taking behavior post COVID. I think these might just be a symptom of the bad driver behavior we are seeing all over the place now and less on scooter or moped use, Jackson said. Another complication is nomenclature: scooter can mean different things to different people, from sit-down scooters with gasoline motors to the Lynx electric scooters available to rent in Bridgeport through a city-sponsored program. Maria Pereira, a City Council member who has championed local restrictions on ATVs and dirt bikes, noted that the use of motor scooters is prohibited in Bridgeport by an ordinance which exempts electric scooters like Lynxes. Theyre dangerous, she said Wednesday, recalling a recent drive on Huntington Turnpike when a mini scooter was alongside her vehicle. It was a miracle that I happened to be taking a right-hand turn and noticed the mini scooter was driving along my right side. If youre in a tall vehicle its going to be very difficult to see that. Appleby said those who do use scooters should always wear a helmet, make sure theyre visible to traffic flow, follow the rules of the road, and never tandem ride on stand-up scooters. In addition, motor vehicle drivers should stay alert to scooters on the roadways, (and) never follow too closely. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Adolfo AJ DeJesus was 17 years old. OXFORD State police detectives said they are investigating the untimely death of a man Monday evening. State police said the Oxford Resident Troopers Office and paramedics were called to an address on Pawnee Road around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday for a man in cardiac arrest. State police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The state police Western District Major Crimes Squad was called to document the circumstances around the death, state police said. Detectives from Troop A have taken over the investigation. State police said there is no threat to the public, but did not release any more information, including the name of the man who died. Hyderabad: A 26-year-old environmental engineer in the US, Nakka Sai Charan, who promised to visit his home in Nalgonda by next month, was shot dead in Maryland state. The incident took place on Sunday and his parents received information on Tuesday night from his relatives. At about 4.30 am on Monday, Maryland Transportation Authority Police were informed of a single-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 95 near the Caton Avenue exit. Police visited the place and found Charan with a gunshot wound to his head and unconscious in his newly purchased car. "Police immediately shifted Sai Charan to University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where the doctors declared him was brought dead. The doctors found a gunshot injury on Sai Charan's head. A black man armed with a weapon reportedly opened fire at a car in which Sai Charan was driving alone. A case of homicide was registered and investigating the case," sources said. The incident took place when Sai Charan dropped his friend at the airport and was returning home. In 2020, Sai Charan left for the USA for higher studies. After doing MS, he joined as a software engineer in a reputed company. "Three days ago, Charan called us and shared the good news that he had purchased a vehicle and he would come home by next month. We all are waiting for the arrival of my son but unfortunately, we will receive his body," his inconsolable father, Nakka Narsimha, a retired headmaster, said. Six months ago, Sai Charan joined as an environmental engineer in Environ-Civil Engineering Ltd in Columbia, Maryland. The Nalgonda youth had done an internship at Wastewater Co-Op in Cincinnati city of Ohio. In 2019, Sai Charan finished his BE in civil engineering from Osmania University and did an internship in Megha Engineering and Infrastructure. As sister Harika got married and settled in Arlington Heights in the USA, Sai Charan showed interest to pursue his higher education and doing a job even after his parents tried to persuade him against it as he was the only son in the family. "Sai Charan was born when Harika was eight. We pampered him and encouraged him in education. We did not want him to go to the USA and asked him to find in India, father Narasimha said. The family reconciled after he shifted abroad. On Saturday, we texted a message to Sai Charan but no response. We thought he was busy. Later, my relatives called us and informed us that Charan met an accident," said Narsimha. The parents have demanded that the US authorities control gun culture in the USA. "Sai Charan had big dreams in his life but all these dreams were shattered," his father said. Friends, relatives and family members rushed to Narsimha's residence located at New Raghavendra Colony in Nalgonda town. Local MLA Kancharla Bhoopal Reddy and Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy expressed their condolences to bereaved family members. New Delhi: Ahead of the virtual BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit to be hosted by China starting on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the BRICS Business Forum on Wednesday that India is the fastest growing major economy with an expected 7.5 per cent growth this year. He credited the governments "reform, perform and transform" mantra for the achievement and added that by 2025, the value of Indias digital economy will reach USD 1 trillion. He said that such a growth of the digital economy was unprecedented anywhere in the world. In a recorded keynote address, Mr Modi said that there are opportunities for investment to the tune of USD 1.5 trillion in Indias national infrastructure and that the country has made a national master plan to improve infrastructure. Mr Modi suggested that the BRICS Business Forum can set up a platform for exchanges with Indian start-ups. He pointed out that globally, India now has the best ecosystem for innovation and it is reflected in the growing strength of Indian start-ups. On Wednesday, Mr Modi said, "India has adopted reform, perform and transform as its mantra This year we hope for 7.5 per cent growth, which makes us the fastest growing major economy. There are transformative changes in every sector. Technology-led growth is a pillar of Indias economic growth. We support innovation in every sector, such as space, blue economy, green hydrogen, energy, drones, geo-spatial data. There have been innovation-friendly policies. India has the best ecosystem globally for innovation (and this is) reflected in the growing strength of Indian start-ups. There are more than 100 unicorns." The PM highlighted the efforts that have been made to improve the ease of doing business in the country. He said, "Changes in thousands of rules have been made to reduce the compliance burden in business. Work on a huge scale is being done for transparency and stability in government policies. The way there is digital transformation in India, it has never been seen before in the world. By 2025, the Indian digital economys value will reach USD 1 trillion." He added, "Encouragement for prospects for womens employment in this digital growth. Among 4.4 million professionals, 36 per cent are women. The maximum benefits of technology-based financial inclusion have gone to women in rural areas. BRICS Womens Business Alliance can conduct a study on this transformative change happening in India. There can also be constructive exchanges between us on innovation-led economic recovery." At the Virtual 14th BRICS Summit, which will be attended by the host Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussions are expected to cover intra-BRICS cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, trade, health, traditional medicine, environment, science & technology and innovation, agriculture, technical and vocational education & training and MSMEs. Also, issues like reform of the multilateral system, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic recovery, amongst others, will likely be covered. The Uttarakhand government has been struggling to work with only 76 IAS officers in the state, even though it has an allocated cadre strength of 120 IAS officers. Of them, seven are on Central deputation. They include Ashish Joshi, Sridhar Babu Addanki, Jyoti Yadav, Raghav Langar, Mangesh Ghildiyal, and Amit Singh Negi. Last week, state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami got a partial wish-fulfilment when the Centre agreed to increase the states IAS cadre strength from 120 to 126 officers. Partial, because the state government had been demanding the IAS cadre be increased to 139, which the Centre has firmly rejected. It has its own mounting problem of a shortage of officers. Uttarakhands plight is shared by several other states. But sources have told DKB that the current babu deficit is of the states own making. The All India Services cadre structure is reviewed every 10 years. The last time it was done was in 2010, when the state had the opportunity to ask for an increase in the cadre posts from 120, but it chose not to. Now it is feeling the pinch. And even the six new cadre posts will not make much difference on the ground. Haryana IAS officers feel left out in UT Admin The Haryana government has long claimed that it is getting a raw deal from the Chandigarh administration with UT cadre IAS officers cornering the key posts at the expense of Haryana cadre officers. The issue has reportedly been raised on several occasions, including by the states Additional chief secretary Rajeev Arora, with the UT administrator and Punjab governor Banwari Lal Purohit. Now Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has escalated the issue by writing a letter to Mr Purohit expressing unhappiness at the uneven distribution of departments to Haryana cadre IAS and IPS officers in the UT. Those in the know have informed DKB that Mr Khattar has claimed undue dominance of UT cadre officers, whether from the IAS or DANICS cadres, in the administration at the cost of officers from Haryana and Punjab. Apparently, most of the important posts have been grabbed by officers from the UT cadre. Further, Mr Khattar has claimed that the repatriation of two HCS officers earlier in February has made matters worse. He has also pointed out that the posts of UT home secretary and deputy commissioner, held by IAS officers deputed by Haryana, have had their powers and responsibilities reduced drastically. Mr Khattar has also pointed out that in the recent reshuffle of IPS officers, the SSP (traffic) Manisha Choudhary, a Haryana cadre IPS officer, was divested of the charge of security, which was given to an AGMUT cadre officer. The list of Haryanas grievances is long, and Mr Khattar is now hoping that the UT Administrator is open to discussing the issue at the earliest. Babu gets a dressing down for wrong attire in court Unlike IPS or defence personnel who are expected to appear in uniform while on duty, there is no official dress code for IAS officers, though during training they are urged to dress appropriately. Leaving the issue open-ended and vague has sometimes landed babus in trouble. Most recently, the Patna high court pulled up Bihar IAS officer Anand Kishor, who is chairman of the state School Examination Board and principal secretary for housing and urban development. Kishor appeared for a court hearing wearing a crisp formal white shirt with trousers. So, what was wrong with the attire? The babu had not buttoned his collar and was not wearing a coat. However, not everyone agrees with the judge, including some from the legal fraternity as well. While some said that the judges remarks were unwarranted and caused unnecessary humiliation and anger, others insist that any government official must be correctly dressed in court for dignity and decorum. If so, perhaps it is time to codify how government officials are to appear in public. Is it a feudal vestige or a progressive mindset? Reader, you decide. Human rights do not exist. They are an invention, made out of pure wind. If you are seriously interested in staying free, you should not rely on these flatulent, vague phrases to help you. They are in fact a weapon in the hands of those who wish to remove your liberty and transform society, though this is probably an accident. It is only in the past 50 years or so that radical judges have realised these baseless declarations can be used (for example) to abolish national frontiers or give criminals the right to vote. You may agree with these policies. But shouldn't such things be decided by an elected parliament? That is not the view of the new wave of activist lawyers who have begun to dominate the courts since the Blair government's revolutionary Judicial Appointments Commission began to transform the judiciary in 2005. Real safeguards look completely different. Though they often lack the grandiose wording of 'human rights' documents, they do one vital thing. They limit the state's power. They say what government cannot do. Article 39 of Magna Carta, England's great charter of freedom, is worth more than a page of human rights bloviations. The article says, and it still stands, that: 'No free man shall be captured, and or imprisoned, or disseised of his freehold, or of his liberties, or of his free customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against him by force or proceed against him by arms, but by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.' On those words hangs the presumption of innocence, which protects us from arbitrary punishment. That is why a copy of this document is kept in a vault, surrounded by inert gas to keep it from decay, in the U.S. National Archives. King John is shown signing the Magna Carta (1215). Undated illustration, after a painting by Chappel Cynical noblemen wrung it out of King John 807 years ago. And it is the reason why countries which have inherited English law and government are a thousand times more free than those who didn't. The same is true of the English Bill of Rights of 1689, and its near-twin, Scotland's Claim of Right, of the same year. I was allowed to hold the original Bill of Rights, inscribed on vellum, and was surprised to find I was trembling with awe. It is the guarantee of our freedom, the actual thing my forebears fought to obtain and then to preserve, the first thing an invader would have cancelled by decree, if any invader had got here. This document, like Magna Carta, was forced from the Crown by brandy-sodden, mud-spattered squires, who had learnt not to trust the word of princes. It is a long list of things that the state may not do, based on hard experience of what it does when it is unrestrained. A century later, the American revolutionaries copied most of it. What the English Bill of Rights says is that Parliament, not the king, is sovereign, and men may only be punished by the courts. It requires frequent parliaments, guarantees free speech in those parliaments, and gives MPs the ultimate power over levying taxes and over raising or disbanding the Army. It was, for a century, the envy of Europe. It guards us still. But the French revolutionaries of 1789 had a deeper purpose. They believed they could begin the world over. They were not case-hardened cynics, but idealists who sought to replace Christianity with a new faith in man. To give voice to this nonsense, they created a 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen'. Sovereignty was taken from God and the king and given instead to the nation and to the people. Dominic Raab delivers a statement on the Bill of Rights at the House of Commons The document was displayed on tablets of stone in letters of gold, adorned with secular angels and a mysterious eye looking out from a golden pyramid. It declared that everyone was to have 'liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression', a likely story. The Declaration insisted on the presumption of innocence, something everybody claims to agree with but few really do. But it contained no practical way of enforcing this. That would require impartial, independent juries of wise, experienced men and women, immune to state pressure. Most countries do not have these. Take Articles 10 and 11: 'No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law. 'The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.' Look at that 'but'. This is airy idealism without hard guarantees, containing slippery words which allow the alleged 'right' to be cancelled whenever it suits the state fine in theory, useless in practice. And all this ended in the howling revolutionary Terror, piles of severed heads around the busy guillotine, mass drownings and farcical trials. The same useless approach was tried again in Weimar Germany, whose 1919 constitution was said at the time to be the most liberal in the world. But as usual it contained many get-out clauses, especially Article 48 allowing suspension of vital liberties. So it was that Adolf Hitler came to power, crushed German liberty and ruled for 12 horrific years, without having to replace this supposedly democratic document. Stalin, too, was much-praised by gullible Western Leftists for his 1936 Soviet Constitution, with its paper 'rights' to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Within a year, the USSR was convulsed by a wave of unrestrained secret police terror in which people were imprisoned for making anti-regime jokes, no human had any rights, or was safe from torture, sudden death or lifelong enslavement. Learning nothing from this, a group of soppy idealists led by the militant liberal Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of President Franklin Roosevelt, set out to create a Universal Declaration of Human Rights after World War II. In part this was an attempt to invent a cause for the victorious Allies awkward, given that the blood-stained Stalin was part of the winning coalition. PETER HITCHENS: 'Let us get rid of these useless human rights, which protect us from nothing and give power to those who have not earned it' Yet the document was swooned over and approved as if it mattered and has been ever since. Read it now and wonder how many UN member states implement its well-intentioned requirements. And at about the same time came the European Convention on Human Rights, which was never meant to be directed against this country. It was drawn up in an attempt to prevent those nations which had become tyrannies, or been subjugated by tyrannies, from sinking back into darkness. Has it done so? Will it do so? It was not much use against the Covid repressions of mass house arrest, travel bans and regimentation which swept Europe, almost unquestioned and unopposed. Why should it be any use against the worse things which may arise as economic crisis and angry politics once again stalk the Continent? Let us get rid of these useless human rights, which protect us from nothing and give power to those who have not earned it. And let us once again learn to value, treasure and follow the great English documents which have in fact kept us free for centuries. A bride-to-be has said she is filled with dread about her big day after saying she has 'no friends' she would want as her bridesmaids - while others assured her it's normal to have a low-key bridal party. The bride, called Jennifer, posted on the forum of wedding website Hitched to say she doesn't feel she has close enough female friends to ask them to be her bridesmaids and asked others if this was normal. Writing on the forum the 30-year-old from Essex said she always imagined having a 'girl gang' to celebrate her wedding day with - but she now finds she has drifted from her old female friends. Commenters responded to assure Jennifer that, despite tradition, they weren't planning on having lots of bridesmaids, and urged her not to feel pressured by Hollywood cliches about what weddings should be like. The bride, called Jennifer, from Essex, says she is filled with dread over the idea of not having any bridesmaids by her side as she walks down the aisle (stock image) Jennifer wrote: 'I always imagined myself to have one of those weddings surrounded by a girl gang that had known me forever and dancing the night away surrounded by my pals. 'I used to have friends but we drifted years and years ago when I moved down south and I dont seem to have had much luck when it comes to making new ones - although certainly not for a lack of trying.' According to the lonely bride, her beau isn't having anywhere near as much trouble picking out people to celebrate the day with him. She wrote: 'My boyfriend has an army of groomsmen, hes even struggling to make a decision on the final cut. 'I just feel like its going to be so embarrassing on the day.' Writing on the forum of wedding website Hitched, the 30-year-old said she was feeling anxious about the decision as the big day approached While the bride says she is doing a good job of hiding her anxiety from her family and her husband-to-be, she added there will be no escaping the reality on the wedding day that she is a 'Billy no-mates.' She added the issue is causing her so much worry she would prefer to elope with her fiance, but the popular groom-to-be doesn't want to. Describing herself as a 'saddo' Jennifer asked others if 'wedding loneliness' was a normal experience to have and if it ruined other brides' big days. She also joked she was in the market for 'Essex-based bridesmaids'. In response, women came forward to assure her they were in the same boat and understood her dilemma. One bride, called Emily, reassured Jennifer that she wasn't having any bridesmaids either and was opting for a more understated ceremony. She wrote: 'I don't really have any close girlfriends. Also, the idea of an OTT hen do is my idea of hell! My sister who got married last year didn't have bridesmaids either. I'm quite relieved she didn't make me wear a fluffy pink number!' Another bride said she was in a 'similar position' and was planning to have a relaxed morning on her wedding day with her sister. She wrote: 'I feel like weddings get romanticised in movies and reality TV and it can make people anxious (myself included) about not having a wedding that fits into the stereotypes.' Other brides-to-be who sympathised with Jennifer's dilemma offered her words of encouragement over not having any bridesmaids Another bride called Sam, who is also based in Essex, added she had chosen a couple of bridesmaids but her party was nowhere near as big as her groom's was set to be. She wrote: 'I feel in a similar boat with only really one best gal friend and my twin sister and small family in comparison to my groom's army of groomsmen, two best men a giant family and extended friend group.' Sam added: 'I'm just owning it and saying quality over quantity!' She also advised Jennifer to consider asking her grandmothers to be bridesmaids if they are still around. Another bride-to-be suggested: 'Maybe your husband can also not have any groomsmen or just have a best man to fit in with what you decide.' A father who was raised in the Mormon church and taught that being gay was 'worse than death itself' has opened up about coming out to his wife after years of struggling with his sexuality. Steve Stoddard, 40, and his ex, Jessica Frew, 38, from Boise, Idaho, shared their story in a heartwarming interview that aired on Good Morning America Tuesday in honor of Price Month. The former couple, who share a daughter, Penny, were about two years into their marriage when he told her that he was gay. 'I didn't want to be gay and it took me a long time to admit to myself and to her that, yes, I'm gay,' he explained of the moment he started embracing his sexuality. Steve Stoddard, 40, from Boise, Idaho, opened up about coming out as gay to his ex-wife, Jessica Frew, 38, during an interview with Good Morning America that aired on Tuesday Stoddard and Frew both grew up as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opposes same-sex relationships and marriages The former couple share a daughter, Penny, and he recalled thinking she 'would be would be better off with no dad than with a gay dad' Stoddard and Jessica Frew both grew up as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opposes same-sex relationships and marriages. 'There was a time where I was convinced that Penny would be better off with no dad than with a gay dad,' he recalled. 'And I really went through a dark phase for a couple of years there where I was suicidal and really struggled with just seeing the value in me being able to live a natural life that I had been taught was so wrong and that was worse than death itself.' Frew realized early on that Stoddard's sexuality had nothing to do with her, and she focused on supporting him rather than being angry about his coming out. Frew (pictured with her husband, Matt Frew) realized early on that Stoddard's sexuality had nothing to do with her, and she focused on supporting him rather than being angry Stoddard said there was a time he was suicidal because he had been taught that being gay 'worse than death itself' Stoddard and Frew eventually divorced, but they never stopped being friends Matt admitted that having his wife's ex around all of the time was an adjustment at first, but he wouldn't have it any other way 'It felt like Steve exploring and figuring out who he was,' she told GMA. 'And I made a very clear point in my head to not let it become a thing of betrayal. I knew it wasn't about me.' Stoddard and Frew eventually divorced, but they never stopped being friends. 'I've always had an innate gift to just kind of love myself and embrace who I was created to be,' she said. 'And I feel like when you do that, you're able to help other people do that along the way, too, and recognize that the things they're going through have nothing to do with you personally.' 'Now, it's like, "Where's Steve? When's Steve coming?"' Matt explained Frew and her husband now spend holidays with Stoddard and his boyfriend The Frews are also still active members of the Mormon church, and she is raising Penny in the same faith 'It just seems normal,' Penny told GMA of her blended family Frew, who has since remarried, spends holidays with Stoddard and his boyfriend as they continue to co-parent their daughter. Her husband, Matt Frew, admitted that having his wife's ex around all of the time was an adjustment at first, but he wouldn't have it any other way. 'Now, it's like, "Where's Steve? When's Steve coming?"' he explained. Frew and her husband are still active members of the Mormon church, and she is raising Penny in the same faith. She believes it's a part of their service to others to show how their blended family works. And while Stoddard's greatest concern about coming out was his daughter Penny, his fears were unfounded. 'It just seems normal,' she told GMA. A group of married couples who are all celebrating their 50th anniversaries have revealed their top tips for making a relationship last. Chicken fast food eatery Popeyes is celebrating 50 years in business, and the food joint decided to honor the feat by speaking to a series of couples who have been together for half a century, in an attempt to uncover what they think made their romances work for so long in a touching new campaign. The company points out in the ad - which was posted to the brand's YouTube account - that only six per cent of couples get to celebrate their 50th anniversary, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 'So we asked them what it takes to get there,' it added. Still going strong: A group of married couples who are all celebrating their 50th anniversaries have revealed their top tips for making a relationship last Fast food eatery Popeyes is celebrating 50 years in business, and the food joint decided to honor the feat by speaking to a series of couples who have been together for half a century Sweet sentiment: The chicken food joint asked them what they think made their romances work for so long in a touching new ad Melissa and Richard Washington told the brand that the key to a happy life together is finding something to laugh about. 'It all hasn't been peaches and cream, but we made it,' Richard said. 'You gotta have some humor in your life, and you have to forgive.' He added to his wife, 'I'm happy that every morning I wake up, and I see you. You've always been there.' Shelly and David Tsai shared a similar sentiment, adding that it's important to 'always have a good time' together, as well as to learn how to make 'sacrifices' for one another. Tom Storey, on the other hand, said he thinks his marriage to wife Claudia has lasted 50 years because they treat each other as equals. 'We're in a 50/50 relationship. There's no head of the family here,' he said, while Claudia chimed in, joking, 'I think I'm the boss.' Keep smiling: Melissa and Richard Washington (pictured) told the brand that the key to a happy life is finding something to laugh about 'You gotta have some humor in your life, and you have to forgive,' Richard (right) said, adding to his wife (life), 'I'm happy that every morning I wake up, and I see you' Have fun: Shelly and David Tsai (pictured) shared a similar sentiment, adding that it's important to 'always have a good time' together Elena Lopez told Popeyes that her husband, Miguel, still makes her feel special 'every day.' 'It was young love. I didn't really pinpoint [what I loved about him] until present day,' she explained, before telling her husband, 'I can say today, I'm still in love with you. You make me feel special every day.' The couple (seen when they were younger) said it's also important to learn how to make 'sacrifices' for one another He added, 'You've taught me a lot.' Tom Sprangler and Ken Jones said they think that the reason their relationship has worked for so long is because they never go to bed angry at one another. 'I remember saying to each other when we were very young, we wouldn't go to bed angry. We would take the time to talk it out, and we've done that,' said one of them. 'We've been through a lot together, a great deal.' In addition to sharing the touching video, Popeyes has also arranged several other celebrations for its 50th anniversary - including bringing back its beloved Cajun Rice side dish to its menu, albeit for a limited time only. Patrons will also get the chance to try a brand new delicacy in the form of the Strawberry Cheesecake Fried Pie, which was released in restaurants across the US on Tuesday. The fried chicken favorite is also offering a $6.99 special for its five-piece meal. True love: Tom Storey, on the other hand, said he thinks his marriage to wife Claudia has lasted 50 years because they treat each other as equals 'We're in a 50/50 relationship. There's no head of the family here,' he said, while Claudia chimed in, joking, 'I think I'm the boss.' The couple is seen in a throwback photo Together forever: Elena Lopez told Popeyes that her husband, Miguel, still makes her feel special 'every day' Forgiving: Tom Sprangler and Ken Jones (pictured) said that the reason their relationship has worked for so long is because they never go to bed angry at one another 'I remember saying to each other when we were very young, we wouldn't go to bed angry. We would take the time to talk it out, and we've done that,' said one of them Popeyes' milestone anniversary comes three years after it earned viral fame with the launch of its now-infamous fried chicken sandwich in the summer of 2019. The sandwich earned so much attention that other fast food chains, including Wendy's, Chick-fil-A, and Shake Shack, immediately began feuding on Twitter over which restaurant's version is the best. Popeyes' sandwich earned even more buzz when restaurants couldn't meet the demand and sold out in less than a month, leaving some customers throwing fits, attacking employees, and even suing the chain. Furious food fans took to social media to complain that they couldn't get their hands on the menu item, begging Popeyes to restock. In late August 2019, an irate Popeyes customer climbed through a drive-thru window before brawling with three employees when he learned the sandwich was sold out. And Craig Barr, of East Ridge, Tennessee filed a $5,000 lawsuit against the fast food chain alleging false advertising' and 'deceptive business practices' by the company because he couldn't get his hands on their famous chicken sandwich. By early November on 2019, Popeyes' sandwich was back in stores, and it has remained a staple on the chain's menu. Princess Madeleine of Sweden showed her fun-loving side as she spent some quality time with her son at a national park. Madeleine, 40, who resides in Miami with her American husband Chris O'Neill and their three children, kickstarted the summer with a holiday in her home country. The Swedish royal carved out some time in her busy schedule for special moments with her son Prince Nicolas, seven, and her husband at Skuleberget National Park. The mother-of-three let her hair down as she and Nicolas took part in activities at the Discovery Park, where they whizzed down a slide, took part in arts and crafts lesson, and took a hike around the park. Princess Madeleine, 40, who resides in Miami with her American husband Chris O'Neill and their three children, kickstarted the summer with a holiday in her home country The Swedish royal carved out some time in her busy schedule for special moments with her son Prince Nicolas, seven, and her husband at Skuleberget National Park For her day out, Madeleine picked a wide-legged ankle-length white jeans and a pink and a white t-shirt she wore under a pink cardigan. She completed the look with a pink salmon jacket and white trainers. The busy mother-of-three wore her honey blonde hair down in wavy locks. She was also wearing a pair of sunglasses for her busy day out. Madeleine sported her trademark bronzed makeup, with just a dash of blush and a nude lip. The Princess, her financier husband Chris O'Neil and their son hopped on a cable car to the park's highest peak Meanwhile, Prince Nicolas looked at ease in a checked white and blue jacket and jeans. The pair seemed to be having a blast as Nicolas got his mother to go on the play area with him. The mother-of-three let her inner child loose as she slid down a slide with her son, before taking part in an arts and craft lesson. After this, Madeleine, Nicolas and Chris O'Neill hopped on a cable-car up the mountains to get a better view of the park. Madeleine and her family visited the part with County Governor Berit Hogman, left, and were welcomed by Anna Carlemalm, right Letting her hair down1 Madeleine hopped on a slide with her young son in the park's play area for children From there, they took a tour of the park with County Governor Berit Hogman. The mother-of-three, who's returned to her home country last week, has been living in the US since she married financier Chris in 2013. The couple have three children, Princess Leonore, eight, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne, who is four. While her older siblings, Crown Princess Victoria, 44, and Prince Carl Philip, 43, are working royals who still resides in Sweden and are very involved with the crown, Madeleine lives a quiet life abroad. However, she is still the royal patron of several Swedish charities and is dedicated to helping their work. Madeleine and Chris looked on as Nicolas took part in an arts and crafts course with Anna at the Naturum High Coast The Swedish royal covered up in a pick jacket as she and her son enjoyed a walk around the coast A very excited Prince Nicolas pleaded with his mother to come play with him during their visit of the park Nicolas showed off his dexterity during the DIY class, as impressed Madeleine and Chris looked on Yesterday she hosted a tea party at the Royal Stables for My Big Day, a Swedish charity which puts on fun events for children living with serious illness. In pictures shared on the Swedish royal family's Instagram, Madeleine, dressed in a pink dress, fully immersed herself in the event, beaming as the children got to ride horses and carriages, and pet the animals during their special day. The eight young guests travelled from different parts of Sweden, being treated to a limousine ride to the Royal Stables for the event. Advertisement Kate Middleton looked elegant this morning as she donned a crisp white trouser suit for a series of engagements to mark Windrush Day. The couple arrived this morning at ELEVATE to meet with younger generations of the British-Caribbean community at the youth programme nurturing the next generation of British creative talent. ELEVATE works with a network of schools and colleges, training organisations and employers to help young people build skills and access opportunities to help them build successful careers within the creative industries. Kate, who is a keen photographer, was eager to get behind the camera and was given a video tutorial by a member of the group, and was heard asking questions about how to zoom. The couple then moved on to Waterloo to attend the unveiling of a national monument in one of London's biggest train stations to celebrate the dreams and courage of the Windrush generation. For the outing, Kate recycled the 1,370 Alexander McQueen blazer she wore in Jamaica on the couple's recent tour of the Caribbean, teaming it with 590 crepe slim-leg pants and Mulberry's small Amberley crossbody bag in white. She teamed the look with a new pair of 70 earrings from archietcture inspired-brand, Chalk. In a speech at the statue unveiling, Prince William acknowledged that the future the Windrush generation sought and 'deserved' has not yet come to pass, saying: 'Discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022.' Scroll down for video Kate Middleton looked elegant this morning as she donned a crisp white trouser suit for a series of engagements to mark Windrush Day, incuding a visit to youth group ELEVATE in Brixton where she got to grips with a camera to practise filming The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by Baroness Floella Benjamin (left) attending the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station The Duchess looked delighted as she was introduced to young people ahead of the unveiling of the Windrush statue at Waterloo station The Duchess of Cambridge during her visit with the Duke of Cambridge to ELEVATE at Brixton House in London to meet with younger generations of the British-Caribbean community 'Only a matter of years ago, tens of thousands of that Generation were profoundly wronged by the Windrush Scandal. That rightly reverberates throughout the Caribbean community here in the UK as well as many in the Caribbean nations. 'Therefore, alongside celebrating the diverse fabric of our families, our communities and our society as a whole something the Windrush Generation has contributed so much to it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass.' The statue - of a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases - will be revealed at Waterloo Station on Wednesday to mark Windrush Day. It was designed by the Jamaican artist and sculptor Basil Watson, who said it had been an honour to create the monument. William and Kate will gather alongside members of the Windrush generation for the unveiling. Today's engagements are designed to celebrate the dreams and courage of the Windrush generation. Kate wore a blazer by Alexander McQueen which she first sported on ther royal tour of Jamaica in March this year (right) The Duchess, who is a keen photographer, no doubt enjoyed the opportunity to get behind the lens and was heard asking questions about zooming Dazzling duchess! Kate donned a dramatic pair of drop earrings as she visited ELEVATE alongside Prince William The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to ELEVATE at Brixton House in London to meet with younger generations of the British-Caribbean community The Duchess speaks to guests as she attends the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station in London Saying hello! The Duchess is all smiles as she speaks to a little girl during the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument The Government, which has provided 1 million in funding for the project, said it 'symbolises the courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK to start new lives from 1948 to 1971'. It also acknowledges the Windrush generation's 'outstanding contribution' to British society and is intended to be 'a permanent place of reflection', it added. Waterloo station was chosen because thousands of people who arrived from the Caribbean passed through the station on their way to start their new lives across the country, the Government said. The unveiling is one of dozens of events and activities across England to celebrate Windrush Day 2022. Mr Watson said his monument pays tribute to the 'dreams and aspirations, courage and dignity, skills and talents' of the Windrush generation who arrived with 'a hope of contributing to a society that they expected would welcome them in return'. He said: 'My parents, along with a great many others, took the long arduous voyage from the Caribbean with very little or nothing other than their aspirations, their courage and a promise of opportunity for advancement. 'This monument tells that story of hope, determination, a strong belief in selves and a vison for the future.' The couples were all smiles as they were joined by Baroness Floella Benjamin, the former Blue Peter presenter Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, Windrush passenger Alford Gardner, The Duke of Cambridge and Baroness Floella Benjamin at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station Communities Secretary Michael Gove said: 'Seeing Basil Watson's magnificent monument, it's easy to imagine the excitement, hope and apprehension that the Windrush pioneers must have felt as they arrived in the UK. 'Overcoming great sacrifice and hardship, the Windrush Generation and their descendants have gone on to make an immense contribution to public life. Britain would be much diminished without them.' Communities minister Kemi Badenoch added: 'Basil Watson's sculpture perfectly captures the spirit of Windrush. 'In it we see the strength, hope and expectation of those who arrived with little and yet gave so much. 'As a first-generation immigrant myself, the Windrush story resonates with me and it is important we recognise the contribution of those who have so enriched our country.' The Queen today sent her best wishes to mark the unveiling of the monument, saying: 'It gives me pleasure to extend my congratulations on the creation of the National Windrush Monument. 'The unveiling at Waterloo Station on Windrush Day serves as a fitting thank you to the Windrush pioneers and their descendants, in recognition of the profound contribution they have made to the United Kingdom over the decades. 'It is my hope that the memorial will serve to inspire present and future generations, and I send you my warmest good wishes on this historic occasion.' In a speech at the statue unveiling, Prince William (pictured) acknowledged that the future the Windrush generation sought and 'deserved' has not yet come to pass, saying: 'Discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022.' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to ELEVATE at Brixton House in London to meet with younger generations of the British-Caribbean community It comes as famous faces including actor Sir Lenny Henry, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, broadcaster Sir Trevor Phillips, historian David Olusoga and cross-party politicians called for Windrush Day 2023 to be a 'major national moment'. Next year marks 75 years since the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, bringing 500 passengers from the Caribbean. More than 100 leaders from politics, faith and civil society, sport, culture and business have signed a joint letter, published in The Times newspaper, starting the one-year countdown to the milestone. They write: 'This is not only black History - it is British history. It should be something we all know and commemorate. 'We call on the Government and all UK institutions, from politics to civil society, faith, culture, business and sport, to step up and fully play their part next year.' Polling commissioned to mark Windrush Day suggests that 64% of the public thinks children should be taught about Windrush to help understand Britain's history of empire and its diverse society. Just 9% of people disagreed, according to the survey of 2,006 British adults by Focaldata between February 28 and March 7. Almost half (49%) of those surveyed said they are familiar with the story of the Windrush, while 46% said they would like to know more about it. The polling was carried out for the Windrush 75 network, set up to co-ordinate efforts for the 75th anniversary over the next 12 months, and the think tank British Future. What is the Windrush scandal? Between 1948 to 1970, nearly half a million people moved from the Caribbean to Britain, which in 1948 faced severe labour shortages in the wake of the Second World War. The immigrants were later referred to as 'the Windrush generation'. It refers to the ship MV Empire Windrush, which docked in Tilbury on 22 June 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands. The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK. Working age adults and many children travelled from the Caribbean to join parents or grandparents in the UK or travelled with their parents without their own passports. Since these people had a legal right to come to the UK, they neither needed nor were given any documents upon entry to the UK, nor following changes in immigration laws in the early 1970s. Many worked or attended schools in the UK without any official record of their having done so, other than the same records as any UK-born citizen. In 1973, a new immigration act came into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been a resident in the UK. In 2010, the Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants arrival dates in the UK. It came despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties, it was claimed Then in 2014, a protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time. Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants were obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973. In 2018, questions were raised in Parliament about individual cases that had been highlighted in the press. On March 14, when Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn asked May about an individual who had been refused medical treatment under the NHS during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Theresa May initially said she was 'unaware of the case', but later agreed to 'look into it'. Parliament thereafter continued to be involved in what was increasingly being referred to as 'the Windrush scandal'. On April 16, David Lammy MP challenged then Home Secretary Amber Rudd in the House of Commons to give numbers as to how many had lost their jobs or homes, been denied medical care, or been detained or deported wrongly. Lammy called on Rudd to apologise for the threats of deportation and called it a 'day of national shame', blaming the problems on the government's 'hostile environment policy'. Rudd replied that she did not know of any, but would attempt to verify that. In late April, Rudd faced increasing calls for her to resign and for the Government to abandon the 'hostile environment policy'. There were also calls for the Home Office to reduce fees for immigration services. On May 2, Labour introduced a motion in the House of Commons seeking to force the government to release documents to the Home Affairs Select Committee concerning its handling of cases involving people who came to the UK from Commonwealth countries between 1948 and the 1970s. The motion was defeated by 316 votes to 221. On April 25, in answer to a question put to her by the Home Affairs Select Committee about deportation targets, Rudd said she was unaware of such targets, saying 'that's not how we operate'. The following day, Rudd admitted in Parliament that targets had existed, but characterised them as 'local targets for internal performance management' only, not 'specific removal targets'. She also claimed that she had been unaware of them and promised that they would be scrapped. Two days later, The Guardian published a leaked memo that had been copied to Rudd's office. The memo said that the department had set 'a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18' and 'we have exceeded our target of assisted returns'. The memo added that progress had been made towards 'the 10% increased performance on enforced returns, which we promised the Home Secretary earlier this year'. Rudd responded by saying she had never seen the leaked memo, 'although it was copied to my office, as many documents are'. The New Statesman said that the leaked memo gave, 'in specific detail the targets set by the Home Office for the number of people to be removed from the United Kingdom. It suggests that Rudd misled MPs on at least one occasion'. On April 23, Rudd announced that compensation would be given to those affected and, in future, fees and language tests for citizenship applicants would be waived for this group. On April 29, The Guardian published a private letter from Rudd to Theresa May dated January 2017 in which Rudd wrote of an 'ambitious but deliverable' target for an increase in the enforced deportation of immigrants. Later that day, Rudd resigned as Home Secretary. On June 29, the parliamentary Human Rights Select committee published a 'damning' report on the exercise of powers by immigration officials. MPs and peers concluded in the report that there had been 'systemic failures' and rejected the Home Office description of 'a series of mistakes' as not 'credible or sufficient'. The report concluded that the Home Office demonstrated a 'wholly incorrect approach to case-handling and to depriving people of their liberty', and urged the Home Secretary to take action against the 'human rights violations' occurring in his department. On July 3, the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) published a critical report which said that unless the Home Office was overhauled the scandal would 'happen again, for another group of people'. The report found that 'a change in culture in the Home Office over recent years' had led to an environment in which applicants had been 'forced to follow processes that appear designed to set them up to fail'. The report questioned whether the hostile environment should continue in its current form, commenting that 'rebranding it as the 'compliant' environment is a meaningless response to genuine concerns'. Home Office replies - On June 28, a letter to the HASC from the Home Office reported that it had 'mistakenly detained' 850 people in the five years between 2012 and 2017. In the same five-year period, the Home Office had paid compensation of over 21million for wrongful detention. Compensation payments varied between 1 and 120,000; an unknown number of these detentions were Windrush cases. The letter also acknowledged that 23 per cent of staff working within immigration enforcement had received performance bonuses, and that some staff had been set 'personal objectives' 'linked to targets to achieve enforced removals' on which bonus payments were made. In a report published in December 2018, the UK's National Audit Office found that the Home Office 'failed to protect [the] rights to live, work and access services' of the Windrush scandal victims, had ignored warnings of the impending scandal, which had been raised up to four years earlier, and had still not adequately addressed the scandal. On March 19, 2020, the Home Office released the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. This study, described by the Home Secretary as 'long-awaited', was an independent inquiry managed and conducted by Wendy Williams, an inspector of constabulary. The report was a scathing indictment of the Home Office's handling of Windrush individuals, and concluded that the Home Office showed an inexcusable 'ignorance and thoughtlessness', and that what had happened had been 'foreseeable and avoidable'. It further found that immigration regulations were tightened 'with complete disregard for the Windrush generation', and that officials had made irrational demands for multiple documents to establish residency rights. The study recommended a full review of the 'hostile environment' immigration policy. Advertisement The Queen has started to sell walking sticks at her Sandringham Estate after she's taken to using one herself. The Monarch's royal shop, on her Norfolk estate, has stocked 55 handmade walking sticks made out of locally-sourced woods. Not two of the sticks are alike as they both are made of an unique blend, in a stag horn shape that has been favoured by the Queen in the past. The Queen, 96, has taken to using Prince Philip's walking sticks when she is out and about. It has been reported she is suffering from periodical mobility issues. The Monarch's royal shop, on her Sandringham Royal Estate, has stocked 55 handmade walking sticks made out of locally-sourced woods. The Queen, 96, has taken to using Prince Philip's walking sticks when she is out and about. It has been reported she is suffering from periodical mobility issues The beautiful sticks are made using traditional methods, and the woods used to make them, which include Hazel, Ash and Yew, were sourced in Norfolk. Some of the sticks are also made of a wood blend, such as Hazel and Ash together. The artefacts comes in different lengths and shapes, with handles of different colours and sizes. The elegant sticks can be purchased by anyone at the shop, which is located on the royal estate. Not two of the sticks are alike as they both are made of an unique blend., in a stag horn shape that has been favoured by the Queen in the past The beautiful sticks are made using traditional methods, and the woods used to make them, which include Hazel, Ash and Yew, were sourced in Norfolk The royal has been using a stag horn mobility aid in recent weeks and is often spotted with her late husband Prince Philip's walking stick - which is dark wood with a marble handle. But on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee in early June , she ditched the staghorn walking stick for a brand new one. But for the celebrations she instead picked a brand new cane, which appeared to have a marble handle and wooden body and which was made by Cumbria-based traditional stick maker Dennis Wall. The elegant sticks can be purchased by anyone at the shop, which is located on the royal estate Some of the star horn sticks at the shops are also made of a wood blend, such as Hazel and Ash together General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, chief of the general staff, had presented her with the gift as a symbol of the British Army's support. The walking stick is made of mottled hazel, locally sourced in Cumbria, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The wood is thought of as a protective talisman in English mythology and is traditionally known in Ireland as the 'Tree of Knowledge', the MoD added. Meanwhile, the handle is made from Highland Cow horn, a breed originating in the Scottish Highlands - said to be known for its hardy and robust constitution. The collar of the stick, made from silver, has been engraved by Sam James Engraving, based in Goldsmiths' Centre in London. The Queen left Prince Philip's walking stick at home in May in favour of a stag horn mobility aid as she enjoyed the first of the jubilee celebrations at Windsor Castle It says: 'The Army presents its loyal support to THE SOVEREIGN. Platinum Jubilee MCMLII-MMXXII.' The Army crest is also engraved into the collar. General Sir Mark said: 'It was a great privilege in celebration of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee to hand over a small token of our gratitude and appreciation of our sovereign's contribution to the Army over the last 70 years. 'We wanted something useful and relevant and always to hand that represented our loyal support and which Her Majesty might find helpful. And this beautiful walking stick, fashioned from mottled hazel with a Highland Cow horn handle, fitted the bill perfectly. It's elegant, simple and wonderfully handy.' Last month to kick of the Jubilee celebrations, The Queen favoured a stag horn mobility aid as she enjoyed the first of the jubilee celebrations at Windsor Castle for the Royal Windsor Horse Show. She used the same cane in March at an official engagement at her Windsor Castle home. Staghorn walking sticks are usually used to blend into natural surroundings when walking outdoors. The Queen has been spotted with Philips trusty stick on many occasions since his death aged 99 in April last year. The monarch is thought to have taken to using the stick during her stay at Wood Farm, the cottage on the Sandringham estate where the Duke spent his retirement. A woman has revealed her extremely unusual path to settling down after fallng in love with a ragdoll who she's 'married' and even 'had a baby' with. Meirivone Rocha Moraes, 37, from Brazil, met the love of her life after complaining to her mum about being single and having nobody to dance with. Her mum created Marcelo the ragdoll and it was love at first sight, as the pair enjoyed a whirlwind romance. Meirivone Rocha Moraes, 37, from Brazil, fell in love with a ragdoll that her mum created for her after she complained about being single It was love at first sight and she decided to marry the toy in a ceremony which was attended by 250 people However after only a few months Meirivone found herself 'pregnant'. But not wanting to have a baby out of wedlock, the pair decided to get married in a ceremony which was attended by 250 people. Having spent their week-long honeymoon at a beach house in Rio de Janeiro, the couple waited anxiously until their offspring arrived. She 'gave birth' in just 35 minutes at home, with a doctor and nurse on site, while livestreaming the event to an audience of 200 people. After only a few months of dating the ragdoll Meirivone found herself 'pregnant' and she gave 'birth' to a ragdoll baby She 'gave birth' in just 35 minutes at home, with a doctor and nurse on site, while livestreaming it to an audience of 200 people Despite living happily as a family, Merivone says she is struggling to pay the bills as the only breadwinner. Meirivone said: 'It was a wonderful day for me, very important, very emotional. 'He is a man I always wanted in my life. Married life with him is wonderful. He doesn't fight with me, he doesn't argue and he just understands me. 'Marcelo is a great and faithful husband. He is such a man and all women envy him. Having spent their week-long honeymoon at a beach house in Rio de Janeiro, the couple waited anxiously until their offspring arrived Despite living happily as a family, Merivone says she is struggling to pay the bills as the only breadwinner She said that married life with him is 'wonderful' as he doesn't fight or argue with her and he 'understands her' The pair shared a kiss back at their hotel room on a rose petal covered bed after their wedding ceremony Meirivone said the wedding was a wonderful day, saying it was very important and 'very emotional' 'When my mum made Marcelo and first introduced me to him, I fell in love with him. It was love at first sight. 'It was because I didn't have a forro dancer. I would go to these dances but wouldn't always find a partner. 'Then he entered into my life and it all made sense. 'The wedding was a wonderful day for me, very important, very emotional. It rained a lot but it was wonderful. Love: She claimed Marcelo is a great and faithful husband and said he is the 'envy of all women' The pair often go out for meals together but she said the only downside is he is quite 'lazy' as he doesn't work Holiday snaps! The happy couple even enjoyed a swim together during a family getaway recently 'From the moment I walked down the aisle to the end, it was just beautiful. 'Then went to the wedding night with my husband Marcelo and we enjoyed our wedding night a lot. 'He has so many great qualities but the only downside is he's lazy. He doesn't work at all. But I am a warrior and I keep it going for us.' However, her story takes an even stranger turn when she recounts having a baby with her doll husband. After gaining one stone and 4lb during 'pregnancy', Meirivone welcomed her doll-child Marcelinho into the world on 21 May and says the 'birth' was pain free. Meirivone gained one stone and 4lb during pregnancy and found the birth of the toy 'pain free' Meirivone welcomed her doll-child Marcelinho into the world on May 21 and said the birth was pain free She added: 'It's true, Marcelo got me pregnant. He didn't take care of himself and he didn't use a condom. 'He got me pregnant. I took the test it was positive. I couldn't believe it.' As for the labour, Meirivone claims that she really experienced giving birth, although it is not clear why. She said: 'I didn't feel the contractions in pain.' Despite it being physically impossible, she claims that it was like a real birth. 'Seeing the placenta and the umbilical cord and the blood made it all real,' she said. 'He was here in 35 minutes and he is great. It really upsets me when people say this is fake. It makes me so angry. 'I am a woman of character. My father, my mother taught me to be honest, to be a good person and not want to take advantage of anything.' She said she didn't feel the contractions and she wasnt in any pain during the birth however she revealed 'seeing the placenta and the umbilical cord and the blood made it all real' Prince William has revealed he 'learnt so much' on his and Kate Middleton's tour of the Caribbean earlier this year to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The Duke of Cambridge, 40, said he not only discovered more about the 'different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present'. William was speaking as he and the Duchess of Cambridge attended the unveiling of a national monument at London's Waterloo Station to celebrate the dreams and courage of the Windrush generation who came to help Britain rebuild after the Second World War. The father-of-three's eight-day trip to the Caribbean with his wife Kate, 40, in March, was branded 'tone deaf' by critics who said there were moments smacking of 'colonialism'. Prince William (pictured today) has revealed he 'learnt so much' on his and Kate Middleton's tour of the Caribbean earlier this year to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee The Duke of Cambridge (pictured in Kingston), 40, said he not only discovered more about the 'different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present' In his speech to those who had gathered for the unveiling, which included Windrush passengers and high-profile members of the black community, William said: 'We know without question, that the Windrush Generation have made our culture richer, our services stronger, and our fellow countrymen safer. 'My family have been proud to celebrate this for decades whether that be through support from my father on Windrush Day, or more recently during my Grandmothers Platinum Jubilee, as people from all communities and backgrounds came together to acknowledge all that has changed over the past seventy years and look to the future. 'This is something that resonated with Catherine and me after our visit to the Caribbean earlier this year. 'Our trip was an opportunity to reflect, and we learnt so much. Not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present.' William also spoke of the Windrush scandal which began to surface in 2017 after it emerged that hundreds of Commonwealth citizens, many of whom were from the Windrush generation, had been wrongly detained, deported and denied legal rights. He said: 'Sadly, that is also the case for members of the Windrush generation who were victims of racism when they arrived here, and discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by Baroness Floella Benjamin (left) attending the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station The couple were all smiles as they were joined by Baroness Floella Benjamin, the former Blue Peter presenter Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, Windrush passenger Alford Gardner, The Duke of Cambridge and Baroness Floella Benjamin at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station 'Only a matter of years ago, tens of thousands of that generation were profoundly wronged by the Windrush scandal. That rightly reverberates throughout the Caribbean community here in the UK as well as many in the Caribbean nations. 'Therefore, alongside celebrating the diverse fabric of our families, our communities and our society as a whole - something the Windrush generation has contributed so much to - it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass. 'Diversity is what makes us strong, and it is what reflects the modern, outward-looking values that are so important to our country.' Next year marks 75 years since the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, bringing 500 passengers from the Caribbean. The Government, which has provided 1 million in funding for the monument, said it 'symbolises the courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK to start new lives from 1948 to 1971'. In a speech at the statue unveiling, Prince William (pictured) acknowledged that the future the Windrush generation sought and 'deserved' has not yet come to pass, saying: 'Discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022.' It also acknowledges the Windrush generation's 'outstanding contribution' to British society and is intended to be 'a permanent place of reflection', it added. The monument is a 12-ft statue - of a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases - that was unveiled on Wednesday to mark Windrush Day. The Queen also sent her congratulations on what she described as an 'historic occasion'. In a personal message, she wrote: 'The unveiling at Waterloo Station on Windrush Day serves as a fitting thank you to the Windrush pioneers and their descendants, on recognition of the profound contribution they have made to the United Kingdom over the decades. 'It is my hope that the memorial will serve to inspire present and future generations and I send you my warmest good wishes on this historic occasion.' Waterloo station was chosen because thousands of people who arrived from the Caribbean passed through the station on their way to start their new lives across the country, the Government said. Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, wave goodbye as they boarded the royal aircraft to take them back to the UK after their week-long tour of the Caribbean Politicians hijacked their presence ahead of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee to further their own campaigns to remove the Queen as head of state amid moments branded 'tone deaf' and smacking of 'colonialism' The unveiling is one of dozens of events and activities across England to celebrate Windrush Day 2022. It was created by Jamaican artist Basil Watson, who said his monument pays tribute to the 'dreams and aspirations, courage and dignity, skills and talents' of the Windrush generation who arrived with 'a hope of contributing to a society that they expected would welcome them in return'. He said: 'My parents, along with a great many others, took the long arduous voyage from the Caribbean with very little or nothing other than their aspirations, their courage and a promise of opportunity for advancement. 'This monument tells that story of hope, determination, a strong belief in selves and a vison for the future.' Following their tour of the Caribbean earlier this spring, William and Kate vowed to rip up the rule book and pursue 'The Cambridge Way' after their difficult visit to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. When they returned from the tour, it was said the couple hardened their view that the monarchy must be 'agile' to survive and thrive after their week-long tour was hit with protests. They were also understood to be ready to abandon the Queen and Prince Charles's 'never complain, never explain' mantra in future. Prince William (right) held crisis talks with senior aides on his week-long tour around the Caribbean, telling advisers he had to add his own voice and confront issues of slavery reparations and anti monarchist sentiment The royal couple attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy's Officer Training Programme, at the Jamaica Defence Force on day six of the Platinum Jubilee Royal Tour of the Caribbean on March 24, 2022 in Kingston, Jamaica Politicians hijacked their presence ahead of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee to further their own campaigns to remove the Queen as head of state amid moments branded 'tone deaf' and smacking of 'colonialism'. Prince William held crisis talks with senior aides on his week-long tour around the Caribbean, telling advisers he had to add his own voice and confront issues of slavery reparations and anti monarchist sentiment. Hours before their flight, he released a statement addressing republican sentiment in the three Caribbean countries, acknowledging it had 'brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future'. Meanwhile insiders told The Sun at the time that the couple were looking to 'modernise how they work', adding: 'It's a breath of fresh air. They were bruised by attacks that their Caribbean trip harked back to the colonial age. 'In future they will rip up the rule-book and do things "The Cambridge Way". They're trying to work out what that will look like. It is not a criticism of how it was done in the past. But times are changing.' Critics highlighted photographs of the couple greeting the public through a wire fence in Kingston, which they said, struck a note of white privilege. They also cited footage of the couple riding in the Queen's open-topped Land Rover that she used in Jamaica in the 1960s and 1990s. One source made the point that William had privately expressed concern about how the Land Rover moment would be received several weeks before the tour. But he went along with it so as not to offend the Jamaica Defence Force, which owns the vehicle and is proud of its history. Prince William says Windrush generation did not get the future they 'deserve' Thank you for inviting Catherine and me. It is a privilege to be here with you all. Today is a day we celebrate and honour the Windrush Generation and the enormous contribution each and every one of them has made, and continue to make, to our society. I am delighted that so many of that generation and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are here today. When the Windrush Generation sailed from the Caribbean to rebuild war torn Britain, they did so as British citizens, answering a plea to help our country thrive again. Many of them were not strangers to these shores. In the decade before 1948, thousands served in the RAF, either flying, navigating or as ground crew keeping our squadrons airborne including Allan Wilmot, the eldest Windrush pioneer whose family are with us today. These people didnt have to come. They volunteered to fight for King and country in the full knowledge that many would never make it home again. As one of the inheritors of that great military tradition I understand how much we owe to these men and women. Todays ceremony would not be complete without remembering their sacrifice. Over the past seven decades, the Windrush Generations role in the fabric of our national life has been immense. Today, as we look around us, we can see just how many of the institutions in our country are built by that generation: commerce and manufacturing, sports and science, engineering and fashion. Here in Waterloo Station, we are reminded of the role played by thousands of people from the Windrush Generation in our essential public transport system from train drivers to conductors and technical staff. Although it is not where the passengers of the Empire Windrush first arrived, subsequently many thousands of Caribbean people did pass through Waterloo and dispersed to cities across the UK. So the placement of the monument here is an acknowledgement of the contribution of those people to one of the most important elements of our national infrastructure. Just down the road, in St Thomass Hospital, we can reflect on the Windrush Generations huge contribution to the NHS, a service founded only two weeks after the Empire Windrush docked in 1948. Since then, over 40,000 Windrush and Commonwealth nurses and midwives have cared for those in need. Indeed, every part of British life is better for the half a million men and women of the Windrush Generation. Be it public life and we are a stones throw from the Borough of Southwark, home to Sam King MBE, Windrush passenger, postman, founder of the West Indian Gazette, the first black mayor in London, campaigner and the co-founder of the Windrush Foundation. Be it arts and culture and we need look no further than Floella, the face of childrens television to millions of young people for more than a decade. There are simply too many people to list. And we know without question, that the Windrush Generation have made our culture richer, our services stronger, and our fellow countrymen safer. My family have been proud to celebrate this for decades whether that be through support from my father on Windrush Day, or more recently during my Grandmothers Platinum Jubilee, as people from all communities and backgrounds came together to acknowledge all that has changed over the past seventy years and look to the future. This is something that resonated with Catherine and me after our visit to the Caribbean earlier this year. Our trip was an opportunity to reflect, and we learnt so much. Not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present. Sadly, that is also the case for members of the Windrush Generation who were victims of racism when they arrived here, and discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022. Only a matter of years ago, tens of thousands of that Generation were profoundly wronged by the Windrush Scandal. That rightly reverberates throughout the Caribbean community here in the UK as well as many in the Caribbean nations. Therefore, alongside celebrating the diverse fabric of our families, our communities and our society as a whole something the Windrush Generation has contributed so much to it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass. Diversity is what makes us strong, and it is what reflects the modern, outward-looking values that are so important to our country. Today, as we stand together to witness Windrush Pioneers, Alford and John unveil Basils landmark monument, we are reminded of our shared history and the enormous contribution of the Windrush Generation. Without you all, Britain would simply not be what it is today. I want to say a profound thank you to every member of that generation, and the generations that have followed. And I want you to know that you can count on mine and Catherines continued support in helping us achieve a future they would be proud of. Thank you again for inviting us to join you on this important day. Advertisement When 13-year-old Roxy Longworth became withdrawn and sullen, her mother, Gay, hoped it was merely a teenage phase. Then a call from Roxys school revealed the horrifying truth: coerced by a boy four years older, she had been sending explicit selfies to him through social media and they were spreading like wildfire. Writer Gay and her husband Adam had worked hard to build a safe and happy family life for their three daughters, but in an instant it all came crashing down. The problem of children sharing naked photographs is disturbingly widespread. A shocking report released today reveals that more than half of teenage girls aged 14 to 18 have been sent explicit images, while a third were first asked to send a naked picture when they were 13 or younger. Roxy Longworth (left) was 13 when a boy four years older than her coerced her into sending explicit selfies to him, before sharing them around her school. Roxy and her mother Gay (right) have now written a book together about their experience Surveys show one in six children aged 13 and 14 has sent a nude picture of themselves, and an extraordinary 15per cent of 13-year-olds have been pressured to send such images. Quite apart from concerns over children exchanging sexual imagery, engaging in this kind of behaviour can constitute a criminal offence. For example, its an offence for a child to make a sexual image of themselves its also an offence to share and receive it, let alone coerce a child to take the picture in the first place. It is every parents worst nightmare. And yet, far from hiding from it, Gay and Roxy, now 19, have turned their experiences into a brave and heartbreaking new book. Here, in a wake-up call to parents and schools alike, they take turns to describe their differing viewpoints and the devastating toll the experience took on Roxys mental health... A 17-year-old boy started showing interest in Roxy and she was flattered. However, he soon started asking for her to send him explicit pictures of herself, threatening to spread malicious rumours about her if she did not Roxy Says: Looking back, I wonder whether this was the moment my childhood ended. I was only 13 years old when I pressed send on the first explicit photograph I shared with Dan, a handsome and popular boy who was three school years above me. The fact hed started to text me had made me feel good. We never dated he only ever messaged me after 8pm but I had always wanted to be liked, and the more the older boys paid attention to me, it seemed, the more the popular girls had time for me. The morning after sending that first photo of myself in my underwear, I felt dirty. But I didnt want to lose Dans attention. Id had one boyfriend before Joe, who was my age and very sweet but we broke up when I started to receive more attention from older boys. Dan, it turned out, liked me so much he wanted more photos. More explicit photos. The requests became demands and when I didnt deliver... I stepped to the edge of the platform. It was the easy way out. I wouldnt have to face what Id done Rox ur so frigid. Rox ngl [not going to lie] if you dont send any im gonna hav to tell ppl that ur super frigid. I was genuinely terrified that the idea I was frigid would spread around school. I would be completely alone my friends wouldnt want to spend time with me. Sending photos was pretty common; most people did it. If I said no, then why would he keep texting me? So I arched my back to make my stomach seem flatter. I rolled my knees in until a thigh gap appeared. I covered my face in the mirror with my phone and took my top off. I pressed the button again and again and again. Gay says: For a while, Roxy was happy at her school. At weekends we spent time as a family, lighting fires, watching Strictly and going on muddy walks. For me, it all started the day Roxy showed me a photo of a sixth-form boy she had been texting. She was giggly and gleeful, and I tried not to overreact. She and her friends were beginning to dress in more overtly sexy ways, but I didnt think she had much experience with boys. This one was handsome, but why did a 17-year-old want to text a 13-year-old girl? I told her he had classic bad-boy written all over him. Roxy explains how she was too scared to tell her mother, in fear that her mum would hate her and be disappointed in her Dont be that girl, I said. Be smarter than that. But Roxy blanked me, and in the following weeks our relationship began to deteriorate. She seemed to find my presence even more irritating than usual. Roxy: The attention became an addiction. If I hadnt been told how hot I was that evening, I couldnt sleep. I sent more and more pictures to Dan, mostly on Snapchat. Every time I went into the bathroom at home, I took a new one. He asked me to do things get down on my hands and knees, take off my bra, arch my back. I bought a pack of lacy thongs from Primark, which I hid from Mum, and put them on when I took pictures. Sometimes I really did think about talking to Mum, because although I felt a buzz from the attention, the photos made me feel disgusting, too, and I wanted to tell her how I was messing up. But it seemed like there was so much dislike for me in her eyes, so I didnt say anything. Things got worse when Roxy realised that the older boy, Dan, had been showing her pictures around and his friends started messaging her for the same kind of photos And then one day I got a new text. Hey, I think you are really fit. It was from one of Dans friends. I ignored his first few messages. His fourth text asked me to send him photos. I ignored him again. The fifth text came. It was a photo of me in a bra and a thong. It was clearly me. Id been sending pictures to Dan for several months and taking them had become so normal, Id stopped scrubbing out my face. Idiot. Of course, Dan always promised not to screenshot the photos, but... I felt sick. And then came the killer text that marked the end of my life as I knew it. If you dont send me what I want, then I will send the photos I already have to my cousin. His cousin was a girl in my year. If she received those photos, then everybody would have them and I thought Id die. So I went to the bathroom and stripped down to my underwear. Roxy says it was the worst day of her life when her housemistress called her into the office and revealed that the school knew about the photos A moment ago I didnt know his name, yet this big, 17-year-old guy held my life in his hands. To him, it was a game. Literally. I found out later that he and Dan played Top Trumps with my photos. Gay: We were driving to get cake when Roxy received a phone call. I could tell at once that something about it distressed her. She went quite pink in the face, then the call ended. Who was that? I asked. Someone asked if this was the number of the local prostitute. What? A friend? A joke? She said she didnt recognise the voice. Take down the number. Let me call it back. 'No, no. Dont. It doesnt matter. It does matter. Why would someone do that? There are rumours going around about me at school. What rumours? I dont know. Roxy says that the girls backed away from her in school and the boys asked her blatant belittling questions Creeping hostility. Was I to blame for this? Roxys tone was often one of undisguised loathing. The mistake I made was to assume the loathing was directed at me. Over the next few days, her mood continued to darken. She said only that everyone was being horrible to her. Any attempt to probe further was met with silence. Roxy: Day by day, I knew the photos were spreading. Girls backed away. Boys asked blatant belittling questions. I cannot describe how difficult it was to walk with my head held high when I knew the majority of the people I was passing had seen me naked. And then one day, not long after my 14th birthday, my housemistress called me into her office. We know what you have been sending these older boys, Roxy, she said. We are investigating it and going through some boys phones. Id known it was coming the worst day of my life. I needed my mum so badly, but I dreaded the thought of her hatred when she found out. Gay: The meeting at school took place with three members of staff crammed into a small room. I had no idea why Id been called in Roxy was doing well academically. Roxy was given sanctions because shed broken school ICT rules. She was gated and told to write a reflective essay. However, Gay was never told who the boy was or if he was punished like her daughter was The deputy head said: It has come to our attention that Roxy has been sending photos of herself to boys in the sixth form. I was floored. Reeling. The two other members of staff, the women, just looked at me kindly, forlornly, pityingly. I planted my feet on the floor. I breathed slowly. How do you know its her? The photos are identifiable, he explained. Full-body shots. How did you find out? There was some awkward shuffling. Some of the female sixth-formers had heard things and were concerned, he said. What things? Rumours. Roxy took time off school but her mental health was deteriorating. She would cut herself at school and one day she thought about ending her life My heart sank. Shed tried to tell me in the car: Mummy, there are rumours going around about me at school. Where is she? Yes, its a pity shes not here, said the deputy head. She wanted us to tell you because she was worried you would be angry. I was confused, perplexed, upset, stunned and she was right, it all balled up into a tight knot of something that did feel remarkably like anger. Why would she do such a stupid thing? Who are the boys? I asked. Sorry, we cant tell you that. Hang on, these boys have naked photos of my daughter but you cant tell me their names? Data protection, he said. I felt anger again. Spitting, blood-curdling anger, and it would stay with me for a long time. Roxy was given sanctions because shed broken school ICT rules. She was gated and told to write a reflective essay. I was recommended a counsellor so she could explore why she felt she had to behave like this and learn strategies for coping and changing. To the best of my knowledge, no one asked the boy who coerced Roxy why he felt he had to behave like that, or made him learn strategies to respect girls of any age, but particularly girls of 13. To this day, I have no idea if they were punished or if their parents were ever informed. Gay and Roxy wrote a book together during lockdown, and quickly noticed their differing perspectives on the situation A month later, now chronically sleep-deprived, paranoid and miserable, Roxy ran away, telling me she wanted to disappear. We called the police and the officer who helped us look for her told us the school should have reported it. We are dealing with rising weekly cases of this nature, said the officer. A girl or boy falls into the trap of sending an image of themselves naked. This is a child pornographic image and its illegal. Immediately, that image is used as leverage to gain more images. Threats of exposure are always part of it, which makes it coercive. The threats continue until the images are distributed, discovered, and life as they knew it is over. I needed Roxy to come home so I could tell her that life wasnt over, but she was no longer listening to my voice. Roxy: Mum took away my phone. She wanted to treat me like a stupid teenager. For her, this was the beginning of the drama, but it had already been months of hell for me. That weekend, I went shopping in London with a family friend who was my age and she insisted we go into Victorias Secret. As soon as I entered the shop, I couldnt breathe. The huge photos of models wearing practically nothing loomed over me. I ran outside and slid down the wall until I was a ball on the floor. Alone on the Tube platform later, when I heard the train coming, I stepped forward to the very edge. It was the easy way out. I wouldnt have to face what Id done... I told myself I was a messy, attention-seeking, dumb, teenage girl. I was the trainwreck that went from model student to stupid slut. But in the end I didnt think I had the guts to actually end it. Back at school I took all the insults the fired spitballs, the rolled-up notes saying SLAG and the only way I found any relief was to go somewhere alone and take out the blade Id unscrewed from a pencil sharpener. I made bright-red cuts across my arms and up my torso. I wanted to feel the sting. I wanted to watch as the blood kept oozing. In lessons, I used the blade to shave away at my fingernails under the desk until eventually I got to the skin underneath. The pain was excruciating. Gay: Over the next two months, Roxy struggled through lessons until the school sent her home, aware she was cutting and unable to guarantee her safety any more. When You Lose It by Roxy and Gay Longworth (16.99, Welbeck), out on July 7. I diluted Dettol in a bowl and rolled up her sleeves to clean her injuries. The cuts appeared superficial but, my God, there were so many of them, criss- crossing her snow-white skin like striations in marble. I was crippled with fear and guilt. The photos damaged her, but the blame broke her. Her mental health began a dangerous downward spiral, taking her to a dark and terrifying place. She started to hear mean, accusing voices laughing at her, calling her names, and we, the people who loved her, couldnt reach her. While driving at 60mph to a desperately hard-won appointment at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, she suddenly opened the door and tried to get out. The people told her it wasnt safe in the car. I couldnt leave her alone, not even to wash. I felt the extraordinary complexity of being needed and hated in equal measure. And yet Roxy did crawl out of the well. Music helped, nature helped, powerful anti-psychotic drugs probably saved her life. She left that school and after nine months at home, she went to a crammer and took her GCSEs. A little over four years after she sent that first photo, she celebrated her 18th birthday with a party. Her dad and I hugged each other and burst into tears of pride. We felt joy because she had a few precious friends who had stood by her; and relief, because she was alive. When her A-Levels were cancelled during the lockdown, Roxy and I decided to write a book together. But we could barely be in the same room, so different were our accounts of what happened. So she disappeared into one room to write, I into another. Only when we had finished did we each read the others version and start to understand. I hope you know now, Roxy, that you were a child who deserved to be protected by us, by the school who should have made it clear from the very first moment that this was not your fault, and by me I should have known what was happening to you and I should have stopped it. I will carry that sadness and regret to the grave. Today, Roxy is studying maths and neuroscience at university, and I am amazed at how powerful her brain is. She has been broken we all have but with every day that passes, she becomes stronger and more beautiful. As I looked out at the clear blue sea off the beautiful island of Malta, cocktail in one hand, battered paperback in the other, I realised this might be the perfect holiday. Just me, the beach and a banana daiquiri. And the very best part? I was alone, without my husband and three children (then aged nine, six and four). They were all at home hundreds of miles away. Regular date nights, role play, separate bedrooms... all married couples have their own way of keeping things fresh. For me and my husband, Dom, the answer is simple: we go on separate holidays. It helps stave off the boredom of domestic drudgery that comes with having a young family. It revives and unites us. And frankly, it stops me wanting to elope when we try to go abroad together. Georgina Fuller (pictured) explains how her and her husband Dom kept arguing on holiday. UK-based journalist when to Chamonix in 2018, it was her first solo trip We cant be the only ones, because luxury travel agents this week reported the number of women taking solo holidays has doubled since the pandemic. I suspect many of them are, like me, escaping the ties of family for a little R&R. For us, it all started eight years ago with our first holiday as a family of five. Id pictured building sandcastles and making precious memories, but the reality was very different. I remember arriving at Bergerac airport with a hungry baby, a toddler who kept trying to hurl himself onto the baggage carousel and an overexcited five-year-old whod woken us hourly the night before. We queued for so long outside the car rental hut that, when we finally arrived at the local Casino supermarket, it was closed, as were the local restaurants. In an exchange that set the pattern for future trips, Dom and I ended up bickering blithely and taking it out on each other. He rolled his eyes. I retaliated with a snarky comment about him forgetting to bring snacks. Georgina and Dom (pictured) kept falling into disputes whilst on holiday with their children. Then it occurred to Georgina that she had a choice and could go away by herself Our dinner that day was leftover breadsticks and bruised apples, consumed by the side of the road. This isnt what I would call a holiday, the five-year-old piped up. I couldnt have agreed more. On our next trip, Dom and I fell into another dispute. It started as a small thing, when he insisted our three-and-a-half-year-old was too big for a pushchair and could easily walk. But it ended with our son, Charlie, in a sit-down protest surrounded by tutting locals and the two of us rowing furiously. Yet it didnt occur to me, as I struggled through half a dozen similar holidays, that I had a choice. As a wife and mother, the assumption was that if I went away, Id go with my husband and children in tow. The idea of needing to get away from them didnt even cross my mind. That is, until I went abroad for the first time without having to wipe a single nose or bottom. It was a work trip to Chamonix in 2018. I ordered a prosecco at Geneva airport. Had a little nap on the flight. As I thought about the five days of hiking and hot tubs ahead, my drink wasnt the only thing that fizzed. Escaping ties of family life for a little R&R It was the longest I had left the children and I was worried how they would manage without me, but Dom booked the week off and, I hate to admit it, probably did a better job of parenting than me. They made pizzas together and somehow he got them to tidy their rooms. I think being in sole charge gave him a newfound appreciation for all the little invisible jobs I do each day. There was no one else to match the childrens socks, make their pasta or mediate in every little squabble. And the time away gave me space to think. I realised I was at breaking point. I felt I either had to give up hope of ever feeling truly relaxed again or insist on going away alone. For me, exploring, reading and drinking wine is what a holiday is all about. I dont want to think about what other people want or need thats what I spend the rest of the year doing. I cant stand this two become one, matching T-shirts, happy families spiel so prevalent on social media. This may horrify some the sort of people who think fathers should be thanked for helping out with the care of their own children, while mothers should be willing drudges for no reward. For Georgina exploring, reading and drinking wine is what a holiday is all about. She doesn't want to think about what other people want or need I remember one school mum saying she hadnt had a night to herself or a full nights sleep in more than six years as though it were a badge of honour. Its all right for some! she said, pointedly, when I told her about my own solo trips. So, not long after that first break, I booked myself on a five-day solo trip to Malta. Dom was disgruntled at first, especially about having to give up his paid leave to do childcare. But he soon came to see it as a break for him, too. As I wandered the ancient streets of Valletta, not once did I wish I was dragging a screaming toddler with me or trawling the local supermarket for fish fingers. And, as I headed off for a night of dancing and cocktails, I must admit, I didnt miss my husband either. Next was a shopping trip to New York in 2019, where I indulged my Sex And The City fantasies and bought clothes without worrying about sticky little fingers ruining them. Dom went to Cornwall with his mates later that year, and weve tried to do it annually ever since. Its not a quid pro quo thing, but I think were both entitled to a similar amount of time away. I trust him implicitly while we are apart And the best bit of all is the effect it has on my marriage. When hes gone, I realise just how much I rely on him. All those little things: being the last to turn off the lights in the house and empty the bins. Dom and I have been together for 20 years and our children are now 13, ten and eight. In between the usual sniping that comes with busy family life, its sometimes hard to remember what brought us together in the first place. But time apart brings it all back. After one trip, Dom came to pick me up from the airport as a surprise. For a moment I wondered who the tall, handsome stranger was waving at me. I couldnt wait to get him home! She says that when she arrives home she appreciates her husband Dom even more and trusts him completely I trust him implicitly while were apart. Its also a wonderful act of generosity on the part of the spouse left at home we never take each other for granted, since we get an annual taste of how chaotic life would be if we were left to manage single-handed. Perhaps thats why when its my turn to go away, I always return to a lovely dinner and a bottle of my favourite rose, a feast that shows just how much hes missed me. We do still go away with the kids, but we see those trips as time for them. In fact, weve just got back from a week in Greece, and while its easier now they are older, it was still not always family bliss. One refused to leave the villa, another just wants to Snapchat his friends, the third wants to be in the pool with us the whole time. Not really my idea of a holiday. Luckily, I dont have long to wait for one I can truly enjoy alone. Sophie Wessex looked chic and cool as she subtly integrated the colours of Cyprus' flag into her outfit during a visit to Dhekelia with her husband Prince Edward. The royal couple are on a three-day visit to the country, and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Today, Sophie, 57, and Edward, 58, visited the Dhekelia Operations Centre, where they were snapped chatting with military personnel and children. Sophie wore dark green trousers, printed with an abstract floral motif, featuring orange leaves. She paired them with a nude short sleeved top, a loose beige blazer, and practical wedge heels. Prince Edward (left) and Sophie Wessex (centre left) looked stylish as they visited he Dhekelia Operations Centre as part of their visit to Cyprus During the visit to the Dhekelia Operations Centre, Sophie met a young girl, with whom she was snapped having a conversation Her blonde locks were swept back into a casual, low chignon, and she wore minimal make-up for the visit, pairing fresh skin with light eyeshadow and a natural lip. Meanwhile, Edward looked smart but casual, in pale slacks, paired with a light grey blazer, and a shirt with no tie. Their trip is designed to 'celebrate the ties of friendship' between the UK and the fellow Commonwealth state, and show support for the British Armed Forces based overseas. This is the second diplomatic outfit donned by the royal during the visit: yesterday she opted for a white dress with orange and pink polka dots as she and Prince Edward kicked off their tour. The popular royal (pictured, right) donned a nude short sleeved top, which she paired with trousers incorporating the orange and green tones of Cyprus' flag The Earl of Wessex (pictured, right) is photographed during his visit to the Dhekelia Operations Centre, part of his three-day visit to Cyprus Sophie wore the dress as she and her husband were welcomed by President Anastasiades and the First Lady at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. Prince Edward inspected the Guard of Honour at the Presidential Palace and the couple looked engaged as they laughed with Sophie wore her hair swept back in a low chignon for the occasion and accessorised with a gold pendant necklace and matching earrings. She teamed her outfit with a woven clutch bag and sported three bracelets on her right wrist, including a white beaded one and two gold chain link accessories. Sophie Wessex showed her prowess at diplomatic dressing today as she donned the colours of the Cypriot flag to kick off her official visit Sophie wore her hair swpet back in a low chignon for the occasion and accessorised with a gold pendant necklace and matching earrings She teamed her outfit with a woven clutch bag and sported three bracelets on her right wrist. The couple looked engaged as they chatted to President Anastasiades and the First Lady of Cyprus Meanwhile, Prince Edward looked smart in a pinstriped suit, which he paired with a red tie with white polka dots. During the visit, the couple will also continue celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Cyprus. Recognising the UKs contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is also on the agenda, with a visit planned to the UN Buffer Zone to hear more about the wider UN mission in Cyprus. Welcome to Cyprus! The couple were seen laughing with the President and First Lady during their official welcome Sophie elevated her look by styling her blonde locks into a low chignon, and accessories with an orange leather clutch As a champion of the UNs Women, Peace and Security agenda, The Countess will meet women and young people from across the island, including the Cypriot members of the Women Mediators Across the Commonwealth network. Prince Edward will also meet students from across the island who are working towards their Duke of Edinburghs Award. Honouring the role of the British Armed Forces overseas will also form part of the visit when the couple meet service personnel and their families to hear more about their roles in current operations. The couple sat down with President Nicos Anastasiades and his wife Andri at the start of their visit Prince Edward looked smart in a grey suit he paired with a red tie with white polka dots and a red pocket square Sophie was the picture of poise during her first Cyprus engagement today. Prince Edward drank her every word The couple looked relaxed and enthusiastic about learning more about Cyprus throughout their visit An American woman who began suffering from a miscarriage while on vacation in Malta is now fearing for her life because doctors have refused to terminate the pregnancy over a 'viable' heartbeat - despite the fetus having little chance of survival and a 'ruptured membrane,' which could ultimately kill the expecting mother. Andrea Prudente, 38, and her husband, Jay Weeldreyer, 45, from Seattle, Washington, were visiting the European island when she suddenly developed heavy bleeding and went to the hospital. The expecting mother, who was 16-weeks pregnant at the time, thought she had suffered from a miscarriage, and an ultrasound showed 'ruptured membranes and a detached placenta' - however, the fetus still had a heartbeat. According to a Facebook post made by Doctors for Choice Malta - a nonprofit organization run by pro-choice doctors - medical professionals at Mater Dei Hospital, where she was admitted, are now refusing to terminate the pregnancy - despite her being at risk for a possible infection which could enter her bloodstream and kill her, and despite the fetus having close to a 'zero per cent chance' of survival. An American woman (pictured) who began suffering from a miscarriage while on vacation in Malta is now fearing for her life because doctors have refused to terminate the pregnancy Expecting mom Andrea Prudente, 38, and her husband, Jay Weeldreyer, 45, from Seattle, Washington, were visiting the European island when she suddenly developed heavy bleeding She was told she had a 'ruptured membrane' - but the fetus still had a heartbeat. Now, doctors are refusing to end the pregnancy despite her being at risk for infection and hemorrhaging The organization explained that infection can easily enter Andrea's body through the ruptured membrane and could get into her uterus - or even her bloodstream, potentially leading to death. On top of that, she also has an umbilical cord protruding from her cervix, which puts her at an 'extreme risk' of hemorrhaging. Andrea reportedly asked doctors to terminate the pregnancy, but her request was denied as abortion is currently illegal in Malta - which is located in the Mediterranean sea near Italy. Doctors for Choice Malta reported on its website that women who have abortions on the island could face a maximum of three years in prison. Doctors who help carry out the abortions could also face jailtime and a permanent revocation of their license, with the company adding, 'There are no exceptions in the law to allow an abortion even when the woman's health is at risk, in cases of severe fetal malformation, or in cases of rape or incest.' 'She was told doctors can only intervene if she is imminently dying not even getting an infection is enough,' the organization continued in its Facebook post. 'She was also told doctors cannot even discuss the option of abortion with her.' Gynecologist Isabel Stabile, who works for Doctors for Choice, told Times of Malta that there is 'practically no amniotic fluid' left in her womb, which makes 'the chances of survival for the fetus very low.' Andrea reportedly asked doctors to terminate the pregnancy, but her request was denied as abortion is currently illegal in Malta. Activists are seen protesting Malta's abortion law Desperate for a solution, Andrea and Jay are trying to have her medically evacuated to the U.K. where she can get an abortion. Activists are seen protesting Malta's abortion law She explained that Andrea is now just 'waiting for the fetus to die' on its own, with the organization adding on Facebook that her family is 'rightly distraught' as she is forced to sit and 'wait' while her life 'is at risk.' Desperate for a solution, they are trying to have her medically evacuated to the U.K. where she can get an abortion. She is currently waiting for the insurance clearance for the transfer, but her family is worried it won't come in time. Andrea told the Guardian that Mater Dei Hospital has been 'uncooperative in their attempts to leave and in sharing medical records with her insurance company.' 'I just want to get out of here alive,' she told the outlet from her hospital room in Maltas capital, Valletta. 'I couldnt in my wildest dreams have thought up a nightmare like this.' Her husband, Jay, called the hospital's actions an 'inconceivable form of emotional and psychological torture,' while Andrea added that she feels like she is being 'traumatized.' He also told MSN, 'The baby can't live, there's nothing that can be done to change that. 'We wanted her, we still want her, we love her, we wish she could survive, but she won't. 'And not only are we in a spot when we're losing a daughter that we wanted, but the hospital is also prolonging Andrea's exposure to risk.' They are now sharing her story with the world in the hopes of raising awareness and 'avoiding a tragedy.' 'I dont want this to happen to more people,' she added to the Guardian. Jay, called the hospital's actions an 'inconceivable form of emotional and psychological torture.' Activists are seen protesting Malta's abortion law Many people were horrified over the situation and posted about it on Facebook, with one user calling it 'revolting' and 'truly outrageous' 'We hope common sense prevails and this woman is allowed to have a termination before it is too late,' Doctors for Choice Malta added on Facebook. 'This is not right. Women have beating hearts too.' Many people were horrified over the situation and took to the comment section of the Facebook post to share their thoughts, with one calling it 'revolting' and 'truly outrageous.' 'If this woman dies, murder charges should be initiated against those who could have done something but instead stood by and watched,' they wrote. 'This is barbaric and needs to be made public,' another person said, while a third added, 'This is shocking, horrifying and shameful! 'How can anyone in the medical profession allow this to happen and sleep at night? I agree that this should find its way to the foreign press and put Malta to shame and be forced to change its ridiculous laws.' Other comments read, 'This is absolutely terrifying,' and, 'Utterly disgusting and horrifying.' 'I couldn't believe what I was reading! This is barbaric,' agreed someone else. 'How can this bloody nation let this happen? Get the attention of foreign press and the EU - they should put pressure on this island to decriminalize abortion once and for all.' Once, when staying in a cheap hotel in Paris, sleep proved impossible because a woman in a neighbouring room was moaning in presumed ecstasy all night long. I say presumed because, as devotees of the film When Harry Met Sally know, courtesy of Meg Ryans loud simulation of an orgasm in a cafe, bedroom enthusiasm can easily be faked. In fact, according to findings from researchers at the University of Ottawa published this week, moaning is a poor indicator that a woman is truly experiencing sexual pleasure so poor that they suggest it is taken off the official Orgasm Rating Scale altogether. Having spoken to more than 600 women, they say that faster breathing, goose bumps, pulsing, sweating, tingling and reddened skin are all much clearer signs that the earth is moving. Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. Moaning is a poor indicator that a woman is truly experiencing sexual pleasure. More than 600 women say that sweating and pulsing are all much clearer sign Yet these are hardly new tidings to women at least. Even the Kama Sutra, which dates from the 3rd century AD, has instructions on how a woman should make appreciative sounds. Because yes, we know we dont have to groan during sex. But a display of sighing and moaning is highly useful in the bedroom. After all, you need some sort of cue to tell your partner they are hitting your sweet spot. And it works both ways; men also vocalise to signify that their needs are being met. Changes in volume and tone are used in much the same way as people say warm, warmer, very warm, boiling hot when on a treasure hunt. The nearer you are to the treasure, the more enthusiastic the signalling. Youd only ignore these signposts to the big O if you didnt care about the other persons enjoyment. Evolutionary scientists have their own views about vocalisation. Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethas acclaimed book Sex At Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality has a whole chapter dedicated to exploring why women arent silent during sex. The authors pointed out that humans arent the only female primates who make a lot of noise while in the midst of a sexual encounter. One highbrow 61-year-old author friend of mine is a lifelong defendant of the time-honoured art of faking an orgasm. She describes it as an occasional, highly practical practice that she employs when shes feeling tired or not in the mood for making love Zoologists have found that vocalisation can happen before, during, or immediately after primates mate. It seems to be a way that the female of the species incites other males in the group. The evolutionary view is that its a copulation call, or way of informing other males that a female is fertile and might enjoy a bit of rivalrous attention what the Darwinians describe as sperm wars. Its in the females interest to attract the fittest nearby male, so that any offspring are fine specimens. Theres also an evolutionary theory that if the paternity of the child is in doubt and several suspects could be the father, all the males in the group will have an incentive to protect the female and her offspring. Apparently, baboon copulatory vocalisatations are particularly complex, and the more monogamous the species of primate, the less vocal the mating calls. Problems can arise if an anxious woman persists in expressing every sign of pleasure when she doesnt actually feel any Back in the human realm, the theatrical moans that typify modern pornography and in turn mainstream TV and cinema mean its no wonder that women have learned to vocalise pleasure in a near-automatic fashion. Conversely, one highbrow 61-year-old author friend of mine is a lifelong defendant of the time-honoured art of faking an orgasm. She describes it as an occasional, highly practical practice that she employs when shes feeling tired or not in the mood for making love. She feels that its kinder and more polite to seem enthusiastic when erotic overtures are made under those circumstances, and then bring proceedings to a fairly swift conclusion with a lot of encouraging noise. She is not the first woman to note (and sexologists concur) that a lot of encouraging noise will speed the human male to a crescendo and then everyone can go to sleep. Perhaps one danger of this study is that it serves to out those moaners who are also fakers. When the orgasm gap is already so heavily skewed in mens favour research shows that while 95 per cent of men report they usually or always climax during sex, this falls to 65 per cent for heterosexual women But problems can arise if an anxious woman persists in expressing every sign of pleasure when she doesnt actually feel any. I know of one couple whod been together for 30 years and married for 24 before the wife announced that shed never had an orgasm during their relationship. What was almost impossible for the husband to accept and which led to their rather inevitable divorce was not that he had been unable to satisfy her, but the fact that shed been giving him every sign of sexual satisfaction, including throaty vocalisations, for three decades, rather than telling him the truth. You cant help reflecting on how much tumult may have been avoided if shed confessed to the situation earlier and theyd sought counselling to resolve the issue. My advice to women is its best to be honest about their pleasure, otherwise you might help your beloved to form unsatisfactory habits. When the orgasm gap is already so heavily skewed in mens favour research shows that while 95 per cent of men report they usually or always climax during sex, this falls to 65 per cent for heterosexual women weve got to be vocal about what actually turns us on. It strikes me that this principle of honesty is perhaps even more important in short-term relationships because its always better to hand a man along to his next partner better trained in the erotic arts. Dont leave him thinking hes Casanova when hes actually Mr Bean. Either way, a life without sighs and moans is one without sexual cues and, lord knows, we all need a road map when were lost in the sexual desert. An Australian fashion IT girl is preparing to jet off to Europe for the northern hemisphere's summer and has revealed the eight beauty essentials she's packing for the trip. Nadia Fairfax-Wayne, 33, will be escaping the chilly winter for sunnier climes this year with a pair of gold hoop earrings to take her from beach to bar, fragrance minis to slip into her evening bag and haircare to quench dehydrated sun-bleached locks. First on her must-have list is Standard Procedure's Aloe Vera Gel ($28) just in case the sun catches up with her and she needs some relief. Nadia Fairfax-Wayne, 33, will be escaping the chilly Aussie winter for sunnier climes this year First on her must-have list is Standard Procedure's Aloe Vera Gel ($28, left) just in case the sun catches up with her and she needs some relief 'Too much sun? Take this out of the mini-bar fridge and apply. Ta dah! The classic cooling cure,' she told youtime. In her carry on case Nadia will pack her Sener Besim Accent Hoops in Gold ($320) to spice up her outfits and 'won't leave the house without' Aede's Power Activist supplement, designed to improve hair health, growth and thickness. 'I don't go anywhere in the world without this product. It's an absolute non-negotiable, holiday or not. HIGHLY recommend. Who doesn't want thick juicy hair?', she said. 'I don't go anywhere in the world without this product,' she said of the Aede supplements. 'It's an absolute non-negotiable, holiday or not. HIGHLY recommend. Who doesn't want thick juicy hair?' (pictured, Nadia on a previous trip) Nadia's in-flight essential is In Essence's Anxiety Essential Oil Blend ($39.95, left) which she gently rubs across her wrists before settling into her seat. She also travels with Ere Perez's Avocado Waterproof Mascara ($38, right) Her fragrance of choice is N.C.P's Black Facets Discovery Set ($32) so she can mix up her perfume day-to-day depending on her mood, with the added bonus of one vial fitting in 'the mini bags we're all loving right now'. Nadia's in-flight essential is In Essence's Anxiety Essential Oil Blend ($39.95) which she rubs across her wrists before settling into her seat. 'For those who get nervous while flying this will instantly put you at ease,' she said. Her fragrance of choice is N.C.P's Black Facets Discovery Set ($32) so she can mix up her perfume day to day depending on her mood (pictured, Nadia) To shampoo and condition her famous blonde locks Nadia opts for Oribe's Hair Alchemy range, a brand she learned about from her friend Paloma, who owns Paloma Salon in Sydney To shampoo and condition her famous blonde locks Nadia opts for Oribe's Hair Alchemy range, a brand she learned about from her friend Paloma, who owns Paloma Salon in Sydney. Finally the only makeup Nadia 'needs' on her summer holidays is a good quality waterproof mascara. Her pick of the bunch is Ere Perez's Avocado Waterproof Mascara ($38) which is made up of a nourishing blend of oils and waxes to create a unique dry-style formula. Kathy Kiedrzynski was chasing the blue tick for her Kiyomee Blends Instagram account when her page was hijacked and held for ransom A heartbroken entrepreneur has revealed how ruthless scammers stole her business' Instagram page leaving her hundreds of thousands of dollars worse off. Kathy Kiedrzynski was chasing the blue tick for her Kiyomee Blends Instagram account when her page was hijacked and held for ransom. Kathy told FEMAIL the professional hackers messaged her over WhatsApp 12 hours after they took hold of her account and asked if she wanted it back. When she said yes they demanded $400 for the page - but the tiny ransom amount was a huge red flag for the veteran business owner. 'I couldn't put a figure on what would have been a less triggering amount but to me you wouldn't spend so much time getting someone's account to demand such a small amount,' she said. Kathy had spent more than $153,000 on her Instagram strategy for two years and had attracted over 44,000 followers before it was hacked. So she knew it was worth more to the hackers than they were letting on. She asked them how she could be sure they would come through with their promise to give her access to the account. Kathy shared a text thread with FEMAIL showing the demands from the hackers who stole her account To which the hacker replied: 'I buy and sell people's accounts every day, I can take hundreds of screenshots.' But the answer did nothing to ease Kathy's nerves. She was afraid the criminals would continue to ask for more money or somehow use what they had learned to scam her further. 'I wasn't prepared to lose anything else,' she said. So she ignored their demands while they continued to send texts to her phone warning she was running out of time to get her account back. It has been two months since her account was stolen and the thieves have since made good on their promise to delete it because she didn't pay up. The saga all began seven months before the account was stolen, when Kathy decided to apply for the coveted blue tick. Several accounts had popped up doing giveaways and pretending to be her business so she wanted to secure the tick to safeguard her fans. But the plan backfired on Anzac Day when she received a message from a page pretending to be Instagram to tell her she had been successful in her application. The hackers have come good on their promise to delete the account if she didn't pay up 'The account looked legitimate, it had 800 million followers including thousands of big companies with blue ticks,' she explained. There was no link in the inbox, simply a request for the business owner to log out of her account, wait a minute, then log back in. 'When you apply for the blue tick they say you have to do this, so I wasn't concerned, it is all part of the normal process,' she said. But when Kathy logged back into her account she was instantly alerted to a third-party accessing the site from an untrusted location. Seconds later they had switched the language settings from English to Turkish. 'Before I could translate the page to lock them out they had switched on two-factor authentication and locked me out,' she said. Kathy thought she had two-factor authentication set up on her Instagram already - wrongly assuming her social medias were linked in her business suite. Kathy said she had invested $153,000 in the account, paying people to set it up create content and purchase site-wide advertising 'I have created different two-factor authentications using apps and numbers and codes and questions to stop this from happening again,' she said. The takeover was so clean Kathy has no doubt the perpetrator was as prolific as he had suggested. 'The worst thing is we reported the page and the incident and still haven't heard from Meta,' she said. Her new account still only has 1,255 followers - something which makes Kathy furious and incredibly sad. Her new accounts still only has 1255 followers - something which makes Kathy furious and incredibly sad The business owner has copped abuse online since her account was stolen with many people doubting her intelligence and social media competence. 'I am not some dumb blonde, I never clicked a link, and I am just speaking out because I don't want this to happen to anyone else,' she said. Every now and then Kathy wonders if she made a mistake when she decided not to negotiate with the criminals. But she still thinks they would have continued to build a web around her and she would have lost much more if she agreed to their terms. An Australian woman has gone viral for sharing why there's no reason to be afraid of turbulence on a plane after speaking to a 'real pilot'. Influencer Anna Paul used a cup of jelly and a balled up piece of napkin to demonstrate why a plane won't fall from the sky during turbulence in a video that has amassed a whopping 18.8million views. The 23-year-old, who is one of Australia's top earners on OnlyFans, explained there's so much air pressure coming from every direction it is as if a plane is flying in jelly. Scroll down for video Influencer Anna Paul (pictured) shared a helpful tip with her millions of followers she heard from a pilot that has eased her fear of flying Anna used a cup of jelly and a balled up piece of napkin to demonstrate why a plane won't fall from the sky during turbulence in a video that has amassed a whopping 18.8million views 'Pretend this is the air that you're flying in, this jelly right here, and this napkin is the aeroplane - just trust me,' she said as she pushes the napkin into the middle of the jelly cup. 'That is you flying through the sky there's pressure from the bottom, pressure from the top, from the sides, pressure coming from everywhere.' Anna said turbulence is like the plane shaking in jelly and the pressure coming from every direction will prevent it from falling from the sky. Anna said turbulence is like the plane shaking in jelly and the pressure coming from every direction will prevent it from falling from the sky 'When you're on a plane and you feel turbulence just imagine yourself in jelly like this and know that it can't just fall - you're stuck in the middle of the air because of all the pressure everywhere,' she said. 'And there's never been a plane crash from turbulence, so you do not have to be scared.' Anna said the tip has helped her overcome her fear of flying and many in the comments agreed. What is turbulence? The disruption in the air current which helps a plane to fly results in shakes and it is referred to as turbulence. Also known as air pockets, turbulence can cause a sudden loss of altitude temporarily. What causes turbulence? Air that creates the atmosphere is always in motion. Planes use this motion to be able to fly. For a plane to fly stably, airflow passing over and under the wings need to be regular. However, some weather events can cause irregularity in the airflow and this creates air pockets. This is the reason why turbulence happens. There are other factors causing turbulence and these factors also name the different turbulence types such as clear air turbulence, temperature inversion turbulence, mechanical turbulence, etc. What does flying in turbulence mean? Flying in turbulence happens when the plane is caught up in disrupted airflow during the flight. Planes can shake in turbulence. While some of them can be mild, some can be violent. Pilots can inform passengers in case of turbulence and all passengers are required to fasten their seat belts. Can planes crash due to turbulence? Turbulence does not cause a plane to crash although it creates panic among passengers. Planes are engineered to survive all types of turbulence. Violent turbulences may seem scary. However, pilots are specially trained accordingly. The only thing you need to do is to fasten your seat belt and remain calm until the turbulence ends. Source: flypgs.com Advertisement 'This genuinely has helped me SO much,' one viewer said. 'Flying from Bali to Sydney in six hours. Nearly went to the pharmacy for a Valium to help me. Thank you,' write a second. 'Another pilot told me it's comparable to a pothole or bump in the road when you're driving!!' added a third. Super gonorrhoea poses a 'major global threat', scientists have warned in the wake of an Austrian man catching a drug-resistant version of the STI. The unidentified man, in his 50s, became infected after having unprotected sex with a prostitute while on holiday in Cambodia in April. Five days later, when he returned home, he experienced a burning pain while urinating and discharge from his penis. Medical tests reveled he had gonorrhoea and he was given standard antibiotics. While the drugs made his symptoms disappear, the man still tested positive which meant the treatment had technically failed. Doctors called his strain 'extensively drug resistant' and different to ones seen before. They warned it could effectively render gonorrhoea untreatable, if it was allowed to spread. Lead author of the report, Dr Sonja Pleininger of the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, said such strains 'poses a major global public health threat'. 'If such strains manage to establish a sustained transmission, many gonorrhoea cases might become untreatable,' she said. An Austrian man caught super gonorrhoea after having unprotected sex with a prostitute in Cambodia (stock image) What is super gonorrhoea? Super gonorrhoea refers to a strain of the bacteria behind the sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is resistant to one or more antibiotics normally used to treat it. In the UK gonorrhoea is usually treated with an injection of the antibiotic ceftriaxone into the thigh or buttocks. However, a new strain of the STI has emerged in the Asia-Pacific region which is resistant to this drug. These cases instead need to be treated with a different medication that the strain is not resistant to. Like the regular strain, super gonorrhoea can cause infertility and potentially life-threatening pelvic inflammatory disease in women if left untreated. There are fears super gonorrhoea could gain resistance to more antibiotics meaning that it effectivity becomes untreatable. The symptoms for super gonorrhoea are the same as the regular type, pain while urinating, thick yellow or green discharge from the genitals and abnormal bleeding between periods in women. It can be spread via unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex and sharing unwashed sex toys. Wearing a condom correctly can help reduce the chance of catching the STI. Advertisement New medications targeting the gonorrhoea bacteria and/or the creation of an effective gonorrhoea vaccine are crucial to limiting the impact of drug resistant strains, the authors added. The man was eventually treated with a week-long course of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, a combination antibiotic treatment. He later tested negative. However, Cambodian sex worker was unable to be traced, meaning the situation could repeat itself, according to experts who detailed the man's case in the journal Eurosurveillance. Gonorrhoea is the second most common STI in Britain, with almost 60,000 people catching it each year. Rough 680,000 Americans get infected each year, too. Symptoms include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, and pain when urinating. If left untreated, the disease can lead to serious complications including infertility and potentially life-threatening pelvic inflammatory disease in women. In pregnant women, it can also cause permanent blindness for newborns. Most strains are still treatable although super-strains have popped up over the past few years. Cases of a type of gonorrhoea resistant to ceftriaxone have been rising in the Asia-Pacific region. In February, British health authorities warned they had detected four genetically similar cases in the previous few months. Gonorrhoea has been gathering resistance to a number of antibiotics over the past few decades, a phenomena called antimicrobial resistance. British doctors used to prescribe the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. But in 2005 it was no longer recommended as a treatment because the bacteria had become resistant. Another antibiotic cefixime was also dropped in 2011 for the same reason. The strain the Austrian man had displayed resistance to azithromycin, one of the two frontline antibiotics used to treat gonorrhoea in Europe. Lord Jim O'Neill the Government's former superbug tsar today told MPs companies who raced to develop Covid jabs could turn their focus to developing new vaccines to help reduce the use of antibiotics TYPHOID-CAUSING BACTERIA HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT Typhoid-causing bacteria have become increasingly antibiotic resistant and have spread widely over the past three decades, a new study has suggested. The largest genome analysis of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) also reveals that resistant strains - almost all originating in south Asia - have spread to other countries nearly 200 times since 1990. According to research, while antibiotic resistance has generally declined in south Asia, strains resistant to macrolides and quinolones - two of the most important antibiotics for human health - have risen sharply and spread to other countries. Lead author, Dr Jason Andrews, from Stanford University, said: 'The speed at which highly-resistant strains of S. Typhi have emerged and spread in recent years is a real cause for concern, and highlights the need to urgently expand prevention measures, particularly in countries at greatest risk. 'At the same time, the fact resistant strains of S. Typhi have spread internationally so many times also underscores the need to view typhoid control, and antibiotic resistance more generally, as a global rather than local problem.' Typhoid fever causes 11 million infections and more than 100,000 deaths per year, and is most prevalent in south Asia - which accounts for 70% of the global disease burden. It is also an issue in sub-Saharan Africa, south-east Asia, and Oceania, highlighting the need for a global response. Antibiotics can be used to successfully treat typhoid but their effectiveness is threatened by resistant strains. The findings are published in The Lancet Microbe journal. Advertisement It was also resistant to ceftriaxone as well as cefixime, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline other antibiotics used to fight infections. Antimicrobial resistance is increasingly concerning to scientists and health leaders. Health authorities fear a 'post-antibiotic' era where common conditions and medical operations become more deadly and dangerous, as patients succumb to previously harmless bugs. Today MPs from the Science and Technology Committee heard from experts on the threat posed by superbugs. Lord Jim O'Neill, an economist who chaired a Government review on antimicrobial resistance, said he was concerned about a lack of diagnostic tools when it came to using antibiotics in Britain. It is alarming to me still, especially having gone through Covid, how we are not embedding state of the art technology right in the middle of our health systems, he said. Blood tests could be used in some cases to determine someone's infection, allowing medics to crackdown on unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. Overprescribing and the inappropriate doling out of antibiotics has been attributed as one reason behind the rise of superbugs. Tackling the issue was a recommendation of Lord O'Neill's review. Our most aggressive recommendation was that we should actually ban the use of subjective prescriptions in secondary settings until theyd done through a secondary diagnostic, he told MPs. In the UK thats the area that has been the most persistently disappointing. The whole NHS and its thought leaders, never mind ministers, dont seem to grasp the scale of the power of the appropriate use of technology that could reduce this issue permanently. Lord O'Neill said targeting animal diseases with new vaccines could end agricultural use of antibiotics, another factor attributed to the rise of superbugs. Earlier this year a major study found superbugs had directly killed 1.2million people in 2019. This makes superbugs a bigger global killer than AIDS or malaria. On top of direct deaths, the the scientists, from the University of Washington and University of Oxford, estimated drug resistant bugs were also a potential factor in another 5million deaths globally in 2019. Advertisement Monkeypox may become endemic in the U.S. just like the West Nile Virus did after spilling over into the wild mosquito population two decades ago, an expert warns. Dr Bobbi Pritt, a pathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, told DailyMail.com a key similarity between the diseases was that both had spread under the radar before being detected. But she said monkeypox is likely to prove much easier to control because it was mostly being spread through sexual contact with infectious skin lesions, whereas the other is 'indiscriminately' transmitted by mosquitoes. The West Nile Virus (WNV) became endemic to the U.S. just a year after its arrival and is now the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the country sparking tens of thousands of cases every year. About eight in ten people infected with the virus suffer no symptoms, but for those that do one in five face a fever, headache and vomiting while one in 150 can suffer encephalitis inflammation of the brain. About 70 deaths related to the disease are recorded every 12-months. European health chiefs have warned monkeypox could also jump into the animal population, although add the risk remains 'very low'. There was a risk the tropical disease would in 2003 when it infected more than 40 prairie dogs, but the outbreak was eventually snuffed out. The warning comes after America recorded another 28 cases of monkeypox over this weekend and the Juneteenth across 23 states and Washington D.C. New Jersey, Indiana and Missouri were the latest states to detect the disease this weekend. The tally has now hit 142, but no deaths have been recorded in the U.S. or other countries currently facing an outbreak. The above map shows states that have detected monkeypox (Red) in the current outbreak and those that are still to, the cumulative number of monkeypox cases every week day (left) and cases by state (right) The above map shows states that have detected West Nile virus this year. The incidence rate is per 100,000 people. Hawaii is yet to report its disease incidence The above map shows the states that have reported West Nile Virus in humans (dark green) and other animals (light green) since 2021. It shows the virus is now in every state of the country. Hawaii is yet to report its case count Warning that monkeypox could become established in the U.S. just like WNV, Pritt said: 'I would hesitate to say monkeypox is endemic yet, although it definitely has this potential.' 'It will be, however, easier to prevent monkeypox from spreading. 'They have quite different modes of transmission. WNV is spread through mosquito bites and is really quite indiscriminate. But monkeypox is mostly spread through sexual contact, at the moment particularly among men who have sex with men although it could reach other populations. What is West Nile Virus? What are the warning signs? Is there treatment? West Nile virus is a disease spread by mosquitoes, which can pick it up from birds. It was discovered in Uganda in the 1930s and is now found on almost every continent in the world. It reached the U.S. in 1999, likely on a shipment from the Middle East. The disease now triggers tens of thousands of cases every year, although most go unreported because eight in ten develop no symptoms. People who catch the disease generally do not show symptoms until three to 14 days later. Those that do develop warning signs tend to suffer flu-like symptoms, muscle pain and headaches. About one in 50 cases develop a severe illness, however, where they can face a coma, tremors and paralysis. About one in 150 patients could also suffer encephalitis inflammation of the brain which is life threatening. There is no specific treatment for West Nile Virus patients, but severely ill patients will be admitted to hospital for close monitoring. People with mild illness are recommended to get over-the-counter pain relieves to reduce their fever and other symptoms. About 70 people die from the disease in the U.S. every year. Sources: CDC Advertisement 'This could be stopped through practicing safe sex. 'There is more chance of stopping it than WNV. With WNV it can only really be stopped by wearing insect repellant.' American health chiefs took nearly two weeks to diagnose their first case of monkeypox in Massachusetts after standard swabs failed to detect other infections. They only decided to test the patient for the tropical virus after spotting alerts from Europe led by the UK over the outbreak there. In comparison, a WNV outbreak was spotted in New York City in late August after eight previously healthy people who lived within 16 miles of each other were struck down with encephalitis. The tropical disease has been known for decades after it was first spotted in the West Nile district of Northern Uganda in 1937. Since then it began to pop up in several other countries across the continent, parts of Asia and even in Romania, Europe. The disease arrived in the U.S. in 1999, likely on a shipment that had come from the Middle East where Israel was also experiencing an outbreak at that time. It is not clear whether it was in geese or another bird that was imported or arrived via mosquitos that hitched a ride on a ship. Health officials became suspicious of its presence in late August when they spotted suggestive-cases in Queens. There also spotted many birds falling sick with a virus that had a high fatality rate. WNV is spread by mosquitoes to humans and birds, after the insect picks up the disease from another infected animal which could well be an unwell bird. The following year they detected another outbreak of the disease, and within three years it had been recorded across as many as 44 states. It also triggered a major outbreak in 2002 when a total of 4,100 cases were detected including more than 2,000 people who suffered from encephalitis. There were also 284 fatalities. But Pritt said because so many people who catch the virus suffer no symptoms, it was likely the true case tally was in the tens of thousands. Other experts have also warned monkeypox could mimic WNV in becoming established in the country. Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases expert at Johns Hopkins in Maryland, previously told CNN: 'It got seeded into the mosquito populations and... bird populations and was able to establish itself,' he said. But he also warned this was a far from inevitable outcome for monkeypox pointing out that '2003 was a good opportunity for it to happen' but that this did not occur. Monkeypox which is native to West Africa was first spotted in Europe in May, with cases traced back to unsafe sex at mass gatherings which took place in Spain and Belgium. It was then first detected in the U.S. a few weeks later in an individual who had recently returned from Canada, but the World Health Organization says it could have been spreading for years beforehand. Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic Timeline of monkeypox cases in the U.S. April 2003: A total of 47 people are found to have been infected with the virus after coming into contact with animals. This was linked to a shipment of 800 rodents including squirrels from Ghana to Texas. Some of the infected animals were then moved to Illinois and housed near Prairie dogs. They passed on the virus to these animals, which then gave it to humans when they were rehomed. July 2021: An individual in Texas is found to have been infected with monkeypox after returning to the U.S. from Nigeria. A total of 200 people were monitored for infection, but after 21 days none had developed symptoms. November 2021: An individual tested positive for the virus after returning to Maryland from Nigeria. They did not pass the virus on to others. May 2022: A man is found to have been infected with the virus after returning to Massachusetts from Canada. Another case is currently being probed in New York City. Advertisement Most infections are being spotted among gay and bisexual men and linked back to international travel including to Europe. But a growing number of cases are now being spotted with no links to other infections or international travel, suggesting the virus is already spreading under the radar in the country. It comes after New Jersey recorded its first suspected case of monkeypox in Jersey City yesterday, with a sample now being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation. The patient was told to isolate at home, and contact tracing is now underway. They said on Instagram: 'The NJ Department of Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in Jersey City. Our health officials are working closely with the CDC. 'The local health department is conducting contact tracing to identify any individuals who may have been exposed to the individual. 'Most New Jersey residents are not at risk of infection with monkeypox.' Globally, the CDC counts 2,525 total cases across 37 separate countries, with the United Kingdom leading the way with 574 and Spain in second place with 497 confirmed cases of the virus. Medical literature says that people infected with monkeypox experience flu-like symptoms within the first 21 days of catching the virus, followed by a rash that appears on the face before spreading to the rest of the body. But this is rarely being observed in the current outbreak, with patients instead seeing rashes emerge on the genital areas before suffering any flu-like symptoms. Dr Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said: 'The disease is not spread through casual conversations, passing others in a grocery store, or touching things like door-knobs,' she said. 'All of the case we have seen to date in this outbreak have been related to direct contact.' Advertisement Americans children under the age of five have begun to receive the COVID-19 vaccine - with President Joe Biden exclaiming Tuesday that the nation is the only one in the world to jab children as young as six months old. Some experts are slamming the decision, and the subsequent discussion around the shots as dishonest and discrediting. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were approved by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children between six months and four years old last week, and their administration into children began this week. Dr Vinay Prasad, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, said that their was little evidence that the shots were needed in a YouTube video he uploaded Wednesday morning, and slammed officials and other media figures for not being 'honest' about the shots. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 2.7 million shots have been delivered to vaccine providers around the U.S., with up to ten million doses to be delivered as part of this first batch. President Joe Biden, who has long been a proponent of expanding America's COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, remarked Tuesday that America was the only country in the world vaccinating children as young as six months. It comes as Covid cases in the U.S. remain steady at around 100,000 per day, and deaths remain in the 300 per day area. Pictured: A four year old girl in New Orleans, Louisiana, winces as she receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday - the first day the shots became eligible Pictured: A 16-month-old child in Salt Lake City, Utah, is held by her mother and embraces her stuffed animal and she receives the COVID-19 vaccine Pictured: A four-year-old girl reacts in agony as she receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine in New Orleans, Louisiana on Tuesday 'We're the only country in the world doing this right now,' Biden said at a vaccination clinic in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, while taking pictures with some in attendance. 'This is a great day for you all. Thanks for the example you are setting.' Biden and other officials have some strong critics, though, with Prasad being among the most scathing, saying that the discussion around the virus was not convincing anyone, and instead was just pushing some people away. All your lying and exaggerating, its gonna be the same thing. The 20 percent [of parents] that wants to [vaccinate their children] will do it, and youre not flipping any votes,' he said. 'Youre not persuading anybody. Youre laying it on a little thick and in the process youre discrediting yourself He also had strong criticism for the data being used by mainstream media outlets like the New York Times in order to promote the vaccine. Prasad points to a claim that the Moderna vaccine is 38 percent effective against the virus. He says that when data was adjusted by the firm to account for at-home testing - in which some cases do not get recorded properly - the effectiveness drops all the way to 27 percent. He also said that there is little data available backing the claim that Pfizer's vaccine is 80 percent effective at preventing infection. We need to be honest about these,' he said. Dr Marty Makary, a public health expert at Johns Hopkins University wrote on Twitter, in response to the CDC's approval of the shots: 'A more honest announcement would have been: "We approved the vax for babies &toddlers based on very little data. While we believe its safe in this population, the study sample size was too low to make a [conclusion] about safety. Note that studies were done in kids w/o natural immunity"' Florida is the only state in America that has not pre-ordered shots of COVID-19 vaccines for children in the newly approved age groups, saying this week: 'Our department of health has been very clear, the risks outweigh the benefits. 'Thats not the same as banning it, people can still access it if they want to, and patents can to, but if you look at when they were doing the hearing, we had one physician say parents are really really frightened and we know that the risk is low, were not sure how this is gonna work, but parents are frightened about Covid for their kids.' He said that fear, not science, is not a reason to approve the shots for kids, and pointed at the mainstream media as the reason for budding fear among parents. 'Why would they be frightened about it? Its because of media hysteria. Its because of a lot of misinformation, thats why theyre scared,' he added. Uptake for these shots may be limited, especially during the early stages of their rollout. Polling for the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only about one in five parents of children under age five (18 percent) are eager to get their child vaccinated right away, while a larger share (38 percent) say they plan to wait a while to see how the vaccine is working for others. About four in ten parents of children under five are more reluctant to get their child vaccinated, with 27 percent saying they will 'definitely not' get their child vaccinated and 11 percent saying they will only do so if they are required. There was also limited demand for the shots last time the FDA made them eligible for a younger age group, children aged five to 11. According to official CDC data, only 30 percent of Americans in the age group are fully vaccinated, half of the 60 percent between ages 12 to 17. Minors in general have low vaccination rates, with the youngest adults having vaccine uptake of around 80 percent. Pictured: A four-year-old child in New Orleans, Louisiana who had just received a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine shows relief after the needle is removed from his arm Pictured: A two year old girl in Seattle, Washington, is comforted by her mother ahead of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on the jab's first day of eligibility Pictured: A three-year-old child in Los Angeles California, braces himself to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of the shot's availability Former FDA Chief Scott Gottlieb, who now serves as a board member at Pfizer, said over the weekend that he predicts demand for the jabs to be low at first. 'I think it's going to be a little bit more of a slow rollout relative to what we've seen in past rollouts with the other age groups,' he told CBS' Face the Nation. 'There are going to be pharmacies that are vaccinating children. CVS is going to move it into their pharmacies, but they're only moving in to the pharmacies with advanced care providers with their MinuteClinics. 'Maybe around children's hospitals, you'll see some clinics stood up, but most people are probably going to get vaccinated in their pediatricians' offices, and it's going to take a little bit more time to get the vaccine into those local settings because it's more difficult to vaccinate a child who is very young.' Dr Ashish Jha, the White House's Covid response coordinator, agrees that it will be slow at first, but hopes that uptake will eventually grow as parents are informed by their doctor. 'We expect confidence in these vaccines to build over time in these populations,' he said on CBS mornings on Monday. 'What we have encouraged parents to do is talk to their family physician talk to their pediatrician, you know the people who take care of their kid and have that conversation. I think over time we are going to see a majority of parents ending up getting their children protected with these vaccines. Pictured: A four-year-old boy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, winces as he receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on the shot's first day of availability Pictured: A four-year-old boy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, receives a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine Pictured: A four-year-old boy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, receives a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at a local pharmacy Pictured: A four-year-old boy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, winces as he receives a shot of a COVID-19 on the first day that it became available to his age group Pictured: A one-year-old girl in New Orleans, Louisiana, holds her toy while she receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine Jha also encouraged parents to get their child vaccinated even if they had natural immunity from a previous Covid infection. 'Covid has been quite common in children actually we think almost 70 percent of kids have ended up getting infected with Covid,' Jha told CBS mornings. 'Still worth getting the vaccine, it really offers an extra layer of protection and what vaccines do is they keep kids out of the hospital and that's why they are so effective. 'And everybody deserves that level of protection. Even if your child has been previously infected the strong recommendation is to get your child protected.' There are still some concerns about the shots, though, and the small sample sizes used in their clinical trials. Especially as children make up around 0.1 percent of U.S. Covid deaths despite a vast majority having been infected at this point. The Pfizer jab will come in three doses, unlike the two dose standard set for older age groups. It will also be only three micrograms, a tenth of the size of the standard adult dose, and a third of dosage for children five through 12. The switch was made towards the end of last year when early data showed that only two doses of the jab provided little protection against the virus. 'We know many parents in the U.S. have been eagerly awaiting an authorized vaccine for their children under 5 and we are proud to now offer them a vaccine option with a favorable safety profile,' Albert Bourla, CEO of New York City-based Pfizer, said in a statement. Moderna will use a two-dose jab for young children, with each shot being 25 micrograms - a fourth the size of its adult sized shots. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company recruited 260 children aged two to five years old for their trial. Pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fever and swelling of the groin and underarm were the most common reported side-effects of the shots. 'We are thrilled that the FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents, particularly for our vulnerable, youngest children,' Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said in a statement. Both of the shot's were deemed safe and effective by both the FDA and by a panel of outside advisors, known as the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). 'In addition to making certain the data for these vaccines met FDA's rigorous standards, the agency's convening of an advisory committee was part of a transparent process to help the public have a clear understanding of the safety and effectiveness data supporting the authorization of these two vaccines for pediatric populations,' Dr Peter Marks, the FDA's top regulator, said in a statement. The most concerning, and most publicized, side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccines are the heart inflammation conditions myocarditis and pericarditis. The FDA reports that the risk of these conditions is low in this age group, though, instead striking 12 to 17 year olds the most with the Pfizer shot, and 18 to 24 year olds with the Moderna jab. Cancer may find it easiest to spread around the body when patients are sleeping, research suggests. Tumours are deadliest if they have metastasised, when malignant cells break away from where they first formed to create another mass. Until now, scientists had assumed the killer process which often renders cancers incurable occurred continuously throughout the day. But new evidence shows it mainly occurs during the night. Swiss academics believe tumours 'awaken' when patients are asleep. Heightened levels of melatonin, the same hormone which determines our sleeping patterns, are thought to be to blame. Experts believe the findings, specifically on breast cancer, could be true across other tumour types. It could mean doctors are better able to diagnose patients and even treat them if they take samples at night. Some 56,000 more women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK, with almost 290,000 new cases found in the US annually. Around 90 per cent of women survive at least five years if the disease hasn't spread around the body. But survival rates plummet to just 29 per cent for women whose cancer has mestastasised. Tumours are deadliest if they have metastasised, when malignant cells break away from where they first formed to create another mass. Graph shows: More cells break off tumours while asleep (right) to form another mass than when people are awake (left) The new study, led by experts at ETH Zurich, was published in the leading scientific journal Nature. Researchers sought to investigate how levels of circulating tumour cells the ones responsible for metastasis differ through the day. First, they took blood samples from 30 women with breast cancer at 4am and 10am. They found there were nearly four times as many cells in samples from 4am when participants would have been asleep as at 10am. A higher prevalence of the cells doesn't necessarily lead to a greater chance of the cancer spreading around the body, however. Most breakaways die in the blood. Only a handful manage to settle elsewhere in the body. Professor Nicola Aceto and colleagues then looked at how the cells affected mice to see if those taken at night were more likely to cause tumours. Samples were taken from mice with breast cancer when they were asleep and when they were awake. Healthy mice were then given injections of both types of cell, to see if they provoked cancer in their bodies. Samples taken from sleeping mice were significantly more likely to result in a tumour in healthy mice, results showed. Researchers said the results suggested medics should try taking blood samples at night or in the early morning to better spot when a tumour start to mestastasise. Professor Aceto, a molecular oncologist, said: 'When the affected person is asleep, the tumour awakens. 'In our view, these findings may indicate the need for healthcare professionals to systematically record the time at which they perform biopsies. 'It may help to make the data truly comparable.' Independent experts also claimed the research suggests current treatments aimed at destroying cancer cells, like chemotherapy, could be more effective at night or in the early morning. Writing in the same journal, Professor Sunitha Nagrath, a chemical engineer at the University of Michigan, said: 'The time-dependent nature of [circulating tumour cells] dynamics might transform how doctors assess and treat patients. 'The data pointing to [circulating tumour cells] proliferation and release during the rest phase suggest that doctors might need to become more conscious of when to administer specific treatments.' Covid jab maker Moderna claims its new Omicron-specific vaccine could be a 'turning point' in the pandemic. A study of the new jab on 800 people found it boosted antibody levels against the Omicron variant eight-fold. But it did not elicit as many antibodies against the BA.4 and BA.5, which are dominant in the UK, suggesting the jab is already getting weaker. The improvement over its existing jab raises hopes that it will provide longer lasting protection, and remove the need for repeated boosters so often. The results come as the NHS urges around a million eligible older Brits to get a fourth dose amid a surge in Covid cases fuelled by the two sub-strains. Moderna's new jab was developed to target Omicron as well as the Wuhan strain, compared to current jabs which only contain the genetic code of the original virus. The company's chief medical officer, Dr Paul Burton, said: 'We think this is a strong, powerful antibody response, it is probably long lasting.' Several offshoots of Omicron have spawned since the highly infectious parent strain became world-dominant late last year. Experts believe it is unlikely that an entire new variant will replace the dominant family of strains anytime soon. Many expect the pandemic to settle into a pattern which sees new Omicron subvariants emerge every so often. Covid jab maker Moderna data from a study of its new Omicron specific booster vaccine shows it be a 'turning point' in the battle against the virus This Government chart shows the percentage of the eligible population who have received various Covid jabs 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 The latest trial - which has not been peer-reviewed yet - found that a booster of the new jab increased antibodies 5.4-fold compared to the older vaccine. Stephen Hoge, Moderna president, said the higher level of protection compared with the companys existing vaccine justified switching to the new shot. The two subvariants are believed to be fuelling the UK's recent surge in cases as they are even more transmissible than the Omicron strain responsible for cases soaring to over Christmas, and the BA.2 variant that sent infections to record highs in spring. Delta plus WON'T ruin your summer: Top scientists dismiss threat of 'most fatal Covid variant yet' Covid's resurgence won't plunge the UK into even more chaos, scientists have claimed amid warnings of a new 'Delta plus' variant. Infections and hospital admissions have been climbing over the past fortnight, with the uptick partly blamed on hay fever sufferers wrongly assuming their sniffles are simply down to the pollen bomb and celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. But scientists believe the country's latest surge has mainly been fuelled by Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, which are even more transmissible than the strain responsible for cases soaring to pandemic highs in April. At the same time, analysts claim to have spotted the emergence of 'probably the most fatal variant yet'. Experts have already dismissed the threat of Delta plus, however. Professor Azeem Majeed, chair of primary care and public health at Imperial College London, said: 'Variants such as BA.4 and BA.5 are a bigger problem than Delta plus. The number of reported cases of the Delta plus variant are small in comparison to the Omicron sub-variants that are currently circulating.' Despite concerns that an uptick could cause carnage by causing staff absences to spiral across all sectors of the economy, No10's own Covid advisers have publicly played downs fears out the incoming wave. Professor John Edmunds, an influential member of SAGE's notorious modelling committee, said he was 'not overly worried'. Advertisement Dr Burton added that Moderna is due to file for regulatory approval for the variant jab 'within days' and this included the UK. 'Weve talked with public health bodies in the UK, I think there is definite interest in 214 (the variant vaccine),' he said. The new jab is a bivalent vaccine meaning it contains material from both the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant. Moderna has already created hundreds of millions of doses of its vaccine, meaning if approved it could be rapidly distributed. Responding to the Moderna data Professor Penny Ward, pharmaceutical expert at King's College London, welcomed the findings. 'The data suggest that the bivalent booster might confer greater protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron strains than re-administering the original vaccine to increase protection across the population,' she said. While she added the full data of the study needs to be seen, the new jab could prove a vital tool against Covid in the coming months. 'As we head towards the autumn with Omicron variants dominating the Covid infection landscape, it certainly makes sense to consider use of this new bivalent vaccine, if available, for the UK autumn Covid booster campaign,' she said. Moderna has also said it is preparing the data from the trial for peer review. The data comes as the NHS urged people who had not yet come forward for their spring booster to get their jab. More than five million invited were sent out to people over the age of 75, care home residents or people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system. But almost a million have not taken up the offer. Reminders will be sent out to those eligible before the end of the month via text message, email or letter. The health service in England said that getting the jab before the end of June will mean people have enough time between doses ahead of an autumn booster. NHS Englands medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: 'The recent rise in Covid infection levels in England acts as a timely reminder that it is crucial those who are eligible come forward for their spring jab and get themselves protected.' Health Secretary Sajid Javid added: 'Over four million people have already come forward for their important booster jab, but it is vital for everyone eligible to get boosted now to protect themselves and their loved ones.' Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show one in 50 people in England were infected in the week to June 11, roughly 1.1million. Rates were highest in Scotland (one in 30) followed by Northern Ireland and Wales (both one in 45). The surge in England marked a 41.8 per cent week-on-week rise the largest logged since the week to December 31, when Omicron infections skyrocketed to pandemic highs of 4.1million. Meanwhile, cases jumped by 60 per cent in Wales, 54.9 per cent in Northern Ireland and 42.5 per cent in Scotland. The ONS' weekly infection survey has become the best barometre of the outbreak in the post-pandemic era after free testing was axed and the daily dashboard was scaled down. Women who take HRT for menopause symptoms could find it helps with their snoring too. Around one in 20 post-menopausal women suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea - a condition causing the airway to collapse which can cause loud snoring and wake someone up to 40 times a night. Now a study suggests sleep apnoea is more common in post-menopausal women because they have lower levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. These are the hormone which are replaced when women have HRT, raising hopes it could help with snoring and sleep apnoea. But across the UK, tens of thousands of women for whom HRT is a lifeline are struggling to get hold of their menopause medication due to supply shortages. Researchers from the University of Bergen, Norway, have found snoring can be caused by low levels of oestrogen or progesterone after menopause The Daily Mail's HRT campaign secured a major victory last month after pharmacists were given the go-ahead to prescribe alternatives to out-of-stock treatment. Researchers looked at 774 women given a sleep questionnaire to determine if they were likely (SUBS - pls keep the word likely) to have obstructive sleep apnoea. To fit the criteria, they needed to snore, and frequently have had either irregular breathing, gasping or snores which disturbed other people in the previous 12 months. Blood tests showed if women were able to double the amount of a type of oestrogen called oestrone in their body, they would be 19 per cent less likely to have suspected obstructive sleep apnoea. If they could double their amount of progesterone, they would be nine per cent less likely to have the condition. WHAT IS OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA? Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) occurs when the walls of a person's throat relax and narrow during sleep, blocking their airways. This interrupts normal breathing, with symptoms including loud snoring, noisy and laboured breathing, and repeated episodes when breathing is interrupted by gasping and snorting. OSA affects between four and 10 per cent of people in the UK. In the US, around 22 million are affected. During an episode, the lack of oxygen triggers a sufferer's brain to pull them out of deep sleep so their airways reopen. These repeated sleep interruptions can make the person very tired, with them often being unaware of what the problem is. Risks for OSA include: Being overweight - excess body fat increases the bulk of soft tissues in the neck Being male Being 40 or over Having a large neck Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol Being in the menopause - hormonal changes cause the throat muscles to relax Treatment includes lifestyle changes, such as loosing weight, if necessary, and avoiding alcohol. In addition, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices prevent the airway closing by delivering a continuous supply of compressed air through a mask. A mandibular advancement device (MAD) can also be used, which is like a gum-shield that holds the jaw and tongue forward to increase the space at the back of the throat. Untreated, OSA increases a person's risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks and type 2 diabetes. Source: NHS Advertisement There is still limited evidence suggesting that HRT could reduce the risk of the condition, so more research is needed (SUBS - pls keep). But Dr Kai Triebner, senior author of the study, from the University of Bergen, said: 'This study is exciting because it suggests HRT could be a solution to women suffering from snoring and sleep apnoea because of the menopause. 'It is important because sleep apnoea is linked to serious conditions like heart disease and stroke. 'We already know that HRT can improve temporary symptoms of the menopause like hot flushes and night sweats, and help with more serious potential effects like osteoporosis, and now it could potentially help many women having a very hard time snoring and struggling for breath at night.' The study, published in the journal PLOS One, looked at women aged 40 to 67 from seven different countries, who were involved in a European health survey. Among the 774 post-menopausal women looked at, almost three-quarters, or 551 of them, were snorers. These women were asked three additional questions about the previous 12 months to judge if they might have obstructive sleep apnoea, which becomes more common and severe in post-menopausal women. They fell into this category if they said they always or frequently woke up with a choking sensation or unable to breathe. They also qualified if they had been told they frequently or always stopped breathing or breathed irregularly when asleep, or if they were told they always or frequently snored so loudly they disturbed others. The researchers did not directly compare women's levels of oestrogen or progesterone, which drop dramatically after the menopause, causing many of the unpleasant symptoms. But their results suggest a doubling of the oestrogen type oestrone is linked to a fifth lower risk of sleep apnoea, and a doubling of progesterone cuts the likelihood of having the condition by nine per cent. This was the case even taking into account factors like women's weight and whether they smoked, which both increase the risk of sleep apnoea and snoring. The researchers suggest a drop in hormones after the menopause could cause women to gain fat in certain parts of the body, which can increase the risk of sleep apnoea, through fat deposits in the throat narrowing the airway. Among snorers, a doubling of the blood level of three types of oestrogen was linked to 23 per cent lower odds of women being told they breathe irregularly during sleep. A doubling of progesterone, among snorers, was linked to 12 per cent lower odds of women having woken with a choking sensation in the previous year. Erla Sigurardottir, lead author of the study from the University of Iceland, said: 'Higher female sex hormones were linked in this study with a lower likelihood of reporting symptoms of sleep apnoea. 'More research is needed to understand this and whether HRT after menopause could reduce symptoms of this worrying condition.' Locusts could be used to 'sniff out' cancer in humans, scientists have suggested after experimenting on the insect's brains. Researchers at Michigan State University found the critters could tell the difference between cells that caused three mouth cancers and non-cancerous cells. They said the technique could offer a 'very fast' alternative to standard screening to detect cancer, with methods currently relying on swabs and scans in a lab. Previous studies have seen creatures from dogs to ants used to spot cancer in humans, but research has rarely been moved forward because scientists are struggling to find a commercial benefit for this type of work. Locusts could be used to sniff out cancer in humans, scientists at Michigan University say (file) Pictured above is one of the locust's in the study. Scientists exposed their brain and inserted electrodes. They then exposed the antennae (left and right going through the pink rings) to gases given off via cancerous cells Can animals and insects 'smell' cancer? Scientists have found that insects and animals can be used to smell cancer. This has been through either sniffing the urine, breath or sweat of cancerous patients. Scientists suggest this is because cancer cells produce a unique set of chemicals. These are then released from the body via urine, breath and sweat and can be detected by animals. There has been little work to move forward with the commercial use of insects and animals for detecting cancer, however. Scientists suggest this is because it is difficult to determine how the venture would make money. Dr Sheryl Gabram, a surgeon at Emory University, previously told CNN: 'It would need a lot of years of study and a lot of development. 'It's still far from that. People just thought it was too massive to embark on. [But] I think it's an area of research that's still promising.' Advertisement The study was published as a pre-print in BioRxiv, pending peer-review before its publishing in a medical journal. Researchers exposed the insect's brains and then placed electrodes into the areas linked to the antennae which detect scents. Gases emitted by three types of mouth cancer cells were then captured as well as from a non-cancerous cell from the same area. These were exposed to the antennae, and scientists monitored the insect's brain for a reaction. Results showed that each cancer triggered a unique electric signal in the bug's brain. The non-cancerous cells also had their own unique signal. Dr Debajit Saha, the biomedical engineer who led the study, and others wrote in their paper: 'Our results demonstrate that three different human oral cancers can be robustly distinguished from each other and from a non-cancer... by evoking olfactory responses in the insect antennal lobe.' They said the method was 'sensitive', 'reliable' and 'very fast'. But because the experiment required up to 40 neurons to work, the team had to expose between six and ten locust brains. The scientists behind the method told the MIT Technology Review that they were working to reduce this number. But Professor James Covington, an engineer at Warwick University in the UK who was not involved in the research, warned they should reduce the number. 'The bees [used to detect explosives] get to have a nice life again afterwards,' he said. 'But for these locusts, it's kind of a one-shot deal.' It was not clear how well the method would work for other types of cancer, or if the locusts could smell the cancer in urine, breath or sweat how it is normally detected. Current methods for detecting cancer rely on swabs which give results between two and ten days later and scans of areas that may be affected. Previous research has shown that dogs could be deployed to detect several cancers including those in the breasts and lungs by sniffing the breath of patients. French scientists have even found that ants can be trained to spot cancerous and non-cancerous cells. About 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with mouth cancer every year, according to official estimates. Overall 60 percent of those who have the disease survive for more than five years after diagnosis. But the survival rate is as high as 90 percent for those where the cancer is spotted in the early stages. Public health ant tobacco addiction experts largely approve of a recent move by the Biden Administration to limit the nicotine in cigarettes sold in the U.S. to 'non-addictive' levels - but do fear it could spur some to smoke more than before. The plan was unveiled by the White House on Tuesday, as part of a greater effort to lower tobacco use in the U.S. - especially among teens and minority communities - and to reduce cancer deaths over the coming decades. Experts tell DailyMail.com that the move will likely prevent more people from becoming addicted to nicotine, though positive results may not be seen for years. One expert warns that some heavily-addicted nicotine users will just start smoking more cigarettes to get their fix, causing even more bodily harm to themselves in the process. Experts agree that bans reducing nicotine available in cigarettes can help reduce smoking, but are split on bans for e-ciggs Dr Michael Steinberg, the director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, told DailyMail.com that this move could be highly effective. I think reducing nicotine to non-addictive levels in cigarettes has potential to be the most impactful policy by the FDA since cigarettes entered the market,' he explained. He said that stopping people from experimenting with cigarettes is largely impossible, as a curious mind will always try things at least once. Dr Michael Steinberg (pictured), the director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at Rutgers, says that it could be the most impactful policy by the FDA since cigarettes entered the market Significantly reducing the nicotine in each cigarette will lead to a majority of people being turned off by a cigarette after using it just once, and lead to less long-term smokers. Theres nothing inherently pleasurable about inhaling smoke into your lungs, he said. Cigarettes contain two main ingredients, nicotine and tobacco. The former is highly addictive, Steinberg says it is one of the most addictive legal substances. Tobacco is not addictive without nicotine contents, but its use can expose a person to all kinds of risks, including many types of cancer, lung and heart issues. By removing the addictive contents from the cigarettes, there would be little reason for anyone to use them. The reduction would be significant as well, with Steinberg estimating that a cigarette manufacturers may have to reduce nicotine levels in their products by around 90 percent to comply with regulations. Dr Michael Weaver, medical director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, in Houston, agrees with the move as well. I think its a good idea. Its going to take a while to implement and there will be pushback from the big tobacco companies,' he said, expecting a long legal battle in the future. There are some concerns, though. These regulations are clearly directed at people who are not smokers, to prevent them from picking up the harmful habit. Dr Michael Weaver (pictured), medical director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions at the University of Texas, says there is little evidence supporting the idea that e-ciggs help reduce cigarette use While those who are already addicted to nicotine may be able to ween themselves off of the drug with the lower nicotine amounts, some may end up smoking more to get their fix, Weaver explains. In the process, they will be inhaling more tobacco - and other harmful ingredients - in order to get their normal fix. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has campaigned against the nicotine and tobacco industries in recent years, and the directions from the White House are just the latest in the long line of restrictions placed on these products. Flavored nicotine and synthetic nicotine e-cigarette products have been in the agency's crosshairs, with regulators forcing the products to individually apply for approval to avoid being pulled from shelves. One of the biggest e-cigarette company's, Juul, is expected to lose its ability to market in the U.S., after a Wall Street Journal report revealed its application is likely to be rejected. Steinberg is a proponent of the flavored e-cigarette bans, but does think that non-flavored products have value as they could help some smokers ditch the bad habit. Weaver also agrees, but sees less value in e-cigarettes overall. Electronic cigarettes were never designed or marketed to help people quit smoking... they have not been successful in doing that,' he explained. He says that only around ten percent of people that have attempted to quit smoking using the devices have done so successfully, while the majority become 'dual users' - those who use combustible and electronic nicotine devices. The final straw for the Luc Vandevelde and Roger Holmes regime at Marks & Spencer was the 2004 bid from Philip Green which saw veteran Stuart Rose installed as chief executive. The writing was on the wall for Holmes and Vandevelde from the moment they proposed knocking down the Arch the world-famous Marble Arch store on Oxford Street and replacing it with something more fitting for the 21st century. An earlier decision to abandon the groups stately headquarters on Baker Street for a trendier location in the newly developed Paddington Basin in west London was seen as a big enough break with tradition. Iconic: Marks & Spencer's Marble Arch store first opened its doors to shoppers in 1930 and for much of its life has been the highest turnover store in the land Destroying the Arch was a step too far and alumni, including the late Rick Greenbury, were horrified. Redevelopment was quietly shelved. The current regime at M&S, back on a recovery path, has much more credit in the bank. Chairman Archie Norman has shown willingness to take on all comers and axed underperforming high-street stores the length and the breadth of the land. Even he is now discovering that knocking down the emblematic interwar Marble Arch store, first port of call for overseas visitors, and replacing it with something more contemporary is for some people as contentious as decommissioning Buckingham Palace. M&Ss flagship shop, for much of its life the highest turnover store in the land, may not be a listed building. But it is something of a cultural icon and displacing it with yet more anonymous steel and glass with offices and apartments perched on the top would be destructive of its environs. Westminster council was willing to surrender to the developers but Michael Gove less so and he has ordered a public inquiry. M&S has accused the Communities Secretary of political grandstanding in the face of criticism of the scheme from doyens of the architectural establishment, including Julia Barfield, co-designer of the London Eye. Knocking buildings down is always the easiest solution for developers. Preserving the facades and internal fabrics and modernising around them is expensive and slower. The Americans go to huge expense to preserve history. In central London at present the modernist frontage of the old US Embassy in Grosvenor Square is being carefully preserved as deep-pocketed Qatari investors create a hotel. It may no longer be possible for senior executives at M&S to walk from headquarters and see first-hand which frocks are selling well. Yet a flagship store should be just that. There is no great desire to tear down Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum and Mason and other great emporia. The store is the message for M&S and Norman and his property chief Sacha Berendji should recognise that. Cereal numbers We still dont quite know what genius activist Nelson Peltz will bring to the board of Unilever. But it must be hard for those companies brought low in his hands not to feel some schadenfreude over the effort by a band of dissident investors to shake up the board of Peltzs UK-based Trian Fund Management. One suspects that Peltz and Unilever will be keeping a watchful eye on events at food and cereal giant Kelloggs. The US company is seeking to release value for investors by splitting itself into three quoted firms. The famed North American breakfast cereal enterprise, with 2billion of sales, would be separated from the groups snack brands which include the ever-popular Pringles. Last year snacks generated a whopping 9billion or so of sales. A third company selling fashionable plant-based products, such as veggie burgers, will also be split out. Unilever has already slimmed down by spinning off its margarine and tea operations and there has been speculation that ice-cream could be the next to be sacrificed as it focuses on healthcare and hygiene brands. Suddenly, there are a huge number of shifting parts in a fast-moving consumer products industry where agglomeration became a habit. Spewing cash The split of EY into separate audit and consulting firms could create 3,800 or more multi-millionaires across the globe with payouts of up to 6.5million if all goes to plan. That is not the best of looks for a trusted professional organisation at a time when railwaymen are on strike and food banks inundated with struggling households. Better advice required. In March, I received a WhatsApp phone call from someone purporting to be a representative from my mobile provider O2. He said as Id been such a loyal customer for so many years Id be given an upgraded Apple iPhone the next day at no extra charge. It arrived as promised, but before I could open it, I received a call informing me it had been sent to the wrong address and could I forward it to somewhere in Bolton. Bad call: An 84-year-old reader was tricked into paying for an expensive new iPhone after scammers told him her was getting a free upgrade I had to go to the Post Office and then forward the caller a copy of the receipt. But when I later looked up my O2 account I found the full cost of the device had been added with an agreement Id not authorised. I phoned O2, who informed me it had no offices in Bolton but would look into matters. Now O2 is demanding I pay the outstanding credit agreement. I am 84 and live on my own its left me very stressed and unable to sleep. C. P., Hythe, Kent. Sally Hamilton replies: I am sorry to say you fell victim to a scam where crooks trick phone owners into believing they are being offered free upgrades when the reality is they are stealing the device for themselves. No legitimate provider would call a customer via WhatsApp. This should have been your first wake-up call. But these tricksters are convincing. And it ended up with you being charged 1,385 for a new iPhone 13 Pro Max. You were also signed up for an ongoing deal of 37 a month. No wonder you couldnt sleep. When I asked O2 if it could help it passed the case to its fraud team and confirmed the deal had been arranged via its website. The company concluded the fraudster had somehow gleaned your personal information. This can happen through a data breach or details might have been bought from other crooks. It meant they had your mobile number, email and perhaps even bank details before phoning you. The fraudsters then made a purchase on O2s website. But an O2 spokesman explained that online orders cannot be placed simply by logging into its website. Individuals need to enter a one-time activation code sent to their phone. To tighten security further, O2 now sends a text just before issuing the code, warning the recipient not to share it with anyone. Unfortunately, you didnt spot this I suspect you were being distracted by the scammers chat and you read out the code. This enabled them to order the phone via your account. It was then sent to you, with the fraudsters swiftly intervening to ask you to return it to another address. O2 says it would never ask for packages to be returned this way. It would provide a pre-paid envelope, which would allow the package to be tracked. As a goodwill gesture, O2 has cancelled the 1,385 upgrade on your account and returned you to your previous deal. It has also cleared your credit record. The firm has requested you change the password on your account. Readers, beware. This type of scam is widespread and there is no guarantee your carrier will take the financial hit if you are duped. Fraud prevention organisation Cifas says there are four key steps to guard against it: be wary of calls out of the blue; check bank accounts for suspicious transactions after any such contact; be sceptical if the caller tells you the wrong phone has been sent to you and, finally, if a phone does need returning, only use an official pre-paid envelope from the company. A genuine organisation would not ask its customers to head to the Post Office over its own delivery mistake. Can't claim autistic son's Premium Bond prizes I am having difficulty claiming Premium Bond prizes on behalf of my adult son who has autism and a learning disability. He was bought a small amount of bonds as a baby and, during lockdown, for the first time in 34 years, he won two 25 prizes. Over the past few months, I have been trying to claim them on his behalf. NS&I told me to put the issue in writing and it would be in touch. I did this and my son also signed the letter. It explained that while he understands he has won a prize, he was unable to claim it due to his learning difficulties. Instead, I requested a cheque be made out to him that I could pay into his bank account. I also included evidence that I was my sons appointee in financial matters. After more calls I was told I must appoint a deputy under a court order to control my sons account. This seems way over the top for two 25 prizes. Please help. C.Y, Worthing, W. Sussex. Sally Hamilton replies: I asked NS&I to look at what it could do to make it easier for you to retrieve your sons Ernie winnings. It concluded that you would indeed be permitted to manage your sons Premium Bond account and that the prizes be paid to you, so that you can manage proceeds on his behalf. It said it would write to you explaining this. The proviso is that you will not be able to add to your sons bond holdings without being appointed his deputy under a court order and showing NS&I the documents to prove it. For the same reason, you will not be able to manage his account online, even though you set this up last August. You accepted this but, when I caught up with you last week to check progress, you had not heard a peep from NS&I. I gave it a second prod and, finally, the prize cheques were in the post. NS&I apologised for the inconvenience caused by the situation not being resolved sooner. You thanked me for my efforts and said that your son was chuffed to be an Ernie winner even if he had to wait 34 years to have his bonds selected for a prize plus several more months to actually receive the money. Break-up: Kellogg's began life in 1894 when WK Kellogg created Corn Flakes Kelloggs is splitting into three separate companies by spinning off its US cereal and plant-based foods businesses from its global snacking arm which includes brands such as Pringles. The company began life in 1894 when WK Kellogg created Corn Flakes and became known around the world for its breakfast cereals. The brand was first introduced in the UK in 1922 with Corn Flakes and All Bran imported from the US. It opened a UK office in London in 1924. In recent years, the company has focused on building its snacking business, which includes the international cereal firm that serves the UK. The division brought in 9.3billion in sales in 2021, accounting for 80 per cent of the total. Its other two divisions US, Canadian and Caribbean cereal and plant-based businesses collectively represented about 20 per cent of its sales in 2021. The firm said the main snacking business will be helmed by Kelloggs chief executive Steve Cahillane. The most high-profile female stockbroker in the City has stepped down after nearly quarter of a century at the top. Sam Smith, who founded FinnCap 24 years ago, took the decision to leave after clocking up some unbelievable hours in recent months adding that she now wanted some time to herself. The 48-year-old the only woman to run a City stockbroker will hand over the reins to current managing partner John Farrugia in September. She will remain an adviser to the company. Stepping down: Finncap founder Sam Smith took the decision to leave after clocking up some 'unbelievable hours' in recent months - adding that she now wanted some time to herself Smith said: As soon as you start thinking theres an end date and youre thinking about your successor, it just seems to snowball. Thats what happened to me. Smith, who has an eight-year-old daughter, added: Im really excited to have a break. And finally, after 24 years, I might actually have a proper holiday where I dont have to work every single day. Smith is one of the most recognisable faces in the City and led the way for women to enter the world of stockbroking, traditionally a place for white middle-aged men. She headed the management buy-out of FinnCap from JM Finn in 2007, just two weeks after Northern Rock collapsed and aged just 33. She built the business into a renowned mid-cap broker with revenues of 52million last year after helping clients raise 700million to secure funding during the pandemic and advising on almost 30 merger and acquisition transactions worth around 2billion. Smith still owns 10 per cent of the firm which she wants to hold as a long-term investment. She is best known for backing women in the industry. Of the companys 149 employees, 38 per cent are female an impressive ratio compared to some other City firms. Her exit sent shares down 5.9 per cent, or 1.25p, to 20p. Glencore has been convicted of a string of bribery offences by a UK court in a major triumph for the Serious Fraud Office. An embarrassing corruption scandal forced the mining and commodities giant to plead guilty to multiple corruption charges. A Glencore subsidiary admitted to shelling out more than 23million worth of bribes to officials across Africa to obtain preferential access to oil and illicit profits. Fresh scandal: A Glencore subsidiary admitted to shelling out more than 23m worth of bribes to officials across Africa to obtain preferential access to oil and illicit profits Southwark Crown Court heard the biggest bribes paid by Glencore were payments of over 9million to officials working for Cameroons national oil and gas company, or the oil refining business Societe Nationale de Raffinage. An SFO probe, code-named Operation Azoth, revealed the full extent of the FTSE 100 firms international palm-greasing, which spanned operations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan. It revealed Glencore Energy (UK) paid bribes for preferential access to oil, including increased cargoes, valuable grades of oil and preferable dates of delivery. This rare high-profile success for the SFO will relieve some of the pressure on agency director Lisa Osofsky, who has been criticised for recent blunders. These included a failed corruption investigation into Unaoil, which forced Attorney General Suella Braverman to launch an independent review into the case. Glencore has been a target of the SFO for the past three years, during which it has worked with prosecutors in the US, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The company, which has been convicted of seven counts of bribery, will be sentenced in November. It was just last month that the Anglo-Swiss firm announced it was poised to plead guilty in the UK and also settle a series of global investigations for an eye-watering 1.2billion. Chief executive Gary Nagle said he wanted to draw a line under the cases. He said: This type of behaviour has no place in Glencore, and the board, management team and I are very clear about the culture that we want and our commitment to be a responsible and ethical operator wherever we work. Nagle became chief executive last summer when he succeeded veteran boss Ivan Glasenberg, who took Glencore public in 2011. Chairman Kalidas Madhavpeddi also stressed it is not the company it was when the unacceptable practices behind this misconduct occurred. The firm employs around 135,000 people worldwide at roughly 150 sites. Despite the court judgment, Glencore shares rose by 2 per cent, or 9.9p, to 482.6p. Its value has soared 330 per cent since 2020. The company has been facing mounting pressure for its coal credentials this year, as it boasts 26 mines in Australia, Colombia and South Africa. Its most recent annual shareholder meeting saw almost 24 per cent of investors vote against its climate-progress report. But its financials have flourished. Last week Glencores trading arm announced 2.6billion worth of earnings for the first six months of the year. Glencore has one of the worlds biggest broking businesses, which trades everything from oil and gas to cobalt, nickel and copper. The sprawling division is operated by seven marketing heads, all of whom report directly to Nagle. Its results last year helped the wider group clock up record profits of 16billion. On the back of this, the firm promised to hand 3billion back to investors through share buybacks and dividends. Departing B&M boss Simon Arora was paid 5million last year, the companys annual report revealed. That was up from 3.7million a year earlier and was made up of his 810,000 salary as well as pension contributions, benefits and bonuses. Aroras package outstrips the 4.7million earned by Ken Murphy at Tesco and 2.2million handed to Alison Brittain at Premier Inn owner Whitbread. Departing B&M boss Simon Arora (pictured with his wife Shalni) helped take B&M from a small, loss-making chain in north-west England to a retail giant with 709 stores He was paid 270 times as much as the average B&M employee. The bonanza comes after a successful tenure at the company he took over with his brother Bobby in 2004. They took B&M from the brink of insolvency to the FTSE 100. It was a small, loss-making chain in north-west England and is now a retail giant with 709 stores and 300 more under the Heron Foods name in the UK, as well as 103 sites in France. In the year to March 26 B&M reported sales of 4.7billion and profits of 619million. But the payout also comes just weeks after Arora warned that B&M customers are cutting back as they grapple with a significant increase in the cost of living. Arora will step down some time next year and is being replaced by current finance boss Alex Russo. Russo will be handed a 300,000 pay rise when he takes the top job, upping his base salary to 800,000. His total pay could hit 4million per year if he achieves his maximum bonus and long-term incentive goals. EDF is prepared to walk away from the Sizewell C nuclear project unless the Government makes a key investment commitment in the coming weeks, unions have warned. The French energy giant is growing increasingly frustrated with Whitehall, sources said, and will consider ditching the scheme if there are delays to finalising a crucial milestone called a government investment decision (GID). This would be a firm commitment to the UK taking a stake and cement its support for Sizewell C, which is the only new large-scale nuclear project ministers have said they want to pursue. French energy giant EDF is prepared to walk away from the Sizewell C nuclear project unless the Government makes a key investment commitment The decision would pave the way for EDF to approach investors and markets to help fund the development of the Suffolk plant, due to start producing energy in the early 2030s. EDF cannot currently approach possible investors and its internal funding for Sizewell C is understood to run out in a matter of weeks. Although this could be renewed, the cut-off is piling more pressure on the UK. A source said the 'tone is changing' in Paris and the company wants to see a decision made before Parliament's summer recess begins on July 21. A separate planning decision, which also needs to be cleared before EDF can speak to investors, is due on July 8. Chinese state nuclear energy group CGN has been developing Sizewell C with EDF. But it is not expected to continue with the project in the next phase. The need for Britain to produce more of its own power has been thrown into the spotlight by the war in Ukraine and soaring gas prices. In a letter to Kwasi Kwarteng seen by the Mail, four of the UK's biggest unions warned the future of the plant and thousands of jobs are in jeopardy if the deadline is missed. The document sent on Monday to the Business Secretary was signed by Trades Union Congress deputy general secretary Paul Nowak, Unite's head Sharon Graham, the GMB's Gary Smith and Prospect's Mike Clancy. The letter said: 'We have been made aware through discussions at the European Works Council that EDF Energy's commitment to this project will not be sustained in the absence of a prompt GID... We sincerely believe that unless this matter is resolved in the next few weeks, the UK's nuclear future and the jobs and skills of tens of thousands of nuclear workers will be at risk.' Last week the Government revealed it had taken an option for 20 per cent of Sizewell C and EDF is expected to take a similar stake. This would mean EDF would be responsible for raising the other 60 per cent through 'regulated asset base' funding, which would be used for the first time with Sizewell C. Ministers launched another consultation on this type of funding last week. Around 1.7billion has been set aside for a nuclear plant in the next few years and they have publicly said that only Sizewell C is on the table. It would supply power to six million homes and take between nine and 12 years to build. The Government's final investment decision, which will give Sizewell C the formal go-ahead, is expected early next year. An EDF spokesman said it was committed to the project and was 'making strong progress'. Fears are growing that tens of thousands of elderly customers could lose vast sums of money after buying unregulated funeral plans. The plans cost between 3,000 to 4,000 and firms promise to give people peace of mind that their loved ones will not be hit with a big bill when they die. But providers face a major clampdown after a City watchdog investigation exposed evidence of misselling and high-pressure sales tactics. New rules: Funeral plan providers face a major clampdown after a City watchdog investigation exposed evidence of misselling and high-pressure sales tactics From July 29, all firms must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or cease trading. The watchdog has now published a list of 24 firms out of a total of 66 that it intends to authorise. This includes major providers Co-op and Dignity. These 24 companies hold around 87 per cent of an estimated 1.85 million plans sold. The FCA said it is still assessing a small number of applications from providers and will give an update as soon as possible. But it is understood around 5 per cent of current plan holders some 92,500 customers are with firms that will not obtain authorisation. Around 16 providers chose not to apply for authorisation, while around ten have withdrawn their application. Many intend to transfer their customers to other providers, but there is no guarantee that this will happen. MPs working for an all-party parliamentary group for funerals and bereavement estimate as many as 200,000 plans could be at risk based on the number of providers seeking to transfer their books. In a letter to Economic Secretary John Glen, they called on ministers to put a financial support package in place to protect these customers. One major provider, Safe Hands, which has 46,000 customers, has already collapsed and does not have enough cash set aside to refund people. The business, which was registered in Wakefield, W. Yorks, was described in a Westminster debate as a Ponzi scheme and house of cards. At a two-hour insolvency hearing earlier this month, it emerged that customers who had paid 3,000 for funeral plans may only recoup around 100. Administrators FRP Advisory had previously estimated that it could retrieve as much as 16 million from the defunct firm. But at the court hearing, it revealed only 6 million had been recovered so far, while legal bills had climbed to 1 million. If the remaining 5 million is split between all customers, they would get just 108 each. Funeral plans cost between 3,000 to 4,000 and firms promise to give people peace of mind that their loved ones will not be hit with a big bill when they die Deputy Insolvency Judge Stephen Baister described the legal fees as a bitter pill to swallow for Safe Hands customers, who are aged 70 on average. He said: This is not an unusual situation unfortunately. It arises all the time. The customers money ought to have been ring-fenced. Dozens of customers had written to the court in advance of the hearing to object to their money being used to meet legal costs. One told the hearing they felt let down. Another warned lessons should be learnt from this. Eddy Wainwright, 69, who paid 3,500 for a Safe Hands plan, added: It feels like the 46,000 of us with plans are last in the pecking order to receive the money. I thought buying a funeral plan was one of the most financially sensible decisions Id ever made. There is nobody being held accountable for mishandling our money, he later told Money Mail. FRP insists the legal process is ongoing and that more money could be recovered. Dignity is in talks to support Safe Hands customers and has agreed to cover the cost of funerals for those who die in the next six months. Mike Hilliar, director of funeral planning at the firm, said: What happened at Safe Hands is disgraceful and highlights why the discipline and safety of regulation is overdue. Campaigners are urging the regulator to set up a compensation scheme to ensure households arent left in the lurch. James Daley, from campaigning body Fairer Finance, says: The funeral plan market has been overrun with cowboys for too many years. Its shocking. We raised concerns with the FCA about how some firms were using their customers money five years ago and it did nothing. The Government should ensure plan holders are compensated in full. Last month the FCA warned people not to buy products from Empathy Funeral Plans or Unique Funeral Plans. Empathy has withdrawn its application for regulation, while Unique did not apply. Uniques founder Sean ODriscoll has since set up a new company Alpha Funeral Plans International in Dublin, Ireland, where the new FCA rules will not apply. When contacted by Money Mail, Unique said its expansion plans had been discontinued following its decision to not progress with the FCA regulation. Pride Planning, which has 20,000 customers, has also withdrawn its application. A spokesman says this is because the firm is selling on its book of business, adding that it has no plans to go into administration and all customer money is ring-fenced. Emily Shepperd, executive director of authorisations at the FCA, says: We want holders of pre-paid plans to be reassured, which is why we have published a list of firms we intend to authorise. We want to see an improvement in how customers are treated, with better-value products, better sales practices and better controls so consumers can be confident theyll receive the funeral they expect. To find out what your funeral plan provider is doing visit fca.org.uk/consumers/funeral-plans/providers-list moneymail@dailymail.co.uk Politicians are queuing up to support Money Mail's Pick Up or Pay Up campaign after we urged readers to write to their MPs. We are calling for consumer protection laws to be updated so that big businesses will be fined if they do not answer their phones within ten minutes. Since we launched our campaign last month, we have been inundated with thousands of letters from readers backing our initiative and sharing their stories. Since we launched our Pick Up or Pay Up campaign last month we have been inundated with letters from readers sharing their own horror stories of being left on hold We urged you to contact your MPs so we could rally support to have it discussed in Parliament. Conservative MP Robert Halfon has been leading the charge and applied for a backbench debate last week. He needs 25 MPs to sign his motion and has 16 so far. Today, we are renewing our call for readers to write to their MPs. To gather further support, we did an audit of the letters we received. We then contacted the MPs whose constituencies came up most frequently and asked them to support the campaign. Among them was Dame Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP for Gosport, Hampshire, who had already signed Mr Halfon's application for the backbench debate. She says: 'Too often consumers are caught at the sharp end of extortionate waiting times when on the line to businesses. I fully support Money Mail's campaign to end this bad practice.' Last night, more MPs indicated they would support the motion for a debate after Money Mail contacted their offices. Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, agrees, saying: 'Consumers care about customer service, even if many big businesses don't. 'It's about time these firms sorted out their inadequate response times.' Damian Green, MP for Ashford, Kent, adds: 'Firms have a responsibility to be available to their customers, just as government departments should pick up the phone to callers.' We are calling for consumer protection laws to be updated so big businesses will be fined if they do not answer their phones within ten minutes Sir Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, says: 'Answering calls in a quick time is a basic service customers are paying for. It should be part of a legal requirement for utility companies.' We also contacted MPs Navendu Mishra, Labour, Stockport; Angela Richardson, Conservative, Guildford; and Helen Whately, Conservative, Faversham and Mid Kent, but did not receive a reply. Earlier this month, a similar consumer law was approved in Spain. It will mean that Spanish firms will face fines of up to 85,000 if they do not answer their phones in three minutes. The rule will apply to companies that make more than 50 million (43 million) a year and have 250 staff or more. Draft letter to send to your MP Dear........ My name is.......... and I am a constituent of.......... I am writing to you today because I am concerned about dwindling customer service standards. I am supporting Money Mails campaign to update consumer protection laws to give regulators the power to fine firms that keep customers on hold for more than ten minutes. I am calling on you to raise this matter in the House of Commons on behalf of your constituents. In your response can you outline how you intend to address this issue on my behalf. Please keep me informed of any progress made. Yours faithfully, And for Money Mail readers, a law such as this in the UK cannot come soon enough. One told us she had spent eight hours over three days trying to speak to somebody at British Airways' Executive Club, to no avail. British Airwars says its current average wait time is 12 minutes, adding that it is 'doing everything we can to help serve our customers quickly'. Another 82-year-old reader told us she had attempted to contact Shell on three occasions, waiting for more than an hour on one try. A third reader wrote: 'I am 80 and do not have a smartphone. I am frustrated about making calls to providers where an automated voice asks me questions which I cannot answer with my phone.' Our proposal is simple: we want to update the Consumer Rights Act 2015 with a statutory instrument a form of secondary legislation which can make changes to an existing Act of Parliament. Under our plan, this statutory instrument would give regulators such as Ofgem and Ofcom the power to fine firms who do not answer the phone in ten minutes. It would be up to them to monitor compliance and decide how the fine is calculated. Ofcom, which regulates telecoms providers, says its maximum penalties differ and it is often the higher of a fixed sum or a percentage of the business's turnover. The Financial Conduct Authority can hand out unlimited fines to firms under its remit, like banks. Our proposal is possible as similar updates have been made to the Consumer Rights Act already. For example, the Supplier Guaranteed Standards of Performance for Switching introduced an automatic compensation payment of 30 for customers who experienced delays or mistakes when they switched energy supplier. h.kelly@dailymail.co.uk Money Mail is today calling for a travel ombudsman to stop costly claims companies cashing in on airport chaos. Holidaymakers have been warned to brace themselves for a summer of cancellations and delays as airlines face a staffing crisis. Complaints about flights have already soared by 544 per cent compared to last year, according to research by consumer website Resolver. The law states that if your trip is cancelled your airline must refund you or arrange an alternative route. Cancellations: Complaints about flights have already soared by 554% compared to last year, according to research by consumer website Resolver Those who are given less than 14 days notice are entitled to up to 520 in compensation if a replacement flight delays your arrival by two or more hours. If you are delayed by more than three hours and the airline is to blame, you can also claim compensation. In theory, this should be paid out within a week but a growing backlog means it could be months. And airlines have been accused of shirking their responsibilities, with thousands of travellers forced to lodge official complaints every year. Even then, many could still be missing out because the current complaints system is so complicated. Pocketing a cut There is no single ombudsman service where disgruntled holidaymakers can seek help. Instead, airports and airlines can choose to sign up to one of five alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services. In the UK, the two schemes approved by watchdog the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are AviationADR and the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). More than a dozen major airlines accounting for around 80 per cent of all passengers flying from the UK are signed up. Yet when Money Mail searched flight refund on Google a search term which has doubled in use since last year neither appeared on the first page of results. Instead, three claims firms which had paid the internet giant to advertise were promoted at the top. Airlines say they inform customers of which scheme they belong to on their websites. But James Daley, managing director of Fairer Finance, says: Google should be scrutinising the way it sells advertising more closely. It does seem wrong that official dispute resolution services are not coming up [in online searches], and everyone is being directed towards more expensive claims firms. 'I've waited three years for payout' Neil Atack has been waiting for a payout more than three years Neil Atack, 56, is still waiting for a payout more than three years after he took his case to claims firm AirHelp. A mechanical fault caused his Air India flight from Copenhagen to Delhi to be delayed by three hours and he missed his connecting flight, adding seven hours to his journey. The father-of-two, from Leeds, submitted his 600 compensation claim in April 2019. But he was only informed last week that a court had ruled in his favour. He will get only half the payout as the firm takes a 35 per cent fee, plus 15 per cent if the case goes to court. Neil says: I am so angry, especially as I chose to go with the company because I wanted the process to be as straightforward as possible. AirHelp says it does not comment on individual cases but would contact Neil. One firm, AirHelp, which pockets a 35 per cent cut of any payout, says it is taking on ten times more UK customers than last year. Rival Flightright, which charges fees of up to 30 per cent plus VAT, has seen a 132 per cent increase in new cases. Another firm, flightrefunds.org.uk, is re-posting unhappy holidaymakers messages on Twitter in an apparent bid to drum up business. However, there are no details about its charges on its website. Asha Vare, legal expert at Flightright, says its fees enable it to litigate on a large scale, adding: It is very difficult for air passengers to pursue their claims once the airline refuses payment. An AirHelp spokesman adds that its research suggests airlines wrongly reject up to 58 per cent of valid claims. Refund lottery Most complaints received by dispute resolution schemes are about unpaid compensation for delayed and cancelled flights. In the year up to April 7, around 7,833 such complaints were lodged with a dispute resolution service or the CAA. AviationADR registered 1,722 83 per cent of all of its cases in the first three months of this year alone. CEDR received 602 93 per cent of its total. AviationADR and the CEDR have 90 days to deal with a customers complaint once they have gathered details. In 2019, the CEDR took an average of 52 days to resolve disputes, according to a review commissioned by the CAA. But AviationADR, whose members include Air France and easyJet, took more than twice as long, at 126 days. If your flight is delayed by more than three hours and the airline is to blame, you can claim compensation The firm insists a software glitch distorted the results and says that it is not possible to compare the uphold rates on a like-for-like basis. A note on its website suggests frustrated customers may have travelled to the office in person, advising them: No update will be made available to you. The AviationADR scheme is, at least, free. CEDR, which counts British Airways among members, charges a 25 fee only waived if a customers case is upheld. CAA data shows 63 per cent of cases resolved between January and March were upheld in favour of passengers. This compares to a 28 per cent success rate at AviationADR. Mr Daley says: It is no surprise that more companies have signed up to a scheme that appears to side with airlines more frequently. But the CAA review states that it was not to be inferred that passengers are more likely to receive compensation from either ADR body. The aviation watchdog can handle complaints about airlines not signed up to either scheme such as Jet2 but its rulings are not binding. So far this year, 56 per cent of cases went in favour of the customer. Call for change MPs are currently considering giving passengers automatic flight compensation payouts but this is unlikely to happen until next year at the earliest. Some passengers are resorting to taking airlines to small claims courts, or sheriff courts in Scotland, to get compensation. But if they lose, there is a fee. Consumer expert Martyn James says: The industry is in need of a new, independent, free and mandatory ombudsman. Without it, passengers will continue to fall into the arms of expensive claims companies which charge hefty fees for claims passengers can often submit on their own. Rory Boland, Which? Travel editor, adds: Its been clear for some time that the current complaints system is broken. Even when consumers lodge a claim with ADR themselves and do get a favourable ruling, some airlines have still ignored it. The Government can show it is standing up against brazen rule-breaking by airlines by introducing a mandatory, single ombudsman. Paul Smith, consumer director at the CAA, says: The CAA supports proposals to mandate ADR for all airlines. f.parker@dailymail.co.uk Asda has come under fire for charging some customers 1 to pump up their tyres at some of its petrol stations. Motorists have complained the sum is more than double what rivals charge for air. Asda insists it typically charges 10p per minute, with a minimum spend of 20p. Anybody using a card pays 50p. A spokesman says customers had been mischarged due to a payment glitch at some of its sites. It is investigating. Pumped up prices: Motorists are complaining after being charged 1 to pump up their tyres at some Asda petrol stations Last year, Sainsburys attracted similar ire when it introduced a 30p surcharge for air at its stations nationwide. Prior to that Tesco was criticised for doubling the cost of petrol station air from 20p to 50p. Morrisons charges 50p for use of its air pumps. Motoring bodies hit out at the prices as they worried it may put drivers off inflating their tyres. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams, said: There has been a big jump in prices for petrol station air, which wont encourage drivers to ensure they have correct pressure in their tyres. h.kelly@dailymail.co.uk. EXCLUSIVE: Ghislaine Maxwell and Scott Borgerson are seen at a 2017 holiday party - a year after they married - as her lawyers reveal details of their relationship and her devastation when he dumped 'dishonored wife' in a heated call while in solitary Days before her sentencing for her sex trafficking conviction, DailyMail.com has obtained a never-before-seen photo of Ghislaine Maxwell with husband Scott Borgerson in 2017 The picture, at a nursing home Christmas party, was taken just around their one-year anniversary and is only the second known photo of them together A filing by Maxwell's lawyers requesting a lowest term sentence reveals new details of Maxwell's personal life and her relationship with now-estranged husband Borgerson, 46 'Sadly, the marriage could not survive the negative impact of this case nor a husband's association with his dishonored wife,' the filing states They say that Maxwell went into hiding after Jeffrey Epstein's death 'to safeguard her husband and two young stepchildren' Borgerson ended the relationship during a heated phone call while Maxwell was in solitary confinement Ghislaine Maxwell and now-estranged husband Scott Borgerson are pictured together in a never-before-seen photo taken at a 2017 nursing home Christmas party. DailyMail.com obtained the photo that shows the couple during happier times, Borgerson's arm lovingly around his wife, standing with group of nursing home residents in Massachusetts as they are being serenaded presumably with Christmas carols by a group of children. The picture was taken just around their one-year anniversary and is only the second known photo of them together. Borgerson married Maxwell on Christmas Day 2016 - her 55th birthday. On Monday, Maxwell will be sentenced for her sex trafficking conviction, and her lawyers have urged the court that she serve only four years and three months and not the 50-year maximum. In their arguments, her lawyers revealed that her life has been ruined, not in small part by the end of her relationship with Borgerson, that, they reveal, began in 2013. The photo is a world away from Maxwell's old life with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in the 1990s. In their place at the nursing home were Cub Scouts wearing Santa hats and nursing home residents in wheelchairs. At the time Maxwell was living under the radar with Borgerson at their home in Manchester-by-the-sea as she dealt with a growing number of lawsuits against her. This comes as her lawyers have revealed new details of Maxwell's relationship with Borgerson, including how she went into hiding to protect him and his kids, how her arrest ruined their marriage and how he dumped her in a heated phone call while she was in solitary confinement. DailyMail.com has obtained a never-before-seen photo of Ghislaine Maxwell with husband Scott Borgerson at a Christmas party at a nursing home in 2017 The wholesome photo shows the couple standing in a group of senior citizens in Massachusetts as Borgerson has his arm around his wife In a court filing published Wednesday, Maxwell's lawyers claim that her estranged husband Borgerson, 46, was 'besieged by media coverage and had lost his employment and professional relationships' due to her arrest in July 2020 The filing reveals Borgerson ended the relationship during a heated phone call while Maxwell was in solitary confinement. He's pictured in Massachusetts in November 2021 Borgerson's ex-wife Rebecca their two children - who are now believed to be 11 and 14 - are pictured. The filing states that Maxwell went into hiding after Jeffrey Epstein's death 'to safeguard her husband and two young stepchildren' FBI agents arrested Maxwell at the New Hampshire home - called Tuckedaway - where she had taken refuge after Epstein's death to escape the upsurge of media coverage that had 'engulfed' her and her family, the lawyers reveal Borgerson has since moved on, and was reported to be seeing a yoga teacher mom-of-two called Kris McGinn earlier this year. DailyMail.com spotted them kissing as they went on a walk in Manchester, Massachusetts In a court filing published Wednesday, Maxwell's lawyers claim that her now-estranged husband, 46, was 'besieged by media coverage and had lost his employment and professional relationships' due to her arrest in July 2020. It states: 'Sadly, the marriage could not survive the negative impact of this case nor a husband's association with his dishonored wife,' adding that Borgerson ended the relationship during via phone call while Maxwell was behind bars. The filing by Maxwell's lawyers claim her 'life has been ruined' by her sex trafficking arrest and conviction FBI agents arrested Maxwell at the New Hampshire home - called Tuckedaway - where she had taken refuge after Epstein's death to escape the upsurge of media coverage that had 'engulfed' her and her family, the lawyers reveal. 'She had relocated alone, separating from her family to safeguard her husband and two young stepchildren and to secure the personal safety of her family,' the filing states. 'Ms. Maxwell was also worried for herself, having legitimate reason to fear for her own life.' Her lawyers go on to ask that she serve just four years and three months in jail when she is sentenced next week and claim she is getting death threats in prison. She is facing a maximum 50-year sentence. In 2013, Maxwell began a new relationship with the man she would later marry. 'She was with her husband for over seven years and became a devoted stepmother to her husband's two youngsters, who were ages three and four and a half at the start of the relationship,' the filing states. He has since moved on, and was reported to be seeing a yoga teacher mom-of-two called Kris McGinn earlier this year. Harriet Jagger, a school mate from age 15, detailed Maxwell's longing for a family life as part of letters written on her behalf. 'The last time I saw Ghislaine was in her home in New York a few years ago. I listened to her as she spoke of her wish to find the security and happiness within a family unit, she was visibly upset that this, the simplest of things for so many others had still not been a part of her own life. I felt truly sorry for her. 'Having known her large and great family, her love and great respect for her parents and closeness to her brothers and sisters, I knew this was something she had always craved. 'I gave her a huge hug on departing. So I was then thrilled to learn that she had finally met and married someone and was helping bring up his young children, but then desperate to hear that this much sought-after joy was so short.' The filing details Maxwell relocating alone to protect Borgerson and his two children from media scrutiny. 'Ms. Maxwell was also worried for herself, having legitimate reason to fear for her own life' In their 77-page sentencing submission and 29-page legal argument, Maxwell's lawyers said that she should not be made a 'proxy' for Epstein. They said that the 50-year maximum sentence would be 'absurd' and that Maxwell does not present a 'containing danger to the public.' The filing said an inmate in her prison said the extra 20 years in jail would be worth it for the 'money' they would get for killing her. Detailing the bloodcurdling threat allegedly made against the disgraced socialite, the filing said: 'Recently, an inmate in Ms. Maxwell's unit threatened to kill her, claiming that an additional 20 years' incarceration would be worth the money she'd receive for murdering Ms. Maxwell. 'On information and belief, one of the female inmates in Ms. Maxwell's housing unit told at least three other inmates that she had been offered money to murder Ms. Maxwell and that she planned to strangle her in her sleep. 'The inmate who made the threat has been moved to the SHU (special housing unit), presumably to protect Ms. Maxwell. This incident reflects the brutal reality that there are numerous prison inmates who would not hesitate to kill Ms. Maxwell whether for money, fame, or simple 'street cred.'' Maxwell, 60, was convicted in December of recruiting and trafficking underage girls for the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Her lawyers go on to ask that she serve just four years and three months in jail when she is sentenced next week and claim she is getting death threats in prison Her sentencing was delayed while the court resolved questions over whether a juror unfairly influenced the jury by failing to disclose his history of sexual abuse. A judge subsequently found he did not. The filing states: 'In sentencing Ms. Maxwell, the Court cannot be influenced by this inexorable drumbeat of public condemnation calling for her to be locked away for good. 'The Court cannot heal the wounds caused by Epstein by heaping on Ms. Maxwell's shoulders the pain of every one of his victims, the outrage of society, the public scorn of the community, and then driving her out of the community forever. 'While that may assuage the public and give the perception that 'justice was done,' that is not justice. That is scapegoating. Ms. Maxwell must be sentenced on the record before the Court and not these external pressures' Arguing that Maxwell was treated far more harshly than any other suspect held in custody ahead of their trial, the filing claims her 'life has been ruined. It continues: 'Ms. Maxwell cannot and should not bear all the punishment for which Epstein should have been held responsible. Ms. Maxwell has already experienced hard time during detention under conditions far more onerous and punitive than any experienced by a typical pretrial detainee, and she is preparing to spend significantly more time behind bars. 'Her life has been ruined. Since Epstein's death, her life has been threatened and death threats continue while she is incarcerated. It would be a travesty of justice for her to face a sentence that would have been appropriate for Epstein. Four of Maxwell's siblings - Kevin, Isabel, Ian and Christine - attended court to support their sister during her trial in December Maxwell's lawyers - and two of her siblings - say abuse she suffered at the hands of her late father Robert (pictured in Cannes with Maxwell and his wife Elisabeth in 1990) made her 'vulnerable' to a predator like Epstein The filing detailed a letter sent to the court from Maxwell's brother Philip and sister Anne. It said abuse she'd suffered at the hands of their father had ultimately left her 'vulnerable' and open to manipulation from her pedophile boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein In seeking to explain Maxwell's background, her lawyers blamed her conduct on her late father, the disgraced newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell who died in mysterious circumstances after falling off his yacht in 1991. The filing detailed a letter sent to the court from Maxwell's brother Philip and sister Anne. It said abuse she'd suffered at the hands of their father had ultimately left her 'vulnerable' and open to manipulation from her pedophile boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. 'Her relationship with Epstein began at a moment of extreme vulnerability. Ghislaine's life after the tragic death of our father. He (our father) was a powerful and dominant figure,' the letter said. 'And as elder siblings we witnessed our father taking Ghislaine under his wing whereby she became over dependent on his approval and vulnerable to his frequent rapid mood swings, huge rages and rejections. 'This led her to becoming very vulnerable to abusive and powerful men who would be able to take advantage of her innate good nature.' The document stated that he would subject his children to verbal abuse every Sunday. Robert Maxwell 'would explode, threaten, and rant at the children until they were reduced to pulp. Mr. Maxwell was relentless, with children ending up in tears, punishments being doled out, and the whole family in utter distress', the filing claims. Maxwell, 60, was convicted in December of recruiting and trafficking underage girls for the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein The document states: 'Mr. Maxwell employed corporal punishment on his children. Ghislaine vividly recalls a time when, at age 13, she tacked a poster of a pony on the newly painted wall of her bedroom. Rather than mar the paint with tape, she carefully hammered a thin tack to mount the poster. This outraged her father, who took the hammer and banged on Ghislaine's dominant hand, leaving it severely bruised and painful for weeks to come'. The filing claims that the sentence of 51-63 months would be appropriate as Maxwell has never been accused of any sex offensesor any crimes, for that matterin the almost 20-year period since the conduct at issue in this case ended. It states: 'There is absolutely no evidence that Ms. Maxwell is attracted to minors or has the sort of uncontrollable impulses that would compel her to re-offend. According to the trial record, it was Epstein who had such proclivities, whereas Ms. Maxwell's role was to facilitate Epstein's sexual abuse. 'Indeed, after she moved on from Epstein in the early 2000s, Ms. Maxwell was involved in two long-term relationships with men who had young children and was actively involved in their lives without even the slightest hint of impropriety. Most importantly, the government concedes that Ms. Maxwell is not a danger to the community. 'The government never made that assertion in connection with Ms. Maxwell's numerous bail applications and there is no evidence whatsoever to support such a claim. Put simply, Ms. Maxwell is not 'dangerous' and there is no risk that Ms. Maxwell will ever 'repeat' the offense.' A British woman who claims she was 'raped' by Oscar-winning film director Paul Haggis asked him to get her a part in a James Bond film, it has been claimed. The unidentified 30-year-old was found in a distressed state last week and told police she had been kept in an Italian bed and breakfast for 48 hours and abused by him, before being dumped at an airport. Haggis, who appeared before a judge on Wednesday, has denied any wrongdoing and his lawyer Michele Laforgia, has insisted sex between the couple was consensual. Haggis, who co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay, is pictured with his lawyers outside the court in Italy File photo: Haggis is pictured on October 16, 2015 arriving at the Rome Film Festival Have you got a story for MailOnline? **Have you got a story for MailOnline? Email tips@dailymail.com** Advertisement A behind closed doors hearing took place in Brindisi court on Wednesday to decide whether the Canadian who co-wrote Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace should be freed pending further investigations by Italian police. A request for release from house arrest was later turned down by an Italian judge and he will have to remain in Italy while the investigation continues. Ahead of his hearing local media carried details of a seven page memo he is said to have drawn up for his lawyer in which he reportedly claimed that he had met the woman at Monte Carlo in April at a film festival and the two had remained in touch via WhatsApp. Haggis claimed the pair had spoken briefly in Monte Carlo and she had expressed a desire to be in the next James Bond film and later posted a picture with him saying it was 'an honour to meet' him. He then described how the two had then met at Ostuni near Brindisi in June and they had driven to his hotel where she then 'kissed' him passionately. Haggis in the memo goes on to claim the two then had sex after she had taken a shower, underlining it had been consensual and the following day they had gone out together ahead of the Allora Film Festival in Ostuni which he was attending as a guest with his daughter. He told his lawyer that the woman had 'insisted' on holding his hand which he said he was not comfortable with and she had been left upset by his reaction. Once back at their room he claimed the pair then had consensual sex again, the following day Haggis said he left her as he had a business appointment and she met with friends before that evening they met again, according to his leaked statement, where they once again had consensual sex. In mid-June he claimed the woman had gone out again with friends but returned drunk and tried to have sex with him but he had refused and had then began describing how she was the next Bond girl. The statement then goes on to allege that the following day early in the morning Haggis took the woman to Brindisi airport for her flight back to Stansted where she asked him for money but he refused and drove away. Haggis wrote the screenplays for the Daniel Craig blockbusters Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and he won an Oscar with his screenplay for the 2004 hit Crash Staff later found her in a distressed state and police were called and she told them that she had been locked up for the last three days and forced to have sex with Haggis. Officer tracked him down to his hotel and he was placed under house arrest until his appearance before judge Vanda Gilli today. Mr Laforgia insisted officers had 'badly interpreted' the findings of the medical report and that in fact the couple were known to each other and the sex was consensual. Haggis co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby, another Oscar winner. He has had legal problems in recent years stemming from sexual misconduct accusations by four women in the United States, which have yet to be decided in court and that Haggis has denied. An external view of the Brindisi law court, with the judge set to rule on whether Haggis can be set free pending possible additional investigation Haggis, who co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay, is pictured with his lawyers outside the court in Italy Haggis is pictured scanning through metal detectors at the Brindisi law court in southern Italy Last night Judge Vanda Gilli ruled he would have to remain in Italy and a further hearing later this month with the woman who has also been told to stay in the country. Mr Laforgia told Mail Online: 'The judge has ordered Mr Haggis to be kept under house arrest but it should be noted the order highlights, as have always insisted, there is no evidence in the medical examination of physical injuries. 'We also underline once again that the accused completely denies the accusations and that we hope clarity will be rapid and he will be freed as a result. 'Mr Haggis answered all the questions put to him by the judge and has aid he is willing to remain in the country as long as is necessary to prove his innocence.' He added: 'Paul Haggis' defender denies that the text partially published in a newspaper corresponds to the statements that the suspect will make in the interrogation before the Preliminary Investigations Judge of Brindisi. 'The quoted sentences were extrapolated from a confidential and confidential note forwarded by Mr Haggis before being detained, in open violation of the confidentiality of private communications and correspondence protected by criminal law, the Italian Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. 'For this violation, Mr. Haggis reserves all actions to protect his rights before the competent authorities.' Haggis is accused of sexual violence. South Dakota Senate Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was removed from office and convicted of two impeachment charges stemming from a 2020 car crash in which he killed a pedestrian. Ravnsborg, 46, a Republican, told a 911 dispatcher the night of the September crash that he might have struck a deer or other large animal. He told investigators that he didn't know he struck 55-year-old Joseph Boever near Highmore until he returned to the scene the next morning. Criminal investigators said they didn't believe some of Ravnsborg's statements. The Republican-controlled Senate voted to convict Ravnsborg of committing crimes that caused someone's death, and malfeasance for misleading law enforcement and abusing the powers of his office. Ravnsborg's face showed little emotion as the vote on the first article of impeachment went down to the final senator's vote and passed with the minimum needed for conviction. During the first vote, he he was convicted by the state senate 24-9, however, that changed during the second vote to 31-2, according to KELO. On the third and fourth vote, it was 33-0. He held his hand over his mouth as he had for much of the trial, then wrote a note on a notepad in his lap. The convictions required a two-thirds majority. Ravnsborg, who was in his first term, is the first official to be impeached and convicted in South Dakota history. Jason Ravnsborg, 46, appeared emotionless at the impeachment trial on Tuesday. He was the first official in South Dakota to ever being impeached. His impeachment comes after he hit a pedestrian in 2020 He hit Joseph Boever, 55, in September 2020 as he was walking on a highway near Highmore Governor Kristi Noem, who pushed for Ravnsborg's impeachment, will appoint his replacement. The impeachment votes close a chapter that has roiled state politics, pitting Noem against Ravnsborg and some in her own party who objected to her aggressive pursuit of his removal. She had originally slammed the Special Committee's decision not to impeach the AG in March. She said: 'Jason Ravnsborg killed a man, lied to investigators about the events of that night, and attempted to cover it up,' Noem said. 'Joseph Boever's family deserves justice.' Talk of Ravnsborg's impeachment began in February after Noem released the video of the AG stumbling through an interview with investigators. He was charged with three misdemeanors, pleading no contest to two counts of reckless driving. He paid two $500 fines and $3,000 in court fees. He also had to take part in a district driving education. On Tuesday, she tweeted: 'After nearly two years, the dark cloud over the Attorney General's office has been lifted. It is now time to move on and begin to restore confidence in the office.' As the impeachment trial opened Tuesday, prosecutors drove at a question that has hung over developments since the September 2020 crash: Did Ravnsborg know he killed a man the night of the crash? 'He absolutely saw the man that he struck in the moments after,' said Alexis Tracy, the Clay County state's attorney who is leading the prosecution. Prosecutors also told senators that Ravnsborg had used his title 'to set the tone and gain influence' in the aftermath of the crash, even as he allegedly made 'misstatements and outright lies' to the crash investigators. The prosecution played a montage of audio clips of Ravnsborg referring to himself as the attorney general. The front end of Ravnsborg's car had significant damage where Boever's body was. He claimed he thought he hit a deer or large animal, but Boever's glasses were found inside the car afterward Tire marks were seen off the roadway that Boever was hit on. Prosecutors questioned Ravnsborg phone usage - which was found to be on a minute before the crash but not during impact - and his testimony about knowing if he had hit a person As they questioned crash investigators, prosecuting attorneys probed Ravnsborg's alleged misstatements during the aftermath of the crash, including that he never drove excessively over the speed limit, that he had reached out to Boever's family to offer his condolence, and that he had not been browsing his phone during his drive home. The prosecution played a series of video clips during their closing arguments that showed Ravnsborg's shifting account of his phone use during interviews with criminal investigators. The attorney general at first outright denied he had been using his phone while driving, but then acknowledged he had been looking at his phone minutes before the crash. Phone records showed it was locked at the moment of impact. Ravnsborg told investigators that the last thing he remembered before impact was turning off the radio and looking at his speedometer. Ravnsborg has maintained that he did nothing wrong and cast the impeachment trial as a chance to clear himself. He resolved the criminal case last year by pleading no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, and was fined by a judge. He appeared in the Senate chamber Tuesday but did not testify. His defense attorney answered senators' questions. Boever's widow Jennifer (pictured) was seen crying in court today after getting justice for his husband's death two years later Family and friends nervously watched as the state senate decided Ravnsborg's fate Ravnsborg said he didn't discover Boever's body until after he returned to the scene the following morning The attorney general's defense focused its arguments on the implications of impeachment during opening statements Tuesday, imploring lawmakers to consider the implications of their decision on the function of state government. Ravnsborg tapped Ross Garber, a legal analyst and law professor at Tulane University who specializes in impeachment proceedings. 'This is undoing the will of the voters,' Garber told the Senate. 'Make no mistake, that's what you're considering doing.' Ravnsborg was driving home from a political fundraiser after dark on September 12, 2020, on a state highway in central South Dakota when his car struck 'something,' according to a transcript of his 911 call afterward. He later said it might have been a deer or other animal. Investigators identified what they thought were slips in Ravnsborg's statements, such as when he said he turned around at the accident scene and 'saw him' before quickly correcting himself and saying: 'I didn't see him.' And they contended that Boever's face had come through Ravnsborg's windshield because his glasses were found in the car. 'We've heard better lies from five-year-olds,' Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo, who was acting as an impeachment prosecutor, said of Ravnsborg's statement. Investigators had determined the attorney general walked right past Boever's body and the flashlight Boever had been carrying - still illuminated the next morning - as he looked around the scene the night of the crash. Ravnsborg said neither he nor the county sheriff who came to the scene knew that Boever's body was lying just feet from the pavement on the highway shoulder. 'There isn't any way you can go by without seeing that,' Arnie Rummel, an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation who led the criminal probe, said in testimony Tuesday. Rummel added that Ravnsborg had hardly behaved like someone who had hit a deer - a common occurrence on the highways of South Dakota. Prosecutors also raised an exchange that Ravnsborg had with one of his staff members three days following the crash, after he had submitted his phones to crash investigators. Ravnsborg questioned an agent in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation about what would turn up during forensic exams of his cellphones, even though the agency was supposed to have no part in the investigation to avoid conflicts of interest. 'We were not supposed to be involved,' the now-retired agent, Brent Gromer, said as he described why the exchange made him uncomfortable. Governor Kristi Noem has been campaigning for his impeachment and will also nominate his replacement Ravnsborg's defense attorney contended that the attorney general had done nothing nefarious and instead had cooperated fully with the crash investigation. His defense attorney, Mike Butler, described any discrepancies in Ravnsborg's memory of that night as owing to human error. Butler disparaged the testimony from Rummel, the crash investigator, as 'opinion' that would not hold up in a court of law. Ravnsborg was willing to take a polygraph test, though criminal investigators determined that it would not have been effective to test the attorney general's truthfulness. During closing arguments, Butler stated that the criminal prosecution found 'no criminal culpability' for Boever's death and urged senators to refrain from rehashing that case. 'No amount of fire and brimstone changes that given fact,' he said. Noem called for Ravnsborg to resign soon after the crash and later pressed lawmakers to pursue impeachment. Noem also publicly endorsed Ravnsborg's predecessor, Republican Marty Jackley, for election as his replacement. Ravnsborg has argued that the governor, who has positioned herself for a possible 2024 White House bid, pushed for his removal in part because he had investigated ethics complaints against Noem. Ravnsborg in September agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boever's widow, who was seen crying in court today. Russia's re-branded McDonald's sold more than 120,000 burgers on its opening day in Moscow, breaking all previous records from before the US chain left the country over its invasion of Ukraine. Big Macs and McFlurrys may be off the menu at the successor restaurants, but the new firm has ambitious growth targets after its opening day success, its chief executive said. McDonald's Corp has fully exited Russia, selling all the restaurants it owned to a local licensee in May. Under new name Vkusno & Tochka, or 'Tasty and that's it,' 50 restaurants in and around Moscow reopened on June 12 and June 13. Chief Executive Oleg Paroev is keen to add locations, but acknowledged the challenge of replacing some ingredients and suppliers, as well as dealing with other franchisees still using McDonald's branding. The McDonald's exit saga shows both how difficult it is for Western consumer businesses that decided to leave over Moscow's actions in Ukraine to sever all ties to Russia and for local operators to replace popular brands. Thousands who came to Vkusno & Tochka's flagship opening in Moscow's Pushkin Square were greeted by a new logo, colour scheme and packaging shorn of all McDonald's branding, as the new company lost the right to the US group's trademarks and intellectual property. Russia's re-branded McDonald's sold more than 120,000 burgers on its opening day in Moscow, breaking all previous records from before the US chain left the country over its invasion of Ukraine McDonald's left Russia in May, selling all its restaurants to a local licensee who re-branded it Vkusno & Tochka, or 'Tasty and that's it', and re-opened 50 restaurants on June 12 and June 13 The new firm has ambitious growth targets after its opening day success, Chief Executive Oleg Paroev said Alexander Govor, owner of the new restaurant chain 'Vkusno & Tochka', spoke during a news conference on the opening day in Moscow on June 12 'On the first day we sold almost 120,000 burgers,' Paroev said. 'We have never seen such daily turnover in the whole time McDonald's has worked in Russia.' While Paroev does not expect such demand to last, he aims to exceed new owner Alexander Govor's growth target and accomplish that ahead of schedule. Govor's goal is to reach 1,000 stores in four to five years, up from around 850 under McDonald's brand. Hiring is continuing, Paroev said, who also wants to expand cooperation with strategic partner Sberbank, though ruled out a shareholder role for Russia's top lender. Govor, who previously ran 25 restaurants, said at the launch that he paid a 'symbolic' sum for McDonald's Russia and that the U.S. corporation had made it clear they would not exercise a 15-year buyback option. Paroev, voicing his personal opinion, said McDonald's could return to Russia if Vkusno & Tochka became a franchisee again, but stressed there had been no discussions to that effect. In an emailed statement, McDonald's said it has 'finalised the sale of its Russian business and exited the market.' A worker removes McDonald's logotype from a restaurant in Moscow after the US corporation pulled out of Russia. The McDonald's exit saga shows both how difficult it is for Western consumer businesses that decided to leave over Moscow's actions in Ukraine to sever all ties to Russia and for local operators to replace popular brands While Paroev does not expect such demand to last, he aims to exceed new owner Alexander Govor's growth target and accomplish that ahead of schedule New owner Govor's goal is to reach 1,000 stores in four to five years, up from around 850 under McDonald's brand. Thousands who came to Vkusno & Tochka's flagship opening in Moscow's Pushkin Square were greeted by a new logo, colour scheme and packaging shorn of all McDonald's branding, as the new company lost the right to the US group's trademarks and intellectual property Some former McDonald's franchisees have kept its branding on packaging and electronic menus and are selling Big Macs under a different name, creating a headache for Vkusno & Tochka. 'Of course we're not happy about this,' Paroev said. While continued use of the McDonald's brand is a violation of Russian law, the company cannot take legal action because it has no rights to the brand, he said. Rosinter Restaurants, an ex-franchisee still operating in train stations and St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, did not respond to a request for comment. Vkusno & Tochka has proposed ex-franchisees join the new brand, Paroev said, with one having already agreed. Govor bought around 700 restaurants, Paroev said, leaving about 100 unaccounted for and while Vkusno & Tochka still has access to old suppliers, other ex-franchisees do not. Some former McDonald's franchisees have kept its branding on packaging and electronic menus and are selling Big Macs under a different name, creating a headache for Vkusno & Tochka Govor bought around 700 restaurants, Paroev said, leaving about 100 unaccounted for and while Vkusno & Tochka still has access to old suppliers, other ex-franchisees do not Even though 99% of products come from Russian suppliers, Paroev said 'a significant percentage' of ingredients is sourced abroad, a process complicated by sanctions and supply chain disruptions Vkusno & Tochka is determined to maintain product quality, Paroev said, but keeping a familiar taste is a challenge 'It's a mystery to me what products are sold there,' he said of restaurants in train stations and airports, speaking on Friday. 'But I can say with certainty that it is absolutely not the same products or ingredients that were previously sold at McDonald's.' Vkusno & Tochka is determined to maintain product quality, Paroev said, but keeping a familiar taste is a challenge. Even though 99% of products come from Russian suppliers, Paroev said 'a significant percentage' of ingredients is sourced abroad, a process complicated by sanctions and supply chain disruptions. Vkusno & Tochka is looking for a new drinks provider, as Coca Cola is depleting its Russia stock, Paroev said. The coffee blend will stay, he said, supplied now by an Indian investor who bought the Russian operations of Finland's Paulig. As agreed with McDonald's, recipes will change and a Big Mac replacement is in the works, Paroev said. 'This is quite a big loss,' he said. 'The fact it has now gone from the menu does not help us.' Establishing the new brand will take time, but Paroev was optimistic. 'Our guests will get used to the new name and understand that they are no longer at a 'Mac', but at a 'tochka'.' Taiwan scrambled jets on Tuesday to warn away 29 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone, in the latest uptick in tensions and largest incursion since late May. The latest Chinese mission included 17 fighters and six H-6 bombers, as well as electronic warfare, early warning, antisubmarine and an aerial refuelling aircraft, Taiwan's defence ministry said. The aircraft flew to the south of the island and into the Pacific, through its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. Living in fear of a Chinese invasion, the self-ruled island 100 miles off the mainland raised its alert earlier this year after Russia invaded Ukraine. It suspects a copycat invasion by Beijing, which has not condemned Putin's actions. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years or so of these repeated missions by the Chinese air force. Taiwan calls China's repeated nearby military activities 'grey zone' warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwanese forces by making them repeatedly scramble, and also to test Taiwanese responses. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular similar missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself. Pictured: A J-16 fighter jet The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft (pictured) Some of the aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas, according to a map the ministry provided. However, the bombers, accompanied by an electronic warfare and an intelligence gathering aircraft, flew into the Bashi Channel which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and into the Pacific before turning back to China on the route they came in. Taiwan sent combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response. It was the largest incursion since Taiwan reported 30 Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ on May 30. The largest to date this year occurred on Jan. 23, involving 39 aircraft. There was no immediate comment from China, which has in the past said that such moves were drills aimed at protecting the country's sovereignty. A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an email that Beijing should 'cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and intimidation against Taiwan.' China launched its third aircraft carrier on Friday, the Fujian, named after the province opposite Taiwan. China's military said last month it had conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a 'solemn warning' against its 'collusion' with the United States. That came after U.S. President Joe Biden angered China by appearing to signal a change in a U.S. policy of 'strategic ambiguity' on Taiwan by saying the United States would get involved militarily if China were to attack the island. China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. The Taipei government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked. No shots have been fired and the Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan's air space, but in its ADIZ, a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats. Sen. Ron Johnson is pushing back an allegation by Rep. Adam Schiff during Tuesday's House Jan. 6 committee hearing that he personally wanted to deliver two slates of 'fake' electors to Vice President Mike Pence on the day lawmakers met to count the electoral votes. Johnson said he was 'aware' of the situation but blamed the matter on a low-level Capitol intern and and other staff, calling it a 'non-story.' 'These are interns. They're staff. We have no idea,' he said. He spoke after the committee put out a text message exchange involving his current chief of staff, Sean Riley, who joined from the Trump White House office of legislative affairs. 'I was aware that we got this package and that somebody wanted us to deliver it so we reached out,' Johnson told CNN Tuesday, after former Trump impeachment manager Schiff revealed the text exchange. 'I had no involvement in an alternate slate of electors. I had no idea this'd even be delivered to us, got delivered staff to staff. My chief of staff did the right thing, contacted the Vice President's staff. They said they didn't want it so we didn't deliver it,' he said. Evidence revealed during a House Jan. 6th hearing revealed a top aide to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis, told former Vice President Mike Pence's staff that the Republican from Wisconsin wanted to hand-deliver fake elector votes from Wisconsin and Michigan He said he himself had asked aides to explain the situation, and denied personal involvement in driving the issue. 'We didn't know -- literally don't it was staff to staff somebody from the House, some staff intern said, you know, the Vice President needs this or whatever. I wasn't involved. I don't know what they said,' he told reporters. 'But somebody from the House delivered it to a staff member in my office, my chief of staff called the vice president, [said] hey we got this. And the vice president said don't deliver it. We didn't.' 'I didn't offer. Staff-to-staff,' he emphasized. The information Schiff spoke about revealed that an aide to Johnson told Pences staff that the Republican from Wisconsin wanted to hand-deliver to Pence fake elector votes from his state and neighboring Michigan. During Schiff's questioning, he played video of a committee counsel revealing the exchange. That came amid a push by former President Trump and a circle of lawyers and loyalists who were pushing Pence to send certified electors back to state legislatures where Trump was claiming fraud. 'Johnson needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advice,' Johnsons chief of staff Sean Riley wrote Pence's office shortly before Pence was to preside over a joint session to oversee the count of the electoral votes. 'Do not give that to him,' Pence's aide responded Trump said VP Mike Pence lacked 'courage' when he refused to reject votes certified by states Reporters questioned Johnson following the revelations at Tuesday's hearing. Johnson said he was on the phone, but a reporter told him his screen was blank Johnson spokeswoman Alexa Henning downplayed the texts after they were publicly revealed for the first time during the committee's hearing in Washington, but did not deny that Johnson had wanted to hand-deliver the slate of fake electors to Pence. 'The senator had no involvement in the creation of an alternate slate of electors and had no foreknowledge that it was going to be delivered to our office,' Henning tweeted. 'This was a staff to staff exchange. His new Chief of Staff contacted the Vice Presidents office. The Vice Presidents office said not to give it to him and we did not. There was no further action taken. End of story.' Johnson had planned to object to accepting electors in states where he said the results were in dispute. He signed on to the objection of Arizonas electors, which happened before the attack, but then voted to accept those electors later. He did not object to accepting Wisconsin's votes, but two of the state's Republican congressmen did. The evidence presented showed a back and forth between Johnson aide Sean Riley and Pence staff member Chris Hodgson at 12:37 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. 'Johnson needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advise,' Riley texted Hodgson. 'What is it?' Hodgson replied. 'Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didnt receive them,' Riley wrote back. Hodgson responded: 'Do not give that to him.' Wisconsin Republicans met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, the same day as 10 Democratic electors awarded their votes to Biden, who carried the battleground state by just under 21,000 votes. They forwarded their votes for Trump to the National Archives, arguing that they were trying to preserve Trump's legal options in case a court overturned Biden's win. Wisconsin's bipartisan elections commission declined to punish the fake electors, determining that no election laws had been violated. The fake electors are now being sued in Wisconsin by a liberal law firm that is seeking $2.4 million in damages. Other evidence shown at Tuesday's hearing indicated that Trump's campaign team wanted the Wisconsin fake electors to fly the paperwork to Washington. 'Freaking Trump idiots want someone to fly original elector papers to the senate President,' Mark Jefferson, executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party, texted on Jan. 4. 'Theyre going to call one of us to tell us just what the hell is going on.' Johnson met with Wisconsin lawmakers later in 2021 and talked about dismantling the states bipartisan elections commission and having the GOP-controlled Legislature take over presidential and federal elections. Johnson's Democratic opponents jumped at the revelation at Tuesday's hearing and called on him to resign. 'Ron Johnson actively tried to undermine this democracy,' Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said in a statement calling for Johnson's resignation. 'He literally tried to hand Mike Pence fake ballots. Once again, Ron Johnson has proven hes a danger to our country and our fundamental rights.' Other Democratic candidates including state Treasurer Sarak Godlewski and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson made similar comments calling for his resignation. Alex Lasry, a Milwaukee Bucks executive, called Johnson a 'seditious traitor and a danger to our democracy' but stopped short of calling for him to resign, saying the only way Johnson will leave is if he's defeated in November. Nelson, who had earlier called for Johnson to be subpoenaed to testify before the Jan. 6 commission, said the revelations 'go beyond anything I could have imagined for how far Ron Johnson would go to overturn our Wisconsin election result.' He called for the Justice Department to investigate Johnson. The Senate has reached an agreement on a bipartisan gun violence bill raised in response to the recent mass shootings in Texas and New York. The legislation would toughen background checks for younger gun buyers, bolster background check requirements and beef up penalties for gun traffickers. The bill would also prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse who are not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns. Additionally, $750million would be provided to the 19 states that have 'red flag' laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. States with 'red flag' laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm's removal. The bill would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Senate bargainers reached the agreement Tuesday potentially teeing up final passage by week's end. Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against Democrats' urban-centered backers of firearms curbs. Senator Chris Murphy speaking at a press conference on June 14. The democrat was a leader in passing the new gun control legislation President Biden and Senator Chris Murphy discuss gun control at a meeting outside the Oval Office on June 7 Republican senator from Texas John Cornyn said he felt people were telling the US government something had to be done. I'm confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction,' he said of the new legislation Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That result strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic bargainer, said would be fully paid for. Momentum in Congress for gun legislation has a history of waning quickly after mass shootings. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-week July 4th recess by this weekend. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visiting a memorial at the Robb Elementary School on May 29 Mourners embracing at a memorial outside outside the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, where a gunman murdered ten people in May The legislation lacks far more potent proposals that President Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years, derailed by GOP opposition. These include banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Yet after 10 Black shoppers were killed last month in Buffalo, New York, and 19 children and two teachers died days later in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and some Republicans decided that this time, measured steps were preferable to Congress usual reaction to such horrors - gridlock. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde, 'I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that I've never seen before.' He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety among voters 'not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful.' This bill, Murphy said, would 'save thousands of lives.' Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Top GOP bargainer Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of the pact, 'Some think it goes too far, others think it doesn't go far enough. And I get it. It's the nature of compromise.' But he added, 'I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. I'm confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction.' Payton Gendron appearing in court in May. He is accused of shooting up a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing ten people Salvador Ramos, 18, murdered 19 schoolchildren and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 In a positive sign about its fate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voiced his support, calling it 'a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.' The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, expressed opposition. 'It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners,' the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans - especially in the House - would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most hard-right voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the proposal. In another measure of conservative sentiment, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that the bill 'ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens.' Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a possible White House contender, said it would 'restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials.' Armored police officers outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 FBI investigators observing bullet holes in the window of the Tops supermarket where Payton Gendron murdered ten people in May The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Cornyn told reporters that he expected at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings - at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip - have yielded only stalemate in Washington. 'Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing,' Murphy said. 'This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives.' The bill would require that federal background checks for gun buyers age 18 to 20 include examination of the purchaser's juvenile record. That could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The suspects in the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old, a profile that matches many recent mass shooters. There would be hundreds of millions of dollars to expand community behavioral health centers, telemedicine visits for mental specialists and train first responders to handle people with mental health issues. More than $2 billion would be provided to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. The mother of an autistic boy who froze to death when his NYPD father made him sleep on a garage floor has been given the go-ahead to sue child protective services and school officials for $200million, a judge has ruled. Justyna Zubko-Valva claims she had warned child protective services and administrators at her son's school that the eight-year-old Thomas was being abused by his father. Her fears came true on January 17, 2020, when Thomas froze to death after his father, Michael Valva, locked him in a freezing garage as a form of punishment. Valva's girlfriend, Angela Pollina, allegedly participated in the abuse. Last week, an Eastern District of New York court advanced Zubko-Valva's lawsuit against numerous CPS officials for deliberate indifference, school officials from the East Moriches Union Free School District for wrongful death claims, and several attorneys for malpractice. Valva and Pollina were charged with second degree murder in the death, and are currently awaiting trial. The case saw extensive delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Michael Valva (left) and Angela Pollina (right), were charged with second degree murder after Valva's son Thomas froze to death after being locking in his garage Justyna Zubko-Valva holds up a picture of her son, Thomas, 8. She is suing Child Protection Services and Thomas' school for his death 'Forcing Tommy and Anthony [his brother] to sleep in subfreezing temperatures on a cold, cement slab in the garage was so common in Mr. Valva and Ms. Pollina's household that they referred to the garage as the 'kid's room,'' wrote U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman in a 37-page ruling. 'While the barbaric acts of Mr. Valva and Ms. Pollina are directly responsible for Tommy's death, there is an institutional actor that is almost as culpable,' said Korman. Zubko-Valva claims that she provided Thomas' school with evidence spanning two years of alleged abuse at the hands of his father, ranging from audio recordings, photos, and medical records. 'Mrs. Valva was so worried about the children that she emailed the school's principal that the children were in 'enormous danger of losing their lives by Michael Valva and Pollina,' the ruling reads. 'In January 2018, Mrs. Valva alleges that 'the School Defendants saw clear, irrefutable proof that Tommy had been physically beaten and abused by Valva, with severe bruising in his lower spine and buttocks area.'' Thomas Valva, 8, who was autistic, died when his father locked him in his home's garage in January, 2020 Zubko-Valva and her son Thomas before his death. Thomas' father was awarded custody of Thomas in 2017 Valva was awarded custody of his two sons - both autistic - in 2017, but Zubko-Valva claims that Thomas' school did nothing about her abuse allegations for a full year after that. She claims she gave CPS a flash drive with 320 files of evidence of abuse, which included transcripts of Valva teaching his sons to repeat 'mommy is mean,' 'I don't want to stay with mommy,' 'I don't love mommy.' Zubko-Valva said that Valva told CPS that she was the abusive parent, that she beat the kids and poisoned them with 'brown medicine.' Michael Valva arriving in court in March, 2020, after his son froze to death in his garage in January of that year Angela Pollina, girlfriend of Michael Valva, appearing in court in March, 2020. She allegedly partook in the abuse of Thomas She accused CPS of lying about their findings and fabricated evidence to support the father's accusations. Thomas' mother said that CPS found that he looked 'emaciated,' but that they closed their investigation into Valva 10 days before their son died. The list of defendants Zubko-Valva is suing is long, and includes Suffolk County CPS senior caseworker Michele Clark, CPS supervisor Edward Heepe, principal Edward Schneyer of the East Moriches School, and school superintendent Charles Russon. A 32-year-old Mexican woman has had her leg amputated and a 48-year-old Ohioan may also lose hers after a yellow cab jumped the curb and plowed into a crowd in New York City. Three were left critically injured while six were harmed when a driver plowed into restaurant-goers at Black Seed Bagels on Broadway around 1pm on Monday. Bystander Marcos de Ogueta said one of the women's thighs were mostly gone while the other one had a mangled ankle and lost her leg below the knee, according to the New York Post. Another bystander reportedly wrapped his belt around one of the women's leg in a makeshift tourniquet. The other woman, who is from Columbus, 31, was said to have sustained a lesser injury, according to ABC 7 New York. The 50-year-old cyclist had a broken arm and the driver was treated for minor injuries. The 40-year-old passenger, from Chicago, did not sustain any injuries. Wild video footage shows 15 to 20 Good Samaritans rushing to help the two women who were pinned by the cab after it collided with a cyclist, jumped the curb and plowed into several pedestrians in Manhattan, dragging the cyclist along with it. Six people, including the taxi driver, who was said to have fainted on the scene and was in 'complete shock,' were transported at the hospital. Mayor Eric Adams, 61, said the scene was 'troubling' and it was caused by 'human recklessness and street design.' Wild footage shows the moment a group of New Yorkers heroically lifted a taxi cab off of pedestrians who were mowed down during a crash A Mexican woman, 32, had her leg amputated while a 48-year-old from Ohio may also lose hers after they were pinned under the cab (pictured). A bystander said one of the women's thighs were mostly gone while the other one had a mangled ankle and lost her leg below the knee. Another bystander reportedly wrapped his belt around one of the women's leg in a makeshift tourniquet 'Traffic safety is all of our concerns, and we are going to continue to push forward to make sure our streets are safe,' he said. 'We should not have to accept, and I will not accept, a reality where New Yorkers die from traffic violence.' In addition, Adams said he was honored by the group of New Yorkers who rushed to help the women. 'No matter how difficult things are, no matter how many people say New Yorkers can be rude and New Yorkers can be bad, when it is time to help each other, we are there. And I just want to personally say thank you,' he said, according to ABC 7 New York. NYPD Deputy Police Chief John Chell also called the community's willingness to help a 'remarkable scene.' Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, 47, has also asked the public to keep those injured in their 'prayers' and said he had spoken with Adams on how to get the families to the Big Apple to be with their injured loved ones. Investigators are looking into the crash to see if the driver had a medical condition or if the car's brakes malfunctioned as the driver said in his initial statement, according to ABC 7. Investigators are also looking into to see if it was an operator error. The driver was, however, said to be in good standing and had a valid taxi license. Three people were transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, including the taxi driver, who reportedly fainted and was said to be in 'complete shock' A bike is mangled after a cab crashed on Broadway, jumping a curb Police said it appeared to be accidental, but an investigation was underway to determine exactly what happened. The yellow cab was on West 29th Street, turning south onto Broadway, when it collided with the bicyclist, Chell explained. The cab crossed through a bike lane, jumped the curb and careened onto the narrow sidewalk, striking several pedestrians before coming to rest against the side of a building. 'As this occurs, a remarkable scene took place,' Chell said. 'About 15 to 20 New Yorkers attempted to take this cab off these women.' The cab was a Toyota SUV, which is said to weigh around 4,200 and 4,300 pounds. Video and photos from the scene in front of Black Seed Bagel and Juice Generation show the taxi on the sidewalk and several of the plant barriers damaged. A mangled bike was left in the bike lane. The Emergency Management department advised people to expect traffic delays, road closures and emergency personnel in the area of Broadway and West 29th Street. Drivers should find an alternate route. A witness to the accident told the New York Post that the cab driver hit a cyclist first, before slamming into the women who were eating at Black Seed Bagel. 'Everybody rushed over and lifted the taxi off two women trapped underneath,' the witness told the publication. A fashion model dubbed South Sudan's third most handsome man alive has been caught stealing credit card information and ripping off Chemist Warehouse stores across Sydney. Anei Dut, 27, strutted the catwalk for some of the globe's hottest designers including Camilla and Marc, Jack London, Tommy Hilfiger and Calibre - but this week, he pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud in Newtown Local Court. The fashionista, who moved to Australia in 2003 after fleeing war in South Sudan, admitted he stole credit card numbers from 19 people after perusing illegal websites selling their personal information. Anei Dut, 27 (pictured), has strutted the catwalk for some of the globe's hottest designers including Camilla and Marc, Jack London, Tommy Hilfiger and Calibre Dut (pictured in 2017 at Australian Fashion Week) pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud in Newtown Local Court How the fashionista's scam worked Anei Dut bought stolen credit card information from illegal websites acting as a marketplace for fraudsters. The model would then visit Chemist Warehouse stores in Sydney and buy up a haul of expensive items. Shortly after he would go back to the store and return the goods, requesting staff refund the purchases price to his own personal Westpac account. The con came undone when financial institutions and their customers alerted police, along with Chemist Warehouse. Advertisement In March 2021 he scammed the pharmacy chain by visiting several stores and buying bulk items by manually entering the details of the stolen credit cards, the Daily Telegraph reported. He would later return the goods and request a refund be sent to his personal Westpac account. Once Chemist Warehouse and customers from financial institutions Caixa, JP Morgan, Capital One and OCBC Bank became aware of the con, an investigation was launched by NSW Police. Investigators quickly identified Dut on CCTV, and the Sydneysider was arrested. Police told the court that when they seized his mobile phone, he had a tab open for a website called 'CCVstore.net' and items in an online shopping basket. Dut was named South Sudan's third most handsome man alive by an African publication The marketplace for scammers sells credit card numbers along with their expiry dates and CVV numbers. The court heard that Dut also shared six of the 19 credit card numbers with a third party via text. Although Dut is a sought-after model, he also has a number of criminal offences to his name. He was convicted of assault in 2013 and had his licence suspended in 2016 and 2020 for drink driving and getting behind the wheel with a suspended licence. Dut is currently serving an intensive corrections order for contravening a domestic restraining order. The fashionista who moved to Australia in 2003 admitted he stole credit card numbers from 19 people after perusing illegal websites selling the personal information Dut, who was modelling for David Jones at major fashion shows before signing with the prestigious Chadwick Models agency when he was a teenager, told the Herald Sun in 2016 that he wanted to inspire other Sudanese born Australians to believe that 'anything is possible'. He will return to Newtown Local Court on June 28, facing six charges of dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. Chilling new details reveal that the California man who raped, tortured and disfigured a woman he held captive in his home for months was a police officer who was fired in 1987 after beating a man to death while he was in his custody. Peter McGuire, who was arrested last week for holding his 22-year-old female roommate hostage in the home they shared in Chino Hills and 'disfiguring her', worked as a police officer for the Huntington Park Police Department in the 1980s. McGuire was an officer on the police force for one year. Jacquelyn Rodriguez, Public Affairs Officer of San Bernardino District Attorney's Office told DailyMail.com that McGuire was employed with the Huntington Park Police Department between 1986 to 1987 before he was fired. The San Bernardino's office did not reveal what resulted in McGuire's firing, but a 1989 Los Angeles Times article revealed that McGuire was fired after a man identified as Acacio Ramirez died of injuries he suffered while being arrested by police who had intervened in a domestic dispute. One of those officers was McGuire. It's unclear what McGuire did for a living after being fired, but he was later employed by the Hawaiian Gardens Police Department between 1995 and 1997, Rodriguez said. She said the Hawaiian Gardens Police Department no longer exists. McGuire also owns a private investigative agency, Hollywood Off Duty Protection and Investigations, and has numerous licenses and permits including a firearm permit, private patrol operator, security guard license, according to an online records search. All the licenses and permits showed that they were current and active. One woman, who asked not to be named, said the blood-curdling noises led them to call cops on Peter McGuire (pictured) over his treatment of the 22-year-old victim McGuire, who was arrested last week for holding his 22-year-old female roommate hostage in the home they shared in Chino Hills (pictured), worked as a police officer for the Huntington Park Police Department in the mid to late 1980s 'She was held there against her will by him [McGuire] and at that point was subjected to multiple assaults. We have charges of sodomy and oral copulation, mayhem, rape,' Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson with the San Bernardino Police department told DailyMail.com Private Investigator Luis Orellano of Luis Orellano Investigations went to the cul-de-sac home in Chino Hills on Monday where he spoke to a number of neighbors. Many of the neighbors told Orellano they were horrified that their neighbor was involved in this horrific scheme and many were afraid to talk for fear of their safety. One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, gave Orellano a copy of the 1989 Los Angeles Times article detailing McGuire's termination while he was in his 20s while at the Huntington Park Police force. According to the article, McGuire was fired when Acacio Ramirez, 32, died of injuries he suffered when he was arrested by McGuire and officer Roy Segura. Both officers had intervened in a domestic dispute that took place while responding to a call at the Seville Avenue apartment in Huntington Park, California, the article said. Both McGuire and Segura were later hit with a $6 million wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Ramirez's two children. In the lawsuit, McGuire and Segura was accused of 'unreasonable and excessive use of deadly force' against Ramirez, who also went by the name Jose Robles, the report said. Ramirez died from 'blunt force body trauma' suffered when police restrained him. He also suffered from scrapes and bruises, and a partial fracture of the sternum,' according to The Los Angeles County coroner's office. McGuire's partner [Roy Segura] from the Huntington Park Police Department appeared traumatized by McGuire's violent actions, in which he shared with his psychiatrist that was documented in a disability report, The Los Angeles Times reported. 'I was shocked. It was really brutal. It was a street fighting-type thing, not really necessary,' the news outlet said. The victim, 22, whose name has not been released, was held captive shortly after moving into McGuire's home located on Cordovan Court in Chino Hills A SWAT team tore the door off the front garage and went inside to apprehend McGuire and he surrendered after an hours-long stand off In the attack on his 22-year-old rommate this year, McGuire allegedly held her captive shortly after she moved into his home in January. 'She was held there against her will by him [McGuire] and at that point was subjected to multiple assaults. We have charges of sodomy and oral copulation, mayhem, rape,' Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson with the San Bernardino Police department told DailyMail.com. The felony complaint filed in Superior Court of California County of San Bernardino Rancho Cucamonga District obtained by DailyMail.com details the horror the victim endured between January 1, 2022 through June 9, 2022. McGuire is accused of inflicting 'great bodily injury' on the victim 'with the intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion and for a sadistic purpose.' The complaint further alleges that McGuire did 'unlawfully and maliciously deprive [the victim] of a member of the body and did disable, disfigure and render it useless.' Additionally, the complaint alleges that he 'did cut and disable the tongue, and put out an eye and slit the nose, ear and lip of [the victim].' It is unclear what the relationship was between the victim and McGuire. It was also unclear how the victim found the rental property. The victim eventually escaped to a nearby Altera Park where some people came to her rescue. The aftermath of a standoff with police after authorities tracked McGuire down to an Orange County home She was taken to a hospital and was treated for her injuries, but Rodriguez told DailyMail.com on Tuesday she has no further update on the women's condition. The victim told investigators she had been tortured, physically assaulted and raped over the course of several months, sheriff's officials said. 'The victim had visible injuries consistent with the allegations made,' a Sheriff's Department statement said. McGuire was arrested at 8.30am on Friday last week after he fled to another property in Placenta, Orange County, and barricaded himself inside. A SWAT team tore the door off the front garage and went inside to apprehend McGuire and he surrendered after an hours-long stand off, ABC7.com reported. McGuire, who was in court last week entered not guilty pleas to all charges, including kidnapping, mayhem and sodomy by use of force, the San Bernardino County district attorney's office said in a statement. Five of the counts include special allegations that the crimes involved infliction of great bodily injury and administering a controlled substance during a sex crime, prosecutors said. He has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, including kidnapping, mayhem and sodomy by use of force. Though McGuire is behind bars, police fear their may be more victims out there who were tortured at the hands of McGuire. The San Bernardino Police Department spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Friday that 'investigators believe there may be additional victims.' However, police confirmed this week that no additional victims have come forward. Meanwhile, neighbors in the quiet residential cul-de-sac were horrified to learn of the grotesque abuse going on behind closed doors. One of the neighbors told Orellano that they heard blood curdling screams coming from the home and many of the neighbors called police several different times Each time police were called to the home they never went inside, the neighbor told Orellano. Neighbors also wondered why the girl wasn't able to leave sooner since McGuire wasn't always at the home, according to some of the neighbors. One longtime neighbor, who asked not to be identified told DailyMail.com, described McGuire as a friendly guy who had lived at the property on and off for at least ten years and would regularly pop by to do maintenance. He said he'd never seen any evidence of girls going in or out. 'He would come by and do maintenance on his home. I only saw him out in his driveway when I saw him and he would wave and I would wave,' the neighbor said. 'He seemed okay and nothing odd stood out to me about him,' he said. The male neighbor told DailyMail.com that McGuire told him that he owned a detective agency. He said three vehicles were kept in his driveway, one of them being a pickup truck, which he assumed was part of his business. 'I am greatly surprised Pete was involved. I heard he got in trouble,' he said. The neighbor, who said the development in his cul-de-sac and has about 10 homes is very quiet. 'Everyone keeps to themselves for the most part. I don't know what was going on but, I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover. ' Another resident, who lives about a mile away from Cordovan Court, told the DailyMail.com that she was 'shocked' by the news describing it as 'frightening.' 'I am shocked. It's atrocious. I feel so sorry for the young girl,' the woman said, who did not want to be identified. 'We have parks and dog parks and it is very family-oriented, quiet-area. Something like this doesn't happen here.' She added: 'I am glad he is locked up now.' Another woman who lives a few houses away from McGuire told DailyMail.com that 'she didn't know anything and that she and her mother just moved to the court.' The San Bernardino Police Department spokesperson told DailyMail.com that 'there have been calls for service from nearby neighbors since the beginning of the year, referencing possible domestic disturbance.' When DailyMail.com asked why police never entered the home when there were reports of screaming coming from inside. The spokesperson said 'a deputy responded to each of the calls and no disturbance was ever substantiated.' She continued: 'The house was quiet and no one answered the door during each of the calls. McGuire is being held in custody at their West Valley Detention Center and is scheduled to be in court again on July 27, 2022. A Liberal MP and former Army soldier has blasted Greens leader Adam Bandt for refusing to stand alongside the Australian flag. Phil Thompson, who survived a bomb exploding a metre in front of him in Afghanistan, described the Greens leader as a 'national disgrace'. He said his wife Jenna, who is Aboriginal, was 'disgusted' after Mr Bandt's staff removed the flag from behind their leader before a press conference in Sydney on Monday. Phil Thompson (pictured with wife Jenna and one of his two daughters) described the Greens leader as a 'national disgrace' Mr Thompson said his wife Jenna, who is Aboriginal, was 'disgusted' after Mr Bandt's staff removed the flag from behind him before a press conference in Sydney on Monday Mr Bandt refuses to appear with the flag because it reminds some Indigenous Australians of colonisation. Mr Thompson, shadow assistant defence minister and MP for Herbert in north Queensland, wrote on Twitter: 'My wife is a proud Aboriginal woman & disgusted by the leader of the Green's media stunt and his rhetoric of division. 'I take the importance of the ANF very seriously I fought underneath it my brothers who were Killed In Action have had our flag draped over their coffin.' Speaking later to Sky News, he accused Mr Bandt of trying to 'divide the nation.' 'We must always recognise and acknowledge the past but the way we move forward as a nation is to walk together,' he said. A member of Mr Bandt's staff was seen removing the flag from the behind the podium before the presser at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney on Monday. Greens leader Adam Bandt (pictured today in front of the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Island flag) has caused a stir by refusing to stand alongside the Australian national flag in a press conference One journalist said she saw a Greens staffer remove the Australian flag from behind the podium before Mr Bandt spoke - leaving the Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal flags in place The move meant that only the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Island flag could be seen behind him as he spoke to the cameras. Mr Bandt told Daily Mail Australia the nation's flag reminds some people of Australia's colonisation. The flag, first flown after federation in 1901, has the Union Jack in the upper left corner to acknowledge the history of British settlement. 'For many Australians, this flag represents dispossession and the lingering pains of colonisation,' Mr Bandt said. 'Through Treaty with First Nations' Peoples and by moving to a Republic, we can have a flag that represents all of us.' A review of Mr Bandt's previous TV interviews shows he always has the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in the background, but never the nation's flag. Mr Bandt added later that the Union Jack symbol is hurtful to Indigenous Australians. Australia's most famous whale, Migaloo the white humpback, has not been officially spotted for two years. Each year between May and November the humpback whale population makes its annual pilgrimage from Antarctica to the warmer waters off north east Australia, raising hopes the white whale will appear once again. But despite a number of false sightings there has been no confirmed sign of Migaloo since June 2020. Migaloo (pictured) the 40-tonne, 15-metre humpback albino whale, typically turns up in New Zealand in late June before heading to Cape Byron or the Gold Coast in late July Migaloo was first sighted back in 1991 and has been seen on and off in Australian waters over the years (pictured, the whale on April 9 last year) The famous whale was first sighted back in 1991 off Byron Bay and researchers have been following him ever since. He was named Migaloo which means 'whitefella' in several indigenous languages. Researchers were fascinated by Migaloo's colouring, as he was believed to be the first fully white whale in the eastern humpback whale population. In a piece for The Conversation Macquarie University Marine Scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta explained there are several factors affecting Migaloo sightings. Researchers were fascinated by Migaloo's (pictured) colouring, as he was believed to be the first fully white whale in the eastern humpback whale population In April last year, a whale was photographed swimming near Cape Schanck off the Victorian south coast, sending many Migaloo fans into a frenzy (pictured, whale believed to be Migaloo) There are social factors, which include interactions with other whales or the desire to head north to reproduce, Dr Pirotta stated. Dr Pirotta added there may also be environmental conditions, including currents and water temperature that can impact the locations where Migaloo chooses to swim. Whales also face human-caused threats in the ocean, which include entanglement in fishing gear or collisions with boats, Dr Pirotta noted. They can also face natural threats, such as being a target for killer whales. Dr Pirotta said there was a false sighting off New South Wales already this year. Meanwhile, in April last year, a whale was photographed swimming near Cape Schanck off the Victorian south coast, sending many Migaloo fans into a frenzy. While the sighting wasn't confirmed as Migaloo, the white humpback was known to migrate north along the east coast at that time of year. Channel 10 colleagues of Lisa Wilkinson have turned on The Project presenter as the fallout from her now-infamous Logies speech boils over at the TV network. Wilkinson's comments about Brittany Higgins caused ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum to order a delay in the trial of the former political staffer's accused rapist, Bruce Lehrmann. That led long-time 10 weather presenter Tim Bailey to rip into Wilkinson in a brutal tweet last night, calling her a 'big head', while news anchor Sandra Sully and Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr also joined the pile-on. 'Hey Lisa, pull ya head in,' Bailey said in a now-deleted message. 'I know this might be difficult, because it is a very big head. But please try.' He added: '#LisaWilkinson #Logies2022 #carparkthief'. Lisa Wilkinson is pictured giving her Logies speech on Sunday night, where she thanked Brittany Higgins for sharing her story of an alleged sexual assault Legendary 10 news anchor Sandra Sully also liked a tweet from showbusiness reporter Peter Ford blasting Wilkinson's speech. That message said: 'Such serious consequences from Lisa Wilkinson... if only she'd stuck to silly stories like the paparazzi who stalked her in Chapel St.' Despite the uproar, there were signs Wilkinson is still in denial over the serious consequences of her actions, with the host liking a tweet which said her Logies comments had 'nothing to do with the accused. If the courts don't recognise the difference, they are part of the problem'. Ironically, Wilkinson last year called for discretion in relation to commenting on the case. 'Naming the man on social media & passing judgement could have dire consequences for the outcome of any trial,' she tweeted. Former Channel 10 weather presenter Tim Bailey called Lisa Wilkinson a 'big head' in a now deleted tweet Tim Bailey is pictured on November 9, 2017 in Sydney. In a now deleted Twitter post, he told former Channel 10 colleague Lisa Wilkinson to 'pull ya head in' Separately, Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr expressed disbelief on the breakfast TV show on Wednesday, saying Seven always runs stories by their lawyers before going to air. 'You know, we have our own lawyers, we often consult them before we put a story to air, would this have been the case where Channel 10's lawyers should have stepped in and lawyered this speech?' STATEMENT FROM NETWORK TEN 'Network 10 acknowledges the ruling by Chief Justice McCallum and fully supports Lisa Wilkinson. 'Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event. 'In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' Advertisement Higgins' accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann was granted a temporary stay in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday, after his lawyer said a jury trial would be 'untenable' following the reporting of Wilkinson's speech. Justice McCallum told the ACT Supreme Court that recent media publicity had prejudged Lehrmann's right to a fair trial. 'The case has accordingly attracted a level of attention in the media that while not unprecedented, is certainly extreme,' she said on Tuesday. 'Extensive media reporting of alleged criminal conduct is not mischievous in itself. 'What is a potential mischief is media reporting of such issues in such a way it impacts the criminal case.' Justice McCallum says while jurors can be given directions to mitigate prejudice, this case was different with Wilkinson being a key witness. No date has been set for the trial, but the judge said she wants it to be held this year, with an October listing probably providing enough time for publicity to dissipate. Justice McCallum slammed Wilkinson's speech, saying the line between an allegation and the finding of guilt was 'completely obliterated' by what she said. Natalie Barr (pictured left with her Sunrise colleague David Koch) had a go at Lisa Wilkinson and rival network Channel 10 on Wednesday morning Wilkinson won a Logie for her reporting on Ms Higgins' claim that she was raped in Parliament House. 'Your honour, this speech did not need to be made,' Lehrmann's barrister Steve Whybrow said. Mr Whybrow launched the stay application on Tuesday, following Wilkinson's speech. He said a temporary stay - essentially, a delay - was the only recourse to allow for a fair trial so 'adverse publicity can dissipate'. 'It's untenable in my submission for a trial to be held under these circumstances at this time,' he said. TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson (left) is pictured with former political staffer Brittany Higgins (right) Justice McCallum slammed the media over its reporting of Wilkinson's speech. 'What concerns me most about this recent round is that the distinction between an allegation and a finding of guilt has been completely obliterated ... on Sunday and Monday,' she said. 'The implicit premise of (Wilkinson's speech) is to celebrate the truthfulness of the story she exposed.' She added that Ms Higgins' allegation had been bundled together in the minds of the public with the work of former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, despite a man having been convicted in Ms Tame's case. 'Grace Tame was talking about her experience after the man had been convicted and served a sentence of imprisonment,' Justice McCallum said. Bruce Lehrmann (pictured), is charged with sexual intercourse without consent. He has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra '(Ms Tame's) important contribution to the legal landscape was to say 'the jury knows what he did, the public knows what he did, but I can't talk about it because of the law that prohibits me outing myself'. 'Miss Higgins is treated as being in the same category. And she's not,' the judge said. 'At the moment, she is not in that category. That's what really troubles me about the last round.' The Crown had opposed the temporary stay, arguing the application did not outline a significant enough risk to the jury that couldn't be overcome by orders made by the judge. Former political staffer Brittany Higgins (pictured front) speaks to the media as she leaves the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices after meeting with then prime minister Scott Morrison in Sydney on Friday, April 30, 2021 'The test most apt ... is a real and substantial risk that despite endeavours by the trial judge there will be members of the jury that would have prejudged guilt perhaps unaware and that cannot be remedied,' ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold told the court. 'We accept there is a significant change but the application limited to what it is limited to does not give rise to a temporary stay.' The Supreme Court was told Wilkinson would be called as a witness at the trial. On Monday, Mr Drumgold said the Logies speech was a 'regurgitation' of emotion, making the point that Ms Wilkinson had said similar things previously. Justice McCallum said, in summary, Ms Wilkinson's speech amounted to saying: 'Not only do I believe her, but she's brave and extraordinary and she's the most important thing that's ever happened to me and I'm proud of bringing forward her allegation ... Justice Lucy McCallum said the public has conflated the case of Brittany Higgins (right) with the work of former Australian of the Year Grace Tame (left), despite a man having been convicted in Ms Tame's case 'We know that the accused has given a recorded interview in which he denies any sexual activity took place,' she said. A previous stay application was dismissed by Justice McCallum in April, when she said she wasn't persuaded directions given to the jury couldn't alleviate concerns of prejudice against Lehrmann. Mr Drumgold argued the second application constituted 'a re-agitation of that order'. The case was initially due to begin on June 6 but was delayed until June 27 after Lehrmann's barrister pulled out days before the trial. It is 'certainly possible' Lisa Wilkinson could be prosecuted over her Logies acceptance speech which saw the trial of Brittany Higgins' accused rapist delayed, a top barrister says. Dr Matthew Collins, President of the Australian Bar Association, told Sunrise on Wednesday that it is a 'serious possibility' that authorities may look into charging Wilkinson with contempt of court. Sky News Outsiders host Rohan Dean also weighed in, posing the question of whether Channel 10 will stand down Wilkinson over her comments as media were previously warned by the judge not to comment on the Brittany Higgins case. 'Seeing as the judge told the media not to comment on the Brittany Higgins case will Lisa Wilkinson now be charged with contempt of court and will she be suspended from Channel 10? 'Or is it one rule for lefty celebrities and another for the rest of us?' Mr Dean asked. Lisa Wilkinson's Logie acceptance speech where she referenced Brittany Higgins could see her facing legal charges after Bruce Lehrmann rape trial is delayed TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson (left) is pictured with former political staffer Brittany Higgins (right) A spokesperson for Network 10 released a statement supporting Lisa Wilkinson and said they take their legal responsibilities 'very seriously'. 'Network 10 acknowledges the ruling by Chief Justice McCallum and fully supports Lisa Wilkinson,' the statement read. 'Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event. 'In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' Contempt of court is when an individual who is called to give evidence in court intentionally engages in behaviour considered to be disrespectful to the court or magistrate. Dr Collins said Wilkinson could find herself in hot water as her comments had the 'tendency to interfere with the administration of justice'. 'It's certainly possible that the authorities will be looking at the speech that she made to the Logies and assessing that speech against the standard which applies in this branch of the law and that standard is did anything she do have a tendency to interfere with the administration of justice,' he said. 'The whole point is that any person in our community facing a charge like this is entitled to the presumption of innocence. 'That means that going into the court there should be no preconceptions one way or another, so the jury can focus really keenly on the evidence as it unfolds in the witness box and it puts out their mind anything that they might have seen in the media...' The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions declined to comment on whether The Project host will be prosecuted after questions from Daily Mail Australia. 'The Director does not comment on matters currently before the court, including comment on issues ancillary to current proceedings,' a spokesperson said. Lehrmann's trial likely to be later this year after Chief Justice Lucy McCallum agreed to delay court case after Lehrmann's lawyers argued Ms Wilkinson's actions threatened a fair trial President of Australian Bar Association, Dr Matthew Collins said Wilkinson may be in legal trouble as her comments had the 'tendency to interfere with the administration of justice' Dr Collins said Wilkinson's comments and the media attention the case has garnered has made it exponentially harder for members of the jury to apply the presumption of innocence and focus solely on the evidence given in the trial. 'The problem arises when the material is in the nature of sensational coverage, very very close to the start of a trial because it can be difficult to distinguish between what happens in the courtroom and what happens outside it,' he said. 'One way in which judges can control this kind of material from potentially coming to the attention of jurors is by imposing a media blackout.' Dr Collins said one option moving forward is for the court to impose a prohibition order preventing media from talking about the issues in the case. 'The mainstream media, you guys, understand the risk inherent in talking about cases which are about to go to trial before courts, particularly serious high profile cases. Clearly this was ill-advised,' he said. In Wilkinson's Logie acceptance speech she made reference to Brittany Higgins and her story to just shy of one million viewers. As a result of the speech, Bruce Lehrmann's case was granted a temporary stay in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday after his lawyer said a jury trial would be 'untenable' following The Project host's speech. No date has been set for the trial which was originally due to start at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Monday June 27. However, ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said while she regrettably had to delay proceedings, an October listing will likely provide enough time for publicity surrounding the case to dissipate. A new offence criminalising grossly offensive public conduct will be introduced to the Victorian parliament. The proposed law was developed in response to Melbourne's Eastern Freeway crash in April 2020 which claimed the lives of four police officers. Porsche driver Richard Pusey pleaded guilty of charges including outraging public decency by filming the dying officers after the crash. The new offence change will require the accused, or any reasonable person, to know their conduct is grossly offensive (pictured is the aftermath of the truck collision with Richard Pusey's Porsche, where he filmed police officers dying after the crash) Richard Pusey (pictured being taken away from his home by police in April 2020) pleaded guilty of the outgoing charge of outraging public decency for filming the four dying police officers who had pulled him over on the Eastern Freeway horror truck crash in Melbourne The charge of outraging public decency will be abolished and replaced with the new offence of engaging in conduct that is grossly offensive to community standards of behaviour. The outgoing law offence in this deadly case is archaic, unclear in its scope and does not have a clear maximum penalty, the Victorian Government statement said. The maximum penalty for the new charge will be five years' imprisonment. The offence will apply to conduct happening in a place where people can see or hear it publicly and will require the accused, or any reasonable person, to know their conduct is grossly offensive. Conduct such as being intoxicated or using indecent or profane language will be excluded from the offence. 'As times change, our laws must change with them to keep up with what Victorians expect of their justice system,' Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said in a statement on Wednesday. 'While the use of this new offence will likely be small, it's important that it's clear and modernised.' The amended bill, to be introduced to the Victorian parliament on Wednesday, will also defer to November 2023 the decriminalisation of public drunkenness. This will give the government more time to trial and evaluate the health-based response, Ms Symes said The use of the new offence is expected to be minimal, yet the change was necessary as there was no clear maximum penalty for the other one. Under the new law, offenders could face five years' jail (pictured is a police car after the fatal truck collision in 2020) Today host Karl Stefanovic has suggested the army could be called in to tackle the crush at airports during the upcoming school holidays. Australia's airports are bracing for chaos during the winter break with millions of people expected to board flights as demand soars. Shocking scenes in April showed massive queues stretching hundreds of metres long with many Australians seeing their flights delayed or cancelled. In a bid to avoid a repeat of the Easter situation, Today host Stefanovic asked CAPA Centre of Aviation chairman Peter Habison if the Army could be called in. 'I saw a terrific debate the other day in the UK,' began Stefanovic. 'They were debating whether to bring the Army in during peak periods. Would something like that alleviate or cause more problems?' 'It would probably still any unrest occurring in the airport,' a stunned Habison replied. Sydney Airport has said 2.1 million passengers are forecast to pass through it between June 27 and July 17 During their chat on the programme, the aviation chief was asked if he thought the airport chaos in Easter would be repeated during the upcoming winter holiday. 'It does sound like it will, I'm afraid. I guess the only thing is that people are ready to expect it now,' he answered. 'Hopefully they'll be ready to tackle it too. But this is going to be something that's around with us for quite a long time. 'Every peak period we have, the whole industry, airports, aviation, the airlines themselves, are going to be stretched because of a whole variety of reasons.' Sydney Airport has said 2.1 million passengers are forecast to pass through it between June 27 and July 17. This is even more than the 1.8 million who used the airport during the Easter holidays period between April 4 to April 24. Staff shortages are crippling the industry, according to experts, with Sydney Airport holding a jobs fair last week in an attempt to fill some of the 5,000 vacancies it has. Security, baggage handling, government agencies, airlines, hospitality and retail are among the roles that were advertised. 'There's an issue all round the world Karl,' said Habison. 'The CEO of Heathrow Airport a couple of weeks ago is saying it's probably going to be 18 months before we get back to being able to cope with peak periods. 'It is really because the staff just aren't there, the staff aren't ready to come back in. I was in Manchester in the UK a couple of months ago, they were copping an awful lot of flack because things were so slow, the queues were so long, the bags getting lost. In a bid to avoid a repeat of the Easter situation, Today host Stefanovic asked CAPA Centre of Aviation chairman Peter Habison if the Army could be called in Staff shortages are crippling the industry, according to experts, with Sydney Airport holding a jobs fair last week in an attempt to fill some of the 5,000 vacancies it has 'They were saying we've been training people up, but they come on-the-job for three days and they get so much from the passengers who are really upset about things that they quit. 'So there's a two-way flow here as well of the pandemic still being pretty much an influence on how many people can get to work and not. It's a pretty vicious spiral really.' Back in April, passengers at Sydney Airport were seen waiting in lines that stretched to up to 300 metres long, as queues snaked around the security checkpoints. Passengers complained of missing their flights while some claimed the long hold-up in the terminals was worsened by queue jumpers barging to the front of the lines. Massive queues formed at Sydney Airport earlier this year, sparking travel chaos Back in April, passengers complained of missing their flights while some claimed the long hold-up in the terminals was worsened by queue jumpers barging to the front of the lines Airport bosses blamed school holidays, a shortage of security personnel and, remarkably, forgetful passengers out of the habit of removing items from their luggage for scanning. More recently those wanting to travel abroad have been set back by massive delays in getting their passports, or having them renewed. Some have been waiting three months to get their passports, with many fearing they'll have to postpone or cancel their holidays altogether. 'It's terrific to see the ongoing demand for air travel but we won't sugar-coat the fact that the terminals will be busy during the school holidays, and there will be queues,' Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said. 'We are doing everything we can to get people on their way, including bringing an additional 60 customer service staff into the terminals every day to help manage queues and bring passengers forward in order of flight priority.' Former deputy chief health officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has taken a swipe at draconian Covid rules that forced schools to close to stop the spread of Covid-19. Dr Coatsworth took to Twitter this week, amplifying a scathing thread by Professor Francois Balloux, who was critical about extended school closures, that he blamed politicians, journalists and so-called 'experts' for. The director of the UCL Genetics Institute wrote: 'At the risk of annoying everyone, extended school closures happened because: Some in society believed it was a price worth paying Some journalists believed this is what their audience wanted to hear Some politicians believed it was popular Some 'experts' pushed for it.' Another Twitter user added a fifth reason to the list. 'I'd add: '5. Kids were seen as nothing else than vectors of disease,' they said, with Dr Coatsworth 'liking' the message. Dr Coatsworth (pictured in 2020) has chimed in to a Twitter thread initiated by Professor Francois Balloux, who gave four reasons for extended school closures in the UK Another Twitter user added a fifth stakeholder to the professor's list tweeting: I'd add: '5. Kids were seen as nothing else than vectors of disease' - which Dr Coatsworth later liked The infectious disease physician has been publicly critical of other experts who called for school students to remain home and be subject to strict mask rules. During a surge in Omicron cases in January, he criticised doctors who said students should remain home as the first weeks of the school year approached. Professor Kerryn Phelps, a doctor and former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, posted a video on her social media warning parents not to send their kids to school. 'As a doctor, this really disturbs me,' she said after it was announced in-person classes in NSW would resume in January. 'Sending children back to the classroom in the peak of a pandemic makes absolutely no sense.' 'Ignore this individual,' Dr Coatsworth replied in a blunt dismissal of her position. The outspoken physician said the priority must be keeping schools open and not further stunting the educational growth of Australia's children. 'The starting point is keeping children at school and starting the term as plan. All subsequent actions flow from that,' he said earlier this year. 'Hybrid learning or remote learning needs to be resisted by Australian parents. There is no justification for it.' 'The starting point is keeping children at school and starting the term as plan. All subsequent actions flow from that,' Dr Coatsworth said earlier this year Dr Coatsworth has been publicly critical of other experts who called for students to remain home and be subject to strict mask rules (pictured, students at Tweed Heads Public School) Dr Coatsworth has hit out at rules requiring primary school students to wear masks in Victorian classrooms, previously explaining disease was mild in these age groups. He said the virus spread 'far more readily' in adults and that the data did not prove masks were particularly effective at protecting children under 11 from Covid. Earlier this month, the doctor took to Twitter to slam those continuing to demand more Covid rules and said some restrictions had done more bad than good. 'We locked down our society, stopped children attending school, closed playgrounds, fined the least fortunate, separated families, created a mental illness, all in the name of protecting our most vulnerable, yet for some it will never be enough. When will the moralising stop?' Dr Coatsworth wrote. A UNESCO map showing how long schools were closed in certain countries during the pandemic states Australian schools were closed for 44 weeks. A UNESCO map (pictured) showing how long schools were closed in countries during the pandemic states Australian schools were closed for 44 weeks Earlier this month, Dr Coatsworth took to Twitter to slam those continuing to demand more Covid rules and said some restrictions had done more bad than good The map showed students in New Zealand were kept at home for 24 weeks, while in the United States, schools were closed for 71 weeks and 51 weeks in Canada. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in March of 2020 that schools would be closed indefinitely, with students returning in September of 2021. Students in NSW returned to face-to-face learning in late October of 2021 after almost four months of homeschooling and online learning. More than 150,000 students in kindergarten, years 1 and 12, who returned a week early were reunited with other grades a week later. In Victoria, Year 12 students returned to school full-time on October 6, with Prep students invited back to classrooms on October 18. All other years joined them the following week on October 26 in a staggered approach to the return to schools adopted by both of the southern states. Dr Coatsworth was appointed one of three new deputy chief medical officers under Dr Brendan Murphy in March 2020 during the early days of the pandemic In a lengthy interview with Daily Mail Australia earlier this year, Dr Coatswroth described what has worked best in the nation's response to the virus, what could have been done better and where we are heading. He also slammed the 'loud voices' he says are still scaring Australians who should by now be learning to live with Covid. Coatsworth maintains restrictions should be removed as soon as they are not demonstrably necessary and will continue speaking out when an issue such as forcing children to wear masks at schools bothers him. 'My preference was always to look at the benefits and consequences of whatever restriction was brought in,' he says. 'I've thought in general that we were too slow to realise the negative consequences of most of the restrictions.' Unlike some of the fearmongers he has railed against, the Sydney-born, Perth-raised father-of-three is an optimist. 'I think we're in a good spot in the pandemic compared to other nations,' Coatsworth says Some restrictions including curfews, particularly those enforced in Victoria, served no useful purpose. 'Taping up the playgrounds was just bizarre,' Coatsworth says. A playground is pictured taped-off at Flagstaff in Melbourne At heart, unlike some of the fearmongers he has railed against, the Sydney-born, Perth-raised doctor and father-of-three is an optimist. 'I think we're in a good spot in the pandemic compared to other nations,' he says. 'It's difficult for people to see that because the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants have actually caused a lot of disruption, but we've got short memories, I think.' Case numbers might be high but the fact intensive care units were coping was more significant. Coatsworth says the best thing Australia has done in its fight against Covid is getting the vaccination rate to 95 per cent. 'That's an extraordinary number,' he says. Wearing masks was important, 'when we didn't know much about the virus' 'At the really pointy end, which I think is what we always have to bring it back to with the pandemic, is how much actual morbidity and mortality is this disease causing?' he says. 'It's really quite small compared to the number of cases that there are in the community.' Coatsworth notes almost 95 per cent of the population are now double-vaccinated and an 'extraordinary number' of people have infection-induced immunity. 'I think that happening all at the same time will probably actually lead to a really big drop off in the cases,' he says. 'That's the most likely thing. 'You'll get these little spikes of cases but the trend over time will be downwards towards eventually just low levels of circulating cases in the community.' Coatsworth was appointed one of three new deputy chief medical officers under Dr Brendan Murphy in March 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. The consultant physician in infectious disease and respiratory medicine was seconded from Canberra Hospital where he was clinical director of medical services. 'People often wonder where I got the job from and it was partly being in Canberra - I knew all the players around the table,' he says. Coatsworth had previously volunteered with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in Congo-Brazzaville, Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan. He had also served as executive director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre in Darwin and led an Australian Medical Assistance Team to The Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Just as significantly, Coatsworth had recent experience as a frontline clinical physician. It also helped that he knew Professor Paul Kelly, who later replaced Murphy as chief medical officer, through the Trauma Response Centre. Coatsworth studied medicine at the University of Western Australia where he met his future wife Rebecca Pearson, now a lung transplant physician, while dissecting foetal frogs. 'It's not the most romantic,' he says. Dr Coatsworth has long called for Covid restrictions to be removed when they stop working The young doctor did his internship at Royal Perth Hospital then returned to Sydney where he worked at Royal North Shore Hospital before heading to Darwin. Coatsworth and Pearson got together about seven years after they met and moved to Canberra when their two daughters and one son were aged one, five and three respectively. [They are turning seven, nine and 11 this year]. The first major government response to Covid was to shut international borders, which Coatsworth says bought valuable time to plan for the coming pandemic. 'I was confident that we were doing our best but I certainly wasn't confident about what would happen,' he says. Early priorities were securing personal protective equipment, ensuring intensive care bed capacity, and procuring and making ventilators. 'It was all pretty united in the first six months,' Coatsworth says. 'I think national cabinet was working, the states and territories were doing things in a broadly consistent way. 'And then when it started to fracture and different states started doing different things it started getting quite confusing.' Coatsworth's initial contract was for three months, later extended to six months, but he stayed on as a part-time adviser for another year. He became a familiar face to most Australians from press conferences, television interviews and advertising campaigns but still thinks there was a lack of communication about where Covid was headed. Coatsworth says it should have been made clearer that cases would eventually rise and there would be significant numbers of deaths but the health system could deliver care to those who needed it. 'That was the message that we needed to shift to in early 2021, to kind of prepare people,' he says. 'But unfortunately there was always a very loud group that thought Covid should be eliminated at all costs and I think that did hold us back a bit.' The 'inevitable' happened when the Delta strain hit. Coatsworth is scathing of those who discouraged the take up of the AstraZeneca vaccine when it was linked to a tiny proportion of complications. 'When the Delta wave came through it had the biggest impact on the people who had been eligible for AstraZeneca but had chosen not to get it,' he says. 'There were lives lost because of that anti AstraZeneca message. No question about it.' Coatsworth says once the Pfizer vaccine became available residents of New South Wales and Victoria began getting the jab at an extraordinary rate. 'I still think that's the case that no other jurisdiction in the world did it as quickly.' Coatsworth's philosophy is that no policy was necessarily wrong at the start and that most measures were worth trying. Coatsworth's views are at odds with some more risk-averse commentators such as the ABC's Dr Norman Swan (above) and former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps who favour restrictions 'Most of us were pretty convinced that we needed the restrictions at the start,' he says. 'All the measures that we took were reasonable. 'But because they represented an infringement on human rights they needed almost a weekly reconsideration.' Coatsworth says the 'default position' was to bring in restrictions first and worry later about civil liberties, when the reverse should have happened. Some restrictions including curfews, particularly those enforced in Victoria, served no useful purpose. 'Taping up the playgrounds was just bizarre,' Coatsworth says. 'The idea that being outdoors was ever any risk to anybody was an example of how we went too far with our restrictions.' Coatsworth says vaccine mandates were 'very important early on' to drive uptake but have passed their usefulness. 'There's very few people who are likely to change their minds now because of the mandates,' he says. Wearing masks was also important, 'when we didn't know much about the virus and may still be important if we have a more lethal variant.' Lockdowns, because of their mental health consequences, 'probably caused more harm than good', Coatsworth says. He also believes working from home now serves no purpose from a public health perspective. 'I think there's stuff to be said about work-life balance, giving people the opportunity to have days at home,' he says. 'But I think for the people who are concerned about coming back to work we just need to reassure them.' Internal border closures should have had an exemption process that allowed people with good reasons to travel the opportunity to do so. 'It's not enough to stand in front of a press conference and say "these decisions are heartbreaking" when you're stopping someone from seeing a loved pass away,' Coatsworth says. Coatsworth became a familiar face to most Australians from press conferences, television interviews and advertising campaigns but still thinks there was a lack of communication about where Covid was headed 'I find it hard to describe those decisions in polite terms. I mean, we're bloody Australians.' Closing the nation's borders was the right thing to do at the time but caused the same unnecessary hardships as shutting off states. 'As an Australian citizen overseas, what on earth does citizenship mean if you can't get home?' Coatsworth says. 'I think the right decision at the start but it set us off on a path that left us closed for far too long.' Coatsworth agrees with vaccinating children aged five to 12 but does not think there will be much difference in disease severity in a vaccinated person and an unvaccinated child. 'I have no problem that our child vaccination rates are sitting between 55 and 60 per cent,' he says. 'I don't think that's a major public health issue.' Coatsworth reckons a fourth dose of vaccine is right for those with compromised immunity, and is probably worthwhile for those over 65. 'For people under 65 unless they've got some pretty severe condition I reckon three doses is fine,' he says. Closing the nation's borders was the right thing to do at the time but caused the same unnecessary hardships as shutting off states. Returning international travellers are pictured at Perth Airport in March this year Coatsworth's views are at odds with some more risk-averse commentators such as the ABC's Dr Norman Swan and former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps who favour restrictions. 'The problem is that group is loud and it's influential,' he says. 'It's a bit exhausting really. 'I thought it'd be all done and dusted by now - not the pandemic - but this bloody argument. 'It's bad for the punters as well. No one wants to see duelling experts, but then you have a choice. Do you shut up and let them run the narrative?' The emergence of an unexpected Covid variant which was highly transmissible and lethal across age groups would be the worst future scenario but was 'very unlikely', Coatsworth says. He does not like to use the terms winning or losing when it comes to Covid-19. 'Whilst I wouldn't say winning or losing I would say we've put ourselves in a better position that most other nations,' he says. 'That's how you've got to see it. 'It's a pandemic. We were never going to get through this with no deaths, no work force shortages, no supply chain disruptions. That's just magical thinking.' Coatsworth says Australians should '100 per cent' be proud of how they have managed Covid-19. 'It was a joint effort between government, health care workers and the community. What it actually proves is Australia is not as polarised as everybody thinks it is.' After his secondment to the Department of Health ended Coatsworth went back to Canberra Hospital as the executive director of clinical services. He is now completing a PhD on health in foreign policy at Australian National University where he also lectures, and offering the occasional Covid commentary. 'I'm trying to do it less and less,' he says. 'I'm more and more conscious that I should be doing less and less. I'm not in government. I don't hold an official position.' But it is hard to say nothing when someone with a loud voice says something with which he strongly disagrees. 'I suppose the best thing is to ignore them and just try to run a middle narrative, that's probably the best thing to do,' Coatsworth says. 'Sometimes my personality gets in the way. I get a bit fed up and have a crack. 'The one thing I just can't sort of let go of is the kids in masks thing. That's probably the only thing I'm going to stay very vocal about. I'm so convinced that that's the wrong policy.' When Lisa Wilkinson became Ten's highest-paid on air talent, staff were prepared to forgive her huge salary, lavish wardrobe allowance, personal hair and make-up teams. Not to mention the luxury accommodation and business-class flights between Sydney and Melbourne for her role on The Project. After all, they were all assured the big signing of the one-time Today host was a sign Ten would return to the world of 'serious' news - and help turn around the fortunes of the network's reality TV franchises. However the following five years have delivered a very different reality. The Project's rating are now at all-time lows, with just a dismal 185,000 tuning in to the 6.30pm time slot across the five-city metro market in March, the show's lowest ratings since its prime time debut in 2017. Studio 10 routinely finishes last in its time slot while marquee shows MasterChef and The Bachelor are in terminal decline. (MasterChef's premiere figures were so low back in April, former MKR judge Colin Fassnidge tweeted: 'The last time I seen bad ratings like this on a show... I was on it.') Staffing numbers, meanwhile, continue to decline due to an almost continuous round of redundancies. It was in this environment that Lisa Wilkinson made her now-infamous Logies acceptance speech. Al smiles: Lisa Wilkinson was hailed as a potential saviour for Ten back in 2017 Lisa Wilkinson attends the 62nd TV Week Logie Awards at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 19 In the space of a few seconds on Sunday night Wilkinson set in motion an ACT Supreme Court delay on the upcoming Brittany Higgins rape trial. Chief justice Lucy McCallum ruled 'regrettably and with gritted teeth' to vacate the trial, which was set to begin on Monday, due to comments by Wilkinson, as well as radio broadcasters Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones. Lawyers defending Higgins' accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann successfully argued for the trial to be delayed because of the comments. Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty. Network Ten's Pyrmont headquarters. Network in 'one of the most challenging phases in its long history'. 'It is a fair assessment to say (Wilkinson's) arrival could be singled out as the start of some of the problems,' says Ten staffer But for some staff at Ten it was just the latest in a series of off-screen developments that have rankled since Wilkinson's widely-publicised arrival in 2017 after her departure from Nine. Wilkinson reported salary of $1.5million a year and accompanying perks became an issue with staff - many of whom would soon be offered redundancies. There was her wardrobe budget, an expensive hair-and-make team, regular business class flights to and from Wilkinson's home in Sydney to Melbourne where The Project is taped and luxury accommodation. While such perks are standard for big-name talent on TV, they hit a nerve in the Ten hallways when Wilkinson's presence failed to translate into ratings. In fact, viewing numbers went into such a free-fall towards the end of 2021 that Wilkinson was ordered off the air by Ten management in the hope her absence would 're-invigorate' viewers. Staff in the dark at Ten in the wake of Wilkinson's now-infamous Logies speech Wilkinson (with Waleed Aly) is rumoured to earn around $1.7million per year It was around that time that her memoir 'It Wasn't Meant to Be Like This' also hit headlines as a number of key facts in the tome were disputed - among them the so-called pay disparity with former Today co-host Karl Stefanovic. Wilkinson maintained in the book that Karl earned double her salary to do the same job, and that when she asked for a pay rise, she was unceremoniously sacked. However it was later claimed Lisa actually earned more than Karl for years when they first joined forces on the breakfast program in 2007. For some staff working quietly behind the scenes at Ten at the time, whose salaries paled in comparison to Wilkinson's near-$2million per year package, it was hard to swallow. 'It wasn't exactly what a lot of people felt was something worth bringing up given the kind of money (Lisa) was earning at Ten,' says one Ten employee. However, that all changed after the fall out from Sunday night's Logies speech. In a new twist to the Brittany Higgins rape trial, Peter FitzSimons (R) has been subpeaonad by the defence A number of high-profile public faces of the network, including legendary newscaster Sandra Sully and former veteran weatherman Tim Bailey, took the bold step of publicly criticising Wilkinson. Bailey let rip in a brutal tweet last night, calling her a 'big head', while Sully 'liked' a tweet calling for Wilkinson to 'back away'. According to a Pyrmont insider, eyebrows were also raised internally this week when Wilkinson's husband Peter FitzSimons was mentioned in the Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday. Lawyers for Higgins' rapist accused Bruce Lehrmann noted that FitzSimons' involvement in helping secure Higgins a book deal could become a factor in the trial. Higgins secured a lucrative deal with Penguin Random House back in April - a deal FitzSimons allegedly helped broker. FitzSimons has dozens of books under a number of publishing houses and has released several though Penguin Random House including The Great Aussie Bloke Slim Down (2016) and the 2013 bestseller Eureka. Lawyers for Lehrmann signalled to Justice McCallum that this factor may be explored as part of Higgins' sexual assault trial and that FitzSimons had been subpoenaed. Brittany Higgins (L) inked a big book payday in April with the help of Wilkinson' husband Peter FitzSimons Meanwhile embattled staff at Network Ten have been dealt another blow with long-serving news boss Anthony Murdoch sensationally quitting his post. Murdoch, who joined Ten a decade ago, announced via email late Tuesday he has stepped down as news director. It's understood he was on annual leave at the time of his resignation. Ten news boss Anthony Murdoch (L) has vacated the network amid ongoing off-screen chaos Murdoch's shock departure is not believed to be related to Wilkinson's Supreme Court furore. However his departure comes at a time when morale at Ten's Sydney and Melbourne studios is 'shockingly low', according to multiple insiders. Prior to the Wilkinson firestorm, Ten was already embroiled in a very public legal saga. Murdoch, a popular boss affectionately known as 'Bug' amongst his team, was personally named in the bullying claim filed in the Federal court by Ten reporter Tegan George in February. Ten's political wunderkind Peter van Onselen at the centre of high profile bullying case Tegan George took aim at both he and Ten's political editor Peter Van Onselen accusing the latter of undermining and humiliating her George took aim at both Murdoch and political editor, Peter Van Onselen, accusing the latter of undermining and humiliating her, including by backgrounding other journalists against her, according to the statement of claim filed against the network in the federal court. Part of her statement of claim also alleges she was required to work 'in a workplace that was hostile to women', in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act. And just last week George expanded her claim against the network for failing to rein in van Onselen in the wake of her appearance in court back in February. Her lawyer Josh Bornstein, principal at Maurice Blackburn, said George was seeking additional aggravated damages because of this. 'Network Ten's management has been unwilling to rein in Mr van Onselen,' Bornstein alleged. 'He continued to publicly vilify Ms George after she went to court, causing her immense distress.' It's understood the expansion of the claim stems from Ten allegedly failing to stop van Onselen from 'tormenting' her in social media posts. Insiders say Murdoch is moving to a new job which is a step up from his current role. According to a staffer, Ten management have not given any indicator as to who Murdoch's replacement will be. Advertisement London commuters today complained 'there are no strikes, but there may as well be' after Tube stations stayed shut as late as 9.30am this morning and TfL warned of delays across the Underground - as Britain braces for further travel mayhem tomorrow. Massive crowds formed queues outside shuttered Tube stations during this morning's rush hour because militant workers who were on strike until midnight were late to work. Tempers flared at Paddington, Stratford, King's Cross/St Pancras and more than a dozen other sites across the capital, while commuters tweeted TfL demanding to know why their local stations were not open at 8am as promised. Others posted pictures of empty Tube trains with no drivers, while those who managed to get onto trains found services were few and far between - and rammed. Four hours later, there were still big problems across TfL services, with delays and part suspensions on the Circle and District Lines, the Hammersmith & City Line, the Metropolitan Line, the Piccadilly Line, and the London Overground. After a skeleton service yesterday, trains are in the wrong place and only 60% of the 20,000 normal weekday services will be able to operate today. Traffic was as heavy as yesterday because more people had to use their cars. There were 2,046 traffic jams in London this morning, covering a total length of 834 miles, and a 30-minute journey was taking an average of an hour, according to traffic data analyst TomTom. Commuters again jostled on to packed buses, driving or cycling to the office or school during the biggest strike in 30 years - as the RMT Union and railway bosses hold fresh talks today to try and resolve the ongoing dispute over pay. It follows claims that National Rail and Mick Lynch came within a 'gnat's whisker' of striking a deal on Monday before the last-ditch talks collapsed. But the biggest strikes in 30 years have also forced millions of people to WFH again today and left town and city centres across the country deserted, in scenes reminiscent of the 'darkest days of Covid' when whole swathes of the economy were devastated by lockdown. Lynch's strikes have come at a dreadful time for the crippled hospitality sector, which has been struggling to get back on its feet after two years of Covid restrictions. Experts believe the mass walkouts this week will cost the sector 540million alone, as UKHospitality's chief executive Kate Nicholls warned: 'It's a very fragile industry that cannot withstand this type of economic shock. For many businesses, this will push them closer towards the edge of viability.' Meanwhile, the human cost of the walkouts was laid bare after an NHS patient had to pay 165 for taxi from Portsmouth to London to get to his heart surgery. And in a move likely to pile the pressure on 'hiding' Keir Starmer, Labour-controlled Merseyrail announced today that it had agreed a 7% pay rise with the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) - a sign that rail companies are bowing to the demands of union barons. The Labour leader's authority is being tested after several of his MPs defied the party whip and 'held hands with Arthur Scargill' on the picket line yesterday. At Prime Minister's Questions today, Boris Johnson excoriated Sir Keir's 'picket party' and accused Labour of 'backing strikers, not strivers'. He told the Commons: 'We know why he [Sir Keir] won't condemn the strikes, we know why even now he hasn't got the gumption to call out his MPs for going out to support the pickets. The reason his authority is on the line in this matter is that they take 10million... that's the fee the learned gentleman opposite is receiving for the case he is failing to make.' It comes as Trades Union Congress general secretary Frances OGrady accused ministers of 'spoiling for a fight' with workers as inflation massively outstrips pay. As the Government braces for a standoff with the public sector that could potentially last until Christmas, it emerged today: The RMT and National Rail are holding talks again today after Mick Lynch threatened to repeatedly bring Britain's rail lines to a standstill until his pay demands are met; Ministers today branded the strikes as 'unjustified' and insisted the Government has to 'hold the line' against 'fat cat' Lynch's militant RMT; Teachers are threatening to unleash 'class war' by striking in the autumn if they are not given an 'inflation plus' pay rise. Royal Mail workers yesterday demanded 'no strings, inflation-based' pay increases as they prepare to vote on industrial action; Labour MPs yesterday defied their leader and joined picket lines as Keir Starmer suffered a blow from the party's hard-left; At 84 years of age, Arthur Scargill is still militant - and joined a RMT picket line as unions we re accused of taking Britain back to the 1970s. Swathes of Tube stations failed to open at 8am as promised today as striking staff failed to return to work on time piling more misery on millions of Britons still suffering after yesterday's strike Swathes of Tube stations failed to open at 8am as promised today as striking staff failed to return to work on time piling more misery on millions of Britons still suffering after yesterday's strike STRATFORD: Chaos as passengers wait for the station to open in London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union along with London Underground workers in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions KING'S CROSS: Passengers arrive at King's Cross station in London today on the second day of travel chaos VICTORIA LINE: London commuters battle busy Tube platforms and carriages on the Victoria Line today PADDINGTON STATION: Passengers arrive at Paddington Station in London today as Mick Lynch's strikes paralyse Britain STRATFORD: Commuters waiting for the Central Line train at Stratford Station today NORTH LONDON: Tube trains stand at Northfields Train Depot as train strikes hit services again BIRMINGHAM: West Midlands Railway trains parked up and unused in Smethwick today SURBITON: Long queues at the south-west London station this morning as Britons suffered a strike hangover VICTORIA: The packed Tube this morning, which had a delayed start due to staff shortages and trains not being in the right places Traffic was as heavy as yesterday because more people had to use their cars. There were 2,046 traffic jams in the capital this morning, covering a total length of 834 miles, and a 30 minute journey was taking an average of an hour, according to TomTom PADDINGTON: Passengers bound for Glastonbury Festival wait at Paddington Station in London today Wednesday June 22: How trains and Tubes are being hit today RAILWAYS How many trains will run on Wednesday? Despite being no strike today, only around 60% of the 20,000 normal weekday services will be able to operate. Why are timetables not returning to normal if there is no strike on Wednesday? Walkouts by signallers and control room staff who would usually work overnight from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning means trains will leave depots later than normal, delaying the start of services. How quickly will services ramp up? In London, services will increase quickly as trains do not have to travel long distances from depots to stations. It will take several hours in remote locations. Will services eventually return to normal on Wednesday? No. Network Rail said that 'even during the day the service will stay thinner' than usual and some operators will wind down services slightly earlier than normal. What other problems are there on the UK rail network this morning? Woking (South Western Railway) - points failure Tunbridge Wells and Hastings (Southeastern) - signalling fault London Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale / Chingford (Greater Anglia; London Overground; Stansted Express) - lineside fire Slough and Windsor & Eton Central (Great Western Railway) - broken-down train Shoeburyness and Fenchurch Street (c2c) - overcrowding Harrow & Wealdstone and Wembley Central (London Overground) - strike action Richmond and Stratford (London Overground) - shortage of signalling staff Blackburn and Todmorden / Hebden Bridge (Northern) - lineside fire, buses replace trains TUBE Passengers were told not to expect a 'normal service' until mid-morning, with most tube lines shut until at least 8am because transport staff - including signallers and control room officers - did not work their overnight shifts. Advertisement The health service continues to offer appointments and perform operations but patients and staff face difficulty getting to hospitals and GP surgeries until Sunday. Graham Benton, a 48-year-old former rowing champion, paid 165 for a taxi at 5.30am from Portsmouth to central London for a heart operation. He said: 'The stress around whether the procedure would or wouldn't go ahead and then the hassle and cost of getting there has been very stressful. I suffer from health anxiety due to my father's early death and my own heart issues so the possibility it wasn't going to go ahead soon was upsetting.' Passengers are being told not to expect a 'normal service' until mid-morning because transport staff - including signallers and control room officers - did not work their overnight shifts in a bid to resolve a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Many have been forced to walk or cycle or jump in a cab, with Uber journeys surging to roughly three times the price as desperate workers scramble to get to the office. Today a four mile journey in London, usually costing 13, cost passengers around 41. And the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) the union for private hire drivers and couriers has now called for a 24-hour national strike for Uber drivers from midnight. Today is a 24-hour partial reprieve until the strikes resume tomorrow and again on Saturday. While the railway network is meant to be operational, commuters have been hit for the second day running. The RMT will meet with National Rail and the train companies today in another attempt to break the deadlock. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the turnout at picket lines on Tuesday was 'fantastic' and had exceeded expectations in the union's campaign for job security, defending conditions and a decent pay rise. He said: 'Our members will continue the campaign and have shown outstanding unity in the pursuit of a settlement to this dispute. 'RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and Government policy. 'Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.' A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'These are desperately needed reforms that modernise the railway and put it on a sustainable footing for passengers and taxpayers. 'Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work. 'However, early data shows that unlike in the past, many people now have the opportunity to work from home, so we haven't even a rush to the roads, as traffic has instead gone online, which means the unions aren't having the overall impact they might have hoped.' The union has been asked by Network Rail to attend formal consultation talks next month on introducing 'modern working practices'. Network Rail official Tim Shoveller said the changes will mean 'dumping outdated working practices and introducing new technology'. He added: 'We expect this will reduce roles by around 1,800, the vast majority of which will be lost through voluntary severance and natural wastage.' It comes as Tory backbencher Tobias Ellwood claimed that the strikes would only benefit Putin's brutal war in Ukraine. Speaking to Sky News, the MP said: 'We face huge economic headwinds yet here we are causing such huge self-harm as the country is brought to a halt. I think Russia must be enjoying this self-inflicted distraction, pleased to see that the one government in Europe which is actually standing up to Putin is completely distracted in this way. 'I do hope the unions now call off future planned strikes... this isn't just disrupting commuters, including key workers, but students as well and indeed the hospitality sector as well... 'I say to the unions, please don't be Putin's friend, return to the talks today so we can get the country moving again.' Health Secretary Sajid Javid has branded the railway workers' strikes as 'unjustified'. Speaking at a visit to St George's Hospital on Wednesday, he said: 'Well, I think, and I hope actually that the rail workers are quite unique in how they've responded to higher inflation because I think their strike is just just completely unjustified. KINGSTON: The rammed A3 into London as commuters faced disruption and warm temperatures CLAPHAM JUNCTION: Busy platforms after the strike yesterday, with disruption to continue for six days EUSTON: Passengers wait for the first trains at around 7am this morning as disruption from yesterday's strikes continue today EDGWARE ROAD: Traffic remains heavy today after people were forced into their cars because of a lack of trains SOUTH LONDON: Long queues of traffic in the capital as people struggle to work or take their children to school this morning CLAPHAM JUNCTION: Commuters force themselves on to buses as they try to get to work in a strike week GLASTO: Festivalgoers arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury 2022 after their journeys were disrupted. Thousands have arrived early SOUTH LONDON: A sole train heads towards Waterloo on a day where commuters were warned that it would be 'messy' for them today Who else is set to join the summer strike contagion? Strikes could spread across the economy in the coming months. These are the areas affected and those which could be hit and the unions behind the ballots. TRANSPORT Strikes by the RMT across three days this week will close half of the country's rail network and reduce service to a fifth of normal levels. The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is also balloting thousands of staff at Network Rail and several train companies, with the possibility of strikes as soon as July. The train drivers' union Aslef is set to strike at Greater Anglia and the Croydon Tramlink in the coming weeks. Unite is also balloting about 500 British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow over a refusal to reverse a 10 per cent pandemic pay cut. If workers vote in favour, strikes are likely in July potentially ruining some summer holidays. EDUCATION Teachers' union NAS/UWT will ballot members over action unless the Government backs demands for a 12 per cent pay rise. A pay award for 2022/23 is due in November. The National Education Union has said it will ballot its 460,000 members if a pay rise in line with inflation is not offered by the Government. HEALTHCARE Unison, which represents NHS staff, has said strikes are possible unless the annual pay offer for them is not close to the rate of inflation. The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, has also said it will prepare for a ballot unless junior doctors are given a 22 per cent 'restorative' pay rise. The Royal College of Nursing has also demanded a pay rise of 5 per cent above inflation. CIVIL SERVICE The Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents civil service workers, will hold a ballot in September over pay, pensions and redundancies. LOCAL GOVERNMENT The Unison, GMB and Unite unions have said local government staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should receive a pay increase of at least 2,000 each. Workers include rubbish collectors, library staff, teaching assistants and care workers. Unite said it will support 'any action' by workers to achieve a pay rise. LAW Barristers have voted to go on strike in a row over legal aid funding. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents barristers in England and Wales, said several days of court walkouts will begin from next week. The promised industrial action, announced on Monday following a ballot of members, comes at a time of significant backlogs across the court system. They are the latest profession to go on strike, ahead of planned action by rail workers later this week, and reports of unrest among teaching staff and NHS employees. COMMUNICATIONS The Communication Workers Union will ballot Royal Mail workers in a dispute over a pay rise offer of 2 per cent. The union has also sent ballot papers to BT workers including engineers, contact centre staff and retail employees over pay. It could result in the first strike at the company since it was privatised in the mid-1980s. PARKING WARDENS For some commuters hit by rising fuel costs and rail strikes, it is the glimmer of a silver lining. This month traffic wardens will start a seven-day strike in protest at pay cuts and 'fire and rehire' tactics. The walkout in Wiltshire means penalty charge notices will not be issued and charges in council car parks will not be enforced, costing 30,000 in revenue. The action by the GMB from June 30 to July 6 follows two days of strikes in the county in May. The union is opposing a pay cut of 10 per cent, or 2,000 a year, for traffic wardens, and said members were 'at the end of their tether'. Wiltshire Council is seeking to save 800,000 annually by ending contractual unsocial hours payments for almost 350 staff, including social workers and care workers. Advertisement 'It is right that we look to modernise our rail services, it is right we take into account perhaps the longer term impacts of the pandemic with the changing patterns of the way people work. 'I think people recognise also that during the pandemic, the Government put in billions of pounds, I think, some 16billion of extra support for the rail industry. That's something like 600 per family in the UK. But that can't be continued. 'We need to recognise this and make a changes and think this strike is unjustified and it's hurting a lot of people, particularly people trying to get to hospital for their appointments and also you have NHS staff trying to get to the hospitals to help them.' Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the Government had to 'hold the line' against the RMT's demands for improved pay and conditions on the railways. The Justice Secretary said the strikes were 'deeply regrettable' and reform was necessary on the railways. He told LBC Radio: 'We've, of course, got to reform the way the railways operate, given the new ways to working on the effect that has on commuter travel. But there are also old practices, which frankly, are well out of date and unnecessary, which need to be reformed.' He added: 'I think Network Rail are taking the right approach. We know that the cost of living challenge is there, we know that it affects workers across the board. 'But the one thing that will keep inflation higher for longer and undermine pay packets for longer is if we have spiralling public sector pay increases beyond what is responsible. And that's what's at issue here. 'It is precisely to protect the wages of those on the lowest incomes that we need to hold the line.' He told Sky News that rising inflation figures show the need for pay restraint in the public sector and on the railways. 'We are facing a global struggle against inflation, if you look at the UK figures they are broadly comparable to the US or, in Europe, the Dutch and the Belgians, and it's going to be difficult. 'We really do understand the pressure that those on low incomes are facing at the moment, they are struggling to make ends meet.' Setting out why public sector pay could not keep pace with inflation, he added: 'If we don't have those restraints, inflation will go higher for longer. And that will only undermine the pay packages of workers, particularly the most vulnerable workers, for a longer period of time. 'We're taking the action, we're taking a firm line with, for example, the RMT union, precisely because we want to protect this erosion of pay packets by inflation.' Most adults believe the rail strikes are justified, according to an opinion poll. A survey of more than 2,300 people by Savanta ComRes showed that 58% said the industrial action is justified. Younger adults aged 18-34 (72%) and Labour voters (79%) were more likely to see the strikes as justified compared to their older, aged 55 and above, (44%) and Conservative-voting (38%) counterparts. Three out of five of those polled said they are generally supportive of the principle of industrial action, while just 35% were generally opposed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the public on notice for further strike action as Downing Street said it would 'not give in' to demands from the rail unions. Mr Johnson warned commuters they must be ready to 'stay the course' and urged rail bosses and unions to agree on a modernisation package to safeguard the future of the industry. Train services will continue to be disrupted on Wednesday by this week's rail strikes as talks resume in a bid to resolve a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Fewer than one in five trains ran on Tuesday after members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) on Network Rail (NR) and 13 train operators staged the first of three walkouts, with strikes set to follow on Thursday and Saturday. RMT members on London Underground also went on strike on Tuesday. Fears of a wider general strike are growing. Teachers' unions are now warning staff will be urged to strike in the autumn if they aren't given an 'inflation plus' pay rise. The National Education Union (NEU) said pay cuts and high workload were hitting teacher recruitment and retention, causing 'real damage' to education. It criticised the Government's evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body proposing a 3% pay increase for most teachers in England, which it said would mean a 'huge' pay cut on the basis of Wednesday's inflation figures of 9.1% on the CPI measure and 11.7% for RPI. In a letter to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, the union called for a fully funded inflation-plus pay increase for all teachers, as well as action on pay for other staff such as support workers, as well as measures to reduce workloads. The minister was told that teacher pay has fallen by a fifth in real terms since 2010, even before this year's increases in inflation, while their workload remains at 'unsustainable' levels. The letter says: 'Alongside the decline in teacher pay in real terms against inflation, it has also declined in relative terms against earnings. 'Average teacher salaries are at their lowest level compared to average earnings across the economy in over 40 years. 'Teachers and school leaders often tell us that workload is their predominant concern. 'But right now, our members are telling us pay is a big issue too. 'The combination of unsustainable hours, the work intensity during those hours and ever-falling pay levels are damaging our schools and the young people we are educating. 'Teachers are looking at their working hours and their pay and calculating hourly rates, which are alarmingly low. 'The latest teacher training figures are very worrying; applications have fallen by 24% compared with last year. 'One in eight newly qualified teachers left the job in their first year of teaching. 'These young people have often finished a degree, then completed a postgraduate qualification. Graham Benton, a 48-year-old former rowing champion, paid 165 for a taxi at 5.30am from Portsmouth to central London for a heart operation because of the strikes. CLAPHAM JUNCTION: One of the UK's busiest stations was deserted this morning as train services slowly fire up MARBLE ARCH: Tube stations across the capital are closed this morning, with passengers being told not to expect a 'normal service' until mid-morning CLAPHAM JUNCTION: The station is still closed this morning following the biggest rail strike in three decades The RMT Union (pictured RMT boss Mick Lynch) and railway bosses are expected to hold fresh talks today to try and resolve the ongoing dispute - but it is understood to be too late to stop widespread disruption tomorrow Red line: Labour MPs at London's Victoria station yesterday, from left: 1. Beth Winter (Cynon Valley), 2. Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside), 3. Rachael Maskell (York Central), 4. Ian Mearns (Gateshead), 5. Richard Burgon (Leeds East), 6. Zarah Sultana (Coventry South), 7. Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby), 8. Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford and Eccles), 9. Dan Carden (Liverpool Walton), 10. Paula Barker (Liverpool Wavertree) Former president of the National Union of Mineworkers Arthur Scargill joined members of the RMT union on the picket line outside Wakefield Railway Station today Class war! Teachers threaten to strike this autumn unless government offers 'inflation plus' pay rises Teachers' unions are now warning staff will be urged to strike in the autumn if they aren't given an 'inflation plus' pay rise. The National Education Union (NEU) said pay cuts and high workload were hitting teacher recruitment and retention, causing 'real damage' to education. It criticised the Government's evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body proposing a 3% pay increase for most teachers in England, which it said would mean a 'huge' pay cut on the basis of Wednesday's inflation figures of 9.1% on the CPI measure and 11.7% for RPI. In a letter to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, the union called for a fully funded inflation-plus pay increase for all teachers, as well as action on pay for other staff such as support workers, as well as measures to reduce workloads. The minister was told that teacher pay has fallen by a fifth in real terms since 2010, even before this year's increases in inflation, while their workload remains at 'unsustainable' levels. Advertisement 'They are a great loss to the profession, but more importantly to the nation's pupils who rely on their teachers to educate and care for them. 'You must respond to the new economic reality of double-digit inflation and the threat this poses to teacher living standards. 'We call on you to commit to an inflation-plus increase for all teachers. 'It is not good enough to only propose higher increases for beginner teachers (which are themselves likely to be lower than inflation). 'The current inaction from the Government on these questions is causing real damage to education and to our members' livelihoods. 'We have to tell you that failing sufficient action by you, in the autumn term, we will consult our members on their willingness to take industrial action. 'And we will be strongly encouraging them to vote yes. 'We can no longer stand by while you run both education and educators into the ground.' It comes as Royal Mail workers have demanded a 'no strings, inflation-based' pay rise as they prepare to vote on industrial action. 'We have further talks on change with CWU this week. We hope this will ultimately lead to an agreement on the changes required to ensure Royal Mail can grow and remain competitive in a fast-moving industry, securing jobs for the future and retaining our place as the industry leader on pay and terms and conditions. 'We value the work we do with CWU and remain committed to agreeing a deal for tomorrow, not just today.' It raises further fears that a general strike could take place this summer. TUC chief Frances O'Grady warned that strikes will spread across the country unless workers get 'pay justice'. She said Mr Clarke's comments made a mockery of Boris Johnson's pledge to build a 'high wage economy'. She added: 'Working families struggling to pay their bills have earned a decent pay rise. When will we hear the government calling for restraint in the boardroom and on profits?' Terry Pullinger, CWU deputy general secretary, pictured here in 2016, said the union would ballot 115,000 members over potential strike action. Mary Bousted, general secretary of the National Education Union, said more than 450,000 teachers are considering industrial action if they are not given a pay rise of up to 12 per cent Unite West Midlands shared a picture on Twitter yesterday morning of workers gathered outside Coventry station this morning waving the green flags of Lynch's RMT union and a red National Education Union banner A striking RMT member standing in front of a red RMT banner at Nottingham Train Station holding copies of the Socialist Worker. The paper splash reads: 'Together we can win. Strike to beat Tories. Back the rail worker' Don't be Putin's friend, Tory hawk tells striking unions: MP Tobias Ellwood says Russia 'will be enjoying self-inflicted distraction' of Lynch's mass walkouts A Tory hawk has urged Mick Lynch and his militant RMT union: 'Don't be Putin's friend'. MP Tobias Ellwood told Sky News: 'We face huge economic headwinds yet here we are causing such huge self-harm as the country is brought to a halt. I think Russia must be enjoying this self-inflicted distraction, pleased to see that the one government in Europe which is actually standing up to Putin is completely distracted in this way. 'I do hope the unions now call off future planned strikes... this isn't just disrupting commuters, including key workers, but students as well and indeed the hospitality sector as well... 'I say to the unions, please don't be Putin's friend, return to the talks today so we can get the country moving again.' Advertisement The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says it will ballot 115,000 Royal Mail workers over potential strike action in a row over pay, saying that a two per cent pay increase offered by the company is 'totally inadequate'. Terry Pullinger, CWU deputy general secretary accused Royal Mail management of conducting themselves 'insultingly and disrespectfully to key workers', but Royal Mail said it had offered the biggest pay increase 'for many years'. The union will send out ballot papers on June 28, with the result becoming known next month. It comes as unions demand inflation-matching pay increases and promises that staff will not be made redundant in what is becoming a 'Summer of discontent'. In scenes that mirror those seen in the 1980s, thousands of workers led by militant union bosses have walked out of their jobs to demand higher wages and no job cuts. So far millions of commuters have been left in the lurch as 50,000 RMT workers went on strike, and are set to do so again on Thursday and Saturday. The news today that Royal Mail workers are considering going on strike was broken by Mr Pullinger in a video posted on Twitter. In it he said: 'Today we will be serving a notice on Royal Mail Group over a pay claim - our claim for an inflation-based, no-strings pay award. 'The company has imposed a 2% pay award, miles away from where inflation is, totally inadequate. 'Throughout this entire dispute, Royal Mail management have conducted themselves insultingly and disrespectfully to key workers. 'Their conduct, and particularly the imposition of such an aggressive pay offer, has eroded trust among loyal employees. 'Nobody wants to be in this situation, but our members are heroes. 'We will defend ourselves if provoked - and we are convinced we will receive our biggest ever Yes vote for action.' CWU general-secretary Dave Ward said: 'Our members have been treated in a completely undignified manner by the people they make incredible profits for. 'Our members kept this country connected throughout our country's greatest crisis since World War Two, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice. 'Now, they are being told there's nothing for them, and they have to accept having less while the mega profits of bosses come first. 'The state of affairs is unjust and unsustainable, and I have no doubt that our 115,000 members will stand strong against it and deliver a historic vote for action.' A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'We believe there are no grounds for industrial action. We offered a deal worth up to 5.5% for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years, which was rejected by the CWU.' Glastonbury to be drenched by THUNDERSTORMS: Festivalgoers who battled through travel chaos will have to swap sunhats for waterproofs as Met Office issues a severe weather warning for tomorrow Thousands of eager music fans could be forced to camp in torrential downpours at Glastonbury after the Met Office issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for southern England on Thursday. Forecasters have put a yellow warning in place between 10am and 11.59pm with torrential downpours expected from Sheffield down to Somerset, where Glastonbury is held. With another rail strike taking place on Thursday, it is likely the storms will add to transport issues with poor driving conditions and floodwater on roads, potentially causing danger to life. The Met Office said there is a chance of further rail and bus cancellations due to lightning strikes. It also warned of power cuts to some homes and businesses, while remote communities could be cut off due to flooded roads. Flooding could also cause some road closures, with heavy traffic on the roads already expected around the UK due to rail strikes. Thousands of eager music fans have queued in traffic since dawn for the first day of Glastonbury after the strike forced many to camp overnight. Organisers told fans they could begin parking at the site from 4pm on Tuesday after trains and Tube services were disrupted for a second day running - forcing revellers to get to Worthy Farm early to beat the rush. The festival's main stage will not open until Friday, with headliner Billie Eilish set for the iconic Pyramid Stage followed by Sir Paul McCartney on Saturday and rapper Kendrick Lamar bringing the event to a close on Sunday. However, DJs and live music is planned from today for eager fans who have arrived at the site early - as more than 200,000 people are expected to descend at Glastonbury over the next two days. The founder of the Somerset festival Michael Eavis was pictured officially opening the gate to Glastonbury this morning marking the official start of the four-day music spectacular. The festival is returning for its 50th anniversary after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19. Eavis and his daughter Emily were stood at one of the festival's many entry points and clapped as the first attendees entered the site. Eavis, 86, told those entering the gates: 'This is going to be the best show in town. 'Wait and see. You better believe it.' Huge crowds of revellers were pictured sitting on camping chairs by metal railings as they secured their spot in line to the entrance of the festival. Armed with camping gear and cool boxes, excited fans waited patiently as they queued to get in to the UK's most-anticipated music event of the year as they were met with glorious 19C (66F) sunshine - a pleasant change from the usual rain that marks the start of the muddy festival. Thousands of eager festivalgoers arrive at Worthy Farm this morning for the official start of Glastonbury Festival 2022 Armed with camping gear and cool boxes, excited fans waited patiently as they queued to get in to the UK's most-anticipated music event of the year Motorists were pictured arriving early at the music extravaganza to beat the rush today amid ongoing rail strikes Festivalgoers arrived at the site carrying their camping supplies and coolboxes filled with their favourite beverages Revellers were met with glorious 19C (66F) sunshine - a pleasant change from the usual rain that marks the start of the muddy festival The founder of the Somerset festival Michael Eavis was pictured opening the gate to Glastonbury this morning marking the official start of the four-day music spectacular A woman with pink hair extensions and matching hued sunglasses was pictured queuing for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today The Glastonbury gates officially opened this morning for excited music fans who have been queuing since Tuesday amid the ongoing rail strikes Music fans Simon Lampard, (left) 82-year-old Pat Brooks (middle) and Linda Brooks-Lampard (right) arrive on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset One reveller posed for the camera wearing a multicolour long cardigan as she queued for the iconic festival Huge crowds of revellers were pictured sitting on camping chairs by metal railings as they secured their spot in line to the entrance of the festival A 'beer drive thru' sign to mark the start of the festival was put up for Brits who are lined up in traffic Despite, Glastonbury usually opening its parking facilities at 9pm the night before the first day of the music extravaganza, bosses allowed the car parks to open yesterday afternoon - but this morning roads to the site were gridlocked with traffic. Organisers said: 'There will be no entertainment or facilities other than toilets in the car parks and festivalgoers will be expected to remain in their cars until the festival gates open.' Great Western Railway is hoping to maintain trains to Castle Cary - the nearest station - but has advised passengers to check for amendments before travelling. A GWR spokesman said: 'All we are expecting are festival workers, the site doesn't open to the general public until Wednesday. 'It was busy on Monday but most of the people who arrived were scheduled to get here early. Since then the numbers have been minimal compared to what we would see on a normal festival travel day.' Emily Eavis has said it is an 'amazing feeling' to see people returning to Glastonbury festival. The music event has opened its gates this morning, signalling its return for the first time in three years after it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to Lauren Laverne on 6 Music, she said of the gates opening: 'I mean, I'm still recovering because the build up has just been so long, we've never had a build up as long as this, obviously. 'We've never all collectively been through such an extreme time together, so it's like, to actually be able to see people there and welcome them in and just watch them streaming in and just running to pitch their tents up and fill the fields, it's just an amazing feeling.' Speaking about the build-up to this year's event she told BBC radio presenter Laverne that, as this year celebrates the festival's 50th anniversary, some of the original ideas for the 2020 festival are 'are still kind of playing out this year and then we've melded all kinds of ideas into this one festival and we've had so much time to kind of think about this one and I think every detail, and kind of part of the process has been devoured and savoured by everybody, because it's so precious. Wearing a sequinned hat that was dazzled with letters that spelt the word Glastonbury, revellers queued to enter the Somerset premises Fans arrived at the event carrying huge rucksacks and cool bags, while wheeling their possessions to the site Fans carried their belongings and colourful outfits on their backs as they travelled to the gate to set up their tents Pictured: People queue for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset This year's much-anticipated festival, running from Wednesday to Sunday, will host huge stars from Diana Ross and Sir Paul McCartney, to Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo Dressed in shorts and wearing sunglasses and hats, music fans waited in line as they queued in glorious sunshine Traffic builds up around the site ahead of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today Thousands of revellers queued on Wednesday as they waited for the gates to open for the much-anticipated festival Traffic jams builds up around the famous Somerset site ahead of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset A woman wearing a flower crown was pictured arriving on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset 'Everyone is appreciating it so, so much... everyone is just still beaming because they are so pleased, everyone is so chuffed to be back so it's a totally unique atmosphere, I just can't wait to get everyone in here.' Shortly before the gates opened, radio host Jo Whiley said Glastonbury is the 'ultimate festival' and that Sir Paul McCartney's headlining slot on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night is a 'very, very important and significant performance'. The former Beatle, 80, will become the music festival's oldest ever solo headliner when he takes to the stage this weekend. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Whiley said: 'Glastonbury is the ultimate festival, it's a celebration of all the arts and it's all about the human experience. 'So yes, there are all these bands playing, there's the main stage, everyone gets very excited about that, but it's all about just enjoying this, just the amount of things I think you can enjoy when you get there... Over 100 stages, there are all different kinds of performances going on wherever, so you have to think of it as like a massive smorgasbord that you can go along and you can just keep tasting all these different things... circus acts, cabaret, music. 'And everyone is just so friendly, so you make lots of friends, it's just a wonderful experience.' On Sunday on BBC Radio 2 Whiley will present live from Pilton, 7pm-9pm, including highlights from Diana Ross' set on the Pyramid Stage. She told BBC Radio 4 of Sir Paul that it's a 'very, very important and significant performance that will be happening then, it's the greatest songwriter of all time from the biggest band, at the greatest festival in the world, it's a big moment'. A man is pictured with a tent on his back for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset Emma Maggs and her daughter Daise pictured on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset Revellers carry huge bags snd suitcases towards to gate os Glastonbury festival, which has opened today One woman wearing Hunter wellington boots carries her suitcase as she arrives on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset Michael Eavis gestures next to his daughter Emily, as he opens the gate for Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset Traffic builds up around the site on Wednesday morning ahead of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset Shortly before the gates officially opened at 8am on Wednesday, hundreds of Glastonbury attendees had already been queueing for hours with their bags and some said they arrived at the site in the early hours of the morning. Mark Lawrie, 49, from Reading, who works for a sports charity, said he had arrived at the festival at 2am with his 18-year-old daughter Bethan. 'We slept in the car for a few hours and joined the queue at 6am,' he told the PA news agency. 'This is our third time and it's always brilliant. The moment you get here and start to see the tops of the tents, you get such a buzz. 'It's always such a positive atmosphere here, everyone's just so nice to each other and friendly to each other, but I think after what we've been through the last two and a half years it's going to be special.' Ms Lawrie said the act she is most looking forward to is Billie Eilish, while her father said he is hotly anticipating Sir Paul McCartney. 'When I was first a primary school teacher, I didn't realise this but I lived next door to (McCartney) in East Sussex,' he said. 'One morning he was walking his dog outside and I had a hangover so I was in bed and didn't go to say hello to him. 'My parents will absolutely never forgive me for not having done that, so he'll be amazing to see.' Ahead of the five-day event, meteorologist Tom Morgan from the Met Office told the PA news agency, this year's weather outlook promises to be 'one of two halves'. Temperatures could reach 27C at the 900-acre site - 9C higher than usual - in the lead-up to the world-famous event. However, the mud synonymous with Glastonbury is still set to make an appearance, with showers and thunderstorms predicted from Friday onwards. To the dismay of many festival-goers the event coincides with three days of planned major rail strikes over rail workers' pay, leading to travel disruption for people making their way to Worthy Farm. Just 60% of trains will run across Wednesday, with walkouts planned for Thursday and Saturday.This year's much-anticipated festival, running from Wednesday to Sunday, will host huge stars from Diana Ross and Sir Paul McCartney, to Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo. Revealed: The 'Spanish practices' 25 Labour MPs took to picket lines to defend - including 'sending NINE men to change a plug socket' and giving drivers 12 minutes' pay for one-minute walk - as Boris vows to 'stay the course' against unions Militant unions have been accused of wanting to preserve 'Spanish practices' that include sending nine workers to 'change a plug socket', banning staff from working 500 yards from base and giving drivers 12 minutes of pay for making a 60-second walk - as Boris Johnson vowed to 'stay the course' against union dinosaurs. As militant unions caused travel misery for millions, Keir Starmer faced a mutiny by his own MPs. At least 25 of them ignored the party's stance and joined the picket lines even as their constituents were struggling to get to work. And senior figures, including Sir Keir's own deputy Angela Rayner, backed the RMT union in its bid to bring the country to its knees. The Labour leader was accused of going into 'hiding' after he refused to comment on the biggest industrial dispute for 30 years. Boris Johnson said the strike was 'wrong and unnecessary' and called for a return to negotiations. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused Labour and the unions of 'taking us back to the bad old days' of the 1970s. He added: 'I pity poor Keir Starmer, a man trying to ride two horses at once. 'He knows this strike is pointlessly destructive but his warning has been flatly ignored by shadow frontbenchers and backbenchers in thrall to unions who are prepared to place sectional interests above those of the country. 'He is facing a crisis of authority. The Left senses his weakness and is humiliating him with every Labour MP's appearance on a picket line. He has lost his grip on his own party.' And industry sources yesterday shed new light on inefficiencies that cost taxpayers billions of pounds. A walking time allowance of 12 minutes for a journey that takes 60 seconds and specialist teams refusing to share vehicles are among inefficiencies said to be costing billions of pounds to the taxpayer, according to industry sources. A rail insider told The Telegraph: 'We can't roster individuals. Let's imagine you want to change a single socket to a double in your kitchen. Potentially you'd need an electrician, a tiler and a plumber as your dishwasher waste pipe will need adjusting too. 'Alternatively, you could find a competent odd-jobber to do the whole task. In Network Rail we can't roster individuals, only teams and we can't multi-skill those teams so we'd need to send a team of three electricians, three tilers and three plumbers nine people to do a job one person could do. 'Eighty per cent of the most common infrastructure faults could be fixed by small, multi-skilled teams.' Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines also described the industry as 'archaic' as he slammed 'poor productivity' throughout rail. Labour Party leader Sir Kier Starmer addressees Labour supporters as he campaigns in Wakefield ahead of the by-election on June 18 Angela Rayner, deputy leader of Labour Party, during the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) rally on June 18 Another industry source cited the renovation of Birmingham New Street station, completed in 2010, during which train staff were relocated to offices within the city's Guildhall. They claimed the trade union insisted on renegotiating 'walking time allowance', namely paid time from leaving a train to arriving at the office. But the union was claimed to have used a train driver 'with a gammy leg' to complete the walk and 'timed them from the end of the longest train, at the furthest extent of the station'. Out on strike, yet paid more than teachers and nurses By Andy Jehring Rail unions brought Britain to a standstill yesterday to demand more cash despite some of their members earning big salaries. Train drivers have a median salary of 59,000 which is around 5,000 more than the pay of an average solicitor or a major in the Army. Rail workers in general earn 44,000 on average according to the Government, which is higher than teachers (41,800), the Royal Navy (36,666), and an Army sergeant (35,853). The RMT claims this figure is not representative of those striking as the majority of drivers who earn the most are not on the picket line, while low-paid staff such as cleaners are. It said the median salary of those protesting was 33,000 but that is still over 25 per cent higher than the median annual pay of UK workers (25,971) and nearly double a care worker's average pay (17,000). Even taking the union barons' figure as gospel would still mean that those on strike earn roughly the same as most nurses and a little more than a junior doctor who have gone through seven years of training. It means low-skilled workers already earning more than frontline NHS staff are holding Britain to ransom to try and get a 7 per cent pay raise. This is despite the Government already providing 16billion so that not a single rail worker had to be furloughed through the pandemic. Advertisement The walking time allowance was subsequently set at 12 minutes, despite Google Maps showing a completion time of just 60 seconds. It is also understood that maintenance staff are not allowed to cross boundary lines, meaning staff at nearby stations cannot be called upon to fix issues at neighbouring transport hubs, while specialist teams refuse to share vans and equipment and switching desks is also said to be off limits. But still the Labour Party was in chaos over crippling rail strikes last night as Keir Starmer faced a mutiny by his own MPs. At least 25 of them ignored disciplinary warnings and joined the picket lines even as their constituents were struggling to get to work. The Labour leader had warned told his frontbench they should stay away from picket lines after the RMT launched the biggest rail strike since 1989, but in a serious threat to his authority at least four of them ignored him. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also met striking workers in Edinburgh and, less surprisingly, a number of hard-left Labour backbenchers also joined the strike action, including former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. Of the 25 pictured yesterday, analysis has found that 19 of these MPs have received donations from the unions totalling 890,717. The donations were all listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Some were direct personal donations, while others were to constituency parties and others were for chairing all-party groups and other administrative costs. Among them was Rebecca Long-Bailey, who lost a Labour leadership bid to Mr Starmer following Jeremy Corbyn's resignation. The MP for Salford and Eccles declared 345,325 from unions between 2015 and 2021, much of it around the time of her leadership campaign in early 2020. Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, another hard-Left Labour member, also declared 97,219.52 in union donations between 2015 and 2022. Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead, and John McDonnell were also among the high-profile union supporters to receive money in donations. Meanwhile, Mr Starmer was accused of going into 'hiding' after he refused to comment on the biggest industrial dispute for 30 years. Boris Johnson said the strike was 'wrong and unnecessary' and called for a return to negotiations. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused Labour and the unions of 'taking us back to the bad old days' of the 1970s. He added: 'I pity poor Keir Starmer, a man trying to ride two horses at once. 'He knows this strike is pointlessly destructive but his warning has been flatly ignored by shadow frontbenchers and backbenchers in thrall to unions who are prepared to place sectional interests above those of the country. 'He is facing a crisis of authority. The Left senses his weakness and is humiliating him with every Labour MP's appearance on a picket line. 'He has lost his grip on his own party.' Yesterday's strike by 40,000 rail workers caused massive travel disruption, with fewer than 20 per cent of services thought to have run. Travellers were left stranded or forced to take to congested roads as the strike saw rail bosses cancel all services on some lines and shut down early. Commuters face further disruption today ahead of another all-out strike tomorrow in a bitter dispute about pay and rail reforms. As the Prime Minister vowed to 'stay the course' against union militants amid fears that strikes could spread like wildfire through the public sector: RMT boss Mick Lynch called on union bosses to co-ordinate industrial action across every town and city to cause maximum disruption; Some 19 of the Labour MPs who joined the picket lines yesterday have declared nearly 900,000 in funding from trade unions, analysis of the register of members' financial interests showed; A YouGov poll found the public opposed yesterday's strike by a margin of 45:37; Network Rail boss Andrew Haines revealed negotiators had got within a 'gnat's whisker' of a deal on Monday before the RMT decided to press ahead with the strikes; A former top aide to Sir Keir said he would face an 'explosion' if he tried to sack Labour MPs who defied him to back the strikes; Downing Street warned that public sector pay would be held well below inflation; Union dinosaur Arthur Scargill joined a rail picket line in West Yorkshire; London commuters faced extra misery as 10,000 Underground workers walked out in a separate dispute; The Communication Workers Union balloted 115,000 postal workers over strike action following a 2 per cent pay offer from bosses. 'Spanish practices' RMT is battling to save includes 'requiring nine workers to 'change a plug socket'' It emerged last night that among the 'Spanish practices' the RMT is accused of bringing Britain to a halt over include outdated working practices that require nine workers to complete basic tasks such as 'changing a plug socket5', The Telegraph reports. A walking time allowance of 12 minutes for a journey that takes 60 seconds and specialist teams refusing to share vehicles are also among inefficiencies said to be costing billions of pounds to the taxpayer. An insider told the newspaper: 'We can't roster individuals. Let's imagine you want to change a single socket to a double in your kitchen. Potentially you'd need an electrician, a tiler and a plumber as your dishwasher waste pipe will need adjusting too. 'Alternatively, you could find a competent odd-jobber to do the whole task. In Network Rail we can't roster individuals, only teams and we can't multi-skill those teams so we'd need to send a team of three electricians, three tilers and three plumbers nine people to do a job one person could do. 'Eighty per cent of the most common infrastructure faults could be fixed by small, multi-skilled teams.' Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines described the industry as 'archaic' as he slammed 'poor productivity' throughout rail. Advertisement Sir Keir yesterday took a vow of silence on the rail dispute, with aides saying he would make no public comment either for or against the strikes. A spokesman for the Labour leader said: 'Unlike the Government, our focus is firmly on the public. 'The Tories are in charge the responsibility for this week's chaos lies firmly with them.' Mrs Rayner took advantage of the leadership vacuum at the top of the Labour Party to make clear she backed the strikes, which are due to be repeated on Saturday as well as tomorrow. 'Workers have been left with no choice,' she said. 'No one takes strike action lightly. I will always defend their absolute right to do so for fairness at work.' Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also defied Sir Keir to back the strike, which has left no rail services operating north of Glasgow today. Mr Sarwar joined strikers on a picket line in Edinburgh to show 'solidarity', and said the crisis was 'entirely of the Government's making'. Sir Keir's office told Labour frontbenchers on Monday that they would be disciplined if they joined picket lines outside stations. But at least four members of Sir Keir's top team ignored the warning, including shadow minister Alex Sobel, whip Navendu Mishra and parliamentary aides Kate Osborne and Paula Barker. Others joining picket lines across the country included former leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey and former shadow cabinet members John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Richard Burgon. Sir Keir ordered his MPs last week not to condemn the rail strikes. But he has also refused to say whether he supports the dispute. Sharon Graham of the Unite union said: 'The Labour Party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. 'You don't lead by hiding. No one respects that.' Network Rail's Mr Haines apologised to passengers at Waterloo in London, branding the station a 'wasteland' and comparing it to the 'darkest days of Covid'. He added: 'We know there are some real-life issues for people who can't travel today. It's so wrong.' Labour MPs on the rail picket lines...and some of them even got a share of 890,000 from unions Labour MPs who defied their leader to join rail strikers yesterday have received nearly 900,000 in union funding, analysis reveals. Sir Keir Starmer has told his frontbench they should stay away from picket lines after the RMT launched the biggest rail strike since 1989. But in a serious threat to his authority at least four of them ignored him. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also met striking workers in Edinburgh. Less surprisingly, a number of hard-left Labour backbenchers also joined the strike action, including former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. She tweeted: 'On the RMT union picket line at the Seven Sisters depot. (But don't tell Keir Starmer).' Ten MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group including Jeremy Corbyn supporters Rebecca Long-Bailey and Richard Burgon proudly posed for pictures with striking RMT members at Victoria Station in London. Labour MPs who defied their leader to join rail strikers yesterday have received nearly 900,000 in union funding, analysis reveals. Pictured centre: Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington Sir Keir Starmer has told his frontbench they should stay away from picket lines after the RMT launched the biggest rail strike since 1989. Pictured third from right: John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington But in a serious threat to his authority at least four of them ignored him. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also met striking workers in Edinburgh. Pictured far left: Mick Whitley, MP for Birkenhead Less surprisingly, a number of hard-left Labour backbenchers also joined the strike action, including former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. Pictured centre in a blue shirt: Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough A total of 25 Labour MPs were pictured on picket lines yesterday. Analysis found that 19 of these MPs have received donations from the unions totalling 890,717. Tory MP Gareth Bacon said: 'Weak Keir Starmer's authority is shot. As these figures show, Labour MPs are clearly on the side of the militant union barons filling their coffers rather than hard working commuters simply trying to get to work.' The donations were all listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Some were direct personal donations, while others were to constituency parties and others were for chairing all-party groups and other administrative costs. Top of the list by far was hard-Left MP Mrs Long-Bailey, who stood for the Labour leadership after the resignation of Mr Corbyn. The MP for Salford and Eccles declared 345,325 from unions between 2015 and 2021, much of it around the time of her leadership campaign in early 2020. Most of her donations came from Unite, the union formerly headed by Len McCluskey. She also received money from the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the RMT. Despite the funding, however, Mrs Long-Bailey lost to Sir Keir in the leadership race. Yesterday she tweeted: 'I was out on the picket line at Victoria Station in London this morning in with RMT union workers and Socialist Campaign Group colleagues. Solidarity to all on strike today. All they want is fair pay and to protect jobs and services.' She completed the message with an emoji of a raised fist. Next was Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, another hard-Left Labour member who came a distant third when he stood for deputy leader. He declared 97,219.52 in union donations between 2015 and 2022. Again, most of the cash was from Unite but he also received money from the GMB. Ten MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group proudly posed for pictures with striking RMT members at Victoria Station in London. Pictured centre in a white polo: Ian Lavery, MP for Wansbeck since 2010 A total of 25 Labour MPs were pictured on picket lines yesterday. Pictured centre holding a green RMT flag: Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow since 2019 Analysis found that 19 of these MPs have received donations from the unions totalling 890,717. Pictured centre in a high-vis jacket and helmet: Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds North West and shadow environment minister The donations were all listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Pictured: Navendu Mishra (second left) Opposition Whip and MP for Stockport and Lloyd Russell-Moyle (far right), MP for Brighton Kemptown Yesterday he tweeted: 'Great to pop to the picket line at Victoria Station this morning with other Labour MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group to show solidarity with RMT union workers forced by this Tory government into strike action to defend their pay, jobs and conditions.' Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Gateshead, declared 86,375 from the RMT between 2016 and 2020. This was for 'administration and coordination of the RMT Parliamentary Group, which I chair'. Other high-profile union supporters include John McDonnell, who received 54,454.97 in union donations between 2014 and 2021. The former shadow chancellor accepted most of his donations from Unite, but he also took money from the GMB, CWU, FBU and the RMT. Yesterday he tweeted: 'Proud to join the RMT picket line this morning at West Ruislip in my [West London] borough. Solidarity to RMT union.' Sir Keir's office ordered all shadow ministers and junior parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) to stay away from the picket lines. The order stated: 'Please be reminded that frontbenchers including PPSs' should not be on picket lines.' But four did so shadow environment minister Alex Sobel, opposition whip Navendu Mishra, shadow defence PPS Paula Barker and shadow Northern Ireland PPS Kate Osborne. And although she did not attend a picket line, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner pointedly tweeted: 'No one takes strike action lightly. I will always defend their absolute right to do so for fairness at work.' Some were direct personal donations, while others were to constituency parties and others were for chairing all-party groups and other administrative costs. Pictured centre wearing a scarf: Margaret Greenwood, MP for Wirral West and former teacher Top of the list by far was hard-Left MP Mrs Long-Bailey, who stood for the Labour leadership after the resignation of Mr Corbyn. Pictured centre in a pink dress: Nadia Whittome, who did not receive any union money The MP for Salford and Eccles declared 345,325 from unions between 2015 and 2021, much of it around the time of her leadership campaign in early 2020. Pictured centre wearing a cap with sunglasses: Clive Lewis, who has been MP for Norwich South since 2015 Other high-profile union supporters include John McDonnell, who received 54,454.97 in union donations between 2014 and 2021. Pictured centre: Tahir Ali, MP for Birmingham Hall Green since 2019 Sir Keir's office ordered all shadow ministers and junior parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) to stay away from the picket lines. Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar (above) snubs Starmer Sir Keir did not tweet about the strike yesterday, and is thought to be waiting until after the end of the industrial action to make a decision on disciplinary action. Asked whether individuals would be punished, Labour's shadow Treasury minister Pat McFadden told Sky News: 'That's a matter for the whips and for Keir Starmer.' Referring to the Scottish Labour leader, Miss Abbott tweeted: 'What is Keir Starmer going to do, remove Anas as leader?' Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: 'The Labour Party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. To instruct Labour MPs not to be on picket lines with workers speaks volumes.' Most of the Labour MPs who have been pictured on the picket lines are members of the hard-Left Socialist Campaign Group. They include former shadow cabinet members under Mr Corbyn, including Miss Abbott, Mr Burgon, Mrs Long-Bailey, Clive Lewis, Mr McDonnell, Dan Carden, Andy McDonald and Ian Lavery. The list also includes Tahir Ali, Ian Byrne, Kim Johnson, Zarah Sultana, Rachael Maskell, Mr Mearns, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Beth Winter, Mick Whitley, Nadia Whittome, Margaret Greenwood and Mohammad Yasin. Including the members of Sir Keir's frontbench team, that brings the total to 25. Miss Winter, Miss Whittome and Mr Byrne did not receive any union money. It is unclear if another three were given cash. Back to e-lessons Pupils were forced to return to pandemic-style online learning yesterday as rail and Tube strikes stopped teachers getting to work. Among institutions hit was Marylebone Boys' School in central London which closed its doors to all pupils except those taking exams because of staff shortages. Meanwhile, there was chaos around the country for pupils sitting GCSE and A-level exams, with many having to find alternative transport. Education chiefs told schools to consider reimbursing taxi fares. Get a cab, jury told An Old Bailey judge told jurors sitting on a murder trial that they may have to get taxis to court. Judge Shani Barnes said the court would foot the bill for taxis 'as a last resort' so the trial did not have to be adjourned but asked jurors to avoid using black cabs because they are 'more expensive'. 'If you can share cars that would be helpful,' she added. The jury had been hearing how Oliver Muldowney, 35, allegedly murdered 39-year-old Tim Hipperson in south-west London, which he denies. A separate Old Bailey murder trial was adjourned at least partly due to travel issues. NHS struggles on The NHS yesterday continued to offer appointments and perform operations but patients and staff reported difficulty getting to GP surgeries and hospitals. Former rowing champion Graham Benton, 48, paid 165 for a taxi at 5.30am from Portsmouth to London for a heart operation. He said: 'The hassle and cost of getting there has been very stressful.' An NHS therapy manager said her hospital had converted some wards into dormitories for staff who struggled to travel to work. Regions are cut off Half of Britain's rail lines were shut down by the strikes yesterday, leaving entire towns and cities across the country without train services. Major transport hubs in Lancashire, Cheshire, Dorset and Cornwall, as well as in Wales and Scotland, had no services. Cities without trains included Bournemouth, Swansea, Holyhead, Chester, Blackpool and Penzance and the disruption will continue tomorrow and Saturday. The number of passenger services operating across the UK on the three strike days is expected to be around 4,500, compared with 20,000 normally. Chinese military tested its mid-course anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system showing it performs reliably as a defense against missile attacks. The test done on June 19 took place within Chinese borders, said the Ministry of National Defense, per the Global Times. China's ABM Gets More Reliable The outlet said that this is the second ABM test done by the PLA since the first one in February 2021, at least six of these tests were done in total, reported The Eurasian Times. More tests suggest China's anti-ballistic missile potential is more reliable, according to a Chinese military expert. Such trials assist China's national defense and security while acting as a preventative measure against nuclear blackmail. According to the Chinese Defense Ministry, the test is defensive and not aimed at any particular country. It came days after the US military successfully completed a missile intercept test off the coast of Palau. The US military did the live-fire exercise as the first done close to the Pacific Island nation. It was done to bolster the defense capabilities of the US in another location Palau, noted NHK. As China's involvement in the Indo-Pacific expands, the US sees such deployments as an integral part of its regional security infrastructure. Read Also: Chinese Fighter Pilots Engages US Allies in Risky Maneuvers Over Indo-Pacific Anti-Ballistic Missile System When such a missile is launched, it enters three phases that include boost, midcourse, and the last part terminal phase. The boost period starts immediately after the missile is launched and lasts till the missile's engines are exhausted. Its primary purpose is to help the missile enter space and establish a parabolic orbit around the Earth. The next stage is the parabolic route to the mid-course stage, which takes the most time of the three stages. When the missile reaches its objective, that is the terminal phase as it re-enters the Earth and accelerates to the target for its destruction. It takes a short time from the terminal phase to contact the target. Experts say that stopping an intercontinental ballistic missile in the mid-course is not easy. These missiles are equipped with multiple warheads at an arc outside the atmosphere flying at high speeds in this stage. Because of the great velocity of the downward missile, interception is also hard in the terminal phase. Even so, the missile is still close to the ground and speeding up, and it is feasible to catch a ballistic missile during its boost phase. China Develops Best Armaments China is trying to develop unstoppable and advanced missiles to defend what it calls; its territory from the US, especially the Indo-Pacific. The US does not want China to beat it where tensions are rising; Washington cannot accept that Beijing can get over them as they are locked in a power struggle. This launch comes amid rising regional tensions, as North Korea has recently conducted a series of missile tests, including short-range ballistic missiles and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). According to South Korean and US officials, increasing activity at North Korea's nuclear test site indicates the regime may perform its first nuclear test by 2017. Related Article: USAF Initiates Training F-35 Squadrons To Face Chinese J-20 as Tensions Rise in the Indo-Pacific @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Urgent action is needed to prevent a mass exodus of 19,000 GPs over the next five years, health leaders warned yesterday. The Royal College of GPs said almost half of family doctors are planning to quit by 2027 in a major threat to patient care. It insists general practice is significantly under-staffed, under-funded and overworked, leaving the service and profession in crisis. The warning comes after a college survey of more than 1,250 GPs and trainees revealed 42 per cent expect to leave the profession in the coming five years. A college survey of more than 1,250 GPs and trainees revealed 42 per cent expect to leave the profession in the coming five years. Experts have warned of a 'mass exodus' of 19,000 GPs Ten per cent plan to resign within the year and 19 per cent in the next two years. There are around 45,000 GPs and trainees working in England, meaning nearly 19,000 are on the verge of walking out. Of those not planning to retire, 60 per cent cite stress, long working hours and lack of job satisfaction as reasons for quitting. Almost seven in ten doctors say they do not have enough time to assess patients properly and 65 per cent believe safety is being compromised because appointments are too short. A total of 38 per cent said GP premises are not fit for purpose and 34 per cent claimed IT booking systems are not good enough. GPs are paid an average salary of around 100,000. Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the RCGP, said: What our members are telling us about working on the frontline of general practice is alarming. General practice is significantly under-staffed, under-funded and overworked and this is impacting on the care and services we are able to deliver to patients. Our survey results should act as a stark warning for politicians and decision-makers. The college wants a new recruitment and retention strategy that will enable the Government to exceed its manifesto pledge of having 6,000 more GPs. It is calling for a bonfire of bureaucracy to free doctors from the burden of unnecessary paperwork, giving them more time to see patients. And it is demanding improved booking systems that make it easier for patients to choose to see the same GP or the next available member of the practice team. The college said this should be supported by returning funding for general practice to 11 per cent of the countrys total health spend, including an extra 1billion for new or improved GP premises. Professor Marshall said: We need to make being a GP sustainable again for the sake of the NHS and for the sake of patients. The Royal College of GPs said almost half of family doctors are planning to quit by 2027 in a major threat to patient care. Ten per cent plan to resign within the year and 19 per cent in the next two years Meanwhile, a new analysis by Labour yesterday revealed that England has lost around 4,500 GPs over the past decade and 300 practices have closed since the 2019 general election. There are currently more GPs in training than ever before, with an intake of 4,000 in 2021. But even if this is maintained over the next five years, it will not be enough to counter the numbers planning to leave. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said last week that the current model of GP care is not working and he is planning a review of services. Vladimir Putin has threatened to deploy Russia's new Satan II nuclear missile, which can reach the UK in just three minutes, by the end of 2022. The Russian president has also said the country will also continue to boost its military following damage suffered during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and praised his troops for battling 'like heroes'. Speaking as he hosted military academy graduates at the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin said Russia will place the first batch of Sarmat ballistic missiles on combat duty by the end of the year as part of the efforts, The Telegraph reports. The Sarmat missile, or 'Satan II', is said to be the world's longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking a target 11,200 miles away - meaning it could easily strike targets in the US and Europe. Putin has previously hailed the development of the missile, which was successfully test-fired in April, 'a big, significant event' for Russia's defense industry, saying the Sarmat will 'ensure Russia's security from external threats and make those who try to threaten our country with aggressive rhetoric think twice.' Western military experts have said the Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys - easily enough to wipe out territories the size of Britain or France in a single strike. Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured leading a State Consul meeting in Moscow on Tuesday A photo realased by the Russian Defence Ministry of an RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile blasting off during a test launch from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome Putin's 'propagandist-in-chief' Dmitry Kiselyov previously threatened to drown Britain twice in a radioactive tidal wave using Satan-2 missile And commander of Russias strategic missile forces Colonel Sergei Karakayev told Kremlin state television last month that they can fly with different trajectories and evade missile defence systems. He said: 'There is no existing air defence for the Sarmat missile systems, and it will probably not exist in the coming decades.' Among other new additions referenced by Putin in his speech are S-500 missile defence systems that he has claimed to be 'unmatched in the world'. It comes after last month saw a state TV broadcast suggest Britain should be bombed back to the Stone Age 'in ten minutes' with an attack by new nuclear-capable Zircon - or Tsirkon - missiles. Politician Aleksey Zhuravlyov and TV propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov had earlier advocated striking Britain with Satan-2. And Russian state TV pundit, Yaakov Kedmi, a Moscow-born former Israeli diplomat, said Russia's new hypersonic Zircon missile should be deployed to wipe out 50 or 60 power stations in the UK 'in ten minutes', plunging the country into darkness. Hosts on Channel One's 60 Minutes programme announced the cities of London, Paris and Berlin could be hit within 200 seconds of nuclear missiles being launched back in April. On the show, the chairman of the nationalist Rodina party, Aleksey Zhuravlyov, pondered what would happen if Russia launched nuclear weapons against the UK, saying: 'one Sarmat missile and the British Isles will be no more.' When pulled up on the comment by one of the hosts, he insisted he was 'saying this seriously', while another host added that the UK has nuclear weapons too and that 'no one will survive in this war'. Russia has claimed its most potent nuclear missile, the 16,000mph hypersonic 'Satan-2', can destroy the UK Producers on the show then showed viewers a map seeming to suggest missiles could be launched from Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. It suggested these could reach Berlin in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds. A Uvalde school teacher has said gunman Salvador Ramos 'scared her' and began 'dressing like a school shooter' in the months leading up to the massacre. During a Texas State Senate hearing investigating the response to the shooting, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Col. Steve McCraw, said that after the shooting at least six individuals told him Ramos had worried them. McCraw said that those worries had only been voiced to him after the shooting, and that no reports about Ramos had been made prior. He also pointed out that Ramos' disturbing behavior was well known in the small town of 17,000, referencing footage of the shooter holding a bag of dead cats that was posted online. McCraw also speculated that the draw of instant notoriety enabled by the internet and social media may have played a factor in Ramos' decision to carry out the shooting. Meanwhile, Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin announced on Wednesday night that the Robb Elementary School where the shooting took place will be demolished. Salvador Ramos, 18. A Uvalde teacher told Texas Department of Public Safety director Col. Steve McCraw that Ramos had begun 'dressing like school shooter' before the massacre Texas Department of Public Safety director Col. Steve McCraw speaking at the Texas State Senate hearing investigating the response to the shooting on Tuesday Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin announced on Wednesday night that the Robb Elementary School where the shooting took place will be demolished McCraw said that he had interviewed between 500 and 700 people as a part of the ongoing investigation into the May 24 shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. McCraw told the Texas Senate hearing that a teacher told him that Ramos, 18, 'was the student who scared her the most,' and that he had started 'dressing like a mass shooter' before the attack. 'Out of all these interviews, how many times did they tell you he was the one they were worried about?' Texas senator Paul Bettencourt asked McCraw. 'Several times. We had one teacher who said she was always worried about him,' McCraw answered, 'He was the one student who scared her most. We discussed, as I mentioned earlier, last year he started dressing like a school shooter, started acting like a school shooter.' Bettencourt characterized incident of Ramos holding a bag of dead cats as 'animal abuse' and 'abhorrent behavior.' That nobody had reported Ramos behavior or their fears about him, Bettencourt said 'That's a major failure.' The release of an image from inside the school showing Arredondo's armed men doing nothing as the massacre unfolded - renewing concerns as to why cops didn't storm the room sooner McCraw said that he has interviewed between 500 and 700 people while investigating the shooting McCraw noted that despite multiple people telling him they'd been concerned about Ramos, no reports were made about him before the shooting Senator Charles Perry pressed McCraw about his thought's on Ramos' desire for notoriety, and whether access to audiences through social media may have spurned him to action. 'You mentioned a couple of times notoriety let me ask it this way regarding social media. It plays into human nature, men specifically, about wanting to leave their mark, wanting to be significant, wanting that purpose, wanting to be something. And that can be good or bad,' Perry said. 'Do you think the social media aspect of the platform - and it's just been relevant up in the last 30 years, right? I'm 60 - we had these individuals who weren't treated right or felt like they were mistreated or had issues, but they didn't have a platform.' 'Do you think that the idea that this guy knew the minute he pulled the trigger that he just got notoriety on a worldwide basis that will live unfortunately into perpetuity?' 'Absolutely,' McCraw said. 'You think that plays into the psyche?' asked Perry. 'Some of the statements he made would suggest exactly that,' McCraw said. Students fleeing the Robb Elementary School during the mass shooting while Ramos was still at large inside on May 24 During the hearing, McCraw become the latest to lay blame on the botched response on district police chief Pete Arredondo (above) McCraw also slammed police's response to the massacre as 'an abject failure,' and said that there had been enough cops at the scene to stop the gunman just three minutes into the shooting. 'Three minutes after the subject entered the west hallway, there was sufficient number of armed officers wearing body armor, to isolate distract and neutralize the subject,' McCraw told the committee while reviewing the timeline of the day's tragic events. The assertion saw McCraw become the latest to lay blame on the botched response on district police chief Pete Arredondo, who reportedly commanded cops on the scene to stay put and not confront gunman Salvadaor Ramos after the teen barricaded himself inside a filled fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary. McCraw reported that he spoke with numerous people who were aware of footage of Ramos holding a bag of dead cats that was posted online In a scathing speech, McCraw said the district chief 'decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children.' 'The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander, who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,' McCraw said. 'The officers had weapons - the children had none. The officers had body armor - the children had none.' 'The law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary was an abject failure and antithetical to everything we've learned over the last two decades since the Columbine Massacre,' McCraw declared. In another bombshell revelation, McCraw revealed that the door to the classroom that Ramos had been hiding behind had not been locked - contradicting earlier assertions from Arredondo's department that the chief had been frantically trying to track down keys for more than an hour, to open the fourth-grade classroom's door. There are fears it could worsen food crises in countries like Yemen and Ethiopia A Russian media chief has welcomed the prospect of a global famine caused by Moscow's grain blockade. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the news channel RT, made the sickening remarks on stage at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). She said she had heard several Russians say: 'All our hope is in the famine.' 'Here is what it means,' she told the forum. 'It means that the famine will start now and they will lift the sanctions and be friends with us, because they will realise it's necessary.' More than 20million tons of grain are trapped inside Ukraine after Russia blockaded the country's Black Sea ports. RT editor-in-chief and session moderator Margarita Simonyan attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022 A man processes wheat in Odesa, Ukraine, on June 17, 2022 as Russian-Ukrainian war continues Global food prices are spiralling as a result, and there are fears the shortages could trigger a global famine and worsen hunger crises in Yemen and Ethiopia. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called Africa 'a hostage' of the invasion while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell this week branded the Russian blockade 'a real war crime'. The United Nations is trying to mediate a deal between Ukraine, Russia and Turkey to get the grain out but has failed to make much headway so far. And US President Joe Biden has proposed a plan to export grain by rail, with temporary silos built along Ukraine's European border including in Poland. 'Here is what it means,' Simonyan told the forum. 'It means that the famine will start now and they will lift the sanctions and be friends with us, because they will realise it's necessary' Yesterday Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned there were only 'a number of weeks' left to act. She told the Commons: 'We are backing the UN plan, but we are also doing what we can with our allies to provide safe passage, to make sure that Odesa is fully defended.' Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has said there will be nowhere to put this year's crop because Ukrainian silos are still filled from the last harvest. Victoria has passed legislation banning the public display of the Nazi swastika. The bill, hailed as a 'thunderous blow' to white supremacists when it was introduced last month, was passed in parliament on Tuesday. Victoria has passed legislation banning the public display of the Nazi swastika It makes it a criminal offence for anyone to intentionally display the Nazi symbol in public, and those who do will face penalties of up to nearly $22,000, 12 months in jail, or both. People will only be charged if they do not comply with a police directive to remove the symbol. Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said the swastika glorified one of the most hateful ideologies in history, and its public display did nothing but cause further pain and division. 'It's a proud moment to see these important laws pass with bipartisan support," she said. 'I'm glad to see that no matter what side of politics, we can agree that this vile behaviour will not be tolerated in Victoria.' Religious versions of the symbol tied to Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths will remain legal. There will also be exemptions for historical, educational and artistic purposes, while memorabilia bearing the Nazi swastika can still be traded as long as the symbol is covered when on public display. The legislation will come into effect in six months' time to allow for a campaign about the origins of the religious and cultural swastika to be rolled out, the state government said. The Queen has been the best British monarch because she is transcendently boring, a leading historian said yesterday. While Tom Hollands assessment of the 96-year-old may not sound flattering, he explained that she was actually very intelligent, and the fact she never says anything interesting was heroic. He also said people will encounter a dislocating twist that the past has gone when she is no longer with us, and called her the model of a constitutional monarch. When asked to pick his favourite monarch since William the Conqueror, historian Tom Holland chose our reigning Queen because she was 'transcendently boring' which was also 'heroic'. His brother added that the Queen was notable for holding herself to a high moral standard unlike some in positions of power He was asked to pick the best monarch since William the Conqueror during a discussion at Chalke Valley History Festival with his brother James Holland, programme director of the event. Tom Holland, a historian and broadcaster who specialises in medieval history, said: She is transcendently boring. She never says anything interesting. We know that she is a very witty woman, very clever. She has persevered in an actually heroic show of being boring throughout her reign. His brother said the Queen was notable for holding herself to a high moral standard unlike some in positions of power. Meanwhile, the historian nominated Richard III as one of the worst monarchs but said King John narrowly outperformed him for sheer villainy. He also said it was unbelievable there was an infant and nursery school in Leicester named after Richard III. Tom Holland nominated Richard III as one of the worst reigning monarchs. He was widely believed to be responsible for the murders of his nephew, Edward V and brother, Richard of Shrewsbury. Holland said he 'had no doubt' he was responsible for their disappearance The monarch is widely believed to have been responsible for the murders of his nephews Edward V, 12, and his brother Richard of Shrewsbury, eight, known as the princes in the Tower. Tom Holland said he had no doubt that Richard III had been responsible for the disappearance of the two boys. Richard III, then Duke of Gloucester, was meant to be their protector but instead declared that they were illegitimate. The boys were last seen playing on the green at the Tower of London. Tom Holland said: He was a terrible king. If hed done his job, the Yorkist dynasty would have been absolutely secure, but because he grasps after the crown, he murders his nephews. He argued that this undermined his legitimacy and led even his own family to turn against him to side with the Tudors. Grace Tame has thrown herself behind a campaign to stop convicted paedophiles from avoiding paying damages to victims by hiding their assets in their superannuation. In several cases, victims whose lives were ruined by 'heinous' child sex abuse have been unable to receive full damages because their perpetrators moved assets to the safety of their super accounts. In some cases, convicted offenders who have protected their wealth from compensation actually return to living 'opulent lifestyles' after short jail terms, Ms Tame claimed. Grace Tame has thrown herself behind a campaign to stop convicted paedophiles from avoiding paying damages to victims by hiding their assets in their superannuation One survivor, Melissa Snelling, whose abuser shifted his assets into his superannuation before he was found guilty of persistent childhood sexual abuse against her, spoke out Ms Snelling said she did not have 'the chance to build a life' and is now unable to work and needs to pay for constant help from psychologists, support workers and counsellors At present, the law prevents a damages claim on superannuation, meaning victims exist in poverty even after a successful claim. The Super for Survivors Campaign has called on the Albanese Government to introduce a change to the Bankruptcy Act to shut the loophole. It would mean convicted paedophiles' super accounts would be a source of funds to pay compensation to their victims. A public petition supporting the campaign had reached 42,627 signatures as at Wednesday night. The change nearly became law in 2018, but there were concerns families of convicted criminals could suffer and once released from jail paedophiles could end up on welfare. Former magistrate Peter Liddy (pictured) was jailed for 25 years in 2001 for sexually abusing boys between 1969 and 1986. He often targeted his victims at an Adelaide surf life saving club during camping trips in the 80's 'Wouldn't you rather put a paedophile on welfare [than] a survivor whose fault it isn't?' Ms Tame said on 7.30. One survivor, Melissa Snelling, was unable to receive the full compensation due to her when her adoptive father, was found guilty of persistent sexual abuse against her. She told Daily Mail Australia the abuse occurred from 'as young as I can remember, maybe two and a half until I could escape at 23'. Ms Snelling said she did not have 'the chance to build a life' and is now unable to work and needs to pay for constant help from psychologists, support workers and counsellors. She also needed multiple surgeries, which she believes are connected to the abuse. 'Is there a day I won't suffer? I'm not sure about that, it's been a battle and I'm still battling,' Ms Snelling said. Her abuser, who was sentenced to seven years eight months jail in 2019, has superannuation funds that his adoptive daughter cannot access. Lawyer Andrew Carpenter, who represented Melissa Snelling, wants to see convicted paedophiles superannuation made available to victims' compensation claims Super for Survivors is backed by the Grace Tame Foundation, with Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia and The Carly Ryan Foundation. They want a change to the law to stop convicted sex offenders from avoiding paying full compensation Ms Tame said given the 'calculated, premeditated' nature of child sex abuse that leaves victims suffering 'a life sentence' of trauma, there is 'no question' the change should happen. The campaign claims 'high-powered recidivist offenders can appear cash-poor on paper. This allows them to return to their opulent lifestyles financially unscathed immediately after completing typically short sentences.' Peter Liddy and Maurice van Ryn were both high-profile paedophiles whose superannuation was unavailable when compensation was paid to their many victims. Liddy, a former Magistrate, was jailed for 25 years in 2001 for sexually abusing boys between 1969 and 1986. He often targeted his victims at an Adelaide surf life-saving club during camping trips in the 80s. Van Ryn was jailed for at least 13 years in 2015 after pleading guilty to assault offences on children between the ages of eight and 16. The disgraced sex offender has tried to escape compensating the young people he abused by claiming he was down to his last $26,000, however, is believed to have prior shareholdings worth around $9 million. A lawyer also involved, Andrew Carpenter, told Daily Mail Australia he is ready to fly to Canberra and meet assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones. 'Here's the deal: this will save taxpayers billions, it will punish paedophiles and act as a deterrent,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's an absolute no-brainer, the only people against the change are paedophiles.' The organisations behind the Super for Survivors campaign want to meet urgently with deputy treasurer Stephen Jones (pictured left, with governor general David Hurley in June 2022) 'We often see offenders get short sentence whereas victims have a lifetime sentence of injuries sustained.' 'We're saying [the change] should be for child sex offences only because such actions against a child have zero legal justification, whereas in a murder, you can argue mitigating factors, but they're never any justification for child sex abuse.' Super for Survivors is backed by the Grace Tame Foundation, with Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia and The Carly Ryan Foundation. In a statement provided to the ABC, Mr Jones said Daily Mail Australia approached Treasury and Stephen Jones for comment. A notorious vegan activist and OnlyFans star has opened up about her topless protests and how the stunts have made her relationship with her boyfriend stronger. Dubbed the nation's biggest pest by Western Australian authorities, Tash Peterson has endured numerous brushes with the law and caused a stir on the streets of Perth with her regular animal rights stunts. She also flaunts her body on adult site OnlyFans to raise awareness for the cause to her growing fanbase of almost 10,000 followers. But Ms Peterson has the full support of boyfriend Jack Higgs, who not only does her body paint, but also films her semi-naked protests. The outspoken activist makes no apologies for the extraordinary lengths she goes to get her message across, despite constant death threats, abuse and countless court appearances. 'I use my body to raise awareness for those who have no bodily autonomy, whether it be topless or close to being nude and I think it works brilliantly to raise awareness for animals,' Ms Peterson told The Project. Tash Peterson (pictured) makes headline regularly with her topless and semi-naked protests She insists her boyfriend has no problem with her flaunting her body in public and on OnlyFans. 'It's well known for being a porn platform but I've used it as a way to make money to do what I want to do full-time for animal rights, she said. 'He doesn't see it as cheating and supports me for doing what I want to do with my body. Mr Higgs admits he understands why other men would have concerns about their girlfriends exposing their bodies. 'Seeing Tash half naked or even fully naked with lingerie on in public I can imagine would be difficult for some boyfriends,' he said. 'However, I found it quite strengthening for our relationship.' 'At the start, it might have been a little bit weird. We were unsure about it but we realised there is nothing wrong with it.' 'It is an expression of Tash's body and she uses it confidently so I admire that.' Jack Higgs (left) has no problems with partner Tash Peterson flaunting her body in public Mr Higgs is also a vegan himself. 'There's a lot public backlash so I want to be there for that,' he said. But Tash is a strong person and she wants me to stand back and capture everything.' 'I want to be there exposing everything what's going on because this because this kind of public backlash is the thing we want to be exposing as well. Ms Peterson also shared a softer and vulnerable side, admitting she hasn't always been comfortable about being the centre of attention. 'People think I'm loud and outspoken because I'm an activist, but the real me and the me as a child was very quiet and shy,' she said. I wanted to be with animals and I didn't care for being around other humans.' Ms Peterson opened up about death threats and shocking abuse she receives online on a daily basis from not only men but also women. 'I've been called every name under the sun from a w**** to s**t and s***k,' she said. 'I was told to kill myself. I've actually had direct threats from people who said they were going to come to my house and rape and murder me.' She's also had animal bodies and excrement thrown in her driveway after her address and phone number were posted online. Jack Higgs paints his partner's body for a semi-naked protest outside a Perth McDonalds The notorious vegan activist (pictured) is on OnlyFans to raise awareness about animal rights Ms Peterson is no stranger to controversy since her instant decision overnight to stop eating meat and become a vegan at the age of 23 after a documentary changed her life five years ago. Her antics have led police and policymakers in WA to describe her as 'Australia's biggest pest'. Ms Peterson has copped several fines for her semi-nude demonstrations which she has executed in designer stores, restaurants and supermarkets. Last August, she marched topless through a Louis Vuitton store in Perth while smeared with her own menstrual blood. which later saw her fined $3,500 by a Perth magistrate. The activist has also dressed up as a cow and demonstrated in the meat section of supermarkets, invaded the pitch at an AFLW match, and donned a blood-soaked apron while screaming at patrons in a KFC and Coles. She also faced trial for a December 2020 protest at the Boatshed Markets in Cottesloe where she also appeared shirtless, with her chest painted in a cow pattern, and yelled at shoppers that cows were being raped for meat and dairy. Tash Peterson's regular semi-naked and topless stunts in Perth are filmed by her boyfriend She and her partner were also thrown out of an IGA supermarket in southern WA earlier this year for refusing to wear a face mask, calling her treatment an 'injustice' and a breach of her 'human rights'. She told Daily Mail Australia at the time they were 'caught off guard' by Premier Mark McGowan's face mask mandate when they entered the store as they had not seen many people wearing them days earlier and had dined at a cafe where they didn't need them. She most recently led a semi-nude demonstration at Perth's Hay Street Mall, where she refused calls police who ask her to cover up her chest covered only with pink body paint. Ms Peterson has warned everyone her brushes with the law won't end anytime soon. 'There will be a lot of criminal charges in the future and so many court cases after that, giving me a platform to spread my message for animals,' she told The Project. I'll keep going until I can really until the day I die, I want to keep speaking up for animals. 'I hope to see animal liberation a lot sooner so I don't have to be doing it for the rest of my life.' Advertisement Tributes were paid at the funeral of Irish TV journalist Aideen Kennedy - who was the last surviving sibling of four children, all of whom died before the age of 45 - in a tragic turn of events for her heartbroken parents. Mother-of-two Ms Kennedy, 43, was best known from her time as a reporter with UTV, the ITV region covering Northern Ireland, but sadly died in hospital last week just hours after revealing on Twitter that she was receiving palliative care for a terminal illness. Ms Kennedy, from Belfast, was the last surviving sibling of four children. She, her sister Fiona and brothers Rory and Dara have all now died before their parents, Maura and Noel. The reporter's older sister, Fiona, died from cancer in 2016 at the age of 44, less than a year after their brother Dara died from a brain tumour aged 35. Their older brother Rory was killed in a road accident when he was just a year old. Retired cleric Father Sean McCartney, who also presided at the funerals of Fiona and Dara, told the congregation for a Requiem Mass at the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast that he was not aware of another couple who had suffered so much loss. 'I've officiated at three of Maura and Noel's children, of Dara and Fiona and now Aideen - it's very difficult for me but so much more difficult for Maura and Noel,' he said. 'And I'm just delighted to be of some comfort and some support to them at this very difficult time. 'I know of no other couple who have suffered the loss of all of their children at any particular time.' Tributes were paid at the funeral for Irish TV journalist and mother-of-two Aideen Kennedy (pictured), who died aged 43 last week, describing her as an 'inspiration' who lit up every room she entered. Mourners are pictured at the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast The 43-year-old, who was best known from her time as a reporter with UTV, the ITV region covering Northern Ireland, died in hospital last week, hours after revealing on Twitter that she was receiving palliative care for a terminal illness Aideen, her sister Fiona and brothers Rory and Dara have all now died before their parents, Maura (right) and Noel (left), pictured at the Requiem Mass at the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast Ms Kennedy, from Belfast, was the last surviving sibling of four children. Pictured is her casket at the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast on Tuesday During his homily, Fr McCartney referred to an interview Ms Kennedy gave to a Belfast newspaper several years ago. In the article she described herself as someone who loved friends and family, who hated inequality and prejudice, and whose main regret in life was being unable to go back in time to say sorry to anyone she had hurt. 'What an inspiration,' said the cleric. He added: 'Her answer to those three questions just sums up the sort of person she was. Retired cleric Father Sean McCartney, who also presided at the funerals of Aideen's (pictured as a reporter at UTV) siblings Fiona and Dara, told the congregation at the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast that he was not aware of another couple who had suffered so much loss The coffin of Aideen Kennedy leaves Good Shepherd Church in Belfast on Tuesday following a Reqiuem Mass A photo of the journalist, with her children, Jacob and Eva, was placed at the front of the church, close to her wicker coffin 'When Noel rang me on Friday to say that Aideen had died, to say the least I was shocked, I was without words. 'I couldn't believe that Maura and Noel... that they would suffer the death of their fourth [child], all their children. 'Noel said to me "It's God's will". 'Well, I'm not happy about that phrase "It's God's will". It's used very often, but I struggle to know how it's God's will, how a mother of two young children in her early 40s... that that's God's will that she should be taken from us at this particular time. Former SDLP MP Dr Joe Hendron is pictured for the Requiem Mass for Aideen Kennedy, who died age 43 last week of an unknown terminal illness Also in attendance of Aideen's service on Tuesday was Councillor Seamas de Faoite (right), Permanent Secretary of the Department of Justice, Northern Ireland Richard Pengelly and Emma Little-Pengelly 'But it just shows you there are some questions that there are not really satisfactory answers to on this side of the grave. 'I certainly struggle. I always struggle with the death of a young mother particularly, (but also) any parent.' Fr McCartney spoke of the outpouring of 'warm tributes' to Ms Kennedy since her death, which characterised her as someone who 'lit up every room she went into'. He said he was particularly impressed by the words of her long-time friend, DUP MLA Emma Little Pengelly, who described her as 'beautiful, funny and kind'. British politician and former broadcaster, Michael Nesbitt, who was the Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party was also seen leaving the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast, as well as Jayne Brady, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (pictured) Former UTV colleagues were among those who joined Ms Kennedy's friends and family at Tuesday morning's funeral to say a final farewell, including news presenter Paul Clarke (pictured) Former UTV colleagues were among those who joined Ms Kennedy's friends and family at Tuesday morning's funeral to say a final farewell, including news presenter Paul Clarke. Also in attendance of Aideen's service on Tuesday was Councillor Seamas de Faoite, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Justice, Northern Ireland Richard Pengelly, Emma Little-Pengelly, and former SDLP MP Dr Joe Hendron. British politician and former broadcaster, Michael Nesbitt, who was the Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party was also seen leaving the Good Shepherd Church in Belfast, as well as Jayne Brady, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. A photo of the journalist, with her children, Jacob and Eva, was placed at the front of the church, close to her wicker coffin. Her passing comes after she asked fans to 'say prayers' for her in a Tuesday Twitter post, where she told her 16,600 followers she had been in hospital Irish TV presenter Aideen Kennedy, known for her career at UTV, has died aged 43 following a terminal illness Aideen Kennedy, who died aged 43 last week, poses for a selfie alongside her children Jacob And Eva Writing on Twitter on Friday about receiving palliative care, Ms Kennedy asked her followers to 'keep an eye out' for her children, whom she described as the 'kindest, sweetest most thoughtful kiddies'. At the weekend, Ms Kennedy's former employer said the UTV family was 'deeply saddened' at the death of their friend. 'A truly gifted reporter, she spent many years at UTV bringing viewers stories from all over Northern Ireland,' the broadcaster said in a statement. Amber Heard is in talks to write a tell-all book to boost her income after her $8 million defamation suit loss against ex-husband Johnny Depp, reports say. A source close to the Aquaman star claimed the 36-year-old actress was 'broke' and not 'in a position to turn down money.' They said she 'considers her career in Hollywood over' and 'has nothing to lose' following a disastrous few months. The news comes after Heard admitted through her lawyer that she cannot afford the $8.3 million in damages awarded to Depp on June 1 during their defamation battle. The actress has since been spotted bargain shopping at discount store TJ Maxx in New York. Amber Heard (pictured) is reportedly in talks to write a tell-all book in order to earn money and pay the $8.3 million in damages owed to ex-husband Johnny Depp It is unclear whether Depp (pictured on Sunday) will enforce the ruling and ask Heard to pay the high sum of money in its totality The 36-year-old actress and her sister indulged in an evening of bargain shopping at the Bridgehampton retail store The insider told OK! Magazine: 'Amber considers her career in Hollywood over. She's already in talks and is excited about it. At this point, she has nothing to lose and wants to tell all.' Speaking in her first public interview last week since her court loss, Heard had claimed she was 'terrified' of telling her side of the story, where she accused Depp and physically and sexually assaulting her throughout their tumultuous marriage. Heard told Dateline she had been wounded by the 'hate and vitriol' directed at her, but did not regret bringing the case to court despite her loss and its high publicity. 'I know the scariest, most intimidating thing for anybody talking about sexual violence is not being believed, being called a liar, or being humiliated,' she said. Heard said she was not speaking out because she was 'vindictive'. 'This would be a really lousy way of getting vengeance,' she said. 'As silly as it is to say this out loud, my goal is - I just want people to see me as a human being.' Despite continuing to air her allegations, Heard insisted that she wants nothing more than to move on with her life, telling Guthrie: 'I look forward to living my life and I have a long one, I hope, in front of me. And I will continue to walk through this with my chin up.' Going back on her statement to write a tell-all could land Heard into hot water again, according to Dror Bike, a New York divorce lawyer and best-selling author. 'Depp and his attorneys will be reading and listening to everything that Heard states,' author Dror Bikel told OK! 'If she crosses the line, which is likely, there is no question that will be hit with another defamation suit and end up right back in court.' Heard could also stand to face yet another backlash from the public, which slammed her for repeating her allegations against Depp during her Dateline interview. The 36-year-old actress' legal team attempted to submit years of her therapist's notes documenting her claims of abuse as evidence in the case against 59-year-old Depp (pictured in court). However a judge ruled that they were 'hearsay' and banned them from the trial Heard (left) was seen wearing her hair up in a bun, a white shirt and a pair of baggy jeans, a sharp contrast from her very elaborated court outfits and hairstyles. She was with her with her sister, Whitney Henriquez (right) At one point, Henriquez pulled her shopping car to the side so an older woman could see in the mirror if her potential purchase favored her It is unclear whether Depp will enforce the ruling and ask Heard to pay the high sum of money in its totality. His lawyers have hinted that might not be the case, saying his motivation behind the lawsuit, which was to restore his reputation after Heard raised claims of domestic abuse in a 2016 Washington Op-ed, has already been achieved. It would come as a relief to Heard after she was already spotted penny pinching while out bargain shopping at a TJ Maxx in New York earlier this week. The 36-year-old actress and her sister, Whitney Henriquez, indulged in an evening of bargain shopping at the Bridgehampton retail store, TMZ reported. According to the outlet, the sisters were seen perusing racks for clothes and discussing white linen pants. Heard has publicly admitted she cannot pay Depp (right) after the jury awarded him $10 million and her only $2 million in their highly publicized court battle Heard has handed over the notes (pictured) to NBC's Dateline as part of a wide-ranging sit-down interview with Savannah Guthrie, which aired last week According to Guthrie and Dateline, which was given access to the so-called 'binder', the notes contain descriptions of violence dating back to January 2012, when 'Heard told her therapist Depp 'hit her, threw her on the floor'' Since the trials conclusion, heard also released a 'binder full' of notes from her therapist, which she claims is fresh evidence proving her allegations of physical and sexual abuse against her Depp - despite the notes already being dismissed by the judge. Heard turned over 'years' worth' of notes taken by her therapist detailing instances when she says the actor 'hit her, threw her against a wall, and threatened to kill her'. However, the judge in her trial against Depp had already dismissed the notes as 'hearsay' and barred her legal team from submitting the documents as evidence. Nevertheless, the actress has now gone public with the binder, which 'dates back to 2011 from the very beginning of her relationship'. The notes contain descriptions of violence dating back to January 2012, when 'Heard told her therapist Depp 'hit her, threw her on the floor.'' Eight months after that he 'ripped her nightgown, threw her on the bed' and then in 2013 'he threw her against a wall and threatened to kill her', the notes allege. Commentary: U.S. hegemonic calculations behind Xinjiang lies are pure wishful thinking Xinhua) 14:25, June 22, 2022 URUMQI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States' so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" that entered into effect on Tuesday is nothing but a weapon wielded by Washington to contain China and eke out its struggling hegemony. The act is based on lies, loaded with ulterior motives and doomed to fail. Based on the so-called act, U.S. Customs and Border Protection started imposing a ban on imports of all products related to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The ban, a typical example of economic coercion, has explicitly demonstrated that the U.S. is practicing unilateralism, protectionism and bullying in the name of "human rights," seriously undermining market principles and violating the rules of the World Trade Organization. Truth speaks for itself. Forced labor is explicitly prohibited under Chinese law. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are pursuing a better life through their own hard work with all rights and interests protected by law. One example of the enormous progress Xinjiang has made in promoting human rights and improving people's well-being is that from 1978 to 2020, the per capita disposable income of residents in both urban and rural areas of the region saw an increase of over 100 times. The fabrication of the so-called forced labor are fundamentally untrue. The U.S. ban may deprive people in Xinjiang of their rights to work and develop, and result in forced unemployment and even a return to poverty. The real intention of the U.S. is to discredit China's image, interfere in its internal affairs, curb its development, and undermine Xinjiang's prosperity and stability. Does Washington sincerely care about labor rights? No. The label of "forced labor" fits the United States itself perfectly. Studies have shown that nearly 100,000 people are smuggled into the United States as forced laborers each year. Rather, what it really cares about is how to protect its hegemonic self-interests. Even U.S. officials have admitted that they fabricated lies, including those claiming there is "forced labor" and "ethnic genocide" in Xinjiang, to create ethnic tensions and undermine China's social stability. Such calculations are nothing but wishful thinking. Fundamentally speaking, clouds can never hide the sun forever. Lies and rumors will eventually shatter into pieces in front of facts and truth. In recent years, more than 2,000 experts, scholars, journalists, diplomats and religious personnel from over 100 countries have visited Xinjiang. They have seen first-hand facts about social stability, economic development and people's lives in Xinjiang. At the UN Human Rights Council, almost 100 countries unanimously expressed support for the Chinese government's policy in Xinjiang, and voiced opposition to interference in China's internal affairs in the name of human rights. As the world's top economies, China and the U.S. need to respect each other, coexist in peace and avoid confrontation, and the two sides should increase communication and dialogue at all levels and in all fields. With the world facing grave challenges, both countries have an important role to play in maintaining global peace and prosperity. "The question is," as a recent South China Morning Post opinion piece said, "will the U.S. understand this before it's too late?" (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) The number of COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom is going up again, according to government data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported an estimated total of 989,800 people in the UK that contracted the disease in the week ending June 2, which is a jump from the previous week's number of 953,900, according to National World. This is the first time overall infections have increased week on week since the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave in late March when the number reached a record 4.9 million. The newer BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants, which were recently recognized as "variants of concern" by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), are likely to be blamed for the surge in infections. Both variants have a "growth advantage" over BA.2 and a degree of "immune escape," which means the immune system can no longer recognize or fight a virus, according to the UKHSA. This is likely to contribute to their growth advantage over BA.2. BA.4 and BA.5 are not known to be any more harmful than other COVID-19 strains, but they seem to be more contagious and can infect patients who have recently contracted another Omicron variant. According to a study published in The Lancet journal, the Omicron variant is less likely to induce Long COVID symptoms. Experts define Long COVID as having symptoms for four weeks or more. Depending on age and time since vaccination, the researchers discovered that the probabilities of suffering from Long COVID were 20-50 % lower during the Omicron period compared to the Delta period. Mint reported that one in every 23 patients who had Omicron can experience COVID-19 symptoms lasting more than four weeks, according to lead author Claire Steves of King's College London, UK. Steves also noted that Omicron seems to be "substantially less likely to cause Long COVID than previous variants." Even patients who have had three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are not resistant to contracting the virus again, according to health experts, albeit the symptoms should be less severe. Omicron Infection Symptoms In Fully Vaccinated Individuals To help the public in detecting infection, researchers in Norway determined crucial Omicron symptoms that are most common among persons fully vaccinated. Read Also: Sudden Adult Death Syndrome: What You Should Know and Believe About This Mystery Disease Rampant Among Young People? They identified eight symptoms of infection in those who had been twice jabbed, according to the findings published in the medical journal Eurosurveillance. As per a report from The Independent, public health experts identified the following COVID-19 Omicron Variant symptoms most common among fully vaccinated individuals: a persistent cough runny nose fatigue sore throat headache muscle pain fever sneezing nausea Coughs, runny noses, and exhaustion were the most prevalent symptoms among the vaccinated ones while sneezing and fever were the least common. According to Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of the South African Medical Association, fatigue was one of the prominent symptoms of the COVID-19 Omicron Variant when it emerged in South Africa. US COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout For Kids Under 5 Begins Meanwhile, CNN reported that COVID-19 immunization for children under five will begin across the United States on Tuesday, marking a significant measure forward in the fight against the infection. Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations for Moderna's vaccine to accommodate children aged six months to 17 years, and for Pfizer/vaccine BioNTech's to include kids aged six months to 4 years. Then, on Saturday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approved the COVID-19 vaccine for children five years old and below. The measure will benefit around 17 million children under the age of 5. Related Article: North Korea Struggles Against an Unidentified Epidemic Amid COVID-19 Onslaught @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A 27-year-old refugee who fled the Taliban has become Australia's first hijab-wearing senator. Labor's Fatima Payman was elected to WA's sixth senate seat after election results were finalised on Monday. She is the third youngest Australian senator in history. Union organiser Ms Payman was five years old when her family fled the Taliban in Afghanistan and moved over to Pakistan. The Taliban had targeted the family because her grandfather was a member of the Afghan parliament. Her father, a key inspiration for the new senator, then left for Australia by boat, vowing to find 'a better life for his children'. Ms Payman, the eldest of four children, followed her father's footsteps three years later, with the family settling in the northern suburbs of Perth. The new senator is proud of her heritage but told the Guardian after her election win that she is 'Australian first'. Labor's Fatima Payman, 27, was elected to WA's sixth senate seat after election results were finalised on Monday She will be the first hijab-wearing senator to sit in Australia's parliament after her victory Union organiser Ms Payman was five years old (pictured) when her family fled the Taliban in Afghanistan and moved over to Pakistan 'Yes, I am the first hijab-wearing woman in parliament, but it was my Labor values that carried me here,' she said. 'Before I am Afghan, or a migrant or a Muslim, I am an Australian Labor senator, I do really want to emphasise that. I believe that everyone deserves a fair go in life despite where they came from and what they believe in, their sexual orientation, age or ability.' Ms Payman also took aim at Pauline Hanson, the re-elected One Nation senator who wore a burqa in the Senate as part of a political stunt calling for it to be banned. Ms Payman joked Ms Hanson had 'stolen her thunder' but said she'd 'teach her how I wear my hijab'. The newly-elected senator has previously spoken about how her father instilled in her values of 'hard work and perseverance'. He was also 'obsessed' with politics and would often discuss it at the dinner table. Her father worked several jobs after making it to Australia, working as a kitchen hand, security guard and a taxi driver. Her mother, who looked after the family, also started a business giving driving lessons. Ms Payman lost her father to leukemia in 2018, something that pushed her towards politics. The new senator is proud of her heritage but told the Guardian after her election win that she is 'Australian first' The newly-elected senator has previously spoken about how her father instilled in her values of 'hard work and perseverance' She worked as an organiser at United Workers Union with her Labor profile saying she wanted to represent people 'like her Dad and other hard working Australians, striving to make ends meet and giving life their best shot'. Ms Payman has done volunteering by tutoring high school students and has worked with WA Police to help them 'better understand the barriers faced by youth and culturally diverse communities'. 'I am really excited to get involved, learn as much as I can and start to make a difference, because that is exactly why I put my hand up in the first place,' she told the Guardian after her election win. 'My mum was bawling. I honestly would do anything to know or see my dad's reaction. I know he would be so proud of me. He would feel that this has been an unreal journey.' A man will face court today after he allegedly doused a one-year-old girl in petrol before hitting her mother over the head with a glass as she desperately tried to wash the toxic substance off the child's face. Police were called to a home in Mount Saint Thomas in Wollongong, south of Sydney, just after 8pm on Tuesday over reports of a domestic assault. The man, aged 41, is accused of verbally abusing the 48-year-old woman at the home, before the mother and daughter fled into another room. A man has been charged after he allegedly doused a one-year-old girl in petrol , and hit her mother over the head with a glass at a home in Wollongong, NSW The mother tried to use a pram to barricade the door but the man allegedly forced his way in and poured petrol over the child. As the mum tried to wash the fuel off her daughter's face, police allege the man then smashed a glass over her head. The mother and daughter were able to flee the home and call police. The one-year-old was treated by paramedics and did not need to go to hospital. The man was charged with three counts of assault, destroy or damage property and stalk or intimidate with the intention to cause fear and physical harm. He was refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday. Donald Trump's losing streak continued in Georgia after two of his endorsed congressional candidates faltered in their GOP run-off elections, however his backing remained powerful in Alabama. Emergency room physician Rich McCormick defeated attorney Jake Evans on Tuesday despite the former president calling the Republican a 'MAGA warrior' in a rally the night before. McCormick beat Evans by a 20-point margin in race for the state's the 6th District in Atlanta's northern suburbs. Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones was also defeated in the 10th District of east Atlanta by trucking company owner Mike Collins. Trump had persuaded Jones to run for the seat and drop his long-shot bid for governor to clear the field for his chosen candidate, former Sen. David Perdue. Perdue lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who endorsed Collins. The seat is being vacated by Republican Rep. Jody Hice, who also lost his bid to unseat Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another top Trump target. Despite Tuesday's loses, Trump took a win in Alabama after attorney and businesswoman Katie Britt beat Rep. Mo Brooks for the Senate nomination, who saw his poll numbers dip after the former president withdrew his endorsement. Emergency room physician Rich McCormick defeated Donald Trump-backed attorney Jake Evans in Georgia's congressional race. He is pictured celebrating at his campaign headquarters on Tuesday McCormick and Evans were the two top finishers in Georgia's primary election which took place on May 24. However, neither candidate received enough votes to reach the 50 percent threshold required to win the primary, thus triggering the runoff election. McCormick, who secured the Republican bid for Georgia's Sixth Congressional District on Tuesday, celebrated the victory from his campaign headquarters. 'We've got a job to dolet's start doing it,' he said, according to Fox 5 Joi Dukes who posted a brief video clip of his speech on Twitter. The former military pilot and emergency room physician was met with cheers and applause following his remarks. He previously ran for Congress in 2020. He lost the bid for the state's Seventh Congressional District in a narrow race against Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. McCormick (right) beat Evans (left) by a 20-point margin in the runoff primary race on Tuesday. The pair had been the two top finishers in Georgia's primary election which took place on May 24 but neither had secured the 50% threshold needed to win. They are pictured during a debate on June 6 McCormick thanked Georgia voters for making him their Republican nominee McCormick was endorsed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and a handful of Georgia congressional members, including Reps. Jody Hice, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Buddy Carter, in this latest race. The runoff between McCormick and Evans centered on their Republican ideals, with both candidates alleging the other was not conservative enough. His opponent was backed by Trump. The former president held a tele-rally Monday night, calling on his supporters to vote for Evans. 'Jake has been a fearless defender of our Constitution,' Trump said during the event. 'Jake risked his entire career he took a big risk, his entire career actually to fight for election integrity for Pennsylvania's illegal and unconstitutional election law changes all the way to the United States Supreme Court.' Trump called Evans a 'MAGA warrior' and argued the Georgia lawyer would be elected to office and do an 'incredible job.' Evans (right) was backed by former President Donald Trump (left) who called the attorney a 'MAGA Warrior' during a tele-rally on Monday. The pair are pictured together in an undated photo 'Jake will be your congressman. I think he will do an incredible job,' the former president said Monday night. 'The media's been very tough on him.' 'He's a good person, he's a great gentleman, and he's got a great future, so I support Jake Evans.' Evans, who appeared alongside Trump at the virtual event, alleged the former president's endorsement had 'catapulted' his campaign. He urged 'every patriot' to show up to the polls to support him in Tuesday's race and argued that he, unlike McCormick, would fight for the people of Georgia. 'There's a stark contrast in this race between a strident conservative, someone that's going to fight for you, fight against the establishment, and then there's another candidate who is more squishy, someone who is bought out by special interests,' Evans said. Trump-backed Vernon Jones was also beat in Tuesday's election. Trump had persuaded Jones to run against trucking company owner Mike Collins. Trump (right) and Jones (left) are pictured together in January 2022 Jones is pictured with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. on March 7, 2022 Vernon Jones took to Twitter Tuesday night saying that although he lost to Mac Collins the 'fire in my belly for the America First movement will never be extinguished' Trump-backed Jones was also beat in Tuesday's election by trucking company owner Collins, the son of former congressman Mac Collins. Collins had taken the first-place spot in the May primary against Jones and several other Republicans. But, he fell short of the majority support needed to secure the nomination. The businessman had been endorsement by Gov. Kemp, which analysts allege turned the runoff into a 'proxy war' between Trump and Georgia's leader. 'I'm proud to endorse Mike Collins to be the next congressman for Georgia's 10th Congressional District,' Kemp said in a statement last week. 'I will be casting my ballot for Mike Collins in the June 21st GOP runoff, and I ask fellow Republicans across the district to join me in sending a trusted conservative to Washington!' Kemp had successfully defeated Trump-endorsed candidate Perdue in Georgia's gubernatorial primary on May 24. Political analysts allege that due to the way the 10th District is drawn to elect Republicans, Collins will 'cruise to victory' in November's election. Although Trump's losing streak continued in Georgia after he had two bruising defeats in the state's primaries, the ex-president saw success in Alabama. Katie Britt has won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama, defeating six-term Congressman Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his endorsement. She is pictured celebrating her victory Tuesday night Katie Britt has won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama, defeating six-term Congressman Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his endorsement. The loss ends a turbulent campaign for Brooks, a conservative firebrand who had fully embraced Trump's election lies and had run under the banner 'MAGA Mo.' Trump initially endorsed Brooks in the spring of 2021, rewarding an ardent champion of his baseless claims of a stolen election. Brooks had voted against certifying Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory and delivered a fiery speech at the rally before the U.S. Capitol insurrection, telling the crowd, 'Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking a**.' But nearly a year later, Trump rescinded his support after the pair's relationship soured and as the conservative firebrand languished in the polls. Trump blamed his decision on comments Brooks had made months earlier, at an August rally, when he said it was time for the party to move on from litigating the 2020 presidential race - comments Trump claimed showed Brooks, one of the most conservative members of Congress, had gone 'woke.' Katie Britt's campaign thanked her supporters after she was declared victorious in Alabama's primary runoff race on Tuesday Rep. Mo Brooks issued a concession tweet Tuesday. The loss ends a turbulent campaign for Brooks, a conservative firebrand who had fully embraced Trump's election lies and had run under the banner 'MAGA Mo' The move was widely seen as an effort by Trump to save face amid other losses, and Brooks alleged that it came after he informed Trump that there was no way to 'rescind' the 2020 election, remove Biden from power, or hold a new special election for the presidency. Trump's un-endorsement was widely expected to end Brooks' campaign. Instead, Brooks managed to finish second in the state's May 24 primary, earning 29 percent of the vote to Britt's 45 percent and forcing a runoff. Brooks tried once again to get Trump to endorse him, but Trump, who has had a mixed record in backing winning candidates, instead chose Britt, Shelby's former chief of staff. While Brooks, 68, and Britt, 40, have similar views, their race represents a clash between two wings of the party and different generations. Brooks, who is known for his bombastic oratory style, has described the race as a battle for the soul of Republican Party, pitting the 'true conservative' wing against establishment members of the GOP. He has disparaged Britt as a RINO - the GOP pejorative meaning 'Republican in name only' - and maintained he is the only one with a proven conservative record. Congratulations to Next USA Senator Katie Britt for Alabama Posted by Mamun Siddiq on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 The six-term congressman and founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus also made his opposition to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a pillar of his campaign, embarking on a 'Fire McConnell Tour' of town halls. He has the backing of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who say he would be a needed hard-line addition to the Senate. 'This is a race about conservatives versus the establishment,' Paul said Friday in north Alabama. 'We need a fighter. We're not going to get it if you send us any old Republican. We need a fighter like Mo Brooks.' Britt, meanwhile, has cast herself as a new generation of conservative leaders. She has the endorsement of Shelby and other establishment Republicans, but stresses her own social conservative beliefs and has tried to paint Brooks as a career politician. 'People want new blood. They want fresh blood. They want someone that will go to D.C., fight for their values and fight for the hard-working people of Alabama,' Britt told reporters Tuesday as she voted with her husband, former New England Patriot player Wesley Britt, and two children. Australia must quickly transition to renewable energy to avoid future blackouts, according to Chris Bowen and the boss of the energy market operator. Last week cold winter weather, failures at coal-fired power stations, low wind and solar output and high global gas prices created an energy crisis on Australia's east coast. With generators refusing to provide power because they would make a loss, the Australian Energy Market Operator suspended the spot market in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria for the first time ever. The national electricity market was suspended for the first time ever. Pictured: Bondi residents wrapped up warm on a cold morning Today the operator said the market would be restored by Friday morning after blackouts were avoided following its intervention. CEO Daniel Westerman said the way to avoid such a crisis in the future is to move away from coal-fired power. About 25 per cent of Australia's coal power capacity has been missing in recent weeks due to planned and unexpected outages at ageing power stations. 'This situation is caused by a multitude of factors. Yes, ageing plants which break down and have more maintenance issues is an issue,' he said. 'The war in Ukraine and the impact of global commodity prices is an issue, yes. 'It points to the long term answer which is a transition to firmed renewables and transmission. 'That is the long term answer to delink us from international price shocks, as well as ageing infrastructure.' The new Labor government wants 82 per cent of Australia's to come from renewables by 2030. Energy Minister Bowen said: 'This is a transformation which we need to get moving on.' Of the renewable sources, solar makes up about 37 per cent and wind 36 per cent. Pictured: A Wind farm in Tasmania He has backed a 'capacity mechanism' which would pay generators to provide extra power during the transition to keep the lights on. 'We need to make faster progress on the transformation and we need the capacity mechanism to help us do that to provide that safety net underneath as we engage in this significant transformation to a more renewable economy, a more renewable energy system with more storage,' he said. 'I have made clear, and ministers have made clear, we want the capacity mechanism to focus on new technology, storage being prime amongst it. That is what we will deliver.' Crisis was averted after NSW on Wednesday evening asked residents to reduce their electricity usage from 5.30pm to 8pm. About 60 per cent of Australia's electricity comes from coal while 32 per cent comes from renewable sources. Of the renewables, solar makes up about 37 per cent and wind 36 per cent, meaning the nation can be left short of power when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow as much as usual. The suspension meant the operator took control of directing supplies to the east coast power grid from the energy generators. The generators were expected to make themselves available and were to be paid a set price. Why did AEMO suspend the market? A large number of generation units out of action for planned maintenance - a typical situation in the shoulder seasons. Planned transmission outages. Periods of low wind and solar output. Around 3000 MW of coal fired generation out of action through unplanned events. An early onset of winter - increasing demand for both electricity and gas. Advertisement It was the first time the whole market has been suspended since creation in 1998. The market in South Australia was suspended in 2016 after a state-wide blackout. In a press conference in Adelaide last Tuesday afternoon, AEMO CEO Daniel Westerman said the drastic step was needed because it had become 'impossible to operate the spot market'. He warned conditions would 'remain tight' and urged Australians, particularly in NSW, to conserve power. 'Today, AEMO has suspended the national electricity market. This decision was made because it was impossible to operate the system under current conditions while ensuring reliable, secure supply of electricity to Australian homes and businesses,' he said. 'By suspending the market, we are creating a simple process where AEMO has true visibility of which generators are available and when in advance. 'That visibility will help us to manage the system in real-time as well as to understand the balance of supply and demand in the period ahead. 'Despite this, conditions remain tight in the coming days, in particular in New South Wales where we would urge consumers to conserve energy where it is safe to do so.' Last Monday night parts of Sydney's northern beaches were briefly plunged into a blackout while Queenslanders narrowly avoided the same fate. On Tuesday AEMO had to direct five gigawatts of generation through direct intervention to prevent blackouts after generators stopped supplying power because a price cap meant they would have lost money. Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not part of the national electricity market (NEM). The ACT is included in NSW for the purposes of the NEM. An old tweet by Lisa Wilkinson proves she was aware that speaking about the Brittany Higgins rape case could have 'dire consequences' for the trial. Ms Higgins' accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann was granted a temporary stay in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday after his lawyer said a jury trial would be 'untenable' after Ms Wilkinson's Logies speech. A tweet that has resurfaced from August last year shows The Project host asking social media users not to discuss the allegations. 'I implore everyone to respect what's in play here,' she wrote. 'Naming the man on social media and passing judgement could have dire consequences for the outcome of any trial.' Brittany Higgins' accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann was granted a temporary stay in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday after his lawyer said a jury trial would be 'untenable' after Lisa Wilkinson's Logies speech. An old tweet made by Lisa Wilkinson proves she was aware that speaking about the Brittany Higgins rape case could lead to 'dire consequences' for the trial Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Ms Higgins inside an office in Parliament House in 2019 and was due to stand trial next Monday. But after Ms Wilkinson accepted her award and gave her now infamous speech, ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum agreed through 'gritted teeth' to delay the trial for several months. Justice McCallum told the court that recent media publicity had prejudged Lehrmann's right to a fair trial. 'The case has accordingly attracted a level of attention in the media that while not unprecedented, is certainly extreme,' she said on Tuesday. 'Extensive media reporting of alleged criminal conduct is not mischievous in itself. Ms Wilkinson is pictured with Ms Higgins. Wilkinson won a Logie for her reporting on Ms Higgins' claim that she was raped in Parliament House 'What is a potential mischief is media reporting of such issues in such a way it impacts the criminal case.' No date has been set for the trial, but the judge said she wants it to be held this year, with an October listing probably providing enough time for publicity to dissipate. Justice McCallum slammed Wilkinson's speech, saying the line between an allegation and the finding of guilt was 'completely obliterated' by what she said. Wilkinson won a Logie for her reporting on Ms Higgins' claim that she was raped in Parliament House. 'Your honour, this speech did not need to be made,' Lehrmann's barrister Steve Whybrow said. Mr Whybrow launched the stay application on Tuesday, following Wilkinson's speech. He said a temporary stay - essentially, a delay - was the only recourse to allow for a fair trial so 'adverse publicity can dissipate'. 'It's untenable in my submission for a trial to be held under these circumstances at this time,' he said. The Supreme Court was told Wilkinson would be called as a witness at the trial. A Network 10 spokesperson said they supported Ms Wilkinson. 'Network 10 acknowledges the ruling by Chief Justice McCallum and fully supports Lisa Wilkinson. 'Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event. In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' Prince Andrew was pictured enjoying a horse ride in Windsor today as it emerged he could be stripped of his Duke of York title under a proposed law after '80%' of people living in the city want their association with the disgraced royal officially 'broken'. Wearing mirrored aviator-style sunglasses and a Ralph Lauren navy blue shirt, Andrew was spotted on horseback this afternoon with two attendants - as he faced fresh calls to lose his Duke of York title. The Queen gifted her second son the title on his wedding day to Sarah Ferguson in 1986, but residents in the historic city want it removed following the multi-million-pound out-of-court settlement with his accuser Virginia Giuffre earlier this year. There is currently no mechanism for such a title to be removed, but Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, is seeking to address the gap in the law via her Removal of Titles Bill. It aims to give the monarch new powers to remove titles or a committee of Parliament to determine that a title should be taken away. Ms Maskell said her constituents made it clear to her that they wanted the Duke of York's title to be removed, particularly given York's recognition as a Human Rights City. Dignitaries in the city had previously called for him to be stripped of the title for causing 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to residents due to his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Before the case was settled in February, the Queen, 96, decided to strip her son of his remaining military affiliations and patronages and forced him to stop using the His Royal Highness title in any official capacity. It comes after councillors voted unanimously to removed his Freedom of the City of York in April and branded him 'an utter disgrace' during the extraordinary meeting to debate his Freedom of the City honour, which was awarded to him in 1987 Wearing mirrored aviator-style sunglasses and a Ralph Lauren navy blue shirt, Prince Andrew was pictured enjoying a horse ride in Windsor today Andrew was spotted on horse back this afternoon with two attendants - as he faced fresh calls to lose his Duke of York title The Duke of York pictured with his accuser Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell There is currently no mechanism for such a title to be removed, but Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, is seeking to address the gap in the law via her Removal of Titles Bill His continued clinging to the title Duke of York was described as as 'stain' on the city and councillors are now calling on the Queen, Palace or government to step in and strip him of the title if he refuses 'to do the right thing' and resign. Ms Maskell argued there is already a 'culture clash' when it comes to conversations around tackling violence against women and girls in the city. She stressed the proposed legislation could also have 'wider implications' for individuals like Lord Lebedev, the Russian-born businessman who was awarded a peerage in 2020, as he could also be stripped of his title. Ms Maskell also said there is 'definite interest' from across the Commons and even the Lords to put in place a mechanism that would deal with the issue of 'people who have not lived up to public expectation'. She said: 'Back in February, when we had the focus on the court case, which was being brought against Andrew, my constituents responded that 80% of people wanted the association with the current Duke of York to be broken. And therefore, I met with the clerks here in the Commons to see how it can be achieved.' Andrew at York Racecourse to open the new weighing room in May 2015 Fresh calls have been made for Andrew to lose his dukedom (York Minster is pictured) She added: 'There are no mechanisms in place, even for the monarch, to remove the title. The only real way it could be done is for Andrew to no longer call himself, by choice, the Duke of York. 'The problem is, particularly with an international city like York, that using a title like the Duke of York is an ambassadorial role, it carries the name of our city across the world. 'And it's a city, which is a Human Rights City, the only Human Rights City in England. We are already in a culture clash when we are talking about violence against women and girls and the issues that we are really working hard on in the city, about making York a very safe place.' She went on: 'If this principle can be established, then obviously it could have wider implications.' Ms Maskell highlighted the case of disgraced peer Lord Nazir Ahmed, adding: 'Therefore, it could have wider implications about how the legislation could then be used to remove titles of people who have not lived up to public expectations.' Lord Ahmed was convicted earlier this year of twice trying to rape a girl and sexually assaulting a boy under 11 in the early 1970s. Pictured: The Queen and Prince Andrew at the memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh on March 29 Meanwhile, disgraced Prince Andrew, pictured during the Falklands War, is reportedly furious at his brother Prince Charles and his nephew Prince William for keeping him out of the Royal Garter ceremony last week In January, Conservative MP for Rother Valley Alexander Stafford started a petition in the wake of the verdicts, calling for Lord Ahmed to be stripped of his title. The presentation to Parliament of Ms Maskell's Bill, which is due to receive its second reading on December 9, comes not long after York Council decided to strip Andrew of his Freedom of the City. Andrew had already given up several patronages in both the city and the county in 2019, after stepping down from royal duties due to his relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein. The age of consent in the UK is 16. In her lawsuit, Ms Giuffre accused Andrew of sexual abuse, saying the duke had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by his friend, the late Epstein. Although the parties settled the case in February, the out-of-court agreement was not an admission of wrongdoing by from the duke, who has always strenuously denied the allegations against him. On Sunday, it was revealed that Andrew, 62, had been effectively barred from having the flag adorn government buildings for his birthday after the Queen and Prince Charles became the only royals to keep the privilege. The flag flying days for 2022 which appear to have been changed on February 11 this year also stripped royals William, Kate, Anne, Edward, Camilla and Sophie of the privilege. Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles are pictured together at the funeral of Prince Philip. William is lobbying the Queen to have his uncle Andrew barred from public life '[William] has strong views on the Duke of York and believes his insistence in trying to cling on to a public role is highly dangerous for the institution,' said a friend (pictured: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (L) and Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York (R) in 2018) It came as the shamed royal faced further woes after lawyers for an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein threatened to serve him with legal papers. Representatives for Caroline Kaufman say Andrew was visiting Epstein's home in New York on the night she claims she was raped by the paedophile financier in December 2010. They want the Duke of York to provide a statement as a potential witness to events in the Upper East Side townhouse during his visit when he was pictured inside the building. The civil lawsuit does not accuse the duke of any wrongdoing or allege that he was aware of any attack on Miss Kaufman, who was 17 at the time. But her lawyer's comments come just a week after Andrew, 62, was reported to have lobbied the Queen to return his royal duties and ceremonial roles. Spencer Kuvin, who represents Miss Kaufman, now 28, said he wanted Andrew to give a statement about his visit to the New York townhouse. The latest accusations come amid rumours Prince William is lobbying the Queen to have his uncle Andrew barred from public life. 'He has strong views on the Duke of York and believes his insistence in trying to cling on to a public role is highly dangerous for the institution,' a friend of William told the Daily Mail. The friend added: 'He would have cut him loose a long time ago if it had been up to him. 'He understands that when it comes to mother and son the situation is complicated, but honestly I think he just wishes he would vanish from public view.' Gaming group Crown has been given the green light to finally open the casino in its luxury skyscraper overlooking Sydney Harbour. But the approval by the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority for the members-only gaming facilities inside the upscale Barangaroo complex is conditional for up to two years. 'Crown has rebuilt its gaming model from the ground up, which has meant deep structural change around governance, anti-money laundering measures and corporate culture,' authority chair Philip Crawford said on Wednesday. 'After more than one year's work with Crown, the authority is pleased to have reached a stage where Crown can open its casino operations on a conditional basis.' The conditional period, which will run for 18 to 24 months, will allow the authority to monitor changes made at Crown Sydney and ensure these are 'embedded' in the business. The regulator will then consider giving full approval to the casino. It's a step forward for the once-listed Crown, which is being taken private by US investment firm Blackstone after a successful $8.9billion takeover was ticked off earlier this month. Blackstone had to demonstrate it could deliver on the NSW regulator's proposed reforms to keep the Sydney casino free from criminal influence. Crown has been prevented from opening the casino in its $2.2billion dining and hotel tower in Barangaroo for more than a year. The opening was delayed and then blocked after an inquiry led by former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin found Crown was not fit to operate a casino. Mr Crawford noted the Bergin inquiry highlighted the scale and scope of issues to be remedied by Crown, with potentially billions of dollars having been laundered through its casinos. 'With a complete clean-out of the board and senior executive, Crown has made significant progress and has agreed to ongoing work to regain its casino licence,' he said in a statement. The NSW government on Wednesday announced plans to reform the state's oversight of casinos. They include the establishment of an Independent Casino Commission which will have enhanced and wide-ranging compliance and enforcement powers. Casinos will be banned from dealing with junket operators under the reforms. The new commission will appoint an independent auditor and monitor for every casino licence holder, and casinos will be required to submit suspicious activity reports to both the authority and federal financial transactions watchdog AUSTRAC. Casinos will also be required to monitor patrons' accounts for suspected criminal activity and identify the source of their funds before allowing them to gamble. Similar reforms were also announced on Wednesday in Western Australia, where Crown operates the state's only casino. A royal commission this year found Crown was unsuitable to run the Perth casino but gave the operator two years to clean up its act under independent monitoring. It found Crown and its subsidiaries facilitated money laundering at the casino and permitted junkets with criminal links to operate at the Burswood complex. An independent chair will be appointed to WA's gaming regulator and tasked with overseeing the remediation process, while the maximum fine for non-compliance with state regulations will increase from $100,000 to $100 million. The opening date for the Crown Sydney casino will be announced soon. Crown CEO Steven McCann said the group had worked closely with the regulator to get the Sydney gaming operation up and running. 'We will continue to work with them on our reform program to showcase our suitability as a casino operator,' he said. Blackstone officially takes over as the new owner of Crown on Friday. Anthony Albanese has blasted Adam Bandt over his refusal to appear alongside the Australian flag because it offends some Aboriginal people. The Prime Minister said he was proud of the flag and accused the Greens leader of looking for 'division'. Mr Bandt's staff removed the flag from behind their leader before a press conference in Sydney on Monday. Speaking in Hobart on Wednesday, Mr Albanese said: 'I'm always very proud to stand in front of the Australian flag and I think anyone who is a member of the Australian Parliament should do so as well. 'Reconciliation is about bringing people together. On the journey that we need to undertake. 'It is undermined if people look for division rather than look for unity. 'A range of people I respect have made strong comments. I respect them. And I just say to Mr Bandt that he needs to think about the responses that have been made and reconsider his position and work to promote unity and work to promote reconciliation.' Earlier Liberal MP Phil Thompson, who survived a bomb exploding a metre in front of him in Afghanistan, described the Greens leader as a 'national disgrace'. He said his wife Jenna, who is Aboriginal, was 'disgusted' by the stunt. Phil Thompson (pictured with wife Jenna and one of his two daughters) described the Greens leader as a 'national disgrace' Mr Thompson said his wife Jenna, who is Aboriginal, was 'disgusted' after Mr Bandt's staff removed the flag from behind him before a press conference in Sydney on Monday Mr Bandt refuses to appear with the flag because it reminds some Indigenous Australians of colonisation. Mr Thompson, shadow assistant defence minister and MP for Herbert in north Queensland, wrote on Twitter: 'My wife is a proud Aboriginal woman & disgusted by the leader of the Green's media stunt and his rhetoric of division. 'I take the importance of the ANF very seriously I fought underneath it my brothers who were Killed In Action have had our flag draped over their coffin.' Speaking later to Sky News, he accused Mr Bandt of trying to 'divide the nation.' 'We must always recognise and acknowledge the past but the way we move forward as a nation is to walk together,' he said. A member of Mr Bandt's staff was seen removing the flag from the behind the podium before the presser at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney on Monday. Greens leader Adam Bandt (pictured today in front of the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Island flag) has caused a stir by refusing to stand alongside the Australian national flag in a press conference One journalist said she saw a Greens staffer remove the Australian flag from behind the podium before Mr Bandt spoke - leaving the Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal flags in place The move meant that only the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Island flag could be seen behind him as he spoke to the cameras. Mr Bandt told Daily Mail Australia the nation's flag reminds some people of Australia's colonisation. The flag, first flown after federation in 1901, has the Union Jack in the upper left corner to acknowledge the history of British settlement. 'For many Australians, this flag represents dispossession and the lingering pains of colonisation,' Mr Bandt said. 'Through Treaty with First Nations' Peoples and by moving to a Republic, we can have a flag that represents all of us.' A review of Mr Bandt's previous TV interviews shows he always has the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in the background, but never the nation's flag. Mr Bandt added later that the Union Jack symbol is hurtful to Indigenous Australians. A gay man who is on trial for allegedly raping his female friend claims he had consensual sex with her after doubting 'if he was actually gay'. A jury in the Brisbane District Court is deliberating whether Dominic Edmund Hansson, 28, is guilty of one count of rape on December 7, 2019. Police allege Hansson - who has been labelled a 'narcissist' - arrived at the woman's inner city apartment without invitation about 1.30am on the morning in question, drunk and determined to spend the night. The complainant was asleep but allowed Hansson to sleep on the couch, before he convinced her to let him in bed by reminding her he was gay and in a committed, four-year relationship. It's alleged Hansson began 'spooning' the woman about 2.30am before 'flipping her onto her stomach' and raping her. The prosecution argues Hansson 'took what he already knew about her sex life as an entitlement to treat her like an object', holding her face down on her bed and telling her he knew 'she liked it rough' when she pleaded with him to stop. He sat stony-faced, supported by his father, as his legal team argued the sex was consensual and his alleged victim had a 'vendetta' that prompted her to press charges. Dominic Edmund Hansson, 28, is standing trial in Brisbane District Court this week over the alleged December 7, 2019 assault. He denies one count of rape The 'toxic narcissist' The jury heard on Wednesday Hansson 'manipulated' the victim in a 'toxic' attempt to erode confidence in herself and her recollection of the events. Hansson told her he would take his own life if his long term, live-in partner at the time, Tony Rickards, were to ever learn of the indiscretion and allegedly demanded she send messages stating nothing untoward had happened between the pair. In his closing argument, Crown prosecutor Chris Cook asked the jury to consider whether Hansson is a narcissist. 'You might conclude he's a narcissist who can talk his way out of anything. Only interested in himself. He lies to his partner, lied to the victim. He engaged in secret messages to the victim. He lied to police... He's a secretive man.' Hansson's legal team argued narcissism is a psychiatric disorder and that their client was not diagnosed with such a condition. They said the phrase was used simply because it elicits emotion and in an attempt to sway the jury. Hansson told her he would take his own life if his long term, live-in partner at the time, Tony Rickards (pictured together), were to ever learn of the indiscretion. The pair have since split The explosive messages The woman - who cannot be named - went to police and filed a report on April 21, more than four months after the alleged assault. Hansson's defence argues she made a false report because she was insulted that the 28-year-old described her as an escort. They also cited a separate altercation between the pair over marijuana. The incident in question occurred hours before the complainant went to police. In Facebook messages tendered to court, Hansson told the alleged victim: 'You need to be careful with the aromas that come out of your apartment. From what I can tell it is marijuana; constantly. Please stop.' The woman took issue with the message because she claimed he often came to her apartment to ask for marijuana. A heated Facebook exchange between the woman and Hansson (digital mock up above based on court hearing) is part of the reason she reported the alleged assault to police, the defence argues She responded: 'Don't you dare come into my apartment asking for the same thing you're complaining about. I tell you I don't have any and then you b**ch about the smell of weed in the building?' Hansson denied he 'did either of those things'. The complainant told police Hansson was at her apartment hours before sending those messages but she felt uncomfortable and did not give him what he was asking for. She also denied working as an escort, as Hansson had claimed. She expressed an interest in the BDSM community and confided in Hansson about being a 'sugar baby' and having an active OnlyFans account. 'She was doing this sugar daddy thing,' the court heard. 'She was doing things you the jury might not be into, or Hansson mightn't be into, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need to consent.' He sat stony-faced, supported by his father and now-ex, as his legal team argued the sex was consensual and his alleged victim had a 'vendetta' that prompted her to press charges The complainant who 'enjoyed manipulating men' Meanwhile the defence has encouraged the jury to consider several key factors in the testimony of the woman and her reliability as a witness. Psychologist notes dredged up from mid 2018 - 18 months before the alleged offence took place - reveal the victim considers herself 'manipulative'. In the session, the woman admitted she could 'lie to others to get what she wants'. But Hansson's legal team drew attention to a counselling session just five days after the alleged assault in which she reportedly opened up about the morning of December 7, 2019. In it, the complainant told her counsellor she was 'ashamed' that she'd 'had sex with her gay friend' but 'enjoyed manipulating men,' the court heard. When the concept of manipulating men was put to her, the woman said she was referring to her work as a sugar baby. The defence also argues she maintained a friendship with Hansson for four months after the alleged rape before contacting police or confiding in her counsellor. Her legal team claims this is because he manipulated her into doing so, and that she was scared to come forward. Hansson (pictured with his parents) told police in his initial interview 'there was no point while we were having sex where she told me to stop, or indicated that she didn't want sex any more' The night in question Hansson told police in his initial interview 'there was no point while we were having sex where she told me to stop, or indicated that she didn't want sex any more'. 'I said 'Do you want to have sex?' and she said 'Of course I do',' he said in the May 31, 2020, formal interview. The complainant argued this is not how a young woman would broach the topic of engaging in sex. Hansson alleged the woman initiated flirting on the evening in question and became progressively more 'touchy feely' as the night went on. The 28-year-old arrived at her inner city apartment about 1.30am after a night out. When he arrived, the pair allegedly ate pizza on the couch. Six-and-a-half hours before he arrived, the complainant ate half of a weed brownie which she said did not make her high, but was effective enough to help her sleep. Hansson claims the complainant was drinking a cider and that he'd only consumed two glasses of champagne earlier in the evening. Bank statements show he spent $143 in total at the Waterloo Hotel in Fortitude Valley between the night of December 6 and early December 7. While Hansson now admits to sexual intercourse, he initially told the complainant to send him a message denying they'd even touched so that he could 'show his boyfriend' nothing had happened While Hansson now admits to sexual intercourse, he allegedly initially told the complainant to send him a message denying they'd even touched so that he could 'show his boyfriend' nothing had happened. When Mr Rickard, Hansson's ex, took the stand, he could not recall ever asking for proof or seeing those messages. When prompted as to why he engaged in sex with a woman if he was gay, Hansson said: 'Curiosity. I was just curious and having the sort of emotional bond we had at the time, it made me much more curious, you know, I was wondering whether I was in fact actually gay.' The complainant considered Hansson a good friend up until December 7 and had confided in him about her depression, mental health issues and interests as a 'sugar baby'. Hansson maintained his composure as the entirety of the submissions were recounted to the jury. He had several supporters in court who listened intently and delivered him lunch during the break. The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, will deliberate overnight. A US airman has been arrested for allegedly planting and detonating explosives near the shower facilities and ammunition storage of an American military base in Syria. The Pentagon refused to disclose the suspect's name or motivations for the attack - which injured four soldiers - but said he was an explosives expert, The New York Times reported. The airman was detained and was being held in the US after returning home from a tour of duty in Syria, said Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek. Stefanek said the airman had not been charged, saying that it was 'it is too early in the process' for charges. US soldiers stationed in northeastern Syria. Roughly 900 US military personnel remain deployed in the country 'As part of an ongoing investigation, on June 16, an Airman was taken into custody stateside in conjunction with the attack in Green Village, Syria,' Stefanek said in a statement. 'After reviewing the information in the investigation, the Airman's commander made the decision to place him in pretrial confinement.' The April 7 attack on the base in Green Village, in the Deir ez Zor province of Syria, left four US soldiers with traumatic brain injuries. They returned to duty by the end of the month. The US military initially reported that the attack was a minor artillery strike from a local anti-American militia group, which are sporadically carried out against the roughly 900 US troops still deployed in the country. The Pentagon refused to disclose the airman's name, but noted that he was an explosives expert A week later, the military said further investigation showed the blasts were the result of 'deliberate placement of explosive charges' at an ammunition holding area and shower facility, and officials said they were looking into the possibility of an insider attack. Two military officials told CNN that the explosives used were 'not insignificant,' and said they were more destructive than a hand grenade. The officials called the explosives 'military grade.' The insider attack is being investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Army's Criminal Investigation Division. Dmitry Muratov, a Russian journalist, sells off his Nobel Peace Prize medal. The funds will benefit UNICEF's work to help children displaced by the Ukraine conflict. Muratov, who received the gold medal in October 2021, was the editor-in-chief of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta when it was down in March during the Kremlin's crackdown on journalists and public dissent in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russian Journalist Chooses To Help Ukraine Children Muratov came up with the notion of auctioning off his prize after announcing that he would donate the $500,000 cash prize to charity. "The donation is to give the children refugees a chance for a future," he explained, as per NBC News. He also expressed worry in an interview about children who have been orphaned as a result of the crisis in Ukraine. The Russian journalist stressed the need of ensuring that international sanctions imposed on Russia do not impede humanitarian help, like as drugs for rare diseases and bone marrow transplants, from reaching people who need it. "It needs to become the start of a flash mob as an example to follow so that others auction their expensive items to help Ukrainians," Muratov said in a video published by Heritage Auctions, which is overseeing the sale but will not get any of the money. Last year, Muratov and Filipino writer Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, there have been more than 7.7 million border crossings from Ukraine, with more than 5 million refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe since Russia's invasion in late February. According to UNICEF, Ukraine's 7.5 million children have been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict, including being separated from their families, missing essential supplies and resources, and being exposed to the fear of explosives on a daily basis. Muratov is the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian media organization. According to the Nobel Peace Prize committee, he "criticized Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the government's use of armed action, both inside and beyond Russia." Six journalists from the newspaper were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, a vocal opponent of the Kremlin who exposed human rights violations in Chechnya. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin strengthened its hold on the country's independent media, CNN reported. In March, lawmakers made it a crime to broadcast "fake" information about Russia's armed forces or to advocate for sanctions against the country. Some media outlets have had to close their doors and its journalists have had to flee the country as a result of the crackdown. Novaya Gazeta announced in early March that it has deleted articles about the Ukraine conflict from their website owing to government censorship. Later that month, the paper declared that it would cease publishing until the conflict in Ukraine was resolved. Read Also: Elon Musk's Child Urges To Remove Father's Name, Cut Ties with Tesla CEO as She No Longer Lives With Him Who Is Dmitry Muratov? According to the Nobel Prize organization's website, Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov was born on November 30, 1960, in Kubyshev, a Soviet area now known as Samara in Russia. He began his career as a journalist, working for newspapers until the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. With several colleagues in the new Russia, he founded the Novaya Gazeta, a pro-democracy journal. The publication has been critical of the Russian government under Muratov's leadership, highlighting corruption, fraud, and human rights violations. Six Novaya Gazeta journalists have been slain in connection with their work throughout the years. According to The Economist, their fatalities were caused by bludgeoning, gunshot, and poisoning. Muratov has opposed Russia's military activities in the past, particularly the invasion of Crimea in 2014. Muratov has described Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine as "a tragedy and a mistake." Muratov and Novaya Gazeta have recently worked to cover the Ukraine conflict, despite opposition. He was traveling by rail from Moscow to Samara in April when he was doused with solvent-laced red paint by an unidentified individual. Muratov was sent to the hospital for eye irritation, as per Newsweek. Related Article: Ukraine War: UK Defense Reveals Russia's Major Weakness Amid Invasion @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A grieving family has lost more than $24,000 after a travel website allowed them to book pricey flight tickets - even though Covid travel restrictions meant they were completely banned from entering the transit country. New Zealand couple Kelly Konsten and Hedley Ruffell booked return flights to the Netherlands for themselves and their daughter after Ms Konsten's mother died unexpectedly. The family desperately scoured the internet for flights and found tickets on Kiwi.com that promised a relatively short journey, departing the next day from Auckland to Amsterdam via Guangzhou, China. However, the couple was 'utterly bewildered' when China Southern Airlines staff told them they could not board the flight because they were not allowed to transit through China. 'He actually expressed disbelief that we had been able to book these tickets,' Mr Ruffell told Stuff. 'He kindly checked the system and found out Kiwi.com had booked two separate flights, instead of one continuous journey with a transfer.' A New Zealand family was not allowed to board their flight from Auckland to Amsterdam, via Guangzhou, China, after staff told them they were unable to transit through China due to strict lockdown laws (pictured, Auckland International Airport) China imposed a strict 'zero Covid' policy on April 1 after a deadly surge in Omicron cases gripped the country. The entire country was locked down, with all visas suspended, including transit ones. Mr Ruffell was told the airline would not have allowed them to book the route as a single journey because of the imposed travel restrictions. 'It was surreal to be standing all packed and prepared at the airport, only to be told we couldn't board,' he said. 'Our initial disbelief turned into despair and grief when we realised we would miss the funeral.' Kiwi.com, which is based in the Czech Republic, denied accountability and refused to refund the family their tickets. Kiwi.com's refund policy states passengers are eligible for a refund if the flight is cancelled up to 48 hours before its scheduled departure. Kelly Konsten booked flights for herself, daughter and husband through Kiwi.com - a Czech Republic based travel website (Pictured) Kiwi.com said while the family's situation was 'upsetting', passengers were alerted multiple times during the online booking process as a reminder to check travel requirements. 'When Mr Rufell booked online our automated service passed the payment across to the airlines to buy the tickets,' Kiwi.com told Daily Mail Australia. 'We are now trying to get back what we can from those airlines for them - which will be at minimum the taxes related to flights not taken.' 'The policy with most airlines is that they consider this a passenger error, and they will not return the money for a flight not boarded.' The travel company said it offers a broad range of global travel options and does not block the display of restricted routes as they might be viable for other travellers. 'We only booked the tickets 24 hours beforehand,' Mr Ruffell said. 'We obviously missed the opportunity to be present at her (Kelly) mothers funeral and this can never be made up for. 'We feel scammed and taken advantage of at a time of already high distress.' Under the 'travelling during Covid-19' information page, the website says it is the passengers responsibility to check official regulations' and to ensure they are eligible to travel to any layover stops on the way to their destination. Kiwi.com said its Director of Customer Experience will contact Mr Ruffell to organise a new trip to the Netherlands at the expense of the company. 'We understand that this was a very emotional time and a very rushed booking due to the circumstances,' Kiwi.com said. 'Our Director of Customer Experience will be contacting the family directly as we would like to help them make the trip to the Netherlands that they were not able to take. 'This will be at our expense and though it will never make up for the funeral that was very sadly missed, we understand that making this journey is still very important to them.' Shocked China Southern Airlines staff told the family the airline would not have allowed them to book the route as a single journey since China has suspended all visas, including transit visas (pictured, China South Airline's Boeing 737-8) With a 1.2 star rating on Product Review, it's not the first time Kiwi.com has left customers frustrated. The company has received 322 one star reviews on its refund and cancellation policies, communication and customer service. 'My flight was rebooked for the next day but my connecting flight wasn't and as a result I was stranded for 14 hours with no other option, even after requesting for another ticket, had to book my own flight home,' a reviewer wrote on Tuesday. 'Another bad review, Do NOT use this company under any circumstance,' a second said. 'I have never written a review in my life. However the way Kiwi treats their customers is disgraceful. I write this to prevent others from making the same mistake. Do not book anything with this company,' a third said, claiming they were still waiting for a refund 12 months after booking their flight. U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens doubled down on his 'RINO hunting' ad, depicting him storming a home while firing shots, saying it was 'clearly a metaphor.' Greitens, 48, faced swift backlash following a campaign ad that showed him and an armed military squad breaking into a home and firing round after round of gunshots hunting for RINOs, Republicans In Name Only. Although the video was deleted from Facebook and flagged by Twitter, the Missouri Republican shrugged off the criticism and said he failed to see any problem with the ad. 'Every normal person around the state of Missouri saw that it's clearly a metaphor,' Greitens told KCMO Talk Radio on Tuesday. 'It's entertaining to see the outrage from the RINO and liberal snowflakes around the country and around the state.' U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens (pictured) said his controversial 'RINO hunting' ad was 'clearly a metaphor' as he shrugged off the backlash Greitens urged his supporters to 'hunt' those who don't support former President Trump is a new gun-wielding ad that was taken down by Facebook and flagged by Twitter 'Join the MAGA crew and get a RINO hunting permit,' Greitens says Greitens, who previously resigned in disgrace as the governor of Missouri amid sexual assault and blackmail allegations, posted a 38-second campaign clip to Twitter. 'I'm Eric Greitens, Navy Seal and today we're going RINO hunting,' he said. 'A RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice.' 'We are sick and tired of the Republicans in Name Only surrendering to Joe Biden & the radical Left. Order your RINO Hunting Permit today!' he captioned the new clip. 'Join the MAGA crew and get a RINO hunting permit,' Greitens says. 'There's no bagging limit, no tagging limit and it doesn't expire 'til we save our country.' Trump has not endorsed Greitens or waded into the Missouri race at all so far. The Greitens campaign could not be reached for comment, but the ad generated much pushback on social media. Facebook removed it from the platform and Twitter put a warning on it that reads: 'This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behavior. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.' Greitens claimed that only RINOs were angered by his campaign ad, and said they would have always targeted him no matter what kind of ad his team made. 'They joined the forces with the left and with the mainstream media to come out and attack us,' he said about the backlash. The Missouri Republican posted the new 38-second clip to Twitter. 'I'm Eric Greitens, Navy Seal and today we're going RINO hunting,' he said. 'A RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of corruption' Greitens is the frontrunner of 20 vying for the GOP nomination on August 2 upon the upcoming retirement of GOP Sen. Roy Blunt Greitens opponents in the August 2 primary, Republican Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long condemned the ad, as did the Missouri State Lodge of Fraternal Order of Police. 'This deplorable video has no place in our political system and sends a dangerous message that it is somehow acceptable to kill those who have differing political beliefs,' the group said in a statement. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, also slammed the ad and said that any broadcast network that agrees to air it should be referred to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 'This is sociopathic. Youre going to get someone killed,' Castro tweeted. Firing guns in political ads is nothing new for Greitens. In 2016 during his run for governor, he released an ad of himself firing off rounds of an automatic Gatling gun. Greitens won that campaign and served as Missouri's governor for two years before resigning amid allegations of sexual assault and campaign finance violations. Sheena Greitens (above) has accused her ex-husband of spousal and child abuse Greitens' mugshot from 2018 when he was indicted on an invasion of privacy charge His ex-wife has accused him of spousal and child abuse. Sheena Greitens recently requested records from the governor's office proving that Greitens has had his access to firearms limited numerous times - she said that her ex-husband repeatedly threatened to commit suicide unless she showed 'specific public political support' in 2018 as he weathered multiple scandals. As a result, she and others limited his access to firearms at least three times that year. Greitens resigned the governorship after being indicted in 2018 over claims he sexually and physically assaulted his hairdresser in 2015 - and used nude photographs taken of her to keep her quiet. She also claims that he tied her up in a basement and coerced her to have sex with him. Greitens admitted to having an extramarital affair with his hairdresser and said their encounters were consensual. He also faced felony charges for using a veterans charity list to raise campaign cash. Greitens has claimed his ex-wife's attacks are politically motivated and that she has conspired with Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Karl Rove to keep him out of power. He is seeking full custody of his children. Four days before the Logies, Lisa Wilkinson was fairly sure she would never deliver her now notorious speech that resulted in a high profile rape trial being postponed indefinitely. 'I don't think I will get it because it is managed by a rival network,' she told Shane Drumgold, the ACT's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on June 15. The Project host was meeting Mr Drumgold to discuss her evidence at the upcoming trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who has been charged with the alleged rape of former political staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in Canberra. Lehrmann, charged with sexual intercourse without consent, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Ms Higgins. Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) was warned four days before the Logies that the speech she planned to give if she won could lead to dangerous territory In his notes of the meeting, Mr Drumgold recorded that 'At conclusion Lisa was asked if she had any questions.' She told him she was nominated for a Logie for her interview on Channel 10 with Brittany Higgins, but didn't think she would win as the awards were managed by Channel Nine. She didn't entirely rule out her chance of getting the award, though. 'I have, however, prepared a speech in case,' she told Mr Drumgold. Wilkinson then read the first line of her speech but was stopped by the DPP who said 'We are not speech editors. 'We have no power to approve or prohibit any public comment that is the role of the court.' Mr Drumgold did, however, advise, that Lehrmann's legal team 'can reinstitute a stay application in the event of publicity' related to the speech. The defence lawyers had made a previous, unsuccessful, application for a stay - essentially a postponement of a trial. Wilkinson did win the Logie, did give her speech and, two days later, the defence was successful in seeking a stay. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum was scathing in her response to what Wilkinson did, saying the line between an allegation and the finding of guilt was 'completely obliterated' by her Logies speech. Lisa Wilkinson's (pictured left) Logies speech comments about Brittany Higgins (pictured right) led to the trial of Ms Higgins' alleged rapist being postponed indefinitely Brittany Higgins (right) is pictured with her partner David Sharaz on board an aeroplane 'Notwithstanding that clear and appropriate warning, upon receiving the award, Ms Wilkinson gave a speech in which she openly referred to and praised the complainant (Ms Higgins) in the present trial. 'Unsurprisingly, the award and the content of the speech have been the subject of further extensive commentary,' she said. Justice McCallum said Ms Higgins' case had 'attracted a level of attention in the media that while not unprecedented, is certainly extreme ... 'Extensive media reporting of alleged criminal conduct is not mischievous in itself. 'What is a potential mischief is media reporting of such issues in such a way it impacts the criminal case.' Bruce Lehrmann (pictured), is charged with sexual intercourse without consent. He has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra The trial of Lehrmann, which was supposed to start on Monday, has now been postponed indefinitely by Justice McCallum. She is waiting for what defence barrister Steve Whybrow referred to as 'adverse publicity (to) dissipate'. No date has been set for the trial, but Justice McCallum said she wants it to be held this year, with an October listing probably providing enough time for publicity to about the case to die down. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine seeking comment on Wilkinson's belief that she wouldn't win a Logie 'because it is managed by a rival network'. Despite Wilkinson's remarks, the awards are run by TV Week magazine, however, Nine broadcasts the award show. Lisa Wilkinson (right) is pictured with her husband, journalist and author Peter FitzSimons Despite Wilkinson's fears that she would miss out on a Logie because Channel 9 runs the awards, she was far from the only winner not working for Nine. Guy Pearce and Anna Torv won the most popular actor and actress awards for ABC programs Jack Irish and The Newsreader, respectively. Another ABC personality, Tony Armstrong, won the most popular new talent award. Lisa Wilkinson is pictured at the Logie Awards on June 19, 2022. The winner's speech she delivered resulted in a rape trial being postponed indefinitely Channel Seven's Home and Away won the drama award, while The Project, the show Wilkinson co-hosts of Channel 10, won the most popular panel or current affairs program. Channel Nine did, however, take out the top two awards, the Gold Logie for most popular personality and the Bert Newton award for most popular presenter. Both went to Hamish Blake for Lego Masters Australia. Channel 10 has pledged support for high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson after she derailed Brittany Higgins' rape trial with her rogue Logies speech. The veteran journalist won an award at the star-studded ceremony on Monday for her work bringing to light Ms Higgins' claims that she was allegedly raped by former Liberal staffer, Bruce Lehrmann, inside Parliament House in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always protested his innocence. However, ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that recent media publicity had prejudged Mr Lehrmann's right to a fair trial - moving the lengthy hearing from next week, to October. While Wilkinson could be charged with contempt of court for her actions, the network jumped to her defence. Lisa Wilkinson's Logie acceptance speech where she referenced Brittany Higgins could see her facing legal charges after Bruce Lehrmann rape trial is delayed TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson (left) is pictured with former political staffer Brittany Higgins (right) A network spokesman said: 'Network 10 acknowledges the ruling by Chief Justice McCallum and fully supports Lisa Wilkinson.' 'Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event. 'In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' Dr Matthew Collins, President of the Australian Bar Association, told Sunrise on Wednesday that it is a 'serious possibility' that authorities may look into charging Wilkinson with contempt of court. Contempt of court is when an individual who is called to give evidence intentionally engages in behaviour considered to be disrespectful to the court or magistrate. Lehrmann's trial likely to be later this year after Chief Justice Lucy McCallum agreed to delay court case after Lehrmann's lawyers argued Ms Wilkinson's actions threatened a fair trial He said Wilkinson could find herself in hot water as her comments had the 'tendency to interfere with the administration of justice'. 'It's certainly possible that the authorities will be looking at the speech that she made to the Logies and assessing that speech against the standard which applies in this branch of the law and that standard is did anything she do have a tendency to interfere with the administration of justice,' he said. 'The whole point is that any person in our community facing a charge like this is entitled to the presumption of innocence. 'That means that going into the court there should be no preconceptions one way or another, so the jury can focus really keenly on the evidence as it unfolds in the witness box and it puts out their mind anything that they might have seen in the media...' Sky News Outsiders host Rohan Dean also weighed in, posing the question of whether Channel 10 will stand down Wilkinson over her comments as media were previously warned by the judge not to comment on the Brittany Higgins case. 'Seeing as the judge told the media not to comment on the Brittany Higgins case will Lisa Wilkinson now be charged with contempt of court and will she be suspended from Channel 10? President of Australian Bar Association, Dr Matthew Collins said Wilkinson may be in legal trouble as her comments had the 'tendency to interfere with the administration of justice' 'Or is it one rule for lefty celebrities and another for the rest of us?' Mr Dean asked. The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions declined to comment on whether The Project host will be prosecuted after questions from Daily Mail Australia. 'The Director does not comment on matters currently before the court, including comment on issues ancillary to current proceedings,' a spokesperson said. Dr Collins said Wilkinson's comments and the media attention the case has garnered has made it exponentially harder for members of the jury to apply the presumption of innocence and focus solely on the evidence given in the trial. 'The problem arises when the material is in the nature of sensational coverage, very very close to the start of a trial because it can be difficult to distinguish between what happens in the courtroom and what happens outside it,' he said. 'One way in which judges can control this kind of material from potentially coming to the attention of jurors is by imposing a media blackout.' In Wilkinson's Logie acceptance speech she made reference to Brittany Higgins and her story to just shy of one million viewers Dr Collins said one option moving forward is for the court to impose a prohibition order preventing media from talking about the issues in the case. 'The mainstream media, you guys, understand the risk inherent in talking about cases which are about to go to trial before courts, particularly serious high profile cases. Clearly this was ill-advised,' he said. In Wilkinson's Logie acceptance speech she made reference to Brittany Higgins and her story to just shy of one million viewers. As a result of the speech, Bruce Lehrmann's case was granted a temporary stay in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday after his lawyer said a jury trial would be 'untenable' following The Project host's speech. No date has been set for the trial which was originally due to start at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Monday June 27. However, ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said while she regrettably had to delay proceedings, an October listing will likely provide enough time for publicity surrounding the case to dissipate. Advertisement More than a thousand people have been killed after a devastating 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, flattening villages and causing huge landslides. Homes have been reduced to rubble after the tremors in the early hours, with bodies swathed in blankets lying on the ground in the eastern Pakitka province. The United Nations' humanitarian agency was scrambling to get emergency shelter, trauma care and food aid to the scene, and said the death toll is expected to rise even further. The international community has largely left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year, which will likely complicate any relief efforts for this country of 38million. A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan , killing more than 1,000 people, as rescuers fight to save survivors A man carries a body wrapped in a rug after the tremors struck the province in the early hours The earthquake struck Paktika province in east Afghanistan, some 100 miles south of the capital Kabul, and tremors were felt in India and Pakistan The quake struck about 27 miles from the city of Khost, near the Pakistani border, at a depth of 32 miles The head of the Taliban administration's natural disaster ministry, Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, said the majority of deaths were in the province of Paktika, where 100 people were killed and 250 injured Mounting a rescue operation could prove a major test for the Taliban, who took over the country in August and have been cut off from much international assistance because of sanctions. Footage from Paktika province near the Pakistan border showed victims being carried into helicopters to be airlifted from the area. Images widely circulating online from the province showed destroyed stone houses, with residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble. Bakhtar posted footage of a resident receiving IV fluids from a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home and others sprawled on gurneys. Adding to the challenge for Afghan authorities is recent flooding in many regions, which the disaster agency said had killed 11, injured 50 and blocked stretches of highway. The quake struck about 27 miles from the city of Khost, near the Pakistani border, the US Geological Survey (USGC) said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its first response bulletin that humanitarian partners were preparing to assist affected families in Paktika and Khost provinces, in coordination with the Taliban authorities. 'Immediate needs identified include emergency trauma care, emergency shelter and non-food items, food assistance and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) support,' OCHA said. 'Given the unseasonable, heavy rains and cold, emergency shelter is an immediate priority.' The international community has largely left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year Images widely circulating online from the province showed destroyed stone houses, with residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble The agency said the Afghan defence ministry had dispatched five helicopters to Paktika province to facilitate medical evacuations, while a medical team has been sent to Gayan district. 'Although search and rescue efforts are ongoing, heavy rain and wind is hampering efforts with helicopters reportedly unable to land this afternoon,' said OCHA. 'The number of casualties is expected to rise as search and rescue operations are ongoing. 'Humanitarian search and rescue teams... are on standby to deploy as needed.' UNICEF, the UN children's agency, has also deployed at least 12 teams of health workers to Gayan, and several mobile health and nutrition teams to Barmal district in Paktika province and Spera district in Khost province, OCHA said. 'Strong and long jolts,' a resident of the Afghan capital, Kabul, posted on the website of the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). 'It was strong,' said a resident of the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. Most of the confirmed deaths were in Paktika, where 255 were initially confirmed killed and more than 200 injured, said interior ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi. Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims at his weekly audience at the Vatican. He said: 'I express my closeness with the injured and those who were affected by the earthquake. 'And I pray in particular for those who have lost their lives and their families,' the head of the global Catholic Church said. 'I hope that with everyone's help, the suffering of the dear Afghan people can be alleviated.' At least 90 homes have been destroyed with hundreds feared dead after the powerful earthquake Residents stand around after their villages were reduced to rubble following the devastating earthquake The disaster comes as Afghanistan has been enduring a severe economic crisis since the Taliban took over August, as U.S.-led international forces were withdrawing after two decades of war In response to the Taliban takeover, many governments have imposed sanctions on Afghanistan's banking sector and cut billions of dollars worth of development aid Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates In Khost province, 25 people had been killed and 90 taken to hospital, he said. 'The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details,' he said. 'A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses,' Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, separately wrote on Twitter. 'We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.' Neighbouring Pakistan's Meteorological Department put the earthquake at a magnitude 6.1. Tremors were felt in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere in the eastern Punjab province. The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquake's tremors were felt over 310 miles by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in Pakistan. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a statement offered his condolences over the earthquake, saying his nation will provide help to the Afghan people. An Afghan foreign ministry spokesman said they would welcome help from any international organisation Large parts of south Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate In 2015, an earthquake struck the remote Afghan northeast, killing several hundred people in Afghanistan and nearby northern Pakistan The disaster comes as Afghanistan has been enduring a severe economic crisis since the Taliban took over August, as U.S.-led international forces were withdrawing after two decades of war. In response to the Taliban takeover, many governments have imposed sanctions on Afghanistan's banking sector and cut billions of dollars worth of development aid. Humanitarian aid has continued and international agencies such as the United Nations operate in the country. An Afghan foreign ministry spokesman said they would welcome help from any international organisation. Large parts of south Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate. In 2015, an earthquake struck the remote Afghan northeast, killing several hundred people in Afghanistan and nearby northern Pakistan. A similar 6.1 earthquake in 2002 killed about 1,000 people in northern Afghanistan. And in 1998, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tremors in Afghanistan's remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. A grieving mother who was brutally assaulted by her former partner - who then kidnapped and murdered her baby boy - has finally received an apology and pardon from the West Australian government, almost a decade after 'enduring the unthinkable'. Instead of being treated as a victim of domestic violence by police, Tamica Mullaley was arrested in March 2013 after a sustained beating at the hands of Mervyn Bell who left her naked and bleeding on a Broome street. When police arrived on the scene, she was hostile to the officers. When her father Ted Mullaley arrived, the situation continued to escalate with the pair eventually detained, charged, prosecuted and convicted. But WA Attorney-General John Quigley told parliament on Wednesday that Ms Mullaley 's actions were unsurprising given the violence she had suffered. 'Tamica and Ted have endured the unthinkable,' Mr Quigley said. 'In just two days Tamica had suffered a life-threatening assault and lost her baby in the most horrific circumstances.' Mervyn Bell attacked Tamica Mullaley (pictured) on a Broome street, stripped her naked then drove off before returning and attempting to drive over her in March 2013. He was not there when police arrived and arrested Ms Mullaley after she became aggressive After her arrest, Ms Mullaley's 10-month-old boy Charlie was been left in the care of family friends. But soon after, Bell returned to the area and kidnapped the boy. He murdered him the following day. He was serving a minimum of 27-year sentence when he took his own life in 2015. The police conduct in Ms Mullaley's case was criticised in a Corruption and Crime Commission review though it ruled there was no serious misconduct. A coroner investigated the death but did not hold an inquest. But Mr Quigley said both Ms Mullaley and her father had deserved much better. 'On behalf of the government of Western Australia, I am sorry for the way you were treated by the government and the WA police both before and after losing baby Charlie,' he said. 'Ted and Tamica deserved compassion. Instead, the system we thought we could rely on to support victims of crime failed Tamica and Ted and they were dragged through the courts themselves.' Bell then abducted 10-month-old Charles 'Charlie Boy' Mullaley (pictured) from two young neighbours who were caring for him while his mother was in custody Bell (pictured) proceeded to sexually abuse and torture the infant, inflicting broken bones, burns and bruises during a 15-hour road trip before the baby died Mr Quigley said the WA governor had also granted absolute and unconditional pardons to both Ms Mullaley and her father, in what was a 'most exceptional step'. 'These pardons are a show of mercy which have been a long time coming,' he said. Both Ms Mullaley and her father were in parliament's public gallery on Wednesday to hear Mr Quigley's statement. Calls for the inquest were backed by the National Justice Project, which cited a section of the Coroner's Act that an inquest must be held if it appears a death was caused, or contributed to, by any police action, but it was rejected. Keir Starmer faces mounting chaos on strikes today as Labour-controlled Merseyrail was slated for handing train staff a 7.1 per cent pay deal. The TSSA union announced it has accepted the 'reasonable' offer from the operator - overseen by Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram. But the government immediately distanced itself from the package, stressing that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had no say. In contrast, the RMT is launching strikes across the country after rejecting offers worth around 4 per cent. A senior source told MailOnline it was evidence of Labour's inability to resist eye-watering demands from unions. 'They would just roll over wherever they are,' the source said. The row erupted with Sir Keir still facing a major revolt after dozens joined picket lines to show support for industrial action crippling the country. They included at least four front benchers, even though Sir Keir ordered them to shun the protests. Extraordinarily, shadow rail minister Tan Dhesi claimed last night that he had not even seen the edict from the leader's office. Deputy leader Angela Rayner inflamed simmering tensions by openly backing the strikes, saying the RMT union had 'no choice' as it demands a pay rise of more than 7 per cent. But Sir Keir himself was accused of into 'hiding' after refusing to make any comment on the biggest industrial dispute for 30 years. Boris Johnson revelled in his discomfort at the latest PMQs session this afternoon, hammering his 'unbelievable silence' on strikes and saying it was because unions funded Labour. The PM swiped that MPs had been photographed literally 'holding hands with Arthur Scargill', adding: 'It's worse than under Jeremy Corbyn.' But Sir Keir hit back that Mr Johnson needed to 'do your job' and settle the strikes. The TSSA union announced it has accepted the 'reasonable' 7.1 per cent offer from Merseyrail - overseen by Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram (left). Keir Starmer (pictured at PMQs today) faces a mounting Labour revolt after dozens joined picket lines to show support for industrial action crippling the country Red line: Labour MPs at London's Victoria station yesterday, from left: 1. Beth Winter (Cynon Valley), 2. Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside), 3. Rachael Maskell (York Central), 4. Ian Mearns (Gateshead), 5. Richard Burgon (Leeds East), 6. Zarah Sultana (Coventry South), 7. Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby), 8. Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford and Eccles), 9. Dan Carden (Liverpool Walton), 10. Paula Barker (Liverpool Wavertree) STRATFORD: Chaos as passengers wait for the station to open in London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union along with London Underground workers in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions Furious commuters form huge queues as Tube stations stay SHUT despite strikes being off today London's busiest Tube stations were still closed at 8am today after 'underhand' RMT tactics meant that militant workers on strike were late to work this morning. Huge queues formed outside seven Underground stations remained shuttered at 9.30am because of a lack of staff, while tempers flared at Paddington, Stratford, King's Cross/St Pancras and more than a dozen other sites in all corners of the capital, MailOnline can reveal. Many commuters tweeted TfL demanding to know why their local stations were open at 8am as promised. Others posted pictures of empty Tube trains with no drivers. Those who managed to get onto trains found services were few and far between - and rammed. After a skeleton service yesterday, trains are in the wrong place and only 60% of the 20,000 normal weekday services will be able to operate today. Traffic was as heavy as yesterday because more people had to use their cars. There were 2,046 traffic jams in London this morning, covering a total length of 834 miles, and a 30-minute journey was taking an average of an hour, according to traffic data analyst TomTom. But the biggest strikes in 30 years have also forced millions of people to WFH again for the second day in a row as Mick Lynch attempts to bring Britain to its knees. Eerie photos yesterday showed deserted town and city centres across the country, in scenes reminiscent of the 'darkest days of Covid' when whole swathes of the economy were devastated by lockdown. Advertisement Merseyrail employs around 1,200 people, with the TSSA representing a range of staff from guards to driver managers. Those staff have not been striking, but services have still been crippled by the RMT action affecting Network Rail and other operators. TSSA chief Manuel Cortes said: 'What this clearly shows is our union, and sister unions, are in no way a block on finding the solutions needed to avoid a summer of discontent on the railways.' Mr Rotheram declared yesterday that he was 'standing in solidarity' with the RMT as their strike action crippled the country. The agreement emerged as official figures showed the headline CPI rate of inflation hit another 40-year high of 9.1 per cent in May. However, ministers and the Bank of England have been begging for wage restraint to avoid creating an even worse price spiral. The PM has branded the strike 'wrong and unnecessary' and called for a return to negotiations. Tory defence committee chair Tobias Ellwood turned up the heat by suggesting the unions were acting as 'Putin's friend'. 'I think Russia must be enjoying this self-inflicted distraction, pleased to see that the one government in Europe that is actually standing up to Putin is completely distracted in this way,' he told Sky News. He added: 'I say to the unions, please don't be Putin's friend. Return to the talks today so we can get the country moving again.' The fallout from the strike was continuing today, with the RMT spreading three days of action across the week to cause maximum pain. Less than than 20 per cent of services ran yesterday. Nine out of ten services in Scotland were axed as all trains north of Falkirk were cancelled. Travellers were left stranded or forced to take to congested roads as only five services operated in the Central Belt. Sir Keir's aides said he would be making no public comment. A spokesman added: 'Unlike the Government, our focus is firmly on the public. The Tories are in charge... the responsibility for this week's chaos lies firmly with them.' Ms Rayner took advantage of the leadership vacuum to make clear she backed the strikes. 'Workers have been left with no choice,' she said. 'No one takes strike action lightly. I will always defend their absolute right to do so for fairness at work.' Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was photographed backing striking workers north of the border. Mr Sarwar wrote on Twitter: 'This is a crisis entirely of the Government's making. The workers don't want strikes. The unions don't want strikes. The public don't want strikes. They demand better.' Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said he was not issuing similar orders against joining picket lines to his AMs. NORTH LONDON: Tube trains stand at Northfields Train Depot as train strikes hit services again Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar met with striking RMT workers outside Edinburgh Waverley station yesterday Shadow environment minister Alex Sobel was spotted on the RMT picket line yesterday despite Sir Keir's edict Sir Keir's office warned Labour frontbenchers on Monday that they would be disciplined if they joined picket lines outside stations. But at least four members of his top team ignored the warning, including shadow minister Alex Sobel, Labour whip Navendu Mishra and parliamentary aides Kate Osborne and Paula Barker. Ms Dhesi told Talk TV last night that he did not receive the edict. 'I did not receive any email. In fact I got my team to check, to comb through the emails,' he said. 'There wasn't any official memo coming out to the likes of myself. That's why you would have seen different people doing different things.' Mr Dhesi said he personally had not gone to a picket line because 'I was too busy trying to do my job'. Liverpool MP Kim Johnson told the BBC that Sir Keir had 'got it wrong' on the strikes 'We're a party that was born out of the trade union movement,' she said. 'I think Keir Starmer has got it wrong.' Simon Fletcher, a former top aide to Sir Keir, told LBC radio that the Labour leader would face a major backlash if he tried to lay down the law, including the possible loss of huge sums of union funding. Sir Keir already appears to be in retreat, with Labour sources saying that chief whip Alan Campbell will not decide until the weekend whether to impose disciplinary action. Mr Lynch urged RMT members to inflict more misery tomorrow, saying: 'Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.' Advertisement Covid's resurgence won't plunge the UK into even more chaos, scientists have claimed amid warnings of a new 'Delta plus' variant. Infections and hospital admissions have been climbing over the past fortnight, with the uptick partly blamed on hay fever sufferers wrongly assuming their sniffles are simply down to the pollen bomb and celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. But scientists believe the country's latest surge has mainly been fuelled by Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, which are even more transmissible than the strain responsible for cases soaring to pandemic highs in April. At the same time, analysts claim to have spotted the emergence of 'probably the most fatal variant yet'. Experts have already dismissed the threat of Delta plus, however. Professor Azeem Majeed, chair of primary care and public health at Imperial College London, said: 'Variants such as BA.4 and BA.5 are a bigger problem than Delta plus. The number of reported cases of the Delta plus variant are small in comparison to the Omicron sub-variants that are currently circulating.' Despite concerns that an uptick could cause carnage by causing staff absences to spiral across all sectors of the economy, No10's own Covid advisers have publicly played downs fears out the incoming wave. Professor John Edmunds, an influential member of SAGE's notorious modelling committee, said he was 'not overly worried'. 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 The prevalence of the Omicron subvariants has nearly doubled every week, according to data from the Sanger Institute one of the UK's largest Covid surveillance centres. The strains' combined 57.4 per cent share of infections in the week to June 11 is up from 41.7 per cent in the week to June 4, 21.2 per cent in the week to May 28 and 11 per cent in the week to May 21. Dominant strain BA.2, which was behind nearly all cases when infections hit a record high in March, now accounts for just 41.7 per cent of cases Has Britain's hay fever misery masked Covid's resurgence? Britain's Covid resurgence could be partly down to people wrongly assuming they just have hay fever, experts claim amid warnings that the virus will cause even more disruption to Britons this summer. Coughing, sneezing and a runny nose are now all tell-tale signs of the coronavirus, which has become milder as the pandemic has worn on. But they are also symptoms which plague the lives of millions of hay fever sufferers when pollen levels begin to shoot upwards, like they have over the past fortnight. The overlap means they can be mistaken for each other, according to Professor Azeem Majeed, a public health expert from Imperial College London. He added: 'Because of immunity, people often get milder symptoms than before, and therefore may confuse it with other illnesses.' Latest surveillance statistics show Covid cases rose by 40 per cent last week, with one in 50 people infected in England the largest weekly rise seen since Christmas. The uptick is already piling pressure on busy hospitals. Celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, half-term holidays and Caribbean-esque weather are thought to have fuelled the latest surge, as well as the emergence of the more contagious Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. But it has hit in the middle of a pollen bomb. Hay fever sufferers have been told to prepare for even misery, with levels set to be very high across England, Northern Ireland and Wales all week. 'Potent' pollen has already been circulating the country for two weeks. Experts say the levels are partly down to scorching temperatures last week, which saw the mercury surpass 30C (86F). Despite warnings that the resurgence will trigger staff absences among all sectors in the wake of the biggest rail strikes in three decades, one Government adviser today said the wave be no worse than the UK has already seen this year. Advertisement Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show one in 50 people in England were infected in the week to June 11, roughly 1.1million. Rates were highest in Scotland (one in 30) followed by Northern Ireland and Wales (both one in 45). The surge in England marked a 41.8 per cent week-on-week rise the largest logged since the week to December 31, when Omicron infections skyrocketed to pandemic highs of 4.1million. Meanwhile, cases jumped by 60 per cent in Wales, 54.9 per cent in Northern Ireland and 42.5 per cent in Scotland. The ONS' weekly infection survey has become the best barometre of the outbreak in the post-pandemic era after free testing was axed and the daily dashboard was scaled down. Hospitals are also being put under more pressure, with hospitalisations soaring by 36.7 per cent. Some 797 patients were hospitalised on June 18, compared to 583 one week earlier. However, the proportion of patients in hospital primarily with the virus only makes up one third of these numbers, with the rest incidentally testing positive. Sky-high immunity rates from Britain's historic vaccination campaign and repeated waves have drastically blunted the threat of the virus over time, meaning it is now more comparable to flu. Professor Majeed told the Telegraph described the uptick in cases as 'slight' and insisted the UK 'will be okay over the next few months' due to its protective wall. However, he noted that: 'The risk will probably come more towards the end of the year, particularly if people don't come forward for their boosters when those are rolled out, although not all will get boosters this autumn.' Government advisers are yet to confirm exactly who will be eligible for a booster jab this autumn. Interim advice, published last month, sets out that care home residents, frontline health and social care workers, over-65s and at-risk people aged 16 to 64 will be eligible for the top-up jab. However, campaigners have called for the eligibility to be expanded. It comes on the back of warnings about the emergence of a so-called Delta-plus variant. Cases have apparently jumped ten-fold in a fortnight, according to the Telegraph. But the UK's largest Covid variant tracker, the Sanger Institute, has not detected a noticeable uptick of the variant, which died off in January shortly after Omicron burst onto the scene. One expert claimed it was 'probably the most fatal we've seen', based on the fact Delta was already 67 per cent more deadly than other variants. However, Sanger data does show BA.4 and BA.5 have been almost doubling in prevalence every week. The two strains now make up the majority of new cases (57.4 per cent). South Africa and Portugal experienced a wave of the two Omicron sub-variants last month. Although, both spikes were a third of the original peak logged over the winter. Despite expectations that the upcoming BA.4/BA.5 wave will be no worse than previous ones, the resurgence may trigger staff absences among all sectors in the wake of the biggest rail strikes in three decades. Professor Gary McLean, an immunologist from London Metropolitan University, told MailOnline Britain can expect an 'increase in absenteeism from work across all sectors'. He warned it will 'obviously impact' the health service as workers stay at home to recover, even though the infected have not legally had to self-isolate since post-pandemic rules were ushered in in April. The uptick is also being felt in hospitals, where the number of daily Covid admissions in England has jumped 36.7 per cent in a week. Some 797 patients were hospitalised on June 18, compared to 583 one week earlier. However, the proportion of patients in hospital primarily with the virus only makes up one third of these numbers, with the rest receiving care for another illness but incidentally testing positive Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University and former Government adviser, said any disruption could have 'knock-on effects' in sectors already suffering labour shortages, especially as people catch up on annual leave. However, Professor Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said he expects the coming wave will be no worse than that already seen this year. He told Radio 4's Today programme that Covid cases are increasing 'pretty much everywhere'. But looking abroad to other nations who have experienced waves of these strains, like South Africa, shows the uptick was 'much less significant' than previous Omicron waves. Professor Edmunds said: 'Can we extrapolate from there to here? Well, it's not much to go on but possibly. So I would have thought that the coming wave is not going to be as bad as we've had or no worse than we've had in the last few months, I suspect at least.' New virus variants are cropping up, and will continue to, because they are better at evading the immune response from natural infections and vaccination, he said. 'So looking forward I think I am not overly worried about this wave,' Professor Edmunds said. He said the central question is where the pandemic is headed. 'Is it going to be a rare disease that comes around every now and then or is it going to be quite prevalent, quite common and we get infected relatively commonly? And I think [the latter] is what we're seeing,' Professor Edmunds said. Professor Edmunds noted that virus prevalence has not fallen below one per cent and there hasn't been fewer than 5,000 people infected with Covid in hospital in the UK at one time since July. 'These are big numbers really. So I think going forward Covid looks like it will be quite common,' he added. Advertisement Ukraine has claimed a 'significant' victory against Putin's Black Sea forces after pounding the Russian garrison on the strategic Snake Island. The southern operational command said it had 'aimed strikes with the use of various forces' on the island, causing major losses to Kremlin troops. Satellite images show the damage wrought by Kyiv forces, with burning vegetation and a tower destroyed in the fight for the island. The Russian Pantsir anti-aircraft system, a radar station and vehicles were all damaged in the attacks on the island which has been a major battleground throughout the war. It is just the latest blow for Putin who has suffered 'extraordinary' losses with pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk losing 55 per cent of its troops, British intelligence said today. The Ministry of Defence said Russia's outdated weapons and equipment have hampered their success, and the Kremlin will now have to deploy reserve units to the Donbas to make up for the losses. The 100-acre Snake Island outpost has proved to be a valuable strategic position for both sides, sitting some 80 miles off Ukraine's southern coastline in the Black Sea. Russia seized the island early in the war and has largely managed to maintain control of it, but its forces there have been subject to bombing raids ever since. Snake Island is seen in an aerial photo on June 17 before Ukraine carried out a series of strikes on the strategic outpost By June 20, Ukraine had caused serious damage, with satellite imagery showing devastated regions The southern operational command said it had 'aimed strikes with the use of various forces' on the island, pictured on June 17 The Russian Pantsir anti-aircraft system, a radar station and vehicles were all damaged in the attacks (pictured on June 20) In February, Ukrainian border guard Roman Hrybov on Snake Island famously radioed 'Russian warship, go f*** yourself' to Russian officers aboard the Moskva. Hrybov and his crew were thought dead after the Moskva bombarded the island with artillery fire, but they miraculously survived and were given awards upon being returned to Ukrainian soil in a prisoner transfer last month. The latest strikes come days after a Russian navy tugboat transporting crew and armaments to Snake Island was destroyed in the Black Sea just with two Harpoon missiles. It was the first time Kyiv claimed to hit a Russian vessel with the Western-supplied anti-ship rockets. Ukraine's Armed Forces Strategic Communications Directorate showed the anti-ship missile striking the tug Vasily Bekh at 4am as it delivered soldiers, weapons, and ammunition to hotly-contested island. Ukrainian sources later claimed ten sailors on the tug were missing presumed dead, and 23 wounded. The crew number was put at 33. Harpoon missiles are anti-ship ballistics that were first developed by the US and now manufactured by Boeing. The US has sent Harpoon missiles to Ukraine while the UK and Denmark have said they will consider sending the ballistics. It was not immediately clear where these ballistics had come from. A Ukrainian serviceman on a position in the city of Severodonetsk of Luhansk area A Ukrainian service member with a dog observes in the industrial area of the city of Sievierodonetsk The city of Severodonetsk and its surroundings witnessed heavy fighting in recent days Russian Black Sea Navy the tug Vasily Bekh was reportedly hit by an anti-ship missile while it was delivering troops and weapons to Snake Island Its Tor anti air missile system failed to halt the strike but the tug remained afloat and was being evacuated for repairs after sustaining significant damage Its Tor anti air missile system failed to halt the strike but the tug remained afloat and was being evacuated for repairs after sustaining significant damage. Pictured: The Vasily Bekh in happier times US warns Russia that its support for Lithuania is 'ironclad' after Moscow threatened 'serious repercussions' for Kaliningrad blockade The United States today said its support for Lithuania is 'ironclad' and that any attack on the country would 'constitute an attack on all NATO members'. It comes after Moscow threatened its neighbour with 'serious repercussions' for blocking EU-sanctioned goods from reaching the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. 'We stand by our NATO allies and we stand by Lithuania,' US State Department spokesman Ned Price said. 'Specifically our commitment to NATO's Article Five - the premise that an attack on one would constitute an attack on all - that commitment on the part of the United States is ironclad,' he said. Russia has vowed to retaliate against Lithuania with measures that 'will have a serious negative impact on the Lithuanian population' after the country blocked coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov hit back and warned the West to stop talking about triggering NATO's Article 5 mutual defence clause in a standoff between Lithuania and Russia. 'I would like to warn Europeans against dangerous rhetorical games on the topic of conflict,' the Interfax news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying on Wednesday. The Kremlin meanwhile said today that the EU sanctions that led Lithuania to block the transit of some goods to Kaliningrad were 'absolutely unacceptable', and that Moscow was working on retaliatory measures. Lithuania has shut the route to steel and other ferrous metals, which it says it is required to do under EU sanctions that took effect on Saturday, imposed in response to Russia's decision to send its armed forces into Ukraine. Kaliningrad is connected to the rest of Russia by a rail link through Lithuania, a member of the EU and NATO. Advertisement The Snake Island battle comes as a Ukrainian kamikaze drone today ploughed into a major oil refinery inside Russian territory, sparking a huge fireball explosion. Footage shows the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying at a low-level height towards the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. Video then shows the drone striking the oil refinery, causing a massive explosion which was heard ten miles away. Flames engulfed the building and black smoke poured from the key strategic facilities, located some four miles from the pro-Putin puppet state Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine. Russian workers, who unwittingly filmed the drone strike, were heard laughing at the sight of the drone as it flew close to them - but they panicked and swore repeatedly after it struck the refinery, with one shouting 'f*****g run away'. Footage from the scene shows firefighters battling to contain the blaze, as plumes of black smoke billowed into the air. Russian air defences failed to pick up the incoming drone, initially reported to be Turkish-made Bayraktar, but later said to be a Ukrainian UAV PD-1 or PD-2. Some reports said the visible drone was one of two which targeted the facility. It caused the explosion while another lay on the ground between two giant oil tanks. Workers nearby are heard on a video as they watched the approaching military drone. Initially they were relaxed as it flew close to them but they swore repeatedly as the unmanned craft struck the oil plant triggering a huge explosion. One is heard saying: 'It came from the Ukrainian side, didn't it?' Another answers: 'Yes, yes.' One asks: 'Do we stop work?' Another replies: 'The plant is on fire. F***ing run away.' Novoshakhtinsk refinery is reportedly the largest oil supplier in southern Russia. It is owned by the Research and Design Institute of Oil and Gas Peton, from Ufa, and previously belonged to offshore companies linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Putin detained by the Kyiv authorities, as had been suggested. The press service of the regional head office of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations acknowledged the blaze. It claimed there was no threat of the fire spreading and said there were no casualties. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was seen flying at a low-level height towards the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. Video then shows the drone striking the oil refinery, causing a massive explosion which was heard ten miles away Video shows the drone striking the oil refinery (left, circled), causing a massive explosion (right) Footage from the scene shows firefighters battling to contain the blaze, as plumes of black smoke billowed into the air Flames engulfed the building and black smoke poured from the key strategic facilities, located some four miles from the pro-Putin puppet state Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine Novoshakhtinsk refinery (file image) is reportedly the largest oil supplier in southern Russia. It is owned by the Research and Design Institute of Oil and Gas Peton, from Ufa, and previously belonged to offshore companies linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Putin detained by the Kyiv authorities, as had been suggested The explosion comes as Russian casualties have risen to 55 per cent of the original strength of the Donetsk People's Republic forces, Britain said. Figures published by the DPR showed that by June 16, 2,128 military personnel had been killed in action, with 8,897 wounded since the beginning of 2022, the British defence ministry said in a daily Twitter update. Russian authorities have not released the tally of military casualties in Ukraine since 25 March, it added. The 100-acre outpost has proved to be a valuable strategic position, sitting some 80 miles off Ukraine's southern coastline in the Black Sea The MoD said: 'The DPR casualty rate is equivalent to around 55 per cent of its original force, which highlights the extraordinary attrition Russian and pro-Russian forces are suffering in the Donbas. It is highly likely that DPR forces are equipped with outdated weapons and equipment. 'On both sides, the ability to generate and deploy reserve units to the front is likely becoming increasingly critical to the outcome of the war.' Russian forces and separatists in east Ukraine made advances on Tuesday, pushing towards Lysychansk city, the Ukrainian forces' main bastion in the Donbas. In some of the bloodiest fighting in Europe since World War Two, Russia has made slow progress in the Donbas since April in a conflict that has cost thousands of soldiers' lives on both sides. Some of the fighting has spanned the Siverskyi Donets river that curls through the Donbas, with Russian forces mainly on the east bank and Ukrainian forces mainly on the west. Russia changes the address of US embassy in Moscow - to include the name of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine Authorities in Moscow said on Wednesday that they have changed the official address of the US embassy building in the Russian capital to one named after pro-Kremlin separatists in Ukraine. 'The United States embassy in Russia has a new official address,' Moscow city hall said in a statement, saying it had named a previously unnamed open area in front of the embassy's main entrance. It said the embassy is now located at 1 Donetsk People's Republic Square, referring to a breakaway region in eastern Ukraine that Moscow recognised as independent shortly before sending troops there. The embassy's previous address was 8 Bolshoi Devyatinsky Lane. The statement added that the change was made after Moscow councillors proposed honouring the 'defenders of Donbas' - a majority Russian-speaking region in Ukraine that Russia says it is liberating as part of its military campaign - on the map of Moscow. The new address was chosen in a public vote in which nearly 280,000 people participated, the city hall said. In February 2018, a street outside the Russian embassy in Washington was named after Boris Nemtsov, an opposition politician who was shot dead outside the Kremlin in 2015. Advertisement But Ukrainian troops - and an estimated 500 civilians - are reportedly still holding out at a chemical plant in the east bank city of Sievierodonetsk. The governor of Luhansk province, Serhiy Gaidai, said Russians were advancing towards Lysychansk, attacking the buildings of police, state security and prosecutors, taking settlements and attacking the city with aircraft. Oleskiy Arestovych, an adviser to Zelenskiy, said Russian forces could cut off Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk from Ukrainian-held territory. 'The threat of a tactical Russian victory is there, but they haven't done it yet,' he said in an online video. Attacks have picked up in the Kharkiv region in the northeast, with at least 15 civilians killed by Russian shelling, its governor said on Tuesday. 'Russian forces are now hitting the city of Kharkiv in the same way that they previously were hitting Mariupol - with the aim of terrorising the population,' Arestovych said. 'The idea is to create one big problem to distract us.' Both Russia and Ukraine are today holding a day of commemoration to mark the anniversary of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. June 22 is a significant date in Russia - the 'Day of Remembrance and Sorrow' - marking when Hitler's Nazi Germany forces invaded the Soviet Union in World War Two. It is also commemorated in Ukraine and neighbouring Belarus, then part of the Soviet Union. The war there lasted 1,418 days from June 22, 1941, and historians estimate about 27 million Soviet soldiers and civilians were killed. Putin is due to lay flowers to honour the dead. To mark the anniversary, the Russian defence ministry on Wednesday released documents dating back to the beginning of World War Two purporting to show Germany intended to claim the Soviet army was bombing churches and cemeteries to justify its invasion. 'Just as nowadays, in 1941, the Nazis prepared provocations in advance to discredit our state,' Russia's defence ministry said. A woman walks in front of a residential building that was damaged during the Russian attack, in Borodyanka The Housing and Communal College building is damaged in recent shelling in Kharkiv A child rides on a swing in front of a residential building that was damaged during the Russian attacks Ukrainian kamikaze drone ploughs in to major oil refinery inside Russian territory A Ukrainian kamikaze drone today ploughed in to a major oil refinery inside Russian territory, sparking a huge fireball explosion. Footage shows the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying at a low-level height towards the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. Video then shows the drone striking the oil refinery, causing a massive explosion which was heard ten miles away. Flames engulfed the building and black smoke poured from the key strategic facilities, located some four miles from the pro-Putin puppet state Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine. Russian workers, who unwittingly filmed the drone strike, were heard laughing at the sight of the drone as it flew close to them - but they panicked and swore repeatedly after it struck the refinery, with one shouting 'f*****g run away'. Advertisement Ukraine said Wednesday that the eastern industrial city of Severodonetsk was 'hell' as Russian forces moved to encircle two key cities in the Donbas where Moscow has concentrated its military efforts. 'For four months all our positions have been under fire from everything - and I just want to emphasis this - from all the weapons that the Russian army has,' the Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in a statement on social media. 'It's just hell out there,' he added, referring to Severodonetsk, which has been heavily shelled for weeks by Russian forces who are trying to gain complete control of the city. 'Our boys are holding their positions and will continue to hold on as long as necessary,' he added. Russian forces in recent days have made territorial gains south of Severodonetsk and moved closer to its sister city of Lysychansk separated by the river Donets. Gaiday said Russian forces were 'trying to encircle the city' of Lysychansk but that Ukrainian forces still controlled the city. 'Lysychansk is being heavily shelled with heavy calibre weapons,' he added, describing 'colossal destruction.' Gaiday said that people were steadily being evacuated from Lysychansk and that 'we are slowly taking people out.' In Severodonetsk however, hundreds of civilians seeking refuge in the Azot chemical plant were unable to leave due to the scale of the fighting, he said. 'Evacuation is possible if there is an agreement at the highest level, if there will be a ceasefire and a clearly defined route,' Gaiday said. James Balcombe was obsessed with eliminating his rivals and jumping to the top of the jumping castle industry when he hatched a plan to burn down the competition. The 57-year-old has pleaded guilty to 11 charges of conspiracy to commit arson on several Victorian jumping castle businesses in 2016 and 2017. Balcombe instructed three men to carry out arson attacks on his competitors and then on his own business, paying them $2000 for each fire, the Victorian County Court heard on Wednesday. Balcombe started working in the jumping castle industry in 2010 and was 'obsessed' with becoming the best in Victoria, his barrister Simon Kenny said. 'His drive was to become the most successful businessman in this field of jumping castle hire, in doing so he completely lost perspective,' he said. 'He wanted to put his competitors out of business.' James Balcombe has pleaded guilty to 11 charges of conspiracy to commit arson on several Victorian jumping castle businesses in 2016 and 2017 Many of the arson attacks were unsuccessful, with minor damage caused after Molotov cocktails were thrown into car parks, vehicles or through windows into the front of buildings. However, Michael Andrew's A&A Jumping Castles business was engulfed by a significant fire, committed by Anderson under Balcombe's instruction. The January 2017 arson caused $1.4 million damage to the business and destroyed 110 jumping castles. Mr Andrew said '18 years of hard work gone up in flames', in a statement read to court. His wife Aline described Balcombe as a 'mastermind' and said she lived in fear following the attack, worried about what else he was capable of doing. 'Eight seconds is all it took to destroy 18 years of our livelihood,' she said. Many of the arson attacks were unsuccessful, with minor damage caused after Molotov cocktails were thrown into car parks, vehicles or through windows into the front of buildings In March 2017, when Balcombe heard police were investigating the fires, he organised for Craig Anderson to set fire to his own business, which was insured for more than $1 million. His co-accused - Peter Smith, Anderson and Travis Ransom - have already been sentenced, but Balcombe fled to Perth after failing to appear for a pre-trial hearing in December 2018. He lived under the name Paul Johnson and began creating fake stamps until his plan became unstuck when the AFP investigated the stamp operation. The AFP told Victoria Police of Balcombe's whereabouts in August 2020, after searching his Dianella home. He answered the door in a wig. He pleaded guilty to stamp and weapon offences in WA before being extradited to Victoria to face arson charges and a false document charge, after he used a fake medical certificate to get out of court. Balcombe started working in the jumping castle industry in 2010 and was 'obsessed' with becoming the best in Victoria, his barrister Simon Kenny said (stock image) Prosecutor Nick Batten said Balcombe was motivated by greed, wanted to eliminate his business rivals and to defraud his insurer. 'He wanted to be number one on Google and he wanted to face less competition from others,' he said. Mr Kenny denied his client was a criminal mastermind and said once the fires started 'it effectively snowballed'. He said Balcombe, who appeared via videolink, suffered from a personality disorder, which impaired his ability to make sensible decisions. Mr Kenny urged Judge Stewart Bayles to hand Balcombe a cumulative sentence and not to punish him for each of the 11 arson attacks and attempts. Balcombe was remanded in custody to face sentencing at a later date. Scientists have observed sunspots with the potential for solar flares that are pointing at Earth and have doubled in size overnight; is our planet in danger? However, several experts have squashed fears, saying that the worries are far from unusual and they explained how the flares could affect our blue planet. In the past week, Active Region 3038, or AR3038, has been steadily growing, said Rob Steenburgh, the acting lead of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Forecast Office. Rapidly Growing Sunspot Steenburgh said that the Sun's size and growth rate of sunspots were relatively normal in terms of the cosmic scale. The expert added that this is what sunspots do, grow over time, go through stages, and in the end, they decay. Sunspots appear darker to human eyes because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun's surface, NASA said. These spots are cooler because they form where strong magnetic fields prevent heat within the Sun from reaching its surface, as per USA Today. Steenburgh added that the easiest way to explain sunspots is that they are regions of magnetic activity on the Sun's surface. On the other hand, NASA noted that solar flares, which typically arise from sunspots, are a "sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing, or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots. He said that they can be thought of as similar to rubber bands and if they are twisted around your finger, they eventually get twisted too much and break. The difference with magnetic fields is that they reconnect after breaking. When they reconnect, it is in that process that a flare is generated. Read Also: Hidden Polar Bear Population Could be Key to Species' Fight Against Extinction Steenburgh added that the larger and more complex that a sunspot becomes, the higher the likelihood is for solar flares. The recently famous sunspot has doubled in size each day for the last three days and is already about 2.5 times the size of the Earth. According to Newsweek, a powerful enough solar flare can cause disruptions on Earth, such as interfering with radio communication networks and navigational systems. It can also cause issues for people who work in the marine or aviation industries, among others. Dangerous Solar Flares The associate director for science in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, C. Alex Young, was the one that noted the size and growth rate of the sunspot in an email. He noted that the sunspot was producing small solar flares but "does not have the complexity for the largest flares." Although AR3038 is capable of sending M-class solar flares, these are not particularly disruptive to our planet. Despite being the second-strongest type of solar flares, they only tend to cause moderate radio blackout events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center is currently monitoring the sunspot for a potential solar flare event but has not yet issued any warnings. Far more harmful than a potential solar flare from AR3038 are the most powerful X-class flares, which can create "long-lasting radiation storms that can harm satellites, communication systems, and even ground-based technologies and power grids, the New York Post reported. Related Article: Mysterious 'Blue Swirl' in New Zealand Explained: Where Did Stunning Light Come From @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A teacher received death threats and was accused of 'Islamophobia' after they asked a Muslim pupil to remove her face veil - as required by French law - before taking an exam at a high school in Paris. The teacher was attacked on social media following the altercation with the high school student, who had allegedly refused to remove her veil to take her baccalaureate exam at the Charlemagne High School in Paris on Thursday. The Paris prosecutor's office said they were investigating the death threats made against the teacher. In 2004, France banned the wearing of 'conspicuous religious symbols' including the Muslim face veil, known as the niqab, at schools. A teacher received death threats and was accused of 'Islamophobia' after they asked a Muslim pupil to remove her face veil - as required by French law - before taking an exam at the Charlemagne high school in Paris. Pictured: Students wait outside the Charlemagne High School in Paris on June 15, 2016 prior to a test The teacher was attacked on social media following the altercation with the high school student, who had allegedly refused to remove her veil to take her baccalaureate exam at the Charlemagne High School in Paris on Thursday (file image of a woman wearing a niqab) The student, from a Parisian high school, had been asked to remove the veil outside the examination room at the Charlemagne school so that staff could perform a standard identity check before the exam. She had insisted on wearing the veil 'despite several reminders of the law by the staff of the education office present at reception', reported Le Figaro. The pupil is said to have eventually removed the headscarf after a 'tense' exchange with the teacher before she entered the examination room. 'I removed it to avoid any conflict,' the student said in an interview with Revolution Permanente as she claimed the teacher became 'aggressive' whilst demanding the pupil remove her veil. The altercation was tweeted by one of the student's friends on Twitter. The user accused the teacher of being 'Islamophobic'. Soon after, the teacher received death threats and some users demanded to know the teacher's name and to be shown a photograph of the educator. Others called the teacher a 'b***h'. The student, from a Parisian high school, had been asked to remove the veil outside the examination room at the Charlemagne school so that staff could perform a standard identity check before the exam (file image) The situation echoes that of the beheaded teacher Samuel Paty, who was targeted online and sent death threats after he showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad for a debate on freedom of expression. His identity was posted on social networks. Mr Paty, 47, was beheaded near his school in a Paris suburb by 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, a Chechen, on October 16 2020. Since the attack, there have been a number of cases whereby teachers have been receiving threats - even from their pupils. In the most recent, the teacher filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor's office and investigation has been opened into 'death threats', 'online moral harassment' and 'endangering the life of others by dissemination of information relating to private life', reported Le Figaro. In February last year, a French teacher who warned of the spread of radical Islam in the country has been placed under police protection after he allegedly received death threats. The situation echoes that of the beheaded teacher Samuel Paty, who was targeted online and sent death threats after he showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad for a debate on freedom of expression. His identity was posted on social networks Mr Paty, 47, was beheaded near his school in a Paris suburb by 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, a Chechen, on October 16 Didier Lemaire said the threats began after he wrote an open letter saying the state did not do enough to protect Paty. In November 2020, a French high school pupil was arrested for threatening to behead his teacher 'like Samuel Paty'. The male pupil sent a message in a private Snapchat group asking other pupils to 'threaten with death' one of their school teachers. Weeks earlier, police in France questioned four 10-year-olds who voiced support for the beheading of Samuel Paty and who said they would kill their own teacher if he lampooned Islam's prophet. 'They justified the teachers assassination by arguing that it was forbidden to offend the prophet and adding that they would kill their teacher if he caricatured the prophet,' Interior Ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaize said. Again in November 2020, a 14-year-old French pupil was arrested after he threatened his teacher as she showed photos of a demonstration sparked by the attack on Charli Hebdo. The teenager, from Savigny-le-Temple, allegedly told his teacher in class: 'I'll cut you up like Samuel Paty'. Passengers at Manchester Airport have been left stranded after a two-hour wait to unload their bags from the plane. Travellers battled huge check-in queues at the airport this morning, and said they did not receive their bags for over two hours despite being the 'only plane to land in T1' during that time period. Ministers have announced last minute plans to help prevent summer travel chaos as holidaymakers continue to be caught up in airport mayhem. Have you been affected by airport chaos? Email tips@dailymail.com Advertisement Yesterday they announced plans to relax rules which currently force airlines to fly a certain number of planes or risk losing valuable landing slots. New regulations were laid before Parliament aimed at helping carriers avoid making last-minute cancellations and causing mayhem in the airports. They will allow a one-off 'amnesty' on landing slots, meaning airlines can pull flights from their schedules ahead of the peak summer season without the risk of losing them long-term. Thousands of passengers have had their flights and travel plans disrupted after weeks of cancellations and huge queues due to staff shortages. Holidaymakers have also been caught up in Heathrow's luggage chaos this morning, with dozens of bags being dumped by staff outside of the baggage carousels. Ministers have announced that they will be relaxing rules around plane landing slots in a bid to prevent summer travel chaos. Pictured: Dozens of passengers were forced to queue for hours at Manchester Airport this morning amid the ongoing airport mayhem Passengers at Heathrow Airport witness luggage being dumped int he terminals next to the baggage carousels today. It comes just days after the airports Terminal 2 luggage system suffered a failure and left bags to pile up New regulations were laid before Parliament aimed at helping carriers avoid making last-minute cancellations and causing mayhem in the airports. Airlines will no longer have to fulfil a certain number of flights in order to retain a spot One traveller said: 'At Heathrow terminal 3 for 2 hours now in the same immigration line. 'Two officers managing 500+ passengers.. absolute madness.' Another said: 'My aunt has been queuing at Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 immigration for just under four hours. 'There are two desks open. Is this country ok?' It comes after thousands of passengers were left without their luggage after the baggage system in Terminal 2 faced a 'technical issue' on Saturday. Hundreds of bags were heaped in piles across the terminal without and staff around to sort through them. Passengers reportedly waited hours for their bags while some had to leave without getting them back at all. One posted online: 'I flew from Heathrow Airport on Sunday morning to Lisbon and still have no bag here. 'Absolute mess. Even if it arrives (unlikely) I really don't want to check it in for the return journey!' A Heathrow spokeswoman said: 'We apologise unreservedly for the technical issues with our baggage systems that impacted passengers over the weekend. 'We are working around the clock with airlines to reunite passengers with their bags. 'For the latest information regarding individual bags, we ask that passengers check with their airline.' Thousands of flights have been cancelled by British Airways, easyJet, TUI and Wizz Air, with some being axed at the last-minute, leaving thousands of passengers in the lurch and creating carnage at airports. On Monday easyJet announced it would be axing more than 10,000 flights from its July-September schedule after coming under fire from thousands of customers who suffered last-minute cancellations. Passengers at Heathrow Terminal 3 today also complained of being in immigration queues for up to two hours today as they tried to board their flights Passengers at Manchester Airport were left waiting for hours in the busy check-in desks. Further airport chaos is expected after easyJet announced a further 100,000 cancellations HEATHROW APOLOGISE TO FAMILY LEFT WITHOUT LUGGAGE OR VITAL MEDICATIOn Scott McKechnie was left fuming after a baggage blunder at the London airport meant his family haven't had any belongings since Friday. The 30-year-old international cricketer, from Salford, Manchester, touched down in Mauritius to be told all suitcases were over 6,000 miles away in the UK. Scott, alongside his six other family members, have been wearing resort merchandise and forced to buy thousands of pounds worth of new clothing. The family booked the holiday following the death of two close family members, and claim the airpot has lost vital medication as well as belongings. He said: 'It's dangerous. Any medical professional would tell you that when you're on a regular medicine you can't just go cold turkey overnight. 'It's really damaging to people's health - physical, mental and everything in between. 'Aside from the medication and the health risks that's put upon people, we've also lost thousands and thousands of pounds worth of luggage. 'We're physically, mentally and financially out of pocket.' A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: 'We apologise unreservedly for the technical issues with our baggage systems that impacted passengers over the weekend. 'We continue to work around the clock with airlines to reunite passengers with their bags. 'For the latest information regarding individual bags, we ask that passengers check with their airline.' Advertisement Announcing the landing slots move last night, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'It's crucial they don't face disappointing last-minute cancellations and chaos at airports when the system can't deliver, and I will do everything in my power to stop that. 'Today's announcement aims to help airlines provide certainty to passengers and ensure the next few months are as smooth as possible.' Aviation minister Robert Courts added: 'We cannot have a situation where passengers arrive at the airport just to have their flight cancelled or face long delays.' Landing slots are like parking spaces for planes and are used to manage capacity at the busiest airports. A slot gives permission to use the full range of airport infrastructure necessary to operate an aircraft and are highly valuable commercial assets. Airlines must use slots a certain amount of times - currently 70 per cent of the time - each season in order to keep them. Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, said: 'This is a welcome step which will help build greater resilience into operations this summer, coming on top of measures already taken by the sector. 'We will continue to work with ministers and the whole aviation eco-system to ensure the summer peak runs as smoothly as possible for our passengers.' Passengers across Britain have been warned that they should brace for a 'less than satisfactory' experience while travelling in the next few months. Ryanair's boss yesterday warned that chaos at Britain's big airports will continue 'right throughout the summer' amid scenes of mayhem at Manchester and Heathrow. Michael O'Leary has claimed that the Government's Covid lockdowns and general 'mismanagement' forced airport chiefs to impose mass layoffs which caused the staffing shortages now plaguing air traffic control, baggage handling and security. 'This problem is going to continue particularly at airports like Gatwick and Heathrow right throughout the summer. It will be worse at weekends and better during the week,' he told Sky News. Mr O'Leary said that 25 per cent of Ryanair flights last weekend were delayed by air traffic control issues, and a further 15 per cent by airports handling delays. He added that Brexit was compounding the disruption caused as demand ramps up after pandemic restrictions were lifted, with airports unable to hire workers from abroad to fill posts. Heathrow and Gatwick have urged airlines to cancel thousands of flights this summer as they fight to regain control, while easyJet started axing 10,000 flights to European holiday hotspots including Greece, Italy and Spain from July through to September. Passengers across Britain have been warned that they should brace for a 'less than satisfactory' experience while travelling in the next few months Transport Minister Grant Shapps said it was 'crucial' that holidaymakers are not left stranded when the systems can't deliver. He pledged to do everything he could to help stop the chaos ahead of summer travels. Pictured: Passengers at Heathrow Airport this morning Ryanair's boss yesterday warned that chaos at Britain's big airports will continue 'right throughout the summer' amid scenes of mayhem at Manchester and Heathrow In another blow to travellers, easyJet's Spain-based cabin crew will go on strike for nine days in July if their demands for higher pay from the budget airline are not met. Workers will walk out on July 1-3, 15-17, and 29-31, potentially adding to travel woes as the sector struggles to cope with rebounding demand. The airline's flight attendants in Spain are demanding a 40 per cent increase in their basic salaries, according to union USO. The announcement comes as passengers continue to face chaos at UK airports, as understaffed airports struggle to cope. EasyJet has announced it would be cutting an estimated 11,000 flights from its summer schedules, which analysts think will cost the company between 100 million and 200 million this year. It comes after the former boss of British Airways said Heathrow is 'not capable of delivering the basic product they are due to deliver'. Willie Walsh said of Heathrow, Schiphol in Amsterdam and Dublin: 'It is interesting that the three airports I mention in terms of significant charging increases are also the three that have experienced the most disruption in recent weeks. 'It really does lead you to question the management executives of these airports that are not even capable of delivering the basic product they produce. I will continue to call on these airports to get their acts in order.' Hundreds of Brits are LOCKED in sweltering Italian airport corridor for an HOUR with no water: Families try to break out before finally discovering their easyJet flight is CANCELLED BY JACK NEWMAN Hundreds of British passengers were yesterday locked for an hour in a sweltering airport corridor in Italy without access to water or toilets. Holidaymakers waiting to board an easyJet plane to Manchester tried to break out of the stuffy unventilated room through a fire exit before discovering their flight had been cancelled. Some passengers allegedly fainted with temperatures soaring past 86F outside, with mothers stripping babies down to their nappies to stop them overheating. After multiple delays to their flight, the customers were finally released only to be told their flight had been cancelled. Hundreds of British passengers have been locked for an hour in a sweltering airport corridor in Italy without access to water or toilets Holidaymakers waiting to board an easyJet plane to Manchester tried to break out of the stuffy unventilated room through a fire exit Passengers ended up waiting around at the airport for around eight hours and claimed they had to fend for themselves to book hotels and taxis. The long day took its toll on RAF veteran Joe Rylance, 83 , from Bangor, North Wales, who struggled to sit on the hard airport floors. His son, Neil Rylance, 52, CEO and founder of a software company, said that his group of eight will now be stuck in Pisa for two extra days. He estimates that the disruption caused by the experience and cancellation will cost the family more than 2,000. Speaking today from Pisa, Neil said: 'It was chaos. There were three easyJet flights all thrown together with nobody organising where we meant to be going. 'Every single person who was meant to be on the Manchester flight was locked in this corridor - locked at both ends. 'Within 10 minutes it was getting hotter and hotter and hotter. 'There were babies that were stripped off because they were absolutely sweating and there was no air. 'We tried to kick down a fire exit just to get some air for people. 'There was no representative from easyJet seen in the whole of this experience. 'My dad just wants to get home. It's taken a lot out of him, which is really upsetting. 'My daughter is a care worker, my partner is a police officer and we were meant to be out here relaxing after years of not having a holiday. Now we're all so stressed.' Neil added: 'Communication is so important, but there was absolutely none of it. 'I just wish they talked to us, let us know what was going on. We still have no idea what happened.' After multiple delays to their flight, the customers were finally released only to be told their flight had been cancelled The long day took its toll on RAF veteran Joe Rylance, 83 , from Bangor, North Wales, who struggled to sit on the hard airport floors A video captured by Neil shows passengers attempting to force their way out of the fire exit. Other passengers took to social media yesterday while stuck at the airport to vent their frustrations at the airline. Natalie Yates said: 'We've been delayed already and now ushered into the boarding tunnel with no food, water or toilets and people are fainting and overheating. 'No communication, and no way out. Send help.' Another traveller wrote: 'HELP! B****y madness at gate 22 at #Pisa airport. '11:30 flight to Manchester delayed; passengers hot; no water, no toilets; no security and airside open to us all.' Martin Brady today said: 'Absolute s**tshow from @easyJet at Pisa airport yesterday. 'Eight hours in the airport to be told it's cancelled, after being held in a tunnel without access to food and drink. Madness!' Airports across the UK have been hit with a raft of delays, leaving thousands of passengers out of pocket. Travellers at Bristol Airport were said to have been left in tears on Saturday after their TUI flight to Paphos, Greece was delayed by more than 20 hours. A Ukrainian kamikaze drone today ploughed in to a major oil refinery inside Russian territory, sparking a huge fireball explosion. Footage shows the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying at a low-level height towards the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. Video then shows the drone striking the oil refinery, causing a massive explosion which was heard ten miles away. Flames engulfed the building and black smoke poured from the key strategic facilities, located some four miles from the pro-Putin puppet state Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine. Russian workers, who unwittingly filmed the drone strike, were heard laughing at the sight of the drone as it flew close to them - but they panicked and swore repeatedly after it struck the refinery, with one shouting 'f*****g run away'. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was seen flying at a low-level height towards the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. Video then shows the drone striking the oil refinery, causing a massive explosion which was heard ten miles away Video shows the drone striking the oil refinery (left, circled), causing a massive explosion (right) Footage from the scene shows firefighters battling to contain the blaze, as plumes of black smoke billowed into the air. Russian air defences failed to pick up the incoming drone, initially reported to be Turkish-made Bayraktar, but later said to be a Ukrainian UAV PD-1 or PD-2. Some reports said the visible drone was one of two which targeted the facility. It caused the explosion while another lay on the ground between two giant oil tanks. Footage from the scene shows firefighters battling to contain the blaze, as plumes of black smoke billowed into the air Workers nearby are heard on a video as they watched the approaching military drone. Initially they were relaxed as it flew close to them but they swore repeatedly as the unmanned craft struck the oil plant triggering a huge explosion. One is heard saying: 'It came from the Ukrainian side, didn't it?' Another answers: 'Yes, yes.' One asks: 'Do we stop work?' Another replies: 'The plant is on fire. F***ing run away.' Novoshakhtinsk refinery is reportedly the largest oil supplier in southern Russia. It is owned by the Research and Design Institute of Oil and Gas Peton, from Ufa, and previously belonged to offshore companies linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Putin detained by the Kyiv authorities, as had been suggested. Flames engulfed the building and black smoke poured from the key strategic facilities, located some four miles from the pro-Putin puppet state Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine Novoshakhtinsk refinery (file image) is reportedly the largest oil supplier in southern Russia. It is owned by the Research and Design Institute of Oil and Gas Peton, from Ufa, and previously belonged to offshore companies linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Putin detained by the Kyiv authorities, as had been suggested The press service of the regional head office of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations acknowledged the blaze. It claimed there was no threat of the fire spreading. It reported there were no casualties. The scale of the damage to Russian military oil supplies was unclear. 'At 09:25 am Moscow time, information was received that a fire had occurred in a heat exchanger at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery covering an area of 50 square meters,' said a statement from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. A dozen fire teams were reportedly site. A 30-year-old British tourist in Greece was rushed to hospital in a sealed capsule over fears they have monkeypox. A video shows the moment the Brit is loaded onto a helicopter on the Greek island of Naxos, before they were flown to Athens. According to ANT1, the tourist was on vacation on the island of Cyclades, when he first showed symptoms. A British tourist in Greece was seen being transported by Chinook in an isolation pod (pictured) to Athens, after he was reportedly diagnosed with monkeypox Several people helped load the man onto the helicopter yesterday on the island of Naxos A local news channel showed the man had been rushed to the helicopter by land ambulance The National Public Health Organization was immediately notified and the suspicious case was transported by Chinook helicopter on Tuesday afternoon. The patient will remain for treatment at Attica Hospital for the next 20 days at least to undergo further examinations in a controlled environment, local outlets reported. On June 8, Greece detected its first case of the monkeypox virus infection in a traveller. As of June 15 the nation only had two reported cases, while the UK's figure has rocketed over 800 cases. The man appeared to be transferred in or something similar to an EpiShuttle (pictured), which aids in medical isolation and transportation Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic The infection often starts with small bumps that scab over and are contagious Anyone can catch the virus, which is spread by close contact with an infected person. But most cases in the ongoing surge are among the 'sexual networks' of men who have sex with men. Monkeypox, which will be renamed because of claims that it is discriminatory towards Africa, is not normally a sexually-transmitted infection. But it is thought to be the main mode of transmission in the ongoing outbreak. The virus, first discovered in lab monkeys in the 1950s, can also be spread through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone who is infected. A warning was issued for a brand of men's energy pills after it was found they contain a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued the warning for HERO Instant Energy for Males capsules on Wednesday after discovering the drug Taladafil (or Cialis) was used as an undeclared ingredient. The ingredient is used to treat erectile dysfunction but can interact with other prescription drugs and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. The TGA issued a warning against HERO Instant Energy for Males capsules (above) were on Wednesday after it was found they contain Taladafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction Taladafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction but can interact with other prescription drugs, such as diabetes and heart disease medicine, and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels People with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease are warned HERO Instant Energy could interfere with their medication. Anyone with health concerns should contact their GP. Taladafil is a Schedule 4 prescription only drug, meaning it is now illegal to sell or promote HERO Instant Energy in Australia. It is understood the energy capsules were sold online and imported to Australia but were not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. HERO Energy Capsules (above) were not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and are illegal to sell or promote in Australia Anyone in possession of HERO Instant Energy is instructed to not use them and take them to a pharmacy for safe disposal. 'The TGA advises consumers that if they are considering buying therapeutic products online it is important to be careful, especially when the seller does not ask for a valid prescription,' the TGA. 'Products not entered into the ARTG may be counterfeit (fake), containing undeclared (hidden) ingredients that could cause severe adverse reactions.' Advertisement A giant 20ft wide sinkhole has opened up and swallowed a motorbike on a residential street in south London. Emergency services were called to the scene on Martens Avenue in Bexleyheath just before 9pm last night as the bike rider made a narrow escape after crashing into the hole. Police and firefighters were met with the huge void which had formed on the residential road - though it's unclear what caused it. Photographs show the size of the hole - which spans the entire width of the road and is said to be more than 16ft deep. Neighbours said that the rider of the motorbike pulled himself out of the sinkhole when it opened up on the street. Stunned locals watched on as the man seemed to try to jump over the 20ft void like famous American stunt man 'Evel Knievel.' A police cordon was initially put up around the damaged section of road and officers remained at the scene to protect members of the public. Police and firefighters were met with the huge void which had formed on the residential road in south London The motorbike (pictured top right) could be seen amongst the rubble after the sinkhole opened up on the residential road in Bexleyheath - as the rider made a narrow escape A giant 20ft wide sinkhole has opened up and swallowed a motorbike on a residential street in south London Emergency services were called to the scene on Martens Avenue in Bexleyheath yesterday evening Council workers were seen assessing the situation this morning after the massive sinkhole appeared on the road last night An aerial shot shows the extent of the sinkhole, which opened up on a residential road in Bexleyheath at 9pm last night Police and firefighters were met with the huge void which had formed on the residential road - though it's unclear what caused it Photographs show the size of the hole - which spans the entire width of the road and is said to be more than 16ft deep A police cordon was put up around the damaged section of road and officers remained at the scene to protect members of the public An aerial shot shows the extent of the sinkhole, which opened up on a residential road in Bexleyheath at 9pm last night According to residents, the motorbike rider climbed out of the hole and told onlookers he needed a taxi before running off in dramatic scenes on Tuesday evening. Mick Stevens, 49, an aerial technician who lives next to the hole, said: 'I parked on the road at 9pm and thought ''what the hell is that?'' 'There were one or two people standing there looking at something. 'Then a motorbike came speeding along and tried to jump over the hole. He must have thought he was Evel Knievel or something.' Mick added: 'He fell into it with this big bike, then got out and started shouting 'I need a taxi, I need a taxi' and then ran off. The police and fire brigade were here for hours.' Another resident teacher Rian Bond, 44, said: 'At around 9pm we heard what we thought was thunder. 'Then my son said there was police tape out the front. The police said we might need to evacuate. 'When we heard the crash we thought it was someone taking their bins out.' Another resident of the road said: 'I went to bed early and woke up to see people and then saw the hole. 'The noise of it all woke me up but I work in construction so I wasn't surprised to see the sink hole - It could happen anywhere. I'm just thankful it happened at night rather than when the kids were around. Neighbours said that the rider of the motorbike had to be pulled out of the sinkhole when it opened up on the street It's currently unclear what caused the sinkhole - but police have confirmed that there were no reported injuries last night Police cordoned off the area last night to protect the public following the massive sinkhole Broken parts of the road were seen sinking in on themselves as the ground opened up on the street, just before 9pm yesterday London Fire Brigade said they were called to the scene and helped make the area safe for residents last night Officials were at the scene this morning as they assessed the damage A barrier next to the 1930s semi-detached houses has now been set up by Thames Water, cordoning off the damaged area. Thames Water said it was working with Bexley Council to try and establish the cause of the sinkhole. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Police were called to Martens Avenue, Bexleyheath, shortly before 21.00hrs on 21 June to reports of a large sinkhole. 'Officers attended and cordons were put in place. There are no reported injuries.' A London Fire Brigade spokesperson added: 'Firefighters were called at 21:06 last night to a sink hole the depth of 5m in the road on Martens Avenue in Bexleyheath. 'We helped make the scene safe and the incident was over for crews by 22:28.' Winston Churchill is 'not a hero' and his statue in Parliament Square should be buried up to its waist so viewers can 'look down' on it, a South African artist has sensationally claimed. William Kentridge, who has a retrospective at the Royal Academy this year, said that Britain is struggling to cope with its history of imperialism and argued that statues of contentious historical figures should be reframed. Suggesting that the box installed around Churchill's statue during the BLM protests alleviated rather than removed tensions, he said: 'That palisade was saying, for British people, Churchill is the greatest Briton who ever lived. But for millions of Indians who starved because all grain was taken for the British forces during the war, he's not a hero. William Kentridge said the statue of Churchill in Westminster should be buried up to its waist so that people can 'look down' on it William Kentridge: Jewish South African whose parents battled apartheid William Kentridge's parents were lawyers who helped victims of apartheid in South Africa. He was born in Johannesburg in 1955. He is best known for a series of eleven animated films, 'Drawings for Projection', the first of which was made in 1989. They are based on anecdotes from his life and political events which led to the end of apartheid. Nine of his prints and drawings are in the Tate Modern in London. Advertisement 'Putting that wooden fence around him was great. It said: he's in there somewhere. You can't see him, but we know of his presence. 'And it sets it as a question mark, which is when the statue is at its most alive. 'Removing the statue does not take the question away. Leaving it doesn't solve the question. But that palisade allows for a space in between.' Speaking to the Art Newspaper, he added: 'I think [the UK] could just take some of these monuments off their plinths and dig a hole in the ground, then bury them up to their waists. 'So you can see them, but you're looking down on them.' He said the Black Lives Matter Movement has left 'a lot to deal with' for many in the West, drawing a comparison with the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, which has been a 'central question' for decades. The artist added that South Africa is 'ahead' of the UK because while the former apartheid nation has a 'blighted past', they have 'built a consensus on that'. Britain, he said in contrast, should ask itself: ''How do we deal with our blighted past?' rather than defending it and saying it was nothing but a heroic history.' The celebrated wartime leader was boarded up by London Mayor Sadiq Khan after it was attacked by anti-fascist and BLM protesters two years ago - a move that Boris Johnson branded as 'absurd and shameful'. Churchill, pictured at his seat in the Cabinet Room at Number 10 Downing Street in 1940 Britain's 'culture wars' have in recent years revolved around the question of whether statues of historical British figures involved in colonialism or slavery should be taken down or remain standing. During a famous Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol after the murder of George Floyd in the US, a statue of 18th Century slave trader Edward Colston was toppled by protestors and tossed into the harbour. Four people accused of removing the statue were later cleared in court of criminal damage in a verdict that split the country. The Government says that public statues of controversial figures should remain standing, but their histories should be explained. Three men have been arrested after former world champion Amir Khan was mugged at gunpoint for his 72,000 luxury watch while out with his wife in east London. The 35-year-old boxer and his wife were attacked outside the Sahara Grill in Leyton on April 18 where robbers made off with his diamond-encrusted Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph. Two men ran towards the former world champion in the street and one pointed a gun in his face before snatching the timepiece. This morning police arrested three men, aged 25, 34, and 20, on suspicion of robbery. Amir Khan and his wife Faryal Makhdoom at Indigo at the O2 in London in 2019 Footage shows the men running up to Khan and mugging him at gunpoint The 35-year-old boxer and his wife were attacked outside the Sahara Grill in Leyton on April 18 where robbers made off with his diamond-encrusted Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph (pictured) Two of them were also arrested on suspicion of having a gun with intent to cause fear of violence with another also held for possession of ammunition. Hours before the incident, Khan was pictured with a fan while shopping in Oxford Street wearing his flashy watch, which is worth around 72,000 and is studded with 719 diamonds. And the Olympic medallist was also wearing it in an Instagram post from a charity do at the Grosvenor House Hotel the night before raising fears he may have been specifically targeted. An eyewitness told The Sun that Khan was visibly shaken by the ordeal, adding: 'They were not hanging around. They got straight into the car and fled. 'Amir had enjoyed a lovely evening with his wife and had been shopping earlier in the day. It raises real fears he was a deliberate target. It's extremely serious. He was left absolutely terrified.' Amir Khan is pictured with a fan in Oxford Street wearing one of his luxury watches Khan wrote on Twitter that a gun was pointed in his face as his assailants stole his Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph before speeding off in a car in Leyton Khan and Makhdoom, who got married in 2013 in New York, have three children, Lamisah, Muhammad and Alayna. A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: 'Detectives investigating a gunpoint street robbery in Leyton have made three arrests. 'The three men - A, 25, B, 34, and C, 20 - were arrested on suspicion of robbery after warrants were executed by detectives this morning. 'A has also been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence; C has been arrested for this offence and possession of ammunition. 'All three remain in custody. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.' They added: 'An investigation was launched after police were called at 21:15hrs on Monday, 18 April to High Road in Leyton. In a post to her Instagram account late last night, Khan's wife Makhdoom also claimed the watch was stolen and posted its serial number in a bid to try and 'find out who's done this' 'The victim, a man aged 30s, was approached by two males who threatened him with a gun before stealing his watch and fleeing. 'No shots were fired and nobody was injured.' At the time Khan posted on Twitter: 'Just had my watch taken off me at gun point in East London, Leyton. 'I crossed the road with Faryal, luckily she was few steps behind me. 'Two men ran to me, he asked for my watch whilst having a gun pointed in my face. The main thing is we're both safe.' Detective Sergeant Lee Warrington of the Met's Specialist Crime Command said: 'Tackling robbery is a key priority for the Met and these arrests demonstrate our commitment to taking those intent on using violence, or the threat of violence, off of our streets.' In 2012 Khan was ambushed by an armed gang that reportedly tried to steal his 100,000 Range Rover. An onlooker is quoted in The Sun as saying: 'These guys tried to jump Amir and his brother but they picked on the wrong blokes. 'They parked their car in front of the Range Rover. At least one had a cosh. One slapped Amir and clipped him on the lip but Amir pulled back and knocked him out cold. 'Then five of them went for Amir and Haroon - but they stood their ground and these guys got dropped one by one. They left these men with cuts and bruises but all they were doing was defending their property.' Ghislaine Maxwell is trying to prevent Sarah Ransome, a British-South African victim of pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, from testifying against her at the heiress' sentencing hearing next week. Lawyers for Maxwell, 60, are trying to stop Ms Ransome from giving a victim impact statement to a Manhattan court on Tuesday when a judge will determine the length of Maxwell's jail sentence for sex-trafficking, with the prosecution pushing for 20 years. Maxwell's legal team wrote a filing to the court saying that the alleged sexual abuse suffered by Ms Ransome falls outside of the time period for offences covered by the trial. Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice, was convicted on five out of six charges in December, including sex trafficking of a minor - the youngest victim a 14-year-old girl, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and three related counts of conspiracy, and faces a maximum 65 years in jail. Ms Ransome told The Telegraph during Maxwell's trial: 'She (Maxwell) looked at me and she walked over and she said, ''Jeffrey wants you.'' And I completely froze...she grabbed my arm and marched me into Jeffrey's room, where I was then raped.' 'When I walked out of the room she smiled with these black eyes like a great white shark. She enjoyed knowing what had happened to me.' Ransome (pictured outside the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York on Nov. 29, 2021 during Maxwell's trial) was recruited into the sex trafficking ring in 2006 when she was 22 and now hopes to give a victim impact statement at Maxwell's sentencing This sketch shows the moment Maxwell was convicted of five of the six counts she faces in December 2021. She will be sentenced next week on June 28 An undated Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the Queen's log cabin at Glen Beg, Balmoral. Maxwell faces a maximum of 65 years in jail for her part in Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, but the prosecution are pushing for only 20 years The disgraced socialite has been held in solitary confinement in Brooklyn's Metropolitan detention center since July 2020, where guards told her 'there was concern she could be shot by a sniper'. Ms Ransome is hoping to appear alongside another alleged Epstein victim, Elizabeth Stein, to address US District Judge Alison Nathan as she hands down the sentence for Maxwell's five counts of sex trafficking women and young girls for Epstein between 1994 and 2004. 'The conduct underlying the offenses charged against Ms Maxwell ended 'in or about 2004'', Maxwell's legal team wrote to the court on Tuesday. 'To our understanding, Ms Ransome alleges that she was a victim of Epstein and Ms Maxwell from approximately October 2006 to April 2007, a full two years after the conduct in this case ended. She therefore does not qualify as a 'crime victim' under the CVRA (Crime Victims Rights Act).' It is appealing to this technicality that Maxwell's lawyers hope to exclude Ms Ransome's testimony. Ms Stein's alleged abuse occurred in 1994 and so her testimony is exempt from this defense. Maxwell's legal team wrote a filing to the court saying that the alleged sexual abuse suffered by Ms Ransome at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell (left) falls outside of the time period for offences covered by the trial 'While it is appropriate for victims to be present pursuant to the CVRA, Ms Maxwell's sentencing proceeding should not be an open forum for any alleged victim to be heard,' the attorneys wrote. Ms Ransome, 37, was born and raised by her single mother in Johannesburg, South Africa, but has dual British nationality through her Scottish father, Lord Gordon Macpherson, the second baron of Drumochter. She alleges that she was sexually abused by Epstein on his private Virgin Island in 2006 and that Maxwell was entirely complicit. Her allegations include not just being aware of the abuse, but that Maxwell actively brought her to Epstein to be raped. Maxwell is scheduled to be sentenced next Tuesday, June 28, with the probation department recommending a 20-year sentence, below the sentencing guidelines of up to 65 years for the crimes the British heiress was convicted of. Maxwell has requested a more lenient sentence of just four years and three months in jail, arguing that she is being scapegoated as a proxy for Epstein's crimes, and that her philanthropic work demonstrated she has a 'desire to do good in the world'. Her legal filings claimed that helping launch the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) demonstrated she has a 'desire to do good in the world'. A photo from 2002 on the Africa trip shows Clinton standing on the steps of Epstein's plane with his arm on the shoulder of a smiling Maxwell. Clinton flew on Epstein's jet dozens of times including trips to Africa and Asia after he left office DailyMail.com has obtained a photograph of a signed copy of Bill Clinton's memoir. The former President wrote 'To Ghislaine with love' in blue marker in the front cover of 'My Life', said Maxwell's former dog walker Rasmus Alpsjo The filing states: 'Ms. Maxwell has always worked hard. Her many educational, occupational, and avocational accomplishments include becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), a helicopter pilot, a submersible pilot, a banker; partnering with the Cleveland Clinic to establish a telemedicine platform to enable people in remote areas to obtain quality medical treatment; helping develop the Clinton Global Initiative; and supporting a variety non-profit and charitable organizations'. In a later section the document states that Maxwell is not an 'heiress, villain, or vapid socialite'. The most recent known image of Ghislaine Maxwell, released by her lawyers in 2021. They're now demanding she serves just four years behind bars for child sex abuse The claim puts renewed spotlight on the links between Maxwell, Epstein and Clinton. Epstein claimed to have helped Clinton launch the CGI and the former President flew on his private jet - known as the 'Lolita Express' - dozens of times. One photo taken as the jet was about to depart shows Maxwell standing with Clinton on the plane's steps, the two smiling warmly. The claim about Maxwell being targeted by a sniper was made during a section of the pre sentencing filing which talked about Maxwell's treatment in the MDC while awaiting trial. The document states: 'The treatment imposed on Ms. Maxwell was unnecessarily and intentionally degrading and threatening. 'While in isolation, a high-ranking prison guard told Ms. Maxwell that there was concern that she would be shot by a sniper. Putting aside the reason and propriety of dispensing this alarming information, the diminution of security concerns resulting in her transfer to general population appears correlated to Ms. Maxwell having been sufficiently safeguarded to fill Epstein's empty seat'. Maxwell's attorneys claim that she was recently threatened by an inmate in general population, alleging that she said the extra 20 years in prison would be 'worth the money' if she killed Jeffrey Epstein's lover. Her attorneys also argue she is subject to multiple pat-downs a day where she alleges 'to have been touched in a sexually inappropriate manner by correction officers' several times. President Joe Biden on Wednesday will call on Congress to pass a three-month suspension of the federal gas tax to help combat record pump prices, the White House announced. The president will also call on states to temporarily suspend state fuel taxes, which are often higher than federal rates. He will also challenge major oil companies to come to a meeting with his energy secretary on Thursday with ideas on how to bring back idled refining capacity. In a speech at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, Biden will ask for the federal gas tax - about 18 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24 cents per gallon of diesel - to be lifted through the end of September, just ahead of the midterm elections. Some vulnerable Democrats have been pushing for such a move ahead of the November election, which will decide control of Congress. Voters have given Biden low marks for his handling of inflation, which has contributed to the high gas prices, and Democrats fear steep loses in November. But, in 2008, Barack Obama called suspending the gas tax a 'gimmick' to let politicians say they did something. And Congress must approve the gas tax suspension, making Biden's support largely symbolic. Biden and his team have been weighing asking for a suspension for months amid increasing pressure to combat financial pain at the pump. Gas prices recently hit an average of $5 a gallon for the nation. But experts have questioned just how much the suspension of the gas tax will save consumers - it is less than 5 per cent of the total cost at the pump - and some lawmakers, including Democrats, have warned oil companies will pocket most of the savings. President Joe Biden will call on Congress to pass a three-month suspension of the federal gasoline tax to help combat record pump prices, the White House announced A suspension of the 18.4 cents a gallon federal gasoline tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax would require congressional approval Barack Obama, during the 2008 presidential campaign, called suspending the gas tax a 'gimmick' that allowed politicians to 'say that they did something.' He also warned that oil companies could offset the relief by increasing their prices. And Jason Furman, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama, warned on Tuesday that oil companies would pocket most of the savings. 'Whatever you thought of the merits of a gas tax holiday in February it is a worse idea now. Refineries are even more constrained now so supply is nearly fully inelastic. Most of the 18.4 cent reduction would be pocketed by industry--with maybe a few cents passed on to consumers,' he wrote on Twitter. But Biden energy adviser Amos Hochstein said the situation was different now given Putin's invasion of the Ukraine and told CNN that the administration's proposal - combined with state gas tax cuts and rebates - could save Americans up to 50 cents per gallon of gas. 'In some cases, maybe perhaps other measures such as rebates, together with the average cost of taxes at the state level of about 30 cents, that can give the American public about 50 cents off a gallon. So in the conditions that we're in today, that's that's not a gimmick. That's a little bit of breathing room for the American people as we get into the summer driving season,' he said. It's unclear if Biden has the votes in Congress to get the suspension passed. Some lawmakers in both parties have expressed resistance to suspending the tax, with some Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, worried that the move would have limited effect on prices and oil companies would pocket much of the savings. Republicans uniformly oppose it and moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said earlier this year such a plan 'doesn't make sense.' But the administration argues the suspension - even one for a few months - will provide 'breathing room' for Americans. 'A federal gas tax suspension alone won't fix the problem we face, but it will provide families a little breathing room as we continue working to bring down prices for the long haul,' a senior administration official said. If Congress approves the suspension through September, it will cost the Highway Trust Fund roughly $10 billion in forgone revenue. The White House believes it can make up the lost revenue from other areas of a budget that is seeing revenue grow and deficits shrink as the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden said on Tuesday a potential suspension of the federal gas tax would have some, but not significant, impact on highway funds. 'It will have some impact but it's not going to impact major road construction and major repair,' he said. And when asked if that meant he had made a decision, Biden repeated his earlier claim he would decide by the end of the week on whether to ask Congress to suspend the tax to help with high gas prices. The revenue from the gas tax is used to help fund highway and other transportation projects. He said the federal government has plenty of funds to pay for his infrastructure plan even if the gas tax was suspended. 'We have plenty of capacity to do that,' he said. Barack Obama, during the 2008 presidential campaign, called suspending the gas tax a 'gimmick' that allowed politicians to 'say that they did something' Some states, such as New York, Maryland, Georgia, and Connecticut, have already paused state fuel taxes, while others have entertained ideas like consumer rebates and direct relief. Biden has repeatedly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of the Ukraine for high prices for food and gas, calling it 'Putin's price hike.' Oil and fuel prices have risen to their highest levels in 14 years in the wake of invasion and as the world comes out of the covid pandemic. Biden has already taken some steps to try and relieve high gas prices, including releasing fuel from the strategic petroleum reserves. An extensive phishing effort using false voicemail and fake Microsoft login sites is attempting to steal Microsoft 365 login credentials from workers involved in the US military, security software, manufacturing supply chain, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries. Employees at these companies have been receiving fake email notifications claiming that someone from their company has left them a voicemail. The email appears to be coming from within the corporation, but cloud security firm ZScaler discovered that the real sender is using a Japanese email provider to cover their real identify and address. Microsoft 365 Phishing Scam If the victim falls for the bait and opens the HTML attachment in the email, they'll be sent to a CAPTCHA check, which has two objectives: to dodge anti-phishing programs and to persuade the victim of its authenticity. After passing the captcha, the victim is sent to the phishing site, which is a landing page that appears just like the Microsoft 365 login page. It's there that the victims' credentials will be shared with the attackers if they enter them in, according to TechRadar. Microsoft 365 accounts are in great demand among criminals because they include a wealth of information that may be used to launch devastating stage-two attacks. It may be used to distribute malware and ransomware, install cryptominers on web hardware, and even launch very devastating supply chain assaults. Scammers reportedly imitate the targeted organization's name in the "From" field, as well as logo branding on the message itself, to make it appear legitimate. Researchers also discovered that attackers use a similar pattern for URLs used in the redirect process, which contained the name of the targeted organization as well as the email address of the targeted individual. To add legitimacy to the experience, the credential-phishing site employs Google's reCAPTCHA technique, which requires targets to show they are "not a robot" by recognizing things in photos. This previously utilized method also enables attackers avoid automatic URL inspection tools, which was also employed in the July 2020 campaign, as per ThreatPost. According to experts, an analysis of the email headers used in the campaign by ThreatLabZ suggests that threat actors utilized email servers in Japan to stage assaults. Read Also: Elon Musk an "Embarrassment"? SpaceX Employees Get the Axe After Shocking Letter Criticizing Musk How To Avoid Being Scammed? While the campaign is still running, ThreatLabZ and KnowBe4's Kron suggest that companies remind their workers about safe email procedures to ensure that they don't provide their credentials to attackers. Researchers advise users not to open attachments in emails coming from untrustworthy or unknown sources as an extra precaution. Furthermore, they recommend that users check the URL in the browser's address bar before entering any credentials as guidelines. Employees should be taught how to recognize and report phishing attempts, as well as how to check the URL bar of their browser to ensure the website they are entering credentials on is real. They may also use multi-factor authentication to ensure that even if employees give over credentials, attackers are kept off the business network. Meanwhile, campaigners and academics have warned that face analysis software that purports to be able to determine a person's age, gender, and emotional state might be prejudiced, inaccurate, or intrusive - and that it should not be marketed. Per NY Times, Microsoft acknowledged some of the accusations and announced on Tuesday that certain elements will be removed from its artificial intelligence service for detecting, analyzing, and identifying faces. They will no longer be available to new customers this week, and existing users will be phased out within the year. Microsoft is attempting to tighten control over its artificial intelligence products with these adjustments. Before they are released, technologies that might be used to make crucial judgments regarding a person's access to work, education, health care, financial services, or a life opportunity are subjected to a review responsible AI by a team led by Natasha Crampton, Microsoft's top executive office. The emotion detection feature, which identified someone's expression as anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, neutral, sad, or surprise, raised worries within Microsoft. Related Article: China Repeatedly Accesses US' User Data Including Americans' Phone Numbers, Leaked Audio of TikTok Meetings Reveal @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A judge in Brazil who banned an 11-year-old girl rape victim from having an abortion has been promoted. Judge Joana Ribeiro Zimmer, whose decision caused widespread outrage, was given a promotion after the Court of Justice decided that she was 'especially deserving'. Brazilian officials denied that it had taken into consideration her ruling over the 11-year-old girl, who is being kept in sheltered accommodation to prevent her having an abortion. The judge's new role will involve transfer to the district of Brusque, and she also claimed that she was offered the job before the controversy about the abortion ruling. The ruling had prompted a suggestion from justice officials that they were going to investigate Ribeiro Zimmer, but now it has been revealed that she has been given a better job. Judge Joana Ribeiro Zimmer (pictured), holder of the District of Tijucas, has been promoted after her decision to not grant an abortion to an 11-year-old girl who was raped in her family home in southern Brazil's Santa Catarina state The girl, who was raped earlier this year in her family home in southern Brazil's Santa Catarina state, was accompanied by her mother to a doctor in Florianopolis when she was 22 week pregnant. A medic refused to perform the abortion, saying they could only perform an abortion on someone up to 20 weeks, and that they needed a court order. It was then that the case reached Judge Zimmer who reportedly told the court if the mother wanted to protect her daughter she would not 'submit her to homicide'. There are no other details regarding the rape of the girl who is now in her 29th week of pregnancy or the attacker. Abortion is illegal in Brazil and can mean jail time except in cases when the victim is raped and there is a risk to the life of the mother. The girl, accompanied by her mother, was seen by a doctor on May 4 at the Polydoro Ernani de Sao Thiago University Hospital, the Intercept reported. They then told a psychologist at the hospital that they did not want to keep the pregnancy. Two days later, prosecutor Mirela Dutra Alberton, from the Santa Catarina Public Ministry, petitioned the court to take her into a shelter. The prosecutor in court documents said that pregnancy is a high risk, explaining: 'Obviously, a child at a young age does not have a biological structure in the formative stage suitable for a pregnancy'. Then when the case reached the Santa Catarina court, Judge Zimmer sent the girl to a shelter for women, to protect her from her aggressor. Her mother, unnamed, reportedly said that if she had not been taken to the shelter, she would have performed the abortion on her daughter herself. The judge also told the mother if she had granted the girl an abortion that she would not be 'protecting her daughter' and would instead have been 'subjecting her to a homicide'. After a medic refused to perform the abortion, it was taken to Judge Zimmer who said if the mother want to protect her daughter she would not 'submit her to homicide' The girl, accompanied by her mother, was seen by a doctor on May 4 at the Polydoro Ernani de Sao Thiago University Hospital The Court of Justice of Santa Catarina has since said that its Internal Affairs Office is now looking into Judge Zimmer's ruling. The case has attracted widespread criticism in the largely Catholic country, with experts quoted in local media as saying that there is no legal basis for the situation, neither regarding the stance that the hospital adopted, nor for the judge's decision. The Court said in a statement that they had 'initiated a request for measures in the administrative sphere for the proper investigation of the facts'. The IPAS organisation, which campaigns for abortion rights in Brazil, says: 'Because Brazilian law only permits abortion in cases of rape, foetal anencephaly, or risk to life, in 2012 the country's Ministry of Health reported only 1,626 legal abortions in a nation with 203 million people. 'However, an estimated one million Brazilian women have abortions every year. Many of those women, particularly those without the financial or social resources to see a well-trained, willing provider, run a huge legal risk when they decide to end an unwanted pregnancy. 'The physical consequences can also be devastating.' The case is ongoing. Last week, the premature baby of a 12-year-old Bolivian girl who was allegedly raped by her grandfather died after the girl from Chimore, Cochabamba (pictured) was denied an abortion Under Bolivian law, abortion is legal for rape and incest victims, but the procedure can only be undertaken up to the 22nd week of pregnancy Last week, the premature baby of a 12-year-old Bolivian girl who was allegedly raped by her grandfather died after the girl was denied an abortion. Under Bolivian law, abortion is legal for rape and incest victims, but the procedure can only be undertaken up to the 22nd week of pregnancy. The pregnant girl had begged to be allowed to terminate the shocking pregnancy, but she had been told she was too late. Medics at the German Urquidi Maternal and Child Hospital in Cochabamba had denied her pleas because she was six months pregnant at the time. The hospital's refusal to terminate the young girl's pregnancy shocked Bolivia, with many calling for reform of the country's abortion laws. The infant was delivered by C-section in the 29th week of the pregnancy. The premature newborn's health was delicate and it was placed in an incubator but died. The girl was reportedly raped by her grandfather in Senda F, in the municipality of Chimore. It transpired that the elderly man, a farmer, had allegedly raped his granddaughter many times before she fell pregnant. He is now being held in pre-trial custody at San Pedro de Sacaba prison. The names of both the victim and the alleged perpetrator were not given in local reports. A teacher accused of allegedly kissing and groping a pupil has admitted drinking 'an excessive amount of alcohol' on the night in question. Ashley McConnell, 34, said she visited several bars and was ordering two drinks at a time as well as shots during a night out in Thurso, Caithness, with friends in March 2018. The physics teacher, who taught at Thurso High School, then went to a local nightclub, Skinandi's, where she is alleged to have danced in a sexualised manner with a pupil. It is also alleged whilst there Miss McConnell, who was 30 at the time, kissed the 17-year-old 'three or four times', touched his bottom and groin and held hands with him. However, Miss McConnell, also known as Ashley Swanson, yesterday said she drank so much she could not remember everything from that night. The mother-of-two, who was married at the time, remembers the pupil standing in front of her but can't recall if more happened due to the amount of alcohol she drank. Referring to the pupil she allegedly kissed as Pupil A, she said: 'I do have a recollection of Pupil A standing in front of me and I remember spending parts of the night with [a former pupil she tutored]. 'It had probably been about three years since I taught him. Miss McDonnell is alleged to have danced in a sexualised manner with a sixth year pupil at local Skinandi's nightclub in March 2018 Physics teacher Ashley McConnell, 34 (pictured), who has been accused of groping and kissing a teenage pupil at a local nightclub in Caithness, Scotland, told school bosses she 'couldn't remember' the incident 'I can't remember the content of the conversation [on the night]. That was the truth, my recollection of the evening was not clear, nothing really in detail. 'I don't remember dancing with him but that isn't to say I didn't dance with him. 'I also don't remember some of the other stuff which might have happened but that was me just trying to be as honest as I could be. 'I feel it is quite significant to kiss someone, it is something that I would remember given I remember the confrontation and other memorable moments from the night. 'But I cannot claim that because I don't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen. 'You know anyone when they drink excessive amounts of alcohol they behave in ways they wouldn't behave otherwise.' She added: 'I spent most of my night in the smoking area or on the dancefloor. The physics teacher, who taught at Thurso High School, pictured, then went to a local club 'I was still drinking, shots I believe but I wasn't going to the bar. 'I can remember parts of the night and it is not like I have blacked out and not remembered the evening, I don't have an explanation, it is just the effect of drinking large amounts of alcohol. 'I believe that in the pubs I was drinking two drinks at a time and in the club I was drinking shots but I can't be sure I remember drinking the shots. 'Absolutely I would consider myself under the influence of alcohol.' Miss McConnell had been out for dinner and drinks for a colleague's 50th birthday before she went to Skinandi's nightclub. She also visited several pubs in between where she continued to drink before heading to the nightclub with French teacher Emilie Charton. She said: 'I travelled into Thurso with a colleague who also lived in Halkirk and we went to a colleague's Angela Sutherland 50th birthday, we had dinner and drinks. 'From my recollection I was drinking beer and I had quite a few, we left Angela's house and went to Why Not, a pub in Thurso. I was ordering beer and Jack Daniels. 'It was quite an excessive amount of alcohol then we went to Top Joe's and I was really quite drunk by then and I think after Top Joe's I believe there were lots of science colleagues who had gone out. 'By the time we were leaving most people were going home, a few colleagues had suggested to me that maybe I should go home but I wasn't keen to go home. 'I don't think that anybody really wanted to go to Skinandi's but I don't think that Emilie wanted me to go on my own. 'The memories I do have, Emilie was with me and also from what has been recounted by Emilie to me is that we were together most of the night and I have no reason to disbelieve her. 'Some bits [of a night out] you just don't recall but I do remember everyone was going home and they suggested that I should do the same.' Referring to allegations from pupils that she was 'dirty dancing' with the schoolboy, she said: 'It's not something I remember, it is not something that is in the video that the girls took. 'I haven't seen any evidence of that [sexy dancing] but I can't say that it didn't happen because I drank a large amount and I don't have the clearest recollection of the evening.' Miss McConnell denied there were any other feelings towards the boy other than on the night of the alleged kiss. The Scots teacher admits holding hands with the teen but denies kissing him. She has also been accused of telling two pupils at the club to 'f**k off' before gesturing two fingers at them. She then allegedly said she would 'fight the b***h' in reference to one of the female pupils. Miss McConnell said: 'I had a recollection of having an altercation with two girls. 'The events in the smoking area weren't clear in my mind. 'I had a confrontation in the smoking area, the two girls were very loudly speaking about my personal life I believe to Emilie and it was with the intention I would hear it, speaking about saying I wasn't behaving as I should as a teacher, they felt sorry for my husband and my child and I think that touched a nerve.' Miss McConnell faces being struck off the teaching register by the General Council for Scotland (GTCS) following an investigation over her alleged behaviour. She was suspended from her job after concerned pupils approached school bosses with a video of the alleged incident. Students who were at the nightclub said the teacher was dancing in a 'sexualised' and 'dirty' manner. The Thurso High School pupil that Miss McConnell was accused of acting inappropriately with told school bosses he kissed her 'three or four times'. The trial continues. Stanley Johnson has sparked a furious row with MPs after the Prime Minister's father called for the Chinese ambassador to no longer be banned from Parliament. The 81-year-old, who is known to be close to Zheng Zeguang, said he hoped MPs would relent on their current stance and allow Beijing's diplomat to soon visit the Palace of Westminster. But Mr Johnson was immediately condemned for providing a 'massive propaganda boost' for China at a time of huge scrutiny over the country's human rights record. A group of MPs also called for a 'period of silence' from the PM's father, as they accused him of 'advancing the interests of a brutal Chinese regime'. In September last year, China's ambassador to the UK was told he could not come to Parliament while Beijing continues to sanction a number of MPs and peers. Mr Zheng had been due to attend a parliamentary reception, but both House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker barred the Chinese ambassador. It came after protests from those MPs and peers who had been subjected to sanctions by China for criticising Beijing, including allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghurs. Stanley Johnson welcomed China's ambassador Zheng Zeguang to his London home in April this year The PM's father posted a photo of the lunch on his Instagram account The pair also met at the Chinese ambassador's residence last week to discuss Mr Johnson's upcoming filming trip Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Mr Johnson expressed his hope that Parliament would reconsider its ban on Mr Zheng when they return from their summer recess. 'I would imagine parliament is breaking up for the summer pretty soon,' he said. 'But I would very much hope that by the time parliament returns, these bans will no longer be in place.' In April, the PM's father hosted Mr Zheng and the diplomat's wife, Hua Mei, for lunch at his London home. And Mr Johnson last week attended the couple's residence to discuss his plan to film a documentary while tracing Marco Polos route over China's Silk Road. The trip will see Mr Johnson team up with his youngest son, Max, 36, who is a half-brother of the PM. Concerns have been raised about the pair's journey as it is due to see them visit Xinjiang, home to the Uyghur people. Last year, the Commons declared that genocide is taking place against the Uyghurs with more than a million people estimated to have been detained at camps in Xinjiang. The PM's father is planning to film a documentary while tracing Marco Polos route over China's Silk Road Conservative MPs Nus Ghani and Sir Iain Duncan Smith are both among those parliamentarians sanctioned by Beijing Mr Johnson said the Chinese government had been 'tremendously helpful' with his plans and described Mr Zheng as a 'very agreeable, capable and intelligent man'. Asked whether he would raise human rights concerns with Chinese officials, Mr Johnson told the Hong Kong-based newspaper: 'We will be travelling with eyes open and our ears open. 'And you can be absolutely sure that the TV team who are with us are absolutely professional, they will film what we see. I think thats all we can say.' A statement from those parliamentarians sanctioned by Beijing - including Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith, as well as fellow Conservative MPs Nusrat Ghani and Tim Loughton - said: 'Stanley Johnsons opinions are only of interest to people because he is the father of the British Prime Minister. He speaks for no one but himself. 'In advancing the interests of a brutal Chinese regime that is committing genocide against the Uyghur, using slave labour, and locking up peaceful democracy campaigners in Hong Kong, he only reveals how out of touch he has become. 'As any decent person might remark, a period of silence from him would be very welcome.' Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael posted on Twitter: 'There is no doubt that Johnson's support for the Chinese Government is a massive propaganda boost for them and an embarrassment for our Government. 'To go to Xinjiang when many have concluded that the Uyghur population is the subject of a genocide is a colossal error of judgement.' The Foundation for Uyghur Freedom asked: 'Is Stanley Johnson a national security risk?' Film director Paul Haggis has appeared in court in southern Italy amid a police investigation into a womans allegations he had sex with her without her consent over the course of two days. Haggis, who is best known for writing the screenplays for movies 'Crash', ' Million Dollar Baby', the James along with two James Bond films, 69, made no comment as he arrived with Italian lawyer Michele Laforgia at the courthouse in Brindisi, a port town in Puglia, the region that forms the heel of south-east Italy. There was no sign that members of his family who were in Italy at the time of his arrest. Prosecutors announced on Sunday that police had detained the Canadian-born director, screenwriter and producer for investigation of alleged aggravated sexual violence and aggravated personal injuries. Haggis, who co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay, is pictured with his lawyers outside the court in Italy Haggis, who co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay, is pictured with his lawyers outside the court in Italy Haggis is pictured scanning through metal detectors at the Brindisi law court in southern Italy File photo: Haggis is pictured on October 16, 2015 arriving at the Rome Film Festival State TV and other Italian media said the alleged victim is reportedly a young British woman who had known Haggis before he came to the tourist town of Ostuni to participate in an arts festival. Haggis co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby, another Oscar winner. Haggis has had legal problems in recent years stemming from sexual misconduct accusations by four women in the United States. In Italy, a judge, after hearing arguments from both prosecutors and defense lawyers, is expected to rule on Wednesday on whether Haggis should be freed from custody pending possible additional investigation. The judge could also decide to order him kept jailed or under house arrest. Haggis US-based lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, told The Associated Press on Sunday that although she could not discuss the evidence under Italian law, 'I am confident that all allegations will be dismissed against Mr Haggis'. She added: 'He is totally innocent, and willing to fully co-operate with the authorities so the truth comes out quickly.' An external view of the Brindisi law court, with the judge set to rule on whether Haggis can be set free pending possible additional investigation Paul Haggis' defense lawyer Michele Laforgia grimaces as he leaves after an hearing against Canadian-born film director Paul Haggis at Brindisi law court in southern Italy The young woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found in a confused state by airline staff at Brindisi airport in southern Italy early on Sunday morning. She told police Haggis who is in Italy for a film festival which is due to start on Tuesday - had kept her for 48 hours in a bed and breakfast and abused her before dumping her at the airport. Prosecutors in Brindisi announced on Sunday that police had detained the Canadian-born director, screenwriter and producer for investigation of alleged aggravated sexual violence and aggravated personal injuries. Haggis wrote the screenplays for the Daniel Craig blockbusters Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and he won an Oscar with his screenplay for the 2004 hit Crash The 65-year-old filmmaker won Oscars for his films Million Dollar Baby and Crash Police called to the airport by staff tracked Haggis down at his hotel in Ostuni and he was questioned before being released and has been told not to leave the country ahead of a preliminary appearance before an investigating judge in nearby Brindisi. They said the woman arrived in Italy on June 15 and was found in the early hours of Sunday at the airport. Local prosecutors Antonio Negro and Livia Orlando confirmed they were investigating an allegation of rape but said they would be unable to speak ahead of today's planned court appearance. An arts festival Haggis was scheduled to attend began on Tuesday in the town of Ostuni Haleigh Breest, 32, filed a lawsuit in December 2017 alleging Haggis raped her in his New York City apartment after a movie premiere in 2013 Haggis was due to take part om the Allora Film Festival and give a series of talks on film production while his daughter Alissa was also among those taking part, along with Jeremy Irons and Matt Dillon. In 2018, the Academy-Award winning director pre-emptively counter-sued publicist Haleigh Breest, 32, who filed a lawsuit in December 2017, alleging he raped her in his apartment after a movie premiere in 2013. But the judge granted a motion to dismiss Haggis' lawsuit. According to the suit, Breest had accepted his offer of a ride home. Instead, she said, he brought her to his apartment in SoHo and invited her inside for a drink. Three additional women came forward in January with their own sexual misconduct accusations against Haggis, including another publicist who says he forced her to perform oral sex, then raped her. The accusers said the attacks took place between 1996 and 2015. Haggis is an ex-Scientologist who defected from the Church in 2009 after remaining a members for 35 years, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After the sexual misconduct allegations arose, two other prominent defectors shared an open letter claiming they believe the Church of Scientology was behind the allegations. He was Senior Executive of the Church of Scientology and a spokesperson for the organization at the time. The family of Daunte Wright, killed by a white cop during a traffic stop last year, will receive a settlement of $3.25million from the city of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota The city of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has agreed a settlement of $3.25million with the family of Daunte Wright, a black man who was killed by a white cop during a traffic stop last year, the family's attorneys said. The sum is part of a settlement deal struck with the family after police officer Kim Potter, 26, shot and killed Wright when she allegedly mistook her firearm for her taser as she tried to arrest him. The city also agreed to make changes to its policing policies, including on issues like officer intervention, implicit bias, weapons confusion, mental health crises and other issues, along with a permanent memorial to Wright. Police pulled over Wright on April 11, 2021 for an expired tag and illegal air freshener. Brooklyn Center police then learned Wright had an outstanding warrant from 2018, issued after he choked a woman and threatened to shoot her if she did not hand over $820 stuffed in her bra, court papers reveled. Kim Potter, 26, was convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter. Her sentence was below the sentencing guidelines of around seven years, and the fifteen year maximum the state of Minnesota allows for first-degree manslaughter This video frame grab taken from bodycam footage released on April 12, 2021 by the Minnesota Police Department shows Sunday's deadly police shooting of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop Bodycam footage showed Potter grabbing her gun instead of her taser. She shouts 'Taser!' repeatedly, signaling the other officers to move out of the way, before shooting Wright. After he drives away she says: 'Oh my god I shot him' Judge Regina Chu (pictured) explained her decision to downgrade Potter's prison sentence, saying there was no question that Potter 'did not intend to hurt anyone' when she shot Wright Daunte Wright's mother Katie said outside court on Friday after the sentence was handed down: 'We're very disappointed in the outcome. This isn't OK. This is the problem with our justice system. White woman tears trump justice. I thought my white woman tears would be good enough' A mother of a disabled son filed a lawsuit in May alleging that Wright shot her child in the head at a gas station and left him to die in 2019, which she said was the cause of his disability. Wright was due to face trial on a charge of attempted aggravated robbery - with a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. But when Potter and a trainee officer attempted to arrest him, Wright tried to drive off. Potter, mother of two, shot and killed Wright, saying she had mistaken her gun for a Taser. She was led away in handcuffs after being jailed for two years for killing Daunte Wright - of which she'll serve 14 months - after being found guilty on all counts at Hennepin County Court in February. The now-former officer was convicted of first and second-degree manslaughter. Her sentence was below the sentencing guidelines of around seven years, and the fifteen year maximum the state of Minnesota allows for first-degree manslaughter. The crowd of around 100 people protested outside what they believe to be Judge Regina Chu's Minneapolis condo building after the sentencing. Katie Wright, the slain black man's mother, was among protesters outside Chu's home, belting 'No Justice, No Peace,' and a call-and-response chant of 'What's his name?' and 'Daunte Wright.' Kim Potter (left), a 26-year veteran of the force, claimed she accidentally shot Daunte Wright (right) when she reached for her gun instead of her Taser during a traffic stop over his expired plates in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on April 11 They also cried out the name of Kobe Dimock-Heisler, 21, another young man who they said Potter played a role in killing in 2019. Heisler, who was on the autism spectrum, was shot six times by other Brooklyn Center officers during a domestic disturbance call after he lunged at police with a knife. Police were called to the scene at a Minneapolis Wendy's restaurant after Heisler allegedly threatened his grandparents with the knife and a hammer. Potter arrived at the scene after Heisler was shot, and advised officers conducting an investigation, according to Newsweek. Potter, who sobbed heavily during the sentencing, has now been transferred to Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee, a five-level security prison located about 25 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis. The convicted ex-cop will remain in the facility until at least her sentencing. While likely, it is unclear if she will be serving her entire sentence at Shakopee. 'The comprehensive settlement in this tragic case will provide a meaningful measure of accountability to the family for their deep loss of a son, sibling and father, and they hope and believe the measures of change to policing, policies and training will create important improvements to the community in Daunte's name,' family lawyer Antonio Romanucci said in the statement. 'Nothing can bring him back, but the family hopes his legacy is a positive one and prevents any other family from enduring the type of grief they will live with for the rest of their lives.' Russian President Vladimir Putin has taunted the US but changing the address of the American embassy in Moscow to name it after the pro-Kremlin separatists in Ukraine. Authorities in Moscow said on Wednesday that they had changed the official address of the US embassy in the Russian capital after naming a previously unnamed open area in front of the building's main entrance. It said the embassy is now located at 1 Donetsk People's Republic Square, referring to a breakaway region in eastern Ukraine that Moscow recognised as independent shortly before sending troops there. The embassy's previous address was 8 Bolshoi Devyatinsky Lane. The statement added that the change was made after Moscow councillors proposed honouring the 'defenders of Donbas' - a majority Russian-speaking region in Ukraine that Russia says it is liberating as part of its military campaign - on the map of Moscow. Authorities in Moscow said on Wednesday that they had changed the official address of the US embassy in the Russian capital (pictured) after naming a previously unnamed open area in front of the building's main entrance In February 2018, a street outside the Russian embassy in Washington (pictured) was named after Boris Nemtsov, an opposition politician who was shot dead outside the Kremlin in 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday) has taunted the US but changing the address of the American embassy in Moscow to name it after the pro-Kremlin separatists in Ukraine The new address was chosen in a public vote in which nearly 280,000 people participated, the city hall said. In February 2018, a street outside the Russian embassy in Washington was named after Boris Nemtsov, an opposition politician who was shot dead outside the Kremlin in 2015. President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, further escalating already high tensions between Moscow and the United States. Days before the invasion, Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the independence of pro-separatist regions of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukrainian forces have since 2014 been fighting pro-Russia rebels in the region in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Areas of Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk which were occupied by pro-Russian rebels before the start of the war - so-called 'People's Republics' - announced a general mobilisation in late February, just before the war broke it. All men under the age of 55 were banned from leaving the territory, and put on notice that they might be called up to join the fighting. Since then, Denis Pushilin - leader of the Donetsk People's Republic - has been forced to raise the age to 65, because so few men have been found to join the army. Those in the occupied areas - many of whom consider Ukraine to be their home country - have described thousands of men going into hiding to avoid the draft. Russian troops have been occupying Kherson since capturing it during the early days of the war, but have faced attack by pro-Ukraine rebels there A Russian military transport with the letter 'Z' painted on the side stands guard on a street in Kherson, close to where the separatist soldiers were fighting Russian troops and dogs patrol the streets of Kherson, which has been under occupation since early March when Putin's men captured it Fighting-age men are said to be hiding in the basements and back-rooms of houses where no males are registered, since the draft is organised by address. All those who did not avoid the conscription have been sent away to the frontlines, often poorly armed and with ageing Soviet equipment - some of it dating back to the Second World War. DPR units have been photographed fighting in Mariupol, across the Donbas, and in the southern Kherson region. Russian forces have taken heavy losses during the war, which is now over three months old, and DPR forces have been no exception. In an update late last month, the government gave total casualties as 1,912 soldiers killed and 7,919 wounded since the start of the war. In 2015, it was estimated the DPR's total military was between 30,000 and 35,000 men, meaning almost a third of that force is now out of action. Covid jab maker Moderna will open its first vaccine factory in Britain by 2025 as part of a deal thought to be worth 1billion. The US-based biotech firm became a household name during the pandemic after its mRNA vaccine played a key role in lifting the West out of brutal restrictions. It has now struck a deal with the UK Government to launch a new vaccine innovation and technology centre in Britain. Moderna has not revealed how large the facility will be or where it will be built, but reports suggest it could be in Oxford, Cambridge or London. Construction is due to start later this year with the first jabs expected to be ready by 2025. The Massachusetts-based company, which is also setting up a factory in Canada, will use its UK site for making variant-proof Covid and flu jabs. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the mRNA technology which experts hope could also tackle dementia and cancer in the future had been 'transformational' during the pandemic. He said the site would allow a rapid response to future pandemics. Health Secretary Sajid Javid during his visit to St George's Clinical Research Facility in London following the announcement that the American pharmaceutical giant Moderna are to open a research and manufacturing centre in the UK The new mRNA Innovation and Technology Centre will develop vaccines for a wide range of respiratory diseases, including Covid vaccines that can protect against multiple variants So far the deal has been agreed in principle and still needs a final sign-off from both Moderna and the Government. Moderna make more investments into research and development of medicines for other chronic illnesses. It is currently working with government agency the National Institute for Health Research on a Covid booster jab which could tackle Covid variant Omicron. Speaking during a visit to St George's Hospital in London today, Mr Javid said: 'I'm thrilled to announce this new partnership between the UK Government and Moderna.' He added: 'Moderna will be established here in the UK, a global research and development facility with over a billion pounds for investment in this cutting-edge technology, and also a huge manufacturing centre, their largest outside of the US, and so this is a great investment in the UK, and gives huge confidence to our life sciences sector already leading in Europe.' 'But most of all, what this means for me is, for NHS patients, it means that we will have guaranteed access here in the UK, to these cutting edge vaccines and treatments. 'And that's not just for Covid or flu, but also for some of the biggest killers.. and our biggest health problems, cancer, dementia and heart disease.' Moderna's Covid vaccine used messenger RNA (mRNA), these vaccines teach the body's cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response. Ministers said a new strategic partnership with the firm will help 'future proof' the UK against future health threats. The Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the announcement is 'great news for the UK's R&D activities and future capabilities'. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the plan would bring 'supercharged home-grown vaccines right to our shores.' A TikTok user has been slammed online for his mean 'prank' at a Coles supermarket to get himself free grapes. The man is seen in the video approaching an employee at a checkout and places two grapes on the conveyor belt in front of her. 'I just wanted to grab those,' he tells her as she tries to weigh the grapes. A TikToker has been lambasted online for his mean 'prank' on a Coles employee where he tried to score free grapes 'I just didn't want to be caught stealing. You know how it is.' The checkout employee then informs the man that the grapes are too light to be detected by the register scales. 'Well I can't weigh them because it's not enough to weigh,' she s heard saying. He responds by asking her if he can 'eat them'. The worker then looks around the store, seemingly confused about what to do, before telling the man again that she couldn't weigh the fruit. He then picks up the two grapes and tells her: 'Just don't say anything'. The video was uploaded to TikTok and soon went viral online, racking up 6.5million views as of Wednesday. But viewers were irritated by the man's 'prank' to score free grapes, with respondents criticising him for harassing the employee. The Coles employee tells the man she can't weigh the two grapes he places in front of her as they're too light to be detected on the register 'They don't get paid enough for this,' said one user. 'If someone did this to me, I would quit,' wrote another. A third commented that the girl was 'embarrassed'. Other users told the man to 'leave her alone'. It's believed the video was taken down on Wednesday. At least 150 elderly Americans have been swindled out of $13million by 'men with British accents' posing as whiskey and wine experts, according to the FBI. The scam went on for five years and spanned two continents utilizing three companies to allegedly defraud investors by dangling promises of high returns on their investments in rare wines and whiskeys. Fraudsters would use fake names like 'Elliot Stewart' to convince potential investors of their authenticity. Authorities have charged Casey Alexander, who resides in England, of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Three companies, Windsor Jones, Charles Winn and Vintage Whiskey Casks, used 'aggressive and deceptive tactics', to defraud elderly US investors, according to investigators Ronan Sayburn, who has worked with Gordon Ramsey, appears on the company's website. He said: 'I never knew about them or gave them permission to use any of my stuff' One unnamed 89-year-old from Ohio dropped $300,000 on rare dessert wines and a purported storage locker in France, according to court records seen by the Washington Post. A 73-year-old from Michigan spent $85,000 after hearing of a 40 percent return from the Chinese market. The three companies, Windsor Jones, Charles Winn and Vintage Whiskey Casks, used 'aggressive and deceptive tactics', according to investigators. Windsor Jones claims to sell 'Luxury fine wins' from Bordeaux on its website, and features a video from master sommelier Ronan Sayburn, who has worked with Gordon Ramsey. 'I never knew about them or gave them permission to use any of my stuff,' he told The Times. All of the money in Vintage Whiskey Casks, a US-registered firm, was traced back to American investors. Alexander was registered as the businesss officer and received $33,000 from the account, records showed. The scheme obtained the numbers of elderly US residents and cold-called them, using a web of limited liability companies to defraud its customers - ignoring them or giving excuses when they became worried and asked about pulling their money back out. The 89-year-old from Ohio reported the case to the police, who referred the matter to the FBI. The FBI reportedly acquired an informant who worked for Charles Winn and Vintage Whiskey Casks, two of the three companies, passing information on to the intelligence agency. He'd accepted the job while his wife was sick, and told Federal agents he hadn't done much research on the company. Realizing what their scheme entailed, he decided to turn on them. The web of companies received cease-and-desist letters from three different states, which the companies ignored. The Bureau reached out to potential investors and told them to void their checks, saving over $466,000. The scam went on for five years and spanned two continents utilizing three companies to allegedly defraud investors by dangling promises of high returns on their investments Federal agents then tapped a co-operating witness from Cuyahoga County, Ohio, who agreed to pretend to be a potential investor for the FBI in exchange for a reduced sentence. The undercover investor had been charged in an unrelated securities fraud case, but agreed to work for the agency when caught. He agreed to contact and meet with company employees, working his way further into the company. The informant inside the trio of companies tipped off the FBI that Alexander would be traveling from England to Ohio, coordinating with the undercover investors who organized a meeting with Alexander who did a sales pitch for whiskey investments. Waiting for the right moment, the FBI then arrested Alexander on June 14. Court records show he was released after posting a $50,000 bond. A YouTuber who filmed himself driving performance cars dangerously and at high speed on busy public roads has been jailed. On-line star Adeel Habib, 25, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, ran the Certi Drivers channel which has more than 68,000 subscribers. Clips showed him driving a range of expensive motors dangerously on roads, including at excessive speeds, weaving in and out of traffic, racing other drivers, and ignoring red traffic lights. He came to police attention during illegal car meets in Leeds and West Yorkshire that were attracting large numbers of people from across the region to industrial estates, retail parks and the road network. Operations involving roads policing officers and other specialist resources were put in place to disrupt and deter the Sunday evening events that generally started from Habib's Certi Touch workshop, in Florence Street, Harehills. The neighbourhood policing officers pored over hours of online videos posted by Habib to build up an evidential picture of his own dangerous driving and its ability to encourage others to follow his bad example. Adeel Habib, 25, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, ran the Certi Drivers channel featuring the clips Police collected evidence of his dangerous driving from his own clips showing off online Today he pleaded guilty to both dangerous driving and a relatively rare offence of encouraging dangerous driving under the Serious Crime Act 2007. The offences were committed between December 2020 and October 2021. While under investigation for the driving offences, Habib was sentenced to four years imprisonment for his part in a drugs supply conspiracy. He subsequently pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and an offence of doing an act which was capable of encouraging or assisting dangerous driving, intending to encourage or assist in its commission. The heartstopping videos showed some terrifying speeds and frightening moves in them They appeared to be filmed from the back of the car by a person unknown and not named He appeared at Leeds Crown Court by videolink yesterday and was sentenced to 27 months and was disqualified from driving. Inspector Richard Horn, who heads the Leeds North-East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: 'Habib has been shown to be someone who regularly engaged in dangerous driving on public roads with all the potential risk of harm to other road users that accompanies such appalling behaviour. 'He was absolutely shameless about it and showed utter contempt for law-abiding road users and the law by regularly posting videos of his antics to impress his many followers. 'Those videos and the notoriety that surrounded his 'brand' clearly had the ability to influence others to flout road traffic laws and put other road users at risk, and he was rightly charged with an offence that specifically recognised that aspect of his behaviour. 'His own arrogance was his downfall in that those videos provided us with a rich seam of material to present to the court and have him answer for his actions. 'We hope his conviction and the sentence he has received will provide some source of reassurance to the public who I am sure will have been horrified by his dangerous driving and glamourising of it. 'It should also send a very clear message to those who think they can take part in and promote criminal behaviour in this way without having to face the consequences.' Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, stated on Tuesday that he is still undecided about whether he would support former President Donald Trump if he ran for president again in 2024. Musk, 50, has recently been vocal about his political beliefs. The billionaire has increased his criticism of the Democratic Party, revealing this week that he is considering backing Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024. Elon Musk Isn't Sure if He Will Support Donald Trump When asked if he would vote for Donald Trump if he were to be named the Republican presidential contender in 2024, Elon Musk stated he had not made up his mind, NY Psot reported. While Elon Musk declined to comment on Donald Trump as a prospective political candidate in the future, the billionaire enraged opponents in May when he claimed that if his $44 billion plan to purchase Twitter succeeds, he would lift the former president's account's permanent suspension. Trump has yet to indicate if he would run for office in 2024. Apart from endorsing DeSantis, Musk predicted a "massive red wave" in the 2022 midterm elections for Republicans. He mentioned that he had voted for the first time in his life for a Republican candidate, Mayra Flores, in the special election for Texas' 34th Congressional District. Per Daily Mail, DeSantis made a jest about Musk's prospective support during a conference in Madeira Beach on Wednesday, playing off the billionaire's South African roots. The well-timed comment elicited applause from the audience and fueled speculation about DeSantis' presidential ambitions. Read Also: Mike Pence Bemoans President Joe Biden's Economic Agenda, Navigates a Possible White House Run Elon Musk Moves to Political Right DeSantis has emerged as a prominent figure in the ongoing culture conflicts between the woke Left and those with alternative political beliefs, prompting the surprising support. DeSantis, a conservative renowned for his anti-woke political ideas, has yet to declare a presidential run for 2024, but is largely expected to do so. He was chastised earlier this year for passing a parental rights measure into law prohibiting public schools from teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation to children under the age of ten, dubbed the 'Don't Say Gay Bill' by the Left. Meanwhile, Musk, a fervent libertarian and businessman who has seen his fortune rise as a result of the pandemic, has shown a move to the political right after being hailed by progressives as a new breed of hip businessman. Meanwhile, Elon Musk issued an email to colleagues about needing to make job cutbacks, and the note mentioned that he felt "super bad" about the world economy. According to him, two-thirds of Tesla's 100,000 employees are paid hourly and one-third are salaried. Elon Musk did say, though, that the company's workforce will be larger in a year, in both salaried and hourly personnel. Two former Tesla employees filed a complaint against a Texas-based auto manufacturer on Sunday, saying that the corporation violated federal regulations regarding "mass layoffs," according to Newsweek via MSN. Related Article: US Capitol Riot Poll: More Americans Think Donald Trump Should Be Punished for Jan. 6 Attack @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Police launched a murder investigation last night after an 89-year-old woman was found stabbed in her home in Croydon. The victim, who has not yet been formally identified, was found at her home in Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath. The London Ambulance Service alerted police after finding the woman inside the property. An investigation has been launched following the death of a woman in Croydon. Police learned a murder investigation after the body of an 89-year-old woman was found inside a property on Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath. A man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of murder Scotland Yard said the woman was declared dead at the scene last night. They said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the stabbing. According to the Met: 'The womans family have been informed, and they will be supported by specialist officers. Formal identification and a post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course. 'A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested at another address in Croydon a short time later. He has been taken into police custody. 'Enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances. At this stage, nobody else is sought in connection with the death. The woman and the arrested man are believed to be have been known to each other.' Officers are appealing for anyone who has information into the stabbing. They are asked to call 101 citing the reference 7790/31jun. Russia's US Ambassador has declared its embassy has received no communications from the White House regarding two Americans being held captive for fighting in Ukraine. Anatoly Antonov, the head of the diplomatic mission, made the assertion Tuesday while speaking to journalists from the state-owned Russian News Agency (TASS). The statement from the ambassador contradicted claims from the US State Department made earlier in the day, that officials had been in talks with the Kremlin about the imprisoned Americans. Meanwhile, Moscow has said it can not guarantee the lives of Alex Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, who were captured by state-backed forces during fighting in Kharkiv on June 11. The men - who are being treated as mercenaries by the state - are believed to still be alive, and recently appeared in videos released to the internet by state-owned media. The Pentagon, meanwhile, continues to insist that it is doing 'everything' possible to bring Drueke and Huynh home safely. Anatoly Antonov, the head of the diplomatic mission, made the assertion Tuesday while speaking to journalists from the state-owned Russian News Agency (TASS) Moscow has said it can not guarantee the lives of Alex Drueke (left) and Andy Huynh (right), who were captured by state-backed forces during fighting on June 11. This undated photo of the two was uploaded Thursday - a day before the state released a video of the pair Antonov, however, says otherwise - according to state media. 'There were no requests to the embassy. I do not confirm receiving a request of this kind from the US side,' the ambassador was quoted as saying by TASS. 'The embassy did not contact us.' Earlier in the day, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the White House had been 'in touch' with Moscow about the captives. 'We have been in touch with Russian authorities regarding U.S. citizens who may have been captured while fighting in Ukraine,' Price told reporters around 2:30 pm ET. He added that the agency had 'also been in touch with our Ukrainian partners, with the ICRC, with other countries, as well as with the families of Americans who have been reported missing in Ukraine. 'We have both publicly as well as privately called on the Russian Government and its proxies to live up to their international obligations in their treatment of all individuals, including those captured fighting in Ukraine,' Price, 39, said. Drueke, 39, left, and Andy Huynh, 27, appeared terrified in footage released by Russian forces where they identified themselves and denounced war. They men went missing last week after their platoon in Ukraine was ambushed by Russian soldiers 'We expect and in fact, international law and the law of war expects and requires that all those who have been captured on the battlefield be treated humanely and with respect and consistent with the laws of war.' Later on in the address, however, Price said that the department had 'not received any formal or official response' from the Kremlin regarding the captured pair - who took up arms and flew to Ukraine to join the fight earlier in the year after being outraged over the invasion. 'We have been in contact with Russian authorities regarding the reports of detained Americans,' Price said. 'We have not received any formal or official response. 'The only response weve seen has been the response that Russian officials have made in public interviews.' When contacted by DailyMail.com, a department spokesperson refused to further comment on the matter. 'We have nothing to add beyond Ned's remarks,' the rep said. Meanwhile, Russian officials have said that they can not guarantee the safe return of the men, who are both former members of the US Marines. In an interview with NBC News Monday , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the pair were not protected by the Geneva Convention - which outlaws taking prisoners of war - because they were not part of the official Ukrainian army. He pointed out that the actions of the Americans 'must be investigated and they must be brought to justice.' Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, told NBC News when asked if the two US citizens would be given the same death-by-firing-squad sentence that was handed down to British fighters Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 28 Peskov did not rule out the possibility that US citizens could be sentenced to capital punishment in the Donetsk People's Republic. 'It depends on the investigation,' Peskov said, when asked if the two US citizens would be given a death sentence for allegedly fighting against Russian forces. The pair were captured on June 11 during a battle in Kharkiv. They were apprehended by Russian fighters after disabling a tank with grenades, Russian state media has said. 'They are soldiers of fortune. They were involved in illegal activities on the territory of Ukraine. They were involved in firing at and shelling of our military personnel. They were endangering their lives,' Peskov said. 'Those guys on the battlefield were firing at our military guys. They were endangering their lives. There will be a court, and there will be a court decision. 'They should be held responsible for those crimes they have committed. Those crimes have to be investigated...The only thing that is clear is that they have committed crimes. Huynh, a former Marine from Hartselle, Alabama, was captured in Kharkiv on June 11. Russian officials have said that they can not guarantee his safe return. He had never seen combat before traveling to Ukraine Unlike Huynh, Drueke, from Tuscaloosa, is an experienced military veteran He went on: 'They are not in the Ukrainian army. They are not subject to the Geneva convention.' 'They should be punished.' Peskov, who has been labeled one of the country's most prominent propagandists, would not reveal where the men were being held. Family members said last week the two Americans - who both hail from Alabama - went to Ukraine as volunteer fighters and had gone missing earlier this month. Drueke, of Hartselle, served in the US Army in Iraq - but Huynh, who traveled to the region to help after watching the war unfold from afar, had never been in active combat before. Later that week, Russian state media broadcast images and video of the pair appearing beaten and tired declaring their opposition to the war. 'My name is Alexander Drueke, I am against war,' Drueke said. He then reiterates in Russian, 'Ya protiv voyny,' meaning ,'I am against war.' 'Ya protiv voyny,' Huynh repeats after a quick cut. Another video shows Drueke addressing his mother, Bunny, as he promises her that he will be back home. 'Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive, and I hope to be back home as soon as I can,' Drueke said. 'Love you.' Firefighters work at the site of fire after Russian shelling in Mykolaiv in Ukraine this weekend after the latest bombardment On Monday, one of the men's comrades in Ukraine spoke out anonymously to CBS to say he felt guilty for bringing them to the war zone. 'They sort of followed me out here. 'We all agreed there was no leader in the group but I definitely feel a bit guilty, without a doubt. 'We should have taken a closer look at more humanitarian options or training options. 'If we did, then they wouldn't be in the situation they're in,' he said. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby last week said the US would do 'everything' to bring the pair home safely. He however reiterated that Ukraine was 'no place for Americans right now', and he urged anyone considering joining the fight not to go. The two men's families are begging the Biden administration to help them. Bunny Drueke, Alex's mother, said the latest photos and videos give her hope because her son is still alive. 'Unmistakably under duress, but thank God they're alive,' she said in a previous interview with CBS. Drueke, who will turn 40 this month, is a former U.S. Army staff sergeant who served two tours in Iraq and who volunteered with the Ukrainian Army. Huynh, a Marine for four years, had never been in active combat before flying to Ukraine in April to volunteer. Both of the U.S. fighters are from Alabama, but it remains unclear if they knew each other before they ventured to the war zone. The pair were part of a ten-man squad defending Kharkiv last week when they were ambushed by Russian soldiers, according to one of their comrades. Drueke and Huynh disabled a Russian tank with a grenade but were lost in the fog of return fire. By the time it cleared, they had vanished. 'We were out on a mission and the whole thing went absolutely crazy, with bad intel. 'We were told the town was clear when it turned out the Russians were already assaulting it. Both of the U.S. fighters are from Alabama and had disabled a Russian tank with a grenade but were lost in the fog of return fire 'They came down the road with two T72 tanks and multiple BMP3s (armored fighting vehicles) and about 100 infantry. The only thing that was there was our ten man squad,' one of their comrades told The Daily Telegraph in an interview on Tuesday. 'We suspect that they were knocked unconscious by either the anti-tank mine, or by the tank shooting at them, because later search missions found not sign of them, nothing. 'Afterwards we sent drones up and had a Ukrainian search team on the ground but we found nothing: if they had been hit by the tank shell there would have been remains of their bodies or equipment at the scene,' he said. The pair are among a recent flood of onlookers to travel to Ukraine to quell the Russian invasion - some of whom have vanished or been executed by Russian forces. Among the missing is U.S. Marine veteran Ret. Captain Grady Kurpasi, who left for Ukraine in March, according to CNN. Firefighters work at the site of fire after Russian shelling in Mykolaiv in Ukraine this weekend after the latest bombardment by Kremlin forces A couple walk past a building destroyed by attacks in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Monday amid fears of an escalation of the conflict He has not been heard from since April. No trace of him has been found, sparking fears he may have been killed. He had been living in Wilmington, North Carolina, before leaving for the eastern European country. It comes as Stephen Zabielski, 52, was killed in Ukraine in May. He was the second American to die in the conflict Last month, 52-year-old New Yorker Stephen Zabielski was killed in combat in the region. New York grandfather, was killed on May 15 while fighting in the village of Dorozhniank, Ukraine. A friend on Facebook said he had experience in the US Army which appealed to young Ukrainian fighters. 'He feared he wouldn't be accepted given our age - but his experience got him the exception. Despite our age, we both knew we had a duty given our beliefs. 'Steve remained in Ukraine and gave his life for Ukraine's freedom. He was killed by a landmine. He was the child of Polish-Americans so he knew and understood sacrifice.' His death comes after that of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, who was killed in April. The two are the only official American casualties in the ongoing conflict, which entered its 119 day Wednesday. Prescription drug addicts have opened up about how they became hooked on over-the-counter pills and the rock-bottom moments that propelled them into re-evaluating their lives. Eight people who have battled with drug dependence answered confronting questions from curious members of the public for an episode of the ABC's You Can't Ask That that aired on Wednesday. The group, which featured men and women from different walks of life, revealed the various reasons they started using authorised medication - before they all gradually became obsessed. Many were prescribed pain-relief due to injuries or agonising health conditions, while others began dabbling recreationally or to subdue anxiety. Naomi Truran, from Newcastle, (pictured) became addicted to Endone after taking the pain-relief medication for endometriosis For some, the zombifying effects of the drugs helped quieten the pain of traumas such as childhood sexual abuse - but they all had one thing in common: the dependence led to downwards spirals and the eventual need to rebuild their lives. Naomi Truran, from Newcastle, suffers from severe endometriosis, a painful condition in which the tissue that typically lines the inside of the uterus grows on the outside, sometimes attaching to other organs. Her first introduction to prescription painkillers came after she suddenly collapsed on the floor one day while getting ready to go to work. 'I actually had two cysts in my right ovary.. I was unable to move due to pain and was admitted to hospital,' she told the program. 'Waking up after surgery, I told my doctor how much pain I was in and she gave me a script for Endone.' Endone, the brand name for an opioid-based medication, contains the active ingredient Oxycodone, which is used for short-term treatment of moderate to severe pain. Naomi said the drugs 'took the edge off' from the pain from the 'excruciating' pain, and became the 'one thing in my life giving me any happiness'. But by the time she received her second script, she found herself taking more pills despite the fact her pain had begun to alleviate naturally. As she upped her dosage, she began to transform her into a 'giddy smiley, laughy, person' - but would not be able to remember interactions she had with friends. Leo, from Melbourne, said he started taking prescription pills recreationally before his habit turned into an addiction Eventually, she would go around to different doctors to access the drug, because her 20 tablets - which were meant to last three months - would be gone within 10 days. Sometimes she would exaggerate to doctors, saying she had vomited for two days straight and thus needed more pills. While she can't pinpoint the day the addiction first took hold, she first realised her body had become reliant on the medication after suffering from intense withdrawals. 'Everything was burning, fire pain,' she said. 'I realised I hadn't had Tramadol for four days and I dropped my blade and sat in the shower for half an hour hysterically laughing.' Naomi eventually sought help and was provided with an alternative treatment, cannabis oil, which is 'natural' and 'really helps her symptoms, while she works towards getting off Endone completely. 'I have two left. It really stresses me out because what happens when I have one left. I can't let go of how good that feeling is.' However, she thinks doctors should have done more to inform her of the potentially addictive nature of the drugs prior to prescribing them. Leah, from Sydney, was prescribed opioid-based drug Mersyndol after sustaining a neck injury while running backwards during an event at her son's school 'I'm a lot more careful and ask a lot of questions. I am more vigilant [now]'. Leah, from Sydney, was prescribed opioid-based drug Mersyndol after sustaining a neck injury while running backwards during an event at her son's school. She suffered whiplash and a concussion and was in acute pain that prevented her from sleeping, washing her face, or even moving her face to one side. 'I went to my GP and I said "I'm in a lot of pain" [ and he gave me pain relief],' she said. 'I had developed an involuntary muscle spasm and I was chatting with one of the women at the gym and she said "Oh you should try Mersyndol'. The drug fixed her 'initially' and she couldn't believe her doctor had not given her the 'awesome' pain relief in the first place. But slowly over time, the pills became less about her injury and more about managing other aspects of her life that she had lost control of in the wake of the accident. 'It was not just about a neck thing for me. It was about fear, it was worry, it was anger...anger you can't put anywhere,' she said. 'I had a great life before all of this s*** started happening. The opioids help you deal with those emotions.' 'It's like you take a pill and then you're like "ok, I got this".' Leah said the powerful addictive nature of opioids can take any body hostage Leah said she started to up her dosage as the chemicals hijacked her brain and made it 'more greedy' for the drug, going initially from one to two until a few months later it escalated to two in the morning and two at night. 'Then it was two in the morning, two around lunch time, two around dinner, and two before bed,' she said. 'It was just a slow, f***ed up slide into more and more... It's basically heroin in a pill'. Leah said she kept her addiction secret as she did not want to talk to anyone about it, repeatedly telling people she was 'fine'. But eventually she entered a dark place and realised it was time to seek help, gaining the assistance of a pharmacist to eventually quit by slowly tapering off her dosage. 'My little voice just went "You are taking 15 of these things a day, what is next? You're going to take 16? 17? 18?",' she said. 'It is hard to manage pain differently, but it is much more worthwhile.' However, Leah believes issues with the medical and pharmaceutical industry disadvantage Australians seeking pain relief. The episode featured eight people from across Australia and different walks of life. Pictured: guest Rustie, from Gippsland, VIC '[Now] I understand more about multidisciplinary pain management, things like physio massage, exercise,' she said. 'But the system is not built for that. That is really expensive. I was buying a box of Myrsendol for $5.95.' 'I think you can be a perfectly normal woman with a career and kids and still be addicted to these opioids.' Leo, from Melbourne, first tried a prescription drug when he was around 13 and he discovered some pills in his mother's draw. At the time, the pair moved around a lot and the teenager found himself frequently feeling 'alone'. But he eventually got hooked on Xanax, a tranquilising drug used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, after taking them for recreational use. 'For me, it just made my mind go blank,' he recalled. 'Going hard, I could take up to 10 Xanax pills a day. I remember having that confidence. There were all of these guys smoking bongs and taking pills and I remember wanting to be just like them. The group were asked confronting questions by members of the public, including whether or not they went 'doctor shopping'. Pictured: Fiona, from Bendigo, Victoria 'When I think back about Xanax, they are still quite appealing to me because they do do the job.' Leo said it felt like the relaxant 'hijacked him' and turned him into 'someone else', giving him the 'courage to go out and steal and break into cars'. 'I feel shameful at the harm I caused,' he said. 'I would pinch my mum's money or my sister's jewellery. There had to be locks on the house.' As his addiction spiralled, he 'did everything he could' to access the medication, sometimes telling doctors he had 'really bad anxiety' as an excuse. On occasion, he would be told he had to only pick up one or two, leading him to try and get pills off the street where they were more accessible but more expensive. Leo's decision to turn his life around came after he tried to steal drugs of a guy during a wild bender with friends which resulted in them being injured. Ali, from Melbourne (pictured), became addicted to Panadeine Forte as an 'emotional reliever' for the sexual abuse she suffered as a child Afterwards, a mate announced he was going to check into rehab, and Leo decided he would too - heading off to a facility on a farm where he partook in group activities and a regimented schedule that 'teaches you how to live'. He relapse after his first visit to rehab but is now almost five years drug and alcohol free. Ali, from Melbourne, started taking Panadeine Forte as a teenager as an 'emotional reliever' after suffering sexual abuse as a child. 'I didn't think I could talk to anyone about what happened to me.' 'I crushed one up and snorted it.... I was like, 'woah.. this is fun'." 'It was my security blanket. I was drinking by the age of 12 -13 as well. It's just about doing what you can. It's about coping. I hated my life. I hated myself. Ali said the sensation would start in her brain and 'just run down and go over you' and the addiction became 'one of the many' secrets inside of her. Leo has been alcohol and drug free for almost five years after deciding to go to rehab She said 'doctor shopping' soon became like a 'fulltime job', spending her time constantly scheduling appointments in a diary and frequently telling practitioners she had bad period pain to get them to sign prescriptions. But after one day taking a cocktail of alcohol, drugs, and prescriptions pills, Ali realised she had hit rock bottom. 'I just had enough. I took ten Endone, ten Tramadol, and five Valium and downed a bottle of vodka and a few ciders,' she said. 'My breathing went low, but my heart was going between high and low and I got the nods. That was my wake up call.' Ali said she is now off prescription drugs and is thriving. 'How about a round of applause for myself,' she said. 'I'm really proud that I have been really good at sobriety.' FOR CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, CONTACT: Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au National Alcohol and other drug hotline 1800 250 015 or alcohol.gov.au Donald Trump says Kevin McCarthy made a mistake by boycotting the January 6 investigation and says he should have appointed other Republicans to the select committee after his picks were snubbed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The former president told Punchbowl News on Tuesday afternoon that it would be good to at least 'have a voice' on the panel as it conducts very public and televised hearings. 'Well, I think in retrospect, I think it would have been very smart to put' Republicans on the committee 'to just have a voice,' Trump said. 'I wasn't involved in it from a standpoint so I never looked at it too closely,' he added. 'But I think it would have been good if we had representation.' 'The Republicans don't have a voice. They don't even have anything to say,' the former president lamented. When the committee started to take its form shortly after the January 6 Capitol riot in the Democrat-led House, GOP Minority Leader McCarthy chose five members of his caucus to serve Representatives Jim Banks of Indiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas. Pelosi rejected Banks and Jordan because she said their 'statements and actions' would compromise the 'integrity of the investigation.' Both pro-Trump lawmakers voted against certifying the election results in at least one state on January 6, 2021 but so did Nehls and Pelosi did not reject him as a pick for the panel. In response to Pelosi, McCarthy entirely boycotted the investigation and barred his party from engaging in the select committee. Pelosi, however, found two anti-Trump Republicans willing to go against their party and join the panel in Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Donald Trump thinks there's 'no question' Kevin McCarthy made a mistake by not appointing Republicans to the January 6 select committee even after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi snubbed two of his original picks Pelosi picked anti-Trump Republican Representatives Liz Cheney (left) and Adam Kinzinger (right) to serve on the committee in the absence of any other GOP members willing to break with Leader McCarthy In response, the Republican National Committee and Wyoming GOP censured Cheney, and she was booted from her No. 3 party post as chairwoman for the GOP Conference. She was replaced with Representative Elise Stefanik of New York. Cheney is highly likely to lose reelection for her at-large seat to the Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman while Kinzinger is not running for another term. 'I think it would've been far better to have Republicans [on the panel],' Trump told Punchbowl, adding that Banks and Jordan were 'great' selections by McCarthy. 'They were great and would've been great to have them,' he said. 'But when Pelosi wrongfully didn't allow them, we should've picked other people. We have a lot of good people in the Republican Party.' He added that there's 'not even a question' McCarthy should have put Republicans on the select committee. Trump does not consider Cheney and Kinzinger true Republicans calling them and other anti-Trump GOP members 'RINOs', which means Republicans in Name Only. McCarthy doesn't think that Pelosi should have the ability to decide which members of his committee can sit on committees. 'We're never letting Nancy Pelosi select who's on our committee,' McCarthy said in an interview Tuesday. 'The whole narrative shows it's all partisan,' he added. 'This whole thing was about politics.' Kevin McCarthy decided his party would boycott the investigation to make it seem like a one-sided, one-party witch hunt after Pelosi rejected his picks for the select committee. 'We're never letting Nancy Pelosi select who's on our committee,' McCarthy said Tuesday. 'The whole narrative shows it's all partisan. This whole thing was about politics' Pelosi would not allow GOP Representatives Jim Jordan (left) and Jim Banks (right) onto the committee because she said their 'statements and actions' would compromise the 'integrity of the investigation' 'We said we'd participate in this,' McCarthy said of the investigation into the events surrounding and on the day of January 6, 2021. 'We put who we wanted up on it. But the only people who can be put on it are people that she's approved. That's never going to happen. It's pure politics.' The January 6 select committee is two weeks into its hearings, holding four so far. McCarthy felt that by Republicans sitting out he could paint the proceedings as a one-sided 'witch hunt' even with the presence of Cheney and Kinzinger. Other Republicans are quietly starting to wonder if it would have been better if they had a seat at the table. The committee is likely to hold at least four more hearings in coming weeks to conclude making the case that Donald Trump knew he lost the 2020 presidential election but still pushed the 'Big Lie', and that his actions and lack of actions ultimately led to the deadly Capitol riot. A frail Pope Francis had to be helped to his feet at his weekly audience today - days after speculation swirled over whether he was planning to resign. Rumours that the 85-year-old may resign began after he postponed a trip to Africa and announced an unusual meeting of cardinals. Pictured at his weekly general audience at the Vatican today, the Argentinian spoke about how old age is 'a time to find strength in frailty' and encouraged the elderly to embrace their frailty and helplessness. He looked to be in visible discomfort while getting in and out of his chair and was accompanied by two aides. Pope Francis was still able to give his weekly talk and greet the audience and also spoke about victims of the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan and violence in Mexico. Prefect of the Pontifical House, Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza (left) and an aide help Pope Francis get up from his chair at the end of the weekly general audience There had been speculation that Pope Francis was planning to retire after he postponed a trip to Africa and announced an unusual meeting of cardinals In his weekly general audience the Pontiff discussed old age, telling the elderly to embrace their frailty and helplessness in order to bring them closer to Christ The Pope was seen in a wheelchair today as he attended a festival at the Vatican city Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair following knee treatment, reaches out to a two-year-old child playing onstage during an audience as part of the Festival of Families Pope Francis sits in a wheelchair as he attends the Festival of Families in the Paolo VI Hall on the first day of the 10th World Meeting of Families in Vatican City, 22 June 2022 The Pope was wheeled on stage as he greeted crowds in Vatican City Hobbled by pain in his knee and forced to use a wheelchair in recent weeks, the pontiff postponed a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan last week. He also announced an unusual decision to hold a consistory to name new cardinals during a Vatican vacation month and arranged meetings to ensure his reforms stay intact. The extraordinary consistory will be held on August 27, a slow summer month at the Catholic headquarters, to create 21 new cardinals - 16 of whom will be under the age of 80, thereby eligible to elect his successor in a future conclave. Since becoming pope in 2013, the Argentine pontiff has created 83 cardinals in a move to shape the future of the Catholic Church, in part to counter Europe's historically dominant influence, and to reflect his values. On August 28, Francis will then pay a visit to L'Aquila and the tomb of Celestine V - the first pope to have resigned from the papacy, in the 13th century. He then joins the world's cardinals - many of them meeting their peers for the first time - in two days of discussions over the reform of the Roman Curia, which Francis announced in March with the unveiling of a new constitution. Francis' shake-up of the Roman Curia attempts to shift the Church back towards its pastoral roots, allows lay Catholics to head Vatican departments and creates a dicastery specifically for charity works among other reforms. The moves triggered intense speculation about his plans for the future, including the most radical - that he was planning to step down. The resignation of a pope was once almost unthinkable until Benedict XVI renounced his reign in 2013, citing his declining physical and mental health. In 2014, a year after being elected to replace Benedict, Francis himself told reporters that were his health to impede his functions as pope, he would consider stepping down too. Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair following knee treatment, arrives for an audience as part of the Festival of Families - 10th World Meeting of Families, on June 22, 2022 at Paul-VI hall in The Vatican The pope looked in good spirits as he waved to the faithful upon his arrival to the weekly general audience Prefect of the Pontifical House, Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza helps Pope Francis reach his seat Francis previously told reporters that were his health to impede his functions as pope, he would consider stepping down Pope Francis has been walking with a cane due to experiencing pain in his knee The pope still had the strength to greet the audience that had amassed to listen to him talk 'He (Benedict) opened a door, the door to retired popes,' the pontiff said then. More recently in May, as reported by various Italian media, Francis joked about his knee during a closed-door meeting with bishops: 'Rather than operate, I'll resign.' But Vatican insiders do not yet think Francis is on the verge of handing over the papal keys. One source told AFP: 'In the pope's entourage, the majority of people don't really believe in the possibility of a resignation.' Rumours within the insular Roman Curia - the Catholic Church's powerful governing body - are nothing new, and often fuelled by those with an interest, said Italian Vatican expert Marco Politi. 'These rumours are encouraged by the pope's opponents who are only eager to see Francis leave,' he told AFP. A trip to Canada at the end of July is still on the pontiff's schedule, and the pope continues to receive injections in his knee and physical therapy, according to the Vatican. As a child, Francis had one of his lungs partially removed. Today, besides his knee issue, he suffers recurring sciatic nerve pain. Rumours of a resignation also flared last year after Francis underwent colon surgery, prompting him to tell a Spanish radio station that the idea 'hadn't even crossed my mind'. Politi said of the latest resignation rumours: 'At this stage, it is a question of being realistic and not alarmist.' He said it was 'hard to imagine' Francis would resign while the Synod of Bishops - an initiative meaningful to Francis that is intended to study how the Church moves forward in a more inclusive way - is ongoing, due to complete in 2023. Alberto Melloni, a professor of Christianity and secretary of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Sciences in Bologna, told AFP 'preposterous' conjectures had been made about the pope's health and his intentions. 'These are things in which there is a desire to understand, to speculate, but there is little to say,' he said. The front of a classic Ferrari F40 met with a race barrier in an expensive crash during a supercar event in the Swiss mountains on Sunday, as part of the Ferrari's 75th anniversary. Neither driver nor a female spectator near the accident site were hurt as the Ferrari skidded out of control during Switzerland's 2022 Kerenzerbergrennen hill climb race. The costly fender bender has been put down to 'turbo lag', which is the time between mashing the throttle and feeling the rush of acceleration from a turbocharged engine. Video of the aftermath of the crash showed the limited edition 1990s classic supercar, similar models of which sell for as much as 2million, being lifted onto the back of a truck, its front end battered and crumpled. Another video shows the car sedately cruising up the mountain road and taking a corner at a low speed when as it passes out of sight a cacophony of squealing and screeching tyres preface a loud smash. It remains to be determined if the car is a write-off, since most of the body was still intact. The bill for any repairs will be substantial even more a wealthy individual, it is thought. The 2million, limited edition 1990s classic supercar was lifted onto the back of a truck, its front end battered and crumpled after crashing in a Swiss supercar event Another video shows the car sedately cruising up the mountain road and taking a corner at a low speed when as it passes out of sight a cacophony of squealing and screeching tyres preface a loud smash Video of the aftermath of the crash showed the 2million, limited edition 1990s classic supercar being lifted onto the back of a truck, its front end battered and crumpled Here is the moment the F40 approach the corner where it apparently roared out of control and into a race barrier Neither driver nor a female spectator near the accident site were hurt as the Ferrari skidded out of control during Switzerland's 2022 Kerenzerbergrennen hill climb race An ambulance which was part of the event organisation raced to the scene but it was not required. The ill-fated F40 had joined a fleet of classic motorcars brought by their proud owners for the Kerenzerbergrennen hill climb through the elegiac Swiss mountains in the Glarus canton to the east of the country. The event is loosely described as a race, but in reality it is more of a 'travelling museum' by its president, Peter Rufibach. He told the Swiss site 20 Min: 'In the area where the accident happened, the track is anything but demanding,' 'The event is like a travelling museum. Some drive slower and others faster. In the area where the accident happened, the track is anything but demanding,' he continued. Around 15 private Ferrari owners had asked if they could take part in the mountain race - reasonably challenging with 12 corners - as part of the 75th Ferrari anniversary in a straight line one behind the other, with sufficient safety distance between each car The ill-fated F40 had joined a fleet of classic motorcars brought by their proud owners for the Kerenzerbergrennen hill climb through the elegiac Swiss mountains in the Glarus canton to the east of the country Around 15 private Ferrari owners had asked if they could take part in the mountain race - reasonably challenging with 12 corners - as part of the 75th Ferrari anniversary in a straight line one behind the other, with sufficient safety distance between each car. With these conditions in place, it is hard to know exactly why the luxury supercar crashed. The F40 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 that makes 471 hp (352 kW/478 PS) in European spec. While that power is certainly enough to get you into trouble, it has also been noted that the 80s turbocharging technology and its associated lag could get drivers into trouble by providing a sudden kick of torque that they might not be expecting. Ferrari made only 1,315 examples of the F40 between 1987 and 1992. It came with a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 making 471 bhp. A KFC customer lashed out at the fast food giant for serving her 'mouldy' popcorn chicken. The frustrated customer said they were served the 'mouldy' food at the Ballina Fair store, northeast NSW, on Monday. However, a KFC spokesperson since said the grey patches on the chicken were not mould or anything harmful. A disgusted Ballina Fair KFC customer claims they were served 'mouldy' popcorn chicken (above) on Monday 'I went to KFC Ballina Fair yesterday to get some popcorn chicken for lunch before returning home,' the customer wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post. 'I had already eaten a few pieces before I saw it a piece of mould partly squashed chicken.' 'Disgusting dirty animals. I will never go back there again.' A spokesperson from KFC said the chicken was not mouldy and the discolouration was nothing harmful (pictured, a KFC storefront) The customer shared two photos of the popcorn chicken with grey patches. Several commenters reacted to the post with nauseated and disgusted emojis. A KFC spokesperson told Yahoo News the colouration was nothing that could have harmed the customer. 'We're sorry for this customer's experience but can confirm that the colouring found on the chicken was not mould or anything harmful,' they said. A former KFC employee said the 'mouldy' chicken (above) discolouration was likely from the chicken rubbing against the side of a grease buildup in the chicken warmer 'The customer was immediately provided with a replacement of Popcorn Chicken.' A former KFC employee told Daily Mail Australia the discolouration was likely caused by a grease buildup inside the chicken warmer. 'Often chicken that is on the side of racks will rub against the warmer and become discoloured from grease buildup,' they said. A soldier has died from head injuries after crashing into a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle during a training exercise in Wiltshire. The man, 26, sadly passed away after the military vehicle collision, which happened during a routine exercise on Salisbury Plain, near Tidworth, on Tuesday morning. He was a member of 5th Battalion The Rifles, a feared war-fighting infantry battalion, police said. The 26-year-old unnamed soldier was on foot when he was struck by the Warrior tank, thought to weigh 25 tonnes. Wiltshire Police said in a statement: 'Emergency services were called to an area of Salisbury Plain, just west of Tidworth, at approximately 10.45am yesterday (21/6) following a report that a man had been involved in a collision with a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle during a routine training exercise. A Warrior armoured fighting vehicle storms over a river crossing on Salisbury Plain (stock image) The soldier, 26, died from head injuries after colliding with a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle (stock image) The soldier collided with the military vehicle during a routine exercise on Salisbury Plain (stock image of nearby Larkhill Barracks) 'A 26-year-old man sustained significant head injuries and sadly died at the scene. 'He has been identified as a member of 5th Battalion The Rifles. 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. His family are being supported by a specialist family liaison officer. 'An investigation into the collision is being led by Wiltshire Police alongside the Army and Health and Safety Executive.' The 5 Rifles are based at nearby Bulford, Wilts, and are known as 'one of the most potent war-fighting infantry battalions' of the British Army. It was the last unit in Afghanistan in 2014 and the first to be deployed in NATO's Enhanced Forward presence in Estonia. The battalion has previously served in Iraq, Kenya and Belize and has a reputation for being 'first in, last out'. The 5 Rifles is the regiment's champion for cross-country and cricket but maintains a host of sports teams including rugby and football. This comes after Private Jethro Watson-Pickering, 23, died when an armoured vehicle flipped and hit a tree near the village of Enford on Salisbury Plain in October last year. He was part of a crew operating the vehicle in a training area when the tragedy occurred, but it took several hours to free trapped soldiers due to the presence of live ammunition on board. Pte Watson-Pickering, from Boosbeck, Redcar, North Yorks, was pronounced dead at the scene. An inquest heard he suffered a 'significant' and fatal head injury. Quick thinking workers at a New York cafe saved a kidnapped woman on Sunday from an accused serial rapist after she sent a note through the GrubHub delivery app to call the police. Employees at The Chipper Truck Cafe in Yonkers sensed something was wrong when they received the garbled order for an Irish breakfast roll and a beef burger a 5:50 a.m. on June 19. 'Please call the police his going to call me when you delivered come with the cones please don't make it obvious,' the note to the driver said. Kemoy Royal, pictured here, was arrested for rape and kidnapping after a woman sent a note on GrubHub asking restaurant workers to call police Workers at The Chipper Truck Cafe called police after receiving the note above through a GrubHub order Kemoy Royal, 32, pictured hear reading the 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu is accused of luring women he met on dating apps to his Bronx apartment and raping them Concerned that someone was in trouble, cafe workers called the owner and asked what they should do, according to Alicia Bermejo, 20, the owner's daughter. 'They were, like, is this a prank? So they called my dad and he said to call the police. Better safe than sorry,' she said. It was no prank, according to the criminal complaint against Kemoy Royal, 33, he was apparently on a sexual rampage, allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women in as many weeks. The alleged rape and kidnapping victim of Kemoy Royal, 32, sent a note to The Chipper Truck Cafe on June 19 through the GrubHub delivery app asking them to call police Alicia Bermejo, 20, the daughter of the cafe owners said that she's glad that Royal is off the street after it was revealed that he allegedly attacked a second victim a week earlier Bermejo said that she's glad that the cafe workers could help get Royal off the streets before her hurt someone else Royal is accused of meeting the women on dating apps and then luring them back to his apartment where he holds them there with death threats then forces himself on them. Cops responded to 3719 Pratt Avenue in the Bronx after the 911 call from the Yonkers cafe and found the 24-year-old victim held against her will by Royal, police said. She said that they had met on a dating app and gone back to his apartment, but that she didn't feel comfortable and tried to leave. That's when Royal allegedly grabbed her by the throat and started choking her, she said. Kemoy Royal, 32, is accused of luring two women who he met on dating apps back to his Pratt Avenue home where he allegedly held them against their will and sexually assaulted them Inside the apartment on Pratt Avenue where Kemoy Royal, 32, allegedly held two women against their will and sexually assaulted them It was only after the second victim was able to call for help through the GrubHub app that Royal was arrested She begged him not to kill her, according to the complaint, and told him that he could rape her if he didn't kill her. He told her that she was going to die if she didn't do what he told her to, and held a knife to her throat, according to a criminal complaint. When she tried to call the police, he took her phone away from her. It was only when she asked to order food that he allowed her to have her phone back and she was able to send her cry for help to The Chipper Truck Cafe. He told police that he thought she wanted to have sex with him, according to Bronx prosecutors. Royal was arrested around 6:30 a.m. when he opened the door for the food delivery. He was charged with 27 counts stemming from two sexual assaults and kidnapping, including a top charge of predatory rape and other crimes. The accused rapist's lawyer Zaiim Pezhmon could not be reached for comment. After he was arrested on June 19, police discovered that there was a second victim, a 26-year-old woman who also accused Royal of sexual assault. During that attack on June 14, he claimed during a date that he had to retrieve something from his apartment and once the woman was inside, he wouldn't let her leave, prosecutors charge. He attacked her, biting her breast until he drew blood, according to the criminal complaint. The victim saw knives all around his apartment, authorities said. Royal choked the victim and at one point put his private parts in her food. Royal told cops that he thought his victim was playing 'cat and mouse' with him and that he forced himself upon her 'because he thought she was being like women are.' He was also charged with attempted rape and sexual abuse in that case. But the cafe workers are glad that they help catch him. 'Honestly, I'm glad he's off the streets,' Bermejo said. 'I'm terrified. I hope that no one else is doing anything like that, but that may just be wishful thinking.' On his LinkedIn page, Royal is pictured in a black and white bow tie and suit reading Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War.' He describes himself as a graduate of Delaware State University who works as an informatics consultant, working in the health care field dealing with electronic medical records. His clients include Mount Sinai Health System, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, St. Mary's Healthcare and Trinity Health, according to his online profile. He describes himself as a poet, writer, artist, teacher medical consultant and entrepreneur on his Facebook page. A Louisiana man who lost full custody of his teenage daughter on Tuesday after the girl's mother claimed she was conceived during a rape may soon face charges for the alleged crime. Crysta Abelseth has claimed that her daughter's biological father - John Barnes - raped her when she was 16 after they met at a bar in 2005. But Barnes has denied these allegations, and was granted full custody of their 16-year-old daughter in March after Abelseth reportedly gave the girl a cellphone she was using to send inappropriate text messages. As part of the ruling, Abelseth, 32, was forced to pay Barnes child support. But on Tuesday, Judge Jeffrey Cashe on Tuesday reversed his decision to grant Barnes, 46, full custody of the 16-year-old girl. And now Barnes may finally be charged with statutory rape for the alleged crime. Speaking to DailyMail.com on Wednesday, Jarrett Ambeau, who is representing Abelseth pro bono in her custody fight, said he and Abelseth met with the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney to discuss potential charges against Barnes. 'We met with them,' he said, adding that he is 'very happy' the District Attorney's office listened to Abelseth's claims. Ambeau said he expects the District Attorney's office to reach a decision about possible charges early next week after collecting evidence and speaking with witnesses. The meeting on Wednesday comes a full seven years after Abelseth first filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office documenting the alleged rape. Sheriff Daniel Edwards has since admitted his office 'dropped the ball' by not investigating the complaint until last week, but denied that it was intentional. 'I feel bad for Crysta that happened,' he said. 'But I want the public to know this was not a willful continuing failure.' Crysta Abelseth (left) came forward last week publicly accusing John Barnes (right) of raping her when she was 16 years old. Barnes may now face statutory rape charges The mother filed this police report in 2015 alleging that she had been raped five years earlier The meeting with the District Attorney's Office also comes just one day after Judge Jeffrey Cashe reversed his decision granting Barnes full custody of the girl. The decision cannot be appealed, Ambeau told DailyMail.com, saying: 'It was the right thing to do, and it's a step in the right direction for sure.' He explained that Cashe's decision came after he presented documents proving 'unequivocally' that Abelseth was only 16 when she met Barnes in 2005. Barnes has claimed that he did not know she was underage - as she had a fake ID she was using at a bar. Judge Jeffrey Cashe previously granted Barnes full custody of his daughter in March, and ordered Abelseth to pay child support Abelseth, meanwhile, said in an interview with WBRZ that the ruling is the first bit of fairness she's seen in the court system in nearly a decade. She also suggested the reversal was a result of the ongoing media coverage of her case. 'When I sat down with you, I thought maybe a few people would have watched it on the news and say "Ok, that's sad," and move on. 'The fact that we've received so much attention, it's pressed the issue to make these people do what they are supposed to.' A trial to decide which parent gets full custody is now set for July 15, and Ambeau, said they are building a case. 'We're going to present that case in full force to the judge on July 15, and I think it will get the right outcome,' he said in an interview on News Nation. He added to DailyMail.com: 'We're going to create a record and fight this case as far as we have to, even as far up to the Louisiana Supreme Court.' DailyMail.com has also reached out to Barnes for comment. In the meantime, the girl will be put in the custody of guardians, as agreed upon by both parents. They will then alternate custody on the weekends. A Louisiana judge on Tuesday temporarily reversed his decision to grant a man full custody of his teenage daughter, after the girl's mother Crysta Abelseth, second from right, publicly accused him of raping her when she was a teenager It remains unclear what prompted the judge to reverse the decision granting John Barnes (left) full custody. He has denied the claims of rape Abelseth has accused Barnes of raping her 17 years ago after she accepted a ride home from him in Ponchatoula, a town of 6,000 people, 50 miles north of New Orleans. She was 16 at the time, and he was 30. The age of consent in Louisiana is 17, meaning that even if she consented the act would be considered statutory rape: a felony punishable, by up to 10 years in prison. But Barnes has not yet been charged with statutory rape. The married mother-of-five previously told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that she believes her attacker has avoided imprisonment, or even being charged, because of his status in the town as a contractor for the police. Ponchatoula police are among the clients of his graphic design company, Gumbeaux Digital Branding. 'He has openly threatened me, saying he is well connected in the justice system and in the courts,' Abelseth told DailyMail.com. LOUISIANA'S STATUTORY RAPE LAWS: ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 17 IS AUTOMATICALLY A VICTIM Louisiana has statutory rape laws known as Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile which dictate that anyone under the age of 17 is automatically a victim if they have sex with an adult, regardless of whether or not they physically consented to it. The crime is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of $5,000. Not knowing whether the victim is under 17 at the time of the crime is not a defense. It's unclear why Barnes was never charged after staking claim to the child, and after DNA proved he was the father. Advertisement Asked why he has escaped prosecution, Abelseth said the fault was 'within the justice system'. 'I think people can put two and two together,' she added. On February 25, Abelseth in court documents accused Barnes of sexually abusing their daughter. 'Minor child contacted me (her mother) on February 23, 2022 with the suspicion that her father had drugged and sexually assaulted her two nights in a row,' the court documents state. Abelseth stated that the Children's Hospital of New Orleans confirmed 'evidence of forced entry congruent with sexual assault'. In the papers, she states: 'My daughter, minor child, was conceived as the product of the defendant raping me when I was a minor child of 16 years of age. 'I suspect drugs were used by him to sedate me as I was unable to move while he raped me. 'Now it is alleged that he has committed the same heinous crime on our 15-year-old daughter.' On March 18, the allegations were dismissed by the court, which found that 'medical evidence does not support allegations in petition'. Two days later, Abelseth also lost custody of her daughter, and has been forced to pay Barnes child support. She claimed Barnes was also blocking their court-mandated daily phone calls, but told News Nation on Tuesday that she is now once again able to speak to her. 'I do know where my daughter is now,' she said. 'I was able to speak toher, and I'm very excited about that ... I feel very confident in that.' The mom is said to have lost custody after giving her daughter a phone, which Barnes said the teenager was using to 'sext' her boyfriend and post sexually explicit TikToks. Crysta Abelseth is shown with the daughter she had with Barnes in 2005. Crysta claims she was 16 at the time one year under the legal age of consent in Louisiana when she was allegedly raped The saga began in 2005 when she went to the Pine Street bar, Ponchatoula Pub, with two of her friends, where the brother of one of her friends was hanging out. Barnes was friends with the brother, but Abelseth had never met him. 'I did not know him,' she said firmly. The person who drove them to the bar later wanted to leave, and Barnes said he would drive Abelseth home instead. Her friends got lifts home with other people, leaving Abelseth and Barnes alone in his car. Abelseth said she was 'highly intoxicated.' 'John Barnes offered to take me home,' Abelseth explained, in a later police report. 'Instead of bringing me to my house, John Barnes brought me to his home. 'He proceeded to rape me.' Abelseth said she did not tell anyone not her friends or parents that she had been raped. 'I felt people would shame me,' she told DailyMail.com. 'They'd say, you shouldn't be doing this, doing that. 'They are shaming me now. But at this point, I don't care.' Abelseth said her family believed that her then-boyfriend was the father. 'Everyone assumed he was,' she said. 'And he just wanted to be.' Asked if he knew the circumstances, Abelseth replied: 'I can't speak to that.' Despite the scary situation, she said she never considered terminating the pregnancy. 'I was terrified, but never in any doubt,' she said. 'I guess the mothering instinct kicked in.' For the first five years of her daughter's life, Abelseth raised her child in peace. She said she never saw Barnes again and managed to avoid crossing paths with him despite the pair of them living in the same small town. 'The only time I ever came into the same vicinity as him was when this same friend I was in the bar with wanted to stop off in the bar, and say hi to her brother. And Barnes was with him. 'Apparently he asked about me. But I have no idea what he said.' Then in 2010, Abelseth's world was turned upside down when Barnes learned he was the girl's father. How he found out, Abelseth said, she was 'not 100 percent sure.' She added: 'I couldn't say.' But a paternity test later proved that the child was his. Barnes then began legal proceedings, attempting to wrest custody of the girl from her mother. 'He was bringing me to court two or three times a year - he was filing and filing,' she said. 'It was exhausting emotionally I was dragged through the wringer. All those years of legal fees and debt.' Barnes has adamantly denied the rape allegations, saying he thought Abelseth was a legal adult at the time because she was using a fake ID Records obtained by WBRZ show that a DNA test proved Barnes was the father of the child On October 3, 2011 the court awarded the pair joint custody, but the fights over child support and raising the child continued. In January 2013, Abelseth filed court documents claiming Barnes had another custody case ongoing, as the result of fathering a child with Amiee Ball. Abelseth said that Ball filed domestic abuse charges against Barnes. Traumatized by the proceedings, Abelseth sought out a counselor, who told her that she was still within the statute of limitations to press charges something she said she had not known. 'I knew the gravity of the situation,' she said. 'And the court hearings made me relive it over and over again. 'But I wanted justice. I wanted to see him behind bars.' She then filed a sexual assault report against Barnes in 2015, but the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office has confirmed it went untouched until last week. 'What I want the public to know is in 2015, we dropped the ball,' Sheriff Daniel Edwards has since admitted. 'It was an accident and not some conspiracy. 'I feel bad for Crysta that happened. But I want the public to know this was not a willful continuing failure.' Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards has admitted that his office 'dropped the ball' by not investigating Abelseth's claims that Barnes raped her as a teenager By April 2021 the teenager accused her father of hitting her in the face, amid the ongoing row about the cell phone. Abelseth again filed a report at Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, but they concluded that there were 'no marks or signs of distress'. Sean Cassidy, an attorney with Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, told WBRZ he had never come across a case like this. 'It seems pretty straight-forward that not only did a crime take place, but as a result of the crime, this person should not have custody of the child,' he said. Stacie Triche, an activist who set up the Save Lives organization, has helped Abelseth navigate the legal system. 'When I found out she was a rape victim, and this rapist could potentially get full custody, that's when I stepped in and said something has to be done about this,' she told WBRZ. 'She's been forced to pay her perpetrator, forced to pay her rapist child support and legal fees and give up custody of the child that's a product of the rape. It makes no sense.' Triche told DailyMail.com she had been astonished by the 'arrogance' of Barnes, in demanding financial support from Abelseth. Barnes was awarded joint custody in 2015; in March this year, he won full custody. Abelseth said that he made 'accusations against me', but refused to elaborate. 'They have not been tested in court,' Triche said. One of the reasons for losing custody, Abelseth said, was an allegation that the teenager had been given a cell phone without Barnes's consent, and which he did not have access to. He argued that it violated their agreement. But Triche said his claim was 'a lie'. Asked how the small, rural Louisiana community was reacting, Abelseth said that there had been 'divided responses.' Barnes, who has nine hunting licenses across Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi, was well known in the community. 'His friends defend him,' she said. 'But for the most part, I don't read the comments online. 'Most people have been amazing.' Asked what she would say to Barnes, if she saw him, Abelseth fell silent. 'I don't know,' she said. 'He knows what he's done.' Web designer and accused rapist John Barnes is seen outside his home in Hammond, Louisiana Thursday in exclusive DailyMail.com photos He operates Gumbeaux Digital Branding from his property, financed with a $440,999 mortgage from the Veterans Administration, according to records But Barnes has adamantly denied that he raped Abelseth, saying in an interview this week he thought she was an adult when they met because she was in a bar using a fake ID. 'It's a lie. She was in a bar with a fake ID, telling everyone she was a college student. 'I had no idea she was 16, and I didnt rape her. That is absolutely, unequivocally false,' he told FOX. He also denied ever laying a hand on his daughter or drugging her and said he was granted custody of her after her mother gave her a second, unrestricted cell phone which she used to post 'sexually explicit videos on TikTok'. 'All I have been trying to do is protect my daughter,' Barnes claimed. 'There is no way in hell I have influenced seven very high-level organizations that are geared toward protecting childrens rights and safety into sweeping her claims of rape and child abuse under the rug.' Instead, he claims, Abelseth created an unstable home for their daughter and allowed a 'revolving door of men' to sleepover in their house. He also said he only discovered he was the child's father in 2011 when she was five, and that a different man's name was on her birth certificate. That man was an ex-con who Abelseth visited in prison with her daughter, according to Barnes. DailyMail.com previously spotted website designer Barnes at his large, newly built house from where he runs his digital business in Hammond, Louisiana. He came to the door but refused to respond to the shocking allegations made by Abelseth. 'I know you have a hell of a story here, but I'm not saying anything more than my responses in the official court documents,' he told DailyMail.com at the time. Media outlets confirmed the second American national died acting as a mercenary in the Ukraine army. The combatant Stephen Zabielski,52, died during the fighting in mid-May after he went to Europe. US Mercenary Dies in Ukraine US media says the US national met his death while on a mine-clearing mission and triggered one of the explosives. Zabielski was killed while two of his squad mates were badly hurt, said a source, reported RT. The casualty of war got killed on May 15 while engaging the Russians in the Village of Dorozhniank, according to an obituary notice published in The Recorder this month. Rolling Stone magazine said he died in southeast Ukraine. US Department of State officials verified the report of Rolling Stone and another major daily but kept details private for the privacy of the next of kin. The US national lived in New York and went to Florida in 2018; is the second US citizen identified who died in Ukraine. Rolling Stone report is based on an interview with Tristan Nettles, a Marine Corps combat vet with Zabielski when he was killed. How it happened The men were members of the Wolverines squad with 13 soldiers in all, which is attached to a Ukrainian Army unit and comprised of English-speaking fighters with actual combat experience. Before a planned assault by the Ukrainian army on Russian and allied forces, this unit was marking landmines. Another US mercenary triggered a mine while checking in the bushes, which led to the fatality. Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency? A landmine close to the Second American national killed him and the blast and blew off the lower legs of the one who tripped the wire. An attempt to get them out in the vehicle only blasted it with another mine; the driver got burned badly. Nettles said the two survived the blast, the one with the Zabielski got airlifted to the US, and the Canadian driver is still in Ukraine but cannot walk. Badly Equipped International Legion Zelensky's false propaganda allegedly duped as many as 20,000; the Russian Ministry of Defense called the Ukrainian leader spreading misleading facts. Members of the Wolverines were a Pole, a Canadian, two Britons, with eight Americans. Nettles, the survivor, told Rolling Stone; that the squad's experience fighting for Ukraine was terrible and added they were told lies from the start. He added that there were only three of the initial thirteen members when everything settled down. In one firefight that lasted two hours with a Ukrainian special forces unit, it was bad what happened to anyone fighting for Kyiv. As for Zabielski, the survivor remarked that a veteran at his age is normal, with many fifty-ish men fighting on the frontline. Another American identified as former US Marine Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, had died in April fighting a superior Russian force. The Russian army was more well-equipped and armed, while mercenaries had little equipment. Moscow says there are 530 US citizens in Ukraine, with 214 KIA and 227 leaving Ukraine last Friday. They are not POWS, and the Geneva Convention does not apply. As verified by several media sources, Stephen Zabielski is the second American national marked as killed in action (KIA) serving as a mercenary in the Ukraine army. Related Article: American Mercenaries Claims Unfavorable Conditions in Ukraine Causes Many Volunteers To Go Home @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Ryanair jet packed with British holidaymakers on their way back to Manchester came within seconds of a mid-air collision. The pilot of the flight to the UK from Majorca was forced to dramatically swerve off course after spotting a private jet converging on its flight path. The Boeing 737 had just taken off from Palma airport when the near miss happened - and according to radar tracking came within 100ft of the other plane. Commercial airliners are supposed to maintain a strictly enforced separation both vertically and horizontally while in the same airspace. The minimum vertical separation is 1,000ft while the horizontal distance they must keep is between three and five miles. An initial investigation has revealed the Ryanair jet was within one mile of the light aircraft horizontally and just 100 feet vertically. Having just taken off the commercial jet was travelling at 150mph and accelerating rapidly and the two planes' routes converging it's thought the two aircraft could have been as little as 20 seconds from colliding. Commercial airliners are supposed to maintain a strictly enforced separation both vertically and horizontally while in the same airspace. The Ryanair Boeing 737 had just taken off from Palma airport when the incident occurred. Pictured: File Image A Cirrus private jet was flying in the way of the commercial plane, forcing the Ryanair pilot to swerve out of the way. Pictured: File Image The Ryanair flight crew turned away from the other private jet, a Cirrus SF50, only after spotting it out of the cockpit rather than being alerted by air traffic control or any of the onboard warning systems, as should have happened. Passengers on the flight on May 28th are thought to have been unaware of the near miss and both planes continued safely to their destination. Spanish aviation chiefs have launched an investigation into the incident. A spokesman for Ryanair said: 'The crew of the fight from Palma to Manchester took immediate action upon identifying a converging light-type aircraft and as result, the aircraft remained well clear and the flight continued to Manchester. 'The event remains under investigation, and we are continuing to liaise with the respective competent authorities in support of the associated processes.' The near miss took place at Palma in Majorca when the Boeing 737 packed with returning holidaymakers had been cleared for take-off and was climbing from the main runway. The Spanish registered Cirrus jet had taken off the nearby Son Bonet airfield and was climbing through 1,000ft, according to examination of air traffic control records and radar readings. Pilots are trained to always turn right when they fear they are too close to another aircraft. A source at Ryanair said: 'The Captain and First Office did exactly what they are trained to do. They were alert to the situation and did everything in accordance with all their training.' The investigation will examine instructions given to both captains of the jets with any blame likely to fall on Spanish air traffic controllers. It will not be the first time Spanish controllers will be blamed for a near miss involving Ryanair. Two years ago controllers at Malaga Airport were blamed for putting two Ryanair jets on a collision course on the same runway. The two jets packed with over 350 holidaymakers came within 500m of each other as one landed and the other took off. An investigation into the near miss found that an air traffic controller at Malaga Airport failed to warn the departing aircraft that another jet was about to land just as it accelerated down the runway Passengers on the flight on May 28th from Palma Airport, pictured, to Manchester are thought to have been unaware of the near miss and both planes continued safely to their destination A report by the Spanish Aviation Authority blamed air traffic controllers at the Costa del Sol airport - one of the busiest in Spain for the error. The report found it was the latest in a series of incidents where jets were too close to each other on landing and take-off. Following investigation new safety measures were implemented at Malaga Airport to prevent similar incidents. The incident report made clear that the Ryanair flight crew were not to blame for the incident. It said: 'The investigation has determined that the incident occurred because an aircraft was given clearance to land on a runway that was occupied by another aircraft in the process of taking off, without respecting the regulatory distance. 'Deficient planning by the air traffic controller, who took advantage of a gap between two landings to authorise a take-off, is considered a contributing factor in the incident. 'Given the immediate danger posed by the loss of regulatory separation, the absence of decision making ( to cancel take off, for example) by the air traffic controller is also deemed to have been a factor.' Embattled Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon defended his soft-on-crime policies, even as the mother of one of two police officers killed last week by a gunman on probation warned he is 'going to destroy more families.' Gascon, who is facing second recall efforts amid mounting criticism for his lax bail policies, blamed the spiking crime in the City of Angels on 'the imperfect system.' The DA insisted that his office hands the jail and probation sentences deemed appropriate, and that it's impossible to predict whether non-violent criminals will repeat offenses and escalate to violence. His remarks come just a week after two El Monte police officers, Joseph Anthony Santana, 31, and Michael Domingo Paredes, 42, were killed by a career criminal who was on probation for a firearm possession charge he only served 20 days in jail for. 'We have an imperfect system,' Gascon said at a press conference Tuesday. 'Not only here in L.A. It's everywhere. I know this is frustrating to hear, and it may not help heal the wounds for some. We do not serve our community when we try to pretend that we can predict 100% of the time when these cases are going to occur.' Gascon, who is facing second recall efforts amid mounting criticism for his lax bail policies, blamed the murders of two El Monte Police Officers on 'the imperfect system' 'I urge everyone to ensure that we do not overreact here and that we do the things that we know that work,' Gascon added. Gascon reiterated that Santana and Paredes' killer had been given the slap-on-the-wrist sentence because his past crimes were 'non-violent,' and he 'pretty much stayed away from the criminal justice system' before his role in the shootout last year. 'We can ''if'' this thing to death,' he said. 'There's certainly many opportunities for a catastrophe, a tragedy, to have occurred, but the reality is that when you have the history that this individual had, the outcome was appropriate under the circumstances,' Gascon. It comes as the mother of 0fficer Santana, Olga Garcia, explicitly asked Gascon not to attend her son's funeral. 'I don't want nothing from him. No more apologies, no more condolences. No, he's responsible for my son's death and [Officer Paredes'] death,' Garcia told CBS. It comes as the mother of 0fficer Santana, Olga Garcia, explicitly asked Gascon not to attend her son's funeral His remarks come just a week after two El Monte police officers, Joseph Anthony Santana (left), 31, and Michael Domingo Paredes (right), 42, were killed by a career criminal who was on probation for a firearm possession charge he only served 20 days in jail for Santana and Paredes were both shot dead on June 14 in a motel shootout in suburban Los Angeles. The officers were responding to a call of a stabbing at a motel in El Monte. The shooter, gang member Justin William Flores, 35, was on probation for a prior gun charge at the time of the shooting. Flores shot himself dead during the shootout. The illegal handgun sentence was handed to Flores in 2021, as part of a lenient plea deal made possible by lax prosecution laws from Gascon. On Tuesday, Gascon stood by the sentence handed to Flores last year, saying his previous arrests had mostly been for non-violent offenses. 'And then almost a decade ago, he was arrested and convicted for burglarizing his grandparents' home for stealing a TV,' Gascon said. 'He then remained pretty much away from the criminal justice system until the arrest in this particular case, where he was arrested for possession of drugs for personal use and possession of a gun.' Meanwhile, Santana's mother has publicly decried the sentence handed to Flores and blamed his son and his partner's killings on Gascon leniency towards repeat offenders. 'I blame the death of my son and his partner on Gascon,' Garcia told Spectrum1 News. 'Gascon will never know how I feel. Gascon will never know how he destroyed our families. He won't know how his [Santana's] children feel.' The officers' shooter , gang member Justin William Flores, 35, was on probation for a prior gun charge at the time of the shooting. Flores shot himself dead during the shootout. The illegal handgun sentence was handed to Flores in 2021, as part of a lenient plea deal made possible by lax prosecution laws from Gascon So far this year, LA has seen 162 slayings - 9 more than the same time last year. Assaults are also up nearly 5 percent from 2021, with police so far recording 8779 incidents. Robberies, meanwhile, are up my a more marked 22 percent. During a FOX News interview, Garcia also called out Gascon, saying 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,' she said. Garcia spoke of her frustration with the system and claimed that her son and his partner would still be alive and if the serial criminal killer wasn't back out on the streets. 'Gascon is just letting all these criminals out and they just keep doing one crime after the other,' Garcia said, in part. 'That guy should have been in jail.' She added: 'Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon gives criminals more rights than police officers.' Gascon's office has said hat Flores didn't have a 'documented history of violence' when he was sentenced. According to sources from the DA's office, Flores would have likely been handed a sentence of up to three years in prison if he was prosecuted in February 2021, the news outlet reported. 'The sentence he received in the firearm case was consistent with case resolutions and the nature of the offense,' the statement said. It has since been revealed that Flores possessed a lengthy rap sheet for offenses stretching back more than a decade at the time of the shooting, and had been prohibited from carrying a gun since 2011. Last year, Flores - already on parole for pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a felony charge that law enforcement sources said should have sent him back to prison for a minimum of three years. However, because of Gascon - who was sworn into office in late 2020 as part of a wave of woke prosecutors who vowed to seek alternatives to incarceration - he received the bare minimum sentence of two years probation, and 20-days jail time. Officer Santana pictured here with his wife and three children The plea deal also saw prosecutors drop drug charges against Flores, who was accused of possessing methamphetamine, as well as ammunition for the illegal handgun. Flores served the 20 days in early 2021, and was out on the street by February of that year, court records reveal. The day before the shooting, Flores was requested by his parole officer to appear in court due to a probation violation incurred after his girlfriend reported he had assaulted her last week. Flores' wife said her husband had previously attacked her and she warned Paredes and Santana that he had a gun inside a motel when they responded to a report of a stabbing. Flores, however, was not taken into custody. The hearing was set for June 27, court records show. Diana Flores said he had attacked her two days prior and she had moved into the motel to escape him but he tracked her down. 'I am so deeply sorry, my deepest condolences for saving me, I'm so, so, so sorry,' Diana tearfully told KCBS-TV. 'They didn't deserve that, or their families. They really didn't. They were trying to help me and I told them before they went in the room, ''Don't go in. He has a gun.''' Asked why Flores wasn't arrested on the violation Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Probation Department told DailyMail.com the agency was 'currently investigating the matter further.' The sentence is in accordance with the policies of Gascon, who has been vocal about his belief that the criminal justice system needs to focus more on intervention and rehabilitation than incarceration, blasting 'tough on crime' policies as racist and a failure. He was was recently taken to task by a state appeals court over his refusal to prosecute three-strike cases, a law that seeks to impose harsher sentences on individuals who have been convicted of certain felonies three times. The law allowed Flores - who was facing his third strike - to plead no contest and receive a light sentence despite having a previous gun strike on his criminal record. Flores' first strike stems from a conviction for burglarizing his grandparent's home more than a decade ago. Flores previously served two prison stints for burglary and car theft, and had been barred from carrying a gun since 2011. Police and emergency responders on the scene at the Siesta Inn in El Monte, east LA at 4.45 p.m. on June 14 after the officers were shot and killed A makeshift memorial for El Monte Police officers Corporal Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana is displayed in front of El Monte City Hall in El Monte, Calif., on Wednesday Family members of El Monte Police Officer Michael Paredes grieve at a makeshift memorial for him and Officer Joseph Santana at El Monte City Hall on June 15 Meanwhile, law enforcement sources told NBC that the Flores was so notorious in the neighborhood, that at least one of the two slain officers would have likely recognized Flores on sight and by name. Gascon has since been slammed as 'radical' and 'soft on crime' by conservatives and fed-up liberals for the oversight. It comes as Gascon faces a second recall effort in less than a year to remove him from office over his controversial policies. Last May, Gascon's opponents organized the first, ill-fated recall effort to oust him from office. Despite garnering more than 200,000 signatures from LA citizens in a matter of months, the campaign fell short in October, failing to amass the needed 580,000 LA County voters needed to remove Gascon. A rash of 'flash mob'-style robberies, assaults and shootings since the have only made matters worse for Gascon, with a second recall effort launched against the DA on Monday. The renewed recall attempt has been spurred by the string of smash-and-grab attacks and brazens shootouts, which have seen a variety of high-end retailers in the city relentlessly ransacked and hundreds dead this year. People are being killed in the famously progressive county at a faster pace than 2021, when homicides hit a 15-year high. So far this year, LA has seen 162 slayings - 9 more than the same time last year. Assaults are also up nearly 5 percent from 2021, with police so far recording 8779 incidents. Robberies, meanwhile, are up my a more marked 22 percent. A fast food worker in Oklahoma was arrested after a customer found a bag of meth in his order. Bryce Francis was working at a local Carl's Jr. restaurant in Skiatook on Monday when he 'accidentally' put the bag of drugs in the wrong customer's order. A substantial amount of meth (4.3grams) was placed in the bag alongside the customer's burger and fries. Francis was later charged with a distribution of a controlled substance within 2,000 feet of a school and possession of a controlled substance. A fast food worker in Oklahoma was arrested after a customer found a bag of meth in his order Bryce Francis was charged with distribution of a controlled substance within 2,000 feet of a school and for possession of a controlled substance The Skiatook Police Department said that Francis confessed to the crime after the customer took a picture of his meal and shared it with police, as well as the manager of the fast food franchise on Roger Boulevard. 'The suspect actually spoke up and said "that's mine. I made a stupid mistake. I was trying to make some extra cash and I put it in the wrong bag",' Kimberly Okerson, who is a Public Information at Skiatook Police, told Fox23. 'It's a unique way to distribute drugs for a drug dealer. I've never heard of somebody doing that before either,' she added. 'Obviously it didn't work out very well for him.' A police report in relation to the arrest stated that during booking, Francis was heard muttering: 'This has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever done.' The Carl's Jr. restaurant ended up giving the customer a new order to take home. Skiatook Police Department arrested Francis after the customer reported the incident to them and to the fast food restaurant's manager Skiatook police is advising residents to double-check their food before taking a bite of it when they go out to eat with family relatives or children. 'When you go out to eat, please check the food, especially before consuming it or handing it to a child,' the local police department shared in a statement on social media. 'If you encounter anything like described in this incident, please contact us immediately!' 'This is an arrest, not a conviction,' the statement added. Officers brought the baggy of drugs for testing, later confirming that the crystalline inside of it was indeed methamphetamine after tests came back positive. It remains unclear if Francis was released on bail and whether he is set to appear in court. Advertisement The Queen is hoping to make her annual trip to Scotland for Holyrood Week but a decision will be taken closer to the time, Buckingham Palace has said. The monarch, 96, who is facing ongoing mobility issues, is planning to be in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh when other members of the royal family travel to Scotland en masse to carry out engagements between June 27 and July 1. During her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen pledged to continue to serve as monarch 'to the best of my ability supported by my family'. The Queen's children the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex - minus the Duke of York who no longer carries out public duties - will be joined by the Countess of Wessex to conduct a host of public appearances. It comes as she smiled and beamed today as she continued her public engagements at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty, 96, stood unaided as she greeted Australian politician Margaret Beazley just days after she missed Royal Ascot amid her ongoing mobility issues. The Monarch, wearing a yellow dress decorated with a pattern of blue flowers, was photographed standing without a walking stick as she met her guest. The Monarch, 96 shook hands with the Governor (right) this morning at Windsor Castle just days after she was forced to miss Royal Ascot because of her ongoing mobility issues Queen Elizabeth (left) receiving the Governor of New South Wales Margaret Beazley (right), during an audience at Windsor Castle today The Queen, who has recently dealt with mobility issues, was pictured standing without her walking stick during the meeting at Windsor Castle yesterday She shook hands with Ms Beazley, who wore a black and white laced dressed, as she entered the Oak Room sitting room in the Berkshire castle. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'The Queen hopes to travel to Scotland to be in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for Royal Week, although decisions will be taken closer to the time.' The ancient Ceremony of the Keys takes place on the forecourt of Holyroodhouse as part of Holyrood Week - also known as Royal Week - each summer. As part of the tradition, the monarch is handed the keys of the city, but it has not been confirmed whether the Queen or another member of the royal family will attend the engagement. The Queen is usually symbolically offered the keys to the city by the Lord Provost and tradition dictates she then returns them, entrusting their safekeeping to Edinburgh's elected officials. Anne will conduct an investiture on behalf of the Queen at Holyroodhouse on June 28. On June 29, Charles - who is known in Scotland as the Duke of Rothesay - Edward, Sophie and Anne will host guests at a garden party at Holyroodhouse in recognition of their positive contributions to communities across Scotland. June 30 will see Charles attend a Queen's Body Guard for Scotland Reddendo Parade in the gardens of the palace. Charles and Anne will also attend the Thistle Service at St Giles' Cathedral. Edward is set to host a celebration in the gardens at Holyroodhouse for Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award holders from across Scotland on July 1. Holyroodhouse is the Queen's official residence in Scotland and stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Archbishop Welby presented Her Majesty with the 'Canterbury Cross' to commemorate her Platinum Jubilee and 70 years of service to the church Her Majesty, who has recently faced mobility issues at the age of 96, beamed as she had her picture taken with the Governor today at Windsor Castle. It comes just a day after The Queen was pictured smiling and standing without her walking stick as she was awarded a special 'Canterbury Cross' by Justin Welby after he was forced to miss her thanksgiving service due to Covid. The Archbishop of Canterbury had been due to take the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral as part of the Platinum Jubilee weekend, but had to pull out when he was struck down with the disease. Yesterday he finally got the chance to congratulate Her Majesty face-to-face, as part of a meeting with Her Majesty at Windsor Castle, in which he praised her 'unstinting' service to the Church of England. In the audience the Most Rev Welby gave the Queen the small silver cross, inspired by a 9th century Saxon brooch and incorporating a triquetra pattern, as a 'heartfelt symbol' of the church's 'love, loyalty and affection'. Presented in a vivid red box and attached to a blue ribbon, the cross was specially crafted for its royal recipient with platinum inserts in recognition of her milestone 70 years on the throne. The Queen, who has a deep Christian faith, is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith. In the citation for the cross, which was also given to the Queen as a framed piece of calligraphy, the archbishop praised the monarch and hailed 'her care for the unity of her people and the welfare of the least fortunate' as a 'constant inspiration to the whole church'. The Queen's life was 'an example of a Christian life well led,' he said. The citation read: 'Throughout her reign, Her Majesty has duly upheld both the Christian religion and the Church of England in her roles as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. 'Whether in the formality of opening sessions of General Synod or the more intimate context of her personal addresses to the nation and Commonwealth at Christmas, Her Majesty has made manifest her own deep faith and its relevance to all that she undertakes. 'Her subtle understanding of the changing position of the Established Church in England has sustained and encouraged laity and clergy alike. 'Her care for the unity of her people and the welfare of the least fortunate have been a constant inspiration to the whole Church. Hers is an example of the Christian life well led. 'This presentation of the Canterbury Cross is a heartfelt symbol of the love, loyalty and affection in which the Church of England holds Her Majesty and it represents the recognition and gratitude of her whole Church for her seventy years of unstinting service. God Save The Queen!' The Queen had a busy start to June as the nation celebrated her jubilee during a four-day weekend of festivities. These included a special Trooping the Colour with hundreds of soldiers marching from Horse Guard Parade to Buckingham Palace, a special flyover by the Red Arrows and other military planes, as well as a special concert in honour of Her Majesty. Among these was a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in London, which saw members of the Royal Family and others congregate to express their thanks for the Queen's 70-year reign. However, Her Majesty herself did not attend after experiencing 'some discomfort' during the previous days festivities. She would also miss the Epsom Derby the next day, before making an appearance at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on the final day of celebrations. The Service of Thanksgiving was supposed to be taken by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but a combination of Covid and pneumonia left him unable to do so. Instead the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, took it in his place and praised Her Majesty for her 'staunch constancy and a steadfast consistency; a faithfulness to God, an obedience to a vocation that is a bedrock of her life'. The Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 5 at the conclusion of the long Platinum Jubilee weekend A newly appointed female minister in French president Emmanuel Macron's new government is under investigation for rape, it emerged today. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, the 46-year-old Secretary of State for Development, is the subject of two complaints from a woman who cannot be named for legal reasons. It follows a series of sex scandals in the Macron administration ones which have led to accusations that the head of state is too relaxed about serious criminal allegations and refuses to sack those involved. A source at the Paris public prosecutor's office on Wednesday told the Marianne news outlet that the latest case related to Ms Zacharopoulou's time as a gynaecologist. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, the 46-year-old Secretary of State for Development, is the subject of two complaints from a woman who cannot be named for legal reasons 'An enquiry has been opened into two alleged acts of rape which were allegedly committed in the suspect's medical duties,' said the source. The first complaint was filed on May 25, and the investigation was opened two days later 'to determine whether the facts are likely to fall within the scope of criminality'. The second complaint was filed on June 16. Examining magistrates are now working on the enquiry with a specialist police brigade, meaning Ms Zacharopoulou has already been interviewed at length. Ms Zacharopoulou, a Greece-born former MEP, joined the French government on May 20 before last Sunday's disastrous election results, which saw Mr Macron lose is parliamentary majority. Like new prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, Ms Zacharopoulou is considered to be one of the most powerful female politicians in Mr Macron's government. It follows a series of sex scandals in the Macron administration ones which have led to accusations that the head of state is too relaxed about serious criminal accusations and refuses to sack those involved Ms Zacharopoulou gained prominence in 2015 by campaigning for greater public awareness of endometriosis together with actress Julie Gayet, who this year married former French president Francois Hollande. Despite the accusations, she has kept her role in the government, which beyond Development also covers Francophonie (French-speaking countries) and International Partnerships. There was no initial comment about the accusations from Ms Zacharopoulou, or any of her government colleagues. Damien Abad, France's Minister for Solidarity and Disabled People, is also facing intense scrutiny following accusations of rape from two women. Both accuse Mr Abad, 42, of forcing them to have unwanted sexual relationships with him in late 2010 and early 2011. One of the accusers filed two complaints with police in 2012 and 2017, but they were later closed with no action taken. Damien Abad, France's Minister for Solidarity and Disabled People, is also facing intense scrutiny following accusations of rape from two women Mr Abad strongly denies the allegations, saying that his arthrogryposis, a condition that affects the limbs, would make it physically impossible for him to commit rape. Mr Macron has meanwhile stuck with Mr Abad, saying there was no reason to sack him because of unproven allegations. In July 2020, Mr Macron also expressed his wish to act as 'guarantor of the presumption of innocence' and 'not give in to emotion', when he refused to dismiss his Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, despite a rape accusation against him. After closing the case against Mr Darmanin without any further action, the Paris public prosecutor's office requested that the case be dismissed at the beginning of 2022. It was the same with Nicolas Hulot, Mr Macron's former Minister responsible for Energy Transition. Mr. Hulot was implicated in a sexual violence case in 2018, but the head of state did not sack him, warning against 'an inquisition.' This led to fierce criticism of Mr Macron from former women's rights minister Laurence Rossignol, who said: 'Emmanuel Macron has not understood that we cannot treat accusations of sexual violence, saying 'It does not exist, move along, there is nothing to see, I will stand my ground.' A desperate family of eight may be forced to sleep 'in a few tents' after suddenly being evicted from their home in a cramped Queensland rental market. The Scott family said they have applied for 40 Sunshine Coast rental properties since they were given the 30-day notice to leave their home. 'They have all been declined so far,' mother Skye Scott told Nine News. The Scott family (above) said they are facing homelessness after their landlord gave them just 30 days to find a new rental home on the Sunshine Coast 'It basically comes down to having to get a few tents and having to sleep in them, that's our only option.' The Scotts only have until Monday to find a home or face living without a roof over their heads. Ms Scott said the possibility is terrifying for her as several of her children have special needs. Mother Sky Scott (right) said her family faces living 'in a few tents' and that homelessness would be especially difficult as several of her children have special needs, including her youngest daughter (left) who suffers from cerebral palsy Her youngest daughter was only recently diagnosed with cerebral palsy which affects her ability to move. 'I guess we're just hanging on until that last second, that last minute, hoping that something comes through,' Ms Scott said. The Queensland government announced on Monday that it will 1200 new social and affordable homes as part of its record $2.9 billion four-year investment project. Minister for housing Leanne Enoch said the project will create a total of 7,400 new homes to help tackle the housing crisis. The Scott family (pictured, their six children) are facing homelessness due to the Queensland rental housing crisis Construction of the first 600 social homes is set to begin between 2023 and 2025. However, the Queensland Council of Social Service said more needs to be done now to aid the growing number of families facing the possibility of homelessness. Data from the QCSS said over 50,300 people currently on the Queensland social housing register. The former partner of Babes in the Wood killer Russell Bishop has failed in an appeal bid after being convicted of perjury. Bishop, who died in January 2022 aged 55, was jailed in 2018 for a minimum of 36 years after being convicted of the murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, who were both nine when they died in 1986. He had been cleared of their murders at an earlier trial in 1987. Jennie Johnson was given a six-year prison sentence in May 2021 after a judge and jury heard that she had lied at Bishop's original 1987 trial. On Wednesday, three judges dismissed the 56-year-old's appeal bid by after considering arguments at a recent Court of Appeal hearing in London. Lord Justice Fulford, Mrs Justice Cutts and Mr Justice Henshaw refused to give Johnson the go-ahead to challenge her conviction and sentence. Jennie Johnson was given a six-year prison sentence in May 2021 after a judge and jury heard that she had lied at Russell Bishop's original 1987 trial She lost her appeal having been convicted of perverting the course of justice by supplying Bishop with a false alibi Russell Bishop was 20 when he sexually assaulted and strangled Karen and Nicola in a woodland den in Brighton, East Sussex, in October 1986 Nicola Fellows and her friend Karen Hadaway, both aged nine, were found murdered in Brighton's Wild Park in 1986 Bishop was 20 when he sexually assaulted and strangled Karen and Nicola in a woodland den in Brighton, East Sussex, in October 1986, judges heard. He was cleared of their murders in December 1987, but within three years went on to kidnap, molest and throttle a seven-year-old girl. While serving life for attempted murder, Bishop was ordered to face a fresh trial under the double jeopardy law, following a DNA breakthrough. Jurors convicted Bishop, following a 2018 trial at the Old Bailey, on the 31st anniversary of his acquittal. The appeal judges heard that Johnson was jailed by Mr Justice Fraser at Lewes Crown Court in May 2021 after being convicted of perverting the course of justice and making a false statement. Johnson said she had been 'a vulnerable young mother' in an 'abusive relationship with Bishop' in the late 1980s. Lawyers representing her argued that a fair trial had been impossible more than 30 years after the 'relevant events' and said proceedings should have been 'stayed'. Pictured: A blue Pinto sweatshirt, allegedly worn by Bishop and said to contain vital DNA evidence, which was found beside a path behind Moulsecoomb railway station Russell Bishop, pictured after his initial arrest for the 1986 Babes in the Wood murders The girls were found dead in this 'den' in undergrowth in Wild Park, Brighton after he struck They said the judge's summing up had been 'demonstrably one-sided' - and Johnson had been 'denied a fair trial'. Lawyers also said Johnson's 'defence of duress' failed 'adequately to address' the circumstances of the 'violent, coercive and controlling relationship' she had been in with Bishop. The appeal judges disagreed and refused to give Johnson 'leave to appeal'. During Bishop's original trial Johnson stunned police in the dock after suddenly claiming a blue jumper that linked him to the crime scene and killings was not his. She had previously told investigators it had been his garment. Johnson's evidence saw the jury acquit Bishop in 1987 - leaving him free to kidnap, sexually assault and try and kill another girl at Devils Dyke on the South Downs three years later, which did see him subsequently jailed. But it was only in 2018, after double jeopardy laws were changed, that he was finally brought to justice for sexually assaulting and strangling to death Nicola and Karen after the same jumper was forensically linked to him. Today Johnson's lies saw her finally brought to book after 34 years of agony for Bishop's victims. Michelle Johnson, the mother of Karen who is not related to the defendant, said : 'Jennifer Johnson lied on oath at the very court where she had just been convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice. Her wicked lies about a crucial piece of evidence subsequently helped her boyfriend, the murdering, psychopathic paedophile escape justice for the double murder of two innocent little girls, my beautiful Karen and her friend, Nicky.' She said that after the acquittal Bishop and Johnson, who had signed a 15,000 deal with a Sunday newspaper, spent two days eating fine food and drinking champagne all paid for by the paper. The long road to justice October 10, 1986 - Victims found in woods in Wild Park, Brighton. December 3, 1986 - Bishop charged with the murders. December 10, 1987 - After a four week trial, Bishop is acquitted of both murders and released. February 4, 1990 - Bishop arrested for kidnap, indecent assault and attempted murder of a seven-year-old girl at Devil's Dyke, East Sussex. January 19, 1991 - Bishop convicted of kidnap, indecent assault and attempted murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 14 years. July 2002 - Babes in the Wood case subject to review and DNA profiling, but was not a success. April 2005 - Double jeopardy laws - on people being able to be tried twice for same offence twice - are changed. January 2006 - Forensic tests link Bishop and the Pinto sweatshirt. Autumn 2006 - Families of both victims informed there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a fresh case against Bishop. 2011-2012 - Cold case review of the murders. November 3, 2013 - Full reinvestigation of forensics. May 10, 2016 - Russell Bishop rearrested. December 2017 - His acquittal was quashed. December 2018 - He is finally convicted of the murders. Advertisement 'Not only had we lost our daughter but the evil monster who had done it walked free. The evil lies this woman told had very serious consequences because three years later, on the anniversary of Karen and Nicola's funeral that evil man struck again. This time it was a seven year old little girl who was attacked,' she added. She said Johnson was a 'pathological liar' who could have prevented the 1990 attack if she hadn't told her lies 'But she was besotted with Bishop.' Lorna Heffron said: 'Jennifer Johnson perverted the course of justice for our beautiful girls Nicola and Karen, as well as for the seven year old little girl who suffered immensely in the wake of Bishop's wrongful acquittals. 'The wheels of justice and they turn incredibly slowly. Justice has finally been served on someone who thought she was untouchable.' She said: 'Johnson was infatuated with her lover, the paedophile, double child murderer Russell. She helped him walk free in 1987 with her lies under oath. Had she not lied, Bishop may have been found guilty. He may not have been free to attack again, which of course he did less than three years after he had been acquitted.' Johnson had admitted lying, but had pleaded not guilty to perjury and perverting the course of justice, on the basis that she was acting under duress. But the jury at Lewes Crown Court decided she was lying again and had been 'part of Team Bishop', desperate to get him cleared of murder. Love letters sent from Johnson to him during the Devils Dyke case and shown to these jurors, had laid bare the lengths she would go to for him. They trilled: 'I'm not going to leave you so don't worry because I won't. cos I love you very much and I will write every day because you're special to me and you mean all the world too. 'Don't get worried when I'm not up with your mum as I can't get a babysitter all the time but I'm still thinking of you love. 'Can we get married quite soon and I will book the church OK? It is wonderful that you want to marry me. It's not prison talk is it love? I haven't got a lot to say so bye for now.' Outside court Lorna Heffron, Nicola's cousin, branded Bishop 'an evil paedophile' whose actions had 'devastated and destroyed' two families. She said he was only freed due to a huge miscarriage of justice in which Johnson played a key part. Miss Heffron said: 'She helped blur the lines. She blatantly perverted the course of justice for Nicky and Karen. 'She had plenty of opportunity to tell the truth back then and in past three decades. She lied at every opportunity.' She said her demeanour at the 1987 was 'smug and self-assured'. 'She must pay her price in the part she played in the miscarriage of justice. Her devious lies have impacted on us all. The past has caught up with someone who hid in plain sight believing she was untouchable.' New DNA techniques linked the killer to the double murders through a blue sweatshirt. The top, discarded along Bishop's route home, contained crucial evidence which linked it to Bishop, the two girls and Johnson. Johnson's trial had heard her deny perjury and perverting the course of justice because she was terrified into lying by the killer and his family. But prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told jurors that Johnson was 'part of Team Bishop, not a victim of it', and added: 'Nobody has a gun to her head.' The lies meant the families of Nicola and Karen were denied justice for more than 30 years. Karen's parents Michelle and Lee Hadaway moved to Surrey and divorced six years later, blaming the tragedy. The letter from Johnson to Bishop showed she only cared for him, not his victims Lee moved back in Brighton where he was homeless and addicted to tranquillisers. He died from a heart attack in 1998 without seeing Bishop convicted of killing his daughter. Nicola's dad Barrie Fellows was dogged for years by entirely false claims by Johnson and Bishop implicating him in the murder of his own daughter. The obstetrician who helped deliver Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second child Lilibet has shut her practice with little notice, telling patients she needs to 'focus on my own health and be with my family'. Dr Melissa Drake made the announcement on Instagram, where she said it had been 'the honor of my life to work with the women of Santa Barbara' before announcing a 'leave of absence' starting on June 30. She said patients procedures or surgeries planned before June 30 would go ahead but warned pregnant women with appointments after the date would need to transfer care to a different practice. Dr Drake, who is married fertility doctor and has four step kids, oversaw the birth of Queen Elizabeth's 12th great-grandchild Lilibet at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on June 4, 2021. Expectant mothers in the wealthy region were taken by surprise over the sudden closure, with one branding the news 'shocking and handled terribly'. 'Now there are hundreds of women (myself included) running around trying to find care,' she wrote on the Santa Barbara Moms Facebook group. Another said she was 'devastated' by the news and that she knew at least ten other local women looking for a new practitioner. Dr Melissa Drake, the obstetrician who helped deliver Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's second child Lilibet, has shut her practice with little notice, telling patients in an Instagram post that she needs to 'focus on my own health and be with my family' Dr Drake made the announcement on Instagram, where she said it had been 'the honor of my life to work with the women of Santa Barbara' before announcing a 'leave of absence' starting on June 30 The obstetrician who helped deliver Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second child Lilibet (pictured together, with first child Archie) has shut her practice with little notice, telling patients she needs to 'focus on my own health and be with my family' Dr Drake wrote on Instagram: 'It has been the honor of my life to work with the women of Santa Barbara. I am taking a leave of absence to focus on my own health and be with my family. 'It is important that you continue with appropriate medical care; therefore you should establish contact with another physician/midwife as soon as possible. 'Thank you for allowing me to be part of the most personal, profound, and important days of your lives. Much love always.' Dr Drake made the announcement on May 13 saying the practice would close from June 30. Kay de Veer Ulanch, whose twins' birth was overseen by Dr Drake, told Santa Barbara Independent the doctor was a 'unicorn' and described the closure of the practice as 'a travesty'. 'She puts you in charge,' she said. 'You lead your birth experience. That's a big deal, and it's not common. 'I know that sounds dramatic, but she's done so much good to so many families. When you're having a child, you want the best, and she's the best. 'I hope we figure out what's going on, and I hope she comes back.' Dr Drake (pictured) made the announcement on May 13 saying the practice would close from June 30 Dr Drake said patients procedures or surgeries planned before June 30 would go ahead but warned pregnant women with appointments after the date would need to transfer care to a different practice (pictured, Dr Drake's practice in Santa Barbara) Other patients said they were 'pretty devastated' by the news with Santa Barbara resident Jorden Hirsch saying it was a 'real loss for the community'. Katherine Mueller said Dr Drake 'always made her patients feel comfortable, in control, and always gave them the right to say no.' Dr Drake refused to give more information on her decision to close the clinic to the Santa Barbara Independent but said in a statement: 'One of my most important guiding principles is patient autonomy and giving power back to women. 'OB/GYN care represents an inflection point in peoples' lives. People who feel disempowered and disrespected during their birth experience carry that with them forever. 'It impacts not only the way they feel as parents, but also impacts their future interactions with healthcare.' She added: 'Ask any woman about their medical experience, and you will hear a lot about soft pressure. 'I try to let patients know that even if they are making a decision that I don't agree with, I will try to support them as best I can, within my ability to do so.' Dr Drake declined to comment on why some patients call her a union, but said high praise for her was because 'it is very labor intensive.' 'The healthcare system is not set up to reimburse providers for this kind of work But we deserve this kind of care. We all do.' A dome of extreme heat that has baked much of the central United States for the past week is expected to collide with a cold front that could bring flash flooding as the blazing temperatures are set to go even higher with more records predicted to fall today. Many Americans across the central United States felt the brunt of the heat wave on the official first day of summer yesterday with temperatures reaching triple digits in some areas. And while forecasts indicate that more dangerous heat is expected in some areas this week, as the heat dome moves off to the southeast, temperatures will scale back some on the East Coast with the help of incoming thunderstorms, AccuWeather meteorologists say. A cold front coming off the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast will push to the southwest on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, bringing strong winds, rain and possible flash flooding on the East Coast. A dome of extreme heat is expected to collide with a cold front that could bring flash flooding as the blazing temperatures are set to go even higher A cold front coming off the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast will push to the southwest on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, bringing rain and possible flash flooding The heaviest line of storms are expected to hit the Washington, D.C. area and parts of the East Coast on Wednesday afternoon into the evening, FOX5 reported, possibly affecting the evening commute. The storm system will be moving north to south and with this type of motion, the storm has the distinction of being slow-moving. And with the threat of heavy downpours throughout the evening in some areas, flash flooding is a concern. Model projections suggest that scattered areas could see 2-4 inches of rainfall out of the heaviest storms, FOX5 reported. Multiple storms over the same area are also a concern. While flash flood watches have not yet been issued, parts of the East Coast region could be covered with one by this evening. Those who live in flood-prone areas should take proper precautions, and if driving, remember to 'turn around, don't drown' if you come across any flooded roadways. Excessive heat is expected to return Thursday to most of the country. High temperatures will range from 5-15 degrees above average for the week, Accuweather reported Warning graphic issued by NOAA to prevent the risks of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. Forecasts indicate that dangerous heat is expected for the remainder of the week Excessive heat is expected to return Thursday to most of the country. High temperatures will range from 5-15 degrees above average for the week, Accuweather reported. Cities including Dallas, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Shreveport, Louisiana are expected to reach 100 degrees. New Orleans could see a 5- to 10-degree spike in high temperatures. The record highs of 101 set in 2009 and 97 set in 2016 could be challenged this coming Friday and Saturday, it was reported. 'While temperatures and humidity levels ease a bit for the end of the week in parts of the Midwest, more dangerous temperatures and humidity will return by the upcoming weekend,' AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dean DeVore said. Temperatures in St. Louis Saturday are forecast to possibly break the record of 102 set in 1954. In Nashville, temperatures could surpass the 100 mark set in 1988 on the same day. People flocked to pools, beaches and cooling centers across the Midwest and South spanning from northern Florida to the Great Lakes over the past week as the heat wave pushed temperatures into the 90s and beyond. A woman sun bathes at Lake Temescal at the Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, California, on June 21, 2022 - the first day of Summer Kids cool off at Lake Temescal at the Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, California, on June 21 during a heat wave A man leaps into Lake Michigan along the lakefront near Oak Street Beach while sunbathers soak up record-breaking temperatures Certain parts of the country, including New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, reached record-breaking highs over the week-end, surpassing 97F and 100F respectively on Saturday breaking the 1913 record of 100F in Mobile. Minneapolis and St. Louis in Minnesota saw local weather reach about 101F Monday (38C), accompanied by high humidity that made conditions feel close to 110F (43C). The Twin Cities are seeing its roads cave in under the heat and two areas on I-35 in the Minneapolis area are now closed as of a result, according to Kare11. 'MSP has just reached 99[F], which is a new daily record (surpassing the old record of 98 set in 1933)! Let's see if we can hit 100,' the National Weather Service Twin Cities tweeted on Monday. The heat index in the area reached a high of 105F that day. Roads in Minnesota's capital are starting to crumple under the excessive heat, creating dangerous hazards for drivers The Minnesota Department of Transportation shared several pictures of parts of I-35 caving in (pictured). The Interstate travels all the way up to Minnesota from border town Laredo, Texas Temperatures reached 108F (42C) in northwest Kansas last Monday. Western parts of the state and the Texas panhandle nearly reached 110 degrees over the week-end. Last week, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment knew of at least 2,000 cattle deaths due to high temperatures and humidity. The deaths represent a huge economic loss because the animals, which typically weigh around 1,500 pounds, are worth around $2,000 per head, spokeswoman for the Kansas Livestock Association Scarlett Hagins said. Last weeks, temperature readings reported for Kansas began to exceed the 100-degree mark, killing thousands of cattle in the area Electric companies in the Southeast said they were ready to tackle the second heat wave this week in affected areas as more people are expected to stay indoors and blast their air conditioners. 'This is our 'Super Bowl' that we prepare all year for. We are ready to go!' Tennessee Valley Authority Spokesman Scott Fiedler told CNN in a statement. Entergy, a power supplier mostly present in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, said it expects in increase in power in areas across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Orleans, and Texas, and expects to reach unprecedented energy levels. Preparing for extreme heat is a process that goes on year-round at Oncor the largest electric utility company in Texas and the fifth in the entire country. It serves more than 10million Texans. 'Our maintenance strategy department starts looking at data analytics and analyzing areas of vulnerability that we could really be focusing on for summer prep,' said Senior Design Manager and former Assistant District Manager Elizabeth Barrett on the company's website. 'We're looking at any areas that could be overloaded,' she added. 'Overloaded transformers. We're using meter data consistently to look at how those transformers could be affected by the increased load and whether or not those transformers need to be possibly changed out.' Wildfires have also recently emerged in the southwest, mostly in Arizona throughout the last two weeks. Pictured: A wildfire moving through grass, brush and pine trees on the northern outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona on June 15 And the worst may be yet to come. Nighttime temperatures have been hotter than previous years as conditions are expected to be around 100F, not providing much of a relief for a good night's sleep. The heatwave succeeds wide-ranging weather conditions across the counties last week, which saw millions of people struck by triple-digit temperatures and historic flooding in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Montana. Wildfires have also taken place in Arizona and New Mexico, where conditions in the Phoenix are closer to 110F than 100F. Senior Tory MPs are urging Boris Johnson to use this week's Commonwealth summit to push for action on overlooked illnesses that affect around one billion people. In a letter to the Prime Minister, 26 Conservatives called for Britain to make a commitment to eradicating so-called 'neglected tropical diseases'. The MPs claimed the group of 20 conditions - such as rabies, scabies and leprosy - could be eliminated within the next 10 years and action would represent 'a great success story for Global Britain'. They demanded a portion of the UK's 11.5billion foreign aid budget be spent on the issue - with many of the illnesses able to be treated for 50p per person through already existing medicines. The Tory backbenchers - including a number of ex-Cabinet ministers - also pleaded with Mr Johnson to secure commitments from fellow world leaders when he arrives at the Commonwealth summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are mainly found in tropical areas and affect more than one billion people in poor communities. They are known as 'neglected' because the World Health Organisation (WHO) notes how they are 'almost absent from the global health agenda'. This means they are given very limited resources and are 'almost ignored by global funding agencies', the WHO says. In a letter to the Prime Minister, 26 Tory MPs called for Britain to make a commitment to eradicating so-called 'neglected tropical diseases' Muzi, aged 7, with his father Muhammad. Muzis sight was saved by surgery for advanced trachoma, funded through UK Aids Ascend programme A health worker examines a girl during efforts to detect suspicious cases of chikungunya fever in a school in El Salvador NTDs include Changas disease, dengue and chikungunya, echinococcosis, human African trypanosomiasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis (commonly known as elephantiasis), mycetoma, onchocerciasis, rabies, scabies, trachoma and yaws. Campaigners have described NTDs as 'simple, treatable illnesses' that are 'still destroying peoples quality of life through malnutrition, disfigurement and blindness'. The PM is due to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the Rwandan capital, which ends on Sunday. Ahead of his visit, the group of 26 Tory MPs wrote in their letter: 'NTDs stop children from going to school, adults from being able to hold down a job, and trap whole communities in cycles of extreme poverty. 'Unlike Covid, these diseases do not need complex vaccination rollouts or new scientific discovery. 'Many can be treated and prevented by medication that already exists - for just 50p per person.' They added: 'An end to NTDs within the next decade is within our grasp, and could be a great success story for Global Britain. 'We urge you to make sure that the UK makes a commitment to eradicating NTDs, and uses its voice to push for meaningful commitments from other Commonwealth members.' The MPs claimed that less than 10 per cent of Britain's foreign aid budget 'would be enough to wipe NTDs from the face of the Earth for good'. 'Investing public money in eradicating NTDs worldwide would provide the British taxpayer with a real return they, and this Government, could be proud of,' they continued. The letter was signed by senior Conservatives, including former Cabinet ministers David Davis (left) and Sir Iain Duncan Smith The letter was signed by former Cabinet ministers Andrew Mitchell, Damian Green, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Stephen Crabb and David Davis. Other prominent signatories included former Brexit ministers David Jones and Steve Baker, as well as Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee. Alan McCormick, partner at global investment firm Legatum which has committed $26million (21million) to combatting NTDs, said: 'Simple, treatable illnesses are still destroying peoples quality of life through malnutrition, disfigurement and blindness. 'They stop children from going to school, adults from being able to hold down a job, and trap whole communities in cycles of extreme poverty. 'Yet the reason these illnesses are called "neglected tropical diseases" is because theyre so often forgotten about when governments and big international institutions get together - at events like CHOGM - to decide how to allocate their limited resources to make the world a better place. 'Thats why Im delighted to announce that we are committing $26m to the fight. 'The fight against disease has been one of humankinds and Britains - most successful battles. 'And now in the 21st century, the hand of history is on the UKs shoulders once again.' Dr Caroline Harper, the chief executive of charity Sightsavers - who work to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities, also called for world leaders to commit to eradicating NTDs. She said: 'The time is now for leaders across the globe to commit to the elimination of NTDs, and we hope that the UK government will recommit themselves to the fight by signing the Kigali Declaration. 'It would be a critical first step in returning to their leadership position on NTDs. 'Sightsavers is in Kigali and will be making an announcement at the summit to commit a substantial sum of money towards NTDs, much of which we have raised from the British public. 'This will include a tribute to Her Majesty the Queen in her Platinum Jubilee Year.' With gas prices hovering just around $5 per gallon, President Joe Biden is expected to make a decision by the end of the week on whether to endorse a federal gas tax holiday. In February, a measure was submitted in the Senate to halt the tax, which adds 18.3 cents per gallon. It hasn't been put to a vote yet, but the president may press lawmakers to do so to lower gas prices, which have been driven up by growing demand, higher oil prices, and Russia's war in Ukraine, among other things. President Joe Biden Considers Gas Tax Holiday State gas taxes have been postponed in Maryland, Georgia, Connecticut, New York, and Florida while more than a dozen additional states are considering similar measures. According to a March Politico/Morning Consult poll, 72 percent of Americans approve the suspension of their state's fuel tax. California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a $400 refund for households with a registered automobile in his state budget. At least 20,000 $150 gas cards have already been awarded in a lottery in Chicago. According to The Washington Post, the Biden administration is also considering into gas rebate cards. The Gas Tax Relief Act, introduced by Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Mark Kelly, would put a hold on the federal fuel tax, which is now 18.3 cents per gallon for retail gasoline and 24.3 cents per gallon for diesel, until January 1, 2023. The average American driver would save $2.75 every time they filled up. Members of the Biden administration have stated that the president is seriously contemplating supporting a federal gas tax freeze. On June 19, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated it's "definitely a concept worth examining." Critics, including fellow Democrats in Congress, argue that even temporarily lowering the levy will harm the infrastructure projects it supports. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a gas tax holiday would cost $20 billion, at a time when Biden's Build Back Better plan appears to be running out of steam. Some analysts claim that a gas tax holiday does not alleviate oil supply difficulties, but rather encourages Americans to drive more. It may also delay the shift to environmentally friendly energy sources, as per CNET. Read Also: Food Stamps 2022: Ohio To Provide More SNAP Benefits to Citizens That Experience Power Outage Why Gas Tax Holiday Might Not Work? Senior Democrats in the House have already expressed reservations about Biden's gas tax holiday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others have questioned if the program would result in lower gas prices instead of more profits for gas corporations. Last month, Democrats decided not to include it in their own plan aimed at cutting gas costs. Biden issued a preemptive defense of the idea on Tuesday, claiming that while it will have a financial impact on the highway trust fund it would not have an impact on significant road construction and substantial maintenance. As millions of Americans prepare for summer travel, especially during next month's July Fourth weekend, Biden's demands for Congress and states to act on a gas holiday will arrive. However, any government gas holiday would be unlikely to clear the Senate without the backing of a majority of Democrats, much alone numerous Republicans. Multiple Democrats agreed on Tuesday evening that the most likely option was for Biden to put pressure on states to establish their own gas tax holidays as states like Maryland have previously done, albeit with modest electoral advantages. Some Democratic senators privately blasted the action as "too little, too late," given that gas prices are anticipated to increase much more significantly this summer, with no long-term strategy in place to counteract them. Nonetheless, Democrats in some of the country's most competitive elections applauded the notion, eager to see Biden take action on rising gas prices, as per Politico via Yahoo. Related Article: $700 Stimulus Check Awaits If You Missed Federal Payments; Here's How! @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A white Tesla Model S spontaneously burst into flames in a Rancho Cordova, California wrecking yard after the car had spent weeks sitting there after a collision. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said that firefighters arrived at the wrecking yard to find the Tesla fully engulfed in flames. Each time the firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames, the Tesla's battery would reignite the fire. The fire department posted an Instagram video of the ordeal, saying that even when firefighters moved the Tesla onto it's side to spray the battery directly, the car would burst into flames again 'due to the residual heat.' Eventually, the firefighters dug a pit near the Tesla and moved the burning car into it and then filled the pit with water, 'effectively submerging the battery compartment.' The technique worked, and the fire department was able to put out the fire with no injuries and 4,500 gallons of water used - about the same amount of water used for a building fire. The Tesla Model S, which had been in a collision, spontaneously erupted in flames due to an issue with the battery Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters dug a pit and used 4,500 gallons of water to put out the Tesla's flames Fires generated from electric vehicles can be especially hazardous, as they generate over 100 organic chemicals including some potentially fatal toxic gasses like carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. Capt. Parker Wilbourn, a spokesperson for the fire department, told the Washington Post that the Tesla fire burned hotter than 3,000 degrees. Tesla batteries may be at a higher risk of combusting due to the lithium-ion technology they use, which is a relatively new introduction to the auto industry. Lithium-ion batteries charge faster but can rise to extraordinary temperatures if damaged. An increase in electric vehicle use over recent years has brought to light some of the risks associated with them. In December 2020, a San Ramon, California house was burned to the ground after the homeowner's two Teslas caught fire in the middle of the night. An investigation by the San Ramon Valley Firefighters narrowed down the cause of the fire to either the car's electrical system or the battery. In April, a Tesla in Nashua, New Hampshire that had hit a tree and caught fire was transferred to a tow company lot after the initial fire was extinguished, but the vehicle caught fire again due to the battery combusting. Nashua Fire Rescue workers were forced to remove the battery from the burning car and seal it inside a Hazmat container to prevent it combusting further. 'These electric vehicle fires pose some unique challenges, and fire crews were on scene for an extended time to complete extinguishment,' Nashua Fire said in a social media post. A Toronto man took his own life more than a year after the man who killed his three young children was granted full parole after serving just four years behind bars. Edward Lake's three children, Daniel, 9, Harry, 5 and Milly, 2, were killed by drunk driver Marco Muzzo, now 35, in September 2015. Daniel died at the scene while Harry and Milly died together in a local children's hospital shortly afterward after being declared brain dead. At the time he told the media: 'We close our eyes and they're all we see. This is a nightmare that will never go away.' During Muzzo's sentencing, Edward reiterated his suffering with suicidal thoughts and said: 'Because of you, we now live with this horror the rest of our lives.' Edward was found dead on Monday, June 20. He was 49 years old. Also killed in the horrific crash that claimed the lives of his children were his father-in-law and the children's grandfather, Gary Neville, 65. The children's grandmother, Neriza Neville, and great-grandmother, Joseina Frias, suffered severe injuries in the crash but survived. Neriza Neville was driving the car. Meanwhile Edward's wife Jennifer Neville-Lake said she had attempted suicide around the time her children's life support was turned off, and she had miscarried a pregnancy at the same time. Edward Lake pictured with his wife Jennifer Neville-Lake and their three children, ages Daniel, 9, Harry, 5 and Milly, 2 Jennifer Neville-Lake confirmed her husband's death in this tweet The family speaking to the media in February 2016 after the drunk driver Marco Muzzo pleaded guilty Muzzo had a previous conviction for public intoxication and speeding prior to the 2015 crash The children's grandfather, Gary Neville, was also killed in the crash Muzzo had just returned via private jet from his bachelor party in Miami when he ran a stop sign in his Jeep Cherokee and t-boned the Lake family's minivan. He slammed into the driver's side at a speed of over 50 miles per hour. He said he had three-to-four drinks on the plane. His blood-alcohol level was nearly three times over the legal limit. Edward's death was confirmed by his wife of 16 years, Jennifer Neville-Lake, who wrote on Facebook: 'My children's father, Edward Lake, has joined our kids so they can play together, forever. Mahal kita, Edward.' 'Mahal kita' means 'I love you' in Filipino. Jennifer also wrote in the post about her husband's death: 'The eyes he shared with Harry are forever closed Daniel's curls will never shine in the sunlight again I will never see Milly's shy smile creep across his lips anymore.' In a tweet, York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween wrote: 'This evening, I was very saddened to learn of the tragic death of Ed Lake. The losses to the Neville-Lake family are heart wrenching.' MacSween reiterated the community's support for the family in his message. In a separate post just prior to Edward's death, Jennifer posted on June 19: 'Father's day 2022. This shouldn't be real. It can't be.' Her words were accompanied by a photo of her children's tombstone. Jennifer Neville-Lake posted a photo of her children's tombstones the day before their father's death Muzzo said that he had three-to-four drinks on the plane. His blood-alcohol level was nearly three times over the legal limit Jennifer Neville-Lake posted her children's death certificates on Facebook Neither parent was in the car at the time of the crash Marco Muzzo said in a statement through his lawyer in 2020: 'I was careless and irresponsible when I made the choice to drink and drive. There is no way that I can undo the damage that I have caused. I will live with this for the rest of my life Marco Muzzo was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for the crash in March 2016 in addition to a 12 year driving ban Marco Muzzo was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for the crash in March 2016 in addition to a 12 year driving ban. He pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two of impaired driving causing bodily harm. At the time it was the harshest sentence handed down to a first time offender for drunk driving. Muzzo had a previous conviction for public intoxication and multiple speeding offenses, reports the Toronto Star. In May 2020, he was granted day release. The parole board extended that release in November 2020 and ordered that a meeting be heard discuss full parole. During his parole, Muzzo had to abstain from alcohol and live in a halfway house. At hearing, the suspect said that he intended to never drink again. At the time of his parole extension in November 2020, Jennifer wrote on Facebook that she was not surprised as she had 'come to expect little from the justice system overall.' She added: 'As the man who destroyed my family gets closer to joining his, I face a holiday season that I no longer celebrate.' In February 2021, he was granted full parole. His full release occurred on June 18, 2022. Muzzo's sentence expires in July 2025. Jennifer wrote on Facebook on that day: 'My multiple life sentences will never end.' At the parole hearing, Jennifer spoke of her own suicide attempts and said that she was pregnant at the time of the crash and miscarried around the time that her children were removed from life support. According to Canadian law, criminals are eligible for full parole after they have served one-third of their sentence. Inmates are forced to serve six months of day parole before the are eligible for full parole. At the first time of asking, Muzzo was denied day parole in November 2018 after the board decreed that he did not understand 'the issue of impairment.' During his sentencing hearing in 2016, Jennifer said in part: 'I don't have anyone left to call me mom. You killed all my babies. I miss my kids. I miss my dad. I want my old life. back During a 2019 interview on NBC's Today program, Jennifer said that she missed her life as a mother 'to living children' Jennifer Neville-Lake pictured with her father on her wedding day Muzzo is the heir to a billion-dollar family construction business. Shortly after Edward's suicide, a petition was launched to have the Muzzo name removed from two Toronto-area hospitals that received donations from his family. Both Mackenzie Health and the Sickkids Hospital told CTV News that they have no plans to remove the name. The Sickkids Foundation donation came in 2006 while the Mackenzie Health donation came in 2017, after the crash that killed Edward Lake's children. The Sickkids Hospital is where Harry and Milly Lake were pronounced dead. Muzzo said in a statement through his lawyer in 2020: 'I was careless and irresponsible when I made the choice to drink and drive. There is no way that I can undo the damage that I have caused. I will live with this for the rest of my life.' In response to her children's tragic deaths, Jennifer opened the Many Hands, Doing Good non-profit in 2018. It provides therapy through art and music Brigid Duggan arrives at the Newmarket Courthouse in support of the Neville-Lake family who lost 3 children and their children's grandfather in a car crash During his sentencing hearing in 2016, Jennifer said in part: 'I don't have anyone left to call me mom. You killed all my babies. I miss my kids. I miss my dad. I want my old life. back.' At that time, Edward said that he had been suffering from suicidal thoughts. He said: 'I feel lost. I feel destroyed. That's what I feel.' During a 2019 interview on NBC's Today program, Jennifer said that she missed her life as a mother 'to living children.' In that same interview, Jennifer recalled her eldest son as being a 'proud ballet dancer and member of Scouts Canada.' She said that her son dreamed of writing a cookbook. Her middle child, Harry, suffered with health issues after having both of his hands amputated. Despite this, his mother described him as being 'happy-go-lucky' and that 'loved animals and especially bugs and worms. He would cradle them in his hands and giggle at them, telling them jokes, she said.' She also said that her youngest, Milly, loved being twirled around by her father. Jennifer added: 'If Milly gave you her hand to hold then you just knew you were in her inner circle and that would be followed up by a hug and kiss from her.' In response to her children's tragic deaths, Jennifer opened the Many Hands, Doing Good non-profit in 2018. It provides therapy through art and music. In 2022, Jennifer also threw her support behind a parliamentary review of Canada's National Victim's Bill of Rights which was criticized as being 'sporadic and inconsistent' in helping families recover information, provide protection and rights to restitution in cases such as hers, reports the Toronto Star. China is making children as young as three years old take a PCR test in order to play in Beijing's parks, the Beijing Municipal Administration Centre of Parks announced. Children will need to show a negative test result that is no older than 72 hours as China tightens its strict zero-Covid rules. They will also be required to show a green health code on the system that controls people's movements within the city under Covid regulations. Previously, so long as the parents met entry requirements for parks and other public places, children were exempt from taking tests. The new rule has still been received badly even among a population used to having harsh and stringent rules imposed upon them, with the issue trending on China's Twitter-like Weibo and posters questioning how useful the policy will be. The move is the latest escalation in Beijing's increasingly frantic efforts to get to grips with Covid in the Chinese capital. Frequent testing to identify and crush transmission chains before they explode out of control has been authorities' primary method for containing Covid. China is making children as young as three years old take a PCR Covid test in order to play in Beijing's parks Children will need to show a negative test result that is no older than 72 hours as China tightens its strict zero-Covid rules in order to play in public areas They will also be required to show a green health code on the system that controls people's movements within the city under Covid regulations But this approach has come under increasing pressure as China is forced to isolate itself from the rest of the world in an effort to beat back more transmissible strains such as the Omicron variant. So far Beijing has managed to contain recent flare ups without resorting to widespread and unpopular lockdowns - as seen in Shanghai, but the pressure is on to maintain this ahead of the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress in the second half of 2022. Chinese premier Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term as leader of the party at the congress, although his record on Covid which was originally a strength is increasingly looking to be a liability. For children in Beijing, they were included in previous rounds of mass testing and so having to submit to one to play in the park is not going to come as a huge imposition. Swabbing booths are being set up across the country as part of the mass testing policy, starting with the major cities, to meet a pledge to ensure residents will always be just a 15 minute walk away from a swabbing point. So far Beijing has managed to contain recent flare ups without resorting to widespread and unpopular lockdowns - as seen in Shanghai, but the pressure is on to maintain this ahead of the upcoming Chinese Communist Party congress in the second half of 2022 Beijing's most recent cluster was linked to a bar, and there has never been an infection linked to a park A hashtag linked to the story was one of the top five trending items on China's Twitter-like Weibo on Wednesday (June 22) morning, with posters questioning how useful the policy will be. For kids wanting to play in parks, they'll now need to swipe their national identification cards on a machine or have their health status checked via someone else's phone. Beijing's most recent cluster was linked to a bar, and there has never been an infection linked to a park. Over 95 per cent of Chinese children between three and 17 years old are now fully vaccinated, according to latest data. South Western Railway customers have been told to book their own taxis and claim back the cost after a person was hit by a train which has brought further disruption to the network. Commuters who struggled to get into work this morning now face problems trying to get home following the incident between Wimbledon and Clapham Junction. London Air Ambulance has been spotted flying overhead near to the scene of the incident. In a statement, South Western Railway said: 'We have received reports that a person has been struck by a train between Wimbledon and Clapham Junction. Our response teams are working with the emergency services to assist with the incident. Commuters who struggled to get into work this morning now face problems trying to get home following the incident between Wimbledon and Clapham Junction 'In order to allow emergency services access to the railway all power to the track will need to be switched off in the affected area. 'For further information please speak to a member of staff or use a station help point. We are very sorry for any delay that this may cause to your journey.' Bosses also issued an apology for delays this morning which saw London's busiest Tube stations still closed at 8am. Huge queues formed outside seven Underground stations which were shuttered as late as 9.30am because of a lack of staff, while tempers flared at Paddington, Stratford, King's Cross/St Pancras and more than a dozen other sites in all corners of the capital. South Western Railway bosses said the late start was because of yesterday's Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union strike action and the Network Rail infrastructure not being operational until 7am this morning. The train operator was prepared for ongoing strike action and had pre-booked taxis to get passengers to their destination but have said that some 'didn't show up', prompting them to urge customers to book taxi's themselves. In an earlier statement, they added: 'With the tracks unavailable from 6.30pm last night, we also faced significant logistical challenges of getting people and trains in the right places to begin services today. 'We pre-booked taxis to get onboard staff to their required starting positions, but unfortunately some didnt show up due to the high demand in some areas. As a result, some first services were unable to run.' Customers have taken to Twitter to share their frustrations. 'No strike today, but there may as well be,' one wrote. 'Rail companies are running a reduced Sunday service. 'Who or what is this joke of a government going to blame today, the 1978 Labour government?' Another said: 'So no train this morning and now no train this evening. Seems all services to Basingstoke are cancelled, so now I need to [find] alternative transport home'. And another added: 'Not sure what is going on in London right now as its my day off but disruption looks huge. There [are] going to be a lot of displaced vulnerable people. I'm a rail worker but I think [tomorrow's] strike should be postponed to allow people to get home safely'. In estimated 50,000 members of RMT at Network Rail and 13 other train operators are striking over the course of three-days over pay. The biggest strikes in 30 years have forced millions of people to WFH again for the second day in a row as RMT general secretary Mick Lynch attempts to bring Britain to its knees. Traffic was as heavy as yesterday because more people had to use their cars. There were 2,046 traffic jams in London this morning, covering a total length of 834 miles, and a 30-minute journey was taking an average of an hour, according to traffic data analyst TomTom. The strikes have come at a dreadful time for the crippled hospitality sector, which has been struggling to get back on its feet after two years of Covid restrictions. Experts believe the mass walkouts this week will cost the sector 540million alone, while UK Hospitality's chief executive Kate Nicholls yesterday warned: 'It's a very fragile industry that cannot withstand this type of economic shock. For many businesses, this will push them closer towards the edge of viability.' And in a move that could unleash yet more chaos for commuters, patients and students, Uber drivers have also threatened to join the mass walkouts. It follows claims that National Rail and Lynch came within a 'gnat's whisker' of striking a deal on Monday before the last-ditch talks collapsed. Today is a 24-hour partial reprieve until the strikes resume tomorrow and again on Saturday. While the railway network is meant to be operational, commuters have been hit for the second day running. STRATFORD: Chaos as passengers wait for the station to open in London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union along with London Underground workers in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions KING'S CROSS: Passengers arrive at King's Cross station in London today on the second day of travel chaos PADDINGTON STATION: Passengers arrive at Paddington Station in London today as Mick Lynch's strikes paralyse Britain The RMT will meet with National Rail and the train companies today in another attempt to break the deadlock. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the turnout at picket lines on Tuesday was 'fantastic' and had exceeded expectations in the union's campaign for job security, defending conditions and a decent pay rise 'Our members will continue the campaign and have shown outstanding unity in the pursuit of a settlement to this dispute,' he said. 'RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and Government policy. 'Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.' A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'These are desperately needed reforms that modernise the railway and put it on a sustainable footing for passengers and taxpayers. 'Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work. 'However, early data shows that unlike in the past, many people now have the opportunity to work from home, so we haven't even a rush to the roads, as traffic has instead gone online, which means the unions aren't having the overall impact they might have hoped.' Indonesia will soon offer a visa that will allow remote workers to live there tax-free as long as their earnings come from outside the country. It would mean freelancers would be able to work from popular destinations like the island of Bali. The proposed five-year 'digital nomad visa' was announced by Indonesia's tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, this week. Mr Uno hopes the scheme will help bring 3.6 million overseas travellers to the archipelago in the next year, combined with an increased focus on spiritual retreats and eco-tourism. The decision is also predicted to create up to create one million jobs without taking away any from local residents. Indonesia's new digital nomad visa will let remote workers live in places like Bali (pictured) tax-free The scheme is part of a plan to bring millions of visitors to Indonesia and bring jobs for residents (pictured: tourists on a beach in Bali) Mr Uno revealed that the decision was based on research that showed Indonesia was 'top of mind' for 95 percent of the remote workers that took part in the survey. Similar plans for a digital nomad visa were in the works last year, however had to be put on pause due to the pandemic. Mr Uno said: 'Now with the pandemic handled and all the ministries getting involved and cooperating from the health side to the immigrations office, we believe that this is an opportune time to relaunch this idea.' There are currently a variety of visas available to remote workers wanting to visit Indonesia, including the Visa on Arrival (VoA), Tourist or Cultural Visa and the country's Free Visa, but these only last between 30 and 180 days. There are other countries which offer similar visas, such as Georgia, Croatia and Portugal. VisaGuide lists a total of 26 countries that currently accept digital nomad visas, and those are: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cabo Verde, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Curacao, Dominica, Dubai, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, Norway, Seychelles, Spain, Taiwan, and The Czech Republic. Working as a digital nomad has become increasingly popular as significantly more people started working from home in the past few years. At the start of 2020 an American couple made international headlines when they were deported from Bali after working as digital nomads without the correct visa. An American couple who moved to Bali from Los Angeles to be 'digital nomads' were deported after calling the island 'queer friendly' and possibly violating immigration laws. Kristen Gray and her partner Saundra Alexander The couple moved to Bali in January 2020 and stayed during the pandemic Kristen Gray moved from Los Angeles with her girlfriend, Saundra Alexander, to Bali and was working as a graphic designer and travel influencer. She tweeted that she was enjoying 'an elevated lifestyle at a much lower cost of living', which eventually led to her deportation. She praised the benefits of their move to Bali, she said the island was 'queer friendly' and home to a 'black in Bali community'. Indonesian officials said they may have violated several immigration laws, by promoting an e-book that told people how to bypass strict regulations barring foreigners from visiting Bali, encouraged people to flout COVID-19 rules. The country's borders were closed to foreigners during the pandemic. Kristen Gray and her partner, Saundra Alexander, with Indonesian officials While same-sex relationships are not illegal in most of Indonesia, the country's LGBT community has faced growing pressure in recent years and their rights are limited. Gray said they did not break any laws and were sent back to the US because she 'put out a statement about LGBT'. In the now-deleted tweets that quickly went viral, Gray said the couple's dream move was a 'game changer' and that they were working remotely as 'digital nomads' from the island. 'Moving out of America in my 20s has been a game changer. I've been living in Bali, Indonesia for over a year with my girlfriend,' she wrote. Gray said they first planned to stay for just six months to 'elevate our lifestyle' after spending 2019 'broke.' 'After getting rejected for jobs and living off savings trying to make my business pop, my girlfriend and I decided to book one-way flights to Bali, Indonesia,' she wrote. She compared their lifestyle back in LA to the lifestyle they were enjoying in Bali. 'This island has been amazing because of our elevated lifestyle at a much lower cost of living. 'I was paying $1300 for my LA studio. Now I have a treehouse for $400,' she tweeted alongside a picture comparing the two homes. Gray also spoke of their jobs as 'digital nomads' and how she worked for herself from the island. 'Being a digital nomad is everything, I was able to successfully transition my graphic design business on road. 'I work 100% for myself; in the beginning it was challenging but I've grown so much as an entrepreneur,' she wrote. 'In March, when the pandemic hit and our 6-month plan went out the window, we decided to stay in Bali to 'wait it out' and we've been here ever since.' Gray then listed some 'major benefits of moving to Bali' that included: 'Luxury Lifestyle', 'Low Cost of Living', 'Black in Bali Community', 'Safety' and 'Queer Friendly.' Gray was on a visitor-stay permit, which was valid until January 24, meaning she didn't overstay but she did not have a visa to work in the country. Gray insisted they did not commit a crime and were being targeted for being gay. 'I am not guilty. I have not overstayed my visa. I have not made money in Indonesian rupiah in Indonesia,' she told Balinese press. Her six month ban from the country ended last year, and the couple would be able to return on the new digital nomad visa. Georgia Supreme Court has overturned a father's murder conviction for leaving his infant son to die in a hot car after they found the jury was shown evidence that was 'extremely and unfairly prejudicial.' Justin Ross Harris, 41, was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper, who died in 2014 after being left in a hot car for seven hours. But on Wednesday, Supreme Court justices agreed that prosecutors in his 2016 trial should not have told the jury about his conviction for sexting an underage high school girl. Prosecutors had highlighted Harris' frequent affairs and sex crimes showed he was unhappy in his marriage and intentionally killed his son to free himself. They presented extensive evidence of extramarital sexual activities that he engaged in, including exchanging sexually explicit messages and graphic photos with women and girls and meeting some of them for sex. While his conviction for murder was overturned, Harris' conviction related to sex crimes against a 16-year-old girl was upheld. Georgia Supreme Court justices argue Harris' extensive sexual activity reports shouldn't have been taken into the jury's consideration in connection with Cooper's death. Justin Ross Harris, 41, is entitled to a new trial after some Georgia Supreme Court justices claim he was wrongfully convicted Cooper, 22-months-old, was left in the backseat of Harris' car for more than seven hours in June 2014 Happier times: Harris is pictured with his son and then-wife Leanna before the boy's tragic death His ex-wife Leanna Taylor testifies during a murder trial for her ex-husband Justin Ross Harris who is accused of intentionally killing their son in June 2014 by leaving him in the car in suburban Atlanta in 2016, in Brunswick Harris, who was sentenced to life without parole and 31 more years for more crimes, is eligible for a new trial on the murder and child cruelty charges against him - although his conviction for sex crimes with a minor remains. The 6-3 majority of justices believe the jury 'heard and saw an extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence.' The majority argued prosecutors created a narrative for the jury to believe Harris 'intentionally' left his son inside the car to die in the heat. Justices also argue prosecutor's presented 'a substantial amount of evidence to lead the jury to answer a different and more legally problematic question: what kind of man is (Harris)?' On the morning of June, 18, 2014, Harris reportedly told police he forgot to drop his soon off at day care before driving to his job at Home Depot in Atlanta. Harris left Cooper strapped in the back seat seat of his vehicle for nearly seven hours as the weather reached the high 80s. While prosecutors aimed to find Harris guilty of murder, defense attorneys said Harris adored Cooper and called his death an accident. Defense attorneys described him as a doting father and said the boys death was a tragic accident. Justice Charlie Bethel wrote a partial dissent that was joined by Justice Shawn LaGrua and Justice Verda Colvin. He said the state was 'entitled to introduce, in detail, evidence of the nature, scope, and extent of the truly sinister motive it ascribed to Harris.' For that reason, Bethel wrote, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the challenged evidence.' Harris told police he forgot to drop him son off at day care before arriving to his work at Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia Advertisement Police body cam footage captured the dramatic moment firefighters broke through a window to rescue a three-year-old from a family's burning trailer home. Noelle Guy was woken up by a 'popping' sound to find her mobile home on fire on Sunday at around 12:45 a.m. She said she'd rushed to save her stepmother Kim Guy, suffering serious second and third degree burns in the process, but hadn't been able to reach her toddler, M.J. Sancinati-Struck. She called 911 and fire crews and police quick arrived on scene. Body camera footage shows several police officers rushing to one of the home's windows as they attempted to locate M.J., 3. Suddenly one spots the boy and calls over the other emergency responders. The cops then instruct the three-year-old to come to the shattered window but it appears the terrified little boy was unable to. Firefighters then entered the room, braving the smoke and flames, and carried M.J. out to safety. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The West Allis Fire Department later determined that the fire started due to an electrical issue on the home's front porch, according to Fox6 News Milwaukee. M.J. Sancinati-Struck, three, was rescued by firefighters and police officers in West Allis, Wisconsin, in the middle of the night on Sunday after his family's trailer home caught fire After finally getting MJ out of the burning home, MJ was carried and rushed to an ambulance (pictured). The boy suffered from carbonado poising in the aftermath of the blaze MJ, his mother Noelle Guy, and her step-mother Kim came out of the fire alive after waking up to it in the middle of the night on Sunday. Noelle is currently suffering from second-and-third degree burns while Kim is in a medically-induced coma. She also has pneumonia and is COVID postitive He is believed to be in stable condition after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the family's GoFundMe Page. He is hooked to a ventilator for the time being. The GoFundMe has already raised almost $6,000 to replace the family's home and all their possessions as well as medical costs. 'I just want to thank them for getting my kid out safe,' Guy told CBS58, referring to the police officers and firefighters who managed to rescue her son. She added that her son did not suffer any burns and was in a closed room at the time of the fire. 'That's pretty much the only room that didn't get any fire to it. My dad pretty much said, 'Not on my watch,'' said Andrew Kreblin M.J.'s uncle who helped set up the family's Go Fund Me page. The room was once occupied by Kreblin's father before he passed away. Noelle was also taken to hospital before being released and is suffering from second-and-third degree burns. Kim, the boy's grandmother and Noelle's step-mom, is in a medically induced coma, according to the family's Go Fund Me page. 'My mom's in worse condition than my son,' Noelle told WTMJ-TV. 'If I did not wake up, we would probably not be here today.' The family of three lost everything in the fire, which local authorities believe was caused by an electric malfunction in the home's front porch She further revealed that her step-mother tested positive to COVID-19 and has pneumonia. 'I literally bawled my eyes out,' the single mother said after watching footage of her son's rescue. West Allis police said the rescue took six minutes. The family lost the entirety of their home as a result of the blaze. It remains unclear if the family were owners or renters of the home. 'It hurts seeing everything gone, but I'm glad we're all safe,' Noelle told Fox6 News 'My sister and step-mom work very hard for everything they had,' Kreblin wrote on the fundraiser page. 'My sister is a single mother with the biggest heart I know. Anything would be greatly appreciated.' The author gave the hardback copy, one of the first 500 to be printed, to her neighbour in Edinburgh to pass on to her two young relatives Two sisters who were gifted a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling 25 years ago today sold it for a British record of 220,800. The author gave the hardback copy, one of the first 500 to be printed, to her neighbour in Edinburgh to pass on to her two young relatives. She even inscribed it 'To Jenny and Lucy, with best wishes, JK Rowling' and dated it September 6, 1997. The siblings treasured the rare book, putting it in storage while they bought a lesser copy for them to read. They have had the first edition ever since, keeping it in pristine condition. In the first printing run, 300 copies were given to libraries and schools and the remaining 200 passed into private hands. They all contain several typing errors including 'one wand' being printed twice on a list of items Harry needs for Hogwarts on page 53. The misprint 'Wizardry and and witchcraft' can also be seen on the back cover - a subtle variation of the title for 'Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry' which features in the novel. The book went under the hammer with London-based auctioneers Bonhams, where it was acquired by an undisclosed buyer. The previous British record for a Harry Potter first edition was 125,000 for a copy sold in Edinburgh in June 2020. She even inscribed it 'To Jenny and Lucy, with best wishes, JK Rowling' and dated it September 6, 1997 In the first printing run, 300 copies were given to libraries and schools and the remaining 200 passed into private hands The world record, a staggering 356,000, was achieved in Dallas, US, last December. Matthew Haley, head of Bonhams fine books and manuscripts, said: 'First editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone are now firmly established among the most desirable of modern literature. 'They are even more desirable when, as with this one example, they are in excellent condition and signed by J. K. Rowling herself so I am not surprised that it set a new UK record.' Luke Batterham, specialist at Bonhams, added: 'When JK Rowling signed it the book had not yet become a phenomenon. 'She gave this copy to a near neighbour in Edinburgh and inscribed it to her young relatives. 'I believe they had a second copy which they read and this one was kept in pristine condition. 'The relatives were from the Harry Potter generation and are now in their 30s.' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has sold over 120million copies to date. A couple trafficked more than 40 Slovakian 'slaves' and forced them to do nearly 1m worth of work for free to fund their gambling addiction. Maros Tancos and Joanna Gomulska, both 46, were the ringleaders of a modern slavery and human trafficking operation in Bristol have been jailed for a total of 25 years. The pair recruited their victims from care homes and orphanages, promising them steady work and a better life in the UK. But upon arriving the UK the men would be forced to work for nothing in Tancos' car wash in Southmead, Bristol, and work long hours in other menial jobs. Tancos would verbally and physically abuse the men to terrify them into submission, while Gomulska would pose as a 'good cop', making the victims believe she was looking out for them. She would accompany them to appointments to set up their National Insurance Number and bank accounts, but immediately confiscate all cards and pin numbers. Joanna Gomulska (left) and Maros Tancos (right), 46, were jailed for a total of 25 years for modern slavery offences. Tancos was jailed for 16 years for masterminding the conspiracy, while Gomulska was jailed for nine years for her role Following a surveillance operation, the NCA raided an address in Brentry, north Bristol, where they found five Slovakian men living in cramped rooms on filthy bedding and mattresses patched up with cardboard. Doodles and small messages can be seen scribbled on the walls At times there would be up to 10 men living in the address, the victims said, crammed into three rooms and sharing one bathroom. This image shows the horrendous conditions in which the slaves were forced to live The victims were locked in the couple's three bedroom house and some were forced to live in the loft, having had their mobile phones, documents, bank and national insurance cards confiscated Some of the men lived in slightly better conditions, with access to sturdy metal framed bunk beds (pictured), but they were crammed into tiny living spaces Today, Tancos was jailed for 16 years for masterminding the conspiracy, while Gomulska was jailed for nine years for her role. Judge Martin Picton told both of them they must serve two-thirds of their sentences before they can be released, instead of the usual half. As well as the car wash, the two defendants would sign the victims for evening and night time work such as milk packing, catching chickens for slaughter and sorting parcels. Many ended up working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. The pair recruited their victims from care homes and orphanages, promising them steady work and a better life in the UK. Pictured is one of the filthy Slovakian homes form which they sourced their victims The apartment block pictured above was one of several orphanages and halfway houses that the Bristol-based couple used as hunting grounds. They coaxed vulnerable people living in squalor to work for them in the UK Upon arriving the UK the men would be forced to work for nothing in Tancos' car wash (pictured) in Southmead, Bristol Between 2010 and 2017, the couple funnelled 300,000 out of bank accounts set up in the names of their victims. The cash was spent in casinos, online gambling sites and on secondhand cars. The couple only came to the attention of the National Crime Agency (NCA) when a victim who had managed to return to Slovakia made a complaint to the authorities there. Following a surveillance operation, the NCA raided an address in Brentry, north Bristol, where they found five Slovakian men living in cramped rooms on filthy bedding and mattresses patched up with cardboard. The victims had hidden small quantities of change and sim cards in their socks and shoes in an attempt to stop Tancos and Gomulska taking it from them. The NCA, in partnership with the Slovakian authorities, tracked down 42 potential victims, 29 of whom were prepared to give evidence. Pictured: Gomulska's arrest Tacos is arrested outside a property. He was jailed today for 16 years for masterminding the conspiracy On Wednesday, Tancos was jailed for 16 years for masterminding the conspiracy, while Gomulska was jailed for nine years for her role. Pictured: Gomulska being arrested Gomulska would accompany the men to appointments to set up their National Insurance Number and bank accounts, but then immediately confiscated all cards and pin numbers (pictured at a cash point) Joanna Gomulska is pictured leaving a property in Bristol under surveillance Maros Tancos is pictured under surveillance leaving a property in Bristol The NCA, in partnership with the Slovakian authorities, tracked down 42 potential victims, 29 of whom were prepared to give evidence against Tancos (pictured) and Gomulska At times there would be up to 10 men living in the address, the victims said, crammed into three rooms and sharing one bathroom. The seized iPhones of the two defendants revealed they had been behind applications for employment agencies, bank accounts and multiple loans in their victims' names. They had a library of photos of bank cards, pin numbers and their victims' identity documents, as well as details of the flights they had booked to bring them to the UK. The NCA, in partnership with the Slovakian authorities, tracked down 42 potential victims, 29 of whom were prepared to give evidence. Tancos and Gomulska were prosecuted for offences against 15 men. In March, both were convicted of nine offences related to human trafficking and forced labour, and one count of conspiracy to acquire criminal property. The NCA believe the true victim count could be considerably higher, as there were many people they were unable to track down. Jailing Tancos and Gomulska at a sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Picton said: 'You identified potential victims by reference to their circumstances, their financial and social vulnerability - people with little by way of alternative.' He added: 'The victims had cash value to you in the same way cattle would to a farmer.' Addressing Gomulska, he said: 'You gave the appearance of having some insight and some sympathy, but your experience did not deter you from supporting your partner in what you knew full well was a criminal enterprise. 'You had choices and you made the wrong ones.' The victims were locked in the house when they were not at work, but one said even if they could have unlocked it, they were so intimidated they would not have felt able to leave. They were regularly forced to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and made to share identities, so they could go and work in manual jobs they had not applied for. The defendants even pocketed tips given to the men by motorists using the car wash and one man was forced to go to work the day after breaking his arm. One victim described the house they were held in as 'a gate to hell'. 'I went there because I wanted to provide for my family and give them more than what they had in Slovakia but the life that I had in Maros' house changed my life completely,' he said. 'I was not allowed to leave the house and the only thing I knew was work. All the time I was thinking that I was a slave there. I thought there was no way back.' Another, who was held for eight years, said the couple had 'destroyed half my life'. 'The way I was humiliated, for every little thing I was hit and punished. I will never forget that,' he said. 'Nobody can understand what I experienced over there unless they were there as well.' Tancos gave a no comment interview, while Gomulska claimed she had only given people lifts too and from the car wash. She said the living conditions for the workers were good, claiming they had heating, hot showers and a clean house where they could eat whatever they cooked. The January 6 committee has obtained footage from a filmmaker who was capturing footage and interviews of Donald Trump and his inner circle before and after the January 6 Capitol attack. Trump world is rocked by the revelation, with one former top 2020 official for Trump messaging 'What the f*** is this?' to Rolling Stone, according to a Tuesday article. Alex Holder, a British documentary filmmaker, was working on a project on Trump's 2020 reelection campaign and had extensive access to the then-president, his adult children and Vice President Mike Pence in the final weeks and months of the campaign and his presidency. The select committee probing the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot subpoenaed the raw footage from Holder's team of anything related to the attack that day as well as interviews with the former president, former vice president, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Holder released a statement Tuesday saying that he fully cooperated with the subpoena and handed over the footage he is also meeting with the panel for an interview on Thursday. Ivanka Trump's eldest daughter and former senior adviser said in the documentary that her father should 'continue to fight until every legal remedy is exhausted' because people were questioning 'the sanctity of our elections.' The New York Times was able to view the documentary with a person with access to it. Ivanka's interview was conducted on December 10, 2020, which was nine days after Attorney General Bill Barr said there was no widespread voter fraud that could affect the 2020 presidential election outcome. In recorded questioning with January 6 investigators, Ivanka said Barr's comments 'affected my perspective' of the 2020 election. 'I respect Attorney General Barr so I accepted what he said,' she said at the time. The January 6 select committee (pictured on Tuesday, June 21, 2022) obtained footage from a documentary film that was shot during the final weeks of Donald Trump's 2020 reelection campaign that many of his senior officials were not even aware was being filmed British documentary filmmaker Alex Holder said in a Tuesday statement that he handed over his raw footage, which the panel subpoenaed on June 15 Stephanie Grisham, who was at the time First Lady Melania Trump's chief of staff, told Rolling Stone she wasn't aware of this documentary project either. One former senior Trump official said that revelations on Tuesday of the subpoena was the first time several members of the ex-president's campaign leadership even heard of the documentary project including two officials who were still working in the administration after the January 6 attack. Another former official told Rolling Stone that the whole documentary is a 'terrible idea' and said they were unaware of the film and shocked to learn of its existence. Holder's three-part project will be released on a popular streaming service this summer Despite the ignorance to the documentary, the panel probing the former administration's actions related to the Capitol riot is now using it as evidence and the three-part project is set to be released on a streaming service this summer. The committee is holding its fifth hearing on Thursday afternoon and will feature testimony from at least three former Justice Department officials Richard Donoghue, Steve Engel and Jeff Rosen. Donoghue was Trump's acting deputy attorney general, Engel was an attorney for Trump's DOJ and Rosen was the former president's acting attorney general all were serving over a time period that included January 6, 2021. Holder was granted extensive access to Trump and his closest allies including his family members and the vice president and now the committee probing the January 6 attack wants to see what he captured. The panel sent a subpoena to Holder on June 15, Politico first reported on Tuesday. The subpoena demanded three things the first being any footage Holder and his colleagues took in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. Secondly, the panel told him to turn over any raw footage of interviews Holder had with Trump, his sons Eric and Don Jr., his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka, his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and his No. 2 Mike Pence. The committee also asked Holder to hand over 'any raw footage pertaining to discussions of election fraud or election integrity surrounding the November 2020 presidential election.' The January 6 select committee subpoenaed raw footage of interviews with the former president and his inner circle including family members. The team had extensive access and recorded interviews before and after the January 6 Capitol riot Existence of the footage has previously gone unreported. A source familiar with Holder's footage told Playbook on Monday that the documentary maker began filming on the campaign trail in September 2020 for a project on the former president's reelection efforts. In relation to the project, he had a substantial amount of access to Trump, his children and Pence over several months on the campaign trail and in the White House. The British filmmaker responded to news of the subpoena in a public statement on Tuesday, claiming that he had no 'agenda' going into the project other than documenting the final six weeks of Trump's reelection campaign. 'We simply wanted to better understand who the Trumps were and what motivated them to hold onto power so desperately,' Holder explained in his statement on the matter, which he posted to Twitter. He added: 'We have dutifully handed over all the materials the Committee has asked for and we are fully cooperating.' The three-part series titled Unprecedented will be released this summer on a 'major streaming service', according to the statement. The interview Thursday will come on the fifth day of January 6 select committee hearings. On Tuesday, the nine-person panel is convening for the fourth of possibly eight days of hearings. The proceedings Tuesday will focus on Trump's pressure on states to give into his 'plot' to appoint their own 'alternate electors' that he was hoping Pence would accept over the Electoral College results. If this plot played out, the results would go back to the states and Trump would declare victory based on the 'fake electors' plan. Pence did not give into pressures from Trump and neither did state election officials in Georgia and Arizona. The fourth public and televised proceedings will feature on Tuesday afternoon live testimony from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, his office's Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and former Georgia election worker Wandrea ArShaye 'Shaye' Moss. Moss was accused by Trump of bringing in 'suitcases' of ballots for Biden to help rig the election for him. The January 6 panel is also asking for raw footage of anything with Trump's senior advisers Ivanka Trump, his daughter (left), and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law (right). Both pictured above appearing before the panel for recorded testimony that was presented in the televised hearings this month United States senators have unveiled the text of the controversial bipartisan gun safety bill that has been demanded by residents since the sudden rise in the number of deadly mass shootings in the region. The reveal is a key moment for the high-stakes effort to pass legislation to counter gun violence in a highly polarized political climate in the United States. The release of the bill's text also comes after days of lawmakers haggling over several sticking points, raising questions over whether it would ever be finalized, or if the effort would fall apart completely. Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill American lawmakers will not have to race the clock before the Senate departs for the July Fourth recess in an attempt to get the bill passed out of the chamber quickly. In a statement on Tuesday evening, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would move quickly to bring up the bill "with an initial procedural vote as soon as tonight." The Democrat added that following that, they would move to final passage as quickly as possible. Now, the Senate is expected to vote as early as 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday on a procedural motion to begin debate on the legislation, as per CNN. The bill, which is titled the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, was released by Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Read Also: US House of Representatives Drafts Bill on $450 Million Security Assistance for Ukraine After Spending Several Billions The compromised gun safety legislation includes millions of dollars in investments in mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs, and incentives for states to include juvenile records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. According to the New York Times, while the legislation falls short of the sweeping gun control measures that Democrats have continued to demand, if passed, it would amount to the most significant action in decades to overhaul the country's gun laws. It aims to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people, which is a substantial step to break a years-long impasse in Congress. Compromise Legislation The 80-page bill details how it would give authorities up to 10 business days to review the juvenile mental health records of gun purchasers younger than 21 years old. It also pours funding into helping states implement so-called red flag laws, which allow authorities to temporarily confiscate guns. Furthermore, the measure would, for the first time, ensure that serious dating partners are included in a federal law that bars domestic abusers from purchasing firearms. Senators from both parties also agreed to provide millions of dollars for expanding mental health resources in communities and schools in addition to the funds to boost school safety. The bill also toughens penalties for those evading licensing requirements or making illegal "straw" purchases, which is buying and then selling weapons to people barred from purchasing handguns. The situation comes as Republican Sen. Mike Lee struggled to defend his party's staunch opposition to some of the gun policies that many Americans are now supporting. Instead, he went on to blame Americans, claiming that they don't understand their rights or know what an assault weapon is, the Rolling Stone reported. Related Article: Washington Shooting: Teenage Boy Killed, 3 Adults, Including Cop, Wounded in Gun Attack Near Juneteenth Concert @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. French president Emmanuel Macron last night broke his silence about the parliamentary crisis enveloping his administration, suggesting opposition groups are willing to work with him but admitting he cannot 'ignore the political gridlock and divisions in our country'. The head of state addressed the nation on live TV last night - three days after losing his majority in the National Assembly. Expressing his frustration about the result of Sunday's parliamentary election when his Together coalition was 44 seats under the necessary 289 figure for a majority Macron said: 'Unfortunately not everyone went out to vote, and now I can't ignore the political gridlock and divisions in our country. 'The fractures are very clear in our inner city areas, and in rural areas. We have 577 seats in our parliament and now we must make a choice about how we are going to form a majority. 'I see the country is asking for change, because it's my role as the person in charge of institutions, I'm the person who can look for this compromise in the National Assembly.' He went on to say that opposition party leaders were open to 'advancing on major topics' such as cost of living, the creation of jobs, energy, climate change and public health, but he ruled out any attempt to create a 'government of national unity'. The President also talked of his 'ambitious project' for the country, which he said would seek to strengthen France's industry, agriculture and security, but insisted this would not be financed by higher taxes or national debt. Rather, he declared that he would consolidate the nation's wealth by creating more jobs and fostering innovation. Macron concluded his speech by telling the nation: 'I have faith because we've overcome so many crises and difficulties together in recent years, and it is together that we will find the path to a collective success. 'Thank you - long live the Republic, long live France.' French President Emmanuel Macron speaking during last night's televised address Macron's national address is the first public statement he has given since losing his parliamentary majority A family watch French President Emmanuel Macron giving a national televised address Macron's centrist alliance took a pounding in the latest election, losing 105 seats from 2017. The centre-right Republicans also lost seats, while Le Pen's National Rally gained a huge 81 seats. In 2017, Melenchon only led his own party, winning 17 seats, but this team he gathered together a left-wing alliance which won 131 seats, making them the largest opposition group France's centrist leader has spent the last two days talking to opposition chiefs, including far-right National Rally's Marine Le Pen, and Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the left-wing Nupes (New Ecological and Social Popular Union) alliance. 'We have seen that everybody wants to make sure that everything is not blocked,' said Macron. 'The majority of leaders have spoken about the fact that people do not think the country is ready of a National Unity government.' Instead, Macron said options included coalition building, possibly over every piece of proposed legislation in a 'bill-by-bill case', but he called on the opposition parties to 'leave in-fighting behind' and move 'beyond politics'. Measures that the President hopes to get through include raising the retirement age in France from 62 to 65, but this is likely to be blocked by the opposition. 'We need a large and clear majority,' he said. 'I was convinced from the start that we need more compromise to go beyond quarrels and division. Clarity is essential. 'You want us to be responsible credible and well financed. We need to take some urgent decisions for the future of the country and to make sure that your everybody's lives can be lived without having to worry about more debt and more stress.' If the parliamentary crisis deepens further then Macron, who came to power in 2017 and who is currently in his second term of office, may have to call another snap parliamentary election. The electorate turned against Macron's 'arrogance', a government source said, with Le Pen's National Rally growing from eight to 89 seats, and the Nupes alliance winning 131 seats to become the main opposition force. French President Emmanuel Macron, right, meets French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) leader and Member of Parliament Marine Le Pen at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 Macron (right, with French Communist leader Fabien Roussel left) hosted political party chiefs in a bid to break the impasse created by the failure of his coalition to win a majority in parliamentary elections French centrist party MoDem (Mouvement Democrate) leader Francois Bayrou (L) and La Republique En Marche (LREM) ruling party leader Stanislas Guerini (R) also met with Macron at the Elysee palace President Emmanuel Macron (pictured today) will address France tonight over the crisis created by his failure to retain a parliamentary majority, with no solution in sight to an impasse that jeopardises his reform plans Macron's at-risk manifesto pledges Cost of living: Remove all tax on inheritance valued less than 150,000, abolish TV licence fee Immigration: Reform the asylum system to make it more efficient, long-stay permit is only given to people who pass a French language exam and are professionally successful Europe: Strengthen the EU and its armies, increase the continent's energy autonomy, fill the gap left by Angela Merkel as de facto EU leader Pensions: Raise the pension age from 62 to 65 to keep the pension system afloat. Minimum pensions raised to 1,100 a month Climate: Subsidies for environmental home improvements, access to affordable electric vehicles, building more nuclear reactors Advertisement Macron's centrist alliance won the most seats - 245 - but fell 44 seats short of a straight majority. Over the past two days he has hosted rare talks at the Elysee Palace with opposition leaders to find a way out of the crisis. He met the head of the far-right National Rally (RN) Marine Le Pen on Tuesday, while the head of the left-wing NUPES alliance, hard-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, sent MP Adrien Quatennens, 32, to represent him in talks on Wednesday in a clear snub to the president. The meetings so far appear to have made little headway, and Macron has also rejected an offer from under-fire PM Elisabeth Borne to resign. 'The unfindable compromise? Emmanuel Macron is trying to regain the initiative but no consensus has been found,' said the right-wing Le Figaro daily. Having delivered his address to the public tonight, the President is now due to attend an EU summit on Thursday and Friday, then the G7 summit in Germany from Sunday and then the NATO summit in Madrid from Tuesday. Analysts have said the most viable solution would be a deal between Macron's centrist alliance and the right-wing Republicans (LR), a party on the decline but which still won 61 seats. But after talks with Macron on Tuesday, LR leader Christian Jacob ruled out any kind of 'pact' with Macron's Together alliance. Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, whose Horizons party is part of Macron's alliance, told BFM television late Tuesday that a 'grand coalition' should now be formed. 'We need to hear what the voters have said and take them seriously,' he said. Communist party chief Fabien Roussel, who is part of the Nupes alliance and held talks with Macron on Tuesday, said after the meeting that the president had evoked a 'government of national unity' as a way out of the impasse. A TV screen in a bar shows French President Emmanuel Macron while he addresses the nation, in Cambrai, France June 22, 2022 French prime minister Elisabeth Borne , center right, surrounded by ministers, chairs a cabinet meeting at the Matignon Hotel in Paris, France, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Borne formally offered her resignation Tuesday, in line with the tradition after parliamentary elections. Macron immediately rejected the offer and maintained the current government Speaking as she introduced new MPs at parliament on Wednesday, Le Pen said the president had floated the same idea with her. Olivier Veran, the minister in charge of relations with parliament, told BFM on Wednesday that 'all options' were on the table. But he ruled out working with Le Pen's RN or Melenchon's hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) to find a majority. This could be achieved, he said, either through an alliance or on a 'bill by bill' basis, with the government finding a majority thanks to certain MPs on the right or left, depending on the legislation. Julien Bayou, the leader of the Green EELV party that is part of NUPES, said after his talks with Macron on Wednesday that his party would be in opposition. But it would vote 'according to the national interest' and would put forward its own legislation on climate change. Melenchon has threatened to file a motion of no-confidence against Borne next month, but other opposition leaders have shown less appetite for such action. Borne, an experienced technocrat with little experience of frontline campaign politics and in office for just over month, has been widely criticised for her performance in the election. While Macron has rejected her offer to resign, her future remains in question. Restocking the weapons the UK has given to Ukraine will take 'several years', the head of the armed forces warned today. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said the lack of industrial capacity in Britain meant that topping up supplies - such as N-Laws and Brimstone missiles - would not happen quickly. Giving evidence to peers, the Chief of the Defence Staff also raised concerns it could take 'five to 10 years' before the UK could deploy a division with the capabilities to fight alongside US forces. The UK has provided a wide range of weapons to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February, including anti-tank rocket launchers, armoured vehicles and anti-aircraft systems. Boris Johnson has been praised as one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters by Volodymyr Zelensky, with reports of troops shouting 'God Save the Queen' as they target Putin's forces. However, replacing those weapons has become a concern for some in Parliament. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said the lack of industrial capacity in Britain meant that topping up supplies - such as N-Laws and Brimstone missiles - would not happen quickly Ukraine shows off devastating British-made Brimstone missiles in action against Russia On June 16, the former head of the Royal Navy Lord West described the UK's weapons stockpiles as 'insufficient' and called for the country to start producing weapons 'almost on a 24/7 basis'. Admiral Radakin acknowledged that the 'rate of expenditure' of weapons in Ukraine and the 'industrial capacity to backfill' had already become 'a significant issue'. Increased demand for weapons, both in the UK and Europe, along with Britain's decline in industrial capacity over recent decades and current supply chain problems have added to those issues. Admiral Radakin said the Government needed to work with defence suppliers, and had already invited 12 leading companies to Downing Street for talks. But he added: 'We are then talking in years, because you cannot whistle up with modern weapons a quick production line. 'Yes, you can churn out shells and artillery, but even at the not super-sophisticated end, even at the modest end of an NLAW (anti-tank) weapon, then that's going to take several years to get back to our original stocks.' Asked by former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Campbell whether the UK could deploy a full division, Admiral Radakin said it was possible but the armed forces were 'regrowing' its ability to return to 'a much more orthodox divisional strength' including longer-range weapons and modern vehicles. He said: 'We can put out a division, but the division that we want to put out is a much better one in sort of five to 10 years' time, with the capabilities that America would want fighting alongside America.' Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said Wednesday he plans to make sure the Senate passes new gun safety legislation by the end of the week, which would mark the first significant congressional action on a gun measure in 30 years. He spoke after the chamber voted to move to take up compromise legislation with enough votes to signal it could actually make it out of the Senate. The Senate voted 64-34 to take up the bill Tuesday night after negotiators reached agreement on 80-page legislative language. 'I am pleased Congress is on the path to taking meaningful action to address gun violence for the first time in nearly 30 years,' Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday. 'The bill is real progress. It will save lives, and it is my intention to make sure the Senate passes this bill before the end of the week.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will take up the legislation swiftly after it clears the Senate, with lawmakers in both houses eager to be home for the scheduled July 4 recess. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said he intended to make sure gun safety legislation passes by the end of the week Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also praised the compromise, saying the Senate 'took a big step toward an important bipartisan bill to prevent mass murders, make schools safer, and protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. He called the provisions 'commonsense, popular solutions,' after negotiators reached agreement on thorny 'red flag' and 'boyfriend loophole' provisions. New details were emerging on the text. The bill includes $300 million for school safety improvements, enhanced background checks for gun purchasers aged 18-21 with provisions that sunset in 2032, and $750 million to help states with red flag laws. One Republican leader, Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Thune, has already come out against it. He said it is likely to pass, having surpassed the 60-votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster, but told CNN he would vote against it. Thune had earlier blasted any assault weapons ban and the final deal contains no such provisions, citing hunting in his home state of South Dakota. 'In my state, they use them to shoot prairie dogs and, you know, other types of varmints. And so I think there are legitimate reasons why people would want to have them,' he said. Other lawmakers spoke about called AR-15s to kill raccoons, foxes, and feral pigs. The Senate reached an agreement on a bipartisan gun violence bill following horrific mass shootings in Texas and New York. The legislation would toughen background checks for younger gun buyers, bolster background check requirements and beef up penalties for gun traffickers. The bill would also prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse who are not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns. Additionally, $750million would be provided to the 19 states that have 'red flag' laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. States with 'red flag' laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm's removal. The bill would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Senate bargainers reached the agreement Tuesday potentially teeing up final passage by week's end. Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against Democrats' urban-centered backers of firearms curbs. Senator Chris Murphy speaking at a press conference on June 14. The democrat was a leader in passing the new gun control legislation President Biden and Senator Chris Murphy discuss gun control at a meeting outside the Oval Office on June 7 Republican senator from Texas John Cornyn said he felt people were telling the US government something had to be done. I'm confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction,' he said of the new legislation Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That result strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic bargainer, said would be fully paid for. Momentum in Congress for gun legislation has a history of waning quickly after mass shootings. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-week July 4th recess by this weekend. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visiting a memorial at the Robb Elementary School on May 29 Mourners embracing at a memorial outside outside the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, where a gunman murdered ten people in May The legislation lacks far more potent proposals that President Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years, derailed by GOP opposition. These include banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Yet after 10 Black shoppers were killed last month in Buffalo, New York, and 19 children and two teachers died days later in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and some Republicans decided that this time, measured steps were preferable to Congress usual reaction to such horrors - gridlock. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde, 'I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that I've never seen before.' He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety among voters 'not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful.' This bill, Murphy said, would 'save thousands of lives.' Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Top GOP bargainer Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of the pact, 'Some think it goes too far, others think it doesn't go far enough. And I get it. It's the nature of compromise.' But he added, 'I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. I'm confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction.' Payton Gendron appearing in court in May. He is accused of shooting up a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing ten people Salvador Ramos, 18, murdered 19 schoolchildren and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 In a positive sign about its fate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voiced his support, calling it 'a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.' The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, expressed opposition. 'It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners,' the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans - especially in the House - would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most hard-right voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the proposal. In another measure of conservative sentiment, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that the bill 'ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens.' Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a possible White House contender, said it would 'restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials.' Armored police officers outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 FBI investigators observing bullet holes in the window of the Tops supermarket where Payton Gendron murdered ten people in May The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Cornyn told reporters that he expected at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings - at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip - have yielded only stalemate in Washington. 'Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing,' Murphy said. 'This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives.' The bill would require that federal background checks for gun buyers age 18 to 20 include examination of the purchaser's juvenile record. That could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The suspects in the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old, a profile that matches many recent mass shooters. There would be hundreds of millions of dollars to expand community behavioral health centers, telemedicine visits for mental specialists and train first responders to handle people with mental health issues. More than $2 billion would be provided to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. Russian tankers are still delivering oil to European ports and providing Moscow with much-needed hard currency even after sanctions have come into effect, a report has found. Russia's largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, was sanctioned by the US and the EU in February, but an analysis of company records and live ship tracking by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project shows crude oil deliveries are continuing. More than 18 Sovcomflot oil tankers have been steaming across the world's oceans and shipping lanes in the last month, each laden with an average payload worth $240million. In order to circumvent western sanctions, some of these ships turned off their transponders, vanishing from real time marine traffic tracking websites. Others renamed themselves in an effort to disguise their Russian ownership, with one tanker which did not switch off its transponder suddenly changing course from the US and heading to South Africa, where it quickly changed names. At least five other Sovcomflot ships have been tracked recently coming from, en route to or in docks in Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands, even after EU sanctions came into full effect. It is not clear who is buying the sanctioned oil once it has been delivered to these EU ports. Pictured: A Russian oil/chemical tanker at sea outside the far eastern city of Vladivostok. More than 18 Sovcomflot oil tankers have been steaming across the world's oceans and shipping lanes in the last month, each laden with an average payload worth $240million Russia's largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, has been sanctioned by the US and the EU, but an analysis of company records and live ship tracking shows crude oil deliveries are continuing Ownership of the tankers is registered to subsidiary companies based in Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates and they sail under a Liberian flag, the country with former Fifa World Player of the Year George Weah as president. This opaque and complex ownership structure allows Sovcomflot and operators at these ports to avoid triggering sanctions, although the subsidiary that directly owns the vessels - which is based in the UAE as well - is owned by the Russian state. The EU has been contacted for comment on the matter. Professor Ricardo Soares, a specialist in international politics and financing based at Oxford University, said that by appearing to be based in the UAE and renaming its fleet, Sovcomflot was able to continue earning foreign currency that Russia desperately needs to fund its invasion of Ukraine. 'It's almost impossible to track the ownership back to Russia, especially as Sovcomflot is switching ship names and apparently turning off GPS tracking in certain countries,' said Soares, who added that sailing ships under Liberia's flag was a straightforward way to disguise the tankers' origin. 'Liberia is a maritime tax haven and is used as a flag of convenience for vessels' he said. 'It's as easy as setting up a post box.' Sovcomflot's use of different bases and sailing flags mirrors a broader Russian effort to mitigate or evade the implications of western sanctions, said a tax expert. Pictured: Liberian students parade during a parade to mark National Flag Day. 'Liberia is a maritime tax haven and is used as a flag of convenience for vessels' Professor Ricardo Soares said. 'It's as easy as setting up a post box' 'Russia's use of secrecy jurisdictions with which it has no genuine economic ties is a game of hide and seek,' said John Christensen, an economist and founder of the Tax Justice Network. 'By layering its energy shipping business in three jurisdictions that work together the UAE, Cyprus and Liberia Sovcomflot circumvented sanctions.' The sanctions are forcing maritime insurance companies to evaluate whether they are in compliance with U.S. and EU restrictions on business with Sovcomflot. In late April, the industry publication Shipping Watch reported that Norwegian insurance giant Skuld had moved to end its underwriting of Sovcomflot, a major client, and booted a Sovcomflot director from its board of directors. Sanction-busting within international shipping is becoming a greater and greater endeavour, as the US employs trade sanctions against an increasing number of geopolitical foes and those countries seek to find ways to keep the economic lifelines alive. Russian efforts to evade sanctions and continue earning hard currency on crude oil exports come with the asterisk that their greatest and most lucrative export - natural gas - is exempt from EU sanctions. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Ankara today, for his first visit to Turkey following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. As Saudi Arabia and Turkey press ahead with efforts to repair ties that were strained by Khashoggi's killing, the crown prince will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the last leg of a Middle East tour that also took him to Egypt and Jordan. Erdogan said talks with Prince Mohammed, who is commonly referred to by his initials MBS, would focus on advancing Turkish-Saudi relations to a "much higher degree." The issue of Kashoggi's death still threatens to strain the talks as his widow Hatice Cengiz continues to call the prince 'a murderer.' Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) traveled to Turkey on Wednesday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) in an effort to restore diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries after a Washington Post journalist was murdered in the Saudi Embassy in 2018 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) is in Turkey today to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) to try to mend relations between the countries after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi 'His visit to our country doesnt change the fact that he is responsible for a murder,' Cengiz said in a series of tweets. 'The political legitimacy he earns through the visits he makes to a different country every day doesnt change the fact that he is a murderer." Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, paying his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, a year before the gruesome killing of Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. The Turkish president too has made some harsh condemnations of the Saudi leadership over the journalists death, writing in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed that the plot was hatched at the highest levels of government. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) says that he believes the order to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi's came from the highest level of the Saudi government 'We must reveal the identities of the puppet master behind Khashoggi's killing,' Erdogan wrote. He made a point to exclude King Salman from culpability in his piece. As relations with Turkey frayed, Saudi Arabia launched an unofficial embargo on Turkish exports, dramatically curbing around $5 billion in bilateral trade. The kingdom also temporarily barred wildly popular Turkish soap operas. Efforts by the regional heavyweights to improve their ties come as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments from wealthy Gulf Arab states. Biden previously called the crown prince a 'pirah' after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi (above) Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Talks with the UAEs Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year led to investment deals worth $10 billion after years of regional rivalry. Saudi Arabia, for its part, has been trying to broaden its alliances at a time of strained relations between Riyadh and Washington. The crown prince also seeks to put an end to the scandal over Khashoggis killing that damaged his reputation. Prince Mohammeds Middle East trip comes before U.S. President Joe Bidens scheduled trip to the region next month. Biden is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of a July 13-16 trip that includes stops in Israel and the occupied West Bank. The president insists that he will not meet with the crown prince, promising to handle the Saudi 'the same way I've been handling it.' 'I'm not going to meet with MBS. I'm going to an international meeting and he's going to be part of it,' Biden said last week. The kingdom, however, believes there will be a meeting between the two leaders. 'The crown prince and President Biden will hold official talks that will focus on various areas of bilateral cooperation and joint efforts to address regional and global challenges,' the country said in a statement. The White House clarified earlier statements, saying that Biden will meet with the king and MBS will attend that meeting. Biden has been highly critical of Saudi Arabia, promising to make the country a 'pariah' over the Khashoggi murder. The oil shortage due to the embargo on Russian oil after the country's invasion of Ukraine has forced the president to soften his stance with the petrol-rich country. Still the White House promised that the topic of Kashoggi's murder would be on the table. Gas prices have climbed since Biden was elected in November 2020, before skyrocketing earlier this year after the invasion of Ukraine Those filling up in states like California and have been particularly affected by the rising costs, with the state's national average having surged by more than $2 in the span of a year 'Human rights issues, human rights conversation is something that the president brings up with many leaders and plans to do so,' she noted. Ayham Kamel, head of the Euroasia Groups Middle East research team, said the princes regional trip this week is "designed to cement Riyadhs regional role and expand reconciliation efforts" ahead of Bidens visit to Saudi Arabia. He said it could also serve to mediate between Egypt and Turkey, which are working toward reconciliation after their relations broke down over Turkeys strong opposition to the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. President Joe Biden insisted he will not be meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he's in Saudi Arabia next month "Bilateral trade is likely to increase, and there is a good chance that Saudi tourism flows to Turkey will resume," Kamel wrote. "Talks could also involve military/defense cooperation or arms procurement, as the Saudis are interested in exploring diversifying their suppliers." The killing of Khashoggi sparked global outrage and put pressure on Prince Mohammed, who was said to have approved the operation to kill or capture the journalist, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. The prince has denied any knowledge of the operation that was carried out by agents who worked directly for him. While never naming the crown prince, Erdogan said the operation that killed Khashoggi was ordered by the "highest levels" of the Saudi government. Khashoggi entered the consulate in October 2018 by appointment to obtain papers to allow him to wed his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who waited for him outside. He never emerged and his body was never found. Cengiz said she welcomed the improvement in Saudi and Turkish relations but opposed Prince Mohammed getting welcomed to Ankara before Khashoggi's killers were brought to justice. "As someone who has been wronged, I find it very heartbreaking," Cengiz told The Associated Press in a written response to questions. "I object to this. Jamals body is still missing. I am devastated that this has gone unanswered and that those who killed him remain unpunished." Turkey opened a trial in absentia against 26 Saudis suspected in Khashoggis killing, but the court earlier this year ruled to halt the proceedings and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the countries rapprochement. "An apology should have been made both to my country and to me," Cengiz said. She also was critical of Bidens plans to visit Saudi Arabia. "Forgetting all the promises he made, he is now taking steps for his own countrys interests. He is violating the values that he believes in," Cengiz said. "With this visit, he is making the whole world question his sincerity." King Edward VIII opted to abdicate because his father's treatment of him had made him a 'rebel' who did not have the 'self-discipline' to be king, a historian has claimed. Edward caused one of the biggest crises in the history of the monarchy when he abdicated in 1936 after less than a year on the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin had insisted along with the rest of the Establishment that Edward would have to first give up his position before he could tie the knot with Wallis. Within months of renouncing his title, he and Wallis married in France. He said years later in his ghost-written autobiography that 'love had triumphed over politics' as a result of him seeing out his desire. But, speaking today at the Chalke Valley History Festival, which is sponsored by the Daily Mail, historian Professor Jane Ridley said Edward's abdication stemmed from the fact his father had made 'no attempt' to prepare him for being king. She said she showed him no affection or praise and made no effort to 'build a relationship', which in the long run had 'quite bad effects' and was one of the 'key factors leading up to the abdication'. As a result, whilst the Queen and her father King George VI are 'famous' for diligently reading official government papers, Edward's would 'come back with wine stains and cigarette burns on them', Professor Ridley said. She added Edward thought his role was a 'waste of time' and to a 'large extent' this was a 'reaction against his dad who bullied him'. King Edward VIII opted to abdicate because his father's treatment of him had made him a 'rebel' who did not have the 'self-discipline' to be king, historian Professor Jane Ridley has claimed. Above: A young Edward with his father in 1910 Edward caused one of the biggest crises in the history of the monarchy when he abdicated in 1936 after less than a year on the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Above: The pair on their wedding day Edward's relationship with Wallis, who had been twice married before her union with him, was a scandal when news first emerged of it. His proposition to marry her whilst divorce proceedings with her second husband were still ongoing - sparked a constitutional crisis which culminated in Edward's decision to abdicate. Edward spoke of his childhood and his father in his 1951 autobiography, A King's Story, in which he claimed the concept of duty was 'drilled' into him. 'My boyhood was a strict one because my father was strict in his own life and habits He had the Victorian's sense of probity, moral responsibility, and love of domesticity,' he said. 'He believed in God, in the invincibility of the Royal Navy, and the essential rightness of whatever was British The concept of duty was drilled into me, and I never had the sense that the days belonged to me alone.' However, Professor Ridley said Edward and his brothers, who included the future King George VI, were 'terrified' of their father. 'He would shout at them for things like being five minutes late for dinner. They would be sent back to their bedrooms', she said. Edward VIII's abdication rocked the monarchy and the country to its core. Above: The King making his abdication broadcast to the nation 'It is bad enough being shouted at by your father, but it is even harder if your father is the king. Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII: A scandal that rocked a nation January 1931 - Wallis meets Prince Edward in January 1931, after being introduced via her friend Lady Furness 1931- 1934 - The American divorcee and the heir to the throne see each other regularly at various parties August 1934 - Wallis admits she and Edward are no longer just friends, after joining him on a cruise January 1936 - King George V dies. Edward asks Wallis to watch the proclamation of his accession with him from St. James's Palace August 1936 - The pair enjoy a cruise around the Adriatic sea with friends. Details of their relationship appear in the American press December 11, 1936 - Edward announces his abdication June 3, 1937 - The couple get married in the south of France. Wallis was formally known as the Duchess of Windsor, but was not allowed to share her husband's title of 'Royal Highness.' Advertisement These four princes were brought up to be frightened of their father. She added: 'George made no attempt to prepare his son for being king. Being king in a conventional fashion. 'So his son rebels against him and rebels against his idea of kingship. 'George V and the present queen are famous for turning around their red boxes full of documents within hours of getting them back and being punctual and conscientious and diligent. 'I think there is quite a lot of quite sort of not always fascinating work they have to do. 'With Edward VIII, the documents would come back from his place at Windsor they would come back with wine stains on them and cigarette burns. 'It was quite clear that he wasn't respecting all the rules about being discreet, and he just thought the whole thing was a waste of time. 'I think that to a large extent began as a reaction against his dad who bullied him. He thought his dad was a silly old thing, and he became what he was, a rebel, Edward VIII. 'When he became king he realised he didn't want to do it. Couldn't do it. Didn't have the self-discipline to do it,' she added. Following his abdication, Edward was made the Duke of Windsor by his brother and granted the style of His Royal Highness. After being slammed for meeting Adolf Hitler in Germany in 1937, Edward and Wallis spent much of their time holding lavish parties and travelling between Paris and New York. Netflix's The Crown depicted how, in May 1972 ten days before his death Edward was visited by the Queen and Prince Philip at his home in France. She spoke to him alone before appearing with just the Duchess for a photograph. The Duke died on May 28, less than a month before his 78th birthday. Professor Ridley said Edward and his brothers, who included the future King George VI, were 'terrified' of their father. Above: Edward with his father in 1908 The Daily Mail's coverage on December 11, 1936, reported King Edward's speech in which he announced his decision to abdicate. The newspaper reported how the former king had 'renounced the Throne and all his titles and will leave the country to-night' His body was returned to Britain, where it lay in state at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel before his funeral. Professor Ridley was speaking about her book George V: Never a Dull Moment. The historian's work offers a reappraisal of the monarch, who is regarded by critics as having been 'dull' and even 'stupid', she said. Whilst he was 'particularly unsuccessful' with his children, the monarch did have significant successes, she said. One positive was how he was 'prepared to accept the Labour party'. Whilst the king was normally obsessed with the 'normal rules' about formal clothes such as waistcoats and suits, he knew Labour politicians could 'not afford' them and so 'allowed them to wear whatever they liked'. She added: 'He did all he could to enable the Labour government, and he actually got on better with labour politicians and labour prime ministers than he did with liberals.' Professor Ridley (left, file photo) was speaking about her book George V: Never a Dull Moment (right). The historian's work offers a reappraisal of the monarch, who is regarded by critics as having been 'dull' and even 'stupid', she said The University of Bristol is seeking permission to appeal against a court ruling that found it discriminated against a student with chronic anxiety who took her own life ahead of a key oral presentation. Physics student Natasha Abrahart, 20, was found dead in her flat in April 2018, the day before she was due to take part in a group presentation in a 329-seat lecture theatre. Ms Abrahart had made a previous suicide attempt in the winter term, and university staff were aware she was struggling. Before the presentation, known as a laboratory conference, Ms Abrahart had struggled to complete one-on-one interview-based assessments, attending only two out of five. In her first assessment, she was so shy she scored only eight out of a possible 20 marks. On May 20 this year, a judge ruled the university had breached its duties under the Equalities Act by failing to make 'reasonable adjustments' for Ms Abrahart in light of her debilitating anxiety, which is considered a disability. Physics student Natasha Abrahart, 20, was found dead in her flat in April 2018, the day before she was due to take part in a group presentation in a 329-seat lecture theatre Ms Abrahart had made a previous suicide attempt in the winter term, and university staff were aware she was struggling Judge Alex Ralton, sitting at the Civil Justice Centre in Bristol, also found the university had engaged in indirect disability discrimination against Ms Abrahart, and treated her unfavourably because of the consequences of her disability. The university was ordered to pay Ms Abrahart's parents 50,000 in damages. On Wednesday, the university confirmed it was seeking leave to appeal against the ruling, but emphasised that it may not appeal the case even if it has the right to do so. Ms Abrahart's parents, Robert and Margaret, branded the university's decision to seek leave to appeal 'disappointing'. Mr Abrahart, 66, a retired university lecturer, said: 'It's been a month since we called on the university to sit down with us so we could help it make the changes needed to keep students safe. 'We are deeply disappointed that the university is instead trying to re-run arguments which failed at trial.' Mrs Abrahart, 60, a retired psychological wellbeing practitioner, said: 'How much longer will we have to wait before the university apologises for what happened to Natasha? 'Even more importantly, how much longer is the university going to wait before implementing the lessons from Natasha's death, which have been obvious for years now?' Mrs Abrahart added: 'At the trial the university couldn't point to one meaningful change it had made to the systems which failed our daughter. 'It should be focusing on keeping students safe instead of dragging out this painful legal process.' Gus Silverman, of law firm Irwin Mitchell which is representing the family, said: 'Natasha's family will now submit representations to the court opposing the university's arguments, which closely follow the points already made at trial.' Natasha Abrahart is pictured with her parents Robert and Margaret Abrahart Margaret Abrahart (left) believes universities could make changes to better help students like her daughter Natasha, who suffered from social anxiety disorder A University of Bristol spokesman said: 'We have not yet decided whether we will be appealing (against) the judgment or not. Seeking permission to appeal means we can appeal if we eventually decide to do so. 'Given the significant impact last month's judgment in relation to the death of Natasha Abrahart could have on how all higher education providers support their students, we continue to review the decision carefully, including whether to appeal.' The spokesman continued: 'We are fully committed to working with our partners in the NHS, charities and across the higher education sector in a collaborative effort to ensure we are collectively providing the best possible support for students in their studies. 'This commitment means we are continually reviewing and improving the pastoral support offered to our students.' For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit local Samaritans. Notorious convicted serial murderer Richard Cottingham, who earned the moniker 'Torso Killer' because he dismembered some of his victims, has been indicted in the 1968 slaying of a Long Island dance teacher after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the cold case. Richard Cottingham, 75, is already serving a life sentence in New Jersey state prison for the brutal murders of six women between 1967 and 1980. Cottingham now faces a second-degree murder charge in the February 1968 killing of 23-year-old Long Island dance teacher Diane Cusick. Cusick's body was found in her car outside the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream with adhesive tape around her mouth and neck. She had been raped, beaten and suffocated. A break in the cold case came after authorities recently retested DNA evidence preserved from the crime scene that sources told PIX11 had been recovered during the investigation. Cottingham appeared in Nassau County Court virtually on Wednesday where he was arraigned on second-degree murder charges in Cusick's murder. He pleaded not guilty. Nassau prosecutor Jared Rosenblatt said during the arraignment that the DNA evidence and other evidence 'proves he's the killer.' Richard Cottingham, 75, appeared in Nassau County Court virtually today and was arraigned on second-degree murder charges in Diane Cusick's 1968 murder. He pleaded not guilty Diane Cusick, 23, was found in February 1968 in her car outside the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream with tape around her mouth and neck. She had been raped, beaten and suffocated Cottingham, a computer programmer who had a family in New Jersey, became known as the 'Torso Killer' after brutally dismembering some of his victims - including two women who were found dead at a motel near Times Square in 1979. They were both missing their heads and hands. While Cottingham has claimed responsibility for up to 100 homicides, authorities in New York and New Jersey have only officially linked him to 12 so far, which now includes Cusick. Cusick was found dead on February 17, 1968, in the back seat of her car in the parking lot of the mall. She was dressed in a black leotard, a skirt, a red blouse, and white boots. The divorced mother and dance teacher had told her family she was stopping at the mall after work to buy shoes, PIX11 reported. For decades, the case ran cold. In 2004, Cusicks then-grown daughter called Nassau police and requested they use modern technology to solve the case, Newsday reported. A detective was assigned to the case and evidence was reexamined. The semen, though nearly four decades old, was still in good condition to be analyzed. But it didnt match anything in DNA databanks at the time, police told Newsday, but the sample was kept stored in the countys forensic evidence bureau. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly holds a photo of Diane Cusick on Wednesday Darlene Altman, daughter of Diane Cusick, has tears in her eyes as she speaks out on Wednesday after Richard Cottingham was linked to her mother's murder Cusick was found dead on February 17, 1968, in the back seat of her car in the parking lot of the mall. She was dressed in a black leotard, a skirt, a red blouse, and white boots Richard Cottingham, right, appears via video link at his arraignment accompanied by his attorney Jeff Groder, left, where he pleaded not guilty Cottingham, also known as the 'Torso Killer' says he has killed over 100 women. He is currently serving a life sentence in NJ For years, six different jurisdictions in New York and New Jersey have been working on cold case murders they believe are linked to the serial killer. Retired Bergen County Prosecutors Office chief Robert Anzellotti coaxed Cottingham's most recent confession out of him last year. In April 2021, Cottingham pleaded guilty to killing 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly in a motel room in August 1974, just days after abducting them. The two friends left their North Bergen homes on August 9, 1974, for a shopping trip 13 miles north to a Paramus mall. They had planned to take a bus there to buy bathing suits for a trip to the Jersey Shore. Witnesses at the time told police the girls were hitchhiking and had gotten into a man's car. They were found five days after they went missing, identified by their jewelry when their nude, battered bodies were discovered facedown in the woods of North Jersey's Bergen County. In 2021, Cottingham admitted to killing 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor (left) and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly (right) in a New Jersey motel room in August 1974 In this image taken from a New Jersey Courts virtual hearing, Richard Cottingham, center, known as the 'Torso Killer,' pleads guilty Tuesday, April 27, 2021, to two 1974 murders, finally closing the cold case deaths of teenage friends who had left home for a trip to the mall and never returned. Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. (New Jersey Courts via AP) Cottingham admitted that he had kidnapped Pryor and Kelly, brought them to a motel room, tied them up and raped them. He said he drowned them in the motel room's bathtub before dumping their bodies. The Pryor-Kelly case is among North Jersey's most infamous unsolved crimes and Cottingham is one of the region's most heinous criminals. Known as the 'Torso Killer' for brutally dismembering some of his victims by cutting off their limbs and heads, he's currently in a New Jersey State Prison on a life sentence for several other murders. Cottingham has been in prison since 1981 and has confessed to three of the murders, including the killings of 13-year-old Jackie Harp, 18-year-old Irene Blase and 15-year-old Denise Falasca, whose murders took place between 1968 and 1969. He was first arrested in 1980 for the attempted murder and rape of an 18-year-old prostitute at a Quality Inn motel in Hasbrouck Heights. A motel maid heard a woman screaming inside his room. Authorities found her alive, but bound with handcuffs and suffering from bite marks and knife wounds. The surviving victim later testified at trial that Cottingham told her during the attack, 'You have to take it. The other girls did, you have to take it too. Youre a whore and you have to be punished.' Two weeks before his arrest, police found the body of 19-year-old Valerie Ann Street at the same Quality Inn motel. Valerie Street's body was covered in bite marks and brutally beaten in a chillingly similar manner to the murder of 26-year-old Maryann Carr, that had occurred in the same motel three years earlier in December 1977. Police did not link Carr's murder to Cottingham until after his arrest. The subsequent investigation linked Cottingham to the savage murders of Deedeh Goodarzi, 22, and an unidentified woman, whose bodies - missing their heads and hands - were found inside a burning hotel room near Times Square in December 1979. Solved: Jackie Harp (left) was just 13 years old in July 1968 when she was strangled to death in Midland Park, New Jersey. A year later, a boy riding his bike found the partially naked body of Denise Falasca (right), 15, who had been strangled near a cemetery Irene Blase was 18 when she was found strangled in Saddle River in 1969 Maryann Carr, 26, had been brutally beaten in a chillingly similar manner to the murder of Valerie Street that occurred in the same motel three years earlier Cottingham ran free until cops caught a lucky break almost six months later on May 22, 1980, when Cottingham picked up Leslie Ann O'Dell in Midtown Manhattan and dragged her back to the same New Jersey motel where he mutilated his last victim just 18 days earlier. At knife point, he proceeded to torture, beat and sexually assault the 19-year-old runaway for hours, (nearly biting off one of her nipples) until a maid heard her muffled screams. When hotel staff investigated further, Leslie Ann O'Dell cracked open the door and quietly signaled for help. The police apprehended Richard Cottingham while trying to flee. In his possession were handcuffs, a leather gag, two slave collars, a switchblade, replica pistols and a stockpile of sedatives. After his arrest, NYPD drew comparisons to the numerous unsolved sexual assault cases with similar hallmarks to the New Jersey crimes. They executed a search warrant on Cottingham's family home where they found a secret, locked 'trophy room' that stashed souvenirs of his evil deeds. Among S&M books and pornographic artwork were Maryann Carr's apartment key and jewelry that belonged to his other victims. Richard Cottingham was convicted of six murders and numerous counts of kidnapping and sexual assault using evidence found in his 'trophy room' combined with a matching fingerprint left on handcuffs used in the murder of Valerie Street. He is his currently serving life in Trenton's New Jersey State Prison. Cottingham's first known victim was Nancy Schiava Vogel (left), a 29-year-old married mother-of-two who was strangled in her car in 1967. In 1979, Cottingham killed and beheaded Deedeh Goodarzi, 22 (right), inside a Times Square motel in New York Deedeh Goodarzi was a 22-year-old high-end prostitute from Iran whose family immigrated to Long Island when she was a teenager. She was positively identified through a cesarean-section scar after a friend recognized her clothing. Recently, her daughter that she gave up for adoption while turning tricks has made headlines for forging an unlikely friendship with Richard Cottingham in prison In a strange turn of events, Deedah Goodarzi's biological daughter, Jennifer Weiss has forged an unlikely friendship with the man who strangled and beheaded her mother in 1979. Goodarzi gave up her daughter for adoption when she was less than two weeks old, it wasn't until Weiss tried to reconnect with her biological mother in 2002 that she discovered the disturbing truth of her violent demise In 2010, Cottingham pleaded guilty to the 1967 slaying of Nancy Schiava Vogel, a 29-year-old married mother-of-two who was strangled to death inside her car. She had been last seen three days earlier, when she left home to play bingo with friends at a local church. In the 1970s, Cottingham had a wife and children and held a job as a computer programmer for a health insurance company in New York, recalled Alan Grieco, a retired chief of detectives in Bergen County who helped convict Cottingham for the 1977 murder of a woman found outside a motel in northern New Jersey. Investigators in both states were able to tie Cottingham to other murders and sexual assaults, but Grieco remembered Cottingham 'played games' with investigators for years regarding the Pryor-Kelly murders as he sought to trade information for better treatment in prison. 'Seeing how the families are destroyed, you can't help but feel their pain,' he said. 'I think he figured, "I'm going to just toy with them, and as long as I can drag it out, I will."' Retired chief Robert Anzilotti first met Cottingham 17 years ago as the detective sought to close some of the county's cold cases. He believes there are still 'dozens' of outstanding cases in the tri-state area that might eventually be traced back to him. NYPD realized they had a serial killer on their hands in December 1979, after they uncovered the charred, mutilated remains of two women at the Travel Inn Motor Hotel in Times Square. Without heads and hands, authorities were unable to identify the victims. Instead, they borrowed mannequins from nearby department stores and dressed them in the victims' clothing (above), hoping someone might come forward with information. One victim was recognized as Deedeh Goodarzi while the other slain woman remains unknown to this day Richard Cottingham earned his moniker as 'the Torso Killer' after he raped and murdered two women in a Times Square motel before setting their decapitated torsos ablaze. Their skulls and hands were never found. He has officially been charged with 11 murders but says he's killed over 100 women The killer would ultimately tell Anzilotti about the slayings of four women and teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 29 in Bergen County. Yet he was always reluctant to discuss Mary Ann and Lorraine, Anzilotti said, because their murders 'bothered him more than any other, probably because of the brutality of it' coupled with their ages and the days he spent torturing them. Anzilotti tried to elicit a confession for years as Mary Ann's sister, Nancy, repeatedly checked in with detectives for updates. In March 2021, Anzilotti announced that he was ending his 29-year career in law enforcement. But he had one last case to solve. 'I didn't want to retire until this was complete,' he said. Anzilotti got the confession on April 14, 2021. At the end of 2021, Netflix's documentary Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer - was released which examines his case. The series begins with a grisly discovery at the Travel Inn Motor Hotel in Times Square on December 2, 1979. Police responded to a fire in Room 417, where two women had been discovered on a pair of twin beds. But when first responders attempted CPR, they realized the bodies had no heads and no hands. Richard Cottingham was convicted of two New Jersey murders and three in New York. Hes been housed in Trentons New Jersey State Prison since 1981, serving a 200-plus year sentence With only torsos, police were unable to identify the victims. One detective said it was 'the cleanest crime scene he's ever seen.' Spatter, gore, fingerprints, puddles of blood, there was no evidence except for their clothing, a pair of Bonjour jeans, a white leotard, patent leather boots and a black fur coat, which the killer had curiously folded neatly in the bathtub. Confounded, investigators used mannequins from nearby department stores and dressed them in the victims' clothing, hoping someone might come forward with information. One slain woman was positively identified through a cesarean-section scar as 22-year-old, Iranian prostitute, Deedeh Goodarzi. The other female victim has never been identified and to this day remains a Jane Doe. Their skulls were never found. Later, Cottingham claimed that Times Square cops stopped him as he carried the severed heads in a large potato sack to his car before letting him go. He returned back to the hotel to soak the crime scene in lighter fluid and set the room ablaze. Directed by serial killer-aficionado Joe Berlinger, the Netflix series features interviews with former detectives, police officers, sex workers. Dominick Volpe, a former colleague at BlueCross BlueShield, testifies to Cottingham's perverse sexual tendencies. The doc also spotlights a conversation with Jennifer Weiss, Deedah Goodarzi's biological daughter, who made headlines last year when she struck up an unlikely friendship with her mother's killer while he served his prison sentence. 'All of the women that Richard killed left this world in a horrific way,' said Jennifer Weiss in the doc. 'So I maintain a relationship with Richard now because I want the names of the unidentified victims he took. Lives that never came to fruition. I think we need to remember them because they deserve justice' Weiss was given up for adoption when she was less than two weeks old. It wasn't until she endeavored to reconnect with her biological mother in 2002, that she discovered the disturbing truth of her violent demise through old newspaper clippings. Looking for more answers, she reached out to Richard Cottingham in prison and has visited him over 30 times. 'All of the women that Richard killed left this world in a horrific way,' she said in the doc. 'It always weighs heavily over me. 'So I maintain a relationship with Richard now because I want the names of the unidentified victims he took. Lives that never came to fruition. I think we need to remember them because they deserve justice.' John Cornyn insisted he was joking when he told other senators that he would move onto a deal on immigration after he negotiated the Senate deal on gun reform legislation. 'The Democrats and their allies in the media really can't take a joke,' Cornyn told conservative outlet Breitbart News on Wednesday. 'There's no secret amnesty bill.' The Texas senator's office said he was joking and there are no planned or ongoing immigration negotiations. The Senate passed the gun reform legislation negotiated by Cornyn and Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on Tuesday evening. The bill will now go to the House for reconciliation. Cornyn was overheard on the Senate floor Tuesday evening telling California Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, 'First guns, now it's immigration,' according to a Huffington Post reporter. 'That's right, we're going to do it,' Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona was heard replying. Republican Senator John Cornyn is trying to walk back a comment where he said that he will negotiate an immigration deal after working with Democrats to get gun reform legislation passed in the upper chamber on Tuesday Former Trump staffer Andy Surabian immediately took aim at Cornyn for his overheard comment on the Senate floor Tuesday where he said he was 'selling out' on gun control and immigration amnesty Now the Texas lawmaker, who was tapped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to lead gun reform negotiations, is walking back on those comments. Cornyn cannot afford to lose any more political capital with his constituents after he was booed at the Texas annual Republican Party convention last Friday regarding his work with Democrats to pass gun control laws. Immigration is a hot button issue in Texas as is guns. 'From selling out on gun control to selling out on amnesty in light speed,' Andrew Surabian, a former special assistant and deputy strategist to then-President Donald Trump, said of Cornyn's pledge for amnesty. The migration crisis is prevailing at the southern border and is specifically impacting southwest U.S. states of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. In May alone, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 239,416 migrants crossing illegally into the U.S. at the southern border a new high of President Joe Biden's time in office and a two-decade record. The May figure is the fourth straight monthly increase from January, when figures were down to 154,816 for the month. Despite insistence that a deal with Democrats on immigration is in the works, Cornyn has pushed for amnesty. Cornyn was booed at the Texas annual Republican Party convention last Friday for his work negotiating a gun legislation bill with Democrats Cornyn, GOP Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and leftist Senators Padilla and Dick Durbin of Illinois, who is the Senate Democratic Whip, have all pushed for an amnesty bill. Tillis said in April: 'The only way that we're going to get real progress is to have a four-pillar discussion so immigration reform, DACA, border security and then I think asylum reform is pretty important, particularly with that's going on with Title 42.' 'We've got a starting list,' Durbin said. 'There could be some more. But it's a starting point. I've talked to four or five Republican senators today. There's a genuine interest in doing something.' Texas is the largest red state in the U.S. and is one of the most Republican states in the country, with the usual exception of its city epicenters. The Lone Star State also has some of the more relaxed gun laws compared to other U.S. states. For Texas residents, both conceal and open carry is permitted without a permit as long as the individual is 21-years-old and can legally own a handgun. Have you got a story for MailOnline? Email tips@dailymail.com Advertisement The freed killer of honeymoon bride Anni Dewani persuaded doctors that he was seriously ill before he was granted parole having served barely half of his 18-year sentence, MailOnline can reveal. Taxi driver Zola Tongo, who hired the hitmen behind the 2010 killing in Cape Town, South Africa, is suffering from a 'chronic' illness and may have only months to live, it was said. If he dies while still technically a prisoner, he will be the second of Anni's murderers to pass away. Xolile Mngeni, who blasted Anni, 28, to death with a single gunshot, died from brain cancer in October 2014 in Goodwood jail in Cape Town, four years after shooting her in the back of Tongo's Volkswagen cab. A third man Mziwamadoda Qwabe, 37, is the only one of the three convicted killers to remain behind bars. Anni's millionaire husband Shrien Dewani was cleared of plotting to have his bride murdered during their honeymoon in November 2010 and said the three men had tried to frame him. Zola Tongo, now 42, was alleged to have hired two men to kill Anni, 28, on the orders of her new husband Dewani in Gugulethu township, near Cape Town on November 13, 2010. Dewani was cleared of any involvement. Anni was killed in the back of a taxi on honeymoon with her new husband (pictured together) in a Cape Town township on November 13 2010. She suffered a single gunshot to her neck after her husband fled the taxi which was later found abandoned with her body in it Tongo, 42, was released yesterday by a Cape Town parole board after serving 12 years of the original 18-year tariff. His release outraged Anni'a family who believe he is concealing key evidence and failing to give up the full story. Anni's uncle Ashok Hindocha said today: 'I have been told that Tongo is suffering from a chronic illness. If he dies I will not shed a tear. But I hope that he has a little bit of a conscience and can give us the true story before he goes. 'I doubt if he will do that. But if he's going to be on his deathbed, he may not have anything more to lose. 'He may actually help a grieving family from knowing the full story of what happened to Anni. We have only been given half the story and half a trial. 'We truly believe there is more information that can be got and that Tongo knows a lot about it.' He described Tongo as a 'lowlife creature' who had never shown any genuine remorse. Swedish-born Anni had been married for only a few weeks to British millionaire nursing home boss Shrien Dewani, now 41 The family of the honeymoon bride yesterday said they were 'disappointed' that her killer was now a free man. Speaking from Mariestad, Sweden, uncle Mr Hindocha said: 'Freeing Tongo without him completing his full sentence sends out a very dangerous message. 'It tells the criminals in South Africa that if you do the crime, you don't have to do the time. 'My beautiful niece's life has been taken and this creature Tongo is now free to walk the streets. 'We are disappointed at this. We believe that he has more information about what happened to Anni than he has told the police. 'My brother Vinod (Anni's father) and I went to see him in his Cape Town jail last year and we stopped his parole. 'We gave him the opportunity to tell us what he has been hiding and who he has been protecting, but he refused. Dewani was declared innocent by a court in Cape Town in December 2014 (pictured leaving South Africa after verdict). The judge threw out the case, saying she was not prepared to rely on the evidence of three convicted men and that the case against Dewani was riddled with lies 'The South Africans were considering releasing him last year. So at least he has served another 12 months. But it is not enough. 'Of course nothing will bring Anni back, but this lowlife character drove her to her death. 'We truly believe he has more information about how the whole murder was arranged and carried out. I heard that Tongo hasn't been keeping in good health while in prison. I don't wish him well.' Anni's father Vinod added: 'We cannot rest until we know the full story about what happened to my daughter. 'We were only allowed half a trial in Cape Town, so that means only half the story is out there. We will not rest until all the facts have been revealed about how she was murdered and why.' Tongo claimed Anni's new husband Shrien Dewani had ordered the hit whilst the couple were on their honeymoon. The taxi driver pleaded guilty to his part in the murder, and was sentenced to 18 years. Her husband Dewani was cleared of all charges in 2014. Tongo was due to be released from Malmesbury prison on parole in 2020, but was kept behind bars after opposition from Anni's family. But he was released on parole on Tuesday after his lawyers were successful in arguing for his release. Tongo's parole was granted on a number of conditions, including house detention, a community service order and a ban of drinking alcohol and taking drugs. Rynold Sedeman , chairperson of the parole board, said Tongo must undergo treatment from a psychologist and be assessed by social workers while on parole. Dewani (pictured above), 42, was pictured leaving his 3.5m flat in an exclusive London area in 2020 Tongo's house arrest will be in place for the first year of his six-year parole, after which he will be a completely free man - providing he doesn't breach the conditions. He must also submit to High Risk subversion monitoring for 12 months, and has been ordered not to intimidate or threaten anyone, commit a crime or contact the victims. South African law states that a convicted criminal who is serving 25 years or less in prison is eligibly for parole after serving half their sentence. Swedish-born Anni had been married for only a few weeks to British millionaire nursing home boss Shrien Dewani, now 42. He said his life was spared as the two gunmen forced him out of the vehicle at gunpoint, before murdering his new bride. Dewani was accused of organising the hit on his engineer wife with the taxi driver and paying him and two accomplices. Tongo was said to have been paid R15,000 (700) by Dewani to organise two hitmen to kill. Prosecutors said Dewani a successful British businessman also of Indian origin was so desperate to get out of an unwanted marriage that he recruited a cabbie to kill his wife during a staged carjacking. Dewani was arrested in Britain, but resisted extradition to South Africa to answer charges of suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. That set in motion a long extradition battle delayed by Shrien's confinement to a psychiatric hospital in Britain. Dewani was eventually extradited to South Africa in 2014 to stand trial. During his trial, he admitted he had been leading a secret double life and that he had seen male prostitutes. Mr Dewani (right) was cleared of involvement in Anni's murder during a trial in South Africa. Following the court case, Mr Dewani, who is bisexual, has found new love with Brazilian photographer Gledison Lopez Martins (seen together left) One of these men was known as 'The German Master' who flew to Cape Town to give evidence of his meetings with Dewani. But the judge Jeanette Traverso refused to allow the prosecution permission to present him to the court as a witness. The German Master, whose real name was Leopold Leisser, was found hanged in his Birmingham home in November 2016. Dewani was declared innocent by the court in Cape Town in December 2014. The judge threw out the case, saying she was not prepared to rely on the evidence of three convicted men and that the case against Dewani was riddled with lies. Dewani was only brought to South Africa from Britain for trial four years after his wife died after experiencing trauma and mental health issues as a result of the murder. On returning to Britain after being cleared, Dewani found new love with Brazilian photographer Gledison Lopez Martins and has travelled to Mumbai, where he married Anni, with his boyfriend. But Tongo was sentenced to 18 years in prison whilst hitman Mziwamadoda Qwabe also pleaded guilty to murder and is serving a 25-year sentence. The man who fired the shot that killed Anni, Xolile Mngeni, died from cancer in prison while serving his sentence. Tongo was first set to be released in August 2020 on parole. Dewani (pictured with Anni) has spoken only once about her death publicly since he was cleared However, after the parole board decided to release him, an appeal by Anni's father and her uncle led to a rethink. Tongo was visited in his cell and was grilled face-to-face to reveal the truth of what happened but he gave nothing away and Anni's family demanded South African authorities revoked his parole. Tongo had packed his bags and said goodbye to his cellmates and his family had driven up to Malmesbury Prison 40 miles outside of Cape Town to pick him up. But with less than 24 hours before he was due to be released, Tongo's freedom was taken away again. Dewani has spoken only once about her death publicly since he was cleared. In a letter to a London coroner in November 2016, he referred to the three convicted men as 'liars', stating that there had been an attempt to frame him. He wrote: 'I would like to make clear that I have a significant number of questions which remain unanswered about the night that my wife and I were kidnapped and Anni was tragically shot after being taken away from me. 'Each of the gang members did a deal with the authorities to gain either full immunity or vastly reduced sentences in return for providing evidence against me. 'It is the evidence of these proven liars that led to a witch hunt against me and the resulting failure to pursue the truth of what happened that night. 'It is clear that none of the evidence provided by these persons was corroborated in any meaningful way. 'This has allowed the individuals concerned to literally get away with murder. I understand and share the Hindocha (Anni) family's frustrations. 'However the extent of my knowledge of the events leading up to Anni's murder has already been set out in a detailed publicly available plea. This document was read out in court at the start of my trial.' **Have you got a story for MailOnline? Email tips@dailymail.com** Damia Mitchell will be imprisoned for the next 140 years. A jury convicted her guilty earlier this month of a dozen offenses, including voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and gang-related charges. It's all connected to a fight in February 2021 that resulted in a fatal shooting. The incident happened on Mountain Ash Court in Dacula, according to investigators. Mitchell, who was 17 at the time, was accused of killing of Faith Burns, a 20-year-old woman. Atlanta Teen Sentenced to 140 Years in Prison Mitchell was allegedly involved with the Nine Trey Gangster Bloods, a violent street gang with a long history in the Atlanta region, and she was aiming to enhance her rank within the group, according to court filings. Mitchell's family, on the other hand, contends that the trial was rushed and that the prosecution failed to present enough evidence. Mitchell and another victim included in the indictment split up, according to Jackson, and Burns was the victim's new girlfriend. When Mitchell went to get her belongings, however, a dispute erupted and resulted in death. She was charged in August 2021 and convicted over a year later. Mitchell was given multiple sentences totaling 140 years in jail by a court, as per 11aLive. According to Thaddeus Johnson, a criminal justice scholar at Georgia State University, young women who break what he refers to as traditional gender standards experience harsher sanctions than young men. The four other defendants in the case have pled guilty and will be sentenced at a later date, according to Gwinnett County court authorities. Mitchell's family is determined to get her conviction reversed and a new trial held, and they will pursue every legal option available to them. Mitchell's acts, according to prosecutors, were also gang-related. She was accompanied by four other women who took part in the shooting. According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney, they have also been charged but have yet to go to trial. Mitchell's family was outraged and pushed back when a court sentenced her to 140 years in jail on Monday. Read Also: Ghislaine Maxwell Files More Than 100 Complaints in 22 Months About Horrific Jail Conditions, Pleads for Light Sentence Suspect's Family Expresses Outrage Over Jury's Decision Vanissa Jackson, Mitchell's mother, told WSB-TV in Atlanta that Mitchell had no past criminal history and that the gunshot that killed Burns was carried out by someone else. The gang-related crimes accounted for almost 80 percent of her sentence. Mitchell's aunt, Lena Hall, expressed concern about how such a sentence might wreck her niece's life. While presenting their case against Mitchell, police and prosecutors depicted her as someone with significant ties to local street gangs. This included displaying messages and videos purporting to reveal her ties to violent groups and a history of coordinating street brawls. Mitchell's family organized a rally outside the county courtroom on Tuesday to protest her punishment. In a statement to Newsweek, the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office said, "The Defendant was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury. Our heartfelt sympathies to Faith Burns' family on her untimely death at the hands of the Defendant; the entire incident was put in motion by the Defendant's conduct, and she has been held accountable." Participation in criminal gang activities in Georgia entails a minimum five-year sentence and a maximum of fifteen years in prison. A fine of $10,000 to $15,000 may also be imposed as part of the penalty. Related Article: Harmony Montgomery Case: New Hampshire Missing Girl's Family Is "Afraid" To Find Out the Truth as Ex-FBI Reveals Haunting Evidence @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. He is seeking to limit influence of European Court of Human Rights in Britain The Government is 'at risk of losing public confidence' in immigration controls without reform through a new Bill of Rights, Dominic Raab said today. The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister unveiled a long-awaited package of measures to replace Labour's Human Rights Act. The proposed legislation asserts British courts do not always need to follow case law from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. It also states that London's Supreme Court is the ultimate decision-maker on human rights issues. Mr Raab told MPs the Bill would 'restore a healthy dose of common sense' to the justice system. The Bill's publication comes after the European Court of Human Rights blocked the departure of a first plane-load of migrants from Britain to Rwanda. The court's 11th hour action prevented the Government's new 120m asylum scheme - which will see migrants sent to East Africa to have their asylum claims processed - from getting up and running. Ministers have touted the Rwanda scheme as a means of deterring migrants from making perilous crossings to Britain via the Channel. Dominic Raab told MPs the Bill of Rights would 'restore a healthy dose of common sense' to the justice system The Bill's publication comes after the European Court of Human Rights blocked the departure of a first plane-load of migrants from Britain to Rwanda Ministers have touted the Rwanda scheme as a means of deterring migrants from making perilous crossings to Britain via the Channel Despite seeking to limit the power of the Strasbourg court, Mr Raab reassured the House of Commons that the UK will not leave the European Convention on Human Rights. The Bill of Rights is also aimed at cracking down on European-style privacy laws and bogus human rights claims made by foreign criminals to avoid deportation. Mr Raab told MPs: 'Our Bills of Rights will strengthen our proud tradition of freedom, it will demarcate a clearer separation of powers. 'It will ensure greater respect for our democratic institutions and it will better protect the public and restore a healthy dose of common sense to the justice system which is essential for commanding public confidence. 'Ultimately it will make us freer, it will help keep our streets safer. 'We will strengthen the separation of powers in this country, affirming the supremacy of the Supreme Court, being explicit that the UK courts are under no obligation to follow the Strasbourg case law and indeed are free to diverge from it.' The Deputy PM also pledged the Bill of Rights would strengthen border controls. 'In a democracy you command, you rule, you govern by consent,' he added. 'And were at risk of losing public confidence in our immigration controls if we cant take the common sense measures they expect. 'Were also at risk of losing public confidence in human rights if we dont restore a healthy dose of common sense.' Labour branded the publication of legislation to overhaul the 1998 Human Rights Act as a 'very dark day for victims of crime, for women, for people in care' and 'for everyone in this country who rely on the state to protect them from harm'. Shadow justice minister Ellie Reeves said: 'For members of the party of Churchill, who inspired the European Convention of Human Rights, to want to do away with it altogether, is really quite something. 'I gather that he (Mr Raab) doesnt want to withdraw from the European Convention, not least because he knows it would fatally undermine the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland. She also told the Commons the Government had made 'pitiful progress' on rape convictions. 'This Bill of Rights con isnt just an attack on victims of crime who the state has failed to protect,' Ms Reeves added. 'Its an attack on women. 'Women have used the Human Rights Act to challenge the police when they have either failed or refused to investigate rape and sexual assault cases.' Labour's Ellie Reeves branded the publication of legislation to overhaul the 1998 Human Rights Act as a 'very dark day for victims of crime, for women, for people in care' Ahead of the Bill's publication, Mr Raab had hailed his measures as a 'strong enhancement of free speech', stopping the courts from introducing Continental-style privacy laws by the back door. He said the Bill would 'sift out spurious claims' made by foreign criminals and others under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights; the right to private and family life. Article 8 has been used by thousands of foreign offenders to avoid being deported. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said Bill of Rights would 'empower people to express their views freely' in the face of online 'cancel culture'. Mr Raab said: 'First of all in the weighing-up of rights we will be clear that free speech has a higher pecking order, if you like, than the other rights. 'That's particularly important when you're balancing free speech versus privacy. 'The Continental approaches tended to be more that you have stronger privacy laws. 'Our approach and that of other common law countries is to have a stronger tradition of openness, transparency, free speech and the accountability that goes with that. You'll see that written very clearly into the Bill of Rights. 'You'll see a strong enhancement of free speech. We haven't abolished Article 8 but we've curtailed the scope for abuse. 'Our approach is to sift out the spurious claims that we've seen, and allow us to adopt the most robust immigration controls possible.' The Bill will introduce a 'permissions stage' in the courts requiring people who want to bring a human rights case to show they have suffered 'significant disadvantage' before it can go ahead. The move is designed to save court time and taxpayers' money. Ministers want to avoid a repeat of the fiasco that saw the first migrant flight to Rwanda blocked at the 11th hour In a further boost to Press freedom, the Bill will introduce a higher bar when courts are asked to order journalists to disclose their sources. It will prevent human rights laws from being used as a way to bring claims over overseas military operations. The curtailment of Article 8 is one of the key dimensions of the new package. On Saturday the Daily Mail revealed how a series of killers, robbers and sex offenders remained in the UK by arguing their right to a private or family life in immigration courts. Under Mr Raab's proposals, offenders seeking to dodge deportation would have to prove that a child or another dependent would come to 'overwhelming, unavoidable harm' if they were separated a higher test than under current law. The Conservatives first pledged a Bill of Rights under leader David Cameron in 2007. A member of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang has told a judge that he should not be deported back to Pakistan because his son needs a role model. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, have been told they will be sent back to Pakistan for the good of the British public, after both were part of a gang convicted of a catalogue of serious sex offences in May 2012. For two years from early 2008, girls as young as 12 were plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-raped in rooms above takeaway shops and ferried to different flats in taxis where cash was paid to use the girls. Since release from jail on licence in 2016, they have fought a long legal battle against deportation - mounting multiple legal challenges and appeals - spanning several years on the grounds that deportation would interfere with their human rights. But now both Khan and Rauf will finally hear if they can remain in the UK after a date for their deportation case was set for later this year. Khan appeared at a final deportation hearing on Wednesday to argue he should not be deported, where Judge Charlotte Welsh asked him how his son might be affected if he was deported from the UK. Khan, speaking through a Miripuri interpreter, replied: 'As you know, the father figure is very important in every culture in the world, to be a role model for the child, to tell him or her right from wrong.' Adil Khan, 51 (pictured), a member of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang who got a 13-year-old girl pregnant, has told a judge that he should not be deported to Pakistan because his son needs a role model Khan and Qari Abdul Rauf - who can still move freely around Rochdale - were among nine Asian men convicted for sex offences against vulnerable girls in 2012. Police fear as many as 47 victim may have been groomed by the gang. Failure to deport any of the gang has led to widespread anger in Rochdale, where victims realised they had been living alongside their recently-released tormentors. A string of Home Secretaries have also come under fire after being accused of failing to act after members of the group were ordered to be deported in 2015. Khan also claimed he is not wanted by his family back in Pakistan because his notoriety would be bad for the business they own. Failure to deport any of the grooming gang has led to anger in Rochdale, where victims were living alongside their tormentors, and has heaped public criticism on a number of home secretaries. Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant, but denied he was the father, then met another girl, 15, and trafficked her to others using violence when she complained. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52 (pictured), have been told they will be sent back to Pakistan for the good of the British public, after both were part of a gang convicted of a catalogue of serious sex offences in May 2012 Rauf, a father-of-five, trafficked a 15-year-old girl for sex, driving her to secluded areas to have sex with her in his taxi and ferry her to a flat in Rochdale where he and others had sex with her. For two years, from 2008, a gang of men in Rochdale preyed on girls as young as 12, plying them with alcohol and drugs before they were gang-raped in rooms above takeaway shops and ferried to different flats in taxis where cash was paid to use them. Police said as many as 47 girls were groomed. The appeal hearing against both men was adjourned until Thursday morning. British national Aiden Aslin has been told by his Russian captors that his execution will go ahead and that 'time is running out' for Britain to save him. Aslin, 28, was captured alongside fellow Brit Shaun Pinner by Russian forces while fighting as part of the Ukrainian army in Mariupol last month. The pair were handed a death sentence in an internationally unrecognised court in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic. British foreign secretary Liz Truss called the sentences 'a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy', but the Government has thus far refused to intervene directly to prevent the sentence. Truss has argued that a British governmental intervention could be seen to legitimise pro-Russian claims that Aslin and Pinner are 'mercenaries', despite them being paid members of the Ukrainian army with Ukrainian wives. Now Aslin has reportedly told his parents he has been informed that 'time is running out' and that his execution will be carried out imminently. Aslin's grandmother Pamela Hall told the BBC: 'Aiden was extremely upset when he called his mother this morning. The bottom line is Aiden has said the DPR has told him nobody from the UK has made contact, and that he will be executed. 'There are no words... it's got to be everyone's worst nightmare to have your family threatened in this way.' It is unknown whether Pinner, 48, has received the same chilling statement from his captors. British national Aiden Aslin has been told by his Russian captors that his execution will go ahead and that 'time is running out' for Britain to save him British war prisoners Aiden Aslin (first from the left) and Shaun Pinner (first from the right) were sentenced to death penalty by Donetsk court on June 9, 2022. A Moroccan man, centre, also received the same sentence Aslin is pictured with facial lacerations and bruises after being captured The British government says its citizens were regular soldiers and should be exempt under the Geneva Conventions from prosecution for participation in hostilities. Truss said she believes the best way to resolve the situation is via the Ukrainians, and has held talks with Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on the topic. A Kremlin official meanwhile claimed British authorities did appeal for help in relation to the cases of Aslin and Pinner, but the note was ignored. 'There was an approach by the British to us - they sent us a note but the note was so full of such arrogant and didactic expressions that it really didn't produce any desire in us to cooperate in these questions,' Ambassador Andrei Kelin told Russian state television. 'They need to approach the DPR - our recommendation remains the same,' Kelin said. Though Russia does not carry out the death penalty, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, whose independence is recognised only by Moscow, have it on their statute books. 'I have cried buckets over this, but crying doesn't help, I want do so something but I don't know what to do,' Ms Hall said of her grandson's predicament. 'After Aiden's call this morning what am I supposed to think? I don't want to lose heart but it's very hard.' A protest rally is being planned in support of Mr Aslin by the Ukrainian community in his home town of Newark this weekend to urge the government to step in on his behalf. The leader of the DPR meanwhile claimed last week that the UK does not care about its citizens because it has not yet intervened in Aslin and Pinner's executions. Denis Pushilin said the pair will be executed by firing squad for participating in the war as 'mercenaries'. Pushilin, who is a prominent MP in Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, says Britain has not pushed for their release, thereby showing disdain for its own people. 'There has been no contact from the British authorities,' he told Russian state-controlled news outlet RIA Novosti. 'It's my impression that they have a don't-care attitude to their citizens, despite all their grandiose statements about how they are looking after their citizens.' Head of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 16, 2022 British citizen Aiden Aslin, 28, stands behind bars in a courtroom in Donetsk British national Shaun Pinner, 48, is pictured in a cage in a Donetsk courtroom where he was handed a death sentence Shaun Pinner, pictured with wife Larysa, now faces execution by firing squad after surrendering to Russian forces in Ukraine Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, gestures speaking to foreign journalists in an area of the Mariupol Sea Port, close to where Aslin and Pinner were taken prisoner Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov recently told reporters in a conference call that London had not contacted Moscow about the issue. He said: 'Of course, everything will depend on the appeal from London, and I am sure that the Russian side will be ready to consider it.' But Britain has so far declined publicly to raise the issue with authorities in the DPR, with Truss warning that if British authorities were to intervene directly it could be seen to validate Russian claims the detainees are mercenaries. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has intervened in the case of a Moroccan man sentenced to death alongside Aslin and Pinner. The Strasbourg-based court will indicate to the Russian government that it should ensure the death penalty imposed on Brahim Saadoune is not carried out. Saadoune was sentenced to death in the same hearing as the Brits, with whom he shared a cage in the courtroom. It is not known whether Pinner or Aslin have made requests to the ECtHR. A 'devastated' family have paid tribute to a 'very loving' 13-year-old boy who drowned while cooling off in a river with his school friends in Cardiff yesterday. Tragic Aryan Ghoniya was found dead in the River Taff, at Whitchurch, at around 5.45pm on Tuesday, on a stretch of water where children often splash around in during hot weather. Police, fire crews and a helicopter were roped into an 'extensive search' an hour earlier, when he had been reported missing. His family today said he was known as the 'little professor' because he was talented at maths. A family statement said: 'Aryan was our 'Little Professor', brilliant at Maths, an all-rounder academically. He was very loving with a warm personality and loved by all who knew him. 'There will never be a day when we will not miss him, and he will remain in our hearts forever. Tragic Aryan Ghoniya (pictured), 13, was found dead in the River Taff, at Whitchurch, at around 5.45pm on Tuesday Aryan was found in stretch of water where children often splash around in during hot weather. (Pictured: Emergency services at the scene) 'The family is devastated by the tragic loss of Aryan but we are touched by the way the community, including the police and emergency services have been trying to support us.' The family also thanked the accident and emergency department at the University hospital of Wales, where doctors tried in vain to save the popular teenager. Balloons, tributes and flowers were left by Aryan's family and friends beneath a bridge over the River Taff today. One tribute at the scene read: 'You never know the last time you'll see a place or a person. You'll always have a place in our hearts.' The tragic teenager had gone missing at around 4.45pm near Forest Farm Road (pictured) in Whitechurch, South Wales Police said The family of Aryan thanked the accident and emergency department at the University hospital of Wales, where doctors tried in vain to save the popular teenager. (Pictured: The area around and along the Taff trail near Forest Farm road, Whitechurch, Cardiff) Another said: 'You will be missed so much by everyone, you never failed to put a smile on our face and you will be in our hearts forever.' Samantha Camilleri, who lives close to the scene of the tragedy, said: 'There were sirens going off constantly and I'd realised immediately that they were looking for someone. The helicopter came down very close. 'Everyone knows one other here and it will come as a huge shock to the community. Those poor parents too - absolutely heart-breaking.' Police and Coastguards were called to a report of children playing in the River Taff at 4.45pm on Tuesday and that one boy had gone missing. An extensive search was carried out by police including divers. Aryan was located in the river at around 5.45pm and, despite the efforts of the emergency services, he was unable to be revived. (Pictured: Stretch of River Taff where Aryan was found) Fire officers, paramedics and a police helicopter were also at the scene. Aryan was located in the river at around 5.45pm and, despite the efforts of the emergency services, he was unable to be revived. Whitchurch and Tongwynlais' joint Labour councillors page shared its own tribute to Aryan. They said: 'Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the 13-year-old boy who has died.' 'It is clear there was a rapid and significant response from emergency services and we await further detail.' HM Coroner has been informed and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing. The nine members of the House select committee on January 6 are likely to get a security detail as there has been an uptick in violent threats over the past 24 hours in the aftermath of the panel's fourth public hearing. The Washington Post reported Wednesday on the development, citing three people involved in the investigation. Tuesday's hearing featured mostly Republican election officials who detailed former President Donald Trump and his allies' pressure campaign to have them overturn the 2020 election, and the threats they and their families endured when they refused. The nine members of the House select committee on January 6 are likely to get a security detail as there has been an uptick in violent threats over the past 24 hours in the aftermath of the panel's fourth public hearing Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger shared a letter on Sunday that was addressed to his wife that called her a 'c**t' and said he would be 'executed' for his role on the January 6 House committee Rep. Liz Cheney (left), who has had a security detail since last year, hugs Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers (center left) after he testified Tuesday. Bowers and Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (center right) detailed some of the threats they received Both members of the committee and witnesses have shared details about the threats they've received. On Sunday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger - one of two Republican members on the committee - shared a letter sent to his wife that calls her a c**t and says he'll be 'executed.' 'But don't worry! You and Christian will be joining Adam in hell too!' the letter reads, referencing the congressman's six-month-old son. Kinzinger called on Republicans to turn the temperature down. 'Here is the letter. Addressed to my wife, sent to my home, threatening the life of my family,' he tweeted. 'The Darkness is spreading courtesy of cowardly leaders fearful of truth. Is [this] what you want @GOP? Pastors?' Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, another committee member, has had a security detail since last year. Aides told The Washington Post that she hasn't been able to hold large-scale campaign events due to security threats. Cheney is facing a pro-Trump primary challenger for her Wyoming House seat, with voters heading to the polls in mid-August. Overall, there are nine members, seven Democrats and two Republicans, who are serving on the committee. In a similar move, security details were given to lawmakers last year who served as impeachment managers for Trump's second impeachment trial. The United States Capitol Police wouldn't confirm on-the-record that the nine lawmakers were getting details. 'For safety reasons, the USCP does not discuss potential security measures for Members,' a spokesperson for USCP told The Post. The uptick in threats to members came after witnesses on Tuesday detailed the own threats they faced. Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers said Trump supporters would swarm his home on Saturdays, while he and his wife were taking care of their ailing daughter, who died several weeks after January 6. 'We've had various groups come by and they have had video panel trucks of videos proclaiming me to be a pedophile, a pervert, and a corrupted politician,' Bowers recounted. 'Loudspeakers in my neighborhood and leaving literature and arguing and threatening my neighbors.' Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, also a Republican, said his widowed daughter-in-law's home was broken into. And witness Shaye Moss talked about discovering the slew of insults - some of them racist - in her Facebook messenger app once Trump entangled she and her mother Ruby Freeman in a election conspiracy theory about why he lost Georgia. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked if President Joe Biden planned to address these threats of violence on the heels of the Post's report Wednesday that 1/6 committee members were likely to get security details. 'He's been very clear it is inappropriate,' she responded, not speaking on the 1/6 report directly. Two NYPD officers rescued a young woman after she collapsed onto the rails of a subway station in Brooklyn while having a 'medical episode' during a morning rush hour. The two cops, Muhammed Ghani and Rochelle Paulburton, were on transit duty on Monday morning when they spotted a 25-year-old woman falling off the platform at the 95th Street station in Bay Ridge at around 8:30 a.m. Bodycam footage, released by the 68th precinct police on Tuesday, shows the two officers walking right behind the woman, as she steadily walks closer to the platform edge. She then tumbles onto subway tracks of the northbound R train after getting her feet tangled. One of the police officers immediately jumps onto the rail to lift the young woman, who seems to be suffering from a seizure as she shakes uncontrollably, video shows. A 25-year-old woman fell onto subway tracks off of the platform for the R-northbound train at the 95th Street station in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on Monday at 8:30 a.m. The woman lied on the tracks, shaking uncontrollably, as it seems that she was suffering from a seizure. The NYPD said the 25-year-old had a 'medical episode' The second officer gave her colleague a helping hand from the platform as she and the other officer quickly proceeded to lift the woman from the rail in case a train was soon arriving at the station. The closest northbound R train was still several stops away from the station and did not interfere with the rescue, according to the NYPD. The woman did not appear to suffer any physical injuries from the fall. She was taken to NYU Langone, where she is believe to be in stable condition. Her identity remains confidential as of Wednesday, the NYPD told DailyMail.com. The two officers who helped the young woman were not hurt from the incident. They have both been part of the NYPD for at least five years, according to NBC New York. One of the two police officers attempts to quickly lifts the woman onto the platform before the next R-line train arrives at the station The two cops worked together to save the woman's life, as their actions have been deemed as heroic The fall succeeds ongoing acts of violence that have taken place in New York City's subway system under Mayor Eric Adams' watch, despite his promise to lower local crime levels. Crime happening in the subway system has surged percent in 2022 compared to 2021. New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is a former NYPD officer, has often been vocal about eradicating crime in the city, but has been slammed for failure to take action. According to NYPD data, while murders and shooting are respectively down 13 and 11 per cent from the same time period last year, overall crime is up nearly 38 per cent this year compared to June 2021. Robberies have also gone up a staggering 40 per cent, while felony assaults have surged by 20 per cent and rapes by 15 per cent. Transit crime, however, has increased the most at roughly 54 per cent - with 1,072 reported through June 19, 2022, compared to 695 reported at the same time last year. The man who killed 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman and injured 22 other pedestrians after plowing through a crowd in Times Square in 2017 has been found not responsible for his crime by reason of insanity. Richard Rojas, 31, who suffers with schizophrenia, 31, learned of his fate in Manhattan's Supreme Court on June 22. He committed his atrocity on May 18, 2017. Rojas, a US Navy veteran and native of The Bronx, had pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, 18 counts of attempted murder and 38 counts of assault. The jury deliberated for six hours in the case before accepting Rojas' lawyer, Enrico Demarco's, argument that his client was so mentally disturbed he didn't understand what he was doing. Demarco described the verdict saying: 'The verdict, whether it would have been not guilty or guilty, its not going to bring that poor young woman back so.' He continued: 'This, I think, is the right, humane verdict.' Judge Daniel Conviser said that Rojas will undergo further psychiatric examinations before he is sentenced to an institution. He could have faced life in prison. The judge said that Rojas qualifies for an extended 'involuntary mental commitment.' A further hearing on the terms of his confinement will be held on June 23. The several weeks long trial revolved around Rojas' mental state at the time of the horrific incident. Avoiding jail time due to mental health issues is extremely rare in the United States. Often, suspects are found to be mentally ill but still forced to undergo a regular criminal trial. In most cases, a person found not responsible due to mental defect, will be ordered to a facility for the same amount of time as their likely prison sentence. The several week long trial revolved around Rojas' mental state at the time of the horrific incident In most cases, a person found not responsible due to mental defect, will be ordered to a facility for the same amount of time as their likely prison sentence 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman was on vacation in New York City at the time of her death Rojas' attorney Enrico Demarco said that the verdict was 'right and humane' Alyssa Elsman, 18 (front left) pictured with her family in Times Square. Elsman was killed when Rojas ran her over In the aftermath of the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement: 'Our condolences continue to be with the family, friends and loved ones of Alyssa Elsman, who suffered a terrible and tragic loss, and all of the victims of this horrific incident.' Elsman was with her family on vacation from Michigan when Rojas committed his horrific act. Her sister, Ava, suffered serious injuries including a broken pelvis and collapsed lung. Prior to the verdict, Elsman's father Thomas, told the CW7 in Michigan what he thought about Rojas' insanity defense. He said: 'I don't buy it. I just don't. We all have bad days buy you don't get permission to take your car and do a U-turn over three lanes of traffic and ride three blocks through Times Square.' Thomas Elsman continued: 'That was calculated, he knew exactly what the hell he was doing, end of story.' In a separate interview with the New York Post, Thomas Elsman said: 'You killed my daughter and my other daughter has scars for the rest of her life, let alone she doesnt have her sister with her so thats it, thats it.' A breakdown of the Rojas' attack and his victims from the New York City district attorney's office A breakdown of the Rojas' attack and his victims from the New York City district attorney's office. Rojas killed an 18-year-old girl and injured 22 others during the attack Prosecutor Alfred Peterson said during the trial that it was 'impossible' for Rojas not to know what he was doing when he plowed his car into the crowd. Peterson said, despite this, 'He didn't stop.' In his closing statement to the judge, Peterson said that he accepted Rojas was in the middle of psychotic episode when the crash occurred, but that the video proved he was in control of his actions as he maneuvered his vehicle on the sidewalk. Peterson added: 'The defendant made a decision that day," the prosecutor, Peterson, said. "He made a choice. He went to the 'crossroads of the world,' a high profile place where everyone knows there's lots and lots of people.' Rojas' lawyer had earlier showed jurors videos showing Rojas emerging from the car after the incident saying: 'What happened? Oh my God, what happened?' During the trial, Rojas' brother, Wilmer Varas testified that the killer began developing mental health issues at the age of 11, fifteen years before the attack in Times Square at the age of 26. Varas said that Rojas would speak in tongues and complained of hearing voices in his head. A psychiatrist who evaluated Rojas during the investigation said in the trial that the former Navy sailor gave the name 'James' to the voice in his head. Following the attack, Rojas told a traffic cop: 'You were supposed to shoot me! I wanted to kill them all.' Another startling testimony in the trial came from Ava Elsman, who told the jury: 'I just looked up and I saw the car turn and that was the last thing I saw.' 'I was in and out of consciousness,' Ava said, according to the New York Post. 'Someone told me to put my leg down or I would bleed out.' She suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a fractured pelvis and compound fractures in her leg. She remembered 'just trying to lay there [and] not die.' One of Rojas' victims, New Jersey then-high school student Jessica Williams, was cutting class at the time of his rampage. Williams was left 'basically cut in half' by his car, prosecutors. Shocking photos show the moment the SUV plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk in Times Square in 2017, killing an 18-year-old and injuring 22 others A smashed car sits on the corner of Broadway and 45th Street in New York's Times Square after an SUV barreled into the crowded area in 2017 Richard Rojas pictured during his arraignment in July 2017 Prosecutors say Rojas drove his car from the Bronx, where he lived with his mother, through Times Square on May 18, 2017, then made a U-turn. He then steered his car onto a sidewalk, and roared back up the sidewalk for three blocks before he crashed his car into protective barriers. Photographers snapped pictures of a wild-eyed Rojas after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran through the street waving his arms. At the time, the U.S. Navy veteran told police after his arrest that he had been smoking marijuana laced with the hallucinogenic drug PCP before the incident, authorities said. In 2012, he was arrested and accused of beating a cab driver whom he said had disrespected him by trying to charge too much, according to the arrest report. The arresting officer said Rojas screamed, 'My life is over!' as he was being detained. After his arrest, Rojas told the officer he was going to kill all police and military police he might see after his release from jail, the Jacksonville sheriff's office report stated. Alan Ceballos, an attorney who represented Rojas in that case, said the state charges were dropped after the military stepped in to take jurisdiction over the criminal case. Navy records show that in 2013 Rojas spent two months at a naval prison in Charleston, South Carolina. He was discharged in 2014 as the result of a special court martial, a Navy official said. Rojas enlisted in the Navy in 2011 and served for part of 2012 aboard the USS Carney, a destroyer. Rojas spent his final months in the Navy at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. The husband of a woman who died suddenly while pregnant with twins can now use an embryo created during fertility treatment to have a child using a surrogate, a High Court judge has ruled. Ted Jennings, 38, and his late wife, Fern-Marie Choya, who died aged 40 in 2019 after her womb ruptured while she was 18 weeks pregnant with twin girls, had undergone a number of IVF cycles since 2013. Mr Jennings, an investment manager from Highbury, north London, wants to use the couple's one remaining embryo, which was created using his sperm and his wife's eggs in 2018 and is in storage at a private fertility clinic in London, to use 'in treatment with a surrogate mother'. And in a ruling on Wednesday, Mrs Justice Theis gave Mr Jennings the go ahead for him to use his late wife's embryo via a surrogate. His application to the High Court in London was to legally declare that it would be lawful for him to do so because Ms Choya had not given written consent for him to do so before her death. Ted Jennings, 38 (pictured), the widow of Fern-Marie Choya, who died suddenly while pregnant with twins, can now use an embryo created during fertility treatment to have a child using a surrogate The proposal was opposed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which argued it would be unlawful for the embryo to be used in that way because of the lack of written consent from Ms Choya. But Mrs Justice Theis said she was 'satisfied' that Ms Choya did consent to use of the embryo in the event of her death. The judge also concluded that Ms Choya had not been given sufficient opportunity to give the consent in writing because a form completed during the IVF process was 'far from clear' in prompts about what a woman should do to provide consent to posthumous use of an embryo by her partner. Fern-Marie Choya (pictured), who died aged 40 in 2019 after her womb ruptured while she was 18 weeks pregnant with twin girls, had undergone a number of IVF cycles since 2013 She said the HFEA 'may want to consider' whether the form should be reviewed in light of her judgment. Mr Jennings and Ms Choya, who moved to the UK from Trinidad, met in 2007 and married in 2009. They wanted a family and, after struggling to conceive naturally, underwent three cycles of IVF treatment in 2013 and 2014 without success. Ms Choya conceived naturally in 2015 and 2016 but both pregnancies ended in miscarriage due to ectopic pregnancies. The couple then underwent further IVF cycles in 2017 and 2018 and re-mortgaged their home in order to afford private treatment, with Ms Choya becoming pregnant with twin girls in November 2018. Mr Jennings' application to the High Court in London (pictured, file photo) was to legally declare that it would be lawful for him to do so because Ms Choya had not given written consent for him to do so before her death. Ms Choya, an accountant, died 'tragically and without warning' in February 2019, just 18 weeks into her pregnancy, after developing complications and suffering a uterine rupture. The judge said: 'Turning to the issue of Ms Choya's consent, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances of this case, the court can infer from all the available evidence that Ms Choya would have consented to Mr Jennings being able to use their partner-created embryo in treatment with a surrogate in the event of her death. 'This is being considered in the context where, in my judgment, she had not been given relevant information and/or a sufficient opportunity to discuss it with the clinic.' IVF can cost upwards of 5,000 per cycle and has low chances of success In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of several techniques available to help people with fertility problems have a baby. During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilised egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop. It can be carried out using your eggs and your partner's sperm, or eggs and sperm from donors. The success rate of IVF depends on the age of the woman having treatment, as well as the cause of the infertility (if it's known). In 2019, the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was: 32% for women under 35; 25% for women aged 35 to 37; 19% for women aged 38 to 39; 11% for women aged 40 to 42; 5% for women aged 43 to 44 and 4% for women aged over 44. Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy. IVF isn't usually recommended for women over the age of 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are thought to be too low. If you're not eligible for NHS treatment or you decide to pay for IVF, you can have treatment at a private clinic. The cost of private treatment can vary, but 1 cycle of IVF can cost up to 5,000 or more. There may be additional costs for medicines, consultations and tests. Source: NHS Advertisement The judge said that the interference with Mr Jennings' right to respect for the decision to become a parent were she not to grant the declaration he sought 'would be significant, final and lifelong'. She added: 'There are no weighty countervailing factors to justify the significant interference, there is no conflict of individuals' rights and permitting the application would not undermine a fundamental objective of the statutory scheme, namely the requirement for consent.' The judge also said Mr Jennings' case would not 'open any floodgates' and that she could 'dispense with the requirement for written and signed consent in this limited situation', where a person has been denied a fair and reasonable opportunity in their lifetime to provide consent for the posthumous use of their embryos'. She added that 'there is evidence that the court concludes that if that opportunity had been given, that consent by that person would have been provided in writing'. The judge considered Mr Jennings' application at a hearing in London in May. In a witness statement before the judge, Mr Jennings said he did not recall either him or his wife having any 'negative emotions towards parenthood in the event of using a surrogate, donated embryos or adopting a child'. He added: 'Our emotional journey was going from the helplessness of the infertility compounded by the feeling of unjustness given all the other medical issues already faced. 'We eventually got to the position of accepting that having given IVF our best shot, this would be the last time and the final embryo would be saved for surrogacy.' He also said that he and his wife discussed what should happen in the event that either he or she died, or there was a risk of either her or the twins dying, and she was 'adamant' that the girls should be saved if there had to be a choice between her and them. The judge also considered evidence from Ms Choya's family, whom she described as speaking 'with one voice' about what she would have wanted. This included evidence from one of her four sisters who said she 'wholeheartedly' believes Ms Choya would want Mr Jennings to use the frozen embryo in treatment with a surrogate. A federal judge agreed on Wednesday to postpone a trial for the former leader of the Proud Boys and other members of the far-right group charged with attacking the US Capitol on January 6. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly postponed the start of the trial from August 8 to December 12 after attorneys for several of the men argued that their clients couldn't get a fair trial by an impartial jury in the midst of televised hearings by the House committee investigating the Capitol attack. They're also waiting for the committee to share documents that could become trial evidence. Former Proud Boys national chairman Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio and four other men are charged with seditious conspiracy for what authorities say was a plot to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power during the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. Tarrio, 38, of Miami, and his co-defendants - Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola - have been in federal custody for months. Their trial is expected to last four to six weeks, stretching into next year. Tarrio asked Judge Kelly to order his release on bond, but the judge maintains that the evidence against Tarrio is very strong, despite the ex-Proud Boys leader's claims otherwise. Biggs, Pezzola and Rehl asked for the trial to be postponed. Biggs' lawyer, J. Daniel Hull, noted that the House committee isn't expected to release hundreds of deposition and interview transcripts until after an August trial would have started. Proud Boys leader Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Oregon, on Septtember 26, 2020 'The transcripts are must-haves for trial preparation,' Hull wrote. Justice Department prosecutors consented to the delay. They said the House committee's failure to share the deposition and interview transcripts is also hampering their ability to investigate and prosecute January 6 defendants. Tarrio was opposed to delaying the trial. 'Tarrio believes that an impartial jury will never be achieved in Washington, D.C., whether the trial is in August, December, or next year,' his lawyers wrote. Nordean's attorneys objected to postponing the trial for months while keeping Proud Boys leaders locked up in pretrial detention. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. This led to a judge ordering Tarrio to stay out of the nation's capital. Tarrio then wasn't in Washington when the riot erupted, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that disrupted Congress from certifying Biden's victory over President Donald Trump. At least 40 members of the Proud Boys have been charged over the Capitol riot. Former leader Enrique Tarrio and four others are facing seditious conspiracy charges The seditious conspiracy indictment alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to January 6. On the day of the riot, Proud Boys members carried out a coordinated plot to storm past police barricades and attack the building with a mob of Trump supporters, the indictment says. Tarrio allegedly tried to communicate with Nordean and Biggs by telephone on the day of the attack. Nordean, 31, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president. Biggs, 38, of Ormond Beach, Florida, was a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl, 36, was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola, 44, was a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York. Two other Proud Boys members - Matthew Greene, of Syracuse, New York, and Charles Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina - have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department. Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021 Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it a hate group. Proud Boys members call it a politically incorrect men's club for 'Western chauvinists.' They have frequently brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Approximately 40 Proud Boys leaders, members or associates have been charged in the Jan. 6 siege. More than 800 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Also on Wednesday, prosecutors in the seditious conspiracy case against members of another extremist group - the Oath Keepers - asked the judge to look into whether the payment of at least some of the defense lawyers by an organization controlled by lawyer Sidney Powell runs afoul of court rules. Prosecutors pointed to articles from Mother Jones and BuzzFeed that said Powells group, Defending the Republic, is paying some defense attorneys' fees. Powell was part of Trumps legal team that pushed unfounded conspiracy theories alleging voter fraud in an effort to keep the Republican president in office following the 2020 election. Prosecutors say such an arrangement may violate a rule that says lawyers shouldnt accept money for representing a client from anyone other than the client unless three conditions are met, including that 'there is no interference with the lawyers independence of professional judgment or with the client-lawyer relationship.' The House January 6 committee is lining up more hearings into July after drawing millions of viewers to its televised probe of efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the election. Panel chair Rep. Bennie Thompson told reporters about the change Wednesday, a day after the panel's fourth recent public hearing in a series that kicked off with a prime-time event. He credited the move to the committee receiving 'a lot of information,' including from a British filmmaker who voluntarily handed over hours of footage he shot of former President Donald Trump and family members including Ivanka Trump in Trump's final months in office including in the days before and after the Capitol riot. The prime time hearing last week drew 20 millions viewers, and daytime hearings have drawn 10 million, as the panel featured live witnesses and videotaped testimony of members of Trump's inner circle and replayed clips of former Attorney General Bill Barr calling Trump's election fraud claims 'bull****.' House January 6 chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson said the select committee's hearings would continue into July, after the committee obtained new documentary footage of Trump and family members plus material from the National Archives Thompson, D-Miss., said the committee's Thursday hearing, which is set to highlight former Justice Department officials testifying about Trump's proposals to reject the election results, would wrap up this month's work. The committee would start up again in July. 'We have a new documentary from a person that we're talking to, and we got to look through all his information,' Thompson said, referring to the British filmmaker whose never-before-seen interviews with the former president and his inner circle were turned over to the committee this week. The footage was taken both before and after the insurrection. He also cited new documents being turned over by the National Archives, following earlier transfers that were approved by White House lawyers, as well as new tips of information. Panel Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told CNN new tips are coming into the committee 'daily.' Thursday's hearing will feature former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen, as well as former high level DOJ officials Richard Donoghue and Steven Engel. Tuesday's hearing focused on Trump's pressure campaign on state election officials Thursday's hearing will feature former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen (above), as well as former high level DOJ officials Richard Donoghue and Steven Engel. Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) has used the hearings to savage Trump and lay out what she calls his seven-part plan to overturn the election All are expected to testify about an internal battle inside the DOJ over an effort to install Trump loyalists who would pursue Trump's election fraud claims or even announce and investigation that might give them credibility. The new video material, which was shown to the New York Times, including footage of Ivanka Trump saying on Dec. 10 that her father should 'continue to fight until every legal remedy is exhausted,' despite testifying to the committee that she accepted Bill Barr's dismissal of election fraud claims. Trump on Wednesday complained that pro-Trump Republicans weren't being represented on the panel, suggesting it was a mistake for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to boycott the endeavor after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blackballed two of his selections. For the past year, the committee has been investigating the violence at the Capitol and its causes, and has interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses and produced some 140,000 documents. Nine people died in the attack and its aftermath. The committee had been scheduled to conclude this first round of public hearings in June. But additional information has come to the committee's attention, and Congress is set to recess for two weeks of remote and district work into the Fourth of July holiday. Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., gives opening remarks as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The revelation about the film came to light Tuesday when British filmmaker Alex Holder revealed he had complied with a congressional subpoena to turn over all of the footage he shot in the final weeks of Trumps 2020 reelection campaign. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., indicated on Tuesday that the investigation's schedule may be changing. 'I would just say the original hearings would have wrapped up in June, but we are picking up new evidence on a daily basis with enormous velocity,' Raskin said. 'And so were constantly incorporating and including the new information thats coming out.' He added: 'But certainly the hearings will conclude before the end of the summer.' The televised hearings launched with a prime-time session this month, and lawmakers said they continue uncovering new tips and information. Despite Taiwan's claims to sovereignty since its separation from the mainland in 1949, China has pledged to retake the island. The US is expected to try to protect Taiwan, with President Joe Biden promising to act "militarily" against China. Fears are mounting that an empowered Beijing may ultimately initiate military action to reclaim the separatist island in a conflict that might be much more devastating than Russia's invasion of Ukraine. US Prepares for "Wrong Kind of War," Experts Claim Foreign policy experts Hal Brands and Michael Beckley warn in their new book Defending Taiwan that the conflict might start with China executing a pre-emptive assault on US forces. The "most concerning" scenario, according to Brands and Beckley, would see Beijing seek to execute a "surprise missile assault" on American forces in Asia. It would be a comparable strike to Pearl Harbor, when the Japanese sought to destroy the majority of US naval force in the Pacific at the beginning of World war II, The Scottish Sun reported. The experts claim that the US is preparing for the "wrong kind of war" over Taiwan in the chapter 'Getting Ready for a Long War' in the book for the American Enterprise Institute. Both military are preparing for a "beautiful little war." They do warn, however, that military leaders in China and the United States will be engaged in a protracted, grinding battle with a considerable risk of nuclear war. Brands and Beckley detail how Beijing will strive to restrict any US retaliation in a worst-case scenario for the first day of the conflict. The enormous assault will be followed by cyberattacks and anti-satellite operations in an attempt to create confusion and prevent Taiwan and the US from responding effectively. The US military maintains more than a dozen sites near Taiwan and China. The formidable Seventh Fleet is Washington's major source of influence in the region. Between 50 and 70 warships, including aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, cruisers, and assault ships, are deployed by the fleet. The fleet, which also has roughly 150 aircraft, employs around 27,000 sailors and marines. Meanwhile, China would try to eliminate this vital asset right at the outset of the battle, boasting about its "carrier killer" missiles and other anti-ship weapons. Read Also: Kabul Gurdwara Attack: ISIS Claims Responsibility for Incident That Killed Afghan Sikh National, Taliban Militant Member Taiwan Scrambles Jets To Warn China In the latest flare-up in tensions and the greatest intrusion since late May, Taiwan scrambled planes on Tuesday to alert Chinese aircraft in its air defense identification zone, including bombers that flew to the south of the island and into the Pacific. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has protested about Chinese air force operations near the democratically administered island for the past two years or more, particularly in the southern area of its air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. China's recurrent military maneuvers in the vicinity are referred to in Taiwan as gray zone warfare since they are intended to both wear out Taiwanese forces by forcing them to scramble and to test Taiwanese responses. According to Taiwan's defense ministry, the newest Chinese mission featured 17 fighters and six H-6 bombers, as well as electronic warfare, early warning, antisubmarine, and aerial refueling aircraft. A map given by the government indicates several of the planes flew to the northeast of the Pratas, as per VOA News. However, the bombers flew through the Bashi Channel, which divides Taiwan from the Philippines, and into the Pacific before returning to China by the same path they came in. Related Article: China Ramps Up Rhetoric Against US Over Taiwan Issue as Leaked Recordings Reveal Beijing's Invasion Plan, Prepares Troops for War @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Russian model who was killed and stuffed into a suitcase appears to have predicted her own death in a video she secretly filmed just days before she vanished. Gretta Vedler, 23, was slain by her 'jealous' ex-boyfriend Dmitry Korovin, also 23, who confessed to the crime in March, more than a year after strangling her to death in a hotel room in Moscow. He told interrogators that he slept alongside her corpse for three nights, before placing it in a newly-bought suitcase and driving her body 300 miles to the Lipetsk region, where he left it in the boot of a car in his parents' garage. He had packed the case with charcoal to disguise the smell and kept posting pictures and messages on the model's social media, to make friends believe she was still alive, he told detectives. Gretta previously grabbed headlines after it emerged she was killed a month after branding Vladimir Putin a 'psychopath'. Although her death was unrelated to her political beliefs, she eerily said the Russian president had plans to 'forge a larger Russia' - seemingly foreshadowing his invasion of Ukraine. Now new footage has emerged which shows Gretta, who worked as an escort, appearing to be aware of her own grisly fate. Gretta Vedler (pictured), 23, was killed by her 'jealous' ex-boyfriend Dmitry Korovin, also 23, who confessed to the crime in March this year, more than a year after strangling her to death in a hotel room in Moscow Korovin (pictured) told interrogators that he slept alongside Gretta's corpse for three nights, before placing it in a newly-bought suitcase and driving her body 300 miles to the Lipetsk region, where he left it in the boot of a car in his parents' garage Gretta is seen recording herself on what appears to be a mobile phone she is hiding under the reception counter, out of view from hotel staff. She can be heard saying: 'I'm from number 708. I was screaming, I was threatened with murder, but no one came to my rescue. The hotel manager says something inaudible before Gretta adds: 'Remember, his name.' She then brands boyfriend Dmitry Korovin as her future killer, repeating his name several times. The friend she sent the clip to, who has not been named by local media, said: 'I met Korovin several times. I didn't like him at all. 'Firstly, it is immediately clear that this person is unpredictable, unprincipled and dangerous. 'Secondly, I know for sure - he perfectly understood what Gretta was doing. 'But he didn't stop her. And even vice versa - he took advantage of the fact that she made a lot of money.' According to friends of Gretta, the model would often complain that Korovin would ask her for money and fail to pay her back. He is said to have owed her 15,200, but she refused to break things off. Korovin told investigators he had argued with Gretta (pictured), who worked as an escort, about her clients on the day she died Then he drove her body 300 miles to Lipetsk region and left it in the boot of a car for more than a year Her friend explained: 'Dima had a problem. Drugs. Gretta did different substances with him for a while, but then stopped.' Korovin told investigators he had argued with Gretta about her clients on the day she died. He claimed he lunged at her and strangled her in a drunken rage and passed out, before waking up to find her cold, dead body on the bed. It was then that he moved her in a suitcase to his parents' garage 300 miles away, where it remained hidden for a year. An investigator claimed Korovin, who is set to undergo a forensic psychiatric assessment, told him: 'I couldn't bring myself to bury Gretta somewhere in the woods, like some kind of dog. 'We were close to her, I couldn't do that to her.' The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the City of Moscow said: 'On March 12, 2022, the body of a model who disappeared in Moscow in 2021 was found in the garage of a country house in the city of Lipetsk. 'The defendant was detained in accordance with Art. 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. 'During the interrogation he fully admitted his guilt, explaining to the investigator that he strangled his girlfriend as a result of a conflict that arose due to financial and domestic disagreements. Korovin (pictured) kept posting pictures and messages on the model's social media, to make friends believe she was still alive, he told detectives 'After committing the crime, the accused hid the body in a suitcase and moved it to the territory of the city of Lipetsk, where he lived. 'Today, the investigation is petitioning the Presnensky District Court of Moscow for the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention for the defendant. 'The criminal investigation is ongoing.' Gretta was killed one month after she had branded Vladimir Putin a 'psychopath' and predicted his drive to 'enhance the integrity of Russia' would end in tears. A male friend called Evgeniy Foster - a blogger in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian city blitzed by Russian forces - became suspicious and found a friend in Moscow to file a missing person case, triggering a search which eventually located her body. A video from Russia's Investigative Committee shows Korovin allegedly demonstrating how he killed the model, and making a full confession. Her prescient postings on Putin in January 2021, a month before she was killed, are not seen as connected to her death but are chilling in the light of the subsequent Ukraine invasion. She was concerned over his crackdown on protests and what she saw as a desire to forge a bigger Russia. 'Given the fact that Putin went through a lot of humiliation in childhood, he could not stand up for himself due to his [slight] physical form, it is not surprising that he left after law school and joined the KGB,' she wrote. 'Such people are timid and fearful from childhood, afraid of noise and darkness, strangers, so traits such as caution, restraint, and lack of communication are developed early in their character. 'I can only assume, in my opinion, a clear psychopathy or sociopathy is seen in him.' She told her followers: 'For psychopaths, it is important to constantly experience a sense of fullness and sharpness of life, so they love risk, intense experiences, intense communication, intense activity - an intense and dynamic life. 'Maybe he really wants to enhance the integrity of Russia and sincerely wishes the good for the Russians. But can he really do anything?' She made clear she had grave doubts. 'I think you know the answer to this question yourself,' she posted. An Irish seven-year-old has died in hospital two days after being pulled from her Majorcan hotel pool and revived before being rushed to an intensive care unit. Sources at Son Espases Hospital in the island capital Palma confirmed she had lost her fight for life this afternoon. A routine police investigation into Monday's incident at the four-star HYB Eurocalas Hotel in the east coast resort of Calas de Mallorca is ongoing. The youngster was rushed to hospital 'in a critical condition' on Monday afternoon with police clearing a path for her ambulance so she could get there as quickly as possible. An Irish seven-year-old has died in hospital two days after being pulled from her Majorcan hotel pool A routine police investigation into Monday's incident at the four-star HYB Eurocalas Hotel in the east coast resort of Calas de Mallorca is ongoing A spokeswoman for a regional government-run emergency coordination centre had said yesterday: 'We took a call around 3.40pm yesterday/on Monday to say lifeguards had spotted a young girl lying motionless on the bottom of the pool and dived in to rescue her. 'They performed CPR on her after pulling her out of the water because she had gone into cardiac arrest. 'Paramedics continued to try to revive her after reaching the scene and got her breathing again in the back of the ambulance. 'She was taken to Son Espases Hospital.' On June 5, six-year-old Corey Aughey from north Belfast died in hospital after falling into the swimming pool of the hotel where he was staying with his family in the Majorcan resort of Sa Coma near the Love Island villa. Last month a British toddler drowned in a swimming pool accident on the Costa Blanca. Freddie Joseph Briggs died in the pool at his parents' home in the village of Aigues near Benidorm on May 25, leading the local council to declare three days of mourning. Tributes were paid to the 19-month-old boy at his funeral service at a church in Belfast where he was christened before he was buried at a nearby cemetery. Sources at Son Espases Hospital in the island capital Palma confirmed the girl had lost her fight for life this afternoon Father Thomas McGlynn told mourners at the service the youngster brought happiness to those around him and enjoyed his short life 'to the very full.' The child's dad Marc Briggs, known to pals as Briggsy and thought to be from Mansfield, Notts, and Belfast-born mum Jane Mohan had moved to the Costa Blanca shortly before the tragedy. On May 9, a British man drowned in a nearby river which had claimed the lives of three other people in the past month as he tried to save his dog. Former Royal Navy sailor Paul Lebihan, originally from Gateshead, died after getting into difficulties in the river at a beauty spot a short drive from the Costa Blanca resort of Benidorm. Friends and loved ones later paid tribute to the 24-year-old keen amateur boxer and set up a GoFundMe appeal which has already raised around half its POUNDS 15,000 goal to help his family bring Paul's body home and assist with funeral costs. In the early hours of June 7, a British holidaymaker died after falling onto rocks in Sitges south of Barcelona. The 23-year-old man died instantly after losing his balance in an accident which police said at the time happened when he fell from a replica cannon in front of a church by the sea. A British couple's dream holiday in Canada ended in a 'nightmare' when they were ordered off their plane by armed police without being given any explanation. Retired surveyor Richard Brailey, 71, and his wife Patricia, 66, were among at least 25 passengers forced to leave the Air Canada flight before it left Montreal for Heathrow. The couple were given no reason for their ejection, but were later told by airline staff in the terminal that they may have been thrown off for being drunk or not wearing masks. They were left mystified because they had not been drinking and had been wearing masks constantly in their seats as they waited for the plane to take off shortly after midnight on Monday. Other passengers thrown off the plane allegedly included a pregnant woman, a couple with two children, at least three members of the Williams Racing Formula 1 team and the doctor for the Aston Martin team who had been in Montreal for the Grand Prix over the weekend. Mr Brailey insisted that he had not seen any other passengers misbehaving or failing to follow instructions from cabin staff on the plane. He and his wife were forced to spend the night in the airport as they could not find a room in a hotel. Meanwhile their luggage which was already loaded on the plane was flown to Heathrow without them, and is still stuck in the logjam of bags waiting for collection at Terminal 2. The couple from Hertfordshire were initially told that Air Canada was not responsible for them and that they could not get on another of the airline's flights for at least 24 hours. Have YOU got a story for MailOnline? **Have you got a story for MailOnline? Email tips@dailymail.com** Advertisement One of their sons spent 1,300 on booking an alternative flight home for them on another airline which was due to leave on Tuesday night. But Air Canada had a change of heart yesterday and put them on one of its flights to New York, and a connecting United Airlines flight to Heathrow. The couple who had spent four weeks on a camper van tour of Canada arrived back in Heathrow early this morning, but have not yet been reunited with their luggage. Air Canada today appeared to admit that Mr and Mrs Brailey may have been thrown off the plane by mistake. A statement released by the airline said: 'We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident involving a group of 25 customers who were removed from our flight from Montreal to London Monday night, due to disruptive behaviour. 'We understand that there are allegations that in the course of removing these passengers, certain unrelated individuals were deplaned as well. British couple Richard Brailey, 71, and wife Patricia, 66, had their dream holiday in Canada ended in a 'nightmare' when they were ordered off their plane by armed police with no explanation. Pictured is the police escorting them off 'Some of these deplaned customers were rebooked this morning and are on their way to their final destination. Once our investigation is completed, we will follow up with the customers.' Father-of-three Mr Brailey said he was still feeling 'shocked and disgusted' after they were ejected from the flight, despite having done nothing wrong. He said: 'We wore our masks all the time in the airport and on the plane after we went on board. The only contact we had with the stewards was when they welcomed us in the normal way. 'We had waited for about an hour for the plane to take off when a member of staff with a list of numbers came along looking up and down the rows. Father-of-three Mr Brailey said he was still feeling 'shocked and disgusted' after they were ejected from the flight, despite having done nothing wrong. Amongst those escorted off included a pregnant woman, it is reported 'They started looking at the seat numbers and earlier removed two young girls from three or four rows in front of us. 'Then they pointed at us, and told the police with them to remove us. We were totally flabbergasted. We had just been sitting in our seats normally with our masks on and looking forward to getting underway. 'The chap who was sitting next to us was also ordered to leave. He had a blanket over himself and was asleep, but was woken up and told to get off. 'We were in total shock. I was assuming there must have been a problem with the paperwork or something. 'I was asking what it was all about and if I could speak to the Captain, but I was told that I would find out later. It was a nightmare scenario. 'It was utterly bizarre because there was no noise or aggravation on the flight. As far as I could tell everyone was behaving properly, and we certainly were. 'We were taken off at the same time as three members of the Williams Formula 1 team who had friends left on board. 'What really annoyed us was the lack of communications and nobody telling us anything as we were led back into the terminal. 'We had to find our ow way back to Departures and this woman came down to say that we may have been thrown off for alcohol abuse, not wearing masks or failing to obey regulations. 'It was all rubbish because we had done absolutely nothing wrong. We asked her for evidence but she could not give any. 'Nobody was drunk, and we were not aware of anyone abusing anyone or failing to obey instructions. We were treated as if we were terrorists. 'Air Canada appeared to wash their hands of us. We were not offered a hotel or food. We tried three hotels, but all were fully booked and we had to stay in the terminal. Mr Brailey said he and his wife would now be demanding compensation for their ordeal and the money spent on the alternative flights which could not be refunded. Pictured is their camper van which they enjoyed before their dream Canada holiday ended in a nightmare 'Our son booked us the new flights for 1,300 because we thought we did not have any other way to get back home. 'In the end that money was wasted because Air Canada changed their minds and put us on different flights back home.' Mr Brailey said he and his wife would now be demanding compensation for their ordeal and the money spent on the alternative flights which could not be refunded. The couple's son Patrick Brailey, 36, who works in aviation in Spain, said: 'I just can't understand why they were picked on. 'My parents never drink to excess and are meticulous about wearing masks. They just wanted a quiet flight home. 'It is disgraceful that they have had no explanation about why they were kicked off. All they were told was that they were on a list from the Captain of people who had to leave. 'It is clear that some awful mistake was made. The flight had been slightly delayed, but nobody saw any non-compliance with masks. 'It is a shame because they had a fantastic holiday touring the Rockies and other areas in a rented camper van 'My dad did plenty of fly fishing, and he saw the grand Prix before he left.' Formula 1 journalist Phillip Horton who was on the flight tweeted: 'Yep, it made no sense. Passenger next to me from an F1 team was removed. They had been compliant, sober, quiet the whole time. Cabin crew had a list of seat numbers and just took people off.' Jess McFadyen, a director of digital strategy for motorsports publications who was also on the plane, tweeted that passengers were pulled off 'totally at random', describing the actions of the airline as 'absolutely disgraceful' In an interview with the Toronto Star, she said: 'There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it. They were just randomly selecting and going, right, you have to leave.' She said the captain on flight AC866 then announced to the remaining travellers that the passengers had been removed for 'security reasons' for 'not following airport instructions'. Ms McFadyen said that passengers sitting near those ejected were told it had to do with the airline's mask policy. A spokesperson for Montreal Trudeau International Airport said only that police responded to 'a situation on board an aircraft on the evening of June 20 and escorted passengers off the plane, at the request of the flight captain and crew'. Jay Egan, an engineer for Red Bull racing tweeted: 'The chief steward was on a power trip! She made out like people were kicking off or getting drunk. Full lies!' He added: 'Shocking treatment of many people on AC866'. **Have you got a story for MailOnline? Email tips@dailymail.com** The distraught mother of murdered Gabby Petito dabbed tears from her eyes in a courtroom today as she listened to her lawyer blast the actions of killer Brian Laundrie's parents as 'callous and shameful'. Nichole Schmidt, 41, also toyed nervously with a necklace as she sat with former husband Joseph Petito, 42, the father of the adventurous 22-year-old who was strangled on a van-life road trip with Laundrie in Wyoming last summer. The devastated mother and father are suing Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, alleging they knew their son had murdered Gabby after he returned to their Florida home alone - and tried to help him flee authorities. Nichole Schmidt (left) and Joseph Petito (right) were in court on Wednesday afternoon for a hearing on the lawsuit they filed against Roberta and Christopher Laundrie Christopher and Roberta Laundrie allegedly knew their son killed Petito and took him on vacation. The pair remained silent during the search for Petito Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito are suing Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, alleging they knew their son Brian (right) had murdered Gabby (left) after he returned to their Florida home alone - and tried to help him flee authorities They claim the Laundries are guilty of 'inflicting intentional emotional distress' and that a statement issued by their lawyer hopeful of a successful end to the search for then-missing Gabby was 'outrageous' because they allegedly already knew she was dead. Their attorney Patrick Reilly told Sarasota County Court, Florida: 'This is case not simply about the silence of Robert and Christopher Laundrie who knew their son had brutally murdered Gabby Petito.' He said it also wasn't about their 'callous refusal despite pleas from the Petito family' to speak out about whether not Gabby was alive or if she wasn't the location of her body. 'It's about a course of conduct that they committed from when they learned on August 28, 2021 that their son had brutally murdered Gabby Petito,' he said. Reilly said this included the statement that was made by the attorney advising them at the time, Steve Bertolino, regarding their wish for a successful end to the search. Judge Hunter W. Carroll asked what duty did Christopher, 63, and Roberta, 56, have to do 'anything to help' Gabby's parents. 'It's about what they did with the information that they had,' Reilly replied. 'Not just not disclosing what they knew.' He added the Laundries could have made an anonymous phone call to reveal the location of Gabby's body. The lawyer said they knew Gabby's parents were 'desperately searching' for information. The hearing was to consider the Laundries' motion to dismiss the case. After hearing pleas from both sides, Judge Carroll said he hoped to issue a written decision in two weeks. If he dismisses the motion, the Laundries could face a jury trial next year. It is the first time Gabby's parents have had an opportunity to be in a court over the tragic death of their daughter. Laundrie shot himself after fleeing to a Florida swamp, denying them legal justice. However, the hearing continued the couple's pain as they had to listen to arguments. Both sets of parents had been friendly before Gabby went missing, the court was told. The Laundries are accused of taking son Brian to Fort De Soto Park just days before Petito was reported missing Gabby's remains were eventually discovered on September 19, 2021, in lonely spot in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. She and boyfriend Brian, 23, had lived with his parents in North Port, near Florida's west coast. The young couple set off on an adventure from New York State where her mother lives - in early July, heading West. However, on September 1, Brian arrived back at the Laundrie home on his own in Gabby's white Ford van. Ten days later anxious Schmidt reported her daughter missing after last having contact in a phone call on August 25. Hours after Gabby's mom raised the alarm, North Port Police hauled the white van off the Laundrie's driveway and took it off for forensic examination. Officers asked to speak to Brian at the house, but were told by his parents he wasn't available. It is not known if the killer was inside at the time. Laundrie then went missing in the 25,000-acre alligator infested Carlton Reserve near his home, sparking a massive hunt involving local police, the FBI and at least two sheriff's departments. His parents initially told police he vanished on September 14 to go hiking in the reserve, but later changed this to a day earlier. His body was eventually found in the swamp on October 20 after his parents broke cover and joined law enforcement there. A notebook found with him included a confession that he had murdered Gabby. When Gabby was missing, attorney Bertolino issued a statement saying: 'On behalf of the Laundrie family, it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family.' Attorney Reilly attacked that statement as a 'lie', alleging it was said to give 'false hope' to Gabby's parents that she may be still alive. He added they knew the 'fragile and emotional state' of the parents at the time and that it was 'callous and shameful'. He added: 'I guess it is OK to kick someone when they are down, according to the Laundries.' Reilly alleged the only reason attorney Bertolino wasn't an additional defendant in the case was because he is not a citizen of the State of Florida. Matt Luka, attorney in court for the Laundries, spent a long time arguing the law in relation to remaining silent. He said remaining silent did not constitute inflicting emotional distress. He added that the plaintiffs argued the Laundries had a duty to speak but 'the law imposes no such obligation to speak'. Luka continued: 'Even if Brian Laundrie conveyed information to his parents they did not have a requirement to speak out.' In the Laundries' motion to dismiss paperwork, attorney Luka writes their 'inaction was not outrageous but legal permissible and constitutionally protected'. Laundrie's remains were found north of the entrance to Myakkahatchee Creek, in the Big Slough Preserve, off an unpaved trail near a bridge where Brian's parents said he liked to visit. It is four miles north of their home in North Port, Florida 'The amended complaint alleges that the Laundries failed to have any contact with the Plaintiffs when the Plaintiffs wanted the Laundries to speak or otherwise communicate' with them, the motion continues. The lawyer adds: 'That allegation falls so far below the 'particularly high' standard for outrageous conduct that the Amended Complaint should never have been filed.' He said the Laundries who have never faced any criminal charges over the tragedy are entitled to exercise their legal rights. 'There is no requirement that an individual face a formal criminal investigation in order to remain silent,' the lawyer added. Luka said the statement issued on behalf of the Laundries was 'benign' and did not alter their right to remain silent. 'Remaining silent and speaking through an attorney are fundamental rights,' he added. In Gabby's parents response to the Laundries' motion to dismiss the case, their attorneys write: 'It is believed and therefore averred that on or about August 28, 2021, Brian Laundrie advised his parents Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie that he had murdered Gabrielle Petito. 'On that same date, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie spoke with Attorney Steve Bertolino and sent him a retainer on September 2, 2021. Gabby's remains were eventually discovered on September 19, 2021, in lonely spot in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. She and boyfriend Brian, 23, had lived with his parents in North Port, near Florida's west coast. The young couple set off on an adventure from New York State where her mother lives - in early July, heading West 'After this point in time, there was no contact between Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt on the one hand, and Christopher Laundrie and Roberta on the other.' They say from August 27 to September 19 'when Gabrielle Petito's remains were found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area' that Gabby's parents were extremely distraught and trying to locate her. 'While Gabrielle Petito's family was suffering, the Laundrie family went on vacation to Fort DeSoto Park on September 6-7, 2021. They went on vacation knowing that Brian Laundrie murdered Gabrielle Petito, it is believed they knew where her body was located. 'In an effort to avoid any contact with Nichole Schmidt, on or about September 10, 2021, Roberta Laundrie blocked Nichole Schmidt on her cellular phone such that neither phone nor texts could be delivered, and she blocked her on Facebook.' They add that 'with full knowledge' that Gabby 'had been murdered by their son' they issued the statement through their lawyer Bertolino. 'For the Laundries to express their 'hope' that Gabrielle Pet was located and reunited with her family, at a time when they knew she had been murdered by their son, was beyond outrageous,' they write. A judge has declared a mistrial in the wrongful death suit against disgraced rapper Marion 'Suge' Knight, who 'ran a man over with his pickup truck and killed him' in 2015. Knight, 56, is already serving a 28-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to killing record producer Terry Carter and injuring consultant Cle 'Bone' Sloan by ramming his car into them outside a burger drive-thru in Los Angeles. The tragedy unfolded when the three men starting arguing on the set of the film 'Straight Outta Compton.' Carter's wife and two daughters filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit five months after his January 2015 death, seeking $81 million in damages from Knight. After two weeks of deliberation, the jury announced no consensus had been reached on Tuesday. Seven of the jurors agreed that Knight was liable for Carter's death, while five opposed. In cases in which the jury can't reach a verdict, the court may 'direct the jury to deliberate further or may declare a mistrial and discharge the jury,' according to Cornell Law School. The case will be retried. 'It was intense,' one of the jurors told Rolling Stone about the deliberation process. 'It was so intense, someone walked by the jury room and thought a real fight had broken out. There was yelling.' In court, Knight has argued that he was not negligent when he ran over Carter and that he was suffering from post-traumatic at the time after being shot seven times at a nightclub in 2014. Knight, 56, is already serving a 28-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to killing record producer Terry Carter and injuring consultant Cle 'Bone' Sloan by ramming his car into them outside a burger drive-thru in Los Angeles Carter's (pictured) wife and two daughters filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit five months after his January 2015 death, seeking $81 million in damages from Knight Carter's wife and two daughters argued in civil court that they each deserved $1 million for each of the 27 years Carter would have lived had he not been killed by Knight. 'It's unfortunate, but the jury worked very hard. It feels good to know we were the majority,' Carter's daughter, Crystal Carter, told Rolling Stone. 'We look forward to trying the case again to get victory for my dad. To get justice.' Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in 2018, a downgraded charge from previous murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges that could have landed him in jail for life. During the criminal trial, Knight collapsed during one court hearing, two of his former attorneys were indicted on witness-tampering charges, and his fiancee pleaded no contest to selling video of Knight hitting the two men with his truck. He was ultimately sentenced to 28 years in jail. According to reports at the time of the hit-and-run, Knight turned up to the set despite not being welcome due to a long-running feud with Dr Dre, who was there that day. A grab from footage of the crash is seen above According to reports at the time of the hit-and-run, Knight turned up to the set of 'Straight Outta Compton' despite not being welcome due to a long-running feud with Dr Dre, who was there that day. Knight was told to leave by Sloan, who was a consultant for the film, and the pair got into an argument before Knight left. Carter, a businessman and record producer, became involved and agreed to help smooth things over, before suggesting the men meet at a nearby burger joint for truce talks. Carter and Knight were seen exchanging friendly words in the drive-thru parking lot before Sloan arrived and a fist fight broke out with Knight. The argument at Tam's Burgers in the 1200 block of West Rosecrans Avenue quickly escalated into violence. While trying to escape, Knight clipped Sloan with his car, knocking him to the ground, before running over Carter, killing him. Knight, who co-founded Death Row Records with Dr Dre, has always denied intentionally hitting either man. Knight was once a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s The 56-year-old was a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s, and his label once listed Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its artists. Knight lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy. In February this year, Snoop Dogg acquired the label. Before killing Carter, Knight had previous felony convictions for armed robbery and assault with a gun. He pleaded no contest in 1995 and was sentenced to five years' probation for assaulting two rap entertainers at a Hollywood recording studio in 1992. He was sentenced in February 1997 to prison for violating terms of that probation by taking part in a fight at a Las Vegas hotel hours before Shakur was fatally wounded in a drive-by attack as he rode in Knight's car just east of the Las Vegas Strip. Shakur's slaying remains unsolved. The bulk of Warren Buffett's $93.4 billion estate could go to his little-known family foundation that supports abortion rights - and not to the Gates Foundation as executives have been planning. For years, executives at the Gates Foundation have expected the billionaire to donate the majority of his shares in his company, Berkshire Hathaway, to the global organization after he dies - and have been discussing how best to use the money, according to the Wall Street Journal. He had previously pledged in 2006 to earmark 85 percent of his stock in his company for charity - with five-sixth of the shares going to the Gates Foundation over the course of his lifetime. From there, he pledged to give a set, annually declining number of Berkshire "B" shares, to the Gates Foundation as well as the four foundations run by his family members, according to Fortune. But his 2006 letter was vague about what would happen to his fortune when he dies, with Buffett only writing at the time to the Gateses: 'I will soon write a new will that will provide for a continuance of this commitment by distribution of the remaining earmarked shares or in some other manner after my death.' He then announced in 2010 he planned to give away 99 percent of his wealth after he dies, saying in a Giving Pledge 'my family and I will give up nothing we need or want by fulfilling this 99% pledge.' Now, the Journal reports, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation - named for his late wife and run by his son-in-law Allen Greenberg - is hiring additional staff and is planning to spend a massive amount of money it is expecting to receive, with Buffett turning 92 in August. The organization - which has reportedly donated large sums to abortion rights groups and is largely run by Buffett's friends and family, with many of his children and grandchildren serving on the board - has expanded recently to add staff in Washington DC and Rwanda. It is now also reportedly looking at ways to spend a large sum of money - estimated to be $70 to $100 billion - on both international and United States efforts, focusing on reproductive health and primary health - which could include expanding into vaccinations and infectious diseases, an area in which the Gates Foundation has become globally focused. Warren Buffett may wind up donating a large sum of his $93.4 billion to the foundation his late wife, Susan, left, founded in 1964 - which donates large sums to abortion groups Buffett, right, now 91, has previously pledged in 2006 to earmark a majority of his shares in his company, Berkshire Hathaway, going to the Gates Foundation over the course of his lifetime - and company executives had expected to receive a large amount of his unpledged shares after he dies The Susan Thompson Buffett foundation was founded in 1964 by his then wife - who was apparently an activist for abortion rights and access to contraceptives - to provide scholarships to students in Buffett's home state of Nebraska. Its website also only describes the scholarships that it gives out, with information on how to apply. On the bottom of the site, it says: 'The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation responds to questions about college scholarships only. The Foundation does not respond to other inquiries.' But according to the Journal, the organization has spent the bulk of its funds on abortion access and reproductive health issues. It usually makes its donations anonymously, in keeping with Susan Buffett's desire to focus on organizations that do the work rather than those that write the checks, unnamed sources told the Journal. And the majority of its checks go to organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Network of Abortion. Between 2000 and 2018, it poured $4 billion into organizations that lobby for abortion rights, according to the Capital Research Center, and of that $4 billion, it paid about $675 million to Planned Parenthood of America and its international and state-level affiliates. It also reportedly donated more than $112 million to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights think-tank, and $293 million to the National Abortion Federation. Susan Thompson Buffett, pictured in an undated photo with Warren and their daughter, also named Susan, was a staunch supporter of abortion rights Buffett has previously said he let his wife set up the organization in 1964 because he knew little about philanthropy. But after Susan died in 2004 at the age of 72, he decided to get more involved in philanthropy - and instead focused his efforts on the Gates Foundation, which was then run by the world's wealthiest couple. He said at the time he decided to partner with Bill and Melinda French Gates because he trusted they could do a better job giving away the money to help society and fund vaccine and infectious disease causes than the smaller Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. 'I came to realize that there was a terrific foundation that was already scaled up - that wouldn't have to go through the real grind of getting to a megasize like the Buffett Foundation would - and that could productively use my money now,' he told Fortune magazine at the time. The Buffett Foundation only had about $270 million in assets as of 2006, according to the Journal, and in another letter, Buffett announced he would earmark shares worth about $3 billion to the foundation. A third set of shares would be divided equally among three foundations headed by his children - and pledged additional shares to the organizations in 2012. After Susan died, Buffett focused his efforts on the Gates Foundation, which was then run by the world's wealthiest couple Following Bill and Melinda Gates' public split, Buffett announced he was stepping down from the board - but he and Bill Gates deny still seem to have a friendship After Buffett's latest donation to the Gates Foundation earlier this month, Bill Gates tweeted that the donations 'move me to tears' Expecting to get the most money upon Buffett's death, though, the Journal reports, the Gates Foundation's chief executives, dozens of employees and consultants from management consulting firm McKinsey and Co participated in a years long analysis and plan they dubbed Project Lincoln. One of the ideas was to create a world children's savings bank, where each child would receive thousands of dollars, according to the Journal. But over the years, it seems Buffett, now 91, has grown displeased with the Gates Foundation. Sources close to the discussions told the Journal that Buffett has shared his displeasure with what he viewed as the bloated size of the foundation, and asked for the headcount to be capped - which led to job cuts in 2015. He also reportedly took issue with the number of consultants the foundation hired. Eventually, Buffett started skipping out on board meetings, the Journal reports, and just months after Bill and Melinda Gates announced they were calling it quits, Buffett announced he would stepping down from the board. 'My goals are 100% in sync with those of the foundation, and my physical participation is in no way needed to achieve these goals,' he said in a statement last year. He also said he is dedicated to donating more money to the charity instead of donating his time, calling the work of people who donate both time and effort 'a much more admirable form of philanthropy than mine.' Both Gates and Buffett have since denied that his stepping-down was related to the Gates' divorce, with Buffett continuing to visit his old friend. And after he donated his latest donation to the Gates Foundation, Gates tweeted: 'Im grateful for Warrens gifts to support the foundations work and for our many years of friendship. 'When he decided in 2006 to make these gifts, it moved me to tears. It still does.' A surfer was on the wrong end of a shark attack in California, suffering 'major injuries to his stomach and leg' on Wednesday morning. The man, who remains unidentified for the time being, was bitten at Lovers Point Beach in Monterrey Bay, California, which is an hour-and-a-half drive south of San Francisco. He was immediately rushed to Natividad Medical Center the closest hospital to the beach even though it's 23 miles away from the shore. The attack took place at around 11 a.m. It remains unclear if the man was attacked while he doing some sort of water activity or if the shark attacked while he was only swimming. Jenny McAdams - a council member for the city of Pacific Grove shared a statement on Facebook: 'The surfers condition is unknown at this time. After the attack, the shark was seen again in the area.' 'The beach has been closed, with everyone ordered out of the water. I will share updates as they become available,' she added. A shark attack took place at Lovers Point Beach in Monterrey Bay, California, with the victim being rushed to hospital after suffering serious injuries to his stomach and leg Lovers Point Beach (pictured) will remain closed for the next 48 hours as an investigation into the attack remains ongoing The beaches in the area will be closed for the next 48 hours, the Monterey Herald reports. Rhonda Navarrol, who witnessed the attack, told CBS affiliate KION-TV that the shark was visible from above the water but that she couldn't recognize which type it was. A press release will take place later today, as more updates are expected. As of June 22, there have been 10 shark attack bites in the US this year, according to Tracking Sharks. Nearly all of them occurred in Florida, except one, which took place in California. None of them were considered as provoked and no deaths have been reported in relation to the amount of shark attacks this year. If a person encounters a shark in the water, then they are advised to stay and still and not to swim away from it. If the shark does start an attack, then it's advised to punch it as hard as one can in the nose due to their sensitivity. In most cases, it will drive the shark away. If the shark is just circling around someone with no immediate threat, then it's advised to just stand still and to observe until it swims away. A top barrister who blasted Lisa Wilkinson on breakfast television over her 'ill-advised' Logies acceptance speech was hired to represent her hours later. The fallout from The Project host's speech after winning an award for her interview with alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins has stretched into a fourth day after the accused rapist's trial was delayed as a result. Australian Bar Association president Dr Matthew Collins was approached to represent Wilkinson and Network 10 on Wednesday amid concerns she could be charged with contempt of court or similar offences, The Australian reported. Channel Ten has confirmed the network has hired Collins to represent Wilkinson. 'Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event,' a spokesperson said. Lisa Wilkinson (pictured during her Logies speech) could be charged with contempt of court 'In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' Dr Collins was approached just hours after he warned there's a 'serious possibility' Wilkinson could be charged with contempt of court. 'It's certainly possible that the authorities will be looking at the speech that she made to the Logies and assessing that speech against the standard which applies in this branch of the law,' he told Sunrise on Wednesday. 'That standard is, did anything that she do have a tendency to interfere with the administration of justice?' He believes Wilkinson, who's been in the media industry for more than 40 years, should have known better. 'You would hope that whenever the media is contemplating running a story about a serious criminal trial which is about to begin, they would be attune to the potential risks,' Dr Collins added. 'The mainstream media understand the risk inhering with talking about cases which are about to go to trial, particularly serious high-profile cases.' Australian Bar Association president Dr Matthew Collins (pictured) was hired to represent The Project host hours after he slammed her actions on Sunrise 'The whole point is that everybody in our community facing a serious charge like this is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and that means that going into the courtroom there should be no preconceptions one way or the other, so that the jury just sits and focuses really keenly on the evidence as it unfolds in the witness box, and puts out of their mind anything which they might have seen in the media, or God forbid and often far worse, in social media.' It follows scathing comments from ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum on Tuesday, after she was forced to postpone the trial of Higgins accused rapist due to Wilkinson's speech on Sunday night. Wilkinson's speech was watched by millions of viewers moments after winning a Logie for her one-on-one interview with Ms Higgins days after the former Liberal staffer went public with her allegations she was raped at Parliament House by a colleague. Lisa Wilkinson (right) won a Logie for her television interview with alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins (also pictured) Meanwhile, former Channel 10 weatherman Tim Bailey has doubled down on his attack on Wilkinson with a foul-mouthed tirade about her notorious Logies speech. 'Just accept ya F-ing little trophy and F off!,' he tweeted. It was the second time Bailey had ripped into his former colleague within 24 hours. 'Hey Lisa, pull ya head in,' Bailey said in his now-deleted previous message. 'I know this might be difficult, because it is a very big head. But please try.' A desperate hunt is underway to find two teenage girls from Sydneys north-west who have been missing for three days. Madison Wells and Amelia Butcher, both aged 14, were last seen leaving a school in Castle Hill together, about 12.30pm on Monday. They were reported missing to police on Wednesday night, who immediately launched inquiries into their whereabouts. Madison Wells hasn't been seen since leaving a school in Castle Hill Monday lunchtime Madison is described as Caucasian, about 160cm tall, of slim build, with long blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a grey hoodie with Dural Rugby printed on the front. Amelia is described as Caucasian, about 150cm tall, with long brown hair. She was last seen wearing a grey and white hoodie and crop top. It is believed Madison and Amelia are together and could possibly travelling around the Sydney Trains network. The girls are known to frequent the Blacktown and Castle Hill areas. Police and family hold concerns for both girls due to their age. Anyone with information is urged to contact The Hills Police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Amid a lull in the carnage, the disabled were lifted high up on to train carriages to flee their homes. After more than three months of the conflict, the war has finally become too much for them. At Pokrovsk station in war-torn Donbas, hundreds of desperate faces tried to board trains to flee Vladimir Putin's brutal advance in the east of Ukraine. The Daily Mail saw first-hand why our refugee campaign is still so important. Buses brought citizens of all ages from Lysychansk, Donetsk and Severodonetsk. They carried overloaded bags, cats in baskets and babies. Among the crowds were sisters Yeva, six, and Katia, ten. Amid a lull in the carnage, 81-year-old Raise from Lysychansk is lifted high up on to a train carriage at Pokrovsk station in war-torn Donbas, Ukraine Villagers from the surrounding areas, including those with medical issues, are pictured boarding a refugee train to Lviv They had begun asking their father if they would survive so he decided it was time to escape. 'If you have iron nerves, and you are an adult, you can stay there and live, somehow. But my children do not,' Olexander, not his real name, said as they headed for Lviv. 'We could see the explosions of the shells around a quarter of a mile away from our home. The children were nervous all the time.' Marharyta, 26, held her son Maksym, one, as she dragged a pushchair up the stairs. Her six-year-old son Mykyta followed behind. Margarita, 26, and her one-year-old Maksym pictured at the railway station in Pokrovsk, after being helped to flee the Donbas town of Slovyansk which is facing increased Russian shelling Two-year-old Valeria with her mother Anna, 33. They were fleeing their front line village home for the second time, after a renewed Russian surge in the area. They are shown leaving distraught father and husband 34 year old Zakir, and Grandmother Olga They were escaping Sloviansk, west of Severodonetsk joining more than 7.7million Ukrainians who have now fled. On the platform, staff winched 64-year-old cancer patient Halyna on to the train in a sling. She needs urgent medical help after being evacuated from Bakhmut by UK charity RefugEase. Pokrovsk was shelled twice last week. The attacks heightened fears there could be a repeat of Kramatorsk, where Russian rockets hit the railway station in April killing 59 would-be refugees. The lie-based Xinjiang Act comes into effect. Here is how it will cripple global trade and hurt the US itself 14:28, June 22, 2022 By Chi Zao ( People's Daily Online Illustration by Kou Jie/People's Daily Online Most companies prefer to reap the benefits of free trade and globalisation rather than trying to undermine them. The so-called Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA), which the US President Joe Biden signed into law in December 2021 and took effect on June 21, is leading many to do the opposite. Like their foreign competitors, American businesses may find international trade to be increasingly in a state of disarray and escalating strife. The "Xinjiang forced labour" lie, which has long been a selling point for the US in smearing China, but often a source of scepticism for the international community, has now formed the basis of a law that may cripple global trade. The UFLPA bans the importation of Xinjiang-made products into the US by establishing a "rebuttable presumption" that they are "tainted by forced labour." Companies importing from Xinjiang must provide "clear and convincing evidence" that no forced labour was used in producing their goods. Furthermore, companies outside of Xinjiang that are found to be using forced labour will be placed on a blacklist. In response to the laws implementation, Wang Wenbing, spokesperson of Chinas Foreign Ministry, told the media on June 21 that the legislation is a clear indication that the US is seeking to engender forced unemployment in Xinjiang through legal form of actions, and to make the world decouple with China. It fully exposes the US hegemonic nature -- a country that violates human rights and breaks rules in the name of preserving them. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes these acts and will act forcefully to uphold the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and nationals, said the spokesperson. "The US government uses human rights as a scapegoat to stifle free trade and make American companies submit to its biased ideology. The law also infringes on Americans' right to know the truth about Xinjiang and China," Zhu Ying, a professor at the Baize Institute of the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told People's Daily Online. It is blasphemy against real democracy, human rights and free trade, he further added. Malicious intention Graphic Design by Kou Jie/People's Daily Online Creating a "rebuttable presumption" that the goods of other nations are made with forced labor is nothing new for the US government. The "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act," which former US President Donald Trump signed into law in 2017, placed sanctions on Iran, Russia, and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The Act explicitly prohibited the importation of any commodities made by DPRK nationals and its citizens worldwide on the presumption that they were acquired through forced labor. "Given China's importance to international commerce, the UFLPA might harm free trade far more than the presumption against North Korea. The law's title may give some the impression that it only affects Xinjiang, but in reality, it could disrupt the world supply chain, forcing US companies to cut ties with China," Li Ye, a Hong Kong-based lawyer on international trade and the laws and regulations of the World Trade Organization (WTO), told Peoples Daily Online. Li claims that the new law may be used to easily target any Chinese-made products as long as they contain even the most basic raw materials from Xinjiang. Even if such goods are exported to a third country and used to make downstream items bound for the US, US Customs can still detain them. The US has once again utilised domestic legislation to impose unilateral sanctions on foreign nations, taking advantage of its economic and technological superiority. It's like a war without actual weapons, but the consequences for global trade and supply chains are unfathomable, Liao Fan, a senior fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Peoples Daily Online. China is not the only victim of the UFLPA. With ambiguous instructions and inadequate legislation, the law has shifted the burden to importers to verify that no forced labour was used in their products, causing uncertainty and discontent among US businesses. Siva Yam, president of the Chicago-based U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with POLITICO in January that "I don't know how they're even going to implement [the law] and I think it's very difficult for people to independently verify [compliance] one way or the other." Eugene Laney, president of the American Association of Exporters and Importers in Washington, D.C., concurred with Yam, telling POLITICO that "[Congress] just brought down the hammer so there's more of an enforcement environment and not an informed compliance [environment]." Adding ambiguity to the legal landscape gives the US government more leeway in applying the UFLPA. It may target certain key businesses in Xinjiang with pinpoint accuracy, including agriculture and technology while letting through essential products for the United States. In either case, the US government benefits, said Zhu. According to Zhu, the UFLPA will increase companies' costs and force them to pull Made-in-Xinjiang goods out of their supply chains. The US is forcing transnational corporations to decouple with China and it is using its domestic laws to wantonly set non-trade barriers, which severely violate the rules of the WTO and undermine the rules of the market. The UFLPA is a tool to hijack US companies interests in free trade, and force them to kneel down to the US ideological bias, as well as sabotaging Chinas global exportation and whole industrial chain, it has nothing to do with justice or human rights, Zhu said. A bill that will backfire The UFLPA, which was created to undermine Chinese exports, has also hurt the interests of US corporations. According to a Global Times report, the US shoe business Skechers has suffered considerable financial losses after US customs officials seized a shipment of its items made in China and demanded a third party make an independent inquiry. An investigation company was paid by Skechers to prove that there was no use of forced labor in its sporting gear products, and it has already requested that US customs release the companys products and remove its Chinese partner from the blacklist, according to Global Times. Although it is theoretically conceivable for importers to ask for an exception to the rebuttable presumption during detention, the expenses associated with compliance and time will be too high for most businesses, said Liao. Not all businesses have the resources to conduct self-reviews and costly investigations like Skechers has. Li disclosed that several American businesses he knew had been required to return Chinese-made goods to US Customs within 30 days, despite the fact that some of the goods had already been released by Customs and used in downstream manufacturing. They may never get their items back. "It's merely the beginning," said Li, "many American businesses have already experienced supply chain interruptions and massive compliance costs as a result of the UFLPA." The insurmountable financial loss has prompted big US corporations and their influential trade associations to delay the passage of UFLPA by more than a year through a comprehensive lobbying effort. Coca-Cola, Nike, and Apple, among others, sought to alter the legislation last year due to concerns about its impact on their supply chains, according to POLITICO. In addition to US companies, many other nations have also expressed their discontent over the US unilateral sanctions. On June 14, 47 countries mostly consisting of developed European countries, the US and its other allies signed a joint statement attacking the human rights situation in China's Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong regions at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). In response, on behalf of nearly 70 countries, a representative from Cuba made a joint speech to oppose using human rights as an excuse to interfere with China's internal affairs, saying that human rights issues should not be used as political tools. Moreover, more than 20 countries made separate speeches at the HRC in support of China, making it nearly 100 countries in total that had voiced their understanding and support toward China's stance. As a result of the UFLPA, the United States could potentially encourage more countries to join the witch-hunt for Xinjiang products in the future, which is a very worrying development. However, doing so will negatively affect the United States and its allies, including more international protests, said Liao. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) A source revealed that Amber Heard is in negotiations to write a book now that she feels she has "nothing to lose" following her ex-husband Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit. According to reports, the 'Aquaman' actress is prepared to spill what OK! Magazine referred to her book as a "revenge" one a After she was generally declared the loser in the protracted and well publicized trial, Amber Heard's "Tell-All Revenge" Book But one expert told the magazine that Amber Heard, 36, could have something to lose from any litigation that the book might trigger. After the outcome of the trial, Bikel, the author of 'The 1% Divorce: When Titans Clash,' advised Amber Heard to be "very cautious" about what she says about her ex, as per NY Post. Despite reports of the "tell-all," Amber Heard said she was terrified that Johnny Depp may sue her once more in an appearance with NBC's 'Dateline.' Depp, 59, sued Heard over an op-ed in the Washington Post from 2018 that subtly accused him of domestic violence without naming him. After a six-week trial, the jury returned a verdict that was mainly in Depp's favor, giving the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor $10.35 million in damages. However, it is unclear whether Heard would be able to make the payment if the verdict is upheld on appeal. Her marriage to Depp, his alleged abuse, and the defamation trial will supposedly all be included in the "Tell All Revenge" book. Heard may jeopardize Depp's reputation once again in the book, according to a person close to her, who also stated that she has to take extra precautions to avoid getting into legal difficulties once more. Per WION, Heard may thus go into difficulty once more if the book makes the same claims or items that are similar to the op-ed she wrote in 2018. Amber Heard has experienced significant social media reaction ever since it was revealed that she had signed a significant book contract. While some expressed support for Amber Heard, others are adamantly opposed the actress. According to a tweet, "Amber Heard is going to write a book everyone will be upset for like 5 seconds and then nobody will give a damn because we're going to the movies to watch Johnny Depp in his third blockbuster classic movie of the year." Others laughed at her for releasing a book after losing the lawsuit. Read Also: Will Britney Spears' Conservatorship Return? Father Jamie Files in Court, Accuses Daughter of Social Media Smear Campaign Johnny Depp's Another Court Battle Depp isn't quite out of the woods even though the defamation case's verdict was made public weeks ago. An assault claim from a former coworker is the next case his attorneys will handle. However, one aspect of Depp's upcoming lawsuit over an alleged attack on set will probably be quite different, Cinema Blend reported. Johnny Depp is being sued by site manager Gregg "Rocky" Brooks, who collaborated with the actor on the 2018 film 'City of Lies,' in addition to his legal dispute with Amber Heard. He claims that Depp twice hit him in the ribs, made fun of him, and offered to punch him in the face for $100,000. Additionally, no cameras will be present in the courtroom this time. Greg Brooks and Johnny Depp would need to appreciate considerably more privacy than the Depp-Heard defamation trial's media circus. However, it's likely that fans will continue to pay attention and be interested in how things turn out. Since Johnny Depp's court battle against Amber Heard, the assault case's timing is primarily to blame for the public's interest. People are interested to see if Camille Vasquez, Johnny Depp's now-famous lawyer, would succeed in representing the' Pirates of the Caribbean' star once more. Additionally, there are the speculations spread by fans that she is in fact dating Depp despite Vasquez's vehement denial of this. Related Article: Amber Heard Spills New Allegations, Putting Her at Risk of Another Court Battle After Losing to Johnny Depp's Defamation Lawsuit @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. House Republican leaders oppose the bipartisan Senate gun bill and are formally requesting their rank-and-file members to vote against it. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, told members in a closed-door meeting they opposed the bill and would whip against it. Scalise wrote in an official notice urging House Republicans to vote no: 'This legislation takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes. House Republicans are committed to identifying and solving the root causes of violent crimes, but doing so must not infringe upon' Second Amendment rights. The legislation is likely to receive support from some moderate Republicans, just as it did in the Senate. House GOP Whip Scalise wrote in an official notice urging House Republicans to vote no: 'This legislation takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes' House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, told members in a closed-door meeting they opposed the bill and would whip against it Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican who represents Uvalde, Texas announced on Twitter that he would vote for the bill. 'I am a survivor of domestic abuse, my stepfather would come home drunk & beat on me and my mother. One night he decided that wasnt enough and shoved a shotgun in my mothers mouth. I was 5 at the time and not strong enough to fend off the wolves,' he said. 'As a Congressman its my duty to pass laws that never infringe on the Constitution while protecting the lives of the innocent. In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.' My name is Tony Gonzales and I am a survivor of domestic abuse, my stepfather would come home drunk & beat on me and my mother. One night he decided that wasnt enough and shoved a shotgun in my mothers mouth. I was 5 at the time and not strong enough to fend off the wolves. Tony Gonzales (@TonyGonzales4TX) June 22, 2022 Meanwhile Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said Wednesday he plans to make sure the Senate passes new gun safety legislation by the end of the week, which would mark the first significant congressional action on a gun measure in 30 years. He spoke after the chamber voted to move to take up compromise legislation with enough votes to signal it could actually make it out of the Senate. The Senate voted 64-34 to take up the bill Tuesday night after negotiators reached agreement on 80-page legislative language. 'I am pleased Congress is on the path to taking meaningful action to address gun violence for the first time in nearly 30 years,' Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday. 'The bill is real progress. It will save lives, and it is my intention to make sure the Senate passes this bill before the end of the week.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will take up the legislation swiftly after it clears the Senate, with lawmakers in both houses eager to be home for the scheduled July 4 recess. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said he intended to make sure gun safety legislation passes by the end of the week Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also praised the compromise, saying the Senate 'took a big step toward an important bipartisan bill to prevent mass murders, make schools safer, and protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. He called the provisions 'commonsense, popular solutions,' after negotiators reached agreement on thorny 'red flag' and 'boyfriend loophole' provisions. New details were emerging on the text. The bill includes $300 million for school safety improvements, enhanced background checks for gun purchasers aged 18-21 with provisions that sunset in 2032, and $750 million to help states with red flag laws. One Republican leader, Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Thune, has already come out against it. He said it is likely to pass, having surpassed the 60-votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster, but told CNN he would vote against it. Thune had earlier blasted any assault weapons ban and the final deal contains no such provisions, citing hunting in his home state of South Dakota. 'In my state, they use them to shoot prairie dogs and, you know, other types of varmints. And so I think there are legitimate reasons why people would want to have them,' he said. Other lawmakers spoke about called AR-15s to kill raccoons, foxes, and feral pigs. The Senate reached an agreement on a bipartisan gun violence bill following horrific mass shootings in Texas and New York. The legislation would toughen background checks for younger gun buyers, bolster background check requirements and beef up penalties for gun traffickers. The bill would also prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse who are not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns. Additionally, $750million would be provided to the 19 states that have 'red flag' laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. States with 'red flag' laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm's removal. The bill would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Senate bargainers reached the agreement Tuesday potentially teeing up final passage by week's end. Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against Democrats' urban-centered backers of firearms curbs. Senator Chris Murphy speaking at a press conference on June 14. The democrat was a leader in passing the new gun control legislation President Biden and Senator Chris Murphy discuss gun control at a meeting outside the Oval Office on June 7 Republican senator from Texas John Cornyn said he felt people were telling the US government something had to be done. I'm confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction,' he said of the new legislation Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That result strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic bargainer, said would be fully paid for. Momentum in Congress for gun legislation has a history of waning quickly after mass shootings. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-week July 4th recess by this weekend. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visiting a memorial at the Robb Elementary School on May 29 Mourners embracing at a memorial outside outside the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, where a gunman murdered ten people in May The legislation lacks far more potent proposals that President Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years, derailed by GOP opposition. These include banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Yet after 10 Black shoppers were killed last month in Buffalo, New York, and 19 children and two teachers died days later in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and some Republicans decided that this time, measured steps were preferable to Congress usual reaction to such horrors - gridlock. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde, 'I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that I've never seen before.' He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety among voters 'not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful.' This bill, Murphy said, would 'save thousands of lives.' Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Top GOP bargainer Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of the pact, 'Some think it goes too far, others think it doesn't go far enough. And I get it. It's the nature of compromise.' But he added, 'I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. I'm confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction.' Payton Gendron appearing in court in May. He is accused of shooting up a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing ten people Salvador Ramos, 18, murdered 19 schoolchildren and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 In a positive sign about its fate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voiced his support, calling it 'a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.' The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, expressed opposition. 'It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners,' the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans - especially in the House - would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most hard-right voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the proposal. In another measure of conservative sentiment, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that the bill 'ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens.' Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a possible White House contender, said it would 'restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials.' Armored police officers outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 FBI investigators observing bullet holes in the window of the Tops supermarket where Payton Gendron murdered ten people in May The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Cornyn told reporters that he expected at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings - at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip - have yielded only stalemate in Washington. 'Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing,' Murphy said. 'This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives.' The bill would require that federal background checks for gun buyers age 18 to 20 include examination of the purchaser's juvenile record. That could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The suspects in the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old, a profile that matches many recent mass shooters. There would be hundreds of millions of dollars to expand community behavioral health centers, telemedicine visits for mental specialists and train first responders to handle people with mental health issues. More than $2 billion would be provided to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. Three woman who were walking along a Philadelphia street were beaten up by a man who went on to attack several other people in the city over a 24-hour period. A doorbell surveillance camera captured the moment Malcolm White, 36, appeared to approach the trio from out of nowhere as he crossed the street to carry out a series brazen assaults in south Philly. The three were walking in a line with White opting to sucker-punch the middle woman in the face, knocking her to the ground. The woman let at out a scream as she fell. 'Oh my god,' one of women could be heard shouting. Three women were attacked as they walked along a Philadelphia street at night Doorbell camera captured the moment Malcolm White, 36, left, in the pink shirt, attacked them There was no time for her friends to react either to confront White or simply get out of the way as he proceeded to knock a second woman to the ground. She toppled over falling into a trash can and ultimately landed against the wheels of a parked car. 'F*** you,' another of the women yelled before the man went after the third woman who had been leading the group. She had turned around to assist her friend, but it only took split second before she was also pummeled and viciously punched as she attempted to stand her ground. The other two women then managed to get to their feet before White, dressed in a pink sweatshirt, threatened to go after them once again. One woman can be seen falling to the ground having been sucker-punched by White. One women suffered a broken nose while other two had bust lips and cuts to their faces The doorbell camera captured the entirety of the brutal and random assault Despite being punched to the ground, the women got back up and attempted to challenge White One of the women suffered a broken nose in the assault. The other two women suffered swollen lips and cuts to the face. White was arrested by Philadelphia police on Thursday night after he continued his crime spree across the city including an allegedly carjacking in which he pulled a woman from her car by her hair and punched her in the face, according to WTXF. Malcom White, 36, had just been released from jail following a 12-year prison sentence Two other women are also believed to have been assaulted by White on Thursday morning. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Frank Vanore say there does not appear to be a motive behind the attack. 'He made some utterances. None of them really made any sense. We're not even sure what he was trying to say,' Vanore said during a press conference. White had only been released from prison in January after completing a 12-year sentence for drug and assault charges. While incarcerated he was accused of attacking prison staff including several prison guards and a female officer who he allegedly bit as he was being transported. The incident comes as Philadelphia authorities struggle to deal with the city's rising homicide and crime rates, which have increased drastically since the start of the pandemic with figures this year set to overtake those from 2021. Philadelphia authorities are struggling to deal with the city's rising homicide and crime rates As of June 19, the city has recorded 1044 shootings so far this year - 52 more than incidents seen during the same span in 2021. Robberies, meanwhile, are up a concerning 17.3 percent from last year, with crimes in general up more than 23 percent. According to police stats, there have been 225 homicides so far this year in Philadelphia. Last year, the city reported more than 500 murders - the most seen since 1990. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has blamed unstaffed police department in an interview with NPR. Outlaw also said: 'The truth is the homicides are not happening in a vacuum there are those out there who are determined to attack and kill their victims. While we are making constant adjustments to mitigate this sickening reality, our officers, simply put, just can't keep up by being everywhere at all times.' Failed leadership, officers lacking any professional curiosity, a culture in which underage victims were seen as responsible, IT systems not fit for purpose and a widespread failure to record and investigate serious crimes meant the horrific sexual exploitation of children continued for years unchallenged. Among the worst examples of police behaviour was an officer telling the father of a 15-year-old rape victim that her ordeal would teach her a lesson. Another girl was handed over to police in a child abduction case as part of a deal not to arrest the alleged abductor. Officers also found her and an abuser half-naked in a bedroom with the girl hiding under the bed, but failed to investigate him. One sexual abuse victims father said an officer told him nothing could be done due to racial tensions. Details of the significant failings by South Yorkshire Police were revealed yesterday in a report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into police actions between 1997 and 2013 concerning the sexual exploitation of girls, mainly by Asian grooming gangs in Rotherham. Operation Linden was the second-largest inquiry ever carried out by the police watchdog. It found a mountain of evidence detailing negligent, incompetent and unprofessional police work in handling sexual abuse of children, but officers either retired to escape punishment or were allowed to carry on in their jobs. The IOPC spent eight years and 6 million on 93 investigations covering 265 allegations by 51 complainants. They investigated 47 officers and upheld 43 complaints. Eight officers had a case to answer for misconduct and six for gross misconduct, but seven avoided disciplinary action by retiring. Despite the millions spent on the inquiry, just two officers received written warnings and three were given words of advice. The Crown Prosecution Service decided against charges in the only potential criminal case for a data breach. Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshires Police and Crime Commissioner, said the report fails to identify any individual accountability and as a result it lets down victims and survivors. The IOPC report detailed dozens of complaints against police. Many officers regarded the victims predominantly underage white girls as criminals. The report said their persistent fear of the abusers was compounded by a distrust of police. Some were so traumatised by the lack of help they considered or attempted suicide. When staff dealing with sexual exploitation raised concerns, they were told policing priorities lay with other crimes such as burglary and car crime. YOU CAN'T DEPORT ME, I'M A ROLE MODEL A member of the Rochdale grooming gang yesterday said he shouldnt be deported back to Pakistan because he was a role model for his teenage son. Adil Khan, 52, was jailed for eight years in 2012 after he got a 13-year-old girl pregnant. He was one of nine men jailed after the gang were arrested a year before the Rotherham scandal. To the horror of their victims, Khan and fellow abuser Qari Abdul Rauf have fought a seven-year battle to avoid being sent to Pakistan. The pair say it would breach their right to private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights. As a final deportation hearing began yesterday, an immigration judge asked Khan what impact deportation would have on his son. He replied: As you know, the father figure is very important in every culture in the world, to be a role model for the child, to tell him or her right from wrong. Lawyers for Rauf, 53, are also expected to argue that he has renounced his Pakistani citizenship, therefore cannot be sent back there. Khan is representing himself. The hearing continues. Advertisement The report said a common theme of complaints was how little police understood about child sexual abuse. Many had no training to deal with the specialist area of policing and some didnt understand the law. One detective constable commented at a child protection conference that a girl of 12 had consented to sexual encounters, despite the law being clear that a child of her age cannot give consent. An officer who worked in the field said that in 2008 there was no concept that there was a hidden issue of children being groomed and manipulated into abuse. Police officers were said to ask inappropriate questions to abuse girls, such as are you able to enjoy sex?.It was also accepted practice for child concern referrals to be written off with no action taken if there was no victim complaint. The original Rotherham abuse report by Professor Alexis Jay, published in 2014, highlighted how authorities failed to take action against Asian suspects for fear of being labelled racist. The IOPC investigators found that was also the view of some victims. There was awareness among frontline officers of the high proportion of Asian men involved in the abuse reports, but there were missed opportunities to tackle the issue by approaching community leaders. Steve Noonan, the IOPC director of major investigations, said 13 recommendations had been made as a result of the inquiry and the law needed to be changed to ensure victims were supported and not criminalised. He added: I accept some people will be disappointed about the individual outcomes. But we have left no stone unturned to understand what went wrong, why and what has changed and what still needs to change. South Yorkshire Deputy Chief Constable Tim Forber said the force was very different today, adding: The brave accounts of these girls caused a seismic change in policing crimes of this nature for South Yorkshire Police and the wider police service. David Greenwood, a solicitor representing 80 Rotherham victims, said the system of police complaints provided zero accountability and needs reform. Bizarrely, the IOPC report was gender neutral, with both survivors and perpetrators being referred to as they or them instead of she or he. The IOPC said this was to protect their anonymity. Series of blunders that let sex fiends off the hook By Chris Brooke for the Daily Mail Yesterday's report detailed many cases of astonishing police incompetence. One teenager, who was sexually exploited for three years from 1999, was found by police half-naked with her abuser and hiding under a bed. She was then arrested for possession of a truncheon supposedly so she could speak freely to officers but the incident was never followed up and the man escaped arrest for lack of evidence. The teenager, who was abused while in care from the age of 14, recalled a separate incident in which a police constable spoke to her and an abuser in a police cell after they had been arrested. He told the man they would look after her as they knew she was his girl. Abusers: (Left-to-right, top-to-bottom) Arshid Hussain, Basharat Hussain, Bannaras Hussain, Karen MacGregor, Shelley Davies, Qurban Ali She said she saw the officer later buying steroids from the man. He would have faced a hearing for gross misconduct, but avoided it by resigning. WHY DID NO-ONE TAKE ME SERIOUSLY Sammy Woodhouse, a victim of the Rotherham scandal, has slammed the failure to punish police officers who let down abused girls. Now a campaigner for victims of Asian grooming gangs, she has turned her life around after years of sexual abuse during her teens. Mother-of-two Miss Woodhouse, 36, whose tormentor Arshid Hussain was jailed for 35 years, said: Im absolutely disgusted that not one professional will ever be held to account for the sexual and criminal exploitation of myself and others in Rotherham. She was put into foster care by her parents to try and stop her relationship with Hussain, a married 24-year-old father-of-two, when the sexual abuse began at 14. Yet because she had said at the time she was besotted with Hussain, police and social workers stood by. She twice became pregnant by Hussain but no action was taken as the authorities deemed she consented and refused to lodge a complaint. They regarded her as a girlfriend rather than abuse victim. Hussain forced her to abort the first pregnancy. She escaped her abuser at 15 when he was jailed for a violent offence. Disgusted: Sammy Woodhouse Advertisement Another complaint was upheld concerning the police reaction to a child abduction case. The girl ended up being handed over to officers by the perpetrator as part of a deal not to arrest him. The mans name and address was known to police but the incident was not properly recorded or shared with other agencies. The girl also claimed safe-guarding action wasnt taken despite officers regularly stopping a car she was a passenger in, that was owned and occupied by a perpetrator. This complaint was upheld by the IOPC. One officer suggested to the father of a 15-year-old girl who had been raped in a Rotherham park that the ordeal would teach her a lesson. She had significant internal injuries which required surgery and hospital staff suspected they were consistent with rape. Despite attempts by police to encourage her to make a complaint, she refused and wouldnt consent to a forensic medical examination. The IOPC said there was no evidence police made any inquiries about the suspect and missed the chance to examine clothing taken from the girl on the night of the incident. In total, there were 21 breaches of professional standards by six officers during a two-year period when the girl was being groomed and exploited by men. Several of her complaints were upheld but three of the officers retired and avoided a potential misconduct hearing. An abuse victims father said a senior officer told him that this kind of activity had been going on for 30 years and the police could do nothing because of racial tensions. The father initially described the policeman as the chief constable and later as a chief inspector, but the complaint was upheld even though the officer remained unidentified. In 2016, three brothers who groomed, raped and sexually assaulted 15 teenage girls in Rotherham were jailed. Arshid Hussain, 40, was jailed for 35 years while siblings Basharat, 39, and Bannaras, 36, were jailed for 25 and 19 years respectively. Their uncle, Qurban Ali, 53, who was found guilty of conspiracy to rape, was jailed for ten years. Associate Karen MacGregor, 59, was jailed for 13 years and Shelley Davies, 40, was given an 18-month suspended term. Acting has been hijacked by people from exceptionally privileged backgrounds, a historian claims. Author Lipika Pelham says todays younger generation of A-listers is typically represented by Eddie Redmayne, who was at Eton with Prince William, and Benedict Cumberbatch, a distant cousin of Richard III. In the 21st century, acting opportunities appear to have been hijacked by actors from exceptionally privileged backgrounds, she writes in her book Passing: An Alternative History Of Identity. There are still exceptions, but the trend is remarkable and remarked upon by those ever-rarer exceptions, she adds. One of the few professions that has always, for centuries, been open to people from disadvantaged backgrounds is today becoming less and less diverse. She says actors from previous generations such as Anthony Hopkins and Julie Walters had distinctly working-class upbringings, and those from slightly better-off families like Judi Dench and Ian McKellen were still from modest, truly middle-class origins. Acting has been hijacked by people from exceptionally privileged backgrounds, historian and author, Lipika Pelham claims. Pictured is Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch in 2008, both of whom went to Eton school like Prince William While queer and non-white representation is now, very slowly, getting better, the trend seems to be the reverse when it comes to socio-economic representation, she says, adding: Now there is no longer any social stigma attached to the acting profession, the upper-classes have sought and managed to reclaim the industry from the underprivileged. At a talk about her book at the Chalke Valley History Festival, sponsored by the Daily Mail, Miss Pelham highlighted Helena Bonham Carter as a further example. She pointed to how the actress appears as whatever character she wants to appear as, including as cockney-accented barbers wife Mrs Lovett in the film Sweeney Todd even though she comes from an upper-class background, and as upper-class in The Kings Speech, in which she played Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Miss Pelham, who is also a filmmaker, said Miss Bonham Carters acting in Sweeney Todd was brilliant, but she questioned why Sir Michael Caine, who comes from a working-class background, didnt get to act upper-class roles very often. She said she could not remember any film where hes actually passed up [portrayed himself as someone from a higher class]. The term passing was first used in 19th-century America to refer to light-skinned slaves who had fled to freedom by claiming a white identity. While Caine is best known for working-class roles in films such as Alfie and The Italian Job, another of his most notable roles was in Zulu as Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, who speaks with a clipped accent. Asked about her comments after the talk, Ms Pelham told the Mail the class thing now is a big problem. She added: Casting should be according to the cultural, historical or social background of the actors otherwise it gets problematic. You have to equalise the balance of power. You can ask, Why should an Indian woman get away wearing Western clothes and not the other way round? Its because theres no power dynamic at play. A desperate search is underway for a couple who vanished while sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for the Azores islands off of Portugal. Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, were last heard from on June 13 when they called their daughter and said their sailboat had been damaged in 'heavy weather' and they were turning back for Virginia. The couple was about 460 miles east of Virginia at the time of the call, according to the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is using aircraft to search for the couple, monitoring cell phone and radio activity, and urging boaters in the area to remain on the lookout for the couple. Despite the search and reports of damage, a representative from the Coast Guard told the The Washington Post on Wednesday that they have no reason to believe the couple are in distress, and that they are simply trying to determine where they are now. Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, were last heard from on June 13 when they called their daughter and said their sailboat had been damaged The couple's sailboat they were traveling across the Atlantic Ocean on. Their journey top the Azores was to be about 2,300 miles Nikopoulos and Jones, natives of Virginia Beach, set sail from Hampton, Virginia, on June 8, for the small string of islands that sit about 850 miles West of the Portuguese coast. Their journey from Virignia to the Azores is about 2,300 miles. On June 17, their daughter reported her parents missing to the Coast Guard, telling them that she hadn't heard from them since they told her about the boat's damage four days earlier. She told the Coast Guard that though her parents had not told her when they would arrive back in Virginia, she had expected them around June 20. That day came and went with no sign of her parents. Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones sailboat, Kyklades. The Coast Guard has sent two aircraft to search an approximate area they think the boaters could be, but have not reported seeing any signs of them. 'In situations like this, where there are so many unknowns, our coordination efforts need to cast a wide and intentional net,' Coast Guard Chief Brian Gainey said, 'We're tracking cell phone and radio pings as we work with our counterparts in Bermuda to accurately determine the most intelligent search area for our air crews.' The Coast Guard has sent two aircraft to search an approximate area they think the boaters could be, but have not reported seeing any signs of them. The Guard has also issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast across the stretch of ocean where they think the boaters could be to alert other boaters in the area to be on the lookout. 'It's a lot of detective work, but it's all in service to finding these two individuals and bringing them home to their families,' Gainey said. Unvaccinated teachers, school staff and childcare workers will be able to head back to work next week in Victoria. The mandate which required these workers to be triple vaccinated will expire on Friday. Parents will not be informed of teachers' vaccination status and won't have the right to ask if they've been jabbed. While the mandates will be scrapped in mainstream schools, they will continue in specialist schools. 'Parents do not have the right to ask for this information and no one at the school should have this information,' an information sheet for principals says. Unvaccinated Victorian teachers to return to schools next week (pictured, healthcare workers handle the Pfizer vaccine) 'Principals do not hold information about the vaccination status of staff or students.' It comes after 351 education staff were fired in April for not getting the jab and a further 280 staff were stood down for failing to get a third dose. Those with two jabs are able to return to their old roles while the rest can apply for new jobs. Victoria is battling a teacher shortage, with teachers being offered $700 a day to work in regional schools as principals struggle to fill key positions. There are currently staff shortages across regional Victoria as well as in Melbourne's northern and western suburbs as sickness coupled with absenteeism hollows rosters. Principals say the teaching workforce appears to be declining, with applications for positions drastically dropping this year. This has led to those in the field picking up more work to cover empty positions, and subsequently becoming burnt out. 'We are getting no applicants for positions we are advertising. English, humanities, usually we'd get several applicants, and we have got none,' Anthony Rodaughan, principal of Kurnai College in Morwell, told The Age. 'The teachers that aren't sick are taking extra classes, so their energy levels drop. 'The whole place becomes thinner and thinner, so some people need a mental health day, they just need to get out, and that leaves a hole someone else must fill, so it can spiral.' Victoria is battling a teacher shortage, with teachers being offered $700 a day to work in regional schools as principals struggle to fill key positions (pictured, an Australian primary school) Victorian Principals Association chief executive Andrew Dalgleish said more needed to be done to entice students into taking up teaching. He said those in the industry keep discussing ways of increasing the attractiveness of the profession but it does not appear to be happening as quickly as desired. Melbourne-based teachers are already eligible for initial payments of up to $50,000 if they take up a long-term job at a regional government school. As part of his pre-election promise, Anthony Albanese announced $150 million plan to get more high achievers into teaching and boost the numbers of science and mathematics teachers. Under the plan, 5,000 students with an 80 or higher ATAR will be able to receive $10,000 a year to study teaching, plus an extra $2000 if they move to the bush. The plan will also fund 1500 extra placements to retrain mathematicians and scientists and support them as they work part-time as teachers while getting their masters degree in education. If the proposal goes ahead, it will mean students will be able to earn up to $40,000 for studying teaching and up to $48,000 if they are prepared to work in a regional area. Feared underworld trigger man George Marrogi spat in the face of a prison guard during a cowardly attack from behind bars at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Knowns as 'Cross', Marrogi was sentenced for murder in the Supreme Court of Victoria in April to a total of 32 years in jail - all of which he is likely to serve behind bars. On Wednesday, Marrogi appeared once again in a Melbourne court, this time via video link from the Metropolitan Remand Centre. Dressed in prison greens, Marrogi has spent most of his rotten life caged within Victoria's toughest prison - Barwon - where he carried out his vile attack in July last year. George Marrogi, 33, was sentenced in April to 32 years in jail over the murder of Kevin Ors George Marrogi (pictured in prison greens) has spent much of his short life behind bars WHO IS GEORGE MARROGI? Jail has been Marrogi's home now for nearly more years that he has been free. By 2004, an out-of-control Marrogi was charged by police with 14 separate incidents. The following year he was charged with an armed robbery and released from juvenile detention on bail. Armed with a knife, Marrogi, aged just 16, stabbed and killed one youth and seriously injured another. He stood trial for murder, but was convicted of manslaughter and intentionally causing serious injury. Aged just months under 18, Marrogi copped a nine-and-a-half year sentence, but served a little over six. While on parole in 2013, Marrogi was convicted of recklessly causing serious injury and jailed again for another year. The following year he was convicted of arson and had more time added to his tally. On September 27, 2016, homicide squad detectives arrested Marrogi over the execution-style murder of Ors. Advertisement The court heard Marrogi had been in jail on remand over the 2016 murder of drug dealer Kadir Ors when he spat in the face of his unsuspecting victim. Ors had been riddled with bullets in an execution-style hit by Marrogi under broad daylight. A police prosecutor said Marrogi became agitated inside Barwon's prison's phone room after a guard told him his time on the phone was up. Last month, it was revealed the ruthless killer had allegedly been busy maintaining control of his gang - Notorious Crime Family - from behind bars using a prison phone. The court heard an angry Marrogi lured the prison guard over to an open trap in the door before spitting in his face. The attack was captured on CCTV. The next day, as the same guard worked to remove the troublesome inmate from his cell, Marrogi lashed out again, this time with his leg. Secured by handcuffs, CCTV captured Marrogi take a sidekick at the guard, striking him in the stomach as he moved to defend himself. In true Marrogi-style, the court heard he refused to be interviewed over the attack. His lawyer, Daniel Georgiou, claimed Marrogi's spit had hardly been on target. 'We're certainly not diminishing the seriousness of a spitting incident, but it appears from the CCTV footage that the officer doesn't recoil in disgust or immediately wipe his face,' he said. Mr Georgiou claimed it was unknown how much spit had actually landed on the guard's face. 'We're not saying in any event it's justified, and we're not trying to justify it,' he said. George Marrogi in happier times. He will spend most of his life behind bars George Marrogi's sister Meshilin had been with him during a shopping trip to purchase clothes he would wear in the Ors murder. She died tragically from Covid-19 last year. Marrogi was not allowed to attend her funeral because he was in jail In pleading for mercy, Mr Georgiou said Marrogi had struggled over the death of his sister Meshilin Marrogi, who died last year from complications related to Covid-19. 'He was unable to attend the funeral due to being in custody,' Mr Georgiou said. The court heard Marrogi's 32-year sentence was also said to be causing the killer some anxiety. Mr Georgiou said his client had spent the majority of his time behind bars since his arrest in 'Super Max' custody - meaning hard time. Again the court was outlined Marrogi's unfortunate childhood, which saw him flee from Iraq to Australia in 1996 - the year the United States' 'Desert Strike' swung into gear with a massive missile attack. Upon arriving in Melbourne, a young Marrogi hardly knew a word of English and the kids from St Thomas Moore Primary, in Melbourne's north, bullied him mercilessly. When his parents separated in his final year of primary school, Marrogi's road upon the dark path was set in stone. In sentencing Marrogi to three months in jail, to be served concurrently with his existing sentence, Magistrate Peter Mellas said he had shown the career crook leniency due to his guilty plea. The court heard like-minded inmates usually like to waste the court's time by pleading not guilty to obvious prison guard attacks. George Marrogi (pictured with sister Meshilin) missed his sister's funeral last year after a judge refused his request to attend The idea of eight-legged mites that have sex on your face and nipples while you sleep may sound like a concept from the latest horror blockbuster. But the creatures are very much real and are becoming such simplified organisms that they may soon 'become one with humans,' according to a new study. Demodex folliculorum mites are carried by almost every human on the face, eyelashes, and nipples, moving between follicles looking for a mate. Researchers from the University of Reading have sequenced a mite's genome for the first time, and found inbreeding is causing them to shed unnecessary genes and cells. Worryingly, the team says that the mites are moving towards a transition from external parasites to 'internal symbionts' that live within us. The idea of eight-legged mites that have sex on your face while you sleep may sound like a concept from the latest horror blockbuster. But the creatures are very much real and are becoming such simplified organisms that they may soon 'become one with humans,' according to a new study D. folliculorum mites are carried by almost every human on the face, eyelashes, and even nipples, moving between follicles looking for a mate What are face mites? Dubbed 'face mites,' D. folliculorum are actually tiny arachnids that inhabit hairs throughout the human body and consume skin cells and oils. Mites exist in human ears, eyebrows, and eyelashes as well as hairs that cover nipples and genitals. Demodex have likely been living with us for a long time; as early humans walked out of Africa and found their way around the globe, researchers say. They found that mites from China are genetically distinct from mites from the Americas. East Asians and European populations diverged over 40,000 years ago and so far it looks like their mites did as well. Advertisement The mites measure just 0.01 inches (0.3mm) long, and are passed on during birth. In their study, the researchers set out to explain their bizarre mating habits, body features and evolutionary future, by analysing their DNA. Dr Alejandra Perotti, who co-led the research, said: 'We found these mites have a different arrangement of body part genes to other similar species due to them adapting to a sheltered life inside pores. 'These changes to their DNA have resulted in some unusual body features and behaviours.' Mites live an isolated existence, with no exposure to external threats. For this reason, the mites are shedding unnecessary genes and cells, and surviving with the minimum number of proteins, according to the researchers. Among the genes lost are those that provide UV protection and that cause animals to be awakened by daylight, which explains their nocturnal behaviour. And while the mites have lost their ability to produce melatonin a compound that makes invertebrates active at night they can still fuel their evening mating sessions using melatonin secreted from human skin. The mites also have strange mating habits because of their unique gene arrangement. The males have a penis that protrudes upwards, meaning they must position themselves underneath the female, while both cling onto the human hair. One of their genes has inverted, giving them a protruding arrangement of mouth-appendages for gathering food. This also aids their survival at young age, according to the researchers. Previous studies have suggested the mites lack an anus, and that faeces accumulates through their lifetimes before being released when they die. For this reason, the mites have been blamed for several skin and eye conditions, including rosacea and blepharitis. However, the new study confirms that they do have anuses, and indiates mites have been 'unfairly blamed' for these conditions. The mites measure just 0.01 inches (0.3mm) long, and are passed on during birth. Pictured: a mite under a microscope walking Previous studies have suggested the mites lack an anus, and that their faeces could be to blame for skin conditions. However, the new study confirms that they do have anuses (shown by arrow) While new mates could add new genes to offspring, the mites are not being exposed to potential mates, and are instead inbreeding. Overall, the researchers say this could cause mites to become symbionts, and warn they could be on course for an 'evolutionary dead end'. Dr Henk Braig, co-lead author from Bangor University and the National University of San Juan, said: 'Mites have been blamed for a lot of things. 'The long association with humans might suggest that they also could have simple but important beneficial roles, for example, in keeping the pores in our face unplugged.' Some of Britain's earliest humans lived in Kent up to 620,000 years ago, a new study has revealed. Scientists have finally dated ancient flint tools that were found 100 years ago in Fordwich, a market town just northeast of the ancient city of Canterbury. The collection of artefacts which includes handaxes and 'scraping and piercing implements' date back somewhere between 560,000 and 620,000 years ago. These tools were used by Homo heidelbergensis, an ancestor of Neanderthals, who at the time occupied southern Britain when it was still attached to Europe. The tools were once used by Homo heidelbergensis, an ancestor of Neanderthals, who at the time occupied southern Britain when it was still attached to Europe. Here is an artist's reconstruction of Homo heidelbergensis making a flint handaxe The collection of artefacts - which includes handaxes (pictured) and 'scraping and piercing implements' - were mostly found in the 1920s ANCIENT HUMANS IN FORDWICH When the tools were made, Britain was not an island but instead represented the north-western peninsular of the European continent. This allowed individuals to move around a much larger landscape than the current Kent coastline allows. So at the time, Fordwich was potentially only visited by Homo heidelbergensis during warmer summer months. Advertisement Additionally, recent excavations at Fordwich have also identified new flint artefacts, including the very first 'scrapers' to be discovered there. Scrapers are hand-held tools with bluntly shaped edges, likely used to prepare animal hides or scrape bark from wood. 'The diversity of tools is fantastic,' said Dr Alastair Key at the University of Cambridge, who directed the recent excavation. 'In the 1920s, the site produced some of earliest handaxes ever discovered in Britain. 'Now, for the first time, we have found rare evidence of scraping and piercing implements at this very early age.' Located in an ancient riverbed, the Fordwich site was originally discovered in the 1920s during through industrial quarrying. At the time, local labourers unearthed hundreds of handaxes, most of which are now in the British Museum in London, and 'a large number of amorphous flakes' with sharp edges. But when exactly these artefacts had originated had been a mystery, due to a lack of accurate dating techniques. For this study, the researchers dated the stone tool artefacts using the infrared-radiofluorescence (IR-RF) dating technique. A selection of flint artefacts excavated at the historic site in Fordwich, a market town just northeast of the ancient city of Canterbury The location of Fordwich within Kent (red star) alongside an example of a handaxe discovered during quarrying in the 1920s WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS? Homo heidelbergensis lived in Europe, between 650,000 and 300,000 years ago, just before Neanderthal man. Homo heidelbergensis, shares features with both modern humans and our homo erectus ancestors. The early human species had a very large browridge, and a larger braincase and flatter face than older early human species. It was the first early human species to live in colder climates, and had a short, wide body adapted to conserve heat. It lived at the time of the oldest definite control of fire and use of wooden spears, and it was the first early human species to routinely hunt large animals. This early human also broke new ground; it was the first species to build shelters, creating simple dwellings out of wood and rock. Males were on average 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) and weighed 136lb (62kg) while females averaged 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) and weighed in at 112 lbs (51 kg). Source: Smithsonian Advertisement IR-RF determines the point at which feldspar sand-grains were last exposed to sunlight, thereby establishing when they were buried. Using the modern technique, the age of the handaxes were finally determined between 560,000 and 620,000 years ago. This makes Fordwich one of the earliest known Palaeolithic sites in northern Europe. Researchers are now planning future excavation work at Fordwich, which they hope will reveal more about the behaviour of H. heidelbergensis. It's already known the species was a hunter gatherer that ate a diverse set of animals, such as deer, horse, rhino and bison, as well as plants and tubers. Many of the Fordwich tools found were likely used to process carcasses for food, as well as preparing hides for sheltering against cold weather. 'Scrapers, during the Palaeolithic, are often associated with animal hide preparation,' said study author Dr Tomos Proffitt from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, who analysed the artefacts. 'Finding these artefacts may therefore suggest that people during this time were preparing animal hides, possibly for clothing or shelters. 'The range of stone tools, not only from the original finds, but also from our new smaller excavations suggest that hominins living in what was to become Britain, were thriving and not just surviving.' It is thought that European populations of H. heidelbergensis evolved into Neanderthals while a separate population of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa evolved into Homo sapiens (modern-day humans). A collection of footprints at Happisburgh in Norfolk dated to 840,000 or 950,000 years ago, currently represent the oldest evidence of hominins occupying Britain. Early humans are known to have been present in Britain during this period, but these early visits were fleeting. Fossil skull cast of Homo heidelbergensis, an ancestor of Neanderthals. This skull was not found in the recent Cambridge-led excavations The early human species had a very large browridge, and a larger braincase and flatter face than older early human species Cold glacial periods repeatedly drove populations out of northern Europe, and until now there was only limited evidence of Britain being recolonised during a period of warming somewhere between 560,000 and 620,000 years ago. Several sites in Suffolk are believed to display tools from this time, but these artefacts come from contexts where accurate dating methods are difficult to use. Overall, the new study demonstrates the historical importance of Fordwich, of whom few Palaeolithic specialists outside Britain seem to have heard of, according to the researchers. 'Fordwich is revealed to be more diverse than previously known, with handaxes, cores, flakes, scrapers, and other retouched tools now evidenced,' the experts say in their paper, published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science. 'Fordwich can now begin to take its place among the most important of early Acheulean sites in north-west Europe.' When you think of pollution in rivers, it's likely visions of plastic bottles and packaging will spring to mind. But a new study has warned that almost half of the world's rivers are also teeming with prescription drugs. Researchers from the University of York found unsafe levels of drugs including antidepressants, antihistamines, and painkillers in 43.5 per cent of 1,052 sites tested across 104 countries. 'Our findings show that a very high proportion of rivers around the world are at threat from pharmaceutical pollution,' said Alejandra Bouzas-Monroy, a co-author of the study. 'We should therefore be doing much more to reduce the emissions of these substances into the environment.' A new study has warned that almost half of the world's rivers are teeming with over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Pictured: a river in Nairobi Researchers from the University of York found unsafe levels of drugs including antidepressants, antihistamines, and painkillers in 43.5 per cent of 1,052 sites tested across 104 countries Which countries have the world levels? The sites with the highest levels were situated in Africa with a river in Nairobi having the highest levels of all the sites, according to the researchers. 'The locations with the highest mixture HQs were situated in Africa and were primarily associated with three sampling campaigns (Lagos in Nigeria, Nairobi in Kenya, and Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) where garbage disposal, sewage discharge points, dumping of raw sewage by exhauster trucks, and pharmaceutical manufacturing activities were observed,' the researchers wrote. In Asia, the highest levels were in Lahore, in South America they were in La Paz, and in Europe they were in Tubingen. Advertisement Over 100,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical products are consumed globally every year, according to the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). During their production, use, and disposal, pharmaceutical drugs are released into rivers, where they have the potential to adversely affect organisms including fish and aquatic plants. In the study, the team set out to understand the extent of this pharmaceutical pollution around the world. 'This is the first truly global assessment of the impacts of single pharmaceuticals and mixtures of pharmaceuticals in riverine systems,' Ms Bouzas-Monroy said. The team sampled water at 1,052 sites across 104 countries including the UK, Australia, France, and the USA. The results revealed that 43.5 per cent of the sites had 'concerning' concentrations of 23 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). This included substances from antidepressants, antimicrobials, antihistamines, benzodiazepine and painkillers. The sites with the highest levels were situated in Africa with a river in Nairobi having the highest levels of all the sites, according to the researchers. 'The locations with the highest mixture HQs were situated in Africa and were primarily associated with three sampling campaigns (Lagos in Nigeria, Nairobi in Kenya, and Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) where garbage disposal, sewage discharge points, dumping of raw sewage by exhauster trucks, and pharmaceutical manufacturing activities were observed,' the researchers wrote. In Asia, the highest levels were in Lahore, in South America they were in La Paz, and in Europe they were in Tubingen. Worryingly, previous studies have shown how exposure to high levels of APIs can affect organisms including fish and algae. 'For example, concentrations of antibiotics in surface waters have been shown to exceed PNEC [predicted noeffect concentrations] values in European and Chinese surface,' the researchers explained. 'The anticonvulsant carbamazepine has been reported to occur at concentrations of concern for acute and chronic effects in fish, Daphnia, and algae in Africa, China, and Israel. In Asia, the highest levels were in Lahore, in South America they were in La Paz, and in Europe (map pictured) they were in Tubingen, Germany 'Stimulants have been highlighted as a group of concern in terms of aquatic impacts in Poland, Israel, China and Italy.' The researchers hope their findings will encourage nations to take better action to tackle pharmaceutical pollution in rivers around the world. 'Overall, the results show that API pollution is a global problem that is likely negatively affecting the health of the world's rivers,' the team concluded. 'Work is urgently needed to tackle the problem and bring concentrations down to an acceptable level.' Worryingly, studies have shown that the presence of antibiotics in the environment contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the major emerging threats to human health today. 'AMR burden in terms of lives lost, morbidity, and healthcare expenses and productivity losses is much greater than currently available statistics suggest 25,000 deaths in 2007 and projections estimate a 15 fold increase in morbidity in Europe due to AMR by 2050 with 390,000 deaths,' the EEB said. Prince Andrew's fall from grace following his role in the Jeffery Epstein controversy has received extensive media coverage, yet persistent rumors that he wants to be brought back into the fold of the royal family keep popping up. Many have also questioned Queen Elizabeth II's continued support for the Duke of York, wondering why she appears unfazed by the troubles her son has faced while still standing by her side. Source Claims Queen Elizabeth Continues To Support Prince Andrew It is well known that Prince Andrew is Her Majesty's favorite son, and he continues to hold that distinction in spite of recent events. When The Mirror's royal podcast, 'Pod Save the Queen,' talked to renowned biographer Andrew Morton about his 25th book, 'The Queen,' the cause of their closeness was revealed. The host of the show, Zoe Forsey, spoke with the author and inquired about Her Majesty's steadfast support for her second son, Prince Andrew, and the reason why he believes that Prince Andrew will never lose his mother's trust. Back in March, Prince Andrew's decision to accompany his mother to the Service of Thanksgiving honoring the late Duke of Edinburgh's life and legacy stunned everyone. Although Queen Elizabeth received criticism for giving her second son such a significant role in the celebration, she has subsequently denied him the opportunity to participate in the Order of the Garter procession and stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Color, Mirror reported. The emotional memorial service for Prince Philip had only been a couple of weeks after Prince Andrew and his accuser Virginia Giuffre settled their New York-based civil sex case outside of court. Giuffre is thought to have accepted payment from Prince Andrew, who refuted the accusations. In his remarks on the memorial ceremony, Morton noted that the Queen had used this private family gathering-which was not a state event-to express her support for her son. While he may enjoy his mother's favor, it has been reported that Prince Andrew is enraged with Prince Charles and Prince William for obstructing his comeback to public life at the Order of the Garter ceremony earlier this month. The Duke of York apparently planned to take part in the entire ceremony at Windsor Castle, which was presided over by his mother, the Queen, but he was only allowed to attend portions of it when Princes Charles and Prince William expressed their disapproval. The disgraced Royal was therefore banned from joining the celebrations at Ascot this weekend and is claimed to be outraged at the interfering of The Queen's heirs. There are worries that the tensions between the trio might provoke a crisis within the Royal Family at their next summer retreat at Balmoral, as per Daily Mail. In light of the scandal sparked by his associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, the Queen made the decision to revoke Prince Andrew's royal titles and the right to use his HRH status. Read Also: Ghislaine Maxwell Files More Than 100 Complaints in 22 Months About Horrific Jail Conditions, Pleads for Light Sentence Prince Andrew Is Upset With Prince Charles, Prince William Although Buckingham Palace said that the Duke of York's absence from the Order of the Garter service and procession at Windsor Castle was a "family decision," it is widely thought that the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge strongly urged the Queen to allow him to participate. Prince Andrew was nevertheless permitted to attend the lunch following the ceremonial investiture of new members of the Order of the Garter, which included the Duchess of Cornwall and the former Prime Minister Tony Blair. It was said that Prince Andrew had been pressuring the Queen to deny the disgraced royal his request to resume royal responsibilities, but his older brother Prince Charles and nephew Prince William had urged her to do so. According to reports, Prince Andrew is upset with Prince Charles and Prince William because he thinks they are interfering with his intentions to return to the royal family. There are several speculations that he is attempting to re-enter public life covertly. On June 15, he had anticipated participating in the formal procession. He was later banned from attending the public events following a serious family debate that was conducted by Prince Charles and Prince William. Only the most private parts of the day were open to him. According to a source who spoke to The Sun, Prince Andrew "is fuming with Prince Charles and Prince William for halting his plans," but "he is desperate to restart his life and wants his titles back." Related Article: Prince William Wants To Ban Prince Andrew From Royal Life; Duke of York Faces New Legal Battle as Jeffrey Epstein Drags Him Into Lawsuit @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera, a Greek island that held the oldest known analog computer has recently shared more treasures with the world. A larger-than-life-size marble head of a bearded man was recently pulled from the depths and archaeologists say it could be the missing piece of the headless statue of 'Hercules of Antikythera.' The statue, which was found in 1901, resides in the National Archaeological Museum in Greece. Also found in the sunken ship were two human teeth, which will be analyzed to hopefully reveal the individuals they belonged to. Scroll down for video The 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera, a Greek island that held the oldest known analog computer has recently shared more treasures with the world 'Important information is expected to be extracted from two human teeth, discovered in a solid agglomerate of marine deposits together with fragments of copper, wood and other materials typical of a maritime disaster,' the team, led by the Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, said in the blog post. 'Genetic and isotopic analysis of the teeth might be useful to deduce information on the genome and other characteristics relevant to the origin of the individuals they belonged to.' The team also collected samples of sediments from the final resting place of the ship, allowing for a microanalysis that will lead to a better knowledge of the dimensions and precise position of the shipwreck. 'Together with the ongoing artifacts analysis, the newly applicable microarachaeological practices will enhance the ability to precisely reconstruct the disposition of the wreckage and the conditions of the sinking of the ship sometime during the first half of the 1st century BC,' the team shared in the post. A larger-than-life-size marble head of a bearded man was recently pulled from the depths The marble head is so massive, the team needed to tether it in order to bring it to the surface In 1901, divers looking for sponges off the coast of Antikythera, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, stumbled upon a Roman-era shipwreck that held the highly sophisticated astronomical calculator, or the oldest known analog computer. The Antikythera Mechanism has since captivated the scientific community and the world with wonder, but has also sparked a more than century long investigation into how an ancient civilization fashioned such an incredible device. The highly complex mechanism, made up of up to 40 bronze cogs and gears, was used in ancient times to track the cycles of the solar system. The scans also revealed the mechanism was originally housed in a rectangular wooden frame with two doors, covered in instructions for its use. At the front was a single dial showing the Greek zodiac and an Egyptian calendar. Archaeologists say it could be the missing piece of the headless statue of 'Hercules of Antikythera.' The marble head had deteriorated over the years, but experts hope to conduct a deeper analysis to prove it is the missing head of the Hercules statue The Mechanism (pictured) was recovered from a Roman cargo shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera On the back were two further dials displaying information about lunar cycles and eclipses. The calculator would have been driven by a hand crank. The device could track the movements of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - the only planets known at the time, the position of the sun, and the location and phases of the moon. The researchers have been able to read all the month names on a 19-year calendar on the back of the mechanism. Scientists have suggested that the mechanism might have been somehow linked to Archimedes, after a study found that language inscribed on the device. The inscriptions suggested it had been manufactured in Corinth or in Syracuse, where Archimedes lived. But Archimedes was killed in 212 B.C., while the ship carrying the device is believed to have sunk between 85 and 60 B.C. Meta, Microsoft and other tech giants working on their own metaverse platforms have agreed to try and make their digital worlds compatible with each other. They are all participants in the Metaverse Standards Forum - a newly formed group of companies who will work together to achieve 'industry-wide cooperation'. However, Apple was conspicuously absent from the list of 36 participants that were announced yesterday. The company is reportedly due to announce its own mixed-reality headset in less than two years. Participants in the Metaverse Standards Forum will take part in projects adopting or testing the proposed metaverse standards, for example through hackathons. They will also work to develop consistent terminology and platform deployment guidelines, and participate in regular Zoom meetings that will start this year. Other participants in the Forum include chip makers and gaming companies, as well as standards-setting bodies like the World Wide Web Consortium. Meta, Microsoft and other tech giants working on their own metaverses have agreed to try to make their digital worlds compatible by joining the Metaverse Standards Forum However, Apple was conspicuously absent from the list of participants. The company is slated to announce its own mixed-reality headset in less than two years WHAT IS 'MIXED REALITY'? Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are both immersive technologies but they aren't the same. Augmented reality is the modification of a real-life environment by the addition of sound, visual elements, or other sensory stimuli. Mixed reality is an extension of augmented reality that allows real and virtual elements to interact. It maintains a connection to the real world, so it is not considered a fully immersive experience like virtual reality (VR) is. Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of an environment or situation. It immerses the user by making them feel like they are in the simulated reality through images and sounds. Apple is reportedly due to announce its own mixed-reality headset in less than two years. Source: bernardmarr.com Advertisement 'Metaverse' refers to the virtual and augmented reality spaces where users can interact with each other in a computer-generated environment, often accessed using a headset. While Apple has yet to publicly announce plans for a headset, the company's board were given a demonstration of it in May, according to Bloomberg. Introducing such a device would put Apple in direct competition with Meta, which has staked its future on the growth of the metaverse. Meta, known as Facebook until it changed its name as part of its metaverse pivot last year, has disclosed plans for a mixed-reality headset code-named 'Cambria' to be released this year. The tech conglomerate, that also owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has invested heavily in hardware to make its vision of interconnected virtual worlds a reality. Apple's absence from the Metaverse Standards Forum is notable as it has been heavily involved in creating web standards in the past. It supported the development of HTML5, the standard language used to structure and present web pages. Apple also worked with Pixar on the 'USDZ' file format that displays three-dimensional scenes and objects in the metaverse, and helped ensure Adobe supported it. Gaming companies Roblox and Niantic, and social network Snapchat, were also missing from the list. There are no emerging crypto-based metaverse platforms currently participating, like The Sandbox and Decentraland. Meta is reportedly planning to release four virtual reality headsets between now and 2024 Neil Trevett, an executive at chip maker Nvidia who is chairing the Metaverse Standards Forum, said in a statement to Reuters that any company is welcome to join the group, including participants from the crypto world. The forum aims to facilitate communication between a variety of standards organisations and companies to bring about 'real-world interoperability' in the metaverse, he said. He did not address how Apple's absence would affect that goal. In a blog post published last month, Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg said: 'There won't be a Meta-run metaverse, just as there isn't a 'Microsoft internet' or 'Google internet' today, 'Like the internet, the metaverse will be an interconnected system that transcends national borders, so there will need to be a web of public and private standards, norms and rules to allow for it to operate across jurisdictions.' Microsoft is a participant in the Metaverse Standards Forum - a newly formed group of companies who will work together to achieve 'industry-wide cooperation' Microsoft launched its mixed reality platform Mesh last year. Mesh allows people in different physical locations to share holographic experiences using the HoloLens headset (pictured) Meta is reportedly planning to release four new virtual reality headsets between now and 2024. The first code-named Cambria is a high-end VR and mixed-reality headset billed as a device for the future of work, and will launch around September. It has an estimated price-tag of at least $799, after being delayed by supply chain and other pandemic-related issues. A second version of Cambria, code-named Funston, is slated to come out in 2024. Meanwhile, Meta also plans to release two new versions of its less expensive Quest headset internally code-named Stinson and Cardiff in 2023 and 2024, according to an internal road map seen by The Information. The ambitious timeline shows Meta is hoping to reinforce its early lead in the VR market, established through its ownership of headset maker Oculus, whose devices now carry the Quest brand. Zuckerberg is hoping the proliferation of these devices will lead to a broader acceptance of VR, and help to drive forward his vision for the metaverse an immersive virtual world in which people work, socialise and play. Meanwhile, Microsoft launched its own mixed reality platform Mesh in March last year. Mesh allows people in different physical locations to share holographic experiences using the firm's HoloLens headset. Users can create an avatar that can be beamed anywhere in the world, allowing them to collaborate with other users. A preview version of Microsoft Mesh is also available to use with its chat platform Teams. This allows users the option to appear as a customised 3D virtual avatar rather than turning on their webcam. Mesh for Teams users will be able to join a standard Teams meeting as a customised avatar of themselves instead of as a static picture or on video Advertisement It may look like a close-up snap of a honeycomb, but these pictures are actually what the Martian landscape looks like from orbit. The strange polygon-shaped features have been photographed numerous times by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has being using its HiRISE camera (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) since entering the planet's orbit in 2006. Scientists say the pattern in the new images is formed over many years as the near-surface ice contracts and expands seasonally. Similar features can be seen in permafrost regions on Earth. The University of Arizona experts, who are in charge of the HiRISE camera, added that both water and dry ice have a major role in sculpting Mars' surface at high latitudes. Mesmerising: It may look like a close-up snap of a honeycomb, but these pictures are actually what the Martian landscape looks like from orbit. Scientists say the pattern in the new images is formed over many years as the near-surface ice contracts and expands seasonally Although the polygons form over many years as the near-surface ice contracts and expands seasonally the pattern-covered regions show even more activity in the spring. This is evidenced by the blue fan-shaped features (pictured) WHAT IS THE MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER? The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) searches for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for a long period of time. It was launched August 12, 2005, and achieved an initial orbit around the red planet on March 10, 2006. In November 2006 it entered its final science orbit and began its primary science phase. Since its arrival, MRO and its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) telescope have been mapping the martian surface, which has been taking shape for more than three billion years. MRO's instruments analyse minerals, look for subsurface water, trace how dust and water are distributed in the atmosphere, and monitor daily weather in support of its science objectives. MRO's missions have shown that water flowed across the Martian surface, but it is still unknown whether water persisted long enough to provide a habitat for life. Advertisement Water ice frozen in the soil splits the ground into polygons, they said, before dry ice adds plenty of twists and turns to the channels that form the boundaries of the polygons. It does this as it is sublimating from just under the surface when the ground warms in the spring, creating even more erosion of the channels. Although the polygons form over many years as the near-surface ice contracts and expands seasonally the pattern-covered regions show even more activity in the spring. This is evidenced by the blue fan-shaped features. 'Spring activity is visible as the layer of translucent dry ice coating the surface develops vents that allow gas to escape,' the team said. 'The gas carries along fine particles of material from the surface further eroding the channels. 'The particles drop to the surface in dark fan-shaped deposits. Sometimes the dark particles sink into the dry ice, leaving bright marks where the fans were originally deposited. 'Often the vent closes, then opens again, so we see two or more fans originating from the same spot but oriented in different directions as the wind changes.' The researchers shared their findings and new images on the HiRISE website. Scientists are studying the polygonally-patterned ground on Mars in the hope that the features might shed light on the recent and past distribution of ice in the shallow subsurface, as well as provide clues about the planet's climate. And Mars isn't the only place with polygons. They can also be found on our own planet, in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as on Pluto, too. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite, which is on a mission to unravel the mystery of Mars' fascinating history, is orbiting 187 miles above the Red Planet's surface. It completes a full circuit of Mars every 112 minutes and is constantly recording the surface of this Martian landscape in intricate detail. The craft was launched August 12, 2005, and achieved an initial orbit around Mars on March 10, 2006. In November 2006 it entered its final science orbit and began its primary science phase. Since its arrival, the orbiter and its HiRISE camera have been mapping the martian surface, which has been taking shape for more than three billion years. Its instruments analyse minerals, look for subsurface water, trace how dust and water are distributed in the atmosphere, and monitor daily weather in support of its science objectives. The orbiter's missions have shown that water flowed across the Martian surface, but it is still unknown whether water persisted long enough to provide a habitat for life. Water ice frozen in the soil splits the ground into polygons, the scientists said, before dry ice adds plenty of twists and turns to the channels that form the boundaries of the polygons NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite (pictured) is orbiting 187 miles above the Red Planet's surface Mars isn't the only place with polygons. They can also be found on our own planet, in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as on Pluto (pictured) A fisherman from South Wales has caught a six-stone shark the largest of its kind ever hooked in British waters. The huge tope shark weighed 82lb 10z (5.9 stone), almost 3.5 times heavier than average. Mario Asprou, 31, has fished all around the world but landed the giant fish off Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire in December last year. Tope, also known as the School Shark, can grow to nearly two metres long and is listed as a critically endangered species. Mario's catch, which was swiftly returned to the water after being weighed, has only now been verified as the biggest tope ever caught in the UK. It beat the previous record of a 77lb 3oz fish caught by Ryan Wingfield in 2018, also at Strumble Head. Mario Asprou, 31, landed his giant fish (pictured) off Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire in December 2020. The catch, which was swiftly returned to the water after being weighed, has only now been verified as the biggest tope ever caught in the UK Tope, also known as the School Shark, can grow to nearly two metres long and are listed as critically endangered species. Pictured is Mario with another one of his catches TOPE SHARKS Name: Galeorhinus galeus Length: Up to 195cm Weight: 45kg Average Lifespan: Over 50 years Conservation status: Critically Endangered Distinctive features: Long and slender grey body with a white belly, p[ointed snout, two dorsal fins and a notched tail Feeding behaviour: A variety of fish species, crustaceans or cephalopods Habitat: Temperate and subtropical seas between 68N 55S latitude , often close to the shore Source: The Wildlife Trusts Advertisement Tope sharks are slim but powerful predators, renowned among fishermen and women for its fighting prowess. They feed on a variety of fish species, crustaceans or cephalopods, and can travel huge distances of 35 miles each day. They are often found in the UK and can travel from Britain all the way to the Canary Islands. Fishing journalist Dave Barnham said: 'It is by far the best angling achievement of the century to date in my book. 'The tope was returned alive and swam away strongly.' British Sea Fishing say catching such a shark from the shore is a 'very difficult undertaking indeed'. They say, 'Due to the protected nature of this species, anyone lucky enough to a tope should unhook their catch as quickly as possible and return it to the water.' The biggest ever tope caught in a boat in the UK was 82lb 8oz caught in 1991 by R. Chatfield off Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex. But the largest tope ever recorded globally is a 98.5 pounds (44.7 kg) beast, and the longest is a 6.4 feet (195 cm) female, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Tope sharks are slim but powerful predators, renowned among anglers for its fighting prowess. They are often found in the UK and can travel 35 miles a day (stock image) Fishing journalist Dave Barnham said that Mario's catch which was discovered off Pembrokeshire is 'by far the best angling achievement of the century to date' (stock image) An albino tope was caught near the Isle of Wight in two years ago, and was the first ever all-white shark caught in Britain. Jason Gillespie, 50, was deep-sea fishing with some friends on September 29 2020 when he caught a 3ft tope shark that was entirely white. The shark is leucistic, a condition which means it lost all the pigment in its skin. Jason, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, would usually of immediately released a tope shark - but reeled this one on board so he could take a few snaps, before letting it go. The shop fitter said: 'I've been fishing for 30 years and I've never seen one like that. apparently it's a condition where the pigment dies out of the skin colour. 'It's similar to an albino, but they have red eyes generally. 'I think generally if they lose their colour they struggle to survive because they don't have the same camouflage and they can't hunt as effectively and they get picked up by predators. 'With tope, they are a protected species, so we unhook them in the water, but the minute we saw this one I shouted to my mate to grab the net and knew I needed to get some photos of it so we pulled her on board and took some pictures. 'We released her as quick as possible, she was only on the boat for less than a minute.' Shop fitter Jason Gillespie, 50, caught the all-white shark near Isle of Wight Microsoft is retiring a controversial facial recognition feature that claims to identify emotion in people's faces from videos and photos. As part of an overhaul its AI policies, the US tech giant is removing facial analysis capabilities that infer emotional states, like surprise and anger, from Azure Face. It's also retiring the ability of the technology platform to identify attributes such as gender, age, smile, hair and makeup. Microsoft's Azure Face is a service for developers that uses AI algorithms to detect, recognise, and analyse human faces in digital images. It is used in scenarios such as identity verification, touchless access control and face blurring for privacy. From this week, Microsoft is retiring Azure Face capabilities that 'infer emotional states', such as surprise and anger, based on facial expressions WHAT IS AZURE FACE? Microsoft's Azure Face service for developers provides AI algorithms that detect, recognise, and analyse human faces in digital images. Facial recognition software is important in many different applications, such as identity verification, touchless access control, and face blurring for privacy. According to Microsoft, Azure Face lets developers embed facial recognition into apps 'for a seamless and highly secured user experience'. The firm says: 'Features include face detection that perceives facial features and attributes such as a face mask, glasses or face location in an image, and identification of a person by a match to your private repository or via photo ID. 'No machine-learning expertise is required.' Advertisement In a blog post, Natasha Crampton, Microsoft's chief responsible AI officer, said the decision follows 'heightened privacy concerns' about the technology. 'For AI systems to be trustworthy, they need to be appropriate solutions to the problems they are designed to solve,' she said. 'We have decided we will not provide open-ended API access to technology that can scan peoples faces and purport to infer their emotional states based on their facial expressions or movements. 'Experts inside and outside the company have highlighted the lack of scientific consensus on the definition of "emotions".' Crampton said inferring emotions just from facial expressions can be too generalised across use cases, regions, and demographics. As an example, a smile could infer sarcasm or indicate a greeting, rather than just inferring happiness. A 2019 study, led by Professor Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychologist at Northeastern University, pointed out that 'how people communicate anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise varies substantially across cultures, situations, and even across people within a single situation'. So apps that rely on inferring emotion from faces could be inaccurate, which can have implications for national security protocols, policy decisions and even legal judgements, depending on the use case. Microsoft's Azure Face service provides AI algorithms that detect, recognise, and analyse human faces in videos and pictures Microsoft is not retiring Azure Face completely. But from Tuesday (June 21), it is retiring Azure Face capabilities that infer emotional states, such as surprise and anger, based on facial expressions. Starting Tuesday, detection of emotional states and these other personal attributes such as gender and age will no longer be available to new customers. Existing customers have until June 30, 2023, to discontinue use of these attributes in their platforms before the attributes are retired, the firm said. Azure Face will retain other facial recognition use cases for its developers, but new customers need to apply for access. The Redmond, Washington tech firm has detailed its Responsible AI Standard, a lengthy document that guides its AI product development and deployment Also, existing customers have one year to apply and receive approval for continued access to the facial recognition services, while explaining what they're using it for. So from June 30 next year, these existing customers won't be able to access facial recognition capabilities if their application has not been approved. Some less contentious use cases available in Azure Face, such as detecting blurriness, will remain generally available and do not require an application. The changes are all part of a major overhaul to the firm's Responsible AI Standard, which it's just shared publicly. The lengthy document is a 'framework' to guide the company to build better and more trustworthy AI systems. 'The Standard details concrete goals or outcomes that teams developing AI systems must strive to secure,' Crampton said. 'These goals help break down a broad principle like accountability into its key enablers, such as impact assessments, data governance, and human oversight.' South Korea has successfully launched its first satellites into orbit, an historic step in its space programme as it aims to land a probe on the moon by 2030. It brings the country closer to its dream of becoming a new player in the space industry, having been late to enter the race because of a Cold War-era agreement with the US which prohibited it developing a space programme. The three-stage Nuri rocket, built by the government's Korea Aerospace Research Institute together with hundreds of local companies, blasted off at 16:00 local time (08:00 BST) on Tuesday. It was launched from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 310 miles (500km) south of Seoul. Seventy minutes after the liftoff, South Korea announced that Nuri had successfully launched a 357-pound working satellite into orbit 435 miles above Earth. The rocket also fired a 1.3-tonne dummy satellite and four small cube satellites developed by universities for research into space. Liftoff: South Korea has successfully launched its first satellites into orbit, an historic step in its space programme as it aims to land a probe on the moon by 2030 It brings the country closer to its dream of becoming a new player in the space industry, having been late to enter the race because of a Cold War-era agreement with the US which prohibited it developing a space programme A previous attempt to launch a dummy satellite into space failed in October 2021. 'South Korea's science and technology took a great step forward today,' said Lee Jong-ho, the government's science and technology minister, announcing the mission's success during a nationally televised news conference. 'We have laid the foundation for launching our own satellites when we want to, no longer having to depend on other countries' rockets and launch stations.' He added: 'The sky of the Korean universe is now wide open.' Nuri uses only Korean rocket technologies and is the country's first domestically built space launch vehicle. South Korea's last booster, launched in 2013 after multiple delays and several failed tests, was jointly developed with Russia. President Yoon Suk-yeol watched the launch from his office and thanked everyone involved as he was briefed by Lee and others about the success, vowing to keep an election pledge to create a new agency to take charge of space affairs, according to a statement by his office. 'Now the road to space from our land has been opened,' Yoon said. 'It was the product of 30 years of daunting challenges. From now on, the dreams and hopes of our people and our youth will extend into space.' The country's space ambitions include deploying its own spy satellites to better monitor North Korea, but officials deny the Nuri has any use as a weapon. It also wants a piece of the world's satellite-launching market. The three-stage homemade Nuri rocket, built by the government's Korea Aerospace Research Institute together with hundreds of local companies, blasted off at 16:00 local time (08:00 BST) on Tuesday It was launched from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 310 miles (500km) south of Seoul Until now, South Korea has relied on other countries to carry its satellites, with most rocket launches being carried out by the US, Russia, China, Japan, France and India. Britain is set to join the space race when it launches two shoebox-sized satellites for the UK government this summer. The mini cube-shaped satellites ('cubesats') will be blasted into space on a rocket called LauncherOne, which itself will be unleashed from a jumbo jet from Spaceport Cornwall, part of Newquay Airport. Spaceport Cornwall is just one of three spaceports in the UK that aim to start satellite launches in 2022, 70 years after the British Space Programme was established in 1952. South Korea used a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX to place its first military communications satellite into orbit in July last year. It also wants to send a moon orbiter aboard a Falcon 9 this autumn. Seventy minutes after the liftoff, South Korea announced that Nuri had successfully launched a 357-pound working satellite into orbit 435 miles above Earth The rocket also fired a 1.3-tonne dummy satellite and four small cube satellites developed by universities for research into space In Nuri's first test in October, the rocket completed its flight sequences but failed to put the test payload into orbit after its third-stage engine burned out earlier than planned. Engineers adjusted the helium tank inside Nuri's third-stage oxidiser tank to address that problem, Yonhap news agency reported. KARI has said it plans at least four more test launches by 2027. Nuri is key to South Korean plans to eventually build a Korean satellite-based navigation system and a 6G communications network. Space launches have long been a sensitive issue on the Korean peninsula, where North Korea faces sanctions over its nuclear-armed ballistic missile programme. In March, South Korea's military separately oversaw what it said was its first successful launch of a solid-fuel space-launch rocket, another part of its plans to launch spy satellites. In recent years, South Korea and the United States agreed to scrap bilateral limits on Seoul's missile and rocket development, clearing the way for new civilian and military launches. Since it was first released 30 years ago, many people have found Gary Chapman's five love languages framework useful in identifying their preferences for giving and receiving love. Dr Chapman, an author and speaker based in the US, claims that there are five distinct preferences for expressing love - Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Now, a study has revealed that even if partners don't share the same love language, they can have a strong relationship. According to researchers from the University of Warsaw, the key is expressing affection in your other half's preferred style. Since it was first released 30 years ago, many people have found Gary Chapman's five love languages framework useful in identifying their preferences for giving and receiving love The five love languages Dr Chapman claims that the five love languages are: 1. Words of Affirmation - verbal compliments or tenderly spoken words of support 2. Quality Time - needing undivided attention of your partner regularly 3. Receiving gifts - power of visible symbols of love 4. Acts of service - wanting your partner to show you how much they love you by helping with tasks such as cooking and cleaning 5. Physical touch - love is expressed in an especially physical way Advertisement Dr Chapman first proposed the five languages in his book, The Five Love Languages, which was published in 1992. 'After a lifetime of counselling, being married, and raising two children, I can tell you from experience that very few of us know how to do so in ways that are truly meaningful to our loved ones,' Dr Chapman said. 'Whatever season you find yourself in, I want to give you the confidence you need to connect profoundly with the ones you care for. 'It is my sincere hope and belief that the Love Language concepts will help you to love better and grow closer.' But despite the theory's popularity, until now, the concept has been relatively unexplored by researchers. In their new study, the researchers surveyed 100 heterosexual couples aged 17-58, who had been together for six months to 24 years. The survey evaluated the participants' preferred love languages, as well as the love languages they used when expressing love to their partner. Participants were also questioned on their relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and empathy. A study has revealed that even if partners don't share the same love language, they can have a strong relationship According to researchers from the University of Warsaw, the key is expressing affection in your other half's preferred style The results showed that, for both men and women, participants whose partners used their preferred love language reported better relationship- and sexual satisfaction. 'People who better match each other's preferences for love languages are more satisfied with their relationships and sexual life,' the team wrote. While the researchers had hypothesised that empathy would be associated with a greater tendency for participants to use their partner's preferred love language, the findings suggest that this isn't the case. 'Empathy was unrelated to satisfaction,' the researchers wrote. The researchers hope the findings could be used to improve marital and family counselling approaches in the future. Paleontologist, Yves Coppens, who is known for discovering fossils of the famous hominid skeleton Lucy, died on Wednesday after fighting an illness. He was 87 years old. Coppens, who was born on August 9, 1934 in Vannes, France, dedicated his life to unravelling the mystery of human origin. And 45 years ago, he stumbled upon a 3.2-million-year-old skeleton in southern Ethiopia that changed our understanding of human evolution Lucy showed our human ancestors were walking upright much earlier than previously believed. Those who know Coppens personally say he was a smiley individual with a great sense of humor that was sometimes provocative, and he always professed his confidence in the future of man. His publisher announced the heartbreaking news on Twitter. Paleontologist, Yves Coppens, who is known for discovering fossils of the famous hominid fossil Lucy, died on Wednesday. He was 87 years old Odile Jacob shared: '#Yves Coppens left us this morning. My sadness is immense. Yves Coppens was a very great scientist, a world-renowned paleontologist, a member of countless foreign institutions, but above all a professor at the College de France and a member of the Academy of Sciences. 'His benevolence, his kindness, his humor, his loyalty, his erudition were matched only by his talent as a writer, storyteller, essayist. I lose the friend who entrusted me with all his work @0dileJacob France loses one of its great men. I will never forget him,' the tweet continued. Coppens was born to a nuclear physicist, but knew he wanted to be an archeologist at the age of seven or eight, he told AFP in a 2016 interview. Coppens was admitted to France's prestigious CNRS scientific center in 1956 when he was still only 22. Those who know Coppens personally say he was a smiley individual with a great His publisher announced the heartbreaking news on Twitter He began his career in 1956 and in 1967, he discovered a 2.6-million-year-old bipedal hominid fossil in the Omo River Valley (Ethiopia). But it was in 1974 when he made himself known to the world. Working with a geologist friend Maurice Taieb and American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson, the team traveled to Ethiopia where they uncovered 52 bone fragments. Once they determined the pieces fit into the same skeleton, they decided to give it the name Lucy - this was the Beatles' song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' was playing while they labeled the bones. Lucy is the longest-lived and best known example of one of our early human ancestors. Based on the large part of Lucy they found, 40 percent of her skeleton, the scientists were able to determine her height of 3.5 feet. Forty five years ago, he stumbled upon a 3.2-million-year-old skeleton in southern Ethiopia that changed our understanding of human evolution Lucy showed our human ancestors were walking upright much earlier than previously believed Her remains have since been analyzed over the years, producing more interesting facts. In 2016, it was found that she was a tree climber and may have met her demise after falling out of one. After the famed discover of Lucy, Coppens ran digs in Mauritania, the Philippines, Indonesia, Siberia, China and Mongolia. Back home, he became director of the Musee de l'Homme (Museum of Mankind) in Paris, was given the paleontology chair in the prestigious College de France, and joined France's Academy of Science. He also won several prizes, served as an advisor on environmental questions to the French government, and wrote several books and more than a million scientific articles. Besides the discovery of Lucy, Coppens once told AFP, he was particularly proud to have 'made an irrefutable link between the emergence of man and climate change'. As forests gave place to savannas, man stopped climbing trees, began to walk upright and needed to develop brain power to keep carnivores at bay, he said. A dark sunspot that is facing directly toward Earth doubled in size in just a 24-hour period and could possibly send out medium-class flares in the near future. Tony Phillips, the author of SpaceWeather.com, wrote on Wednesday: Yesterday, sunspot AR3038 was big. Today, it's enormous. And it is now said to measure three times the size of Earth. Not only is sunspot AR30398 looking directly at our planet, but it also has an unstable beta-gamma magnetic field that is harboring enough energy to cause brief radio blackouts. A dark sunspot that is facing directly toward Earth doubled in size in just a 24-hour period and could possibly send out medium-class flares in the near future. Tony Phillips, the author of SpaceWeather.com , wrote on Wednesday: Yesterday, sunspot AR3038 was big. Today, it's enormous' Sunspots are dark regions of the Sun where it is cooler than other parts of the surface. Solar flares originate close to these dark areas of the star. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections come from these regions, and when they explode in the direction of Earth, they can result in geomagnetic storms that produce beautiful auroras, as well as pose a danger to power grids and satellites. AR3038 is without a doubt a large sunspot - a beachgoer in New Jerseys spotted it on the sun as it rose over the Atlantic Ocean. A pair of massive sunspot swarms, some large enough to devour the Earth whole, appeared on the surface of the sun in April. Not only is sunspot AR30398 looking directly at our planet, but it also has an unstable beta-gamma magnetic field that is harboring enough energy to cause brief radio blackouts Dubbed AR2993 and AR2994, the two active regions sent scientists into a overdrive in order to learn if Earth should brace for powerful solar flares but thankfully none were sent our way. However, in early April Earth narrowly missed a plasma ejection, linked to a sunspot group that had appeared earlier on the star. The recent increase in activity from the Sun is the result of it coming towards the most active phase in its 11-year solar cycle - hitting peak activity in 2024. Studies have shown that the level of solar activity currently happening, is about the same as it was 11 years ago, during the same point in the last cycle. 'I'm sure we shall see larger active regions over the next few years,' according to solar physicist Dean Pesnell from NASA, speaking to Live Science. 'Active regions 2993 and 2994 are middling in size and don't represent the best that Solar Cycle 25 can produce.' Jan Janssens from the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence in Brussels, told Live Science multiple solar flares and coronal mass ejections are 'typical at this stage of the solar cycle,' with some heading towards, but missing the Earth. A pair of massive sunspot swarms, some large enough to devour the Earth whole, appeared on the surface of the sun in April 'As the solar cycle is heading for its maximum, more and more complex sunspot regions become visible, which can then produce solar flares.' Solar flares have letter classes, with A-class the weakest, then B, C, and M-class, with X-class the strongest of the categories. They are then given a size - small numbers represent smaller flares within the class. An X1 flare is ten times less powerful than the most intense solar flare possible, and the most powerful on record, from 2003, overwhelmed sensors as an X28. The Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that Sunday's flare caused a blackout at certain radio frequencies below 30 MHz in Southeast Asia and Australia. Despite the flare causing a radio blackout, the plasma from the flare won't hit Earth. 'Flares and coronal mass ejections will become more frequent over the next few years, raising the hazard level of solar activity,' Pesnell told Live Science. There hasn't been an extreme CME or Solar Flare in the modern world - the last was the Carrington Event in 1859 - creating a geomagnetic storm with aurora appearing globally, as well as fires at telegraph stations. Cristiano Ronaldo is worried about Manchester United's transfer strategy this summer, according to Spanish reports. While last season's Premier League pace-setters Manchester City and Liverpool have spent big on Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez respectively, new United boss Erik ten Hag is yet to make his first signing. The Red Devils have been heavily linked with midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen but with no incomings yet, a report in Spanish outlet AS states Ronaldo is increasingly concerned that United's rivals are pulling away once again. Cristiano Ronaldo is worried about Manchester United's transfer strategy this summer While rivals have strengthened, new United boss Erik ten Hag is yet to make his first signing The report - from AS' Manu Sainz, who is close to Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes - details that the 37-year-old is 'worried' about United's lack of activity so far. It adds that the Portugal legend was 'determined' to see out the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, but now has 'doubts' as a result of United's inactivity. United are currently still around 12m short of Barcelona's 72m valuation for Holland international De Jong, while talks over a move for Eriksen have gone cold in recent weeks. United CEO Richard Arnold was caught on camera talking to fans about the club's finances over the weekend and insisted that the money is there to strengthen the first-team squad this summer. United are currently still around 12m short of Barcelona's 72m valuation for Frenkie De Jong Arsenal and Tottenham have also strengthened in recent weeks with the midfield signings of Fabio Vieira and Yves Bissouma respectively. Ronaldo rejoined United last summer on a two-year deal and was the club's top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions. But he was involved in a forgettable season for United, who finished sixth in the Premier League and did not progress to the latter stages of any of the cup competitions. Meanwhile, it is looking increasingly likely that Anthony Martial will be involved in the first-team squad next season with Ten Hag 'accepting he may have to find a place for the Frenchman' in his plans after a lack of transfer interest. A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. More than 920 people were reportedly killed, and more than 600 were injured, according to the Taliban government news agency that referenced Mawlavi Sharfuddin Muslim, the deputy state minister for disaster management, as reported by NPR. Due to the damage to distant areas, immediately confirming the numbers was not possible. Though, authorities expect the numbers to increase with updates from remote villages in the mountain region. Bakhtar News Agency uploaded footage of an unidentified man whose iPhone swung around to capture residences collapsed in the early morning to show the extent of the destruction. The man on the video showed piles of rubble, saying that there were people killed underneath. "Under that house, five people. This house, six people. And in this house, 13 dead bodies still under," he says." Then he moved his camera up the hill and claimed that "The village completely is destroyed." Taliban Government Launches Rescue and Relief Efforts A photo of the Afghanistan earthquake was released by the news agency showed men pulling out of the rubble with what appeared to be a small body wrapped in a blanket. One man was seen lighting up the scene with what looked to be a small flashlight clamped between his teeth. In a subsequent video clip, there were men seen lying on gurneys among the debris. The worst damaged locations were distant farming villages in the eastern Afghan districts of Paktika and Khost. The areas were so remote that Afghan officials deployed seven helicopters and a medical team to help with the rescue attempt. Paktika had the highest number of confirmed fatalities, where 255 people were killed, and more than 200 were injured. In the province of Khost, 25 were killed, and 90 were brought to a hospital. Read Also: Dozens Dead, Millions Stranded as Heavy Rains, Flooding Devastate India, Bangladesh Strong Tremors, Weak Buildings Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada expressed his condolences in a statement. According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, an emergency meeting was conducted at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, and officials received orders to support the earthquake victims in any way they could. On Twitter, Mujahid announced: "Land and air transport should be used to deliver food, clothing, and medicine to affected people." Mounting a rescue operation for the Afghanistan Earthquake victims could be challenging for the Taliban, who took over the country in August. They had been cut from several international assistance because of sanctions. Wednesday's earthquake was the deadliest in Afghanistan since 2002. It struck about 44 km (27 miles) from the southeastern city of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGC) said, per Reuters. The 2002 tremor killed around 1,000 people in the northern part of the country. In 2015, A powerful quake killed more than 200 people in the region. Due to the proximity of the Hindu Kush mountain to an active geological fault line, eastern Afghanistan and its bordering nations are particularly susceptible to devastating earthquakes, as per a report from CBS News. Many homes, hospitals, and other facilities in the area have weak structures, making them vulnerable to collapsing during tremors. Related Article: Sunspot Pointing at Earth Could Cause Solar Flares: Is Our Planet in Danger? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Romelu Lukaku was reportedly moved to tears when Inter Milan reached an agreement with Chelsea over a season-long loan that fulfils his wish to return to the San Siro. Inter will pay Chelsea a 7million loan fee plus add-ons, with Lukaku reportedly taking a 35 per cent pay cut on his wages of 325,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge, taking the figure to around 210,000. The Belgian striker, 29, will go back to Inter just a year after leaving for a second stint at Chelsea in a club record deal worth 97.5million. Romelu Lukaku was 'reduced to tears' after his Inter Milan loan move was agreed on Tuesday The Belgian striker was keen to leave Chelsea after an underwhelming first season back there It follows a thoroughly underwhelming first season back in which he scored just 15 times in 44 matches and disrupted the club's campaign by giving a television interview in December in which he criticised manager Thomas Tuchel. Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport report that Lukaku became emotional when informed by his lawyer Sebastien Ledure that a breakthrough had been reached in negotiations between Chelsea and Inter on Tuesday. It came after talks stalled on Monday when the Inter president Steven Zhang attempted to restructure the deal. But Lukaku will have a medical at Inter next week to confirm the move. Lukaku is contracted at Stamford Bridge until 2026 but his desire to make a return to Inter has been evident since his infamous Sky Italia interview. Lukaku had rocked the boat after criticising manager Thomas Tuchel in a December interview New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was keen to conclude Lukaku's exit to focus on new signings It also emerged in Italy this week that Lukaku set the wheels in motion for his Inter return by calling manager Simone Inzaghi on his birthday back in April and asking: 'Mister, what do I need to do to come back?' The conversation came the day before Chelsea played a crunch Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid, in which Lukaku missed a good chance to score, and he didn't find the net for over a month afterwards. Chelsea's new owner Todd Boehly wanted the Lukaku deal done quickly so the club can concentrate on their pursuit of summer targets, including Manchester City and England winger Raheem Sterling. The Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling is high on Chelsea's wishlist They want a deal for Sterling completed as quickly as possible, too, so that he can have a full pre-season with Tuchel and his new team-mates. Lukaku enjoyed two successful seasons at Inter between 2019 and 2021, scoring 64 times in 95 matches and winning the league title in 2020-21. New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is willing to part with both Anthony Martial and Eric Bailly this summer to raise funds for his much anticipated squad overhaul. Bailly, who joined for 30million from Villarreal in 2016, will cost around 8.5m, whilst Anthony Martial has an asking price of 20m, according to the Sun, despite joining for an initial 36m with performance based add-ons in 2016. Although Martial showed promise in periods of his seven-year stay at United, neither player is deemed to be part of ten Hag's plans for the future. Manchester United attempt to raise interest in Anthony Martial with a 20million price tag United are set to take 37.5m loss on the pair With both players perhaps a victim of United's frantic attempts to return to the top after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, neither has really lived up to the fees that they were bought for. Bailly has suffered with injuries during his United career, and has missed 95 games during his six seasons at the club. As a result he has struggled to solidify his status in the side and has subsequently fallen down the picking order. Martial in particular has been a disappointment for Red Devils' fans, who will have had high expectations for a player that had a Ballon d'Or winning bonus woven into his transfer deal. Despite scoring a fantastic solo goal on his debut, against none other than arch-nemesis Liverpool, and 23 goals in all competitions in 2019/20, the Frenchman's time at Old Trafford has fizzled out to a disappointing loan spell at Sevilla last season. Erik ten Hag is willing to part with Eric Bailly and Martial for cut-price fees to generate funds However, the Premier League giants may struggle to part with Martial as a result of his mammoth 240,000 per-week wages at Old Trafford, and they will likely be consigned to paying at least some of his wages should he leave the club. And with ten Hag having already identified five players that he wants the club to bring in, even a club with the financial might of United will need to raise funds through player sales. The Dutch manager has identified Frenkie de Jong, Christian Eriksen, Ajax duo Antony and Jurrien Timber, and a back-up keeper, as the signings he wants this summer, with de Jong deemed a No 1 priority. Leeds United have rejected Arsenal's opening bid for Raphinha and want 65million for the winger. Arsenal's opening offer was deemed well short of Leeds' valuation for the 25-year-old but they will return with a revised bid. The Brazilian has interest from Barcelona, his preferred club, Chelsea and Tottenham, who are also expected to bid this week, but the valuation is prohibitive. Leeds United forward Raphinha is a major transfer target for many clubs this summer However, the Leeds star will have to be patient if he wishes to move to the Nou Camp due to financial constraints hanging over the team. According to Marca, Barca have reacted with calm to Arsenal's approach as they weigh up potential options and moves elsewhere. One of those involves the future of forward Ousmane Dembele who is out of contract next week. Barca are unlikely to be able to afford both on their books but are still open to a new deal for the Frenchman. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has seen his side already have a bid rejected for the Brazil star Barcelona are also interested but are still waiting on the future of Ousmane Dembele Chelsea have been linked with a move to Dembele but like Barcelona have been since the end of 2021 have been left frustrated by the lack of clarity on where Dembele would like to be in the future. Leeds have been actively looking for replacements with PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo and Wolves' Adama Traore among those they are considering. Another name they like is Charles De Ketelaere, 21, from Bruges who has also attracted interest from Leicester and AC Milan. Leeds forward Ryan Edmondson, meanwhile, has joined Carlisle United while Arsenal striker Tyreece John-Jules, 21, has joined Ipswich Town on loan. Advertisement Our cruise director comes over the tannoy at the end of our SS Bon Voyages Bordeaux sailing and declares: Its a record. Youve knocked back 800 bottles of wine. Im among the 90 passengers on this posh, week-long cruise and weve also clocked up gastronomical bragging rights guest chef on our floating chateau is James Martin. Embarkation starts well. While cases are taken to our cabins, everyone piles into the glitzy lounge. Its 11am and the orders are specific: Champagne, please. Drinks are all-in across Uniworld Boutique River Cruises fleet. Lesley Bellew boards Uniworld's SS Bon Voyage in Bordeaux for a tour along the rivers Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde 'While cases are taken to our cabins, everyone piles into the glitzy lounge (above),' Lesley says of the beginning of her tour. 'Its 11am and the orders are specific: "Champagne, please"' As Lesley's boat leaves Bordeaux, pictured, celebrity chef James Martin does a cookery demonstration for passengers As we leave Bordeaux to sail along the rivers Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde, James treats us to a demo. He also shares a useful cheat; how to make a fruit and cream gateau with a cheap supermarket flan case as the base. James tells stories of childhood summers in Saint-Emilion. While his father travelled the region tasting wines, he worked in a hotel kitchen. At the age of eight, I came back from France knowing I wanted to be a cook, he says. Its here I learnt to use the best ingredients. And thats what were served on Jamess menu; Thai-spiced crab risotto, ceviche of monkfish, pan-roasted sea bass and a white chocolate and single malt whisky bread and butter pudding. After every outing the crew greet guests back home on the 'beautifully appointed' SS Bon Voyage. Above is one of the ship's suites Suites on the SS Bon Voyage have a butler, Lesley reveals. Above is one of the suite bathrooms Cabins are 'sumptuous' with handmade Savoir beds, fine linen and a marble-clad shower room Pictured is the sun deck on the ship. Drinks are all-in across Uniworld Boutique River Cruises fleet, Lesley notes Its accompanied by local wine chosen by our sommelier; white from Blaye and a red 1st Grand Cru Classe produced in Saint-Emilion. SS Bon Voyage sails 30 miles to Blaye, mooring beneath a Unesco-listed fortress and opposite La Petite Cave wine bar. Next, we turn our attention to cognac at the House of Remy Martin, where the old cellars are full of cobwebs so spiders protect the casks from insects. After every outing the crew greet guests back home on the beautifully appointed SS Bon Voyage. Cabins are no less sumptuous with handmade Savoir beds, fine linen and a marble-clad shower room, while suites have a butler. Lesley samples a white wine from Blaye during her tour, before the SS Bon Voyage sails to the French commune (pictured) On a day trip in Saint-Emilion, pictured, Lesley stops by Le Veritable Macaron De St Emilion, a bakery that uses a centuries-old almond macaron recipe Wine expert Susy Atkins accompanies guests on a tour of 17th-century Chateau dAbzac, in a region she says is, arguably still the worlds premier wine region. We venture into Saint-Emilion, to Le Veritable Macaron De St Emilion, a bakery that uses a centuries-old almond macaron recipe. We sample them straight from the paper they were baked on and like James Martin vow to return to this fairy tale village and our floating chateau. Eleven Dubai restaurants were awarded the first Michelin stars in the Middle East on Tuesday as dozens of the city's eateries made it into the prestigious gastronomic guide. Two restaurants were given two-star ratings, another nine gained one star and 14 received the Bib Gourmand for value-for-money gourmet fare. Dubai, the United Arab Emirates' commercial hub, joins a growing number of cities worldwide covered by the coveted French listings. Chefs and owners pose for a picture on the stage during a ceremony revealing the 2022 selection of the Michelin Guide Dubai, the first-ever edition in the United Arab Emirates, on June 21 Inspectors spent months visiting eateries 'from the most elegant and luxurious restaurants run by globally renowned chefs, to the simple bistro operated by friendly locals', Michelin guide international director Gwendal Poullennec said at the announcement event at Dubai Opera. 'It's a historic moment for Dubai and the Michelin guide,' he told AFP. Sixty-nine restaurants serving 21 types of cuisine have been listed, including Italian, Japanese, Arabic, French and Indian. This picture shows a dim sum dish by newly Michelin-starred Hakkasan at the Atlantis, The Palm hotel Il Ristorante - Niko Romito, at Bulgari Resort Dubai, and Stay by Yannick Alleno, which is on Dubai's Palm development of man-made islands, were the two-star winners. The Michelin Guide was impressed with the 'balance, purity and clarity' of the Italian fare at Il Ristorante - Niko Romito, which flies in 'top-quality ingredients' from Italy. Stay by Yannick Alleno won plaudits for its 'less-is-more approach', resulting in 'precise, sophisticated dishes that are skillfully crafted with French cooking as the base'. One of the one-star recipients was 11 Woodfire by chef-owner Akmal Anuar, who 'offers a global variety of vegetables, seafood and meats grilled to perfection over oak, hickory or hay'. Joining him on the one-star podium was Al Muntaha at the Burj al Arab hotel, 'offering refined French cuisine'; Armani Ristorante, 'presenting precise Italian cooking' at the Burj Khalifa; Hakkasan at the Atlantis, The Palm hotel, offering 'reimagined Chinese dishes'; Ossiano, also at the Atlantis, The Palm hotel, next to the aquarium, described as 'a world for creative fare', and Tasca by Jose Avilliez in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, serving up 'vibrant, innovative' Portuguese dishes. Gregoire Berger, Executive Chef at Ossiano, which is located by the aquarium at the Atlantis, The Palm hotel. The Michelin Guide has awarded his restaurant one star, commenting that it's 'a world for creative fare' The one-star list was completed by renowned three-star-chef Massimo Bottura's Torno Subito, set within the striking W Hotel on the Palm, offering 'Italian classics with a twist'; Tresind Studio, offering 'precisely executed multi-course tasting menus featuring herbs and flowers grown on its rooftop terrace', and Hoseki, a nine-seat omakase restaurant helmed by a sixth-generation sushi master, Masahiro Sugiyama, set on the fourth floor of the Bulgari Resort Dubai, which uses fresh ingredients imported daily from Japan. 'This, I believe, should be a game-changer,' Firas Fawaz, founder and managing partner of featured restaurant The Artisan, told AFP. 'You have the international standard... that pushes us to go the extra mile to deliver something different from the norm.' Al Muntaha restaurant at the Burj al Arab hotel, pictured, now has a Michelin star for its 'refined French cuisine' This shot shows the interior of Al Muntaha - and the amazing views diners experience Executive Chef Gregoire Berger, Ossiano, commented: 'We have been waiting for this for such a long time. It's a great achievement and testament to the team's relentless hard work. We look forward to the next year. We tweak what has to be tweaked, and we will continue to raise the bar to drive Ossiano forward as one of the world's leading restaurants.' Executive Chef, Andy Toh, Hakkasan, commented: 'It's truly exciting to win a Michelin star for Hakkasan Dubai. We join Hakkasan Mayfair and Hakkasan Hanway Place as the third one-star restaurant in the Hakkasan family, and this is testament to the support of both Atlantis and Tao Group Hospitality in continuing to drive the brand forward, securing the best talent and the freshest produce to ensure we make our mark.' Created in 1900 by the brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin of tyre company Michelin for motorists, the guide has become a reference for food lovers and has been known to make or break careers. Poullenec said Dubai's 90 per cent expat population, of 200 nationalities, had created an 'epicurean kaleidoscope' in the desert city. Dubai's inclusion is a recognition of the different nationalities 'bringing their experience, their background and culture into every single bite', Issam Kazem, CEO of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce, told AFP. Julie Goodwin has revealed she consulted her psychologist before agreeing to join MasterChef Australia: Fans V Faves this year. The celebrity chef, 51, who won the first season of MasterChef in 2009, has been open about her battle with anxiety and depression following her drink-driving arrest four years ago. Speaking to Woman's Day on Monday, Julie admitted she feared returning to the cooking competition would be detrimental to her mental health. Julie Goodwin, 51, (pictured) has revealed she consulted her psychologist before agreeing to join MasterChef Australia: Fans V Faves this year '[My mental health] was a massive discussion when I was asked to do [MasterChef],' the cookbook author explained. 'I didn't just say yes. I talked to my family, I talked to my psychologist, and it was a decision that was made in a very considered way because at the end of the day, I didn't want to be back at the bottom of a dark place,' she continued. The mother of three, who spent five weeks at a mental health facility in 2020, worked out a coping strategy in case things became too mentally taxing. Speaking to Woman's Day on Monday, the inaugural MasterChef winner admitted she feared returning to the cooking competition would be detrimental to her mental health 'They've worked around the filming schedule to allow me to still have my psychology appointments and to get out early in the morning to do my exercise. They touch base with me constantly to make sure I'm okay,' she said. Julie sent shockwaves through the culinary world four years ago when she was charged with drink driving twice over the legal limit. She was caught after trying to evade a police breath test. The mother of three, who spent five weeks at a mental health facility in 2020, worked out a coping strategy in case things became too mentally taxing After fronting up at court with her husband and acknowledging it was 'an error in judgment' and 'accepting full responsibility', Julie was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for six months. She later revealed she had been suffering from depression and spent five weeks in a mental health facility. Julie spoke about about her battle with depression in an interview with the Australian Women's Weekly in 2020. Julie sent shockwaves through the culinary world four years ago when she was charged with drink driving twice over the legal limit. (Pictured arriving at Gosford Local Court in May 2018) She said she found comfort in her baby granddaughter, Delilah. 'In the midst of that really awful time I had decided that I was done,' Julie said. 'I had nothing left to do, my work here was done. That's where I found myself. That landed me in hospital a bunch of times. She later revealed she had been suffering from depression and spent five weeks in a mental health facility. Amid her mental health battle, she found comfort in her granddaughter, Delilah 'So, I'm trying to figure out if my life here is not done, then what the hell is it? Delilah is obviously a massive part of that. She's a tiny little human who I want to be around for.' Julie, who is known for her hearty home recipes, famously beat runner-up Poh Ling Yeow on season one of MasterChef Australia in 2009. For confidential support, contact Lifeline on 131 114 Elsa Pataky is the latest star to grace the cover of T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine. The 45-year-old Spanish actress, who is married to Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth, looks effortlessly chic on the publication's front page and inside spread. In the accompanying interview, Elsa admitted that despite being a household name these days, she actually never wanted to be famous. Elsa Pataky stuns on the cover of T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine Elsa said she never wanted fame, but just wished to pursue her passion for acting. 'I never dreamed of being a huge star; I wanted to be an actor,' Elsa said. Speaking about her road to success, Elsa revealed she would focus on achieving the little things first. The 45-year-old Spanish actress, who is married to Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth, appears on the publication's front page and inside spread Despite her successful career, Elsa said she was most proud of her family with Chris (right) 'I always say, "Make little goals and make them happen, and that will give you the strength to keep going."' Despite her successful career, which includes starring in the Fast and Furious series, Elsa said she was most proud of of her family with husband Chris. 'Success is what feels right for you - makes you feel confident. For me, my family is also success,' she explained. 'Success is what feels right for you - makes you feel confident. For me, my family is also success,' she explained Elsa is celebrating the release of her new Netflix film Interceptor Elsa is celebrating the release of her new Netflix film Interceptor. Her role in the action movie sees her play no-nonsense army lieutenant JJ Collins, who must save the world when 16 nuclear missiles are launched in the United States. The film has received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. Vicki Gunvalson is pushing back against Dorinda Medley's claims that she sent the Real Housewives of New York City alum 'hundreds of texts.' Less than a week after the reality star, 57, said was ignoring 'hundreds and hundreds of texts' and a 'very long voicemail' from her foe, Gunvalson, 60, accused the socialite of being deceitful. 'She is an absolute liar. I dont have time to text anyone 100 texts. Dont flatter yourself @dorindamedley,' Gunvalson wrote in an Instagram comment. At odds: Vicki Gunvalson is pushing back against Dorinda Medley's claims that she sent the Real Housewives of New York City alum 'hundreds of texts' (seen in 2018) In a separate comment, she added: 'I have every text and there is NOT 100. Move on girl.' Last week, Medley told Page Six that she doesn't 'really respond' to any of Gunvalson's texts. 'She not only wrote 100 texts, she left me a very long voicemail,' claimed the Massachusetts native. Who's telling the truth? Less than a week after the reality star, 57, said was ignoring 'hundreds and hundreds of texts' and a 'very long voicemail' from her foe, Gunvalson, 60, accused the socialite of being deceitful 'She is an absolute liar. I dont have time to text anyone 100 texts. Dont flatter yourself @dorindamedley,' Gunvalson wrote in an Instagram comment Gunvalson and her rival began feuding while working on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, after the former described the latter's Blue Stone Manor as 'old' while discussing places to stay for the show. The mother-of-one spoke about the comments on her SiriusXM podcast Make It Nice, and made numerous disparaging remarks about her fellow Housewife's character. In response, Gunvalson posted on Instagram that Medley is 'the nasty one' and she 'never said anything bad about her home.' Speaking out: Earlier this month, Gunvalson responded to Dorinda Medley's claims about her sense of taste in the comments section of an Instagram post Making comments: Gunvalson and her rival began feuding while working on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, and the former described the latter's Blue Stone Manor as 'old' while discussing places to stay for the show Gunvalson did, however, frame her comments about her rival's residence as facts. She wrote: 'I also said her house is in the middle of nowhere (truth) and it's old (truth). Defensive much?' The media figure then described herself as aesthetically inclined and countered that Medley was an inhospitable host. Harsh words: Gunvalson recently attacked Medley's personality on Instagram, stating: 'She's the nasty one' Refuting the claims: The media figure then described herself as aesthetically inclined and countered that Medley was an inhospitable host 'Saying I don't have taste? That's a joke - my taste is definitely different than hers AND she was horrible to most people who stayed there. It was miserable,' she wrote. Medley previously hit out at Gunvalson during her podcast, and expressed that her rival did not know how to comport herself particularly well. 'Well, listen, this is a girl that thinks dancing on dirty tables in a bar at Puerto Vallarta, whatever that place is called, is fun. So I mean, you can't really have people that don't have taste understand taste,' she stated. Not happy: The media figure then expressed that she did not find her fellow Bravo personality's actions to be particularly appropriate The media figure then expressed that she did not find her fellow Bravo personality's actions to be particularly appropriate. 'Jealousy is a terrible thing. Sometimes people don't like when [others] are prospering so much. And there's a lot of unhappiness behind that,' she said. Medley later made a reference to Gunvalson's ex Brooks Ayers, who previously made false comments regarding his health. Not mincing words: Medley later made a reference to Gunvalson's ex Brooks Ayers, who previously made false comments regarding his health 'Like, you may not like my life, but I also don't date people that pretend to have cancer, you know what I mean,' she stated. Medley then nodded to the star's ex, Steve Lodge, while firing: 'I also dont date men that then leave you for women that are half their age.' The second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which was filmed at the Blue Stone Manor, is set to premiere on June 23. Surgery-addicted social media star Mary Magdalene has been partying with her friends in West Hollywood for the last few weeks. And after a string of benders and even a brush with death, the police were finally called to Mary's Airbnb on Tuesday. The Canadian OnlyFans model, 30, shared photos on Instagram of two police officers inside the residence. Police were called on Tuesday to an Airbnb in West Hollywood where surgery-addicted social media star Mary Magdalene (pictured) had been partying for weeks on end In one photo, an officer could be seen inspecting something by Mary's bedside table with a flashlight. 'Girl, who called the police on me?' she captioned one image, before adding: 'OMG ew.' Hours later, Mary appeared to be in good spirits as she took to Instagram to share a video thanking her 140,000 followers. 'My supporters, you guys are very ride or die. The people that f**k with me really f**k with me and I love it, really appreciate it,' she said. The OnlyFans model, 30, shared photos of two police officers inside the residence An officer could be seen inspecting something by Mary's bedside table with a flashlight Mary has spent the last few weeks partying at various nightclubs in West Hollywood, or inside her Airbnb with pals. Earlier in the week, she expressed her love for law and order by posing for a photo with a group of local cops. Dressed in an American flag bikini top and skintight jeans, she captioned it: 'I love police. Cop lover.' It comes after Mary was rushed to hospital amid fears she could die from sepsis after illegal silicone injections she had in her buttocks started to 'rot'. Mary has spent the last few weeks partying at various nightclubs in West Hollywood, or inside her Airbnb with pals Earlier this month, she begged her Instagram followers to help get her to a California hospital after her body started to reject her silicone injections, which she had done by an unlicensed practitioner in May. In a series of frantic posts, she said her injections were 'rotting' and shared graphic photos of the open wounds on her backside. Fresh tattoos on her breasts also became infected and couldn't heal, further adding to her health woes. The bombshell posed in the hallway of her Airbnb before heading to a local club 'I'm so scared. My body seems to be fighting off a big infection because all three of my tattoos aren't healing either. They are all infected with open wounds,' she cried. 'I'm in a different country [the U.S.] and I don't know what to do. I feel helpless.' She wrote in a subsequent post: 'Please let me know [a] good wound care clinic in Los Angeles. That sounds like the most logical idea right now, instead of any random walk-in clinic or hospital.' Earlier in the week, she expressed her love for law and order by posing for this photo with a group of local cops A pale-looking Mary later broke down in tears on Instagram Live as she told fans her wounds were bleeding and she didn't know what to do. Fans begged her to go to the emergency room to 'avoid sepsis' and not worry about the cost of American medical care. She eventually made her way to hospital and spent the night being treated, before being prescribed antibiotics. It comes after Mary was rushed to hospital amid fears she could die from sepsis after illegal silicone injections she had in her buttocks started to rot Her wounds appear to be healing now, and the viral star has resumed partying. The heavily injected and tattooed model had her first cosmetic procedure at age 21. Since then, she has had multiple boob and nose jobs, butt lifts and injections, as well as a brow lift, fat transfers, veneers, liposuction and more. In April, the star claimed she was no longer able to fully close her mouth after a lip lift and another round of lip filler. In a series of frantic posts, she said her injections were 'rotting' and shared graphic photos of the open wounds on her backside Mary feared for her life after her tattoos became infected following the butt injections In 2018, Mary almost died on the operating table during an operation to 'inflate' her vagina in Colombia. 'I had to get two blood transfusions,' she told The Sun of the harrowing ordeal. 'The doctor said I was losing so much blood, and turning very pale. He thought I was going to die.' Before her transformation: Ms Magdalene had her first cosmetic work done when she was 21 The star said she wanted the look so she could have 'the world's fattest vagina'. 'So basically there's this contraption that you use and it sucks your p***y and then it makes it very inflated, so I told the doctor that I just want it permanently to look like that,' she told the No Jumper podcast. 'I would say it's a female ball sack. I'm gonna keep just growing it and getting it bigger. I'm gonna get injections.' Love Island has sparked another race row as four black contestants have been dumped first from the dating show. On Tuesday's dramatic episode Ikenna Ekwonna and Amber Beckford were kicked out of the villa after being voted the public's least favourite boy and girl. It came after Afia Tonkmor and Remi Lambert were axed last week after failing to successfully couple up with any of the other islanders. Trouble: Love Island has sparked another race row as four black contestants have been dumped first from the dating show (pictured is Ikenna Ekwonna who was dumped on Tuesday night) After the latest two dumpings involving Amber and Ikenna many took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with many slamming the show for its 'race problem'. One wrote: 'Love Island kicking off 4 black people back to back is a bit sus but okay'. Another said: 'Hope the producers have more black people coming in because how is it just 2 people now'. Sad: On Tuesday's dramatic episode Ikenna Ekwonna and Amber Beckford (pictured) were kicked out of the villa after being voted the public's least favourite boy and girl Someone else added: 'Nah some racist s**t going on in love island right now with the votes', while a fourth wrote: 'This vote seems very anti-black.' Another fuming viewer wrote: 'Is no one questioning why a white person hasn't left yet? Y'all really see black people as undesirable and it shows absolutely disgusting.' ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for a comment. Home: It came after Afia Tonkmor (pictured) and Remi Lambert were axed last week after failing to successfully couple up with any of the other islanders It comes after at the start of the series a separate race row erupted as fans of the ITV2 dating show accused producers of 'segregating' the couples based on the colour of their skin. There was outcry on social media during the opening night's show, which saw the four black contestants paired together by a public vote: Indiyah Polack with Ikenna and Amber with Dami Hope. The six white contestants were also coupled up: Liam Llewellyn with Gemma Owen, Luca Bish with Paige Thorne and Andrew Le Page with Tasha Ghouri. Brief: Remi (pictured) was only in the villa for a couple of days after failing to win over Indiyah It was the first time the initial coupling-up has been decided by the public, as previous years have placed the power into the hands of the contestants. One aggrieved fan wrote on Twitter: 'So they've essentially segregated the couples as two black couples and three white couples... is that what i'm getting?' Another expressed: 'As soon as she said the public would be matching up the couples I just KNEW the black people would all be put together. Why did the producers think this was a good idea?' Reaction: After the latest two dumpings involving Amber and Ikenna many took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with many slamming the show for its 'race problem' A third branded the coupling-up 'so predictable', while a fourth said it is 'so embarrassing seeing the public match the black contestants together only'. Amber and Ikenna were both brutally dumped from Love Island on Tuesday night's dramatic episode - as new girl Antigoni Buxton gets set to enter the villa. The public had been voting for their least favourite girl and boy which left Monday night's show on a nail-biting cliff hanger as the contestants gathered around the fire pit to learn their fate. Not happy: It comes after at the start of the series a separate race row erupted as fans of the ITV2 dating show accused producers of 'segregating' the couples based on the colour of their skin (Indiyah Polack and Ikenna Ekwonna pictured) The boys with the fewest votes were Ikenna, Jay Younger and Andrew Le Page while the girls with the fewest votes were Tasha Ghouri, Amber and Ekin-Su Culculoglu. The girls were left devastated as Amber left, with Tasha saying she felt 'heartbroken' that she was dumped, while the boys lamented how the villa wouldn't be the same without Ikenna. Speaking as he left the villa Ikenna said: 'I will miss the boys and Dami so much and I wish them all the best!' Amber then added: 'I will miss all of them, I will miss the chats with Dami and I have no regrets over my time in the villa at all.' Earlier in the night after the names were announced, Paige Thorne received a text that said: 'Only one boy and one girl will be going home tonight. That decision is in the hands of the public.' Danica Taylor and Dami Hope both received text messages saying: 'The boy/girl with the fewest votes and therefore dumped from the island is' before the show ended with viewers forced to wait until Tuesday to find out who has been dumped. The local mayor of Uvalde, Texas, announced on Tuesday the demolition of Robb Elementary School, where a gunman killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers last month. Don McLaughlin told a council meeting in Uvalde on Tuesday that he was aware of the plan to demolish Robb Elementary School and a new school built for its nearly 600 pupils after the tragedy in May, according to a report from The Guardian. "My understanding - and I had this discussion with the [school district] superintendent - is that the school will be demolished. You can never ask a child to go back, or teacher to go back, in that school ever," McLaughlin said. McLaughlin, however, did not mention when the demolition would take place. Last month, State Senator Roland Gutierrez disclosed to local media that US President Joe Biden had proposed Robb Elementary School be demolished. According to BBC, the Uvalde school is not the first to be torn down following a horrific shooting. Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was demolished after 20 students and six staff members were shot dead in 2012. On the same site, a new school was constructed. Texas Public Safety Chief Blasts Police Response Mayor Mclaughlin made the remarks amid growing public outrage over the police response to the shooting on May 25 and how heavily armed police waited 70 minutes after arriving at the school before storming the classroom where the shooter was. Steve McCraw, Texas public safety chief, described the response as "an abject failure and antithetical to everything" before a state panel investigating the incident. McCraw claimed the local police chief, Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, who was the on-scene commander, held back other officers from stopping the intruder sooner and potentially limiting the carnage. Arredondo "decided to place the lives of officers over the lives of children," McCraw stated. "The officers had weapons - the children had none. The officers had body armor - the children had none. The officers had training - the subject had none." Read Also: Bill Cosby Sexually Abused 16-Year-Old Judy Huth in the 1970s, Jury Finds According to McCraw, the local police chief and the on-scene commander Pedro "Pete" Arredondo prevented police from apprehending the shooter sooner and possibly lessening the carnage. Hours before McCraw's testimony, an image from the surveillance video during the showing incident inside the school circulated, where police officers were equipped with guns and ballistic shields in the hallway. They appeared ready to move toward the shooter despite Arrendodo's directive to wait. Uvalde Mayor Will Not Hold Back as Investigation Digs Deep Mayor Don McLaughlin earlier announced his vow to remain silent on the new details of the investigation of the Robb Elementary School shooting "for legal reasons." But he broke that during the City Council meeting on Tuesday. McLaughlin expressed his disappointment in the council's unanimous decision to deny Police Chief Arredondo a leave of absence from upcoming council meetings, per KSAT. McLaughlin said: "The gloves are off. As we know it, we will share it. We kept quiet at the request because we thought... we were doing the right thing." As the investigation into the fatal Robb Elementary shooting continues, McLaughlin asserted during Tuesday's council meeting that he had been kept in the dark by law police and state authorities. Related Article: Kamala Harris Surprises Children at African American Museum in Juneteenth Celebration @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jennifer Lawrence was seen sporting a very casual look on her way to Pilates class in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. The star recently had her first baby in February of this year with her husband, Cook Maroney. The art gallery director and actress tied the knot in 2019 in Rhode Island. At the end of last year, The Hunger Games star stated how she planned to keep her child's life private and out of public eye. Comfort yet stylish: Jennifer Lawrence, 31, was seen heading to a Pilates class wearing a plain t-shirt and yoga pants in Beverly Hills The 31-year-old still looked incredibly stylish wearing a plain white T-shirt paired with simple black yoga pants. The Academy award winner added a pair of black flip-flops to make walking to her destination easy. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail in order to keep her hair out of her face, especially for an exercise routine. Staying fit and healthy: The actress recently had her first child in February, and has been focusing on her own health The star donned a pair of oval-shaped sunglasses as she walked under the bright, California sun. She had a tan bag slung over her shoulder and held her phone in her hand as she walked to her class. Jennifer discussed how she wanted to keep the privacy of her child an upmost priority with Vanity Fair for her cover story for its December issue last year. Stunning: The Hunger Games actress always looks glamorous and gorgeous, from her rec carpet looks to her streetwear styles The talented star opened up about how she wanted to make sure that she did all that she could do to ensure that her baby had a high level of privacy. 'But every instinct in my body wants to protect their privacy for the rest of their lives, as much as I can,' Jennifer stated. The Don't Look Up actress went on to explain how having her Hollywood life separate from her home life would be very important. 'I don't want anyone to feel welcome into their existence,' she said. 'And I feel like that just starts with not including them in this part of my work.' Last month in May, Jennifer confirmed that she did have a baby on a phone interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. 'Congratulations about everything, the marriage, the baby, congratulations for everything,' Ellen said. The actress's response to the congratulatory message was a heartfelt, 'Thank you.' Jennifer is known for various critically acclaimed roles, including playing Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and the franchise appears to be brought to life again. According to Deadline, a new prequel film is in the works titled, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes. The premise of the film follows a younger President Snow as the 10th Annual Hunger Games are on the horizon. The film will star Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler with a set premiere date of November 2023. Carol Vorderman looked sensational as she put her incredible physique on display as she walked along a sandy Welsh beach on Monday. The presenter, 61, who is famed for her voluptuous curves wowed in a skintight grey bodysuit along with leopard-print leggings. The TV star's outing came as she announced she's coming back to Channel 4, returning to screens for several episodes of Celebrity Gogglebox. TV babe: Carol Vorderman looked sensational as she put her incredible physique on display as she walked along a sandy Welsh beach on Monday It will be a special moment for the broadcaster as the channel is home to her former hit show Countdown where she became a household name. The maths whiz will appear alongside Gyles Brandreth passing judgement on the week's TV - replacing actress Joanna Lumley. Sharing the carousel of pictures with her 225,000 Instagram followers, alongside the This Morning favourite Carol wrote: Can't wait! The maths whiz will appear alongside Gyles Brandreth passing judgement on the week's TV - replacing actress Joanna Lumley CELEBRITY GOGGLEBOX...So I'm making my debut this Friday 9pm on one of my favourite shows of all time and joining the @c4gogglebox gang....with my friend of 40 years @gylesbrandreth.... 'Watch this week and let me know if you agree....we're a bit vocal....no holds barred. @channel4 @c4gogglebox #celebritygogglebox.' Fans were ecstatic over the news with one writing: ''I love this show and love you. TV Gold this Friday. Getting G&T in for the occasion.' TV favourite: Carol left fans thrilled with a career announcement as she confirmed her return to Channel 4 Another said: 'Wow looking Forward to that, see you Friday at 9' 'Quality carol enjoy enjoy and get out the good banter', a viewer commented. Another simply said: 'Excellent pairing...' While an excited follower replied: 'Cant wait Carol. You two are the perfect match on this show. Will be glued xxx.' 'Absolutely cannot wait for this!!!!!' posted another while someone else wished: ''I'd absolutely love to share a sofa with these two lovely celebrities'.' Announcement: Carol took to her Instagram account to let her fans know that she is going to appear on Celebrity Gogglebox from Friday So exciting! Fans were ecstatic over the news and flooded her post with comments It comes as earlier this month she challenged Susanna Reid to a 'mud wrestle' over Judge Rob Rinder in an Instagram Story. The media personality was updating her followers on recording for the Pride of Britain podcast when she playfully threw down the gauntlet. She added that the Good Morning Britain host 'keeps trying to take' Rob, 44, away from her. Addressing her followers, Carol began: 'Well I'm happy to say I've had a lovely day because we've been recording lots of interviews for the Pride of Britain podcast that's going out at the moment. 'I you haven't heard one yet or watched one yet then just go to one of the social channels and I hope you enjoy it. 'But do you know what our winners on Pride of Britain are extraordinary, I mean they are so just...special and I've found that I'm learning a lot from them and I have today.' She then turned the conversation to Rob, who she dubbed the 'love of her life'. Cheeky: It comes as earlier this month she challenged Susanna Reid to a 'mud wrestle' over Judge Rob Rinder in an Instagram Story Carol said: 'I also...was interviewing the love of my life Rob Rinder, Judge Rob Rinder. 'Susanna Reid keeps trying to take him away from me. I've told her I'm willing to mud wrestle her for him. 'But she hasn't taken me up on that yet sadly.' In an Instagram post she also called Rob 'special and a joy as ever'. Shark Tank personality Barbara Corcoran opened up about a scam she was targeted in, in an upcoming appearance on Red Table Talk. The Edgewater, New Jersey-born businesswoman, 73, discussed with the show's Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris the scheme she was targeted in, in an episode titled How Not to Be Scammed. 'My accountant got an email from my secretary authorizing a $400,000 transfer of funds,' Corcoran said in a preview published by People. 'I invest in a lot of property, I renovate property, so it seemed like a normal kind of thing. It wasn't out of the norm.' The latest: Shark Tank personality Barbara Corcoran opened up about a scam she was targeted in, in an upcoming appearance on Red Table Talk. She was pictured speaking with the show's Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris Corcoran said that 'the money went out' via 'a wire transfer to Germany' prior to her learning that the dealing wasn't above board. 'It wasn't until my accountant set a confirmation to my real secretary saying, "Hey we're confirming this one last time,"' she said. 'Right there, boom! I learned that I was hit by a scammer.' The episode will also feature a family that was victimized by fraud, and a Marine who opens up about what he experienced after scammers used his photo online. Also featured in the episode will be an expert in fraudulent crimes who explains how criminal scammers target each age group in their nefarious efforts to swindle money from their victims. In an episode titled How Not to Be Scammed, Corcoran opened up on the details of the scheme she was targeted in Corcoran said that $400,000 went out via 'a wire transfer to Germany' prior to her learning that the dealing wasn't above board Last month, the trio spoke with victims of con artists including Ayleen Charlotte, whose interactions with Simon Leviev were chronicled in the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler; and Rachel Williams, who was victimized by Anna Sorokin, who posed as a German heiress named Anna Delvey, as depicted in the Netflix series Inventing Anna. The Facebook Watch series has tackled a number of tough topics in recent months, focusing on serious issues including the fentanyl epidemic, hate crimes and suicide. Red Table Talk's latest episodes debut Wednesdays on Facebook Watch. The episode will also feature a family that was victimized by fraud, and a Marine who opens up about what he experienced after scammers used his photo online Mickey Rourke offered a glimpse at his immense chest tattoos after grabbing some lunch in Beverly Hills. The 69-year-old actor was all smiles while smoking a hand-rolled cigarette after his lunch outing on Tuesday afternoon. His outing came just a few months after suffering a nasty cut on his forehead after a skateboarding accident. Tats: Mickey Rourke offered a glimpse at his immense chest tattoos after grabbing some lunch in Beverly Hills Rourke stepped out with an olive-green dress shirt that he had unbuttoned, offering glimpses of his chest tattoos. He was also sporting dark Aviator-style sunglasses for his lunch at Mulberry Street Pizza in Beverly Hills. The actor completed his look with black pants and baby blue slip-on shoes for his lunch outing. Mickey's look: Rourke stepped out with an olive-green dress shirt that he had unbuttoned, offering glimpses of his chest tattoos The outing came just months after he revealed a dangerous skateboarding accident on social media. The Wrestler star shared a painful gash on his forehead to his 217K Instagram followers, which he captioned, 'Looks like my skateboarding days are over.' The actor, who also boxed professionally on top of his acting career, also confessed to suffering several concussions over the years. Skateboarding: The outing came just months after he revealed a dangerous skateboarding accident on social media 'Gotta make sure "the head isn't scrambled eggs,"' the Man of God actor wisecracked. His injuries haven't slowed down his workload, with the actor recently wrapping Murder at Hollow Creek in Mississippi. David Lipper's action-thriller also stars Penelope Ann Miller, Paul Ben-Victor, Jason Patric, Casper Van Dien, Jason London, Jeremy London, and Patrick Muldoon. Work: His injuries haven't slowed down his workload, with the actor recently wrapping Murder at Hollow Creek in Mississippi Co-stars: David Lipper's action-thriller also stars Penelope Ann Miller, Paul Ben-Victor, Jason Patric, Casper Van Dien, Jason London, Jeremy London, and Patrick Muldoon Rourke recently said younger directors are the reason his acting career was resurrected after being 'blacklisted by Hollywood for 15 years.' 'The young guys are cool. They don't care about what they hear. They judge me by my acting ability, not my old reputation,' the eighties action star explained to Fox News on March 28. 'I have a love/hate relationship with acting. I enjoy what I'm doing at the moment because I can give everything that I'm taught. I have my confidence. Resurrected: Rourke recently said younger directors are the reason his acting career was resurrected after being 'blacklisted by Hollywood for 15 years' Simu Liu may have a new love interest in his life. The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star, 33, was spotted enjoying an evening out with actress Jade Bender in West Hollywood over the weekend. The duo grabbed a late-night dinner at celebrity hot spot, Catch LA, which is frequented by the likes of makeup mogul Kylie Jenner and model Hailey Bieber. New flame? Simu Liu may have a new love interest in his life. The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star, 33, was spotted enjoying an evening out with actress Jade Bender in West Hollywood over the weekend Simu suited up for the occasion in a tight fitting navy blue shirt that highlighted his muscular arms. He styled his top with a pair of gray slacks and some white sneakers. Meanwhile, Jade stunned in a cropped white tank top with a plunging neckline and a pair of high-waisted denim jeans. The actress, who many may recognize for her role in the Rebel Wilson-led Netflix comedy Senior Year, added height to her petite frame with some beige heeled sandals. Hot spot: The duo grabbed a late-night dinner at celebrity hot spot, Catch LA, which is frequented by the likes of makeup mogul Kylie Jenner and model Hailey Bieber Jade's shiny raven hair was parted down the middle and styled in waves and she opted for a minimalist makeup look. She stowed her belongings in a patterned purse and she had an off white coat folded over her arm as they strolled towards the valet together. Simu was captured standing closely to Jade as he gestured in the direction of a nearby car. As reported by Extra, Simu and Jade got into the same vehicle after their LA dinner date. Looking good: Simu suited up for the occasion in a tight fitting navy blue shirt that highlighted his muscular arms. Meanwhile, Jade stunned in a cropped white tank top with a plunging neckline and a pair of high-waisted denim jeans PEOPLE uncovered that the pair previously met back in 2019 while attending the 19th annual Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills. Though he's notoriously private about his love life, rumors swirled earlier this year that Simu was romantically linked to Selling Sunset's Chrishell Stause. He appeared beside the 40-year-old reality star on her hit Netflix series, where she helped him hunt down the perfect home in Los Angeles. Simu's cameo occurred in the fourth season of Selling Sunset, which premiered on the streaming service late last year. After fans witness the pair's 'flirty' exchange during the episode, social media went wild with speculation about Simu and Chrishell's relationship. As reported by Extra , Simu and Jade got into the same vehicle after their LA dinner date; Simu pictured in June, Jade pictured in May PEOPLE uncovered that the pair previously met back in 2019 while attending the 19th annual Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills; (L-R) Jason Chan, Simu Liu and Jade Bender pictured in 2019 But the Days Of Our Lives actress shutdown the rumors during a February appearance on Andy Cohen's late-night show Watch What Happens Live. A viewer said she saw some sparks between Chrishell and Simu when she was selling him a house on Selling Sunset and asked if they had reconnected now that she was single. 'I get this question a lot,' said Chrishell, who was wearing a crystal encrusted bustier and black satin pants. 'I have to say Simu was just a friend of mine.' Latest role: Many may recognize Jade for her role in the Rebel Wilson-led Netflix comedy Senior Year (pictured) Andy asked, 'Friend with benefits?' 'No, I promise,' said Chrishell. 'No one ever believes me, but no. He's so lovely. He's amazing. He's, I don't think he is public with his whole situation, but he is just a friend.' 'With what situation?',' Andy asked. 'I'm just saying,' said Chrishell and then Andy said, 'his dating situation, got it.' Kourtney Kardashian showcased her edgy new fashion sense on Tuesday when she was spotted leaving a photoshoot in West Hollywood. The 43-year-old Kardashians star highlighted her busty in a revealing black tube top that perfect matched the rest of her goth-inspired ensemble. She had just snapped some photos at the clothing boutique Boohoo, located on West Hollywood's iconic Melrose Place. Back in black: Kourtney Kardashian, 43, rocked a goth-inspired all-black ensemble on Tuesday as she left a photoshoot at the boutique Boohoo on West Hollywood Melrose Place Kourtney went bra-free in the black top, which she partly covered with a ribbed black cardigan. She paired her top with baggy black accordion pants, and she stuck to the goth theme with black combat boots that barely peaked out from her pants, which were decorated with long dangling cords with frayed ends. The reality star accessorized with a boxy black handbag, and she blocked out the piercing sun upon her exit with a chunky set of black sunglasses. She added some extra sparkle to her outfit with several diamond-studded necklaces in the shape of crosses that dangled from her throat. Revealing: Kourtney went bra-free in a black tube top, which she partly covered with a ribbed black cardigan On point: She paired her top with baggy black accordion pants, and she stuck to the goth theme with black combat boots that barely peaked out from her pants Intriguing: Her pants were decorated with long dangling cords with frayed ends. The reality star accessorized with a boxy black handbag Kourtney was followed closely behind by an assistant as she stepped out. Her lustrous raven tresses shimmered in the sun, and they were styled with a middle part and a playful upturned wave just above her shoulders. Missing out on the photoshoot was Kourtney's husband Travis Barker. The lovebirds recently highlighted their unquenchable affections when they posed together in playful photos advertising the plant-based food label Daring. The company produces meat-free chicken substitutes, and Kourtney appeared to bite into a piece of imitation chicken while enjoying a fun bubble bath with her new hubbie. MIA: Missing out on the photoshoot was Kourtney's husband Travis Barker. The lovebirds recently highlighted their unquenchable affections when they posed together in playful photos advertising the plant-based food label Daring Covered up: She blocked out the piercing sun upon her exit with a chunky set of black sunglasses. Kourtney added some extra sparkle to her outfit with several diamond-studded cross necklaces Cute: Her lustrous raven tresses shimmered in the sun, and they were styled with a middle part and a playful upturned wave just above her shoulders The lovebirds, who married for the third time nearly a month ago in Portofino, Italy, have already made major strides in blending their families. On Sunday, Travis showed that he was a proud stepfather as he shared some sweet handwritten Father's Day cards that Kourtney's youngest children Penelope, nine, and Reign, seven, made for him. It wasn't clear if her oldest son, 12-year-old Mason, had made a card for him, but Travis also got several tributes on social media from his older children that he shares with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler. Kourtney shares all three of her children with her former partner Scott Disick, 39. The Poosh founder also paid tribute to her late father Robert Kardashian, who died of esophageal cancer in 2003 at age 59. Later on Tuesday, Kourtney shared a quick video of her computer at home, on which someone had searched for 'world's scariest picture' and turned up plenty of chilling images, including the disturbing mask worn by the serial rapist Edward Paisnel, known as the Beast of Jersey. 'Things being searched on my computer,' she wrote, adding tears of laughter emojis. 'I know exactly which kid it is.' Thoughtful: Barker shared cards from stepchildren Penelope and Reign, Kourtney's kids with ex Scott Disick, on Sunday It's official: The lovebirds weremarried for the third time nearly a month ago in Portofino, Italy Family: Kourtney shares all three of her children with her former partner Scott Disick, 39. She also paid tribute to her late father Robert Kardashian, who died in 2003 at age 59 After her photoshoot, Kourtney revealed that she had been hanging out with her friend Stephanie Shepherd, who used to be her younger sister Kim's assistant before graduating to a friend of the family. Kourtney beamed as she tried out an eerie blue-eyed Instagram filter while Stephanie stood just behind her. She also posted a solo closeup to Instagram that featured a filter that added freckles to her clear skin and bleached her dark eyebrows. Out of this world: Kourtney beamed as she tried out an eerie blue-eyed Instagram filter while her friend Stephanie Shepherd stood just behind her New look: She also posted a solo closeup to Instagram that featured a filter that added freckles to her clear skin and bleached her dark eyebrows Family: Kourtney's step children Alabama and Landon Barker enjoyed Dixie D'Amelio's album release party on Tuesday night in LA Brynne Edelsten is still in the baby bubble with her daughter Starr Amari Gordon. The new mother, 39, shared a collage of photos to Instagram on Wednesday of herself bonding with the newborn. The pictures showed Starr gazing at a painting of an elephant, sipping on milk, and lying in her cot in various cute outfits. Brynne Edelsten is still in the baby bubble with her daughter Starr Amari Gordon. She shared a collage of photos to Instagram on Wednesday of herself bonding with the newborn Brynne, the ex-wife of late Australian businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, simply captioned the snap: 'Starry Amari.' The American socialite welcomed her daughter, whom she has described as an unplanned 'miracle baby', on April 21. A few weeks later, Brynne's mother Mariel jetted from Arizona to Melbourne to meet her granddaughter. The American socialite welcomed her daughter, whom she has described as an unplanned 'miracle baby', on April 21 'And this is what makes over 30 hours of travel worth it!' Mariel wrote on Instagram. Brynne recently told New Idea she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S. The former fitness instructor had adopted the last name Edelsten when she married the late Geoffrey Edelsten in 2009. While she kept the name after their 2014 divorce, she did not think it was appropriate to pass it on to her daughter. Edelsten died aged 78 last June. A few weeks later, Brynne's mother Mariel jetted from Arizona to Melbourne to meet her granddaughter The identity of Starr's father has not been made public. However, Brynne confirmed to the publication the man had met his daughter twice. 'I haven't had a good night's sleep since Starr arrived,' Brynne said of motherhood. 'But I wouldn't trade being a mum for anything I'm the happiest I've ever been.' The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally. 'I didn't think I had any maternal instinct,' she told New Idea. 'Even while pregnant, I couldn't quite believe it was happening, but as soon as she arrived, we bonded and it all felt very natural.' Brynne recently told New Idea she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S. Brynne announced she was pregnant in December last year. Sharing a photo of her ultrasound on Instagram, she wrote: 'Miracles do happen AND each is another day closer to meeting the love of my life.' Brynne revealed at the time she planned to raise her baby alone. Brynne announced she was pregnant in December last year 'There's no man in the picture,' she said. 'I told the father, though. I would never keep the father of my child apart I don't think that's ever going to be something that happens.' Brynne was famously married to medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten from 2009 to 2014. Katherine Schwarzenegger sent her husband, Chris Pratt, her best wishes on his 43rd birthday with a post that was shared to her Instagram account on Tuesday. The 32-year-old author gave her one million followers a glimpse into her life with the Jurassic World: Dominion star with her photoset, and she was featured in three of the shots. The media figure also penned a short message in her post's caption to publicly express her devotion to the actor on his special day. Affectionate: Katherine Schwarzenegger sent her husband, Chris Pratt, her best wishes on his 43rd birthday with a post that was shared to her Instagram account on Tuesday Schwarzenegger began her statement by remarking that she was grateful to be married to Pratt. 'Birthday Boy! Happy birthday to you ! We love you so much! I feel like the luckiest in the world to life life with you,' she wrote. The author went on to describe several of her husband's most admirable qualities before ending the message. You're the most loving father, the most supportive partner and you have the biggest heart and we are so blessed to feel and witness your love. Happy happy handsome,' she wrote. Letting everyone know: The media figure also penned a short message in her post's caption to publicly express her devotion to the actor on his special day Celebratory event: A video of several crew members on The Terminal List celebrating the actor's birthday last year was also shared to its official Instagram account on Tuesday A video of several crew members on The Terminal List celebrating the actor's birthday last year was also shared to its official Instagram account on Tuesday. Schwarzenegger and Pratt were first linked in June of 2018, when they were spotted while spending time together in Santa Barbara. The actor was previously married to Anna Faris, whom he met on the set of Take Me Home Tonight. The former couple tied the knot in 2009 and they welcomed a son named Jack, aged nine, before separating and divorcing in 2018. Starting off strong: Schwarzenegger and Pratt were first linked in June of 2018, when they were spotted while spending time together in Santa Barbara He eventually moved on with the author, and they went Instagram official with their relationship not long after it began. Schwarzenegger and Pratt eventually announced that they had become engaged after just a year of dating. The happy couple went on to tie the knot during a wedding ceremony in June of 2019. The author eventually became pregnant with the couple's child, and she gave birth to Lyla Maria, aged one, in April of 2020. Putting a ring on it: The happy couple went on to tie the knot during a wedding ceremony in June of 2019 The pair subsequently brought another daughter named Eloise Christina into their lives last month. Pratt discussed how his wife was an ideal mother during an interview with Live From E! where he stated: 'Katherine just has the most amazing maternal instincts.' The performer also pointed out that he wholeheartedly trusted his wife in terms of parenting direction. The actor expressed that Schwarzenegger 'just really knows what to do. I'll follow her lead.' Kate Hudson sent temperatures soaring on Tuesday afternoon as she used her star power to promote the high-end footwear brand, Stuart Weitzman. The 43-year-old star flaunted her fit figure in a tiny white bikini before slipping her feet into a pair of glitzy silver heels. Kate posed up against a wall as sunshine from a nearby window showered over her sculpted legs and washboard abs. Wow! Kate Hudson sent temperatures soaring on Tuesday afternoon as she used her star power to promote the high-end footwear brand, Stuart Weitzman Her two-piece consisted of a pair of pin-up style bathing suit bottoms and a scoop neck top. The Almost Famous actress' Stuart Weitzman heels of choice were a sparkly silver and had two straps that ran across the top of her foot. They were decked out in bows and had a substantial heel that gave Kate's 5foot6inch height a boost. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded down her chest and she let her natural beauty shine by going makeup-free from the promo post. Perfect pairing: The 43-year-old star flaunted her fit figure in a tiny white bikini before slipping her feet into a pair of glitzy silver heels Stunning: Kate posed up against a wall as sunshine from a nearby window showered over her sculpted legs and washboard abs. Her two-piece consisted of a pair of pin-up style bathing suit bottoms and a scoop neck top Designer darling: The Almost Famous actress' Stuart Weitzman heels of choice were a sparkly silver and had two straps that ran across the top of her foot After strutting her stuff in skimpy swimwear, Kate threw on a curve-clinging LBD that laced up the back. She then posed with her ankles crossed and flashed a wide smile at the camera. 'From bikini to LBD. Perfect shoe for a summer quick change,' captioned the Fool's Gold star, who boasts 15.3million followers on Instagram. Kate's fashion-centered post came just two days after she penned a heartfelt Father's Day message to Kurt Russell, her mother Goldie Hawn's partner of nearly 40 years. Transformed: After strutting her stuff in skimpy swimwear, Kate threw on a curve-clinging LBD that laced up the back. She then posed with her ankles crossed Beaming beauty: To conclude the video, Kate flashed a wide smile at the camera The Los Angeles native shared an older image of herself cuddling with the 71-year-old actor, praising his qualities in the caption. The Oscar-nominated actress wrote, 'Fun, adventurous, passionate, determined, honest, devoted, amazing father and the best head of hair in Los Angeles! Lucky us! Love you Pa! Happy Fathers Day.' In a response in the comment thread, Hawn, 76, posted a response from Russell, who doesn't have an official account on the social media site. Heartfelt: Kate's fashion-centered post came just two days after she penned a heartfelt Father's Day message to Kurt Russell, her mother Goldie Hawn's partner of nearly 40 years Hawn said: 'Honey this picture speaks volumes ... Honey I showed this to daddy. Here's his message' In a message from Russell to Hudson, he said, 'Birdie, mommy just showed me this picture, this perfect Father's Day present. I've never seen it before. Wowit's a killer. Lotta water under the bridgeit's kinda hard to see it though cause all that water seems to somehow have found its way into my eyesthanks for making me the luckiest father in the world sweetheart. I love you, Pa.' On her own page, Hawn shared a shot as she embraced Russell, writing, 'How can I explain the gratitude and love I feel for the greatest father who has given us all so much in this life.' Hawn passed on an emotional message from Russell to Hudson on the social media site. The celeb couple was snapped in LA in 2020 Russell responded to Hudson, 'Thanks for making me the luckiest father in the world sweetheart' Hawn is mother to the Almost Famous star as well as son Oliver Hudson, 45, with musical artist Bill Hudson - who helped raise them each - as well as son Wyatt Russell, 35, with the Tango & Cash actor. Russell is also father to son Boston Russell, 42, from his previous relationship with actress Season Hubley, 71. Kate Hudson spoke with the TODAY show last year about her estranged relationship with Bill Hudson, saying, 'Estrangement is unfortunately quite common. 'I think its important for people to talk about that. If they cant reconnect or if its too challenging, that its OK, right? Its a 41-year-old issue. I have a great family. I have a beautiful mother,' she said. Hudson was seen at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in LA earlier this year 'I have a stepfather who stepped in and played a huge, huge part in sharing what it is to have a dependable father figure in our life. But it doesnt take away from the fact that we didnt know our dad.' She continued: 'I think as Ive sort of gone through that process ... I kind of look at my dad and Im, like, "You know, the love has never ever gone anywhere." Its always been there, no matter what those complications have been. And healing is ... personal, and I think people sometimes just need to hear that theyre not alone in that.' The Truth Be Told actress on Sunday also wished a happy Father's Day to partner Danny Fujikawa, including a montage GIF of him and their daughter Rani, three. Hudson - who is also mother to sons Ryder, 18, with ex-husband Chris Robinson and Bingham, 10, with former fiance Matt Bellamy - captioned the post: 'Happy Fathers Day to one amazing Daddy. We love you so much!' One of Neighbours' longest-serving cast members has slammed the organisers of the Logie Awards for failing to give the Aussie soap a proper send-off on Sunday. The popular show, which just filmed its last episode after being cancelled following a historic 37-year run, was barely mentioned at TV's night of nights, with the cast and crew having to sit through a short highlight reel and brief speech by two former stars. Ryan Moloney, who plays Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi, said on Wednesday he was 'incredibly disappointed' by the lacklustre tribute put together for the ceremony. One of Neighbours' longest-serving cast members has slammed the organisers of the Logie Awards for failing to give the Aussie soap a proper send-off on Sunday. Ryan Moloney (pictured), who plays Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi, said on Wednesday he was 'incredibly disappointed' by the lacklustre tribute put together for the ceremony He told 2Day FM's Hughesy, Ed and Erin the Neighbours cast members who were invited to the Logies all had bad seats with cameras obstructing their view of the stage. The Ramsay Street veteran, 42, also said it was unfair that two former Neighbours stars, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Daniel MacPherson, were invited on stage to share their memories of the soap, instead of an actor currently on the series. Moloney said the entire 2022 cast should have been invited on stage to say one final goodbye to their peers after the show was cancelled in March. He also revealed cast members from rival soap Home and Away had approached the Neighbours crew to say how shocked they were by the lack of a proper tribute. The popular show, which just filmed its last episode after being cancelled following a historic 37-year run, was barely mentioned at TV's night of nights, with the cast and crew having to sit through a short highlight reel and brief speech by two former stars. (Pictured: the 2022 cast) Moloney (pictured with co-star Stefan Dennis at the Logies) told 2Day FM the Neighbours stars who were invited to the Logies had bad seats with cameras obstructing their view of the stage 'We turned up, and we did our mandatory three-hour talking to people on the red carpet... When we got in the room we ended up being split up and stuck on two different tables, it was horrible!' Moloney said. 'Our table was actually even stuck behind the cameras; we couldn't even see the stage. It was incredibly disappointing the package they put together.' Moloney went on to say the cast deserved a chance to come on stage to say their last goodbyes after the highlight reel of Neighbours' most memorable moments. 'Daniel and Nat are just absolutely gorgeous people and absolutely nothing against them, but we've got people who have been on TV for nearly 30 years each, and I think probably the least they could do is get us to say something,' he said. 'I mean we're in the bloody [Logies] Hall of Fame. That's not how you treat people and a show that's in the Hall of Fame. I mean, good luck to the Logies, really.' The Ramsay Street veteran, 42, also said it was unfair that two former Neighbours stars, Natalie Bassingthwaighte (right) and Daniel MacPherson (left), were invited on stage to share their memories of the soap, instead of an actor currently on the series Neighbours was axed after the UK's Channel 5 decided in March not to renew its contract with production company Fremantle to finance and broadcast the series. After the ceremony, leading industry blogger David Knox of TV Tonight said the show's cast should've been invited on stage to take a bow during the on-air tribute. 'Only a week ago the show wrapped 37 years of production, unsurpassed in Australian drama history,' Mr Knox wrote after the ceremony. 'That cast should have been on the stage and taken a bow,' he said. 'The entire room would have given them a standing ovation. The Home and Away team would have been their biggest fans on the night.' During the Logies' tribute, a highlight reel aired of Neighbours' most memorable moments, including fan favourites Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. Neighbours alumni MacPherson, 42, and Bassingthwaighte, 46, then appeared on stage to present the award for Most Popular New Talent. Both actors had started their careers on the 10 Peach soap opera. 'I have so many amazing memories of my time on the show,' Bassingthwaighte said. She namechecked Neighbours lifers Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis and Ian Smith as her 'mentors' in the industry. The last episode of Neighbours will air in Australia and the UK on August 1. Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Western Military Analysts, Including the CIA, Dazed and Confused By Larry Johnson June 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- A re we witnessing the consequences of legalized marijuana causing contact highs among the intelligence community that surrounds Washington, DC? How else to explain the parade of political and military analysts now seized with angst over the growing gulf between what they claimed would happen to Russia in Ukraine and the stark reality. Hell, even the CIA is trying to figure out what went wrong with its analysis and is still getting it wrong. Remarkable. The problem with the CIA is simplewhen you prioritize hiring people because of their embrace of pronouns and degenerate sexuality over recruiting accomplished, genuinely educated people equipped with critical thinking skills, do not be surprised that the juvenile mediocrities perform poorly. How is a gender fluid them with no military experience and no foreign language skills going to predict the military outcome of a conflict where the attacking force is outnumbered 3 to 1? Failure is supposed to be a great teacher. But that instruction only succeeds if the pupil is open to learning hard lessons. The CIA has become a purple haired clown show. Just take a gander at the of this article from the Business InsiderUS intel officials admit they didnt see that Russias military was a hollow force. Heres what they did see and how they missed it. Russia is now a hollow force? The only hollow thing in this example are the empty noggins of the morons masquerading as intelligence analysts. Check out their excuses for getting it wrong: The Russian force the US military and intelligence agencies believed to be a near-peer adversary hasnt shown up. The force that did appear had its main thrust blunted by smaller Ukrainian units. What we did not see from the inside was sort of this hollow force that lacked an effective non-commissioned officer corps, leadership training, and effective doctrines, Berrier said of the Russians. While US intelligence agencies misinterpreted the effectiveness of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, they provided accurate information about Russias intentions in the months prior to Russias attack, which began on February 24. When you deal with a foreign actor, analysts can fall prey to a number of mental traps, from confirmation bias, availability bias, or even favoring existing analytic lines over new information, Michael E. van Landingham, a former Russia analyst at the CIA, told Insider. But this is all nonsense. There is this thing called the internet. It actually allows an inquiring mind to go back in time and see what the CIA was saying in February and March. This is not my opinion. You may read the facts for yourself: How US intelligence got it right on UkraineThe CIA director, Bill Burns, a career diplomat, and his boss, the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, a former deputy CIA director, came to office a year ago. . . Burns and Haines refocused on Russia and China, concentrating on collecting and analyzing intelligence on the authoritarian regimes of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. For the first time in a long time, American intelligence agencies were thinking strategically, looking out over the horizon, as opposed to reporting what happened five minutes ago. The result was a clear and prescient picture of Putins intentions toward Ukraine. The Intelligence Community Hits a Grand Slam. Now, It Must Help Ukraine WinThe Biden administration is also entitled to some applause. It flooded the zone with authorized disclosures of intelligence prior to the Russian invasion. . . . The more recent disclosures were also designed as a deterrent, to get inside Russian President Vladimir Putins decision-making process and perhaps cause him to think twice before hitting the go button. . . . The intelligence community along with U.S. military special operations forces must prepare to conduct and/or support a Ukrainian insurgency campaign. The model should be Afghanistan in 1980, just after the Soviet invasion. . . . At the same time, the intelligence community must and will look for and encourage diplomats and intelligence officers serving at Russian embassies abroad who are making the decision whether or not to jump from Putins ship. . . . The intelligence community will also watch to see signs that tens of thousands, or perhaps more, brave Russians are getting ready to take to their streets. . . . Finally, theres the intelligence communitys support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. . . . Zelensky vs. Putin. Leonidas vs. Xerxes. Will history repeat itself? Perhaps. But lets hope that the new Leonidas lives this time to tell the tale. And that his people triumph in sovereign democracy alongside him. America has a stake in this fight. Its time to make some history. Its time to help Ukraine win. Top American generals on three key lessons learned from UkraineThe computer models would have said Russia wins in 72 to 96 hours, said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger. They cannot explain why Ukraine is still hanging on. Why is that? . . . . It took months for Russian President Vladimir Putin to amass more than 175,000 Russian troops on the Ukrainian border. But since those forces mobilized on Feb. 23, the Russian military has been embarrassed by one logistical failure after another. Videos posted on social media showed lines of tanks and military vehicles stalled on Ukrainian roads, with no spare parts available to fix broken vehicles and no fuel to get them running again. Other viral videos showed hungry Russian soldiers who had apparently run out of rations accepting food from Ukrainians. The ignorance of the U.S. military commanders and the oxymoronically named intelligence community is breathtaking. If you are trying to predict the outcome of a military operation there are, as Andrei Martyanov describes in his must read book (The (Real) Revolution in Military Affairs) key variables that must be weighed. One of these is the nature of the defensive fortifications of the Ukrainian army. For the love of God, the entire damn U.S. intelligence community had eight years to track and identify the formidable system of trenches, revetments and bunkers the Ukrainians had constructed. Then there is the fact that Ukraines army outnumbered Russia by three-to-one. In what drug addled universe does an analyst conclude and promulgate that a out-manned Russian army will conquer a country twice the size of the United Kingdom in four days? Perhaps this was a deliberate straw-man strategyi.e., play up the Russians as ten feet tall (knowing all along that they have the ability to eventually grind the Ukrainians into talcum powder) and then portray them as a weak, doddering power. Maybe the terrible analytical predictions were part of a broader propaganda campaign. What I do not understand is why the technical collection systems at NSA and NIMA (i.e., National Imagery and Mapping Agency) apparently failed to identify the robust Ukrainian defenses? What should alarm U.S. legislators is that the CIA still does not have a damn clue about what is going on. Specifically, describing Russia as a hollowed out force is baseless nonsense. The complex military operations the Russians are conducting across a 900 mile front that stretches from Kharkiv in the north, thru the Donbas and then southwest to Odessa. Besides supplying ground forces with ammunition, fuel, food and medical care, Russian logicians also are feeding hundreds of thousands of civilians left homeless because of the fighting. Then there is the coordination of artillery and sea-based cruise missiles along with close air support from fixed wing and rotary wing air craft. The CIA is learning the hardway the truth of Sun Tzus aphorism: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. That is where the United States intelligence community is; it is ignorant of itself and the Russians. One of the old intel codgers, Graham E. Fuller, who was Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council at CIA back when I was an analyst, has it figured out. He wrote a piece sure to get him removed from woke Washington, DC parties: The war in Ukraine has dragged on long enough now to reveal certain clear trajectories. First, two fundamental realities: Putin is to be condemned for launching this war as is virtually any leader who launches any war. Putin can be termed a war criminalin good company with George W. Bush who has killed vastly greater numbers than Putin. Secondary condemnation belongs to the US (NATO) in deliberately provoking a war with Russia by implacably pushing its hostile military organization, despite Moscows repeated notifications about crossing red lines, right up to the gates of Russia. This war did not have to be if Ukranian neutrality, a la Finland and Austria, had been accepted. Instead Washington has called for clear Russian defeat. Contrary to Washingtons triumphalist pronouncements, Russia is winning the war, Ukraine has lost the war. Any longer-term damage to Russia is open to debate. Sadly for Washington, nearly every single one of its expectations about this war are turning out to be incorrect. Indeed the West may come to look back at this moment as the final argument against following Washingtons quest for global dominance into ever newer and more dangerous and damaging confrontations with Eurasia. And most of the rest of the worldLatin America, India, the Middle East and Africa find few national interests in this fundamentally American war against Russia Larry C. Johnson is a former analyst at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. 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 Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also Luke Hemsworth put on a dapper display in a white T-shirt and black suit as he joined his wife Samantha at the Westworld Season Four Premiere in New York on Tuesday. The Aussie actor, 41, epitomised smart casual in box-fresh white Dolce & Gabbana sneakers with a black blazer and trousers and white V-neck T-shirt. His glamorous wife Samantha, also 41, sported for a black shift dress with sheer sleeves and sparkling leopard print heels. Luke Hemsworth put on a dapper display in a white T-shirt and black suit as he joined his wife Samantha at the Westworld Season Four Premiere in New York on Tuesday. She accessorised with two chunky golden bracelets and a black clutch bag, which perfectly complemented her chain link earrings. Sporting a glamorous make-up look she paired smokey eye shadow and a pale pink lip with lashings of highlighter. The fourth season of Westworld premiers on HBO on Sunday. A newly released trailer shows Luke, who plays Bernard and Stubbs showing a circular maze to an unseen character as the robotic William/Man in Black is seen back on his horse. The Aussie actor, 41, epitomised smart casual in box-fresh white Dolce & Gabbana trainers with a black blazer and trousers and white top The trailer appears to feature the resurrection of William (Ed Harris), who seemed to be killed by his robotic clone by slashing his throat. There's also a glimpse at the original Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), who was somehow resurrected after the events of Season 3 - where she sacrificed herself to free the robotic hosts - and seen living a seemingly typical life in New York City. Luke is the older brother of superstar actors Chris Hemsworth, 38, and Liam Hemsworth, 32. Luke Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright and Aaron Paul 'Westworld' Season 4 premiere/ The fourth season of Westworld premiers on HBO on Sunday. In December, Luke celebrated his 14th wedding anniversary with his wife Samantha in a sweet post shared to Instagram. '14 loooooong years of marriage. I hope the years get longer,' the Australian actor wrote. Samantha also noted their wedding anniversary, posting a picture of the couple on a boat together to her Instagram. 'Happy anniversary legend @hemsworthluke have fun at work and enjoy room service,' she captioned the post. A perfect gentleman! At one point Luke picked up the dress for his costar Angela Sarafyan as Tessa Thompson and Evan Rachel Wood posed up a storm Luke, who with his brothers owns more than $100M of real estate on Byron Bay, is planning to expand the family's empire by upgrading his $4.3 million beachfront mansion in Suffolk Park, according to Realestate.com.au. In September last year, The Westworld actor and Samantha lodged a development proposal to renovate their single-storey property into a two-storey home, a project estimated to cost $300,000. The couple are planning to spend around $233,000 on adding a second level and a 72sqm master bedroom overlooking the existing backyard swimming pool. A newly released trailer shows Luke, who plays Bernard and Stubbs showing a circular maze to an unseen character as the robotic William/Man in Black is seen back on his horse. He is seen helping co-star Angela Sarafyan on the red carpet while Tessa Thompson and Evan Rachel Wood pose Luke and Samantha married in December 2007, with little known about how or when they initially met. The couple share four kids together, daughters Holly, 12, Ella, 13, Harper Rose, 10 and son Alexandre, nine. The home currently has four bedrooms, two bedrooms and sits a stones throw away from the beach. The property was transferred into Luke's name last year, after it was purchased through the Hemsworths' property management company two years prior. Prior to Luke holding the keys, the Suffolk Park home was reportedly used by Chris and Elsa as a temporary home while they built their mega-mansion. Ali Fedotowsky revealed she has a half-sister named Tonya Gloria who she recently connected with, saying that it's 'so crazy how life can change so quickly,' as she had no idea of her sibling's existence a year ago. The 37-year-old alum of The Bachelorette said in an Instagram post that she enjoyed 'the absolute best few days with' Gloria, her husband Sonny, and her two nephews, who are 'all people [she] didnt even know existed just one year ago.' The Williamstown, Massachusetts native shared a series of photos of the meeting, adding, 'I think I told you guys this before but Ive always wanted a bigger family and I feel like my wish came true.' The latest: Ali Fedotowsky, 37, revealed she has a half-sister named Tonya Gloria who she recently connected with, saying that it's 'so crazy how life can change so quickly,' as she had no idea of her sibling's existence a year ago The reality star, who is mother to children Molly, five, and Riley, four, with husband Kevin Manno, 38, said she wanted to share 'the story' of how she connected with Gloria after 'so many' of her followers asked her about it. Fedotowsky said that she 'decided to do a DNA test to learn more about' her grandmother Molly, who she named her daughter after. She noted that she 'was not looking for a family member because [she] assumed [she] knew all [of her] immediate family members. 'In fact, I was so focused on learning about my grandma that I didnt even notice that in my results a person popped up under "Close relative." I think maybe I saw it one day later thinking she mustve been a first cousin and I was super busy with two very young kids so I told myself Id come back to it and just forgot.' The Bachelorette alum posed with her half-sister in a selfie after they connected Fedotowsky posted a shot of her half-sister enjoying a tall sundae Gloria 'had also taken a DNA test and she got alerted to the fact that she matched with' her, Fedotowsky said. 'She opened it up and read that a close relative meant that I was her grandma, aunt, or half sibling. 'It was pretty clear that I wasnt her grandmother or aunt so half sibling was the only option. Crazy right?!?!' Fedotowsky said that Gloria 'Googled [her] name and a bunch of bachelorette nonsense popped up,' and subsequently reached out to her father 'and they connected and then he connected us.' Fedotowsky described meeting her half-sister for the first time as 'the biggest blessing ever,' adding that she 'took the test ... never looking for a sister or expecting to find one,' and is 'so glad' she did. The TV personality said her sister is 'funny, laid-back [and] down to earth' and that she would want to be friends with her 'even if she wasnt [her] sibling.' The TV personality shared a photo of the families meeting over the holiday weekend Fedotowsky also followed up on the meeting on her Instagram Stories, noting how she dropped her sister and her family off at the airport Fedotowsky also followed up on the meeting on her Instagram Stories, noting how she dropped her sister and her family off at the airport. She said she didn't share much of their meet-up on social media, as she 'just really wanted to be present and get to know her without distractions.' Fedotowsky said that she had hoped to tell the story with Gloria on social media while they were together, but 'time just got away' from them. Fedotowsky shot to fame starring on season six of The Bachelorette in 2010, after appearing on season 14 of The Bachelor earlier that year. She has gone on to work as a correspondent for E! and also appeared in the 2013 Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine, while maintaining a strong social media presence. Advertisement Evan Rachel Wood oozed glamour in a plunging blue gown with side cut-outs and a daring thigh-high split as she attended HBO's Westworld season four premiere alongside costars Tessa Thompson and Angela Sarafyan. The Phoenix Rising star, 34, radiated beauty as she strutted down the red carpet in a pair of open-toed black heels, which displayed her white pedicure on Tuesday at the Alice Tully Hall. For the occasion, the three-time Golden Globe Award nominee wore her strawberry blonde tresses in cascading waves and sported a pink lipstick and cream blush for a natural-looking glow. Glowing: Evan Rachel Wood oozed glamour in a plunging blue gown with side cut-outs and a daring thigh-high split as she attended HBO's Westworld season four premiere alongside costars Tessa Thompson and Angela Sarafyan Meanwhile, Thompson, 38, left little to the imagination in a semi-sheer gold, floor-length frock with a black choker necklace. The actress's black bra and matching though were visible under her slightly ruffled, see-through dress, which hugged every curve of her toned figure. Like Wood, Sarafyan put on a leggy display in a one-shoulder sky blue dress with tulle and silver stiletto heels. Commanding attention: For the occasion, the three-time Golden Globe Award nominee wore her strawberry blonde tresses in cascading waves and sported a pink lipstick and cream blush for a natural-looking glow Looking good! Thompson's black bra and matching though were visible under her slightly ruffled, see-through dress, which hugged every curve of her toned figure Friendly: Thompson and Wood smiled as they reunited on the red carpet to pose for photos together Glowing: Thompson, who began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, looked flawless from every angle in her backless dress Strutting her stuff: She styled her wavy brown hair in a low ponytail She opted to wear her chestnut locks in a romantic updo and accessorized her look with silver earrings. The trio of leading ladies posed for a number of images together as well as the rest of the cast, including Luke Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Paul and James Marsden. Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, Nozipho Mclean, Morningstar Angeline, Emily Somers and Daniel Wu, as well as the show's directors Alison Schapker and Lisa Joy were also in attendance. Sexy as ever: Like Wood, Sarafyan put on a leggy display in a one-shoulder sky blue dress with tulle and silver stiletto heels Knockout: She opted to wear her chestnut locks in a romantic updo and accessorized her look with silver earrings Star power: The trio of leading ladies posed for a number of images together as well as the rest of the cast, including Luke Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Paul and James Marsden Fabulous: All eyes were on Sarafyan, Thompson and Wood as they smoldered at photographers Star-studded cast: Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, Nozipho Mclean, Morningstar Angeline, Emily Somers and Daniel Wu, as well as the show's directors Alison Schapker and Lisa Joy were also in attendance Photo time: Hemsworth, 41, was seen snapping a selfie with his costars Looking serious: The cast all came together for a few group shots DeBose looked sensational as she arrived to the premiere in a plunging red gown with ruffled sleeves. The 31-year-old Oscar winner's eye-catching dress had silver floral embroidery that wrapped around the waist and trailed down onto the hip. The gown pooled at the Broadway alum's feet, almost completely hiding her silver open toe heels from view. Ready to screen season four: Wood posed for a snap with Ed Harris, who sported a black suit for the event Flashing plenty of skin: Wood showed off her toned legs as she placed one hand on her hip Cool guy: Aaron Paul sported a white suit and a funky pair of loafers All dressed up: James Marsden looked handsome as ever in a navy suit, plain white t-shirt and silver watch Hemsworth attended with his wife Samantha Hemsworth, who sported a figure-hugging black dress with semi-sheer sleeves and several gold bracelets Minimalist: The older brother of Liam and Chris Hemsworth accessorized his look with multiple silver rings and pristine white sneakers As for makeup, Ariana rocked a shimmery brown smokey eyeshadow look paired with a glossy lip and glowy peach blush. She fastened a pair of sparkly silver drop earrings to her ears and decked out her hands in diamond statement rings. Ariana beamed for shutterbugs and posed with one hand on her hip. Happily married: Hemsworth and his wife wed back in 2007 and share four children Racy: Aurora Perrineau turned heads in a white gown with two cutouts across her hip and midriff Dapper: Actor Jeffrey Wright attended in a dark purple suit, white dress shirt and black loafers Exciting: Wright looked handsome as he prepared to receive a first look of Westworld's latest season Season four of Westworld will debut Sunday, June 26 at 9 PM ET on HBO. It will also be available for streaming on HBO Max. Set in a 'futuristic Wild West fantasy park,' Westworld follows a group of android 'hosts' as they deviate from their programmers' carefully planned scripts in a disturbing pattern of aberrant behavior.' Red hot: Emily Somers wowed in a scarlet gown with a belt to higlight her trim waist Wow! Somers was joined by Geordie Dylan, who wore a black suit, white dress shirt and bow tie Big night: Lisa Joy, the co-creator, writer, director, and executive producer of the HBO science-fiction drama series Westworld, blended in seamlessly with the stars of her show in a low-cut black gown Stylish arrival: Thompson brought the glamour on her way to the premiere of Westworld Safety precautions: Thompson was guided into the car with a woman holding an umbrella He's back! Paul also looked excited as he made his way into the building Along with Wood and Thompson, the series also stars the likes of Thandiwe Newton, James Marsden, Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins. It's based off Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi film of the same name, which he wrote and directed. Season three of HBO's Westworld consisted of eight episodes that came to a close in May 2020. Star-studded night: Ariana DeBose stunned in a red gown with silver embelishments and ruffled straps Dazzling: The Oscar winner, 31, grinned at photographers as she made her way down the red carpet Smitten: The West Side Story wore a delicate silver necklace and minimal accessorizes to the event And after over two years of waiting, fans of the series will finally get to feast on the highly-anticipated fourth season in just a matter of days. While promoting Westworld on Good Morning American this week, Wood used the word 'reinvention' to describe this latest installment of the series. Two weeks ago, HBO dropped a trailer featuring the resurrection of William (Harris), who seemed to be killed by his robotic clone by slashing his throat. Fans also get a glimpse at the original Dolores (Wood), who was somehow resurrected after the events of Season 3 - where she sacrificed herself to free the robotic hosts - and seen living a seemingly typical life in New York City. They've arrived: Ed Harris and Daniel Wu were also among the celebrities on the star-studded guest list A new trailer for the upcoming seventh season of Below Deck: Mediterranean was released on Bravo's official YouTube channel on Tuesday. During the clip, several of the reality program's cast members were seen interacting with each other and growing accustomed to the hectic and often chaotic conditions of working on a yacht. The forthcoming run of episodes, which will primarily take place in Malta, Italy, is set to premiere next month. A new look: A new trailer for the upcoming seventh season of Below Deck: Mediterranean was released on Bravo's official YouTube channel on Tuesday The trailer begins with Captain Sandy Yawn acknowledging that she would be working in 'a new place [and] a new boat with new department heads.' The reality television personality, unfazed by the challenges presented by the yacht's day-to-day operations, then boasts: 'Challenge accepted.' Several of the boat's crew members are then seen entertaining their guests, and Yawn remarks that 'our goal is to make this your home away from home.' After seeing the lengths to which the crew is tasked with keeping the guests occupied, Mzi 'Zee' Dempers comments: 'Deja vu.' No big deal: The reality television personality, unfazed by the challenges presented by the yacht's day-to-day operations, then boasts: 'Challenge accepted' Scenic views: Deckhand Storm Smith was later shown assisting a boat guest as she stripped down to the nude and hopped into a chair on the yacht's deck Deckhand Storm Smith was later shown assisting a boat guest as she stripped down to the nude and hopped into a chair on the yacht's deck. He later commented in a confessional: 'I was this f***ing close to her vagina, and I was just like, "okay."' Chief Stewardess Natasha 'Tasha' Webb was also shown serving various drinks to guess, and noted that the best thing to do for guests when 'the s*** hit the fan' was to 'feed them alcohol.' After the guests and crew members were shown while drinking heavily, Webb commented that the Second Stewardess, Natalya Scudder, may have been her twin. Pro tips: Chief Stewardess Natasha 'Tasha' Webb was also shown serving various drinks to guess, and noted that the best thing to do for guests when 'the s*** hit the fan' was to 'feed them alcohol' Kindred spirit: After the guests and crew members were shown while drinking heavily, Webb commented that the Second Stewardess, Natalya Scudder, may have been her twin Chef Dave White later displayed his cooking skills for the cameras, and he also remarked that he loved 'pressure. I thrive under pressure' before going topless to present a cake to several guests. The crew members all headed to one of Malta's clubs to blow off steam, although Bosun Raygan Tyler commented that, after her night out, 'everything is spinning.' Scudder also stated that, although she was 'not openly looking for a boat romance, Storm is looking pretty nice right now.' Second Steward Kyle Viljoen then commented that he had never had any 'flings' with a guest, and he was later seen kissing a male friend. In the kitchen: Chef Dave White later displayed his cooking skills for the cameras, and he also remarked that he loved 'pressure. I thrive under pressure' before going topless to present a cake to several guests Going hard: The crew members all headed to one of Malta's clubs to blow off steam, although Bosun Raygan Tyler commented that, after her night out, 'everything is spinning' Locking lips: Scudder also stated that, although she was 'not openly looking for a boat romance, Storm is looking pretty nice right now' Something new: Second Steward Kyle Viljoen then commented that he had never had any 'flings' with a guest, and he was later seen kissing a male friend When White was asked about his relationship with Webb, he denied that they were romantically involved, although several clips of the pair were shown. The yacht's crew was later seen coming into port and making a rough entry, heavily scuffing the side of the boat. Smith also had a conversation with Jason Gaskell about his devotion to the team, and he stated that he did not want to be a part of the voyage. Ouch! The yacht's crew was later seen coming into port and making a rough entry, heavily scuffing the side of the boat Opting out: Smith also had a conversation with Jason Gaskell about his devotion to the team, and he stated that he did not want to be a part of the voyage The heat is on: Viljoen and Scudder later had an argument during a night out, and the latter walked away into the streets of Malta after a particularly heated moment Viljoen and Scudder later had an argument during a night out, and the latter walked away into the streets of Malta after a particularly heated moment. The trailer ends with the yacht coming into a rough patch of sea, which causes many of its crew members to take defensive measures against the choppy conditions. The seventh season of Below Deck: Mediterranean is currently set to premiere on Bravo on July 11. Just hours after her sons Saint, 6, and Psalm, 3, loudly interrupted her Instagram Live session, Kim Kardashian found herself scolding her sons again at The Tonight Show. The 41-year-old reality star appeared on Tuesday's episode of The Tonight Show to promote her SKKN skincare line, when she had to interrupt her interview to scold her sons. Her sons were also joined by Remi, the six-year-old daughter of KKW Chief Communications Officer (CCO) Tracy Romulus backstage. Scolding: Just hours after her sons Saint, 6, and Psalm, 3, loudly interrupted her Instagram Live session, Kim Kardashian found herself scolding her sons again at The Tonight Show Sons and Remi: Her sons were also joined by Remi (left), the six-year-old daughter of KKW Chief Communications Officer (CCO) Tracy Romulus backstage Kardashian was admitting that she had never watched Saturday Night Live before hosting the show in October, when Fallon said, 'I'm hearing kids.' Kim whipped her head towards the backstage area and said, 'Guys -- guys, can you stop? This is, like, your first time at work with me. Can you please?' The camera showed both Saint and Psalm with Remi, as Kim added, 'My two boys are here and I hear them making so much noise guys, this is your first time at work with me. Don't mess this up. Come on.' Kids: Kardashian was admitting that she had never watched Saturday Night Live before hosting the show in October, when Fallon said, 'I'm hearing kids' Stop: Kim whipped her head towards the backstage area and said, 'Guys -- guys, can you stop? This is, like, your first time at work with me. Can you please?' Kim also added her oldest child, daughter North, just turned nine, and that she already has quite the special talent. 'So, she's really into special effect makeup. She does, like, really good, like, wounds and scars,' Kim said. 'She's really good at it so she was taking classes. So she wanted to have a spooky wilderness-themed birthday party, so I took them out camping in the wilderness,' Kim added, before scolding her kids again. Talent: Kim also added her oldest child, daughter North, just turned nine, and that she already has quite the special talent Party: 'She's really good at it so she was taking classes. So she wanted to have a spooky wilderness-themed birthday party, so I took them out camping in the wilderness,' Kim added, before scolding her kids again 'Guys, seriously. You got to -- you got to go,' she said, adding, 'Psalmy left, he was being loud.' When Fallon asked how North got into makeup, Kim admitted, 'I have no idea, that's a really good question. I should be concerned. 'I have no idea how she got into it but I got her a teacher to show her and get all of the supplies so she wanted to teach her girlfriends. And we took about eight kids, eight girls and we went camping in the wilderness and she wanted it to be really spooky,' she said. Gotta go: 'Guys, seriously. You got to -- you got to go,' she said, adding, 'Psalmy left, he was being loud' No idea: When Fallon asked how North got into makeup, Kim admitted, 'I have no idea, that's a really good question. I should be concerned 'There was a whole class that she taught her friends how to do special-effects wounds and scars and she's really good at it,' Kim added. Kim shares Saint and Psalm with her ex-husband Kanye West, along with nine-year-old North and four-year-old Chicago. The reality star made the appearance on The Tonight Show to promote her new skincare line SKKN. Advertisement Joy Corrigan looked nothing short of sensational while attending the Los Angeles premiere of The Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke, in a see-through pink top and tiny miniskirt on Tuesday evening. While strutting down the red carpet in her braless get-up in a pair of nude Christian Louboutin pumps, the 27-year-old Super Pumped actress set pulses races as she showed of her incredibly toned midriff, long legs and trim waist at the star-studded event. She completed her all-pink outfit look with a $2,250 Yves Saint Laurent leather shoulder bag embellished with the brand's signature monogram on the front, gold Chanel earrings and her platinum blonde hair in a sleek updo. Barbie girl: Joy Corrigan looked nothing short of sensational while attending the Los Angeles premiere of The Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke, in a see-through pink top and tiny miniskirt on Tuesday evening Ahead of the screening, Corrigan chronicled a fashion mishap with her more than 888,000 Instagram followers, which involved getting one of her high heels stuck in the cracks of the escalator. 'On the way to a movie premiere and my shoe stopped the escalator,' she captioned footage of herself informing fans of what happened before revealing she was able to get her shoe out and make it on time to the red carpet. The Victoria's Secret model also expressed that her $775 shoes weren't 'damaged that bad.' Stunning: While strutting down the red carpet in her braless get-up in a pair of nude Christian Louboutin pumps, the 27-year-old Super Pumped actress set pulses races as she showed of her incredibly toned midriff, long legs and trim waist at the star-studded event Close call: Ahead of the screening, Corrigan chronicled a fashion mishap with her more than 888,000 Instagram followers, which involved getting one of her high heels stuck in the cracks of the escalator 'On the way to a movie premiere and my shoe stopped the escalator,' she captioned footage of herself informing fans of what happened before revealing she was able to get her shoe out and make it on time to the red carpet Despite having a Cinderella moment as she temporarily lost her shoe, Corrigan looked completely composed as she struck a series of poses for photographers. At one point, she even took pictures with the film's sadistic killer, whose face was concealed by a ghoulish mask with an eery smile and horns. The Girls Next Door alum Bridget Marquardt, who also attended the premiere, rocked a black figure-hugging midi dress with a low neckline. Bombshell: The Girls Next Door alum Bridget Marquardt, who also attended the premiere, rocked a black figure-hugging midi dress with a low neckline Special screening: The cast, including Jeremy Davies, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and C. Robert Cargill, as well as director Scott Derrickson were also in attendance Looking good! For the occasion, Davies, 52, cut a handsome figure in a black blazer, dress dress shirt, tie and dark-wash jeans The cast, including Jeremy Davies, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and C. Robert Cargill, as well as director Scott Derrickson were also in attendance. For the occasion, Davies, 52, cut a handsome figure in a black blazer, dress dress shirt, tie and dark-wash jeans. Meanwhile, McGraw, 13, sported a ruffled, pale yellow dress with silver polka-dots all over it. Beautiful: McGraw, 13, sported a ruffled, pale yellow dress with silver polka-dots all over it Costars: Mason Thames, who also stars in The Black Phone, posed for a picture with Madeleine McGraw Stylish: Jordan Isaiah White looked handsome in a red and black suit Dapper: Miguel Cazarez Mora mahogany red suit, black dress shirt and matching loafers Jordan Isaiah White, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Tristan Pravong, Spencer Fitzgerald, Lily D. Moore also came to watch the film. Despite not attending the event, Ethan Hawke portrays the movie's terrifying character known only as The Grabber, who is responsible for a spate of child abductions in a tight-knit community. The film's co-writer/director Scott Derrickson collaborated with his longtime writing partner C. Robert Cargill on the screenplay, which was adapted from Joe Hill's (the son of Stephen King) short story of the same name. They've arrived: Tristan Pravong, Spencer Fitzgerald, Lily D. Moore and Miguel Cazarez Mora were among the celebrities on the star-studded guest list Gordon Ramsay is poised to return for another series of Road Trip, months after co-star Gino D'Acampo suggested the fiery chef was 'too busy' to film more episodes. Ramsay, 55, hopes to reunite with D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix when filming commences later this year, with a fourth series of the lighthearted travel show expected to air in 2023. The celebrity chef was originally thought to have pulled out due to conflicting work commitments, prompting D'Acampo to claim he would no longer be involved in its development. Coming soon: Gordon Ramsay is poised to return for another series of Road Trip, months after co-star Gino D'Acampo suggested the fiery chef was 'too busy' to film more episodes Taking to Twitter in November, he wrote: 'Unfortunately we will no longer be filming #GordonGinoandFred mainly because @gordongram is too busy working on his hair highlights in USA. Ramsay's current TV projects include BBC1s Future Food and the British version of his popular US show, Next Level Chef, which will air on ITV. He has also featured on new fly-on-the-wall show The Savoy, based around the day to day maintenance of the lavish five-star hotel, where he owns a restaurant. Farewell: The celebrity chef was originally thought to have conflicting work commitments, prompting D'Acampo to claim he would no longer be involved in its development Popular: Ramsay, 55, hopes to reunite with D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix when filming commences later this year, with a fourth series of the travel show expected to air in 2023 A source told The Sun: 'He is something of a victim of his own success at the moment, and he has so much on its tricky fitting it all in. 'He already has something of a logistical conundrum co-ordinating his diary with the busy Fred and Gino, and thats before they try to set up a string of filming locations which have yet to be decided. 'But they are determined to hit the road again as soon as possible and deliver the new show as planned.' It's a hit: Road Trip has proven to be a critical and commercial success, and was nominated for a TV BAFTA in 2019 The first series of the show premiered in 2018 and saw the trio explore local culture and cuisine in Italy, France and Scotland. A Christmas special in 2019 entitled 'Christmas Road Trip: Three Unwise Men' saw the group visit Morocco. The 2021 series followed the trio as they explored Greece. Road Trip has proven to be a critical and commercial success, and was nominated for a TV BAFTA in 2019. Gordon is already a huge star in the United States, having worked with Fox for 16 years on shows including Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. She achieved worldwide fame as one of the iconic 1990s supermodels. And Cindy Crawford demonstrated her enduring fashionista status while out in Malibu on Tuesday evening with her husband Rande Gerber. Cindy, 56, looked stunning in a floral white and red one shoulder midi dress which featured several ruffles down the front as she headed for dinner at Nobu. Date night: Cindy Crawford demonstrated her enduring fashionista status while out in Malibu on Tuesday evening with her husband Rande Gerber The supermodel elevated her figure in a pair of towering brown lace up heels and coordinated her clutch bag. She styled her famous brunette tresses in loose waves as they cascaded down past her shoulders. Cindy upped her glamour by opting for a pair of gold drop earrings and a chunky matching bracelet. Glamorous: Cindy, 56, looked stunning in a floral white and red one shoulder midi dress which featured several ruffles down the front as she headed for dinner at Nobu She wore a radiant palette of makeup including a pink glossy lipstick while hiding behind a pair of large dark sunglasses. Cindy looked incredible as she made her way into the restaurant with her beau while holding onto an eye catching red coat. Rande, who co-founded the tequila brand Casamigos with George Clooney and their pal Mike Meldman, stuck to his usual style that day. Longtime loves: The dynamic duo married in 1998, just three years after the collapse of Cindy's brief first marriage to Pretty Woman heartthrob Richard Gere He threw a khaki jacket over a complementary grey T-shirt and completed the ensemble with jeans and dark trainers. The dynamic duo married in 1998, just three years after the collapse of Cindy's brief first marriage to Pretty Woman heartthrob Richard Gere. They have since welcomed two children, Presley, 22, and Kaia, 20, who have both followed their mother's footsteps into the modeling business. Romantic: They have since welcomed two children, Presley, 22, and Kaia, 20, who have both followed their mother's footsteps into the modeling business Near the end of 2019, Kaia became involved with Saturday Night Live lothario Pete Davidson, at a time when he was 26 and she had just turned 18. Now she is dating 30-year-old actor Austin Butler, who is generating a surge of buzz for his role in an upcoming Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann. Austin, who plays Elvis in the picture in a cast that includes Tom Hanks, was seen hand in hand with Kaia outside a screening of the film in New York this week. Timothy Spall was in costume in Bristol this week for his latest role as the inspirational teacher Peter Farquhar, who was befriended and eventually murdered by evil church warden Ben Field in 2015. The acclaimed actor was pictured in a pair of blue checked pyjamas as he strolled around a residential street for filming. Spall, 65, plays the lead part in new BBC true-crime drama The Sixth Commandment. Filming: Timothy Spall was in costume in Bristol this week for his latest role as teacher Peter Farquhar, who was befriended and eventually murdered by church warden Ben Field in 2015 The new four-part drama portrays the events surrounding the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire. Field, 30, killed Farquhar, 69, in order to inherit his house and money after driving him to think he was losing his mind following a period of gaslighting. Field, from Olney in Buckinghamshire, was ordered to serve at least 36 years behind bars in October 2019 after being found guilty of Mr Farquhar's murder following a trial at Oxford Crown Court. On set: The acclaimed actor was pictured in a pair of blue checked pyjamas and green dressing gown as he strolled around a residential street for filming The prosecution case at trial was that Field secretly gave Mr Farquhar drugs and spiked his whisky, hoping that his eventual death at his hands would look like suicide or an accident. It was only when the Baptist minister's son began targeting Mr Farquhar's neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin, in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, that his wicked scheme began to unravel. The series has been written by Sarah Phelps (A Very British Scandal), and will star Spall as Farquhar, an inspirational teacher who met charismatic student Ben Field, played by Eanna Hardwicke (Normal People). Field, from Olney in Buckinghamshire, was ordered to serve at least 36 years behind bars in October 2019 after being found guilty of Peter Farquhar's murder following a trial at Oxford Crown Court. Pictured: Field and Mr Farquhar at their betrothal ceremony Anne Reid plays Ann Moore-Martin while Annabel Scholey (The Split), Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten), Ben Bailey Smith (The Split), Conor MacNeill (Industry), Adrian Rawlins (Baptiste) and Amanda Root (Summerland) have also joined the cast. Spall told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden how every character in every project teaches him something: 'Whatever the spirit is, to a larger or lesser degree, you take a little part of a character away and that stays with you for ever,' says Spall of the various roles he's performed. 'Part of the process of trying to work out how other people think educates you about human beings really, for good and bad. 'Every character teaches you something in some way; it's the great thing about playing a human being.' Former NRL bad boy Todd Carney has given fans an update after ex-fiancee Susie Bradley was rushed to hospital on Saturday night. On Wednesday, Carney, 36, told The Courier-Mail the Married At First Sight star was out of hospital and 'fine'. 'She's in a fit and well place. She'll probably go back to work in the next couple of days,' he told the publication. NRL star Todd Carney has given fans an update on his Married At First Sight star ex-fiancee Susie Bradley after she was rushed to hospital following health scare He declined to comment on the incident, but categorically disputed a version given by emergency service sources. 'Our relationship status is irrelevant to the whole conversation (about what happened),' Carney said. Bradley, 29, was in a serious condition when emergency services arrived to her Benowa Waters home in Queensland. Speaking to The Courier-Mail on Wednesday, Carney said: 'She's in a fit and well place. She'll probably go back to work in the next couple of days' The incident came just hours after Bradley, a mother of two, confirmed she had ended her engagement to the retired NRL player. Earlier on Saturday, the cosmetic nurse had shared photos on Instagram of herself posing in a tight grey mini-dress with a glass of wine in hand. Looking anything but heartbroken, Bradley wrote in her caption: 'Officially a member of the Hot Single Girl's Club! What's good to do?' The former Married At First Sight star (pictured with Carney in happier times) was in a serious condition when emergency services arrived to her Benowa Waters home The newly single reality star added the hashtag #IfYouCan'tLaughYou'llCry. Bradley confirmed her break-up with Carney after dropping several hints on Instagram about her relationship status. She posted a sombre photo last Wednesday of herself sitting next to a swimming pool, alongside a broken-heart emoji. The incident came just hours after Bradley (pictured hours before she was hospitalised) confirmed she had ended her engagement to the retired NRL player A day earlier she uploaded a cryptic post about her mental health, and also deleted all traces of Carney from her Instagram. The ex-Cronulla Sharks player has also deleted his Instagram account. The former couple started dating in 2019, with Carney stepping into the role of stepfather to Bradley's eight-year-old daughter, Baby. They welcomed their first child together, a boy named Lion Daryl, in April last year. Bradley confirmed her break-up with Carney, 36, after dropping several hints on Instagram about her relationship status, including this picture of the ocean, which she captioned: 'Numb' Bradley rose to fame on the fifth season of Married At First Sight, which was filmed in late 2018 and aired the following year. She was partnered with barista Billy Vincent, but they split before their final vows. Carney infamously had his $3million contract with the Cronulla Sharks torn up in 2014 after he was pictured urinating in his own mouth at a Sydney pub. He now works as a concreter. If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 Bradley rose to fame on the fifth season of Married At First Sight in early 2019. She was partnered with barista Billy Vincent (left), but they split before their final vows Explain It to Me, Please: If you want a war with Iran, Russia, China and Venezuela tell me why and how it would benefit Americans By Philip Giraldi June 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- So Honest Joe Biden is now going to give another $1.2 billion to the Ukrainians on top of the sixty or so billion that is already in the pipeline, but whos counting, particularly as Congress refused to approve having an inspector general to monitor whose pockets will be lined. The money will be printed up without any collateral or borrowed and the American taxpayer will somehow have to bear the burden of this latest folly that is ipso facto driving much of the world into recession. And it will no doubt be blamed on Vladimir Putin, a process that is already well under way from president mumbles. But you have to wonder why no one has told Joe that the whole exercise in pushing much of the world towards a catastrophic war is a fools errand. But then again, the clowns that the president has surrounded himself with might not be very big on speaking the truth even if they know what that means. Having followed the Ukraine problem since the United States and its poodles refused to negotiate seriously with Vladimir Putin in the real world, I have had to wonder what is wrong with Washington. We have had the ignorant and impulsive Donald Trump supported by a cast of characters that included the mentally unstable Mike Pompeo and John Bolton followed by Biden with the usual bunch of Democratic Party rejects. By that I mean deep thinkers about social issues who would not be able to run a hot dog stand if that were what they were forced to do to make a living. But they are real good at shouting freedom and democracy whenever questioned concerning their motives. Indeed, opinion polls suggest that there is a great deal of unrest among middle and working class Americans who see a reversion to Jimmy Carter era financial instability, at that time caused by the oil embargo. Well, there is a new energy embargo in place brought about by the Biden Administrations desire to wage proxy war to weaken Russia. Analysts predict that the costs for all forms of energy will double in the next several months and surging energy costs will impact the prices of other essentials, including food. Given all that, the fundamental issue plaguing both Democrats and Republicans is their inability to actually explain to the American people why the countrys foreign and national security policy always seems to be on the boil, searching for enemies and also creating them when they do not exist, even when the results are damaging to the interests of actual Americans. That a serious discussion of why the United States needs to have a military that costs as much as the next nine nations in that ranking combined is long overdue and rarely addressed outside the alternative media. The 2023 military budget has been increased from this years, totaling $858 billion, and, if one includes the constantly growing largesse to Ukraine, approaching a hitherto unimaginable trillion dollars. The military budget has become a major driver of the countrys unsustainable deficits. The deaths of millions of people directly and indirectly in the wars started in 9/11 aside, the wars of choice have cost an estimated $8 trillion. The Constitution of the United States makes it clear that a national army was only acceptable to the Founders when it was dedicated to defending the country from foreign threats. Do Americans really believe that bearing the burden of having something like 1,000 military bases scattered around the world really makes them safer? The recent rapid collapse of the security situation in Afghanistan suggests that having such bases turns soldiers and bureaucrats into potential hostages and is therefore a liability. One might also suggest that the insecurity currently prevailing in the country can in large part be attributed to the governments depiction of numerous threats in order to justify both the commitment and the expense. So where does all the money go? And what are the threats? Starting with a war that the United States is de facto though not de jure involved in, Ukraine, what was the Russian threat that demanded Washingtons intervention? Well, if one discards the nonsense of a rules based international order or a plucky little democracy Ukraine fighting valiantly against the Russian bear, Moscow did not threaten the United States in any way before the missiles starting flying. Putin sought to negotiate a settlement with Ukraine based on a number of perceived existential Russian national security interests, all of which were negotiable, but the US and its friends were uninterested in compromise while also plying the corrupt Zelensky regime with weapons, money and political support. The final result is a conflict that will likely only end when the last Ukrainian is dead and it includes the possibility that a misstep by the United States and Russia could lead to a nuclear holocaust. To put it succinctly, what is going on does not enhance US national security, nor does it benefit Americans economically. And then there is China. Biden let the cat out of the bag on his recent trip to the Far East. He stated that the United States would defend Taiwan if China were to attempt to annex it. In saying that, Biden demonstrated that he does not understand the strategic ambiguity that the US and the Chinese have preferred over the past fifty years as an alternative to war. The White House for its part quickly issued a correction to the Biden statement, explaining that it was not true that Washington is obligated to defend Taiwan. Some uber hawkish congressmen have apparently found the Biden gaffe appealing and are promoting a firm US commitment to defend Taiwan, coupled with a $4.5 billion military assistance package, of course. At the same time, some officials in the Pentagon and the usual gaggle of congressmen also keep warning about the over the horizon threat from China as an excuse to boost defense spending. Most recently, there was alarm over Chinese participation in a meeting in May in Fiji to consider a China-Pacific Islands free trade pact! In reality, the only serious current threat from China is as an economic competitor. A trade war with China would be a disaster for the US economy, which is heavily dependent on Chinese manufactured goods, but Beijing, with its relatively small military budget, does not pose a physical threat to the United States. And lets not ignore Iran which has been hammered by economic sanctions and also through the covert killing of its officials and scientists. The US/Israeli war on Iran has also spilled over into neighboring Syria, where Washington actually has troops on the ground occupying the countrys oil producing region and stealing the oil. Irans possible expansion of its nuclear program to produce a weapon was effectively impeded through monitoring connected to a multilateral 2015 agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) but Donald Trump, unwisely and acting against actual American interests, withdrew from it. Joe Biden has been warned by Israel not to re-enter the agreement, so he will no doubt comply with Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts determination to have Washington continue to apply extreme pressure on the Islamic Republic. Does either Iran or its ally Syria threaten the United States in any way? No. Their crime is that they are in the same neighborhood as the Jewish state, which finds the US government easy to manipulate into acting against its own interests. Finally, in Americas own hemisphere there is Venezuela, which has been elevated to the status of Washingtons most hated nation in the region. Venezuelans have been subjected to increasingly punitive US sanctions, including some new ones just last week, which hurt the poorer citizens disproportionately but have not brought about regime change. Why the animosity? Because the countrys leader Nicolas Maduro is still in power in spite of a US assertion that the countrys opposition leader Juan Guaido should rightfully and legitimately be in charge after a possibly fraudulent election in 2018. The latest therapy applied by the United States on Caracas consisted of blocking the country as well as Nicaragua and Cuba from participating in the recent meeting of the Ninth Summit of the Americas which was held in Los Angeles. A State Department spokesman explained that the move was due to the three countries lacking democratic governances. Mexican President Lopez Obrador protested against the move and removed himself from his countrys delegation, saying There cant be a Summit of the Americas if not all countries of the American continent are taking part. The despicable US Senator Robert Menendez of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee then felt compelled to add his two cents, criticizing the Mexican president and warning that his decision to stand with dictators and despots would hurt US-Mexico relations. So where was the threat from Venezuela (and Cuba and Nicaragua) and why is the US involved at all? Beats me. What all of this means is that there is absolutely no standard of genuine national security that motivates the USs completely illegal aggression in many parts of the world. What occurs may be linked to a desire to dominate or a madness sometimes described as exceptionalism and/or leadership of the free world, neither of which has anything to do with actual security. And the American people are paying the price both in terms of decline in standards of living due to the upheaval created in Ukraine and elsewhere as well as a completely understandable loss of faith in the US system of government. By all means, let us shrink the US military until it is responsive to actual identifiable threats. Lets elect a president who will follow the sage advice of President John Quincy Adams, who declared that Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy. At this point, one can only imagine an America that is at peace with itself and with what it represents while also being considered a friend to the rest of the world. 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. She's long been known for her stylish looks after appearing on the radio airwaves. And Ashley Roberts put on yet another leggy display in a fuchsia pink mini skirt as she headed home from work at Heart FM on Wednesday. The Pussycat Dolls star, 40, embraced the warm summer weather in her brightly-coloured skirt teamed with a simple white top as she exited Global Studios in London. Summer ready! Ashley Roberts, 40, put on yet another leggy display in a fuchsia pink mini skirt as she headed home from work at Heart FM on Wednesday Ashley showed off her endless pins in the tight pink satin skirt, accompanied by a simple white T-shirt. The blonde beauty teamed her look with matching bright pink heels and a sophisticated miniature handbag as she headed home after recording Heart's Breakfast Show. Adding another pop of colour to her look with neon green sunglasses, Ashley was seen strutting out of the studio in her latest summer look. Chic: The Pussycat Dolls star embraced the warm summer weather in her brightly-coloured skirt teamed with a simple white top as she exited Global Studios in London Off she goes! The blonde beauty teamed her look with matching bright pink heels and a sophisticated miniature handbag as she headed home after recording Heart's Breakfast Show It comes after Ashley seized the opportunity to strip down to her bikini as she made the most of the heatwave on Saturday. She set pulses racing as she slipped into the eye-catching two-piece that showed off her ample assets and toned tummy. The radio host looked sensational as she swapped London for Brighton on the hottest day of the year as she enjoyed a pool day with pals on the south coast. Departing: Ashley was seen jumping into a waiting car in her stylish look after wrapping work on the show Sizzling: It comes after Ashley seized the opportunity to strip down to her bikini as she made the most of the heatwave on Saturday She was joined by former One Direction make-up artist Lou Teasdale who looked incredible in a mismatched bikini. Celebrity booker Azim Majid also looked pool ready on the day as he joined the close friends along with a whole host of sun lovers who posed for the album. Updating her Instagram account along with a slew of snaps she simply wrote: 'Summa Lovin'. Most recently, the Pussycat Doll launched her own radio show on Heart 00s which airs weekly on Saturdays from 4pm to 7pm. Ellie Bamber flashed her incredible figure in a skimpy black crop top at the Paramount+ dinner in London on Tuesday. The actress, 25, wowed in a pair of grey suit trousers and a matching oversized blazer, which she teamed with the racy halter-neck top. The beauty gave herself an added few extra inches in a pair of strappy black heels revealing a bright yellow pedicure. Chic: Ellie Bamber flashed her incredible figure in a skimpy black crop top at the Paramount+ dinner in London on Tuesday The Serpent star, kept her essentials in a black clutch bag and accentuated her good looks with a bold touch of blusher and a slick of mascara. Ellie, who shot to fame playing Mandy Rice-Davies in the BBC drama The Trial Of Christine Keeler, styled her tresses in a natural fashion and accessorised her look with a pair of gold hoop earrings. The Paramount+ streaming service will launch in the UK and Ireland on June 22, the company has confirmed. Wow: The actress, 25, wowed in a pair of grey suit trousers and a matching blazer, which she teamed with the racy halter-neck top Glam: Ellie kept her essentials in a black clutch bag and accentuated her good looks with a bold touch of blusher and a slick of mascara The US media giant's platform will feature content from the firm's range of studios and brands, including Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon. Paramount confirmed the service will cost 6.99 a month or 69.90 a year and will be available online and the Paramount+ as well as via connected TV devices from Apple, Amazon, Google and Samsung and through Sky TV - with Sky Cinema customers having access to the platform at no extra cost. Ellie currently has a host of jobs in the pipeline. Stylish: The beauty gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of strappy black heels revealing a bright yellow manicure High spirits: The star styled her rouge tresses in a natural fashion and accessorised her look with a pair of gold hoop earrings They include the launch of the Disney+ TV series Willow, a sequel to the 1988 fantasy film, and the premiere of Stranger With A Camera which tells the story of an American teenager stranded in an Irish village after her father is arrested over a cold-case murder linked to the IRA. Born in Surrey and privately educated, Ellie made her professional stage debut at the age of just 12. She also won acclaim for playing Angela Knippenberg in the hit BBC series The Serpent and Cosette in the TV version of Les Miserables. Magda Szubanski finally addressed rumours there is a Kath & Kim reboot in the works on Sunday. When asked by TV Week if Jane Turner and Gina Riley were set to revive the beloved sitcom, Magda revealed she was unable to comment. 'I'd have to kill you and your publishers and everyone else,' she told the publication on the red carpet of the Logie Awards. Magda Szubanski (pictured) finally addressed rumours there is a Kath & Kim reboot in the works on Sunday She jovially continued: 'It would be a blood bath!' Magda famously played fan favourite Sharon Strzelecki on the show which aired from 2002 to 2007. The news comes after actress Magda said a reboot was off the table last May. '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. When asked by TV Week if Jane Turner and Gina Riley were set to revive the beloved sitcom, Magda revealed she was unable to comment. Pictured: Gina Riley as Kim Craig and Jane Turner as Kath Day-Knight on the red carpet in 2012 '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.' Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph claims the beloved Australian sitcom is planning a special 'celebrating the much loved characters' and 'memorable moments'. 'I'd have to kill you and your publishers and everyone else,' she told the publication on the red carpet of the Logie Awards. Pictured: the cast of Kath & Kim 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 said to be 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. Ricky Gervais has praised offensive comedy in a new tweet - one month after defending his decision to joke about AIDs, cancer and Hitler in his Netflix special. The Office star, 60, who has been embroiled in controversy throughout his career and was accused of being 'transphobic' in his show, SuperNature, took to Twitter to give his view on offensive skits. Comedian Robin Ince wrote on Twitter on Monday: 'What I find odd about the offensive comedy debate is it seems to say "comedy must be allowed to be offensive but it is wrong for people to be offended" make up your mind. Opinion: Ricky Gervais has praised offensive comedy in a new tweet - one month after defending his decision to joke about AIDs, cancer and Hitler in his Netflix special (pictured 2019) Ricky responded: 'Everyone is allowed to offend and everyone is allowed to be offended. Its a good system.' The tweet comes on month after Ricky hit back at critics after Twitter's 'woke brigade' turned on the comic for mocking cancel culture with jokes about transgender people, Adolf Hitler and AIDS in his new 'SuperNature' Netflix special. The comic kicks off the show with a warning about irony as he describes the concept of comedy to the audience as 'basically a bloke talking', before purposely failing to recall any 'funny female comedians'. In 'SuperNature', Gervais wastes no time singling out the 'virtue-signalling' and 'dominant mobs' who are quick to criticise just to 'bring people down to raise their own status'. Onstage: The Office star, 60, who has been embroiled in controversy throughout his career and was accused of being 'transphobic' in his show, SuperNature, took to Twitter to give his view on offensive skits But his jokes were later described as 'dangerous' material by an American LGBT rights group, while Stonewall accused him of 'making fun of trans people'. In response, Gervais told The Spectator: 'My target wasn't trans folk, but trans activist ideology. I've always confronted dogma that oppresses people and limits freedom of expression.' He again retorted against woke critics last night as he told The One Show that comedy should be used as a tool for 'getting us over taboo subjects so they're not scary any more'. He said: 'I think that's what comedy is for, really - to get us through stuff, and I deal in taboo subjects because I want to take the audience to a place it hasn't been before, even for a split second. 'Most offence comes from when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target.' Ricky responded to comedian Robin Ince on Twitter: 'Everyone is allowed to offend and everyone is allowed to be offended. Its a good system.' He added: 'I think that's what comedy is for - getting us over taboo subjects so they're not scary anymore. So, I deal with everything. And I think we second guess the audience too much.' Gervais' new special has received the backing of viewers for broaching controversial topics including the trans debate, racism, identity politics and Hitler - weeks after Netflix was accused of 'being infected by the woke mind virus' by Elon Musk. Just minutes into his opening monologue, Gervais yawns to the crowd as he talks about 'those old-fashioned women, you know, with wombs'. He later moves onto quips after transgender women and pronouns, drawing huge laughs from the crowd when he mocks up a debate over gendered toilets. He at one point references his transition to becoming 'Vicky Gervais'. Gervais later offers a strong rebuttal to cancel culture, reminding audiences that their opinion on a comedian's work isn't necessarily the prevailing thought of everyone. Controversy: Ricky's jokes in 'SuperNature' were described as 'dangerous' material by an American LGBT rights group, while Stonewall accused him of 'making fun of trans people' 'When someone says to me: 'Oh they're not funny', even if I agree with them I say 'well you can't say that, you don't find them funny'. 'I hate when people say: 'That joke was offensive'. No, you've got to say you found it offensive. It's all about feelings, and feelings are personal.' Turning his attention to a new brand of 'woke comedy', in which he says comics are required to sign a waiver before their sets promising not to say anything contentious, he told the audience he would rather watch American stand-up comedian Louis CK masturbate. 'Can't mention him anymore, he's cancelled. Not enough to apologise and move on', he jokes. Discussing Kevin Hart's decision to remove himself from hosting the Oscars in 2018 after historical homophobic tweets emerged, Gervais tells his audience: 'You can't predict what will be offensive in the future. You don't know who the dominant mob will be. 'Like, the worst thing you can say today, get you cancelled on Twitter, death threats, the worst thing you can say today is, 'Women don't have penises', right? 'Now, no one saw that coming. You won't find a ten-year-old tweet saying 'Women don't have penises.' You know why? We didn't think we f***ing had to!' Comedy routine: The comic starts the show by describing comedy to the audience as 'basically a bloke talking', before purposely failing to recall any 'funny female comedians' Fury: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, a campaign group based in the US, slammed Gervais for his takes on transgender issues and homosexuality in his Netflix special And in another joke towards the end of the show in which he addresses self identity, Gervais says he supports trans rights - a remark met by cheers by a few members of the audience. Ricky Gervais' gags which kickstarted a Twitter row Mocking up a debate over gendered toilets, Gervais starts the joke: 'They are ladies, look at their pronouns. What about this person isn't a lady? 'Well, his penis.' 'Her penis you f****** bigot'. 'What is he rapes me?' 'What if SHE rapes you?' Turning his sights onto a new branch of 'woke comedy', in which he says comics are required to sign a waiver before their sets promising not to say anything contentious, he jokes he would rather watch American stand-up comedian Louis CK masturbate. 'Can't mention him anymore. He's cancelled', he adds. Gervais later tells his audience: 'You can't predict what will be offensive in the future. You don't know who the dominant mob will be. 'Like, the worst thing you can say today, get you cancelled on Twitter, death threats, the worst thing you can say today is, 'Women don't have penises', right? 'Now, no one saw that coming. You won't find a ten-year-old tweet saying 'Women don't have penises.' You know why? We didn't think we f***ing had to!' Discussing the minorities and the demographics of Britain, Gervais points out: 'We're 5 per cent black, 5 per cent Asian. 5 per cent LGBQT. 'I'm a white, heterosexual multi-millionaire. There's less than one percent of us. 'Do I whine? No. I don't mind'. In another joke towards the end of the show in which he addresses self identity, Gervais says he supports trans rights - a remark met by cheers by a few members of the audience. He adds: 'Full disclosure. In real life, of course I support trans rights. I support all human rights and trans rights are human rights. 'Live your best life, use your preferred pronouns, be the gender that you feel that you are. But meet me halfway ladies, lose the c**k, that's all I'm saying.' Advertisement He adds: 'Full disclosure. In real life, of course I support trans rights. I support all human rights and trans rights are human rights. 'Live your best life, use your preferred pronouns, be the gender that you feel that you are. But meet me halfway ladies, lose the c**k, that's all I'm saying.' Talking to the audience about cancel culture and the transgender issues during an opening monologue, Gervais tells the audience: 'Ah women. Not all women, I mean the old-fashioned women, you know the ones with wombs? Those f***ing dinosaurs. 'I love the new women. They're great, aren't they? The new ones we've been seeing lately. The ones with beards and c***s. They're as good as gold, I love them. 'And now the old-fashioned ones say 'oh, they want to use our toilets'. Why shouldn't they use your toilets? For ladies! They are ladies look at their pronouns!' Acting out a discussion, he adds: 'What about this person isn't a lady? 'Well, his penis.' Her penis, you f***ing bigot! 'What if he rapes me?' What if she rapes you, you f***ing TERF w***e?' The British comedian didn't hold back in the programme and also joked about 'taboo' subjects including Hitler, famine and AIDS. And he has been praised for the 'zero f***s given' approach to the Netflix special. One viewer said: 'How dare comic/actor Ricky Gervais have funny and accurate jokes about people with zero self awareness!' Another said: 'Well, the far left mob is at it again, trying to cancel comedian Ricky Gervais for making jokes about trans people. 'I saw the bit and though the jokes were fine. Light-hearted, no hate. I'll have to hurry and watch the whole show now in case it gets removed.' A third added: 'I'm watching #SuperNature in part because everyone is already offended. Gervais previously revealed he wants to get 'cancelled' and is keen to push boundaries as far as he can with his long-awaited return to stand-up comedy. The actor admitted he's determined to turn up the shock-factor, even if it has a negative impact on is long-term career prospects. He told Heat: 'One thing I've decided to definitely do, and can't wait to start on, is my new stand-up show, which is going to be called Armageddon. 'I'm treating it like it's my last one ever. It won't be, but I want to put everything into it. I want to try and get cancelled. No, I just want to go all-out there. 'It's about the end of the world and how we're going to destroy ourselves for lots of reasons, whether it's media stupidity, or the actual end of the world.' She is currently pregnant with her first child. And Nicole Bass displayed her growing baby bump as she shared a series of snaps of herself on Wednesday to her Instagram page. The former TOWIE star, 30, looked radiant in one of the photographs, where she was wearing a cropped beige T-shirt and matching leggings. 'Lil bump': Nicole Bass displayed her growing baby bump as she shared a snap of herself on Wednesday on Instagram She was seen posing in front of a window in her home as she place one hand under her blossoming bump. The brunette beauty sleeked her tresses back into a chic bun from a centre parting and showcased her beauty wearing a radiant glam palette of makeup. She simply captioned the post: 'Lil bump': Amazing: The former TOWIE star, 30, shared a second snap posing up a storm in a mirror selfie in a pair of racy black underwear In another snap, the reality star was seen posing up a storm in a pair of racy black underwear. Nicole revealed her pregnant bump in a mirror selfie as she sported a plunging bra in the sweet black and white picture. More recently, the Ex on the Beach star was spotted enjoying a lavish meal with former Love Islander's Olivia Attwood at The Dorchester in London. The girls beamed as they soaked up the sun at a rooftop table flashing their toned legs. Glam: More recently, the Ex on the Beach star was spotted enjoying a lavish meal with former Love Islander's Olivia Attwood at The Dorchester in London 'Most beautiful pregnant women I've ever seen': Nicole seemed in high spirits as she rocked an oversized black heart T-shirt at the restaurant Nicole seemed in high spirits as she rocked an oversized black heart T-shirt at the restaurant. Olivia shared a sweet clip of Nicole placing her hands on her bump, she penned: 'The tiniest cutest most beautiful pregnant women I've ever seen'. It comes after Nicole announced she was pregnant with her first child in April when she shared her scan photo. Nicole, who is due in October, also gave her fans a first look at her mystery boyfriend, who had not been previously seen on her social media. Announcement: It comes after Nicole announced she was pregnant with her first child in April when she shared her scan photo Captioning her post, she penned: 'Half of you & half of me. Baby Beasley due October 2022, daddy & me cant wait to hold you. 'We are so happy our hearts are full, baby you are so loved already. Anyone who knows me personally, knows I have dreamed of this moment to have a family of my own, to have a family with the love of my life & the most amazing partner a girl could only wish for is a dream come true. I love you both dearly.' The sweet clip, set to Ed Sheeran's track Small Bump, features several heartwarming moments including Nicole getting the test results to her telling loved ones her happy news. Couple: Nicole, who is due in October, also gave her fans a first look at her mystery boyfriend, who had not been previously seen on her social media She also showed off her scan photo, her burgeoning bump and an clip of her in hospital having a scan. Among the scenes in the clip are snapshots of her boyfriend of two years, who has the surname of Beasley, with Nicole debuting her man on her Instagram for the first time. While she also shared a screenshot of the moment she told her BFF Olivia Attwood the happy news, writing: 'Hello auntie Olivia & uncle Brad.' Nicole has formerly dated Jacques Fraser and ex TOWIE star Sam Mucklow. She originally joined the cast of the ITVBe show in 2015 before leaving a year later. Expecting: The former TOWIE star took to Instagram to share a heartwarming black and white video in which she showed off her growing baby bump and scan photo Happy news: Captioning her post, she penned: 'Half of you & half of me. Baby Beasley due October 2022, daddy & me cant wait to hold you' Nicole rejoined the programme in 2020 but was dramatically axed in a major cast cull. Speaking in a recent Q&A with fans, the reality star declared she would never return to the ITVBe show after the 'disgusting' way she was treated during her exit. Nicole went on to say she would not rule out a return to TV screens, but will only appear on a show which 'respects me and my talent'. It's positive! The sweet clip, set to Ed Sheeran's track Small Bump, features several heartwarming moments including Nicole getting the test results to her telling loved ones her happy news Fuming! Speaking in a Q&A with fans, the reality star declared she would never return to the ITVBe show after the 'disgusting' way she was treated during her exit The Essex native's rant comes after she was asked by a fan if she will ever return to the show during a Q&A on her Instagram Stories. Nicole said: 'I must say absolutely not, the way they handled things was disgusting. I've seen some people have returned & good on them... 'But it would be the biggest violation to myself if I did that, there's so many shows to do I'm not saying I wont' return to screens one day, just would rather put my time in a show that respects me and my talent.' Knots Landing star Donna Mills may be best known for her role in the Dallas spinoff - but the 81-year-old actress has now claimed that she had a hand in the creation of an even more well-known on-screen character: Sandy from Grease. According to the soap opera icon, when it came to finding inspiration for the famous role - which was played by Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 musical movie - one of the film's writers used her as his muse for the blond bombshell. Mills made the claim in an Instagram video posted to her account on Monday, when she shared a clip of herself transforming into Sandy, while revealing how she helped to inspire the iconic character. Does the character Sandy from Grease look similar to me? Here's why! she says at the beginning of the video. I'm Sandra Dee: Soap icon Donna Mills has claimed that she was the muse for Olivia Newton-John's Grease character, Sandy Mills (pictured in her senior year of high school in 1985) attended Taft High School with After posing in Sandys iconic black leather jacket look, Mills then stated: Did you know I went to school with Jim Jacobs? Jim Jacobs who wrote Grease? Jim Jacobs who used me as his model for Sandy? She then continued: I didnt know it at the time but I found out years later I was the original Sandy.' Jim Jacobs co-wrote the 1972 Broadway musical with his late friend Warren Casey, which went on to spawn Randal Kleisers iconic 1978 flick starring John Travolta as Danny Zuko alongside Newton-John. Both Jacobs and Mills both grew up in Chicago and attended Taft High School. The video had originally been posted by makeup artist Brett Freedman on TikTok, who captioned the clip: Uh, yeah, @thedonnamills & I are now besties and doing TikToks together so thats what time it is here. Tell me more, tell me more: Mills shared the video of her transformation on TikTok and Instagram Iconic duo: Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta as Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko in Grease Pink lady: Mills opened up about finding out she was the muse for Sandy In June 78 Grease premiered in theaters! Sugar & spice a la Donna Mills. He continued: Fun Fact: Grease writer Jim Jacobs modeled the character Sandy on Donna Mills. They went to school together back in the day and seems she left quite the muse-y impression! In a previous interview with The Buffalo News, Jacobs said he had the idea for the musical based on his own experiences after he got involved with the local community theatre scene in Chicago. 'Were sitting around in my apartment in like 1969, and it was some cast party of a show,' Jacobs explained. 'Around one in the morning, there were still a few old potheads laying around, passed out on the floor. I was sick and tired of listening to Led Zeppelin or whatever the hell I had on the record player, and I dug out some of my old 45s.' He continued: 'Thats the humble beginnings of it. Shining star: Mills (who is pictured in 1994) attended the same high school as Grease playwright Jim Jacobs Familiar face: Mills played scheming vixen Abby Fairgate on the Dallas spinoff Knots Landing Household name: She first joined the show in 1980 before leaving in 1989 'I was playing Dion and the Belmonts, Little Richard and the Five Satins, and I said to Warren, "Man, wouldnt that be a gas to do a Broadway show using this kind of music instead of that traditional Brigadoon, Oklahoma stuff that we all know?"' Set in the fictitious Rydell High school, Grease depicts the ups-and-downs of relationships between Danny and Sandy Olsson, and among their friends, as they navigate senior year in the late 1950s. Alongside the Broadway show's successful run from 1972 to 1980, the iconic film adaptation became one of the highest grossing films of the Seventies and it is widely regarded as a Hollywood classic. Mills, who stars in Jordan Peeles upcoming horror flick NOPE, rose to stardom when she played scheming vixen Abby Fairgate on the Dallas spinoff Knots Landing from 1980 to 1989. Donna, who appeared on television and in guest roles after her departure from Knots Landing, explained that she decided to take an 18-year hiatus from acting full-time to focus on raising her daughter Chloe who she adopted in 1994 when she was 54 years old. Motherly love: Mills stepped back from acting for over a decade to focus on raising her adopted daughter, Chloe (pictured together in 2009) Screen siren: Mills (seen in 2014) won the Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series award at the 2015 Daytime Emmy Awards Speaking out about her decision to become a first-time mother in her 50s, Mills told People earlier this year that she 'realized something was missing' from her life, having spent so many years 'concentrating on her career'. 'I was very concentrated on my career, but at a certain point, I realized there was something missing it was a child,' she said. 'So I went after it. I adopted her when she was four days old. 'By that time, I was 54 and people said, "You're going to be so old [to] have a little toddler running around." I never felt that. I never felt older than the other mothers who were probably in their 20s.' The actress returned to daytime television in 2014 when she was cast in a recurring guest-starring role on the ABC soap General Hospital. She went on to win the Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series award at the 2015 Daytime Emmy Awards for her performance. Over the past few years, Mills has continued to act in television, movies and theater. James Franco's girlfriend Isabel Pakzad wowed in a thong bikini as she spent the day at the beach with her actor love in Mykonos, Greece on Tuesday. The actress, 29, who has been dating the hunk, 44, since 2017, slipped into a tiny black string bikini which displayed her cleavage, taut midriff and peachy posterior as she soaked up the sun. She showed off her radiant complexion by going make-up free for the day. Wow: James Franco's girlfriend Isabel Pakzad wowed in a thong bikini as she spent the day at the beach with her actor love in Mykonos, Greece on Tuesday 127 Hours star James showcased his hunky frame in a pair of red swimming trunks as he took a dip. The actor sported a shaggy beard as he relaxed on his European break. The loved-up pair reportedly started dating in November 2017 but have largely kept their romance out of the spotlight over the years. At the time, it was believed the actor decided against going public with their relationship after had made headlines for alleged sexual misconduct just weeks into their romance. Cheeky: The actress, 29, who has been dating the hunk, 44, since 2017, slipped into a tiny black string bikini which displayed her cleavage, taut midriff and peachy posterior as she soaked up the sun The actor, who previously taught film courses at New York University and other colleges, was reported in 2018 to have 'abus[ed] his power as an acting teacher in a sexually exploitative manner.' James publicly addressed the matter for the first time since the allegations emerged on a SiriusXM podcast last December, admitting he slept with students at his acting school and 'cheated on everyone' he dated during a 20-year battle with 'sex addiction. Speaking on The Jess Cagle Podcast, James confessed he 'did sleep with students, and that was wrong.' He also admitted he could 'never be faithful to anybody' before he met Isabel. The star blamed his infidelities and inappropriate behavior on a sex addiction he has suffered from since giving up alcohol as a teenager. 'It's such a powerful drug,' he explained. 'I got hooked on it for 20 more years. The insidious part of that is that I stayed sober from alcohol all that time. 'And I went to meetings all that time. I even tried to sponsor other people. So in my head, it was like, 'Oh, I'm sober. I'm living a spiritual life.' Where on the side, I'm acting out now in all these other ways, and I couldn't see it.' Couple: The loved-up pair reportedly started dating in November 2017 but have largely kept their romance out of the spotlight over the years (pictured 2019) James said he has been in recovery from sex addiction since 2016 and has 'been doing a lot of work' after the allegations against him 'and changing who I was.' 'I didn't want to hurt people,' he said. James also revealed that while he did sleep with students at his acting school, he thought it was 'cool' because it was 'consensual' and they were all adults.' 'I [was] completely blind to power dynamics or anything like that, but also completely blind to people's feelings. I didn't wanna hurt people,' he said. 'I'll admit, I did sleep with students,' he said. 'Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students. And that was wrong. 'But, like I said, it's not why I started the school. And I wasn't the person who selected the people to be in the class. So it wasn't a master plan on my part, but yes, there were certain instances where, you know what, I was in a consensual thing with a student and I shouldn't have been. 'I suppose at the time my thing was, if it's consensual, OK. Of course I knew, I talked to other people, other teachers, yeah, it's probably not a cool thing. [But] at the time, I was not as clear-headed as I've said. So I guess it just comes down to my criteria: If this is consensual, it's cool. We're all adults,' he said. During the discussion, James opened up about how he struggled to stay faithful to anyone and cheated on all of his past girlfriends. He said: 'I had girlfriends. I could never be faithful to anybody. I cheated on everyone before Isabel.' James cited his 20-year battle with sex addiction as the main reason for his rampant adultery, an issue he's been successfully battling for the past five years. 'I was in recovery before, for substance abuse. And there were some issues that I had to deal with that were also related to addiction. 'And so I've really used my recovery background to kind of start examining this and changing who I was,' he explained. Michaela Coel showed off her incredible physique in a triangle bra top and hot pink two piece during Cannes Lions 2022 in France on Tuesday. The actress, 34, looked sensational in the vibrant mini skirt and cropped jacket that allowed her to display her washboard abs. Taking to Instagram, she posed up a storm before attending Spotifys Intimate Evening of Music and Culture at the festival of creativity. Bold: Michaela Coel, 34, showsed off her incredible physique in a triangle bra top and hot pink mini skirt during Cannes Lions 2022 on Tuesday Michaela made sure to turn heads in her bold ensemble, that she accessorised with a black leather handbag. She wore her caramel locks in a tousled bob and adding a glowing makeup palette with a soft eyeshadow and lipgloss. To complete her stylish look Michaela boosted her height with a pair of chunky platform heeled boots. Jaw-dropping: Taking to Instagram, she posed up a storm before attending Spotifys Intimate Evening of Music and Culture at the festival of creativity The annual festival, which was inspired by last month's Cannes Film Festival began in 1954, and celebrates creativity. Running until the 24th June with an array of talks and events, the festival has already welcomed a host of celebrities to the city - including Naomi Campbell, Jared Leto and Miranda Kerr. Michaela joined supermodel Naomi, 52, who wore a stylish white dress with a pleated skirt and plunging neckline. All stars: Michaela joined supermodel Naomi, 52, who wore a stylish white dress with a pleated skirt and plunging neckline It comes as Michaela reportedly raked in 3million since starring in the critically-acclaimed drama I May Destroy You in 2020. The actress turned down a 750,000 offer from Netflix for the show because it meant giving up the copyright, according to The Mirror, but the decision has paid off in the long run. I May Destroy You followed Michaela as the main character Arabella who tries to piece together a night out where she was sexually assaulted. Star: It comes as Michaela reportedly raked in 3million since starring in the critically-acclaimed drama I May Destroy You in 2020 According to the publication, Michaela's first accounts for her company Falkna Ltd show she paid 766,593 to creditors last year. But that left her with net assets of over 2.6million, according to records filed last week at Companies House seen by the newspaper. A representative for Michaela has been contacted by MailOnline for a comment. He's known for his hilarious banter on The Project. And on Wednesday, hunky comedian Tommy Little stripped down to his swimmers and posed on London's famous Carnaby Street. Taking to Instagram, he shared a photo of himself wearing a swimming cap and reflective goggles while smeared in duck fat. The Project's Tommy Little does his bit for charity as he smears himself in duck fat and strips down to his budgie smugglers on the streets of London "That's the reason you should wear a mask around here," is the most hurtful comment I heard whilst walking through London wearing my budgie smugglers covered in duck fat,' he captioned the post. 'Thanks to Stronger Together for all their amazing work and their 5k donation to my swim,' he continued. A second photo sees the tattooed comedian show off his washboard abs while holding a white towel. Taking to Instagram, he shared a photo of himself wearing a swimming cap and reflective goggles while smeared in duck fat "That's the reason you should wear a mask around here," is the most hurtful comment I heard whilst walking through London wearing my budgie smugglers covered in duck fat,' he wrote In the post, he also revealed that comedian Hamish Blake contributed $2,000 towards the charity. In May, Tommy qualified for a world-first swim relay event between England and Belgium. He shared the news to Instagram alongside an image of himself throwing up the peace sign before sharing a card congratulating him on the qualification. 'Four hours and 10.9 kilometres later and this breathless idiot has officially qualified for the 1st ever UK to Belgium swim!' Tommy wrote. Tommy Little has qualified for a world-first swim relay event between England and Belgium Congratulations: 'Four hours and 10.9 kilometres later and this breathless idiot has officially qualified for the 1st ever UK to Belgium swim!' Tommy wrote The comic then shared the back of the ticket which offered a heartfelt congratulations from English Channel Queen, Chloe McCardel. 'Congratulations Tommy! You have earned your place in the World First England to Belgium relay. Your progression has been phenomenal,' she wrote. 'It is a testimony to your dedication, focus, consistency and resilience. You are definitely a 'real swimmer' now,' she finished. Tommy revealed he wants to compete in the country-to-country swim in July. She had an EastEnders screen test with Shane Richie 20 years ago. And Linda Lusardi has her sights firmly set on playing an 'absolute b***h' on the BBC soap, as she revealed getting a part in the long-running show would be a 'dream'. The former Emmerdale star, 63, is back to full health after her near-fatal brush with Covid in 2020 and is now focusing on fulfilling her showbiz ambitions. Wow: Linda Lusardi, 63, has her sights firmly set on playing an 'absolute b***h' on EastEnders as she revealed getting a part in the long-running show would be a 'dream Linda told MailOnline: 'I love to play bitchy characters, when I play the Wicked Queen in Panto I love it, so an absolute bitch in EastEnders would be the dream. 'Maybe a long-lost cousin of the Mitchells?' Unfortunately for Linda when she auditioned alongside Shane, who landed the role of Alfie Moon, there 'wasn't a role for me at the time'. Amazing: The former Emmerdale star who appeared in the ITV soap for a year in 2007, is back to full health after her near-fatal brush with Covid in 2020 and is now focusing on her career She continued: 'I did a workshop for EastEnders when Shane got the part of Alfie Moon, but I got tonsillitis which badly affected my voice so I didn't do the best of jobs that weekend. 'We did a scene where we had a row and made it up on the spot. He got the job but there wasn't a role for me at the time.' The Page 3 legend is excited for how close the set is to where she lives as in 2007 she was traveling miles to appear in Emmerdale. She added: 'It's only up the road in Elstree so if you can do something you love and don't have to travel too far that is the best. Exciting: Linda told MailOnline: 'I love to play bitchy characters, when I play the Wicked Queen in Panto I love it, so an absolute bitch in EastEnders would be the dream. 'It became a problem when I was doing Emmerdale because of the distance from home and my children were young at the time.' The former glamor model that it took her 12 months to fully recover 'physically and mentally' after contacting Covid, which nearly claimed her life. Speaking in April 2020, Linda admitted the pain she suffered from the virus was so excruciating she wanted to die. But having been nursed back to full health, she returned to Panto last winter and will once again tread the boards later in 2022 playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. 'It's only up the road in Elstree': The Page 3 legend is excited for how close the set is to where she lives as in 2007 she was traveling miles to appear in Emmerdale She is set to perform alongside daughter Lucy Kane, 25, at the Empire Theatre in Blackburn, Lancs. Linda, who also has a presenting slot on the Ideal World Channel and appears on Great British Radio, is a panto veteran but admits signing up the annual productions means it's tougher to be in contention for Strictly - another of her big career aims. Show bosses usually officially sign up talent in September, months after Panto productions tie down their stars. The former model explains: 'I'd love to do Strictly but it always collides with Panto. Panto offers come in and you think, "can I hold off for a maybe on Strictly?" 'But the money is so good you end up signing and you become unavailable. If they could promise for next year I would love to.' And she says her husband of 24 years, former actor Sam Kane, wouldn't be worried about her falling for the show's infamous curse. Linda added: 'He would be fine, he's got no worries. We're an old couple now. 'I might be interested but they won't be keen because I'm old enough to be their mothers so I don't think they'll be any Strictly romances.' Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Revolving-Door Riches: How Obama-Biden Officials Cashed In During The Trump Years How lucrative is the swamp? A first-of-its-kind analysis shows 77 officials who served under Obama and Biden boosted their assets by an estimated 270% from 2017 to 2021. By Eric Fan M ost people have heard of Washingtons revolving door, which allows politicos to cash in on their government service by roving between the private and public sectors, leveraging their government connections and know-how. Distaste for the revolving door, and the potential conflicts of interest it creates, is one of the few things that can unify Republicans and Democrats. Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden both enacted rules to try to limit those interested in passing through the revolving door. Yet officials on both sides of the aisle have also taken advantage of the revolving door. A first-of-its-kind analysis, conducted by Columbia Universitys Brown Institute for Media Innovation, MuckRock and Forbes, identified 151 officials who left the government in the final days of the Obama administration, then returned under Biden. We were able to track down before-and-after sets of financial disclosures for 77 of those officials , allowing us to see how their personal finances changed when they passed through the revolving door. OFFICIAL OUTPERFORMANCE The stock market soared 70% from 2017 to 2021, helping boost household assets across the country by 38%. Life was especially good for those passing through the revolving door, however. They juiced their holdings by an estimated 270%. The data is clear. The officials median assets increased an estimated 270% over four years. By comparison, total household assets increased 38% nationwide from 2017 to 2021, according to data published by the Federal Reserve . The S&P 500 went up 70% over the same period. The figures highlight why its so tempting for public officials to leverage their government experience for private gain. This shows what the revolving door is all about, says Craig Holman of Public Citizen, a left-leaning think tank that advocates for corporate accountability and lobbying reform. People swing through the revolving door to enhance their personal wealth. Walter Shaub, who served as director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics during the Obama and Trump administrations and now works at a watchdog organization called the Project on Government Oversight, came to the same conclusion: In any one officials case, there might be an explanation. But its hard to believe there is an explanation for all [77] of them. Boiled down, the revolvers followed three basic formulas. The first: Joining a big company and earning a big salary. Consider Sameer Punyani, who started his career as a 23-year-old staffer on Obamas 2008 campaign before joining the Department of Defense and, in 2017, jumping to defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Punyani eventually earned $293,000 as a lead associate at the company. His wife, Bhavna Changrani, also worked for Booz Allen Hamilton as a lawyer. In 2017, they reported less than $15,000 in retirement savings. But by 2021, they had built up an investment portfolio of $293,000 to $970,000, according to their financial disclosure reports, which list assets in broad ranges. Property records show that the couple also upgraded their $465,000 Washington apartment to a $900,000 townhouse in 2020. Asked about their finances, Punyani declined to comment. Its not just mid-level employees who benefit from the revolving door. Between his tenure as a four-star general and the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin joined the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor Corp. and Tenet Healthcare, earning more than $1 million in cash and $2 million in equity grants. In 2018, he and his wife purchased a $2.6 million home outside the nations capital, now part of their roughly $7 million fortune. Representatives for the Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment. Those who don't work directly for a big company can join a law or lobbying firm. Beth George, a lawyer in the defense and justice departments under Obama, advised senior officials on national security and policy issues. Then she headed to Silicon Valley, where she joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. In 2020, she earned $1.8 million, working with companies like Google, Twitter and Snap. George briefly served as the acting general counsel for the Department of Defense in 2021, before returning to the more lucrative world of private practice. George did not respond to a request for comment. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas left the Obama administration in 2016 to join WilmerHale, a powerful firm in D.C. Over the next four years, he worked with clients like MGM Resorts, Blackstone and Northrup Grumman. When Mayorkas rejoined the government last year, he disclosed a $3.3 million partnership share, plus a payment of $1 million or more still due to him. No one in our analysis reported receiving quite as much from a law firm as Mayorkas, who is now worth an estimated $8 million. His representatives in the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. The third route through the revolving door: starting your own shop. James O'Brien, Bidens coordinator for sanctions policy, led the European practice at international advisory firm Albright Stonebridge while he was out of government. The state department underscored OBriens resume, which includes working on sanctions programs for the United States and the United Nations, as well as serving as a special presidential envoy on two occasions. Jim OBriens qualifications speak for themselves, a spokesperson said in a statement. OBriens former firm has sent more than a dozen of its alumni into the administration, raising concerns about its influence within the government. The State Department spokesperson refused to be identified providing additional information about OBriens work at Albright Stonebridge. THE CABINETS REVOLVING DOOR When high-ranking officials leave government, they tend to find opportunities waiting for them in the private sector. These seven Biden cabinet members had plenty to keep themselves busy during the Trump years. The same concerns surround WestExec Advisors, a strategic consulting firm that Secretary of State Antony Blinken cofounded in 2017. Working with clients such as FedEx, Blackstone and Uber, Blinken grew the firm quickly. In 2018, he and his wife Evan Ryanalso a former Obama and current Biden employeebought a $4.3 million house outside of D.C. Three years later, as secretary of state, he listed $1.2 million of guaranteed payments and distributions from WestExec, as well as over $1.5 million of investments connected to the firm. Hes now worth an estimated $10 million. Secretary Blinken has made clear that we adhere to the strictest ethical standards and that our only consideration will be in the national interest, Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said in a statement. Every State Department official will abide by applicable disclosure requirements and strict ethics rules, including recusals when appropriate. That, of course, includes the secretary. Adherence to ethics restraints doesnt always preclude making money via the revolving door. Government insiders can sell understanding of the government at a high rate, says Jeff Hauser, who scrutinizes the revolving door through his work at a left-leaning think tank called the Center for Economic Policy and Research. It does not matter if they take on the name lobbyist, consultant, attorney or strategic advisor. Representatives of the Small Business Administration, office of the Director of National Intelligence, White House and State Department said in statements that their employees face routine and stringent ethics requirements while in office. On the day he became president, Biden issued an executive order that banned officials from working on some issues, like regulations and contracts, that are directly related to their former employers and clients. President Biden has established the highest ethical standards of any administration in history, the White House said in a statement. The ban, however, only applies to cases where a personal service has been provided to the company in question, which also has to be a named party in the policy discussion. In reality, much of what a corporation wants from the government is more abstractfor example, broad tax relief or general trade policy. Bidens ethics advisors dont think like people who are trying to follow the spirit of the rules, says Shaub, the former ethics director, who has been in touch with White House officials over the past year. They think like lawyers who are trying to literally follow rules. METHODOLOGY In partnership with Forbes, Columbia Universitys Brown Institute for Media Innovation and MuckRock identified 151 revolving door government officials who left the Obama administration after 2016, worked in the private sector and returned under the Biden administration in 2021. The disclosures were parsed using an open-source tool developed by the Center for Public Integrity and then cleaned the data using the programming language R. In public financial disclosures , each assets valuation is disclosed as a range, such as $1,001 to $15,000 or $15,001 to $50,000. The true valuation of the asset is somewhere within the range. Sometimes there is no upper limit, such as when certain assets are listed as over $1 million. Therefore, most computational findings in this story are based on lower minimum amounts. To arrive at the 270% estimate, for example, the percentage increase of each individuals reported minimum asset amount was calculated from 2017 to 2021. An increase in reported minimum asset value does not necessarily indicate that someone became wealthier. But compared to the largest possible amounts, the minimum amounts are more consistent indicators of wealth. The differences between reported minimum assets are not meant to precisely estimate changes in any individuals net assets. Instead, they point to an aggregate patternthat most officials became significantly wealthier after going through the revolving door. 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 Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also Phoebe Tonkin has posted a special Instagram tribute to her buddy Lara Worthington. The Vampires Diaries star shared an old video of the pair doing the TikTok 'wine challenge' as a way to celebrate Lara turning 35 this week. 'HBD LW,' Phoebe, 32, wrote alongside the footage, adding a laughing emoji. Phoebe Tonkin shared a hilarious tribute to her best friend Lara Worthington to coincide with her 35th birthday celebrations. Both pictured Lara replied: 'I loveeee you'. In the clip made in 2020, Lara and Phoebe are seen trying to balance and sip wine together. The stars nailed the challenge, as Enya's Only Time played in the background. 'HBD LW,' Phoebe, 32, wrote alongside the footage, adding a laughing emoji. Lara and Phoebe have been friends for years. In a recent birthday post that Lara dedicated to Phoebe, she gushed over her and gave an insight into their friendship. 'Both my family and I couldn't live without you,' Lara captioned one post at the time. 'Most selfless human I know. We love you, especially Rocket and Racer xx,' she added, referring to her sons. Lara Bingle (right) and Phoebe Tonkin (left) have been close friends for many years Phoebe is back in Australia filming new Stan series Transfusion alongside Avatar star Sam Worthington. In the series, Sam will star as Ryan Logan, a former special forces operative, who is battling to cope with life after the loss of his wife. Phoebe will portray his wife Justine. The Stan Originals Film Transfusion is coming later this year on Stan. Advertisement Angelina Jolie got back in the director's chair for her latest film Without Blood in Rome on Wednesday. The actress, 47, who is stepping behind the camera for the first time in five years, was seen offering her guidance for star Salma Hayek as filming kicked off for the period drama in an area close to the iconic Colosseum. It comes as Angelina's ex-husband Brad Pitt revealed he has embraced a life of abstinence and sobriety after the couple's surprise divorce in 2016. Elegant: Angelina Jolie, 47, got back in the director's chair for her latest film Without Blood in Rome on Wednesday, after her ex-husband Brad Pitt's comments about his life post-divorce Dressed for the warm Italian weather, Angelina cut an elegant figure in a relaxed white vest top and flared trousers as she arrived on set for filming. The star donned a straw hat as she directed the film's cast for the dramatic scenes. Meanwhile Salma donned a black velvet A-line dress with a white overcoat as she prepared to film the scenes on a flight of stairs in the city. Stylish: The actress was joined by the film's star Salma Hayek on set in the Italian city, close to the iconic Colosseum, after the film was announced last week Stylish: Dressed for the warm Italian weather, Angelina cut an elegant figure in a relaxed white vest top and flared trousers as she arrived on set for filming Stylish: She donned a pair of brown Louis Vuitton sliders as she got behind the camera for her latest film along with an oversized straw hat to shield her head from the sun Taking the reins: Angelina was seen guiding Salma through the scenes for the film, which is based on the novel by Italian writer Alessandro Baricco Anticipated: The film is billed as exploring 'universal truths about war, trauma, memory and healing' The star later changed into a more revealing black velvet dress with buttons along the bodice, teamed with an elegant pearl necklace. Without Blood is based on the novel by Italian writer Alessandro Baricco and is set in the aftermath of an unidentified conflict. The film is billed as exploring 'universal truths about war, trauma, memory and healing.' Progress: Angelina's last film she directed was First They Killed My Father in 2017 which earned positive reviews from critics when it was released on Netflix What to do! As Salma arrived on the set in her period-inspired outfit, she and Angelina were seen kickstarting work on the film Glam: Salma later changed into a more revealing black velvet dress with buttons along the bodice, teamed with an elegant pearl necklace Proud: Speaking after the film was announced, Angelina said: 'I'm honoured to be here in Italy to bring this very special material to film' Elegant: Dressed for the film's period setting, Salma donned a chic black dress and a matching white overcoat, along with towering heels as she got into character for filming Speaking after the film was announced, Angelina said: 'I'm honoured to be here in Italy to bring this very special material to film, and to have been entrusted by Alessandro Baricco with the adaptation of his book with its unique poetry and emotion and way of looking at war, and the questions it poses about what we search for after trauma or loss or injustice,' It comes as Angelina's ex-husband Brad revealed he has embraced a life of abstinence that began shortly after their divorce was finalised in 2016. Speaking to the latest edition of British GQ, Pitt, 58, insisted emotional turmoil and deep sadness are an inevitable part of growth. Insight: It comes as Angelina's ex-husband Brad Pitt revealed he has embraced a life of abstinence that began shortly after their divorce was finalised in 2016 Candid: Speaking to the latest edition of British GQ , Pitt, 58, insisted emotional turmoil and deep sadness are an inevitable part of growth Devastating: 'I think all our hearts are broken,' he said. 'I always felt very alone in my life, alone growing up as a kid, alone even out here' Changing his life: Newly divorced, the actor spent 18-months attending regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while embracing the group's core principles of abstinence (Salma is pictured during the filming) 'Private': 'I had a really cool men's group here that was really private and selective, so it was safe,' he explained Cover star: Brad graced the cover of GQ Magazine alongside the candid interview 'I think all our hearts are broken,' he said. 'I always felt very alone in my life, alone growing up as a kid, alone even out here, and it's really not till recently that I have had a greater embrace of my friends and family. 'What's that line, it was either Rilke or Einstein, believe it or not, but it was something about when you can walk with the paradox, when you carry real pain and real joy simultaneously, this is maturity, this is growth.' Newly divorced, the actor spent 18-months attending regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while embracing the group's core principles of abstinence from all mind altering substances, and honesty regarding the nature of addiction. 'I had a really cool men's group here that was really private and selective, so it was safe,' he explained. 'Because I'd seen things of other people who had been recorded while they were spilling their guts, and that's just atrocious to me.' Pitt, a lifelong smoker, also made the decision to cut cigarettes out of his life, opting instead to substitute tobacco with nicotine flavoured gum. The actor has moved on following his divorce and has since been romantically linked with Nicole Poturalski, while winning plaudits - and awards - for his role as hapless stuntman Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. No more smoking: Pitt, a lifelong smoker, also made the decision to cut cigarettes out of his life, opting instead to substitute tobacco with nicotine flavoured gum (Angelina is pictured) Kourtney Kardashian's new stepdaughter Alabama Barker was seen in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. The 16-year-old star, whose father is Travis Barker and mother is Shanna Moakler, wore a pair of D&G sunglasses that looked like a wide piece of black duct tape over her eyes. The shades, which seemed borrowed from the set of a sci-fi movie, could be the hot trend for summer 2022. This comes after she was seen modeling outdoors for fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing. Time to go: Kourtney Kardashian 's new stepdaughter Alabama Barker was seen in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening Glasses: The 16-year-old star, whose father is Travis Barker and mother is Shanna Moakler, wore a pair of sunglasses that looked like a wide piece of black duct tape over her eyes. But on closer look, the D&G shades are just a very dark black strip of lens with brown sides The teen star had on a pewter satin jacket with a black mini skirt as she added a pair of black peep toe high heels with an anklet. She also wore her white blonde hair down over her shoulders as she modeled the fun sunglasses that definitely are a new look. In her hand was a sparkling silver purse with a black strap. The star was leaving Dixie D'Amelio's A Letter To Me album release party. Last week she looked chic as she had on a caramel beige top and matching skirt as she posed outdoors in the sunlight. Kourtney, who wed Travis in May in Italy, has modeled for the brand too. She smoldered when she wore cute dresses for the clothing brand PrettyLittleThing in 2017. Rock it: The teen star had on a pewter satin jacket with a black mini skirt as she added a pair of black peep toe high heels with an anklet. She also wore her white blonde hair down over her shoulders A fun new look: The glasses that look like they are out of a sci-fi movie are a summer trend Alabama has followed in the POOSH founder's footsteps. This is not he first time Barker has posed for the brand. She was also the new face of the spring collection. Alabama was seen sucking on a lollipop with her long blonde hair worn down as she had on the latest looks from the popular brand. When Kourtney modeled for the brand she had on sparkly cocktail party dresses as she was seen heading out for the night. Kourtney became engaged to Travis last year after being friends for almost a decade. Model time: This comes after she was seen modeling outdoors for fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing The blues: She had on a blue leather and denim jacket with swimsuit bottoms They tied the knot in Italy in May and are also trying for a baby with the help of IVF. Meanwhile, Moakler said it was 'fantastic' that Kardashian and her ex Barker are trying for a baby. The 47-year-old star - who shares son Landon, 18, and daughter Alabama with her former husband Travis - revealed she is happy for the Blink-182 drummer and his fiancee Kourtney. She told Us Weekly: 'All I know is kind of, like, what everyone knows. I think they were trying with IVF and there were some complications. 'I think if that's a desire between the two of them then that's fantastic. I don't have any issues with that. Their personal relationship is really nothing I get involved in.' Shanna was married to Travis, 46, for four years before their 2008 split, and he is also stepfather to her 23-year-old daughter Atiana. Pretty indeed: She posed for PrettyLittleThing earlier this month as well Her turn: When Kourtney modeled for the brand she had on sparkly cocktail party dresses as she was seen heading out for the night Shanna insisted she has not been watching The Kardashians, which Travis appears in but does not mind if her kids take part. She said: 'I'm kind of focused over here on just, you know, my work and getting myself in a really good positive place mentally and physically. 'I'm fine with my children doing whatever it is that creatively makes them happy. And if being on that show does that for them then, I mean, it doesn't bother me. All I care about is my children's happiness. 'And it's the one thing that Travis and I agree on and that's putting our children first and so as long as they're happy and they're being treated well by that family, then I'm happy.' Stepping out: Alabama's famous - and newly married - father Travis was seen stepping out alone while visiting a local coffee shop on Wednesday Sir Lenny Henry has received an honorary degree from Oxford University during the annual Encaenia ceremony on Wednesday. The co-founder of Comic Relief, 63, which has raised over 1billion in the last 30 years, has worked to promote and champion diversity in British television. The comedian was beaming as he arrived at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford for the award ceremony. Proud: Sir Lenny Henry, 63, received an honorary degree from University of Oxford during the annual Encaenia ceremony on Wednesday Sir Lenny proudly donned a mortarboard and red gown with charcoal paneling as he walked in procession alongside the other eight recipients. He sported a grey checked suit with a navy blue tie and silver clip, whilst he opted for a pair of lace-up trainers for his footwear. Honorary degrees are awarded by universities to recognise outstanding achievement in a particular field or service to the broader community. Well done: Sir Lenny proudly donned a mortarboard and red gown with charcoal paneling as he walked in procession alongside the other recipients (Pictured alongside Bernard Taylor, scientist and Deputy Steward of the University of Oxford) Also in receipt of an honorary degree were Professor Ara Warkes Darzi, a surgeon and academic, philanthropist Dr Mo Ibrahim, pioneer of New German Cinema Wim Wenders, and Professor William Chester Jordan, an American medievalist at Princeton University. Dr Jane Lubchenco, of Oregon State University, American social scientist Professor Theda Skocpol, world leader in atmospheric science Professor Susan Solomon, and Deputy Steward of the University of Oxford and scientist Bernard Taylor, were all awarded. The Encaenia awards ceremony takes place every year and sees the University of Oxford give honorary degrees out to distinguished people. The annual ceremony begins with the recipients joining the traditional public procession before stopping to sign their names in the Honorary Degrees Book. Achievement: The co-founder of Comic Relief, which has raised over 1 billion in the last 30 years, has worked to promote and champion diversity in British television They then enter the Sheldonian Theatre, where the prestigious Encaenia ceremony has been held since 1670. Professor Dame Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, and Chair of the Committee on Honorary Degrees, said of this year's recipients: 'We are delighted to have this opportunity to recognise and to celebrate the myriad accomplishments of our nine distinguished honorands across a wide range of fields. 'Together they have enlightened us, entertained us, and improved the lives of people around the world.' It comes as Sir Lenny questioned the lack of diversity in audiences at British festivals including Glastonbury, remarking that he is 'interested' and 'always surprised' by the apparent absence of black and Asian faces in the crowds. Amazing: The comedian was beaming as he arrived at the SheldonianTheatre in Oxford for the award ceremony The actor, who shot to fame as the first black performer on the controversial Black And White Minstrel Show, made the comments ahead of the release of his two-part documentary about Caribbean culture in Britain later this month. Discussing diversity and places where different ethnic groups do not mix, Sir Lenny, told the BBC's Clive Myrie in a Radio Times interview: 'It's interesting to watch Glastonbury and look at the audience and not see any black people there.' 'I'm always surprised by the lack of black and brown faces at festivals. I think, 'Wow, that's still very much a dominant culture thing.' Smart: He sported a grey checked suit with a navy blue tie and silver clip, whilst he opted for a pair of lace-up trainers for his footwear Born in Dudley in 1958 to Jamaican parents, Sir Lenny also addressed Myrie recently becoming the first black host of long-running BBC quiz show Mastermind. 'It's great to have David Olusoga on television talking about black British history that goes back to Hadrian's Wall. Somewhere the gatekeepers have changed, because now we're allowed to have you on Mastermind. But how long did that take?,' the former Tiswas presenter said. 'We still want more representation because we deserve it. We are British citizens, we are colonials. We've been in this country, we have grown up in this country, we've contributed and a lot of us feel it still isn't being reciprocated enough. 'That's also what this documentary is about. It's about that feeling of 'Well, come on, I fitted in. Now what? I've integrated, now what happens?''. Award: Honorary degrees are awarded by universities to recognise outstanding achievement in a particular field or service to the broader community Advocate: It comes as Sir Lenny questioned the lack of diversity in audiences at British festivals including Glastonbury Sir Lenny's comments came after Glastonbury's co-organiser Emily Eavis said Stormzy's 2019 headline performance was 'a little bit late maybe', as the grime artist became the first black solo British headliner in the festival's history. Sir Lenny was knighted in 2015 after being recognised for his services to drama and charity during a ceremony at Windsor Castle. Speaking at the time he paid tribute to everyone who had helped him succeed after receiving his knighthood. Diversity: The actor made the comments ahead of the release of his two-part documentary about Caribbean culture in Britain later this month He said: 'I'm one of the pointy ends of it so I've been recognised as something, but the British public will all possibly get a turn at wearing this, because they're part of this too. 'And anybody who's given me work really, anybody who's elevated me to this position. There's a huge amount of gratitude there. I'm very thankful.' In comments about improving diversity in the industry, he added: 'We're at the beginning of the journey, we're not at the end. There's a long way to go.' 'Perhaps we've made progress as far as on-screen representation is concerned, but there's a lot of work to be done in the furthering of diversity behind the camera. 'It's happening. I believe we're pushing against the open door. It's just that people need to be encouraged to work a bit faster.' He added: 'This was not on the cards for me. I'm a working-class kid from Dudley. 'I was born in very lowly circumstances so for me to be here is a huge honour and completely unimaginable.' Rapper Lil Tjay has reportedly been shot and is now undergoing emergency surgery. The 21-year-old was shot right after midnight on Wednesday in Edgewater, New Jersey, according to TMZ. At the time of publication, law enforcement sources told TMZ the Calling My Name hit-maker was in the midst of surgery. Rapper Lil Tjay has reportedly been shot and is now undergoing emergency surgery; pictured October 2021 It is unclear what the extent of his injuries and condition are yet. TMZ reports there two shooting locations - one took place at a Chipotle Restaurant and the other occurred at a neighboring Exxon Gas station. The outlet alleges the victim injured at Chiptole was shot 'several times' and the Exxon victim was shot once. The identity of the second victim remains unknown. The 21-year-old was shot right after midnight on Wednesday in Edgewater, New Jersey, according to TMZ; pictured March 2022 The suspect/s remain at large and police are currently looking for them. A motive remains unknown. According to NorthJersey.com, the TMZ report has not been confirmed by officials but the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office stated two 22-year-olds were shot around 12:05AM at The Promenade shopping center in Edgewater. One victim was discovered outside a Chipotle with numerous gunshot wounds, and another at Exxon station with just one gunshot wound. The victims were taken to a local hospital, prosecutors said. The website reported Edgewater police and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office were inspecting a red Dodge Durango at the shopping center on Wednesday at 7AM. The vehicle had a bullet hole in the driver's window. Towels with blood stains were also seen on the scene, according to NorthJersey.com. Lil Tjay pictured at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in March 2020 Uncut Gems alum Julia Fox left little to the imagination in yet another racy ensemble as she headed to dinner at The Mercer Hotel in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood on Monday. The Italian-born, Manhattan-raised 32-year-old flashed substantial underboob as well as her coin slot (butt cleavage) in grey Alejandre chaps and matching cut-out top selected by stylist Briana Andalore. It was actually a softer look for Julia who, as a former dominatrix, almost exclusively wears black. Who me? Uncut Gems alum Julia Fox left little to the imagination in yet another racy ensemble as she headed to dinner at The Mercer Hotel in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood on Monday 'I think just being fearless, not giving a f***, doing what I feel like doing, and not caring about whether society thinks it's normal or not. If I think it's cool, then it's cool,' Fox told People last Thursday of her style. 'I feel like I'm doing a service. I'm providing a service. Yeah, a visual service.' The Forbidden Fruits podcaster accented her Pat McGrath-bleached brows with black winged eyeliner and she wore a preppy headband in her natural brunette shoulder-length locks. Julia's street sighting came the day before she revealed how she 'upcycled' her mother's black bikini top with a $15 barbell she bought at Saint Marks Place in the East Village. The new cleavage? The Italian-born, Manhattan-raised 32-year-old flashed substantial underboob as well as her coin slot (butt cleavage) in grey Alejandre chaps and matching cut-out top selected by stylist Briana Andalore 'I'm providing a service. Yeah, a visual service': It was actually a softer look for Julia who, as a former dominatrix, almost exclusively wears black Ditched her signature foxy eye: The Forbidden Fruits podcaster accented her Pat McGrath-bleached brows with black winged eyeliner and she wore a preppy headband in her natural brunette shoulder-length locks 'I broke the clasp on it so I went and found a piercing from Saint Marks. It was like $15,' Fox - who boasts 1.3M Instagram/TikTok followers - said. 'And voila! Upcycle! And now I don't have to throw it out, I can keep it and give it a new life and I think it's cooler like this anyway. So there you go!' The TikTok tutorial gave the No Sudden Move actress' fans a close-up look at her faded violin F-holes back tattoo. Lovely in leather: Julia was seen out and about again on Wednesday as she arrived to The Grand Opening of NoMad Hotel in New York Going hell: She wore an entirely black leather look including jacket leggings, and thigh-high booties Stunning: She wore her brunette tresses down In the details: She carried along a matching black leather designer bag Last Saturday, Julia shared a rare video of her 16-month-old son Valentino on the beach after attending the 40th annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. 'He's amazing. He's my little angel. I love him so much,' Fox gushed to People. 'I would like to have more children. I think he's ready for siblings. If it happens, great, but I'm not, like, actively looking for it.' '#upcycle': Julia's street sighting came the day before she revealed how she 'upcycled' her mother's black bikini top with a $15 barbell she bought at Saint Marks Place in the East Village Fox - who boasts 1.3M Instagram/TikTok followers - said: 'I broke the clasp on it so I went and found a piercing from Saint Marks. It was like $15. And voila! Upcycle! And now I don't have to throw it out, I can keep it and give it a new life and I think it's cooler like this anyway. So there you go!' Sustainable fashion: The TikTok tutorial gave the No Sudden Move actress' fans a close-up look at her faded violin F-holes back tattoo The Amber Heard defender mothered Valentino during her three-year marriage to Brooklyn private pilot Peter Artemiev, which ended last year. Julia 'still can't believe' she landed on the cover of the July edition of Vogue Czechoslovakia as the editors did not inform her until she wrapped the shoot. 'My heart skipped a beat! I genuinely had no idea. I thought it was just a spread and honestly I was just so happy to be in Vogue at all I didn't care!' Fox wrote on Instagram. 'He's amazing. He's my little angel. I love him so much!' Last Saturday, Julia shared a rare video of her 16-month-old son Valentino on the beach after attending the 40th annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade 'We made this baby!' The Amber Heard defender mothered Valentino during her three-year marriage to Brooklyn private pilot Peter Artemiev (L, pictured January 25), which ended last year 'Anyway here we are now and I'm still gagged and so grateful to everyone involved. And especially thank you to my fans and haters [because] without [you] guys this wouldn't be possible. I love you all!' The Nothing Good video vixen's former flame Kanye 'Ye' West will not appear in her upcoming memoir-style 'masterpiece' book, which is 'halfway done' and should hit shelves 'in about a year.' Julia has several acting projects including Tony Kaye's dark comedy The Trainer, the Carrie White biopic Upper Cut, and she's the frontrunner to play Debi Mazar in Madonna's self-directed Universal Pictures biopic. Wigging out! Julia 'still can't believe' she landed on the cover of the July edition of Vogue Czechoslovakia as the editors did not inform her until she wrapped the shoot Fox wrote on Instagram: 'My heart skipped a beat! I genuinely had no idea. I thought it was just a spread and honestly I was just so happy to be in Vogue at all I didn't care! Anyway here we are now and I'm still gagged and so grateful to everyone involved. And especially thank you to my fans and haters [because] without [you] guys this wouldn't be possible. I love you all!' They previously dated in 2015 and were recently seen spending time with each other this year, with the model denying pregnancy rumors. And Nick Cannon, who is currently expecting two children with two different women, stepped out with Jessica White in Malibu on Tuesday night for dinner at Nobu. Jessica, 37, donned a sparkling crystal crop top and matching skirt for the evening, revealing her toned frame. Evening: They previously dated in 2015 and were recently seen spending time with each other this year, with the model denying pregnancy rumors. And Nick Cannon, who is currently expecting two children with two different women, stepped out with Jessica White in Malibu on Tuesday night for dinner at Nobu Nick, 41, donned a black T-shirt with jeans, adding Timberland boots, a leather jacket and cap. They arrived and left together in his Rolls Royce. Jessica opted for an eye-popping look in a silver crystal crop top that featured a fringed accent; she opted to go braless in the racy number. The statuesque beauty paired the top with coordinating fringed bottoms, which also revealed her svelte form. Striking: Jessica, 37, donned a sparkling crystal crop top and matching skirt for the evening, revealing her toned frame Heading to dinner: Nick donned a black T-shirt with jeans, adding Timberland boots, a leather jacket and cap Model: Jessica opted for an eye-popping look in a silver crystal crop top that featured a fringed accent; she opted to go braless in the racy number The brunette stunner paired the set with clear, hoop earrings and multiple rings for an eye-catching dinner look. Their evening together comes just one week after she reportedly shut down pregnancy rumors after speculation she was pregnant by Nick. In the alleged post on her Instagram, which she has since deleted, the model wrote 'Understand this! No I'm NOT pregnant. I am a creative force who's focuse is on the business [sic],' according to BET. Staying close: They arrived and left together in his Rolls Royce She reportedly also alluded to fertility issues and asked for people to watch the movie Nick 'trusted me to write and direct for him.' Nick and Jessica dated in 2015 following the end of his marriage to Mariah Carey; they dated on and off until 2020. In May, Nick released the cover of his mixtape Raw N B: The Explicit Tape, which features Jessica and him pictured on the cover. Jessica is completely nude and is being held up by Nick as she looks into his eyes; he posed on a speaker. Wow: In May, Nick released the cover of his mixtape Raw N B: The Explicit Tape, which features Jessica and him pictured on the cover Last year, Jessica opened up about her relationship with Nick in an interview with Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee: 'We just had unconditional love for each other and were friends. When you have a really close relationship with a person, you just know each other... He understood me and my craziness and I understood his and we just meshed. We got along well. We were actually in a really good space before it ended.' Earlier this month it was revealed that Nick - who once dismissed monogamy as a 'Eurocentric concept' - is expecting his ninth child while awaiting the birth of his eighth baby. DJ and OnlyFans star Abby De La Rosa is pregnant with Cannon's latest child. Heading out: The duo seen leaving the Hollywood hotspot Focus: Nick drove while Jessica sat in the passenger seat Evening out: The duo seen together in his car on Tuesday night Low key: Nick is currently expecting two children with two different women - his eighth and ninth child Another baby on the way: Earlier this month it was revealed that Nick - who once dismissed monogamy as a 'Eurocentric concept' - is expecting his ninth child while awaiting the birth of his eighth baby. DJ and OnlyFans star Abby De La Rosa is pregnant with Cannon's latest child, it has been confirmed The pair already share twin sons Zillion Heir and Zion Mixolydian, who will turned one on June 14. Meanwhile, Cannon is also expecting baby number eight with heavily pregnant model Bre Tiesi. Abby, 31, announced the baby news days prior but did not disclose who the father was, only teasing that it could be another set of twins. Baby or babies on the way: Nick and Abby welcomed twin sons Zillion Heir and Zion Mixolydian in June 2021; Abby seen on her Instagram with their sons Dad time: Nick and Abby already share twin sons Zillion Heir and Zion Mixolydian - who turned one on June 14 Abby's due date is October 25, according to TMZ, who confirmed he was the father - marking his ninth child. On Tuesday, Abby revealed on her OnlyFans that she was expecting a baby girl, but did not reveal the father, according to People. During her OnlyFans discussion, Abby revealed she knows one of Nick's other baby mamas, adding: 'We've had so much fun going out to dinners and coffee. She's a beautiful human being and I wish her nothing but the best in this forever journey we're apart of. The rest of the woman I don't know and never met but I wish them all the best as well [sic],' per People. Bre, 31, is currently pregnant with his eighth child; they were seen attending her gender reveal party in January this year, just weeks after his son Zen tragically died at five months from brain cancer. Baby mama: Meanwhile, Cannon, 41, is also expecting baby number eight with heavily pregnant model Bre Tiesi He shared Zen with baby mama Alyssa Scott; he died on December 5, 2021. Fans began speculating he was the father of Abby's child after she announced on Friday she was expecting a baby, although she did not identify the father. Nick is dad to daughter Powerful Queen, 18 months, and son Golden Sagon, five, with Brittany Bell who is Miss Guam 2014. The TV host also has twins Moroccan and Monroe, 11, with ex-wife Mariah Carey; they were married from 2008 until they divorced in 2016. Heartbreak: Nick and Alyssa Scott welcomed son Zen on June 23, 2021. The baby tragically at just five months old from a rare form of brain cancer Baby mama: Nick is dad to daughter Powerful Queen, 18 months, and son Golden Sagon, five, with Brittany Bell who is Miss Guam 2014 The way they were: Nick has twins Moroccan and Monroe, 11, with ex-wife Mariah Carey; they were married from 2008 until they divorced in 2016 On the Lip Service podcast shared on Tuesday, Nick was asked about speculation he had 'three children on the way.' He jokingly said in response: 'Whey you say "on the way..." What count are you at? Let's just put it this way... the stork is on the way.' Adding: 'I don't know, it could be...' Nick, who welcomed three children in 2021 (Zion, Zillion and Zen), suggested he planned on breaking his record: 'If you thought it was a lot of kids last year...' During the podcast, Nick also spoke out about what his therapist told him about being celibate. He said that his therapist told him he 'needed to chill out' and that he said he would try to be celibate. Wow: Lip Service co-hosts Gigi Maguire and Angela Yee speculated that he would have several children in the months of September and October after his confession about his December trysts, to which he said: 'Y'all are pretty good at math; Nick seen May 20, 2022 'So I was like, "Yo, let's try celibacy." And that was like October... I didn't even make it to [January]. I was supposed to make it to the top of the year. Then obviously I started going through some stuff... I got depressed with the loss of my son. So in December... the thing is everybody saw I was so down. So everybody was like, "Let's just give him a little vagina, and that's gonna cure it all."' He continued: 'I fell victim to it 'cause I was in a weak state. So December, especially right before Christmas, I started f*****g like crazy. So I broke the celibacy. But I was probably celibate for a month and a half strong... I was trying to do it. I had a new show, new energy, I was dealing with a lot.' Lip Service co-hosts Gigi Maguire and Angela Yee speculated that he would have several children in the months of September and October after his confession about his December trysts, to which he said: 'Y'all are pretty good at math.' She is currently enjoying a family holiday in Greece where she's been soaking up the sun. And Millie Mackintosh looked incredible in an off-the-shoulder blue swimsuit as she posed by the beach for a stunning new snap on Wednesday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 32, has been making memories with her husband Hugo Taylor and two daughters Sienna, two, and six-month-old Aurelia on the trip. Lovely: Millie Mackintosh looked incredible in an off-the-shoulder blue swimsuit as she holidayed in Greece with her husband Hugo Taylor and their two daughters on Wednesday Millie showed off her lovely figure in the flattering swimsuit which featured a white belt and flaunted her holiday tan. She completed her beach look with a huge sunhat while wearing dark shades and opting to go makeup free for the day out. Meanwhile on Wednesday her husband Hugo shared some very cute snaps in the pool with his youngest daughter Aurelia who wore an adorable white hat. Cutie! Meanwhile on Wednesday her husband Hugo shared some very cute snaps in the pool with his youngest daughter Aurelia who wore an adorable white hat It comes after Millie gushed about her husband Hugo in a heartfelt Father's Day Instagram post on Sunday. The reality starlet shared adorable photos of her loved-up family and said that watching him as a parent is 'one of the greatest joys in (her) life'. The sweet snaps featured the Made in Chelsea star, 36, cuddling up with the couple's two daughters - Sienna and Aurelia. Quality time: Hugo also shared a sweet video with his daughter as they played in the pool together on the luxury holiday He was also pictured reading for and playing with the children, as well as feeding the little ones. Sharing the carousel with her 1.4 million followers, Millie wrote: 'Happy Father's Day @hugotaylorlondon, it's one of the greatest joys in my life watching you with our girls. 'They are the luckiest to have you as their Daddy and seeing how you are with them only makes me love you more, today we celebrate you.' The media personality also took to her Stories to celebrate her own father, sharing a photo of them together. Sweet: It comes after Millie gushed about her husband Hugo in a heartfelt Father's Day Instagram post on Sunday She penned: 'Happy Father's Day also to my Dad! The kindest and most wonderful father a girl could wish for.' Millie and Hugo met on the set of E4's long-running reality show Made In Chelsea and are approaching their fourth wedding anniversary. It comes as Millie earlier this month announced she is renaming her podcast after being accused of copying the name from a popular breastfeeding support Instagram page. The reality star star was accused of failing to do her due diligence and copying the name Mama's Milk for her new parenting podcast. Cute: The sweet snaps featured the Made in Chelsea star, 36, cuddling up with the couple's two daughters - Sienna and Aurelia (pictured) She recently launched her podcast alongside her close friend Charlie Bound, who is also a mother of two but just days after the launch she was forced to apologise for her choice of name. Emily, who runs Instagram page and retail brand mamas.milk, had criticised Millie and her company for using her name, admitting 'it's a kick in the teeth' after four years of hard work. Posting an update, Millie told her Instagram followers: 'After many conversations with my team in the last 24 hours, I have decided to change the name of our podcast.' 'I never intended to copy or take a free ride off anyone else's name and hard work and although legally - after undertaking trade mark checks - we may be entitled to use it, morally it just isn't the right thing to do.' Explaining how she and her team came up with the name, she continued: 'For those of you who have listened to our podcast Mama's Milk you will know that the name stemmed from us 'spilling the milk' and chatting all things love, life and little ones.' 'However, we have a duty of care to our listeners and other brands to not cause confusion around use of names. I would not feel comfortable moving forward with the current name knowing the upset it has caused and we are sincerely sorry for that.' Millie ended her post titled 'we have heard you and change is coming' by writing: 'We will be rebranding and will keep you updated. Wishing you all a wonderful bank holiday weekend.' As stated on her website, Emily is a mum of one who first started voluntarily supporting other women on their breastfeeding journeys in 2019 after experiencing her own issues with feeding. Cat Deeley channelled Cindy Crawford as she took inspiration from THAT famous Versace bondage dress for her latest So You Think You Can Dance outfit. The presenter, 45, slipped into a body con black dress in a similar shape to the one worn by the supermodel in the 1990s. Cat showed off her gorgeous figure in the thigh-skimming number that revealed her toned pins as she posed up a storm. Stunning! Cat Deeley (left) channelled Cindy Crawford (right in 1992) as she took inspiration from THAT famous Versace bondage dress for her latest So You Think You Can Dance outfit The dress featured strap detailing with gold attachments reminiscent of Cindy's Versace dress and was teamed with sky-high black heels. Cat wore her blonde tresses in perfectly styled waves over her shoulders and opted for a typically glamorous makeup look as she worked her best angles. She penned in her Instagram caption: 'Today's #SYTYCD look! Inspired by the Supers of the 90's and that one @Versace show! Channeling my inner @CindyCrawford, @HelenaChristensen, #KarenMulder and even a little #GeorgeMicheal 'Freedom' too!!! X' Work it! The presenter, 45, slipped into a body con black dress in a similar shape to the one worn by the supermodel in the 1990s Confident: Cat showed off her gorgeous figure in the thigh-skimming number that revealed her toned pins as she posed up a storm Crawford originally wore the floor-length black dress to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards 30 years ago. This black buckled bodice and sleek skirt dress has become iconic over the years and even Cindy's daughter Kaia, wore a mini version of the dress for her 18th birthday in 2019. Though it was supermodel Christy Turlington who first wore the gown on the runway during Versace's fall 1992 show. The look: The dress featured strap detailing with gold attachments reminiscent of Cindy's Versace dress and was teamed with sky-high black heels It comes after Cat shocked viewers of the Ellen show earlier this month when she revealed her 'naughty' sons refuse to keep their clothes on. The award winning presenter who shares Milo, six, and James, four, with husband Patrick Kielty laughed that 'it's fine now but not when they are 17 and doing it in supermarkets'. The blonde beauty was on the daytime show to speak about the upcoming 17th season of the dancing competition which had been delayed by two years due to the pandemic - and following judge Matthew Morrison's recent sacking. Glowing: Cat wore her blonde tresses in perfectly styled waves over her shoulders and opted for a typically glamorous makeup look as she worked her best angles Icon: Cindy also wore the dress to Versace's 'Rock 'N Rule' fashion show gala to Benefit amfAR in September 1992 Reuniting with So You Think You Can Dance's judge Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, who co-hosted the afternoon show with Dwayne Wade, said that she loves her boys 'positive body image'. She laughed: 'They look at me in the eye and say ''Mummy lets get handsome'' and then take everything off' 'Well that's not technically correct but I like their positive body image'. 'They love to get naked!': It comes after Cat shocked viewers of the Ellen show earlier this month when she revealed her 'naughty' sons refuse to keep their clothes on Before Cat, who has been married to Patrick since 2012, turned to the audience saying: 'We should all do it - lets all get handsome!'. The British presenter looked ravishing as she chatted away to the hosts sipping on a glass of chilled white wine. The television personality wore a stylish white jumpsuit for the appearance as her luscious locks fell in a relaxed curl. LOL: The star, who shares Milo, 6, (left) and James, 4 (right) with husband Patrick Kielty laughed 'It's fine now but not when they are 17 and doing it in supermarkets' (pictured in 2021) Speaking about her excitement at the return of the dancing competition, that she's hosted since 2005, Cat said that she was convinced COVID had put a final nail in it's coffin. 'When I got the call that there's no way we can make it during the pandemic, I was like that it's then, that show I loved - I thought we've had a good run run, it's done'. But now the reality competition will return to screens after a two year hiatus with Cat adding: 'Even a global pandemic and it being the 17th season could kill this show'. Tom Hanks is known as an amazing actor and two time Oscar winner, but he also has developed a reputation as a wedding crasher. In an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote his upcoming film, Elvis, the 65-year-old was presented evidence of his participation in the nuptials of various strangers. When Seth, 48, queried the actor about his career as an uninvited guest, Tom had an easy and funny answer for each situation, beginning with a sarcastic, 'I keep thinking, "What would these people like more than anything else to remember this magic day of days? Oh, I know. Me."' Hot seat: Tom Hanks was put on the hot seat Wednesday when he was asked to explain how he had earned a reputation as a wedding crasher on Late Night with Seth Meyers The first time it happened was during filming for Angels And Demons in Rome. 'We were shooting right in front of the Pantheon and I'm talking about the Pantheon. The building that was, you know, it says Marcus Agrippa on it for crying out loud, that's who built the thing,' he shared. 'But it is now also a Catholic church. It is a consecrated Catholic church. So we were shooting in front of it and low and behold they had booked a wedding in there while we're shooting stuff with trucks... and this limousine pulled up and it was the bride and the groom.' The couple were having trouble navigating through all the equipment and crew. Three time attender: The Oscar winner, 65, has been caught on camera a three different weddings in which he did not know the bride or groom 'It was like, "How do we fix this?" So, like a stalker, you know, "Hey Miss, Miss, Miss" I knocked on the window and said, "Listen, we have a thing in there, would you do me the honor of escorting you to your bridal alter?" The picture shows the accommodating star escorting the bride and her father to the church. The next two 'crash' sightings took place in Pittsburgh, where the Philadelphia star was shooting A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, as Mr. Rogers. Angelic: The versatile actor was shooting Angels and Demons in Rome when the bridal party had trouble getting to the church at the Pantheon. Tom offered to navigate the busy area so they could get to the church on time The first incident was coincidental and happened just as he and wife Rita Wilson, 65, were going for an outing. 'Rita and I are going off for a walk somewhere on our day off and just as we were getting into our car, in the condominium part of the building, this wedding party was coming up to get into the biggest cocktail booze-cruise bus I'd ever seen.' The Big actor said he thought to himself, 'Well, if the bride comes out, I jump out and take a pictures... well, she shows up, so yeah, I crashed their wedding photo.' It appeared the third time was the charm as the actor, who was shooting A Man Called Otto at the time, was actually invited and asked to take part in the ceremony. Quick take: The Big actor and wife Rita Wilson, 65, were going for an outing in Pittsburgh when they ran into this bridal party and Tom quickly stepped in for the snap Invited: The couple in this picture asked the A Man Called Otto actor if he could help them tie the knot on his day off. He became a minister of the Universal Life Church, and said 'it was a great honor' 'They said, "Look, we've been thinking about getting married and we couldn't figure out how to do it... if you have a day off, could you marry us?"' he said. 'And I'd like to have you know as an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church.... I like to think I studied the Gospels for over $35. 'So, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I could perform this wedding and I did. It was Kristen and her old man, as I like to call him. I had a couple of words to say, they wrote their vows and it was absolutely beautiful. And it was a great honor.' When the Late Night host said, 'I've heard all the people whose weddings you've participated in are still happily married...' Tom quickly responded, 'There you go. I think a little fairy dust has been sprinkled upon the altar there.' Signify introduces portable and rechargeable Philips Hue Go, Sunrise Wake-Up Style, Philips Hue Tap, and New Downlights to customers. The New Sunrise Wake-Up Style in Hue Lights will copy sunrise colors. Signify will also launch new downlights with an improved lumen output to give light to bigger rooms. Signify to Launch Portable and Rechargeable Philips Hue Go by the End of the Summer As announced by the Dutch multinational lighting corporation Signify N.V. (formerly known as Philips N.V), Philips Hue will release many smart lighting products. Philip Hue's launch will include its first portable, rechargeable lamp designed for indoor and outdoor uses, the Philips Hue Go. Philips Hue Go is a portable table lamp with a silicone grip that allows people to bring it around wherever they go. This newest addition to Philip Hue's lighting products has the capacity to last for up to 48 hours on a single charge. Using Philip Hue Go's charging base, users can plug in this portable and rechargeable lamp in case it runs out of power. Since this lamp is portable, it can be used as a light in various environments and scenarios, and it also comes with a button that permits you to cycle through all the preset scenes to find the most appropriate lighting. Buyers can purchase the portable Philips Hue Go lamp for $160 in the United States and 130 (159.88 USD) in the United Kingdom by the end of summer. Read Also: Best Productivity Software for Work and School in 2022 Signify sees to roll out Hue Light that Imitates Sunrise Moreover, Signify will also be rolling out a new Sunrise wake-up style. When you turn on the Hue light, it will go through a colorful transition from blue to a soft orange. These colors mimic the tinctures that paint the sky when the sun rises over the horizon. The Sunrise wake-up style will be launched by the lighting company together with the new Philips Hue Signe gradient lamp in oak by mid-July in the U.S. The Philips Hue Signe is a gradient floor lamp that is designed with a natural wood-toned base to be a subtle accent for the bedroom and will cost its buyers around $350. In the United Kingdom, customers can purchase this lighting fixture for 300 (368.95 USD) this day. At the same time, a smaller version gradient table lamp will also be launched in the U.K. for 200 (245.97 USD). Philips Hue Tap Now Available, New Downlights ready in U.S. and U.K. Soon In addition to Signify's upcoming releases, they will also be introducing new downlights with an increased lumen output. This product will enable the company to provide adequate lighting that can fill bigger rooms. Starting today, the new white and color lights will be available in 4-inch and 5/6-inch cans at a starting price of $50 in the U.S. Lastly, the new Philips Hue Tap dial switch with four buttons that can control smart lights in up to three separate rooms in your home will also be available starting today for $50 in the U.S. While for the people in the U.K., Philips Hue Tap will cost them 45 (55.34 USD). Watch the Philips Hue media event on the brand's official website to witness these new products in action first. Related Article: Philips Hue's Vintage-Look Smart Lights: Should You Get One? Advertisement Nia Vardalos reunited with her on-screen husband John Corbett as filming began on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 in Greece. The dynamic duo were spotted shooting scenes for the movie in Rafina, about 30 kilometers outside of Athens, on Wednesday. Nia, 59, has her hands full this time around, serving as not just the star of the film but also director. Lights, camera, action! Nia Vardalos reunited with her on-screen husband John Corbett as filming began on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 in Greece on Wednesday Despite the many demands of her new role, the star made it all look effortless as she threw herself into character. Nia wore a button down denim dress and her hair up into a ponytail while John sported a grey top and jeans. The on-screen couple smiled as they strolled along the beach together through various lounge chairs and umbrellas. An assistant followed Nia along with an umbrella while another trailed the duo with a microphone in hand. She's back! Nia looked in great spirits as she filmed the third flick Back for more! Vardalos and Corbett play husband and wife Toula and Ian Set days: The actors were getting back into character for the third film Chat: Nia looked chic as she chatted with cast members ahead of filming All hands on deck! An assistant followed Nia along with an umbrella while another crew member carried a microphone Scenic: Vardalos strolled along the idyllic beachfront Sequel: The film stars were seen walking along the seafront Other familiar faces included actress Gia Carides, who plays cousin Nikki, Elena Kampouris who plays the couple's daughter Paris and Louis Mandylor, who plays Toula's brother Nick Portokalos. The sighting came just a day after Vardalos, who wrote and starred in the first two movies, announced filming had begun on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She also gleefully revealed she would be directing this latest installment. Sunkissed: John enjoyed a walk along the seafront as he prepared to film scenes Directing: Nia was seen chatting with a pal as filming commenced Floral: She wowed in a floral dress as she chatted on set Setting the stage: Nia approached a beat-up truck painted in blue and white Comeback: Elena Kampouris, who plays the couple's daughter Paris, was seen on set Walk and talk: Nia wore a button down denim dress and her hair up into a ponytail while John sported a grey top and jeans Off she goes: Nia looked relaxed as she reprised her iconic role Throwing shade! The stars shielded themselves from the sun rays with their fashionable eyewear Quite the production: There were tons of people on set Views: The scene was gorgeous Vibes: The beach set the perfect scene Making a splash! Filming took place along the coast of Greece 'So, I have an announcement. We are in Greece filming My Big Fat Wedding 3 and thank you so much for the lovely messages of just waiting and everything,' she said. 'They're filming in the beautiful Plaka of Athens,' she added. Vardalos then announced her new role by teaching viewers the Greek word for director. 'What that means is director. And guess who the director is? It's me!' she squealed. Look who's here! Other familiar faces included actress Gia Carides, who plays cousin Nikki, and Louis Mandylor, who plays Toula's brother Nick Portokalos Chat: Gia was sheltered from the sun by an umbrella as filming continued Snack: Nia was seen grabbing a quick snack ahead of filming Festive: The boat attracted attention with its colourful garlands Wow: Gia looked glamorous as she got back into character Boat party? Garlands festooned a boat during filming Wow: The stars were seen congregating around a boat for filming Walk and talk: Elene was seen chatting to a crew member as filming continued Good spirits: Elena was seen relaxing in casual wear ahead of filming Big news! Vardalos announced production has begun on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 in Greece on Tuesday 'It's me!' Vardalos also gleefully announced she would be directing this next installment She captioned the video, 'Thank you to Playtone, Gold Circle, HBO and Focus! And much love and gratitude to you all for your support as we waited to film. Greece baby. Greece!' My Big Fat Greek Wedding became one of the most successful indie films of all time when it was released in 2002. The comedy about Toula and Ian's wedding and the convergence of their crazy families, earned $241.4 million domestic and $368.7 million worldwide, from just a $5 million budget. Classic film: My Big Fat Greek Wedding became one of the most successful indie films of all time when it was released in 2002 Loss: The cast suffered a loss last year following the death of actor Michael Constantine, who played patriarch Gus Portokalos The cast returned in 2016 for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which wasn't quite as successful, earning $59.6 million domestic and $90.6 million worldwide. Vardalos confirmed last year a third film was in the works but production was on hold due to their inability to get insurance. The cast also suffered a loss last year with the death of actor Michael Constantine, who played patriarch Gus Portokalos. Vardalos revealed Constantine asked them to make the third film without him, and she wrote the script with his wishes in mind. 'He had told me he wouldnt be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on. I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michaels decision and will always treasure his last messages to me, hoping we were filming soon,' she posted to Instagram. The plot for this latest installment remains under wraps but Varadalos assured fans Ian and Toula 'are not grandparents!' in this sequel. Johnny Depp has reunited with his Hollywood Vampire bandmates as they are preparing to go on tour after he won his defamation trial against Amber Heard. The American actor, 59, will be heading on an overseas tour next year with his bandmates Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen. The supergroup, which was formed back in 2012, took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce they would be performing in Germany and Luxembourg. Tour: Johnny Depp has reunited with his Hollywood Vampire bandmates as they are preparing to go on tour after he won his defamation trial against Amber Heard They shared a poster announcing the tour dates but fans were quick to flood the comments section with eager requests that they take the tour worldwide. The band's statement read: 'The Hollywood Vampires are BACK!! We're coming to Germany and Luxembourg Summer 2023! 'Tickets go on sale Monday 27 June at 11:00am CET. Keep an eye out for more to come.' The Hollywood Vampires had planned to embark on a UK and European tour last year but were forced to cancel their plans in March 2021 amid Covid-19 pandemic. They're back! The American actor, 59, will be heading on an overseas tour next year with his bandmates Alice Cooper, Joe Perry (all pictured in May 2019) and Tommy Henriksen They said in an Instagram statement: 'We are beyond disappointed to announce that the Hollywood Vampires must cancel our rescheduled UK/European tour this summer. 'We kept trying to make it happen, but unfortunately due to the uncertainty of Covid-19 travel restrictions, it is just not possible. 'Thank you for understanding, and we WILL be back rocking with you once the world returns to normal!' Johnny, Alice and Joe formed the Hollywood Vampires in 2012, initially performing cover songs to honor rock stars who died in the 1970s. Exciting: The band shared a poster announcing the tour dates but fans were quick to flood the comments section with eager requests that they take the tour worldwide Johnny has recently hit the road with Jeff Beck and has teamed up with the legendary guitarist to record a new studio album that's set to drop in July. The 13-track collection includes two new Depp originals and an eclectic mix of cover songs ranging from such iconic artists as the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon to alternative rockers such as Killing Joke and The Velvet Underground. The upcoming album, which is slated to be released July 15, is titled 18. 'When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again so that just became the album title too,' Jeff, 77, said in a statement about the album, as reported by Billboard. Band: Johnny, Alice and Joe (pictured in February 2016) formed the group Hollywood Vampires in 2012, initially performing cover songs to honor rock stars who died in the 1970s In keeping with their fond teenage memories that were sparked by the music, the two artists decided to use an illustration of themselves as 18-year-olds, drawn by Jeff's wife Sandra, for the album cover. For Johnny, who grew up listening to Jeff's music, the collaboration is something of a dream come true. 'It's an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother,' Depp added in their statement. The duo first met in 2016, and quickly bonded over conversations about guitars and cars, all while trying to make each other laugh. Over the years Jeff began to appreciate Johnny's songwriting abilities, which led to the former Yardbirds guitarist to play on a song, Welcome To Bushwacker, that appeared on the Hollywood Vampires' album Rise (2019). On stage: Johnny has recently performed at a string of concerts alongside Jeff Beck and has teamed up with the legendary guitarist to record a new studio album that's set to drop in July His musical ventures come after his ex-wife Amber, 36, admitted she can't afford the $8.3 million in damages awarded to him during a Dateline interview last week. It is unclear whether he will enforce the ruling and ask Amber to pay the high sum of money in its totality. His lawyers have hinted that might not be the case, saying his motivation behind the lawsuit, which was to restore his reputation after Amber raised claims of domestic abuse in a 2016 Washington Op-ed, has already been achieved. Speaking to NBC's Dateline last week, she chose to focus on the positives after the trial left her reputation severely bruised and her opportunities for work continue to decrease. The actress said that a silver lining of not being busy with work at the moment is that she can enjoy being a full-time mother to one-year-old daughter Oonagh. Exciting: The 13-track collection, titled 18, includes two new Depp originals and an eclectic mix of cover songs and is slated to be released on July 15 In a chat screened in its entirety for the first time Friday, Amber told Dateline's host Savannah Guthrie that she was 'terrified' of telling her side of the story. The actress said she had been wounded by the 'hate and vitriol' directed at her, but did not regret bringing the case. 'I know the scariest, most intimidating thing for anybody talking about sexual violence is not being believed, being called a liar, or being humiliated,' she said. Amber said she was not speaking out because she was 'vindictive'. 'This would be a really lousy way of getting vengeance,' she said. 'As silly as it is to say this out loud, my goal is - I just want people to see me as a human being.' Fan: For Johnny (pictured on June 19 onstage with Jeff Beck), who grew up listening to Beck's music, the collaboration is something of a dream come true Amber's interview raised eyebrows, with her repeating her defamatory allegations that he beat her. Despite continuing to air her allegations, Amber insists that she wants nothing more than to move on with her life, telling Savannah: 'I look forward to living my life and I have a long one, I hope, in front of me. And I will continue to walk through this with my chin up.' In the interview, Amber admitted that she 'absolutely still loves' Johnny - despite branding him a 'liar' who swayed the jury with his 'fantastic acting', as well as: 'I will [stand by my testimony] to my dying day. I know what happened to me. I'm here as a survivor,' she said. 'To my dying day I will stand by every word of my testimony.' Case: His musical ventures come after his ex-wife Amber, 36, admitted she can't afford the $8.3 million in damages awarded to him during a Dateline interview last week Shortly before the interview aired, Amber's team insisted they were unrepentant. '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,' a spokesperson told MailOnline, as Amber branded Johnny, a 'liar' and doubled down on claims that he beat her and sexually assaulted her during their relationship. Amber also released a 'binder full' of notes from her therapist, which she claims is fresh evidence proving her allegations of physical and sexual abuse against her by Depp - despite the notes already being dismissed by the judge. Amber turned over 'years' worth' of notes taken by her therapist detailing instances when she says the actor 'hit her, threw her against a wall, and threatened to kill her'. The judge in her trial against Johnny had already dismissed the notes as 'hearsay' and barred her legal team from submitting the documents as evidence. Hints: It is unclear whether he will enforce the ruling and ask Amber to pay the high sum of money in its totality. His lawyers have hinted that might not be the case Nevertheless, the actress has now gone public with the binder, which 'dates back to 2011 from the very beginning of her relationship'. Earlier this month, a jury ruled that Amber defamed her ex-husband by publishing a piece about being a sexual assault survivor in the Washington Post. She was ordered to pay Johnny $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, although the second payment was reduced to $350,000 per Virginia law by the judge. She was awarded a relatively paltry $2 million in compensatory damages, meaning that Johnny walked away from the case with Amber owing him $8.35million. Olivia Munn and her partner John Mulaney looked as loved-up as ever on Tuesday when they were spotted out for a walk in New York City. The 41-year-old Newsroom star and the 39-year-old stand-up comedian both seemed happy and affectionate as they walked with their six-month-old son Malcolm, who Olivia pushed in a charcoal stroller. The family outing came just days after she complained on social media that her body hadn't 'snapped back' after giving birth to her first son. Family time: Olivia Munn, 41, and John Mulaney, 39, looked loved-up as they took a stroll in New York City on Tuesday with their six-month-old son Malcolm Olivia opted for a casual and comfortable all-black ensemble with a plain sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. She added some color to her look with a pair of rainbow-colored trainers, and she wore her voluminous brunette locks swept back and cascading in playfully messy style down her shoulders while rocking a chunky pair of black sunglasses. John was similarly casual in a pale gray T-shirt with slim dark jeans and navy blue sneakers. At one point he reached down to comfort little Malcolm, and he beamed warmly at Olivia as they chatted while heading down the sidewalk. No fuss: Olivia opted for a casual and comfortable all-black sweatsuit with rainbow-colored trainers and chunky black sunglasses framed by her voluminous brunette hair Taking it easy: John was similarly casual in a pale gray T-shirt with slim dark jeans and navy blue sneakers The couple have gotten more comfortable recently sharing their son with their fans, and earlier this month Olivia posted an adorable video of her partner blowing raspberries on Malcolm. The two were lying together on a bed as the little boy erupted in squeals of laughter at his father antics. After he settled down, John planted a sweet kiss on his son's chin. 'When he squeezes his eyes shut from laughing so hard,' Olivia captioned the clip. Too cute! The couple have gotten more comfortable recently sharing their son with their fans, and earlier this month Olivia posted an adorable video of her partner blowing raspberries on Malcolm Proud papa: After he settled down, John planted a sweet kiss on his son's chin. 'When he squeezes his eyes shut from laughing so hard,' Olivia captioned the clip Postpartum journey: Olivia was more somber over the weekend, whens he shared a somber clip of herself and Malcolm while saying her body hadn't 'snapped back' yet But the former Daily Show correspondent was in a more somber mood over the weekend when she posted a video of herself holding a scrunched-up Malcolm. 'My body hasn't snapped back,' she admitted in her caption, though she wasn't too concerned, as her body 'made this little guy so I only have love for it.' In the clip, she swayed to a somber cover of Billy Joel's Vienna, which highlighted the lyrics, 'Slow down, you're doin' fine/ You can't be everything you wanna be/ Before your time.' Olivia friends and followers jumped into her comments with confidence-boosting statements, including one person who wrote, 'Olivia this is just perfect. The moment. The mama. The baby. Hang in there!!' Another user added, 'You are a rockstar.' Baby love: John and Olivia announced that she was pregnant in September amid a romance that went public on the heels of his split from his wife Anna Marie Tendler Elsewhere, Olivia has been open with her followers about her difficulties breast feeding, despite taking 'a million vitamins, countless teas, lozenges, tinctures' while working with lactation consultants. John and Olivia announced that she was pregnant in September amid a romance that went public on the heels of his split from his wife Anna Marie Tendler. The lovebirds welcomed their baby the day before Thanksgiving, after a whirlwind year in which John went to rehab and filed for divorce. The former Saturday Night Live 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.' The way they were: John proposed to Anna Marie, a makeup artist, in 2013 and they tied the knot in July 2014; pictured in 2019 in Beverly Hills 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.' Advertisement Ryan Gosling joined Margot Robbie on the Los Angeles set of their new movie Barbie on Tuesday, as he was seen filming in character as her counterpart Ken for the very first time. The Oscar-nominated actor showed off his movie star good looks wearing a classic Western-style shirt complete with embroidered flowers, fringe edging and pearl snap fasteners. Both Ryan, 41, and his co-star Margot, 31, wore matching white cowboy hats and pink neckerchiefs as they played their respective roles while being directed by Greta Gerwig on location. The Notebook star completed his all-black cowboy look with a pair of white leather boots as he stood outside with the Australian actress to film a scene for the hotly-anticipated new project. Oh I love you Ken! Ryan Gosling joins Margot Robbie on set of Barbie for the first time as they get dolled up in matching cowboy hats and pink neckerchiefs in LA Little Women and Lady Bird director Greta, 38, also appeared to be getting into the Barbie spirit as she was seen wearing a pastel-pink boiler suit with matching headphones. Although Margot and Ryan are being billed as the lead stars, it has been rumoured that there will be different versions of Barbie and Ken, with one Barbie said to be portrayed by Issa Rae and the other might be Hari Nef. Marvel's Simu Liu and new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa are also said be playing other Kens. New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan tweeted: 'I am hearing incredible BARBIE goss at Cannes. For one, I'm hearing that Ryan Gosling is not the only Ken in the BARBIE film. Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa also play Ken. Getting a first look: After showing off his torso in the first publicity still of his character, Ryan was seen as Ken on set in LA Heartthrob: The Oscar-nominated actor was seen wearing a classic Western-style shirt complete with embroidered flowers, fringe edging and pearl snap fasteners All dolled up: Margot and Ryan were seen transforming into their respective characters Barbie and Ken for the first time 'And, by the same token, Margot Robbie is not the film's only Barbie. Issa Rae and Hari Nef play different Barbies' Other members of the cast include Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, America Ferrara, Rhea Perlman, Ariana Greenblatt, Ana Cruz Kayne, Alexandra Shipp, Ritu Arya, Sharon Rooney, Connor Swindells, Scott Evans and Jamie Demetriou. Fans think Emma will be playing the role of Skipper, the younger sister of Barbie, thanks to her resemblance to Margot. Dedication: Little Women and Ladybird director Greta, 38, also appeared to be getting into the Barbie spirit as she was seen wearing a pastel-pink boiler suit with matching headphones Not such a serious note: The role of Ken certainly appears to be somewhat of a left turn for the Oscar-nominated thespian Room for more? Although Margot and Ryan are being billed as the lead stars, it has been rumoured that there will be different versions of Barbie and Ken, with one Barbie said to be portrayed by Issa Rae and the other might be Hari Nef Also linked to the film are Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan, actress Saoirse Ronan and pop sensation Dua Lipa - but these have not yet been confirmed. The Derry Girls actress teased that Sex Education's Ncuti had already been announced for the mystery project, but she had not yet. And Ncuti appeared to hint that their joint project is the upcoming Barbie film as he shared a snap of the pair to Instagram alongside the caption, 'a pair of dolls'. Meet-cute: It's the first time the two actors have been pictured onset together in their respective roles Barbie and Ken forever: Both Ryan and Margot appear to be throwing themselves into their iconic roles for the film Iconic role: Margot has long been attached to play Barbie on the big screen and promised that the movie will be very different to what people are expecting Looking the part: The Notebook star completed his all-black cowboy look with a pair of white leather boots as he stood outside with the Australian actress to film a scene for the hotly-anticipated new project Plot details are being kept under wraps, but insiders have suggested that there is a meta aspect to the story. Will Ferrell is said to be playing the CEO of a toy company that may or may not be Mattel. The first official image of Ryan showed the actor dressed as the 'Earring Magic Ken' version of the doll introduced by Mattel in 1993, as a companion to its 'Earring Magic Barbie' figure. This particular version of the Ken doll featured an updated look with the character sporting blonde highlights, instead of his traditional brown hair. Interesting choice: Director Greta Gerwig (pictured above) is known for her indie work with films such as Lady Bird Making a difference: The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star is hoping to provoke 'thoughtful conversation' with the film Sashay away: Production on the quirky new film is now well underway, but fans will have to wait until next year to see it Cowboy Ken: Ryan Gosling steps out in a full cowboy outfit playing Ken in the new Barbie movie Shawl: Margot Robbie uses a shawl to cover her pink dress on the set of Barbie Strolling through set: Margot Robbie takes a stroll through set as production continues on Barbie in Los Angeles The doll also featured a lavender mesh shirt, a purple leather jacket and jewelry including an earring and a necklace. Upon release, it became the highest-selling Ken doll in history and caused a stir when some people speculated that designers had taken inspiration from the gay clubbing scene in early nineties New York and Los Angeles. Ryan is known for his serious acting work in acclaimed films such as Drive, Blade Runner 2049, Blue Valentine, and Half Nelson. Strolling: Filming lasted until the late afternoon as the duo were captured making their way around the set Chatty: The co-stars appeared to have vibrant chemistry as they chatted Barbie girl: After getting in several scenes, Margot ditched her hot pink cowboy hat and took a brief break Swagger: Rocking his new Ken-approved look, Ryan oozed confidence as he prepared for his next scene And action! With cameras rolling, the duo stood side-by-side as they prepared to walk into frame On a roll: Ryan and Margot appeared to be practicing their strut as they moved around the set in between takes Sporting a cheesy grin and white underwear branded with his character's name, the role of Ken certainly appears to be somewhat of a left turn for the thespian. Meanwhile, Margot has long been attached to play Barbie on the big screen and promised that the movie will be very different to what people are expecting. She said: 'Something like Barbie where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, 'Oh Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is', but our goal is to be like, 'Whatever you're thinking, we're going to give you something totally different the thing you didn't know you wanted.'' The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star is hoping to provoke 'thoughtful conversation' with the film. In celebration of the Mattel dolls 60th anniversary, Barbie will be released in cinemas on July 21, 2023. First looks: The studio previously revealed these stills of Ryan and Margot in character Barbie girl: Margot has been long slated to play the world's most iconic fashion doll in a live-action movie and back in December 2020, she vowed to give audiences 'something totally different' Christine Quinn looked ready for winter during a hot summer day in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Selling Sunset star, 33, stepped out in head to toe black with a fun Balenciaga hoodie, which costs $1,290, as she was seen leaving a white brick building. This comes after the reality TV star said that she and her husband Christian Dumontet hope to have another child after welcoming a son last year. Not exactly hot weather wear: Christine Quinn looked ready for winter during a hot summer day in Los Angeles on Wednesday Quinn sauntered down the street in a pair of black pointy boots and a black hoodie from Balenciaga called Speed Hunter Upside Down Hoodie Oversized in black fleece. And the star added black skintight leggings. She completed her ensemble with a small black purse on her arm. Her platinum blonde hair was worn stick straight and down as she added pink tinted glasses. Quinn has been wearing Balenciaga consistently this year as she seems to have taken a page from fellow reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who has represented the label in ads. Last week she said she wants another child. A label: The Selling Sunset star, 33, stepped out in head to toe black with a fun Balenciaga hoodie as she was seen leaving a white brick building The reality TV realtor gave birth to her first child, a son named Christian Richard last year, and she's now looking to the future and sees herself having another baby with her husband Christian. In an interview with Us Weekly, Christine was asked if she has any plans for baby number two, and she replied: 'Absolutely. I want to have another child in the future.' She recently celebrated her little boy's birthday on May 15, and says she's enjoying her new life as a mum. Christine added: 'I think the overwhelming feeling of being a first-time mom is definitely something that no one is prepared for. The big B: Quinn has been wearing Balenciaga consistently this year as she seems to have taken a page from fellow reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who has represented the label in ads. 'I love being a mom. It's a really sacred special thing.' The television personality also revealed she sees a lot of herself in her son, but she also sees aspects of her partner Christian too. Christine has been on 'Selling Sunset' since it launched back in 2019, but her future on the series now looks uncertain. The show is focused on glitzy estate agent company the Oppenheim Group, but she recently revealed she has 'terminated' her contract with the firm so she can focus on launching her own crypto real estate business, RealOpen. More family: This comes after the reality TV star said that she and her husband Christian Dumontet hope to have another child after welcoming a son last year. Seen in 2021 Christine said: 'I terminated my contract when the brokerage launched. I had to make a business decision that was for me, so I had to terminate the contract so I could move it over to my brokerage.' The blonde beauty previously discussed her business ambitions with Jason Oppenheim, her 'Selling Sunset' co-star and and boss. Speaking about the switch, Christine told said: 'Jason knew. I told him. Him and I had had conversations a year prior. I told him I was doing my own thing.' Christine made the decision for the sake of her own career. However, she was initially suspected of 'bluffing' about her long-term ambitions. She explained: 'I don't think anyone actually thought ... I think they thought I was bluffing; I don't think they actually thought I was working on a company, I don't know. But I told them for a year that I was working on this. 'Everyone knows ... Jason and I, we have a really good understanding. I told him, 'This comes from a career move. I have to do my own thing.' So that's why I made the company.' Brad Pitt never denied that he had a love for smoking marijuana in his salad days. But in a New York Times interview published on Tuesday, the 55-year-old Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star went more in depth about his reliance on the drug. 'I spent most of the '90s hiding out and smoking pot,' the ex-husband of Angelina Jolie said. 'I was too uncomfortable with all the attention.' In the 1990s he went from 25 to 35-years-old. Looking back: Brad Pitt never denied that he had a love for smoking marijuana in his salad days. But in a New York Times interview published on Tuesday, the 55-year-old Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star went more in depth about his reliance on the drug His star power was climbing thanks to 1994's Interview with the Vampire, 1995's Legends Of The Fall and Seven and 1999's Fight Club. He was around 25 to 35 years old. And his love life was front page news. Pitt lived with Juliette Lewis from 1990 until 1993. He was with Jitka Pohlodek from 1993 until 1994. Then came Gwyneth Paltrow; they were together from 1994 until 1997. In 1998 he fell for Jennifer Aniston whom he was married to from 2000 until 2005. But after a decade of getting stoned he said he 'got to a place where I was aware that I was imprisoning myself.' He changed his tune by giving up pot and going out more in public 'Now I go out and live life, and generally people are pretty cool,' he continued. Afraid of fame: 'I spent most of the '90s hiding out and smoking pot,' the ex-husband of Angelina Jolie said. 'I was too uncomfortable with all the attention.' In the 1990s he went from 25 to 35-years-old He shared a memory from his youth when he was chosen to do a skit with the Harlem Globetrotters. Remembering that made him want to use his star power to make other people feel special. 'I'm not trying to say anyone is being brushed with my greatness,' he said. 'I'm trying to say that I have the opportunity to brighten someone's day. That's a rare thing.' Pitt also talked about his good looks in the 90s. 'I've had moments where I've seen pictures of myself from years ago and gone, "That kid looks all right." But I didn't feel that way inside.' He also touched on how his acting style has evolved. Pitt used to get more worked up for his films, now he has more of a stillness. 'In the '90s I did become aware that there was this kind of leading-man role that you could plug any of us into and it didn't even matter. We would all have the same result. So as I've gotten older, I've become more conscious of thinking, If I am the one to play something, what can I bring that's unique?' he said. His 90s were very good: Here he is seen with Tom Cruise in 1994's Interview with the Vampire A mentor and a friend: Posting with vet Anthony Hopkins in 1995's Legends Of The Fall He worked hard for this one: Pitt as a bad boy in the 1999 cult favorite Fight Club He added that the character Cliff Booth is 'connected to my dad, the way he carries himself.' And he added, 'It's also the iconic figures like Butch and Sundance and in Clint Eastwood movies. 'Then it's where I am in my life. I don't care who you are, life is struggle. It's how you perceive those struggles. As I've gotten older, I take them more as another day in the office, acceptance of what the day throws you. 'And in Ad Astra, we were looking at this idea of being older, being a dad. You become more aware of your shortcomings. You look into starting to break some of that open, which is not always comfortable. Tabloid fodder: And his love life was front page news. Pitt lived with Juliette Lewis from 1990 until 1993. Seen in 1992 Intense relationship: Then came Gwyneth Paltrow; they were together from 1994 until 1997. Seen in 1997 before their split The golden couple: In 1998 he fell for Jennifer Aniston whom he was married to from 2000 until 2005. Seen in 2004 'I said to James Gray: "I see this as very still, and I want to see how much truth and honesty can read on camera, can resonate." It's what they say: The camera doesn't lie. Though I don't know if that's true. I've seen some people lie on camera, and it looks pretty good.' When the writing noted that his acting choices got better in 2004 he responds: 'I'm happy someone could read that. It was really a turn on Troy. I was disappointed in it. 'When you're trying to figure things out in your career, you get a lot of advice. People are telling you that you should be doing this, and other people are saying you should be doing that. 'There was this defining film I never got to do, a Coen brothers film called To The White Sea. We had an opportunity to go, and then it was shut down. Then another interesting opportunity arose, and instead I was talked into: 'No, you need to be doing this other thing. You can get to your art project later.' I ended up taking that advice.' A wrong turn: He then touched more on 2004's Troy which starred Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger. 'I had to do Troy because I guess I can say all this now I pulled out of another movie and then had to do something for the studio,' admitted the cover boy Regrets: It wasn't painful, but I realized that the way that movie was being told was not how I wanted it to be. I made my own mistakes in it.' Seen with Rose Byrne He then touched more on Troy which starred Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger. 'I had to do Troy because I guess I can say all this now I pulled out of another movie and then had to do something for the studio,' admitted the cover boy. 'So I was put in Troy. It wasn't painful, but I realized that the way that movie was being told was not how I wanted it to be. I made my own mistakes in it. What am I trying to say about Troy? I could not get out of the middle of the frame. It was driving me crazy. 'I'd become spoiled working with David Fincher. It's no slight on Wolfgang Petersen. Das Boot is one of the all-time great films. But somewhere in it, Troy became a commercial kind of thing. Every shot was like, Here's the hero! There was no mystery. So about that time I made a decision that I was only going to invest in quality stories, for lack of a better term. It was a distinct shift that led to the next decade of films.' He also said that after Thelma & Louise he was offered hitchhiker roles and romantic leads. 'For me in the '90s, there was this strict imprint of what a leading man was. It felt limiting.' Brad's character in Once Upon A Time takes LSD. And the writer point blank asks him if he has ever done it. 'Who, me?' he asks. 'Oh, sure. Oh, sure.' He then jokes, 'I'm microdosing right now.' LSD days: Brad's character in Once Upon A Time takes LSD. And the writer point blank asks him if he has ever done it. 'Who, me?' he asks. ' Oh, sure. Oh, sure.' He then jokes, 'I'm microdosing right now' Proud of his film: Here the icon is seen with Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino in May Then Brad turns back to the movie: 'By the way, that was brilliant of Quentin. He came up with that a couple of weeks before we started shooting. We already had the script, and then he said, "You're going to be on acid in that scene." I said, "Great!" 'It gives you so much room. The cliches of acid trails; it's always funny. Everyone gets it. But the scene might've played the same way without acid: Cliff would find it so damn funny that he was having a normal night and then these bozos show up at his house. He was feeling the opposite of fear. There would have been humor for Cliff regardless. It was just amplified on acid.' 'I stopped reading all press about 2004. Not just reviews. I mean any magazine in the doctor's office. Because some of it would bounce around like a rat in the skull. It would stay there, and it would inform some of my decisions and choices in work, in life, and I didn't find any of it helpful. 'People always say they don't read about themselves. I never believe it. I don't go out of my way to avoid it; I just don't seek it out. I don't know how many women they've said I've been dating the last two or three years, and none of it's true I just flashed on something, but maybe it doesn't mean anything.' Elon Musk sees to acquire an exact measure of bots on Twitter. If Twitter does not grant his request for bots disclosure, Elon Musk is presumed to turn down the deal. Elon Musk does not see Twitter as having issues in China under his watch. Elon Musk Emphasizes That Twitter's Bots Issues a Substantial Thing, Says it Must be Settled Before he could complete his $44 billion take over of Twitter Inc., the Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, noted that the social media platform has several issues that it must patch up. These include acquiring a precise measure of bots the social media platform has and finalizing the funding for the deal. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, Musk said that the ratio of fake, spam and bot accounts on the said platform is a very significant matter. Banks have already committed to giving $13 billion of debt financing to Elon Musk's possession, and the lenders include Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corp., and Barclays Plc. Musk has repeatedly asked Twitter for fake account disclosures after cutting the deal. This fueled speculation that he might want to cut the deal's price or walk away. The SpaceX CEO's lawyer also said that Twitter must cooperate fully by giving the data Musk has requested so that he can guarantee the debt financing that is critical to polish the deal. During the forum, the 50-year-old business magnate clarified that he has been pondering ways to improve Twitter's service. He then said that he would take responsibility for handling the social media platform as he does for Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., despite the fact that he is not necessarily planning to be its chief executive officer. Musk also mentioned that he preferably likes to get around 80% of North America and perhaps half the world on Twitter in one form or another. To do so, he believes that for people to use it, the platform must become appealing to users; thus, it should not be a place where they might feel comfortable or harassed. Read Also: China Boosts Cyber Censorship, Requires Sites to Recruit Content Moderators Musk Isn't Anticipating Twitter to Cause Issues in China, Under His Control Although Twitter is banned in China, the country uses it to deliver messages overseas, sometimes through its spam bot armies. The Tesla CEO, also recognized as the world's richest person, does not anticipate his business operations in China inducing trouble if he takes authority over Twitter. He trusts China as a crucial production ground and a growing consumer market for his electric vehicles. Musk has notedly put the takeover on hold while investigating the adequate number of actual users of Twitter. Subsequently, he filed a formal letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, telling Twitter's executives that he might not continue the deal if they did not exert efforts to prove the measurement of its user base. As a response, Twitter gave the businessman access to its firehose of public tweets, even though it's unclear if it is indeed helpful in calculating the number of bots. The social media company's shares were closed by 30% ($37.78) off the proposed appropriation price on Friday. Elon Musk dropped his agenda to finance his purchase of Twitter partly with a margin loan tied to his Tesla stake and expanded the size of the sale's equity component. Regardless, despite Musk's agreement to buy Twitter without any financing conditions, the transaction's terms still require Twitter to give sensible affiliation with his request to help with the financing pact. Related Article: Elon Musk Puts Twitter's $44 Billion Deal 'On Hold' Following Pending Details on Fake Accounts Nuclear energy will soon be arriving on the moon. NASA recently announced that it is working with the US Department of Energy to advance space nuclear technologies and that they have selected three agencies to bring nuclear-based power to the moon under the Artemis missions. The Artemis missions aim to bring back humanity to the moon along with bringing the first woman and first person of color to its surface. How NASA Will bring Nuclear Power To The Moon NASA mentioned in its announcement that it had selected three design concepts for a fission surface power system from three different companies to be demonstrated on the moon at the end of the 2020s. The fission surface power system the three companies will be developing is expected to be a 40-kilowatt class fission power system that should last at least ten years in the lunar environment. These three companies are Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Maryland, Westinghouse of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, and IX of Houston, Texas, which is a joint venture of intuitive Machines and X-Energy. The three companies are not alone in bringing to life their design concepts for a fission surface power system. Lockheed Martin will partner with BWXT and Creare, while Westinghouse will work with Aerojet Rocketdyne. Meanwhile, Intuitive Machines and X-Energy's joint venture, IX, will be collaborating with Maxar and Boeing. Read More: Philips Hue Launches New Products, Including a Portable Rechargeable Lamp The Department of Energy (DOE) will award the three companies 12-month contracts through its Idaho National Laboratory, with the contracts valued at approximately $5 million each. This amount is expected to fund the development of the companies' initial design concepts for their fission surface power system. Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner said that NASA's Fission Surface Power project is a "very achievable first step" toward the United States establishing nuclear power on the moon's surface and that he looks forward to what each of the companies will accomplish. Meanwhile, Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, stated that new technologies will get us to explore the moon, Mars, and eventually, beyond our solar system. He also mentioned that by allowing the companies to develop their designs, NASA would soon be set to lay the foundation needed to power its long-term human presence in other worlds. What Is a Fission Surface Power System? A fission surface power system is a relatively small and light power system compared to the ones we use every day, according to a separate NASA post. It is capable of providing continuous electrical power regardless of its location, weather, available sunlight, and other natural resources. NASA theorizes that this power system will be powerful enough to enable astronauts to operate on the moon and Mars. The system builds on previous NASA projects such as the SNAP-10A, NASA's Kilopower project, and recent developments in commercial nuclear power and fuel technology. In fact, the 40-kilowatt system NASA wants the three companies to develop is expected to run 30 households for ten years without any downtime. Related Article: NASA's Artemis I Completes Wet Dress Rehearsal Will it Proceed To Launch? Like Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1950s, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being coaxed and cajoled to join a security pact under the leadership of the United States ostensibly to save democracy and strengthen global stability. Jawaharlal Nehru was adamant that Indias Asian destiny, of which he spoke ecstatically, could never mean playing second fiddle to a globally hegemonic America. Now, the world is waiting to see how Mr Modi responds to President Joe Bidens flattering overtures and the courtship of high American officials. Like his predecessors, President Biden wants an India that is not beholden to Russia on the American side. Kurt Campbell, his White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, calls the relationship with India the most important for the United States in the 21st century. His national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, stresses that India-US convergence on the Chinese challenge matters far more than the two countries differences over Russia. We are investing in a relationship that we are not going to judge by one issue even if that issue is quite consequential but rather that we are going to judge over the fullness of time, he explains. Mr Modis tightrope walking on Russias invasion of Ukraine which Sergey Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, insists is not an invasion at all but a special military operation is the immediate compulsion for the US and the West in general wooing him. The long-term rationale is the expectation that given New Delhis own historic problems with Beijing, the enemys-enemy logic will oblige India to support Washingtons strategy of containing an assertive and expansionist China. Next months planned virtual summit of the clumsily-named I2U2 (India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States) grouping is one invitation to form a core group with the US. Another is the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which was launched with much fanfare by 13 regional states India again prominent among them last month in Tokyo. Tokyo also saw the May 24 revival of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, which Mr Biden hints might now be revamped. A larger role for India? Its also suggested that AUKUS, the nuclear submarine pact the United States signed last year with Australia and Britain, might be further developed. Again, for Indias benefit? Mr Campbell has already announced that the US and its allies are ready to offer Mr Modi more security guarantees which the Centre for a New American Security, the Washington-based think-tank that he co-founded in 2007, had recently discussed. We need to help provide India with alternatives on the security side that means not only the United States providing capabilities but partners like Britain, France and Israel. The United States clearly wants much stronger intelligence, trade and economic links with New Delhi. These overtures are to be contrasted with Washingtons cavalier attitude immediately after Independence in 1947, when it denied India weapons and information, snubbed New Delhis attempt to establish a formal blueprint of relations, and practised a clever sleight of hand to deny cooperation. India was classified upwards to the category of countries receiving restricted US military information and a deliberate effort [made] to furnish the Indian military attache with relatively harmless but somewhat impressive military information India was then of negligible positive strategic importance, while Pakistan occupied one of the most strategic areas in the world. That the American perception had changed was evident when the joint statement issued by Mr Modi and President Donald Trump after the formers 2017 state visit to the White House referred to the two leaders as responsible stewards in the Indo-Pacific region, resuscitating a term that Karl Haushofer, the German geopolitician, probably first used in the 1920s. Not that India alone dominates Washingtons agenda. Alarmed by the Chinese advances in the Pacific region, an area of enormous strategic importance, according to Mr Campbell, the US has drawn up plans for its own counter-initiatives. President Bidens July 13-16 tour of Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia is more a matter of domestic American politics, with the President anxious to secure oil supplies and arms sales. No doubt he also hopes that people wont remember that he had labelled Saudi Arabia a pariah, the US intelligence report that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the 2018 murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, or Washingtons oft-stated commitment to a two-state solution in Palestine. But the primary focus is on Russia and China. President Biden knows that India was trying to reduce its dependence on Russian arms even before Mr Modi took over. He also knows that Russias share of Indias oil imports has actually gone up to more than 18 per cent from only one per cent in April, making Moscow Indias largest supplier of crude after Iraq. If this suggests ambivalence, so does Indian policy on China. The Chinese defence ministers angry references to the Quad and AUKUS at Singapores Shangri-La Dialogue may have been explained by Mr Campbells boast: Weve made behind-the-scenes, quietly remarkable progress in the areas associated with technology where not only the three countries (US, UK and Australia) are deeply engaged, but other partners are also supporting working groups. But will this cooperation under the American aegis help India to regain the Himalayan territory that China occupies, persuade Beijing to drop its reservations about Indias nuclear status, vacate its naval bases and outposts surrounding Indias coastal waters, or cease to flood India with inexpensive consumer products and even Chinese-made figures of Hindu gods and goddesses? Perhaps Mr Modi sees no incongruity in the last-mentioned trade since he reportedly sub-leased the steel frame and bronze cladding for the Rs 3,000-crore statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the so-called Statue of Unity, to a Chinese company in Nanchang. President Xi Jinping must be tickled pink to contribute so substantially to a monument that is of immense iconic value to Mr Modi, his ruling BJP and their vision of India. Leaving aside the ethics of relying on Chinese technology for an emblem of Indian pride, Indias rulers are obviously not driven by the same degree of animus that inspires the Wests anti-China strategy. All the more reason, therefore, why, emulating Nehrus refusal during the Cold War to be drawn into taking sides, Mr Modi too will probably continue to do business with Russia and China while verbally supporting the West. It has taken the Indian republic over seven decades to decide to give an adivasi woman from an extremely modest background, Draupadi Murmu, an opportunity to be the countrys President. Leaving aside the symbolic importance of a leader making it to Rashtrapati Bhavan from the most underprivileged of social strata, or succumbing to a temptation to overstate its inspirational value to a larger demographic group sharing the identity, one must simply appreciate that for once a tribal leader, representing a large number of people, no longer needs see even the position of the First Citizen of the country as a glass ceiling. Coming back to back to the successful nomination of incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind, a dalit leader, it must give the two most vulnerable social groups of India the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes an immense emotional satisfaction and an augmented sense of ownership of the country where a son and daughter of their own would head the Republic. With numbers firmly in favour of the NDA, it stands to elementary reasoning that once the Bharatiya Janata Party headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to name Draupadi Murmu, her victory was almost a foregone conclusion. Born in Odisha, Ms Murmu would not only be the first tribal to make it to the highest position, but would also be the first from her state. This has compelled Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik to overenthusiastically jump on the NDA bandwagon on this issue. Given her credentials, the ruling party in alliance with the Congress in Jharkhand, the JMM, too, may find it hard to vote against her. A teacher by profession, she has risen by her own diligent effort to becoming a minister in the alliance government between her party, the BJP, and Mr Patnaiks party many years ago, before also becoming the first to complete a full five-year gubernatorial term in Jharkhand. Setting another first would be her age the 64-year-old would be Indias first President to be born in an Independent India; just as Narendra Modi was Indias first PM to have been born in a free country. If she goes to win, as is most likely, India can be delighted that it has created a democratic setup that has finally allowed this significant moment. It is a welcome collective achievement for which all Indians can take pride. A woman strengthened by lifes tragedies, she would share a lot about her personal journey with the President of the United States, Joe Biden; having lost her two sons, and husband, and yet never having given up her commitment to public life and service. But India is also rich in the contest. The Opposition candidate, Yashwant Sinha, is an equally gifted leader. A former bureaucrat from Bihar, a BJP man, a Union minister who presented more than one budget under former PM A.B. Vajpayee, he is a loyalist to L.K. Advani turned rebel against his own party who finally landed in TMC (Trinamul Congress) and has now become Ms Murmus electoral rival. Either of them would represent the finest values of the Republic and are equally eminently bound to upholding the Indian Constitution and the high ideals of the presidential office. The exit of Naftali Bennett from prime ministership in Israel might only mean that Netanhayu Benjamin, former PM and now Opposition leader, will fancy his chances once again of staging a comeback. In fact, he had already moved into election mode within hours of the news of the collapse of the coalition and long before poll dates were to be fixed after an unprecedented diverse coalition cracked up in Israel. Foreign minister Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party is to be caretaker PM when Israel goes to the polls for the fifth time in four years. He will also be PM when US President Joe Biden visits next month. His position may seem weak when he represents Israel but there is a commonality of security interests and the anxieties of a permanent existential crisis binding that country together which would mean his power and influence is not to be discounted. An ideological clash in an ethnically and religiously diverse government with eight radically different partners including a left leaning Arab party regarding a law to renew a two-tier legal system in the West Bank that differentiates between Jewish settlers from Israel and Palestinians led to Mr Bennetts rule becoming the shortest of any Israeli PM. Mr Bennett was, however, convinced the experiment with such a coalition built to deny the political right was a success because ideological disagreements were temporarily set aside for the government to focus on better education, better jobs, better infrastructure. The government even passed a Budget that could not muster support in the legislature for three years. It is interesting that while half of Israel may be likely to plump for Mr Netanhayu, whose coalition governments led by his Likud party invariably proved more durable despite his not delivering on commitments made while cobbling them together, the other half chastises him for corrupting the office of PM even as an ongoing trial and a prospective conviction hang on him like a Damocles sword. Whoever might lead the next government, it is unlikely that Israels firm no to a Palestine state and the definition of Iran as enemy state no. 1 will change. A powerful earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as desperate rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings. The 5.9-magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged east, where people already lead hardscrabble lives in the grip of a humanitarian crisis made worse since the Taliban takeover in August. "People are digging grave after grave," said Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of the Information and Culture Department in hard-hit Paktika, adding that at least 1,000 people had died in that province alone. He said more than 1,500 people were injured, many critically. "People are still trapped under the rubble," he told journalists. The death toll climbed steadily all day as news of casualties filtered in from hard-to-reach areas in the mountains, and the country's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, warned it would likely rise further. The earthquake struck areas that were already suffering the effects of heavy rain, causing rockfalls and mudslides that hampered rescue efforts. "It was a horrible situation," said Arup Khan, 22, recovering at a hospital in the Paktika provincial capital of Sharan. "There were cries everywhere. The children and my family were under the mud." He told AFP that rescuers pulled him out of the wreckage of a guesthouse, but two relatives were killed at his nearby home. Photographs and video clips posted on social media showed scores of badly damaged houses in remote rural areas. "We believe that nearly 2,000 homes are destroyed," the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, told reporters. Footage released by the Taliban showed local residents of one village digging a long slit trench to bury the dead, who by Islamic tradition should be laid to rest facing Mecca. The disaster poses a huge challenge for the Taliban, who have largely isolated the country as a result of their hardline Islamist policies -- particularly the subjugation of women and girls. Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's emergency response teams were stretched to deal with the natural disasters that frequently strike the country. But with only a handful of airworthy planes and helicopters left since they returned to power, any immediate response to the latest catastrophe is further limited. "The government is working within its capabilities," tweeted Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban official. "We hope that the International Community & aid agencies will also help our people in this dire situation." The United States, whose troops helped topple the initial Taliban regime and remained in Afghanistan for two decades until Washington pulled them out last year, was "deeply saddened" by the earthquake, the White House said. "President Biden is monitoring developments and has directed USAID (US Agency for International Development) and other federal government partners to assess US response options to help those most affected," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. The United Nations and European Union were quick to offer assistance. "Inter-agency assessment teams have already been deployed to a number of affected areas," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan said on Twitter. Tomas Niklasson, EU special envoy for Afghanistan, tweeted: "The EU is monitoring the situation and stands ready to coordinate and provide EU emergency assistance to people and communities affected." Neighbour Pakistan, where officials said one person was killed in the quake, said it would send emergency aid -- including tents -- across their border. Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes -- especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Scores of people were killed and injured in January when two quakes struck the western province of Badghis, damaging hundreds of buildings. In 2015, more than 380 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake ripped across the two countries, with the bulk of the deaths in Pakistan. Afghanistan's deadliest recent earthquake killed 5,000 in May 1998 in the northeastern provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan. From the Vatican, Pope Francis offered prayers for victims of the latest quake. "I express my closeness with the injured and those who were affected," the 85-year-old pontiff said at the end of his weekly audience. Wednesday's quake occurred at around 1:30 am at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), some 47 kilometers southwest of the city of Khost, according to the United States Geological Survey. It was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan, 480 kilometres from the epicentre. The Swiss government on Wednesday decided to lift the ban on cannabis for medical use from August 1. Patients who are medically prescribed the drug will no longer need to seek exceptional permission from the health ministry. The sale and consumption of cannabis for non-medical purposes will remain prohibited. The government "intends to facilitate access to cannabis for medical use for patients" and was therefore lifting the ban on its use for that purpose, it said in a statement. Parliament backed amending the law in March 2021. "The decision to use a cannabis-based medicine for therapeutic purposes will rest with the doctor, in consultation with the patient," the government said. The new regulations could benefit thousands of people suffering from severe chronic pain, it added, including those with cancer and multiple sclerosis. Demand for cannabis-based treatments has risen sharply, with the health ministry issuing 3,000 exceptional authorisations in 2019. But this involved "tedious administrative procedures", said the ministry. "Sick people must be able to access these medicines without excessive bureaucracy." The law change will also mean that the cultivation, processing, manufacture and trade of cannabis for medical use will be subject to the Swissmedic regulatory authority, just as with other narcotics for medical use such as cocaine, methadone and morphine. India must immediately end a "vicious" crackdown on Muslims who took to the streets to protest a ruling party official's remarks about the Prophet Mohammed, Amnesty International said Tuesday. Two demonstrators were killed and hundreds of others arrested last week in nationwide protests over the comments, which embroiled India in a diplomatic furore and caused widespread outrage in the Islamic world. Footage of bulldozers demolishing homes of those arrested or identified as protesters has since been spread on social media. Authorities were "selectively and viciously cracking down on Muslims who dare to speak up... against the discrimination faced by them," Amnesty's Aakar Patel said in a statement. "Cracking down on protesters with excessive use of force, arbitrary detention and punitive house demolitions... is in complete violation of India's commitments under international human rights law." Read | Bulldozers target houses of 'Prophet Mohammed' remark protestors in Uttar Pradesh More than 300 people have been arrested in the northern Uttar Pradesh state for joining last week's rallies. The state's chief minister, firebrand monk Yogi Adityanath, is one of India's most prominent Hindu nationalist politicians, known for sectarian rhetoric against India's 200-million strong Muslim minority. Adityanath has repeatedly called on authorities to demolish the homes of people accused of crimes, an exhortation critics say violates constitutional and human rights law prohibitions on collective punishment. Amnesty has demanded an "immediate and unconditional release" of detained protesters, and Patel said the arrests and demolitions were "part of an alarming escalation of the states' measures targeting Muslims". Since coming to power nationally in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of championing discriminatory policies towards Muslims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government proposed a controversial law that granted faster citizenship to refugees in India, but not if they are Muslim, while state BJP governments have passed laws making inter-religious marriages harder. Cities around India saw sizable demonstrations on Friday, with some crowds burning effigies of Nupur Sharma -- the BJP spokeswoman whose comments during a TV debate show set off the furore. Sharma has been suspended from the party, which issued a statement saying it respected all religions, while the governments of nearly 20 Muslim-majority countries called in their Indian envoys to register their disapproval. Friday also saw huge protests in neighbouring countries, with police estimating more than 100,000 people mobilised across Bangladesh after midday prayers. Another 5,000 people took to the streets in the Pakistani city of Lahore, demanding that their government take stronger action against India over the comments. The BJP leaders in Assam literally provided "protection" to at least 40 Shiv Sena MLAs led by Maharashtra minister, Eknath Shinde since they were shifted from Surat in Gujarat to Guwahati on Wednesday morning following the political crisis in the Maha Vikash Aghadi government. As a chartered flight carrying at least 89 Shiv Sena workers and the MLAs landed at LGBI airport at Borjhar in Guwahati, young BJP Lok Sabha member from Assam, Pallab Lochan Das and MLA Sushanta Borgohain were seen welcoming them and overseeing the arrangements for their transportation. Three buses of Assam State Transport Corporation were used to bring them to Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati. Sources said the MLAs were closeted at Radisson hotel whereas other Shiv Sena workers checked in in other hotels. Shinde told news channels that 40 MLAs are with him and they were committed to the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackery. "We want to take it forward," he said at the airport. Also Read: Shindes mutiny: Rebels, MVA playing game of chicken? Before they reached Radisson Blu, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, one of BJP's "crisis managers" visited the hotel. Sarma, however, left the premises before the Shiv Sena MLAs entered. Hours later, Sarma boarded a train to take stock of the flood situation at Kampur in central Assam's Nagaon district, about 80 km away. He was later seen in a boat taking stock of the flood scene in Nagaon and neighbouring Morigaon districts. Two senior ministers, Pijush Hazarika and Jayanta Malla Baruah, MP Pallab Lochan Das and MLA Borgohain, however, remained in the hotel for hours while mediapersons were asked to stay out of the hotel gate. The BJP leaders later left the hotel. Sources in BJP stated that the four Assam leaders did not take part in the meeting Shinde held with the rebel MLAs accompanying him. "It was a sudden decision taken after the MLAs were attacked at Surat. It was decided to bring them here for safety and protection," a BJP leader told DH. Shiv Sena is almost non-existent in Assam. Opposition cries foul Opposition Congress asked why the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs were being accorded "royal treatment" at a time lakhs of people in Assam were grappling with one of the worst floods. "When lakhs have been affected by floods, thousands are battling for lives, the BJP government has made the state an epicentre of petty politics," leader of Congress legislator party, Debabrata Saikia said. Also Read: Sharad Pawar warned Uddhav Thackeray about growing resentment in Sena, MVA: Report When asked by reporters in another programme, Assam CM Sarma said he was not privy to much information about the development. He, however, said that he may meet a few "MLA friends" for five to ten minutes. "Now I am busy with flood-related work. Today I am visiting Nagaon, tomorrow I am going to Silchar," he said. Sarma sarcastically said it was a positive development that people were visiting the state amid the devastating floods. "Since we are facing a serious flood, all hotel rooms are empty. So if tourists from other parts are coming and staying in our hotels, this will bring revenue to us," he said. Sources said a few more Shiv Sena and Independent MLAs from Maharashtra may join Shinde and his team in Guwahati soon. Lurinjyoti Gogoi, chief of Asam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a new regional party said, "I consider the recent political happenings in Maharashtra to be a blatant attempt by the BJP to destroy Marathi Regionalism. It has always been the strategy of the BJP to subjugate regional forces and narratives. It is unacceptable and unforgivable." The AJP was formed out of the anti-CAA agitation in Assam in 2019. As Shiv Sena rebels claimed to have the strength to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray threw a challenge and offered to resign if they come face-to-face and tell him to step down. Eknath Shinde, the leader of the rebel group who seems to have reached a point of no return, said that it is necessary for Shiv Sena to come out of the unnatural alliance with NCP-Congress in the interests of Maharashtra. According to him, while the Shiv Sena, which is heading the alliance is being "systematically weakened", NCP-Congress is reaping benefits and getting strengthened. The MVA has launched mammoth efforts to salvage the two-and-a-half-year-old old marquee anti-BJP coalition even as the saffron party is maintaining a wait and watch mode. Also read: Sena MLA returns from Surat, says he was forcibly admitted to hospital, given injections Thackeray offered to step down as Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President - and moved out from Varsha, the official bungalow in Malabar Hill to Matoshree, his private residence in Bandra. If you say, then I am ready to leave the Chief Ministers post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me. I am ready to quit not only the post of Chief Minister but also as Shiv Sena President, he said in his address made on virtual mode. Why make statements from Surat and other places? Come and tell me to my face that I am incompetent to handle the posts of Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President. I will resign immediately. Rather, I will keep my resignation letter ready and you can come and take it to Raj Bhavan (and submit it to the Governor)...while Congress and NCP supported me, some of my own have questioned, he said. Shortly after Thackerays address, the CMO released the list of decisions of the weekly Cabinet meeting, which he presided over earlier in the day. According to latest reports, top BJP leaders are in touch with the Shinde-led rebels. However, they have neither confirmed nor denied any communications. We have 45 MLAs with us, most of them are from Shiv Sena and some independents and from smaller partiesmore people are in touch with us and they would be joining, Shinde said in Guwahati after he along with his group of MLAs including ministers moved from Surat in a chartered plane. We all are followers of Balasaheb Thackeray, we have neither left Shiv Sena nor plan to leave Shiv SenaI must remember what Balasaheb, who used to say garv se kaho hum Hindu hai, said Shinde, who is now closeted at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Guwahati. NCP President Sharad Pawar, who is the chief architect of MVA, his daughter Supriya Sule met Thackeray and so as state Congress President Nana Patole, Congress legislature party leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan. AICC observer and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath also spoke to Thackeray. However, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is keeping a low profile though he chaired a series of meetings. If there is a need, we will prove majority on the floor of the Housethe Chief Minister will submit his resignation, Shiv Senas trouble shooter Sanjay Raut said and strongly denied that there are suggestions from Pawar to make Shinde the Chief Minister. There is no such proposal, he said. China renews blue alert for rainstorms Xinhua) 15:00, June 22, 2022 BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center Wednesday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country. From 2 p.m. Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yunnan. Some areas may experience up to 150 millimeters of rainfall. Some of these regions are also likely to encounter over 60 millimeters of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales. The meteorological center has advised local governments to make appropriate preparations and check the drainage systems in cities, farmland, and fishponds. Schools and kindergartens have been asked to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of children, while drivers have been alerted to watch out for flooding and traffic jams. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) After the algorithms were demonstrated to exhibit serious bias and inconsistencies, Microsoft decided to stop selling artificial intelligence (AI)-based facial-analysis software products that infer a subject's emotional state, gender, age, mood, and other personal attributes. Microsoft's Limited Access Policy Concerns over privacy and civil rights in relation to facial recognition technology are on the rise. Studies have revealed that the technology consistently misidentifies women and people with darker skin tones, which can have major repercussions when used to identify criminal suspects or in surveillance situations, according to CNET. "AI is becoming more and more a part of our lives, and yet, our laws are lagging behind. They have not caught up with AI's unique risks or society's needs," Microrosoft said in a blog. Microsoft said it acknowledges its "responsibility to act" as it sees indicators that government action on AI is growing. The company feels that it must make efforts to ensure that AI systems are responsible by design. Because of this, the tech giant is limiting access to facial recognition tools in Azure Face API, Computer Vision and Video Indexer. Issues With AI According to Bloomberg, the changes come two years after sales of facial-recognition technology to US police agencies were halted by Microsoft and Amazon.com, whose cloud unit competes with Azure, after studies revealed that it performed badly on people with darker skin. Some states, notably Washington, have enacted legislation limiting the use of such products. Read More: 10 Things to Know About the Things You Can Do on Microsoft Word People Can Still Use Microsoft's Facial Recognition Tools In another blog, Microsoft said to use facial recognition features in Azure Face API, Computer Vision, and Video Indexer, new users must apply for access. Existing clients have a year to submit an application and get permission to continue using the face recognition services depending on the use cases they've presented. If an existing customer's facial recognition application is not approved, they will no longer be able to access facial recognition features by June 30, 2023. Other Measures Taken By Microsoft CNET mentioned that facial recognition is just the beginning of Microsoft's standards for fair and responsible AI technology. They also apply to the speech-to-text technology that the business offers through Custom Neural Voice for Azure AI. After a March 2020 study revealed high error rates in speech-to-text technology when employed throughout African American and Black populations, Microsoft said it took action to improve the software. On June 21, the tech company published a 27-page "Responsible AI Standard" that outlines its objectives for just and reliable AI. In fact, the company's decision to limit access to facial recognition features is done to align Microsoft's products to this new Standard. Microsoft Will Not Abandon Its AI Projects Bloomberg noted that Microsoft isn't fully abandoning the use of AI to assist in reading human reactions. The business keeps introducing new features that infer people's emotions or feelings. In a new initiative for sales people that was unveiled last week, AI will be used to conduct sentiment analysis on customer interactions through Microsoft Teams teleconferences in order to determine how potential customers may be responding. Related Article: Windows 10, 11 Downloads in Russia Have Been Stopped - Did Microsoft Block Them? As the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) reels from the latest crisis, it is becoming more and more evident that Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray ignored too many warning signs that led to this situation. Saving the MVA governmentthe coalition of his party and its ideologically opposite Congress and Nationalist Congress Partyis now a gigantic task. And this whammy of runaway MLAsShiv Sena member Eknath Shinde along with a few otherscomes mid-way in MVA governments five-year term. Also Read Resort politics returns as Maharashtra BJP relocates MLAs amid horse-trading fears Mistakes began after the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, when it became clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party was not in a position to form the government on its own; Shiv Sena then started hobnobbing with the NCP and the Congress, even though several top leaders, including Shinde, advised against it. But Thackerays aides, Sanjay Raut, Anil Parab and Milind Narvekar among others, told the party chief to look towards new beginnings. The party broke long-standing ties with the BJP, and the MVA was ideated and put together by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. A large section of Shiv Sena MLAs seems to have supported the MVA government unwilling. Also Read Shindes hole-up in Surat precursor to fourth mutiny in Shiv Sena? As the new coalition adjusted to managing the state government, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and for the next two years Uddhav, as the leader of the MVA, chose to be on work-from-home mode. During this period, the MVA was constantly at odds with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over various issues. Apart from that, Shiv Sena had been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi frequently regarding myriad issues. Along with the mishandling of the pandemic-related governing, the Shiv Sena had to face the repercussions of the mob lynching of sadhus in Palghar. Party leader Pratap Sarnaik had even written to Uddhav urging him to patch up with the BJP before it was too late and work with Modi. The MVA got another jolt when the ED arrested two senior leaders, former home minister Anil Deshmukh and now minister-without-portfolio Nawab Malik. Also Read Role of 29 MLAs of smaller parties & Independents crucial as MVA faces trouble Uddhav, and son Aaditya, came under fire for the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Thereafter, prominent party leaders, including spokesperson Raut, Bhavana Gawli, Anand Adsul, Anil Parab and Sarnaik, came under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate. Shiv Sena has always been a right-wing party with Hindutva and the welfare of Marathi manoos being its primary area of concern. But the formation of MVA was an amalgamation of clashing ideologies as NCP and the Congress had previously been extremely critical of Shiv Sena. Then Shiv Sena allied with NCP-Congress, and this made party leaders and workers uncomfortable, as they have been attacking these parties throughout, an informed source said, adding that Thackeray has been largely inaccessible to party workers and leaders. The recent humiliation meted out to Yuvraj SambhajiRaje Chhatrapati, the 13th direct descendant of iconic Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and grandson of legendary social reformer Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, when he sought Sena's support to contest as an Independent in Rajya Sabha polls and Uddhav's response that he join the party first, could have further angered the Sena MLAs. The two recent electionsRajya Sabha and Maharashtra Legislative Assemblyexposed the fissures within the Shiv Sena-led MVA, as all BJP candidates won. In the Rajya Sabha polls, Shiv Senas Sanjay Pawar lost, while in the Legislative Council, Congressman Chandrakant Handore faced defeat. It was coming in bits and pieces, but now it has compounded and has come has a big jolt, said a senior MVA leader. A deputy secretary in Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office and two sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) have been suspended by Lt Governor V K Saxena on corruption charges, official sources said on Wednesday. Prakash Chandra Thakur posted as deputy secretary in the chief minister's office, Vasant Vihar SDM Harshit Jain and Vivek Vihar SDM Devender Sharma were suspended and disciplinary proceedings ordered against them, sources said. The move reflected LG Saxena's commitment to zero tolerance to corruption and ensuring probity in the functioning of the government, one of the sources said. The lieutenant governor had on Monday suspended two assistant engineers of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) after finding lapses in the construction of EWS flats in Kalkaji Extension. An Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader participating in a function organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has triggered a row within the IUML leadership. Former IUML MLA, and senior leader, K N A Khader attended Snehabodhi cultural meeting organised on Tuesday at the Kesari Bhavan in Kozhikode. Senior RSS leaders were also present at the event, in which Khader was felicitated. With photos of Khaders presence at the event going viral on social media, senior IUML leaders P K Kunhalikutty and MLA M K Muneer condemned it. Sources said the party would be seeking an explanation from Khader, who said he only went to attend a cultural event, and not an RSS meeting. In the 2021 state Assembly elections, Khader contested from Guruvayur constituency, in Thrissur district, but was defeated. He again made headlines when he offered prayers at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple while campaigning. Two suspected turncoat Shiv Sena MLAs made a dramatic escape from the rebels' camp - led by senior Minister Eknath Shinde and others who had pitched a tent in a five-star hotel in Surat, Gujarat - and reached Maharashtra safely in the past 24 hours. The Sena MLAs who 'escaped' are: Kailas Patil from Osmanabad and Nitin Deshmukh from Akola, who claimed they were "misled and taken against their wishes" by the rebels group late on Monday. Recounting his tale to the Sena bigwigs, Patil said when the group of MLAs was heading for a purported party to Thane he sensed something amiss as the vehicle changed route and headed towards Gujarat from the Ghodbunder Road on Mira Road. Also Read | Tale of twists: What we know about Maharashtra political crisis so far Under the pretext of relieving himself, Patil managed to get down at Talasari near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border Police Check Post at that late hour, before entering the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled adjoining state. Taking advantage of the darkness, he started walking briskly for around five km towards Mumbai and then managed to hitch a bike ride towards the state capital. En route, Patil called up Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and briefed him on the upcoming political crisis spearheaded by Shinde and others. Also Read Amid Maharashtra political crisis, Sanjay Raut hints at dissolution of state Legislative Assembly He finally reached Thackeray's private residence 'Matoshri' in Bandra from where he was escorted to a safe house and he remains lodged there since. Coming back with a sensational ordeal of survival and escape, Deshmukh claimed he was 'kidnapped' and then taken to Surat in the rebels' group which landed there during the night of Monday-Tuesday. "Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, I managed to escape from the hotel and went outside, to hitch a ride from some passing vehicles. I was pursued by over a hundred Gujarat Police personnel who prevented me from sitting in any vehicle and they forcibly took me to some hospital," Deshmukh told media persons on Wednesday at Nagpur. Also Read Maharashtra Crisis: Eknath Shinde in Guwahati, claims he has 40 MLAs with him At the hospital, Deshmukh claimed that they performed some medical procedures on his body, tried to prove that he had 'suffered a heart attack' and gave him some injections, though he was perfectly healthy. "They treated me like some terrorist. Somehow I could manage to flee from the hospital and here I am - absolutely fit and fine, no heart problems as the police contended," said a relieved Deshmukh. Both Patil and Deshmukh reiterated that they are "of course with CM Thackeray and there was no question of them joining anti-party activities or rebelling. The duo could not provide the exact number of rebels allegedly supporting Shinde through Deshmukh said "many more will return" to the Sena fold. Also Read MVA crisis: Did Uddhav Thackeray ignore warning signs? Earlier, Deshmukh's wife had lodged a missing complaint with the local police that she suspected threats to his life as he was not available on phone after 7 p.m. on Monday (June 20). Sena Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut drew the media attention to the successful escape by the two MLAs - Patil and Deshmukh - and said such treatment meted out to them was condemnable. Minister Shinde, who has shifted camp from Surat to Guwahati in Assam, on Wednesday claimed that he now enjoys the support of more than 42 Sena MLAs. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and CM Thackeray have both tested Covid-19 positive, the rebels prepared for a 'wait-and-watch' spell and the Opposition BJP made preparations to topple the MVA and grab power. While India rushed to pull Sri Lanka out of the woods, giving more than $3.5 billion in loans and material aid to date, China has doggedly held back, despite being Sri Lankas single biggest bilateral investor and a consistent and unreserved supporter in the UN Human Rights Council. Chinas humanitarian aid of $76 million during the current crisis pales into insignificance in comparison with Indias. Sri Lanka urgently needs foreign exchange support and material aid, but China has been advising Sri Lanka to follow an independent foreign policy, by which it means that it should break off from India, the IMF and the West, and hitch its wagon to China. The Chinese have also been insisting that Sri Lanka should set its economic house in order and make it more hospitable to Chinese investments. Sri Lanka should also use the infrastructure built with Chinese loans and enter into a Free Trade Agreement with China. In his letter wishing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his birthday (falling on June 20), Chinese President Xi Jinping made no mention of aid, but drew attention to the 1952 Sino-Lanka Rubber-Rice barter which, he said, was marked by a spirit of independence, self-reliance, unity and mutual support. The Rubber-Rice barter deal was entered into by Sri Lanka braving US commercial opposition and by China defying US sanctions. Xi was hinting that the current Lankan President should also not submit to Western dictates but opt for Chinese help. On June 9, 2022, the Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Liu Jinsong, told Sri Lankas Ambassador Palitha Kohona that Sri Lanka should stick to independent domestic and foreign policies. Earlier, the Chinese Ambassador in Colombo, Qi Zhenhong, had complained about Sri Lankas lurch towards the IMF with Indias help, and said that if China was approached first, it could have helped Lanka negotiate a good deal using its heft in the IMF. China has been consistently advising Sri Lanka to set its house in order instead of seeking loans and repayment waivers. On January 9, when President Gotabaya asked visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi to reschedule debt repayments, Wang advised him to make good use of the two growth engines: the (Chinese-built) Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port projects. He also told Gotabaya to tap the opportunities provided by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Chinas vast market, and discuss the restart of talks on a Free Trade Agreement between China and Sri Lanka to send more positive signals to the world and contribute to Sri Lankas economic recovery and development. In March 2022, Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said that Beijing is considering a fresh loan of $1 billion and a credit line of $1.5 billion in lieu of rescheduling repayment of the existing loans. However, the promised loan and buyers credit did not materialise. They are apparently tied to the signing of the FTA which has been pending since 2015. But FTAs have been anathema for Sri Lankan governments. Reflecting Wang Yis view, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijiang, said on June 8 that Sri Lanka should boost its own effort, protect the stability and credibility of the investment and financing partners and ensure the stability and credibility of its investment and financing environment. Sri Lanka needs forex But what Sri Lanka urgently needs is not advice on how to run the economy, but financial and material aid to meet the basic needs of the people. But this has not been forthcoming. President Gotabaya says China has lost interest in South Asia and is concentrating on South East Asia and Africa. But Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe differs and says that Beijing has significant stakes in Lanka and that efforts are being made to make China amend the conditions attached to its loans. Meanwhile, the IMF is expecting Beijing to join in its efforts to get Lankas loan repayment schedule restructured because China is a major lender. According to economist Umesh Moramudali (DailyFT June 17, 2022) Chinas Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) loans to Sri Lanka at the end of 2021 constituted 19.9% of the total PPG loans. And the debt service on that debt stock was 20% of the total PPG debt service. Moramudali further says that when Sri Lanka suspended the repayment of foreign loans totalling $26.4 billion on April 12 this year, the Chinese component amounted to $7.1 billion. Rivalry with India Chinas reluctance to put money into Sri Lanka is partly due to its geopolitical rivalry with India. China was put off by Sri Lankas decision to cancel a project given to the Chinese firm Sinosoar-Etechwin to install hybrid renewable energy systems in the Palk Bay islands of Nainativu, Delft or Neduntheevu and Analaitivu. India said that the islands were too near India and had asked Sri Lanka to hand over the projects to it for security reasons. The cancellation of the project had taken place when China was showing an interest in investing in the Tamil-dominated North Sri Lanka. China is keen on challenging Indias claim to have exclusive rights there. China has already set up an export-oriented sea cucumber farm and factory there. Ambassador Qi Zhenhong even said that the Tamils love China. China has turned its attention to Tamil-speaking eastern province too, where India also has vital strategic interests. Besides the 99 giant oil tanks in China Bay in Trincomalee, India also has a plan to build a floating dockyard in Trincomalee port. Released: June 22, 2022 Summer officially began on June 21 and our region has already experienced several hot days and humidity even before the official start of the summer season. Delaware County Council joined the Countys Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) and PECO on June 21 to announce the Countys 2022 Heat Plan. COSA and the County Office of Adult and Family Services offer assistance to elderly and vulnerable residents throughout the summer. Several County programs are in place to help residents cope with hot weather and humidity which can cause dehydration and other health complications. While many of us enjoy the sunshine and the warmer weather during the summer months, the heat can be dangerous, especially for our vulnerable and older residents, and also our pets, said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. We need to take precautions as the weather begins to warm up. The Countys Heat Plan details some precautions we can take, resources available, and also includes reminders to check in on loved ones and neighbors Residents are encouraged to visit the Countys website to read the 2022 Heat Plan and learn about the resources the County provides. Residents should also take precautions during heat waves and high humidity and check in with elderly and disabled family members and neighbors who are at greater risk for heat-related illnesses. A 24-hour Emergency Heat Information Line is now active through the summer. Residents can call 610-872-1558. The information line will provide weekly heat safety tips and reminders, emergency information, and locations where people can seek relief from the heat. Cooling fans, home checks on vulnerable residents, access to transportation, and other resources are also available to residents during extreme temperatures. Air-conditioned senior centers typically have extended hours during a heat wave however, some senior centers and adult daycares remain closed or have limited hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents should check with their senior center to find updated days and hours. Each year, COSA purchases cooling fans to distribute to residents in need. Once again, this year PECO has generously donated fans as part of PECOs Summer Fan Distribution Program. PECO donates 500 fans each year through local organizations across southeastern Pennsylvania. This year, the fans donated to Delaware County residents were purchased from Hardware & Supply Company, a veteran-owned small business in Chester. The fans will be distributed to seniors in need. For more information, call: 610-872-1558. Residents can also call their local senior center to learn how to receive a fan. The full 2022 Heat Plan can be found here: https://delcopa.gov/pdf/DelcoHeatPlan2022.pdf Funeral arrangements have been confirmed for tragic rider Jack Oliver who died at the weekend following an accident at Kells road races. The Limavady man was taking part in the Supersport race on Sunday when tragedy struck. Described as an up and coming star, the North Derry man had earlier finished runner-up in the Junior Support race at the County Meath event. He had also finished in tenth place in the Senior Support event. The meeting was abandoned after the fatal accident. Jacks remains will be returning home to County Derry on Thursday, June 23 with a motorcycle escort. The escort will leave Navan at 2pm and will travel via Dundalk, Newry, Belfast and Dungiven before returning to the family home in Limavady. All motorcyclists are welcome, according to Jacks death notice. The 22 year-olds funeral will take place on Sunday, June 26. The funeral service will be held in Carrick Parish Church at 2pm followed by burial in Enagh Cemetery at 3pm. The death notice states: Friends and family are welcome at his late home from 12noon on Friday and Saturday. A Town hall meeting, co-organised by the North West Migrants Forum (NWMF), on the Common Travel Area, is being held in Derry. The event will take place on Monday, June 27, in the Museum of Free Derry, from 7pm to 9pm and is in-person. Speaking to Derry Now, a spokesperson for the organisation said there were many residents in Ireland who faced a hard border despite the Common Travel Area (CTA). The added: "They work, pay taxes, and have established their lives here, but cannot fully take part in many areas of life others take for granted. They may, for example, be prevented from visiting friends and family on the other side of the border or be unable to access vital cross-border services. "Our Town Hall meeting, co-organised by the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), and the Bloody Sunday Trust, will examine the limitations of the CTA rules and what these mean for non-Irish and non-UK citizens. "The event will look specifically at the implications of the proposed Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme and the impact of Brexit. It will also highlight policy proposals, developed by NWMF and CAJ, that could provide practical and workable solutions to the CTA challenges. "Confirmed speakers include Dr Anthony Soares (Centre for Cross Border Studies), Dr Mukesh Chugh (Consultant Anaesthetist, Western Health and Social Care Trust); Ciara O'Connor-Pozo (The Bloody Sunday Trust), and Senator Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail Spokesperson for Northern Ireland). The Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy will also be in attendance." Lilian Seenoi-Barr, NWMF Director of Operations, added: "Many people in our society are currently restricted by the limitations of the Common Travel Area (CTA) including asylum seekers who have recently arrived from Ukraine. "This issue should be pushed up the political agenda in order to ensure we can better welcome, help, and support asylum seekers and other immigrants to the North and South of Ireland. Amending the CTA rules so they are less restrictive would benefit our society, not least by making it more equal, and would also reduce problems like racial profiling at the border. Register HERE to attend. For further information contact: Aynaz Zarif, Community Liaison Officer, on aynaz.zarif@nwmf.org.uk or 028 7136 2184. Design partners to help customers deploy a complete IoT security solution Ottawa, Canada and London, UK -- June 22, 2022 XtremeEDA is a leading North American design and functional verification services provider to the ASIC, SoC, and FPGA hardware industry today announced that it has signed an agreement with Crypto Quantique, a specialist in quantum-driven cyber security for the internet of things (IoT), to help deploy an end to end IoT solution with clients. This will help clients implement Crypto Quantiques proven solution with XtremeEDAs service expertise. Based around Codasips Award Winning customizable L31 RISC-V processor (Embedded World 2022 Best in Show Winners), the XtremeEDA and Crypto Quantique solution features a number of custom features in the core. Crucially, Codasip supports architecture licenses and the easy ability to modify or extend the processor architecture. The dedicated hardware security solution expertise at XtremeEDA will provide clients the confidence to meet time to market with Crypto Quantiques post silicon expertise in both hardware and software, helping customers free up engineering resources. XtremeEDA was founded 20 years ago and has a long history in processors and a broad range of customer applications including: wireless, networking, telecoms, avionics, consumer electronics, mil-aero and defense. The company has teams in Canada and the US. Dr. Shahram Mossayebi, Crypto Quantiques CEO, commented, XtremeEDA has firmly established themselves as a leader in consumer applications. Theyre focused on making IoT devices more secure, and have partnered with us as a direct response to our industrys technical challenges with silicon innovation. In signing up with XtremeEDA, we are confident that our customers would be supported by the best engineers to derive maximize benefits from their multiple years of experience in the electronics industry. Rupert Baines, Codasip CMO, commented XtremeEDA are one of the most respected design services companies in the industry, while Crypto Quantique have a much respected security architecture. We are very proud of the fact that they have selected the Codasip core as the basis for their offer because of our unique design for differentiation capabilities. Dr. Claude Cloutier, CEO of XtremeEDA, commented, Both Crypto Quantique and Codasip people are great to work with. A great concern by many technology companies is how easily a technology can be integrated into their systems. Weve proven unequivocally that their technology is easily integrated by incorporating it quickly into our technology demonstrator, Cloutier continued, We look forward to working with them well into the future on projects Securing Public Safety! About Crypto Quantique Crypto Quantique has created the worlds most secure end-to-end IoT security platform. At its heart is the worlds first quantum-driven semiconductor hardware IP, called QDID, that generates multiple, unique, unforgeable cryptographic keys for devices manufactured using standard CMOS processes. The keys do not need to be stored and can be used independently by multiple applications on demand. When combined with cryptographic APIs from the companys universal IoT security platform, QuarkLink, the solution creates a secure bridge between silicon, device, software, and solutions provider. The company, which is based in London, UK, was co-founded by Dr. Shahram Mossayebi (CEO), an expert in cryptosystems, and Dr. Patrick Camilleri (VP Research & Innovation), a semiconductor designer with significant experience in complex parallel computer systems. For more information, visit www.cryptoquantique.com. About XtremeEDA Founded in 2002, XtremeEDA is a leading provider of professional design and functional verification services solutions. Along with its RISC-V partner Codasip, it offers a robust portfolio of services and educational resources, and a single source solution for architectural modeling, intellectual property integration, and verification of highly complex ASIC, SoC, and FPGA chips. The company has a strong track record of working with both tool providers and developers to define best-in-class design methodologies and reuse practices that provide the competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving electronics market. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with a US-based subsidiary, XtremeEDA USA, in Austin, TX. For more information, visit www.xtreme-eda.com. PLDT mobile arm Smart Communications is throwing its weight behind an attempt to revitalise SIM registrations in the Philippines, despite the proposed law being vetoed by Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte. The law has been given new life with the senate president announcing plans to override the veto in congress. Smart stated it would bring its expertise to ensure consumer protection if the law passes, reported the Philippines Star. PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan said the company is backing the measure as it will fast-track new technologies such as ecommerce and digital payments. However, he noted there is a challenge in privacy concerns. I know there will be issues related to privacy and so forth and so on, but not everything is perfect, right? Technology is not (an) unblemished blessing. There will be risks. There will always be risks attendant to new things, said Pangilinan. We still are hoping that we will find a way to get the SIM cards registered. Thats important not only for our business but also for Filipinos in general. There will be compelling benefits. The SIM Card Registration Act if pushed through, would require telecommunication companies to register every SIM activated and sold. SIM cards already on networks would need to be registered within 18 0 days of the law coming into effect, or face deactivation. Social media accounts would also need to be registered with a valid ID under the new law. Google News offered a redesigned desktop, which included topic customization. With the redesigned desktop for Google News, you can track global and local news on one screen. You can find your Briefing, Local News, and Top Picks section on a single page in different columns. The new design will make it easier to follow news on various topics and regions that interest you. If you log on to Google News now, you'll find the headlines section first, on the side, along with the weather widget. "Other sections like Work, For You, and Local News were accessible by scrolling down or by clicking on these topics from the sidebar," according to TechCrunch. Latest Redesign From Google Aims to Bring Local News to Users The latest update from Google is the company's way of bringing local news to Google News users around the world. This move would allow users to look for stories from local news publishers easily. In a statement, Google said: "This change is just the latest way we're bringing local news to users around the world. Last year, we expanded a feature on Google Search so readers around the world can now see a carousel of local news stories when Google finds local news coverage relevant to their query. This helps them easily find stories from local news publishers." In the redesign, all topics were moved to the top of the screen from the sidebar. With this, other columns like Local news and Top picks are better accommodated. On the top right of the screen, the weather widget can be found. "Google has tried to replicate the feeling of reading a newspaper or a magazine - but through a desktop website," according to TechCrunch. In addition, to select topics that you want to see on the home page, you can click on the customize button next to the Your Topics. You can even shuffle their order of appearance. Read Also: Google Password Manager Shortcut Can Now be Added to Android Home Screens Revamped Fact Check Section is Included in the Redesigned Google News You can also find a revamped Fact Check section in the redesigned Google News. For more context, this section shows you the original claim and verified assessment. To highlight the original source for a story, Google rolled out a new "highly cited" label in search earlier this year. Along with the changes in the redesigned desktop, the company noted that Google News is returning to Spain after eight years. This move is all thanks to the new copyright law. According to the tech company, Google News is already present in 125 countries and 40 languages. The app also "drives 24 billion clicks to publishers' websites every month." According to the company, Google has opened applications for its News Equity Fund. This is a grant for independent journalists or small news organizations to produce original stories. Google will process applications till July 21 from all countries across the world, except China and Russia. Recently, "Google quietly dropped its appeal against a 500M antitrust news licensing penalty in France," according to TechCrunch. This move was made after French authorities accepted Google behavioral pledges offered in December. Related Article: Russia Blocks Google News, Says It Spreads Fake News Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has refused to sign a controversial ICT Practitioners Bill into law. The bill is aimed at regulating the countrys ICT sector, and received approval from the countrys National Assembly earlier this month. However, it has provoked backlash from many Kenyans who argue it is both unconstitutional and untenable. Local outlet Kenyans.co.ke reported that under the bill, anyone with even basic IT skills such as website building would be required to obtain a licence in order to offer their services, with fines and other penalties threatened against those who failed to comply. The bill proposes that ICT practitioners must hold a Bachelors degree from a recognised institution, have a minimum of three years experience, register with a national body, and pay an annual fee. Kenyas ICT Ministry criticised the proposals and called on the president to dismiss the bill, with ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru saying: "This ICT Bill is a private member's Bill. As a Ministry, we continuously fought against this Bill in its various forms. Industry lobby group KIES (Kenya ICT Ecosystem Stakeholders) warned that the bill would stymie development and innovation in the sector, saying in an open letter to the President: this proposed law to regulate such a wide sector is not in the best interests of the ICT sector, and Kenyas digital economy at large. It threatens the gains made to grow Kenyas digital economy and its dynamic ICT sector, including job creation for millions of youth, revenue generation, and foreign direct investments in SMEs and Startups. The bill has been returned to parliament following Kenyattas refusal to sign it into law. Despite the positive reception around his decision, it is unclear whether the bill will be abandoned or revised by parliament. Minister Coveney addresses Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Press release Minister Coveney addresses Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and welcomes former President Mary Robinsons appointment to new High Level Reflection Group Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD will visit Strasbourg today as part of Irelands Presidency of the Council of Europe. The Minister will address the Councils Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) and join Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto for a panel on how to reinforce democratic security across Europe in the wake of Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Ahead of these public engagements, Minister Coveney will meet senior leaders across the Council, including the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, President of PACE Tiny Kox and the Councils Secretary General Marija Buric. There, he will announce 865,000 in new financial contributions to support Irelands Presidency priorities, above all the Councils revised Action Plan for Ukraine, the work of the European Court of Human Rights, and the implementation of the Istanbul Convention on violence against women. He will also meet bilaterally with Katrin Jakobsdottir, the Prime Minister of Iceland, to whom Ireland will hand the Presidency in November, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz. In his address to PACE, Minister Coveney will welcome Secretary Generals Buric appointment of former President Mary Robinson as a member of a High Level Group that, over the coming months, will reflect on the Council of Europes new realities and challenges and future work. Speaking ahead of the visit. Minister Coveney said: As Presidency, Ireland aims to reaffirm what we consider the conscience of Europe, ensuring the Council does all it can to support democracy, human rights, and rule of law in Ukraine and to hold Russian authorities to account. The High-Level Group Secretary General Buric has convened will substantially advance that goal, shaping the organisations focus for years to come and setting the agenda for a summit of the Councils 46 heads of State and Government. In our former President Mary Robinson, I am delighted that the Group will benefit from the wisdom of a global champion of human rights, gender equality, and climate justice, with a particular appreciation of the Councils most vital institution, the European Court of Human Rights. The Minister added: Strengthening and formalising the Councils engagement with civil society leaders across the Russian Federation and Belarus is a priority for our Presidency. In that context, I look forward to joining Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya before the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg to consider how we can strengthen Democratic Security in Europe. In meetings with the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, and others, I will also take the opportunity to underscore the importance of the European Convention of Human Rights to the Good Friday Agreement and, in that context, discuss our concern over the UK Governments recent Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill. The Irish Presidency of the Council of Europes Committee of Ministers began on 20 May and runs to mid-November. Further details are available on www.ireland.ie/coe ENDS Press Office 21 June 2022 Minister Coveney addresses Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and welcomes former President Mary Robinsons appointment to new High Level Reflection Group Notes for editors Established in 1949, and headquartered in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe is the continents largest and oldest intergovernmental organisation. Ireland was amongst the organisations ten founding members. Today, following the expulsion of the Russian Federation on 16 March, it comprises 46 member states, including the 27 EU member states, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Ukraine. The organisation plays a leading role in the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law across Europe and beyond notably through the European Court of Human Rights, which ensures the observance by member states of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The European Convention on Human Rights is also a key element of the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement saw the Conventions incorporation into Northern Ireland law, ensuring citizens have direct access to the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee of Ministers is the principal intergovernmental decision-making body of the Council of Europe. Chaired on a rotating basis by member states over six month terms, Ireland has held the Presidency of the Committee on six previous occasions, most recently in 2000. The Parliamentary Assembly is the second of the Councils key statutory organs. It comprises 324 parliamentarians from the national parliaments of the 46 member states. The Standing Committee comprises the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, the chairpersons of political groups, the chairpersons of national delegations and the committee chairpersons, totalling some 60 parliamentarians. Having assumed the Presidency in Turin on 20 May, Minister Coveney will represent Ireland as Chair of the Committee of Ministers until November. Over the course of the six months, Ireland will chair more than a dozen meetings of the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg, strengthening standards across a range of key areas, from media freedoms to the protection of human rights in conflict zones. Ireland will also host more than thirty Council of Europe conferences and seminars across Strasbourg, Dublin, Galway, Kerry and Cork. Notable events in Ireland include: a meeting of the Councils 46 Justice Ministers in Dublin on 29-30 September, at which Minister for Justice Helen McEntee T.D. will chair discussions on how to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms; the annual meeting of the Board of the Council of Europes Development Bank in Dublin from 8-9 July; and European Conference on Global Education, at which Member States will adopt a Dublin Declaration on how through education we can build societal commitment to greater justice, sustainability, equity and human rights. The voluntary financial contribution Minister Coveney announces in Strasbourg is in addition to Irelands annual budgetary contribution to the Council of Europe, of just over 5.5m. The organisations total annual budget is approximately 500m. At the request of the Committee of Ministers under the previous Presidency of Italy, the Council of Europes Secretary General has set up a High-level Reflection Group to consider the institutions responses to the new realities and challenges it faces. The Group comprises seven eminent individuals, all former heads of State or Government, Foreign Ministers or Parliamentary Speakers, selected by the Secretary General with consideration to balanced geographical distribution, gender and age, as well as diversity of competences. Alongside former President Robinson, its members are: Mr Bernard Cazeneuve, former Prime Minister of France; Ms Iveta Radicova, former Prime Minister of Slovakia; Mr Evangelos Venizelos, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Greece; Ms Federica Mogherini, former High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Foreign Minister of Italy; Ms Ine Marie Eriksen Sreide, former Foreign Minister of Norway; and Mr Josep Dalleres Codin, former General Syndic of Andorra. The High Level Group will convene for the first time in Strasbourg on 29 June and meet over the summer with a view to producing a final report in the autumn, within Irelands Presidency term. Previous Item | Next Item Redmi K50i could be the return of Redmi K-series smartphones in India. Noted tipster Ishan Agarwal has shared via 91Mobiles that this will be the first phone with Mediatek Dimensity 8100 5G processor and a 144Hz LCD screen in the country. Well, these are the specifications that the soon-to-be-announced Poco X4 GT reportedly packs and both these Xiaomi phones seem to share similarities with Redmi Note 11T Pro. The Note 11T Pro debuted in China last month. So, going by the rumours and leaks, we could round up the likely specifications of the Redmi K50i too. Lets just do that. Redmi K50i 5G Specs and Features (Expected) Ishan claims the phone is going to come with a 6.6-inch IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 650 nits of brightness, and Dolby Vision support. On the front, there could be a 16MP selfie clicker and on the back, you could get a 64MP + 8MP + 2MP triple camera stack. Internally, the Redmi K50i 5G is said to feature a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 along with 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage, and 5080mAh battery with 67W fast charging. The charger could plug in through a USB-C port. Alongside it, there could be a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Redmi smartphone is also expected to bear Dolby Atmos backed stereo speakers and Android-based MIUI 13 software. We will get to know how accurate these predictions and claims are, only whence the company releases the K50i in India. There is no word on the launch date yet. We will keep you posted. As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in. DCI Engineers Spaulding Erin Spaulding has been promoted to communications manager in the Seattle office. Since joining the firm, Spaulding has established her role as a corporate brand strategist and storyteller, contributing various copy, video content, social media posts, and photography for multiple marketing campaigns, plus digital and print material. Her accomplishments include staff highlight videos for the DCI is ME Instagram account, The Grand promotion video, the corporate sustainability brochure, and numerous internal communication platforms. She has published articles in Modern Steel Construction and STRUCTURE magazines. She is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, Washington chapter and a FAA-certified drone pilot. Holmes Bech Speer Chen Holmes is growing its Seattle team with three new members; Elisa Chen, Evan Speer, and Dan Bech. Chen, senior structural engineer, joins Holmes with a decade of experience in the industry. She brings a wealth of knowledge in new and existing cultural work alongside high-rise design and creative renovations/retrofits. Speer, structural project engineer, has a fresh take on seismic design informed by his time living in Nepal. With a passion for historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and retrofits, he will bolster Holmes' existing building portfolio. Bech, principal and technical director, is relocating to Seattle following 17+ years with Holmes in San Francisco and New Zealand. With more than 20 years in the industry, his areas of expertise include existing buildings, non-linear analysis, performance-based engineering, and code writing. Bech leads design strategy on some of Holmes' most complex projects. KPG Psomas Halverson Williams Dolan KPG Psomas' Seattle office welcomed Sean Dolan as a transportation planner, and their Tacoma office promoted Jake Williams and Drew Halverson to management positions. Dolan earned a Master's Degree in Transportation Planning and is a member of the Seattle chapter of Young Professionals in Transportation. He is passionate about expanding community access to safe and efficient mobility options and working on projects under the Safe Routes to School Program; currently he is supporting the City of Fife with grant writing efforts. Williams advanced from project manager to construction services department manager. In addition to his Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management from Washington State University, he brings over 13 years of experience in the construction industry. He is currently managing a roadway improvement project, Prune Alley Street on Orcas Island. Halverson was promoted to marketing department manager after two years with KPG Psomas as a Sr. marketing specialist. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising from Marquette University in Wisconsin and, alongside 20 years of professional graphic design experience, he brings a skillset for photography and videography. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE (AP) Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Tuesday announced a new head for the company's troubled retail business, which has been overburdened with excess capacity of warehouse space after a massive expansion during the pandemic. Jassy said in a message sent to employees that Doug Herrington will become the new CEO of the consumer division. The division is also changing its name to Worldwide Amazon Stores. . . . The social media network company, Twitter, says to hold a developer conference this year, which will take place in San Francisco on Nov. 26, and it will bring back Chirp. What is Chirp? For some people, "Chirp" sounds new to them. To give you a brief background, in 2010, the first-ever Twitter developer conference was actually named Chirp. However, the company canceled such events in the following years. The last time the company hosted an event was the Twitter Flight in 2015. Chirp 2020 Goal Chirp 2020 opens opportunities for people to connect and ask questions to Twitter's developer team. Twitter says they are "in the dark" regarding Elon Musk's plans for the company once he assumes control. Twitter Announces Chirp's Comeback After Several Years Twitter will once again conduct an in-person developer conference since their last event in 2015. After seven years of halting its developer gathering, the social media network company will be re-launching 'Chirp' this Nov. 16. Since their previous developer conference, known as the Twitter Flight 2015, Twitter has had quite an unstable connection with its developers. In 2018, the social networking company made a series of unpopular API changes that were poorly communicated. As a result, makers of third-party Twitter clients were significantly impacted, and the company was even blamed for breaking their apps. In 2020, Twitter launched the newest version of its API. At the same time, the company introduced new tools that will help researchers study their platform more manageably. Twitter has been actively trying to enhance its relationship with developers recently. It even tried a developer-friendly new feature that recommends some third-party services in its own app. Read Also: Philips Hue Launches New Products, Including a Portable Rechargeable Lamp Chirp 2022 Offers Meeting Opportunities With Developers, ButTwitter Remains Unaware of Musk's Plans The social network company wrote in a blog post that there would be keynote technical sessions. They will also give people meeting opportunities with the Twitter Developer Platform team. They can have the chance to connect with other developers in their global community and have their questions answered. Chirp's agendas are still not exactly clear, but according to Twitter, their keynote session can be streamed live by those who cannot attend on their social media platform. Twitter's company executives have mentioned that they are very much oblivious about Elon Musk's plans for their platform. Also, their social media network company's current CEO, Parag Agrawal, may not remain longer in his position after Twitter's deal with the Tesla Motors CEO closes. Considering that Twitter is still clueless regarding Musk's plans, several questions have arisen, including what its employees will face after the management changes. In April, its CEO Parag Agrawal confirmed to its employees that they are not planning to lay off its workforce. However, Aragwal has admitted his doubts concerning the company's future. Regardless of the uncertainty about the company's future, if Musk starts to assume responsibility for the company, Twitter will still push through the conference. Twitter's developer tools could be the company's essential source of income, which is something Musk has considered his foremost priority. Related Article: Bots are Twitter's Problem and Not China, Says Elon Musk Crew and cast members of "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area," a Korean remake of Netflix's 2017 series "Money Heist," pose during a press conference for the series at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap 'Money Heist: Korea Joint Economic Area' follows group of thieves taking over mint By Lee Gyu-lee Netflix is set to launch one of this year's most anticipated series, "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area," a remake of the platform's hit Spanish crime thriller series "Money Heist" (2017). The creators of the upcoming Korean original, director Kim Hong-sun and writer Ryu Yong-jae, shared in a press conference that the fictional story of a divided Korean Peninsula under the process of unifying will make the adaptation unique. "The hardest part we struggled with, from the beginning, was making the story convincing: how we can make it believable for the viewers that this could really happen in real life," the director said during a press conference for the series held at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. "So we came up with the idea to take the situations between South and North Korea and set it in the future. And as the series is streamed abroad, we thought people might be curious about the stories between the two Koreas." The new crime action series revolves around a group of thieves played by Jeon Jong-seo, Park Hae-soo, Lee Hyun-woo, Kim Ji-hun, Lee Won-jong, Jang Yoon-ju, Lee Kyu-ho and Kim Ji-hoon who plan to pull off the biggest heist in Korea, on the brink of unification between the North and the South. Led by the mastermind, nicknamed Professor (Yoo Ji-tae), the group takes over the mint of a unified Korea, holding hostages inside. As they carry out the heist, they face a showdown with the police, led by negotiator Seon Woo-jin (Kim Yun-jin). The director of the crime thriller series, Kim, previously created the action series "Voice" (2017) and "L.U.C.A.: The Beginning" (2021), and the writer Ryu wrote the Netflix series "My Holo Love" (2020) and horror series "Monstrous" (2022). A scene from the crime series "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" / Courtesy of Netflix Three men who received lengthy prison sentences for trying to acquire weapons for the Real IRA are seeking damages for the period of their incarceration that was deemed by the Irish Courts to have been unlawful. The actions have been brought by Fintan O Farrell, Declan Rafferty and Michael McDonald who are all from Co Louth. The state defendants reject their claims and says their rights were not breached and that they are not entitled to any award of damages. The three, following an attempt to source arms and the financial support of the Iraqi Government, were arrested by Slovak police in July 2001 after they had met with who the men believed were Iraqi arms dealers. The 'dealers' were in fact undercover British security agents. Following their arrest, the three were extradited to England. In 2002 they all pleaded guilty, before a London court, to conspiracy to cause explosions as well as charges under the UK's 2000 Terrorism Act and ultimately received prison sentences of 28 years. In 2006 they were transferred to Ireland, where they were detained at Portlaoise Prison. In 2014 the High Court found that the continued detention of O'Farrell, Rafferty with addresses in Carlingford, and McDonald from Dundalk was unlawful. This was because of differences between the UK and Ireland's sentencing systems including that prisoner in Ireland are entitled to one quarter remission of their sentences whereas in the UK one third remission normally applies, and the court directed that they be released from custody. The courts, arising out of an earlier case brought by Sligo man Vincent Sweeney, held that the warrants allowing their transfer form a UK prison to Ireland were defective in referring to the men's 28-year sentences and not the term they should have served, which was 18 years and eight months. The warrents should have referred to a definite term of two thirds of their sentences they received in the UK, the Irish courts further held. In an action that opened before Mr Justice Cian Ferriter on Tuesday the men are each seeking an award of damages for the time, between 2006 and 2014, that they spent in prison which the Irish courts deemed to be unlawful. The period of false imprisonment, they claim, amounts to breach of their constitutional right to liberty. Represented by Micheal O Higgins SC, David Conlan Smith SC and Declan Higgins Bl instructed by solicitor John Quinn the men's claims are against the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General and the Governor of Portlaoise Prison. They claim that the defendants were negligent on grounds including that they allowed the men to be imprisoned on foot of an order that was invalid and failed to observe their rights to liberty. The men claim that they spent eight years in Portlaoise Prison, which was described as an old facility with poor heating and where they had to 'slop out' their cells every morning. They sought the transfers for family reasons, the courts heard. The defendants, represented by Robert Baron SC with Siobhan Ni Chulachain Bl oppose the claims and deny the men's allegations. The men are not entitled to damages, the defendants claim. The defendants claim that the men were lawfully sentenced in the UK. Had they remained in that jurisdiction they would not have been released until April 2020. The defendants claim that they were required by law to act in accordance with the warrants and no cause of action for damages can flow from their actions. It is also alleged that the claims are an abuse of process and should be dismissed. The hearing continues. Louth Fianna Fail Senator Erin McGreehan has welcomed the new 1.5bn Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) which will deliver significant long-term environmental improvement through a payment package to farmers. This new package for farm families will allow them to avail of payments depending on assessments of environmental improvements on their farmland. Senator McGreehan ssaid: "This new announcement is great news for farmers as they will benefit from payments that they have been in need of and this scheme will support over 50,000 farm families across the island." Under the scheme, farmers across Louth will be supported by these payments to deliver positive results in terms of climate, biodiversity and water quality. Senator McGreehan continued: "Biodiversity is important to the farmers in Louth and it is so important that they are rewarded for their continuous hard work." This new 1.5bn scheme will be funded by the CAP Strategic Plan. The CAP Strategic Plan was agreed upon in October at 9.83 billion and consists of 7.53 billion in EU funding and 2.30 billion in national funding (Including carbon tax funding of 723 million, ringfenced for environmental actions in the CSP). A Lufthansa aircraft from Frankfurt, background, taxies after landing at Haneda International Airport, outside Tokyo, June 10. Korea and Japan have agreed to reopen an air route between Seoul's Gimpo and Tokyo's Haneda airports. EPA-Yonhap Korea and Japan have agreed to reopen an air route between Seoul's Gimpo and Tokyo's Haneda airports after it was suspended for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the transport ministry said Wednesday. The flight service between the two airports will resume next Wednesday eight times per week, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, and Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will operate the route, the ministry said. The number of flights will increase in phases starting next month in consideration of demand and preparations by the airlines. In 2019, there was a total of 21 regular flights by the four airlines every week. Seoul and Tokyo had been in close consultation on the resumption of the key route, which has been suspended since March 2020, and they agreed upon the reopening during a virtual meeting between their airline authorities Tuesday, the ministry said. Last month, President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed the hope for flight resumptions to bolster bilateral exchanges during a meeting with a Japanese parliamentary delegation. Currently, the two countries operate flights between Korea's main gateway, Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, and Japan's Narita International Airport, as well as the Incheon-Osaka route and several others linking Incheon and smaller Japanese cities. "The Gimpo-Haneda route bears a significant symbol of the bilateral exchanges. The flights resumption is expected to serve as a chance to revitalize exchanges," Land Minister Won Hee-ryong said. The culture and tourism ministry said it plans to hold promotions of trips to Korea in major Japanese cities in the second half of the year. (Yonhap) The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, this week announced that nine primary schools in Louth will be awarded the Discover Science and Maths Award. Led by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the programme aims to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) among primary school students, parents, and teachers, nationwide in a fun and engaging way. The awards celebrate and recognise the participation of schools in hands-on, inquiry-based learning in the areas of STEM. This year, students focused on issues such as climate change, plastics, technology, and using STEM to solve everyday problems. The nine schools honoured were: The awards offer three categories for applicants: The Certificate of STEM, is aimed at schools starting out on the STEM journey and involves a minimum of two classes. The Plaque of STEM, which is for schools further along their STEM journey, involves at least half of the classes in the school. The Badge of Excellence is for schools that have already achieved the Plaque and have continued to demonstrate excellence in raising awareness of STEM in their communities. This year, 6 Louth schools received the Plaque of STEM, and 3 received the Badge of Excellence. Commenting on the awards, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, said: "I want to congratulate all the students and the teachers that have been successful in winning an SFI Discover Primary Science and Maths Award in Louth. "The projects this year covered several important topics that will inevitably impact every one of us including climate change, plastics, and technology. I know the last few years havent been easy for children but yet again, we have seen their imaginations remain alive and they are working together to help us solve the big challenges we all face. I really hope students and their teachers will keep engaging with programmes such as this one and developing science, technology and maths within the school. Because we need so many big ideas and bright people to help us navigate our way through the big problems we are all dealing with. Congratulating the schools, Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland, said: It is great to again get the opportunity to celebrate and reward so many primary school students in Louth, and their teachers, for their excellent contributions to the SFI Discover Primary Science and Maths programme. "We are committed to breaking down barriers and finding ways to make learning both accessible and engaging. I hope that dated, stereotypical views of the types of people who work in STEM will soon be a thing of the past; as we look forward to the next generation of STEM workers and enthusiasts, we need to ensure that the full diversity of our society is reflected. "There already is evidence of increasing levels of diversity amongst our research community, but more can still be done. Engaging with primary school students and their families is a key component to achieving this. The virtual award ceremony was attended by teachers and students from over 200 schools all over the country and included a live science show marking the close of this years programme. Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service is to receive 45,000 in CLAR funding, it has been announced today by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The funding, which comes as a result of a successful CLAR Programme Measure 2 application, is to go towards the purchase of a vehicle. It is one of 32 successful applications announced today which are to receive 1,620,691.20 in total funding. Based in Drogheda, Co. Louth, the Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service provides a 24 hour emergency rescue service along the River Boyne, 365 days a year. It is a voluntary marine search and rescue group, based in a purpose built boathouse in Drogheda, Co. Louth, offering a range of skills and equipment to communities throughout the island of Ireland. Welcoming news today of the funding, Louth TD Fergus O'Dowd said, Im delighted for the entire team as a new state of the art vehicle will greatly assist the Boyne Fisherman providing frontline and community services. I want to sincerely thank all of the volunteers in the service who in many cases put themselves in very high risk situations to provide 24 hour emergency rescue services. CLAR (Ceantair Laga Ard Riachtanais) or Funding for Small-Scale Rural Projects is a targeted investment programme which provides funding for small-scale - infrastructural projects in rural areas that have suffered the greatest levels of population decline. The Measures being funded under the 2022 CLAR Programme are: Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) said they are delighted to report that one of their esteemed music researchers Christina Lynn, recently presented her work at the 38th annual International Country Music Conference in Nashville. Christina who has just submitted her PhD dissertation for examination, was accepted to present her work on women in Irish country music at the Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, USA this June. Christinas presentation focused on the life, music and legacy of Philomena Begley, who recently celebrated 60 years performing. Christinas research dissertation examined women and their lived experience in Irish country music focusing on Philomena Begley, Margo ODonnell and Susan McCann. This thesis engaged with concepts of gender roles, identity formations, and cultural reflections in Irish country music and provides the first comprehensive understanding of Irish country music from the female perspective. The International Country Music Conference (ICMC) which was held in Nashville, Tennessee provided musical scholars an opportunity to share their work in all aspects of country music. ICMC broadly defines country music to include variants which share common historical and cultural roots ranging from Americana, Alt. Country, Bluegrass, Cajun, Country Rock, Crossover, and Honky Tonk to the Nashville Sound, New Traditionalist, Old Time Country, and Western Swing. ICMC is truly international with scholars from Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, UK, and Ireland. Christina Lynn, DkIT said: "I was delighted to be afforded the opportunity to present in person at the International Country Music Conference in Nashville this June. "I am honoured to bring my research to this international event highlighting not only country music research in Ireland but adding value to its continued research within the broader spectrum of country music research globally." Choi Eung-chon, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, speaks during a press briefing announcing the acquisition of "Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study," a rare painting from the 16th century, at the National Palace Museum of Korea, central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap Rare painting returns to Korea By Kwak Yeon-soo A painting from the 16th-century Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), titled "Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study," has been unveiled for the first time after it was made approximately 490 years ago. The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on Wednesday unveiled the painting, which had been owned by Japanese collectors since early 1900s, although how and when it had been initially taken away from Korea is unknown. It was put up for auction in the U.S. in March, which was when the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation acquired it. The painting was created to commemorate a gathering of government officials participating in the "sagadokseo," a sabbatical leave program allowing young, talented civil servants to do full-time independent study and research instead of administering government affairs, during the reign of King Jungjong (1506-1544). It is the earliest among the three surviving paintings of the set, "Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study," known as "Dokseodang gyehoedo" in Korean, from the 16th century. From the names and titles of the sagadokseo participants written at the bottom of the painting, the CHA suspects the painting was created in 1531. It also demonstrates key characteristics of landscape painting during the early Joseon Kingdom "The painting is very rare as a work in which its production period is able to be deciphered, that is, from the early Joseon Kingdom a period from which there are few surviving works of art and moreover as a masterpiece representative of 'real scenery landscape paintings' of the time," Choi Eung-chon, the head of the CHA, said during a press briefing held at the National Palace Museum of Korea, Wednesday. Real scenery landscape painting ("singyeongsansu" in Korean) is a style of East Asian painting depicting actual landscapes. Seen above is "Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study," a painting from the 16th century describing a gathering of government officials on sabbatical in the Joseon Kingdom / Yonhap STEPHEN and Sarah Vaughan established White Rabbit Bar and BBQ on MacCurtain Street, in Corks Victorian Quarter, in 2015. A background in the publican trade, Stephen was also a gallery owner prior to the crash of 2008, and even ventured to Egypt for two years where, together, they renovated properties into a boutique hotel and short let holiday apartments. Arriving home to Cork in 2011, narrowly escaping the Egyptian Revolution, they got married, welcomed three children to the world, got stuck back into work and havent stopped since. Theres a palpable work ethic that radiates from Stephen; the catalogue of diverse business experiences paying dividends when they established their hugely popular bar and restaurant. Focusing on what White Rabbit is, what it can be, and how it is different is a full team effort where every member can wrangle new ideas into life. Stephen and Sarahs professional chops were earned as publicans. Sarah was the long-time manager of The Oval before Adam, their first son, now six, was born, swiftly followed by twins, both now three, a boy and a girl. Stephen Vaughan, owner, White Rabbit, MacCurtain St., Cork. Picture Denis Minihane. Stephen, aged 43, started in the trade from just 18 years old, managing bar at The Thirsty Scholar, Rob Roys, and more besides. When the unit at 56 MacCurtain Street came on the market, the natural first thought was to establish a new bar. But, says, Stephen, it had to be more than that. It was a case of what does the city need. We were in the pub business rather than the restaurant business, but the days of pubs existing on opening the door and making money from serving pints of Murphys, Beamish and Guinness were gone. We both always had a good interest in food were not trained chefs but we both cook and big into food. Then we thought, what kind of food? It was kind of obvious to us; we were into BBQ and American style comfort food. We went away and educated ourselves, did a bit of travelling to the US, bought a small smoker at home and practiced using different rubs, different sauces. In the US, BBQ is tribal with different styles depending on where you are. In North or South Carolina, the difference between what they call BBQ and whats acceptable is completely different: different rubs, sauce or no sauce, what kind of sauce is it tomato, or mustard based New Orleans is a melting pot of BBQ styles; it gets its BBQ from everywhere but doesnt have its own distinct style. Like that, at White Rabbit, we can do a mix of everything because were not tied to any style either. A Korean pork belly sandwich and corn on the cob in White Rabbit. Picture Denis Minihane. Prior to opening, the pair spent six months developing their own house-style BBQ sauces and rub, influenced by what had been learned in the US, mixed with their own preferences for style and flavour. There are five sauces regularly in use at the restaurant; of these the Original with Irish stout, Kansas City sweet and spicy and Carolina hot and tangy sauces are the most popular. In 2021, the Kansas City and Carolina sauces were selected for the Grow with Aldi campaign. We had the sauces, but never really did anything with them. In 2020, I submitted an application for the sauces to Aldi and got turned down. But I realised, even before we got turned down, how woefully unprepared as a producer we were. I went back to college for a year to study Speciality Food Production at UCC, learned a lot, resubmitted to Aldi in 2021 and they accepted two sauces. The sauces sold well but as a seasonal product, losing out on a long-term listing. It didnt deter Stephen who now had a popular retail product on his hands, White Rabbit Small Batch BBQ Sauces, and a loyal following. Stephen Vaughan, outside the bar on MacCurtain St., Cork. We got great profile from it, even ended up getting people from Belfast, Dublin coming to the restaurant who had tried our BBQ sauces and now were coming down for dinner so it played the other way round, too. During two years of lockdowns while the restaurant remained closed for indoor dining, White Rabbit offered an at-home service of their BBQ meats and popular sides, and a new range of cook-in-the-oven vegetable side dishes. To make them uniquely White Rabbit, a cold-smoked butter was developed for flavouring and seasoning. It was a hit, and this year, White Rabbit Cold Smoked Butter was selected for the 2022 Grow with Aldi programme. As everything began reopening, the reality of a very busy restaurant and a burgeoning range of retail products rammed home the fact kitchen space was at a premium. The hunt for a second location was on, and at the beginning of May this year, White Rabbit Deli opened its doors on Princes Street. White Rabbit Deli is a different offer, says Stephen. We have a bigger kitchen and cold room over, so we can produce and store more now too. The Deli caters well for the Grab-n-Go lunchtime market with freshly prepared sandwiches filled with slow cooked smoked meats from the restaurant smokehouse: 12-hour smoked briskets, pulled pork and more. Smoked chicken wings in White Rabbit, MacCurtain St., Cork. Picture Denis Minihane. Theres a big lunchtime trade in the city with people that just want to grab and go as opposed to a big full on dirty BBQ, even though the restaurant is open from midday. There is a market there for that American style niche; no-one else is doing a Cuban sandwich - a big dirty three types of meat thing! But it fits in with us, plus we smoke all our meats here; everything is scratch made, we dont buy anything in. Our rubs, sauces, sides, meats; even our coleslaw is hand chopped its just better, fresher. Stephen and Sarah are both keen to experiment and create new products. Using the same cold smoker used for their butter, smoked goats cheese and halloumi have been successes, as well as hot smoked eggs for use in a divine sounding smoked egg salad from the deli. With more kitchen space and a ripe creative flow, the possibilities for other tasty smokehouse products making their way into the deli are endless: spice rubs, chutneys and pickles are all on the horizon. Stephen Vaughan, owner, White Rabbit, MacCurtain St., Cork, with a Korean pork belly sandwich and corn on the cob. Picture Denis Minihane. Back at the restaurant, White Rabbit is well known for the best collection of American bourbons and whiskeys in Ireland, with 150 different bottles, some incredibly rare. Tasting flights, whiskey cocktails and craft beers on draught are where its at with drinks right now all of which are a perfect fit with the food. That same creative flair for food is reflected in the bar, too, and Stephens experienced bartenders are let loose to design new cocktails and experiment with barrel-aged cocktails. We buy in new 5 litre American Oak barrels that are charred on the inside and use them to age spirits. We started 20th January and filled the barrel with Ruby Port, then 25th March we took out the Port and put in Courvoisier brandy. The port takes on the characteristics of the charred barrel and the brandy will take on the flavours of port and charred barrel. Its a fun thing to do! I dont want to make it sound too contrived, but it has to be an experience. No point in saying were fun and inventive on our social channels if were not being fun and inventing things. Someone once told Stephen you cant work on your business if working in it. Taking that to heart, in the past couple of years changes have been made allowing Stephen to step back from the thick of the action and entrusting his experienced kitchen, bar and front of house teams to take more responsibility; for them to feel they are part of the White Rabbit enterprise - less a job, more a career. When the Deli opened, Sarah was thinking of returning to work; the children now 6, 3 and 3. Two days has turned into five days a week at the deli, Shes loving it, says Stephen, whose working day is squeezed into just three or four hours a day, the rest is dedicated to what he calls Daddy Day Care. Sarahs taken the lead at the Deli, and I have a great crew at the restaurant, so I dont have to be here the 60 hours a week I used to. Its different for us but great, and the kids seem to be enjoying it too! Its not that I can take my eye off this place, but my front of house team has been here a long time, my chefs have been here a long, my bartenders have been here a long time, they can do it without me which is great to be able to say and means I can focus on other aspects of the business. Were in the up season now, and its a good up season we havent had for two years. Life is good, you know I cant complain! Theres an easy equilibrium descending upon Stephen, Sarah, the restaurant, deli, and all that entails. Thats not to say theres not more to come: the White Rabbit has many more warrens to explore yet. Stephen shares Top Tips for BBQ, and some of his smokehouse recipes, too. Top Tip 1 Buy a food probe to temperature check your food. Easily and cheaply available, it removes any guesswork and inevitable over/under-cooking. Top Tip 2 No matter what BBQ youre using, divide the cooking area into direct heat and indirect heat. This means keeping your coals to one side of the grill. Cooking over coals (direct heat) is great for quick items like burgers or hot dogs. Larger items, a whole chicken or roasting joint, are best cooked over indirect heat. Once at desired temperature, add colour to the skin over direct heat. Pork Belly Burnt Ends Pork Belly strips are easy to find, easy to cook and very tasty. 1. Cut the Pork Belly into 1-inch lengths, place in a shallow foil container and season with salt and pepper or our White Rabbit All-purpose Spice Rub for extra flavour. 2. Put the uncovered container on indirect heat side of BBQ and close the BBQ lid. 3. Leave for up to an hour, stirring occasionally, until there is nice colour on all pieces. 4. Once nicely coloured, empty the container onto a sheet of aluminium foil. Dust lightly with brown sugar and a few lumps of White Rabbit Smoked Butter. Close the foil tightly and wrap with another sheet of foil to keep in all the juices. 5. Return to the BBQ for 30 to 40 minutes. 6. Serve in tacos with salad or as bite size lumps of delicious meat candy. Stuffed Mini Peppers Versatile and delicious, fill with cream cheese or swap out snack peppers for chillies for a spicy kick. Serve as a side or a snack. 1. Take a pack of mini or snack peppers, slice off the top and scoop out the seeds. 2. Fill peppers with a teaspoon (maybe a little more) of cream cheese. 3. Replace sliced off tops on the peppers, wrap each with a thin slice of prosciutto or Parma ham. 4. Cook over indirect heat for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally A CORK man who carried out robberies against two taxi drivers to pay for his heroin addiction wants to avail of the assistance from the probation service while in custody. William Cambridge appeared in Cork Circuit Criminal Court where he affirmed signed pleas of guilty which he previously entered at the district court. Judge Helen Boyle remanded the accused in custody for sentencing on November 4. One of the charges of robbery from a taxi driver relates to 160 robbed on October 6 2021 at Spring Lane, The Glen. Cork. The other occurred less than a week later on October 12, 2021, at Glentrasna Drive, The Glen, Cork, when 80 was robbed. Garda Keith Shire said at an earlier hearing when the accused was arrested on a related charge that gardai were objecting to bail being granted to the accused. This matter relates to an attempted robbery of a taxi driver at knifepoint. He allegedly threatened the driver with a knife. There is very strong evidence. The accused was captured on CCTV. The driver picked up a fare at Sun Cabs in Mayfield where there is very high quality CCTV. He was wearing very distinctive clothing. Later at Assumption Road a male was seen on CCTV running from the direction of the taxi a short distance away and discarding a jacket worn during the incident. We are highly concerned about his very unstructured lifestyle at the moment. He admits a very heavy heroin addiction at the moment. He began taking it eight months earlier and is using 100 worth per day. He would have difficulty remembering events and having control of his actions. He is not currently employed. He has no means of funding this habit. Gardai believe he would commit crime to fund this habit, Garda Shire alleged Cambridge who is formerly of Mangerton Close, The Glen, Cork, said he had been waiting to get on to a drug rehabilitation programme and was due to start one. The defendants mother said her son needed help to address his drug problem. Now at the circuit court, Judge Helen Boyle has heard a defence submission to the effect that he would benefit from a probation report. The judge was told by defence barrister Emmet Boyle that the root cause of the defendants offending was a heroin addiction and that he wished to avail of the assistance of the probation service. Brutal and nasty injuries were inflicted on a woman in Midleton on New Years Eve by a man wearing a sovereign ring who punched her repeatedly in the face and broke a bottle over her head. Judge Sarah Berkeley jailed Limerick man Raymond Constable for two and a half years for the offence of assault causing harm. Garda Cormac Ryan said that Constable spat into the faces of three members of An Garda Siochana who dealt with him on the night. Judge Berkeley viewed photographs of the injured party taken soon after the assault and she also took into consideration a victim impact statement presented to the court. The harm done to her is inexplicable. He had addiction issues and he does not recall what he did. They are very nasty injuries from the photographs it is brutal in fact and beyond comprehension and he has a violent history of offending, Judge Berkeley said. A sentence of four years was imposed on Raymond Constable with the last 18 months suspended. Garda Ryan said the accused and the injured party had been in a relationship for a very short period three or four weeks when this violent attack was carried out. It occurred late on December 31 2020. Gardai received a call at 11.30 p.m. from a friend of the injured party. The injured woman herself could be heard in the background of the phone call shouting for her help as her friend spoke to gardai. The guards arrived at the house and there was no answer when they called to the door. They could hear a womans voice shouting out to them, Kick the door in. Eventually, the door was opened and the injured party ran out to the gardai. She was in a very distressed state and the physical injuries to her face were clearly visible. She was taken to Cork University Hospital where she described being hit over the head with a glass beer bottle which broke. Raymond Nagle punched her with a closed fist into the face and punched her several times. He was wearing a gold sovereign ring which cased a lot of damage to the victims face, Garda Ryan said. 18 months later she is still in fear from what happened on the night, Garda Ryan testified. The witness said the accused was very aggressive with gardai and spat into their faces when arrested. The 35-year-old form Limerick has 162 previous convictions including one for false imprisonment for which he was given a four-year jail term. He has eight convictions for assault. Defence barrister, Brendan Kelly, said, Addiction has been a problem for him. For the majority of his life he has had addiction difficulties. He does have a number of convictions under the Misuse of Drugs Act. He was intoxicated on alcohol on the night. Diazepam has been a significant problem for him. He was the victim of a serious assault himself some years ago where he was stabbed in the face and has scars from this. Judge Berkeley noted from a prison governors report that was requested for the sentencing hearing that he was found to be under the influence of an intoxicant in prison and has had two p19s disciplinary issues. Mr Kelly BL said, He wishes to apologise to all concerned. His offending was egregious the way he dealt with the main complainant and members of An Garda Siochana by spitting at them all he can do is apologise. Raymond Constable was living at Kearneys Cottage, Chapel Street, Cloyne, County Cork, and admitted assault causing harm to the woman, as well as assaulting Garda Tomas Ryan, Garda Killian Barry and Sergeant Anna Lane. Han Song-mi, a North Korean defector and the co-author of "Greenlight to Freedom," and Casey Lartigue, the other co-author, pose with their new book at Freedom Speakers International's office in Seoul, June 16. Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho 'Greenlight to Freedom,' Han-Lartigue yearlong book project, comes to fruition By Jung Min-ho Life is pain. It was particularly so for Han Song-mi, a North Korean girl. Her earliest memory was her father beating her mother. Her younger sister suddenly died without a clear cause. After her parents' divorce, she and her mother endured years of hunger, eating grass. At the age of nine, she thought about killing herself and was told that her mother had already tried it once with poison. Yet Han, now 28, has not only survived but thrived with resilience and a strong determination to live. After escaping the North in search of her mother and freedom, she settled down in South Korea, where she discovered her "second life" and became an inspiration to many. "Greenlight to Freedom," her book, co-authored with Casey Lartigue, co-president of Freedom Speakers International (FSI), is the story of a little girl who refuses to give up even when there seems to be no hope, and persistently searches for a glimmer of light. "I saw no future for myself in North Korea. Now I consider myself lucky. I'm lucky to be alive. I'm lucky to tell my story. I'm lucky to be with people I love, including my mother," Han told The Korea Times in a recent interview. In her hometown in Kumya, a county in South Hamgyong Province, there were some happy times for Han, such as feeding goats with her grandmother in the early morning. But things started to crumble after the death of grandfather, who had previously disapproved of her father's plan to marry his ex-girlfriend because they shared the same family name a taboo in North Korea. After her grandfather's death, her father began to see his ex-girlfriend again, ending in the break-up of his marriage and family. Financial hardship put Han and her mother in a quandary, forcing them eventually into living in a barn at a time when their country was fighting its worst famine, known as the Arduous March. For two years there, they depended only on each other, eating grass or any edible plant they could find and dreaming of a better future. In doing so, they developed a special bond, which kept the little girl hopeful and alive in immensely stressful situations later. Yet, she always missed her mother, who had no choice but to leave her alone sometimes for days or months to go find food. Recollecting her traumatic past was distressing for Han. That's why, except for the first two and final chapters of the book, she speaks in the third person, which made the process less painful for her. Perspective changes also help readers feel how she loses her voice at some point of her life and regains it when she finds hope. The memoir would have not been possible without the sophisticated and creative approach of Lartigue, who seriously considered canceling the project after initial difficulties. "We hit a rough patch when she began getting impatient with me and my questions I gave it one last try, I suggested that she speak in the third person rather than first person. It worked. I also told her that I was the reader representative and that she should not think about me. We began making progress," he said. "By the time we got to the end of the book she had changed some of her thoughts about some of the people in her life, and she had a new understanding of herself. She said that the counseling had helped her heal and that the process of writing the book helped her heal some other things that had been troubling her." In this Sept. 9, 2018, file photo, participants perform in a Mass Games artistic and gymnastic display at the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. Han said, although her North Korean experience is unique, much of her pains are shared by many ordinary people living in the country. AFP-Yonhap Drugs destined for addresses in Cork were among those seized by Revenue officials as part of routine operations. Parcels containing illegal drugs worth over 370,000, including almost 18kgs of herbal cannabis, were seized at two premises in Dublin after examination. Small quantities of butane honey oil, cannabis resin, MDMA, ecstasy tablets, cocaine and synthetic cannabinoids were also seized. The illegal drugs were discovered, with the assistance of detector dogs Bailey and Sam, concealed in parcels that originated in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom and were labelled as tuxedos, tea, board games, jeans, car organisers and pet blanket. The parcels were destined for addresses across the country, including Cork. Separately on Monday, as part of routine operations, Revenue officers examining parcels at a premises in Athlone, seized almost 4kgs of herbal cannabis with an estimated value of 80,000. The illegal drugs originated in Spain and were destined for addresses in Dublin. Investigations into both seizures are ongoing. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by German company Bayer AG to dismiss legal claims by customers who assert one of its products glyphosate-based Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. The multinational chemical and pharmaceutical company could potentially owe billions of dollars in damages, reported Reuters. The decision by the Supreme Court meant a verdict by a lower court that had upheld $25 million awarded to Edwin Hardeman a California resident and Roundup consumer who blamed Bayers weedkiller for his cancer after using it at his home for 26 years was left intact. In 2015, Hardeman was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and contended that Bayer hadnt given a warning as to the cancer risks of glyphosate, The Washington Post reported. [N]ow thousands of other cancer victims can continue to hold Monsanto accountable for its decades of corporate malfeasance, lawyers representing Hardeman, Jennifer Moore and Aimee Wagstaff said in a statement, as reported by The Washington Post. Bayer acquired Monsanto, the original maker of Roundup, in 2018. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified the herbicide glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans in 2015. The weedkiller is still approved for use in the U.S., Europe and other places, reported BBC News. Parts of the European Union have banned the herbicide, according to Deutsche Welle. A 2019 analysis showed that glyphosate was the most used pesticide in the U.S., the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting said. Bayer is currently in the midst of thousands of lawsuits, with another Bayer appeal on the horizon for the Supreme Court in the weeks to come, Reuters reported. The Courts rejection of the current appeal by Bayer led to a 2.9 percent dip in the companys shares. Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was ordered by a federal appeals court to reexamine if glyphosate presents risks that are unreasonable to people and the environment. In a decision favorable to farm worker, environmental and food safety advocates, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the EPA hadnt sufficiently considered if glyphosate poses a threat to endangered species and causes cancer. In its annual report released in March, Bayer said that about 107,000 of its approximately 138,000 cases had been resolved. The cases against the company argue that customers should have been warned of the alleged risk of cancer. Bayer has asserted that the claims that glyphosate and Roundup cause cancer are contrary to science and the approval of the EPA, which has supported assertions that glyphosate is non-carcinogenic and, when used as the label advises, not a public health risk. Bayer has asked for a review of the Supreme Courts decision in the Hardeman case. The company argued that it should not be punished when the EPA wouldnt allow a cancer warning to be put on its product and had determined it to be safe. Bayer said it plans to replace glyphosate-based weed-killing ingredients in products for non-professionals in the U.S. with alternative active ingredients in order to manage litigation risk in the U.S., but not due to concerns about safety, reported The Washington Post. The results of Colombias latest election could be a major victory for the planet. On Sunday night, the country voted in its first-ever leftist president, Gustavo Petro, and its first Black vice president, Francia Marquez, who is also a Goldman Environmental Prize winner, as Climate Home News reported. Included in the pairs ambitious agenda is a commitment to ending new fossil fuel exploration and phasing out all fossil fuel use. If they succeed, Colombia could become the largest fossil fuel producing nation to abandon the energy sources largely responsible for the climate crisis. These are not baby steps but huge steps towards the transition and reducing fossil fuels, Colombian environmentalist Martin Ramirez told Climate Home News. Gracias Colombia. El pueblo no se rinde carajo! Empezo #LaNuevaHistoria pic.twitter.com/6tbpABRbmw Francia Marquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) June 21, 2022 In his manifesto, Petro promised to transition from an energy system based primarily on fossil fuels to one based on a variety of renewable sources. He also promised to incentivize the use of electric vehicles and to protect the Amazon rainforest as a crucial carbon sink. We will promote within Colombias foreign policy a great American front in the struggle against climate change, which includes saving the Amazon rainforest and restoring it as the great lungs of humanity, the manifesto said. It also said that the country would obtain financial credits for leaving the Amazon alone and for keeping fossil fuels in the ground. Further, Petro has said that his government wont look offshore for fossil fuels or develop fracking projects, according to Climate Home News. Abandoning fossil fuels is part of a larger vision of moving away from, in Petros words, the old extractive economy, as The New York Times reported. The old coffee-growing country has been left behind and sadly we moved into oil and coal, he told El Pais in 2021. This is unsustainable and will bring about extinction. We need to move away from an extractivist economy and move towards a productive one. His platform also has many social justice components including making sure everyone has access to work and income, providing subsidies for single mothers and instituting universal health care, according to The New York Times. However, it might prove difficult for Petro to follow through on his promises. This is a program of very deep transformations, Rosario University in Bogota political science professor Yann Basset told The New York Times. On all these issues he is going to need significant support from Congress, which promises to be quite difficult. According to the Colombian constitution, a president cannot seek reelection, so Petro only has one four-year term to accomplish his goals, Climate Home News explained. He faces opposition from a majority of the countrys lawmakers. Still, if Petro does manage to enshrine his ban on new fossil fuel exploration into law and set a date for his fossil fuel phase out, then Colombia could join the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance. This was established by countries that currently represent 0.2 percent of worldwide oil production at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021. Colombia now represents around one percent of global fossil fuel production. Some of the most powerful examples of leadership when it comes to keeping fossil fuels in the ground are no longer coming from some of the European countries that created [the alliance], Oil Change International campaigner Romain Ioualalen told Climate Home News. Its coming from a middle income country in Latin America. Internally, activists hope the election will make Colombia safer for environmental defenders, since Marquez herself was attacked with grenades and guns in 2019. (Colombia was the deadliest country for environmental defenders in 2020.) This is an important moment for the nobodies of this country who have never had a voice, Marquez told reporters after she was selected as Petros running mate, as Al Jazeera reported. This is a moment of racial justice, of gender justice, ecological justice and a moment of social justice. Marquezs support for the countrys nobodies is reciprocated. Some of the highest voter turnout in the election came from the poorest regions in the country, The New York Times reported. A record 227 environmental and land defenders were killed in 2020 for protecting their homes and our planet, according to the annual Global Witness report released Monday. Thats an average of more than four people a week, and more than double the number reported in 2013, the report authors wrote. Further, they connected that rise in violence with the worsening of the climate crisis itself. Its the communities that are most impacted by the climate crisis who are speaking up to protect their land, their communities and our planet, Global Witness head of U.S. communications and global partnerships Julie Anne Miranda-Brobeck told EcoWatch. Its those environmental and land defenders who are especially vulnerable to killings and attacks. Another Climate Metric The number of environmental or land defenders defined as anyone who peacefully protests the exploitation of the natural world killed has risen every year but one since Global Witness began issuing its reports in 2012. Miranda-Brobeck said that increase was not the result of better reporting. In fact, because the yearly counts are based on publicly available data and subject to strict verification criteria, Global Witness believes it underestimates the true number of fatalities. Instead, 2020s record death toll can be understood as another climate metric, the report authors wrote, along with the fact that the year tied for the hottest on record and saw the worst North Atlantic hurricane season. Over time as the climate crisis worsens, as corporations get more and more access to land for mining and extraction and agribusiness, killings increase, Miranda-Brobeck said. The report authors noted that the climate crisis and the violence against defenders share three key traits: 1. Inequality: Climate change disproportionately impacts poorer countries in the Global South that have historically contributed less to its impacts. The violence meted out against environmental defenders also predominantly occurs in Global South countries. This year, only one of the killings took place in a Global North country (Canada), and the top three deadliest countries were Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines. The deadliest region was Latin America, while killings in Africa more than doubled from 7 to 18. 2. Business: The same extractive industries that perpetuate the climate crisis are also responsible for a significant amount of the killings. This year, more than a third of the attacks were linked to logging, mining, agribusiness and large hydroelectric projects. Logging was the deadliest this year, and more than 71 percent of the defenders killed this year died defending forests. In this case there is a clear connection between the forces robbing Earth of its natural carbon sinks and the violence enacted against the people who fight to preserve them. 3. Government (In)action: As with the climate crisis, governments either actively perpetuate the violence or do not do enough to curb it. This year in particular, many governments used the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to limit freedoms such as the right to protest or to a free press. In fact, 158 countries imposed new restrictions on demonstrations in 2020. This is a problem because attacks are more frequent in countries that put more restrictions on civil society. Case Study: Guatemala One example of how rising authoritarianism, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic interact to increase violence is in Guatemala, where a total of 13 people were killed in 2020, according to the report. Guatemala is counted among the countries that will be most deeply impacted by the climate crisis, and this is evident in the contradictions surrounding land disputes in the country, general coordinator of the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) Jorge Santos told EcoWatch. One of the main causes of violence in the country is the attempt to impose an extractivist economic model. Outside of the capital, most of the aggressions against human rights defenders reported by UDEFEGUA in Guatemala occur in five departments rich in natural resources. At the same time, the country is in the midst of an authoritarian turn, Santos said. The group recorded 1,055 aggressions against human rights defenders in 2020 and a further 551 in the first six months of 2021. Beyond outright killings, nearly 50 percent of the aggressions reported by UDEFEGUA this year were acts of criminalization of human rights defenders, such as illegal detentions or false accusations. The pandemic has exacerbated this repressive trend. Santos noted that, of the 11 states of emergency declared in 2020, only one was justifiable under international standards. Further, in its 20 years of reporting, UDEFEGUA has observed that violence tends to decrease in the first few years of a new government. 2020 broke that trend. Last year, in the first year of [the presidency of] Alejandro Giammattei, theres an increase in aggressions and its the largest UDEFEGUA has ever registered, Santos said. Guatemala has something else in common with the broader trend of violence against defenders: Indigenous communities are disproportionately targeted. Worldwide, Indigenous people make up a fifth of the total population, but were subject to more than a third of the attacks reported by Global Witness between 2015 and 2019. In Guatemala, Indigenous people were often targeted by the state as an internal enemy during the countrys 36 years of civil conflict. While peace accords were finally signed in 1996, the situation has begun to regress. Those Indigenous people who were victims of genocide are the same people who today peacefully resist the imposition of an extractivist economic model, Santos said. However, he said the leadership of Indigenous communities in both resisting resource extraction and promoting democracy was likely the most hopeful phenomenon that exists in the country today. He argued that the repression evident in Guatemala against human rights defenders was likely a response to a more organized populace willing to defend their rights and called on the government to stop the violence. Solutions Global Witness also issued recommendations for reversing the tide of violence against environmental defenders. These included separate action plans for the UN, governments and businesses. The UN, Global Witness argued, should recognize the human right to a safe environment and make sure that commitments made at the next climate change conference comply with human rights obligations. Governments should protect defenders by regulating extractive businesses and ending any attempts to criminalize protest and land defense. Further, they should hold companies located within their borders to account for anything that happens in their supply chain and fairly investigate and prosecute all acts of violence. Businesses should enact due diligence procedures to prevent violence from happening anywhere in their supply chain, adopt a zero tolerance policy against any violence and offer reparations when it does occur. Further, all of us can be aware of the sacrifices made by defenders and take their needs into consideration as we rebuild the global economy following the coronavirus pandemic. Its important that our economies and the health of our communities recovers during this pandemic, Miranda-Brobeck said, but I think its also really important that we recognize the threat to land and environmental activists on the ground, who not only are facing the health threats from the pandemic and the economic impacts of the pandemic, but are also facing the worst of the climate catastrophe and are just trying to defend our planet and their homes. One of the dangers posed by microplastic pollution in the oceans is that fish and other marine life might eat it by mistake. But could a solution to the problem involve a robot designed to consume it on purpose? Researchers at Sichuan University in China have developed a proof-of-concept for a robotic fish that can absorb microplastics through its body. It is of great significance to develop a robot to accurately collect and sample detrimental microplastic pollutants from the aquatic environment, study co-author and Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University researcher Yuyan Wang told The Guardian. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of such soft robots. The new robotic fish was introduced in a paper published in Nano Letters on Wednesday. It is about half-an-inch long and can swim on its own with the help of light, according to an American Chemical Society press release published by Phys.org. An infrared laser shined on its tail causes the material to bend and flap, propelling it forward. The proof-of-concept robot is demonstrated to emphasize its maximum swimming speed of 2.67 body length per second, whose speed is comparable to that of plankton, representing the outperformance of most artificial soft robots, the study authors wrote. But whats especially remarkable is what the robot can do while its swimming: gather nearby microplastics. The robot is made from materials that interact with the heavy metals, dyes and antibiotics attached to the microplastics, The Guardian explained. This, in turn, causes the microplastics to latch on to the fishs body. After the robot collects the microplastics in the water, the researchers can further analyse the composition and physiological toxicity of the microplastics, Wang told The Guardian. The robots material is partially inspired by nature, BBC Science Focus Magazine reported. Specifically, researchers took their cues from mother-of-pearl, the material that coats the inside of clam shells. Mother-of-pearl, or nacre, is built in layers. The scientists designed the robot the same way, something that made it flexible enough to move but strong enough to last. First, they made nanosheets of -cyclodextrin molecules to sulfonated graphene, according to the American Chemical Society. These were then incorporated into polyurethane latex mixtures and the final material was made using layering. Another unique property is that the robot is able to heal itself and perform at 89 percent of its original abilities, according to The Guardian. More work needs to be done before the robots will actually be swimming around absorbing microplastics. Currently, it can only swim at the surface of the water, but the scientists hope to develop a version that can dive to greater depths. Eventually, it could address some of the difficulties with getting microplastics out of the ocean, such as removing them from crevices, according to the American Chemical Society. I think nanotechnology holds great promise for trace adsorption, collection, and detection of pollutants, improving intervention efficiency while reducing operating costs, Wang told The Guardian. IPVS2022 Pre-Congress kickstarts event on global swine industry updates and decisions The IPVS2022 Pre-Congress schedule was held on June 21, starting the official schedule of the 26th edition of the event, which runs until June 24 at RioCentro, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recognised as the most important scientific event in the global swine industry, IPVS2022 marks the return of the congress to Brazil after 34 years, bringing together more than 2,000 people. "After two years of hard work to get this congress off the ground, the result reinforced the support of the entire swine industry for the event," said the president of IPVS2022, Fernanda Almeida. "We realised the scientific advance of the activity, which even with the pandemic, has not stopped evolving." Based on the theme "New perspectives for swine farming: biosecurity, productivity and innovation", the event comprises 26 sessions spread over four days of the event. On the first day, participants had access to the Pre-Congress, a novelty in IPVS Congresses, which brought up topics such as reproduction, use of antimicrobials, health, immunology and vaccinology, nutrition, well-being and African swine fever (ASF), among others. One of the highlights of the day was the agribusiness session. Unprecedented in the IPVS history, the panel brought together industry leaders, who sought to create a solid alliance between science and agribusiness in order to build bridges between the two poles of the production chain. Nutrition was another prominent topic at the Pre-Congress a major bottleneck in the production chain due to the high costs of inputs. "Brazilian swine farming is very important in Brazilian agribusiness, producing 14.329 million tonnes, third place in the world ranking and exporting 4.610 million tonnes, which guarantees the first place on the podium in the international business of this protein," said Almeida "To further improve the productive efficiency of the farms, it is necessary to seek the continuous evolution of feed conversion, seeking better indices to generate a more positive economic performances." During the session that presented a series of measures for the prevention and control of ASF in the world, the professor of animal health at the Complutense University of Madrid (ESP) and director of the reference laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Jose Manuel Sanchez Vizcaino, presented the risk factors for the entry of ASF worldwide and the development of vaccines. "It is necessary to reinforce the control of food entry at Brazilian airports. The tourist goes on a trip, brings a sausage, for example, and does not imagine that, through that delicacy, he can bring the ASF virus. The community underestimates the severity of food transport and this could be the gateway to an epidemic," he warned. Regarding Brazil's sanitary status in relation to ASF, Almeida reaffirmed that sanitary control is a national patrimony. "We have this health status because we are very good at we do". One of the topics addressed at the Pre-Congress was a broad analysis of the use of antimicrobials in swine production and the impact of the growth of resistance to the use of these drugs on animal health as well as on human health. Professor Jeroen Dewulf from Belgium's Ghent University discussed the use of antimicrobials in swine production in Europe and, according to him, "less is more". "About 33,000 people die worldwide due to bacterial resistance, but most are not associated with animal production", he pointed out. "Human and animal interaction needs to be very well analysed and that is why the one health concept is growing a lot. Only in this way can we advance in the knowledge of how antibiotics are used and reduce antimicrobial resistance." Dewulf added that the tightening of legislation in Europe is a factor. "Only in this way will we be able to better control the impact of resistance caused by the excessive use of antimicrobials," he said. Subsequently, the professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Maria Jose Hotzel, analysed this issue from the point of view of Brazil. "The use of antimicrobials is a reality at different stages of the pigs' life. I don't think banning its use is the best way, but rather creating mechanisms, including legal ones, to control overmedication in general," she stressed. She also analysed the importance of biosecurity and welfare in swine production. "These are the most important aspects for the work of eliminating diseases on the farms", she said. "There is a lot of exaggeration in what is said on the subject, without proper knowledge of technical aspects. One thing is for sure: we need antibiotics to control sanity." Veterinarian Locke Karriker profiled the use of antimicrobials in swine production in North America, pointing out that there is a great global effort regarding the use of antimicrobials. "We need to improve the responsible use of these drugs in the United States as well. A reflection is the tightening of laws on the subject", he highlighted. Import markets, according to Karriker, exert strong pressure for decisions on the use of antimicrobials. "Therefore, the legislation is moving towards being more restrictive and regulated. It is a difficult issue, which involves, above all, motivation in the field of all the actors involved, including veterinarians", he said. "One thing is for sure: we will not have new drugs on the market and so we need to develop better practices to deal with what we have on the market". Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences professor Ulf Magnusson spoke on the topic "Antimicrobial use and management in swine production in East and Southeast Asia an update". According to Magnusson, swine production is the one that uses antimicrobials the most. "In some regions of the world, it is very difficult to monitor compliance with legislation. We need to change the profile of the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters and preventives." He added: "As prevention is still the biggest problem compared to use as promoters and as the projection points to a growth in pig production in Asia, making it even more intensive, measures against the excessive use of these drugs are extremely necessary and if the abusive use continue, antimicrobials will be less and less efficient due to the increase in resistance generated." Over the course of the event, IPVS2002 will be happening with lectures covering topics such as bacterial and viral diseases, vaccinology, antimicrobials and animal welfare. "Basically, the content presented reflects the scientific demand of the world swine industry," said Almeida. In addition to these sessions, delegates will have access to the results of the abstracts selected by the examining board. "We will have presentations and a space where the posters will be housed, so that everyone can check out the latest in terms of solutions for the swine sector," Almeida added. - Attuale Comunicacao Iraq stops poultry and egg imports from Iran Iraq has recently banned the import of poultry and eggs from Iran as the former plans to reduce its imports to support its own producers. According to an article published in Shargh Daily, the head of Iran's Broiler Breeders Association, Mohammad Yousefi, said that, as the price of animal feed has increased by sixfold, poultry farmers are forced to sell their chickens at a loss in domestic market while Iran's export markets are becoming more limited. Iraq is Iran's second largest export market after China. Hamid Hosseini, a board member of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Sharq that the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture had repeatedly protested low tariffs on agricultural imports from Iran and called on the government to increase import tariffs. Shargh also quoted Mehdi Karamipour Moghaddam, a former secretary general of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, as saying that Iraq has set up more than 7,000 poultry farms with equipment purchased from Iran, resulting in an increase of egg production in the country from 1.5 billion in 2019 to seven billion in the previous year. According to Moghaddam, "Iraq almost no longer needs Iranian chickens and eggs, and sometimes issues short-term import permits" to meet temporary demands in the market. Earlier, Shargh reported that the sharp rise in animal feed prices has brought about a wave of bankruptcy among cattle breeders, forcing them to sell starving cows at lower prices to slaughterhouses. - Iran International North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a Central Military Commission meeting of the ruling Workers' Party to discuss the country's military and key defense policies, state media reported Wednesday. At the enlarged meeting held the previous day, Kim initiated a discussion to "review the overall work for national defense in the first half of the year," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The meeting also discussed the "issues of confirming the crucial and urgent tasks to build up national defense and thoroughly implementing the military line and key defense policies of the Party." "The Central Military Commission of the WPK started the discussion on the presented agenda items," the KCNA said, suggesting that the meeting will likely continue for several days. (Yonhap) UPDATE: EasyJet cancels flights from IOM to Manchester until November EasyJet has confirmed it has cancelled flights between the Isle of Man and Manchester between 1 July until the end of October. The airline said it followed operational issues affecting the industry. In a statement, easyJet told Energy FM: "easyJet is operating up to 1700 flights carrying up to a quarter of a million customers a day. There are industry wide operational issues that are impacting airlines at the moment, which means we are making a number of pre-emptive cancellations for the summer, including flights between the Isle of Man and Manchester between 1 July until the end of October and the route will recommence at the start of November." "We are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause. We are informing customers directly in advance to minimise the impact on their plans and providing the option to receive a refund or voucher, or rebook for free to a later date, and our customer service hours have been extended to support affected customers. easyJet remains absolutely focused on our daily operation and continues to monitor this very closely." The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported June 18 that medical supplies and other goods prepared by party central committee officials and their family members were delivered on June 17 to a region in South Hwanghae Province that has seen an infectious disease outbreak. KCNA-Yonhap China's exports to North Korea slumped by 85.2 percent in May from April By Ji Siqi, Kim Bo-eun SHENYANG, HONG KONG North Korea bought a large volume of soybeans from China in May even though overall imports from its neighbor slumped more than 80 percent from the previous month, trade data from Beijing showed, amid suspicion the reclusive state is suffering food shortages as it fights a coronavirus outbreak. North Korea spent $2.97 million on 3,744 tons of Chinese soybeans last month, the second-largest monthly amount since 2017, Chinese customs data showed. The country imported just 500 tons of soybeans from China in the first four months of 2022. North Korea is facing a potentially dire food situation this year, which has been exacerbated by trade disruptions caused by the pandemic. The CIA estimated last month North Korea's food shortages were roughly 860,000 tons equivalent to two to three months of food for the country. Low rainfall across the country and lockdowns are adding to food pressure, experts said. "Efforts to overcome drought and the decrease in the external supply of grains and farming goods due to the lasting lockdown will prove to be key variables (in North Korea's food situation)," Cho Joong-hoon, a spokesman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, said in a briefing on Monday. North Korea's state broadcaster and newspaper have been closely covering rice planting that began in May as a means to encourage farmers to increase output. While soybean shipments were up, China's overall exports to North Korea slumped by 85.2 percent to $14.51 million in May from $98.1 million in April, following the halt of train cargo between the countries. A freight train stands at Dandong Railway Station in Liaoning Province, China, on April 17, 2021. Yonhap If you're concerned that the usual web search engines might be biased, don't worry Brave thinks it can help. The company has introduced a beta Goggles feature for Brave Search (itself no longer a beta) that lets anyone set their own criteria for search rankings. You can refine a "politics" query to shift the focus to blogs instead of major news outlets, for instance. You can create, modify or use others' rankings just by running a search and tapping the "Goggles" button. You won't necessarily have to spend time fine-tuning your results, then. A community could also share Goggles to more consistently surface the sites it uses most often. Brave is pitching the tool as a foil to the algorithms Google and Microsoft's Bing use to prioritize some search results while downplaying others. Those more dominant search providers say they're focusing on trustworthy sources of information and otherwise helping users find useful content, but Brave contends that Goggles can help counter biases inherent to its larger competitors' technology. The feature may have both positives and pitfalls as a result. While this could help you more easily find smaller sites or differing opinions that frequently get buried in conventional search results, it might also reinforce thought bubbles where you only see content that agrees with your existing views. As with the rest of the internet, you may have to use Goggles judiciously to avoid creating an echo chamber. Google News turned 20 this year, and it's getting a major redesign that reflects changing priorities in journalism. The newly launched News desktop revamp now prioritizes catching up on important stories. In addition to top stories and personalized picks, there's a particular focus on local news. That section is finally at the top of the page, and you can add multiple locations in case one city's coverage isn't enough. The company is also bolstering its fact checking. Google News now shows the original claim next to a headline, along with fact checks (from independent sources) that show whether the claim holds up. You aren't locked into the topics Google chooses, either. Click a "customize" button in Your Topics (pictured below) and you can add, delete or reshuffle subjects to match your tastes. Google The reworked site also marks Google News' official return to Spain. Google dropped the local offering in December 2014 ahead of a law that would have required paying publishers to use their content, including headlines. A newspaper coalition pushed for Google to restore News, however, and Google announced plans for a revival last November following a Royal Decree that let Google negotiate licenses with individual publishers (in sync with the EU's European Copyright Directive) instead of having to pay all of them. The updated site helps support the Google News Initiative, a long-running campaign to support newsrooms amid concerns the internet is eroding access to quality journalism. Accordingly, Google has started taking applications for a Global News Equity Fund that helps back news for minorities and underrepresented groups. They have until July 21st to apply for money. The tech firm is also handing out its first round of funding ($1 million) for a Data-Driven Reporting Project that assists communities with data-heavy investigations. It's too early to say if the redesign will prove a success. It does give local news much higher priority than in the past, though (you previously had to scroll past multiple sections just to see it). And simply speaking, the new layout is overdue the cleaner, more modern look is easier to digest. In theory, this could get more people to use Google's hub instead of visiting specific media outlets or relying on dedicated apps like Apple News. More than a million new titles are published annually in the US, far more than even the most bibliophilic secret agent could get through. Even with a weekly publishing schedule, we can only bring you 52 Hitting the Books each year. To help shine a spotlight on all the fantastic stories that cant be featured in our weekly column, we now bring to you Hitting the Books Quarterly, a semi-semi-annual roundup of books that may not strictly be about tech but we figure youll like nonetheless. This editions selection runs the gamut from STEM to Sci-Fi including selections from New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi, UC Berkeley Professor of Sociology Carolyn Chen, and journalist Stephen Witt. We hope you enjoy. Princeton University Press Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley by Carolyn Chen Silicon Valley may tout itself as the Emerald City at the end of Americas yellow brick road but one need only pull back the curtain to find the oppressive capitalist machinery hidden behind. In her new book, Work Pray Code , UC Berkeley Professor of Sociology Carolyn Chen examines how an industry already primed to worship the Myth of the Founder has steadily imposed itself upon the religious beliefs and practices of its workers, hawking Buddhist-adjacent wellness programs in hopes of them achieving productivity enlightenment. What, you thought the company town wouldnt include a company church? Penguin Books How Music Got Free: A Story of Obsession and Invention by Stephen Witt In the earliest days of social media, just as the popularity of physical media began to wane but long before the emergence of omnipresent streaming services, existed a time of boundless possibilities. It was a time when any song ever made could be yours, free and at the click of a button, assuming that at least one other person on your network had a complete copy. Many a music collection was assembled during the unregulated file sharing era, much to the chagrin of the recording industry. But no one pirated music anywhere near the scale of Dell Glover. In his 2016 book, How Music Got Free , journalist Stephen Witt explains how Glover exploited his position working in a North Carolina compact-disc manufacturing plant to surreptitiously steal and leak more than 2,000 albums over the course of a decade before being apprehended. Someone get that guy a medal. Macmillan The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi Stuck in a dead-end gig job amidst the depths of the first COVID lockdown, Jamie Gray is looking for an out, any out of his dreary cash-strapped existence. Unlucky for him, hes about to get exactly what he wants in The Kaiju Preservation Society , the latest from John Scalzi, NYT bestselling author of Old Mans War and Redshirts. Disney Editions Women of Walt Disney Imagineering: 12 Women Reflect on their Trailblazing Theme Park Careers Walt Disney may have held the initial spark of inspiration for what would eventually become one of the worlds largest media empires, but ever since his noggin went into cold storage, the responsibility of bringing those stories, rides, and attractions to life has fallen to the companys legion of passionate designers, fabricators and builders: the Imagineers. Women of Walt Disney Imagineering assembles first hand accounts of a dozen women who worked behind the scenes and struggled in an overwhelmingly male industry to ensure that Disneys theme parks live up to their reputations as the most magical places on Earth. G.P. Putnam's Sons The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch In this taut, time-travelling thriller, NCIS special agent Shannon Moss is tasked with uncovering as to why a Navy SEAL murdered his family and where his teenage daughter disappeared to. Exploiting the worlds Deep Time chrono-hopping phenomena, Moss skips along the fourth dimension, flitting between alternate realities in search of clues to the killers motivation. That is, until she stumbles upon a near-future event that may end humanity entirely. Last year Owen Diaz, a former contracted elevator operator at Teslas Fremont assembly plant, successfully sued the automaker for creating a hostile, racially abusive work environment, and was awarded $137 million by the jury. That award was winnowed down to just $15 million by a judge who gave Diaz two weeks to accept or reject the new amount. As reported by Bloomberg, lawyers for Diaz have taken the latter option. In rejecting the courts excessive reduction by asking for a new trial, Mr. Diaz is again asking a jury of his peers to evaluate what Tesla did to him and to provide just compensation for the torrent of racist slurs that was directed at him, wrote Diazs lawyers in a statement to NBC News. The lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2017, described a work environment where Black workers were regularly subjected to racial slurs and other abuse, with at least one supervisor allegedly telling Diaz to "go back to Africa" issues which he also claims the company was negligent in addressing. Tesla has pushed back against some of Diazs claims, arguing that it took timely action to stop the harassment, as well as claiming these racial slurs were "used in a friendly manner and usually by African-American colleagues." It also argued that it was not liable for how Diaz was treated given his status as a contractor. Last year a jury awarded Diaz a total of $6.9 million of compensatory damages and $130 million of punitive damages, which likely would have amounted to one of the largest payouts in a corporate racial discrimination lawsuit. US District Judge William Orrick, in an opinion filed in April, rejected Teslas claims that it was not liable for a contract employee, but also slashed the award amount, calling it excessive. He reduced the amount of compensatory damages to $1.5 million and punitive damages to $13.5 million. Since Diaz's lawyers have now rejected the award, the case will proceed to a new trial. The automaker is also facing another lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing on the behalf of more than 4,000 former and current Black Tesla employees. According to three former Tesla workers interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, Black workers at the Fremont facility were segregated, given the most difficult tasks and subject to more discipline than other workers. Lee Rae-jin, left, the elder brother of the government official shot dead by North Korea's military in September 2020, stands next to his lawyer as he reads a statement to reporters at the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul, Wednesday. Newsis Complaint filed against 3 former officials of Moon over obstruction of justice By Jung Min-ho The family of a South Korean government official shot dead by North Korea's military two years ago is seeking help from the United Nations Human Rights Office and rights-conscious politicians overseas to find the facts behind the killing. Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the deceased official, told The Korea Times Tuesday that he is asking U.N. rights officials and U.S. lawmakers for support in his desperate bid to get to the bottom of the case, which he thinks was mismanaged intentionally by the previous Moon Jae-in administration to avoid provoking the North. "At the invitation of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I'm going to visit the United States in September to talk with members about the issue," Lee said. "If possible, I also would like to meet the family of Otto Warmbier for solidarity." Warmbier was a U.S. college student who was put in prison on a charge of subversion after attempting to steal a propaganda poster in North Korea in 2016. He was later released in a vegetative state and died soon after. Lee on Wednesday filed a complaint with the prosecution against former National Security Adviser Suh Hoon and two of Moon's former secretaries Kim Jong-ho and Lee Kwang-cheol for allegedly abusing their power to obstruct the investigation into the death of his brother. "The circumstances of the case show they abused their power, which was given to them to protect the lives and safety of citizens. For that, I demand strong punishment for them," Lee said. If it becomes certain that the former president was involved in the decision-making, he will be next, Lee added. The widow of the official who was shot dead by North Korea in September 2020 weeps during a press conference at the Seoul Bar Association building in southern Seoul, June 17. Yonhap Santonio Fontana is set to star in an industry reading of the new play The Pianist. Santonio Fontana is a name that comes up again and again in both the on screen and on stage worlds. He starred brilliantly as Greg in the hit series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. He then moved on to star in the Broadway production of Tootsie, for which performance he received the Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical. He made a short pitstop as Prince Han in Frozen in there, before recently released a single recording of Stephen Sondheim's "Another Hundred People," for a charitable cause. Now, he is set to return to the stage in an industry reading of the new play The Pianist. The Pianist has its sights set for Broadway, and this reading is the first step. The show is based off of the memoir of the very talented Polish-Jewish pianist Wadysaw Szpilman. In this original drama, Fontana will take on the role of Szpilman - a deviation from much of Fontana's normal work. He is known for appearing in musicals. Even Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was television version of a musical. The Pianist, however, is not a musical. While there will be musical elements throughout, it is a play. It will be exciting to see Fontana take on this new challenge. The upcoming work tells a beautiful and powerful story. The producer of the show, Michael Wolk, shared: "The Pianist tells a soaring tale of survival and triumph through music...It is a riveting story that is fiercely present tense-though it's set in the past, it shows us that just like today, worlds are destroyed when we demonize each other. And it gives us hope by showing how human connections and the power of music can transcend hate and fear and heal our hearts." We have high hopes for The Pianist already. Internacional Al menos trece muertos en un ataque ruso a un centro comercial en la localidad ucraniana de Kremenchuk Wednesday, June 22, 2022 James J Talerico, Jr, CEO Greater Prairie Business Consulting, Inc. 320 Decker Drive, Suite 100 Irving, Texas 75062 Office Phone: 1-800-828-7585 E-Mail: jjtalericojr@GPBusinessSolutions.com Greater Prairie Business Consulting, Inc. CEO Wins Two-(2) Gold Stevie Awards- [Irving, Texas]: James J. Talerico, Jr, CEO of Greater Prairie Business Consulting, Inc. received a "Gold Stevie" Award for both "Thought Leadership," and as a "Media Hero of the Year During Covid" at the 20th Annual American Business Awards in New York City. The competition received more than 3,700 nominations and is the premier accolade for excellence in US business honoring organizations of all sizes and industries. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 230 professionals over three months of judging. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations of every type in more than 70 nations. At the event, James J. Talerico, Jr. stated that he has been a Stevie Award judge since 2019, because he gets to learn about the incredible innovation and market leadership by the companies like those in the room and went on to thank the committee and company's founder for his two awards. The event was held on Monday, June 10th at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square, and was hosted by Cheryl Casone from Fox Business. For more information about James J. Talerico, Jr., CMC and Greater Prairie Business Consulting, Inc., go to www.greaterprairiebusinessconsulting.com. Typically, a billionaire philosopher king begins by making his billions and pursues politics and philosophy afterward. But crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried known as SBF to the cool kids seems to have started his career as a philosopher and then made his billions. Also atypically, his net worth estimated at $24 billion in April 2022 by Forbes was amassed by the time he turned 30 this year. By most accounts, SBF came by his philosophical approach to life honestly, first via his family. His mother is a prominent legal scholar and moral philosopher at Stanford University. Effective altruism or EA, as the cool kids call it is a post-2000s philosophy that emphasizes the importance of doing good in the world via philanthropy through strategic giving. It also includes the idea of making lots of money so that one can give to good causes to improve lives. On ExpressNews.com: Taylor: For a superuser of shareholder democracy, Larry Finks is a pretty undemocratic approach Before working at a hedge fund and before founding cryptocurrency exchange FTX, from which he made the majority of his fortune, SBF worked for an EA think tank. SBF has linked his interest in entrepreneurship to building and then giving away a fortune, recently pledging to live on $100,000 a year and give away 99 percent of his wealth One policy that EA proponents emphasize is an emphasis on prevention of harm. For example, an EA philosopher would say society should spend tremendous resources now to prevent the next pandemic, rather than tremendous resources later reacting to a COVID-type situation after it occurs. An emphasis on preventive actions around health care and inequality would lead to a reorganization of societal policies and spending. EA would also push us to think about big risks to human extinction things like climate, asteroids, artificially intelligent killer robots and to invest in preventing them. In todays simplified left-right dynamic, EA-thinking would likely lead to progressive legislation, although not always. Most noncrypto bros probably first heard of FTX during the Super Bowl when the company ran a goofy commercial featuring Larry David as a skeptic who repeatedly and mistakenly dismisses technological and cultural advances throughout history such as the wheel, toilets, democracy and crypto. On ExpressNews.com: Taylor: Billionaire philosopher king Peter Thiel loves monopolies democracy not so much SBF, EA here to stay? Lets talk about the staying power of SBF, his political philosophy and his status as a billionaire philosopher king. As I write this, cryptocurrency is in a bit of a free fall. In April, his ownership of cryptocurrency exchange FTX made SBF the second-richest crypto billionaire in the world. By mid-June, after crypto started to crater, SBFs fortune was re-estimated at $6.2 billion, down more than 70 percent from April. The wealthiest crypto fortunes in the world today all belong to founders of crypto exchanges, not crypto investors themselves. In other words, wealth was built by the people who service the speculators the ones selling the picks and axes to the 49ers, rather than the ones digging and panning for gold. I remain deeply skeptical about the real value of cryptocurrencies. Last year, Stephen Diehl, a software engineer and crypto sceptic, was quoted in the Financial Times: Crypto is an economic cult that taps into base human instincts of fear, greed and tribalism, combined with economic illiteracy as a means to recruit more greater fools to pile money into what looks like a weird, novel digital variant of a pyramid scheme. That seems exactly right. LAM YIK FEI, STR / NYT Now, the cryptocurrency market has started to look like the bust that the California Gold Rush was for 95 percent of miners. But I admittedly have a bad track record of predicting the demise of clearly awful speculative financial ideas S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff. On ExpressNews.com: Taylor: Ray Dalio, the hedge-fund fortune philosopher king who advocates for automatons SBFs fortune, which was built in less than two years, currently seems shaky. But SBF is not content for FTX to remain solely a cryptocurrency exchange platform. Business moves by SBF in the past two months suggest that he is looking to diversify from crypto into traditional trading. FTX bought a significant stake in Robinhood, the mobile securities trading platform. It also bought a piece of securities exchange IEX, made famous as the underdog startup featured in Michael Lewis Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt about high-frequency traders. This all suggests that SBF may also have a healthy skepticism about the sustainability of crypto or at least a prudent sense to diversify his exposure to it. SBF made his first foray into directly supporting an EA political candidate this past spring Carrick Flynn for Congress in Oregons 6th District. Flynn, who lost in the Democratic primary, was attacked as crypto-backed because of the $10 million-plus in campaign support from SBF. A better way to understand that political move is probably as a first overt attempt by EA-adherents as a political movement. Even with a fortune built on something as shaky as crypto, I would not count out a billionaire philosopher king like SBF. I predict he will be with us for a long time. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, author of The Financial Rules for New College Graduates and host of the podcast No Hill For A Climber. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com | twitter.com/michael_taylor China's central SOEs up investment in new infrastructure Xinhua) 15:01, June 22, 2022 BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are ramping up investment in new types of infrastructure to facilitate industrial transformation, data from the country's top state-asset regulator showed. In 2021, over 700 subsidiaries of nearly 70 central SOEs invested a total of 400 billion yuan (about 59.6 billion U.S. dollars) in new infrastructure, according to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. For the 2021-2025 period, the companies plan to invest in more than 1,300 new infrastructure projects, with investment amounting to over 10 trillion yuan. New infrastructure refers to infrastructure that is digital, smart and innovative, including projects related to 5G networks, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Net profits of central SOEs expanded 5.6 percent year on year in the first four months of the year, the commission has said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) New activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province, North Korea, is seen in this March 4 satellite image. Reuters-Yonhap North Korea could be pushing back what would be its seventh nuclear weapon test in consideration of China's political calendar and its own situation with COVID-19, a presidential official said Wednesday. Pyongyang has been reported for weeks to be preparing for a nuclear test at its testing ground in Punggye-ri, with the only remaining step being a "political decision" by leader Kim Jong-un. "I think the China variable and the COVID-19 variable are playing into this," the official told reporters, citing the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in the fall. "It appears that North Korea is making a considerable effort out of concern for the major chaos that would be caused by a seventh nuclear test, although we haven't been able to verify it," he said. China is North Korea's only major political ally and economic benefactor, meaning that staging a large provocation ahead of a key political event could hurt Pyongyang's relations with Beijing. The other factor behind holding off could be the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in the North, the official added. (Yonhap) Hospital visits in the United States can be expensive, as one local Reddit user recently found out. The Redditor posted to a photo to reddit.com/r/sanantonio/ of a bill that totaled more than $17,000. In the poster's original comment, they said that after "a couple of weeks" of abdominal pain in which they thought they were "going to die," they went to a standalone emergency room. A doctor later determined the pain was "just gas," which resulted in a $17,000 medical bill. Large medical bills are common for Americans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spends more than $5,000 annually on health care. More than 29 million people in the United States lacked health insurance in 2019, with 45 percent citing the high cost as the main reason they didn't purchase healthcare, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found. A LendingTree survey found that among those in medical debt who tried to negotiate their bill (about 75 percent), nearly all who did (93 percent) had their bill reduced or dropped altogether. The National Consumer Law Center states that those hit with hefty medical bills should wait until negotiations have been completed before paying any part of the bill. The three major credit reporting agencies don't report nonpayment of medical bill information for 180 days. "Hospital charges can be negotiated, and its best to do that before paying the bill," Robin Townsend, a healthcare expert for ValuePenguin.com, wrote in an email. "Billing departments are used to negotiating. You may not succeed on the first try, so it pays to be persistent." Nearly 80 percent of medical bills contain erroneous charges, according to the Becker Hospital Review, and Townsend said that billing errors are common, so "review your invoice carefully." To address what may be an incorrect hospital bill, Townsend recommends asking for an itemized bill and looking for ways medical providers may have over-billed, double-billed or charged for services that weren't provided. On ExpressNews.com: Soaring CPS Energy bills jarring to San Antonio customers In addition: If you have a planned hospital visit, ask if your provider offers a discount for paying your bill upfront, even through insurance. Talk to the billing department directly or ask for a hospital audit of your bill if you have questions about charges. Ask the hospital about hospital-based financial assistance programs, a payment plan or medical debt forgiveness. Forgiveness programs are income-based but work on a sliding scale, meaning at least part of the bill could be covered Rising hospital bills may also reflect rising drug prices, higher doctors' and nurses' salaries and increased liability insurance rates, Townsend wrote. Hidden hospital costs may be hard to catch, but there are warning signs, including tests or procedures that were canceled or items that should be included with other expenses that were billed individually. For example, Townsend wrote, bedding is part of general hospital costs and should not be a separate charge. True billing errors should be corrected without any need for negotiation, Townsend wrote. Resources like the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which is part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, can also point out typical hospital costs, allowing comparison between standard amounts and the charges on your bill. Finally, health insurance is an available option, even for those at lower wage levels. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio consumers have more healthcare.gov options for 2022, boost in assistance "Check to see if you qualify for Medicaid or for lost cost (or even free) coverage through the Affordable Care Act," Townsend wrote. "Many potential ACA shoppers are eligible for help but are not aware of the programs or how to apply." If a person has insurance, check to make sure the charges were paid in accordance with the existing policy, Townsend wrote. If an insurer declines to correct any errors, state insurance departments can be asked to investigate. WASHINGTON The Texas congressman whose district includes Uvalde says he plans to vote for a bipartisan gun bill that the Senate is poised to pass this week even as Republican opposition to the bill appears to be growing. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican, tweeted Wednesday that he supports the gun bill drafted by a bipartisan group of senators, including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, after recent mass shootings, including a gunmans attack on an elementary school in Uvalde that resulted in the deaths of 19 kids and two teachers. The legislation would be the first significant tightening of federal gun laws since 1994, bolstering background checks for gun buyers under 21 and restricting access to firearms for dating partners convicted of domestic abuse. It also provides funding for mental health programs, school security and for states to create red flag laws. As a congressman its my duty to pass laws that never infringe on the Constitution while protecting the lives of the innocent, Gonzales tweeted on Wednesday. In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. IN-DEPTH: Senators advance compromise gun safety bill following recent mass shootings The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later this week and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will take it up soon after. Gonzales explained his support by sharing that he is a survivor of domestic abuse. My stepfather would come home drunk & beat on me and my mother, Gonzales tweeted. One night he decided that wasnt enough and shoved a shotgun in my mothers mouth. I was 5 at the time and not strong enough to fend off the wolves. School was my sanctuary from the chaos at home, he said. Now I am 41, all grown up. Loving father of six children. Served our country in the Navy for 20 years, led men and women in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. I slay wolves every day. But the bill was drawing growing criticism from Republicans on Wednesday. Former President Donald Trump slammed it as the first step in the movement to take your guns away, as he labeled Cornyn a RINO in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. While in office, Trump notably supported measures allowing law enforcement to confiscate guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others, saying in 2018: Take the guns first, go through due process second. House GOP leadership, meanwhile, told Republicans in a closed-door meeting that they oppose the measure and are expected to push lawmakers to vote against it, NBC News reported. The National Rifle Association has come out in opposition to the legislation, arguing it leaves too much discretion in the hands of government officials and contains undefined and overbroad provisions. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz voted against it and Cornyn was booed at the Texas GOP convention last week, where delegates pushed a resolution rebuking him for working with Democrats on the bill. Conservatives have been especially wary of provisions aimed at closing the so-called boyfriend loophole by extending federal laws that prohibit convicted domestic abusers from buying guns to include current and recent dating partners. Under the bill, they would be able to purchase firearms five years after a domestic violence conviction, provided they are not convicted of any additional violent offenses during that time. Some Republicans have also opposed provisions that would offer funding for states to create crisis intervention programs, including red flag laws that allow police to take guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill does not create any such laws, just provides funding to enact them. Cornyn on Wednesday talked up conservative wins in the bill during a Senate GOP lunch, including funding for law enforcement and no new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. He also highlighted provisions included at the request of the National Rifle Association. Those included that the enhanced background checks for juvenile gun buyers are repealed after 10 years and that bans on domestic abusers buying firearms only applies to recent relationships, and first time offenders can purchase guns again after five years. ben.wermund@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite growing calls for gun reform in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, a Texas Senate committee discussing legislative responses to the massacre spent little time debating firearm safety measures in two days of public hearings. While senators questioned mental health, law enforcement and school safety experts for hours, the group flew through testimony from gun control activists. The advocates had gathered at the Capitol to call for stronger background checks, waiting periods when purchasing assault-style rifles, and red flag laws that would temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. Solutions that only address mental health and school security are not adequate alone, testified Nicole Golden, the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Texas Gun Sense. Even with more funds and better enforcement of policies, experts have said theres no indication that intensifying school security has prevented violence. Wednesdays hearing was scheduled to address mental health and firearm safety, but the former dominated testimony. Texas Republican leaders have emphasized mental health services after the Uvalde massacre, as well as new investments in school security, while rejecting calls from the left to restrict gun access. Top mental health officials told lawmakers that if they want to bolster student counseling services, as Texas leaders have suggested since the mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school, theyll have to entice more people to work in the field. They also advocated expanded student telehealth services, early crisis intervention and a concerted effort to extend health insurance to all Texans. We have to strengthen the workforce, testified Sonja Gaines, a behavioral health official at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. We just simply have to do that. The Uvalde shooter was an 18-year-old high school dropout who exhibited signs of violence that were never reported to authorities, according to state officials. People interviewed after the massacre described him as suicidal and cruel to animals. Andy Keller, the president and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, said school shooters generally have a distinct profile: boys under the age of 20 or 21 who, in almost all cases, were exposed to early childhood trauma, bullying and severe abuse. There's an identifiable crisis point, usually with suicidal [ideas], and self-hate turns against others, Keller said. The issue is that while that is the profile of these school shooters, it is also the profile of other young adults who are never going to do that. Democrats and gun control advocates have noted that the gunman would not have been able to murder 21 people and injure 17 more within minutes if he could not obtain an assault-style weapon. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox In written testimony submitted to the Senate committee, eight Texas health organizations led by Dr. Gary Floyd, the president of the Texas Medical Association called for a multifaceted response that includes mental health investments and sensible firearm safety measures. Gun violence, including many suicides, results from a number of factors but some include toxic stress, persistent childhood adversity, and a frayed health and community safety net that leaves many children and families without the health care and social services they need to overcome them, Floyd wrote. Still, several people who testified Wednesday stressed that there is little evidence mental illnesses cause mass shootings or that people diagnosed with them are more likely to commit violent crimes. They also warned that blaming mental illness could stigmatize the wide range of people who live with psychological disorders. It's very important that we all keep in mind that mental illnesses on their own do not cause violence. Violence itself is not a mental illness, said Keller, though he noted severe mental illness drives slightly more risk ... for violence of any type, against self or others. An untreated psychosis, Keller said, makes someone 15 times more likely to commit murder. The wonderful thing about that statistic is treatment alleviates that risk, he said. So, these are treatable illnesses. They're not the same as evil. Stephanie Chapman, a behavioral health psychologist at the Houston-based Center for Children and Women, said integrating mental health services into pediatric primary care breaks down a lot of the stigma that keeps families from engaging in behavioral health care in the first place. Most children and adolescents see their [primary care providers] at least annually, often many more times than that, and pediatric primary care providers are often the most trusted health authority that families engage with, Chapman said. One program established under a state-run child mental health consortium trains primary care doctors to treat mental health issues in young patients, though the initiative like others enacted after Santa Fe has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The consortium also runs TCHATT Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine that provides virtual services to public school students who need mental health treatment. Texas currently spends $25 million annually to provide those resources to about 40 percent of the student body, and House Speaker Dade Phelan has suggested investing another $37.5 million each year to expand the services statewide. In any case, recent consortium data indicates that few students are referred to the telemedicine care for harming others. About 41 percent are referred for anxiety, and another 34 percent for depression, while 17 percent were at risk of suicide and 14 percent self-harmed. None were referred for harming others. cayla.harris@express-news.net jasper.scherer@chron.com Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales has a problem his office has been losing prosecutors at a fast rate this year. Theyve been leaving for positions in civil law firms and DA offices in suburban counties, where the pay is often higher and the workload lighter. On Tuesday, Bexar County commissioners helped Gonzales out, approving a 5 percent across-the-broad pay hike for county employees, including the district attorneys shrinking staff. The county pay raises will cost an estimated $14.7 million over the next year. More than 10 percent of his prosecutors have left so far this year, or 27 prosecutors from his staff of 250, according to Gonzales. Compounding the problem: his office is currently working through a major backlog of cases, the result of court closures earlier in the COVID pandemic. The heavier caseloads, in turn, are making it harder to retain attorneys. Gonzales sought more funding for compensation to keep experienced prosecutors and to better compete for new attorneys. Entry-level pay for Bexar County assistant DAs is currently about $67,000 per year. Before commissioners voted 5-0 to raise county employees pay, they got an earful from several of Gonzales prosecutors about the difficulties of their work. On ExpressNews.com: Facing exodus of prosecutors, Bexar DA seeking salary boost for his attorneys We are the guards of the gate, chief of intake Emily Angulo told the commissioners. Our experience is indispensable to keeping the community safe, and we are leaving. A prosecutor for more than 22 years, Angulo supervises 21 intake lawyers who are responsible for 397 cases apiece. How fast they can review those cases has significantly changed, she said. In 2014, we ingested and reviewed 46,000 gigabytes of digital media. In 2021, its 260,000 gigabytes of digital media, which takes approximately 520,000 man hours to review. Experienced prosecutors are leaving, and we have to stop it somehow because the only ones who end up suffering are the community, she said. Talia Triesch, a prosecutor for 16 years and a former TV journalist, read several headlines about cases of children who were murdered in Bexar County. Those are not just headlines, she said. Those are real victims of real, horrific crimes, the brutality of which is the stuff of real nightmares. My nightmares. My colleagues nightmares. Our families nightmares. She said prosecutors often are overcome with emotion when reviewing the autopsy reports of brutalized children. Its trauma like this that I and my colleagues go through day after day after day, Triesch said. We cant, and dont, go down when we leave work at the end of the day, whenever that may be, she said. It is a burden that weighs heavily on us and our families. When assistant DAs see so many of their colleagues leave for higher-paying jobs, she said, it makes them question how much longer they can keep doing their jobs here. Prosecutor Joshua Luke Sandoval told the commissioners that the job he does today is not the same one he walked into as a new lawyer 10 years ago. He said it used to be comprised mostly of picking up a thin paper file, going over witness statements, filing motions and trying it, if need be, he said. But with societal norms loosening and their job responsibilities increasing prosecutors are pushed beyond the boundary of duress on a daily basis, Sandoval said. We are prosecutors, but now we are also advocates for those with mental health issues, we are juvenile justice specialists, we are drivers of pretrial diversions, we partake is specialty courts, all on top of that which we have always done counsel the victims and hold the hands of those who have lost loved ones, many times children, he said. Sandoval caught the attention of County Judge Nelson Wolff, who called his testimony very enlightening. He said in a very short time what the job entailed 10 to 20 years ago and what it entails today, Wolff said. In 2001, we created the first specialty court, and now we have 14 of them. It is a volume issue, but also the changes and nature of the work that prosecutors are doing. Wolff asked Sandoval to write a letter to commissioners about the challenges prosecutors face. Referring to the exodus of prosecutors, Wolff said no one saw this storm coming up that or other problems stemming from the pandemic. A lot of things have transpired the last several months that have put stress on the whole county system, Wolff said. One step we took today will help a little, but its not going to get you where you need to be. I understand that, but it will be a step forward. Prosecutors pay raise will take effect in July. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 In a letter written Tuesday by Texas' Big City Mayors, a "bipartisan coalition" of mayors from the state's most populous cities, mayors across the state, including San Antonio's Ron Nirenberg called for state leadership to "take immediate action to prevent the next mass shooting in Texas." The mayors specifically called upon Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session that includes the following: Require universal background checks for gun purchases Increase the age to purchase assault weapons in Texas to 21 Pass Red Flag laws to identify threats before shootings Significant increase in mental health funding Train and properly resource school safety officers The coalition, which "represents a continuum of political ideology," wrote that Texans have a strong desire for "common sense reform to protect our children." The legislature and executive leaders can come together to "find the right solutions for Texas," the coalition wrote. The reforms called for by the coalition are supported by most Texans, the mayors wrote, and would have prevented the shooters in El Paso and Uvalde from obtaining their weapons. "The communities of Uvalde, El Paso, Santa Fe and Sutherland Springs deserve better," the coalition wrote. Texas is currently ranked No. 50 in the nation for mental health care access by Mental Health America, and the coalition wrote that "significant investments in behavioral health, several magnitudes greater than what has been mentioned, are both needed and urgent." Pursuing gun policies that ease access to firearms makes the jobs of our first responders even more difficult, the coalition wrote, also stating that the lack of statewide access to mental health services has caused the state's first responders, especially police, to be the only response to a person in crisis "all too often." Along with Mayor Nirenberg, the letter was signed by mayors from Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Houston, Laredo, Plano and Sugar Land. shepard.price@express-news.net | @shepardgprice HELOTES Seventy-eight years ago this week, Bill Lozano was aboard the battleship USS Washington, part of a vast fleet supporting the Allied invasion of Saipan. When he wasnt serving as a radarman, he was in the ships crows nest with other sailors, scanning the sky for Japanese Zeros, fast, nimble fighter aircraft. Lozano, who elevates modesty to an art form, says it wasnt all that exciting. I wasnt manning a gun or anything like that, said the retired lawyer, now 96. I was just doing a job that had to be done on the ship, and I was lucky to be on the Washington. We were never hit by the kamikazes. They came close to us many times, but never hit us. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio vet survived D-Day to turn 100 Lozano was a participant in and witness to a series of critical, bloody island battles that were key to the Allied victory in the Pacific. He was there for Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and he served with American forces that chased what was left of the Imperial Japanese Navy into the Philippine Sea without ever quite catching it. Lozanos time in the Navy first crisscrossing the Pacific, later ferrying troops across the Atlantic took up barely two years of a long life, like a stones ripple across a tranquil lake. On ExpressNews.com: Day veteran gets medals decades later at Fort Sam Houston Today, he is a widower with failing eyesight and a sharp memory. He occasionally leaves home for breakfast with a handful of other veterans. They wear red shirts and black caps that announce the wars they fought in. They even have fans in this case, people captivated by living history. Faith Evangeline, 22, recently paid tribute to the vets by standing up after breakfast at a Jims restaurant on the Northwest Side and bursting into a cappella renditions of two classic songs Dream A Little Dream of Me and a wartime favorite, Lets Remember Pearl Harbor. History in evry century records an act that lives forevermore, Evangeline sang. Well recall, as into line we fall, the thing that happened on Hawaiis shore. On ExpressNews.com: Vet who dodged death over WWII Europe marks 101 years Then the chorus: Lets remember Pearl Harbor as we go to meet the foe. Lets remember Pearl Harbor as we did the Alamo. Diners stopped to take snapshots, shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Lozano and his fellow veterans, who sat together at a long row of tables. Thank you for your service, several said. A terrible, terrible battle Like a giant storm surge, a war bigger than any other in American history swept 16 million people out of civilian life and into military service. In January 1944, Lozano was 18 and fresh out of Jefferson High School and a part-time job at a Piggly Wiggly supermarket. He knew a draft notice was coming from the Army, and he joined the Navy a week before it arrived. He went to San Diego for basic training and later made his way to Bremerton, Wash., home port of the Washington, a 35,000-ton North Carolina class, fast battleship. The year before Lozano boarded her, the Washington sailed in the South and Central Pacific, taking part in invasions of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943 and the Marshall Islands early the following year. Her bow was damaged in a collision with the battleship USS Indiana on Feb. 1, 1944, and she had to be idled for repairs. The Washington then went back to the Pacific, participating in the Marianas invasion in June 1944 and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Battle of Saipan lasted from mid-June to July 9 of that year. A task force of 15 aircraft carriers, seven battleships, 11 cruisers, 86 destroyers and more than 900 planes along with 127,000 troops took the fight to the Japanese. The invasion fleet left Pearl Harbor on June 5, 1944, the day before the Allies launched the Normandy Invasion to liberate Europe from the Nazis. In Saipan, the Allied force defeated the 43rd Infantry Division of the Imperial Japanese Army. The loss of the strategic island, with the deaths of at least 29,000 troops, left the Japanese home islands within range of U.S. B-29 bombers. More battles followed: Tinian, Guam, the Palaus, Leyte, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Lozano has vivid memories of Iwo Jima in particular. My battle station was on the crows nest, and our ship was bombarding the island, and I could see these small landing craft unloading all these Marines on the beach, and we were shooting over their heads in front of them to soften the area up, he said. The shelling went on for three days, he added. I was just lucky. I had a buddy that worked for me when I was in Piggly Wiggly. He was in one of the foxholes. After the war we were able to talk, and he was telling me about being in a foxhole, and I was telling him I was on the Washington We were shooting right over his head to soften up the rock up there, make it easier for the Marines to capture the rock. It was a terrible, terrible battle because it took them a long time to do it. No big deal By the time the U.S. forces had taken Iwo Jima in March 1945, one in every four Americans involved had been killed or injured 6,871 dead and 19,217 wounded. In all, 27 sailors and Marines received the Medal of Honor 14 posthumously. I considered myself lucky because I had a place to take a shower. The Marines were sitting in there in the foxholes, Lozano said. We had regular meals in the mess halls. We had a place to take a shower and a place to sleep. I mean, it was a floating city, is what it was, because there were about 2,400 people on the Washington. Russell Minor, who organized the breakfast at Jims, pondered Lozanos modesty. I dont know why he says that, because that battleship won 13 battle stars, said Minor, 68, of Boerne. He was in a lot of battles that a lot of Navy guys lost their lives, let me put it that way. Maybe since he never got a scratch, maybe thats why he talks like that, but I notice a lot of those guys play down what they did. Its true. Maj. Gen. Bob Parker, a San Antonio retiree who once led the Air Forces Space Command, said the World War II generation is the most modest, polite generation in the world. He added: Youll find out that a couple of guys who landed at Normandy beach, they say, Oh, yeah, we landed and were under fire. Bob Masters, 96, of Shavano Park, is a Navy veteran who served aboard an amphibious ship that landed troops in southern France on Aug. 15, 1944, two months after Normandy. The invasion of southern France, Operation Dragoon, is sometimes called the Second D-Day. Its no big deal, Masters said. We all did the same thing. Everybody who went into the service got their assigned post, and that was it. Its normal for veterans to downplay their wartime feats, said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Ray Falke, 95, of Hollywood Park. Falke is a Navy veteran of World War II who won a Distinguished Flying Cross for braving heavy anti-aircraft fire in North Korea. Youre doing what they told you to do, he said. So friendly and so sharp Lozano returned to San Antonio in 1946 a battle-tested veteran. He earned a bachelors degree and then a law degree at St. Marys University all on the G.I. Bill. He no longer drives because his eyes are going bad. He has three children, one of whom lives in San Antonio and takes care of him. He goes out with his veteran pals for a couple of red shirt breakfasts every month. Bills one of my favorites, so friendly and so sharp, said Tammy Martin, whose father, Bob Warren, now 101, dropped paratroopers into France on D-Day. You would never guess his age. When Lozano talks of watching the war from his perch in the crows nest of the Washington, its as if hes still there, high above the Pacific, as the U.S. fleet sails toward Tokyo. You had about four aircraft carriers in the center, you had about four battleships around the carriers, and you had about eight or 10 cruisers around the battleships and about 15 or 18 destroyers around the cruisers, he said. We would be on the same course all the time, and when we had to make a turn, the whole unit would make a turn. sigc@express-news.net The golden-fronted woodpecker and the red-shouldered hawk are among the hundreds of bird species that call San Antonio home at least for part of the year. Not only are they two of the 250 recorded species in San Antonio, they are also among the 615 species found in Texas, which is more than any other U.S. state, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Texas sees a larger diversity of birds because it is along a major migratory pathway that stretches more than 5,000 miles from Central and South America to the polar regions of North America known as the Central Flyway. On ExpressNews.com: 'You dont put BBQ sauce on good brisket': Readers give hot takes on San Antonio's food scene "For many species, this marks a geographical limit of their range, so you can find both eastern and western bird species, resulting in a greater diversity," Connie Swann, a marketing manager with the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department wrote in an email. "It is also within the Central Flyway, so many migratory species pass through or winter here." Common bird species in San Antonio include the boat-tailed grackle and white-winged dove. Birds, including small species like the black-crested titmouse and golden-fronted woodpecker and larger species like the red-shouldered hawk and snowy egret, usually come to roost and nest in the San Antonio area around late February or early March and stay until September or October. During the winter, most San Antonio species and their young head south to warmer climates. However, winter also sees a variety of species in the San Antonio area, Swann said. On ExpressNews.com: High-flying falcons and hawks regular visitors to San Antonio couples high-rise apartment "The kinds of birds found in San Antonio will vary by habitat and time of year, but no matter where you are, a variety of birds can be seen," Swann wrote. San Antonio has been recognized as a leader in bird conservation since 2021 by the TPWD and Audubon Texas, as one of seven Texas cities certified in the Bird City Texas program. However, San Antonio was ranked the No. 10 most deadly city in the country for spring migratory birds by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, due in part to light from buildings confusing birds. The top two threats to birds in the United States are free-ranging house cats, which kill an estimated 1.3 billion to 4 billion birds annually, and birds striking buildings, which kill an estimated 600 million additional birds each year. To help birds, TPWD encourages San Antonio residents to: Turn lights off at night Provide food, with native plants being the best source of bird food Bird feeders and baths should be properly maintained, with bird baths and feeders cleaned every two weeks with a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach. Be sure to scrub off any debris before soaking in the bleach solution. Ensure the feeder is completely dry before refilling and hanging back up Landscape with native plants Keep cats indoors Reduce the use of pesticides Prevent window collisions, learn how at the Audubon's website Birds are an important part of San Antonio's ecosystem for multiple reasons, Swann wrote. "They help keep insect and rodent populations in check. They serve as pollinators for many native plant species. Birds play a role in helping us better understand our climate and environmental change by serving as key bio-indicator species," Swann wrote. Birding fans can use Ebird.org as a resource for finding birding locations and "hot spots" throughout the city, including the kinds of birds at each location. shepard.price@express-news.net | @shepardgprice Ken Branca A man was found dead in his Northeast Side apartment after at least one neighbor heard gunfire coming from the apartment where the man was found, according the San Antonio Police Department. At around 1 a.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 6800 block of Glendora Avenue for an injured person. When authorities arrived, they found the 44-year-old man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Robb Elementary School, the site of a mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 students and two teachers dead, is set to be demolished, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said Tuesday. During a city council meeting, McLaughlin said that no child or teacher should be asked to return to the school after the May 24 massacre. "That building needs to be gone," McLaughlin told NBC. No timeline has been set for the demolition. "Students and staff will not be returning to the Robb Elementary campus," Superintendent Hal Harrell wrote in a June 1 statement. "We are working through plans on how to serve students on other campuses and will provide that information as soon as it is finalized. We are also working with agencies to help us identify improvements on all Uvalde CISD campuses." Morning of Chaos: A reconstruction of how the Uvalde massacre unfolded According to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, President Joe Biden supports demolishing the school and building a new campus. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer A federal grant designed for schools involved in mass shootings will likely help pay for the razing and rebuilding of the school, Gutierrez told MSNBC. The grant covers up to $45 million in expenses. During the city council meeting, McLaughlin expressed frustration over how hard it has been for city officials to get answers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the massacre. South Korea's new COVID-19 cases came below the 10,000 mark for the 13th consecutive day Tuesday as the Omicron variant slows. Meanwhile the authorities were examining two possible monkeypox cases in what could be the first outbreak in the country. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 8,992 new infections, including 106 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,298,341. There were 11 more deaths from the disease, the KDCA said, putting the toll at 24,474 for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent. The number of critically ill patients came to 64, down from 68 the previous day. (Yonhap) Cassie Stricker / San Antonio Express-News A hiking trail with an observation tower with a view of downtown is the best in San Antonio, according to users of a fitness and travel mobile app. Alltrails.com is commonly used for outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking and climbing. The service allows users to access a database of trail maps, including crowdsourced reviews and images. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Bexar County Hospital Districts board of managers on Tuesday unanimously approved plans to build two new hospitals in medically underserved areas one on the Southwest Side near Texas A&M University-San Antonio and one on the Northeast Side at Retama. Each new hospital campus will offer 140 beds across four floors, with room to expand the buildings upward and outward. They will provide general medicine, obstetrics, general surgery, cardiac and orthopedic services. Designs for the buildings are expected to take a year, University Health President and CEO George Hernandez said. The Retama hospital could open as soon as 2026 and the Texas A&M hospital as soon as 2027. Plans for a South Side hospital were particularly welcomed by University Health board member Pat Jasso, who was appointed to the seven-member board in February by Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores. The commissioner asked Jasso to advocate for increased medical resources in Precinct 1, which spans the west and south portions of the county. Its just so needed, Jasso said after the meeting. We really need more hospital beds on the South Side, so I know this is going to be successful. A recent Express-News investigation on health inequities found that medical facilities in San Antonio are heavily concentrated in the northern parts of the city, placed in areas where patients generally are healthier and more affluent and where providers can collect higher reimbursements from insurance companies. In the southern part of the city, options for hospitals, medical specialists and surgical centers are limited. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, infections have been much more prevalent and more deadly for people living in these areas on the South Side, where the population is 81 percent Hispanic. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios South, West sides to get more medical facilities, new public health school Weve always stood for access to care. Its been a core value for us, Hernandez said. We only have one hospital for a very huge network. The total cost for both proposed hospital projects is estimated at $950 million, to be funded with $450 million in cash reserves and $500 million in tax-exempt municipal bonds. Hospital officials said there will be no increase in property taxes. Chief Financial Officer Reed Hurley said the Retama hospital will likely break even after two years, while the Southwest Side hospital would take longer to operate without a loss based on the mix of health insurance coverage that residents have in those areas. More than 21 percent of patients in the southern region are unfunded, which means they neither have commercial insurance nor are covered by Medicaid or Medicare. Still, Hernandez said the upfront investment will pay off in the long run and assured board members that University Health leaders are prepared to handle the systems expansion. Chief Operating Officer Ed Banos said they project that both hospitals will be profitable for the system because being able to treat patients on the South Side closer to where they live will relieve pressure on the main hospital campus, making room there for more complex medical cases. The two smaller community hospitals will operate under an open staff model, while the main hospital will rely on hiring its own medical staff and its academic partnership with UT Health San Antonio. Access Denied series: San Antonios wealthy, healthy areas have more hospitals and clinics and theres little motivation to change that Robert Hromas, dean at the Long School of Medicine and the vice president for medical affairs at the health science center, said it strongly supports plans to open two new hospitals. I wish we wouldve done this three years ago, he said. We desperately need more beds. The 12-story Womens and Childrens Hospital, which is set to open next summer, will enable the system to accommodate more patient volume, but its not enough to keep up with population growth in the county. Hospital officials presented plans to expand acute care bed capacity in response to rapid growth as projections show that by 2030, Bexar Countys population will increase by 28 percent to 2.5 million. As it is, University Hospital is treating adult patients across three older buildings. They opened six beds adjacent to the pediatric emergency room, and those have remained full since they opened. The system also recently bought a minority share of PAM Healths Warm Springs Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers, which enabled 17 rehab beds to be converted to medical-surgical acute beds. Those, too, are full. There are no more options, Banos said. The beds that could be converted (to make room) have been. The board approved the recommendation to seek approval from Bexar County commissioners at their next meeting to issue certificates of obligation for the proposed project. By law, the county must notify taxpayers of the proposed issuance of bonds and must allow 45 days before proceeding with the bond sale. University Health has been eyeing expansion in other parts of Bexar County. In 2020, it bought an 80-acre tract on the far West Side near Loop 1604 and Shaenfield Road with the intention of eventually building a community hospital; however, this site is not included in the capital improvement program approved Tuesday. laura.garcia@express-news.net State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has sued the Texas Department of Public Safety for records relating to the Uvalde mass shooting and the law enforcement response. Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, says he has been stonewalled in his attempts to learn accurate details of what happened on behalf of his constituents. In the wake of this massacre, the State of Texas has completely failed to provide the community of Uvalde with truthful answers, Gutierrez said in a statement Wednesday. Weeks have come and gone, and yet families who lost their children have not been told by their government the basic information about who was on site as their children bled, what tools were at their disposal to stop the gunman, and exactly why they decided to wait instead of act. Gutierrez, an outspoken critic of the police response, said he filed an open records request for several documents and other information relating to the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary, in which a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 people. Salavador Ramos, 18, shot around 100 bullets from an assault rifle at the beginning of the attack in two classrooms and was holed up behind two unlocked doors for more than an hour before officers stormed in and killed him, according to the latest timeline that DPS Director Steven McCraw provided to a state Senate committee investigating the shooting. Calling the law enforcement response an abject failure, McCraw said responding local officers had the necessary equipment and firepower to overtake and kill the gunman within minutes of the rampage. He confirmed a previous Express-News report that police never checked the classroom doors to see if, in fact, they were locked. Gutierrezs lawsuit, filed in Uvalde, follows an open records request he filed on May 30. The suit said DPS had not responded to his request in 10 days, as required by law, nor sought an opinion from the Texas attorney general on whether it should release any of the information. The request seeks ballistics reports of the mass shooting, any document or report that details the police and DPS presence at the school, and the times each responding officer arrived at the scene. Gutierrez also wants to know who was in operational control at every step of the law enforcement response at Robb Elementary. The San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle have submitted at least a dozen open records requests regarding the Uvalde massacre to various public entities, including the City of Uvalde and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, among others. Gutierrezs suit makes claims similar to what some residents of Uvalde and others have alleged that there is a cover-up. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin has pushed back and denies it. There is no cover-up, McLaughlin said in a statement Tuesday. Anyone who suggests the City of Uvalde is withholding information without legitimate and legal reasons is wrong and is spreading misinformation. There are specific legal reasons the city cannot release information at this time. He referred questions about body cam videos and Robb Elementary investigative records to the district attorney, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Rangers. The premature release of anything related to the May 24 Department of Public Safety (DPS)/Texas Rangers investigation or Critical Incident Review by the Department of Justice is a disservice to families who lost children or parents because the true facts need to come out once all investigations/reviews, which the city expects will be thorough and fair, are complete, the mayors statement said. McCraw told the state Senate committee that Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee has requested his agency not make statements to the media to preserve the integrity of the investigation. McCraw gave his last press conference on May 27. His agency only made brief statements after that to acknowledge, for instance, that a teacher had closed an exterior door to Robb Elementary after McCraw incorrectly said that she left it propped open. The gunman used that door to enter the school. Mitchell Busbee, who was elected DA in 2020 after running unopposed, has not responded to the San Antonio Express-News requests for comment. She told KSAT-TV on June 16 that she is not doing any investigation herself but waiting to review the probe by the Texas Rangers and Department of Public Safety. In his lawsuit, Gutierrez said that from the very start, the response to this awful gun tragedy has been full of misinformation and outright lies from our government. On the first day following the shooting, Governor (Greg) Abbott told us that without law enforcements quick response this situation would have been worse. He added: For over 40 agonizing minutes students and teachers lay dying in the classrooms, hopelessly dialing 9-1-1 while law enforcement held back and waited for keys despite having at least 3 ballistic shields and a breaching tool on-site. By not taking common sense gun safety measures to prevent such atrocities as this, the state of Texas failed 21 Texans, their families, and countless others touched by the tragedy. We must not fail these families again with cover-ups and misinformation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE Three days after the Robb Elementary School massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead, Gov. Greg Abbott expressed outrage over being misled about law enforcements response to the school shooting, the second-worst in American history. But in the weeks since, hes said nothing about who fed him the bad information that the quick action of officers on the scene had saved lives. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. told the San Antonio Express-News that he knows who did it. Abbott said it was the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to McLaughlin. He told us, the mayor said after a City Council session here Tuesday night. In the room, he said, DPS misled you and they misled me. Related: Police chief for Uvalde schools, Pete Arredondo, placed on administrative leave McLaughlin didnt elaborate about the exchange, and a spokeswoman for Abbott didnt directly address the mayors claim that hed blamed the DPS, which reports to the governor, for the misinformation. As the governor has said, and as shown in his handwritten notes, the information he originally shared was provided during a briefing by a roomful of law enforcement and public officials, who detailed the actions and response by law enforcement, spokeswoman Renae Eze said in a written statement Wednesday. When asked at a May 27 news conference in the Uvalde High School auditorium if he had been misled, Abbott said, So your questionthe short answer, yes, I was misled. I am livid about what happened. I was on this very stage two days ago, and I was telling the public information that had been told to me in a room just a few yards behind where were located right now. Abbott was referring to a news conference on May 25, a day after the massacre, in which he gave high marks to law enforcement officers who rushed to the shooting scene. He said they labored to stop the Robb Elementary gunman, Salvador Ramos, 18, a high school dropout from Uvalde. The reason it was not worse is because law enforcement officials did what they do, he said. The governor went on to say that officers showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire for the singular purpose of trying to save lives. And it is a fact that, because of their quick response, getting on the scene, being able to respond to the gunman and eliminate the gunman, they were able to save lives. That was far from what happened. Abbotts DPS director, Steven McCraw, told reporters in an emotional press conference on the morning of May 27 that 19 officers waited for close to an hour in a hallway outside adjoining classrooms as children repeatedly phoned 911 begging for help. DPS officers were in the hallway, but McCraw said they did not have the authority by law to take command from local authorities. He said waiting for 45 minutes before breaching the door and killing Ramos long after he had gunned down the students and two teachers was the wrong decision, period. That afternoon, on May 27, the governor told reporters that he wrote down hand notes in detail about what everybody in that room told me in sequential order about what happened. As everybody has learned, the information that I was given turned out in part to be inaccurate, and Im absolutely livid about that, Abbott said. Abject failure McCraw went further in condemning the errors authorities made in the Robb Elementary shooting in testimony Tuesday before the state Senates new committee examining school safety and gun violence. He called police efforts an abject failure and antithetical to everything we have learned over the past two decades. He blamed Pedro Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school districts police chief and on-scene commander during the shooting, for failing to confront the teenage gunman sooner. Arredondo, however, told the Texas Tribune that he never considered himself the incident commander but did everything he could to save lives, and was hindered by a door he didnt have the key to unlock. Security footage shows that police never tried to open the doors to the classrooms, according to a law enforcement source close to the investigation. The latest reports indicate that first responders had arrived at Robb Elementary just minutes after the shooting began and had acquired bulletproof shields and assault-style weapons shortly after yet still waited more than an hour to enter the connected classrooms where the shooter had barricaded himself. One hour, 14 minutes, and 8 seconds, McCraw said Tuesday. Thats how long the children waited and the teachers waited in room 111 to be rescued. And while they waited, the on-scene commander waited for radio and rifles. And he waited for shields, and he waited for SWAT. Lastly, he waited for a key that was never needed. On Tuesday night in Uvalde, McLaughlin resisted what he described as efforts to place blame solely on Arredondo and local law enforcement. Its time that we faced up to it everybody in that hall needs to answer for what went on, the mayor said. Not just Pete Arredondo, not just the local Uvalde Police Department, but the U.S. Marshals need to answer, the Border Patrol needs to answer, DPS needs to answer, the Texas Rangers need to answer, everybody needs to answer. Because you saw these citizens and these grieving families that were here tonight. They deserve answers, he said. sigc@express-news.net Former "Star Trek" star George Takei is trolling the Texas Republican Party for labeling homosexuality abnormal in a raft of resolutions and proposed platform changes earlier this week. Takei, who married husband Brad Takei in 2008, changed his Twitter profile on Sunday, shortly after state Republicans adopted a new platform that referred to homosexuality as an abnormal lifestyle choice. You might also like: GOP wants Texans to vote on secession from U.S. plus 6 other takeaways from the party's convention Takei changed his Twitter bio on his profile to I am an abnormal lifestyle choice. He said the change was meant to honor the Texas GOP. The document containing the partys new guiding principles states: We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homeosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. In a series of tweets, the 85-year-old actor a Democrat and a critic of former President Donald Trump told his 3.4 million followers this week: We must see the labeling of homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice by the Texas GOPs platform for what it is: neo-facist dehumanization. He added: Facists target vulnerable minority groups and seek to galvanize public hate against them. On ExpressNews.com: How to crash San Antonios best hotel pools without getting a room At 5-years-old, Takei was sent to a World War II-era Japanese internment camp with his parents and two siblings. From 1942 to 1948, the U.S. government ripped hundreds of thousands of Americans of Japanese descent from their homes across the country, herded them onto closed train cars and shipped them like cattle to internment camps. One such camp was in Crystal City, in the desolate South Texas desert 120 miles from San Antonio. Takei also said that conservative candidates running for office should be asked if they denounced the states official platform. Among Texas adopted party platform, state Republicans approved measures declaring that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected and urged the legislature to allow Texans to vote on whether the state should secede from the United States. timothy.fanning@express-news.net Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn isnt backing down on gun safety legislation in response to Uvalde despite a rough reception from party delegates in Houston over the weekend. Days after being booed and rebuked during the Republican Party of Texas Convention for working on compromise legislation with Democrats in the Senate, Cornyn made it clear Tuesday he is still trying to find common ground and says they are pressing ahead. I think we have found some areas where there is space for compromise, Cornyn said during a 20-minute speech in the Senate chamber on Tuesday. And weve also found that there are some red lines and no middle ground. Later on Tuesday, Cornyn and the other Senators working on the legislation released a draft proposal of the 80-page bill that would increase funding for community mental health programs and allow reviews of juvenile records for gun purchasers under the age of 21. I know this bill is not going to please everyone, said Cornyn, first elected to the Senate in 2002. Some think it goes too far. Others think it doesn't go far enough. And I get it. But the nature of compromise and the nature of actually wanting to get a result requires that everybody try to find common ground where we can. Cornyn once again made clear that the legislation is not creating a national red flag law that would prevent people from getting weapons if theyve had mental health issues. He said law-abiding citizens will not be stopped from getting a gun under the compromise bill. We are not introducing a national red flag law, but we are providing the availability of law enforcement-related grants to crisis intervention programs, whether you adopted a red flag program or not, he said. On Saturday, the Republican Party of Texas Convention passed a resolution rejecting the bipartisan deal without seeing the text of it. And the resolution included a rebuke of Cornyn and the 9 other Republicans working on the legislation. That rebuke came a day after the crowd of 8,000 delegates booed Cornyn throughout his speech, even as he tried to explain it would not tighten restrictions on law-abiding gun owners in Texas. jeremy.wallace@chron.com WASHINGTON Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress, was sworn into office on Tuesday as Republican leaders cheered the historic moment and declared that her win in a long-blue South Texas district is a sign of GOP momentum heading into the midterms. Today, I will give a voice to the voiceless to say that the people who live and work in South Texas have had enough, Flores said. We want to be heard and we are tired of being taken for granted and treated like second class citizens. Right now our people are struggling. Theyre taken for granted, she said. That ends now. BACKGROUND: Republican Mayra Flores flips South Texas district to become first Mexican-born congresswoman Flores was born in Burgos, Tamaulipas, Mexico, immigrating to the United States when she was 6 years old and becoming a citizen at 14. She started working at 13, picking cotton with her parents in the Panhandle town of Memphis to pay for her own school supplies and clothes. Flores described herself as a proud Border Patrol wife and mother fighting for a better future and said she wants to be an example for future generations. I want to inspire every child that today is working in the fields, she said. I want you to know that you can become a congressman, a congresswoman, if you work hard. Floress victory last week in a district Republicans have not held for more than 100 years comes after the GOP poured money and resources into a special election they saw as an early chance to prove they can continue to make inroads in South Texas and among Latino voters. GOP leaders touted her win at a press conference on Tuesday, saying she was the first of whats going to be a growing House Republican conference. Nothings greater than Mayra Floress story, said Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House. Think about the seat in which she won. It is a seat the Republican Party has not held in more than 100 years, in the Rio Grande Valley. Still, Flores may not hold the district for long. She will fill the remainder of U.S. Rep. Filemon Velas term, which expires in January, after Vela resigned from the seat in March to take a job at a lobbying firm earlier this year. Flores must run for re-election in the fall, and Democrats are already looking to take back the seat, which will be centered on a redrawn and much bluer district. Republicans were confident Flores isnt going anywhere. You may just be learning of Mayra Flores today, but youll be talking about her for years to come, McCarthy said. ben.wermund@chron.com WASHINGTON The Texas congressman whose district includes Uvalde says he plans to vote for a bipartisan gun bill that the Senate is poised to pass this week even as Republican opposition to the bill appears to be growing. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican, tweeted Wednesday that he supports the gun bill drafted by a bipartisan group of senators, including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, after recent mass shootings, including a gunmans attack on an elementary school in Uvalde that resulted in the deaths of 19 kids and two teachers. The legislation would be the first significant tightening of federal gun laws since 1994, bolstering background checks for gun buyers under 21 and restricting access to firearms for dating partners convicted of domestic abuse. It also provides funding for mental health programs, school security and for states to create red flag laws. As a congressman its my duty to pass laws that never infringe on the Constitution while protecting the lives of the innocent, Gonzales tweeted on Wednesday. In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING YES: Texas Republican representing Uvalde supports bipartisan gun bill The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later this week and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will take it up soon after. Gonzales explained his support by sharing that he is a survivor of domestic abuse. My stepfather would come home drunk & beat on me and my mother, Gonzales tweeted. One night he decided that wasnt enough and shoved a shotgun in my mothers mouth. I was 5 at the time and not strong enough to fend off the wolves. School was my sanctuary from the chaos at home, he said. Now I am 41, all grown up. Loving father of six children. Served our country in the Navy for 20 years, led men and women in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. I slay wolves every day. But the bill was drawing growing criticism from Republicans on Wednesday. Former President Donald Trump slammed it as the first step in the movement to take your guns away, as he labeled Cornyn a RINO in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. While in office, Trump notably supported measures allowing law enforcement to confiscate guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others, saying in 2018: Take the guns first, go through due process second. House GOP leadership, meanwhile, told Republicans in a closed-door meeting that they oppose the measure and are expected to push lawmakers to vote against it, NBC News reported. The National Rifle Association has come out in opposition to the legislation, arguing it leaves too much discretion in the hands of government officials and contains undefined and overbroad provisions. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz voted against it and Cornyn was booed at the Texas GOP convention last week, where delegates pushed a resolution rebuking him for working with Democrats on the bill. Conservatives have been especially wary of provisions aimed at closing the so-called boyfriend loophole by extending federal laws that prohibit convicted domestic abusers from buying guns to include current and recent dating partners. Under the bill, they would be able to purchase firearms five years after a domestic violence conviction, provided they are not convicted of any additional violent offenses during that time. Some Republicans have also opposed provisions that would offer funding for states to create crisis intervention programs, including red flag laws that allow police to take guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill does not create any such laws, just provides funding to enact them. Cornyn on Wednesday talked up conservative wins in the bill during a Senate GOP lunch, including funding for law enforcement and no new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. He also highlighted provisions included at the request of the National Rifle Association. Those included that the enhanced background checks for juvenile gun buyers are repealed after 10 years and that bans on domestic abusers buying firearms only applies to recent relationships, and first time offenders can purchase guns again after five years. ben.wermund@chron.com Temperatures in Texas are rising amid a June heatwave, testing the state's power grid and driving up demand for electricity. In a June 4 tweet, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Texans can blame their higher electric bills on supporters of the Green New Deal, a-yet-to-be-passed congressional plan touted as a strategy for tackling climate change. "The impact of President Biden being beholden to the Green New Deal radicals in his party has electricity costs through the roof in Texas," Cruz wrote in his tweet. He included a link to a Dallas Morning News article that tied electricity costs to the price of natural gas, which has been on the rise. Texas accounts for 15% of the U.S. total natural gas consumption and is the country's top natural gas consumer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration under the Department of Energy. In 2020, the amount of natural gas used for electricity generation was greatest in Texas compared to other states. So, what (or who) exactly is to blame for sky-high electric bills? Cruz says the progressives who champion measures to reduce the impact of climate change are at fault, but energy experts say Russia's war on Ukraine is driving up the cost of natural gas, which in turn impacts electricity costs. Let's explore. Biden's campaign promises Michael Webber, University of Texas professor with research specializing in clean energy technology, said the article Cruz tweeted undercuts his claim, because it attributes rising electricity costs to the price of natural gas, with no mention of the Green New Deal. Webber said the Green New Deal has not passed, so it has no influence over the current energy situation. The measure calls for the federal government to take steps to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Webber, who responded to Cruz's tweet online, called Cruz's claim "fundamentally flawed." But Steve Guest, a spokesperson for Cruz, said in an email Cruz's tweet "is completely accurate." Guest said that Biden's campaign website touts his support for the Green New Deal as "a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face." Guest pointed to campaign trail and debate stage promises Biden made that aligned with a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biden paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands, but the pause on new leasing did not impact current oil and gas production. In April, the Biden administration announced that it would resume selling leases for drilling on public lands with some limitations on the number of acres available and an increase in fees companies must pay to drill. Biden paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands, but the pause on new leasing did not impact current oil and gas production. In April, the Biden administration announced that it would resume selling leases for drilling on public lands with some limitations on the number of acres available and an increase in fees companies must pay to drill. Natural gas prices rising Carey King, assistant director at the University of Texas Energy Institute, said North America has been shipping more natural gas abroad over the last few decades. With the U.S. and North America more interconnected in that global trade, natural gas prices in Europe and Asia affect prices more in the U.S. Europe is seeking to import natural gas from countries other than Russia due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Europe is paying more money for natural gas, including liquefied natural gas from the United States. "And if LNG (liquefied natural gas) exporters in the United States can charge a higher price to sell to Europe, then they will," King said. "Because they're buying at a higher price, that affects the price of gas throughout the continent." U.S. exporters shipping more to Europe for a higher price puts pressure on natural gas prices in North America, King said. U.S. liquefied natural gas exports to Europe increased this year, according to the Energy Information Administration. The U.S. exported 74% of its liquefied natural gas to Europe through April this year compared to the annual average of 34% in 2021. At the same time, exports to Asia decreased through April. While investors could invest in more natural gas infrastructure for production and export, King said, that could take multiple years and it's not certain whether natural gas demand from Europe will remain at higher levels. Our ruling Cruz tweeted, "The impact of President Biden being beholden to the Green New Deal radicals in his party has electricity costs through the roof in Texas." However, Green New Deal legislation has not passed. Rising electricity costs are tied to natural gas prices, which in turn are impacted by European nations turning away from Russia as a major supplier of natural gas. We rate this False. Sources Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Sunny early then increasing cloudiness later in the day. Nearby storms may bring lightning, gusty winds. High 89F. N winds shifting to S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. President Yoon Suk-yeol called Wednesday for stronger measures against the inflow of monkeypox after the country reported its first two suspected cases the previous day, an official said. Yoon instructed health authorities to strengthen quarantine measures for foreign arrivals and to thoroughly monitor the possibility of additional cases, the presidential official told reporters. Yoon also told health authorities "to be fully ready to swiftly deploy the available vaccines and treatments to the medical front-lines and to complete the introduction of third-generation vaccines and antiviral treatments against monkeypox as soon as possible," the official said. Health authorities have been conducting diagnostic tests on the two suspected cases and are expected to announce the results later Wednesday. One of the suspected patients is a foreigner who arrived in the country Monday, while the other is a Korean national who arrived Tuesday, they said. The foreign national was admitted to a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan after complaining of a sore throat, skin lesions and other possible symptoms of the monkeypox virus. The Korean arrived at Incheon International Airport from Germany around 4 p.m. Tuesday and reportedly showed symptoms two days before arriving. The person has been admitted to Incheon Medical Center in Incheon, west of Seoul. The virus, traditionally confined to regions in Central and Western Africa, can cause symptoms that include fever, chills, rash and lesions. (Yonhap) (The Center Square) Northeastern Washington officials reacted to the news that state officials had followed through with lethal removal of two wolves from the Togo Pack by giving rare praise. They cowboyed up and did what they said they would do, said Jeff Flood, wildlife conflict specialist for Stevens and Ferry counties. He was aboard the helicopter tracking collared wolves during some of last weeks hunt. He said foggy and rainy weather made the search for Togo members difficult, but hunters assigned by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife still got the job done. It was pretty tough, but they far surpassed what everyone thought theyd do, said Flood. He was referencing past unsuccessful hunts of the Togo pack despite repeated livestock attacks. On Friday, WDFW announced that they had killed two wolves from Togo territory in Ferry County. The hunt was authorized on June 13 by WDFW Director Kelly Susewind in response to repeated attacks of cattle on private lands. One day later, WDFW killed a yearling female wolf. Then, on June 17, an adult male wolf was also lethally removed. Scott Nielsen is a rancher and president of the Stevens County Cattlemens Association, as well as a board member for Washington Cattle Producers. He said it was heartening to see the state follow its Wolf Conservation and Management Plan with the lethal removal of some members of a problem pack. I think they deserve credit for following through, he said. There has to be lethal removal for non-lethal measures deployed by ranchers to work. Stevens County Commissioner Greg Young said it was heartening to see WDFW take steps to stop depredations that threaten the livelihood of many smaller ranching operations. They needed to do something, and they did, he said. However, he joins Flood and Nielsen in doubting whether the removal of two wolves is going to stop ranchers in the area from being besieged by wolf attacks on their livestock Its unfortunate that the state has let this get to the point; I dont think this is going to stop a chronically depredating wolf pack, said Nielsen. Susewind authorized the hunt after WDFW documented six depredation events (four within the last 30 days) resulting in two dead and two injured calves since Aug. 17, 2021 The agency has not documented any additional wolf depredations in the Togo pack territory since June 11. If wolf attacks on cattle resume, Susewind said WDFW may initiate another lethal removal action in accordance with guidelines of the wolf plan. Environmental groups are not complimentary about the states removal of Togo wolves. This latest removal order further illustrates WDFWs willingness to prioritize private industry over the states wildlife, reads a post by the Wolf Conservation Center. The New York-based group contends that science does not support removing wolves to stop livestock depredations. In fact, killing a wolf can increase the risk that the animals will prey on livestock in the future, according to the center. Researchers at Washington State University found that for every wolf killed in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming over the past 25 years, there was a 5 percent increase in the sheep and cattle killed the next year. In a report, Rob Wielgus, professor of wildlife ecology and director of the universitys Large Carnivore Conservation, explained why attacks increase. He said it appears that, by killing the alpha male or female, other wolves are freed to start breeding, which produces more pups. And feeding growing pups causes the pack to hunt more and, therefore, kill more livestock. The report noted that livestock kills only started going down after overall wolf numbers were reduced by more than 25 percent. Officials at Yellowstone National Park released photos showing the aftermath of severe storms and flooding in June 2022. The pictures were taken near the north entrance of the park and while water levels have receded, it will take time to recover from the damage left behind. (Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service) The northern loop of Yellowstone is expected to reopen within the next two weeks after it was closed last week from historic flooding that caused evacuations of the park and surrounding communities. National Park Service Director Chuck Sams, with Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly, announced the reopening plans, in a press release on Monday. At the same time, the park announced it has secured $50 million to kick-start recovery efforts from the record-breaking floods. The reopening of the northern loops means visitors will be able to access Dunraven Pass, Tower, Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris opening visitor access to approximately 80 percent of Yellowstone National Park, according to the release. As for the $50 million, it will be used to restore temporary access to Gardiner and Cooke City, Montana, and other additional sites. And plans are being finalized for improving the Old Gardiner Road for temporary access between Yellowstone and Gardiner. The NPS currently anticipates the Old Gardiner Road will be substantially improved over the upcoming months, ensuring that essential emergency services, food, supplies and other administrative needs will be available throughout the winter months, the release read. As work proceeds through the summer, the NPS will look for opportunities to restore limited visitor access at the parks North Entrance. In addition to plans to reopen Yellowstones northern loop much sooner than initially anticipated, the National Park Service said it is working with the Federal Highway Administration on a range of temporary and permanent options to restore access to Silver Gate and Cooke City at the parks northeast entrance. Currently, the Northeast Entrance Road is impassible between Lamar Valley and Silver Gate. Cost, funding and timelines are not yet available for these short or long-term repairs to the Northeast Entrance Road but will be released as soon as possible, the release read. The Daily Montanan, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@dailymontanan.com. Follow Daily Montanan on Facebook and Twitter. The post Yellowstone National Park set to reopen northern loop earlier than expected appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. The UK's workplace safety watchdog has launched an inquiry following the death of a 71-year-old farmer in the south west of Scotland. Dairy farmer Derek Roan died in hospital from injuries sustained on his farm, Barnbarroch Farm, located near Dalbeattie. According to media reports, it is believed the incident involved a cow. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched an inquiry into the tragedy. Mr Roan's family, who run two dairy farms, have featured on BBC Two's This Farming Life. A statement released by the family said he had "two passions in life - his family and his farms". We are totally devastated and still in shock at what has happened and it will take some time for us to come to terms of not having him around. Derek was well known within the farming community and many other circles. He will be sadly missed by all. We would like to thank everyone for sending their condolences during this difficult time for us. A statement from Police Scotland said: On Monday, 20 June 2022, we were made aware of the death of a 71-year-old man in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. "The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal." A total of 34 people in Britain were killed in agriculture during the past year, according to the latest available figures by HSE. The startling figure compares to an annual average number of 28 fatalities in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors over the last five years. The government has announced a consultation into ending the use of cages for laying hens and crates for farrowing sows following a petition by campaigners. Defra faming minister Victoria Prentis confirmed that the government will bring forward the consultation, but no timeline was given. Speaking at a parliamentary debate on Monday (20 June), she said Defra was committed to phasing out confinement systems and supporting the industry to do so. However, the minister stressed that it had been an extremely difficult year for the UK pig sector due to the severe on-farm backlog, surging costs and low prices. The pig sector also gives us the clearest evidence of what happens when we ban a system without having a plan to help the industry through it," she said. "The ban on sow stalls 23 years ago led to a 40% decline in the UKs pig production statistics, which, truthfully, we have never recovered from." Ms Prentis also said that the UK must not offshore "animal welfare harms", because that would "do the pig world as a whole no good at all". "There are difficultieswe are bound by World Trade Organisation rules, of coursebut active work is being done to establish how, if we banned a system here, we could ban imports from that system. We are working hard on that, but these things are not easy." She confirmed the consultation on pig farrowing crates was "not quite ready, particularly the impact assessment on costs, and this is an industry that has really struggled over the past year." The consultation is still being worked on and clearly further work is needed. I am very much in touch with the pig industry, as we come through what has been a very difficult period. We continue to work collectively. The minister added: We need to work carefully and sensitively with the pig and poultry industries, which are both struggling with some difficult input costs and other challenges at the moment. The European Commission voted in June 2021 to phase out cages for all farm animals across the continent by 2027 It follows over 109,000 people signing a parliamentary petition, led by Deborah Meaden, star of the TV series Dragon's Den and Compassion in World Farming patron, urging the UK government to do the same. James West, senior communications manager at Compassion said: The announcement by the minister that consultations will be launched is an important next step but a clear timeline must be set. "We look forward to having the opportunity to make the case for phasing out these cruel systems in response to the consultations, so the UK can finally End the Cage Age." Intensive livestock farming could, contrary to the prevailing wisdom, help reduce the risk of future pandemics, according to a team of scientists. The researchers, from the universities of Cambridge and Leeds, said that switching to more extensive production systems, such as free-range, could actually increase the risk. In a new paper, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, they explained that this was partly because extensive farms required much more land to meet demand for meat, eggs and dairy. This, in turn, could drive habitat loss and disturb more wildlife, potentially including species that could host the next pandemic virus. It is often asserted that intensive livestock systems increase the risk of zoonotic diseases, and this argument is used to make the case for a switch to more extensive, lower yielding farming practices. In November 2020, for example, in the wake of the Covid outbreak, the Soil Association described the pandemic in terms of a wake-up call from Mother Nature to return to more traditional farming practices. It feels to me as if the coronavirus pandemic is nature giving humanity one last chance to stop, take stock and to set a new course, said chief executive Helen Browning. However, research by the team of ecologists and veterinary scientists scrutinised the scientific basis for this general argument. Instead, they found the evidence to be much more mixed, and indeed that intensive livestock farming could in fact reduce the risk of future pandemics. Researcher Harriet Bartlett, of the University of Cambridge said: "Whether intensive or extensive farms are riskier in terms of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) depends on the balance of risks between disease 'spillover' (i.e. the first transmission from a wild animal) versus disease 'takeoff' (i.e. the disease spreading rapidly and getting out of control). "Animals in intensive farms are kept closer together, meaning that if a disease does get in, then it is more likely to 'takeoff' and spread rapidly." However, she explained that more extensive farming systems required much more land to produce the same amount of food. "This means that a widespread switch to extensive farming could drive substantial habitat loss, and could increase the contact between people, livestock and stressed wildlife posing a much greater risk of 'spillover' from wildlife that might well host the next pandemic virus." Ms Bartlett added: "Worryingly, our research found that we simply lack the evidence to conclude which way of farming is least risky. "Indeed there is evidence perhaps counter-intuitively - that any move away from intensive farming might actually increase the risk of future pandemics." Fourteen international sheep producers from Turkey, Spain and Italy were recently in the UK to learn more about organic farming practices. Sharing the insights, the National Sheep Association (NSA) welcomed and acted as host to the group, which arrived as part of an EU Erasmus funded study tour. The farmers, vets, lecturers and advisors were treated to a week of learning, teaching and training, beginning at FarmED, a demonstration farm in the Cotswolds. Jonty Brunyee, FarmEd head of sustainable farming, highlighted the background story of the centre, and discussed how the farm, bought in 2010 by Cotswold Seeds, began its journey and became what it is today. The international cohort heard about the enterprise diversification and the role of organics and regenerative farming principles on the 107-acre site. After a detailed overview of regenerative farming in theory and the field, the group moved on to FAI farm, based in Oxford, to observe regenerative farming on a commercial scale. FAI uses holistic planned grazing and focuses on regenerative principles, enabling the farm to outwinter all their cattle despite it being on heavy, clay soils and being on a flood plain. The sheep producers' second day saw a return to FarmED to learn more about the role of herbal leys. With a full day of theory and practical on this subject, the group understood the value of herbal leys for improving soil health and fertility, as well as boosting liveweight gain in sheep and cattle. Mr Brunyee said: "Its not surprising that they took great interest in the herbal ley day, discussing how deep rooting plants can be used in dry climates. "We were happy to offer a friendly learning environment, hopefully giving them the confidence to make on farm changes in their respective countries. After two days in Oxfordshire, NSA took the group cross county to Shropshire to attend the Down to Earth regenerative event, allowing engagement with UK farmers and businesses. With a wide variety of speakers from different livestock sectors, the farmers were also able to select sessions appropriate to their personal and professional interests. NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: With my background in organic farming world, I was keen to engage with the study group at Down to Earth. "Some were old acquaintances from NSAs past involvement in the iSAGE project, but many were new to both the UK and NSA. "At a time where farmers are battling weather extremes alongside sustainability challenges, learning from those already affected by long hot summers, periods of extreme drought and flash floods can only be of benefit. Adapting will be critical in these uncertain times. On Thursday, the group joined NSA Central Region members for a farm tour of the prestigious Bamford estate, part of JCB farms owned by Lord and Lady Bamford. NSA English Committee Member and Grazing Manager Matthew Haydon, imparted his knowledge, offering multiple take home messages for the organic internationals. He said: "With numerous challenges being faced by UK farmers, its not surprising that enterprise stacking, the idea of creating more opportunities from one piece of farmland, is becoming more popular. "Bamford estate is a great example of diversity, running organic sheep, cattle, deer and poultry and then processing onsite to supply their farm shops and larger retailers. " The group concluded their UK tour at Fordhall Organic Farm, Englands first community-owned farm in North Shropshire, an example of community pulling together to support local farmers. There, more than 8,000 people across the world have invested, enabling siblings Charlotte and Ben Hollins to save their family farm from commercial development. A new case of highly-pathogenic bird flu has been confirmed in captive birds in East Sussex, as the UKs top scientists join forces to curb the country's worst ever outbreak of the virus. Avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype was confirmed on Tuesday (21 June) at a premises near Guestling Green, Rother, East Sussex. The latest discovery makes it England's 102nd case of the virus since the start of this year's avian influenza crisis, which began in late October 2021. The disease was discovered in non-poultry captive birds, with all affected to be humanely culled, Defra said in an online update. A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone has also been enacted around the site. It comes as a major research consortium convened this week to help combat this winter's outbreak of avian flu, which has been the largest and longest ever in the UK. The outbreak started earlier than previous years after the virus continued to circulate in Europe over summer 2021. The group is comprised of eight of the country's top scientific organisations, including the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), APHA, the Pirbright Institute and the Roslin Institute. The consortium has been awarded 1.5 million of government funding to bolster research projects and develop new strategies to effectively tackle future outbreaks. The UKs chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss welcomed the new consortium: "[It] will allow us to combine our expertise at a national level to increase the speed and quality of our research, ensuring we can develop new strategies to aid our efforts against this insidious disease." Concerns are also growing over the spread of avian influenza in wild birds, following reports of the disease causing the death of thousands of seabirds in Scotland alone. Earlier this month, RSPB Scotland said the outbreak had had an 'unprecedented impact' on wild birds, causing the loss of a third of the Solway barnacle geese population. The ongoing post-Brexit ban on selling seed potatoes to the European market continues to 'anger and frustrate' Scottish growers, NFU Scotland has said. The EU Commission and the UK government must agree a new model for two-way trade in seed potatoes between GB, the EU and Northern Ireland, the union said. However, the group added that it feared "politics will continue to rob Scottish growers of a valuable market". The Trade and Co-operation Agreement with Europe, announced at the end of 2020 as part of Brexit, failed to agree equivalence on seed potatoes. This resulted in significant prohibitions on Scottish seed exports to the European Union and Northern Ireland. Pre-Brexit, Scotland exported around 20,000 tonnes of seed potatoes, worth almost 11m, to Europe each year. More than 75 percent of Britain's seed potato exports comes from Scotland, with the country exporting seed to 18 EU countries in 2020/21. However, imports of seed potatoes from the EU to GB have been made possible, with Defra permitting imports providing they are not used for marketing purposes. This has meant the internal GB market for seed potatoes has not developed as much as it could have done, according to NFU Scotland, adding that this was 'detrimental' to Scottish seed growers. The union's president Martin Kennedy said: The current deadlock on the trade of seed potatoes from GB to the EU and Northern Ireland continues to cause huge amounts of anger for growers. Frustratingly, the UK and the EU remain at loggerheads on this matter, and it is Scottish seed potato growers who are paying the price for an issue that is becoming increasingly political." Mr Kennedy said it was 'abundantly clear' that the prohibition on the import of GB seed potatoes into the EU could not be justified based on current plant health and marketing standards in the EU or UK. He said urgent action was now needed by the EU and the UK government to agree a new model for two-way trade in seed potatoes between GB and the EU, and Northern Ireland. This was 'essential' and must be 'agreed without delay' to support business planning for future cropping seasons. In light of the looming global food security crisis, it is particularly disappointing that a resolution cannot be agreed," Mr Kennedy added. "The high health and quality status of Scottish seed potatoes could play an important role in strengthening food production in the EU. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions enter here to gain access. If you are not a Current Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! Lyeo Woon-ki, president of the Korea-Africa Foundation, delivers an opening speech at the Korea-Africa Health and Medical Business Seminar held at the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) office in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of KITA By Lee Hyo-jin Medical experts and businesspeople from Korea and Africa discussed ways to bolster ties in the healthcare sector amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, during a business seminar hosted by the Korea Africa Foundation (KAF), Tuesday. Established in 2018, the KAF is an affiliate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that aims to promote relations with African countries in various sectors. As cross-border partnerships have become increasingly vital in tackling the ongoing pandemic, the foundation, along with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), jointly organized the Korea-Africa Health and Medical Business Seminar, bringing together disease experts and businesspeople from the two sides. Attending Tuesday's seminar were KAF President Lyeo Woon-ki, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Acting Director Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, KITA Executive Vice President Shin Seung-kwan, Institut Pasteur Korea CEO Jee Young-mee and Park Se-eun, a research scientist at the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), among others. The seminar kicked off with an opening speech by Lyeo. "Since the onset of COVID-19, the need to strengthen disease response capacity in Africa to a continent level has emerged as a global issue," he said. "On top of the coronavirus, the recent spread of the monkeypox virus has driven health security as a key global agenda. I hope this seminar will serve as an opportunity for health experts and businesspeople to come up with new strategies to scale up cooperation between Korea and African countries in the medical sector." Shin Seung-kwan, vice president of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), delivers a welcoming speech during the Korea-Africa Health and Medical Business Seminar, Tuesday. Courtesy of KITA This was then followed by a welcoming speech by Shin, who said that Korea would be a suitable partner for Africa, where the demand for medical infrastructure and telemedicine is expected to surge in the near future. Kim Heon-joo, vice commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) delivered his congratulatory remarks via video message, saying, "Through enhanced partnerships, our agency and the Africa CDC will be able to contribute to the improvement of global health security." In his keynote speech, Ouma said Korea has been a good friend to Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed hopes for the friendship to be expanded so that the two sides can learn from one another in preparation for future pandemics. "We are looking for opportunities to bolster partnerships in strengthening disease surveillance, diagnosis of new diseases and the production of health products," he said. The first session, moderated by Institut Pasteur Korea CEO Jee, looked into the current state of governance in Africa's health and medical sector, along with prospects and challenges facing partnerships between Korea and Africa. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during the Korea-Africa Health and Medical Business Seminar, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea International Trade Association Ouma gave a presentation about the Africa CDC's New Public Health Order, which focuses on five key areas strengthening regional and national health institutions; expanding manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics; increasing investment in the public health workforce and leadership programs; building action-oriented partnerships and expanding domestic investment. "Although a well-prepared healthcare manpower is key to enabling the new public health order, Africa currently has a significant skills gap in the public health workforce," he said, stressing that Korea and Africa should cooperate in strengthening the latter's human resources capacity. Jeong Yu-jin, director of international affairs at the KDCA, spoke about ongoing cooperation projects between the agency and the Africa CDC and plans to expand these projects, highlighting the importance of global partnerships and solidarity in times of health crisis. "We have learned through the COVID-19 pandemic that information and evidence found in one country should be shared with others through various channels in order for us to overcome the health crisis," she said. Participants attend the Korea-Africa Health and Medical Business Seminar held in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea International Trade Association Although the Bayern Munich has not made the official announcement, Sadio Mane already happened the medical review and will be presented this Wednesday like new player of the Bavarian group. The Senegalese will arrive in return of 32 million euros more 9 in variables and will earn 20 'kilos' net to the year, the double of what invoiceed in the Liverpool, club that finished leaving him leave by a mount similar to the that paid by his index card in the summer of 2016. For the 'reds', the options with Mane went through to sell him this year or leave him leave free in 2023, since the '10' communicated to the managerial his intentions to leave after the defeat in the final of the Champions League in front of the Real Madrid (0-1). The ones of Merseyside did not lose time and ficharon to Darwin Nunez, '9' of the Benfica, to replace him, while the Bayern follows suit with Sadio in front of the imminent exit of Robert Lewandowski to the FC Barcelona. In this sense, the traspaso of the Pole can produce of a very similar form to the one of the Senegalese. The Bavarians have showed reacios from the first moment to leave go out to the of Warsaw and demand a minimum of 50 million euros to leave him go, but finally will opt for negotiating by a lower price, maybe near to the 35 'kilos'. In the case of the Liverpool, the 'reds' pretended ingresar 80 millions by the traspaso of the forward of 30 years, but finished yielding in half. In the meantime, the Barca applauds the arrival of the of Sedhiou to Munich. With Sadio in the plantel, to the Bayern will not remain him more remedy that yield to the requirements of a Lewandowski that demands to go out of the club what before and, if the resolution of his case posterga, is decided to declare in rebeldia, denying to make the pre-season with the ones of Julian Nagelsmann in July. In the meantime, in Catalonia await for doing box with the 'crowbars' promised by the directive to present an offer that destrabe the negotiations. The Bayern, very satisfied with Mane Although the club has saved silence until last moment with the 'case Mane', Hasan Salihamidzic, sportive director Bavarian, did not hide his satisfaction by the signing of the Senegalese. "Sadio Is in the peak of his career, in an age of maturity futbolistica and with hunger of titles. It comes to the suitable team", said in an interview with a channel of German television the past Friday. Of this form, Jurgen Klopp will lose to the that went his '10' during the last six seasons, a player that was adapting to the requirements of the German trainer to turn into one of the best players of the Premier League. Test tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive and negative" are seen in this photo taken May 23, 2022. Reuters-Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Peck Kyong-ran speaks about the country's first confirmed case of the monkeypox during a press conference at the agency's headquarters in Cheongju, Wednesday. Yonhap Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cordoba Music Group, which includes highly-respected and iconic brands such as Cordoba Guitars and Guild Guitars, is excited to announce that long-time industry veteran, Heiko Starke, has accepted the position of Sales Manager for its European direct operations. This territory includes Germany, Austria, Benelux, and Spain. Effective immediately, Heiko will be taking over all sales related operations from current European Business Manager Ralf Benninghaus-Fliedner, who will continue to work with CMG management in areas of strategy and brand development. Heiko Starke comes to CMG with over 28 years of experience in the musical instrument industry, many of them in leading positions at Fender Musical Instruments GmbH and Musik Meyer GmbH. "We are excited to have Heiko who is extremely self-motivated, and an internationally experienced sales professional join the CMG team and look forward to continued success with him leading the charge," says Ralf Benninghaus-Fliedner. About Guild Guitars Cordoba Music Group is a leading manufacturer and distributor of acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles, and musical instrument accessories. CMG's brands include Cordoba Guitars, Guild Guitars, HumiCase, and DeArmond, which are globally distributed and used by musicians around the world. Other CMG brands include Savarez and Aquila strings, of which CMG acts as primary importer and U.S. distributor to retail stores. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Santa Monica, CA, and distribution and manufacturing facilities are located in Oxnard, CA.For more information, visit www.cordobamusicgroup.com. CONTACT CORDOBA MUSIC GROUP Media Contact: Alex R. Ordonez 310.857.1710 aordonez@cordobamusicgroup.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844814/Cordoba_Music_Group_Heiko_Starke.jpg HANOI, Vietnam, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has announced its approvement of 34 transactions valued up to1.4 billion USD that advance development impact in developing countries. Among these projects, Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank, stock code: SSB) is the only Vietnam-based bank to be approved an up to $200 million loan in order to encourage socioeconomic development in the country through supporting women-owned, women-led corporations, SMEs, and addressing the climate crisis. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is an independent U.S. government's development finance institution. DFC partners with the private sector to provide finance support and solutions for projects with great economic potential and new economical tools that enable it to grant loans and offer credit solutions. DFC invests across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology; while provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets; adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights. According to DFC's annoucement in this quarter, it has approved several transactions of development priorities, focusing on food security, climate change, gender equity, and increasing financial access. These 34 approved projects total more than $1.4 billion, in which 22 transactions assist Corporations in developing regions including Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the approved corporations in this quarter, SeABank is the first and only financial organization in Vietnam receives an up to $200 million loan to encourage socioeconomic development, particularly supporting women-owned, women-led corporations, SMEs, and addressing the climate crisis - one of the developmental strategies that SeABank prioritizes. DFC's loan for SeABank will help enhance the bank's financial capability to carry out its planned projects, focusing on addressing the credit gap for women-owned and women-led corporations, SMEs, dealing with the difference between the addressable demand of market and the exisiting supply in the economy. Before receving the loan from DFC, SeABank has been granted a $150 million loan package by IFC and 5 international investment funds include Banque Internationale de Commerce-BRED, BlueOrchard Microfinance Fund, KASIKORNBANK PCL, OPEC, and ResponsAbility Investments AG to provide financial assistance to SMEs, women-owned, women-led corporations and addressing climate crisis. This showcases SeABank's commitment to sustainable development strategies, affirming its credibility, great impacts of sustainable projects as well as the acknowledgement of world-class financial organizations for SeABank. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844128/DFC_grants_an_up_to_200_million_USD_loan_to_Vietnam_s_SeABank.jpg Ruling ends long string of litigation for one of mining project's key permits St. Paul, Minnesota--(Newsfile Corp. - June 21, 2022) - The Minnesota Court of Appeals today granted PolyMet's motion to dismiss the last remaining challenge to PolyMet's air permit, according to Poly Met Mining, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PolyMet Mining Corp. (TSX: POM) (NYSE American: PLM) (together "PolyMet" or the "company"). The court agreed with PolyMet that the case should be dismissed because project opponents failed to properly serve PolyMet under the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, and that failure meant that the court lacked jurisdiction. Barring an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, the ruling lays to rest multiple legal challenges that mining opponents have brought against the permit since it was issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) more than three years ago. The agency reinstated the permit in December 2021 after fulfilling a Court of Appeals order to further explain its reasoning. "This ruling is one more step toward delivering on our promise to build a modern, responsible mining operation that will feed a supply chain that is growing ever more hungry for the clean-energy minerals we will produce," said Jon Cherry, chairman, president and CEO. NorthMet will produce copper, nickel, cobalt and precious metals and provide numerous economic benefits for the northeast Minnesota region. * * * * About PolyMet PolyMet is a mine development company that owns 100% of the NorthMet Project, the first large-scale project to have received permits within the Duluth Complex in northeastern Minnesota, one of the world's major, undeveloped mining regions. NorthMet has significant proven and probable reserves of copper, nickel and palladium - metals vital to infrastructure improvements and global carbon reduction efforts - in addition to marketable reserves of cobalt, platinum and gold. When operational, NorthMet will become one of the leading producers of nickel, palladium and cobalt in the U.S., feeding the supply chain with high-demand, responsibly mined metals crucial to the manufacture of clean energy and clean mobility technologies such as wind and solar generation, battery storage and electric vehicles. Located in the Mesabi Iron Range, the project will provide economic diversity while leveraging the region's established supplier network and skilled workforce and generate a level of activity that will have a significant effect in the local economy. For more information: www.polymetmining.com. For further information, please contact: Media Bruce Richardson, Corporate Communications Tel: +1 (651) 389-4111 brichardson@polymetmining.com Investor Relations Tony Gikas, Investor Relations Tel: +1 (651) 389-4110 investorrelations@polymetmining.com PolyMet Disclosures This news release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning anticipated developments in PolyMet's operations in the future. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "potential," "possible," "projects," "plans," and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will," "may," "could," or "should" occur or be achieved or their negatives or other comparable words. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the ability to receive environmental and operating permits, job creation, and the effect on the local economy, or other statements that are not a statement of fact. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements due to risks facing PolyMet or due to actual facts differing from the assumptions underlying its predictions. PolyMet's forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and PolyMet does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations and opinions should change. Specific reference is made to risk factors and other considerations underlying forward-looking statements discussed in PolyMet's most recent Annual Report on Form 40-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and in our other filings with Canadian securities authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Annual Report on Form 40-F also contains the company's mineral resource and other data as required under National Instrument 43-101. No regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128548 Overhead view of rendering of GAC Honda's new EV plant BEIJING, CHINA, June 22, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, announced that GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (GAC Honda), a Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China, began construction of its new EV plant, taking a forward step in establishing a suitable EV production system and capability in preparation for an increase in the number of EV models in its product lineup.GAC Honda's dedicated EV production plant will be newly constructed on a lot with the size of 400,000m2 within the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. The plant is targeted to begin operation in 2024 with an annual production capacity of 120,000 units.With an initial investment plan of 3.49 billion R.M.B., the plant will proactively pursue sustainable initiatives including the use of solar power and other renewable energy sources. Moreover, by adopting a number of advanced production technologies, GAC Honda will strive to make it a highly efficient, smart and low-carbon EV plant.In China, Honda is planning to introduce 10 e:N Series EV models by 2027. GAC Honda's new EV plant will become a symbolic production operation that supports a broad EV lineup that GAC Honda will roll out in the coming years. It also will serve as a core operation of Honda EV production in China, together with the new EV plant which will be built by Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (Dongfeng Honda) and is planned to begin operation in 2024.In 2024, when both the GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda new EV plants become operational, Honda will have a total base annual automobile production capacity of 1.73 million units.Honda will continue to accelerate its electrification efforts toward the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050 and offer attractive products that go beyond customer expectations.For more information, visit bit.ly/3Qx7lpn.Source: HondaCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin (L) and Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani (R) at the first G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministerial Meeting held in Yogyakarta, 21 June. (ANTARA/AstridFaidlatulHabibah) JAKARTA, June 22, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - The G20 members and several relevant international organizations agreed to work together to create the Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) to help countries in need to face any pandemic in the future.During the 1st G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministerial Meeting held in Yogyakarta on Tuesday, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani emphasized the urgency for collaborative work between health and finance sectors to better prepared for future pandemics, considering that the COVID-19 would not be the last."The world is definitely watching us - how the G20 is going to respond with delivering concrete action in pandemic preparedness and response. The world is waiting for us," Mulyani remarked.Furthermore, she also asserted the importance of inclusivity in the work of FIF, led together by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, which required the involvement of both developed and developing countries."Only then, we can be effective in preparing to tackle the next global pandemic together," Mulyani stated."I would like to acknowledge the central role of the WHO in fighting pandemic and the importance of including the voice of developing countries in our institutional arrangement to create the most effective system for pandemic preparedness and response," she added.The WHO and the World Bank estimated that US$31 billion is required annually for strengthening global health security, according to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.About two-third of that fund could come from existing resources but that leaves a gap of US$10 billion per year. Hence, he expects that the FIF would help close that gap.WHO and the World Bank have been cooperating to establish the FIF, which would be overseen by a board that takes a decision on funding allocation supported by a technical advisory panel.Both the board and the technical advisory panel would be supported by the joint WHO-WB secretariat based at the Bank's headquarters in Washington, with assisting staff from the WHO.According to the plan, the Bank will provide financial and administrative leadership at the secretariat, operate as a representative for the FIF, hold and transfer relief funds, as well as provide administrative services.Meanwhile, the WHO will provide technical leadership; coordinate input for the technical advisory panel; and prepare relevant technical documentation, recommendations, and reports for the council.Both the World Bank and WHO will act as implementing entities, along with other global health partners with relevant expertise, including the Global Fund, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)."We look forward to your active participation in building and financing a FIF that is inclusive, equitable, and effective in making our world safer from pandemics," Tedros noted.To date, the G20 has pushed for an emergency fundraising commitment of around US$1.1 billion from five member countries and one international social organization to mobilize the role of FIF.The pledges came from the United States, the European Union, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Wellcome Trust.Additionally, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated the meeting was not only focusing on the FIF as the source of funds to face future pandemics, but the world must also think about the uses of funds."Because money is (only) half the solution for the health crisis. We need to translate this money into access to vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tools," he said at a press conference after the joint ministerial meeting.In order to create such access, he explained, the engagement with private sectors as the producers of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics was crucial."We need to talk to them, to engage with them. How can they maintain a certain volume commitment? How then we will be able to distribute equally and very quickly if the next pandemic happens?" he noted.The establishment of FIF is still in the ongoing discussion that will be continued at the next G20 meetings, hosted this year by Indonesia.However, as the G20 President, Indonesia will continue to gather as much as possible support from more countries as well as an international organization even philanthropists, in order for them to be able to contribute to the financing side of pandemic preparedness and response.Written by: Yashinta Difa Pramudyani, Editor: Fardah Assegaf (c) ANTARA 2022Source: G20 IndonesiaCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. The leaders of South Korea and Japan may have "meaningful" dialogue during the NATO summit in Spain next week, the foreign minister said Tuesday. President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled to attend the NATO leaders' meeting in Madrid from June 28 to 30. "Nothing is decided but the two leaders may have an opportunity to have meaningful dialogue during the NATO summit," Foreign Minister Park Jin said on a local cable TV program. There is a possibility for the leaders to have talks in the form of a "pull aside" on several issues on the sidelines of the NATO meeting even though they won't have a summit. As for the issue of compensation for Koreans forced into labor for Japanese companies during colonial rule, Park said, "There could be several options to resolve the issue and they are under consideration." Matters to be discussed in the NATO meeting include the Russia-Ukraine war, North Korea's nuclear capability and sanctions. (Yonhap) HOHHOT, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From June 14-16, the 15th Global Dairy Congress was hosted in Laval, France. Dr. Zhanyou Yun, Assistant President of Yili Group, attended the "Innovation for the Future" session, delivering a keynote speech with the theme "Create Value through Innovation". Dr. Gerrit Smit, Managing Director of Yili Innovation Center Europe, attended the roundtable discussion. The World Dairy Innovation Awards was held simultaneously with the Congress. Leveraging strategic synergies and resource integration, Yili Group and its subsidiary Ausnutria topped the tally with six awards, covering segments of packaging design, infant nutrition, intolerance-friendly dairy products, ice cream, cheese and dairy snacks. One of the judges commented, "Yili have their finger on the pulse when it comes to identifying gaps in the market and creating brilliant innovative products that both taste and look great while simultaneously serving a purpose." Dr. Yun explained how Yili has focused on building a globally integrated innovation network, which helped the company win worldwide recognition. "Integrating talent and intelligence resources, we have currently set up a total of 15 innovation centers scattered around the world, and a 'global intelligence chain' has now been established." Developing health products through consumer-centric innovation "Guided by our New Vision for Value Creation, Yili pursues development as an innovation-driven company. We are dedicated to launching health products to meet the full life-cycle, all-scenario needs among all types of consumers," said Dr. Yun. For consumers to freely enjoy cheese without storage limitations, Yili developed the "Best Cheese" winner -- the ambient cheese lollipop, which is rich in nutrition and can be safely stored at room temperature. Revisiting traditional Chinese aesthetics, the Xujinhuan 3D Fresh Milk Ice Cream has been designed into the elegant shape of a Chinese fan, featuring traditional painting carved on the surface. Developed with global high-quality milk and ingredients, the beautiful look is also accompanied by good flavor and nutrition. For middle-aged and the elderly men, a group more focused on bone health and physical fitness, the Shuhua Lactose -- Free Milk for Dad includes 50% more natural calcium, vitamin D and taurine. Applying Yili's patented technology of LHT lactose hydrolysis, the product also addresses the problem of lactose intolerance that is common among Asian consumers. At the Congress, Dr. Yun also shared the company's progress in building a "Dairy Silicon Valley". In June, four key projects of Yili's Future Intelligence and Healthy Valley will be put into operation in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including a liquid milk production base, a milk powder production base, the Chilechuan Ecological Smart Farm, and the Yili Intelligent Manufacturing Experience Center. Commitment to building a net-zero carbon future Talking about dairy's role in addressing climate change, Dr. Yun said, "Embracing the tide of sustainable development across the globe, Yili has rolled out net-zero carbon products and factories, issued the Roadmap to a Net-Zero Carbon Future, and joined hands with our partners throughout the industrial chain to build a net-zero carbon future." In April, Yili took the lead in China's food industry to launch time-bound targets on carbon reduction, aiming to realize industrial chain-wide carbon neutrality before 2050. On June 5, Yili also introduced the packaging featuring "no printing, less ink". Applying the technology of ink reduction printing, the packaging is able to save ink consumption by 60%. The outer carton is 80% made up of recycled paper. By upgrading into paper handles, every 100,000 outer cartons will reduce plastic usage equating to 260 kg. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423776 Caption: Yili won six world dairy innovation awards. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844993/Yili.jpg CHANGE IN SRP GROUP SHAREHOLDING STRUCTURE GROUP ACTIVITY AT 31 MAY 2022 Strenghthening of David Dayan's shareholding position in SRP Group capital following the concoittant conclusion of agreements regarding the sale of all equity securities held by Thierry Petit, who stepped down from his operational functions within the Group as of 31 December 2021: 11.7% of the share capital will be reallocated within the Founders' Concert, subject to certain conditions precedent; 2.5% of the share capital will be sold to an existing shareholder (outside of the majority concert); and SRP Group will buy back 4 million shares (c.3.3% of the share capital) intended to support free share plans for the Group employees and executives Review of SRP Group's activity as at 31 May 2022. Saint-Denis, 22 June 2022 - SRP Group announces the strengthening of David Dayan's shareholding position in SRP Group share capital following the conclusion of agreements regarding the sale by Thierry Petit, co-founder of the Company alongside David Dayan, of his entire holding of 20,932,963 shares (held directly or indirectly), which accounts for approximately 17.61% of the Company's share capital. This withdrawal from SRP Group capital follows the 21 October 2021 announcement of Thierry Petit's decision to step down from his operational functions within SRP Group as of 31 December 2021, and is related to a personal endeavour on his part concerning the creation of Made-for-all.com, an investment player focussed on high-impact projects (ecological transition, health, education and leisure, responsible production and consumption, agriculture). Increase in the holding of David Dayan The Company has been informed that Thierry Petit[1] has entered into an agreement with David Dayan[2] whereby 13,932,963 Company shares, i.e. 11.7% of the Company's share capital, will be reallocated to Mr. Dayan. As a result of this sale, carried out at a price of 1 per share, David Dayan's stake in the Sub-Concert held by the Company's founders will be increased. 10 million will be paid in cash, with the remainder of the consideration taking the form of an exchange for shares in an unlisted company outside SRP Group. Once the sale completed, Thierry Petit will no longer hold shares in the Company and will no longer be part of the Founders' Concert or the concert with Carrefour. He will resign from Board of Directors by the end of the year. This sale is subject to the condition precedent of obtaining authorisation from the Autorite des Marches Financiers to waive the obligation to file a public tender offer, cleared of all appeals. Increase in the holding of an SRP Group shareholder (outside the majority concert) The Company has also been informed that Thierry Petit[3] has entered into an agreement with Eric Sitruk[4] whereby the latter will acquire 3 million shares, i.e. approximately 2.5% of the Company's share capital, also at a price of 1 per share. This sale is subject to Carrefour choosing not to exercise its right of first refusal, and may be concluded in the coming days. Eric Sitruk is already an SRP Group shareholder, currently holding approximately 5% of the Company's share capital, and will therefore increase his equity stake through this transaction. David Dayan has committed to voting in favour of appointing Eric Sitruk as board member should Mr Sitruk request such an appointment, and provided that he maintains an equity interest exceeding 7% of the share capital. SRP Group buys back shares to promote employees and executive retention SRP Group announces that it has entered into an agreement with Thierry Petit to purchase 4 million SRP Group shares, i.e. approximately 3.36% of the share capital, at a price of 1 per share. These shares will serve to support existing free share plans for the benefit of Group employees and executives, as well as additional plans to be implemented in the near future, subject to adoption of the 23rd resolution submitted to the General Meeting of 22 June 2022. The Company wishes to seize the opportunity provided by Thierry Petit's withdrawal from the capital of SRP Group to secure the provision of shares under the free share plans without diluting the holdings of existing shareholders, for an amount it considers reasonable given the current share price, representing a discount of approximately 16% with regard to the last quoted share price and standing lower than the 1-month, 3-month and 6-month averages. In addition, such disbursement would not strain the Company's existing cash resources in relation to its development needs. This sale will be fully funded by the Company's cash on hand. This sale is also subject to Carrefour choosing not to exercise its right of first refusal, and may be concluded in the coming days. This agreement, which constitutes a regulated agreement, was authorised as such by the 21 June 2022 meeting of the Company's Board of Directors. SRP Group activity at 31 May At the end of the Q1 of the current financial year, the Company announced that it could deliver a satisfactory EBITDA margin for the 2022 financial year and expected a decrease in revenue for the first half of the year. In light of the information available to date and as expected, Showroomprive confirms that the Q2 2022 activity reflects the same downward trend observed in Q1 2022. Furthermore, the Company specifies that EBITDA stood at approximately 9 million as of 31 May 2022. H1 2022 results will be announced as planned on 28 July, after the closing of the financial statements as of end of June and the review by the Statutory Auditors. David Dayan, Co-founder and CEO of Showroomprive, stated: "Over the past 15 years, Showroomprive has become a leading e-commerce player in France. Together with the management team and all employees, I am fully committed to further developing our Group. We firmly believe that Showroomprive has what it takes to ensure its long-term growth. I have total confidence in Showroomprive, a company of extraordinary potential, and this faith motivated me to increase my equity position. This new chapter is also a shared adventure: that is why the Group is buying back shares, with the aim of allocating them to select employees and executives who ensure Showroomprive's dynamism day after day. I believe in them, in us, and in Showroomprive". Upcoming information General Meeting: 22 June 2022 H1 2022 results: 28 July 2022 FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains only summary information and is not intended to be comprehensive. This press release may contain forward-looking information and statements about the Group and its subsidiaries. These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "goal" or similar expressions. Although the Group appreciates that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and the Group's shareholders are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of the Group, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in filings with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (France's financial markets authority) made or to be made by the Group (particularly those detailed in Chapter 4 of the Company's registration document). The Group makes no commitment to publicly update its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About showroomprive Showroomprive is an innovative European player in the online private sales industry, specialized in fashion. Showroomprive offers a daily selection of more than 3000 brand partners via its mobile apps or website in France and six other countries. Since its launch in 2006, the company has enjoyed quick growth. Showroomprive is listed on Euronext Paris (code: SRP) and reported gross revenue of almost 1 billion incl. VAT5 in 2021, and net revenue of 724 million. The Group is headed by David Dayan, the co-founder, and employs over 950 people. For more information: http://showroomprivegroup.com Contacts Showroomprive Taddeo Sylvie Chan Diaz, Investor Relations +33 6 58 53 45 91 investor.relations@showroomprive.net presse.showroomprive@taddeo.fr [1] Individually and trough his limited liability holding company TP Invest Holding [2] Through his limited liability holding company Ancelle [3] Through his limited liability holding company TP Invest Holding [4] Directly or through entities controlled by him. 5 Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) is the total amount transactions invoiced, including all taxes. It therefore includes gross online sales, including sales on the Marketplace, other services and other income ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: yG+fk8aXk5ual59xZ8aXmmeXbJhpxGCXZ2GZl2ZpYp+UmW9nxZtkaJyaZnBmlmVu - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-75108-2022.06.22-pr-actionnariat.pdf GUANGZHOU, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquagem, the creator of inverter pool pump, presents how its latest full inverter technology provides users a more energy-efficient pool system. Along with the most significant global energy crisis, the electricity prices in Europe are skyrocketing. Providing energy-saving products is becoming the mission of the enterprises. Aquagem develops the inverter pool pump to contribute to a more energy-efficient pool. InverSilence Tech: Stepless Speed Regulation, Limitless Energy Efficient From single-speed to variable speed, the evolution of pool pumps is showing an undeniable trend: multiple speed options. Why? Behind the multiple speed of the pool pump are the multiple demands on usage and maintenance of the pool, such as filter, heating, sanitation, and back-wash. Each usage scenario requires a different water flow rate, a pool pump with defined speeds will inevitably result in energy waste. Unrestricted by speed regulation only at certain levels, the inverter pool pump is capable of stepless speed regulation from 30% to 100%, providing diversified speed options for different scenarios, and achieving the perfect balance between multi-scene demands and energy efficiency. InverPro: No Excess Energy Cost, No Excess User-Operation. Thanks to the patented InverSilence technology, Aquagem inverter pool pump InverPro allows the users to preset the flow rate, and the pump will adjust the real-time speed automatically. Therefore, the inverter pool pumps always run at the most appropriate flow, so as to conserve the energy to the maximum extent. Besides, it can provide active learning of the actual pipeline operating pressure and the working conditions of the swimming pool. With the InverSilence technology, InverPro reaches up to 15 times more energy-saving than on/off pool pumps. The Magic of InverPro: 15 Times Energy-Saving - making 24/7 flowing crystal pool water possible 30 Times More Silent - 36 dB(A) ensuring quiet swimming experience Smart Full Touch Screen - bringing easy & convenient operation Intelligence Technology - AI Mode offering automatic learning and lower maintenance cost The inverter pool pump is a revolution in technology and user experience. In many countries, household energy bills have increased by 25% over the past few years. With 2030 approaching, driven by zero-carbon policies, the benefits of inverter technology for pool pumps are self-evident. About Aquagem Aquagem is the first leading full inverter pool pump supplier based in Guangdong, China. We design, develop, manufacture and market value-generating inverter pool pumps for global users. Explore more about Aquagem. marketing@aquagem.com.cn Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1826669/image_1.jpg LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Biocartis Group NV, a Belgium-based molecular diagnostics company, announced Wednesday that it has entered into an agreement with British drug major AstraZeneca Plc. (AZN, AZN.L) for the development and marketing of a companion diagnostic test for Tagrisso (osimertinib), a lung cancer therapy. Tagrisso is AstraZeneca's third-generation EGFR-TKI (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) treatment approved for patients with resectable and locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have EGFR mutations. Under the deal terms, Biocartis and AstraZeneca will co-lead the development and applicable pre-market notification or approval with the US FDA of a novel companion diagnostic or CDx test on Biocartis' molecular rapid and easy-to-use diagnostics Idylla platform, for use with Tagrisso. The Idylla EGFR CDx Assay is intended to aid in identifying patients with non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC who may respond to treatment with Tagrisso. The development of a companion diagnostic test on Idylla is expected to enable faster and broader patient access to Tagrisso treatment. In addition to FFPE tissue, Biocartis will seek to validate the use of less invasive cytology samples such as fine needle aspirates for use with the Idylla EGFR CDx Assay, to expand patient access to testing. The new project expands the companies' existing master collaboration agreement announced in January 2020, aimed at boosting access to faster molecular diagnostic biomarker results with the rapid and easy-to-use Idylla EGFR testing products. Herman Verrelst, Chief Executive Officer of Biocartis, said, 'Current EGFR molecular diagnostic testing remains a real challenge in the clinical practice. Obtaining high quality tissue samples is difficult and complex, especially in NSCLC where tumors are frequently very small, often leading up to several weeks of waiting time before results are available, as opposed to what we can offer with the Idylla technology.' Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. EQT Private Equity to acquire SPT Labtech, a manufacturer and designer of automated instruments and consumables for life science research with a focus on liquid handling, sample management and Cryogenic Electron Microscopy ("Cryo-EM") sample preparation technologies SPT Labtech's products support cutting-edge life sciences research, providing agility, efficiency and productivity for a broad range of applications; SPT Labtech's products help accelerate research of novel and groundbreaking therapies EQT Private Equity will support SPT Labtech's next phase of growth by focusing on continued product innovation, scaling the Cryo-EM sample preparation segment and growing the business in new and existing geographies STOCKHOLM, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT IX fund ("EQT Private Equity") has agreed to acquire SPT Labtech ("SPT" or the "Company") from Battery Ventures, a global, technology-focused investment firm for GBP 650 million. Together with management, EQT Private Equity will support and accelerate SPT Labtech's growth journey. Based in Melbourn, UK, SPT Labtech is a manufacturer and designer of automated liquid handling, sample preparation, and storage instruments, as well as corresponding consumables and support services for life science research. The Company was founded in 1997 and spun out from TTP Group. Since 2018 it has been owned by Battery Ventures. Supported by strong secular megatrends, SPT presents a highly thematic investment opportunity within EQT's prioritized Life Science Tools subsector. The automation of research, miniaturization trends (more analyses with the same sample volume) and a broader adoption of multi-omics will support SPT's core liquid handling business for years to come. Cryo-EM is a cutting-edge technique supporting the research of new drug targets within novel modalities like cell and gene therapy, as well as mRNA, with the Company's addressable instrument and consumable market expected to grow 35-40 percent going forward. SPT is the leader in resilient and fast-growing market niches, including in its core segment, the low-throughput liquid handling market, with expected future market growth of 9-10 percent CAGR. SPT helps researchers save time through automation and enables labs to research for example chronic illnesses and provide treatments or find cures for previously untreatable conditions. The Company's core values are closely aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3 of ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing. By providing sample preparation instruments and consumables for the novel Cryo-EM technology - for which the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 2017 - SPT supports industry innovation and accelerates research outcomes. Under EQT Private Equity's ownership, the Company will benefit from EQT's strong advisor and expert network as well as the inhouse digital team. EQT will further support the Company in new product innovation, expansion into existing and new geographies and end-markets (e.g., catering to the in-vitro diagnostics market, doubling down on APAC and accelerating Cryo-EM) as well as selective M&A to further strengthen SPT's market position. Michael Bauer, Partner and Global Co-Head of the Healthcare Team, said, "We are excited to work with SPT Labtech and make an acquisition in our prioritized Life Science Tools subsector. We have been following the company for a long time and are thrilled to now be able to partner with CEO David Newble and his team. We believe the combination of our unique industry expertise, including our external EQT Advisor Network and in-house digital team, position us to support the company on its next phase of growth and enhance its mission of 'making a difference in human health in everything we do'." David Newble, CEO of SPT Labtech, added, "We at SPT greatly appreciate the stewardship of the Battery team over the last four years and are very keen to welcome EQT as our new owner and look forward to benefiting from the broad range of capabilities and expertise the EQT platform can offer. We are ready to embark on the next phase of our growth journey, in which we aim to foster SPT Labtech's strong market positions in our existing businesses and explore new market opportunities, while making a positive impact on society. We are aligned with the EQT team on our joint vision for the future of the company and could not imagine a better new owner." EQT Private Equity was advised by Evercore (M&A), Kirkland & Ellis (Legal), Deloitte (Financial & Tax), BCG (Commercial), Ringstone (Technology) and The Footprint Firm (ESG). Battery Ventures and SPT Labtech were advised by J.P. Morgan (exclusive financial advisor) and Charles Russell Speechlys and SecondSight Law (legal). The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and is expected to close during Q3 2022. With this transaction, EQT IX is expected to be 85-90 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication). Contact EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-private-equity-to-acquire-spt-labtech--a-fast-growing-laboratory-automation-player-focused-on-lo,c3589600 The following files are available for download: STOCKHOLM, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ASSA ABLOY has acquired Caldwell, a manufacturer of fenestration hardware for window manufacturers. "I am very pleased to welcome Caldwell into the ASSA ABLOY Group. This acquisition delivers on our strategy to add complementary products and solutions to our core business," says Nico Delvaux, President and CEO of ASSA ABLOY. "Caldwell is an excellent addition to the Pacific & North East Asia Division and provides complementary growth opportunities. The acquisition will strengthen our position with fenestration manufacturers and I look forward to working with the experienced team to continue Caldwell's successful journey," says Simon Ellis, Executive Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Pacific & North East Asia. Caldwell was established in 1888 and has some 800 employees. Sales for 2021 amounted to about MSEK 1,000. The acquisition will be accretive to EPS from the start. For more information, please contact: Nico Delvaux, President and CEO, tel. no: +46 8 506 485 82 Erik Pieder, CFO and Executive Vice President, tel. no: +46 8 506 485 72 Bjorn Tibell, Head of Investor Relations, tel. no: +46 70 275 67 68 About ASSA ABLOY The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. The Group operates worldwide with 51,000 employees and sales of SEK 95 billion. The Group has leading positions in areas such as efficient door openings, trusted identities and entrance automation. ASSA ABLOY's innovations enable safe, secure and convenient access to physical and digital places. Every day, we help billions of people experience a more open world. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/assa-abloy/r/assa-abloy-acquires-caldwell,c3589665 The following files are available for download: MUNICH, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KEENON Robotics, the world's leading intelligent service robotics company, is showcasing a wide range of service robots and its key automation solutions at the ongoing Automatica 2022 exhibition in Munich. The leading event for smart automation and robotics runs from June 21 to June 24, and KEENON Robotics has its key product lines of service robots, T5, T6, T8, W3 and M2, showcased at Booth 213 in Hall B4. "It's the first time for us here at Automatica. As the strategic partner of Softbank Robotics and Hyundai Robotics, KEENON Robotics is one of the leading brands in commercial service robot industry. We have over 30,000 robots in more than 600 cities in the world, and now we are expanding in Europe, where we see huge potential, at full speed," said Jim Huang, regional president of Europe at KEENON Robotics. KEENON Robotics offers a wide range of products and automation solutions to meet various business needs. According to Huang, the value of robotics comes from being powerful assistants to humans in both work and life. "Some might concern themselves with the question if robots will replace human staff in the future, that is not our goal. We developed robots to assist, support and free people from tedious, repetitive, and dangerous tasks, so that they can focus on better, more creative, and meaningful work and living a better life," said Huang. Equipped with a fully autonomous positioning and navigation system, as well as highly sensitive perception and obstacle avoidance technologies, KEENON robots adapt to various complex real-world scenarios and deliver safe, reliable, and efficient robotic solutions. The five major robots on show at the Automatica, the T5, T6, T8, W3 and M2, provides all kinds of services that can be used to assist different businesses. Delivery (T5, T6, T8) : These food delivery robots can assist waiters in swiftly serving and retrieving used plates. With the robots, waiters can be more focused on providing better services, which will greatly boost the restaurant's overall efficiency and service level. : These food delivery robots can assist waiters in swiftly serving and retrieving used plates. With the robots, waiters can be more focused on providing better services, which will greatly boost the restaurant's overall efficiency and service level. Hotel (W3) : The hotel service robot can ride the elevator to any floor and deliver room service at any time of day or night, creating the most reliable contactless and privacy-conscious room delivery services. : The hotel service robot can ride the elevator to any floor and deliver room service at any time of day or night, creating the most reliable contactless and privacy-conscious room delivery services. Disinfection (M2): Equipped in this service robot, professional disinfection lights and sprayers are used to efficiently kill both surface and airborne bacteria and viruses, allowing for enhanced cleanliness in public spaces. In addition to participating in leading fairs such as Automatica 2022, KEENON Robotics has ramped up efforts to better serve the European market. The company has recently announced a new strategic partnership with SoftBank Robotics for EMEA. The strategic partnership will expedite the deployment of KEENON Robotics' solutions and products across many sectors, not limited to hospitality, including education, elderly care and others. About KEENON Robotics: Founded in 2010, KEENON ROBOTICS offers intelligent, reliable, and convenient solutions for various scenarios including restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, supermarkets, and factories. In September 2021, KEENON completed a $200M Series D financing led by Softbank Vision Fund 2 (SVF2), marking the largest funding ever received by a service robot company. KEENON robots have been deployed in more than 60 countries. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844940/image_1.jpg TOKYO, June 22, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. today announced publication of results from an early phase evaluation that aimed to estimate potential economic value of its investigational anti-amyloid-beta (Abeta) protofibril antibody lecanemab in people living with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) using a validated disease simulation model, AD Archimedes Condition Event (AD ACE) model1,2,3 from the healthcare payer and societal perspectives in the United States, in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology and Therapy. This is the second publication of lecanemab's potential value. It follows the evaluation of the long-term health outcomes using simulation modeling of lecanemab published in Neurology and Therapy in April 2022.4 While the healthcare payer perspective focuses on direct care costs (e.g., outpatient and inpatient services, medications, intervention costs, nursing home and home healthcare services), the societal perspective further considers societal costs (e.g., productivity loss and informal care costs). As reported in the previous publication, it was suggested that compared to standard of care* (SoC), individuals treated with lecanemab in addition to SoC (lecanemab+SoC) may potentially experience slower disease progression to mild, moderate and severe AD from baseline by 2.51, 3.13 and 2.34 years on average, respectively. The preliminary results of this model-based simulation could possibly translate into additional quality-adjusted life years (QALY**) and reduction in the formal and informal care costs***. Additionally, the AD ACE model framework used in this study allowed assessment of the potential value of lecanemab in different scenarios and sensitivity analyses, including the impact of patient subsets, alternative treatment stopping rules**** and potential dosing regimens as well as major sources of uncertainty.Eisai is committed to conducting and sharing these types of clinical and socioeconomic analyses to establish trust as we work to potentially bring lecanemab to people living with early AD who have confirmed presence of amyloid pathology in the brain. To that end, Eisai would like to provide a common foundation for stakeholders' discourse regarding the potential clinical and socioeconomic value of lecanemab from the societal perspective, not to assign a price for lecanemab at this time.This model-based simulation was conducted using the results of a Phase 2b clinical trial (Study 201) evaluating the efficacy and safety of lecanemab for early AD with confirmed amyloid pathology as well as published literature. It also estimated the potential economic value of lecanemab+SoC over a broad range of willingness-to-pay thresholds from $50,000 to $200,000 per QALY gained as recommended by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER)*****. Lecanemab+SoC was predicted to result in a gain of 0.61 QALYs and a decrease in total non-treatment costs of $8,707 per person from the healthcare payer perspective (Societal perspective: 0.64 QALYs gain and $11,214 decrease) compared to the SoC for patients with early AD who have confirmed presence of amyloid pathology. The potential annual value-based price (VBP) of lecanemab was estimated at $9,249 to $35,605 (Societal perspective: $10,400 to $38,053) based on this early economic assessment.ICER's value framework5 indicates that value cannot be wholly derived from measures of clinical and cost-effectiveness, so contextual considerations and an examination of other benefits and disadvantages are also added into the framework when assessing long-term value. This may lead to using the societal perspective and higher end of the broad range of willingness-to-pay threshold in estimating the justifiable price of lecanemab, given the large societal burden of AD relative to direct healthcare costs.Many people living with AD received informal care from their family and friends totaling more than 16 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $271.6 billion in the U.S. in 2021.6 These predicted and simulated findings suggest that early treatment with lecanemab may reduce these costs and economic burdens, and provide insights for healthcare decision-makers regarding the potential clinical and socioeconomic value of lecanemab. The Phase 3 lecanemab Clarity AD data will soon be available to inform the model inputs and refine the findings. In the event that lecanemab receives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval, Eisai may determine a VBP using this framework along with other considerations, such as affordability, health system sustainability, etc."Eisai's goal is to create therapies, such as our investigational anti-amyloid beta protofibril antibody lecanemab, that may help impact the anxieties of people living with Alzheimer's disease and their families. For Alzheimer's disease, it is important to evaluate the holistic value of therapies taking into account not only medical costs but also the immense societal costs," said Ivan Cheung, Senior Vice President, President Neurology Business Group and Global Alzheimer's Disease Officer, Eisai Co., Ltd., Chairman and CEO, Eisai Inc. "As part of Eisai's commitment to our human health care mission, trust and transparency, we will continue to publish data and information about lecanemab and look forward to sharing the results of the lecanemab confirmatory Phase 3 Clarity AD clinical trial this fall."Eisai completed lecanemab's rolling submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) for the treatment of early AD to the FDA under the accelerated approval pathway in May 2022. The Clarity AD Phase 3 clinical study for lecanemab in early AD is ongoing and completed enrollment in March 2021 with 1,795 patients. The readout of the primary endpoint data of Clarity AD will occur in the fall of 2022. The FDA has agreed that the results of Clarity AD, when completed, can serve as the confirmatory study to verify the clinical benefit of lecanemab. Dependent upon the results of the Clarity AD clinical trial, Eisai may submit for full approval of lecanemab to the FDA during Eisai's fiscal year 2022, which ends in March2023. In Japan, in March 2022, Eisai initiated submission of application data to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) under the prior assessment consultation system with the goal of obtaining early approval for lecanemab, and aims to file for the manufacturing and marketing approval based on the results of Clarity AD during Eisai's fiscal year 2022. Also, in Europe, based on the results of the Clarity AD study, Eisai plans to submit a new drug application in fiscal year 2022.This release discusses investigational uses of an agent in development and is not intended to convey conclusions about efficacy or safety. There is no guarantee that such an investigational agent will successfully complete clinical development or gain health authority approval.* Standard of Care (SoC) for AD currently consists of lifestyle modifications and pharmacologic treatment of symptoms.** The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a measure of the value of health outcomes. Since health is a function of length of life (i.e., quantity) and quality of life (QOL), the QALY was developed as an attempt to combine the value of these attributes into a single index number. One QALY equates to one year in perfect health. QALY scores range from 1 (full health) to 0 (dead). For example, a new intervention may increase length of life by 3 years and improve quality of life by 70% (QALY score of 2.1) compared to an existing intervention that may increase length of life by 3 years and only improve QOL by 50% (QALY score of 1.5), the incremental QALY for this new intervention will be 0.6 QALYs.*** Formal and informal care costs do not include lecanemab drug cost.**** Alternative treatment stopping rules were explored in scenario analyses where treatment with lecanemab was stopped after a fixed duration of 1.5, 3 and 5 years.***** ICER is a non-profit research organization in the U.S. that evaluates the evidence on the clinical and economic value of prescription drugs, medical tests, devices and health system delivery innovations.1 Kansal AR, Tafazzoli A, Ishak KJ, Krotneva S. Alzheimer's disease Archimedes condition-event simulator: Development and validation. Alzheimers Dement (NY). 2018;4:76-88. Published 2018 Feb 16. doi:10.1016/j.trci.2018.01.001.2) Tafazzoli and Kansal. Disease simulation in drug development, External validation confirms benefit in decision making. The Evidence Forum. 2018. bit.ly/3NgEeDD(3) Tafazzoli A, Weng J, Sutton K, et al. Validating simulated cognition trajectories based on ADNI against 436 trajectories from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) dataset. 11th edition of Clinical Trials on 437 Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD); Barcelona, Spain: 2018.(4) Tahami Monfared AA, Tafazzoli A, Ye W, Chavan A, Zhang Q. Long-Term Health Outcomes of Lecanemab in Patients with Early Alzheimer's Disease Using Simulation Modeling. Neurol Ther 11, 863-880 (2022). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40120-022-00350-y.(5) ICER Value Framework 2020-2023. 2022. bit.ly/39HjYO3(6) Alzheimer's Association. 2022 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures 2022 Available from: bit.ly/3bkCR9VMedia Inquiries:Public Relations Department,Eisai Co., Ltd.+81-(0)3-3817-5120Eisai Inc. USLibby HolmanLibby_Holman@Eisai.com201-753-1945Source: EisaiCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Congenica, a digital health company that enables precision medicine through its world-leading diagnostic decision support platform for genomic data, today announces the appointment of Robert Denison as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will also join the Board of the company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621005984/en/ Congenica appoints Robert Denison as CEO (Photo: Business Wire) Rob has a strong history of growing businesses ranging from start-ups through to high growth multi-billion-dollar organisations. He joined Congenica as Chief Information Officer (CIO) in Sept 2019 and since then has led the transformation of Congenica's core technology into a robust cloud-based diagnostic data analysis and interpretation platform incorporating advanced AI and automation. He also played a pivotal role in Congenica's Series C fundraise for $50M. As CEO, Rob will be leading Congenica on its journey towards democratizing precision medicine at scale and delivering patient-led data processing and analytics. Robert Denison said of his appointment: "I am delighted to accept the role of CEO at Congenica, at what is a very exciting time for the business. Congenica is a global leader in genomics data analysis, working with the leading national genome programs and clinical laboratories across the world. With an excellent team in place, and supported by a global network of partners, we are well positioned to deliver on our mission of enabling access to precision medicine for all". Dr Andy Richards CBE, Chairman, Congenica, said: "Rob is a highly accomplished leader who has demonstrated a deep commitment to Congenica. Under his leadership as CIO, he has positioned Congenica at the forefront of genomics data analysis. The Board are delighted that he has agreed to join as CEO and oversee Congenica's continued growth and look forward to working with him as a director and member of the Board". Ends About Congenica Congenica is a digital health company enabling the rapid analysis and interpretation of genomic data, empowering researchers and clinicians to provide life-changing answers that improve wellbeing and disease management. Congenica's world-leading software enables rapid genomic data analysis at scale and is the only product of its kind that has received the CE Mark under the In Vitro Diagnostics Directive. A recognised leader in the genomic analysis of rare diseases and inherited cancer, Congenica is expanding its platform into new indications such as somatic cancer, next generation non- invasive pre-natal diagnosis and wellness, helping to deliver a future where clinical genomics is fully integrated into healthcare. Based on pioneering research from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the UK NHS, Congenica has a global footprint supporting leading international laboratories, academic medical centres and biopharmaceutical companies and is the exclusive Clinical Decision Support partner for the NHS Genomic Medicine Service. For more information visit www.congenica.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621005984/en/ Contacts: Contact details for editorial enquiries: Becky Lamont, Marketing Communications Manager at Congenica Email: becky.lamont@congenica.com Capgemini press contact Victoire Grux Tel.: +33 6 04 52 16 55 E-mail: victoire.grux@capgemini.com Orange press contact Tom Wright Tel.: +33 6 78 91 35 11 E-mail: tom.wright@orange.com Capgemini and Orange announce that Bleu will start engaging with customers by the end of 20221 Paris, June 22, 2022 - Today Capgemini and Orange confirmed that Bleu, their future joint venture that will provide trusted cloud ("Cloud de Confiance"2) services to address the needs of specific French organizations, is expected to start supporting clients in preparing for their migration by the end of 2022(date being subject to regulatory approvals). Bleu's first services, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, will be operational in 2024. Progressing according to plan; proposed future CEO named Since the announcement of Bleu in May 2021,Capgemini and Orange have been working closely together to confirm the target model, validate the technical solution with Microsoft, and initiate the development phase. In parallel, Capgemini and Orange are progressing with ANSSI to ensure Bleu Cloud services are designed to comply with SecNumCloud3 requirements. The new company is expected to be set up in 2022, after receiving the necessary regulatory approvals. Jean Coumaros, currently Chief Transformation Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini, has been selected by the two shareholders as the proposed CEO of the future Bleu joint venture. Bleu will start engaging with the market by the end of 2022 Once established, Bleu will promote its services and invite clients to prepare for their trusted cloud ("Cloud de Confiance") migration through the Bleu "Readiness Program". The objective of this program, which will be supported by Capgemini, Orange and an ecosystem of future partners, will be to ensure that clients are ready to transition when the platform is available. It will enable organizations to get trained, to initiate key preparation tasks, and to run trials and pilots. Bleu's Cloud platform to be available in 2024 In 2024 Bleu will be able to offer Microsoft Azure services and core Microsoft 365 services. The Bleu platform will be launched on a geographically distributed set of datacenters in France, meeting high resilience and availability requirements. Regular update processes will ensure that Bleu clients benefit from innovations delivered by Microsoft for Azure and Microsoft 365. "Since the initial announcement of Bleu in May last year, Capgemini and Orange have been working hand in hand to progress the technical and regulatory aspects required to make this trusted cloud ("Cloud de Confiance") project a reality," comments Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer of the Capgemini Group. "Bleu brings a unique combination of benefits for clients in terms of security, service offering, and the widest range of the latest technology innovations. We are now looking forward to the implementation of the planned next steps so that organizations can prepare a smooth migration journey." "As an independent French company, 100% owned by French shareholders, Bleu will bring an unprecedented value proposition to French State and critical infrastructure operators. From now, our main ambition with our partner Capgemini is to make sure that clients are ready to benefit from Bleu services as soon as the platform is available and initiate their transition with the best support and guidance. This is the purpose of the Bleu Readiness Program. Trust is at the core of Orange value and is a key trigger for the French and European cloud ecosystem rise," comments Christel Heydemann, Chief Executive Officer of Orange. With this unique partnership, Bleu will offer Microsoft 365 and a broad range of Microsoft Azure services, including IaaS, PaaS and SaaS, in a "Cloud de Confiance" environment. Notes to editors: A biography and high-resolution photography of Jean Coumaros are available on request. On May 27th, 2021 Orange and Capgemini announced that they intend to establish "Bleu", a new company that will provide "Cloud de Confiance" services to address the unique needs of the French State, public agencies, hospitals, regional authorities, Vital Importance Operators (OIVs) and Essential Service Operators (OSEs). Once established, and subject to regulatory approvals, Bleu will offer Microsoft technology, including collaboration and productivity solutions of Microsoft 365, and services available on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. About Capgemini Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported 2021 global revenues of 18 billion. Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com About Orange Orange is one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with sales of 42.3 billion euros in 2020 and 140,000 employees worldwide at 31 March 2021, including 80,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 262 million customers worldwide at 31 March 2021, including 217 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In December 2019, the Group presented its new "Engage 2025" strategic plan, which, guided by social and environmental accountability, aims to reinvent its operator model. While accelerating in growth areas and placing data and AI at the heart of its innovation model, the Group will be an attractive and responsible employer, adapted to emerging professions. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris, www.orange-business.comor to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. 1 Timing is subject to regulatory approval. 2 The "Cloud de Confiance" label complies with the French State's cloud doctrine that requires SecNumCloud qualification from the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), as well as compliance with legal provisions. 3 SecNumCloud is a referential of the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) which enables the qualification of cloud services demonstrating a high level of security and trust. Attachment Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, third from left, talks with reporters at a luncheon after delivering a presentation to promote Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030 during the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Prime Minister's Office By Ko Dong-hwan With the global competition to host World Expo 2030 in full swing, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo didn't hide his confidence from reporters that the honor would ultimately fall to Busan. In a meeting with reporters shortly after the Korean team's presentation at the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris, Tuesday (local time), Han seemed unafraid of losing to Riyadh or Rome, two of the other candidate cities in the second round of the competition. Ukraine's Odesa and Russia's Moscow dropped out of the first round of the race. "Nobody doubts Busan's capability to exhibit and host the event," Han told the Korean reporters. "I assure you that Busan is more attractive and diverse than the cities it is competing with." He met the reporters after taking to the podium in front of the representatives of 170 BIE member states. Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, a Hyundai Motor researcher as well as an Ethiopian researcher at Chungnam National University in Korea followed Han in promoting the city. The contesting cities share similar themes, from climate change to inequality, compassion and technologies, Han admitted. He said, however, that there will be a "slight but definite difference depending on how you play with them." Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivers a presentation during the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Prime Minister's Office Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Eastern Platinum Limited (TSX: ELR) (JSE: EPS) ("Eastplats" or the "Company") announces the voting results of the Company's 2022 Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on June 21, 2022 (the "Meeting"). A total of 81,269,162 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 58.97% of the votes attached to all the outstanding common shares of the Company. Detailed results of the vote held at the Meeting are set out below: Business Outcome of Vote Votes For Votes Against Votes Withheld 1. To set the number of Directors Approved 79,626,484 (99.90%) 83,688 (0.10%) 2. Resolution electing: (a) Diana Hu; Approved 25,443,954 (31.92%) 54,266,218 (68.08%) (b) Michael Cosic; Approved 25,439,554 (31.92%) 54,270,618 (68.08%) (c) George Dorin; Approved 70,441,773 (88.37%) 9,268,399 (11.63%) (d) Bielin Shi; and Approved 79,652,568 (99.93%) 57,604 (0.07%) (e) Xin (Alex) Guan Approved 70,437,873 (88.37%) 9,272,299 (11.63%) as directors of the Company. 3. Resolution appointing PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and authorizing the directors of the Company to fix their remuneration. Approved 81,109,491 (99.80%) 159,671 (0.20%) 4. Resolution approving the continuation of the Company's Stock Option Plan for a further three years. Approved 73,098,311 (91.71%) 6,611,861 (8.29%) Based on the voting results, all of the nominees proposed as directors and listed in the management information circular dated May 6, 2022 (the "Circular") were elected as directors of Eastplats at the Meeting in accordance with applicable corporate law. However, two directors (Diana Hu and Michael Cosic) had more votes withheld than were voted in their favour of their appointments to the Board. As a result, in accordance with the Company's Majority Voting Policy (the "Policy"), these two directors have tendered their resignations from the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"), effective upon acceptance by the Board. The Board will refer such resignations to the Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee (the "Committee") for consideration on whether or not to accept the resignations submitted by these directors. In accordance with the Policy, the Board shall accept such resignations unless the Committee determines that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the composition of the Board or the voting results that should delay the acceptance of such resignations or justify rejecting such resignations. The Board will issue a news release with its decision. At the Meeting, Eastplats' Stock Option Plan has been authorized for three further years, and the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP were also re-appointed as auditors of Eastplats. For further information, please contact: EASTERN PLATINUM LIMITED Wylie Hui, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary whui@eastplats.com (email) (604) 800-8200 (phone) No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128541 PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Capgemini (CGEMY.PK, CAPP) and Orange confirmed that their future joint venture Bleu is expected to start supporting clients in preparing for their migration by the end of 2022. In 2024, Bleu will offer Microsoft Azure services and core Microsoft 365 services. On May 27, 2021 Orange and Capgemini said they plan to establish Bleu, a new company that will provide Cloud de Confiance services to address the unique needs of the French State, public agencies, hospitals, regional authorities, Vital Importance Operators and Essential Service Operators. The new company is estimated to be set up in 2022. Jean Coumaros, currently Chief Transformation Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini, has been selected by the two shareholders as the proposed CEO of the future Bleu joint venture. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Highview Power, a global leader in long duration energy storage and essential grid services, has added Dominic Walters to the company's leadership team as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMCO). Walters will build and lead the company's marketing, corporate communications, and government team to accelerate demand for its long duration energy storage technology and scale the company's brand globally. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005309/en/ Dominic Walters Joins Highview Power as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (Photo: Business Wire) "Addressing climate change is one of the world's most urgent issues, and Highview Power is poised to be a leader in the UK and global energy transition journey," said Walters. "I am excited to be part of this challenge and quickly help establish why long duration energy storage, and Highview Power, is absolutely vital if we want to achieve our global ambitions of net zero." "We're incredibly fortunate that Dominic will be joining Highview Power at this critical juncture as we scale our renewable energy platforms around the world," commented Rupert Pearce, CEO of Highview Power. "I had the good fortune to work with Dominic at Inmarsat and saw first-hand how he was able to drive change and build a global brand and I know he'll bring the same level of energy and expertise to Highview Power." Walters joins Highview Power after spending five years leading satellite giant Inmarsat Aviation's integrated marketing and communications strategy. As Inmarsat's Vice President of Marketing Communications and Strategy, he helped drive significant revenue growth as Inmarsat seized a 50% share of a new multi-billion dollar aviation segment. Walters took the business from virtual unknown in its sector to a global aviation connectivity leader. His many accomplishments at Inmarsat include the ground-breaking Sky High Economics study developed with the London School of Economics that forecasted the potential for billions of dollars in ancillary revenue for the airline industry through advances in inflight broadband and connectivity. Prior to Inmarsat, Walters held senior marketing communications and consultancy roles with a range of international businesses including BP, Shell, Pizza Express, and BAE Systems. Walters holds an MSc in Digital Communications from the London School of Business and Finance and is author of Harnessing the Power at Your Fingertips: A Leader's Guide to B2B Marketing Communications (Cutting Through the Bull Publishing). About Highview Power Highview Power is the designer and developer of a revolutionary liquid air energy services capability (the CRYOplatform) that utilizes proprietary cryogenic technology, delivering reliable and cost-effective long-duration energy storage, shifting and stability services. Its core Renewable Energy Power Station offering deploys this proprietary technology to provide 100 MW of charge and 200 MW of discharge at 2.5 GW/h of duration, meaning over 60 hours cycle time, for 40 years of design duration, locatable anywhere. Highview Power's technology is low risk, immediately deployable, highly configurable and has excellent green credentials (using fresh air as its storage medium). For more information, please visit http://www.highviewpower.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005309/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Wendy Prabhu, Mercom Communications Highviewpower@MercomCapital.com UK: +44.203.617.1930 US: +1.512.215.4452 Companies that develop more responsible Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and strive to mitigate ESG risks experience fewer ESG-related controversies and generate better shareholder returns. These are the key findings of two new research studies released by Moody's Analytics showing that ESG risk management policies and actions, and the ESG scores that measure them, contain financially relevant information for investors. Leveraging data from Moody's ESG Solutions and RepRisk, an ESG data science firm specialized in ESG and business conduct risk assessments, the research draws a direct line from controversial ESG events that can be objectively measured such as a chemical spill (environmental), the use of child labor (social), or corruption and bribery cases (governance) and their business and shareholder impacts. "We found that there is a meaningful benefit to a responsible 'ESG risk management culture' within a firm that can have a potentially material effect on equity returns," said Doug Dwyer, Managing Director at Moody's Analytics, who led the research. "ESG controversies can inflict reputational damage with significant financial and legal repercussions. Firms that actively manage these risks do a better job of boosting shareholder value." Covering over 3,000 public companies from 2013 to 2019, the research finds that, controlling for other market factors, controversial ESG events have large and persistent negative effects on firm value, and the more severe the event the larger its impact. Moderate-to-severe ESG events resulted in an average -4% one-year excess equity return, which represents a loss of approximately $400 million for a typical-sized firm in the study. However, the research also showed that companies that learn from past ESG controversies and improve their internal ESG risk practices potentially reap benefits. Companies whose Moody's ESG Assessments improved were likely to experience about 15% fewer ESG controversies going forward than those that did not. Moody's ESG Assessments measure the extent to which companies integrate sustainability into their strategies, risk management, and operations, from the perspective of both business and stakeholder exposure. "Together, the results of these research studies show the relevance of ESG controversies to a firm's financial performance and, importantly, that companies can influence their ESG risk management cultures, while benefiting shareholders and other stakeholders," Dwyer added. Learn more about the research studies, Measuring Persistence in ESG Risk Management Culture and The Business Impact of ESG Performance About Moody's Analytics Moody's Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. For more information about Moody's Analytics, visit our website or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Moody's Analytics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Moody's Corporation reported revenue of $6.2 billion in 2021, employs over 14,000 people worldwide and maintains a presence in more than 40 countries. For more information on Moody's ESG Solutions, go to www.moodys.com/esg. To learn more about RepRisk, please visit www.reprisk.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005220/en/ Contacts: Tracy Fine Moody's Analytics Communications +1.415.874.6013 Tracy.fine@moodys.com Bottomline 2022 Payments Barometer reveals: Businesses of all sizes have been hit hard by fraud, and only 32% of fraud losses have been recovered in Great Britain (GB) and the United States (US) The shift to a cashless economy accelerates, with 1 in 5 businesses in Great Britain and 1 in 4 in the United States no longer accepting cash International payments recover from Covid-19, as 59% of businesses in the US and 48% in GB say that they will continue making international payments in 2022 and beyond LONDON and NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bottomline, a leading provider of financial technology that makes business payments simple, smart, and secure, revealed today that the shift to hybrid working has left businesses seriously exposed to insider fraud1, with over half of businesses (52% in GB and 63% in the US) falling victim over the last year. These levels are likely to be significantly higher as many businesses are unaware that they have fallen foul of insider fraud, with rates expected to increase further as hybrid working becomes a permanent workplace fixture. The findings stem from Bottomline's seventh annual Business Payments Barometer, which for the first time tracks the sentiment of US businesses, alongside their GB counterparts. Across the board, businesses of all sizes in GB and the US have been seriously hit by fraud, with estimated losses up significantly. This is especially true for small and medium-sized GB businesses who saw fraud losses rise to 53% and 63% respectively, following a decrease in fraud losses the year before. In both GB and the US, only 32% of fraud losses are recovered on average, and worryingly, only 2% of small businesses in GB recovered more than 50% of their losses. Faced with this significant increase, the industry is fighting back against the fraudsters. The roll out of Confirmation of Payee (CoP) in the UK is helping to stop the rise of Push Payment Fraud, which has taken over card fraud as the biggest issue in the industry, with losses of 355 million estimated for the first half of 2021 in the UK2. Worldwide, the adoption of ISO 20022 to strengthen fraud controls is well underway, with 75% of businesses in GB and 84% in the US saying they have a plan for the transition to ISO 20022 over the next three years. "Businesses, especially SMBs, have been seriously caught off guard by Covid-19 and hybrid working, leading to an unprecedented wave of fraud that hasn't been seen for years," said Paul Fannon, Managing Director, Global Business Solutions at Bottomline. "If we are to reverse this worrying trend and stop fraudsters in their tracks, the industry needs to work together to accelerate the roll out of initiatives such as CoP in the UK and educate businesses on how they can detect fraud before it's too late." International payments rebound following Brexit and Covid-19 Following a steady decline year-on-year due to concerns around Brexit and Covid-19, international payments appear to be slowly recovering in GB with 73% of businesses currently making outbound international payments - up from 69% in 2021. Despite this, many businesses are still having difficulty tracking payments (39% in both GB and US), and international payments continue to fail due to suppliers not passing sanctions checks (19% in GB, 35% in the US). This trend is likely to increase over the next year due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which has led to a rise in sanctions. Interestingly, 68% and 75% of businesses in GB and the US respectively have indicated that they are willing to take on more responsibility from the banks for sanctions checking to help ease the burden. To help manage these challenges, businesses will need to adopt technology solutions that ease the tracking of payments, such as the SWIFTgpi Tracker, and deal with the mountain of sanctions that are becoming more prominent and complex by the day. In addition, businesses are starting to show interest in Central Bank Digital Currencies (62% in GB and 76% in the US), which have the potential to revolutionize cross-border payments and solve these pain points by making them quicker, cheaper, traceable, and more efficient. While less than half of GB businesses expect to use blockchain, cryptocurrency or CBDCs in the next 3 years, two in three of their US counterparts plan to use blockchain to facilitate payments within the same time, specifically smart contracts. The shift to a cashless society continues The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a truly cashless society as businesses have been forced to accept digital and contactless payments. In the last year alone, 53% of GB and 63% of US businesses began accepting new payment methods, a figure which is highest amongst large enterprises (90%+ in both GB and the US). In contrast, cash is increasingly on the decline, with 22% of GB and 26% of US businesses no longer accepting cash, a figure which rises to 34% amongst large US businesses. Payment innovation is growing across the industry, as new methods rise to fill the gap in the market. The adoption of mobile payments, primarily in the retail sector, continues to rise globally (33% in GB and 28% in the US). Alternative payments are also on the rise, such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) which has steadily increased in popularity, especially in the UK where 18% of GB businesses now accept it as a payment method - up from 15% the year before. With all the hype and media attention around cryptocurrencies, businesses are slowly but surely starting to show interest, with 45% of GB and 65% of US businesses stating that they are likely to adopt cryptocurrencies for payments in future. "Covid-19 has led to one of the biggest changes to the global economy and society in more than 50 years. Now, everything is digital-first, and if businesses are to survive and thrive in this new digital economy, they must embrace digital payments. Innovative firms should start exploring how new payment technologies and initiatives will impact them and the industries in which they operate going forward", said Craig Saks, Chief Executive Officer, Bottomline. Cashflow and liquidity remain critical for companies As we emerge from the pandemic, companies have stated that cashflow remains critical as 69% of businesses in GB and 73% in the US state that receiving money quickly has never been more important. An increasing number of businesses in GB (22%) and US (21%) are no longer accepting cheques as a form of payment - up from 17% in 2021, as businesses continue to phase out more traditional payment methods after being forced to accept new, digital payment methods during the pandemic. The willingness of businesses to investigate changing payment terms to maximize cashflow has increased significantly in GB (64% in 2021 to 70% in the 2022), a figure which rises to 76% for US businesses. However, smaller firms have indicated that this is not a real option to relieve cashflow issues, with 60% of GB businesses stating that they do not have the capacity to carry this out compared to large and enterprise organizations. On the technology front, only 26% of large and 30% of enterprise businesses in GB are investing in automated treasury management systems, which increases to 36% for both large and enterprise within the US. This is surprising since such solutions give companies of this size accurate, real-time views of all cash positions across all accounts, banks, currencies, countries and more. Businesses are also turning to real-time payments to resolve cash flow management issues. In the US, 60% of businesses claim to have adopted real-time payments, and a further 25% state that they will adopt such in the next year. In GB, just under half of businesses (48%) indicated that they are currently using real-time payments, with year-on-year adoption remaining steady at 35%. Notes to editors About the research This research has been conducted in partnership with Ipsos and commissioned by Bottomline. The research consisted of an online survey among 1,600 financial decision-makers in Great Britain and the United States. Financial decision-makers are defined as those who input solely, or as part of a group, into the purchase of accounting, tax or financial services. The sample of 1,600 interviews was split into 800 financial decision-makers per market, 200 from each business size. GB definition US definition Small: 10 to 249 employees or less than 2m turnover (n=200) Small: 10 to 99 employees or less than $2.9m turnover (n=200) Medium: 250-999 employees or 2m-124.9m turnover (n=200) Medium: 101-999 employees or $3m-$169.9m turnover (n=200) Large: 1000-9999 employees or 125m-449.9 turnover (n=200) Large: 1000-9999 employees or $70m-$674.9 turnover (n=200) Enterprise: 10,000+ employees or over 500m turnover (n=200) Enterprise: 10,000+ employees or over $675m turnover (n=200) Fieldwork was conducted between January and February 2022. About Bottomline Bottomline makes complex business payments simple, smart, and secure. Corporations and banks rely on Bottomline for domestic and international payments, efficient cash management, automated workflows for payment processing and bill review, and state of the art fraud detection, behavioral analytics and regulatory compliance solutions. Thousands of corporations around the world benefit from Bottomline solutions. Headquartered in Portsmouth, NH, Bottomline delights customers through offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information visit www.bottomline.com. Media Contacts: John Stevens Bottomline pr@bottomline.com Jacqueline Powell Bottomline pr@bottomline.com ____________________ 1 Insider fraud is a type of threat that comes from the inside of a company i.e. a current or former employee, contractor or business partner 2 UK Finance: https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/Half-year-fraud-update-2021-FINAL.pdf Collaboration will help startups to accelerate growth and to improve cost efficiency SeedBlink, an online investment platform that connects investors with technology startups, today announced a collaboration with TDCX (NYSE: TDCX), an award-winning digital customer experience (CX) solutions provider for technology and blue-chip companies, with the aim of helping its portfolio companies accelerate their sales journey and deliver higher customer satisfaction. The collaboration with TDCX deepens the support that SeedBlink provides its portfolio companies in the post-investment phase. By tapping TDCX's CX expertise, startups can hope to scale their CX teams more quickly and achieve better performance. This in turn enables the startups to use the capital raised through SeedBlink more effectively. Providing positive customer experiences is crucial for all companies, particularly startups that want to solidify their relationship with their customers. Research1 has shown that one in three consumers (33 per cent) will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. SeedBlink's portfolio of startups will be able to tap TDCX's customer experience solutions that span sales and digital marketing, omnichannel customer experience and content moderation. TDCX is a partner to many of the world's leading and disruptive brands in sectors such as e-commerce, fintech and technology, providing outsourced solutions in areas including customer service, technical support and inside sales. Crikle, a London-based company developing a simple and remote sales solution for global sales reps, has been using TDCX since late 2021 after raising a seed round of 575,000 through SeedBlink. Diwaker Singh, CEO at Crikle: "The team at SeedBlink is a pleasure to work with and respond quickly to our business needs. They have brought us together with TDCX to unlock business growth, expand our team and increase our skill sets. Working with an experienced outsourced partner results in greater efficiency, lower operating costs, more flexibility, and faster time to market." Andrei Dudoiu, Managing Partner at SeedBlink, says: "When our startups succeed, SeedBlink succeeds. Our goal is for startups to come to SeedBlink and discover real support for scaling and new opportunities beyond capital with an array of partners who understand their needs and their stage of growth. Partnering with TDCX, a global CX provider, takes us one step further on our journey beyond crowd investing in tech startups." Daniel Mereuta, Country Director at TDCX Romania said: "We have been helping companies to scale faster and to perform better by delivering exceptional customer experiences. We understand the challenges that startups face and are glad to have been able to support these promising enterprises. We are ready to help other startups build and strengthen their CX capabilities and our collaboration with SeedBlink will enable us to reach more companies and help them in transforming their CX." Through the collaboration, SeedBlink is poised to play a greater role in the development of the European technology ecosystem. The leading co-investing platform in CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) elevates technology startups by helping them to scale through access to capital, market expertise and a network of trusted ecosystem partners. About SeedBlink SeedBlink is the fastest-growing investing platform specialized in sourcing, vetting, financing, and scaling European tech start-ups. Our vision is to shape Europe's tech future by creating an investment platform that allows investors and founders to access the opportunities, tools, and services of early-stage venture capital. SeedBlink's community is at the heart of the platform's success, along with a rigorous selection of technology Seed to Series B start-ups their passionate teams. As of May 2022, over 10,700 investors from all over the world have used SeedBlink to back nearly 60 companies with a total of 53,4M. More information is available at www.seedblink.com About TDCX Inc. Singapore-headquartered TDCX provides transformative digital CX solutions, enabling world-leading and disruptive brands to acquire new customers, to build customer loyalty and to protect their online communities. TDCX helps clients achieve their customer experience aspirations by harnessing technology, human intelligence and its global footprint. It serves clients in fintech, gaming, technology, home sharing and travel, digital advertising and social media, streaming, and e-commerce. TDCX's expertise and strong footprint in Asia has made it a trusted partner for clients, particularly high-growth, new economy companies looking to tap the region's growth potential. TDCX's commitment to delivering positive outcomes for our clients extends to its role as a responsible corporate citizen. Its Corporate Social Responsibility program focuses on positively transforming the lives of its people, its communities and the environment. TDCX employs more than 15,000 employees across 26 campuses globally, specifically Singapore, where it is headquartered, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, India, Romania, Spain, and Colombia. For more information, please visit: www.tdcx.com. ___________________________ 1 Source: Experience is everything: Here's how to get it right; PwC, 2018. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/zz-test/assets/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005449/en/ Contacts: Eunice Seow, eunice.seow@tdcx.com The growth of the technical textiles market is driven by growing demand for housing in many suburban cities and the rising use of technical textiles in packaging applications, says this report. SELBYVILLE, Del., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the report published by Global Market Insights Inc., the global Technical Textiles Market was estimated at USD 169,474.2 million in 2021 and is projected to surpass a valuation of USD 230 billion by 2028, progressing at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2022 to 2028. The report covers a comprehensive analysis of the market size and estimations, wavering market trends, drivers & opportunities, major investment pockets, top winning strategies, and the competitive scenario. Technical textiles offer high resistance to sunlight and acid rain, fire retardant, and it also has lower cost compared to its existing counterparts such as plastic and polymers in the industry, which is like to create new opportunity for the product in construction application. Request for Sample Report: https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/5283 Many government authorities are imposing restrictions on disposable products, which are manufactured using standard plastics. For instance, the EU implemented a directive to prohibit the sale of plastic disposables, which was effective by 2021. This will be a stimulus for further growth in the consumption of technical textile products across Europe. As plastic products will be replaced with biodegradable products, paper-based products are expected to lead the market. The buildtech segment has a high ability to capture the overall market share along with significant growth potential over the coming years. These materials are used as acoustic & thermal insulation and protect buildings against sun, wind, fire & water. Textile fibers are also used with concrete to enrich their properties, thus protecting against UV & electromagnetic radiations, lowering the cost, being eco-friendly, etc. The Middle East technical textiles market will witness significant growth in near future. The increasing demand for building & packaging materials across the region will drive the demand for technical textiles. Moreover, advancements in raw materials for enhanced product quality and reliability will support the industry share. Technological improvements in the manufacturing process and infrastructure will spur product penetration. Many governments are encouraging the use of biodegradable materials as they can be disposed of in a safe and ecologically sound manner. Growing concerns to attain sustainability in the environment are encouraging the use of biodegradable materials for manufacturing packaging and healthcare solutions. This is due to the fact that conventional plastic-based material cannot be disposed of by natural processes and thus poses serious threats to human health & the environment. Request for the Customization of this Report: https://www.gminsights.com/roc/5283 The knitted segment will observe around 4% CAGR through 2028. Knitted fabrics are used in various end-use industries such as construction, marine, and healthcare, among others. Various types of knitted fabrics are used in medical treatment such as surgical stockings and orthopedic equipment including wrist, knee, and elbow braces, calf & lumbar supports. Knitted fabrics can also be used to reinforce wall coverings that will induce significant growth potential. The Europe technical textiles market is set to grow at a CAGR of 4%. The major market demand in this region will arise from mobiltech and indutech applications. Germany is extensively observed as a market leader in technical textiles. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided significant opportunities for European manufacturers to increase their production of PPE kits due to the increasing demand for masks, gloves, and other protective equipment. Leading market players: Key market players operating in the global technical textiles industry include Asahi Kasei, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Heathcoat Fabrics Ltd, Dupont, Toyobo Co., Milliken & Company, Nobletex Industries Ltd., Arville, NIKOL Advance Materials Pvt. Ltd, Baltex, Huntsman International LLC, Kimberly-Clark's, Huber & Co. AG Bandfabrik, SRF Limited and KHOSLA PROFIL PVT LTD. About Global Market Insights Inc. Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider. Offering syndicated and custom research reports, growth consulting and business intelligence services, Global Market Insights, Inc. aims to help clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data that aid in strategic decision making. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: sales@gminsights.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845069/Technical_Textiles_Market.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661916/GMI.jpg RIGA, Latvia, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grindeks, the leading pharmaceutical enterprise in the Baltic States, announces its goals on essential expansion of a range of generic Expandsand activities in international markets. Grindeks believes that it has great potential to expand patients' access to high-quality and effective medicines for treatment of important therapeutic directions - CNS diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and oncological diseases. In addition, Kalceks, a subsidiary enterprise of Grindeks, has made a convincing announcement of its presence in global competition in the hospital segment. In recent years, the Grindeks Group has been growing rapidly and it is confident that, unlike the leaders of the global pharmaceutical market, it is able to respond quickly and flexibly to the needs and requirements of patients. The enterprise has been fulfilling drug development processes, knowledge transfer and continuous infrastructure development, in order to expand a portfolio of the generic products. In 2022, Grindeks plans to apply 18 generic medicines for registration. Kalceks, the subsidiary enterprise, will apply 10 medicines for registration in the hospital segment. Production of active pharmaceutical ingredients is also very important for the Group, since it is one Grindeks competitive advantages increasing its independence from raw material manufacturers. The enterprise as of now produces 25 active pharmaceutical ingredients, and they are in great demand. 46 new active pharmaceutical ingredients are under development. To ensure availability of the medicienes of Grindeks and Kalceks for the patients, the Group has been developing its activities around the world. Last year, Grindeks products were exported to 103 countries worldwide. Along with the already existing representative offices and subsidiaries, subsidiary enterprises shall be opened this year in the USA, Switzerland and a number of countries of the European Union. Dr. chem. Juris Hmelnickis, Chairman of the Board of Grindeks: "There are no unattainable goals if an enterprise works confidently, putting the needs of patients at the forefront. Grindeks team has proven its ability for coordinated progress towards a common goal. We are characterized by realization that we are doing something especially important for health of mankind. It is a call to help people. In addition, we have courage, knowledge and experience. The expansion of the range of the generic medicines and of Grindeks operations will bring great benefits to the patients, as the medicines will become more accessible to them." About Grindeks Group Grindeks is an international pharmaceutical group, and its main activities are research, development, production and sale of original products, generic medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients. In 2021 the Group exported its products to 103 countries. Grindeks Group consists of JSC Grindeks and its subsidaries: JSC Kalceks in Latvia, JSC Tallinn Pharmaceutical Plant in Estonia, HBM Pharma s.r.o. in Slovakia, Grindeks Kalceks Lietuva, Grindeks Kalceks Eesti, Grindeks Kalceks USA and Namu Apsaimniekosanas projekti in Latvia. The main therapeutic groups of Grindeks are cardiovascular, central nervous system, anti-cancer and diabetes medicines. Kalceks specializes in medicines for the hospital segment. The product range consists of the original products Mildronate (meldonium) and Ftorafur (tegafur), generic medicines as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients. www.grindeks.eu Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1843076/Grindeks.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1508714/Grindex_Logo.jpg Oslo, Norway - June 22, 2022: The Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of REC Silicon ASA (REC Silicon) was held as a digital meeting on June 22, 2022 at 09:00 hours (CEST). The minutes from the Annual General Meeting recording the resolutions made are enclosed hereto and will also be available on REC Silicon's website www.recsilicon.com. Further to the Notice of the Annual General Meeting issued on May 30, 2022, the Annual General Meeting approved, as follows from the minutes, all resolutions as proposed by the Board. For further information, please contact: Douglas J. Moore Chief Financial Officer Phone: +1 509 989 0749 Email: douglas.moore@recsilicon.com Nils O. Kjerstad IR Contact Phone: +47 9135 6659 Email: nils.kjerstad@crux.no About REC Silicon REC Silicon is a leading producer of advanced silicon materials, delivering high-purity polysilicon and silicon gas to the solar and electronics industries worldwide. We combine over 30 years of experience and proprietary technology with the needs of our customers, with annual production capacity of more than 20,000 MT of polysilicon from our two US-based manufacturing plants. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: RECSI), the Company is headquartered in Lysaker, Norway. For more information, go to: www.recsilicon.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FIREWEED ZINC LTD. ("Fireweed" or the "Company") (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQB: FWEDF) is pleased to announce it is rebranding and transitioning with a name change to FIREWEED METALS CORP. Fireweed will now operate as and market itself as Fireweed Metals Corp., but formal adoption of the new name will occur when regulatory approvals are received. Fireweed will continue to trade under the same symbols on stock exchanges (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQB: FWEDF; FSE:20F) and the number of shares outstanding will not change. The rebranding features a new redesigned website, www.FireweedMetals.com, which launches today. Readers are encouraged to explore the new website which features a new look and new content with enhanced visuals and videos. Executive Statement Fireweed CEO Brandon Macdonald stated: "Fireweed has quickly grown into much more than a zinc company. The purpose of this rebranding and the new website is to reflect that we are now a leading critical minerals company. Our projects host major deposits of zinc and tungsten, each with unique supply dynamics and compelling demand growth. Our flagship Macmillan Pass Project is one of the largest undeveloped zinc projects in the world. Nearby, our recently acquired Mactung Project is one of the world's largest and highest grade tungsten deposits. To the north, we have also recently acquired the Gayna River zinc-gallium-germanium project. All our projects are in the safe jurisdiction of Canada. With both zinc and tungsten being designated as critical minerals by Canada, the US, and the EU, Fireweed is positioned to be a significant critical minerals player on the world stage and to help enable the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy." New Website In coordination with the rebranding, Fireweed is pleased to launch a new redesigned website, www.FireweedMetals.com. The new website features a new look and content, and will have new content released regularly. Fireweed's ambition is to have industry leading data transparency, and will be working towards that goal in the coming months. Readers are encouraged to explore the new website and learn more about Fireweed and its projects. Name Change Detailed Information The name change to Fireweed Metals Corp. was approved by a special resolution at the recent Annual General and Special Meeting of the shareholders held on May 25, 2022 (see Fireweed news release dated June 10, 2022) as well as by the Board of Directors. To finalize the name change, regulatory approvals are needed including TSX Venture Exchange approval. After the name change, Fireweed will continue to trade under the same symbols on stock exchanges (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQB: FWEDF; FSE:20F) but under a new CUSIP number, and the number of shares outstanding will not change. About Fireweed Metals Corp. (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQB: FWEDF; FSE:20F): Fireweed Metals is a public mineral exploration company on the leading edge of Critical Minerals project development. The Company has three projects located in northern Canada: Macmillan Pass Zinc-Lead-Silver Project: Fireweed owns 100% of the district-scale 940 km 2 Macmillan Pass project in Yukon, Canada, which is host to the Tom and Jason zinc-lead-silver deposits with current Mineral Resources and a PEA economic study (see Fireweed news releases dated 10 th January 2018, and 23 rd May 2018, respectively, and reports filed on www.sedar.com for details) as well as the Boundary Zone, Boundary Zone West, Tom North Zone and End Zone which have significant zinc-lead-silver mineralization drilled but not yet classified as mineral resources. The project also includes large blocks of adjacent claims with known showings and significant upside exploration potential. Plans for 2022 include a large drill program toward expanded mineral resources and an updated PEA to include large new zones of mineralization defined since 2018 including Boundary Zones. Fireweed owns 100% of the district-scale 940 km Macmillan Pass project in Yukon, Canada, which is host to the Tom and Jason zinc-lead-silver deposits with current Mineral Resources and a PEA economic study (see Fireweed news releases dated 10 January 2018, and 23 May 2018, respectively, and reports filed on www.sedar.com for details) as well as the Boundary Zone, Boundary Zone West, Tom North Zone and End Zone which have significant zinc-lead-silver mineralization drilled but not yet classified as mineral resources. The project also includes large blocks of adjacent claims with known showings and significant upside exploration potential. Plans for 2022 include a large drill program toward expanded mineral resources and an updated PEA to include large new zones of mineralization defined since 2018 including Boundary Zones. Mactung Tungsten Project: The Company has a binding Letter of Intent to acquire 100% interest in the 37.6 km 2 Mactung Tungsten Project located adjacent to the Macmillan Pass Project. Mactung contains historic resources that make it one of the largest and highest-grade undeveloped tungsten resources in the world. Located in Canada, it is one of the rare large tungsten resources outside of China. Plans for 2022 include due diligence and validation work on historic data in order to support a new mineral resource estimate followed by a Preliminary Economic Study. The Company has a binding Letter of Intent to acquire 100% interest in the 37.6 km Mactung Tungsten Project located adjacent to the Macmillan Pass Project. Mactung contains historic resources that make it one of the largest and highest-grade undeveloped tungsten resources in the world. Located in Canada, it is one of the rare large tungsten resources outside of China. Plans for 2022 include due diligence and validation work on historic data in order to support a new mineral resource estimate followed by a Preliminary Economic Study. Gayna River Zinc-Gallium-Germanium Project: Fireweed has 100% of the 128.75 km2 Gayna River project located 180 kilometres north of the Macmillan Pass project. It is host to extensive critical minerals mineralization including zinc, gallium and germanium as well as lead and silver, outlined by 28,000 metres of historic drilling and significant upside potential. Plans for 2022 consist of an airborne LiDAR topography survey, ground geophysics survey and historic data compilation. In Canada, Fireweed (TSXV: FWZ) trades on the TSX Venture Exchange. In the USA, Fireweed (OTCQB: FWEDF) trades on the OTCQB Venture Market for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies and is DTC eligible for enhanced electronic clearing and settlement. The Company is current in its reporting, and undergoes an annual verification and management certification process. Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. In Europe, Fireweed (FSE: 20F) trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Additional information about Fireweed and its projects can be found on the Company's website at www.FireweedMetals.com and at www.sedar.com . ON BEHALF OF FIREWEED METALS CORP. "Brandon Macdonald" CEO & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Forward Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking" statements and information relating to the Company and its projects that are based on the beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Company management. Such statements reflect the current risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including but not limited to, without limitations, exploration and development risks, expenditure and financing requirements, general economic conditions, changes in financial markets, the ability to properly and efficiently staff the Company's operations, the sufficiency of working capital and funding for continued operations, title matters, First Nations relations, operating hazards, political and economic factors, competitive factors, metal prices, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulations and oversight, permitting, seasonality and weather, technological change, industry practices, and one-time events. Should any one or more risks or uncertainties materialize or change, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and forward-looking statements may vary materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law. Contact: Brandon Macdonald Phone: (604) 646-8361 Residents of the Acrovista apartment building in Seoul's Seocho district file a petition against loudspeaker protest rallies in their neighborhood, with the Seoul Seocho Police Station, June 22. Yonhap Hundreds of neighbors who live near President Yoon Suk-yeol's private home filed a petition Wednesday asking police to stop noisy protest rallies in their neighborhood. Employing loudspeakers, progressive protestors from YouTube news channel Voice of Seoul have been staging daily rallies in front of Yoon's apartment building in southern Seoul since mid-June in retaliation for noisy conservative rallies in front of former President Moon Jae-in's retirement home in the southeastern city of Yangsan. Submitting the petition to the Seoul Seocho Police Station, residents of the Acrovista apartment complex asked police to stop protestors from using loudspeakers. "Residents are having difficulties leading normal lives. Elderly people and those preparing for exams are particularly in pain," Jeong Won-heon, a representative of the Acrovista residents, said. About 470 of the complex's total 720 households signed the petition. Since taking office last month, Yoon has been commuting from his private home there to the new presidential office in Yongsan. Yoon plans to move into what previously was the foreign minister's official residence near the presidential office as soon as renovation work is complete. (Yonhap) Regulatory News: The Combined shareholders meeting of Exclusive Networks (Paris:EXN), chaired by Mrs Barbara Thoralfsson, Chairperson of the Board, was held on 21 June 2022, at 3pm at the Company's registered Office, Auditorium, 20, Quai du Point du Jour, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France. The General Meeting was broadcasted live, both in French and in English. The General Meeting gathered a large quorum of 91.19%. The shareholders approved all the resolutions that were submitted. The Shareholders' Meeting approved the 2021 financial and consolidated statements and the payment of a dividend of 0.20 per share, with an ex-date of July 5, 2022 and a payment date of July 7,2022. The Shareholders approved the 2022 compensation policy of the Company's corporate officers (i.e. the President of the Board, the Directors and the Chief Executive Officer) as detailed in the Corporate Governance report of the Board of Directors, the information referred to in Article L.22-10-9 of the French commercial Code included in the Corporate Governance report of the Board of Directors, as well as the fixed, variable and exceptional elements of total compensation and benefits of any kind paid or awarded for the financial year of 2021 to the Chairperson and the Chief Executive Officer. The shareholders also voted in favor of the revaluation of the amount of the overall annual compensation package for Directors to bring it to 235,000 euros. The Shareholders approved the renewal of the authorization granted to the Board with regards to share buybacks. Finally, the shareholders approved the authorization granted to the Board of Directors to allocate performance shares of the Company to employees and/or corporate officers of the Company or Group companies. The results of voting on all resolutions submitted to Shareholders will be available on the Company's website: https://ir.exclusive-networks.com/event-directory/annual-general-meeting. A replay of the AGM is available at the same address. About Exclusive Networks Exclusive Networks is a leading global specialist in innovative cybersecurity technologies, providing services to accelerate the sale of cybersecurity disruptive and digital infrastructure technologies on a global scale. Exclusive Networks helps cybersecurity vendors scale their businesses globally, and offering channel partners (such as value-added resellers, system integrators, telcos and managed service providers) expertise, disruptive technologies and services to fit the needs of their corporate customers. Exclusive Networks also works with several vendors offering solutions in specific sub-segments beyond cyber. Exclusive Networks excels by combining global scale with local execution. With offices in 43 countries and the ability to service customers across five continents, Exclusive Networks, headquartered in France, offers a "global scale, local sale" model. This model enhances performance in local operations by providing both global and local support. This approach has enabled Exclusive Networks to (i) develop one of the world's broadest portfolios of cybersecurity solutions from over 260 leading vendors and (ii) develop a worldwide customer base, consisting of over 21,000 VARs, SIs, Telcos and MSPs, indirectly serving more than 110,000 end-customers. Over the period from 2018 to 2021, Exclusive Networks engaged in business in more than 170 countries. Exclusive Networks' approach enables vendors to adopt a simple and agile go-to-market model in relation to their cybersecurity and digital infrastructure solutions, while benefiting from Exclusive Networks' local expertise and market knowledge in each jurisdiction where it operates. Exclusive Networks' scale is equally important to its customers as their own end-users may be located in multiple regions of the world. In addition, Exclusive Networks helps its customers through its expertise in vendor selection as cybersecurity and digital infrastructure solutions become ever more complicated and keep evolving in the face of increasing cybersecurity threats. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005493/en/ Contacts: EXCLUSIVE NETWORKS CONTACTS Relations Investisseurs Hacene BOUMENDJEL Directeur des Relations Investisseurs ir@exclusive-networks.com Communication Hadas HUGHES VP, Global Marketing Comms Communications_Global@exclusive-networks.com FTI Consulting Christina Zinck +33 (0)1 47 03 68 18 exclusivenetworks@fticonsulting.com Wien (ots) -An agreement was recently signed between lenders and current owners of Lower Austria-based Schur Flexibles Group to refinance and recapitalize the group. The agreement will provide EUR 150 million in fresh capital in two tranches (of which EUR 60 million are available immediately and further EUR 90 million will be available as of closing). EUR 50 million of the new capital are earmarked for strategic acquisitions and M&A activities to ensure further business growth. In addition, upon closing of the agreement, which is expected to take place in September 2022, there will be a debt haircut of up to 75% of the existing bank liabilities and the lenders will acquire the ownership of the Group.Such restructuring measures will reduce the company's leverage to industry levels, providing the company with greater flexibility to navigate the current volatile economic environment. In addition, no short-term liabilities will burden the company's liquidity. With their binding financing commitments, the future owners underline their belief in the resilient business model of Schur Flexibles Group and express their long-term commitment to further develop the company strategically. In addition, any civil and criminal procedures originating from the period prior to the restructuring will be subject to determination by the relevant competent authorities and courts. However, these proceedings have no influence on the operational business of the group or the future owners.The restructuring course taken is already reflected in the positive business developments of the company. The Group's performance in 2022 is developing in line with the business plan and is therefore on track even under difficult market conditions.All stakeholders will work closely together with the management team to implement measures that will secure the company's economic success in the future. The further development of Schur Flexibles is intended to further expand its role as a leading solution provider of fully recyclable plastic packaging solutions. In doing so, the company can benefit from the experience of the future owners in the paper and packaging industry.The consortium of lenders and future owners - consisting of various banks and funds, including Apollo, Capital Four, Guggenheim and Palmer Square - would like to expressly thank all stakeholders, in particular employees, customers, suppliers, investors and financial institutions for their support during the last weeks, which contributed to the successful restructuring solution of the company.The Group currently employs around 2,200 people at 23 production sites in eleven countries.Pressekontakt:Martin Jenewein, MBASenior PartnerSMJ Partners Consulting GmbHPhone: +43 664 2377654Mail: jenewein@smj.atWeb: https://www.smj.atOriginal-Content von: SMJ Partners Consulting GmbH, ubermittelt durch news aktuellOriginalmeldung: https://www.presseportal.de/pm/146423/5254466 BEIJING, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The new electric kickscooter F series is being launched in the Turkey as part of Segway-Ninebot's ongoing efforts to expand its presence in Turkey. As a leading global business in the fields of short-distance transportation and service robotics, Segway-Ninebot, is furthering its position as a pioneer in the future of smart mobility in Turkey. The newly launched F Series boasts instant performance of up to 25 kilometers per hour. On the F40, users will enjoy dynamic riding, which is wonderfully suited for daily commute journey, thanks to the 350 W powerful and silent engine. By simply stepping on the board, users can go with its maximum speed of up to 25 km/h and ability to climb slopes of up to 20%. Thanks to its ecologically friendly electric engine, users can enjoy the ambiance of surroundings without adding additional acoustic noise. The F Series also has a Resilient Frame and 10-inch Pneumatic Tyres for a smooth and comfortable ride while lowering the risk of puncture. The KickScooter's two independent brakes, including an electronic front brake and a rear disc brake, ensure more secure and rapid stopping. F Series is sustainable with an Innovative Regenerative Braking System, enabling the Kickscooter to recycle energy from riding. Moreover, the integrated lithium battery pack converts the energy stored during braking into power and stores it in the wheels. "Segway-Ninebot is committed to providing innovative transportation solutions that improve people's lives and help create more sustainable communities. We are confident that our products will contribute to the Turkey's efforts to become a world-leading smart city. Turkey is one of the most important markets for Segway, and we are very excited to be launching our new product line here." said Frank Zhang of Segway-Ninebot, the head of ME region. Segway-Ninebot is poised to become an essential player in making smart cities a reality across the world. With cutting-edge technology, these new lines are not only safe and simple to use, but also equipped with intelligent connectivity suitable for a Smart City. At present, with Its products sold in more than 225 countries and regions, Segway-Ninebot is all geared up to amplify its footprint in the micro-mobility market with its latest innovations. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845025/F_series_lifestyle.jpg LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Symplicity Corporation, the global leader of student employability, wellbeing and success, today welcomed a new institution into its partnership network: Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA). Founded to develop young, artistic talent, RUFA is an international, multidisciplinary institution that provides students with an unconventional study in the arts. Enrolling 1,400 students studying painting, sculpture, graphic design, film, illustration, and much more, Symplicity is thrilled to offer its platform to support RUFA's ongoing mission that combines university curriculum and professional training. Prior to joining with Symplicity, RUFA had no platform to manage internship and career events. Yet, as the institution has continued to grow, RUFA realised in 2021 that it needed a solution to better support the institution's future goals and that of its students. "We found Symplicity CSM to be an innovative and customisable solution that continues to grow with the changing landscape," said Arch. Fabio Mongelli, Dean of RUFA. "The Symplicity team was extremely caring and available to adjust the platform to our very specific needs and processes, which made us decide to join its client network." RUFA has adopted Symplicity to keep records of internships, job offers, applications, events, and employer relations to better support its students. With its all-in-one-platform that is easily customisable, Symplicity was the right solution to meet RUFA's growing needs. With Symplicity, RUFA hopes to boost the employability of its students and offer valuable support for employment and continuous learning to its robust alumni. Recently launching RUFAlumni Community, the institution aims to use Symplicity to reconnect with its alumni to offer them opportunities to find new jobs, explore career paths, engage with the university, highlight work and experiences, and provide mentorship to current students. In addition, with its peer-to-peer mentorship program, new graduates are connected to experienced alumni who can provide advice and support. "As an intentionally recognised institution that fosters young artists, we are thrilled to welcome RUFA into our Symplicity network that includes many art-focused schools around the world," said Thomas Jepsen, President of International at Symplicity. "With Symplicity, RUFA can better support its current students, and alumni, with career readiness specific to their interest of study in the arts." About RUFA Rome University of Fine Arts (RFUA), is a multidisciplinary, international higher education Institution - legally recognized by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) - that offers accredited and innovative courses in the field of Arts, Design, Visual Communication, Audiovisual, Fashion, Game, and Media Arts. RUFA collaborates with well-known professionals and prestigious companies, guaranteeing its students a high-level theoretical preparation combined with a practical academic approach, whilst keeping a keen eye on the job market and current market trends. Founded in 1998 by Maestro Alfio Mongelli to welcome young talents - from Italy and all around the world - in an unconventional Academy of Fine Arts, RUFA now offers 15 Bachelor and Master of Arts programs that cut new paths through the contemporary art and culture scenes, providing transformative education and tangible career opportunities. About Symplicity Symplicity Corporation is a global leader in student employability and engagement software solutions to more than 2,000 colleges and universities. Symplicity's SaaS platform supports the full student experience, including early talent recruiting, accessibility, wellbeing and behavioral intervention. These solutions empower higher education clients to enhance a student's ability to stay in school, graduate and secure a first job. Learn more at www.symplicity.com. Media Contact Helena Okolicsanyi Senior Markting Specialist hokolicsanyi@symplicity.com SSH and ISSP Signs Partnership to tackle new evolving cyber threats SSH Communications Security (SSH), a leading European defensive cybersecurity solution provider, announced today the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with ISSP, a full-cycle professional cybersecurity services provider with a strong presence in Ukraine. SSH and ISSP will develop joint cybersecurity solutions and strengthen each other's presence in new markets. ISSP is a "go-to firm for victims of Ukraine's cyberwar", with over a hundred employees in six countries ISSP protects businesses from advanced cyber-attacks by providing 24x7 Cybersecurity Monitoring and Active Response Services, powered by Threat Intelligence and Research services and professional cybersecurity training capabilities. ISSP has more than 14 years of experience in protecting digital assets and IT Infrastructures from cyber attacks and supporting businesses to defend against continuously evolving cyber threats. Operating a threat research Lab in Kyiv, Ukraine, ISSP has been battle-tested on the frontlines of the cyberwar. SSH is a professional in defensive security technology SSH has an extensive portfolio of defensive security solutions for protecting confidential, sensitive, and critical data and systems in operational technology and critical infrastructures. SSH's solutions enable secure and automated communication between mission-critical applications and manage, track, and protect, and audit system access for the power users who maintain them. In addition, SSH's solutions allow for sharing sensitive business information securely between people across the globe and organizational boundaries. The SSH' software portfolio is futureproof and meets the challenges posed by quantum computing and cloudification. Development of new products and new market openings ISSP takes a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity and an individual approach to each customer by diligently assessing the attack digital surface and evaluating organizational cybersecurity posture. ISSP team has the experience of being a first responder to the most advanced and devastating cyber attacks, such as the power grid attacks or the NotPetya cyber invasion of 2017. As a result of the partnership, SSH and ISSP will be able to develop new security solutions and services that will ensure business continuity and business cyber defense. In addition, both companies will complement each other's offerings and strengthen their presence in new markets, especially in the EMEA and AMER regions. "Our partnership enables SSH to leverage the practical experience of ISSP in Ukraine and other customer projects. SSH also wants to help in the rebuilding process of Ukraine and provide futureproof solutions together with ISSP," says TeemuTunkelo, CEO of SSH. "SSH has the best defensive security technology, and ISSP has the best people and expertise. We aim for new market openings and mutual benefits for both companies and their customers. Both parties get added value, better product security, shared experience, and a wider sales organization," concludes Teemu. "As a company with deep Ukrainian roots, ISSP greatly appreciates the level of support and tangible assistance provided to Ukraine and Ukrainians by Finland and our colleagues from SSH in particular. Moreover, our collaboration allows us to build a long-term, mutually beneficial technology partnership between our countries that gives a competitive edge to both sides. As a company that has been at the forefront of Ukraine's cyber defense, we see immense value in sharing our take-outs, approaches, and experience to increase cyber resilience across Finland, the Scandinavian region, and in Europe in general. Having SSH as a partner allows us to directly address public and private organizations cybersecurity needs and concerns, providing battle-tested and tailored solutions having years of hands-on work in the most demanding market conditions. I am excited about this partnership. We want to develop novel solutions and services, find new potential business opportunities, and promote cooperation between Finland and Ukraine in the field of cybersecurity. Together, we have a more comprehensive portfolio of products for our customers, and we can improve their security even more," says RomanSologub, CEO of ISSP. Welcome to the expert roundtable on 28.6. 15-16 EEST: How is Ukraine defending itself against cyberattacks? SSH and ISSP are organizing a joint roundtable-webinar on Ukraine's experiences with cyberwarfare. What has the crisis taught us, and what solutions can be used to combat cyberattacks? High-class experts from both companies will attend the roundtable. Read more about the event and register here. For more information: Teemu Tunkelo, CEO, tel. +358 40 5499605, email Teemu.Tunkelo@ssh.com About SSH SSH helps organizations safeguard their mission-critical digital assets at rest, in transit, and in use. We have 5,000+ customers worldwide, including 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies and major organizations in the Finance, Government, Retail, and Industrial segment. We are committed to helping our customers secure their business in the age of hybrid cloud and distributed IT and OT solutions. Our Zero Trust solutions offer safe electronic communications and secure access to servers and between servers. Our teams in North America, Europe, and Asia, along with a global network of certified partners, ensure customer success. The company's shares About ISSP Founded in 2008, ISSP - Information Systems Security Partners is a full-cycle professional cybersecurity company. We provide compromise and vulnerability assessment, penetration and security testing, cybersecurity consulting and digital forensics, cyber and data technologies integration and support, managed detection and response services, and threat intelligence. We help businesses, organizations, industries, governments, and academia face the challenge of dealing with the constant threat of cyberattacks and protect networks, systems, and data from continuously evolving cyber threats. Serving the cybersecurity needs of private and public entities for more than a decade, ISSP has completed more than 900 projects and provides an in-depth understanding of cybersecurity challenges at all levels. www.issp.com HANGZHOU, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VenusP-Valve, an in-house developed novel medical device of Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc. (2500.HK, hereinafter referred to as "Venus Medtech"), recently completed its first compassionate use at University of Virginia Advanced Cardiac Valve Center in the U.S. The procedure was performed at the Center by Professor Scott Lim's team under on-site guidance from Professor Yuan Feng and remote guidance from Professor Mao Chen, who are both from Cardiology Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University in China. As the first-ever clinical application of a Chinese-developed heart valve product in the U.S., the case corroborates not only the unique clinical value of VenusP-Valve but also the significance of global-oriented innovation. Although there are several transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement (TPVR) products available in the U.S. market, such as Melody TPV and Harmony TPV by Medtronic and the SAPIEN series by Edwards, they do not work for the considerable number of patients with dilated right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). As a large-diameter product, VenusP-Valve can satisfy the clinical needs of 85% of patients in the case of large RVOT. In May 2022, VenusP-Valve was approved by the FDA for compassionate use in two patients. This first patient was a 21-year-old man who suffered from severe pulmonary regurgitation, right ventricular dilation, pulmonary artery dilation, and left ventricular dysfunction after transannular patch (TAP) repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The procedure was performed under local anesthesia where the patient remained conscious. Upon preoperative CT, intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and balloon measurement, a P34-25 (valve diameter 34mm, straight length 25mm) VenusP-Valve that precisely fit the patient's anatomy was delivered through the right femoral vein. On the first postoperative day, ultrasound scan indicated a marked decrease in right ventricle volume with no pulmonary regurgitation. Left ventricular function also returned to normal. Making a sound recovery according to postoperative assessment, the patient was discharged on June 18 (within 24 hours of the procedure) local time. "It was a great honor to work with Professor Chen and Professor Feng on the first compassionate use of VenusP-Valve in the United States", commented Professor Scott Lim after the procedure. "The product was very easy to handle as it's designed to facilitate precise positioning and delivery. The patient demonstrated significant improvement after the procedure. For the benefit of more patients, I really look forward to formal clinical trials of VenusP-Valve here as soon as possible." Professor Chen congratulated on the first compassionate use of VenusP-Valve in the U.S. As he noted, VenusP-Valve has gained broad recognition from the global cardiology community since its first implantation in 2013. In particular, the product is a lifesaver for patients with dilated RVOT. Its transcatheter approach reduces trauma and speeds recovery, enhancing quality of life for patients in various dimensions. Professor Feng said "VenusP-Valve is an excellent TPVR product. Its unique double flared-end design enables one-time delivery of stent and valve and simplifies the procedural workflow, making it a powerful tool for transcatheter treatment of pulmonary regurgitation. It is a pride of China to launch such a self-developed innovation in the U.S." In April 2022, VenusP-Valve became the first Chinese-developed self-expanding TPVR product to receive CE marking under the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR). Uniquely designed with both flared ends, the product ensures the blood flow of branchial artery with bare stents at the outflow end. It provides a stable multi-point anchoring system and enables easy delivery, with no need for pre-stenting before the procedure. Available in a variety of specifications with extensive applicability, the product is able to meet the needs of 85% of patients. VenusP-Valve is also undergoing review and approval with the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and is expected to be marketed within 2022. During its nine-year clinical use since 2013, VenusP-Valve has been applied to nearly 300 cases for humanitarian reasons, spanning more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. In March 2021, VenusP-Valve received special use authorization from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in designated medical institutions. VenusP-Valve has impressive clinical data backing up its long-term safety and efficacy. According to two-year follow-up result of the clinical study in Europe, the product demonstrated 100% procedural success, with no reoperation or death observed in two years. In addition, moderate and severe pulmonary regurgitation plunged from 16.88% and 83.12% preoperatively to 0%. The data suggest excellent performance, robust safety and reliability, and drastic and steady improvements in patients' cardiac function. "The first compassionate use of VenusP-Valve accentuates the urgent clinical need and high regulatory recognition of the product", said Eric Zi, Founder, Executive Director, and General Manager of Venus Medtech. "VenusP-Valve is undergoing clinical trials or marketing application in many mainstream countries. It is an exemplar for Chinese-developed innovative medical devices to reach global markets. We have full confidence in the rapid global launch of the product as well as the benefits it brings to patients worldwide." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845155/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845156/image_2.jpg Gratz brings a wealth of experience managing global media strategies and partnerships dunnhumby, a global leader in Customer Data Science, has appointed Stacy Gratz as Regional Managing Director for Media, to lead strategic media planning and sales in the UK region, for the Tesco Media Insight Platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005058/en/ Stacy Gratz, Regional Managing Director for Media, dunnhumby (Photo: Business Wire) Gratz comes to dunnhumby from Bacardi where she was Global Media Director, responsible for driving the Global Media Strategy and Communications Planning for the spirits giant, as well as managing Global Partnerships across their portfolio of brands. From the beginning of her career at WIRED Magazine in New York, to Global Client Leadership at Starcom, Stacy's foundation in all aspects of media has seen her leading marketing initiatives for some of the world's largest brands including Mars Wrigley, Visa Europe and American Express. A new Regional Managing Director for Media for the UK market reflects the increased importance of this discipline for dunnhumby, buoyed by the enormous growth in Retail Media, both for retailers looking to monetise their owned media assets and Brands looking for more accountable media which helps them get closer to shoppers and drives a greater return on advertising spend. Dan Hodgkiss, dunnhumby's Managing Director for Tesco UK states: "Stacy is a highly-skilled media professional with extensive knowledge of global brands, and she brings a wealth of experience to support our ambitious growth targets for our UK media operations. I'm looking forward to seeing how she takes our strategic media planning and sales in the UK to the next level". About dunnhumby dunnhumby is the global leader in Customer Data Science, empowering businesses everywhere to compete and thrive in the modern data-driven economy. We always put the Customer First. Our mission: to enable businesses to grow and reimagine themselves by becoming advocates and champions for their Customers. With deep heritage and expertise in retail one of the world's most competitive markets, with a deluge of multi-dimensional data dunnhumby today enables businesses all over the world, across industries, to be Customer First. The dunnhumby Customer Data Science Platform is our unique mix of technology, software and consulting enabling businesses to increase revenue and profits by delivering exceptional experiences for their Customers in-store, offline and online. dunnhumby employs over 2,000 experts in offices throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas working for transformative, iconic brands such as Tesco, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter Gamble, Raley's, L'Oreal and Monoprix. Learn more at www.dunnhumby.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005058/en/ Contacts: Press contact Gavin Greene gavin.greene@dunnhumby.com HOORN, Netherlands, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leads.io, the fast-growing, technology-driven lead generation agency, announced a group-wide rebranding, repositioning its four companies - which previously operated independently - into a single 'unitary brand' identity. Group-wide rebrand The Leads.io brand was announced in October after the acquisition of AWM Network, followed by the addition of Boiler Guide and Klik Proces, respectively, in February and March. Social Blue was already part of the group and will join the other three brands as Leads.io on July 1st. With this name change, we are creating a brand that is entirely in line with the broadening of services that have arisen in recent years. Leads.io will continue to provide a scalable source of high-quality leads for business owners in various industries, including healthcare, home services, renewable energy, and subscription services. "Today, we are taking a big step forward by presenting Leads.io as one company. We couldn't be happier to merge our talents and unique mix of paid and organic pay-for-results-only lead generation tools into one company moving forward. We aim to further expand Leads.io over the coming years through organic growth and a focused buy and build strategy. We are confident that our company culture centred around customer satisfaction, our focus on doing great work, and our loyalty to serving our business partners will live happily under one roof and reach our goal to become the global leader in lead generation." CEO Tim Roemer New visual identity Social Blue, Boiler Guide, AWM Network, and Klik Proces brands will be umbrellaed under a new brand identity: Leads.io. The new visual identity comprises a custom infinity symbol using three capital letters, 'L', representing an infinite flow of leads executed by the united forces of all services in the Leads.io group. The chosen colours figure energy, passion, expertise, and ambition - all essential components of the success the company seeks to achieve. About Leads.io WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices plunged on Wednesday as worries of economic recession intensified and the Biden administration pushed for U.S. fuel cost cuts. Benchmark Brent crude futures fell $4.99, or 4.3 percent, to $109.69 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were down $5.29, or 4.8 percent, at $104.23. Recession worries gripped financial markets, with Goldman Sachs economists projecting a 30 percent chance of a U.S. recession over the next 12 months. Elon Musk and Nouriel Roubini have also warned of a growing likelihood that the U.S. economy will fall into recession. Amid mounting concerns about aggressive monetary policy tightening, investors await speeches by a couple of European Central Bank policy-makers and U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later in the day. Also weighing on the oil market is a push by the Biden administration to bring down soaring fuel costs. To curtail rising gas prices, Biden is expected to call for temporarily suspending the 18.4-cents a gallon federal tax on gasoline., Reuters reported. Weekly U.S. petroleum inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute is due later in the day, a day later than usual due to Monday's holiday. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Chakana Copper Corp. (TSXV: PERU) (OTCQB: CHKKF) (FSE: 1ZX) (the "Company" or "Chakana") is pleased to announce that it has completed a second and final tranche of its previously announced private placement (the "Private Placement") for 10,470,451 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of C$0.11 per Unit for gross proceeds of C$1,151,749. Combined with the first tranche that closed in May (see news release dated May 24, 2022), the financing resulted in total gross proceeds of $6,241,353. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Share at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of two years from closing of the Private Placement. The Company may accelerate the expiry of the Warrants in the event that for any ten consecutive trading days the closing price of the Shares is greater than $0.30. David Kelley, President and CEO, commented, "We are excited to be fully financed as we execute an aggressive exploration drilling campaign that began June 15, 2022. This is a bold step-out exploration program applying what we have learned in the last 4 years and utilizing the expertise and support from the Gold Fields exploration team. We have updated our target ranking criteria to include the potential to discover larger tonnage deposits. In addition to high-grade mineralization hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes, we will also be testing targets related to the potential coalescence of breccia pipes (mega-breccias), epithermal mineralization in zones of pervasive argillic alteration, and mineralization related to a rhyodacite dome. We believe these mineralization styles are all part of the same Soledad mineral system that occupies a 12 km2 footprint." The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for exploration and development of the Company's high-grade copper-gold-silver discovery at the Soledad Project, located in the Ancash region of Peru, and for ESG programs, general working capital and administrative purposes. On January 11, 2022, the Company announced an initial inferred resource hosting 191,000 ounces of gold, 11.7 million ounces of silver, and 130 million pounds of copper in seven tourmaline breccia pipes. Chakana paid aggregate finder's fees of C$56,511 and issued 513,736 finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") in connection with the second tranche of the Private Placement. Each Finder's Warrant is exercisable to purchase one Share at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of two years from closing of the Private Placement. All securities issued under the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on October 22, 2022 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws in jurisdictions outside of Canada. Final closing of the Private Placement is subject to all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The common shares have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or sale would be unlawful. Corporate Update Pursuant to the extension agreement and revised payment terms for the Company's purchase option agreement with Condor Resources, the Company has elected to proceed with the second option which requires cash and share payments to be made over a three-year period, as described in more detail in the Company's news release dated April 18, 2022. Accordingly, the Company will pay Condor US$800,000 and issue 1,379,310 shares prior to June 23, 2022. Exploration Update The company initiated a step-out exploration drilling campaign on June 15, 2022 to test thirteen new targets not previously drilled on the north side of the project. The campaign is initially planned with one drill rig for approximately 3,000m of core drilling with one or two holes in each target. Once these targets have been drilled, a decision will be made regarding both additional target testing and follow-up drilling. These thirteen targets were selected from a total of 154 targets identified on the project that were prioritized during an in-house technical workshop incorporating recently acquired Offset IP survey results. The principal target areas for this round of drilling on the north side of the project are 1) Cima Blanca (in-progress), 2) Bx 4 cluster, 3) Faro, 4) Western Breccias, 5) Paloma Trend, and 6) Paloma-Huancarama megabreccia target (Figure 1). Numerous additional high priority targets exist on the south side of the project that will be drill tested once a drill permit is awarded for this area. About Chakana Copper Corp Chakana Copper Corp is a Canadian-based minerals exploration company that is currently advancing the Soledad Project located in the Ancash region of Peru, a highly favorable mining jurisdiction with supportive communities. The Soledad Project is notable for the high-grade copper-gold-silver mineralization that is hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes. An initial inferred resource estimate for seven breccia pipes was announced in Q1 2022 (see news release dated February 23, 2022), with 6.73 Mt containing 191,000 ounces of gold, 11.7 million ounces of silver, and 130 million pounds of copper. In addition, extensive multidisciplinary exploration has defined 154 exploration targets, 18 of which have been tested to date (12%), confirming that Soledad is a large, well-endowed mineral system with strong exploration upside. Chakana's investors are uniquely positioned as the Soledad Project provides exposure to copper and precious metals. For more information on the Soledad project, please visit the website at www.chakanacopper.com. Results of an initial resource estimate and additional information concerning the Project, including a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, are available on Chakana's profile at www.sedar.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD (signed) "David Kelley" David Kelley President and CEO For further information contact: Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer Phone: 647 964 0292 Email: jjobin@chakanacopper.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statement Advisory: This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the use of proceeds and completion of the Private Placement. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Chakana to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements or information relates to, among other things, the interpretation of the nature of the mineralization at the Soledad copper-gold-silver project (the "Project"), the potential to expand the mineralization, and to develop and grow a resource within the Project, the planning for further exploration work, the ability to de-risk the potential exploration targets, and our belief in the potential for mineralization within unexplored parts of the Project. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward- looking statements or information. The Company disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events or developments except as required by law. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Figure 1 - Map showing total defined targets for the Soledad project by type. Principal target clusters on the north side of the project being tested in the current exploration drilling program are Cima Blanca, Bx 4, Faro, Western Breccias, Paloma-Huancarama trends. Target clusters on the south side will be drill tested once the drill permit is approved for this area. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/128570_3afa48a0a41ae907_001full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128570 President Yoon Suk-yeol listens to an official from Doosan Enerbility during his visit to the headquarters of the nuclear power plant maker in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Yonhap President denounces predecessor's phase-out policy as 'foolish' By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged, Wednesday, to make all-out efforts to support Korean firms bid for nuclear power plant projects overseas, criticizing the former Moon Jae-in administration's policy of phasing out nuclear power from Korea's energy portfolio as being "foolish." Yoon has vowed to rebuild Korea's nuclear power industry, claiming that the Moon administration's policy has undermined the global competitiveness of Korean firms. Following Yoon's remarks, the government rolled out a series of measures to rehabilitate domestic nuclear power firms and parts suppliers. "I wonder if the previous administration has ever seen the facilities here and surrounding industrial ecosystem with their eyes before making decisions on the nuclear phase-out," Yoon said during his visit to the headquarters of Doosan Enerbility, formerly called Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. "It is very regrettable that the country's nuclear power industry has been suffering from difficulties for years, and it is time to correct that immediately," Yoon said. Yoon is the first Korean president to visit a nuclear power plant. Doosan Enerbility had been one of the top players in the global nuclear power generation market, supplying reactors, turbines, boilers and other facilities not just domestically but also to overseas markets. Its profitability, however, withered in the mid-2010s after its parent Doosan Group's financial difficulties were compounded by the Moon administration's drive to phase out nuclear power. After piling up losses and debts, the company requested a bailout from state-run lenders in 2020 and had been subject to a creditor-led debt restructuring program until February this year. Due to Doosan Enerbility's slump, its partner firms were also mired in financial difficulties, resulting in an industry-wide slowdown. According to Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the ruling People Power Party, the combined sales of more than 270 nuclear power vendor companies located in South Gyeongsang Province declined by 38 percent to 10.4 trillion won ($8.03 billion) in 2018 from 16.1 trillion won in 2016. During the same period, the number of jobs at those companies also dropped by 14 percent. Moon announced his nuclear power phase-out policy in 2017. "The global market for nuclear power plants is wide open, as countries, including Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Poland and the U.S., are recognizing nuclear power as an important energy source for their carbon neutrality goals," Yoon said. "If we hadn't been acting foolish in the past five years and made efforts to strengthen our nuclear power ecosystem, the country could have built up an unrivaled capacity," Yoon said. President Yoon Suk-yeol looks into a miniature of APR1400 next-generation reactor at Doosan Enerbility's headquarters in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Yonhap Mars CEO Grant F. Reid has taken the decision to retire from Mars after more than 8 years in the role & 34 years in the business. Under his leadership, Mars has seen unprecedented growth & transformation combined with a focus on sustainability and purpose, and significant expansion into newer areas including veterinary health services. Poul Weihrauch , current Global President at Mars Petcare, will succeed as CEO from the end of September. Reid, who will remain with Mars until the end of the year, informed the Board of his decision to leave 18 months ago and has worked with the Board to ensure a smooth and orderly succession. Mars Board Chair, Frank Mars paid tribute to Reid's "extraordinary" legacy, heralding his leadership on climate action & sustainability on the global stage. MCLEAN, Va., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Chief Executive Officer, Grant F. Reid, has announced he is to hand over the reins as CEO after leading the business through a period of unprecedented growth, impact and transformation. Reid - who will remain at Mars until the end of the year - informed the Board of his intentions to retire from Mars 18 months ago and has been closely involved in helping ensure a best-in-class succession. He has served in the role since 2014. Poul Weihrauch, Global President at Mars Petcare, will succeed as CEO, effective from the end of September. Mars Board Chair, Frank Mars, paid tribute to Reid's "extraordinary legacy" - highlighting his countless achievements - fusing performance with purpose, delivering sustainable growth, ramping up Mars digital capabilities, building its iconic brands, and expanding into newer territories like veterinary health, pet services and healthy snacking. As a result, Mars said, sales had grown by over 50% to nearly $45B under Reid's tenure and the number of Associates had increased from 60,000 to more than 140,000. Frank Mars added: "While he is too modest to admit it, our significant transformation and record growth as a business would not have happened without Grant's leadership. He has visibly lived our principles and embedded purpose at the heart of our business strategy. The Mars Family are tremendously grateful for his dedication and service. "He has been a tower of strength, helping us charter new courses and pushing us beyond what we thought possible. He's represented Mars on the global stage, particularly around climate change, and he has ensured that we are known for acting, not just making commitments. "We will greatly miss his principled leadership, his highly collaborative and engaging style and - not least - his dry Scottish sense of humor." A Powerful Legacy Reid said: "It has been a privilege to lead the Mars team and work closely with the Mars Family. We have built on our core strengths and moved into new areas, setting the business up for a brilliant, sustainable future. But the biggest difference we make starts with our 140,000 Associates, the hundreds of communities we operate in, and the billions of consumers we serve. I'm proud that, in the face of challenges such as a global pandemic, we have never lost sight of our strategic path or our ambition to help create the world we want tomorrow - and to drive both purpose and performance. Whether that be challenging ourselves to deliver a truly net zero supply chain, ensuring our most impactful raw materials like palm are deforestation-free, or innovating with packaging solutions to help ensure our products do not turn up as waste." He added: "Having worked closely with Poul for many years I consider him and his family to be close friends. I am very excited about the future of the business under his leadership and congratulate him on his appointment as CEO of this incredible company." Reid and Weihrauch have been working together closely for several months to ensure a smooth and orderly succession that maintains the considerable business momentum. Reid will continue to represent Mars until the end of 2022, including at critical events such as UNGA/Climate Week, COP27 and more. From next year onwards, Reid will devote more time to following his passion as a champion for climate action, the sustainability agenda, and the broader role for business in society. Mars Next Chapter Poul Weihrauch will succeed Reid from the end of September. He has worked in many parts of the business since joining in 2000 as European brand leader for Snickers. Having led the Mars Food business, he became President of Global Petcare in 2014 and, during that time, has overseen significant growth and diversification into veterinary health, diagnostics, data, and platforms, doubling the size of the business. Weihrauch has also driven significant focus and investment into the Petcare sustainability agenda. Frank Mars said: "I have known Poul for 22 years, working closely with him for the last 10, and I know that he will be a wonderful leader for the next stage of our evolution. "He is known for his inspirational and inclusive leadership style, for growing businesses and renovating brands and for his deep commitment to Associate engagement and development. Following Grant's decision, the Board and I are grateful to be able to appoint such a strong Mars leader and are confident that Poul will both protect our legacy, while leading us into what promises to be a bright and exciting future." Weihrauch said: "I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to serve the organization and our 140,000 Mars Associates. This is an incredible company which has consistently demonstrated that doing good is good business. It is that relationship that will ensure we keep delivering sustainable growth and performance. "We live in challenging times but I'm an optimist and I believe in the power of business to have a positive impact and, in particular, the freedom we have at Mars to do the right thing for our Associates and the world we operate in." He added: "I thank Grant for his friendship, counsel, and collaboration over the years, and I congratulate him on his exceptional career at Mars. Many thanks to the Board of Directors as well for entrusting me to lead the next chapter in our evolution and growth." As a result of Weihrauch's appointment, Mars today announced a series of subsequent senior appointments. Loic Moutault, President at Royal Canin, is to become Mars Global Petcare President, and Cecile Coutens will take over as Global Royal Canin President. About Mars, Incorporated For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This common purpose unites our 140,000+ Associates. It is at the center of who we are as a global, family-owned business, and it fuels how we are transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world. Every year, our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services delight millions of people and supports millions of pets. With almost $45 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including Ben's Original, CESAR, Cocoavia, DOVE, EXTRA, KIND, M&M's, SNICKERS, PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, and WHISKAS. We are creating a better world for pets through nutrition, breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, DNA testing, pet welfare and comprehensive veterinary care with AniCura, BANFIELD,?BLUEPEARL, Linnaeus and VCA. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper. The Mars Five Principles - Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom - inspire our Associates to act every day to help create a better world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive. For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com . Join us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , LinkedIn and YouTube . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844697/MARS_GrantReid.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844698/MARS_PoulWeihrauch.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/74984/mars__incorporated_logo.jpg New HqO App Capabilities Merge Fun and Functionality to Drive Success in the Hybrid Workplace BOSTON, June 22, 2022, the industry-leading workplace experience platform, today announced a new suite of product capabilities that enable corporate enterprises to engage with the hybrid workforce and optimize workplace investments. These enhancements are the result of positive feedback from corporations about HqO's scalable and personalized landlord solutions, with corporations asking for similar capabilities to inform their own workplace investments and help hybrid employees be more efficient and engaged with the workplace. Employers can now remove friction and deepen workplace engagement in an easy, seamless way - drawing employees back into the office and improving employee satisfaction. This news follows HqO's acquisition of two notable employee experience companies in the past yearand Leesman ) and accelerates the company's rapidly-growing traction within the corporate market. "The more employees return to the office, the more solutions companies are adding to their technology infrastructure to better support them," explains Thijs van der Burgt, Vice President of Product at HqO. "Unfortunately, this can create a lot of confusion for employees if there are too many digital tools in the workplace - which leads to a poor user experience. That's why we've consolidated all of these capabilities into a 'single pane of glass,' enabling employees to easily access all of the physical and online resources they need to get their jobs done in the least amount of time - whether they work from home or in the office." These key enhancements provide Workplace Experience (WX) Managers with tools to drive greater workplace engagement for today's hybrid workforce, while also optimizing workplace investments. They fall under two main categories: New Engagement Tools More targeted tools will give WX Managers more options to continually promote engagement programs, track the results of these programs, and collect customized feedback to maximize effectiveness: Micro-Survey Builder: This feedback tool provides a deeper, ongoing understanding of employee sentiment and needs with custom feedback. Workplace experience managers can easily use the Micro-Survey Builder to create custom polls and surveys such as "suggestion boxes," feedback on upcoming events, and much more. This feedback tool provides a deeper, ongoing understanding of employee sentiment and needs with custom feedback. Workplace experience managers can easily use the Micro-Survey Builder to create custom polls and surveys such as "suggestion boxes," feedback on upcoming events, and much more. Targeted Communication Tools: Targeted communication functionality makes it easier than ever for workplace experience managers to create and deliver attention-getting content without email. WX Managers can easily mix and match different elements, use rich text, and edit as needed. They can also create user calls-to-action delivered through the HqO app or mobile alerts. Push notifications now take users directly to specific content. Additional Booking Capabilities Extended resource reservation capabilities will empower employees to work how they work best, by providing access to more resources through integrations with enterprise systems: Resource Booking Integrated with Microsoft Exchange: This capability helps employees save time and find spaces on-the-go, wherever they are. Employees can use the HqO app to view room availability, book spaces, and manage reservations for all Microsoft Exchange resources. This capability helps employees save time and find spaces on-the-go, wherever they are. Employees can use the HqO app to view room availability, book spaces, and manage reservations for all Microsoft Exchange resources. Parking Reservations: This capability enables employees to easily plan ahead and reserve an on-site parking space for a safer and more convenient commute. "Vendors focused on the unique challenges of hybrid work have emerged with some differentiated offerings (e.g. HqO)," says a recent Gartner report.* "[...] These vendors are focused on the needs of the hybrid employee as they interact with the corporate workplace. Their applications are used to explore and reserve workspaces (desks, rooms, collaboration areas, etc.), navigate the workplace, coordinate with colleagues, plan the best days to attend the workplace, access services, and ensure that employees feel safe in the post-pandemic workplace." HqO's new product offerings come at the perfect time for employers, who now need to do more than ever before to attract employees to the office, provide great workplace experiences, and keep workers engaged. Recent HqO data reveals that nearly 90% of employers have implemented some type of hybrid work arrangement, but they remain dissatisfied with how these models are working. Additionally, the factors driving this dissatisfaction revolve largely around a company's technology: 68% of employers report the poor user adoption of workplace experience tools, and 78% cite disconnected tools as being a significant hindrance to hybrid success. Want to learn more about HqO's corporate product capabilities? Schedule a demo today. *Gartner, "Demand to Support Hybrid Employee Experience Is Driving a Transformation of the Workplace Markets", Tori Paulman, Tammy Shoham, Mike Gotta, May 11, 2022. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About HqO HqO is transforming how people connect with each other and the places they work. The HqO Workplace Experience Platform makes it easy for companies and commercial property teams to create modern workplaces through world-class amenities and services that allow people to thrive and produce the best results. Active in over 250 million square feet in 25 countries, 57% of the Fortune 100 rely on HqO to enhance their workplace experiences, improve employee satisfaction, and drive operational excellence. For more information, visit https://www.hqo.com/ . Primary Contact: Kristin Concannon Phone: 833-225-5476 Email: kristin.concannon@hqo.co Life sciences leaders convene to break barriers in advancing digital trials and product development BARCELONA, Spain, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the largest European events of its kind, Veeva R&D and Quality Summit Europe recently gathered more than 500 life sciences leaders in Zurich to discuss new approaches for advancing digital trials and driving transformation in clinical, quality, regulatory, and safety. "The exchange of ideas with my peers at Veeva R&D and Quality Summit was invaluable," said Martijn van de Leur, global pharmacovigilance leader at Biomapas. "It is truly a community of like-minded professionals who are passionate about improving health outcomes for patients through innovation." Steve Guise, CIO, Roche Pharmaceuticals division, kicked off the event with his keynote highlighting the company's ambitious goal of generating three to five times the benefit to patients at half the cost to society by leveraging a modern technology foundation. Attendees learned about industry-leading strategies to streamline processes across the product lifecycle, such as: GSK establishing a connected clinical ecosystem to shorten cycle times for early trial processes, simplify data management, and reduce EDC build time by half establishing a connected clinical ecosystem to shorten cycle times for early trial processes, simplify data management, and reduce EDC build time by half LEO Pharma unifying data to enable simpler processes, automation, and proactive patient safety unifying data to enable simpler processes, automation, and proactive patient safety Idorsia, Novo Nordisk , and TFS HealthScience building a foundation for digital clinical trials to link sponsors, research sites, and patients , and building a foundation for digital clinical trials to link sponsors, research sites, and patients Jazz Pharmaceuticals bringing together quality data, content, and processes to scale operations "The deep knowledge and experience leaders brought to the Veeva R&D and Quality Summit Europe helped people understand what it takes to create more efficient, faster ways to bring medicines to patients," said Chris Moore, president of Veeva Europe. "These innovative strategies can ultimately drive the whole industry forward." Life sciences industry professionals who couldn't attend the event can watch Veeva R&D and Quality Summit Europe keynote and sessions. Additional Information Connect with Veeva on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/veeva-systems Follow @veeva_eu on Twitter: twitter.com/veeva_eu About Veeva Systems Veeva is the global leader in cloud software for the life sciences industry. Committed to innovation, product excellence, and customer success, Veeva serves more than 1,000 customers, ranging from the world's largest pharmaceutical companies to emerging biotechs. As a Public Benefit Corporation, Veeva is committed to balancing the interests of all stakeholders, including customers, employees, shareholders, and the industries it serves. For more information, visit veeva.com/eu. Contact: Jeremy Whittaker Veeva Systems +49 6950955486 jeremy.whittaker@veeva.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488285/Veeva_Systems_Logo.jpg Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Zonetail Inc. (TSXV: ZONE) (OTCQB: ZTLLF) ("Zonetail") is pleased to announce that it has signed a partnership agreement with GoStudent ("GoStudent"), the online tutoring company that provides tailor-made, 1-to-1, online tutoring sessions in over 30 subjects to K-12 students. Zonetail's mobile platforms designed for high-rise residential buildings, as well as property-managed townhouses and gated communities, connects residents to the amenities and services of their building through the convenience of their personal mobile device. Using Zonetail's residential platforms residents can access the building's community news and activity feeds, community calendar, document libraries, and book building amenities, such as visitor parking or the elevator. In addition, residents can create and track maintenance requests, view their ledger and status certificates (for condos), and access links to pay their rent or monthly maintenance dues. It digitizes the entire communication process between property management and the residents. Included on all Zonetail platforms is a marketplace called 'Explore', highlighting the businesses and services that residents are in constant need of. These businesses pay Zonetail either an advertising or transactional fee to be on the platforms to connect with the highly sought, but often difficult to reach, high-rise residents. Prioritizing sustainable learning success, GoStudent offers a range of affordable memberships, with prices per session ranging from $26 to $36, based on the duration and level of intensity chosen. GoStudent is the highest valued EdTech scale-up in Europe, and operates in 23 markets, including numerous countries in Latin America, Europe and across North America. Partnering with GoStudent, gives Zonetail users immediate access to private 1-on-1 lessons with uniquely tailored learning plans for each student. All school subjects and age groups are covered, with ongoing updates on each child's progress. Flexible scheduling and payment options make booking a tutor both simple and affordable. Zonetail users can take advantage of a free lesson and an exclusive corporate discount. "Many families need extra tutoring for their children. Having GoStudent on the Zonetail platform makes it easy for busy parants to find the right tutor at the right price, giving them easy access to flexible, long-term support for their children," said Mark Holmes, CEO and President of Zonetail. "Zonetail's residential platform provides GoStudent with direct access to tens of thousands of households to offer our tutoring services to close education gaps, improve grades and unlock the full potential of every student," said Guy Winter - Global Head of Corporate Partnerships at GoStudent. "Zonetail's coverage, their unique marketplace and transactional billing make this platform very attractive for us. We're excited to get started!" Zonetail reports that it will receive a transaction fee of 13% for GoStudent packages booked through its mobile platforms. GoStudent expects to launch with Zonetail in the coming days. About Zonetail Zonetail Inc. (TSXV: ZONE) (OTCQB: ZTLLF) is a mobile platform and market network that enables high-rise residents to better manage their homes by connecting people to products, amenities and services . Our Mission is to provide a state-of-the-art mobile platform that enables high-rise residents to better manage their homes by connecting people to products, amenities, and services. And our Vision is to build a critical mass of users in the hard-to-reach, high rise residential vertical, through a unique mobile market network model - providing vital information, products, and services at the tap of a screen. We are the search engine to optimize you home. Zonetail also has a partnership with AAHOA, the largest association of hotels in the world representing approximately 35,000 hotels and 65% of the U.S. hotel market. The Company expects to relaunch its hotel vertical when market conditions within the hotel industry have rebounded after COVID. Please visit https://www.zonetail.com. For more information, please contact: Mark Holmes President and CEO Zonetail Inc. Telephone: (416) 994-5399 mark@zonetail.com About GoStudent GoStudent is one of the world-leading online tutoring providers and, with a 3BN valuation, Europe's highest valued EdTech company. GoStudent was founded in Vienna in 2016 by Felix Ohswald (CEO) and Gregor Muller (COO). Currently, GoStudent is serving customers in 23 countries. Via its platform GoStudent provides paid, one-to-one, online tuition in 30+ subjects to K-12 students, using a membership model. Various investors, including Prosus and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, have invested more than 590 million euros in the rapidly growing platform. GoStudent employs +2,000 people and works with +20,000 self-employed tutors. Over 1.5M tutoring sessions are booked each month. Learn more here: www.gostudent.org. For more information, please contact: Kristina Bassett Head of PR and Communications GoStudent kristina.bassett@gostudent.org www.gostudent.org To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128566 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Global Battery Metals Ltd. (TSXV: GBML) (OTCQB: REZZF) (FSE: REZ) (the "Company" or "GBML") is pleased to announce that it has received all required permits to drill on its 100% owned Lithium King property ("Lithium King Property" or the "Property") in Utah. The objective of drilling is to confirm the potential at depth of lithium bearing brines in the Salduro Salt flat basin. The Company is in the process of selecting a drilling contractor. Lithium King Property Description The Lithium King Property is located on the west side of the Great Salt Lake Basin in western Utah, adjacent to the community of Wendover, Utah. The land position consists of approximately 1,760 acres of placer claims. The Property has the potential to host a lithium and magnesium brine deposit in an existing mineral producing location in a mining-friendly state. Please see the Company's news release dated March 4, 2021, for a detailed project review. About Global Battery Metals Ltd. GBML is a mineral exploration company with a focus on metals that make up and support the rapid evolution to battery power. GBML's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange and quoted on the OTCQB. GBML currently has five projects: (1) an option to acquire up to a 90% in the North-West Leinster lithium property in Ireland; (2) a 100% interest in the Lithium King Property in Utah; (3) an option to acquire up to a 100% interest in the Lapoile lithium project in Newfoundland; (4) an option to lease the Sawyer Camp prospective nickel-copper project in Michigan; and (5) a 55% stake in Peru-based Lara copper property, which has over 10,000 metres of drilling. As previously disclosed, Minsur S.A., a Peruvian mining company, entered into an option agreement (the "Lara Property Option Agreement") with GBML and Lara Exploration Ltd. to acquire the Lara copper property for staged payments of USD$5.75 million. The Lara Property Option Agreement also provides for a 0.75% net smelter royalty in favour of GBML. Global Battery Metals Ltd. Michael Murphy BA, MBA, MSc., ICD President & CEO T: 604-649-2350 E: MM@gbml.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or" should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans, including a proposed drill program to be conducted on the Company's Lithium King Property in Utah, United States. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128572 WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Edelman Global Advisory (EGA) today announced that Mohammed Hussein will join as President of EGA London, effective August 1, 2022. Hussein, a highly sought-after advisor and political commentator, brings deep experience in policy, regulatory and government relations to EGA. He will focus on growing EGA's public affairs business by supporting UK companies at home and abroad, while developing an advisory business for foreign firms seeking to understand the UK's business and government environment. Prior to joining EGA, Hussein led an extensive government career in the UK. He has advised the Secretary of State for Defence and military personnel in Afghanistan, and was Special Adviser to the Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, providing political and policy support to her both as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Hussein also spent four years in Prime Minister David Cameron's communications team at 10 Downing Street, where he was Chief Press Officer for Economy and Industry. Most recently, Hussein held the role of Managing Director for Public Affairs and Innovation at PLMR, a London-based public relations and public affairs firm. "Mohammed's resume and experience is world-class," says EGA Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Deborah Lehr. "He has served as an advisor at the highest levels of government in the UK and brings a unique understanding of the policy-making landscape domestically and globally. His broad expertise which ranges from energy and climate to the Middle East and Asia adds to our capabilities to help companies navigate the challenging politics businesses face." Hussein said, "I'm delighted to be joining EGA as we seek to elevate our strong existing public affairs portfolio as part of a new bespoke global public affairs offer. Companies are a core part of the solution to many of the political and economic challenges facing governments around the world, like climate and food security, and I am energized by the chance to work with clients to navigate this complex environment to drive positive change. This is a unique opportunity, and I'm looking forward to delivering an unmatched offering in our sector within Edelman's world-class communications business." About Edelman Global Advisory Edelman Global Advisory (EGA) is a boutique advisory firm launched by Edelman, a global communications firm. EGA provides business and government advisory services to help navigate today's changing geopolitical and economic landscape. Our team is composed of 190+ professionals with decades of experience working in government, consulting, NGOs, and the business sector. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we work across 25+ offices and in every key market: the U.S. and Canada, APAC, MENA, Europe, Latin America, and India. Contact: Lindsay Clifton lindsay.clifton@edelmanega.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844675/EGA_Logo.jpg --Enhanced with Timbaland's Beatclub Collaboration Supporting Emerging Artists and Fans with a Passion for Music-- --Latest Milestone in Mastercard's Sonic Brand Journey-- --Album Available First on Spotify, the World's Most Popular Audio Platform-- Today, Mastercard unveiled its first ever music album titledPriceless at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. The album, available first on Spotify and then other streaming platforms, features 10 songs by 10 artists from around the globe. Each song incorporates the recognizable melody of Mastercard's brand sound. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005387/en/ Priceless (Photo: Business Wire) To enhance its commitment to music fans and emerging talent, Mastercard has joined forces with acclaimed producer Timbaland's Beatclub music creator platform. Inspired by the original songs developed for Mastercard's album, up-and-coming Beatclub music creators were mentored by Timbaland as they remixed two standout tracks. "Our first ever music album featuring the inspiring, original work of 10 rising artists takes our innovative sonic branding approach to an even higher, unmatched level," said Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer and president, Healthcare. "From Algeria to Australia and Slovenia to Sweden, each of the artists integrated our melody into their songs and created something that we are all truly proud of! We hope others will enjoy these songs as much as we do." As part of the Beatclub collaboration, Mastercard will purchase and provide one-year memberships to the Beatclub platform to hundreds of up-and-coming creators from disenfranchised communities. "This partnership was a natural fit given Mastercard and Beatclub's mutual goal of supporting artists and the industry," said Timbaland. "Together we're elevating emerging artists through the power of music and mentorship. Providing platforms, tools, and connections for creators to pursue their passions opens doors for countless artists to break into an industry that is often impenetrable." Mastercard collaborated closely with executive producer Niclas Molinder to find artists who span a variety of cultures, languages and genres a core element of the album's identity. Each artist was tasked with incorporating the brand's melody into their song, demonstrating how audio branding can be used innovatively. The full album will feature tracks from up-and-coming artists including Michael Rice (United Kingdom), Shiraz (Lebanon), Good Harvest (Sweden), Alma Lake (Colombia/USA), Raees (Algeria), Tejas (India), Nadine Randle (United Kingdom/Sweden), Tania (Australia), Elle B. (USA) and Amaya (Slovenia). The music will be introduced at a launch party with Spotify, Mastercard's exclusive launch partner and the world's most popular audio platform with 422 million users across 183 markets. As a fellow global leader in their respective industry, Spotify is committed to lifting up and supporting emerging artists and will provide an even larger platform for them to connect with a robust global audience of listeners and fans. Mastercard has a longstanding relationship with the music industry, through its Priceless platform and work with artists like Jennifer Hudson, SZA and others. Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA, a co-founder of Sessions, a platform empowering music creators and a Beatclub partner said, "Mastercard's one-of-a-kind album and Beatclub partnership shines a light on supporting emerging artists and creators, which will help these talented performers become recognized on a global scale." About Mastercard (NYSE: MA) Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. About Beatclub Beatclub is the world's premier marketplace that connects the music creator community with record labels, publishers, gaming companies, TV and Film companies, and artists. Beatclub's NFT portal helps artists, producers and songwriters collaborate to create NFTs. Beatclub is the brainchild of Grammy Award winning super-producer Timbaland and longtime business partner Gary Marella. Beatclub allows creators to sell, buy or license beats, loops, samples, acappellas, and more. It enables them to customize their licenses, allowing creators to set their terms on publishing, royalties, master rights, and fees. This empowering, creator-centered model has attracted an impressive list of elite producers, songwriters, and artists to join the platform, including Justin Timberlake, J. Cole, Mike Dean, Cash Money AP, Tommy Brown, Jozzy, Larrance Dopson, Federico Vindver, Boogz, Tainy, Ang Lopez, Mike WiLL Made-It and thousands of invited new members. www.beatclub.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005387/en/ Contacts: Jill S. Davison, Jill.Daviso@Mastercard.com Macy Salama, Macy.Salama@Mastercard.com Experienced Capital Markets Executive Addition Signals Continued Growth Acceleration NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Canalyst, a leading provider of financial data and analytics, announced today that Corey Hammill has joined as Managing Director, Global Research. The news follows the fast-growing fintech's Series C financing earlier this year. Corey brings over two decades of pertinent capital markets experience, most recently from Paradigm Capital where he was a Co-Founder, Partner, Managing Director, and Head of Research. An early Canalyst client, Corey brings exceptional insight into how professional analysts leverage Canalyst data and models, and how its products and services can evolve to serve its growing global clientele. In his new role, Corey will lead and scale Canalyst's 100+ person research team as the firm continues to grow both the depth and breadth of its coverage universe. "Corey brings immense talent, experience, and energy to Canalyst - it's a privilege to welcome him to our team," said Damir Hot, Canalyst CEO and co-founder. "In addition to his world-class abilities as an analyst and research leader, Corey is a true builder. It's been incredible partnering with him over the past seven years and I'm beyond excited to see what we can do together with Canalyst." Canalyst combines software with human expertise to create the most accurate and detailed financial and KPI data on global public companies, giving finance professionals access to fundamental data that can be trusted absolutely and at scale. Today, over 500 of the world's top investment managers, banks, and corporations use Canalyst models, data, and APIs as essential elements in their workflow. "Canalyst has quickly moved from being a secret weapon in equity research to a must-have for sophisticated analysts everywhere," said Corey Hammill. "From early on, I've seen firsthand how Canalyst works closely with the investment community to expand coverage and build products that serve our unique and demanding needs with speed and reliability. Canalyst is now at an exciting inflection point of scaling a product offering to serve global investors focused on public equities, credit, private equity, and venture capital in addition to investment banks, consultancies, and the corporate market." To meet market demand, Canalyst continues to invest heavily in product development and delivery, global expansion, and customer support; total headcount is up 25% since the start of the year and the firm expects to further accelerate team growth over the coming year. About Canalyst Canalyst is the leading destination for public company data and analysis. The company's SaaS platform provides instant access to the cleanest, richest, best structured fundamental data and models on global public companies. Hundreds of firms across financial services and corporate markets globally rely on Canalyst to reduce duplicative work and ground their financial analysis on sound fundamental data. Founded in 2015, Canalyst employs over 200 people with offices in New York and Vancouver. Visit canalyst.com to start a trial or learn about joining the Canalyst team. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/929927/Canalyst_Logo.jpg TORONTO, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reported diluted earnings per share of $0.14 Mutual fund net sales of $132 million for the quarter Announced quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share AGF Management Limited (AGF or the Company) (TSX: AGF.B) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended May 31, 2022. AGF reported total assets under management and fee-earning assets1 of $40.3 billion compared to $42.0 billion as at February 28, 2022 and $40.8 billion as at May 31, 2021. "This quarter marked AGF's 65th anniversary, a testament to our disciplined investment approach, our unwavering commitment to our clients and our history of innovation," said Kevin McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, AGF. "We are pleased to report our seventh consecutive quarter of positive net mutual fund sales and continued strong investment performance, outperforming our one-year and three-year targets in an environment marked by significant market volatility, demonstrating our ability to navigate regulatory change and further diversify our investments." AGF's mutual fund gross sales were $818 million for the quarter compared to $1,060 million in the comparative period, while net sales were $132 million compared to $408 million in the comparative period. AGF's sales have continued to outpace the industry. During the quarter the industry2 reported net redemptions, while AGF retail mutual funds3 remained in net sales. "This quarter we struck new relationships with key platforms and further diversified our distribution strategy to meet the unique needs of our clients in different markets," said Judy Goldring, President and Head of Global Distribution, AGF. "And we continue to see the results of this approach reporting another quarter of net positive mutual fund sales." Key Business Highlights: On April 18 AGF marked its 65th anniversary. The firm was founded in 1957 when C. Warren Goldring and Allan Manford had the innovative idea to pool the funds of Canadian investors to allow greater access to the U.S. equity market. Their fund - named the American Growth Fund - became the very first U.S. equity fund for Canadian investors, and its initials, AGF, were adopted as the firm's name. In honour of our 65th anniversary and to mark Earth Week, AGF announced a partnership with Trees for Life to plant trees at the Claireville Conservation Area in Brampton, ON. There will be an opportunity for employees to participate in the planting onsite, building on AGF's commitment to supporting environmental initiatives. Toronto-based employees moved into AGF's new head office at CIBC SQUARE. AGF is one of the first tenants in this iconic next-generation building, which has achieved WELL Health-Safety Rating and WiredScore Platinum accreditation, and is expected to attain LEED Platinum Core & Shell certification and WELL Platinum Certification, making it the first triple-platinum building in Toronto. At the same time, employees across the organization officially transitioned to a hybrid work environment that supports work-life balance while encouraging greater connection, communication, and heightened collaboration. AGF recently finalized an agreement with SMArtX Advisory Solutions LLC and had its separately managed account (SMA) models approved to be added to their platform as the firm continues to provide U.S. clients access to in-demand SMA strategies as part of an ongoing effort to expand both its offering and client base in the U.S. At the annual Wealth Professional Awards, AGF was named a finalist in the following categories: Employer of Choice, Alternative Investment Solutions Provider of the Year and Mutual Fund Provider of the Year. The firm remains active under its Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB). During the quarter, AGF repurchased 692,634 AGF.B shares for cancellation. On June 21, 2022, AGF's Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.10 for shareholders of record on July 8, 2022. Financial Highlights: Management, advisory, administration fees and deferred sales charges were $113.1 million for the three months ended May 31, 2022, compared to $108.6 million in 2021. The increase in revenue is attributable to a 5.3% increase in average mutual fund assets under management. Selling, general and administrative costs were $47.3 million for the three months ended May 31, 2022, compared to $47.1 million in 2021. Excluding severance of $0.2 million incurred in the quarter, SG&A of $47.1 million remained flat compared to the prior year period. EBITDA before commissions for the three months ended May 31, 2022 was $35.4 million, compared to $28.2 million in the prior year comparative period . Effective June 1, 2022, the ban on the payment of upfront sales commissions, including deferred sales charge options, took effect. During the three and six months ended May 31, 2022, AGF paid commissions of $17.8 million and $37.1 million, respectively. Net income for the three months ended May 31, 2022 was $10.1 million ($0.14 diluted EPS), compared to $5.0 million ($0.07 diluted EPS) in the prior year comparative period. Diluted EPS in the quarter of $0.14 reflects growth in top line revenue. Three months ended Six months ended May 31, February 28, May 31, May 31, May 31, (in millions of Canadian dollars, except per share data) 2022 2022 2021 2022 2021 Income Management, advisory, administration fees and deferred sales charges $ 113.1 $ 114.1 $ 108.6 $ 227.2 $ 211.5 Share of profit (loss) of joint ventures (0.2) (0.6) 0.1 (0.8) 0.9 Other income from fee-earning arrangements 0.7 0.8 0.4 1.5 0.4 Fair value adjustments and other income 3.9 10.6 0.4 14.5 3.9 Total Income $ 117.5 $ 124.9 $ 109.5 $ 242.4 $ 216.7 Selling, general and administrative 47.3 49.3 47.1 96.6 95.1 Deferred selling commissions 17.8 19.3 17.7 37.1 33.3 EBITDA before commissions1 35.4 40.0 28.2 75.4 54.7 EBITDA 17.6 20.7 10.5 38.3 21.4 Net income 10.1 12.9 5.0 23.0 10.6 Diluted earnings per share 0.14 0.18 0.07 0.32 0.15 Free cash flow1 12.3 13.3 10.4 25.6 20.9 Dividends per share 0.10 0.09 0.08 0.19 0.16 (end of period) Three months ended May 31, February 28, November 30, August 31, May 31, (in millions of Canadian dollars) 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021 Mutual fund assets under management (AUM)2 $ 22,849 $ 23,625 $ 24,006 $ 23,792 $ 22,290 Institutional, sub-advisory and ETF accounts AUM 8,372 9,059 9,371 10,302 9,713 Private client AUM 6,946 7,102 7,077 7,073 6,689 Private alternatives AUM 58 69 73 99 134 Total AUM $ 38,225 $ 39,855 $ 40,527 $ 41,266 $ 38,826 Private alternatives fee-earning assets3 2,052 2,100 2,108 2,094 1,983 Total AUM and fee-earning assets3 $ 40,277 $ 41,955 $ 42,635 $ 43,360 $ 40,809 Net mutual fund sales2 132 330 352 288 408 Average daily mutual fund AUM2 23,183 24,075 23,896 23,104 22,011 1 EBITDA before commissions (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and deferred selling commissions), adjusted EBITDA before commissions, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share and Free Cash Flow are not standardized measures prescribed by IFRS. The Company utilizes non-IFRS measures to assess our overall performance and facilitate a comparison of quarterly and full-year results from period to period. They allow us to assess our investment management business without the impact of non-operational items. These non-IFRS measures may not be comparable with similar measures presented by other companies. These non-IFRS measures and reconciliations to IFRS, where necessary, are included in the Management's Discussion and Analysis available at www.agf.com (http://www.agf.com). 2 Mutual fund AUM includes retail AUM, pooled fund AUM and institutional client AUM invested in customized series offered within mutual funds. 3 Fee-earning assets represents assets in which AGF has carried interest ownership and earns recurring fees but does not have ownership interest in the managers. For further information and detailed financial statements for the second quarter ended May 31, 2022, including Management's Discussion and Analysis, which contains discussions of non-IFRS measures, please refer to AGF's website at www.agf.com under 'About AGF' and 'Investor Relations' and at www.sedar.com . Conference Call AGF will host a conference call to review its earnings results today at 11 a.m. ET. The live audio webcast with supporting materials will be available in the Investor Relations section of AGF's website at www.agf.com or at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/k7tb88zf . Alternatively, the call can be accessed toll-free in Canada by dialing 1 (866) 455-3403 (PIN: 27114683#), or in the United States by dialing 1 (866) 374-5140 (PIN: 27114683#). A complete archive of this discussion along with supporting materials will be available at the same webcast address within 24 hours of the end of the conference call. About AGF Management Limited Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. AGF brings a disciplined approach to delivering excellence in investment management through its fundamental, quantitative, alternative and high-net-worth businesses focused on providing an exceptional client experience. AGF's suite of investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations. AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America, Europe and Asia. With over $40 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B. AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact: Adrian Basaraba Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer 416-865-4203, InvestorRelations@agf.com Courtney Learmont Vice-President, Finance 647-253-6804, InvestorRelations@agf.com Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements about the Company, including its business operations, strategy and expected financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as 'expects,' 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes' or negative versions thereof and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' 'would' and 'could.' In addition, any statement that may be made concerning future financial performance (including income, revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, fund performance, and possible future action on our part, is also a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on certain factors and assumptions, including expected growth, results of operations, business prospects, business performance and opportunities. While we consider these factors and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to, among other things, risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our operations, economic factors and the financial services industry generally. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by us due to, but not limited to, important risk factors such as level of assets under our management, volume of sales and redemptions of our investment products, performance of our investment funds and of our investment managers and advisors, client-driven asset allocation decisions, pipeline, competitive fee levels for investment management products and administration, and competitive dealer compensation levels and cost efficiency in our investment management operations, as well as general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, taxation, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, technological changes, cybersecurity, the possible effects of war or terrorist activities, outbreaks of disease or illness that affect local, national or international economies (such as COVID-19), natural disasters and disruptions to public infrastructure, such as transportation, communications, power or water supply or other catastrophic events, and our ability to complete strategic transactions and integrate acquisitions, and attract and retain key personnel. We caution that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than specifically required by applicable laws, we are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more complete discussion of the risk factors that may impact actual results, please refer to the 'Risk Factors and Management of Risk' section of the 2021 Annual MD&A. ______________________________ AMSTERDAM, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Woolpert announced today that it is expanding its partnership with Google to provide Google Maps Platform services in Europe. The international architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm has delivered award-winning Google Maps and Google Cloud services to hundreds of businesses across the U.S. for nearly a decade. The news was announced at Home Delivery World Europe in Amsterdam. Woolpert will supply Google Maps Platform services, with a focus on mobility, to customers in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. These capabilities align with those of Woolpert, which has delivered geospatial services for more than 50 years, employs more than 600 geospatial professionals, collects mapping data and imagery around the world, develops and patents geospatial technologies, and owns and operates a fleet of aircraft and sensors. Woolpert Senior Vice President Jon Downey said Woolpert specializes in Google Maps Platform mobility solutions because they require the ability to navigate complex mapping challenges. "Google Maps Platform and these key services fit with who we are," Downey said. "Over the last few years, Google has developed solutions like On-demand Rides & Deliveries, Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing to support journey sharing, driver navigation, real-time ETAs, fleet optimization and route planning. These are the kinds of leading technologies that the world has come to expect from Google, and we're excited to share them with additional customers in Europe." Woolpert has earned two Google Cloud Location-Based Services Partner of the Year Awards and a Google Cloud Partner Award for Customer Success in Google Maps Platform. The firm has achieved 10 expertise distinctions, including Retail and Automotive in the Google Cloud Partner Program. About Woolpert Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, has earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America's fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has over 1,900 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com. Media contact: Jill Kelley; 937-531-1258, jill.kelley@woolpert.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844616/Woolpert_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/463993/Woolpert_Logo.jpg By Jon Yuan Jiang When the classic film "The Irony of Fate" plays this New Year's Eve in Russia, a tradition in almost all former USSR republics, I wonder if Putin will stare at the movie title blankly, just for a second. Unlike the romantic happy ending in the film, Putin's irony of fate may be followed by a wry smile. The hospitality and welcome that Putin expected from the Ukrainians have never appeared during Russia's invasion, but a globally admired hard-core resistance has arisen. From now on, Ukrainians will become much prouder of their nation rather than being easily confused for Russians by uncertain foreigners. Not only did Putin's identity politics in Ukraine backfire, but also his wishful halt of NATO's expansion. Finland and Sweden, once neutral buffers, have both applied for NATO membership. Ironically, despite Western sanctions, energy prices have spiked, and Russia's exports have been doing extremely well. According to the Economist, Russia's trade surplus is anticipated to break records, $250 billion in the following months, more than double the 2021 record, which helps Putin fund his war. As for the devastating impact on Russia's imports, and locals' daily life, some analysts argue that this simply needs another splendid show of Putin's propaganda apparatus to brainwash the Russian population into the necessity of the war, as happened in the 2014 Crimea Crisis. However, behind the scenes, the fundamental question is more than Putin's dis/misinformation trick but his power legitimacy. Dating back to his first two terms of presidencies and premierships from 1999 to 2012, Putin faced a mess left by the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yeltsin's chaotic governance. At that time, what Russians yearned for the most was a sense of stability, and economic recovery, which Putin did succeed in offering mostly by his centralization of power. Briefly, the launch of the Second Chechen War, and creation of the seven federal districts led by Putin-appointed presidential plenipotentiaries combated separatism and defended Russia's unity. The battle against oligarchic meddling, and the change of local leaders' election methods strengthened the Kremlin's authority. Fortunately, soaring energy prices helped Russia's economic healing. However, these successes have been at the cost of the democracy which Yeltsin endeavored to establish. Russian citizens' voting rights in the 85 federal constituent entities were quietly taken out. The principle of federalism, which was enshrined in Russia's 1993 constitution, was significantly undermined. Russia, in fact, reverted to its historical track as a centralized unitary state. Nevertheless, the regained social order has still lingered in older Russian voters' memories with a bitter taste left from Yeltsin's democracy, and an honored reminiscence of the Russian empire, providing a veil of legitimacy for Putin's power. After 2011, when energy prices and the Russian economy were in a downturn, Russian protests against Putin's reign arose. Incapable of improving Russians' living standards and unwilling to democratize Russian society, Putin's legitimacy strategy is no longer to offer public good, but to rebuild the Russian empire's glory by being more involved on the international stage, albeit in a destructive way. Putin may not wind back the post-Cold War order and reclaim Russia's former grandeur, as the Russian economy has de facto been a marginal man of globalization. But as Russia expert Bobo Lo argued, "Putin would rather have a global disorder where Russia is central, than an order where it is peripheral". The drum of Russian nationalism has been beaten by Putin in Russians' minds: What the West has taken from Russia should be returned, and the historical indignity should be expunged. As for the plummeting income of Russian citizens, quite counterintuitively and ironically, this outcome is even better for Putin's supremacy. According to Russian economist Vladislav Inozemtsev, there are no precedents for serious social mobilization due to economic concerns in Russia. Unlike the West, China and many other countries, economic prosperity is perceived as an element of power legitimacy. However, when the Russian penniless find diverse market products, they realize their political system works and mostly blame their own inability to make a living. In Russia, poverty is more of an "individual" situation, rather than a public phenomenon. Novaya Gazeta, one of a few Kremlin-disliked independent Russian newspapers, argued that by taking away the vitality of Russians, poverty extinguishes political protests. Political rights are remembered when the standard of living is higher, and then political demands appear. Similarly, BBC Russian reported that in Arab countries, poor students and outcasts took to the streets to protest, whereas in Russia, it was only the wealthy middle class who protested in street demonstrations. Therefore, ironically enough, Putin may have tightened his control over Russia by impoverishing Russians. However, as a result, another even larger irony has appeared: The Russian army, once a globally respected and Putin-flaunted military force, has been bogged down in its onslaught of Ukraine. Herman Gref, former Minister of Economics and Trade of Russia, argued that Russia has lost the competition in the new technological revolution, sinking into a "down-shifter" country that is unable to pursue material wealth. It is not the first day that an increasing amount of Russia's tech workforce and intellectuals have been fleeing the state. But Putin won't care less, even though he probably knows a deliberate and excessive overstretch of domestic strength is not sustainable in the long run. After all, in his mind, his primacy matters the most. His power hubris, indulgence in the historical magnificence and self-claimed permanent victory is ironically like a replay of his deeply missed overextending Soviet Union, which may eventually end in its own demise. Jon Yuan Jiang ( ) is a China, Russia and Australia policy analyst; a strategic thinker and adviser on business and international affairs. DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / Solitario Zinc Corp. ("Solitario") (NYSE American:XPL); (TSX:SLR) announces results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders at which holders of 33,396,907 shares of common stock or 51.56% of the total outstanding shares eligible to vote as of the record date were present in person or by proxy. The three matters identified below were submitted to a vote of the shareholders. Each proposal is more fully described in Solitario's definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated April 28, 2022. Chris Herald, President and CEO of Solitario, commented "We are pleased with the results of this year's Annual Meeting and thank our shareholders for their ongoing support as we strive to create value by moving our projects forward. We would like to officially welcome Debbie Mino-Austin as the newest member to the Company's Board of Directors. With regard to our projects, we have ramped up our 2022 exploration efforts at our Golden Crest project in South Dakota and core drilling has begun at the Lik zinc project in Alaska. We look forward to reporting results on these activities in the coming months." Report of Voting Results 1. Election of Directors. Seven directors were elected to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until their successors are elected and qualified, with each director receiving the votes (and percentage of shares voting, excluding broker non-votes) below: Shares voted Name For (%) Against Withheld Broker Non-Votes Brian Labadie 23,447,123 (98.74) 52,174 246,485 9,651,125 John Labate 23,144,964 (97.47) 354,020 246,798 9,651,125 James Hesketh 21,993,252 (92.62) 1,645,524 107,005 9,651,126 Christopher E. Herald 23,572,327 (99.27) 54,114 119,341 9,651,125 Gil Atzmon 22,144,213 (93.26) 1,269,348 332,221 9,651,125 Joshua D. Crumb 23,138,489 (97.44) 362,765 244,528 9,651,125 Debbie Mino-Austin 23,574,143 (98.28) 65,147 106,491 9,651,126 2. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. The shareholders approved the compensation of Solitario's named executive officers with 23,328,557 shares voting for (98.24 of shares voting), 417,223 shares voting against, and 9,651,127 broker non-votes. "RESOLVED THAT: Solitario shareholders approve the compensation of Solitario's named executive officers, as disclosed in the Company's proxy statement, dated April 28, 2022, pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission set forth in Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including, but not limited to, the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and any related material disclosed in the proxy statement for the 2022 annual meeting." 3. Appointment of Auditors. The appointment of Plante Moran PLLC as Solitario's auditors for fiscal year 2022 was ratified with 32,837,362 shares voting for (98.32% of shares voting), 215,748 shares voting against, 343,797 shares voting to abstain, and zero broker non-votes. About Solitario Solitario is a natural resource exploration and development company focused on high-quality Tier-1 gold and zinc projects. The Company is traded on the NYSE American ("XPL") and on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("SLR"). In addition to its Golden Crest project, Solitario holds 50% joint venture interest (Teck Resources 50%) in the high-grade, Lik zinc deposit in Alaska and a 39% joint venture interest (Nexa Resources holds the remaining 61% interest) on the high-grade Florida Canyon zinc project in Peru. Solitario is carried to production through its joint venture arrangement with Nexa. Solitario's Management and Directors hold approximately 9.3% (excluding options) of the Company's 64.7 million shares outstanding. Solitario's cash balance and marketable securities stand at approximately US$7.5 million. Additional information about Solitario is available online at www.solitariozinc.com. Solitario has a long history of committed Environmental, Social and Responsible Governance ("ESG") of its business. We realize ESG issues are also important to investors, employees and all stakeholders, including communities in which we work. We are pledged to operate our business in a manner that supports environmental and social initiatives and responsible corporate governance. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Kimball Director - Investor Relations 720-933-1150 (800) 229-6827 Christopher E. Herald President & CEO (303) 534-1030, Ext. 14 SOURCE: Solitario Zinc Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/706094/Voting-Results-of-Solitario-Annual-Meeting-Held-June-21-2022 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Nova Mentis Life Science Corp. (CSE: NOVA) (FSE: HN3Q) (OTCQB: NMLSF) ("NOVA" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company and global leader in first-in-class psilocybin-based therapeutics and complementary diagnostics for neuroinflammatory disorders is pleased to announce that it will be presenting at the H.C. Wainwright 1st Annual Mental Health Conference: Neuropsychiatry, Psychedelics, and Beyond on June 27, 2022. The NOVA presentation is titled: A Novel Psilocybin Microdose Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome. NOVA has filed a patent to protect the novel psilocybin microdose therapeutic approach to treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and especially fragile X syndrome (FXS), the largest genetic cause of ASD. This breakthrough psilocybin treatment preclinical data will be presented at the HCW conference. The Company's patent is titled: Diagnosing, Monitoring and Treating Neurological Diseases with Psychoactive Tryptamine Derivativesm; RNA Diagnostic Index to Measure Drug Treatment Response. "NOVA is looking forward to advancing the discussion around the therapeutic potential of oral microdose psilocybin for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS)," says Dr. Marvin S. Hausman, Chairman of NOVA's Scientific Advisory Board. "Future government regulatory plans, based on our proprietary psilocybin drug (NM-1001) positive preclinical study data, will also be discussed." Dr. Hausman's presentation will be available on-demand starting at 7:00 a.m. EST on June 27, 2022. Click here to register for the conference and schedule a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Hausman. About Nova Mentis Life Science Corp. Nova Mentis Life Science Corp. is a Canadian-based biotechnology company and global leader in developing diagnostics and psilocybin-based therapeutics for neuroinflammatory disorders. Nova is the first biotech company to achieve orphan drug designation in both the United States and European Union for the use of psilocybin in the treatment of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Our goal is to diagnose and treat debilitating chronic conditions that have unmet medical needs, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and FXS. For further information on the Company, please visit www.novamentis.ca or email info@novamentis.ca. On Behalf of the Board Will Rascan, President & CEO Nova Mentis Life Science Corp. Phone: 778-819-0244 Toll Free: 1-833-542-5323 Twitter: @novamentislsc Instagram: @novamentislsc Facebook: @novamentislsc Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Nova Mentis Life Science's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128574 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / Zimtu Capital Corp. (TSXv:ZC) (FSE:ZCT1) (the "Company" or "Zimtu") announces it has signed an agreement with Homerun Resources Inc. to provide its ZimtuADVANTAGE program (https://www.zimtu.com/zimtu-advantage/). Zimtu shall receive $12,500 per month for a period of 12 months for the duration of the contract. ZimtuADVANTAGE is a program designed to provide opportunities, guidance, cost savings and assistance to clients covering multiple aspects of being a public company. The services of this program include the following: Zoom with Zimtu; Zimtu Connect - all major news/events/important updates sent to email distribution list, Lead Generation campaigns; Blog Posts; Digital Awareness campaigns; Influencer Marketing; Social Media Distribution of company news/important updates through Zimtu accounts including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube & Instagram; Rockstone Reports & Distribution; Video News Releases - major news releases will be translated to video format, which will be distributed on all social media platforms and to Zimtu Connect subscribers; and Zimtu Question Period. About Homerun Resources Homerun Resources Inc. (TSXv: HMR) holds the 30,970-hectare (76,529 acre) Homathko Gold Project located in the Caribou Regional District, 190 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada. The property is located directly south of the Kingfisher Metals Goldrange Property. The Homathko Project is a mesothermal lode gold type, drill-ready prospect in a formerly glaciated area of the eastern margin of the southern Pacific Coastal Range, located strategically along the same regional fault network as the Bralorne Deposit and the nearby Goldrange Property. Grab samples from the property have yielded up to 384 g/t gold in surface grab samples and gold-mineralized formations are traceable over a distance of at least 1.5 kilometres, including gold mineralization identified along an 18.5+ kilometre trend captured by the Homathko Project. For more information visit: https://www.homerunres.com/. About Zimtu Capital Zimtu Capital Corp. is a public investment issuer that aspires to achieve long-term capital appreciation for its shareholders. Zimtu Capital companies may operate in the fields of mineral exploration, mining, technology, life sciences or investment. The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "ZC" and Frankfurt under symbol "ZCT1". For more information visit: www.zimtu.com/. On Behalf of the Board of Directors ZIMTU CAPITAL CORP. "David Hodge" David Hodge President & Director Tel: 604.681.1568 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Zimtu Capital Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/705943/Zimtu-Capital-Announces-Agreement-with-Homerun-Resources Four months into the Russian army's intrusion into Ukraine, Artmarket. com and Artprice observe that the global art market has pursued its agenda apparently unperturbed by the conflict unfolding on Europe's doorstep. The prestigious Art Basel, TEFAF, and Brafa fairs have (or will be) hosted in Europe, along with the Venice Biennale and dOCUMENTA without the risk of war (any more than the resumption of the Covid-19 epidemic or the threat of an ecological crisis) spoiling the festivities. Weekly global fine art auction turnover (2021 vs early 2022) artprice.com [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2022/06/image1-fine-art-auction-turnover-2021-vs-2022early.png ] Tweet by Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation, calling for donations by NFT [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2022/06/image2-image2-tweet-Mykhailo-fedorov-donations-NFT.png ] "With $6.1 billion hammered at auction over the first five months of this year, versus $5.4 billion over the same period last year, 2022 is already looking much stronger. That's a 12% increase!" says Thierry Ehrmann, CEO, and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department. +50% turnover in the USA The analyses conducted by Artprice reveal a superbly intense start to the year 2022, even if the organization of auction sales remains disrupted in several parts of the world (particularly in Asia) by the Covid-19 pandemic. The clear winner this year, the United States has posted a 50% increase in fine art auction turnover after the major spring sales. The last prestige sessions were marked by the spectacular result of close to $200 million for Andy Warhol's Shot S age B lue Marilyn (1964) at Christie's. Its new owner is none other than gallery owner Larry Gagosian whose business could suffer from international sanctions taken against the Russian oligarchs he counts among his clients. New York's spring sales were also electrified by the sale of Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting Untitled (1982). Having paid $57.3 million to acquire the painting in 2016, the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa re-sold it this year for $85 million, an additional 48% in just six years. Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled (1982) therefore posted an average annual return of +6.8% during the six years it was in Maezawa's collection. This capital gain will partly serve to cover Christie's buyer's fees (more than $11 million on this lot), but also to reassure the market which had seen Basquiat's prices climb at a dizzying pace with the purchases made by Yusaku Maezawa. In 2017, the Japanese collector acquired a painting by the same artist and from the same year for a record sum of $110 million. Europe forges ahead , Asia is on hold and the Metaverse is getting underway The UK has started 2022 with a 35% increase in fine art auction turnover (versus the year-earlier period) and France has posted a 25% increase. Europe, therefore, seems to have fully recovered from the health crisis. However, the situation is different in Asia where lots of sales have been postponed due to a new wave of Covid-19. So far this year, Hong Kong has hammered only $146 million in fine art auction turnover compared with over half a billion USD last year. Meanwhile, the world of crypto-currencies and Web3 has been very generous in supporting the Ukrainian cause. Kyiv started to accept donations in the form of NFTs as of April 2022. Several artists have also embarked on charity sales of NFTs, such as JR in collaboration with Ukraine DAO and Pussy Riot who sold a digital version of the Ukrainian flag for $6.7 million. Images: [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2022/06/image1-fine-art-auction-turnover-2021-vs-2022early.png ] [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2022/06/image2-image2-tweet-Mykhailo-fedorov-donations-NFT.png ] Copyright 1987-2022 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com Don't hesitate to c ontact our E conometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: econometrics@artprice.com Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artmarket: Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987. See certified biography in Who's who : Biographie_thierry_Ehrmann_2022_WhosWhoInFrance.pdf Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 782,000 artists. Artprice by Artmarket, the world leader in information on the art market, has set itself the ambition through its Global Standardized Marketplace to be the world's leading Fine Art NFT platform. Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians. Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 5.4 million ('members log in'+social media) users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code). Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art. Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2022: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2021 Artprice's 2020/21 Contemporary Art Market Report by Artmarket.com: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2021 Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department: serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseEN.htm Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5.8 million followers) twitter.com/artmarketdotcom twitter.com/artpricedotcom Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013 L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 (4.3 million followers) https://vimeo.com/124643720 Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department - Contact: ir@artmarket.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: nW9paZRqlWaax5xvksloaWVlmmaVkpKVmpSdm2GbmMybcHBlnZljbMicZnBmlmZv - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-75119-artmarket-com-and-artprice-do-not-see-any-impact-from-the-ukrainian-crisis-on-aution-sales-en.pdf BASEL, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / The diary of Anne Frank - on the 75th anniversary of the first edition Bear witness, shape the future "People should stop teaching history lessons and start teaching the lessons of history," is what Otto Frank wrote sixty years ago. He had lost his two daughters, Margot and Anne, and his wife Edith in the Shoah during the National Socialist genocide. With the publication of his daughter Anne's Diary, Otto decided early on to make the story of the others in hiding, public and to bear witness. It was an onerous decision at the time - and one that would have profound consequences. 75 years after it was first published, the Diary has become part of world literature and one of the most significant publications about the Shoah. However, "animosity towards Jews, discrimination and Shoah denial are still relevant issues today," says John Goldsmith, President of the Anne Frank Fonds Basel. Otto Frank was already aware that, even after the mass murders of Auschwitz, there would be challenging years ahead for civil society. With his vision of peace, he founded the Anne Frank Fonds in Basel in 1963 and designated the Foundation as his universal heir and as the family's sole representative. The AFF is responsible for the publication worldwide of the definitive edition of the Diaries of Anne Frank. All income is used for the charitable promotion of peace and dialogue. The Foundation's mission of working towards a society based on "never again" remains the starting point for AFF President John Goldsmith: "Otto Frank did not push for retribution or resignation, but for civil responsibility." For more than 60 years now, the Anne Frank Fonds Basel has supported hundreds of civil society projects around the world. In partnership with UNICEF, many of these projects promote children's rights. In 1979, Otto Frank said in an interview: "We can no longer change what has happened. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and realise what discrimination and persecution mean for innocent people." On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the publication of the Diary in these challenging times, this principle remains more relevant than ever and, as John Goldsmith says, "the Diary of Anne Frank remains a manifesto for it." *** About the Anne Frank Fonds Basel As the only organisation established by Otto Frank, the Anne Frank Fonds Basel (AFF) was founded in 1963 and represents the Frank family. In cooperation with publishing houses, the Foundation is responsible for the publication of the Diary worldwide. The Foundation also manages the rights to the family's other legacies, writings and letters. The not-for-profit organisation is committed to projects that, for example, strengthen children's rights, provide education against racism, anti-Semitism, and the promotion of peace. The cover entitled "Het Achterhuis" shows the first edition from 1947 The cover entitled "Anne Frank - The Diary of Young Girl" shows the anniversary edition in the USA Newer editions that are currently on sale Contact for media enquiries: ANNE FRANK FONDS BASEL Steinengraben 18 4051 Basel Switzerland info@annefrank.ch Phone +41 79 371 60 60 www.annefrank.ch SOURCE: Anne Frank Fonds View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/706134/The-Diary-of-Anne-Frank--On-the-75th-Anniversary-of-the-First-Edition Bolkovic will succeed CEO John Davidson, who will retire in the first half of 2023 OCC, the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Andrej Bolkovic, currently CEO of Akuna Capital, LLC, as its next Chief Executive Officer, replacing John P. Davidson who will retire in the first half of 2023. Bolkovic will officially join OCC as CEO-Elect on October 3, 2022, and will work closely with Davidson, the Board of Directors and Management Committee to facilitate a smooth transition of responsibilities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005590/en/ Andrej Bolkovic appointed as OCC CEO-Elect (Photo: Business Wire) Since March 2021, Bolkovic has served as the CEO of Akuna Capital, LLC and its affiliated broker dealer, Akuna Securities, LLC. From 2016-2020, he was the Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO Clearing Chicago, LLC. Prior to his role in Chicago, Bolkovic worked since 2007 for ABN AMRO Clearing Bank NV in the Netherlands serving several roles, including Global CIO, COO and Executive Board Member. During this period, he also served on the Supervisory Boards of EMCF, a Pan-European equities clearing house, and Holland Clearing House, a derivatives clearing house. Bolkovic started his career in 1995 in the IT division of ING Bank and later joined Capgemini Netherlands. Bolkovic served on OCC's Board and its Technology and Compensation and Performance Committees from 2017-2020. "We are pleased to welcome Andrej as our next CEO. His proven leadership skills, as well as deep technological and industry expertise will support our core mission of promoting stability and market integrity," said Craig S. Donohue, OCC Executive Chairman. "In addition to his exceptional qualifications, Andrej's familiarity with our organization and rapport with the Board and management team position him well to lead OCC." Bolkovic said, "It is a privilege to be appointed to lead OCC, an organization with a vital purpose supporting markets and investors. It has been exciting to see the progress OCC has made in enhancing its resiliency and performance over the last several years, including its investment in the Renaissance Initiative. I look forward to working with John, OCC's Board and the Management Committee to continue to deliver excellence to market participants, regulators and the investing public, and to ensure the seamless transition that is required for a systemically important market utility. I also look forward to leading a team of talented OCC colleagues who share a common commitment to the critical role of OCC in supporting secure markets." Donohue thanked Davidson for his leadership over the past five years, citing his role in navigating OCC through its significant transformation efforts and the Covid-19 pandemic. During Davidson's leadership, OCC has enhanced its operational and financial resiliency, made significant strides and investments in technology, and strengthened its approach to financial risk management for the industry. "On behalf of our Board of Directors, I thank John for his dedication, integrity, and the many contributions he brought to OCC during his tenure, which has been an extraordinary time for our organization and our industry," said Donohue. "He led, and continues to lead, us through significant changes and modernization efforts during a period of tremendous volume growth. Over that time, our technology infrastructure has proven its strength and resilience, and we have continued to meet our obligation to provide operational excellence to all our stakeholders." Davidson joined OCC in 2017 as President and Chief Operating Officer and was promoted to CEO in 2019. "It has been a great honor to work for OCC for the past five years," said Davidson. "I have been privileged to work with many talented and dedicated colleagues and to witness the tremendous growth of the listed options market. Andrej is a great choice for our next CEO, and I am confident that, under his leadership, OCC will continue to progress, thrive and support our growing industry." About OCC The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), named Risk Magazine's 2022 Clearing House of the Year, is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com. 2022. The Options Clearing Corporation. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005590/en/ Contacts: Sarah Bowman OCC Public Relations PublicRelations@theocc.com Munich, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Devexperts announced DXtrade XT, which is an out-of-the-box trading platform for exchange-traded instruments, such as stocks (whole, fractional or notional shares), options, mutual funds, and fixed income (bonds). The platform is now available to brokers from around the world, who want to provide traders with access to US-listed securities. DXtrade XT To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8552/128473_ecd2a4df84a9ba4e_001full.jpg DXtrade XT offers modern and uncluttered web and mobile platforms that are suitable for both professional and novice traders. The mobile app gives the opportunity to investors to manage their accounts and order on-the-go, which is appealing for onboarding new clients. With DXtrade XT, brokers can attract more clients by lowering barriers to entry: Their traders can benefit from fractional and notional orders and invest the amount of money they feel comfortable about. On the broker's side, manual allocation of the fractional trades can be booked under the main account, distributed among the client accounts and managed in a flexible manner according to the brokers strategy. At the same time, this flexibility in investment plans for traders still guarantees that brokers fully control their order management workflow. DXtrade's web-based admin portal affords brokers real-time order flow oversight. Brokers can monitor client positions and accounts, adjust risk settings, update platform configurations, and manually manage all registered accounts. The risk management module of DXtrade XT incorporates advanced tools such as routing wheel. This tool allows automated routing according to the criteria such as asset type and destination-based percentage. Michael Sprachman, Devexperts Vice President of Trading Platform, commented on the launch: "In the process of designing DXtrade XT, our team has analyzed key pain points of brokers, strategies for attracting and retaining new investors, and ways to automate risk management further. During the course of our market analysis, we have concluded that the majority of brokers run on legacy systems with outdated user interfaces, hence, we see a lot of opportunity for DXtrade XT in assisting brokers to grow their business." Learn more or request the demo to experience the full functionality here: https://dx.trade/dxtrade-xt/dxtrade-xt-web-trader/ Contact: Elena Gorbacheva Head of Communications, Devexperts pr@devexperts.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128473 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Infinity Stone Ventures Corp. (CSE: GEMS) (OTC Pink: TLOOF) (FSE: B2I) (the "Company" or "Infinity Stone") is pleased to announce the initiation of an exploration program today at its Buda Lithium Pegmatite Project located 50 kilometres east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The 2022 work program (the "Program") will focus on two historic pegmatite occurrences on the property. The Buda Occurrence, located 1,700 m northwest of the former Buda Station and the Steep Rock Occurrence, located 900 m west of the Buda Occurrence. This week-long Program will include prospecting, sampling, hand stripping, and channel sampling. The majority of the work for the Program will focus on the Buda Occurrence with prospecting and sampling being conducted at the Steep Rock Occurrence. High-resolution photos will be collected of samples and drone imagery will be utilised to aid current and future exploration. All samples collected will be assayed for lithium, niobium, tantalum, rubidium, as well as other elements thought to be contained within these pegmatite intrusions. This Program aims to validate historic data and to acquire further geochemical data on the pegmatites in order to develop these occurrences into "drill-ready" targets. On completion of the Program, samples will be immediately sent to an accredited assay lab in Thunder Bay for analysis. Buda Pegmatite Property Highlights Property hosts 7 LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatites mapped in the early 1980s. Historic sampling data reveals elevated values of lithium, cesium, tantalum, niobium, and rubidium. Systematic testing for lithium was not completed in past programs. Steep Rock Main Pegmatite Dike, the largest known pegmatite dike on the property, is 450 metres in strike length with an apparent width varying from 40 to 140 metres. (1) Buda Dike has an exposed strike length of 360 metres and a maximum exposed thickness of 25 metres. (1)(3) 50km from Thunder Bay, Ontario, where Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. intends to build a new lithium refinery. (2) 26km north of Infinity Stone's Rockstone Graphite Property. About the Buda Pegmatite Property The Buda Pegmatite Property is located 50 kilometres west of the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario, along Highway 17/11. Access to the property is excellent, via Highway 17/11 which traverses the western edge of the property, and a network of bush roads which provide access throughout the interior of the property. The property consists of a single block of 68 cells covering 1,451 hectares (3,585 acres). The last significant program on the property was conducted in the early 1980s by Steep Rock Iron Mines, which was exploring for feldspar. According to documentation by Steep Rock, Buda Station area hosts a "significantly large pegmatite dike worthy of economic consideration." Seven pegmatite dikes were mapped on the property, the largest being Steep Rock Dike. (1) In 2009, three grab samples were extracted from exposed pegmatite near Buda Station. One of the specimens returned 210 ppm lithium and two of the samples returned elevated niobium (102 ppm and 143 ppm) and rubidium (764 ppm and 1080 ppm). Cesium and tantalum values were also found to be moderately elevated. * * Note: Grab samples are selective in nature and mineralization and grades are not necessarily reflective of the mineralization hosted by the property. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Case Lewis, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. References (1) Bernatchez, R.A., 1981. "Geological mapping of the Peterson-Skalesky feldspar property for Steep Rock Iron Mines Limited, Atikokan, Ontario". MNDM Assessment Report 51A12NW0003. (2) Avalon Advanced Materials Inc news release dated April 4, 2022: "Avalon announces partnership agreement to establish Ontario's first regional Lithium Battery Materials Refinery in Thunder Bay" https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/avalon-announces-partnership-agreement-to-establish-ontario-s-first-regional-lithium-battery-materials-refinery-in-thunder-bay-830175516.html (3) Carter, M.W., 1990. "Geology of Goldie and Horne Townships". Ontario Geological Survey Open File Report 5720. About Infinity Stone Ventures Infinity Stone's mission is to be a diversified, single source supplier for the critical energy metals being used in the clean energy revolution alongside its established SaaS solution portfolio. The Company's primary business units include HealthCheck (Stratum Health Technologies LLC) and its energy metals portfolio. Infinity Stone is meeting the demand from battery and wind turbine manufacturers, nuclear and hydrogen energy producers, and energy metals speculators by acquiring 100% interest in critical mineral deposits and occurrences in stable mining-friendly jurisdictions, close to final use destinations in North American manufacturing hubs. To register for investor updates please visit https://infinitystone.ventures. Infinity Stone Ventures Corp. Zayn Kalyan CEO and Director zayn@altuscapital.ca Direct: 778-938-3367 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "projects", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including statements respecting: review of the Claim and future exploration work. Although forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of Company believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements may also be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company, including those described in the Company's public filings available on www.SEDAR.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128592 AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / Xtra Energy Corp. (OTC PINK:XTPT) announced today that it has completed identifying the boundaries, locating, and mapping 40 targeted lode claims making up 825 acres of well documented Antimony land. Xtra Energy Corp is now in the process of naming and prepping each claim for recording to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Once the recording to the BLM is completed Xtra Energy will disclose the exact location of our target Antimony Deposit. Just last week Antimony received some mainstream attention. A rarity for this rather unknown critical mineral. "Antimony is now on the front lines of recent congressional efforts to shore up the strategic reserve of rare earth minerals, known as the national defense stockpile. The House Armed Services Committee took its first stab at addressing China's grip on the antimony supply chain in draft legislation it released Wednesday. A report accompanying the bill would require the manager of the national defense stockpile to brief the committee on the status of antimony by October while providing a five-year outlook of these minerals and current and future supply chain vulnerabilities. The committee is concerned about recent geopolitical dynamics with Russia and China and how that could accelerate supply chain disruptions, particularly with antimony, the report noted. "There is no domestic mine for antimony," according to a 2020 report from the U.S. Geological Survey, a government agency. China is the largest producer of mined and refined antimony and a major source of imports for the United States." Reference Article : https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2022/06/08/the-us-is-heavily-reliant-on-china-and-russia-for-its-ammo-supply-chain-congress-wants-to-fix-that/ Contact: Xtra Energy Corporation Phone: 512-412-3636 FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements relate to future events, including our ability to raise capital, or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please see our filings with the OTC Markets Group Inc. Our public filings with the OTC Markets Group Inc are available from commercial document retrieval services and at the website maintained by the OTC Markets at https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/XTPT/disclosure SOURCE: Xtra Energy Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/706061/Xtra-Energy-Corp-Announces-the-Completion-of-Locating-Mapping-of-825-Acre-Antimony-Property NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The size of the global CRISPR genome editing market is likely to reach a value of USD 15.84 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 29.50% during the forecast period from USD 1.08 billion in 2021. Key Industry Insights & Finding of the CRISPR Genome Editing Market Reports: As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the CRISPR Genome Editing Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 29.50 % (2022-2028). (2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the CRISPR Genome Editing Market was valued approximately USD 1.08 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly USD 15.84 Billion by 2028. Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly Billion by 2028. Investments made by pharmaceutical & biotech businesses, rise in per capita income, enhanced health systems, accessibility of therapies, and affordability of state-of-the-art testing facilities & organizations in the region, North America has the largest proportion of the CRISPR gene editing market. has the largest proportion of the CRISPR gene editing market. CRISPR allows for desired agricultural features by transferring DNA from the crop's own naturally occurring genetic variants, rather than from alternative reproductively incompatible creatures. Around 40 nations prohibited or outlawed CRISPR genome editing research in the last decade. This has hampered the worldwide CRISPR genome editing business by constraining further research and development. Zion Market Research published the latest report titled as "CRISPR Genome Editing Market By End-User (Academics & Government Institutes, Biotechnology & Pharma Companies, Contract Research Organizations, & Others), By Application (Cell Line Engineering, Genetic Engineering, Diagnostic Applications, Drug Discovery & Development, & Others), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2022 - 2028." into their research database. CRISPR Genome Editing Market: Overview CRISPR gene editing is a molecular genetically engineered approach for altering the genomes of living organisms. It's built on a reduced form of the CRISPR-Cas9 antiviral defense mechanism found in bacteria. The approach is important in biotechnology and medicine because it enables genes to be altered in vivo with exceptional accuracy, at a low cost, and with simplicity. It can be employed in the development of novel medications, farm goods, and genetically engineered organisms, as well as for disease and pest management. It may also be used to treat heritable gene illnesses and also diseases that are caused by somatic mutations. Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/crispr-genome-editing-market Our Free Sample Report Includes: 2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis Included 150 + Pages Research Report (Inclusion of Updated Research) Provide Chapter-wise guidance on Request 2022 Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share & Trends Includes Updated List of tables & figures Updated Report Includes Top Market Players with their Business Strategy, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis Zion Market Research methodology Industry Dynamics: CRISPR Genome Editing Market: Growth Drivers Rise in government funding for CRISPR genome editing projects to drive market growth. Governments in numerous nations throughout the world have made large expenditures in genomics in past years, which have aided in the discovery and research of innovative CRISPR genome editing technologies. Furthermore, the availability of funding support has allowed university and government organizations to conduct extensive genome engineering research. The quantity of CRISPR genomics research efforts has increased significantly as a result of major government funding in genomics. This, in turn, is likely to fuel the global CRISPR genome editing market's expansion throughout the forecast period. CRISPR Genome Editing Market: Restraints Off-target effects likely to restrict the market growth. Off-target consequences from CRISPR-Cas9 are a big problem. Because Cas9 causes double-stranded breaks can potentially lead to cancer tumor formation. Moreover, the high incidence of off-target activity mutations in locations besides the targeted on-target location is a major source of worry. CRISPR can, for example, target a tumor suppressor gene or stimulate a cancer-causing mutation. This unfavorable consequence has caused problems for several firms conducting clinical studies. Clinical studies have been halted, and regulatory officials are demanding further study to improve the method's safety thereby restraining the market growth. Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/crispr-genome-editing-market Global CRISPR Genome Editing Market: Opportunities Use of CRISPR in agriculture to provide growth opportunities for market. CRISPR allows for desired agricultural features by transferring DNA from the crop's own naturally occurring genetic variants, rather than from alternative reproductively incompatible creatures. This removes the possibility of foreign DNA contamination in the resulting plant and final items. Because the CRISPR procedure does not incorporate foreign DNA into the genetic material, many scientific experts regard plant products to be non-GMO, and at least some plants generated using this technology are non-GMO. This expands its application in agriculture, offering the potential for the worldwide CRISPR genome editing market to expand. Global CRISPR Genome Editing Market: Challenges Ethical concerns regarding human gene editing using CRISPR to challenge the market growth. Human genome editing, according to bioethicists and experts, should not be tried since it affects genes and has a mutant impact that may be passed down generations. The majority of stakeholders feel that ongoing public discourse and debate are necessary to allow the public to determine whether or not CRISPR genome editing must be permitted for human genes. Because of bioethical concerns, around 40 nations prohibited or outlawed CRISPR genome editing research in the last decade. This has hampered the worldwide CRISPR genome editing business by constraining further research and development. Global CRISPR Genome Editing Market: Segmentation The global market is segregated on the basis of end-user, application, and region.. Academics & government institutes, biotechnology & pharmaceutical firms, contract research organizations, and others are the types of end-users. Biotechnology & pharmaceutical businesses accounted for the greatest proportion of the global CRISPR genome editing market by end-user in 2021. Infectious illnesses and cancer are becoming more common, which is fueling research efforts throughout the world. The need for genetic modification in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries is likely to rise as a result of this. The market categories depending on the application include cell line engineering, genetic engineering, diagnostic applications, drug discovery & development, and others. The bulk of the market was responsible for the application of CRISPR technology for cell line genetic alteration in stem cell treatment and gene therapy, and it is predicted to grow fast. The ability to use this technology to create new compounds that may be used to treat diseases like malignant tumors and contagious diseases is anticipated to boost its popularity in the coming years. Get More Insight before Buying@: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/crispr-genome-editing-market List of Key Players of CRISPR Genome Editing Market : Thermo Fisher Scientific Merck KGaA GenScript Sangamo Therapeutics Lonza CRISPR Therapeutics AG Precision Biosciences. Key questions answered in this report: What are the growth rate forecast and market size for CRISPR Genome Editing Market ? What are the key driving factors propelling the CRISPR Genome Editing Market forward? What are the most important companies in the CRISPR Genome Editing Market Industry? What segments does the CRISPR Genome Editing Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the CRISPR Genome Editing Market sample report and company profiles? Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 1.08 Billion Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 15.84 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 29.50 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, and By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA, GenScript, Sangamo Therapeutics, Lonza, CRISPR Therapeutics AG, Precision Biosciences. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/3307 Free Brochure: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/crispr-genome-editing-market Recent Developments In 2020, Canadian Government provided a support of around USD 14 -15 million through the Ministry of Innovation Science and Industry Science to Genome Canada for supporting research in 11 CRISPR genome editing projects in field of health (reproduction and cancer), agriculture, and environmental preservation. -15 million through the Ministry of Innovation Science and Industry Science to Genome Canada for supporting research in 11 CRISPR genome editing projects in field of health (reproduction and cancer), agriculture, and environmental preservation. In 2021, a new gene-editing platform was launched at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with Inscripta to promote research of CRISPR genome editing. Regional Dominance: North America to lead the global market during coming period. Due to significant investments made by pharmaceutical & biotech businesses, rise in per capita income, enhanced health systems, accessibility of therapies, and affordability of state-of-the-art testing facilities & organizations in the region, North America has the largest proportion of the CRISPR gene editing market. Apart from that, throughout the forecast period, Asia Pacific is expected to develop at the quickest CAGR in the global CRISPR genome editing market. Global CRISPR Genome Editing Market is segmented as follows: CRISPR Genome Editing Market: By End-User Outlook (2022-2028) Academics & Government Institutes Biotechnology & Pharma Companies Contract Research Organizations Others CRISPR Genome Editing Market: By Application Outlook (2022-2028) Cell Line Engineering Genetic Engineering Diagnostic Applications Drug Discovery & Development Others CRISPR Genome Editing Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028) North America The U.S. Canada Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Press Release For CRISPR Genome Editing Market : https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-crispr-genome-editing-market Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research Clinical Microbiology Market - Global Industry Analysis : The global Clinical Microbiology Market accrued earnings worth approximately 12.3 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 20.1(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 6.9% over the period from 2021 to 2028. The global Clinical Microbiology Market accrued earnings worth approximately 12.3 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 20.1(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 6.9% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market - Global Industry Analysis : The global Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market accrued earnings worth approximately 919.7(USD Million) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 1,957.3 (USD Million) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 10.8% over the period from 2021 to 2028. The global Rare Disease Genetic Testing Market accrued earnings worth approximately 919.7(USD Million) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 1,957.3 (USD Million) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 10.8% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Prenatal and new-born genetic testing Market - Global Industry Analysis: The global Prenatal and new-born genetic testing market accrued earnings worth approximately 4.7(USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 10.11(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 11.8% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Browse through Zion Market Research's coverage of the Global Biotechnology Industry Follow Us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook About Us Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. 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Contact Us: Zion Market Research 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite N202 New York, 10001, United States Tel: +49-322 210 92714 USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651 Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.com Website: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/ Blog : https://zmrblog.com/ | Market Business Insights Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1605489/Zion_Market_Research_Logo.jpg Interview: Luxembourg hopes to boost business relations with China after COVID-19, says minister 15:17, June 22, 2022 By Martina Fuchs ( Xinhua TORONTO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China is a key trade partner of Luxembourg and the Grand Duchy hopes to boost business with China in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Luxembourg's minister for development cooperation, humanitarian affairs and the economy said on Tuesday. "China and Luxembourg are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. China is an important trade partner of Luxembourg," Franz Fayot told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of Collision, one of the world's largest technology conferences, which takes place in Toronto, Canada, from June 20-23. "We have six or seven Chinese banks that have their European headquarters in Luxembourg. We have other economic relations through Cargolux and a lot of Luxembourg's businesses which are active in China," he said. Given pandemic-induced disruptions and uncertainties in the world economy, Fayot voiced hope that the situation will stabilize and "will allow us to continue where we left off some more than two years ago." Since the first opening of an overseas subsidiary of Bank of China in Luxembourg in 1979, the Grand Duchy has become a gateway to the European Union for Chinese financial institutions and investors. Although Luxembourg is one of the smallest sovereign states in the world, it has been able to attract Chinese investors, banks, multinational corporations, state-owned enterprises, sovereign wealth funds, and high net worth individuals seeking to establish or expand their business in Europe. In 2011, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange listed the first offshore RMB bonds, also known as Dim Sum bonds. Since then, the exchange between China and Luxembourg has experienced rapid growth which prompted Chinese investors to list RMB bonds in continental Europe. "We managed the COVID-19 crisis quite well, coming out with a mild recession in 2020 and then bouncing back strongly in 2021," Fayot said on Luxembourg's economic situation. Fayot, who joins some 35,000 people at Enercare Center in Toronto for Collision this week, said Luxembourg is building "a digital economy, with strong infrastructure, cutting-edge data centers, supercomputer, strong cybersecurity capacity," and all this to capacitate strong businesses in fintech, health tech, clean tech and generally a data economy. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) New administration should stop 'parachute appointments' President Yoon Suk-yeol called for strong measures Tuesday to reform public companies and state-run agencies struggling with low profitability and bloated debt. In a Cabinet meeting, Yoon said, "Public-sector reform is a task that cannot be delayed any further," noting that the combined debt of public institutions here soared to 583 trillion won ($452 billion) at the end of 2021. Yoon's call for reform came on the heels of the Ministry of Economy and Finance's announcement Monday of its annual management evaluation of 130 public firms and agencies. According to the announcement, 18 out of the 130 entities received poor assessments. In contrast, 72 firms, or more than half of them, received excellent or good assessments, which would make them eligible for performance-based bonuses. What's even more incomprehensible is that 40 companies that received average assessments are also eligible for bonuses. The awarding of bonuses even to underperforming public firms was possible because the previous presidential administration changed the rules to give more weight to social value contribution factors such as job creation in its assessment of public firms' performances. Instead, the weight of profit-making factors was lowered, prompting them to faithfully carry out unrealistic and ideologically oriented government policies. The consequence is that many of them grew bigger but became less profitable. The finance ministry said it will undo the flawed assessment system to nurse those poorly managed public firms back to health. But bolder measures are necessary, given the severity of lax management at state-run businesses. Over the last five years, 18 public firms have been established for no apparent reason and the size of the workforce at the 350 public institutions has increased by 30 percent. What's certain is that public corporations must be revitalized. The past government worsened their management solely to serve its political purpose. The new administration should stop the evil practice of "parachuting" unqualified politicians or bureaucrats to the top or executive posts of public enterprises. It must put top priority on making them more profitable. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In an attempt to stem the surging fuel prices, President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Congress and states to take additional legislative action to provide direct relief to consumers. Specifically, he is calling on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months, through September, without taking any money away from the Highway Trust Fund. He also called on states to take similar action to provide some direct relief, whether suspending their own gas taxes or helping consumers in other ways. The President is also calling on Congress to make sure that a gas tax holiday has no negative effect on the Highway Trust Fund. With the deficit already down by $1.6 trillion this year, the President believes that his administration can afford to suspend the gas tax to help consumers while using other revenues to make the Highway Trust Fund whole for the roughly $10 billion cost. This is consistent with legislation proposed in the Senate and the House to advance a responsible gas tax holiday. Currently, the federal government charges an 18 cent tax per gallon of gasoline and a 24 cent tax per gallon of diesel. Biden had said earlier this week that he is considering suspending the federal gas tax. 'I hope I have a decision based on data I'm looking for by the end of the week,' he told reporters Monday. With gas prices near $5 a gallon on average across the country, some states have already taken the lead to suspend their gas levies. The governors of Connecticut and New York have temporarily suspended their gas taxes, and in Illinois and Colorado, governors delayed planned tax and fee increases. In states such as Michigan and Minnesota, states and local leaders are considering a number of forms of consumer relief - from temporary suspensions and pauses on state sales tax on gas to consumer rebates and relief payments. Biden announced the release of a record 1 million barrels per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve last month, which a leading oil market analyst confirmed has been critical to keeping prices from rising even more. Biden and his Administration are engaging with oil and refining companies to ask them to work with the Administration to bring forward concrete solutions that increase refinery capacity and output. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm is meeting with CEOs of these companies this week. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de STOCKHOLM, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quant Brasil Manutencao Industrial LTDA ("Quant Brazil") has signed a maintenance service contract with an international mining company. Quant estimates that the contract revenue totals BRL 72 million (EUR 13 million) per year for two years. In its quarterly report for the second quarter of 2022, Quant will increase its contract portfolio value with EUR 13 million. Quant Brazil has signed a maintenance service contract with an international mining company regarding electromechanical maintenance and scaffolding assembly services. The three sites covered by the contract, located in the north of the country, will be mobilized starting in June 2022. Full operations under the contract is expected from September 2022. "We are proud of this opportunity to perform our services in one of the largest iron ore mines in the world. Quant will execute the maintenance following all the available safety and maintenance best practices, in order to increase productivity and pursue the target of zero accidents together with our customer", says Ricardo Perroni, Business Development Manager Quant Brazil. Stockholm, 22 June 2022 Quant AB (publ) For further information, please contact: Maximiliano Aqueveque, SVP Region Manager Americas: +56 9 92995544 Andre Stromgren, CFO: +46 708 410 796 E-mail: ir@quantservice.com Quant AB (publ) is a global leader in industrial maintenance. For over 30 years, we have been realizing the full potential of maintenance for our customers. From embedding superior safety practices and building a true maintenance culture, to optimizing maintenance cost and improving plant performance, our people make the difference. We are passionate about maintenance and proud of ensuring we achieve our customers' goals in the most professional way. The group operates internationally in close to 20 countries world-wide, employing more than 2,500 people. The parent company is located in Stockholm, Sweden. This information is information that Quant is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 16:30 CEST on 22 June 2022. CONTACT: This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/quant-ab/r/quant-signs-maintenance-contract-in-brazil,c3590161 The following files are available for download: Premier international insurance broker will now offer insurance options to more than 20,000 clients returning to the U.S. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / Clements Worldwide ( clements.com ) a leader in international insurance solutions for individuals and organizations , announced its new partnership with bolt Insurance Solutions ("bolt"), the insurtech with the country's largest technology-enabled insurance exchange for P&C, to offer insurance solutions to customers returning or relocating to the United States. For over 75 years, Clements has been the preferred broker for insurance coverage for global citizens living and working overseas. The partnership will expand the international insurance broker's capabilities to help customers easily and quickly find insurance options when they return home or relocate to the U.S. The move positions Clements Worldwide as the insurance destination for more than 20,000 customers around the globe. "Moving from country to country is hard enough," said Brian Kenny, Chief Growth Officer at Clements Worldwide. "There are so many things to worry about, and we want to provide effective coverage for our customers so they can have peace of mind." Partnering with bolt also allows Clements to provide the same service and capabilities for expats of other countries moving to the United States. "We're thrilled that Clements Worldwide has trusted us to help them expand their capabilities for customers," said James Dwane, CEO at bolt. "Together we will create excellent customer experiences and make insurance easy and convenient to deliver outstanding value for Clements' customers." About Clements Worldwide Clements Worldwide is recognized as the preferred insurance provider to overseas personnel. Since 1947, the company has served millions of individual expats and organizations around the globe by delivering customized international insurance solutions. Clements is the first company to offer expatriate insurance for U.S. State Department employees, providing U.S. Foreign Service Officers with insurance coverage overseas. Today, the firm offers a wide range of innovative insurance products and services for individuals and organizations who work and travel across borders. While headquartered in Washington D.C., Clements has a global presence with offices in London, Brussels and Dubai. To learn more, visit www.clements.com. About bolt bolt is the leading insurance exchange for P&C, uniting distributors and providers on a single platform to transform the way insurance is bought and sold. The result is the country's largest technology-enabled marketplace of insurance products, including two-thirds of America's leading carriers, helping industry participants expand market reach and improve customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.boltinsurance.com . Media Contacts Jamie Kemp jamie@calibercorporateadvisers.com (516) 417-3975 SOURCE: bolt insurance View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/706144/Clements-Worldwide-Selects-Bolt-to-Expand-Insurance-Services-for-Returning-Expats Award-Winning Business Mobile Service Enables Compliant, Secure Business Communications on Any Mobile Phone Including Personal Devices Tango Networks today announced a major upgrade of its award-winning Mobile-X Extend service, introducing lower pricing and a next-generation services architecture for migration to 5G. The upgraded Tango Extend service includes: VoLTE support for carrier-grade voice communications with the broadest availability across served markets. Faster call set-up times and more efficient network utilization for higher quality user experience. A new IMS core service architecture ready for HD voice and 5G connectivity where available and a foundation for future migration to next-generation mobile voice, video, messaging and data services. Lower latency data communications. Along with these technical upgrades, wholesale tariffs for Tango Extend services have been decreased effective June 1 in the United States and later this year in the United Kingdom. Tango Extend automatically integrates mobile phones into company communications systems, turning mobiles into business extensions and allowing users to operate their phones' native dialers for business calls without a separate UC app. This makes the user experience dramatically better. The service also enables business communications on personal mobile phones to be captured and recorded for retention and compliance. "Today's work-from-anywhere world demands communications that tie in employees everywhere they work, while giving their employers precise control over those communications," said Andrew Bale, Tango Networks Executive Vice President. "Mobile phones are the simplest and most effective communications choice for companies to maximize worker productivity in any location and streamline operations. Tango Extend is the new standard for modern 'Mobile First' business communications." The service is the industry's first to use eSIMs to add a business-controlled extension to an existing phone in minutes. Tango Extend allows employees to use personal Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phones for business, eliminating the need to carry two devices. The service creates dual user personas. Personal communications use the personal SIM and remain private, and business communications use the business number with the business SIM. The solution cuts a company's carbon footprint by enabling it to eliminate phones and converge on a single device. It also allows a company to significantly expand its business communications reach to encompass previously disconnected workers, including firstline employees and contractors. Winner of more than 10 best new product and channel awards, the advanced version of Mobile-X, Tango Extend, utilizes Tango Networks' fixed-mobile convergence technologies covered by more than 90 patents. Businesses use Tango Networks solutions for Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC), Mobile First and Mobile Only communications, and work-from-home, hybrid and work-from-anywhere flexibility. The solutions bring fully integrated business communications to mobile employees, deskless workers and firstline workers, many for the first time. The service is sold solely through Tango Networks' value-added resellers and communications service provider partners. Mobile-X and Tango Extend are trademarks of Tango Networks, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005737/en/ Contacts: Adam Boone, Vice President-Strategic Planning 1.469.920.2127, adamboone@tango-networks.com tango-networks.com Vancouver, June 22, 2022, a global full-service digital partner, continues to experience growth through its people, offices and clients. Today, the company is announcing strategic hires, client wins, global office expansions, award recognition and other key milestones. European Team Expansion Appnovation has added three senior strategic hires to its EMEA team. Ben Field-Johnson joins to head up Strategic Partnerships across EMEA. Ben is responsible for strengthening existing partnerships and building new partnerships to support the business' growth and meet client needs. Ben joins from Wunderman Thompson where he led business development and partnerships for their Technology Center of Excellence. Andy Gomes joins as Composable Technology Director in EMEA, adding a seasoned industry expert and commerce technology leader to its global team. Andy will develop Appnovation's global Commerce Centre of Excellence. He joins from Accenture and Oracle where he delivered end-to-end digital solutions to global customers. Gordon Fisher joins as Head of Business Development in EMEA. Gordon is responsible for leading the business development team in EMEA and continuing to drive partnerships with existing and prospective clients. Gordon previously held a similar position at Tribal Worldwide London and in the client services team at AKQA. Global Office Expansion In April 2022, Appnovation opened an office in Romania, offering off-shore services to global clients. This growing team includes developers, technology leaders and project managers. Appnovation Latin America opened its doors in Sao Paulo, Brazil in June 2021. In the past year the Sao Paulo team has more than tripled in size. New Global Clients Appnovation has partnered with several industry leading brands globally including AstraZeneca, Disney+ Latin Americaand Animoca Brands. "Throughout 2022, Appnovation has continued to see growth of all kinds - including both people and client growth," said Arnold Leung, CEO and founder of Appnovation. "I attribute this growth to our diverse and talented team at Appnovation. Thanks to their skill and hard work, we're able to continue to attract industry leading clients and partners - we're excited to build on this momentum into 2023." ISO 27001 Recertification Appnovation's Global Managed Services team has been ISO 27001 recertified, meeting the globally recognized standards for information and data security management. This certification underscores Appnovation's commitment to continually protecting and investing in data safety and security practices. Awards Roundup Appnovation has been recognized with a variety of awards. Our work with ASCDearned 17 Communicator Awards in the 2022 competition. In addition, Appnovation earned 5 Horizon Interactive Awards for work with both ASCD and Visit California, as well as recognition in the 26th Annual Webby Awards. Our teams received multiple awards from international organizations recognizing innovation, technology and user experience, including the NYX Awardsand the MUSE Creative Awards. -- About Appnovation Appnovation is a global, full-service digital partner that combines bold ambition with practical action to create customer-first digital solutions. We build purposeful digital solutions that deliver real impact today and serve as strong foundations for future growth. We're an award-winning team dedicated to building better lives through better digital. Attachment JINAN, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jiaxuan Cultural Tourism City, the first town in the country to focus on its poetry cultural heritage, started construction in the Jinan Innovation Zone. The Jinan Innovation Zone, located in the so-called City of Springs - also the capital city of Shandong Province - is part of the first batch of national high-tech industrial development zones in China and ranks in the top 10 national high-tech zones when it comes to comprehensive strength. A critical window for international collaboration, it has attracted more than 500 foreign-funded enterprises, with more than 60 of those being German enterprises. The first Sino-German cooperation zone north of the Yangtze River in China is located in the Jinan Innovation Zone. According to Jinan Innovation Zone Administration Committee, in the future, it will be transformed into a world-class Sino-German cooperation zone and a new center of industry clusters. A number of German companies have established themselves in the city, leading to an acceleration in China-Euro Cooperation Established in the Jinan Innovation Zone, the Sino-German Cooperation Zone focuses on the development of a wide range of industries, such as next-generation information technology, intelligent manufacturing and airport-related modern service industries. A German standard industrial complex of 500,000 square meters and a supporting business complex of an additional 150,000 square meters have been established, with a goal to build an eco-town of green industries replete with high-end elements and characteristic industries. Upon completion, the Jiaxuan Cultural Tourism City will refresh the environment of the cooperation zone for the mutual benefit of both residential and business sectors by building an integrated chain of eateries, housing, travel services, tourism operators, shopping, and health care and education, creating a formidable reputation for the Jinan Innovation Zone of China-Germany cooperation. The cooperation zone is also equipped with a personnel training system designed specifically for German companies. In collaboration with Festo China and Shandong Yingcai University, it has launched the German Practices Workshop, aiming to cultivate talents for the growth of industry clusters. Furthermore, it has put together a digital simulation demonstration platform in collaboration with Fraunhofer, Europe's largest application research body. It also has a European-standard platform that offers comprehensive intellectual property (IP) services for foreign-funded enterprises. Jinan Airport now has direct flights to Frankfurt, with frequency increasing to two flights a week in the near future, enabling a two-way fast track between Jinan and Germany. In recent years, the industrial parks have attracted substantial interest from top 500 corporations worldwide, including industry leaders such as Bosch, Volkswagen and Hengst. Volkswagen's production capacity expansion project for components and parts and BMTS Technology's production capacity expansion project are both underway. Establishing Trade Offices Abroad to Strengthen Cooperation in Bilateral Innovation The Jinan Innovation Zone has a long history of cooperation with Germany. In 2013, the Jinan Innovation Zone established the Dresden - Jinan Contact Office (Dresden - Jinan Industry Cooperation Office) in Dresden, also known as the Silicon Valley of Europe; and in November, its Jinan counterpart was established. The two offices have undertaken cooperation in resource accumulation, project collaboration and cultural exchange, among other areas. In particular, they have facilitated more than a dozen cooperative projects, including the R&D center at the German 3S-Smart Software Solutions GmbH in Jinan, the Sino-German Intelligent Manufacturing Demonstration Lab co-launched by Hoteam Software and Chemnitz University of Technology; they also invited world-renowned Dresdner Kreuzchor to stage a concert in Jinan, strengthening cultural exchange between the two countries. To date, the Jinan Innovation Zone has established offices in seven cities across five European countries, an important launching pad for its comprehensive layout for cooperation with Europe. Opening a New Chapter in Foreign Cooperation of High Repute in Sino-Euro Cooperation In 2015, the Sino-German SME Cooperation & Communication Conference was launched as a new platform for exchange between the two countries. The Conference is sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China and the Shandong Provincial Government, and organized by the Jinan Municipal Government and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong Province. Held for six consecutive years, the Conference is an important measure for Jinan of its pursuit of open development and cooperation with Germany and Europe. Many prominent guests have attended the Conference, including former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, German Bundestag Member Martin Schultz, and former German Defense Minister Rudolf Albert Scharping. 105 projects have been signed at the Conference, with a total investment of 47.964 billion yuan. In 2020, renamed the China SME International Cooperation & Communication Conference - 2020 Sino-German (Europe) SME Cooperation & Communication Conference, the Conference expanded its aim from Sino-German cooperation to Sino-Euro cooperation. More than 1,000 companies and 5,000-plus guests from more than 10 countries and regions around the world attended the Conference online and offline, forming a powerful platform for Sino-German and Sino-Euro SME cooperation and communication. Today, with its enviable reputation, the Conference has become an important measure at provincial and municipal levels to practice open development, strengthen the opening up process, and promote exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign enterprises. This dynamic and modern city is committed to building a bridge of mutual exchange and cooperation, intensifying the role of the Jinan Innovation Zone in China-Germany cooperation.. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423890 Caption: Sino-German Cooperation Zone Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423895 Caption: Video conference with the Jinan-Frankfurt/Germany flight crew Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423896 Caption: Exterior view of the Dresden - Jinan Industry Cooperation Office Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423897 Caption: Dresdner Kreuzchor (Choir) concert held in Jinan Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423898 Caption: China SME International Cooperation & Communication Conference / 2020 Sino-German (Europe) SME Cooperation & Communication Conference Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845268/1_Sino_German_Cooperation_Zone.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845272/2_Video_conference.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845271/3_Office.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845270/4_Concert.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845269/5_Conference.jpg Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to report that today its option partner Tocvan Ventures (CSE: TOC) has announced that it has initiated additional Phase III drilling at the Company's Pilar Gold & Silver Project in Sonora, Mexico. Tocvan is in year 3 of a 5-year agreement to earn an initial 51% of Colibri's Pilar Gold & Silver Project. For full details of Colibri's agreement with Tocvan please see the Company's news release dated September 24th, 2019 . Tocvan Reports: (June 22nd, 2022) As a continuation of Phase III, drilling will focus on priority exploration targets across the property. Targeting parallel trends and trend extensions will remain a focus as the Company looks to rapidly define the extent of mineralization at Pilar. Recent reconnaissance drilling in a 200-meter gap between the Main Zone and 4-T Trend was successful in defining a new parallel trend (JES-22-63 returned 54.9-meters at 0.3 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag from 6.1-meters depth). Another 200-meters to the east, surface exploration returned chip samples of 6.6 g/t Au and 433 g/t Ag defining an untested extension of the 4-T Trend, both of these targets will be tested during this stage of drilling. "We are excited for this next stage of drilling at Pilar, as we feel the potential to expand the known areas of mineralization is very significant," commented Brodie Sutherland, CEO. "All of these targets have compelling surface geochemistry that warrant further evaluation. Information collected here will be instrumental to the next steps of development as we look to utilize substantial funding to fully unlock the potential of Pilar." Figure 1. Map of Phase III Drill Holes with Next Stage of Drilling (Red). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/128604_ad7914bef41739b4_001full.jpg Next Stage Drill Targets 1)Follow-Up on NEW Discovery Trend JES-22-63 (RC) 54.9m at 0.3 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag, from 6.1m Including 13.7m at 0.6 g/t Au and 13 g/t Ag, from 6.1m Including 4.6m at 1.6 g/t Au and 29 g/t Ag, from 6.1m And 9.2m at 0.6 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag, from 42.7m Soil Sample 170-meter southeast on trend returned 340 ppb Au and 19 ppm Ag 2)4-T Extension Surface Chip sampling up to 6.6 g/t Au and 433 g/t Ag in silicified fault (See Plate 1.) Soil Sample 100-meter southeast on trend returned 1,090 ppb Au and 127 ppm Ag 3)4-T Expansion Untested, elevated surface sampling over 300-meter trend Plate 1. Photo of rock chip sample 7591, which returned 6.6 g/t Au and 433 g/t Ag as part of the 4-T Extension target. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/128604_colibri_image2.png Near-Term Catalysts at Pilar Ongoing Exploration and Expansion Drilling Ongoing Metallurgical Studies Advancing Towards: Maiden Resource Estimate Bulk Test Mine Determination Update on Metallurgical Studies Metallurgical analysis of select trench samples are still underway, the Company expects reports to be available soon. The Company's expectation is to have Pilar match other regional analogs that show a range of gold recovery between 67.6% (La Colorada, Argonaut Gold. 2022 Technical Report) and 75% (Santana, Minera Alamos. April 7, 2022 News Release). Continuous metallurgical work will be required to understand best methods to recover gold and silver across different domains on the project. About the Pilar Property The Pilar Gold-Silver property is interpreted as a structurally controlled low-sulphidation epithermal project hosted in andesite rocks. Three zones of mineralization have been identified in the north-west part of the property from historic surface work and drilling and are referred to as the Main Zone, North Hill and 4-Trench. Structural features and zones of mineralization within the structures follow an overall NW-SE trend of mineralization. Over 20,700 m of drilling have been completed to date. Significant results are highlighted below: 2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 39.7m @ 0.96 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14. g/t Au 47.7m @ 0.70 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag 29m @ 0.71g/t Au 35.1m @ 0.66 g/t Au 2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag; 41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ; 24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include: 61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au 16.5m @ 53.5g/t Au and 53 g/t Ag 13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au 9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag Quality Assurance / Quality Control RC chips and core samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was analyzed using 50-gram nominal weight fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Over limits for gold (>10 g/t), were analyzed using fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver and other elements were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol. Brodie A. Sutherland, P.Geo., CEO for Tocvan Ventures Corp. and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION: Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring and exploring prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company has six exploration projects of which five currently have exploration programs being executed in 2022. (1) The flagship Evelyn Gold Project is 100% owned and explored by Colibri, (2) the Pilar Gold & Silver Project (optioned to Tocvan Ventures- (CSE: TOC), (3) the El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project , (4) the Jackie Gold & Silver Project, and (5) the Diamante Gold & Silver Project. 3,4, and 5 are subject to earn-in agreements by Silver Spruce Resources - (TSXV: SSE). For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. For information contact: Ronald J. Goguen, President, Chairperson and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, rongoguen@colibriresource.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128604 Novakid, Europe's leading online English platform for children, has launched the second edition of the international Easy Breezy Summer Camp. This online programme of activities will take place from 13 June to 29 August 2022. Are you looking for the perfect combination of meaningful and fun activities for children during the summer holidays? Novakid, Europe's leading online English school, believes that entertaining and engaging pastimes allow children to explore the world in a fun way while still teaching them through play. To provide children with edutainment during the summer holidays and to give them a chance to make new friends from all over the globe, Novakid has launched the second edition of the international Easy Breezy Summer Camp. "This year's Easy Breezy Summer Camp offers the opportunity for children to learn more about the world together with their peers from all across the globe. The English language plays a crucial role as a tool for sharing and communicating ideas, thoughts and knowledge as well as getting to know each other. We believe the meaningful interactions between children is a step forward to a better future ahead. This summer, kids will immerse themselves in an entertaining online programme in a community of like-minded peers of the same age, practise their English, discover the world and spend their time productively during their vacations," explains Max Azarov, Novakid's CEO, when asked about the idea behind the Easy Breezy Summer Camp. During this 3-month immersive online programme, young learners between 4 and 15 years of age will participate in more than 70 educational activities, gamified English lessons, and entertaining workshops on crafts, cooking, acting, art, programming, lego and minecraft from Novakid's teachers and experts. "No knowledge is acquired well if there are no healthy morning routines. That's why we decided to include workouts and routines for children in our summer camp's programme. Daily morning workouts and online yoga for kids will help them improve focus, concentration and get energy for the whole day", adds Olesya Lieber, Head of brand development and special projects at Novakid and mother of two kids. Children will also have a chance to explore the world and engage in live-streamed field trips! They will virtually travel around the globe, visit farms in the USA, meet funny penguins in Cape Town and explore New York and Bangkok, experience incredible Rio de Janeiro, explore stunning New Zealand and get to know other amazing places. Live-streamed sessions will be complemented with self-paced learning activities. Language immersion via edutainment without leaving the house All of the activities, challenges and workshops in the Easy Breezy Summer Camp programme will be held in English, providing children with language immersion experiences from their homes. The content is developed primarily within the frames of the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach that allows children to learn English while getting to know other subjects. By focusing on the integration of English into the activities on interesting children's topics, it increases their motivation to learn the language. Through the Easy Breezy Summer Camp, children will have an opportunity to extend their vocabulary in a fun way and put their knowledge into practice with peers. Children will retain their language skills better when they continue to use them during the school holidays. These online sessions are the ideal way to let children have some fun in their school break without losing their hard-earned English language skills. Easy Breezy community: safe and secure space for meaningful interaction between children Children will have the opportunity to make friends from across the globe when they join the Easy Breezy Summer Camp. In a community-centred and safe environment, the children will be able to connect with their peers from different countries via a constantly moderated and secure chat. "The moderators will make sure the chat remains the friendliest online community on the planet and they are available 7 days a week if the children ever have questions," highlighted Olesya Lieber. This child-friendly ecosystem will help develop cross-cultural communication, explore the world with peers and make meaningful friendships. Find out more about Easy Breezy Summer Camp: https://www.camp.novakidschool.com/ About Novakid: Novakid is an online English school for children founded in 2017 in Silicon Valley (USA) by Max Azarov, Dmitry Malin and Amy Krolevetskaya. Over 2,000 experienced and qualified teachers conduct English lessons for children between the ages of 4 and 12 years old via this interactive online platform. In 2021, over 2.4 million lessons were taught to approximately 70,000 active students. Total customers on the Novakid platform exceed 500,000 users. The Novakid English as a Second Language (ESL) educational program complies with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and was developed with the individual interests and ages of the children in mind. Novakid uses gamification and virtual reality technologies in order to create an English-speaking environment and helps children all over the world to learn English in a fun and interesting way. The unique Novakid progress evaluation method (over 1,500 parameters, A/B testing, and other components of a data-driven approach) ensures great results and lets teachers adapt the program for the individual needs and interests of each child. Novakid has been recognised by a number of organizations across the world: According to J'son Partners Consulting (2021), the Novakid ESL platform is the leader in its segment in Europe. Novakid has been selected as the winner of the "Overall Language Learning Company of the Year" in the 2022 EdTech Breakthrough Awards. Tracxn has recognised Novakid as one of the leading tech startups of K-12 EdTech in the 2022 Emerging Startups of K-12 EdTech series. For the second year in a row, Novakid has been included in the annual GSV EdTech top 150 list of the leading private companies in the digital learning space. Novakid is included on the Forbes Top 500 list of America's Best Startup Employers. Novakid has been recognised as a finalist in the 2022 EdTech Digest Awards in the category of Best Language Learning Solution. Novakid was included in the EdTech Digest list of the Top 1000 companies transforming the EdTech industry. Novakid was selected as one of the top online learning platform in Germany by Focus Magazine after a survey on 194 service providers that was completed by 25,529 customers. (Password to access the link is FOC2022) In 2021, Novakid was listed among the Top 50 companies identified as emerging education technology companies by The Org. HolonIQ included Novakid in the 2021 list of the top 100 most promising startups from Europe. The Malaysian parenting community Jenama Pilihan Pa Ma selected Novakid as one of the top 100 parenting brands in Malaysia. Official website: https://www.novakidschool.com For media queries: hellopress@novakidschool.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005503/en/ Contacts: Margarita Maltseva E: mmaltseva@novakidschool.com T: +14844458779 SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodruff Sawyer, one of the largest independent insurance brokerages in the US, announced today the promotion of Roger Topp to Chief Growth Officer. Roger originally led Woodruff Sawyer's Business Development division for nearly four years after first joining the brokerage in 2018. Prior to his time at Woodruff Sawyer, Roger spent more than 15 years in enterprise sales leadership and sales roles across B2B Software and Insurtech, including Tangoe, Bugsnag, and Zenefits. He is also known for being an informative and engaging speaker on sales strategies. In his new role as Chief Growth Officer, Roger will lead Woodruff Sawyer's business development, marketing, producer recruiting, and sales operations strategy & execution across the enterprise. His deep understanding of developing and supporting salespeople for their long-term success, combined with his data-driven and analytical insights, make him an ideal fit for the role and the firm's continued focus on specialization, expert client service and advocacy. "Roger's expertise and leadership experience in building and supporting enterprise sales teams are integral to the continued execution and expansion of our growth strategy, notes Woodruff Sawyer's Chairman and CEO, Andy Barrengos. "He is passionate about our people and leveraging our specialization and expertise to help them provide the best advocacy and service for our clients." About Woodruff Sawyer Woodruff Sawyer is one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US, protecting the people and assets of more than 4,000 companies. We provide expert counsel and fierce advocacy to protect clients against their most critical risks in property and casualty, management liability, cyber liability, employee benefits, and personal wealth management. An active partner of Assurex Global and International Benefits Network, Woodruff Sawyer provides expertise and customized solutions where clients need it, with headquarters in San Francisco, offices throughout the US, and global reach on six continents. For more information, call 844.972.6326, or visit woodruffsawyer.com. Media Contact: press@woodruffsawyer.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844783/Roger_Topp_2022_1x1.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1010747/Woodruff_Sawyer.jpg BANGALORE, India, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bentonite Market is segmented By Type - Sodium Bentonite, Calcium Bentonite, By Application - Molding Sands, Iron Ore Pelletizing, Pet Litter, Drilling Mud, Civil Engineering, Agriculture, Others. Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Chemicals Industry Category. The Global Bentonite market size is estimated to be worth USD 1422.7 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 1640.3 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 2.4% during the review period. Major Factors Driving The Growth Of The Bentonite Market Are Increasing demand for bentonite in various applications such as Molding Sands, Iron Ore Pelletizing, Pet Litter, Drilling Mud, Civil Engineering, and Agriculture is expected to drive the bentonite market growth. Browse The Table of Contents And List of Figures At https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-38S2258/global-bentonite TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE BENTONITE MARKET The increasing use of bentonite in the construction industry is expected to drive the growth of the bentonite market. Because of its rheological properties, bentonite is most typically utilized in the construction sector in a fluidic condition, which is known as bentonite slurry. The term "bentonite slurry" refers to a mixture of sodium bentonite and slurry. A slurry is a thin, sloppy mud or cement, or, in long-term use, any fluid mixture of crushed solids and water, commonly employed to handle solids in bulk. Bentonite is used to create self-hardening mixtures that are then used to construct cut-off walls, grouting mortars, and grouting. Finally, the waterproofing qualities of bentonite are best used in environmental engineering to prevent soil infiltration and line landfill bases. The Bentonite market is likely to be driven by the increasing usage of bentonite in the iron ore pelletizing process. In the manufacturing of iron ore pellets, bentonite is utilized as a binding agent. Iron ore fines are transformed into spherical pellets in this process, which can be used as feed material in blast furnaces for pig iron production or direct reduction iron production (DRI). Because they are not poisonous or irritating, bentonites have long been employed as an excipient in the pharmaceutical sector. Because they cannot be absorbed by the human body, they have also been utilized in the development of topical and oral treatments. Bentonite is a viscosity modifier, adsorbent, stabilizer, thickening, and suspending agent. They're mostly used to make topical suspensions, gels, and solutions. This in turn is expected to drive the growth of the Bentonite market. Bentonite is used as an animal feed additive, a pelletizing aid in the manufacturing of animal feed pellets, and a flowability help for unconsolidated feed ingredients like soy meal. It's also employed as an ion exchanger in the soil to enhance and condition it. It can be utilized as a porous ceramic carrier for various herbicides and insecticides after being thermally processed. Furthermore, even though the industry has begun to employ alternative technologies and has replaced Bentonite with other goods, Bentonite is still used in the creation of molds for casting. Molding sands are made up of sand and clay, mainly Bentonite, which gives the mixture cohesiveness and plasticity. This makes it easier to mold the molten material once it has been poured and provides enough strength to keep the shape after the mold is withdrawn. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-38S2258/Global_Bentonite_Market BENTONITE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on application, construction and iron ore pelletizing are expected to be the most lucrative segment. Increased public spending in nations like Brazil, Argentina, India, China, and Malaysia is expected to bolster the building industry. Increased demand for high-grade iron ore has led to a rise in the use of the ore pelletizing process, which might help the bentonite market grow even faster. Based on region, Asia-pacific is expected to be the most lucrative region. Rising demand from the construction, metallurgy, and oil & gas industries is expected to increase product demand in the region. Inquire For Customization: https://reports.valuates.com/request/customisation/QYRE-Auto-38S2258/Global_Bentonite_Market Market By Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa Inquire For Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-38S2258/Global_Bentonite_Market Key players Amcol(US) Bentonite Performance Minerals LLC(US) Wyo-Ben Inc(US) Black Hills Bentonite(US) Tolsa Group ( Spain ) ) Imerys (S&B) ( France ) ) Clariant ( Switzerland ) ) Bentonite Company LLC ( Russia ) ) Laviosa Minerals SpA ( Italy ) ) LKAB Minerals ( Netherlands ) ) Ashapura ( India ) ) Star Bentonite Group ( India ) ) Kunimine Industries ( Japan ) ) Huawei Bentonite ( China ) ) Fenghong New Material ( China ) ) Chang'an Renheng ( China ) ) Liufangzi Bentonite ( China ) ) Bentonit Uniao ( Brazil ) ) Castiglioni Pes y Cia ( Argentina ) ) Canbensan ( Turkey ) ) Aydin Bentonit ( Turkey ) ) KarBen ( Turkey ) ) G & W Mineral Resources ( South Africa ) ) Ningcheng Tianyu ( China ) ) Elementis (UK) Inquire For Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-38S2258/Global_Bentonite_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-38S2258&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS The global Sulphur Bentonite market was valued at USD 161.1 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 277.7 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.1% during 2021-2027. was valued at in 2020 and it is expected to reach by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.1% during 2021-2027. The global Iron Ore Pellets market size is estimated to be worth USD 54480 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 67010 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.5% during the review period. size is estimated to be worth in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.5% during the review period. 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Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. Contact Us: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg State-of-the-art technology holds key to success Korea successfully launched a homegrown rocket Tuesday, opening a new space era. The Nuri blasted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, a coastal village in South Jeolla Province, and placed its payload of satellites into the target altitude of 700 kilometers above the Earth. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) confirmed Wednesday that the performance verification satellite of the Nuri, also known as Korean Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV II), was operating smoothly while communicating with its station in Daejeon. With the launch, Korea has become the world's seventh nation that can launch a locally-developed rocket to place a satellite weighing more than a ton into geosynchronous orbit, following the United States, Russia, France, China, Japan and India. While declaring the success of the launch, Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho said, "The skies over Korea have opened wide and the country has made a great progress in science and technology." We extend our congratulations to those involved in the monumental project for their strenuous efforts toward the development and successful launch of the Nuri. Korea relied on technical support from Russia in the launch of the Naro rocket in 2013. Yet this time, the nation used its own technology in the entire process of designing, manufacturing, testing and launching the Nuri rocket. Such a process required state-of-the-art technology for the superb and precise operation of some 370,000 parts and components. It was a result of vigorous efforts by more than 1,000 people and some 300 domestic enterprises over the past 12 years at a cost of 2 trillion won ($1.54 billion). Due to the limited access to the relevant technology, Korea has been suffering setbacks in its bid to develop its own space launch vehicle. By securing relevant technology, Korea has become able to jumpstart in many areas such as information and communications, and defense security as well as aerospace. This will also facilitate Korea's bid to proactively take part in diverse space exploration programs. Now, many countries and companies are engaged in a fierce competition in space exploration. They are rushing to hone space communications technologies and even operate "space troops" for military purposes. Many businesses have begun to turn their eyes on space tourism. This means the opening of a new space era led by the private sector, marking a shift from the space race which has so far been initiated by states. Korea faces diverse challenges in emerging as a space power. It needs to prove the safety of the Nuri through four more launches until 2027. Korea should learn a lesson from the SpaceX of the United States which developed the knowhow to reuse space vehicles. Korea also should sharpen its prowess in manufacturing and operating satellites. The government should devise detailed action plans to drive the nation to become a space powerhouse in the real sense. In this vein, it is good news that President Yoon Suk-yeol, while acclaiming the successful launch, vowed to keep his pledge to set up a space agency. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. 22 June 2022 Rightmove plc Share buy-back programme Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares Rightmove plc ('Rightmove') announces that today it purchased 155,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 548.693p. The highest price paid per share was 560.800p and the lowest price paid per share was 541.200p. Rightmove purchased these shares through UBS AG London Branch. The number of shares purchased represented 0.0185% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled. Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 468,709,229 ordinary shares. The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 837,877,677. Rightmove holds 12,467,174 shares in treasury. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by UBS AG London Branch on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme. Contact Michelle Palmer, Assistant Company Secretary CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 22 June 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 222,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 754.94p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 4,168,772; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 220,822,531. The figure of 220,822,531 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Robotic integrators on opposite sides of the world team up to solve missile manufacturing challenges Aerobotix and Automated Solutions Australia (ASA) today officially announced a robotic automation international partnership between the two companies for the development, testing and manufacturing of hypersonic missiles. The partnership follows the 2021 signing of the AUKUS security pact between the U.S., U.K. and Australian Governments, which includes provisions for the allies to work together on hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities. The Aerobotix-ASA collaboration will enable the Australian defense sector and Australian defense contractors to more easily access both companies' expertise in automation. The two companies became acquainted through their mutual capabilities in the robotic coating automation industry and are now working together to pursue projects for which a sovereign presence is required. "We'll work with the U.S. State Department for approval of any technology transfer for ASA," said Josh Tuttle, Aerobotix Business Development Manager. "We'll also help ASA in other ways. For example, we can save them years of costly development work by sharing how to robotically spray FIREX RX-2390 Thermal Protection System coatings for missile manufacturing." Aerobotix and ASA are both turn-key robotic integration companies with specialized capabilities in the precise application of paints and performance coatings. Aerobotix has accumulated invaluable experience in the use of robotics to scan, sand, measure and paint hypersonic missiles on multiple successful missile programs. ASA's relationship with FANUC has resulted in the installation of more than 100 FANUC painting robots in Australia. Now, with the backing of Aerobotix, ASA has the expertise and technical capability to overcome the most difficult automation challenges in precision coating applications. "Aerobotix has already deployed several production robotic systems for hypersonics," said Nathan Jones, ASA General Manager. "They're even making critical test parts for programs that haven't had time to build production facilities. Their willingness to support our company, and Australia, is going to significantly reduce costs, schedule delays and program risk." With 20 years of robotic coating automation experience in Australia, ASA is uniquely positioned to provide sovereign capability and assist in the rapid development of hypersonic capability on Australian shores. About Aerobotix Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, Aerobotix is an innovative leader in advanced metrology and robotic solutions for the aerospace and defense industries. The company specializes in the creation of cutting-edge automated robotic and measuring solutions for high-value, high-precision components, aircraft and vehicles. Aerobotix has more than 130 robotic systems installed in the U.S. and abroad, providing exceptional results and savings for our clients. About Automated Solutions Australia (ASA) Automated Solutions Australia (ASA) enables our clients to compete on the world stage by bringing world class, flexible robotic automation to Australian shores. Celebrating its 20th year in operation, ASA's team of highly skilled engineers is solving our clients' needs on a daily basis, delivering tomorrow's solutions, today. We provide innovative and novel automation solutions using Fanuc Industrial Robots in the Australian Defence, Aerospace, Automotive, Pharmaceutical and Manufacturing industries. With offices in Adelaide and Melbourne, ASA is committed to seeing our clients' success all across the country and beyond. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005917/en/ Contacts: Dave Foster Dalton Agency 615-515-4899 dfoster@daltonagency.com VIA optronics AG (NYSE: VIAO) ("VIA" or the "Company"), a leading supplier of interactive display systems and solutions, today announced that it will report financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2021, and first quarter ended March 31, 2022, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, before the market opens. In conjunction with this report, the Company will host a conference call at 2:30 p.m. Central European Time 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on June 29, 2022, to review its performance and share the business outlook. The live webcast of the call, along with the Company's earnings press release, can be accessed through the VIA Investor Relations website at https://investors.via-optronics.com. The dial-in numbers for the call are 1-646-664-1960 (USA), 020-3936-2999 (United Kingdom), or 032-22109-8334 (Germany). The access code for the call is 776026. Please ask to be connected to the VIA Optronics AG call when prompted by the operator. Following the conference call, an archived version of the webcast will also be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website shortly after the live call ends. To listen to the telephone replay, callers should dial 1-845-709-8569 (USA), 020-3936-3001 (United Kingdom), or 44-203-936-3001 (Other). The access code is 742116. The replay will be available for two weeks following the call date. About VIA VIA is a leading provider of interactive display solutions for multiple end markets in which superior functionality or durability is a critical differentiating factor. Its customizable technology is well-suited for high-end markets with unique specifications and demanding environments that pose technical and optical challenges for displays, such as bright ambient light, vibration and shock, extreme temperatures, and condensation. VIA's interactive display systems combine system design, interactive displays, software functionality, cameras, and other hardware components. VIA's intellectual property portfolio, process know-how, optical bonding, metal mesh touch sensor and camera module technologies provide enhanced display solutions built to meet the specific needs of its customers. Further information on the Company can be found in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the "Annual Report"), which the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You can access a PDF version of the Annual Report at VIA's Investor Relations website, https://investors.via-optronics.com/investors/financials-and-filings/sec-filings/default.aspx. A hard copy of the audited consolidated financial statements can also be requested free of charge by contacting the investor relations team via the information provided below. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005871/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations for VIA optronics Alpha IR Group Lisa Fortuna or Samuel Cohen +1-312-445-2870 VIAO@alpha-ir.com Media Alexandra Muller-Plotz AMueller-Ploetz@via-optronics.com +49-911-597 575-302 Everest Reinsurance, the reinsurance division of Everest Re Group, Ltd. (NYSE: RE) today announced Brent Hoffman will join the company as Senior Vice President, Head of Claims and Chief Operations Officer at the end of July. He will report directly to Jim Williamson, Everest Group Chief Operating Officer and Head of Reinsurance. Hoffman will have dual responsibility for overseeing key aspects of business operations and leading the global Reinsurance Claims function. His deep technical expertise will help to drive operational efficiencies and best practices consistently across the organization. "We are delighted to welcome Brent to Everest. His diverse background is a unique combination of legal and business acumen, which coupled with his outstanding leadership skills, make him an ideal fit for this role," said Jim Williamson, Group COO and Everest Head of Reinsurance. "I look forward to partnering with him to advance our strategic objectives." Hoffman comes to Everest with more than 25 years of industry and legal experience and a proven track record for managing high-performing teams. Most recently, he was AXA XL's Chief Claims Officer, responsible for leading its global claims strategy and operations to support claims excellence across multiple business lines and geographies. Prior to joining AXA XL, Hoffman held several leadership positions at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., where he led teams responsible for claims, litigation, and settlement strategies. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Gettysburg College and a Juris Doctor from The Dickinson School of Law. Hoffman currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the RAND Institute for Civil Justice and the Board of Trustees for the Boys Girls Clubs of Hartford. About Everest Re Group, Ltd. Everest Re Group, Ltd. ("Everest") is a leading global provider of reinsurance and insurance, operating for close to 50 years through subsidiaries in the U.S., Europe, Singapore, Canada, Bermuda and other territories. Everest offers property, casualty, and specialty products through its various operating affiliates located in key markets around the world. Everest common stock (NYSE: RE) is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information about Everest, our people, and our products can be found on our website at www.everestre.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005957/en/ Contacts: Media: Dawn Lauer Chief Communications Officer Everest Global Services, Inc. 908.300.7670 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Two ex-Tesla employees filed a lawsuit on Sunday, claiming that the electric carmaker violated the federal laws by laying off many employees on short notice. On June 2, Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent an internal email to executives saying he had a 'super bad feeling' about the economy and saying the company had to terminate about 10 percent of its workforce, as per Reuters. Over the next few days, two workers at Tesla's Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada, say they were terminated, as per court documents. One of them John Lynch said he was notified of his immediate dismissal on June 10, while Daxton Hartsfield said he was informed on June 15 and terminated on the same day. Lynch and Hartsfield, who filed the lawsuit, said at least 500 of their co-workers at the Nevada plant lost their jobs at around the same time, the document said. As per court documents, the plaintiffs stated Tesla's actions violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers to notify workers at least 60 calendar days in advance before shutting down a plant or laying off 50 or more workers at the same site. 'Tesla has simply notified the employees that their terminations would be effective immediately. Tesla has also failed to provide a statement of the basis for reducing the notification period to zero days advance notice,' the court document said. Lynch and Hartsfield are looking to claim 60 days' worth of pay and benefits. They are also seeking class action status for the lawsuit for those who were terminated in May and June without sufficient notice. According to Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston-based lawyer representing the workers, 'We have filed a national class action challenging Tesla's illegal layoff without notice to workers. We will pursue the additional pay owed to employees through this class action, or individually if necessary.' Musk attempted to trivialize the suit on Tuesday, saying that it had 'no standing.' 'That is a small lawsuit that has no consequence,' Musk said in a live video interview at the Qatar Economic Forum. There are about 100,000 Tusk employees globally at the end of 2021, according to a SEC filing. Others who claim to be former Tesla workers also have spoken up about being laid off on soon after Musk's internal email about firing 10% of Tesla's workforce. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX TESLA-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - 1344343 B.C. Ltd. ("134 BC") and Butler Corporation SPA d/b/a CleanLight ("CleanLight") are pleased to announce that they have entered into a binding letter agreement (the "Agreement") which sets forth, in general terms, the terms and conditions upon which 134 BC and CleanLight will combine their business operations resulting in a reverse takeover (the "RTO") of 134 BC by CleanLight and its shareholders. The Agreement contemplates that 134 BC and CleanLight will enter into a business combination by way of an arrangement, amalgamation, share exchange or other similar structure (the "Transaction"), which will result in CleanLight becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of 134 BC or otherwise combining its corporate existence with that of 134 BC. The final structure of the Transaction is subject to receipt by the parties of tax, corporate, and securities law advice and will be set forth in definitive transaction documents expected to be executed in the short term. The issuer resulting from the Transaction (the "Resulting Issuer") will carry on the current business of CleanLight. Prior to the completion of the Transaction the parties intend to complete a private placement of equity of CleanLight (the "Concurrent Financing") and to apply to list the common shares of the Resulting Issuer on the NEO Exchange (the "NEO"). When a definitive agreement between 134 BC and CleanLight is executed, 134 BC and CleanLight will issue a subsequent press release containing the details of the definitive agreement and additional terms of the Transaction. Completion of the Transaction will be subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, completion of the Concurrent Financing, receipt of all required shareholder, regulatory, and other approvals and approval of the NEO. There can be no assurance that the Transaction or the Concurrent Financing will be completed as proposed or at all. Previously, 134 BC had entered into a binding letter agreement dated June 10, 2022 (the "Original Letter Agreement") with Butler Acquisition Corp. ("Butler Acquisition"). While the parties had originally intended that Butler Acquisition would acquire all of the securities of CleanLight prior to 134 BC acquiring Butler Acquisition, the parties have agreed to terminate the Original Letter Agreement and replace it with the Agreement to simplify the transaction structure. About 134 BC 134 BC is a British Columbia corporation that is a reporting issuer under the securities laws of British Columbia. 134 BC has no material assets and does not conduct any operations or active business, other than the identification and evaluation of acquisition opportunities to permit the company to acquire a business or assets in order to conduct commercial operations. About CleanLight CleanLight is a B2B and B2C affordable and innovative solar solution for homes and businesses with its principal head office located in the Republic of Chile. To date, CleanLight has generated over USD $8.5 million dollars in consumer sales through its loyal customer base. CleanLight's solar solution has the capacity to harness substantially more energy than the industry standard through their patented gel batteries that are considered to be more reliable and durable than their competitors. CleanLight's industry grade solar technology is also heavily expanding into the mining sector, with several companies across North America such as Teck, Lundin Mining, Barrick Gold, and Kinross who have chosen to utilize its solar solution for their commercial operations. CleanLight intends to unleash its proprietary consumer product in 2023, Solbox Technologies ("Solbox"), to revolutionize solar generator technology directly to consumers. The Solbox generators will combine with a consumer's home power supply to act as a more efficient source of renewable energy for everyday use. Further Information All information contained in this news release with respect to 134 BC and CleanLight was supplied by the respective party, for inclusion herein, without independent review by the other party, and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. For further information, please contact: 1344343 B.C. Ltd. Binyomin Posen, Director Phone: 416.481.2222 Email: bposen@plazacapital.ca Butler Corporation SPA Jordan Butler, President Forward-Looking Information Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to: the terms and conditions of the Transaction, the business and operations of CleanLight and the Resulting Issuer; the completion and terms of the Concurrent Financing, and the listing of the common shares of the Resulting Issuer on the NEO. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, 134 BC and CleanLight have made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions of CleanLight and the market in which it operates. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Although management of 134 BC and CleanLight believe that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward- looking statements or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks relating to the Concurrent Financing; risks relating to the negotiation of a definitive agreement and receipt of all requisite approvals for the Transaction and/or other ancillary transactions, including the approval of CleanLight and 134 BC shareholders, and of the NEO; risks related to the Concurrent Financing; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. 134 BC and CleanLight assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128662 TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) announced its May 2022 revenues and sales volumes by business unit. Potash (1) May 2022 May 2021 Sales volumes in thousands of tonnes (2) 744 891 Revenues in millions $539 $246 Phosphates (1) May 2022 May 2021 Sales volumes in thousands of tonnes (2) 462 553 Revenues in millions $502 $327 Mosaic Fertilizantes (1) May 2022 2021 Sales volumes in thousands of tonnes (2) 782 790 Revenues in millions $786 $336 (1) The revenues and tonnes presented are sales as recognized in the period and do not reflect current market conditions due to the lag between pricing and revenue recognition. (2) Tonnes = finished product tonnes A compressed North American planting season and ongoing rail delays are impacting sales volumes. We now expect potash sales volumes of 2.3-2.5 million tonnes and phosphates sales volumes of 1.6-1.8 million tonnes in the second quarter. For pricing, we expect realized MOP prices on an FOB basis in the second quarter to be $100-$120 per tonne higher than prices realized in the first quarter. In Phosphates, we expect second quarter realized DAP prices on an FOB basis to be $130-$150 per tonne higher than prices realized in the first quarter. About The Mosaic Company The Mosaic Company is one of the world's leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Mosaic is a single source provider of phosphates and potash fertilizers and feed ingredients for the global agriculture industry. More information on the company is available at www.mosaicco.com. The Mosaic Company Contacts Investors: Media: Paul Massoud, 813-775-4260 Bill Barksdale, 813-775-4208 paul.massoud@mosaicco.com william.barksdale@mosaicco.com This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about proposed or pending future transactions or strategic plans and other statements about future financial and operating results. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of The Mosaic Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the economic impact and operating impacts of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, political and economic instability and changes in government policies in Brazil and other countries in which we have operations; the predictability and volatility of, and customer expectations about, agriculture, fertilizer, raw material, energy and transportation markets that are subject to competitive and other pressures and economic and credit market conditions; the level of inventories in the distribution channels for crop nutrients; the effect of future product innovations or development of new technologies on demand for our products; changes in foreign currency and exchange rates; international trade risks and other risks associated with Mosaic's international operations and those of joint ventures in which Mosaic participates, including the performance of the Wa'ad Al Shamal Phosphate Company (also known as MWSPC), the future success of current plans for MWSPC and any future changes in those plans; difficulties with realization of the benefits of our long term natural gas based pricing ammonia supply agreement with CF Industries, Inc., including the risk that the cost savings initially anticipated from the agreement may not be fully realized over its term or that the price of natural gas or ammonia during the term are at levels at which the pricing is disadvantageous to Mosaic; customer defaults; the effects of Mosaic's decisions to exit business operations or locations; changes in government policy; changes in environmental and other governmental regulation, including expansion of the types and extent of water resources regulated under federal law, carbon taxes or other greenhouse gas regulation, implementation of numeric water quality standards for the discharge of nutrients into Florida waterways or efforts to reduce the flow of excess nutrients into the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf of Mexico or elsewhere; further developments in judicial or administrative proceedings, or complaints that Mosaic's operations are adversely impacting nearby farms, business operations or properties; difficulties or delays in receiving, increased costs of or challenges to necessary governmental permits or approvals or increased financial assurance requirements; resolution of global tax audit activity; the effectiveness of Mosaic's processes for managing its strategic priorities; adverse weather conditions affecting operations in Central Florida, the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf Coast of the United States, Canada or Brazil, and including potential hurricanes, excess heat, cold, snow, rainfall or drought; actual costs of various items differing from management's current estimates, including, among others, asset retirement, environmental remediation, reclamation or other environmental regulation, Canadian resources taxes and royalties, or the costs of the MWSPC; reduction of Mosaic's available cash and liquidity, and increased leverage, due to its use of cash and/or available debt capacity to fund financial assurance requirements and strategic investments; brine inflows at Mosaic's potash mines; other accidents and disruptions involving Mosaic's operations, including potential mine fires, floods, explosions, seismic events, sinkholes or releases of hazardous or volatile chemicals; and risks associated with cyber security, including reputational loss; as well as other risks and uncertainties reported from time to time in The Mosaic Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. SOURCE: The Mosaic Company View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/706241/Mosaic-Announces-May-2022-Revenues-and-Sales-Volumes Fido, an Africa-focused fintech startup, raised $30M in Series A funding. The round was led by Fortissimo Capital with participation from Yard Ventures. The company, which has raised $38 million thus far, intends to use the funds to launch new financial products in Ghana, grow its customer base throughout Africa, and establish a tech center in Accra to train engineers for higher levels of software development. Led by Alon Eitan, CEO, Fido is a fintech company whose mission is to make essential financial services available to the unbanked. The company has built a credit risk platform that makes instant credit decisions without requiring the customers credit history. Its autonomous banking platform and unique machine learning-risk models, make instant credit decisions even for customers with no financial track record, while helping reduce operational costs. The autonomous banking system uses mission-critical, real-time machine learning models for risk scoring and fraud detection, based on non-financial data, to approve or reject a loan in real-time, and simultaneously deliver market-leading default rates. Later this year, the company plans to launch savings and payment products in some of its markets. To support the launch of its new financial products, Fido will expand the tech team in Tel Aviv and open a tech hub in Accra to attract and develop local talent. The company is led by a seasoned team of creative entrepreneurs and AI veterans, that include CEO Alon Eitan, CTO Guy Shaked, and CCO Kelvin Abdallah, who joined co-founder Nadav Topolski in mid-2021 to triple revenues over the past year. The company has grown to a team of 60 that includes data scientists, engineers, and financiers, while already having underwritten 1.5 million loans to more than 340,000 customers at a value of over $150 million. FinSMEs 22/06/2022 By John J. Metzler Is China drawing yet another provocative red line, this time in the narrow but strategic Taiwan Strait? The Beijing regime recently claimed that the Taiwan Strait, the defensive body of water buffering the island democracy from Mainland China, is actually sovereign Chinese territory. Recently the People's Republic of China's Foreign Ministry stated the country, "has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait," asserting it's "a false claim when certain countries call the Taiwan Strait 'international waters.'" The U.S. State Department immediately retorted, "The Taiwan Strait is an international waterway," where "high-seas freedom, including freedom of navigation and overflight, are guaranteed under international law." U.S. Navy ships regularly transit through the 110-mile channel to underscore the right of freedom of navigation. Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang stated clearly that the strait was by "no means China's inland sea." Speaking separately, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Joanne Ou, reiterated that the Taipei government considers the Taiwan Strait to be international waters, except for the 12-nautical-mile strip defined as territorial waters. Quoted in the English local daily, Taipei Times, she accused Beijing of "distorting international law" in ignoring Taipei's 12-nautical-mile sovereignty claim in the Taiwan Strait. By downgrading the strait to its own exclusive economic zone (EEZ), she said that China "revealed its ambition to annex Taiwan." Beijing claims that the Taiwan Strait falls within China's territorial waters and EEZ as defined by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and domestic law. "China enjoys sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait," asserted the PRC's Foreign Ministry. Under the Law of the Sea treaty, states can claim waters within 12 miles of their coastline as under their full sovereignty; they can equally claim waters within 200 nautical miles off their coastline as an exclusive economic zone. Given that most of the Taiwan Strait is less than 200 nautical miles wide, there are thus overlapping EEZ claims by both mainland China and Taiwan. The waterway is 80 miles at its narrowest. Not letting the facts or geography get in the way of reality, Beijing is following the Putin playbook solemnly declaring selective "historical facts" and "legal precedents" based on geographic proximity to construct a legal framework for its control. From these moves stems China's Communist Party policy of attempting to harass and intimidate Taiwan's 23 million citizens. Yet the tactic may trigger the exact opposite effect as ethnic Chinese on Taiwan feel less and less beholden to Beijing's imperious diktat. In November 2013, the PRC declared an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea. The legitimacy and legality of this ADIZ is being questioned by many states. China equally claims the vast South China Sea and its scores of uninhabited islands as "China's historic territory." As recently as 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague clearly rejected China's claims to huge swaths of the strategically important waters, where among other things, China has been building artificial islands and occupying sovereign Philippine territory. Beijing's South China Sea claims evoke Benito Mussolini's assertion that since the Mediterranean Sea was under ancient Roman control it could thus be regarded as fascist Italy's Our Sea or "Mare Nostrum." China has never renounced the use of force to return what it claims to be a renegade province into its control. The provocative practice of PRC military jet flights probing Taiwan's airspace is no different from Putin's probing of Ukraine's territory prior to the February invasion. Significantly, the lessons of Russia's attack on Ukraine pose a stark and sober reminder to Beijing that any planned cross-strait invasion is complicated and high-risk. To the backdrop of growing political tensions between China and the U.S., Japan and Australia in particular, Beijing has been massively upgrading its military potential. China's has inaugurated its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, not so coincidentally named after the China's coastal province bordering Taiwan. Though the new Chinese-designed and built ship will take years to become fully operational, it signals a sea change in Beijing's more assertive ocean strategy. To underscore the severity of the situation, in recent discussions between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Wei Feng-he warned, "If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost." It's imperative that the U.S. seriously upgrade defensive arms sales to democratic Taiwan. Despite the lesson of Ukraine, there's a significant risk that China will take this military gamble in the coming years. John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China." MetaCompliance has offices in London, Dublin, Porto, Atlanta, Birmingham and a support and development centre in Derry/Londonderry MetaCompliance, a London, CA-based provider of a security awareness and compliance training platform, acquired Moch, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based cyber security and compliance provider. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. The acquisition underpins MetaCompliances ongoing growth in its core European market. The investment will also enable the company to provide additional support to its European customers by helping them to train staff to be more vigilant in the cyber security threat landscape. Founded in 1999 and led by Morten rsted and Christian Ravn, Moch is an EdTech company developing and selling SaaS compliance solutions to private and public companies. Moch offers its own developed platform, which is ISAE3000 certified and independent of third-party rights (IPR). The platform enables the sale of standardised subscription-based solutions within compliance-related disciplines such as Data Protection, Cyber and Information Security, and Competition Law. Its technology and training content are used by public and private sector organisations to increase staff vigilance of cyber security threats and demonstrate regulatory compliance. Led by CEO Robert OBrien, MetaCompliace is a cyber security and compliance specialist dedicated to helping organizations keep their staff safe online, secure their digital assets, and protect their corporate reputation since 2005. The company has offices in London, Dublin, Porto, Atlanta, Birmingham, and a support and development centre in Derry/Londonderry. FinSMEs 22/06/2022 &Open, an Irish startup that provides a platform to deliver gifts at scale for companies, raised $26m in Series A funding. The round, which brought the total capital raised to $33.2m, was led by Molten Ventures, with participation from First Round Capital, LocalGlobe, Tribal VC, as well as new investor Middlegame Ventures, The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach. Founded in 2017 by Jonathan Legge, Mark Legge and Ciara Flood, &Open is a SaaS gifting platform that helps companies to send meaningful gifts at scale. From the curation of thoughtful gifts to sending, the company helps build loyalty between brands, their customers, and their employees. The community of vendors include FLOWERBX, Flamingo Estate, MasterClass, Momofuku, and more. The platform can be integrated with companies existing processes and workflows, enabling businesses to have gifts delivered to customers, clients, prospects, and employees around the globe. The company, which serves brands such as Airbnb, Peloton, Spotify, Hopin, Intercom, Wayflyer, and Better-Up, has already grown its team to 90+ with employees across Ireland, the U.K, and the U.S., and plans to open an office in New York City in the next year. FinSMEs 22/06/2022 Parallelz, a Toronto, CA-based provider of a software platform that instantly transforms native mobile apps into native web apps, raised $3M in Pre-Seed funding. Backers included Ed Baker, Ryan Hoover, Andre Charoo, Global Founders Capital, Play Ventures, Garage Capital, Two Small Fish Ventures, Jonathan Lai, Jude Gomila, Kyu Lee, and Farhan Thawar. The company intend sto use the funds to grow its team and accelerate platform development. Led by Founder and CEO Albert Lai, Parallelz is building a new platform and software architecture that instantly transforms native mobile apps into native web apps, with zero compromise in visual quality or user experience. The solution enables developers to distribute their applications across multiple digital and social channels, independently from app stores. The company plans to make its platform available in limited release later this year. FinSMEs 22/06/2022 Bentley Motors Korea CEO Warren Clarke gives a briefing on the Korean market at the newly opened Bentley Tower in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyun-bin The states nurse licensing board reprimanded a Philomath nurse June 15 after he arbitrarily wrote names in medical documents. Jeremiah Moore intentionally wrote incorrect names on medical documentation when he didnt know X-ray technicians last names where he worked as a circulating operating room nurse, according to the Oregon State Board of Nursing. Falsifying data violates state licensure law. The board learned about the inaccurate medical documentation in November. Moore expressed remorse for his actions and completed continuing education courses in accurate documentation and in ethics and professionalism, according to a disciplinary order filed by the board. He cooperated with the board which formally reprimanded his license. The state granted Moore a registered nurse license in 2017 and could, according to the order, revoke that license if violated again. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Names of the companies that participated in the Nuri space rocket project are written on the locally-developed space vehicle at Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, in this file photo. Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy Industries By Park Jae-hyuk The successful launch on Tuesday of the Nuri rocket, also known as Korean Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II), was the result of efforts by more than 300 private enterprises that took part in the 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) government project, according to industry officials, Wednesday. Contributing to the design, manufacture, testing and launch of the locally-developed space vehicle, the companies enabled Korea to become the seventh country in the world to put a satellite into orbit with its own rocket, accelerating the transition to the era of the space industry led by the private sector. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which has participated in the Nuri project since 2014, supervised the assembly of components supplied by the some 300 companies. It also manufactured the first-stage stage fuel tank and oxidizer tanks. After a failed launch last October, the aerospace company structurally reinforced the rocket. "We plan to lead another space project which will begin this year to enhance Korean space launch vehicles," a KAI official said. Roberto Rempel, president and CEO of GM Korea, introduces GMC's Sierra Denali truck during GM Korea's Brand Day event at the Paradise City Hotel & Resort in Incheon, Wednesday. Courtesy of GM Korea By Baek Byung-yeul GM Korea shared its vision for the era of electric vehicles (EVs) and GMC, its premium truck and SUV brand will roll out the Sierra Denali full-size pickup within this year, according to the chief of its Korean unit, Wednesday. "Today is the day that GM provides options for new lifestyles to domestic consumers," Roberto Rempel, president and CEO of GM Korea, said during a brand launching event held at the Paradise City Hotel & Resort in Incheon, west of Seoul. GMC's Sierra Denali pickup truck, center, Cadillac's Escalade, left, and Chevrolet's Tahoe are displayed during GM Korea's Brand Day event at the Paradise City Hotel & Resort in Incheon, Wednesday. Courtesy of GM Korea Workers pose for a picture before the first shipment of renewable benzene leaves Ulsan harbor in Korea for Shanghai, June 14. Courtesy of SK Geo Centric By Kim Jae-heun SK Geo Centric, Neste and Covestro are cooperating to enable the production of a major polyurethane raw material based on renewable raw materials via mass balance. The cooperation will see Neste provide SK Geo Centric with renewable Neste RE, an ISCC-certified feedstock for polymers and chemicals made from 100 percent renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oils and fats. SK Geo Centric will process this feedstock into benzene at the company's facilities in Korea and supply it to Covestro to use as a raw material for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) at its site in Shanghai. MDI is a key raw material for the manufacture of rigid polyurethane foam, which is a well-proven insulating material for buildings and used in cold-chain storage helping to save CO2 emissions and reduce energy consumption during its product life. The cooperation marks the start of possible future collaborations between the three companies, aiming at replacing fossil feedstocks with more sustainable ones in the production of polymers and chemicals in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. "We are delighted to ship and export our first renewable benzene produced with 100 percent renewable Neste RE feedstock," said Choi Woo-hyuk, vice president of SK Geo Centric's Aromatic Business Unit. "SK Geo Centric will actively work with Covestro and Neste as we mark the first collaboration of this kind in the Asia-Pacific region. We remain committed to expanding this cooperation." "With renewable solutions available, we are now entering the phase of scaling up their usage in the chemical industry," Neste Executive Vice President Mercedes Alonso said. "This will be crucial in replacing the vast amounts of fossil resources the industry is currently depending on. To make this ramp-up a success, we'll need to establish collaborations along the value chain and this one between three sustainability-minded partners is a prime example of how the industry can do just that." SK Geo Centric laid the foundation for the development of the petrochemical industry by operating the first naphtha-cracking facility in Korea in 1972. The company provides various automotive and packaging products as well as solutions that customers and markets require. United States, Rockville MD, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a recent report by market research and competitive intelligence provider Fact.MR, the sales of global demagnetizers market is valued at US$ 673.2 million, with predictions that it will expand at 5.2% CAGR between 2022 and 3032. Demagnetizers are devices that are used to add or remove a magnetic field of a magnets, which are further used in various tools. In other words, a demagnetizer is a tool that is designed to feature or eliminate a magnetic discipline to a device, which is likewise called a degausser. A demagnetizer keeps screws attached to the screwdriver by adding a magnetic field to it, in addition to sticks, metallic screws, and different fasteners. For Critical Insights on Demagnetizers Market, Request a Sample Report https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=7483 Demagnetization is used in a variety of application areas such manufacturing processes that produce residue that can accumulate in various machinery parts. For example, in fire pollutants such as particle flakes generated during the manufacture of metal parts. It is also used to avoid shaft voltage or shaft current induced by residual magnetism in pumps, compressors, turbines, electrical machinery, etc. Demagnetizers, which have become an essential product for demagnetizing in several industries such as consumers electronics, scientific research, and other industries, are expected to gain traction in the market and push sales beyond the US$ 1.12 billion mark by the end of 2032. How is the Global Demagnetizers Predicted to Evolve? European Demagnetizers Market Growing Rapidly on Back of Huge Automotive Sector The European demagnetizers market holds 23.6% of the global market share in 2022. The automobile industry is crucial to Europes GDP contribution. Europe is one of the largest automakers in the world and this sector is the largest private investor in research & development. In addition to a high degree of demagnetization, the automotive industry also requires high productivity, a high level of reliability, system flexibility for changing and reusing various components, and minimal maintenance. Demagnetizers are used in the automotive industry in injector components, piston rings, synchronous components, and many other components. Due to its huge automotive industry, sales of demagnetizers are expected to surge in the European region. To learn more about Demagnetizers Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=7483 Key Segments Covered in the Demagnetizers Industry Survey Demagnetizers Market by Type : Benchtop Demagnetizers Portable Demagnetizers Pen Type Hand-Held Demagnetizers Market by Technology : Coils Capacitive Discharge Permanent Magnets Demagnetizers Market by End-use Industry : Automotive Consumer Electronics Scientific Research Industrial Manufacturing Others Competitive Landscape The global demagnetizers market is highly competitive and fragmented because of the presence of numerous regional and global players. Marketing strategies such as redevelopment of products, service-providing technology, and collaborations are being adopted by key players in the market. Along with this, new product development is also adopted as a strategic approach by companies to expand their presence in the market and garner a wider consumer base. For instance: Bussi Demagnetizing Systems Company has specialized in the design and construction of electronic impulse and demagnetizers. The company has patented technology and unmatched experience in the sector. Kanetec USA has been at the forefront of magnetic tools and equipment since 1959. Kinetic is established for fabricating higher quality and accuracy equipment. Get Customization on Demagnetizers Market Report for Specific Research Solutions https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=7483 Key players in the Demagnetizers Market Bussi Demagnetizing Systems Walmag Kanetec USA EWM AG Monroe Afag Magnetool Inc Industrial Magnetics Inc. Key Takeaways from Demagnetizers Market Study Portable demagnetizers are likely to capture a market share of 63.7% by the end of 2032. Demand for hand-held demagnetizers is likely to increase at a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period of 20222032. Capacitive discharge technology is likely to grow 1.9X over the decade. The consumer electronics end-use industry is expected to reach a market valuation of around US$ 555.1 million by 2032. Based on region, demand for demagnetizer is expected to increase at a CAGR of 6.3% in East Asia. Fact.MRs Domain Knowledge in Industrial Goods Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned industrial goods team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence needs. With a repertoire of over thousand reports and 1 Billion-plus data points, the team has analysed the industrial goods across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services. Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Industrial Goods Domain- Resilient Flooring Market- The global resilient flooring market is poised to grow at nearly 5.6% CAGR, in terms of value until 2026, surpassing US$ 10 Bn by the end of the short-term forecast period. As of 2020, the market was valued at US$ 7.2 Bn, up from US$ 6.1 Bn in 2017. Fire Suppression Systems Market- The market for fire suppression systems was valued at nearly US$ 17 Bn as of 2021, and is expected to surge Y-o-Y at a rate of 5.8% in 2022, reaching US$ 18 Bn. By the end of the forecast period 2022-2032, the market is likely to have grown 1.6x in value terms to reach US$ 30 Bn. Construction Equipment Market- The global construction equipment market was valued at US$ 113 Bn in 2021, and is expected to increase at a steady CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. As per this growth rate, this industry can be projected to reach a market size of worth US$ 174 Bn by 2032. Machine Tools Market- The global market for machine tools is estimated to witness slow growth over the next couple of years attributed to COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a swift and severe impact on the global machine tools market with significant disruption in imports from China. Ammunition Market- The global ammunition market was valued at US$ 19.2 Billion in 2021, and is projected to register a Y-o-Y increase of 4.16% in 2022 to be valued at US$ 20 Billion. Waterjet Cutting Machine Market- A new forecast by Fact.MR estimates that waterjet cutting machine revenues will expand nearly 1.6x between 2021 and 2031, surpassing US$ 1.5 Bn in 2031 with a 10 year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5%. Personal Protective Equipment Market- As of 2021, sales of personal protective equipment were valued at US$ 51.5 Billion, and are expected to surge at a Y-o-Y growth rate of 2.9% in 2022, reaching US$ 53 Billion. Across the forecast period ranging from 2022-2032, the personal protective equipment market value is poised to expand at a CAGR of 6.6% to reach US$ 100.3 Billion. Aerial Work Platforms Market- The global aerial work platforms market, the market is gaining traction steadily, expected to ascend at around 6% CAGR through 2031. As per the report, the market is likely to be valued at US$ 9.3 Bn by 2021. Preference for boom lifts will remain dominant, with a predicted absolute opportunity worth US$ 2.5 Bn during the forecast period. Brushless DC Motors Market- The worldwide brushless DC motor market was estimated at US$ 18 Billion in 2021 and is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032. As of 2022, the industry is forecast to be valued at US$ 19 Billion, representing a Y-o-Y increase of 5.5%. Pre-Painted Steel Coil Market- The pre-painted steel coil market has garnered a market value of US$ 10.64 Bn in 2022, anticipated to register a positive CAGR of 6.4% in the forecast period 2022-2032 and reach a value of US$ 19.79 Bn. About Us: Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner. Contact: Mahendra Singh US Sales Office: 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 Email: sales@factmr.com Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583 Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inspired by the historical events depicted in the motion picture "Birth of a Nation," Bishop The Overseer releases the fourth single from his upcoming album "Nation of Immigrants." In its feature of the release, HipHopDX states, "Bishop The Overseer exercises some healthy 'Civil Disobedience' in his latest single." Produced by Tone Jonez, "Battle Cry" contains a controversial lyric anomaly and exemplary music performance by Bishop The Overseer depicting past and present injustices in the United States. Consisting of over 40 individual elements in its creative development, "Battle Cry" masterfully embodies the theme of revolution that inspires the oppressed to fight for change. Bishop's new music video artfully captures the visualization of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, Middle Passage, slavery in the United States, and the American Civil War as compared to the Reconstruction Era and the new slave trade through Convict Leasing (the Industrial Prison Complex). Almost four years in the making, Verse 1 artfully articulates Nat Turner's slave rebellion in August 1831. Verse 2 recalls the events leading up to and during the American Civil War. Verse 3 masterfully compares the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade to Reconstruction Era (Post-American Civil War) public policies, namely Convict Leasing, citing the Industrial Prison Complex as the new slave trade as provided for under the 13th Amendment. "Battle Cry" carefully follows a timeline of historical events pre/post-Civil War in the ongoing fight for justice, equality, and civil rights as contained within the upcoming album "Nation of Immigrants." "Battle Cry - Civil Disobedience" follows Bishop's chart-topping single "Runnin Back" and his hit single "Unconditional." CONTACT: music@bishopenterprises99.com Related Images Image 1: The Discovery of Nat Turner (August 1831) Cover art for music single 'Battle Cry - Civil Disobedience' by Bishop The Overseer This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Klaytn is a public blockchain focused on the metaverse, gamefi, and the creator economy. The projects mainnet went live in June 2019 and has developed rapidly to become one of the most trustworthy brands in the industry. Klaytns Governance Council is an alliance of multinational businesses and organizations, responsible for the platforms governance, consensus node operation, and ecosystem growth. Its goal is to optimize Klaytns platform and drive ecosystem growth. AQX will be in good company as the Council already includes prestigious brands across numerous industries. So far, over 40 enterprises, including LG Electronics, Union Bank of the Philippines, Celltrion, and Yeahmobi, have entered the Council. In addition, some of the largest crypto exchanges like Binance and Huobi are in its ranks. After launching in early 2022, AQX has continuously introduced new services, including futures and derivatives trading. Spot trading will also be available later this year. People can look forward to using the AQX app to trade various cryptocurrencies soon. Furthermore, the platform provides users with a wallet function giving them an overview, spot, and futures options. By joining Klaytn's Governance Council, AQX pledges its efforts to support Klaytn in the growth of its platform and ecosystem, and to drive global adoption. Being accepted as a member of the Klaytn Governance Council is also a testament to the project's reliability and long-term potential. AQXs co-founder, Yongjin Kim, spoke about the projects participation in Klaytns Governance Council, saying, AQX shares a mutual vision with Klaytn and we hope that this partnership will help foster a sustainable growth of the blockchain industry. We strongly believe that the cross-industry collaborations facilitated by the Council can help to create more meaningful use cases of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, thus bringing more people to the financial world of the future. AQX is a fast growing trading platform that promises to unlock more options for traders in the Klaytn ecosystem. Were excited to welcome them into the Governance Council, and look forward to their support to drive further growth and development on Klaytn, said David Shin, Head of Global Adoption at Klaytn Foundation. About AQX AQX is a new cryptocurrency exchange with multiple trading options. Its acronym stands for "Access, Quality, and Xtraordinary, the projects primary goals. More precisely, AQX aims to provide 24/7 customer service, world-class security, and professional trading functionalities. All these services are possible thanks to the teams long experience in the crypto and traditional finance industries. AQX shares Klaytns mission of making blockchain technology and its services accesible to people around the world. To this end, the project provides a series of how-to guides and Medium articles, helping new and expert users understand crypto trading better. For more information about AQX, please follow the links below: |Website | Twitter | Telegram | Medium | Discord |Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | About Klaytn Klaytn is a public blockchain focused on the metaverse, gamefi, and the creator economy. Officially launched in June 2019, it is the dominant blockchain platform in South Korea and is now undergoing global business expansion from its international base in Singapore. These business expansion activities are supported by the Klaytn Growth Fund, which aims to grow the ecosystem of companies built on Klaytn. The fund is managed and disbursed by Klaytn Foundation, a Singapore-based non-profit organization established in August 2021. For more information about AQX, please follow the links below: | Website | Twitter | Telegram | Blog | Discord | Facebook | Instagram | Alson Liu Head of Marketing AQX - media@aqx.com NEW ORLEANS, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 Companys 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. NNIT accelerates strategy execution to increase growth and profitability through an exclusive focus on the Groups two business units, Life Sciences Solutions and Cloud & Digital Solutions. NNIT consequently divests its Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit as well as select parts of its Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit to funds advised by Agilitas Private Equity LLP. The guidance for 2022 is suspended due to the divestment. Today, NNIT has entered into an agreement to divest its Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit as well as select parts of its Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit (together the IO business) to funds advised by Agilitas Private Equity LLP (Agilitas). The divestment contemplates a transfer to a newly incorporated Danish company established by NNIT of the IO business comprising all functions, activities, customer contracts, other assets in its Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit and shares in subsidiaries in China, the Czech Republic and the Philippines as well as select parts of the SAP Basis and Cloud Native Solutions operations of its Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit, and a subsequent sale of all shares in the newly incorporated Danish company to funds advised by Agilitas. The IO business employs approximately 1,500 staff in Denmark, China, the Czech Republic and the Philippines. The purchase price for the divested operations amounts to DKK 1,500 million (Enterprise Value on a debt free basis). The purchase price will be adjusted for net debt, working capital and potential EBITDA adjustments as of the closing of the transaction. Net proceeds will further be adjusted for the payment of carve-out and separation costs currently estimated to amount to around DKK 200 million to be booked as special items in 2022 as well as tax associated with the divestment. NNIT intends to reinvest the proceeds to accelerate growth in its continuing activities. In connection with the transaction, NNIT has undertaken to issue a vendor note of up to DKK 200 million to be repaid no later than six (6) years after closing of the transaction, and the rest of the purchase price will be paid in cash. Par Fors, CEO of NNIT, comments: We are pleased to enter into this agreement to sell our infrastructure outsourcing business to funds advised by Agilitas and establish NNIT as a highly specialized IT services provider focusing exclusively on our core areas within life sciences and cloud and digital solutions. The transaction will enable accelerated investments in services, customer experiences and growth initiatives to build a more focused business with higher margin expectations. The new NNIT will build critical mass and pursue specific business opportunities in our core business areas, while simultaneously launching agile services and entering innovative partnerships to create customer value. The divestment will be carried out with a focus on continuing to create customer value and ensuring continuity. We are convinced that the infrastructure activities will be better positioned to fulfill service and growth goals and deliver customer value as a specialized, stand-alone infrastructure outsourcing business backed by Agilitas. We have included our largest customer Novo Nordisk in our deliberations, and they have confirmed to continue the IT operations contracts and relationship under the new ownership, said Par Fors. Kevin Iermiin, Partner at Agilitas, who will be joining the board of the IO business following closing of the transaction, commented: This is a pivotal moment for the IO business, which we believe will flourish from becoming a standalone company with a dedicated management team. It is a business of high quality, which is a testament to the talent of its work force. We look forward to working together with the management team and further investing in the IO business to accelerate growth following closing of the transaction. We will work to ensure continuity while driving innovative new products and services which will ultimately benefit the IO business customers. Agilitas has extensive experience of leading investments in Denmark, and a strong enthusiasm for the Danish IT market, having previously backed the buyouts of several Danish companies. He continued: The quality of the services provided by the IO business and the people behind them have impressed incoming CEO of the IO business Henrik Bodskov, who will be leveraging his more than 20 years experience in the IT sector, including CEO of IBM Denmark. Henrik will build on the existing platform and bring innovative solutions to help its customers secure and scale their IT infrastructure as they grow. Henrik Bodskov will start as CEO of the IO business following closing of the transaction, as he transitions out of his current role at IBM Denmark. The transaction entails a carve-out and separation of the IO business which is expected to take six months. The transaction is subject to the separation and carve-out having in all material respects been completed (including certain key carve-out milestones having been met) without material adverse change on the IO business or the continuing business of NNIT and conditional on the purchase price not falling below DKK 1,000 million after adjustments. The transaction is further subject to regulatory approvals as well as other customary closing conditions. Strategic focus The transaction enables the NNIT Group to center investments, competencies and sales force around the two core business areas, Life Sciences Solutions and Cloud & Digital Solutions, delivering high-quality solutions and services in attractive markets with strong growth prospects. The divestment marks an acceleration of NNITs strategy execution with the aim of increasing growth and profitability, while simultaneously enabling greater investment in the continuing business and reducing capital employed. Following the divestment, NNIT will be organized in two independent business units and have approximately 1,650 employees in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, USA, the Philippines, China and Poland. According to proforma figures, the continuing operations had revenue of approximately DKK 1.5 billion in 2021. All employees working for the IO business will be transferred to the new entity in their existing roles, with no day-to-day changes for staff or customers of the IO business. It remains part of NNITs strategy to pursue M&A opportunities. The acquisitions of US-based Valiance in 2018, Swiss-based Halfmann Goetsch Partner in 2019, US-based Excellis Health Solutions in 2020, Ireland-based SL Controls in 2021, and most recently German-based prime4services in 2022 have added significant value to the continuing operations in terms of capabilities, services, customers, and growth. Life Sciences Solutions offers specialized, regulated IT solutions to global life sciences companies. The business unit delivers solutions within Clinical, Regulatory Affairs, Production IT, Quality management and other business areas supporting the entire life sciences value chain. Headed by Senior Vice President Ricco Larsen, the business unit employs approximately 850 people. The business unit reported revenue of DKK 723 million in 2021. NNIT continues to see attractive growth potential for Life Sciences Solutions, driven by deep subject matter expertise, agile services and solutions, further specialization in high-growth areas, accelerated cloud migration towards public clouds as well as acquisitions and new partnerships. Cloud & Digital Solutions offers digital transformation solutions centered around applications, including Microsoft Solutions, SAP Solutions, Cybersecurity, Custom Application Development, and Digital Business Consultants to both Danish corporations as well as international life sciences clients. Headed by Senior Vice President Kasper Sndergaard Andersen, the business unit employs approximately 800 people and reported revenue of approximately DKK 750 million in 2021, excluding the Cloud Native and SAP Basis activities that are included in the transaction. Cloud & Digital Solutions has the potential to fast-track growth on the back of an increased focus on its core application centered solution areas where the continued business unit can now focus on building critical mass, expanding its portfolio of offerings and focus its Cloud capabilities to support customers application and data-led journey into the public cloud. Suspended 2022 guidance After todays agreement, the IO business will be reclassified to discontinued activities in NNITs consolidated financial statements. Due to the contemplated structural change of the Group, NNIT does not consider it prudent to provide 2022 guidance for the continuing activities, hence NNIT temporarily suspends its 2022 outlook (previously: revenue growth of 2-5% with an operating profit before special items of around 5% and special items of up to the same level as in 2021). NNIT will provide updates to the market when NNITs visibility on the 2022 guidance for the continuing activities increases and in the second half of the year. Following closing of the transaction, NNIT will leverage the sharpened focus on the two core business units, Life Sciences Solutions and Cloud & Digital Solutions, with the ambition to significantly strengthen revenue and profitability of the continuing activities from 2023. The divested business The IO business constitutes a leading Danish IT infrastructure outsourcing business with long-standing customer relationships with international life sciences companies, including Novo Nordisk, as well as Danish private and public sector customers. The business builds mainly on three state-of-the-art data centers, two of which are fully owned, supported by offshore deliveries. The activities reported proforma revenue of approximately DKK 1.4 billion in 2021, employ approximately 1,500 people and will be headed by Henrik Bodskov who is expected to start as CEO of the IO business following closing of the transaction. In addition to the Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit, the agreement also covers select parts of the SAP Basis and Cloud Native Solutions operations of the Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit. Agilitas believes the IO business will flourish as a standalone company with a dedicated management team. Agilitas is looking forward to working with the management team and employees of the IO business to continue to answer the critical needs of its customers with even more innovative and sustainable solutions. Agilitas is a seasoned backer of businesses with significant experience of leading investments in the Danish IT infrastructure market. Transition period With the signing of the agreement, a transition period of six months will commence before the transaction can close. This period will be dedicated to the detailed planning of the transfer of the IO business into a newly incorporated Danish company established by NNIT in close dialogue with customers and appropriate parties to address all commercial, HR and legal aspects. Special attention will be paid to avoiding any disruption to day-to-day operations and ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction. Employees will be transferred to the new company in accordance with the Danish Act on Transfer of Undertakings honoring all rights and obligations under individual employment agreements and collective bargaining agreements. Nordea acted as exclusive financial advisor to NNIT. Contact for further information Pernille Fabricius EVP & CFO Tel: +45 3077 9500 Media relations: Tina Joanne Hindsbo Media Relations Manager Tel: +45 3077 9578 tnjh@nnit.com Enquiries for Agilitas Private Equity LLP International: Greenbrook James Madsen / Teresa Berezowski +44 20 7952 2000 | agilitas@greenbrookadvisory.com Conference call NNIT will host a teleconference today, June 22, 2022 at 9:30 CEST to present the transaction and answer questions. Please visit the NNIT website www.nnit.com to access the teleconference, which can be found under Investors Events & Presentations. Material will be available on the website. Conference call details: https://streams.eventcdn.net/nnit/nnit-announcement/ Participant telephone numbers: Denmark: +45 89 87 50 45 United Kingdom: +44 020 3936 2999 Sweden: +46 010 884 80 16 United States: +1 646 664 1960 Participant access code: 188851 The NNIT Group provides a wide range of IT and consulting services internationally. In Denmark, where the Group HQ is based, we are one of the leading IT companies, servicing both private and public sector customers across all industries. In the rest of Europe, Asia and USA, we are solely focused on companies within life sciences. Supporting the entire supply chain, we help optimize internal company processes, production, sales and customer experiences: We advise, build, operate and support, enabling digital transformation and customers to reap the full potential of their organizations. Our role is to foster innovation and make the mark our customers and we aspire to. The NNIT Group consists of group company NNIT A/S and subsidiaries Valiance, SCALES Excellis Health Solutions, SL Controls, and prime4services. Read more at www.nnit.com. Agilitas Private Equity LLP www.agilitaspe.com Agilitas is a pan-European, mid-market private equity firm founded in 2011. The funds advised by the firm invest in high-quality, defensible businesses with opportunities for significant step changes, creating long-term value. Agilitas Private Equity LLP has a patient, sector-focused approach to investing and a strong track record of growing, improving and strengthening the businesses it backs. Agilitas is experienced at leading investments in the Nordics and Denmark in particular, having led the buy-out of the Reconor Group, Danoffice IT, and Cibicom as well as strategic add-ons for these companies such as Mijodan for the Reconor Group, Datacon and Edgemo for Danoffice IT, and TelPartner for Cibicom. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) (FSE: ZSB) (OTC: SRBCF) (Sirona) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) WuXi AppTec (WuXi), Shanghai, for the small-scale production of TFC-1326, a powerful active against the aging effects on skin. Years of groundbreaking research by Sironas team of scientists at TFChem has shown in preclinical studies that TFC-1326 has the potential to reverse the effects of aging on skin, including the potential to eliminate fine wrinkles. The scientific data is strong, and we are now preparing for a clinical trial. There are no existing compounds that our scientists are aware of, that have the potential to reverse the effects of the aging process on skin to truly restore its structure and youthful appearance. The anti-aging and anti-wrinkle markets are estimated to be $271 Billion USD globally by 2024. We are in advanced discussions with a leading clinical trial provider designing the planned clinical trial. Other necessary steps, including formulation and safety work, is being organized. As soon as this is completed and the clinical study starts, we will provide further information on this. There are many anti-aging and anti-wrinkle products available on the market currently. But to truly reverse the damage to the skin integrity that occurs naturally with aging is an area of unmet need. Our goal is to demonstrate clinically the potential of TFC-1326 to restore the integrity of the skin and return a more youthful appearance. The treatment of fine wrinkles is also a goal. BOTOX is the most effective on dynamic wrinkles while static wrinkles typically are managed by fillers. TFC-1326 has the potential to replace or supplement dermal filler injections to treat these static wrinkles, said Dr Howard Verrico, CEO of Sirona Biochem. TFC-1326 with its unique mechanism of action is revolutionary in the aesthetic skin care space. Like our recent success, licensing TFC-1067 and the corresponding compound family globally, we see this as another opportunity to showcase the tremendous potential of our platform technology. And, of course, we are pursuing another lucrative licensing agreement for TFC-1326. About WuXi AppTec WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries worldwide to advance discoveries and deliver ground-breaking treatments to patients. As an innovation-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi AppTec helps partners improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. With industry-leading capabilities such as R&D and manufacturing for small molecule drugs, cell and gene therapies, and testing for medical devices, WuXi AppTecs open-access platform is enabling more than 3,900 collaborators from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need and to realize the vision that every drug can be made, and every disease can be treated. For more information, please visit: www.wuxiapptec.com About Sirona Biochem Corp. Sirona Biochem is a cosmetic ingredient and drug discovery company with a proprietary platform technology. Sirona specializes in stabilizing carbohydrate molecules with the goal of improving efficacy and safety. New compounds are patented for maximum revenue potential. Sironas compounds are licensed to leading cosmetics and pharma companies around the world in return for licensing fees, milestone payments and ongoing royalty payments. Sironas R&D unit, TFChem, is in France and is the recipient of multiple French national scientific awards and European Union and French government grants. For more information, please visit www.sironabiochem.com. For more information regarding this press release, please contact: Investor Enquiries: Jonathan Williams Managing Director Momentum PR Phone: 1.450.332.6939 Email: jwilliams@momentumpr.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Sirona Biochem cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Sirona Biochems forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Sirona Biochems business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Sirona Biochem does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law. Dublin, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Electronic Warfare Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Component, Application, and Product Type" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The electronic warfare market is projected to reach US$ 27,797.72 million by 2028 from US$ 18,192.85 million in 2021. it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2021 to 2028. The goal of electronic warfare is to deny the enemy the advantage of the electromagnetic spectrum while ensuring that allied forces have unrestricted access to it. Modern warfare has always included electronic warfare; however, it has progressed far beyond radio jamming. Sensing, exploiting, and manipulating the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is becoming increasingly possible for electronic warfare weapons thus many key players along with governments are investing an massive amount of capital in developing electronic warfare positively impacting the electronic warfare market. As a relatively affordable and easily deployed way of stopping the operation of an enemy's radar and shielding one's similar equipment from interference, EW is becoming apriority. The market players in the electronic warfare market are anticipated to provide lucrative growth opportunities in the coming years with the rising geographical tension between neighboring countries demand for electronic warfare systems in the global market will increase. The electronic warfare market is analyzed on the basis of component, application, product type, and geography. Based on component, the market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. By application, the market is segmented into electronic attack, electronic protection, electronic warfare support. Based on product type, the market is segmented into countermeasure systems, jammers, sensor systems, weapons systems, and others. By geography, the market is primarily segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America. Armed forces and non-state groups deploy unmanned aerial systems. The tiniest commercial drones can be weaponized and used to cause catastrophic damage. Finding strategies to defeat the weaponized drones as their use spreads across the battlefield is a top issue. Electronic communications and technologies are critical for autonomous and remotely driven vehicles. As the number of duties delegated to unmanned systems grows, the demand for counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and electronic warfare (EW) technologies to counter them also rises. Unmanned aerial vehicles have become an important feature of armed forces worldwide. Thus, the deployment of electronic warfare systems on unmanned vehicles is propelling the electronic warfare market. Since 2016, Turkey has won conflicts purely using unmanned systems in Syria, Libya, and Azerbaijan, demonstrating the importance of such an EW capability. Also, in 2021, the Indian Army procured a set of new surveillance drones that allow the ground controller to communicate through a satellite. As the procurement of unmanned vehicles is increasing, it is also augmenting the growth of electronic warfare systems market. The electronic defense/electronic attack system is made of two military trucks. It is meant to jam and fool both conventional and complicated varieties of hostile radar and analyze multiple target signals over a wide frequency range. Thus, these new technology integrations with electronic warfare systems are expected to contribute to the electronic warfare market growth during the forecast period. North America has experienced a rise in the uptake of electronic warfare market over the last decade. The US has increased its military spending on acquiring advanced and updated vessels, equipment, and lethal and electronic warfare. According to the data published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US recorded an increase in military expenses in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase in military expenditure by North American countries influences the growth of this region's electronic warfare market. Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc.; Combined Systems, Inc.; Pepperball; and NonLethal Technologies, Inc. are the major companies operating in the North America electronic warfare market. The rising strategic initiatives and investments in new product developments are likely to propel the market's growth in the coming years. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Electronic Warfare Market Share The impact of COVID-19 was negative in North America, the US, Canada, and Mexico. The federal governments in North America are focusing on healthcare facilities. They have cut back on defense spending as governments only want to cover existing contracts that are in place, leaving fewer opportunities for new procurement. Many ongoing defense programs have faced challenges such as a slowdown in production facilities that impacted the delivery of aircraft and navy carriers, military vehicles, and electronic warfare products. For instance, Lockheed Martin delivered 120 aircraft in 2020, including 46 to international customers, bringing the total number of production aircraft delivered to 611 since the F-35 program's inception. The advanced F-35 aircraft is equipped with advanced jammers, radar, laser, and electronic warfare systems. Delay in delivering aircraft has led to a slowdown in the electronic warfare market. As per Insight partner research analysis Furthermore, due to the substantial decrease in the labor workforce, the accelerated production rate of tier three and tier four suppliers have slowed down, leading to the delayed purchase of electronic equipment restraining the market growth of the electronic warfare market. The global electronic warfare market is primarily driven by the rising geographical tension between the neighboring countries electronic across developed and developing countries. Space is slowly becoming the new high ground for electronic warfare systems. Physical destruction, laser blinding, and electronic warfare are all likely to be used to deny the enemy the use of their satellites and protect one's satellites for their force multiplier effect. There is a need to consider the best method to integrate space assets into military operations. Anti-satellite weapons, denial and deception tactics, jamming, usage of tiny satellites, hacking, and nuclear detonation are just a few examples of existing capabilities that can deny, disrupt, or physically destroy space systems and the terrestrial facilities that use and operate them. However, limited access to electronic warfare manufacturing facilities in developing countries is restricting the growth of the electronic warfare market. Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon Technologies, L3Harris Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and BAE Systems Plc hold a significant percentage of the electronic warfare market share. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 4. Electronic Warfare Market Landscape 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.2.3 Threat to New Entrants 4.2.4 Threat to Substitutes 4.2.5 Competitive Rivalry 4.3 Ecosystem Analysis 4.4 Expert Opinions 5. Electronic Warfare Market - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.1.1 Increasing Procurement of Electronic Warfare Systems 5.1.2 Deployment of Electronic Warfare Systems on Unmanned Vehicles 5.2 Market Restraints 5.2.1 Limited Access to Electronic Warfare Manufacturing Facilities in Developing Countries 5.3 Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Technological Advancements in Electronic Warfare 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Deployment of Sensors in Space for Improved Electronic Warfare Capabilities 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers And Restraints 6. Electronic Warfare - Global Market Analysis 6.1 Electronic Warfare Market Global Overview 6.2 Global Electronic Warfare Market Revenue Forecast and Analysis 6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players 7. Electronic Warfare Market - By Component 7.1 Overview 7.2 Electronic Warfare, by Component (2020 and 2028) 7.3 Hardware 7.3.1 Overview 7.3.2 Hardware: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 7.4 Software 7.4.1 Overview 7.4.2 Software: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 7.5 Services 7.5.1 Overview 7.5.2 Services: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 8. Electronic Warfare Market - By Application 8.1 Overview 8.2 Electronic attack, by Application (2020 and 2028) 8.3 Electronic Attacks 8.3.1 Overview 8.3.2 Electronic Attacks: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 8.4 Electronic Protection 8.4.1 Overview 8.4.2 Electronic Protection: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 8.5 Electronic Warfare Support 8.5.1 Overview 8.5.2 Electronic Warfare Support: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 9. Electronic Warfare Market - By Product Type 9.1 Overview 9.2 Electronic Warfare, by Product Type (2020 and 2028) 9.3 Counter Measures System 9.3.1 Overview 9.3.2 Counter Measures System: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 9.4 Jammers 9.4.1 Overview 9.4.2 Jammers: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 9.5 Sensors System 9.5.1 Overview 9.5.2 Sensors System: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 9.6 Weapon System 9.6.1 Overview 9.6.2 Weapon System: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 9.7 Others 9.7.1 Overview 9.7.2 Others: Electronic Warfare Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million) 10. Electronic Warfare Market - Geographic Analysis 11. Electronic Warfare Market - COVID-19 Impact Analysis 11.1 Overview 11.2 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Electronic Warfare Market 11.2.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.2.2 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.2.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.2.4 Middle East & Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.2.5 South America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 12. Industry Landscape 12.1 Overview 12.2 Market Initiative 12.3 New Product Development 13. Company Profiles 13.1 L3Harris Technologies, Inc. 13.1.1 Key Facts 13.1.2 Business Description 13.1.3 Products and Services 13.1.4 Financial Overview 13.1.5 SWOT Analysis 13.1.6 Key Developments 13.2 Raytheon Technologies Corporation 13.2.1 Key Facts 13.2.2 Business Description 13.2.3 Products and Services 13.2.4 Financial Overview 13.2.5 SWOT Analysis 13.2.6 Key Developments 13.3 Lockheed Martin Corporation 13.3.1 Key Facts 13.3.2 Business Description 13.3.3 Products and Services 13.3.4 Financial Overview 13.3.5 SWOT Analysis 13.3.6 Key Developments 13.4 Saab AB 13.4.1 Key Facts 13.4.2 Business Description 13.4.3 Products and Services 13.4.4 Financial Overview 13.4.5 SWOT Analysis 13.4.6 Key Developments 13.5 BAE Systems 13.5.1 Key Facts 13.5.2 Business Description 13.5.3 Products and Services 13.5.4 Financial Overview 13.5.5 SWOT Analysis 13.5.6 Key Developments 13.6 Thales Group 13.6.1 Key Facts 13.6.2 Business Description 13.6.3 Products and Services 13.6.4 Financial Overview 13.6.5 SWOT Analysis 13.6.6 Key Developments 13.7 Northrop Grumman Corporation 13.7.1 Key Facts 13.7.2 Business Description 13.7.3 Products and Services 13.7.4 Financial Overview 13.7.5 SWOT Analysis 13.7.6 Key Developments 13.8 Cobham Limited 13.8.1 Key Facts 13.8.2 Business Description 13.8.3 Products and Services 13.8.4 Financial Overview 13.8.5 SWOT Analysis 13.8.6 Key Developments 13.9 Leonardo S.p.A. 13.9.1 Key Facts 13.9.2 Business Description 13.9.3 Products and Services 13.9.4 Financial Overview 13.9.5 SWOT Analysis 13.9.6 Key Developments 13.10 Textron Inc. 13.10.1 Key Facts 13.10.2 Business Description 13.10.3 Products and Services 13.10.4 Financial Overview 13.10.5 SWOT Analysis 13.10.6 Key Developments 14. Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5kd8pt Attachment Dublin, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Genome Editing Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Genome editing is a method of making changes in a living organism's DNA and is used for improving crop yields, diagnosing and treating diseases, and for research purposes. The research and development in genome editing have been increasing worldwide as it is being used in the agriculture and healthcare sectors. Also, the investments in genome editing have been rising as the technique is being seen to have the potential to solve various problems, which is anticipated to surge the market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, the support of various governments worldwide for the use of genome editing to improve crop yields is another prominent factor expected to drive the genome editing market. Moreover, the growing cases of cancer and other genetic disorders are surging the need for effective treatment and consequently leading to the market growth of genome editing. The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the market as researchers developed new diagnostic tools based on CRISPR, a genome-editing technique, for diagnosing COVID-19 patients. This led to a positive impact on the genome editing market and increased the expected growth rates of the genome editing market in 2020 and 2021. As the spread of coronavirus continues to affect the world with its new waves and variants, the pandemic is projected to have a positive impact on the genome editing market in the coming years as well. Growing cases of cancer and other genetic disorders The cases of cancer and other genetic disorders have been increasing globally. The growing interest in genome editing for the treatment of cancer and several genetic disorders is anticipated to propel the growth of the genome editing market during the forecast period. NIH researchers have recently, in January 2021, found and recognized a new genetic disorder called linkage-specific-deubiquitylation-deficiency-induced embryonic defects syndrome (LINKED) that causes delays in development and hinders the proper formation of heart, facial features, and brain. Such identifications of new genetic disorders also contribute to the rising cases of genetic disorders. Furthermore, cancer cases have been proliferating. According to data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the number of cancer cases in the United Kingdom (England and Wales) has increased from 138,577 in 2010 to 156,444 in 2017 for males and from 130,674 in 2010 to 149,239 in 2017 for females. As per IARC, the number of cancer cases in Europe is projected to jump from 4.398 million in 2020 to 5.323 million in 2040, witnessing an increase of around 21%. In North America, the cases of cancer are projected to reach 3.525 million in 2040, increasing from 2.557 million in 2020, growing by nearly 38%. This is expected to have a positive impact on the genome editing market in the coming years, owing to an increasing need for better cancer treatments. Rising investments and research in genome editing In September 2021, the UK government announced its plans to support gene editing in agriculture to support the country's farmers in growing better and more productive crops. The government is making research and development easier. It also aims to make the necessary measures for genome-edited products to reach safely and responsibly to the market. Furthermore, the government of China is backing the use of CRISPR, a genome-editing technique, to improve the food supply in the country. North America to dominate the global market Geographically, the North American region is anticipated to hold a significant market share owing to the large investments being made in the region in the field of genome editing. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to witness substantial growth due to the surging cases of genetic disorders and cancer, along with higher spending on healthcare and research. As per the data from IARC, the number of cancer cases in Asia is projected to grow by more than 59%. Furthermore, the use of CRISPR has been increasing substantially in China, which is further expected to contribute to the market growth in the Asia Pacific. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 4.1. Market Drivers 4.2. Market Restraints 4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.3.1. Bargaining Power of End-Users 4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers 4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants 4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes 4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry 4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis 5. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by Technology 5.1. Introduction 5.2. CRISPR 5.3. TALEN 5.4. ZFN 5.5. Others 6. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by Application 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Cell Line Engineering 6.3. Animal Genetic Engineering 6.4. Plant Genetic Engineering 7. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by End-User 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Academic & Government Research Institutes 7.3. Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Companies 7.4. Contract Research Organizations 8. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by Geography 8.1. Introduction 8.2. North America 8.2.1. USA 8.2.2. Canada 8.2.3. Mexico 8.3. South America 8.3.1. Brazil 8.3.2. Argentina 8.3.3. Others 8.4. Europe 8.4.1. Germany 8.4.2. France 8.4.3. UK 8.4.4. Others 8.5. Middle East and Africa 8.5.1. Saudi Arabia 8.5.2. UAE 8.5.3. Others 8.6. Asia Pacific 8.6.1. China 8.6.2. India 8.6.3. Japan 8.6.4. South Korea 8.6.5. Taiwan 8.6.6. Thailand 8.6.7. Indonesia 8.6.8. Others 9. Competitive Environment and Analysis 9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis 9.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness 9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations 9.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix 10. Company Profiles 10.1. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 10.2. Merck & Co., Inc. 10.3. Horizon Discovery Group plc 10.4. GenScript 10.5. Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. 10.6. Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. 10.7. Lonza Group Ltd. 10.8. BEX Co., LTD. 10.9. OriGene Technologies, Inc. 10.10. Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/y26euv Attachment SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H2 Clipper, Inc. , an aerospace and alternative energy company developing uniquely capable hydrogen-powered airships and end-to-end hydrogen infrastructure solutions, announces that Thomas J. Neff has joined the companys advisory board. Neff is chairman of Spencer Stuart US, one of the foremost global executive search and consulting firms, and founded its CEO and Board of Directors Practice. He is a strong proponent of applying assessment and management consulting practices to the executive search process as a way to streamline the onboarding and integration of new executives into an organization. H2 Clipper founder and CEO Rinaldo Brutoco said, Tom is a business visionary who understands and appreciates our global mission to advance the hydrogen revolution in order to replace fossil fuels for transportation and long-term energy storage. As a member of H2 Clippers advisory board, Tom will focus on building the world-class board and leadership team necessary for the company to fulfill its long-term goals and ambitions. Neff remarked, I was impressed by H2 Clippers aggressive plan to address the need for reliable and inexpensive transportation of pure hydrogen, which is the critical issue in advancing the hydrogen economy. I look forward to being directly involved in helping the company achieve its goals. Neff has conducted more than 500 CEO searches and more than 1,000 board searches across diverse industries, including for Merck, General Motors, AIG, Boeing, and Morgan Stanley. Earlier, he helped recruit Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to be President of the New York Federal Reserve. Neff is also the co-author of two acclaimed books about leadership skills: Lessons from the Top The Search for Americas Best Business Leaders and Youre in Charge Now What? . For 16 years, Neff served on the board of directors of ACE Limited, (now Chubb), a Zurich-based global insurance company, as chair of the nominating and governance committee, and as a member of the executive and compensation committees. He is a current director of Accolade, Inc. and previously served on the boards of the Lord Abbett mutual funds, and three other public companies: Hewitt Associates, Macmillan and Exult until they were acquired. Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, Neff was a principal with Booz Allen & Hamilton in executive search. Previously, he was the CEO of an information systems company and held a senior marketing position with TWA. Earlier, he was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York and Australia. Neff has an M.B.A. from Lehigh University and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Lafayette College. He served as an officer and aide de camp in the U.S. Army. He is a trustee emeritus of Lafayette College and previously served as chairman of the board of the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. About H2 Clipper, Inc. H2 Clipper, Inc. is the developer of high-speed, Pipeline-in-the-Sky hydrogen-powered airships for long distance global transport that use no fossil fuels and have a host of commercial and humanitarian applications, and of the new Pipe-within-a-Pipe last mile distribution system to deliver pure hydrogen to end users. Since 2008, the company has made significant strategic investments to research, develop, and patent core IP in modern airship design and regional solutions for delivery of hydrogen, forming a global end-to-end hydrogen infrastructure. H2 Clipper recently completed the research and concept design phases on its disruptive modern airships using the Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The airship-based Pipeline-in-the-Sky for transporting pure hydrogen to market also enables point-to-point delivery of cargo and other payloads at speeds of 175+ miles per hour; a significant advantage over truck, rail, ship, airplane, or pipeline. Media Contact: Lisa Murray Trevi Communications, Inc. O: 978.750.0333 / M: 617.835.0396 lisa@trevicomm.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68577430-3895-4f52-b269-0419916c7fa1 Texas District 19 Senator Roland Gutierrez, right, speaks to The Texas Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans at the beginning of a Texas Senate hearing, June 21, relating to last month's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Austin, Texas. AP-Yonhap The law enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers was "an abject failure" in which a commander put the lives of officers over those of the children, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw said Tuesday. The onsite commander made "terrible decisions" and officers at the scene lacked sufficient training, costing valuable time during which lives may have been saved, McCraw told lawmakers during a Texas Senate hearing into the May 24 mass shooting. "There is compelling evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary was an abject failure and antithetical to everything we've learned," McCraw said. Many parents and relatives of the schoolchildren and staff have expressed deep anger over police actions after the gunman entered Robb Elementary School and began shooting. One delay McCraw discussed was the search for a key to the classroom where the shooting occurred. He noted that the door was not locked and there was no evidence officers tried to see if it was secured while others searched for a key. "There's no way ... for the subject to lock the door from the inside," McCraw said. A mourner stops to pay his respects at a memorial at Robb Elementary School, created to honor the victims killed in the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. AP-Yonhap Days after the shooting, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said as many as 19 officers waited over an hour in a hallway outside classrooms 111 and 112 before a U.S. Border Patrol-led tactical team finally made entry. McCraw reiterated that in the hearing Tuesday. "The officers had weapons, the children had none. The officers had body armor, the children had none. The officers had training, the subject had none. One hour, 14 minutes, and eight seconds that is how long the children waited, and the teachers waited, in Room 111 to be rescued," the DPS director said. "Three minutes after the subject entered the west building, there was a sufficient number of armed officers wearing body armor to isolate, distract and neutralize the subject," McCraw added. "The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering Room 111, and 112, was the on-scene commander, who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children," the director said in the hearing. McCraw said the scene commander, Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo, "waited for radio and rifles, and he waited for shields and he waited for SWAT. Lastly, he waited for a key that was never needed." The Uvalde district attorney has asked the city not to release records related to the DA's probe into the school shooting, Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a statement. He added that to date the DA and the DPS have not provided the city with any information on their investigations. Greg Abbott, Texas' Republican governor, said in a statement he wants all facts regarding the shooting released to the victims' families and the public as quickly as possible. On Tuesday night, the Uvalde City Council voted unanimously to deny a leave of absence for Arredondo as a council member. Arredondo won election to the council shortly before the shooting but has not appeared at the two council meetings since the tragedy. Denying him a leave of absence sets up his potential departure as a council member if he misses a third consecutive meeting. Earlier this month, Arredondo said he never considered himself incident commander at the scene of the shooting, and that he did not order police to hold back on breaching the building. Arredondo told the Texas Tribune he left his two radios outside the school because he wanted his hands free to hold his gun. He had said he called for tactical gear, a sniper and keys to get inside, holding back from the doors for 40 minutes to avoid provoking sprays of gunfire. Community members along with parents of the victims urged Arredondo to resign during an impassioned school board meeting on Monday, ABC News reported. (Reuters) OMERS Infrastructure announces agreement to acquire mobile tower company Stilmark Fourth global investment for OMERS Infrastructure in digital infrastructure SYDNEY, Australia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OMERS Infrastructure today announced that OMERS has signed an agreement to acquire Stilmark, an independent Australian developer, owner and operator of mobile tower assets. The transaction will be OMERS second tower investment in Australia in two months, following the announcement on 9 May that it signed an agreement to acquire 100% of TPG Telecom Limiteds mobile tower and rooftop portfolio. The details of this transaction are not being disclosed. Christopher Curtain, Senior Managing Director, Asia-Pacific for OMERS Infrastructure, said: We have developed a strong relationship with and respect for the Stilmark management team and their capabilities. The strong focus on delivering innovative and market leading solutions for mobile network operators continues to be a key part of our interest in the company. Stilmark is an excellent fit for our new Australian digital infrastructure portfolio, as it complements our recent investment in TPGs mobile tower and rooftop portfolio. Since its establishment in 2013, Stilmark has delivered numerous development and build projects for TPG and Optus, and has grown a national portfolio and pipeline of towers, with all sites secured under long-term revenue agreements. Stilmark is currently owned by its founders, management team, family offices and US-based ATN International. Commenting on the sale, Stilmark Chairman, Graham Bradley, said: We are delighted that our business will be joining the OMERS Infrastructure portfolio in Australia and are excited about the opportunities this creates for our team to continue our innovation leadership in the tower market. Christopher added: OMERS Infrastructure is an active asset manager, seeking to grow OMERS investments across Asia-Pacific organically and through accretive acquisitions. Todays announcement follows the news we shared last week, of an additional investment in our India road platform, IndInfravit, to facilitate its acquisition of 5 additional roads across the country. We are proud of our activity across Asia-Pacific to support and grow our portfolio in key sectors including digital infrastructure, mobility and the energy transition. Once the Stilmark and TPG tower asset transactions close, the consolidated towers business will be part of OMERS Infrastructures growing portfolio of assets in Australia, alongside Port of Melbourne, Transgrid and renewable energy firm FRV Australia. It will also be part of OMERS Infrastructures global portfolio of digital infrastructure assets, alongside Deutsche Glasfaser/inexio in Germany, and XP Fibre in France. OMERS Infrastructure was advised by RBC Capital Markets, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Grex Consulting and Alvarez & Marsal. Stilmark was advised by Q Advisors LLC, Kain Lawyers and KPMG. The closing of the transaction is expected in Q3 2022, subject to customary regulatory approvals. OMERS PR Contact James Thompson Director of Communications E: JaThompson@omers.com T: +44(0)7443 264 154 The announcement of the transaction with TPG Telecom Limited is here: https://www.omersinfrastructure.com/news/omers-infrastructure-announces-agreement-to-acquire-its-first-asia-pacific/. About OMERS Infrastructure OMERS Infrastructure manages investments globally in infrastructure on behalf of OMERS, a defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and third-party investors through its Strategic Partnership Program. OMERS Infrastructure currently has approximately C$32 billion in assets under management and over 30 investments, principally in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific and across sectors including energy, digital services, transportation and government-regulated services. OMERS Infrastructure has employees in Toronto, New York, the U.K., Continental Europe (including Amsterdam, NL), Asia and Australia. More information: www.omersinfrastructure.com. Albuquerque, NM, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is pleased to announce the appointment of James Myers as Vice President, Program Innovation and Growth, effective June 1. Myers, a three-decade Department of Defense Veteran and retired Army Colonel, brings demonstrated expertise in the defense and intelligence enterprises. In this role, he will resource defense related programs and opportunities for ARA to deliver innovative solutions in support of national security. Prior to his selection, Myers served in the Army G-8 as the director of force development intelligence leading the requirements and resourcing efforts to equip Army intelligence, electronic warfare and cyber formations. His career also included operational commands through the brigade level and numerous key intelligence positions across the globe in combined, joint, and interagency assignments. Jim is the right person at the right time to help us grow the company across our defense sector and build programs to support our national security, said ARA CEO Rob Sues. His tremendous experience leading and managing in complex environments is a great addition to our team. For more information about ARA capabilities in support of national security, visit www.ara.com/national-security About ARA Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) was founded in 1979, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to offer science and engineering research to solve problems of national importance. ARA delivers leading-edge products and solutions for national defense, energy, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 1,500 employee-owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trillium Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV:TGM, OTCQX:TGLDF, FRA:0702) (Trillium Gold or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has closed the acquisition in respect of the majority of Imagine Lithium Inc.s (Imagine Lithium) Eastern Vision property holdings in the Confederation Lake assemblage, within the Birch-Uchi greenstone belt in the Red Lake Mining District of Ontario. (See news releases of April 27, 2022, December 15, 2021 and July 19, 2021.) These property holdings include properties that Trillium has acquired directly and others for which Trillium has assumed option agreements as optionee. The land package covers 13,958 hectares between the Fredart, Confederation North and Confederation South properties (see map below), giving Trillium Gold control over a significant portion of the Confederation Lake assemblage, creating a contiguous land package over greater than 100km of favourable structures on trend with Kinross Golds Dixie Deposit and Evolution Minings Red Lake Operation. As part of the transaction, Trillium Gold issued 2,800,000 common shares in the capital of the Company together with a cash payment of $175,000 to Imagine Lithium. In addition, the Company has agreed to assume Imagine Lithiums cash payment commitments under its existing option agreements, while Imagine Lithium retains its original share issuance obligations. Concurrent with the closing, Trillium Gold paid $20,000 in cash to Pegasus Resources Inc. (Pegasus), together with 100,000 common shares in the capital of the Company, to earn into certain option agreements that Trillium has agreed to assume as optionee from Imagine Lithium. The cash consideration represented the remaining option payments under said option agreements, while the equity consideration purchased Pegasus carried interest in the relevant properties such that 100% of those properties are now held by Trillium Gold. Pursuant to the remaining option agreements that it is assuming as optionee, Trillium Gold must pay a total of $186,000 in option payments over approximately two years in order to earn in to and exercise the options. Also concurrent with the closing, Trillium Gold purchased a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Fredart property from prospector Perry English in consideration for the issuance of 60,000 common shares in the capital of the Company and $50,000 in cash. The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Paterson QP, P.Geo, Vice President of Exploration of Trillium Gold Mines, as defined by NI 43-101. Map showing Trillium Golds current landholdings and the acquired Eastern Vision claims. is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fa7fc3a2-1da9-4a2c-b875-4e28fba20d51 For further information, please contact Donna Yoshimatsu, VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations at dyoshimatsu@trilliumgold.com, (416) 722-2456, or info@trilliumgold.com, 604-688-9588. Visit our website at www.trilliumgold.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Trillium Gold Mines Inc. Russell Starr Interim Chairman, President, CEO About Trillium Gold Mines Inc. Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled the largest prospective land package in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, along the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts. Recently, the Company signed a definitive agreement for control over a significant portion of the Confederation Lake greenstone belt to more than 100 km in length. In addition, the Company has interests in highly prospective properties in Larder Lake, Ontario. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Forward-looking information is based on managements reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on managements experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such factors, among others, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Dublin, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Green Ammonia Market: Focus on End-Use Sectors, Production Technologies, and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2022-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global green ammonia market is projected to reach $18.28 billion in terms of revenue by 2031, at a CAGR of 23.24% The demand for green ammonia is anticipated to grow with increasingly stringent carbon emission regulations and zero-carbon energy goals. Also, there is increasing cognizance that ensures energy security from low-carbon intermittent sources, which requires long-term sustainable energy storage and the identification of suitable carriers. Moreover, continuously decreasing the cost of hydrogen production through electrolysis is another factor to spur the demand for green ammonia during the forecast period (2024-2031). However, the higher installation cost for the integrated infrastructure of green ammonia is anticipated to hinder market growth in the upcoming future. Market Lifecycle Stage The green ammonia market is still in the development phase. Increased research and development activities are underway to develop green ammonia, which is expected to increase due to rising public concern and government regulations related to carbon emissions and the protection of environmental health. Moreover, green ammonia has the potential to make a significant impact by decreasing global dependence on fossil fuels and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial Impact With an increased worldwide focus on achieving net-zero carbon emissions, the shift to green, eco-friendly, sustainable technologies brings significant sales and financing opportunities. This shift was prominently experienced in regions such as North America, Europe, and some Asian countries. Furthermore, green ammonia has a low to moderate impact on the fertilizer and transportation fuel industry; however, in the upcoming future, with increased production of green ammonia, the impact is anticipated to increase. Impact of COVID-19 Since the green ammonia is not much commercialized, the impact of COVID-19 on the global market has been negligible. Moreover, the rise in the trend of sustainability is expected to positively affect the growth of the market in the next 10 years, as green ammonia is produced using sustainable technologies. Also, the consumption of green ammonia is expected to increase post-COVID-19 pandemic as the planned projects come online. In the global green ammonia market, Europe and North America are anticipated to gain traction in terms of green ammonia production owing to the R&D advancements and supporting government regulations in the regions. How Can This Report Add Value to An Organization? The product segment helps the reader understand the different technologies involved in green ammonia production, including alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane (PEM), and solid oxide electrolysis (SOE). Moreover, the study provides the reader with a detailed understanding of the different green ammonia by end-use sectors (power generation and energy storage, agriculture, transportation, industrial feedstock, and others). Green ammonia is fuel for the future and has a high potential to grow in the future. Growth/Marketing Strategy: The global green ammonia market has seen major development by key players operating in the market, such as business expansion, partnership, collaboration, and joint ventures. The favored strategy for the companies has been business expansion and partnership to strengthen their position in the green ammonia market. For instance, in October 2021, Scatec ASA, a leading renewable power producer, entered into a partnership agreement with Fertiglobe to jointly produce a 50-100 MW green hydrogen site, which would be further used as a feedstock for green ammonia production. Recent Developments in Global Green Ammonia Market In March 2021, ACME Group of India, a solar power producing company, signed an agreement with the Oman company, Tatweer, to initiate a production facility of green ammonia located in Duqm, Oman. In March 2022, ACME Group of India, a solar power producing company, signed a joint venture agreement with Norway-based company, Scatec ASA, to initiate a production facility of green ammonia in the sultanate of Oman, with an annual production capacity of around 100,000 tons. In May 2021, Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) announced to strategically build a green ammonia plant with an annual production capacity of around 200,000 tons. In December 2020, Haldor Topsoe, a carbon reduction technology specialist, Skovgaard Invest, a Danish renewable energy developer, and Vestas, a wind turbine manufacturer, announced the building of a green ammonia production plant in Western Jutland, Denmark. In February 2021, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and A.P. Moller - Maersk announced their strategic plans for the development of Europe's largest green ammonia production facility in Esbjerg, Denmark. In July 2021, Fusion-Fuel, based in Ireland, and Consolidated Contractors Group, a global construction company, announced the building of a new green ammonia project, 'Hevo Ammonia Project' in Morocco. Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis Aker Clean Hydrogen CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Air Products Inc. Haldor Topsor A/S Fusion-Fuel HY2GEN AG Eneus Energy Limited Hive Energy Siemens Energy H2U Technologies, Inc. Fertiglobe ACME Group Enaex Energy Dyno Nobel Origin Energy Limited Yara International ASA Iberdrola, S.A. Ballance Agri-Nutrients Key Topics Covered: 1 Markets 1.1 Industry Outlook 1.1.1 Trends: Current and Future 1.1.1.1 Green Ammonia for Energy Storage 1.1.1.2 Green Ammonia as a Sustainable Future Fuel 1.1.2 Supply Chain Analysis 1.1.3 Ecosystem/Ongoing Programs 1.1.3.1 Consortiums and Associations 1.1.3.2 Regulatory Bodies 1.1.3.3 Programs by Research Institutions and Universities 1.1.4 Impact of COVID-19 on the Green Ammonia Market 1.2 Business Dynamics 1.2.1 Business Drivers 1.2.1.1 Increased Consumer Awareness and Preference Toward Sustainable Products 1.2.1.2 Increased Investment in Green Ammonia Production 1.2.1.3 Stringent Rules and Regulations Related to Carbon Emissions 1.2.2 Business Challenges 1.2.2.1 High Production Cost 1.2.2.2 Limited Commercialization of Green Ammonia 1.2.3 Business Strategies 1.2.3.1 Product Developments 1.2.3.2 Market Developments 1.2.4 Corporate Strategies 1.2.4.1 Mergers and Acquisitions 1.2.4.2 Partnerships and Joint Ventures 1.2.4.3 Collaborations and Alliances 1.2.5 Business Opportunities 1.2.5.1 Green Ammonia as a Transportation Fuel 1.2.5.2 Increased Adoption of Energy-Efficient Technologies 1.3 Start-Up Landscape 1.3.1 Key Start-Ups in the Ecosystem 1.4 Green Ammonia Planned Projects 1.4.1 Key Green Ammonia Planned Projects 2 Application 2.1 Global Green Ammonia Market (Applications and Specifications) 2.1.1 Global Green Ammonia Market (by End-Use Sectors) 2.1.1.1 Power Generation and Energy Storage 2.1.1.2 Transportation 2.1.1.3 Agriculture 2.1.1.4 Industrial Feedstock 2.1.1.5 Others 2.2 Demand Analysis of Green Ammonia Market (by End-Use Sectors), Value and Volume Data 3 Products 3.1 Global Green Ammonia Market (Products and Specifications) 3.1.1 Global Green Ammonia Market (by Production Technologies) 3.1.1.1 Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AWE) 3.1.1.2 Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) 3.1.1.3 Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) 3.2 Demand Analysis of Green Ammonia Market (by Production Technologies), Value and Volume Data 3.2.1 Comparison of Production Efficiency between the Technologies 3.3 Product Benchmarking: Growth Rate - Market Share Matrix, 2024 3.4 Patent Analysis 3.4.1 Patent Analysis (by Status) 3.5 Pricing Analysis 4 Regions 5 Markets - Competitive Benchmarking & Company Profiles 5.1 Competitive Benchmarking (2025) 5.1.1 Competitive Position Matrix (2025) 5.1.2 Product Matrix for Key Companies 5.1.3 Market Share Analysis of Key Companies (2026) 5.2 Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2dogxf Attachment New York, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Vehicle Intercom System Market Research Report by Component, Technology, Type, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287155/?utm_source=GNW The Global Vehicle Intercom System Market size was estimated at USD 1,298.34 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 1,429.09 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 10.32% to reach USD 2,341.17 million by 2027. Market Statistics: The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Vehicle Intercom System to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Component, the market was studied across Adapter, Central Unit, Crew Control Unit, Headset Dismounted Interface, Intercom User Unit, Loudspeaker Unit, Radio Interface Unit, Tactical Ethernet Switch, Wire/Cable, and Wireless Intercom Unit. Based on Technology, the market was studied across Analog and Digital. Based on Type, the market was studied across Wired Intercom System and Wireless Intercom System. Based on Application, the market was studied across Airport Ground Support Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Emergency Vehicles, and Military Vehicles. The Airport Ground Support Vehicles is further studied across Cabin Service Vehicles, Cargo Loaders, Deicing/Anti-icing Trucks, Forklift Trucks, Fuel Trucks, Ground Power Units, Hydrant Trucks, and Passenger Buses. The Commercial Vehicles is further studied across Buses/Vans, Heavy Trucks, Limousines, Sedans, Suvs, and Taxis/Passenger Cars. The Emergency Vehicles is further studied across Fire Engine and Police Vehicles. The Military Vehicles is further studied across Amphibious Armored Vehicles, Armored Fighting Vehicles, Light Protected Vehicles, and Main Battle Tanks. Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict: We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Vehicle Intercom System market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Vehicle Intercom System Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Market Share Analysis: The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits. Competitive Scenario: The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service. Company Usability Profiles: The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market, including 3M Company, Aselsan A.S., C-AT Communications-Applied Technology, David Clark Company Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., Gentex Corporation, Hytera Communications Corp Ltd, JVCKENWOOD Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, Inc., Leonardo DRS, Leonardo SpA, MER Group, Secomak Ltd., Sedgewall Limited, Silynx Communications, Inc., Sure Antennas, Sytech Corporation, Teldat Group, Thales Group, THODUKONICS, and Wolf Elec Intercoms. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market? 6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market? 7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Vehicle Intercom System Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287155/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ MONTREAL, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to announce the acquisition, by map designation, of 100% interest in 460 claims (260 km2) in the Abitibi region, between the towns of Amos and Matagami. This new strategic acquisition is also located approximately 60 kilometres west of the Copernick zone discovered by Midland in 2016 on the Laflamme JV project, which yielded grades up to 0.45% Ni, 0.33% Cu, 0.15 g/t Pt and 0.24 g/t Pd over 42.60 metres (core length) in drill hole LAF-16-38, from 446.50 to 489.10 metres (see press release by Midland dated April 14, 2016). This new project, dubbed Nickel Square, extends over a total surface area of approximately 300 square kilometres with strong yet underexplored potential for Ni-Cu-Co-PGE. It covers the Maizerest Intrusions, a series of ultramafic intrusions that are locally associated with untested historical electromagnetic (INPUT) conductors. In the north part of the Nickel Square project, a historical grab sample collected by the Ministere de lEnergie et des Ressources naturelles du Quebec in ultramafic rocks of the Maizerest with minor sulphide mineralization yielded anomalous values of 0.20% Ni, 450 ppm Cu, 110 ppm Co, 117 ppb Pd and 68 ppb Pt. Similar to the Copernick zone discovered by Midland further east, these ultramafic intrusions are hosted in dominantly mafic rocks assigned to the Vanier-Dalet-Poirier Group. These mafic-ultramafic assemblages are located approximately 10 kilometres north of the sedimentary Glandelet Formation, mainly composed of sandstones and graphitic mudrocks. Midland is eager to begin exploration on the property with a prospecting campaign and a high-resolution magnetic survey planned for this year. Cautionary statement: Note that grab and float sample grades may not be representative of mineralized zones. About Midland Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as BHP Canada Inc., Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., Probe Metals Inc., Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, SOQUEM Inc., Osisko Development Corp., the Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Corporation portfolio and generate shareholder value. This press release was reviewed and approved by Mario Masson, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midlands website or contact: Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 450 420-5977 Fax: 450 420-5978 Email: info@midlandexploration.com Website: https://www.midlandexploration.com/ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midlands periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. Figures accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc0b26d9-7255-49d9-80fa-359353638efd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/36ce44c8-68a8-4b1d-a145-3f1a6b59d00a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e316975e-1510-4a10-b4d3-9ba1c5ad6735 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28fd82a5-4ee4-40b6-b393-d81805ed5b4f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f473b8c3-887a-43f6-85d5-4e6dd687d619 Dublin, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Air Freight Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global air freight market reached a value of US$ 270.3 billion in 2021. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach a value of US$ 390.7 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.80% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, the analyst is continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different End-use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Air freight, also known as air cargo, is a transportation mode used to deliver fast speed shipments via charter or commercial air carriers. It can be delivered globally as goods sent from consignors to consignees or sellers to buyers. Moreover, it is handled along the chain by numerous entities, such as express carriers, aircraft and postal operators, regulated agents, haulers, and ground handlers, with varying responsibilities. At present, air freight is assisting in contributing to economic development across the globe. Air Freight Market Trends Air freight is utilized for delivering non-perishable goods like jewelry, clothing, automotive parts, and perishable items, including fruits, vegetables, and meats, which require quick delivery. Besides this, it plays a crucial role in the distribution of vaccines through a well-established temperature-sensitive distribution system and cutting-edge technology and procedures. This, in confluence with the burgeoning aviation industry, is bolstering the growth of the market. Additionally, other modes of transportation, such as marine, rail, or road transport, generally take days or weeks to deliver different items. However, transporting goods using air freight saves time and offers a high level of security. It also requires less packaging than other transportation methods to reduce the weight limit. This, coupled with the growing popularity of consolidated air freight services, is positively influencing the market. Apart from this, key players are increasingly focusing on geographical expansions and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to expand their customer base. This, along with the integration of the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the air cargo supply chain and the rising import and export of goods among numerous countries worldwide, is facilitating the growth of the market. Key Market Segmentation This report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global air freight market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. The report has categorized the market based on service, destination and End-user. Breakup by Service: Freight Express Mail Others Breakup by Destination: Domestic International Breakup by End-user: Private Commercial Breakup by Region: North America United States Canada Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Indonesia Others Europe Germany France United Kingdom Italy Spain Russia Others Latin America Brazil Mexico Others Middle East and Africa Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being American Airlines Inc., ANA Cargo Inc., Bollore Logistics, Cargolux Airlines International S.A., Delta Air Lines Inc., Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV A/S, Expeditors International of Washington Inc., FedEx Corporation, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Nippon Express Co. Ltd., Qatar Airways and United Parcel Service Inc. Key Questions Answered in This Report How has the global air freight market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global air freight market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the service? What is the breakup of the market based on the destination? What is the breakup of the market based on the End-user? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global air freight market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Air Freight Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Service 6.1 Freight 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Express 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Mail 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 6.4 Others 6.4.1 Market Trends 6.4.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Destination 7.1 Domestic 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 International 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End User 8.1 Private 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Commercial 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 American Airlines Inc. 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 Financials 14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.2 ANA Cargo Inc. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 Financials 14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.3 Bollore Logistics 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3.3 Financials 14.3.4 Cargolux Airlines International S.A. 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5 Delta Air Lines Inc. 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5.3 Financials 14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.6 Deutsche Bahn AG 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.7 Deutsche Post AG 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 Financials 14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.8 DSV A/S 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Expeditors International of Washington Inc. 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.10 FedEx Corporation 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10.3 Financials 14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.11 Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.12 Kuehne + Nagel International AG 14.3.12.1 Company Overview 14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.13 Nippon Express Co. Ltd. 14.3.13.1 Company Overview 14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.13.3 Financials 14.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.14 Qatar Airways 14.3.14.1 Company Overview 14.3.14.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.15 United Parcel Service Inc. 14.3.15.1 Company Overview 14.3.15.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.15.3 Financials 14.3.15.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8ko8jr Attachment Boston, Massachusetts, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Human Unitec International, Inc., (OTC Pink: HMNU) ("HMNU"), is a Project Finance, Management & Development for Sustainability, Medical, Wellness, and Green Energy provides Corporate Status Update. On June 6, 2022, during a meeting headed at Gambia Consulate in Milano, Italy, Professor Francesco Cristina di Santannera, Counsellor of Gambia and the Msk Kinesis Foundation Representatives finalized the program for the HMNU/MSK Gambia Medical Humanitarian Mission 2022. Human Unitec International, Inc and MSK Kinesis Foundation are organizing volunteer Medical Doctors and ancillary personnel. The Company will provide 6 MSK Kinesis/HMNU Medical machines and schedule the treatment of at least 400 patients designated for the treatment of pain. During the mission, the Volunteers Medical Doctors and ancillary personnel of the Foundation will provide education and training of medical and/or paramedic Gambian personnel for the use of HMNU Medical apparel providing medical treatments according to the MSK Kinesis protocols. HMNU is organizing the financial support for the mission, as well additional financial support to the Gambian Health Institutions. Human Unitec International and MSK Kinesis Foundation want to extend appreciation to Professor Francesco Cristina Di Santannera, Minister Counsellor, for his and his Country sincere and substantive support to this humanitarian mission. Since 2017, Human Unitec International, Inc. has provided ts financial and technical support to the MSK Kinesis Foundation, a member of ESANGO, United Nations New York. MSK Kinesis medical equipment is being actively marketed and deployed in Europe with its new line of medical pain management and degenerative disease treatment and is currently developing its United States and Canada commercial markets. Located on the west coast of Africa, The Gambia is the smallest country on the African continent. Its entire territory borders the Gambia River, which divides the country into a northern and southern zone. It is a flat country whose maximum altitude is 300 meters and less than 50 kilometers wide. About Human Unitec International, Inc. Human Unitec International, Inc., is a Project Finance, Management & Development for Sustainability, Medical, Wellness, and Green Energy. We are listed on the US OTC Market. (OTC Pink: HMNU). Human Unitec International 551 Warren street, 12075 Hudson, NY, USA Contact: Telephone (917)8219585 Email: hmnuusa@gmail.com Twitter @HMNU_1 www.hmnuusa.com Forward-looking statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Human Unitec International Inc., (HMNU), a startup company, and certain of the plans and objectives of HMNU with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about our strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA and future developments in our organic business. Forward-looking statements can be identified generally as those containing words such as anticipates, assumes, believes, estimates, expects, should, will, will likely result, forecast, outlook, projects, may or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, domestic and global economic and business conditions, the successful implementation of our strategy and our ability to realize the benefits of this strategy, our ability to develop and market new products, changes in legislation, legal claims, changes in exchange and interest rates, changes in tax rates, pension costs and actuarial assumptions, raw materials and employee costs, our ability to identify and complete successful acquisitions and to integrate those acquisitions into our business, our ability to successfully exit certain businesses or restructure our operations, the rate of technological changes, political, economic and other developments in countries where HMNU operates, industry consolidation and competition. As a result, HMNU actual future results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in such forward-looking statements. Attachment CRANBURY, N.J., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dvm360 , the leading multimedia provider of animal health care communications, education and research for veterinary professionals, is delighted to announce the winners of its second annual Veterinary Heroes recognition program. Inductees will be honored on Thursday, August 25, 2022, at the Fetch dvm360 conference in Kansas City, Mo. Sponsored by Blue Buffalo Natural, Clevor, Phovia, Dr. Treat, Merck, and Zoetis, the program celebrates the achievements of outstanding veterinary professionals who have worked to advance the field and make a difference in animal care. As a fellow veterinarian and master of ceremonies, I am thrilled to congratulate the winners of this award, said Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer at Fetch, Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference (ACVC) and dvm360. It is truly an honor to be part of an essential profession whose hardworking practitioners go above and beyond the call of duty to help animals. The 2022 Veterinary Heroes winners are: Client Service Representative Beth LaBee Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists Dermatology James Noxon, DVM, DACVIM Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Emergency Medicine Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, DACVIM, DACVECC Foster Small Animal Hospital Equine Medicine Teresa Crocker, DVM, CVA, VST North Coast Equine Feline Medicine Jennifer Conrad, DVM The Paw Project General Practitioner Jessica Price, DVM Clinton Pet Vet Internal Medicine Tammy Anderson, DVM, DACVIM NorthStar VETS - Veterinary Emergency Trauma & Specialty Center Nutrition Donna M. Raditic, DVM, CVA, DACVIM Nutrition and Integrative Medicine Consultant Oncology Andi Flory, DVM, DACVIM PetDx Practice Management Matt McGlasson, DVM, CVPM Noahs Ark Animal Clinic of Ft. Wright Surgery Randy Ackers, DVM, DACVS Sun Valley Animal Center Technician Medicine Alexandre Contreras, LVT English Plaza Animal Hospital For more information and to register for the Veterinary Heroes awards ceremony, visit the event webpage. About dvm360 Founded more than 50 years ago, dvm360 is the leading multimedia provider of animal health care communications, education and research for veterinary professionals. We engage audiences with top-of-the-line, in-depth digital and print news, medical information and veterinary resources focusing on every aspect of a veterinary professionals life. With our online learning platform, dvm360 Flex, we also deliver a 360 solution for continuing educationprint, digital, in-person and on-demand. dvm360 is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America. MJH Life Sciences is dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels. Media Contact Carl Baus 1 (609) 433-6301 cbaus@mjhassoc.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e8ce429-662c-4b0a-a666-8c8284ef6303 LGMDR2 , also referred to a s dysferlinopathy, is a rare genetic muscle disease caused by mutation s in the dysferlin gene ( DYSF ) Animal study conducted at MCRI in collaboration with Jain Foundation in the US Study r esults showed s ignifican t decrease s in target CD49d RNA and key immune cell RNA levels in the muscle Data supports progression into a longer-term efficacy study planned for 3Q/4Q2022 Mark Diamond, Antisense Therapeutics Managing Director and CEO said: It is exciting for the Company to be announcing a successful scientific exploration into a new muscle disease indication for ATL1102, LGMDR2. This was a strategically minded move on behalf of the Company to capitalise on the extensive data package generated to date on ATL1102 and to broaden ANPs product pipeline. Similar to DMD, this is a rare muscle disease with a clear need for an effective treatment as emphasised by our expert consultants in the field. The results achieved in this first LGMDR2 animal study are showing the requisite effects on targeted immune cells. Having demonstrated target activity in a dysferlin animal model gives us confidence to advance the program in LGMDR2 and consider other muscle diseases with immune cell involvement as the data continues to point to the broader potential of ATL1102 as a treatment for such conditions. New York, NY, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Antisense Therapeutics Limited [ASX:ANP | US OTC:ATHJY | FSE:AWY] today announced the results from a first study of antisense to CD49d in a limb girdle muscular dystrophy R2 (LGMDR2) mouse model. LGMDR2 is a rare genetic muscle disease that is caused by mutations in the dysferlin gene that leads to significant reduction or absence of dysferlin protein levels in muscle fibers. Dysferlin loss occurs in both males and females with the condition called dysferlinopathy or LGMDR2. LGMDR2 is characterized by muscle inflammation, fibrosis, adiposity (fat) and progressive weakness in the hip and shoulder area (i.e. the limb girdle) proximal muscles (those closest to the center of the body) with loss of ambulation and upper limb function in adulthood. LGMDR2 affects ~ 1 in 125,000 people.1,2,3 There are no disease modifying agents in advanced development and no treatments have proven to be beneficial to slow the progression of the disease. This first study of antisense to CD49d in the LGMDR2 mouse model (Bla/J mice with dysferlin loss) was undertaken in collaboration with experts in genetic muscle disease at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne and the Jain Foundation in the USA. The Jain Foundation (https://www.jain-foundation.org/), a non-profit disease foundation established in the hopes of curing dysferlinopathy, is coordinating the worldwide efforts to find a treatment for dysferlinopathy and have substantial experience with LGMDR2. In the study, Bla/J mice were treated with an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) to CD49d at three dose levels (5, 10 and 20mg/kg) once weekly for six weeks, with a corresponding negative control oligonucleotide at the same dose levels. The study also included untreated Bla/J mice and healthy mice as controls. The results showed that at the low 5mg/kg/week ASO dose, the RNA levels of CD49d, and CD8 T cells and F4/80 macrophage cells in the quadricep muscle were significantly decreased by 42%, 86% and 70% respectively, compared to the levels observed in the mice dosed at the 5mg/kg/week dose level of the control oligonucleotide (P<0.05 Fishers Least Significant difference test). A significant reduction in CD8 RNA vs the untreated control Bla/J was also observed (see Figure 1 below). Notably, in the quadricep muscle of the female untreated control mice, there was 2.5 times more F4/80 RNA than male mice (data on file). F4/80 is a marker of macrophages which are key immune cells involved in the disease and the increase in these cells is suggestive of a more active disease in the female mice. ASO treatment in female mice achieved significant reduction in F4/80 and CD8 cell mRNA in the quadricep muscle. In these same female mice, a trend towards reduction of 38% (P=0.0656) in CD49d RNA was observed compared to untreated Bla/J in another proximal muscle called the Psoas (see Figure 2 below). Given these observations the next study will be conducted in the female mice as agreed with the experts at the Jain Foundation. The results from this first investigation of the potential of an antisense to CD49d drug in the Bla/J dysferlin deficient mouse model have shown the use of a low dose of the drug reduces the target (CD49d) and key immune cell (F4/80 macrophage and CD8+ T cells) RNA in the muscle. The results support the Companys plans to move forward with the second phase (chronic setting) of the program with a follow on study in the same mouse model to test the potential of the low dose to reduce adipose (fat) levels, muscle loss and damage. The second study is planned for 3Q/4QCY22 (pending the availability of suitably aged mice) and designed to run for four months, with results to follow shortly thereafter. The use of ATL1102 as a treatment for dysferlinopathy is covered in ANPs patent application PCTAU2020/050445 directed at modifying muscle performance by reducing muscle adiposity. The recently filed provisional application 2021903024 also claims the use of ATL1102 to reduce thrombospondin-1 reported to be beneficial in treating the disease. The data from Bla/J mice studies can be used to support the prosecution of these claims and the filing of a new patent application. Dr George Tachas Ph.D., Director, Drug Discovery and Patents at Antisense Therapeutics said We are pleased to be continuing our key scientific collaboration with the MCRI while also benefiting from the expert advice provided by the Jain Foundation. The positive results from this first study in dysferlin deficient mice encourage us to move into the chronic phase of the program and we look forward with great anticipation to the results of this follow on study. There are several genetic muscle diseases with similar immune cell involvement like in LGMDR2 and DMD and so this data points to the potential use of low dose of ATL1102 as a treatment for such conditions. Laura Rufibach, Co-President of the Jain Foundation, said With a singularly focused mission to find a cure for dysferlinopathy, we at the Jain Foundation are pleased to be working with Antisense Therapeutics and the MCRI on their research program evaluating the antisense to CD49d drug as a possible treatment of dysferlinopathy. We are encouraged by the results of the first study and look forward to the data of the longer dosing study to assess the efficacy of the treatment in mice in order to determine the potential of ATL1102 to be an effective therapy in this devastating and debilitating disease. Associate Professor Alastair Corbett, Neurologist at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital Neurology Clinic, said LGMDR2 is a rare recessive muscular dystrophy with no effective treatment. The disease starts in late adolescence and patients show signs of muscle weakness at 15-30 years of age and it progresses slowly as people live into adult life. Patients exhibit weakness of the shoulder and hip muscles which adversely effects their upper and lower limb function. Sufferers of the disease struggle with mobility with a significant loss of quality of life and ultimately lose ambulation as they become wheelchair bound. Many muscle dystrophies with significant inflammation are in need of more effective therapies. I am very pleased to be involved with the hope that such endeavors may help a population in great need of an effective treatment. This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board. For more information please contact: Antisense Therapeutics Investment Enquiries US/European IR & Media Mark Diamond Gennadi Koutchin Laine Yonker/Joe Green Managing Director and CEO XEC Partners Edison Investor Relations +61 (0)3 9827 8999 gkoutchin@xecpartners.com.au lyonker@edisongroup.com www.antisense.com.au 1300 932 037 +1 646-653-7035 About Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R2 caused by the genetic loss of dysferlin . Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a group of rare muscular dystrophies primarily characterized by hip and shoulder (i.e. limb-girdle) proximal muscle weakness estimated to occur as a class in up to 6.9 in every 100,000 people5. Over 30 subtypes have been identified with different underlying genetic causes. Dysferlin loss occurs in the recessive genetic muscle disorder LGMDR2, formerly known as LGMD2B, and the related muscle disease Miyoshi myopathy dystrophy 1 (MMD1)6 . Collectively these disorders caused by the loss of dysferlin are called Dysferlinopathy 1. Dysferlinopathy (LGMDR2) prevalence is approximately ~ 1 per 125,000 people3 or 2500 people in the US, or 18% of all LGMDs4 with an estimated upper range for LGMDR2 of ~ 4000 people in the US. In LGMDR2, the initial weakness is seen in the proximal muscles and in the case of MMD1 there is initially distal muscle weakness. However, natural history data on dysferlinopathy have shown that LGMDR2 and MMD1 are the same disease6. Dysferlin is a transmembrane protein that has been shown to be involved in multiple cellular processes such as calcium regulation, membrane repair, and membrane trafficking. The absence of dysferlin in LGMDR2 is characterized by activated F4/80 macrophage and T cell inflammation and increase in fat replacing the muscle, where adipocytes replace dysferlin deficient muscle, as detected by MRI. This progressively reduces muscle strength, ability to walk, reduces upper limb function and quality of life.5 There are currently no treatments for dysferlinopathy. The steroid drug deflazacort treatment failed in a 6 month patient study and made the disease worse. Deflazacort (1mg) taken for a month, every second day for 5 months reduced muscle strength, which reversed after cessation of steroid treatment7. There is an unmet need for effective therapies so that people with LGMDR2 can maintain ambulation, muscle strength and quality of life. References https://www.jain-foundation.org/ https://www.jain-foundation.org/research/dysferlin-background/therapeutic-opportunities/ Liu W et al Genetics in Medicine 21 2512-2520 (2019) Estimates 0.75 per 100000 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41436-019-0544-8 Moore et al J Neuropathol Exp. Neurol 2006 65(10): 995-1003 https://academic.oup.com/jnen/article/65/10/995/2646712 https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/limb-girdle-muscular-dystrophies/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33610434/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3617000/ The study results in the psoas muscles above suggest target CD49d RNA knockdown when CD8+ and F4/80+ cells remain in the female psoas muscle. In the quadricep muscles the target CD49d knockdown is less visible as the CD8+ and F4/80+ cells that express CD49d are substantially reduced (by 86% and 70% respectively) so there are less cells remaining to observe a statistically significant reduction versus untreated control mice. Attachments Nora Burlingame, 3, sits on the lap of her mother, Dina Burlingame, and gets a high five from nurse Luann Majeed after receiving her first dose of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at UW Medical Center Roosevelt in Seattle, Washington, June 21. AFP-Yonhap The United States has begun distributing COVID vaccines around the country for children as young as six months, and the availability of the shots will improve in the coming days, according to White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. U.S. regulators authorized Moderna's two-dose vaccine for children aged six months to five years and the Pfizer-BioNTech three-shot regimen for children aged six months to four years late last week. It is unclear how many parents will vaccinate their youngest children. Just one-in-five parents with children under age five said they intended to vaccinate them "right away" after they become eligible, a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation published in May showed. Only about 29% of children aged five to 11 have been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine since it was authorized in October, according to U.S. data. Chinmay Hegde, father of a 14-month old daughter, told Reuters outside Children's National Hospital in Washington that the U.S. authorization was a huge relief. His daughter was the first to be vaccinated at the hospital, Tuesday. "I feel like we can just now go travel and do our trips without feeling as much stress," he said, mentioning a planned family reunion in Canada in July. Children who begin their vaccinations with the Pfizer shot this week could receive their third dose the week of Sept. 12 or later. Those who receive a first Moderna shot this week could complete their inoculation as soon as July 19. Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and editor-at-large for Public Health at Kaiser Health News, said parents will need to consider a trade-off between the number of shots and risk of side-effects. Moderna's vaccine uses a larger dose and has a higher likelihood of inducing fever than Pfizer's. "These are not dangerous side effects and they are manageable with medications like acetaminophen," said Gounder, a former member of President Joe Biden's COVID transition team. But some parents may feel like "'well, even if it's a three-dose vaccine, it will minimize the risk of fever,'" she said. Jha said on Twitter, Monday, that the rollout for younger children differed from those for other age groups in that there were no mass vaccination sites, but there would be more inoculations done in doctors' offices. "Parents are clear they want to vaccinate their littlest ones in familiar settings doctors offices, pharmacies, health clinics, and children's hospitals," he tweeted. The vaccines began shipping Friday and Saturday, Jha said, adding that more doctors' offices and hospitals would begin receiving them Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Not all pharmacies will offer the shots to everyone in this age group. CVS Health Corp will offer shots for children aged 18 months and up, while Walmart and Rite Aid Corp will offer them to those aged 3 and older. (Reuters) RIMOUSKI, Quebec, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puma Exploration Inc. (TSXV: PUMA, OTCQB: PUMXF) (the "Company" or "Puma") is pleased to announce that its common shares began trading on the OTCQB Marketplace under the new symbol "PUMXF" at the opening of trading this morning. No further action is required from existing U.S. shareholders. Current and new U.S. investors can find the Company's recent financial disclosures and Real-Time Level 2 quotes on www.otcmarkets.com. Puma's common shares will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "PUMA". "This upgrade is part of the natural evolution of Puma. It provides an opportunity to build our visibility, expand our liquidity and diversify our shareholder base. The OTCQB Market provides Puma access to a much larger audience of U.S.-based institutional and retail shareholders. Our U.S. following has been growing, and this listing will enable us to welcome even more U.S. investors to our shareholder register," said Marcel Robillard, President and CEO. ABOUT THE OTCQB The OTCQB is a U.S. trading platform operated by the OTC Markets Group in New York and is the premier marketplace for early-stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public market, the OTCQB provides investors who cannot access trading on the TSX Venture Exchange with alternative access to the Company's shares through regulated U.S. broker-dealers. ABOUT PUMA EXPLORATION Puma Exploration is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company with precious metals projects located near the Famous Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC) in New Brunswick, Canada. The Company is committed to its DEAR strategy (Development, Exploration, Acquisition and Royalties) to generate maximum value for shareholders with low share dilution. Connect with us on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn Visit www.explorationpuma.com for more information or contact: Marcel Robillard, President, (418) 750-8510; president@explorationpuma.com Mia Boiridy, Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Development, (250) 575-3305; mboiridy@explorationpuma.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Puma to be materially different from actual future results and achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made, except as required by law. Puma undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the quarterly and annual reports and in the documents submitted to the securities administration. Longmont, Colo., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cand Aid, the people-powered nonprofit with a national footprint, is creating a movement that rallies people from all walks of life to become catalysts for change in their communities. At the core of Cand Aids mission is a sense of community and a genuine belief that everyone has the ability to give back and do good. Since its inception in 2013, the organization has built meaningful relationships with community leaders, nonprofit organizations, volunteers and corporate partners to drive real change. Through a unique and integrated approach that incorporates sustainability, disaster relief, physical health and mental wellness, Cand Aids programs provide critical resources to communities in need and are creating transformational impacts across the country. While those impacts are tangible, you can see them throughout communities in murals, on kids biking with Cand Aid logos on their helmets, and in parks where volunteers help clean up outdoor spaces, the movement that Cand Aid is building is more abstract. The movement, and the feeling of doing good that Cand Aid makes accessible to volunteers nationwide, is woven into the hearts of communities. Paying It Forward One of Cand Aids core programs is disaster relief, where the nonprofit works to deliver emergency drinking water to communities in need. In 2016, at the height of the water crisis in Flint, Mich., Cand Aid delivered 200,000 cans of drinking water to the community. Five years later in 2021, a Flint resident who had received and relied upon Cand Aids clean drinking water for several months became a part of the movement again, when they volunteered with their employer Journeys to build skateboards for children in need through Cand Aids Treads + Trails program. This pay it forward moment reinforced the power of what a single act of kindness can do, and how easily the ripple effect of goodness grows. Working with Can'd Aid on building skateboards was a full circle, surreal experience for me, said Shelby Coleman, Journeys employee and Cand Aid volunteer. Can'd Aid donated water to my city when we were in dire need during the beginning of the water crisis and it felt so good in my soul to help them out by working on boards for kids. Inspiring an Inclusive Park In 2021, Cand Aid partnered with a Colorado-based company to provide volunteer opportunities for employees. As the company worked with Cand Aid to build and distribute bicycles and skateboards for youth in the area, one employee was determined to continue the mission to provide healthy outlets for all children. That employee was Lauren Bowling. Lauren and her husband Richard are the parents of six -year-old Braxton and five-year-old twins Mack and Miles. Miles has cerebral palsy and is dependent on a wheelchair for his mobility. Laurens family does not have access to an accessible playground in her community, and she had a dream to build one that would provide inclusive opportunities for all children in the area. Once Lauren was introduced to Cand Aids mission to provide underserved youth with the tools they need to lead healthy and active lives during the work-sponsored volunteer project, she became a part of the movement. Lauren brought her idea to build an accessible park to the Cand Aid team, and the nonprofit is now working to make this park a reality. The Berthoud Adaptive Park Project is well underway with the goal to build a fully inclusive park that will provide access to healthy play for all children in the area. Cand Aid works to empower people to make change where they need it most, said Diana Ralston, executive director of Cand Aid. We are inspiring more and more people to become catalysts for change, and this inclusive park project is one example where were seeing the movement encourage people to take action and build inclusivity and wellness into their community. Empowering the Next Generation of Musicians In communities nationwide, Cand Aids programs also provide an opportunity for people to share their love of the arts and to foster creativity and joy. The nonprofit creates community murals, where neighbors volunteer to help paint and create on a local wall. These murals not only allow individuals to tap into their inner artist, but also act as meeting places for neighbors to connect and learn more about one another. Through its Music + Arts program, Cand Aid also facilitates instrument donations to support music programs in underserved school districts. On the day of the donations, Can'd Aid works with award-winning professional musicians, like the Steep Canyon Rangers, to provide inspiring live performances for students. Artists stop in classrooms across the US while on tour sharing their experiences as professional musicians, providing hands-on musical interaction and often introducing students to new genres of music like bluegrass, funk and americana. Beyond being great opportunities to inspire children to become the next generation of artists, something more simple is at work: music inspires and heals. Increasing access to music education and instruments for Americas youth continues to play an important role in combating skyrocketing rates of mental illness, anxiety and depression. Its really beautiful to see the pure joy of kids. They are clapping and cheering about getting to play their new instruments with us. Its what music is all about, said Josh Fairman, who plays bass and synth for the electrofunk band SunSquabi. After years of partnership with Cand Aids Music + Arts program as TUNES Ambassadors, Josh and the band joined Cand Aid in Colorado this spring for a donation of instruments in their hometown. I was so excited to work with Cand Aid to give the students in Longmont, Colo., new instruments. It was really meaningful to give back to a school in my hometown where I was also introduced to a love for music, said Kevin Donohue, guitarist and keyboardist for SunSquabi. The Cand Aid Movement With help of Cand Aid volunteers nationwide, more than 2 million cans of water have been distributed, over 9,600 skateboards and bikes and 4,000 art kits have been built for underserved youth, more than 3,000 instruments have been donated and the equivalent of 73 million aluminum cans have been recycled. It turns out that doing good also feels good, and people are excited to share that feeling, says Ralston. Thats what keeps our volunteers and partners coming back to Cand Aid. Whether they were introduced to us at work, were the beneficiaries of one of our programs, or from a friend that is a part of the movement already, were seeing that people are looking for ways to be part of something larger than themselves and are continuing our mission in ways that are most meaningful to them. # # # About Cand Aid Cand Aid is a nationally recognized nonprofit that rallies volunteers from all walks of life to build thriving communities. Through their unique integrated approach, they distribute water, increase access and opportunities for underserved youth to experience music, arts and the outdoors; and protect and restore the environment. Since inception in 2013, more than 2 million cans of water have been distributed, over 9,600 skateboards and bikes and 4,000 art kits have been built for underprivileged youth, more than 3,000 instruments have been donated and the equivalent of 73 million aluminum cans have been recycled. To donate, volunteer or learn more, please visit candaid.org. Attachments Dallas, TX, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pei Wei Asian Diner, LLC (Pei Wei) has signed a long-term, 10,693 square foot lease at 1707 Marketplace Drive in Irving, TX. The Asian-inspired restaurant will occupy its new space on the third floor of the property. Westway One is a class-B office building owned and operated by Hartman Income REIT Management, Inc., a Texas-based commercial real estate owner and operator with $809m in assets under management. Pei Weis new 10,693 square foot office space will feature standard offices and a flex/open space for hotdesking, hoteling, or cubicles. Included in the new space will be a private kitchen and breakroom with access to the property's amenities. Hartman's Westway One office building is conveniently located just five minutes from the DFW international airport. The property is also highly desired as it features convenient access to MacArthur Marketplace retail shopping center, garage parking, 24-hour video surveillance, on-site security, on-site professional management, after-hours controlled access, and UPS and FedEx drop boxes. Welcoming Pei Wei to the building, Hartman's President and CEO, Al Hartman, shared, "We are delighted to welcome Pei Wei as our newest tenant at Westway One. With over 100 restaurants here and internationally, it is our honor to have their U.S. Corporate headquarters located in a Hartman building. We wish them continued success!" Harrison Burt with JLL Dallas represented Pei Wei in lease negotiations with Hartman, and Allison Fannin represented Hartman, the landlord. To learn more about leasing commercial real estate in San Antonio, Houston, or DFW (Dallas Fort Worth), please contact a Hartman leasing agent at 800.880.2212 or visit www.hi-reit.com. Attachment Gaithersburg, Md., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation announced today its 2022 Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars and Heroes of Everyday Life. Five students and five Sodexo employees will receive a $5,000 grant to continue their work to fight food insecurity within their communities. Were proud to announce a new group of Scholars and Heroes, dedicated to fighting hunger in their communities said Joan McGlockton, Chair, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Associate General Counsel, Corporate Affairs, Sodexo. The 2022 Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars and Heroes of Everyday Life are part of a greater strategy to end childhood hunger across the nation by 2030. Were thrilled of their achievements and inspired by their selflessness. The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars for 2022 are: Shraman Kar, Founder of Foodle, Rising Eleventh Grader, Louisville, KY -- Shramans innovative mobile app, Foodle, allows people to put food donations into smart baskets for pick-up by those in need. -- Shramans innovative mobile app, Foodle, allows people to put food donations into smart baskets for pick-up by those in need. Shreya Shivakumar, Founder of Nourish America, Rising College Sophomore, Edison, NJ -- Shreya started a nonprofit, Nourish America, to provide healthy, fresh, and allergen-free foods to those who are food insecure. -- Shreya started a nonprofit, Nourish America, to provide healthy, fresh, and allergen-free foods to those who are food insecure. ZaNia Stinson, Founder of Z Feeds Angel Food Project, Rising Tenth Grader, Charlotte, NC --ZaNias started Z Feeds Angel Food Project, mobilizing the community to pack, carry, and distribute go-go bags to those who are homeless. --ZaNias started Z Feeds Angel Food Project, mobilizing the community to pack, carry, and distribute go-go bags to those who are homeless. Makenzie Greenwood, Founder of Hampsteads Little Free Pantry, Rising Tenth Grader, Manchester, MD -- Makenzie started Hampsteads Little Free Pantry, a nonprofit where people can donate or take food, or even learn to start their own pantry. -- Makenzie started Hampsteads Little Free Pantry, a nonprofit where people can donate or take food, or even learn to start their own pantry. Jacob Mansbach, Founder of Food Certainty, Rising College Freshman, Santa Barbara, CA -- Jacob created his FoodCertainty program to turn grocery and restaurant food waste into food donations. The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation also awards Sodexo employees investing time, talent, and resources to fight hunger in their communities. These employees, recognized as Heroes of Everyday Life, are honored specifically for raising funds and awareness, coordinating food drives, volunteering in food pantries, and supporting food recovery programs among other outreach. Were proud to honor a group of inspiring and dedicated Sodexo employees, said Roxanne Moore, Executive Director, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation. Donnie, Sue, Denise, Pat, and Henry not only support our mission of ending childhood hunger but Sodexos greater goal of creating a better every day for everyone and building a better life for all. The 2022 Heroes of Everyday Life are: Donald Hawkins, Executive Chef, Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA Donald, Chef Donnie, has a heart for hungry people students, homeless, and those who need a fresh start. From George Washington to Shenandoah University, hes cut food waste, donated meals, trained and hired displaced workers, and mentored youth into the kitchen. Donald, Chef Donnie, has a heart for hungry people students, homeless, and those who need a fresh start. From George Washington to Shenandoah University, hes cut food waste, donated meals, trained and hired displaced workers, and mentored youth into the kitchen. Sue Sussman, Sr. Project Manager, Healthcare, Tri-State Region, Westchester County, NY -- By day, Sue project manages at healthcare sites. By night, she feeds Manhattans homeless with the nonprofit, Midnight Run. Their mission: sharing simple comforts. -- By day, Sue project manages at healthcare sites. By night, she feeds Manhattans homeless with the nonprofit, Midnight Run. Their mission: sharing simple comforts. Denise Dickson, Kitchen Manager, Putnam City Academy School, Oklahoma City, OK -- Every Friday, Denise leaves her full-time chef job and starts her volunteer work with her nonprofit Ebenezers Open Door Kitchen. All night, she cooks delicious, healthy burritos. By morning, she and her fellow volunteers serve at the local homeless shelter. -- Every Friday, Denise leaves her full-time chef job and starts her volunteer work with her nonprofit Ebenezers Open Door Kitchen. All night, she cooks delicious, healthy burritos. By morning, she and her fellow volunteers serve at the local homeless shelter. Pat Whitley, General Manager, Multi Service 1, Randolph Health, Asheboro, NC -- Pat and her husband started by serving grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup off a flatbed trailer to hungry and homeless people. Now, they feed hundreds out of their self-funded mobile kitchen. -- Pat and her husband started by serving grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup off a flatbed trailer to hungry and homeless people. Now, they feed hundreds out of their self-funded mobile kitchen. Henry Tapia, General Manager, Huntsville Independent School District, Huntsville, TX Chef Henry transformed an old school bus, the Green Hornet, into a full-service kitchen, using it to feed children over school breaks and help communities during natural disasters. Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation works to ensure that every child in the United States, especially those most at risk, grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to enable them to lead a healthy, productive life. In addition to awarding grants to youth scholars and employees, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation provides contributions to several national and local non-profits helping to end hunger, engages Sodexo employees in community volunteerism and supports programs that help empower women. Visit Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @StopHungerUSA and Instagram @sodexostophunger. Attachment Dubai, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The introduction of derivatives opened up new horizons for investors, but it wasnt enough to satisfy the growing demand by retail investors from all around the globe. It was only a matter of time before blockchain developers explored the derivatives market and made it more accessible, more secure, and more profitable for the average retail investor. Synthetic assets can be described as on-chain derivatives and this novel instrument's potential has been recognized by leading global investment banks. Bloomberg has reported that Goldman Sachs has started trading a type of derivative tied to ETH as Wall Street investors look for ways to explore the worlds second-largest cryptocurrency. In fact, the global equity market is worth $100Trillion and the market cap of TradFi derivatives is $1000Trillion(10x). Given DeFi 's TVL is ~$200B, the projected value that derivatives can bring to the onchain economy would be just under $2Trillion. A market to discover: Synthetic Assets Synthetic assets are a new asset class made possible by blockchain technology. Synthetics (or synths) are essentially tokenized derivatives. Tokenization is a process that brings real-world assets on-chain by mimicking their price movements. This allows traders that normally wouldnt be able to access such assets due to geographical or political barriers to gain exposure to a wide variety of real-world assets such as stocks, commodities, and real estate. Crypto-based assets such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs can also be tokenized for unlocking new profit-generating opportunities. Additionally, tokenization allows fractional ownership for users to expose themselves to any asset imaginable. In traditional stock trading, an investor can buy a minimum of one whole share. Using synthetic assets, anyone can invest in smaller portions of company stocks. Synthetic assets also offer the possibility to earn yield or rewards by staking. Apart from simple market buying/selling and derivatives trading, synthetic assets create possibilities for seemingly infinite markets and combinations for new sources of value. Synthr takes the spotlight Synthr is a synthetic asset protocol founded to create a seamless, transparent, easy-to-trace, and responsible ecosystem that welcomes traders from all around the world, regardless of where they are based or how much capital they can put up. Synthrs ecosystem consists of multiple mechanisms working in harmony to create the ultimate synth trading protocol; enabled by its multi-module platform, Synthr allows users to mint (or borrow) synthetic assets by putting up a stablecoin as collateral, use their borrowed syAsset to make a profit, and reclaim their locked stablecoin while keeping their profit. Powered by an auto yield optimizer, the SynthVaults module will also allow opportunities in yield farming on synthetic assets to increase capital efficiency. An essential component of the Synth ecosystem, their proprietary synthetic stabilization mechanism ensures the balance of yields between long and short farms for peg protection. Another interesting feature of the platform seems to be theirP2P liquidation queue - users bid to buy liquidated collateral at a discounted price, removing the need for technical knowledge and preventing bot-enabled front-running campaigns that have previously been rampant. The issues of the current synthetic asset market Synthetic assets are already disrupting the concept of trading, but there are some major pain points yet to be ironed out by the major players in the current synthetic asset market, such as Synthetix, Mirror Protocol, Duet Finance, and Deus Finance. To begin with, a similar death spiral risk similar to the Terra Luna disaster is present in other synth protocols as well since their entire mechanism relies on highly volatile crypto assets. High collateral requirements are another issue remaining in the current synth market. Also, current synth platforms often fail to achieve consistency in premiums as oracle price deviation ranges from 1% to 25%, indicating a very high difference in the prices. Complicated user interfaces cause new users to give up on synths, contradicting the goal of the synths. And finally, the security problem is too big to overlook. Although most synth platforms are audited, there have been numerous cases of hacker attacks in the past. Synthr claims to have developed a holistic platform mechanism that will deal with these very real problems and risks to truly enable retail users to take advantage of this high-potential economic market. Final words Asset tokenization on the blockchain has the potential to break down the financial and geographic barriers that hold back traditional asset classes from global accessibility. While there have been attempts to perfect synthetic asset trading, this new market still lacks an all-around platform that ironed out its wrinkles. Long-awaited Synthr will be launched in the coming months and welcome investors & traders from all around the world. For more information about Synthr, check out their website and socials: Website: https://www.synthr.io/ Email: nitin@synthr.io Telegram: https://t.me/synthrcommunitychannel Discord: https://discord.gg/K3WMANAB Blog: https://medium.com/@Synthr CHICAGO, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) is pleased to announce that Owhofasa Agbedia, MD, MPH, has been selected by the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the Center of International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), and ASTCT to receive the ASH-CIBMTR-ASTCT Career Development Award. This new award is a part of the ASH Minority Hematology Fellow Award (MHFA) program, which supports early-career researchers from minority groups historically underrepresented in medicine. This new partnership award is exclusively for fellows pursuing careers in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy. As an ASH MHFA awardee, Dr. Agbedia will receive a total of $100,000 over a two- to three-year period to guarantee protected time for clinical or laboratory-based hematology research projects, to develop additional skills in the conduct of research, and generate preliminary data with guaranteed dual mentorship. He will also have the opportunity to attend the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, where he will present research findings at the Promoting Minorities in Hematology event. Additionally, as part of this award, Dr. Agbedia will receive opportunities from ASTCT and CIBMTR. Dr. Agbedia will be enrolled in both the ASTCT Leadership Course and the ASTCT Clinical Research Training Course and will become a member of the ASTCT Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Agbedia will have the opportunity to conduct a research project with CIBMTR faculty and be able to visit campuses associated with CIBMTR at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match in Minneapolis. The award also covers registration to the 2023 Tandem Meetings: Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR. Dr. Agbedia is currently a fellow, Hematology/Oncology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a graduate student at MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Agbedia is interested in investigating an innovative cellular therapeutic option for the treatment of CD94-expressing NK/T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. "ASTCT is proud to partner with ASH and CIBMTR to expand representation in our field, while encouraging research that will make an impact on patient care. We recognize that a diverse and inclusive workforce leads to critical advancements, innovation and the elimination of health care disparities," said ASTCT President Brenda Sandmaier, MD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The MHFA is one of six programs under ASH's Minority Recruitment Initiative, a series of programs committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities training in hematology-related fields and the number of minority hematologists with academic and research appointments. The Career Development Award is also part of ASTCT's award expansion, which includes a New Investigator Award for Underrepresented Minorities and additional Travel Grants for the Tandem Meetings: Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR. ### About American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) ASTCT is an international professional membership association of more than 3,000 physicians, investigators, and other health care professionals from more than 45 countries. Our mission is dedicated to improving the application and success of blood and marrow transplantation and related cellular therapies. We strive to be the leading organization promoting research, education, and clinical practice in the field. For more information about ASTCT, visit www.astct.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASTCT. Related Images Image 1: ASTCT ASTCT Logo This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment New York, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MetaJuice (www.metajuice.com), the company unlocking the metaverse by building blockchain-driven economies, today announced the pending launch of an NFT Marketplace in the IMVU metaverse - home to more than one million daily active users. MetaJuice has collaborated with IMVU creators for its inaugural collection of wearable in-world apparel NFTs, harnessing the power of the existing IMVU community. To purchase NFTs, eligible users can use VCOIN or, soon, its sister token VCORE, which will soon be available outside the U.S. and Canada. Unique to this launch, the first phase of which is expected this fall, will be the ability for IMVU users to immediately wear and showcase their NFTs in the metaverse. And, if users choose, when wearing an NFT in a room or experience, users will have a special badge and name color in the room and in the chat. Other users will be able to see that and click on the avatar and find the information and metadata about the NFT that is making them appear special. In addition, IMVU users will have ownership of purchased NFTs on the marketplace, allowing them to collect, display and resell items. For the first time, the new marketplace will enable resell, gifting and inventory management on the IMVU platform. And in partnership with Immutable X, all NFTs created and traded on the IMVU platform will incur zero gas fees, enabling seamless transactions at launch. The NFT marketplace will unlock new functionality our users are excited about, providing our 200,000 creators even more ways to earn. Introducing scarcity, proof of ownership, and ancillary benefits to virtual goods will supercharge the IMVU economy, said Daren Tsui, CEO of Together Labs, the parent company of IMVU. This immense effort builds upon IMVUs thriving economy with more than 21.4 million unit sales per month and a marketplace that has more than 50 million virtual goods. The NFTs will be directly integrated into the existing shop making it seamless for users to find and purchase. IMVU users have long purchased millions of dollars a month of digital goods, said John Burris, President of MetaJuice. With the increased benefits brought by exclusives, limited runs and resell, we believe NFTs will be additive to our already vibrant virtual economy. IMVU will launch with virtual clothing and accessories, with more to come in the future. Also coming soon, more than 200,000 active IMVU creators will be able to easily create, sell and buy NFTS directly within the current IMVU Studio creator tools. Users who purchase NFTs can choose to update their avatar to indicate that they are NFT owners, whether they are wearing an NFT item or not. As someone that owns multiple NFTs outside of IMVU, I am very excited to partake in IMVUs first NFT Marketplace. I think it's a great opportunity for content creators and owners of the exclusive items, said IMVU creator, DuttyDesigns. I also love that IMVU is embracing all aspects of the metaverse and I am very happy to learn and contribute. To kick off the NFT Marketplace, IMVU is collaborating with metaverse-native luxury fashion house Auroboros to host a design challenge. The challenge is to create a couture digital design using iconic symbols and textures inspired by nature, created by Auroboros. The collections will be judged by the co-founders of Auroboros, Paula Sello and Alissa Aulbekova. Designs will be converted into digital wearables and NFTs to be featured and sold on the IMVU NFT Marketplace in the months to come. Once launched, creators will receive a portion of the sales as part of the prizing package. The design challenge and other partnership events will kick-off this summer. MetaJuice and IMVU previously collaborated with designers and brands - such as Shoes 53045 - and others to mint, sell and showcase NFTs on the platform. This launch will be new and different as the NFTs will be fully integrated into the IMVU metaverse and eventually the creator studio tools, making NFTs an integral part of the community and economy. About IMVU Based in Silicon Valley, IMVU (imm-view) is the worlds largest friendship discovery and social platform, and a top 5 grossing app in the iOS/Apple App Store and Google Play Store, where millions of users customize their avatars and explore over 40,000+ destinations to connect with each other. Through chat and events, IMVUs massive metaverse enables and empowers friendship and human connection. A community of hundreds of thousands of creators power IMVUs peer to peer economy by designing and selling virtual goods and destinations, adding to a growing catalog of 50 million items. The IMVU experience is available on the web, a desktop app, and as an iOS and Android app. IMVU is a division of Together Labs. About MetaJuice MetaJuice (www.metajuice.com) is unlocking the metaverse. By building blockchain-driven economies where everyone can own, earn, create and shape the future metaverse, MetaJuice will realize its vision of opening the metaverse and creating a world where users, players and creators can participate and share in its success. MetaJuice has launched meta tokens VCORE and VCOIN, and NFT assets. MetaJuice is the blockchain subsidiary of Together Labs. About Together Labs Together Labs innovates technologies that empower people worldwide to connect, create and earn in virtual worlds. Our mission is to redefine social media as a catalyst for authentic human connection through the development of a family of products grounded in this core value. These include: IMVU, the world's largest friendship discovery and social metaverse; VCOIN, the first transferable digital currency sold as a non-security under regulatory no-action relief; VCORE, an ERC-20 token that lets the community create, play and earn in the metaverse; and WithMe, an upcoming mobile metaverse. For more information, visit www.togetherlabs.com. Washington, DC, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) awarded 59 organizations $336.4 million today for the development of affordable housing and community facilities serving low-income individuals, families, and communities. These awards were made through the fiscal year (FY) 2021 round of the Capital Magnet Fund, and will support financing for the preservation, rehabilitation, development or purchase of affordable housing as well as related economic development and community service facilities such as day care centers, workforce development centers and health care clinics. This is the largest award round since the creation of the Capital Magnet Fund and a 23% increase in the number of awardees compared to the FY 2020 award round. I am proud to announce the recipients of the FY 2021 Capital Magnet Fund awards, our largest award round ever, said CDFI Fund Director Jodie Harris. The lack of affordable housing is a persistent problem for our country. Expanding the reach of the Capital Magnet Fund to more organizationsone-third of which are first-time Capital Magnet Fund awardeeswill support vital financing for affordable housing and related economic development and community service facilities that our communities urgently need. The awardees are required to leverage their awards with other private and public investment by at least 10 to 1, guaranteeing that a minimum of $3.36 billion will be invested in eligible projects across the United States. For the FY 2021 round the awardees anticipate that nearly $12.8 billion will be invested in total, including more than $9.8 billion in private investment. The 59 awardees will collectively serve 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Thirty awardees (or 51% of the total awardees) plan to invest a portion of their award dollars in Rural Areas, with nine of those awardees planning to invest at least half of their award dollars in Rural Areas. Of the 59 total awardees, 32 are Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and 27 are non-profit housing organizations. The 59 awardees were selected pursuant to a merit-based competitive review of applications submitted from 146 organizations that requested more than $991.8 million from the FY 2021 Capital Magnet Fund round. FY 2021 Capital Magnet Fund Award Resources About the CDFI Fund Since its creation in 1994, the CDFI Fund has awarded more than $5.5 billion to CDFIs, community development organizations, and financial institutions through: the Bank Enterprise Award Program; the Capital Magnet Fund; the CDFI Rapid Response Program; the Community Development Financial Institutions Program, including the Healthy Food Financing Initiative; the Economic Mobility Corps; the Financial Education and Counseling Pilot Program; the Native American CDFI Assistance Program; and the Small Dollar Loan Program. In addition, the CDFI Fund has allocated $66 billion in tax credit allocation authority to Community Development Entities through the New Markets Tax Credit Program, and closed guaranteed bonds for more than $1.8 billion through the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program. To learn more about the CDFI Fund and its programs, please visit the CDFI Funds website at www.cdfifund.gov. LONDON, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The PA&H insurance market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 6% from 2020 to 2025. Telemedicine/ telehealth, mental health, and personalization trends will gain mainstream momentum over the coming years across all regions in the global personal health and accident insurance market. The Personal Accident and Health Insurance Market Research Report offered by GlobalData Plc provides a detailed outlook of the global personal accident & health insurance industry. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium and loss ratio during the review period and forecast period. The report also gives a comprehensive overview of the global and regional personal accident & health insurance industry, key lines of business, key trends, drivers, challenges, regulatory overview and developments, and the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. Moreover, it provides insight into key technological developments impacting the global PA&H insurance industry. For more information on PA&H insurance market forecast, download a free report sample Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Trends The rise in popularity of health and wellness trends propelled wearable devices as tailored solutions into the mainstream, giving insurers access to detailed biometric and activity data from policyholders, allowing insurers to improve underwriting accuracy, prevent claims and increase customer engagement. Technological advancements are also allowing insurers to customize requirements through which a personalized insurance proposition can be presented to enhance customers experience. AI, natural language processing, predictive analytics, and machine learning are a few technologies that insurers are adopting to provide hyper-personalization with behavior-based insurance products to customers. Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Segmentation by Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific South & Central America Middle East & Africa North America dominated the global PA&H premiums in 2020 with the US leading the global market. Reduced healthcare claims and medical costs due to delayed or cancellation of many healthcare procedures offset any unprecedented rise in healthcare claims related to COVID-19 in the US. Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Analysis by Region For more regional insights, download a free report sample Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Segmentation by Lines of Business Non-Categorized Life Personal Accident & Health Life Travel Life Personal Accident Life Health Non-Categorized General Insurance Personal Accident & Health General Insurance Travel General Insurance Personal Accident General Insurance Health/ Stand-Alone Health Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Analysis by Lines of Business For more lines of business insights, download a free report sample Leading Companies in the Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market UnitedHealth Group Anthem Inc Humana Group Centene Corporation Group HCSC Group Ping An Insurance Company of China Limited CVS Health Corporation Kaiser Foundation Group Guidewell Mutual Holding Corporation Independence Health Group Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Analysis by Companies To know more about leading companies, download a free report sample Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Overview Market Size (2020) $1.6 trillion CAGR (2020-2025) >6% Forecast Period 2021-2025 Key Regions North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South & Central America, and Middle East & Africa Key Lines of Business Non-Categorized Life Personal Accident & Health, Life Travel, Life Personal Accident, Life Health, Non-Categorized General Insurance Personal Accident & Health, General Insurance Travel, General Insurance Personal Accident, and General Insurance Health/ Stand Alone Health Leading Companies UnitedHealth Group, Anthem Inc, Humana Group, Centene Corporation Group, HCSC Group, Ping An Insurance Company Of China Limited, CVS Health Corporation, Kaiser Foundation Group, Guidewell Mutual Holding Corporation, and Independence Health Group Personal Accident & Health Insurance Market Report Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global personal accident and health insurance industry It provides historical values for the global and regional personal accident and health insurance industry for the reports review period, and projected figures for the forecast period. It offers a detailed analysis of the regional personal accident and health insurance industry and market forecasts till 2025. It provides key market trends in the global personal accident and health insurance industry. It provides an in-depth analysis of the global retail and commercial personal accident and health insurance sectors. It analyzes consumer preference in purchasing personal accident and health insurance via different channels. It provides rankings, premiums, and market share of the top global and regional personal accident and health insurers and analyzes the competitive landscape. Reasons to Buy Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the global and regional personal accident and health insurance industry. In-depth market analysis, information, and insights into the global personal accident and health insurance industry. In-depth analysis of the competitive landscape and top 20 regional markets. Understand the key dynamics, trends, and growth opportunities in the global and regional personal accident and health insurance industry. Identify key regulatory developments impacting the market growth. Identify growth opportunities in key regional markets. FAQs What was the personal accident & health insurance market size in 2020? The PA&H insurance market size was valued at $1.6 trillion in 2020. What is the personal accident & health insurance market growth rate? The PA&H insurance market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 6% from 2020 to 2025. Which are the key regions in the personal accident & health insurance market? The key regions in the PA&H market are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South & Central America, and Middle East & Africa. What are the key lines of business in the personal accident & health insurance market? The key segments in the PA&H insurance market are non-categorized life personal accident & health, life travel, life personal accident, life health, non-categorized general insurance personal accident & health, general insurance travel, general insurance personal accident, and general insurance health/ stand-alone health. Which are the leading companies in the personal accident & health insurance market? The leading PA&H insurance companies are UnitedHealth Group, Anthem Inc, Humana Group, Centene Corporation Group, HCSC Group, Ping An Insurance Company Of China Limited, CVS Health Corporation, Kaiser Foundation Group, Guidewell Mutual Holding Corporation, and Independence Health Group. Related Reports Electric Vehicles (EV) in Insurance Thematic Research Click here Slice Tech Innovator Profile Click here Augmented Reality (AR) in Insurance Thematic Research Click here Blockchain in Insurance Thematic Research Click here AIG Enterprise Tech Ecosystem Series Click here About us GlobalData is a leading provider of data, analytics, and insights on the world's largest industries. In an increasingly fast-moving, complex, and uncertain world, it has never been harder for organizations and decision makers to predict and navigate the future. This is why GlobalData's mission is to help our clients to decode the future and profit from faster, more informed decisions. As a leading information services company, thousands of clients rely on GlobalData for trusted, timely, and actionable intelligence. Our solutions are designed to provide a daily edge to professionals within corporations, financial institutions, professional services, and government agencies. Media Contacts GlobalData Mark Jephcott Head of PR EMEA mark.jephcott@globaldata.com cc: pr@globaldata.com +44 (0)207 936 6400 LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wiz Khalifa, GRAMMY and Golden Globe-nominated recording artist, and Nextbite are rolling out a new delivery-only restaurant brand Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa in cities nationwide. It will be available coast to coast, including in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and many more cities. The new Packed Bowls menu is packed with unexpected flavor mashups. It features creative flavor combinations including crispy tater tots, layered with creamy Mac & Yellow (aka Mac & Cheese), proteins, and tantalizing sauces. Each bowl is finished with a variety of fun toppings such as Hot Cheetos, Lay's BBQ or Doritos dust. For dessert, the menu offers That Sticky PB&J, an irresistible, ooey gooey fried Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly sandwich dusted with powdered sugar. When it comes to late-night cravings, simple wont cut it. These bowls are extremely unique, with delicious flavor combinations that will deliver a euphoric food experience for my fans, said Wiz Khalifa. Packed Bowls will give your taste buds a hit with the amazing mashups weve created. Working with Wiz early on, we created a delivery-only restaurant sensation that has been a model for success and keeps getting better, said Alex Canter, CEO and Co-Founder of Nextbite. His vision and personality are reflected in this one-of-a-kind new menu and were excited to help redefine late-night dining. Nextbite, a leader and innovator in virtual restaurant solutions, partners with restaurants to enable them to offer its unique delivery-only menus. Through a partnership with Nextbite, Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa is now available for delivery on Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub in cities nationwide. In addition to Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa , Nextbite's growing brand portfolio of delivery-only menu items includes George Lopez Tacos along with other menu items, from the best-selling Miss Mazys Amazin Chicken to Grilled Cheese Society . About Wiz Khalifa Multi-platinum selling, Grammy and Golden Globe nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa burst onto the scene with mainstream success with the release of his first major label debut album, ROLLING PAPERS in 2011. ROLLING PAPERS spawned the hugely successful hits Black and Yellow, Roll Up, and No Sleep and gave Wiz the platform to win the award for Best New Artist at the 2011 BET Awards and Top New Artist at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. As a follow up to ROLLING PAPERS, Wiz Released O.N.I.F.C. in 2012. This album featured tracks Work Hard, Play Hard and Remember You featuring The Weeknd. His third studio album released in 2014, BLACC HOLLYWOOD, debuted at #1 on Billboards Top 200 album chart and included hit single "We DemBoyz." Soon after, Wizs track, See You Again, off the FURIOUS 7 soundtrack, catapulted to the top of the charts across 95 countries. Wiz released his album, KHALIFA, in February 2016 as a thank you to fans which included the tracks Bake Sale featuring Travis Scott and Elevated. In June of the same year, Wiz collaborated with Juicy J and TM88 to debut TGOD MAFIA PRESENTS: RUDE AWAKENING and embarked on his co-headlining The High Road Summer Tour with Snoop Dogg. On April 20th, 2017, Wiz launched his mobile app, Wiz Khalifas Weed Farm, which has garnered over 10.1 million downloads and is currently being played in over eight countries and six languages. In February 2018, Wiz partnered with Sovereign Brands to create McQueen and the Violet Fog, an Award winning gin and rated by the NY Times as the Best Gin. In April of 2019, Wiz released his 5-part docuseries with Apple Music, Wiz Khalifa: Behind the Cam, which gives viewers an exclusive look into his life and career. Wiz is also a series regular in Foxs animated sitcom, Duncanville which had its season 3 premiere on May 1, 2022. On 4/20 of 2020, Wiz released his latest project, The Saga of Wiz Khalifa, which features his tracks, Contact, featuring Tyga and his latest single, Still Wiz. In 2021, Wiz released his latest playlist, Taylor Nights. Most recently Wiz released his collaborative album, Full Court Press, with Girl Talk, Big K.R.I.T., and Smoke DZA as well as his solo single, Iced Out Necklace. About Nextbite Nextbite is helping drive and shape the new digital era for the restaurant industry. A leader and innovator in virtual restaurant solutions, the company is focused on helping restaurant partners successfully enter the virtual restaurant space with new delivery-only menus , using underutilized kitchen capacity, to increase margins and revenue. Originally founded as Ordermark in 2017, Nextbite is the only all-in-one virtual restaurant solution for existing restaurants and kitchens that pairs the proven Ordermark online ordering/delivery management system with a selection of highly visible, on-trend, delivery brands. Headquartered in Denver and Los Angeles, Nextbite has more than $150M in funding, with its most recent round led by SoftBank. Learn more at nextbite.io , and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and Twitter . Nextbite Media Contacts: Angela Zott/Nextbite 586-565-1986 angela.zott@nextbite.io Lisa Hendrickson/LCH Communications for Nextbite 516-643-1642 lisa@lchcommunications.com For more information on Wiz Khalifa, please contact The Lede Company: Christopher Iacullo | chris.iacullo@ledecompany.com Hannah Haines | Hannah.haines@ledecompany.com Samantha Brensilber | Samantha.brensilber@ledecompany.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2879d8be-27ce-4ede-98ad-59b62c426fe1 Gettyimagesbank European Union leaders aim to maintain pressure on Russia at their summit this week by committing to further work on sanctions, a draft document showed, with gold among assets that may be targeted in a possible next round of measures. The EU has adopted six packages of sanctions against Russia and Belarus since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Feb. 24, but several sectors including gas remain largely untouched as EU governments avoid measures that could damage their own economies more than Russia's. "Work will continue on sanctions, including to strengthen implementation and prevent circumvention," EU leaders will say at the end of their regular summit June 23 and 24, according to the latest version of their draft conclusions dated June 20 and seen by Reuters. The text represents a compromise between Nordic and eastern countries which pushed for a clear reference to a seventh package in the summit statement, and nations such as Germany and Belgium which want to focus on applying existing measures rather than immediately adding more. In a previous version of the text there was no mention of more work on sanctions, with the tweak representing a win for hawks. But, in line with Germany's wishes, the new text does not explicitly refer to a seventh package. Although no new package is currently being prepared, work is ongoing to identify sectors that could be hit, officials said. Gold is one of the possible next targets, according to officials familiar with the discussions. Gold is a crucial asset for the Russian Central Bank, which has faced restrictions on accessing some of its assets held abroad because of Western sanctions. At a closed-door meeting of EU envoys last week, Denmark suggested further sanctions could include gold, a spokesperson for the Danish ambassador to the EU said. A person familiar with the work on sanctions told Reuters the European Commission was working on adding gold to a possible next round, although it was not yet clear whether the measure could ban exports to Russia, imports from Russia or both. EU leaders will also agree to accelerate plans to fund Ukraine's reconstruction and will take note of new emergency funds of up to 9 billion euros ($9.45 billion) that the Commission is set to present shortly, the draft document said. They are also set to push for new military support to Ukraine, the document showed. Officials said this could amount to at least 0.5 billion euros in addition to 2 billion already approved. (Reuters) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Eighth IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians was held last week in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh of Egypt, under the auspices of H.E. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The two-day conference was held in cooperation between the Egyptian House of Representatives and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The issue of climate change topped the conference's agenda as the most critical crisis currently threatening the world. The conference coincides with Egypt's preparations for hosting the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November. The conference tackled several critical issues, topped by climate change and its impact on human rights, the role played by parliaments in combating this dangerous phenomenon, ways of engaging civil society organizations and citizens in parliamentary action, and supporting developing countries in addressing climate change. Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy Gebaly said that the issue of climate change poses an exceptional, dangerous and multidimensional challenge, stressing that there is no higher priority than addressing this imminent threat. Dr. Gebaly affirmed that dialogue among the youth is no longer optional, but has become an urgent need imposed by the specific and exceptional challenges facing the world. The conference sends a clear message that there is a dire need to confront this global phenomenon at both executive and legislative levels in order to save the world from grave consequences, he said. President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Duarte Pacheco praised the efforts exerted by the Egyptian State to combat the hazards of climate change. Mr. Pacheco added that the world needs to act swiftly to address the potential threats that could afflict the entire globe. He further warned that entire islands may disappear if carbon emissions and global warming persist. The conference came up with several important recommendations, including: Creating green budgets and parliaments. Enacting effective legislation compatible with the Paris Agreement. Motivating youth to engage in combating climate change. Assisting developing countries. Exchanging scientific expertise among countries. Providing investments and economic resources that are compatible with environmental sustainability programs. About the conference The Eighth IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians is held in cooperation with the Egyptian House of Representatives in Sharm El Sheikh City in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The two-day conference is attended by delegations of young parliamentarians from more than 60 countries. It discusses the most prominent global issue of climate change. The conference also aims to empower young parliamentarians and listen to their visions. For press inquiries: press@30n.org Related Images Image 1: Egypt's Speaker of Parliament Hanafy El-Gebaly This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment LONDON, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The US has abundant and diverse natural resources, including extensive deposits of copper, gold coal, iron ore and uranium. The US federal and state bodies have separate roles and responsibilities for resource exploration and development. Mineral resources, for example, are owned by the state or federal governments, rather than private individuals. The Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency are the main governing bodies. Mining Law 1972 and the Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Act (SMRCA) are the apex laws. Among the states, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, California, Minnesota, Alaska, Utah, Florida, Missouri, and Michigan were the top ten revenue-generating ones in 2021. The USA Mining Industry Fiscal Regime Analysis Report 2022 offered by GlobalData Plc provides an outline of the governing bodies, governing laws, various mineral licenses and fees by state and territory. It also gives us a comprehensive overview of the US' governing bodies, major laws in the industry, and to gain an overall overview of US' mining fiscal regime. Federal Governing Bodies in the US Mining Industry US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement US Geological Survey (USGS) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Federal Mine Safety Health Review Commission Department of Energy US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) US Nuclear Regulatory Commission The Energy and Minerals Mission Area of the USGS conducts research on the location, quantity and quality of mineral resources. It also assesses the economic and environmental impacts of the extraction and uses of mineral resources. To know more about federal governing bodies in the US mining industry, download a free report sample State Governing Bodies in the US Mining Industry Oil, Gas and Minerals Division (OGMD) - Michigan Division of Minerals (NDOM) - Nevada Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - Minnesota Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources - Alaska Department of Mines Mineral and Energy (DMME) - Virginia Department of Lands (IDL) - Idaho Department of Natural Resources - Missouri Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) - Wyoming Department of Environment & Conservation - Tennessee The OGMD operates under the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). It aims to encourage the best usage of non-renewable geological resources for economic and social benefits. It also regulates metal and coal mining in the state. However, mineral commodities such as gypsum and limestone are not regulated by OGMD. To know more about state governing bodies in the US mining industry, download a free report sample US Mining Industry Fiscal Regime Overview Market Value of US Minerals (2021) $90.4 billion Federal Governing Bodies US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, US Geological Survey (USGS), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Federal Mine Safety Health Review Commission, Department of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission State Governing Bodies Oil, Gas and Minerals Division (OGMD), Division of Minerals (NDOM), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Department of Mines Mineral and Energy (DMME), Department of Lands (IDL), Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Department of Environment & Conservation, and Others US Mining Industry Fiscal Regime Analysis Report Scope The report outlines the governing bodies, governing laws, various mineral licenses, and fees by state and territory. Reasons to Buy Enhance your decision-making capability in a more rapid and time-sensitive manner. Find out US' governing bodies, and major laws in the industry. Identify various mineral licenses and fees. To gain an overview of US' mining fiscal regime FAQs What was the market value of the US minerals generated in 2021? The US minerals market was valued at $90.4 billion in 2021. Which are the federal governing bodies in the US mining industry? The federal governing bodies in the US mining industry are the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, US Geological Survey (USGS), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Federal Mine Safety Health Review Commission, Department of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Which are the state governing bodies in the US mining industry? The state governing bodies in the US mining industry are the Oil, Gas and Minerals Division (OGMD), Division of Minerals (NDOM), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Department of Mines Mineral and Energy (DMME), Department of Lands (IDL), Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Department of Environment & Conservation among others. Related Reports United States of America (USA) Copper Mining Market by Reserves and Production, Assets and Projects, Fiscal Regime including Taxes and Royalties, Key Players and Forecast, 2022-2026 Click here Hydrogen in Mining Thematic Research Click here Gold Mining Market Analysis including Reserves, Production, Operating, Developing and Exploration Assets, Demand Drivers, Key Players and Forecasts, 2021-2026 Click here Cybersecurity in Mining Thematic Research Click here Silver Mining Market by Reserves and Production, Assets and Projects, Demand Drivers, Key Players and Forecast, 2022-2026 - Click here About us GlobalData is a leading provider of data, analytics, and insights on the world's largest industries. In an increasingly fast-moving, complex, and uncertain world, it has never been harder for organizations and decision makers to predict and navigate the future. This is why GlobalData's mission is to help our clients to decode the future and profit from faster, more informed decisions. As a leading information services company, thousands of clients rely on GlobalData for trusted, timely, and actionable intelligence. Our solutions are designed to provide a daily edge to professionals within corporations, financial institutions, professional services, and government agencies. Media Contacts GlobalData Mark Jephcott Head of PR EMEA mark.jephcott@globaldata.com cc: pr@globaldata.com +44 (0)207 936 6400 HIGHLIGHTS LPI to consolidate 100% ownership of the Maricunga brine project, by way of a three-party all-scrip merger with its JV Partners MSB SpA (owner of 31.31% of Maricunga) and TSXV listed Bearing Lithium (17.14%) The Transactions increase the current LPI shareholders proportionate interest in Maricunga from the current 51.55% to ~57.9% 1 LPI will consolidate the ~48.45% of the Project that it does not currently own at a valuation which is a discount of ~17.1% 2 compared with LPIs current look through value of Maricunga LPI holding 100% ownership of the Project will simplify decision-making and provides the optimal structure to oversee the rapid development of Maricunga Consolidation of 100% of the Projects ownership will de-risk the funding pathway and enhance LPIs ability to source capital for the development of Maricunga from a wider range of providers when compared with the existing joint venture ownership structure Consideration will be paid in LPI shares thereby allowing the shareholders of the JV Partners to retain exposure to the NPV 8 US$1.4b Project 3 The Transactions have been unanimously endorsed by the Boards of LPI, Bearing and MSB SpA, with the LPI Board (other than Mr Martin Borda who abstained due to him being the ultimate controller of MSB SpA) recommending that LPI shareholders vote in favour of the Transactions at the upcoming shareholder meeting SYDNEY, Australia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Power International Limited (ASX: LPI) (LPI or the Company) is pleased to announce it has entered into definitive binding agreements to consolidate 100% ownership of the Maricunga Lithium Brine project in Chile (Maricunga or the Project) via two all scrip mergers with its joint venture partners Minera Salar Blanco SpA (MSB SpA) and Bearing Lithium Corp. (BRZ:TSXV) (Bearing) (together the JV Partners) (individually the Transaction or together the Transactions). To read the companys full ASX release in this regard, please click here. Lithium Powers Chairman, David Hannon, commented: We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with both MSB SpA and Bearing to consolidate 100% ownership of Maricunga. The updated DFS released on 20 January 2022 demonstrates that Maricunga could be one of the lowest cost producers of lithium carbonate in the world, with the Projects strong economics underpinning a highly attractive asset. This transaction is a highly logical step for LPI. By assuming full control of the Project, LPI will create a strong platform from which to develop and fund Maricunga. We look forward to continuing to deliver long-term value for all LPI shareholders, including MSB SpA and the new Bearing shareholders. For further information, please contact: Cristobal Garcia-Huidobro CEO; or Andrew Phillips CFO Lithium Power International E: info@lithiumpowerinternational.com Ph: +612 9276 1245 www.lithiumpowerinternational.com @LithiumPowerLPI Jane Morgan Investor and Media Relations + 61 (0) 405 555 618 jm@janemorganmanagement.com.au For U.S. and other international investor relations enquiries: Arrowhead Business and Investment Decisions, LLC Thomas Renaud | Managing Director 42 Broadway, 17th Floor New York, NY 10004 Office: +1 212 619-6889 enquire@arrowheadbid.com 1 Based on diluted proforma ownership of LPI assuming LPI 1M VWAP share price as at market close on 21 June 2022 from IRESS. 2 Refer footnote 1 above. 3 Refer to the Company's ASX announcement entitled Maricunga Stage One DFS delivers an after tax NPV of US$1.4B dated 20 January 2022. The Company confirms that all material assumptions underpinning the production targets, and the forecast financial information derived from such production targets, in this Announcement, continue to apply and have not materially changed. Orange, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orange, California - Orange County, California, 2022: Laminar Consulting Services, Orange Countys leading business software service, discusses the ways custom application development can reduce business fraud. The report was compiled by the companys software experts and published on Laminar Consultings website to highlight the importance of custom software solutions for businesses. Financial technology has revolutionized payment methods in the current global environment. Companies are abandoning traditional payment methods in favor of these new technology methods. Although this shift has made everything much easier to access, it has also created new pathways for crime and fraud. Cybercrimes are estimated to cost companies and organizations up to $90 million by 2022. This publication aims to address the need for mitigating cyberattacks through custom application development. According to Laminar Consulting, the report was produced after in-depth research by their experts. The report's primary focus is on some ways custom application development can reduce fraud. The new article further sheds light on what custom software development services entail. The experts in the report explained why it is critical for businesses to hire custom software application development services to help businesses mitigate financial fraud. The report was published as part of their regular research on custom application development. The full report can be found here: https://laminarco.com/hire-custom-application-software-development-services-to-help-mitigate-financial-fraud/. Although there are different software options in the market, custom software development is the most flexible and customizable option when it comes to Finance or FinTech. The publication analyzes how custom application development can help companies reduce the risk of financial fraud, said Laminar Consultings spokesperson. Weve been in the business for years as one of the best full-service software development and consulting services. In this time, numerous businesses have worked with us to learn more about custom software development in order to control fraud and improve security. Laminar Consulting is a reputed software solutions service that offers clients everything from cloud migration services to custom application development. According to a top company insider, their goal is to make the businesss technology efficient, up-to-date, and easy to use. By implementing smart designs, they expect to boost the quality of their services while also adding to them through innovative tech solutions. Laminar Consultings mission is to offer streamlined software solutions for their clients to add to the quality and satisfaction their customers look for. They believe they can build on their reputation as top-tier software development and consultation with their expertise and transparency. The website also hosts an extensive library of online resources on IT, business tech, and innovative technologies. It aims to help businesses, individuals, and entrepreneurs by delivering information, advice, research, analyses, and practical tips on the use and utility of modern technologies. Our approach to software is rooted in expertise and transparency. Our highly skilled and qualified team will offer the quality, efficiency, and customer service that every client deserves, said a spokesperson from the company. The software solution providers have continued to rate high on Google and Yelp, with Clients' 5-star reviews attesting to its success; as one client put it, All goals and needs were met in less time than anticipated. The process was well thought out and ran smoothly. Their team's ability to correctly assess needs, align the correct team, and execute without the need for many meetings impressed. Being a full-service computer engineering company, Laminar has always provided its QA software testing services for web applications, mobile applications, desktop applications, internet of things devices and apps, and cloud services. For more information on their cloud migration services, readers can visit their page: https://laminarco.com/cloud-migration-services. Contact Laminar Consultings team for a free consultation or more information regarding their software services. ### For more information about Laminar Consulting, contact the company here: Laminar Consulting (888) 531-9995 contactus@laminarco.com Orange County, California Vow ASA subsidiary C.H. Evensen Industriovner AS has been awarded a contract to supply a rotation moulding furnace to a leading manufacturer of polyethylene boats. The contract is valued at NOK 16.5 million. Delivery is scheduled for second quarter 2023. Boats cast in polyethylene are light, robust, and highly versatile, and well suited for both professional and recreational use, and rotation moulding furnaces from C.H. Evensen are a key component in the production process. We delivered the first rotation moulding furnace to this customer three decades ago. Since then and together with the customer, we have continually updated and upgraded the technology. The new version now on order offers significant benefits in terms of efficiency, reducing production and processing time with around 30 percent, which again results in significant energy savings, said Henrik J. Wulff, Managing Director of C.H. Evensen. This C.H. Evensen contract exemplifies our approach to customer relations and technology development. We take great pride in working closely with our customers, taking the long view, and always looking for ways to apply new knowledge and advances in technology to improve, said Henrik Badin, CEO of Vow ASA. The C.H. Evensen contract will be booked as order intake in the second quarter in Vows Landbased segment. C.H. Evensens rotation moulding furnace is featured here: https://youtu.be/YhjTbFnBc8Q?t=62 For more information, please contact: Henrik Badin, CEO. Vow ASA Tel: + 47 90 78 98 25 Email: henrik.badin@vowasa.com Henrik J. Wulff, Managing Director. C.H. Evensen Industriovner AS Tel: +47 924 93 230 Email: henrik@che.no About Vow Vow and its subsidiaries Scanship, C.H. Evensen and Etia are passionate about preventing pollution. The companys world leading solutions convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and generate clean energy for a wide range of industries. Cruise ships on every ocean have Vow technology inside which processes waste and purifies wastewater. Fish farmers are adopting similar solutions, and public utilities and industries use our solutions for sludge processing, waste management and biogas production on land. With advanced technologies and solutions, Vow turns waste into biogenetic fuels to help decarbonise industry and convert plastic waste into fuel, clean energy, and high-value pyro carbon. The solutions are scalable, standardised, patented, and thoroughly documented, and the companys capability to deliver is well proven. They are key to end waste and stop pollution. Located in Oslo, the parent company Vow ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker VOW). This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Chicago, Ill., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CHICAGO June 22, 2022 The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Citizen Soldier Award: Lieutenant Colonel Enoch Woodhouse, Colonel Jack Jacobs and General Ann Dunwoody. The awards will be presented at the 2022 Liberty Gala Honoring Strength Through Diversity on Saturday, November 5, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel. The Citizen Soldier Award stands to honor a person who exemplifies the traditions of the citizen soldier set by George Washington, a person who served the nation as a leader in war and in peace, for the betterment of the common good. The recipient must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, active, guard or reserves, and is either active or honorably discharged. The honoree must also display a commitment to non-partisan issues and demonstrate the ability to bridge political divides. Citizen Soldier Award recipients are selected by a committee comprised of members of the Board of Directors and non-Board volunteers of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and by Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), Chair and Founder of the Museum & Library. The Museum & Library is proud to present its highest honor at the 2022 Liberty Gala to three exemplary individuals that embody the meaning of the Citizen Soldier, stated Pritzker Military Museum & Library Founder, Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired). The kind of sacrifices, commitment, and accomplishments of each of our honorees speaks to the importance of both service and standing for the greater good in our country. It is really an honor for us to celebrate and acknowledge such deserving individuals. Lt. Col. Enoch Woodhouse enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. He later served as a finance officer for the Tuskegee Airmen from 1946 to 1948. After the military desegregated in 1948, he continued to serve in reserve for the newly formed Air Force in 1949. His military service has earned him numerous awards, most notably the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress on individuals or institutions for distinguished achievements and contributions. He and other Tuskegee Airmen received the medal from President George W. Bush in 2006. Colonel Jack Jacobs entered military service in 1966 as an ROTC second lieutenant assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and deployed to Vietnam as a military advisor. During a mission in the Mekong Delta, his battalion came under withering enemy fire. Wounded in the head and arms, Jack took command of the battered unit, organizing a defense and repeatedly running through heavy fire to rescue wounded soldiers and retrieve weapons, single-handedly dispersing enemy squads, killing at least three enemy soldiers. Jacks gallant actions and extraordinary heroism saved the lives of one U.S. advisor and 13 allied soldiers. For his service in Vietnam, Jack added two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts to his list of decorations. General Ann Dunwoody was the first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division in 1992. Ann became Fort Bragg's first female general officer in 2000 and the first woman to command the Combined Arms Support Command at Fort Lee, Virginia. In 2005, she became the Armys top-ranking female when she was promoted to lieutenant general as the Armys deputy chief of staff, G-4 (logistics). In November of 2008, General Dunwoody became the first woman in military history to achieve the rank of four-star general. As commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, one of the largest commands in the Army, Ann served with distinction. Throughout her career, General Dunwoody remained an avid proponent of decreasing sexual assault within the United States Army. Lt. Col. Woodhouse, Col. Jacobs, and Gen. Dunwoody are extraordinary examples of what it means to be a citizen soldier, stated Susan Rifkin, Pritzker Military Museum & Library Interim President. Col. Jacobs courageously acted to save his fellow soldier. LTC Woodhouse played a pivotal role early in the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces. GEN Dunwoodys ability to break through gender barriers, serving as the first female four-star general in the U.S. Army created progress for all female service members. The accomplishments of our honorees demonstrate their tremendous leadership, strength and diversity. The 2022 Liberty Gala, to be held on Saturday, November 5, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel, will celebrate the work of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and honor the achievements and services of the U.S. Armed Forces citizen soldiers, past and present. This year's theme is "Honoring Strength Through Diversity." For more information on the Liberty Gala or to learn more about the nominees for the Citizen Soldier award, please visit the website at PritzkerMilitary.org. ### About Pritzker Military Museum & Library The Pritzker Military Museum & Library aims to increase the publics understanding of military history, military affairs, and national security by providing a forum for the study and exploration of our military - past, present, and future - with a specific focus on their stories, sacrifices, and values. With national and global reach, these spaces and events aim to share the stories of those who served and their contributions as citizen soldiers, helping citizens everywhere appreciate the relationship between the armed forces and the civilians whose freedoms they protect. A non-governmental, non-partisan organization, the Museum & Library features diverse collections, scholarly initiatives, and public programs from its flagship center in downtown Chicago to its world-class research center and park currently under construction in Somers, Wisconsin. Attachment English French MONTREAL, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velan Inc. (TSX: VLN) announced today that, on Thursday, July 7, 2022, it will release its financial results for the first quarter ended May 31, 2022. The company will hold an analyst call on Friday, July 8, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. (Eastern Daylight Time) to discuss the results. The call may be accessed by dialing 1-800-754-1346 and quoting the reservation number 22019459. Live content to support the discussion will be presented to participants at the following link for the duration of the call: https://cc.callinfo.com/r/1c74a4pslo4jz&eom. There will be PostView available for 7 days following this conference call. The numbers are as follow: 1-416-626-4100 or 1-800-558-5253. Enter Reservation number 22019459 then follow the system prompts. Any material presented during the call will be subsequently made available on the companys website in the investor relations section. For further information please contact: Bruno Carbonaro, Chief Executive Officer and President Tel: (438) 817-7593 or Rishi Sharma, Chief Financial Officer Tel: (438) 817-4430 China's success of remarkable significance for world: former Ethiopian President People's Daily) 17:03, June 22, 2022 "Sincerity, humility, optimism and vision, those are what I see in Chinese President Xi Jinping, the important qualities as a leader of this great country," said former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome. The Chinese government donated 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Ethiopia in January, 2022. The handover ceremony for the donation to the African country was held at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and attended by Zhao Zhiyuan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, and Lia Tadesse, Ethiopian Minister of Health. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia) The former leader of Ethiopia still remembers his meeting with the Chinese President eight years ago. "When we started exchanging our views, he listened to me carefully, and he was always smiling warmly. His expression of offering me sincere compliments remained memorable up to this day," Teshome said. Teshome was elected President of Ethiopia in October 2013. About nine months later, he chose China as the destination for his first overseas visit after he took office. On July 9, 2014, he was received by Xi with a grand welcome ceremony hosted at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. President Xi called Teshome an old friend of the Chinese people and hailed the China-Ethiopia relationship as an example of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries, which made him deeply touched, Teshome told People's Daily. Ethiopia and China have maintained close cooperation during the past years, Teshome noted. China, always been committed to helping Ethiopia get rid of poverty, is a reliable friend of Ethiopia. China never imposes its own will upon others when dealing with international relations and international affairs, and its economic and investment cooperation attaches no strings. The government and people of Ethiopia are grateful to President Xi and will never forget the positive changes China has brought to their country, Teshome said. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets in Beijing with Mulatu Teshome, former President and Special Envoy of Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Oct. 30, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Foreign Ministry) China is the "second home" for Teshome. After graduating from high school in 1976, he came to China to study Chinese sponsored by the Ethiopian government. He started at Beijing Language Institute, known as Beijing Language and Culture University today, and then went to the Department of Philosophy of Peking University and obtained a bachelor's degree there. Later, he furthered his study in the realm of international politics at Peking University and got master's and doctoral degrees. "Development" was what deeply impressed Teshome during his ten-year stay in China. Though the Chinese people were not living a wealthy life at that time, the Ethiopian could still see that the country was a land full of hope. "Chinese leaders have drawn a blueprint for reform and opening-up, and the hardworking Chinese people, united together, long for changes. I'm fortunate to have witnessed the growth of China," he told People's Daily. China's development miracle enhanced Teshome's resolution to lead Ethiopia toward better development. When he served as the President of Ethiopia, the country witnessed rapid economic development. Its GDP was once on double-digit growth. Teshome attributed the rapid development to Ethiopia's close cooperation with China. "China helped us build the Addis AbabaDjibouti Railway and launch two man-made satellites. It also established industrial parks and has offered scholarship programs that sponsor young Ethiopians who want to study in China. Great changes have taken place in my country," he said. As one who has witnessed the development of China, Teshome is amazed at the country's achievements made since the reform and opening-up. "In just 40 some years, China has grown into the second-largest economy in the world and the Chinese peoples lives have significantly improved. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the country has achieved victory in poverty alleviation, which commands the attention of the whole world," Teshome noted. A Chinese train driver instructs an Ethiopian train driver in train driving. (Photo courtesy of China Railway No.2 Engineering Group) Teshome said China's practice has set an example for Ethiopia's economic and social development and China's success is of remarkable significance for the world. After he read the book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, he gained a deeper understanding of China's development philosophy and experience. He said the CPC and the Chinese government put people in the center place and are very visionary. In recent years, China and Africa have further enhanced their cooperation. Both the eight major initiatives announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the nine programs identified at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC have consolidated China-Africa pragmatic cooperation. "China has risen into a leading one of multilateralism, openness and cooperation," Teshome said. "China has always been standing with African countries, with a hope to stand with the whole development of Africa. President Xi's vision to build a community with a shared future for mankind is appreciated by African countries. All countries in the world will benefit from Chinese solutions," he noted. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) This picture shows a member of an all-female demining team preparing to detonate unexploded ordnance at a landmine site in the Trieu Phong district in Quang Tri province, Vietnam, Jan. 6, 2020. AFP-Yonhap President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday that it would restrict the use of anti-personnel land mines by the U.S. military, aligning the country's policy more closely with an international treaty banning the deadly explosives. ''The president believes strongly that we need to curtail their use worldwide,'' John Kirby, a national security spokesman, said at a White House briefing. The United States has not extensively deployed the mines since the Gulf War in 1991. But the announcement represents a shift from a more permissive stance under then-President Donald Trump, and it concludes a review that has lasted for more than a year. Bonnie Jenkins, the State Department's undersecretary for arms control and international security, said the new policy fulfills ''a commitment that President Biden made as a candidate,'' when he described Trump's decision as ''reckless.'' Anti-personnel land mines are buried underground or scattered on the surface, and they can pose a lethal threat to civilians long after combat has ended. Russia has reportedly used the explosives during its invasion of Ukraine. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., described the White House announcement as a ''long overdue recognition that the grave humanitarian and political costs of using these weapons far exceed their limited military utility.'' ''As welcome as this step is, the White House needs to put the U.S. on a definitive path to join the treaties banning anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions," he said in a statement. ''Neither of these indiscriminate weapons, the horrific consequences of which we are seeing in Ukraine today, belong in the arsenals of civilized nations.'' Under the new policy, the U.S. will restrict the use of these explosives outside of its efforts to help defend South Korea from a potential North Korean invasion. Although the U.S. does not currently have any minefields deployed there, Washington has pledged support for Seoul's defense, which includes anti-personnel mines. The U.S. has a stockpile of 3 million anti-personnel land mines. Under the new policy, any that aren't needed to protect South Korea will be destroyed. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a question about whether any will be discarded. The exception regarding the Korean Peninsula, which was also in place during President Barack Obama's administration, leaves the U.S. short of full compliance with the Ottawa Convention, the 1997 treaty intended to eliminate anti-personnel land mines. Russia is not a signatory to the treaty either, and Human Rights Watch said it has documented Moscow's use of mines during its invasion of Ukraine. Alicia Arango Olmos, Colombia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and a top official in the global campaign against the use of land mines, has urged Russia to stop deploying them. ''Anti-personnel mines only cause victims, they don't resolve any type of problem,'' she said in April. Her office praised the U.S. announcement on Tuesday. ''We welcome this timely decision and thank the United States for your commitment with the principles of the (Ottawa) Convention,'' the office tweeted. ''We need to continue our clearance efforts all around the world until we reach a (hash)MineFreeWorld.'' U.S. officials said that the Pentagon was working on alternatives to land mines on the Korean peninsula, but did not detail what those might be. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the administration ''needs to have a better answer about when those alternatives will be developed, rather than just kicking this down the road.'' He said the U.S. should continue working to completely comply with the Ottawa Convention. ''We need to get fully in step to fully differentiate ourselves from the international scofflaws like Russia," he said. (AP) Hong Kong students take the university entrance exam at a school in the city in April 2020. AP-Yonhap Inclusion of Korean in foreign language category will provide Hong Kong students with wider employment opportunities By Kim Bo-eun HONG KONG Hong Kong will include Korean in the foreign language category of the city's university entrance exam starting from 2025. The Consulate General of South Korea in Hong Kong said Wednesday that Hong Kong's Examinations and Assessment Authority and Korea's National Institute for International Education had reached an agreement on the matter. "The documents on the agreement are ready, but a physical ceremony for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was postponed due to Hong Kong's COVID-19 restrictions," Deputy Consul General Park Kyongsig said. Under the agreement, Hong Kong's test authority will allow students to submit scores for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), taken in the last two years. Currently, Hong Kong's university entrance exam has French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Hindi and Urdu in its foreign language category. "Since our students are interested in Korean culture, it will be appreciated that Korean will be included in our university entrance exam," said Cheung Wing Fung, the acting principal of Mu Kuang English School in Hong Kong, which offers Korean language as a required subject. "They will be able to develop their hobby academically." Cheung said the school had adopted Korean language as part of its curriculum after conducting a survey among parents and students, amid the growing interest in Korean culture. Discussions to offer Korean in the university entrance test began as the Consulate General of South Korea met with Hong Kong's education bureau in November of last year. "The introduction of the Korean language test into Hong Kong's university entrance exam appears to have become possible due to the interest about Korea in Hong Kong as well as the elevated status of South Korea as a country around the world," Park said. "This is also meaningful for graduates of Hong Kong schools, because with a proficiency in Korean, they will have a wider pool of opportunities when they seek jobs." Currently, the opportunity to study Korean mostly comes at the university level. The University of Hong Kong offers Korean studies as a major, and a number of other universities offer Korean as a minor. "We have seen that there has been interest in the Korean language among Hong Kong students due to exposure to Korean culture, but up until now, learning Korean was limited to a hobby," Korean Cultural Center Director Lee Young-ho said. "When the Korean test is included in Hong Kong's university entrance exam, students will be able to learn Korean from an earlier stage, which will improve proficiency. Universities are also expected to expand Korean language courses," Lee said, adding the KCC will continue to offer opportunities for Hong Kongers to take part in Korean-language events. It will be the first case in which the TOPIK test will be used in a university entrance exam. Currently, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, France and New Zealand offer a Korean language test of their own in their university entrance exams. Driven by a growing interest in the country due to the popularity of Korean dramas and K-POP, there were 330,016 takers of the TOPIK test in 75 countries last year. Sergio Perez suffered a contracture after his crash in Montreal on Saturday. The Red Bull Racing driver revealed this in an interview with the Mexican branch of Fox Sports. Article continues under ad Perez only became aware of his neck injury a few days later, from which he is currently rehabbing. The aim is to be back in top form for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 3 July. Read more Update | Vips reacts to Red Bull Racing suspension and apologizes Perez undergoing neck therapy The Mexican is keen to come back strongly then from his disappointing weekend in Canada. "It's always difficult to start the week after such a bad day," he commented. "I had a bad strain after the crash, which I didn't feel. I had a lot of pain but overall I am fine, everything is good." He has just under two weeks to rehabilitate and prepare for the next race, but cannot train his neck as normal due to the injury. Therefore, the focus is on recovery, for which the Mexican is undergoing neck therapy. In this way, he hopes to regain his strength quickly and be able to take revenge at Silverstone. In Canada, there was controversy surrounding Mercedes, which had a new floor ready just one day after the FIA 's new directive. Following protests from rival teams, the team abandoned the use of the floor, but despite this Toto Wolff believes the problems with porpoising have been resolved. As for Lewis Hamilton, that remains to be seen. Article continues under ad Hamilton still wants solution for porpoising Hamilton believes Formula One as a sport, as well as his own team, "needs to do more" to eliminate the porpoising of the current generation of F1 cars. In Canada Mercedes suffered considerably less from the problem than in Baku, where the W13 bounced much worse than before. Also on Friday in Canada, it didn't look like the Briton would be able to get a podium on Sunday. Read more Update | Vips reacts to Red Bull Racing suspension and apologizes According to Hamilton, the bouncing was better than in Baku, but it had certainly not disappeared. "We still have bouncing, it's not going away," he said according to FormulaRapida.net. His opinion on solving the problems has therefore not changed. "I think as a sport we still need to do better and I think as a team we also need to do better." The discussions on the subject are far from over. In Canada, Mercedes was accused of having prior knowledge of the solution proposed by the FIA and the new technical directive also caused irritation among rival teams, as the German team is the only one still affected by porposing. For the next race at Silverstone, the FIA wants to talk to all teams again. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, Swedish airline Braathens Regional Airlines and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplier Neste collaborated to enable the first 100% SAF-powered test flight on a commercial regional aircraft. When used in neat form, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions over its life cycle by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel use. The test flight took place in Sweden and is part of the 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certification process of ATR aircraft that started in September 2021 in cooperation with Braathens and Neste and should be completed by 2025. It has been the latest in a series of successful ground and flight tests on the ATR 72-600 prototype aircraft performed at the beginning of 2022, including flights with 100% SAF in one engine. This latest test was the first time it was done with 100% SAF in both engines. Chief ATR pilot Cyril Cizabuiroz, Jean-Marie Marre, co-pilot, and Pascal Daussin, Flight Test Mechanic, flew the Braathens aircraft from Malmo, a coastal city in southern Sweden to Bromma near Stockholm, which took around 1 hour and 20 minutes. The results of the flight will be analyzed and released at a later date. Achieving the milestone was also made possible by Swedavia enabling the SAF to be uplifted to the ATR aircraft at Malmo airport and Pratt & Whitney, closely working together with ATR and Braathens in the preparations of this milestone flight. This milestone affirms the opportunity that SAF plays in the aviation industry and is indicative of the strong commitment Pratt & Whitney has made to powering more sustainable aviation. We have worked closely with ATR and Braathens to ensure todays successful flight test with 100% SAF. Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada FedEx Corp. received its first 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop, the technology startup from General Motors (GM) focused on decarbonizing last-mile delivery. FedEx plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040. The delivery comes just months after BrightDrops commercialization of the Zevo 600 as the fastest vehicle to market in GMs history. (Earlier post.) The first 150 BrightDrop Zevo 600s were delivered throughout Southern California to FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and one of the worlds largest express transportation companies. Powered by GMs Ultium Platform, the Zevo 600 is designed for last-mile deliveries, with an estimated range of up to 250 miles on a full charge. This is part of a larger agreement between FedEx and BrightDrop that will see FedEx incorporate 2,500 total Zevo 600s across FedEx operations over the next few years. To support the new vehicle technology, FedEx is building charging infrastructure across its vast network of facilities, including the more than 500 charging stations the company has already installed across California. FedEx is also actively working with utility companies to help evaluate and determine the capacity needed for electrical grids to support such charging infrastructure and is investing to expand on-site generation and procurement of renewable energy in its facilities. In 2003, FedEx was the first delivery company to use hybrid vehicles for pickup and delivery and, in 1994, the company used its first electric vehiclean acid battery-powered vehicle in California. To complement the companys efforts to reduce its environmental impact in its own operations, FedEx has been a vocal advocate for improved fuel efficiency standards and policies to support the commercial deployment of alternative-fuel vehicles. Memory solutions company Micron has received the first International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 26262 Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) D certification of memory for its low-power double data rate 5 (LPDDR5) DRAM, which is based on its first-to-market 1 (1-alpha) process node. With next-generation advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) applications requiring increasing levels of autonomy and safety, this certification validates that Microns LPDDR5 meets strict functional safety standards and positions it to enable innovations that will unleash full autonomy in intelligent vehicles. ADAS-enabled vehicles now run over 100 million lines of code and require hundreds of tera operations per second, rivaling data center compute. Gartner projects the worldwide factory-fitted automotive memory market will grow to nearly $15 billion in 2026, quadrupling from $3.3 billion last year. At the same time, automakers must comply with strict functional safety standards for electronic systems. Trusted, high-performance memory is imperative for reliably powering safety-critical applications such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blind-spot detection. It is also key to unlocking ADAS technologies such as autonomous valet parking and ridesharing, 4D digital imaging radar, and hands-free experiences that will pave the way for full Level 5 autonomy. Filling these needs, Microns automotive LPDDR5 memory is now certified by exida, an expert in automotive safety, for the most stringent safety integrity level, ASIL D, under ISO 26262. LPDDR5s high performance, power efficiency and low latency also provide the headroom to keep pace with rising bandwidth requirements of next-generation automotive systems. Now in mass production in 48- and 96-gigabit densities, Microns LPDDR5 offers: Proprietary on-chip safety features, including capabilities to detect and alert the system of systematic and random hardware faults so the vehicle can intelligently react and respond. Up to 50% increase in data access speeds, enabling near-instantaneous decision-making from intelligent vehicles multiple sensors and inputs, such as radar, lidar, hi-resolution imaging, 5G networking and optical image recognition. More than 30% improvement in power efficiency, minimizing power consumption for electric and conventional vehicles and resulting in greener, longer-range transportation with lower emissions. While the ISO 26262 standard does not explicitly require memory to be ASIL-compliant today, Micron has gone the extra mile to achieve this industry-first certification and architect its proprietary on-chip safety features, recognizing how critical memory is to safety applications. These capabilities significantly reduce the burden for automakers by minimizing their need to build in additional mechanisms to mitigate risk, thereby simplifying system design and accelerating time to market. Beyond the product certification of LPDDR5 for ASIL D, exida has also certified Microns process capability to develop any synchronous DRAM product according to ISO 26262 requirements. This capability equips the company to release additional solutions in its portfolio of automotive solutions based on ISO 26262 soon. These certifications follow Microns 2021 milestone of sampling the industrys first LPDDR5 hardware-evaluated to meet ASIL-D suitability requirements and of establishing an office of functional safety. The office is dedicated to collaborating with customers on the memory requirements of designing safe automotive systems through Micron labs in Munich, Detroit, Shanghai, Tokyo and beyond. Two Black executives at Amazon are leaving the company, the e-commerce juggernaut confirmed Tuesday, hours after CEO Andy Jassy named a new head for the companys troubled retail business. Alicia Boler Davis, a senior vice president who oversees the companys warehouses, and David Bozeman, the vice president of the Amazons Transportation Services, have decided to explore new opportunities outside Amazon, John Felton, an Amazon executive whos taking over the companys operations organization, said in an email to employees. Boler Davis departure means there are no more Black executives on Amazons senior leadership team, which has been criticized for a lack of diversity. They scaled our operations, launched new capabilities and programs, and demonstrated relentless passion to make our operations better each and every day, Felton said in the email. Amazon did not give further details on the reasons behind the two executives leaving the company and neither could be immediately reached for comment. News of their departure came following an announcement from Jassy earlier in the day that Doug Herrington will become the new CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, the company's former consumer division that is dealing with a glut of warehouse space after a massive expansion during the pandemic. Jassy had also announced earlier Amazon's operations organization would be united under Felton, who will manage the company's warehouses and delivery networks and report to Herrington. Herrington is stepping into the role after leading the companys North American Consumer business for seven years. He replaces Dave Clark, who announced his surprise resignation from the company earlier this month after 23 years. Days later, Clark said he would join the logistics startup Flexport as its new CEO in September. In a note to employees that was later posted on the companys website, Jassy said Herrington is a builder of great teams and brings substantial retail, grocery, demand generation, product development, and Amazon experience to bear, The change come as Jassy is looking to return a healthy level of profitability to the Seattle-based company amid rising costs and a slowdown in demand that has left the e-commerce behemoth with too many workers and too much warehouse space. Amazon saw its profits soar during most of the pandemic, when homebound shoppers turned to online shopping for goods. In response, the company massively expanded its warehousing capacity. But as COVID-19 cases eased, demand also slowed. The company now expects excess space to contribute to $10 billion in additional costs in the first half of 2022. And to mitigate some of those costs, it has reportedly been planning to end some of its leases and sublease warehouse space. Herrington joined Amazons senior leadership team in 2011, six years after joining the company to build out its Consumables business, a group that focuses on consumer packaged goods. He launched Amazon Fresh in 2007. Boler Davis joined Amazon in 2019 from General Motors, where she was also an executive. Arguably, she oversaw one of the most contentious parts of the company's business warehouses where workers routinely called out poor working conditions and high injury rates. The frustration led to a labor win during a union election at a warehouse on Staten Island, New York, in April. The company is currently seeking to redo the vote. Bozeman joined Amazon in 2017 from Caterpillar, where he served as a senior vice president. Connecticut prisons will receive close to $3.7 million in reimbursement from the federal government for the costs of running community COVID-19 testing sites during the pandemic, federal officials said Tuesday. The state Department of Correction will receive $3,669,857 through a Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance grant for running three testing sites between March and November of 2020. FEMA said the state agency acquired tents, heating, furniture and other infrastructure along with hundreds of thousands of test kits. FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the State of Connecticut with these costs, said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich, in a statement. Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation. So far the federal agency has reimbursed the state some $416 million through the grants for expenses related to the pandemic. As the summer rolls into full swing, public health officials have recently advised families to get tested for the virus more often. The state has more than a dozen free COVID testing sites, many of which dont require appointments. Yale New Haven Health also has testing available, but patients need to schedule appointments in advance. On Tuesday, the state reported 3,396 positive tests not including results from at-home tests of 44,116 tests administered in the past week. The seven-day positivity rate stood at around 7.7 percent Tuesday, about the same as last Tuesdays 7.69 percent, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. There were 259 patients hospitalized with the virus Tuesday 23 fewer than last Tuesday, but 13 more than Monday. Of the 259 patients Tuesday, 86 or about a third were not fully vaccinated, state data shows. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstones five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning as about 5,000 vehicles entered the park after getting through long lines that stretched for several miles (kilometers) at one gate in the early morning. The backups were gone by early afternoon, though, and visitation numbers were less than a normal summer day that draws about 10,000 vehicles, park officials said in a news release. Paul Nithyanand of Chennai, India, gathered around Old Faithful along with 1,500 people in the afternoon to see it erupt. Nithyanand was touring the western U.S with his brother and had already seen the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, but said nothing on his trip compared with Old Faithful. Its awesome, said Nithyanand, who was so impressed he waited around 80 minutes to it erupt again. Ive been seeing it in movies and on YouTube but seeing it live is amazing. Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called bison jam where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which theyd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyomings Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. The whole purpose of our trip was to come here, Lonnie Macmillan said. We werent going to go home until we got here. The record floods reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at Americas first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this," he said. To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1% of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the parks 400 miles (644 kilometers) of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials could switch to a reservation system. The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. Its an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the parks geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. Thats turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. Theyre also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. Sholly said he initially thought damage was worse than it actually is, but stressed that it is still bad in some areas of the park. That includes what he called catastrophic damage to one road near Gardiner, Montana, that won't be able to be rebuilt in the same canyon. It could have been a lot worse, Sholly said. But that doesnt mean it wasnt super serious and it doesnt mean its not going to take a long time to recover from. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who r eceived criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesdays reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also wasn't in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the parks wildlife. We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages ... saying Dont come, dont come, she said. But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work. ___ Hanson reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana at Yellowstone National Parks south entrance in Wyoming contributed to this report. We already suspected that would be the case, but now it is official - the Nothing phone (1) will not be available in the US. No North American carrier was on the supported list that we saw yesterday when 100 limited edition units were put up for auction. Here is what the company had to say: While wed love to bring phone (1) to the entire community around the world, were focusing on home markets, including the UK and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers. It takes a lot to launch a smartphone as you know, from ensuring the handset is supported by the countrys cellular technologies to carrier partnerships and local regulation, and as were still a young brand we need to be strategic about it, said Nothing in a statement to PCMag. The Nothing phone (1) Verizon does not allow phones on its network that are not on its whitelist. Similarly, AT&T enables VoLTE only for select phones. And that is effectively a ban, since without VoLTE your phone will need to drop down to 3G to make a call and AT&T shut down its 3G network this February. T-Mobile is more open, but it doesnt use the all of the same bands as European carriers, so coverage will be spotty. Nothing does have plans to launch a smartphone in the US in the future, but it will need to get at least one major carrier on board first. Founder Carl Pei has done it before, the OnePlus 6 was the first from his former company to sell in the US and Canada with support for several carriers (but not all). PS. Even though some units are being auctioned off right now, the Nothing phone (1) launch is set for July 12. Source Samsung is expected to announce the start of the mass production of 3nm chips next week, reports Yonhap News. This means the company will jump ahead of TSMC, which is expected to begin 3nm chip production in the second half of this year. Samsungs 3nm node will bring a 35% decrease in area, 30% higher performance or 50% lower power consumption compared to its 5nm process (which was used for the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100). This will be achieved by switching to a Gate-All-Around (GAA) design for transistors. This is the next step after FinFET as it allows the foundry to shrink transistors, without hurting their ability to carry current. The GAAFET design used in the 3nm node is the MBCFET flavor shown in the image below. The evolution of silicon transistors US President Joe Biden visited Samsungs plant at Pyeongtaek last month to attend a demostration of Samsung's 3nm tech. Last year there was talk that the company could invest $10 billion to build a 3nm foundry in Texas. That investment has grown to $17 billion, the plant is expected to begin operation in 2024. The site of Samsung's plant in Taylor, Texas Anyway, the biggest worry with a new node is yield. In October last year Samsung stated that the yield of its 3nm process is approaching a similar level to the 4nm process. While the company never showed official numbers, analysts believe that Samsungs 4nm node was plagued with yield issues. There is a second generation 3nm node expected in 2023 and the companys roadmap also includes a MBCFET-based 2nm node in 2025. Source When San Francisco technologist Benny T. Anderson Jr. was laid off in 2001 during the crash of the dot-com industry when hundreds of Internet-based companies went bankrupt, he saw it as an opportunity to pursue his desire to learn CHamoru and pass on the language to his young daughters. After the dot-com bust, when my second daughter was born, I told my parents that I wanted to teach my daughters CHamoru, said Anderson, who was born and raised in Guam. So Ill be calling up my mom and dad to practice with them and theyll be laughing at me because, you know, it sounds funny. They keep teasing me and Ill get embarrassed. But you know, I was trying right? On trips back home he would buy all the CHamoru books he could find and was learning or more aptly, relearning CHamoru on his own. He even built a website called Kanton Tasi, a Chamoru dictionary with pictures. I didnt go too far and it kind of fizzled out, he said of the website. His desire to be fluent came and went. Until another global crisis popped up. And so with the (COVID) pandemic, it got me back into thinking about it. My wife (Rebecca Ann P. Diaz) and I took the free (online) CHamoru classes and realized theres lots of CHamoru content out there and its making it easier to learn, he said. And it seems he wasnt alone this time. You know, everybodys speaking CHamoru, all the young generation, theyre all into it. Like, all this inspiration was coming and I want to be part of this. He continues to look for and buy CHamoru books, and consumes all the CHamoru-related content on YouTube and Instagram, but he wanted more. As I was learning and getting a little better, Im like, man, I want to know how do I get to the next level? he said. And Im like, man, theres nothing. So lets try to build it. Marrying his CHamoru language passion and advocacy with his 30-plus years of experience as a web programmer, Anderson built and launched i Sakman i Finota, a crowdsourced CHamoru language blog with stories, audio and video in the Guam and Northern Marianas vernacular. The blog went online in March to celebrate Mes CHamoru with a dozen stories and has quickly grown to over a hundred original written, spoken and sung in CHamoru content and it even has a CHamoru version of Wordle. The sites tagline Anggen ti hita, pues hayi? translates to If not us then who? Guam roots Anderson is the second oldest of six born in Inalahan to Grace Naputi Castro Anderson, familian Yoga, from Inalahan, and Benny Tainatongo Anderson from Malesso. As the salutatorian of the 1988 high school graduating class at Guam Community College, he received a government of Guam merit scholarship, which he used to get a bachelors in computer science at San Francisco State University in 1992. He returned to Guam to pay off the scholarship and help build the IT infrastructure at the Department of Administration and the Department of Revenue and Taxation. He returned to San Francisco a few years later when his wife wanted to finish her college degree. They settled in the city, and he worked for several internet-based companies and has been with Healthline Media for the past 12 years. Im a senior web engineer and I trained a lot of junior and mid-level engineers, he said of his role at Healthline Media. I help with building team culture. I can lead, take over or initiate projects as a lead engineer. When I first started at Healthline there were less than 100 employees and now were like over 500 (employees), he added. We had this goal for so many years to beat WebMD since people know WebMD but nobody knows Healthline. And then we beat them. His work success made it easy to pivot to his passion for the CHamoru language. Its a part of me I am at a point where I am 30 years into my career, and my daughters, theyre adults now, you know, adult-ish. So I dont have to worry about them as much. Im ready to do other stuff to focus on something. he said. The feeling that Im getting is always how to save it, how to keep CHamoru (language) alive. I grew up with my grandma and she only spoke CHamoru. She didnt speak English, he added. Im always hearing it, its a part of me, its always there. The original concept of i Sakman i Finota was as a newspaper. I wanted to have a crowdsourcing newspaper, but in CHamoru, so you have all these CHamorus across the states in all these different places writing in CHamoru on whatevers happening in their community, he said. Then we decided why just limit it to news, and now then it turned into anybody can write about anything as long as its in CHamoru. The site has since expanded to spoken CHamoru and CHamoru songs and an accompanying podcast coming soon. Gotta use it all the time As a fellow CHamoru living in the diaspora, I was envious but proud of Benny Anderson Jr.s zeal for our native language, especially since I experienced the mental trauma of being teased when not speaking perfect CHamoru. CHamorus even have a word for this. Appleng is defined as the sprain of a body appendage, but it also connotes the sprained proficiency, grammar or enunciation of a speakers CHamoru. Why is it so hard to learn CHamoru or remember it? I didnt know about you, but I gotta use it all the time and I gotta get over being teased, he said. My parents and relatives werent teasing me in a mean way. The way my parents would laugh, it felt like I was a little kid learning, which I was, even though I am an adult. I have to get over that hump to get fluent and proficient. I want to try and accomplish that to be able to pass it on. Family legacy His drive and passion have passed on to his two daughters, Ana and Olivia. Ana, his older daughter, is a San Francisco State University chemistry graduate working on her clinical laboratory scientist license and is part of the i Sakman website team. His younger daughter, Olivia, is an anthropology major at UCLA taking Pacific Islander Studies courses. She is currently on Guam taking a two-week CHamoru language immersion camp for adults sponsored by Guam Museum and Chief Hurao Academy. When they are all home in San Francisco they dedicate one day a week to just speaking CHamoru. My wife and I are taking the class together and were learning and were still not that good, he said. Sometimes she gets mad at me when I correct her. And shes like, what, do you think youre an expert? And I say no, I am learning, just like you. Guams 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year Analyn Palugod has published a book in hopes of inspiring children to immerse themselves in the appreciation of Guam, family and the importance of cultural representation. The Guam Department of Education teacher read her book, Little Girl Big Dreams to students from the Merizo Martyrs Memorial School Wednesday at the Merizo Library. In partnership with the Guam Public Library System, Palugod will host a weekly reading of her book at the islands public libraries and is inviting children of all ages to join. The book tells the story of Isa, a young girl living on Guam with big dreams about who she wants to be when she grows up. Her dreams are not just for herself, but also of how she can contribute to the island. It shows a look of the culture of Guam and the importance of family as well, looking for inspiration from those that are around us instead of looking for outside sources, Palugod said. Its already implanted in Isa through the inspirational women around her who are usually her aunties in different fields from marine biology, education, farming to agriculture. Island Voices Written in 2020, Palugods childrens book was published through the Island Voices contest, which was open to all educators. From the contest, five educators stories were chosen for publication in 2021 with Little Girl Big Dreams being part of the selection. Its not just for me and my inner child, but it was a book that I needed growing up as someone who loved reading at an early age, Palugod explained. I read stories about apples and snow, but there wasnt much representation of Guam or people who looked like me or people who lived here on island. As an English-as-a-second-language teacher at Adacao Elementary School, Palugod felt it was important for children to have books that are relatable and reflect their life experiences in Guam. Its very important for education. Its for us, young and young at heart, to see that Guam is a place of opportunity and abundance, Palugod said. Its being able to embed that and that mindset that you dont need to look far to find inspiration. Theres many people doing wonderful things here on island and its good to highlight that. This book will be the beginning of a series for future characters of Asian and Micronesian backgrounds, Palugod said. Representation really matters and its important that students are able to see this in their education as well.it shows when we highlight their lived experiences, it shows that they matter, that their identities matter and their upbringing, cultural traditions, values, everything about themselves is important. The read-aloud was followed by a special presentation by the Department of Agricultures Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources. Gov. Lou Leon Guerreros State of the Island Address Wednesday night roused a standing ovation and chants of four more years from onlookers, but Republican senators seated in the front row sat quietly throughout her speech. Republican minority leader Sen. Chris Duenas said the devil will be in the details and that Leon Guerreros promises put lawmakers in a difficult position as they work out the next budget for the government of Guam. While he wasnt opposed to her announcement of a $500 rebate for residential power bills which would have to be paid out through local funds authorized by the Legislature he said that with 50,000 households, the measure would cost around $25 million this year. The money would have to come from the $85 million in excess revenue the General Fund is on track to collect, which is yet to be audited, he said. The Legislature already had to account for tens of millions of dollars in additional annual spending incurred by pay raises for law enforcement officers and teachers, along with most government agencies asking for budget increases between 5% and 20% for next fiscal year, Duenas said. Whats the bottom line? We talked about getting out of a deficit and then we start spending money, not through the appropriation process, but by saying, Heres another program, he said. The $25 million may have to come off the top from bigger budgets that government agencies are requesting for next year, he said. Republican Sen. Jim Moylan expressed similar feelings in a statement. The governor spoke about utilizing an artificial surplus to assist families with power bills, yet these are the same funds her finance team urged lawmakers not to touch recently as they may not actually exist, he said. I was hoping to hear more details on actual plans and funding sources versus what seemed like a speech more aligned for a political pocket meeting. Moylan said he was glad to hear the governor announce another $500 round of the Prugraman Salappe but said the program had alienated thousands of working-class families who did not qualify. Increased spending Republican Sen. Joanne Brown said there was a lack of consultation with the Legislature over the increased government spending. She refers to Sen. (Joe) San Agustin and his committee, but again, all these discussions are all behind closed doors, because you tell me what public meeting that we ever had to discuss what shes presented this evening, Brown said. The governor said during her speech that she had been working with San Agustin and the Committee on Appropriations on the power bill rebate. Republican minority whip Sen. Frank Blas, who sits on the appropriation committee, said that he was aware of the legislation he produced a draft copy of it on his phone that was timestamped from last Thursday. But he said the measure was put together after continued push from senators and felt that it should be paid for using some of the $300 million in remaining American Rescue Plan money. The governor has said that pandemic money cant be used to offset rising power costs, which were caused by the war in Ukraine. Blas and Brown agreed that with many businesses still shuttered, the economy wasnt rebounding as well as Leon Guerrero stated it was during her address. They were concerned that GovGuam wouldnt be able to support the increased spending the administration was asking for. Many of these programs that may be needed, how are we going to continue to sustain it? Are we going to put it on the backs of the people? Blas asked. Democrat endorsement The Democratic Party of Guam roundly endorsed the governors address in a statement. From prioritizing the health and welfare of our people to actively seeking and actually creating new jobs, economic diversification initiatives one thing is clear and that is a Democrat administration continues to deliver for all of the people of Guam, stated Anthony M. Babauta, chairman of the Democratic Party of Guam. Babauta added the administration, with support from the Democratic majority in the Legislature, was consistently pushing out tax refunds within weeks of filing, while also cutting taxes for 90% of Guam businesses. Democratic results speak volumes and our island is moving forward and getting stronger every day, he said. Delegate reaction Also present at the State of the Island was Del. Michael San Nicolas, who is expected to face off with Leon Guerrero in a Democratic primary for the gubernatorial seat this August. I think the governor did lovely, he said. Im very glad that the federal funds that she has are going to get out more to our people. When asked his opinion on the state of the islands economy after two years of the pandemic, he said: I think that the governor has a certain perspective on it. And the people, also, who are living on this island have their own perspective. The people will be the ones to determine the veracity of her statements. The Guam National Guard announced it is scaling down most of its COVID-19 operations since hospitalizations for the virus remain low, but will continue to support the Department of Public Health and Social Services. We are not completely disengaging from the entire operation, said Maj. Gen. Esther Aguigui, adjutant general of the Guam National Guard. Aguigui said since the pandemic is not over, small teams of Guard soldiers will continue to assist Public Health nurses with initiatives like Operation Homebound to help homeless and low-income residents receive testing and vaccinations. We are always going to be available to respond to any emergency, she said, adding that the governor and island can always count on the guards help in a time of crisis. In recognition of the Guards Joint Task Force 671 response to the pandemic, a ceremony was held at the Guam National Guard Barrigada Readiness Complex Wednesday. During the ceremony, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero was presented with a ceremonial minuteman statue by Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, to recognize the Guam National Guards role in the islands high vaccination rate. I knew that the Guam National Guard would step up to the plate and do the work that they needed to do to save lives, to save our people and keep our community safe, said Leon Guerrero. Sasseville praised the Guam National Guard for helping provide about 200,000 COVID-19 tests and administering 200,000 vaccination doses on island. The assistance the Guard provided in setting up and running quarantine and isolation facilities set Guam apart from most other states and territories, said Sasseville. He said the response of the National Guard to an emergency works well because it is a community-based organization. The guardsmen are the people who know their communities, they know the lay of the land and its strengths and weaknesses, Sasseville said. New Guam Police Department officer Kepuha-Hirao Santos Salas is congratulated as he accepts badges and certificates during a graduation ceremony for the 12th Law Enforcement Trainee Cycle at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spas Micronesian Ballroom in Tumon June 17, 2022. Haiti - FLASH : Dominicans recruited into the ranks of Haitian gangs A Dominican citizen Molai Ortiz Mieses (32 years old) arrested by the National Police of Haiti (PNH), on Friday May 13, 2022, at 5th Avenue Bolosse declared during his interrogation "[...] They are legion the Dominicans who are part of the armed gangs currently operating in Haiti." Let's recall that Ortiz Mieses is in custody at the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) where he continues to answer questions from investigators. Powerful gang member, the revelations and confessions of Ortiz Mieses are shattering. Settled in Haiti for nearly 10 years, after fleeing Dominican justice in 2013, this Dominican criminal joined the gang of Carlos Petit-Homme, alias "Ti Makak", based in Laboule where he was the 3rd leader. Ortiz Mieses confessed to carrying out numerous kidnappings, robberies and murders. He confessed to having participated in the assassination of Divisional Inspector Dan Jerry Toussaint, on January 1st, 2022, in Laboule 12, Fessard area. He revealed that there were at least 8 members of the "Ti Makak" gang, heavily armed with assault rifles when they attacked the support unit of the Thomassin Sub-police station, where Jerry Toussaint was killed with a bullet in the head... "Jose Lito, of Dominican nationality, Venel alias 'Ti Blan', Tossou, Francilie, Dieu-Pifort, Hubert," are some of the men who participated in this crime, specified Ortiz Mieses . A few months later, Ortiz Mieses became the right arm of two gang leaders : "Ti Lapli" operating in Grand-Ravine and Ery Joselus alias "Ti Georges". Molai Ortiz revealed that every gang group in Haiti has Dominican nationals in its ranks. Citing as an example the "5 seconds" gang led by "Izo" adding that other gangs have direct connections with Dominicans in the neighboring Republic. Let's recall that the National Police of Haiti, in recent months, has arrested several individuals for illicit trafficking of firearms, through various border areas between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, including Belladere and Ouanaminthe among others. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Truck driver kills his attackers Tuesday, June 21 not far from Shodeco S..A. in Cite Militaire, two armed individuals who were trying to hijack a truck full of goods were shot by the driver who did not let it go, according to testimonies Me Muscadin arrests a gang leader Me Jean Ernest Muscadin, Government Commissioner at the Court of First Instance of Aquin announced the arrest, on the night of Monday June 20 to Tuesday June 21, 2022, of an individual idenfied as Jean Lycee alias "Gwo Reken a head of Gang from Thomonde. Chilean missionary released The investigative police confirmed that a Chilean missionary kidnapped in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36881-haiti-news-zapping.html was released after "the work of the negotiation team" and was transferred to the Embassy of Chile. It is not known if a ransom was paid, the kidnappers demanded 100,000 US dollars for his release. Preliminary bill for the protection of informers... Launch this Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at the Oasis Hotel by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) of the draft law aimed at the protection of informers (whistleblowers), witnesses, experts, launchers of alert, and victims in criminal matters. The purpose of this law is to protect these people in the context of an administrative, police or judicial procedure opened on the commission of an offence. Destruction of documents at the Palace of Justice Me Arnel Remy, Spokesperson for the Collective of Defenders of Lawyers, warns that the incineration of important documents at the Courthouse by bandits will have serious consequences on the prison system. Gang leader "Izo" claims the attack on the Palace of Justice The Commissioner of the Government of Port-au-Prince, Me Jacques Lafontant announces for a formal seizure, that he will send to the cabinet of instruction a voice message of "Izo" the leader of gang "5 seconds" of Village de Dieu, in which the latter claims the attack perpetrated against the Palace of Justice in Port-au-Prince See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36930-haiti-flash-bandits-make-the-law-at-the-palace-of-justice-in-port-au-prince.html HL/ HaitiLibre South Africa: More women needed in STEM related fields There is a need for young people, especially women, to follow a career path in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries. This emerged during a dialogue hosted by Government Communications (GCIS) jointly with the Department of Science and Innovation on Wednesday. The webinar was hosted to celebrate the contribution of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries. The event was hosted as part of the Youth Month campaign aimed at inspiring, engaging, and encouraging young women to consider a career in STEM related fields. According to the UNESCO report titled: Cracking the code: Girls and womens education in STEM, only 35% of STEM students in higher education globally are women. One of the participants, Dr Thulile Khanyile, Scientist, Social Entrepreneur and co-founder of NkaThuto EduPropeller, expressed concern on the number of women involved in STEM. She said the use of technology is on the increase. We use science, technology engineering and mathematical products on a daily basis, so we cannot exclude the general public from participating in STEM. We need to have women in stem talking about the subject matters and the solutions that they are bringing. We need to increase the participation of women to ensure that we have diverse teams, so that these diverse teams can come up with more diverse and more inclusive solutions, she said. Dr Mamoeletsi Mosia, Managing Director of the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) at the National Research Foundation (NRF), said they are tasked with communicating science, engineering, technology and innovation to the broader society. Mosia said technology and innovation in general is needed and that it is something that must be passed on to society. I feel that if we start at the student level, we've already missed the boat, the boat actually starts at the parents. They need to understand what it is that if a child says I want a career in biochemistry what it is that I will be doing. We need to talk to the parents, we need to talk to society and that's where we start educating society in general. We [are] making science interesting for learners. We have science labs in schools, she said. Young people involved in STEM Scientist and PhD candidate at the University of Washington, Zakithi Mkhize, is pursuing her PhD in biology. Not a lot of people have the opportunity to study further; Ive been funded by NRF throughout my postgraduate studies and my masters. I've been with an organisation that is really passionate about transformation and having a young black woman in the forefront, she said. Mkhize said she regarded herself as a STEM activist. Inam Kula, Architectural Engineer at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, said her architectural journey has been a difficult one. It hasn't been easy so most of my degrees I studied for at UCT [University of Cape Town], so I have my Bachelor's, Honours and my Masters. She also completed a post graduate diploma in planning at the University of the Witwatersrand. So I think there are many hindrances that prevent people from becoming architects and I think one of them is the portfolio. To get into architecture school, you have to have a portfolio that you apply with, and this is quite a stringent portfolio which has quite a lot of requirements. I think there's [also] the issue of finances, architecture is really an expensive course and it requires a lot of resources, Kula said. Despite the tremendous progress towards increasing women participation in science-related fields, a significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of STEM disciplines all over the world. In South Africa, only 13% of graduates in STEM fields are women. The webinar was aimed at creating a platform to discuss gender disparities between men and women in STEM fields, celebrate milestones achieved by women in male dominated industries and encouraging young women to venture into STEM careers. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Thriving digital technologies bring increasingly rich online cultural experiences 17:11, June 22, 2022 By Wang Jue, Yao Xueqing ( People's Daily As digital culture continuously gains momentum, various cultural activities and new consumption scenarios empowered by digital technologies are enriching the cultural experiences of Chinese people. Actors of Bang Opera, a type of traditional Chinese opera, make videos of classic local opera pieces at Huaxilou scenic area in Bozhou city, east Chinas Anhui province, April 27, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhang Yanlin) Activities such as watching performances and concerts online, visiting virtual exhibitions, and enjoying traditional Chinese opera performances through smartphone apps, are springing up with the rapid development of digital culture. Chinas National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing rolls out online performances every Saturday evening, with the shows including Peking Opera work Suo Lin Nang (The Jewelry Purse), masterpiece of modern drama A Dolls House, and well-known opera The Marriage of Figaro. Since the NCPA launched the first online performance on April 11, 2020, it has staged more than 120 online shows covering various types of performing arts, such as concert, opera, dance, modern drama, and traditional Chinese opera. These online shows have been viewed more than 3.4 billion times in total. On August 8, 2020, the NCPA livestreamed worlds first online concert with 8K resolution and 5G network-related technologies for global audiences. The audience could even see clearly the strands of hair and drops of sweat on the faces of performers during the livestreaming concert presented at 8K ultra-high-definition (UHD) resolution. The classical music channel of the NCPA has continuously upgraded its audio and visual technologies and added the options of immersive headset and immersive sound box to create virtual panoramic sound effects of fantastic audio and visual experience for the audience. Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum, located in the city of east Chinas Jiangsu province, has been posting videos on its account on WeChat Channels, WeChats video sharing portal, to show netizens its collections and exhibitions. Thanks to these short videos, museum enthusiasts can visit the museum whenever and wherever they want through their mobile phones. A curator displays via livestreaming works of art exhibited at the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art in Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou city, capital of east Chinas Zhejiang province, March 14, 2020. (Peoples Daily Online/Long Wei) Zhou Fang, a citizen who works in Jiangsus Nanjing, the city next to Yangzhou, is one of the followers of the account. She has been watching short videos of a special exhibition featuring the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Luoyang city, now in central Chinas Henan province, held by the museum. Each episode of this short video series is only several minutes long. Focusing on the theme, they tell stories about cultural relics in Luoyang, and show viewers how they were unearthed, transported to Yangzhou, packaged and arranged for exhibition. There are also vlogs about offline tours of the exhibition, said Zhou. Statistics showed that the museum has posted nearly 20 episodes of the exhibition on platforms including WeChat Channels, Chinese social media platform Weibo, and the countrys popular short-video sharing platform Douyin since March. More than eight million people have visited the exhibition via these videos. Online exhibitions are supplements and re-creations of the offline visit, said Zheng Jing, curator of the museum. In order to launch good online exhibitions, the museum needs to carefully design online tour routes and provide knowledge about culture and history, according to Zheng, who added that the museum also adopts digital means to tell stories about cultural relics vividly and deepen the interactions between people and exhibits. The emergence of more and more innovative forms of cultural consumption, which is no longer confined to offline scenes, has enabled people to shake off the limitations of time, space and cost in enjoying culture. A mobile app launched by a Zhejiang-based culture company has brought traditional Chinese operas closer to Internet users. The app signed contracts with traditional Chinese opera troupes to make their representative performances available online. A staff member who runs the account of the museum of Feidong county, Hefei city, east Chinas Anhui province, on Chinese short video sharing platform Douyin, together with a docent, shows the cultural relics housed in the museum via livestreaming, Feb. 16, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Ruan Xuefeng) The works posted online include The Legend of the White Snake performed by Wu Opera masters who have won the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award, the highest theatrical award in the country, Three Drops of Blood, a well-known Qin Opera work that has a history of more than 100 years, and Oedipus, a Pu Opera art adapted from classical ancient Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex. Without leaving their homes, users of the app can watch a video recording of an opera performance with 6.6 yuan (about $0.99), or enjoy a livestreaming show of traditional Chinese operas with 9.9 yuan (about $1.48). Some operas well-received online are also staged offline. As digital infrastructure increasingly improves, the booming digital culture will facilitate the inheritance and promotion of excellent traditional Chinese culture, according to Wei Pengju, head of the cultural economics research institute of Central University of Finance and Economics. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) News Release June 22, 2022 Minnesota expands test-to-treat options and adjusts COVID-19 community testing network Two more Minnesota COVID-19 testing sites will soon offer test-to-treat options: MSP Airport, beginning on June 23, and Saint Paul-Midway, beginning on June 27. At community test-to-treat sites, Minnesotans can get tested for COVID-19 and, if positive and determined to be high-risk, receive a prescription for medication at the same time. The additional test-to-treat sites come as the state resizes its overall community testing network in light of falling demand and wide testing availability across the state. Test-to-treat expands Minnesota will offer test-to-treat at two existing community testing sites: MSP Airport, beginning June 23, and Saint Paul-Midway, on June 27. The federal government will support test-to-treat at MSP Airport and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will lead operations at Saint Paul-Midway. MSP Airport will now offer rapid testing to all patients. The two sites join three federally supported community test-to-treat sites in Brooklyn Park, Moorhead, and Duluth. Since opening earlier this month, the sites have prescribed medication to more than 300 Minnesotans. COVID-19 medication is a very important tool in our toolbox to help prevent severe disease and keep people out of the hospital, and test-to-treat makes it easier for eligible Minnesotans to receive these medicines, said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. Minnesotans who feel ill and are at high-risk of severe COVID-19 should visit a test-to-treat site or speak to their health care provider to see if medication is right for them. We are grateful to our federal partners and testing site hosts who are helping us make these resources more accessible. All of the community test-to-treat sites will continue to test Minnesotans at no cost. Minnesotans who test positive for COVID-19 via a rapid antigen test will be able to choose to be evaluated on site by a clinician and be given a prescription for the antiviral medication Paxlovid if it is deemed appropriate. Walk-ins are accepted but appointments are recommended at mn.gov/covid19. MDH and its testing partners are working with the Board of Pharmacy to complete the steps necessary for dispensing medication on-site at test-to-treat locations. Until that is authorized, prescriptions are sent to either a pharmacy of a patients choosing or a nearby pharmacy to be filled. Minnesotans seeking medication at community test-to-treat sites should be prepared to provide details of their medical history, particularly their current medications, to the on-site clinician. Only patients deemed high risk by the clinician will receive a prescription for Paxlovid. COVID-19 therapeutics are not right for everyone, but they can reduce severe illness or risk of hospitalization among patients who are unvaccinated, elderly, or have other risk factors. Learn more about COVID-19 medication on the Treatments page on the Minnesota COVID-19 Response website. The new community test-to-treat locations will join the existing 61 test-to-treat sites that are already operating statewide across Minnesota, mostly located at clinics or pharmacies with Minute Clinics. Minnesotans can find other test-to-treat sites using the federal governments Test to Treat locator. Some sites may require appointments. Outside of the test-to-treat program, medications are available through Minnesotans health care providers. Minnesotans who test positive for COVID-19 should reach out to their doctor or health care provider to see if treatment is right for them. To accommodate test-to-treat at MSP Airport, the sites Community Vaccination operation will close effective June 30. Minnesotans can find other vaccination locations at mn.gov/vaccine. Community testing network to resize Because testing demand is falling rapidly around Minnesota, to preserve state resources and capacity for any future case surge, and due to widely available free testing through other providers, MDH is resizing its Community Testing network. Free COVID-19 testing is available from providers including clinics and pharmacies. Minnesotans can receive free at-home rapid testing in the mail from the state (at Order your free at-home rapid tests) and federal governments (at COVID.gov), and through reimbursement from health insurers. See Where to find COVID-19 testing below. June 29, 2022, will be the final day of regular COVID-19 testing at the following testing locations: Albert Lea (last day June 25) Bemidji Bloomington Marshall Morris (last day June 28) North Branch (last day June 28) Wadena (last day June 28) Winona The states three busiest Twin Cities testing sites, and four busiest Greater Minnesota testing sites, will remain open until further notice: Brooklyn Park (including test-to-treat) Duluth (including test-to-treat) Mankato MSP Airport (test-to-treat beginning on June 23) Moorhead (including test-to-treat) St. Cloud Saint Paul-Midway (test-to-treat beginning on June 27) Visit mn.gov/covid19 for a list of operating hours and addresses and to make an appointment. Last week, Minnesotas Community Testing sites conducted 7,300 tests. That represents a 92% decline in testing from peak demand in January, when state testing sites conducted 87,000 tests per week, and a 33% decline from one month ago. These changes to testing locations will still allow Minnesotans to receive rapid and PCR testing when they need it in the regions of the state with the highest demand. Because the new testing network is less costly, it will allow Minnesota to plan for and implement widespread testing operations in the future, if COVID-19 cases surge and testing demand rises. To help local partners provide testing resources to Minnesota, MDH is offering 240,000 at-home rapid tests (120,000 kits) to local public health, tribal health agencies, COVID-19 Community Coordinators, shelters, and food shelves to distribute to families. Partners who order these tests will communicate directly to Minnesotans about free testing availability. Where to find COVID-19 testing Minnesotans have many COVID-19 testing resources. Health care systems, clinics, pharmacies, local public health, and other private labs are offering free testing for Minnesotans. A continuously updated list of participating sites can be found at Find Testing Locations. Under a Biden Administration order, insurers are required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home COVID-19 test kits per month for enrollees. Check with your insurance company about ways to get free rapid testing from pharmacies. Minnesotans can order up to four at-home rapid test kits (eight tests) for free from the State. Visit Order your free at-home rapid tests. Minnesotans can request up to eight free rapid at-home test kits (16 tests) per household at COVID.gov. Under the Biden Administrations test-to-treat program, 61 Minnesota pharmacies and community clinics are conducting on-site rapid testing and prescribing anti-viral medicine for at-risk individuals who test positive. Find a list of participating providers at the federal governments Test to Treat locator. When to get tested Testing continues to be an important tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19. To keep COVID-19 from spreading, you should use testing if: You have symptoms of the virus. You have had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. You are returning from international or domestic travel. You attended a high-risk event. You work in a setting that has regular, close contact with many people. Minnesotans can find up-to-date guidance on when to get tested at MDH: COVID-19 Testing. -MDH- COVID-19 Public Hotline: For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call 1-833-431-2053, Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mental Health Crisis Line - Call: **CRISIS (**274747) Hendersonville native wins fellowship at UCLA Rebecca Woofter A Hendersonville native who is a doctoral student at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has been awarded the schools 2022 Celia and Joseph Blann Fellowship for her excellence in academics at the graduate school, ranked as one of the Top 10 public health programs in the United States. Rebecca Woofter, a specialist in maternal and reproductive health in the Fielding Schools Department of Community Health Sciences, received the fellowship at the schools 2022 Student Academic Honors and Awards Ceremony, at UCLA. I sought a Ph.D. in public health to help address inequities in reproductive health," Woofter said. "At UCLA, I am grateful to have learned from incredible faculty mentors who have guided me as a scholar and as a person. It is an honor to be recognized for this work by my mentors. Woofter, the daughter of Susan and Doug Woofter, has a 3.96 GPA and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (2019, MPH, Epidemiology and Biostatistics) and Emory University in Atlanta (2016, B.A., History and Political Science). She is a current affiliate of the UCLA California Center for Population Research. Along with teaching at UCLA and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, she has worked as a researcher at UCLA and Washington University. At Emory University, she worked on issues of campus sexual violence and served as resident advisor. Woofter is a third-year doctoral student whose research at the Fielding School has focused on maternal and reproductive health, including contraceptive use, birth outcomes, and access to and quality of healthcare. She has co-authored or contributed to no less than eight research papers published in peer-reviewed journals, including a 2021 study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association that found exclusive immigrant policies are associated with higher rates of preterm birth for Black women born outside the United States, while inclusive immigrant policies were associated with lower preterm birth for all women born outside the U.S. Rebeccas program of research is impressive, and in addition to its rigor and key contributions to science, her work also demonstrates her continued dedication to advancing health equity among vulnerable communities, said Dr. Courtney S. Thomas Tobin, a Fielding School professor who nominated Woofter for the fellowship. Rebecca has emerged as an exceptional teacher, including independently teaching a seminar at UCLA that focuses on reproductive health across the life course. The Blann fellowship, which includes a $10,000 stipend, is awarded annually to doctoral students on the basis of academic excellence. It was established by Annette Blann to honor the memory of her parents. A 1954 UCLA graduate, she was committed to the enhancement of health and well-being. BEITBRIDGE Border Post, the countrys busiest inland port of entry, has been identified as the countrys major corruption hot spot, with some Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials under investigation after building mansions in Harare. Zimra is investigating three Beitbridge-based revenue officers who built mansions in Harare, but failed to account to their employer how they raised the money following a lifestyle audit. The revenue authority could, however, not release the names of the officers since the matter is still under investigation. This emerged during a stakeholders workshop on the progress made in the fight against corruption held in Bulawayo on Friday. Presenting a lifestyle audit report to parliamentarians and other stakeholders during the meeting, Zimra loss control manager Mr Selleck Mapfeka said lifestyle auditing or monitoring is a basic comparison of ones proceeds or sources of income against how it is utilised. It is an accountability tool which is conducted when the visible lifestyle or standard of living of an individual appears to exceed their known income levels. We are currently investigating three officers who built mansions in Harare, but failed to explain how they acquired the wealth following a lifestyle audit, he said. Mr Mapfeka said corruption is more pronounced at Beitbridge Border Post and urged Government to consider extending the lifestyle audits to other stakeholders operating at the border post. We also have another officer who built a block of flats and he has since resigned. The lifestyle audit also revealed that some Zimra revenue officers based in Beitbridge had six properties acquired through shady deals at the border, he said. Mr Mapfeka also mentioned the case of a former Beitbridge based Zimra revenue officer Mr Kennedy Nyatoti, who made history by becoming the first person to lose assets under the countrys civil-based asset forfeiture law when his US$150 000 mansion in Harare and US$10 000 car were forfeited to the State. Nyatoti joined Zimra in 2014 aged 25 and two years down the line he got married and paid lobola of US$10 000. In 2017, he took his family for a holiday in China and spent US$15 000. During the same year, Nyatoti bought a residential stand for US$24 000 and under-declared that it was worth US$18 000. He built and completed his house in five months. We investigated Kennedy Nyatoti, who was based at Beitbridge Border Post, which is a major a hot spot for corruption, and he failed to explain the source of his wealth following a lifestyle audit, he said. Mr Mapfeka said Nyatotis ill-gotten wealth emanated from fraudulently clearing immigrants rebates for people not qualifying to bring in goods duty-free under the rebate facility. After Nyatoti failed to declare his assets, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made a court application for civil forfeiture in terms of the amended Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act. The High Court then ordered forfeiture of the mansion and the car. Police recovered the forfeited assets and subsequently handed them over to the Zimra asset management unit. Previously, the State could only apply for forfeiture after a conviction for a corruption-related offence. However, the law now allows the State to apply for forfeiture under civil rules even without instituting criminal proceedings. We need a lifestyle audit for all border stakeholders. While as Zimra, we conduct lifestyle audits for our staff, others seconded at the ports of entry are not conducting lifestyle audits, he said. In fact, you have someone deployed at Beitbridge border and shockingly, within a short period of time, they are now driving posh cars and building mansions. We need to fight corruption to the end. We are, therefore, saying all people deployed the ports of entry should be subjected to lifestyle audits. Mr Mapfeka said most of the assets are being recovered through inter-agency collaborations and involvement of the NPA through prosecutor-guided investigations. We dont have a centralised property database where all properties can be looked at. For instance, if you go to the Deeds Registry, they have what they have, he said. Similarly, if you go to the land developers and councils, it is same story hence when it comes to investigations, it is a challenge. Mr Mapfeka said when they conduct a lifestyle audit, they expect a person to explain his or her source of wealth. There is nothing wrong in owning properties, but there is something terribly wrong if you cant explain your source of wealth either. Anything that is acquired using ill-gotten wealth is tainted property, he said. Mr Mapfeka said a lifestyle audit is one of the critical tools that they use in as far as dealing with corruption is concerned. Assets are checked against the asset declaration form. When you are recruited by Zimra, the first thing you are required to do, is to complete an asset declaration form that will form the basis of any lifestyle audit, he said. If the loss control division is going to carry out a lifestyle audit, they will use that as a baseline. Proof of source of wealth should be produced in all lifestyle audits and we continue to record success stories. Mr Mapfeka said Zimra set up an integrity committee in 2019 including an in-house corruption diagnosis tool, which was developed to measure corruption. In the past, we used to measure corruption based on the number of prosecutions, but we realised that we were not getting the intended results. We are now measuring our efforts in fighting corruption and we come up with a corruption index every quarter, he said. We are now using the Integrated Results-Based Management and every employee of Zimra is measured on the level of corruption at the end of every quarter. On lifestyle audits, we also do recruitment vetting, parallel financial investigations and asset forfeiture and recovery. Zimra also has a hotline, which is managed by a third party for people to use to report corruption. Before it was stopped last December, the revenue collector had a whistle-blower facility where Zimra would pay the whistle-blower 10 percent of the recoveries. Zimra acting Commissioner for Revenue Assurance Mr Edward Phiri said as part of efforts to fight the scourge, they have launched anti-corruption campaign dubbed #Im for zero campaign to promote zero tolerance to corruption. The Zimra Revenue Assurance Investigation Division carries out criminal investigations regarding alleged violations of the tax and customs laws. We have been going around the country doing I am for zero campaigns, which we have done in Mutare, Beitbridge, Bulawayo and Harare and this week we will be in Masvingo. This is an initiative that we have taken as we try to address this scourge, said Mr Phiri. The revenue assurance division, which has an anti-money laundering unit, has the responsibility to deal with offences that spill from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwes Financial Intelligence Unit, Zacc, police and other law enforcement agents. It also emerged during the meeting that out of 254 cases being handled by NPA, a majority of them are from Harare. A total of US$50 million was also recovered from conviction-based asset forfeiture in 2021 and police say they arrested 495 suspects for corruption-related cases in the same year. Chronicle WORKERS from other sectors have started joining a tools down job action by health personnel and teachers who are demanding United States dollar salaries. The strike entered its third day yesterday, leaving most major public hospitals paralysed, while critically-ill patients were being turned away. At Harares Parirenyatwa Hospital, the NewsDay crew saw patients lying on pavements unattended to. Some of them had come from far away for reviews for chronic diseases, while others sought treatment for ailments such as hypertension and diabetes. A desperate patient said: We have wasted our transport money coming for check-ups as per our scheduled reviews. I am supposed to do blood tests, but was told to come back again because doctors and nurses are on strike. In Bulawayo, nurses who have been on a go-slow, joined the strike and were not attending to patients at different institutions. The health personnel turned up for work, but were not performing any duties. We spent the whole day watching nurses and doctors on strike, a patient told NewsDay. Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo said doctors and nurses in most parts of the country had joined the strike. Nurses from different parts of the country joined the strike just like other employees because the salary negotiations have been on-going for more than 14 months but are yielding nothing, Dongo said. The Health Service Board and government have not proffered a solution to the salary impasse. Responding to questions from MPs in the National Assembly yesterday, leader of government business, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the striking health workers must be patient. Ziyambi said government will never peg salaries in US dollars, despite Finance minister Mthuli Ncube telling journalists on Tuesday after a post-Cabinet media briefing that government had not yet ruled out paying civil servants salaries in US dollars. Government is still in a negotiation process with health workers on the issue of salary increases. An offer was tabled to the Apex Council and negotiations are continuing. The health workers were advised that the process is on-going and they must wait until the conclusion of that process. Its not very correct that the majority of them are on strike; its only the few who were on strike while a majority are at work and they have been advised that negations for salary increases are on-going and, therefore, they must go back to work, Ziyambi said. He added: Our currency is the Zimbabwe dollar, and we are working towards removing whatever is causing our currency to decline. We cannot; and we will not determine salaries in US dollars. We will never go to a scenario where we will peg salaries in US dollars. Teachers are also on strike and have rejected a proposal by government to increase their salaries by 100%, saying it would only result in the lowest paid teacher earning a measly $36 000. Meanwhile, workers other sectors have also embarked on strike action due to the high cost of living and are demanding payments in US dollars. Yesterday, workers from Telecel and Premier Service Medical Investment (PSMI) downed tools. PSMI workers complained of non-payment of salaries. When NewsDay visited PSMI offices, workers said they had gone for more than two months without salaries. In a circular, PSMI said: It is important to note that the Treasury is yet to review its cash flows to PSMI as promised in the meeting held on 13/4/22 wherein both Premier Service Medical Aid Society and PSMI were requested to submit their monthly requirements to operate viable. Instead the Treasury instruction for PSMAS to pay 60% of the employer contribution to pay 3rd party service providers still stands, resulting in PSMI receiving inadequate cash flows which are less than the current PSMAS debtors position. Telecel workers said they downed tools due to low salaries paid by the telecommunications company. In a letter dated June 21, workers claimed incapacitation, saying the company was failing to remit their medical aid and funeral policy contributions despite deducting the money from them. The company has been facing operational challenges for the past five years evidenced by poor network coverage, major network outages, obsolete equipment among others which has resulted in significant loss of market share and lower revenues. We have not seen any tangible efforts to turn around the fortune of the company, read the letter copied to Information Communication Technology and Courier Services minister Jenfan Muswere, the Telecel board chairperson James Makamba and the Communications and Allied Services Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CASWUZ). Telecel workers committee vice-chairperson Tafadzwa Chinyoka referred NewsDay to CASWUZ and Telecel chief executive Angeline Vere. CASWUZ secretary-general David Mhambare said: The workers have been engaging the management for a long time. Unfortunately, the engagements yielded no positive incomes. Its not like theyre expecting something luxurious. Theyre genuinely incapacitated. He said most of their salaries were below $35 000. Newsday OVER US$21 700 in cash, and property worth thousands of dollars, was lost when robbers raided a number of homes in the capital where Methodist Church in Zimbabwe pastors live. Reverend Walter Machirori, of Methodist in Zimbabwe Church, Glen View Circuit, Harare, sustained injuries after he was attacked with a hoe when the robbers demanded keys for the safe. His wife, Joyce Machirori, and their children had their hands tied together and forced to lie down during the raid. The armed robbers got away with cash and property, which included laptops and cellphones. Reverend Edward Goredema of Lusaka Circuit, Highfield, had his hands also tied and his family, including the security guard, were ordered to lie down. Reverend Maxwell Mugabe of Lusaka Circuit was also robbed in the same manner and lost his cash and valuables. Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Julius Chakanza, confirmed the incidents urging people to avoid keeping large sums of money at homes and churches. Police are investigating two cases where armed robbers broke into church residents and attacked resident pastors, said Insp Chakanza. In Highfield, the armed robbers broke into a house where two pastors and their families were forced to lie down and their hands tied. One of the pastors lost US$850, two laptops, car keys and US$3 000 from a church safe, when he was forced to surrender safe keys. Another pastor lost US$7000 cash from church coffers and his US$450, cellphones and a laptop. In Glen View, a pastor was attacked with a hoe and robbers, armed with an AK 47, tied him and family members and took US$7 000 from a church safe and his US$3 400, laptops and cellphones, said Insp Chakanza. H Metro Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today A few clouds. Low 51F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 51F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. PITTSBURGH Aptech is pleased to announce that Newport Hospitality Group (NHG) has selected PVNG as the cloud-based enterprise accounting solution for its portfolio of 50 select and full-service hotels. Immediately, the hotel management company will begin leveraging the seamless platform to move data more efficiently from individual properties to a central accounting repository. To complement PVNG and enhance its financial technology stack, Newport will also add Aptechs budgeting and forecasting solution, Targetvue, and eventually layer in its IBM Cognos-based ASP BI application, Execuvue. Our goal over the last several years has been to get off our legacy accounting platform and adopt a cloud solution that enables our people to work remotely without using a VPN to access the software, said Andrew Carey, Newport Hospitality Group CEO. We were attracted to Aptech because it is an IBM and Prophix business partner. We know the technology will stay current and remain strong something many well-known small business accounting solutions fail to do. Also, Aptech is 100% hospitality focused. They understand the needs of our organization from a financial management standpoint. Add to this Aptechs set of budgeting, forecasting, and BI tools, and we found everything we needed from a single provider. Being able to eliminate finger pointing between multiple vendors when something isnt working is a win in my book." We are eager to begin deploying PVNG to gain rapid access to relevant and timely information so everyone can improve decision making in cost effective ways, he said. It comes with a robust reporting engine; how data is accessed and presented will be left only to the imaginations of those creating the reports. This is a good hospitality accounting platform with equally good support. We made a great choice with Aptech. PVNG is a game-changer in the world of hotel accounting. It features Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, Statistics, Financials, and Bank Reconciliation modules, along with web browser navigation to upload the hotel data remotely. PVNG also contains OCR invoice processing, a myriad of payment options, drill-down capabilities in financial statements and reports, and the ability to handle single or multi-property accounting. It can also be deployed as a hosted service. Targetvue is Aptechs hospitality-driven budgeting and forecasting solution. Built on the 11th Edition USALI Standard Chart of Accounts and Reports, Targetvue consolidates reports, identifies trends, drives room revenue by predicting occupied rooms and average daily rate, shares plans throughout the organization, and meets future growth goals utilizing a single, centrally-maintained set of database models. Targetvue eliminates the need to correct and recombine multiple spreadsheets for consolidating and reporting. Execuvue leverages AI-powered analytics to help hoteliers make smarter business decisions and respond to commands, such as Show Me Room Revenues by State and by Property. The AI tool links relevant data elements (number of rooms rented, ADR, RevPAR, occupancy, rooms out of order, etc.) with a list of properties or brands to analyze the information in visually compelling ways. It also configures data regionally, giving operators a performance snapshot portfolio wide, as well as by region, brand, and property. The drag-and-drop environment with predictive analytics creates stunning visualizations based on data entered. The scalability, flexibility, and integration capabilities of Execuvue sets Aptech apart from other BI providers. We are delighted to be adding more hotels operating under the Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Choice and Wyndham brands, as well as independent boutique properties, to our client roster through this new partnership with NHG, said Jill Wilder, Aptech Vice President. Finding a technology partner that you can trust is not as easy as one may think today. Like Newport that has been in business for 30 years Aptech has industry longevity that hoteliers covet and a track record of exceptional support that operators crave. Our solutions are 100 percent hotel specific, and all applications can operate stand-alone or be fully integrated with the entire Aptech financial suite as NHG will experience when they add Targetvue and Execuvue following their PVNG deployment. In todays economy, its a good time to be an Aptech customer. For more information on Aptech solutions, visit them in Booth 725 at HITEC Orlando, June 28 to 30 at the Orange County Convention Center. To pre-schedule a booth appointment, reach out to Kim Sieminski by clicking here. About Aptech Computer Systems Inc. Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the only provider of a fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry. All clients are companies like yours, which own or manage hotels. Its solutions help customers at both the corporate and property levels understand their financial and operational data for faster goal achievement. The company is renowned for introducing business intelligence into the hotel industry and offers a solid resource of hospitality professionals. Aptech is an IBM Software Value Plus partner and Premier Solution Provider, as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner. Incorporated in 1970, Aptechs state-of-the-art back office, true business intelligence and enterprise planning solutions are 100% hotel specific. Solutions include PVNG, Execuvue and Targetvue. Clients comprise over 3,500 properties including large chains, multiple-property management companies and single-site hotels. Execuvue is registered to Aptech Computer Systems Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders. For more information, please visit www.aptech-inc.com. Barbara Worcester +1 440 930 5770 Zurich, Switzerland The third edition of the LIV Hospitality Design Awards isnow open, accepting entries until the 31st of January 2023, into its two major categories: Architectural Design and Interior Design. The program is open to architects and interior designers around the world who have created incredible projects in Hospitality. The LIV Awards program is an inclusive platform, pursuing exceptional projects within the living and eating spaces, from co-living, boutique hotels to beach resorts, from fine dining restaurants and lounges to pop-up bars. This annual program aims to celebrate Projects, People, and their passion for the industry, through our rigorous judging process, we recognize those that have gone above and beyond. In the second year, the awards received over 400 submissions from 43 countries, the range of work was as astounding, with honorees including Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates for Whampoa Street Development in Architecture, Source Interior Brand Architecture a firm based in South Africa won in Interior Design Restaurant Casual with the elgr Restaurant, Bishop Design By Paul Bishop received the prize for Nooa; Meyer Davis was awarded in Interior Design Historic & Heritage with the W Rome just to name a few. A full list of the LIV Hospitality Design Awards 2021 winners can be viewed HERE. "At the LIV Hospitality Design Awards, we strive to support and promote inspired projects and innovation by professional and emerging designers from around the world. We are thrilled to launch the 3rd edition of the LIV Hospitality Design Awards.said Astrid Hebert, Founder; adding that The customers needs are evolving, as such the hospitality concepts are adapting. This program honors Hospitality Design excellence and diversity. The 2022 jury is composed of 40 high-profile hospitality design experts from 22 countries. Jurors include Federico Toresi, Global VP Design, Premium and Luxury brands at Accor; Melissa Messmer, Global Head of Design for InterContinental and Regent Hotels, Tina Norden, Partner at Conran and Partners, Eelco Bohtlingk, Senior Director, Food & Beverage Development, Americas for Hilton Worldwide; Jaime Nadal, the Director of Technical Services & Design at Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas remains part of the jury board together with Eric Leong, Vice President - Design & Technical Services of Minor Hotels. Their task and challenge are to award the submitted applications and to find the next rising star in the design industry! The Architectural Design of the Year and the Interior Design of the Year professionals and students will receive the coveted LIV Design Awards Trophy, their winning projects will be showcased to the global audience and be featured in the Annual LIV Awards catalog. Open to Professionals, Students, and Emerging Talents, winning the LIV Hospitality Design Awards is an opportunity to step into the global spotlight, elevate the company profile or boost a starting career. Registration for the LIV Design Awards is now open and will close on January 31st, 2023. Those who submit their projects before September 5th; will receive an early bird discount of 10%. LIV Hospitality Design Awards is a sibling program of the LIT Lighting Design Award (LIT), SIT Furniture Design Award (SIT), and The BLT Built Design Awards, all focusing on Architecture, Interior Design, and Lighting, which have emerged as some of the most well-known Design Prize today. LIV Hospitality Design Awards is a program under the 3C Awards, a leading organization curating and promoting design across the globe. The company represents today's diversity and innovation in Lighting Design, Furniture Design, Sport Design, Interior Design, and Architecture. Each brand is a symbol of design excellence around the world, showcasing Professional and Emerging designers' work to over 100 expert jury members. 3C Awards is owned by Three C Group GmbH, a Swiss-registered company. Astrid Hebert Program Director LIV Hospitality Design Awards View source To maintain its high value, plans for preventing pirate exhibitors (also known as Outboarders or Suitcasers) at HITEC 2022 (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference) have been established for the upcoming show. It is common for unaffiliated or non-exhibiting vendors to take advantage of the show's popularity by promoting their wares leading up to and near the show, or on the exhibit hall floor in an unofficial capacity. Some plan product demonstrations and similar events to "steal" attendees from conference organizers and supporters. Such practices weaken the show's worth to its supporters and organizers. The producer, HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals), is enacting preventive measures to restrain pirate exhibitors, including rules prohibiting unofficial companies from associating themselves with HITEC, stepping-up security and increasing awareness of the issue among HITEC constituents and official HITEC hotels. Pirate vendors ultimately damage the overall success of the show for all involved, said Thomas Atzenhofer, CPA, HFTP's Deputy CEO. The official exhibitors and service providers spend thousands of dollars to be part of HITEC, and we feel it is our responsibility that they get the best experience possible at the show. Companies that attempt to circumvent the system should be on notice that HFTP will do everything it can to protect the integrity of HITEC. HITEC Orlando is approaching quickly and currently has a sold-out exhibit hall. To assist solution providers who would still like to have a presence at the show, HFTP offers an Exhibitor Supporter package. This opportunity allows companies to have a presence at the show without a booth on the show floor. For details on contact the HITEC Exhibits team at [email protected]. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, HITEC is considered to be the hospitality technology industry's must-attend event, annually gathering many influential industry players. It is an opportune time for vendors to gain a significant audience, leading to numerous satellite events and promotions hosted by exhibitors and non-exhibitors alike. As a result of HFTP's continual pirate awareness campaign, attendees in the past have notified the association of non-exhibiting vendor events. In response, HFTP contacts the event's hosts to inform them of their violation and its negative impact on HITEC. While some pirate exhibitors know they are participating in an unethical practice, many non-exhibiting, new industry players don't realize that such actions devalue the show for exhibiting vendors. We have found that in most cases, this type of behavior is a simple misunderstanding and is rectified immediately, said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE, FIH. At a past HITEC, one particular non-exhibiting vendor was so appalled that his event had impacted the paying vendors in a negative way that he made a donation to HFTP immediately following the event. He wanted his clients to understand that his organization did not want to build their business under a cloud of possible unethical behaviors. To prevent pirate exhibitors, HFTP employs the following techniques: Vigorous promotion of the official HITEC exhibitor list, hotel room blocks and allied organizations; Attendee and exhibitor awareness of the issue; Aggressive defense of HITEC and HFTP service marks; Attendee volunteers who provide show organizers with copies of product demonstration invitations; and Increasing cooperation from the official HITEC hotels to notify HFTP of attempts by non-exhibiting companies to gain meeting space. There are numerous practices used by unofficial vendors. Leading up to the show, HITEC exhibitors are solicited by service providers not affiliated with HITEC who peddle computer, audio visual, carpet and other booth-related rentals. Exhibitors who experience this are asked to report it to [email protected]. About HFTP Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in United Kingdom, Netherlands and Dubai. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP Is the publisher of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI). For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org. For the latest news, visit the HFTP News page at news.hftp.org and the HFTP Connect blog at blog.hftp.org. Eliza Selig Staff VP, Marketing and Communications +1 512 220 4026 HFTP The American artist Edward Hopper was known for interest in hotels, motels, tourist homes, and the wide scope of hospitality services. From 1920 through 1925 he worked as a commercial illustrator for Hotel Management and Tavern Topics from the Great Depression through the Cold War. He augmented his knowledge of hospitality services as a frequent guest in several lodgings on the long-distance automobile trips he took with his wife, the artist Josephine Hopper. Beginning in the mid-1920s and through the early 1960s, Hopper explored hospitality services subjects in paintings, watercolors, drawings, and prints. Sometimes he titled these works as hotel or motel, but just as often he did not. More than half are composites of sites, with no small amount of invention and artistic license. In the early 1920s, Hopper produced illustrations and covers for Tavern Topics, published and distributed by the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, and in 1924 and 1925, he drew eighteen brilliantly illuminated covers for the trade magazine Hotel Management. Edward and Jo lived much of their lives in Manhattan, which, like other regions across the country, experienced a massive hotel-building boom in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Hotel-generated revenue fell by more than 25 percent in the Depression years of 1929 through 1935, which was hardly a deterrent to Hopper. Between the World Wars, Hopper produced at least two etchings and five paintings synthesizing architectural components of various urban hotelssome of which he knew from living in New York, while others harked back to images suggested in the pages of Hotel Management during the years he produced its covers. For the most part, the covers depict elegant couples dancing, dining and boating in a hotel environment. Looking out from the vantage point of their home at 3 Washington Square North in New York, the Hoppers would have encountered several hybrid rental structures, including a ten-story campanile at 53 Washington Square South. Designed by McKim, Mead & White and built in 1893, this was actually part of the Hotel Judson, the proceeds from which benefitted the colonnaded Judson Memorial Church next door. Hopper captured this view in the painting November, Washington Square, which he commenced in 1932 and to which he added sky components in 1959. The Hoppers friend, artist John Sloan, lived at the Hotel Judson for eight years, until he was evicted by New York University (which had earlier annexed the property). The three-story, burnt orange structure at far left in the painted version is the House of Genius boardinghouse, at 61 Washington Square South, which, at various times from the 1910s through the 1930s, housed artists, authors, poets, and musicians, including Theodore Dreiser, John Dos Passos, Eugene ONeill, and Alan Seeger. Apartment hotels are among the structures figuring in the architectural types Hopper synthesized in selected compositions such as House at Dusk. Popular, urban lodging houses offering short-term leases, these were essentially apartments but with the amenities of a hotel. These middle-class hybrid spaces contained multiple units with shared bathrooms and frequently contained sitting rooms with pianos and offered a restaurant, a doorman, and daily maid service. The result of at least nine study drawings, Hotel Lobby is probably Hoppers most comprehensive treatment of the hospitality services theme. Seated in an upholstered chair, a young woman in a blue dress reads her book, reclining at angles that mirror those of her more mature counterpart across the foyer. On the back wall, a view through dark drapes in an open doorway reveals a restaurant with linen-covered tables. The lines formed on the floor reflect period design principles treating carpet as a means to guide crowds and determine the placement of furniture. Even more important for crowd and climate control is the revolving doorcropped at left in Hotel Lobby. For all Hoppers urban architectural imagery, revolving doors appear in just two of the studies for this work and in only one other painting (Sunlight in a Cafeteria, 1958, in the Yale University Art Gallery). Variations of the revolving door had existed since at least the mid-nineteenth century with the quest to regulate ventilation and keep temperatures constant in public settings. Allowing no air in from the outside, a revolving door was, in the words of an early promoter, always closed. This helps explain how Hotel Lobby, a painting finished in January of 1943, and featuring a couple in winter clothing, could also depict a coatless woman in a short-sleeve dress. Many of the 18 known Hopper HM front covers were done in the mid-1920s. For the most part, the covers depict one or more elegant couples enjoying an activity such as dancing, dining and boat set against a created hotel background. Hopper used actual hotelsOhios Cincinnatian Hotel and New Yorks Mohonk Mountain Houseas inspiration on two of the covers. The illustrations light colors and energetic activities are a distinct departure from Hoppers more-somber famous works, such as Automat or the iconic Nighthawks. The Hoppers, Edward and Josephine [also a painter], had lunch every day at The Hotel Dixie in New York. And perhaps absorbing the hospitality mindset that its all about the guest experience, the VMFA has gone one step farther, recreating the hotel room seen in Hoppers 1957 work Western Hotel. Edward and Jo began renting summer cottages in South Truro on Cape Cod in 1930 and would buy property and then build a home there a few years later. By the 1940s, Cape Cod possessed a number of tourist homesfurnished single-family dwellings offering rooms for short-term stays, often seasonally. Deeply interested in domestic architecture, Hopper painted several tourist homes over his long career, but he seems in retrospect to have been particularly interested in one such residence in Provincetown on Cape Cod. He spent several long nights parked before the structure, making drawings, resulting in a painting that offers a view into the front rooms of the houseapparently, the inhabitants wondered what the artist was doing, sitting there in his Buick sketching away. The Hoppers took long periodic road trips in search of subject matter across New England, the West, and Mexico, among other locales. On these jaunts, they stayed at tourist homes and, eventually, as Edwards income increased, in motels and motor courts. Portions of Jos diariescovering the mid-1930s to the 1960s, and recently given to the Provincetown Art Association and Museumreveal page after page of extended descriptions of these lodgings and the couples feelings about them. One of the more colorful and lengthier of these entries discusses their stay at the Weseman Motor Court in El Paso from December 15 through December 22, 1952. Hopper painted Western Motel during a fellowship at the Huntington Hartford Foundation in Pacific Palisades, California, but the canvas also evokes Jos descriptions of and contemporary press discussing lodgings in El Paso. The Hoppers took five long trips to Mexico between 1943 and 1955, on which they also visited several regions in the United States; they traveled by train in 1943, but on the other jaunts they traveled by car. They frequently sized up a locale based on the quality of their lodgings and the view offered by their room and from the structures roof. Much of what we know about Hoppers time in Mexico comes from the couples correspondence on hotel and motel letterhead and postcards. Dating from his first trip to Mexico, Saltillo Rooftops enlists the stovepipe of his hotel rooftop at the Guarhado House (where he and Jo stayed) in the foreground to balance the unfolding span of the Sierra Madre mountains in the background. In Monterrey Cathedral, he returns to his practice of using his lodgings (in this case the Hotel Monterrey) as a framing device to synthesize a visual inventory of hotels and other structuresthe cropped signage for the Hotel Bermuda appears at the lower left. Hotels and motels may provide a useful metaphor for understanding much of Hoppers work in general. He took for granted that hotels and paintings offer temporary experiences, serve multiple individuals, and are, ultimately, highly crafted illusions. Hopper viewed his arthis paintings and watercolors in particularas sites in which to invest temporarily and upon which to muse later with equal parts introspection and nostalgia. Sixty-nine of these paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, and magazine covers are featuredalong with thirty-five works on the theme by other artistsin the exhibition Edward Hopper and the American Hotel at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. Source: Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC Source: Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC It is perhaps fitting that the exhibition is organized by and makes its debut there. The Hoppers visited Richmond on several occasions. His own art would be featured in subsequent biennial exhibitions. Hopper returned to the museum in 1953 for a Judge the Jury exhibition, around the time the museum purchased House at Dusk. A photograph from this visit shows Hopper and Richmond artist Bell Worsham standing before Hoppers painting Early Sunday Morning. Following up on some spirited communication, via the couples lodgings on this visit, the museums director, Leslie Cheek Jr., assured Hopper, While in Richmond you will be quartered at the Jefferson Hotel, a Beaux-Arts structure I believe you will enjoy. There were plenty of hotels in which Cheek could have placed Hopper, but he made sure that the artist was staying at an establishment recognized as the finest in the South. Hoppers work for Hotel Management did indeed, influence his career. The things he did for Hotel Managementand even some of the photographs and advertisements and articlesprovided a storehouse of images and ideas he would return to again and again. All of my following books can be ordered from AuthorHouse by visiting stanleyturkel.com and clicking on the books title: Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry (2009) Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York (2011) Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi (2013) Hotel Mavens: Lucius M. Boomer, George C. Boldt, Oscar of the Waldorf (2014) Great American Hoteliers Volume 2: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry (2016) Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels West of the Mississippi (2017) Hotel Mavens Volume 2: Henry Morrison Flagler, Henry Bradley Plant, Carl Graham Fisher (2018) Great American Hotel Architects Volume I (2019) Hotel Mavens: Volume 3: Bob and Larry Tisch, Curt Strand, Ralph Hitz, Cesar Ritz, Raymond Orteig (2020) Great American Hotel Architects Volume 2 (2020) If You Need an Expert Witness : Stanley Turkel has served as an expert witness in more than 42 hotel-related cases. His extensive hotel operating experience is beneficial in cases involving: slip and fall accidents wrongful deaths fire and carbon monoxide injuries hotel security issues dram shop requirements hurricane damage and/or business interruption cases Feel free to call him at no charge on 917-628-8549 to discuss any hotel-related expert witness assignment. Stanley MHS, ISHC Turkel +1 917 628 8549 Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC Over the years, Ive had the pleasure of meeting and sharing ideas with some of the brightest minds in hospitality. Many of these tenured professionals have found themselves at the precipice of change, able to envision a future driven by innovation and digital connectivity at a time when much of the industry remained stuck in the past. Without these forward-thinking minds, many of hospitalitys core processes and offerings would be confined to legacy systems and unable to meet the modern guest's ever-evolving, and ever-heightened expectations. The team behind BirchStreet Systems is no stranger to technological innovation, as their powerful eProcurement solutions have worked to provide genuinely superior end-to-end procurement capabilities an often-overlooked industry segment to hotels around the globe. Recently, I had a chance to sit down with Paul Rantilla, the Chief Commercial Officer at BirchStreet Systems and an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry. From market penetration to hospitality management, sales strategies, and marketing leadership, Rantilla is a wealth of industry knowledge and tangible insights that can benefit hotels of any size or scale. When asked what brought him to BirchStreet, Rantilla, who had 25 years of hospitality experience before joining the company in 2018, explains that he was initially enticed by the opportunity to learn something completely new. I was so impressed with the brilliant team at BirchStreet and the incredible product they had introduced to the hospitality vertical, shares Rantilla. However, I was quick to notice that the company despite all its promise and innovation had underinvested in sales and marketing. Their customer base was largely a product of word-of-mouth recommendation and the integrity of Sushil Garg and the talented team he had built. With one of the most unique and defendable value propositions I encountered within our industry, I was eager to apply what I had learned to help the company accelerate its already awesome growth trajectory. Since joining the BirchStreet team, the company has delivered a number of exciting innovations. Accubar beverage inventory is integrated with BirchStreets legacy inventory and is now available to new and existing clients as built-in integration with BirchStreet Inventory 2.0. We have received great feedback on our new user interface (UI 3), which is now pervasive across all BirchStreet modules, says Rantilla. Our new capital project module, Cap Projects 2.0, is completely revamped with an influx of new and exciting capabilities. Looking to deliver the final P in P2P, we launched a completely new product with BirchStreet Pay, which has been very well received in the wake of hospitalitys labor crisis, as it moves hotels towards digital forms of payment. Rantilla also notes that hospitality finance leaders are currently desperate for efficiency and accuracy. From electronic connections to suppliers, to a new supplier portal where POs can be flipped, these timely innovations are an integral part of the BirchStreet P2P platform. Hotels, restaurants, venues, casinos, and more can leverage BirchStreets platform to take care of purchasing and compliance, accelerated invoice processing, automated and compliant processes, inventory management, recipe management, digital payments, capital expenditure product tracking, reporting and analytics, and more. One such BirchStreet client is the five star, luxury Peninsula Hotels group, with 10 locations and growing. Matt OMaley, The Peninsula Chicagos Director of Purchasing has been thrilled with the system while working on a $36 million guestroom renovation using BirchStreets Capital Budget Management module. Its so easy to just look at the Project screen. I dont have to keep multiple budgets in multiple spreadsheets anymore. The entire project is automated and in one central place, explained OMaley. The amount of time saved is mind boggling. OMaley explained that their old process used to be a three person job, and now its down to one person. Today, BirchStreet finds itself in high growth mode, with no shortage of opportunities to get its message out. With the hospitality industry more open to digital transformation than ever, I was curious to hear Rantillas perspective on BirchStreets revitalization strategy as they aim to amplify their brands industry presence. We have built many new great products and have successfully ventured into the managed food service (MFS) segment, as well as gaming, Rantilla explains. We are adding people in every area of the business, both onshore and offshore. Regarding their marketing strategy, Rantilla notes that now is the time for them to leverage consistent ABM, customer conferences, trade shows, webinars, an updated website, press releases, white papers, and blogs. Not only that, but BirchStreet is eager to partner with some of the other great companies and industry leaders currently serving hospitality, MFS, and gaming. As for the future, Rantilla says theres never been a more exciting time at BirchStreet. Weve recently added several new key executives to help position the company for its next growth phase, he shares. We will continue to improve our existing modules and drive more value for our customers, especially around business intelligence and reporting. We are also looking into logical extensions of our platform, whether that means to build or buy. Driving bottom-line value for our clients worldwide in Hospitality, Casino and Gaming, Resorts, and Country Club industries, BirchStreet Systems is a powerful, cloud-based eProcurement technology leader doing groundbreaking and innovative work. The end-to-end solution enables all stakeholders at all levels of the organization to be empowered to collaborate and make better, more accurate, and confident buying and operating decisions, decisions that generate immediate measurable savings and stronger business results. You can follow and connect with Paul on LinkedIn. To learn more about BirchStreet Systems, visit birchstreetsystems.com. About Puzzle Partner Puzzle Partner Ltd. is a boutique marketing agency focused exclusively on complex B2B initiatives for the travel and hospitality technology industry. We are experts at combining strategy and tactical execution in a way that doesn't just maximize a company's potential; it redefines it. By delivering influential content, marketing services, and public relations rooted in the skills of our team and tested through real-world experience, we help our clients gain visibility, raise their profile and ultimately increase their sales revenues. We incorporate a holistic blend of paid, earned and owned media, along with creative services, into an integrated communications strategy to drive brand awareness ahead of competitors and deliver impactful business results. To learn more visit puzzlepartner.co. Alan Young Puzzle Partner Ltd. 705-718-5153 Puzzle Partner Ltd. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Republican Party of Texas wants us to vote on secession next year, which in addition to being illegal, would destroy the states economy. If Texas decides to remain part of the Union, the GOP believes the United States should withdraw from the United Nations. No matter that almost all international trade agreements rely on U.N. membership and that exiting the U.N. would abdicate our global leadership role. The Republican platform has many good ideas, but the bad ones cast an unflattering light on the party. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Republicans now want business leaders out of politics When I was a political reporter at the Associated Press, I would ignore party platforms because they were always filled with nutty ideas pushed forward by the nuttiest activists. But then the party declared that any Republican official who did not support every plank could be excommunicated. Thus, the deafening silence from U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and the states Big Three, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. But if they think ignoring extremism will make it go away, they should think again. Michael Wyke / Contributor Once upon a time, Abbott scoffed at the idea that adult Texans had a constitutional right to openly carry handguns in public without a permit. Three election cycles later, he rescinded all prerequisites. In implementing this years platform, will the Texas Legislatures Republican majorities eliminate educational requirements for someone to take the state bar exam and become a lawyer? Will they eliminate business and professional licensing for folks like plumbers and general contractors? Are these the goals that wealthy business people and political action committees had in mind when they wrote checks to the GOP? I understand low taxes and light regulation, but holier-than-thous at the GOP convention outdid themselves last week. Will Texas attract more corporate relocations by requiring students to declare that life begins at fertilization before they can graduate high school? Will denying Texans the right to define their gender identity increase commerce? The GOP high priests did try to appease Elon Musk, Teslas CEO. The platform calls for allowing Tesla and other automakers to sell directly to consumers without going through a dealership. I guess the party doesnt need auto magnate Red McCombs megadonations anymore. Michael Wyke / Contributor For the worlds wealthiest man, Musk has been miserly in his political giving, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan group that collates campaign finance reports. Hes given a little over $1 million since 2002, divided equally between conservatives and liberals. When Musk was trying to get the dealership law repealed, he gave $10,000 each to Abbott, Patrick and former House Speaker Joe Straus. He gave smaller amounts to a plethora of Texas lawmakers, Republican and Democrat. Will Musk give more now that he has declared himself a Republican? As a resident of South Texas, will he give money to the partys increasingly extreme candidates? He says he voted for Republican Mayra Flores to fill an empty congressional seat, even after she promoted QAnon conspiracies on Twitter. I agree with Musk and the GOP that consumers should be able to buy cars directly from manufacturers. But thats not all the Republican platform gets right. Lets get rid of Blue Laws that limit when we can buy alcohol, and while were at it, lets get rid of the three-tier sales system that requires beer, wine and liquor producers to sell only to distributors, adding unnecessary costs to consumers. The GOP also has the right idea about the internet and privacy. Michael Wyke / Contributor We call upon Texas to prohibit vendors of the State of Texas and its subdivisions from selling or sharing data captured in providing services to Texans, the platform declares. We support laws limiting the ways in which internet providers, electronic applications, websites, schools, government entities, and others may access the electronic communications or documents of all Texans. TOMLINSONS TAKE: There's nothing godly about the 'only Christian' in the Texas Railroad Commission runoff Republicans have promised those things for years but have never delivered. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Instead, we get garbage like prohibiting the teaching of sex education, sexual health, or sexual choice or identity in any public school in any grade whatsoever, or disseminating or permitting the dissemination by any party of any material regarding the same. And: We support passage of a law more comprehensive than the Florida law that prohibits instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, the platform says. We advocate for those who violate any of the above to have their educators certification revoked and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Anyone who gives money to a Republican candidate should understand this is the agenda they are financing. The party has stated its intentions. What Id give to have the old chamber-of-commerce GOP back again. Tomlinson writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden called for Congress and state governments Wednesday to enact a 3 month suspension of gasoline and diesel taxes, as motorists struggle under record gasoline prices. The federal tax on gasoline runs 18 cents per gallon, less than 4 percent of average prices right now, and "a gas tax holiday alone will not, on its own, relieve the run up in costs that weve seen," the White House said. "But the President believes that at this unique moment when the war in Ukraine is imposing costs on American families, Congress should do what it can to provide working families breathing room." U.S. gasoline prices are up more than 50 percent since the beginning of the year, driven by a combination of oil supply constrains caused by Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, a decline in U.S. refining capacity and a surge in consumer demand since the lifting of Covid-19 related health restrictions. Americans on average are now paying more than $5 per gallon of gasoline, more than they did during the 2008 oil price spike. Biden has tried to control the run up in fuel prices, ordering a record release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and calling on oil and gas companies to increase production with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm scheduled to sit down with a group of executives from companies including Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday. But it has done little to reduce prices, and Wednesday's announcement drew skepticism from oil executives, who have been pressuring Biden to increase lease sales on federal lands and waters raise oil production. "Instead of calling for temporary Band-Aids that have little hope of becoming law, the Administration should be calling for policies that support all-of-the-above American energy production, said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the trade group American Exploration and Production Council. The federal gasoline tax funds highway repair and construction. In his announcement Biden proposed finding other sources of revenue to make up for the $10 billion cost of the gas tax holiday. "With our deficit already down by a historic $1.6 trillion this year, the President believes that we can afford to suspend the gas tax to help consumers while using other revenues to make the Highway Trust Fund whole," the White House said. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Houston police Chief Troy Finner tested positive for COVID-19, he said Wednesday, urging anyone who was in close contact with him since the weekend to get tested. Finner tested positive after learning Tuesday he was at risk of being infected, he said in a statement the police department posted on Twitter. He said he canceled his public events. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The family of a 14-year-old girl has filed a lawsuit against an indoor trampoline park in Sugar Land after a rock climbing incident allegedly left her with several major injuries and trauma. According to the suit filed earlier this month, Sascha Ispahany was rock climbing with one of her friends at Urban Air Adventure Park on June 6 when the incident occurred. After climbing to the top, Sascha "fell backward expecting the safety harness and auto-belay safety line to slowly lower her" to safety, the lawsuit states. "However, unknown to [Sascha], the attendant never connected [her] harness to the safety line." The teenager dropped 30 feet and slammed feet-first into unpadded ground, breaking both of her legs and ankles and suffering a decompressed spine, the lawsuit states. Sascha "could not stand and laid on the floor screaming in agony," according to the lawsuit. Now Playing: 14-year-old Sascha Ispahany gets carted off the hospital after allegedly falling 30 feet at Urban Air Adventure Park in Sugar Land. Video: Courtesy Jason Gibson In a statement to the Chronicle, Urban Air states that they can't comment on pending litigation but "it's essential guests follow posted and verbal guidelines and instructions." Attorney Jason Gibson told the Chronicle that the incident was avoidable. Gibson also said employees "refused to help" Sascha and watched while she was on the ground. "She asked them to take off her harness and they refused to do so and said it wasn't their place to do that." He also said employees let Sascha into the park and put a bracelet on her without requiring a parent to be with her or having her sign a waiver. Sascha's mother Amaneh told ABC13 that it was the most harrowing experience of their lives. "They were all really scared. It kept scaring me too because I didn't know what was wrong with me." As a result of her injuries, Sascha spent four days in the hospital and now needs to wear a body brace for 8-10 weeks, according to Gibson. The lawsuit was filed against Urban Air for negligence and failing to provide crash pads, Rockwood Builders for failing to construct a safe facility. The suit also includes the management company that owns Urban Air. "A lot of this stuff should have never happened and there is no excuse for it to happen," Gibson said. "The employees obviously are not trained correctly, they don't have the right policies in place ... It's just inexcusable." ryan.nickerson@hcnonline.com Oregon-based coffee chain Dutch Bros Coffee will soon be opening a new location in Katy. NewQuest Properties reported Tuesday that it sold a pad site to Dutch Bros in the Shops at Katy Reserve, marking the chain's eighth location in the Houston area. Dutch Bros anticipates opening its Katy location in early 2023. The coffee shop plans to develop an 833-square-foot kiosk with two drive-thru lanes along the 1700 block of Spring Green Boulevard, NewQuest vice president Kevin Sims said. Founded in 1992, Dutch Bros began as a pushcart coffee vendor serving train commuters. It has since grown to become the third-largest coffee chain in the U.S. with more than 500 corporate-owned and franchised locations in 11 states, Sims noted. ALSO COMING TO KATY: New soul food restaurant brings 'beautiful comfort' mixed with East Coast glamour Dutch Bros began its expansion into Houston in late 2021. "Dutch Bros is a new and exciting brand that's been welcomed in the Houston market," Sims said, "and it was a missing category in the Shops at Katy Reserve." The Shops at Katy Reserve is a Kroger-anchored neighborhood center totaling more than 150,000-square-feet, situated at the junction of FM 1463 and Spring Green Boulevard near Interstate 10. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston-based Syzygy Plasmonics has leased a 44,800-square-foot building in Pearland for its new headquarters and facility for research and development and manufacturing. We are commercializing technology that produces low- and zero-carbon chemicals, fuels and fertilizers at a reasonable cost, CEO Trevor Best said. Our first offering is a photoreactor that produces hydrogen using energy from light instead of heat. The facility at Pearland gives us space for testing, further development and product manufacturing while offering easy access to the highway system. The former Industrial Polymers building at 3250 S. Sam Houston Parkway is expected to open later this year and will be home to about 60 employees. For information, visit www.plasmonics.tech. ACC fall registration underway Registration for the fall 2022 semester at Alvin Community College is open through Aug. 16. Late registration will be Aug. 17-21 with a $50 fee, and classes begin Aug. 22. For details, visit www.alvincollege.edu/getyouthere. Rosharon, Pearland students make Angelo State deans list Angelo State University has named two local students to its spring 2022 deans list: Jaylon Lockett, of Rosharon, and Sara Paulson, of Pearland. Lockett is majoring in physics, and Paulson is working toward a degree in health science professions. To be eligible for the deans list, full-time undergraduate students must maintain a 3.25 GPA. Learn more at www.angelo.edu. Local scholars named to ACU honor roll The spring 2022 deans honor roll at Abilene Christian University comprises more than 1,200 students, including Sabrina Anthony and Lindsay Watson, of Pearland, and Redonda Davis, of Rosharon. Anthony, a senior, is majoring in nursing. Watson, also a senior, is working toward a degree in communication disorders. Sophomore Davis is a nursing major. To qualify for the honor roll, students must be registered for 12 or more credit hours and earn a GPA of 3.6 or higher. Learn more at www.acu.edu. Ole Miss recognizes Pearland students academic efforts Ethan Clark, a general business major from Pearland, has earned a place on the University of Mississippis spring 2022 chancellors honor roll. To be eligible for honor roll designation, a student must complete at least 12 graded hours for the semester and may not be on academic probation. The chancellors honor roll is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.75-4.00. Learn more at www.olemiss.edu. Rosharon student nabs ENMU honor Jackson Burns, of Rosharon, has been named to Eastern New Mexico Universitys deans list for the spring 2022 semester. To be eligible for the deans list, a student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours with a GPA of 3.25 or greater. Learn more about the school in Portales at www.enmu.edu. Local student named to Midway honor roll Mariana Rodriguez, of Pearland, joined 325 students on Midway Universitys spring 2022 deans list. To qualify, a student must be classified as full-time and obtain a 3.60 GPA for the semester. Learn more about the school in Lexington, Kentucky, at www.midway.edu. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Steven Lamy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences (THE CONVERSATION) No one should be surprised by the decision made by the governments of Sweden and Finland to apply for full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Since the start of the Russian assault on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, both countries have given Ukraine missile systems, assault rifles, ammunition and money for refugee resettlement. In my view as a scholar of international relations, Finland and Sweden essentially gave up their political neutrality and nonalignment key aspects of their national identity when they both joined the European Union in 1995. The Russian assault on Ukraine was the last straw that broke down any remaining barriers to full integration with the NATO alliance. Finlands past and present with Russia With a combined population of 16 million, Finland and Sweden, as nonmembers, dont have the protection of NATOs collective security guarantee that an attack on one ally is an attack on all. Russian aggression is of particular concern to Finland. Though Finland and Sweden are both sandwiched between Russia and NATO-member Norway, only Finland shares a land border about 830 miles with Russia. And only Finland has a recent history of fighting against Russian assaults. Between 1939 and 1944, about 96,000 Finns, or 2.5% of the population, died during two separate wars with Russia during the concurrent Russo-Finnish War and World War II and more than 400,000 people lost homes. Fighting under the cover of snow and dense forests, the Finnish army repelled Russian attacks but lost around 10% of Finlands territory in the subsequent peace agreement in 1948. The Finns were also forced by the Soviets to adopt neutrality after the countrys loss in World War II. That changed with the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine. In setting aside Finlands neutrality with its application for NATO membership, Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin had a sobering observation: Russia is not the neighbor Finland thought it was. In early 2022, public opinion polls in Finland indicated only 24% of the public supported NATO membership. But four days after the Russian invasion, Finns favored joining NATO alliance by 68%. On May 9, 2020, that figure was 76%. You (Russia) caused this, explained Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Look in the mirror. Swedish hesitancy Three days after Russia launched its assault on Ukraine, Sweden provided Ukraine with 5,000 anti-tank weapons, 5,000 body shields, 5,000 helmets and 135,000 field rations. It is not Swedish practice to send military equipment to conflict zones, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said. The last time Sweden did so to any great extent was when the Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939. In fact, the last time Sweden fought in a war was against its neighbor Norway, in 1814. We would be rather naive not to recognize that there is a threat from Russia toward Sweden, Swedish Major Stefan Nordstrom told Reuters. The security situation in the whole of Europe has changed and we have to accept that, and we have to adapt. Sweden has a very capable military that includes a navy with Baltic Sea expertise and experience chasing Russian submarines. Global Fire Power, a military analysis website, says that Sweden has 16,000 active military personnel and 22,000 paramilitary forces. Sweden has 121 tanks, according to the website. Those numbers are sure to grow now. Sweden plans to raise its military spending as a result of the Ukraine war. In 2020, that spending accounted for 1.2% of the countrys GDP, but now it will rise to 2% by 2028. Swedens 2022 military budget is about US$8.9 billion. Swedish public support for joining NATO has increased significantly since the Russian assault, despite its historical opposition to joining an alliance that has nuclear weapons. There is no way back to a past of illusionary neutrality, Carl Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister, wrote in April 2022. Shared European security The foreign policy DNA of Sweden and Finland emphasizes collective action and solidarity with those who respect a rule-based system including the sovereignty and independence of all countries. Both Finland and Sweden already are active members of the United Nations, the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe. After Russias 2014 invasion of Crimea, both Finland and Sweden increased their cooperation with NATO by participating in NATO military exercises on land, air and sea. In addition, because of their common interests in Arctic and European security, Sweden and Finland maintained security arrangements with each other and other countries such as Norway and the United States involving training exercises, intelligence sharing, operational planning and the creation of command and control networks. Consequences for Russia The possibility of Finlands and Swedens joining NATO caused an immediate reaction by Russian President Vladimir Putin and a realization that what he calls the special operation in Ukraine was backfiring. In my view, the values and traditions of the Western alliance and their security interests moved both Finland and Sweden to abandon their commitment to neutrality. NATOs addition of Finland and Sweden, should it happen, will likely lead to a stronger European pillar in NATO. The war in Ukraine may very well be the first military conflict in which a coalition of democracies directly confronts authoritarian states. It is not wise to be alone in a region with an authoritarian neighbor. Both Sweden and Finland have chosen to be a part of the greater conflict to protect democratic governance and the independence of all countries including their own. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/finlands-and-swedens-pursuit-of-nato-membership-is-the-exact-opposite-of-what-putin-wanted-for-russian-neighbors-183574. ROME (AP) Premier Mario Draghi secured Senate backing Tuesday to continue supporting Ukraine against Russia, following calls from the 5-Star Movement leadership for Italy to stop sending weapons and focus more on diplomacy. Draghi outlined Italys Ukraine policy, and briefed senators on his recent visit to Kyiv alongside the French and German leaders, ahead of the European Council later this week. While providing no new information on the weaponry Italy had sent, Draghi thanked senators for their united support for the government line. WASHINGTON (AP) The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection is turning to former President Donald Trumps pressure campaign on state and local officials to overturn his 2020 election loss. In its fourth hearing this month, the panel examined how Trump focused on a few swing states, directly urging officials to decertify President Joe Bidens victory or find additional votes for himself. It was part of a larger scheme that also involved dozens of lawsuits, pressure on Department of Justice officials and, eventually, lobbying Vice President Mike Pence to reject Bidens win at the congressional electoral count on Jan. 6. Pressuring public servants into betraying their oaths was a fundamental part of the playbook, the committees chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, said of Trump and his allies. And a handful of election officials in several key states stood between Donald Trump and the upending of American democracy. 'THEY DID THEIR JOBS' The panel is keeping to a tight narrative as it makes its case to the American public that Trumps efforts to overturn his defeat directly led to the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, when hundreds of his supporters broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Bidens victory. The witnesses at Tuesdays hearing were all public officials who were directly lobbied by Trump or who received threats for doing their jobs after Trump persuaded millions of his followers with no evidence that he had actually won, not lost, the election. Arizonas Republican state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified in person, spoke about phone calls from Trump and his allies asking him to decertify Arizonas legitimate electors and replace them. Bowers said he repeatedly asked Trump's attorneys to show evidence of widespread fraud, but they never provided any. You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath, Bowers said he told them. He recalled John Eastman, a chief architect of Trump's plan to create slates of fake electors, telling him to just do it and let the courts sort it out. Bowers also responded to Trump's comments, released in a statement before the hearing, claiming he had told the president that the Arizona election was rigged. I did have a conversation with the president, Bowers said. That certainly isnt it. Other state officials told similar stories in videotaped testimony. Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler said he got repeated calls from Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other Trump aides, but he refused to answer them. The calls continued even after Cutler asked them to stop. FOCUS ON GEORGIA Trumps pressure was most intense in Georgia, where Biden narrowly won after years of GOP presidential victories in the state. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his deputy, Gabe Sterling, testified about becoming two of the presidents top targets as he floated conspiracy theories and as they refused to back down to his pressure. The committee played audio of the call where Trump asked the officials there to find 11,780 votes that could flip the state to prevent Bidens election victory. There were not votes to find, Raffensperger said. Raffensperger said he and his team went through every single allegation and down every rabbit hole that Trump and his allies presented to state election officials. But Trump wouldnt accept it. He told Raffensperger that it could only be dishonesty or incompetence that they couldnt find the necessary amount of votes. Competing against Trumps false statements was like a shovel trying to empty the ocean, said Sterling, who spoke out publicly against Trump's pressure in the weeks after the election. Sterling said he couldnt convince even some of his own family members that the election outcome was valid. THREATS TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS The hearing also examined how Trumps threats put state officials in danger. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson talked about how her stomach sunk when she heard the sounds of protesters outside her home one night after the election when she was putting her child to bed. She wondered if they had guns or were going to attack her house. That was the scariest moment, not knowing whats going to happen, Benson said. Another Michigan official, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, told the committee about receiving 4,000 text messages after Trump published his phone number online. Cutler, the Pennsylvania House speaker, said his information was also revealed online, prompting protesters to show up at his house when his 15-year-old son was home alone. Arizonas Bowers told stories of people outside his house on loudspeakers and one man with a gun who verbally threatened his neighbor. He teared up as he spoke of his daughter, who he said was gravely ill, and his wife becoming upset as people swarmed outside. HATEFUL MESSAGES AND LIVES UPENDED Some of the days most emotional testimony came from two former election workers in Georgia who have seen their lives turned upside down after Trump and Giuliani spread false conspiracy theories that they were engaging in ballot fraud. The Justice Department has debunked claims that Wandrea Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, introduced suitcases of illegal ballots and committed other acts of election fraud to try to alter the outcome. Through tears, Moss said she no longer leaves her house after she was targeted by Trump, who mentioned them by name in the call with Raffensperger. Moss, who is Black, told of receiving hateful, racist and violent threats. She recalled that one of them said, Be glad its 2020 and not 1920. At one point protesters showed up at her grandmother's house. It has affected my life in a major way, in every way, all because of lies, Moss said. The committee played videotaped testimony with Freeman, who also sat in the hearing room behind her daughter. Freeman told the panel that she used to own shirts in every color with her name on it Lady Ruby, as she's known in her community advertising her small business. But she no longer wears them. Ive lost my name, and Ive lost my reputation. Ive lost my sense of security, Freeman said. INVOLVEMENT OF GOP LAWMAKERS While the committee has had a hard time getting GOP lawmakers to do interviews five House Republicans have so far defied the panels subpoenas the committee revealed some additional detail about what Trumps allies in Congress were doing at the time of the insurrection. The committee revealed a text from an aide to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to an aide for then-Vice President Mike Pence the morning of Jan. 6 saying that the senator wanted to personally hand Pence an alternate slate of electors for MI and WI. Do not give that to him, Pence aide Chris Hodgson replied. The vice president released a statement around the same time making it clear that he would do his ceremonial duty and declare Biden the next president. Johnsons spokeswoman Alexa Henning responded Tuesday: The vice presidents office said not to give it to him and we did not. There was no further action taken. End of story. Bowers also revealed that Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, one of the lawmakers subpoenaed by the panel, asked him the morning of Jan. 6 to sign on to a letter saying he would support the certification of fake electors. I said I would not, Bowers said. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JACKSON, Miss (AP) William LaForge, who has served as the president of Delta State University since 2013, will depart at the end of June. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board, which governs the states eight public universities, approved the leadership change at a meeting last week in Jackson. But LaForge said he didn't learn of the change until several days later. In an email message to the entire campus Tuesday, LaForge wrote that he didn't learn of the move until Monday just before the board published a news release announcing its decision. Beginning July 1, Butch Caston will begin serving as interim president. The very basic explanation I was provided was that the IHL Board thinks a leadership change is warranted because the comparative state of the university from the time when I began my service in 2013 until now is not favorable especially with respect to enrollment metrics and financial sustainability, LaForge wrote. Delta States student enrollment declined by just over 9% between 2020 and 2021. Between fall 2019 and fall 2021, enrollment declined by 27% the most drastic change of any public university in the state. In 2019, 3,761 students enrolled. That fell to 2,727 students in 2021. LaForges salary is $265,001. Of the total, $215,000 is provided with state funds and $50,001 is provided by the universitys foundation, according to an IHL spokesperson. LaForge has a lifelong connection to Delta State as a professor's child. He attended Delta State and was student body president. We wish him well as he looks forward to new challenges and opportunities," IHL board president Tom Duff said in Mondays news release announcing the leadership change. LaForge wasn't the only one caught some off guard by the IHL's decision. "I was shocked and surprised to see this happen," Doug Pinkerton, a recently retired Delta State recreation director, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "No one I talked to saw this coming. Caston assumes the position after serving as the universitys interim vice president of student affairs and interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. He holds a masters degree in guidance and counseling from Delta State and a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi. Caston will be tasked with addressing several issues facing Delta State, including declining enrollment, fiscal challenges and infrastructure, Duff said. In his email message, LaForge wrote that Caston has his full support and confidence. LaForge is a native of Cleveland, Mississippi, where Delta State is located. He had a 36-year career in Washington before his appointment to the Delta State presidency. On Capitol Hill, he rose to become chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi. LaForge's government career included a stint as chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. He also worked in the private sector as an attorney and lobbyist. LaForge and his wife, Nancy, plan to return to their home in Northern Virginia. I am very disappointed in the decision, but I accept the outcome and am fully prepared to move on, he wrote. Information about the search for a permanent president will be released later, the IHL said in the news release. ___ 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. A state court has denied the appeal of a Tyler man accused of killing a Trinity University student in 2017, paving the way for his retrial. Mark P. Howertons first murder trial ended with the jury deadlocked. Howerton was 22 when he was arrested and charged with the slaying of Cayley Mandadi of League City. She was a 19-year-old sophomore majoring in communications and a member of Trinitys cheer team and Chi Beta Epsilon sorority. MORE: Murder suspect accuses prosecutors of misconduct after hung jury; asks judge to bar new trial Howerton went to trial in 2019. Prosecutors alleged he killed Mandadi in a jealous rage after she tried to break up with him at the Mala Luna Music Festival in San Antonio on Oct. 29, 2017. They had been dating for six months. HO, San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer Howerton has maintained his innocence. At trial, his attorney, John Hunter, alleged that Mandadi agreed to go to Houston with Howerton after the festival, and that they stopped at a gas station and had rough make-up sex. Testimony in his trial established that, at some point, Mandadi stopped breathing, so Howerton drove her to a hospital in Luling. She was covered in bruises and was not wearing pants when they arrived at the hospital. She later died and Howerton was charged with murder, sexual assault and kidnapping. TESTIMONY: Slain Trinity University student had plans to break up with boyfriend to go back to her ex A Bexar County jury was deadlocked and a mistrial was declared Dec. 12, 2019. Before his second trial was to resume, Howertons attorney, John Hunter, filed a writ of habeas corpus, seeking to dismiss the indictment. In an August 2021 interview with the Express-News, Hunter accused assistant district attorneys trying the case of prosecutorial overreach when they seated a witness whom they knew had lied in two police reports and in prior sworn testimony before a grand jury. Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer Hunter also stated in the writ that trying his client again would be double jeopardy. A three-judge panel of the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio denied Hunters appeal on June 15. Howertons case will be put back on the docket to await a trial setting. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Crime Stoppers Houston will compile a new index to keep track of violent crime around Harris County and provide accessible data to the public, the organization said Wednesday. The organization alongside law enforcement, prosecutors, victims families and business owners revealed the launch of the index in collaboration with the newly founded Glenda Gordy Research Center. The data is expected to be available online by this fall as part of the organizations Safe Community Institute, according to institute Director Sydney Zuiker. FIGHTING CRIME OR POLITICAL BATTLES?: Crime Stoppers of Houston is drawing scrutiny with partisan voice In January, Zuiker said the group would track violent crime trends from 2015 and onward as criminal justice stakeholders continue debating the countys bail system and whether it has played a role on crime in the region. The crime index will be a regular report on felony crimes in Harris County to include homicide, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and firearm-related offenses, Zuiker said. We plan to update this information monthly, and we will provide a mid-year State of Crime annually, each June, like we are today. Information from the FBIs Uniform Crime Report, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Harris County District Clerks Office will be used to compile the data, Zuiker said, adding the goal was to make the data accessible to residents. We found in doing our research for this there just wasn't one centralized location for everything. So we're doing that internally, she said. It will be an easy place for every community member to come and to find exactly what they need in a very digestible manner. The data will initially include federal, state and local data but will eventually focus more on local statistics within the next year, according to Zuiker. Among the data presented on Wednesday was a 333 percent increase in the number of Texas children up to age 11 killed due to gun violence in the first five months of this year compared with the same time last year. The data was compiled using reports from DPS, Houston police and the Harris County Sheriffs Office, according to Crime Stoppers. In another categories, based on data provided by HPD and the Harris County Sheriffs office, the organizations statistics showed a 5 percent decrease in homicides and a 4 percent decrease in aggravated assaults this year to compared with 2021. The center will also focus on reporting crime rates by county precinct, and track judges, magistrates and re-offending defendants released on bonds for violent crimes, according to the organization. They also plan on documenting which courts have the highest number of defendants released on personal recognizance or low bonds. CHRONICLE INVESTIGATION: As killings tied to defendants out on bond rise in Houston, crime data reveals a crisis in courts Before the announcement, law enforcement leaders and legislators reiterated their support for the role Crime Stoppers Houston plays in solving crimes in the region after recent reports criticized the group of partisanship in local media. Crime Stoppers works. I'm tired of hearing, when did crime become a partisan issue? and that's one of my questions. When did it become a partisan issue? Crime doesn't discriminate, Harris County Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen said. It doesn't matter if you're Republican, Democrat, Libertarian. It doesn't matter if you're rich, you're poor, you're educated, you're not educated, your race, your gender, your religion, crime doesn't discriminate. Other law enforcement representatives such as Doug Griffith of the Houston Police Officers Union criticized Harris County judges for failing to take a tougher stance on continuous offenders and encouraged voters to take action at the polls. Ill tell you about these judges, Griffith said. Most of these judges were brought in during the Beto (ORourke) sweep, which is neither here nor there. The deal is they dont do their job. Griffith additionally referred to an instance where socialist Harris County misdemeanor Judge Franklin Bynums wore a Defund the police shirt. Weve got several of these judges that are nothing more than activists. They say on their website that they don't believe people should be in jail. That's a problem. That's not their job, he said. Again, I don't give a crap if you're a Republican or Democrat. Get out there, be educated and make that choice. EXPLAINER: What you need to know about Harris County's new bail bond rule and how it might impact violent crime April Aguirre a family friend of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez who was fatally shot in February spoke critically of Judge Lina Hidalgo and her public feud with the District Attorney Kim Ogg urging the judge to work for the citizens of Harris County and provide prosecutors and law enforcement with the proper support. You need to focus on Harris County and, if not you, then who? Aguirre said. If you have your differences with Kim Ogg, it is not our fault. It is not Arlenes fault. We need justice at the end, for victims. The only thing we have is our DA to get justice for us. We don't have anybody else. Hidalgo's office later Wednesday issued a statement outlining some of the county's financial support for public safety efforts. "This year, Judge Hidalgo approved a budget of $1.4 billion for public safety, the most ever allocated for justice and safety initiatives in Harris County history," the statement read. "It includes increases for every law enforcement agency in the county, 400 new vehicles for constables and the sheriffs office, and pay increases for police. It also includes groundbreaking investments in youth crime prevention initiatives, targeted enforcement for high crime micro-zones, efforts to address blight, and efforts to shrink the criminal court backlog." joel.umanzor@chron.com A man died Tuesday in a residential fire in west Houston, authorities said. Fire investigators remained at the scene of the fire at 13627 Sunstream Ct. by afternoon, according to the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office. The man, described as an 81-year-old, was not immediately identified. DANGEROUS HEAT: Child dies after being left for several hours inside a hot vehicle in Harris County, officials say The fire was extinguished earlier in the day. alejandro.serrano@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN Some two dozen residents from Fifth Ward and other Harris County communities watched closely midday Wednesday on a TV screen in a state capitol overflow room. Down the hall, state Sen. Borris Miles was probing Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Jon Niermann about why communities of color face greater environmental harms than predominantly white communities do. Environmental racism, Niermann was saying, as he responded to Miles. Im not sure what to do with that term. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer 'DESPERATE FOR RELIEF': EPA promises help with contaminated Fifth Ward rail yard, targeting 'unjust conditions' Those seated in the overflow room knew the importance of the phrase: They live with environmental racism. And they care enough about the injustice in their daily lives that they rose at 4 a.m. or stayed up all night to board buses in the Houston-area to be here to talk about it. The residents were waiting for their two minutes each to tell the mostly white officials on the dais about the disproportionate burden of hazards their mostly Black and Latino communities face. They had stories of breathing emissions from vehicle traffic, living alongside chemicals long ago dumped into their neighborhoods and suffering from toxic hazards released into their air. Were long overdue for change, said Camil Boyd, who works in Fifth Ward. She was waiting her turn, hoping to see the officials take a stand. Niermanns seemingly tin-eared comments made it clear that the overflow crowd had work to do. State environmental regulators are up for a Sunset review an evaluation process that typically occurs every 12 years, looking at whether an agency should be abolished or improved in certain ways. The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, made up of 10 legislators and two appointed members of the public, was slated to discuss and hear feedback about improvements needed at the agency on Wednesday. CHECK OUR MAPS: Houstons dangerous concrete plants are mostly in communities of color. Residents are fighting back. All morning, Sunset commission members interrogated their own staff along with Niermann about proposed changes, which include holding a second public hearing on contentious permits for pollution so residents will have a better chance to guide the process, and making changes to how TCEQ regulates industry based on past violations. The recommendations from the Sunset staff, which prepares a report for the commission to consider, went off course in the eyes of state Sen. Charles Perry, a Republican from Lubbock, who chastised staff members for going beyond their roles. Niermann said that on the whole he saw the recommendations as costly and without clear benefit. Industry officials supported the environmental agencys work and didnt want anything adjusted. But environmental advocates, and some Democratic lawmakers, felt the recommendations didnt go far enough. CANCER RISK: Houston urges TCEQ to tighten emissions rules following study of formaldehyde in citys air For example, Miles outlined for the group the impact of concrete batch facilities in poor, minority neighborhoods. He spoke about Black and Latino residents living near the Union Pacific rail yard that is contaminated with toxic creosote, and the people in the neighborhood who have been diagnosed with cancer. Many in the overflow rooms were here to share firsthand accounts of how the agency was failing them, especially on those two issues. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer We are here because we want and cannot allow TCEQ to continue to selectively interpret the statute, Senator Perry, and ignore Texans for the sake of industry, Miles said, continuing, Economic development should never be put before the protection of our states public health. A woman in the audience leaned forward and nodded: Tell it like it is, she said. And they did: Speaking quickly and emphatically, sometimes in Spanish with an interpreter, to squeeze their heartfelt accounts into the time allotted. The room was cold. Some might not have eaten lunch. They talked about how they were having to fight for their own well being at home, how breathing could be a challenge, how they too felt public officials were prioritizing industry over people. One person scolded a commission member for looking at his phone while people spoke. Residents had suffered long enough from an agency they didnt trust. A 10-year-old said he wanted to play outside without concerns of air pollution from the concrete batch plants. A Fifth Ward advocate said the agency needed to stop killing people and instead start saving them. In short: They wanted things to change. They wanted the agency to help. We will not continue to be silent, said Carl Davis, from Third Ward. We want livable communities. We want healthy communities. We want environmental justice. The commission is expected to vote on its recommendations this fall. emily.foxhall@chron.com Anna Farrow nearly cried on Tuesday morning as she held a pair of COVID-19 vaccine cards for her 4-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter, the first children under 5 to receive the shots at Texas Childrens Hospital. The Houston mother and her husband, Luke, have been cautious throughout the pandemic to protect their son George, who was born prematurely at 26 weeks and has a fragile immune system. Theyve continued to take precautions since the birth of their daughter Hannah, even as other kids have been going on play dates or attending birthday parties. Now that the vaccine has been approved for use in children 6 months to 4 years old, the Farrows can finally look forward to bringing their kids to the playground and sending George to school in the fall. It feels like its been a really long time coming, Anna Farrow said. We were ecstatic, to say the least. Texas Childrens and Childrens Memorial Hermann hospitals are among the pediatric health care providers across the U.S. that began administering the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to children 6 months through 4 years old on Tuesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved emergency use of both vaccines for that age group on Friday, and the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on Saturday. Parents and caregivers can schedule vaccine appointments for kids who are at least 6 months old by using the online schedulers for Texas Childrens Hospital and Texas Childrens Pediatrics practices, or by calling their Childrens Memorial Hermann pediatricians office. The availability of shots for anyone at least 6 months old is a milestone in the fight against COVID-19. It comes 18 months since the vaccines were first administered to frontline health care workers, and one month after they were approved for children 5 to 11 years old. For the first time since the pandemic started, anyone who wants to be vaccinated can be vaccinated, said Dr. Michael Chang, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UTHealth Houston and Childrens Memorial Hermann Hospital. I think thats a really important milestone. Data from clinical trials shows that Modernas vaccine is 51 percent effective at preventing illness in children 6 months to 2 years old, and 37 percent effective at preventing disease in children 2 to 5 years old. Pfizers vaccine is 80 percent effective at preventing illness, but that is based on just 10 cases. Most importantly, both vaccines are very effective at preventing the type of severe illness that could result in a child being hospitalized, said Dr. Stan Spinner, the chief medical officer and vice president of Texas Childrens Pediatrics. Thats particularly important while the omicron variant of the virus continues to drive infections in Houston and elsewhere, he said. The risk of getting infected anywhere you go right now is quite high, Spinner said. The sooner you can get your young child or any age child protected right now, the better. Children are less likely to become severely ill from COVID-19, but there have been more than 400 deaths among kids 6 months through 4 years old since the start of the pandemic, according to CDC data. In addition, hospitalizations for children under 5 years old surged during the omicron wave. Children who contract COVID-19 could also face complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition in which parts of the body including the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain can become inflamed. Other complications include a type of heart inflammation called myocarditis. There are rare instances of myocarditis being found in older children and young adults after they've been vaccination, but the heart inflammation is much more common in children who've been infected with COVID-19, Spinner said. Chang and Spinner said the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any possible risks to young children. The most common side effects have been fever and pain near the injection site. For parents who say, I just want to do what I can to protect my child against potential problems in the future, the vaccine is the safest and most effective way to maximize that protection, Chang said. Children in the youngest age group are receiving smaller doses of the vaccine than older kids and adults. The Moderna vaccine is given in two doses, four weeks apart. The Pfizer vaccine is given in three doses; the second dose comes three weeks after the first, and the third dose comes eight weeks after the second. Due to the separate timetables, Chang said hes recommending the Moderna vaccine to any parents who want their kids to be vaccinated before they return to school in the fall. The Farrow children each received a dose of the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday. Anna Farrow said it felt surreal to see her kids finally get the shots. Its a weird thing to be picturing and fantasizing about, but thats definitely what I had been thinking about for so long now, she said. With meteorologists predicting another busy hurricane season, Mayor Sylvester Turner committed an additional $20 million Wednesday to fixing neighborhood drainage problems across the city as climate change threatens to further strengthen storms in the years to come. The money will be funneled to the citys Storm Water Action Team to upgrade storm sewers and replace roadside ditches. The unexpected influx, Turner said, was prompted by complaints from council members and homeowners who argued the mayors budget for the coming fiscal year failed to adequately fund flood mitigation efforts. The additional funds will be divided equally among the citys eleven geographic districts, doubling the total available for small-scale stormwater infrastructure projects to $40 million. MORE ON STORM DRAINAGE: How Houston plans to retrofit five parks for rainwater detention Surprise rippled through the chamber Wednesday morning after Turners announcement, generating audible murmurs of approval from At-Large Councilmember Sallie Alcorn and others. Alcorn later said the move reflected Houston residents priorities. People care about flooding, flooding, flooding, said Alcorn, who proposed but later withdrew a $5 million budget amendment for citywide street and drainage projects amid opposition from the mayor earlier this month. District A Councilmember Amy Peck, one of the most outspoken critics of the mayors flood mitigation funding during budget hearings, called the $20 million a good start toward eliminating structural flooding for as many homes as possible. We have a pretty sizable backlog of projects we have been trying to address with this money, Peck said Wednesday. Before this allocation, we were much more limited in what we were able to fund. WATER SHORTAGE: Houston asks residents to cut back on water use amid threat of drought Since 2017, the Turner administration has channeled at least $10 million annually to neighborhood projects aimed at improving drainage problems not related to Houstons vast network of bayous and creeks that play a critical role in flood management. The projects typically are small in scale and fall outside the $666 million allocated for drainage improvements in the current capital improvement plan that runs through 2024. Engineers with the Storm Water Action Team, part of the Department of Public Works and Engineering, review 311 calls and make site visits to help choose which projects to fund, a calculus that weighs a projects cost against the number of threatened homes. FUTURE OF FLOODING: How a $30 billion vision could drastically expand Harris County storm water management Flood mitigation emerged as a contentious topic during budget hearings after the mayor opposed several council members proposals for neighborhood drainage projects they said reflected overwhelming demand from residents. At the hearings, a series of public speakers condemned the open-ditch drainage in many low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, only to be disappointed with the final allocations. The additional funding, however, may not be enough to placate some residents. Split between 11 districts, the $20 million is not going to solve any real drainage issues, said Hector De La Garza, a Spring Branch resident whose home has flooded three times in four years. De La Garza said he initially was dismayed at what he called Turners seeming lack of compassion for homeowners in flood-prone areas. Wednesdays announcement, he said, did little to change his opinion. Its just crumbs, he said of the additional funds. I have spent years trying to get them to fix two little drains at the end of my street. Councilmember Tarsha Jackson, whose District B includes the northern neighborhoods where residents were pushing for more funding, said the $20 million influx represents a victory for outspoken homeowners, however. Its paying off, and I encourage them to keep speaking up, Jackson said. We cant let it die down. Their efforts are the reason why we got this extra funding. Jackson and her constituents said their neighborhoods often lag behind when it comes to drainage improvements, so the need there is more severe. The stormwater funds in this pot are divided evenly, which means Jacksons share will go from roughly $1.8 million to $3.6 million. This is going to allow us to do more projects in the district, Jackson said, adding, Were going to have to come up with more money. Chronicle staff writer Dylan McGuinness contributed to this report. nora.mishanec@chron.com As the temperature soared to a record high on Monday afternoon, a busy mother ran errands with her excited children and returned to their home in northeast Harris County to prepare for her daughters birthday party. The mother thought her son came inside the home with them, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, but realized two or three hours later that he was missing. She frantically ran outside and discovered the 5-year-old still buckled in his car seat, Gonzalez said in an interview with FOX26. The boy died in the hot vehicle on the 13700 block of Blair Hill Lane in the Summerwood neighborhood, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Deputies from the Precinct 3 Constables Office and investigators from the sheriffs office homicide and child crimes units responded to the scene. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences on Tuesday afternoon identified the child as Trace Means. The agency has not determined a cause of death. This marks the second child to die in a hot car this summer in the Houston region. In late May, a 10-month-old girl died at a Pearland hospital shortly after she was found in a sweltering vehicle outside a southwest Houston home. The infants mother forgot her in the car for several hours. In the most recent case, the sheriff said the little boy knew how to unbuckle himself and get out of the car. That day, however, the mother was driving a loaner car, which appeared in footage from TV news stations to be a Porshe small SUV. We dont know if that played a factor, or maybe the child was asleep and just got disoriented after a bit with the temperature as hot as it is, Gonzalez said. We dont know. Thatll be part of the investigation. The case remains open and active, according to the sheriffs office. Investigators will meet with the Harris County District Attorneys Office to present their findings. The Houston heat broke a record on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature hit 102 degrees at 2:42 p.m. at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, breaking the previous record of 101 degrees set in 1902, according to the weather agency. The blazing heat can be dangerous and deadly, according to the weather service, especially for certain populations. Young children and infants are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness and death because their bodies are less capable of adapting to heat. More than 900 children have died from heatstroke in vehicles since 1998, including 23 children last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Children can die within minutes in a hot car, according to the agency. Vehicles become oven-like in the summer sun, heating up by 20 degrees in ten minutes, the agency said. According to information from the agency, a childs body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adults body temperature. Heat stroke sets in when a persons body temperature reaches 104 degrees, and a child can die when his or her body temperature hits 107 degrees. The national safety agency recommends that parents and caregivers never leave a child unattended in a vehicle and make it a habit to check the entire vehicle before locking it and walking away. People can place a purse or briefcase in the backseat as a reminder to check for children, or keep a note or stuffed animal in the front seat. Bystanders who encounter the situation can help prevent such deaths by immediately helping to free a child from a vehicle and calling 911. anna.bauman@chron.com City Council on Wednesday will consider whether to help fund a feasibility and cost study on a proposal to build a series of man-made islands in Galveston Bay as a coastal storm barrier. The Port of Houston, Harris County, and entrepreneur Joseph Swinbank each have agreed to pay $250,000 toward the study of the proposed storm barrier known as Galveston Bay Park, designed by researchers at Rice Universitys Severe Storm Prediction, Education & Evacuation from Disasters Center to protect the shoreline during severe hurricanes. City Council must decide whether to fund the remaining $250,000 of the $1 million study to determine how much the project would cost to build. The mayors office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. GULF STORM BARRIER: 'Ike Dike' approved by U.S. House First conceived by researchers seven years ago, Galveston Bay Park would use repurposed dredge material from widening the Houston Ship Channel to create islands that would have dual functions, serving as a protective barrier and a 10,000-acre public park. It was pitched as a locally-funded complement to the $31 billion project of levees and sea gates known as the Ike Dike, a plan to build flood gates across Galveston Bay that federal engineers estimate could take up to 20 years to build. According to proponents, the Galveston Bay Park concept would complement not compete with the proposed Ike Dike. Preliminary estimates indicate the project would cost between $3 and $6 billion to build, but researchers have to confirm those costs, said SSPEED co-director Jim Blackburn, who has championed the idea. We need to do a more detailed study to determine the engineering and financial feasibility, Blackburn said Tuesday. If it is more expensive (than $6 billion), it becomes less desirable. The study also would consider the practical aspects of the project, including, Blackburn said, what the park would look like and how well the islands would function as flood barriers. This is the reality these days with our changing climate, he added. We have to prepare for bigger storms than we have in the past. Even with an Ike Dike, Rice researchers say properties at risk of being inundated by storm surge from a major hurricane include more than 200 industrial petrochemical sites along the Houston Ship Channel toward Galveston Bay. Building a barrier system extending up the middle of the bay toward the ship channel, as called for in the Galveston Bay Park plan, could provide additional protection, proponents say. Proponents say the Galveston Bay Park barrier system would be well positioned to protect the industrial complexes that otherwise could spill large amounts of petrochemicals and other contaminants into the bay. Based on early estimates, they also say it could be built faster and cheaper than any other solution. Environmental advocates, however, say such benefits could come at the cost of irreparably damaging local wildlife and animal habitats. That potential snag, plus the haste with which both the Ike Dike and the Galveston Bay Park have moved toward construction, gives Bob Stokes pause. Stokes, president of the Galveston Bay Foundation, would prefer to see greater emphasis on the environmental impact of the projects and how they could alter coastal landscapes. I havent seen any environmental studies, Stokes said Tuesday. It is hard to know what the impacts would be. Of concern, Stokes said, is how dredged river bed material from the Houston Ship Channel would be used to create the man-made islands and how dredging would affect the plants and animals that call Galveston Bay home. He also questioned whether such a plan would achieve its stated goals. Is it realistic? he said. nora.mishanec@chron.com The City of Houston will temporarily delay granting demolition permits to the Texas Department of Transportation while federal authorities review their acquisition of the Lofts at the Ballpark near Minute Maid Park, city officials said on Wednesday. The apartment complex, which was slated for demolition, has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing battle over the $9-billion Interstate 45 expansion, which would rebuild and widen I-45 in north Houston and restructure parts of Interstate 10 and Interstate 69 near downtown. Local activist group Stop TxDOT I-45, a vocal opponent of the expansion, protested Tuesday outside the Lofts at the Ballpark, where construction fences had already been installed along the perimeter of the complex. On Wednesday morning, City Council Member Letitia Plummer announced that the city of Houston will not grant TxDOT a demolition permit for the site until the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) concludes its investigation into the state agencys acquisition of the property. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer This expansion has really affected people in the city the last couple of years, and its going to be important for (TxDOT) to work with us and be honest and transparent. Things move so quickly, and we already have a housing shortage...and we cant displace any more people in the city, Plummer said. Housing advocates argue TxDOT should not move forward with the demolition while the FHWA continues its earlier investigation into a civil rights complaint that the expansion project disproportionately harms Black and brown communities. The other key sticking point is that TxDOT in the projects environmental impact statement said that it would only need to demolish 165 units for the expansion, but now the agency plans to knock down 375 units. The FHWA on Tuesday announced it had requested additional information from TxDOT about the acquisition of the Lofts and the decision to demolish all three buildings in order to evaluate its environmental impact. Mary Benton, spokeswoman for Mayor Sylvester Turner, confirmed that the city will temporarily delay granting a demolition permit to TxDOT until the FHWA is satisifed with the information it receives. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer You cant take more (units) than whats needed at a time when affordability is a critical question and the housing stock is in short supply, Turner said at Wednesdays City Council meeting Even if the green light was given on this particular project, I just dont know what TxDOT was thinking. Its doesnt do anything to generate goodwill. On HoustonChronicle.com: Feds, TxDOT agree to restart on pieces of I-45 project, but deal is a long way from resolving issues TxDOT officials said in a statement Monday that they purchased the Lofts at the Ballpark before the civil rights complaint was filed, and so they are legally entitled to proceed with the demolition. They also claim that delaying demolition presents significant public health and safety concerns, and that vacant buildings such as these have attracted illicit and illegal activity. The agency did not respond to a request for comment on the citys demolition delay announced Wednesday. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Opponents of the project said they were pleased with the new developments, and thanked the elected officials who worked to prevent demolition crews from moving forward. Housing advocates hope the temporary pause will lead to sustained action, although city officials have indicated they may be unable to stop the demolition permanently unless federal authorities dig up new information about the plans. We think its responsible to wait and be patient, and wait for the FHWA ruling so we can employ better vision as to what these buildings should be used for, said Michael Moritz, an organizer with Stop TxDOT I-45. It would be a shame if the building comes down in the future, and especially if all three do. Our message to the city is to hold off until you find a solution that allows them to stay up, Moritz said. sam.kelly@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Evolving efforts to curb gun violence in Houston were on full display Tuesday at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, where doctors, researchers and community leaders discussed their role in addressing the worsening public health crisis of firearm injuries and deaths. The gathering signaled a solidifying county-wide response to what has become the leading cause of traumatic injury and death among children. The all-day event was especially timely, coming on the heels of the worst school shooting in Texas history that killed 19 students and 2 teachers. But while the tragedy in Uvalde - and the apparent failure by police to confront the gunman - continues to capture the publics attention, speakers at Rice focused on everyday gun violence that goes by mostly unnoticed, from aggravated assaults to suicides to unintentional shootings. Harris County Public Health is among the organizations trying to address those complexities with five new programs, which implement broader social services to proactively prevent firearm injuries. Lupe Washington, the departments director of community health and violence prevention services, said her division is in the process of hiring outreach specialists, or people from neighborhoods most affected by gun violence, to be part of those efforts. Those specialists will help connect people to counseling, drug treatment and employment. Many of the programs will be concentrated in Cypress Station and an area that covers Sunnyside, South Park and the Greater OST/South Union neighborhood. You really have to have people from the community with lived experience, Washington said. Those are the people who can connect with residents best. One program Holistic Assistance Response Teams (HART), which divert 911 calls to an unarmed two-person team trained in behavioral health and onscene medical assistance has already alleviated some of the pressure on law enforcement, Washington said. Since it started in late March, the single HART team currently working for the county has responded to 275 calls for service. Washington said she hopes to add more teams in the coming months. Multiple community leaders at the event highlighted similar programs at the city level. Karlton Harris, executive director of The Forgotten Third, a nonprofit that helps prevent young people from re-entering the criminal justice system, addresses gun violence by mentoring youth in Houston. Many of the young people he works with are disconnected from support systems, resistant to change, "gang involved" and believed to be beyond the reach of traditional social services, he said. He builds relationships by drawing from his own experience as someone who was formerly incarcerated. We want to stop gun violence on the front end, he said. "We have to do the primary prevention, and that may include us intervening while our youth are involved in the justice system, because re-entry begins on day 1 of incarceration. The social factors that contribute to gun violence have been well studied, but early research is beginning to define the scope of the problem. As part of her ongoing work, Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria, a fellow in firearm injury prevention and safety at the Rice Universitys Center for Health and Biosciences, has found that Houston bucks the national trend when it comes to the percentage of gun deaths attributed to suicides. While national data shows about 60 percent of gun deaths were attributed to suicide from 2018 to 2020, that number is about 40 percent in Houston. She also found that unintentional shootings account for about 20 percent of childhood firearm injuries and deaths in Houston, and that guns left in homes and cars account for the vast majority of those incidents. Another study at UTHealth Houstons McGovern Medical School shows some Houston-area neighborhoods that believe firearms to be of comparatively low risk tend to experience the most gun-related injuries among children, said Dr. Zoabe Hafeez, assistant professor of pediatric hospital medicine at McGovern. Offering more temporary storage in those communities could be a major solution, he said. Much of the data presented at Tuesday's event was preliminary, with more robust results and conclusions to be released later. Although the speakers avoided making overtly political statements about gun laws, the event did open the door to political conversation among some of Houston's elected leaders. An end-of-the-day panel included Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, District Attorney Kim Ogg, State Rep. Ann Johnson, D-Houston; and State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston. The organizers noted they invited other Republican lawmakers, but that they declined due to scheduling conflicts. Johnson voiced frustration over Gov. Greg Abbotts apparent hesitance in calling a special session to address gun laws. Whitmire petitioned for red-flag laws, which allow police, family members or a doctor to petition a court to remove a gun from a firearm owner who is deemed a threat to himself or others. Gonzalez, meanwhile, voiced what many researchers in the audience have been saying for years. We have to look at this from beyond just law enforcement, from a variety of different disciplines, he said. julian.gill@chron.com A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday unveiled a compromise gun bill aimed at reducing violence across the country and keeping schools safe after recent mass shootings, including one in Uvalde that resulted in the deaths of 19 kids and two teachers, according to the offices of the lawmakers who negotiated the deal. The proposed legislation would enhance background checks and help states implement red flag laws, which enable authorities to take guns from individuals deemed dangerous, according to The New York Times. The proposal would include a provision on serious dating partners in a federal law that prohibits domestic abusers from buying guns, which would be a first, per the Times report. The 80-pagebill, the most significant action on guns in decades, would also increase funding for community mental health programs and allow reviews of juvenile records for gun purchasers under the age of 21. President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have reportedly backed the measure. The Times reported Tuesday night the measure passed an initial vote by a 64 to 34 margin, setting it on track to clear out of the chamber soon. Four senators, including Texas John Cornyn, released a statement Tuesday evening announcing they had finalized what they called bipartisan, commonsense legislation to protect Americas children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country. Our legislation will save lives and will not infringe on any law-abiding Americans Second Amendment rights, Cornyn and the other senators Republican Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democrats Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said in the statement. We look forward to earning broad, bipartisan support and passing our commonsense legislation into law. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas politicians shared horror and grief over Uvalde. Here's how much money they took from the NRA. The National Rifle Association, which donates to many Republican lawmakers, announced its opposition to the measure. The NRA will support legislation that improves school security, promotes mental health services, and helps reduce violent crime, the group said in a statement Tuesday. However, we will oppose this gun control legislation because it falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he planned to put what he called a life-saving bill up up for a vote. This bipartisan gun-safety legislation is progress and will save lives, Schumer said. While its not everything we want, its urgently-needed. In his own statement, McConnell said he supported the bill. For years, the far left falsely claimed that Congress could only address the terrible issue of mass murders by trampling on law-abiding Americans constitutional rights, he said. This bill proves that false. Our colleagues have put together a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The compromise arrived after weeks of negotiating following the school shooting in Uvalde and another mass shooting in Buffalo in which a gunman killed killed 10 Black people in a racist attack. It also followed the Republican Party of Texas Convention over the weekend in Houston, when party delegates booed Cornyn for working with Democrats on reforms they say will violate their God-given rights. On HoustonChronicle.com: Defiant Sen. John Cornyn presses ahead on gun legislation despite Texas GOP rebuke Cornyn did not back down following the chiding, saying in a speech earlier Tuesday that the negotiating lawmakers had found some common ground. I know this bill is not going to please everyone, said Cornyn, first elected to the Senate in 2002. Some think it goes too far. Others think it doesn't go far enough. And I get it. But the nature of compromise and the nature of actually wanting to get a result requires that everybody try to find common ground where we can. By Tuesday evening, at least one local official in Houston lauded the proposal. Thank you Senators, now pass this gun safety bill. Progress, even if not perfection, will save lives, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. Every step forward matters. The goal is to prevent gun violence. But so much more to do. Jeremy Wallace contributed to this story. alejandro.serrano@chron.com NASA has selected seven new flight directors to work from the Johnson Space Center in Houston. These flight directors, who must first complete a rigorous training program, will oversee operations on the International Space Station and Artemis missions to the moon. They will lead teams of flight controllers, research and engineering experts, and support personnel around the world. Including the class of 2022, only 108 people have held this position. This diverse group brings with them an impressive body of experience flying the space station, launching rockets, driving Mars rovers and developing interplanetary missions, acting NASA Chief Flight Director Emily Nelson said in a news release. These flight directors and the experience they bring with them will be critical in humanitys return to the moon and future exploration of Mars. Im proud to have them join our team. The new class of flight directors are: Heidi Brewer Heidi Brewer started her career at NASA in 2006. She's supported the space shuttle (including the final flight in 2011), the International Space Station and the SpaceX Dragon capsule that's carried cargo and astronauts to the space station. She's also worked on the human landing system that SpaceX is developing to lower astronauts to the moon through NASA's Artemis Program. Brewer was raised in Marietta, Ga., graduated from Georgia Tech in Atlanta with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering in 2005 and holds a master's degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. Ronak Dave Ronak Dave started his career at NASA in 2011 in the Pathways Intern Program. Upon becoming a full-time NASA engineer, he supported the International Space Station, Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System rocket and Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, where he recently participated in the company's uncrewed test flight to the space station. Dave was raised in Secaucus, N.J., and graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Chris Dobbins Chris Dobbins began his NASA career in 2011 in the Pathways Intern Program. He became a full-time employee in 2014, working as a flight controller and logging more than 2,500 hours of console time. He led several spacewalks before transitioning to support the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Dobbins is originally from Crystal Lake, Ill., and graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering. Garrett Hehn Garrett Hehn began his career at NASA in 2014. He's worked on SpaceX Dragon missions and helped with development of the Sierra Space Dream Chaser. Hehn has also helped NASA prepare for the Boeing Starliner's first crewed flight, and he led an overhaul of an agency training flow and has been an instructor for other trainees. Hehn was raised in Pittsburgh and graduated from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and minors in mathematics and Spanish. Nicole (Lewis) McElroy Nicole McElroy joins NASA from Virgin Orbit in Long Beach, Calif., where she worked as the launch director. In this role, she was responsible for the entire launch operation timeline. McElroy was born in England and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colo. She graduated valedictorian from the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York, earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 2015. Elias Myrmo Elias Myrmo joined NASA in 2008. He became a communication radio frequency onboard network utilization specialist in 2010 and has logged more than 2,000 hours at console supporting International Space Station missions. He later transitioned to supporting NASA's Artemis missions. Myrmo was raised in Naples, Fla., and graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Diana Trujillo Diana Trujillo most recently worked at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where she supported mission operations for NASAs exploration of Mars and its planned Mars Sample Return mission. Trujillo was born and raised in Cali, Colombia, and earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland in College Park, with additional studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She also is a graduate of Miami-Dade College in Florida and the NASA Academy at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez on Wednesday sued the Texas Department of Public Safety, alleging the agency violated state open records law by denying his request for documents related to last months school shooting in Uvalde. Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat whose sweeping Senate district includes Uvalde, asked DPS Director Steve McCraw several days after the May 24 shooting for a ballistics report and any document or report that details the police and DPS presence at Robb Elementary School, where a shooter gunned down 19 students and two teachers. THE LATEST: Uvalde's Robb Elementary set to be demolished, mayor confirms In his petition, filed in Travis County district court, Gutierrez said DPS has yet to respond to his records request, nor has the agency sought ruling from the attorney generals office on whether the information is exempted from public disclosure. Agencies generally must refer the matter to the attorney general within 10 business days if they wish to withhold requested information. Since the massacre, Gutierrez has repeatedly criticized state officials over their rapidly changing account of the bungled law enforcement response. During a state Senate committee hearing Tuesday, McCraw characterized police efforts as an abject failure and blamed the local school police chief for the more than hour-long period that elapsed before officers breached the classroom and killed the shooter. The DPS chief said local police had enough resources to confront the gunman a few minutes after he entered the school. THE CHANGES: In response to Uvalde shooting, locks on 340,000 exterior school doors across Texas will be checked Gutierrez, in an interview following McCraws testimony, questioned the assertion that Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo was definitively in charge, arguing the narrative of being the incident commander was thrust upon this guy by DPS in the aftermath. He said he found it odd that McCraw said DPS, which had 91 officers on site, couldnt legally take command of the response. In a statement Wednesday, Gutierrez said the response to the shooting has been full of misinformation and outright lies from our government. SOURCE: Police never tried to open door to classrooms where Uvalde gunman had kids trapped In the wake of this massacre, the State of Texas has completely failed to provide the community of Uvalde with truthful answers, Gutierrez said. Weeks have come and gone, and yet families who lost their children have not been told by their government the basic information about who was on site as their children bled, what tools were at their disposal to stop the gunman, and exactly why they decided to wait instead of act. A DPS spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Tuesday, the agency released its most detailed timeline yet of the massacre. jasper.scherer@chron.com WASHINGTON The Texas congressman whose district includes Uvalde says he plans to vote for a bipartisan gun bill that the Senate is poised to pass this week even as many of his Republican colleagues are likely to oppose it. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican, tweeted Wednesday that he supports the gun bill drafted by a bipartisan group of senators, including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, after recent mass shootings, including a gunmans attack on an elementary school in Uvalde that resulted in the deaths of 19 kids and two teachers. The legislation would be the first tightening of federal gun laws since 1994, bolstering background checks, requiring greater scrutiny of young gun buyers and restricting access to firearms for dating partners convicted of domestic abuse. It also provides funding for mental health programs, school security and for states to create red flag laws. As a congressman its my duty to pass laws that never infringe on the Constitution while protecting the lives of the innocent, Gonzales tweeted on Wednesday. In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. IN-DEPTH: Senators advance compromise gun safety bill following recent mass shootings The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later this week and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will take it up soon after. So far few Texas Republicans have indicated they will vote for the bill, which drew the support of 14 Republicans in the Senate in a procedural vote on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz voted against it and Cornyn was booed at the Texas GOP convention last week, where delegates pushed a resolution rebuking him for working with Democrats on the bill. The National Rifle Association has also said it opposes the legislation, arguing it leaves too much discretion in the hands of government officials and contains undefined and overbroad provisions. Conservatives have been especially wary of provisions aimed at closing the so-called boyfriend loophole by extending federal laws that prohibit convicted domestic abusers from buying guns to include current and recent dating partners. Under the bill, they would be able to purchase firearms five years after a domestic violence conviction, provided they are not convicted of any additional violent offenses during that time. THE IMPACT: In response to Uvalde shooting, locks on 340,000 exterior school doors across Texas will be checked Some Republicans have also opposed provisions that would offer funding for states to create crisis intervention programs, including red flag laws that allow police to take guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill does not create any such laws, just provides funding to enact them. Gonzales explained his support by sharing that he is a survivor of domestic abuse. My stepfather would come home drunk & beat on me and my mother, Gonzales tweeted. One night he decided that wasnt enough and shoved a shotgun in my mothers mouth. I was 5 at the time and not strong enough to fend off the wolves. School was my sanctuary from the chaos at home, he said. Now I am 41, all grown up. Loving father of six children. Served our country in the Navy for 20 years, led men and women in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. I slay wolves every day. ben.wermund@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite growing calls for gun reform in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, a Texas Senate committee discussing legislative responses to the massacre spent little time debating firearm safety measures in two days of public hearings. While senators questioned mental health, law enforcement and school safety experts for hours, the group flew through testimony from gun control activists. The advocates had gathered at the Capitol to call for stronger background checks, waiting periods when purchasing assault-style rifles, and red flag laws that would temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. Solutions that only address mental health and school security are not adequate alone, testified Nicole Golden, the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Texas Gun Sense. Even with more funds and better enforcement of policies, experts have said theres no indication that intensifying school security has prevented violence. Wednesdays hearing was scheduled to address mental health and firearm safety, but the former dominated testimony. Texas Republican leaders have emphasized mental health services after the Uvalde massacre, as well as new investments in school security, while rejecting calls from the left to restrict gun access. William Luther, Staff Photographer / Staff photographer TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Top mental health officials told lawmakers that if they want to bolster student counseling services, as Texas leaders have suggested since the mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school, theyll have to entice more people to work in the field. They also advocated expanded student telehealth services, early crisis intervention and a concerted effort to extend health insurance to all Texans. We have to strengthen the workforce, testified Sonja Gaines, a behavioral health official at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. We just simply have to do that. The Uvalde shooter was an 18-year-old high school dropout who exhibited signs of violence that were never reported to authorities, according to state officials. People interviewed after the massacre described him as suicidal and cruel to animals. Andy Keller, the president and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, said school shooters generally have a distinct profile: boys under the age of 20 or 21 who, in almost all cases, were exposed to early childhood trauma, bullying and severe abuse. William Luther, Staff Photographer / Staff photographer There's an identifiable crisis point, usually with suicidal [ideas], and self-hate turns against others, Keller said. The issue is that while that is the profile of these school shooters, it is also the profile of other young adults who are never going to do that. THE LATEST: Texas Republican representing Uvalde supports gun bill Democrats and gun control advocates have noted that the gunman would not have been able to murder 21 people and injure 17 more within minutes if he could not obtain an assault-style weapon. In written testimony submitted to the Senate committee, eight Texas health organizations led by Dr. Gary Floyd, the president of the Texas Medical Association called for a multifaceted response that includes mental health investments and sensible firearm safety measures. William Luther, Staff Photographer / Staff photographer Gun violence, including many suicides, results from a number of factors but some include toxic stress, persistent childhood adversity, and a frayed health and community safety net that leaves many children and families without the health care and social services they need to overcome them, Floyd wrote. Still, several people who testified Wednesday stressed that there is little evidence mental illnesses cause mass shootings or that people diagnosed with them are more likely to commit violent crimes. They also warned that blaming mental illness could stigmatize the wide range of people who live with psychological disorders. It's very important that we all keep in mind that mental illnesses on their own do not cause violence. Violence itself is not a mental illness, said Keller, though he noted severe mental illness drives slightly more risk ... for violence of any type, against self or others. An untreated psychosis, Keller said, makes someone 15 times more likely to commit murder. The wonderful thing about that statistic is treatment alleviates that risk, he said. So, these are treatable illnesses. They're not the same as evil. Stephanie Chapman, a behavioral health psychologist at the Houston-based Center for Children and Women, said integrating mental health services into pediatric primary care breaks down a lot of the stigma that keeps families from engaging in behavioral health care in the first place. Most children and adolescents see their [primary care providers] at least annually, often many more times than that, and pediatric primary care providers are often the most trusted health authority that families engage with, Chapman said. One program established under a state-run child mental health consortium trains primary care doctors to treat mental health issues in young patients, though the initiative like others enacted after Santa Fe has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The consortium also runs TCHATT Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine that provides virtual services to public school students who need mental health treatment. Texas currently spends $25 million annually to provide those resources to about 40 percent of the student body, and House Speaker Dade Phelan has suggested investing another $37.5 million each year to expand the services statewide. In any case, recent consortium data indicates that few students are referred to the telemedicine care for harming others. About 41 percent are referred for anxiety, and another 34 percent for depression, while 17 percent were at risk of suicide and 14 percent self-harmed. None were referred for harming others. cayla.harris@express-news.net A Uvalde school police officer whose wife was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting was detained and had his gun taken away as he tried to enter the hallway outside the classroom where his wife lay dying, Texas' top law enforcement official said Tuesday. Ruben Ruiz, an officer with the Uvalde CISD police department, was then escorted from the scene of last months massacre after having his weapon seized, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told a state Senate committee. McCraw said Ruiz was detained and had his gun taken by other law enforcement officials, though he did not specify which agency did so. Texas seceding from the union. Repealing the Voting Rights Act. A veritable ban on bipartisanship. And, oh yes, continued cheerleading of the Big Lie contending that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. How many rank-and-file Texas Republicans out there the folks who may pull the lever but dont necessarily pull the strings really feel this list reflects their priorities? Most people want government, and those whom we elect to represent us in it, to be sensible, functional and somewhat realistic in its goals. Yet, these items were among the extreme positions approved as part of the platform of the Republican Party of Texas at its six-day convention last week. And they werent even the half of it. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a four-term incumbent and senior member of the Senate GOP, was roundly booed for having the audacity to lead bipartisan negotiations for what would be the most meaningful, if minor, step toward gun reform in more than a decade. Before uttering even a word, Cornyn was nearly shouted off the stage, derided as a R.I.N.O. Republican In Name Only for working on a bill that most Americans support. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, once seen as a rising star in the party, was physically accosted at the convention by members of the Proud Boys. One of Crenshaws assailants called him a traitor who should be hung for treason. Crenshaws apparent crime? Supporting sending military aid to Ukraine and having the gumption to call out grifters in his own party. And Gov. Greg Abbott? He didnt even enter the building, not surprising since so far he hasnt been able to win the support of either of the primary opponents he trounced in March. His ephemeral presence for brief remarks on Thursday at a bar across the street from the convention center seemed to suggest he knew exactly the kind of reception he might have to contend with. In an earlier introductory speech, Matt Rinaldi, the Texas GOP chairman, notably praised other Republicans including another presidential hopeful, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick but never once mentioned Abbott. Forget Kumbaya moments and serious policy debate. This was a full-on circus. Just how far would the party activists take the GOP of Texas off the rails? Well, we encourage you to carefully read the mission statement drafted at the convention. It reads much like a document from a dystopian alternate reality, calling on the Texas Legislature to create a referendum on secession for November 2023. As we noted above, it wants a full repeal of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. It adopted language treating homosexuality as an abnormal lifestyle choice and rejects normalizing transgender individuals. And it endorses abolishing the Federal Reserve and for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations. Some of these positions arent new. And state party conventions generally tend to swing to the extreme. But when those extremes threaten to take over, as they have in the GOP, its time for the rest of the party to apply some discipline, or at least to attempt a course-correction. That doesnt seem to be happening. Where are all the reasonable card-carrying Texas Republicans, who must be embarrassed by their partys convention? How much of this kind of nonsense are they willing to tolerate? Surely, theres room in Texas for a Republican Party that disassociates itself from threats of violence against office-holders who stray from even the strictest party lines. How can the party of George W. Bush and his father, for that matter, have changed so much in so few years? We have to wonder whether Bush, the former governor and president who advocated for a bigger GOP tent and more moderate positions on issues such as immigration, would have made it out of the building unscathed. There were just 8,000 people at the convention last week. They are but a tiny fraction of the nearly 6 million who cast ballots for Republican candidates in Texas in 2020. Were asking those Texas Republicans who want their party to truly reflect their views to reject the noise coming out of their partys convention. Dont just ignore it, counter it. And dont just speak out, get involved. And to those GOP candidates who seem to have so angered the fringes, we say good on you. Keep doing what you think is right. We wish youd do it more often. Some of that work, as in the guns compromise championed by Cornyn, could truly be life-saving. No elected Israeli prime minister ever had a shorter tenure than Naftali Bennett. On Monday, after a string of parliamentary defections, he announced that he would dissolve parliament and call new elections, Israels fifth since 2019, after serving barely a year in office. On Tuesday, he WhatsApp-ed me from Tel Aviv for a phone call about his record. Length, he suggested, should not be mistaken for quality. In a world where domestic polarization is becoming almost the single biggest challenge, the experiment succeeded, he said of his government. By the experiment, he means the most ideologically, ethnically and religiously diverse government in Israels history, encompassing Orthodox Jews and conservative Islamists, hip Tel Avivians and former generals, the nationalist right and the peace-camp left an example of true diversity and inclusion that Israels critics rarely recognize. That itself was a triumph, even if short-lived, and even if chiefly united by a shared loathing of Benjamin Netanyahu. Does Bennett consider the former prime minister a danger to democracy? In the past year we restored decency, honesty and even meeting commitments, Bennett said, only somewhat sidestepping the question. A sober-minded Israeli journalist I know gives Netanyahu 5-1 odds of returning to power. Was anything beyond symbolism accomplished over the past year? Quite a lot, Bennett said. Unemployment is low, economic growth is high (as are housing prices), and his government managed to pass a budget Israels first in three years. There is a historic free-trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, signed last month, that is expected to lead to 1,000 Israeli companies setting up shop in the UAE by the end of the year. There is Israels participation in the U.S.-led Middle East Air Defense Alliance, confirmed this week, that signals a further consolidation of ties between the Jewish state and its region. Is Saudi Arabia a part of this alliance? I asked. And has the prime minister met with his Saudi counterparts, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to discuss it? I cannot elaborate, neither on the former part of the question nor on the latter, he said a little tellingly. I dont want to hurt stuff. Then there is Iran. Bennett was delighted when the Biden administration refused to remove Irans Revolutionary Guard from the U.S. list of sanctioned foreign-terrorist organizations, and he said the fact Iran didnt walk away from the negotiating table is proof of how badly it needs a deal. He summarized his version of a good deal as, No sanctions; no sunset meaning the permanent removal of sanctions in exchange for the permanent stop of centrifuge development, production and installation without the sunset clause of the original nuclear agreement that would have eventually allowed Iran to resume enriching uranium at pre-agreement levels. In the meantime, Tehran, he said, is violating fundamental requirements of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and has sought to strike Israel directly using unmanned aerial vehicles. The Israeli response, according to reporting in the New York Times, has included the destruction of an Iranian drone facility and a military site, and the assassination, in a quiet residential neighborhood of Tehran, of a senior Iranian officer believed to be part of Irans Unit 840, suspected to be responsible for carrying out assassinations and abductions abroad. When Iranians hit us through proxies or directly, they will pay a price in Iran, Bennett said, outlining what he calls his Octopus doctrine of striking Tehran at its head rather than its tentacles. It turns out these guys are more vulnerable than they seem, he added tauntingly. The Iranian regime is rotten, corrupt and incompetent. Switching subjects, I asked who he wants to see win the war in Ukraine. He avoided answering directly, saying only, I want to end the war ASAP. He said Israel has taken in nearly 35,000 Ukrainian refugees, about half of them Jewish, and that he was responsible for mediating the creation of a humanitarian corridor out of the besieged steel works in Mariupol and the release of the mayor of Melitopol, who had been held hostage by the Russians. If one wants to continue to be effective you need to keep the communication channel open, he said. And Palestinians? In terms of a political treaty or something to that end, no one is talking or thinking about that right now, he said, instead emphasizing efforts to bring more Palestinians into the Israeli labor market. I also asked about last months shooting of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the Palestinian city of Jenin, which a Times investigation indicated was probably by Israeli fire, although Palestinian officials refuse to provide Israeli investigators with the bullet. I do not know who shot that shot, he said. What I do know is that Israeli soldiers did not shoot intentionally. What, then, will be the historical verdict on Bennetts government? Although he insisted his experiment was a success, he acknowledged its opponents on both political extremes found the weakest links and applied tremendous pressure. But he also prides himself on what he was able to accomplish with radically different coalition partners by simply being willing to set aside ideological disagreements and focus on better education, better jobs, better infrastructure. We are not trying to decide what God will decide in 1,000 years. We focus on today, he said. Not the worst epitaph for a government that can still serve as a role model, in Israel and beyond. Bret Stephens is a columnist for the New York Times. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Prospering online Chinese teaching brings Chinese culture closer to overseas students 17:16, June 22, 2022 By Bo Shengyi ( People's Daily Online Chinese teaching embraced rapid development over the recent couple of years. As of the end of 2021, it had been carried out in a total of over 180 countries and regions, and 76 countries had included learning Chinese as part of their national education systems. Teachers and students from the School of International Education, Shandong University celebrate the 13th Chinese Language Day of the UN together with young students and Chinese language teachers from Fiji, April 20, 2022. (Photo courtesy of the School of International Education, Shandong University) According to incomplete statistics, there are currently more than 25 million people outside China learning Chinese, which brings the total number approaching 200 million. The rapid development of online Chinese teaching is expected to meet the rising demand for Chinese learning around the world, and bring the Chinese language and culture to more people. Chinese Plus, an online Chinese teaching platform launched in March 2020 offers a total of more than 16,000 online lessons. It has 6.8 million registered users and has received 15.03 million visits, covering 201 countries and regions around the world. iFLYTEK, a Chinese business specializing in intelligent speech and artificial intelligence, has created the Global Chinese Learning Platform (GCLP) for learners and teachers of the Chinese language.. It has gained 6.21 million users in 182 countries. In the past year, nearly 380,000 overseas users conducted self-directed learning on the platform. Compared with offline learning, online learning saves much time for both students and tutors, said Song Qi, a lecturer from the School of Culture and Communication, Shandong University. After each lesson, Song would have her students do a dictation to see how they have mastered the class. When we were in the classroom, I usually let the students write the characters on paper, which took long. Now I would have them type the characters, which not only saves time, but also increases their confidence and relieves their burden, Song told Peoples Daily. Apart from learning the Chinese language, overseas learners also want to know more about Chinese culture. Therefore, many institutions and schools have opened relevant online courses, so as to present the beauty of the Chinese language and culture to overseas students and show them a comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and real China. Students from a middle school in Chiengmai, Thailand learn Chinese on a video class. (Photo courtesy of the School of International Education, Shandong University) In addition to language courses, we also have courses on the Chinese culture. We create an immersive learning environment employing virtual reality technology and online mini games, said Gai Cuijie, a teacher with the GCLP. On the Spring Equinox For instance, we had the students do the egg balancing. Through such cultural activities, we are bringing closer the tutors and the students, Gai said. To help overseas students gain a deeper understanding of China, the School of International Education, Shandong University launched cultural courses and a specialized website. The courses consist of various modules that cater to different groups of overseas learners. For instance, a language and culture module is offered for overseas adolescents, which covers multiple topics ranging from modern Chinese family, community, technology, and lifestyle. Theres also a module for preparatory students coming to China to study medical science, helping them improve their Chinese reading and writing capabilities. Besides, the School of International Education has also launched a module for professional learners, in which scholars and professional teams are invited to guide the learners to comprehend China from different perspectives. Online teaching and cultural programs not only satisfy the demand of overseas students for language learning, but also consolidate the friendship among different nations. We have graduates that became teachers of our school after finishing studies at Shandong University. This is a witness to the friendly cooperation between our two institutions and even the two countries, said the principal of a middle school in Mongolia. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Mayor: Greylock School School Still in the Mix for MSBA Project NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The closure of Greylock School isn't a done deal, says Mayor Jennifer Macksey. The mayor made the comments during Tuesday's School Building Committee, during which it unanimously voted to go with TSKP Studio as the designer for the Brayton/Greylock school project. "I think out of the gate when we started this project, it was before my time, everybody kind of jumped the gun a little bit and thought Greylock was going to be the one to close but that decision has not been made," she said. "And quite frankly, under my administration, I'm not sure that that will be a decision that will be made." The city had initially pursued a renovation project at Greylock School but pulled the plug last year after feedback from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which raised serious concerns about the city's projected enrollment over the next decade and the taxpayers' appetite to fund a new school. The MSBA invited the city to submit an amended proposal that would include Brayton School. In terms of MSBA projects, the focus is always how best to educate X-number of students, not necessarily on any particular building. However, the School Building Committee at the time was working with the presumption that the newer Brayton would likely come out ahead. Committee member Connie Tatro raised the issue about Greylock because of questions she'd gotten from the community over the past couple weeks and media reports. "Is definitively Greylock School, in my mind, off the table," she queried. "We're not doing anything with that." Macksey said it wasn't true. "This is a feasibility study and we will be looking at both buildings and trying to assess what is the best location and building structure for the needs of the community moving forward," she said. The mayor said no decision will be made until all the data and the feasibility study is reviewed. But, she added, the MSBA will not fund a new school and a renovation project "so we have to choose one or the other." Tatro said her concerns were in light of the shootings at schools and the fact that Brayton is attached to the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA. "I don't know how smart it is to have a school attached to a public building, as far as safety wise," she said. "That's just been bothering me, not just as a parent, but a concern for all the students like is that the smartest thing to have an elementary school attached to a building that people can come in and out of freely?" Macksey agreed that the safety and the security of the building had to be considered. As well, she said, if Brayton is selected to be renovated, the YMCA will have to be part of that conversation since it is owned by the city. "So this project may be school related, but it turns into a municipal project as well," she said. Superintendent Barbara Malkas reminded them that the project will not move faster than the MSBA process allows. This will include looking at educational planning, existing structures, and site review. "This is a very busy year that we're about to embark on," she said. Matthew Sturz of Colliers International, the owner's project manager, said the designer selected will bring on an educational visioning specialist who will work with the school district on how education will be delivered in the West End and what infrastructure will be needed to meet the city's vision. The MSBA process "is a pretty exhaustive inventory of different options," he said, adding "I've seen as many as 27 options being evaluated" in MSBA core projects. The next step in the process is the hiring of TSKP. "The subcommittee did meet and we did review the proposal and we felt that it was absolutely favorable to move forward even though we received the one proposal," said Macksey. "We felt very confident with the qualifications, especially with the fact that they have worked with the MSBA before as well as Colliers." TSKP, formerly Tai Soo Kim Partners, is an award-winning design firm that has done projects for schools, colleges and museums in New England and South Korea. According to the timeline, a study of existing conditions is expected to take about six weeks from the awarding of the contract, followed by a preliminary design period of 10 weeks. This is based on endorsement of the designer choice by the MSBA. The School Building Committee will also have to update its members with the MSBA. With the departure of Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, now Assistant Superintendent Timothy Callahan will step in, plus the principals of the two schools in question will now be leaving Sandra Cote is leaving for Clarksburg School and Carrie Wallace is retiring. Macksey said she also hopes to have an administrative officer on board, who would also be a member of the committee. Macksey also threw out the idea of having a public forum to hear from parents and family members, and be more sensitive of the "grumblings on the street." "I think it's also important to remember no matter what the decision is that we still as a community need to attend to the one building or the other," she said. "Our hope is to reuse one building or the other for different purposes and not to abandon them like we did Sullivan School ... but again, there is a cost associated with that." Longtime public servant and Town Meeting Member Richard Kleiner is honored Tuesday with the dedication of the Town Report. A New York developer plans to renovate the former Adams Community Center to create high-end apartments. Town meeting voted to allow the sale of the property. From left, Robert Hinton, Eric Wohlleber and Kristen Hinton of CMV Construction Services, the company buying the community center, address Adams' annual town meeting. PreviousNext Adams' Annual Town Meeting Approves Sale of Former Community Center Adams Town Meeting Member Craig Corrigan asks a question during Tuesday's meeting. Eighty-six of the 150 town meeting members attended, passing all articles on the warrant. ADAMS, Mass. Town meeting members Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the sale of the former community center to a Stephentown, N.Y., developer who hopes to create "luxury, high-end" homes on the site. The meeting OK'd all the articles on the warrant, mostly without discussion. But members asked for further discussion on four items, including Article 25, which ratified a $25,000 deal negotiated by the Board of Selectmen to sell the former community center and about 5.7 acres of land at 20 East St. to CMV Construction Services. Meeting Member Judith Taylor of Howland Avenue questioned the sale price. "I have a problem with only asking $25,000 for it," Taylor said. "The property is obviously valued at a lot more than that. Can I have an explanation?" Board of Selectman Chair John Duval said the property, which is assessed at $350,000, has not generated interest from prospective buyers over the last decade until CMV came along. "As long as I've been on the board, 11 years, I believe, at this point the Board of Selectman has gone out with [requests for proposals] on at least three different occasions. "The one response over the last 11 years was from the former youth center, which, when you think about it, that's really the Adams taxpayers. That interest faded when the Youth Center moved to Cheshire." Duval said he agreed that a more than 5-acre property close to the center of town is attractive, but he said the board was encouraged that CMV's plan will provide more than 25 units of housing and preserve the historic structure that used to serve as a community center. "They have a project that would keep the building," Duval said. "Most of us, as a board, thought we wouldn't be able to see that. They are going to renovate the current building. They're going to invest a lot of money in keeping that historical building and use that as apartments." Robert Hinton, Kristen Hinton and Eric Wohlleber of CMV appeared before the meeting to take questions about the project. "Our vision is luxury, high-end units," Robert Hinton said. "There will be eight units in Phase 1. Phase 2 is a ways out, but we would like to get upward of 20 additional units in Phase 2." Phase 1 refers to the renovation of the current building. Phase 2 would involve new construction on the 5.7-acre property. Hinton said that 20 percent of the units would be classified as affordable housing, assuming the developer is able to secure low-income housing tax credits from the commonwealth. "Those units will be built the same as the other units," he said. Article 25, titled "Land Disposition," passed with a smattering of "nos" in a voice vote that Moderator Myra Wilk declared a "clear majority." Eighty-six out of a possible 150 members attended the meeting. Under Adams' representative town meeting form of government, residents vote for meeting members by precinct. The members in attendance in the former Adams Memorial Middle School gymnasium generated just one question about the biggest-ticket article on the agenda, the town's operating budget of about $9.3 million for fiscal year 2023. Taylor questioned a more than twofold increase in the line item for the former middle school itself, which cost taxpayers $57,300 in the fiscal year that ends June 30 but has a projected cost of $117,300 in FY23. Town Administrator Jay Green explained that the town still covers heating for the former school, which is under contract to a different developer to create residential and commercial units. Last winter, the building was heated to 55 degrees, the bare minimum required to preserve the structure, Green said. During renovation, it will be heated to code. "The temporary boiler that is set up now to heat the classroom wing will go away," Green told the meeting. "It's possible [the cost] will drop. We need to get in here and use it for a full year, and that will pinpoint what the costs will be." Article 5, the omnibus operating budget, was approved unanimously, as were the town's capital plan and assessment to the Hoosac Valley Regional School District, a $6.3 million expense that is up 2.6 percent from FY22. In addition to the operating budget and community center sale, the only articles "held" by members for additional discussion were Article 4 and Article 23. Article 23 established an enterprise fund for the town's sewer services. Green told the meeting that without an enterprise fund, the town would be ineligible for state funding to repair the wastewater treatment plant. Taylor asked whether creating an enterprise fund means that it is inevitable the town will implement a user fee for sewage. Green said it's possible, but noted that the overwhelming majority of towns in the commonwealth that have public sewer systems fund them through user fees rather than through taxation, as Adams does. He said the current system accounts for about $2.40 of the town's property tax rate costs that would shift to a user fee if and when the town decides to implement one. Article 23 passed with just one "no" vote from the 86 members in attendance. Joseph Nowak of the Board of Selectman requested a hold on Article 4, which sets the stipends for elected officers. Nowak said he had a problem with a decision in 2020 to trim the board members' stipend from $900 to $300. "It is time consuming to serve in elected office," Nowak said. "We're having a hard time getting people to get on boards. A little bit of a stipend could help some of that." Nowak did not offer an amendment to the article but said he just wanted to make the point. The article passed without an objection from the meeting members. Martha Escobar is the recipient of a 29 Who Shine Award for her work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and with the immigrant community. Escobar with BCC President Ellen Kennedy and associate professor Melody Fisher, who nominated her for the award with professor Wayne Klug. PreviousNext BCC Student Honored with 29 Who Shine Award Martha Escobar with her daughter, Deisy, who does a Spanish-English radio show with her on Pittsfield Community Radio. PITTSFIELD, Mass. Berkshire Community College student Martha Escobar has been honored with this year's 29 Who Shine Award for her work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and with the immigrant community. Escobar recently graduated from BCC with an associate degree in psychology and will go on to study social work at Elms College in Chicopee. On top of her studies, she works at the Elizabeth Freeman Center as a bilingual counselor and hosts a weekly show called "Mundo Latino" on Pittsfield Community Radio. She founded the show 14 years ago as a resource for fellow immigrants. As a survivor of domestic violence, she was described as being deeply motivated to provide support to those who are struggling to escape violence in their own lives. "She has a really amazing combination. She has this fierce determination, creativity and intelligence, and a heart that's full of compassion. Her love for her community, her desire to help others is so apparent in everything she does and her other skills vastly increase her impact," assistant professor of psychology Melody Fisher said at a recognition for Escobar on Tuesday. "Ever since I met Martha, she has been driven to be a force for good in her community. Throughout her life here in the Berkshires, she has been interpreting, she has been advocating, organizing events, facilitating community forums, and producing radio programs." The award was launched by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in 2011 to recognize 29 outstanding student graduates from the commonwealth's higher education system that show exceptional promise as future leaders and intend to pursue a career that is a demonstrated need. Fisher and psychology professor Wayne Klug nominated Escobar for the award. Escobar said this award is not just for herself: It is also for her daughter, Deisy, who joins her on the radio show, and for the immigrant population. She hopes to inspire others to continue their education without language being a barrier. Appleton Ave. Fire Caused by Candle, Aquarium PITTSFIELD, Mass. Firefighters responded to a minor fire at 124-126 Appleton Ave that caused fire and smoke damage in a first-floor apartment. Firefighters responded to the fire on Monday, June 22 at 12:30 am on. The caller reported that the two-story, four-family home was filling up with smoke. Upon arrival, the inhabitants were actively evacuating. Firefighters were directed to a downstairs apartment to find a resident who was not answering pleas to evacuate. When firefighters entered the apartment they found the resident trying to extinguish a fire with black smoke form floor to ceiling. The resident was immediately taken to safety, and it was discovered that the source of the smoke was coming from the top of an aquarium. The resident had fallen asleep with a candle burning atop his aquarium. The candle melted and ignited the plastic top of the aquarium. The candle eventually burned through the top of the aquarium and self-extinguished when it fell into the water. However, before this, it filled the first and second-floor apartments with thick black smoke. Residents in the other apartments happened to be awake and were alerted by detectors. They immediately tried to wake other tenants after calling 911. Firefighters assisted with salvage and ventilation The tenant inhaled smoke and was evaluated but refused treatment and transport. The Red Cross assisted the one Tennent with alternate housing. The other tenets were allowed to return home. State Sen. Adam Hinds says the steering committee for the Berkshire Flyer feels it has the 'last-mile' transportation connections in place to support passengers arriving in the Berkshires from New York City. The steering committee joins the senator at the Intermodal Center in Pittsfield to celebrate the launch of the Flyer. PreviousNext Berkshire Flyer Is First Direct Rail Connection to NYC in 51 Years The tracks in downtown Pittsfield will see the arrival of the first Berkshire Flyer passenger train on July 8. Sen. Adam Hinds has also been pushing for high-speed rail service between Western and eastern Massachusetts. PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Berkshires will be directly connected next month to New York City through passenger rail service for the first time in more than 50 years. After five years of planning, the Berkshire Flyer will begin transporting people from New York's Penn Station to Pittsfield via Albany-Rensselaer in New York on July 8. Officials are celebrating this as an economic development project that will enhance one of the county's key sectors: tourism. The flyer was championed by state Sen. Adam Hinds, who took office in 2017 when the vision for the rail service was created. "This is an exciting day," the senator said during a press conference at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center on Wednesday morning. "It's a long time coming for a lot of us." The pilot season will run until Labor day and is being operated by Amtrak in conjunction with the Massachusetts and New York departments of transportation over the next two years. Tickets start at $55 each way. The train will depart from Penn Station at 3:16 p.m. on Fridays and arrive at Pittsfield at 7:12. The four-hour trip will make the intermediate station stops in New York as the typical Amtrak Empire Service train does on Fridays, which includes Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson and Albany-Rensselaer Station. On the Sunday return trip, making all the same station stops, it will depart Pittsfield at 3 p.m. and arrive in New York at 7:05. Though there is set timing in place for his year, planners are working with Amtrak and hope to shift that in subsequent years. Pittsfield was one of the many cities excluded from service when Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971. Since then, there has not been a direct connection to The Big Apple. In 2017, Hinds got a bill passed to require MassDOT to conduct an economic feasibility study on the project and found it to be economically viable and beneficial to the Berkshire economy. A second study was done in the following year to work through operational details and funding was secured the year after that in the amount of $270,000 plus $100,000 for marketing. The plans were modeled on the popular CapeFlyer that runs weekends through Labor Day between Boston and Hyannis on Cape Cod and the old "snow" trains that brought big city skiers to the Berkshire and Southern Vermont slopes every winter. The Berkshire Flyer was intended to start in 2020 but the pandemic pushed the three-year project out to five years. Hinds explained that the instrumental details in the process were Amtrak being on board, MassDOT moving it forward, and a negotiation with freight company CSX, which he said catapulted forward in the last year. The process was guided by a steering committee that included Mayor Linda Tyer and two city appointees: Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales and Special Project Manager Deanna Ruffer, members of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, members of 1Berkshire, and members of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority. There are several points to the rail service's vision, one being the desire to create a service quickly with no capital costs. "And so with no capital costs, no capital investments required having an existing passenger rail in place, we figured that this was the moment to strike and to create something like a Berkshire Flyer," Hinds explained. "So that's the first thing we wanted something that was quick implementation and with zero capital costs." The study found that there are nearly 600,000 households in Manhattan without a vehicle and with rail service, the county is an easy pick for traveling. "This is the first step in a regular connection to New York City," Hinds said. "It's a seasonal weekend service but the idea is that it'll be a daily, year-round train connection between Pittsfield and the Berkshires and New York City. And so that's a key thing that we're focused on." The steering committee has been addressing the need for transportation throughout the county after stepping off the train, also known the "The Last Mile" transportation. That had been identified as an enormous challenge because of the limited access to public and private transportation services. The ambassador program addresses increased visitor presence during the summer and helps to relieve the demand for police presence downtown. On Wednesday afternoon, ambassadors received training at the BRTA. Morales said the city is continuing to address the problem of last-mile transportation to ensure there is connectivity for travelers. "We have plenty of options at the moment and I'm sure the market and demand will say the rest when people start arriving," he added. "And there's going to be an increase similar to what we had pre-COVID, pre-pandemic. We were having 40,000 (yearly) rides in Pittsfield alone for Uber and Lyft pre-pandemic, we expect that that's going to pick up, especially with this program coming from the city." Committee member Jay Green, who was a district manager for Amtrak before becoming town administrator for Adams, emphasized how great of an accomplishment it is to put a train into a new city. "The barriers in front of us in order to expand rail transportation in this country are significant," he said. "We have to work together to overcome that policy and we have to work together in order to start small and do these things. The ability for us to put a train on the tracks between New York and Pittsfield is significant." Eddie Sporn, who is the program manager for the Berkshire Flyer, spoke on the scenic views that passengers will see on the railway. "This is not an ordinary training ride," he said. "It's a historic train ride because it's the first time in 51 years that trains are coming from New York City to Pittsfield but to go up the Hudson River, the main piece of this is to travel from New York City to Albany up the river, it is one of the most beautiful train rides in the United States. It's extremely scenic." The design for a roundabout at the Five Corners in South Williamstown. South Williamstown Roundabout Plans Unveiled on Tuesday WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. A public hearing on a $3.1 million roundabout at the intersection of Routes 7 and 43 raised concerns over Route 7's steep grade leading into the intersection and the impact on the historic Store at Five Corners. The concept of a roundabout, however, seemed to be generally supported after state officials made clear its construction should not impinge upon the 239-year-old store, though there are lingering concerns about the steep hill. The state Department of Transportation on Tuesday night unveiled plans at 25 percent design phase for the roundabout to slow speeds and improve safety at the junction. Construction is projected for late 2023 or early 2024. There's been one fatal crash since 2013 and an accident rate nearly two times the state average. Currently there is a stop sign at Route 43 and Green River Road entering Route 7, a flashing light at 43 and channelized righthand turns. "Although concrete median dividers were constructed several years ago, in an effort to clarify operations on Route 43 eastbound and westbound approaches, the intersection remains challenging for drivers to navigate," said project manager Jonathan Freeman. The project was initiated a couple years ago because the intersection has "historically faced safety issues," he said. "A contributing factor has been the high speeds on the downhill portion of Route 7 southbound. The slope results in restricted sight lines for drivers exiting Route 43." There's also been some confusion on who has the right of way. The intersection has a crash rate of 1.52 per million cars compared to the state average of 0.57 statewide. The roundabout concept found general support through surveys and discussions with stakeholders last year, Freeman said, who added that the use of signalization was not considered warranted because of the low traffic volume. The design, updated from last November, now includes a pedestrian crosswalk linking Bloedel Park with the store and an exit into the roundabout from the store parking lot. The southern approach will also have a curve designed to slow vehicles. Resident Peter Traub questioned why there was no public involvement at the 75 percent design phase. Freeman said the public participation is largely before and at the 25 percent phase but added that the town will be responsible for any additional landscaping within the roundabout and that, possibly, would be the chance for the public to weigh in. "I do think that a great deal of the excitement that we had around this project was the gateway opportunity," said MassDOT's Michael Trepanier. "We wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to collaborate on that. ... perhaps it wouldn't be as formal as this public hearing is this evening but having something that resembles more of a design workshop at the next stage of design." About three dozen people dropped into the hourlong Zoom hearing, with several expressing support for the project. "As someone who both drives and cycles through this intersection and who's familiar with roundabouts elsewhere, I thank you for pursuing this project," wrote James Kolesar. "I'm concerned about whose property and how much you have to be taking, specifically the Store at Five Corners," said South Williamstown resident Susan Schnenski, adding that she hoped they could keep the amount of parking. "If an out-of-control truck comes roaring down the hill, and has to plow through that middle, wouldn't it behoove us to have very little fancy landscaping in the middle?" Officials said the boundaries of the store's parking lot would not change, pointing out on the plan where the current grass strip by the roadway would remain. Trepanier said they were very sensitive to any property impacts at the store. "I would argue that the landscaping is a cue to the driver to slow down and to purposely reduce their sight distance to make them feel uncomfortable driving too fast," Freeman said in response to plantings or sculptures within the circle. The town is expected to work with MassDOT and the South Williamstown Community Association on short-term and longer-term treatment of the gateway. MassDOT will also be conferring with the Massachusetts Historical Commission later in the process because of the area's designation as a National Historic District. Resident John Umlauf said his concern was the well-being and safety of residents and people traveling through the area. "I am in favor of roundabouts. I think they do a fine job. My question is the application and efficacy here in the event, the unlikely event, but the event that we produce more accidents here ... What's plan B? This is a tough bill to unring," he said. He also asked about a passing lane north because trucks would have to essentially stop at the roundabout before going up the hill, something a couple other participants broached. MassDOT officials said any "plan B" would be to restore the intersection to its current configuration. They said they have considered the potential for a climbing lane but it is not in the scope of work at this time because of funding constraints. District 1's Mark Moore said he drives Route 7 daily and is very aware of the climbing issues and "I'll be the first to complain if it become an issue." "I really don't want a climbing lane. We don't need more pavement in this historic crossroads," said Schneski. "It seems like there are other simpler ways to solve the problem. But anyway, if it's going to go ahead, I hope you can do it well, the fewer lanes the better ... and try not to take too much of people's property. So stay away from the store, if you have to slant it off in another direction." iciHaiti - Culture : Great international tour of the Folk Ballet of the National Theater of Haiti Tuesday, June 21, 2022, as part of the 40th anniversary of the music festival Yves Penel Director General of the National Theater of Haiti unveiled several activities for the coming months. The great tour of the Folkloric Ballet of the National Theater of Haiti in Mexico, from July 7 to 25, in Europe in August and finally in Brazil, to close the summer holidays. The National Theater multiplies contacts with the Folk Ballet of Burkina Faso, for a partnership. According to Haitian legislation dated October 2nd, 1984, the National Theater of Haiti's mission is to highlight the aesthetic and intellectual values of Haitian cultural heritage, to defend, illustrate and disseminate Haitian culture at the level of stage space and media throughout the national territory and abroad. Finally, Yves Penel announces the opening of several training workshops for children and young people wishing to learn about the fields of theatre, dance and music in order to develop their artistic talents and their creative possibilities in the areas concerned. IH/ iciHaiti On June 12, reporter Zhang Weihan was detained and mistreated by police in Tangshan, in the Hebei province, while reporting on an assault at a local restaurant. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the journalists detainment and urges authorities to immediately cease the censorship of local media in China. Zhang, a reporter for state-run broadcaster Guizhou Radio, was at a local barbeque restaurant in the north-eastern city of Tangshan to conduct interviews about an assault incident on June 10, for the program Common People Watch. CCTV footage outside the restaurant showed a group of men attacking four women after they rejected the mens advances. Two women were admitted to hospital, and two others sustained injuries. The incident has reignited debates over gendered violence in China, as the local police have been accused of improperly investigating the assault. In a video, Zhang said that police initially arrived at the restaurant due to an unrelated report of a man publicly urinating. However, after confiscating his identification card and searching his phone chat history, officers instead detained Zhang. Zhang was held at Airport Road police station for eight hours and was eventually released at 9pm after being searched twice. Whilst detained, a police officer yelled at Zhang, held his neck with his elbow, pushed his head to the ground and forced him to kneel while he was searched. When Zhang showed his press card, an officer reportedly called him unqualified and ignorant. Zhang said that he never received any explanation or documentation for his detainment. Journalists arriving at Tangshan railway station to report on the recent attack, and the following public backlash, have also been interrogated and instructed not to leave their hotels or places of residence whilst in the city due to Covid-19 protocols. Its worth discussing whether its a normal disease prevention measure or an excuse to block outsiders, such as journalists, from entering the city, said Zhang. Additionally, on June 16, the Hebei provincial state prosecutor, internet regulator, state-run journalists association and radio, film and television bureau adopted a national campaign targeting fake news, fake media and fake reporters. Local journalists believe that the campaign is a likely attempt to limit independent reportage of the restaurant attack and to control public expression. According to the former editor of the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper, Cheng Yizhong, authorities will typically instruct local news organisations not to independently report on events and only publicise government-approved information, after an incident such as the restaurant attack in Tangshan. The IFJ said, Incidents of censorship, detainment, threats and harassment towards journalists and media workers are frequently documented by the IFJ in China. Legitimate and independent reportage must be allowed without intervention or legal restrictions from Chinese authorities. The IFJ condemns the detainment of journalist Zhang Weihan and calls for an investigation into his mistreatment while in police custody. Anonymized data voluntarily provided by Kaspersky customers showed that seven in 10 (68.95%) phishing attempts targeted finance-related transactions in the Philippines from February to April this year. This is the highest percentage of phishing attempts in Southeast Asia. The cybersecurity company detected and blocked phishing attacks against three financial categories namely, banks, e-commerce stores and payment systems. Statistics from Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) revealed that phishing attempts in the Philippines is higher than in Indonesia (65.90%), Singapore (55.67%), Thailand (55.63%), Malaysia (50.58%), and Vietnam (36.12%). In all three finance categories during the same three-month period, Kaspersky data showed that there were one in two (58.50%) phishing attempts against payment systems in the country such as credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payment apps or e-wallets. This number is the highest among countries in SEA. On the other hand, the same data also showed that phishing attempts in local banks was the lowest in the region at only 2.17%, while phishing attempts versus e-commerce shops in the country was the second lowest among SEA countries at 8.28%. The percentages are from anonymized data based on the triggering of the deterministic component in Kasperskys Anti-Phishing system on user computers. The component detects all pages with phishing content that the user has tried to open by following a link in an e-mail message or on the web, as long as links to these pages are present in the Kaspersky database. Alongside the increased adoption in digital transactions here in Southeast Asia, we also see the rise of Super Apps in the region. These are the mobile applications that combine all popular monetary functions including e-banking, mobile wallets, online shopping, insurance, travel bookings, and even investments. Putting our data and digital money in one basket can trigger an aftermath snowball, with the impact of a phishing attack swelling at an unforeseeable rate, says Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky. Super Apps are traditional banks and service providers way of standing out in a rather crowded industry. As they try to work with third parties and incorporate their services into a single mobile app, the attack surface expands, opening up more doors to a malicious exploit. Phishing has remained to be the most effective trick on cybercriminals sleeves. It is a known way to crack into a users or even a companys network by playing on a users emotions. A possible scenario is given that one app has all the financial details of a user, a simple phishing link asking for the users credentials can compromise all the data available in the app. This magnifies the possible damaging effects of this threat. It is known that cybercriminals follow the money trail, so it is important for banks, app developers, and service providers to integrate cybersecurity from the beginning of application development. We expect hackers to target the rising Super Apps, both its infrastructure and its users through social engineering attacks. We urge all fintech companies to deploy a secure-by-design approach in their systems and to continuously provide proactive education for their users in this period where phishing attacks continue to thrive, adds Yeo. While security systems are in place in most financial companies to protect customers from falling victim to suspicious activities, it is true that prevention is better than cure; much more can be proactively done at both the individual and bank level. For enterprises, the most important method of protection is to keep in mind that cybersecurity should be a living strategy, not a static platform. This will blend technology and effort, and is constantly upgraded, updated and improved. Banks and service providers need to ensure a security team (or security experts) that will be able to ensure cyber defense infrastructure is updated, and will be able to provide support in the event of a cyber attack. To start, firms can invest in endpoint security solutions. Kaspersky currently offers its Endpoint Detection and Response Optimum at a 35% discount to help enterprises get started. Interested companies can visit this link to know more. Some more crucial steps to look into also include: Considering a threat intelligence platform . Another key component to include would be to ensure access to the latest IT security trends/threats that is also known as threat intelligence. Threat intelligence will give the insight to act on, and paint a bigger, more accurate picture of the banks digital presence, to educate senior stakeholders about the ongoing risks and vulnerabilities. This will empower them to be able to make informed decisions on what needs to be done to keep the potential harm at bay, refine existing security processes to better defend against known threats and to plug any gap in the IT infrastructure on an ongoing basis. . Another key component to include would be to ensure access to the latest IT security trends/threats that is also known as threat intelligence. Threat intelligence will give the insight to act on, and paint a bigger, more accurate picture of the banks digital presence, to educate senior stakeholders about the ongoing risks and vulnerabilities. This will empower them to be able to make informed decisions on what needs to be done to keep the potential harm at bay, refine existing security processes to better defend against known threats and to plug any gap in the IT infrastructure on an ongoing basis. Ensuring any third party vendors cybersecurity systems are also updated . There have been increasing reports on how breaches to third-party security systems have implicated businesses. Whether you are the bank, the Government or a private enterprise, no one is immune from these security threats, and it is important that we heighten our vigilance when it comes to cybersecurity. It does not matter how secure your third-party vendor tells you their systems are, as the elevated prominence of supply chain attacks have shown us that it is important to take responsibility for your own cybersecurity posture rather than leaving it in your partners hands. . There have been increasing reports on how breaches to third-party security systems have implicated businesses. Whether you are the bank, the Government or a private enterprise, no one is immune from these security threats, and it is important that we heighten our vigilance when it comes to cybersecurity. It does not matter how secure your third-party vendor tells you their systems are, as the elevated prominence of supply chain attacks have shown us that it is important to take responsibility for your own cybersecurity posture rather than leaving it in your partners hands. As parties are impersonated by threat actors, the implementation of defense measures need to go beyond protecting their systems. Banks need to take proactive measures to remind their customers against falling prey to their impersonators and their phishing and scam attacks, even if they happen outside of their systems. Some things to keep in mind that can help individuals protect themselves against phishing attacks include: Not responding . Even prompts to reply like texting UNSUBSCRIBE or STOP can be a trick to identify active phone numbers. Attackers depend on your curiosity or anxiety over the situation at hand, but you can choose not to engage. . Even prompts to reply like texting UNSUBSCRIBE or STOP can be a trick to identify active phone numbers. Attackers depend on your curiosity or anxiety over the situation at hand, but you can choose not to engage. Avoiding using any links or contact information in the email or message . Go directly to contact channels where possible. Remember that urgent notices can be verified directly on online accounts or via an official phone helpline. . Go directly to contact channels where possible. Remember that urgent notices can be verified directly on online accounts or via an official phone helpline. Looking out for mistakes, typos and strange characters in the text . Some threat actors really struggle with English, or some mistakes are intentionally made (such as using numbers to replace certain alphabets, eg Bank L0an instead of Bank Loan) in an attempt to bypass spam filters. . Some threat actors really struggle with English, or some mistakes are intentionally made (such as using numbers to replace certain alphabets, eg Bank L0an instead of Bank Loan) in an attempt to bypass spam filters. Slowing down if a message is urgent . Emails and SMS are often read on the go, when one is distracted or in a hurry, leaving ones guard down. Approach offers as caution signs of possible phishing, remain calm and proceed carefully. . Emails and SMS are often read on the go, when one is distracted or in a hurry, leaving ones guard down. Approach offers as caution signs of possible phishing, remain calm and proceed carefully. Downloading an anti-malware app, which can protect against malicious apps such as Kaspersky Total Security for a safety net. Read Kasperskys full 2021 Threat Landscape Report for Southeast Asia here kasperskysea.co/premium_report. When you draw a line between 2004 and Gmail becoming the dominant email service in the world, there's one thing that stands out: It was free. It's hard to remember that there was a time when your email was something you either paid for or got through your internet service provider. And if you got your email from your ISP, it was probably really bad. Gmail, on the other hand, gave users what was at the time essentially endless storage. Technically, it was only 1 gigabyte, but that was such a massive amount of storage at a time when your laptop might have had 10GB. And, again, it was free. Sure, Gmail had other benefits, like the fact that it solved a very real problem of searching your email. In fact, the reason Gmail gave you so much storage was so that you would never have to delete or organize emails, you could just archive them and use search to find whatever you need. Mostly, however, I think it's fair to make the case that more than three billion people use Gmail today because it's free. In 2006, Gmail went so far as to let users sign up and bring with them their custom domain. That was a huge deal for small businesses, since it made it far easier to have an email address that matches your business, without having to jump through the complicated hoops that existed at the time. Even that was free at the time. Over time, however, Google changed its business offerings to a paid model. It was still a great deal, especially compared with the competition at $5 a month. For those early customers, however, Google promised that it would always remain free. Technically, what Google said at the time was that "organizations that sign up during the beta period will not ever have to pay for users accepted during that period (provided Google continues to offer the service)." Those parentheses are doing a lot of work. Obviously, Google isn't offering the same service. I mean, it changed the name and everything. Just because it still includes email and Docs, and whatever, it's different, right? Well, that time has come. Google is now requiring businesses that still have a G Suite Legacy Free Edition account to transition to a paid Workspace account by June 27. If you don't, the company will do it for you. If you don't start paying by August 1, Google will suspend your account. This is bad on a lot of levels, but really there's only one that matters: If you make a promise, you have to keep it. Just because you reserve the right to back out of your promise, it doesn't mean you should. In fact, I'd argue that's the one thing no company should ever do. Why? Because trust is your brand's most valuable asset. It's especially bad because of the massive imbalance on either side of this equation. On one side you have small businesses, like flower shops and accountants. On the other side, you have the fourth-largest company in the world--a company that made a record $257 billion last year. That's part of the problem. As a company grows, it gets harder and harder to move the needle. If you've signed up everyone for your product or service, you reach a point where there's no one left to sign up. That's not complicated. So, you might start to find ways to make money from your existing customers. That's tempting because it's always easier to just raise prices. The thing is, that doesn't make it right. Honestly, the whole thing just feels, well, icky. Obviously, Google is a company and companies exist to make money. But, as an aside, I can't imagine Google would really lose out on a whole lot of money if it just let those customers continue to keep what it promised them 16 years ago. The only thing that should matter when you apply for a job is your ability to do the job. Your race, gender, religion, national origin, or age shouldn't matter. Neither should your sexual orientation. So why is DoorDash asking applicants to share their sexual orientations as part of the job application process? Job seekers and employers alike will be interested in the answer. A poster at Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit shared a screenshot of a DoorDash application asking the applicant to pick a sexual orientation. It seems invasive and unnecessary, but take a deep breath and realize that companies have been asking questions like this for years and years, and it's probably a good thing. Here are the essential details. DoorDash's application Rather than relying on a Reddit screenshot, I went straight to DoorDash's website and looked at the job application. For jobs in the United States, they do indeed ask about sexual orientation. DoorDash asks applicants to choose from the following options: Gay Lesbian Heterosexual Bisexual Queer Other Prefer to self-describe I don't wish to answer It also asks about pronouns: She/her/hers He/him/his He/them/theirs She/them/theirs They/them/theirs Xe Ze Other Prefer to self-describe I don't wish to answer It asks about things that have been on job applications for years, like veteran status, gender (although it's expanded beyond the traditional male/female), and race. You are probably used to the latter, as they've been part of applications for years. DoorDash may be ahead of other companies in including the sexual orientation question, but it is, according to employment attorney and HR consultant Kate Bischoff, just preparing for changes in reporting requirements. It's impossible to know whether there is discrimination against people based on sexual orientation if you don't know anyone's sexual orientation. And so it feels uncomfortable, but Bischoff adds, "The gasps people had at Reddit are natural. When all the protected classes were first asked, folks had the same response." Be careful how you use the data. DoorDash adds a disclaimer before asking these questions. This states: At DoorDash, we strive to create a culture of belonging where everyone can bring their best selves to work. Our goal is to ensure that diverse identities and perspectives are valued and can thrive. We are continuously evaluating our employee and candidate programs and processes and identifying ways to ensure they are inclusive and equitable. We encourage you to share a bit more about yourself below so we can continue to improve the overall candidate experience and inform future diversity and inclusion initiatives. While completion of this survey is required, you will have the option to select "I don't wish to answer" for all questions. All information collected is kept confidential and your data is aggregated with other candidates and used only for statistical purposes. It is never used to identify you individually and has no bearing on your application or candidacy. As long as this is the case, it is following the law and not discriminating against candidates. Hiring managers and recruiters shouldn't have access to this information, except in the aggregate. That is, they will know how many applicants selected each category, but they won't know which candidate did. As long as DoorDash uses this information to report, it's OK to ask, even if it is a little unusual. Should your business start asking these questions? There's no doubt that many people find these questions invasive and inappropriate. Still, if you're putting a rainbow flag up on your website without finding out if you're treating people fairly regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, you probably should start doing something. While the federal government doesn't require businesses to report sexual orientation on its Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports, it's a change that will happen. Federal law protects employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, just as it does race and sex. So it makes sense that businesses need to know how their status. You should consult with your employment attorney before changing your application's self-identification questions, but consider that it might be something you want to start now. Just remember, you must anonymize the answers. Under no circumstances should they play a role in hiring decisions. Asking on the application is OK, but it's not OK to ask in the interview. We provide an overview of the reforms and incentives offered to make India a more viable manufacturing investm... 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No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account." www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. Piyush Goyal, a Union Minister, has expressed optimism that the free trade deal between India and the UK will be completed before Diwali. The administration is advancing free trade agreements with Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, according to the minister of business, industry, and textiles. Goyal further disclosed that Australia, Israel, and the Gulf Cooperation Countries have indicated an interest in establishing free trade agreements (FTAs) with Brazil, Eurasia, and India. A group of Arab nations that border the Gulf has formed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain are among its six founding members. After discussions between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the former's visit to the nation last month, a deadline of Diwali in October was established for a draught FTA. "Since India offers so much potential and opportunity, other nations are ready to become friends with us. With the EU, UK, and Canada, our free trade agreements are progressing. Australia, the GCC, Israel, Eurasia, and Brazil have all expressed interest in establishing free trade agreements with India. I'm hoping the India-UK Free Trade Agreement will be completed before Diwali "added Goyal. He was speaking on Monday at the Greater Noida opening of the 67th India International Garment Fair. He noted that three businesses that India needs to develop are clothes, fashion jewelry, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). In FY22, commerce between the UK and India was USD 16 billion (Apr-Feb). India's 17th-largest commercial partner at the time was the UK. According to international law, a free trade agreement is a trade treaty that creates a free trade zone between collaborating governments. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the prime minister of Sri Lanka, said to parliament on Wednesday (22-06-2022) that the financial aid given by India is not "charitable contributions" and that the island nation, which is going through a terrible economic crisis, had to have a strategy in place to pay back these loans. There is a severe lack of necessities including food, medication, cooking gas, and gasoline throughout the island country as a result of Sri Lanka's greatest economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. Under the Indian credit line, we have taken out loans totaling USD $4 billion. We have asked our Indian colleagues for more loan support. But even India won't be able to assist us in this way indefinitely. Even their help has its limitations. However, we must also have a strategy for paying back these debts. In a report on the government's current mitigation efforts, Wickremesinghe informed Parliament that they are not charity gifts. A group of senior Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials will visit Colombo on Thursday to evaluate the country's economic situation, he stated. Beyond only having a lack of food, gasoline, gas, and power, according to Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka is currently dealing with a far more catastrophic crisis. A total breakdown of our economy has occurred. The most important problem we have now is that. Only by rebuilding Sri Lanka's economy will these problems be overcome. He remarked that in order to accomplish this, we must first find a solution to the problem with our foreign reserves. He said that it is difficult to rebuild an entirely destroyed economy, let alone one with dangerously low foreign reserves. He noted that for now, talking to the IMF is Sri Lanka's only surefire course of action. Actually, this is our only choice. This is the way we must go. Our goal is to have talks with the IMF and come to an agreement to get a new loan facility. The virtually insolvent nation, which had a severe foreign currency crisis that led to a default on foreign debt, said in April that it would postpone paying back about 7 billion USD of its around 25 billion USD in outstanding foreign debt till 2026. 51 billion USD are owed by Sri Lanka to its international creditors. Since January of this year, the Indian credit lines have given Sri Lanka a lifeline amidst rising public discontent over the deteriorating economic conditions. The US Department of the Treasury will also send a team to Sri Lanka, according to Wickremesinghe, on Monday. By the end of July, we want to sign an official level agreement with the IMF. A US bank, Hamilton Reserve Bank, reportedly started legal action against Sri Lanka for defaulting on a billion-dollar sovereign bond maturing the next month while Wickremesinghe was delivering his remark, according to a New York media story. The governing Rajapaksa clan, who are suspected of widespread corruption, was said to have organized the default. The Rajapaksa family was accused of accumulating a multibillion-dollar wealth and concealing it in accounts in Dubai, Seychelles, and St. Martin. A panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday unanimously voted to recommend Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine for children under 6 years old and Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's for children under 5. Heres what we need to know about it in detail. Which COVID-19 vaccines, additional primary shots and boosters have been approved for young children? AFP/Representational image Ages 5 through 11: A Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for this age range has received emergency use authorisation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Two doses, spaced three weeks apart, are required for this vaccination. Compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which is recommended for those 12 and older, it has a lower dose. According to studies, this vaccine protects kids between the ages of 5 and 11 against COVID-19 in roughly 91 percent of cases. Ages 12 through 15: A Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is approved for emergency use in this age range by the FDA. Two doses are needed for this immunisation. Three to eight weeks following the initial treatment, the second dose may be administered. It has the same dosage as the COVID-19 vaccination for adults (16 and older) produced by Pfizer-BioNTech. According to studies, this vaccine completely protects kids between the ages of 12 and 15 against COVID-19. Ages 16 and older: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, now known as Comirnaty, has been given FDA approval for this age range. Two doses are needed for this immunisation. Three to eight weeks following the initial treatment, the second dose may be administered. In people 16 years of age and older, this vaccine is 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 severe disease. What could be the side effects? In the trials, neither vaccination has caused any significant safety concerns. AP/Representational image Heart inflammation, also known as myocarditis and pericarditis, has been discovered to be a rare adverse effect in young males, although there have been very few occurrences documented in children between the ages of 5 and 11 or in any other age group. The most commonly reported side effects for children include: Pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given Fatigue Headache Chills Muscle pain Fever Joint pain Swollen lymph nodes Nausea and vomiting Feeling unwell Children get adverse effects within two days of immunisation that normally last one to three days, just like adults do. Except for soreness at the injection site, more kids reported experiencing these side effects after receiving the second dose of the vaccination. Others, however, experience no negative effects. Giving the child an over the counter pain killer prior to immunisation is not advised in order to minimise negative effects. However, giving this kind of medication after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is acceptable. Are there any children who shouldn't receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine? Children under the age of five cannot yet receive this vaccination. Clinical trials involving younger kids are currently being conducted. BCCL/Representational image A child with a known history of having a severe allergic reaction to any of the vaccine's ingredients should also not receive it. If so, the kid might be eligible for a subsequent dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in future vaccines. Why Vaccinate Young Children? Although COVID-19 is typically milder in children than in adults, FDA officials report that there have been over 440 COVID deaths in the United States among children under the age of 5. Dr. Matthew Harris, a specialist in paediatric emergency care at Northwell Health in New York, says data demonstrate that vaccinations prevent hospitalisation and death in older kids and adults. Hence vaccinating as many individuals as possible should be a priority at all costs. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. In a shocking incident reported from Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh, a woman who got married just one-and-a-half month back, was found 4-month pregnant. Now, the newlywed bride's in-laws have approached police with a complaint. How did they get to know? The woman's in-laws discovered the pregnancy after she complained of abdominal pain. The woman's in-laws took her for sonography and were shocked to find that the bride was pregnant. Unsplash/Representational Image Following the incident, the husband of the woman refused to take her home. The husband has filed a written complaint stating he got married to the girl a month and a half ago through a relative from his village, according to a report in India Today. What did his family do next? The man claimed he was cheated even before he could settle down properly. Meanwhile, the husband and his family accused the girl and her parents of fraud, stating that they already knew about her pregnancy but hid the truth. Kolhui SHO, Abhishek Singh, said that the police are investigating the whole matter thoroughly. pregnant-woman-1568706065-725x725-5de8d9fb4c654 Similar case of a cancelled wedding In another incident, in Churu district of Rajasthan, the bride got so angry after realising that her groom got drunk and kept dancing, which delayed her baarat for hours, that she chose someone else. While the baraat was supposed to leave for the bride's residence at 9 pm, the groom and his friends kept drinking alcohol and 'chilling' and dancing for hours. The angry bride returned the baarat. The bride's family instantly decided to get her married to someone else. India Today After the fiasco, the groom's family went to the Rajgarh police station to report the incident and file a complaint against the bride's family. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin man has shot dead in the US state of Maryland. Sai Charan Nakka, a native of Nalgonda district of Telangana, was found injured with an apparent gunshot wound inside a silver Hyundai Tucson SUV on Sunday evening local time. Facebook He was shifted to the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he died during treatment. Hate crime or theft attempt? It was only during treatment that doctors discovered that Charan had a gunshot wound to the head. He died less than two hours later, a statement by MDTA said. Baltimore police have launched a homicide investigation following Nakka's death. According to the family, the 25-year-old software engineer was working with a company in Baltimore city of Maryland for the last two years. Facebook He was returning home after dropping off a friend at the airport. The circumstances that led to the killing of Nakka are still unclear, but some reports claim that was shot dead by a black man when he was traveling in his car. This is not the first time Indians, including students and working professionals, have been killed in hate crimes or robbery attempts. Killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla In 2017, February 2017 Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a techie from Hyderabad was shot dead and another Indian-origin man was injured after a US national opened fire at them in a bar in Kansas. AFP The accused, Adam Purinton, a US Navy Veteran had mistaken them for Iranians and got into an argument with them over their status in the US. He reportedly called them terrorists and told them "get out of my country," after which he was thrown out of the bar. Purinton who left the bar returned with a semi-automatic gun and shot at Kuchibhotla and two more people who were with him. In August 2018, Purinton was awarded three consecutive life sentences on federal hate crime charges for killing Kuchibhotla. Hate crimes against Sikhs in the US Several others, mostly Sikhs have also faced racially motivated attacks in the US, by people who mistake them for Muslims. In March this year, Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan had told the Lok Sabha that Sikhs have been subjected to 198 hate motivated crimes of varied nature in the United States between 2018 and 2020 as per the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records. As per the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) programmes annual hate crime statistics report released by the FBI, US department of justice regarding anti-Sikh hate crime incidents, there were 1,419 hate crimes motivated by bias based on religion in 2018 and 60 such incidents were reported against Sikhs. Similarly, 1,512 hate crimes were reported in the US in 2019 and 49 were against Sikhs. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! The historic vote by employees of a Maryland Apple store to unionize a first for the technology giant is a significant step in a lengthy process that labor experts say is heavily stacked against workers in favor of their employers. Apple store employees in a Baltimore suburb voted to unionize by a nearly 2-to-1 margin last Saturday, joining a growing push across U.S. retail, service and tech industries to organize for greater workplace protections. Its not yet clear whether the recent wave of unionizations represent a broader shift in U.S. labor. But experts say the current shortage of workers for hourly and low-wage jobs means employees have more power than they had historically, especially when unemployment is low. Its not that big a deal to lose one of these jobs because you can get another crummy job, said Ruth Milkman, labor scholar at the City University of New York. The question is, what happens now? The Apple retail workers in Towson, Maryland, voted 65-33 to seek entry into the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the unions announcement said. The National Labor Relations Board now has to certify the outcome. A spokesperson referred initial queries about the vote to the boards regional office, which was closed late Saturday. The board did not immediately respond to an Associated Press message on Sunday. Once the vote is certified, the union and Apple can begin negotiating a contract. Labor law in the United States is a long process. And so the fact that a single store negotiates or elects a union doesnt mean that theres a negotiated contract in the workplace. And we know in recent history that in many of these situations, parties are unable to come to terms on an initial contract, Michael Duff, a former NLRB lawyer and professor at University of Wyoming College of Law, said Sunday. The employer in the United States has an awful lot of rights to simply withdraw recognition at the end of the process. The employer can prove that it no longer supports a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit, Duff added. Even after a union is certified, a company has a number of legal maneuvers at its disposal to fight it, Duff said. For instance, Apple could say it doesnt believe that the bargaining unit certified by the NLRB is an appropriate bargaining unit. and refuse to bargain with the union. If that happens, the whole thing goes to the courts and it could easily be a year or two before you even get the question of whether the employer is required to bargain with the union, Duff added. Labor experts say its common for employers to drag out the bargaining process in an effort to take the momentum out of union campaigns. Its also possible that Apple or any other company restructures its business so the unionized workers are reclassified as independent contractors and not employees, in which case the union vote is moot, Duff said. Apple declined to comment on Saturdays development, company spokesperson Josh Lipton told The Associated Press by phone. Reached again Sunday, Apple did not comment. The successful vote serves to inspire workers around the country to organize, said John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. Workers are already organizing at other Apple stores, but this shows them the company is not invincible, he said. Apples well-known brand name is also likely to help. The public has a very direct relationship with companies like Apple, so the first union victory will generate enormous traditional media and social media coverage, Logan said. Young workers learn union activism through this coverage, and some will likely be inspired to try to organize their own workplaces. Despite U.S. labor law being stacked against workers, Duff said he thinks that if there is going to be a reawakened labor movement in the United States it will happen in just this way. Union organizing in a variety of fields has gained momentum recently after decades of decline in U.S. union membership. Organizers have worked to establish unions at companies including Amazon, Starbucks, Google parent company Alphabet and outdoors retailer REI. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the Apple employees who wanted to join said they sent Apple CEO Tim Cook notice last month that they were seeking to form a union. The statement said their driving motivation was to seek rights we do not currently have. It added that the workers recently organized in the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, or CORE. I applaud the courage displayed by CORE members at the Apple store in Towson for achieving this historic victory, IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. said in the statement. They made a huge sacrifice for thousands of Apple employees across the nation who had all eyes on this election. Martinez called on Apple to respect the election results and to let the unionizing employees fast-track efforts to secure a contract at the Towson location. The IAM bills itself as one of the largest and most diverse industrial trade unions in North America, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries. Logan said the Apple victory shows that the established labor movement is capable of adapting its self to the needs of the group of independent-minded, self-confident workers you find at Apple stores. The Apple store unionization vote comes against a backdrop of other labor organizing efforts nationwide _ some of them rebuffed. Amazon workers at a warehouse in New York City voted to unionize in April, the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giants history. However, workers at another Amazon warehouse on Staten Island overwhelmingly rejected a union bid last month. Meanwhile, Starbucks workers at dozens of U.S. stores have voted to unionize in recent months, after two of the coffee chains stores in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize late last year. Many unionization efforts have been led by young workers in their 20s and even in their teens. A group of Google engineers and other workers formed the Alphabet Workers Union last year, which represents around 800 Google employees and is run by five people who are under 35. This is the generation with the kind of world view thats really different than weve seen in many generations, said CUNYs Milkman. They believe in this. Photo: The Apple logo adorns the facade of a retail store. More than 100 employees of an Apple store in a suburb of Baltimore voted to unionize by a nearly 2-to-1 margin Saturday, June 18, 2022, joining a growing U.S. push across tech, retail and service industries to organize for greater workplace protections, a union said. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Maryland New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has signed into law Public Act 22-15, which provides consumers with greater ability to safeguard their personal data that is collected by online companies. Most notably, the law requires companies to publicly share a privacy policy that tells consumers what data of theirs is being collected and how that data is being used, and gives consumers an option to opt out of selling or sharing that data to others. The law also requires companies to lessen the amount of data they collect and only use that data for the purposes they are collecting it for, therefore having less data breaches and identity theft. In addition, it requires consumers under the age of 16 to provide consent to data collection. Companies will be prohibited from discriminating against consumers who choose to exercise these rights. The law takes effect July 1, 2023, except for a provision related to a task force, which is effective immediately. Connecticut becomes the fifth state to enact this kind of law protecting data privacy, following similar ones recently enacted in California, Colorado, Utah and Virginia. Lamont said that while he prefers that Congress enact a similar data privacy standard at the federal level, he is hopeful that this growing number of states adopting these protections will result in companies defaulting to these standards nationwide. Digital commerce is now a way of life for nearly all of us, and every time we stream a television show or movie online, every time we go for a walk while wearing a fitness tracking device, and every time we purchase something from our favorite website, our actions are being logged and frequently sold and shared with others, Lamont said. Consumers have a right to know what information of theirs is being collected, have the ability to correct any false data that is collected, and have the right to delete that data if they dont want it collected. I am glad that Connecticut has joined this growing coalition of states taking action to protect consumers privacy. Its time has come. Connecticuts law was approved in the state Senate by a vote of 35 to 0 and in the House by a vote of 144 to 5. Topics Connecticut European officials are skeptical of a U.S. push to set a price cap on Russian oil by potentially easing an EU ban on insurance for the transportation of crude and petroleum products from Russia, according to people familiar with matter. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday that talks are ongoing between the U.S. and its allies on how to use the European Unions insurance ban to limit the price of Russian oil exports. But this would likely require the EU to reopen the legal text of its latest sanctions package, which took weeks to approve and had to overcome significant hurdles since sanctions require unanimity among the blocs 27 nations. European officials are opposed to restarting that process since it could lead to further haggling over details among member states and discussions that had been settled could reemerge, said the people. The question is whether it can be done without amending the sanctions, one of the people said. Providing exemptions to the insurance ban would also mean weakening the overall sanctions package, another person said. A number of member states, including Poland and the Baltic nations, have been pushing the bloc to adopt new and stronger measures and they could be reluctant to water down what has already been agreed. Other member states have expressed reticence to begin work on new sanctions. Complicated Proposal The German government, which is hosting this years Group of Seven summit, is willing to discuss the idea, while also cautioning that such a measure may be too complicated to implement. Yellens idea is an interesting proposal, and G-7 nations are discussing how to make it work, according to a German government official. But the American plan would require reworking EU sanctions, a process that may be too complicated, said the official. Yellen Says Stay Tuned for Word on Russian Oil Price-Cap Plan Germany told the U.S. and its other allies that Berlin was not categorically against a price mechanism, the official said. But added that it would be a very complicated issue to link an oil price cap to the insurance sanctions. Another government official said that G-7 leaders would discuss Yellens proposal at their summit in the Bavarian Alps, but he poured cold water on the possibility that an agreement could be reached soon. With assistance from Chiara Albanese. Photo: Thick black oil on the shaft of a pumping jack, also known as nodding donkey in an oilfield near Dyurtyuli, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. The flaring coronavirus outbreak will be a key issue for OPEC+ when it meets at the end of the month to decide on whether to delay a planned easing of cuts early next year. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics USA Russia Europe Energy Oil Gas Wefox, the German digital insurer, is in advanced discussions to raise fresh funding at a valuation of $5 billion to $6 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said. The Berlin-based insurtech startup is aiming to raise several hundred million dollars, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Wefox may finalize terms of the fundraising as soon as the next few weeks, according to the people. Wefox would be nearly doubling its valuation from last year, when it raised $650 million in a Series C round valuing the company at $3 billion. The companys existing investors include Abu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala Investment Co., Salesforce Ventures, Ashton Kutchers Sound Ventures and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shings Horizons Ventures. The latest fundraising comes amid a challenging backdrop for the technology industry, with startups globally struggling to attract capital as investors shy away from riskier bets. Sequoia Capital recently warned portfolio company executives that the good times were over, and Lux Capital told founders that job cuts would be needed as the world is falling apart. Theres no certainty the discussions will lead to an agreement, and terms of Wefoxs fundraising could change, the people said. A representative for Wefox declined to comment. Julian Teicke, a former Groupon Inc. sales manager, founded Wefox in 2014 with entrepreneurs including former Deutsche Bank AG analyst Fabian Wesemann. The company offers insurance products in markets including Germany, Italy and Switzerland, according to its website. Wefox has carved out a different niche in the insurtech space, opting to distribute its insurance policies through a network of agents rather than hawking its products directly to consumers like some other startups. Munich Re AG backs Wefoxs policies with reinsurance coverage and also provides know-how and infrastructure. With assistance from Ruth David. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Carriers InsurTech Startups U.S.-based insurance broker Acrisure reports that it has acquired UK independent specialty broker Russell Scanlan in Nottingham. The deal is expected to close in the near term, pending Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulatory approvals. Details were not disclosed. Acrisure said that the existing Russell Scanlan management team, led by Managing Director Bryan Banbury, Sales & Marketing Director Mike Dickinson, and Director Simon Winiarski, will continue to run the business. The firm will continue to operate under the Russell Scanlan brand. Established in Nottingham in 1881, Russell Scanlan advises on all forms of commercial insurance for businesses of all sizes across multiple sectors and also for private clients. Its specialty programs include offerings for pilots, microbreweries and hospitality venues. As part of Acrisure, the Russell Scanlan team will gain access to Acrisures global network of insurance partners as well as access to the companys artificial intelligence systems and technology. To date in 2022, Acrisure has completed or has under letter of intent 100 acquisitions. It now has operations in more than a dozen countries. Acrisure said it expects to make further announcements of new UK acquisitions and partnerships near term. Acrisure recently closed $725 million in Series B-2 Preferred Equity and received a $23 billion valuation, representing a 31% increase from its last preferred equity raise in March 2021. Acrisure provides a variety of products including Insurance, real estate services, cyber services, and asset management services. The company has grown revenue from $38 million to more than $3.8 billion in eight years. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies A fire last week at one of southeastern North Dakotas oldest churches is being investigated as suspicious, authorities said. The blaze at Maple Sheyenne Lutheran Church near Harwood was reported about 8 a.m. June 17 by a passing motorist who saw smoke coming out of the windows. West Fargo Rural Fire Chief Steve Baron, who was first on the scene, said there was smoke inside the historic church and a propane tank outside the building. Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner said an initial investigation shows some things that are suspicious. State and federal agents have joined in the probe. Church board member Keith Munson, whose family has been part of the congregation for five generations, said its a mess in there but the fire doors closed off the main sanctuary from any serious damage. Pastor Corey Lange said Sunday services this weekend might be held outside. Munson said the church, which is located about 10 miles northwest of downtown Fargo, was founded about 150 years ago. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! The US Food and Drug Administration is getting ready to order Juul Labs Inc.s e-cigarettes off the market, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The decision could be announced as early as Wednesday, according to the Journal. Juul representatives couldnt immediately be reached for comment. FDA representatives didnt respond to a request for comment. The FDA banned the sale of fruity and sweet flavors for e-cigarettes following criticism that the products were targeted at minors, and regulators have been reviewing thousands of applications for vaping products since tightening their oversight of what had become an unruly marketplace. Among Juuls biggest backers is Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc., which holds a 35% stake in the company, according to a recent securities filing. Altria values its stake at $1.6 billion, after writing it down in a series of moves over the past few years. Shares of Altria declined as much as 10% in New York trading on Wednesday. A spokesman for Altria declined to comment. Earlier this year, the FDA allowed some products made by Juul rival NJOY Inc. to remain on the market, and last year authorized British American Tobacco Plcs e-cigarette Vuse. Some observers had expected Juul to win the FDAs backing after years of back-and-forth between the company and regulators. Regulators have hoped that e-cigarettes could present an alternative for smokers who are trying to quit using traditional tobacco products, and Juuls device has remained popular with some adults who say it helped them kick a cigarette habit. Yet public-health officials have also documented an epidemic of underage vaping they fear has hooked a new generation of users on nicotine. Other health issues, including a scare over an acute lung-damaging illness, have also been linked to e-cigarettes. Once a richly valued startup with global ambitions, Juul has suffered a series of setbacks over the past few years after its sleek, USB-like device, flashy ads and fruity flavors raised questions about the health risks associated with vaping as well as the companys marketing tactics. While Juul has said that it never sought to sell e-cigarettes to kids, the closely held company is facing thousands of lawsuits alleging it targeted minors. Dozens of states are also probing Juuls advertising. Being rebuffed by US regulators is likely to severely curtail Juuls ambitions, at least in the near term. The company could appeal the FDA decision through the agency or challenge it in court, or file a revised approval application, according to the Journal report. Juul still sells e-cigarettes in some markets overseas. Juuls failure to win clearance would mark a second significant blow to the tobacco industry in as many days, after the Biden administration said it will order companies to cut nicotine levels in cigarettes in an effort to reduce smoking-related deaths. The FDA is expected to draft rules on the shift a lengthy process that the industry is likely to fight. Photo: A person smokes a Juul Labs Inc. e-cigarette in this arranged photograph taken in Brooklyn, New York/Bloomberg Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Three men died after their small boat overturned on a North Texas lake during a strong storm over the weekend, authorities said. The boat overturned in Lake Lavon on Saturday night, the Collin County sheriffs office said. There were four men aboard and one was able to hold on to a tree and call for help, the sheriffs office said. Texas Game Wardens rescued the man holding on to the tree and learned that the other three boaters had disappeared, leading to a search by water and air of the lake about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Dallas. Authorities said one mans body was recovered early Sunday, another was recovered Sunday evening and the third was found Monday. The Collin County Sheriffs Office identified the dead as Jose Maria Dominguez III, 60; Julio Bibiano-Gonzalez, 34; and Rafael Bibiano-Olea, 30. All were residents of the Plano area, according to the sheriffs office statement. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Windstorm ResourceMFG, a national manufacturing specialty staffing company, violated federal law when it failed to refer an Oklahoma job applicant for employment because she was not born in the United States, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a recently filed lawsuit. According to the EEOCs suit, Anke Hicks, a German-born naturalized U.S. citizen, interviewed with a ResourceMFG recruiter in February 2020 and was offered a position at XPO Logistics, a federal government contractor, that required U.S. citizenship. ResourceMFG told Hicks that in order to complete the hiring process, she was required to present a United States birth certificate. Hicks explained that she did not have a U.S. birth certificate, but she could provide documents proving her U.S. citizenship. ResourceMFG terminated the onboarding process and told Hicks she could not be hired because she was not born in the United States, the EEOC said. National origin discrimination which occurs when an employer treats applicants or employees unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, or because of their ethnicity or accent violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Employbridge of Dallas, Inc. d/b/a ResourceMFG, Civil Action No. CIV-22-499-C) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement via its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks back pay, compensatory, and punitive damages for Hicks, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination. Topics Oklahoma New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Floridas chief financial officer has stepped into the middle of a firefighters workers compensation appeal on a mental stress claim, a move the firemans lawyer called unprecedented and which reflects the importance of the case. If Floridas 1st District Court of Appeals upholds a judge of compensation claims ruling in the case, it could block post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and time off for many fire, police and rescue workers, CFO Jimmy Patronis and claimants attorney Geoff Bichler said. It could create a horrible, chilling effect on PTSD claims, said Bichler, attorney for the claimant in the case, now-retired Brevard County firefighter Roger Williams. This case is especially important, as the 1st DCA has an opportunity to set a legal precedent of support for our brave firefighters statewide, Patronis, who is also the state fire marshal, said in a statement this week after his office filed an amicus curiae brief in the Williams appeal. PTSD is a serious challenge for many of our first responders, as they see and deal with unthinkable things in the line of duty. The point of contention in the Williams case appears to stem from the fact that Florida has two statutes that speak to mental stress benefits for responders: One has been in place since 2007 and allows only medical benefits for PTSD that is not accompanied by a physical injury. A 2018 law that Patronis lobbied hard for was passed after the Pulse nightclub and Parkland high school mass shootings. It provides medical and indemnity benefits for mental stress, even without an accompanying physical injury. But it also requires claimants to meet strict criteria and to show convincing evidence of the mental trauma. Bichler and Patronis Department of Financial Services argue that the compensation judge, Michael Ring, applied the wrong statute, potentially establishing a detrimental precedent for first responders who need professional help. A second, very similar case, Jerome Patterson vs. City of Jacksonville, also is pending before the 1st DCA. If the appeals court agrees that the firefighters in those cases are not due benefits, firefighters around the state may ask the Legislature to clarify the law, Bichler said. About 11 PTSD claims filed under the 2018 statue have been adjudicated, with only three of those granting benefits, according to a search of the Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims orders. This question in the Williams case has not been tested at the appeal court level until now. The circumstances of the Williams case, as spelled out in the court file, reflect the searing events that first responders often witness and the emotional toll those images can take. The case file also shows how emotional issues outside of the workplace can contribute to rescue workers mental health, perhaps to the detriment of their comp claims. Roger Williams had been a firefighter with the Brevard County Fire Rescue since 1999. He had worked numerous, gruesome incidents, including a 19-year-old that had committed suicide with a shotgun; a 3-year-old killed by a car; a child with an amputated arm; and two people murdered with a hammer. But two incidents, in particular, led to the 2021 compensation claim, the comp judge explained. Williams responded to a truck fire in 2019. He could hear the driver screaming but could not reach the man due to the flames and an exploding gas tank. Some 18 months later, Williams said he snapped when was working light duty at the fire station and saw a video on the station TV monitor, showing fire-rescue scenes. The station also had photographs of fire scenes on the wall. The fireman said he began feeling shortness of breath, then broke down crying. He also testified he had felt anxiety before his wedding day because of the size of the crowd, and in 2021 cried for hours after having drinks at a bar, the judge recounted. Williams initial petition for benefits requested indemnity as well as medical benefits, but, importantly, the indemnity request was later dropped. The county and its insurance claims administrator, Preferred Governmental Claims Solutions, denied the claim, arguing that the stress was not related to Williams employment. Both sides brought in psychiatrists who examined Williams, his history of treatment and his family history. Williams doctor said that the truck fire and seeing the fire-scene videos at the fire house contributed to the mans trauma. But, the doctor acknowledged, the videos and photos, which immediately preceded the comp claim, did not appear to meet the exacting criteria required by the 2018 Florida statute. The comp judge agreed. Those criteria, criticized by some mental health professionals as arbitrary and confusing, include directly witnessing a death that involved grievous bodily harm of a nature that shocks the conscience. The 2018 PTSD statute also requires that a mental injury must be demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence. Another psychiatrist testified that Williams did not meet the established medical criteria for PTSD. In the end, Judge Ring decided that the 2018 statute applies. I find that claimant has failed to produce clear and convincing evidence that he suffered a mental or nervous injury as a manifestation of a compensable accident as is required by law. Ring denied the claim and the request for attorneys fees for Williams lawyers. Patronis amicus brief, written by DFS counsel Cassidy Perdue and Katie Privett, argues that the judge got it all wrong. In claims in which only medical benefits are requested, 2007s Section 112.1815(2)(a) of state law applies, not the 2018 section known as 112.1815(5)(a), the brief contends. The judge of compensation claims erroneously concluded that section 112.1815(5)(a), Florida Statutes, governs the compensability of all PTSD claims for first responders, the DFS lawyers wrote. This conclusion is contrary to the plain and unambiguous language of the statute and ignores the Legislatures intent to increase coverage for mental or nervous injuries suffered by first responders. The 2007 law does not require the higher burden of proof and convincing evidence when a claimant seeks only medical benefits for a mental injury, the brief noted. Attorneys for Brevard County and Preferred Governmental Claims could not be reached Tuesday for comment on the case. Its unclear how much sway the DFS amicus brief will have with the appeals court, or how likely it is that the judges will look favorably on the firefighters claims. One Florida judge not associated with the case said Tuesday that, because Patronis does not often get involved in cases, and because the amicus brief is clear and well-written, it could have an impact. The Department of Financial Services also houses the state Office of Insurance Regulation and its Division of Workers Compensation. In an editorial posted a week ago, though, the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper blasted the 1st DCA for its ruling on another first responders workers compensation claim. In Stephen Sargent vs. Bradford County, the 1st DCA affirmed a compensation judges decision that a sheriffs deputy was not due benefits after he suffered a heart attack. The states heart-lung law creates a presumption that heart attacks for law officers are work-related, in most cases. But the court noted that Sargent had not undergone a physical examination when he was promoted from part-time to full-time, even though he had had one years before at the sheriffs office, and a second physical was not required by the employer. The judges may have been following the letter of the law, but the newspaper called the ruling cruel as cruel could get. The dissenting opinion by Judge Scott Makar can be seen here. Topics Florida A Black former elevator operator at Tesla Inc.s TSLA.O flagship California assembly plant on Tuesday rejected a $15 million award in his lawsuit alleging racial abuse by coworkers, opening the door for a new trial after a judge slashed a $137 million jury verdict. Lawyers for Owen Diaz, who had sued Tesla in 2017, turned down the judges award in a brief filing in federal court in San Francisco. They said in a statement that the award was unjust and would not deter future misconduct by Tesla. In rejecting the courts excessive reduction by asking for a new trial, Mr. Diaz is again asking a jury of his peers to evaluate what Tesla did to him and to provide just compensation for the torrent of racist slurs that was directed at him, his lawyers said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. District Judge William Orrick lowered the jury award, which was one of the largest of its kind in a discrimination lawsuit, to $15 million in April. He had also denied Teslas motion for a new trial, conditioned on Diazs acceptance of the lower award. Earlier this month the judge denied Diazs motion for permission to appeal that ruling and gave him two weeks to accept the lower award or agree to a new trial. Tesla is facing a series of lawsuits involving alleged widespread race discrimination and sexual harassment at its Fremont, California factory, including one by a California civil rights agency. Last week, a Tesla shareholder filed a lawsuit accusing the companys chief executive, Elon Musk, and board of directors of neglecting worker complaints and fostering a toxic workplace culture. Tesla has denied wrongdoing and says it has policies in place to prevent and address workplace misconduct. Diaz alleged that his colleagues and a supervisor subjected him to a hostile work environment that included slurs, caricatures and swastikas in his nine months working at the Fremont plant in 2015 and 2016. A jury had awarded Diaz $6.9 million of compensatory damages and $130 million of punitive damages last October, but Orrick in April said those numbers were excessive. Diazs lawyers in their statement on Tuesday said Orricks decision highlighted systemic bias that federal judges have against juries, which in turn violates the constitutional rights plaintiffs have to a trial by jury. (Reporting by Wiessner in Albany, New York. Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Mark Potter) Topics Lawsuits California Tesla Answers Global gallium oxide, gallium oxide overview, gallium oxide application, gallium oxide supplier, gallium oxide price market trend 2025-2027 Gallium oxide preparation process by Newsintegra927 A shortage of natural gas has hit the food-processing industry, which relies heavily on natural gas, with Germany's sugar industry saying many sugar plants are unable to produce due to a shortage of natural gas. About 30 percent of the world's sugar supply comes from beets, and the European Union is the world's largest producer of sugar. The beet sugar gallium oxide, gallium oxide overview, gallium oxide application, gallium oxide supplier, gallium oxide price are still very uncertain. Gallium oxide Ga2O3 overview Gallium oxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ga2O3. Also known as gallium trioxide, it is a wide bandgap semiconductor with Eg=4.9eV. Its electrical conductivity and luminescent properties have long attracted attention. Ga2O3 is a transparent oxide semiconductor material with broad application prospects in optoelectronic devices. It is used as an insulating layer and UV filter for Ga-based semiconductor materials. It can also be used as an O2 chemical detector. Gallium oxide preparation process 1. Add a high-concentration hot aqueous solution of NaHCO3 to the hot aqueous solution of gallium trichloride GaCl3, and boil until all the hydroxides of gallium are precipitated. Wash the precipitate with hot water until there is no Cl-, and calcine it at above 600 C to obtain -Ga2O3. When NH4Cl remains, it reacts with Ga2O3 at 250C to generate volatile GaCl3. 2. This is the production method of high-purity Ga2O3. Using high-purity metal Ga as anode, dissolved in 5%~20% H2SO4 solution, adding ammonia water to the solution, cooling, repeatedly crystallizing Ga(NH4)(SO4)2, drying at 105 , under the condition of excess oxygen After burning at 800C for 2 hours, a product with a purity of 99.99% to 99.9999% is obtained. 3. Weigh 1kg of 99.9999% high-purity gallium into a three-necked flask, add high-purity nitric acid to dissolve the gallium completely, then filter, pour the filtrate into a three-necked flask, and move it to an electric furnace for evaporation (in a fume hood). ), and when concentrated to near crystallization, the solution was transferred to a large evaporating dish and evaporated to dryness. Put the evaporated Ga(NO3)3 in a muffle furnace for burning, the temperature is controlled at 550 , burn for 5 hours, and take out the finished product after cooling to obtain 1.2 kg of high-purity gallium oxide Gallium oxide Ga2O3 application Gallium oxide Ga2O3 is used as a high-purity analytical reagent in the electronics industry for the preparation of semiconductor materials. Gallium oxide has been used in research on lasers, phosphors and luminescent materials. Gallium oxide is also used as an insulating layer for tight connections. Monoclinic -Ga2O3 is mainly used in gas sensors and phosphors, and can also be used in dielectric coatings for solar cells. In semiconductors; gas sensing; in catalysis, gallium oxide is also used. Application of gallium oxide nanostructures as blue and ultraviolet light emitters in optoelectronic devices. This stable oxide also shows potential for deep ultraviolet transparent conducting oxides and transistor applications. Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films have important commercial value as gas sensing materials. Production of Ga2O3-Al2O3 catalysts using Ss-gallium(III) oxide. Gallium Oxide Ga2O3 Price The price of gallium oxide Ga2O3 products will change randomly with the production cost of market supply and demand, transportation cost, international situation, exchange rate and price of gallium oxide Ga2O3 products and other factors. Tanki New Materials Co., Ltd. aims to help industries and chemical wholesalers find high-quality, low-cost nanomaterials and chemicals by providing a full range of customized services. If you are looking for gallium oxide Ga2O3 product powder, please feel free to send for the latest gallium oxide Ga2O3 product powder price. Gallium Oxide Ga2O3 Powder Supplier As a global supplier of gallium oxide Ga2O3 powders, Tanki New Materials Ltd. has extensive experience in the performance, application and cost-effective manufacturing of advanced and engineered materials. The company has successfully developed a series of powder materials (cerium oxide, zinc oxide, nickel oxide, indium tin oxide), high-purity targets, functional ceramics and structural devices, and provides OEM services. Technical Parameter of Gallium Oxide Ga2O3 Powder : Product Name MF Purity Particle Size Melting Point Molecular weight Color Gallium Oxide Ga2O3 99.90% -100 mesh 1740 187.44 White Gallium Oxide Powder Properties Other Names Digallium trioxide, Gallium sesquioxide, Gallia, Oxo-oxogallanyloxy-gallane, Gallium(III) oxide, Gallium trioxide CAS No. 12024-21-4 Compound Formula Ga2O3 Molecular Weight 187.44 Appearance White Powder Melting Point 1900 Boiling Point N/A Density 5.88 g/cm3 Solubility in H2O N/A Exact Mass 187.835 g/mol Monoisotopic Mass 185.835906 Da Gallium Oxide Powder Health & Safety Information Signal Word N/A Hazard Statements N/A Hazard Codes N/A Risk Codes N/A Safety Statements N/A Transport Information NONH for all modes of transport Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, said it would have to close its plant in Langelsheim, Germany if the EU designated lithium as a hazardous material. The European Commission is currently evaluating a proposal by the European Chemicals Agency (EHCA) to classify lithium carbonate, lithium chloride, and lithium hydroxide as hazardous to human health. As a result, Albemarle will no longer be able to import lithium chloride, its main raw material, putting its entire plant in Langelsheim at risk of closure, Albemarle chief financial Officer Scott Tozier said. According to Tozier, the plant has annual sales of about $500 million and a forced closure would have a significant impact on Albemarle's operations. Industry sources said that listing lithium as a hazardous substance would place an additional burden on the gallium oxide, gallium oxide overview, gallium oxide application, gallium oxide supplier, gallium oxide price, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry. Inquery us Answers Global graphite price market trend 2022-2027 What is the current graphite price? by Newsintegra927 Gazprom recently said it had completely suspended gas supplies to Bulgarian Gas company and Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG) because it was not being paid in rubles. Russia said it would resume gas supplies after it agreed to pay for them in rubles. Bulgaria and Poland announced Monday that they have received a notice from Russia to suspend natural gas supplies from Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 31 signed a presidential decree to settle gas trade with "unfriendly" countries and regions in rubles. When the new rules took effect on April 1, Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russia would not immediately "cut off gas" to Europe, as the cost of gas supplies starting April 1 should be settled in the second half of April or May. Because of the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk graphite price are still very uncertain. Graphite price have moved higher again over the past month. Fine flake prices have soared. Graphite Market News - The global graphite market is expected to grow from US$1.64 billion in 2017 to US$2.68 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 8.5%. Graphite Company News - Syrah Resources Balama Mine back on track. Tirupati Graphite said that Mozambique granted a mining licence to Balama Central. NextSource Materials adds proprietary anode coating process. Triton Minerals secures binding offtake agreement for Ancuabe commercial pilot plant. Magnis Energy Technologies New York lithium-ion battery plant is 40% complete. POSCO signs agreement with EcoGraf for battery cathode materials. ZEN Graphene Solutions announces name change to Zentek Ltd. Welcome to the November edition of Graphite Miner News. November saw further increases in natural graphite prices and some substantial progress, as well as plenty of news from the graphite primary product. Graphite price news Over the last 30 days, China Graphite Flake 194 EXW spot prices are up 4.53% and China Flake-195+ EXW is up 2.93%. Note that 94-97% is considered most suitable for use in batteries; this is then increased to 99.9% purity to make "spherical" graphite for lithium ion batteries. Chinese prebaked anode 3% price fell by 2.06%. Flake, amorphous and spherical graphite prices soar on high costs and strong demand ...... Fine flake graphite prices have risen by 16.67% over the past week, the largest one-week increase in three years. On Thursday 30 March, Fastmarkets valued graphite electrodes, UHP, FOB China at US$4,250-4,560 per tonne, up US$620-790 (19.05%) since the first valuation of US$3,460-3,940 per tonne on 30 March 19 January 2022. Similarly, Fastmarkets' FOB China estimate for high-power graphite electrodes on 30 March was US$3,600-3,780 per tonne, up US$610-630 (20.20%) from US$2,990-3,150 per tonne on 19 January. Graphite electrodes are used in steel production and have been affected by sharp increases in the cost of raw materials. Prices of needle coke and petroleum coke have been rising steadily since the beginning of the year. According to market sources, in China, the largest producer of synthetic graphite, coke prices have risen by 23.53% and 11.57% per month, respectively, at around 8,000-13,000 yuan ($1,243-2019) per ton and 6,000-7,500 yuan per ton. In addition to rising raw material prices, the European Commission has also imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese graphite electrodes, adding to the upward price pressure on European consumers. Synthetic graphite for lithium-ion battery anodes also faces the same rising raw material costs as graphite electrodes. Furthermore, graphite electrodes and synthetic graphite for anodes can rely on the same graphitization process. While China's anode market has grown, it has increased competition for these graphitization facilities, and as a result, product supply has tightened considerably, driving up costs and hindering the production of both materials. Those tensions are expected to persist this year even after the worst of China is over. "Graphitization capacity may become less tight compared to the second half of last year, when China's power crunch was at its peak," a battery producer told Fastmarkets. "But we have to admit that supply is still generally tight across the anode supply chain, be it synthetic feedstock or graphitization." While raw material prices have risen and graphitization has become more challenging, production in China has also been hampered by preventing the spread of the latest wave of Covid-19 infections. "In addition to rising raw material prices, downstream consumers are also worried about supply amid the Covid-19 outbreak in China, causing some producers in northern China to disrupt shipments," said a source at the second anode producer. Soaring costs and tight supplies of raw materials and processing facilities have led to tighter supplies of synthetic anode materials in the fast-growing electric vehicle industry, sources said. High-quality graphite supplier Luoyang Moon & Star New Energy Technology Co., LTD, founded on October 17, 2008, is a high-tech enterprise committed to developing, producing, processing, selling, and technical services of lithium-ion battery anode materials. After more than 10 years of development, the company has gradually developed into a diversified product structure with natural graphite, artificial graphite, composite graphite, intermediate phase, and other negative materials (silicon-carbon materials, etc.). The products are widely used in high-end lithium-ion digital power and energy storage batteries. If you are looking for graphite material, click on the needed products and send us an inquirysales@graphite-corp.com The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic not only had a significant impact on public health, it also severely affected one of the linchpins of the global economy the tourism industry. As many countries introduced curfews and travel restrictions to contain the spread of the virus, travel across the world significantly declined from early 2020 onwards. The financial repercussions of the coronavirus have already begun to manifest themselves within the tourism industry. In 2020, global revenue from the travel and tourism industry was estimated to drop from a forecasted 711.94 billion U.S. dollars to 568.6 billion U.S. dollars, representing a decrease of over 20 percent. The region predicted to see the highest decline in revenue was Europe, decreasing from 211.97 billion U.S. dollars in 2019 to roughly 124 billion U.S. dollars in 2020.The downturn in tourism has caused the recession, and the weakening of the economy has also affected the market demand for graphite price. Recently, however, the demand for graphite price has increased, so contact us for the latest news on graphite price. Inquery us Answers Global TiN powder market trend 2025-2026 What are Commonly Used Milling Cutter Coatings? by Newsintegra927 Oil futures tumbled more than $5 a barrel on news that the Biden administration is considering releasing about 1 million barrels a day from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for several months to cool surging crude prices. Brent crude futures were down $4.71, or 4.2 percent, at $108.58 a barrel by 0035 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell $5.45, or 5 percent, to $102.74 a barrel. At an earlier time, gasoline prices had already reached record levels because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The prices of other commodities like the TiN powder are also expected to be volatile. I. Titanium nitride coating (TiN) TiN coating is a universal PVD coating that improves tool hardness and oxidation temperature. The coating can be used for high-speed steel cutting tools or forming tools to obtain good machining results. TiN coating is pretty economical, it is used to extend the service life of general tools and molds. Its performance is particularly outstanding when it is used to cut copper, low carbon steel, and other soft metals. Coating TiN on the surface of milling cutter can effectively improve the surface hardness of milling cutter, reduce the chemical affinity of milling cutter, prevent adhesion damage in the process of machining, and improve the wear resistance of the milling cutter. 2. Titanium nitrogen carbide coating (TiCN) The carbon added to the TiCN coating improves tool hardness and surface lubricity, making it an ideal coating for tools. Due to the introduction of carbon element, the surface lubricity of the coating is improved and the friction coefficient is reduced. At the same time, the internal stress of the coating is reduced, which is of great significance to improve the production efficiency and surface quality of the workpiece. TiCN coating has lower friction coefficient and higher hardness than TiN coating. The milling cutter coated with titanium nitride carbide is more suitable for milling stainless steel, titanium alloy, nickel alloy and other hard materials. It has stronger wear resistance and high temperature stability, and can significantly improve the tool life. 3. Titanium aluminum nitride coating (AlTiN) The alumina layer formed in the AlTiN coating can effectively improve the high temperature machining life of the tool, and the stable oxide layer is formed on the interface between the tool front and chip during cutting, which has good heat insulation performance. AlTiN coatings provide higher surface hardness than TiAlN coatings based on the ratio of aluminum to titanium in the coating, making it a viable alternative coating for high speed machining. 4. Aluminum chromium nitride coating (AlCrN) AlCrN coating exhibits good red hardness and high temperature stability under high temperature conditions, and has good thermal corrosion performance. When machining low hardness materials or high viscosity materials, the cutting performance is better than AlTiN coated tools. Good adhesion makes it a coating when treating nodules. With this almost invisible coating, milling cutter performance will be greatly improved. 5. CVD diamond coating Different from single-crystal diamond cutter and PCD composite cutter, CVD diamond coated cutter is a CVD diamond coated cutter which is deposited on the surface of carbide cutter by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. In the CVD diamond coating process, the tool surface is pure diamond without any additives, which avoids the application limitations caused by the presence of additive metals in PCD composite films. And the whole deposition process is carried out in atmosphere, there is no special requirement for tool geometry, which can be in any shape of carbide tool surface coating, to meet the needs of complex contour processing. After experimenting and validation of various cutting tool materials, the service life of CVD diamond coated tools is 8-10 times that of carbide, and its cutting speed is 2-3 times higher than that of cemented carbide cutting tools. It has a good consistency and a low friction factor. Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd. (TRUNNANO) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and nanomaterials including silicon powder, nitride powder, graphite powder, zinc sulfide, calcium nitride, 3D printing powder, etc. If you are looking for high-quality chemicals, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry. ([email protected]) Twitter recently announced that it had reached an agreement with Musk to take full ownership of the company for $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion in cash. After the deal, Twitter will become a privately held company. The deal, which has been unanimously approved by Twitter's board but still requires shareholder and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in 2022. After Tesla CEO Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter was finalized, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey sent out a series of six tweets expressing his expectations for Musk. Dorsey called Twitter his biggest regret, saying, The idea and service is all that matters to me, and I will do whatever it takes to protect both. Twitter as a company has always been my sole issue and my biggest regret. It has been owned by Wall Street and the ad model. Taking it back from Wall Street is the correct first step. "In principle, I don't believe anyone should own or run Twitter," Dorsey goes on. He thinks the service is a public good. He called Musk a "singular solution" to Twitter's problems, "Elon's goal of creating a platform that is" Maximally trusted and inclusive "is the right one." He wrote, "Thank you both for getting the company out of an impossible situation. This is the right path... I believe it with all my heart." Besides, because of the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk TiN powder are still very uncertain. Inquery us Laya Healthcare customers are eligible for a refund if they have a live health insurance policy with the provider since June 1. The Cork based health insurance firm confirmed that they will be giving 85 per adult and 35 per child through this support refund. This latest development announced by Laya is welcome news for all their members. It follows on from similar initiatives by both Irish Life Health and VHI who announced rebates in April and May of this year, said health insurance consultant with Totalhealthcover.ie Dermot Goode. The refund, which was first reported by the Irish Independent, will go to thousands of Laya Healthcare customers. Families throughout the country are really struggling with the soaring cost of living and these rebates or member supports will come as a welcome input into household budgets, added Mr Goode. He continued by highlighting the impact this will have on the pocket of a family as if two adults and two children have policies with the provider, they could be in line for 240 through this rebate. Laya have structured this payment in such a way that no action is required by the member and this will be issued automatically through July and August, said Mr Goode. He explained that these rebates are made possible by the fact that the insurers appear to be incurring lower than expected claims particularly from the public hospital sector. We are hopeful that this downward pressure on health insurance costs will mean little or no premium increases for the rest of 2022, he said. This is the second support payment Laya has given its customers since the onset of the pandemic. At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Laya refunded its customers while private hospitals and clinics were closed due to Covid-19 measures. These refunds came to 195 for every adult member and 60 for every child member. On a cautionary note, these are once off payments and consumers still need to be reviewing their cover at each renewal to make sure theyre on the most up to date version of their plan, said Mr Goode. A rebate of 85 is good news but if youre still insured on a dated plan, your savings could be five to 10 times this figure, he said. With approximately 600,000 members, Laya is the second-biggest health insurer in the Irish market. Ireland should be benefitting from multinationals moving their European Work Council (EWC) legal base from the UK to Ireland post-Brexit, but deficient legislation is causing problems, an Oireachtas Committee has heard. Representatives of Siptu and the Brussels European Employee Relations Group (Beerg) voiced their concerns about issues caused by inadequate Irish legislation to deal with EWC disputes. We are aware that there were defects in the Irish legislation when it comes to resolving any disputes between EWCs and management that might arise, said Beerg executive director Tom Hayes. European legislation states that EWCs are subject to the laws in the country in which their head office is based. When a company is based in a non-EU/EEA country, such as the US, the head office can nominate a representative agent in the country of its choice and the representative agent acts as the companys head office. It is our view that the absence of proper procedures to resolve disputes is in no ones interest. Festering disputes are not helpful to dialogue between the parties. These deficiencies arise because regulations that should have been made back in the 1990s were never made, said Mr Hayes. After Brexit, it was no longer possible to legally base a representative agent in the UK as outlined by the European Commission. Leading to many choosing Ireland as their alternative base, which has further highlighted issues with the legislation relating to EWC disputes. Mr Hayes said that the provisions on disputes in the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees, Act 1996, were not fit for purpose. Mr Hayes added that his organisation identified the procedures in the later Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Act 2006 as an appropriate model " "In essence, the Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Act 2006 provides that where a dispute arises, it is first referred to the Workplace Relations Commission for mediation and if mediation is not successful, the dispute is then referred to the labour court for a recommendation, explained Mr Hayes. One of the main issues for Siptu in relation to the current legislation for Workplace Relations Commisions in Ireland is the small fines they may receive if they are found to be in breach of the law of the land. Some of these fines are just 100, the trade union claimed. When you measure this against the fines imposed in other EU member states for breaches of the legislation it is not adequate, as fines imposed in the courts of other EU states range from 15,000 to 50,000. This makes Ireland an attractive proposition when companies wish to move their EWC legal base, said Siptu spokesperson Denis Sheridan. Good evening people of Dublin, says Harry Styles, My name is Harry, its an absolute pleasure. The roar from the Harry Styles fans in the crowd at the Aviva Stadium suggested it was very much a mutual feeling. Many of Styles fans have been following him since he was a cheeky curly-haired 16-year-old handpicked by Simon Cowell to form one of the worlds most popular boybands I met one of those fans who missed out on tickets originally and broke down in tears in a Tesco recently after finally securing herself one on a resale site but few could have predicted what the break-up of One Direction in 2015 would mean for Styles. Harry Styles on stage at the Aviva Seven years later, the 28-year-old is a Grammy-award-winning solo artist, actor, and androgynous style icon. His latest and third album, Harrys House, has had the biggest album sales week of the year in the Irish charts (ditto the UK and US charts), while also managing to shift more copies on vinyl than any other record since at least 1991 when SoundScan began keeping reliable sales data. Anna McCaldin and Molly Harwood from Northern Ireland, ahead of attending tonight's performance by Harry Styles. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie The magnitude of this success becomes apparent as soon as he steps on stage with a feral scream erupting from the Aviva that seems to shake its very foundation. From the first notes of Music for a Sushi Restaurant which are genuinely quite hard to hear against the absolute mania that had just erupted (a girl in front of me is hyperventilating to the point the person beside her is checking shes OK) Styles commands the crowd. Molly Maguire from Cork heading along to tonight's performance by Harry Styles. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Parading across the stage in a tight green and white striped jumpsuit, everyone seated is up from the first song, dancing, and waving rainbow flags and signs declaring their devotion. One particularly prominent one reads: I love u thx 4 saving us. Another, "Pog Mo Thoin, Harry." On Adore You, a sickly sweet stand-out from his second album Fine Line, Styles coos I'd walk through fire for you / just let me adore you with a backing chorus of 65,000 fans who know every word. At this point, he makes the stage his catwalk, strutting by each corner of the pit and blowing kisses to the masses. Amy Kelly and Hannah O'Farrell from Dublin before the Harry Styles concert in Dublin. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie As the night goes on, a sense of delirious joy in the air, there are Irish flags and rainbow flags hoisted on stage, one lucky fan gets serenaded with Happy Birthday and a lot of people are feeling their #feels. Boyfriends seems to be written specifically for this crowd, made predominately of women in their 20s and 30s. Boyfriends they take you for granted, he sings softly, You love a fool who knows just how to get under your skin... There is a lot of sniffling. Louise O'Rourke, Zoe Delea, Molly Walsh and Emma Walsh heading along to the Aviva Stadium. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Styles has changed a lot since his days standing alongside our own Niall Horan. His sound, his lyrics and his overall bravado have matured. He sings unashamedly and without the sense, its a man trying to shake off a former self about oral sex, cocaine in kitchens, and girls getting themselves, eh, excited for him. But its in his softer moments like the heartfelt monologue he gives about looking after yourself without feeling guilty, and the points in which he stops the show to make sure his fans are alright that you see the side of the superstar this crowd is in love with. At two stages during the night he stops the show mid-song to check on fans he has spotted who appear to be in trouble. During one incident, a giddy crowd starts singing "Ole, Ole, Ole" during the pause and a stern Styles puts up a hand, 'Wait.' So we do. And when he is assured the fan is okay, the crowd explodes once more. We are rewarded with 'Watermelon Sugar,' 'As It Was,' 'Sign of the Times,' 'Kiwi' and even a rendition of One Direction's first mega-hit 'What Makes You Beautiful.' "You have changed my life," he says towards the end of the night, as he thanks his fans for supporting him all these years. "I'd lay down for you... every single one of you.. thank you so much." Ireland now tops the table along with notoriously pricey Denmark as the most expensive country in the EU for everyday expenses, leading experts to call for a Minister for Consumer Affairs. According to consumer information and comparison website Bonkers.ie, the pain of everyday costs spiralling is not going to get better anytime soon, as Ireland is, among other findings: 105% higher than the EU average for drinks and cigarettes; 88.5% higher for housing; 88% higher for utility bills like electricity and gas; 46.5% higher for the likes of broadband and mobile phones costs; 39% higher for travel by air, train, or sea; 29.5% higher for hotel stays and eating out. A report released by the European Commission's data analysis wing Eurostat revealed that prices in both Ireland and Denmark were 40% higher than the EU average in 2021. According to Eurostat, if the price level index of a country is higher than 100, the country concerned is relatively expensive compared to the EU average, while if the price level index is lower than 100, then the country is relatively inexpensive compared to it. Cheapest and dearest Ireland was revealed to have the highest price level for alcohol and tobacco at almost 105% of the EU average, or a score of 205 on the index. This was followed by Finland and Sweden, which had price levels of just under 73% and almost 36% higher, respectively. The lowest price levels for alcohol and tobacco were observed in Bulgaria, at nearly 36% lower than the EU average, followed by Poland with 28% lower. Eurostat said that the large price variation was a result of differences in taxation. Outside the EU, if someone really fancied a cheap pint and a smoke, then North Macedonia is the place to go in Europe, while Turkey is the place for clothes shopping and a cheap feed, ranking lowest of 36 ranked countries in each category. Ireland was also reported as having a high cost for food, with prices almost 17.5% higher than the EU. When it comes to clothing and footwear, Ireland fares comparatively well, coming in just below the EU average. However, it is by far and away the most expensive when it comes to housing costs at 88.5% higher than the EU average, and in the top third for hotels and restaurants at 29.5% higher. A cost-of-living protest march, part of a national series of protests, at St Patrick's Street, Cork City on Saturday, June 18. Picture: Larry Cummins 'Staggering' prices Consumer information and comparison website Bonkers.ie described the figures as "staggering", while calling for a Minister for Consumer Affairs to be appointed. The cost of hotels and restaurants has ballooned even higher since the Eurostat data was calculated. "These figures were compiled before scores of hotels were block-booked by the Government to house asylum seekers and Ukrainians fleeing the war, which some say has led to prices in the hotel sector skyrocketing this summer," said the website's spokesperson Daragh Cassidy. The scale of the difference in prices between Ireland and our neighbours is pretty shocking. And its getting worse, which doesnt bode well for our competitiveness. "Consumer bodies such as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), and regulators such as the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) for energy, and ComReg for telecommunications also need to do better jobs and stand up for consumers more. "If they need more powers to enforce laws and bring prices down, they should demand them." Daragh Cassidy of Bonkers.ie. The data comes as Taoiseach Micheal Martin again flatly rejected an emergency budget to deal with spiralling costs, telling the Dail that it would only exacerbate the situation to "chase inflation". He said he does believe the crisis "could get worse", but October's budget is the best way to set out a long-term response to the cost-of-living crisis. He admitted he is "worried about the winter period", saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging gas supplies against EU countries. Brutal and nasty injuries were inflicted on a woman in Midleton on New Years Eve by a man wearing a sovereign ring who punched her repeatedly in the face and broke a bottle over her head. Judge Sarah Berkeley jailed Limerick man Raymond Constable for two and a half years for the offence of assault causing harm. Garda Cormac Ryan said Constable spat into the faces of three members of An Garda Siochana who dealt with him on the night. Judge Berkeley viewed photographs of the injured party taken soon after the assault and she also took into consideration a victim impact statement presented to the court. The harm done to her is inexplicable. He had addiction issues and he does not recall what he did. They are very nasty injuries from the photographs it is brutal in fact and beyond comprehension and he has a violent history of offending, Judge Berkeley said. A sentence of four years was imposed on Raymond Constable with the last 18 months suspended. Garda Ryan said the accused and the injured party had been in a relationship for a very short period three or four weeks when this violent attack was carried out. It occurred late on December 31, 2020. Gardai received a call at 11.30pm from a friend of the injured party. The injured woman herself could be heard in the background of the phone call shouting for her help as her friend spoke to gardai. Gardai arrived at the house and there was no answer when they called to the door. They could hear a womans voice shouting out to them: Kick the door in. Eventually, the door was opened and the injured party ran out to the gardai. She was in a very distressed state and the physical injuries to her face were clearly visible. She was taken to Cork University Hospital where she described being hit over the head with a glass beer bottle which broke. Raymond Constable punched her with a closed fist into the face and punched her several times. He was wearing a gold sovereign ring which caused a lot of damage to the victims face, Garda Ryan said. 18 months later she is still in fear from what happened on the night, Garda Ryan testified. The witness said the accused was very aggressive with gardai and spat into their faces when arrested. 162 previous convictions The 35-year-old from Limerick has 162 previous convictions including one for false imprisonment, for which he was given a four-year jail term. He has eight convictions for assault. Defence barrister, Brendan Kelly, said: Addiction has been a problem for him. For the majority of his life he has had addiction difficulties. He does have a number of convictions under the Misuse of Drugs Act. He was intoxicated on alcohol on the night. Diazepam has been a significant problem for him. He was the victim of a serious assault himself some years ago where he was stabbed in the face and has scars from this. Judge Berkeley noted from a prison governors report that was requested for the sentencing hearing that he was found to be under the influence of an intoxicant in prison and has had two p19s disciplinary issues. Mr Kelly BL said: He wishes to apologise to all concerned. His offending was egregious the way he dealt with the main complainant and members of An Garda Siochana by spitting at them all he can do is apologise. Raymond Constable was living at Kearneys Cottage, Chapel Street, Cloyne, Co Cork, and admitted assault causing harm to the woman, as well as assaulting Garda Tomas Ryan, Garda Killian Barry and Sergeant Anna Lane. - If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services. At least 280 people have died and around 600 others have been injured after an earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, authorities said. Information remains scarce on the magnitude 6 tremor that struck Paktika province, but it comes as the international community largely has left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year amid the chaotic withdrawal of the US military. That will likely complicate any relief efforts in the country. The state-run Bakhtar news agency reported the death toll and said rescuers were arriving by helicopter. Our hearts are with the people of Afghanistan who lost their dear ones in todays earthquake. We stand with our humanitarian partners who are doing all they can to support the people of Afghanistan. UN Women Afghanistan (@unwomenafghan) June 22, 2022 The news agencys director-general, Abdul Wahid Rayan, wrote on Twitter that 90 houses have been destroyed in Paktika and dozens of people are believed trapped under the rubble. Footage from Paktika province near the Pakistan border showed victims being carried into helicopters to be airlifted from the area. Images widely circulating online from the province showed destroyed stone houses, with residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble. Mr Bakhtar posted footage of a resident receiving IV fluids from a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home and others sprawled on gurneys. A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses, Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, separately wrote on Twitter. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe. In just one district of the neighbouring Khost province, the earthquake killed at least 25 people and injured over 95 others, local officials said, while warning the death toll would rise without urgent government help. From Kabul, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the Presidential Palace to coordinate the relief effort for victims in Paktika and Khost. @OCHAAfg and @unafghanistan are assessing the needs and responding in the aftermath of the earthquake last night which has taken hundreds of lives. Our condolences to the families of deceased, response is on it's way Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov (@RamizAlakbarov) June 22, 2022 The UNs resident coordinator in Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, expressed condolences to the victims and said that the world bodys agencies were responding to the earthquakes devastation. Response is on its way, he wrote on Twitter. Neighbouring Pakistans Meteorological Department put the earthquake at a magnitude 6.1. Tremors were felt in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere in the eastern Punjab province. Some remote areas of Pakistan saw reports of damage to homes near the Afghan border, but it was not immediately clear if that was due to rain or the earthquake, said Taimoor Khan, a disaster management spokesperson in the area. Pakistans Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif offered his condolences over the earthquake, saying his nation will provide help to the Afghan people. The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquakes tremors were felt across more than 310 miles by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Features Resistance Group Founder Killed by Myanmar Junta Troops Died a Hero, Comrades Say Bo Thanmani, an unsung hero of Myanmars Spring Revolution It was well past midnight, but resistance fighters in Shwebo, Upper Myanmar, were desperately searching for the corpses of their leader and two colleagues who were killed in action in fighting with junta troops. After wading through a number of paddy fields with the help of torches, they finally found the bodies of the three resistance fighters, said Ko Kywe, spokesman of Battalion 23 of the Shwebo Defense Force (SBDF). As we dont have guns, we could only search for their bodies with the help of an ally after the fighting. We retrieved the bodies around 1 a.m. and buried them around 2.30 a.m., Ko Kywe told The Irrawaddy. The three fighters were killed when members of the SBDF clashed with junta troops of Division 33 near the village of Chaung Mee To in the northeast of Wetlet Township in Shwebo District on June 9. Their leader, SBDF founder Bo Thanmani, was among the casualties, killed while covering his comrades with his old rifle until the last bullet, said Ko Kywe. It is the biggest loss the SBDF has suffered so far. A line of revolutionaries Neither short nor tall, Bo Thanmani was a mustachioed, bearded man with thick eyebrows. At first glance, he resembled Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The ethnic Rakhine, or Arakanese, man was born in Rakhine State on March 4, 1973. Born Kyaw Mya Than, he was known as Maung Maung by relatives and friends, and assumed the nom de guerre Bo Thanmani after establishing the SBDF. His father was U Kyaw Myaaka Yebaw (comrade) Kyaw Myaa leader of the Communist Party of Arakan (CPA) and the Communist Party of Burma (CPB). Yebaw Kyaw Mya served as the secretary of the CPB in Rakhine State around 1977. He was a Rakhine revolutionary leader who fought the Japanese during their occupation of Myanmar during World War II. After he became a member of the CPB Politburo, U Kyaw Mya came via Bangladesh and China to Panghsang [today the headquarters of the United Wa State Army in Shan State], where the CPB was based. He brought along his wife, his four daughters and the youngest child, their son Maung Maung. I think Maung Maung was just 5 or 6 at the time, said a political observer who served in the CPB. Ko Maung Maung underwent communications training with the CPB. After the group collapsed in 1989, he lived in Kunming in Chinas Yunnan Province and in the Chinese border town of Ruili, said the observer. He ran a shop in Jiegao [a border trade zone in China near the border with Myanmar]. He got married and had children. But I dont know how he got into Shwebo after the Spring Revolution broke in Myanmar, he said. Resistance group established After the Myanmar military seized power from the countrys democratically elected government in February last year, Ko Maung Maung joined the street protests against the coup in a town in central Myanmar, like many others throughout the country. After many protesters were killed and injured in the regimes brutal crackdown, Ko Maung Maung felt the call of duty and went to Shwebo to do his fair share. There he met a group of young people who were attacking junta targets in towns as urban guerrilla fighters. But he did not return to his home after the training, said Ko Kywe. We were an underground guerrilla group; mostly, we carried out explosions in towns. Thats when we met him, said Ko Kywe. Ko Maung Maung then established the SBDF, shaping it as a military organization and contacting the National Unity Government. The group started its armed revolt with only one MA-1 assault rifle and homemade guns, and still doesnt have enough arms and ammunition to this day, said SBDF members. Last battle Bo Thanmani left for Chaung Mee To Village around 6.30 p.m. on June 9 with 15 resistance fighters to attack junta soldiers who arrived near the village, said Ko Kywe. He saw a vehicle outside the village. He asked one of the junta soldiers [who were not wearing uniforms] for our secret code. The soldier could not answer, and Bo Thanmani opened fire on him. It was followed by an exchange of fire, he said. The junta soldier was shot dead by Bo Thanmani, according to witnesses. But, more than two dozen junta soldiers opened fire on Bo Thanmani and his troops with automatic rifles. Bo Thanmani and a resistance fighter were injured. Bo Thanmani was hit in the thigh, and Ko Soe Paing covered him with a SIG handgun. Then the two covered the others and told them to retreat. We only have homemade guns. When it comes to automatic assault rifles, we only had one MA-1 rifle used by Bo Thanmani since the beginning of the revolution. Even that gun wasnt new, said Ko Kywe. The duo might have been captured alive before being killed by junta soldiers, said SBDF members. It appears that they were arrested after they ran out of bullets. Their hands were tied behind their backs. Bo Thanmani was shot twice, once in the heart and again in the head, said Ko Kywe. A leader dedicated to his followers Bo Thanmani was a decisive leader and always finished what he started, SBDF members said. He fought bravely, and he would always finish any job he started. He demanded the same from us, said Ko Kywe. Bo Thanmani was tolerant and provided moral guidance, said SBDF members. He was very tolerant of his subordinates, agreed Ko Kywe. I am serving as the leader because I have taken the leading role, but we are brothers in this revolution and you are my younger brothers, Bo Thanmani was quoted as frequently telling his subordinates. Bo Thanmani also offered financial help to the families of fallen resistance fighters from his group. He planned to establish a trading company after the revolution, which he wanted to run with his colleagues, sharing the profits. He wanted to establish a company which we would run together and whose profits we would share. He had even named the companythe Faith of Spring. He believed he and all the other comrades would still be alive after the revolution, said Ko Kywe. He sacrificed his life fighting the Spring Revolution against the military regime, dying at the age of 49. Both his father and mother were leaders of the Communist Party of Arakan. He himself was born in Rakhine. But he died a PDF leader in Shwebo. Though he was an ethnic Rakhine man, he was not driven by Rakhine nationalism. He was driven by class. He took the position that he would stand by the oppressed people regardless of their race. Thats why he became a PDF leader in Shwebo, said a friend of Bo Thanmani. SBDF members said they would continue their resistance despite the tremendous loss the group has suffered. It appears that we have to restart from square one. But we have his friends among the revolutionary groups. We have sought help from them. We wont give up because of his death. We will move forward and fight bravely. But we have needs that need addressing, said Ko Kywe. Burma Myanmar Junta Moves Detained Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Prison Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Dealing a new blow to detained Myanmar democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the military junta has ordered that she be moved to Naypyitaw Prison on Wednesday from an undisclosed location where she has been under house arrest, according to sources close to the matter. She will be held in solitary confinement in a small isolated building within the prison, the sources said. The Myanmar Police Forces Special Branch informed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her lawyers of the transfer during a hearing on Tuesday at a special court in Naypyitaw, where she has been tried on more than a dozen charges filed by the regime. The reason for the transfer wasnt clear yet. The regime has held Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who turned 77 on Sunday, under house arrest since the coup in February last year. It moved her to an unknown location in Naypyitaw in April 2021. Under the previous military regime she spent 15 years under house arrest, ending in 2011. It will be the second time she has been incarcerated in a prison. In 2009, the previous regime transferred Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her home to Yangons Insein Prison for four months for violating the rules of her house arrest after an American intruded onto her property. After her move to Naypyitaw Prison on Wednesday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis ongoing trials will be conducted at a special court inside the prison. So far the regime court has sentenced her to 11 years in prison. If found guilty on all counts, she will spend the rest of her life behind bars, as the charges carry a combined sentence of more than 100 years. Since her house arrest last year, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been assisted by seven people detained with her, and has had the companionship of her dog. It was not clear whether her aides would be released upon Daw Aung San Suu Kyis transfer to the prison. The move to the prison has prompted concerns about Daw Aung San Suu Kyis wellbeing, especially given her old age. On Wednesday, Myanmars detained President U Win Myint was also reportedly moved to Naypyitaw Prison from house arrest. The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm the report, however. Burma Myanmar Junta Searches Homes After Arakan Army Seizures The junction leading to Kyauktaw. / The Irrawaddy Myanmar junta troops have been searching houses and detaining residents in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, after the Arakan Army (AA) seized three police officers on Monday, according to residents. The Rakhine-based armed group detained the three officers, including a lieutenant and sergeant, from Myothit ward on Monday. On Tuesday, junta troops arrested prominent activist Ko Zaw Win at his house in Pyi Taw Thar ward, a resident told The Irrawaddy. Many junta soldiers are searching houses. They detained Ko Zaw Win and we still dont know how many more they have detained. No one dares to go out, he said on Tuesday. The Kyauktaw central market is closed and children did not attend school, said residents. The AA detained two junta soldiers from a checkpoint near Kissapanadi bridge in Kyauktaw on June 11. On June 16 the AA tried to seize an officer and a private from the Ponnagyun-based Light Infantry Battalion 550. The officer escaped. Following the incident, junta soldiers fired warning shots in residential areas and detained seven Ponnagyun residents. Their whereabouts are still unknown. On June 17, AA troops tried to detain a police sergeant and constable from Tein Nyo village in Mrauk-U Township. The constable escaped. The AA seized three junta soldiers and four policemen from June 11 to 20. AA spokesman Khaing Thukha told a press conference on June 14 that the seizures were in retaliation for regimes detentions of AA administrative and judicial staff. He called for a prisoner swap. The AA now controls most rural areas in the center and north of Rakhine. It has a judicial system and police force which operate in parallel with junta institutions. An unofficial ceasefire since November 2020 is now on the brink of collapse after 18 months of relative calm with the junta taking action to counter expanding AA control. Burma Myanmar Junta Troops Based at Chinese-Owned Mine Cut Up Villagers Resistance forces prepared to cremate the two villagers on June 21 at Moe Gyo Pyin North village in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region. / CJ Myanmars regime troops at the Chinese mining firm Wanbao have reportedly killed two villagers and torched homes in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region. On Tuesday morning troops from the China Wanbao Engineering Co mine entered Moe Gyo Pyin North village and tortured and cut up two men, according to the Salingyi Revolution (SR). Photos appear to show a near-severed head and a body covered in knife wounds. No hands are visible on the other body and internal organs are showing. The victims U Tin Soe, 45, and U Pwa Gyi, 47, were reportedly farmers in the village. They were brutally tortured before they died, said an SR representative. Regime forces held about 20 villagers hostage while they burned down approximately 70 houses in the village, which had more than 200 houses and over 2,000 residents. The hostages were released that evening. On Wednesday morning troops detained 100 Sel Tai Maung villagers and held them at the village monastery after the SR and other resistance groups fired on the Wanbao mine on Tuesday afternoon. We did not intend to attack Wanbao but regime troops based themselves in the compound. They turned Wanbao into an army base, the SR representative said. Residents claim the troops responsible for arson and murders are assigned for the security of the Wanbao mine. In April, 16 resistance groups from Salingyi and Yinmabin townships called for mining to stop at Wanbao and for China to end its support of the regime. Security was increased at the mine as a result. Since the coup last year, China has refused to condemn the junta. On June 20 approximately 100 vehicles in a military convoy, including two tanks, arrived at the Wanbao mine after making slow progress from Chin State. It had been repeatedly ambushed on the Pale-Yinmabin-Monywa road. Wanbao has been operating the controversial Letpadaung copper mine, in partnership with the military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Company, since 2010. Heavy protests against the mine began in 2012 after land was seized and environmental damage became evident. Villagers demanded compensation. In 2014 a woman was killed and many others, including monks, were injured in a crackdown by the security forces. By the end of May, an estimated 18,886 houses and other buildings had been burned down by the regime across Myanmar and Sagaing, as a resistance stronghold, suffered the most, losing an estimated 13,480 houses, according to Data for Myanmar, an independent group monitoring junta atrocities. Burma Myanmars Armed Resistance Groups Ready to go on Offensive: NUG Anti-regime People's Defense Forces on parade in Kayah State. / KNDF-B05 Myanmars parallel National Unity Government (NUG) says its armed wing the Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) have matured and are getting closer to the level of a professional army, over a year after they were first formed. During a press conference on Tuesday night, NUG media official Ko Nay Phone Latt said that the PDFs are becoming stronger and more organized. More than a year after they were formed, PDFs have achieved certain progress in training, grouping, command, arms and weapons production, taking a step closer to being a professional army, said Ko Nay Phone Latt. Resistance to the murderous military regime has intensified since March 2021, when armed resistance groups, now collectively known as PDFs, began to emerge. Since then, PDFs have conducting a variety of operations, including ambushes, targeted assassinations, bombings, the sabotage of junta-related facilities and businesses and, lately, seizing military and police outposts. There are now some 259 PDFs with approximately 80,000 to 100,000 members, according to the NUGs defense ministry. In addition, there are also around 250 township-based forces and 400 guerrilla forces and most are in contact with the NUG. Ko Nay Phone Latt said that, previously, the PDFs only waged guerilla warfare but that they are now ready to go on the offensive. When we talk about the evolution of the PDFs, readiness was most important before they could move to the second stage of changing from defensive fighting to all-out attacks. Now we can say that we are ready for that, he said. However, he declined to say when those attacks will happen. As far as controlling territory goes, the junta has lost full control of 90 per cent of the main roads in resistance strongholds Sagaing and northern Magwe regions, said Ko Nay Phone Latt, while the movement of PDFs has intensified in northern Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions. Urban guerrilla attacks are still ongoing in Yangon, Bago, Ayeyarwady and Naypyitaw, despite the juntas arrests of resistance fighters. In other states, the dominance of allied ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and PDFs is also growing, the spokesperson added. Political analyst Ye Myo Hein, who recently published a report One year On: The Momentum of Myanmars Armed Rebellion, told The Irrawaddy that to take the next step, the anti-junta armed groups require a unified command structure and a readily available supply of arms and ammunition to rival junta forces. He added that, according to his findings, the NUG and EAOs have managed to procure only 20 to 25 per cent of all the weapons needed by anti-junta combatants, largely with the support of public donations and their own money, while homemade rifles made by resistance fighters continue to make up 30 to 40 per cent of PDF weaponry. The NUG has admitted that supplies of arms and ammunition remains a weakness. Ko Nay Phone Latt stated that the NUG has used 95 per cent of its budget, over US$45 million, on arming PDFs and manufacturing weapons. That money has been raised by the sale of bonds, including shares in coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaings Yangon mansion, but is still only enough to meet the PDFs minimum requirements. Ko Nay Phone Latt said that at least US$10 million is needed monthly to fund the resistance movement. The NUG is trying in various ways to raise this amount on a monthly basis. We urge business owners to pay taxes to the NUG as a revolutionary duty, he said. Burma Rakhine Citizens Seized After Myanmar Regime Office Raided Mrauk-U Township. / The Irrawaddy Myanmars regime has abducted at least 20 residents in the historic town of Mrauk-U in Rakhine State after the Arakan Army (AA) seized the staff at a military security office. AA members abducted three security officers who were eating at a restaurant owned by the office chiefs daughter in Nyaungbin Zay ward, according to Mrauk-U residents. The sergeant in charge of the office was also detained. It has only four members of staff, said a resident, who asked for anonymity. Until recently Mrauk-U was one of Myanmars most prized tourist attractions. On Wednesday, junta troops carried out checks in Mrauk-U and made arrests. The regime had detained around 20 residents by noon. Troops were deployed at the towns entrances and on surrounding hills. Another Mrauk-U resident told The Irrawaddy: Mainly they checked phones and detained anyone if they found anything political. They are patrolling around the town and making arrests. I heard some of the detainees are children and teachers. Military tensions are rising as the regime and AA seize each others members. In Kyauktaw the AA abducted three policemen on Monday evening. The following day, junta troops searched houses and detained political activist Ko Zaw Win. His whereabouts are currently unknown. The numbers of those in custody are unknown. On June 11, the AA abducted two junta soldiers from a military checkpoint near Kisspanadi bridge in Kyauktaw. It also detained a Light Infantry Battalion 550 soldier in Ponnagyun on June 16. The regime has since detained seven civilians in Ponnagyun and their whereabouts are unknown. The AA detained a police sergeant from Tein Nyo village in Mrauk-U on June 17. The ethnic armed group has detained 11 junta personnel, including seven soldiers and four police officers, since June 11. At a June 14 press conference, AA spokesman Khaing Thukha said the group has abducted junta soldiers in response to regime detentions of its members. He did not say how many AA members have been abducted. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Democracy Activists on Death Row Must Be Allowed to Live Myanmar Junta Artillery Kills Three Civilians in Chin State Sagaing Villagers Pay Myanmar Junta Troops to Spare Homes Burma Thousands Flee Junta Artillery Strikes in Upper Myanmar Displaced civilians in Yinmabin Township. / Bo Thurain-Yinmabin PDF Thousands of villagers in Sagaing Region were forced to flee their homes on Monday night, after Myanmar junta forces launched unprovoked artillery strikes in Yinmabin Township that injured two civilians. Regime troops have been firing artillery day and night in Yinmabin since last week. On Monday night, two residents of Myoe Paw Village, close to Yinmabin Town, were injured by the strikes, a spokesperson for the Bo Thurain-Yinmabin Peoples Defense Force (PDF) told The Irrawaddy. Residents of Myoe Paw and the nearby villages of None Gyi, Pyaung Pyar, Yorhtaung and Layyor fled their homes fearing further artillery strikes. The villagers darent live in their houses anymore because their villages are not too far from Yinmabin Town. I think the junta troops have suffered heavy casualties from our attacks and so they are firing artillery at civilian targets, said the Bo Thurain-Yinmabin PDF spokesperson. Military regime troops previously raided the villages on June 11, torching eight houses in Yorhtaung and Layyor villages. Two residents of Pyaung Pyar Village were injured by artillery strikes. Residents of Yinmabin Township are used to fleeing junta raids, but the regimes increased use of indiscriminate artillery strikes has scared locals into leaving their villages, a Myoe Paw villager told The Irrawaddy. They fire heavy weapons in the night and at dawn these days. Some shells landed on our village and nearby villages. So we left our house even though it was the night. We werent able to take any food or possessions with us, so now we face many difficulties, said the villager. As of Tuesday, the villagers were still staying in the forest and were unable to return home as the artillery strikes continued. Yinmabin is a stronghold of armed resistance to the regime. In response, junta forces are continuing to raid and torch villages in the township. On Monday, regime troops torched almost 20 houses in Kaung Sin Village in the east of Yinmabin, according to the North Yamar PDF. Thousands of locals from nearby villages have been displaced. Burma Trial of Myanmar's Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Moved to Prison Compound: Source Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as Myanmar's State Counselor in 2019 Hearings for the trial of ousted Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be moved to a prison compound in the military-built capital Naypyitaw, a source with knowledge of the case said Tuesday. The Nobel laureate, 77, was detained by the military when it ousted her government last year and faces a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than 150 years. She has since been confined to an undisclosed location in Naypyitaw, leaving only to attend hearings in a municipal compound in the east of the sprawling, low-rise capital inaugurated by the army in 2006. Future hearings will be conducted at the new Special Court in Naypyitaw Prison following the completion of a new court building in the compound, said a source with knowledge of the case. The source did not give further details. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis lawyers have been banned from speaking to the media and journalists barred from her trial. Under a previous junta regime, she spent long spells under house arrest in her family mansion in Yangon, Myanmars largest city. Her current detention has seen her links to the outside world limited to brief pre-trial meetings with her lawyers. She has already been convicted of corruption, incitement against the military, breaching COVID-19 rules and breaking a telecommunications law, with a court sentencing her so far to 11 years. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi turned 77 on Sunday and brought a birthday cake to court to eat with her lawyers ahead of a hearing on Monday, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Monkeypox infections in Florida have climbed to 16 in five counties, moving from South Florida to the central part of the state. The counties with cases are: Broward Collier Miami-Dade Orange Seminole. Broward County has reported the most monkeypox infections, with 11 total confirmed cases, according to the Florida Department of Health. Orange County has seen two monkeypox cases and Seminole, one case. Both Collier and Miami-Dade counties have reported one case each. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are tracking the 2022 outbreak of the rare monkeypox disease usually found in several Central and West African countries but now expanding globally. The disease can cause a characteristic rash and other symptoms. Global health officials are assessing whether to declare the disease a public health emergency, according to WHO. And the agency plans to change the name of the disease, with some scientists criticizing monkeypox as discriminatory and stigmatizing, according to NPR news. The WHO data shows a total of 2,103 confirmed cases in 42 countries; one probable case, in Australia, and one monkeypox death in Nigeria. The data is based on cases between January 2022 to June 15, 2022, according to the report from WHO. The WHO data shows 72 cases in the United States. The largest number of cases globally are in the United Kingdom (524 cases), followed by Spain (313), Germany, (263), Portugal (241) and Canada (159). As to monkeypox deaths, WHO has reported 72 deaths since the beginning of 2022 in countries where monkeypox has been endemic, according to a June 10 report from the organization. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen the most deaths (64) in the WHO African Region. This week WHO officials are expected to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise on whether the current spread of monkeypox in non-endemic countries constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, according to its website. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also tracks the monkeypox cases, with some differences between CDC and WHO. For global figures, the CDC shows 2,525 cases in 37 countries, showing the United States with 112 cases, as of Friday. Nationwide in the U.S., the CDC reported 113 monkeypox cases in 20 states and the District of Columbia, as of Friday. California has the most cases (24), followed by New York (21) and Illinois (15). The numbers will continue to move. So far, the CDC has reported no monkeypox deaths in the United States. Portions of this story appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee. You can visit them by clicking here. Our participating #tasteofkeybiscayne restaurants are serving up some of the most delicious meal-deals on the island this Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Sake Room Treat yourself this Wednesday to our featured dish Flamed Salmon Roll Make it a Sake-Lunch-Wednesday and try one of the delicious options in our new Lunch Menu, starting at $10.99. Open for Indoor and Outdoor Dining, Takeout or delivery! Join us today, open from Noon to 10 p.m. FREE* Crunchy Crab Salad!!! New hours! Noon to 10 p.m. Call (305) 456-0488 to place a takeout or delivery order directly 328 Crandon Blvd Ste 108, Galleria Shopping Center Grub hub UberEats also available. Please if you can call us first *Offer good on any $50+ order Tacopolis What do they say at Tacopolis? Everyday is Taco-Day!! Only eat tacos on days that end in a Y How about a delicious Fajita as your midweek meal? Tacopolis offers authentic Mexican cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all in a family, casual and relaxed atmosphere Open Seven Days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Indoor & Outdoor dining, Takeout or delivery on UberEats Located in the Square Shopping Center at 260 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne. To place a phone order, call (786) 703-5523. To order online, click here. Brasas KB Open for covered Indoor & Outdoor Dining, Takeout or delivery! Mid-Week $10.99 burger special.... Our delicious half pound hamburger, with one side and a soda, only $10.99 - loaded it up with a fried egg, bacon, cheese and pickles to make it a "completa" for only $4 more! Can't beat the quality! Unmatched value! Have you tried our Peruvian Chicken Rotisserie Family Combo for lunch or dinner? Package includes 4 sides and sauce of your choice: huancaina, aji amarillo, huacatay and olivas negras peruanas. Call (786) 615-2399 to place a takeout order. Open Noon to 8 p.m. 328 Crandon Blvd, Galleria Shopping Center La Scala Join us for that special Wednesday dinner night! Or let us deliver you a fresh cooked Italian meal! Today, treat yourself to our delicious Linguine Mari Piemonte A La Scala meal makes any day that much more special. Join us for dine-in, open for indoor dining, limited outdoor seating, reservations recommended. Come in even if just to say hello to Chandra, and the la Scala team! To place a takeout - offering curbside service - order call (786) 773-3633 or visit us online by clicking here. 32 Degrees by MG You deserve gourmet meal options that are fast and convenient. Fresh, fully cooked meals from 32 Degrees are a great mealtime option. We provide frozen, ready-prepared meals that are great for the busiest of lifestyles! We shop, prep, cook, and deliver to your doorstep, so you can experience the benefits of gourmet eating without the fuss or hassle. Our fully cooked meals are created with passion by our chefs using only the freshest ingredients. We never use additives or preservatives. Our meals are ready to eat in the microwave in 5 minutes. Place your order today by visiting 32-degrees.com. Use code 32ISLANDER at checkout and receive 15% off* your first order. *Offer good on orders of $40 or more. D'Lite Bistro & Bakery Who says eating healthy means sacrificing taste and flavor? Not at DLite! We are a unique and healthy restaurant that serves salads, wraps, sandwiches, bowls, protein smoothies and cold press juices made fresh every morning including gluten-free, vegetarian and keto options. This Wednesday, try our perfectly made Sexy wrap. We open at 7 a.m. daily and close at 8 p.m. everyday except Sat and Sun when we close at 6 p.m. DLite is located in the Arcade Mall, 180 Crandon Blvd. To place an order, call (305) 882-9284 or visit us online by clicking here. Kazumi We are open to serve you with indoor & ample outdoor seating This Wednesday, treat yourself to our delicious Asian Baby Back Ribs Modern Japanese fusion restaurant. We offer creative treatments & creativity in our dishes for takeout and delivery by our own employees. Available for lunch and dinner. Mon to Sat Noon to 9:45 p.m. Closed Sundays To place an order call (305) 361-2675 or order online here. Costa Med Bistro Open for Indoor and Expanded Outdoor Dining, Takeout! Today, treat yourself to our special homemade black linguine with spicy tomato sauce and lobster chunks Order online for take out - click here! Costa Med, a TripAdvisor Traverlers Choice nominated restaurant, is located in the Square Shopping Center. 260 Crandon Blvd. Reservations suggested. Call Antonio or Harold at (305) 361-7575 Hours. Lunch Mon to Sat: Noon a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner Mon to Sat: 6 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. / Sun 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Boaters Grill & Lighthouse Cafe / Bill Baggs The restaurants inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park the popular Boaters Grill, located at No Name Harbor and accessible by boat, and the beachside Lighthouse Cafe are ready to serve you. Start the day with a delicious breakfast under the Lighthouse! Serving traditional breakfast favorites being served at Lighthouse Cafe Boaters Grill is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lighthouse Cafe is open 7-days a week, from 9 a.m. to Sunset The restaurants are located inside Bill Baggs State Park, at 1200 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne. You can reach them at (305) 361-0080 Randazzo by Yesenia Open for Indoor & Outdoor dining, Takeout or delivery. Reservations recommended Wednesdays are WINE DAYS at Randazzo by Yesenia! Come in and try our new curated wine selection or if you prefer, bring your own bottle and we will waive our corkage fee. Please call (305) 456-0480 to place an order or make a reservation Open Monday, Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., open until 11 p.m. Friday. NEW! Now open for lunch at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sundays! Closed Tuesdays 328 Crandon Blvd Ste 112, Galleria Shopping Center Delivery service with Postmates or UberEats The Golden Hog Eat Local. Help local. Shop Safely. Visit us for our Wednesday special Grilled Chicken sandwich, prepared fresh on our grill! Todays menu. Soups & Creams: Chicken Rice / Red Beans / Lobster Bisque Main Course: Beef Parmigiana / Chicken Pesto Tomato / Merluza Filet / Pasta Evoo with Fresh Mozzarella Side Dishes: Fried Rice / Asparagus / Mashed Potatoes The Golden-Hog has a complete line of specialty groceries for delivery. Golden Hog puts safety first. We have taken steps to ensure the safety of employees and customers. Shop with confidence. Call (305) 361-1300 to place a delivery or take out order; you can also email your orders to orders@thegoldenhogmarket.com or order online here. Check back tomorrow for more specials as we add more restaurants to #tasteofkeybiscayne-To-Go And please remember to order from the restaurant directly before using one of the apps this way we support the local restaurants by saving them the commission they are charged, which at times is as much as 30% Promising to safeguard your business without the complexity, the CyberStash eclipse.xdr cyber defence system is a new platform to protect businesses from cyber attacks and minimise the likelihood of business impact. Cyberstash. Founded by its CEO Loris Minassian, CyberStashs eclipse.xdr is a cyber defence platform, helping organisations to operate with less exposure to cyber-attacks and reduces the likelihood of business impact by detecting breaches and containing them before its too late. To achieve this, were told eclipse.xdr independently: 1. Reduces breach occurrence by significantly minimising business exposure to sources of threats and optimising your incident response capability. 2. Illuminates the threat before irreversible business impact by proactively hunting for compromised systems across your entire IT environment. 3. Establishes and maintains trust by validating post-breach clean-up to ensure all backdoors, malware and human adversaries are successfully removed from your systems. Whats more, Minassian states eclipse.xdr maintains its relevance and efficacy by progressively strengthening a companys defences to provide an increasing level of assurance to its stakeholders. This ensures that the platform is designed to meet emerging threats where and how they arise and give businesses a stronger capacity to manage and minimise their risk. Explaining how this is done, Minassian says: eclipse.xdr is a force multiplier. It enables your company to stave off a cyber-attack by a factor much greater than your ability without it. In other words, it gives you the protection you need against imminent cyber-attacks. After all, in a world where these attacks are going to happen, organisations need to be prepared. The dangers of cyberattacks dont just stop at the loss of personal or company information. They can also cost businesses thousands, and sometimes even millions. In the worst-case scenario, a sophisticated or highly successful attack can put an organisation out of business. Minassian continues, stating: eclipse.xdr is different because we accept that we cant possibly defend against every attack. Nobody can. Thats why eclipse.xdr is specifically designed to detect breaches in a timely manner. It leverages an independent process for detecting breaches and protecting your organisation against cyber-attacks that does not depend on prior knowledge of the threat itself. Thats how we reduce the risk and likelihood of irreversible business impact, ensuring that your business can continue into the future. So, what is some of the background on cybercrime in 2022? Well, if youre operating in the global economy, youll be aware of reports that cybercrime is on the rise. In fact, there has been a whopping 600% increase in cybercrime since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In most cases, attackers rarely pay attention to the size of an end-user organisation, and while targeted attacks that pay bigger dividends are on the increase, the current sophistication and proliferation of cyber-attacks mean that all companies are facing increasing levels of risk. These disturbing facts mean that organisations must remain alert to the ever-present threat of cybercrime. Business owners and IT departments need to determine effective strategies for operating securely, knowing which security controls will reduce their exposure to cyber-attacks, and how they can establish and maintain shareholder and customer trust in IT systems. Thankfully, for Australian business owners, Minassian states this is exactly why eclipse.xdr was created, and adds We can no longer depend on technology alone. Sound security practice requires an independent methodology for reducing exposure, detecting, and responding to breaches, and maintaining trust in the IT environment. Minassian continues: This problem cannot be ignored. In 2021, record losses were attributed to cybercrimes amounting to more than $6.9 billion, up by a whopping 64% from the $4.2 billion loss of 2020. These cyber-attacks included intellectual property theft, zero-day vulnerability exploits, ransomware, and many other incredibly sophisticated online schemes. Considering the success of these crimes, its obvious that the organisations behind them will endeavour to become more innovative, making it difficult for business owners to do battle with the currently accepted and, frankly, outdated security controls. The collective challenge facing organisations today is that theyre hampered by limited resources, skill shortages, an expanding attack surface, an increasing amount of information to protect and a vast number of applications to support. To make matters worse, adversaries continue to outsmart even the most well-resourced security teams, resulting in an impossible situation whereby most organisations operate with a heightened level of risk and fail to grasp the threats they face. They simply dont have the resources to run an effective security management program or build and manage complex security solutions. What organisations need are outcomes supported by solutions that provide immediate risk reduction while optimising resources and maintaining trust in their IT infrastructure. Minassian notes he isnt the only one embracing this holistic methodology, pointing to experts like Deloitte who agree that reviewing risks and gathering intelligence about those risks are the most important elements in combatting cybercrime. Tommy Viljoen, Partner of the Risk Advisory team at Deloitte, is quoted: Most organisations put the castle walls up very high, but if theyre unaware of whats being planned against them, they cant adjust. They can only hope that their defences are adequate for the attack. Intelligence is the key. Minassian concludes: This holistic, independent, risk-based approach is precisely what eclipse.xdr is designed to deliver. It delivers the outcomes that organisations expect from a cyber security program while avoiding complexity. COMPANY NEWS: The fiat-crypto payment provider, Alchemy Pay, has partnered with Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce. The partnership will integrate Forters solutions and add an invaluable layer of security to Alchemy Pay transactions. Forter will enable Alchemy Pay to offer higher payment approval rates and chargeback guarantees that benefits both clients and users. Alchemy Pays fiat payment channels and forthcoming crypto on-ramps allow users to buy crypto and access Web3 services via mainstream-friendly fiat payment methods such as cards, mobile wallets and bank transfer. It also enables client partners and merchants to accept crypto for real-world goods and services. Forters service leverages AI technology to minimise errors and bank false declines to improve the user experience. Its AI systems detect fraud before payments are initiated, reducing authentication failure and optimising payments. Because crypto is still viewed as high risk by traditional financial institutions, chargebacks and failed transactions have been a significant issue. Alchemy Pay provides a payment bridge between fiat and crypto economies that makes these payments as smooth as possible. The addition of Forters services will help Alchemy Pay to protect legitimate consumers against loss of funds by identifying and blocking fraudulent transactions. Forter is the industry leader in terms of secure payment approvals and we are delighted to be able to pass these on to our client partners. We are intent on providing the optimal performance for our solutions and Forter will help us do just that. In order for crypto to break into mainstream use and gain worldwide adoption from everyday people we have to make payments between fiat and crypto as seamless as possible, says Alchemy Pay CEO John Tan. We are excited to partner with Alchemy in their quest to provide a safe and secure checkout experience. As the Trust Platform for digital commerce, Forter understands the crypto customer journey and provides accurate, instant assessments of trustworthiness across every step of the buying journey. Alchemy is at the forefront of the crypto payment sector and we look forward to a continued partnership with them as crypto adoption accelerates, says Forter vice president Asia Pacific Joseph Lee. About Alchemy Pay Founded in Singapore in 2018, Alchemy Pay (ACH) is a payment solutions provider that seamlessly connects fiat and crypto economies for global consumers, merchants, developers, and institutions. It provides online and offline merchants with convenient acceptance of both fiat and crypto, enables easy onboarding to blockchain ecosystems, and makes web3 services highly accessible. Today, Alchemy Pay is supported in over 70 countries with 300 payment channels, has touchpoints with more than two million merchants through partnerships with industry leaders such as Binance, Shopify, NIUM, and QFPay. Alchemy Pays token, ACH, is an ERC20 native to the Ethereum blockchain. About Forter Forter is the Trust Platform for digital commerce. We make accurate, instant assessments of trustworthiness across every step of the buying journey. Our ability to isolate fraud and protect consumers is why Nordstrom, Sephora, Instacart, Adobe, Priceline and leaders across industries have trusted us to process more than US$500 billion in transactions. Our deep understanding of identity and use of automation helps businesses prevent fraud, maximise revenue and deliver superior experiences for their consumers. GUEST OPINION by cybersecurity firm Virsec: Organisations of every size and kind face constant challenges in maintaining adequate cybersecurity skills in the face of growing cyber risk. The existing shortage of cybersecurity skills and high threat levels have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and remote working, causing a rise in IT expenses. This issue is particularly acute in the government sector. In Australia, public sector spending on IT continues to grow, along with the danger of cyber attacks on government bodies. In September 2021, Gartner forecast that Australian government sector IT spending would exceed $15.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 8.8 percent from 2021. Gartner said the increase would be driven by key programs to strengthen national cyber response. However, throwing money at a problem is not always the best solution. In the case of cyber security and incident response, it can be very difficult to find and retain the level of skilled resources needed to implement high-level protection and respond effectively to any successful breach. And the more tools you have, usually require more people to run them and more people in the SOC to triage the ever growing number of alerts. And in the unfortunate event of a breach, these skills are often severely tested or non-existent. A successful attack on an organisation imposes massive additional workload on staff and require the use of tools and techniques they might struggle with or do not understand, due to infrequent use or the sheer breadth of security solutions as part of their cyber defences. Also, it is well-known that organisations are in a continual arms race with cyber criminals, forever investing in new security measures to counter new and evolving attack techniques. Defences that offered adequate protection five years ago may be easily compromised today. Just because something has ML or AI, doesnt make it a silver bullet! Recent attacks triggering a wake-up call Ransomware is one of the most common types of cyber attack because it can be highly lucrative. The Australian Government is well-aware of the growing impact of ransomware, on government entities in particular. In October 2021 it released a Ransomware Action Plan. In her foreword, Minister for Home Affairs, Karen Andrews, said: Over the past 12 months, Australia has faced a 15 percent increase in ransomware attacks reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The report outlined the capabilities and powers Australia would use to combat ransomware. As part of the plan, the Government created a multi-agency taskforce led by the Australian Federal Police, to mount Australias strongest response to the surging ransomware threat. The report also provided information on where victims could go for help. The release of the report came after a string of significant ransomware attacks on public entities. One of the most high profile attacks hit the Bureau of Meteorology in 2015. It was only a year later that the Australian Signals Directorate released details, saying "CryptoLocker ransomware found on the network represented the most significant threat to the bureau's data retention and continuity of operations. In late 2019 the Council of the City of Onkaparinga in South Australia was paralysed by a 'Ryuk' ransomware attack. Recovery took three months. In June 2020, Transport for NSW was hit with a ransomware attack, with IT systems taken offline to halt the spread of ransomware. In March 2021 Eastern Health, which operates Box Hill, Maroondah, Healesville and Angliss hospitals, was similarly forced to shut down some of its IT systems following a ransomware attack. Countering cyber security staff shortages with cyber resilience The cyber security skills shortage isn't going away, in fact it keeps getting bigger. So Australia's public sector must look for ways it can reduce dependence on human resources and make infrastructure better able to resist disruption and continue operating. This is a culture of cyber resilience. The Australian Cyber Security Centre defines cyber resilience as The ability to adapt to disruptions caused by cyber security incidents while maintaining continuous business operations. This includes the ability to detect, manage and recover from cyber security incidents. Cyber resilience is an evolving approach rapidly gaining recognition. It brings together information security, business continuity and organisational resilience. Resilient infrastructure can protect data and maintain business continuity in the face of an attack. It represents a significant step beyond the level of protection offered by traditional cyber security: it is adaptive and proactive, rather than reactive. There are two key components required to build cyber resilience. Organisations need real-time visibility into all areas of their IT: hardware, networks, operating systems and applications. After all, you can't protect what you don't know is there. With this real-time visibility, the chances of detecting and neutralising any threat that has breached perimeter defences are much greater. It's time to swap out traditional endpoint detection and response tools (EDR) for true runtime protection. EDR (and now xDR) tools simply notify organisations of a breach after they've been compromised. By that stage it's already too late (that's like warning someone that an armed robber is present after theyve already entered the building and stolen goods). Runtime protection on the other hand stops the attack in action before it can cause lasting damage, by understanding exactly how every application should behave, and immediately thwarting unusual activity. It's important to know that cyber resilience isnt built overnight organisations should aim to gradually introduce new tools and techniques over time, to avoid disruption to operations or stalling digital transformation. Death toll of Afghanistan's quake reaches 920: official Xinhua) 17:23, June 22, 2022 KABUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday has reached 920, while more than 600 people were injured, a disaster official said, adding the number of casualties might rise further. "The death toll of the quake has reached 920 and at least 620 were wounded," Deputy to State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim told reporters. The official noted that the number of casualties may further rise as the quake destroyed scores of houses in the mountainous region and several people were still trapped under the debris. Gayan district in Paktika province and Sapari district of neighboring Khost province were the worst-hit areas. The disaster and humanitarian body has planned to pay 100,000 afghani (about 1,124 U.S. dollars) to the family of any individual killed and 50,000 afghani (about 558 U.S. dollars) to anyone injured in the earthquake, according to Muslim. The quake, with a magnitude of 5.9, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake jolted mountainous areas and the Ministry of Defense dispatched seven helicopters with life-saving equipment and medical personnel to the area, while medical and rescue teams were also on the way to the affected areas, the ministry said on Twitter. More than 300 ambulances reached the affected areas, according to local sources. The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has also dispatched rescue workers, health teams and volunteers to help those affected by the earthquake, the agency wrote on Twitter. "The ARCS is transferring blankets, tents, kitchen utensils, medicine, water bottles, and food items to the earthquake areas of Khost and Paktika provinces from HQ warehouses of the ARCS in Kabul," it said. World Health Organization (WHO) country office in Afghanistan also sent medical teams to provide assistance to the affected people. "WHO sympathizes with families of those who lost their lives and livelihoods from the earthquake that affected some provinces of Afghanistan. WHO Teams are on the ground to support immediate health needs, provide ambulances, medicines and trauma services and conduct needs assessment," it tweeted. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji) Non-profit organisation Gidarjil is using cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions Cradlepoints 5G technology to deliver cultural and educational outcomes for its community. Gidarjil Development Corporation (GDC) was a grant fund recipient as part of the Australian Federal Governments 5G Innovation Initiative, a project that demonstrates full high-definition video streaming, remote participant interaction and remote participant control of drones via the internet using Cradlepoints 5G solutions. GDC worked with Cradlepoint partner MobileCorp to deploy Cradlepoint 5G wireless edge adapters, delivering HD video from underwater and aerial drones along the traditional sea country of the Port Curtis Coral Coast region. Having a 5G connection builds on the organisations existing drone operations to deliver additional cultural and commercial benefits for GDC and the wider community of Northern Queensland. Rangers can stream video in real time to remote locations for input from off-site experts. For example, they can now provide GPS coordinates of Crown of Thorn starfish on the reef which can be mapped for diver intervention programs. They can also stream video from cultural burn activities for hotspot surveillance and ranger safety. They can use thermal imaging to identify the location of feral animal populations like foxes and wild pigs that could inform rangers in the group to act as part of the protection programs for native animals in the area. Enhanced 5G HD video, enabled by Cradlepoint 5G connectivity solutions, will offer improved outcomes across our existing drone program, including exploration of the Great Barrer Reef Marine Park and National Parks such as Mon Repos, Deepwater National Park, said GDC CEO Dr Kerry Blackman. Cultural benefits The funding has enabled Gidarjil to reconnect community elders who are unable to travel. The 5G-enabled drones have been crucial in developing connection to country across generations. Our elders attend some of our meetings and were able to livestream footage from culturally significant parts of this region with uninterrupted and high-resolution connections thanks to the 5G solutions were using, Dr. Blackman said. Elders can also remotely operate underwater drones to explore the sea country of their youth and to capture HD video footage, which will provide visual cues for their storytelling to the younger generations. This will allow GDC to enhance its traditional knowledge database, led by elders, to identify tribal heritage sites and the changing landscape. The 5G project has enabled a continuation of what we have learned from generations, but it's done with modern technology. Before, we always had to learn by stories being handed down to us. Now we'll be able to enjoy all this visual information with our young people as well. They'll be able to beam that information to us wherever we are, said Gidarjil elder aunty Melinda Holden. Job creation GDC is using 5G technology to enable the rangers to apply wireless network technology to their drone program, which will lead to more commercial and environmental opportunities. Moving forward, GDC hopes that its rangers will be able to share their knowledge and skills with other Indigenous environmental organisations, to help them build their own drone programs and to train them in using wireless 5G technology. Were able to leverage our training and operational experience gained through our National Indigenous Drone Training Institute, enabling our people to access and apply innovative drone technology using the very latest in 5G telecommunications technology. This also allows us to upskill the rangers, training them to read country as well as give the elders a chance to view what they do, Dr Blackman says. The GDC is able to bring together the traditional Indigenous practices of storytelling with modern, 5G enabled HD live streaming from drones, to improve intergenerational engagement with country and environmental conservation, concludes Cradlepoint senior vice president APAC Nathan McGregor. Leading members of NSW universities, industry and government have met at Western Sydney University to officially launch a project which is designed to create a best practice methodology for different air quality issues local governments face in different communities across NSW. The launch of the Operational Network of Air Quality Impact Resources (OPENAIR) program took place as part of a two-day workshop convening project participants from the NSW Government, NSW-based small businesses, five universities and 13 local government councils. Matthew Riley, Director of Climate and Atmospheric Science from the Department of Planning and Environment said the project would create a best practice methodology for different air quality issues local governments face in different communities across NSW. The primary objective is to develop informational resources that councils can use to solve their air quality issues. Eventually, this will result in an information hub enabling the data to be shared with the broader community. The Department is working with the participating LGAs and the researchers from across the NSSN member universities to implement low-cost sensors to provide additional localised air quality information to the public. We will also use the localised data collected under this program to supplement the data captured by the NSW air quality monitoring network. Professor Jason Prior from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures said the collaborative approach to the OPENAIR project is key to its success, commenting that working with local councils and small businesses means that our research will consider their needs and experiences, ensuring that the resources we design will be truly useful to them. NSSN Co-Director Professor Benjamin Eggleton commended the project team noting the project demonstrates the value of collaboration between the universities, industry and government. The project is led by a multidisciplinary group of researchers from across the NSSN member universities, working together with councils and small businesses to develop repeatable best practices for using low-cost sensors to address various air quality issues, including bushfire smoke, coal dust monitoring and urban heat sensing. The project builds on the Networks strong capability in air quality research, which has been built up since the early days of NSSN. We have seen a national shift in understanding the importance of air quality on health; with strong support from our university, government and industry partners, this project will make a significant inroad towards solving local air quality issues for each of the participating councils, Professor Eggleton said. OPENAIR is a $2.4 million air quality monitoring research and development program led by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in collaboration with the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) - and the program has received a $1.78 million contribution from NSW Government through the $45 million Smart Places Acceleration Program, which is part of the Digital Restart Fund. Universities participating in the program are the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australian National University (ANU), University of Sydney, University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the University of Western Sydney. And participating councils include Hawkesbury Council, Lake Macquarie Council, Muswellbrook Council, Newcastle City Council, Northern Beaches Council, Orange Council, Parramatta City Council, Ryde Council, Sunshine Coast Council, Sutherland Council, Tweed Council, Wollondilly Council and Wollongong Council. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Johnson City, TN (37604) Today Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 84F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Monticello, IL (61856) Today Mainly sunny. High 83F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Today Intervals of clouds and sunshine in the morning with more clouds for later in the day. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds light and variable. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. An international coalition of journalists, editors and publishers demanded Wednesday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange be immediately released from a UK jail and that all charges against him be dropped. Fifteen representatives of international journalist and publishers' unions and organisations gathered in Geneva for the "call to free Julian Assange in the name of press freedom". "We are demanding that Julian Assange be freed, returned to his family, and finally permitted to live a normal life," said Dominique Pradalie, head of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which counts some 600,000 members across 140 countries. "If Julian Assange is freed today, they will still have stolen 10 years of his life," she told the event. The call came after the British government last week approved Assange's extradition to the United States, to the dismay of his supporters and free press campaigners. Assange, 50, has said he will appeal against the decision. Assange's long-running legal saga began in 2010 after WikiLeaks published more than 500,000 classified US documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act, and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty. The Assange case has become a cause celebre for media freedom and his supporters accuse Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. - 'Flagrant violation' - Wednesday's event condemned the British decision as a "flagrant violation of human rights and a showing of total contempt for freedom of the press". Pierre Ruetschi, the head of the Swiss Press Club hosting the event, warned that "democracy is being taken hostage". "This attempt at criminalising journalism is a serious threat." Tim Dawson, of the National Union of Journalists of Britain and Ireland, agreed. "If Julian Assange can be threatened with prosecution as a spy, what might that mean for other journalists?" he said. Assange's self-proclaimed status as a journalist has been questioned by US authorities and others. But several of Wednesday's speakers stressed that regardless of whether he can be considered a traditional journalist, he is being targeted for typical journalistic activities, setting a "dangerous precedent". "Assange revealed war crimes, human rights violations, and all the information revealed is of course of public interest," said Edgar Block, the co-president of Swiss journalist association Impressum. "If he is extradited and condemned today, other journalists will be condemned as well." A number of the petitioners also called on Swiss authorities to facilitate his release by offering him a safe haven from further prosecution in Switzerland. Assange has been held on remand at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019 for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden. Before that he spent seven years at Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid being removed to Sweden. The Australian was arrested when the government changed in Quito and his diplomatic protection was removed. Three days left before the much-awaited premiere, "Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area," released the things to anticipate in the new work. Read on to know more! The Biggest Heist in Korean Peninsula "Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area" is a thriller drama that depicts an unprecedented hostage and robbery in the Korean Peninsula, curated by the most intelligent strategists and robbers with unbeatable abilities. It stars Yoo Ji Tae as Professor, while actors Kim Yun Jin, Jeon Jong Seo, Park Hae Soo, Lee Won Jong, Kim Ji Hoon, Jang Yoon Ju, Lee Hyun Woo, Kim Ji Hoon, and Lee Kyu Ho make up the gang. Under the setting of Korea before reunification, a joint economic area was established where people could freely travel and was used by the most intelligent robbers and strategists in the biggest heist in history. The conflict, hostage-taking, fights, and the robbery will be jam-packed with thrilling action scenes that will hook and entice viewers, driving them to the edge of their seats. The Heist's Hahoe Mask While in the Spanish series, the robbers wear Dali masks to hide their identities, in the South Korean remake, they created the Hahoe mask to represent the Korean robbers. Director Kim Hong Sun explained that the Hahoe mask is a traditional mask that every Korean knows, which is the main reason why he chose it. In particular, the Unified Mint in the drama also draws attention with its detailed structure. Pine trees, rocks, and courtyards were also installed so that the traditional beauty could be felt. The walls are also decorated with various Korean paintings, portraits of martyrs Yoo Gwan Seon and Ahn Jung Geun, and more. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area' Amplifies Excitement With New Stills Actor Kim Ji Hoon, who plays the role of Denver, said that the Korean elements in the drama would be the show's highlight, as it represents Korea. In addition, the Korean decorations add to the visual appeal of the series. 'Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area' Strong Drama Lineup The upcoming Netflix series "Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area" boasts a splendid lineup of actors. Yoo Ji Tae leads the pack as The Professor, the man behind the well-executed robbery in the history of Korea; Park Hae Soo stars as Berlin, the right-hand man who sees everything; Jeon Jong Seo plays the role of Tokyo, the young woman with desire to take down the capitalism in the country. It also stars Lee Won Jong as Moscow, South Korea's first underground bank robber; Kim Ji Hoon transforms into Denver, a former fighter who becomes a robber; Jang Yoon Joo takes on the role of Nairobi, a forgery expert. Lee Hyun Woo plays the role of the genius hacker Rio, while Kim Ji Hoon and Lee Kyu Ho transform into Helsinki and Oslo, respectively. In addition, Kim Yun Jin, Kim Seong Oh, Park Myung Hoon, and Lee Joo Bin join the cast as the opposing party who will shake the well-planned heist and throw off the robbers from the course. Scriptwriter Ryu Yong Jae guarantees that the characters possess great depth and empathy, as well as a development that is never seen before. Through thorough interviews with the actors, the scriptwriter made the full synchronization possible. Because of this, expectations for the cast and production unit of the drama are amplified. Don't miss the visually appealing and unpredictable stories of the characters in "Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area" this June 24 on Netflix! While you're here, watch the thrilling teaser of the Netflix series: KDramastars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Kang Tae Oh shows good manners to Park Eun Bin in the newly-released stills for their upcoming drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' New Stills Feature Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin's Characters In less than a week, Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin will meet the viewers with their first drama team up in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." Ahead of its release, the production dropped more snippets of what to expect from the first episode broadcasts. On June 21, in the photos provided by ENA Channel, viewers had a glimpse of Woo Young Woo (played by Park Eun Bin) and Lee Joon Ho's (played by Kang Tae Oh) first interaction, which amplifies anticipation for the upcoming premiere. "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" follows the story of Woo Young Woo, a young rookie lawyer with Asperger's syndrome who enters a major law firm. She has a high IQ of 164, a creative thought process, and impressive memory. She also graduated from college and law school with Latin honors, but one thing she's struggling to do is to socialize. 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Stills: Woo Young Woo and Lee Joon Ho's First Encounter In the released images, Woo Young Woo is on her first day at the popular law firm Hanbada. This also signals her first step in the real world, where everything is new to her. She arrives at the entrance of her workplace and suddenly freezes in front of the glass door. Fortunately, the firm's famous employee Lee Joon Ho appears and gives her a helping hand to enter the building. As the scenario and the face she's seeing are new to her, Woo Young Woo feels curious about her colleague. Joon Ho, on the other hand, shows off his sweet smile and kind gesture toward the new employee. Meanwhile, the next drama still displays the growing friendship of Young Woo and Joon Ho. The female attorney is keenly reading the information in her hands, while Lee Joon Ho is by her side and attentively listens to what she says. Through these drama snippets, K-drama enthusiasts have now an idea of what to anticipate in the soon-to-release series. Viewers should look forward to Woo Young Woo and Lee Joon Ho's heart-fluttering moments. Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin's Remarks In addition, in a short interview, Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh shared their synergy while filming the drama. According to the actress, "Kang Tae Oh, who has a calm aura, fits his character as Lee Joon Ho." The actress added that she feels comfortable with Tae Oh's unchanging atmosphere. The actor on the other hand also shared his thoughts about his new co-star, "Park Eun Bin's passion and affection for her character are extraordinary. She's a great actress who always makes an effort, which is why there's a lot to learn from her." "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" is set to premiere on Netflix and Seezn starting this June 29 at 9 p.m. (KST). IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kang Tae Oh Ready To Steal Hearts in New Drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Are you excited about Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin's new drama? Share your thoughts with us in the comments! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, follow and subscribe to KDramastars. KDramastars owns this article. Shai Collins wrote this. It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. But what if that village was found on Facebook? When Maggie Whitefoot of Kenosha began to take notice of the formula crisis affecting our nation, she knew that something needed to be done. I noticed that there were several national groups created to help parents find their specific formulas, said Whitefoot, but youd have to sift through hundreds of posts to find anything nearby. Thats when I decided that we needed a group that functioned locally. She launched the Kenosha & Racine Formula Finds group on May 15, and has acquired over 250 members since then. The nationwide formula crisis is a product of COVID-19 related supply chain issues, compounded with the production shut down of an Abbott Labs plant located in Sturgis, Mich., following a massive recall due to bacterial contamination. Shelves have been barren across the country for months, and specialty formulas have been increasingly difficult to find, adding a new level of stress to many local families. Weve had mothers come to this group just desperate, said group member Jessica Riviera, Their babies are breaking out in hives because they need specialty formulas that just cant be found anywhere. Riviera understands this stress, as her daughter also requires a hypoallergenic formula. Ive shared what extra I had for my own daughter with other mothers free of charge. This group is all for the babies, and right now its scary, she explained Whitefoot, a homeschooling mother of two, has traveled extensively to help parents and guardians across Southeast Wisconsin find the formula they need, completely out of her own pocket. My 12 year old is my sidekick, Whitefoot said. There have been days where he and I are bouncing from store to store, and he always encourages me to check just one more. Whitefoot has traveled as far south as Waukegan and even brings back specialty formulas for local parents that she knows can be hard to find in Wisconsin. The time, the effort, and the money that she has put into this mission every day is why she deserves this recognition, said Riviera. One rule that Maggie Whitefoot makes sure is never broken in the Kenosha & Racine Formula Finds group is that no sale is ever made for profit. Formula is sold for the price it is found at or lower, said Whitefoot. There are a lot of groups that are okay with free sample cans being sold for 10, even 20 dollars, and that is not our group, said Maggie, I watch like a hawk to make sure this group continues to be all about feeding the babies. Since Ive left the hospital two months ago with my daughter, this group has been the only way I have been able to find her formula, said group member Simone Turner. Most of the time I still have to buy formula from other members of the group. Its really hard right now because even though I qualify for WIC, I cant use it because I cant find my daughters formula in stores. Whitefoot emphasizes that you do not need to be in search of formula for yourself to join the group. WIC parents are limited to in store shopping, they cant use their card online. Thats partly why posting (images) of shelves is so important, even if they are completely empty, said Whitefoot, You can save a desperate parent hours of searching by just taking a couple minutes out of your shopping trip to snap time and date stamp photo. Each day, Whitefoot creates a daily check-in post, where families can let group members know which formula they are in need of. Because of Maggies compassion and diligence I have been able to keep our newborn fed, and now have built up a months supply of the formula I need, said group member Katelin Maureen. Countless others shared the ways in which Whitefoot has gone out of her way to not only find the formula they need, but to even purchase it and deliver it to them when necessary. This group has blessed me as much as it has blessed others, said Whitefoot, I joke with my husband that at the end of this crisis, the whole group needs to get together for a barbeque, because weve built such an incredible and supportive community during such a dark time. For more information on where to find the formula that you need or to assist others in their search, look for Kenosha & Racine Formula Finds on Facebook. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Kenosha Pops Concert Band continues its season-long journey through the past 100 years by visiting the 1930s, the decade of "The Great American Songbook." And it doesn't get much greater than Cole Porters Begin the Beguine. Porter composed the song during a 1935 Pacific cruise aboard Cunards ocean liner Franconia, and it was introduced in the Broadway musical Jubilee. It has since become a standard tune recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley. The beguine is one of the longest song forms to come out of the golden age of standards, said Craig Gall, the bands musical director. There are 108 bars in that piece, and nothing is duplicated. That's amazing. Greg Berg, the bands master of ceremonies, will be the featured vocalist on Begin the Beguine. He's also singing "I Got Plenty o Nuttin from George Gershwins Porgy and Bess and All the Things You Are by Jerome Kern. Guest vocalist It's a big night for vocalists on the band shell. In addition to Berg's three numbers, guest soloist Lou Rugani, host of WLIP-AM 1050's longtime radio show Music of the Stars, is singing tonight with the Pops. Rugani is performing three Warren Barker arrangements of popular standards: Blue Moon by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfeld and But Not for Me by George and Ira Gershwin. Barker specialized in arranging pieces for vocals with a full band. Another Barker arrangement Irving Berlin: The Early Years doesnt feature vocals but does include several well-known Berlin tunes: Say It With Music, A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody and Alexanders Ragtime Band. Also on tonight's program: A medley of tunes from The Wizard of Oz, including Were Off to See the Wizard, The Merry Old Land of Oz and Over the Rainbow. Walt Disney Band Showcase, a medley featuring such familiar tunes as Give a Little Whistle from Pinocchio and Heigh-Ho and Im Wishing from Snow White. "Tribute to Count Basie, a medley including All of Me, Corner Pocket, Lil Darlin (with trumpet soloist John Sorensen) and April in Paris. The Teddy Bears Picnic, a John W. Bratton piece arranged by Paul Yoder. (The song was written in 1907, but lyrics were added by Jimmy Kennedy in 1932, so it fits tonight's program with a bit of what Gall calls "creative theme stretching.") Thanks for the Memory, first sung by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Hope's signature tune, with different lyrics adapted to any situation. Kathy Ripley, the bands assistant conductor, leads the band on something completely different as she calls it: Ye Banks and Braes O Bonnie Doon. The piece is made up of folk songs from Scotland arranged for band by Percy Grainger. The composer first set the piece for chorus and whistlers in 1903 and created the band setting in 1932. The program also features Green is Green, a polka that started life in a 1937 Czech operetta, Gall said. Wisconsin polka bands have adopted it as a polka, but it was what they call 'a spring flirtation piece' in the operetta, he said. The polka version was arranged by Ernest Broeniman, director of the Dorf Kapelle Band (of which Gall is a member). There are so many great tunes on tonight's program that will appeal to all ages, Gall said, "from kids up to grandparents. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 48 Shares Share I wondered if this post needs a trigger warning. Maybe it does. I dont know now. What feelings stir up inside us when we hear of a childs death? My first experience with a child dying in front of me was soon after medical school graduation. I was an inexperienced 24-year-old working in a government hospital in Bangalore. I dont remember many details, but I remember his face and his fathers face. He was all of two years old. Cyanotic. He was carried by his father, who looked as though he had traveled for many, many hours to come to the hospital. I remember looking for oxygen fervently because thats all I could think of when I saw those blue lips. I quickly brought him to the ICU, where my senior colleague was, and he tried to intubate him and then said, He is dead. I stood there in disbelief, No! do something! I remember feeling shocked; a paralyzing emotion crept from head to toe. I didnt cry. I didnt talk about it. I went about seeing other patients for that day with my head heavy from what had just happened. That numb feeling slowly made its way to my heart, where it stayed for a long time. I later learned that he had an undiagnosed congenital heart disease, and there was nothing we could have done that day to save his life. The tears started to fall during my pediatric residency in NYC when I saw more young deaths. Silent, lonely tears, heaps of them, soaking the pillow my head lay on. At the end of the day. In darkness. Feeling helpless. Feeling disillusioned at times. I didnt talk about it. The next day was another day to keep stoic, composure maintained, and carry on, one patient after another. But with every death, my heart was bruised, and I put a band-aid of tears over it as if in attempted healing until it remained but without the hurt. Dealing with death is never easy. But over the years, I, like most other physicians, have learned to cope through contemplation, reflection, gratitude, and giving grace. As a pediatric attending, I didnt excuse myself and leave the room when it was too much to bear. I would let my tears fall freely in front of parents, family, and colleagues. I grieved with them at the loss of their child. By then, I was a parent, too, and the loss of a child meant much more than words can ever describe. In the medical profession, coming face to face with death and dying is inevitable. As doctors, we learn ways of coping, grieving, and healing ourselves to take care of the next patient in the best way possible. With medical causes of death and expected deaths, we realize our limitations, catalyze compassion, and look to learn and improve. But what explains the senseless, horrific deaths of young children who are shot while they are in school? This post was not meant to be about me or how doctors grieve. I found myself grieving for children in Uvalde, and it took me on this memory lane of grief. I didnt know those children; I dont know their families, but I know the familiar emotion they are experiencing. My heart is grieving, yet I carry on with my day, cook, clean, tend to my plants, laugh with my husband, play with my children, tell them stories, snuggle with them as I put them to sleep, and say I love you and hear it back, with plenty of kisses. But these families simply cannot. My heart is grieving because, like me, the rest of the world will go on, but I know that these families in Uvalde have been changed forever. Its been weeks since the shooting, and I wonder if the doors are kept open, hoping that their child will return; perhaps, those parents are saying I love you only to see those words fall into empty spaces and evaporate. The untouched toys lying there just as how they were in the morning before they left for school, the empty little beds, the scribbles on the wall, those countless artworks, their clothes in the laundry, those pink shimmering sandals, and that bicycle in the corner, the missing lively chatter, the noise, the whiningthat deafening silence that doesnt go away every little thing reminding these parents of their child, whom they wont see, ever again. If this doesnt move you, then close your eyes and imagine the profound fear, horror, and panic that every child must have experienced in that classroom, in this supposedly safe environment- their school, before losing their life. Imagine the trauma and fear that will remain etched in the minds of all those young children who have survived. A gun is a tool to kill. A man with a gun and enough ammunition can kill several people quickly. Why was an 18-year-old given an assault weapon, a semi-automatic rifle, capable of firing 100 rounds in 90 seconds and leaving bodies unrecognizable? Did it not ring an alarm in the mind of the person who let him buy it in a country where mass shootings are commonplace? Uvalde resembles countless other such tragedies in the U.S., and such shootings will continue to happen if we dont have stringent gun control. This has been said numerous times, yet nothing is done about it. Gun-related injuries are the number one cause of death in children in the U.S. Read that again. If only condolences and prayers could bring back these kids and prevent further such tragedies. Rashmi Bhopi is a pediatrician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Kilkenny solicitor Annette Hickey recently addressed the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee hearing on International Surrogacy. As one of Irelands foremost legal experts in the field of surrogacy, Annette has many years experience assisting parents on their difficult route to parenthood. She is a solicitor at Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan. Ireland is a modern and progressive country with a well-developed legal system. When it comes to laws relating to surrogacy matters, however, it is a different story as there is currently no legislation or regulation in place to assist intending parents in Ireland as they try to navigate the complex and challenging path to parenthood through surrogacy. During Ms Hickeys testimony, she spoke about her experience of working with intended parents as they pursue their journey to parenthood through surrogacy. There is an urgent need for a regulated statutory framework for international surrogacy in Irish legislation in order to protect the best interests, and welfare of both surrogate mothers and children born through surrogacy," said Ms Hickey. It was a great honour to address the hearing and make a number of recommendations for the Committees consideration. I am looking forward to hearing the final outcome in due course. Annette concluded her testimony by thanking the Minister for Foreign Affairs, department officials and politicians from across the political divide who helped and supported Irish intended parents whose babies were due to be born in the Ukraine at the outbreak of the war. The Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2022 includes provisions providing for domestic surrogacy arrangements in Ireland. The Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2022 does not include provisions for international surrogacy. The Special Joint Oireachtas Committee was established to consider and make recommendations on measures to address issues arising from international surrogacy. Ben Dunphy, Eoin Tobin and Danny Walsh from sixth class in Carrigeen National School have won a nationwide poster competition to raise awareness of carbon monoxide and the dangers that it can pose in our homes. Earlier this year, Gas Networks Ireland, in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI), called for entries to its carbon monoxide safety poster competition. Students who completed the Energize Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational programme were eligible to enter. The competition received hundreds of amazing entries from all over Ireland, but it was Ben, Eoin and Dannys poster which was deemed the winner. [Image: Smiles from Ben, Eoin and Danny as they won an iPad for use in their classroom] Their poster outlined the potential effects that carbon monoxide poisoning can have including upset stomach, ringing in the ears, shortness of breath, headaches and blurred vision. Gas Networks Irelands Social Sustainability Manager, Grainne OReilly, congratulated Ben, Eoin and Danny and all in Carrigeen National School for winning term two of the 2021/22 Energize poster competition. "We are delighted that more students are now aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide and the importance of having a working carbon monoxide alarm installed," she said. Carrigeen National Schools sixth class teacher, Sinead Murphy, said her class thoroughly enjoyed the Energize programme which brought science to life through fun and interactive sessions reflecting the curriculum. "The programme enables pupils to understand career possibilities in STEM areas and encouraged them to continue with science in second-level education," she said. "We are delighted that Ben, Eoin and Danny won this award. All our sixth-class pupils engaged in the poster competition and grasped the important safety messages related to carbon monoxide with wonderful creativity. "Thanks to JAI and Gas Networks Ireland; and also, to Gill Higgins from Dawn Meats who helped deliver the programme. The Energize programme delivers science to primary school students around Ireland through practical and engaging lessons to cultivate interest in the subject so students continue with it to second level education. Carbon monoxide awareness is an important element of the programme. It was a red-letter day for Lisnafunchin National School when it celebrated 100 years of continuous service to the North Kilkenny community. An important fixture in the parish of Conahy, Lisnafunchin was one of the first schools opened in the new Free State, and its development has mirrored the growth of the country. Two-teacher schools continue to be a very important part of primary school education system, and while many have closed or amalgamated over the years, Lisnafunchin National School is very proud to have now reached its centenary year as a stand-alone facility. It is as integral a part of the rural community as it was when it was built in 1922. Among the dignitaries present for the celebrations were Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan, TD John McGuinness, Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick, Cllr John Brennan and retired Cllr Maurice Shortall. Following a rendition of Amhran na bhFiann, Eileen Gunner, Chairperson of the 100 Year Celebration Committee, welcomed past pupils, current pupils and their families as well as invited guests. Ms Gunner acknowledged those that had travelled a great distance to be in attendance and mentioned those who, for various reasons, could not be present for such an auspicious occasion. A respectful minutes silence commemorated those members of the school community now deceased. Letters of best wishes from An Taoiseach Micheal Martin and from Minister for Education, Norma Foley, were read to the large attendance. Superb work Those present were asked to reflect on all the school had accomplished for generations of families and to celebrate the wonderful and superb work that still continued in the school. In his address, principal Conor Doyle welcomed everyone to the special day marking 100 years of Lisnafunchin NS. He mentioned the fun the current pupils experienced in the lead-up to the celebration, exploring the history of the school and the Irish education system as well as interviewing the older members of their families and neighbours. Mr Doyle acknowledged the great work of former teachers Ms Lynch, Ms Conry, Master ORegan, Ms Hackett, Mr Heuston and Ms Mulhall, as well as others who served the children of Lisnafunchin. It was significant, he said, that most of them had stayed in the school until retirement. Rev Fr Willie Hennessy and Rev Fr Eamonn OGorman celebrated a reflective Mass that included contributions from current and past pupils. Music was provided by the current forty-two pupils of Lisnafunchin National School. Master of Ceremonies, Ms Carol Gunner, invited a number of guests to address the gathering. Minister Noonan, Cllr Fitzpatrick and retired Cllr Shortall all acknowledged the excellent education Lisnafunchin had provided down through the years and was still imparting to the present generation. They all emphasised the enormous contribution from the local community that had always supported and encouraged the school and its development during its 100-year journey. During that time, over 600 pupils have walked through its doors, each with their own unique stories, experiences and memories. Michael ORegan, son of Master ORegan, spoke of his fathers experience in Lisnafunchin as principal for 43 years between 1936 and 1979. Seamus Brennan, past pupil, then gave a history of the school and recalled his own memories of attending Lisnafunchin NS from 1944 until 1952. Just as the celebration was drawing to an end, the oldest male and female past pupils in attendance, Paddy Healy and Bridie OShea, were honoured with presentations made by Leyla-Rose and Madison Healy and Ruby and Alison Dunne. Earlier, presentations were made to Mr Ger Dunne and to Mr Lar Walsh who could not be in attendance on the day. A celebration cake made by past pupil, Sarah Molloy, was then cut. Current teacher Jenny Histon presented a bouquet of flowers to retired teacher Eileen Mulhall. The ceremony closed with current pupils performing songs on their violins and tin whistles, finishing with the fitting song We can make a difference. Memorabilia Following the ceremony, guests were invited to view displays of old artefacts and memorabilia of the school. Videos of memories sent in by past pupils were on show with current pupils available to assist with the technology. Refreshments were available in the marquee and the sound of chat, laughter and nostalgic reminiscences filled the school yard for many hours afterwards. Lisnafunchin National School Board of Management and its 100 Year Celebration Committee wish to thank all who made this special day possible including Kilkenny County Council, Glanbia and Castlecomer Country Life. Community spirit is strong and there is great confidence the whole school community of Lisnafunchin National School will continue to support the development of the school in the future. Ar scath a cheile a mhairimid. European countries turn back to coal as sanctions on Russian energy backfire Xinhua) 20:59, June 22, 2022 BERLIN, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Many European countries are considering turning back to coal to secure energy supplies as gas supplies from Russia slump amid EU sanctions in recent weeks. Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Greece are among the first European nations to reopen coal power plants or take measures to support coal power, underlining the importance of energy supply security in the upcoming winter. This represents a "U-turn" from Europe's efforts in recent years to foster new energy sources, restrict coal power generation in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the proportion of coal power in the energy mix. UNEXPECTED SITUATION The European Commission noted Monday that "some of the existing coal capacities might be used longer than initially expected" because of the new energy landscape in Europe. "We know that the energy mix and the plans of member states will adjust slightly because we are in an unexpected situation," Commission spokesman Tim McPhie said at a press briefing. Russia's energy firm Gazprom has significantly reduced the flow of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany recently. Following the gas supply cut, the German government introduced on Sunday several energy-saving measures, which include reducing the use of gas for power generation and industrial activities, and filling up storage facilities. "Gas consumption must continue to fall, and more gas must be put into storage, otherwise things will really get tight in winter," German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said on Sunday. Austrian energy company OMV said on Monday that the country was set to receive half the usual amount of natural gas from Russia for a second day. Austria gets about 80 percent of its natural gas from Russia. The energy crisis has also caught Greece in a difficult situation during its transition to green economy. Coal production has been ramped up at Greece's largest coal mine near the northern city of Kozani. While inaugurating a new solar facility in northern Greece in April, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a 50 percent hike in lignite production through 2024 to build up reserves. Plans to retire more coal-fired power stations are halted. "Certainly, for the next two years, it would make sense increasing coal-fired energy generation by ramping up its mining by 50 percent so that we cut reliance from gas in the short-term," Mitsotakis said. TEMPORARY MEASURES? The Russian-Ukrainian conflict forced many European nations to reconsider their energy supplies. They insisted that the "reverse" of the energy policy and measures are short-lived and will help avoid gas shortage in the upcoming winter. The German government said that gas power plants were replaced with coal-fired power plants for electricity generation to reduce gas consumption, while insisting that the surprise U-turn on energy policy did not mean a withdrawal from the coal exit plan. Before the conflict, the German government alliance had even decided to bring the coal phaseout forward, "ideally" from 2038 to 2030. In the first quarter of the year, coal remained Germany's most important energy source, accounting for 31.5 percent of total electricity production. The Dutch government has also given the green light to coal-fired power stations, which are allowed to run at full power until 2024. By increasing coal production, the Dutch government hopes to save 2.3 billion cubic meters of gas each year. In another development, Austria announced on Sunday that it would reopen a mothballed coal power plant to cope with potential power shortages due to reduced natural gas supplies from Russia. The Austrian government said it would work with electricity supplier Verbund Group to reactivate the plant in the southern city of Mellach. In addition, Poland, one of the European Union's most coal-dependent country, has announced measures to subsidize coal for households and housing cooperatives amid coal shortages and soaring prices. Around 70 percent of Poland's electricity comes from coal, by far the highest proportion in the European Union. One third of the Polish households use coal to heat their homes. Under the Polish government's proposals, consumers will be able to buy up to three tons of coal at around 1000 zlotys (227 U.S. dollars) per ton, while the market price can reach up to 3000 zlotys (681 dollars) per ton, largely due to the country's ban on Russian coal imports in April. (1 zloty=0.227 dollar) (Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji) The Biden administration signaled that it will develop a proposed rule to establish a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and other tobacco products that will essentially lower the amount of nicotine in products available in the US. It is a step that no other administration has taken before and is one public health experts say would be transformative if enacted. US President Joe Biden will call on Congress in a speech on June 22 to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes until the end of September, senior administration officials said. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea-Africa Foundation Top disease expert stresses bilateral collaboration By Lee Hyo-jin Partnerships between Korea and Africa in the healthcare sector will go beyond the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as the two sides seek to bolster collaboration in responding to emerging diseases, said Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Tuesday. During his four-day visit to Korea, he sat down for an interview with The Korea Times to talk about how the African and Korean health authorities can scale up cooperation in order to overcome the ongoing pandemic and be better prepared for future health crises. "Our partnership with Korea started even before the pandemic. We were already working closely with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on hepatitis. And during the pandemic, the partnerships have expanded very rapidly," he said. Through a series of meetings with officials at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Ouma said the two sides have vowed to increase cooperation in disease surveillance, building capacity in laboratory diagnosis and improvement of emergency preparedness. "We've also talked about around how we can cooperate in emerging diseases. The monkeypox is a good example, which is 'an old virus but a new disease,'" he said. Ouma went on to say that Africa has seen over 10,500 cases of monkeypox since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and that it remains an endemic disease in some 10 countries on the continent. The KDCA on Wednesday announced the first confirmed case of the monkeypox in Korea. "We could collaborate in the diagnosis and vaccination. And in between, we can share our clinical management experience with Korea, so that it can also have appropriate exposure to the diagnosis without going to the lab," he said. He also viewed that Korea and Africa could build partnerships in Africa CDC's New Public Health Order, which focuses on five key areas strengthening regional and national health institutions, local production of vaccines, investment in the public healthcare workforce, action-oriented partnership and enabling better use of domestic resources. When asked about the COVID-19 situation in Africa, Ouma said although the pandemic has strained its healthcare and trade systems, he focused on some positive effects of the health crisis. "The pandemic has confirmed the vision of putting African countries together. The member states have had to learn to work together in a strained environment amid lockdowns, while continental and national-level healthcare institutions were able to rapidly scale up their capacities," he said. The continent's top disease expert stressed that the pandemic has generated interest for local manufacturing infrastructure of medical equipment and vaccines, an essential capacity in the endemic era where vaccines may still be needed. "If the virus is circulating within the community, we would need regular shots of vaccines to prevent serious illnesses and hospitalization. Then, the demand (for vaccines) will be huge. Therefore, local manufacturing in each region is essential to keep stable supply of doses at a manageable cost," he said. Although the current vaccine coverage in Africa stands at 18 percent, Ouma said through the Africa CDC's Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, which aims at swift procurement and distribution of the vaccines, the authorities will be able to reach the target of fully vaccinating 70 percent of the population by the end of this year. A group of tourists from Mongolia poses for the camera during a welcoming ceremony at Jeju International Airport on Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, June 22. Courtesy of the Korea Tourism Organization. About 800 medical and wellness tourists will visit Korea in groups from this month to September, a government tourism promotional agency said Wednesday, calling it a sign of recovery for the local tourism industry that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first group of about 150 Mongolian tourists arrived at Jeju International Airport on the southern resort island of Jeju, Wednesday morning. During their five-day stay, they will have medical checkups at three hospitals on the island and visit various tourist destinations, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). It marked the first visit by a large group of medical and wellness tourists since the pandemic began in early 2020. Five more groups with about 140 members each are set to fly from Mongolia through September. In July, about 100 group tourists from Kazakhstan will arrive at Incheon International Airport, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, to receive medical checkups and visit dermatology, plastic surgery and orthopedic clinics, as well as various wellness tourism spots in the country. "The entry of large groups of tourists is a sign of recovery for the local tourism industry," a KTO official said, partly attributing the return of group medical and wellness tourists to the agency's promotional campaign. (Yonhap) National Security Director Kim Sung-han speaks during a press conference at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap South Korea to set up mission at NATO By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk-yeol listens as his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden speaks during their summit at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, May 21. Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol is likely to hold a trilateral meeting with the leaders of the United States and Japan on the sidelines of the 2022 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit, slated for June 29 to 30 in Madrid, Spain, according to officials at the presidential office, Wednesday. Upon Yoon's visit to the NATO Summit, South Korea will also establish a NATO mission in Brussels, Belgium, aiming to strengthen Seoul's security cooperation with Europe. However, the much-touted bilateral meeting between Seoul and Tokyo is not likely to take place, considering that Japan will hold an upper house of parliament election next month. During a press briefing, National Security Director Kim Sung-han said Yoon will attend the summit as his first overseas trip as the president. Yoon was invited to the summit along with other leaders of NATO partner nations in the Asia-Pacific region _ Japan, Australia and New Zealand. At the summit, Yoon will focus on strengthening a "value coalition" of liberal democracies with 30 NATO members and partner countries, building a comprehensive security framework and exploring ways to respond to new security threats such as cyberattacks, terrorism and climate change. During the summit, Yoon will participate in a session between NATO members and partner countries and deliver a speech on Seoul's strong commitment to North Korean denuclearization. On the sidelines of the summit, Yoon is expected to hold a number of multilateral talks, including a trilateral meeting between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. The official said Yoon will engage in a four-way meeting between South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and "chances remain open" for the Seoul-Washington-Tokyo talks. "Trilateral talks are bound to focus on security cooperation," another official at the presidential office said. "And the only subject of the trilateral security cooperation is North Korea and its nuclear ambition." Recently, the North has been escalating tensions in Northeast Asia by test-firing ballistic missiles. Also, multiple reports have suggested that the bellicose regime may conduct a nuclear test in the near future. Given Yoon, who took office last month, has pledged to respond sternly to North Korea's threats and to strengthen ties between the three countries, chances are high that the leaders may agree on a renewed commitment to deter Pyongyang's provocations. In this March 11 file photo, then-President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol talks to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a phone call at the People Power Party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Courtesy of People Power Party By Shlomo Ben-Ami TEL AVIV In the 55 years Israel has been occupying Palestinian lands, there have been two intifadas, four wars in Gaza, and a long series of failed efforts to negotiate a two-state solution roughly adhering to Israel's pre-1967 borders. The situation may truly be as hopeless as it seems. Intransigence on both sides which no U.S. president has managed to overcome, though virtually every one since the Six-Day War has tried has gotten us to this point. While the Palestinians have sometimes embraced international diplomacy, they have also engaged in periods of obdurate resistance. It was the Palestinians who thwarted two promising peace initiatives, led by the forward-looking Israeli governments of Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert. Given sentiment in Israel today, they might not get another chance. With each failed peace process, the promise of peace has lost its potency as a mobilizing cause in Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has gradually tightened its control over the occupied territories, with virtually no international pushback. Even the Arab states six of which have normalized ties with Israel seem to have grown indifferent to the agony of the Palestinians. All of this has driven Israeli voters radically to the right, leaving Israel's peace camp demoralized and weak. The religious-nationalist bloc that former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu leads now represents the majority of Israelis. And as far-right as Netanyahu may be, he is practically a leftist compared to the tens of thousands of radical Jewish nationalists who marched through Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter on Jerusalem Day last month waving Israeli flags, repeating violent and Islamophobic chants like "death to Arabs," and attacking Palestinians. When Algerians rebelled against their French occupiers in one of the most brutal anti-colonial wars of the post-1945 era, the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, "It is not their violence, but ours, which turns back on itself." In fact, the French found the violence being enacted in their name so abhorrent that 75% of them voted to grant Algeria independence in the 1961 referendum. A similar sentiment is difficult to discern in Israel. On the contrary, popular support for the military's fight against "Palestinian terrorism" is overwhelming. To be sure, Israel has known its share of mass demonstrations in support of a peace deal, with protest movements like Women in Black still going strong. Israeli NGOs such as B'Tselem, Peace Now, and Breaking the Silence work hard to alert Israeli society of the sins of occupation. Joint Israeli-Palestinian organizations, like those bringing together family members of those lost to the ongoing conflict, do similarly admirable work. But none of these efforts has had a transformative impact on the peace process. This stands in stark contrast to the experience in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, when checkpoints, home searches, abusive language, blackmail, beatings, and arbitrary arrests were once standard practice, just as they are today in the occupied Palestinian territories. In Northern Ireland, pressure from civil-society groups and NGOs eventually drove the security forces to curb abusive practices, improve their recruitment processes, and introduce training for dealing with inter-community tensions. The path to peace in Northern Ireland was paved largely by a mobilized civil society. In Israel, however, only the Supreme Court stands between the military and worse behavior. The reason seems to lie in the nature of the conflict. Algeria's war of independence was an anti-colonial struggle taking place far away from France's shores. And the Troubles came down to an inter-community cleavage, which could be resolved through disarmament and power sharing. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by contrast, is existential. The question of where to draw borders is not merely practical; it has deep religious and cultural significance. For the Palestinians, Israel is the occupying power, impinging on their right to self-determination; but it is also their homeland. And for the now-dominant Israeli right, the occupied territories are the cradle of Jewish Biblical civilization. By fighting for the same lands, the two sides are effectively calling for the unconditional exclusion, even destruction, of the other. That goes a long way toward explaining their eagerness to alter the demographic balance Israel through Jewish immigration and the expansion of settlements, and the Palestinians by demanding the "right of return" for all refugees. Yasser Arafat, the late founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization, once called the womb of the Palestinian woman his "strongest weapon" against Israel, as it would give the Palestinians a demographic advantage in the occupied territories. Even if Israel did accede to the creation of a Palestinian state, it might continue to face threats to its survival. After all, Palestine would not be located far from its borders, like Algeria was from France. What if a radical Islamist group rose to power in Palestine and challenged the peace agreement? What if state-building faltered or failed, generating rising instability on Israel's doorstep? Or what if Palestine became a frontline outpost of a hostile foreign power? Already, Hamas and Hezbollah with robust assistance from Iran have turned Gaza and southern Lebanon, respectively, into launching pads for missiles targeting Israeli territory. Fifty-five years after Israel began occupying Palestinian lands, it is more difficult than ever to imagine a way out. The seeds of the two-state solution that were planted by visionary leaders on both sides have failed to take root. All that remains is a fatalistic acceptance of the conflict's insolubility. For both the occupied and the occupier, the future is bleak. Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli foreign minister, is author of "Prophets Without Honor: The 2000 Camp David Summit and the End of the Two-State Solution" (Oxford University Press, 2022). This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org) Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin, right, takes a photo with company staff to promote Korea's bid to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan during his visit to Dublin, Ireland. Courtesy of Lotte Group Conglomerate to invest W110 bil. to increase battery material production By Kim Hyun-bin- Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, who has been on a business trip to Europe, announced he will invest an additional 110 billion won ($84.8 million) to double the production of anode foil, a key secondary battery material, during his visit to the Lotte Cluster, built in the Turtovanyeo Industrial Complex in Hungary, the company said, Wednesday. According to the Lotte Group, Chairman Shin, who visited the Lotte Aluminum Hungarian plant, which is scheduled to begin mass production in July, directly visited the site and decided to double the production of anode foil so that Lotte might better position itself for the rapidly growing European electric vehicle (EV) market. Lotte Aluminum's Hungary plant is capable of producing 18,000 tons of anode foil for secondary batteries per year. In the Lotte Cluster, there are the Lotte Chemical and Lotte Aluminum plants, as well as Solus Advanced Materials' anode foil production plant, a company into which Lotte Fine Chemical and Lotte Aluminum invested 300 billion won. Lotte E&C is also developing the largest logistics center in Hungary based on a single warehouse. Meanwhile, Chairman Shin also promoted Korea's efforts to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan during the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Global Summit held in Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday. The chairman promoted the bid to attract the Expo to Busan during several business meetings with global conglomerate CEOs such as PepsiCo, Proctor & Gamble Co., and Walmart Inc. CGF is a global consultative body in the consumer goods industry, established in 1953 to provide a forum for discussion and knowledge sharing for a better life for people around the world, with over 400 consumer goods manufacturers and distributors from 70 countries taking part. Representative CGF members include global companies such as PepsiCo, Amazon, WalMart Inc., Carrefour SA, Aeon, Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Danone. Lotte has been a member since 2012. Chairman Shin is set to hold a Value Creation Meeting (VCM) for the first time in the group in the second half of the year in Busan. The VCM will host around 100 representatives of major Lotte affiliates and executives from holding companies to gather to discuss the direction of the group. Shin plans to seek practical and all-round support from Lotte's affiliates to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan, the company said. Eli Major, Brown County State Parks new interpretive naturalist, stands outside of his office at the Nature Center. Majors took over the position in December. AJ Theisz believes he has the distinction of being the only Lake Geneva Cruise Line mailboat jumper to accidentally knock a mailbox into the water during Walworth Countys 106-year mailboat delivery history. Theisz, along with 10 other local youth, tried out to be a Lake Geneva Cruise Line mailboat jumper for the summer tourism season, June 14. Theisz, 21, of Lake Geneva has worked for Lake Geneva Cruise Line for about six years and has been a mailboat jumper for two years. During his tryout, Theisz recalled the day he accidently knocked a mailbox into Geneva Lake. I closed the mailbox and right before I was going to go back onto the boat, in corner of my eye, I saw a little bit of movement and it was the mailbox slowly falling into the water, Theisz said. The engines are going at max speed, so instantly the mailbox just floated out. Theisz said the boat captain circled back to the pier and made him retrieve the mailbox from the water and place it back on the deck. He said the pier company repaired the mailbox, and he is not certain if the owner even found out what happened. They made sure we had someone go out quickly to fix it to make sure nobody could be angry about it, he said. Despite the mishap with the mailbox, Theisz said he has enjoyed working as a mailboat deliverer. I love being a part of the historic tradition, Theisz said. Its definitely a massive, accelerating rush that happens with every single jump. So its definitely a blast. Several other local youth tried out for mailboat delivery positions for the summer. Some of the candidates were veteran mailboat jumpers, while others were trying out for the first time. After the tryouts seven candidates were selected as Lake Geneva Cruise Line mailboat jumpers for the 2022 summer season. The candidates who were selected include: Paige Aspinall, 21 of Lake Geneva Marissa Torres-Raby, 18, of Delavan Erin Hensler, 17, of Lake Geneva Sid Pearl, 18, of Park Ridge, Illinois Ciara Connelly, 16, of Walworth Ethan Connelly, 18, of Walworth Andrew Theisz, 21, of Lake Geneva First-time attempt Sisters Jenna Pearl, 15, and Mia Pearl, 16, both of Park Ridge, Illinois were looking to become new mailboat deliverer recruits during the tryouts. Jenna said she feels landing a mailboat jumper job would be an exciting experience for the summer. Its something fun to do in the summer, Jenna said. Plus, you get to ride on a boat. Jenna said she and her sister did not have a set strategy for how they were going to master the mailboat jumping. Were just going for it today, Jenna said. Meghan Rudd, 15, of Fontana also was trying out for the first time, as she was trying to follow in her familys tradition as her mother and cousins worked as mailboat deliverers. Its a fun tradition, Rudd said. Its really an adrenaline rush. Im very excited for the summer. Rudd was excited after making a successful jump attempt. She said making the jump was not an easy task. It was actually a bit of a shock because I didnt know what to expect, Rudd said. It was kind of hard, but it was fun. Rudd said her family members gave her some advice before the tryouts. They just said what some of the other people said Jump with the boat and not at the boat, Rudd said. The Pearl sisters and Rudd didnt end up making the final list of official 2022 mailboat jumpers. But there is always next year. Veteran jumpers make a returnMarissa Torres-Raby, 18, of Delavan was attempting to work as a mailboat jumper for the second year, as she worked for the cruise line last summer. Torres-Raby said working as a mailboat jumper is an enjoyable experience. I like that you can spend the entire morning on the lake, and its just a really fun job, Torres-Raby said. You never know if youre going to fall in the water or not. Torres-Raby said she had a memorable experience last year after grabbing a pier post in Williams Bay that had recently been painted. I took my hand off, and it was full of white paint, Torres-Raby said. They had just painted the post that morning. Paige Aspinall, 21, of Lake Geneva was looking to become a mailboat jumper for her fifth summer, which she was able to do successfully. She said she enjoys delivering mail to the Geneva Lake Piers and sharing information about the historic homes along the lake, as the mailboat jumpers are asked to narrate information about the homes during the mailboat tours. I just love being outside and going for a boat ride every day, Aspinall said. I also love sharing information about the homes. People love hearing about that history. Aspinall admits that there has been a few times she has plunged into the water while delivering mail. Ive fallen in a few times here and there, Aspinall said. Its a little embarrassing, but Ive gotten used to it by now. Tourism secretary judges and attempts a jumpWisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Ann Sayers served as a guest judge during the tryouts. Sayers said not only was she looking for candidates who could make the jumps but who also seemed to be enthusiastic about the job. The mailboat tours are a big part of the tourism industry in Wisconsin, Sayers said. Its really important that mailboat jumpers are having fun and are able to to show the unique part of Wisconsins culture to the tourists. Sayers attempted a jump. Despite taking a tumble on the pier, Sayers was able to successfully return to the boat. Its much higher than you think, and theres a lot of momentum with the boat, Sayers said. Its a lot harder than it looks, but I can imagine once you get it down its fun. Lake Geneva Cruise Line will conduct its mailboat tours through Sept. 15. For more information, visit www.cruiselakegeneva.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 22 (ANI): Security forces busted a terror module of proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and arrested three associates of LeT, said police on Tuesday. The arrested terror associates have been identified as Ashiq Hussain Hajam Ghulam Mohi Din Dar and Tahir Bin Ahmed. Also Read | Delhi Reports 1,383 New COVID-19 Cases, One Death in Past 24 Hours. "Budgam Police along with 53 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and 181 battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) busted a terror module of proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba by arresting 03 terror associates of LeT," the police said in an official release. During the operation, the security forces also recovered incriminating material of LeT along with following arms and ammunition from their possession. Also Read | Govt Invites Applications Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana. "One Chinese pistol, two pistol magazines, 22 pistol rounds, one AK magazine, and 30 AK rounds, along with one bike used in terror crime has also been recovered and seized in the said case," said police. The preliminary investigation has revealed that arrested terror associates have been involved in the transportation of terrorists, arms, and explosive material and were providing logistic support to the terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Budgam district. The case has been registered at Chadoora Police Station Chadoora under relevant sections of law. Further investigation is underway. (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 22 (PTI) The BJP-led central government wants to demolish 53 temples in the national capital, the AAP said on Wednesday, and termed the saffron party as "anti-Hindu". Addressing a press conference here, the party's Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said the Centre has sent a list of these temples to Delhi government seeking approval of the Religious Committee for their demolition. Also Read | Bihar: Opposition Protests in Patna Over Agnipath Scheme, Demands Withdrawal of Police Cases Against Agitators. "All over the country, they (BJP) stage drama in the name of religion projecting itself as the guardians of faith, engineer clashes and spread hatred. But here in Delhi, the Narendra Modi government is going to demolish 53 temples," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said. The central government has sent a letter to the Delhi government, saying it needs the Religious Committee's "permission" for the demolition of these 53 temples, he said. Also Read | Xiaomi Book S 12.4-Inch Now Official in Europe; Price, Features & Specifications. "This is the real face of the BJP. This document is evidence of how big anti-Hindu they are," Singh charged, showing a copy of the letter sent to the Delhi government by land and development office which comes under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. He called the BJP a party of "hypocrites" and demanded that Prime Minister Modi and the BJP's Delhi unit president Adesh Gupta apologize to the people for the Centre's move to demolish 53 temples in the city. "Those from the BJP should walk around painting their faces black," Singh said. Referring to the list of the 53 temples, the AAP MP said 19 of them are located in Kasturba Nagar, 10 in Netaji Nagar, eight in Sarojani Nagar, seven in Sriniwaspuri, five in Thyagraj Nagar, three in Nauroji Nagar and one in Mohammadpur area in the city. "The list of the temples to be demolished in Delhi includes those of lords Shiv, Ram, Krishna, and Hanuman, goddess Durga and Sai Baba. They are not sparing any of them," he said, and sought an answer from the BJP. PTI PK (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 22 (PTI) With the BJD backing NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, the vote share of the ruling dispensation has now crossed 50 percent, virtually, paving the way for her election as the first tribal president and the youngest too. After the support of Naveen Patnaik's party, the NDA nominee has around 52 percent votes (around 5,67,000 votes) out of a total of 10,86,431 votes of all electors. Also Read | Uddhav Thackeray Address: 'Will Quit As CM, Party Chief if MLAs Want', Says Maharashtra CM. This includes 3,08,000 votes of MPs of the BJP and its allies. The BJD has around 32,000 votes in the electorate which is around 2.9 percent of the total. The ruling party in Odisha has 114 MLAs in the House of 147 members in the Assembly while the BJP has 22 lawmakers. It has 12 MPs each in the Lok Sabha and nine in the Rajya Sabha. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Shoots Father, Brother to Death Over Property Dispute in Azamgarh. The NDA candidate is likely to get the support of some regional parties including the AIADMK, and the YSRCP for its candidate in the presidential poll. The ruling BJP's strength in the crucial upper house of Parliament is 92 after the results of the just-concluded Rajya Sabha elections. It has a total of 301 MPs of its own in the Lok Sabha. The BJP's empathic win in four assembly polls, including in all-important Uttar Pradesh, where the value of the vote of each MLA is more than any other state, has only added to its overall advantage. Though the BJP and its allies in the NDA have fewer MLAs than they had during the 2017 presidential polls, their numbers of MPs have gone up since. The BJP had sprung a surprise by picking former Jharkhand Governor and tribal leader Droupadi Murmu to succeed Ram Nath Kovind, a leader from the Dalit community, for the top constitutional post in the country. According to the latest official figures, the BJP on its own has 393 MPs, excluding four nominated Rajya Sabha members who cannot vote, out of the current strength of 776 members from both Houses, giving it a clear majority. The BJP's numerical advantage in Parliament, which has almost half of the votes in the electoral college which also comprises all elected MLA, is further enhanced when the strength of its allies like Janata Dal (United), which has 21 MPs in total, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, Apna Dal and several from the Northeastern states are added. While there are 776 MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, each having 700 votes, there are as many as 4,033 legislators in states with different votes who will also elect Ram Nath Kovind's successor. Though the final list of electors will be notified after the by-elections to three Lok Sabha seats and Rajya Sabha polls to 16 seats, the NDA has 440 MPs in its favour while the opposition UPA has around 180 MPs, besides 36 MPs of Trinamool Congress who normally support the opposition candidate. Among the states, the BJP has a maximum of 56,784 votes from Uttar Pradesh where it has 273 MLAs. Each MLA in Uttar Pradesh has a maximum vote of 208. The NDA will get its second-highest votes among states from Bihar where with 127 MLAs, it will get 21,971 votes as each legislator has 173 votes, followed by 18,375 votes from Maharashtra where it has 105 MLAs and each has 175 votes. With 131 MLAs, the NDA will get 17,161 votes from Madhya Pradesh, 16,464 votes of 112 MLAs from Gujarat and 15,982 votes of its 122 MLAs in Karnataka. The UPA, on the other hand, has a little over 1,50,000 votes of its MPs and will get around the same number of votes from its legislators in states. Opposition candidates in the past too have been getting a little more than three lakh votes in the previous elections for the highest post in the country. The value of the vote of a Member of Parliament has gone down to 700 from 708 in the presidential polls this time due to the absence of a legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir. The value of the vote of an MP in a presidential election is based on the number of elected members in legislative assemblies of states and union territories, including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir. The election will be held on July 18 to elect incumbent Kovind's successor, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The nominations can be filed till June 29 and the result of the election will be out on July 21. When elected, Murmu, a former governor of Jharkhand, will be the first president who was born post-independence. The candidature of the 64-year-old tribal leader from Odisha was announced by BJP chief J P Nadda on Tuesday night, hours after former Union minister Yashwant Sinha was declared the joint candidate by many opposition parties, including the Congress, the TMC and the NCP. (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 22 (ANI): After Girish Murmu as Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Odisha's Mayurbhanj district is all set to have another distinction with Droupadi Murmu declared NDA presidential candidate for the top constitutional post. BJP-led NDA on Tuesday announced former Governor of Jharkhand Droupadi Murmu's name as a Presidential candidate for the upcoming elections. Also Read | Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Minor Read @ANI Story | Latest Tweet by ANI Digital. Speaking exclusively to ANI over the phone, Murmu said she was surprised to learn about her candidature and was unable to believe it and noted that she will work according to the powers of the President enshrined in the constitution. she said she will reach out to members of the electoral college for their support. Also Read | Delhi Reports 1,383 New COVID-19 Cases, One Death in Past 24 Hours. "I am surprised, I was not able to believe it. I am thankful, do not wish to speak much (at this stage)," Droupadi Murmu, a former Jharkhand Governor, said. "Whatever powers are there of President in Constitution, I will work accordingly," she said in response to a query about her priorities if she is elected as president. Asked about the contest with opposition parties on Tuesday declaring former union minister Yashwant Sinha as their presidential nominee, she said there are candidates in the fray and she will seek the support of MPs and MLAs. "There are candidates. Our work is go to people, reach out to the members of the electoral college and seek their cooperation. I will request all parties, states for support," she said. Droupadi Murmu was on Tuesday declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate. She is a former Odisha minister. The voting for presidential elections will be held on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Droupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Coming from a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women's College Bhubaneswar. She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, the Odisha assembly honoured her with 'Nilakantha Award' for best MLA. She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president state ST Morcha in 1997. Droupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJP's ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP's ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Jun 22 (PTI) AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam on Wednesday appeared to have resigned himself to the fact that the odds are stacked against him and his followers, ahead of the June 23 party meeting which is expected to take up the sole leadership question. Ahead of the General and Executive Council meetings, which is likely to look into anointing Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the supreme party leader as he enjoys an overwhelming support, Pannerselvam, popularly known as 'OPS', tweeted that 'Dharma will win again'. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Weather Forecast: Flood Alert in Union Territory, Weather Likely to Improve Today. The remark appeared to be an indication that OPS has started reconciling himself to the fact that, as of now, his rival EPS has an upper hand in the party and that Panneerselvam would do whatever it takes to reclaim his rightful position in the party. AIADMK sources indicated that among the options being explored by the OPS camp include approaching the Election Commission at the right time for its intervention. Already, they had approached police to deny permission to the meeting, which was declined. Also Read | Twitter Working on 'Twitter Notes' Feature, Will Allow Users To Post Longer Tweets. Petitions have been filed in a city court as well seeking intervention to maintain status quo as regards the dual structure (led by OPS and EPS) of party leadership. Panneerselvam, expressing anguish over a party worker and supporter attempting self-immolation, appealed to cadres to not resort to any extreme measures such as this. He quoted a popular Tamil phrase, which could be roughly translated as "Dharma may be engulfed by a cunning ploy, but Dharma will eventually win." Several well-known supporters of OPS like Deputy Secretary K P Munusamy and former minister K Pandiarajan have switched over to the EPS camp, which has an overwhelming support including that of veterans like Dindigul Srinivasan and K A Sengottaiyan. EPS is the leader of opposition in the Assembly and OPS is the deputy leader. The meeting is expected to pass over a dozen resolutions and draft copies have been, reportedly, made available to the OPS camp. It is not clear if one of those has a reference to the leadership question or not. (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 22 (PTI) AIIMS-Delhi director Randeep Guleria is likely to get another extension of three months, official sources said on Wednesday. The tenure extension is likely with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the prime minister on June 20 seeking a wider panel of names for the post of director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. Also Read | Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel Leads #InternationalDayOfYoga at Fort Aguada, Goa. On Latest Tweet by DD News. Dr Guleria was appointed as AIIMS, New Delhi, director for a term of five years on March 28, 2017. His tenure, which was set to end on March 24, was extended by three months. Also Read | Calcutta High Court Makes Videography Mandatory for Police in Narcotics Seizure Case. In March this year, the names of three doctors, short-listed by a search-cum-selection committee and subsequently approved by the Institute Body, the top decision-making body of the AIIMS, were sent to the ACC for final approval. "...the Competent Authority in the ACC has directed to return the instant proposal with the request to send a wider panel of names for consideration of the ACC, stated an office memorandum sent to the Union Health Ministry by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training on June 20. The three AIIMS doctors whose names were recommended earlier were Nikhil Tandon, head of the department of endocrinology; Rajesh Malhotra, chief of AIIMS Trauma Centre and the head of the department of orthopaedics; and Pramod Garg, professor in the gastroenterology department. (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 22: Amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country, sources have now learned that Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meeting with the core team of experts on Thursday. Sources have also confirmed that the meeting will be held in physical format tomorrow afternoon. Earlier, on June 13, Mandaviya chaired a meeting through video conferencing with Health Ministers and senior officials of States and Union Territories (UTs) to review the progress of the vaccination exercise HarGharDastak 2.0 campaign. Maharashtra Reports 3,260 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, Three Deaths in Past 24 Hours. "COVID is not over yet. There are reports of rising cases of COVID in some states. It is important at this time to be alert and not forget COVID Appropriate behaviour (CAB) such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance to prevent spread of the infection", he had stressed. Highlighting increased case positivity in some districts and States and reduced COVID-19 testing, Dr Mandaviya had stated that increased and timely testing will enable early identification of COVID cases and help to curb spread of the infection among the community. He had urged States/UTs to continue and strengthen the surveillance and focus on genome sequencing for identifying new mutants/variants in the country. He stated that the five-fold strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccination and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB) needs to be continued and monitored by States/UTs. States were also urged to focus on implementing the Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy for COVID-19 which focuses on surveillance of incoming international travellers and surveillance through health facilities, labs, community etc. Stressing on the importance of COVID vaccination among the vulnerable age groups, he urged the State Health Ministers to personally review the status and progress of the special month-long drive Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 campaign which has started on June 1. He had said, "Let us accelerate our efforts to identify all beneficiaries in the 12-17 age group for the first and second doses, so they can attend schools with the protection of the vaccine". He had urged States for focussed coverage of 12-17 age groups through school-based campaigns (Government/Private/ informal Schools like Madrasas, Day Care Schools), along with targeted coverage of non-school going children during the summer vacation. He added that the population group of above 60 years of age is a vulnerable category and needs to be protected with the precaution dose. "Our healthcare workers are going door-to-door to ensure that the vulnerable population is administered the precaution dose", he said. The States Health Ministers were urged to also review administration of precaution dose to 18-59 years age-group with the private hospitals on a regular basis. He said that we can utilize the learning from the first Har Ghar Dastak campaign to achieve 100 per cent coverage among the eligible population for ensuring extended protection against COVID. "Adequate vaccine doses are available across the country. Let us ensure accelerated coverage of COVID vaccination during the second phase of the Har Ghar Dastak campaign", he had stressed. Meanwhile, India reported 12,249 new COVID-19 infections and 13 deaths, while active cases went up by over 2,300 in a 24-hour span, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The latest updates pushed the country's overall COVID-19 numbers to 4,33,31,645 cases, 5,24,903 deaths and 81,687 active cases, the data showed. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Leh, Jun 22 (PTI) The Army will raise a 500-men 'porter company' for multifarious support to the personnel in Ladakh, officials said on Wednesday. "The porter company for 2022 is being raised from July 1 under the aegis of the headquarters of the 14 Corps as sanctioned by the central government for the areas in Leh district," Commandant Col V S Malhan said. Also Read | Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur Today Inspected an Exhibition After Inaugurating State Latest Tweet by ANI. The recruitment process will be held at Army service corps (ASC) company located opposite to the Hall of Fame (museum) in Leh from June 29 to July 1, he said. Of 520 porters to be recruited, 400 will be employed in general category and 120 in reserved categories, Col Malhan said. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Shoots Father, Brother to Death Over Property Dispute in Azamgarh. (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 22 (PTI) The counting of votes for Haryana's 18 municipal councils and 28 municipal committees began Wednesday morning. Officials said the counting of votes cast in the June 19 polls started at 8 am. Also Read | WATCH: Yoga Under the Water! As Part of 8th #InternationalDayOfYoga Celebrations, 35 Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. Over 70 percent electors had cast their votes in the elections. While the ruling BJP-JJP alliance, the INLD as well as the Aam Aadmi Party fought the polls on party symbols, many Congressmen entered the fray as independents. Also Read | Cryptocurrency Exchange Vauld Lays Off 30% of Workforce: Report. According to officials, polling was held to the seats of president and members of all wards of 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) Even as rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with some party MLAs have moved to Guwahati in Assam, Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said he has been holding discussions with Shinde and the talks are "positive". Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Weather Forecast: Flood Alert in Union Territory, Weather Likely to Improve Today. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said Shinde has not put forth any conditions before the party, and that discussions are also underway with other Sena leaders who are with Shinde. Also Read | Twitter Working on 'Twitter Notes' Feature, Will Allow Users To Post Longer Tweets. Raut expressed confidence that Shinde and other rebel MLAs will be back into the party fold, and said their misunderstandings will be addressed. It is difficult for him (Shinde) to leave the party and it will be difficult for us (the Sena) to leave him. Our dialogue is on. We spoke for an hour in the morning. Talks are also on with the MLAs who are with Shinde, Raut said. Our talks with him are taking place in a cordial manner and they have been positive, the Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson said. Asked about the rebel MLAs moving to Guwahati, Raut said Let them go. Guwahati has a nice forest (nearby)Kaziranga (national park). The MLAs should see the country, this will help them understand it. Raut said Shinde has not put forth any terms and conditions before the party. He is a Shiv Sainik and it appears that he will stay in the Shiv Sena and spend his life in the party, Raut said, adding that there in no bitterness between the two sides. Shinde and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray share a strong bond, he said. Raut said Thackeray will also talk to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, the chief architect of the state's ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi. (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 22 (ANI): BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said she was surprised to learn about her candidature and was unable to believe it and noted that she will work according to the powers of the President enshrined in the constitution. Speaking exclusively to ANI over the phone, she said she will reach out to members of the electoral college for their support. Also Read | #UnitedNations Secretary-General #AntonioGuterres Has Expressed Latest Tweet by IANS India. "I am surprised, I was not able to believe it. I am thankful, do not wish to speak much (at this stage)," Droupadi Murmu, a former Jharkhand Governor, said. "Whatever powers are there of President in Constitution, I will work accordingly," she said in response to a query about her priorities if she is elected as president. Also Read | Delhi Reports 1,383 New COVID-19 Cases, One Death in Past 24 Hours. Asked about the contest with opposition parties on Tuesday declaring former union minister Yashwant Sinha as their presidential nominee, she said there are candidates in the fray and she will seek the support of MPs and MLAs. "There are candidates. Our work is go to people, reach out to the members of the electoral college and seek their cooperation. I will request all parties, states for support," she said. Droupadi Murmu was on Tuesday declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate. She is a former Odisha minister. The voting for presidential elections will be held on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Droupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Coming from a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women's College Bhubaneswar.She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, the Odisha assembly honoured her with 'Nilakantha Award' for best MLA. She served as junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president state ST Morcha in 1997. Droupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJP's ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP's ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati, Jun 22 (PTI) Shiv Sena's dissident leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday asserted that 40 MLAs from Maharashtra have accompanied him to Assam's Guwahati and they are committed to Balasaheb Thackeray's 'Hindutva' ideology. Shinde along with a group of Shiv Sena and independent legislators arrived here early this morning and he initially refused to speak to the media persons waiting outside the airport. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Weather Forecast: Flood Alert in Union Territory, Weather Likely to Improve Today. He later said 40 MLAs accompanied him but didn't want to make any comment on anybody. The Shiv Sena legislators have rebelled against the party bringing a crisis to the MVA government in Maharashtra. "We are committed to Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology of 'Hindutva' and we want to take it forward," Shinde said. Asked why they have come to Guwahati, he said, "It is a nice place". Also Read | Twitter Working on 'Twitter Notes' Feature, Will Allow Users To Post Longer Tweets. Assam is currently ruled by a BJP-led government. The rebel MLAs from Maharashtra were received at Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi international airport by BJP MP from Assam Pallab Lochan Das and legislator Sushanta Borgohain. The legislators from the western state were taken to a luxury hotel on the outskirts of the city in three buses of the Assam State Transport Corporation with police protection. Asked about the developments, Borgohain said, "People known to us have come here and so we have come to receive them." Speculations are rife that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is likely to meet the Maharashtra MLAs during the day though the BJP or any official source of the party is yet to confirm it. Tight security is in place with a huge posse of police personnel posted in and around the hotel where the legislators from the western state are lodged. The Shiv Sena, which heads the MVA, has 55 MLAs, followed by allies the NCP (53) and the Congress (44) in the 288-member assembly where the current simple majority mark is 144. Earlier, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that 14 to 15 Sena MLAs, including some ministers, are with Shinde in Gujarat's Surat city. However, another party leader had said the number could be 23. This is for the first time that the rebel MLAs outside the northeast region have been brought to Assam. Sources said the decision was taken to shift the rebel legislators from BJP-ruled Gujarat to Assam as the Shiv Sena does not have any supporter base here and the possibility of any protest is remote, a source in the saffron party said. The MLAs were taken to Surat from Mumbai on Tuesday and the decision to shift them to Guwahati was taken on security grounds, according to another BJP source. The Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra is facing a crisis following the dissidence of a section of its MLA led by Shinde. (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 22 (ANI): Accusing the BJP-led government of weakening the armed forces with "new deception", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the government will have to withdraw the Agnipath recruitment scheme and the party is with the youth in the agitation to save the future of the country. In a tweet, Gandhi alleged that China's forces are sitting on Indian land and said the defence forces should be strengthened. He attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Agnipath scheme which allows youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of four years. Also Read | Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 With Always-on-Display, 14 Days of Battery Life Launched. "China's forces are sitting on Indian land and the real patriotism is in strengthening the armed forces but you are it with new deception. In this struggle to save the future of the country, we are with the youth. I am saying again, you will have to take back Agnipath," he said. Congress held a 'Satyagraha' at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Monday to protest against Agnipath scheme and ED summoning Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. Also Read | Bihar: Opposition Protests in Patna Over Agnipath Scheme, Demands Withdrawal of Police Cases Against Agitators. A Congress delegation had met President Ram Nath Kovind on June 20 and submitted a memorandum which urged the government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme, hold wide consultations and address issues of quality, efficiency and economy, without compromising on the welfare of the armed forces. (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, June 22: Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel has said he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is under home isolation. Patel in a tweet on Tuesday night said he underwent the RT-PCR test after noticing normal symptoms, and it turned out to be positive. "I am currently completely healthy and under home isolation on the advice of doctors. I urge all friends who have come in contact with me to take care," said Patel, who also holds charge of the water resource department. Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari Tests Positive for COVID-19, Admitted to HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. Gujarat has seen a rise in daily COVID-19 cases in the recent weeks. The state reported 226 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, as per a bulletin released by the health department. There are currently 1,524 active COVID-19 cases in the state, it said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati/ Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) Eknath Shinde, the leader of rebellion in ruling Shiv Sena on Wednesday claimed he has 40 MLAs with him. Shinde, who arrived at the Guwahati airport, spoke to reporters for the first time since his decision to rebel against his own party. Also Read | Delhi Reports 1,383 New COVID-19 Cases, One Death in Past 24 Hours. On late Monday night, Shinde had left Mumbai with several Sena MLAs and stayed at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat city. However, after holding talks with BJP leaders, he decided to shift to Guwahati. Also Read | Govt Invites Applications Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana. Speaking to reporters outside Guwahati airport, Shinde said, Here 40 MLAs are with me. Additional 10 MLAs will join me soon. I do not want to criticise any one. We are keen on continuing the Sena founded by late Balasaheb Thackeray, he said. Shiv sena has 56 MLAs in Maharashtra legislative assembly which has joined hands with NCP and Congress post 2019 assembly polls and formed government, breaking its alliance with the BJP. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra that has pushed the Shiv Sena-led tripartite MVA government to the brink, AICC observer Kamal Nath on Wednesday met NCP president Sharad Pawar in Mumbai. Also Read | Xiaomi Book S 12.4-Inch Now Official in Europe; Price, Features & Specifications. Also Read | Nakka Sai Charan, 26-Year-Old Indian Techie, Shot Dead in US. After meeting Nath at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Pawar tweeted they talked about the "forthcoming Presidential elections and various other issues". Earlier in the day, Pawar met state NCP president Jayant Patil and state home minister Dilip Walse Patil. A day earlier, Nath was appointed as the AICC observer in Maharashtra in the wake of the political turmoil in the state. The Congress, which has 44 MLAs in the Assembly, shares power with the Shiv Sena and NCP in the state. Nath had asserted that Congress leaders were united and that they are not for sale. For the upcoming Presidential elections, the BJP-led NDA has named Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, as its candidate while former Union minister Yashwant Sinha is a joint nominee of major Opposition parties. Pawar had earlier declined to become the Opposition candidate for the Presidential polls. (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 22 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi left the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in the national capital post-midnight after around 12 hours of questioning in connection with the money laundering case involving the National Herald newspaper. The Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala arrived at ED headquarters at around 11.15 am on Tuesday accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Also Read | Delhi Reports 1,383 New COVID-19 Cases, One Death in Past 24 Hours. Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for over 27 hours for three straight days from June 13 to June 15 and was again summoned on June 20. On Monday he was questioned for around 14 hours. The Congress leader was deposed before the ED investigators in the case for the first time on June 13. Also Read | Govt Invites Applications Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana. He first sought exemption from appearance on June 16, following which he was called on June 17. But the senior Congress leader wrote to the ED to postpone his questioning citing the illness of his mother Sonia Gandhi. The ED then allowed him to join the probe on June 20 at his request. Rahul Gandhi is being questioned 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. 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. Rahul Gandhi's mother Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned by the ED to appear before the investigators in the case on June 23. There are allegations that AJL was founded in the 1930s to print National Herald and had 5,000 freedom fighters as shareholders. AJL is now in Gandhi's family ownership. AJL declared in 2008 that it would not print newspapers anymore and will enter real estate. In 2010, a new firm called YIL is incorporated with Rs 5 lakh and with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi among other Congress leaders as directors. It pledges to do charity but does none till 2016, as per allegations. It is also alleged that AJL's 9 crore shares (99 pc of all) are transferred to YIL and that Rahul Gandhi alone holds 75 per cent shares while Sonia and other senior Congress own the rest. The case to investigate alleged financial irregularities under the PMLA was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. Swamy had approached the court alleging that the assets of AJL were fraudulently acquired and transferred to YIL, in which Sonia Gandhi and her son owned 38 per cent shares each. Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress. Congress argued that YIL was a not-for-profit company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 that can neither accumulate profits nor pay dividends to its shareholders. The agency then recorded the statements of both the Congress leaders and then under the PMLA. While Kharge is the CEO of YIL, Bansal is the Managing Director of AJL. (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 22 (PTI) The NIA on Wednesday conducted searches at seven locations in Punjab in connection with a case of arms recovery in Haryana. The case relates to the seizure of IEDs and arms and ammunition from Batrara toll plaza in Haryana's Karnal. Also Read | Calcutta High Court Makes Videography Mandatory for Police in Narcotics Seizure Case. Three IEDs, one pistol, two magazines, 31 live rounds, six mobiles and Rs 1.30 lakh were recovered and four persons were apprehended from a white Innova car, an NIA spokesperson said. During investigation, it was revealed that Pakistan-based operative of the BKI (Babar Khalsa International) Harvinder Singh coordinated the delivery of explosives, arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI for carrying out terrorist attacks in different parts of India, in connivance with the arrested accused, the NIA said. Also Read | Meghalaya Shocker: Prisoner Serving Life Imprisonment for Murder Escapes From Jail in Jaintia Hills. During the searches at Ludhiana, Ferozpur and Gurdaspur, digital devices, details of financial transactions and property and other incriminating material was seized, it said, adding further investigation in the case continues. (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 22 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out searches at one location in Uttar Pradesh and arrested one Myanmar national in a human trafficking case. The anti-terror agency conducted these raids in Saharanpur's Deoband and arrested Mazid Ullah, a resident of Myanmar for his involvement in the conspiracy of transportation of trafficked persons to different places in India. Ullah's role had emerged during investigations of the case. Also Read | Agnipath Scheme: AAP's Sanjay Singh Urges PM Narendra Modi to Rollback the Scheme. Digital devices (mobile handset, SIM cards, memory card) and other incriminating documents were seized during the searches conducted, said the NIA. The case relates to illegal trafficking of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims into Indian territory and settling them with forged documents in various parts of the country. Also Read | Calcutta High Court Makes Videography Mandatory for Police in Narcotics Seizure Case. This case was registered suo-moto by the NIA on December 27 last year. Earlier, NIA had filed a chargesheet against six accused persons on June 4 this year in this case. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 22 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Raosaheb Patil Danve said on Wednesday that the political crisis in Maharashtra was Shiv Sena's internal matter and the BJP is not staking claim to form a government in the state. Danve, who met party leader Devendra Fadnavis, told the media here that no Shiv Sena MLA is in touch with the party. Also Read | Goa: Jail Guard of Colvale Jail Arrested for Smuggling Cocaine to Prisoners. "We haven't spoken to Eknath Shinde. This is Shiv Sena's internal matter. BJP has nothing to do with this. We're not staking claim to form the government," said Danve who is Minister of State for Railways. Amidst the intensifying political crisis in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the coalition government in the state. Also Read | Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Likely to be New Lt Governor of Jammu And Kashmir. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose government is facing a crisis due to revolt within his party, said on Wednesday that he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to the Raj Bhavan. He said he was also willing to quit as party chief if there is a demand from party workers. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" is against him. Thackeray said he was willing to resign only on demand of party MLAs. The crisis faced by Shiv Sena-led government deepened on Wednesday as Eknath Shinde claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including six to seven Independent MLAs. (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 22 (ANI): The upcoming presidential election appears to be family affair versus party commitment for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jayant Sinha, as his father and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha has been named the presidential candidate by the joint Opposition pitted against BJP's Draupadi Murmu. "Hearty congratulations to Draupadi Murmu ji on being made the NDA's presidential candidate. Her life has always been dedicated to tribal society and poor welfare. For this decision, I offer thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda," Sinha said in a Twitter post. Also Read | Himachal Pradesh: Chess Olympiad Torch Relay Reaches Dharamshala Read @ANI Story | Latest Tweet by ANI Digital. "My father Yashwant Sinha ji, has been made a presidential candidate by the Opposition. I request all of you not to make it a family affair. I am a BJP worker and a parliamentarian. I will fulfil my Constitutional obligation," he said Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress vice president Yashwant Sinha has been nominated as the consensus candidate from the Joint Opposition for the upcoming presidential elections which will take place on July 18, 2022. He will file his nomination on June 27 said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: 24-Year-Old Youth Killed by His Friend for Rs 50 in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu is likely to file her nomination on June 25, said sources on Tuesday. The late date for filing nominations for the presidential election is June 29, the polling will take place on July 18 and the votes will be counted on July 21. Expressing his gratitude to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Sinha said, now a time has come when for a larger national cause to step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. "I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step," he tweeted. Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) in March 2021 ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Sinha, a former IAS, had served as the Union Minister of Finance and External Affairs in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman leader, was declared BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate. She is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister and is NDA's pick against Yashwant Sinha. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. Coming from a poor tribal family in a village situated in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. (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 22 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to travel to the UK in the first week of next month with an aim to further strengthen bilateral defence and military ties as well as pressing regional security issues, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday. During the visit, Singh is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his British counterpart Ben Wallace on ways to boost overall defence and strategic ties including in the defence manufacturing sector, they said. Also Read | Calcutta High Court Makes Videography Mandatory for Police in Narcotics Seizure Case. In April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership. During his visit to India, Johnson announced that the UK is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to "reduce bureaucracy and slashing delivery times" for defence procurement. Also Read | UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2022 Declared at upsc.gov.in; Check Details Here. The British prime minister also said that the UK will help India in the co-development of military hardware including indigenous production of fighter jets. A statement issued after the talks between Modi and Johnson said the two leaders reiterated their commitment to "transform" defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. "The leaders noted the importance of robust defence industrial collaboration for manufacturing of defence equipment, systems, spare parts, components, aggregates and other related products and key capabilities, under the Make-in-India programme through co-development, indigenisation, transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures," it said. Days after Johnson's trip to India, British Minister of Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin visited New Delhi during which both sides focused on cooperation in areas such as aviation and shipbuilding. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, June 22: Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said the party should renew ties with the BJP, as the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government faces a crisis following a revolt by a section of Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. Sarnaik, the MLA from Thane's Ovala-Majiwada constituency, has been facing a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He had last year written a letter to Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, saying the party should team up with the BJP to save its leaders from action by central agencies. Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Sarnaik said, "I had first mooted the idea that the Shiv Sena should go with the BJP." Sarnaik had in his letter to the CM last year said though the BJP and the Shiv Sena are not allies anymore, their leaders have good relations and the Sena should make use of this. Maharashtra Political Crisis: 40 MLAs Led by Rebel Shiv Sena Leader Eknath Shinde Arrive at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati. Notably, the ED had recently attached assets worth over Rs 11 crore of Sarnaik in the money laundering case linked to the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL). A number of politicians and ministers of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which comprises the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, in the state have faced ED action in the recent past. On Wednesday morning, a group of 40 Maharashtra MLAs, led by dissident leader Eknath Shinde, arrived in Guwahati and they were taken to a luxury hotel on the outskirts of the city amid tight security. Earlier, the MLAs were taken to Surat in Gujarat from Mumbai on Tuesday, and the decision to shift them to Guwahati in Assam was taken on security grounds, according to a BJP source. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, June 22: Four persons allegedly attacked a 23-year-old woman working as a commercial sex worker over a monetary dispute here in Maharashtra, police on Wednesday. The incident took place in Bhiwandi town of Thane district on Sunday and based on a complaint filed by the victim, the police registered a case against a couple and two other persons on Tuesday, an official from Bhiwandi police station said. The accused allegedly pulled the woman by her hair, dragged her out of her house and beat her up, the victim said in the complaint. Maharashtra Shocker: Two Arrested for Raping, Killing 16-Year-Old Tribal Girl in Palghar District. The accused also allegedly manhandled another sex worker, who came to rescue her, the official said. Following the victim's complaint, the police registered a case against the four accused under relevant provisions, he said, adding that no arrest was made so far. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Jun 22 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday declined to entertain a petition submitted by AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam urging them to deny permission to the party General and Executive Council meetings scheduled to be held here on June 23. Underscoring law and order concerns in view of serious differences over the single leadership question within the party, Panneerselvam had on Tuesday urged the Avadi Police Commissionerate to deny permission for the meeting. Also Read | Tamil Nadu Shocker: 60-Year-Old Man Accused of Raping Daughter-in-Law Hacks Son to Death in Thoothukudi. Asked if the plea was being considered, a top official said the applicant has been told that his request was beyond the scope of police as the meeting was slated to be held indoors. "Whether to conduct the meeting or not is for the party to decide. We are fully following the High Court orders in this respect. We are geared up to provide security, strictly maintain law and order and ensure peace," a senior police official told PTI. Also Read | Poco F4 5G, Poco X4 GT Prices & Specifications Emerge on Polish Website: Report. "We are also planning traffic management. Some petitions, related to holding the party meeting, are also before civil courts and the subject is sub judice," the police official said. The Madras High Court had on Tuesday directed police protection for the AIADMK meeting. OPS, as Panneerselvam is known, had written to the Avadi Police Commissionerate requesting that permission must not be accorded to hold the AIADMK meeting on June 23 at a hall in suburban Vanagaram considering the need to maintain law and order. He had said party office-bearer and former minister Pa Benjamin seeking security for the meet was a 'unilateral decision'. Only the AIADMK Coordinator (OPS) and Joint Coordinator (Edappadi K Palaniswami-EPS) are empowered in this regard, he had said in his plea. OPS is fighting the EPS camp, which is determined to scrap the current dual leadership system and make EPS as the single, supreme leader of the AIADMK. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Jun 22 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday dispatched the second consignment of relief worth Rs 67.70 crore to the economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka. Also Read | Xiaomi Book S 12.4-Inch Now Official in Europe; Price, Features & Specifications. A cargo ship, carrying the relief material, was flagged off from the Thoothukudi port by State Ministers Gingee K S Masthan, R Chakrapani, P Geetha Jeevan and Anita Radhakrishnan in the presence of officials. Also Read | Nakka Sai Charan, 26-Year-Old Indian Techie, Shot Dead in US. About 14,712 MT rice worth Rs 48.30 crore, 250 tonne of Aavin milk powder valued at Rs 7.50 crore besides Rs 11.90 crore worth of life-saving drugs were shipped. According to Masthan, the relief material was being sent due to the initiative of Chief Minister M K Stalin who, after obtaining nod from the Central government, flagged off a ship laden with relief supplies on May 19 from the Chennai port. That was the first consignment About Rs 45 crore worth of relief, including 9,000 MT rice, 200 MT of Aavin milk powder and 24 MT of life-saving medicines were sent then. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, June 22: A three-year-old boy and his cousin sister were killed when a tanker transporting bitumen hit them while they were waiting at a traffic signal to cross a busy street in suburban Chembur, police said on Wednesday. Rishi Gupta and Srishti Gupta (2) were killed when they were crossing the road near a hotel on Tuesday afternoon, an official said, adding that Srishti's mother Ranjana suffered injuries to her legs. Ranjana was taking Srishti for a medical check-up with a doctor and asked Rishi to accompany them. Mumbai Accident: Truck Overturns on Autorickshaw Near Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, One Injured. "Ranjana, Srishti, and Rishi were standing at a traffic signal to cross the road when the tanker driver lost his control over the vehicle which rammed into the trio. They were rushed to a hospital by local people where Srishti and Rishi were declared dead," the official said. Tanker driver Rajendra Purohit was arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 304-A (causing death by negligence). Further investigation is underway, the official added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, June 22: After Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he would tender his resignation if the rebel MLAs demanded it, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that he will "remain the CM" and the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance will "prove its majority on the floor of the House if given the chance". Shiv Sena leader said this while speaking to the reporters here as political turbulence intensified in the state. "Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Along With His Family Leaves From Official Residence Varsha in Mumbai (Watch Video). Earlier this evening, NCP chief Sharad Pawar accompanied by Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad arrived at the Mumbai residence of Uddhav Thackeray. After the conclusion of the meeting which lasted around an hour, NCP leader Supriya Sule displayed a thumbs up and the Chief Minister came out to greet his supporters. Earlier today rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde said that it was essential for the party for its survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government in the state. Shinde's remarks came a short while after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Facebook address in which he said that he was ready to step down if the rebel MLAs came forward and tell him on his face that they do not have the trust in him. "In the last two and a half years, M.V.A. The government benefited only the constituent parties. It's essential to get out of the unnatural alliance for the survival of the party. Decisions need to be taken now in the interest of Maharashtra," tweeted Shinde. Earlier today, the beleaguered Maharashtra Chief Minister whose government is facing a crisis due to revolt within his party, said that he was willing to give his resignation to party MLAs who can take it to Raj Bhavan. Noting that a section of party MLAs was gunning for his ouster, he said instead of going to Surat, they could have conveyed their feelings to him. Thackeray said it is a matter of shame for him if "even a single MLA" was against him. "If any MLA wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the CM) to Matoshri," Thackeray said. "I am ready to give my resignation to the MLAs, they should come here and take my resignation to Raj Bhavan. I am ready to leave the post of Shiv Sena party head also, not on the saying of others but my workers," he added. Thackeray said it is not about numbers but how many are against him and he will leave if even one person or MLA is against him. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," he said. The crisis in the Shiv Sena deepened after party leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde today claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including six to seven Independent MLAs. Shinde accompanied by other rebels from the party had left Maharashtra a day ago for Gujarat, where it stayed for about a day in Surat. They arrived in Assam's Guwahati earlier today. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing, Jun 22 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hit out at the US and EU for imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying the act of wilfully imposing curbs will harm people around the world. History has shown that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontations bring neither peace nor stability, but rather war and conflict, President Xi said in a keynote speech delivered in a virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum. Also Read | Nakka Sai Charan, 26-Year-Old Indian Techie, Shot Dead in US. The Ukraine crisis has again sounded the alarm for humanity: Countries will surely end up in security hardships if they place blind faith in their positions of strength, expand military alliances, and seek their own safety at the expense of others, Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. In his speech at the Business Forum, Xi hit out at the US and EU for imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying the act of wilfully imposing sanctions will bring disasters to people around the world. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Europe Told To Prepare Immediately for Moscow To Turn Off All Gas Exports. Describing sanctions as boomerangs and double-edged swords, Xi said those who politicise, leverage and weaponise global economy and wilfully impose sanctions by taking advantage of dominance in international financial and monetary systems will eventually harm others and themselves and bring disasters to people around the world. The BRICS Business Forum meeting was held ahead of Thursday's 14th summit of BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which will be held in Beijing via video link followed by high-level dialogue on global development the next day. China is this year's chair of the BRICS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are expected to take part in the summit hosted by President Xi. 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, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement. Noting that safeguarding peace is the common cause of all humanity, Xi said that only if everyone cherishes and upholds peace, and remembers and learns from the bitter lessons of war, can there be the hope of peace. "Facing the turmoil and instability in the world, we should keep firmly in mind the original aspiration of the UN Charter, as well as our mission to promote peace," Xi said. Urging the international community to abandon zero-sum game and jointly oppose hegemony and power politics, Xi called for the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity and justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing, June 22: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hit out at the US and EU for imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying the act of wilfully imposing curbs will harm people around the world. Without naming the Quad (US, India, Australia, Japan) grouping and the AUKUS (US, UK Australia) Xi lashed out at group politics and bloc confrontation, emphasising that they bring no peace or security and only lead to wars and conflicts. PM Narendra Modi To Virtually Attend BRICS Summit on Invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 23. History has shown that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontations bring neither peace nor stability, but rather war and conflict, Xi said in a keynote speech delivered in a virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum. "The Ukraine crisis is another wake-up call for all in the world. It reminds us that blind faith in the so-called 'position of strength' and attempts to expand military alliances and seek one's own security at the expense of others will only land oneself in a security dilemma," he said. The BRICS Business Forum meeting was held ahead of Thursday's 14th summit of BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which will be held in Beijing via video link followed by high-level dialogue on global development the next day. China is this year's chair of the BRICS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are expected to take part in the summit hosted by President Xi. 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. In his speech, Xi hit out at the US and EU for imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying the act of wilfully imposing sanctions will bring disasters to people around the world. Putin ordered a "special military operation" against Ukraine on February 24. The US-led Western nations have imposed crippling sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. China, a close ally of Russia has declined to condemn Moscow for the invasion against Ukraine and maintained close political and business links. Latest reports said China's crude oil imports from Russia has climbed to over 55 per cent from a year earlier last month displacing Saudi Arabia as Beijing's top supplier. Describing sanctions as boomerangs and double-edged swords, Xi said those who politicise, leverage and weaponise the global economy and wilfully impose sanctions by taking advantage of dominance in international financial and monetary systems will eventually harm others and themselves and bring disasters to people around the world. He referred to the Global Security Initiative (GSI) which was proposed recently, which was seen as a counter to Quad. He said GSI calls on all countries to stay committed to the common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries besides taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously. It also proposed to peacefully resolve differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation and maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains, he said. "We in the international community should reject zero-sum games and jointly oppose hegemonism and power politics," he said. He also highlighted the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by him. It calls on all countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership, and promote cooperation in a wide range of areas such as poverty reduction, public health, education, digital connectivity and industrialization, he said. He also defended his much criticised dynamic zero COVID policy under which China virtually isolated itself from the rest of the world by restricting international travel and lockdown down highly populated cities like Shanghai for months. "China has built a strong line of defence against the virus, and consolidated the gains made in COVID-19 response. Thanks to these efforts, we have protected people's lives and health and ensured overall stable performance in economic and social development to the maximum extent possible," he said. On the slowdown of the Chinese economy as a result of COVID restrictions, Xi said, "we will step up macroeconomic policy adjustment, and adopt more forceful measures to deliver the economic and social development goals for the whole year and minimize the impact of COVID-19". About the BRICS grouping, he said the five-member bloc is an "important cooperation platform for emerging markets and developing countries. "BRICS cooperation has now entered a new stage of high-quality development," he said and asked businesses from the five countries to tap into the complementarity of BRICS countries' diverse economic structures and resources, upgrade cooperation on trade, investment and finance, expand cooperation on cross-border e-commerce, logistics, local currencies and credit rating, and keep industrial and supply chains safe and unclogged. Noting that safeguarding peace is the common cause of all humanity, Xi said that only if everyone cherishes and upholds peace, and remembers and learns from the bitter lessons of war, can there be the hope of peace. "Facing the turmoil and instability in the world, we should keep firmly in mind the original aspiration of the UN Charter, as well as our mission to promote peace," Xi said. Urging the international community to abandon zero-sum game and jointly oppose hegemony and power politics, Xi called for the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity and justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation. (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 22 (PTI) Khalsa Television Limited has surrendered its licence to broadcast in the UK after an investigation by the country's media watchdog found its KTV channel breached broadcasting rules with Khalistani propaganda and issued a draft notice to revoke last month. The Office of Communications (Ofcom) announced on Tuesday that having received Ofcom's draft revocation notice on May 26, Khalsa Television Limited has now surrendered its licence. Also Read | Afghanistan Earthquake Kills at Least 155 People in Eastern Paktika Province. The revocation notice followed a suspension notice to the company over a Prime Time' programme, broadcast on KTV on December 30 last year, for a breach of the Broadcasting Code with content likely to encourage or incite the commission of a crime or lead to disorder. The communications regulator said the 95-minute live discussion programme included material likely to incite violence. On 13 May 2022, Ofcom issued a draft notice to revoke the broadcasting licence of Khalsa Television Limited, which Ofcom had suspended after its channel KTV broadcast material that was likely to incite violence, Ofcom said in a statement. Also Read | US Values Bilateral Ties with India; It is Key Strategic Partner in Indo-Pacific: White House. This was the third time within four years that this licensee had been found in breach of our rules on incitement to crime due to programmes inciting violence. The KTV television channel served the Sikh community in the United Kingdom, the statement said. KTV had been off air since March 31, when Ofcom suspended Khalsa Television Limited's licence following a serious breach of its broadcasting rules. The investigation found that the presenter of the 'Prime Time' show, made several statements which, taken together, "promoted violence, including murder, as an acceptable and necessary form of action to further the Khalistani cause". If this broadcaster, or those controlling it, were to apply for a broadcast licence in the future, Ofcom's commencement of this revocation process, our decision today and the full compliance history of the former licensee would be major factors, the media watchdog noted in its update this week. KTV operated under a licence held by Khalsa Television Limited. In February, the channel received Ofcom's "Preliminary View" notice and in representations objected to its translation and analysis of the programme. Ofcom said this failed to provide any substantive details of the objection and offered it another chance to respond last month. In its representations, KTV reiterated that the programme in question did not contain an incitement or call to violent action in breach of Rule 3.1 and provided an example of what it said was Ofcom's misunderstanding of the words used by the presenter. Ofcom previously also took action against the channel, including in February last year when it imposed a total fine of GBP 50,000 on the channel for broadcasting a music video and a discussion programme that was deemed an indirect call for British Sikhs to commit violence and also contained a terror reference. On its website, KTV describes itself as an exciting channel, airing a range of cultural, educational and entertaining programmes for audiences of all ages. It says it prides itself in being completely independent, impartial and honest. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Moscow [Russia], June 22 (ANI): Russian oil exports to China and India have noticeably increased and its presence in the BRICS countries is also growing, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday amid the Ukraine conflict that has resulted in heavy sanctions on Moscow. He made these remarks at the virtual BRICS Business Forum being hosted by China, the first such forum that Putin is attending with the heads of major economies since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Also Read | Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe Says 'Economy Has Collapsed, Will Hold Talks With IMF for Additional Credit'. Speaking at the event, Putin noted that despite all problems and difficulties BRICS businesses have been "consistently enhancing mutually beneficial ties in the areas of trade, finance, and investment". "For example, in the first three months of this year, trade between the Russian Federation and the BRICS countries increased by 38 per cent - and reached USD 45 billion," he said. Also Read | Nakka Sai Charan, 26-Year-Old Indian Techie, Shot Dead in US. Analysts say the decision by the group to go ahead with the annual summit does reflect a view held by BRICS countries on the global order and, by extension, the situation in Ukraine, which differs from the Western countries led by the US. The Russian President said contacts between Russian business circles and the business community of the BRICS countries have intensified. "For example, negotiations are underway to open Indian chain stores in Russia, increase the share of Chinese cars, equipment, and hardware on our market. In its turn, Russia's presence in the BRICS countries is growing. There has been a noticeable increase in the exports of Russian oil to China and India," he said. "Agricultural cooperation is developing dynamically. Russia exports considerable amounts of fertilizers to the BRICS states. Russian IT companies are expanding their activities in India and South Africa, and our satellites enable TV broadcasting for as many as 40 million residents of Brazil," he added. India in recent weeks has spiked energy imports from Russian despite global sanctions on Moscow. US officials conveyed the message to India there is no ban on energy imports from Russia but they do not want to see a rapid acceleration. A number of institutionalized mechanisms have been set up for the development of economic cooperation between the India-Russia. However, the Ukraine war and subsequent sanctions placed by the Western countries have proved to be a hurdle in trade. On Tuesday, US National Security Council coordinator John Kirby was asked a question on reports of a spike in Indian energy imports from Russia. Kirby said India is a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region and the US lets Indian leaders speak about their economic policies, said Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, he said the US value this bilateral relationship with India but Washington wants international pressure on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. "India is also a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. And there are many ways that partnership represents itself both in defence and security, economic as well. I think we'll let Indian leaders speak about their economic policies," he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier this month hit back at the unfair criticism of Indian oil purchase from Russia amid the Ukraine war that has created a knock-off effect on the world economy. While defending India's oil imports from Russia, Jaishankar stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. He also questioned why only India was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the Ukraine war. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Rome [Italy], June 22 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Pope Francis in Vatican City on Wednesday. The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation to Rome and Dubai. The delegation is scheduled to visit the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome to share Odisha's "transformational journey" in food security and disaster management. Also Read | Boeing Expects Supply Chain Problems to Last Through Most of 2023 Latest Tweet by Reuters. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister paid tribute to freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi at the MG Memorial Statue at the Piazza Gandhi in Rome. Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said that he is inspired by the ideals and principles of India's father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. In 2018, during the first meeting of the National Committee for the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Patnaik had proposed that the greatest tribute India could pay to Gandhi on his 150th anniversary was to include the uniquely Indian ideal of Ahimsa, of non-violence, in the preamble of the Indian Constitution. Also Read | Earthquake in Afghanistan: Death Toll Rises to 920 After Quake of Magnitude 6.1 Strikes Eastern Paktika Province. Patnaik at that time also quoted Mahatma Gandhi that there can be no progress without peace. In 2019, Patnaik had unveiled the Gandhi Talisman in the Lok Seva Bhawan. At that time, he said that the Talisman will inspire all to work selflessly for the cause of the poorest of the poor. 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," a 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) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kampala [Uganda], June 22 (ANI/Xinhua): Uganda's Ministry of Public Service has given an ultimatum of one day to striking teachers to return to their jobs or risk loosing them, a statement issued here on Wednesday said. The ministry in a statement issued here said the teachers' industrial action is illegal and teachers have no right to close schools. Also Read | Chinese President Xi Jinping Hits Out at US, EU Sanctions Against Russia at BRICS Business Forum. "All government employed teachers are advised to resume duty at their respective work stations by June 24, without fail," the ministry statement said. "Any government employed teachers who do not comply to this call will be regarded as having abandoned duty and resigned from public service," the statement added. Also Read | Denmark To Offer 4th COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Autumn, Says PM Mette Frederiksen. The ministry noted that the teachers who are not willing to work under the prevailing terms and conditions are free to withdraw their labor. Teachers in government owned schools on June 15 started a nationwide industrial action protesting discrepancies in the payment between science and arts teachers. The teachers are protesting a government move to first increase the salaries of science teachers. (ANI/Xinhua) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, June 22: Health trackers worn on the wrist can help detect COVID-19 days before the first tell-tale signs of the viral disease appear, according to a study. Researchers noted that a growing number of people globally use health trackers to monitor changes in skin temperature, heart and breathing rates. The latest study, published in the journal BMJ open, shows that this data could be combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose COVID-19 even before any symptoms appear. While a PCR swab test remains the gold standard for confirming COVID-19, "our findings suggest that a wearable-informed machine learning algorithm may serve as a promising tool for presymptomatic or asymptomatic detection of COVID-19, the researchers said. The researchers, including those from Risch Medical Laboratory, Liechtenstein base their findings on wearers of the AVA bracelet. The regulated and commercially available fertility tracker monitors breathing rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, wrist skin temperature and blood flow, as well as sleep quantity and quality. Typical COVID-19 symptoms may take several days after infection before they appear during which time an infected person can unwittingly spread the virus. The researchers wanted to see if physiological changes, monitored by an activity tracker, could be used to develop a machine learning algorithm to detect COVID-19 infection before the start of symptoms. As many as 1,163 participants under the age of 51 were drawn from the GAPP study between March 2020 and April 2021. GAPP, which started in 2010, aims to better understand the development of cardiovascular risk factors in the general population of Lichtenstein. Participants wore the AVA bracelet at night. The device saves data every 10 seconds and requires at least four hours of relatively uninterrupted sleep. The bracelets were synchronised with a complementary smartphone app on waking. Monkeypox Doesnt Spread via Air Like COVID-19: US CDC. They took regular rapid antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection. Those with indicative symptoms took a PCR swab test as well. Some 127 people (11 per cent) developed COVID-19 infection during the study period. Of them, 66 (52 per cent) had worn their bracelet for at least 29 days before the start of symptoms and were confirmed as positive by PCR swab test, so were included in the final analysis. The monitoring data revealed significant changes in all five physiological indicators during the incubation, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic and recovery periods of COVID-19 compared with baseline measurements. COVID-19 symptoms lasted an average of 8.5 days. The algorithm was trained' using 70 per cent of the data from day 10 to day 2 before the start of symptoms within a 40 day period of continuous monitoring of the 66 people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. It was then tested on the remaining 30 per cent of the data. Some 73 per cent of laboratory confirmed positive cases were picked up in the training set, and 68 per cent in the test set, up to two days before the start of symptoms. "Wearable sensor technology is an easy-to-use, low-cost method for enabling individuals to track their health and wellbeing during a pandemic, the researchers said. "Our research shows how these devices, partnered with artificial intelligence, can push the boundaries of personalised medicine and detect illnesses prior to (symptom occurrence), potentially reducing virus transmission in communities, they said. The researchers acknowledge that their results may not be more widely applicable. The findings were based on just a small sample of people, all of whom were relatively young -- so less likely to have severe COVID-19 symptoms -- from a single national centre, and who were not ethnically diverse, they said. The accuracy (sensitivity) achieved was below 80 per cent. But the algorithm is now being tested in a much larger group (20,000) of people in The Netherlands, with results expected later this year, the researchers added. PTI A 35-year-old #Army jawan was killed in celebratory firing during a wedding in the Brahmnagar area of #Sonbhadra district. pic.twitter.com/WtFbot558H IANS (@ians_india) June 22, 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.) Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly amid the current political crisis in the state. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," Raut tweeted in Marathi. Check Tweet: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut hints at the dissolution of #Maharashtra Legislative Assembly amid the current political crisis in the state. He tweets, "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha." pic.twitter.com/rNyln0sFuh ANI (@ANI) June 22, 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.) Pulse wasnt built to be a memorial. It was built to be a nightclub, a shrine to cocktails and loud music with a dance floor and a patio, a temple of the living. Then a gunman killed 49 clubgoers at the gay Orlando, Fla., nightspot on June 12. Now the building stands as it did on the night of the bloodshed, with well-wishers still leaving balloons, flowers and notes outside the sealed facility. But Orlando city officials and club representatives still have to decide on the best permanent tribute to the victims of the deadliest mass shooting and the deadliest attack on the LGBT community in modern American history. Its a delicate process, unfortunately familiar to many American communities visited by mass shootings, and leaders have taken different paths in how to treat the locations where they took place. Columbine Advertisement Unlike other disasters, mass shootings tend to leave the structures where they take place intact. The problem isnt filling in bullet holes, but the memory of what happened. One of the first places to encounter this conundrum was Littleton, Colo. On April 20, 1999, two students, Dylan Klebold, 17, and Eric Harris, 18, shot and killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School before killing themselves. Mass shootings had happened before, but few were covered as heavily by the media and had such an emotional impact as the Columbine shooting. After the burials, there was the problem of what to do with the school itself. It was still basically a functioning school, after all, and the district still had students who needed to be educated. The school spent more than $1.2 million on repairs and renovations to the building, which reopened just four months later. Officials decided to change the sound of the alarms that had blared for hours during the attack, and the library, where many of the victims died, remained closed. A little paint and new carpet isnt going to heal the wounds, Linda Mauser, whose son Daniel was among those killed, told the Denver Post in 1999. The library was eventually demolished and replaced with an atrium, and a memorial park has been built outside the school. Here is a compilation of President Obama reacting to mass shootings in the United States over the years. Sandy Hook Newtown, Conn., faced similar trauma after a gunman killed 20 children and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. But, unlike at Columbine, parents couldnt imagine dropping off their children at the school again, even a renovated version. The 28-member Sandy Hook School Task Force voted unanimously to tear down the whole school and build a new one. I dont mean to one-up Columbine, but the number of victims and their ages here made it different, Dan Cruson, the town historian, told the Los Angeles Times in 2013. With time, memories will become less raw, and with future generations, the hope is that this will become something in a history book. But its a crime scene. The unanimous vote notwithstanding, demolition and reconstruction came with its own anguish and debate. Our family has not asked for anything since Dec. 14, except that the building ... be razed and the new Sandy Hook school be located at a new location, Brian Engel, the father of shooting victim Olivia Rose Engel, 6, told the task force. Relocating the school required that some homeowners move to make room for new construction. Officials decided to change the entrance to the building so that families wouldnt have to pass by the firehouse where grieving parents waited for news about their children immediately after the attack. The hardest thing Im having to deal with is ... the feeling that we didnt just lose 20 children and six adults, Peter Barresi, whose son was a first-grader at Sandy Hook when the attack happened, told The Times. Were letting [the gunman] take the building too, and hes winning. The newly rebuilt school, which cost $50 million, opened to the public this week, though no memorial has been built at the original site yet. Aurora, Colo. After 12 moviegoers were killed and 70 others wounded at the Denver-area Century 16 movie theater on July 20, 2012, theater owner Cinemark decided to renovate the facility and reopen it six months later under a new name, Century Aurora. Shooting survivor Corbin Dates called the event empowering, telling The Times, Evil doesnt have the best of me and it never will. Not everyone was so happy. Many of the victims families boycotted the event. They were treating it like I lost my raincoat there and not my son, Scott Larimer, whose son John Larimer, 27, was killed, told The Times in 2013. Im not sure if theyre just trying to drum up support so they can just reopen their theater and make some money, or what it is. Family members of nine of the victims wrote a letter criticizing Cinemark for showing ZERO compassion to the families of the victims whose loved ones were killed in their theater. City officials, fearing such a response, had held an online survey about the future of the theater and said the publics response was widely in favor of reopening. Everyone heals. Some slower, some in different ways. Some wanted this theater open, some didnt, Gov. John Hickenlooper said at the theaters reopening. For many here tonight, this is the path to healing. Tom Sullivan, whose son Alex Sullivan, 27, died in the attack, decided to attend. The people of Aurora decided thats what they wanted, Sullivan told The Times. So I decided, Well, thats what well do. The people of Aurora have done everything they can to help us through this very difficult time. ALSO The worst mass shooting? A look back at massacres in U.S. history Are the media complicit in mass shootings? From San Ysidro to Sandy Hook: Surviving, but never getting over it Xi calls on business leaders to boost BRICS cooperation Xinhua) 21:46, June 22, 2022 BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that he hopes business leaders to champion open, innovative and shared development, so as to add new impetus to BRICS cooperation. Xi made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech in virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum. Xi stressed keeping industrial and supply chains safe and unclogged. He expressed the hope that business leaders will actively participate in building the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution, strengthen cooperation on digital economy, smart manufacturing, clean energy and low-carbon technology, and support the industrial restructuring and upgrading in BRICS countries. Cooperation should also be advanced in fields of energy, food, infrastructure and skill training to ensure that more benefits of development will reach everyone in a more equitable way, Xi added. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji) A five-year-old child from Texas experienced a hot car death on Monday after his mother forgot to let him out, making him stay for at least two to three hours inside the hot vehicle. Pct 3 units were dispatched to the 13700 blk of Blair Hill Ln. Upon arrival units determined a child (possibly 5 yrs) was left inside a vehicle for several hours. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene. HCSO Investigators are enroute to the scene. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/MNbhPHIHSU Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 20, 2022 Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez noted that their officers responded to a home in the 13700 block of Blair Ln. The five-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Last Monday was reportedly the hottest day of the year in the Houston area with record high temperatures of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, People reported, citing the Weather Channel. READ NEXT: Texas Shooting: New Video Shows Armed Police Were at Robb Elementary School Premises but Waited 58 Minutes to Enter Classroom Hot Car Death: Texas Mom Preparing for Daughter's Birthday When Her Son Died Authorities reported that the child's family had been preparing for a birthday party of their eight-year-old daughter, per KHOU 11. The two children reportedly went to the store to get things for the party. The preparations prompted the Texas mom, who is not named, to assume that both children were able to get out of the car on their own, according to WSB-TV2 Reports noted that the Texas mom started to look for his five-year-old son two to three hours later. However, she discovered him unresponsive when she went to check on the car, still buckled in his car seat. The mother told the sheriff that the five-year-old was able to get himself out of the car before. However, Sheriff Gonzales noted that the family was using a rental car that day because their car was being worked on. Gonzales explained the possibility the five-year-old was not familiar with the rental car's locking mechanism. Gonzales also noted that the rental car the family used did not have any child safety lock turned on. Harris County Sheriff's Office Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland said that homicide and Child Crimes investigators responded to the scene. However, it was still unclear whether the Texas mother will receive charges in the aftermath of her son's death. "The case is still open and active, and investigators will meet with the Harris County District Attorney's Office to present their findings of the investigation," Gilliland noted. Hot Car Death Statistics The National Safety Council (NSC) reported that there at least five children who experienced a hot car died in 2022. Last year, the total number of children who died after being left inside a hot car was 23. NSC also noted that, on average, at least 38 children under 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. The organization also underscored that nearly every state has recorded at least one hot car death since 1998. Amber Rollins from the non-profit organization Kid and Car Safety said that Texas has the highest number of hot car deaths in the country. Rollins added that 56% of hot car deaths occur when a child is accidentally left inside a car, and 26% occur when a child gets themselves in and cannot get out on their own. READ NEXT: 5 Dead After Rival Armed Groups Engaged in Shootout in Mexico's Chihuahua State Plagued by Mexican Drug Cartels This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: HOT CAR DEATH: Boy Dies After Being Left in Hot Car by Mom Rushing to Set Up Party, Sheriff Says - From 6abc Philadelphia SNAP benefits 2022 recipients are seeing their funds being taken out of their accounts before they recognize what is happening. SNAP benefits, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal program that assists low- and no-income families in the U.S. in purchasing food. KFOR News reported that around $1,000 in government assistance dollars was taken by someone in California. Katherine Henderson and her family of five have been among the victims of SNAP benefits theft. Henderson said that she received the bad news at the grocery store, took the receipt, and saw only $20 remaining in her account. She noted that stores had "skimmers on their self-checkout," and people have been stealing SNAP numbers through the skimmers. The stolen SNAP benefits are non-refundable, with Henderson saying that the Department of Human Services stating that they will not be reimbursed for the said situation. READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits 2022: Texas, California, Florida, Other States Payment Updates SNAP Benefits Theft Alerts for consumers out of Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin also reported a rise in SNAP benefits theft, with credit card skimmers likely behind the crime. The DHS received 141 reports in all of 2021, while this year saw 290 reported cases as of May 9. In Maryland, fraud reports have increased, with 93 cases reported to Maryland DHS in April 2022. It is compared to eight cases in the previous year, according to a WMAR2News report. Maryland DHS explained they cannot replace stolen funds as federal regulations will not allow it. A DHS spokeswoman said that the state can replace program benefits when food is destroyed in a household misfortune. However, it does not address situations where benefits are stolen, nor does it say that a state cannot replace benefits with its own funds. Meanwhile, Washington D.C.'s Human Services department also warned its customers in light of the increase in stolen benefits. However, they are reimbursing victims with local funds. SNAP Benefits Scam A woman from Phoenix, Arizona noticed that some of the funds were taken from her Electronic Benefits Transfer card without her authorization out of state. Cindy Suarez said in a 12 News report that she went to go pick up some snacks and realized that her balance was low, which alarmed her. Suarez noted that a $2 transaction was made first at a Ralph's in California, according to representatives. She added that a second transaction happened nine miles away and around an hour and 20 minutes later at El Super and was worth $149.50. Arizona Department of Economic Security spokesperson Brett Bezio said in a statement that being a victim of fraud has a serious impact on families in need of assistance, mainly during the holidays. DES recommends not keeping large balances in the account, changing the PIN for the card regularly, and freezing the card between transactions. Freezing the card be done through the ebtEDGE website and mobile app. In addition, EBT cardholders who notice fraud are advised to contact FIS, DES's EBT card vendor to address the matter. READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022: How Can College Students Qualify for Food Stamps, EBT Card? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Valley woman has no way to recoup stolen SNAP benefits before the holidays - from 12 News Elon Musk's child has filed a request to change her name in accordance with her new gender identity. Vivian Jenna Wilson said she no longer wants to live with or wish to be related to her biological father "in any way, shape, or form," as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Reuters reported that the petition for both a name change and new birth certificate showing her new gender identity was filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Santa Monica. The Tesla CEO's child has asked the court to change her gender recognition from male to female and to register her new name. Musk's child recently turned 18, which is the age of consent in California. Her new name was redacted in the online document. Her mother is Justine Wilson, who divorced Musk in 2008. Musk has yet to comment on the matter. READ NEXT: Starlink in Brazil: Elon Musk Announces Major Move to Help 19,000 Schools, Protect Amazon Elon Musk's Child Vivian Jenna Wilson is among the five children Musk shares with Wilson, who is a writer. He also has two children with musician Grimes. Musk has earlier faced criticisms after scrutinizing the use of preferred pronouns for transgender and nonbinary people. In 2020, he tweeted that he absolutely supports trans, "but all these pronouns are an esthetic nightmare," adding that "pronouns suck." Musk has also declared his support for the Republican Party, whose elected representatives support a series of legislation that would limit transgender rights in the country. He has also expressed on Twitter that he is leaning toward supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential election. Musk tweeted on Sunday a Father's Day greetings, which was followed by another tweet that reads "I love all my kids so much," according to a CNN News report. Meanwhile, he and his former partner Grimes had revealed that they intend to practice gender-neutral parenting while raising their child. Elon Musk After long deliberation of a Twitter buyout deal, Musk said he does not care about being the company's CEO during his first meeting with Twitter employees this week. Musk said during the hour-long meeting obtained by Business Insider that there are a lot of "chores to being CEO," adding that he just wants to ensure that the product evolves "rapidly and in a good way." The Tesla CEO said he does not really care about the title, but "people do need to listen to" him. Musk earlier said at The Wall Street Journal's 2021 CEO Council Summit that all of the titles are "just basically made up." He explained that he is more preoccupied with engineering and production than the administrative and operational tasks that usually come along with the CEO title. Musk is seeking to buy Twitter for $44 billion, which is a huge acquisition with huge effects on the social media platform. READ MORE: Twitter Net Worth 2022: How Much Is Twitter Valued After Elon Musk Made $43 Billion Offer? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Elon Musk's Daughter Seeks To Cut Ties With Father - from ET Canada A Uvalde teacher reportedly claimed that the gunman, Salvador Ramos, in the Texas shooting at Robb Elementary School in May was a student who "scared her" the most. Texas Department of Public Safety Col. Steve McCraw shared the worry of the Uvalde teacher, who was not identified, during a Texas Senate hearing that investigates the response to the tragedy in Robb Elementary School, according to the Daily Mail. "We had one teacher who said she was always worried about him... He was the one student who scared her most. We discussed, as I mentioned earlier, last year he started dressing like a school shooter, started acting like a school shooter," McCraw said. McCraw also pointed out that Ramos' disturbing behavior was well-known in the town located in the city of Uvalde, which has 17,000 residents. The Texas DPS colonel also referenced footage of Ramos holding a bag of dead cats that was posted online. McCraw underscored that at least six individuals told him after the Texas shooting that Ramos worried them. The Texas DPS colonel pointed out that no reports connected to the gunman had been made before the shooting. McCraw also speculated that the draw of instant notoriety enabled by the internet and social media had played a factor in Ramos' decision to carry out the shooting in May. READ NEXT: Texas Shooting: New Video Shows Armed Police Were at Robb Elementary School Premises but Waited 58 Minutes to Enter Classroom Mom of Texas Shooting Gunman Says Her Son Is Not Violent In May, Adriana Reyes, the mom of the Texas shooting gunman, underscored that her son was not a "violent person" despite the casualty of the tragedy and that she was surprised her son engaged in violence at Robb Elementary School. The mother was also reportedly in "disbelief" that Ramos was able to shoot his grandmother. According to Maria Alvarez, the mother of Reyes' boyfriend, the mom of the gunman would share with her the issues she is having with her son, contending that the fights between the Texas shooter and the mom revolved around school. However, Reyes insisted she had a good relationship with her son. She also acknowledged that Ramos did not have many friends. Robb Elementary School to be Demolished - Mayor On Tuesday, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin announced during a council meeting that Robb Elementary School will no longer stand, according to the Insider. "My understanding - and I had this discussion with the superintendent - that school will be demolished. You can never ask a child to go back or a teacher to go back in that school ever," Mclaughlin underscored. Superintendent Hall Harrell said that Robb Elementary would be turned into "something other than a school site." He furthered that Robb Elementary School would be moved to a different address. However, the Uvalde Mayor did not specify to which school the students of Robb Elementary School will enter next school year. It was still unclear what might be built on the site where at least 19 children and two teachers died. READ NEXT: Ecuador: Clashes Between Police and Indigenous Demonstrators Erupt in the Country's Capital This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Uvalde School Shooting: Police Had 'Obligation' to Stop Gunman, Texas DPS Says - From WFAA Two Jesuit priests were killed after a man chased by gunmen sought refuge at a church in a remote mountainous area in northern Mexico. According to The Guardian, the two Jesuit priests were Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar, 80, who were killed inside the church in Cerocahui, Chihuahua on Monday. The Roman Catholic Society of Jesus in Mexico released a statement demanding justice and the return of the men's bodies. The organization said the gunmen had taken the two elderly Jesuit priests from the church. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed that the man seeking refuge inside the church was also killed. Lopez Obrador said authorities have information about the possible suspects in the killings, adding that the area has a strong organized crime presence. The gunmen did not kill a third priest, who was also inside the church for some reason. However, they refused the third priest's pleas for them to leave the bodies of his two colleagues, according to the press director for the Jesuits in Mexico, Narce Santibanez. READ NEXT: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Tried to Blackmail Joe Biden, U.S. Senator Says Two Jesuit Priests Killed in Mexico The surviving priest noted that gunshots at close range had killed his two colleagues. Citing the state officials and media reports, The Washington Post named the third victim as Pedro Eliodoro Palma Gutierrez, who is a tour guide. The Jesuits said the killings were not an isolated event, adding that the Sierra Tarahumara region suffers violence and neglect. Lopez Obrador did not provide additional details on the gunmen's identities and did not elaborate on why they were pursuing Palma Gutierrez. The government of Chihuahua state said the priests appeared to be "victims of circumstances." The priests had spent decades ministering to Indigenous communities in the Tarahumara. The killings caused sorrow and outrage among politicians, officials, human rights groups, and priests. Head of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party Alejandro Moreno tweeted that the government has "to urgently resolve the grave crisis of insecurity the country is living through." The attack highlighted the dangers facing religious leaders and those who oppose crime groups. Mexico's Response to the Killings According to authorities, Mexico's National Guard and Ministry of Defense launched an operation to secure the area. Lopez Obrador noted that authorities are "looking into the situation," CNN reported He said there was already some information on those possibly responsible for the crimes. The Society of Jesus described the region as under-policied, with violent attacks continuing to persist. Since 2012, 34 priests have been slain in Mexico, including the latest victims. Many of those crimes remain unsolved. The Jesuits' statement said they would remain present, working on their mission of justice, reconciliation, and peace. Aside from priests, about 30 indigenous leaders have also been killed in the area in the past two decades. READ MORE: Mexico La Luz Del Mundo Megachurch Leader Naason Joaquin Garcia Gets More Than 16 Years for Child Sex Abuse This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Two Jesuit Priests Murdered in Mexico - From Vatican Catholic Times Two Canadian citizens have been found dead of knife wounds at the Playa del Carmen, a popular yet controversial coastal resort town in Mexico. Prosecutors in Quintana Roo state said Tuesday that the victims, a male and a female, were found dead Monday at a hotel or condominium in the troubled town. Both were found with their throats slit in a hotel room. According to ABC News, prosecutors noted that the man was on an Interpol wanted list for fraud charges. However, Mexican authorities did not release the names of the two victims. They have also stated that Global Affairs Canada is already aware of the death of the two Canadian citizens in Playa del Carmen. Authorities further noted that the suspects also attacked a local security guard in the hotel. The guard survived and reported the attack to the police. Reports said only the two victims were targeted. Deaths of Canadian Citizens Are the Latest in a String of Violence in Mexico's Playa Del Carmen This is not the first time Canadians have been found dead in the famous coastal resort town this year. The Associated Press reported that in January, Mexican authorities found two other Canadians killed. Authorities claimed that the reason was apparently due to debts between international drug and weapons trafficking gangs. This year has been quite bloody in Playa del Carmen, as police have also found the bodies of four men dumped near a housing development in March. Authorities suggest that the killings of these four men were gang-related due to how their bodies were left together. READ NEXT: Mexico: 2 'The Chosen One' Actors Dead After Fatal Car Crash, 6 Other Cast and Crew Members Injured Violence in Mexico's Resort Town Increasing Due to Drug Dealers and Cartels Playa del Carmen is part of Mexico's Quinta Roo state, also home to two other popular Mexican resort towns, Cancun and Tulum. The Guardian reported that it is part of the Mayan Riviera coast, which has been dubbed the crown jewel of the Mexican tourism industry. However, the recent string of violence within the Mayan Riviera may affect tourism, as the violence is not contained within Playa del Carmen alone. In November, a shootout happened at a beach in Puerto Morelos, which can be found just north of Playa del Carmen. The shootout had also been drug-related, with two suspected drug dealers shot dead in the incident, according to local police. Another incident happened in late October last year in Tulum, another popular tourist destination. A California-born Indian blogger and a German citizen were caught in a crossfire between rival drug dealers and killed. According to Texarkana Gazette, the region opened up to tourists only a few months after the pandemic, with few restrictions on travelers at the height of the covid-19 outbreak. Things are made more complicated by rival gangs vying for control of the drug trade in these resort towns. Often, these gangs would make their illegal trade in local restaurants, with owners afraid to report these criminal activities due to violent reprisal. READ MORE: El Chapo and His Rival Cartel Leader El Mochomo of Beltran Leyva Now Together at ADX 'Supermax' Prison in Colorado This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: 2 Canadians Killed in Mexico Were Targeted, Officials Say - From CBC News: The National A group of Jalisco Cartel hitmen has recently broke into a mansion in Mexico's Jalisco state and stole six luxury cars for their leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes. According to La Opinion, the residence's owner saw the men in his home in Lomas del Valle neighborhood in Zapopan municipality but was frightened. He later called 911 to report the robbery. Mexican police reportedly recovered two Mercedes-Benz and a Porsche valued at millions of dollars. However, there are still three more vehicles that were not located. The drug traffickers reportedly took two Porsches, three Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and a Bentley. Local media reported that the Jalisco Cartel had established its main stronghold in Mexico's Jalisco state. The reports added that even El Mencho's close circle lives in the state, from which the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) took its name. READ NEXT: Jalisco Cartel Leader 'El Senoron' Who Receives Orders From Boss 'El Mencho' Arrested in Mexico Luxury Cars of Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho According to Borderland Beat, El Mencho had a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin, and a BMW at the end of 2021. However, 25 luxury vehicles were already confiscated by the Attorney General's Office during an operation against the Jalisco Cartel. Five of these vehicles reportedly stand out for their price: a Lamborghini Aventador, Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin Vantage, Jaguar F-Type, and a BMW HP4 Race motorcycle. Local media reported that El Mencho and his family love rare and eccentric cars, with some of his children owning some of the most luxurious ones. El Mencho's stepson, Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, known by his alias "El R-3," is one of the alleged leaders of the Jalisco Cartel. The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. Laisha Oseguera, the youngest among the three children of El Mencho with his wife Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia, was allowed by a Mexican court in late last year to remain free despite intelligence reports that she was involved in the kidnapping of two soldiers. El Mencho's older daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera, alias "La Negra," was arrested in February 2020. Jessica Oseguera was walking into the Washington D.C. courthouse to attend her brother's hearing when she was arrested. La Negra was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for her role in laundering money for the Jalisco cartel. La Negra's brother, Ruben Oseguera or "El Menchito," was known to inherit the Jalisco cartel throne from his father in Mexico. But he was arrested by Mexican authorities in 2015 on drug trafficking charges. El Menchito was accused of distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the U.S. from 2007 to February 2017. He remains in jail, awaiting trial. El Mencho and the Jalisco Cartel The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous and powerful drug cartels. It reportedly had more than 5,000 members and was allegedly involved in mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings. The Jalisco Cartel had risen to power after Mexican security forces killed former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," in July 2010. Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco Cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico. The Jalisco Cartel is still being led by El Mencho, who continues to evade capture. The U.S. government has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. El Mencho remains to be the most elusive criminal and is reportedly hiding in Mexico. READ MORE: Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Daughter, La Negra, Freed After More Than 2 Years in U.S. Prison This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: New Generation Jalisco Drug Cartel Spreads Through Mexico - From CGTN America Miss Brazil 2018 Gleycy Correia died at age 27 after suffering from massive bleeding and a heart attack following a routine tonsil operation. According to New York Post, the former beauty queen passed away Monday at a hospital in Brazil's city of Macae, more than two months after the procedure. Correia's body was sent to a local medical examiner for an autopsy. READ NEXT: Ecuador: Clashes Between Police and Indigenous Demonstrators Erupt in the Country's Capital Miss Brazil 2018 Gleycy Correia Was in a Coma Before She Died Gleycy Correia's family priest, Lidiane Alves Oliveira, told the Mirror that the former beauty queen had surgery to remove her tonsils in late March, and "after five days at home, she had a hemorrhage." "She went to Unimed and had a cardiac arrest on April 4 and since then she was in a coma, with no neurological activity. Today [Monday], she passed away," the priest added. According to Daily Mail, Correia was left in a coma for two months following the cardiac arrest in April. Pastor Jak Abreu, who knows Correia's family, wrote on social media that her relatives believe there was medical malpractice during the tonsillectomy operation, which involves the surgical removal of the tonsils. Abreu also wrote: "God chose this day to collect our princess. We know that she will be greatly missed, but she will now be brightening the sky with her smile." Paying tribute to Correia, the Official Miss Brazil said on Instagram that the former beauty queen "will always be remembered for her enlightened beauty, joy and empathy" shown in her work and project. It is still unclear if the family of Miss Brazil 2018 will pursue legal action against the surgeon who performed the surgery. The results of the former beauty queen's autopsy are still pending. Her burial will take place on Tuesday morning. Miss Brazil 2018 Gleycy Correia Gleycy Correia was crowned Miss United Continents Brazil in 2018. She worked as a full-time makeup artist and ran an Instagram page with over 50,000 followers. The brunette beauty was born into poverty and used her social media to tackle things connected to her humble beginnings. Correia reportedly worked as early as eight years old, and her first job was as a manicurist at a beauty salon. "We will never know how strong we are until being strong is the only choice... I really wasn't born in a golden cradle, I'm from a very humble family, but I'm so proud of it, really proud," Miss Brazil 2018 wrote in one of her Instagram posts. READ MORE: Uvalde Teacher Says Texas Shooting Gunman Salvador Ramos Was a 'Student Who Scared Her Most' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Miss Brazil 2018 Gleycy Correia Dies Aged 27 After Tonsil Operation - From news.com.au Laurel, MS (39440) Today Cloudy skies during the morning hours followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 89F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms in the evening. Cloudy skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A major conference got underway in Laois today as hoteliers from across Ireland gathered in Portlaoise. The Irish Hotels Federation(IHF) event saw hoteliers from the four corners of Ireland attend the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise where a conference on Shaping Brighter Futures for people in the hotel sector is taking place. Focusing on leadership, wellness, emotional fitness, employee development and diversity, the event will hear from a range of expert speakers, including a keynote address from Lord Mark Price who has over 40 years experience unlocking the power of people in organisations. IHF President, Denyse Campbell explained that the heart of every successful hotel and guesthouse is its people, and supporting and developing them is key to long term success. As our sector continues to recover from two incredibly challenging years, one of the top priorities for hotels and guesthouses is developing and retaining our people as well as attracting the next generation of talent into our sector - whether they are joining after formal education, returning to work or seeking a career change. She said: Right across the country hoteliers are investing in their teams, whether through bespoke education and training initiatives such as the IHF Skillnet programme, or through an increased focus on wellbeing, diversity and inclusion at work. Ms Campbell said that with great opportunities available in hotels and guesthouses across Ireland, the IHF is encouraging people of all ages to consider a career in the hotel sector. There are an enormous variety of career paths and training opportunities that are constantly evolving in our sector. This is something I have experienced first-hand since I began my career in hospitality with a summer job working in a hotel, through to today as a General Manager, she recalled. Now is an ideal time to consider a career in tourism given the wide range of exciting options available for people at every stage of their working lives. We know there is an increasing number of people who are seeking greater flexibility in the number of hours they work, particularly those who may be returning to the workforce and this is something hotels and guesthouses are ideally placed to accommodate, Ms Campbell continued. She said: We are encouraging those with an interest in working in a vibrant team environment to find out more about the many opportunities and positions available. Few sectors provide such a wide range of options across a variety of skills levels, backgrounds and interests offering plenty of opportunities to support professional growth while meeting and working with great people and developing skills. A national database of live opportunities in the tourism industry is available at tourismcareers.ie. Tourism is Irelands largest indigenous industry, providing employment in every town and country in Ireland. Before the pandemic, over 270,000 livelihoods were supported by the tourism and hospitality sector, equating to 1 in 10 of all Irish jobs, with 70% of these jobs located outside Dublin. These jobs are crucial to communities, especially in many parts of regional Ireland where tourism is the only show in town. A new shop which has opened on Portlaoise's Main Street availed of the Vacant Commercial Property Incentive Scheme, a collaboration between Laois County Council and Laois Chamber which was launched in Portlaoise as the pilot town in March 2022. The scheme was introduced to encourage the uptake of vacant premises in the Town Centre by new and existing businesses, offering business owners who are interested in leasing or renting vacant premises a potential package of up to eleven different grants, supports and incentives. S&S Soap Sisters recently opened their new store in the heart of Portlaoise at 82 Main Street, stocking a luxurious range of handmade and organic bath salts, body scrubs, candles, soy wax candles, bath bombs, pillow mists, lip balms, soy wax melts, reed diffusers and sumptuous soap bars. Originally from Cashel , sisters Samantha Moloney Murphy and Sinead Moloney founded S&S Soap Sisters in 2020. Speaking about the opening of their new store, Samantha said, We wouldnt have been able to open our store without the Vacant Commercial Property Incentive Scheme. We have availed of a number of supports and grants, including the Shop Front Grant Improvement and Accessibility Scheme, Facade Enhancement scheme, Shop Fit Out Grant, and HR advice session with Iridium HR. Opening our new store is our biggest milestone and one of our proudest moments to-date, and we are really excited! Denise Rainey of the Business Support Unit, Laois County Council, said, The Business Support Unit are delighted to see such a fantastic business opening on Portlaoises Main Street. This is the first business to avail of the new Vacant Commercial Property Incentive Scheme. I hope this might encourage others thinking of opening or setting up a new businesses to contact the Business Support Unit in Laois County Council to find out about the incentives and supports that are available to new and existing businesses. Caroline Hofman, CEO of Laois Chamber said, We are delighted to have collaborated with the Business Support Unit in Laois County Council on this important incentive. Whilst Portlaoise is the pilot town for this scheme, we are looking forward to the scheme being extended to other parts of the county. On behalf of Laois Chamber, I would like to congratulate S&S Soap Sisters on the opening of their new store. If you are interested in availing of the Vacant Commercial Property Incentive Scheme, please contact Denise Rainey, Business Support Unit Laois County Council on 057 8664103, visit www.laois.ie, or contact Laois Chamber on 085 2566522 or e-mail info@laoischamber.ie A young man who drove around with a blue flashing light on his car pretending to be a garda during a Covid-19 pandemic lockdown has avoided a jail term despite the judge being annoyed by his general attitude. Dorian Brylewicz (23) and another man stopped a number of people in April 2020 claiming to be gardai. Brylewicz was driving the Audi A3 with a blue flashing light on the dashboard when he stopped one man walking his dog. The men claimed they were gardai but when the walker asked for identification they got back into the car and drove off. Brylewicz stopped a Dublin bus driver and claimed he was a garda and had to inspect the bus but didnt go any further after the driver asked for identification. A third man was also approached by the pair posing as gardai and the man asked for a badge or some sort of garda identification. The co-accused ran at the man with his hand raised and the man injured his hand when he put it up to protect himself. The co-accused then tried to take the mans phone as he was trying to call gardai. Brylewicz, of Mulberry Park, Carpenterstown, Castleknock, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to impersonating a member of an Garda Siochana at Carpenterstown Road, Castleknock, Dublin 15, on April 19, 2020. He also pleaded guilty to theft in May 2019. The court heard he advertised a phone for sale on donedeal.ie and took a payment of 560 from a Cork man for the phone into his then partners bank account. Brylewicz was not on bail for the theft when he impersonated the garda in April 2020. His previous convictions include 10 for road traffic and one for the theft of a bicycle. Responding to a submission from Brylewicz's defending barrister that he was under the influence of a negative peer group at the time, Judge Nolan said he conned a young fella from Cork out of his money, prior to impersonating a garda. It seems your client has a severe attitude problem. He thought the law was for everyone else but not him, Judge Nolan continued. How many chances should he get? I am not impressed with the accused and his general attitude, the judge said. He said he did accept that Brylewicz is working now and said it seems his mentality has since changed. And if I am to believe his counsel, he is remorseful, he continued. But does he deserve jail, that is the question. Despite the defendant annoying me in the extreme, in my view it would be unjust to imprison him Judge Nolan said. He sentenced Brylewicz to 18 months in prison which he suspended in full on condition that he pay 5,000 within three months to the prosecuting garda, 4,000 of which is to go to a charity in the Castleknock area and 1,000 for the individual he stole the money from. Judge Nolan said he wanted to clarify the reason for ordering that Brylewicz raise the 5,000. The first thing I decide if he should go to jail. I decided, with some reluctance, that he should not go to jail. This is a way of punishing him and reminding him that he did wrong, Judge Nolan said. The court heard that in May 2019, a man from Cork agreed to pay 560 for a phone advertised on donedeal.ie. He lodged the money to the bank account provided but never received the phone. He contacted the gardai and provided them with the account number, which was later traced to Brylewiczs then partner. She later admitted that Brylewicz had asked to use her account, he was arrested and made admissions. The court heard that a year later, during the lockdown in April 2020, a man was out walking his dog when a car when an Audi A3 with a blue flashing light on the dashboard came up beside him. Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting said Brylewicz was the driver. She said that a passenger, who was previously sentenced, got out and indicated he and the defendant were gardai. The pedestrian asked for identification and the passenger said nothing in reply and got back into the car. The car later pulled up next to a Dublin city bus and the defendant walked up to the door and got on the bus. He said he was a garda and that he had inspect the bus. The bus driver asked the defendant for identification. He asked the driver if he trusted him but he wasn't aggressive, the court heard. Later on that same night Brylewicz and the other man approached the final man who was injured when he raised his hand to protect himself. Gardai were able to link the registration of the car to Brylewicz and went to his home address the next day. They found the car parked near the house and noticed suction marks on the car windscreen where the flashing lights would have been. The defendant told gardai that he and his friend were drinking and that they just wanted to try out the light. He said it had all being just a prank and said there was no intention to rob people. A Laois man has been honoured for his work in developing potato productivity across sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. John Burke, a native of Middlemount, Rathdowney was among four people recognised at the WPC Industry Awards which were presented during the 11th World Potato Congress held in Dublin recently. The recognised the outstanding work of four people in the international potato industry. Dr. Burke dedicated four years of his retirement to volunteer with Vita, an Irish NGO, working in Ethiopia and Eritrea to develop potato productivity across subSaharan Africa. Farmers there battled with old, diseased seed tubers. They cultivated crops on tiny holdings without the potential for crop rotation; they lacked fertiliser, fungicide and knowledge. While giving seminars and workshops to farmers, agronomists, regulators and extension staff in Ethiopia and Eritrea, John became acutely aware of the lack of quality teaching material. His book: Growing the Potato Crop, published in 2017 combines scientific rigour with farmer-friendly language and is credited with improving potato output across sub-Saharan Africa and is largely based on Johns own expertise, accumulated through his experience of crop research with Teagasc, Vita and the potato farmers of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Published with sponsorship from the Irish Potato Federation and the late John OShea (Iverk), the book is now translated into several languages and made available free of charge to potato agronomists in developing countries. Over 12,000 farmers in East Africa have already seen improvements in their potato yields and the programme is now extended to five more sub-Saharan countries. John Burke lives in Carlow and continues to support PhD and MSc visiting students. Other award recipients were Professor Paul C. Struik, the Netherlands, Antoon Wallays, Belgium, Richard W. Okray, US. A new blueprint for the historic Fort in the heart of Portlaoise is set to be launched this week with the organisers hoping the plan can be a roadmap for it to become a big attraction for visitors to Laois. The Laois Heritage Society is inviting the public to attend the launch, the Fort Protector Plan meeting on Thursday, June 23 in the Midlands Park Hotel. The plan is collaborative project between Laois Heritage Society, Laois Heritage Office and Laois County Council and the Heritage Council of Ireland. "The launch of the final report on the status and conservation of the Fort of Maryborough in June 2022 is a very significant project for the Society. It signposts the way to make this unique and historic site, which has significant national and international overtones but was hidden in plain sight in Portlaoises old historic quarter for generations, into a major visitor attraction for the town and county," says the society. The plan will be launched at 8pm by the Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Cllr Conor Bergin. The guest speaker will be Richard McLoughlin of Lotts Architecture. The launch coincides with the holding of the Old Fort Festival in Portlaoise which celebrates the history of the quarter. Laois County Council has invested heavily in the area in recent years when the centrepiece of spending being an overhaul of Fitzmaurice Place. The start of construction of a world-class 200 million Glanbia cheese factory signals a prosperous future for rural Ireland and family farms, according to Laois Offaly Fine Gael TD said. Deputy Charlie Flanagan said the hugely significant national project will support 80 jobs, as well as the incomes of over 4,500 family farms. Deputy Flanagan said his party has campaigned for the project, which was the subject of a long and contentious planning process, to proceed. Fine Gael have fought hard for the people of rural Ireland and our work has clearly paid off with the turning of sod at the sight of the new continental cheese factory in Co. Kilkenny today. The facility, which is expected to produce cheese for global markets by 2024, will yield over 50,000 tonnes of continental cheese per year utilising around 450m litres of milk from Glanbia suppliers. Glanbia is a hugely important contributor to the economy of rural Ireland and is a lifeline for many workers across the country. Over 1.2 billion was paid to farm families for milk last year, with Glanbia Co-op being the largest purchaser and user of Irish grains. Deputy Flanagan added: Not only will this project support rural Ireland and family farms, but it will also be one of the most sustainable continental cheese production facilities across Europe. By allowing for in-house milk processing, transport movements and costs will further be reduced. In addition to the 80 high-skilled job opportunities on offer once the facility is opened, over 400 jobs will be created during construction. It is estimated that the new production facility, located in rural Ireland, will support almost 1,400 jobs across the wider economy. This project has faced significant delays and the focus now must be to ensure it is fully operational as soon as possible in order to support the 4,500 family farms who supply milk to Glanbia every day. We will continue to fight for rural Ireland and farming families and look forward to feeling the positive impact of this important project in action, he said. An Taisce lost a court battle against the decision of An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for the development the joint venture between Glanbia and Dutch company Royal A-Ware at Belview Science and Technology Park at Slieverue. The argued that the development would add significantly Irelands carbon and pollution footprint. A Laois village has been offered the opportunity to take on a vacant primary school described as "an eyesore" by the Parish Priest. Ballyroan village near Portlaoise already uses a small former school for community groups as well as a big community hall, but a third building is up for grabs. The offer was announced by Parish Priest Fr Paddy Byrne at a public meeting held by Ballyroan Community Development Association about 'the future of Ballyroan' held on June 21. The former boys school, which Fr Byrne describes as "an eyesore" is lying idle for the past five years and is now overgrown. "The parish has a responsibility to be part not just of tradition but of developing the future. We are happy to divest the building for a prolonged period of time to people who will be trustees of the project. It would be entirely up to the trust to maintain. "It is an absolute eyesore in the heart of the community. It needs huge investment. You need to take ownership of that task. This has worked very well in Stradbally, Ballinakill and Raheen where they availed of grants. All it needs is a spark to get going. You need finance initially then you can avail of funding. "The day of the parish priest getting calls about a broken window will be gone, let the community take over. Good luck in that endeavour," Fr Paddy said. The announcement was welcomed by Cllr Barry Walsh at the meeting. "Fr Paddy is very forward thinking and proactive. Thank you it would be great to get that eyesore sorted out," he said. Mary Whelan is chair of Ballroan Community Development Assocation. "It is a fantastic announcement just in time for our meeting. It bodes well for the future," she said. The association is urging locals to get in touch to volunteer and give ideas on how to develop the school and the village in general, with many community grants on offer. Scoil Faolain Naofa NS closed in 2017 when it amalgamated with the girls school Scoil Bhride NS to move into a new school and building, Scoil Eoin Phoil Naofa II. The Department of Education agreed in 2021 to relinquish its interest on the building following a request by the owners. That interest had been secured because public money had been invested in the school. Laois County Council inspected the building last year to determine whether it should be placed on the Derelict Sites Register. A Laois Tidy Towns group is celebrating this week after winning another national award for their town, and looking ahead in hopes of winning the National Tidy Towns 2022 competition outright this year. Abbeyleix was awarded the title of Ireland's Best Kept Small Town in an exciting ceremony at the Titanic Hotel in Belfast. The award is for the whole island, hosted by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council and the Department of State for Rural and Community Development. Chairperson Robbie Quinn represented the group at the awards and told the Leinster Express about the moment Abbeyleix was named as the winner. "I was blown away when our name was read out. All the nominees would have been worthy winners, but we are delighted they choose us. "While we had absolutely no idea what chance we had, we felt the connection of the awards being held in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast and the fact the carpets from the ill-fated Titanic were woven in Abbeyleix it could only be a good omen. "Even if we hadnt won I saw it as an opportunity to market Laois to our friends in Northern Ireland as a county well worth visiting. As a member of the Laois Federation of Tidy Towns Group, I see first hand the excellent work being done in every village and town around the county and all of these places are worth a visit," he said. He credits the win to the huge group of passionate volunteers in Abbeyleix. "While these awards are brilliant and mean so much, they are not something that we measure our true success on. Our true success can be seen when you pass through or visit the town and look how well its kept and maintained by the community. Each of our volunteers have their own mental awards from the small wins we get every day working to make Abbeyleix a better place to live, work and visit. "Our volunteers make a real difference in the areas of litter, maintenance, sustainability, climate action, biodiversity, and inclusivity. All these little wins have led us to these national awards, and we see national titles as deserved recognition for all this hard work by so many people, all year round," Robbie said. It is the third win for Abbeyleix in the past year, having won the Pride of Place award in its population category of 1,000 to 2,000 people in May, and Ireland's Tidiest Small Town at the national Tidy Town's award in 2021. The town has also astoundingly won a Gold category award in the National Tidy Towns awards for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, only missing 2020 because Covid forced the awards to be cancelled. The secret to winning golds is "buy in" by all the community, Robbie believes. "Real community, stakeholders and business buy in. Everything Abbeyleix Tidy Towns do, we do for the greater good and the benefit of all. The community see and experience what its like to live, work and relax in a well-kept and maintained town and they start to become involved. Some pick up litter or discard their cigarette butts properly, others put out pollinator friendly flower displays or paint and maintain their houses and estates. "We also have excellent working relationships with our public partners most notably Laois County Council. We are very fortunate to have the help we do but we could always use more," he said. In the past year, they planted another 6,000 trees and got the town's historic stone fountains flowing again, among new improvements. The pressure heats up now with judges likely to drop by any day in June or July for the 2022 National Tidy Towns Awards. Abbeyleix was just one point behind the overall national winners Ennis last year. "The competition is intense with 24 towns within eight marks. We would appeal to people especially for the next couple of months to be extra vigilant on littering and tidiness as we could receive a visit from an adjudicator unannounced at any time in the next couple of weeks. "It would be lovely if we won. The last couple of points will be the hardest got," Robbie Quinn said. A woman had no water for weeks as it was brown coming from her tap in an estate in Laois. The latest sitting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District was told council staff are attending the Bruach na hAbhainn estate in Killeen day and night over water issues. Cllr Aisling Moran tabled a motion asking: That this Council bring the water and sewage treatment system in Bruach Na hAbhainn Killeen up to standard, so that Irish Water will then take over the estate. She said water supply had been an issue for residents at the estate for years. The water keeps switching off. We had a girl there last week she had no water. She couldnt use the water for weeks, it was brown coming out of the taps, said Cllr Moran. She praised council staff who regularly attend the estate in order to resolve ongoing problems. The lads were coming out morning noon and night. They were out on Christmas Day, they were out on Stephens Day, she remarked. "> She believes it is time the entire system was upgraded as she argued it would be cheaper to replace the system than continue with repairs. I am looking for the amount of money to date that has been spent on doing the jobs down there, and it is ongoing. The second thing I am looking for is the price of just upgrading the system and I bet you will find that it will probably be cheaper to upgrade it then keep doing the works. Thats the sewerage system as well, Cllr Moran said. Agreeing with his colleague, Cllr Padraig Fleming said: This has been ongoing for years and I always thought that when an estate is taken in charge that Irish Water, they are responsible for the water and the sewerage. He praised the council staff who had looked after the residents and said they have been working at the estate for ten years. He too wanted to know how much Laois County Council had spent looking after water at the estate. Senior Executive Engineer, Philip McVeigh read a response to Cllr Morans motion from A/Senior Engineer, Water Services Section, Trevor Hennessy. He said: Bruach na hAbhainn estate in Killeen is one of a number of estates taken in charge by Laois County Council but not formally taken in charge by Irish Water. Significant capital works are required to the wastewater infrastructure in this estate to bring this infrastructure up to Irish Waters standards for taking in charge. There is currently no funding in the 2022 Water Services budget for these capital works. However, Laois County Councils Water Services Section will continue to operate and maintain the water and wastewater infrastructure in this estate. Cllr Aidan Mullins said a similar issue had arisen at an estate in Portarlington and it has still not been resolved. Cllr PJ Kelly said an exact same situation has arisen in an estate in Ballybrittas. The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) are warning members of the public of recent fraudulent activity targeting customers of Irish banks. Bank customers are receiving phone calls from persons purporting to be from the Fraud Department of a major Irish bank. The fraudsters will have a very well-rehearsed script, and will: inform the customer that there is a problem with his/her bank account, and; that the bank has opened a new bank account for them to protect their funds. This will be an account under the control of the fraudsters. The fraudsters then provide the customer with the new bank account and will ask the customer to go to a branch of the bank and to transfer their money into the new account number that has been opened on their behalf; This new account is under the control of the fraudster and any funds lodged to this account will be stolen! Detectives from GNECB are reminding the public that banks will never contact customers and ask them to transfer money out of their bank accounts and into another account. Banks will also never ask customers for online passwords, PIN numbers for bank cards or one-time codes frequently sent to customers as a security measure during online transactions. If you have been subject to this scam, report it to your local Garda station. Another incident of pollution has occurred in the River Rye near Leixlip - this time involving diesel from a burned out vehicle. Earlier this month, an investigation was launched by Inland Fisheries Ireland after over 500 brown trout died in a serious fish kill in the river. Other species of fish were also killed due to the incident which impacted approximately two kilometres of the river. In the latest incident, Kildare County Council said diesel from a burning vehicle is involved but there are no signs of fish being killed. A statement said: "Kildare County Council can confirm that a further incident of pollution in the Rye River was reported on Tuesday 21st June. "Kildare County Council responded to the issue and our teams were on site to investigate the matter. "The pollution was caused by a vehicle which went on fire, resulting in the spillage of some diesel into a gulley and ultimately into the river via a storm water pipe. "The owners of the vehicle have acknowledged responsibility and are arranging for a company to clean up both the river and the pipe. "Thankfully there is no sign of a fish kill. Irish Water were notified as well as Inland Fisheries Ireland." Inland Fisheries Ireland officers were alerted to the fish kill incident on June 8 and water and fish samples were taken for scientific analysis at an independent laboratory. A statement said at the time: Inland Fisheries Ireland estimates that there could be in excess of 500 mortalities of Brown trout plus other fish species in the impacted 2km (approximately) of river." Inland Fisheries Ireland urged members of the public to report fish kills via its confidential 24-hour hotline number (0818 34 74 24). By Jessica Magee A Dublin man who concealed almost 30,000 in cash in a sock in his mother's freezer has been jailed for 20 months for money-laundering. Darren Kelly (25) pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime amounting to 29,645 at his mother's house in County Westmeath, on October 24, 2019. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Kelly was present with his partner and children when gardai called to the house with a search warrant. An investigating garda told Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, that Kelly accepted responsibility when the cash was found in three bundles in a sock bound with elastic bands in a compartment of the freezer. Kelly, of Foxdene Green, Clondalkin, Dublin was arrested and made no admissions, but agreed that the cash was the proceeds of crime. The court heard that DNA of a third party was found on the sock, but that this person has denied any responsibility for the cash. Kelly, who appeared in court by video-link today/yesterday (WEDNESDAY), has been in custody since January 2020 on separate burglary matters. The court heard he has 61 previous convictions, of which 52 were for road traffic matters, including dangerous driving. Olan Callanan BL, defending, said Kelly was doing markedly well in custody where he worked in the bakery on an enhanced prisoner regime. He said Kelly had completed a course in psychology and had been released on bail earlier this year to attend his daughter's First Communion. Judge Martin Nolan agreed that Kelly was doing very well in prison and was taking steps to reform himself. He said he also took into account Kelly's early plea. However, Judge Nolan said it was quite a serious crime and that Kelly had a significant record of conviction. He sentenced him to 20 months in prison. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Irish premier Micheal Martin to visit Ukraine. The two leaders spoke ahead of a European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday where EU leaders are due to discuss the European Commissions recommendation to grant Ukraine EU candidacy status. Mr Martin said he was delighted to speak with Mr Zelensky and confirm Irelands support for Ukraines EU membership. We are, and will be, with Ukraine every step of the way, he said. Mr Martin has been a vocal advocate for Ukraines fast-tracked membership of the EU, and has used Ireland as an example of how a country can develop through EU membership. Mr Zelensky said that he spoke to Mr Martin on the eve of the historic European Council meeting. He thanked Ireland for its active support of Ukraines European aspirations and the status of a candidate for EU membership. Mr Zelensky added that he invited Mr Martin to make the first visit to Ukraine in the history of bilateral relations. Mr Zelensky has spoken to several EU leaders on Tuesday ahead of the summit including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who he also invited to visit Ukraine. Delighted to talk to President @ZelenskyyUa and confirm Ireland's support for Ukraine's EU Membership at this week's European Council. We are, and will be, with #Ukraine every step of the way. pic.twitter.com/kIdsA6bsGg Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 21, 2022 Ukraine is in the early stages of applying to join the EU, after requesting to apply for membership a week after Russia invaded the country. The European Commission delivered its proposal to award Ukraine candidate status after a fast-tracked analysis of answers to an EU-membership questionnaire. Despite the European Commissions endorsement, it is likely to take years or even decades to lead to EU membership for Ukraine. Mr Martin said previously that the process to apply to join the EU is complex and challenging. It requires considerable work on the part of the country looking to join. Ireland is ready to walk every step of that journey with Ukraine, providing whatever support and encouragement we can along the way. Irelands leader, deputy leader and opposition party leaders have paid tribute in Parliament to the late Austin Currie civil rights leader, SDLP co-founder and Irelands first minister for children. During the tributes given in Dail Eireann yesterday (Tuesday June 21), Mr Currie was commended for his patriotism, his courage, and his contribution to Ireland as an influential Irish public figure. Mr Currie, who died in November 2021, was also described as the spark for the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland, and for spearheading policies around protecting children as the Irish States first minister for children. In the Dail gallery to hear the tributes were Mr Curries wife Annita, his children, including his daughter, Fine Gael Senator Emer Currie, and his grandchildren. Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny was also in the Dail chamber. In 1970 Mr Currie and John Hume were among a group that founded the SDLP. Mr Currie then served in the powersharing Northern Ireland Executive in 1974 as minister for housing, local government and planning. In 1989 he was elected TD for Fine Gael in the Dublin West constituency, and served as a junior minister for childrens rights from 1994 to 1997 as part of the Rainbow coalition a role that spanned the departments of health, education and justice. #OireachtasTV Watch LIVE coverage from the #Dail as Expressions of sympathy for the late Austin Currie are delivered view on Twitter, Facebook & on the Oireachtas TV channel #seeforyourselfhttps://t.co/nvmIPSvgwV https://t.co/5bXgwJEtit Houses of the Oireachtas Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) June 21, 2022 Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that Mr Currie served the state with honour and integrity as childrens minister. Austin Currie was a major figure among that singular generation of Northern leaders. He was one of a group of extraordinary individuals from ordinary backgrounds, who were forced by the degradations of the Northern state, at that time, to confront this appalling injustice. They recognised the power of peaceful protest and they understood that social and economic justice and progress would only be secured through the force of argument. Alongside Austin Curries intellectual capacity, he was also a man of real and significant physical courage. More than 30 times, his family home was attacked by Loyalists and so-called Republicans. And yet, with his colleagues, he persisted. As I said at the time of his death, and I repeat today, our country owes him a great debt for this persistence. Many people are alive today and raising families of their own because of this persistence, and we have peace in our country because of this persistence. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told the Irish parliament that Mr Currie showed the same courage and moral clarity in fighting for the rights of children as he showed in fighting for the rights of Catholics in Northern Ireland. Appointed by John Bruton, he was the very first minister with specific responsibility for children in the history of the state. He was the first minister to call for the creation of a childrens ombudsman, and that was built on by the next government when that office was established in 2002. I believe he showed real bravery in tackling the issue of child abuse and in trying to find real solutions. For example, he wanted to introduce mandatory reporting of child abuse, and started a debate about how the policy might work. It took 20 years but it happened and was achieved under Enda Kennys first government. He was driven by ideas, his belief in people, and thanks to his courage and determination we live in a better Ireland today. Minister for Children and Equality and Green Party TD Roderic OGorman said that very few people will equal the positive impact in one lifetime that Austin Currie had on politics on this island. As minister for equality, I have always been inspired by Austins lifelong dedication to achieving equal civil rights for those so profoundly discriminated against in Northern Ireland. Social Democrat joint leader Catherine Murphy spoke about how Mr Currie lit a spark for the beginning of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. Austin Currie is a really good example of how a seemingly small action can likely spark something that is much bigger. By smashing a window in a council house in Caledon estate in Co Tyrone in June 1968, and occupying that house for just a short few hours, a 28-year-old Austin Currie changed history in that it became a very tangible understanding of the discrimination against Catholics. He built on that momentum to lead the first non-sectarian civil rights marches in Northern Ireland, taking direct inspiration from the American civil rights movement. She said that he became well known for speaking truth to power at a time when it was not only unpopular, it was dangerous. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said Mr Currie was an influential Irish public figure and the first person to be elected to Parliament in Belfast and Dublin and to serve as a minister in both. Whether as a representative of the SDLP or Fine Gael, Austin was often a spirited and determined opponent of my party, and we of his politics. However today, as we reflect on his very considerable life and political career, we pay tribute to his service to his constituents and to his country. Labour leader Ivana Bacik, the Rural Independent Groups Mattie McGrath and Government Chief Whip Jack Chambers also paid tribute to Mr Currie in the Dail chamber. A minutes silence was held in the Dail at the end of the tributes. A legal duty exists on the UK Government to ensure the provision of abortion services in Northern Ireland, a minister has stressed amid accusations of constitutional sabotage and arrogance. Tory frontbencher Lord Caine said the Westminster administration had to act because of Stormonts failure to do so, but insisted it was not too late to avoid intervention by the Secretary of State. The Conservative peer told Parliament it was unacceptable there are women and girls unable to access abortion services in Northern Ireland and said some critics used constitutional arguments about devolution as a screen for their blanket opposition to terminations. Lord Caine was speaking as he faced flak in the House of Lords over a move to empower the Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis to directly commission abortion services in the region. Crossbench peer Baroness OLoan had put down a so-called regret motion criticising the measures, on the grounds they disregard the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly and ignore the devolution settlement. Abortion legislation in Northern Ireland was liberalised in 2019 following laws passed by Westminster at a time when the powersharing government at Stormont had collapsed. But while individual health trusts in Northern Ireland currently offer services on an ad-hoc basis, the Department of Health has yet to centrally commission the services due to a political impasse at Stormont on the issue. The DUP, which is opposed to abortion, had refused to agree to the issue being tabled on the agenda of the ministerial executive. The regulations laid by the UK Government remove the need for Northern Irelands Department of Health to seek the approval of the wider executive to commission the services. It also gave Mr Lewis the power to step in and commission the services himself if the devolved health minister failed to do so. Lord Caine told peers: The focus of the Government and of these regulations is to ensure that Parliaments decision expressed on a number of occasions to give women and girls access to abortion services in Northern Ireland is properly and fully implemented. It is unacceptable that there are women and girls in any part of our United Kingdom who cannot access basic healthcare and access services that have been delayed for far too long. Responding to claims the move flouted the devolution settlement, he said: Some do seem to use the constitutional argument simply as a screen for the fact that they do oppose abortion in all circumstances. Lord Caine added: The Government and the Secretary of State remain under a statutory duty to provide access to abortion services. Even at this late stage and even with these regulations there is still an opportunity for the minister in the Department of Health to take forward the commissioning of services without the intervention of the Secretary of State. We are not, however, prepared to allow the provision of services to be delayed indefinitely. But opposing the measure, Lady OLoan said: The regulations give broad, sweeping powers to the Secretary of State effectively to act as a Northern Ireland minister without having been appointed as a minister and without any accountability to the people of Northern Ireland. Branding the situation as shameful, former Labour MP and non-affiliated peer Baroness Hoey said: When it suits the Government, they want devolution and they believe in devolution. When it does not suit them, they take away devolution, and that is what this is about today. Forget the issue of abortion this is about the constitutional sabotage of devolution and the 1998 Act. DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown said: I trust that everyone understands that under this regulation the opinion of the Northern Ireland Executive is to be totally ignored, totally disregarded. Such is the arrogance of those who bring forth these regulations. But Tory former health secretary Lord Clarke of Nottingham said: I think the British Government the UK Government are entitled to intervene to make sure that the scope and availability of the services that people need are universal across the United Kingdom. Liberal Democrat Baroness Barker said: We are here debating these regulations because of a catalogue of failure of elected politicians in Northern Ireland and of officials to do something very basic to ensure that any woman who needs or wishes to have an abortion can access it in Northern Ireland. Labour leader in the Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon said: There has certainly been no indication at all from the Government, as far as I am aware, that they wanted to be in this position. The regret motion was rejected by 181 votes to 28, majority 153. AN "OUTSTANDING" single block of agricultural land, measuring around 40 acres in County Limerick, will go to auction this week on Youbid.ie. The lands at Ballintona, Galbally, will go for sale this Thursday, June 23 with an advised minimum value of 260,000. The property is located off the R663, around 2.3km from Ballylanders, 3km from Galbally, 18.5km from Tipperary town and 41km from Limerick city. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an "outstanding" 40-acre parcel of agricultural land in one block, said a YouBid spokesperson. "The land is laid out in six easily managed divisions and is suitable for a variety of agricultural enterprises, including beef, dairy, sheep and equestrian. It enjoys extensive front frontage and may offer potential residential sites, subject to planning permission. "Galbally is renowned for its fertile agricultural land and strong interest from farmers both locally and beyond, along with investors looking to receive the benefit of income tax incentives, is anticipated, said the spokesperson. Fifteen properties from five counties are listed in the June 23 auction. See youbid.ie for more details. LIMERICK families are being reminded that they can now apply for the Back-to-School Allowance. Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has opened the applications for the 2022 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. The allowance provides a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear. Minister Humphreys said: As part of a number of targeted measures in Budget 2022, I am increasing the rates of payment this year. Ive also widened the eligibility for lone parents by increasing the income limits for single parent families to match those of two parent families." The rates of payment for each child have been increased this year by 10 to 160 for children aged 4 - 11 and to 285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education. Ukrainian families who have moved to Ireland due to the war will also benefit under the scheme. The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will also be paid to families who are availing of the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukraine on the same eligibility criteria as Irish families. This scheme is extremely important in supporting families in dealing with what is a very expensive time of year, Minister Humphries added The Department of Social Protection is currently processing these payments and customers will receive written confirmation of their entitlement informing them of their automatic entitlement. Families who do not receive notification from the Department of an automated payment should make an application online on even if they received a payment last year. Despite no plans to intervene further on rising fuel costs ahead of the Budget Day in October, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government could not rule out any action if prices continue to soar. While the Government does not have any plans for interventions before the Budget, the Tanaiste said he could not definitively rule out any action. However, if there were a dramatic escalation in fuel prices then the Government would have to intervene, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland on Wednesday morning. The Tanaiste outlined that planning was continuing for the budget in the autumn. This will include immediate measures to assist the public and ensure the country did not slip back into recession, he added. He also ruled out fuel rationing, in light of comments by MEP Mairead McGuinness who warned that energy security in Europe is "precarious". "The German minister said we may need to look at energy rationing - that could be a reality. Its something weve tried to avoid," Ms McGuinness said on Tuesday. However, Minister Varadkar said contingency plans are in place to deal with fuel shortages and he did not envisage any rationing in the country. Leo Varadkar has said the government has drawn up contingency plans in case fuel rationing is required in the winter. But the Tanaiste made clear that he does not believe Ireland will face supply issues. His comments came after Irelands EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness warned of the prospect of fuel rationing in Europe if Russia moves to cut off supplies in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Brussels in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar Mr Varadkar said while there was the prospect of prices going higher in Ireland, he did not think the country would experience issues with supply. We have contingency plans if it turns out that we end up with restrictions on supply of gas and petrol and diesel in the country, he told RTE. I dont think thats going to happen. In the last year or so weve been through a pandemic, weve been through Brexit and weve been through a war on Ukraine by Russia and we actually have had real problems with price stability (but) we havent had problems so much with supply and we do have 90 days reserves. Mr Varadkar added: I envision price being a problem, I dont envision supply being a problem. But we do have contingency plans if that were to arise and we have reserves and if the reserves are on edge, we have contingency plans as to who gets prioritised. But we dont think theyll have to be implemented, but theyre ready if they have to. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has not ruled out visiting Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky invited him to travel to the war-torn country. Mr Martin said he will keep the invitation - in what would be the first State visit from Ireland - under review. Mr Zelensky invited the Fianna Fail leader to the eastern European country during a phone call between the two leaders yesterday (Tuesday June 21). The Ukrainian president also thanked the Taoiseach for Irelands support to Ukraine. Delighted to talk to President @ZelenskyyUa and confirm Ireland's support for Ukraine's EU Membership at this week's European Council. We are, and will be, with #Ukraine every step of the way. pic.twitter.com/kIdsA6bsGg Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 21, 2022 Asked if he will visit Ukraine, Mr Martin said: These are things we keep on a constant review and I had a good discussion yesterday with President Zelensky. Ive kept in regular contact with all members of the Ukrainian government and would have met with the deputy prime minister the week before last at the ALDE conference in Dublin and also with the Prime Minister earlier when he came through Shannon (airport). So we keep that under review, we keep in touch with the Ukrainian government to support them in their endeavour to withstand the ferocity of the Russian attack. Mr Martin said Irelands motivation is to help people fleeing war, and help the families that have been uprooted from their homes. Theyve left their loved ones at home back in Ukraine to protect their children, essentially, in many instances and weve got to do everything we can, along with all of our European Union colleagues, Mr Martin added. The Taoiseach is to travel to Brussels for a meeting of EU and Western Balkans leaders, a two-day meeting of the European Council, and a Euro Summit tomorrow (Thursday June 23) and Friday. Leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine, including its application for membership of the EU, as well as that of Moldova and Georgia. It is expected that an historic decision to confirm EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova will be taken in line with the European Commissions recent recommendations. Mr Martin said helping Ukrainians is a European Union-wide response. Almost 36,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland in recent months. Six million people have been displaced within Ukraine, millions going to neighbouring countries in Europe, Mr Martin added. In my view, Putin has clearly weaponised migration as a tool to terrorise people to leave Ukraine with the indiscriminate bombing. Hes weaponised energy, and he has weaponised famine and food security and that to me is reprehensible. We have to respond from a humanitarian perspective as best we can and were doing that. I think it is important this week as I head out to Brussels this evening for tomorrow mornings series of meetings with the Western Balkans and the European Council, that the European candidacy application by Ukraine looks like now well get support. I look forward to that, because that is significant message from the people of Europe, to the people of Ukraine and that we understand that youre standing by democracy, that you are fighting for the same values that we all cherish, the freedom of the individual, free media and that is something that we cant ever take for granted. So we have to play our part. Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, with 33 party MLAs and seven independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat have left Surat International Airport and reached Assam's Guwahati. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde after arriving in Guwahati, Assam. As per ANI report, a group of Maharashtra MLAs arrived at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. #WATCH | "A total of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde after arriving in Guwahati, Assam pic.twitter.com/YpSrGbJvdt ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 #WATCH | Gujarat: Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, with 34 party MLAs & 7 independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat reach Surat International Airport to leave for Guwahati, Assam. pic.twitter.com/YtWVJEo88n ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2022 This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. Also Read: Threat to Maharashtra government: Are unreachable MLAs joining BJP? Here are 10 points you need to know: 1. Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who was camping in Gujarat before leaving for Assam with around 33 party MLAs following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls said that they have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. His remarks came as speculation is rife that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. In a statement he said, We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva and will carry it further." 2. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. 3. Shiv Sena on Tuesday decided to remove Eknath Shinde as its Legislative party leader after Shinde and some MLAs of his party have gone incommunicado and have been camping in Surat. Sewri MLA Ajay Chaudhary will be the new Shiv Sena Legislative Party leader 4. Amid the drama, Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. 5. Sanjay Raut has alleged that his party MLA Nitin Deshmukh was kidnapped from Mumbai and claimed he is in the BJP's control in Gujarat's Surat, where reportedly a total of 22 Shiv Sena MLAs are camping. He further alleged that Deshmukh was brutally beaten up by Gujarat Police. "MLA Nitin Deshmukh is in BJP control in Surat. He was kidnapped from Mumbai. On Monday night, he tried to free himself. Then he was brutally beaten up by the Gujarat Police and goons. The goons of Mumbai are also there. Violence on Gujarat soil?" Raut said in a tweet. Earlier, Raut had said that over 15 Shiv Sena MLAs have become "unreachable". 6. As the probability of a political crisis in Maharashtra intensifies, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said that there is no possibility of them joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also said that this is the third attempt being made to topple the Maharashtran government. Cross voting happens in such polls, nothing new in that; will find a solution," Pawar reiterated. 7. In the legislative council elections, BJP won five seats while the Sena and the NCP won two seats each. The Congress managed to win just one. The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine has 165 MLAs in the 288-member house, while the BJP has 121 MLAs. 8. The BJP, however, has not yet said it is linked to the crisis. We're minutely observing the turn of events. It's a little premature to say that it'll lead to any changes. It's a handle-with-care situation. We have to see it very keenly. We are observing all situations," Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said. Former Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devedra Fadnavis is in Delhi to meet Amit Shah as crisis brews in the state. It is our tradition that we need to go to our national leaders with sweets, after winning an election. Devendra Fadnavis has gone to distribute sweets among our party leaders in Delhi," Chandrakant Patil told reporters, speaking about the MLC polls. 9. Meanwhile, Congress appointed Kamal Nath as the party's Observer to Maharashtra "in wake of recent political developments in the state. 10. Congress MLAs meet at Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat's residence in Mumbai. Presided over by Maharashtra Congress-incharge HK Patil, meeting had 42 out of 44 Congress MLAs present, along with party leaders Nana Patole, Ashok Chavan, and others. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial's post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. (With Inputs from Agencies) Amid the intensifying political crisis in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday asserted that Uddhav Thackeray will continue to be the chief minister of the state. "Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM. If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said. Thackeray during the day addressed the public via a Facebook live and said that he was ready to step down if the rebel MLAs came forward and tell him on his face to do so. Following this, NCP chief Sharad Pawar accompanied by Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad met the state CM. Shiv Sena's rebel MLAs led by rebel minister Eknath Shinde held a meeting in the hotel in Guwahati where they are staying after shifting from Surat. The meeting lasted about 50 minutes. Shinde claimed earlier today that he has the support of 46 MLAs and the number will rise in the future. "Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," said Shinde. The Shiv Sena legislators have rebelled against the party, plunging the tripartite MVA government, comprising the Sena, NCP and Congress, into a crisis. This comes after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. Thackeray moving back to his private home: Sena MP Raut Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said Uddhav Thackeray is leaving 'Varsha', the official residence of the CM in South Mumbai, and going back to his private residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra. However, he mentioned that Thackeray is not resigning from his post. Share Via Four more rebel MLAs reach at a hotel in Assam's Guwahati: Report Share Via Uddhav Thackeray will remain Maharashtra CM: Sanjay Raut Uddhav Thackeray is Maharashtra Chief Minister and he will remain the CM," said Sanjay Raut, adding that: If we get the chance, we will prove our majority on the floor of the House." Share Via Rebel Eknath Shide says its necessary for Shiv Sena to walk out of unnatural alliance Shiv Sena needs to walk out of an "unnatural alliance" to save the party and party workers, Shinde took to Twitter to say. Share Via BJP has nothing to do with this: Party leader BJP leader Raosaheb Patil Danve, after meeting with Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai, said that his party has nothing to do with the current political turmoil in Maharashtra. No Shiv Sena MLA in touch with us. We have not spoken to Eknath Shinde. This is Shiv Sena's internal matter. BJP has nothing to do with this. We are not staking claim to form the government," said Danve. Share Via NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad at CM's residence NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad arrive at the residence of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. Share Via Thackeray says would be happy to see a Shiv Sainik as his successor He said he would be happy to see a Shiv Sainik as his successor on the CMs post, adding he took up the post despite his inexperience after a suggestion from NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Share Via Some MLAs taken forcibly: CM Thackeray said some MLAs have claimed that they were taken forcibly to Surat and Guwahati. Share Via Have nothing to worry about CM Thackeray said that he is not afraid of any challenge as long as the common Shiv Sainiks are with him. Share Via Will leave CM post if any MLA against me: Maharashtra CM If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers but how many are against me. I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," said the CM. Share Via MLAs could have expressed displeasure in front of me Thackeray said he is ready to leave the official residence of the CM if the MLAs want him to. But when my own people (MLAs) don't want me what I can say. If they had something against me, what was the need of saying all this in Surat, they could have come here and said this to my face," he said. Share Via My resignation letter is ready: Uddhav Thackeray My resignation letter is ready. I will hand it over to the leaders who have disappeared - or have been made to disappear. They can take it to Raj Bhawan. I cannot go because I have tested positive for Covid-19," said Uddhav Thackeray. Share Via Eknath Shinde to brief media today evening Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will address the media from Guwahati on Wednesday evening. Share Via CM to address state shortly Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to shortly address the citizens of Maharashtra amid the escalating political crisis. Share Via Eknath Shinde remains Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader Rebel MLAs have sent a resolution carrying signatures of 34MLA, stating that Eknath Shinde remains as leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party, to the Governor. Share Via Maharashtra CM to interact with the public at 5 pm Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will interact with the public through Facebook Live at 5 pm on Wednesday. Share Via Order for Uddhav Thackeray's meeting with MLAs invalid: Eknath Shinde Rebel Eknath Shinde took to Twitter to say that the order issued to Shiv Sena MLAs warning them to be present at a meeting to be held in the evening is illegal". Bharat Gogawale has been appointed as the Chief Whip of Shiv Sena Legislative Party. So, the order issued by Sunil Prabhu, regarding the Legislative Party meeting this evening is legally invalid," wrote Shinde. Share Via NCP MLAs to meet Sharad Pawar tomorrow Stating that the NCP is standing with Uddhav Thackeray, party leader Amol Mitkari said that MLAs will meet with Sharad Pawar on Thursday. Pawar Sahib said that NCP is standing with MVA. All party MLAs will have a meeting once again tomorrow, Pawar sahib will give some instructions. What will happen next will depend on that," said Mitkari. Share Via Govt is not tensed: Congress leader Nitin Raut After the Maharashtra cabinet meeting, Congress leader Nitin Raut said that the situation is completely under control. There was no point in holding political discussions because the situation is completely under control. CM (during the cabinet meeting) had a smile on his face. You can understand he's not tensed, so the government is not tensed either," said Raut. Share Via Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh returns Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh, who had accompanied party rebel Eknath Shinde to Surat, on Wednesday claimed that some people had forcibly admitted him to a hospital there and he was administered injections though he never suffered a heart attack. He said he somehow managed to return safely to Maharashtra from Surat and pledged loyalty to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Share Via Shiv Sena's warning to MLAs The party chief whip has warned the MLAs in a letter that if someone remains absent from the meeting without proper reason and prior information, they should keep in mind that action will be initiated to cancel their membership as per constitutional provisions. Share Via Shiv Sena's Chief whip asks party MLAs to attend important meeting today Shiv Sena's Chief whip has issued a letter to all party MLAs, asking them to be present in an important meeting that will be held today evening. He has said that if someone remains absent, it will be considered that the said MLA has decided to quit the party voluntarily. Share Via 'We are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks' Shinde said that they have not received any proposal from BJP, nor are they holding talks with Shiv Sena. As of now, we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," he said. As far as the current political situation is concerned, I would say that we are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks and will continue to be Shiv Sainiks. As of now, we are not holding any talks with Shiv Sena or the CM. We have not decided on the future course of action," he added. Share Via We have 46 MLAs: Eknath Shinde Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde was quoted as saying by news agency ANI that they have 46 MLAs in their fold now, including six to seven independents. Share Via Congress and NCP will extend full support to MVA government Maharashtra Congress observer Kamal Nath said that Congress and NCP will extend full support to MVA government. I also had a word with Sharad Pawar Ji who told me that NCP will continue supporting MVA...no other intent. I'm sure Shiv Sena rebels will not taint the state of Shivaji Maharaj," he said. Share Via Attempts being made to kidnap MLAs & take them outside, says Sanjay Raut When such a situation forms in any state, Vidhan Sabha is dissolved. Attempts being made to kidnap MLAs & take them outside. You would've heard MLA Nitin Deshmukh, how was he thrashed, wrongfully hospitalised, teated & injected. He says it was an attempt to murder him, says Sanjay Raut Share Via State cabinet meeting concludes, NCP Ministers leave from the venue Share Via Talked to CM Uddhav Thackeray, no proposal to dissolve the Maharashtra Assembly, confirms Kamal Nath I have talked to CM Uddhav Thackeray and he said that as of now there's no proposal to dissolve the Maharashtra Assembly," Congress Observer for the state Kamal Nath said Share Via Unity will prevail in Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray, says Kamal Nath 41 MLAs out of 44 MLAs attended the meeting here while 3 are on the way. The politics BJP has started is of money & muscle power which is against the constitution. I have seen this a lot...Unity will prevail in Shiv Sena under Udhhav Thackeray, says Congress Observer for the state Kamal Nath. Share Via Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray tests positive for COVID-19, says Kamal Nath Amidst political turmoil in the Maharashtra, Congress Observer for the state, Kamal Nath said that CM Uddhav Thackeray has tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier in the day, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was admitted to a private hospital in south Mumbai after testing Coronavirus positive. Share Via Watch: Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde #WATCH | Maharashtra: Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down and weep as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the MVA govt in the state pic.twitter.com/8tzXK5Urw6 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Share Via All our 44 MLAs are with us, says Minister and party leader Balasaheb Thorat Congress Legislative Party meeting has begun. Cabinet ministers are going for a meeting. All our 44 MLAs are with us," says Minister and party leader Balasaheb Thorat. Share Via Watch: Meeting of Congress party held at the residence of minister and party leader Balasaheb Thorat today #WATCH | Mumbai: A meeting of Congress party was held at the residence of minister and party leader Balasaheb Thorat today, amid the ongoing political crisis in the state. pic.twitter.com/qx6eyYnid0 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Share Via The rise of such politics sets a dangerous precedent for the future, says Kamal Nath Congress Observer for Maharashtra, Kamal Nath who arrived at the residence of CLP leader and minister Balasaheb Thorat said, The kind of politics, that is driven by wealth, in states like Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, is antithetical to the Constitution of India. The rise of such politics sets a dangerous precedent for the future." Share Via Democracy diminishing in country in name of Hindutva, PM Modi and Amit Shah must run the country as per constitution, says Ashok Gehlot Amid the Maharashtra political crisis, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said that that democracy is diminishing in country in name of Hindutva, people aren't understanding now but they'll regret later. These people (BJP) are doing horse-trading & bringing down the govts while law & order situation remains fragile & economy weakens." He further added, They've made a joke of everything. They were hatching conspiracy & were targetting Maharashtra from the very beginning but now it has come to light. PM Modi and Amit Shah should not be arrogant & must run the country as per the constitution" Share Via NCP chief Sharad Pawar reaches YB Chavan centre in Mumbai NCP chief Sharad Pawar has reached YB Chavan centre in Mumbai amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra. NCP leaders Supriya Sule and Ramraje Nimbalkar also arrive. Earlier this morning, State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil and ministers Jayant Patil & Balasaheb Patil met Sharad Pawar at his residence. Share Via Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut hints at the dissolution of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut on 22 June hinted at the dissolution of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly amid the current political crisis in the state. In a tweet he wrote, The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha." .. Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) June 22, 2022 Share Via BJP's goal is to capture entire India, says AR Chowdhury on Maharashtra political crisis BJP's goal is to capture entire India.If an oppn party speaks against them, they don't tolerate it.They're walking the path of building an 'oppn-free India'.First they said 'Congress-mukt' India, now they changed it to 'vipaksh-mukt', says AR Chowdhury on Maharashtra political crisis. Share Via Congress Observer for Maharashtra, Kamal Nath arrives at the residence of CLP leader and minister Balasaheb Thorat View Full Image Congress Observer for Maharashtra, Kamal Nath arrives at the residence of CLP leader and minister Balasaheb Thorat. (Image: ANI) Share Via Had a conversation with Eknath Shinde for an hour this morning, says Sanjay Raut Eknath Shinde is our very old party member, he is our friend, we've worked together for decades. It's neither easy for him nor for us to leave each other. I had a conversation with him for an hour this morning & the party chief was intimated about it, says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut Share Via BJP's pattern to topple Opposition govts, says Nitin Raut Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Nitin Raut on 22 June said that it is BJP's pattern to topple government in the opposition ruled states. It's BJP's pattern to attempt to topple govts in Opposition-ruled states ...be it using ED, CBI or any means that can be of help.... by hook or by crook...They are in haste to dismantle govt in Maharashtra, but won't succeed," he said. Share Via Atmost we might lose power but we'll continue to fight, says Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut while speaking to ANI said that talks are underway with MLAs who are with Eknath Shinde, everybody will stay in Shiv Sena. Our party is a fighter, we'll struggle consistently, atmost we might lose power but we'll continue to fight," he said. Share Via We are upset with NCP, Congress style of functioning, have no complaints against Sena chief: Rebel MLAs A Maharashtra Shiv Sena minister, who is among the dissidents led by party leader Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday said they do not have any complaints against the Sena leadership, but they have been upset with the style of function of the NCP and Congress, the other two ruling alliance partners in the state. The Shiv Sena MLAs, who have rebelled against the party, plunging the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra into a crisis, arrived in Assam's Guwahati city by a chartered flight on Wednesday. Speaking to a TV channel over phone, Maharashtra minister Sandipan Bhumare, who is among the dissidents, said, "We do not have any complaints against the Shiv Sena leadership. We have raised our complaints with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, that it was getting difficult to work with the NCP and Congress ministers. It was very difficult for us to get our proposals and work requests approved from their ministers." To a query, Bhumare said he was given a cabinet portfolio and was satisfied with it. "What else do I need in life. But, as a people's representative, I need to address the grievances of my people. I could not do it properly because of these two alliance partners," he added. Meanwhile, another dissident Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsath told a TV channel that 35 party legislators were in Guwahati. "A couple of more MLAs will join us by today evening. We also have the support of three independent MLAs," he claimed. Shirsath also targeted state NCP and Congress ministers and claimed their "hostile behaviour" forced the Sena legislators to revolt. Share Via Balasaheb Patil arrives at NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai residence After Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse Patil, now Maharashtra Minister Balasaheb Patil has also arrived at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Mumbai. Earlier when Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. Share Via Who is Eknath Shinde? Eknath Shinde has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Share Via Maharashtra minister & NCP leader Jayant Patil arrives Sharad Pawar's residence in Mumbai Maharashtra minister & NCP leader Jayant Patil has arrived at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai. Earlier in the day Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil reached Pawar's residence in Mumbai. Earlier when Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. Share Via Maharashtra Congress MLAs meet to discuss political situation Amid the political turmoil in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Maharashtra Congress MLAs held a meeting at Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat's residence in Mumbai on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by Maharashtra Congress-incharge HK Patil. In the meeting, 42 out of 44 Congress MLAs were present, along with party leaders Nana Patole, Ashok Chavan and others. The meeting took place following the reports that some Shiv Sena MLAs along with party leader Eknath Shinde went "unreachable" and moved to Gujarat's Surat posing a threat to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Share Via Meeting of Congress Legislative Party to take place today A meeting of Congress Legislative Party to take place today in the presence of AICC Observer for the state Kamal Nath. 43 MLAs to be present in the meeting, news agency ANI has reported citing Maharashtra Congress Sources. It further said Kamal Nath and other senior Congress leaders likely to meet CM Uddhav Thackeray after the meeting. Share Via Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil arrives at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Mumbai Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on 22 June arrived at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Mumbai. Earlier when Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. Share Via Shiv Sena MLAs signing a document in Surat hotel last night: check video here Visuals from 21 June inside a hotel in Surat where Shiv Sena MLAs seen signing a document. #WATCH Gujarat | Last night's visuals from inside a hotel in Surat where Shiv Sena MLAs were camping with party leader Eknath Shinde until they moved to Guwahati in Assam, today pic.twitter.com/UWQrAAyhvA ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Share Via Congress deputes Kamal Nath as observer for Maharashtra amid political developments The Congress on Tuesday had deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state to end the crisis. When Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. Share Via Visuals of Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde seen with party MLAs at a Surat hotel on June 21 Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde seen with party MLAs at a Surat hotel, yesterday, June 21. Shinde claims that at least 40 MLAs who are camping in Guwahati, Assam. #WATCH Gujarat | Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde seen with party MLAs at a Surat hotel, yesterday, June 21 As of now, Shinde, as per his claim, is with at least 40 MLAs who are camping in Guwahati, Assam pic.twitter.com/yvYI4rXbhJ ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Share Via Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati Before the arrival of Maharashtra MLAs at Guwahati airport, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati, today morning. The MLAs are staying at this hotel. Share Via Maharashtra cabinet meeting The Maharashtra government will hold a cabinet meeting today at 1 pm amid the ongoing political turmoil, news agency ANI reported. Share Via Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program," Borgohain said. Earlier while speaking to media persons before leaving from Surat, Shinde said that they have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva and will carry it further," he said. Share Via Rebel Sena MLAs arrives at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with with 33 party MLAs and seven independent MLAs, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel left Surat International Airport and have reached Assam's Guwahati. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva," said Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde after arriving in Guwahati, Assam. As per ANI report, a group of Maharashtra MLAs arrived at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. Share Via Click here to read the full article. The death toll in Afghanistan after an earthquake early on Wednesday is at least 920, with more than 600 injured, according to Reuters. The earthquake struck some 44km from Khost in southeastern Afghanistan just after 01:30am local time. Most of the injured and dead were asleep at home. Several hundred homes were destroyed and the death toll could rise, according to Afghanistans Taliban head of state Hibatullah Akhundzada. Afghanistans deputy minister for disaster management Sharafuddin Muslim said at least 920 people had been killed and a further 600 injured, at a news conference. The devastation caused by the earthquake include villages razed to the ground. There have been landslides and destroyed mud houses in the eastern province of Paktika, according to the BBC. Every street you go, you hear people mourning the deaths of their beloved ones. Houses are ruined, a local journalist in Paktika province told the BBC. Rescue operations are on and the Taliban has called on aid agencies to help. A severe earthquake shook four districts of Paktika province, killing and injuring hundreds of our countrymen and destroying dozens of houses. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe, tweeted Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government. The quake was of 6.1 magnitude, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, and tremors were also felt in neighbouring Pakistan and India. My condolences & prayers go to the Govt & people of Afghanistan for the loss of lives suffered in the earthquake. I have asked the KP Govt to especially facilitate provision of all medical assistance, tweeted Imran Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party rules the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or KP province of Pakistan that shares a border with Afghanistan. My condolences & prayers go to the Govt & people of Afghanistan for the loss of lives suffered in the earthquake. I have asked the KP Govt to especially facilitate provision of all medical assistance. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 22, 2022 Afghanistan is a region prone to earthquakes, with more than 7,000 people over the last decade, per the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Her recent run as Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webbers musical of the same name may not have had a fairytale ending after closing early 10 days ago but West End star Carrie Hope Fletcher has already magicked up a new role. Fletcher is set to play the lead in a new production of Bertolt Brechts The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Rose Theatre in London. She will star as Grusha Vashnadze, a servant who rescues her mistresss baby boy after hes abandoned during a coup, and raises him to be good and generous. Later, Grushas mistress tries to take back the baby, sending soldiers in to capture him, until Grusha eventually stands trial and is proclaimed to be the true mother of the child. Steve Waters has written a new version of the play, which will be overseen by the Rose Theatres artistic director Christopher Haydon. Michael Henry will compose the music. The news comes following the dramatic denouement of Cinderellas 10-month run in the West End. The musical, with a book by Promising Young Woman writer-director Emerald Fennell and lyrics by David Zippel, opened in August 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic after being delayed several times as Lloyd Webber publicly battled the U.K. government on pandemic regulations. The musical got off to an inauspicious start after the press night was cancelled at the last minute when a castmember tested positive for COVID and was then forced to temporarily shut down over Christmas, traditionally the West Ends most profitable season, due to a COVID-19 surge. In March, Lloyd Webber suddenly announced he would be shuttering the production, much to the cast and crews surprise and anger, leading to protests outside the theater. One actor, Georgina Castle, who played one of Cinderellas step-sisters, even told the Daily Mail that her dream of buying a home fell through after her mortgage lender heard the show was closing and pulled out. The final show took place 10 days ago. After the curtain came down for the last time, director Laurence Connor joined the cast on stage to read out a statement from Lloyd Webber, who did not attend in person. The missive, which called the production a costly mistake, was met with boos from the audience. In a statement posted later on social media, the West End impresario sought to clarify his comments, saying his words had been misunderstood. Lloyd Webber is reportedly planning to fully overhaul Cinderella, for which he composed the music, before relocating it to Broadway. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A chaotic scene ensued outside the Santa Monica courthouse on Tuesday after the latest legal verdict to go against Bill Cosby in connection with sexual assault allegations. The few minutes of mayhem occurred shortly after Cosby was found to be liable of sexually abusing a 16-year-old in 1975 after she accepted his invitation to the Playboy Mansion. Judy Huth, who is now 64, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that she was elated by the civil jurys decision in her favor. As Cosbys team took their turn at the media microphones outside of court, their words were drowned out by screams from protestors. Bill Cosby is guilty! a woman yelled, shouting over Cosbys team at the podium and brandishing him a serial rapist in light of the disgraced comedians reckoning with sexual assault allegations from dozens of women. Cosby was incarcerated in Pennsylvania for three years in connection with a 2004 assault case. His 2018 conviction was reversed by a state appellate court, and he was released from prison in June 2021. On Tuesday afternoon, a civil jury found that Cosby sexually abused Huth when she was a minor. The jury ordered Cosby to pay her $500,000 in damages. Though the jury determined that Cosby was liable, they did not award Huth punitive damages. A handful of Cosby survivors, who previously testified against him in criminal trials, were present throughout the trial this month. They were out in force on a warm Santa Monica afternoon when the verdict came in today. Were angry. Were upset, one woman shouted as Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt tried to address the news media. We want laws changed to put abusers like Cosbyin jail, she shouted. Wyatt, who has been Cosbys consistent mouthpiece during his legal travails, followed comments from Huth and her representative, high-wattage civil rights attorney Gloria Allred. Not surprisingly, Wyatt put a different spin on the decision. What happened today wasnt a victory. They didnt get the punitive damages, Wyatt said, countering Allreds triumphant tone. The victory was ours because we got to disclose and show what this woman was all about, Wyatt said, speaking of Huth. There was no win here. She would not be getting a dime by filing appeals. But you know what? It just shows the level of people that Gloria Allred seems to go after: people who are not really victims. People who want to victimize other people. Wyatt criticized Allred for going after a Black icon. He then doubled down and called Cosby our Black icon. The spokesman also took issue with Allred speaking about Juneteenth in the courtroom on Monday, when she told the judge that she believed the court should be closed to observe the federal holiday. (In court on Monday, Wyatt was murmuring that Allred was exploiting Black people and called her comments about Juneteenth racist.) Wyatts comments were admonished by a small handful of Black female survivors of Cosby who were present at the courthouse for the verdict. Im a Black survivor! Im a Black survivor! one woman shouted through tears, passionately disagreeing with Cosbys spokesman. Im a Black survivor of him! (These women also approached Variety in the courtroom on Monday to say they were glad that Allred spoke about Juneteenth in court to honor them and the holiday.) As the scene was growing louder, Cosbys lead attorney on the case, Jennifer Bonjean, walked off, saying, This is crazy. Were not dealing with this, Wyatt echoed, only to scurry back to the podium to answer more questions. When asked by a reporter for Cosbys reaction to the verdict, he said, Mr. Cosbys reaction is that he and Mrs. Cosby are happy, theyre proud. Looking at a woman who was shouting at him, Wyatt said, We will let her scream to the public because shes not relevant. All of these women want to be relevant and they come back 50, 60, 70 years later, trying to be relevant. Yall can have this free time and have your 15 minutes of fame, but this is over. Then suddenly pivoting to a different case, Wyatt vehemently shouted that Cosbys criminal charges were vacated in perpetuity. Towards the end of his passionate remarks, a reporter asked Wyatt a direct question: The jury found that Cosby did sexually abused Judy Huth. What do you say to that? Thats why were going to appeal that, Wyatt responded. Were going to appeal that. During her remarks, Allred noted that the case is the first to go to trial under Californias Child Victims Act, which is part of a nationwide reform movement to help victims of sexual crimes seek justice. The legal reform that adjusted statutes of limitations took effect in 2020. Its an important message to other survivors of child sexual abuse that you can sue, even decades after you were sexually abused as a child, Allred said. You do have rights, you do have access to the civil system of justice in order to assert their rights and indicate their rights in a court of law against the person that they accused of sexually assaulting them when they were children. Allreds partner, Nathan Goldberg, who served as Huths lead litigator in the courtroom, echoed those sentiments and explained the larger significance of the legal ruling in light of changing rules for statute of limitations in sexual assault-related cases. There is no other case that Im aware of where someone like Ms. Huth obtained justice 47 years after the fact. And that is what makes this really and truly remarkable, in terms of a lawsuit, Goldberg said. It proves that you can run, but you cant hide. Watch part of the courthouse press conference here: Bill Cosby's team spoke to press after he was found guilty of sexually abusing a 16-year-old in 1975. Protestors chanted phrases like "Cosby is guilty" until his legal team stormed off. Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt: "Real victims don't act like this." https://t.co/cTMg3vuFNr pic.twitter.com/KXplq3bV1U Variety (@Variety) June 22, 2022 Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. At CinemaCon this past April, and now at CineEurope in Barcelona, international exhibitors have cast a curious eye toward the immersive brand ICE Theaters. A relatively new player on the premium field, the ICE (Immersive Cinema Experience) format adds six panels on either side of the screen and fills them visual extensions done in-house at the companys facility in La Rochelle, France. The rooms also adhere to strict technical standards, all sold as part of a package deal. Encoding Requesting the content at minimum three weeks before the release date, ICE encodes each and every title from a secure facility nicknamed the bunker. There, teams of graphic designers create visual embellishments for every frame while choosing suitable effects for each scene. We do a lot of films and the work takes a lot of time, says ICE Theaters sales exec Guillaume Thomine-Desmazures. Were dealing second by second, frame by frame, so we need to be very precise. More from Variety European Holdings Offer ICE Theaters Promotional Boost Approval Studios and distributors are invited to ICE Theaters Los Angeles facility to screen and approve the fully encoded film; the graphic team then retools around their feedback. Once fully approved, and after one last quality control, the script is locked and the files sent to all ICE-equipped theaters. Visuals While the film plays onscreen, the action extends onto 12 LED panels divided between both walls of the auditorium. Designed specifically for the immersive rooms, each panel is produced at an ICE Theaters partner facility in La Rochelle. They create an atmosphere, Thomine-Desmazures continues. They add shape and movement on the side. The audience has no reason to look to the left or to the right. Theyre always focused on the big screen, which is what the filmmaker wants. Projection All ICE immersive rooms are equipped with 4K RGB laser projectors. The key for us is the image, says the sales exec. It has to be crystal clear with a high contrast ratio and well-calibrated definition. For two years people have been enjoying series and platforms from home, so if you want them to drive out to your theater you need to offer something of quality. Sound For sound, ICE opts Dolby Atmos, dotting 53 DK Audio speakers the same devices used in Cannes Palais des Festivals and 35 amplifiers around the auditorium. The sound purity is really there, says Thomine-Desmazures. You can have good home set-up, but to replicate this in your living room youd have to be a millionaire. More for you European Holdings Offer ICE Theaters Promotional Boost Seats The one slight variable in the ICE Theaters set-up, the make and mark of each recliner seat might differ from territory to territory, but ICE does maintain firm standards. We approve the seats, we dont impose them, says the exec. They must be one step ahead of the seats in a standard auditorium, with a minimum width to ensure comfort. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Ildiko Enyedi, who won the Berlin Golden Bear and was Oscar nominated for On Body and Soul, will start shooting the pilot episode of the TV series Angels Trumpets (Angyaltrombitak) at the end of this month. The bloody and humorous revenge story was written by Katalin Besenyei, who pitched it at the Hypewriter TV Series Pitch Forum in 2021 to a jury that had Enyedi among its members. The project was awarded and Enyedi eventually boarded the project, Film New Europe reports. The story takes place in Bekes County, in the southeast corner of Hungary. It is produced by Akos Erdos through Paprika Studios, and it will have its first public screening at this years Hypewriter competition in autumn. RTL Hungary will broadcast the pilot, and if that is a success a full season will be made. The two protagonists of the series are Anna and Jazmin, who were victims of human trafficking and now live in sheltered accommodation in Hungary. After learning that Jasmines sister, 15-year-old Bella, may have gone abroad as well, they set out to rescue her, take revenge on the mafia, and finally be free. In her visual conception for the pilot episode, Ildiko wrote that it was a folk tale, or rather a ballad that reminded her of Joel and Ethan Coens Fargo for its absurdity and humor, but at the same time it is about a quite unreal and yet very close friendship of two girls, Besenyei told FNE. It was a happy coincidence because the scriptwriter envisioned Angels Trumpets as a ballad from the start and one of her early inspirations was Fargo. The series has strong links to the thriller and crime genres, but because two completely inadequate action heroes are trying to take revenge, it causes many comic situations. We want to treat rural Hungary with respectful humor, said Besenyei. The main characters are played by Nike Kurta and Emma Baranyi. Nike Kurta had a supporting role in Eternal Winter (Orok tel), directed by Attila Szasz and produced by Szupermodern Studio. She appeared in the series Therapy (Terapia), which was partly directed by Enyedi and produced by HBO Hungary, and she also played a sex worker in Well (Kut), directed by Attila Gigor and produced by KMH Film. Baranyi is a third-year acting student at the University of Theater and Film Arts in Budapest. Its time for everyone to get to know her because shes a very talented and lovable phenomenon, Besenyei said. The production designer is Imola Lang, who worked with Enyedi on The Story of My Wife (A felesegem tortenete), produced by Inforg-M&M Film and coproduced by Komplizen Film, Pyramide Productions and Moliwood Films. Besenyei graduated in film directing from the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She directed a couple of short films, including My Fathers Doctor Doesnt Practice (Apam orvosa nem praktizal), which was selected for the competition program of the Friss Hus Intl. Short Film Festival in 2017. This article is published in partnership with online news service Film New Europe, which covers film and TV industry news from across Central and Eastern Europe. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was removed from office on Tuesday after an historic impeachment trial in the state Senate, nearly two years after he fatally struck a man with his vehicle. Ravnsborg was facing two articles of impeachment stemming from his role in the 2020 car crash: one for crimes that resulted in death, and the other for malfeasance related to his conduct after the collision. The senators voted 24-9 in favor of the first article the exact number of votes to meet the two-thirds threshold necessary for conviction and removal and 31-3 for the second. Those outcomes triggered a third vote on whether Ravnsborg should be barred from holding future office, with all 33 senators present voting in favor of that. Ravnsborg, a Republican who was elected state attorney general in 2018, now becomes the first South Dakota official to be removed from office more than two months after he became the first to ever be impeached following a vote in the state House of Representatives. For almost two years, the ordeal surrounding Ravnsborg has gripped South Dakota locals and brought national attention to the sparsely populated state. It also became a dominant focus for the states governor, Kristi Noem, who repeatedly called on Ravnsborg to resign. After Ravnsborg pleaded no contest to a pair of misdemeanors over the crash, Noem immediately called on the legislature to move forward with impeachment. Following the vote in the state Senate on Tuesday, Noem celebrated the outcome. After nearly 2 years the dark cloud over the Attorney Generals office has been lifted, the governor said on Twitter. It is now time to move on and begin to restore confidence in the office. Ravnsborg was driving back to the capital city of Pierre on September 12, 2020 when he veered off the road and struck a man named Joseph Boever. The subsequent chain of events is what elevated the crash to a scandal. Ravnsborg claims he did not realize he hit a man that night, and after calling 911, the responding county sheriff loaned the attorney general his personal vehicle to complete his trip back to the capital city of Pierre that night. When he drove back to return the sheriffs vehicle the following morning, Ravnsborg and his chief of staff stopped by the scene and found Boevers lifeless body. Ravnsborg claims that was the first moment he knew he had hit a man. There has been pervasive skepticism surrounding that account, which was a central topic at Tuesdays trial. He absolutely saw the man, said Alexis Tracy, one of two attorneys leading the prosecution. Tracy said Ravnsborg had countless opportunities to do the right thing. In his closing arguments, Mark Vargo, the other prosecutor, probed some of Ravnsborgs comments made to investigators, at one point playing a clip of the attorney general clumsily saying he never saw the man. Youve heard better lies from five-year-olds, Vargo said. Ravnsborgs defense was led by Mike Butler, a well-known attorney in South Dakota, and Ross Garber, a law professor at Tulane and expert on impeachment. Butler and Garber both stressed that Ravnsborgs actions fall well below an expected standard for impeachment, saying that he was charged for essentially traffic violations and that Ravnsborg was not found to be criminally culpable in Boevers death. It must be a serious offense, Butler said in his closing arguments. The senate should not be reduced to a traffic court. Thats not the role you would be playing here. Ravnsborg did not testify at the trial on Tuesday, but he was present in the chamber, seated between Butler and Garber. At varying points during the prosecutions presentation, Ravnsborg was animated, shaking his head and gesticulating in frustration. Following the vote, he hurried out of the capitol with his attorneys and did not respond to shouted questions from reporters. The vote in the Senate was decidedly more lopsided than the one in the House, where Ravnsborg was impeached by a vote of 36-31. A select House committee charged with investigating the matter had also recommended against impeachment prior to that vote. But the Senate proved to be much tougher terrain for Ravnsborg. Just before the vote, only two senators rose to speak against the articles of impeachment. The trial was originally scheduled to last two-days, but the prosecution and defense each rested their case early Tuesday afternoon. Ravnsborg was convicted and removed before 6:00 local time. The gallery in the Senate chamber was about half full throughout the trial. Among those in attendance were members of Boevers family. His widow, Jenny Boever, broke down in tears after the vote to disqualify Ravnsborg from future office. Two of Joseph Boevers cousins, Nick and Victor Nemec, were also in attendance. The pair has acted as familial spokespeople ever since the crash, and spoke of relief following the vote. As he stood in the gallery and looked down at the legislators on the floor, Nick Nemec noted that there are only three Democrats in the Senate, one of whom was absent on Tuesday. By being removed, it allows the people, the citizens of the state of South Dakota to have a little more faith that their government is not a corrupt government, that its not just good old boys slapping each other on the back, Nemec said. Its nearly all Republicans, and they did the right thing. WASHINGTON (AP) Senate bargainers reached agreement Tuesday on a bipartisan gun violence bill, potentially teeing up final passage by week's end on an incremental but landmark package that would stand as Congress response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. Susan Walsh/AP Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against Democrats' urban-centered backers of firearms curbs. That makes it one of the most incendiary culture war battlefields in politics and a sensitive vote for some lawmakers, particularly Republicans who might alienate Second Amendment stalwarts. The legislation would toughen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers, require more sellers to conduct background checks and beef up penalties on gun traffickers. It also would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic bargainer, said would be fully paid for. Resolving one final hurdle that delayed the accord, the bill would prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic violence and not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns. The compromise prohibits guns for a person who has a current or recent former dating relationship with the victim. That is defined in part as one between people who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature." An offenders ability to own a gun could be restored after five years if theyve not committed another serious crime. On another late dispute, the bill would provide $750 million to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that have red flag" laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. States with red flag laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm's removal. Momentum in Congress for gun legislation has a history of waning quickly after mass shootings. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-week July 4th recess by this weekend. The legislation lacks far more potent proposals that President Joe Biden supports and Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully for years, derailed by GOP opposition. These include banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales. Yet after 10 Black shoppers were killed last month in Buffalo, New York, and 19 children and two teachers died days later in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and some Republicans decided that this time, measured steps were preferable to Congress usual reaction to such horrors gridlock. Murphy said that after Buffalo and Uvalde, I saw a level of fear on the faces of the parents and the children that I spoke to that Ive never seen before. He said his colleagues also encountered anxiety among voters not just for the safety of their children, but also a fear about the ability of government to rise to this moment and do something, and do something meaningful." This bill, Murphy said, would save thousands of lives." Before entering the Senate, his House district included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members perished in a 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Top GOP bargainer Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of the pact, Some think it goes too far, others think it doesnt go far enough. And I get it. Its the nature of compromise." But he added, I believe that the same people who are telling us to do something are sending us a clear message, to do what we can to keep our children and communities safe. Im confident this legislation moves us in a positive direction." In a positive sign about its fate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voiced his support, calling it a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, expressed opposition. It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners," the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans especially in the House would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most hard-right voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the proposal. In another measure of conservative sentiment, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that the bill ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a possible White House contender, said it would restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials. The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Cornyn told reporters that he expected at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip have yielded only stalemate in Washington. Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing," Murphy said. This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives. The bill would require that federal background checks for gun buyers age 18 to 20 include examination of the purchaser's juvenile record. That could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The suspects in the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old, a profile that matches many recent mass shooters. There would be hundreds of millions of dollars to expand community behavioral health centers, telemedicine visits for mental specialists and train first responders to handle people with mental health issues. More than $2 billion would be provided to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. ___ Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report. For the first time ever, the world's rarest species of sea turtle has laid eggs on a Texas beach. Experts recently discovered the "conservation success" on the shores of Magnolia Beach: a sea turtle nest containing approximately 45 hatching Kemp's ridley eggs. The turtles successfully made it to the water from the nest, according to a news release. "This has never happened in modern times," said Dr. Pamela Plotkin, director of Texas Sea Grant and sea turtle biologist, in the release. "Sea turtles typically nest on barrier island beaches in Texas and so seeing a turtle nest on a beach inside any bay is rare." Plotkin said there are many miles of unpopulated bay shoreline along Texas' coast, "so it is possible that sea turtle nesting on these shores is more frequent and undetected." Kemp's ridley turtles are the world's smallest, most endangered sea turtle, according to the release. They also happen to be the official state turtle of Texas. Zach Padron and Jason Gonzales, maintenance workers with the Calhoun County Precinct 1 Commissioner's Office, found approximately 25 of the hatching turtles while they were picking up trash on the beach. They also noticed the turtles were heading the wrong way. "I thought, 'We better help them because it's a good ways to the water,'" Padron said in the release. He remembered learning from television shows that hatchling sea turtles are at risk from predators like seagulls. In fact, eggs left on the beach only have a 45 percent chance of hatching, which is why intervention from conservationists can be critical. Padron and Gonzales notified Calhoun County Marine Extension Agent RJ Shelly, who began excavating the turtle nests upon arriving. He found more turtles that needed help emerging from the nest. "Sure enough, once we started excavating, we saw more and more dig their way out," Shelly said in the release. The turtles were within 10 feet of a roadway, making monitoring necessary. Shelly and others supervised the hatching process, ensuring the turtles' safe release into Matagorda Bay. "We let them imprint on the sand and then stood there while they made their run," Shelly said in the release. Video of the rescue and the turtles' incredible journey to the water was also shared on Facebook. Conservation efforts have been ongoing in Matagorda Bay for the critically endangered Kemp's ridley. Decades of efforts from scientists, resource managers, conservationists, and others have helped the species begin to recover, the release said. Plotkin said in the late 1800s a commercial sea turtle fishery in Matagorda Bay decimated the bay's sea turtle population by the early 1900s. "Matagorda Bay is currently a vibrant healthy ecosystem with an abundance of sea turtles that live and feed there," Plotkin said in the release. "Signs of sea turtle recovery in Matagorda Bay are visible now and illustrate how reduced fishing pressure in concert with habitat restoration can save threatened and endangered species." Uvalde school police chief is suspended after weeks of brewing anger over botched response to gunman If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. More than 1.5m of taxpayers money has been spent on garda overtime since 2019 in Co Longford with new figures showing resource levels having declined as opposed to increased over the past three and a half years. The documents, which were obtained on Monday by the Leader under the auspices of the Freedom of Information Act show how approximately 1.57m has been paid to gardai for overtime costs since the start of 2019. The largest annual outlay came last year when over 470,000 was set aside to cover additional hours gardai had spent across both Longford and Granard garda districts on official duty. That figure looks set to be matched or perhaps exceeded this year with almost 240,000 already used up in overtime expenses up until the end of May. In a further revelation, the Leader can also reveal how the number of officers on the pay rosters of both districts have, in fact, reduced since 2019 when issues linked to a gradual rise in feud related activity across the county began to take shape. According to figures released by garda chiefs, both Longford and Granards overall officer count has lessened from a combined total of 141 to 139 across both districts inclusive. The biggest fall off appears to have arisen in Longford, with 90 officers accounted for in May of this year compared to the 102 which were in situ in Longford just two years earlier. There have also been a total of eight retirements recorded over the aforementioned three and a half year period across both districts. Details surrounding the figures have been met with dismay at local political level with a number of local representatives reiterating a desire for increased garda resources. I have repeatedly called for increased garda resources and for six additional gardai for Longford town, said Longford-Westmeath Fianna Fail TD Joe Flaherty, who said he had no issue with overtime spending given the dearth of garda numbers within the Longford district. It has been made known to the Minister (of Justice, Helen McEntee) of the need for greater garda numbers and she is aware of it and while I appreciate allocation and personnel is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, it is incumbent on the Minister to bring pressure to bear on the Commissioner to ensure adequate garda resources are allocated to Longford. The Longford based TD said the issues facing garda management in being able to adequately police the greater Longford area was even more alarming as the figures didnt account officers currently sidelined and unable to take up official duties. The numbers are actually much lower as they dont take account of those that are on long term sick leave, on restricted duty or desk duty, he added. His party colleague and former Joint Policing Committee chairperson Cllr Seamus Butler followed suit and warned of how the figures now posed a challenge to the workings of a recently set up community safety partnership in dealing with crime at a local level. The one thing that the figures dont take into account is the number of people on long term sick leave and if you add that into the mix we are well under the numbers required to properly police, especially the Longford town area that has problems which require greater garda visibility, he said. It actually makes the situation worse and if we dont address these then the whole pilot of the community safety partnership scheme is going to be called into question. Longford Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy said he remained confident Longford was in line for favourable news in terms of additional garda resources and heaped praise on the inroads detectives were making in tackling the countys feud related problems. I spoke on the matter last Thursday (in the Seanad) and I thought the minister gave a very positive response, he said. There are a number of accreditations that are due to come from Templemore (Garda Training College) and I am confident that we will get some of those accreditations. The Leader attempted to make contact with a Garda spokesperson, but at the time of writing, there was no response. A judge has been urged to revoke the legal aid of a Longford woman accused of carrying out a feud-related assault who is due to fly back into the country tomorrow (Thursday) after spending ten days in Turkey getting cosmetic dental treatment done while on free legal aid after getting her bail terms relaxed. Thirty-five-year-old Teresa Dinnegan, 18 Grian Ard, Longford jetted out to the Aegean coastal city of Izmir last Tuesday after Judge Bernadette Owens relaxed her bail terms for two weeks for the purposes of dental work to be carried out. Ms Dinnegan, who together with two other co-accused, is charged with carrying out an assault on another woman inside Penneys, Longford Shopping Centre on March 16. All three were arrested and subsequently charged after an alleged brawl broke out in front of shocked customers and staff, resulting in the stores closure for a number of hours. Details surrounding Ms Dinnegan's bail while depending on the taxpayer-funded criminal legal aid system has led to stinging criticism for a major overhaul. Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy said the controversy was effectively showing two fingers to the taxpayers of Longford and urged for the courts to take a tougher hand when granting bail. When you see people granted bail and given legal aid and then are able to travel abroad on a holiday, I just think there needs to be a review of the free legal aid (system), said Senator Carrigy. I think the judiciary needs to take a stronger view and take into consideration the views of local gardai. We cant have a situation where people have conditions to their bail and then have the ability to leave the country. I dont agree with it. Bail conditions are there for a reason and should be kept and in this case, it needs to be reviewed and revoked. Those sentiments were shared by Fianna Fail Cllr Seamus Butler, who said the controversy illustrated the need for justice chiefs to closely examine an individuals personal financial circumstances before signing off on free legal aid. "If you didn't know better you would think it was some kind of set-up," said local Cllr Seamus Butler. "What this does is it absolutely epitomises regardless of a person's circumstances, the need for a person's means to be rigorously examined because anyone that can go on a trip to Turkey and have cosmetic dentistry carried out needs to be investigated. "What this is is a slap in the face to so many people who are struggling to make ends meet with the cost of living and with so many struggling with fuel poverty. It's a complete and utter circus." Ms Dinnegan is due to reappear before Longford District Court on July 5 when DPP directions will be made known. Longford woman on legal aid allowed to fly to Turkey for dental work A woman accused of assaulting another woman in a Longford department store has been given the green light to fly to Turkey for dental treatment despite being on free legal aid at the taxpayer's expense. The parents of a young mother of three who lost her fight with cancer at the weekend have told of how their daughters legacy will forever be in our hearts. Twenty-eight-year-old Jacinta (Cinta) McDonnell passed away at Dublins Mater Hospital during the early hours of Sunday morning following a courageous battle with illness. Glowing tributes to the popular Longford woman poured in over the weekend ahead of her funeral mass which was held at an emotionally charged St Mels Cathedral this morning. Inside, numerous mourners wore pink shirts in memory of the fun-loving daddys girl with others sporting white custom made t-shirts as floral tributes surrounded the altar. Among them included poignant decorative displays that read mammy, best friend and wife. Cintas great-aunt, Nancy Gavin, in reading out a moving tribute from her distraught parents Mary and William, told of how the young mothers mere presence had a smile that would light up any room she graced. BREAKING: An Bord Pleanala gives go-ahead to Longford developer for 100m Athlone student campus development An Bord Pleanala has given the green light to Longford developer and former AIT student Mark Cunningham for a multi-million euro upgrade of one of the midlands based university. She lived her life for her family especially her husband Ned and their three beautiful children, she said, adding her zest for life knew no bounds. Whenever you needed a laugh or a chat Cinta was the one to go to.. She lived her life for her family, especially her husband Ned and their three beautiful children. Cinta was a daddys girl, she was her mothers best friend and would ring multiple times a day and at night for a chat with her father, mother, sisters and brothers. Mourners were likewise told of how the karaoke loving Longford native valiantly battled for many months against severe illness. You were the bravest girl, you never let the sickness get you down, added Nancy. You fought this battle to the end and we will always be forever proud of you, our beautiful daughter. You always wanted to be a celebrity, well my girl your wish came true. You would have loved all the fuss. We will love and miss you forever, our beautiful princess. God gained the most beautiful angel in heaven. You will never be forgotten Cinta, you will forever be in our hearts. You will always be our hero. Longford's late Niall OHara to be fondly remembered on 150km walk Jessica Thompson speaks to John and Johanna OHara ahead of their 150km trek along the Royal Canal Greenway in memory of their late son, Niall Cintas sister-in-law Joanna Stokes fought back tears as she alluded to how those closest to her will remember the young Longford woman both now and into the future. There wont be a day when we wont mention your name Cinta, she added. We miss you and will love you forever. Following funeral mass, a large convoy of mourners and sympathisers followed the cortege through the town ahead of burial to Ballymacormack Cemetery. The late Cinta McDonnell is survived by her husband Ned, daughters Sherri, Shantia and Milana, mother Mary, father William, sisters Samantha, Shakira, Charmaine and Mia, brothers William, Brandon, Nathan and Leon, mother-in-law Mary, father-in-law Paddy,grandmother, granddad , sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Business & Finance By Ls Cohen Published: June 22 2022 Carrier will stop service on September 7th. American Airlines will no longer be flying out of Long Island MacArthur Airport, according to a post on the airports facebook page on Tuesday. On June 20, American Airlines leadership confirmed that it is suspending service to Long Island MacArthur Airport effective September 7 due to a pilot shortage, the post said. We acknowledge that AA has been a longtime partner here at ISP with a loyal Long Island customer base who are affected & disappointed. We also recognize that the airline industry is struggling at this time, with many adverse situations including high fuel costs, & pilot shortages that hinder systemwide operational performance. In addition to Islip, the Dallas Morning News also reported that American Airlines will suspend flights to Toledo, OH and Ithaca, NY. We hope that when those issues begin to resolve, American Airlines will once again consider serving our loyal Long Island customers, the airports Facebook page said. American Airlines offers daily, non-stop service to Philadelphia, PA out of Islip. (Alliance News) - The EU Court of Justice on Wednesday dismissed a Ryanair Holdings PLC case seeking to annul Covid-19 aid granted to Finnish state-owned airline Finnair. The complaint was part of a string of more than 20 court cases brought by the Dublin-based airline during the pandemic. Ryanair has sought to undo the massive bailouts of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Air France KLM SA and other major EU airlines, with varying success. Finnair was granted over EUR1 billion in aid as part of Finland's measures to support the economy during Covid-19. "The action seeking annulment of the decision by the [European] Commission to approve aid granted by Finland to the airline Finnair is dismissed in its entirety," the EU court said. Finnair told AFP that the "matter has undergone thorough scrutiny in the EU, and the court ruling is in line with our expectations". Criticising the bailouts as "discriminatory", Ryanair Europe's biggest airline in terms of passenger numbers -- claimed that the aid gives a "leg up" for airlines based on their nationality. "The Covid-19 crisis has caused damage to all airlines," Ryanair said in a statement. The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled in Ryanair's favour against Dutch airline KLM and Portugal's TAP, but dismissed cases against Austrian Airlines and Stockholm-based SAS. source: AFP Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Bushveld Minerals Ltd - South Africa focused-vanadium producer - Says feasibility and pre-feasibility studies of Vametco and Vanchem shows potential to increase production by about 50% to 8,000 million tonnes vanadium per annum through existing operations. Does note this growth will require USD151 million capital expenditure. "In acquiring the two plants, Vametco and Vanchem, the company was mindful that significant capital expenditure would be required to unlock the full production and cost potential," Chief Executive Fortune Mojapelo says. "The company was also of the view that a combination of the acquisition and refurbishment costs would cost much less and transition the company into a producer in much shorter time than it would with a greenfield operation. What's more, the company could leverage cashflows to fund and source additional capital to implement this strategy." Expects to hit sustainable production run rate of between 5,000 5,400 million tonnes vanadium per annum by the end of 2022. Current stock price: 6.80 pence, down 6.9% on Wednesday 12-month change: down 55% By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Power Metal Resources PLC - metals exploration company focused in North America, Africa and Australia - Signs agreement with consulting geologist David Knopf to explore uranium prospects in Togo, West Africa. Also plans to establish a wholly-owned operating subsidiary in Togo, to act as a holding company for Togo uranium interests. Notes, should David Knopf find any suitable targets, it will have to pay EUR100,000 in cash and EUR200,000 in shares should it mine the target. Current stock price: 0.99 pence, down 12% on Wednesday 12-month change: down 55% By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass. Hong Kong keeps tracing COVID-19 through sewage surveillance Xinhua) 22:19, June 22, 2022 HONG KONG, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Wednesday that it will distribute around 190,000 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. On Wednesday, Hong Kong registered 1,323 confirmed locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 and 124 imported cases, official data showed. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji) At approximately 13:30 local time, a powerful earthquake struck Afghanistan about 27 miles from the south-eastern city of Khost when many were sleeping in the comfort of their homes. The Taliban has requested urgent international aid, according to folks on the BBC. This earthquake initially killed more than 250 people but a lot were still under the rubble and had to be dug up. By the time the morning hit the Western countries, a death toll of more than 1,000 was reported by all the mainstream media. Also, officials confirmed this won't be the final death toll and more than 1,500 people have been injured from this natural disaster. There are many pictures of landslides and ruined homes in Eastern Paktika province, where first responders have been working non-stop for hours in order to save as many as they can. How strong was the Afghanistan earthquake? According to the official registers from the United Nations Office, the initial magnitudes was believed to be 6.1 on the Richter scale. However, it was later taken down to 5.9 but the destruction it left behind was much greater than the actual magnitude. This tends to happen in places where homes are not constructed properly, they need to get built thinking about natural disasters such as earthquakes. This is the strongest one the region has suffered in the last two decades. Most of the casualties came from the districts of Gayan and Marnal in Paktika, according to local authorities. Local media website Etilaat-e Roz reports that an entire village in Gayan has been leveled by the natural disaster. Earthquakes usually destroy mostly property when they are not as strong, but theones that kill hundreds of people are usually the strongest ones. As it tends to happen with these disasters, the actual death toll won't be known for certain until after a few days this passed. Back in 1998, a similar earthquake struck Rostaq near the city of Kabul. It ended with a massive death toll of 4,000 and 818 people injured. We will keep everybody updated on any new information about the death toll and other details we find throughout the day. Over the last week, there has been a swarm of earthquakes reported in the region but none of them were above 5 in the Richter scale. When a swarm occurs, it's usually because a much greater one is coming. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers bid to repeal the battleground states dormant abortion ban failed Wednesday after Republican lawmakers convened and immediately adjourned a special session without taking any action. Wisconsin adopted a ban on abortion except to save the mother's life in 1849, a year after the territory became a state. The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide nullified the ban. The court is expected to rule this month in a case that could end Roe v. Wade, which would allow Wisconsin's ban to take effect. Lawmakers had to meet after Evers called the Legislature into special session this month, but they were not required to vote on the issue. Republicans blasted Evers' move as a political stunt designed to please the Democratic base as he faces reelection. Senate President Chris Kapenga gaveled in and out in 14 seconds just after noon. Democratic Sen. Tim Carpenter shouted Objection! to no avail. Kapenga walked off the floor without a word. Kapenga later issued a statement calling the special session a calculated campaign move and noting the Supreme Court hasn't yet issued it's decision. About 90 minutes after Kapenga's action, Assembly Republicans called their session to order and adjourned within 25 seconds. Evers has tried several times during his first term to force the Legislature into special sessions to take up popular Democratic bills, including gun control measures, Medicaid expansion and upgrading the states unemployment benefits system. Every time Republicans gaveled in and out without any debate. The governor criticized Republicans for refusing to repeal the abortion ban. (Republicans) are helping to ensure our kids and grandkids grow up in a world where they have fewer rights than we did growing up and thats just wrong, Evers said. Assembly Democratic Minority Leader Greta Neubauer and Senate Democratic Minority Leader Janet Bewley pledged to fight for new legislation. The two-year legislative session ended in March. The next regular session doesnt begin until January. Dozens of people gathered in the Capitol rotunda before Republican leaders took the floor to protest the looming Supreme Court decision and the GOPs plans. Many in the crowd were women. They wore pink T-shirts that read I Stand With Planned Parenthood and Bans Off Our Bodies. They held signs that read The GOP Wants To Party Like Its 1849 and Abortion Is Health Care, and they shouted chants of Not the church, not the state, only we decide our fate! Officials with the state Department of Administration, which oversees the Capitol police, didnt immediately respond to a message seeking an estimate on the number of protesters. A statewide Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday showed that 58% of respondents believe abortions should be legal in most or all cases, while 35% said it should be illegal. Those numbers have remained consistent for years and did not shift after the leak of the U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would undo Roe v. Wade. The state ban will likely be challenged in court should Roe v. Wade be overturned. One major question is how the ban would interact with a related state law passed in 1985 that prohibits abortions after the fetus has reached viability but has an exemption for women whose health could be endangered by continuing the pregnancy. Abortion-rights groups have argued for a broad interpretation of that exemption to include emotional and mental health. Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has said he thinks the 1849 law is too old to enforce. He also has said he won't investigate or prosecute doctors who perform abortions if it takes effect. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which operates three clinics that provide abortions in the state, has stopped scheduling procedures beyond June 25. Clinics in some other places also have halted scheduling. The special session came six weeks after the Madison office of the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Family Action was vandalized. Police have yet to arrest anyone. Tim Michels, a Republican candidate for governor, this week called on Evers to put the Wisconsin National Guard on notice for similar acts and prepare for impending acts of mass civil disobedience if Roe v. Wade is overturned. ___ Associated Press writers Scott Bauer and Harm Venhuizen contributed to this report. Venhuizen 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 https://twitter.com/HarmVenhuizen This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOKYO (AP) A Japanese man accused of defrauding the government of 1 billion yen ($7.3 million) intended for small Japanese businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic was arrested on board a flight Wednesday after being deported from Indonesia, where he fled 1 1/2 years ago. Mitsuhiro Taniguchi, 47, was arrested by Japanese police who accompanied him from Indonesia. He was taken to a police station after landing at Tokyo's Narita airport, Japanese media reported. Police confirmed his arrest. Indonesian immigration official Douglas Simamora said earlier Wednesday that Taniguchi was deported after his passport was revoked by the Japanese government and because he had no Indonesian residence permit. Indonesian authorities arrested Taniguchi on June 4 at a house owned by a fish trader in Lampung province. During his stay there, he described himself as an investor interested in fisheries. Indonesian authorities are investigating whether other people in that country were involved in the fraud scheme linked to Taniguchi. In one case, Taniguchi and his accomplice Koichiro Ota, 34, who was separately arrested Wednesday, allegedly defrauded the government of 2 million yen ($14,700) by submitting a false application behalf of someone lacking eligibility for a subsidy, the Tokyo police said. Taniguchi and a group of acquaintances allegedly submitted about 1,700 false applications for COVID-19 relief funds to the Japanese government and illegally received subsidies on more than 960 of those applications, taking with them about 1 billion yen ($7.3 million), reports say. Police arrested Taniguchis ex-wife and their two sons believed to be part of a larger group in May on fraud allegations and were preparing to place Taniguchi on an international wanted list. The three suspects allegedly defrauded the government of 3 million yen ($22,500) in COVID-19 subsidies from June to August 2020. The case surfaced in August 2020 when the office offering the subsidies consulted with Tokyo police. Taniguchi entered Indonesia two months later on an investor visa. ___ Jatmiko and Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) on Wednesday concluded a three-day Field Mission to Burundi reaffirming its commitment to promoting peace and security on the continent and the need to realise a conflict-free Africa as envisioned in Agenda 2063 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIDDLETOWN A former top city education official claims in a federal lawsuit that she left the district after being subjected to sexual harassment and outright sexual assault by ex-schools chief Michael Conner. Enza Macri, Middletown Public Schools former assistant superintendent who is now Cromwells superintendent, filed the complaint June 8 in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut against Conner in his individual capacity, as well as the Board of Education and city of Middletown. The allegations are baseless and untrue, Conner said Wednesday in an emailed statement. I adamantly deny any wrongdoing. Middletown Public Schools Communications Director Jessie Lavorgna and Board of Education Chairwoman Deborah Cain declined to comment on pending litigation. Macris attorney, Nina Pirrotti also declined to comment. Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim said Macri was a school district employee and at no point prior to the allegations becoming public was the city aware of them. After being on leave since the fall amid an investigation into workplace misconduct, Conner resigned in March after he claimed he received a threatening letter at his home. According to the lawsuit, Conner set his sights on Macri in January 2018. After inviting her into his office, Conner told her to shut the door, and instructed her to sit next to him, the lawsuit stated. The lawsuit stated Macri was wary, as it was rare that she was called into his office alone. In the lawsuit, she alleged Conner said he could not stop thinking about her during the holiday. Conner also claimed he was in love with her, according to the lawsuit. He also attributed their disagreements about MPS-related issues to being like a married couple arguing about what they thought was best, the lawsuit stated. An independent investigation, prompted by anonymous letters sent to the Middletown Union Coalition, into alleged workplace harassment by top central office leaders concluded in May that the ex-superintendent more likely than not made unwelcome romantic or sexual statements and advances toward a senior administrator. A report on the investigations findings did not name the senior administrator. In the lawsuit, Macri alleged the district and school board knew that Conner was repeatedly subjecting her to sexual harassment and outright sexual assault. Yet they took no action to protect her, the lawsuit said. As a result, Macri said in the filing that she suffered from such severe mental and physical distress that she had no choice but to leave the job and community she loved in order to escape the abuse. The lawsuit alleged that Conner told Macri he only pursues a romantic or sexual relationship with women who have just as much to lose as I do. Macri said she began to fear losing her job, and was cautious when politely reminding Conner they both had significant others, that his behavior was unprofessional, and that it was vital that they maintain a professional relationship, the lawsuit stated. Macri is requesting a jury trial on all claims, and is seeking economic, compensatory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief, including the defendants be permanently restrained from engaging in unlawful employment practices. The suit is based on 11 counts, including against the BOE and city the creation of a hostile work environment and failure to supervise and retaliation in violation of Title IX. The lawsuit said Conner violated the equal protection clause, engaged in intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, as well as assault and battery. Conner allegedly repeatedly professed his sexual feelings for Macri and told her he was in love with her, the lawsuit stated. She turned the conversations to work-related issues, but Conner parried her attempts to change the subject by rationalizing that she just did not want to admit that she felt the same way about him, the lawsuit claimed. Macri said Conner referred to women administrators as girls, and treated them disproportionately poorly, but never used boys or other juvenile terms when talking about men, the lawsuit stated. During one January 2018 instance, the lawsuit stated, Conner allegedly told Macri to stay in his office after a meeting. He pulled his chair close to Dr. Macri so their knees were touching, and told her he was in love with her and could not stop thinking about her, the lawsuit stated. He also told Macri he could not get her out of his head, and wanted to divorce his wife because she wasnt right for him like Dr. Macri was, the lawsuit stated. In the lawsuit, Macri said Conner didnt speak with her for two weeks in early 2018 after she rebuffed his advances. This was just the beginning of Dr. Conners campaign to wield sexual power over Dr. Macri, the lawsuit stated. In November 2018, Macri told Conner she wanted to leave the room. According to the lawsuit, Conner replied by saying she could leave if she gave him one kiss. As Macri pushed past him, the suit claimed, she tried to open the door, but he leaned in to kiss her. Dr. Macri turned her face quickly and Dr. Conners lips landed on her cheek, very close to her lips. Disgusted and terrified, Dr. Macri pulled the door open and rushed out of the room. Macri left the district and assumed the role of Cromwell superintendent in August 2019. Robert Cohen/AP LONDON (AP) The number of new coronavirus cases rose in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe last week, while the number of deaths globally dropped by 16%, according to the World Health Organization's latest weekly pandemic report issued Wednesday. The WHO said there were 3.3 million new COVID-19 infections last week, marking a 4% decrease, with more than 7,500 deaths. But cases jumped by about 45% in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and by about 6% in Europe. Southeast Asia was the only region to report a slight 4% increase in deaths, while figures fell elsewhere. Globally, the number of new COVID-19 cases has ben falling after peaking in January. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) The final phase of jury selection in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began Wednesday with prosecutors and defense attorneys asking candidates about their job histories, opinions on law enforcement and racial minorities, whether they own guns and if they could handle viewing gruesome crime scene photos. The final 83 candidates remaining from about 1,800 who began the three-step process back on April 4 are being brought back to Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer's courtroom in four groups over two days, the first two undergoing questioning Wednesday. The 23 men and 15 women in the groups come from diverse backgrounds. An airline pilot. Bankers. A circus fire eater and stilt walker. A city councilwoman. Grocery store and Walmart workers. A loading dock supervisor, a human resources manager, a special education teacher, a new self-help author, a librarian, computer techs, a longshoreman and retirees. They appeared to range from their 20s through their 60s and at least 17 appeared to be racial minorities. Two volunteered they are gay. About a third said they own guns. Some are U.S. military veterans. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 14 students and three staff members at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After the finalists are questioned, 12 jurors and eight alternates will be selected on Tuesday by the attorneys and judge for the four-month trial that will decide if Cruz is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. The trial is scheduled to start July 6. While lead prosecutor Mike Satz mostly asked straight-forward questions Wednesday about the panelists' backgrounds, assistant public defenders Nawal Bashimam and Tamara Curtis followed with more wide-ranging and open questions, their motivation not always obvious. About half the men raised their hands when Bashimam asked if any panelists play violent video games and most panelists said they have strong animosity toward people who torture animals both something Cruz did in the years before the shooting. When Bashimam asked the first group if any believed in the existence of white privilege the assertion that white people in the U.S. have societal advantages over minorities about half raised their hands, including some of the white ones. The pilot, an Air Force veteran, interjected to strongly disagree, saying this country provides opportunities to all who work for it. The book author, who is Black, agreed with him. All said they could remain fair toward Cruz even after they see crime scene and autopsy photos and walk the still blood-stained and bullet-pocked Stoneman Douglas classroom building where the massacre occurred. A retired U.S. Customs agent said he did recovery work at the World Trade Center in 2001 after the 9-11 terrorist attack, so he's already experienced something similarly horrific. A firefighter and nurse agreed when asked if some people aren't cut out to see such photos. The jury selection process was expected to take only about a month, but turned into a slog because of attorneys' illnesses and controversies. Those included a threat by Cruz's lead public defender, Melisa McNeill, to withdraw if Scherer proceeded when a member of her team became ill. Scherer resumed the trial the following day, the ailing attorney sitting at the defense table. That resulted in a defense motion that the judge remove herself from the case as biased. Scherer rejected that motion.. Still undecided is a motion by the defense to delay the trial because of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead. The defense argues that the shooting has again raised emotions in Broward County and makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. During Tuesday's final selection, each side can try to convince Scherer that certain candidates are biased and ask her to dismiss them. If she refuses, they will each also have at least 10 peremptory challenges where they can dismiss a potential juror for any reason except race or gender. When a jury is finally seated, it will have to decide whether the aggravating factors such as Cruzs multiple victims, his planning, the terror he created and the cruelty he showed outweigh such mitigating circumstances as his long history of mental and emotional problems, his possible sexual abuse and the death of his parents. For Cruz to get death, the jurors must unanimously agree. If one or more vote for life, that will be his sentence. Groton Town Police Department / Contributed Photo GROTON A Massachusetts man is being held on a $500,000 bond for sexually assaulting a person in Groton last year, Groton police said Wednesday. Jonathan D. Tobey, 38, of Yarmouth, Mass., was charged with first- and third-degree sexual assault. He is scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Thursday. As the jury in the "Fat Leonard" trial deliberates the fate of five former officers charged with bribery, defense lawyers made new allegations that federal prosecutors were improperly withholding evidence that could help their case. In a motion filed Friday, lawyers for the five said that they uncovered information that a federal agent who was key in the sprawling investigation of military contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, known as "Fat Leonard" for his immense size, made inaccurate statements in a sworn arrest warrant affidavit in a strikingly similar case a year ago. At a brief court hearing Tuesday, lead prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pletcher did not address the accusations and told U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino the government would write a response to the motion. It is the latest allegation from defense lawyers about prosecutorial misconduct in the trial that began in February. The defendants former Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless; former Capts. David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman; and former Cmdr. Mario Herrera are charged with conspiracy, bribery and fraud. They are accused of accepting bribes from Francis and in return helping his Singapore-based ship servicing business, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, or GMDA. Francis pleaded guilty and admitted defrauding the government out of at least $35 million. The statements by Defense Criminal Investigative Services Special Agent Cordell DeLaPena came in the unrelated prosecution of Frank Rafaraci, the chief executive of Multinational Logistics Service, or MLS, which like Francis' company, contracts with the U.S. Navy to service ships in foreign ports. Rafaraci was initially charged in September 2021 with bribery of a Navy official and defrauding the government out of at least $50 million through inflated invoices between 2011 and 2018. In an affidavit for his arrest, DeLaPena made a series of incorrect statements regarding the fraudulent billing, according to court records in Rafaraci's case. When defense lawyers for Rafaraci complained the statements were incorrect, lawyers for the Department of Justice agreed in a motion jointly filed with the defense in March that the statements were "factually inaccurate." The DOJ took the unusual step of then asking a federal judge to not only strike the complaint, but also remove entirely from the official docket the inaccurate affidavit. But the judge in the case declined to remove the affidavit and instead ordered the inaccurate paragraphs to be redacted. Rafaraci, whose case was promoted by the DOJ as a major case of fraud that echoed the GDMA case, ended up being indicted on a single count of bribery. The fraud allegations were not part of the indictment. He pleaded guilty to the bribery charge in April and is awaiting sentencing. The concession that DeLaPena had made inaccurate statements in the Rafaraci case was made in motions filed on March 23 in federal court in Washington, D.C., according to the court docket there. DeLaPena testified in the Fat Leonard case in San Diego in April, but defense lawyers said in the motion filed Friday that prosecutors did not disclose the previous inaccurate statements to them. Robert Boyce, the lawyer for Lausman, wrote in the latest motion that not disclosing the inaccurate statements before DeLaPena testified violated legal requirements that obligates prosecutors to hand over any information and evidence they have that can be favorable to the defense. Lawyers for the other defendants joined in Boyce's motion, which argued that the information about DeLaPena's conduct in the Rafaraci case could have been used by defense lawyers to attack his credibility as a witness, and the entire investigation. DeLaPena investigated the Fat Leonard case for a decade, and testified that he had reviewed millions of documents, Boyce wrote. "He testified he was intimately familiar with Mr. Francis's fraud scheme and had a deep understanding of the case against the defendants," he wrote. DeLaPena had already come under scrutiny in the San Diego trial for his role in an effort to get foreign prostitutes, who the government says were provided to some of the officers at Francis' expense years ago, to come to San Diego to testify. In an extraordinary mid-trial hearing called to determine if that information also had been improperly withheld from the defense, DeLaPena was mentioned in an email message between other agents as wanting to provide "reward money" to one of the women for testifying. The evidence included an email from DeLaPena in reply which said "$$ enroute." Sammartino has not yet issued any written rulings on previous defense motions. The government has been accused of concealing evidence that Francis and another cooperating witness were found with child pornography on their computers but not prosecuted in exchange for pleading guilty and cooperating. Also at issue were statements from a prostitute that she did not have sex with Lausman, even though the government contended she did. The jury has so far deliberated for six days. The jury said on Thursday it had reached a verdict on some charges, but not others. They were supposed to reconvene Tuesday but did not deliberate because two jurors could not attend due to health issues. This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune. 2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. KYIV, Ukraine As was his habit before each flight, the veteran Ukrainian army pilot ran a hand along the fuselage of his Mi-8 helicopter, caressing the heavy transporters metal skin to bring luck to him and his crew. They would need it. Their destination a besieged steel mill in the brutalized city of Mariupol was a death trap. Some other crews didnt make it back alive. Still, the mission was vital, even desperate. Ukrainian troops were pinned down, their supplies running low, their dead and injured stacking up. Their last-ditch stand at the Azovstal mill was a growing symbol of Ukraines defiance in the war against Russia. They could not be allowed to perish. The 51-year-old pilot identified only by his first name, Oleksandr flew just the one mission to Mariupol, and he considered it the most difficult flight of his 30-year-career. He took the risk, he said, because he didnt want the Azovstal fighters to feel forgotten. In the charred hell-scape of that plant, in an underground bunker-turned-medical station that provided shelter from death and destruction above, word started reaching the wounded that a miracle might be coming. Among those told that he was on the list for evacuation was a junior sergeant whod been shredded by mortar rounds, butchering his left leg and forcing its amputation above the knee. Buffalo was his nom de guerre. He had been through so much, but one more deadly challenge loomed: escape from Azovstal. ___ A series of clandestine, against-the-odds, terrain-hugging, high-speed helicopter missions to reach the Azovstal defenders in March, April and May are being celebrated in Ukraine as among the most heroic feats of military derring-do of the four-month war. Some ended in catastrophe; each grew progressively riskier as Russian air defense batteries caught on. The full story of the seven resupply and rescue missions has yet to be told. But from exclusive interviews with two wounded survivors; a military intelligence officer who flew on the first mission; and pilot interviews provided by the Ukrainian army, The Associated Press has pieced together the account of one of the last flights, from the perspective of both the rescuers and the rescued. Only after more than 2,500 defenders who remained in the Azovstal ruins had started surrendering did Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first give wind of the missions and their deadly cost. The Azovstal fighters tenacity had frustrated Moscows objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and prevented Russian troops there from being redeployed elsewhere. Zelenskyy told Ukrainian broadcaster ICTV that pilots braved powerful Russian air defenses in venturing beyond enemy lines, flying in food, water, medicine and weapons so the plants defenders could fight on, and flying out the injured. The military intelligence officer said one helicopter was shot down and two others never came back, and are considered missing. He said he dressed in civilian clothes for his flight, thinking that he could melt into the population if he survived a crash: We were aware it could be a one-way ticket. Said Zelenskyy: These are absolutely heroic people who knew what was difficult, who knew that it was almost impossible. ... We lost a lot of pilots. ___ If Buffalo had had his way, he would not have lived to be evacuated. His life would have ended quickly, to spare him the agony he suffered after 120mm mortar rounds tore apart his left leg, bloodied his right foot, and peppered his back with shrapnel during street fighting in Mariupol on March 23. The 20-year-old spoke to The Associated Press on condition that he not be identified by name, saying he didnt want it to seem that he is seeking publicity when thousands of Azovstal defenders are in captivity or dead. He had been on the trail of a Russian tank, aiming to destroy it with his shoulder-launched, armor-piercing NLAW missile on the last day of the invasions first month, when his war was cut short. Tossed next to the wreckage of a burning car, he dragged himself to cover in a nearby building and decided it would be better to crawl into the basement and quietly die there, he said. But his friends evacuated him to the Ilyich steel mill, which subsequently fell in mid-April as Russian forces were tightening their grip on Mariupol and its strategic port on the Sea of Azov. Three days passed before medics were able to amputate, in a basement bomb shelter. He considers himself lucky: Doctors still had anesthetic when his turn came to go under the knife. When he came around, a nurse told him how sorry she was that hed lost the limb. He cut through the awkwardness with a joke: Will they return the money for 10 tattoo sessions? I had a lot of tattoos on my leg, he said. One remains, a human figure, but its legs are gone now, too. After the surgery, he was transferred to the Azovstal plant. A stronghold covering nearly 11 square kilometers (more than 4 miles), with a 24-kilometer (15-mile) labyrinth of underground tunnels and bunkers, the plant was practically impregnable. But conditions were grim. There was constant shelling, said Vladislav Zahorodnii, a 22-year-old corporal who had been shot through the pelvis, shredding a nerve, during street fighting in Mariupol. Evacuated to Azovstal, he met Buffalo there. They already knew each other: Both were from Chernihiv, a city in the north surrounded and pounded by Russian forces. Zahorodnii saw the missing leg. He asked Buffalo how he was doing. Everything is fine, we will go clubbing soon, Buffalo replied. ___ Zahorodnii was evacuated from Azovstal by helicopter on March 31, after three failed attempts. It was his first helicopter flight. The Mi-8 took fire on its way out, killing one of its engines. The other one kept them airborne for the remainder of the 80-minute early morning dash to Dnipro city on the Dnieper River in central Ukraine. He would mark his deliverance with a mortar-round tattoo on his right forearm: I did it not to forget, he said. Buffalos turn came the following week. He was ambivalent about leaving. On the one hand, he was relieved that his share of the dwindling food and water would now go to others still able to fight; on the other, "there was a painful feeling. They stayed there, and I left them. Still, he almost missed his flight. Soldiers hauled him on a gurney out of his deep bunker and loaded him aboard a truck that rumbled to a pre-arranged landing zone. The soldiers wrapped him in a jacket. The helicopters cargo of ammunition was unloaded first. Then, the wounded were lifted aboard. But not Buffalo. Left in a back corner of the truck, hed somehow been overlooked. He couldnt raise the alarm because the mortar blasts had injured his throat, and he was still too hoarse to make himself heard over the whoop-whoop-whoop of the helicopter rotors. I thought to myself, Well, not today then, he recalled. And suddenly someone shouted, You forgot the soldier in the truck! Because the cargo bay was full, Buffalo was placed crosswise from the others, whod been loaded aboard side by side. A crew member took his hand and told him not to worry, theyd make it home. All my life, he told the crew member, I dreamed of flying a helicopter. It doesnt matter if we arrive my dream has come true. ___ In his cockpit, the wait seemed interminable to Oleksandr, the minutes feeling like hours. Very scary, he said. You see explosions around and the next shell could reach your location. In the fog of war and with the full picture of the secret missions still emerging, its not possible to be absolutely sure that Buffalo and the pilot who spoke to journalists in a video interview recorded and shared by the military were aboard the same flight. But details of their accounts match. Both gave the same date: the night of April 4-5. Oleksandr recalled being fired upon by a ship as they swooped over waters out of Mariupol. A blast wave tossed the helicopter around like a toy, he said. But his escape maneuvers got them out of trouble. Buffalo also recalls a blast. The evacuees were told later that the pilot had avoided a missile. Oleksandr gunned the helicopter to 220 kilometers (135 miles) per hour and flew as low as 3 meters (9 feet) above the ground except when hopping over power lines. A second helicopter on his mission never made it back; on the return flight, its pilot radioed him that he was running short of fuel. It was their last communication. On his gurney, Buffalo had watched the terrain zip past through a porthole. We flew over the fields, below the trees. Very low, he said. They made it to Dnipro, safely. Upon landing, Oleksandr heard the wounded calling out for the pilots. He expected them to yell at him for having tossed them around so violently during the flight. But when I opened the door, I heard guys saying, Thank you, he said. Everyone clapped, recalled Buffalo, now rehabbing with Zahorodnii at a Kyiv clinic. We told the pilots that they had done the impossible. ___ AP journalists Sophiko Megrelidze in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv contributed. A 73-year-old Vietnam War veteran was choked, slammed to the ground, stomped and kicked in the head by a person who was allegedly a Department of Veterans Affairs employee at the Fort McPherson, Georgia, clinic, according to a security video released Tuesday by the VA. In the video, veteran Phillip Webb is seen in a waiting room, engaged in a heated discussion with an employee who points his finger in Webb's face. When Webb smacks the finger away, the employee grabs Webb's hands, wrestles him across the room, chokes him, slams him to the ground, presses his foot onto Webb's neck and then kicks him in the head. Lawrence Gaillard Jr., a patient advocate at the clinic, has been identified by the VA as the employee. He was arrested the day of the beating, April 28, and charged with felony assault. Read Next: Airman Arrested in Connection with Attack on US Base in Syria that Injured 4 Troops According to the initial charge sheet from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Georgia, Webb was treated by a doctor at the clinic for injuries that included a large hematoma near his right eye and scrapes on his elbow. He was transferred to a civilian facility and hospitalized for three days for a "brain bleed," according to WSB-TV, the news outlet that reported the beating in May and obtained the video this week from the VA via a Freedom of Information Act request. Webb told the station he was at the clinic for an appointment to discuss an upcoming hernia surgery. The incident began, he said, when he knocked on a door to tell Gaillard he was planning to leave the waiting area to use the restroom. "He said, 'Man, I'll go upside your head.' I said, 'No, you won't,' [and] that's the last thing I remember," Webb told the station. "I'm still trying to figure out why he hit me." The Atlanta VA Health Care System referred all questions to VA headquarters, which released a statement Tuesday saying the department was horrified by the video. On Wednesday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough addressed the issue during a press conference in Washington, D.C., saying he had watched the video and found it "heartbreaking and so contrary to [the VA's] values." "On behalf of VA, I apologize to that veteran and the veteran's family," McDonough said. "We are cooperating fully with the Fulton County criminal investigation." McDonough did not say whether Gaillard remains employed at the VA. He did say that any discipline will be handled by the Atlanta VA's leadership team and emphasized that the behavior was "contrary to the VA's core values." "This is not reflective of VA employees across the country at all," McDonough said. "During the course of the pandemic, VA professionals have put their lives at risk to care for veterans and non-veterans, and Im very proud of that." Gaillard was released on $10,000 bond, but the case has been referred to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, which is now spearheading the case. That office did not respond to a request for comment by publication. In the past decade, the Atlanta VA has come under scrutiny for sporadic cases of patient abuse and deaths. In 2012, a suicidal patient died after he was left alone in a waiting room, managed to obtain drugs from a hospital visitor and overdose, while another patient injected himself with testosterone while wandering the campus of the main hospital for hours. In 2019, a 74-year-old Air Force veteran received more than 100 bites from fire ants while he was bedridden at a nursing home facility at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. VA officials later determined that hospital leadership knew the facility was infested and failed to stop the threat to residents and staff. The department closed the building housing the facility after finding it was no longer "suitable for residential patient care," according to a media release at the time. Patients were transferred elsewhere as the Atlanta VA began plans to build a new facility elsewhere. Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from VA Secretary Denis McDonough. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: VA Weighs Limiting Access to Outside Doctors to Curb Rising Costs News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Showbiz personality, Diamond Appiah has refuted allegations that it's her voice in a leaked audio recording which backed claims that Afia Schwarz allegedly slept with a dog. According to the audio, Afia's recent tantrums and curses over claims that she slept with a dog were mere gimmicks. It said the curse won't work adding that how Afia went about invoking her curses was a clear indication that she indeed slept with a dog. Many showbiz observers believed the voice was that of Diamond Appiah but she has denied it. She said the audio was doctored. The Afia dog sex drama started after Afia dragged Chairman Wontumi into a fight between her and media personality Delay. She alleged that she had sex with Wontumi, claiming that anytime the NPP Chairman ejaculates he farts. Lawyer Maurice Ampaw in a TV appearance responded to Afia's claims saying Chairman Wontumi can never date a woman who allegedly slept with a dog. Afia then decided to take on Ampaw by cursing him and Wontumi in a viral video. In that video, she was captured standing on a tiled floor and smashing eggs on the floor while pouring alcohol on the floor. Chairman Wontumi also went on to sue Afia through Lawyer Maurice Ampaw for character defamation, claiming FHC2million damage. Afia also decided to present her case to the gods of Nogokpo shrine after cursing. Interestingly, the leaked voice of the person believed to be Diamond alleged that Afia slept with the dog. The voice said Afia's curses were all a smart diversion to the real issue and that was why she invoked the curses on tiles. The voice continued that Afia didn't make it known that she didn't have anything to with a dog, rather she meant that she did not inform Lawyer Maurice Ampaw about it. She said and I quote if I told you that I said that I slept with a dog and I didn't sleep with a dog, something should happen to me. It means that she slept with the dog but she wanted to say she didn't tell Lawyer Maurice Ampaw that she slept with a dog. You guys should listen to her very well. This won't go anywhere. It is just a threat. Nobody curses on tiles. If you go to the villages do you see people cursing on tiles, the voice alleged. She is just a joke. Chairman Wontumi you see she has extended her things to you. She has been doing that to a lot of Ghanaians and you guys kept quiet. You never said anything, the voice added. But Diamond on Tuesday said the voice was faked. In a post on her Instagram story, she said it was doctored by persons who are enemies of her and Afia. Ahhh ar @queenafiaschwarzenegger and I are laughing at ur fake audio claiming to be my voice. So u jobless anbobra fuo wont find something profitable to do. Whiles am busy making money ur still in ur dirty rooms recording fake audios & next time use somebody dat sounds more like me n speaks impeccable English cos that one sounded like her. English dey Nsawam. Prison gai, she wrote. By Francis Addo The Ghanaian-born US-based comedian, Michael Blankson, wonders why Ghana has many natural resources, especially trees, but still imports common toothpicks from other countries. In a tweet on June 22, 2022, spotted by this portal, the entertainer questions why Ghana can't utilize trees to generate toothpicks in this country. Ghana with these damn trees we have where we cant cut them down and make our own toothpicks? he quizzes. His post was in response to a revelation made by Dr. Yaw Adu Gyamfi, President of the Association of Ghana Industry (AGI), that Ghana imported GHC18 million worth of toothpicks from China in 2017 for its hospitality industry. Ghana as a country has not been able to manufacture toothpicks that are manufactured from bamboo sticks, which are commonly seen in our environment. In a similar tweet on the same day, Mr. Blankson wishes Ghana would get better infrastructure to attract investors into the country to aid the country's economic development. I wish Africa could find a way to better the infrastructure. This will attract bigger companies to do business and create jobs for our people, his post reads. He also emphasized the importance of providing a place for the hawkers to step up their small enterprises. Lets give our people in Africa a place to work, Im tired of seeing a bunch of stores on legs when Im stuck in traffic. Yesterday a guy tried to sell me a damn steering wheel, he stated. As a student, one of your dreams is to complete school successfully and get a well paying job. Others may also want to take the route of starting their own jobs after completing. In either case, there are 3 types of software that every graduate is required to have a mastery over. The reason why you need a mastery of these types of software are but not limited to: Every company you go to uses one or more of these software It will save you time and energy Learning these while a student is way easier than having to juggle learning of these software with the actual work when you have various deadlines to meet. You may also need these software for your personal projects You may not fully comprehend the importance of knowing about them until you finally land yourself in a job that requires them or start your own business. The 3 types of software that every student should master before graduating are: A spreadsheet application A word processing application A software for creating presentations Now, lets delve into the details of each and find out why you need them and which specific ones you should be using. What are the software that students need to master For each type of software, I will only make mention of the most popular ones since that is what most companies are likely to be using. Spreadsheet application Microsoft Excel Google Sheets Word Processor Microsoft Word Google Docs Presentation Maker Microsoft Powerpoint Google Slides Apple Keynote Spreadsheet applications and why students need to master them A spreadsheet application is basically any application that allows you to present a set of data in a tabular form for storage or analysis purposes. Most of the data collected in companies needs to be stored and analyzed. Even though there are more advanced means of data storage and analysis, the majority of the companies, especially governmental organizations, have stuck to the use of spreadsheets. For that matter, if you are going to work for any of such organizations, you must master how to use them. Using spreadsheet applications is quite easy and free to use hence the reason for not abandoning spreadsheets in the face of more robust data storage and analysis tools. When you get an upper hand over the use of these spreadsheet applications, you will find out how easy they are and how simple they make your life. Spreadsheet applications are calculators by default and allows you to automate your calculations. Imagine being a sales rep of your company and need to produce weekly profit and loss reports for the company. If you do these things manually, you will go through a lot of struggle. But with the help of spreadsheet applications, these calculations become way easier to do and within a few minutes you will be done. Now lets talk about the two most popular spreadsheet applications. Microsoft Excel This is the most commonest and that is what people think about when they hear spreadsheets. Microsoft Excel is available in 3 different forms: A desktop application A mobile application A web-based app Check this video out where I introduce you to all the three options and how to get each of them: Introduction to Microsoft Excel - Excel for Absolute Beginners 1 Also, you can check the whole playlist for the Excel for Absolute beginners course that I created. I have also written a lot of tutorials on the Techpady blog that you can check out to help you master Microsoft Excel in a few days. Google Sheets Google sheets has become an alternative to Microsoft Excel and now a lot of companies and individuals are gradually shifting to it. The interface isnt that much different from that of Microsoft Excel. Hence, if you already know how to use Microsoft Excel then you will probably be able to use Google Sheets too. Google Sheets is however popular among people who work remotely or work that relies heavily on collaboration. It allows multiple people to work on a single spreadsheet at the same time without conflicts. Another important reason why a lot of people have also started choosing to work with Google sheet is the history control feature in it. With this feature no change that is made to your spreadsheet is lost. You can always track what changes were made over time and who made those changes. You can also revert back to a previous version of your spreadsheet if you want. I have also created a few videos on Google sheets, so you can check them out here. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRKBQyzCSrVDUyHWksna3Wc-wwHIFbhhN Word Processing applications and why students need to master them As a student, I bet you have used a word processing application in one way or the other. If you have ever been asked to submit a softcopy of an assignment then you probably used a word processor application to type your assignment. Word processing applications are software that allows you to create, edit and print documents which contain texts and some graphical elements (if needed). These are tools that are used in every organization irrespective of the size of the organization. Almost any time that you think of writing something, the first thing you will look at is having access to a word processing software. Whether you are to write a letter or document the minute for a meeting or draw an outline for an upcoming program, you are likely to use word processing software. The two most popular word processing software out there are Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Lets take a look at each of them. Microsoft Word I can bet that you have used this tool before if you ever used a Windows computer. It is very common because it is available to all PC users by default. Microsoft Word is quite easy to use and the menu layout of Microsoft Word is similar to most common software you find out there. Hence, navigating around in it isnt difficult at all. If you havent ever used it before too, the learning curve isnt steepy at all. With a few efforts you will be able to master them. However, there are some special activities that may require that you learn how to do them. One such that a lot of students keep asking me about is how to create a table of content and how to add different page numbers to different sections of a document. Dont worry if you dont know how to do any of the above. I have actually created a playlist on YouTube for Microsoft Office Word Tips and Tricks. Just check them out to help you master Microsoft Word. You can also check out this category that I published on a UK website teaching some of the tricks and helping you solve some common problems you face when using Microsoft Word. Google Docs Just like Google sheets, the interface of Google Docs isnt much different from that of Microsoft Word. An ardent user of Microsoft Word can easily switch to Google docs without any struggle and vice versa. Also, just like Google Sheets, one reason Google Docs has begun gaining so much popularity is because of how easy it is for collaborating with others and also the inbuilt version control system. All changes made in Google docs are never lost and multiple people can be working on the same document at the same time. It has become the go to Word processing tool for people who work remotely. My team and I have switched to Google Docs and thats what we use when writing blog posts. To help you master Google docs, I have created a lot of tutorials on it and currently have a number of them in the pipeline. You can check out the Google Docs category on Techpady if you like reading tutorials or use the videos I published on YouTube. Presentation Makers Applications and why students need to master them This category of software is also very important for students and graduates alike. Just as you are taught to do presentations in school, you will be required to do the same in the corporate world. Even if you decide to go the entrepreneurship route, you still cant escape this because you have to create pitch deck presentations to attract investment. You may also have to present your ideas to your co-workers or potential customers. If I were you, I would start learning how to use these presentation making software as soon as I finish reading this article. The three most common presentation making applications out there are: Microsoft Powerpoint (available to users of the Windows OS) Apple Keynote (available to users of the MacOS) Google Slides (Good for people who work with a remote team) Unfortunately, I havent created much content on these sort of applications but I look forward to publishing some soon and may update this article as soon as some are ready. However, one of the popular videos I have on YouTube is about how to convert a word document directly to powerpoint and you can also check a post we published on how to make a powerpoint in portrait form which many people didnt know was possible. Indeed knowledge of these three types of software has gotten me into positions that I could never have imagined and granted me a lot of access during my previous work at a government hospital. You really need to master at least three of these software with one from each category and I have provided you with resources to do just that. Did I miss any important software group that students need to master? Now its time to hear from you too: Which of these software are you going to learn first or did I miss any important group of software that you think students must learn? Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below and also share this with your friends, they may thank you later. Author Bio: Written By: Dr. Ehoneah Obed (Pharmacist, Content Creator, Full Stack Developer & AWS Certified Practitioner) Bio of Dr. Ehoneah Obed Dr Ehoneah Obed is a Pharmacist by profession and a technology enthusiast who likes to teach on various technologies, software and mobile applications. In his spare time, he creates content on any of the above categories or writes various health related content. He currently manages a number of blogs in the Tech and health niches and manages a YouTube channel called Digital school Academy as well. He has also created a community (IKRATE COMMUNITY W/ DR. EHONEAH) of digital enthusiasts where he conducts regular training sessions for members. These applications are used by both undergraduate and postgraduate almost all Higher Institutions of Study in Ghana and globally. For example on the global scale Microsoft word is widely engaged at the for submission of thesistation, assignments and online Quizes by some students at top universities such as Harvard, Yale and Add all. 22.06.2022 LISTEN US-based Ghanaian Mining Consultant and Engineer has affirmed former President John Dramani Mahama's comment that Kyebi is the galamsey headquarters in Ghana. In his view, the Ex-Presidents statement cannot be challenged because that was the truth. According to Dr. Owusu, the current state of River Birim and the alarming rate of degraded lands in the Kyebi area are evidence to justify that the former President was right. He has buttressed his point with a current video of the polluted and silted River Birim around Kyebi in the Eastern Region, showing that illegal mining activities still persist in the area. Responding to a publication attributing to the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, where the Chief described Mahama's galamsey comment as unfair to describe Kyebi as the headquarters of illegal mining, Dr. Solomon Owusu alleged that there is no illegal miner from the area who has been arrested and jailed for engaging in the illegal activities as compared to other places in the country. "Ghanaians should be bold and challenge Okyenhene to tell the public when he saw Operations Vanguard, Galamstop, Operations Halt I, Operations Halt II and Operations Calm Rivers Teams in Kyebi?" the Mining Engineer sated. He also insisted that Okyenhene is aware of all illegal mining activities on Akyem lands emphasising that the traditional leader can lie and mislead Ghanaians on galamsey activities in Kyebi but River Birim and the degraded lands will expose him. Dr. Solomon Owusu has alleged that since the galamsey fight began in 2017, President Akufo-Addo has allegedly warned the security agencies not to step foot in Kyebi to make any arrests because of political votes. 21.06.2022 LISTEN The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has debunked claims that taxes and levies on petroleum products hugely account for the surge in the prices of fuel as being speculated by a section of the public. The taxes in the price of fuel is not 40% or 30% as its being speculated out there. On Petrol, it is 19%, on diesel, it is 15% but then people are saying that theres about 40% tax on petrol thats why the price is high. The total taxes and levies put together is GHS 2.28p. What is the price of diesel? It is about GHS 12.00. What is the percentage of GHS 2.28p on GHS 12.00? Is it 40%, is it 30%? What is the percentage of GHS 2.43p on the price of petrol which is GHS 10.10p? Is it 40% or 30% as it is being speculated? Ibrahim Abass Tasunti, Head of Economic Regulation at NPA, was addressing the media in Sunyani last weekend as part of measures to deepen understanding of the price build-up of petroleum products and the mandate of the NPA. The NPA is embarking on a nationwide awareness creation exercise to open up to the public through the media to promote transparency in its work and ensure that consumers are well educated to understand what influences price changes. Mr. Tasunti believes that if consumers are well informed about what goes into the price build-up of petroleum products, it doesnt matter what anybody tells them, they would not be deceived." He refuted the claim that fuel prices in Ghana are the highest in the sub-region, saying there are countries in the sub-region who are selling at a higher price than us both petrol and diesel and there are countries who are also selling lower than us. For most of the countries selling lower than us, it is not because theyre not affected by the happenings in the world market, it is because theyre subsidizing the prices for their consumers. He added that the argument that Ghana is an oil producing country and fuel prices must necessarily be cheaper is quite erroneous. Ghana produces averagely about 150,000 barrels of crude oil a day. Now, the government of Ghana gets about 18% of that, which translates into about 27, 000 barrels a day. In total, we consume about 96,000 barrels of petroleum products a day. So, we produce 150,000 and consume 96,000 so if you look at it you can say that Ghana is a net exporter of petroleum products but remember that we dont own all the 150,000 barrels. We own only 27,000 barrels. So the fact that we produce crude oil in Ghana does not mean that our prices have to be cheaper. Its the decision of the government if its making enough revenue from crude oil exports to decide whether it wants to reduce taxes or subsidize for the consumer but the formula will work as it is, Mr. Tasunti. For his part, the Head of Quality Assurance of NPA, Ubeidalah Saeed Kutia, said his outfit undertakes regular monitoring of the over 4,000 retail outlets in the country to ensure that quality petroleum products are sold on the market. In this regard, he explained that markings are done from time to time to authenticate the quality of fuel being sold to the public. French president Emmanuel Macron will on Wednesday continue his attempts to break the gridlock afflicting the French political landscape since a second round of parliamentary elections left his grand vision for France in tatters. Macron, whose party fell 45 seats shy of a parliamentary majority after Sunday's second round of polling, started a blitz of high powered talks with leaders of the parties that captured the votes. The day of discussions at the Elysee Palace began with Christian Jacob, the head of the traditional rightwing the Republicans (LR), which has 61 deputies. In their hour-long meeting - described as cordial but direct - the men discussed their respective hopes for France. "I thought he was going to put things on the table but he was very cautious," Jacob told the French newspaper Le Figaro. "He was more in the listening mode," he added. "We will not be all out to block legislation in the assemblee nationale but we will not betray our constituents." Message After his session with Macron, the Socialist party leader, Olivier Faure, said: "I understood that he had heard the message of the French, in the sense that he could no longer be the president, the omni-president, the hyper-president. "There was a good intelligent exchange of views," Faure added. "But then again, what will he do with it? Is it just a staged set-piece that allows him to say he has consulted?" The most eagerly anticipated of Macron's meetings came towards the end of the day when he welcomed Marine Le Pen to the Elysee just over two months after beating her for a second time to the top spot in French politics. "The group of 89 deputies that I have the honour of chairing is a group in opposition but does not want to be in systematic obstruction," Le Pen said after their 90-minute conversation. Topics She said the two politicians spoke on topics ranging from immigration to rising prices. Le Pen also questioned the viability of the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. "The problem is not the person of Elisabeth Borne but the policy she wants to implement," Le Pen added. Macron rejected Borne's offer on Tuesday to resign. But she came under further attack from Jean-Luc Melenchon who heads the resurgent left-wing bloc, Nupes. "She has no legitimacy to govern," said Melenchon who urged her to undergo a vote of confidence in the new parliament. Even if Borne stays in her post, a cabinet shake-up is on the horizon. Macron's health and environment ministers lost their seats in the election and by tradition will have to resign. The parliament speaker and the head of Macron's parliamentary group also suffered the same fate. Work And the extent of Macron's travails was brought into sharp focus on Tuesday night when the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, said his union would refuse to take part in meetings with representatives from Le Pen's party. "Our opposition concerning the National Rally has not changed," Martinez said at a press conference at CGT headquarters just outside Paris. The options available to 44-year-old Macron range from seeking to form a new coalition alliance, passing legislation based on ad hoc agreements, or even calling new elections. Macron had hoped to mark his second term with an ambitious programme of tax cuts, welfare reform and raising the retirement age. (with newswires) At least five people, including four children, have died after torrential rain overnight led to flooding in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan, the emergency services said Tuesday. "We have been called upon since 0300 (GMT and local). Sadly five people, including four children, have been killed," the head of the fire brigade, General Issa Sacko, told AFP. "The children died in a landslip, and the adult was swept away by the water" in the city's Bingerville neighbourhood. He added that 85 people had been rescued and one taken to hospital, while a building threatening to collapse was evacuated. Heavy rain fell through the night, flooding many neighbourhoods of Abidjan and leaving several key roads unusable. In Bingerville, residents cleared out their homes after the water finally receded. One inhabitant, Pricile Ziyahe, said she had lost everything in the flood. "I have nothing left at home. The water swept it all away. We have nothing to wear or eat," she said. "All our documents and diplomas, everything's gone." Cynthia Koffi, a medicine student, said the water rose so high it broke her home's windows. "At the neighbours' opposite, you couldn't even see the garage roof anymore," she said. Between Monday and midday Tuesday, some neighbourhoods in Abidjan received around 200 millimetres (eight inches) of rainfall, the equivalent of several weeks of rain, according to data from the Ivorian meteorological agency. Residents posted images on social media showing the extent of the flooding in their homes or neighbourhoods and calling for help. Last week, six people died after torrential rain triggered a landslip in the city's western neighbourhood of Mossikro. Landslips during the rainy season are a notorious risk in the fast-growing city of five million people, with flood-prone areas often inhabited by low-income citizens. Previous accidents claimed 18 lives in June 2018 and 13 in June 2020. The ordeal of students at the Yeboah Asuamah Senior High School has become unbearable as they struggle with high malaria infections in the school. Many of the students are not able to participate in effective academic work due to frequent infections of malaria. The school with a boarding population of 626 has more of its students including staff on admission at the Nsuta Health Center treating malaria and this has however been affecting effective academic work and other extra curriculum activities. Students in the school have over the years been suffering from this particular issue and efforts by the school authorities to address the problems always prove futile. This reporter in its quest to find out why most of the students were missing from the school revealed that the school is a potential ground for high malaria infections. A visit to the school by this reporter on Tuesday at Nsuta in the Techiman South Municipality indicates that Yeboah Asuamah SHS was a community-led initiative school established in 2011 and was absorbed by government in 2013. Since then, the school has not been given any attention when it comes to infrastructural development. At the boys and girls' dormitories which is a community-led initiative also revealed that students do not have beds to mount their mosquito nets to sleep in and due to this, students put their mattresses on the bare floor under the mercy of mosquitoes. Mr Kuffour Kalid Abdullah, Headmaster of the School confirmed and expressed worry over the situations which keep persisting over the years affecting academic progress. Mr Abdullah lamented that the school is currently overpopulated due to inadequate infrastructure including classroom blocks, dormitories, staff common room, a dining hall and an assembly hall to help facilitate the smooth running of academic work. Mr Abdullah mentioned that most of the structures including the improvised dining hall, teachers' common room seen on the compound were community-led initiatives. He indicated that government has not yet given the school the needed infrastructure to operate well. He told this reporter that the school is currently in-dying need of a six-unit classroom block to house most of the classes. He expressed fear about how to accommodate next years admissions since the school does not have enough space among other things. In an effort to address the school's problems, the headmaster hinted that a committee has been set to meet the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development who doubles as Member of Parliament for the area Mr Martin Adjie Mensah-Korsah on the issue with the hope that something good could come out. In view of this am optimistic about the schools potential to produce good human resources to contribute to building the country and that the need to support it growth would be a favour to the state and the Ghanaian community. The School has 270 boys and 356 girls studying various programmes including general arts, business, agriculture, science and home economics, he hinted. Speaking to some affected students, Master Eric Amoanteng Senior, Godfred Amoah, Justice Eli and Issaka Amadu both first years from the General Arts department who had just returned from hospital and could not attend classes due to the malaria infection noted that the issue is affecting their academic work and needs immediate attention from stakeholders. About one hundred and fifty Retailers and Merchants for the Vodafone Communications Network in the Bono East Region have received training on new products of the service. The training is geared at impacting additional knowledge of the products on the retailer to improve service delivery and promote customer care of clients of the network among others. Among the new products introduced include Vodafone cash overdraft, steps to make money through overdraft, the Electronic Levy (E-Levy), security among other things. Miss Zuerah Ahmed Bono East Regional Zonal Manager for Vodafone Communication Network in a presentation during a day of retailer engagement training on the new products, noted that the Vodafone cash overdraft was a new way of making money from the SIM card for both the customer and the service. Miss Ahmed indicated that the need to use Vodafone SIM card was paramount since it was reliable and convenient to access at all times. She said the SIM offers more security and other future benefits for the customer. Miss Ahmed hinted that the overdraft service is a means of the network paying for ones services from the network anytime there was not enough funds in the customers' wallet. She explained that the network would offer the opportunity for the customer to repay the amount taken from the network. For instance, when one wants to send Ghc,100.00 to someone and does not have the complete amount, Vodafone cash overdraft would step in to pay the remaining amount of the Ghc100.00. Miss Ahmed assured of Vodafones commitment to providing the best reliable internet and voice services across the country since it has improved its service delivery over the years. Mr Foster Asare Twum Vodafone Business Development Manager for the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions urged the participants to exhibit customer-friendly attitudes since they were the first contact of the customer so as not to scare people away from using the service. Mr Twum noted that Vodafone was a traditional communication network for Ghana and that there was the need for all to switch to the network. A troupe of barefoot musicians wearing the national colours of Burundi strike huge wooden royal drums with tremendous force, precision and unabashed joy. Twirling and singing, a stick in each hand, the performers are the custodians of a centuries-old ritual recognised by UNESCO, and one jealously guarded by the Burundian state. Too jealously guarded, according to some. "We beat the drum because it's our life, because it's in our blood," said their leader Oscar Nshimirimana, his face dripping with sweat after a spirited performance in Gishora against a backdrop of rolling green hills. "It was not only my father who beat the drum, but all my great-grandparents," the 43-year-old said. For a long time, the drums could only be carved from the gigantic trunks of 'umuvugaangoma', or 'the tree that makes the drum talk'. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) Troupes hailing from Gishora -- home of a royal palace and the heartland of this musical tradition -- enjoy a lofty and celebrated status. Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye graced one of their performances in January, causing a stir. In the tiny landlocked nation of 12 million people, drumming troupes big and small perform at weddings, religious ceremonies and other celebrations -- as well as competing against each other. Across the globe, too, drummers in the Burundian diaspora are found on at least three continents. Stick to beat them: Drumming is now strictly controlled by Burundi's authoritarian government. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) "The ritual dance with the royal drum" is the jewel in the country's intangible heritage, declares a culture ministry document. "The prodigious leaps, the pirouettes, the winks to the spectators... all this has always marked this dance, as the bearer of an uncommon tradition, in the whole of African and world percussion." 'Ascended the drum' The drumming tradition known locally as "ingoma" dates back to the 17th century, and honoured the eternal rule of the royal family at a time when Burundi was a monarchy. The tradition honoured the eternal rule of the royal family at a time when Burundi was a monarchy. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) Upon assuming the throne, a king was said to have "ascended the drum", which was considered the source of his power. The most hallowed drums are even given names. Many have vanished through the ages but two -- known as Ruciteme and Murimirwa -- are enshrined in a traditional straw hut in Gishora. For a long time, these drums could only be carved from the gigantic trunks of "umuvugaangoma", or "the tree that makes the drum talk". In 2014, UNESCO recognised the cultural value of the tradition, inscribing the ritual dance of the royal drum on its list of intangible world heritage. Drumming troupes big and small perform at weddings, religious ceremonies, and other celebrations -- as well as competing against each other. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) Since then, the Burundian government -- an authoritarian regime that emerged from an armed rebellion -- has enforced strict rules around the practice. In 2017, a long-forgotten edict banning women from playing the drums was reimposed, while dress codes for performers were mandated. Troupes have since been required to formally register with the authorities, while those wishing to hire drummers for a private event need to apply for special permits costing $250. In Burundi, which is the poorest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita, this is no small imposition. Aimable Nkunzumwami, adviser to the culture minister, said the government had a duty to ensure "respect for the cultural identity" of the drum, especially since the UNESCO listing. Troupes hailing from Gishora -- the heartland of this musical tradition -- enjoy a lofty and celebrated status. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) "It is the government that (must) protect the Burundian drum. That is why it has regulated the practice," he told AFP. In February, a troupe of drummers caused a scandal by playing at a festival in non-regulation black suits. The festival was stopped, and the troupe suspended for six months. 'Took something away' In the economic capital Bujumbura, 27-year-old engineer Calixte Irantije practises twice a week after work in an open-air amphitheatre with his drumming troupe. The most hallowed drums are even given names. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) "These rules have caused a reduction in demand... it has had a big impact on the market we used to have," he said. "Now we play at parties sanctioned by the government. We play at the weddings of those who have a permit, and official government ceremonies." Some Burundians, particularly those in the diaspora, have baulked at what they saw as government overreach. "The drum no longer belongs to the Burundian citizen. It belongs to the government," Pacifique Nininahazwe, a civil society leader living in exile, said in 2017. The drumming tradition known locally as 'ingoma' dates back to the 17th century. By Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP) Julien Nimubona, a professor of political science at the University of Burundi, told AFP the restrictions were less about authoritarianism and more an opportunity for officials to make money off the UNESCO status. "It took away something that was ours," he said. Dr. Marian Quansah, Sickle cell volunteer 22.06.2022 LISTEN A medical practitioner, Dr. Marian Quansah has said sickle cell anaemia can be remedied but not by replacing the patient's blood with a new one. Dr. Quansah revealed that bone marrow transplants can be used to treat sickle cell anaemia. On the Prime Morning Show on Joy Prime, an Accra-based television station monitored by this portal on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, she stated that the procedure for the cure is costly but it is an effective cure for sickle cell anaemia. She also debunked the myth that replacing one's blood will cure sickle cell anaemia. She explained that the bone marrow is where the blood cells are stored. If somebody has sickle cell disease, youll want to change what is producing the sickle cell, that is, the bone marrow. So we look at that as a cure for sickle cell disease but it is very expensive, and for that one, the aim is that if Im replacing that bone marrow in my body with somebody who does not have a sickle cell disease, subsequently the cells that will be produced will not have the sickle cell, she said. Dr. Quansah noted that the cure for sickle cell anaemia has no age limit. She added that the treatment is not easily affordable because of the cost involved. No, there is no age limit. Anybody can go for it but because of how expensive it is, its not usually affordable for everybody, she stated. According to the Sickle Life volunteer, before the transplant takes place, the bone marrow recipient must be medically examined because the body may reject the cells, rendering the transplant ineffective. When Kevin Taylor, an American-based Ghanaian journalist, and host for Loud Silence TV, launched the interview between Serwaa Broni and him a few months ago, one key point made by the Ghanaian-Canadian nurse caught my attention. According to Serwaa Broni, Akufo Addo told her that he suffered before becoming president and that anyone who tries to mess things up for him will not be forgiven. This article will show how the president gets himself into trouble. People that go through a lot of hardship in life to obtain a profession don't play around with it. To keep their position, they take great care to perform it successfully. Even the average taxi driver will tell you that he is careful since he suffered before he had a taxi to drive and that he drives carefully to avoid engaging in hazardous behavior. So, if Akufo Addo truly suffered before becoming president, he should have been one of Ghana's best leaders after Nkrumah, not the worst president the country has ever had. Nobody else is accountable for Ghana's failure as a nation; instead, Akufo Addo is to blame for everything that has transpired there, including the country's failing economy, high unemployment rate, degradation of national education, and rise in corruption. Ghanaians who blame Mahama for Akufo Addo's failure should hang their heads in shame and acknowledge that they were duped by the deceiver known as Akufo Addo with his sugar-coated tongue. Among The Big Six, Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, William Ofori Atta, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, J. B. Danquah, and Edward Akufo Addo, it is possible that the latter was the difficult one, which his son, Nana Akufo Addo, inherited? We cannot deny that the effects of the coronavirus spread around the world, even to Africa. The most recent conflict is the Ukraine-Russian war; nevertheless, we must acknowledge that the NPP had already failed as a government before the disease became a national phenomenon and the war began. Long after the country's banking institutions failed, they were still having trouble allowing the country to pick up speed. More crucially, despite receiving funding for COVID, the administration diverted it and shared it among themselves. Even if Akufo Addo's assertion that he endured hardships prior to being elected president is correct, his main goal after taking office is to gain a fortune in order to replace everything he lost during his days of suffering while vying for the presidency. Most Ghanaians will concur with me that Akufo Addo fell short of practically all of the pledges he made to win the support of the populace. One village, one dam, safeguarding the publics finances, reducing taxes, etc. were all lies. The president believes he is quite intelligent and thought Ghanaians were simpletons. He first named his relative Ken Ofori-Atta as his Finance Minister in order to facilitate corruption. Appointed a High Court Judge, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, who will serve him exclusively and deny the president's political opponents justice, as well as journalists who will protect his corruption scandals by promoting his bad governance as the best Ghanaians have ever seen in the country's political history. Ken Ofori-Atta is eluding responsibility today and has repeatedly ignored summonses to come before parliament. How can someone who claims to have suffered a great deal in life before becoming a president and will deal with anyone who tries to run him down, pick such corruptible, careless lifestyle choices and enjoy corruption without being held accountable? You would be startled to learn that what Akufo Addo stated about John Mahama when he was seeking power, has been done more today if you go back and look up videos from that time. He genuinely reflected on his terrible administration today by letting Ghanaians see how dismal the Mahama administration was. In contrast to Mahama's administration, Y3 ti Sika su, na 3kom Di Y3n, Akufo Addo today prefers to sit on the money with his family, Ken Ofori-Atta, keeping regular Ghanaians poor, hungry, jobless, and penniless. Would you blame Mahama for Akufo Addo's problems if you took all of this into account? Unless your mind is diseased. The biggest mistake Akufo Addo has made to himself, in my opinion, is tolerating and fostering corruption in his ministry. This is in addition to choosing his relative as the Finance Minister and stealing the COVID-19 funds. There is no real president who would declare to the populace that he is prepared to guard public funds or combat corruption before going so far as to include NPP leaders who are gravely involved in corruption in his administration. Kwasi-Anin Yeboah, Charles Bissue, Eugene Arhin, Paul Adom-Otchere, and others, among others, should have been fired right away. Before becoming the president, Akufo Addo claimed on Twitter in 2015 that the NPP has the men and women who will provide Ghanaians with a respectable quality of living when he seeks to assume political leadership. Is the government's current political chasm the decent level of living for typical Ghanaians? Frankly, Akufo Addo wouldn't be permitted to be president and carry on abusing his position and treating Ghanaians in such a terrible way if Ghana were not a "shit-hole" country. A president who has truly passed through hardships in life before holding the highest office in Ghanaian politics ought to be smart and cautious in what he says or does, but Akufo Addo never did; instead, he adopted a reckless lifestyle, going on a spending binge without being held to account. The calamity that has befallen common Ghanaians is intolerable now that the dust has settled. Many people find it difficult to grasp the fact that Ghanaians' current level of unimaginable agony is merely the tip of the iceberg. Last but not least, never expect a country with religious organizations and heads of churches under this NPP government, that are willing to promote and defend corruption in the form of E-Levy but refuse to speak about the issues that are bringing the country down and corruption that has overrun the country, to succeed. Ghana is on the verge of losing its renowned Cultural Heritage Site and Ramsar Site at Winneba in the Central Region following the pending application of a mineral rights in the area in accordance with L.I. 2176. Published by the Minerals Commission on 19th May, 2022, and awaiting the final approval, the permit when granted, will give Green Metals Resources Ltd the opportunity to carry out large scale mining concession in the Efutu area. The plan of the proposed mining operation The mining plan which is available to ghenvironment.com revealed that, the world-renowned traditional hunting ground and Efutu Aboakyer Festival will be affected including the internationally recognized Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site. The Yenku forest will also be affected. Publication concealed from public The Efutu Traditional Council in responding to the publication of the pending application by the Minerals Commission has rejected any mining plans in the area. A petition by Traditional Council wondered why a public notice would be concealed from the public view and not served the purpose it was intended for. According to the Traditional Council, it was just on Friday 17th June 2022, that it saw a copy of the document at the office of the Municipal Chief Executive where it has not been posted on its notice board. It said in the petition to the Minerals Commission We in the Effutu Traditional area object to this proposed license application and hereby petition your office to stop working on the document. Part of the of the petition reads The area concerned if decimated by mining will completely bring to a halt the famous traditional festival on the African continent and the world over, the Aboakyer festival. If the application should succeed, it will deprive the indigenous people of Effutu and its environs their livelihood since it will have a negative impact on the Muni Lagoon and the Ramsar site at large. The petition added The area if decimated will also bring about the complete collapse of the agreement the government of Ghana has entered with the Ramsar Convention. Further details of the plan The Traditional Council is therefore urging the Minerals Commission to halt any further development of the application or would take action in any form appropriate to them. More on this developing story soon. Source: ghenvironment.com Several people have been hospitalised following a near-fatal accident at Oframase near the Nkawkaw stretch of Accra to Kumasi Highway in the Eastern region. The accident which occurred on Tuesday night was a head-on collision between a commercial bus carrying passengers and an articulated truck. Reports gathered indicate that the two attempted to pass by a stationary Rhino truck carrying charcoal in the middle of the road and ended up crashing. After the accident, passengers in the immediate front seats of the commercial bus sustained serious injuries and had to be rushed to the hospital. Thanks to the swift arrival of the Police, many of the people with serious injuries were rescued from the bus and sent to the Holy Family Hospital in Nkawkaw. The accident between the commercial bus and the Rhino truck is the second incident on Tuesday on the Accra to Kumasi Highway. There was another one at Densuso near Suhum where over 20 people were hospitalised. That particular accident involved a sprinter bus from Accra to Kumasi with registration number AC 435 -20. Eyewitnesses say the Sprinter bus had a tyre burst while on top speed. The driver lost control of the steering wheel and crashed. Some 22 passengers were rushed to the Suhum government hospital for medical care. Some aggrieved youth of Obuasi and its surrounding communities in the Ashanti region hit the street to demonstrate over unemployment yesterday, Tuesday, 21 June 2022. Wearing red-armed bands, marching through the principal streets of Obuasi, the angry youth from mining communities said: "we are hungry and need jobs". The leader of the demonstration, Emmanuel Kofi Ayamga said they were engaged in community mining but Anglo Gold Ashanti, a mining company, stopped them. He indicated that even though the mining company is located in the area, it does not employ them. The youth, however, did not only deliver a petition to the Anglo Gold Ashanti to employ them but to the Municipal and District Chief Executives in the area to intervene. They also demanded the release of abandoned land located at Keaneduakrom to them for rock mining. The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Elijah Adansi Bonah who received one of the petitions promised to deal with their concerns. Source: Classfmonline.com 22.06.2022 LISTEN A former Deputy Managing Director of the National Investment Bank (NIB), Alfred Thompson says God is in favour of the national cathedral being built by the Akufo-Addo government. In his view, God listened to the pledge of Mr Akufo-Addo to build a cathedral to thank him if he helped him to be president. If the almighty did not accept that prayer, he said, Mr Akufo-Addo would not have won to be President in the first place. God has approved what [President Akufo-Addo] said. If God didnt want the cathedral he wouldnt made Akufo-Addo the president, he stated on the New Day show with Berla Mundi on TV3 Wednesday June 22. For his part, the National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) George Opare Addo questioned the rationale to use public funds to build the cathedral. In his view, it was a personal decision by the President to undertake such a project hence, should not be financed by the tax payer. Meanwhile, the National Cathedral Secretariat has clarified that the construction is a public project, not private. Bringing finality to the debate as to whether the project is state or privately owned, the Secretariat in a statement on Friday June 17 said 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. 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. It is, however being developed in partnership between the state and the church, a statement by the Secretariat on Friday June 17 said. 3news.com Kigali, Rwanda - Young leaders representing the 54 Commonwealth countries have presented a six-point action plan on youth development to Heads of Government gathered for a seminal meeting in Rwanda. Key recommendations in the 25-page Youth Declaration include: Raising governments financial commitment to fighting climate change, investing in low-carbon developments, and increasing the taxation of polluting businesses; Investing in age-appropriate healthcare with better access to HPV vaccines; Eradicating child labour, gender-based violence and child marriages; Prioritising the social, economic, and political inclusion of all young people with an added focus on supporting women and the disabled into work and training; Commonwealth member countries and the Commonwealth Secretariat to establish a Commonwealth Youth Innovation Fund providing grants to young entrepreneurs with start-up businesses and better access to the internet across the Commonwealth so young people, regardless of where they live, are connected. The declaration (available in full via the CYF app) is the product of months of deliberation by youth leaders. It was finalised at the Commonwealth Youth Forum, held in the run-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting, under the theme Taking Charge of Our Future. It underscores the importance of considering young people as equal partners in government decision-making and asserts their vital role in shaping the future of the Commonwealth and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The declaration was revealed at a ceremony marking the installation of the new Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) - executives who will act as a recognised voice for the 1.2 billion under-30s living in the Commonwealth. CYC Chairperson, Papua New Guinean Kim Allen, urged young people to be solution-focused and action oriented. He said: Let us reflect on our past efforts and mistakes, assess current situations, identify our strengths, and refine our vision and objectives to move forward. Be adaptable! Build and equip yourself and also help others to elevate them. Focus on people always! Take time for reflections but dont wait long to act. Speaking at the closing ceremony, Commonwealth Secretary-General RT Hon Patricia Scotland QC said: "I see young people with courage, determination, talent, vibrancy, and innovation. You are not tomorrow's leaders. You are the leaders of today. She added: I watched with such joy in my heart what you have done in the last three days. You have led, you have created, and you have also made great friends. If you look at what you have done the 12th Commonwealth Youth Forum has been a resounding success. Young people are making the difference in every country in our Commonwealth. We know with the right support and the ability to shape decisions you have the potential to transform the future of our Commonwealth. You have everything we need to build a better world. Also speaking at the event, Edouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda, said: "As we conclude what has been an exciting forum, I urge the youth here to take your place on the world stage. Be bold and courageous. Chose courage over fear." The declaration makes recommendations under six categories: The Rule of Law, Human Capital Development, Facilitate Trade, Boost Entrepreneurship and Tackle Unemployment, Information, Technology and Communication (ICT), Health and Covid-19 and Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability. Key asks under the Rule of Law include giving more power to national youth councils and supporting more young people to run as candidates for parliament. There is a strong focus on human rights protection, including child protection and eradicating child labour and child marriages; as well as the removal of social and economic barriers to access to justice, strategies to tackle discrimination, and the importance of involving young people in conflict prevention and resolution. Under the Human Capital Development point, the main call to action is the prioritisation of the social, economic, and political inclusion of all young people, with an emphasis on practical actions to remove barriers to work and training for persons with disabilities. On trade and entrepreneurship, young leaders call on governments to address enduring issues around equal pay and affordable childcare to ensure the equal participation of women. Promoting and protecting small businesses and start-ups, enabling innovation and public sector partnership with youth-led entities are also emphasised. The next point focuses on Information, Technology, Communication, and Innovation. It calls for Commonwealth member countries and the Commonwealth Secretariat to establish a Commonwealth Youth Innovation Fund, supplying grants to promising youth start-ups. This fund would operate across the Commonwealth, with input and contributions from public-private sector partnerships, academia, and voluntary and non-governmental organisations. Young leaders have also urged governments to secure an agreement that deems the internet as a basic public good, and to collaborate on building ICT infrastructures that target internet poverty, and to ensure that young people, regardless of where they live, can have equal access to the internet and improved digital literacy skills. On Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability, there was a strong call for governments to raise their climate financing commitments and increase the taxation of polluting industries, while promoting and investing in sustainable alternatives. This includes putting into use the global pot of money for climate action called the Green Climate Fund and ensuring all countries can draw from it for their projects. The Health and Covid-19 point pushes for people to be made central to the devising of solutions to handle future outbreaks. Also, of importance is ensuring that access to high-quality, age-appropriate healthcare is not hampered by location, gender, social or financial status, the declaration notes. There is specific mention of the need to widen access to HPV vaccines across the Commonwealth with the aim of raising immunity to this preventable cancer. Young leaders also call for governments to beef-up laws that protect the rights of people with mental health illnesses and provide high-quality and affordable treatment for their conditions. The declaration will form the topic of discussion when young leaders meet with heads of governments during an intergenerational dialogue on Saturday. Heads will also consider its recommendations during their summit this week. CHOGM background: Ghanaian Actor and Philanthropist, Mr. Oscar Provencal has advised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to be mindful of the legacy he wants to leave behind. According to him, the legacy of the President is at stake following the controversy regarding the introduction of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) and the building of the National Cathedral. Speaking to GTV on the Breakfast Show on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Mr. Oscar Provencal said despite the many interventions including Free SHS introduced by President Akufo-Addo, he may go down in history with a bad legacy. There is a communication issue with this government. From E-Levy to you name it. I personally dont have a problem with the National Cathedral but I believe we must follow due process. At this particular time is it what we need in the midst of all the crisis? Thats another question we need to ask ourselves. I just feel sad for this president. He should have been such an iconic president when I look at him in terms of inspiration. One district one factory, one village one dam, all of these are transformation but unfortunately Mr. President, your Legacy will not look good at this juncture, Mr. Provencal shared. In his view, President Akufo-Addo will be kidding himself if he believes he is in the good books of Ghanaians and will end his two-term as president with a good legacy. The President should not kid himself, all the big things he has done, you will find out that at the end of the day there will be so many issues that will override the good that you have done and your legacy as far as Im concerned may be in jeopardy. If you think Free SHS that is your trump card as for legacy, Ghanaians like delegates, fear them, Mr. Oscar Provencal added. The actor proposes that if possible, the President should review the National Cathedral project and consider whether it will be better to channel resources into other important projects. 22.06.2022 LISTEN Ghana is a democratic state and not a failed state, or an animal kingdom where everyone chooses to do whatever he/she pleases regardless of the governing laws of the land. When you read through the allegedly leaked WhatsApp chat between two fix the country front runners carefully, you realized that fix the country has now turned to ultra vires to the supreme laws of our sovereign state. The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. The word democracy comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). Democracy is the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their country and manage it directly or through elected representatives. In addition, it supports the idea that the people can replace their government through peaceful transfers of power rather than violent uprising or revolution. Holding a demonstration in a democratic state is a right, guided by rules according to Public Order Act, 1994, (Act 491). Act 491, Section 1 2 3 and 5 as enshrined in the 1992 constitution, was explicitly spelled out the responsibility of the state (Police) and that of the demonstrators. Demonstration is a constitutional right for every citizen to undergo to register their petitions of displeasure as a fundamental right in the country. However, the framers of the constitution set rules to follow and execute when undertaking such demonstrations in consonance to peace and tranquillity. The police must protect the protesters, other citizens and properties. The police according to the law, has the responsibility to regulate the demonstrators and offer protection after they are served with not less than 5 days notice of intention. No where in the law did it state that demonstrators should carry along weapons for their protection and in doing that, you are engaging in criminality with impunity. Hiding under the cloak of private security law to it the activities of the private security companies are regulated by the police, still cannot offer protection of that kind with live weapons on public demonstrations. Going on a demonstration without these guidelines, is an illegal mobilization against the state of which there is no article or clause in Ghana's constitution that says a group of people can go on demonstration by hiring a private security personnels, and also armed themselves with live weapons for their self defence. The intention is barbaric and has the imminent circumvention of the law that can be described as an action of rebellion against the state. It was surprising when I read the content of the alleged leak WhatsApp chat between the two members of the fix the country movement, that they are going to armed themselves on the day of their demonstration! Such an intended action has a high tendency of attracting terrorists at this time that the police has cautioned citizens to be on red alert with regard to the terrorist activities in the country after an indications of operating and having control in the subregion especially closed neighbouring countries. When the so called Lawyer of the Fix the Country stated in his WhatsApp conversation wait, Im going add something more scary to the content, what does that imply! It was clear that he wanted to used some innocent Ghanaians including the leading activists to achieved his selfish political ambition. Most innocent Ghanaians do not know that the so called Lawyer to the Fix the Country was a presidential staffer in the erstwhile Mahamas regime, and currently standing trial for treasonable offence, he is pretending to be genuine and having the countrys at heart, such a ridiculous! Fix the Country Movement could have been a good call if only it did not taken a political shade and that will have seen majority of the youths embracing it. The real intention has been relegated to the background with things started to fall apart amongst the members resulting in resignations. We don't fix the country with terrorism approach. Those fronting the fix the country movement must be called to order and their activities must be monitored closely per the leaked WhatsApp chat, that clearly reveals their evil agenda to circumvent the constitution. The police has acted swiftly by publishing an attachment to their letter of notice on their intended armed demonstration and also proceeded to acquire injunction to stopped such a rebellion protestation. The police must not end there and go ahead to effect arrests of whoever was behinds the letter and allow the law to wheel to it destination. It is also alleged that, they front runners of the fix the country movement, have come out publicly to apologized about the content in their letter to the police service, that shouldn't disallowed the governing laws of the state to take it course, ignorance of the law is not an excuse in the law. Nobody in the country is above the law, so anything that will go against the law, must be dealt by the law. What they planned doing was treasonable and bent to undermine Ghana's enviable democracy. The days of Political coup detat is over in the countrys history, and many of our youths were very young to have witnessed it excesses and have also failed to watch the 2001 Justice Amoa Sakyis National Reconciliation Commission proceedings to have such feel on the internet. The vulnerable youths who have no visas to run away in any worse case scenario, must protect the peace we are gracefully enjoying and shunned from jumping into the bandwagon of some selfish politicians hiding behind the Fix The Country Movements to achieve their parochialism. The security apparatus must dealt with Any groups or persons attempting to plunge this country into a state of insecurity. An intention to organised a 3 day demonstrations alone is to plunge the countrys in a state of insecurity and the police must apply all the legal means to resist that to a day of protest. Let us be measurable with our emotions and anger as Ghanaians and opens our eyes against some unpatriotic persons who wanted to play advantage to the difficult times to achieve their parochial gains, and do well to uphold the constitution at all times. *Written by the Ashaiman's kwabena Yeboah the independent, fearless, and credible personality in Ashaiman* Founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe says it is sad the clergy is in support of the National Cathedral project. Speaking to TV3 on the New Day programme on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the Ghanaian statesman stressed that the clergy should remind the President of the fact that the project must not be funded by the state. If I tell President Akufo-Addo that if you want to build a cathedral tell the people exactly what the cathedral will be for, let the people know that the cathedral will not come from state coffers, let the people know that the cathedral is going to be built by you. That was the initial conversation but unfortunately it is changing. The sad thing is that the clergy is in support of this, the individual loses confidence in its spiritual leader, that is the end of this country so the clergy must be above all, they should be able to tell Akufo-Addo that is what you told us from the beginning, go by it, but they havent, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe shared. Every week the controversy surrounding the national cathedral project gets murkier due to the many allegations that continue to pop up. According to North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, some GHS200 million have already been unconstitutionally spent by the government on the project. Bono East Region has recorded a case of Monkeypox. This brings the number of cases to six. The case was recorded last Friday in the Techiman Municipality. A 32-year-old female who reported with the symptoms was diagnosed and currently in isolation. The Municipal Health Directorate has since mounted surveillance and contact persons of the patient. They have been identified and specimen samples were taken for confirmation. Dr Fredrick Adomako-Boateng, Bono East Regional Health Director confirmed this in an interview with this reporter Wednesday at the Regional Health Directorate in Kintampo. He said the region was prepared to face the disease in case it becomes a pandemic. Dr Adomako-Boateng noted that through the alert of the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service regarding the outbreak of monkeypox disease in three regions of the country, the directorate mounted surveillance in all health facilities and public places. Dr Adomako-Boateng mentioned that following the surveillance, a facility in the Techniman Municipality reported a suspected monkeypox case and specimens were taken to the reference laboratory for analysis at the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR) in Kumasi of the Ashanti Region. He disclosed that on 20th of June, 2022 the results came and it was positive, however additional efforts have been put in place by the directorate to identify more contacts of the patient so as to prevent the spread of the disease. Dr Adomako-Boateng hinted that the patient is currently isolating at home with clinicians attending to her to recover soon. He added that her condition is currently mild and does not show any severe ailments or complications. Mr Abraham Num, Disease Control Officer at the Techniman Municipal Health Directorate urged the general public to limit contact with monkeys, squirrels, rats and other animals to avoid getting contracting the Monkeypox. Mr Num advised the public to boil meats of these animals well and must endeavour to continue practicing the safety protocols including frequent hand washing under running water, social distancing, wearing of nose masks and avoid hand shaking in public places among others. Five cases of monkeypox have been recorded in Ghana on June 8. The cases were recorded in Eastern, Western and Greater Accra Regions. The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye said at a press briefing in Accra. He added that out of the 12 suspected cases tested on May 24, five confirmed positive. The Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed has said the construction of the National Cathedral will not attract any tourists to visit Ghana. According to him, Christians will still want to travel to Jerusalem and Muslims will continue to travel to Mecca. Speaking on Joy News the AM Show he noted that, even with the magnificent National Mosque situated in Accra, not even Muslims in the sub-region travel to Ghana to tour the facility. He added that the Cathedrals in the United Kingdom and the United States of America that government keep referring to all have symbolic history backing them to pull tourists. If we have a Cathedral here it will not attract anybody. Christians will go to Jerusalem just like Muslims will go to Mecca. We have an outstanding Mosque built here. How many Muslims even within our sub-region will come here? They wont come. And I was happy you made reference to the fact that those cathedrals he is talking about, they have history behind them. The core, the foundation of Christianity, to a very large extent how Christianity spread globally anchored on some of these Cathedrals, he told the host. He further added that no one was against the building of a National Cathedral however; they were against the state funding it at a time when the nation is in crisis and more so when the Cathedral is one mans promise to his creator. He indicated that government have resorted to blaming the NDC and playing the propaganda card when it is being bashed. In the first place, nobody is against the building of a Cathedral, nobody. We are against the building of a Cathedral with state resources at a time when we are struggling. How could a persons personal pledge he made with his creator become a burden on the people of this country? It is not only NDC that is the only group of people who are against it. It is not an NDC thing. One thing I have realized is that anytime they want to find a leeway to escape from the mess they have created they use NDC and they use propaganda. The NDC is just like any other person who is against it, he emphasised. 22.06.2022 LISTEN Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Junior, the Editor-in-chief of The New Crusading Guide newspaper, has said government should have communicated effectively about the National Cathedral to the public. The veteran journalist indicated that the government should have come clean when it changed its initial plans to fund the National Cathedral project with donations from Christian organizations to public funds. Mr. Kweku Baako said in a text message to the host of the Good Morning Ghana show, which is aired on Accra-based Metro TV on Monday, June 20, 2022. He noted that the change in plan triggered the payment of the Ghc200million seed money for the start of work. According to him, that action has put the integrity of government on the line and must accept responsibility for the uproar the project has caused among Ghanaians. "It is obvious that along the line, the government amended or reviewed its decision that funding will exclusively be from the Christian community. Subsequently, the government added seed money in addition to the provision of land which it had pledged to do earlier. "To be honest, the lack of timely and adequate communication of the subsequent amendments and reviews has created an integrity challenge for the government. Government must take the blame for the hullabaloo, a self-inflicted predicament," his text as read by the host stated. The Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed that government spent close to GHC200 million of taxpayer money on the project. According to him, the project has been halted due to a lack of sufficient funds. The UK government Wednesday introduced legislation allowing it to override rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), after a judge in Strasbourg blocked flights removing asylum seekers to Rwanda. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab denied the government intended to join Russia in abandoning the European Convention on Human Rights, which is overseen by the Strasbourg court. But Raab, who is also justice secretary, said the new "Bill of Rights" would "restore a healthy dose of common sense" to Britain's judicial system. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed anew to implement the Rwanda plan, aimed at deterring immigrants from making illegal crossings of the Channel. Rights groups and church leaders have criticised the policy as "shameful". British courts earlier this month gave the go-ahead for the first removal flight to leave, but the ECHR stepped in at the last minute with an interim ruling to block its departure. A UK judicial review of the plan's legality is due next month. In the meantime, Raab told parliament the Bill of Rights would "strengthen our proud tradition of freedom" dating back to Magna Carta in 1215. Magna Carta is considered the cornerstone of freedom, modern democracy, justice and the rule of law and has formed the basis of legal systems across the world -- and human rights conventions. "We will strengthen the separation of powers in this country, affirming the supremacy of the Supreme Court, being explicit that the UK courts are under no obligation to follow the Strasbourg case law and indeed are free to diverge from it," said Raab. "I'm proud of our world-beating judiciary, and what else is the point of a Supreme Court if it bows in subordination to a European one?" But Britain "intends to remain a state party" to the convention overall, Raab added. The rights pact is integral to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland after three decades of violence over British rule. "We would do nothing that jeopardises the Good Friday Agreement," Johnson's spokesman told reporters. "What we are doing is ensuring that UK courts have primacy. The Supreme Court is a superior court and obviously it's parliament that sets UK law.' 'Stunning hypocrisy' At the weekend, Home Secretary Priti Patel suggested the ECHR decision was politically motivated, pushing a government narrative about European institutions overriding UK sovereignty. The European Court of Human Rights ordered migrants to be removed from a flight to Kigali pending a full review of the legality of the policy. By JUSTIN TALLIS (AFP) The UK left the European Union last year after a 2016 Brexit vote but the Strasbourg court is not part of the bloc. Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive, said the bill would be "a giant leap backwards for the rights of ordinary people". "This is not about tinkering with rights, it's about removing them," he said. The government in London promised to tighten the country's borders after Brexit, and "take back control" of immigration. But it is battling record numbers of people using small boats to cross the Channel from northern France. Britain has repeatedly accused the French authorities of not doing enough to stop the crossings, a charge denied by Paris in a spat that has further strained relations after Brexit. The new Bill of Rights would supersede Britain's 1998 Human Rights Act, which was enacted by the then Labour government of Tony Blair as part of the peace process for Northern Ireland. Johnson's Conservative government has already clamped down on the rights of protesters, in a move denounced by opposition parties and activists. Addressing Raab in parliament, Labour's justice spokeswoman Ellie Reeves said the legislation would hearten the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine. "What stunning hypocrisy from this government to preach to others about the importance of defending rights abroad while snatching British people's rights away at home," she said. The Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that government spent GHS143 million on the free water and electricity for lifeline consumers despite budgeting for GHS200 million. At the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, government announced free water and electricity after imposing a lockdown as part of measures to combat the spread of the infections. Presenting to Parliament how funds have been expended by the government to tackle the Covid-19, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta told the house GHS200 million was made available for free water and electricity for lifeline consumers, out of this, GHS143 million was utilised. According to the Finance Minister, although the interventions introduced by the government to fight the Covid-19 pandemic were bold, decisive and compassionate, it has also been very costly. Mr. Speaker, you will recall that on 30th March 2020, I made a statement to Parliament that the economic impact of Covid19 pandemic on the economy of Ghana following the implementation of the coronavirus alleviation programme commenced. Furthermore, during the presentation of the 2020 mid-year budget fiscal policy, I indicated that the supplementary request included the programme funding of GHS19.3billion from various funding sources to support the budget both directly and indirectly. On the expenditure side, an amount of GHS11. 16billion was programmed for Covid-19-related expenses. The difference of GHS8.14 billion was a programme to provide for shortfall in revenue. In 2021, the budget programme of a total amount of 4.6billion for Covid-19 related expenses. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Finance mobilizes the needed financial resources while the various Covid-19 interventions and related expense were implemented by the relevant sector ministries and agencies, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta told Parliament. The Finance Ministers presence in Parliament today comes after the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin warned that no business from the Ministry will be attended to until the Minister accounts for Covid-19 funds. After the report on the spending on Covid-19 today, the Minority says Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta has been untruthful and inconsistent in his presentation. They have called for a bi-partisan probe to get to the bottom of how Covid-19 funds were used. The Minority in Parliament is demanding the setting up of an ad-hoc committee to probe the Coronavirus (Covid-19) expenditure of the government. On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the Minister in charge of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta was in Parliament to give an account of how the government expended funds to tackle the pandemic. While providing figures, the Minister stressed that although the interventions introduced by the government to fight the Covid-19 pandemic were bold, decisive and compassionate, it has also been very costly. Mr. Speaker, you will recall that on 30th March 2020, I made a statement to Parliament that the economic impact of Covid19 pandemic on the economy of Ghana following the implementation of the coronavirus alleviation programme commenced. Furthermore, during the presentation of the 2020 mid-year budget fiscal policy, I indicated that the supplementary request included the programme funding of GHS19.3billion from various funding sources to support the budget both directly and indirectly. On the expenditure side, an amount of GHS11. 16billion was programmed for Covid-19-related expenses. The difference of GHS8.14 billion was a programme to provide for shortfall in revenue. In 2021, the budget programme of a total amount of 4.6billion for Covid-19 related expenses. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Finance mobilizes the needed financial resources while the various Covid-19 interventions and related expense were implemented by the relevant sector ministries and agencies, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta told Parliament. Commenting on the account provided by the Finance Minister, the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency said the Finance Minister should not be the only person to be held accountable. According to him, the MDAs and other institutions had responsibilities to play in expending Covid funds and as a result, must also be probed on how they spent the funds. With that argument, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament called for the setting up of a committee to dig deep into the Covid-19 expenditure. We cannot sit here and say that the Minister of Finance should be the only one accounting for the Covid amounts. The Minister responsible for Finance is only a conduit of releasing the money but the money we spent at the various at the MDAs, and that is why Mr. Speaker, I call on you to set up an ad hoc committee so that we can bring the various heads of the MDAs that spent the money to account for this in detail, Hon. Ato Forson said on the floor of Parliament. This was supported by several members of the Minority and sealed by the Leader of the Minority, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu. 22.06.2022 LISTEN The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku believes there is nothing wrong if the state is allowed to fully fund the construction of the National Cathedral. Speaking on the AM show on Joy News today, he noted that, a lot of people are already holding the wrong notion that the National Cathedral would be a place for only Christians to worship. He noted that the National Cathedral will serve as a place where Ghanaians will converge for national events. According to him, it is time for the state to accept the construction of the National Cathedral and fund it from state coffers. I agree with Agyapa Mercer that the state should solely fund the building of the Cathedral. The impression is being created that the Cathedral will be a place of worship where Christians can go every Sunday to worship God and this sort of propaganda has been put out there by our friends and I think that its unfortunate that elements within government have failed to communicate to Ghanaians what really this Cathedral will be used for. Today in our country, we lack a place where we could converge. We all know on the 7th of January just after elections presidents are supposed to be sworn before parliament. For lack of space we have always yielded to the Independence Square where parliament will have to move from the precincts of parliaments to the Independence Square largely because of the number of persons who will be invited to observe proceedings, he shared. He continued, When we have a state funeral, recently the Former Second Lady of Ghanas funeral was held at the precinct of parliament. Just at the forecourt of the state house and clearly you could see that it was not a proper place to hold the funeral. Cathedrals worldwide; when you go to the UK, go to the US have served that purpose where national events, huge events are held. Today, if we are swearing in a President on January 7 and it rains what do we do? It means that the whole programme has to be called off. All Im saying is that, the time is now for the state to have a National place of convergence and it is the more reason why I support that the state must as a matter of urgency accept the fact that the National Cathedral is of importance to us as a people and fund it from state coffers. The National Cathedral, a pledge by President Akufo-Addo to God should he win the 2016 election was registered as a private company, however documents revealed by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa show that government has released GHS200 million and even more towards the construction of the National Cathedral. Alhaji Ahmed Osman, Community Head of the Fulani Tribe in the Ashanti Region, has jumped to the defence of the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto over the shortage of fertilizers in the country. He said it was unfair for anybody to accuse the Minister of the acute shortage of fertilizers when everybody knew it was a global phenomenon emanating from the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, Alhaji Osman who is also a Committee Member of the Ghana Cattle Ranching Association, said attempts to tarnish the hard-won reputation of the Minister would not wash as his achievements in the sector were enormous. All these are machinations aimed at diverting attention from the good works of the Minister who has distinguished himself creditably since he was appointed to head the Ministry., he said. He mentioned several interventions spearheaded by Dr. Akoto which had transformed the Agricultural sector and urged Ghanaians to appreciate the benefits that the country was reaping under the leadership of the Minister rather than wrongly accusing him of something beyond his control. According to the Chief, Dr. Akoto had succeeded in modernising agriculture in the country through research and technology, effective extension services as well as other supporting services to farmers, processors, and traders in the value chain for improved livelihood. He said the Minister's vision was promoting sustainable agriculture which was thriving on agribusiness with the potential of transforming the economy in the long term. Alhaji Osman was convinced that the Minister had done enough to merit applause from Ghanaians rather than the barrage of criticism over lack of adequate fertilizers for farmers. This is a man who has ensured food security, created employment opportunities, and also reduced poverty in the sector, but instead of appreciating his efforts we are rather attacking him, he noted. As the Chairman of Agriculture Ministers in the ECOWAS Sub-Region, Dr. Akoto would have facilitated the importation of the commodity into the country if it were available on the world market. He therefore called on discerning Ghanaians to support the Minster as he put measures in place to address the challenge. GNA Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the headquarters building of the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS bank, in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) BRICS member countries have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, politics, security, technological innovation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the 14th BRICS Summit and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, and attend the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in virtual format later this week. The BRICS mechanism features five major emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Since it was forged more than a decade ago, the member countries have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, politics, security, technological innovation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Over the years, President Xi has contributed his insights to the mechanism, promoting the development of the global platform for multilateral cooperation. The following are some highlights of his remarks in this regard. ON POLITICAL AND SECURITY COOPERATION "We are in a great era of development, transformation and adjustment. Although conflict and poverty are yet to be eliminated globally, the trend toward peace and development has grown ever stronger," Xi said at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum on Sept. 3, 2017. "Our world today is becoming increasingly multipolar; the economy has become globalized; there is growing cultural diversity; and the society has become digitized. The law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak and the zero-sum game are rejected, and peace, development and win-win cooperation have become the shared aspiration of all peoples," he said. Photo taken on Dec. 8, 2020 shows the launch ceremony of the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution innovation center in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) ON WORLD ECONOMY "We should promote the building of an open global economy, advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, jointly build new global value chains, and rebalance economic globalization," Xi said at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in 2017, noting: "Doing so will bring benefits to people across the world." "We five countries should open more to each other, expand converging interests in this process, take an inclusive approach and share opportunities, so as to create even brighter prospects for growing the economies of the five countries," Xi added. At the 12th BRICS Summit on Nov. 17, 2020, Xi said: "COVID-19 is a challenge we have to face head-on. We need to call on the international community to place the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the heart of international development cooperation. Poverty eradication must be made a primary goal, and more resources must be channeled to poverty reduction, education, health and infrastructure development." "We need to support the UN's coordinating role and foster global development partnerships that are more equal and balanced, so that the fruits of development will spread to more developing countries and the needs of underprivileged groups will be better addressed," he also stressed. A visitor views photos during the third edition of the BRICS Media Joint Photo Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Oct. 30, 2019.(Xinhua/Xin Yuewei) ON PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES "The successful cooperation of the BRICS countries proves that different social systems can accommodate each other, that different development models can work with each other and that different values can draw on the strength of each other. We should stay open and inclusive so as to learn from each other and make progress together through seeking common ground while putting aside differences," Xi said at the Seventh BRICS Summit on July 9, 2015. "We the BRICS countries boast great civilizations. When it comes to cultural and people-to-people exchanges, there is a lot we can do together," the president said at the plenary session of the BRICS Johannesburg Summit on July 26, 2018. "We should aim at greater people-to-people connectivity and more popular support for BRICS cooperation through extensive exchanges in cultural, educational, health, sports, tourism and other areas," he added. At the plenary session of the BRICS Brasilia Summit on Nov. 14, 2019, Xi noted: "We need to sustain and build up this momentum to take our people-to-people exchanges to greater breadth and depth. On that basis, we can leverage 'BRICS Plus' cooperation as a platform to increase dialogue with other countries and civilizations and win BRICS more friends and partners." If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Husband and wife, both shareholders of Onango Ghana Limited, have confessed to the Police that they took USD650,000 of the company of which they had administrative control of all its online IT systems. Mr Samuel Kwabena Opoku, and his accomplice Madam Juliana Sherri-Opoku, allegedly said they had falsely informed the Ghana Revenue Authority that the Company had stopped operating and needed time to pay off the monies owed in taxes. A statement, they knew was false after they were charged with defrauding by false pretense and stealing. The two were also charged for conspiracy to commit crime, forgery of official document and uttering forged document for which Mr Opoku pleaded not guilty to. The Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh, admitted Mr Opoku, who is also the Managing Director of the Company, to a bail in the sum of GHS10.5million with one surety. The Court ordered that the surety should be a public servant earning not less than GHS3,000.00 Meanwhile, his accomplice, Madam Sherri-Opoku's plea was not taken because she was not present in court. He is expected to reappear on July 4, 2022. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, prosecuting, said the complainant, Charles Addo, was a Managing Director of Meridian Management Investments Limited and a Chairman of Onango Ghana Limited. The Prosecution said the accused persons had a dual nationality of Ghana and the United Kingdom and both Directors and Shareholders of Onango Ghana Limited. They were the Managing Director and Executive Director in charge of Finance respectively, of the Company. Mr Nyamekye said in the year 2017, the accused persons approached the complainant, and in 2018, Lendable Asset Management LLC, a financial institution incorporated in the United States and introduced Onango Ghana Limited to them asking them to invest and lend money to the said Company. The Prosecution said the accused persons presented Lendable Asset Management LLC with documents, including financial statement and computerized dashboard which they claimed represented the customers and financial position of the Company in an Online Virtual Account (OVA)which they said was held with MTN mobile money services. Mr Nyamekye said the dashboard was forged with false figures of balances and customers of the company to induce Meridian Management and Investment Limited and Lendable Asset Management LLC into investing and lending. The Prosecution said the dashboard displayed fake transactions, fake numbers of customers and fake account balances of Onango Ghana Limited. This information attracted Meridian Management Investment Limited, acting through the complainant and Lendable Asset Management LLC to invest and lend a total amount of USD13.2 million. Mr Nyamekye said the accused persons after receiving the money were not able to account for the money and continued to present false information about the Company to the investors via false weekly status updates which the accused persons directed Mr Melvin Neizer and Mr Dominic Sarfo to give to the investors. The Prosecution said after the complainant had received a formal written complaint from Lendable Asset Management LLC, concerning the refusal by the accused persons to allow Lendable Asset Management LLC to gain access to the OVA for audit, investigation was conducted. The Chief Finance Officer, Noel Hammond, checked these reports, and the Board discovered after investigation that every documentation, including financial statements and the online dashboard information were forged by accused persons. Their actions was to induce Meridian Management and Investment Limited and Lendable Asset Management LLC to part with USD 13.2 million and that amount could not be accounted for. Mr Nyamekye said the complainant lodged a complaint with the Police for investigation and the accused persons were arrested. The Prosecution said the accused persons admitted taking USD650,000 of the Company's money to buy a residential house at Abelemkpe, Accra in which they resided in as their matrimonial home but claimed they could not account for the rest of the monies. The Prosecution said investigations were still ongoing. Initially, the Prosecution prayed the Court to remand the accused persons into police custody to enable investigations to continue. GNA Justice Nene Amegatcher, a Supreme Court Judge, has lamented over the growing trend of lawyers and accused persons abusing court processes in corruption related cases in the country. According to the Justice of the Supreme Court, "I have seen a trend in this country. The court process is used to frustrate the prosecution of corruption related cases. People raise objections and the Court rules against them, then they go for appeal. I don't think it is good for this country." The Justice of the Supreme Court noted that in Nigeria, "You are given three months to complete cases, no adjournments, no interlocutory injunctions." The Justice said this when a panel of five judges presided over by Justice Victor Jones Dotse, dismissed special leave application for appeal filed by William Ato Essien, a former Chief Executive officer of the defunct Capital Bank. Essien is praying the Court to grant him special leave to enable him to file an appeal against the Court of Appeal decision that upheld the High Court ruling. The High Court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, in its ruling, admitted into evidence four unsigned documents tendered by Fitzgerald Odonkor, a third accused person, in the GHC620 million bank trial at the High Court. Essien had gone to the Supreme Court to seek "special leave of the Court to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal against the admission of unsigned Board Minutes admitted in evidence at the High Court. He was also seeking leave of the Supreme Court to also stay proceedings, pending the determination of the application for special leave. Following the dismissal of special leave application, Essien's lawyer therefore withdrew the application for stay of proceedings before the Supreme Court. The five-member panel held that there were three grounds for which applicants could apply for special leave. According to the apex court, Essien's did not met the three grounds for the application of special leave. GNA 22.06.2022 LISTEN Myanmar has been widely criticized for human rights crimes since the crackdown and forced displacement of Rohingya Muslims. Despite signing various agreement in 2017, 2018 respectively, Myanmar has remained hesitant to provide a suitable climate for the displaced Rohingya to return in a voluntary, safe, and dignified manner. Due to their narrowly defined geopolitical calculations, key regional powers such as China, Russia, and India are not interested in taking any action against Myanmar. On the Rohingya crisis, India has merely remained mainly silent. To its credit, India has helped Bangladesh financially while caring for over a million Rohingya refugees. But it's a piece of good news that India urged the international community to increase financial and other aid to Bangladesh in order to help the country cope with the humanitarian crisis of hosting a million Rohingya refugees on June 14. India also requested that the international community aid Bangladesh in addressing issues such as radicalization in Rohingya refugee camps and other security concerns. Bangladesh has been seeking help from India and other countries in the region to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar from time to time. Ministers of Bangladesh seeks Indian help in this regard since the inception of the crisis. For more clarification, Bangladesh foreign minister has already raised the issue at various platforms such as the inaugural session of the two-day Asian Confluence River Conclave, Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence 3 (NADI-3), in Guwahati in 2022, three-day trip to India to attend the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) very recently. Over one million Rohingya people left their homes in Myanmar to escape a harsh military campaign, and Bangladesh provided them asylum on humanitarian grounds. Armed attacks, bloodshed, and human rights violations drove thousands of Rohingya Muslims to escape Myanmar's Rakhine province and seek refuge in Bangladesh in August 2017. The Rohingya people are a Muslim minority that have lived in predominately Buddhist Myanmar for generations but have been denied citizenship since 1982. According to the United Nations, Rohingyas are the world's "most persecuted minority. In this regard, Bangladesh's seeking assistance is valid and relevant. It is India in the region which is an influential country between South and Southeast Asia. Dhaka expects New Delhi to do more in response to Bangladesh's request for assistance in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Bangladesh sought India's assistance" because of India's "excellent relationship" with Myanmar. As a friend of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, improvements can be made if India "pushes them a little bit" and "put[s] a little effort into it. Support from India in resolving the Rohingya situation can strengthen the bilateral ties more. It is said that Bangladesh is all-weather friend of India, Thus, India can prove that India is really all-weather friend of Bangladesh by standing with Bangladesh with its crisis moment. The Rohingya situation must be resolved quickly because it threatens regional stability. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh may gravitate to terrorism. For the past five years, they have been temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh, and they all wish to return to their homeland. We are afraid that such activities may create pockets of extremism and radicalism and may lead to uncertainty in the entire region, as a result, they must be repaired as soon as possible. The growing humanitarian crisis and incidences of violence can lead to an influx of thousands of people from Myanmar through Indian borders and any instability in Bangladesh, Myanmar, immediately impacts India. The humanitarian situation in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar is most severely affecting women and children. Therefore, India should place the utmost priority on the restoration of peace, security, and stability. Stability in Bangladesh's CHT region and Cox's bazar and Myanmar's Rakhine, Chin state is very urgent for the stability for the Indian Northeastern region. It is well established that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas policy of zero-tolerance for terrorism has brought stability and development to India especially Northeast India and all of South Asia. India must help Bangladesh PM in this regard. The whole regional stability may destabilize from the Rohingya refugee issue. Thus, a sustainable solution of Rohingya crisis is very urgent for India also. India is able to conduct bilateral and diplomatic negotiations with Myanmar. It enjoys positive bilateral ties with Myanmar. To resolve the situation, India might cooperate with other states in the area. Indian businessmen are capable of participating to some level. Because fostering trade and investment in the area depends heavily on regional stability. Without a long-term solution to the Rohingya issue, India needs to understand what is at risk along Bangladesh-Myanmar-India border. India has been a dependable development partner ever since Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971. it was India and the people of India who gave the people of Bangladesh shelter and accommodation and also helped them in gaining independence, with a population of 170 million, Bangladesh is one of the fastest-growing countries in the area and an important market for India. Since the Rohingya problem emerged in the area, India must keep in mind that it has the potential to directly undermine the strategic and economic goals of the QUAD countries, which value the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and freedom. In order to solve important regional concerns like the Rohingya crisis for peace and stability, India must join with and exert influence over other important parties in the region. It is a problem that affects the entire region. The entire region of South Asia and South East Asia could be volatile as a result of this issue. India bears some responsibilities as a South Asian country. India should understand how refugees can be a security threat for a country. Bangladesh has been dealing with the same issue. India might comprehend Bangladesh's pains in this regard as a well-wisher friend. As a result, India should take action in accordance with its capabilities. Both Myanmar and Bangladesh have excellent connections with India. Improving bilateral relations could help ASEAN and SAARC countries strengthen their commercial and investment relations. This will open up the possibility of serving broader regional interests. If political and diplomatic solutions to the strained ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can be found, Himalayan-South Asian connectivity can be restored. Bangladesh usually backs India in every major international forum. It is now India's turn to stand by Bangladesh in this time of distress. South Asia will not benefit from India's quiet on the Rohingya catastrophe, which has reaped no rewards. Instead, this eerie silence will make an already dire situation worse. In accordance with its own peace and religious-centric society, India must abandon its policies and take a firm stand for justice and human rights on all international platforms on matters like the Rohingya crisis. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," and India needs to remember that. India must help Bangladesh solve Rohingya refugee crisis. Such a gesture will not go unnoticed in Dhaka. Such help will bolster the ties between the two neighbours. Dr. Shakuntala Bhabani, a Kolkata-based educator (Assistant Professor) and South Asian affairs researcher in the Political Science department at Kolkata Honors College which is affiliated to the University of Calcutta. 22.06.2022 LISTEN The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) goes to the polls to elect its national officers between 15th to 17th July 2022 at the National Capital, Accra. Mr. Kwabena Frimpong, a communication team member of the NPP and an ardent youth activist, has appealed to the cherished delegates who would vote at the National Delegates Conference to vote for Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim, who happens to be a former 1st Vice National Chairman of the NPP, from 2001 to 2005 and has served the party in diverse capacities with excellent result delivery for the party. He made these known on Days TV political show known as 'Outside Parliament' which is hosted by Kwabena Agyei Ananse. Mr Frimpong believes that going into the crucial 2024 elections, NPP needs a result-oriented Chairman to lead the party to 'break the 8.' He posited that "2024 is not going to be a walk in the park but would need leaders with experience and genuine track records in elections management to break the 8 for us." He added that Stephen Ayesu Ntim has distinguished himself with all tasks that have been assigned to him by the party. "In 2004, Mr Ntim led the vetting committee during the Parliamentary primaries and through tact and diplomacy, resolved all controversy that could have caused grievances leading to loss of seat. In that election, NPP increased its parliament seats from 100 to 128 and it is very unfortunate and woeful to note that since Mr Ntim's Exit, the NPP has not been able to increase the seat in parliament while in government." Mr. Frimpong again indicated that, "when Chairman Ntim was tasked with the Settler Communities project in 2016, he won over 15 pro-NDC seats that NPP has never won before like Atebubu-Amantine, New Edubiase, Techiman South, Krachi East, Dormaa West, Sefwi Wiaswo, Sefwi Akomtombra, et al and NPP improved massively in all settler constituencies across the country." Mr. Frimpong elaborated on how essential the 2024 election will be in deciding the future of the NPP. He strongly believes that heading into the crucial 2024 election, it is no doubt that the NPP needs a National Chairman who has a proven track record of leading a team that can convincingly produce good impacts to 'break the 8'. He therefore calls on all delegates to look into the future of the party in casting their votes as he strongly recommends Chairman Stephen Ayesu Ntim for the position of National Chairman of the NPP. The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives of the Central Region have unanimously declared their support for the candidature of Mr John Boadu, in the upcoming national leadership contest of the New Patriotic Party. Mr John Boadu is seeking re-election as the General Secretary of the party. In a meeting at the sidelines of a thanksgiving service held in Assin Jakai by the newly elected NPP regional executives of the Central Region, the MMDCES contended that any attempt to remove Mr John Boadu from office will spell doom for the party in the 2024 general elections. The MMDCES who took turns to address the chief scribe of the party at the residence of the Regional Chairman, Mr Robert Kutin praised the General Secretary for his depth of knowledge and experience in political strategy. They conceded that it will take the leadership of Mr John Boadu to break the eight year electoral cycle in Ghana. The need to vote for the retention of Mr John Boadu in office has become a matter of serious consideration by party activists. This is because, there is going to be massive changes in the national leadership of the party, with officers like the National Chairman, 2nd Vice Chairman, National Organiser, National Youth Organiser, National Treasurer all exiting their current positions. "The party is at the same time preparing to elect a new presidential candidate who will also select a new running mate. Given all these dynamics, it will be problematic not to have someone like John Boadu in the next leadership of the party," said Hon Fiifi Aidoo, the Municipal Chief Executive for Assin Central Municipality. Northern Regional Disease Control Officer, Mr. Fuseini Mahama has debunked media reports of the outbreak of Ebola virus in the region. According to him, it was a simulation exercise and not real outbreak as widely reported by some media outlets. He urged the general public to remain calm as there is no case of Ebola virus recorded in the region. Mid-day today, news went viral about a case of Ebola virus recorded in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region. The news of the deadly disease sent panic among residents of the Tamale Metropolis with others calling on the Ghana Health Service to act fast to contain the disease from spreading. But the Northern Regional Disease Control Officer has clarified that the surveillance team in Tamale was doing a simulation exercise which was misconstrued by the public. Standard Chartered is built on the strengths and capabilities of each and every one of its staff. The Bank views diversity, inclusion and respect for all as critical to its future success and is committed to promoting equality in the workplace as well as creating an inclusive culture where everyone can realise their full potential. Promoting diversity and inclusion is right, and it makes sense. It is good for the economies in which we live, the businesses with which we work, and the communities we serve In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly established June 13 as the International Albinism Awareness Day to create awareness and inclusion of Persons with Albinism (PWAs) to prevent attacks and discrimination against PWAs. This year, Standard Chartereds Diversity and Inclusion with the support of the Disability Wellness and Mental Health Network joined Engage Now Africa joined the Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism in celebrating the day in Tamale. The event was under the theme: "United in making our voice heard". The event also focused on the risk factors of albinism which includes poor vision and skin cancers. Standard Chartered with support of Operation Eyesight Universal, organised eye screenings for all 100 participants including women and children, with referrals to various hospitals for follow-up care. Speaking on behalf of the Association, Mr. Newton Katseku, Executive Director of the Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism (GAPA) called for more support in creating awareness and inclusion of albinism. He thanked the Bank for showing members respect regardless of their differences. Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister for Interior, has charged personnel of the various security agencies to be professional in their duties and not meddle in chieftaincy-related issues. According to the Minister, security personnel were duty bound to ensure peace and stability of the country and must behave as such. Mr Dery gave the advice when he interacted with security heads as part of his tour of the Western North Region and to familiarise himself with security issues within the Region. The Minister lauded the security agencies in the Region for maintaining law and order and expressed gratitude to them for helping to fight against armed robbery in the Region. He asked the security agencies to work together to ensure peace in the Region especially the fight against terrorism, since the Region shared boundaries with Ivory Coast. He indicated that the government would continue to support the security agencies to enable them to protect lives and property. Mr Dery encouraged politicians to support the fight against illegal mining in the Region. The Interior Minister commended the President for the creation of additional six Regions to ensure development at the grassroot. The Minister as part of the tour commissioned a bungalow for the Regional Immigration command, a residential bungalow for staff of the Ghana Immigration Service on border patrol unit as well as met the staff of NADMO and the National Identification Authority (NIA). Mr Ebbah Obeng,Western North Regional Minister for his part, commended the Interior Ministry for their continuous support to the Region and appealed for more planning and a Regional Prisons Service command. The Regional Minister announced that the chief and people of Enchi in the Aowin Municipality have allocated a vast amount of land to that effect. GNA Leader of the Minority in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has called for an open public inquiry into the Covid funds as expended by the government. After failing to appear before Parliament on the back of several invitations, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta finally gave respect to Parliament to report and give an account of how Covid funds have been expended. Dissatisfied with the account given by the Finance Minister today, the Minority in Parliament is demanding a further breakdown, insisting that the figures given by Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta does not add up. Passing his comments after listening to the Minister, Haruna Iddrisu told Speaker Alban Bagbin that the discrepancies in the account rendered are too much. He said to get to the bottom of the matter, a probe and an open public inquiry into Covid expenditure beyond the headline numbers of the Minister of Finance should be constituted. Mr. Speaker Im also holding with me here message on the State of the Nation by HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo presented to this August house Wednesday 30th March 2022at Parliament House and Mr. Speaker I refer you to page and I quote In all data from the Ministry of Finance tells us that and amount of GHS17.7 billion or 4.6% of GDP has been spent in containing the pandemic since 2020. Then the Minister of Finance GHS12 billion. Who should we believe? The President of the Minister? So Mr. Speaker, for us, a probe and an open public inquiry into Covid expenditure beyond the headline numbers of the Minister of Finance is inevitable and an imperative. We are not looking for headline figures. I spent 12 billion, 12 billion on what? We need the expenditure returns and expenditure details of every amount, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu stressed. Disagreeing with the stance of the Minority, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin insisted the account given by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is factual. The remains of the first post-independence Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba arrived Wednesday in the Democratic Republic Congo, more than six decades after his assassination. The remains will go on tour around the country, before being laid to rest in the capital, Kinshasa, next week. A plane transporting a coffin containing the last remains - a gold-crowned tooth - landed in Kinshasa on Wednesday, in transit to the central province of Sankuru, where Lumumba was born, in the village of Onalua, in 1925 It is the start of a nine-day trip around the country, with stops in sites symbolically important to Lumumba's life. The remains will be laid to rest in a mausoleum in Kinshasa on 30 June, the country's independence day, following three days of national mourning. The village of Onalua, which since 2013 has been part of a commune renamed Lumumbaville, in honour of the independence hero, prepared to welcome the remains, by clearing out the roads and laying down palm leaves, a symbol of mourning or celebration. In the village square, where the coffin was expected to arrive, was set up a podium decorated yellow, blue and red, and banners printed with Lumumba's face. His remains were officially returned on Monday at a ceremony in Brussels, where a box containing the tooth was placed in a coffin, which was handed over to Congolese authorities in the presence of Lumumba's family. Lumumba was assassinated in 1961, just six months after Congo declared independence from Belgium. He is remembered for a fiery speech against racism and colonialism, which he gave on 30 June 1960. He was overthrown that September, and was executed by Belgian mercenaries and separatists from the southern region of Katanga, on 17 January 1961. His body was dissolved in acid and never recovered, and decades passed before Belgium discovered the existence of the tooth, held by a Belgian police officer who took part in Lumumba's death, who boasted about his actions in the media. Belgian authorities seized the tooth in 2016. On Monday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo apologised again for his country's "moral responsibility" in Lumumba's death. Two weeks before, Belgium's King Philippe, on his first trip to the DRC reiterated his "deepest regrets for the wounds" of Belgian colonial rule. (with AFP) 22.06.2022 LISTEN The Executive Director for the Ghana Federation of Allied Professions, Dr Shiraz Issahaku has bemoaned the alarming rate at which doctors and health professionals are travelling out of the country for better pay jobs. Dr Issahaku was speaking with Korku Lumor on Class 91.3 FMs 505 News with Korku Lumor. He revealed that there are some health facilities in the country which are virtually empty because doctors have left for the western and Arab world. According to him, over 280 allied health professionals left Ghana for other countries in April alone, a situation which he says is creating a severe brain drain. We work more than any health professionals which you can think of, we go to work for more than 8 to 10 hours, (however) in the western world, there are rules and regulations and things are much more flexible. He continued that: As I said, sometime back we are actually being forced to do what we cannot do. You cannot tell me that my minimum wage is 100 Ghana cedis when in reality there are people who are supposed to ensure that this is implemented and then they are forced not to implement it by any other politician who says we cannot pay this because the money is not available. Dr Issahaku therefore called for a recognition of the severity of the situation and the subsequent implementation of swift measures by policy makers to mitigate the situation. This concern was first raised by the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr Titus Beyuo who revealed that the countrys medical field is in serious trouble since majority of its nurses and medical doctors are moving out for greener pastures. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ghana Medical and Dental Council, Prof. Paul Kwame Nyame has debunked this assertion saying the country has enough doctors to cater for the health needs of its citizens. He however admitted that there has been some exodus of professionals in view of good opportunities outside occasioned by the shortage of doctors in the Western countries. Source: Classfmonline.com 22.06.2022 LISTEN The Treason trial involving ten accused persons was Monday halted when Warrant Officer Class Two (WOII) Esther Saan, the only female among them, started throwing-up. She was rushed to the Court's clinic to be attended to. The cause of the throwing-up was not immediately known but the High Court's Warrant Officer who escorted her to the clinic, said it was because she took her medication on an empty stomach. This interrupted the trial -Cross-examination of the investigator by Mr Anthony Lartey, Defense counsel for Johannes Zikpi, which was supposed to have closed the prosecution's case. WOII Saan alias "Mama G," has been charged together with some of the accused persons over conspiracy to commit crime to wit high treason and high treason. She has since denied the charges. "Mama G" is standing trial with Dr Frederick Mac Palm, Donya Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah, Johannes Zikpi, Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon, Corporal Sylvester Akankpewu and Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Benjamin Agordzo. The High Court presided over by a three-panel-judges then adjourned trial to Wednesday, June 22, 2022. The facts, as earlier told the Court are that Mac Palm, Chief Executive Officer of the Citadel Hospital, Kafui, a blacksmith, Debra, freight manager, ACP Agordzo is a police officer and the rest are officers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). They were all members of the Take Action Ghana-a Non-Governmental Organisation, incorporated by Mac Palm in 2018 and that the group planned to demonstrate against the Government as well as overtake it, so Mac-Palm contacted Kafui, a resident of Alavanyo to manufacture arms for that purpose and he produced them. They also held meetings to facilitate the process and drew a map covering the Flagstaff House, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, 37 Military Hospital, Burma Camp to facilitate their movements. Colonel Gameli was said to have promised to give his support before, during and after the planned event and when Kafui brought the 22 explosives, six pistols, three grenades and five ammunitions, Mac-Palm accommodated him, adding that all took place from June 2018 and September 2019. The Prosecution said Mac Palm was said to have also provided a quantity of substance which when inhaled, would make one sleep for an hour, thus upon a tip-off, Mac Palm was arrested on September 19 and the rest, subsequently. GNA Whenever there is an outbreak of a disease in the world such as monkeypox it is up to the World Health Organization (WHO) to consider what sort of weight to give it, including whether or not it constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Global efforts to manage epidemics are documented as far back as the black plague in Europe in the 14th century . Since that time, rules have been developed and honed to keep up with the emergence of new diseases as well as with the growing complexities of a world that's increasingly connected. There are many diseases that can affect large numbers of people. But not all diseases are considered public health emergencies. The seriousness of an epidemic is a function of several factors. These include the degree of contagiousness and potential for rapid spread, severity of infection, case fatality rate (the number of infected people who die), availability of vaccines or treatment (it's more serious if there are none), impact on travel and trade, and the socioeconomic context. Read more: Why the DRC Ebola outbreak was declared a global emergency and why it matters What it triggers Declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO triggers a number of things. The first is that it signals a commitment to provide international resources for the response. The second is that it enables other provisions of the International Health Regulations . These originated from the International Sanitary Regulations of the mid 1900s , which were used to control cholera epidemics. At this time, there was increasing awareness of the social and economic effects of epidemic diseases across borders, as well as concern about undue interference with trade. In 1969 the regulations were renamed the International Health Regulations by the WHO. They were then modified in 1973 and 1981. But even then they provided a framework for only 3 diseases cholera, yellow fever and plague. The principles behind them was maximum security against the international spread of diseases with a minimum interference with world traffic. In 1995, formal revision commenced to expand the scope of the regulations with six proposed categories of reportable syndromes : acute haemorrhagic fever syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome, acute diarrhoeal syndrome, acute jaundice syndrome, acute neurological syndrome, and other notifiable syndromes. In addition, five factors were proposed to determine if a cluster of syndromes was urgent and of international importance. These were rapid transmission in the community, unexpectedly high case fatality ratio, a newly recognised syndrome, high political and media profile, and trade or travel restrictions. The last revision to the regulations was done in 2005 following the SARS epidemic of 2003 . The five substantive changes from the prior version were: a dramatic expansion of the scope of the regulations, the creation of obligations on states to develop minimum core surveillance and response capacities, granting WHO the authority to access and use non-governmental sources of surveillance information, granting WHO the power to declare a public health emergency of international concern and to issue recommendations on how states-parties deal with it; and the incorporation of human rights concepts into the implementation of the regulations. The regulations set down how an emergency will be managed. This includes setting up a roster of experts appointed by the Director General of WHO in all relevant fields of expertise. Then an emergency committee is drawn from this roster for advice. The committee has to decide on a range of issues to do with managing the epidemic. This includes whether an event constitutes a global emergency and when it should be ended. More than a health issue But the regulations can only go so far. Many countries cannot comply with them due to lack of resources. Many of the problems of global emergencies are not specific health problems, but relate to civil society, community engagement, law and order and border control. In the 2014 Ebola epidemic, for example, a health promotion team was massacred in Guinea because local people were fearful of outsiders coming to their village. During COVID-19 we also saw civil unrest in some countries. All of these issues are considerations for the WHO when deciding whether to declare a public health emergency of international concern. This is a revised extract from an article previously published by The Conversation Africa written by C Raina MacIntyre and Obijiofor Aginam. C Raina MacIntyre has consulted for or been on advisory boards in the last year for Sanofi, GSK, Bavarian Nordic. She is on the WHO COVID-19 Vaccine Composition Technical Advisory Group and the WHO SAGE Ad Hoc Working Group on Smallpox and Monkeypox. She receives funding from NHMRC and MRFF. Obijiofor Aginam 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. By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney And Obijiofor Aginam, Principal Visiting Fellow & Former Deputy Director, International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), United Nations University 22.06.2022 LISTEN The Asokwa District Court has remanded into police custody a 25-year-old farmer, Godfred Aladago, who allegedly killed two women at Bomfa near Tepa in the Ashanti Region last Sunday. Speaking in an earlier interview with Citi News, the Assembly member for the Tepa Zongo electoral area, Issah Mohammed noted that the accused person had a misunderstanding with one Elijah, and after he failed to meet him and attack him, he then resorted to killing his wife and sister. According to the residents, the accused person reported himself to the police after allegedly committing the act. The inhabitants of the community massed up at the police station to demand for him to be released, in order for them to lynch him, but the police prevented them. He was later transferred to the Ashanti regional police command. The accused has been charged with murder. Appearing before the Asokwa District court on Wednesday, the prosecutor who is also the Ashanti regional head of legal and prosecutions, ACP Kofi Blagodzi prayed the court to remand the accused person, which the Magistrate, Her Worship Afia Densi Asare-Kyire agreed. The plea of the suspect was not taken. The suspect is expected to reappear before the court on 1st July 2022. The is a murder case, so we didnt take the plea of the accused person. We have to present the accused person to the court of first instance, which is the District court which was what happened. So we just prayed the court for a remand while the police continue with their investigations. It has been adjourned to 1st July 2022, the prosecutor, ACP Kofi Blagodzi told Citi News after the court proceedings. citinewsroom The United States branch of the Asante Professionals Club (APC-USA) has donated some hospital equipment to the Manhyia Government Hospital in Kumasi today, June 21, 2022. The items APC-USA branch donated to the Manhyia Hospital are Autoclave and Electrocautery machines. Speaking on behalf of the group, Dr. Gabriel Asumeng, Chairman of the Health Committee of APC-USA in his handing-over speech said, the autoclave machine will help sterilize all surgical equipment that can fit into it. We were initially thinking of many different things and then the administrator here, Ms. Rosemond texted me and said if you have not gone ahead with your project to the point you cannot backup, then there is one thing that you can provide and its a single item that cures many problems. As a medical doctor when she said that they needed an autoclave, I understood because, reducing infections that happen during surgery, improves the quality of surgery and the quality of life in a lot of ways. Whether it is eye surgery, face surgery, heart surgery, abdominal surgery, deliveries, gynecological surgery, bone surgery, or any surgery you do if you want to reduce risk of infections this equipment is very vital, he added. About the electrocautery machines, Dr. Asumeng said it will go a long way to help the hospital to reduce blood loss during surgery. I am not a surgeon but Ive been to a few surgeries and when you see that Doctors are sweating, most of the time is because they are struggling to control the blood loss or the bleeding. So it was also brought to our attention that if our budget can handle it we should try to add cautery equipment. We are very humbled to be able to collaborate with the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation to bring this equipment to the hospital. Otumfuo Hiahene who also doubles as the Board Chairman of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, Nana Prof. Oheneba Boakye-Adjei Woahene II, who was at the short ceremony commended the club for giving back to society and especially their root and encouraged other pro-Asante groups to emulate same. Oheneba also cautioned the hospital management to put the machines into a good use to help save lives. Dr. Kamaruden Kwaku Husein, the Medical Superintendent of the Manhyia Government Hospital who received the items on behalf of the hospital applauded the Asante Professionals Club-USA Chapter for their kind gesture and for donating such expensive items to the hospital. In his response, he said, the autoclave and the electrocautery machine are the key equipment that we need in any theatre or any functioning hospital. So they actually came at the right time, because, the current one that we are using are actually giving us problems. We want to thank APC-USA so much for this gesture and assured them that, this equipment will go a long way to save lives in the Manhyia Metropolis The members who submitted the items on behalf of the Asante Professionals Club- USA Chapter includes; Dr. Gabriel Asumeng, Dr. Anthony Adade, and Dr. Elizabeth Sarkodie-Mensah. Board of Directors of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation and the National Executives of the Asante Students Union were there to grace the short but graceful event. The National Cathedral of Ghana Secretariat has said the founder and Presiding Bishop of the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches, Dag Heward-Mills, will soon be added as one of the directors of the national cathedral. According to the Secretariat, Bishop Heward-Mills documents were not ready when the National Cathedral of Ghana was undergoing registration as a company under the Companies Act, 1963 (Act 179). He is said to have travelled out of the country. These were contained in a statement issued by the Secretariat on Tuesday, June 21 to respond to allegations by North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that two trustees Rev Prof Cephas Omenyo and Bishop Heward-Mills have been omitted as directors of the company at the Registrar-Generals Department. In a raft of allegations, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP wondered: One wonders if Bishop Dag Heward-Mills and Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo are aware that despite the public misrepresentations, their names have been patently omitted from the list of eminent registered directors? But the statement signed by Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah, the Executive Director of the National Cathedral of Ghana, said: Rev Prof Cephas Omenyo, the immediate past Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana , has been indisposed since 2018, and so could not register. He is yet to be formally replaced as a member of the Board of Trustees by the President. Bishop Dag Heward Mill's registration materials, which are the Secretariat, came in after the registration as he had travelled out of the country. The Secretariat is awaiting the replacements of Rev Cephas Omenyo and the late Chairman, Most Rev Asante Antwi to the Board of Trustees. Once these replacements are made by the President, there will be a Board resolution to add their names, and that of Bishop Dag Heward Mills, to the list of Directors. Dr Opoku-Mensah singled out Bishop Dag Heward-Mills as a very committed and active member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana. 3news.com Mr Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, says no encroacher will be allowed to return to the premises of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Animal Research Institute (CSIR-AARI). Nobody would be allowed to come back here. It is the property of CSIR-ARI and it is up to them to decide what to do with it. But I can assure you that the lands would not be allocated or distributed back to people to come and build here privately, he said. The Minister made the comments on Wednesday when the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and Adentan Municipal Assembly embarked on a demolishing exercise of unauthorised structures within the CSIR-ARI enclave at Adentan-Frafraha. The demolition follows a 48-hour ultimatum issued by Mr Quartey to encroachers within the 200-acre fenced facility of CSIR-ARI to vacate or be forced to. The exercise which began at 0400 hours on Monday has led to the destruction of hundreds of unauthorised structures with scores of people displaced. The operation was carried out together with personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Ambulance Service, Ghana Immigration Service, amongst others. Scores of people gathered on grounds which was once their home to witness the demolishing exercise, whilst others tried to salvage their items. Many of them looked sombre, with several others expressing disappointment and lamenting over the destruction of their properties. Unless God intervenes, we have nowhere to go. The Minister should have mercy on us, some displaced residents lamented. Some encroachers who resided in kiosks decided not to wait for the demolishing exercise to reach their doorstep and made efforts to carry their homes and belongings from the grounds. Mr Quartey, who is also Chairman of REGSEC, said even after the exercise had ended, security agencies would make necessary arrangements to protect staff of CSIR-ARI and the lands. He noted that an additional 900 acres of land belonging to CSIR-ARI had been encroached holding between 3,000 to 4,000 buildings. The Minister urged the Landlords Association to engage CSIR-ARI and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to discuss how to regularise the 900-acre land that had been encroached to allow owners of properties to receive legal documents. This step will be like a relief for those who have lived around for 20 to 30 years and not knowing what their fate is; but today I can assure them that we will make strong recommendations for them to be able to regularise or rather their documents regularised for them. GNA A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey has consented to the upcoming demonstration by Arise Ghana against the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia led government. The group comprised of political parties leaders, media practitioners, civil society players, creative arts, trade unions, among others espoused the urgent need for a nationalistic and action-oriented vehicle to demand accountability from the duty bearers in the view of the excruciating hardships confronting Ghanaians today. Dr. Wereko Brobbey, admonished the group to pull huge number of people on the streets to compel government to listen to the concerns of the Ghanaian people. He however implored the group not to waiver in the exercise of their constitutional right to demonstrate. The group has been mobilizing both leading members and non-members of NPP to support its cause to demonstrate against the government. It said "is organizing a historic two-day demonstration scheduled for the 28th and 29th of June, 2022 in Accra." This endorsement follows a similar endorsement by a founding member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe at a courtesy call on him by Arise Ghana few days ago. According to the group, its agenda was to relentlessly champion the common course of the Ghanaian people to form a strong voice for the voiceless and vigorously seek reforms that will bring about the needed change in the socio-economic, politico-social and general wellbeing of the Ghanaian citizenry. It said its course includes protest against persistent and astronomical hikes in fuel prices by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that has imposed excruciating economic hardships on Ghanaians, protest against the imposition of the obnoxious E-Levy on the already-burdened Ghanaian people by the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and demand a full scale and bi-partisan parliamentary probe into COVID-19 expenditures. In addition, is to protest against the grabbing of state lands by officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, particularly the de-classification of huge portions of the Achimota Forest reserve, protest against the increased rate of police brutalities and state-sponsored killing of innocent Ghanaians, as well as the growing culture of human rights abuses under the watch of President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia. They will also demand the total cancellation of the fraudulent Agyapa deal. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah has shared that he believes setting up a committee to probe the Covid-19 expenditure of the government after the Finance Ministers account to Parliament will just be a waste of time. The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta stormed Parliament on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 to account to Parliament after failing to honour several previous invitations. After listening to the Finance Minister who stressed that interventions introduced by the government were bold, decisive, and compassionate, the Minority accused him of inconsistencies while bemoaning what they described as too many discrepancies. Passing his comments after listening to the Minister, Haruna Iddrisu told Speaker Alban Bagbin that the discrepancies in the account of the sector minister need to be probed further. He said to get to the bottom of the matter, a public inquiry into Covid expenditure beyond the headline numbers of the Minister of Finance should be constituted. Mr. Speaker Im also holding with me here message on the State of the Nation by HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo presented to this August house Wednesday 30th March 2022at Parliament House and Mr. Speaker I refer you to page and I quote In all data from the Ministry of Finance tells us that and amount of GHS17.7 billion or 4.6% of GDP has been spent in containing the pandemic since 2020. Then the Minister of Finance GHS12 billion. Who should we believe? The President of the Minister? So Mr. Speaker, for us, a probe and an open public inquiry into Covid expenditure beyond the headline numbers of the Minister of Finance is inevitable and an imperative. We are not looking for headline figures. I spent 12 billion, 12 billion on what? We need the expenditure returns and expenditure details of every amount, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu stressed. Reacting to the calls for the setting up of the committee, MP Patrick Yaw Boamah noted that it is misplaced. It is an afterthought, it will be waste of time because the Minister has given the breakdown, the Okaikwei Central shared. On his part, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin backed his colleague Patrick Yaw Boamah, arguing that the Finance Ministers account of the Covid funds is the fact. According to him, there is no need to set up a committee to carry out an inquiry. We are here to receive the facts and when the facts are given to us we should be fair and acknowledge it, the Effutu MP indicated. Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister, says the total amount of COVID-19 funds programmed for the initiatives under the support to households in 2020 was GH1,718 million, out of which amount utilized was GH1,550 million. He made the disclosure on Wednesday on the floor of Parliament, when he presented his statement to the House, dubbed Statement to Parliament on the COVID-19 Expenditure 2020/2021. Mr Ofori-Atta said a total amount of GH12.1million was utilized for the distribution of the packed hot food in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi. He noted that it included the cost of transportation of packed food in some suburbs of Greater Kumasi by National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). He said the expenditure for the provision of hot meals during the lockdown served about 2,744,723 persons for the period of the lockdown was at a unit cost of GH4.32. He said a total amount of GH42.24 million was expended on distribution of dry food packages through faith-based organizations in Greater Accra and Kumasi; adding that a total of about 470,000 persons received the food packages. As part of the support to households, Government through the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and its agency, Ghana Water Company Limited provided free water, which initially lasted for the period April to September 2020. The Minister said following an executive directive, it was extended to December 2020 for lifeline consumers. He said the distribution was also carried out by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency and other small holder water supply organizations (NGOs). Mr Ofori-Atta said an amount of GH556 million was budgeted in 2020 for this programme out of which GH456 million was utilised. He said in 2021, a total allocation of GH200 million was made for the provision of free water and electricity for lifeline consumers, out of which GH143 million was utilised. Government also made provision in the Budget for free electricity to lifeline consumers and absorbed 50 per cent of all electricity bills for all residential and commercial customers, he stated. The Minister said a total cost of GH1,039 million was utilised for the policy from April to September 2020. GNA Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance says a total of GH600 million was utilised for Economic Relief, Stabilization and Revitalization during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He said: "Mr Speaker, in addition to measures to stabilise the economy after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government also implemented programmes to revitalise the economy and protect jobs." To that end, the finance minister cited the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme (CAPBuSS) by the NBSSI now the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), as providing soft loans to 302,001 small and medium-scale businesses across the country to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and protect jobs. Mr Ofori-Atta said this on Wednesday when he appeared before Parliament to deliver a statement on how government funds were disbursed against the COVID-19 Pandemic. He was also billed to answer 16 questions from different legislators. He referred to the Ghana Cares Obaatan pa Programme which was launched in November 2020 as part of projects that revitalised the economy. The finance minister noted that to make strategic investments in the real sector of the economy, the total amount released at the end of 2021 was GH539 million out of the total programmed amount of GH1,510 million. He mentioned that the establishment of the Development Bank Ghana was to address gaps in the Ghanaian credit markets, especially the availability of medium- and long-term finance for the private sector. As a result, Mr Ofiri-Atta told Parliament that a total amount of GH853 million had been transferred to the Bank as seed money. "Mr Speaker, other measures include the transfer of GH1,501 million to the Statutory funds in line with the approved budget to enable them to deliver on their mandate. "This was occasioned by the non-performance of revenues largely due to the global lockdowns; and the payment of GH1,267 million to contractors to settle outstanding indebtedness to contractors that were programmed to be paid in 2020 with revenues collected as well as ease the financial burden that arose due to the outbreak of the pandemic," he said. GNA 22.06.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Police Service has helped an officer, Corporal Isaac Opoku Asuman to have a prosthesis leg fixed to replace his amputated leg. The intervention to help Corporal Isaac Opoku Asuman has become possible due to the Ghc6.1million Emergency Medical Intervention Fund (PEMIF) launched last year. The Corporal returned to Ghana on June 15, 2022, after a successful surgery in New Delhi, India on May 22, 2022, accompanied by an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Police Hospital, to fix a new prosthesis leg. The Corporal was knocked down by a taxi driver on April 26, 2021, while on an anti-robbery duty within the Accra Metropolis. He was taken to the Police Hospital and was admitted for treatment. During the course of the treatment, his left leg was amputated due to the severity of the injury. He has now been given a prosthesis leg and will be able to freely move around. The Ghana Police Service in a statement has given the assurance that the administration will continue to prioritise the health and well-being of personnel of the Service through the Emergency Medical Intervention Fund whenever the need arises. Find more details from the Police statement below: Corporal Opoku Asumam Becomes Second Beneficiary of Police Emergency Medical Intervention Fund (PEMIF) General Corporal Isaac Opoku Asumam has become the second Police officer to benefit from the 6.1 Million Cedis Police Emergency Medical Intervention Fund (PEMIF) after he was flown to New Delhi, India for medical attention. The PEMIF, an initiative of the Police Administration which was approved and launched in January 2022, by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is aimed at providing full funding for the medical care of Police officers who sustain injuries in the line of duty. Corporal Isaac Opoku Asumans support comes after Chief Inspector Mac-Victor Anako, who was the first beneficiary, had undergone a similar treatment in Germany. Corporal Isaac Opoku Asuman was flown to New Delhi, India on May 22, 2022, accompanied by an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Police Hospital, to fix a new prosthesis leg. The Corporal returned to Ghana on June 15, 2022, after a successful surgery. The Corporal was knocked down by a taxi driver on April 26, 2021, while on an anti-robbery duty within the Accra Metropolis. He was taken to the Police Hospital and was admitted for treatment. During the course of the treatment, his left leg was amputated due to the severity of the injury. The Police Administration will continue to prioritise the health and well-being of personnel of the Service through the Emergency Medical Intervention Fund whenever the need arises. The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has reiterated government's commitment to empowering indigenous industries in order to get them ready for the emergence of what he called, a new global architecture. Speaking at the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of Tropical Cable and Conductor Limited in Tema on Wednesday June 22, Vice President Bawumia said, the ongoing global economic crisis will bring about a new phenomenon, where countries would no longer have to depend much on external products and services, but depend on their local industries. He therefore, called for a rethink, and the offering of more support to local Ghanaian industries, to empower them and become as successful as Tropical Cables in order to be internationally competitive. "The on-going global economic crisis, which is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, will bring about a new global architecture, where countries will have to be more dependent on themselves," Dr. Bawumia said. He noted that "If we are going to succeed in this new global architecture we have to support our local industries to succeed and that is what other countries are going to do. "So there has to be a rethinking of the policy environment; what can we do to empower our local industries. We don't know when this war between Russia and Ukraine will end but it will end, even if it is five years, it will end. "But we have to be prepared for the new emerging global architecture and we can only be prepared for it if we are empowering our local industries to produce and to compete globally." Governments industrialization vision The Vice President stressed that the Akufo-Addo government's industrialization agenda, which was initiated right from the onset of the government in 2017 before the current global crisis struck, could not have been done at a better time, as it fits into the agenda to boost local industries, be self-reliant, create jobs for the youth and also boost the economy. "Industrialization has been a strategic priority of the President Akufo-Addo government. The One District-One Factory (1D1F) initiative has been transformed from a political mantra into an effective flagship programme geared towards revamping of the economy to create job opportunities for our teeming graduate youth," added the Vice President. The Vice President noted that, "At the heart of the One District, One Factory (1D1F) concept lies governments firm determination to transform the Ghanaian economy from one known as a supplier of raw materials to the international market, supplying foreign industries with our natural resources to the detriment of our locally based ones, to one that feeds local value enhancing entities in the country. "This is why our government in 2019 launched the Ghana Beyond Aid program, with the overriding objective of adding value to our raw materials at source." 25 YEARS OF TCCL EXCELLENCE Congratulating Tropical Cable on its 25th Anniversary, Dr. Bawumia expressed joy that an indigenous Ghanaian company, which started on a modest note and went through the challenges of industrialization, has grown to be an industry leader and has also become globally competitive. "Twenty-Five years in the life of any business is certainly worth celebrating but if one appreciates the unique challenges of the manufacturing sector, then the significance of this achievement stands out even more," Dr. Bawumia said. He added, "We are gathered here to congratulate and to celebrate you as a company on the attainment of this remarkable milestone. I am sure that, 25 years ago the scale of what we see here today was probably difficult to imagine but due diligence, discipline and innovation and hard work, have paid off and propelled you to sit at the top of your industry, serving power utilities, the real estate and construction sectors, the mining sector, and so on, with internationally certified cables and conductors. "As a nation, we are indeed proud to have an indigenous company like Tropical Cable. Its achievements over the years, have given meaning to the belief that this nation is capable of producing and sustaining industrial excellence." At the ceremony, the Vice President also launched Tropical Cable's CAT-6 cable, which is the first certified CAT-6 cable to be manufactured in Ghana. 22.06.2022 LISTEN Civil space continues to shrink together with a rise in human rights violations during peaceful protests worldwide, while governments adopt an increasingly militarised approach to policing demonstrations, said an independent UN Human Rights Expert. Rather than seeing peaceful protest as a democratic means of participation, too often governments resort to repression to suppress protests and silence peoples voices, said Clement Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association, in a report presented to the Human Rights Council . The expert said a global trend towards militarising protest policing tactics had led to an escalation of violence and human rights abuses. Governments around the world were deploying military personnel, and using military-style tactics to quash peaceful demonstrations, while also in some cases using military courts to prosecute peaceful protesters, his report added. The Special Rapporteur warned that this approach was resulting in an escalation of violence and tensions, human rights abuses, and increased impunity in the context of peaceful protests. Militarised policing of protests has a particularly intimidating effect on women protesters, who sometimes face sexual abuse as a weapon to silence them, Mr. Voule said. The report highlights disturbing trends in response to peaceful protests in crisis situations, including the widespread stigmatisation of protest movements. States portray protests as threats to stability and as a trigger of crises. These are then used as a pretext to clamp down on protest movements, the UN expert said. The Special Rapporteurs report was deeply critical of the growing use of unlawful and excessive force while policing protests, including the use of lethal force. Blanket shoot to kill orders are being issued by authorities in response to protests. Less lethal weapons have also been misused to inflict serious injuries and death to protesters. These violations must immediately stop and instead States must facilitate peaceful protests, Voule said. He called on States to ensure people are not persecuted, unlawfully arrested, criminalized, tortured, killed or harmed, merely for exercising their fundamental freedom to peaceful assembly. The Special Rapporteur said the abuse of emergency measures by States to impose prolonged and excessive restrictions to suppress peaceful protests had become commonplace, only increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imposing a state of emergency, does not give a freehand to States to violate human rights, he declared. Regardless of the crisis they are currently facing, even during a state of emergency or war, States are bound by their human rights obligations. Where the right to peaceful assembly is fully enjoyed, peaceful, democratic, rights-respecting societies thrive, the expert said. The independent experts report said emergency measures taken by States to respond to the pandemic had added another layer of government restrictions. It is through protest that people express their grievances in times of crisis, to raise awareness about the impact these crises have in their lives. Protest is an exercise of their fundamental rights, the expert said. The Special Rapporteur urged States to engage with protesters, hear their concerns and address root causes of the crises. By creating an enabling environment for peaceful protests and listening to legitimate demands of protesters, governments can adopt more responsive and just policies, more likely to resolve crises, said Mr. Voule. The long hours of torrential rains that hit the Twin city of the Western Region have rendered many homeless. The rain also covered the surfaces of many major roads including the Ketan to Nkroful Junction, Kansaworodo, vodafone, Paa Grant and the Apollo highway. The situation as observed by Ghana News Agency saw many school children and commuters stranded by this nature's act. The rains also submerged the Apowa and some portions of the Nkenya-agric environment and areas such as Apowa- Saint Mary's while some vehicles were trapped in the ravaging water. Some inhabitants had attributed the rise in floods in recent times to bad engineering practices, cutting of hills and filling of swampy lands to build structures. "The rainwater, which had been displaced by human activities was vent on school children and some people who had to fight for passage to their various destinations especially around Apowa and Apollo area." Others, who also had a hectic time crossing the gushing water, were helped by volunteers to ferry them to the other end of the road. The Marine Police, led by the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Victor Adusah-Poku, however, rushed to the scene to salvage the 'looming danger.' The security agency provided life jackets to assist the people to cross the flood line. Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, early yesterday morning, led the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), to assess the flood situation in some parts of the Region. Meanwhile, the rains continued as weather reports show more downpour in the coming days along the coast. GNA A cross section of residents in the Sunyani Municipality have expressed dissatisfaction about the low publicity being given to the 'See Something, Say Something' security alert campaign in the country. Most of them believed issues of security must be accorded the greatest attention and importance, but that was not seen in the ''See Something, Say Something'' security alert which is geared towards enlightening the Ghanaian public about the insurgence of terrorists in the West African sub-region. Madam Vida Afful, a trader expressed concern in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), saying ''this is my first time of hearing such a slogan and I am yet to understand what it means so if you could educate me, I would be grateful''. In another interview, Mr Martin Agyei, a civil servant said he saw the flyer on social media and that prompted him about the campaign, but since then, he had not heard anything about it. He said such vital campaigns should constantly be spread across for every citizen to be well- informed to effectively contribute to its success. Mrs Augustina Ababio, a government worker told the GNA she first heard about the campaign at her son's Parent-Teacher Association meeting where they were informed about security threats emerging because of terrorist attacks in some African countries. She explained the information enlightened her and since then had been alert, but hardly heard other outlets circulating messages about the campaign. Mr Abraham Yartey, a student also said not much information was being heard about the campaign, saying that utmost importance must be attached to the campaign to avoid a catastrophe. He said it would be better if more attention was given to the campaign because no one knows where such persons might operate from. GNA Engineers of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority of Sierra Leone (EDSA) have started a month-long training course at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Training School in Tema. The course is funded by the World Bank as the engineers would receive the training in Electric Distribution Power Systems Planning, and Design and Operations. Mr. Samuel Mahama, the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), who launched the training, admonished the engineers to take the course seriously and to ensure that they were up to the task of keeping the supply on for the customer while ensuring profitability for their company. Mr Mahama said no matter how genius an engineering work was, it must be able to maintain supply and ensure that the business remained relevant and viable. He added that every business's success depended on the employees who had been charged with manning various aspects of its operations to ensure that the business grew. Dr. George Yaw Marfo, the Director of the ECG Training School, said the training was in two forms made up of 30 per cent theory and 70 per cent practical. Dr. Marfo charged them to be diligent and interested in what they would be taught, to be able to manage the electricity supply system of EDSA on their own, without having to rely much on external support. He expressed appreciation to the Management of ECG and EDSA for the training session and the World Bank for sponsoring it. Mr Peter Kamuray, a representative of EDSA expressed the hope that the cordial relationship existing between Ghana and Sierra Leone, would continue and grow stronger. Mr Kamuray added that four years ago, access to energy in his home country stood at 11 percent, adding however that with deliberate planning, the figure has risen to 33 percent and that there were plans to increase it. He mentioned that the capacity training instituted for the engineers of EDSA forms part of the deliberate attempt at augmenting their energy access as they would need engineers to man the various aspects of the energy supply network. GNA INTRODUCTION Mr. Speaker, on 11th March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. This moment has marked a defining moment in world history and its impact still reverberates globally. Mr. Speaker, here in Ghana, we recorded our first two cases on 12th March 2020. H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, immediately put together a taskforce which spearheaded the development of a bold, comprehensive, and decisive strategy to ensure that we are not overwhelmed by the pandemic. In line with this strategy, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of Ghana was assessed and measures designed to address its immediate impacts. However, the impact of the pandemic was even more severe than anticipated both globally and domestically. It has upended and exposed the weaknesses in critical structures and systems in education, health, economic life and communities. The pandemic triggered a sharp and heavy disruption in global supply chains as lockdowns and restrictions led to reductions in demand and production levels. Mr. Speaker, this has required us to undertake major fiscal measures beyond what we programmed prior to the pandemic. To finance the additional expenditure such as support to households, engagement of additional health personnel deployment of security personnel at our borders to enforce the CoVID-19 protocols, as well as the procurement of personal protective equipment, Government has had to adopt major fiscal measures to accommodate the increased expenditure and the shortfalls in revenue. Though our response was bold, decisive, and compassionate, it has also been costly. Mr. Speaker, you may recall that on 30th March 2020, I made a statement to Parliament on the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Economy of Ghana, following which the implementation of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) commenced. Furthermore, during the presentation of the 2020 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy, I indicated that the supplementary request included a programmed funding of GH19.3billion from various funding sources to support the budget both directly and indirectly. On the expenditure side, an amount of GH11.16 billion was programmed for COVID -19 related expenses (details attached as appendix 1). The difference of GH8.14 billion was programmed to provide for shortfalls in Revenue. Mr. Speaker, in 2021, the budget programmed a total amount of GH4,601 million for COVID-19 related expenses. (Details attached as appendix 2) It is worth noting that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) mobilized the needed financial resources, whilst the various COVID-19 interventions and related expenses were implemented by the relevant sector ministries and agencies. PROGRAMMED RESOURCES Mr. Speaker, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on businesses and households, ensure that economic activities recover and minimize job losses, Government mobilised GH18.19 billion out of the programmed GH19.3 billion in 2020 from various funding sources as shown in Table 1 to support the budget. Table 1 S/N Funding Source Programme Supported Amount(GH) 1 GOG Contingency Fund Covid-19 Alleviation Programme 1,204,000,000 2 World Bank Group Funds - Health Interventions Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) 1 & 2 1,334,000,000 o/w GARID CERC (US$65m) 377,000,000 o/w Fast track Covid-19 Facility (US35m) 203,000,000 o/w Fast track Covid-19 Additional Facility(US130m) 754,000,000 3 IMF ($1bn) 2020 Budget Support 5,852,950,000 4 AfDB 405,650,000 5 EU 504,000,000 6 BOG - COVID-19 Bonds 10,000,000,000 Grand Total 19,300,600,000 Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Mr. Speaker, Government programmed funding of One Billion, Two Hundred and Three Million, Seven Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Eighty-Five Ghana Cedis and Seventy-Seven Pesewas from the Contingency Fund (Gh1,203,715,085.77), to finance the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme. This programme focused on achieving five (5) key objectives: limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life; and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance. Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan The Ministry of Health also led the preparation and implementation of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan which was financed with funds from the World Bank. An amount of US$230 million was secured from various facilities under the World Bank to support the implementation of the COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP). The funding facilities include: Fast Track COVID-19 Facility (FTCF) - US$35 million - This financing is Ghanas share of the World Banks US$4 billion Fast Track COVID-19 Facility that was announced in March 2020 to enable countries deal with the pandemic; and GARID CERC - US$65 million - This amount was drawn from the existing World Bank-funded Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project by activating the Contingency Response Component (CERC) of the Project. Additional Financing (AF1) of US$130.0 million in November 2020, to strengthen and scale-up the gains of the EPRP. Mr. Speaker an additional financing (AF2) of US$200.0 million was also secured in 2021, largely for the acquisition and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to support other sources of financing of the vaccination programme under this Plan. The plan sought to achieve the following: strengthen coordination of the overall preparedness activities; strengthen capacity of regions, priority health facilities and points of entry to prevent, rapidly detect, investigate and control any COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana; strengthen national capacity for laboratory surveillance and diagnosis; build capacity for early diagnosis, case management, contact tracing and infection prevention and control; ensure minimum health logistics are in place in prioritised regions, health facilities and points of entry for preparedness and laboratory capacity sustained for timely and quality testing of COVID-19 samples; and increase public awareness on COVID-19 risk mitigation and response measures. Budget Support Mr. Speaker, in addition to all the above sources of funds, other funds were sourced to support the budget. These include the US$1 billion from the International Monetary Fund, Gh10 billion from the Bank of Ghana, US$69.3 million from African Development Bank and US$99.7 million from the European Union (EU). By the grace of Almighty God, through our well-designed plans and the internal and external funds we mobilised, Government provided support to the frontline health workers, protected livelihoods and job losses, demonstrated care to the vulnerable in society and supported small businesses. Mr. Speaker, it must be noted that the status of utilization of the funds to finance the COVID-19 measures excludes funds of the National COVID-19 Trust Fund and the Ghana Private Sector COVID-19 Fund. STATUS UPDATE ON COVID 19 EXPENDITURE (2020 AND 2021) Mr. Speaker, for the years 2020 and 2021, the programmed expenditure amounted to GH15,763.48 million for the COVID-19 related expenditures out of which the actual utilisation was Gh12,036.41 million. In 2020, a total amount of GH11,162 million (this includes the CAP) was programmed for COVID-19 related expenditure. Out of this amount a total of Gh8,122 million was utilised. The amount was utilised to provide support to households; supply Equipment and provide relief to health workers (Health Response); Health Infrastructure; Security Operations, Evacuations, Quarantine and Coordination; Economic Relief; Stabilization and Revitalization; and Covid-19 Complementary Releases. Mr. Speaker, a total amount of GH4,601 million was programmed in the 2021 budget for COVID-19 related expenses. At the end of December 2021, total utilisation was GH3,914.40 million representing 85 percent utilization. A. Expenditures on COVID-19 falls within the following broad categories: Status of Utilisation of 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 Budget (GH M) No. Expenditure Item 2020 Budget Releases/Utilisat ion 2020 - GH 2021 Budget Releases/Utilisati on 2021 - GH Total (2021 & 2022) 1. Support to Households 1,717.86 1,549.81 200.00 143.24 1,693.05 2. Health Response Equipment Supplies 1,522.07 1,048.94 1,119.73 1,118.69 2,167.63 3. Health Infrastructure 600.00 600.00 779.05 763.92 1,363.92 4. Security Operations 1,200.06 875.11 875.11 5. Economic Relief 5,522.00 3,647.38 1,573.41 1,112.73 4,760.11 6. COVID-19 Vaccines 929.30 775.82 775.82 7. Other COVID Related Expenditures 600.00 400.77 400.77 Total 11,162.00 8,122.01 4,601.48 3,914.40 12,036.41 Mr. Speaker, at this juncture, I wish to dispel the notion that there have been inconsistencies in Government data on COVID-19. His Excellency the President intimated during that State of the Nation Address on 30th March, 2022, that we had mobilised about Gh17.7 billion since 2020 to fight the pandemic. We have subsequently reconciled the data and I can report that as of end-May, 2022, we have mobilised Gh18.19 billion to mitigate the effect of the pandemic. Again, when His Excellency the Vice President indicated on 7th April, 2022 at the National TESCON Conference that Government had spent Gh8.1 billion on Covid-19, it was within the context of expenditures for 2020 as I have already indicated. B. Financial Management Framework for COVID-19 Rt. Hon. Speaker, permit me to use this occasion to highlight the financial management and accountability framework for receipt and use of public funds especially as relates to COVID-19. All public expenditures are incurred from funds approved by Parliament. These expenditures may be drawn from the Consolidated Fund, Contingency Fund or other Statutory Funds earmarked for specific purposes. At the onset of COVID-19, MoF applied for and obtained the approval of Parliament to lower the Cap on the Stabilization Fund. This enabled the transfer of approximately GHc1.20 billion to the Contingency Fund. Upon approval by Parliament, GH1.20 billion was drawn from the Contingency Fund to support Government efforts to mitigate the effect of the pandemic. In the 2020 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, revisions were made to the 2020 Budget to reflect policy changes as well as Executive decisions made to mitigate the effect of the pandemic. Mr. Speaker, the 2021 Budget included the necessary provisions to facilitate mitigation of the residual effects of COVID-19 and to facilitate the revitalization of the Ghanaian economy. To ensure transparency and accountability in the use of funds earmarked for COVD-19 mitigation. Existing financial management rules and regulations were used to disburse funds whiles ensuring the necessary timelines required in dealing with a pandemic were met. All implementing entities (Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembles) that received funds for COVID-19 expenditure were required to keep the relevant documentation for audit purposes. Mr. Speaker, in line with our financial management rules and regulations, all covered entities keep records and subject themselves to internal audit on a continuous basis as well as external annual audits by the Supreme Audit Institution of Ghana, the Audit Service. Mr. Speaker, in the 2020 Mid-Year Review and Supplementary Estimates I presented a comprehensive update on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures Government had put in place to contain it. Furthermore in the 2021 Budget Government presented to this august House, the Budget Statement and Economic Policy, including a detailed breakdown and justification for the COVID-19 expenditure including a statement showing the sources of funds and expenditures on COVID-19 and this was duly approved by the House. Again, in November 2021 when I presented the 2022 Budget, I provided further updates and schedules on COVID-19 expenditure. Mr. Speaker, I now proceed to provide additional details on the COVID-19 expenditures that I have listed. Support to Households 28. Mr. Speaker, total amount programmed for the initiatives under the Support to households in 2020 was GH1,718 million, out of which amount utilized was GH1,550 million. The details include: a total amount of GH12.1million was utilized for the distribution of the packed hot food in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi. This includes the cost of transportation of packed food in some suburbs of Greater Kumasi by NADMO. The expenditure for the provision of Hot Meals during the lockdown served about 2,744,723 persons for the period of the lockdown at a unit cost of GH4.32 . was utilized for the distribution of the packed hot food in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi. This includes the cost of transportation of packed food in some suburbs of Greater Kumasi by NADMO. The expenditure for the provision of Hot Meals during the lockdown served about for the period of the lockdown at a unit cost of . a total amount of GH42.24 million was expended on distribution of Dry Food packages through Faith Based Organizations in Greater Accra and Kumasi. A total of about 470,000 persons received these food packages. was expended on distribution of Dry Food packages through Faith Based Organizations in Greater Accra and Kumasi. A total of about received these food packages. As part of the support to households, Government through the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and its agency Ghana Water Company Limited provided free water which initially lasted for the period April to September 2020. Following an executive directive, this was extended to December 2020 for lifeline consumers. The distribution was also carried out by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency and other Small Holder Water Supply Organizations (NGOs). An amount of GH556 million was budgeted in 2020 for this programme out of which GH456 million was utilised. In 2021, a total allocation of GH200 million was made for the provision of free water and electricity for lifeline consumers, out of which GH143 million was utilised. was budgeted in 2020 for this programme out of which was utilised. In 2021, a total allocation of was made for the provision of free water and electricity for lifeline consumers, out of which was utilised. Government also made provision in the Budget for free electricity to lifeline consumers and absorbed 50% of all electricity bills for all residential and commercial customers. A total cost of GH1,039 million was utilised for the policy from April to September 2020. Health Response-Supplies Equipment and Relief for health workers Mr. Speaker, the total amount programmed for the measures under the health response in 2020 was GH1,522 million, out of which an amount of GH1,049 million was utilized. The details are as follows: a total amount of GH2 million for busing health workers within Accra, Tema, Kumasi & Kasoa to and from work for the duration of the lockdown by GAPTE (Aayalolo) and Metro Mass Transit (MMT). The whole amount was utilized, with GH0.7 million going to GAPTE and GH1.3 million going to support the services of the MMT company. for busing health workers within Accra, Tema, Kumasi & Kasoa to and from work for the duration of the lockdown by GAPTE (Aayalolo) and Metro Mass Transit (MMT). The whole amount was utilized, with going to GAPTE and going to support the services of the MMT company. A total of GH80 million was programmed to pay 50 percent of the basic salary as allowance for frontline workers. All requests have been reconciled and paid. was programmed to pay of the basic salary as allowance for frontline workers. All requests have been reconciled and paid. Total of GH1,440 million was programmed for the provision of PPEs, testing kits and medical equipment as well as to undertake community engagements. Other expenditure includes communication, quarantine, and treatment for COVID-19. An amount of GH1,008 million was utilised. Health Infrastructure Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the pandemic, Government took a bold decision to provide health infrastructure in the districts and regions that did not have a District or Regional Hospital. In all, 111 District, Regional and Mental Hospitals (Agenda 111) were programmed for construction. A total of GH600 million was released to begin the construction across the country in 2020. was released to begin the construction across the country in 2020. In the 2021 budget, an amount of GH779.05 million was programmed for the continuation of the Agenda 111 projects. Out of this, an amount of GH763.92 million has been released. Security Operations, Evacuations and Coordination 32. Mr. Speaker, Government programmed a total amount of GH1,200 million for security operations, evacuation of Ghanaians stranded abroad and coordination of MMDAs sanitation and disinfection exercises. As at 31st December 2020, an amount of GH875 million was utilized. This expenditure was utilised by the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development, the Interior, Justice and Attorney-General, Defence, National Security and Goil. Economic Relief, Stabilization and Revitalization Mr. Speaker, in addition measures to stabilize the economy after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Government also implemented programmes to revitalize the economy and protect jobs. These include the: Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme (CAPBuSS) by the NBSSI now the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), which provided soft loans to 302,001 small and medium scale businesses across the country to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and protect jobs. A total of GH600 million was utilised; The Ghana Cares Obaatan pa Programme was launched in November 2020 to make strategic investments in the real sector of the economy. Total amount released as at end 2021 was GH539 million out of the total programmed amount of GH1,510 million; and the establishment of the Development Bank Ghana to address gaps in the Ghanaian credit markets, especially the availability of medium- and long-term finance for the private sector. A total amount of GH853 million has been transferred to the Bank as seed money. Mr. Speaker, other measures include the: transfer of GH1,501 million to the Statutory funds in line with the approved budget to enable them deliver on their mandate. This was occasioned by the nonperformance of revenues largely due to the global lockdowns; and the payment of GH1,267 million to contractors to settle outstanding indebtedness to contractors that were programmed to be paid in 2020 with revenues collected as well as ease the financial burden that arose due to the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19 Complementary Releases Mr. Speaker, due to the COVID-19 protocols, the Electoral Commission (EC) and National Identification Authority (NIA) had to increase their registration sites and recruit more personnel to ensure compliance during the registration and voting. An amount of GH401 million was transferred to the NIA and EC as additional support to ensure COVID-19 compliant registration and voting. National COVID -19 Response (School Reopening) Mr. Speaker, in September 2020 while other countries had closed all schools, Government, with the advice of experts, took the bold decision to partially re-open schools to enable final year students write their final exams under very strict COVID-19 protocols. This was largely successful with minimal infections amongst the students. An amount of GH1,119.73 million was allocated for Mass School Reopening in January, 2021. This was to ensure that all students and teachers were provided with infection prevention and control items. Total amount utilized was GH1,118.69 million. Procurement of COVID-19 Vaccines Mr. Speaker, the acceleration of sustained socio-economic recovery through advances in vaccine development required the mobilization of significant resources to enable the deployment of a mass vaccination programme. The urgent need to vaccinate a target of 20 million people to achieve herd immunity and strengthen the health system in Ghana required that Government of Ghana makes a significant allocation for the purchase of vaccines. A total amount of GH929.30 million was therefore allocated in the 2021 Budget for the procurement of vaccines. The National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) estimated an amount of US$51.6 million (GH301.86 million) to undertake the vaccination deployment. A total amount of GH775.82 million was released for the purchase of Sputnik V, the Janssen COV SARS 2 COVID Vaccines and the Emergency deployment of vaccines in schools. As at 31st March 2022, a total of 5,424,450 vaccines have been supplied and received into the country. Since the commencement of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign on March 2, 2021, 14,268,269 doses of vaccines have been administered as at April 25, 2022. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this presentation demonstrates Governments commitment to accountability and transparency. All programmed, mobilized and utilised funds have been duly reported on. As a Government, we continue to operate an open-door policy and welcome any opportunity to engage in the national interest. Let me reiterate that never before, in the history of the Fourth Republic, has the entire Ghanaian economy and society experienced such severe shock occasioned by a single external event. Indeed, from independence to date, the Ghanaian economy has never faced such a sudden nationwide dramatic reduction in household and corporate economic activity. But, as the President said in one of his addresses to the nation during the coronavirus outbreak, our survival is in our hands and it continues to be in our hands. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity and God Bless our homeland Ghana. Appendix 1: Status of Utilisation of 2020 COVID-19 Budget (GH M) S/N Status of Utilisation of 2020 COVID-19 Budget (GH M) COVID-19 Expenditure Update 2020 BUDGET Release/Utilisation Variance 1 Support to Households 1,718 1,550 168 1.1 Provision of 2,744,723 Hot Meals in Accra, Tema and Kumasi During Lockdown at Average price of 4.37 (includes Transportation) 12 12 0 1.2 Provision of 470,000 Dry Food Packages In Accra and Kumasi to Faith Based Organisations for Distribution (includes Transportation in Greater Kumasi and Repackaging) 42 42 - 1.3 Payment for the provision of Free Water to all Ghanaians (April to September 2020) ****By GWCL, CWSA, NGOs 556 456 99 1.4 50% Relief for payment of Electricity Bills for Ghanaians and 100% for lifeline consumers (Free) for April to September 2020 (VRA, NeDCo and ECG) 1,108 1,039 69 2 Health Response - Supplies, Equipment and Relief for Health Workers 1,522 1,049 473 2.1 Allowance of 50% of basic Salary for frontline health workers 80 39 41 2.2 Busing of health workers in Accra, Tema, Kumasi & Kasoa to and from work for the duration of the lockdown by GAPTE (Aayalolo) and Metro Mass Transport 2 2 - 2.3 Procurement of COVID-19 Testing Kits, Testing, Community engagement, communication and quarantine ** 678 647 31 2.4 Provision of PPEs, Medical Equipment and Treatment For COVID-19 * 762 361 401 3 Health Infrastructure 600 600 - 3.1 Provision of Health Infrastructure (Agenda 111- District and Regional Hospitals) 600 600 - 4 Security Operations, Evacuations and Coordination 1,200 875 325 4.1 Field Surveillance, Monitoring, Coordination and Emergency Security Operations 68 68 (0) 4.2 Support for Governance and Security Issues Arising Due to Pandemic 1,106 742 364 4.2.1 o/w Ministry of Interior 249 185 64 4.2.2 o/w Ministry of defence 720 507 213 4.2.3 o/w Ministry of National Security 135 49 86 4.2.4 o/w Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General 2 1 1 4.3 Transfer for evacuation, mandatory quarantine of s of evacuated Ghanaians from UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Europe, Americas and other countries (Total of 9,500 Ghanaians)*** 26 66 (39) OTHER COVID-19 RELATED EXPENDITURE 5 ECONOMIC RELIEF, STABILIZATION AND REVITALISATION 5,522 3,647 811 5.1 Soft Loans for Micro, Small & Medium Sized Businesses (CAPBuSS) 600 600 - 5.2 Seed Fund For Capitalisation of Development Bank 580 280 300 5.3 CARES Programme 510 510 5.4 Statutory Funds Payments 1,502 1,501 1 5.5 Payment of outstanding Indebtedness to contractors IPCs (Critical Payments) 2,330 1,267 6 OTHER COVID-19 COMPLEMENTARY RELEASES 600 401 199 6.1 Additional Support to EC and NIA to ensure COVID19 compliant registration and Voting 600 401 199 Total 11,162 8,122 1,977 NOTES: 1.3 Budget for Free water under CAP was for Apr-Sept but actual implementation was up to Dec following the President's directive. 2.3 Includes the $100M Sourced from the World Bank in April to implement the EPRP 1 2.4 Indicates expenditures on the $130M funding expected inflows that was put in the Mid-year Budget to finance the EPRP 2 4.3 Additional Funds GHc39m for the Cost of Evacuation and Quarantine of Stranded Ghanaians was from other balances from the CAP 5.4 Statutory Payments were made to support Governnance continuity in the midst of the Pandemic due to revenue shortfalls 5.5 Funds allocated to Cares was not utilised therefore was rolled back at the end of the financial year. Appendix 2: Status of Utilisation of 2021 COVID-19 Budget (GH M) JAN -December 2021 Status of Utilisation of 2021 COVID-19 Budget (GH M) JAN -December 2021 Items Original Budget Allocation Revised Budget Allocation 2021 Releases Balance COVID-19 Related Expenditures (CARES) 4,509.63 4,601.48 3,914.40 687.08 1 Provision of Free Water and Electricity for lifeline consumers 200.00 200.00 143.24 56.76 O/W free water for Lifeline consumers - - 143.24 2 Provision of Health Infrastructure (Agenda 111- District and Regional Hospitals) 1,476.31 779.05 763.92 15.13 3 National COVID-19 Response* 597.65 597.65 597.65 - 4 Additional COVID 19 Expenditure on Mass Reopening of Schools and Tertiary Institutions** - 522.08 521.04 1.04 5 Seed Fund for Capitalisation of Development Bank Ghana*** 306.37 573.41 573.41 - 6 Cost of Economic Revitalisation payment (CARES) 1,000.00 1,000.00 539.32 460.68 7 Procurement of COVID 19 Vaccines 929.30 929.30 775.82 153.48 7.1 o/w payment for 20,000 doses of Sputnik V - - 2.18 Emergency Rollout of Covid vaccines in schools 19.80 7.2 o/w Payment for 12,689,062 doses of Janssen Sars-Cov 2 - - 753.84 Appendix 3: Funding Sources for the 2020 Budget Following The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Russias upper house of parliament approves legalization of parallel imports MOSCOW, June 22 (RAPSI) The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian Parliament, has approved a government bill providing for the legalization of parallel imports of goods. The draft law is to reduce a rise in prices for imported goods caused by the actions of unfriendly countries, according to member of the Councils Committee on Economic Policy Alexander Zhukov. According to the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, the initiative is to ensure both the interests of domestic consumers of products of foreign companies that have left the Russian market, and in general will contribute to the development of the Russian economy in the context of the sanctions policy applied against the Russian Federation by unfriendly countries. In early May, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation published a list of more than 50 categories of goods that will be available for parallel imports. It included a variety of items: from plants to medicines, from soap to weapons. The document protects Russian companies that import goods without the permission of the copyright holder from possible civil, administrative and criminal liability. The State Duma adopted the bill on June 21. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. June 22, 2022 Ukraine Open Thread 2022-92 Only news & views related to the Ukraine conflict ... The open thread for other issues is here. Posted by b on June 22, 2022 at 16:57 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page The success of Stranger Things season four has been very rewarding for Kate Bush, with her iconic tune 'Running Up That Hill' earning her a great deal of money. Since the feature, the 1985 song's popularity has blown up as a new generation has been introduced to the tune. It has proven so popular that 37 years after its first release, the single has finally reached the top of the UK music charts. At least 5% of respondents admitted to trying to DIY their own bubbly by putting their wine through a SodaStream, while 16% just shamelessly mixed their vino with a soft drink of their choice. Perhaps most shockingly, over a tenth of Kiwis say they've heated up their wine in the oven or microwave. We're still scratching our heads over that one. A whopping 89% said they've purchased a wine just because they liked the label - relatable - and 84% confessed to buying wine they couldn't pronounce the name of. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Social media companies would have to make public their policies for removing problem content and give detailed accounts of how and when they remove it, under a proposal being considered by California legislators who blame online chatter for encouraging violence and undermining democracy. The bipartisan measure stalled last year over free speech concerns, but Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel said Tuesday he hopes to revive his bill by adding amendments he said will make it clear that lawmakers don't intend to censor or regulate content. But his bill would require companies to say how they regulate their own content under their social media terms of service. We think we've found a way to thread that needle, Gabriel said during a news conference promoting what he said is first-of-its-kind legislation. Were not telling you what to do but tell policymakers and tell the public what you are doing. There's nothing in this bill that requires companies to censor speech," he added. "There's nothing that requires them to silence certain voices or to amplify other content. It simply requires them to be honest and transparent about when they are amplifying certain voices and when they are silencing others." The digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit promoting free expression online, was among those opposing the bill on free speech grounds. But the group said it can't say if Gabriel addressed those concerns until he amends his bill. The proposal sailed through the state Assembly more than a year ago on a 64-1 vote, then ground to a halt in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It faces a crucial hearing in that committee next week, days before its deadline for moving bills to the full Senate. The California Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill along with trade groups including the Consumer Technology Association, Internet Association, Internet Coalition, Netchoice and TechNet. The bill requires such complete disclosure that it would provide bad actors with roadmaps to get around our protections, a coalition of the opponents told lawmakers. Its requirement of detailed quarterly reports to the state attorney general is unworkable and unreasonable, even with proposed amendments, the coalition said. And the enforcement allowed under the bill is onerous and problematic, subjecting companies to possible civil penalties and investigation over the filing of a report. The potential for lawsuits would be counterproductive, the groups said, and could suppress ongoing efforts to protect users from harmful content online. Companies would be required say if their policies cover various categories of online content and if so, how they enforce those policies in each category, how quickly and how often, all broken down by how it was shared for instance by text, video or images. Categories would include hate or racist speech; extremism or radicalization; disinformation or misinformation; harassment; and foreign political interference. They would have to say how many items were flagged, how many resulted in some action, and how often those items were viewed and shared. Consumers all of us as we're looking at our social media feeds deserve to know how social media is amplifying and spreading hate and misinformation and disinformation, and unfortunately even fomenting violence in our society, said Democratic Sen. Richard Pan, who heads the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus that has seen harassment grow during the coronavirus pandemic. They know what their algorithms do. We don't know, Pan added. We need to know what's going on inside that black box. We need to know what those billions of dollars they've invested in researching how we think actually drives the decisions they make." Gabriel said that as the home to many social media companies, California has a special obligation and a special opportunity to lead" at a time when federal politicians can't even agree on what day of the week it is. Advocates and the companies themselves agree that whatever California does will become a model for the rest of the nation, as have many of its other policies, Gabriel said. The bill is one of several addressing social media that are moving through the Legislature this year. Among them is one that would allow parents to sue social media platforms alleging harm to children who have become addicted to online content. Another would require online companies to meet certain standards if they market to children. Another would allow Californians targeted in violent social media posts to seek a court order to have the posts removed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) Scientists say climate change is a factor behind the erratic and early rains that triggered unprecedented floods in Bangladesh and northeastern India, killing dozens and making lives miserable for millions of others. Although the region is no stranger to flooding, it typically takes place later in the year when monsoon rains are well underway. This year's torrential rainfall lashed the area as early as March. It may take much longer to determine the extent to which climate change played a role in the floods, but scientists say that it has made the monsoon a seasonable change in weather usually associated with strong rains more variable over the past decades. This means that much of the rain expected to fall in a year is arriving in a space of weeks. The northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya received nearly three times its average June rainfall in just the first three weeks of the month, and neighboring Assam received twice its monthly average in the same period. Several rivers, including one of Asia's largest, flow downstream from the two states into the Bay of Bengal in low-lying Bangladesh, a densely populated delta nation. With more rainfall predicted over the next five days, Bangladesh's Flood Forecast and Warning Centre warned Tuesday that water levels would remain dangerously high in the country's northern regions. The pattern of monsoons, vital for the agrarian economies of India and Bangladesh, has been shifting since the 1950s, with longer dry spells interspersed with heavy rain, said Roxy Matthew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, adding that extreme rainfall events were also projected to increase. Until now, floods in northeastern Bangladesh were rare while Assam state, famed for its tea cultivation, usually coped with floods later in the year during the usual monsoon season. The sheer volume of early rain this year that lashed the region in just a few weeks makes the current floods an unprecedented situation, said Anjal Prakash, a research director at Indias Bharti Institute of Public Policy, who has contributed to U.N.-sponsored study on global warming. This is something that we have never heard of and never seen, he said. Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave a similarly grim assessment Wednesday. We havent faced a crisis like this for a long time. Infrastructure must be constructed to cope with such disasters," she told a news conference in Dhaka. The water coming from Meghalaya and Assam has affected the Sylhet region in northeastern Bangladesh, she said, adding that there is no quick respite for the country. Hasina said that floodwaters would recede soon from the northeast, but they would likely hit the countrys southern region soon on the way to the Bay of Bengal. We should prepare to face it, she said. We live in a region where flooding happens quite often, which we have to bear in mind. We must prepare for that. A total of 42 people have died in Bangladesh since May 17 while Indian authorities reported that flood deaths have risen to 78 in Assam state, with 17 others killed in landslides. Hundreds of thousands are displaced and millions in the region have been forced to scramble to makeshift evacuation centers. Bangladesh, home to about 160 million, has historically contributed a fraction of the world's emissions. Meanwhile, a decade-old deal for rich nations, who have contributed more to global emissions, to give $100 billion to poorer nations every year to adapt to climate change and switch to cleaner fuels hasn't been fulfilled. And the money that is provided is spread too thin. That means that countries like Bangladesh whose GDP has risen from $6.2 billion in 1972 to $305 billion in 2019 have to redirect funds to combat climate change, instead of of spending it on policies aimed at lifting millions from poverty. This is a problem which is created by the global industrialized north. And we are paying the price for it because they have ignored their responsibility, Prakash said. In the hardest-hit city of Sylhet, shop owner Mohammad Rashiq Ahamed has returned home with his families to see what can be salvaged from floods. Wading through knee-deep water, he said that he was worried about waters rising again. The weather is changing ... there can be another disaster, at any time. He is one of about 3.5 million Bangladeshis who face the same predicament each year when rivers flood, according to a 2015 analysis by the World Bank Institute. Bangladesh is considered one of the most vulnerable to climate change and the poor are disproportionately impacted. Parul Akhter, a poultry farmer, held on to her disabled son to save him from the floodwaters in Sylhet. But she lost her only income her chickens and all other belongings. The chicken farm was the only way for me to live. I have no other means to earn," she said. Mohammad Arfanuzzaman, a climate change expert at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, said that catastrophic floods like the one this year could have wide-ranging impacts, from farmers losing their crops and being trapped in a cycle of debt to children not being able to go to school and at increased risk to disease. Poor people are suffering a lot from the ongoing flooding, he said. ___ Ghosal reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Julhas Alam from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Victoria Milko in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) European Union leaders will seek to offer support this week to six Western Balkan countries that have long been knocking at the bloc's doors, and now see the war in Ukraine raging not far from their borders amid fears Russia could turn its sights on their region. The two-day summit starting Thursday in Brussels is expected to approve the European Commissions proposal to give Ukraine and Moldova candidate EU membership status, the beginning of a long process that the Western Balkan Six started years ago. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the urgency of getting the historically volatile Western Balkans into the EU fold as some of the region's states chiefly Serbia are increasingly turning toward Moscow, both politically and militarily. The EC has repeatedly told Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia that their future lies within the 27-nation bloc. But progress has stalled for all sorts of reasons. The countries are at different levels of negotiations and fulfilling numerous membership requirements, with Montenegro leading the pack and Kosovo not even starting the talks. Clement Beaune, France's minister for European affairs, said the war in Ukraine makes it even more essential that the six countries get a renewed perspective. WHY ALL THE FUSS? The Kremlin has for years been saying it considers the Balkans its zone of strategic interest, although the six Western Balkan states were never part of the Soviet bloc. Russian officials say they don't mind them joining the EU, but strongly objected when Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia joined NATO, and when Bosnia announced plans to seek alliance membership. Tiny Montenegro was warned that it could be targeted by Russian long-range missiles after it joined EU sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine. WHATS THE ROLE OF SERBIA? Serbia, the largest of the six countries, is pivotal in Russia's regional influence. After a brief pro-Western government in the early 2000s when the country launched its EU accession bid former ultranationalists took power 10 years ago, leaning Serbia more toward traditional Slavic ally Russia, and China. While still formally seeking EU membership, and although the EU is by far Serbia's biggest trading partner, Belgrade refused to align its foreign policies with the bloc's, including to impose sanctions on Moscow. Pro-Putin propaganda in state-controlled media is so widespread that for the first time since Serbia submitted its EU bid support for joining the bloc is below 50%. Top EU officials have told Belgrade it will soon have to make up its mind whether it wants to continue on its EU path by complying with its policies and standards. AND BOSNIA? After the European Commission tapped Ukraine for candidate status, many asked why multi-ethnic Bosnia which also went through a bloody war in the 1990s doesnt get the same status. EU member Slovenia said it will propose Bosnias candidacy at this week's summit. The move to let Ukraine leapfrog others in the long candidacy queue has reawakened fears in the Western Balkans that the region could be left behind as the EU focuses on Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova. Bosnia has faced open threats from Russian officials for its plan to seek NATO membership and has also been destabilized by secessionist threats from Bosnian Serbs who control about half of the Balkan country. NORTH MACEDONIA: LOUD NEIGHBORS North Macedonia applied for EU membership in 2004, and is still waiting for the start of its accession talks after repeated obstacles placed by neighboring EU members. First Greece required that the country then known as Macedonia should change its name, saying it implied claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. In 2018 the country agreed to rename itself North Macedonia, hoping that would unlock its EU bid. But then Bulgaria vetoed membership talks, pending settlement of its own disputes with North Macedonia that include historic and cultural issues. France said it is making last-ditch efforts to overcome the problem although it doesn't help that Bulgaria is currently facing a new political crisis. WHAT ABOUT MONTENEGRO? Tiny Montenegro has fulfilled most of its EU membership obligations, but still seems far from becoming a member. It has applied EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, drawing angry responses from the Kremlin. It has also managed to stave off attempts of destabilization from both Russia and neighboring Serbia after it joined NATO. ALBANIA: COLLATERAL DAMAGE Albanias candidacy bid has been stalled mostly because it's tied to North Macedonia's, which is being blocked by Bulgaria. Prime Minister Edi Rama said if no progress is made at the EU summit this week he will seek to decouple the two processes. But in a recent visit to Kyiv alongside Montenegrin counterpart Dritan Abazovic, Rama said both still fully support Ukraines request to get EU candidate status. No one should speculate with the fact that because Europe has not kept its promise to us, we do not feel well now it is taking the step for Ukraine, Rama said. KOSOVO: AT THE BACK OF THE LINE Kosovo, a former Serbian province that broke off following a separatist uprising and NATO bombing campaign against Serbia, declaring independence in 2008, seems to be last in line for membership talks. Five EU states don't even recognize it as a country, and its U.N. membership has been blocked in the Security Council by Serbias allies Russia and China. ____ AP writers Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, and Konstantin Testorides in Skopje, North Macedonia, contributed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DALLAS (AP) Hundreds of uniformed Southwest Airlines pilots stood in perfect lines in the scorching Texas sun at Dallas Love Field on Tuesday, holding signs that blamed Southwest management for delays and cancellations that have upset passengers. Every once in a while, a motorist would honk or yell encouragement. Most passengers made a beeline for the security checkpoint inside the terminal. The protest, which the union said drew up to 1,300 pilots, was the latest example of airline workers trying to put pressure on companies by taking their demands for higher pay directly to the flying public. Federal law makes it nearly impossible for airline unions to conduct legal strikes. Contract negotiations tend to drag out often for years. Southwest's flight attendants have been working under an old contract since 2018. That slow pace causes unions to look for creative ways to put pressure on management. Sometimes they vote to authorize a strike Alaska Airlines pilots did that last month even though there is little chance that they will walk off the job. Last week, the Air Line Pilots Association, or ALPA, posted an open letter to Delta Air Lines customers, saying its members empathized with travelers whose flights were delayed or canceled, and blaming Delta management. The union said Delta has scheduled more flights than it has pilots to fly, and pilots were working record overtime hours. Earlier this month, American Airlines pilots picketed near the New York Stock Exchange, and before that, at major airports. Some held signs such as, Frustrated with AA? So are we. Airline unions are hoping to take advantage of strong demand for travel this summer to win increases in wages and benefits. United Airlines reached agreement with ALPA last month. Terms have not been disclosed, but they likely included higher pay United's CEO called it an industry-leading proposal. The deal still needs to be ratified by pilots. Two regional subsidiaries of American will give pilots a wage premium of 50% through August 2024 in addition to longer-term increase. So-called regional carriers, which operate American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express flights, are being hit hardest by a shortage of pilots. On Tuesday at Love Field, which is next to Southwest headquarters, pilots in crisp white short-sleeved shirts with epaulets on their shoulders stood at attention, holding signs that read Southwest's operation: From first to worse," and Our passengers and pilots deserve better. Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, the union for the airlines 9,000 pilots, said work has turned into a flightmare for pilots because of over-scheduling. Its a struggle every day out there. Our fatigue rates reflect that, he said. In the first five months of this year, Southwest pilots reported feeling fatigued at more than triple the rate of a year ago, according to figures from the union, which says this raises safety concerns. Southwest said in a brief statement that it respects the right of employees to express their opinions, and we do not anticipate any disruption in service as a result of this single demonstration. The airline declined to comment on the union's concerns. Neither the union nor the company would discuss wages or other bargaining topics. Dallas-based Southwest has been hiring pilots since last year to replace those who took buyouts that the airline offered in 2020, when the pandemic caused air travel to plummet. The union says pilots are not being fairly compensated for handling extra flights, and that Southwest uses outdated crew-scheduling technology that makes it hard for the airline to recover from even minor hiccups. Southwest, the nation's fourth-biggest airline, suffered through high cancellation rates last summer and again in early October, when weather-related cancellations in Florida cascaded into a dayslong, nationwide meltdown. It has performed better more recently, including over the Memorial Day weekend. It is hard if not impossible to know whether picketing at airports helps unions at the bargaining table. Pilots enjoy particular respect from travelers, and when they picket in full uniform, they create a powerful image that travelers remember, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Atmosphere Research Group. Harteveldt said pilots currently have leverage in negotiations because of a pilot shortage and widespread flight delays and cancellations. But timing is everything in these negotiations," he said. If the economy has a significant slowdown and airlines see business fall off and scale back their flying, then the leverage pilots have today may be gone. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Federal prosecutors on Tuesday depicted former Theranos executive Ramesh Sunny Balwani as an instrumental accomplice in a fraud hatched by his secret lover, former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes. In turn, his lawyers depicted him as a loyal soldier who tried to save the blood-testing company. Mr. Balwani is not a victim, he is the perpetrator of the fraud, prosecutor Jeffrey Schenk said near the end of his 3 1/2-hour closing argument before a jury in a San Jose, California, courtroom. Jeffrey Coopersmith, one of the lawyers representing Balwani, painted Balwani as tireless executive who put his money where his mouth is" by putting up about $15 million of his own fortune into Theranos between 2009 and 2011 because he believed in Holmes' vision. In addition to his financial involvement in Theranos, Balwani joined the Palo Alto, California, company as chief operating officer in 2010 while clandestinely living with Holmes. Mr. Balwani put his heart and soul into Theranos," Coopersmith said as he began his closing argument. Later, Coopersmith pointed out that Balwani was such an ardent supporter of Holmes and Theranos that he never sold his stake in the company, even though at one point it was worth $500 million. It became worthless when the company collapsed. The dueling presentations were among the finishing touches on a three-month-old trial that will determine whether Balwani will wind up in the same predicament as Holmes, who was convicted of defrauding Theranos investors in a separate trial that concluded earlier this year. Coopersmith will continue his closing defense of Balwani on Wednesday and then prosecutors will have a chance to present a rebuttal before U.S. District Judge Edward Davila reads the final instructions sending the jury into its deliberations. The jury in Holmes' trial spent seven days in deliberations before convicting Holmes on four counts of investor fraud. Holmes, 38, now faces up to 20 years in prison. It is a stunning reversal from the way she was once hailed in Silicon Valley as a technological visionary developing a revolutionary blood-testing technology one who was worth an estimated $4.5 billion at one point in 2014.. Balwani, 57, is accused of the same Theranos investors as Holmes did from 2010 to 2015, as well as duping patients who entrusted the analysis of their health to a blood-testing technology that didnt work the way the company had promised from 2013 to 2015. Holmes was acquitted of the charges accusing her of defrauding patients who had their blood tested by Theranos. Holmes and Balwani began dating around the same time she dropped out of Stanford University at the age of 19 to start Theranos, which later claimed to have discovered a way to test for more than 200 potential health problems with just a few drops of blood. They broke up in 2016 as Theranos collapsed amid revelations of serious flaws in its technology. In a slide spelling out the criminal charges, the prosecution included a picture of Balwani alongside Holmes with the contents of a July 2015 text he sent to her. I am responsible for everything at Theranos," Balwani wrote to Holmes. All have been my decisions too." Schenk also emphasized Balwani's responsibility for overseeing Theranos' blood-testing laboratory as part of an attempt to prove he endangered patients. In a 2014 text to Holmes, Balwani described the Theranos lab as a disaster zone" that included a profane description because there were so many problems there. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt arrives to talk with supporters during a primary watch party Tuesday in Montgomery, Ala. Getty Images The Jacksonville District 117 school board is scheduled to meet in special session at 5 p.m. today at 211 W. State St. The meeting will begin with a public hearing on the tentative amended budget for the current fiscal year. Copies of the budget are available for inspection at 211 W. State St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is on the district's website. ASHEBORO, N.C. (AP) A North Carolina sheriff's office has accused a 21-year-old woman of providing drugs that led to a fatal overdose this spring. The Randolph County Sheriff's Office said the woman was arrested Tuesday on a charge of felony death by distribution, the High Point Enterprise reported. The woman's secured bond was set at $30,000. The charge was filed in connection with a death on March 17 in Trinity, the sheriff's office said. Officials didn't release the victim's name, nor did they provide any additional information about the overdose. North Carolina lawmakers created the Death by Distribution Act in 2019 in hopes that a new felony charge would help hold drug dealers accountable amid the rising number of opioid overdoses. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Julius S. Woods, 34, of 323 Anna St. was arrested at 1:22 a.m. Tuesday on an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant accusing him of a parole violation. THEFTS, BURGLARIES Items were stolen from a yard sale in the 200 block of West Beecher Avenue, according to a report filed at 7:41 a.m. Tuesday. VANDALISM A vehicle sustained unspecified damage between 3 and 4 p.m. Monday while parked in the 1100 block of East Morton Avenue. A group of juveniles threw a bucket containing sand and cigarettes on the outside of Guse's Pub and Eatery, 304 S. Main St., according to a report filed at 11:35 a.m. Monday. Windows on two Bobcats owned by Burlington, Norfolk and Southern Railroad were damaged between June 13 and Sunday while they were at Routt and South Johnson streets, according to a report made at 10:10 a.m. Monday. Waverly Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Drake L. Williams, 30, of Waverly was arrested at 5:19 p.m. Monday on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Robert W. Niffen, 62, of Hannibal, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 12:49 a.m. June 13 on charges of escape and failing to register as a violent sexual offender. Richard D. Bernard, 54, of New Canton was booked into Pike County Jail at 11:16 a.m. Thursday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and driving while license is revoked or suspended. Lisa J. Otten, 57, of Hannibal, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 5:25 p.m. Sunday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended. Travis W. Hileman, 48, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 8:52 a.m. Thursday on a violation of an order of protection. Charles Sonny Ray Martin, 36, of Center, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 6:12 p.m. June 13 on charges of predatory criminal sexual assault and casual delivery of cannabis and on a Calhoun County warrant accusing him of driving while license is suspended. Jeremiah J. Preston, 38, of Hannibal, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 7:11 p.m. June 14 on a theft charge. Isaac E. Henson 21, of Griggsville was booked into Pike County Jail at 2:54 p.m. June 15 on charges of violating the Sex Offender Registry Act and giving false information to the sex offender registry. Charles J. Akers, 43, of Griggsville was booked into Pike County Jail at 11:49 p.m. June 14 on two counts of electronic harassment/obscene proposal. Jonathan L. Price, 27, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 3:37 p.m. June 15 on a warrant accusing him of two counts of domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, leaving the scene of an accident, and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license. Pittsfield Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Keith Lee Arenz, 58, of Union, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 11:23 a.m. June 15 on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Stephan M. Greenwood, 32, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 2:55 a.m. Saturday on charges of battery and obstructing justice. Deana M. Zimmerman, 47, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 3:37 p.m. Thursday on charges of violating an order of protection and possession of a controlled substance. Jennie L. Schwermer, 39, of Sedalia, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 12:29 a.m. Friday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. State police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Stephen M. Richards, 39, of Barry was booked into Pike County Jail at 10:57 p.m. Saturday on a charge of driving under the influence. Rachel A. Nelson, 24, of New Canton was booked into Pike County Jail at 7:51 p.m. June 13 on a Champaign County warrant accusing her of mob action and a warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in, the January 6th Select Committee hearings are laying bare a different attack on our democracy. Neither event was solely about the preceding action the break-in or a mob assault. Watergate and the resulting cover-up involved more than just stealing documents and bugging phones. It revealed abuses of power and presidential arrogance. The Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection was much more than an attack on the U.S. Capitol, as dangerous and grotesque as it was. It was a direct result of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the Trump White House to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election and silence the voices of millions of Americans. Although investigations of Watergate and Jan. 6 have many similarities, they may have markedly different consequences. Both Watergate and the Jan. 6 insurrection involved significant threats to democracy, cover-ups by White House officials, mass resignations (or threats of resignations) in both administrations, and some Republicans who stood up for the rule of law and accountability. Both involved high-profile prime-time hearings. At first, the Watergate crisis didnt shock the conscience of the nation in the early 1970s. Before impeachment proceedings against then-President Richard Nixon began, the public wasnt initially convinced. After a public airing of irrefutable evidence of his wrongdoing, overwhelming bipartisan majorities supported his removal. Millions of viewers tuned in as the story of the break-in and cover-up unfolded before their eyes, hearing testimony from presidential advisers, the attorney general and others. While President Nixon resigned in disgrace after his approval ratings crashed and he faced an expected impeachment for his role in Watergate, President Donald Trump, despite being twice impeached, refuses to admit he lost the 2020 election and still enjoys popularity among many Republican voters. The January 6th Select Committee hearings are laying bare the criminal conspiracy launched by Trump and his cronies to avoid the peaceful transfer of power after he lost the election. The American people deserve true political courage in this moment. We need more conservatives of conscience to put country over party and stand up for the rule of law and accountability. While some notable ones have, including representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and a handful of congressional Republicans who voted for the second impeachment, they are the exception. A majority of them are either retiring or face uncertain electoral fates. We need the Department of Justice to act forcefully to defend and uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability. DOJ recently indicted Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon for criminal contempt, as well as five extremist members of the violent Proud Boys who were recently charged with seditious conspiracy. This is a start, but it is disappointing that DOJ wont indict former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and adviser Dan Scavino. Last, we need the public to demand accountability and not rest until it is secured. Our history shows this is more than possible. After Watergate, mobilization by Common Cause supporters and others helped pass a number of consequential reforms, including the Ethics in Government Act and amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act. Republicans of conscience worked with Democrats to implement anti-corruption reforms. We the People deserve the truth, and our country needs accountability to prevent future attacks. We emerged from Watergate with stronger anti-corruption laws. The Jan. 6 insurrection and its effects on our democracy are not over. Those espousing the former presidents Big Lie are leading us down a dangerous path and working to elect officials who will overturn elections to favor their candidates. Only with truth, accountability and, ultimately, reforms can we prevent another criminal conspiracy and insurrection because Donald Trump and many of his followers are working today to ensure the next one succeeds. North Korean leader convenes military meeting amid tensions View Photo SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is meeting with his senior military officials to discuss national defense policies and continuing his arms buildup following a highly provocative run in ballistic missile testing this year that revived tensions with Washington and Seoul. Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim presided over a meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Military Commission that began Tuesday to review defense work during the first half of 2022 and confirm crucial and urgent tasks to expand military capabilities and implement key defense policies. The report did not specify any plans or mention any critical remarks toward the United States or rival South Korea. U.S. and South Korean officials have said in recent months that the North could be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test explosion since 2017 as Kim escalates brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. KCNA said the commissions members started discussing the agenda that was presented, indicating the meeting may continue for days. The members could discuss the progress in weapons development and plans to deploy some of the systems that were tested in recent months, including a purported hypersonic missile, a long-range cruise missile and the Norths newest intercontinental ballistic missile, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Koreas private Sejong Institute. The Norths ramped-up testing activity has come under a five-year arms development plan Kim announced in early 2021, when he revealed an extensive wish list of advanced military assets, including tactical nuclear weapons, nuclear-powered submarines, multiwarhead missiles and solid-fuel, long-range weapons. The meeting follows another major political conference earlier this month where Kim doubled down on his arms buildup in the face of what he described as an aggravating security environment and set forth further militant tasks to be pursued by his armed forces and military scientists. North Korea has already set an annual record in ballistic launches through the first half of 2022, firing 31 missiles in over 18 different launch events, including its first demonstrations of ICBMs in nearly five years. South Koreas military also detected the North firing suspected artillery shells into sea last week. Kim may up the ante soon as U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea has all but finished preparations to detonate a nuclear device at its testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. The site had been inactive since hosting the Norths sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it said it detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs. The Norths unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores Kims dual intent to advance his arsenal and pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear diplomacy, experts say. While the United States has said it would push for additional sanctions if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, the divisions between permanent members of the U.N. Security Council make the prospects for meaningful punitive measures unclear. Russia and China this year vetoed U.S.-sponsored resolutions that would have increased sanctions, insisting Washington should focus on reviving dialogue. By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press Myanmar minister joins Southeast Asian defense meeting View Photo PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Myanmars defense minister, under sanctions from the United States, Britain and other countries for abuses committed by his countrys military, was welcomed Wednesday to an annual meeting with his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Gen. Mya Tun Oo wore his military uniform as he attended the ASEAN defense ministers meeting in Cambodias capital, Phnom Penh. More than 600 civic groups inside and outside Myanmar had issued an appeal to the ministers not to invite him. They accuse him of complicity in violence committed by Myanmars military as it seeks to crush opposition to its seizure of power last year from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a private organization that tracks government killings and arrests, said Friday that 2,000 civilians have been killed by Myanmars security forces. The army is also battling anti-government guerrillas in the countryside. Mya Tun Oo has also been accused of involvement in atrocities carried out by the army against the Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017, when he was chief of the militarys general staff, the third most powerful post in the army. International courts are investigating allegations that the military committed genocide in brutal counterinsurgency campaigns that sent more than 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh for safety. The Myanmar military juntas acts fully meet the definition of terror under international and national law, and is responsible for ongoing violations of international human rights and humanitarian law following the militarys illegal coup attempt, said the appeal issued by 677 civic groups to the ASEAN defense ministers. General Mya Tun Oo plays a leading role in the management of the military, which is responsible for committing ongoing atrocity crimes with total impunity, it said. Mya Tun Oos direct responsibility for international law violations has been recognized by the USA, UK, EU, Canada and New Zealand, which sanctioned him. Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, from the group Burma Campaign UK, told The Associated Press that ASEAN was failing to respect and stand with the people of Myanmar by inviting Mya Tun Oo to its meeting. The military will see this invitation as a sign of encouragement to continue carrying out their human rights violations in the country with complete impunity, she said. Cambodia is chair of the 10-nation ASEAN this year. In February, ASEAN foreign ministers held their annual retreat without their counterpart from Myanmar, who was prevented from participating but allowed to attend online as an observer. In January, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen became the first head of government to visit Myanmar since the army seized power. He has stressed that Myanmar must be included in ASEANs activities, but has also expressed pessimism that any progress toward peace can be made this year. ASEAN has sought to play a mediating role in Myanmars crisis, fearing its increasingly violent unrest may cause problems regionally. In April last year it reached a consensus on a five-point plan to try to help restore stability, but Myanmar has hindered the agreements implementation. Relations were strained further when Myanmar would not allow an ASEAN special envoy to meet with Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the takeover. ASEAN, under the guidance of its former chair, Brunei, took the unprecedented step of not allowing the leader of Myanmars military government, Min Aung Hlaing, to attend its annual summit last October. A joint declaration issued after Wednesdays defense ministers meeting included a statement of support for the five-point consensus, which calls for an immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. Malaysias defense ministry called the meeting useful, but said in a statement that the attendance of its defense minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, does not mean Malaysia recognizes Myanmars ruling military council as the countrys valid government. It said it has always stressed that Myanmars military government must immediately implement ASEANs five-point consensus. Malaysia is the ASEAN member most critical of Myanmars ruling generals. In May, its foreign minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, met with his counterpart in the National Unity Government, a group set up by previously elected Myanmar politicians that operates as an underground shadow administration. The military has declared it an illegal terrorist organization. - Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report. By SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press Climate change a factor in unprecedented South Asia floods View Photo SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) Scientists say climate change is a factor behind the erratic and early rains that triggered unprecedented floods in Bangladesh and northeastern India, killing dozens and making lives miserable for millions of others. Although the region is no stranger to flooding, it typically takes place later in the year when monsoon rains are well underway. This years torrential rainfall lashed the area as early as March. It may take much longer to determine the extent to which climate change played a role in the floods, but scientists say that it has made the monsoon a seasonable change in weather usually associated with strong rains more variable over the past decades. This means that much of the rain expected to fall in a year is arriving in a space of weeks. The northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya received nearly three times its average June rainfall in just the first three weeks of the month, and neighboring Assam received twice its monthly average in the same period. Several rivers, including one of Asias largest, flow downstream from the two states into the Bay of Bengal in low-lying Bangladesh, a densely populated delta nation. With more rainfall predicted over the next five days, Bangladeshs Flood Forecast and Warning Centre warned Tuesday that water levels would remain dangerously high in the countrys northern regions. The pattern of monsoons, vital for the agrarian economies of India and Bangladesh, has been shifting since the 1950s, with longer dry spells interspersed with heavy rain, said Roxy Matthew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, adding that extreme rainfall events were also projected to increase. Until now, floods in northeastern Bangladesh were rare while Assam state, famed for its tea cultivation, usually coped with floods later in the year during the usual monsoon season. The sheer volume of early rain this year that lashed the region in just a few weeks makes the current floods an unprecedented situation, said Anjal Prakash, a research director at Indias Bharti Institute of Public Policy, who has contributed to U.N.-sponsored study on global warming. This is something that we have never heard of and never seen, he said. Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave a similarly grim assessment Wednesday. We havent faced a crisis like this for a long time. Infrastructure must be constructed to cope with such disasters, she told a news conference in Dhaka. The water coming from Meghalaya and Assam has affected the Sylhet region in northeastern Bangladesh, she said, adding that there is no quick respite for the country. Hasina said that floodwaters would recede soon from the northeast, but they would likely hit the countrys southern region soon on the way to the Bay of Bengal. We should prepare to face it, she said. We live in a region where flooding happens quite often, which we have to bear in mind. We must prepare for that. A total of 42 people have died in Bangladesh since May 17 while Indian authorities reported that flood deaths have risen to 78 in Assam state, with 17 others killed in landslides. Hundreds of thousands are displaced and millions in the region have been forced to scramble to makeshift evacuation centers. Bangladesh, home to about 160 million, has historically contributed a fraction of the worlds emissions. Meanwhile, a decade-old deal for rich nations, who have contributed more to global emissions, to give $100 billion to poorer nations every year to adapt to climate change and switch to cleaner fuels hasnt been fulfilled. And the money that is provided is spread too thin. That means that countries like Bangladesh whose GDP has risen from $6.2 billion in 1972 to $305 billion in 2019 have to redirect funds to combat climate change, instead of of spending it on policies aimed at lifting millions from poverty. This is a problem which is created by the global industrialized north. And we are paying the price for it because they have ignored their responsibility, Prakash said. In the hardest-hit city of Sylhet, shop owner Mohammad Rashiq Ahamed has returned home with his families to see what can be salvaged from floods. Wading through knee-deep water, he said that he was worried about waters rising again. The weather is changing there can be another disaster, at any time. He is one of about 3.5 million Bangladeshis who face the same predicament each year when rivers flood, according to a 2015 analysis by the World Bank Institute. Bangladesh is considered one of the most vulnerable to climate change and the poor are disproportionately impacted. Parul Akhter, a poultry farmer, held on to her disabled son to save him from the floodwaters in Sylhet. But she lost her only income her chickens and all other belongings. The chicken farm was the only way for me to live. I have no other means to earn, she said. Mohammad Arfanuzzaman, a climate change expert at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, said that catastrophic floods like the one this year could have wide-ranging impacts, from farmers losing their crops and being trapped in a cycle of debt to children not being able to go to school and at increased risk to disease. Poor people are suffering a lot from the ongoing flooding, he said. ___ Ghosal reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Julhas Alam from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Victoria Milko in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report. ___ 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. By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and AL-EMRUN GARJON Associated Press Ukraine expects EU-wide support for candidacy to join bloc View Photo KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Ukrainian official overseeing the countrys push to join the European Union said Wednesday that shes 100% certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraines EU candidacy during a summit this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar optimism, calling it a crucial moment for Ukraine. Ukraines membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders summit starts. Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russias invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%. The EUs executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraines candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commissions endorsement as a game-changer that had taken the ground out from under the legs of those most hesitating. EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Ukraines full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law. Stefanishyna told the AP that she think Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast. Were already very much integrated in the European Union, she said. We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years. To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms. In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Brussels summit as two decisive days that he, like Stefanishyna, thinks will result in approval of Ukraines EU candidacy. That is a very crucial moment for us, for some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness, the Ukrainian president said through an interpreter. In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivational factor for the unity and victory of the Ukrainian people. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraines candidate status. Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law, De Cross said. But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward. Zelenskyy said he spoke with a total of 11 EU leaders Wednesday, following calls with nine the day before, in another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. In other developments: Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been coldly executed during the first weeks of the war as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers. Zelenskyy said Russian forces were carrying out very heavy air and artillery strikes in the eastern Donbas. Step by step they want to destroy all of the Donbas. All of it, he said in his nightly video address. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said in some battles, for every artillery shell Ukrainian forces fire, the Russian army fires at least six. Zelenskyy appealed to Western countries to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons to stop this diabolical armada. Russian forces captured three villages in the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said the villages are near Lysychansk, the last city in Luhansk still fully under Ukrainian control. The Russians have also taken a strategic coal village, Toshkivka, enabling them to intensify attacks, Haidai said. Russian forces continued shelling Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, and nearby towns, killing 10 people, including five women in the village of Pryshyb, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. He said Russian forces are advancing through the area around Pryshyb as they target Sloviansk, a Ukrainian-held city in the Donbas. All four of the medium-range rocket systems that the U.S. provided to Ukraine several weeks ago are now in the country in the hands of Ukrainian forces but it is not clear if they have used them yet, a U.S. defense official said. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems will give the Ukrainians greater precision in targeting Russian assets. The rockets generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military details. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian forces killed up to 500 Ukrainian servicemen in strikes Tuesday against a shipbuilding plant in Mykolaiv. Zelenskyy said the Russians fired seven missiles at Mykolaiv, wounding five people. He gave no details about what was hit. The Russian military also claimed Ukrainian forces evacuated up to 30 wounded and eight dead American and British fighters from near Mykolaivka, a town in the Donetsk region. There was no confirmation of this by Ukraine. Satellite images of Snake Island appear to show damage from a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied island in the Black Sea. The Maxar Technologies images taken Tuesday show three new scorched areas that were not there four days earlier. Russia and Ukraine offer conflicting accounts of the attack. The Ukrainian militarys southern command said it inflicted significant losses on Russian troops in an attack using various forces and methods of destruction, while the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses successfully repelled the Ukrainian assault. Russian forces captured the small rocky island in the first days of the war and have used it to strengthen their control over the northwestern part of the sea. Russian officials said a drone strike caused a fire at the largest oil refinery in southern Russia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a piece of machinery at the Novoshakhtinsk plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. Authorities said dozens of firefighters quickly contained the fire and no one was hurt. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the strike. Turkeys defense ministry said Wednesday that a Turkish ship was allowed to leave the Russian-occupied Azov Sea port of Mariupol following talks between Turkish and Russian defense ministry officials. A ministry statement said a Turkish freighter, Azov Concord, was the first foreign ship to be allowed to leave Mariupol. The ministry did not say what the freighter was carrying. The war has halted critical grain exports by sea. French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The exercise in Estonia, a NATO member that neighbors Russia, was executed as an act of strategic solidarity during Russias war in Ukraine. ___ Associated Press writers Sam Petrequin in Brussels, Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press Germanys Scholz: G7 to discuss Marshall plan for Ukraine View Photo BERLIN (AP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that he wants to discuss the outlines of a Marshall plan for Ukraine with the leaders of the Group of Seven countries at their upcoming summit in Germany. Scholz hopes for a united front on long-term support for Ukraine when he hosts the annual G-7 summit in Bavaria next week. The group of the worlds leading economic powers is made up of the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Canada and Japan. The chancellor told Germanys parliament that rebuilding Ukraine will be a task for generations. Recalling his visit last week to Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that saw intense fighting, he said that some things there remind not just me of the pictures of German cities after World War II. Like Europe then, Ukraine today needs a Marshall plan for its rebuilding, Scholz said referring to the U.S.-sponsored plan that helped revive European economies after WWII. Billions of dollars will be needed to finance rebuilding over years, and that can only work if European nations, other major donor countries and international organizations work together, Scholz said. He has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the matter with the G-7 leaders by video link on Monday. Aside from funding, one thing is really decisive we must agree what such a Marshall plan for Ukraine can look like, he added. How we coordinate it internationally; how we decide together in the future what investments advance Ukraine fastest on its European path. Scholz said that, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he will call for a high-ranking expert conference on Ukraine to be convened under the umbrella of Germanys G-7 presidency. European Union leaders are expect at a summit Thursday and Friday to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership, kicking off a progress that will likely take years and whose success isnt guaranteed. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Perus ex-presidential candidate Fujimori announces divorce View Photo LIMA, Peru (AP) Former Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori revealed Tuesday that she is ending her marriage to her Peruvian-American husband, Mark Villanella. Fujimori, 47, said on her Twitter account that they made the decision after extensive reflection and are ending the marriage on the best terms and reaffirming our commitment to continue educating and supporting our daughters with much love. On his Facebook account, Villanella, a nationalized Peruvian, said they decided to begin a separation process, adding that Fujimori is a valuable and magnificent person in every way. Fujimori, the eldest daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori, who ruled in 1990-2000, said that she and Villanella would not comment further on the matter. They married in 2004 and have two daughters. She thanked Villanella for having fought by my side in the midst of the most difficult circumstances and having suffered terrible persecution just for being my husband. Fujimori was a presidential candidate three times and on all three occasions she reached a runoff but lost to Ollanta Humala in 2011, to Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2016 and in 2021 to Pedro Castillo, Perus current president. Missing person Wendy Lee Pullins of Ahwahnee View Photos Mariposa, CA The publics help is being sought to find a missing woman who was last known to be in Mariposa County. The missing woman, 57-year-old Wendy Lee Pullins, is from Ahwahnee in Madera County. She was last known to be in Mariposa County on Wednesday, June 15th, when she told family members she was on Stumpfield Mountain Road, off Highway 49, between the communities of Bootjack and Nipinnawasee. Madera County Sheriffs officials describe Pullins as a white female adult with brown hair, brown eyes, and a height of 5 4 tall. She is possibly driving a red Jeep Cherokee with California license plate 2XIF957. A picture of her and the Jeep can be viewed in the image box. Anyone with information relating to this case is asked to please contact the Madera County Sheriffs Office at (559) 675-7770 or the Mariposa Sheriffs office at 209-966-3615. Detectives add that if anyone sees or believes they have seen Pullins, they should call 911 immediately. Gun debate a side note in hearings on Uvalde shooting View Photo AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The first public hearings in Texas looking into the Uvalde school massacre have focused on a cascade of law enforcement blunders, school building safety and mental health care with only scant mentions of the shooters AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and gun reform. A day after the head of the Texas state police called the law enforcement response to the May 24 slaughter an abject failure, Texas senators on Wednesday turned their attention to mental health funding for schools and a shortage of counselors and mental health providers. Only near the end of Wednesdays hearing in the Texas Capitol was there much talk about gun laws. And even then it received little acknowledgement. No public officials or families from Uvalde testified during the two days of hearings. The bungled response to the attack that left 19 children and two teachers dead before police killed the shooter at Robb Elementary has infuriated the nation, and a recent wave of deadly mass shootings has renewed a push for more gun laws. By weeks end, the U.S. Senate could pass new legislation that would toughen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers and require more sellers to conduct background checks. But the Republican-dominated committee examining the tragedy in Uvalde appeared to have little appetite for new guns laws, even after a series of mass shootings in Texas that killed more than 85 people in the past five years at an El Paso Walmart, a church in Sutherland Springs, Santa Fe High School outside Houston and in West Texas oil country. The states Republican-controlled legislature has spent the last decade chipping away at restrictions. Texas doesnt require a permit to carry a long rifle like the one used in Uvalde. Last year, lawmakers made it legal for anyone 21 and older to carry a handgun in public without a license, background check or training. Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, told the committee that tighter gun controls may have prevented past mass shootings in Texas and urged state lawmakers to consider a so-called red flag law and require background checks on private firearms sales. Ive never seen anything like this past month in terms of the outrage, despair and heartbreak, Golden said. Texas is facing a crisis, one we know weve faced a long time. She got no questions from the Republican lawmakers on the panel. Outside the Senate chamber, nearly two dozen members of the gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America held signs criticizing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and urging lawmakers to take up new restrictions on gun sales and ownership. We are tired of these do-nothing committees and roundtables that have been happening after every mass shooting in Texas, said Melanie Greene of Austin. They talk about what went wrong and its usually everything but guns. Were tired of all the talk and we want some action. Among the changes the group wants is raising the age of gun ownership from 18 to 21 years old. The gunman at Robb Elementary was a former student, Salvador Ramos, who bought the weapon used in the attack right after his 18th birthday. Greene was not optimistic. This committee is a dog-and-pony show. Its performative political theater. But were not going to give up, Greene said. Republican Sen. Bob Hall tried to steer away from any talk about guns. It doesnt take a gun. This man had enough time to do it with his hands, or a baseball bat. And so its not the gun, its the person, Hall said Tuesday, as the hearings began in Austin, 160 miles (260 kilometers) from Uvalde. Sen. Royce West, one of the Senate panels Democrats, said that without having a discussion about those rights and limits associated therewith, this will be an incomplete discussion. Still, its the delays and mistakes in the law enforcement response at Robb Elementary School that are the focus of federal, state and local investigations. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Tuesday that police had enough officers and firepower at the school to stop Ramos three minutes after he entered the building but they instead waited more than an hour before storming the classroom and killing him. McCraw outlined a series of missed opportunities, communication breakdowns and errors based on an investigation that has included roughly 700 interviews. He also directed much of the blame at Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school district police chief who McCraw said was the commander in charge. Arredondo, who testified Tuesday at a closed-door hearing of a Texas House committee, has said he didnt consider himself in charge and assumed someone else had taken control. He has declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press. Uvaldes mayor pushed back on McCraws casting blame on Arredondo, saying the Department of Public Safety has repeatedly put out false information about the shooting and glossed over the role of its own officers. On Wednesday, Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell said that he put Arredondo on administrative leave because the facts of what happened remain unclear. In a statement, Harrell did not address Arredondos actions as on-site commander during the attack but said he didnt know when details of multiple investigations into the law enforcement response to the slayings would be revealed. Public pressure has grown for state and local officials to release more information. Also on Wednesday, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, filed a lawsuit seeking to force the Texas Department of Public Safety to turn over records related to its investigation into the shooting. The victims families deserve to know the complete, unalterable truth about what happened that day, a lawyer for the Democrat wrote in the suit. ___ Bleiberg reported from Dallas. Associated Press writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report. ___ Find more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting By JIM VERTUNO and JAKE BLEIBERG Associated Press Alaska Airlines reaches contract deal with some workers View Photo SEATTLE (AP) A union has reached a deal with Alaska Airlines for a two-year contract extension that provides substantial raises for 5,300 gate agents, stores personnel and office staff, as well as for ramp workers who load cargo. The Seattle Times reports the deal announced Wednesday does not cover a separate group of about 2,000 ramp workers, also represented by the International Association of Machinists, who work for the McGee Air Services subsidiary and handle baggage on passenger flights. Richard Johnsen, the IAM general vice president responsible for airline workers, said in an interview the deal will make this group of Alaska Airlines employees the highest-paid employees in all of those classifications for the entire airline industry. In a statement, Alaskas chief operating officer, Constance von Muehlen called the deal a meaningful investment in our Alaska Airlines airport customer service, stores, cargo, ground service and reservations agents. The Seattle-based airline is still embroiled in more consequential contract talks with its pilot union, the Air Line Pilots Association, representing about 3,000 pilots. If the contract extension through 2026 is ratified by a vote of the IAM members at Alaska, theyll get raises on Aug. 10 ranging from 8.9% to 17.4%, followed in the three subsequent years by raises of at least 2.5% and a guarantee that the raise will at least match that at the fourth-largest U.S. airline. Johnsen said the agreement means new hires will start at over $18 an hour, while the top-of-the-scale wage rises to $34 per hour. Nursing home owner whose residents suffered in Ida arrested View Photo NEW ORLEANS (AP) The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes who sent more than 800 of his elderly residents to a crowded, ill-equipped warehouse to ride out Hurricane Ida last year was arrested Wednesday on fraud and cruelty charges arising from the squalid conditions. Bob Glynn Dean Jr., 68, had already lost state licenses and federal funding for crowding his residents into a facility in the town of Independence, roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans. There, authorities said they found ill and elderly bedridden people on mattresses on the wet floor, some crying for help, some lying in their own waste. Some had arrived without their medicine, according to one doctor. Civil suits against Deans corporation said the ceiling leaked, toilets overflowed at the sweltering warehouse and there was too little food and water. On Wednesday, Dean was in custody in Tangipahoa Parish, facing charges of Medicaid fraud, cruelty to the infirm and obstruction of justice. Deans attorney, John McClindon, said Dean was informed earlier this week of the warrant against him. A Georgia resident, Dean flew to Louisiana and turned himself in on Wednesday. McClindon said Dean was to be released on a $350,000 bond. Attorney General Jeff Landry said the criminal charges stem from allegations that Dean billed Medicaid for dates his residents were not receiving proper care at the warehouse and engaged in conduct intended to intimidate or obstruct public health officials and law enforcement. McClindon said he could not comment on all the charges because he had not yet read the entire warrant. But he said during a brief interview, I dont think Bob Dean did anything that rose to the level of criminal. In the days after Ida hit Aug. 29, the state reported the deaths of seven people who had been evacuated to the warehouse in the town of Independence. Five were classified as storm-related deaths. Dean later lost the state licenses for his seven facilities. In May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it was prohibiting Dean from receiving federal funding, including Medicare and Medicaid. At the time, McLindon, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate that Dean is appealing the state license revocations and would be reinstated for the federal programs if the appeals are successful. Ida blasted ashore last August as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out power to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River as it rushed from the coast into a major industrial corridor. Idas landfall with 150 mph- (240 kph-) winds also marked the first time in recorded historythat a state got back-to-back years of 150 mph winds or more. At the warehouse where Deans residents were taken, state officials said conditions had deteriorated quickly in the storm. Generators used to provide power failed at times. Residents were in close quarters at a time when the state was urging social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some went without food for hours. Deans nursing homes were River Palms Nursing and Rehab and Maison Orleans Healthcare Center in New Orleans; South Lafourche Nursing and Rehab in Lafourche Parish; Park Place Healthcare Nursing Home, West Jefferson Health Care Center and Maison DeVille Nursing home of Harvey, in Jefferson Parish; and Maison DeVille Nursing Home in Terrebonne Parish. By KEVIN McGILL Associated Press Andrew Gillum, once a Florida governor candidate, indicted View Photo TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Andrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, has been indicted on 21 federal charges including conspiracy and wire fraud for funneling donations through third parties back to himself for personal use, prosecutors said Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida said Gillum, 42, is also charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for claiming he didnt receive or ask for anything from two undercover agents posing as developers. The undercover agents offered gifts and money in exchange for support for projects. Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53 and the owner of a communications company, is a codefendant on the wire fraud charges for funneling money to Gillum in the form of paychecks, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody said in a statement. Prosecutors said the pair conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose. Gillam, in a statement released through his lawyers, denied the charges. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power, the statement said. Theres been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now. He made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon, entering the courtroom shackled at the ankles and wrists. He and Lettman-Hicks pleaded not guilty to all charges. A trial date was set for Aug. 16. Both were released without bail with instructions not to leave the Northern District of Florida without permission. Gillum met with undercover FBI agents posing as developers while he was mayor and during his campaign for governor. His associates sought donations from the agents, and suggested ways to provide money without listing them as political contributions, including paying for a fundraising dinner, according to the indictment. The agents were asked to contribute $100,000 to Gillums campaign and said the money could be given to a private company in order to keep the agents names out of campaign finance documents. The agents said they would want favorable consideration on development projects and were told that wouldnt be a problem, according to the indictment. The agents also met with Gillum in New York City and paid for his hotel, food and drink, a boat ride and a ticket to see Hamilton, according to the indictment. Later, other FBI agents interviewed Gillum and asked if he had contact with the undercover agents. Gillum told them that he never asked for or received anything from the developers, and stopped communicating with them after they tried to link contributions to support for their projects, the indictment said. An individual not named in the indictment donated $250,000 to Gillums political committee, but only $100,000 was put toward the campaign. Gillum and Lettman-Hicks said most of the remaining money was going to a voter education program, knowing the service wouldnt be provided, according to the indictment. Instead, the money went to Lettman-Hicks company. She kept some and funneled the rest back to Gillum in several payments ranging from nearly $3,600 to $10,000 each. Its the latest trouble for Gillum, who lost to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a race that required a recount. Gillum fell 32,464 votes short of being elected out of more than 8.2 million ballots cast. Gillum served as mayor of Tallahassee before running for governor. He won a crowded Democratic primary against better funded candidates with 34.4% of the vote, stunning political observers. The charismatic politician won over the hearts of hardcore Democratic activists and ran a strong grassroots campaign. After losing, Gillum was still seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and was hired as a CNN analyst. Then, in March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Two days later he entered a rehabilitation center, and later did a television interview in which he said hes bisexual. By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) Lawmakers in Bulgaria on Wednesday approved a no-confidence motion against the countrys minority coalition government that could topple the centrist prime minister and further stall efforts by Balkan countries to join the European Union. The center-right opposition party GERB filed the motion last week, accusing the government of mishandling public finances and economic policy and failing to tackle soaring inflation. The no-confidence vote passed 123-116 with no abstentions. Just after the vote, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov pledged to continue to struggle for reform his key campaign pledge in the EUs poorest member state. We promise that ... one day we will have Bulgaria without a mafia, a successful prosperous European country, he said. He later joined several thousand government supporters who converged near the parliament building in the capital Sofia. Petkov, a Harvard-educated businessman, formed a four-party coalition government in December. He has pushed for a resolution to a bilateral ethno-cultural dispute that has blocked North Macedonia and Albanias bids to join the EU. Bulgaria is a member of the EU and NATO. Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 has prompted the EU to consider speeding up its membership drive in the Western Balkans to prevent Moscow from expanding its influence in the region. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will hold consultations with parliamentary parties that can try to form a new majority government. If that fails, he could install a caretaker cabinet before calling a parliamentary election, in what would be the countrys fourth such vote in little more than a year. Bulgaria has blocked neighboring North Macedonia's bid to join the EU, and with it indirectly, Albania's as well. The Bulgarian government has insisted North Macedonia formally recognizes that its language has Bulgarian roots, acknowledges in its constitution a Bulgarian minority, and quashes hate speech against Bulgaria. North Macedonia has said that its identity and language arent open for discussion. North Macedonia has held EU candidate status for 17 years and received a green light in 2020 to begin accession talks, although no date was set for the start of negotiations. Its president, Stevo Pendarovski, said last week that the delay has taken a toll on the nation. The European Commission has made repeated promises that the future of six countries in the Western Balkans lies within the EU. Along with North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia have seen delays amid divisions among member countries and some bilateral issues. France, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said it is making last-ditch efforts to clear the path before a Western Balkans summit scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Clement Beaune, the French minister for European affairs, said the proximity of the war in Ukraine has put the onus on the 27-nation EU to reinvigorate its expansion process in the Balkans. He said the French government has activated and reactivated talks with both North Macedonia and Bulgaria, as well as other EU members. I have a hope that we will succeed, but work remains to be done," Beaune said. Daniel Smilov, a political science professor at the University of Sofia, said that Petkov, Bulgaria's prime minister, has been a driving force in pushing for a resolution to the dispute with North Macedonia and that a collapse of his government could blunt that effort. Its quite unfortunate for the North Macedonia situation because simply we dont have a stable majority now in parliament to give the green light to an agreement, he said. And the French presidency has come up with a very reasonable deal. The French deal, which has not officially been made available to the public, was sent to both countries last week. Petkovs coalition had promised to clean up rampant corruption in the country. But the fresh crisis is now raising fears among some observers who say that it could lead to a rise in pro-Russia parties. NATO member Bulgaria, which has historically close relations with Moscow, has strongly backed the wests sanctions against Russia since it launched its invasion on 24. Feb. Petkov even dismissed his defense minister Stefan Yanev for calling the invasion a special military operation, the Kremlin-favored description for its war. But observers believe that political instability will favor Bulgarias pro-Russia parties, notably the far-right Revival party which holds 13 seats in the countrys 240-seat legislature. Ruslan Stefanov, program director at the Center for the Study of Democracy, a Sofia-based think tank, describes Revival as a small but very thuggish, very vocal pro-Russian party with a prominent social media presence that has stated that Bulgaria should support Russia and not Ukraine. Theyve also been very ... visible on the streets too ... Russia has sizeable influence in the country anyway, but new elections would strengthen the formal political representation of this influence, he said, adding that it could weaken the EU positions. McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania. Samuel Petrequin in Brussels and Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed. STROE, Netherlands (AP) Thousands of farmers gathered in the central Netherlands Wednesday to protest the Dutch governments plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, driving their tractors across the Netherlands and snarling traffic on major highways. The protest was organized earlier this month after the government published nationwide targets for reducing emissions, sparking anger from farmers who claim their livelihoods and those of thousands of people who work in the agricultural service industry are on the line. Calling it an unavoidable transition, the government mandated reductions in emissions of up to 70% in many places close to protected nature areas and as high as 95% in other places. The government has been forced to act after courts in recent years began blocking permits for infrastructure and housing projects because the country was missing its emissions targets. Organizers said some 40,000 farmers converged on a green field in the small agricultural village of Stroe, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of the capital, Amsterdam. A stage was set up for speakers to address the crowd and music blared out of speakers while children bounced in a giant inflatable pig. Farmers hooted their tractors' horns as they drove onto the field, where a banner on a truck read, in Dutch, What The Hague chooses is deeply sad for the farmer, a reference to lawmakers in the city that houses the Netherlands' parliament. Another banner on a tractor said: We can no longer be stopped. Marijn van Heun, a 23-year-old dairy farmer from the central Utrecht province, said the government plans were stripping young farmers of their futures. We cannot invest. Our fathers, our uncles, cannot invest in the future. And so as young farmers we also have no prospect of ... taking over a farm, he said. The national infrastructure authority urged motorists to delay travel as slow-moving convoys of tractors defied appeals not to use highways as they drove toward the demonstration. The traffic chaos continued throughout the day. As tractors returned home, some farmers blocked a highway. A tractor and a truck collided elsewhere. Earlier, in The Hague, a few dozen farmers and their supporters, some wearing T-shirts with the text No farmers, no food, gathered for a breakfast before heading to the protest. This is where the rules are made, said dairy farmer Jaap Zegwaard, who parked his tractor on the edge of a park in the city. I was asked to come here and provide breakfast so we can show we are food producers, not pollution producers. The ruling coalition has earmarked an extra 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to finance changes that will likely make many farmers drastically reduce their number of livestock or to get rid of them altogether. The plans, which have to be carried out by provincial governments, have been opposed even by members of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's own party and other members of his coalition. Provincial governments have been given a year to formulate plans to meet the reduction targets. One government lawmaker, Tjeerd de Groot, tweeted that he had planned to attend to discuss the plan with farmers but called off his trip on the advise of a government security agency. Does the law of the tractor apply in our country? he tweeted. Farming is a key sector in the Dutch economy, with exports worth nearly 105 billion euros last year. But it comes at a cost of producing of polluting gases, despite farmers taking steps to reduce emissions. Zegwaard said farmers were prepared to talk about how to reduce emissions, but objected to the industry shouldering most of the blame. Now the agricultural sector is dismissed as a major polluter and that is not right," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu speaks at the third meeting of BRICS coordinators in 2022 via video link in Beijing, China, June 21, 2022. /Chinese Foreign Ministry China is fully prepared for the 14th BRICS Summit, Ma Zhaoxu, vice foreign minister and coordinator for China's BRICS Affairs, said on Tuesday. Ma made the remarks as coordinators for the emerging-market bloc grouping Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa met for the third time in the runup to Thursday's 14th BRICS Summit. Since China became the BRICS chair at the beginning of 2022, BRICS countries have made progress in trade and finance, politics, security, and people-to-people exchanges under the theme of "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development," Ma said. He briefed the other coordinators about arrangements for the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum on June 22, the 14th BRICS Summit on June 23, and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on June 24. The third meeting of BRICS coordinators in 2022 from the member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is held via video link, June 21, 2022. /Chinese Foreign Ministry The BRICS coordinators spoke highly of China's role and its work as chair and recognized the achievements and progress the group has made cooperatively. They said the countries will continue to work together to achieve fruitful results at the summit. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian attacks laid down a curtain of fire Tuesday across areas of eastern Ukraine where pockets of resistance are denying Moscow full military control of the region, almost four months after the Kremlin unleashed its invasion. Today everything that can burn is on fire, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Ukraines eastern Luhansk region, told The Associated Press. Russia's war has caused alarm over food supplies from Ukraine to the rest of the world and gas supplies from Russia, as well as raising questions about security in Western Europe. The Russian military currently controls about 95% of the Luhansk region. But Moscow has struggled for weeks to overrun it completely, despite deploying additional troops and possessing a massive advantage in military assets. With the help of tactical movements, the Ukrainian army is strengthening defenses in the Luhansk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. That really is where the toughest situation is now. In the city of Sievierodonetsk, the hot spot of the fighting, Ukrainian defenders held on to the Azot chemical plant in the industrial outskirts. About 500 civilians are sheltering at the plant, and Haidai said the Russian forces are turning the area into ruins. It is a sheer catastrophe, Haidai told the AP in written comments about the plant. Our positions are being fired at from howitzers, multiple rocket launchers, large-caliber artillery, missile strikes. The defense of the chemical plant recalled the besieged Azovstal steel mill in the brutalized city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian troops were pinned down for weeks. Neighboring Lysychansk, the only city in the Luhansk region that is still fully under Ukrainian control, also was targeted by multiple airstrikes. The airstrikes on Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk ruined more than 10 residential buildings and a police station. In the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, a school burned down as the result of the shelling, the presidents office said. The Luhansk and Donetsk regions make up the Donbas. Separately, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland met for about an hour at a Ukrainian-Polish border post with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. They discussed how the U.S. can help identify, apprehend and prosecute anyone involved in war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine. We and our partners will pursue every avenue available to make sure that those who are responsible for these atrocities are held accountable, Garland said in a statement. Garland also tapped Eli Rosenbaum a 36-year Justice Department veteran who headed efforts to identify and deport Nazi war criminals as counselor for war crimes accountability. He will coordinate efforts to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine. Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, also came under heavy Russian shelling on Tuesday. Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said 15 civilians were killed and 16 wounded in Kharkiv and elsewhere in the region. Zelenskyy said the attacks in the Kharkiv region were especially cruel and cynical because they brought no clear benefit to the Russian forces. The Russian army is deaf to any rationality. It simply destroys, simply kills, and in this way it shows its command that it is not really standing in place," he said in his video address. Speaking Tuesday to graduates of Russian military academies at a lavish Kremlin reception, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the Russian armed forces as heirs to the countrys legendary military traditions. The country is now going through another series of trials, he said, expressing confidence that Russia will overcome all the challenges. There is no doubt that we will become even stronger, he added. International support for Ukraine was demonstrated once more when a Nobel Peace Prize medal auctioned off by Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov sold Monday night for $103.5 million, shattering the old record for a Nobel. The auction aimed to raise money for Ukrainian child refugees. Geopolitical tensions stemming from Russias invasion returned to Lithuania. Due to European Union sanctions on Moscow, the Baltic country earlier this month banned rail traffic from crossing its territory from Russia to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad, with a population of around 430,000 people, is wedged between Lithuania and Poland, both EU countries, and is isolated from the rest of Russia. Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of the Kremlins Security Council and a hard-liner, visited Kaliningrad on Tuesday and vowed to respond to the ban. The relevant measures are being drawn up in an interagency format and will be adopted shortly, Patrushev said, without elaborating. He added: Their consequences will have a significant negative impact on the population of Lithuania. In other developments Tuesday: Zelenskyy said he spoke with leaders from nine European Union members Croatia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain in anticipation of Fridays meeting of EU leaders to decide whether to grant Ukraine candidate status. He said his agenda for Wednesday is just as full. We are expanding the circle of those who support Ukraines candidacy and making it more likely that Fridays decision will be positive, he said. John Kirby, a national security spokesman for the White House, said it was appalling that the Kremlin suggested two Americans captured by Russian forces in Ukraine could be sentenced to death. Kirby declined to say what steps the U.S. would take if Russia does not treat Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh, both from Alabama, as prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it depends on the investigation, when asked during an NBC interview whether the Americans could be sentenced to death like two Britons and a Moroccan captured while fighting for Ukraine. The U.S. State Department confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine who is believed to be only the second American to have been killed while fighting in the conflict. Britains Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence report that Ukraines coastal defenses have largely neutralized Russias ability to project maritime force in the northwestern Black Sea. This has undermined the viability of Russias original operational design for the invasion, which involved holding the Odesa region at risk from the sea, the report said. Russian authorities blocked the website of British newspaper The Telegraph over an article it published, the internet rights group Roskomsvoboda reported Tuesday. It said Russias media and internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, blocked Russian access to a story that alleged that Russian forces had prepared a mobile crematorium for use in its war with Ukraine, possibly to hide its military casualties. The move made the entire Telegraph website inaccessible for some Russians. ___ Karmanau reported from Lviv. Francesca Ebel contributed from the Krakovets border crossing in Ukraine. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Andrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, has been indicted on 21 federal charges including conspiracy and wire fraud for funneling donations through third parties back to himself for personal use, prosecutors said Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida said Gillum, 42, is also charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for claiming he didnt receive or ask for anything from two undercover agents posing as developers. The undercover agents offered gifts and money in exchange for support for projects. Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53 and the owner of a communications company, is a codefendant on the wire fraud charges for funneling money to Gillum in the form of paychecks, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody said in a statement. Prosecutors said the pair conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose. Gillum, in a statement released through his lawyers, denied the charges. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power," the statement said. "Theres been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now. He made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon, entering the courtroom shackled at the ankles and wrists. He and Lettman-Hicks pleaded not guilty to all charges. A trial date was set for Aug. 16. Both were released without bail with instructions not to leave the Northern District of Florida without permission. Gillum met with undercover FBI agents posing as developers while he was mayor and during his campaign for governor. His associates sought donations from the agents, and suggested ways to provide money without listing them as political contributions, including paying for a fundraising dinner, according to the indictment. The agents were asked to contribute $100,000 to Gillum's campaign and said the money could be given to a private company in order to keep the agents' names out of campaign finance documents. The agents said they would want favorable consideration on development projects and were told that wouldn't be a problem, according to the indictment. The agents also met with Gillum in New York City and paid for his hotel, food and drink, a boat ride and a ticket to see Hamilton, according to the indictment. Later, other FBI agents interviewed Gillum and asked if he had contact with the undercover agents. Gillum told them that he never asked for or received anything from the developers," and stopped communicating with them after they tried to link contributions to support for their projects, the indictment said. An individual not named in the indictment donated $250,000 to Gillums political committee, but only $100,000 was put toward the campaign. Gillum and Lettman-Hicks said most of the remaining money was going to a voter education program, knowing the service wouldnt be provided, according to the indictment. Instead, the money went to Lettman-Hicks company. She kept some and funneled the rest back to Gillum in several payments ranging from nearly $3,600 to $10,000 each. It's the latest trouble for Gillum, who lost to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a race that required a recount. Gillum fell 32,464 votes short of being elected out of more than 8.2 million ballots cast. Gillum served as mayor of Tallahassee before running for governor. He won a crowded Democratic primary against better funded candidates with 34.4% of the vote, stunning political observers. The charismatic politician won over the hearts of hardcore Democratic activists and ran a strong grassroots campaign. After losing, Gillum was still seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and was hired as a CNN analyst. Then, in March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Two days later he entered a rehabilitation center, and later did a television interview in which he said he's bisexual. An attorney for Gillum's codefendant Lettman-Hicks didnt immediately respond to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press. HONG KONG (AP) A man involved in a high-profile sexual assault against an Alibaba employee was sentenced to 18 months in prison Wednesday, months after the employee went public about her assault and sparked renewed conversation of the treatment of women in Chinese society. The defendant, Zhang Guo, was a representative from a supermarket that was in talks for business dealings with Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant. Zhang had met the female Alibaba employee, surnamed Zhou, at a business dinner in July 2021. Zhou later accused Zhang and another male Alibaba colleague of plying her with alcohol. She said she was sexually assaulted at the dinner, and later again in her hotel room. She went public with her accusations on Alibabas internal message board after she said that she had received no satisfactory response from the company. A court in Jinan on Wednesday found Zhang to be guilty of forcible indecency against Zhou while she was drunk at the dinner and the next day in her hotel room, and sentenced him to prison, according to a statement issued by the court on its official WeChat account. It also said Zhang did not exhibit remorse nor plead guilty for his actions. When Zhou went public with her accusations, the case drew much attention online. Alibaba faced backlash for how it handled the situation. Shortly after, Alibaba fired the male colleague accused of assault and stated that it had zero tolerance over sexual assault. The colleague, surnamed Wang, faced a 15-day detention after Chinese prosecutors dropped the case against him. Zhous lawyer, Du Peng, told The Associated Press three other legal cases are pending, one of which was appealing the decision to not prosecute Wang. Zhou did not immediately comment. In December, Alibaba terminated Zhous employment, stating that she was dismissed for spreading false information about her assault and that her actions had negatively impacted the company. Zhous termination came even as Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang pledged to improve the companys culture and formulate anti-sexual harassment policies at Alibaba. Alibaba did not immediately comment. ___ AP writer Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report. BEIJING (AP) Major flooding has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in southern China, with more rain expected. Parts of the manufacturing hub of Guangdong suspended classes, office work and public transport amid rising waters and the threat of landslides. In the neighboring province of Jiangxi, almost 500,000 people have seen damage to their homes and their lives uprooted. Roughly the same number have been affected in Guangdong, largely in the cities of Shaoguan, Heyuan and Meizhou. The heavy rainfall has collapsed roads in some parts of cities and swept away houses, cars and crops, and more rain is forecasted for coming days. Chinese authorities on Sunday issued the years first red alert, the most severe warning, for possible mountain torrents. In Zhejiang province north of Guangdong, rescue crews in inflatable boats brought out residents trapped in their homes in inundated villages. Further north, storm warnings were issued for much of the eastern provinces, including the capital Beijing, while reservoirs in the central province of Henan were at flood level and were releasing torrents of water downstream. China regularly experiences flooding during the summer months, most frequently in central and southern areas that tend to receive the most rainfall. This year's flooding is the worst in decades in some areas and comes on top of strict COVID-19 regulations that have strangled travel, employment and ordinary life in much of the country. Chinas worst floods in recent years were in 1998, when more than 2,000 people died and almost 3 million homes were destroyed, mostly along the Yangtze, Chinas mightiest river. The government has invested heavily in flood control and hydroelectric projects such as the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze. Globally, more intense tropical storms are on the rise as a result of climate change, leading to increased flooding that threatens lives, crops and groundwater. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger delivered the news to Texas that enslaved people were now free. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years before. The announcement is believed to have been made from the balcony of Ashton Villa in Galveston, noted Samuel Collins III, a historian and Galveston native who spoke to the Hearst Newspaper Division on June 10. During that talk, Collins pointed out that the news reached Texas prior to that announcement. It was just late to be enforced. Plainview-ites celebrated the anniversary of that historic day on Saturday with the 41st annual Juneteenth Celebration hosted by Plainview AHEAD. The day included a full slate of activities like games, vendors, food and fellowship at Givens Park preceded with a special ceremony to mark the occasion. Joe Berry took the microphone in the morning at 11 a.m. to kick things off with a prayer before passing the mic around to various presenters who shared trivia about Juneteenth and who sang songs of praise. Councilwoman and Mayor Pro-Tem Susan Blackerby read a proclamation on behalf of the Mayor Charles Starnes and the Council reiterating the importance of the day. I urge each and every citizen to heighten their awareness of the significance of this momentous event and the heritage and history of our nation and our city, Blackerby read from the proclamation. The proclamation marked the event and established June 19, 2022, as Juneteenth Day in Plainview. President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth into a federal holiday in 2021 but it was celebrated across the country long before then, particularly by African American communities. We should never ever forget our heritage, said Berry in between presentations Saturday morning. Teach it to our children. Thats something event organizers incorporated into Saturdays activities. The kids in attendance sat in a circle on the floor of the pavilion at the park for a short game of trivia about how Juneteenth got its name. Having a good understanding and sharing that knowledge with younger generations is key to progress. Its hard to get where youre going if you dont know where you came from, said Charlie Sneed, a Plainview native turned Houston resident who came back home in time for the Juneteenth celebrations. The morning ceremony ended with a rendition of Lift Every Voice And Sing which, according to Berry, is widely recognized as the Black National Anthem. Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer Pharrell Williams made a handful of college students "Happy" on Friday after announcing his plans to pay off their student loans. Among the lucky scholars is a student from Texas. Channing Hill, of Euless, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is among five students and recent graduates from historically black colleges and universities who received the news while they participated in a panel discussion Friday in Washington, D.C. hosted by the NAACP as part of Williams' "Something in the Water" festival, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Thanks to the gesture, Hill, who will be entering her senior year at Howard University in the fall, will have $18,000 paid off. On Instagram, Hill wrote about the news: "I think my mama started praise dancing when I called her. Throughout my 3 years at Howard University I had personally accumulated over $18,000 in student loan debt and that figure becomes multiplied when you add on the loans my parents have accumulated. Today, I enter my senior year with a clean slate." Hill also shared video of the moment she and the other students learned the news, each appearing shocked, some tearful. She also shared a clip of Williams talking to the students, saying in part, "This is about you mastering your intentions." Hill, a strategic legal and management communications major and the president of Howards NAACP student chapter, told the Star-Telegram that she plans to go to law school and become an attorney. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson took to Twitter to praise Williams' promise to pay off the loans, sharing students' reactions. "Right after @Pharrell surprised young NAACP leaders by paying off ALL their student debt, someone asked 'what are you going to do now?' One student tearfully responded, 'Im going to law school.' This is what its aboutunlocking opportunities for those historically oppressed." However, Johnson called on more to be done for students, urging President Joe Biden to cancel student loan debt. "@POTUS, its your turn now to do the same for all Americans plagued by student debt," he wrote. Hill also echoed Johnson's statements advocating for the Biden administration to cancel federal student loan debts. "My God. I'm still in disbelief," she wrote on Instagram. "Get active in this fight to cancel ALL student loans. Call Biden tell him it's time." In a recent interview, actress Haylie Duff revealed why she traded Hollywood for the Lone Star State. She told Fox 7 Austin on Monday, June 20, "Texas is my home state. And, so I always imagined that I would come back to Texas and raise our family here." Duff and her sister, Hilary, are no strangers to Texas as they are Houston natives. Haylie moved to Austin in June 2021, while her sister continues to live in California. However, Hilary did visit Austin earlier this month. Haylie told Fox 7 Austin that she moved to Austin to live closer to her father. At first, she said she feared moving out of Los Angeles would hurt her career. But, Haylie added that Zoom has become a powerful tool that allows her to continue to work. Haylie recently starred in The Wedding Pact 2: The Baby Pact. It premiered on June 8. "I'm very grateful that work opportunities have still been there for me," she shared. "And I also am a big believer in God's got your back. And so you make the right decision for your family, and he's got it." One major difference Haylie said she notices about the move is traffic, according to Fox 7 Austin. "We get to deal with all that traffic, although Austin is getting a lot of traffic with so many people coming here now," Haylie said. "But, you know, I think our quality of life just changed a little bit." Oscar winner Emma Stone also purchased a home in Austin in April. She joins other celebrities who have made the move from Hollywood to Texas, like actor James Marsden, who is known for his role as Scott Summers/Cyclops in the X-Men franchise. The actor paid around $1.8 million for a five-bedroom, 5,160-sqaure-foot house in the Commons Ford area in Austin. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRINDISI, Italy (AP) A judge on Wednesday ordered Academy Award-winning film director Paul Haggis to remain under detention at his hotel in southern Italy while Italian prosecutors continue to investigate a womans allegations that he had sex with her over two days without her consent, Italian news reports said. After conducting a hearing that lasted several hours in the Brindisi courthouse, Judge Vilma Gilli issued the ruling that extends his detention at the farmhouse residence in the countryside of Ostuni, a tourist town where he was supposed to participate in an arts festival this week, Corriere della Sera daily reported. Calls Wednesday evening to Gillis office went unanswered. The Ansa and LaPresse news agencies said Gilli had concluded that while the 69-year-old Haggis, who lives in the United States, isn't a flight risk, there was the danger evidence could be compromised or that the alleged crime could be repeated. Haggis lawyer, Michele Laforgia, said after the hearing that his client, before the judge, had reiterated his total innocence and is in hopeful expectation that he will be ultimately vindicated. Paul Haggis answered all questions and explained what happened, Laforgia told reporters outside the courthouse. He declared himself, as he had already done right after the detention, completely innocent, in the sense that the relations he had with this woman were totally consensual." While the woman's allegations are investigated, the 69-year-old Canadian-born director, producer and screenwriter was initially ordered on Sunday to stay detained in his guest residence in a farmhouse in Ostuni, a popular tourist town in Puglia, the region forming the heel of the Italian peninsula. Prosecutors have said he is under investigation for alleged aggravated sexual violence and aggravated personal injuries. Prosecutors have described the woman as young and foreign. State TV and other Italian media said she is a 30-year-old Englishwoman who had known Haggis before he came to Ostuni. Asked by a reporter what kind of relationship Haggis and the woman had, Laforgia replied that it had been a relationship of acquaintance. The lawyer said the defense disputes a hospital report indicating that the woman had suffered physical injuries. There is no sign of injury nor sign of violence, Laforgia asserted, adding, I believe that they (the investigators) badly interpreted the findings of the emergency room of a Brindisi hospital, where the woman was taken after she told authorities that she had been sexually abused. Haggis co-wrote, directed and produced Crash, which won the 2006 Academy Awards for best picture and best screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby," another Oscar winner. He has had legal problems in recent years stemming from sexual misconduct accusations by four women in the United States. The lawyer also said that Haggis had told the judge that if his detention were revoked he intended to stay in Italy in any case so he could fully clear his name. Haggis has every interest to be present for courtroom proceedings and to stay in Italy until his total innocence is definitively ascertained, because, naturally, his life here and in the United States where he resides depends on that, Laforgia said. Because Haggis doesnt speak Italian, he submitted written statements in English to the court throughout the hearing. Translations back-and-forth lengthened the duration of the hearing, Laforgia said. Click here to read the full article. James Rado, the co-creator of the era-defining rock musical Hair, died in New York City on Tuesday evening, according to the Associated Press. He was 90. Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical premiered in 1968, receiving a best musical nomination at the 1969 Tony Awards and winning best musical at the Grammys that year. The musical defined the generation of free love, with songs like Let The Sunshine In and Age of Aquarius that found success outside the walls of the Biltmore Theater on 47th street. It also opened the door for rock music to find a home on Broadway, and was followed by countless classic musicals, like Rent, Hamilton, Jesus Christ Superstar and more, all of which took their musical cues from Hair. Rado collaborated on the shows story and lyrics with Gerome Ragni, with music by Galt MacDermot. Beyond being the first rock musical on Broadway, it was also notable for its boundary-pushing content: it was the first show to feature full nudity and the first to include a sex scene between two people of the same sex. Rado also starred in the show as Claude, a young man who is drafted to serve in Vietnam and is conflicted by the decision. His songs, like I Got Life and Manchester England, became anthems for a generation of young people fighting back against the United States military operation overseas. Other songs made it into the top charts. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In reached the No. 1 spot, while the cast album stayed in the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart for 13 weeks. The musical has been revived a few times, winning best revival at the Tony Awards in 2009, while the songs have been performed on TV and in film, adapted for new generations every so often. Rado was born on Jan. 23, 1932 in Los Angeles, Calif. and was later raised in Rochester, N.Y. and Washington, D.C. He served for two years in the U.S. Navy before moving to New York City to study acting with Lee Strasberg. He met Ragni in 1964 while they were performing in the off-Broadway play Hang Down Your Head and Die. That same year, they began writing Hair, which took three years to be seen by an audience. The shows main characters were loosely based on their relationship, and while Rado did not play Claude off-Broadway, he did on Broadway alongside Ragni as George. The musical premiered to some critical acclaim, but also a significant amount of pushback due to its use of swear words, nudity, drugs and anti-military sentiment. The Public Theater initially cut the nudity off-Broadway, but it was re-inserted on Broadway. After Hair, Rado collaborated with his brother Ted Rado on the musical Rainbow, and later teamed up again with Ragni on the musical Sun before Ragni died in 1991. In 2009, Rado and his two Hair collaborators MacDermot and Ragni were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. According to AP, Rado is survived by his brother Ted; his sister-in-law Kay Rado; his nieces Melanie Khoury, Emily DiBona and Melissa Stuart; great-nieces and a great-nephew. Pictured, left to right: Galt MacDermot and James Rado with Hair cast in 2009. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday declared that he is ready to quit his post and also as party chief provided the rebels come and talk to him face-to-face while denying that he had discarded Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. In a direct, emotional challenge to the group of rebels led by Minister Eknath Shinde who are presently in Assam, Thackeray lamented the present situation in which he said, "my own (Shiv Sainiks) don't want me as CM". "But why go to Surat or some other places to say this. Shinde could have just come and told me right here. I would have quit immediately," Thackeray said. He said that ever since the political crisis erupted late on Monday, both Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar and Congress observer Kamal Nath categorically told him that they fully support him, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi regularly speaks with him. "Today, my own Shiv Sainiks don't want me to continue as CM. So, I am ready to resign, leave 'Varsha' (official CM residence) and go to my 'Matoshri' (private home). I am even ready to quit as Sena President. I shall be very delighted if some other Shiv Sainik becomes the CM," said Thackeray. Saying that he would pen his resignation letter, he urged the rebels - who have 'disappeared or were made to disappear', to come and deliver his resignation letter to Raj Bhavan. "Let any rebel Sena MLA come and tell me face-to-face that we don't want you. Not on social media. They can come and take my resignation letter to Raj Bhavan as I am down with Covid-19," asserted Thackeray. Dwelling back to Oct-Nov 2019 when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was born out of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress alliance, he said that after everything was finalised, Sharad Pawar spoke to him privately. "Pawar Saheb told me that I would have to take over the responsibility (of CM), or it would be difficult to continue the MVA alliance. I said I had no experience in such things, but he insisted and I agreed as there was no other option," said Thackeray, indicating he was neither 'power-hungry' as alleged nor has he lost the confidence of the MVA partners. "Now, if the Sainiks do not want me, then I am prepared to quit the government and party. I have nothing to fear, I have no greed for the post of CM. I have nothing to feel ashamed of and am not under any compulsions. But come and talk to me," the CM stated. Dismissing the contentions of Shinde and other rebels that he had deserted 'Hindutva', Thackeray hit back, pointing out how only last week (June 15), Aaditya Thacekray along with Shinde and Raut and others went to Ayodhya. "Where have I erred. I was the first CM to speak on Hindutva? Hindutva is in our breath and in our blood. In 2014, 63 Sena MLAs were elected solely on the basis of Hindutva. We are carrying forward Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva, we ensured it continued after him today and will continue tomorrow," Thackeray said. Stating that he had performed well as CM for two-and-a-half years as the head of the Maharashtra family, he said people are remembered not by their positions but by their contributions. "What are the numbers, it's not even a challenge. The only thing I need is your love," concluded Thackeray. The CM's address to the state got a flood of bouquets - and expectedly, even a few brickbats - from various quarters. While the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel praised Thackeray's honesty in the speech, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Spokesperson Sandip Deshpande flayed the CM's plea saying Sainiks may be emotional but are not fools to fall for it. TORBEN CHRISTENSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima Believe it or not, old school rockers Judas Priest are still "breakin' the law" 50 years later. San Antonio metal fans (and we know there are a lot of you who listened to Joe Anthony in the '70s and '80s) will have the opportunity to see the legends live in concert at the new Tech Port Arena during the band's two-night stint this fall. Due to San Antonio's history as "the heavy metal capital" Judas Priest will play two back-to-back shows in the Alamo City on Tuesday, November 22 and Wednesday November 23. The band's most recent album Firepower (released in 2018) has emerged as the the highest charting album of the band's career. Fellow rockers Queensryche will join Judas Priest on their 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour. Click here to read the full article. Robert J. Ross, who oversaw East Coast operations and engineering at CBS Broadcasting from 1998 until retiring in 2017, died on Sunday. The CBS family was saddened to learn of the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend Robert Ross, CBS said in a statement. Over his illustrious career, his incredible skill and accomplishments kept the network at the forefront of technology and a leader in the broadcast business. Simply put, Bob was a brilliant engineer who will be dearly missed. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends. Ross worked in broadcast engineering for more than 45 years. He was a graduate of Southern Maine Technical College, and upon completing his education, he became a service technician at RCA. There, he installed television cameras, telecines and television systems globally. In 1977, he joined Westinghouse Broadcasting as an engineer at WBZ-TV. He continued with Westinghouse for 19 years, working at WJZ-TV and KYW-TV, and eventually being named vice president of engineering for Group W television stations. After the CBS-Westinghouse merger, he became vice president of operations and engineering for CBS Television Stations. At CBS, Ross was responsible for the conversion of the CBS Television Network Broadcast Origination Center to HD and then the construction of the Media Distribution Center that provided HD distribution for the CBS and CW networks, as well as video on demand. He also led the rebuild of the networks satellite distribution system; the creation of store-and-forward system Pitch Blue for domestic and international syndication distribution; and the conversion from videotape to file-based digital distribution for both domestic and international syndication. Additionally, he helmed the restoration of the Ed Sullivan Theater for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and the design and construction of production areas for CBS Sports, CBS Evening News and CBS This Morning. In 2009, during his tenure as senior vice president of East Coast operations, Ross was elected into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. During his acceptance speech, he reminded everyone in senior management to hug their chief engineer as thanks for the work it took to keep their stations on the air. Ross also previously served as chair of the Toolkit Working Group of the Media Security and Reliability Council (MSRC) under the FCC Advisory Committee. Additionally, he was a fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. In 2013, Ross was appointed president of the North American Broadcasters Association, and in 2018, he received a lifetime achievement Emmy. He contributed to the standards process for the Advanced Television Systems Committee and various SMPTE engineering committees. Ross held an advanced amateur radio license and contributed to a national magazine on consumer electronics. He was also a licensed private pilot and glider pilot. He volunteered at the Experimental Aircraft Associations annual AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wis., as a photo and video editor. In his retirement, Ross enjoyed working on his amateur radio shack and was on the board of directors for the Arizona Model Pilots Society. Ross is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his daughter, Oliva; his son, Joseph; his daughter-in-law, Janine Ross; his sister, Judith Gordon; his brother-in-law, Neil; and his nieces, Katie Ferullo and Alison Gordon. Those close to Ross encourage donations in his name to local chapters of the Humane Society. An East Coast memorial service will be announced in the near future. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Its been about two months since News 4 San Antonio reporter Joe Galli left the TV station. The announcement came in April, during a time when a handful of other reporters made their exits amid a change in leadership. Though Galli isnt reporting on the day-to-day events in San Antonio anymore, you can find him commentating in a different arena. Wrestling. I started a career in professional wrestling before I was even a professional journalist, he said. Galli tells MySA he grew up in Los Angeles where he attended wrestling school while trying to figure out the direction he wanted to take. He soon found himself making a TV demo reel, showing him being tossed around by a 400-pound wrestler. Somehow, that snippet along with his other talents, landed him a TV gig in Ohio. Courtesy, Hiban Huerta Soon after, he bounced around TV markets, as journalist do to further their career, and in between reporting for local stations, he continued to offer commentary for professional wrestling. He now does that for the National Wrestling Alliance or NWA. You can watch it on subscription service FITE. I feel like Im in a great place with this sort of boutique wrestling company," Galli said. "I couldnt be more thrilled to be where I am. Courtesy, Hiban Huerta The Emmy-award winning journalist made his way to the San Antonio NBC affiliate in March 2018, where he worked as a general assignments reporter. He covered breaking news as well as providing extensive coverage on the El Paso Walmart shooting in 2019. He says leaving news in April 2022 after more than 11 years was the best decision for him at the time, prior to the Uvalde school shooting. When you cover these mass shootings, when youre in the thick of it, you build a wall inside yourself, he said. Here are the facts, heres whats going on, but when you have something like that, and its children, its a whole another level, and I dont know if I have a strong enough wall to stay up. Courtesy, Joe Galli Galli says he loves his team at News 4 and Fox 29, commending them on their efforts on working through a very difficult time. When asked if he would ever return to TV news, Galli said, Never say never, but at this point, I think its unlikely. Courtesy Chicken Salad Chick / Courtesy Chicken Salad Chick San Antonio's first Chicken Salad Chick is hatching. The national chain of southern-style chicken salad restaurants is opening the Alamo City's first installment in the Stone Oak area by the end of 2022. Last October, the Alabama-based business announced a deal to bring eight units to San Antonio, but site addresses were not revealed. According to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, San Antonio will get its introduction to the chain at 22831 Highway 281. Colonel Frederick C. After an eight-week-long renovation, the Colonel Frederick C. Hixon Bird House at the San Antonio Zoo officially reopened Tuesday morning, June 21, just in time for the first day of summer. The bird habitat initially opened to the public in 1966 when the Zoo was reaching peak popularity. The updated avian attraction includes a more colorful entrance and updated interiors, and was co-signed by the eponymous Hixon family, who have been supporters of the Zoo for over five decades. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas' top court declared Tuesday that the state constitution doesn't prohibit partisan gerrymandering, prompting one dissenting justice to accuse the majority of ignoring a full-scale assault on democracy" from a Republican congressional redistricting law. The state Supreme Court issued the opinion explaining its 4-3 decision last month to approve the new congressional map. It previously issued only a brief opinion that did not explain the majority's reasons. The new map makes it harder for the only Democrat in the Kansas congressional delegation, two-term Rep. Sharice Davids, to win reelection in her Kansas City-area district. Davids is the states first openly lesbian and Native American woman in Congress. Dissenting Justice Eric Rosen argued that the decision moves Kansas toward a one-party system of government," aids a power grab and authorizes political chicanery. In turning a blind eye to this full-scale assault on democracy in Kansas, the majority blithely ignores the plain language of this state's Constitution, Rosen wrote. Lawsuits over new congressional maps proliferated this year across the U.S., with Republicans looking to recapture a U.S. House majority in Novembers midterm elections. Maps in at least 18 states inspired lawsuits, according to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice. In the Kansas Supreme Court's majority opinion Tuesday, Justice Caleb Stegall said the state constitutions guarantee of equal legal protection for all citizens does not prohibit the Legislature from considering partisan factors when redrawing lines each decade to make districts as equal in population as possible. The Legislature has Republican supermajorities and traditionally has been controlled by the GOP. Stegall also argued that unless the state Supreme Court set a zero tolerance standard on partisan gerrymandering, it has no clear standards for when it should be prohibited. Are there any manageable and neutral judicial standards by which judges can decide that question without resort to our own partisan biases? Stegall wrote. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican running for governor, praised the court's majority, saying it declined invitations to substitute its redistricting preferences for those of the peoples elected representatives. Kansas courts previously had not been asked to consider whether the state constitution bars political gerrymandering. Federal judges not the Kansas courts have typically reviewed the states congressional boundaries, but the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in 2019 that complaints about partisan gerrymandering are political issues and not for the federal courts to resolve. Stegall is widely seen as the seven-member court's most conservative justice, having been appointed by conservative GOP Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014. But he was joined in the majority by a justice appointed by a moderate Republican governor and two who were appointed by Democrats. All of the dissenters were appointed by Democratic governors. The majority also rejected critics' claims that the new congressional map represented racial gerrymandering because it split the Black and Hispanic populations in the Kansas City areas between two districts. Stegall wrote that the aggrieved voters did not show that race was the predominant factor in how the lines were drawn. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which represented 11 voters, said in a statement that the decision was especially harmful to minority voters who were targeted and silenced. Democrats accused Republicans of planning to hurt Davids politically. Although Republicans said that was not the case, a now-retired state Senate leader said publicly in 2020 that fellow Republicans could draw all four congressional districts to favor the GOP and guarantee a plan that "takes out Davids. Republican lawmakers noted repeatedly that the Kansas side of the Kansas City area has too many people to fit into a single congressional district, requiring some sort of split. And they argued that Davids still would win her new district based on 2020 election results. The new congressional map moved the northern part of Kansas City, Kansas, out of the 3rd District represented by Davids and into the larger 2nd District of eastern Kansas represented by Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner. Kansas City, Kansas, is among the state's few Democratic strongholds. The map also moved the liberal city of Lawrence a Democratic stronghold only about 40 miles west (64 kilometers) of Kansas City and home to the main University of Kansas campus out of the 2nd District. Instead, the city of 95,000 has been added to the already sprawling 1st District, which is dominated by small conservative communities in central and western Kansas. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna A 13-year-old Texas boy is dead after police say a group of teens stole a car and livestreamed their joyride. According to an Abilene Police Department news release, the four teenagers stole an Audi and crashed it multiples times after they attempted to drive to Dallas. The teenagers were not identified because they are minors, but police said the driver was 13-years-old, and the passengers were 13-year-old, 14-year-old, and 15-year-old boys. The 13-year-old and 15-year-old passengers were reported as runaways, police said. Law enforcement was first notified the car was involved in an accident around 3:09 a.m. on Wednesday, June 22, by the vehicle's integrated security program, but when responding officers arrived at the site of the reported crash they were unable to locate the car, the release said. Police did not know the vehicle was stolen at the time of the crash report. At around 3:40 a.m., parents of one of the teenagers called police and reported their son was livestreaming his ride to Dallas in the stolen vehicle on social media. About ten minutes later, the owner of the Audi reported the vehicle was stolen from his home. Police said they believe the teens were also involved in a convenience store theft reported by the Callahan County Sheriff's Department around 3:57 a.m. The stolen Audi and juvenile occupants were found by police around 4:07 a.m. at a hotel near Highway 351 and I-20 where it reportedly crashed into an unoccupied police vehicle. The 13-year-old driver fled on Highway 351 after police turned on their emergency lights. The teenagers crashed around 4:09 a.m., and the 13-year-old passenger was ejected from the vehicle. He died after being transported to a local hospital. The 13-year-old driver is facing multiple felony charges, but police did not specify what they were. Police did not release the condition of the driver and other occupants, but a message posted to social media by Abilene ISD said the student who died in the accident was a student in the district. The post also said the three surviving teens were injured. "Abilene ISD crisis response staff and guidance counselors will be available to provide support to those affected by this tragedy at two summer school campuses, Clack and Craig middle schools, until 3:00 p.m. today and tomorrow," Abilene ISD said in the message. "We also encourage our parents to take this opportunity to support and talk with your students about what happened and to listen to feelings they may have." Anyone with information is asked to call Abilene police at 325-676-6610. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said staffing issues and inmates who shouldn't be in jail are behind the 140,000 hours of overtime pay for deputies. Commissioners court approved the overtime pay Tuesday, June 21, totaling $5.6 million that will cover deputies working in the jail from April to September. This is the third time this year Salazar has requested the approval of overtime pay. Commissioners approved 68,912 hours in January and 67,753 in April. The current budget for overtime in the jail is about $8 million. The sheriff's office anticipates using 335,629 hours this fiscal year, or an estimated $13.5 million, which far exceeds the budget. "I only half-jokingly call us the 'elsewhere county jail' because it seems that we've always got a certain segment of the population that should be elsewhere but they're not," Salazar said. Ray Whitehouse, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Salazar said its because the county jail has inmates that should be in mental health facilities and drug treatment centers. In total, the jail had about 4,500 inmates this year, according to agenda documents. The Bexar County Adult Detention center has a capacity for over 5,000 inmates. For comparison, he said that last year there were 544 inmates that should have been in either one of those facilities and this year there are almost 800 inmates. For those that need to be in treatment facilities, Salazar said that breaks down to 291 inmates that should have mental health beds, 56 awaiting psychological evaluation, 194 awaiting drug addiction treatment, and 245 found incompetent to stand trial so it hasn't been determined if those inmates are guilty of the crime they've allegedly committed. Salazar said that there are also 267 inmates awaiting to be transferred to a prison and 89 of those are parole violations. Salazar says the sheriff's department is also facing a shortage in staff, an issue the department has faced for the past 12 years. In 2021 the jail lost 255 employees to resignations, terminations, and retirements. The department has lost 72 employees this year. Salazar said the sheriff's office has hired about 120 new employees and 72 in the pipeline waiting to be hired. Anywhere from 550 to 600 staff members have or will work the jail per week this year, but 824 staff members are required, according to agenda documents. The sheriff's office has a private consultant that is currently evaluating the jail standards and is building a report that is set to go before commissioners sometime in July. maroke/Getty Images/iStockphoto A Texas school district has announced an updated dress code for the upcoming school year, banning hoodies and limiting dresses and skirts. Forney Independent School District released a statement on its website and uploaded a video to YouTube on Monday, June 20. For the 2022-23 school year, two of the most significant changes are: no clothing with hoods (such as hoodies, jackets, coats, etc.) may be worn inside the building at any time and dresses, skirts, and skorts are allowed for Pre-K through fourth grade students only, according to the statement. AUCKLAND, 22 June 2022: NZME Limited (NZX: NZM , ASX: NZM) (NZME) has today announced that it has concluded negotiations with Google on agreements to support a number of digital transformation initiatives, which commenced following the signing of a Letter of Intent in March this year. The new partnership means NZME will supply content to Google News Showcase when it officially launches in New Zealand, with selected material from NZMEs national, regional and community publications published via the product. Google News Showcase is a product where publishers, like NZME, curate content to extend their reach to audiences locally and globally. NZME Chief Executive Michael Boggs says the Google agreements support NZMEs strong focus on digital transformation, and further demonstrates the value of NZMEs high quality journalism and news content. We are pleased to have signed these agreements with Google and to be able to now progress these digital transformation projects and initiatives. NZMEs 300 editorial staff in our newsrooms across the country work tirelessly every day to provide high quality, trusted news content across our many platforms. Being able to further extend their reach, highlight their talent and share their content through Google News Showcase is a really positive development. Not only will this new partnership with Google help further bolster digital growth across our business and increase our audience reach across our platforms, it will also increase digital revenue growth and enhance our digital subscriptions business, he says. Caroline Rainsford, Google New Zealand Country Director says: These agreements build on years of partnership between NZME and Google and we look forward to engaging on initiatives that further the digital transformation of NZMEs business and promote original, trusted journalism across NZMEs digital titles. For two decades our programmes, funding and expertise in digital have supported the local news industry, and we look forward to continuing this important work in New Zealand. NZMEs outlook takes into account this commercial arrangement and remains the same at $67-72 million. The agreements are for a term of five years. ENDS Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: GSH Appointment of new Chairman Greenfern secures agreement to supply medicinal cannabis Rua on track to export to Germany by year end HMY SECURES ADDITIONAL NZ$215M FACILITY TO SUPPORT GROWTH Seeka releases Sustainability Report NZL - Completion of Retail Offer 28th June 2022 Morning Report Green Cross Health Limited 2022 Annual Report / NOM Me Today completes Rights Issue Channel confirms timing of Board Chair succession leezsnow/Getty Images A Texas mayor one month after his election was arrested on Tuesday, June 21 for allegedly soliciting a minor online. Pilot Point Mayor Matthew Mcllravy, 42, was charged with the online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14, a second-degree felony. The Dallas Police Department announced the arrest on Facebook, writing the case comes from the culmination of a five-month-long investigation by the agency. This ongoing investigation revealed other communications with minors who have not been identified at this time. As news publications continue to request access to information and records from Uvalde in regard to the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary, Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, June 22, against the Texas Department of Public Safety for ignoring his open records requests. The lawsuit claims DPS denied access to Gutierrez's May 31 requests for the ballistics report, a policy manual on DPS' joint operations with local law enforcement, and a report on the police and DPS presence at the school during an active shooter situation, according to court documents. He also requested the exact time each law enforcement agency arrived at the scene. Government entities in Texas have 10 business days under Texas Government Code 552.321 to respond to an open records request or reach out to the Texas attorney general for a decision. The lawsuit claims that DPS officials have taken no action or responded. The final day to respond was June 14. "For over 40 agonizing minutes students and teachers lay dying in the classrooms, hopelessly dialing 911 while law enforcement held back and waited for keys despite having at least three ballistic shields and a breaching tool on-site," Gutierrez says in a news release. One section of the lawsuit titled "The Cover-Up" details attempts to deny and ignore requests. Multiple news publications, including Vice, have filed open records requests that have received no response or were denied on grounds of an on going law enforcement exception," which allows entities to deny requests due to an open investigation, threats to possible prosecution, or even potential threats to officers. On Tuesday, June 21, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin sent out a statement saying that the city would not release any records or body cam footage related to the May 24 shooting under the direction of District Attorney Christina Busbee. He also pushed back on claims that the not releasing information was a cover-up. A private law firm for Uvalde argued that records could contain highly embarrassing information, or because the information is not of legitimate concern to the public. Uvalde also recently kicked journalists and family of Robb Elementary School victims out of city hall. UPDATE: Uvalde CISD Superintendent Hal Harrell said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that he has placed embattled school police Chief Pete Arredondo on administrative leave, CNN reports. Harrell said the administrative leave is effective immediately, pending results of the ongoing investigation surrounding the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. Lieutenant Mike Hernandez will take over police chief duties. Arredondo has been under fire from residents and grieving families over his handling of the shooting as incident commander. The news comes a day after the city council denied Arredondo a leave of absence as a newly elected councilman, opening him up to being removed from the council if he misses three meetings. Original story follows below. Uvalde City Council denied Peter Arredondo, newly elected councilman and embattled school police chief, his requested leave of absence during a Tuesday meeting. It followed nearly an hour of input from residents and grieving family members calling for his resignation. City Council's decision means he will be expected to appear at future city council meetings in front of the public, and also listen during public comment periods. If he misses three meetings, he could be removed by Uvalde City Council. Arredondo has missed two prior to this week's meeting, but it was not immediately clear if they counted toward that tally. District 3 Councilman Ernest "Chip" King said that he was only going to grant a short leave of absence so the public wouldn't have to see him, but he decided otherwise after the public criticized Arredondo for his handling of the mass shooting at Uvalde CISD's Robb Elementary School on May 24. One of the people who spoke was Jasmine Casarez, the sister of Jackie Casarez and cousin to Annabell Rodriguez, who were both killed in the attack. She said her comments were directed to Arredondo, who she thought would be there on Tuesday after being sworn in as councilman during a private ceremony in May. Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News "Arredondo said the swearing in was a private thing out of respect for the families, saying 'the families are the focus right now,'" Casarez said at the meeting. "Or was it private because he knew the people that voted him in now want him out." Arredondo led Uvalde CISD's police department and city police as incident commander during the shooting that killed 19 people and two children. The gunman was in the school for nearly an hour before police entered a classroom and killed him. Officers under Arredondo's command waited in the hall outside the classroom for nearly the entirety of the shooting, with at least one officer detained when trying to move on the gunman, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw testified before a Texas Senate Committee Tuesday morning, saying other calls made by Arredondo led to police response being an "abject failure." After council members denied leave of absence, King then asked the public not to come to the meetings and "cause problems," which angered community members attending Tuesday's meeting. "Don't insult us," yelled one unidentified resident. After residents expressed concern that Mayor Don McLaughlin didn't have their best interest and protection in mind, he responded by saying city officials have been told by other authorities that they can't say anything when it comes to the shooting and the investigation. "Today that's over with," McLaughlin said. "I don't owe any allegiance to anybody, any government authority, or any district attorney in this county anymore." He went on to say the families deserve the truth and the city aims to be transparent. McLaughlin's comments came just hours after his office released a statement refusing to release records or body cam footage from the incident by order of District Attorney Christina Busbee. He read a different statement Tuesday evening providing his own account of what went on at the school shooting. McLaughlin said there were no less than eight law enforcement agencies in the school hallway, including DPS, Texas Rangers, U.S. Marshals, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, Uvalde County Constables, Uvalde Police Department, UCISD Police Department, and the Uvalde County district attorney's investigator. He said the surveillance and body cam footage are currently being controlled by the district attorney, DPS and state legislators. McLaughlin says that someone has released bits and pieces of the footage, referring to multiple stories Tuesday morning showing police in the hallway had a ballistic shield and other equipment. The mayor went on to seemingly shift blame to DPS, saying McCraw changed information delivered at press conferences on May 26 and May 27. He also said DPS "leaked" a report that Uvalde police were not responding to investigation inquiries. McLaughlin claimed that was a lie. He also said McCraw has an agenda. McLaughlin claims petty infighting, click bait headlines, and politically motivated "scapegoating" were only dividing the community. "The gloves are off," McLaughlin said. Hours after a Texas Department of Public Safety senior official called Uvalde's police response to the May 24 mass shooting an 'abject failure,' Mayor Don McLaughlin says the city and county's decision to not release information is not a 'coverup.' McLaughlin said in a statement the Uvalde District Attorney requested the city not release any records related to her investigation of the shooting at Robb Elementary school that killed 19 kids and two teachers. This also includes requests for body cam footage from officers inside the building, which he said is restricted from release by the Texas Occupations Code. "There is no coverup," McLaughlin said in the statement. "Anyone who suggests the city of Uvalde is withholding information without legitimate and legal reasons is wrong and is spreading misinformation. There are specific legal reasons the city cannot release information at this time." Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News McLaughlin does not cite which specific section of the code the city or Uvalde District Attorney Christina Busbee are using to deny requests to release body cam footage. MySA reached out to Busbee for clarification on the Texas code cited. Vice's tech publication Motherboard has made requests for the body cam footage. But a letter from Denton, Navarro, Rocha, Bernal & Zech, a private law firm hired by the city of Uvalde, to Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that records could include highly embarrassing information, or because the information is not of legitimate concern to the public. The law firm also argues the footage could cause "emotional/mental distress." McLaughlin says that any "premature" information about the shooting that comes out before the district attorney and Department of Justice's investigation concludes is a "disservice to families who lost children." He cites accuracy and transparency as the motive. A video posted to Twitter by CNN reporter Shimon Prokupecz appears to show otherwise. The video shows Uvalde Fire Marshal Juan Hernandez telling journalists and Brett Cross, the uncle of one of the students killed, to leave city hall as Texas legislators met with law enforcement behind closed doors. Billy Calzada, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News Hernandez tells Prokupecz in the video that a woman "had a panic attack" because reporters were at city hall last week. Cross told the Express-News outside city hall that the city "failed us." DPS Director of Safety Steve McCraw told the Texas Senate committee on the Uvalde school shooting that district police Chief Pete Arredondo's calls as incident commander and the police response set law enforcement back "a decade." The Texas Public Information Act says a governmental entity has 10 business days to respond to a request. If the entity can't promptly provide the information, then they must provide notice to the attorney general and provide a specific date and hour of when the information will be released. McLaughlin's statement does not give a timeline for when the body came footage or other records will be released. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin announced Tuesday night, June 21, that Robb Elementary School will be razed, saying that no child or teacher should return to the site of the massacre during an almost two-hour emotional city council meeting. McLaughlin told residents, concerned parents, and family who lost students in the May 24 mass shooting that he learned that the school would be demolished from a conversation with Uvalde CISD superintendent Hal Harrell. "You can never ask a child to go back, or a teacher to go back in that school ever," McLaughlin said. As readers may have worked out, scientist GM, whose observations via e-mail and in comments we have often hoisted into posts, is on the pessimistic end of the spectrum of Covid prognosticators and yet (or maybe due to that) has been early and very accurate. For instance, he was one of the first to notice the data from Israel in July 2021 showing a marked falloff in Pfizer vaccine protection 5-6 months after the jab. GM was also immediately on top of Omicron, that its many mutations on the spike would mean close to total evasion of prior protection (whether via vaccination or prior infection) and therefore potentially rapid spread. Thus it isnt at all good when developments surprise GM on the downside. As well soon discuss, the speed of emergence of Omicron variants has surprised him in a bad way. Mind you, many of them are different enough that they should have gotten their own Greek letter, but that degree of truth in advertising would conflict with the party line that Covid is over. But GM was also a bit disconcerted by the results from large-scale study using VA data, now out as a preprint, on Covid reinfections (we have additional links on it in Links). It does confirm what GM had warned about from the very outset, that getting Covid has a health cost, and those costs add up and maybe even multiply the more times you contract Covid. However, as he remarked: I actually have doubts about the precise numbers they are much much worse than I expected at this stage, and some things in the way this was done look kind of sloppy and should be hopefully sorted out in review. But one important aspect of it is that this looks at different metrics from previous studies previously reinfections were scored on hospitalization and on death being written as COVID on the death certificate. And those showed some protection on first reinfection (but already worsening on the second). Here they look at the various sequaelae and at all-cause mortality for a larger period of time post infection. And if true this is what reveals the real damage even at the first reinfection. Also, reminder that the bulk of these reinfections are Omicron, i.e. the least dangerous version so far. Presumably it would have been much worse without all those S2 mutations. When Pi [the next major variant] hits one can expect a total disaster billions of people are right now accumulating preexisting conditions that are setting the stage for the grim reaper to take them when the next big antigenic shift happens. P.S. Again from South Africa, this is what it might look like: Before going further, I want to emphasize this sequence is a singlet. No further cases have been detected yet, & there may never be any. This could be a bolt from the blue, disappearing without a trace, as weve seen with other crazy sequences. 2/12 Ryan Hisner (@LongDesertTrain) June 21, 2022 Note that this is still a first-gen variant it is classified B.1.1.488. This one was sampled in April but only posted three days ago, so if it was going to be what becomes Pi, it would have perhaps taken over by now (though of course Delta was first detected many months before it exploded so one never knows). But the fact that these kinds of variants are popping up again and again means that Pi is coming. Probably sooner than later IM Doc asked GM if these Covid variants could be the result of animal reservoirs. As you can see, GM finds that none of the likely causes of mutation are sufficient to explain the rate of variant emergence. Needless to say, that is not a good picture. From GM: Nobody knows for sure. The Omicron origin becomes more and more mysterious with every new iteration. None of the possibilities explains it well: 1. A single chronic infection that has produced all of BA.1-5 and then transmitted them forward over a period of 4-5 months between October and January. I guess its not impossible, but how likely is that? 2. It is not a single individual, but a community of people, most of whom are immunocompromised, where the virus has been bouncing around repeatedly, accumulating mutations, and then leaking out of that community. This is actually not that implausible. Think of how we used to have leper colonies not that far along even in the West. Perhaps in South Africa they have some places where they send people with HIV to live out their days, and those places dont have all that much contact with the outside world, which explains why the virus leaks only from time to time. Doesnt necessarily have to be a place specifically for people with HIV, what would also work is some rural locality that is isolated and out of the way, where few people go regularly, and where many people have HIV. Gauteng actually does fit the bill remember those famous photoalbums of rural poverty from the early 90s, with the very famous photo of the inbred twins: That was in what was then Western Transvaal, which later became the North West and Gauteng provinces. But such a scenario imposes the strict requirements that the rural locality in question has a lot of immunocompromised people and is isolated. Which is a rather unique situation. 3. Some rodent species in South Africa got the virus and it has been circulating there, making the reverse-reverse zoonotic jump from time to time. This is again a highly unlikely situation though, because BA.1, 2 and 3 appeared all at the same time, and then BA.4/5 also appeared at the same time. And if there is widespread transmission in rodents (or some other animal) you would not expect to see multiple related lineages making the jump at the same time. Its just not very likely. Animals are a problem for another reason we are talking huge amount of mutations here, and we have only seen that in immunocompromised humans. So then the question arises regarding how is it that the virus accumulated so many mutations in whatever animal population is the reservoir? Because I am betting a lot of money that the percentage of immunocompromised individuals in wild animal populations is much much much lower than it is in the human population. In the human population they survive because modern civilization can shield and support them. Out in the wild they are dead very quickly. Also, rodent populations arent as huge in size as people think, and rodents are physically much smaller than humans, so at best there has been ~1/100th of the viral replication that has happened inside humans in those populations. The NYC wastewater studies (the one with the many more and super highly divergent sequences that they found in the year since the original paper) do not bring any clarity either. That problem about how so many mutations appeared so quickly applies there too. But we have added complications. First, the concentration of these extremely divergent viruses in wastewater is very high. Much higher than could be reasonably expected that a single individual could shed. Yet in the same time if those lineages were being transmitted widely, that would be picked up by patient surveillance sequencing, as crappy and patchy as the coverage is. But they are only found in wastewater. This would suggest rats. But, the second problem is that if it was circulating in the rats, one would expect those viruses to be widely circulating within the city, and to be sweeping the way they do in humans. We dont see that though they see the super divergent sequences usually only in individual watersheds, and they see a lot of diversity. No sweeps (other than whatever circulates in humans at that time, which always dominates the signal). Third, you can measure how much rat RNA there is in those samples, and in some of them there is none, even though there is lots of divergent SARS-CoV-2. So it remains a mystery. P.S. Given how important this is, one would think that we would be doing the following: 1. Mass population-wide testing of the whole population in South Africa during the periods in between waves, then sequencing of all positives, in order to identify the chronic infections and figure out what is brewing. It would cost quite a bit of money, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the damage that has been done and will be done. 2. Someone would actually go down in the sewers in NYC (and all other major cities around the world) and sample the rats, mice and other fauna, in order to conclusively identify any possible reservoirs. Combined once again with mass testing of the human population. Again, its a lot of money at first glance but its a trivial amount in the grand scheme of things, and especially given how $50-60 billion just got sent to Ukraine without any hesitation for the Russian artillery and missiles to target practice on. Naturally nobody is doing any of that. Needless to say, the failure to investigate is very likely to make bad outcomes worse than they need to be. And it make the regular hectoring of China for keeping infections down look even more deranged as the US seems determined to remain a Covid disease reservoir. Yves here. Its funny how if youve had no particular reason to examine key junctures of history to overlook how key decisions set events moving down a particular road. Its hard to recognize the path dependence unless you were a close observer of the original actions or you have them unpacked later. For instance, one major and critical set of decisions took place at the Council of Vienna in 1815, when national boundaries were redrawn after the Napoleonic conquests and reversal. These negotiations often determined which of various royal claimants wound up in charge of particular jurisdictions. The proof that that was well done is the nearly 100 years of peace, save some minor dustups. As we can see, the much less complex negotiations between the West and the USSR, with Gorbachev, was not conducted with such long-term concerns. The durability of peace in a soon-to-be unipolar world was assumed. By John Helmer who has been the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to have directed his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. Originally published at Dances with Bears In the rest of the world it is known as the cultural cringe. In Russia the wish to be loved by Americans is known as liberal reform. In the very first paragraph of a new book called Collapse: the Fall of the Soviet Union, the author, Vladislav Zubok the name in Russian means a small tooth reveals that on the morning of August 19, 1991, when the first coup was attempted against Mikhail Gorbachev, then President of the Soviet Union, Zubok was flying to the US by arrangement with Strobe Talbott, Moscow correspondent for Time and soon to be the Clinton Administrations principal Russia expert. At the time Zubok describes himself as a Moscow-based academic intellectual. By this, he means he was no simple worker with a Moscow university degree. In Soviet class terms, he insists the reader recognise him to be an intellectual. That then was upper class, and Zubok wants the reader to know the difference between the Russian upper and lower classes immediately, on the nineteenth line of his very first page. Zubok also wants the reader to know he had been hired with money from the prestigious Amherst College in Massachusetts. What exactly was prestigious about Amherst, or Massachusetts for that matter and to whom? And why does Zubok think that in a history of Russian politics between 1983 and 1991, such a remote place, with such an adjectival tag, was worth the mention? The answer, like the other revelations of the first paragraph, reveals what this book turns out to be. Its an exercise in American-style reconstruction of what a small group of Russians for hire were keen to give their masters, about the circumstances of the years leading up to Boris Yeltsins replacement of Mikhail Gorbachev, and Russia of the Soviet Union. But this isnt Russian history. Its the history of Russians with cultural cringe the desire to be loved by Americans, and to tell them what they wanted, paid for, insisted on hearing then, and demand now. The payoff, reported on the dust jacket of the book, comes from Talbott, Zuboks original employer. He is quoted as saying: This is a deeply researched indictment of Mikhail Gorbachevs timidity and mercurial policies which backfired. Instead, Talbott adds, Russia at the turn of the 21st century was ripe for the rise of Putin. Zubok was ripe for what Talbott meant. In 2008, according to Zuboks history, Putin used military force against Georgia, and in 2014 he annexed Crimea and waged an undeclared war on Ukraine in Donbass. The blame for that, Zubok means, was Gorbachevs mistakes. Without them, had the Kremlin ruler made different choices the Soviet Union could have gradually made its way into the world economy by a process of trial and error, with a nomenklatura-style state capitalism, and certainly with its institutions of power preserved. As for the Russian cultural cringe, Zubok is sure it was one of Gorbachevs biggest mistakes. During his well-known trips abroad in the 1980s, Gorbachev took with him, Zubok records, a huge entourageof journalists, social scientists, writers, theatre directors, filmmakers and other cultural figures. Most of them shared [Gorbachevs] fascination, admiration, and envy for things Western. Zubok has written a book to prove he doesnt suffer this cringe. The work proves the opposite. This is the problem with cringers. They are too bent out of shape to recognize the shape they are in. In the present situation, now that Russia is at war with the US and NATO, there is one crucial question which Zuboks history ought to be able to answer. It is this: why in 1990, as the condition for German reunification in the negotiations of that year, did Gorbachev agree to withdrawing the Soviet army from east Germany and not insist the US and NATO do the same from west Germany, ensuring the neutrality of the new German state outside NATO? Finnlandisierung was the German word for it then; finlandizatsia, , in Russian; Finlandization in English. The word does not appear in Zuboks history. Nor neutralitatserklarung the policy adopted by Austria from 1955, keeping that part of the German-Austrian union (Anschluss) of 1938 out of the European military pacts. Austria is not mentioned by Zubok. This question, and its answer, have been lost in the debate over NATOs expansion since the escalation of US and NATO operations in the Ukraine from 2014.The question of mutual and reciprocal troop withdrawals, Soviet and US, Warsaw Pact and NATO alliance, and the effective neutrality of Germany, is even more pressing today, after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has committed 100 billion to rebuilding a blitzkrieg-capable German army for the first time since German expansion into Austria, followed by Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, and then the Polish Corridor which started World War II. Researching what Gorbachev said, did, and intended on the issue of German neutrality, Zubok tells the story that at their summit meeting in Washington on May 31, 1990, when [President George H.W.] Bush asked him about Germany and NATO, Gorbachev suddenly acknowledged thatGermany should be given the right to choose any alliance it wanted to join. Bush and other Americans could not believe their earsGorbachev was giving away something very significant without bargaining or even consulting his advisorsMarshal [Sergei] Akhromeyev and Valentin Falin, a key Soviet expert on on Germany, gesticulated and whispered in evident horror. At Camp David, June 2, 1990: left to right: interpreter Peter Afanasenko, Secretary of State James Baker, President George Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle, National Security Adviser Lieut-General Brent Scowcroft, Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze, President Mikhail Gorbachev and Marshal Sergei Akhromeyev, military adviser to Gorbachev (back to camera), June 2, 1990: About Akhromeyev, read this. Transcript of conversation, White House, May 31, 1990. Zubok identifies no Russian source for his report. He castigates Akhromeyevs suicide the following year with the allegation that he was a probable executioner of a plot to assassinate both Gorbachev and Yeltsin. That, according to Zubok, came from Fritz Ermarth, then a senior CIA official whose hearsay version came to Zubok from Talbott. Zubok never mentions Falin again. He then reveals not only what explained Gorbachevs unilateral giveaway, but also Zuboks sole source Anatoly Chernayev, then Gorbachevs principal foreign advisor. Chernayev was not surprised. Gorbachev, he reflected, was sacrificing diplomacy, but not to keep himself in power instead, in the name of his vision. The Kremlin leader wanted the United States and its allies to help the USSR become stronger but democraticprogressive, dynamic, free, and turned towards the outside world and the US. Chernayev was Zuboks most quoted source on Gorbachev. Zubok acknowledges I was very influenced by my meetings and conversations with him In 1995 Chernayev introduced me to Gorbachev; a few years later, Chernayev shared with me his remartkable diaries, still unpublished at the time. Zubok does not report asking Chernayev himself the German question while he was still alive; he died in 2017, leaving his diaries to George Washington University in Washington, DC. Gorbachev, who remains alive, was not asked the German question by Zubok. Chernayev is also Zuboks source for his account of Gorbachevs unilateral decision to side with the US against Saddam Hussein during the Kuwait crisis of August 1990, just weeks after Gorbachev had decided to side with the US on the German question. But first Zubok discredits Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader at the time, as a megalomaniac. He also discredits the principal Soviet expert on the Middle East at the time, Yevgeny Primakov. an ambitious expert and also from Georgia and [Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadzes] rival. (Zubok appears not to know that Primakov was ethnically Jewish and never interested in Georgian politics.) But from Chernayev on Gorbachevs motivation during the Kuwait decision-making, Zubok got the reality. Gorbachev believed his personal political survival in the Kremlin depended on raising money for a Soviet economic bailout and favour for himself over Yeltsins challenge, from the US. He therefore concluded, in Chernayevs interpretation, that he would do whatever the Americans wanted, or demanded. In order to get away with that, he ignored everyone in the Soviet government, starting with the Red Army and the Soviet Defense Ministry and the intelligence assessments represented by Falin on Germany, Iraq by Primakov. We must put America before the Arabs. This is our future and our salvation Zubok quotes Chernayev as saying. By our future and our salvation Chernayev meant Gorbachevs personal future. Zuboks sources of truth, left to right: Anatoly Chernayev, d. March 12, 2017; Gennady Burbulis, d. June 19, 2022; Boris Yeltsins autobiography, published on March 1, 1990, by Jonathan Cape in London and Simon & Schuster in New York,. Cape was owned at the time by Random House, the New York publisher which was controlled in turn by the Newhouse family. On Yeltsins rivalry with Gorbachev, his schemes and intentions, Zubok relies on another single source Gennady Burbulis. Zubok interviewed him (by telephone) five times; he interviewed no one else as often. On Burbuliss say-so about himself, Zubok concludes that he assumed a particularly prominent role next to Yeltsin. Zubok did not check this with Alexander Rutskoy, who became Yeltsins vice president, and later one of the leaders of the parliamentary challenge to Yeltsin in 1993. Instead, Zubok diminishes Rutskoy with an innuendo of corruption his nationalist views now matched his interests in the RSFR oil business. Zuboks source for that was kompromat placed in a Moscow newspaper. For his history, Zubok characterized no other member of Yeltsins entourage or his government by his alleged business interests. Zubok is silent on the money that was paid to Yeltsin for his US and European trips and for his autobiography of March 1990, Against the Grain, which Zubok cites as credible evidence as often as Burbulis. The book was reportedly contracted in June 1989 by a London agent named Andrew Nurnberg; translated into English by Michael Glenny; and published by the New York company, Simon & Schuster. Where the money came from for the book in 1989, how much was paid to Yeltsin, and whether, as Yeltsin claims to have promised, proceeds from the book sales were sent to a Soviet AIDS fund, was investigated with Nurnberg at his London office, and with Misha Glenny, son of the translator who died in Moscow shortly after the book appeared. Nurnberg was asked how the book project was first introduced to him; how many of the books were printed; how many sold; how much money was paid to Yeltsin and how much to the AIDS charity. He refuses to answer. Nurnbergs website also reports that for Yeltsin as one of its client authors, there are currently no items! Glenny also did not answer for what his father had known about the source of the project. Zuboks sources of disinformation, left to right: the ambitious Georgian, Yevgeny Primakov; Vladimir Kryuchkov, KGB chief from 1988, whom Zubok calls this baby-faced man; Vice President Alexander Rutskoy. On February 18, 2022, the week before the Russian military operation commenced in the Ukraine, Zubok gave an interview to the Moscow newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, explaining why he has now concluded the Soviet Union had collapsed and fallen, as the title of the book claims. For a long time, I believed that the reason was only the unresolved nature of some Russian political and economic problems. But in the archives of the administration of US President George W. Bush, I found an interesting recording of a meeting at the White House about possible financial assistance from the West to Gorbachev. Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady spoke, and he spoke clearly and unequivocally: The strategic task of the United States is to see Russia as a third-rate country that will not have a powerful military-industrial complex capable of providing full-scale military operations. In the book Zubok referred to Brady several times, and he quoted several of his remarks in opposition to a financial aid package Gorbachev was asking Bush to provide in 1990. In the book Zubok interpreted Brady as having several different reasons for his position. But Bradys intention to destroy Russia as a military power is missing from the book and so is the warfighting meaning which Brady articulated. Why did Zubok suppress it? This personal endorsement of Bradys policy by Zubok appears in Komsomolskaya Pravda. The United States pragmatically and prudently did not want to see Russia as a great power either in the form of the USSR or in the form of an independent federation. That Gorbachev failed to understand what was pragmatic and prudent in US policy was understood by the Russians whom Zubok has denigrated in his account. That he too accepts what was practical and prudent he left out of the book, leaving Chernayev and Burbulis as his sources to fault Gorbachev for following Russian history in the wrong direction. Gorbachevs mistake, Zubok concludes, was that his role model was Vladimir Lenin, the great destroyer of Russian statehood. As Zubok doesnt pretend to know much about the history of Russia before or after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the claim about Lenin repeated several times over in the book is Zuboks cringe. He has nothing else to show for it. To that he adds an irony. In a major paradox of Soviet history, Gorbachev consistently rejected the methods and features that were at the core of Lenins success. He preferred speeches to action, parliamentary consensus to violence, and devolution of power to dictatorship. Zubok doesnt mean to say that Gorbachev lacked Lenins theory of imperialism and his suspicion of the Anglo-American and European powers which Gorbachev wanted to trust, to cultivate. He does mean to say that Gorbachev lacked Lenins understanding of force in politics, and so proved feckless when the political and economic storm came. Exactly what then should Gorbachev have done, according to Zuboks interpretation? The answer is that he should have done what he had chosen to do in foreign policy follow the US direction, do what the American leaders, intelligence agents, economists, bankers, and corporate executives told him to do. Gorbachev was capable of acting resolutely in foreign policy on the German Question and in the Middle East. Had he acted in the same way domestically, the future of the Soviet Union could have taken a different turn. Left: Vladislav Zubok. Right, his book, to be published in paperback in September this year, has been endorsed by William Taubman, the US historian Gorbachev authorized to compose his biography; reviewed here. Zuboks book has also just been authorized by the Pushkin House Book Prize committee of selection. This is such a bizarre contradiction can Zuboks cringe have disabled his capacity to see it? Who cannot see that the way in which Russia is currently acting on the current version of the German Question and the Middle East is diametrically opposed to what the US requires the Kremlin leadership to to follow German neutrality then, Ukrainian neutrality now; Iraq then, Syria and Libya today. Zubok is sure the pragmatic and prudent thing for Putin and the Russian Army to do right now is what the US, the NATO alliance, and the Ukrainian regime in Kiev require. Zuboks history concludes on a metaphor of seagoing meteorology. The Soviet Union, he claims, fell victim to a perfect storm and a hapless captain. But now that the ship of the Russian state is at war with the US and NATO over what Russians believe to be a fundamental threat to their survival, Zuboks conviction is that Russians should abandon ship and swim with the US tide. This, his book shows, is exactly what Gorbachev, Chernayev, Burbulis, and Yeltsin all believed. Its also what every US official from the Bush to the Biden administrations believes they can count on the Russians to do if enough force is employed to threaten them. This is a conclusion which the careful contrivance of evidence and non-evidence in the history is something to cringe about, though not if you are Russian in these days. Perhaps if you are a historian employed in London to display this cringe in public as if its the lesson of the past, and also the guide to the future. Yves here. I must confess that even though I knew that the California condor was endangered due to lead poisoning (the perils of being high on the food chain), I had no idea their numbers had collapsed so far. As youll see, its been a long-term, concerted effort to preserve the condor and the Yuroks have played a crucial role. By Sharon Levy, the author of The Marsh Builders, and Once and Future Giants: What Ice Age Extinctions Tell Us About the Fate of Earths Largest Animals. Shes written for Nature, New Scientist, BioScience, and Undark, among other outlets. Originally published at Undark Top: A California condor at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Visual: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance The first California condor to reach Yurok ancestral land in over a century arrived by plane and car in late March of 2022. The small plane that carried Condor 746 had a rough landing, and the bird was irritable. He rattled around in a large dog crate during the three-hour drive to the tribes newly-built condor facility, in a remote location in Redwood National Park. Once there, he hopped into the flight pen, a tall enclosure of wire mesh, furnished with log perches and a drinking pool. At 8 years old, Condor 746 is an adult, his naked head bright pink instead of the black found in younger birds. Hes on loan from the captive breeding program at the Peregrine Funds World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. His job is to act as the mentor for four juvenile birds who will become the founders of a reborn condor society in Yurok country. We have mentors because condors are so social, says Joe Burnett, California Condor Recovery Program Manager at the Ventana Wildlife Society. Young birds in a pen with no adult will become unruly. You get the Lord of the Flies syndrome, says Burnett. He and his colleagues quickly learned that release programs need an adult to serve as a role model and enforce the social hierarchy that is crucial to the flocks survival. A few days after 746 arrived, Condor A0, age 2, entered the flight pen. The first thing she focused on was 746, lounging on a perch. Understanding that she was in a safe place, A0 checked out the food the carcass of a stillborn calf then flapped onto a perch and fluffed up her feathers, a sign of avian contentment. Three young male condors, tagged A1, A2, and A3, followed. The youngsters had been living together for months at other condor facilities in Boise, Idaho, and San Simeon, California, and they already felt at home with each other. Condor, known as prey-go-neesh in the native language, is sacred to the Yurok people. The Yurok reservation lies along the Klamath River in northwest California, but much of the tribes ancestral land is now in the hands of government agencies or private landowners. The tribe has been working to bring back the California condor since 2003, when a group of elders identified the bird as a keystone species for both culture and ecology, and therefore the most important land-based creature in need of restoration. Nineteen years after the Yurok made that bold decision, the condors arrived. Elders who had worked toward that pivotal moment watched as Tiana Williams-Claussen, director of the Yurok Wildlife Department, and her colleagues released each newcomer into the pen. Williams-Claussens job is to understand the details of condor biology and to interpret Yurok culture for the wider world. A tribal member, she grew up on the coast near the mouth of the Klamath, and went off to Harvard University. She didnt set out to be a condor biologist, but when she returned in 2007 with a degree in biochemical sciences, condor restoration was the work her people needed her to do. Williams-Claussen has since spent 14 years living and breathing condors, learning how to handle them, building partnerships with government agencies, and listening to what Yurok elders have to say about the great bird. The California condor is a critically endangered species: In the 1980s, the total population dwindled to fewer than 30 individuals. Biologists concluded the species only chance of survival lay in capturing every living condor in order to breed the birds in captivity, safe from poisons and power lines. Reintroducing condors to the wild proved difficult, however, and the process became a dramatic lesson for biologists on the importance of parenting and the slow pace of growing up among these long-lived, highly social birds. Scientists learned that time spent with adults was critical to the behavioral development of young condors. They also found that in a species where adults follow and protect their offspring for a year or more after the birds fledge, youngsters pioneering landscapes empty of condors require lots of human babysitting. When European and American explorers first reached western North America, California condors thrived from British Columbia to Baja California, and as far inland as the eastern face of the Rockies in Alberta. Majestic creatures with wingspans of more than 9 feet, weighing up to 25 pounds, with bald heads and long feet, condors captured human attention. Members of the Lewis and Clark expedition called them the beautiful Buzzard of the Columbia, and described the great birds thieving body parts from fresh-killed game. In the Pacific Northwest and California, Indigenous people understood condors as beings of great spiritual power. Their shed feathers were used by the Yurok, Wiyot, and other tribes in ceremonies to treat the sick. The Pomo, Miwok, and Maidu performed condor dances. But the arrival of White settlers proved deadly for condors and native peoples alike. While the tribes suffered genocidal attacks and epidemics, the condors were indiscriminately shot, their eggs taken by collectors. Many were poisoned by cyanide or strychnine-laced carcasses settlers put out as bait for wolves and bears. Because condors are deeply social and help each other locate food, the discovery of a poisoned carcass by one bird could result in the deaths of many. The last reliable report of a condor north of San Francisco was recorded in 1904. By the mid-1900s, the great birds survived only in a slender horseshoe of habitat in the mountains of southern California. As the last surviving condors died off at a rapid rate, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision to take the birds into captivity, and breeding programs were established at the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Wildlife Park. The last free-flying condor, a male known as Igor, was captured in 1987. At the time, some observers were appalled. Captive-raised condors, they said, would never learn to live as their ancestors had. To save it, the condor was destroyed, environmentalist David Brower told a reporter. A close brush with extinction is something the condor shares with the Yurok people. Yurok country was inundated with settlers starting in 1850, when gold was discovered there. By the end of the Gold Rush, 75 percent of the Yurok had died from massacres and disease. Large swaths of their lands had been devastated by logging. Government agents and missionaries tried to force native people to discard their language, culture, and religious beliefs. Yurok children were taken from their parents and placed in boarding schools in Salem, Oregon, and Riverside, California. There they were forbidden to speak their own language and suffered many forms of abuse. A condor chick is reared by a hand puppet. Visual: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance It was just overall a time of major upheaval and destruction, Williams-Claussen says. The Yurok, like several neighboring tribes, believe the Creator long ago set them the task of working to repair and rebalance the world. Sacred ceremonies including the White Deerskin Dance are vital to this process. Condor gave us the song, explains Williams-Claussen. Condor provides the feathers and the spirit for the dance, carries our prayers to heaven when we ask for balance. Sometime at the turn of the 20th century, just as the last condors vanished from Yurok land, the White Deerskin Dance was performed in secret, hidden away from government agents who punished the observance of native traditions. Decades passed, and many of the people who had danced and sung in the ceremony died. In 1978, Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, guaranteeing the right to religious expression and access to traditional lands for ceremonies. But by then generations of Yurok had been traumatized and forced away from their own traditions. It wasnt until the 2000s that the White Deerskin Dance was revived, with the help of a Yurok man Williams-Claussen called one of the eldest of our elders. (In Yurok culture, people who have died are not mentioned by name.) This man was one of the few survivors who had danced the White Deerskin Dance himself, and who remembered Condors importance in the ceremony. He began by teaching people the Condor song. In 2003, he was a member of the council of elders who decided the tribe should work toward bringing the California condor back to Yurok country. Condor reproduction in the wild is slow and deliberate they can live to be 50 or older, and like other long-lived animals, their development takes time. The birds reach sexual maturity between the ages of 6 to 8. Couples mate for life, and the female lays a single egg every other year. To rebuild the population as quickly as possible, staff at captive breeding programs at the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Wildlife Park manipulated the nesting process. Theyd take a pairs first egg away to be warmed in an incubator, inducing the birds to produce a second egg. The adult condors would raise one chick while keepers fed the other with hand puppets built to look like condors. The first condors reintroduced to the wild were all reared by puppets. They quickly ran into trouble. The young birds, which had been released at the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in southern California, were fascinated with humans and human-made structures. They tore the rubber window seals off fire trucks, and approached people without fear. These habits put the condors in danger, and their death rate was high often the result of collisions with power lines. The problem became painfully obvious in the late summer and fall of 1999, when about half the free-flying condors moved into the village of Pine Mountain Club, 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The condors gathered on roof tops and shredded deck furniture. In one incident, Les Reid, a former Sierra Club board member who had opposed the capture of the last wild condors, heard a ruckus in his upstairs bedroom. He found eight condors ripping apart his bed, having torn through the screen door. They left when Reid admonished them. The captive-bred condors released in the early 1990s were just uneducated, says Mike Clark, Condor Keeper at the Los Angeles Zoo: They had no idea what danger looked like and had no other birds or parents to teach them. Condors make their living investigating things that might end up being food. Birds ended up approaching novel stimuli, including humans, because they simply didnt know any better. After keepers added a dummy power pole to condor enclosures, which administered a mild electric shock when the birds perched on it, they learned to avoid power lines. But the fascination with humans and the failure to understand basic condor etiquette were signs of a more profound problem. Those first reintroduced birds were released too young, and had not had contact with adults who could teach them how a condor behaves. They were under a year old, remembers Chris West, the Yurok Tribes senior wildlife biologist, who began working with condors in 1999. In the wild, the parents would slowly work with that bird, introduce it to social feeding situations with other condors and other scavengers, he adds. I dont think it really dawned on people how important that was. Early on, efforts to reintroduce California condors followed the lead of an effort of the New York Zoological Society with Andean condors. That project had released captive-bred youngsters to the wild in Peru at just 5 or 6 months old. The Andean condors did well because they joined an existing wild flock. In California, the wild birds had all been placed in captive breeding programs, so the chicks were released into a vacuum, explains Clark. In the wild, a condor chicks only companions for its first few months are its mother and father. By the time the chick is 6 months old, it knows every emotion, face expression, body language, and the differences between all of these things between its parents, notes Clark. The adult birds react differently to the arrival of a potential threat, like a golden eagle, than they do to a jay. The chick understands whether its parent is content, irritated, or angry and can associate the sight of these stimuli with their parents emotions, he adds. This shapes their own opinions of other animals they encounter and helps them navigate the environment. A portion of the Big Sur flock is seen perched on rocks. Visual: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance When the Ventana Wildlife Society undertook to start a separate population of condors at Big Sur, on the central California coast, their first releases had to be recaptured. These birds had been raised without condor parents, and like their southern California counterparts, they were fascinated with human-built objects and clueless about reasonable condor behavior. In a second attempt, a cohort raised by captive condors was released to the Ventana Wilderness in the fall of 1997, and did much better. These condors avoided people, and all of them were in good health two years after their release. Because time with adult condors is so critical to the healthy development of young birds, keepers have gotten creative finding ways to provide it. At the Los Angeles Zoo, staff have found that a captive condor pair can successfully raise two chicks a situation never seen in wild condors. If a pair in the wild have an infertile egg, its replaced with a live egg laid in captivity. Recently, the Peregrine Funds captive breeding program has found that unpaired adult condors can successfully foster chicks solo. Over time, field biologists have learned how to give condors the best chance at a life in the wild. One strategy was simply to wait to until the birds were 2 or 3 years old before releasing them. Another was to use a large flight pen made of wire mesh that allows the young birds to scan their surroundings to let them learn about their new home before release. Bringing in an adult mentor before the release of young birds has been a major improvement. The Yurok project staff also place carcasses outside the flight pen, to attract turkey vultures. Burnett says these smaller vultures were the unsung heroes of the first cohorts of condors released at Big Sur, leading them to food and good roosting sites. THESE DAYS, CONDOR 746 can most often be found perched on a log that overlooks the green vista of Redwood National Park, studying the movements of the ravens and turkey vultures outside the pen. Now and then, in a moment of excitement, he grabs the wire mesh of the enclosure with his feet and flaps his wings. Most of the time, the condors are perched near each other, gazing out at the surrounding landscape, reading it with eyes that can see at high resolution over long distances. Condors have a poor sense of smell, but they possess what Burnett calls almost bionic vision. Built into one side of the flight pen is an observation chamber made of two shipping containers welded together. Through two-way glass, West, Williams-Claussen, and other members of the Yurok tribes condor team take turns watching the birds, maintaining a strict silence so the condors dont notice the presence of humans. Its a critical task, for the biologists must get to know the condors well enough to understand when they are ready to leave the pen and take on life in the wild. A 12-hour shift requires both a passion for these unique birds and the patience of a Zen master. The most dramatic interactions in a condor flock take place when the birds feed at a carcass. But since they can often go for two or three days without eating, most of the time the condors spend in the flight pen they dont appear to be doing much of anything. Youre on condor time, explains Burnett. Theyre probably chatting away in their own language, in a nonverbal way. As biologists, were constantly trying to decode that nonverbal communication. By late April, the Yurok condor team felt sure the young birds were ready to fly. All the condors were at a healthy body weight, measured whenever they happened to perch on a log attached to a scale. They seemed confident when interacting with each other and with the mentor, 746. Williams-Claussen had decided on Yurok names for the first two birds to be released: A2 is Nes-kwe-chokw, meaning he who returns. A3 is Poy-we-son, he who goes out ahead. The names proved prophetic. On May 3, A3 studied the door that had been opened using a remote-control rod, took a few small steps forward, then launched into the air. A2 followed moments later. Since then, A2 has stayed near the condor facility. He feeds from the carcasses kept outside the flight pen. To get hungry turkey vultures out of his way, he spreads his wings and runs at them. He often comes right up to the wire wall of the pen and seems to talk with one of the three condors still inside it. Upon release, A3 spread his impressive wings the condors are the largest of any North American land bird and went off to explore a bit farther. Now, the biologists track him using the satellite and radio transmitters attached to his wing. In the first few days after his release, A3 got pinned down by a storm that brought freezing rain, and hunkered down in a big Douglas-fir. Since the weather improved, hes traveled as much as 7 miles from the condor facility. On May 17, he returned to the flight pen for the first time, and spent hours eating, preening, and roosting with A2. A0 was released at noon on May 25. Her Yurok name is Ney-gem Ne-chween-kah, meaning she carries our prayers. She is doing well. A1 remains in the flight pen, awaiting the arrival of a replacement transmitter. The condors gradual release is a strategy worked out by Burnett and his colleagues. The idea is to keep the young birds returning often to the flight pen, seeking out their friends still inside. This makes it much easier to monitor the birds health and to intervene if there are problems. Biologists sometimes assist in the wild, too. Operating a condor body is not simple, and young birds learning to fly have been known to get trapped down in canyons where theres not enough wind to lift them up. Wild youngsters have condor parents who bring them food and protect them until they can find their way uphill again and take off. Newly reintroduced condors rely on the vigilance of the biologists who watch over them. Condor biologists in Arizona have sometimes spent the night near a stranded fledgling in a canyon bottom, guarding the young bird until daylight when it can make its way up toward a ridge. The condors must also be closely monitored and captured twice yearly for lead poisoning tests. Lead poisoning is now the greatest danger facing condors in the wild. Hunters who leave behind gut piles after taking a deer or an elk provide an important food source for the scavengers. But commonly used lead bullets fragment when they strike their target, scattering bits of lead through the animals body. A sliver the size of a pinhead can be enough to make a condor seriously ill, and a single carcass can contain enough lead to poison several condors. Each year, 20 percent of free-flying condors are found to have blood lead levels high enough to put them at risk of acute poisoning. They undergo chelation therapy, a process that has saved many condor lives, but can require weeks spent in captivity. On May 3, at around 10:30am, two condors were successfully released in Yurok Country. If the elaborate interventions that rescue condors from lead poisoning stopped now, the population would crash. California condors will achieve sustainable wild populations only when the lead is removed from their food chain. That goal that will not be reached until hunters commit to using alternative nontoxic ammunition. Williams-Claussen, a hunter herself, believes the change will come, though shes not sure she will see it in her lifetime. Keeping condors alive and well until then will take hard work. For the Yurok people and the many condor fans who follow the tribes condor livestream, its all very much worth it. I have a four-year-old daughter, Williams-Claussen says. She is going to grow up with condors in her sky for her entire life. She is not going to know what it is to miss condors. She will always live in relationship with condors, which is really what this project is all about bringing Condor home, back into our communities, back into our conversations, back into our households, and into the minds and hearts of our children on behalf of the hearts of our elders. My Nashville Post role has evolved since 2000 when I joined the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister publication in 2008 (when I began doing some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have been managing editor of the Post since late 2011. Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today WELLINGTON, New Zealand Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited (TSXV: NZP and NZAX: CRP or the Company") previously advised that we would again have a strategically located booth in the Investors Exchange in the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual conference which was staged in Toronto on June 13-15. Chatham was represented by CEO Chris Castle and executive director Colin Randall. PDAC is demonstrably the largest mining investment show in the world and has proved to be a most successful venue for Chatham in the past. Showcasing Chatham at PDAC has led to subsequent, robust investor support not only from Canada and the USA, but Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. On this occasion the progress made on a wide range of topics significantly exceeded expectations. It was an incredibly busy three days as we met with dozens of parties interested in either working with Chatham group companies, investing for the first time, or increasing their existing investment. Productive discussions were held with significant potential new investors including a major fertilizer company and funds based in London and New Zealand. We were also approached by an Australian sharebroker who is active in raising equity finance for fertilizer companies based in Australia, and by a resources bank interested in the provision of development finance. On the REE front, we had discussions with parties interested in an offtake-agreements, rare earths researchers, and rare earths processing technology. We also reviewed other phosphate projects in Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Greenland Peru and Spain. Given our present breadth of projects its not likely that we would become actively involved in any of these in the short term, but it was very valuable to gain further information on what is out there. We had several meetings relating to our high added value MCP/DCP project and further discussions with parties relevant to our recently announced Korella Terminals project. Finally, we engaged with potential providers of goods and services to the Avenir Makatea project in French Polynesia including the provision of laboratory services and a modular construction camp Following PDAC, Colin Randall travelled to Calgary following up on extensive earlier on-line North America distribution and marketing discussions. Chris Castle has already presented to investors in Munich and will this week provide further briefings in Geneva and Zurich. The Chatham Renaissance Attendance at PDAC 2022 was only a small part of Chathams present drive to inform world markets about our companys renaissance in the last two years. Over the last eighteen months Chatham has transformed from a single project company facing an uncertain and expensive permitting hurdle to a rapidly expanding group of projects much closer to generating operating cash flows with prospects further boosted by phosphate prices at 10-year highs. The acquisition of Avenir Makatea was the first step in the Companys strategy to build an international phosphate mining and trading house with a focus on low cadmium, organic phosphate. The Makatea Project in French Polynesia is planned to produce 250,000 tpa with an expected start date of 2024. The second step was the acquisition of the fully permitted Korella phosphate mine in Queensland, Australia with its ability to generate positive cash flows starting in 2022. The Korella Mine is planned to produce 250,000 tpa commencing in 2023. The third step was the application for an exploration permit over a substantial area adjacent to the Korella phosphate mine to potentially increase phosphate reserves and associated rare earths. The fourth step was the decision to take another value-adding step to its phosphate production with planned manufacturing of Monocalcium Phosphate (MCP) at Korella South. The DCP plant is planned to produce 30,000 tpa of MCP starting in 2025. Further initiatives including trading rock phosphate, phosphate handling facilities and establishing rare earth related strategic partnerships are being progressively announced as they occur. The presence of rare earth elements within Korella and potentially Korella South provides the impetus for the Companys wholly owned Pacific Rare Earths Limited to pursue strategic partnerships to beneficiate REE from these two projects. 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Related News: GSH Appointment of new Chairman Greenfern secures agreement to supply medicinal cannabis Rua on track to export to Germany by year end HMY SECURES ADDITIONAL NZ$215M FACILITY TO SUPPORT GROWTH Seeka releases Sustainability Report NZL - Completion of Retail Offer 28th June 2022 Morning Report Green Cross Health Limited 2022 Annual Report / NOM Me Today completes Rights Issue Channel confirms timing of Board Chair succession McConnell among Republicans backing proposal, 'popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely' This article is published on my Substack, but the results of the poll are so disturbing that Im not pushing the article to my subscribers until we re-run the poll with an additional question which will be the first question. (Natural News) We should have the answers by end of day June 20, 2022. Stay tuned and dont promote this article until it is updated and this notice is removed. (Article by Steve Kirsch republished from SteveKirsch.Substack.com) The CDC has always maintained that severe reactions to the COVID vaccines are rare . Since I officially became a misinformation spreader over a year ago, Ive never believed that statement because I couldnt find any reliable data that confirmed it. Yesterday, VSRF engaged the services of a professional polling company (Pollfish) to survey 500 people who were selected entirely at random. The implications of what we found in that poll were shocking: 20M Americans over 18 seriously injured by the COVID vaccine such that they are unable to hold a job. The US government has never done any research to determine the extent of the injuries caused by the COVID vaccines. Now we know why. The results were consistent [with] an earlier vaccine injury survey by the Israeli government and with the VAERS data which has been lit up since January 2021 telling us the COVID vaccines are the most unsafe vaccines in human history. Now we have independent confirmation that the safety signals in VAERS were accurate, just like weve always said. The numbers in this poll are absolutely shocking and there is no way to spin this as a positive. This article includes the full Pollfish report as well as the individual response data so that anyone can analyze it themselves. The poll was about the COVID vaccine exclusively, not about other vaccines. Stratified responses are age normalized to the US since the respondents who answered didnt match the overall US demographics. Doing some rudimentary estimates from the data (rather than stratifying by age which would be more accurate but more time consuming): 20% of the respondents reported they were vaccine injured The 20% number is remarkable because there was no pre-screening question and only 77.3% of Americans received at least one dose. That means that if you were vaccinated there is a 26% chance that you were injured (computed as 20.46/77.3). Wow. 30% of the households have a vaccine injured person 45% of the extended families have a vaccine injured person In 87% of the cases where there was a vaccine injury, there was either a doctor visit(s) or hospital stay(s) or both. 54% of the injured are still impacted today. 45% of the vaccine injured said it would shorten their lifespan 41% of the injured are unable to hold a job. Only 17% said their injury was a minor annoyance. If you took the vaccine there is a 26% chance of injury as noted above. We also know that 45% of the injured said it would shorten their lifespan. This means that we are shortening the lifespan of 12% of the people who opt for the jab (since .26*.45=.117). Shortening the lifespan of 12% of the people who take the vaccine seems like a very high price to pay for a virus that can be easily treated with a near 100% success rate with repurposed drugs. For example, my friends George Fareed and Brian Tyson now have treated over 12,000 COVID patients using a combination of repurposed drugs and supplements without a single hospitalization or death if they were treated within 5 days of first symptoms. They even have a top-selling book on Amazon with rave reviews. Despite all of that, the FDA, CDC, and NIH continue to ignore them. They cant get anyone to return their calls. Theyve had their protocol since the very beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 (its evolved over time). It is stunning that the FDA approves the vaccines for our kids under 5 based on the COVID case statistics from just 10 children (7 placebo and 3 in the treatment arm), yet Fareed and Tyson who have treated over 12,000 patients cant get a return phone call. We are basically spending billions of dollars to seriously injure over 10 million Americans and kill hundreds of thousands. In the process, we did not reduce COVID, but made the problem worse with nonsensical interventions when all we ever needed was some simple advice: If you are sick stay home If you test positive, start a proven early treatment protocol ASAP such as the Fareed-Tyson protocol We never needed the vaccine, masks (which make the problem worse), lockdowns, mandates, social distancing, or new drugs. All we had to do was follow the two simple steps above. It was never more complicated than that. Here are the full poll results and a spreadsheet with each individual response so you can do you own analysis: The Pollfish June 18, 2022 summary report The full Pollfish June 18, 2022 data (spreadsheet) Does a 12% injury rate seem high to you? That would be 30M people. You may change your mind when you watch this video where I interview 7 nurses who were willing to speak out publicly and reveal the rate of vaccine injury among their peers. Note: There are audio and video drop outs on the call. Use the cursor button to skip over this. Ive reported these issues to Riverside.fm their product feels like a beta test. Also, the preview has 8 nurses but there were only 7 in the call. Can you spot the duplicate? Click the image to watch the video. The rates averaged over 10% with some nurses seeing injury rates among their peers exceeding 40%. Sorry this is so hard to watch with the audio drop outs, but this is the best I have for this interview. She just sent me an email: Steve, this is excellent. And aligns with my perceptions from the data. I sent him an email with all the data with a Subject line: Re: WHOA!!! this poll will BLOW YOUR MIND Pierre quickly wrote back: Wow is right. Those numbers are beyond disturbing, I have been calling this vaccine escapade a humanitarian catastrophe.. and this is what that looks like. Comparison with VAERS OpenVAERS shows 831,800 injuries reported domestically. But non-lethal injuries typically are under reported by a factor of 100 or more as we showed in the analysis of the disability data (where the under reporting factor was 128). 100*831K = 80M vaccine injured. This makes our survey estimate of 30M look quite conservative. However, if we take the raw, unadjusted numbers of our survey, 30% of all respondents over 18 were vaccine injured. Since there are 258M people over 18 in the US, we get 77M estimated vaccine injured, eerily close to the VAERS estimate. So maybe VAERS isnt such a bad estimator after all. Our final validation point is the proactive poll done by the government of Israel to assess vaccine side effects among the vaccinated. This article describes that study. Among the highlights: About 25% of people with pre-existing auto-immune disorders, depression or anxiety reported a worsening of their symptoms following the booster. 4.5% of respondents reported neurological problems 17% reported shaking. Ask yourself: have you ever experienced shaking from a previous vaccine? I didnt think so. So our 20% rate of injury isnt all that far off what the Israeli government found. A Detroit TV station asked people for stories of the unvaxxed dying from COVID and instead was hammered with over 180,000 stories of vaccine injuries that the station then ignored. If a Detroit TV station can get 180,000 stories of vaccine injuries without even trying, how many vaccine injury stories do you think are out there? Many people never recognize vaccine injury because they dont know what it looks like. For example, as I am writing this article, I received the following message from one of my subscribers: So my moms very dear friend called me tonight to tell me that her cancer came back. She was diagnosed over 20 years ago and has been cancer-free. I asked her did you get boosted she said yes, I already knew she was vaccinated. She said dont start asking me these questions. What does that have to do with anything? They now found Cancer all over her uterus and its now spreading to her body. You think its from the vaccine? She was perfectly fine all these years before getting vaccinated. It makes me so sad she will probably end up dying. I hear these stories all the time of a new cancer or a cancer that was under control suddenly coming back with a vengeance. These arent coincidences. While for any individual case it may be difficult to determine a cause, in aggregate we are seeing rates of cancer post vaccine that are unprecedented. This is why Dr. Ryan Cole said, Since January 1, in the laboratory, Im seeing a 20 times increase of endometrial cancers over what I see on an annual basis. Its amusing to me that when you search for that quote in Google, you only get articles debunking the claim whereas if you search in DuckDuckGo, you get articles with the original quote. This is pretty sad because Dr. Cole is highly respected among his peers for telling the truth. Its a pity we never get a chance to have a fair debate with people who claim we are spreading misinformation. A lot of people tell me they know hundreds of people and none are vaccine injured. Perhaps. Or perhaps 95% of the vaccine injured dont speak out about their vaccine injury. It feels like for every person who sees nothing, I hear from people with the opposite experience: I have so many of my relatives, neighbors and acquaintances succumb to this poison. Just yesterday a 30 year old acquaintance died of sudden heart attack. My aunt is suffering from autoimmune mediated arthritis after she got her 2nd Pfizer shot. A neighbor died after receiving the first dose of Sinovac Vaccine. A relative died after receiving 2nd dose of SinoVac.So many to list!! The out-of-pocket cost for the poll is $500. Anyone could replicate it. Im sure fact checkers will spend $50,000 to replicate it 100 times until they get the results that match their narrative, and then publish that. We didnt do that. Weve never asked this set of questions ever before. The questions werent gamed to elicit a specific response. We put together the questions we wanted, we ran the poll, and we published the results. But the poll is affordable enough that if you dont believe me, you can replicate it yourself. I know what is going to happen. The underqualified fact checkers are going to be out in force on this one. Theyll say the survey is biased, that there was a lot of drop off, and that ONLY vaccine injured answered answered the key questions. There is only one tiny little problem with such analysis: it isnt true. The survey was stopped after the first 501 responses were received. The first question was neutral in that if you werent vaccine injured you could answer the question and collect the reward with very little work. On the other hand, people could also argue that blue pilled people upon seeing the first question would refuse to go there and not answer the first question of the survey. So were re-running the survey with a more neutral first question. Stay tuned. Secondly, there was drop off of the questions. Absolutely. But it didnt matter because we are using absolute counts. Only 159 answered Q4. However, the stratified absolute count of those unable to hold a job is 50. So thats 10% of the 500 on an absolute basis. Since there are 200M Americans over 18, that suggests 20M seriously injured Americans. Theres no other way to interpret that. Thirdly, the will say it was a small poll of only 500 people and only 50 people said they were so vaccine injured they were unable to work. There is a small chance that the numbers could be inflated by a factor of 2. We will be repeating the poll with a larger sample size to reduce the confidence intervals. On the other hand, the FRED data shows that there were just 1.8M excess people added to the disability rolls. Disability is defined here. That suggests that only 1.8M Americans were vaccine injured and that the survey is over estimating the number of vaccine injured. I cannot explain the discrepancy here, perhaps one of my readers may be able to. But even if the true number is only 1.8M disabled Americans, the US government should be ashamed at mandating a vaccine that is going to disable 1% of those who take it and increase the disability rolls by over 5%. At the very least our government should have warned us with something like: Hey, the Pfizer trial showed we can save 1 life in 22,000 from dying from COVID. So to save 10,000 lives from a COVID death, were going to disable 1.8M of you. Thats just the way it goes. The COVID vaccines are the most dangerous vaccines in human history. There are systemic flaws in the medical system that cause doctors to fail to recognize the evidence in plain sight. But that doesnt change the reality. The COVID vaccines have killed hundreds of thousands of people and severely injured millions more. Since there is a safe, inexpensive alternative (early treatment protocols) with near 100% efficacy in reducing hospitalization and death, the vaccines should be immediately halted for all age groups. That would be the right thing to do. But admitting they made a mistake would be an embarrassment to the medical community, government agencies, and Congress. So they will continue to look the other way and find ways to discredit the evidence and the brave people who are speaking out. They will continue to avoid any accountability by agreeing to an open debate. And in the meantime, millions more will be disabled, and hundreds of thousands will die prematurely. Doctors and nurses know what is going on, but will not speak out as a group because they will lose their jobs and ability to practice medicine. So they keep their heads down. The other doctors are so blue-pilled, they actually still believe the CDC. When Pfizer presents safety and efficacy data that is appalling to anyone with a working brain, they simply look at the vote count of the outside committees (unanimously approved) and never bother to learn more about what just happened. They wont even watch this 4 minute video that explains just how bad the trial data was. When we discovered that there wasnt a single death from COVID-19 in the entire state of Massachusetts in both 2020 and 2021 in age 5 to 11, did that change anything? Of course not. COVID is an emergency because it might kill kids in the future and you can never be too careful when it comes to saving kids lives. But when large numbers of kids are killed by the vaccine, we simply look the other way. Thats not an emergency; it doesnt even exist. Their odd causes of death are ignored. My survey is no ambiguous. It can be easily replicated. Approximately 20M Americans are so seriously injured they cannot hold a job. Its not something you joke about. The sad thing is that my survey wont change any minds, even if it is replicated over and over. It will just add more evidence to the public record that the medical community is causing great harm and completely incapable of seeing the truth. They will not allow themselves to be held accountable in an open discussion ever. The American people wont change their minds until the doctors change their minds. And the doctors are so well trained to respect the medical authorities like the FDA, CDC, and NIH and/or sufficiently afraid of the repercussions of speaking out, that nothing will change anytime soon. The truth always comes out sooner or later. The later it comes out, the greater the damage will be to all these institutions that people once trusted. The other thing I know is that the scale of this deception is unprecedented. When this unravels, which I have no doubt that it will, it will destroy our trust in: the medical community the HHS government agencies: CDC, FDA, NIH the mainstream media Congress State and local government officials CEOs who imposed vaccine mandates local health officials Mainstream social networks Fact checkers The Gates Foundation Bill Gates The Rockefeller Foundation the drug companies the courts clinical trials medical journal and more This survey is just one more nail in the coffin of the safe and effective narrative. Nothing more. Read more at: SteveKirsch.Substack.com (Natural News) A major fertilizer producer in Great Britain is shutting down production due to excessively high natural gas feedstock costs. CF Fertilizers U.K. Limited, a subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings Inc., had previously announced a suspension of operations back in the fall, and is now seeking to financially restructure itself entirely amid the changing global economy for energy. A continued surge in European gas prices has reportedly made it too expensive for CF to continue procuring natural gas, which in raw form is a key ingredient used to make nitrogen fertilizers. It no longer makes financial sense, in other words, for the company to continue doing what it was doing previously, at least not as long as prices remain as high as they currently are. As of this writing, European gas prices are hovering around $23 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), while U.S. natural gas futures have settled around a seven-year high of $5.460 per MMBtu. According to Ben Isaacson, an analyst at Scotiabank, CF has no choice, financially speaking, but to shutter its two U.K. plants. Incremental losses, however, should not continue because the companys UK assets generate only about 2.5 to 3 percent of quarterly EBITDA. This is why we think investors should look past CF idling the plants, Isaacson wrote in a memo. CF currently does not have a timeline estimate for when it might resume its U.K. operations. Several ammonia plants it operates in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, however, have resumed operations after being temporarily halted due to Hurricane Ida. Is the worlds population being reduced, hence the need for less fertilizer? In a corporate communications statement, CF explained that its goal is to restructure its U.K. business with long-term profitability and sustainability in mind sustainability, in case you were unaware, is often used as a dog whistle term for depopulation. The companys Billingham plant is the largest producer of ammonia, ammonium nitrate (AN) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the country. CF says it is better positioned for long-term sustainability than its other facility near Chester. The Billingham plant alone is better positioned for long-term sustainability as it has sufficient capacity to meet all forecasted domestic demand for AN fertilizer, the company said. The companys Ince facility, on the other hand, has not produced ammonia since September 2021, which is not that long ago. Shutting this one down permanently still aligns with the companys long-term goals, it said, despite reduced overall output. Reading between the lines, it sounds a lot like there is soon to be a mass die-off. Perhaps due to Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines? This would explain why there will be much less demand for fertilizer in the future. As long as fuel prices remain high and this appears to be the case currently and for the foreseeable future, more than likely by design then it will no longer be cost-effective to produce fertilizer from it, at least in the United Kingdom. This will mean much lower crop yields moving forward, which means food shortages at the current population levels. CF was given a grant back in the fall to continue operations temporarily with the hopes that energy prices would eventually settle back down. Since that did not happen, we are now watching the dominoes fall as the global food supply, powered by natural gas-derived fertilizers, gets decimated. Keep in mind that natural gas is also required to heat homes. The U.K. and Europe and realistically, the entire world, based on where things are headed are in for a really dark winter this year and next. You can track the collapse of the global economy at Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: Reuters.com NaturalNews.com CFindustries.com (Natural News) The European prices of natural gas further rose as Russia cut shipments to top buyers in Germany, Italy and France. The June 20 data from Intercontinental Exchange, a company that operates global financial exchanges, shows that the European benchmark for natural gas, the Dutch TTF front-month gas futures contracts, rose about 4.2 percent to 122.7 euros or $129.30 per megawatt-hour as of 7:26 p.m. on June 20 in Amsterdam. The hike came up after rallying 43 percent last week as Russias steep supply cuts drove concerns about critical shortages and rationing. Leaders in Germany and Italy called Russias reductions a political move, and that move exacerbated the energy tensions in Europe. Russia recently cut off natural gas to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Security of supply is currently guaranteed. But the situation is serious, Germanys Economy Minister Robert Habeck stated. Both we and Germany and others maintain it is a lie, theres a political use of gas by Russia, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Russian President Vladimir Putins Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said last week that the reduced flows are related to problems with the turbines essential for the functioning of the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Peskov said Russia has enough gas and can supply the European Union (EU), but the turbines have to be returned after maintenance. Europe has been exerting efforts to reduce gas imports from Russia by 66 percent toward the end of the year. They have been getting more imports of liquid gas from the United States, but a fire in key export facility in Texas tore up 20 percent of Americas export capacity. Timera Energy, a power and gas market analysis firm, said the EUs effort to replace Russian flows with liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports wont have immediate impact due to four- to five-year lead time to bring online new capacity. This means that new investment wont have an impact until at least 2026. In the meantime, Europe will need to battle with Asia and Latin America for any incremental LNG supply to facilitate the reduction of Russian pipeline imports. That means prices going up as we saw last week, the companys analysts stated. EU countries will return to coal to make it through winter To cope with diminished gas flows from Russia that could bring a winter energy crisis, European countries, including Germany and Italy, resorted to their contingency plan to burn more coal during this transitional period. Habeck on Sunday, June 19, warned that the situation is going to be really tight in winter without precautionary measures to prevent a supply shortage. As a result, Germany will seek to compensate for a cut in Russian gas supplies by increasing the burning of coal the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel in terms of emissions and therefore the most important target for replacement in the transition toward renewable alternatives. Thats bitter, but its almost necessary for this situation to reduce gas consumption. We must and we will do everything we can to store as much gas as possible in summer and autumn, Habeck said in a statement. Meanwhile, Russias Gazprom informed Eni, the leading operator in refining and marketing petroleum products in Italy, that it will only receive part of its request for gas supplies this week. Reuters said on June 17 that an Italian state of alert may be declared. The emergency alert protocol would trigger a series of measures aimed at reducing the consumption of gas, including rationing the gas to selected industrial users, ramping up the production at the countrys coal power plants and also asking for more gas imports from other suppliers. (Related: Collapse incoming: European nations start RATIONING food and fuel.) Visit FuelSupply.news for more news related to the Russian oil embargos effects on the European gas supply. Watch the below video detailing how Russias reduced gas flow to Europe is causing double-digit gas prices. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Whitehall document: UK winter blackouts imminent once Kremlin cuts off all gas supplies. Gas rationing, food vouchers and hunger are now being normalized for the war phase of the plandemic. Germany, Austria move closer to rationing gas supplies Russias Gazprom HALTS gas flows to Poland and Germany; Europe in PANIC as rolling blackouts are inevitable unless Europe finds RUBLES. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com TheICE.com TheEdgeMarkets.com Timera-Energy.com Rappler.com CNBC.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) InfoWars host Owen Shroyer pointed out that infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci lied to Americans about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. The White House chief medical advisor who had been quadruple-vaccinated recently caught and fell sick with COVID-19. A June 15 CNBC report elaborated on Faucis bout with COVID-19, quoting a statement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) which the expert heads. It mentioned that Fauci, 81, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and experienced mild symptoms despite being fully vaccinated and twice boosted. Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work from home. He has not recently been in close contact with President [Joe] Biden or other senior government officials, added the NIAID statement. Shroyer then cited the infectious disease experts May 15, 2021 interview on MSNBC, where Fauci told news anchor Chris Hayes that when people are vaccinated, they can feel safe that they are not [going to] get infected. (Related: Fauci admits covid vaccines are spreading disease.) Remember that liar Anthony Fauci? Remember [when he] told you how effective [the vaccine is] and [how] youd never get COVID if you got the vaccine? Yeah, hes got COVID. Its funny because hes quadruple injected, hes taken four of the clot shots, said the host of War Room on the InfoWars network. Interesting, because [Faucis] taken four injections, [yet he has] COVID. So [he] either lied about the vaccine, or the test doesnt work. Which one is it, Fauci? Both. The answers actually both. Shroyer remarked: So there he is, folks. He promised you: If you get the vaccine, you wont get COVID. He claims to have had four of them, and now he has COVID. Not even wearing a mask. Wow, spreading COVID all over the planet too. Fauci begs for more money to do vaccine research The War Room host also pointed out that Fauci continues to request additional funding to conduct research on COVID-19 vaccines. This is in spite of the fact that the shots failed to protect him from COVID-19 infection. I urge us to do the basic translational research to develop the countermeasures that we have so successfully been part of that process to get us the vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, Fauci said during a June 16 Senate hearing he virtually participated in. This virus is changing and we need to keep up with it. In order to do that, we [got to] do better with new vaccine platforms such as nanoparticle vaccines. Fauci continued: We cannot proceed with that, unless we get additional funding. Importantly, we need to both prevent infection and transmission. We know that we cannot do that unless we get a highly effective mucosal or intranasal vaccine. We have a number of projects that will not be able to be funded unless we do get new resources to continue this funding. Even though Shroyer gave credit to Fauci working through his sickness, he criticized the NIAID director as a criminal, money-grubbing rat. You know what I would do if I was trying to catch a rat criminal like Fauci? I would actually say OK, you know what? Lets release those funds. Lets give those funds to Fauci or whatever he says theyre going to and lets follow that money. This should have been done already, so its probably too late anyway. According to Shroyer, only Democratic politicians would give Fauci the necessary funding he supposedly need for research. He added: Im sure theyll fund whatever Fauci wants to work on next. How much do you wanna bet some of that money ends up in Faucis pocket? Boy, oh boy I feel pretty confident that somehow, all these funding and money initiatives end up in Faucis pocket. How did that rat bastard get so rich? Watch the full War Room segment with Owen Shroyer below. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: No surprise here: Fauci now insists FOURTH Covid vaccine doses are very LIKELY to be needed. Medical tyrant Anthony Fauci tells Americans to expect YEARLY COVID boosters. Fauci: Three shots will be the new standard for a full coronavirus vaccination. Fauci shifts goalposts, redefines vaccine to include booster shot. BREAKING: Dr. Fauci admits COVID vaccine may not be safe. Sources include: Brighteon.com CNBC.com (Natural News) Giving experimental and deadly Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to infants is unprecedented. The mainstream media has made it seem like, Oh, were just one of many countries that is taking this step to protect our children from a terrible virus that they have a less than one percent chance of having any major issue with,' said Kristi Leigh of InfoWars. I mean, obviously they dont add that last [piece of information], but they make it seem like this is no big deal, that everybodys doing it. (Related: Overwhelming evidence suggests giving children COVID-19 vaccines will only harm them.) A 12-member advisory panel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently voted unanimously to recommend the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines for children between six months to five years old. Weve taken a major step forward today, said Dr. Oliver Brooks, a member of the committee. Hours later, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gave the final signoff. This made roughly 18 million kids eligible for vaccinations. We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with todays decision, they can, said Walensky in a statement. The federal government is already gearing up for the expansion of vaccine distribution. It has ordered millions of additional doses for distribution to doctors, hospitals, clinics and other community health centers around the country. Every state, except Florida, has already preordered millions of vaccines earmarked for children from the federal government. Only a handful of countries vaccinate children under five Following Walenskys approval, the United States became one of just a handful of countries that are currently vaccinating children under five, including Argentina, Bahrain, Chile, China, Cuba, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Hong Kong also provides vaccines for children under five. The fact that seven other countries and Hong Kong provide vaccines to children under five has been used by mainstream media outlets to push the claim that Americas new policy is not particularly unique. But when this claim is dissected, it is found that most of the countries are only vaccinating children as young as three. Cuba and Venezuela allow children as young as two to get vaccinated. Furthermore, none of the other nations that vaccinate children younger than five use mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in a massive scale. Five out of the seven countries listed above use Chinas inactivated vaccines. Cuba and Venezuela use the formers protein subunit vaccine. The United States is the first and only country to give vaccines to infants as young as six months, according to President Joe Biden. We are the first country to protect our youngest children with COVID-19 vaccines, offering safe and highly effective mRNA doses to children as young as six months old, said Biden in a statement. My administration secured vaccine doses for Americas youngest children and now with the FDAs [Food and Drug Administrations] authorization, we will begin shipping millions of vaccine doses for kids to thousands of locations parents know and trust including pediatricians offices, childrens hospitals and pharmacies. Data shows that children are relatively safe from COVID-19. But with the mRNA vaccines, they are not. Learn more about the harmful effects of COVID-19 vaccines on children at Vaccines.news. Watch this clip from the War Room on InfoWars as host Kristi Leigh talks about how giving vaccines to infants is unprecedented. This video can be found in the channel InfoWars on Brighteon.com. More related articles: GENOCIDE: FDA officially authorizes covid vaccines for children as young as 6 months. 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. All-cause death rate 52 times higher among vaccinated children than unvaccinated children. Sources include: Brighteon.com InfoWars.com APNews.com Nature.com Dossier.Substack.com USNews.com (Natural News) Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis was imprisoned Sunday, June 19, in the southern Italian town of Ostuni on charges of sexual assault and aggravated personal injury. A young woman, who has been identified as a British citizen, has lodged a complaint against Haggis, charging the two-time Oscar winner of forcing her to have sexual intercourse against her will during a period of three days in Ostuni. Haggis was booked to hold a series of master classes at the Allora Fest, a new film festival started by Los Angeles-based Italian journalist Silvia Bizio and Spanish art critic Sol Costales Doulton, which is scheduled to run June 21-26. According to an Italian police report, the woman was brought to the Papola Casale Airport in Brindisi on Sunday morning and stayed there despite her precarious physical and psychological conditions. She was then assisted by airport staff and police officers and brought to the hospital before eventually filing formal complaints. Haggis Italian lawyer, Michele Laforgia, told local press that Haggis is completely innocent and affirmed his first court date is set Thursday, June 23. Laforgia refused to give additional comment, stating prosecutors have not yet presented him with details of the charges. (Related: Kavanaugh speaks out against bogus sexual assault allegations: This never happened) We cannot declare anything else, nor enter into the merits of the accusations, Laforgia said in a statement to several media outlets. I am confident that all allegations will be dismissed, Haggis United States attorney Priya Chaudhry told the Hollywood Reporter. She added that Haggis is willing to fully cooperate with the authorities so the truth comes out quickly. This is not the first time the Canadian director, who wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Million Dollar Baby and wrote and directed Oscar best picture winner Crash, has been charged of sexual misconduct. In 2018, publicist Haleigh Breest brought charges against Haggis claiming he had forcefully raped her in her New York apartment after a premiere in 2013. In the wake of her accusations, three more women came forward with separate sexual misconduct accusations against Haggis, who has dismissed all the allegations. Allora Fest organizers, in a statement to Variety, said they learned with dismay and shock the news that Paul Haggis is in custody for alleged violence. The fest also immediately proceeded to remove any participation of [Haggis] from the event. The themes chosen for the festival are, among others, those of equality, gender equality and solidarity. As professionals and women they are dismayed and hope that the festival will help foster more information and awareness on such a topical and increasingly pressing issue, the organizers added. Calls to remove Haggis name in city park gains momentum Meanwhile, the movement to strip Haggis name from a city park in London, Ontario, gained momentum after news of recent sexual assault accusations against the London-born director. The charges in Italy marked the fifth time the 69-year-old Haggis has been publicly accused of sexual assault or harassment. Theres a sense of common now. This isnt new for him. This is years in the making and theres a pattern at this point thats been established, said AnnaLise Trudell, the education and research manager at the Anova womens shelter in London. Trudell and Councilor Mo Salih were among the eminent voices in the city when demands to remove Haggis name from the park first appeared in 2018. In that year, four women in America accused Haggis of sexual assault and harassment in events that supposedly took place between 1996 and 2015, but have yet to be proven in court. Four years later, the park on Bateman Trail, in Londons sprawling southern suburbs still carries his name, which Trudell stated can be damaging for the one in four women who experience sexual assault in their lifetime. [This] sends a very clear message to all survivors in the city that their experience is not worthy. It has this lasting sense of minimizing what you went through and also this sense of, if you speak up too loudly youre also likely going to be in a scenario where youre accused of lying or making a big deal out of something that was not, Trudell added. Watch the video below to know more about the growing list of Hollywood celebrities who have been accused of harassment, assault and rape. This video is from the harrier808 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Fifth woman comes forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual assault, calls for his resignation. Neil deGrasse Tyson the Bill Cosby of science? He drugged and raped an astronomy student; sexually assaulted two other women, say claims. I know I wasnt the only woman Former Cuomo aide accuses NY Governor of sexual harassment. Sources include: HollywoodReporter.com Yahoo.com 1 Yahoo.com 2 Brighteon.com (Natural News) Throughout the covid-19 scandal, commercial airline pilots were disrespected, grounded, and forced to comply with destructive medical experiments. The aviation industry has implemented a culture of intimidation and abuse, threatening the basic body autonomy rights and personal beliefs of individual pilots. These acts of subjugation and coercion have driven pilots into early retirement, and forced others to succumb to needless, harmful bioweapon experiments. Today, commercial airline pilots are speaking up more than ever about vaccine injuries and the hostile environment that unvaccinated and vaccine-injured pilots must endure. Vaxxed and unvaxxed pilots suffering in culture of fear and intimidation Pilots must be in tip-top physical shape. However, after covid-19 vaccination, pilot health plummeted overall. Commercial airline pilots commonly report chest pains and are diagnosed with facial paralysis, myocarditis and pericarditis. Others are suffering from strokes, blindness, and heart attacks. When they speak out about their vaccine injuries, they are met with rebuke, slander, and censorship. This culture of intimidation within the aviation industry has kept many pilots from coming forward about their symptoms. This incites even more danger. As more pilots cover up their symptoms, they might not be able to make clear decisions, or they may have sudden health problems that interfere with their performance. Their crew and passengers depend on them. In 2022, there is a pilot shortage across the aviation industry. American Airlines is ending service in three cities due to a nationwide pilot shortage. The federal government has threatened the careers of pilots who do not line up and take the Warp Speed clot shots that they were previously locked down and force-masked to comply with. Unvaxxed, terminated pilots are now standing up for the vaccine-injured Glen Waters, a former Australian pilot, was terminated after 19 years because he didnt acquiesce to the governments unlawful demands. In an interview with the Defender, he spoke up for the pilots who were coerced into taking the vaccines and were injured as a result. The injured pilots are scared of talking about their injury because they will be labeled anti-vaxxers and be discriminated and/or terminated. Waters said Virgin Australia is not allowing the injured pilots to speak out because the company is actively trying to terminate anyone reporting vaccine injury. Moreover, the medical community is hesitant to make obvious connections between sudden heart problems in healthy people following covid-19 vaccination, because doing so would implode the entire narrative that the vaccines are safe and effective. An honest assessment would also force the medical community to deal with the reality of genocide, violations of the Nuremberg Code and all the medical error, malpractice, and wrongful death this pharmaceutical propaganda and government coercion has wrought. Mr. Waters told the Defender that there are 900 pilots from Virgin Australia who can no longer fly because the now suffer from medical complications post-vaccination. No doubt there are many more who are continuing to fly with troubling symptoms, he said. Mr. Waters said one captain had a stroke and went blind and another healthy captain had a sudden heart attack and fell down the boarding stairs. He said formerly healthy pilots now report headaches, chest pains and shortness of breath. I have heard [about cases of] tinnitus, vertigo and brain fog, including temporary blindness, in some crew. Disrupted menstrual cycles are reported frequently, perhaps affecting dozens [of employees], he said. Many of these issues are not even recognized as adverse events to the vaccine, even though the health issues are coming in waves, post-vaccination. Steven Hornsby, a 52-year-old pilot who was in excellent physical condition, is no longer flying because he came down with myocarditis, heart palpitations, and heart arrhythmia after being coerced to take the covid-19 vaccine. His employer warned that medical and religious exemptions would be impossible to get and his career would be on the line if he didnt comply. He thought he was doing what was best for his family when he rolled up his sleeve for the first round of shots. After the second dose, he began having pain in his left arm and a racing heart. He fought to get a proper diagnosis and was eventually grounded because of the vaccine injuries. His story is not unique. More pilots are coming forward with heart inflammation and blood clots. For more on this implosion of medical malpractice, check out VaccineDamage.News. Sources include: LewRockwell.com FoxBusiness.com ChildrensHealthDefense.org Page Content The Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson, Chief of Police Carl John and officers of the Police Force of St. Maarten (KPSM) attended the Methodist Agogic Center (MAC) Primary School graduation ceremony held today, Tuesday, June 21, 2022, in support of Keenan Benjamin, son of the late Police Officer Gamaly Benjamin. Minister Richardson stated, Officer Benjamins untimely departure six years ago, rocked the entire nation of St. Maarten and to this day his memory lives on in KPSM and in our hearts. It gives me great joy to see Keenan carrying on his fathers legacy on admirable levels. Today he was honoured as the most outstanding student among his peers receiving an award for the Best Student of Group 8B of the Rev. John A. Gumbs Campus. Keenan also received awards for the subjects of Dutch, General Science, Moral Education, Social Studies and Music." The graduation was aptly themed Fearless in Times of Adversity. Powerful words with exemplary examples as to how the students have all faced adversity and overcame them were shared. Todays graduation ceremony commemorates the students fearless approach to all things and are today triumphant. On behalf of the Ministry of Justice, I take this time to congratulate Keenan Benjamin, the graduating Class of 2022, and their families. I wish you all much success in high school as you continue to be a great example for your schoolmates and friends, stated Minister Richardson. The Ministry of Justice hereby thanks the management and staff of MAC for allowing the Minister of Justice and KPSM to have that special moment with Keenan Benjamin on behalf of the Police Force of St. Maarten in memory of his dad. (Natural News) The sheriff of Floridas Polk County said The Walt Disney Company is run by pedophiles and child predators, presenting evidence of arrests made by his office as proof of this claim. Sheriff Grady Judd made the remarks during a June 19 interview with WKMG 6 as he announced the results of Operation Child Predator II. The sting operation by the Polk County Sheriffs Office (PCSO) was conducted alongside the Auburndale and Winter Haven police departments. The two-week operation involved detectives posing as children on various social media platforms, mobile apps and online dating sites to investigate those who prey upon and travel to meet children for unlawful sexual activity. A bus driver for Disney World was among the 12 suspects nabbed in the sting. What would an operation be either a pornography investigation or predator operation or human trafficking operation without a Disney employee? We always have a Disney employee, said the sheriff. (Related: Sheriff Judd: Disney is run by pedophiles, arrests are being made.) Judd zoomed in on Zachary Hudson, the Disney employee caught in the operation. Hudson, 30, engaged in an online conversation with an undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old girl. The Disney employee allegedly remarked that age is just a number and said he was not bothered by the age gap. The conversation moved to text messaging, where the Disney bus driver sent sexually-charged text messages and a nude picture. Detectives then obtained a warrant for Hudsons arrest, and he was subsequently charged with transmission of material harmful to a minor and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony both third-degree felonies. So if your bus was running late at Disney, [Hudson] was busy taking pictures of himself and talking trash to what he thought was a little girl, remarked Judd. According to Judd, 10 of the suspects they bagged as a result were from the Sunshine State. One hailed from Michigan, while another hailed from Alabama. Not the first time Disney employees were caught in pedophile stings The arrests announced June 19 was not the first PCSO operation in which Disney employees were involved. Operations conducted in August 2021 and March 2022 saw some Disney employees join child predators taken into custody. Back in March, Judd announced the arrest of 108 child predators during the six-day Operation March Sadness II that month. Of the 108 arrested, four were Disney employees. A 27-year-old man who was a lifeguard at Disneys Polynesian Village Resort allegedly sent sexual images of himself to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl. Other Disney employees arrested in the sting include a 24-year-old man working at the Cosmic Restaurant, a 45-year-old IT worker and a 27-year old software developer. Four arrests of this magnitude in a week is simply remarkable, said Judd. Another operation, this time back in August 2021, nabbed 17 suspects including three Disney employees. The arrests were the product of the six-day Operation Child Protector sting, which involved multiple agencies. Walt Disney Hollywood Studios custodians Savannah Lawrence, 29, and Jonathan McGrew, 34, were two of the child predators arrested. Officials claimed the couple wanted to engage in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl in a role playing situation. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Kenneth Javier Aquino worked as a lifeguard at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge. According to Judd, the Navy veteran was even dressed in his work clothes when he came to meet with the child he was talking to. Detectives awaited Aquino at the appointed location, where they arrested him. We obviously cant show you the pictures and the video clips that they sent to what they thought were little girls and little boys, commented the Polk County sheriff. These are nasty, nasty, nasty people. When we go through this, understand that obviously, we cant even use the words they used. Watch Polk County Sheriff talk about some of the individuals arrested, including four Disney employees, in Operation March Sadness II. This video is from the Suzies Search for Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: DISNEY executive charged with felony child sex abuse The empire of Disney has always had a child exploitation secret. Four Disney employees busted for child trafficking in Florida following undercover operation. DISNEY employees arrested in child predator sting operation, and no one is surprised. Sources include: NewsPunch.com ClickOrlando.com PolkSheriff.org NBCMiami.com WFLA.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Something strange is going on at one of Americas largest truck stop and travel center chains, which was just told by North Americas largest railroad that it must drastically reduce rail shipments of diesel and diesel exhaust fuel (DEF) or else face embargoes. Shameek Konar, the CEO of Pilot Flying J truck stops and gas stations, revealed during an April 13 hearing that his company was informed by Union Pacific Railways (UP) that the chain is required to reduce shipments by 26 percent. Not long after, Pilot Flying J was reportedly told to reduce shipments by another 50 percent, or else. Following through with this will massively reduce the availability of fuel across the United States, not to mention the even greater heights to which fuel prices will soar. Think total decimation of the national and even continental economy. Pilot Flying J supplies roughly 30% of diesel exhaust fuel (DEF) in the country, reports explain. (Related: Joe Biden is also destroying the consumer fuel economy by mandating high concentrations of corn ethanol in gasoline.) The trucking sector of our economy depends on DEF as all trucks manufactured after 2010 cannot operate without it, and the cut in deliveries will heavily impact the trucking industry. When farms can no longer grow food and trucks can no longer deliver goods, dark times follow Konar claims that no other companies besides his are being told by UP or any other railroad that they have to reduce shipments to such a degree, which makes this situation both peculiar and concerning. Internet sleuths have made the (unconfirmed) suggestion that perhaps the Pilot Flying J and Union Pacific fiasco is intentional, and that both companies are colluding to disrupt the economy. We do not ascribe to this theory, but it is circulating across the net. Union Pacifics largest shareholders are Vanguard and BlackRock, reports indicate. UP also recently reduced shipments of fertilizer to farmers. This crisis on the rails, as some are calling it, is impacting not just the trucking industry but farming. Many farmers are now paralyzed without the inputs they need, and some are having to cull their herds as a result. The damage this is causing to supply chains and food reserves will be unprecedented once the whole thing finally unravels. We are watching that unraveling happen in real time, piece by piece, all at the same time. The fact of the matter is that something is happening to systematically demolish the current system and order of things. Once complete, this country will be unrecognizable, to say the least. We are witnessing the controlled demolition of the U.S. economy, wrote a commenter at Need to Know news. As all of the chaos, destruction, and pain play out, lets be sure to note on whose watch this occurred. So when the perpetrators of this terror being waged against us offer us THEIR new system to ensure that this never happens again, reject every aspect of these psychopaths proposed way forward.' Another wrote that this must be another coincidence just like the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), the Operation Warp Speed death shots, the destruction of food production plants and infant formula production, the war in Ukraine, and so many other aspects of the current world chaos. More related news about this and other similar issues can be found at Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: NeedToKnow.news NaturalNews.com (Natural News) In a landmark military move, China launched on June 17 its largest and most advanced aircraft carrier. This development came amid elevated tensions between China and the United States over Beijings show of force toward Taiwan, which the former sees as a breakaway province to be taken by force if necessary. Chinas carrier development program is part of a huge revamp of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) under President Xi Jinping, who has promised to form a fully modern force to match the U.S. military by 2027. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the new carrier called Fujian is the first catapult aircraft carrier wholly designed and built by China. Files of sailors in white uniforms applauded under vivid clouds of smoke as jets of water arced over the enormous vessel to mark its launch. Huge banners that read, Strive for the comprehensive construction of a first-class navy hung with colorful streamers from its flight deck. The launch of the aircraft carrier marked a major achievement for the Chinese military. (Related: As Chinas navy gains in combat power, Americas Navy gains in wokeness new regs put political correctness over competence.) The official Xinhua news agency reported that the aircraft carrier has substantially more modern technology than Chinas two other carriers. It includes electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft off its deck. The other aircraft carriers, called Liaoning and Shandong, employ a ski-jump-style ramp for takeoffs. And with a displacement of more than 80,000 tons, as stated by Xinhua, it is similar in size to the supercarriers of the U.S. Navy. Fujian could be a game changer for the Chinese Navy, stated Collin Koh, a research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The conventional flight deck [with electromagnetic catapults] will, at least in theory, allow the carrier to launch aircraft faster and with heavier payloads which constitute key deciding factors during battle. At a strategic level, the new carrier heralds the coming of age of a blue-water PLA Navy, Koh told AFP in an interview. Blue-water navies are able to operate around the globe at massive ranges. However, it will take years before the Fujian becomes fully operational and authorities have not disclosed when it will enter service. The Liaoning entered service in 2012 while the Shandong was commissioned in 2019. The Shandong was the first aircraft carrier completely built by China. According to defense magazine Janes, the U.S. has by far the most number of aircraft carriers in service at 11 ships, followed by China and the United Kingdom at two each. Fujian uses conventional propulsion, which is different from the U.S. Navys nuclear-powered supercarriers. Nuclear-powered ships have important advantages over conventional vessels as they can perform for long periods without the need to dock and refuel. The launch of the carrier arrives at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions as Washington looks to bolster military coalitions in the Asia-Pacific region. Last year, the U.S. sealed a historic agreement with the United Kingdom to share nuclear submarine technology with Australia and has since made multiple arms sales to self-governing Taiwan, sparking furious responses from Beijing. Beijing ready to start a war if Taiwan declares independence In the past week, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe warned his U.S. counterpart that Beijing would not hesitate to start a war, no matter the cost if Taiwan declares independence. According to state media, the PLAs newest aircraft carrier is named after Chinas Fujian province which is situated across from Taiwan. The aircraft carrier, which is also known as the Type 003, left its drydock at a shipyard outside Shanghai and anchored at a nearby pier, according to state media reports. A third aircraft carrier would place China in a group of just 16 nations globally with large naval military airports. Around the Pacific, India, Japan and the U.S. operate carriers or are developing them. Meanwhile, China negotiated a security agreement with the Solomon Islands earlier this year, which surprised Washington and its allies and stirred up fears of a Chinese military base in the Pacific. Beijing has positioned naval assets as a display of power in the strait that separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. It has also employed fighter jets to chase away freedom of navigation patrols by the U.S. and its allies. Follow CommunistChina.news for more news about China. Watch the video below about Chinas first domestically designed and built aircraft carrier. This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: China pushes for expansion of its nuclear arsenal, braces for nuclear showdown with US military. China altering DNA of military to create genetically engineered super soldiers, reveals head of U.S. intelligence. China ramping up production of military drones to rival US drone fleet, leaked defense ministry document shows. Red Dawn is not just a movie anymore: China preparing for all-out war with U.S., leaked audio recording reveals. Sources include: Breitbart.com VOANews.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Scientists are now creating vaccines that spread like a disease, an effort that obviously targets people who continue to refuse getting injected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. This form of bioweapon could very well mark the end of the human race or perhaps just certain races. Filippa Lentzos and Guy Reeves recently wrote about the self-spreading vaccines for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. A small, but growing number of scientists think its possible to exploit the self-propagating properties of viruses and use them to spread immunity instead of disease. Can we beat viruses like the SARS-CoV-2, the [Wuhan coronavirus], at their own game? they wrote. For at least 20 years, scientists have been experimenting with such self-spreading vaccines, work that continues to this day, and which has gained the attention of the U.S. military. (Related: Self-spreading vaccines being developed right now could put society at grave risk of an uncontrolled, endless plague.) As Lentzos and Reeves noted, self-spreading vaccines are essentially genetically engineered viruses that can easily spread through populations in the same way as other infectious diseases. But if engineered according to their actual parameters, these viruses will confer protection rather than cause disease. Built on the chassis of a benign virus, the vaccines have genetic material from a pathogen added to them that stimulates the creation of antibodies or white blood cells in infected hosts. Creating self-spreading vaccines will have dangerous consequences Lentzos and Reeves pointed out that once the self-spreading vaccines are released, scientists developing them will no longer be in control of them or the virus that the vaccines were supposedly created to combat. It could mutate, as viruses naturally do. It may jump species. It will cross borders, wrote Lentzos and Reeves. There will be unexpected outcomes and unintended consequences. There always are. Furthermore, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, warned that the technology used to create self-replicating vaccines could easily be repurposed to develop biological weapons and there is already historical precedent for this. During apartheid-era South Africa, the racist government had a program to develop bioweapons for covert assassinations, codenamed Project Coast. One of the weapons the project attempted to develop was a self-replicating anti-fertility vaccine. This so-called vaccine would be used primarily on Black women and without their knowledge. The idea behind Project Coast was developed at a time when the apartheid government of South Africa was concerned over the explosion in the countrys mixed-race populations. Adams said adding infertility ingredients to vaccines also has precedent. International aid organizations regularly give women in Africa vaccines laced with hCG, an infertility chemical. They were going to inject Black women with this self-replicating vaccine and then this was going to spread to other women, and then they were going to have infertility, said Adams. So, they were weaponizing the spread in order to achieve depopulation. This is not anything new folks, Adams continued. Theyve just now figured out how to really deploy it. Lentzos and Reeves noted that it does not take a massive leap of the imagination to see how the apartheid South African infertility vaccine project would have benefited if they had known how to create self-replicating vaccines. Worse yet, Lentzos and Reeves warned that the self-spreading vaccine technology could be further combined with advancements in pharmacogenomics, drug development and personalized medicine. Taken together, these strands of research could help enable ultra-targeted biological warfare, they wrote. Learn more about the depopulation agenda at Depopulation.news. Watch this video from Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he explains Project Coast, a race-based depopulation program using bioweapons disguised as vaccines. This video can be found in the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related articles: Infertility: A Diabolical Agenda film exposes WHO for engaging in vaccine population control experiment. Holocaust survivor: Big Pharma to depopulate world through COVID-19 vaccines Brighteon.TV. Scientists now plotting the use of self-spreading vaccines to inoculate more people. Self-spreading vaccines pose multiple risks to society including the end of informed consent. BOMBSHELL: Gates Foundation, DARPA funding self-replicating, weaponized vaccine technology that began under Apartheid, to exterminate Blacks and now its powering the COVID vax. Sources include: Brighteon.com TheBulletin.org ISSAfrica.org (Natural News) The small country of Lithuania, which is a NATO and European Union member, has just banned the transit of Russian goods to Moscows enclave of Kaliningrad, in what some believe could be the spark igniting World War III or, at a minimum, another destructive war on the continent. The enclave is situated between Poland on the west and Lithuania on the east; it is home to around a half-million Russian citizens and also the Russian Navys Baltic Sea fleet, so needless to say, its a vital piece of Russian soil that President Vladimir Putin is not simply going to abandon. Whats more, even as Russian Army morale is flagging as the war in Ukraine drags on, Lithuanias move is likely to spur nationalist fervor throughout Russia and reinvigorate the Russian will to fight. Lithuanias government says it is simply following the EUs sanctions regime against Moscow, but it is a decision that is likely going to trigger some form of response from Putin. Reuters goes on to describe the scope of the sanctions and Russias responses thus far: The EU sanctions list notably includes coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology, and Alikhanov said the ban would cover around 50% of the items that Kaliningrad imports. Its immediate start was confirmed by the cargo arm of Lithuanias state railways service in a letter to clients following clarification from the European Commission on the mechanism for applying the sanctions. Urging citizens not to resort to panic buying, Alikhanov said two vessels were already ferrying goods between Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg, and seven more would be in service by the end of the year. Larry Johnson, who blogs at A Son Of The New American Revolution, writes that the decision by Lithuania is mindless and fraught with risk. Lithuania claims it is simply abiding by the sanctions imposed by the European Union. After all, Lithuania is a member of the European Union and NATO. But that is the point. This is a deliberate provocation. It is laying economic siege to a vital interest of Russia. While there is no immediate danger to the Russian population of Kaliningrad, this is a flash point that could lead to an actual war as opposed to a special military operation, he noted. What is the difference between a special military operation and war? In the SMO you leave communications, electrical infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and fuel depots largely intact. In the SMO you try to minimized civilian and military casualties, Johnson added. War on the other hand is terrifying. If Russia opts for a war footing, the restraint that characterized its activities in Ukraine will be replaced by a full on attack on key military installations and assets in the region as well as the destruction of the communications, electrical, transportation and fuel resources of the adversary, he continued. This probably includes taking out critical satellite communications and intelligence collection systems of the United States and Europe, he added. Johnson went on to note that immediately after World War II, in 1945, the then-Soviet Union, which centered around Russia, was given control of the Kaliningrad enclave, formerly known as Konigsberg, under terms of the Potsdam Agreement, then backed by both the United States and Great Britain.\ The Russian people paid blood for this land in 1945 and are not going to relinquish it in the face of bullying or threats from the West. If you are going to poke a angry bear with a stick, you better be damn sure that bear is locked up and cant get you. Russia sure as hell is not secure in a cage, Johnson continued. The U.S.-led NATO alliance appears to be doing all it can to provoke Russia into a war, which will lead to hundreds of thousands more deaths or tens of millions if Putin responds with nuclear weapons. Sources include: Sonar21.com Reuters.com (Natural News) Since much of Europe is refusing to play ball with Russia by paying for natural gas in rubles, a massive energy crisis is unfolding. And the solution, at least in Germany, is to abandon the green energy agenda and revert back to coal. You read that right: Western Europe, the poster child for the renewable energy transformation, now has egg all of over its face as the true value of fossil fuels is once again on display for the world to see. It turns out that economies cannot run on wind turbines and solar farms alone, as these are highly unreliable and produce only a fraction of the energy needed to power society. In order to keep the lights on in Germany and elsewhere throughout Europe, coal plants that have long since been shuttered are being taken back online (Related: Germanys plan to phase out all nuclear power might also have to be reconsidered). Looks like fossil fuels are once again saving the day Interestingly, former President Donald Trump warned Germany about all this back in 2018. He told Europes economic powerhouse that it was too reliant on energy exports from Moscow, only to be laughed at and ridiculed. It turns out that Trump was right on this issue, as Germany simply has no choice but to restart fossil fuel energy production unless it wants to collapse into a third-world hellscape. In addition to having to ration gas, Germany is turning back on the coal plants it still has to help fill the gap and increase energy supplies. To reduce gas consumption, less gas must be used to generate electricity, announced German green party Minister Robert Habeck. Coal-fired power plants will have to be used more instead. Thats bitter, but its simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage. Do not worry, Habeck: we are sure that the climate will survive this transition back to sanity and stability. Habeck failed to make any mention of Germanys nuclear infrastructure, which could also be restarted with relative ease. Unlike coal, nuclear energy production emits very little pollution, so it is another viable option. The problem is that Germany was on track and proudly so to phase out all nuclear power generation by the end of the year. It looks like the war in Ukraine is changing that goal. The countrys Green-obsessed government had begun the phaseout at the start of this year, and while it was initially thought that at least some of the deactivated plants could be brought back online to fight energy insecurity caused by a breakdown of relations between Russia and the west, such a move was previously rejected by Habeck himself, reported Breitbart News. Previously, before all of the current turmoil reached a fever pitch, Habeck made statements towards the end that restarting Germanys nuclear power grid would not help us. Perhaps he is still rethinking that statement and will correct himself soon enough. There is also a possibility that Germany will reverse its ban on fracking as another easy way to avoid a total energy collapse. As scientific studies show, fracking does not cause any relevant environmental damage under modern safety standards, stated an official from the Freie Demokratische Partei, one of the German Greens coalition partners. It should therefore be seriously examined whether larger shale gas production is feasible in Germany from an economic and technical point of view. Currently, Germanys green adherents have rejected this notion, but perhaps they will reconsider once fuel runs out this winter and they are freezing to death inside their energy-less homes. The latest news about the energy situation in Germany and across Europe can be found at FuelRationing.news. Sources include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The string of fires that appear to be sabotage operations targeting food processing facilities is surprisingly lengthy. Our research team has meticulously documented the reports and sources for nearly 100 such fires that have been reported across the USA from early 2020 to the present day. This list is presented in chronological order. Note the sharp uptick in these fires occurring in 2022 as the apparent sabotage operations are accelerating. All links shown below were active as of the publish date of this article, but some links may change or be removed over time, especially as there may be a coordinated effort to suppress this information. The text in each description is sourced from the link provided. Heres the full list (so far) FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Norwood, Massachusetts February 21, 2020 Fire investigators in Norwood, Massachusetts, blamed a grease fire in a commercial oven for a blaze that spread through a food processing plant. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control despite an extension into the roof line that required extensive overhaul. Authorities estimated the damage at about $250,000. https://www.industrialfireworld.com/543748/food-processing-plant-fire-breaks-out-in-massachusetts SID WAINER & SON, New Bedford, Massachusetts April 21, 2020 A fire at a food distribution facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts, left several trucks damaged. Firefighters responded to the fire at Sid Wainer & Sons warehouse around 12:30 a.m. At least seven tractor-trailer trucks at a loading dock were damaged or destroyed. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/fire-at-new-bedford-food-distributor-leaves-several-tractor-trailers-damaged/2096301/ MIZKAN FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Stockton, California May 26, 2020 Firefighters battled a massive fire tornado after a blaze broke out at Mizkan America tomato processing facility in Stockton, California. Approximately 1.5 acres of plastic pallets burned and drivers were urged to steer clear of the fiery area. It took nearly six hours for firefighters to get the blaze under control. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11721983/california-firefighters-battle-massive-fire-food-plant/ TYSON FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Nashville, Arizona July 9, 2020 Arriving at the facility at about 2:20 a.m., firefighters found a structure that was completely enveloped in flames. Tyson said two employees were injured and were given medical attention. https://www.powderbulksolids.com/industrial-fires-explosions/2-hurt-large-fire-tyson-plant-arkansas HEMINGWAY MEAT LOCKER PLANT, Hemingway, South Carolina July 24, 2020 A number of neighboring departments provided aid after a meat plant in Williamsburg County caught fire. The fire started in the roof of the Hemingway Meat Locker Plant, in the area of East Andrews and South Main streets. The fire caused major damage to the building, with about 60 percent of the roof being burned. https://www.wmbfnews.com/2020/07/24/multiple-crews-respond-fire-williamsburg-county-meat-plant/ DOMINO SUGAR REFINERY, Arabi, Louisiana August 27, 2020 A silo caught fire and one witness said the fire suppression system stopped the fire from turning into an explosion. Its unclear what started the fire. The flames started mid-afternoon and smoke billowed from the refinery into the evening hours. The Domino Sugar Refinery is owned by the ASR group and is the second-largest cane sugar refinery in the world. Over two billion pounds of sugar cane is manufactured at the refinery every year. https://www.fox8live.com/2020/08/27/fire-breaks-out-domino-sugar-refinery-arabi/ MR. CHIP INC., Pinconning, Michigan October 3, 2020 A weekend fire heavily damaged a pickle manufacturer in northern Bay County. Flames were first spotted coming from an empty brine tank. The manufacturing facility is a total loss, but the companys grading and brining operation was undamaged. https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2020/10/pickle-factory-fire-in-bay-county-has-mr-chips-shifting-some-production-to-georgia.html WEST LIBERTY PROCESSING PLANT, Tremonton, Utah October 10, 2020 Three people suffered minor injuries and several homes were evacuated due to a large fire at a meatpacking plant. The fire at West Liberty Foods, 705 N. 2000 West in Tremonton, started in the facilitys utility room about 5:30 a.m. Three employees suffered minor burns to their hands and face, while three vehicles were also damaged. https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/10/2/21499350/tremonton-meat-packing-plant-fire-3-injured ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, Temple, Texas October 12, 2020 St. Vincent De Pauls food pantry and warehouse were destroyed by fire. No one was injured but all the food, refrigerators, freezers and storage inside were destroyed. https://www.kwtx.com/2020/10/14/fire-destroys-local-food-pantry-closes-store/ DELI STAR, Fayetteville, Illinois January 11, 2021 The fire destroyed Deli Stars 75,000-square-foot processing plant. Deli Star is a second-generation meat and poultry processor of deli meats, prepared foods using sous vide technology. as well as sauces and a variety of value-added meats. https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/24395-deli-star-deals-with-the-aftermath-of-devastating-fire TIEGS POTATO FOOD PROCESSING, Warden, Washington January 21, 2021 A fire destroyed a dehydrated potato processing facility. The central Washington facility is one of two such potato processing plants in Washington state. Potatoes that dont make the quality or size grade for fresh or frozen markets are often sold to dehydrated processors. https://www.thepacker.com/news/industry/fire-destroys-washington-dehydrated-potato-facility PACTIV INC., Temple, Texas May 12, 2021 Fire personnel were called to the Pactiv Inc. facility after receiving a report of a structure fire at the site. Crews arrived on scene to discover heavy smoke in a storage silo. Pactiv manufactures and distributes packaging, trays, containers, films and other products for use in the foodservice, food processing, supermarket and convenience store markets. The Temple facility produces products for the foodservice industry. https://www.powderbulksolids.com/industrial-fires-explosions/fire-ignites-storage-silo-pactiv-plant RICELAND FOODS, Stuttgart, Arkansas May 23, 2021 A soybean storage bin caught fire at a Riceland Foods plant in Stuttgart, Arkansas. A Riceland spokesperson said the fire started while crews were cleaning out bins. The fire also spread to the plants water treatment facility next to the grain bins. Ricelands soybean terminal in Stuttgart has a listed storage capacity of 8,195,000 bushels. https://www.world-grain.com/articles/15327-fire-damages-riceland-soybean-storage-plant KELLOGG, Memphis, Tennessee July 25, 2021 The Memphis Fire Department responded to the fire at the Kellogg factory. The fire department said the fire started from a rice dryer. The Kellogg location in Memphis makes breakfast foods. https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/3-alarm-fire-at-kellogg-plant/522-bbef6075-cb6b-4ff9-af59-70fe264749bd TYSONS RIVER VALLEY INGREDIENTS, Hanceville, Alabama July 30, 2021 A Tyson Foods-owned poultry meal plant received significant damage during a fire that ignited at the site. Reports said the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) responded to the scene to assess whether there are any environmental impacts from the fire. Bought by Tyson in 2018, the facility processes poultry-by products into feed ingredients. https://www.powderbulksolids.com/food-beverage/fire-damages-tyson-owned-feed-ingredients-plant PATAK MEAT PRODUCTS, Cobb County, Georgia August 23, 2021 Patak Meat Products, a family-owned meat processor, suffered a major fire at its facility. The company has been producing a wide range of Old World favorites and other meat products since 1981. Firefighters were able to save a portion of the building that contained dry goods storage and the smokehouses. https://www.provisioneronline.com/articles/111392-fire-severely-damages-patak-meat-products-facility JBS MEAT FOOD, Grand Island, Nebraska September 12, 2021 JBS USA Spokesperson Nikki Richardson said the fire did not impact primary production areas. Firefighters battled the fire for nearly 15 hours. No one was injured in the incident. https://www.ksnblocal4.com/2021/09/13/gi-fire-rescue-battling-fire-investigating-reported-explosion-jbs/ DARIGOLD FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Caldwell, Idaho October 12, 2021 Firefighters remained on scene overnight after knocking down a five-alarm fire at the Darigold plant in downtown Caldwell. The Darigold plant employs many people and is a big part of the Caldwell community. Darigold officials said the plant was badly damaged in the fire. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/large-fire-reported-at-darigold-plant-in-caldwell/277-b794bcbe-ab04-4eec-8eee-856ba6c288a6 GREENBERG SMOKED TURKEY, INC., Tyler, Texas November 6, 2021 Greenberg Smoked Turkey, Inc. in Tyler, Texas, halted all of its smoked turkey production for the rest of 2020 after a fire and at least two explosions destroyed parts of the facility. The company sells about 200,000 smoked turkeys every holiday season. A freezer holding 87,000 turkeys exploded and burned the boxes and bags nearby, which are used to ship hundreds of thousands of turkeys during the companys busiest season. https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2020/11/09/after-87000-turkeys-exploded-in-fire-greenberg-shuts-down-for-holiday-season/ MAID-RITE STEAK COMPANY, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania November 29, 2021 Fire engulfed the center building at Maid-Rite Steak Co. Inc. in Scott Township, sending flames high into the night sky. Explosions rocked the ground as firefighters from 17 local departments tried to knock down the fire inside the meat processing facility. Most of the meat processing area was badly burned and the offices had heavy smoke and water damage. Authorities think the fire started in a wall. https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/fire-erupts-at-meat-processing-facility-in-lackawanna-county/523-c08b77a3-8a64-4d4b-aed8-45de6e71352b WEST SIDE FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, San Antonio, Texas December 12, 2021 A food processing plant on the citys West Side was left with smoke damage following a fire. Firefighters said when they arrived, they found the processing plant filled with smoke. The damage to the building is mostly smoke damage but the estimate is over $100,000 because of the food that was exposed to the smoke. https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/12/13/west-side-food-processing-plant-left-with-smoke-damage-after-fire-safd-says/ SANDERSON ANIMAL FEED PROCESSING PLANT, Collins, Mississippi December 13, 2021 Collins Fire Chief John Pope said his department received reports about a boiler room explosion at a feed mill operated by Sanderson Farms. The scene was cleared in about two hours, but one person was reported injured and taken to a local hospital. According to Pope, minimal damage was caused to the warehouse facility. The mill was taken offline while the incident is investigated by Sanderson Farms safety team. https://www.gwcommonwealth.com/1-hurt-boiler-explosion-mississippi-poultry-feed-mill#sthash.euI7ElCK.dpbs VAN DRUNEN FARMS TUTHILL PLANT, Momence, Illinois January 2, 2022 Approximately 75 percent of the 80,000-square-foot freeze-drying facility of the Van Drunen Farms Tuthill production site was considered a total loss by the company. Numerous fire departments battled the blaze for several hours. Van Drunen grows products and produces food and ingredients, which are used across the country and around the world. https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/van-drunen-site-total-loss-after-fire/article_341d2c60-6ccc-11ec-b3ae-9f702e956def.html RAW FARM CREAMERY, Fresno, California January 8, 2022 Firefighters say heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from a warehouse on the property. According to officials, crews worked in defensive mode to stop the fire from spreading to other areas. A total of two warehouses and one cold storage were destroyed from the fire, but firefighters were able to save three farm administration buildings and some bigger agricultural equipment and products. Fire crews said the incident seemed suspicious. https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/firefighters-investigate-suspicious-fire-at-fresno-creamery-officials-say/ CARGILL-NUTRENA, Lecompte, Louisiana January 13, 2022 A fire that started at the Cargill-Nutrena feed mill had burned for 12 hours. An explosion reportedly occurred as the firefighters were working the scene. The mill manufactures feed for the peed food, aquaculture, beef, equine, poultry, dairy and wild game markets. Cargills plant includes 65 bins for grain, bulk ingredients, finished feed, six large storage bins and 53,000 square feet of warehouse space. https://www.powderbulksolids.com/food-beverage/explosion-and-fire-reported-cargill-nutrena-feed-mill WASHINGTON POTATO FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Warden, Washington January 20, 2022 A fire that broke out at a potato plant prompted evacuations in parts of Washington state. Authorities issued a level 3 evacuation order for people living in the surrounding area, including west of Road U Southeast and south of State Route 170 in Warden. Residents were told to immediately evacuate due to possible risk of an ammonia tank explosion. The order was lifted shortly after midnight and residents were allowed to return to their homes. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fire-breaks-out-washington-potato-plant-prompts-evacuations-n1255272 WISTON WEAVER COMPANY, Winston-Salem, Carolina January 31, 2022 An uncontrolled fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina forced thousands of people to evacuate. The citys fire chief said the fire had been relatively static overnight, but with 600 tons of combustible ammonium nitrate stored at the site, the risk of an explosion was high. At least 90 firefighters fought the fire for about 90 minutes after it was discovered at a loading dock, but the risk of an explosion forced them to retreat. The fire quickly consumed the entire building and caused it to collapse. https://wlos.com/news/local/thousands-flee-homes-near-winston-salem-fertilizer-plant-fire-north-carolina-winston-weaver-company-explosion-flames-wake-forest-university WISCONSIN RIVER MEATS, Mauston, Wisconsin February 3, 2022 A portion of Maustons Wisconsin River Meats burnt down during an overnight fire. The meat company, located at N5340 Highway HH, Mauston, is in the process of building a new store and sausage processing facility. The new building appears to have survived relatively unscathed by the fire. https://www.nbc15.com/2022/02/03/portion-wisconsin-river-meats-plant-total-loss-after-overnight-blaze/ DIAMOND WALNUT FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Live Oak, California February 4, 2022 The Butte County Fire Department first reported the blaze at the Diamond Walnut Growers factory at about 8:40 a.m. Almost three hours later, the flames were still going. Authorities closed Highway 99 and evacuated nearby homes. The walnut plant is no longer in use and vacant at the time of the fire. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fire-california-diamond-walnut-factory-b2008086.html BONANZA MEAT CO., El Paso, Texas February 15, 2022 El Paso firefighters battled a blaze Tuesday morning at a building near Downtown. Flames and dark smoke erupted from a building with Bonanza Meat Co. painted on it on Paisano Drive at Park Street in the Segundo Barrio. The building was vacant. The roof of the commercial building partially collapsed during the fire, but there was no damage to any other buildings. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2022/02/15/el-paso-firefighters-battle-burning-building-segundo-barrio-near-downtown/6796712001/ LOUIS DREYFUS COMPANY (LDC), Claypool, Indiana February 16, 2022 Louis Dreyfus Company reported that a fire had broken out in a bag house at its Claypool, Indiana, soybean processing and biodiesel plant. Affected systems had been suspended. The suspension of deliveries slowed production of soymeal and biodiesel at a time of high demand. The Claypool plant has capacity to crush 175,000 bushels of soybeans a day and has been running 92 percent of that as actual crush capacity recently, according to an industry source. https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/update-1-louis-dreyfus-reports-fire-at-largest-us-soy-processing-plant SHEARERS FOOD POTATO PLANT, Hermiston, Oregon February 22, 2022 A portable boiler exploded at a Shearers Foods potato chip plant south of Hermiston, Oregon, sparking a fire and causing several injuries. The plant was severely damaged. Seven people were taken to the local hospital, but none with serious injuries. The plant employs 400 people at full capacity and supplies much of the western U.S. with potato and corn chips. Shearers is primarily a private label and contract manufacturer of salty snacks and cookies. https://www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2022/shearers-fire-oregon/ NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS, Sunnyside, Washington February 28, 2022 Fire destroyed a warehouse filled with 1.75 million pounds of mixed components for fertilizers. Other structures at the fertilizer plant were also damaged. The adjacent Nutrien buildings and storage tanks containing hazardous chemicals were spared. The facility is relatively new, opening in the fall of 2018 as a dry and liquid fertilizer storage and distribution center. https://www.firehouse.com/operations-training/news/21258644/sunnyside-wa-fertilizer-plant-fire-forces-evacuations NESTLE HOT POCKETS, Jonesboro, Arkansas March 16, 2022 The Jonesboro Fire Department said it found a fire inside a large piece of a production line cooler at the the Nestle facility. Nestle opened the plant in 2002 and in December 2020, the company unveiled plans to invest more than $100 million to expand the frozen foods plant, including the addition of 90,000 square feet and a new production line for Hot Pockets frozen sandwiches. In addition to Hot Pockets, Nestle makes products under the Stouffers, Lean Cuisine, DiGiorno, Tombstone and Sweet Earth brands at the plant. https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/26372-nestle-hot-pockets-plant-remains-shuttered-following-fire WALMART, Plainfield, Indiana March 16, 2022 A massive fire at a Walmart facility in Plainfield was quickly upgraded to a five-alarm fire. About 350 firefighters from at least 30 fire departments had responded to the scene since the fire started around noon. https://www.wrtv.com/news/public-safety/atf-begins-on-site-investigation-into-walmart-facility-fire-in-plainfield PEPSI FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Piscataway, New Jersey March 23, 2022 A massive fire at the Pepsi plant in Piscataway drew a huge response from firefighters around the county. Two firefighters were hurt battling the four-alarm blaze. One had a shoulder injury and the other suffered from heat exhaustion. Fire and smoke was visible for miles around as more than 100 firefighters from across New Jersey raced to the scene, officials said. Witnesses reported several explosions rang out as smoke filled the air. https://www.firehouse.com/operations-training/news/21261433/two-firefighters-injured-at-5alarm-fire-at-piscataway-nj-pepsi-plant PENOBSCOT MCCRUM, Belfast, Maine March 24, 2022 Fire crews from several towns battled a fire at the Penobscot McCrum potato processing plant in Belfast. Officials said the fire was started by one of the facilitys large fryolator machines. Founded in 1886, Penobscot McCrum is a family business dedicated to providing specialty frozen potato products to an array of businesses. https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/several-crews-respond-to-fire-at-belfast-potato-factory-penobscot-mccrum-maine/97-5313831f-2858-4f94-bad8-76a020444097 MARICOPA FOOD PANTRY, Maricopa, Arizona March 28, 2022 Its a long road to recovery for Maricopa Food Pantry after a fire destroyed around 50,000 pounds of food. The fire came dangerously close to Mountain View Community Church, where the food pantry is feeding the community. The food pantry was founded more than 20 years ago. https://www.azfamily.com/2022/03/29/50000-lb-food-destroyed-after-fire-ripped-through-maricopa-food-pantry/ RIO FRESH INC., San Juan, Texas March 31, 2022 A structure fire caused significant damage to a large portion of key fresh onion packing facilities in south Texas. Rio Fresh grows, packs and ships a large variety of Texas-grown items including Texas 1015 sweet onions, cabbage, kale, greens and melons. https://vegetablegrowersnews.com/news/fire-damages-rio-fresh-onion-warehouse-facility/ EAST CONWAY BEEF & PORK, Conway, New Hampshire April 11, 2022 A fire broke out at East Conway Beef & Pork. Flames engulfed the building and the fire fighters were not able to save any of it. Neighbors helped drive away the cattle when the fire broke out. Firefighters from the East Conway Volunteer Fire Department said the same facility burned down about 10 years ago. https://darik.news/maine/the-fire-destroyed-a-meat-market-in-conway-this-is-not-the-first-time/202204545468.html GEM STATE PROCESSING, Heyburn, Idaho April 13, 2022 A plane crashed into an Idaho potato and food processing plant. It hit Gem State Processing in Heyburn in East Idaho at about 8:35 a.m., city police said. The pilot was the only person in the plane and died during the crash. None of the employees at the processing plant were injured. Gem State Processing sources 18,000 acres of Idaho potatoes. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/nation-world/national/article260423897.html AZURE STANDARD HEADQUARTER FACILITY, Dufur, Oregon April 18, 2022 The headquarters of Azure Standard, the nations premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire overnight. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. The loss of the facility and the impact on companywide operations is being assessed and expected to be limited and temporary. No other Azure Standard facilities were affected. https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/fire-destroys-azure-standard-headquarter-facility/article_7df4657c-c03e-11ec-a8c2-5f88e266c6db.html NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS, Leoti, Kansas April 19, 2022 A fire at a fertilizer company in western Kansas prompted evacuations because hazardous materials were involved. The Ford County Regional Hazardous Materials Team was deployed to Leoti to fight the blaze and remove hazardous materials. The fire began around 3:30 p.m. at a Nutrien Ag Solutions plant in Leoti. https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/chemical-fire-in-leoti-causing-evacuations/ GENERAL MILLS, Covington, Georgia April 21, 2022 Investigators gathered at the General Mills plant in Covington to comb through the wreckage of a deadly plane crash. A twin-engine Cessna crashed into several semi trailers at remote part of the cereal plant, killing two people. Police said the plane appeared to explode on impact. Witnesses said there were a series of small explosions after the crash. About six trailers that were parked together and believed to be mostly empty caught fire and were damaged after the crash. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/investigators-comb-through-plane-crash-wreckage-at-general-mills-plant-in-covington GENERAL MILLS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa April 24, 2022 Cedar Rapids firefighters responded to a fire Saturday morning on the roof of the General Mills food processing plant. The fire broke out around 3:45 a.m. at the General Mills manufacturing site at 4800 Edgewood Road SW, according to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department. Steam and smoke were visible near a spot where a vent stack makes contact with the roof, and thermal imaging confirmed high heat below their position. https://www.firefighternation.com/firefighting/general-mills-food-processing-plant-roof-catches-fire-in-cedar-rapids-ia%ef%bf%bc/ HORMEL FOODS FACILITY, Suffolk, Virginia April 25, 2022 Officials launched an investigation into the cause of a blaze that broke out Monday night at the Hormel Foods facility in Suffolk, VA. The fire at the Culloden Street site was called in at 6:28 p.m. and crews arrived on scene at 6:32 p.m., the City of Suffolk Department of Fire & Rescue said in a release posted to its Facebook page. Flames were under control inside the cold storage building at 6:47 p.m. No firefighters were injured during the response. The Suffolk Department of Fire & Rescue Fire Marshals Office is looking into the cause of the fire. Hormels Suffolk plant manufactures Planters products, according to coverage by the Suffolk News-Herald. The company acquired the location as part of its 2021 acquisition of Kraft Heinzs nuts business. https://www.powderbulksolids.com/food-beverage/blaze-ignites-vent-system-hormel-foods-facility AGRIWAY PARTNERS, Kalona, Washington April 28, 2022 Local fire departments responded to a call for smoldering grain in the basement of Agriway Partners at 126 E Avenue in Kalona. Firefighters on scene were able to remove the burning grain in buckets and secure the area. Kalona Fire Chief Jerry Zahradnek said the fire appeared to have begun inside the mixing mill leg, resulting in fire both inside and outside of the equipment. https://www.kciiradio.com/2022/04/30/local-departments-handle-kalona-grain-fire/ PERDUE FARMS, Chesapeake, West Virginia April 30, 2022 A soybean processing tank caught fire at the Perdue Farms plant in Chesapeake. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found a large soybean processing tank on fire. All soybeans had to be removed from the tank to ensure that the fire is completely out. https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2588767352934/perdue-farms-plant-catches-fire-in-chesapeake SALADINO FOOD PROCESSING PLANT, Fresno, California May 1, 2022 A fire broke out at Saladinos food processing plant on Shaw Avenue and Golden State Boulevard. Several employees were evacuated from the building while firefighters put out the flames. Hours later, firefighters responded to an ammonia leak at the same building. Its unclear whether the leak was related to the fire. https://abc30.com/fresno-food-processing-plant-fire-saladinos-foodservice-amonia-leak-employees-evacuated/11811148/ JBS MEAT PACKING PLANT, Green Bay, Wisconsin June 7, 2022 A fire occurred at the JBS meat packing plant in Green Bay. Officials say they responded to the fire around 6:30 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters noticed flames on the roof. Crews were able to control the fire within 15 minutes. No injuries were reported. However, around $30,000 in damages were reported. https://www.nbc26.com/news/local-news/fire-at-jbs-meat-packing-plant-in-green-bay-causes-nearly-30-000-in-damage FESTIVE FOODS, Belmont, Wisconsin June 13, 2022 A fire ignited inside a food manufacturing facility in the town of Belmont near the Portage-Waupaca County, Wisconsin. Multiple fire departments responded and were able to put out the fire in nine hours. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/another-blow-us-food-market-fire-breaks-food-processing-plant-west-waupaca-county-wisconsin/ (Natural News) Legislators need to know that they are being held accountable by the American people, according to blogger and book author Debbie Faris. My philosophy, and I think a lot of us share this, is that when those who govern us fear the people, they will govern wisely. So they need to know that theres a lot of people keeping tabs on them, Farris told Raj Doraisamy during the June 15 episode of America Unhinged on Brighteon.TV. Unfortunately, our legislators only listen to the people when its time for the vote. And that is whats going to really grab their attention. Everybody needs to participate and each one of your legislators needs to know that they are being held accountable. Faris, author of the book Beyond the Breakpoint, urged Americans to take a step forward and participate in any way they can. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Faris said. She also called for independent-minded authors and people who are trying to get information out to go to online writing platforms like Substack.com. Doraisamy, filling in for regular host Dr. John Diamond, can relate to the message that Faris was trying to relay. In an interview earlier this year, Doraisamy said that about two years ago he was just a guy who cared but was completely ignorant. But now Im engaged. And there are millions of people like me. And you, the folks watching this show, you have got to get engaged, he added. Doraisamy co-founded Defend Florida, a state-wide, citizen-driven movement designed to protect the state and its citizens from federal government overreach. It is a movement created in the wake of the 2020 election that connects citizens, groups and clubs throughout Florida. But Doraisamy noted that people dont need to join a national movement to make an impact. Do what General [Michael] Flynn says: Local action equals national impact. Legislators need to know people at the grassroots level are involved Elsewhere in the program, Faris talked about her new project dubbed Call One Day, which seeks to get the attention of legislators and let them know that people from the grassroots level are observing and participating. According to Faris, the Call One Day initiative is basically like a roar and a purr. She said a roar is when people want to get some actions done, like letting a senator know that he or she should pass this bill, cast a vote or enforce an amendment, among others. A purr, on the other hand, would be an encouragement, like a thank you for caring for Florida, or for voting yes or no. Call One Day is an initiative that people can get involved in and all it takes is picking up the phone. Faris said the information given depends on the callers county or location. She also encouraged everyone who wants to get involved and do something to text the word speak to 91776. (Related: Michele Swinick urges Americans to engage and get involved in politics Brighteon.TV.) Meanwhile, Doraisamy mentioned the huge blunder made by Republican legislators in Arizona who passed a bill apparently without reading it Doraisamy pointed out that this thing happened because the American people are not holding their legislators accountable. He noted that people can get careless in their work when they are overworked. Americans must make sure that their legislators are held accountable by letting them know that they are being watched and that the American people are still part of the process, he said. Follow Freedom.news for more news about the freedoms Americans must protect. Watch the full June 15 episode of America Unhinged below. America Unhinged with Dr. John Diamond airs Monday to Saturday at 8-9 a.m. and Sunday at 9-10 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Its time to hold the evil doers accountable. America Unhinged: Americans must use Constitution to keep government under control Brighteon.TV Call to action in Florida: Stop mandatory HPV vaccination of children by opposing SB 1558, HB 1343. Sources include: Brighteon.com 1 DebbieFaris.com Brighteon.com 2 (Natural News) It is a grave error for Leftists to continue harping on and on about their fetish for mutilating the genitals of children, warned Hillary Clinton during a recent interview with the Financial Times. If they do not stop doing this, the two-time failed presidential candidate explained, then Democrats are sure to lose the upcoming midterm elections this fall. The Lefts obsession with all things transgender these days, including their maniacal rage against Harry Potter author JK Rowling for rejecting it, is not exactly a selling point for American voters who are tired of all the perversion. In order to win elections, Clinton contends, Democrats need to keep a lid on their Satanic fetishes, including their lust for more children to take gender-bending pharmaceuticals and go under the knife to become another gender. Clinton was asked by reporter Edward Luce the following question: 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. What sense does it make to depict JK Rowling as a fascist? To this, Clinton initially responded that while transgenderizing children is a core Democrat value, 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, Clinton went on to blab. The alternative is so frightening that whatever does not help you win should not be a priority. Democrats need to keep their perversions secret in order to win elections, says Clinton Clintons comment came just days after fake president Joe Biden signed an executive order to prioritize gender-affirming care for children. Such care involves destroying their endocrine systems with synthetic hormones and chopping off their reproductive body parts. According to Biden, anyone who opposes this agenda, including congressional Republicans, is guilty of bullying children who just want to become their true selves. This also apparently includes Rowling, the popular childrens author who has been raked over the coals by the Left for daring to speak out against the transgender agenda. For stating publicly that domestic abuse shelters for women should exclude biological men pretending to be women, Rowling has been blasted by Leftist for being a transphobe. Look, Im all about having (a) vigorous debate, Clinton added during her diatribe about what she thinks Democrats should do and mostly what they should not admit out loud about themselves and what they truly believe in order to win the next election. I think its good, and it gives people a chance to be part of the process. But, at the end of the day, it means nothing if we dont have a Congress that will get things done, and we dont have a White House that we can count on to be sane and sober and stable and productive. Clinton went on to lament the possibility that Roe v. Wade might be overturned by the Supreme Court, lumping it in with the conservative fight against the transgender mutilation of children. If you go down the rabbit hole of far-right intellectuals, you see that birth control, gay marriage all of it is at risk, Clinton said. Clinton, then, in usual Leftist form, proceeded to talk about The Handmaids Tale, warning that the Christian endgame is supposed to turn America into what is depicted in that book. The level of insidious rulemaking to further oppress women almost knows no end, Clinton further whined, calling the books author, Margaret Atwood, a prophet. More related news about the Lefts obsession with destroying childrens lives can be found at LeftCult.com. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) So-called public health officials in Canada have resorted to pushing Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in churches, which are now accepting cash in exchange for preaching about the safety and effectiveness of the jabs. No longer is Jesus Christ the source of ones salvation in Mystery Babylon, but rather the Operation Warp Speed injections from Donald Trump and Tony Fauci, in other words. According to reports, the Canadian government is offering either $100,000 to each non-profit religious grifting operation that agrees to promote vaccine confidence from the pulpit. One pastor from Saskatchewan told his congregation that he received a letter about all this, which he apparently shredded. He claims the government is joining forces with non-profit(s) to twist the arms of all remaining vaccine holdouts to get them to comply with the agenda. We have a Christian school in our church, and I got this from public health, and it is quite an amazing thing, said Paul Dubois of Northeast Christian Fellowship in Melfort before his tithers. Im not throwing my mail out anymore because we got asked to support vaccine confidence as a church with a non-profit, and the government was going to give us $50,000 for it. Apparently, $50,000 is given as a baseline, followed by another $50,000 if the jabs are promoted out of a non-profit, which churches technically are. They want us to promote vaccine confidence in schools, Dubois added, stating that the rhetoric used was to help reduce vaccine anxiety in school. Its on the downtake right now, he added. Kids arent getting as much as they were. Canada is spending untold millions promoting covid jabs is this really about saving lives? Calling the whole thing propaganda, Dubois made headlines back in January after he posted lettering on his churchs sign that read, All welcome, vaxed or unvaxed. No segregation. Canada, as you may recall, imposed some of the strictest Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine measures, making it exceptionally difficult for the unvaccinated to live normal lives. All institutions, including churches and schools, were told they must comply with the governments demands or else face the consequences (Related: Pastor Artur Pawlowski is a perfect example of this). In Dubois case, he compared Canadas forced vaccination requirements and religious institution segregation demands to 1960s discrimination against black people, which he claims to have witnessed firsthand. Canadian taxpayers are funding all the tyranny, by the way, including through a multi-million-dollar program called the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF), which is actively promoting the injections all around the country. According to the IPF, its agenda includes deploying a community-based COVID-19 education, promotion, and outreach agenda throughout Canada. Back in April, it was reported that the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is doing similar work, having handed out $2.2 million in grants to some 48 different organizations to encourage more Canadians to get injected. Some of the programs that received funding were geared toward promoting the COVID jabs to kids and pregnant / breastfeeding mothers, LifeSiteNews reported. Canada also pushed COVID jab propaganda through a program called This Is Our Shot, which was funded by hundreds of businesses, the corporate-controlled media, big banks, Big Pharma, and of course the government. Not only are Canadians expected to get the first two jabs, but as of this week, they will now need three injections to be considered fully vaccinated, according to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. Clowns like Joel Osteen probably got a bundle, added a commenter from LifeSite to the conversation. Plus, they didnt have to preach before a brain-dead audience for a while they just raked in the big bucks the entire time. The latest news about Chinese Flu shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com Page Content ~ Court of First Instance rules in favor of Minister of Justice ~ Philipsburg On Friday, June 17th, 2022, the Court of First Instance rendered its decision denying a request to suspend the decision of the Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson regarding the detention and deportation of a woman of Venezuelan nationality who has been residing on St. Maarten illegally for the past three years. The woman's Attorney Mr. Remco Stomp, in his petition to Court claimed that the situation in Venezuela is inhumane and that his client has pressing interest in remaining on St. Maarten with her two children that are also residing illegally on St. Maarten and attending school. Although the woman's Attorney claimed that the woman has a partner on French St. Martin with property on the Dutch St. Martin who was willing to act as her guarantor, the Court agreed with the Minister's Attorney Ms. Cindy Marica that the detention and deportation order of the Minister were justified in the interest of public order and in respect of the Immigration laws and policy of St. Maarten. The Minister of Justice must be allowed to execute her authority to detain and deport persons that are illegally staying on St. Maarten, especially those persons as the woman who have failed to make any efforts to regulate her legal residency on St. Maarten and by doing so, blatantly disrespected the immigration laws on St. Maarten. The woman never requested a residence permit for herself or her children during the time she has been residing illegally on St. Maarten and allegedly has been working on both the French and Dutch sides of the island. The Attorney on behalf of Minister Richardson argued that her detention is extended due to her own fault, as she has been refusing to cooperate with the immigration officials by taking a PCR test in order to be deported to Venezuela. Allowing the woman, who is also suspected of a crime for which she is summoned by the Criminal Court later this year, to stay on St. Maarten, would create a dangerous precedent for persons who reside on St. Maarten illegally, which St. Maarten could not afford. The Court agreed with the arguments on behalf of the Minister of Justice and denied the request to suspend the detention and deportation of this woman to Venezuela. Minister Richardson stated, All visitors are urged to respect the immigration laws of St. Maarten. If you plan on residing on the island, you must apply for a residence permit at the Immigration and Border Protection Services. First time applicants should not be on St. Maarten during the processing of their application. (Natural News) Ukrainian authorities have banned the countrys main opposition party and seized all its assets, once again undermining the narrative that President Zelensky is presiding over a beacon of democracy. (Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Summit.news) The countrys Ministry of Justice announced the move via Facebook, revealing that the Opposition Platform For Life had been shut down and its assets, money and property transferred to the state. The party had previously had its operations suspended in March after it was accused of being complicit with Russia and being anti-Ukrainian. The ban means that Zelenskys main political opposition has been eliminated. The OPPL was the second largest party in the country and its popularity surpassed that of Zelenskys Servant of the People party last year. Its leader Viktor Medvedchuk, who claims he is merely looking out for the interests of the Ukrainian people by seeking better relations with Russia, was placed under house arrest last month. The announcement said the party was suspected of acting to undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine, with authorities have already banned 10 other political opposition parties for the same reason. Last month, President Zelensky signed a bill into law that gave the green light to ban any party that challenged the governments policy on the Russian invasion, empowering courts to seize assets without the right to appeal. While opposition parties are being obliterated, Ukrainians who engage in dissent are also being rounded up and arrested by armed men from the Ukraine Security Service. As we previously highlighted, Ukraine is also attempting to extradite and imprison citizens who live in other European countries if they criticize Zelensky. Meanwhile, President Zelensky is still being hailed by western legacy media outlets as a valiant defender of democracy in contrast to the brutal autocratic dictators who control Russia. What a joke. AP accompanies Zelenskys SBU thugs as they kidnap Ukrainians who speak out against the regime. This is an obvious propaganda piece designed to normalize crushing dissent. Imagine how they act when cameras arent on. https://t.co/8YjRbQXDqTpic.twitter.com/o55SwvhvIH Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) April 30, 2022 Read more at: Summit.news An airplane flies above as smoke rises from the boat 'If Only', a 39-meter-long yacht, that is on fire off Saint-Laurent-du-Var, near Nice, southern France, on August 17, 2017. The yacht had caught fire in the early afternoon of August 17, according to media reports. Eleven people on board the yacht were evacuated, one person was taken to hospital. According to further reports, the fire had started in the engine room. (Photo : Photo credit should read YANN COATSALIOU/AFP via Getty Images) A huge smoke coming from a distance can be seen by onlookers, which happens to be a 72-foot yacht blazing off the coast of New Hampshire. The catastrophe unfolded on Saturday afternoon, around 4pm, when the 2007 Marlow boat known as "Elusive" was sailing towards a marina in New Castle, and started close to Fort Stark State Park. Fire crew from multiple departments took hours to extinguish the fire on the yacht, where three passengers and two dogs miraculously survived, the Independent reported. The Burning Yacht and the Good Samaritan Three people and two dogs were rescued from the 72-foot yacht by a "Good Samaritan" on another private boat, before local authorities and emergency crews could arrive. "Whatever happened on the boat happened fast, and they had to jump in the water," Portsmouth Fire Chief Todd Germain told USA Today. According to one of the passengers onboard, he realized there was black smoke billowing up from below deck, the New Hampshire Department of Safety said. "Within minutes the boat had completely filled with smoke," says a spokesperson for Marine Patrol. The passengers onboard included the spouses Arthur "Kitt" Watson, 67, and Diane Watson, 57, both from New Canaan, and the yacht's first mate, Jarrod Tubbs, 33, from Jupiter, Florida, all of whom reportedly sustained mild hypothermia and injuries requiring treatment at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital, as per the Independent. All were safely released later Saturday afternoon. Also read: 430-Million-Year-Old Charcoal Deposits Reveal the Oldest Wildfires on Record The Saturday Inferno Mr. "Kitt" Watson and his wife Diane have been an active member of the yacht Team Too Elusive and have travelled the world by boat, "racing and cruising his whole life," Mr Watson said. According to NBC News Boston, the couple have been living in their yacht for the past year, but it was only a matter of seconds before they decided to jump in the cold Maine waters, along with their dogs and swam as fast as they could, reaching about 100 yards away from the marina where they planned to dock. "It was the most frightening, harrowing experience we ever had," Mr Watson told NBC. A local lobster fisherman fetched the trio and their dogs, but were in the frigid waters long enough and gotten mild hypothermia. The pair could only watch as their vessel sank below the surface. Both are currently staying with family until they plan for the next steps. "Our whole lives were on that boat," the Mr Watson said, "it happened so fast, it was just frightening how fast this happened." "It's something you see on TV," Ms Watson added. Amber Lagace, the spokesperson for the Marine Patrol, said the passengers are "doing fine physically, but are mentally still trying to process everything." Their golden doodles are doing good as well. The New Castle Fire Department expresses their gratitude and appreciation to the "overwhelming support from the community." The Portsmouth Fire Chief said the cause of the fire is still being investigated, and that the coastguard continues to monitor the area where the vessel had sunk well into the day on Sunday. Related article: Italy's Intense Drought Brings Old World War Shipwrecks to Emerge from the River TOPSHOT - A fisherman casts a net in the Euphrates river in the city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province, on June 20, 2022. (Photo : Photo by ASAAD NIAZI/AFP via Getty Images) A fisherman in northern Cambodia had captured a 661-pound fish, measuring about 13 feet in length, near a remote island on the Mekong River in the Stung Treng area. The 42-year-old fisherman named Moul Thun had accidentally hooked the giant fish near Koh Preah island in the Mekong River in northern Cambodia. A team of scientists from the Wonders of Mekong research project identified the catch as a giant stingray (Urogymnus polylepis) which they said they know very "relatively little" about. It was believed to be the world's largest freshwater fish ever caught hooked in Cambodia, NBC News reported. The research group helped tag, measure and weigh the ray before releasing it back into the river. The tag will allow researchers to track its movement and hopefully learn more about its species' behavior in the Mekong. The fish was believed to be of good health and will expectedly survive in the water. What We Know about the Giant Freshwater Fish "You have a fish that's now the record holder for the world's largest freshwater fish, and we know little about it," says Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist at the University of Nevada. Fish experts believe that giant freshwater stingray, such as this one in Cambodia's Mekong River, may be the largest freshwater species on Earth, according to the National Geographic. However, they are also "cloaked with mystery", as very little are known about them. No one is sure how many of them are left, which habitats they prefer, or even if they ever venture into the ocean, where their more commonly known relatives live, the channel said. It is a part of the research team's project to track the migratory fish by installing underwater receivers in the river. "It's a particularly healthy stretch of the river with a lot of deep pools - pools up to 90 meters deep," said Hogan, who also hosts the National Geographic's "Monster Fish" television series. "We started focusing on this area as a stretch of river that's particularly important for biodiversity and fisheries, and as a last refuge for these big species." Little is known about the giant fish, Hogan said, describing the creature having a mouth about "the size of a banana" with no teeth, but with "gripping pads" used to crush prey such as shrimps, mollusks and small fish. Also read: Italy's Intense Drought Brings Old World War Shipwrecks to Emerge from the River Potential Pupping Ground for the Giant Fish Fishermen have reported three catches of female stingrays so far in the area during the past two months, which means for scientists that the site could be an important seasonal gathering site for giant freshwater stingrays, "and might serve as a pupping ground for young", according to Hogan. The tag and track in the river should help researchers etter understand fish migrations and local habitat in the upper Cambodian Mekong. "There's potential for hydropower development right where these stingrays were caught," Hogan said. "We want to understand the importance of this area before there's development, potentially in an unsustainable way." The Cambodian government has also expressed its interest in developing a conservation plan for the giant freshwater rays. Related article: Employing Native Predators in Dealing with Invasive Species Food waste and safety are driving forces behind the need for better food packaging. Existing films/coatings that address these issues, on the other hand, are usually plagued by poor release dynamics that demand large amounts of active substances. A Rutgers scientist has designed a biodegradable, plant-based covering that can be sprayed on foods to protect them from pathogenic and spoilage microbes as well as transportation harm, intending to develop an economically friendly substitute for plastic food wrap and containers. New Packaging Technology: Antimicrobial Pullulan Fibers "We knew we needed to replace petroleum-based food packaging with something more sustainable, biodegradable, and nontoxic," according to Philip Demokritou, the director of the Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Research Center and Henry Rutgers Chair in Nanoscience and Environmental Bioengineering, as per ScienceDaily. Experts asked themselves if they are able to create a food pacakaging that doesn't just increase shelf life, but also reduces waste and maintain food safety. "And what we've come up with is a sustainable technique that allows us to turn biodegradable polymers, which can be created from food waste in a bioeconomy, into smart fiber that can wrap an actual food," said Demokritou. This one is part of a new generation of food packaging that is smart and green. The Harvard-Nanyang Technological University/Singapore Sustainable Nanotechnology Initiative financed the research, which was done in collaboration with Harvard University experts. Their paper was published in the journal Nature Food, which represents a new type of packaging that uses polysaccharide/biopolymer-based fibers. The threadlike material can be formed from a heat source that resembles a hair dryer and shrink-wrapped over items of various sizes and shapes that is similar to the webs of one of the famous Marvel comic book characters Spider-Man. The resultant material, which protects food from damage and contains antimicrobial properties to prevent spoiling and dangerous germs like E. coli, is used to encapsulate food goods. The study contained the description of the centered rotary jet spinning method used to create the biopolymer, as well as numerical results showing that the coating increased avocado storage time by 50%. Better, Greener Food Packaging According to the study, the coating may be washed off with water and dissolves in the soil after three days. The new packaging seeks to solve a critical ecological crisis: the waste stream's expansion of petroleum-based disposable products. Actions to minimize plastic consumption, such as regulations in states like in the country of New Jersey prohibiting selling shopping bags out of plastics at grocery shops, can assist, according to Demokritou. He desired to do some more, though. Demokritou stated that he is not against plastics. He is against using petroleum-based plastics because only a small percentage of them can be recycled. During the Era of Plastic, they have dumped 6 billion metric tons of plastic waste in the environment during the last 50 to 60 years. They're out there slowly decaying, and these microscopic fragments are making their way into our drinking water, food, and air. The new fibers wrapping the food are loaded with naturally occurring antibacterial substances such as thyme oil, citric acid, and nisin-commonly used as food preservatives, according to the paper. The Demokritou research group can construct such advanced materials to operate as sensors, activating and eliminating strains of bacteria to ensure that food arrives freely from contamination. Demokritou also believed that this will solve the growing worry about food-borne infections while also reducing food loss. Also Read: Coca Cola Japan Wants to Know if "Filling Your Own Bottles" Will Reduce Plastic Waste Solution of APF to the plastic problem It is well recognized how serious the plastic waste situation is: there is much more plastic in the oceans than marine life, and plastic is now entering our bodies in the condition of microparticles (microplastics), creating a variety of health problems, as per Interesting Engineering. Furthermore, one of the sources of harmful bacteria and chemical poisoning in our foods is plastic wrapping. Food pathogens, according to experts, 600 million people experience food-borne diseases every year. According to a survey from the UK's Waste and Resource Action Program (WRAP), plastic wrapping causes more food waste and shortens the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. In addition to the survey, 100,000 tonnes of consumables are discarded each year, with plastic wrapping it reaches up to 10,300 tonnes. The APFs already have absently eliminated the environmental damage that plastic food wrappers are causing. They want to locate investors for a start-up enterprise on it (APF food packaging) and other food safety inventions, Professor Demokritou noted when questioned about their ambitions to scale up the use of APFs. Related Article: Using Plastic-Eating 'Super-microorganisms' to Reduce Plastic Waste Due to France's inland temperature reaching a record high of 37C, the beginning of July is expected to be scorching, especially for the southeast. Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist at British Weather Services, has predicted that some areas of England will experience these humid temperatures. Cities like Paris and Lyon will record these temperatures. In an exclusive interview with Express, he stated "As we leave June and enter July, the answer is yes." It won't be as scorching as it was during the last heat wave, but it will be quite warm or even hot following a chilly, rainy spell that is still to come. Heatwave in Britain A highly pressurized system from the Portuguese island chain of the Azores is to blame for the current weather. Highs in several regions of France and Germany starting on Thursday, June 30, suggesting a probable impact on the UK by Friday, July 1. Although the Met Office's long-range forecast suggests that it will be warm, it won't declare a heatwave until the data is more certain. It stated that as high pressure rises, conditions appear to grow more stable by the beginning of July. Temperatures that are initially near to or below average before becoming well above average later in the term. The UK is expected to experience a "fleeting" heat wave, but the Met Office is unsure how long these temperatures will last. Also Read: Rainy and Muddy Glastonbury Festival Seems To Have a Sunny Weather This Year Forecasters advise Glastonbury festival visitors to prepare for the weather As the big artists hit the stage on Friday, a bright start gives way to heavy rains, so festival-goers will be reaching for the sunscreen and then the wellies, as per The Guardian. The first of the 200,000 visitors would get lots of sunshine and highs of 26C (79F) or 27C on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Helen Caughey, the Met Office's deputy chief meteorologist. However, the weather is unclear starting on Friday. For this year's festival, Caughey advised that you bring both sunhats and raincoats. On Friday and Saturday, there is a chance of strong thunderstorms and rain in the area of Worthy Farm in rural Somerset. This might make Billie Eilish and Paul McCartney's headlining performances seem spectacular if a little damp. Although the downpours are not anticipated to linger long, Caughey warned that some surface water may build. In Glasto land, surface water may possibly mean knee-deep. Sunday is predicted to start out fairly dry and sunny but develop showers again throughout the morning, some of which may be heavy and perhaps thunderous, according to Caughey. Up to the beginning of the next week, the pattern of instability is anticipated to prevail. Anyone who has been to Glastonbury or lived in Britain is aware that one day may have both sunlight and rain. However, bizarre occurrences like electrical storms that have caused pandemonium in previous years seem to indicate that Glastonbury occasionally exists in its own peculiar environment. The uncertain weather will almost likely not lessen anticipation for Glastonbury's two-year Covid-19 break. On Wednesday, regardless of weather, gates open at 8am. Related article: Glastonbury Festival Weather Update: Somerset Will Experience Heavy Rainfall and Thunder TOPSHOT - Flood affected people queue in knee-deep flood waters to collect food relief following heavy monsoon rainfalls in Sunamganj on June 21, 2022. - At least 26 more people have died in monsoon flooding and lightning strikes in India, as millions remained marooned in the country and neighbouring Bangladesh, authorities said on June 20. (Photo : Photo by Md Abu Sufian Jewel / AFP) (Photo by MD ABU SUFIAN JEWEL/AFP via Getty Images) Downpours in Bangladesh have uprooted hundreds of thousands of residents and submerged wide swaths of territory. State authorities in the hardest-hit Sylhet region declared it the most disastrous swamping over a century. Bangladesh's 'Worst Flooding in 100 Years' According to The Independent, analysts claimed that the calamity that has struck Bangladesh and northeastern India, killing at least 59 individuals, is a reference to the fact of the devastation is already caused by severe tropical storms compounded by the global warming. In a report the United News of Bangladesh, Enamur Rahman, Bangladesh's junior secretary for catastrophe and assistance, many others were rescued in the Sunamganj and Sylhet provinces, and around four million people were left stranded in the vicinity. The event was said to be exceptional, yet hardly unexpected since as the temperatures rise, scientists will observe that these instances become increasingly prevalent in the ahead. In the recent report from RNA News, experts claimed that considering the catastrophic meteorological consequences in 2022 thus far and IPCC scientific findings, Alex Scott, senior global policy specialist at the E3G research institute, characterized negotiations as detached from reality. While no single storm system could be wholly blamed on global warming, researchers claim there is a clear link connecting global warming and premature torrential rains and storm surges. The general public could prepare for a typical rainfall and a somewhat harder monsoon, although folks ca not arrange for anything exceptional. As per Dr. Prakash, who also was the primary researcher on the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report, which was issued in 2014, researches have stated that the Himalayan area's changes in precipitation are indeed shifting, resulting in weather conditions. While Power Shift Africa director Mohamed Adow remarked on Thursday that at a moment when fragile nations are suffering grave repercussions, what we have here in Bonn is a violation of disadvantaged individuals and nations. An extremely wet weather is projected for this territory as a consequence of global warming. Also read: Fisherman in Cambodia Catches Largest Freshwater Fish Ever Hooked Record-Breaking Storm Flood in Bangladesh Dr Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) also made a point and told that the setbacks would almost surely impact unfairness. The unsatisfactory conference in Bonn arrives shortly following a climate-induced scorching in South Asia - and immediately five months ahead the yearly Cop27 global meeting in Egypt, when mitigation money will be discussed once more, as per Daily Climate recent update. Bangladesh, a populous country of 160 million people, is low-lying and particularly vulnerable to catastrophic events including such cyclonic storms, which are exacerbated by global disruption. It is shameful that affluent nations do not take devastation and environmental funding seriously enough. Anthropogenic global warming has repeatedly warned that the incidence and intensity of severe meteorological incidents that happened would increase. Although the almost 200-country discussions were intended to make headway on long-term climate funding, observers believe they concluded with hardly success. The tragic system in Bangladesh revealed even as the mid-year UN warming conference in Bonn came to a close week prior, concluding a frustrating workweek of deliberations on disasters. According to Dr Anjal Prakash, head of research of the Hyderabad-based Bharti Institute of Public Policy, whom has worked in Bangladesh since over a period, these catastrophic meteorological occurrences are expected to be on the upswing. Following the devastating flooding previously this season, authorities are predicting that the nation faces a huge national catastrophe. Related article: 72-Foot Yacht Caught Fire and Sank, Three Passengers and Two Dogs Survive Miraculously Kurdish farmers harvest watermelon at a field in the Bardarash district, near the Kurdish city of Dohuk, in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, on June 15, 2021 (Photo : Photo by SAFIN HAMED/AFP via Getty Images) Even in the dead of winter, local supermarket vegetable sections throughout the globe are a riot of hue. 'Food Miles' and Carbon Pollution In this year-round diversity comes at a substantial expense to the environment, with recent research indicating that 'agricultural mileage' represents for 19% of overall nutritional emissions - 3-fold more than originally believed, as per the latest update of the news media site, Science Alert. Inadequately, despite having only 12.5% of the earth's demographic, high-income nations account for 46% of global food-mile carbon output. According to the report's principal investigator, University of Sydney environmental modeling writer Mengyu Li, the investigation forecasts that worldwide food mechanisms relate about 30% of total human-produced carbon dioxide emissions owing to transportation, manufacturing, and land cover, so nutritional mobility - at around 6% - is a substantial ratio of carbon pollution. The official website of SCIMEX also reported that while the researchers have asserted that despite greenhouse gases from industrial agriculture are extensively reported, the environmental cost of worldwide food commerce, factoring for the full supply network, is still not thoroughly assessed. Furthermore, as per the statement given of the authorities working on the said research study, folks can assume that simulating the food web across the globe is a tricky task, and most earlier studies either have glanced at particular nations or goods produced. For example, tomato sauce or beef, but this isn't scalable enough to provide a remarkably good understanding of what is going on. The researchers calculated that it would save 0.27 gigatonnes of food miles (0.24 gigatonnes for high-income nations alone!) and 0.11 gigatonnes of food production carbon. Rather, the investigators utilized the FoodLab platform to add 74 nations, 37 business activities (such as cattle, anthracite, and fresh fruits and vegetables), and four conveyance options to develop a simulation that encompasses the whole worldwide supply structure. Agricultural transit solely emits 3 gigatonnes of CO2 per year, accounting for 19% of total food-related outputs, inclusive land management. Regrettably, eating 100% domestically is impossible since some communities cannot produce food, but it provides a wonderful starting point for where we might go next. Also read: Animals Can Suffer Long-term Health Damage from Extreme Heatwaves, Study Finds How the Food Industry Accumulated 19% of All Food Emissions In his interview, David Raubenheime, a nutritional ecologist at the University of Sydney, told The Guardian that the researchers prefer to analyze things surrounding them in simplified categories, such as meat is bad and veggies are good,' but researchers sought a much more fuller view. One exemplar is the routine of advantaged buyers demanding inclement food products year-round, which must be shipped from somewhere else. Furthermore, the research which was posted under the Food Nature has shown that, in furthermore to transitioning to a plant-based nutrition, consuming regionally is suitable, particularly in prosperous countries. This is especially crucial for fruits and vegetables, which must be chilled before being shipped all around globe, causing even more carbon. Eating regional temporary options, as we have done for much of our species' heritage, can assist ensure a thriving earth for subsequent centuries. Another difficulty is that many of us have grown accustomed to being available to purchase guacamole, artichokes, berries, as well as oranges at any season of year. Related article: Chickens Were Exotic Animals Before They Turned Into Food LOUISVILLE, KY - AUGUST 25: Matthew Vanderpool, environmental health specialist and entomologist for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, displays a mosquito collected earlier in the day on August 25, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. Vanderpool specializes in mosquito control, a public health process that involves placing traps to collect specimen, identifying various mosquito species, and testing the samples for mosquito-borne diseases. Lab technologists test for Saint Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, La Crosse encephalitis, and Eastern equine encephalitis. (Photo : Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) As weather conditions begin to increase, biochemists predict an increase in mosquito vectors in western Washington as well as other portions of the Pacific Northwest. Rising Temperatures and Mosquito Population Increase Since there is so much moisture for hatching this springtime and summertime, mosquitoes may bother people far beyond normal. Biochemists also believe that the severe, high humidity has postponed the emergence of many of the larvae, so they may all emerge simultaneously. According to the latest update from Fox 13 - a news media outlet, there's has been an increase in the population of mosquitos this season, although it is not actually significantly increasing, but it will still definitely hurt. Furthermore, as per the man who was suffering from aedes mosquitoes on his arms and head when he arrived at Saltwater State Park on Monday, he claimed that the bite close to his ear is a little bit scratchy opposed to the other bites in his arms, as mentioned in The Washington Post update. The cold weather precludes or slow down the flying insects from arising, and as shortly as it heats up, starts getting above 60 or so, it's all of an unexpected 70 or so, mosquitos will all occur at the simultaneously. The rain and everything else will encourage malaria transmission. Back home in Alaska, the mosquitos are deep right now, and they are intolerable. In his interview, Steve Peterson, a Burien camper, told reporters that backpackers like him or those who wants to camp supposed to bring their own screen temples to fill the entire chart. While Federal Way resident Darby Laronde remarked how fire pit fumes with a touch of greenery on top drives everything out. Even when he anticipates the highlands as well as swampy regions to be the severely impacted by the anticipated gaggle of mosquito vectors, he furthermore predicts urban zones to be affected. "I constantly get mosquito bites annually," claimed Eric Davis of Federal Way. Also read: Fisherman in Cambodia Catches Largest Freshwater Fish Ever Hooked Reason Behind the Increase of Mosquitos This Season According to Trendradars, backpackers and others they usually use a lot of insect repellent and fog. Since when up in the mountains, there will always be an insect every inch or two. Experts additionally recommends checking vases and receptacles in your property for excessive moisture and emptying them to minimize malaria transmission. If you're going to be hiking in the highlands, carry your insect repellent. Even in western Washington and the Seattle region, we have up to 50 distinct types of midges. Thus, campers should anticipate an upsurge in mosquitos even in metropolitan surroundings. Like what Burien, a resident Dylan Peterson said, mosquitoes are nasty, so you're always wanting to dodge them when backpacking, since today we got one of those small schemes that electrocutes mosquitos. Campers at Saltwater Nature Preserve described how they would mitigate the effects of a prospective mosquito infestation. Riffell advises bringing insect repellent if planning a vacation. Since many do a lot of outdoor recreation activities, backpacking as well as environmental activities. Related article: Pollinator-Friendly Solar: Do it for the Bees In this photograph taken on November 16, 2021, Afghans Kuchis, Pashtun nomads who live a pastoral nomadic lifestyle, travel on a truck in a highway on the outskirts of Gardez, in Paktika province. (Photo : Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) Images depict mudslides and destroyed mud-brick dwellings in eastern Paktika governorate, where paramedics are rushing to diagnose the victims of the accident. 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Leaves 255 People Dead Aircrafts have been transporting patients to health care facilities in isolated places. In the official interview made, Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada claimed that, apartment buildings have been demolished, and the number of fatalities is expected to grow Furthermore, the Afghan rescue agency remarked that the 6.1-magnitude earthquake slammed south-east Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths over 1000 civilians and injured over 1,500 further. Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim, the minister in charge for emergency preparedness, indicated at a press event that the number of fatalities was expected to grow. The earthquake hit soon Wednesday morning local time, with its origin in Khost, some 95 miles south of Kabul, according to the US Geological Survey. Previously, Abdul Wahid Rayan, the chief official of the Bakthar media organization, stated that the places affected by the tremor were in hilly locations, implying that relief efforts have been conducted using aircrafts, The Guardian reported. However, Rayan appended and state that Afghanistan has a scarcity of aircraft and these locations proving troublesome to reach is rendering rescue operations stressful. Rayan reported that 90 residences in Gayan, a region of Paktika governorate, had been damaged. As per a citizen who posted on the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre's internet site, powerful and lengthy jerking movements were reported in Kabul (EMSC). Images in Afghan newspapers as well as on media platforms displayed buildings in ruins. According to ABC News, Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, the chairman of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, casualties have reportedly been recorded in the eastern districts of Khost as well as Nangarhar. Municipal administration bureaucrats, according to Bakhtar, are concerned that the number of deaths may climb if the national congress does not give immediate assistance. Moreover, in a post online, a guy gestures to the residences surrounding him in a footage uploaded on online networks by the media organization and claimed that there are five people trapped beneath one residence; six people behind another household, and about 13 human remains under a property property. "A major tremor hit four counties of Paktika region, slaughtering and wounding thousands of our compatriots and damaging hundreds of buildings," said Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesperson for the Taliban leadership. We encourage various assistance organizations to deploy personnel to the region as soon as possible to avert additional disaster." Also read: Italy's Intense Drought Brings Old World War Shipwrecks to Emerge from the River Afghanistan Suffers from Earthquake Damage The tremor had an intensity of 6.1, according to the Pakistan Bureau of meteorology. Tremors were reported in Islamabad and other cities in Pakistan's Punjab region. Primary care doctor in charge in the incident also told reporters that the majority of the fatalities have occurred in the Gayan and Barmal regions of Paktika. According to the local media portal Etilaat-e Roz, an entire hamlet in Gayan was devastated. Seismic waves were reported over a 500-kilometer radius in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Residents testified experiencing the tremor in Kabul, Afghanistan, along with Islamabad, Pakistan. As per BBC Urdu, there were neither initial report of casualties, and the event inflicted minimal devastation in Pakistan. Afghanistan is seismically active due to its location in a geologically active zone, which includes the Chaman line, the Hari Rud fault, the Central Badakhshan fault, and the Darvaz line. More than 7,000 deaths have occurred in earthquakes in the nation in the last ten years, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Earthquakes kill an estimated 560 people per year. Related article: 72-Foot Yacht Caught Fire and Sank, Three Passengers and Two Dogs Survive Miraculously On June 11, local fishermen in Gubat, Sorsogon, found the megamouth shark, a deepwater fish, dead in seclusion on the coasts of Sorsogon, Philippines. The cause of death is still unknown, according to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) officials. Nonie Enolva, Chief of Fisheries Resource Management Section for BFAR, pointed out that she thinks it might have gotten entangled in a fishing net. Enolva posted a photo of the dead megamouth shark on Facebook, with a caption describing the shark as "beached." Megamouth Sharks Megamouth sharks can live up to 100 years and are only very infrequently seen by humans. They spend the majority of their lives in the dark and can live up to 15,000 feet below the ocean's surface. The bulbous head of the megamouth shark is rounded at the snout and has a large mouth. The body tapers back to a moderate caudal (tail) fin with a heavier top lobe. Their skin is light gray to white below and dark gray-brown on top. The megamouth shark is thought to be a diurnal animal that spends the day following krill swarms from the open ocean's surface and diving deep at night. They are believed to be one of the largest shark species, coming in third place behind basking and whale sharks despite their rarity of sightings. They can reach a height of 16 feet and weigh on average 2,700 pounds. The megamouth shark specimen found at the shores of Sorsogon was about 15 feet long. According to Enolva, the agency is interested in learning and confirming the cause of the megamouth shark's demise. She also explained the agency's goals in trying to preserve the specimen through taxidermy or submerging it in a solution for preservation. Read also: 5 Biggest Sharks to Have Ever Lived in the Ocean Megamouth Discovery Since the species' initial discovery in 1976, there have been 269 confirmed sightings of megamouth sharks worldwide, according to the Florida Museum. The majority of sightings take place in Taiwan, where the species occasionally end up as bycatch after getting caught in fishing nets. Globally, the Philippines has had the second-most sightings reported. The Florida Museum's final sighting was in San Roque, Philippines, in December 2021. The sharks are typically already dead when they wash up on the shore. The Philippines' Bicol region has seen three megamouths, with this one being the third. The body of water is an excellent fishing location with a variety of marine life. Rare and endangered species may also be drawn to the ecosystem. Megamouth shark sightings are too infrequent for data collection, so it is unknown how many are present worldwide. This has also prevented authorities from taking action to protect the shark. Since commercial fisheries started exploring deeper waters in search of a wider variety of species, shark sightings have increased. In Hawaii, a sea anchor was unintentionally used to trap the first megamouth shark ever found. Even though the vessel was engaged in a classified operation for the United States Navy, the incident was not reported for many years. Related article: Rare Megamouth Shark Caught Off Japanese Coast Page Content Today, Sunday, June 19th, 2022, the Honorable Prime Minister Silveria E. Jacobs, the Honorable Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion and their support staff are traveling to Aruba to attend four-country consultation meetings with the Prime Ministers of Aruba and Curacao and State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen. These consultation meetings which begin on Monday, June 20th, will serve as the platform to confirm the direction necessary in order to answer the questions and concerns expressed by the Parliaments of the Kingdom through their various reports on the Consensus Kingdom Law on the Entity for Reform and Development (COHO). In preparation for these consultation meetings, technical teams of the countries traveled to Curacao in May for pre-discussion where they identified the areas for which further discussion and consensus are necessary on a political level. The various reports from the Parliaments of the Kingdom form the basis for the discussions to be held, as such, the outcome of these meetings will determine how the countries proceed with the Kingdom Law. St. Maarten remains determined and looks forward to fruitful negotiations with our Kingdom partners, stated Prime Minister Jacobs. A massive sunspot that has grown twice its size in just 24 hours is now facing Earth and may produce a solar flare. Sunspots are dark spots on the surface of the sun that are linked to powerful radiation bursts. Because they are cooler than other areas of the sun's surface, they appear dark. Because they develop over regions with particularly potent magnetic fields, sunspots are relatively cool. Sunspots develop when some of the sun's internal heat is prevented from reaching the surface due to the strength of the magnetic fields. These tangled magnetic fields occasionally spontaneously reorganize. When that occurs, a solar flare, a sudden explosion of light and radiation, is ejected from the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory demonstrates the sunspot's twisting and contorting evolution over the previous day or so. Sunspot AR3038, which was large on Tuesday, is now referred to as "enormous," with SpaceWeather adding that it has grown by a factor of two in just one day. Sunspot to Solar Flare The sunspot's magnetic field makes it possible for it to produce an M-class solar flare, the second-strongest kind, and send it toward Earth. Whether this will be the case, however, is unknown. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has not issued any solar flare warnings as of Monday morning. Solar flares are powerful enough to disrupt radio communication networks and navigational systems on Earth. People who work in the maritime or aviation industries, among others, may experience issues as a result. Read also: Gigantic Solar Flares 19 Times Bigger Than Earth Captured in Video M-Class vs. X-Class But it's important to remember that an M-class flare wouldn't likely be all that disruptive. Despite being the second-strongest type of solar flare, M-class flares typically only result in mild radio blackouts. The M9 flare, the strongest in the M-class, has the potential to disrupt low-frequency navigation signals and cut off radio communication for tens of minutes in affected areas of Earth. There are also lots of M-class flares. The less frequent X-class flares are the ones that can get into more serious trouble because it is the strongest type of flare. Boats and airplanes would not be able to use navigation signals during an X20 flare, for example, which would result in a complete high-frequency radio blackout on the dayside of Earth for several hours. Fortunately, these flares are extremely rare, occurring less frequently than once every 11 years, which is the average length of a solar cycle, Newsweek reports. 1989 Coronal Mass Ejection Coronal mass ejections, a significant release of plasma and magnetic field from the sun, can be caused by powerful M-class and X-class flares. Geomagnetic storms may result from this behavior, which can disturb the magnetosphere of the Earth. Such geomagnetic storms may cause auroras to appear closer to the equator than is normally possible. A powerful solar flare that was part of a coronal mass ejection that struck Earth in 1989 knocked out electricity for 12 hours across the entire Canadian province of Quebec. The solar eruption also caused a geomagnetic storm that caused aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, to be visible as far south as Florida and Cuba. Related article: World's Greatest Solar Storm: Carrington Event That Threatened to Cripple Technology Scientists are developing bionic robo-fish to clean microplastics from the waters. Tiny self-propelled robo-fish can swim around, grab on to free-floating microplastics, and repair themselves if they are harmed. Developing the Robo-fish Scientists have created a small robot-fish that can remove microplastics from seas and oceans by swimming about and absorbing them on its soft, flexible, self-healing body. Microplastics are billions of microscopic plastic particles that break off from larger plastic items we use daily, such as water bottles, automobile tires, and synthetic T-shirts. They are one of the most serious environmental issues of the twenty-first century because once dispersed into the environment through the breakdown of larger plastics; they are challenging to remove, making their way into drinking water, produce, and food, harming the environment as well as animal and human health. "It is critical to building a robot that can correctly collect and analyze harmful microplastic contaminants from the aquatic environment," said Yuyan Wang, a researcher at Sichuan University's Polymer Research Institute and one of the study's primary authors. Her team's groundbreaking creation is documented in a study published in Nano Letters. Regarding water contamination, researchers at Sichuan University have devised a unique solution: developing a tiny self-propelled robo-fish that can swim around, grab on to free-floating microplastics, and repair itself if it gets cut or broken. The robo-fish is only 13mm long, but owing to a light laser system in its tail, it swims and flaps around at over 30mm per second, similar to how plankton moves in moving water. Also Read: For the First Time, Microplastics Contamination Has Been Detected Inside the Lungs Building a Complex Robot The researchers built the robot out of materials inspired by marine life: mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, which is the inside coating of clam shells. The scientists generated a material comparable to nacre by stacking several tiny sheets of molecules per the chemical gradient of nacre. According to the study, this resulted in a robo-fish that is stretchable, flexible to twist, and capable of pulling up to 5kg in weight. Most crucially, because the organic colors, antibiotics, and heavy metals in the microplastics have strong chemical bonds and electrostatic interactions with the fish's components, the bionic fish can adsorb neighboring free-floating particles of microplastics. his causes them to cling to the surface, allowing the fish to gather and eliminate microplastics from the water. Furthermore, the newly produced material appears to have regeneration properties, according to Wang, who specializes in producing self-healing materials. So the robot fish can recover to 89 percent of its capability and continue adsorbing even if it sustains some damage or cutting - which is likely if it pollutes in stormy seas. Wang emphasizes that this is merely a proof of concept and that much more study is needed, particularly into how this may be used in the real world. The soft robot, for example, now only functions on water surfaces, so Wang's team will soon be working on more functionally complicated robo-fish that can move deeper beneath the water. Nonetheless, Wang believes this bionic design might serve as a springboard for other such ventures. Use of Nanotech According to Philip Demokritou, director of the Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Research Center at Rutgers University, who was not engaged in this work, nanotechnology will be one of the most crucial actors in the battle against microplastics. Demokritou's lab is similarly interested in utilizing nanotechnology to remove microplastics from the environment - but instead of cleaning them up, they are focused on replacing them. In the journal Nature Food, he unveiled the project of a novel plant-based spray coating this week, which can serve as an environmentally benign alternative to plastic food covers. Their case study demonstrated that this starch-based fiber spray might protect against infections and transportation damage just as well as, if not better, conventional plastic packaging choices. This is low-hanging fruit for the area of nanotechnology, according to Demokritou, and as material research advances, so will the multi-pronged strategy of replacing plastic in our daily lives and filtering out its microplastic residue from the environment. However, there is a significant difference between an invention and an innovation, according to Demokritou. Nobody has ever thought of inventing anything. Right? However, innovation can potentially alter people's lives since it can be commercialized and scaled. Related Article: Scientists Creates Enzyme that Breaks Down Plastics Turning Centuries of Degradation Into Days For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. By Gao Qiao The US has announced that it would provide Ukraine with an additional security assistance worth of 1 billion dollars and an additional humanitarian aid worth of 225 million dollars. This is the largest single US military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, NATO countries and their allies have pledged to provide new weapons and air defense systems. The number of weapons that the US and the Western countries have aided Ukraine has continued to increase, but where are these weapons going? I am afraid that the US and the West cannot give a reliable answer. CNN published an article titled "What happens to weapons sent to Ukraine? The US doesnt really know", saying that due to the inability to effectively monitor, some of the weapons aided to Ukraine are likely to fall into the hands of lawbreakers, which will bring great danger to regional security. Executive Director of Europol Catherine De Bolle also said that after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine ends, those weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine may fall into the hands of criminal gangs and then flow to other countries on the European continent. In fact, it is almost impossible to monitor the circulation of these weapons. Some of them have been sold at low prices on the "dark web", and some people sell them on the black market to terrorist groups. For a long time, the US has put its own interests first when providing the so-called "assistance" to other countries. It only considers the purse of its own Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) and disregards the security and development of other countries. During the wars in Syria and Afghanistan, many weapons provided by the US flew into the hands of terrorist organizations and other armed forces. Weapons and equipment with escalating lethality are pouring into Ukraine continuously on a large scale, but it is difficult to trace. This phenomenon has been selectively ignored by US politicians. What is the reason? It is not difficult to find the answer by analyzing the strategic intentions of the US in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the plan of the US has been to strike down its strategic rival Russia as much as possible, keep the refugee flow and energy crisis caused by the war in Europe, and increase Europe's strategic dependence on the US. From the constant flames-fanning before the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the escalation of sanctions against Russia after the conflict, the passing of bill on tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, and the pressure on European allies to continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, the US is trying to use a "never-ending war" to consolidate its hegemony. Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, European countries have been caught in multiple real dilemmas such as security threats, economic stagflation, energy shortages and refugee crisis. The US has been indifferent to others' misfortune, not to mention the issue of weapons proliferation that has been hidden in the gray area. It is time for European countries, who have been hit hard by the crisis, to see the true face of the US: the US maintains its hegemony at the expense of Europe. Former British MP George Galloway warned: "US is ready to fight to the last drop of Ukrainian, European blood". If many weapons are allowed to proliferate, it may bring huge security risks to Europe, and eventually cause a backlash to the source, especially European countries that paid for the aid of the weapon. Editor's note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. 'It is my belief that people are unaware of how often improperly stored guns are being stolen from homes, vehicles and businesses. Development and implementation of an education campaign for gun owners on best practices for secure weapon storage would also prevent numerous gun thefts.' One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 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). Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). AP A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to nearly three years in prison Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to setting a police SUV on fire while wearing a Joker mask during widespread May 2020 demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis "I will never forget the first dinner the evening I arrived. The restaurant we went to is not around anymore. It was a very poorly attended dinner. Yo-Yo Ma was performing at Krannert that night and competing with him for peoples attention was mission impossible. Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and staff writer for the Illinois Times. He can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com. Introduction What is dementia? Symptoms of Dementia Ten myths and misconceptions about dementia References People worry that they or someone close will get dementia when they get older. But what is dementia, and does it even exist? This article will look at what dementia is before examining ten common misconceptions associated with the disease. Image Credit: Salim Hanzaz/Shutterstock.com What is dementia? "Dementia doesn't actually exist?" according to Professor Craig Ritchie, Chair of the Psychiatry of Aging at the University of Edinburgh, UK. In an address to challenge some common misconceptions about neurological disorders, he informed a Glasgow audience that the diagnostic criteria used for making a dementia diagnosis were fundamentally flawed because they were out of date. "Dementia is diagnosed on the basis of memory impairment, another cognitive domain being affected, and having an impact on your day-to-day function. There's one thing strikingly missingthe brain. You don't have to have a brain scan; it's purely based on those clinical symptoms." Professor Ritchie Nowadays, brain imaging is readily available. Besides this, cerebrospinal fluid and blood testing can be done, alongside cognitive evaluation much improved when compared to those offered in the past. Ritchie suggests abandoning the term dementia altogether to talk about 'brain disease.' But the term dementia is still widely in use, and it's a label often found at the heart of much confusion. So then, what do we mean when we talk about dementia? Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive conditions that affect the brain (Dementia UK, 2021). There are over 200 types of dementia, which stop the neurons (brain cells) from working correctly. The most well-known type is Alzheimer's, while some other types include vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementia, and mixed dementia. The term is used to describe a set of common symptoms affecting memory, cognition, and communication that usually worsen over time: Symptoms of Dementia Memory problems: Increasing forgetfulness Difficulty remembering new information Misplacing items Forgetting names easily Getting easily lost, especially in places once familiar Cognitive function: Problems with time and place, e.g., going to the wrong appointment at the wrong time Difficulty with shopping and making purchases Problems making decisions Problems with reasoning Loss of interest in things Restlessness and fidgeting Communication problems: Repetition in speech Difficulties with conversation Problems reading and writing Lack of interest in socializing Withdrawn Lacking confidence Personality and behavioral change Mood swings Anxiety and depression Ten myths and misconceptions about dementia Myth no. 1: Dementia is inevitable with advancing age Most people don't develop dementia as they grow older. That said, it is most prevalent in those aged over 65. By 2025 it is estimated that more than one million people in the UK will be diagnosed with dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and it affects 3% of those aged between 6574 years of age in the US (Alzheimer's Association, 2019). Myth no. 2: I have memory loss it must be dementia! Not necessarily so. It can be a normal part of aging or a symptom of other problems such as stress. Besides this, many types of dementia do not feature memory loss as a primary symptom. Myth no. 3: Dementia is untreatable and progressive While there is no cure for dementia, it is certainly possible to slow symptoms down with medication and lifestyle changes if caught early enough. Myth no. 4: Dementia only affects older people While increasing age is a risk factor and dementia is more prevalent in those aged over 65, a percentage of the population does, in fact, develop early-onset dementia. In those aged 30-60 years, that estimate stands at around 38260 people in 100,000 equivalent to 0.0380.26% (Lambert et al., 2014). Meanwhile, in those aged 55-64, the figures rise to around 420 people in 100,000, or 0.4% (Lambert et al., 2014). Image Credit: Image Point Fr/Shutterstock.com Myth no. 5: Dementia is genetic and is therefore passed on between generations There is no strong genetic link in most of those diagnosed with dementia. But genetics does play a part in developing certain forms of dementia, such as early-onset Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Myth no. 6: Aluminium can cause dementia People worry that aluminum cookware might be a cause of dementia. There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that this is the case. This misconception has a basis on experiments first done in the 1960s and since, and no causal links have been established. However, myths still circulate about the danger of drinking from aluminum cans or cooking with aluminum pans. Myth no. 7: Smoking can cause dementia Smoking alone doesn't cause dementia, but it is certainly one of the risk factors for developing the disease. Myth no. 8: People with dementia are "not with it" While it's easy to assume those living with dementia don't know what is going on around them, dementia is a very individual experience. The disease can appear differently in different people suffering from the disease. In its early stages, dementia can be relatively mild. At this stage, people can look after themselves and need only very minimal assistance, if any at all. Myth no. 9: A dementia diagnosis spells the end of a meaningful existence As already discussed above (see myth no. 8), in its early stages, the disease can be very mild and this non-intrusive. A diagnosis of dementia does not entail an automatic and immediate halt to aspects of life such as going for a walk or driving. Adjustments will need to be made as the disease progresses, but that does not spell the end of a meaningful life. Myth no. 10: Dementia is a preventable disease This is regrettably untrue. There are modifiable risk factors for dementia, so reducing the chances of developing the disease is possible. According to a 2020 report in the Lancet, 12 identifiable risk factors increase the likelihood of developing dementia: lack of education; smoking; obesity; hypertension; depression; sedentary lifestyle; alcohol; social isolation; diabetes; traumatic brain injury, and air pollution. Alzheimer's Association (2019) 2019 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures. Online: https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures-2019-r.pdf. Alzheimer Society of Canada (2021) Myths and realities of dementia. Online: https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/stigma-against-dementia/myths-realities-dementia#Read_this_information_in_a_downloadable_PDF. Dementia Australia (2020) Confronting the myths. Online: https://www.dementia.org.au/information/for-health-professionals/dementia-the-essentials/confronting-the-myths. Dementia UK (2021) What is dementia? Online: https://www.dementiauk.org/about-dementia/dementia-information/what-is-dementia/. Lambert, M. A. (2014) Estimating the burden of early onset dementia; systematic review of disease prevalence. European Journal of Neurology. Doi: 10.1111/ene.12325Cit. Ranscombe, P. (2019) Dispelling myths and legends about dementia. The Lancet. Doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30072-9. Further Reading Introduction The Search for Extraterrestrial Life Using Microbiology to Search for Extraterrestrial Life Using Knowledge on Extremophiles to Hint at Possible Alien Microbes Microbiology: The Next Frontier in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life? References The search for extraterrestrial life is one of the greatest scientific endeavors of the 21st century. Scientists and engineers employ numerous technologies to answer one of the most fundamental questions asked down the ages: are we alone? Microbiology may play a role in answering this question. This article will discuss this subject. Image Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com The Search for Extraterrestrial Life For eons, people have looked up at the night sky and wondered if there was life out there beyond the reach of our atmosphere. For millennia, many major world religions believed the Earth was the center of the Universe, but this changed with the invention of the telescope. Since then, scientists have learned intimate secrets of the previously unknown cosmos. Since the latter half of the 20th century, humanity has developed powerful telescopes and sent people, probes, and satellites into space to help answer the fundamental questions on the nature of the Universe, revealing it to be a far more dynamic place than we previously assumed. Perhaps one of the most pertinent research areas in the hunt for alien life is the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program in 1960. If alien life exists, whether it is microscopic or whether there is intelligent life that rivals humanity, its discovery would fundamentally change our view of humanity's place in the Universe. Some people argue that it is not a case of if it is discovered; it is a case of when it is discovered. Using Microbiology to Search for Extraterrestrial Life Searching for the signs of an alien civilization is one approach to hunting for life elsewhere in the Universe. Still, one field that could provide clues to the existence of extraterrestrial organisms is microbiology. Mars is our closest neighbor in the solar system, and due to its similarities with Earth, it has become an attractive target in the hunt for alien microbial life. Over the years, scientists from several nations have sent probes to map and discover the planet's secrets. Currently, there are rovers on the surface of the red planet searching for tantalizing clues to whether life existed or still exists on Mars. The results were inconclusive when the Viking 1 lander ran its biological experiments in the 1970s. However, recent discoveries have provided the incentive to return. Due to periodic swings in the tilt of the axis of Mars, the northernmost region of the planet was warmer than today and could have been habitable as recently as 5 million years ago. This makes the region an intriguing target for future missions such as Icebreaker 1 to return to and run more sophisticated experiments. Perseverance is currently examining Jezero Crater, which was once a lakebed billions of years ago in what was believed to be a river delta. Conceivably, microbial life could have existed in this location. If there are fossilized traces of ancient lifeforms, they will likely exist in lakebed and shoreline sediments. Aside from fossilized life, there are tantalizing clues that life may exist on Mars. There is also evidence of a reservoir of saline water below Mar's ice caps, which could harbor microbial life today. Curiosity, which discovered organic material in 3.6-billion-year-old mudstone, has analyzed methane, an important biological indicator gas, in the Martian atmosphere. Image Credit: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock.com Using Knowledge on Extremophiles to Hint at Possible Alien Microbes Aside from the physical hunt for alien microorganisms, scientists are using knowledge from the study of extremophiles on Earth to hint at what alien microbial life could look like. Extremophiles are microbial species that can live in the most extreme environments on Earth, such as hot sulfurous springs, on the slopes of volcanoes, and even in the abyssal depths of the oceans. Thomas Brock pioneered research on extremophiles. The publication of Brock's research paved the way for the field of astrobiology, which studies all life on Earth and beyond. A project that aimed to understand Martian conditions and, therefore, whether life could exist there was the MASE (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration) project. Five extreme environments were chosen for the study, and the project produced a wealth of data on extremophiles and whether they could survive on Mars or in deep space. A team led by Mossl-Eichener has cultivated extremophile species from the environments in MASE's research, with some success (31 out of 1000 species). To provide more information on their diversity, they used genetic sequencing. They specifically looked for genes that could help microbes survive in environments such as extremes of temperature and the absence of oxygen. The team discovered 34 unique DNA sequences found at all the MASE sites that hint at the ability to survive a combination of extreme environments. While it is usual to find species that have adapted to one extreme environment, the team was surprised to discover a group of microbes adapted to survive in multiple extreme stressor environments. This observation led the team to conclude that similar microbes could exist on Mars, both in the past and currently. Some experiments have even demonstrated that microbes can survive in zero gravity. Microbiology: The Next Frontier in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life? As the hunt for extraterrestrial life intensifies, microbiology is increasingly playing a part in the field. Microbiology, and the broader field of astrobiology, has provided tantalizing clues on the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe and what that microbial life could look like. Mann, A. (2018) Inner Workings: Hunting for microbial life throughout the solar system PNAS 115(45) pp. 11348-11350 [online] Accessed on 3 rd December 2021. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/45/11348 December 2021. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/45/11348 Palmer, B (2021) Studies of extreme ecosystems on Earth can guide the search for Martian life and may reveal the fundamental limits of biology Scientific American [online] Accessed on 3 rd December 2021. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hardy-microbes-hint-at-possibilities-for-extraterrestrial-life/ December 2021. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hardy-microbes-hint-at-possibilities-for-extraterrestrial-life/ Nasa.gov (website) Perseverance Rover's Landing Site: Jezero Crater Nasa.gov [online] Accessed online 3rd December 2021. https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/science/landing-site/ Further Reading In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, researchers identified potential risk factors and incident symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the general population of the United Kingdom (UK). Study: Cohort Profile: Longitudinal population-based study of COVID-19 in UK adults (COVIDENCE UK). Image Credit: FOTOGRIN / Shutterstock Background The current study, COVIDENCE UK, was a national, population-based longitudinal study of COVID-19 conducted in the UK between May 1, 2020, and October 6, 2021. The findings of COVIDENCE UK could complement research work identifying risk factors for developing predominantly mild and moderate COVID-19. Patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 can transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to high-risk individuals more rapidly. Moreover, understanding the susceptibility factors can provide insights into SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Geographical location of participants and COVID-19 cases. A, heatmap of COVIDENCE UK participants location of residence by postcode. B, heatmap of cumulative COVID-19 notifications in the UK, by postcode, from https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/download (download dated June 10, 2022). About the study In the present study, researchers investigated the risk factors for COVID-19 and its impact on UK residents over 16 years. They recruited these participants via national-level campaigns on print and digital media, including newspapers, radio, television advertisements, social media, and online advertising. First, the team asked all the participants to provide consent for access to a five-year follow-up of their linked medical records. In case of the death of any participant or failure to complete questionnaires, the researchers could still capture their health data. Next, the researchers asked each participant to fill out an online baseline questionnaire that captured information on socio-demographic characteristics, profession, weight, height, medical conditions, vaccination status, etc., of each study participant. Furthermore, the participants provided monthly information about their COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infection symptoms, quality of life, etc., via questionnaires. Although the study population under-represented certain sections, including younger adults, men, and ethnic minorities; yet, it effectively addressed several aetiological questions. On the other hand, it over-represented older adults and people with comorbidities and studied them well. Overall, the study findings are not particularly generalizable. Study findings In total, 19,981 participants enrolled for the COVIDENCE UK study between May 1, 2020, and October 6, 2021, and consented to a five-year follow-up. The mean age of the study participants was 59.1 years; 87.7% resided in England, 70.2% were female, and 93.7% belonged to the White ethnicity. The authors observed increased odds of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection among the study participants of Asian/Asian British origin. After infection and vaccination, they also had higher titers of combined immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. Therefore, there is a need to investigate how biological determinants of ethnic diversity make one susceptible to COVID-19. Further, the authors found that a higher body mass index increased susceptibility to COVID-19. These individuals had higher titers of anti-S antibodies following natural SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Conversely, factors associated with COVID-19 severity, including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, did not increase susceptibility to COVID-19. The overlap between factors influencing susceptibility to COVID-19 and COVID-19 severity was clearly limited. The post-vaccination study data showed that titers of anti-S antibodies were higher after vaccination. Conversely, a shorter interval between vaccine doses and suppressed immunity lowered anti-S antibody titers following vaccination. However, a booster dose of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based COVID-19 vaccine effectively seroconverted immunosuppressed individuals. Furthermore, the risk of breakthrough infection was independently associated with younger age, administering the ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine, and more frequent visits to indoor public places. In addition, health economic analyses revealed that COVID-19 resulted in a vicious cycle of impaired health and adverse economic outcomes. Conclusions Overall, the COVIDENCE UK dataset presented granular information on all factors influencing vulnerability to COVID-19 and its impact on UK adults. All the study participants consented to provide access to their medical records for up to five years. Additionally, the researchers followed up with the participants monthly to reduce issues associated with longer intervals between questionnaires, and poor recall of symptoms did not arise. Further, they engaged participants continuously via monthly webinars; hence the withdrawal rate was as low as 8%. More importantly, COVIDENCE UK reliably identified potential risk factors for developing mild and moderate COVID-19, which likely affected SARS-CoV-2 transmission. One of the distinguishing features of COVIDENCE UK was that it flexibly used trials-within-cohort methodology and rapidly, efficiently, and successfully tested interventions to prevent COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. Accordingly, the phase III randomized trial-within-cohort study (CORONAVIT) evaluated the test-and-treat approach to correct sub-optimal vitamin D status on incidence and severity of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections. The treatment, however, did not reduce the incidence or severity of COVID-19. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers in the Netherlands assessed the indirect and direct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.22 lineage transmission across domestic cats in an experimental environment. Study: Efficient direct and limited environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.22 in domestic cats. Image Credit: Magui RF / Shutterstock Background Few experimental investigations on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission among cats depicted that infected cats transmit SARS-CoV-2 to other cats by contact or aerosol transmission. A systematic evaluation of these experimental findings, supplemented with data from households, confirmed that prolonged direct contact viral transmission among cats and that the chance of indirect transmission through aerosol is likely, though less plausible than direct contact transmission. The potential of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in cats through exposure to contaminated surfaces or settings has yet to be investigated. It is possible that cat-to-human SARS-CoV-2 transmission could occur in contaminated environments if cats exposed to other cats with the virus were infected. Furthermore, a recent report suggesting a probable cat-to-human SARS-CoV-2 transmission underscores the likelihood of this transmission channel, considering the closeness of humans and pets. About the study In the current research, the investigators conducted an exhaustive study to describe the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.22 lineage among cats, both via direct and indirect contact, in a more detailed manner. For that purpose, the team determined the transmission rate and decay parameters for the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in the environment. They primarily measured the duration of SARS-CoV-2 infectiousness in a setting with contaminated surfaces. The researchers conducted a transmission test in domestic cats following infection with SARS-CoV-2 to determine the likelihood of cats transmitting SARS-CoV-2 through a contaminated environment and offer additional proof of direct contact COVID-19 transmission. Four separately housed cat pairs were used to evaluate direct COVID-19 transmission and contamination of the environment, i.e., a pen, where two new naive cats per contaminated pen were placed after the pair of cats used to estimate direct transmission were removed. The sample size was estimated using information from the study of Gonzales et al. Rectal and oral swabs were collected frequently, while oropharyngeal and nasal swabs were sampled only at a few time points. Heparinized blood and sera samples were obtained from all cats. Environmental samples (litter box, wall, floor, toy, and feeding tray) were taken day-to-day from all pens. Besides, the scientists assessed COVID-19 transmission by employing seroconversion or single-gene polymerase chain reaction (sgPCR) as indicators of successful infection. Experimental design of one out of four replicate groups. (a) Schematic timeline. One cat was inoculated intranasally on D0, and brought in contact with a naive cat on D1 in pen A. On D6, these two cats were exchanged with two other naive cats. Blood samples, oropharyngeal swabs and nasal swabs were collected under general anaesthesia on D0, D8, D15 and upon euthanasia. Oral and rectal swabs were collected more frequently without anesthesia. Environmental samples were collected daily, and all cats were euthanized on D23 except of one cat who died before the end of the study by a cause not related to SARS-CoV-2. (b) Until D6, cat 1 (inoculated donor cat) and cat 2 (direct contact recipient cat) were housed in pen A and contaminated the environment. Cat 3 and cat 4 were housed in pen B, which was separated from pen A by a plastic separator and space. (c) From D6 onwards, cats 3 and 4 were housed in contaminated pen A. Cats 1 and 2 were housed in pen B. Results Using four cohorts of a pair-transmission assessment, the authors showed that all four donors, i.e., inoculated cats, became SARS-CoV-2 infected, shed virus, and seroconverted. Except for two cats with mild nasal discharge, these cats were clinically asymptomatic. In addition, three of the four direct contact cats became infected, shed virus, and two among them became seroconverted. One of the eight cats subjected to an environment contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 contracted the virus yet did not seroconvert. Infection probability. The infection probability for each observed interval in the experiment where the day of the start of the interval is given on the x-axis. The results for two fitted stochastic models are given: SIR is the direct transmission SIR model and environmental is the environmental transmission SIR model. Day 6 is highlighted in red, because this is the day when the inoculated cat was removed from pen A. The team hypothesized that a lower dosage and intranasal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 would be an appropriate match for the donor cats' natural infection. Besides, the lack of evident clinical indications combined with viral shedding detected in nasal, oral, rectal, and oropharyngeal swabs, mild nonspecific histological features, seroconversion of inoculated animals, and direct contact transmission to naive cats was all consistent with earlier reports. Statistical evaluation of the transmission findings yielded 1) a reproduction number, R0 of 2.18, 2) a transmission rate parameter, of 0.23 day-1, and 3) a virus decay rate parameter, of 2.73 day-1. The current data indicated that SARS-CoV-2 transmission among cats could be sustained with an R0 of more than one. On the other hand, the infectiousness of the contaminated environment deteriorates quickly, with a mean infectiousness duration of 1/2.73 days, or 8.8 hours. Further, the researchers explained that SARS-CoV-2 infections of cats cannot be ruled out if exposure to a SARS-CoV-2-contaminated setting happened soon after contamination. Conclusions The research concluded that direct contact transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between cats is feasible even when the inoculation dose is low. Additionally, the current work depicts that the infectiousness of a SARS-CoV-2-contaminated environment degrades quickly, reducing the effectiveness of environmental COVID-19 transmission. The indirect, environmental transmission pathway, however, may still be viable. In addition, the present data showed that surveys that focus only on seroprevalence in cats might overlook the exact prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among cats. *Important notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Findings from a new University of California San Diego Rady School of Management study reveal people often hurt others because in their mind, it is morally right or even obligatory to be violent and as a result, they do not respond rationally to material benefits. The study has implications for the criminal justice system, suggesting that fines or jail time to penalize bad behavior may not be an effective deterrent as lawmakers hope. For a majority of offenders, it's not worth the trouble to inflict harm purely from a place of cynical greed. For example, as we are seeing with the January 6 hearings, many of the perpetrators of the attack on the Capitol believed the election had been stolen from them and that they were morally in the right to punish the congresspeople who had wronged them. Many of these people will be materially punished for their actions. What's unclear is whether that would stop them from doing it again." Tage Rai, psychologist, assistant professor of management, Rady School of Management and author of the study Rai's findings, published in the journal Psychological Science, are based on multiple experiments with nearly 1,500 study participants. Subjects in an experimental group were paid a monetary bonus to punish others; however, when they were compensated for punishing, it actually made them less likely to do so. "Monetary gains may conflict with their perceived moral justifications," Rai said. "People punish others to signal their own goodness and receiving compensation might make it seem as though they're driven by greed rather than justice. However, I also find that if your peers tell you you're still a good person even if you take the money, then you no longer have moral qualms about harming others for profit." Rai added, to prevent criminal acts, lawmakers should leverage social pressure as well. "When people are aware that they're being judged negatively by their peers, they may find themselves more likely to question their claims of moral righteousness," he said. Much of Rai's research seeks to understand violent behavior and how to prevent it. His previous studies as well as the book he co-authored Virtuous Violence reveal that most violent criminals have their own notions about what is right and wrong in a given situation. Knowing that violent offenders often cite their own moral code as the reason why they hurt people, Rai wanted test this theory further by paying people to punish others in a lab experiment. Across four different experiments in an online economic game, he found providing a monetary bonus for punishing a third party cut participants' willingness to do so nearly in half. "The findings suggest people may be more hesitant to do harm when they stand to profit from it if they anticipate condemnation from their peers," Rai said. In conclusion, he says understanding what draws people to violence is key to preventing it. "If governments are trying to disincentive criminals, they should also aim to change the moral narratives criminals use to justify their actions," Rai said. Everyone remembers those old high school movies where the ultra-nerdy teenage boy falls in love with a the most beautiful girl in the whole school. The movie begins with the girl not knowing anything about the geeky leading man that most wouldn't consider a strong partner, but by the end, she's fallen for him too. It's a classic romantic movie formula. However, new research from the University of Missouri suggests these relationships might be best left to the movies. Sean Prall, an assistant professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Science, traveled to northwest Namibia in southern Africa to study the behavior of Himba, a group of semi-nomadic agro-pastoralists. There he found that not only are people who are similarly desirable more likely to enter into a relationship, but they are also more likely to experience success within that relationship. While in northern Namibia, he interviewed people about the desirability of others in the community. With this information, they estimated everyone's "mate value," a metric describing how likely people are to want to be in a relationship with someone. They then analyzed their relationship status. They found people with similar mate values were more likely to enter into a relationship with each other, and they also had better relationship outcomes. Prall said this is different than most research about desirability as it focuses on people's actions and less on their stated preference, which can be influenced by social pressures. We were interested in this because much of the anthropological work on human mating patterns are based on only people's preferences. This research focuses on people's actions. Sure, you might say you'd prefer someone that's deemed really desirable, but that's heavily impacted by societal norms. What do you do in that relationship? How does it actually go? That was what we were looking at." Sean Prall, assistant professor of anthropology, College of Arts and Science Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Prall and his research partner, Brooke Scelza, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, would spend more than a month each summer living with Himba pastoralists to research human behavior. Prall has spent five years studying the population. During that time, he and his team have analyzed data about marriage, parenting decisions, child health, food insecurity and even how choosy people are with their partners. While much of his prior research is specific to this population, Prall said the findings from this study can be applied to a broader context. He said the characteristics of the population were perfect for the type of information they were gathering. "This was a great population to look at these questions because everyone knows each other and most date and marry within the population," Prall said. "You can ask them how much they'd like to be in a relationship with a specific person because they actually know that person. That's how people have been partnering up for thousands and thousands of years, not online, but with people in your community." "The effect of mating market dynamics on partner preference and relationship quality among Himba pastoralists" was published in Science Advances. I call on the countrys citizens to contribute to the efforts to rebuild the country from the abyss it has fallen into today. by Ranil Wickremesinghe Every two weeks since taking the reins of this government, I have taken steps to inform you of the real situation faced by the country and the measures we are taking to address it. Some have ridiculed this. They criticise me while asking Did he accept the Premiership to merely tell us the hardships faced by the country?. However, many others are also grateful that we are telling them the whole truth and they have come forward to present various proposals that would perhaps help us overcome these issues. No matter which of these two groups you belong to, I call on you to come together as one country and join in the nation's rebuilding process to see it through these dark times. Let us all embark on this journey together. Only by doing this will we be able to ensure the countrys recovery. We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse. That is the most serious issue before us today. These issues can only be resolved through the reviving of the Sri Lankan economy. In order to do this, we must first resolve the foreign reserves crisis faced by us. It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves. If steps had at least been taken to slow down the collapse of the economy at the beginning, we would not be facing this difficult situation today. But we lost out on this opportunity. We are now seeing signs of a possible fall into the very bottom. However, we must come out of this situation. If not, we will be unable to seek solutions to any other issue in the country. (Yesterday Minister Kanchana Wijesekara presented detailed information on the countrys fuel situation). Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is USD 700 million in debt. As a result, no country or organisation in the world is willing to provide fuel to us. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash. We have taken loans amounting to USD 4 billion under the Indian credit line. We have requested more loan assistance from our Indian counterparts. But even India will not be able to continuously support us in this manner. Even their assistance has its limits. On the other hand, we too must have a plan to repay these loans. These are not charitable donations. So what is the way out of this dire situation? The only safe option before us now is to hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund. In fact, this is our only option. We must take this path. Our aim is to hold discussions with the IMF and arrive at an agreement to obtain an additional credit facility. As the next step, we hope to form a foundation to stabilise the economy and implement an immediate programme to increase our export revenue. Following discussions with the Central Bank, Treasury, relevant government officials, professionals and experts this plan has already been formulated. I urge you to inform us of a better solution if available. In fact, if you are in possession of a practical and more favourable plan for the country we call on you to put it forward. If political parties wish we can take up any solutions presented by them in parliament. We are prepared to provide them with the necessary space and opportunity. Let me now in detail present to you the programme we have currently put into action. The majority of the cabinet was appointed by May 20. We began our programme from then onwards. First, we decided to revert back to the tax system we had in place in 2019. We then agreed to ensure a primary surplus in the National budget by 2025. Next, an IMF team on revenue and taxation visited Sri Lanka for discussions. They presented us with the relevant report. On Monday, the main IMF team arrived in Sri Lanka and the talks with the group will continue for the next several days. We have concluded the initial discussions and we have exchanged ideas on various sectors such as public finance, finance, debt sustainability, stability of the banking sector and the social security network. Representatives of the financial and legal advisory firms Lazard and Clifford Chance are now in Sri Lanka to assist us in our debt restructuring efforts. The framework for debt repayment restructuring is being formulated. Meanwhile, next Monday, a team of representatives from the U.S. Department of the Treasury will also arrive in Sri Lanka. We ensured that we created the background necessary for the immediate arrival of these three teams in Sri Lanka. We will conduct lengthy discussions with them. Their presence in the country will now allow us to hold meetings together with all three teams. It will only further assist us in expediting our programme. We intend to enter into an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. Here the most important is our debt restructuring plan. We will together with the teams from Lazard and Clifford Chance do our utmost to complete the framework for this plan before the end of July. Considering this planned framework and the official level agreement it is expected that the Executive Board of the IMF will then arrive at its final decision. Parallel to this, we will organise a credit aid conference which will be led by India, Japan and China, our main lending countries. However, there have been some conflicts and disagreements between us in the recent past. We are working towards resolving these and fostering friendly relations once again. Each country has different processes for granting loans. Through the credit aid conference, we hope to arrive at a general consensus on the lending processes. If we receive the IMF seal of approval, the world will once again trust us. It will help us to secure loan assistance as well as low-interest loans from other countries in the world. We are also currently holding discussions with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United States, other friendly nations and heads of state to secure interim short-term loans till we receive IMF support. We will be able to lay the foundation to ensure economic stability following the successful completion of these tasks. But this by no means will be the end. In fact, it will be the beginning of our journey. A new journey toward a stronger economy. We will then have to forge ahead with our plans to strengthen and create a new Sri Lankan economy. In order to create the foundation for the path ahead, we will put forward an interim budget in August 2022 for the remainder of the period. The budget for 2023 will be presented in November. In addition to this, we will also present several new legislations in parliament that are necessary to strengthen our economy. We have already commenced discussions on these with all parties represented in parliament. I extend my gratitude to all political parties and intellectuals taking part in these discussions to support our nation-building efforts. We are also working towards ensuring food security and introducing political reforms. Already a plan has been formulated to provide farmers with the necessary fertiliser for the next cultivation season. We will also take steps to import rice under an Indian credit line and issue stocks to the Sri Lankan market in order to ensure price controls. This will provide some relief to the Sri Lankan consumers. I also take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to individuals and groups for their untiring efforts to revive the countrys agriculture sector. I would also like to note that many groups are attending the governments discussions on food security while setting aside all party divides. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the National Peoples Power party have pledged they will take the lead in establishing agricultural farms in the country. I thank them for their efforts in setting up these farms without having requested the government for any support for the process. As mentioned by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently his party has already chosen the areas to commence these programmes. Meanwhile, Minister Bandula Gunawardane has also taken steps to allocate a large amount of unused reserve land belonging to the Department of Railways for agricultural purposes. I request Mr Sajith Premadasa and Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss with Minister Bandula Gunawardane should they have any difficulties in securing land for their agricultural projects. I have also informed the secretary of the Committee on Food Security to hold discussions with the two-party leaders. On Tuesday, the cabinet approved the 21st amendment to the constitution. The Supreme Court has now announced its determination on the proposals for the 21st amendment put forward by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The cabinet has agreed to the governments proposal. We must now come to an agreement on the proposals put forward and present the final draft bill to parliament. However, it is unfortunate that the process will be delayed due to the boycott of parliament by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the National Peoples Power Party. I have requested former speaker Karu Jayasuriya to present a complete plan and report on the newly proposed parliamentary committee system. He handed over his report on Monday. Therefore, I call on both parties to once again attend parliament immediately and support the passing of the 21st amendment to the constitution and agree to establish the new parliamentary committee system. As I have mentioned before, the situation we face today is in no way normal. I have repeatedly stated that Sri Lanka has not faced a crisis of this magnitude in its recent past. Once we have established a firm economic foundation you can hand over power to any political party as per your wish at an election and elect 225 suitable representatives to parliament. The responsibility and power to do so lie with you, the citizens of this country. You will be then given the opportunity to reject those you believe were responsible for the predicament Sri Lanka is facing today. In turn, the new government will be given the mandate to bring those responsible before justice. But all this can only be achieved following the revival of the country. Keeping this in mind, I call on the countrys citizens to contribute to the efforts to rebuild the country from the abyss it has fallen into today. So let us all first work together to come out of this situation. There will be difficulties. There will be hardships. But even while facing these difficulties and hardships each of us has things, however small we can do to contribute to this effort. I call on all Sri Lankans to bear these difficulties and hardships for a short period of time and contribute to the nation-building effort. Due to the processes put into action by the current government, you will experience a gradual decrease in difficulties faced by you. We have been able to reduce the time period of the power cuts. We have also taken steps to import 100 000 MT of LPG utilising a World Bank loan of USD 70 million and USD 20 million of our own reserves. We will be able to eliminate the gas shortage once we receive these LPG stocks. Currently, Sri Lanka is in need of USD 550 million to meet its monthly fuel needs. However, in the face of the economic crisis, we are experiencing difficulties in securing the necessary funds for this purpose. As a result of this, we will take steps to import the maximum fuel stocks possible based on our dollar income. Resolving the fuel shortages will take more time. Therefore I request you to economise when using fuel. We are aware the countrys schools education has collapsed as a result of this crisis. The children have missed out on months of study. First because of the Covid pandemic and now because of the economic collapse. Minister Susil Pramajayantha and the officials of the Ministry are taking necessary steps to rectify the situation. The relevant authorities are formulating a plan to give priority to school buses and school vans when providing fuel. We will ensure that a conducive environment for continuous study is created for the children of this country. Step by step let us go forward. The world will only assist us if they sense a strong urge and dedication on our part to come out of this crisis. Therefore we can either show them our aspiration as a nation to rebuild our country. If not we can display our indifference and disinterest, through committing various acts of sabotage. Your struggle must be one for rebuilding and uplifting our country. It should not be to destroy our country. Therefore I urge you to carefully consider and be vigilant in your actions at all times. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the National Peoples Power Party have now come to a common stance of boycotting parliamentary sessions. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya had previously stated that Sri Lanka must work together with the IMF. Has their stance changed since? Does the National Peoples Power Party agree or not with the discussions being held with the IMF? I requested the IMF to discuss with all political parties. I request both these parties to attend these discussions. Solutions are far more important than criticisms at this critical juncture. Therefore if you possess better solutions I urge you to present them to us. The 21st amendment to the constitution will be presented in parliament shortly. Do these two parties have no need for the 21st amendment? Do they not need independent commissions? Are they for or against facilitating the ability of both government and opposition MPs to participate in governance through the parliamentary committee system? This is the opportunity for the Samagi Jana balawegaya and the National Peoples Power Party to present their views on these. But there is one important fact we must not forget at this juncture. Today there is a collective protest by citizens against the whole parliament. At such a time a host of economic and political reforms affecting the countrys future have been proposed in parliament. If one has a true love for one's country, what must be done now is to extend one's support to introduce these reforms and to point out any shortcomings. Therefore I call on everyone to step away from traditional politics and to think afresh for the sake of our country. I also invite them to join the parliamentary meetings being held to expedite these necessary economic and political reforms. I would also like to emphasise that it is the aspiration of the people that these reforms are expedited and implemented. If we can set aside our differences for a short while and only think of our country at this juncture I believe we will be able to safeguard our motherland from this impending disaster. The flock of quails were only able to escape the hunters net by flying away together along with the trap set for them. If the quails merely resorted to blaming the hunter, they would have all been trapped and met a tragic fate. Therefore let us escape this economic trap. Let us work together to overcome these challenges. ( Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka) In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, researchers examined 42,000 participants from nine longitudinal studies conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) to analyze the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms and characterize long COVID symptom patterns. A number of symptoms that individuals with COVID-19 may experience also occur among those without SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully investigate the extent and length of time of persistence of these symptoms following COVID-19 recovery. Study: Characterising patterns of COVID-19 and long COVID symptoms: Evidence from nine UK longitudinal studies. Image Credit: eamesBot / Shutterstock About the study In the present study, researchers collated electronic health records (EHR) data from the longitudinal health and wellbeing program of the UK National core studies between July 2020 and September 2021. Since EHRs poorly capture COVID-19 symptom persistence, they performed coordinated standardized analyses across nine longitudinal studies. The study approach minimized the heterogeneity of datasets of all the included studies and their designs besides maximizing comparability. The team considered the 'no COVID-19' category as the reference group and the 'COVID-19 in last 12 weeks' category as the baseline group. The third study group was 'COVID-19 > last 12 weeks.' The researchers used a questionnaire to gather information regarding COVID-19 and its symptoms in all the study participants. The period of reporting of symptoms ranged between two weeks and two months in the included studies. In each study, participants reported the presence of symptoms, whether or not attributable to any specific cause. Further, for each study, the researchers conducted latent class analyses (LCAs) of reported symptoms separately within each COVID-19 status indicator category derived previously. Furthermore, they used random-effects meta-analysis to combine prevalences of symptoms within the core symptom set across studies. They also combined odds ratio (ORs) for COVID-19 symptoms within the core symptom set across studies using the same analytical method. Study findings People in the baseline group exhibited the highest prevalence of known COVID-19 symptoms, including cough, fever, and loss of smell and taste. Since the study compared nine studies simultaneously, variations in the participants' age and geography varied the prevalence of some symptoms across studies. In other words, the current study results had face validity. Across all three study groups, the prevalence of runny nose and sneezing did not seem to vary, indicating these symptoms were not COVID-19-specific. Using the symptom clustering analyses, the authors found a maximum of two symptom patterns among any of the COVID-19 groups. Some previous studies have also similarly found two symptom patterns. Caspersen et al. observed two distinct patterns of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms, viz., neurocognitive and cardiorespiratory. Likewise, Peluso et al. observed two clusters of patients, one with high symptom prevalence and the other low, with symptoms collated into seven domains. A higher symptom burden was more common among individuals with COVID-19 in the last 12 weeks than with no COVID-19. Heatmap of symptom probability differences comparing the two COVID-19 groups with the no COVID-19 group across all studies. NCDS: 1958 National Child Development Study; BCS1970: 1970 British Cohort Study; NS: Next Steps; MCS: Millennium Cohort Study; ALSPAC: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Notes: White cells indicate that the symptom was not asked about in in that study; ALSPAC results for loss of smell or taste are duplicated in the loss of smell and loss of taste cells; TwinsUK results for confusion are duplicated in the difficulty concentrating and memory loss cells. While the symptom burden among those who never had COVID-19 was also substantially high, it was higher among those who have had COVID-19. This finding highlighted the importance of a control group in the analyses of COVID-19 symptoms. In fact, a lack of appropriate controls often hinders evaluating symptoms specific to acute COVID-19 and long COVID. The authors compared the symptoms in COVID-19 in the last 12 weeks and no COVID-19 groups to find that their symptoms characterized acute COVID-19 and ongoing symptomatic COVID-19. These symptoms were fever, muscle pain, loss of taste and smell, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulty. Furthermore, symptoms identified by comparing the COVID-19 > last 12 weeks and no COVID-19 groups resembled the characteristic symptoms of long COVID. Consistent with existing literature, these symptoms were shortness of breath, impaired cognition, chest pain, and fatigue. Previous clinical reviews and meta-analyses have identified similar symptoms characterizing long COVID; however, these studies did not have an appropriate control group, such as a 'no COVID-19' group accounting for reference population symptoms. The current study relied on its participants to report their COVID-19 symptoms. The authors found a higher symptom burden was more common in females across all three study groups. It was likely due to differential reporting of similar symptoms between males and females or females having a higher symptom burden. Conclusions The study discerned symptoms characteristic of acute COVID-19 and long COVID. However, the study results did not support the notion that long COVID might be a conglomerate of multiple syndromes discernible by differences in symptom patterns. In fact, all the identified symptoms largely replicated those previously identified in the literature. Nevertheless, it is essential to build and expand the evidence base of typical long COVID symptoms to help its timely diagnosis and provide better treatment to patients suffering from long COVID. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. A recent study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases assessed deaths due to fungal infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States (US). Background Yeasts, molds, dimorphic fungi, and yeast-like fungi are common fungal pathogens. Clinically, fungal infections result in superficial lesions as well as life-threatening conditions. Severe infections typically affect immunosuppressed individuals like cancer patients, recipients of solid organ or stem cell grafts, users of immunosuppressive medication, etc. More than a million people have succumbed to COVID-19 in the US to date. Moreover, COVID-19 might elevate the risk for severe fungal infection due to COVID-19-associated immune dysfunction, lung damage, and therapies, impairing the host immune system against pathogenic fungi. Evidence suggests that severe fungal infection in COVID-19 patients could result in poor clinical outcomes. About the study The present study analyzed data from the US National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to examine demographic information, fungal disease burden, and temporal trends. They used provisional mortality data for 2021 and final mortality data for 2018 2020 from NVSS. Deaths involving fungal infections were identified and coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) codes. Deaths involving COVID-19 were similarly coded. The number, percentage, and age-adjusted rates of fungal deaths from January 2018 to December 2021 were analyzed by the fungal pathogen, year, and COVID-19 association (whether COVID-19 was a contributory factor). The monthly number of fungal deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic was examined by investigating whether COVID-19 contributed to mortality; concurrent monthly COVID-19 deaths were also analyzed. Data on fungal deaths between January 2020 and December 2021 were stratified by the COVID-19 association; the age-adjusted death rates were examined by race/ethnicity, sex, fungal pathogens, and the US census division of residence. Findings Between 2018 and 2021, 22,700 deaths occurred due to fungal infections/pathogens. The number of fungal deaths per 100,000 people for 2018 and 2019 was similar, with 4746 and 4833 deaths, respectively, and the age-adjusted rate was 1.2 during both years. However, it increased to 5922 in 2020, with a mortality rate of 1.5. Likewise, about 7199 (fungal) deaths were observed in 2021, with a rate of 1.8. COVID-19-associated deaths during 2020 and 2021 accounted for 21.9% of the 13,121 fungal deaths in that period. COVID-19 represented the most common underlying cause of death (90.5%) among the COVID-19-associated fungal deaths, accounting for 0.3% of COVID-19 deaths during 2020-21. Candida and Aspergillus were the common fungal pathogens constituting 24.4% and 16.4% of the total number of fungal deaths for 2020-21. Nevertheless, the pathogen was unspecified for more than 35% of all fungal deaths in the same period. Notably, COVID-19-associated fungal deaths were predominantly due to Candida and Aspergillus infections relative to non-COVID-19-associated fungal deaths. On average, 399 fungal deaths were recorded per month during 2018-19, and 423 fungal deaths occurred during the peak of the first COVID-19 wave (April 2020). Nonetheless, it peaked in January 2021 and October 2021 with 690 and 718 fungal deaths coinciding with the COVID-19 mortality peak(s). Most deaths from fungal infections in 2020-21 were recorded in males (59.7%) and people aged 65 or above. The age-adjusted rates for COVID-19-associated fungal deaths were higher for individuals who were non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) [1.3], Hispanic (0.7), and Black (0.6) than non-Hispanic White (0.2) and non-Hispanic Asian (0.3) populations. Consistently, for non-COVID-19-associated deaths from fungal infections, the age-adjusted death rates were higher in AI/AN (3), Hispanic (1.9), and non-Hispanic native Hawaiian (NHPI) [2.4] and Black populations than White (1.1) or Asian (1.2) individuals. The crude fungal death rate was higher for people from non-metropolitan areas than metropolitan residents. The age-adjusted fungal death rates were higher in the Mountain (2.1) and Pacific (2) US census divisions but lower in the New England (1.3) division. Mountain and West South-Central divisions showed higher rates (0.5) of non-COVID-19-associated deaths, while it was lower in New England division (0.2). Conclusions The researchers observed that more people died from fungal infections in 2020-21, an upward trend compared to preceding years. COVID-19-associated fungal deaths drove this increase, highlighting the critical significance of fungal infections in COVID-19 patients. Fungal deaths increased in tandem with COVID-19 peaks in January and October 2021 but not in April 2020. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that fungal infections pose a substantial burden in the US. These results might help inform efforts to identify, treat, or prevent severe fungal infections in COVID-19 patients, particularly in some ethnic and racial groups and geographic regions. The chances that police will become involved in the care of a student who seeks help for their mental health on campus at an Ontario university health clinic depends on which university they attend, according to a new CAMH-led qualitative study published today in the journal CMAJ Open. The study is believed to be the first in the world to conduct in-depth interviews with physicians to examine policies and processes for transferring students experiencing mental health emergencies from university clinics to hospital. Investigators found that some Ontario universities mandate the use of police restraints in all circumstances when students need emergency mental health hospital care, while others have policies that handcuffs only be used in rare circumstances as a last resort. "We wanted to identify university policies that facilitated most dignified transfers to hospital from campus for students in need of emergency mental health care. We hoped such policies could serve as models for other universities," said lead author Dr. Andrea Chittle, a family physician who has worked in a university health clinic. "We learned that at some universities, handcuffs are being used every time. It is routine to convey students to hospital in handcuffs in all situations." This work is especially timely, as mental illness among Canadian post-secondary students is increasing and mental health transfers when a student experiencing a mental health crisis is transferred from university health clinics to hospital for emergency psychiatric assessment and/or care are becoming more common. The authors conducted interviews with 11 physicians at nine university health clinics in Ontario between July 2018 and January 2019. The interviews were confidential and the clinics were not identified to allow physicians to speak candidly about hospital transfer policies for students with mental health emergencies. At five of those clinics, police were always called to assist when a student needed to be transferred to hospital. At two of those clinics, police policy was to routinely use handcuffs during transfers of students to hospital. Surveyed physicians at clinics where the handcuffing of students was common expressed concerns that it was traumatizing for students in a way that could deter them from seeking mental health supports in the future. "To be taken in handcuffs and loaded up in a police cruiser seems brutal and traumatic for the patient and sends all the wrong messages about a caring, supportive environment," said one interview participant. This study is the third collaboration of co-authors Drs. Andrea Chittle, CAMH Emergency Department Psychiatrist Juveria Zaheer and Shane Neilson, a student health clinic physician, examining mental health transfer policies at Ontario universities. Their first paper identified the issue of police handcuffing of students in mental distress as an area of concern. The second paper reviewed policies and processes for transferring people experiencing a mental health crisis from community-based clinical settings to hospital. This latest study examined the decision to involve police and use handcuffs during mental health transfers, and alternatives to that practice. The researchers found that the involvement of police and the use of restraints when students are in need of a transfer to hospital for psychiatric assessment is often due to non-clinical factors, such as understanding of staff roles and responsibilities, human resources constraints, and staffing implications of long emergency department wait times. "Before I was in the system, I didn't realize how intertwined policing was with mental health," said undergraduate university student and study contributor Gina Nicoll, who has lived experience of mental illness including being transferred by police to hospital for assessment. "It just felt really disheartening and I felt defeated and powerless. It made me feel I was doing something wrong just by being unwell and I felt I was criminalized for it." The authors conclude that routine police involvement in student mental health transfers to hospital is harmful. They suggest engaging police only in rare circumstances when the risk of a student fleeing or becoming violent during transfer to hospital is assessed to be high. They recommend that province-wide policies to minimize police use of restraints during mental health transfers from Ontario university clinics be developed in collaboration with university administrations, municipal and provincial governments, hospitals, police departments, and people with lived experience of mental illness. As an emergency department psychiatrist, I see people on the worst days of their lives. People experiencing suicidal thoughts. People experiencing psychosis. They may be afraid. They may have trauma. They may not want to be there. Similarly, in university settings, we have people presenting in distress and crisis in a myriad of different ways, including students who are racialized and had experiences of oppression and negative interactions with police. Although we can't say that we never need to use restraints, they need to be used rarely and judiciously as a last resort. It should not be the default, because that is stigmatizing and frightening. We need to be trauma-informed and safe and to minimize restraint, just as we need to do in all healthcare settings." Dr Juveria Zaheer, Study Senior Author and Emergency Department Psychiatrist, Center for Addiction and Mental Health Dr. Chittle added that she hopes a public discussion over the role of police on campus will persuade universities to examine their policies and processes for students in mental health crisis. She notes that following her and her co-authors' previous work examining the practice of routinely engaging police and routine use of handcuffs at the University of Guelph, a more flexible procedure for hospital transfers was developed. At the same time, changes to police policies enabled the discretionary use of restraints when police were engaged in transfers. "I think we are seeing society move more broadly away from police involvement in mental healthcare," said Dr. Chittle. "There are some pilot projects being undertaken that are non-policing models of mental health crisis care. My hope is that this is where we are going to move towards." Shali Thevarasan was 12 when she, along with her parents and older brother, fled Sri-Lanka for a safer life in Australia. While it was a relief to reach Australian shores, the University of Queensland physiotherapy student admits it was a huge adjustment. We didn't know anyone, and my parents struggled while learning a new language. Thankfully, I had been taught English because I went to a convent school in Sri Lanka, so I was interpreting everything for them." Shali Thevarasan, Refugee, The University of Queensland "The major challenge for me was going straight into high school, because everything was digital, but back in Sri Lanka, everything was in paper form. "I had to self-learn and watch YouTube videos to understand the concepts, so yeah, it was a bit tough." With determination and hard work, the now 21-year-old graduated school with flying colors and is in her first year of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons) program, with the help of UQ's Refugee and Humanitarian Scholarship. "UQ is a world-class university and the dedicated support it was providing to the refugee and temporary residents in Australia grabbed my attention," Ms Thevarasan said. "I am very sure that I have made the right decision to study at UQ by accepting the scholarship offer." Ms Thevarasan's tuition fees are paid for, she receives a stipend to cover living expenses, and resides on campus in the recently opened Kev Carmody House. "Living on campus helped me make a lot of friends at UQ and I can get counseling support anytime that I need," she said. "It's also a two-minute walk to the physiotherapy buildings and the University library is just around the corner, so you can go there and study anytime." While Shali Thevarasan is loving her new life, she misses the friends and family that remain in Sri Lanka, especially her grandmother. "I was very close to her, and we still talk once a week, but I miss her food. I even miss her yelling at me all the time," she laughed. But she says doing the degree is the best thing that's ever happened her. "I want to be a physiotherapist because I like helping people, and I like helping them to be active," Ms Thevarasan said. "I see myself working in a hospital and helping people recover from surgery." Despite the World Banks catchy slogan Poverty Reduction Throughout the World, it cant ensure the communities in poor countries are appropriately served to polish off their impoverishments. by Anwar A. Khan The World Bank is an international development organization owned by 187 countries. Its role is to reduce poverty by lending money to the governments of its poorer members to improve their economies and to improve the standard of living of their people. The World Bank was created at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The president of the World Bank is traditionally an American. The World Bank and the IMF are both based in Washington, D.C., and work closely with each other. Although many countries were represented at the Bretton Woods Conference, the United States and United Kingdom were the most powerful in attendance and dominated the negotiations. The intention behind the founding of the World Bank was to provide temporary loans to low-income countries that could not obtain loans commercially. The Bank may also make loans and demand policy reforms from recipients. Both the WB and the IMF are purely dictated by the U.S. in their operations. If we delve into underneath the World Bank, it focalizes massive corruptions depravities inside it, whereas it is always very point-blank assault on such morally reprehensible activities across the word using the name of poverty reduction throwing dust into the eyes of people enshrouding their real character. It also rivets on extensive internal problems at the bank including how kickbacks, payoffs, bribery, embezzlement, and collusive bidding plague bank-funded projects around the world. The Government Accountability Project (GAP) report focusing on corruption at the World Bank estimates that more than 20 percent of the loans distributed by the World Bank, or US$4 billion annually, are associated with corrupt practices. In the wake of these findings, GAP again calls upon the World Bank to implement its own Vaughn Report, which the bank has had for more than one year, but has not released designedly. The report provides a blueprint for modernizing that institutions inadequate whistleblower protections. If the Vaughn proposal had been in place at the World Bank during the articles examples of corruption, many of the issues detailed by this groundbreaking report would have been brought to light sooner, and the resulting damage might never have occurred. The thorough investigative report details numerous problems at the World Bank. These include the following (with GAP commentary italicized): Staffers have traditionally been professionally rewarded for ensuring that projects go through as planned, but not for reporting corrupt practices. GAP has information that whistleblowers who report corruption are often punished for doing so. The banks Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) currently has a backlog of over 250 complaints, with only 22 investigators working on them. However, GAP has information that not all these complaints are legitimate, but are instead spurious efforts intended to victimize whistleblowers for reporting corruption. The INT is not independent of the World Bank. The Vaughn Report recommends that conflict-of-interest protocols be put in place to create greater independence. One US$600 million bank programme was alleged to be corrupt as early as 1995, but it took two years for the bank to look into the issue at all, and another four years for the bank to officially open an investigation. The bank found indications of widespread theft involved with the programme. Last year, the then-INT director imposed a freeze on investigator travel a critical element in unearthing corruption according to both the article and GAP. Along with independence, an effective INT must also have adequate resources and high-quality investigator training. The Vaughn Report (Part 1, Part 2), released publicly by GAP recently, contains the full recommendations of noted whistleblower law scholar Robert Vaughn of American University Law School. The report, commissioned by the World Bank, but kept hidden from outside view, incorporates best practices, many of which have already been adopted by the United Nations. GAPs International Reform programme has focalized on the failure of accountability for the US$222 billion-dollar development organization. These new examples of fraud reinforce the need for dramatic reform of the culture of corruption that exists within the global body. US Congress has repeatedly directed the Treasury Department to institute safe channels for reporting corruption, fraud, and abuse to protect Americas US$32 billion investment in the World Bank. Despite the World Banks catchy slogan Poverty Reduction Throughout the World, it cant ensure the communities in poor countries are appropriately served to polish off their impoverishments. The banks staff has been increasingly frustrated by the lack of its own leadership specifically in their failures to institute transparent and impartial procedures to protect staff from reprisal for coming forward to tell of misconduct. The Bank is uniquely placed to set the highest standards for accountability worldwide, said GAPs International Program Director Melanie Beth Oliviero. Management can no longer point the finger at borrowing countries with lax protections as the source of the devastating cost of corruption. The World Bank itself fosters fraud and abuse within its own organization by silencing many responsible staff members and shielding those who abuse the system. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee continues to focus its attention on the need for dramatically improved accountability at all five multilateral development banks. Tomorrow, March 28, the Committee will again hold a hearing with high level Treasury officials and the Executive Directors they appoint to the governing boards of these banks. These witnesses must explain why proven practices of legal protections for whistleblowing, enacted by Congress as recently as last Novembers Foreign Operations appropriations law and recommended in the Vaughn Report, continue to be rejected. The United Nations has already instituted many of these best practices. Since that bodys new anti-retaliation policy, which GAP consulted on, went into effect on January 1 last witnesses to corruption have come forward to help the world peacekeeping body catch wrongdoing before it becomes a major scandal or undermines the overall mission. The World Bank should follow the example of the United Nations noted Oliviero. Fighting corruption requires genuine commitment to transparency. The World Bank should immediately engage its own front-line defenders against wrongdoing its staff. The World Bank should publicly share the roadmap for a safe, early warning system provided by Prof. Vaughn with staff and other overseers like Congress and watchdog groups. During the upcoming annual board meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in April, GAP will join other international non-governmental organizations to coordinate campaigns that demand bank accountability and an end to policies that allow billions of dollars to be stolen from deserving impoverished people. The early warning of corruption provided by whistleblowers is a proven antidote the World Bank has the ability to enact this reform easily and its staff is pleading for this action to be taken. -The End The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs (Newser) Update: A former West Virginia lawmaker who joined the mob storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021and consequently served only a few days in officehas been sentenced to three months in jail. Derrick Evans will also spend 36 months on supervised release and will have to pay fines, along with restitution for damage to the Capitol, West Virginia Metro News reports. Evans, 37, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder. "You were egging people on," US District Judge Royce Lamberth told him Wednesday. The judge rejected a defense request for no jail time but gave Evans a sentence below what federal guidelines suggested. Our story from Jan. 9, 2021, follows: A newly sworn-in state lawmaker is stepping down after footage from Wednesday's Capitol attack showed him joining the mob. Derrick Evans of West Virginia had only recently joined the state's House of Delegates when he livestreamed himself on Facebook among the throng, per West Virginia Metro News. I take full responsibility for my actions, and deeply regret any hurt, pain or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians, Evans wrote in a resignation letter to Gov. Jim Justice. The move came Saturday after the Republican initially rebuffed bipartisan calls for him to step down, saying through an attorney he had "committed no criminal act that day" and would not leave office. Evans was charged with entering restricted federal property and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds after the AP reports he was seen fist-bumping a police officer and shouting Our house! as he joined fellow Donald Trump supporters in the Rotunda. Both charges are misdemeanors and could result in jail time and fines. Evans was charged Friday and released on his own recognizance. His arrest followed those of other high-profile rioters, including the QAnon Shaman and Adam Johnson, who was allegedly pictured carrying Nancy Pelosi's lectern. (Read more U.S. Capitol stories.) (Newser) Whatever one thinks of the term "cancel culture" and how it may be used by various politicians and pundits, one thing is certain: its very real for many teenagers, and both the causes and effects seem both baffling and inevitable. Elizabeth Weil explores the topic for the Cut with the story of a canceled teen named Diego. Its something of an epic tale that goes way beyond any one person or town; it is rife with ironies and revelations about sexual assault, school administration, mental health, social media, racism, bullying, the power of mob justice, and a society ill-equipped to help either victims or those wrongly accused. Diego never denied that he "really fd up." He got drunk at a summer party and showed some other boys a nude photo of his girlfriend, but hes really a minor player in the broader social phenomenon. Weil also writes about the social climate after kids returned to in-person schooling after 18 months of pandemic lockdown. Within weeks, students were "streaming into the glass-fronted administrative offices asking school staff to intervene in their relationships with one another, saying they felt unsafe." Victims found little meaningful justice or support in the adult world, so they organized. Posters went up demanding that administrators "get abusers off campus," there were walkouts, and someone wrote a list of names on a wall. Unstoppable social forces soon took hold. By the end of the school year, everyone paid a price, some far steeper than others, but there was no healing and no justice. Read the whole story here. (Read more cancel culture stories.) (Newser) Marine archaeologists have better access to the world's richest ancient shipwreck after boulders were lifted from the Roman-era Antikythera wreck that yielded the famous Antikythera Mechanism calculator, revealing new treasures within. In addition to human teeth, the lead weight for an anchor, iron nails, and the base of a marble statue, archaeologists have discovered the missing head of a statue of demigod Hercules, pulled from the wreck soon after its discovery in 1900 and now kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, per the Guardian and Artnet News. "It is twice life-size, has a big beard, a very particular face, and short hair. There is no doubt it is Hercules," archaeologist Lorenz Baumer of the University of Geneva tells the Guardian. The Hellenic Coast Guard's lifting of three 9-ton boulders, likely deposited more than 150 feet below the surface of the Aegean Sea by an ancient earthquake, revealed an area of the wreck previously unexplored. "It's so deep [divers] can only be down there for 30 minutes," says Baumer. "But now we have an idea of what has been hiding under those rocks," and "each find helps us piece together more context in our understanding of the ship, its cargo, the crew, and where they were from." Perhaps a merchant ship traveling from the eastern Mediterranean to Rome when it sunk in a storm in the first 50 years of the first century BC, the ship also gave up two human teeth during recent explorations carried out from May 23 to June 15. "Discovered in a solid agglomerate of marine deposits together with fragments of copper, wood, and other materials typical of a maritime disaster," the teeth will undergo DNA analysis, researchers write in a release, per Vice. "Genetic and isotopic analysis of the teeth might be useful to deduce information on the genome and other characteristics relevant to the origin of the individuals they belonged to." Following another in October 2021, this excavation is part of an underwater archaeological research program expected to run until 2025, per Artnet. "Since the ship was transporting the highest quality of luxury goods, there is a very real possibility of unimaginable finds, similar in importance to the Mechanism," the expedition website reads, per Vice. (Read more Antikythera stories.) (Newser) On Tuesday we reported on the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety's forceful, scathing denunciation of the decisions made by local police during the mass shooting in Uvalde. Our story didn't contain one standout piece of information given in testimony before a special state Senate committee in Austin by Col. Steven McCraw: that murdered teacher Eva Mireles' husband, a police officer, tried to save her but "was detained and they took his gun away from him and escorted him off the scene." McCraw said Ruben Ruiz, a police officer for the school district, received a call from his wife, who said "she had been shot and was dying," reports KSAT. McCraw says that upon getting to the scene, Ruiz tried to force his way into the school and was stopped; McCraw didn't provide details on who stopped him. McCraw himself ended up being a target on Tuesday, with CNN reporting Uvalde's mayor "sharply criticized" DPS and McCraw; the Texas Rangers fall under the DPS umbrella and are heading up the investigation into the shooting. While speaking at a City Council meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Don McLaughlin said McCraw hasn't been providing him with updates on the investigation, and he faulted McCraw for what he has revealed and what McLaughlin perceives to be spin. "Colonel McCraw has continued to, whether you want to call it ... lie, leak, mislead, or mistake information in order to distance his own troopers and Rangers from the response," McLaughlin said. "There were no less than eight law enforcement agencies present in the hallway leading up to the breach of the door at Robb Elementary School," he continued, per Fox News. "Every briefing, he leaves out the number of his own officers and Rangers that were on scene that day. He leaves out that during this time, every other classroom in the building was safely evacuated." McLaughlin also made clear that the school building would definitely be demolished, saying, "You could never ask a child to go back or a teacher to go back in that school, ever." (Read more Uvalde mass shooting stories.) (Newser) Two Jesuit priests were fatally gunned down in a Mexico church Monday, the Jesuits of Mexico announced Tuesday. Fathers Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar, 80, who had almost a century of service between them, were trying to protect a man who was being chased by gunmen and sought refuge in the church. The Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office says the gunmen killed both priests and the man they were chasing, then took the bodies, the Washington Post reports. "We condemn these violent acts, we demand justice and the recovery of the bodies of our brothers who were taken from the church by armed persons," the Mexican Jesuits said in a statement cited by the Catholic News Agency. The mountainous region in northern Mexico where the priests were killed has high levels of organized crime, and has recently been, per the Post, "consumed by violence ... involving drug traffickers who cultivate poppies for heroin production and illegally strip the forests of timber." Hundreds of families in the largely Indigenous region have fled their homes crime groups have expanded. State officials have identified the third victim as a tour guide; the region is near an area popular with visitors. (Read more Mexico stories.) (Newser) A flight from the Dominican Republic landed at Miami International Airport Tuesday night, then caught fire. After Red Air Flight 203 from Santo Domingo landed around 5:30pm, the landing gear in the nose of the MD-82 aircraft collapsed. That appears to be what started the blaze, NBC Miami reports. The fire was quickly put out, and of the 126 passengers, three were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries. The NTSB will investigate the incident. The Miami Herald describes Red Air as a new discount airline from the Dominican Republic. The plane skidded after the landing gear malfunctioned, hitting several things including a crane tower before coming to a stop in a grassy area off the runway, 7 News reports. "When our fire crews arrived they saw the wing of the aircraft was on fire. they quickly began working on putting out the fire utilizing specialized foam trucks, a Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue spokesperson says. All passengers were off the aircraft." Video from the scene shows passengers walking away from the plane. "People were very frightened, says one passenger. People were grabbing the seats to keep from spinning around." Says another, "I thought I was going to die." But ultimately no one was hurt badly, prompting the Miami-Dade County mayor to say, "What happened here is a miracle." (Read more Miami International Airport stories.) (Newser) Katie Britt won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama on Tuesday, defeating six-term Rep. Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his endorsement of Brooks, the AP reports. The loss ends a turbulent campaign for Brooks, a conservative firebrand who 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 Britt's former boss, retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, but then pulled 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. She will face Democrat Will Boyd in November in the overwhelmingly Republican state. The race was among a handful of contests held Tuesday at the midpoint of a primary season that has been shaped by Trumps effort to influence the GOP. While Britt was already considered the favorite by the time Trump got behind her, the result gives the former president a win at a time his influence over the GOP has come under scrutiny. Trump has had a mixed record of success in backing candidates this election season, helping lift Senate candidates in Pennsylvania and Ohio while floundering elsewhere, particularly in Georgia. Voters in the onetime Republican stronghold rejected his efforts to unseat the states GOP governor and secretary of state, both of whom rebuffed his extraordinary pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. More from Tuesday: Trump's losing streak in Georgia, a crucial swing state this year and in the 2024 presidential campaign, deepened Tuesday as two of his endorsed congressional candidates faltered in their GOP run-off elections. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick beat Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans. And in the 10th District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins bested Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones. Also in Georgia, Democratic state Rep. Bee Nguyen defeated former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler in the secretary of states race. Nguyen will face Republican Raffensperger, who rebuffed Trumps efforts to find enough votes to overturn Bidens win in the states 2020 presidential election and beat back a Trump-endorsed challenger in his May 24 primary. Virginia voters picked two women, a state senator and a Hispanic law enforcement official, on Tuesday as the Republican nominees for what could be two of the countrys most competitive US House races, the AP reports. Jen Kiggans defeated three challengers to win the nomination in Virginias coastal 2nd District and will take on US Rep. Elaine Luria. And Yesli Vega, an auxiliary deputy and county-level elected official, prevailed in a crowded field in the central Virginia 7th District. Vega will face Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the general election, where Republicans are bullish about their chances of flipping the seats currently held by the two centrist Democrats. Trump didn't endorse anyone in either contest. In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser won the Democratic nomination to serve another term, fending off a pair of challengers amid concerns over rising crime and homelessness. (Read more Election 2022 stories.) Tamils have suffered and learned enough. Therefore, its not easy to cheat them again and again. by S. V. Kirubaharan, France Long-term planning is often undervalued by our indefinite short-term world. ~ Peter Thiel: German-American billionaire entrepreneur Whoever it is whether a medical doctor, lawyer, engineer, economist, politician or anyone else - if they do not consider the root cause of an issue/problem, they wont be able find a durable remedy. The months-long crisis in Sri Lanka should be approached by identifying the root cause of the problem. This article aims to highlight the culprit of decades of manipulation targeted at achieving their long term plan, which has not been considered or realised by many. In fact, the foundation of todays crisis was laid in the 60s when late Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranayke was the Prime Minister of then Ceylon, present Sri Lanka. Following the assassination of her husband SWRD Bandaranayke, in 1960 her political party won the elections and Mrs Bandaranayke was sworn in as the Prime Minister. She served from 1960 to 1965 and undertook reforming the island from unsettled colonial affairs into a leftist Socialist path. This paved the way for those who were waiting to dominate the Island. It was the beginning of todays crisis in Sri Lanka. This article by no means intends to find fault with either leftists or Socialists in Sri Lanka. Even though Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranayke had cordial relationships with Indian Prime Ministers - Jawaharlal Nehru, Gulzarilal Nanda, Lal Bahadur Shasthri and Mrs Indira Gandhi, she was gradually moving towards China and Pakistan. In 1963 and 1972, she visited the Peoples Republic of China PRC and met with leaders like Mao Tse Tung, Chou En-lai and others. In return, Chinese leaders visited Sri Lanka. It was the same with Pakistan and former Soviet Union, present Russia. The Soviet Union used its power of veto twice (18th August 1948 & 13 September 1949) against Ceylons membership of the United Nations. This shows that the then Soviet Union and Ceylon didnt have a good relationship. PRC needed Sri Lanka PRC uses every available opportunity to dominate Sri Lanka. One of the reasons is PRCs long-standing hostility to India, Sri Lankas closest neighbour. Therefore PRC needed Sri Lanka by any means. The PRC made their first attempt to dominate Sri Lanka in the late 60s. During that time, the United National Party UNP was in power and received intelligence report that PRC was busy trying to plant a pro-Chinese government in Sri Lanka. Then in late 69 and early 70, the Ceylon Police alerted the government that a pro-Chinese group known as Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), also known as Che Guevara, were preparing to over-throw the then government. In May 1970, when Mrs Bandaranayke came to power, the JVP was in its final stages to start an armed revolt to capture the government. For this purpose arms were brought into Sri Lanka in two ways in preparation for this armed struggle. One was under the pretext of the PRC building/donating a memorial hall in the name of Late SWRD Bandaranayke (BMICH). Materials to build BMICH were freely allowed without going through any formalities and it was believed that some of the JVP arms were brought via this channel. The other route was that in May 1970, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea DPRK established relations with Ceylon and opened an embassy in Colombo. Some publications distributed by the DPRK helped the JVP to develop their armed struggle. Many incidents linking the JVP and North Koreans came under the spotlight. In March 1971, the Ceylon police discovered that the North Korean embassy had withdrawn approximately $300,000 U.S dollars from overseas banks. However the Police failed to trace the original sender of these funds. Eventually the North Koreans were forced to leave the country on 15 April 1971. JVPs attempt During this period there was a Chinese cargo vessel bound for Tanzania, in the Colombo Harbour. This cargo vessel carried weapons for the JVP. In the same period, an unfamiliar ship was spotted in the Matara coastal area where the JVP was very popular. These were handled by the Indian warship then patrolling the coastal areas of Ceylon. As the JVP started their armed revolution against the government on 5th April 1971, the Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranayke sought the help of India and other countries. The JVPs attempted armed revolution ended in failure. However, the project of the BMICH progressed well and the memorial building was opened in May 1973. As the first attempt by the JVP had been a failure, they began a second attempt, this time making use of the accord signed between India and Sri Lanka (Indo-Lanka) in 1987. It was believed that this was also carried out with the backing of PRC. There were many disturbances in Colombo and its surroundings areas burning, looting and rioting, under the pretext of opposing the accord. The JVPs revolt continued against then pro-Indian President J.R. Jayewardene, but his Prime Minister R. Premadasa was an anti-Indian who later became the President of Sri Lanka. Under the guidance of Premadasa many ugly and shameful incidents took place in Sri Lanka including the attempted assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi. This took place in the present of Sonia Gandhi, many Indian diplomats and the President of Sri Lanka, J.R. Jayewardene. Once again the uprising of the JVP failed and came to an end in December 1989. This was the second attempt by the PRC to gain a government which would be in their favour. From 90s onwards, the armed struggle in exercise of the right to self-determination of the Tamils intensified in the North and East. The PRC took this opportunity to supply unlimited arms to Sri Lanka. One should keep in mind that weapons supplied by friendly or other countries, whether presently to Ukraine or earlier to Sri Lanka, are neither gifts nor donations. Eventually, the receiving country has to pay the supplying countries. Since the PRCs earlier attempts totally failed, the PRC changed its strategy, making Sri Lanka fully dependent on their arms supply which gradually increased by million and billions of dollars. Countries like the PRC prolonged the ethnic conflict for three decades in Sri Lanka with their ulterior motives. Ethnic conflict prolonged Many, including politicians in Sri Lanka did not realise that these affairs behind the scenes were happening. The protracted war resulted in so many human losses and so much economic damage to individuals in the island. Some political leaders in the South got fed up with the war, wondering what the next step should be. In 2005, there was change of Presidency and government in Sri Lanka. Here, the PRC found the weakness of the President, his family members and the cabinet members and took advantage of it. PRC started to supply further arms and ammunitions, perpetuating the war and also giving unlimited loans on various terms and conditions. In the meantime, they looked after the President, his family members and others. This was the beginning of the PRCs ironhanded involvement in Sri Lanka. With the Chinese full flow of arms and with the involvement of the international community including India, the armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - LTTE came to end. This is the only war on earth where enemy countries - US doesnt agree with North Korea and China; India doesnt agree with Pakistan and China all united to suppress the Tamils armed struggle for their right to self-determination. With the end of this bloody war, people especially in the South blindly supported Rajapaksas family without knowing the truth. Most of them thought that members of the Rajapaksa family were the war heroes. The PRC made use of this opportunity and signed many accords and contracts in their favour, looking after the Rajapaksa family well. Rajapaksas family members were travelling to PRC very often and got caught into fulfilling the PRCs long-standing dream. With the help of Rajapaksas family the PRCs influence in Sri Lanka started to flourish. With the unexpected change in Presidency and government in Sri Lanka in 2015, the Rakapaksas became the financial advisors to the PRC, especially on Sri Lanka. During 2015 and 2019, both Mahinda Rajapasa and his brother Gotahaya Rajapaksa frequently visited PRC and advised them how to grab territory in Sri Lanka. Hambontota on 99 years lease As pressure mounted on the government in power, it was obliged to give Hambontota away on a ninety- nine years lease to PRC as a settlement for those loans, etc. The Hambantota area includes a harbour and an airport built by the PRC and was brought under the control of the PRC in July 2017. The PRC obtained one third of Southern Sri Lanka. Throughout the ethnic conflict, Sri Lanka insisted internationally on its sovereignty and integrity, which it lost to the PRC. The silence of the JVP and many others, who agitated against the Indo-Lanka accord, deserves questioning. Here, one might laugh at Indian diplomacy. In 1974 India voluntarily donated one of its strategically important islands Katchaithivu to Sri Lanka, whereas the PRC grabbed a significant proportion of Southern Sri Lanka. In other words, this proves that Indian diplomacy failed and is failing in many affairs in Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas came back to power in 2019 in both Presidency and government. The PRC started to take more advantage. They started to influence the replacement of the Tamil language with the Chinese Mandarin language. All over Sri Lanka name boards/sign boards on roads, railways stations, airports, government buildings; China-backed Colombo Port City, etc. are displayed only in Sinhala, Mandarin and in English. Tamil, a living language for thousands of years has been systematically removed. For the mistakes and greediness of the Rajapaksa family along with the PRC, now the noble citizens of the country pay a high price without essential items like food, medicine, electricity, gasoline, etc. Democracy in Sri Lanka legalised nepotism and corruption, resulting in the Rajapaksa dynasty taking their ill-gotten wealth abroad and investing it in foreign countries. Now it is too late to realise that the PRCs relationship with Sri Lanka is always fishy and has ulterior motives. Isaac Newtons theory started to work in Sri Lanka - whatever goes up has to come down. As the Karma of the Rajapaksas and the PRCs misuse of hospitality in Sri Lanka show, their dark days have arrived. While writing this article, after going through an interview with Kumar Gunaratnam, the General Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party FSP, published in an English language news paper - Im puzzled whether there is another PRC agenda brewing or what.? One has to see this interview with binoculars. There is a deeper danger lurking - the contents of this interview are covered with beautiful icing. The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) is a break-away group from the JVP and they are partly organisers of the protest taking place at the Galle Face Green. Veteran politicians and others should take note: remembering Mullivagzhal in Galle Face Green, and former President Chandrika lighting a candle at her home, are not going to bring either equality or co-habitation in Sri Lanka. Once again, these could be tricks to divert international sympathy away from the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Tamils have suffered and learned enough. Therefore, its not easy to cheat them again and again. (End) Views expressed in this article are the author's own (Newser) A US Navy warship fired a warning flare to wave off an Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboat coming straight at it during a tense encounter in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, officials said Tuesday. The incident on Monday involving the Guard and the Navy comes as tensions remain high over stalled negotiations over Iran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers and as Tehran enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels under decreasing international oversight, the AP reports. Meanwhile, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Iran now plans to enrich uranium through a second set of advanced centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility amid the standoff. The Cyclone-class patrol ship USS Sirocco and Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Choctaw County found themselves in the close encounter with three Iranian fast boats while coming through the Strait of Hormuz to enter the Persian Gulf, the Navy said. In a video released by the Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, a high-speed Guard Boghammar is seen turning head-on toward the Sirocco. The Sirocco repeatedly blows its horn at the Boghammar, which turns away as it closes in. The flare shot can be heard, but not seen, as the Boghammar passes the Sirocco with the Iranian flag flying above it. The Navy said the Boghammar came within 50 yards of the Sirocco, raising the risk of the vessels running into each other. The overall encounter lasted about an hour, the Navy said. The Guard's "actions did not meet international standards of professional or safe maritime behavior, increasing the risk of miscalculation and collision," the Navy said. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the incident in the strategic waterwaya fifth of all traded oil passes through the strait. The Navy separately told the Associated Press that this marked the second so-called unsafe and unprofessional incident it had with Iran in recent months. On March 4, three Guard ships had a tense encounter for over two hours with Navy and US Coast Guard vessels as they traveled out of the Persian Gulf through the strait, the Navy said. The Navy did not elaborate on why it did not announce the previous incident, particularly since a larger vessel came even closer to an American warship in that incident. (Much more here.) (Newser) The US Marshals Service wins this week's prize for persistence. The law enforcement agency has a new APB out for a trio of notorious escaped inmates, even though it's now been more than six decades since they busted out and they'd all be well into their 90s. Those famous fugitives: Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin, who escaped from the former maximum-security Alcatraz penitentiary in June 1962 and were never found. The New York Daily News reports the US Marshals Service has now released age-progressed images of the three men, though many have long presumed they drowned in San Francisco Bay during their escape from the federal prison. No bodies were ever found, however, and so now, on the 60th anniversary of their escape, there's a renewed push to track them down. The three men, in prison for bank robberies, fooled prison guards by placing fake heads in their beds and crawling onto the prison roof through a shaft they'd dug in a utility corridor. There were some hints that the men survived: a raft they possibly used may have been found on another island in the bay, and a car was stolen the night they busted out. "They were able to do what no one else has done which is to get completely off the island and never be foundif they lived," Deputy US Marshal Michael Dyke told ABC7 in 2016. And he thinks they "probably" did live, per a 2011 interview with CBS News, reports People. Retired FBI agent Abel Pena says the release of the age-progressed images suggests maybe there's a newly credible tip that the men survived the escape and that at least one of them may still be alive. "I think it's interesting that they would release them today," he tells ABC7 of the images. "It's rare in the sense that they've come this late, but it's better late than never." The news outlet notes the FBI gave up its own search after nearly 20 years and handed off the probe to the US Marshals Service, which has been leading the investigation now for more than 40 years. And it doesn't look like the agency is giving up anytime soon. "The ongoing ... investigation of the 1962 escape from Alcatraz federal prison serves as a warning to fugitives," the agency said in a statement, per the Daily News. "That regardless of time, we will continue to look for you and bring you to justice." (More on the famous breakout here.) (Newser) With its sky-high staff turnover rate, Amazon fears it could run out of US workers by 2024, an anxiety that could force higher wages or increased automation. That's according to leaked internal research from mid-2021 as seen by Recode. "If we continue business as usual, Amazon will deplete the available labor supply in the US network by 2024," it reads, according to the outlet. As the Guardian reports, the nation's second largest private employer was losing about 3% of its workforce each week, or 150% each year, before the pandemic. That's more than double the annual average turnover rate in transportation, warehousing and utilities (49% in 2021) and retail (65%). Amazon worried about exhausting the entire available labor poolbased on income levels, proximity to Amazon facilities, and other factorsin Phoenix, Ariz., by the end of 2021 and in California's Inland Empire region, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, by the end of this year, according to the memo. A former manager tells Recode that Amazon stopped enforcing workplace policies in Phoenix as a result and "it was almost impossible to get fired as a worker." But an Amazon rep tells the Guardian that the memo is only a draft document, used to "look at different possible scenarios." "It doesn't represent the actual situation, and we are continuing to hire well in Phoenix, the Inland Empire, and across the country." Still, CEO Jeff Bezoswho once said the high turnover meant workers wouldn't become complacentnoted "we need to do a better job for our employees" in a letter to shareholders in April 2021. "We are going to be Earth's Best Employer and Earths Safest Place to Work," he added. Per Recode, Amazon "emphasizes worker productivity over just about everything else," with staffers complaining of unreasonable performance goals, burnout, and work-related injuries. A report from the Strategic Organizing Center, released this past April, found Amazon's serious injury rate was 6.8 per 100 workers in 2021, more than twice the average of 3.3 per 100 workers in the warehousing industry, and up 20% from the year before. (Read more Amazon stories.) (Newser) For more than a century, the British soldier lay in an anonymous grave, one of so many unidentified victims buried beneath the killing fields of World War I. But now, his headstone finally bears a name: 2nd Lt. Osmund Bartle Wordswortha great-great-nephew of English poet William Wordsworthwho was recently identified by DNA research and given a funeral ceremony Tuesday, 105 years after he died. A new headstone for Wordsworth, who was killed in action in the Battle of Arras in April 1917, was mounted at his gravesite at a cemetery in Ecoust-St.-Mein in northern France, reports the AP. A cleric led the ceremony, and a British military attache handed Wordsworth's relatives a carefully folded French flag to place on the grave. The evolution of DNA technology has allowed for the identification of more and more unknown soldiers from World War I. A service will be held for others in Ypres, Belgium, next week. (Read more Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stories.) (Newser) A Tesla Model S had been sitting in a scrapyard for three weeks following a collision when it spontaneously burst into flames this month, then kept re-igniting, transforming into "a heap of melted and burned metal," per the Washington Post. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District described how the electric vehicle, which had been severely damaged in a crash, became a fireball in the wrecking yard in Rancho Cordova, Calif., in a June 11 release. "Crews knocked the fire down, but the car kept re-igniting and off-gassing in the battery compartment," the department said. Even after firefighters gained access to the battery compartment, "the vehicle would still re-ignite due to the residual heat." Crews eventually dug a pit, filled it with water, and submerged the portion of the car including the battery. In all, it took 4,500 gallons of water to extinguish the blazewhich burned hotter than 3,000 degreesor about as much water as needed to put out a typical building fire, department spokesperson Capt. Parker Wilbourn tells the Post. But Wilbourn says it could have easily required 20,000 or 30,000 gallons, well above Tesla's estimate. A Tesla Model S guide for first responders notes 3,000 to 8,000 gallons of water should be "applied directly" to the lithium-ion battery, which will burn until all its energy is released. It also warns not to submerge a vehicle to extinguish a battery fire. Wilbourn says it's unclear why the vehicle "spontaneously caught fire," as in previous cases. Tesla's guide notes "a damaged high voltage battery can create rapid heating of the battery cells." It adds "a Model S that has been involved in a submersion, fire, or a collision that has compromised the high voltage battery should be stored in an open area at least 50 feet from any exposure" due to fire risk. But that doesn't explain why a Tesla Model Y burst into flames after suddenly losing power in Vancouver, Canada, last month, forcing the driver to kick out a window to escape, per CTV News. This isn't a problem specific to Tesla as carmakers including General Motors, Audi, and Hyundai, have recalled electric vehicles over fire concerns. (Read more Tesla stories.) (Newser) Two drones allegedly controlled by Ukraine crashed into a major Russian oil and gas refinery on Wednesday, setting the place ablaze. Footage shared by Russian state media showed black smoke pouring from the Novoshakhtinsk Refinery OAO in the Rostov district, about 5 miles from the border with eastern Ukraine, as firefighters sought to contain the flames. Unconfirmed footage shared on social media also showed a drone "crashing into the refinery, triggering a large blast, followed by fire spreading through the facility," reports the Wall Street Journal. "As a result of terrorist actions from the Western border of the Rostov region, two unmanned aerial vehicles struck at the technological facilities of Novoshakhtinsk," the plant said, per Reuters. Refinery officials said the first drone struck the plant at 8:40am local time, triggering an explosion and ball of fire, before the second hit 43 minutes later. Russia's TASS news agency, which spoke with local authorities, said the blaze was extinguished before noon local time. No one was injured, according to reports, though the refinery was forced to suspend production amid an evacuation and survey of damage. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) Sri Lanka's debt-laden economy has "completely collapsed" after months of shortages of food, fuel, and electricity, its prime minister told lawmakers Wednesday, in comments underscoring the country's dire situation as it seeks help from international lenders. While Sri Lanka's crisis is considered its worst in recent memory, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's assertion that the economy has collapsed did not cite any specific new developments, notes the AP. It appeared intended to emphasize to his critics and opposition lawmakers that he has inherited a difficult task that cant be fixed quickly; he became prime minister just over a month ago and has not yet delivered on his pledges to turn the economy around. Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is unable to purchase imported fuel, even for cash, due to heavy debt owed by its petroleum corporation. "Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $700 million in debt," he told lawmakers. "As a result, no country or organization in the world is willing to provide fuel to us." The Wall Street Journal reports schools and nonessential government services have been shuttered for two weeks due to the fuel shortage. So far, Sri Lanka has been muddling through, mainly supported by $4 billion in credit lines from neighboring India. But Wickremesinghe said India would not be able to keep Sri Lanka afloat for long. Sri Lanka has already announced that it is suspending repayment of $7 billion in foreign debt due this year, pending the outcome of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a rescue packagewhich Wickremesinghe characterized as the country's only option. Officials from the agency are visiting Sri Lanka to discuss a rescue package. As for the root cause of Sri Lanka's financial woes, the Journal notes the government has pointed a finger at the pandemic and the war in Ukraine's impact on tourism and commodity prices. Economists, however, fault tax cuts that cut sharply into government funds and debt amassed through infrastructure spending. (Read more Sri Lanka stories.) (Newser) Andrew Gillum, the Democrat who almost became governor of Florida in 2018, has been indicted on federal charges that could send him to prison for decades. The US Attorney's office for the Northern District of Florida said in a press release Wednesday that the former Tallahassee mayor and his longtime associate Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks have been indicted on 21 counts, including making false statements, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. The latter two offenses have maximum penalties of 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred between 2016 and 2019, when Gillum was mayor of Tallahassee. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to commit wire fraud "unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose." Gillum and Lettman-Hicks also allegedly diverted the funds to a company owned by Lettman-Hicks, which "fraudulently provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use," the federal release states. Gillum narrowly lost to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2018. Gillum and his lawyers say he is innocent and they will fight to clear his name, NBC reports. "Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political," Gillum said in a statement. "Theres been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now." NBC describes the indictment as a "new low" for Gillum, who stepped back from politics after a sex scandal in early 2020. (Read more Andrew Gillum stories.) (Newser) The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes who sent more than 800 of his elderly residents to a crowded, ill-equipped warehouse to ride out Hurricane Ida last year was arrested Wednesday on fraud and cruelty charges arising from the squalid conditions. Bob Glynn Dean Jr., 68, was already facing state and federal sanctions for crowding his residents into a facility in the town of Independence, roughly 70 miles northwest of New Orleans, the AP reports. There, authorities said they found ill and elderly bedridden people on mattresses on the floor, some crying for help, some lying in their own waste. Some had arrived without their medicine, a doctor said. Multiple civil suits against Dean's corporation said that toilets didn't work at the warehouse and that there was too little food and water. On Wednesday, Dean was in custody in Tangipahoa Parish, facing charges of Medicaid fraud, cruelty to the infirm, and obstruction of justice. Dean's attorney did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Attorney General Jeff Landry said the criminal charges stem from allegations that Dean billed Medicaid for dates his residents were not receiving proper care at the warehouse "and engaged in conduct intended to intimidate or obstruct public health officials and law enforcement." In the days after Ida hit, last Aug. 29, the state reported the deaths of seven people who had been evacuated to the warehouse in the town of Independence. Five were classified as storm-related deaths. Dean later lost the state licenses for his seven facilities. In May, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced it was prohibiting Dean from receiving federal funding, including Medicare and Medicaid. At the warehouse where Dean's residents were taken, state officials said conditions had deteriorated quickly in the storm. Generators used to provide power failed at times. Residents were in close quarters at a time when the state was urging social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some went without food for hours. (Read more nursing homes stories.) Khalsa Television Limited has surrendered its licence Khalsa Television Limited has chosen to surrender its licence. This means it is no longer licensed to operate the KTV channel which served the Sikh community in the UK. KTV has been off air since 31 March 2022, when Ofcom suspended Khalsa Television Limiteds licence due to a serious breach of our broadcasting rules. This was after our investigation found that Prime Time, a 95-minute live discussion programme, included material likely to incite violence, including murder. Following the suspension, Ofcom issued Khalsa Television Limited with a draft notice to revoke its licence. On 26 May 2022, having received Ofcoms draft revocation notice, Khalsa Television Limited chose to surrender its licence. Ofcom has a duty to revoke a broadcast licence if we are satisfied that a licensee has broadcast a programme likely to encourage or to incite the commission of crime; that it has therefore contravened its licence conditions; and that the contravention justifies the revocation of the licence. Photo credit: Uma Bhadhra TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Nargis Al Banna The unending tourism potentials of Manama Souq were showcased during a media tour organised by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) on Tuesday. It was held under the theme The Story of Manama. The tour focused on highlighting the Manama Market as one of the most important tourist destinations in the Kingdom apart from encouraging citizens, residents and tourists to visit the souq. According to BTEA, such tours are aimed at visitors and tourists, offering them a unique experience while exploring traditional elements as well as the rich heritage of the Bahraini society. The authority is keen to provide everything necessary to ensure the success of these tours, including the provision of a licensed and experienced tour guide to accompany visitors during these tours that keeps pace with the tour towards the targeted destinations and landmarks and focuses on the tourist attraction in terms of the diversity of food and goods in the market. These tours provide tourists, visitors, and even citizens and residents with the opportunity to rediscover the market area with its historical, heritage and religious landmarks that tell a rich part of Bahrain's history through the ages. As part of the efforts to boost Manama Souq tourism many events have been organised by BTEA and one of the prominent ones among them was Manama Gold Festival. Nearly 180 gold shops in the area took part in the festival, clocking a total sales of over $3.1 million in a month. Many events were also held during the Holy Month of Ramadan. In a statement issued to the media, BTEA Chief Executive Officer Dr Nasser Qaedi said: Revitalising Manama Souq tourism is one of the top priorities of the Ministry of Tourism. We are working to accelerate the restoration of the Manama market's deserved position at the forefront of tourist destinations in Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf, especially it being one of the oldest commercial markets in the region. The souq includes many heritage buildings, and there are different places of worship that embody the coexistence and civilisational fraternity that prevailed in Bahrain throughout the ages. It is considered the first attraction for visitors and tourists from the Arabian Gulf, the region and the world." There are plans on cards to set up an outdoor cinema viewing facility and organising Bahrain Design Week, and the authority is working with art associations to attract regional artists to participate in these activities. This programme of events is an essential part of the Manama Market Development Project, and goes hand in hand with efforts to revive some of its houses, shops and various landmarks, and develop squares such as Tawaweesh Square. Manama Market Development Project aims to give the souq a modern design inspired by the Bahraini heritage to reflect Bahraini identity and authentic heritage. Work is underway to develop the facades and banners of the shops, which include 275 shops located on five main streets around the market, namely Al Mutanabbi Street, Bab Al Bahrain Street, Shaikh Abdullah Street, Al Tajer Street, and Crown Prince Street in the Manama Market. The Manama Market Development Project will give a whole new look to the current site and will contribute to improving existing facilities and services as the market is an important tourist site. The Manama Market Development Committee consists of representatives of the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the Urban Planning and Development Authority, the Economic Development Board, the Capital Governorate, the Capital Municipality Council, as well as a number of Manama market traders. A Japanese city is launching a crowdfunding campaign to help preserve a special spot of woodland: The forest that inspired the animator of beloved movie My Neighbour Totoro. The city of Tokorozawa outside Tokyo plans to buy the 3.5-hectare Totoro Forest for 2.6 billion yen ($19 million), with crowdfunding covering just a small portion of that, a city official told AFP. The area is one of the places that director [Hayao] Miyazaki developed ideas for Totoro after walking there, the official said, adding that the plan aims to turn the forest into a nature reserve. The 1988 animation film from Miyazakis Studio Ghibli features the cuddly but mysterious forest spirit character Totoro, who has become an instantly recognizable figure for fans around the world. The forest that inspired his home is about 30 kilometers northwest of Tokyo and has some 7,000 oak trees. Tokorozawa will ask crowdfunding participants to contribute 25,000 yen ($185) and in return, they will receive prints of background artwork offered by Studio Ghibli. Hulu Japan is on board for the second season of The Mediapro Studios drama series The Head, which recently began filming in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. In Spain, the English-language series premiered on Orange TV and since last November has also been available on Disney+. The renewal and Japanese deal come after the first season aired in more than 90 countries, sold by The Mediapro Studio Distribution to platforms including HBO Max in the US, Viaplay in the Nordics, Canal+ in France and StarzPlay in the UK and Germany. Created by Ran Tellem, director of international content development at Spains The Mediapro Studio, the first season centred on a small group of scientists in charge of an international base in Antarctica. When spring arrives after a long winter, it emerges that the entire team is dead or missing. The second season will be set on a huge freighter, where a scientific mission is taking place as it sails the ocean and where those on board face a confrontation between good and evil. Joining the cast for the second season are Enrique Arce, Nora Rios, Tania Watson and Thierry Godard as well as Japanese actor Sota Fukushi, while Jorge Dorado will return as director. EAST HARTFORD Two teenagers killed in a confrontation that police say followed a home invasion died of gunshot wounds and their deaths have been ruled homicides, the Chief State Medical Examiners office said Tuesday. Isaiah Jose Lopez, 16, of Hartford, died of gunshot wounds to his torso, and Isaiah Miguel Nevarez, 15, of Meriden, died of gunshot wounds to his torso and upper left extremity, the medical examiner found. The teens were former students of Hartford Public Schools, the district said in a statement Tuesday. This is an unfortunate and tragic incident, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of members of our Hartford Public Schools community, the statement said. We are prepared to provide proper support and resources for students and staff affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with our former students families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. Police said the teens attacked the lone resident of the Graham Road duplex early on June 16. Armed with a handgun, the resident shot both intruders in what police have labeled a targeted home invasion. East Hartford Fire Department paramedics rendered aid and rushed the teens to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead. The resident suffered minor injuries in the attack and has been cooperating with investigators, police said. Police have not filed any charges against the resident. Connecticut law on a civilians use of deadly force follows the castle doctrine. In defense of themselves, the law says a person is justified in using deadly force if another person is using or about to use deadly physical force or is inflicting great bodily harm. In defense of premises, the law says a person may use deadly force when he reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson or any crime of violence and to prevent or terminate unlawful entry by force into his dwelling. Unlike other states with broad stand your ground laws, Connecticut law distinguishes between use of deadly force in self defense inside and outside a dwelling or place of work. Deadly force is not justified if the person being attacked can retreat safely except that the actor shall not be required to retreat inside a home or place of work. A stand your ground bill before the state legislature this year that did not make it to a vote would have strengthened justification for civilians use of deadly force and extended the circumstances in which deadly force could be used to crimes involving motor vehicles. Intended or not, as written, state prosecutors wrote in opposition, this portion of the bill will effectively permit one person, absent any perceived threat of personal or third party harm, to kill another person merely because the person employing deadly physical force reasonably believes that the other person is attempting, or has succeeded, with force, to enter their unoccupied motor vehicle. Prosecutors also warned that gunfire used to prevent a motor vehicle theft would create more hazards. Ask yourself: Is your neighbors motor vehicle worth an errant bullet through your childs bedroom window or wall at 3 a.m.? the prosecutors wrote. Moreover, human life, even one engaging in criminal activity, is more valuable than a motor vehicle. Anyone with information about the East Hartford case can call Detective Dan Ortiz at 860-291-7669, or the departments anonymous tip line at 860-289-9134. Jesse.leavenworth@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Andrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, has been indicted on 21 federal charges including conspiracy and wire fraud for funneling donations through third parties back to himself for personal use, prosecutors said Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida said Gillum, 42, is also charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for claiming he didnt receive or ask for anything from two undercover agents posing as developers. The undercover agents offered gifts and money in exchange for support for projects. Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53 and the owner of a communications company, is a codefendant on the wire fraud charges for funneling money to Gillum in the form of paychecks, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody said in a statement. Prosecutors said the pair conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose. Gillum, in a statement released through his lawyers, denied the charges. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power," the statement said. "Theres been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now. He made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon, entering the courtroom shackled at the ankles and wrists. He and Lettman-Hicks pleaded not guilty to all charges. A trial date was set for Aug. 16. Both were released without bail with instructions not to leave the Northern District of Florida without permission. Gillum met with undercover FBI agents posing as developers while he was mayor and during his campaign for governor. His associates sought donations from the agents, and suggested ways to provide money without listing them as political contributions, including paying for a fundraising dinner, according to the indictment. The agents were asked to contribute $100,000 to Gillum's campaign and said the money could be given to a private company in order to keep the agents' names out of campaign finance documents. The agents said they would want favorable consideration on development projects and were told that wouldn't be a problem, according to the indictment. The agents also met with Gillum in New York City and paid for his hotel, food and drink, a boat ride and a ticket to see Hamilton, according to the indictment. Later, other FBI agents interviewed Gillum and asked if he had contact with the undercover agents. Gillum told them that he never asked for or received anything from the developers," and stopped communicating with them after they tried to link contributions to support for their projects, the indictment said. An individual not named in the indictment donated $250,000 to Gillums political committee, but only $100,000 was put toward the campaign. Gillum and Lettman-Hicks said most of the remaining money was going to a voter education program, knowing the service wouldnt be provided, according to the indictment. Instead, the money went to Lettman-Hicks company. She kept some and funneled the rest back to Gillum in several payments ranging from nearly $3,600 to $10,000 each. It's the latest trouble for Gillum, who lost to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a race that required a recount. Gillum fell 32,464 votes short of being elected out of more than 8.2 million ballots cast. Gillum served as mayor of Tallahassee before running for governor. He won a crowded Democratic primary against better funded candidates with 34.4% of the vote, stunning political observers. The charismatic politician won over the hearts of hardcore Democratic activists and ran a strong grassroots campaign. After losing, Gillum was still seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and was hired as a CNN analyst. Then, in March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Two days later he entered a rehabilitation center, and later did a television interview in which he said he's bisexual. An attorney for Gillum's codefendant Lettman-Hicks didnt immediately respond to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press. Pete Bass / Contributed Photo NEW MILFORD A large branch leaning over power lines has closed a stretch of Ridge Road, according to Mayor Pete Bass. Bass said Eversource is bringing a crane to remove the hanging branch. Eversource has no reported outages in New Milford. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The streets of Danbury and Ridgefield were transformed into a concert hall of sorts on Tuesday, as the municipalities hosted Make Music Day celebrations. All over the world on every continent, anyone who wanted to take part was encouraged to create music as part of the free celebration. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fete de la Musique, Make Music Day is now held on the same day June 21 in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries. In Danbury, the event is sponsored by the Danbury Music Center as well as the Danbury Chamber of Commerce, CityCenter Danbury and the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut. It included about 40 performances at 11 venues in the city. Performances included acoustic music by The Lovebirds at City Hall; and indie rock by the band Hawkins Band at the Danbury Library. In Ridgefield, the event hosted by the Ridgefield Arts Council included 50 performances at 13 venues. Performances included funk, jazz and swing by the Ridgefield High School Jazz Band at the Lounsbury House; Americana, bluegrass, and classical by the Ridgefield High School Chamber Music Orchestra at the Ridgefield Library; and indie-rock by the group Novadust Electronic at Town Hall. The worlds a crazy place. For me as an artist and as a proponent of the arts, knowing that all over the world on every continent, that this activity is taking place at the same time today is a pretty cool, comforting, hopeful thing, said Pamme Jones, co-chair of Make Music Day and executive director of the Ridgefield Arts Council. It fits in beautifully with our arts and cultural destination designation. For more info, visit www.makemusicday.org. Federal lawmakers championing gun reform in the wake of numerous deaths said they reached an agreement Tuesday on a bipartisan gun violence bill. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, if passed, will strengthen background checks for people under 21 seeking to buy firearms, require more sellers to conduct background checks and intensify penalties for gun traffickers. The bill would also protect victims of domestic violence, invest in mental health services and provide funding to community-based violence prevention initiatives. Legislators were pushing for the bill after 19 children and two teachers were killed in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24. Days before, 10 Black shoppers were killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the bipartisan bill with Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., will, if passed, end a three decades long logjam on gun safety in a statement Tuesday. For decades, the anti-gun violence movement has been met with obstacles and frustrations, and yet theyve been tireless in their pursuit of change, Murphy said. Their advocacy has made this moment possible. This legislation will strengthen background checks and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, he continued. It also makes a historic investment in mental health and much-needed support services for students. The bill does not include all of the wish list items from President Joe Biden and some Democrats. These included banning assault-type weapons or raising the minimum age for buying them, prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for virtually all gun sales, according to the Associated Press. Murphy acknowledged that the bill wont completely eradicate gun violence, but its a step in the right direction. This bill doesnt include everything I want, but it will save countless lives and finally break a 30 year political logjam, he said. I look forward to earning bipartisan support for this historic legislation among my Senate colleagues this week. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also said the bill marks meaningful progress. After 30 years, hundreds of thousands of gun deaths and dozens of failed pieces of gun safety legislation, we have finally taken one small step forward, he said in a statement Tuesday. In Congress, if you wait for everything, youll get nothing. This deal is a significant, positive step forward that will save lives. It is not the measure I fought for or would have written if I were acting alone, but it marks meaningful progress. For the first time ever, Congress will authorize significant resources to support Connecticut and other states that have red flag laws addressing a real barrier to implementing them that I have heard from officials and advocates, Blumenthal said. Blumenthal, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has been working to bring federal funding for red flag laws for about four years. Connecticut has its own red flag laws, which make it easier for law enforcement to temporarily take away a persons firearms if they are deemed dangerous. The state instituted its red flag laws 1999 after a state lottery employee killed five-coworkers in Newington. The bill also adds convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. We have substantially shrunk the boyfriend loophole even if not closing it completely separating guns from convicted abusers who are dating partners, not just spouses, he added. The bill will also funnel millions of dollars into Connecticuts community violence intervention programs. Blumenthal said he spoke to local gun violence prevention leaders in Hartford Monday and heard directly about how the funding will make a difference. As a former federal prosecutor, I know how important the anti-trafficking and straw purchasing prohibitions will be to addressing the scourge of gun violence in Connecticut communities, he said. Finally, a multibillion dollar investment in health care resources is valuable on its own merits and necessary to combat the rising mental health crisis. After three decades of Republican intransigence and near complete inaction on gun violence, this bipartisan negotiation is a positive breakthrough that builds a foundation for further progress in protecting the American people from deadly firearms, he concluded. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill Tuesday evening. Aides estimated the measure would cost around $15 billion, which Murphy would be fully paid for. If enacted, the election-year agreement would spotlight a modest but telling shift on an issue that has defied compromise since Bill Clinton was president. The National Rifle Association, which has spent decades derailing gun control legislation, said it opposed the measure. It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners, the gun lobby group said. It seemed likely a majority of Republicans especially in the House would oppose the legislation. Underscoring the backlash GOP lawmakers supporting the pact would face from the most conservative voters, delegates booed Cornyn at his states Republican convention in Houston Saturday as he described the measure. The measure will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold major bills often need in the 50-50 Senate. Ten Republican senators had joined with 10 Democrats in backing the framework, and Cornyn told reporters that I think there will be at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Whats uncertain is whether the agreement and its passage would mark the beginning of slow but gradual congressional action to curb gun violence, or the high water mark on the issue. Until Buffalo and Uvalde, a numbing parade of mass slayings at sites including elementary and high schools, houses of worship, military facilities, bars and the Las Vegas Strip have yielded only stalemate in Washington. Thirty years, murder after murder, suicide after suicide, mass shooting after mass shooting, Congress did nothing, Murphy said. This week we have a chance to break this 30-year period of silence with a bill that changes our laws in a way that will save thousands of lives. Congress prohibited assault-type firearms in 1993 in a ban that expired after a decade, lawmakers last sweeping legislation addressing gun violence. The Associated Press contributed to this report This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. The Los Angeles County jury delivered the verdict in favor of Judy Huth, who is now 64, and awarded her $500,000. She said the fact that jurors believed her story meant more than the sum of money or the fact that she didn't win punitive damages. Its been torture, Huth said of the seven-year legal fight. To be ripped apart, you know, thrown under the bus and backed over. This, to me, is such a big victory. Jurors found that Cosby intentionally caused harmful sexual contact with Huth, that he reasonably believed she was under 18, and that his conduct was driven by unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in a minor. The jurors decision is a major legal defeat for the 84-year-old entertainer once hailed as Americas dad. It comes nearly a year after his Pennsylvania criminal conviction for sexual assault was thrown out and he was freed from prison. Huths lawsuit was one of the last remaining legal claims against him after his insurer settled many others against his will. Cosby did not attend the trial or testify in person, but short clips from 2015 video deposition were played for jurors, in which he denied any sexual contact with Huth. He continues to deny the allegation through his attorney and publicist. Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said they would appeal the verdict and he claimed the defense won because Huth didnt win punitive damages. Jurors had already reached conclusions on nearly every question on their verdict form, including whether Cosby abused Huth and whether she deserved damages, after two days of deliberations on Friday. But the jury foreperson could not serve further because of a personal commitment, and the panel had to start deliberating from scratch with an alternate juror on Monday. Cosbys attorneys agreed that Cosby met Huth and her high school friend on a Southern California film set in April of 1975, then took them to the Playboy Mansion a few days later. Huths friend Donna Samuelson, a key witness, took photos at the mansion of Huth and Cosby, which loomed large at the trial. Huth testified that in a bedroom adjacent to a game room where the three had been hanging out, Cosby attempted to put his hand down her pants, then exposed himself and forced her to perform a sex act. Huth filed her lawsuit in 2014, saying that her son turning 15 the age she initially remembered being when she went to the mansion and a wave of other women accusing Cosby of similar acts brought fresh trauma over what she had been through as a teenager. Huths attorney Nathan Goldberg told the jury of nine women and three men during closing arguments Wednesday that my client deserves to have Mr. Cosby held accountable for what he did. Each of you knows in your heart that Mr. Cosby sexually assaulted Miss Huth, Goldberg said. At least nine of the 12 jurors agreed, giving Huth a victory in a suit that took nearly eight years and overcame many hurdles just to get to trial. During their testimony, Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean consistently challenged Huth and Samuelson over errors in detail in their stories, and a similarity in the accounts that the lawyer said represented coordination between the two women. This included the women saying in pre-trial depositions and police interviews that Samuelson had played Donkey Kong that day, a game not released until six years later. Bonjean made much of this, in what both sides came to call the Donkey Kong defense. Goldberg asked jurors to look past the small errors in detail that he said were inevitable in stories that were 45 years old, and focus on the major issues behind the allegations. He pointed out to jurors that Samuelson said games like Donkey Kong when she first mentioned it in her deposition. The Cosby lawyer began her closing arguments by saying, Its on like Donkey Kong, and finished by declaring, game over. Huths attorney reacted with outrage during his rebuttal. This is about justice! he shouted, pounding on the podium. We dont need game over! We need justice! The Associated Press does not normally name people who say they have been sexually abused, unless they come forward publicly, as Huth has. Outside court, a group of four women who said they represented dozens of Cosby's sexual abuse victims celebrated the verdict. Chelan Lasha, who testified against Cosby in the Pennsylvania case, was in tears. She said he had drugged and assaulted her in the Elvis Presley suite of the Las Vegas Hilton when she was 17 years old. He's a boogey man, he's a sexual predator, he's a deviant, Lasha said. He's horrible. It's one more victory. I came here to stand with Judy. I'm proud of Judy. I'm glad for the outcome. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3 BROOKFIELD The death of a Bristol man whose body was recovered from Candlewood Lake last week after he was reported missing over Memorial Day weekend has been ruled an accidental drowning, a state spokesperson said Wednesday. The cause of death for Larry Kwokpo Chan, 24, was released by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. His identity was released Tuesday by a spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BROOKFIELD The Planning and Land Use Commission voted last week to recommend pursuing state funds to support the extension of the towns sewer system across the Still River to serve the area of the Brookfield Market and Brookfield Craft Center. The unanimous decision reaffirmed a stance held by the local commission for decades. Presented by Nelson Malwitz, chair of the town Water Pollution Control Authority, the plan would connect a municipal sewer line to serve nine buildings spanning six properties that are located near the downtown district across a bridge near the intersection of Federal Road and Route 25. Septic systems serving the six properties are connected to failing historic dry wells, meaning untreated human-waste contaminate leeches into the soil and the adjacent waters of the Still River, according to a WPCA report. Downriver, the wastewater from Brookfields existing sewer infrastructure enters the same body of water; but only after flowing to Danburys sewer-network and the citys wastewater treatment plant. As Malwitz explained at the June 16 meeting, the commissions vote to recommend the sewer work is the latest in the local commissions support for the connection. The first came in 1996. The issue was, at the time, it was too expensive, so we didnt go through with it, Malwitz said. We did it again in 2014, and the issue that time was, it is too expensive, and we didnt go through with it. Aiming to ensure wastewater emanating from the six Brookfield properties is treated before it enters the Still River, the plan today would call for crews to open a section of the state-owned road spanning the bridge, then laying a pipe across where it can then be connected to the buildings. Total costs for the proposed work would fall within the $1 million range, Malwitz reported to the commission, with a portion of the cost expected to be covered by the six property owners. Coming in 2022, the issue is that its expensive, but we have some grant money possibilities, he added. Sewer link re-recommendation To support the proposed sewer work, Malwitz said the town is pursuing a grant possibility through the states Small Town Economic Assistance Program, or, STEAP. Managed by the state Office of Policy Management, the grant programs website says the goal of STEAP is preserving the historical integrity and beauty of small towns in Connecticut with funding for economic development, community conservation, and quality of life capital projects. Although the Brookfield Craft Center is listed on the states historic registry, the properties in the area are not within a local historic district. But a proposal to designate the area is under review by the Brookfield Historic Commission. We want to go for a STEAP grant, its $500,000, and every town gets one crack at it and this is the only thing we got going, Malwitz said. The latest attempt at funding the sewer instillation is the second so far this year. In March, Board of Finance members voted against a similar plan to address the failing sewer infrastructure with $652,000 of the $5 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief directed to Brookfield under the U.S. American Rescue Plan, or ARPA. The idea to use ARPA money came from the review and recommendation process put in place by a special town committee set up to identify uses for the ARPA money. First Selectwoman Tara Carr spoke in support of the spending option at a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance on March 21. If we continue to let this situation deteriorate, its going to have a huge environmental impact, she said. If you look at any photos of Brookfield, the first thing you see is the mill, you see the craft center, and when people think of Brookfield, that is what they think of. Members of the Board of Finance remained unmoved, recommending the item be removed from the ARPA budget proposal and asking for a different type of funding, noting its impact on a small number of property owners. I see the need for it, its a little bit hard being that large of the percentage of this relief funding going through such a small benefit, Board of Finance member Eileen Koch said. If we have to fund this, anyway, why wouldnt we do it with town money and keep it with the town? Chair Glen Rooney added. Despite the negative review in March, Malwitz told the town Land Use and Planning Commission last week that COVID-19 pandemic-relief money could still be a source of funding; but more work is underway to prepare an application for the competitive STEAP grant program. To qualify for the grant money, Malwitz said the town needs to show the project is shovel-ready. Plans for the bridged-sewer connection would not be subject to restrictions put in place on some developments under the towns recent sewer moratorium, he said; with a benefit coming in reducing a pollution source from the set of properties in the area. The challenge is those septic systems are not code compliant, Malwitz said. To make them code compliant is a lot of money. According to the town Office of Land Use and Community Development, permits for the project would require approval from the town Inland Wetlands Commission and, possibly, from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The application deadline for the STEAP grant is Aug. 15. Brookfields Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance will review the proposal to submit a grant application in early July. OTTAWA, ON, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Canadians are natural innovators, creating ideas and technologies that benefit a multitude of sectors and industries, both here at home and internationally. Supporting international collaboration and efforts to enhance cooperation among countries leads to better research results, as well as a more robust pathway to commercializing innovative research and development. Today, at the Eureka Global Innovation Summit in Estoril, Portugal, Ambassador Stephane Dion, Special Envoy to the European Union (E.U.) and Europe, officially signed Canada's full membership in the Eureka network. With the goal of increasing competitiveness in world markets, Eureka brings together SMEs, large companies, research centres, universities, and other innovators from Eureka countries to work together on market-driven industrial research and development (R&D). While Canada has participated in Eureka for 10 years as an associate member, full membership will allow Canada to contribute more fully to the goals of the network and create even more opportunities for Canadian innovators to work with international partners. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), manages Canada's Eureka National Office and provides Canadian innovators with a first contact point and access to the expansive global network. This unique and powerful platform has made it easier for Canadian innovators to accelerate their growth through access to global value chains and collaboration with international partners. Quick Facts Eureka was established in 1985 as an agreement between 18 countries and the European Commission to foster competitiveness and market integration and to encourage R&D cooperation. Since then, it has expanded to include over 45 economies (in Europe and beyond) that provide funding and support to organizations collaborating on international R&D projects. and beyond) that provide funding and support to organizations collaborating on international R&D projects. NRC IRAP connects Canadian SMEs to potential partners and opportunities through Eureka. Canadian SMEs participating in Eureka projects receive advisory services and funding support from NRC IRAP. Since joining Eureka in 2012, Canada has supported more than 300 participants in projects with over 600 partners from 34 countries with a total project value of 400 million Euros . Quotes "Eureka is an essential resource for Canadian companies to innovate and collaborate with our trusted international partners. Through networks like this one, we can enhance cooperation among countries to grow our economy and bring companies and people together. This full membership in the Eureka network further demonstrates Canada's leadership in science and innovation on the international stage." The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "The challenges facing humanity from climate change to pandemic preparedness, decarbonizing energy to bolstering cybersecurity, all require optimal cooperation between our scientists and innovators. Canada welcomes the opportunity to join Eureka as a full member which will significantly augment our perspectives for co-innovation." Ambassador Stephane Dion Special Envoy to the European Union (E.U.) and Europe "The National Research Council of Canada believes strongly in the value of international co-innovation as a pathway to growth for Canadian innovators and we are committed to ensuring they have access to the expertise, knowledge and resources to grow and reach these new markets. Canada's full membership in Eureka will allow us to continue to work together and achieve our shared visions and goals faster, and with greater impact on Canadians and the world." Iain Stewart President, National Research Council of Canada Related links Stay connected Follow the National Research Council of Canada on social media. Twitter: @nrc_cnrc , Instagram: @nrc_cnrc and LinkedIn . SOURCE National Research Council Canada For further information: Contacts, Media Relations, National Research Council of Canada, 613-991-1431, 1-855-282-1637, [email protected] Located at 113 Lower Union Street, the new building is comprised of 19 units for Indigenous peoples, with nine units prioritized for single women and women and their children. The building is owned an operated by Tipi Moza, an urban First Nation, Metis and Inuit housing provider founded in 1989 in response to the need for subsidized housing for First Nation, Metis, and Inuit families. Funding for this project was provided, in part, through the Government of Canada's Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). New investments under the RHI will create thousands of good jobs in the housing and construction sector, grow the middle class, and build back stronger communities while getting us closer to our goal of eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada. Quotes: "Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. This investment through the Rapid Housing Initiative is a crucial step to support Indigenous community members in Kingston in need of transitional housing. These new homes will offer residents stability and safety and is another way our National Housing Strategy is ensuring no one is left behind." The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Quick facts: The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is a $2 .5 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) to help address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of over 10,000 units of affordable housing. .5 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) to help address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of over 10,000 units of affordable housing. The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, racialized and Black Canadians, recent immigrants, and refugees. Units are intended to be constructed within 12 months of funding being provided to program applicants (with some exceptions). Units in the North and remote communities are intended to be constructed within 18 months. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $1 .5 billion over the next two years to extend the RHI and create 6,000 additional affordable housing units across Canada , with at least 25% of funding going towards women-focused housing projects. .5 billion over the next two years to extend the RHI and create 6,000 additional affordable housing units across , with at least 25% of funding going towards women-focused housing projects. The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home. Associated links: As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see the affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada . SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation For further information: Media contacts: Arevig Afarian, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected] CBC Radio-Canada's broadcasting licences renewed until 2027 GATINEAU, QC, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the CRTC adopted a new approach to ensure that the CBC Radio-Canada's programming meets the needs and interests of all Canadians, in both official languages, across all its services. The CRTC is also introducing new spending requirements that will promote the creation of more diverse content. The emergence of online platforms has changed the way Canadians consume audio and audiovisual content, including the CBC/Radio-Canada's programming. The CRTC is adapting the way in which it regulates the national public broadcaster to provide it with more flexibility to fulfill its mandate across traditional and online platforms, while recognizing the need to make the new framework adaptable for the years to come. To balance this flexibility, accountability and transparency are being increased through new and enhanced reporting and measurement requirements for programming on all the CBC/Radio-Canada's platforms. This new reporting framework will be better aligned with the objectives of the new approach, including those related to diversity. New spending and reporting requirements are also being imposed to ensure that the national public broadcaster supports and broadcasts programming that is relevant to and reflective of all Canadians of diverse backgrounds and Indigenous Peoples living in Canada. To enhance diversity in its programming, the CBC Radio-Canada will have to invest in audiovisual Canadian programming, audiovisual Canadian independent programming from Indigenous producers, racialized producers, producers with disabilities and producers who identify as LGBTQ2. The CRTC is also maintaining certain spending requirements for programming by and for official-language minority communities. Regarding audio programming, the CRTC is maintaining musical content requirements and is also introducing a new content requirement for Indigenous music on the CBC/Radio-Canada's English and French-language radio services. The CRTC is requiring the CBC/Radio-Canada to conduct regular surveys of all Canadians on how it is meeting their needs. The CRTC will also require that the CBC/Radio-Canada hold formal consultations every two years with Indigenous Peoples, official-language minority communities, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and persons who identify as LGBTQ2. These initiatives will ensure that its programming is reflective of these communities and meets the needs and interests of these communities. Quote "The CRTC is modernizing its approach to ensure that the CBC/Radio-Canada's programming can adapt to and reflect the evolving preferences of Canadians, including equity-seeking and official-language minority communities and Indigenous Peoples. We are giving the CBC/Radio-Canada more flexibility, while ensuring it is accountable and representative of our various geographic and cultural realities in both official languages." Ian Scott, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Quick facts Today's decision follows a public proceeding that included a public hearing, which was held from January 11 to 28, 2021 . The CRTC received more than 10,000 individual comments during this proceeding. . The CRTC received more than 10,000 individual comments during this proceeding. The CRTC is adopting a more flexible approach to regulating the CBC/Radio-Canada, which focuses on the measurement of specific outcomes through targeted conditions of licence and various reporting requirements. The CRTC is imposing new spending requirements relating to Canadian programming, programs of national interest such as drama and documentaries, as well as Indigenous programming and programming by and for equity-seeking communities. Canadian and French-language content music requirements on radio stations are being maintained to ensure continued support for our homegrown artists. The CRTC is adding a new content requirement for Indigenous music on all English- and French-language radio stations. The CRTC is maintaining the CBC/Radio-Canada's local programming requirements in non-metropolitan markets where Canadians have access to fewer sources of news and less reliable and affordable Internet services. The CBC/Radio-Canada must ensure that its programming is accessible to Canadians with disabilities on all platforms and services. The CBC/Radio-Canada must submit an annual report on the number of employees occupying positions with a direct impact on the diversity of audio and audiovisual programming and on programming decision-making who are hired and who belong to the following groups: Indigenous Peoples, racialized Canadians, Canadians with disabilities, Canadians who identify as LGBTQ2, and women. The CBC/Radio-Canada must also report on the retention of these employees. Associated links Ask a question or make a complaint Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter @CRTCeng Like us on Facebook SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission For further information: Media Relations, (819) 997-9403, [email protected]; General Inquiries, (819) 997-0313, Toll-free 1 (877) 249-CRTC (2782), TTY (819) 994-0423 Acquisition allows Flipp to deliver digital savings content to nearly every household across the country TORONTO, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Flipp, the Canadian technology company and leader in digital savings content, today announced, as part of the launch of the company's new Shopper Consideration Platform, the acquisition of reebee, Canada's second largest digital savings distribution channel. With this acquisition, Flipp significantly increases their reach across the country, further strengthening their position as Canada's largest distributor of digital savings content. Flipp will maintain both the reebee and Flipp brands to continue serving shoppers and their families. "Flipp is on a mission to deliver unique digital shopping experiences to every Canadian household, every week. We know Canadians spend an average of four hours per week deciding what to buy & where to buy, with 80% of shopping decisions made prior to entering the store," said Michael Silverman, CEO of Flipp. "With the addition of reebee, we have two of Canada's most trusted shopping brands coming together to expand the Flipp Shopper Consideration Platform. Launching [today], the Platform offers retailers & brands the ability to curate and distribute digital shopping experiences that drive trips and baskets. We enable our partners to intercept shoppers during the critical, consideration phase of the shopping journey. We are excited to help our partners move from online ads that shoppers actively avoid to experiences that shoppers actively seek out." Founded in 2012 with headquarters in Kitchener, Waterloo, reebee has 2 million Canadian monthly users. The 80 member team will continue to operate under the reebee name, as a Flipp subsidiary. "Joining forces with Flipp was the next logical phase in our journey to support shoppers, retailers, and brands," said Tobias Dankiewicz, co-founder of reebee. "Flipp's platform tools combined with reebee's trusted brand will allow us to help retailers and brands efficiently deliver valuable content to millions of Canadian shoppers. We couldn't be more excited to combine our strengths behind our shared vision." For more information about Flipp, visit corp.flipp.com. About Flipp Founded in 2007, Flipp is a technology platform that is reinventing the way people plan their weekly shopping trip. The largest retailers and brands in North America use the Flipp platform to create, curate and distribute savings content to millions of highly-engaged shoppers every day. Millions of shoppers across North America use Flipp as their primary weekly shopping tool to decide what to buy and where to buy. On average, Flipp helps shoppers save $45 on their weekly groceries, home improvement goods, electronics, pharmacy, apparel, pets supplies and more. For more information, visit corp.flipp.com and follow @getflipp on social media. About reebee Founded in 2012 reebee is a digital advertising platform that is designed to provide consumers with content to make informed shopping decisions. reebee helps connect the largest retailers and brands in Canada with millions of weekly, high-intent shoppers. Reebee helps consumers discover local products while saving time and money through immersive browsing, search, and discovery experiences. Visit reebee.com for more information. SOURCE Flipp For further information: Media Relations Contact: Vivian Lou, [email protected] Strategy brings together partners across the country to accelerate the research and commercialization of artificial intelligence TORONTO, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the greatest technological advances of our age and has a significant impact on the daily lives of Canadians. AI is a driver of economic growth and good jobs, which is why the Government of Canada is committed to investing in efforts to drive its adoption across our economy and society. Today, the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the launch of the second phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Backed by an investment of more than $443 million committed in Budget 2021, the second phase of the strategy will seek to bridge worldclass talent and cutting-edge research capacity with commercialization and adoption to ensure that Canadian ideas and knowledge are mobilized here at home. This investment reflects the government's commitment to accelerate the responsible adoption and commercialization of AI across the Canadian economy by advancing programs to enhance Canada's research base and talent pool. This will enable established industries to be more productive and competitive, while helping all Canadians to benefit from growth in the digital economy. The Government of Canada is leveraging the expertise of partners to implement these measures, including CIFAR, the national AI institutes, the Standards Council of Canada, and Canada's Global Innovation Clusters. Together, they will work to ensure that Canadian values are embedded across widely used global technology platforms and to promote the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth. Quotes "Artificial intelligence is a key part of our government's plan to make our economy stronger than ever. The second phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy will help harness the full potential of AI to benefit Canadians and accelerate trustworthy technology development, while fostering diversity and cooperation across the AI domain. This collaborative effort will bring together the knowledge and expertise necessary to solidify Canada as a global leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning." The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "CIFAR has been proud to lead the first phase of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, along with our partners at Amii, Mila and the Vector Institute, forging Canada's reputation as a global leader in advancing research excellence and responsible AI development. Today we're pleased to continue to build on this strong foundation to ensure Canadian AI delivers positive social benefits and better economic opportunities for Canadians and the world." Elissa Strome, Executive Director, Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, CIFAR Quick facts Artificial intelligence (AI) is the use of computer systems to do things that normally require human intelligence. Budget 2021 funding for the second phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy includes: $60 million for Canada's national AI institutesAmii in Edmonton , Mila in Montreal and the Vector Institute in Torontoto help translate AI research into commercial applications and grow the capacity of businesses to adopt these new technologies; for national AI institutesAmii in , Mila in Montreal and the Vector Institute in Torontoto help translate AI research into commercial applications and grow the capacity of businesses to adopt these new technologies; $125 million for Canada's Global Innovation Clusters to accelerate AI commercialization by supporting Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises, attracting private investment from other public and private sources, and developing made-in-Canada AI solutions; for Global Innovation Clusters to accelerate AI commercialization by supporting Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises, attracting private investment from other public and private sources, and developing made-in-Canada AI solutions; $8.6 million for the Standards Council of Canada to advance the development and adoption of standards and a conformity assessment program related to AI for the Standards Council of to advance the development and adoption of standards and a conformity assessment program related to AI $160 million for CIFAR to continue programs to attract, retain and develop academic research talent and maintain centres of research, innovation and training at Canada's national AI institutes. for CIFAR to continue programs to attract, retain and develop academic research talent and maintain centres of research, innovation and training at national AI institutes. $48 million for CIFAR to renew and enhance its advanced research, training and knowledge mobilization programs. for CIFAR to renew and enhance its advanced research, training and knowledge mobilization programs. $40 million to provide dedicated computing capacity for AI researchers across Canada . to provide dedicated computing capacity for AI researchers across . The first phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy was launched in 2017, in partnership with CIFAR, to build a strong Canadian talent pipeline and ecosystem, including the establishment of centres of research, innovation and training at the national AI institutes. Since 2017, over 100 top researchers have been recruited as Canada CIFAR Artificial Intelligence Chairs, half of whom are international researchers drawn to Canada by the strategy and its investments. Moreover, the national AI institutes have trained over 1,500 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Many of these are international students who have come to Canada because of the recognized strengths of each institute. by the strategy and its investments. Moreover, the national AI institutes have trained over 1,500 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Many of these are international students who have come to because of the recognized strengths of each institute. The proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) sets the foundation for the responsible design, development, deployment and operation of high-impact AI systems. Specifically, AIDA will require that organizations put in place measures to identify, assess and mitigate harms to the health, safety, security of Canadians. Today, Canada ranks fifth on the Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Index and third among G7 nations. Associated links Stay connected Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media. Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada For further information: Laurie Bouchard, Senior Manager, Communications, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected] The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained Sanjay Gupta, the Managing Director of brokerage firm OPG Securities, in connection with the NSE co-location issue. Sanjay Gupta of a Delhi-based trading firm was listed as one of the main benefactors of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) co-location scandal. In connection with the suspected co-location fraud, the CBI conducted searches against brokers at more than ten sites throughout the nation last month. In Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Gandhinagar, Noida, and Gurugram, searches were carried out. The CBI detained former NSE MD Chitra Ramkrishna and NSE Group operational officer Anand Subranian in the NSE case. In April, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Chitra Ramkrishna and Anand Subramanian. The CBI discovers in its investigations that brokers are being chosen as co-location facilities in the NSEs trading system, through which they acquired rack space for their servers. According to the first information report (FIR) issued by the investigative agency, these dealers immediately got access to the exchanges data stream. The CBI stated in the NSE co-Location case that the inquiry found that accused Chitra Ramakrishna re-designated the role of accused Anand Subramanian as Group Operating Officer and Advisor to MD on April 1, 2015, without informing the NRC or the board. The CBI is investigating the suspected unauthorised transmission of information from market exchange computer servers to stockbrokers. Previously, the capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) sanctioned the NSE and its previous CEOs Chitra Ramakrishna and Ravi Narayan, as well as two other employees, for failures in senior-level recruiting. The market regulator SEBI found that the NSE and its senior executives breached securities contract regulations when Anand Subramaniam was appointed as group operating officer and advisor to the managing director. Chitra Ramkrishna was the NSEs MD and CEO from April 2013 until December 2016. The Central government has supplied NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu with round-the-clock 'Z+' category armed security protection by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers, authorities said on Wednesday. The Central government has supplied NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu with round-the-clock Z+ category armed security protection by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers, authorities said on Wednesday. The CRPF has been providing protection to Murmu since Wednesday morning, following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday evening, an official familiar with the situation informed ANI. On Tuesday, the BJP chose former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu as the governing National Democratic Alliances presidential candidate. If elected, the 64-year-old Odisha leader will be the countrys first tribal and second woman president. PM Modi praised the new NDA candidate saying that she will be a great president. Murmu will face opposition by Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election on July 18. She served as the governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021, the first governor to complete the term in the state. She was also in consideration for the presidential post in 2017 but later Ramnath Kovind made the cut. Murmus nomination as the BJPs presidential candidate comes ahead of assembly elections in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. The four states have 128 seats designated for Scheduled Tribes, with the BJP winning just 35 in the most recent assembly elections. Murmu is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister. She will be facing opposition candidate, former Minister of Finance and External Affairs Yashwant Sinha in the Presidential elections on July 18. Soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA announced former Governor of Jharkhand Draupadi Murmu as its presidential candidate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is confident that she will be a great President. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, Draupadi Murmu has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, the downtrodden as well as the marginalised. She has rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure. I am confident she will be a great President of our nation. Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Draupadi Murmu. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country, PM Modi said. Murmu is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister. She will be facing opposition candidate, former Minister of Finance and External Affairs Yashwant Sinha in the Presidential elections on July 18. Murmu is Indias first prominent tribal female presidential contender. She will be Indias first tribal President and the countrys second female President if elected. She is the first significant Presidential contender from Odisha, and if won, she will be the countrys first President from the state of Odisha. Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Womens College Bhubaneswar. She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was member of Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, Odisha assembly honoured her with Nilakantha Award for best MLA. She served as junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president state ST Morcha in * 1997. Droupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJPs ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJPs ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. The deadline for registering presidential nominations is June 29, polling will take place on July 18, and ballots will be tabulated on July 21. Congress has summoned its MLAs from various states to the party headquarters in the capital to further its "Satyagraha" in protest over the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) investigation into Rahul Gandhi in a money laundering case connected to the National Herald newspaper and the Centre's recently launched Agnipath recruiting programme. Congress has summoned its MLAs from various states to the party headquarters in the capital to further its Satyagraha in protest over the Enforcement Directorates (ED) investigation into Rahul Gandhi in a money laundering case connected to the National Herald newspaper and the Centres recently launched Agnipath recruiting programme. These MLAs will participate in the satyagraha at the office on 24, Akbar Road in Delhi. On Monday, the Congress conducted a Satyagraha at Jantar Mantar in the national capital to protest both of these concerns. Mallikarjun Kharge, Salman Khurshid, K Suresh, V Narayanasamy, KC Venugopal, and other top Congress leaders attended the Satyagraha at Jantar Mantar. As the protests continued, the Twitter handle of the Congress party on behalf of Rahul Gandhi wrote, People who make false promises of providing employment to two crore youth every year, are forcing the youth of the country to walk on the firepath of unemployment. The situation is deteriorating all around the country at this time, only and only the Prime Minister is responsible for it. On June 14, the Union Cabinet authorised Agnipath, a recruiting strategy for Indian youth to serve in the three Armed Forces services, and the young recruited under this scheme would be known as Agniveers. As opposition to the scheme grew in some areas, rioters went on the rampage, torching trains, torching automobiles, and ruining both private and public property. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi was questioned at ED headquarters for over 12 hours on Tuesday. The Congress leader was deposed before the ED investigators in the case for the first time on June 13. Independent India, unfortunately, saw defence expenditure being relegated to the non-plan category, within the ambit of a Soviet-inspired, central economy. by Asad Ali India has worlds second largest military after China. Its defence spending is among top ten nations of the world. Indias quest for military moderanization is flourishing with every passing day, which is putting the peace of entire region at stake. Panic and warmongering approach of Indian government has engulfed not only India itself but entire region as well. The incumbent Modi government has been trying to reduce pension bill of armed forces and wanted to spend that money to buy sophisticated equipment. This idea was conceived by Indian first Chief of Defence Staff late General Bipin Rawat. He proposed short term induction in tri-services to reduce salaries and pensions bills. General Rawts idea grabbed Modis attention and the PM, after consultations with tri-services chiefs and Minister of Defence, has given final go ahead to the scheme named as Agnipath. It is pertinent to mentioned here that the recruitment process in Indian tri-services was halted three years ago due to the massive outbreak of Covid-19. The Agnipath scheme has been announced recently by Indian Ministry of Defence in a press briefing. The scheme aimed at bringing transformational changes in Indian tri-services. Under the scheme, 45,000 youngsters will be inducted every year, they will serve for a period of four years. The new recruitment system, will bring in men and women between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 for a four-year tenure, with only a quarter retained for longer periods. However, the scheme has triggered massive outrage in the country and people are staging agitations across the country and vandalizing the properties. The protests have turned violent and dozens of trains have been set on fire by the angry protestors. They are asking Indian government to roll-back the scheme and announced regular recruitment system instead of hiring youngsters for mere four years. Even retired military officers, politicians and other government officials have raised serious concerns regarding the scheme by saying that it will demoralize servicemen and may bring unprofessional people into the tri-services. Independent India, unfortunately, saw defence expenditure being relegated to the non-plan category, within the ambit of a Soviet-inspired, central economy. But rather than engage in a critique of this controversial project, which has already seen much debate, controversy and public disturbances, let me focus on two larger issues, which lie at the root of much that is wrong in our approach to national security. The government of India, on the other hand, has neglected to undertake any such exercise, in the past 75 years. It has, thereby deprived itself, and the taxpayer, of a holistic, national security picture of: (a) Where we stand; (b) where do we want to go; and (c) how do we intend to get there? Unsurprisingly, India is amongst the few major powers which has failed to issue a National Security Strategy or Doctrine, and is consequently seen offering fumbling responses, to emergent threats as well as to financial stringency in the security domain. Firstly, given the parlous security situation, on the countrys northern and western borders as well as the ongoing domestic turbulence, this is not the best time to cast the armed forces already short of manpower into turmoil, with a radical and untried new recruitment system. No matter how extensively the issue was discussed in meetings or on files, a radical change of this nature should have been subjected to a trial before service-wide implementation. Such a scheme, in its present form, is suitable only for the army, whose large infantry component is not excessively burdened with technology. In case of the navy and air force, it must be recognised that at least 5-6 years are required before a new entrant can acquire enough hands-on experience to be entrusted with the operation or maintenance of lethal weapon systems and complex machinery and electronics. Indian armed forces have been degraded to just follow orders by Politico- bureaucratic bosses on whims and fancies. In conclusion, seeing the detritus of burnt trains, wrecked buses and social turmoil, often seen in the wake of many recent pronouncements, one is left wondering whether dissenting opinions are tolerated and contrarian advice accepted or given any weightage in our high-level decision-making forums? This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) 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. 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. 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. ___ This story is part of an ongoing Associated Press series, Migration Inc, which investigates individuals and companies that profit from the movement of people who flee violence and civil strife in their homelands. ___ 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. The 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. Since taking office in January 2021, the Biden administration has sent more than 25,000 Haitians back 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. 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 said he spent $6,000 on a harrowing trip from Chile to Texas, only to be sent back to Haiti. He said 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. He said 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. 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. ___ Ana Darcelin, a travel agent with Travel VIP, a Santiago-based agency that rents planes for flights from Haiti to Chile, said Haitians who migrated north from the South American country, only to be sent back to Haiti, are scrambling to leave Haiti and get back to Chile again. Everyone is offering charter flights. There is a lot of demand, she said. Travel agencies in Brazil and Chile 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, some prices for one-way tickets from Haiti to Chile have more than doubled in eight months, from $625 to more than $1,600. In Brazil, many agencies offering flights from Haiti rented from the low-cost Azul S.A. airlines, which was started by JetBlue founder David Neeleman. Most of the charters to Chile are on planes rented from SKY Airline, owned by the Chilean Paulmann family, which is worth billions. Neither Neeleman nor Holger Paulmann, chairman of SKY, responded to emails and LinkedIn messages requesting comment. SKY also signed a $1.8 million contract in April with the previous administration of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera to fly Latin American immigrants, mostly Venezuelans and Colombians expelled from Chile, back to their homelands. SKY earned about $670 for each expelled immigrant it flies to Central and South America. Under the contract obtained by the AP and Berkeley, the carrier must complete at least 15 flights carrying 180 passengers each. John Paul Spode, who has worked 35 years in the travel industry and manages NewStilo, which rents planes from SKY for the flights, said Haiti is not the only place in crisis that offers an attractive market for the charter flight business. His agency also offers charter flights between Venezuela and Chile. But there are few places with the demand for charter flights like Haiti, though he said its not an easy place to do business. In March, protesters stormed the tarmac at an airport in the countryside and set a small plane on fire. Gangs also operate in and around the airport, he said. Unfortunately, we have had many passengers who have not been able to board because there are people who stand outside (the airport) with some kind of a list and some kind of uniform and they started charging, saying You are not on the list, sir, but for $250 you can be added, and then they let them enter the airport, Spode said. Some passengers said once inside the airport they were blocked again by so-called airport business employees and told that their names were still not on the list, and they must pay again, Spode said. Many do before they reach the ticket counter where they finally are checked in by a legitimate employee with the flight. But would-be passengers brave all that. Its tough to sell tickets from Santiago to Port-au-Prince. The plane leaves usually almost empty, Spode said. But we know that on the return trip its going to be full, literally, like people practically hanging from the plane, so to speak. The demand has been so great that a second low-cost airline based in Ecuador, Aeroregional, entered the Chilean market for the first time and started offering charter flights from Haiti to Chile. At least 11 Aeroregional charters have arrived from Haiti to Chile since December. Dan Foote, a former U.S. envoy to Haiti who resigned over the Biden administrations handling of Haitians at the Texas border, said he is not surprised to hear Haitians expelled from the U.S. are making their way back to South America, and that businesses are lining up to help them. Until the root causes of instability are truly attacked in a patient, systematic, holistic way, its going to keep going, Foote said. The travel agencies and airlines denied they are facilitating Haitian migration. Aeroregionals managing director, Luis Manuel Rodriguez, said in a statement via LinkedIn that the airlines role is simply to transport people. He said that the immigration status of its passengers is checked by immigration authorities of the countries involved. Azul confirmed by email that it has provided charter flights between Haiti and Brazil, but said those contracts have confidentiality clauses. The company did not respond to a follow-up request for more information. Carmen Gloria Serrat, the business manager of SKY, said in a statement that the company offers safe, legal transportation for whoever wants it and needs it. She said airlines are responsible for validating the paperwork of passengers and must eat the costs of returning anyone who is denied entry to a country. She said the flights run four times monthly on average and represent a minuscule part of SKYs business. The act of providing safe and legal transportation is a guarantee to avoid the possibility of abuses, Serrat said. Its important to point out that in SKY we operate within the established norms for entering a country and always in coordination and under the supervision of immigration authorities. ___ At least one travel agency is open about offering to help those who hope to reach the United States. Alta Tour Turismo Travel Agency rents planes for charter flights between Haiti and Chile. A TikTok account with the handle @altatourtravelagency posted a video on June 14, 2021, discussing how to avoid the Darien Gap, a treacherous, roadless area of thick jungle between Colombia and Panama traversed by migrants from South America heading north. In the video, two men are talking about different routes north as they show a big boat at sea. Considering the level of mistreatment Haitians endured from the Colombians in the jungle, I will never go through the jungle, says one as the camera zooms in on the boat on the horizon. It was unclear if the video was meant to connect people to boats or was a marketing tool to attract customers in need of flights to South America who intended to then take the migrant route north. Alta Tour Turismo started with a video on Facebook at the start of 2021 that informed viewers that Bolivia was not deporting people. The agency incorporated a month later. The slogan of the Santiago-based agency is travel with joy. Reservations for flights are largely done through WhatsApp. The agencys social media accounts have nearly 40,000 followers; they promote travel from Haiti to such countries as Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, Chile and Mexico. Ezechias Revanget said he started the agency with three other Haitian immigrants in Chile to rent planes so fellow Haitians in Chile could go back home to see family. His agency has leased 186-seat Airbus planes from SKY airlines. Our objective is to work with our compatriots, and there are also other people such as Chileans, Bolivians, Dominicans, anyone, any nationality can buy tickets at our agency, he said. Alta Tour Turismo also advertised flights to Suriname. In an April 2021 post, the agency posted on its Facebook page that Haitians who had only a passport and wanted to leave Haiti should not miss this opportunity, asserting: you know if you arrive in Suriname you can go to other places too, followed by three smiling emoji and the agencys numbers. Revanget, who also uses the name Dave Elmyr, refused to answer more questions. They should be investigating these flights they should, said Carolina Rudnick Vizcarra, an attorney and director of LIBERA, a Santiago-based nonprofit combatting human trafficking. And by now, everyone knows that Haitians are vulnerable they dont have the money" or places to stay. U.S. officials told the AP they were unaware of the charter flights from Haiti. Some South American nations have taken action to prevent their use by migrants and smugglers. Last year, Suriname stopped charter flights from Haiti and issuing visas to Haitians, according to Suriname's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That same year, neighboring French Guiana complained about Haitians coming across its border. What was strange was that in the middle of a pandemic, so many flights were arriving from Haiti ... there were unaccompanied minors on the flight, as well as several Haitians without visas, Antoine Joly, the former French ambassador in Suriname told the French Guiana TV station, Guyane la 1ere in a video posted May 4. Shortly after that, Guyana, which also borders Suriname, canceled an earlier order allowing Haitians in without a visa, contending the country was being used as a destination for human smugglers who were taking migrants into neighboring Brazil where they would stay briefly before heading north to Mexico and the U.S. Giuseppe Loprete, chief of mission in Haiti of the International Organization of Migration, said the United Nations agency learned about charter flights from Haiti to Chile in interviews with migrants who had been sent back from the United States and Mexico. We tried to find out more, but we dont have the means to investigate these flights, he wrote in an email to the AP on April 22. Our assumption was that from Chile they move on to other countries heading (to) the Mexican-USA border, if not right away, after some time. Probably when they have collected enough money and information to move forward. ___ The Azul charter flights started on Nov. 14, 2020, from Port-au-Prince to Manaus, Brazil. The city of 2.2 million boasts one of Brazils biggest airports, is the capital of the Amazon region with a Haitian immigrant population and is also a well-known jumping-off point for Haitian migrants who travel by boats from there along a river connecting the Colombian, Peruvian and Guyanese borders before continuing north. Flight data showed that 54 Azul planes flew charter flights from Port-au-Prince to Manaus. The flights stopped in October. That same month, the Brazilian embassy in Haiti stopped issuing all visas to Haitians, according to a document from the Brazilian ambassador in Haiti obtained by AP and Berkeley. Jean Robert Jean Baptiste, 49, said he bought a $1,400 ticket for an Azul flight in December 2020 to Brazil. He spent a month in Haiti after he was deported from Louisiana, where he was held at an immigration detention center following his arrest on a DUI charge. Back in Haiti, he said an enemy threatened to kill him and had the backing of the police. He said he decided to fly to Brazil because he had a visa to get into the country after living there from 2011 to 2012 before making his way to the United States in 2016 and settled in Alabama. In 2021, he made his way from Brazil by bus and on foot. He walked for a week, most of it in the rain, through the Darien Gap, where he said he saw dead bodies of those who didnt make it. He said he had to pay bandits who blocked his path; robbers stole his phone and $500 from him. All told, he said it cost him about $7,000 to return to Tijuana, where he was trying to find a way back to the U.S. Hes driven, he said, by a determination to have a good life for his children. The Paulmann family's SKY, meanwhile, is the charter of choice between Haiti and Chile; of 71 such flights since 2020 that AP and Berkeley tracked, 60 were on SKY. The Paulmanns run one of Latin Americas biggest retail companies, Cencosud, and have a net worth of $3.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine. SKY charter planes also flew three flights between Haiti and Brazil in 2021. Etienne Ilienses said she was sent back to Haiti from Texas on Dec. 14. She talked to the AP before flying to Santiago with her three children on a Jan. 30 charter flight on SKY. To get to the USA, I braved hell, she said. Still, she did not dismiss the possibility of doing it again because Haiti offers nothing to its children. We are forced to suffer humiliations, affronts everywhere." But just because Haitians fly to Chile, it doesnt mean they can stay. Dozens have been held by immigration officials after arriving in Santiago in recent months. One group spent weeks sleeping at the airport before Chiles Supreme Court on Jan. 31 ordered police to release them and allow them to request asylum. Others were sent back to Haiti within hours of landing. SKYs Serrat said the airline works closely with immigration officials to avoid that situation, while the marketing aimed at passengers is the responsibility of the travel operators. (Aeroregionals manager did not respond to questions about flying in Haitians who were later expelled.) Theleon Marckenson, 31, was sent back to Haiti from Texas last fall. He said he spent $1,650 for a charter flight on Aeroregional to return to Chile, where he had lived since 2017. After Marckenson landed in Santiago, Chilean authorities told him the application he had submitted for permanent residency before he left for the U.S. border had expired. Hours later he was put on another Aeroregional flight to Haiti with six others. I dont have any more money, Marckenson said by phone after landing back in Port-au-Prince. I dont know what I am going to do. But I cant stay here. There is only hunger. There is no life. Gisela Perez de Acha is a supervisory reporter for Berkeleys Human Rights Center and its Investigative Reporting Program. Katie Licari is a recent Berkeley graduate journalism alum. 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW BRITAIN Its been a long three years of virtual meetings, remote learning and telehealth visits for local residents without high-speed internet, but the wait is almost over. The city of New Britain and GoNetspeed Internet announced a new $5 million partnership Wednesday that will provide all city residents with high-speed fiber internet at no cost to taxpayers. While the project will not be completed in time for the start of school in the fall, Mayor Erin Stewart predicts it will be up and running about halfway through the school year. GoNetspeed still has to talk to the companies using the poles about adding fibers from GoNetspeed and start installing them. If we ever go back to remote learning, kids will have a bigger opportunity, Stewart said. Think about it this way: Aside from the kids, how appealing for people looking to move to town to know that there is more than one option. GoNetspeed is a Rochester, N.Y.-based internet provider that has been expanding into other Connecticut communities in recent months, but this is the first municipality to develop a partnership like this with the provider. American Rescue Plan Act funds will power the project, which is the largest of its kind in Connecticut. Stewart said she and other city leaders were not interested in being their own internet provider and determined a public-private partnership was the only option. Public-private partnerships are scary, Stewart said. Lets be real. They are. We are taking this leap of faith together. Census data shows that about 25 percent of New Britain residents were without a broadband subscription between 2016 and 2020. A 2020 survey from the state Department of Education reported 6 percent of Connecticut residents said broadband access was a barrier to distance learning. GoNetspeed was one of five bidders seeking to be the provider for the city. Stewart said the selection process was competitive. Chief Operating Officer at GoNetspeed Tom Perrone hopes this partnership could be a blueprint for other municipalities across the nation. Its bigger than just one town, Perrone said. Its the entire nation that needs infrastructure built. The price for families will be $39.99 a month for year one and $49.99 a month for every following year. The installation fee is waived. The project will reach 40,000 homes and businesses and 128 city buildings and street light cameras for municipal use. The struggles students and families faced when trying to do remote learning during the peak of the pandemic motivated Stewart to find a solution to the problem. You are talking three or four kids in a household that couldnt possibly spontaneously be on the internet at the same time, Stewart said. This effectively diminished school performance. Two specific New Britain schools, Smalley Elementary and North End Elementary, saw an academic impact as a result of lack of internet access, according to Stewart. Since COVID-19 exposed these shortcomings in internet access the city, Stewart said the city has been brainstorming various ideas on how to get broadband for families. We had Schaler Honda, which had Wi-Fi spots in cars that they had sitting in specific neighborhoods to provide access, Stewart said. In some New Britain neighborhoods, there is only one internet service provider available. This means that if the family cannot afford that service, they go without internet. We do want to provide infrastructure, we do want to have a competitive environment, but we are also very passionate about our service delivery, Perrone said. Stewart said at her house, she only has one option Frontier. The price is absolutely ridiculous, Stewart said. $250 a month. Residents can check the progress of the project by going to www.gonetspeed.com and clicking on check availability. They can enter their email address to receive updates. Last month, Marsha and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Back then, we had the summer off, so we jetted to Europe for a 10-week honeymoon. With a sketched-out itinerary, a car on order and reservations for just the first city, we flew to Geneva. In our tiny red Fiat 128 with a copy of Arthur Frommers "Europe on Five and Ten Dollars a Day" and a bundle of maps, we set out on the trip of a lifetime. For many reasons, we couldnt repeat that trip now. But with a look around at local options, it was clear we could summon up those distant memories. Culture, after all, is food, music, costume and countryside. With a little looking, we could find all those close to home. For instance, when you think of Switzerland, what comes to mind besides banking and the Alps? Cheese, of course. At Darien Cheese and Fine Foods, Ken and Tori Skovran stock the finest cheeses from around the world, offering them with the full back story of where, how and by whom they were made. With their advice, we settled on a trio of cheeses from Switzerland that covered a variety of styles. Gruyere is one of the best-known types from the Alps. Ken was very excited about an aged-two-years wheel he had just cracked. One of the best in my memory, he said of the gruyere. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIAMI (AP) The crash landing of a jetliner that caught fire on the runway at Miami International Airport with 126 people on board had passengers screaming and panicking, witnesses said. People were very frightened, RED Air Flight 203 passenger Mauricio Davis told the Miami Herald. People were grabbing the seats to keep from spinning around." The fire started Tuesday after the MD-82 jetliner's landing gear collapsed on arrival from the Dominican Republic, Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesman Greg Chin said. Three passengers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, while the others were bussed to the terminal, Chin said. Passenger Paola Garcia said she thought she was going to die. I started running and I jumped, and I thought it was going to explode, she told WSVN. The plane came to a stop on the grass beside a runway, where it was doused with chemicals to put out the fire. At least three firefighting vehicles responded. Emergency crews reached the plane in a minute and a half, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. What happened here is a miracle, the mayor told reporters. Airport officials said in a tweet that the collapse of the front landing gear in the nose of the aircraft appeared to cause the fire. RED Air is a low-fare airline that launched last November and only flies between Santo Domingo and Miami. The airline has four McDonnell Douglass MD-81 and MD-82 aircraft and more than 50 employees, the Herald reported. The National Transportation Safety Board posted that a team would arrive at the airport by Wednesday to investigate. A federal judge has approved a plan to allow fired CNN producer John Griffin to sell the Vermont ski home where he allegedly sexually abused a 9-year-old girl so the court can hold half of the proceeds for restitution if he is convicted, documents show. The home in Ludlow, Vt., is owned by Griffin and his estranged wife who filed for divorce weeks after he was arrested by federal authorities, court documents said. Federal investigators seized the property in December as Griffin was charged with three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Griffin, a former Connecticut resident who lived in Stamford and Norwalk, is accused of trying to lure mothers and their daughters to his Vermont home for sexual training. In one case, a Nevada woman brought her adopted child to Boston where Griffin picked them up, court documents said. The adoptive mother was arrested and sentenced to prison in Nevada. The child and her guardian claim in a lawsuit that she was forced to commit sex acts while she was at the Vermont ski home. The child was 9 when the incidents allegedly occurred in July 2020, court documents said. The lawsuit is on hold as the federal criminal charges move forward, Griffins attorney Robert Berke said last week. Griffin remains in federal custody and has been offered a plea deal to consider, court papers said. In a separate agreement signed by a federal judge on June 15, Griffin and his wife can sell the Vermont ski home for at least $2 million, but he is required to turn over his 50 percent of the proceeds to the federal court, documents said. His wife is not a defendant in the case, federal officials said. She has agreed not to seek a claim against Griffins share of the proceeds, court documents said. As part of the deal, Griffin is required to deposit with the federal court clerk his share of the money from the sale of the house, court papers said. The amount can not be less than $1,002,000, documents said, and the money will be held to pay a final order of forfeiture or if Griffin must pay restitution. If Griffin is acquitted, the court will return the entire amount, documents said. The 10-page indictment issued by a Grand Jury alleges that Griffin frequently used Kik, a messaging application, and Google Hangouts to lure mothers with young daughters to meet him at the Vermont ski house he had bought with his wife to provide sexual training on how to be submissive to men. Griffin boasted during internet chats that he had trained girls as young as 7 years old, federal authorities said. He sent a total of $3,350 to the adoptive mother of the 9-year-old for them to travel from Nevada to Boston where Griffin picked them up and drove them to his Vermont home, court documents said. At the Vermont ski house, the child was directed to engage in and did engage in illegal sexual activity, the indictment said. Griffin was once a producer for the Chris Cuomo show and was most recently a producer for CNN senior political analyst John Avlon. He was fired from CNN after he was indicted. Connecticut Democrats are headed to Washington, D.C., this week to pitch national party officials on picking the state as one of the first to vote in the 2024 presidential primaries, and possibly in future elections. The Democratic National Committee has received proposals from 20 states seeking to be among the early nominating contests. The party is contemplating the first major shift in decades in its early-state presidential lineup following the 2020 Iowa caucuses debacle and a desire to increase racial diversity among voters who get the first say. State Rep. Stephanie Thomas, D-Norwalk, the party endorsed candidate for Secretary of the State, and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, will make Connecticuts presentation to DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee Thursday afternoon. Connecticut really is a microcosm of the country as it currently exists, Thomas said. Connecticuts pitch will focus on diversity both in terms of race and ethnicity but also its geography featuring both urban, suburban, and rural areas, Thomas said. Its small size relative to other states makes it easier for presidential candidates to travel around and talk to voters, she said, and the state is served by the New York City media market, the largest in North America. Nancy DiNardo, chair of the states Democratic Party, announced this spring that the party intended to compete for early-state status. If selected, Connecticut Democrats would have greater influence over their partys pick for the countrys top job, she said. Currently, the states presidential primaries are held in April, DiNardo said, and by then the frontrunner has often become clear. Being an early state could engage people, she said. Theres an economic benefit to it too. Iowa, for example, could miss out on millions of dollars if it loses its first-in-the-nation status, which draws national media attention and high profile visits to the state, filling up hotel rooms and bringing in increased revenue to restaurants and other businesses. In addition to Connecticut, representatives from Nevada, Colorado, New Hampshire, Iowa, Washington, South Carolina, New Jersey, Minnesota, George, Puerto Rico, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Delaware, Illinois, and Maryland are making presentations to the DNC committee. New York, Nebraska, and Democrats Abroad, which represents American citizens who live and vote abroad, also submitted proposals but did not make the cut, according to the committee. The committee is expected to provide a recommendation for a new presidential nominating schedule to the full DNC by July, according to reporting by Politico. The party is looking to balance racial, ethnic, and regional diversity and is also considering ballot access and states general election competitiveness. Since 2008, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina have gone first. This spring, the DNC voted to fully reopen the nominating process, forcing Iowa and New Hampshire, which have occupied the first two spots for a half-century, among the other early states, to re-apply. The remaking of presidential calendar was spurred in part by complaints from DNC members over Iowas 2020 Democratic caucuses, which was beleaguered by delayed results due to technical difficulties, and concerns that the state does not represent the partys diversity. In Connecticut, changing the presidential primary to an earlier date would require legislation approved by lawmakers and the governor. julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection heard from election workers and state officials on Tuesday as they described President Donald Trumps pressure to overturn his 2020 election defeat. On Thursday, the nine-member panel will hear from former Justice Department officials who refused Trumps entreaties to declare the election corrupt. The committees fourth and fifth hearings, held this week, are part of an effort to show how Trumps pressure eventually shifted to Congress, where his false declarations of widespread election fraud led directly to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters violently breached the Capitol and interrupted the certification of President Joe Bidens election victory. In July, the panel will hold at least two more hearings that are expected to focus on the far-right domestic extremists who attacked the Capitol and what Trump was doing inside the White House as the violence unfolded. TRUMPS PRESSURE ON STATES State officials testified at Tuesday's hearing about the extraordinary pressure they faced from Trump after the election to try and invalidate Bidens win. Arizonas House speaker, Rusty Bowers, testified about phone calls from Trump and his allies asking him to decertify Arizonas legitimate electors and replace them. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told of the now-infamous phone call when Trump asked officials there to find 11,780 votes. The officials did not give in. You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath, Bowers said he told Trump and his allies. He recalled lawyer John Eastman, a chief architect of Trumps plan to create slates of fake electors, telling him to just do it and let the courts sort it out. Bowers said he repeatedly asked Trumps team for evidence of the widespread fraud they were claiming, but they never provided it. Raffensperger said his team investigated all of Trumps claims and went down down every rabbit hole, finding nothing. But Trump wouldnt accept it. TRUMPS PRESSURE ON PENCE The committees third hearing last week featured testimony from former aides to Vice President Mike Pence. The aides described the then-presidents efforts to persuade Pence to veer from his ceremonial role and object as Congress counted the electoral votes on Jan. 6. Pence concluded from the start, his former counsel Greg Jacob told the committee, that there is no justifiable basis to conclude that the vice president has that kind of authority. Trump did not let up, even after his supporters were breaking into the Capitol and Pence was hiding in an undisclosed location at one point just 40 feet from the rioters, the committee said. Trump sent a tweet that afternoon saying that Pence did not have the courage to do what was necessary. The committee played video of the rioters outside the Capitol calling for Pences death. Donald Trump turned the mob on him, said Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the panel. PUSHBACK FROM TRUMPS AIDES The hearings have repeatedly showed how Trump moved forward with his baseless claims of fraud even as his top advisors told them they werent true. The committee played video testimony from several aides who said they disagreed with the plan or tried to talk Trump out of it even though few of them spoke out publicly at the time. Even his daughter, Ivanka Trump, said she accepted the conclusion of former Attorney General Bill Barr, who resigned after telling the president there was no evidence of widespread fraud. The efforts to persuade Trump started on election night, when the race was still too close to call. Lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Trump to just go ahead and declare victory. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said in one interview clip that he told Trump it was way too early for such a pronouncement. But Trump did it anyway. Frankly, we did win this election, Trump said before the cameras. The committee used video clips of testimony from Barr, who told Trump he had looked into the allegations and found no evidence that any of them were true. He said he tried convince Trump, but felt that the president was becoming detached from reality" and had no interest in what the actual facts were. THE VIOLENCE, AND REAL LIVES UPENDED The committee has also used the hearings to tell the stories of the people who have been hurt, either in the violence of Jan. 6 or through harassment from those who believe the election was stolen. Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards testified about the traumatic brain injury she suffered after being pushed to he concrete when the first rioters breached the makeshift barriers around the Capitol. She described a war scene out of the movies and hours of hand-to-hand combat. They were throwing up I saw friends with blood all over their faces, said Edwards, who still has not returned to the unit where she worked. It was carnage. It was chaos. On Tuesday, two election workers from Georgia who became the center of false conspiracy theories tearfully testified about how it has upended their lives. The Justice Department has debunked claims that Wandrea Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, introduced suitcases of illegal ballots and committed other acts of election fraud to try to alter the outcome a conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and Trump. But Moss says she no longer leaves her house and it has affected her life in every way after receiving violent and racist threats from Trumps supporters. In video testimony, Freeman said she no longer advertises her local business with her name on it: Lady Ruby. Ive lost my name, and Ive lost my reputation. Ive lost my sense of security, Freeman said. WHATS NEXT On Thursday, the hearing will move to another pressure campaign Trumps efforts to have Justice Department officials declare the election corrupt, and a scheme within the department to go after states to change the results. Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, who took over after Barr resigned, and his deputy, Richard Donoghue, will testify about how they successfully resisted that pressure. The two hearings after that, expected to cover domestic extremism and Trumps actions inside the White House, will be held in July. And they may not be the last before the panel issues final reports later this year. We are picking up new evidence on a daily basis with enormous velocity, said Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the committee. And so were constantly incorporating and including the new information thats coming out. Another panel member suggested they could still subpoena Pence it's certainly a possibility, said California Rep. Adam Schiff. We would still, I think, like to have several high-profile people come before our committee, Schiff said. __ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri and Kevin Freking contributed. ___ For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege ANSONIA A legal challenge to a controversial Riverside Drive rock crushing operation has been settled in the run-up to trial, according to lawyers involved in the case. The specific wording and some terms of the settlement are being finalized, after which it will have to be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals, a defendant in an appeal filed in November 2020 by neighbors concerning rock crushing by Burns Construction at the roughly 45-acre property. A trial in the case was scheduled for Tuesday but was put off after a lawyer representing the city told a judge the parties had agreed to settle the case. The neighbors lawyer, Kevin Curseaden, said settling the case made sense after the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zone text change allowing rock crushing last year. I think that we probably could have succeeded on our appeals but the net result of that would be that they would just go back to Planning and Zoning (for an approval), Curseaden said Tuesday. Once an agency or a city makes a decision to allow a use in a zone, theres really not much a few neighbors can do about it. Theyre kind of stuck living with that decision. Burns lawyer, Barry Knott, said the company has been complying with the terms of the new zoning regulations and has agreed to seek a special permit before the Planning and Zoning Commission that would allow neighbors to voice their concerns at a public hearing. Burns has limited rock crushing at the site to only two machines, limited operations to Monday through Thursday, and installed water pipes to limit dust emanating from the property, he said. The company has also agreed to plant trees around the property in an effort to limit the effects of the operation to neighboring property owners as part of the settlement. We were very happy we were able to work it out with the neighbors, Knott said. Whats going on at the property now complies with the zoning regulations. Neighbors have argued against the propertys current use for years, saying that rock crushing has been prohibited in Ansonia since the late 1990s, and the Riverside Drive site was found to be in violation of zoning regulations in 2002. Burns, which bought the property in 2019, was given a permit to operate in February 2020. The neighbors said that the permit issued in February 2020 was illegal. In October 2020 they were prepared to complain about the noise, fumes and dust from the business at a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting but were told to take their concerns to court. So the neighbors, who had formed the Westwood Association to fight the propertys use, hired Curseaden to do so. But the lawyer said that even if the neighbors appeal were successful, rock crushing would probably continue at the property since the citys zoning text change. The city of Ansonia has decided that they want to allow rock crushers in these zones, he said. Knott estimated that Burns would complete its application for submission to the Planning and Zoning Commission in about six to eight weeks, with a hearing to take place some time this fall. John Marini, a lawyer representing the city, said he was pleased to see an agreement that works for residents and the business. The effects of the war in Ukraine have brought much of the worlds attention to energy prices. But food insecurity is also rising and will likely get worse. by John P. Ruehl With some of the worlds most fertile land, Ukraines nickname as the breadbasket of Europe is an understatement of its agricultural potential. Together with Russia, the two countries account for roughly 14 percent of global corn exports, 22 percent of rapeseed/canola exports, 27 percent of wheat exports, and 30 percent of barley exports, as well as almost 70 percent of the worlds sunflower oil exports. Russia is also the worlds top exporter of fertilizer, and so the global food system faces the simultaneous challenges of Western sanctions on Russia and steeper costs of both growing and importing food. Looming economic crisis in Sri Lanka Since February, Russia has seized some of Ukraines most vital agricultural regions in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country. The Russian military has also prevented Ukraine from accessing its ports on the Black Sea recently, leaving Ukraine essentially landlocked, and unable to export its food products to the international markets. But though the war has certainly exacerbated the global food crisis, it was preceded by the food price hikes of 2007 and 2011, in addition to the hike witnessed due to COVID-19, after decades of falling costs in real prices of food items. In 2021, data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) showed more massive increases in meat, dairy, cereals, vegetable oils, and sugar prices that exceeded the previous spike witnessed in 2007 and 2011. Since the beginning of the Ukrainian war, prices of food items have skyrocketed further. The situation has highlighted the decreasing levels of food self-sufficiency around the world, which the FAO defines as the extent to which a country can satisfy its food needs from its own domestic production. Food self-sufficiency has declined globally since the 1960s, particularly in Africa, but also in countries like Japan. Based on current trends, only 14 percent of countries are projected to be food self-sufficient by the end of the century, according to an article in the journal Environmental Research Letters. Imports will therefore become steadily more vital for the growing number of countries unable to meet their food needs through domestic production. But the rising volatility in food prices since 2007 has tested the affordability and competency of this system. Food security, the ability to meet food demand through domestic production and imports, has also fallen around the world in recent years. While richer countries that have grown less self-sufficient in food production have been able to shoulder the increasing costs of imports before, food shortages are now also affecting them as well. Aside from the war in Ukraine and disruption to global supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic, other factors have also exacerbated these stresses. In 2000, the global population stood at around 6.1 billion, whereas today it is 7.9 billion. Global food habits have also changed, with meat consumption per capita having increased substantially over the last 20 years. High obesity rates, formerly limited to Europe and North America, are now prevalent around the world. With more mouths to feed, global food security has also been threatened by the loss of arable land due to erosion, pollution, climate change, and increasing water shortages over the last few decades. These issues were partially offset by increased efficiencies in food production and globalization, which allowed countries to sell excess food products in a competitive market. The war in Ukraine, however, has sent these problems into overdrive. In addition to stifling Ukraines ability to export, Russia has significantly reduced food and agricultural exports to unfriendly countries in the wake of sanctions, cutting off the supply of most of the food products it exported to the Western world, as well as to Japan and South Korea. But even net exporters like Russia are in trouble, with the Kremlin announcing in March that it would suspend exports of wheat, meslin, rye, barley, and corn to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)the economic bloc led by Russiauntil August 31 in order to secure its own domestic food supply. The food crisis has instigated other countries to make greater efforts to shore up their positions to secure the food supply systems. The U.S. imported more than $1 billion worth of fertilizer from Russia in 2021. In an effort to offset U.S. agricultures dependence on Russia, President Joe Biden committed $2.1 billion on June 1 to strengthen the nations food system. In March, the European Union committed up to 1.5 billion to help support the blocs farming sectors, and also loosened regulations on the European Green Deal, including restrictions on the land available for farming. Introduced in 2019 to curb and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, the sidelining of the Green Deal has underscored the severity of the situation. As food prices began to rise quickly in 2021, China was accused of hoarding grain supplies. By December, the country was in possession of more than half the global grain supply, and according to data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, during the first half of 2022, China was predicted to have half of global wheat supplies, 60 percent of rice supplies, and roughly 70 percent of maize supplies. More than a dozen countries have banned certain or all food exports until the end of this year or into next year, and these measures are unlikely to be the last. The most recent jump in wheat prices, which have gone up by more than 40 percent since January, followed Indias announcement that it would ban exports following a heat wave that destroyed crops in the country. As the second-largest wheat producer in the world, Indias decision added another blow to the insecurity surrounding global food markets. More drastic effects are being felt in Sri Lanka. In 2021, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa enacted a ban on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and weedkillers to turn the countrys agricultural sector completely organic by 2030. Amid claims that the ban was merely an attempt to reduce imports and maintain Sri Lankas foreign currency reserves, this move eventually decimated domestic food production. Having endured an economic crisis in 2019, the pandemic, and rising food and energy costs as a result of the war in Ukraine, Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt for the first time in history in May. Other economically unstable countries risk meeting a similar fate, with Sri Lanka also experiencing violent protests. The chaotic consequences of the rising cost of food were already visible more than a decade ago. Affordability of food was a major contributing factor to the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2010, which saw protests, toppled governments, and led to civil wars. The Arab region typically receives between 40 percent and 50 percent of its food imports from Ukraine and Russia, indicating that the region is particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Even before the invasion of Ukraine, a growing number of people around the world were undernourished. Last year marked a record high of almost 193 million people facing acute food insecurity across 53 countries and territories, according to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC). Alongside the millions of Ukrainians who will require food aid this year, underwhelming harvests and conflicts in other parts of the world have meant countries such as Yemen, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, Somalia, and South Sudan are also high-risk countries, in addition to countries harder hit by increasing food costs. Though the food crisis has instigated governments to adopt nationalist policies to protect themselves, there have been some examples of international cooperation. India has provided Sri Lanka with billions of dollars in loans since its economic crisis began, as well as emergency food deliveries. European states are, meanwhile, attempting to develop alternative transit routes for Ukrainian food products away from Russia-controlled Black Sea ports, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Turkey on June 8 for discussions that included creating a Black Sea corridor to allow Ukrainian grain to reach the world markets. But like energy, food has also served as a weapon of foreign policy. Faced with the fact that food insecurity is one of the major sources of leverage for Russian President Vladimir Putin against the West, he can be expected to double down on ensuring that the current food crisis continues. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated on April 1 that food exports were a quiet but ominous weapon that Russia intended to use. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also warned against increasing cyberattacks and potential sabotage of agricultural and food plants in the United States. With the global food crisis approaching a new phase, increasing Ukrainian exports, encouraging international cooperation, and developing additional agricultural initiatives will be vital to overcoming it. This article was produced by Globetrotter. John P. Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C. He is a contributing editor to Strategic Policy and a contributor to several other foreign affairs publications. He is currently finishing a book on Russia to be published in 2022. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Three men are suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of narcotics from several Connecticut pharmacies Tuesday afternoon, police said. Milford police said the three men went into a Rite Aid Pharmacy, located at 1360 Boston Post Road, around 4:25 p.m. Tuesday. Two of the suspects jumped over the pharmacy counter and ordered a store employee to open a safe containing narcotics, police said on Facebook. The suspects passed the narcotics valued around $15,000 to the third man, who loaded the drugs into a large shopping bag, police said. Police did not say if the men threatened employees or displayed a weapon. Police said the suspects, who were believed to be in their late teens or early 20s, walked out of the store and left in a silver Buick or Nissan SUV. Police said the vehicle had a white registration plate with blue lettering. Police said the three men were all wearing Nike Tech sweats. Police released security camera images of the men, who were seen wearing sweat pants, hooded sweatshirts and facemasks as they entered the store. Police said the men are also believed to have committed similar thefts at pharmacies in Orange and West Haven immediately prior to stealing from the Milford store. Max Martins, assistant chief in Orange, said three men robbed the Walgreens, located at 54 Boston Post Road, around the same time as the Milford incident. Martins said two of the men jumped over the pharmacy counter and stole multiple bottles of cough syrup with codeine from the shelf. Martins said the suspects fled in a silver SUV. West Haven police could not immediately be reached Wednesday for information about the incident in their community. Anyone with information about the incident can contact Detective Catino at kcatino@milfordct.gov or 203-783-4729. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com WALLINGFORD A 16-year-old was arrested overnight after attempting to rob a gas station using a realistic toy rifle, according to police. Officers were called to Citgo Food Bag, located at 326 Colony Road, for a hold-up alarm around 11:40 p.m. Tuesday, Officer Alexis Torres said. Torres said the store clerk told officers a youth pointed what appeared to be an assault rifle at him and ordered him to fill a bag with all the money in the register. Torres said the clerk talked the juvenile down and he fled the scene without the money northbound on South Colony Road. While searching the area, police found the youth near the intersection of Qunnipiac and Washington streets, Torres said. He had what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle sticking out of his backpack. Torres said the boy was arrested without incident and police determined the weapon was an Airsoft rifle. The 16-year-old was charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree robbery, second-degree breach of peace and carrying a dangerous weapon, according to police. He was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Superior Court for Juvenile Matters in New Haven. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com A federal judge agreed on Wednesday to postpone a trial for the former leader of the Proud Boys and other members of the extremist group charged with attacking the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory. U..S. District Judge Timothy Kelly postponed the start of the trial from Aug. 8 to Dec. 12 after attorneys for several of the men argued that their clients couldn't get a fair trial by an impartial jury in the midst of televised hearings by the House committee investigating the Capitol attack. They're also waiting for the committee to share documents that could become trial evidence. Former Proud Boys national chairman Henry Enrique Tarrio and four other men are charged with seditious conspiracy for what authorities say was a plot to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power during the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. Tarrio, 38, of Miami, and his co-defendants Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola have been in federal custody for months. Their trial is expected to last four to six weeks, stretching into next year. Biggs, Pezzola and Rehl asked for the trial to be postponed. Biggs' lawyer, J. Daniel Hull, noted that the House committee isn't expected to release hundreds of deposition and interview transcripts until after an August trial would have started. The transcripts are must-haves for trial preparation, Hull wrote. Justice Department prosecutors consented to the delay. They said the House committee's failure to share the deposition and interview transcripts is also hampering their ability to investigate and prosecute Jan. 6 defendants. Tarrio was opposed to delaying the trial. Tarrio believes that an impartial jury will never be achieved in Washington, D.C., whether the trial is in August, December, or next year, his lawyers wrote. Nordeans attorneys objected to postponing the trial for months while keeping Proud Boys leaders locked up in pretrial detention. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio wasnt in Washington when the riot erupted, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that disrupted Congress from certifying Biden's victory over President Donald Trump. The seditious conspiracy indictment alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to Jan. 6. On the day of the riot, Proud Boys members carried out a coordinated plot to storm past police barricades and attack the building with a mob of Trump supporters, the indictment says. Nordean, 31, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president. Biggs, 38, of Ormond Beach, Florida, was a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl, 36, was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola, 44, was a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York. Two other Proud Boys members Matthew Greene, of Syracuse, New York, and Charles Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it a hate group. Proud Boys members call it a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists. They have frequently brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Approximately 40 Proud Boys leaders, members or associates have been charged in the Jan. 6 siege. More than 800 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Also on Wednesday, prosecutors in the seditious conspiracy case against members of another extremist group the Oath Keepers asked the judge to look into whether the payment of at least some of the defense lawyers by an organization controlled by lawyer Sidney Powell runs afoul of court rules. Prosecutors pointed to articles from Mother Jones and BuzzFeed that said Powells group, Defending the Republic, is paying some defense attorneys' fees. Powell was part of Trumps legal team that pushed unfounded conspiracy theories alleging voter fraud in an effort to keep the Republican president in office following the 2020 election. Prosecutors say such an arrangement may violate a rule that says lawyers shouldnt accept money for representing a client from anyone other than the client unless three conditions are met, including that there is no interference with the lawyers independence of professional judgment or with the client-lawyer relationship. ____ Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report from Boston. New London Police / Contributed / NEW LONDON Officers found a vehicle in Rhode Island after it was stolen in a carjacking in New London Tuesday morning, police said. Officers were called to Channing and Vauxhall streets around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a stolen vehicle. Police determined that a man took the vehicle while a woman was inside, police said. A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has said the Obidient movement, supp... A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has said the Obidient movement, supporting the presidential aspiration of the former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, only exists on social media. Nabena stated this while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja. He noted that the movement would vanish into thin air after the 2023 elections when Obi might have lost. He said, I can tell you that the so-called Obedient movement only exists on social media and after the coming elections they will naturally turn to disobedient movement, and later obituary because the movement will naturally vamoose. Nabena also said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not pose any serious challenge to the ruling party in the 2023 elections He said: PDP is nothing to talk about as far as the 2023 general election is concerned, although we are watching them keenly based on their past records because we already know their plans and what they are banking on are their Dubai connections and Hushpuppy strategies. The APC chieftain also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to step up its game and make adequate protection for its server. The only hope for the PDP is to hack the INEC server, not the votes of Nigerians to win the election. You can see practically that even the recent governorship election in Ekiti State, PDP lost its usual second place and I doubt if it can regain that second position anymore in the coming 2023 general elections, he added. The Anambra government says an insulting statement made by Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the commissioner for education, was provoked by an applicant... The Anambra government says an insulting statement made by Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the commissioner for education, was provoked by an applicants uncouth language. There were reports over the weekend that there was chaos in Nnewi, one of the venues for the second phase of the teacher recruitment exercise examination, which held on Saturday. A voice recording, which has now gone viral, is said to be that of the commissioner speaking to an applicant for the teaching position on the exercise. Madam, youre an idiot. You mean the computers are doing what? I received a report by 12 noon that you people refused to stand in line; you refused to be identified; you mobbed and you were all trying to get into the hall at the same time, the voice said. You refused to be disciplined, up till this moment. And you have the effrontery, you stupid woman, to call me on the phone to talk rubbish. Will you get out of my phone, you filthy thing? You really want to be a teacher? How will you tell your students to conform to instructions when you cannot stand in line and move into the hall? You came for a test that will make you a teacher and youre behaving like hooligans. Speaking on the development in a statement, Christian Aburime, the governors spokesperson, said Udehs remarks were provoked by the language of the said applicant. While the applicants at the Nsugbe Center sat for and ended their own examination at about 4:00 pm, those at the Unizik Center ended theirs by 3:30 pm, with some candidates joining them from the IDK learning Center, Awka, the statement reads. Nnewi candidates did not commence their examination at the appropriate time owing to all manner of inappropriate conduct exhibited by some of the applicants. Not withstanding, they were eventually allowed to write the examination late in the evening. In respect to the video making the rounds on the social media space, members of the public need to be aware that it was an edited excerpt from a private phone conversation by an applicant who obviously failed the examination and out of frustration resorted to cursing and abusing the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, and the Commissioner for Education. The Commissioners comments were as a result of the uncouth language used by the applicant against the person of the Governor of Anambra State and other unprintable words hurled at the Commissioner. As public officers operating in the public space, the Commissioner has apologised for her inappropriate choice of words used in the said voice note. However, it is pertinent to reiterate that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo remains committed to the well being of Ndi Anambra and will not be distracted in availing deserving qualified teachers the opportunity to serve Anambra State and contribute in shaping the future of our children. The picture shows the CASC researchers testing heat-resistant material. (Photo/CASC) BEIJING, June 22 -- According to China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), it has developed hi-tech deck coating for Chinas third aircraft carrier Fujian. On the morning of June 17, China launched its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian with hull number 18, at Jiangnan Shipyard of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). On the journey of the PLA Navy to the high seas, there have always been figures of the Aerospace Research Institute of Materials & Processing Technology (ARIMPT), CASC, fighting side by side. The jet blast deflectors (JBD) of the aircraft carrier Fujian used the multi-functional protective coating developed by ARIMPT. The JBD acts as a super-deck of an aircraft carrier. It is usually laid flat and erected up when the carrier aircraft takes off to block the heat flow ejected by the aircraft engine, making it deflect to a safe direction to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment on the deck. According to Ma Kangzhi, director of the JBD hi-tech deck coating project, the aircraft carrier deck is a platform for personnel, vehicles and aircraft to conduct training or fight at sea, which has to be anti-skid, wear-resistant, impact-resistant, and corrosion-resistant in marine environment, extremely high in strength. The development of carrier deck has always been one of the core technologies in aircraft carrier construction. In addition, the JBD has to possess the properties of an ordinary deck, while could also resist the erosion of flames. Its protective coating material and process can be said as the core of the core technologies. In fact, apart from the aircraft carrier Fujian, the JBD of Chinas first and second aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, have also been equipped with the second-generation protective coating developed by ARIMPT. Aerospace materials serve aircraft carriers, and it is a marvelous exchange of cutting-edge technologies, Ma said. We will continue to tackle key problems to make the performance of the coating more reliable and excellent, and to support the Chinese PLA Navys journey of going to the high seas with more aerospace materials and technologies. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase has revealed that bandits are now killing hostages after collecting millions ... The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase has revealed that bandits are now killing hostages after collecting millions in ransom in Plateau State. Wase revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Solomon Muren on the floor of the House. He added that several communities have been ransacked by bandits and 1,000 cows stolen. Wase noted that ordinary citizens are now forced to defend their communities. He added that resolutions by the House are now like statements. Today, the people in my constituency are looking for refuge. The villages that have now been sacked are quite very large in number. I have presented three motions on this matter. In my constituency, hardly will two days pass without someone being kidnapped and taking ransom from villagers. Ransom is not less than N10 million. I have lost about five persons, they will take the ransom and still kill the person. At times, these things take place in places where you have security unit, shoot sporadically and adopt people, Following his motion, the House directed its Committee on Police Affairs and Army to invite the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff. Also, the House urged all security agencies to recruit enough personnel to help tackle the challenge of insecurity ravaging the country. Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has raised the alarm about the impact of the Obidient movement on the chances of the ruling All Pr... Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has raised the alarm about the impact of the Obidient movement on the chances of the ruling All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party at the 2023 presidency elections. The Obidient movement refers to the supporters of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi. In a video published by the AIT, which has now gone viral, Obaseki noted that youths in Nigeria no longer want APC and PDP. The future of our politics is changing. If you have been watching the level of disenchantment with the existing political parties. Im sure in all our homes, we have people who call themselves Obidients. Ask them which party you belong to, they say Obidient They dont want us. Also, the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh, has stated that the mass movement trailing the presidential aspiration of the Labour Party candidate, was giving APC and PDP sleepless nights and serious scare. Speaking with journalists in Anambra, Umeh said, The support of Nigerians for the former Governor of Anambra State and the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, is giving sleepless nights and serious scare to members of the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and other parties ahead of the 2023 elections. The APC, PDP and other political parties are afraid of Peter Obi because of his resolve to banish poverty and ability to manage resources. Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Center, has likened the countrys current economic situation to glycogen storage disease... Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Center, has likened the countrys current economic situation to glycogen storage disease. Enenche, who stated this at the just-concluded National Healing and Deliverance crusade in Abuja, organised by the church to seek the face of God ahead of the 2023 general elections, said most Nigerian problems are artificial. The popular clergy explained that, In medicine, there is something we call Glycogen storage disease. It is a situation where what the body needs is there but the body is starving. That is the current situation of our nation Nigeria. Starvation in the midst of enormous abundance and resources. On the security challenges ravaging the entire nation, Pastor Enenche, declared Gods judgment on killers and their sponsors in Nigeria, saying the assailants would die the way they kill others. He decried how wasters criminal elements are arrested and allowed to go scotfree without being prosecuted, a development he described as very sad and terrible. I have bad news for them, the nation shall be the burial ground for every killer and their sponsors in the land. I am so amazed that most of our people in this country behave as if everything is alright, he added. Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says one person has died of monkeypox, with 41 confirmed ca... Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says one person has died of monkeypox, with 41 confirmed cases recorded in the country this year. He made the revelation on Monday during the Federal Ministry of Healths bi-weekly COVID-19 update in Abuja. According to him, there had been no evidence of any new or unusual transmission of the virus nor changes in its clinical manifestation documented in Nigeria, as compared to other countries. He explained, No death had been recorded from COVID-19 in the last five weeks. Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), explained that 21,236,404 Nigerians had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, representing only 19 percent of the targeted population. He spoke through Dr Garba Bulama, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the agency, saying that the data showed that the country was still far away from achieving 70 percent of the population set for September. Two Senators on Wednesday announced their defection from their former political parties to another party ahead of the 2023 general election.... Two Senators on Wednesday announced their defection from their former political parties to another party ahead of the 2023 general election. The Senators are: Francis Ezenwa Onyewusi representing Imo East Senatorial district and Haliru Dauda Jika representing Bauchi Central Senatorial district. Their defection was made known by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan during a plenary on Wednesday. While Senator Francis Onyewusi who is a first-timer to the Senate was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to Labour Party (LP), his counterpart in Bauchi was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) before he defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). The defected Senators cited injustice and inequity in their former political parties that made them fail the primary elections. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 55F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 55F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. 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%. The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended its support for religious schools, ruling that parents who send their children to such institutions have a right to tuition aid if the state provides it to other similar private schools. You voted: Once a bustling federal administrative complex that employed thousands of people, the abandoned and deteriorating Navy base at the intersection of Dauphine Street and Poland Avenue in New Orleans' Bywater section is now home to squatters and a magnet for violent crime. Since the Navy relinquished the F. Edward Hebert Defense Complex base to New Orleans in 2013, the 25-acre property and its three massive buildings have sat empty, unused and unprotected from trespassers. Despite early efforts to transform the sturdy buildings into a disaster management center, the project fell stagnant. So how did we get here? 1919: The Army constructs a supply depot on the Mississippi River in Bywater, located on Dauphine Street between Poland Avenue and the Industrial Canal. 1941: The Army establishes the Port of Embarkation on the property, to supply its Caribbean and South Atlantic commands. 1955: The Army redesignates the property its Gulf Transportation Terminal Command. 1966: The Navy acquires the property as part of an expansion of its base across the river in Algiers, where it had operated since the late 1800s. Together, the Bywater and Algiers locations become Naval Support Activity New Orleans, an administrative base with tenants such as the Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve. The Bywater site is eventually named the F. Edward Hebert Defense Complex, for the New Orleans Democrat who became Louisiana's longest-serving U.S. representative over 18 terms in Congress from 1941 to 1977. 2005: The Defense Department's Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommends closing Naval Support Activity New Orleans, to funnel more money to new weaponry and technology. City and state officials had for years fretted over the vulnerability of the Algiers and Bywater sites, neither of which had a combat training mission. At the time, the 200-acre complex that straddled the Mississippi River employed more than 4,600 people with a $142 million annual payroll. 2009: The Pentagon disestablishes" the Bywater operations as part of a series of base closures. New Orleans submits a reuse plan to transform it into a disaster management center. The plan called for it to house essential personnel during a catastrophe, store essential supplies and equipment and provide space for other disaster management and recovery agencies. Additionally, the plan proposed using 2 acres of the 25-acre Bywater site to develop "permanent supportive housing" for homeless people, as required by federal laws governing the closure and redevelopment of surplus military property. NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up 2011: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approves the Bywater reuse plan. The Navy leaves Bywater and Algiers. 2012: New Orleans selects EMDRC Partners LLC, a company that includes real estate developer Joe Jaeger, to redevelop the Bywater site into a disaster management center. 2013: In May, the Navy gives 118 acres and 51 structures that were part of the Naval Support Activity in Algiers to the Algiers Development District, to repurpose that campus into a project called Federal City. In October, New Orleans takes ownership of the Bywater property, 25 acres with three six-story buildings that total 1.5 million square feet. 2016: The Bywater site is placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the City Council proposes a lease for it. Under the terms of the 50-year agreement, Jaeger's EMDRC Partners LLC would pay New Orleans $150,000 a year, plus 5 percent of the gross rents that the developers receive. The agreement would also allow for two extensions, bringing the total term to 99 years. The City Council approves the lease in August, and it is signed in November. Eventually, Jaeger seeks HUD financing to spend $130 million to transform the building closest to Poland Avenue into a 295-unit "luxury affordable" apartment building. 2018: In August, WWL-TV reported that Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration three years earlier had redirected at least $40 million in federal grants intended for revitalizing the Bywater property and had used it for unrelated drainage projects. Deputy Mayor Ryan Berni told reporters the project to redevelop the base "was not in a place to move forward" when City Hall had to formulate a spending plan for the grant money. FEMA asked the city to "repurpose" the money, he said, because developers and the various plans for the site weren't coming together fast enough based the grant's timeline. In September, dozens of New Orleans firefighters help to extinguish a trash fire on the second floor of a building on the base. Firefighters said the deteriorated condition of the building, which contained piles of trash, holes in the floors and open elevator shafts, made the search for injured people difficult. 2020: In August, a vagrant finds a body, later identified as 25-year-old Slidell waitress Brooke Buchler, with a single gunshot wound to the head in the abandoned Bywater base. 2022: In March, a one-alarm fire spreads across four floors inside one of the buildings, trapping a man on the third floor; firefighters rescue him, but he runs away before they can treat or question him. In May, a 28-year-old man is injured in a shooting at the property. The next month, a woman is fatally shot and a man wounded at the base. Then in June, New Orleans police swarm the base and put surrounding neighborhoods on lockdown after reports of gunfire. Days later, another man is wounded in a shooting there. OCHSNER HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN: U.S. News & World Report has ranked Ochsner Hospital for Children as the top children's hospital in Louisiana for 2022-23. The hospital was also recognized in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery, pediatric gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, and pediatric orthopedics in the new rankings. LSU HEALTH OPHTHALMOLOGY: The Food and Drug Administration has appointed Dr. Jayne S. Weiss, professor and chair of ophthalmology at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, as a voting member of the Ophthalmic Devices Panel in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. She will serve a three-year term. LSU HEALTH NURSING: Nursing Schools Almanac has ranked the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing as the No. 10 nursing school in the U.S. and the No. 5 nursing school among public nursing schools. Nursing Schools Almanac collected data on 3,000 nursing schools and campuses nationwide, and only 3% made its list of the 100 best nursing schools in the nation. Four months to the day after a 16-year-old John Ehret High School student was gunned down at his Marrero school bus stop, a set of twins and a 17-year-old boy pleaded not guilty to his murder Tuesday. Daveon and Davon Gilmore, 18, and Orlando Washington were indicted Thursday on charges of second-degree murder. Washington, a juvenile, was charged as an adult, according to Jefferson Parish court records. The trio is accused of killing Ahmad Howard as he waited for his school bus on the morning of Feb. 21, about a half-block from his home. Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigators have not disclosed the suspected motive for the murder, but they do believe Howard was the intended target, according to Detective Steven Keller who testified about the case during a March 11 hearing. Howard was standing on a sidewalk in the 1800 block of Betty Street about 7:30 a.m. when he was ambushed by two gunmen, according to Keller. Howard was shot in the face and pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses told deputies they saw three males, each with their face covered, run from the scene. Deputies took off after the suspects and spotted the trio running along a nearby canal bank. The three suspects hopped into a maroon-colored Dodge minivan parked on Michael Street and the vehicle sped off, Keller said. NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Deputies pulled over the vehicle in the 4800 block of Lapalco Boulevard, according to authorities. The Gilmore twins and Washington were inside. Washington's mother was behind the wheel, according to Keller. Deputies could see a rifle protruding from under a jacket near Orlando Washington on a backseat. All four people were taken to the Sheriff's Office for questioning. Investigators searched the van and recovered a rifle and two handguns, Keller said. The handguns were found in places close to where the twins had been sitting in the vehicle. Neither the twins nor Washington spoke to detectives. But Washington's mother told investigators she received a call from her son's cell phone asking to be picked up from Mansfield Drive, according to Keller. The detective didn't say whether it was Orlando Washington or the twins who made the call. Washington's mother drove to the area, but she then received a video call from the twins who directed her to a new pick-up location on Carmadelle Street, Keller said. She told investigators she saw the police activity while driving around to look for the three teens, but said she didn't know what was going on, according to Keller. Washington's mother told investigators she spotted her son and the twins on Michael Street, all clad in black clothing, and stopped, Keller testified. Washington's mother said she didn't see any weapons when the trio entered the vehicle. She was not arrested or booked with any charges related to the homicide investigation. After the indictment, the court increased the bail for the Gilmore twins to $750,000. They were being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Washington was being held at the Rivarde Juvenile Assessment Center in Harvey. His bail was set at $750,000. After Hurricane Katrina and the 54 breaches that inundated the New Orleans area, the federal government set out to remake southeast Louisianas flood protection. Work was finally completed on the $12 billion network of levees, gates and floodwalls this year, and the Army Corps of Engineers handed over the entire system to the state, with local levee authorities now overseeing their upkeep. Work on related drainage projects amounting to $2.5 billion is ongoing. Its an engineering marvel that includes the worlds largest pumping station and a Great Wall of Louisiana to protect New Orleans from storm surge. It is essentially a fortress with a 133-mile perimeter around the metro area, not including 70 miles of internal risk reduction structures. It provides protection for five parishes: Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and St. Charles. But while its designers say it is a vastly improved system compared to what existed during Katrina, they also readily admit that it by no means provides total protection from storms. Heres what you need to know on the vast flood protection network with the alphabet soup name: HSDRRS, or Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Will the system protect New Orleans from all hurricanes? Absolutely not. The system is high enough to protect against surge from 100-year storms, or those with a 1% chance of occurring in any year. A better way of understanding such an events risk is that it has a 26% chance of occurring in the lifetime of a 30-year mortgage. In a time of rising seas and intensifying hurricanes linked to climate change, it will almost surely be overtopped one day. Residents should still have an evacuation plan for when it is needed. That said, according to the Corps, the levees and floodwalls are designed in a manner intended to prevent their catastrophic failure even when they are overtopped, through the use of armoring and other features. So while water may enter parts of the city from levee overtopping and cause damage, it can in theory be pumped out if internal drainage features are operable. The major breaches, flooding of pump stations and loss of power during Katrina made that impossible, eventually flooding 80% of the city and resulting in one of the worst tragedies in American history. What is the "Great Wall of Louisiana"? A key issue in designing the new system was protecting against devastating storm surge being pushed toward the city from the Gulf. A major part of the solution is the Lake Borgne Surge Barrier. It is what its nickname suggests: a giant wall cutting across the triangle where two shipping channels, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, meet east of the city. The now-closed MRGO (or Mr. Go, as its known to locals) was blamed for helping funnel storm surge into the city during Katrina. Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up The wall stretches 1.8 miles and stands up to 26 feet above sea level. It includes a floating barge gate and a sector gate at the Intracoastal, both 150-feet-wide, as well as a 56-foot-wide vertical lift gate at Bayou Bienvenue. However, the huge wall is lower than the floodwalls it connects to in St. Bernard and New Orleans, which are 30 to 32 feet above sea level. The barrier is designed to allow some surge water to overtop it and be stored in the Central Wetlands Unit along parts of Chalmette, Arabi and the Lower 9th Ward, where a lower interior levee keeps it from moving into populated areas. What are other key elements of the system? The list is long, but here are some highlights: The West Closure Complex is located near the confluence of the Harvey and Algiers canals on the Intracoastal Waterway. The pumping station at the complex is the biggest in the world, able to pump enough water into upper Barataria Bay to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in only 4 seconds. It also includes a floodgate, floodwalls and other flood control structures. is located near the confluence of the Harvey and Algiers canals on the Intracoastal Waterway. The pumping station at the complex is the biggest in the world, able to pump enough water into upper Barataria Bay to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in only 4 seconds. It also includes a floodgate, floodwalls and other flood control structures. Seabrook Floodgate Complex helps protect New Orleans from storm surge arriving through Lake Pontchartrain. helps protect New Orleans from storm surge arriving through Lake Pontchartrain. Combined pump stations and floodgates at the ends of the 17 th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue drainage canals in New Orleans allow rain and floodwater to be pumped into Lake Pontchartrain, while blocking surge. at the ends of the 17 Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue drainage canals in New Orleans allow rain and floodwater to be pumped into Lake Pontchartrain, while blocking surge. A network of connected armored levees and floodwalls on both the east and west banks on both the east and west banks The entire project is designed to work together as a system. Has the new system been tested? Sort of. Hurricane Ida roared ashore last summer as a Category 4 storm and one of the most powerful to ever make landfall in Louisiana. The system held up well, officials say. But it also turned out that Ida wasnt the sternest of tests. A slight shift in path could have posed a far greater threat. Parts of the east bank system survived a greater surge test during Hurricane Gustav in 2008, well before the system was completed. Whats left to do? Congress is considering proposals to study boosting the system to 200-year-storm level. One important aspect of upkeep in the years ahead will be lifting the levees when they fall below 100-year-storm level due to subsidence and sea level rise. The Corps has proposed a $3 billion, 50-year plan to do that. The state has been seeking funding to extend protection beyond where it exists now. That would include the Upper Barataria flood protection project for portions of seven parishes: Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist. The West Shore Lake Pontchartrain levee, including parts of St. Charles and St. John, is under construction. The 92-mile-long Morganza-to-the-Gulf project, designed to protect Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, remains under construction. Don't miss a storm update this hurricane season. Sign up for our free Hurricane Center newsletter. As we approach 25 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China, the last British governor of Hong Kong said the situation there, is heartbreaking. He says the world is dealing with what he calls a post-peak China, as he launched his new book, The Hong Kong diaries. HAMMOND U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, recently toured Korellis Roofing in Hammond, meeting with union workers there. Mrvan, Chief of Staff Mark Lopez and Legislative Director Jamie Spitz visited the roofing company as a follow-up to Roofing Day in Washington, D.C., in which roofing professionals descended on the capital to advocate for investment, education and immigration reform. Korellis Director of Operations Mike Christensen and Estimator Mike Hernandez went to the nation's capital on behalf of the Hammond-based contractor to advocate for the roofing industry. They invited Mrvan to come see the Korellis headquarters and training center in Hammond. Leading up to Roofing Day in D.C., I was admittedly nervous about meeting members of Congress, said Hernandez. When we sat down with Congressman Mrvan, I was immediately impressed by the way he gave us his complete and full attention. The formality of the meeting was no longer at the forefront of my thoughts, and I realized what a genuine person he was. Mrvan later met with office and yard team employees at Korellis to talk about his efforts to advocate for the construction industry and the Region economy. He also talked with union roofers, sheet metal workers and masons training there. I enjoyed meeting with your team and touring your outstanding facility," he said. "Grateful for your essential economic services for our region and commitment to safety and the Northwest Indiana workforce." Korellis built the training center during a $2 million renovation in 2018 that also includes exterior upgrades, new office space and more material storage. It trains apprentices in their trades, also allowing Korellis to offer in-house training to its employees when the weather is indisposed. There have been great uncertainties faced by many businesses during the past few years; it is great to hear your state Congressman speak the same beliefs about getting through it, Korellis President John Ziolkowski said. As a team and as a region, we will continue to adjust, maneuver and execute through times like this. Korellis is a 100% employee-owned contractor that's been in business since 1960. It's one of the largest roofing contractors in Northwest Indiana and also does roofing, sheet metal, carpentry and masonry services. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GARY A man wanted for fatally stabbing a 35-year-old victim several times was captured by FBI agents in Wisconsin, police said. Quentin Maurice Smith, 50, was arrested Tuesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on a charge of murder stemming from a 1991 incident in Gary, said Chris Bavender, FBI spokeswoman for the Indianapolis field office. Smith is accused of stabbing John Thomas Currie multiple times on Nov. 26, 1991. Currie was found in his apartment at 2054 Carolina St. in Gary by his family and he died from his wounds. The FBI Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and Gang-Responsive Investigative Team arrested Smith after he had just been discharged from parole. The FBI GRIT members began re-investigating the case in 2021, examined the case and identified Smith using a DNA analysis from evidence at the 1991 crime scene. This led to a murder charge being filed June 17, 2022, through Lake County Superior Court. Gary police, Lake County Sheriff's Crime Scene Investigations Unit and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Parole Commission aided FBI agents in the case. In the last four years, federal investigators have made many arrests in a number of cold cases by re-examining cases and using DNA analysis. Anyone with information on a cold case is asked to call 219-942-4899. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GARY First responders watching over the Lake Michigan shoreline had a busy day Tuesday. Around 6:30 p.m. a jet ski with a man and a woman riding it began to sink a half-mile from the shore at Marquette Beach in Gary, said Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Alex Neel. The Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit was able to rescue the man and woman, who were taken to safety. Earlier Tuesday afternoon, a lifeguard on a paddle board saw a man struggling in the water at Indiana Dunes State Park and helped him to safety. The man refused transportation to a hospital, Neel said. In Michigan City, first responders helped another struggling individual to shore Tuesday. There had been no reported drownings with first responders able to get everyone safely out of the water. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HAMMOND A California woman is going to prison for carrying a deadly recreational drug across Northwest Indiana. Senior Judge James T. Moody imposed a 78-month sentence Wednesday on Katelyn A. King, 26, of San Diego, California. King pleaded guilty late last year to possession of fentanyl as a drug courier. Court papers state Indiana State Police Trooper Chris Eagles stopped Kings vehicle Dec. 13, 2020, on the Indiana Toll Road in Porter County for a traffic violation. The trooper noticed King was so nervous her hands were shaking, and she was traveling with several large suitcases. The trooper said she told him she was driving to New Jersey to visit family and the suitcases were filled with clothing she intended to donate to shelters there. When she refused to let him look in the suitcases, he had his police canine, Axel, sniff around the car. The dog was alerted to the odor of illicit drugs. Inside the luggage, investigators found packages, wrapped in plastic and brown wrapping tape, containing about 30 pounds of a light powder that tested positive for the painkiller fentanyl. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl caused more than 36,000 overdose deaths in 2019, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. King signed a plea agreement with the U.S. attorneys office to receive a more lenient sentence than she faced if she had been convicted at trial. Prosecutors also are going to dismiss a conspiracy count filed against her earlier. Defense attorney Matthew Soliday states King knew she was breaking the law but was unaware she was transporting fentanyl. He said King has no juvenile record or previous convictions as an adult. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GARY Two men were killed and five others including a mother and her two children were wounded in shootings between Sunday and Tuesday, police said. Jeremiah Williams, 19, of Merrillville, was found shot to death about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 4600 block of Grant Street, according to the Lake County coroner's office and Gary police. Officers responded to the area for a report of shots fired and found Williams lying on his back in the street unresponsive, said police Cmdr. Jack Hamady. Coroner's investigators pronounced him dead at the crime scene. About 25 minutes later, Gary police were dispatched to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville after a 19-year-old Merrillville man arrived seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his foot, Hamady said. Detective Sgt. Kris Adams of the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit was investigating both shootings. A 45-year-old Merrillville man drove himself to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus after he was shot in the neck about 3 p.m. Monday in the area of West Fifth Avenue and Lincoln Street, police said. Witnesses at the crime scene told police someone in an SUV fired multiple shots at a man, who ran to a vehicle and drove off. About 10:20 p.m. Monday, a 35-year-old woman and her two children were wounded by gunfire outside Mosley Motel in the 6200 block of Melton Road, police said. The woman and her children were inside their room when someone outside fired shots that appeared to travel through their window, Hamady said. The woman and her 8-year-old daughter each suffered gunshot wounds to their legs. The woman's 2-year-old daughter suffered a graze wound to her arm, police said. Detective Sgt. Douglas Drummond of Gary's Violent Crimes Unit was investigating Monday's shootings. Javion Hawthorne, 20, of Gary was shot to death late Sunday outside Save gas station in the 3200 block of West Fourth Avenue in Gary, officials said. Gary police responded to the area about 11:40 p.m. for a report of a possible gunshot victim and found Hawthorne on the ground outside the gas station. A woman, who had been seated in a car that was damaged by gunfire, was checked by Gary Fire Department medics for possible injuries from broken glass, police said. Detective Sgt. William Poe of the Metro Homicide Unit was investigating. Anyone with information about the homicides is asked to call the Metro Homicide Unit at 219-755-3855. Anyone with information about nonfatal shootings is asked to the Violent Crimes Unit at 219-881-1200. To anonymously report crime in Gary, call 866-CRIME-GP. Times staff writer Bob Kasarda contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sarah Reese Lake County Courts and Social Justice Reporter Sarah covers crime, courts and public safety. She began her career at The Times in 2004. Contact her at sarah.reese@nwi.com or 219-933-3351. Follow Sarah Reese 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 MERRILLVILLE An East Chicago man was fatally shot in his home early Tuesday, prompting a homicide investigation. At 12:13 a.m. a woman called 911 stating that her two sons were shooting at each other inside their house and one of them was yelling that he had been shot, said East Chicago Chief of Police Jose Rivera. Police arrived at 416 Vernon Ave. in East Chicago and found Shaye L. Day, 24, of Chicago, who had been shot in his abdomen. He was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Police entered the back of the apartment, following a trail of blood. Inside a bedroom, officers found 28-year-old Jordan Day, of East Chicago, who was unresponsive and bleeding from his head. An AR-15-style rifle was found next to him. A third person involved in the shooting arrived at St. Catherine Hospital of their own accord. The third victim, identified as Isiah Hollins, 25, of East Chicago, said he heard the two men arguing and then he heard shots fired. He told officers ran out of the apartment after he was shot in the leg and he was taken to the hospital by a friend. The Lake County coroner's office was dispatched around 2:55 a.m. Tuesday to 416 Vernon Ave. in East Chicago. According to the coroner's report, Day died at the scene of the shooting. His death was caused by multiple gunshot wounds, and his manner of death was classified as a homicide. The Lake County coroner's office, the East Chicago Police Department, Superior Ambulance and the Lake County Sheriff's CSI responded to the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call East Chicago Detective Isaac Washington at 219-391-8318 or email iwashington@eastchicago.com. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call 219-391-8500. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 13 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT The Lake County election board is taking steps to reduce conflicts among polling place workers amid an unprecedented rise in "meanness," based both on personality and partisanship. The bipartisan election oversight panel directed its staff Tuesday to expand poll worker training by including more information on proper workplace behavior, conflict resolution and kindness, as well as compiling a list of poll workers who seem to repeatedly instigate feuds with their colleagues. A lot of times we have people that may have been out of a professional setting for a period of time, and what might have been appropriate when they were working may not be appropriate now, said Kevin Smith, election board chairman. Michelle Fajman, executive director of the Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, said the May primary election saw more animosity among poll workers than any prior election. She said there were a number of arguments over policies and procedures that occasionally devolved into shouting matches in front of voters, which in past years would have been resolved by working together to figure out the right thing to do. Some poll workers also sniped at each other over food at polling sites, allegations of incompetence and made repeated snide comments, Fajman said. There was just a lot more meanness out there to each other, Fajman said. A lot more than weve ever experienced. Fajman attributed the rise to a willingness among some people, particularly in the political realm, to say anything they think without first thinking about how another person might react to it, along with the constant questioning of motives even when a person has given no reason to doubt their honesty. We know its a long day. But just try to be pleasant and follow the rule of treat others as you want to be treated, Fajman said. The board as a whole got a glimpse of some of the issues at stake as it weighed a complaint filed by three workers at the Munster early voting site (two Democrats and one Republican) against a Republican election official. The complainants alleged the official repeatedly spoke in a rude and condescending manner to them and to voters, showed no patience with voters needing extra assistance, urged one poll worker to throw a bottle of water at another poll worker and generally was disruptive to the effective operation of the polling site. The official denied the allegations, including the claim they were racially motivated. She insisted she always was polite to her colleagues and to voters and never suggested anyone hit anyone with anything. The election board ultimately dismissed the complaint because it found the officials behavior, whether accurately described or not, did not amount to a violation of state election law. At the same time, the board unanimously agreed action is needed to reduce or prevent similar conflicts among Lake County election workers in the future. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT Ryan Patrick will officially take over as Crown Point's new police chief. Formerly the operations commander, Patrick took over as acting chief when Pete Land was selected to replace David Uran as mayor at the start of June. Land introduced Patrick during Land's first "Tuesday Talks" monthly forum, which was held at the Lincoln Office furniture store in Crown Point. Land spent 34 years with the Crown Point Police Department, 17 of those as chief. Uran was selected as the next president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority at the end of April. A little over a month later, Land was caucused in. Born in Hebron, Patrick joined the Crown Point Police Department in 1999. He served as a patrol officer, patrol shift supervisor, detective and detective supervisor before becoming operations commander in 2016. "Ryan was an easy choice," Land said. "He is a great officer. He has served this community for many years. ... The police department is in very good hands." Patrick is a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield and was selected to attend the 10-week-long FBI National Academy in 2019. The badge pinning ceremony during which he will officially become chief will occur at the next Board of Works meeting July 6. "I am glad to be a part of the city leadership," Patrick said. "We have a lot of things that we are planning." Patrick went on to share some updates on the department. He said they currently have about 51 officers and are looking to hire around three replacements. He then highlighted the Crown Point K-9 Unit with the help of Bandit the Dutch Shepard. Bandit is one of three police dogs on the force. Started in the late 1970s, the K-9 unit helps sniff out narcotics, locate missing persons and even apprehend suspects. Patrick also warned residents about an increase in telephone scams. He urged residents to contact police before giving out any personal account information. Because most of the calls are made from somewhere overseas, they are very difficult to trace. "If you ever have an issue where you get a phone call like that, just call us and we'll tell you if it's legit. The bank's not going to call you on the phone and ask you for your account number," Patrick said. "We've noticed a big increase ... in the last week we've had four of five different fraud cases." Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GARY The Marquette Greenway Trail is not what Mitch Barloga would call "a linear project." The decades-in-the-making bike trail would connect three states, five counties and some 20 municipalities to create an idyllic ride around the southern tip of Lake Michigan. However, stitching together miles of disjointed trails in a Region crisscrossed by some of America's busiest highways and rail lines all while trying to build along a shoreline populated by steel mills and historic sand dunes has proven to be a difficult undertaking. Despite the challenges, Barloga and the countless other stakeholders who have been involved in the project since it was formalized in 2009 have stayed motivated. "It is really going to transform how we can get around in Northwest Indiana," said Rafi Wilkinson, of the Indiana Dunes National Park. Though some sections of the trail date back to the 1970s, the concept of one, united "Marquette Greenway Trail" was created in 2009 when the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, or NIRPC, released a route proposal. Though the map has changed quite a bit over the past 13 years, the heart of the project remains unite the many scenic wonders and unique communities along Lake Michigan with one comprehensive trail stretching from Calumet Park in Illinois to New Buffalo in Michigan. Connecting the Region Barloga, who has spearheaded the project through his role as the transportation and planning manager for NIRPC, estimated the entire trail will likely have a final price tag of about $40 million. Last fall, NIRPC received a federal grant that will fuel much of the remaining project. After applying four times, NIRPC was awarded a $17.8 million RAISE grant, which stands for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity. Rebuilding infrastructure in a sustainable and equitable way is precisely what the Marquette Greenway hopes to do. During a June 15 meeting, Barloga and Wilkinson met with the Miller Business Association to give an update on the project's current status. "Many of us think of it as our neighborhood trail, but it is much more than that. Once the new train station is built here, it will have an ADA ramp that allows people with bicycles to get on board or disembark," said Peggy Blackwell, of the MBA. "(The Marquette Greenway) will create an even greater place for bicycle riders and hikers to enjoy these trails by benefiting from a larger regional connection." The South Shore Line stations in Michigan City, Ogden Dunes and Chesterton will also have bike-compliant stations. "You will be able to use this as a commuting source. You will be able to ride to a station, put your bike on it, get off at one of those stations and hook into our trail to get to work," Wilkinson explained. Sections of the Marquette Greenway system include the Marquette Trail in Gary, Calumet Trail in Porter and LaPorte counties and shorter trails at Whihala Beach Park and George Lake, and the Singing Sands Trail in Michigan City, among other trails and designated roadways. So far, about 22 miles of the 60-mile greenway have been constructed. Local entities are contributing over $17 million to the project. A portion of the trail will run through the Indiana Dunes National Park, helping connect the sections of the park separated by the Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill. The national park will fund their section of the trail; Wilkinson estimates the remaining work will cost the park between $15 and 18 million. "It is meant as a way to provide non-motorized transportation into our park and help you move from one location in the park to another," Wilkinson said. The paved trail will be between 10- and 12-feet-wide. The goal is to complete the entire greenway by 2027, though rising material costs and land acquisition issues have complicated the project. Complex navigation A key stretch of the trail starts at the historic Union Station and continues through Miller Woods, creating a gateway into the national park. The Decay Devils, a collective of artists, urban explorers and preservationists, has been working to preserve and revitalize Union Station for years. Ultimately, the group hopes to secure enough funds to transform it into a community center. Wilkinson said the trail extending from Union Station could become a "grand entrance into the park." However, legal questions of who actually owns several parcels of land in the area have made actually completing the stretch more difficult. Once owned by the railroad, that land has gone through "hundreds of years of mergers, bankruptcies and acquisitions," Wilkinson said. Though the land falls within the national park's boundaries, it is unclear who currently owns it. The park has tried to acquire the properties for decades, working closely with the Gary Redevelopment Commission. Wilkinson said the RDC is currently in the process of obtaining nine of the necessary parcels. Another section that has been difficult to complete is the one-mile segment that would cut through the town of Ogden Dunes. About a year ago, a petition opposing the bike trail was created. The petition said the trail would bring in too many outside cyclists, disturbing peaceful green space and making nearby homes less secure. "To say that they're (Ogden Dune residents) not in favor of this is maybe an understatement, but it is not a complete opinion of the community," Barloga said. If NIRPC cannot get the necessary approvals, the trail will go around the southern edge of the town. "One way or another, we are going to make this happen," Barloga said. Despite the many challenges, those invested in the project have their eyes trained on the finish line. "You are talking about a national audience you are talking about millions of visitors to the national park every year now having an extra outlet to ride," Barloga said, adding that the trail could draw as many as a few thousand riders a day. The trail could also boost ecotourism in the area. During his presentation to the MBA, Barloga showed a table that said, on average, each cyclist spends $47.30 a day when visiting an Indiana bike trail. That money goes toward things like food, maps, parking and gear an influx of outside dollars that will benefit local businesses. For Wilkinson, the Marquette Greenway is just the beginning. Once completed, the trail will create an expansive east-west connection along Lake Michigan. From there smaller north-south projects will continue to link communities. The city of Gary has also applied for a RAISE grant to complete a $3.8 million study for "Gary Elevated," a project that would convert the former Wabash elevated rail line that ran through the city's Midtown area, into a bike trail. Barloga said the project would be similar to The 606 in Chicago, a 2.7-mile former rail line that is now a recreational trail. The city will likely hear back about the grant money in August. If the money is awarded, the study could start before the end of the year. "It's a long view, but when we look at the next 20 years, the next 30 years, ... the Marquette Greenway Trail spurs all of these future developments," Wilkinson said. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Zeigler Automotive Group currently has 38 dealerships, including several in the Chicago metro area and two others in Indiana both in Elkhart. The Jaguar Land Rover South Shore car dealership is currently located near the proposed Zeigler location. RANDALIA, Iowa (AP) A northeast Iowa farmer has pleaded not guilty to neglect charges after more than 3,000 feeder hogs died on his property. Derek David Smith, 41, of Randalia, waived an arraignment and filed a written not guilty plea to one count of livestock neglect on Monday, the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reported. Court records indicate Smith was hired by Valley Farms to care for the hogs. Authorities found more than 3,000 hogs dead at Smith's confinement operation on June 2, according to court records. The animals died from lack of feed and another 200 hogs had to be euthanized for health reasons, according to the records. Smith's trial is tentatively set for August in Fayette County District Court in West Union. The charge is a serious misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,560 fine. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 First Time Home It was my fifth trip to Ireland, but my first time in Connemara, the place my grandmother had left, an area known for its storytelling. I was scared it wouldnt live up to her stories, or maybe I wouldnt. David, a cousin I hadnt met before, raced me around, rhyming off dates and details, coloring in our ancestral lines. He handed me a photo, his grandfather in Canada, visiting my grandmother standing together as we did then. I held in tears as David politely looked away. As I departed, he hugged me and said, Come home again, soon. Casey Erin Wood Harper said it was too early to say whether the revival, which was capitalized for up to $13 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, would recoup its costs. The show, like many others, received $10 million in federal assistance from the Small Business Administration during the pandemic. It grossed $640,297 during the week ending June 12, playing to houses that were 74 percent full. Harper said the show is planning a North American tour to start in the fall of 2023. Its been glorious, and I feel so completely proud of the production, he said. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a Sondheim in a radically new way, and to have him be so proud of it was amazing. So this is sad, but its also a moment to celebrate what it has achieved. The revival, starring Katrina Lenk, began previews on March 2, 2020, and then 10 days later was forced to shut down, along with the rest of Broadway, because of the coronavirus pandemic. It resumed previews on Nov. 15, 2021, and Sondheim attended that performance; he died 11 days later, at the age of 91; in a final interview, he expressed unfettered enthusiasm for the production. The revival finally opened on Dec. 9, 2021; at the time of its closing it will have played 300 performances. Two Florida men were charged last week in widespread prescription fraud cases that could have left unsuspecting patients across the country without the proper medication to treat cancer, H.I.V. and psychiatric conditions, according to federal officials. The indictments of Lazaro Hernandez, 51, who is also known as Fat Laz or Godfather, and Eladio Vega, 37, also known as Spanky or simply E, brought the total number of defendants to 15 people in a third superseding indictment over the alleged fraud scheme, announced Friday by federal prosecutors in Florida and Washington. So far, eight people have entered guilty pleas, prosecutors said. Mr. Hernandez was also arrested and charged separately on Friday with distributing more than $230 million in adulterated H.I.V. drugs, a wholesale pharmaceutical distribution operation that federal prosecutors said was part of a nationwide scheme to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hernandez was accused of laundering proceeds through several corporations based in Miami. The South Dakota Senate voted to remove the states attorney general, Jason Ravnsborg, from office on Tuesday evening in an impeachment trial after Mr. Ravnsborg fatally struck a man with his car in 2020. Mr. Ravnsborg, a Republican, was convicted by the Senate of two charges: committing crimes that caused someones death, and malfeasance for misleading law enforcement and abusing the powers of his office. A conviction required support from two-thirds of South Dakotas Senate, which is dominated by Republicans. Gov. Kristi Noem, a fellow Republican who had repeatedly called on Mr. Ravnsborg to resign, applauded the decision. Katie Britt, a former chief of staff to the retiring Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, won the Republican nomination to replace her onetime boss on Tuesday, comfortably defeating a right-wing rival in a race that puts the 40-year-old on track to become the youngest woman in the United States Senate. The Alabama Senate primary was the marquee contest on Tuesday as a handful of states across the South held primaries or runoffs, and a House race in Texas last month that went to a recount gave a moderate Democratic incumbent a victory. The Senate race in Alabama took a number of twisting turns involving former President Donald J. Trump, who has made the 2022 primary season into a rolling referendum on his influence. Mr. Trump has carefully guarded his record in picking Republican primary winners, and his shifting allegiances in Alabama were among the best examples of his obsession with scoring wins and avoiding losses ahead of a 2024 presidential run that he continues to loudly tease. Voters in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and Washington, D.C., weighed in on elections for the Senate, House and other offices on Tuesday. And officials in Texas announced the results of a recount in a closely watched Democratic primary for the House. Here is a rundown of some of the most notable wins and losses: Alabama Katie Britt, a former lobbyist and chief of staff to Senator Richard Shelby, convincingly defeated Representative Mo Brooks in a runoff for the Republican nomination for Senate. Former President Donald J. Trump had initially endorsed Mr. Brooks, but he withdrew that support in March as the congressmans poll numbers sagged. This month, in the races final days, Mr. Trump endorsed Ms. Britt. Georgia Mike Collins, the owner of a trucking company, easily captured the Republican runoff in Georgias 10th Congressional District, brushing aside Vernon Jones, a former state lawmaker who had the backing of Mr. Trump. Rich McCormick, a physician and retired Marine, defeated Jake Evans, the former chair of Georgias ethics commission and the son of a Trump administration ambassador, in the Republican primary runoff for Georgias Sixth Congressional District. Mr. Evans had been endorsed by Mr. Trump. Bee Nguyen, a state representative, won the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. She will face the Republican incumbent, Brad Raffensperger, who resisted Mr. Trumps demands to find additional votes that would help him overturn the 2020 presidential contest in the state. Jeremy Hunt, a well-funded retired Army captain backed by top Republican leaders, was defeated by Chris West, a lawyer and Air National Guard officer, in the Republican primary in the Second Congressional District. Mr. West will face Representative Sanford Bishop Jr., a moderate Democrat. Virginia Jen Kiggans, a state senator, picked up the Republican nomination in the Second Congressional District, handily beating Jarome Bell, who had called for the execution of people convicted of voter fraud. Ms. Kiggans will face Representative Elaine Luria, a Democrat, in what is expected to be a highly competitive House race in the fall. Yesli Vega, a sheriffs deputy on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, prevailed in the Republican primary in the states Seventh Congressional District. She will take on Representative Abigail Spanberger, an embattled Democrat. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is seeking a third term, won her Democratic primary. Texas Representative Henry Cuellar, the nine-term congressman from South Texas, has defeated his progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, a lawyer, according to a recount of ballots from their May 24 runoff. In November, Mr. Cuellar will face Cassy Garcia, a former aide to Senator Ted Cruz who won the Republican nomination. Maya King and Jazmine Ulloa contributed reporting. Gavin Newsom keeps picking exactly the kinds of fights that presidential candidates like to pick. On Thursday, he joined Donald Trumps social media network to rebut Republican lies, he said. He posted another truth on the former presidents site on Monday, using the platform to promote what he cast as the superior economic performance of blue states. For months, Newsom, the 54-year-old governor of California, has been taking swipes at red-state governors known to have presidential ambitions. He has ripped unnamed fellow Democrats, too: In May, after Politico published a draft Supreme Court decision that would strike down Roe v. Wade, Newsom groused that Republican cultural warriors were winning on issues like abortion and L.G.B.T.Q. rights with no vigorous response from the left. Mr. Bowers of Arizona was the first to testify. For nearly an hour, he described the pressure campaign he faced over several weeks after the Nov. 3, 2020, election, after Mr. Trump lost the state. He spoke of the fear he felt when a man bearing the mark of the Three Percenters, an extremist offshoot of the gun rights movement, appeared in his neighborhood. He had a pistol and was threatening my neighbor, Mr. Bowers said. Not with the pistol, but just vocally. When I saw the gun, I knew I had to get close. The threats, he said, have gone on for a long time: Up till even recently, it is the new pattern, or a pattern in our lives, to worry what will happen on Saturdays. Because we have various groups come by and they have had video panel trucks with videos of me proclaiming me to be a pedophile and a pervert and a corrupt politician and blaring loudspeakers in my neighborhood and leaving literature, he said, as well as arguing with and threatening him and his neighbors. Jocelyn Benson, Michigans secretary of state, who rejected efforts to overturn the states electors, described trying to put her young son to bed when she heard a growing din. Armed protesters with bullhorns were picketing outside her home. My stomach sunk, she said. That was the scariest moment, just not knowing what was going to happen. Mike Shirkey, the majority leader of Michigans Republican-controlled State Senate, was subjected to nearly 4,000 text messages from Mr. Trumps followers after the president and his campaign publicly posted Mr. Shirkeys personal cellphone number. Ms. Britt entered the primary with little name recognition and long odds against Mr. Brooks, who boasted more than a decade of experience in the House and gained Mr. Trumps backing after he riled up the crowd at the former presidents rally before the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Mr. Trump rescinded his support for Mr. Brooks in March as Mr. Brooks struggled to gain traction under an avalanche of attack ads and criticism of his decision to urge an audience at a Trump rally to leave the 2020 election behind. Katie Britt, on the other hand, is a fearless America First Warrior, Mr. Trump said in a statement this month as he endorsed Ms. Britt. That move did not completely wipe out Mr. Brooks, who still managed to clinch a second-place finish in Alabamas May 24 primary, garnering 29 percent of the vote. Ms. Britt pulled in 45 percent, short of the majority that would have avoided a runoff between the two top vote-getters. Ms. Britt fashioned herself as an Alabama First candidate, playing off Mr. Trumps America First presidential campaign slogan, and centered her run on her Christian faith, hard-line border enforcement policies and ties to the business community. As an aide for Mr. Shelby, one of the Senates most senior members, she worked on some of his signature issues, including a sweeping Republican package of tax cuts in 2017, confirmation of conservative judges and a push for a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. She most recently served as the head of the Business Council of Alabama, a powerful lobbying group, and led a Keep Alabama Open campaign in November 2020 against coronavirus pandemic restrictions that required nonessential businesses to close or limit services. She also opened the councils resources, typically reserved to paying members, to all small businesses amid the health crisis. Proponents hoped to win final Senate approval for the legislation before a scheduled Fourth of July recess, with the House expected to follow suit quickly. The National Rifle Association almost immediately announced its opposition, and the vast majority of Republican officeholders fell in line behind it. But both Senate leaders swiftly issued statements of public support, suggesting that public sentiment in favor of toughening gun laws, particularly in the wake of recent mass shootings, had finally broken through in Congress. Mr. McConnell called the bill a common sense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said he expected the legislation to pass by the end of the week. This bipartisan gun safety legislation is progress and will save lives, he said ahead of the vote. While it is not everything we want, this legislation is urgently needed. The flurry of negotiations was spurred by two mass shootings in the last two months: a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, and a racist attack that killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket. The human devastation brought the issue of gun violence back to the forefront on Capitol Hill, where years of efforts to enact gun restrictions in the wake of such assaults have fallen short amid Republican opposition. Since 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats announced their agreement on a bipartisan outline less than two weeks ago, lead negotiators Senators Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both Democrats, and John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both Republicans have spent hours hammering out the details and toiling to keep their fragile coalition together. I didnt want to be used as a pawn, Rusty Bowers, the speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, testified. Mr. Bowers, a Republican, told the committee that he rebuffed Mr. Trumps attempts to get him to create slates of pro-Trump electors in his state, explaining to the former president, You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath. Such defiance, however, came at a cost. Mr. Bowers told the committee that after bucking Mr. Trump, a truck was driven through his neighborhood playing a recording that declared him to be a pedophile. Mr. Bowers, who spoke about the Constitution in reverential and spiritual terms, had tears in his eyes as he described his gravely ill daughter enduring some of the harassment outside their house. (She died last year.) In similar fashion, Brad Raffensperger, Georgias secretary of state, testified that after he turned down Mr. Trumps request in a phone call to find the votes that would throw him the election, his wife of 40 years received sexualized threats by text and people broke into his daughter-in-laws house. Its turned my life upside-down, Wandrea Moss, a Georgia election worker who was implicated by name in one of Mr. Trumps false election fraud allegations, said in her own emotional testimony. Ms. Moss, who is known as Shaye, added, Its affected my life in a major way in every way all because of lies. In his nightly address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine referred to the shelling. It simply destroys, simply kills, he said, adding that, the Russian army is deaf to any rationality. Last month, Ukrainian troops appeared to have pushed Russian forces back from the city, even as far as the border, about 25 miles away. But Russia does not appear to have given up on its efforts around the city, using railway lines around Kharkiv to supply troops that appear to be preparing for an assault on the city of Sloviansk, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a research group based in Washington. Russian forces may also be trying to keep their opponents occupied and spread out along the vast front line, reducing Ukraines ability to concentrate on the fight for Sievierodonetsk, a focal point of the eastern front, or on the counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region. The Russian militarys struggles in Ukraine have led to the replacement of its commander of airborne forces, Andrey Serdyukov, according to the Institute for the Study of War, which cited the Russian news media. In its latest assessment, the institute said Moscow might be in the process of radically reshuffling the command structure of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, indicating a possible purge of senior officers blamed for failures in Ukraine. After pulling back its forces from around Ukraines capital, Kyiv, Russias grinding campaign to seize the eastern Donbas region has increasingly focused on the battle for Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, twin cities on opposite banks of the Siversky Donets River. Those cities, largely reduced to rubble and emptied out in waves of evacuations, have been called dead cities by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, whose forces are trying to defend them at the street level. But even where Ukraine has succeeded in pushing the Russians back, the scars of war linger. Around Ukraines two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, residents have been returning to streets lined by charred husks of buildings. The U.S. State Department on Wednesday confirmed the death of a man believed to be the second American killed fighting in Ukraine. The department identified the man, Stephen Zabielski, as a U.S. national who died in Ukraine but gave no further details. An obituary in the Recorder News in Montgomery County, N.Y., said Mr. Zabielski was a 52-year-old Florida resident and had died fighting in Ukraine in mid-May. Mr. Zabielskis death would mark the second American killed in combat in the war after Willy Joseph Cancel Jr., 22, a former Marine infantryman and a resident of Kentucky whose family said he was killed in late April fighting alongside the Ukrainian military. When Russia shifted its military campaign to focus on eastern Ukraine this spring, senior officials in the Biden administration said the next four to six weeks of fighting would determine the wars eventual path. That time has passed, and officials say the picture is increasingly clear: Russia is likely to end up with more territory, they said, but neither side will gain full control of the region as a depleted Russian military faces an opponent armed with increasingly sophisticated weapons. While Russia has seized territory in the easternmost region of Luhansk, its progress has been plodding. Meanwhile, the arrival of American long-range artillery systems, and Ukrainians trained on how to use them, should help Ukraine in the battles to come, said Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Even as she climbed the career ladder, her success was primarily a way to support her love of art. But even during the height of the Hewitts collecting years, from the 1960s to the 80s, before many Black artists were accepted by the mainstream, an Ernest Crichlow painting was no offhand purchase. It was a sacrifice, Ms. Hewitt told The Washington Post. But we just had a passion for art. We bought what we liked, instinctively, intuitively. And we knew what we liked. Nine times out of 10, we agreed on what to purchase. The other time we compromised. Vivian Ann Davidson was born on Feb. 17, 1920, in New Castle, Pa., north of Pittsburgh. Her father, Arthur Davidson, was a waiter and a butler, and her mother, Lela (Mauney) Davidson, was a teacher. Through her mother she traced her family history to an enslaved woman named Silvy, who was brought from Guinea. Though she often lamented her lack of artistic skills, Vivian grew up surrounded by art and developed an appreciation for it. Her parents made sure to take her to touring exhibitions that passed through Pittsburgh. A reproduction of Jean-Francois Millets The Gleaners hung on their living room wall. She studied psychology and French at Geneva College, in Beaver Falls, Pa., and graduated in 1943. A year later she received a masters in library science from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, today a part of Carnegie Mellon University. RESISTANCE: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945, by Halik Kochanski For continental Europeans World War II was a vastly different experience than it was for the people of the British Commonwealth or the United States. In the English-speaking world the war was largely a long narrative of military operations happening somewhere else sometimes going very badly, but always going, and ending in a comfortably self-affirming victory. They were spared the hardships, horrors, moral dilemmas and later recriminations of foreign occupation. Not so with the peoples of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, France, Yugoslavia, much of the Soviet Union and many, many others. For them, the war involved either a surrender without a fight or a surrender after a humiliatingly rapid military defeat, followed by years of fear, hunger, oppression and often inconceivable brutality. Occupied peoples had to make choices virtually every day how much to go along or collaborate, how much to push back against the occupier, resist. These differences in how the war was lived continue to shape our politics today, from Brexit to the war in Ukraine. Of course, some Europeans made the choice to fight back against their occupiers and engage in active resistance. How and why they did so, and how it all went, is the subject of Resistance, a thorough and well-researched new book by the British historian Halik Kochanski. This story is part of a new series exploring the world through books. Weve asked some of our favorite writers to recommend reading that helps you get to know their cities and tips on literary landmarks to check out. Well be traveling the world with them for the next few months, from Madrid to Mexico City to Istanbul and beyond. Sign up for the Books newsletter to make sure you dont miss any stops! To begin with, let us make it clear to everyone who has read our books that Stockholm is a very safe city, usually completely without serial killers. But our capital is not harmless at least not in literature. Authors have written about the light of snow and the winter darkness in the alleys, the melancholy of the short summer and the sadness of the autumn. Thanks to crime writers from Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo and beyond, there is probably not a street or park in the city where a fictitious murder has not been committed (and we acknowledge our extensive contribution). Stockholm is situated in the passage between one of Swedens largest lakes and the Baltic Sea and has been settled since the Ice Age. The Riddarholmen Church, from the 13th century, is the oldest completely preserved building here. It is surrounded by medieval buildings, which in turn are surrounded by beautiful houses and theaters from the 19th century. At least 1,000 killed by earthquake in Afghanistan An earthquake struck a remote and mountainous part of Afghanistan yesterday, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring at least 1,600 others. The quake, which had a magnitude of 5.9, struck about 28 miles southwest of the city of Khost, but the worst damage was in the neighboring Paktika province, which lies along the border with Pakistan and where some residents live in houses made of clay and straw. It was the deadliest earthquake to hit Afghanistan in more than two decades, and the number of casualties was expected to rise, a U.N. agency said. Search-and-rescue efforts, led by the Afghan Ministry of Defense, were hampered by wind and heavy rain, which prevented helicopters from landing safely. A U.N. representative for Afghanistan reported that nearly 2,000 homes were destroyed. Afghan families are typically large, and families sometimes live together, the representative said, and the earthquake will most likely displace many people. Asia buys up Russian oil A surge in demand from Asia for discounted Russian oil is making up for the significantly lower number of barrels being sold to Europe, dulling the effects of the Wests sanctions. Most of the additional oil has gone to two countries: China and India. Chinas imports of Russian oil rose 28 percent in May from the previous month, while India has gone from taking in almost no Russian oil to buying more than 760,000 barrels a day. The oil is being sold at a steep discount because of the risks associated with sanctions imposed to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Still, soaring energy prices have led to an uptick in oil revenue for Russia, which took in $1.7 billion more last month than it did in April. Mykolaiv is no longer under immediate threat of capture, but the wars toll is evident. Buildings are shuttered. Drinking water is in short supply. More than half the population has left; those who remain are almost all jobless. About 80 percent of people in the city, many of them old, rely on food and clothes from aid organizations. The strategic stakes could not be higher. If Russia takes Mykolaiv it could quickly conquer Odesa and control Ukraines entire Black Sea coast. That would make Ukraine a landlocked country and upend its economy. We will not give away the south to anyone, we will return everything thats ours and the sea will be Ukrainian and safe, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared after visiting Mykolaiv and Odesa last week. Recent military strikes in the south suggest that Ukrainian troops are starting to use powerful Western anti-ship weapons. When a young female employee at Alibaba, one of Chinas biggest technology firms, accused her manager and a company client of sexually assaulting her after an alcohol-fueled work dinner last summer, it seemed like a turning point for the countrys fledgling #MeToo movement. Months later, it had not played out that way. In September, prosecutors decided not to charge the womans boss because, they said, his behavior did not constitute a crime. In November, Alibaba fired the woman, who has been identified by the police and her lawyers only by her surname, Zhou. The company claimed Ms. Zhou had damaged its reputation by spreading falsehoods. But now, in the latest development, a Chinese court on Wednesday found Zhang Guo the company client whom Ms. Zhou accused of sexually assaulting her along with her boss guilty of forcible indecency. It ordered Mr. Zhang to serve 18 months in prison, one of the few high-profile instances of men in China being held accountable after accusations of sexual assault. Taiwans Council of Agriculture has said it would consider filing a complaint about the grouper ban to the World Trade Organization. Lin Kuo-ping, the deputy director general of the official Fisheries Agency, said the government had reached out to their Chinese counterparts to discuss the inspection process but had not heard back. Chinas General Administration of Customs did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Some grouper farmers said that if the ban was not lifted, they would have to settle for selling the fish on the domestic market at a huge loss. Until then, the fish will remain in the ponds. Mr. Lin, the grouper farmer, said he worried the groupers could die as a result of overcrowding. He is now pinning his hopes on another kind of fish that he has been farming, the four-finger threadfin fish, which is also popular on the mainland. But he acknowledged that even this backup strategy was vulnerable to geopolitical shifts. Last year, Taiwans exports of the fish were worth nearly $40 million and more than 70 percent went to China. Our biggest customer, he said, is still China. Federal labor regulators have asked a court to force Starbucks to stop what they say is extensive illegal activity in response to a nationwide campaign in which workers at more than 150 corporate-owned stores have voted to unionize. In a petition filed Tuesday with U.S. District Court in Buffalo, officials with the National Labor Relations Board accused the company of firing and disciplining union supporters; intimidating and threatening workers to discourage them from voting for the union; and effectively offering benefits to workers if they opposed the union. The agency is also seeking the reinstatement of seven Buffalo-area employees whom, it said, Starbucks had illegally forced out in retaliation for their union-organizing activities, and an order effectively recognizing the union in a Buffalo-area store where the union lost a vote despite strong initial support. A fixture at Vietnamese restaurants, sriracha sauce can lace aromatic pho with a jolt of heat. Its the star ingredient in spicy mayonnaise zigzagging countless sushi rolls, and it has even inspired a legion of fans to dress up for Halloween each year like a red plastic squeeze bottle with green cap. But this year, a shortage of red jalapeno chiles has threatened it all for sriracha, a beloved condiment made from sun-ripened peppers from Mexico and seasoned with vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic. Huy Fong Foods, a company based in Irwindale, Calif., that produces one of the most popular sriracha sauces in the world, confirmed that it was experiencing an unprecedented shortage affecting all of its chile-based products, which also include chile garlic sauce and sambal oelek. One company claims on its website that purchasing its whiskey can help you acquire a piece of history. Another says it specializes in the acquisition and sale of the worlds most illustrious exciting and pleasurable Investment Grade wines. But according to federal court records, those behind the two companies and a third business used an elaborate scheme to defraud more than 150 people across the United States, mostly older adults, of more than $13 million by promising returns on whiskeys and fine wines returns that they never received. The accusations are included in an affidavit filed in federal court in Ohio in connection with the arrest last week of Casey Alexander, a British citizen who the authorities say participated in the scheme, which originated in Britain. His most recent film, Dark Glasses, which premiered in February at the Berlin International Film Festival and had its North American debut in the Lincoln Center retrospective, delivers classic Argento moments: throbbing music that usually bodes badly; gruesome, blood-oozing murders; nail-biting chases (this time involving a blind protagonist); and plenty of plot twists. Yet the film is also surprisingly tender: At its heart is a relationship between a woman and a young boy whose lives intertwine through tragedy. The film is different from others that Ive made, and the finale even has room for a little tear, Argento said in the antiques-stuffed living room of his home in an upscale Rome neighborhood. A bulging bookcase along one wall was littered with some of the many awards he has won during his long career. Two recent additions are prizes he picked up in August at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. One was a lifetime achievement award that was presented to him by the director John Landis, who said at the ceremony that he had insisted on giving the prize to Argento in person. The other was in recognition for his debut acting role in Vortex, Gaspar Noes moving film about the decline of an elderly couple. (Argento had a bit role as an altar boy in a 1966 movie, but it was uncredited.) Its quite a career arc for a man who first worked as a journalist and then film critic for a left-wing Rome newspaper; co-wrote the story for Sergio Leones classic Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) with Leone and Bernardo Bertolucci; collaborated with George A. Romero on the zombie apocalypse classic Dawn of the Dead (1978); and recently wrote two books an autobiography, called Fear, and an anthology of scary stories, titled Horror (2018). The first time we see Tony Hawk, hes out of breath, working his tail off on a move he cant quite pull off. He keeps climbing back up the steps of a skate ramp, huffing and puffing, trying it again, again, again just eating it, over and over in silence, until he finally yells out in both pain and frustration. Because Tony Hawk does not give up, you see, and one of the virtues of Sam Joness documentary portrait is how it ties Hawks tireless stubbornness to the specifics of skateboarding, where a single move can shake up the entire sport. Hawks white whale was the seemingly impossible maneuver called 900, which we see him try and almost land over and over at the 1999 X Games best trick contest; its like watching the climax of the movie Tin Cup in real life, but when he lands it, its electrifying. And by that point in the film, we feel like we understand why he acts the way he does. This is an uncommonly personal portrait, of a funny, charismatic, self-aware dude. Muscle Shoals (2013) Stream it on Amazon. While the opposition might want to take advantage of a sleepy electorate that is not aware of Election Day, we want as many voters as possible to know what is at stake in this race, said Sochie Nnaemeka, the head of the New York State Working Families Party, which has endorsed Ms. Archila. An endorsement from Ms. Ocasio-Cortez does not guarantee victory. Last year, she endorsed Maya Wiley, a civil rights lawyer and former counsel for Mayor Bill de Blasio, in the race for mayor of New York City. Ms. Wiley came in third place in the Democratic primary. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez recently endorsed Alessandra Biaggi, a state senator representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, in her primary challenge to Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, a moderate Democrat. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez also has been willing to weigh in on local controversies, recently accusing the speaker of the New York City Council, Adrienne Adams, of playing dirty politics, amid accusations that she eliminated discretionary funding under her control of the left-leaning members who voted against the $101 billion budget. In May, she announced that she would be endorsing the entire slate of the New York Democratic Socialists candidates, as well as some backed by the progressive Working Families Party. The two left-leaning parties have occasionally been at odds with one another. This year they have aligned in support of a handful of challengers hoping to pick off long-serving incumbents in the State Legislature, in much the same way that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez herself did in 2018. In several races young women of color are challenging long-serving male incumbents in districts whose demographics have evolved during their time in office. Others are challenging heavy hitters such as Senate energy chair Kevin Parker. Opponents claim these veterans have not been responsive enough to progressive demands. Although Mr. Cottingham was first convicted in 1982, Ms. Donnelly said, there was no law at the time that required him to submit a DNA sample to law enforcement. His DNA was entered into the federal database in 2005, her office said. In 2003, investigators tested the DNA from Ms. Cusicks case as part of an effort to clear a case backlog. But the results did not meet the minimum requirements to be uploaded to the federal database, prosecutors said. More sophisticated testing emerged over the years and ultimately helped investigators to crack the case. The connection to Mr. Cottingham has prompted Ms. Donnellys office to investigate all unsolved homicides of women between 1967 and 1980, the period Mr. Cottingham was active, she said. DNA from at least five other cases has been submitted to the database for matching, and officials await results, the Nassau County police said. Although Cottingham was primarily a Bergen County person and worked in Manhattan, we now have evidence that he was also here in Nassau County, and we are diligently reviewing unsolved murder cases, Ms. Donnelly said. Ms. Cusicks daughter, Darlene Altman, 58, appeared alongside Ms. Donnelly. She was 3 years old when her mother was killed. The judge who heard the case, Daniel Conviser, ordered that Mr. Rojas be held, and said he would draft an examination order. When a verdict of not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect is entered, state law requires a judge to order that the defendant undergo a psychiatric examination. If the court finds that the defendant has a dangerous mental disorder, it must then issue an order committing the defendant to the custody of the state commissioner of mental health. Mr. Rojass rampage through one of the citys most crowded areas lasted only minutes, but caused intense panic, conjuring comparisons to an attempted car bombing in Times Square in 2010 and to episodes in which terrorists used automobiles as weapons. His trial, which took place over several weeks, centered on his mental condition at the time of the incident. The defense asked jurors to find Mr. Rojas not responsible for his actions. Prosecutors countered that even if Mr. Rojas had been experiencing delusions during the incident, he was competent enough to know that he was harming people. He asserted that the process is now underway, adding that the mayor has not lived at, earned any income from or controlled the property in over a decade. This latest disclosure underscores the opacity surrounding Mr. Adamss lifestyle and personal history. He has misled the public about being a vegan. (He eats fish, too.) In February, he told state lawmakers that he had been convicted of a crime, when he had not been. In a 2019 commencement address, he appropriated a pastors story as his own. And during his mayoral campaign, persistent questions arose about his residency. This year, Mr. Adams declined to release his tax returns, despite mayoral precedent, and then suggested he might not make them public. He later reversed course and said he had filed for an extension and would release them after the next filing date, in October. Mark Davies, who served as the executive director of the citys Conflict of Interest Board from 1994 to 2015, said that while he was unfamiliar with the facts in this case, violations of the laws that the board enforces are serious. Financial disclosure is critically important to a government ethics program because it alerts the public and the press to where potential conflicts of interest exist, and by publicly disclosing that, allows them to be on the lookout for actual ethics violations when they arise, he said. Discrepancies in Mr. Adamss narrative about the apartments ownership emerged last year, when he was running in a crowded Democratic primary for mayor. Weve been waiting two and a half years for this moment to protect our little ones, Dr. Vasan said. This is a great day. Its a great day for our city. Its a great day for our country. A health department spokesperson said the Times Square location had about 150 appointments booked for Wednesday, with a capacity for more than 2,500 a week. One of the first parents in line early Wednesday was Max Bookman, 34, an attorney from the Upper East Side. He carried his 2-year-old, Cara. The pigtailed toddler appeared unfazed beneath her fish-themed mask and didnt even cry after the shot, instead relishing a round of applause from the onlooking reporters. Cara was 5 months old when the pandemic began, and Mr. Bookman said she had never been in a grocery store. He was looking forward to finally being able to do indoor activities with her, he said, all the normal things that kids are supposed to do in their lives. It goes 24 hours, and its spontaneous, she said. You can change your plans. You can do anything with the subway. Disability rights activists have for years tried to push transit officials to improve access, with a particular focus on the lack of elevator service. In 2017, a group of organizations and disabled residents filed a lawsuit in state court that said the transit systems lack of elevators was a violation of the citys human rights law. Two years later, another set of plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit accusing the transit agency of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act when officials renovated subway stations without installing elevators, ramps or similar accommodations. When the act was passed in 1990, it required any public facilities built after 1993 to be accessible. Though most of the subway system is significantly older than that, the transit agency in 1994 reached an agreement with the federal government to make 100 key stations accessible by 2020, a goal it met. Transit systems newer than New Yorks, including those in San Francisco and Washington, are completely accessible. And other aging subway systems have significantly higher rates of accessibility than New Yorks. More than two-thirds of stations in Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago meet the Americans With Disabilities Acts standards. New York transit officials had been criticized for the slow pace of improvements, which disabled riders said was insufficient given the breadth and scope of the subway system. It operates around the clock and has the highest number of stations of any city in the world. Vietnam Airlines returns to Terminal T4 at London Heathrow Airport The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines reopened flights to Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on June 22. Crewmembers of Vietnam Airlines Flight VN56 oi before departing from London to Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Nearly 270 passengers on flight VN56 departing from London to Hanoi received support and guidance from Vietnam Airlines staff for boarding procedures at Terminal 4. Following the gradual recovery of the global aviation industry, Vietnam Airlines is fully prepared to meet the growing demand from international markets which will substantially contribute to the country's post pandemic economy growth, the firm said. Starting from July 5, Vietnam Airlines will operate three flights per week on the London-Hanoi route every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. From August 11 to October 29, the airline will operate flights from London to Hanoi every Tuesday and Thursday and services from London to Ho Chi Minh City will resume on Saturdays, while flights from Ho Chi Minh City to London will operate every Friday. Thu Vu, an overseas Vietnamese living in London and a passenger on flight VN56, said that checking in at Terminal T4 is convenient because it is small and close to the boarding gates, while there are many duty free shops near the terminal. Thu said she always tries to book with Vietnam Airlines to support the national airline, expressing her hope that Vietnam Airlines will continue to increase flights between Vietnam and the UK. Vietnam Airlines is working to improve its flight schedule to the UK and Europe to meet the recovering international flight demand, contributing to attracting tourists and promoting Vietnams post-pandemic economic growth. The Department of Correction did not immediately respond to requests for comment on staff shortages or actions leading up to the deaths. Mr. Drye, who had been held since May 17 on assault, harassment and weapons charges in Manhattan and the Bronx, had been seriously ill and hospitalized for several weeks. Before he was hospitalized, he had been detained at the Eric M. Taylor Center, a facility on Rikers Island where new detainees are held and assessed before being permanently housed. The city was held in contempt last month by a state judge for its failure to administer proper medical care to those in its custody. In April, the month before Mr. Drye was arrested, 11,789 medical appointments were missed in city jails, according to city data, thousands of them because correction officers were not available to escort incarcerated people to the clinic. On Sunday night, just two days before Mr. Dryes death, Mr. Carrasquillo, who had been held at another Rikers facility on a $50,000 bail on charges including robbery, drug possession and assault, was last seen alive shortly after 10 p.m., a person with knowledge of the incident said. Shortly before 1 a.m. on Monday, a jail supervisor found Mr. Carrasquillo unresponsive in his cell, the person said. A second official with knowledge of the matter said that jail staff had not adequately toured the housing area between when Mr. Carrasquillo was last seen alive and when he was discovered. Mr. Carrasquillo was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m. Mr. Carrasquillos wife, Sheniqua Bryant Carrasquillo, 31, in an interview on Wednesday said she was heartbroken. My professor said maybe it has something to do with stress. But for me, that stress, what we knew about stress at the time was more like, Oh, Im stressed out. Its not a kind of long-term, toxic stress that we later found out was associated with preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. Then in 1996, when I got pregnant with my first kid, I was surprised that I had something called intrauterine growth restriction [a condition in which the unborn baby is smaller than expected for his or her gestational age]. I was eating right. I was exercising. I was publicly talking about good health. I had a really good doctor. I had great health insurance. So I was very surprised when I had a condition that is usually associated with someone that is maybe using drugs and alcohol. I was sent to a perinatologist, a really high-end person, who right away was asking me questions. Do you drink? Do you smoke? Do you use illicit drugs? And Im looking at her like, are you kidding? No. And because this was such a rare condition, my baby was born right at term, just the day of term. And she was four pounds, 13 ounces. She could fit in the palm of my hand. I remember thinking back to that low birth weight study and wondering, does this have something to do with that toxic stress that I read about in the earlier research? Since then, I have heard about so many Black women who have had the same condition. Grose: Along with the toxic, cumulative stress of racism on the health of Black Americans that you talk about in the book, you cataloged so many instances of casual and aggressive disrespect from medical providers, especially toward Black women, during pregnancy and birth. How does it affect Black mothers and babies as theyre experiencing this? Villarosa: Birth for anyone is difficult, but if youre being treated unkindly, if youre not being listened to, if you are meeting your doctor for the first time which disproportionately happens to Black women then it makes the birth harder. It makes the birth more difficult and more dangerous. And weve seen that. We look no further than Serena Williams. She is someone who should have had every advantage, and also every kind of knowledge about her body, because shes a professional athlete. But she wasnt listened to during the birthing process. [In a 2018 profile of Williams, Vogue reported that she experienced shortness of breath while at the hospital recovering from an emergency C-section and worried it was related to her history of blood clots. When she spoke up, a nurse thought that Williamss pain medication was making her confused. After telling a doctor she needed a CT scan, not the ultrasound that was initially performed, blood clots were found in her lungs and she was put on the heparin drip she had asked for all along.] If she cant get this kind of care, then how are average people, average Black women, supposed to get good care in a medical system that, evidence shows, doesnt always treat us fairly? A new landmark greeted mountaineers nearing the summit of Mount Everest this spring: a seven-foot-tall mast of scientific instruments bolted into the coarse shale of an outcropping known as Bishop Rock. Its only about 130 vertical feet from the 29,032-foot summit, where one can look down the opposite side of the mountain, into China, and see another weather station about an equal distance from the top. These installations are the highest outposts of two networks of automatic weather stations that stretch up Everests two popular routes. This being Everest, where controversy is no stranger, it wasnt long before a quibble arose over bragging rights. Which station is higher: the one installed in China or the one in Nepal? The two countries share a border that divides the mountain, and officials from both claimed the honor for their nation. Perhaps Guinness World Records should investigate. There are, of course, bigger issues at stake. With the arrival of this human infrastructure near the top of the world, our understanding of climate change on Mount Everest has reached an inflection point. The so-called Third Pole is home to the highest mountains on Earth and contains one of the largest coverings of ice outside of the North and South Polar regions. Its glaciers feed more than 10 river systems and provide water to some two billion people, roughly a quarter of the worlds population. [MUSIC] jane coaston Its The Argument. Im Jane Coaston. And today archived recording Crime Crime Crime Crime jane coaston Yes, crime everyones favorite political cudgel. Republicans say Democrats are soft on crime. Democrats say Republicans are overpolicing with no accountability. And they arent doing anything about crime either. And what do voters think? Well, its complicated. Earlier this month, San Franciscans recalled their high-profile progressive district attorney. Chesa Boudin didnt make it a full term in office. But at the same time, criminal justice reformers won in a number of other races in the same state. So its hard to draw any conclusions. But what is clear is that crime or the perception of crime is driving our political conversations. So today, were talking about whats really going on with crime rates across the country. Are they as bad as people feel they are? What does that mean? And what policies might actually help? Im joined by Rafael Mangual, who works on policing and public safety at the conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute. He says crime is high, and Democrats need to acknowledge that. rafael mangual While I agree that its very important for us not to make policy based on anecdote and based on misperception, we also have to understand that the misperceptions exist on both sides. jane coaston And back again is Alex Kingsbury from The Times editorial board, who asks, who does the crime narrative benefit? alex kingsbury I mean, they just cut millions of dollars from the school budget in New York and kept the N.Y.P.D. funding basically stable. So to defend those sorts of public policy decisions, you have to have people wanting to support it. And one way to get people to support things is make them scared of the alternative. [MUSIC] jane coaston So first, it might help if we get on the same page about what crime is, because crime can be a lot of things. It can be homicides. It can be larceny. It can be graffiti, jaywalking. There are lots of different forms of crimes. And so while its very easy to just say crime is bad in scare quotes not all crimes are created equal and we dont think about crimes in the same way. So, Alex, when youre talking about crime, what do you mean? alex kingsbury Well, I think one of the ways that we talk about crime as journalists is the crime that we can measure, which is why homicides get so much attention because its the one crime thats always reported. Theres a body in the vast majority of cases. Crime is not reported uniformly across the United States. And there are thousands of different kind of police jurisdictions, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But homicide is a good baseline one because we know there was a crime committed. And we keep track of it. And you can measure those things over time. But when I think about crime, I really do think about it more broadly. The January 6 commission is a really good example because the people so far punished for that crime are the people who committed the low-level violent offenses of trespassing and disorderly conduct and so forth. But the white-collar criminals seem to have gotten away quite scot-free on quite a lot of it thus far, including lawyers and so forth and so on. So we dont really punish white-collar crime in this country, even though its, arguably, pretty rampant in a lot of different ways. But we, appropriate in many ways, target violent criminals, which get a lot of the attention. So were of a lot of two minds on how crime works and where it is and who commits it. But crime, as a general term, is just really broad. And it really depends on where you sit. It determines what you see. rafael mangual The crime, I think, that tends to inform a lot of public fear is the kind of stranger violent crime, things like a random sexual assault on the subway, being held up at gunpoint in a robbery. But I do think you hit on a good point, which is that its really important to be clear about what we mean when we talk about crime. And I like to break that up into three basic categories. One is you have violent crime so homicides, robberies, assaults, shootings. Property crimes, which kind of has two subcategories. One is like the white-collar offenses, and then theres like retail theft and burglary. And then theres public order crimes, things that I think really contribute to the perceptions or, in some cases, even misperceptions of people with respect to how dangerous the public spaces theyre inhabiting are. When we go out of our house and we go to the same subway station every day to get to and from work, and we see somebody shooting up on the platform or we see somebody light a crack pipe on the subway train, which happened to me the other day inside the train, all of that sends the signal to us that we process in a particular way. And the way that we process that is we basically say, well, look, this persons doing something that we all agree is antisocial behavior. And theyre doing it with seemingly no real worry that there are going to be any repercussions. And what that signals to me is that nobodys in charge in this public space. And if nobodys in charge, then anything can happen. And if anything can happen, then anything can happen to me, therefore Im vulnerable. And over time, this sort of compounding psychological impact of that really informs how safe we feel. And it informs the everyday activities that we do or dont engage in. So a lot of that has to do with the reality that not everyones going to dig into the data. And not everyones going to have the time to build out Excel sheets. We have to go on what we see in everyday life. And so I think with respect to perception, the crime that people are most worried about are the kind of stranger violent crimes. And one of the things that contributes to that sense of fear about those crimes the most are the public order crimes that are really visible to us. jane coaston Right. I think that thats a good way of putting that. And I think that that gets into something about the narrative we have about crime, which is complicated for many people because we have seen a rise in some forms of violent crime. Interestingly, its been in cities controlled by Republicans, cities controlled by Democrats. In rural areas, violent crime has increased. So theres not an easy like, ah, if only this one dastardly liberal prosecutor wasnt there. But its like, no, its complicated but the vibes. And thats something I think about a lot, because, just to put my cards on the table, Ive written a lot about criminal justice reform, which is something Im very supportive of. But it feels as if so much of this has to do with that type of perception, where its like, there is a difference between experiencing discomfort and experiencing a lack of safety. But I do not want to discount the former. Because as someone who is a woman in public life, in a public space, as someone who is a queer person, there have been times in which I have felt very unsafe with someone who has not done anything illegal. So telling people everythings fine is not the solution. Telling people that, actually, everything is awful is not the solution. But, Alex, why do things feel off? Why do people feel so unsafe? Is it the pandemic? Is it whats going on here where things even if you look at the data and youre like, I understand that New York is, in many ways, safer than a lot of small towns, why does it not feel like that? alex kingsbury Fear is a biological response. Its a primal human response. And a lot of different people have made fear out to be quite a lucrative business. So politicians prey on fear and use it to get elected to office. Gun makers prey on fear and use it to sell guns. So fear is an incredible motivator for humans to do certain things because to want to protect yourself and your family and your community is a very primal kind of response. But the reality of the lived danger, right our ability to assess risk as humans is also very bad. One of the most dangerous things you can do in this country is not walk in a bad part of Chicago. Its to drive a car. jane coaston But I think that telling people, actually, things are fine, historically does not work. And Rafael, Im curious as to your thoughts. Do you think that theres truth to what the public is feeling? Because some forms of crime the murder rate has risen, but property crimes have gone down. The homicide rate in rural America rose 25 percent in 2020. So how people think about crime and how people think about crime in cities and in rural areas is really complicated. So Im just interested in your thoughts as to the role the pandemic is playing and how the public is feeling. rafael mangual So Ill address some of the just perception stuff first and then get into the pandemic issues. It is true that rural crime rose about or rural homicides, anyway rose about 25 percent in 2020, compared to 30 percent in cities. But its also from a much lower base. Things can change literally in a matter of blocks, which is one of the reasons why Ive always pushed back against the use of really broad crime rates, like citywide homicide rates or statewide homicide rates. They dont really tell you very much about how safe you are at a given place or a given time because they aggregate crime. And no one lives in the aggregate. So I do think its important when we talk about violent crime to understand just how concentrated violent crime is and who its a problem for, right? For us on this podcast, I imagine, for most people listening, if you are a well-to-do, middle, upper-middle class American, crime violent crime, in particular is just not a major part of your everyday life. If you are less fortunate and live in a low-income, likely largely minority area, violent crime, in particular, is a very, very different animal that you have to deal with in daily life. And I think that often gets lost in the conversation. One of the reasons I think we saw such a pushback against someone like Boudin has a lot less to do with violent crime. San Francisco has never really been known for its really big murder problem in the way that Chicago or Baltimore or Philadelphia has. What was unique to San Francisco was that the well-to-do politically active class was dealing with visible public disorder at rates they just could no longer deal with. jane coaston But Rafael, I mean, one thing that I want to note there is that that seems to sound like that there are places where crime shouldnt happen and that there is places where crime not that it should happen, but like, its expected there. rafael mangual Well, Im describing this as a critique, right? Because I do think that part of our national conversation on crime kind of reflects this. Crime violent crime, in particular can continue to concentrate in low-income, minority areas. And that never really seems to motivate the kind of change that deterioration in public order and high-valued spaces does. And I do think thats a problem. One of the reasons I think people feel like its as bad as it was in the 90s is because in some parts of the country, it actually is. In fact, its worse. Philadelphia just set a record for all-time homicides last year. So did Indianapolis, 13 other cities. 30 cities in America I did a piece in the Wall Street Journal on this have been flirting with their 1990s highs. So I do think its important for us to just disaggregate crime when we talk about it and realize that in some places, its actually worse than the 90s. And in other places, its close to what it was in the 90s. And in other places, like New York, its still better, even though its gotten significantly worse. And I think thats another really important point because, you know, the fact that it was worse at some point shouldnt really make us feel comfortable if we realize that we can achieve better results. Its perfectly reasonable to want to maintain our highest possible standard of public safety, one that we demonstrated we can achieve. And so I do think this is more than just a bad vibes moment. In a lot of places, it really is as bad as its ever been or close to it. Now, with respect to the pandemic, I do think that there are ways that the pandemic played a role in getting us some of these really negative results that a lot of places have been experiencing. I mean for one thing, courts slowed down in jurisdictions around the country. For another, a lot of jails and prisons either delayed intake or released potential reoffenders as a result of the pandemic and trying to minimize spread within those facilities. At the same time, you had police officers dealing with the pandemic themselves, meaning that there was a lot of staffing issues. Within the N.Y.P.D., you had thousands of officers testing positive in the early days of the pandemic. All of that is going to play a role in creating the conditions for crime. What I dont think the pandemic did is take us to the standard story that I think we hear a lot of, which is that it kind of eroded these public institutions in ways that had really disastrous economic effects, things like unemployment, things like increasing the poverty rate. But to me, the main reason why I dont think the pandemic is the big explainer for the homicide spikes that we saw in 2020 is that the pandemic affected the entire world. We did not see violent crime rise across the entire world. alex kingsbury One of the tricky things about crime is that it takes years to get all the data and then analyze it. So in one way, were way too close to it. But I think the pandemic is almost 90 percent responsible for all the disruptions that were seeing. And the reason I think that is because the pandemic had a lot of different impacts that we dont really think about and that are hard to measure. The disruption of American life is a tricky thing to measure. Its easy to measure the unemployment rate. Its easy to measure the homicide rate. Its not easy to measure the sort of intangible things that come along with a normal, stable society. And the pandemic upended so much of that. Domestic violence is the thing that when theres societal stresses, those kind of crimes increase. And so what did you have during the pandemic? Well, you had a lot of social isolation. You had a lot of people drinking more and taking more drugs. You had a lot of people not going to school or not going to work. And there was just a disruption. There was a disruption in the ability of police to not only investigate crimes, but to work the normal, sort of, intelligence systems that you have policing a community that allows you to prevent crimes in the first place. So theres a lot of things. The pandemic really tore the American social fabric asunder in ways that it did differently in other countries. But we have a high crime problem in this country. jane coaston I think that thats a piece here that gets complicated. When we talked about guns, for example, is like we have a higher crime rate in general than even countries with comparable even close to comparable populations. Violent crime is different in America. alex kingsbury It is. And so I view guns as a sort of environmental contaminant thats like low-level radioactivity. But if you think about violent crime and incarceration in American society, its sort of a pre-existing condition, right? And so when things are fine, its easy to reduce incarceration, dial back the aggressive policing that we do as the homicide rates and violent crime rates go down. But when that system gets tested, you know, your pre-existing conditions can flame up again. And I think thats really what happened in the pandemic. I dont see any other really good explanation that explains why crime across the board and across the country increased in so many different ways that we can just say like, yeah, the only common denominator here is the pandemic. Thats it. jane coaston So weve talked about whats happening statistically. So I want to talk a little bit about the narratives about what political parties can do and what politicians can do around crime. So we know that what many conservatives are saying is that the rise in crime is a fault of progressive legislators and district attorneys. And I am curious, Alex, whats the story that Democrats are telling about crime? And whats the story Democrats should be telling about crime? alex kingsbury I love this part of the conversation. The narratives part is great. We did some endorsement interviews for the mayoral elections for New York. And all the candidates come before the editorial board, and we ask them all these questions. And why was the guy who asked about crime. And I said to all the candidates, well, what are you going to do about the increase in murders? And one of the candidates said, well, the alleged increase in murders. jane coaston Oh, buddy. alex kingsbury And I jane coaston Oh, no. alex kingsbury let it go. I kind of let it go. And then someone else asked a question. And I was like one of those Columbo moments. It was like, can we just go back to this? Are you a homicide truther who doesnt believe this? And there was some hemming and hawing. But I mean, look, liberals have a real problem with admitting that crime is more powerful than the anecdata that goes behind a lot of these campaigns. I dont think that bail reform, for instance, is directly a causal reason why crime has increased. But it is the reason that some of these crimes have occurred in the first place. So you cant pretend that none of this happens or that none of it matters to people. Crime is a really visceral thing, and the way we talk about it really matters. The flip side of that, though, is I think the case of Willie Horton looms so large in the American psyche, particularly for politicians, both on the left and the right. And everyones taken away the wrong lessons from that incident. But politicians on the right feel that Willie Horton is a good model that they can use against the left. And people on the left are scared to death of the Willie Horton model, even though it really probably didnt have that much impact on that particular race way back in the day. jane coaston And just to jump in and clarify, Willie Horton is a convicted felon who was granted short releases from prison in Massachusetts. This was in the 1980s as part of the states weekend furlough program. On one of those weekends, he escaped. And months later, while he was on the run, he committed assault, armed robbery and rape. That case became a big part of the 1988 presidential election. When he was the Republican nominee, George H.W. Bush brought him up frequently against then Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, essentially saying that he was responsible for this. Theres a very famous ad that had to do with this, the weekend passes ad. alex kingsbury Which is an ad that no one actually saw. Thats the thing. Thats part of this mythology and why it looms so large. And its just put the fear of God into all these politicians, and its just nonsense. jane coaston Rafael, youve been very critical of progressive approaches to crime. So I want to ask you a little bit about the narrative approach that Democrats are taking, Rafael. What do you think is wrong with that? And what do you think they should be doing? rafael mangual Yeah. I mean, look, I think its always been a lot more complicated than the partisan distillation that makes us all feel comfortable operating within. Its easier to have a sort of tribal dispute if you can neatly place people on one side or the other. But crime and crime policy and what makes crime go up or down is really tricky. Two cities that come to mind whenever I think about success in terms of getting crime under control is New York and L.A. These are two of the bluest enclaves in the United States. And they did a really, really good job simply by adopting smart policy that was grounded in data and appropriately aggressive approaches. But I do think that we see a on the progressive side of the aisle, I think its beyond dispute that there is a broader tendency to approach crime with greater leniency than on the conservative side of the aisle. We see that just in the nature of a lot of the reforms that have been proposed from people on the left, who, by the way, have not always been alone in their approach. There are plenty of people on the right who have supported a lot of things that fall under the category of criminal justice reform, including bail reform and sentencing reforms. And we did see that in a lot of conservative jurisdictions. alex kingsbury The Trump administration, for instance. rafael mangual Yeah, the Trump administrations First Step Act, I think, is another example, something I was critical of, by the way. So its not entirely as easy as just left or right. But I do think, for the most part, its fair to say that progressives are more lenient in their approaches. New Yorks a really good example of that. So the 2019 Criminal Justice Reform bill had two really major elements. One was the bail reform that made it much less likely that you would wind up in pretrial detention if you committed a crime in New York City. But the other side that doesnt get as much attention was discovery reform, which really raised the transaction costs of undertaking a criminal prosecution. You had to get your hands on all of this information that is often not in the possession of prosecutors. And so I think that there is something to that narrative. But again, I dont think the places where crime concentrates get enough attention. And that, I think, is what gets lost in this really unfortunate tendency to debase the conversation into a left and right dichotomy and to try and compare cities that really dont compare with one another other. Cities are very different, and what makes them vulnerable to crime can vary. So one of the things I really hope to do through my work is just root the conversation in data, root it in policy and leave politics out of it. Because the reality is that while you may be able to say that progressives are more likely to support this kind of policy than conservatives, theres guilt on both sides, for sure. alex kingsbury One of the things that when I think about liberals and conservatives talking about crime, I think that theyre actually talking about two different things. This gets back to Janes original point about what crime is. And the reason I think that is because when were talking about solutions, liberals and conservatives put in different inputs. And so theyre going to get a different output at the end of it. And conservatives tend to measure things like the personal impact of crime, the impact on the victims, the impact on business, the impact on the economy, and that sort of thing. And then liberals, when theyre talking about criminal justice reform, tend to also talk about some more intangible things, which is the generational impact that compounds over time of people being incarcerated or people being locked up or families being broken up. So theyre measuring different inputs, and so going to get different outputs. And if you look at a thing like bail reform and you measure it with the conservative algorithm, youre going to get a different output because liberals are just measuring different things about whats important to them. And the second thing that you brought up that I thought was really interesting is particularly about discovery reform. So the liberal solutions to crime tend to lean more heavily on defunding certain parts of the criminal justice system but not necessarily funding the other ones. And the conservative thing suffered from the same problem. So yeah, we should lock everybody up. But we dont put a lot of money into building new prisons that are designed to be safer. We dont fund police unions or prison guard unions who dont have unlimited sick days and just call out sick all the time, which makes prisons more dangerous. And then on the liberal side, if youre going to have criminal justice reform where youre cycling more people through the courts and not through the jail or prison system, you need to fund the courts. You have to have a court system that can handle the volume of material thats going to have to be handled and the social work system by the volume of material. So we ask people to do things. And then we dont give them the resources to do it and then are surprised when those things fail. And thats true both for liberals and conservatives. [MUSIC] jane coaston OK. So weve talked about the narratives and definitions we have for crime. Now lets get into specific policy proposals for crime prevention. And theres one question I want to be clear on when were talking about this, which is, does this policy make us feel more safe or does it actually reduce crime? And I want to first spend some time on one of the most common proposals increasing the number of police. I think this is something that you hear from conservatives and from some liberals with the idea that if you have lots and lots of well-trained police just around and about, that you see them, thats a visual indication that you should not commit a crime. It depends, to me, on what the police officers are doing. Because when you talk to folks who live in brick-and-glass Black neighborhoods, you see simultaneous overpolicing and underpolicing. Alex, Im curious as to your thoughts. alex kingsbury I think it depends on where it is. So I think its good that cops get out of their cars and walk around neighborhoods. But thats not always possible in the vast majority of the United States. Im from Maine. There are no sidewalks there. Theyre dirt roads, right? So it really depends on where you are. And it depends on what the cops are doing. So I think a police presence, for instance, on the subway is a good thing. Theres crime in the subway. And having more cops in the subway is theoretically going to reduce the kinds of violent crime that has scared some people, though thats not really the reason that subway use is down. But it has scared some people off the subways. jane coaston But doesnt it matter if you have a lot of cops on the subway platform, but theyre going after the little old lady who sells fruit while the guy whos screaming obscenities at gay couples is permitted to scream obscenities at gay couples, Id be like, well, this doesnt really work for me. alex kingsbury Right. Well, and Ill add another wrinkle into that. Its not just the discretion. So one of the great things about Eric Adams when he came in the problem with Eric Adams is that he says things that you kind of look at him one way, and youre like, oh, thats a really good thing. And then you squint at it a little harder, and youre like, oh, OK. So one of the things he did was he said, its a real problem that there are all these N.Y.P.D. cops who just are there on their phones all the time. I dont know if you walk around New York, but the cops are on their phones all the time. And Eric Adams said, all right, every New Yorker, if you see a cop on their phone, take a picture of it and send it to City Hall. And Ive been really interested in this whole cops on their phones thing for years. And so when he said that, I was like, oh, wow, this is great. And so a couple of I think I waited like six weeks or so and called City Hall. And I was like, so how many people sent pictures of cops on their phones? Because I could take like a dozen in two subway stops. And they were like, yeah, about 14 people sent in pictures of cops on their phone. So I dont know. Theres a whole bunch of things that go into it. And police presence is probably about as complicated as the crime that theyre trying to stop. jane coaston Rafael, do you think that increasing the number of police would help to stop crime? Does it matter what types of police? Does it matter if theyre walking their beat literally or in their cars? Does it matter if they are in certain areas or in other areas? What do you think? rafael mangual Unequivocally yes to both. Theres a line in my book where I say that if I had to summarize one of the most consistent and robust findings in the criminal justice literature in a single sentence, it would go something like this, which is more policing means less crime. It really is. There is an incredible trove of research showing that simply increasing the number of police will abate additional homicides, will abate additional property crimes. Increasing the police presence in a given area will reduce crime in that area. There are a couple of different ways that police reduce crime. One is through deterrence, simply through their presence. People see them. They say, OK, well, Im not going to carry a gun and walk past this guy. The other way is through incapacitation. Through the work that they do, the arrests that they make, they take people off of the street who would otherwise commit crimes. And then the community is spared those offenses that dont get committed because the person is locked up thanks to the work of the police officers. But it does matter in terms of how pronounced the effect of policing can be when we talk about how police deploy their resources. And there is a lot of research also showing that we can get a much bigger bang for our policing buck if we engage in things like hotspots policing, where we concentrate police resources in areas that have the highest crime rates. So if we can direct our police resources to those areas and, yes, have them get out of their cars, have them be proactive, it really is as simple as merely just having additional police officers will reduce crime somewhat. I dont think thats where we should stop. I do think they should continue to explore how to maximize their impact with the limited resources that they have. But unequivocally, yes. jane coaston But does that work in the long-term? Would flooding the zone, even in hot spots, with cops I mean, one, I have many problems with that idea. Would those cops have the expectation that they would need to do something like there would need to be like, you must produce this much, X, Y arrests, citations by X period of time? I would have a lot of questions about that. And I know I do this, where youre either talking about police as if every police officer is the greatest police officer in America or youre talking about all police like the police outside Uvalde, who were the worst law enforcement in the world. But Alex, do you think, given all of this, do you think that flooding the zone with police would over time reduce crime? And would that be worth it? alex kingsbury Well, I mean, look, so there are a lot of crimes in Manhattan that are going on that arent policed, white-collar crime, for instance. One of the reasons white-collar crime is pretty rampant is because its just not punished and because it takes a lot of resources to punish it. So if you had more people focused on prosecuting white-collar crime, would it go down? Yeah, hopefully. Should we do that? Yeah. Yeah, we should because there are a lot of bad downstream effects from white-collar crime. Flooding the problematic zones with cops on the beat, yeah, thats probably going to cut down on crime. Theres going to be collateral damage with it. And the question isnt so much whether or not it would reduce crime. But is the reduction in crime worth the collateral damage and, again, the generational, compounding-over-time collateral damage that that sort of get-tough-on-crime policing results in? And in a lot of places I mean, Eric Adams sort of ran his campaign on the idea that, yeah, therell be collateral damage, and thats worth the price to pay. That was the unstated message of what he was running on. And people put him in office. Thats democracy. rafael mangual Yeah. I think thats a good point because that is the right question. Are the benefits of this approach worth the potential costs? And when we engage in that, I think we have to look at the other side of the ledger, which is I think our criminal justice reform debate right now really focuses on only one set of outputs of enforcement, things like arrests, prosecutions, incarcerations, and the costs associated with those things. What doesnt get enough attention, in my view, are the benefits of these things crime declines. So for just the homicide decline from 1991 to 2014, a sociologist named Patrick Sharkey, who I think is now at Princeton but was at N.Y.U. for a while and with whom I often disagree on policy he did a really interesting study looking at the racial breakdown of that decline. And what he found was that it added 0.14 years to the life expectancy of white men but 1.0 years to the life expectancy of Black men. And the public health equivalent of that, according to Sharkey, was the elimination of obesity altogether. That is a massive, massive public benefit that had far-reaching effects just beyond minimizing the impact on victims and those victims families. Because of that crime decline, communities were able to thrive and grow in ways that not only made them less susceptible to crime in the future and all the social problems that are associated with crime, but also that brought in new investment thats associated with all sorts of really great things, like economic movement up the ladder. So thats another Sharkey study, where he actually finds the crime reductions are associated with economic mobility and that high crime actually reduces economic mobility. So it is a very complicated question. But that is, I think, the right question to ask, which is, are these costs worth bearing in light of the benefits? I would say they are because I think the benefits are amazing. Theyre huge. And weve done a really good job at directing them at the people who need them the most. jane coaston So I know that we have limited time. Theres one thing I want to talk a little bit, which is about the idea of crime prevention. But, Rafael, I was struck by something that you wrote about in your book, which is that for many progressives, the idea of crime prevention and when youre talking about crime prevention, that doesnt involve police is that theres this idea that violent crime is the result of socioeconomic indicators poverty, unemployment, income. But you argue in your book that well, you actually cite criminologist Barry Latzer talking about there is no consistent relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and levels of violence. And I was really interested in that idea that it actually doesnt have as much to do with socioeconomic disadvantage as maybe some progressives would want it to be. Can you talk a little bit about that? rafael mangual Right, right. And there actually is a good bit of evidence showing that socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with property crime commission, things like theft. But its not associated with violent crime. And I think the reason for this is that socioeconomic disadvantage is far more common than violent criminality. You can go into some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in America, and the vast majority of people living there are good people. Crime is very, very specifically violent crime, in particular, is very, very specifically concentrated in very, very small social networks. And that, I think, is really incongruous with the idea that there are these very clear socioeconomic solutions to crime. What I do see more evidence for is that theres a lot of psychology behind this. We see that things like exposure to trauma in early life, breakdown in the family ability to socialize children into prosocial norms, and the development of conduct disorders, particularly in young boys the prevalence of that is far greater within criminal populations. Its a much clearer indicator. So if you look at the general population, for example, of things like antisocial personality disorder, the prevalence rate for thats like 2 to 4 percent. In prison settings, it can range from 40 to 70 percent. And so I think we really need to get away from the idea that crime can be effectively responded to simply through social spending because I think what that ultimately does is distract us from things that are going to provide greater benefits in much less time. And getting a hold of this problem, stopping the bleeding, as Thomas Abt put it, I think has to be the first order of business. And thats not to say that we shouldnt look down the line at the role of socioeconomics in maybe creating some of the underlying conditions that might contribute to crime to some degree. But one of the things that we know is that we dont need to get poverty under control to reduce crime. We dont need to fix social problems. jane coaston I think we should get poverty under control because poverty is really bad. rafael mangual Sure. There are plenty of good reasons to do that, yes, 100 percent. alex kingsbury I really like this idea of that theres lots of psychology going on. The first part is I totally agree that this correlation of poverty and crime is really problematic, especially for liberals, because it seems to imply that poor people are more likely to commit crimes, where its definitely true that poor people are more policed and that there are a lot of laws in the United States and that cops crack down on poor people. But rich people commit a lot of crimes, too. Theyre just not overly policed. rafael mangual What I think is important for people to understand is that that is not something that we have to do in order to control crime. And there are so many benefits that attend crime control that its worth prioritizing that as a society on its own. jane coaston I feel as if this is Im really, really restraining myself with regard to how I discuss law enforcement. But theres a ton of stuff we didnt get to. I really wanted to dive more into criminalization of homelessness. Another thing that we didnt get into that, again, we could do an entire episode on is the role that misogyny plays, where you see violence against women specifically and violent crime aimed at women. Theres a lot we didnt get into. But I just really want to thank both of you so much for spending your time talking about crime with me. I think this is really important. I think its also really complicated. So Rafael, Alex, thank you so much. rafael mangual Thank you. This was a real pleasure. alex kingsbury Thanks, Jane. [MUSIC] jane coaston For years, when advocates lamented the emissions gap, they meant the gulf between what scientists said was necessary and what public and private actors were willing to promise. Today that gap has almost entirely disappeared; it has been estimated that global pledges, if enacted in full, would most likely bring the planet 1.8 degrees Celsius of warming in line with the Paris agreements stated target of well below two degrees and in range of its more ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees. But it has been replaced by another gap, between what has been pledged and what is being done. In June, a global review of net-zero pledges by corporations found that fully half of them had laid out no concrete plan for getting there; and though 83 percent of emissions and 91 percent of global G.D.P. is now covered by national net-zero pledges, no country not a single one, including the 187 that signed the Paris agreement is on track for emissions reductions in line with a 1.5 degree target, according to the watchdog group Climate Action Tracker. In trading denial for dissonance, a certain narrative clarity has been lost. Five years ago, the stakes were clear, to those looking closely, but so were the forces of denial and inaction, which helps explain the global crescendo of moral fervor that appeared to peak just before the pandemic. Today the rhetorical war has largely been won, but the outlook grows a lot more confusing when everyone agrees to agree, paying at least lip service to the existential rhetoric of activists. Its not just Boris Johnson who once mocked eco-doomsters declaring at the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference that it was one minute to midnight on that doomsday clock. The 1.5-degree goal was recently described as fundamental for the survival of the ecosystem as a whole by, of all people, the head of OPEC. Rhetoric this unmoored from reality is often called disinformation. It is also simply disorienting especially given how many narratives have been layered over our picture of the post-warming future. Yes, theres still an awful lot of fossil-fuel propaganda out there, as well as a profusion of wishful thinking, climate poptimism and giddy techno-solutionism. But even among those who take the inevitability of warming seriously, theres also a lot of normalization and compartmentalization, which allow many of the worlds most privileged to regard climate suffering as distant, if tragic. And there are the narrative temptations of apocalyptic thinking, too which, while often misleading, at least gives a familiar shape to a future that can be otherwise quite difficult to make sense of. As significant climate impacts have begun unmistakably to arrive, indeed now almost daily, the curtain of denial has been pulled back, revealing not a simple story but a complicated new world. During the South Asian heat wave, we heard warnings of wet-bulb temperatures that approached the theoretical limit for human survivability, but then the punishing heat wave endured for three months with relatively few deaths. We hear about the rapid decline in the price of renewables photovoltaic solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history, according to the International Energy Agency but also that major oil companies are reportedly planning more than 200 new projects globally in just the next three years; in May, 73 percent of shareholders of Exxon Mobil, which has a 2050 net-zero pledge, voted against trying to reduce emissions at all. To the Editor: Re Trump Pressured States to Comply on Fake Electors (front page, June 22): There is a silver lining that I did not expect in the Jan. 6 hearings. I am a lifelong Democrat. The Republicans in the news over the last several years have been frightening in their cruel and vicious remarks and extreme agendas on race relations, gay marriage and abortion and, most important, in their devotion to the ex-president. But the hearings have brought some very reasonable, patriotic and honest Republicans to the front. There are people who voted for Donald Trump and supported his platform, but when faced with his drive to overturn a fair election, they are coming through. They are telling the truth about the lies and corruption and putting their careers and maybe their lives on the line. It gives me hope that there is a way out of the nightmare of the last administrations corruption and a way forward with sane debate and compromise. It was clear that the fight was just getting underway. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, put it this way: The idea of the Constitution was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts, quoting former Justice Robert Jackson. Opponents of gay rights saw that as judicial overreach. And now, Kennedy has been replaced by Brett Kavanaugh, who refused during his confirmation hearing to say whether he thought the gay marriage case was correctly decided. Amy Coney Barrett has also joined the court, replacing another justice who was in the gay marriage majority: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During a 2016 lecture, Barrett seemed to defend the justices who dissented in the gay marriage case and questioned whether it was up to the court to decide issues like which bathroom transgender people should be allowed to use. Around that time, Republican state legislators were introducing a number of bathroom bills, an early step in their push to oppress queer people. Then came a series of state laws preventing transgender women and girls from participating in female school sports. These attacks were never going to remain focused only on trans people. (Even if they did, it would still be a horrific attack on human rights.) Now, we are witnessing the inevitable result, as Republican legislators widen the attacks to queerness itself. Just this year, we saw Florida pass its Dont Say Gay bill. Make no mistake, this is all part of a renewed, broad-based attack on gay rights and gay culture, to stanch the rise of young people who are coming out. And if you think a right once established by the court cant be rescinded by the court, look no further than the expected ruling coming from the court on abortion. There is no finality in the battle for civil rights. Wins dont stay won. They must be defended and can sometimes be reversed. John Jost, a professor of psychology, politics and data science at N.Y.U., strongly disagrees with Uscinski, arguing that there are major differences between Democrats and Republicans on measures of conspiratorial thinking. Jost wrote by email: My colleagues and I found, in a nationally representative sample of Americans, that there was a .27 correlation (which is quite sizable by the standards of social science) between conservative identification and scores on a scale of generalized conspiratorial mentality. In a separate study, Jost continued: We observed a smaller but clearly significant correlation of .11 between conservative identification and a clinical measure of paranoid ideation, which includes items such as I often feel that strangers are looking at me critically. Furthermore, we found that paranoid ideation was a significant mediator of the association between conservative identification and general conspiratorial mind-sets. Jost pointed to a January 2022 article Conspiracy Mentality and Political Orientation Across 26 Countries, by Roland Imhoff, a professor of psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, and 39 co-authors that examined the strength of the conspiracy mentality at the extremes of left and right based on a sample of 104,253 people in 26 countries, not including the United States. Among their findings: While there was a clear positive relation suggestive of greater conspiracy mentality at the political right in countries spanning the center north of Europe such as Austria, Belgium (particularly Flanders), France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, the conspiracy mentality was more pronounced on the left in countries spanning the center-south of Europe such as Hungary, Romania and Spain. But its not only that: Taken together, supporters of political parties that are judged as extreme on either end of the political spectrum in general terms have increased conspiracy mentality. Focusing on the position of parties on the dimension of democratic values and freedom, the link with conspiracy mentality is linear, with higher conspiracy mentality among supporters of authoritarian right-wing parties. Thus, supporters of extreme right-wing parties seem to have a consistently higher conspiracy mentality, whereas the same only counts for extreme left-wing parties of a more authoritarian makeup and with less focus on ecological and liberal values. In a March 2019 paper, Understanding Conspiracy Theories, Karen M. Douglas, a psychologist at the University of Kent, writing with Uscinski and six other scholars, conducted a wide-ranging study of conspiratorial thinking. They found that conspiracy beliefs are correlated with alienation from the political system and anomie a feeling of personal unrest and lack of understanding of the social world. Belief in conspiracy theories is also associated with a belief that the economy is getting worse. In addition, Douglas and her colleagues contend that a conviction that others conspire against ones group is more likely to emerge when the group thinks of itself as undervalued, underprivileged, or under threat. Studies in the United States of the social characteristics of those prone to conspiracy theories, the authors note, show that higher levels of conspiracy thinking correlate with lower levels of education and lower levels of income. Another study they cite found that conspiracy believers were more likely to be male, unmarried, less educated, have lower income, be unemployed, be a member of an ethnic minority group, and have weaker social networks. Importantly, the Douglas paper points to studies showing that conspiracy belief has been linked to violent intentions. One of those studies, by Uscinski, writing with Joseph M. Parent of Notre Dame, showed that those who were more generally inclined toward conspiracy theories were more likely to agree that violence is sometimes an acceptable way to express disagreement with the government. Those inclined toward conspiracy belief are also in favor of lax gun ownership laws, show a willingness to conspire themselves and show greater intentions to engage in everyday crime. Douglas, Daniel Jolley of the University of Nottingham, Tanya Schrader of Staffordshire University and Ana C. Leite of Durham University demonstrate a linkage between conspiracy thinking and everyday crime. Such crimes can include running red lights, paying cash for items to avoid paying taxes or failing to disclose faults in secondhand items for sale, they write in their 2019 paper Belief in Conspiracy Theories and Intentions to Engage in Everyday Crime. Portland, Ore. | $625,000 A Tudor Revival house built in 1931, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot This house is in the Woodstock neighborhood, on a quiet street a few blocks from a handful of coffee shops, a German deli and a grocery store specializing in local products. Reed College, a liberal arts school with about 1,500 undergraduate students and a number of early 20th-century Gothic Revival buildings, is less than five minutes away by car. Downtown Portland is about a 15-minute drive; the Pacific Ocean is about an hour and a half away; and driving to Seattle takes around three hours. Size: 1,584 square feet Price per square foot: $395 Indoors: Wide steps flanked by hedges lead to the front door, set beneath a classic Tudor Revival arch. Michael Cunningham: I agree that Chang-rae Lee should be more famous. Kitamura: But he is very famous, right? Cunningham: I know, I know. But there should be more statues. There should be more pop-up shops that sell only Chang-rae Lee-related merchandise. As with many of the others I sought out, this book portrays various New Yorks. One of the things I love about living in the city is that you cant really go out and walk for 10 minutes and look at the people you are passing on the street and imagine that you are, in any way, a typical member of the human species. That may be at least as true of New York as it is of any other major city, and possibly more so. Guadagnino: That leads me to my next question, and Id be especially curious to hear what the fiction writers in the group think about this: Does New York particularly lend itself to fiction? Kitamura: I will say that stories can sometimes feel bigger in New York. I dont mean just in terms of fiction but, when Im in the city, the stories, the dramas, the emotions all seem higher, and I think that lends itself to a certain kind of fiction. But Michael, you should answer Ive never written anything set in New York. Cunningham: And I seem only to write things that are set in New York, primarily because I have lived here for a long time and feel that I can at least speak with a certain degree of authenticity about it. If I lived in Paris, the novels would be set in Paris. Though I suspect its more possible for someone like me to live in a Paris in which youd see very few people who arent like you. Chotiner-Gardner: Michael, can I push back against that a little bit? I agree with that premise by and large. I do think many New Yorkers live in enclaves, though. If you lived in the West Village, where the bookshop I work at is, and never left, I think you'd see a very small stratum of New York. Even though most of us wander the city or try to take in different boroughs or even just ride the subway, some people seem to never do those things. Cunningham: I totally get it. Theres no denying that there are parts of New York that are sequestered. But Ill push back on the pushback because Im speaking to you from the West Village, a block and a half from Washington Square Park. Spend the proverbial 10 minutes in the park and youll see a lot of people who arent white, boho denizens of the Village. Its almost a question of which block were talking about. Chotiner-Gardner: Sure, and how much you want to look outside yourself, right? How much you notice and put yourself into other peoples experiences, which is why, to some extent, I think we all come to books. Kitamura: Thats also a great premise for character building, isnt it? What they see and dont see as they move through the city. One thing I think the novel [as a form] does particularly well is capture a relationship between an individual and a larger social context or structure. And I think New York is full of that. You can have singular stories that either engage or dont with the city around them. Brian Nelson, a retired University of Washington nuclear engineer and Zap Energys chief technology officer, said the company had successfully injected plasma into a new and more powerful experimental reactor core. It is now completing a power supply that is designed to provide enough energy to allow the company to prove that producing more energy than it consumes is possible. If their system proves workable, the Zap researchers say, it will be orders of magnitude less expensive than competing systems based on magnet and laser confinement. It is expected to cost roughly the same as traditional nuclear power. Researchers attempting the Z-pinch design have found it impossible to stabilize the plasma and abandoned the idea in favor of the magnet approach, known as a Tokamak reactor. Advances in stabilizing the magnetic field that is generated by the flowing plasma made by physicists at the University of Washington led the group to establish Zap Energy in 2017. The company has raised more than $200 million, including a series of investments from Chevron. Recent technical advances in fusion fuels and in advanced magnets have led to a sharp increase in private investment, according to the Fusion Industry Association. There are 35 fusion companies globally, and private funding has risen above $4 billion, including from well-known technology investors like Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, John Doerr, Bill Gates and Chris Sacca. Mr. Gates and Mr. Sacca invested in Zaps most recent funding round. But there are still vocal skeptics who argue that progress in fusion energy research is largely a mirage and that recent investments are unlikely to translate into commercial fusion systems anytime soon. In the United States, gender is a required data field for flight bookings. The requirement was set by the Transport Security Administration in 2009 as part of its Secure Flight program, an initiative that arose from the 9/11 Commission. This enabled the agency to use additional passenger information, which included gender, in later stages of screening to differentiate passengers from people on federal watch lists, like the No Fly list. This year, the Transport Security Administration announced changes to its policy to be more gender inclusive. It updated its standard operating procedure in February to no longer use gender to validate identification at checkpoints, and has also introduced the X (unspecified) and U (undisclosed) gender markers in applications for PreCheck, its prescreening program. Robert C. Langston, a T.S.A. spokesman, said the agency is committed to ensuring all travelers are treated with respect and dignity, and that it recognizes the concerns of transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming travelers about security screening procedures. When the writer Isle McElroy was flying to New York from Bangor, Maine, in March, a T.S.A. agent asked pink or blue, referring to the buttons the officer presses when passengers pass through the body scan, which currently uses gender-specific standards for its security checks. Mx. McElroy chose blue for male because it seemed the most convenient at the moment. Its always extremely anxious for me as I have to take a false version of myself, Mx. McElroy said. The T.S.A. said it hopes to start updating its scanners to no longer be gender-specific later this year. While many international airlines are not required to gather gender data during bookings, some carriers still require the selection of honorific titles like Mr. or Ms. on their own websites and dont include a gender-neutral alternative like Mx. (pronounced mix), or a blank option. One exception is Air Canada, which released a new reservations system in 2020 that included nonbinary honorifics. Air New Zealand has a Mx. title available, but still only offers male or female in its optional gender field. The airline is looking to add an undisclosed option, according to a spokeswoman. British Airways announced in 2019 that it was adopting nonbinary options, but has not yet updated its system (it does offer viscount and viscountess titles according to British society chronicler Debretts, there are currently 115 viscounts). KLM expects to have nonbinary options in 2023, and Air France will have them available soon, according to Arturo Diaz, a spokesman for both airlines. MIAMI Andrew Gillum, the Democrat who lost the 2018 Florida governors race to Ron DeSantis, surrendered to federal authorities in Tallahassee on Wednesday after he and a close associate were charged with conspiracy and 19 counts of fraud over how they raised and used funds when he was mayor of Tallahassee and a candidate for governor. Mr. Gillum, 42, was also charged with making false statements to the F.B.I. He pleaded not guilty in a court appearance on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Gillum, dressed in a navy suit with a dark tie and face mask, was cuffed around his wrists and ankles, with a chain around his waist. Inside the courtroom were some of his friends and a gaggle of news reporters. He left the courthouse after his release and gave no comment to the cameras and microphones waiting outside. The once-ascendant Democrat, Mr. Gillum came within 32,000 votes of the governorship in 2018 which would have made him Floridas first Black governor and a future White House hopeful only to lose his political direction and face personal struggles. In 2020, the police found him in a Miami Beach hotel room where another man was suffering from a possible drug overdose. The city of Brooklyn Center, Minn., has agreed to pay a $3.2 million settlement to the family of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in April 2021 near Minneapolis. The officer said she meant to fire her Taser instead. The settlement, announced on Tuesday by the legal team for Mr. Wrights family, will be finalized after an agreement is also reached on non-monetary measures, including training for the citys police. The lawyers said on Tuesday that they anticipated the agreement would include training for the Brooklyn Center Police Department on topics including officer intervention, implicit bias, de-escalation and how to approach mental health crises. As part of the settlement, the University of St. Thomas is set to provide the Police Department with free training on cultural proficiency and implicit bias. The court left in place convictions on three charges that were not connected to Coopers death and instead focused on Mr. Harriss electronic communications with an underage girl. Mr. Harris had been sentenced to 12 years in prison on those charges. The basic facts of Coopers death were not in dispute: On the morning of June 18, 2014, Mr. Harris, a web developer at Home Depot, closed the door of his Hyundai Tucson and walked into work, leaving Cooper, whom he was supposed to have dropped off at day care, as usual, strapped into a rear-facing car seat in the back seat, the court said. After nearly seven hours in the hot car, Cooper died of hyperthermia. Mr. Harriss lawyers contended that he was a loving father who had never mistreated Cooper and simply but tragically forgot that he had not dropped off the child on that particular morning, the court said. In November 2016, a jury convicted Mr. Harris of eight counts five related to Coopers death and three related to Mr. Harriss electronic communications with the underage girl. During the trial, prosecutors presented extensive evidence of Mr. Harriss extramarital sexual relationships to support the charges. Jurors heard several days of testimony from a dozen witnesses about Mr. Harriss sexual activities, saw hundreds of lewd and sometimes illegal sexual messages that he exchanged with young women and girls and were given nine photos of his erect penis that ensured the jury did not miss the point that he was a repulsive person, the court said. Mike Hudson, a Durango activist who worked for Democratic luminaries like Hillary Clinton and Marian Wright Edelman before disaffiliating in January to go to work for Mr. Coram, said the number of independents from both parties mobilizing against Ms. Boebert was grossly underestimated. Ms. Boeberts campaign did not respond to requests for comment. She remains a prohibitive favorite on Tuesday. Almost no one would say that the influx of Democratic voters into Republican primaries this year has been driven by an organized effort. What did we do to reach out to Democrats? The answer is nothing, said J.D. Key, Mr. Corams campaign manager. This is completely organic. Some Democratic officials have tried to stem the effort, worried in part that Mr. Coram will be the more difficult Republican to beat in November, and in part that the newly disaffiliated might not come back. Dr. Frazzetta has emailed patients, left literature in her office, even pressed the compounding pharmacists she works with to consider voting in the Republican primary. Among the blizzard of positive responses was one harshly negative reaction, she said, from a local Democratic Party official. Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday was expected to announce his endorsement of Representative Lee Zeldin for governor of New York, days before the Long Island congressman faces Rudolph W. Giulianis son and two other candidates in a Republican primary on Tuesday. Mr. Pence planned to make the endorsement at a reception held by the New York State Conservative Party in Manhattan on Wednesday. His support for Mr. Zeldin comes in the final days of a contentious Republican primary for governor. The four candidates are Mr. Zeldin; Andrew Giuliani, the son of Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and former personal lawyer of President Donald J. Trump; Harry Wilson, a corporate turnaround specialist; and Rob Astorino, the former Westchester County executive. Every party before me believes the trial should be continued for reasons of the activities of the Jan. 6 committee, Judge Kelly said. He pointed out that even though one of the Proud Boys defendants Enrique Tarrio, the groups former leader opposed the delay, pushing back the trial was the first thing that all of the parties in this case have agreed on. It was perhaps inevitable that tensions would arise between the two investigations that are being conducted at the same time, along similar lines of inquiry, by separate branches of the government. The Justice Department has been wrangling in recent weeks with the committee over access to transcripts of interviews the House panel has conducted, with the committee signaling that it could begin sharing some material with federal prosecutors next month while withholding other material until its inquiry wraps up in September. But the Proud Boys case is the first of more than 820 criminal matters connected to the Capitol attack in which the competing interests of the House committee and the Justice Department have become a legal issue. The Pentagon, Mr. King said on Wednesday, needs to study what went wrong, where misjudgments were made and whether there is a better way to make predictions. The provision would require that the report be completed by next April. Avril D. Haines, the director of national intelligence, has begun a review of how American spy agencies assessed the Ukrainian and Afghan militaries. The studies are important, Mr. King said, because had better predictions been made about the resiliency of the Afghan forces, the military withdrawal from Afghanistan might have been done differently. Had the United States predicted how successfully Ukraine would fight, the government might have moved more equipment there faster. Intelligence is often shaped by perception of the viewer, of the listener, Mr. King said. And the challenge is for policymakers to have unvarnished, clear intelligence, even though it may contradict their policy preference. In the case of Afghanistan, Mr. King said intelligence briefers had been far more cleareyed than the Pentagon about the Afghan militarys problems. The can-do attitude of the U.S. military, Mr. King said, appeared to interfere with accurate predictions. Pentagon officials declined to comment on the provision, which has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. The defense policy bill has been passed every year, though final approval usually comes at its end. While Pentagon officials and lawmakers disagree about why predictions of the Russian advance were off, they agree that a review of the Afghan war assessments is needed. The military, officials said, is committed to better understanding what went wrong in Afghanistan and where the Pentagon erred in its predictions. An attacker opened fire on a light rail train in San Francisco on Wednesday morning, killing one person during an argument and injuring a bystander before running out of the train, the authorities said. The San Francisco Police Department received a call around 10 a.m. about a shooting at the Forest Hill station on the Muni Metro, the citys public rail system, Officer Kathryn Winters told reporters on Wednesday. When the officers arrived, they found that the train had left the station and was heading toward the Castro station, one stop northeast of the Forest Hill station, Officer Winters said. Most of the people from the train exited the train quickly, Officer Winters said, adding that the police were unsure of how crowded the train or station had been at the time of the shooting. HOUSTON The chief of the school district police force in Uvalde, Texas, was placed on administrative leave after the states top police official faulted him for delaying the confrontation with a gunman at Robb Elementary School last month, the school district said on Wednesday. Chief Pete Arredondo was among the first officers to arrive at the school after the shooting began on May 24. According to the director of the state police, Steven McCraw, he was also the incident commander for the response, which Mr. McCraw called an abject failure. Though officers from several agencies entered the school minutes after a gunman opened fire in two connected classrooms, they waited more than an hour before confronting and killing him. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the attack. When she began her work, the general understanding was that South American countries had not reformed their police forces during their transitions to democracy because there was so much else that needed to be done. In that version of the story, fixing the police just hadnt been a priority. But when she dug a little deeper, she found that there actually was a great deal of public demand for better security and crime control, and often a great deal of anger in communities affected by police violence. The police hadnt been overlooked: They had been protected. The police were politically powerful because they could selectively withdraw their services, allowing crime and disorder to rise, provoking anger at elected officials. They also tended to be well connected, able to lobby effectively to protect their own interests. That meant conflict with the police was costly for politicians, who tended to avoid it, leaving police departments and practices largely unaltered. But there was a specific, difficult to achieve set of conditions that, if met, would lead to police reform, Gonzalez found. Briefly summarized, her formula was this: scandal + public unity + credible political opposition = reform. The sequence started with a scandal or crisis that led public opinion to unite a majority of people in favor of reform, she wrote in her book Authoritarian Police in Democracy. If there was also a real electoral threat from political opponents calling for reform, that could be enough to persuade leaders to act in order to stave off their competition. In Argentina and Colombia, that sequence led to major reforms after high-profile police killings. But if even one of those elements was missing, the status quo continued. In Brazil, the Carandiru massacre was certainly a scandal, and there was a fairly robust political opposition that joined in the criticism, to some degree. But public opinion about it was fragmented: citing polls at the time, Gonzalez found that about a third of Brazilians approved of the way that the police had handled the situation. The second element of the sequence, convergence of public opinion, was missing. The result: no reform. KABUL, Afghanistan For much of the past two decades, the southeastern part of Afghanistan near the Pakistani border was plagued by insurgent activity, as police and military posts were frequently overwhelmed by Taliban fighters, and received few benefits from the American military presence. The Taliban takeover in August finally brought relative peace to the far-flung population, despite the hardships they continued to face as the country suffered a drought and economic collapse. Then early Wednesday, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit the region, shattering what little peace and stability the people there had been able to hold on to after so many years of hardship and violence. That partial success has inspired some people outside the United States to sue North Korea in local courts. One is Eiko Kawasaki, 79, an ethnic Korean woman born in Japan, who moved to North Korea in 1960 and eventually married a North Korean man. She did not return to Japan until she defected in 2003 after the death of her husband, leaving her children behind. Ms. Kawasaki had traveled to the North as part of a resettlement program that was run by Pyongyang and facilitated by Japan, which had colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. She worked for years in a North Korean factory and suffered from discrimination and a lack of food, she said. In 2018, a few months after the Warmbiers won their case in the United States, Ms. Kawasaki and four other defectors sued Kim Jong-un, the Norths leader, in a Tokyo court for damages they said they had suffered under the resettlement program. The court rejected their case in March, in part because a 20-year statute of limitations had expired. But it accepted much of the evidence they submitted, potentially laying the groundwork for future cases against the North. Their lawyer said at the time that they planned to appeal. Even in races where Mr. Johnson is not on the ballot, he manages to be an all-consuming, often polarizing figure. While this election, along with one in southwestern England, is to fill seats vacated by two lawmakers whose careers were ruined by their own scandals, the races are also a referendum of sorts on the scandal-scarred prime minister. How badly has he been damaged by the uproar over illicit parties held in Downing Street during the pandemic? Were the Conservatives to lose both seats, which is conceivable, it would do fresh damage to the record of electoral success that has helped Mr. Johnson survive the kind of turmoil including a no-confidence vote by his own party that would have sunk most politicians. A double defeat could trigger another mutiny among the 148 rebel Tory members of Parliament who voted to oust him only two weeks ago. KYIV, Ukraine As Ukrainian forces launch a renewed assault on Snake Island in the Black Sea, recent strikes suggest that they are using powerful Western anti-ship weapons in an effort to undermine Russian naval domination. The Ukrainian militarys southern command said late on Tuesday that it was using various forces and methods of destruction to attack Russian infrastructure on Snake Island, a speck of land south of Odesa that is critical to efforts to control the Black Sea. On Wednesday morning, the military said it had destroyed a Russian air defense system, radar installation and vehicles on the island. Russias defense ministry said it had thwarted the attack, which it said had featured 15 drones and long-range missiles, and was intended to land Ukrainian soldiers on the island. The unsuccessful fire attack forced the enemy to abandon the landing to Snake Island, the Russian military said. So we feel that the pressure is also not only so much against Finland and Sweden, but against some other NATO countries on this issue, he added. NATO countries should have similar criteria for all states, he said, because otherwise we come to the situation where different NATO member states would put different criteria to applicants, and I would guess that would end up in chaos. On Monday, there was the first meeting in several weeks of Swedish, Finnish and Turkish officials under the auspices of NATO, but the results were minimal. We dont see ourselves limited by any timetable, Mr. Kalin said afterward. The speed, scope of this process depends on these nations manner and speed of meeting our expectations. Most of those demands have to do with Sweden and its longstanding sympathy for Kurdish refugees and the Kurdish desire for autonomy, which Turkey regards as a threat to its own sovereignty. While the West condemns the P.K.K., it has relied heavily on a Syrian Kurdish offshoot in the fight against the Islamic State. And Turkish Kurdish leaders long ago abandoned talk of independence to concentrate on autonomy and increased rights for Turkish Kurds. Mr. Erdogan is facing elections next June, and his popularity is slipping along with the Turkish economy. The Kurdish issue is an important one in Turkey and he is playing on nationalist sentiment now, while suppressing political dissent and independent journalism. Approaching a pivotal moment in their invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have tightened their vise around two key eastern cities, raising the risk their slow, brutal advance will capture the cities and trap the Ukrainian troops defending them. The fall of the two neighboring cities, Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, would all but complete Russias conquest of Luhansk Province, a major part of the Donbas region that the Russians are attempting to seize in the four-month-old war. That would give a strategic and symbolic victory to President Vladimir V. Putin, and open avenues for Russias military to advance deeper into Ukraine. The Russians have captured three more villages south of the cities, moving them within easier artillery range of Lysychansk, where Ukrainian forces are digging in on high ground for what could be a pitched battle for the city. Moscows forces already control most of Sievierodonetsk, to the east, which sits on lower ground and has been reduced to ruins by the Russian bombardment. Theres been a mad rush to find alternatives for Ukraines grain exports, said Mike Lee, a specialist in Black Sea agricultural projects at Green Square Agro Consulting in Britain. But the only real viable route to exporting grain out is through the Black Sea ports, and theres no alternative to get to the quantities that need to be shifted. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has acknowledged the limitations of the alternatives being considered. He said in a speech on Monday that only a much smaller volume can be supplied via new routes and that this results in a much more expensive supply. Exports slowed during the pandemic as the global economy contracted, but Ukraine typically ships about 50 million to 60 million tons of agricultural products per year. In May, after Russias invasion began, its export figure plummeted, according to figures from Strategie Grains, which is part of Tallage, a French research firm. In other terms, Ukraine provided about 15 percent of global wheat exports in 2019 before the pandemic. But Andree Defois, deputy chief operating officer of Strategie Grain, said the figure could now fall to around 6 percent unless there is a miracle. Weeds advance across sidewalks. Buildings are shuttered. Drinking water is in short supply. More than half the population has left; those who remain are almost all jobless. About 80 percent of people here, many of them old, rely on food and clothes from aid organizations. Every now and then another explosion electrifies the summer air, tipping people into desperation when it does not kill them. Driven out of a nearby village, Natalia Holovenko, 59, was in a line to register for aid when she began sobbing. We dont have any Nazis here! she said, a reference to Russian President Vladimir V. Putins false justification of the war as needed to de-Nazify Ukraine. He just wants to kill us. In her imploring eyes the madness of this Russian project seemed etched. Without the Black Sea coast, a landlocked rump Ukraine would be a nation undermined, its ports lost, eight years after Mr. Putin seized Crimea. A grain-exporting nation, albeit one now facing a Russian naval blockade, it would find its economy upended. But as Russia advances mile by plodding mile in the Donbas region to the east, it has been held back in the south. Since their capture of Kherson, about 40 miles east of Mykolaiv, early in the war, Russian forces have stalled or been pushed back. Ukrainians, their resolve hardening, have retaken villages in the Kherson region. We will not give away the south to anyone, we will return everything thats ours and the sea will be Ukrainian and safe, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared after visiting Mykolaiv and Odesa last week. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraines deputy prime minister, said Tuesday that our army will definitely de-occupy these lands. DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine Ukrainian forces dug in for a last-ditch defense against Russian advances Wednesday in Luhansk Province, where the invaders now threaten to overrun two major cities that had resisted their halting progress. The prospect of a Russian takeover of the embattled cities, Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, left Ukrainian commanders with the stark choice to stay and fight, risking severed supply lines and the encirclement of thousands of defenders, or withdraw and forfeit the last major urban centers in Luhansk, part of eastern Ukraines Donbas region. For weeks, the Russians had been content to lay back and fire artillery and rockets on the Ukrainian forces before trying to push forward with tanks and troops. This strategy culminated in an apparent breakthrough Wednesday as the Russians seized three strategic villages, the regional governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, conceded. Jeremy Hunt is facing Chris West in a runoff election. The winner will advance to the general election to challenge Representative Sanford Bishop Jr., a moderate Black Democrat whose district map was tweaked to the benefit of Republicans this year. How 433 active shooting attacks ended 249 attacks ended before the police arrived. left the scene 113 times. In 185, the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. The bystander was a ... 184 shot the attacker 22 times. attacks ended after the police arrived. 12 citizen. 7 security guard. 3 off-duty officer. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. In 53, the attacker ... subdued the attacker 33 times. died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. How 433 active shooting attacks ended 249 left the scene 113 times. In 185, attacks ended before the police arrived. the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. shot the attacker 22 times. 184 The bystander was a ... attacks ended after the police arrived. 12 citizen. 7 security guard. In 131, 3 off-duty officer. the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. In 53, subdued the attacker 33 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. How 433 active shooting attacks ended 249 attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, left the scene 113 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 attacks ended after the police arrived. shot the attacker 22 times. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. In 53, subdued the attacker 33 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. Source: ALERRT Center The lengthy police response to a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the death of an armed security guard as part of an attack on a Buffalo supermarket last month have drawn fresh scrutiny to a recurring (and uniquely American) debate: What role should the police and bystanders play in active shooter attacks, and what interventions would best stop the violence? The debate has moved to Capitol Hill as lawmakers consider gun safety legislation that could increase funding for mental health services, school safety and other measures aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys, Senator Ted Cruz suggested in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, echoing many other gun rights advocates over the years. Researchers who study active shooter events say it can be difficult to draw broad policy conclusions from individual episodes, but a review of data from two decades of such attacks reveals patterns in how they unfold, and how hard they are to stop once they have begun. There were at least 433 active shooter attacks in which one or more shooters killed or attempted to kill multiple unrelated people in a populated place in the United States from 2000 to 2021. The country experienced an average of more than one a week in 2021 alone. Active shooter attacks by year 2011 13 2012 21 2013 19 2014 20 2015 20 2016 20 2017 31 2018 29 2019 30 2020 40 2021 61 Source: ALERRT Center The data comes from the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University, whose researchers work with the F.B.I. to catalog and examine these attacks. Unlike mass shooting tallies that count a minimum number of people shot or killed, the active attack data includes episodes with fewer casualties, but researchers exclude domestic shootings and gang-related attacks. Researchers caution that some older attacks may be missing from the data, but they feel confident in their overall assessment that shootings are increasing. What is less clear is how to limit the damage of these attacks, given how quickly they unfold and how powerful the weapons used can be. Most attacks captured in the data were already over before law enforcement arrived. People at the scene did intervene, sometimes shooting the attackers, but typically physically subduing them. But in about half of all cases, the attackers commited suicide or simply stopped shooting and fled. Its direct, indisputable, empirical evidence that this kind of common claim that the only thing that stops a bad guy with the gun is a good guy with the gun is wrong, said Adam Lankford, a professor at the University of Alabama, who has studied mass shootings for more than a decade. Its demonstrably false, because often they are stopping themselves. Police officers shoot or physically subdue the shooter in less than a third of attacks. 249 left the scene 113 times. attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 shot the attacker 22 times. attacks ended after the police arrived. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. subdued the attacker 33 times. In 53, the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. 249 attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, left the scene 113 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 attacks ended after the police arrived. shot the attacker 22 times. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. In 53, subdued the attacker 33 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. Most events end before the police arrive, but police officers are usually the ones to end an attack if they get to the scene while it is ongoing. Hunter Martaindale, director of research at the ALERRT Center, said the group has used the data to train law enforcement that When you show up and this is going on, you are going to be the one to solve this problem. Information on police response time is incomplete, but in the available data, it took law enforcement three minutes, on average, to arrive at the scene of an active shooting. Yet, even when law enforcement responds quickly sometimes within seconds or if officers are already on the scene when the attack begins, active shooters can still wound and kill many people. Law enforcement could be one minute out, and if that individual is proficient with the weapon system theyre using, they can quickly go through a lot of ammunition, Mr. Martaindale said. And if theyre proficient in their accuracy, you could have very high victim counts. In Dayton, Ohio, in 2019, an attacker shot 26 people and killed nine outside a downtown bar in the 32 seconds before a police officer on duty shot the attacker. A week earlier, at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, nearby officers engaged an attacker within a minute of his opening fire, but after 20 people had been shot. Three victims died and the attacker died by suicide. Theres not a lot that can be done to stop someone in the opening seconds of harming a significant number of people, Mr. Lankford said. And, like in Uvalde, law enforcement does not always bring an attack to a quick end. When a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in 2016, a detective working extra duty shot at the gunman from outside the club. More police officers began arriving less than two minutes later. But the police did not enter the club for several minutes, after the gunman had paused his initial assault. Police officers ended the attack when they shot the gunman three hours after the assault began. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 more were wounded. Bystanders stop some attackers, more often with physical force than with a gun. 249 left the scene 113 times. attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. shot the attacker 22 times. The bystander was a ... 12 citizen. 7 security guard. 3 off-duty officer. In 185, left the scene 113 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. shot the attacker 22 times. The bystander was a ... 12 citizen. 7 security guard. 3 off-duty officer. In the wake of deadly shootings, gun rights advocates often push to arm more people, citing prominent examples where a good guy with a gun stopped a bad guy. After a gunman shot 46 people in a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in 2017, an armed neighbor arrived at the scene and exchanged gunfire with the gunman, injuring him, until the gunman fled. But armed bystanders shooting attackers was not common in the data 22 cases out of 433. In 10 of those, the good guy was a security guard or an off-duty police officer. The actual data show that some of these kind of heroic, Hollywood moments of armed citizens taking out active shooters are just extraordinarily rare, Mr. Lankford said. In fact, having more than one armed person at the scene who is not a member of law enforcement can create confusion and carry dire risks. An armed bystander who shot and killed an attacker in 2021 in Arvada, Colo., was himself shot and killed by the police, who mistook him for the gunman. It was twice as common for bystanders to physically subdue the attackers, often by tackling or striking them. At Seattle Pacific University in 2014, a student security guard pepper sprayed and tackled a gunman who was reloading his weapon during an attack that killed one and injured three others. The guard took the attackers gun away and held the attacker until law enforcement arrived. When a gunman entered a classroom at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2019, a student tackled him. The student was shot and killed, but the police chief said the attack would have had a far worse death toll had the student not intervened. One in four attacks ends in a shooter suicide. 249 left the scene 113 times. attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 shot the attacker 22 times. attacks ended after the police arrived. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. subdued the attacker 33 times. In 53, the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. 249 attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, left the scene 113 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 attacks ended after the police arrived. shot the attacker 22 times. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. In 53, subdued the attacker 33 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. In more than a quarter of episodes, the attackers ended the shootings by turning the guns on themselves. Many attackers died by suicide before the police arrived. At a Binghamton, N.Y., immigration services center in 2009, an attacker shot 17 people, killing 13, before turning the gun on himself. A middleschooler died by suicide after shooting two fellow students and a teacher in Sparks, Nev., in 2013. After shooting 471 people at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas from a hotel room overlooking the festival, the gunman died by suicide before the police arrived to his room. The share of attackers who die by suicide is most likely a fraction of those who have suicidal expectations, Mr. Lankford said. Based on evidence attackers leave before attacks, like online posts or suicide notes, more say they expect to die. Sometimes they expect to provoke law enforcement to kill them, Mr. Lankford said. Police officers exchanged gunfire in 2018 with a gunman who shot 12 people at a bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif., before he shot himself. At Virginia Tech in 2007, a gunman locked doors to the building, initially stalling the police, before attacking students and professors, eventually shooting 49 people. But once law enforcement was able to enter, the attacker shot himself as police officers approached. One in four attackers leaves the scene (though most are later caught). 249 left the scene 113 times. attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 shot the attacker 22 times. attacks ended after the police arrived. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. subdued the attacker 33 times. In 53, the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. 249 attacks ended before the police arrived. In 185, left the scene 113 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 72 times. In 64, a bystander ... subdued the attacker 42 times. 184 attacks ended after the police arrived. shot the attacker 22 times. In 131, the police ... shot the attacker 98 times. In 53, subdued the attacker 33 times. the attacker ... died by suicide 38 times. surrendered 15 times. About a quarter of shootings ended when the attacker or attackers stopped of their own accord and left the scene, then were apprehended or died by suicide at another location. Many attacks that end when the shooter flees are spontaneous; for example, one may stem from a dispute that escalates when one party pulls out a gun. In San Antonio in 2019, a man had a disagreement with the staff of a moving company, then opened fire on the companys workers before running away. The police apprehended him later without incident. Last year, a man who was kicked out of a nightclub in Wichita, Kan., after a fight returned and shot six people, killing one. He fled the scene, and the police arrested him a month later in Phoenix. Because these kinds of attacks are generally not planned, attackers may be more inclined to flee in hopes of getting away, Mr. Martaindale said. But many premeditated attacks also ended when the attacker or attackers left the scene. After a gunman shot 34 people in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., he dropped his weapon and fled the school with other students, bypassing police officers who had arrived on the scene but had not yet attempted to intervene. After fleeing, the gunman walked to a Walmart, bought a drink at a Subway and stopped at a McDonalds before he was apprehended by the police on a residential street. In El Paso, a gunman shot 45 people, killing 23, in a Walmart before fleeing the scene. The police arrested him down the road without incident. Why attackers stop themselves is a hard thing to know, but Mr. Lankford, after studying shooters for years, has some guesses. One is that sometimes, shooters plan for a dramatic confrontation with the police that does not happen. Another possibility, he said, is that the reality of their actions sets in. BMF signs on as global social media and public relations agency of record for Japan Airlines. The agency will help JAL grow brand relevance through increased social following, engagement, and reach; improve customer retention; build preference from new customers; share valuable consumer insights in real-time; and keep the JAL in the global media conversation. BMF will also spearhead Tokyo-based content ideation and production for the airline. "We look forward to partnering with BMF at this critical juncture to breathe new energy into our social feeds and secure meaningful results with top-tier media, inspiring brand loyalists and new customers alike to choose JAL," said Japan Airlines vice president, CX, data analytics & marketing Akira Mitsumasu. Newlink picks up Madrid Tourism Board in the US and Canada. The agency will spearhead promotional activities, public relations and marketing efforts for the premium, corporate, associative, and incentive travel segments. In 2021, the city received the title of World's Leading Meetings & Conference Destination at the World Travel Awards for the third consecutive year. "The agency's results-driven approach and demonstrated excellence in the tourism industry will be key to reinforce our promotion efforts in the United States and Canada," said Madrid City Council councilor of tourism Almudena Maillo. Haberman launches a communications campaign for Quit Partner, a free resource for helping Minnesotans quit smoking, chewing and vaping commercial tobacco products. "Keep Quitting" emphasizes relatable moments and situations familiar to people trying to quit. The campaign, which launched June 13 throughout the state, is being promoted through a mix of video, social, digital display, and out-of-home and print executions. Haberman and Quit Partner are working with more than 18 community-specific publications to ensure the campaign reaches those most affected by commercial tobacco-related disparities. INDEPENDENT TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has reiterated her call for a definitive date to be provided on when Ireland will receive the promised pledge of 84 million from the EU Just Transition Fund. Deputy Nolan was speaking after attending a recent conference entitled 'Just Transition', which took place in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore. The event was organised by The Diversity Europe Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in partnership with Irish Rural Link, and was attended by, among others, Kieran Mulvey, the Just Transition Commissioner. Deputy Nolan said that she was there to raise a number of the points she had highlighted in her submission to the Department of the Environments Consultation on the EU Just Transition Fund and the development of a draft Territorial Just Transition Plan. While I welcome the fact that creating jobs was on todays agenda, the plain fact remains that we have been talking about the need to do this for well over five years now with next to nothing to show for it in terms of large scale, concrete employment opportunities, Deputy Nolan said. We are also no closer to knowing when the EU will be in a position to provide Ireland and more specifically, Offaly, Laois and the midland region with the 84 million from the Just Transition Fund. I have received no firm assurances, following todays conference, that Offaly will be prioritised in terms of a funding distribution mechanism being put in place to ensure the money will be targeted to those areas that have experienced the greatest level of negative economic impact rather than on territorial coverage per se. The need for such assurances to be provided is a point that I have made repeatedly, including in my submission to the departments own consultation process. Talk is all well and good, but it wont pay the mortgages or the bills for the people that I represent; people who are completely disillusioned by the Just Transition agenda and its inability to translate green rhetoric into economic growth and full-time jobs, concluded Deputy Nolan. The Government has drawn up contingency plans in case fuel rationing is required in the winter, Leo Varadkar has said. But the Tanaiste made clear that he does not believe Ireland will face supply issues. His comments came after Irelands EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness warned of the prospect of fuel rationing in Europe if Russia moves to cut off supplies in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Brussels in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Mr Varadkar said while there was the prospect of prices going higher in Ireland, he did not think the country would experience issues with supply. We have contingency plans if it turns out that we end up with restrictions on supply of gas and petrol and diesel in the country, he told RTE. I dont think thats going to happen. In the last year or so weve been through a pandemic, weve been through Brexit and weve been through a war on Ukraine by Russia and we actually have had real problems with price stability (but) we havent had problems so much with supply and we do have 90 days reserves. Mr Varadkar added: I envision price being a problem, I dont envision supply being a problem. But we do have contingency plans if that were to arise and we have reserves and if the reserves are on edge, we have contingency plans as to who gets prioritised. But we dont think theyll have to be implemented, but theyre ready if they have to. The 35th victim of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings has been acknowledged on the official memorial in the Irish capital. Martha ONeill, whose husband Edward was killed in one of the blasts in Dublin and two sons injured, lost her unborn baby girl Martha in the aftermath of the atrocity. She was one of two unborn babies who died victim Colette Doherty had also been pregnant when she was killed. No-one has ever been convicted over the series of four no-warning bombs in Dublin and Monaghan on May 17, 1974 which have been blamed on loyalist paramilitaries. Martha ONeill juniors name was added to the memorial on Talbot Street in Dublin earlier this week. Edward ONeill junior, said his mother, now aged 80, is delighted by the inclusion. My mother was heavily pregnant at the time, she was having a healthy pregnancy and as a result of shock and trauma of my fathers murder and the injuries to myself and my brother, she ended up having a stillborn baby, he told the PA news agency. She has now been acknowledged as a victim of the bombings. Mr ONeill commended Dublin City Council for acting quickly when they requested the inclusion of baby Marthas name. There were a lot of people involved behind the scenes, but Ruairi O Cuiv and Brendan Teeling went above and beyond as far as I was concerned to help us out and make it happen, he said. Mr ONeill was just five years old when his family travelled to the city centre to get haircuts before his brothers first communion, which had been due to take place the following day. He described walking out of the barber shop with his father holding both him and his brother by the hand when the bomb exploded. Ill never forget it, my dad was swinging me on his left hand, he had my brother by the right hand my brother jumped up and grabbed a button out of his jacket, as he went down to pick it up the bomb exploded, he said Mr ONeill is still receiving treatments for the serious injuries he received that day. Earlier this week, he underwent his 64th operation to correct those injuries from almost 50 years ago. The ONeill family has been supported by victims group SEFF. In a statement, SEFF said the family are very appreciative to Dublin City Council for their efforts in ensuring that this has happened. We commend the ONeill family for their perseverance on this issue, Baby Martha was denied her basic right to life due to the actions of terrorism on 17th May 1974, such was the trauma experienced by her Mummy (also Martha) that Baby Martha was stillborn, they said. At SEFF we have already remembered Baby Martha via a patch included on one of our Memorial Quilts. We commend the ONeill family and also Dublin City Council for righting a wrong. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has not ruled out visiting Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky invited him to travel to the war-torn country. Mr Martin said he will keep the invitation, in what would be the first State visit from Ireland, under review. Mr Zelensky invited the Fianna Fail leader to the eastern European country during a phone call between the two leaders on Tuesday. The Ukrainian president also thanked the Taoiseach for Irelands support to Ukraine. Delighted to talk to President @ZelenskyyUa and confirm Ireland's support for Ukraine's EU Membership at this week's European Council. We are, and will be, with #Ukraine every step of the way. pic.twitter.com/kIdsA6bsGg Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 21, 2022 Asked if he will visit Ukraine, Mr Martin said: These are things we keep on a constant review and I had a good discussion yesterday with President Zelensky. Ive kept in regular contact with all members of the Ukrainian government and would have met with the deputy prime minister the week before last at the ALDE conference in Dublin and also with the Prime Minister earlier when he came through Shannon (airport). So we keep that under review, we keep in touch with the Ukrainian government to support them in their endeavour to withstand the ferocity of the Russian attack. Mr Martin said Irelands motivation is to help people fleeing war, and help the families that have been uprooted from their homes. Theyve left their loved ones at home back in Ukraine to protect their children, essentially, in many instances and weve got to do everything we can, along with all of our European Union colleagues, Mr Martin added. The Taoiseach is to travel to Brussels for a meeting of EU and Western Balkans leaders, a two-day meeting of the European Council, and a Euro Summit on Thursday and Friday. Leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine, including its application for membership of the EU, as well as that of Moldova and Georgia. It is expected that an historic decision to confirm EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova will be taken in line with the European Commissions recent recommendations. Mr Martin said helping Ukrainians is a European Union-wide response. Almost 36,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland in recent months. Six million people have been displaced within Ukraine, millions going to neighbouring countries in Europe, Mr Martin added. In my view, Putin has clearly weaponised migration as a tool to terrorise people to leave Ukraine with the indiscriminate bombing. Hes weaponised energy, and he has weaponised famine and food security and that to me is reprehensible. We have to respond from a humanitarian perspective as best we can and were doing that. I think it is important this week as I head out to Brussels this evening for tomorrow mornings series of meetings with the Western Balkans and the European Council, that the European candidacy application by Ukraine looks like now well get support. I look forward to that, because that is significant message from the people of Europe, to the people of Ukraine and that we understand that youre standing by democracy, that you are fighting for the same values that we all cherish, the freedom of the individual, free media and that is something that we cant ever take for granted. So we have to play our part. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Russian forces are pressing on with their offensive in eastern Ukraine, entering the industrial zone of Sievierodonetsk, according to Luhansk authorities. In a speech ahead of key summits, the German chancellor has told parliament that "we will defend every square meter of NATO territory." He also described a partnership with Russia under Vladimir Putin as "unimaginable." Rebuilding Ukraine will take "generations" and require funding akin to the post-WWII Marshall Plan, according to Germany's Olaf Scholz. Finland says it is ready to defend itself in case of an attack. DW has the latest. UNICEF has told Sky News there will be a mass death of children in the Horn of Africa without international help, as the worst drought in 40 years is made worse by the war in Ukraine. Texas official Steven McCraw said that officers searched for a key that was not needed and waited an hour outside classrooms. Relatives of schoolchildren and staff are angry over how police responded to the shooting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the EU to impose more sanctions on Moscow as fighting remains entrenched in the Donbas. Meanwhile, Putin is due to lay flowers to commemorate WWII. DW has the latest. President Joe Biden said he had no fears that the Western alliance was fracturing as Russia advance in Ukraine. Live updates. The war in Ukraine will cast its shadow over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Commonwealth national leaders as they arrive in Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday for their first meeting since the onset of the pandemic. Eurasia Review 26 Jun 2022 Geopolitics is written all over Saudi religious soft power efforts. Nowhere more so than when it comes to Israel and Jews because.. Brussels has backed Ukraine to be a candidate for EU membership but the final decision rests with the European Council. "Confirming Moldovas EU candidacy and outlining a robust integration policy would not only send a strong signal against Russian destabilisation attempts but would also rally the Moldovan people, who are eager for change." SoccerNews.com 27 Jun 2022 According to a recent report from RMC Sport, an advisor to Sadio Mane has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain attempted to sign the.. US historian Timothy Snyder has compared Russia's blockade of grain supplies from Ukraine with Stalin's terror of hunger. At the Global Media Forum, he called for more independent reporting from on the ground in Ukraine. Independent journalists in Russia and Ukraine work in violent, life-threatening conditions. They also must fight against propaganda, division and polarization. A panel at the Global Media Forum discussed their work. Ukrainian citizens are trying to return to their normal lives in the city of Irpin near the capital Kiev, where fierce clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces took place at the beginning of the war. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Bundestag that NATO allies can rely on Germany to come to their aid, with a new level of commitment to military spending. The speech came ahead of EU, G7 and NATO summits. Eurasia Review 27 Jun 2022 European Union has, at least by territory and population, expanded as the European Council overwhelmingly decided to grant Moldova.. The prime minister says talk of a blockade is untrue and a tiny amount of goods are affected. Sky News 23 Jun 2022 An earthquake survivor has told of his loss of 26 family members as rescuers resort to digging by hand in villages raised to the.. The government announced Wednesday the visit by PM Narendra Modi to Germany for the G7 summit, where he's expected to address issues like climate, energy and food security against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. He is also expected to have several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G7. The Ombudsman's office is no longer a shambles but it struggles with some civil servants who have a 1950s attitude to transparency, MPs were told today.Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier and Speaker Trevor Mallard addressed a Parliamentary... Those who search will see a paw print in the left hand corner they can click; dog paws then reach across the screen and barks ring out in excitement. President Joe Biden celebrated COVID-19 vaccines becoming available to children as young as 6 months old for the first time. Farmers in the Donetsk region are worried about the impending harvest season, pressed as they are by the dangers of war, high fuel prices and the challenge of servicing their equipment. Lawmakers say the U.S. government failed to provide accurate assessments amid the conflicts in Ukraine and Afghanistan. During a visit to Paris on Tuesday (21 June 2022), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed preparations for next weeks Madrid Summit with President Emmanuel Macron. Mr Stoltenberg and Mr Macron stressed the importance of NATOs next Strategic Concept, which will be adopted by leaders in Madrid and will drive the... The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that the countrys warships destroyed a command center with Kalibr cruise missiles, killing dozens of Ukrainian officers. More than 50 generals and officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed, the statement said. The strike took place near the village of Shirokaya... 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That saying appears to be holding true in the current situation involving the case of forgery and criminal conspiracy filed by ALP leader Benoni Urey against ANC leader, Alexander Cummings. This is because just about every local media institution appear to be running away with narratives heavily slanted towards ANC leader Alexander Cummings. Some journalists(names withheld for now) in both the print and electronic media are alleged to have received bounteous gifts from Mr. Cummings that include amongst others, Mitsubishi Pajero jeeps, cash and other rewards for their services. Most of these institutions, according to a long serving and experienced journalist (name withheld) are performing what he called gatekeeping services for Mr. Cummings. And their role is to ensure that anything negative about Mr. Cummings is kept under wraps, kept away from the public. An example of this, according to the journalist, can be seen in the various news headlines and reports in the media to reecho just what Cummings had often repeated that he was the victim of official state persecution simply because he is the most potent and most formidable challenger capable of unseating George Weah at the 2023 polls. As to whether he is actually the most potent to defeat Weah remains debatable. But it is a sad fact that media institutions, all for the sake of the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR have unwittingly allowed themselves to become purveyors of lies and half-truths. This is indeed a strange kind of journalism-survivalism as some would put it. Even publishers and editors have become fair game because they largely determine the content of what is presented to the public. They receive payouts/bribes as gatekeeping fees while their reporters are forced to indulge in self-censorship, writing nothing that would incur the displeasure of Whoever Pays the Piper. This is an age-old practice(dating from the days of Tubman) laden with dangerous implications for the future of our democracy and the development and growth of a healthy culture of accountability including respect for the rule of law. The recent forgery and criminal conspiracy lawsuit filed against ANC leader Alexander Cummings by ALP leader, Benoni Urey and local media coverage of attending developments is a clear illustration of the title of this article, Wettin Money Cant Do. However let us look at a brief outline of facts and developments in the case that have obvious change(s) made to the document did not benefit him personally. 1. Urey who takes matters to Court charging Cummings and others for forgery and criminal conspiracy declares that Cummings without the knowledge and consent of the other parties in the Coalition, illegally inserted an Exit Clause, 8.5.2 which was not in the original Framework Document. 2. Cummings appearing in Court declares that there is nothing such as the Original Framework Document and instead submits a photocopy of what he claims is the Original Framework Document containing the controversial Exit Clause 8.5.2 3. It is later discovered that the Framework Document entrusted to Cummings for notarization and submission to NEC in his stead as CPP Chairman was instead submitted by ANC Chairman, Daniel Naateng. 4. It is also discovered that the Document was first submitted to the NEC un-notarized on July 10, 2020 and subsequently withdrawn from NEC and resubmitted four(4) days later fully notarized. NEC chairperson Madame Davidetta Brown Lansanah testifying under oath submits a photocopy of the Framework document containing the provision 8.5.2 and insists that is what she(NEC) received into her custody. 5. Cummings, still maintaining his innocence, hires British lawyer and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to investigate and come up with findings to vindicate him. She submits report declaring in essence that the prosecution of Cummings is politically motivated. 6. Solicitor-General Cephus declaring that he had enough evidence to convict Cummings announces a line- up of 33 witnesses to testify in the case against him (Cummings). 7. Meanwhile NEC announces the holding of local by-elections in Lofa County. The NEC produces a list of candidates omitting the name of the UP candidate on the basis of 8.5.2 of the Original Framework Document quoted in the ANC/LP letter to NEC. Amongst others, this what the letter said. As such, we hereby inform the Commission that we are invoking Section 8.5 (2) CPP framework document and requesting that the commission reject and deny any application from the ALP and UP to field candidates in their names in any election until the expiry of the 2023 elections, including up to six (6) months thereafter, same being the agreed contractual life of the CPP. 8. UP excepts but the NEC junior Hearing Officer Atty. Fomba Swaray rules against UP. 9. The UP takes exception and appeals to the NEC Board of Commissioners. 11. The NEC Board of Commissioners, save Commissioner Boakai Dukuly, rules against the UP in support of Bility and Cummings quest to bar the participation of the UP candidate on the basis of 8.5.2 of the contested Framework Document. 12. But the UP excepts and appeals to the Supreme Court. Amongst others, this is what the Supreme Court had to say: From our careful perusal of the above quoted provisions of the Constitution juxtaposed with the purported Section 8.5(2) of the CPP Framework Document, we find that the purported Section 8.5(2) of the CPP Framework Document which prohibits a registered political party from fielding candidates is in gross violation of Articles 17 & 79 of the Constitution. Any agreement that prevents a political party from fielding a candidate, by extension, also prevents the supporters of that political party (the citizenry) from freely choosing their representatives. This act, in our view, disenfranchises the people and strangulates democracy. And on the role of NEC in this imbroglio, this is what the Supreme Court said: So the role of the NEC, on receiving an instrument filed by a political party, entity or independent candidate in fulfillment or compliance of an electoral pursuit is not a mere routine or perfunctory act. In the case before us, had the NEC carefully perused the CPP Framework Document, it would have discovered that Section 8.5(2), if such provision was INDEED included, is manifestly against the letter, intent and spirit of the Constitution of Liberia and would have denied the filing of the CPP Framework Document until that Section is amended or removed. But this is just what the NEC Board of Commissioners failed to do. They knowingly instead chose to ignore the Constitution ostensibly because they were bribed as alleged by NEC insiders (names withheld). Apart from Commissioner Boakai Dukuly, a lawyer, who disagreed with his colleagues and refused to append his signature, the rest proceeded in reckless disregard of the law even despite warnings by Justice Minister Musah Dean to the contrary. The Minister had openly cautioned against what he saw as attempts by the ANC and the Bility faction of the Liberty Party seeking to have the Supreme Court enforce an unconstitutional provision (8.5.2) of the CPP Framework Agreement. Dont forget that there are two other lawyers ( Teplah Reeves, Ernestine Awar), both females serving as Commissioners of NEC. Clearly, they must have been aware of the law and that includes in-house lawyer Teage Jalloh, NEC Junior Hearing Officer, Attorney Fomba Swaray. Why could they not see/notice/observe the unconstitutionality of Section 8.5.2 of the CPP which Cummings and Bility were attempting to enforce howbeit illegally? The answer, according to most people spoken to especially NEC insiders, is because it is more likely than not that they may have received hefty bribes. Insiders further allege that conspiratorial Commissioners deliberately chose to keep Senior NEC Hearing Officer, Muana Ville away from presiding over the hearing for fear that he would have most likely taken a principled stance and rejected their overtures to sidestep the Constitution. But their feigned ignorance of the law and Constitution of Liberia had consequences, adverse consequences for the ALP, UP, its candidate and his supporters as well, all things considered. Additionally, had they succeeded in their nefarious attempt to abort the Constitution, we would probably not be sitting around here today. But thanks, a VERY BIG THANKS to the Supreme Court of Liberia for taking a decisive stand against such nefarious attempts. Presidential aspirant ANC leader, Alexander Cummings, has consistently maintained that he did not insert Provision 8.5.2 into the original Framework Document as alleged by ALP leader Benoni Urey in his forgery and criminal conspiracy lawsuit. Yet, until the recent Supreme Court ruling declaring Exit Clause section 8.5.2 of the CPP Framework Document unconstitutional, both Cummings and Bility , two peas of a pod, had remained steadfast and affixed to bogus and unconstitutional claims that the ALP and UP had violated the law on Sanctity of Contracts(Article 25 Constitution of Liberia) by declaring leave of the CPP without first exhausting laid out procedures for quitting. But the Supreme Court not mincing its words said emphatically: where a contract violates the Constitution or any statute, such contract has no sanctity to be upheld, protected or enforced by a court of law and must be declared as such. It is when a contract is in compliance with the law that it has sanctity that can be upheld and enforced. But, the question then arises, who placed/inserted provision 8.5.2 in the CPP Framework Document? It was for this reason, obviously, that Urey filed a suit of forgery and criminal conspiracy against Cummings. Note that the ANC has not denied that its leader was then the rotational chairman of the CPP. The ANC has also not denied that its leader Mr. Alexander Cummings in his stead as Chairman of the CPP received the Original Framework document for notarization and deposit with NEC. The ANC, to the best of public knowledge, has similarly not denied, that the Framework Document was submitted to NEC by a highly ranked ANC official, Chairman, Daniel Naathen and not by ANC Political leader, Cummings. According to a well-known lawyer, during the NEC Chairpersons appearance in Court, Madame Davidetta Brown Lansanah testified under solemn oath to the veracity and authenticity of the CPP Framework document (photocopy) submitted to the NEC which she knew was not authentic without notarization but yet she received it. And she made no disclosure of the fact that her Commission had received a letter from Bility and Cummings seeking advisory opinion on provision 8.5.2 of that very document. However, the Supreme Court in its ruling left no doubt about where it stood on the matter. We therefore disagree with, and reject the portion of the ruling of the Hearing Officer of the NEC, which ruling was confirmed by the Board of Commissioners of the NEC suggesting in effect that every notarized instrument submitted by a party to the NEC is presumed valid and legal. WHEREFORE and in view of the foregoing, the ruling of the Hearing Officer which was confirmed by the Board of Commissioners of the NEC is hereby reversed. The purported Section 8.5(2) of the CPP Framework Document, being manifestly against the Constitution, statutory laws and public policy, is hereby declared null and void ab initio. The appellants, ALP and UP having duly withdrawn from the CPP are free and at liberty to pursue any political interest in their names, including the fielding of candidates in the ensuing Lofa County Senatorial By-election, if they so wish. The Clerk of this Court is ordered to send a Mandate to the NEC informing that Body of the decision of this Court. IT IS HEREBY SO ORDERED. But just on the heels of the Courts ruling came an announcement/pronouncement that the Government of Liberia(GoL) had dropped further prosecution of Mr. Cummings but with no prejudice to government in view of the decision of the Supreme Court This, according to legal analysts in effect means that Government at any stage could reopen the case and again commence prosecutorial action against Mr. Cummings. But Cummings sees it differently and has since maintained that the case was dropped because of the lack of evidence to bring a guilty verdict against him. But the question is can the Solicitor-General sua sponte absolve an individual of criminal charges while the trial in main has yet to commence? Not so according to legal experts including a former Circuit Judge because both cases were completely different in nature, according to him. One case had to do with forgery and criminal conspiracy while the other centered on misinterpretation of the Constitution. Although different, according to the former Judge, a common thread ran between both cases. In the case of forgery and criminal conspiracy, Cummings is accused of forgery and illegally altering the Framework Document to include an Exit Clause provision, 8.5.2. which is still being tried. In the other case the Supreme Court reverses the NEC Board of Commissioners decision declaring as unconstitutional its decision to bar the UP from participating in the Lofa County by-elections on the basis of the contested 8.5,2. But nowhere on record, has the prosecution filed a Motion for Acquittal or Nolle Prosequi to drop charges and further prosecution against Cummings as the public is being led to believe. Additionally, review of the case file shows no evidence of any Motion of Acquittal filed before Judge Jomah Jallah by private prosecutor Benoni Urey through State Prosecutors. And hardly any Pay to Play local media has asked the hard question-whether or not the Solicitor-Generals pronouncement can hold water given two main facts: That no Motion for Acquittal has been filed on behalf of the defendant by neither State prosecutors nor the private prosecutor. That private prosecutor Benoni Urey has on the record, filed no Motion for Dismissal of charges against defendant Cummings and neither has any said Motion to Dismiss been sustained nor dismissed by the Magisterial Court currently sitting under the gavel of Magistrate Jomah Jallah. Against this backdrop, it is presumptuous to claim that the case has been dropped for the lack of evidence when prosecution has yet to rest evidence. Prosecution witness UP Secretary-General Mo Ali, was already on the witness stand and had yet to complete his testimony when the case was suspended. More to that, ALP Political leader Benoni Urey who filed the suit against Cummings, has distanced himself from the pronouncement of the Solicitor-General claiming he was not consulted. Additionally, he has vowed to pursue the case even if it means hiring a private prosecutor to because according to him, he suffered injury and under the laws of the land he has a right to seek redress before the very law. Seen from a legal perspective, according to a renowned lawyer, Cummings is not yet off the hook although the media is running away with another story supporting claims by Cummings that he was/is indeed being persecuted. But as the lyrics to a popular song say, Wettin Money Cant Do.? GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people. The disaster posed a new test for Afghanistans Taliban rulers and relief agencies already struggling with the countrys multiple humanitarian crises. The quake was Afghanistans deadliest in two decades, and officials said the toll could rise. An estimated 1,500 others were reported injured, the state-run news agency said. The disaster inflicted by the 6.1-magnitude quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power nearly 10 months ago amid the U.S. and NATO withdrawal. The takeover led to a cutoff of vital international financing, and most of the world has shunned the Taliban government. In a rare move, the Talibans supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, who almost never appears in public, pleaded with the international community and humanitarian organizations to help the Afghan people affected by this great tragedy and to spare no effort." Residents in the remote area near the Pakistani border searched for victims dead or alive by digging with their bare hands through the rubble, according to footage shown by the Bakhtar news agency. It was not immediately clear if heavy rescue equipment was being sent, or if it could even reach the area. At least 2,000 homes were destroyed in the region, where on average every household has seven or eight people living in it, said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative to Afghanistan. The full extent of the destruction among the villages tucked in the mountains was slow in coming to light. The roads, which are rutted and difficult to travel in the best of circumstances, may have been badly damaged, and landslides from recent rains made access even more difficult. Rescuers rushed in by helicopter, but the relief effort could be hindered by the exodus of many international aid agencies from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last August. Moreover, most governments are wary of dealing directly with the Taliban. In a sign of the muddled workings between the Taliban and the rest of the world, Alakbarov said the Taliban had not formally requested that the U.N. mobilize international search-and-rescue teams or obtain equipment from neighboring countries to supplement the few dozen ambulances and several helicopters sent in by Afghan authorities. Still, officials from multiple U.N. agencies said the Taliban were giving them full access to the area. The quake was centered in Paktika province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, according to neighboring Pakistans Meteorological Department. Experts put its depth at just 10 kilometers (6 miles). Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage. The European seismological agency said the quake was felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Footage from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to a waiting helicopter. Other victims were treated on the ground. One person could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home, and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble. Roofs and walls had caved in. The death toll reported by the Bakhtar news agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan. Those are the deadliest since 1998, when an earthquake that was also 6.1 in magnitude and subsequent tremors in the remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. Wednesdays quake took place in a region prone to landslides, with many older, weaker buildings. The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings, said Stefano Sozza, Afghanistan country director for the Italian medical aid group Emergency, which sent seven ambulances and staff to areas near the quake zone. More than 60% of Afghanistans population of 38 million already relies on international aid to survive. Humanitarian agencies still operating in the country, including UNICEF, rushed supplies to the quake-stricken areas. And Pakistan said it would send food, tents, blankets and other essentials. Obtaining more direct international help may be more difficult: Many countries, including the U.S., funnel humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through the U.N. and other such organizations to avoid putting money in the Talibans hands. The quake will only add to the immense humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, and it really has to be all hands on deck to make sure that we really limit the suffering that families, that women and children are already going through, said Shelley Thakral, spokesperson for the the U.N. World Food Program in Kabul. In the capital, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace. When such a big incident happens in any country, there is a need for help from other countries, said Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of state for disaster management. It is very difficult for us to be able to respond to this huge incident. That may prove difficult given the international isolation of Afghanistan under the Taliban, who were toppled from power by the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The newly restored government has issued a flurry of edicts curtailing the rights of women and girls and the news media in a turn back toward the Talibans harsh rule from the late 1990s. This does add a lot to the daily burden of survival, the U.N.s Alakbarov said of the quake. We are not optimistic today. ___ Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ZEELIM ARMY BASE, Israel (AP) The Muslim call to prayer echoes through a remote town in southern Israel that has known only war. Its 500 buildings, the tallest eight stories high, are deserted. Its narrow alleys are adorned with militant murals and posters honoring slain Palestinian fighters. It cannot be found on any map. Officially, it's known as the Urban Warfare Training Center. The Israeli soldiers who run military drills here call it Mini Gaza. The military began building the $45 million facility in the Zeelim army base in 2005, toward the end of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli rule. Over the previous five years, Israeli troops had battled Palestinian militants in cities and towns across the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Since then, Israel has fought four wars in Gaza against the Islamic militant group Hamas, with some battles erupting in densely populated cities and refugee camps. Over 4,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than half of them civilians, according to the U.N. Israeli officials say 106 people have died on their side, including civilians, soldiers and foreign residents. In each war, Israel has been accused of using disproportionate force in crowded residential areas, contributing to the civilian death toll. The military says it makes every effort to spare civilians, while accusing Palestinian militants of using them as human shields. The nature of war has changed, said Col. Eli Abeles, the facilitys commander. Today our principal fighting ... is done around built-up areas and in built-up areas. The tight alleyways, drab concrete buildings and open areas in the roughly 60-acre (quarter square kilometer) facility are meant to simulate the urban environments in which Israels soldiers often operate. These can include Gaza and the West Bank, as well as southern Lebanon, where Israel has warned potential future fighting with Hezbollah militants would likely take place. The armys sole official graffiti artist decorates the streets with murals featuring Arabic slogans and portraits of Palestinian and Lebanese militants. Between exercises, soldiers rest in the shade of the buildings, smoking cigarettes beneath the faded posters, some of which honor those killed in battle with Israel. Others don red-and-white checkered scarves to role-play militants in an upcoming drill. The training center can accommodate exercises for an entire brigade of 2,000 soldiers at a single time, Abeles said. Visiting American troops and forces from European allies most recently Cypriot soldiers have also trained in Mini Gaza. But when the guns fall silent and the soldiers withdraw, the training center reverts to a ghost town, the wind howling through empty rooms and creaking metal. The possibility of marijuana businesses in Bad Axe took another step forward at this weeks Bad Axe City Council meeting. The council, by a 4-1 margin, voted to allow City Attorney John Ferris to create a rubric scoring system to judge qualifications for licenses to establish marijuana facilities. Police Chief David Rothe, who previously provided updates to the city council, said that such rubrics are being used in other Michigan municipalities and have been held up in court. The village of Pinckney, which Rothe thinks can serve as an example Bad Axe can follow, was sued by a rejected applicant for saying its scoring system is discriminatory, with U.S. District Court ruling in favor of the village. This system is tested in the court system and it passed, so why not use it? Rothe said. Why take a chance on something that could fail? He explained their process for approving licenses is broken into two parts. Part A of this process is for applying for a special-use permit via building and zoning, which would ensure everything in the proposed building is in compliance. Part B of the process is a checklist of required materials for approving a license. Applicants are required to provide an area location map showing its distance from schools and churches, ownership documents or lease agreements, a business plan, ownership structure and expected job creation, among other requirements. The scoring rubric has an 83-point system with a one-point tiebreaker. Some bonus points are awarded for items that show a commitment to the community. Whichever applicant ends up with the most points will be awarded an operating license. This isnt a fly-by-night type of thing where if I was just a citizen, I can just come and say, 'Hey, I want to open a marijuana facility,'" Rothe said. "I don't think I have the legal capacity to get through that all by myself. That's why corporations have legal teams and they run that." Pinckney charges a total of $5,000 to applicants, $1,700 for Part A and $3,300 for Part B. If the applicant is rejected, the $3,300 would be refunded to them, but if anything is missing from the Part B forms, no refunds will be given. According to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, cities and villages with under 5,000 residents can have anywhere between one and six marijuana facilities. Since Bad Axe has around 3,000 residents, Rothe suggests that two would be the most they have, but that is up to the city council to decide. Rothe had previously stated the city received inquiries about turning three vacant buildings into marijuana facilities the former Peppers Restaurant on North Van Dyke Road, a former laundromat at the corner of Huron Avenue and Buffalo Street and the former Thumb Industries building on Sand Beach Road. The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act states that of the taxes collected through marijuana sales, 15% goes to the municipalities where marijuana stores are located, 15% goes to the respective county where stores are located, 35% goes to the Michigan Transportation Fund, and 35% goes toward funding the state's schools. In 2020, each municipality with an adult-use marijuana facility got about $28,000 per facility. That number doubled in 2021, with each such municipality getting $56,000 per adult-use facility. Rothe estimated if Bad Axe allowed two such facilities to operate in town, it would rake in at least $113,000 from the state as a result of sales tax. With that money going towards the police departments operating budget, the city could reduce its contributions and the resulting savings would go toward the city general fund. The measures Ferris will write up are expected to be presented at a future city council meeting for approval. Councilman Richard Peterson, the lone dissenting vote on this motion, felt the council should know how much they will pay Ferris for writing up these marijuana plans. Rothe said whatever legal fees they have to pay Ferris will be recouped through the fee gained from the application process. Since the amount of money from two applications would be $10,000, he cannot imagine it costing more than that. MOSCOW (AP) A drone strike caused a fire at a refinery in southwestern Russia near the border with Ukraine on Wednesday, but no one was hurt and the blaze was contained quickly, officials said. The fire engulfed industrial equipment at the Novoshakhtinsk oil processing plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. The authorities said that dozens of firefighters extinguished the flames in a half-hour and no one was hurt. The refinery said in a statement that the fire was caused by a strike carried out by two drones, describing it as a terrorist act. It didnt give further details, but the state news agency Tass said that two Ukrainian drones flew over the plant and one of them slammed into a heat exchanger, triggering the fire. Ukrainian officials haven't claimed responsibility for the drone strike. A video posted on a messaging app channel showed a drone flying by and hitting what was purported to be the refinery, a giant plume of smoke rising into the sky. The authenticity of the video couldn't be independently verified. The Rostov regional governor, Vasily Golubev, said that fragments of two drones were found on the territory of the plant. The refinery said it temporarily suspended the operations to assess the damage. Wednesday's attack on the refinery follows a series of explosions and fires in western Russia amid Moscow's fighting in Ukraine in an operation that began nearly four months ago. In April, two Ukrainian helicopter gunships struck an oil depot in Belgorod, according to Russian officials, causing a massive fire. Several other explosions and fires hit refineries, oil depots, and an ammunition storage facility. Ukraine hasnt officially taken responsibility for the incidents, but some Ukrainian media have lauded them as a result of Ukrainian strikes. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is rebranding Asian carp the invasive species that now make up an estimated 70% of fish in the Illinois River in hopes of convincing Americans to help eat away at the fish's overpopulation problem. Four species of Asian carp bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp and black carp now will be known as copi a hopefully appetizing play on the word copious and a name chosen based on a $600,000 multi-year marketing study to assess Illinois residents thoughts on the fish. Calling it a name-based perception issue for a fish widely eaten elsewhere in the world, Nick Adam of Span design studio in Chicago, who led the research, said surveys, interviews and focus groups with more than 350 Illinois residents showed that 85% of participants had heard of Asian carp but only 5% had eaten it. Mark Humphrey/AP We know that renaming works, Adam said, noting that orange roughy originally was known as slimehead, Chilean sea bass once was called Patagonian toothfish and even avocado and kiwi used to have far less popular monikers. The United States is the only nation in the world where Asian carp is not commonly eaten, according to John Goss, former invasive carp adviser to the White House. Theyre not in the Great Lakes and were doing everything we can to keep them out, Goss said. That includes convincing Americans to make copi burgers, copi sliders and other copi-based dishes part of their regular menu. In announcing the rebranding effort Wednesday during a Zoom call, natural resources officials got support from Chicago-based chef and Chopped champion Brian Jupiter of Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern and Dirk and Terry Fucik of Dirks Fish and Gourmet Shop in Chicago. Its a great substitute for ground beef, Terry Fucik said, noting that among Dirks popular menu items are copi burgers, copi tacos and copi bolognese. C.B. Schmelter/AP Jim Garvey, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale fisheries expert and director of SIUs Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, has studied bighead carp for more than 20 years. He was not part of Wednesday's announcement but said eating away at the problem may be the easiest, cheapest and best solution, he said. An electrical barrier on the Illinois River near Chicago appears to have succeeded so far in keeping the invasive species out of Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes, but those working to reduce or erase the problem dont want to rely solely on one solution, he said. It seems simple, but it took a long time to determine that commercial harvest is probably the best way to keep them from becoming abundant below the barrier, Garvey said, noting that other ideas, such as poisoning the invasive fish, have proven ineffective or too costly. Mark Humphrey/AP Fishing for copi wont be regulated the way it is for native species, Garvey said. We would love copi to become extinct in the United States, but it just doesnt seem like these fish are going to be completely reduced, he said. But even if copi were to one day disappear, we are blessed with a variety of very good native fish on the Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Encouraging commercial fishing with a focus on Asian carp would not harm Illinois fishing industry, Garvey said. If our commercial fishermen had to go back to fishing native fishes after eradicating copi, they could, he said. We should celebrate it, if it happens. While the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has rolled out a plan to tout copi, its name change isnt yet official. The state expects to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by year's end to formally change the name. In the meantime, grocery store packaging will describe the fish both as carp and copi. Asian carp originally were imported from Southeast Asia to the U.S. to help clean fish farm retention ponds in the South. But flooding and accidental releases in the 1970s allowed them to migrate up the Mississippi River system. Local, state and federal agencies since have worked to keep the invasive species from Lake Michigan, where it would threaten a $7 billion-a-year commercial fishing industry and a $16 billion-a-year tourism industry in the Great Lakes region. In a very short period of time since declaring his desire to contest for the Executive Chair in the highly anticipated 2023 presidential election in Liberia, the already well-known stature of eminent human rights jurist, Counselor Tiawan Saye Gongloe has been steadily rising within and outside of Liberia. There comes a time in life when a man or a woman must make a serious decision in the interest of his or her country, Gongloe had told his throng of enthusiastic supporters and well-wishers who swarmed the United Methodist School gymnasium in Gompa City on that date, adding, Today, December 4, 2021, is my time to make a very serious decision in the interest of our dear country, Liberia, the country that was meant to be a land of liberty for its citizens. With such a solemn declaration by a gentleman known for his steely will and integrity, Counselor Gongloe was essentially elevating his epic advocacy for the fundamental rights of the Liberian people to the most conspicuous apex of national politics, aiming to derive a holistic outcome for the betterment of his fellow compatriots and the entirety of the Liberian nation. In other words, having been in the vanguard of advocacy, mainly on behalf of indigent Liberians and foreign residents for more than three decades, Counselor Gongloe is now seeking to advocate for all Liberians at all times from the pivotal point of the Executive Chair. The erudite lawyer considers occupying a top government position as a privilege to serve, not an opportunity to steal taxpayers money, which is primarily intended for improving the livelihood of the citizenry. He believes that national leaders must exude an aura of honesty and integrity because, for him, those character traits are some of the indispensable assets that are chronically lacking in Liberias current governing paradigm. Another principle of good governance that Mr. Gongloe, the immediate past president of the Liberia National Bar Associationthe umbrella organization of Liberian lawyers--espouses is that national leaders ought to be exemplary national role models. In other words, when a leader sets a good example, it tends to have an increasingly multiplying or contagious effect on whatever given organization or society that such a leader is heading or presiding over. On the other hand, when a leader comes to power and erroneously perceives national assets as his or her personal assets, brazenly squandering meager resources intended for the people, such a reckless behavior tends to eventually plunge an already struggling country like Liberia into abject poverty and acute deprivation for the majority of the people. Not so surprisingly, its becoming evident that Counselor Gongloes principle of putting his countrys interests above personal interests and his goal of formulating and instituting transformative national policies as a prudent strategy in laying a formidable foundation for comprehensive national development are now increasingly resonating with people from diverse backgrounds. In about seven months since last December, Counselor Gongloes optimistic mantraA BETTER LIBERIA IS POSSIBLEis fast becoming a popular slogan inside and outside of Liberia. The economist-turned-lawyers assertions are resonating, because people from every segment of the socio-economic, and political stratification, or people of varied backgrounds can readily relate to his principles. Whether its ordinary Liberiansmarket women, teachers, nurses, doctors, yana boys, wheelbarrow boys, motorcyclists, intellectuals of all professional and political persuasions, street corner boys and girls, religious leaders or foreign diplomats, Counselor Gongloes message of economic regeneration anchored by an impartial application of the rule of law, without fear or favor is being well received. As a result, more and more Liberians and even non-Liberians are now realizing that the Gongloe movement for A BETTER LIBERIA is not a fluke; that the top-notch lawyer actually means business, because hes a man who says what he means and actually means what he says. The good news is that because people believe in the character, and the credibility of this particular messenger, well-meaning Liberians are increasingly gravitating towards the Team Gongloe movement. As a result, one can now make a strong case that Counselor Tiawan Saye Gongloe is probably the busiest Liberian political leader at this point in time, gallantly working for the betterment of the Liberian nation. Because a lot of people are becoming receptive to his patriotic message of optimism, meticulously couched in a steely desire to holistically engender a culture of integrity within the Liberian society, his current two-month tour of the United States has been very hectic and exhilarating. Not only that Liberians of diverse backgrounds in various parts of this vast country are showing their eagerness to interact with the leading Liberian presidential aspirant, but also American business executives, as well as key state and federal officials, have shown no hesitation in engaging with the topnotch human rights lawyer and assistant professor of law. For example, in Pennsylvania, Counselor Gongloe was on May 25, 2022, a featured guest at a symposium commemorating the 200th anniversary of ties between the City of Philadelphia and the people of Liberia. The tour, which began on May 14, 2022, with a fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by Friends of Gongloe Global, one of the pivotal organizations here in the U.S. in support of the Gongloe for a BETTER LIBERIA movement, has also taken the leading presidential aspirant to several other parts of the country. Gongloe has visited the great state of Ohio twice: on his first trip, he spoke at the installation of officers-elect of the Liberian association in that state, and he subsequently attended the annual convocation of the United Nimba Citizens Council (UNICCO). Moreover, Counselor Gongloe has also met with some business leaders in Philadelphia as well as those in the petrol-belt state of North Dakota and the Midwestern hub of Minnesota, among others. Even though some seemingly skeptical talking heads have been labeling him as a newcomer on the Liberian political landscape, coupled with the fact that he doesnt have any lobbying group here in the U.S. to be maneuvering its way within the corridors of power on his behalf, its now indisputable that Gongloes transformative train for the betterment of Liberian is steadily cruising. The presidential aspirant was in Washington, DC on May 27, 2022, where he met with the influential Mayor Muriel Bowser of the U.S. capital. Besides that, on June 2, 2022, he also met with some top officials of the Africa Bureau at the United States Department of State. Because this particular presidential aspirant is an unassuming private citizen, who is not fond of excessively bragging about his achievements, one has sufficient reasons to posit that Counselor Gongloe is making some breakthroughs here in the United States, which have the propensity to yield some substantive socio-economic, political dividends for the Liberian people in the very near future. Photo provided/AAUW At the spring American Association of University Women (AAUW)'s luncheon on June 8, Mary Sydney Matuska was designated the Named Gift Honoree for 2022. A donation will be given in her name to the AAUW scholarship of her choice. Matuska has volunteered her help and kindness quietly for over 50 years to AAUW and to the community. She is a graduate of Pembroke College of Brown University, earning Bachelor of Arts in American literature in 1956 and a Master of Education degree in 1963 from George Washington University. File photo A 34-year-old Lee Township man is in jail after police arrested him for attempting to strangle a 32-year-old woman Thursday night. Leslie Simpson was arraigned in 75th District Court before Judge Michael Carpenter on charges of second offense domestic violence and assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than murder. He was previously charged with domestic violence in July 2021. He is on a $500,000 cash/surety bond. BIG RAPIDS For some students, focusing on the future is a big part of education. One Mecosta-Osceola Career Center student recently put her experiences to the test at the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Georgia. Megan Knuth, a second-year culinary student, has been honing her resume and interview aptitude in preparation for the national competition. She competed and placed first in the job interviewing category at SkillsUSA in April with other Michigan Career Technical Education centers, which allowed her to go to the national competition. Knuth said, "competing for the first time was a rush." I first competed at the state level, and I was kind of anxious about it, Knuth said. I wasn't super comfortable interviewing, but my teachers got me really comfortable, and we practiced a lot. I didn't feel that I had won at first, and I was really surprised to find out that I did. The Skills USA competition is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. A nonprofit national education association, SkillsUSA serves middle-school, high-school, college and post-secondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. Through the organization, students develop SkillsUSA Framework skills, build confidence, enhance their resume, explore career paths, obtain scholarships and work opportunities, network with peers, teachers, mentors and industry representatives, develop teamwork experience, and practice hands-on application of skills. Knuth said preparing for the competitions was a lot of work. You're graded based on how you introduce yourself to the receptionist, your resume, how you present yourself, what you're wearing, and then your actual answers to your interview questions, Knuth said. It was my first time, and I did a lot of practice with my teachers. They brought in multiple different people from around the area to interview me to practice, and I had to pretend to shake their hands and go through the whole process. I've just been practicing a lot in the summer, she added. I have a whole document with all my answers typed out, and I just practice them over and over again. According to her teachers, Knuth is an excellent student, role model and athlete. She participated in track and cross country at Big Rapids High School and is a National Honors Society (NHS) member. Knuth said she hopes to be a role model for younger students. I would hope that my experience shows younger kids that you can do things you wouldnt think you could, Knuth said. I would encourage other students to try out competing, I think it helps build confidence and has helped me build mine. I feel that when I go out into the world now, I feel more confident and feel that I could get a job better than I could have before this experience. Moving forward, Knuth said she plans to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York City following graduation and hopes to be involved in food media doing food photography and recipe development for cookbooks. For more information about the programs offered at the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center, go to https://www.moisd.org/schools/career-center/. VIDEO: Protesters chant during rally for reproductive rights... Hundreds of people join in chants during a rally in support of reproductive rights in reaction to... County Admin/Controller shares information with residents The County of Midland serves executive, legislative and judicial needs for its more than 84,000... Midland County board tours building in need of $17M of... The agency will seek $17 million to fund facility and information technology improvements at the... WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) As part of a deal they struck to avoid extradition to the United States, two men pleaded guilty Wednesday in New Zealand to their involvement in running the once wildly popular pirating website Megaupload. The pleas by Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk at the Auckland High Court ended their 10-year legal battle to avoid extradition to the U.S. on charges that included racketeering. Those charges will be dropped under a deal with prosecutors from both countries after the pair pleaded guilty in New Zealand to being part of a criminal group and causing artists to lose money by deception. They have been released on bail pending sentencing and face a maximum ten years in prison. The U.S. is still seeking to extradite Megauploads founder Kim Dotcom, who also lives in New Zealand and has said he now expects his former colleagues to testify against him. Prosecutors say Megaupload raked in at least $175 million mainly from people who used the site to illegally download songs, television shows and movies before the FBI shut it down in early 2012 and arrested Dotcom and other company officers. Ortmann told news website Stuff that after a decade of living in New Zealand on bail, the pair had firm roots in the country and were contributing to society through Mega, a legitimate cloud-storage website they set up after their arrest. There's absolutely no point in dwelling on these proceedings any longer and we are putting it behind us, and accepting our responsibility," Ortmann said. Van der Kolk said they had learned from their mistakes. We've worked incredibly hard on Mega and we strongly feel that our rehabilitation process has started a long time ago, he told Stuff. Lawyers for Dotcom and the other men had long argued that if anybody was guilty in the case, it was the users of the site who chose to pirate material, not the founders. But prosecutors argued the men were the architects of a vast criminal enterprise. Dotcom and the two other men were once close friends but had a falling out after their arrest and subsequent work on the Mega website. U.S. prosecutors had earlier dropped their extradition bid against a fourth officer of the company, Finn Batato, who was arrested in New Zealand. Batato returned to Germany where he died from cancer earlier this month. In 2015, Megaupload computer programmer Andrus Nomm, of Estonia, pleaded guilty in the case to conspiring to commit felony copyright infringement and was sentenced to one year and one day in U.S. federal prison. Last year, New Zealands Supreme Court ruled the trio could be extradited. But the nation's justice minister has yet to make a final decision on whether the extradition now just of Dotcom will go ahead. Even that decision could be appealed and spend still more time in the slow-moving New Zealand legal system. 5 Colorado towns where history lives and what to see and do while you're there Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - United Nations agencies have launched a project through the UN Network on Migration in The Gambia to address migration-related vulnerabilities among border communities along the Trans-Gambia corridor Photo: (Photo : Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Protect Their Future) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has signed off on vaccines for Americans younger than the age of 5 years old, allowing shots to start immediately. The decision came a day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued three new authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA authorized on Friday, June 18, Moderna shots for kids between 6 months and 5 years old, and Pfizer shots for children between 6 months and 4 years old. Additionally, the agency green-lit Moderna shots for children ages 6 to 17. Previously, the only shot available for that particular age group was Pfizer's, which the FDA authorized last year for children 5 and older. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, told NBC News at a briefing earlier this month, that they expect vaccinations will begin in earnest as early as Tuesday, June 21, and really roll on throughout that week. Jha noted that many doctors' offices may be closed for the Juneteenth federal holiday on Monday, June 20. What parents should know about the COVID vaccines Here is what parents should know about their COVID vaccine options, the rollout timeline and expected side effects of the shots that will be administered to their kids. According to White House officials, vaccines would be made available for the under 5 age group at thousands of sites, including community health centers, pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors' offices. Jha said that they expect the vast majority of these children will be vaccinated by their primary care providers. Most states don't allow pharmacists to vaccinate kids younger than the age of 3 because of a federal law enacted in 2005 and amended back in 2020. Because of that law, a Walgreens spokesperson said that its pharmacies plan to administer COVID vaccines to kids age 3 and up. A CVS spokesperson said the company would administer shots to kids age 18 months through 4 years old at its 1,100 MinuteClinic locations rather than at traditional pharmacies. Jha said they have asked states to distribute the initial tranche of doses to their highest-priority sites, including those serving the highest-risk kids and hardest-to-reach areas, and they have also asked them to prioritize sites that can handle large volumes, such as children's hospitals. Read Also: Long Wait is Finally Over for US Parents as CDC Approves COVID Vaccines for Youngest Children Difference between Pfizer and Moderna's pediatric COVID vaccines Moderna's and Pfizer's pediatric COVID vaccines differ in several ways. Moderna's COVID vaccine for young children consists of two doses given four weeks apart. Each dose is one-quarter of the adult dose. Pfizer's vaccine for the littlest kids is a three-dose series, with the first two shots given three weeks apart and the third shot at least two months after the second dose. Each dose is one-tenth of Pfizer's adult version. The shots of Pfizer and Moderna also showed different efficacies in clinical trials. Pfizer's COVID vaccine reduced the risk of symptomatic infection by 80 percent in kids between the ages of 6 months and 4 years but that is based on a small number of cases, according to The Hill. Moderna's COVID vaccine had an efficacy of 37 percent in children age 2 to 5 years old, and 51 percent in kids age 6 to 23 months. Both COVID vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna produced mild side effects in young kids. Many trial participants experienced pain at the injection site, irritability, and sleepiness. Related Article: FDA Authorizes COVID Vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna for the Youngest Children Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) Three U.K. teenagers were convicted of murder for the death of 13-year-old Olly Stephens. A girl, 14, was also convicted of manslaughter for luring Olly to the field where the young boy was murdered. Stephens' parents, Amanda and Stuart, later learned that the death was planned and triggered by a social media chat dispute. Authorities report that the case used "unprecedented digital evidence" from the mountain of evidence on the victim's phone. BBC News reports that police believed this story stood out because of social media's enormous role in the case. Meta, Tiktok, Youtube, and Snapchat expressed their condolences to the family. Patterning The victim's mom, Amanda, recalled that it was the Sunday after Christmas, and the family was preparing to return to school and work the next day. Olly left the house that fateful afternoon, assuring his mom that he switched on his phone location to let her know where he was. Fifteen minutes later, a boy that Olly knew knocked on their door to tell them that their son was stabbed. Stuart and Olly's older sister ran to the field opposite their home and found Olly lying in a pool of blood. The mom followed after them. The boy died right there. Police would eventually use Olly's phone to track and convict his killers. As per the investigation, an attack called "patterning" motivated the young boy's death. Patterning is the humiliation of a young person, which is filmed or photographed and then shared on social media to embarrass the victim. Weeks before the murder, Olly saw an image of a younger boy being humiliated. He alerted the boy's older brother by sending the patterning image to him. The incident infuriated two other boys, who were in a Snapchat group with Olly, and eventually planned their revenge. They said that Olly, recently diagnosed as autistic, had been "snitching, grassing on them." They discussed on Snapchat how to attack Olly, including recruiting a 13-year-old girl to set him up. The young girl sent messages to Olly to meet her in the field. When he did, the pair of teenage boys ambushed and stabbed him to death. The convicted killers then deleted the messages on their phones that would link them to the murder. The Mirror wrote that Olly would always "stick up for the underdog." After the murder, Olly's father said his son trusted people too much. It was part of his make-up and autism, and they loved him for that. Read Also: Body of the Missing 3-year-old Boy Found a Day After He Vanished from Babysitter's House Unprecedented Digital Evidence The investigation involved 200 police officers, and as per Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard, who led the Thames Valley Police investigation, it was "one of the most shocking" of his career. Howard said that 90 percent of Olly's murder trial evidence was from mobile phones, adding that no child witnesses had to take the stand. He explained that they were surprised to find that the amount of digital evidence was enough to convict the two boys and the 13-year-old girl, per The News. Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, Youtube, Tiktok, and Snapchat, expressed their condolences to the family. It said it does not allow content that encourages violence, while Youtube stated it has strict policies to ensure its platform does not incite violence. Tiktok assured parents that it would continue to build guidelines to keep teens and their parents safe online. Meanwhile, Snapchat claimed it strictly prohibits bullying, harassment, and illegal activities. Related Article: Instagram in the UK Launches New Parental Control Measures Photo: (Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images) One father is grateful to be alive after developing a rare form of brain aneurysm with doctors rushing to save him through an uncommon surgery. Jay Keller knew something was not right in July 2021. He told WBRC that he thought he was just maybe getting older a little bit. The 48-year-old was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago for testing, however, when headaches and other symptoms continued. Blood work showed Keller had an infected heart valve caused by bacteria from his mouth. Doctors said the bacteria stuck to his valve easily because he had a congenital heart defect. Each beat of Keller's heart would push blood through the infected valve to his brain. The blood work showed he had endocarditis from Streptococcus mutans (oral bacteria) that can cause cavities. Rare form of brain aneurysm caused by bacteria It led to a rare form of brain aneurysm that was caused by bacteria in the arterial wall. Dr. Babak Jahromi, who is a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said that mycotic brain aneurysms tend to form rapidly. Jahromi added that they are rare but a lot more dangerous and more likely to bleed than a regular brain aneurysm. He said that traditional treatments don't work well on this form of aneurysm. In Keller's case, a crucial vessel was infected in his brain, one that helps supply his motor cortex. Jahromi talked about the risks of the surgery, saying "On one hand we save your life; on the other hand, you're going to be paralyzed in a wheelchair." The neurosurgeon said that instead of typical surgery, he did a rare internal bypass procedure on Keller, essentially replumbing the inside of his patient's brain. He said that the purpose of the operation was to cut out the infected segments and then reattach the remaining stumps to normal blood vessels. It was like a miracle for Keller, who was up and walking one day after surgery. He was able to log seven miles in one day and could not believe how much better he felt. Read Also: Former 'Teen Mom OG' Star Cory Wharton Reveals Newborn Daughter Had Open Heart Surgery Keller now has a normal life expectancy He later underwent surgery to fix a hole in his heart with Jahromi saying that Keller has dodged two bullets at this point. He was back in the operating room two months after his first surgery with Dr. Pham the one who fixed the infected heart valve on April 21, 2022. According to the doctor, Keller now has a normal life expectancy thanks to the procedure. According to Northwestern Medicine, the Chicago-based architect recently finished cardiac rehabilitation and he is ready to get back to running, biking, swimming, and spending quality time with his wife, Grace, and their seven-year-old son, Hudson. Keller revealed in an interview that he is just happy to still be here, saying "I feel great. I'm lucky to be alive." He added that he hopes others won't wait to see their doctor if something doesn't feel right. Related Article: Illinois Dad of 3 Dies After Falling Into Vat of 1,500C Molten Iron, Where His Body Split in Half This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions On June 15 Apple announced that their limited series Five Days at Memorial would debut globally on August 12th. The story is based on actual events from Hurricane Katrina, and about the exhausted caregivers at a New Orleans hospital who were forced to make heart-wrenching decisions amidst the storms aftermath. Today Apple released its official trailer. Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana was heavily damaged when Hurricane Katrina struck on August 29, 2005. In the aftermath of the storm, even though the building had no electricity and went through catastrophic flooding after the levees failed, Dr. Anna Pou, along with other doctors and nurses, attempted to continue caring for patients. Verma Farmiga plays Dr. Anna Pou in Five Days at Memorial On September 11, 2005, 45 bodies were recovered from Memorial Medical Center. In July 2006, a Louisiana judge found probable cause to order the arrest of Pou and two nurses for second degree murder in the deaths of several of the patients, following a nearly year-long investigation by the office of Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti. A year later a grand jury in Orleans Parish refused to indict Pou on any of the counts. Eventually, the charges were expunged and the State of Louisiana paid Pou's legal fees. For more, read the entry from Wikipedia. Archive: Apple TV News GOIL Plc, the only Ghanaian major in the downstream petroleum sector improved its performance in 2021 by posting a profit after tax of GH 98.74 million. This is nine per cent higher compared to that of 2020. In view of this, a final dividend of GH0.047 per share was declared. This was a marginal increase from the previous years figure of GH0.045. The companys total assets also increased from GHC2.1 billion in 2020 to GHC2.5 billion in the year under review. The Board Chairman of GOIL, Reginald Daniel Laryea, announced this at the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company held in Accra last Wednesday. The AGM which was held virtually was joined by shareholders both in the country and abroad, who accessed, voted and passed various resolutions proposed by the board. Volume of sales Mr Laryea said the volume of fuel sales reached approximately 886.6 million litres representing about 11 per cent above that of the previous year. The performance was higher than the industry average of nine per cent, he said. According to him, the biggest contribution to sales revenue was the performance of diesel and Super, especially Super XP RON 95. He said the mix of other products, including lubricants and specialised sales to specific industries such as the mines and bunkering, achieved mixed results but their contribution to the bottom-line was positive. On Corporate Social Responsibility, the Board Chairman said the company remained committed to identifying the needs of deprived communities and organisations by providing them with potable water, health and sanitation facilities to improve the well-being and quality of lives of the disadvantaged. Outlook Regarding the outlook for the company, Mr Laryea said the board was confident that the bold initiatives, especially, the LPG & Bitumen plants, alongside its determination to find a suitable partner to replace Ezzon Mobil in the upstream endeavours were game-changers that would definitely propel GOIL to the next level. Answering questions on the Bitumen plant, the Group Managing Director of the company, Kwame Osei Prempeh, said production would start test run in July, and full production would begin in August this year to enable the company to start enjoying the benefits of its investment. The Chief Operating Officer, Alex Josiah Adzew, also said over 240 GOIL service stations now accepted the use of Mobile Money, Go Cards and Visa Cards as modes of payment. He gave the assurance that efforts were being made to ensure that all the GOIL service stations nationwide operate cashless to avoid rampant robbery attacks at service stations. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The United Arab Emirates will build a new Red Sea port in Sudan as part of a $6 billion investment package, DAL group chairman Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a partner in the deal, told Reuters. Abdellatif said the package includes a free trade zone, a large agricultural project and an imminent $300 million deposit to Sudan's central bank, which would be the first such deposit since an October military takeover. Western donors suspended billions in aid and investment to Sudan after the coup, plunging an economy that was already struggling into further turmoil and depriving the government of much-needed foreign currency. Ibrahim told Reuters on Wednesday that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the UAE for a port and agricultural project, but the details have not previously been reported. The finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on details of the deal. The $4 billion port, a joint project between DAL group and Abu Dhabi Ports, owned by Abu Dhabi's holding company ADQ, would be able to handle all kinds of commodities and compete with the country's main national port, Port Sudan, Abdellatif said. Located about 200 km (124 miles) north of Port Sudan, it would also include a free trade and industrial zone modelled after Dubai's Jebel Ali, as well as a small international airport, he said. The project is in "advanced stages," with studies and designs complete, he said. Rumours of Gulf investments in Port Sudan, and in agricultural projects elsewhere in the country, have in the past stirred opposition and sometimes protests. Port Sudan has long been plagued with infrastructure challenges and was shut by a political blockade for six weeks late last year, losing business from major international shippers. The UAE deal also includes the $1.6 billion expansion and development of an agricultural project by Abu Dhabi conglomerate IHC and DAL Agriculture in the town of Abu Hamad in northern Sudan, Abdellatif said. Alfalfa, wheat, cotton, sesame, and other crops would be grown and processed on the 400,000 acres of leased land, he said. A $450 million, 500 km (310 mile) toll road connecting the project to the port would be built as well, financed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. Under the agreement, the Fund would also make a deposit of $300 million to the Central Bank of Sudan, Abdellatif said. Abdellatif said the agreement was reached initially in July 2021, under a civilian-led transitional government. Two sources from the former cabinet, who asked not to be named, said a different version of the deal had been reviewed last year but ultimately did not move to a vote due to reservations. Two high-level current Sudanese officials told Reuters the outlines of the new deal had been agreed between Sudanese leader General Abdelfattah al-Burhan and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed during a recent visit to the Gulf state. In a disclosure to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange on Tuesday, Abu Dhabi Ports said it had "not signed any agreements in relation to a joint project to build a port in Sudan," but added: "there are preliminary discussions taking place with the relevant authorities in Sudan." Representatives for ADQ, the Abu Dhabi Fund, IHC, and the Abu Dhabi and UAE governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Ourselves and our partners in the UAE, we have already invested in a bank, a hotel, mining," said Abdellatif, whose conglomerate has also bid for control of one of Sudan's largest telecom companies, Zain Sudan. "The UAE wants a stable Sudan so they can do more and more of these investments, but we are not waiting for everything to be perfect," he added. After the military ousted Omar al-Bashir in 2019 following popular protests, the UAE and Saudi Arabia pledged a combined $3 billion in grants and in-kind aid to Sudan, which military and civilian leaders say was not delivered in full. Source: Reuters Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As part of efforts to mark this years ResponsibAll Day in Ghana, Pernod Ricard, No.2 worldwide producer of Wines and Spirits, in partnership with A Rocha Ghana, has planted 2400 trees to help restore a degraded mining lands site at Sagyimase, next the Atewa Forest, in the Eastern Region. ResponsibAll Day is a day set aside each year by the Pernod Ricard group, for its workers globally, to engage in an activity that is dedicated to its Sustainability & Responsibility 2030 roadmap Good Times from a Good Place, and to have a real impact in the community. This years ResponsibAll Day commemorated under the theme, Helping to Protect and Restore Nature and Biodiversity, saw the Pernod Ricard Ghana team plant trees to help restore the deteriorated former galamsey site into normalcy. Commenting on the restoration and tree planting exercise, Sustainability and Responsibility Manager for Pernod Ricard Ghana and Western Africa, Eunice Osei-Tutu, said move to plant trees was based on one of the four pillars of the companys 2030 roadmap dubbed Nurturing Terroirs. She noted that the exercise directly supported the United Nations SDGs 13, 15 and 17. Our 2030 sustainability and responsibility roadmap has four pillars. The first one is Nurturing Terroirs, referring to all the sustainability actions that we take around nature and the environment. Todays project is under this pillar. In manufacturing our icon products, we use over a hundred ingredients that we source from over 65 countries worldwide and all these ingredients depend on a florishing ecosystem to continue to thrive, she explained. She added For our business to continue to be sustainable, we need to ensure that all those terroirs are nurtured and of course, we humans depend on these terroirs to continue to live and so that is why this year, that theme was chosen. According to Madam Osei-Tutu, the total target for the tree planting exercise was twelve and a half acres of which nine and a half acres have already been leveled with different species of plants planted on the land. She further noted that Pernod Ricard is committed to ensuring that the tree-planting project is sustained to fulfill its intended purpose. Thus, A Rocha Ghana, partner of the project, will continue to survey the land, maintain the plants and replant dead plants when necessary. This is a former mine site, so no edible crop should be grown on it for at least 10 years. We are going to monitor these trees for at least the next 10 years to ensure the land has been fully restored to its normalcy before any farming activity can continue on it. Our job with A Rocha doesnt end here, it is going to continue to ensure that these trees are properly managed and nurtured. For his part, Deputy National Director of A Roche Ghana, Daryl Bosu, commended Pernod Ricard Ghana for taking an initiative to help protect and restore nature. I believe it is a good initiative and we encourage all to support that. As you know, some of these sites have become toxic prone and also dangerous for most communities and the government is looking for the ways and resources to restore them. I believe that if we can have more companies owning up to do things like Pernod Ricard, we are going to see a lot more improvement, he said. He added that if we dont restore this site, farmers will come here again and try to plant crops and in no time all the chemicals in the land will find its way into our food chain. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video MANZINI - Some traditional leaders hold the view that polygamy can stop intimate partner violence. Infact, they implored emaSwati to revert to the old way of life. The traditional leaders said such could be the solution to end intimate partner violence (IPV) in the country. This was during the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) meeting with traditional leaders which took place at The George Hotel yesterday. Basics According to the traditional leaders, emaSwati ought to go back to the basics and readopt their culture, which instilled respect in the home. They mentioned that one of these ways was polygamy, which reduced intimate partner violence in the home. Luhleko Indvuna William Mangwe was of the view that living double standards was what contributed to intimate partner violence. He said emaSwati practised both the civil and traditional way of life. Mangwe mentioned that these two things did not mix. The indvuna highlighted that the civil culture had put emaSwati in a dilemma. Our children nowadays grow up knowing that when they are in a relationship with a man, they believe that they should be the only one in that love affair. This is the modern culture, which promotes that you can take one partner, and a child grows up with that mentality, he relayed. However, he said in the previous Eswatini culture, a woman knew that a man could marry as many wives and that would not bother her. Mangwe said life continued easily without any violence. On the other hand, he stated that in modern relationships, when a man added another woman in the relationship, quarrels erupted. Mangwe was of the view that it boiled down to civil culture only permitting a husband to have one wife, and this became a problem because the wife would have issues when her husband was involved with another woman. Our culture says even if a wife has been kissed by another man, the husband should still sleep with his wife at night, he said. Mangwe further mentioned that in an earlier presentation, they had been advised that if a husband got into a fight with his wife, he should go out and get some fresh air. However, he wondered what should be done if the quarrel started at night. The traditional leader elaborated that in yesteryears, when a man had three wives and had a quarrel with one of them, he would go and visit the other wife. He said the wife who had a quarrel with her husband would consider carefully about what she had done to chase her husband away. Likewise, he said if the other wife started a fight, the husband would visit the third wife. Modern On the other hand, in modern culture you find that a month will elapse without solving the problem. And that then results in the loss of life. SiSwati was better in that regard. There is a clash in these two cultures, he emphasised. Ndabazabantu Luke Mavimbela questioned how many lives were lost from cases of IPV in the past, compared to nowadays. He recalled that there were less killings in the past and this was because respect was instilled in the home. A husband used to respect his wife and wives respected their husbands, he submitted. Mavimbela mentioned that one of the real issues that caused IPV were drinking spots that sold alcohol in communities. He was of the notion that this led to deaths because once people were offended while intoxicated, they ended up stabbing their partners. The traditional leader stated that SWAGAA had advised that when a man was offended by his wife, he should go out to get fresh air. Untouchable But I say in the past when you had a fight with your wife, she would run to endlini kagogo and she was untouchable there as she was protected, he said. He went on to say even when a husband had a quarrel with his wife, he went to sleep at kagogo until the anger subsided. Mavimbela stated that they were taught that when there was a fight, the wifes forgiveness would be seen when she brought a container with emahewu. He said the husband would drink it and return to his house. Chief Khisimusi Ndlovu suggested that young people in schools should be educated about the Eswatini culture at a tender age. He mentioned that the youth had lost respect for the elderly and their traditional leaders. Ndlovu said if the education on culture was done in schools, violence would be reduced. He expressed that they had a challenge as traditional leaders in that they summoned the youth at royal kraals but they did not heed to their calls. The Ghana National Gas Company has debunked claims that its outfit is biased and not committed to the implementation of developmental projects in the western region. This comes at the back of some claims made by Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the member of parliament for Ellembelle in the western region. Kofi Buah's Claims Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, in an interview last week refuted claims by the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) that it has pitched many projects in the Western Region. According to the former Minister for Energy and Petroleum, he, and other MPs (Member of Parliament) in the Nzema area were not against dotting of projects by Ghana National Gas Company across the country but were concerned about the Corporate Social Responsibility of the Company in the seven operating Districts in the Western Region. Ghana Gas Rebuttal Reacting to his claims at a press conference in Accra, Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah, the head of corporate affairs at Ghana Gas Company said residents particularly in the Nzema area in the western region have benefitted greatly from the company's operations. In terms of social, development and institutional support, Ghana gas has supported district assemblies as well as rehabilitation of primary and secondary schools and also providing educational infrastructure, renovating hospitals, organizing training and giving scholarships in the Axim area and many others, he disclosed. He further added that Ghana gas as a state-owned institution remains committed to ensuring that development is paramount in all their corporate social responsibilities to help bring a change in society and improve communities. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A nine-day trip around the Democratic Republic of Congo awaits the return of the remains of independence hero Patrice Lumumba whose coffin returns to the country on Wednesday. A gold-crowned tooth is all that remains of Mr Lumumba who was shot dead by a firing squad in 1961 and his body dissolved in acid. The plane carrying the coffin will land in the capital, Kinshasa, from Brussels - where the former colonial power returned the tooth to Mr Lumumba's family. The coffin will then tour the vast country, including the village where Mr Lumumba was born before the tooth is taken to a newly built mausoleum in Kinshasa. The tour is expected to be emotionally charged, according to the AFP news agency. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has said the government has so far released GHS278.57 this year under its flagship programme Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and is working to avert the issue of shortage of fertilizers under the programme. Mr Speaker, at the end of 2021 an amount of GH86.31 million was outstanding, under the PFJ programme. This amount has now been released to MOFA for payment. This year, MOFA has requested an amount of GHS485.90 million for payment under the PFJ programme. An amount of GHS278.57 million has subsequently been released to MOFA. Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Finance has over the last five years (2017-2021) made budgetary provisions to enable the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to allocate funds to cover all its programmes and projects, including the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme. During this period, there has been, a cumulative release of GH2.47 billion to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to pay for commitments under this programme, the Minister said. Mr Ofori-Atta was responding to a question posed by Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa East, Godfred Seidu on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, regarding when the Ministry of Finance will issue financial clearance to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to clear the large debt owed partners and suppliers to ensure availability of subsidized fertilizer under governments much-touted PFJ programme. The Minister said the problem of shortage of fertilizer under the programme occasioned by the geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine is one thing that the government is working assiduously to resolve and is doing so starting with the disbursement of GHS278.57 million out of the GHS485.90 million requested by the Ministry for Food and Agriculture for the programme. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has tasked the Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, to do everything within his power to save Ghana from threats of food crisis in the midst of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukrainian war. The King observed that the country, more than ever, would need the Minister and his ministry to put in place measures that would boost food production and save the people from any imminent threats of hunger. Addressing the Minister and his encourage at the Manhyia Palace when the Minister paid a courtesy call on him as part of a five day working visits, the Asanhene praised the Minister for his excellent job during the first four years of the NPP administration, particularly the introduction of the flagship Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, which had ensured that the country achieved self-suffiency in food production and a bread basket for the West African sub-region. The Minister and his entourage had been on working visits to five regions, namely Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Ashanti and the Eastern Regions. The Asantehene in his address, stressed that the advent of COVID-19 and recently, the Russsian-Ukrainian war had dealt major blow to governments across the globe, with Ghana not an exception. According to him, those crises had had economic and political consequences, adding that in the case of Ghana, major policies and programmes had been affected as a result. "The Planting for Food and Jobs programme which you championed was very successful in the first four years, food was in abundance and we were even exporting to neighbouring countries. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 and now the war between Russia and Ukraine have had serious consequences on the gains made over the years, " Otumfuo observed. He added, "now governments agenda has been seriously affected and these have consequentially impacted farmers and their farming activities, fertilisers and other farming inputs have become very expensive and in some cases, not even available. The world is going through serious economic challenges." The Asantehene noted however, that those challenges, notwithstanding, should not be an excuse for government and for that matter, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture not to deliver on its mandate to the people of Ghana. "I am charging you to go and work hard so that Ghanaians can benefit from all the skills you acquired in your academic journey, your competence is not in doubt, you have done it before and I know you will put in place, measures to save the country from plundering into food crisis," the Asantehene emphasized. He said he was very happy that the Minister and his team decided not to sit in Accra and take reports from their officials, but rather chose to embark on the working visits to see things for themselves. "I am happy to learn that you have been to the field to see things for yourselves. This will help you make informed decisions about the way forward in the midst of the challenges" he noted. No imminent food crisis The Minister, for his part, assured the Asantehene and the people of Ghana that despite the global challenges, the country did not face food insecurity. The Minister said he had observed during the course of his visit, that farmers in the country had produced enough to feed the country and even export surpluses to neighbouring countries. The challenges, according to the Minister, had to do with the recent increases in fuel prices, which had pushed the cost of transporting food items from farm gates to the market centres, resulting in hikes in prices of food items. "Otumfuo I can assure you that farmers in Ghana have worked and continue to work hard in order to ensure there is enough food to consume and even export. From our visits to various fields, we can confidently state that we have abundant food supply but what the farmers are complaining about is lack of markets for their produce due to hikes in prices, the minister noted and was hopeful that conditions would normalise so that prices would start coming down for Ghanaians to enjoy some relief. Alternatives Dr Akoto also pointed out that in lieu of the global shortage of fertilisers, the Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is looking at other alternative means of supporting farmers to increase productivity. He said currently, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had had fruitful meetings with some local producers and suppliers of organic fertilisers to address the imbalances created in the supply of inorganic fertilisers as a result of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Cathedral Board of Trustees Member and Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, has asserted that no woman should condone domestic abuse. She believes the act is unacceptable and that woman doesnt deserves to go through such pain and humiliation. Speaking to Eunice Tornyi on e.TV Ghanas African Womens Voices, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, said First and foremost you should report this to your parents and if it gets too violent report it to the police because there has to be some restraint if youre being beaten because no woman should accept domestic violence. According to her, woman is prone to take it likely the first time it happens as they may probably think the man is too angry but if it happens twice and thrice they should not accept it for the sake of their health and for the sake of the man. If you continue to accept it one day if he beats you and kills you he becomes a murderer, so do not accept it. Also, I think that the church is now taking these things seriously and I know other female organized institutions who are even making room for domestically abused wives to move away from the home to a shelter where they are provided with care and so on she said. The woman of God further noted, if the marriage is dealt with and later the woman goes home after counseling, the man also needs to be helped to overcome the anger problem that makes him violent. Citing the late Nigerian gospel musician Osinachi who lost her life as result of domestic violence from her husband, Dr. Aryeestated that, it became such a big issue to the extent that now a lot of people here in Ghana who are suffering from it are coming out to seek help. So its a good thing her case became such a major issue and that it was located even in the church. So I think God wants us to deal with it and thats why he brought it out because if he didnt it wouldnt have become a church matter and I dont think we should accept it she emphasized. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister for Justice and Attorney-General (AG), Godfred Yeboah Dame has urged the newly-sworn-in members of the board of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to declare their assets. The AG was speaking at the swearing-in of the board of the OSP on Tuesday, 21 June 2022, in Accra. He called on members the board to declare their assets in accordance with Article 286 of the 1992 constitution, which requires that public office holders declare their assets. The AG also stressed on the dire consequences of the failure of the board to declare their assets. I entreat you to be mindful of the duties and liabilities of a member of the board under section 7 of Act 959. A violation of this provision will result in cessation of your membership on the board, the AG said. He added: May I also remind you of your very important obligation to declare your assets in accordance with article 286 of the Constitution as well as the disclosure of interest obligation under section 10 of Act 959, whenever a member of the board has an interest in any matter coming up for consideration. Faithful adherence to these simple duties holds far-reaching implications for your record in public life. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Supreme Court has for the third time deferred its judgment in the suit challenging the Spousal Salaries approval case before it. The apex court had earlier fixed May 4 but was later adjourned to today, Wednesday, June 22. However, when the parties appeared they were informed that the case has been adjourned to July 27, 2022. The Members of Parliament for South Dayi Rockson Dafeamakpor and Builsa South, Clement Apaak and Nii Fredrick Commey filed the suit at the Supreme Court to challenge the payment of emoluments to the spouses of the President and Vice President. On Wednesday, May 4, when the matter came up for judgment, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie said, he has the permission of the panel to adjourn the case because the judgment is not ready. Background On July 7, 2021, the two NDC legislators and Fredrick Nii Commey filed the writ praying the Apex Court to rule that the Professor Ntiamoah-Baidu-led Committee mandated to recommend the salaries, allowances payable to Article 71 officeholders, acted unconstitutionally by recommending that Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Mrs Samira Bawumia receive pay just as Cabinet Ministers. The plaintiffs argued that according to a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, 1992, spouses of the President and the Vice President are not Article 71 office holders for the purposes of receipt of wages and emoluments. They, therefore, want such a recommendation by the Committee to be null and void. Article 71 officer holders Article 71 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution states that salaries and allowances of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary paid from the Consolidated Fund, would be determined by the President, on the recommendations of a committee of not more than five persons appointed by him and acting upon the advice of the Council of State. Article 71 named public office holders who qualify as; the President, the Vice-President, the chairman, and the other members of the Council of State; Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers. In January last year, Parliament approved the Prof. Baidu Ntiamoah Committees report recommending emoluments for the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislature. It also made provisions for the spouses of the President and Vice President. The move to formalise the payment of salaries to the First Lady and the wife of the Vice President has gained massive attention on social media with many condemning the decision. Reliefs The plaintiffs are seeking the following reliefs: 1. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana under Article 71(1), only had jurisdiction to make recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of Article 71 office holders under the 1992 Constitution. 2. A further declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee had no jurisdiction, mandate or authority to make any recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of persons other than persons specified under Article 71 of 1992 Constitution. 3. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee exceeded its jurisdiction, mandate and authority when it purported to make recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana. 4. A further declaration that the recommendations of the Committee, to the extent that it pertains to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana, are null, void and of no effect. 5. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, 1992, spouses of the President and the Vice President are not Article 71 office holders for the purposes of receipt of wages and emoluments. 6. An order declaring the recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries, and allowances payable to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana as unconstitutional and void. 7. An order restraining the President of the Republic of Ghana or any other arm, ministry, department, or agency of the executive, from implementing any recommendations of the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee which pertains to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana. 8. Any further Order (s) or direction(s) as this Honourable Court may deem necessary to make. Source: starr fm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister, has mentioned that a concerted effort is needed to implement sustainable policies for the youth as a national development agenda. He noted that it was imperative in empowering the youth to be economically independent through creation of employment avenues to address the high rate of unemployment. The Regional Minister mentioned this during a graduation ceremony for over 400 artisans under the Ghana Employment Agency (GEA) and the Young Africa Works Project at Oda. He commended the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) for the delivery mechanism in implementing the Young Africa Works Project that considered all the facets of youth entrepreneurship. The facets of youth entrepreneurship include; Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE), Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship, and Business Acceleration and it is estimated to equip over 39,000 young men and women with dignified jobs. The Minister noted that the "YOUSTART" Programme which would be launched in July, would support young people to nurture and grow their dream businesses. The rollout of free Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) has not only resulted in an unprecedented enrollment of over 45,000 students but also seen an increase in the number of TVET schools from 47 to 200. He called on parents and guardians to embrace the TVET as a worthy career programme for their wards and not an alternative to any other. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed an application filed by founder and Chief Executive Officer of defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien, seeking special leave of the court to file an appeal before it. The application was seeking leave of the court pursuant to Rule 7 of the Supreme Court Rules to file an appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal dismissing his appeal against the High Court admitting an unsigned minute of a meeting held by the executive committee and some board members of the defunct bank. Ato Essien is on trial with the defunct banks former Managing Director, Fitzgerald Odonkor, as well as Tetteh Nettey, a former Managing Director of MC Management Services owned by Mr. Essien, for conspiracy to steal and stealing charges. The charges relate to the accused persons allegedly stealing from the GH620 million Bank of Ghana gave as liquidity support to the defunct bank which was struggling to meet its obligations to its customers. The trial court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, on April 7, 2022, admitted the minutes as well as other documents which were all attached to the witness statement of Fitzgerald Odonkor, when he opened his defence in the trial. Baffour Gyau Bonsu Ashia, counsel for Ato Essien had objected to the tendering of the minutes which were not signed, arguing that its admission could be injurious to his clients defence. He later filed an appeal against the decision as well as a stay of proceedings pending the determination of the appeal. The application for stay of proceedings was dismissed by the trial court, and he repeated it at the Court of Appeal, which was also dismissed. The Court of Appeal also dismissed the appeal challenging the admission of the unsigned minutes of the board into evidence. His lawyer subsequently filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking leave to file an appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, which was opposed by Marina Appiah Opare, a Chief State Attorney. A five-member panel of the court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse and assisted by Justices Nene Amegatcher, Nii Ashie Kotey, Gertrude Torkornoo and Yonny Kulendi, held that there was nothing in the application to convince the court to grant the accused person leave to file an appeal against the decision of the court. Mr. Ashia subsequently withdrew the application seeking stay of proceedings pending the determination of the first application and it was struck out as withdrawn. Meanwhile, Justice Nene Amegatcher was not impressed with the way some lawyers are filing interlocutory applications just to frustrate the prosecution of financial and corruption related crimes. He said it is in the interest of the country for such cases to be tried expeditiously, making references to Nigeria where such cases are often done within three months. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video MBABANE President of the Witchdoctors Association of Eswatini Makhanya Mankhanya says Christian men age faster, which is why they feel 60 years is too old to have children. This was in response to an article published by this publication yesterday where Pastor Machuzu Gama stated that men who were above the age 60 years should not impregnate or marry. Gama said this during a visit by the Portfolio committee for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the House of Assembly, in an event held at Mcozini Primary School hall, Mkhiweni on Saturday. According to Makhanya, the narrative by the pastor would only apply to Christian men as they did not believe in consistently checking their health through consultation with traditional healers and cleansing through administering enema (kucatseka). Demonic These people think checking ones health through consultations with traditional healers is demonic, hence they view 60 years as being too old to start a family. It is funny though that the Bible then contradicts with the statement as Abraham was 100 years old when God blessed him with a child. 60 years is actually young, especially to the Swati men who take good care of themselves through the constant visitation to traditional healers and administering anema.At this age, people can still have the opportunity to get married and have children of their own, which would help in increasing the number of emaSwati in the world, Makhanya said. He mentioned that due to religious beliefs which the pastors had inherited from western cultures, they saw some of the practices which initially would be helpful to their well-being as a sin, which was why they then tend to look older than they actually were. Some of the things seen as sin in the western culture, which they adopted, are ways emaSwati have been using for years to better their health and livelihood. It has worked for generations and has proven to be useful as our forefathers were able to not only live a bit longer than us but also live a healthier and more fulfilling life. That is why even at age 60 they still were able to get married and have children, he said. Right Pastor Bakhe Dlamini stated that age in family creation did not matter but the physical and emotional strength of people determined their ability to do so. He said people had the right to live life as they felt was suitable for them. He mentioned that there were a number of people in the Bible who also had children after the age 60 which was proof that biblically, people were allowed to have children at any age as long as they were capable of doing so. If you are at the age of 60 years and you still feel you can start a family or have children, it is within your right to do so. Biblically, people like Abraham were proof that age really did not matter as he got a child at 100 years. This shows that if one is still physically and emotionally capable of taking care of their family, they can start a family at any age, he said. A pastor who requested to remain anonymous also shared the same sentiments with Pastor Bakhe. He said he differed in option though with Makhanya as he did not think that Christian men aged a lot faster than traditional ones. He said this was because Christianity was a belief which meant that one could be Christian and also take good care of themselves. Such comments from the pastors have given this calling a bad reputation. This is because these pastors tend to make their opinions as though it is what the Bible says. This is just an opinion from a pastor who has not taken time to educate himself on such topics. Some of us got married after 60 years and do not have regrets as even our Bible permits it. Marriage is so much more than just sexual intercourse but companionship, which has no age limit. This is just a personal choice and people, including pastors, should learn to respect peoples choices and not use the Bible to drive their own opinions as it then implies that we as pastors all think as such, he said. Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, former Minister of Finance under the erstwhile NDC government of President John Evans Atta Mills, has intervened to support the renovation of a dilapidated basic school in the Anloga district of the Volta region in line with his Ghanaian dream of seeing every child in Ghana go to school under the best learning and teaching conditions. His intervention comes through the support of the Duffuor Foundation, a charity he founded, in partnering with the Livingstone Foundation as part of a private partnership to renovate the dilapidated school in fulfilment of their shared belief in supporting childrens education in the basic level. The business mogul went on a road trip to the school last Friday where he expressed shock at the deplorable state of the schools facilities and pledged to immediately contribute to giving the school a face-lift to enhance teaching and learning. The dilapidated Trekume basic school which serves about seven different communities including Tregui, Trekume, Dosukope, Blemezado, Azanu among others, hasnt been renovated since its establishment than 30 years ago. The school has a growing population of about 350 pupils but with the existing deplorable structures, the students now share the compound with wild birds and other rodents because parts of the floors and walls have developed deep cracks and the partly ripped-off windows and roofs cannot allow teaching and learning during the rains. Dr. Duffuors timely intervention came in response to appeals from the Headmaster of the school, Mr. Isaac Boni who rang the alarm bells that the schools infrastructural situation is a looming disaster even as it negatively affects the current academic performance of the pupils. We are not happy with what we have seen here. Our children should have a more decent environment to stay in and learn and I think we can change this situation - it must be done Dr. Duffuor told the community at a groundbreaking ceremony to start renovations and repair work on the school. The former governor of the bank of Ghana said the initiative falls in line with his Ghanaian Dream vision which aims at giving equal opportunities to the Ghanaian people in every aspect of our lives including the right to quality education. We are reminding ourselves that the situation we have seen today is deplorable and something must be done about it. The Ghanaian Dream means that everyone must be given equal opportunities; we have children staying in air-conditioned classrooms somewhere in Ghana here and we have our children in dilapidated classrooms here (Trekume basic school) but they will be taking the same exams. How will these children here achieve the same results as those in the nice environments, Dr. Duffour questioned rhetorically. Repair work on the 6-unit primary classroom block, another 3-unit JHS block will be completed within one year from now. In addition to the repair works, new ancillary facilities will also be added to the school to make it a state-of-the-art facility. Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), rumoured to be lacing his boot for the NDC 2024 flag bearer contest, also recently came up with another private initiative dubbed the Ahoto business project which is meant to financially empower and bring relief to NDC party executives in all 275 constituencies across the country as part of his bigger vision of a Ghanaian Dream. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Residents of Assin Aboabo Camp has debunked a malicious news item targeted at the Deputy Education Minister, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour purporting that he has abandoned his constituents. Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, who doubles as Member of Parliament for Assin South constituency, is also said to have failed to construct better roads for them. But a rebuttal by the Aboabo Camp residents highlights that the MP cum Deputy Minister's interaction with the constituents is superb. According to the residents, he has been making frequent visits to his people and on the issue of the road network at the constituency, he has an impeccable record. "The road construction record of our Member of Parliament in the Constituency remains the best since independence. Currently, a total of 120km of various roads are being sealed with bituminous surfacing across the constituency. "...it is a palpable falsehood to contend that MP has not been visiting the constituency since he was voted for by the good people of the Assin South Constituency. Our MP is always with us and regularly visits our communities. As a matter of record, his most recent visit to the constituency was on Friday, 17 June to Sunday 19 June 2022 when he visited flood victims and flood points on ongoing road projects. Upon his visit, he took urgent action to get Departmentof Feeder Roads and contractors to fix critical culverts as a matter of urgency", portions of a statement by the residents read. Read full statement below: OUR MP IS THE BEST SO FAR: ASSIN ABOABO CAMP RESIDENTS COMMEND HON NTIM FORDJOUR The attention of Aboabo Camp residents and communities within the electoral area has been drawn to a malicious news item on Ghanaweb.com purported to have orginated from an Angelonline.com.gh source on Sunday 19 June 2022. In the said publication, several inaccurate information has been made and it is imperative to speak to the fact to debunk the falsehood and conjectures which have been spread by the writer. Contrary to the allegations against our erudite hardworking Member of Parliament Rev John Ntim Fordjour who doubles as Deputy Minister for Education, we sharply refute those allegations without equivocation. The road construction record of our Member of Parliament in the Constituency remains the best since independence. Currently, a total of 120km of various roads are being sealed with bituminous surfacing across the constituency. First of all, it is a palpable falsehood to contend that MP has not been visiting the constituency since he was voted for by the good people of the Assin South Constituency. Our MP is always with us and regularly visits our communities. As a matter of record, his most recent visit to the constituency was on Friday, 17 June to Sunday 19 June 2022 when he visited flood victims and flood points on ongoing road projects. Upon his visit, he took urgent action to get Departmentof Feeder Roads and contractors to fix critical culverts as a matter of urgency. Specifically on February, 4th 2022 on a tour, the MP and his entourage went to the Aboabo camp enclave where he visited these communities; Brahabebome, Aboabo Camp, Nyamebekyere, Dwinase, Jerusalem Ningo, Akweteykrom No2 and Nkwantanan. At Brahabebome, the MP inspected the completion of installed street solar lights under the MPs operation to brighten your corner program. Also at Akweteykrom No. 2, the MP inspected the completion of a three units classroom block that hitherto was not available and posed a serious academic problem for the student in other adjoining communities and hampered teaching and learning. My first day at school was celebrated with educational items shared with students. It is also a grieving act of mischief for anyone to suggest that the road network in the Aboabo camp is left unattended to. As we speak, the 32km Bitumen surfacing road from Twifo Praso to Assin Adiembra is currently ongoing. That stretch involves communities within the Aboabo camp enclave. It is therefore surprising to learn from the publication that that stretch of the road is in poor condition and abandoned. It is the first time in many years these roads in that area is receiving such a major surface lift. And it is only appropriate to commend the efforts of the hard working Honorable Member of parliament who also doubles as the Deputy Education Minister, Rev John Ntim Fordjour for the many interventions being rolled out under his tenure to ensure the development of the Assin South Constituency. We wish to set the records straight and urge the general public to disregard any such mischievous publication that casts a slurr on the impeccable record of our hardworking selfless MP Hon Rev Ntim Fordjour who is our best MP so far. Record Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said the National Cathedral project continues to drown in a sea of naked lies. According to the MP, "Incorporation documents I have obtained from the Registrar General exposes another false claim contained in the 7-page June 17, 2022 press release by the National Cathedral Secretariat and signed by Executive Director, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah. Contrary to the information provided in the said press statement (see page 5) and on the Nicodemusly updated national cathedral website (after we exposed the Pastor Otabil deception), to the effect that all the Board of Trustees have been registered as Directors of the National Cathedral of Ghana; we note surprisingly, that the venerable Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Group of Churches and the esteemed Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo, Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church were not registered as directors on the incorporation date of 18th July, 2019. The two revered clergymen have at all material times been clearly left out, and substituted with the following names: Samuel Antwi and Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah. Why then is the National Cathedral Secretariat misleading the Ghanaian public and the world that all the published trustees are registered as directors?" In a Facebook post, Ablakwa said The list of falsehoods, misrepresentations, opacity, lawlessness and blatant corruption associated with this cathedral project is now a bottomless pit". Christians in Ghana may have to declare a 40-day intense fasting and prayer to purge and rescue Akufo-Addos drowning cathedral of lies, Mr. Ablakwa wrote on his Facebook wall. Read the full post below Akufo-Addos Cathedral continues to drown in a sea of naked lies. Incorporation documents I have obtained from the Registrar General exposes another false claim contained in the 7-page June 17, 2022 press release by the National Cathedral Secretariat and signed by Executive Director, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah. Contrary to the information provided in the said press statement (see page 5) and on the Nicodemusly updated national cathedral website (after we exposed the Pastor Otabil deception), to the effect that all the Board of Trustees have been registered as Directors of the National Cathedral of Ghana; we note surprisingly, that the venerable Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Group of Churches and the esteemed Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo, Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church were not registered as directors on the incorporation date of 18th July, 2019. The two revered clergymen have at all material times been clearly left out, and substituted with the following names: Samuel Antwi and Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah. Why then is the National Cathedral Secretariat misleading the Ghanaian public and the world that all the published trustees are registered as directors? One wonders if Bishop Dag Heward-Mills and Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo are aware that despite the public misrepresentations, their names have been patently omitted from the list of eminent registered directors? Another troubling falsehood we have detected is that even though the June 17 press release claims that the National Cathedral of Ghana is a state-owned company and thus a public and not a private entity, the incorporation documents in our possession reveals rather curiously that the National Cathedral of Ghana is registered as PRIVATE (see evidence attached). The list of falsehoods, misrepresentations, opacity, lawlessness and blatant corruption associated with this cathedral project is now a bottomless pit. Christians in Ghana may have to declare a 40-day intense fasting and prayer to purge and rescue Akufo-Addos drowning cathedral of lies. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, a former Minister of Energy, has kicked against any future appointment under the Akufo-Addo-led government following his dismissal as a minister in August 2018. His dismissal was linked to some negotiations he led regarding the controversial power purchase agreement between the government of Ghana and the Africa Middle East Resources Investment (AMERI). According to him, he wants to use his time out of government to pursue his own presidential ambition. Speaking on Asempa FMs Ekosii Sen show on Monday, June 20, Boakye Agyarko noted that he deserves to be Ghanas next president, which dream he is committing fully to, although many people kicked against it initially. I am pursuing my own presidential ambition, for which a lot of people kicked against right from the beginning. I will not abandon it to go and do any other thing. Look, I am focused on what I have to do for myself and my nation. That is my focus. If you serve with all your strength and the person doesnt appreciate it, you move on. If I cannot give something a hundred percent, I will not do it. My father once again taught me [that] things done by halves are never done right. If this [being the presidential candidate] is my focus, let me give my hundred percent. Whatever I do in life, I commit myself a hundred percent to not having a look-warm attitude. Im I not deserving of being the flagbearer of the NPP? the 66-year-old first Energy Minister under the Akufo-Addos government quizzed. Background In August 2018, Boakye Agyarko was dismissed by President Akufo-Addo following revelations that the renegotiated AMERI deal was fraught with corruption. President Akufo-Addo has asked Mr Boakye Agyarko to hand over his office to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John Peter Amewu, who will act temporarily as Minister of Energy, until a substantive appointment is made. The President wishes Mr Boakye Agyarko well in his future endeavours, this was contained in the letter issued to sack Boakye Agyarko. With President Akufo-Addo completing his second 4-year mandate in 2024, many are lacing their boots to contest the NPPs upcoming presidential primaries. Apart from Boakye Agyarko, Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Agric, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are also said to be preparing to officially announce their bids to lead the NPP into the next election. Comments Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon is seen during a news conference in Calgary Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has announced multiple cabinet changes following resignations tied to his partys leadership race, with Nixon now taking over permanently as finance minister. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol MBABANE The JSC says the Commercial Court has been established in accordance with the constitution after necessary consultations. This comes after the Law Society of Swaziland (LSS) questioned the constitutionality of the newly-established Commercial Court. According to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the president of the LSS was allegedly asked by the chief justice (CJ), Bheki Maphalala, to make written submissions but he allegedly did not do so. The LSS, which is one of the stakeholders of note in the establishment of the Commercial Court, said they were not consulted as provided for in the Constitution when the court was established. On October 7, 2021, the CJ issued a practice directive in which he detailed how the Commercial Court would operate. The Commercial Court is housed at the Royal Science and Technology Park at Nokwane. In establishing the Commercial Court, Section 150(6) of the Constitution provides that there shall be such divisions of the High Court, consisting of such number of justices respectively as the chief justice may determine after consultation with the minister responsible for justice and the president of the law society. The Commercial Court is a division of the High Court. Invited In a press statement, Acting JSC Secretary Siphiwo Masuku said on March 11, 2022, CJ Maphalala consulted with members of the LSS in his chambers and invited them to make contributions on the establishment of the court. Again, on the last week of March 2022, a further consultation was held between the chief justice and the president of the Law Society where the chief justice reminded the president to make contributions. However, the president did not make any written submissions or any input as requested by the chief justice, said Masuku. The acting JSC secretary said it was important to understand that legally, consultation was an administrative concept and did not mean to seek approval. Accordingly, the Commercial Court has been established in accordance with the Constitution after necessary consultations were done. Be that as it may, the president of the Law Society is still welcome to make contributions, more so because the Commercial Court is still at the infancy stage, reads part of the statement issued by the JSC acting secretary. In the four-page statement, Masuku recounted that in 2020, the World Bank had a meeting with the CJ, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs whereat, the bank emphasised on the importance of the Commercial Court for the ease of doing business. Agreed She said, it was agreed that it was imperative for the Kingdom of Eswatini to establish the Commercial Court as it would attract direct foreign investment if commercial disputes were settled expeditiously. She said, subsequently, the Judiciary budgeted for the establishment of the Commercial Court and the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs was consulted and she made her own input. Masuku further pointed out that on March 11, 2022, the CJ consulted with members of the LSS in his chambers and invited them to make contributions on the establishment of the court. Meanwhile, in March 9, 2022, the LSS wrote to the chief justice concerning the establishment of the commercial court. The commercial court, as a division of the High Court, according the LSS, requires engagement with the law society. The letter to the cj, which was signed by the LSS President, Mangaliso Magagula, stated that the law society was not engaged when the court was established. Engagement with the LSS, said Magagula, was in terms of Section 150 (6) of the Constitution. The section states that the composition and establishment of divisions of the High Court are done by the cj in consultation with the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the president of the LSS. Regrettably, there has been no such consultation with the president of the law society. The views and input of the law profession have, therefore, not been sought. There is a constitutional duty to consult the law society in the establishment and composition of divisions of the High Court, reads the letter to the CJ. The LSS president said they were requesting an opportunity to engage with the chief justice on this matter in order to avoid any controversy about the constitutionality of the establishment of the court.The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs was consulted by the cj regarding the establishment of the commercial court. This is according to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu. The crag Oliana in Spain after the wildfire that devastated the area on 19/06/2022. 'Apocalyptic scenery. Thank god, no one was hurt and the firefighters have done an amazing job, massive thanks for their courage and hard work.' Photo by Patxi Usobiaga archive Wildfires burn Oliana in Spain 22.06.2022 by by Planetmountain Wildfires raging across Spain have also burnt beneath Oliana, one of the most famous crags in the world. Parts of southern Europe are currently locked in a heatwave of unprecedented proportions and Spain, in particular, is being devastated by raging wildfires and soaring temperatures that have forced residents to evacuate their homes and resulted in thousands of hectares of land being destroyed. Unfortunately on Sunday a fire broke out at Oliana, the world-famous crag in Catalonia that hosts some of the hardest sport climbs in the world such as La Dura Dura. Only after a concerted effort did firefighters manage to contain the blaze on Monday morning. Svana Bjarnason, a French climber with Icelandic origins, witnessed the dramatic event unfold. She picks up the story on her IG account "It was still super warm and the wind was reaching 50 km/h so it escalated and travelled quite fast. It quickly reached the forest below the cliff then the cliff itself. For hours the crag was caught in the fire and smoke. Then, because of the wind, the fire went and continued behind the crag. Its not until the next morning that they managed to control and stop the fire." Two days after the fire broke out climbers were allowed to asses the damage and Bjarnason has described what she saw as "Apocalyptic scenery. Thank god, no one was hurt and the firefighters have done an amazing job, massive thanks for their courage and hard work." The local climbers spearheaded by Patxi Usobiaga and Dan Forgeng are currently assessing the damage but the initial reports are as follows "the left part of the wall has been severely altered (from the route Michi), pre-placed quickdraws burned and many holds are now lying on the ground. The first layer of rock is destroyed, its breaking off just by touching it. It would need massive cleaning and rebolting. But the routes will never be the same again. The main and right wall LOOK ok but some holds broke off and are on the ground as well, sometimes huge chunks. Inevitably the rock has been altered by the fire heat on other places. There might be micro cracks, what hasnt broken off today might later, its impossible to know what is now solid or not. I also have no clue of the resistance of the quickdraws and bolts but it seems obvious that its been altered by the fire heat as well." While the local climbers have already launched a crowdfunding campaign to help rebuild the crag, it is worth underlining that climate change is leading to more frequent, earlier and more extreme heatwaves. The issue of wildfires, as climate change PhD student Lena Muller points out, will only be enhanced by the climate crisis. Day 4 of Event #37: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Holdem saw 24 players start the day and only five players make it to the fifth and final day. Action will resume on Wednesday at 4 p.m. local time and although the five remaining players have locked up $301,346, they will all be looking to win the WSOP gold bracelet and the $1,125,141 first-place prize that awaits one of them. Leading the charge is Tyler Gaston, who is searching for his first career bracelet win and is in great position to do so with 64,000,000 chips. Right on his heels is Yuliyan Kolev, a 2021 Online WSOP bracelet winner, who will be looking for his second as he bagged 58,300,000 chips. Day 4 Millionaire Maker Chip Counts Rank Player Country Chip Count Day 5 Big Blinds 1 Tyler Gaston United States 64,000,000 53 2 Yuliyan Kolev Bulgaria 58,300,000 49 3 Oren Rosen Israel 43,000,000 36 4 Yita Choong Australia 22,900,000 19 5 Dominic Brazier United States 10,200,000 9 There was tons of action Day 4 as the 24 remaining players duked it out to make it through the day. The first to be eliminated was Tri Dao when he ran his pocket eights into Kevin Houghton's queen-ten and was rivered by a ten. Vito DiStefano also had a great run, especially when he cracked Linus Richter's pocket aces with king-ten when he hit a full house for a big pot. Ironically, he was knocked out in 17th place when he ran seven-eight into Kolev's king-ten and the board favored the Bulgarian player with a king. But none of the action can compare to the number of knockouts Gaston acquired. He ended the day with six eliminations, and at one point he had three times that of the second-place chip leader. Play resumes at 4 p.m. local time Wednesday, June 22nd, and will be streamed on PokerGO on a one-hour delay. Play will start with about 26 minutes left in Level 36 with blinds at 600,000/1,200,000. Be sure to keep up with the PokerNews team as they will be bringing you all the updates from the floor of the 2022 World Series of Poker in its new home at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas. Just five players will return at Ballys feature table for the final day action in Event #37: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Holdem at at 4 p.m. local time. Play will start with about 26 minutes left in Level 39 with blinds at 600,000/1,200,000 and will be streamed on PokerGo on a one-hour delay. Each remaining player has locked up a payday of at least $301,346, but all eyes are on the top prize of $1,125,141 and WSOP gold bracelet. Tyler Gaston sits at the top of the leaderboard with 64,000,000 chips after a brilliant Day 3, in great position to acquire his first ever WSOP gold bracelet. Gaston won key pots late on Day 4 to extend his lead, knocking out six players. Following him in the quest for the trophy is Bulgarian player Yuliyan Kolev who bagged 58,300,000 chips at the conclusion of Day 4 play and is looking to score his second WSOP title. Furthermore, with Oren Rosen (43,000,000), with a total of $381,012 total live earnings, Yita Choong (22,900,000) and Dominic Brazier (10,200,000) still in the hunt, the path to victory won't be easy for anybody. Chip Counts for the Final Day Rank Player Country Chip Count Day 5 Big Blinds 1 Tyler Gaston United States 64,000,000 53 2 Yuliyan Kolev Bulgaria 58,300,000 49 3 Oren Rosen Israel 43,000,000 36 4 Yita Choong Australia 22,900,000 19 5 Dominic Brazier United States 10,200,000 9 With these five players taking back to the felt, it's almost guaranteed that the final day will offer some tremendous battles. PokerNews live reporting team will be on the ground, providing all the key updates so make sure to come back to see the climax of one of the most popular events on the 2022 WSOP schedule! Seven Card Stud Kristijonas Andrulis: / / Eric Rodawig: / / Kristijonas Andrulis was all-in after third street and already meshed his first three cards to reveal a king-high. He was up against a pair of sixes by Eric Rodawig and caught no help at all until sixth, which left the Lithuanian drawing dead when Rodawig improved to a set of sixes. Both flipped over their final cards for a mere second and Andrulis headed to the payout desk to collect $17,669 for his efforts. After ten levels of play in the prestigious Event #46: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em at the 2022 World Series of Poker at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas, Day 1 has ended. Ten hours of play brought in many big names. Some came and went, and many came and stayed. The tournament ended up totaling 850 entrants. There will be 277 players returning from Day 1, but before Day 2 begins at 2:00 p.m. on June 22 players can still buy in, so there will undoubtedly be more runners joining the fray before action is underway again. Chris Brewer bagged up a tournament-leading stack of 485,000 chips, a solitary T-5,000 chip more than Oliver Bosch in second place. Event #46: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Top 10 Chip Counts Place Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Chris Brewer United States 485,000 194 2 Oliver Bosch Austria 480,000 194 3 Christian Pham United States 455,000 182 4 Fikret Kovac Boznia & Hervegovina 432,000 173 5 Aaron Van Blarcum United States 428,500 171 6 Ian O'Hara United States 419,000 167 7 Taylor Paur United States 395,000 158 8 Hui Kuo United States 392,000 157 9 Tobias Duthweiler Germany 387,000 155 10 Rui Bouqet Portugal 370,500 150 Household names such as Daniel Negreanu, Bertrand Grospellier, Ben Heath, final tablist from last year Jonathan Jaffe, 2019 Main Event runner-up Dario Sammartino, Spanish poker legend Adrian Mateos and defending champion Scott Ball entered on Day 1, and most have bagged for Day 2. Some 604 players entered this event in 2021, so having 850 people in the mix already is bound to create massive payouts for the top finishers. Last year's winner received over $560,000 for his victory, and this year's winner will take home at least $600,000. Some of the biggest stacks in the room include Daniel Lazrus (349,500), Alex Peffly (349,000), Chance Kornuth (339,500), the 2013 Main Event champion Ryan Riess (317,500), and two-time bracelet winner Calvin Anderson (255,000). Day 2 of the event will be held at Bally's Ballroom, just a short walk from the Paris Ballroom where Day 1 was played. Day 2 kicks at 2:00 p.m. on June 22, and sees ten 60-minute levels played, with a 60-minute dinner break after Level 16 (around 8:30 p.m.). Official payouts and prize pool will be viewable shortly after late registration closes. Join us here on PokerNews for all the up-to-date information and live action from the tournament as we play down to the money bubble. MANZINI - E50.5 million is what Inyatsi Construction is willing to lose in order to protect its workers and assets and to bring to book the perpetrators of the arson attacks. This amount includes E50 million which Inyatsi Construction Group Holdings will lose as it has decided to suspend operations for a week and in the process, the income of the companys direct 2 300 workers will be affected as they will be on unpaid leave. Reward Also, the company has put up E0.5 million as a cash reward that will be given to anyone who will assist with information that will lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the people behind the arson attacks, which the construction company viewed as terrorism attacks. The company revealed this during a press conference where it was represented by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Derrick Shiba, Managing Director (MD) Sandile Mhlanga and CEO of the Investment Portfolio of the Group Paul Lwiindi. The press conference was held at the construction companys Head Office, Inyatsi House at Zakhele, Manzini yesterday morning and it followed the recent arson attacks at the companys sites, including the recent one which took place at Sigombeni on Thursday night. Security Shiba said for the sake of its 2 300 direct employees, they had to take a proactive stance to tighten security in response to the escalating and recurring targeted attacks that had seen the destruction of machinery and equipment at three of its sites in the past six months, and left damages costing the company over E65 million. Meanwhile, Mhlanga, who explained the impact of the decision, said the implementation of this resolution would see the company losing E50 million in a space of a week. When he was asked to expand on the upgrade of their security, he said they would not reveal that to the public. He said the malicious attacks had created an unsafe working environment for their dedicated teams of emaSwati, hence they had taken the decision to reconfigure and heighten their security protocols. During this period, our direct employees will be on unpaid leave, while ongoing projects that are valued at over E700 million in the current financial year, will be temporarily suspended. We can no longer defer the enhancement of our security and safety measures in the face of sustained attacks perpetrated by terrorists who are still at large, the CEO said. He said it would be negligent of them to continue with the 18 projects that were currently ongoing as if it was business as usual. He said the 18 projects included roads, water, maintenance, township developments and agricultural development projects, which all had a direct impact on the communities of the country, which include vulnerable groups. Shiba further said even though Inyatsi Construction Group Holdings was a clear target of these attacks, the company itself was not the real victim. He said the incalculable and far-reaching consequences of these attacks had been sadly borne by the communities, sub-contractors and employees who relied on the company. We are duty-bound to protect our workers above our profit margins and this is not a duty we take lightly, Shiba said. Importance As Inyatsi Construction Group Holdings, he said they valued their human resource and their safety was of utmost importance. As they reconfigured their operations to heighten safety and security protocols in the wake of sustained attacks, he said they had seen it prudent to temporarily suspend operations for security reasons, for a week. Again, the CEO said as they were taking a stand to proactively protect their employees, they had put up a reward for whoever would lead them to the successful prosecution of the perpetrators of this act (arson attacks). We have put up an amount of E0.5 million as a reward, Shiba said. He appealed to the nation and stakeholders to assist them in protecting the company for emaSwati, because Inyatsi Construction Group Holdinging was owned by a liSwati and its interests were for the people of Eswatini. He said there were people who knew the individuals behind the arson attacks. He said informers confidentiality was guaranteed, as all they wanted was the perpetrators of the arson attacks to be held accountable. Shiba also appealed to the nation to support them during these difficult times, as they tried to protect the company which was classified under Grade I in building and civil works. This is not a problem for Inyatsi Construction Group Holdings alone, but that of emaSwati, the CEO said. He said the company had shown its commitment to serve the country by setting up head offices in the kingdom and that leadership positions were occupied by emaSwati. Economy He added that they would always ensure that the business was protected for the next generations and allow the circulation of proceeds in the economy. He said all employees of the company had bank accounts in Eswatini, which was where they got paid. The CEO said this meant that the money started circulating in the country even if they (workers) had interests elsewhere. When we talk about numbers, there is a bill of about E400 million which is circulating here in Eswatini through the employees, Shiba said. In terms of insurance, he said all their subcontractors were insured, because having insurance was one of the requirements for them to participate in the value chain. On the other hand, the construction companys MD said while they had suspended operations, they would be meeting their stakeholders and clients to assure them that they would deliver the projects they were working on. Prosecute It is worth noting that this is not the first time a cash reward has been put up in a bid to arrest and prosecute arsonists in the country. Following a spate of arson attacks in the country, in September 2021, the police offered a cash reward for information that would lead to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of people behind the burning of structures. This was announced by the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, William Dlamini, in a press statement. He said the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) noted with deep concern and dismay the ongoing acts of sabotage being perpetrated around the country. He said the acts of sabotage were targeting various government structures, key community social service facilities such as schools, tinkhundla centres and imiphakatsi. The NATCOM said businesses also continued to bear the brunt of the debilitating and senseless acts of saboteurs. He said lately, they were witnessing the bombing of police camps and private homes of police officers. Summer has officially arrived, with the summer solstice having occurred June 21, and heat-related safety is a topic of discussion for workers in a variety of fields this week with daytime temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees or higher. The Salvation Army's Aiken facilities have a free option for anyone looking to beat the heat for a few minutes this summer. The shelter, headquarters, kids club and two thrift shops "can offer those in need an icee pop and or bottles of ice water," as described in an announcement from the local organization. The Aiken Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, Smith-Hazel Recreation Center and Lessie B. Price Aiken Senior and Youth Center also available as "indoor designated area with access to water fountains and air conditioning during the normal business hours of those facilities," according to a report from the municipal government. Carl Culpepper, deputy chief of the New Ellenton Fire Department, weighed in on the topic. "The biggest thing is, stay hydrated, and a lot of people don't realize it takes two or three days of hydration to really stay hydrated, and it only takes a couple of hours, especially in this heat, in a fire, to get dehydrated," he said. For those who work outdoors during the sweatiest times of the year, a key principle can be to work 15-20 minutes at a stretch and then take a break, Culpepper said. "The biggest thing is, drink water," he said, adding that "you can drink some Gatorade in between, to replace some of the electrolytes." A summary from the Mayo Clinic touches on the importance of water, noting, "Thirst isn't always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. Many people, particularly older adults, don't feel thirsty until they're already dehydrated. That's why it's important to increase water intake during hot weather or when you're ill." The Mayo Clinic, in a report on nutrition and healthy eating, also cites data from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine with regard to adequate daily fluid intake for an average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate: about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day for women. Safety principles also include knowing the symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, to help firefighters keep an eye on each other and see if a neighbor is in danger beyond the normal boundaries of the job, Culpepper said. Heat exhaustion, as defined by the American Red Cross, is "a severe heat-related illness requiring emergency medical treatment," and involves such symptoms as heavy sweating, a fast, weak pulse and cold, pale and clammy skin. Heat stroke, in the same summary, is described as worse yet "the most serious medical condition caused by extreme heat." It reportedly requires immediate emergency treatment and can be deadly without it. Among the symptoms are dizziness, nausea, confusion, a high body temperature (104 degrees F or higher), a fast, strong pulse, a headache and hot, red, dry or damp skin. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) is hiring students from technical colleges near the Savannah River Site (SRS) for apprenticeships. Aaron Bowie, right, is shown here receiving firewatch training from SRNS instructor Ron Barnes. Observing are fellow Aiken Technical College apprentices Kenneth Coop, left, Heather Lancaster and Colton Baggott. The future looks bright for the area around the junction of Interstate 20 and Columbia Highway North. We are on the edge right now of seeing very dynamic and significant growth at Exit 22," said Mike McNeill, co-owner of the Coward & McNeill real estate firm in Aiken. Last year, Shaw Industries Group Inc., a leading global flooring supplier, announced plans to invest approximately $400 million to expand its operations in Aiken County on East Frontage Road near Exit 22. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2024, the expansion will create more than 300 new jobs. There also have been upgrades to other existing businesses. A new and much larger Circle K on Columbia Highway North has replaced an older version of the convenience store and gas station. Earlier this week, the Waffle House at Exit 22 reopened following a major renovation. And the foundation is being laid for the construction of other businesses, McNeill told the Aiken Standard. Coward & McNeill has two properties near the interchange under contract, he said, and another is under the scrutiny of a number of developers now. We are going to be bringing some major things to Exit 22 that will include a planned commercial development, McNeill continued. We also believe that we are going to be bringing a single-use, very significant development project to Exit 22. Were going to see some changes in use, and we are going to see some new brands coming in that people have wanted in the Aiken market for a long time. I cant be any more specific than that right now, he concluded. The reason why the Exit 22 area has become a development hot spot, McNeill said, is the water and sewer improvements and additions made by the City of Aiken in the area. During the last several years, $7.4 million a mix of state, federal and local funds has been spent on those projects, according to Aiken City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh. Were the service provider for both water and sewer in that area, and there has been an increased demand in requests for those services, he said. I think the developers have found that there is property available for certain types of services that users of the interstate would need. In addition to Waffle House, Circle K and Shaw Industries, the businesses near Exit 22 include McDonalds, Bojangles, Hardees and Dollar General. But the area around the interchange is not as heavily developed as many interchange locations along Interstate 20. Most towns grow toward the interstate, but that has not been the case historically here because of the Savannah River Site, said S.C. Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, whose mostly rural district includes Exit 22. SRS pulled it south and has not allowed it to go north so much. He described the acceleration in the economic development trend near the interchange as exciting, and he has kept his constituents informed about whats happening on social media. The new Circle K is a sparkling gem for the business cluster around exit 22, Taylor said. There also has been much excitement about the reopening of the Waffle House. It has been a longtime gathering place for folks on the northeast side (of Aiken County). WASHINGTON The Supreme Court has rejected Bayer's appeal to shut down thousands of lawsuits claiming that its Roundup weed killer causes cancer. The justices on Tuesday left in place a $25 million judgment in favor of Edwin Hardeman, a California man who says he developed cancer from using Roundup for decades to treat poison oak, overgrowth and weeds on his San Francisco Bay Area property. Hardeman's lawsuit had served as a test case for thousands of similar lawsuits. The high court's action comes amid a series of court fights over Roundup that have pointed in different directions. On Friday, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an Environmental Protection Agency finding from 2020 that glyphosate does not pose a serious health risk and is "not likely" to cause cancer in humans. The appellate court ordered the EPA to reexamine its finding. At the same time, Bayer has won four consecutive trials in state court against people who claimed they got cancer from their use of Roundup. The latest verdict in favor of the pharmaceutical company came last week in Oregon. Bayer had argued that federal regulators have repeatedly determined its products are safe and that lawsuits based on claims under state laws should be dismissed. In a statement, Bayer said it disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision not to take up its case. "The company believes that the decision undermines the ability of companies to rely on official actions taken by expert regulatory agencies, as it permits every U.S. state to require a different product label" in conflict with federal laws, Bayer said. Last year, Bayer set aside $4.5 billion to deal with the claims that glyphosate, the weed-killing ingredient in Roundup, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. The company had previously taken a charge of nearly $10 billion for earlier rounds of litigation. Bayer also had warned that allowing these sorts of claims will damage innovation in agriculture, health and other industries. Bayer, which is based in Leverkusen, Germany, inherited Roundup and the litigation when it acquired Monsanto in 2018. The EPA says on its website that there is "no evidence that glyphosate causes cancer in humans." But in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans." The agency said it relied on "limited" evidence of cancer in people and "sufficient" evidence of cancer in study animals. The Justice Department, which had sided with Bayer in the lower courts during the Trump administration, recommended that the high court not get involved. Bayer maintains the product is safe but said that it would replace glyphosate in Roundup for residential use beginning in 2023. Products containing glyphosate will still be available for professional and farm use. A new restaurant is in the works for downtown Charleston while two other dining venues are opening this week in North Charleston. On the Charleston peninsula, David Schuttenberg and Tina Heath-Schuttenberg, the owners of Chinese diner Kwei Fei on James Island, plan to open a new culinary concept at 128 Columbus St. The couple leased 3,063 square feet on the ground floor of the development that houses The Guild Apartments and the headquarters of multifamily giant Greystar Real Estate Partners, according to Mandy Coleman with National Restaurant Properties, who represented the tenant, Cantonese on Columbus LLC. Coleman said the concept will be different from the James Island operation at 1977 Maybank Highway. A restaurant representative said more details on the new venture will be announced soon. Nick Maylander with real estate firm Charleston Commercial represented the landlord, GS Office Owner LLC. What's cooking? In North Charleston, a new doughnut shop will debut June 23. Dunkin' will open at 5 a.m. at 7818 Rivers Ave. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 7:30 a.m. The first 50 people in line for the lobby on opening day will receive a booklet with 56 coupons, offering free coffee over the next 12 months. The sweet treat venue includes a drive-thru window and features an area for mobile pickups for those who order ahead on the app. The store is designed to be 25 percent more energy efficient than standard Dunkin' locations. The Dunkin' mascot and swag giveaways also will be part of the opening-day ceremony. The restaurant will be open 5 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m.-8 p.m. weekends. The dining room will close at 7 p.m. each day. Also in North Charleston, a new restaurant near Park Circle is now serving breakfast and lunch and will offer alcoholic beverages soon. Bar on the Avenue opened June 21 at 4634 Spruill Ave. It's next to Jackrabbit Filly restaurant. In addition to breakfast staples, it offers chicken and waffles as well as burgers, fries, wings, grilled chicken, salads and other items. It's open 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. The dining spot also recently applied for its license to sell beer, wine and liquor. Owner Anton Jones hopes to have bar options available in July, when the restaurant will open an outdoor patio as well. Now serving A new craft beer tavern is now open on James Island, and a new coffee shop is set to open beside it. Odyssey Bottle Shop opened June 17 in the Harris Teeter-anchored Harbor View Shopping Center on Harbor View Road. It will rotate 12-15 local craft beers on tap for on- and off-site use and offer local packaged foods at 987 Harbor View Road, according to Edward Kronsberg, who works with the landlord. Russell and Katherine Dodson are the bottle shop owners. Next-door will be Highfalutin Coffee Roasters, owned by Adam & Shaina Hunt. It will offer fresh-roasted java on site. It's a second location for the duo. They also operate a coffee shop of the same name at 27 Magnolia Road in Avondale in West Ashley. Adam Hunt said the coffee shop is awaiting final city inspections, so an opening could occur within the week or a few weeks. Lighting up A new cigar shop is coming to Mount Pleasant. Dan and Beth Greenwald plan to open Cigars on 17 in about six to eight weeks at 920 Houston Northcutt Blvd. in Village Pointe Shopping Center. The 1,200-square-foot location will feature a large walk-in humidor and offer a selection of premium hand-rolled cigars, quality pipes and accessories as well as a lounge. It's a sister store to Cigars on Maybank on Johns Island, which opened in April 2021. Pet project A Summerville couple recently launched a mobile dog-training business. Valerie de Armas and Steve Thompson started Dog Training Elite, a franchise operation for the Salt Lake City-based company. Services are available 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Getting pampered Woodhouse Southeast, with spa locations in Mount Pleasant and Charleston, recently added a new site near Nashville and will add another location in Savannah, early next year. The Volunteer State addition is at 1175 Meridian Blvd. in Franklin, just south of the state capital. The coastal Georgia site will be within the Eastern Wharf Development at One Altamaha St. Kimmy Powell owns Woodhouse Southeast. The company recently added Brandon Watts, formerly with Charleston Place Hotels health club and spa program, to oversee hospitality operations at all four locations. A consortium led by Acwa Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor and operator of power generation, desalinated water and green hydrogen plants worldwide, today (June 21) signed an agreement to develop a 1.1GW wind project in Egypt, at an investment value of $1.5 billion. The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Egyptian General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, Cairo during HRH Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Princes state visit to Egypt. As per the deal, Acwa Power-led consortium, comprising Hassan Allam Holding, will work together during the development phase to complete the site studies and secure the financing of the facility. Located in the Gulf of Suez and Gabal el Zeit area, this wind project is the largest single contracted wind farm in the Middle East region and one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world. The project will be designed to use state-of-art wind turbines with blade heights of up to 220 m which helps in achieving the best use of the designated land plots in the most efficient way. When complete, the project will mitigate the impact of 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year and provide electricity to 1,080,000 households. The signing ceremony of the agreement took place at the headquarters of the Egyptian General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, Cairo, in the presence of Dr Mohamed Shaker El Markabi, Egypts Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy; Dr. Majid Bin Abdullah Alkassabi, Saudis Minister of Commerce; Dr. Issam bin Saad bin Saeed, Minister of State and Cabinet member for Shoura Council affairs; Dr. Hala Al Said, Egypts Minister of Planning and Economic Development; Mohamed Abdel Wahab, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI); Eng. Osama Asran, Egypts Deputy Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy; Eng. Gaber Desouky, CEO of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) in addition to Saudi officials led by Acwa Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan. Commenting on the occasion, Dr El Markabi said: "This milestone wind project falls within the framework of the Egyptian governments strategy to diversify its energy sources and leverage the countrys rich natural resources, especially in renewable energy." "The ministry is taking concrete actions to ensure the resilience of our energy strategy, because of the escalating changes that the world is witnessing, which aim to increase the contribution of renewable energy to up to 42% by 2035," he noted. The 1.1GW wind project confirms Egypts commitment in spearheading the use of renewable energy sources to reduce the impact of carbon emissions produced by conventional energy sources, as Egypt gears up to host the United Nations Climate Conference (COP 27) in November 2022, the foremost international forum to discuss countries efforts in addressing climate change, he added. Hassan Allam Utilities, the investment and development arm for Hassan Allam Holding, currently operates a 50 MW solar plant in Benban solar park cementing its position as one of Egypt's leading green energy producers. This is Acwa Powers third project - and first wind farm - in Egypt, after the 120MW Ben Ban solar independent power projects in the Aswan region and the 200MW Kom Ombo solar plant. "We are honoured to contribute to the strengthening ties of Saudi Arabia, our home, and Egypt via this milestone wind project, and extend our sincerest gratitude to the leaders of both countries in entrusting their faith in our abilities to realise their renewable energy mandates," remarked Acwa Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan. "With sustainable development at the top of the agenda for both states, progress cannot be made without concerted efforts in expanding infrastructure that is underpinned by renewables," noted Abunayyan. "This wind project demonstrates a commitment to realising a greener tomorrow, despite global economic volatility, and we look forward to working with like-minded partners for a positive future," he added. Dalia Wahba, Deputy CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Hassan Allam Utilities, said the project marked an important milestone in Egypt's plans to decarbonise the energy sector and meet its targets under the countrys Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). "We are proud to be part of this flagship project and look forward to a fruitful partnership," she noted. Wahba said Egypt had embarked on a serious economic reform programme sending a clear invitation to the private sector to support in building a greener and brighter future. "As a group, Hassan Allam Holding is committed to be a positive contributor to the environment. We are adopting sustainability principles and expanding our investments into large scale green energy projects," she added. The 1.1GW wind project is forecasted to reach financial close by the third quarter of 2024. The plant will be commercially operational by the end of 2026.-TradeArabia News Service 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%. NORTH CHARLESTON Sixteen vehicles plus the nearly indiscernible remains of a Ford F-150 pickup remain cordoned off inside the Charleston International Airport's five-tier parking deck after the truck caught fire last week on the second level. No one was injured in the June 16 blaze, but another 14 cars on the third level parked above the torched truck are also blocked off with caution tape as a precaution until the building's structural integrity is assessed. Airport CEO Elliott Summey said the cars will remain in place until the agency receives an engineering report of the damage and each vehicle owner's insurance agency has assessed claims. The fire occurred after the pickup driver noticed a "burning smell" coming from his vehicle as he entered the parking deck, said airport spokesman Spencer Pryor. As he was driving on the second tier, the driver noticed fire and smoke billowing from beneath the vehicle. He escaped unharmed. Summey said Ford Motor Co. plans to inspect the destroyed pickup to help determine the cause of the blaze, which not only damaged other cars but also burned overhead light fixtures, cameras and parking level signals. The outside of the parking deck remains blackened with smoke, as well as the interior of the garage on the second and third levels. Car owners unable to retrieve vehicles will be provided transportation to their homes by the airport. Pryor said a police officer is positioned in the parking deck around the clock to make contact with returning travelers who have a vehicle parked in the barricaded area. Officers will advise affected car owners of ground transportation service provided by the airport to their destination. Once clearance is given and vehicles can be released, travelers will be notified by the airport. Summey said the airport is not providing rental cars for affected car owners since insurance must be provided by the driver. He said car owners should treat the incident like an auto accident and contact their insurance company and a rental car agency to arrange transportation until they are able to retrieve their vehicles from the airport or have damages repaired. Summey hopes to have a damage assessment by the end of the week. The fire's intense heat burned through some of the concrete structure directly above the destroyed pickup, exposing rebar. Workers have shored up the site with floor-to-ceiling braces as a precaution. Until the structural integrity of the deck is confirmed, Summey said removing damaged vehicles with the added weight of a wrecker is a concern. "We just don't want to take any chances," he said. Once airport officials are given clearance to move the vehicles from both levels, Pryor said the automobiles could be taken to a new location. If that happens, the owners will be notified by the airport. "Nothing can be moved until we get that clearance and it's safe to remove the vehicles from that particular area," Pryor said. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 84F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. COLUMBIA A former Walmart location on Bush River Road would be converted into a warehouse for computer work, according to plans filed with the city. The former big-box store, which closed in February 2021, would become a site where computers are stored, rebuilt and disassembled, according to an application filed with the Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals. The project, for a company not identified in the application, requires approval to switch the retail space to warehouse operation. According to the application, the company would convert or store old computer equipment from corporate clients. A Dallas-based company called Bunrootis LLC, which specializes in the conversion and reuse of warehouse space, has filed the application. The change would take the anchor store in the shopping center at 1326 Bush River Road off the retail market. One of the new owners of the nearby strip mall said, however, that they are working to attract new tenants on the property. Having a business take over the former Walmart space should boost traffic and encourage more retailers to invest in the space, said Sam Nasser, one of the partners in an investment group called Bush River OM, LLC. It bought the shopping center around the mall in May and is aggressively working to find more tenants, Nasser said. Walmart cited consistently lagging business results at the store for its 2021 closure, which was a relatively rare action for the nations top big-box retailer to take. The Bush River store was considered for closure in part because the company has so many alternative locations for Columbia-area shoppers, the company said in a statement at the time. The former store offers just over 200,000 square feet of space. The Bush River corridor already had lost other big-box retailers before the Walmart closure, including a Kmart location and Belk at Dutch Square Center. The zoning board is set to consider the proposal at its July 7 meeting. LEXINGTON Walkers and runners across the Lake Murray Dam can't miss padlocks attached to the chain-link fence along North Lake Drive. As the yards of fencing go on, one begins to notice more than just hundreds of rusted and new padlocks that cover the the length of the fencing. They leave more than enough space, though, to get a good view of the lake. They all show a bond of love between people and now celebrate their 10-year anniversary along the dam. "It's really cool to see that so many people have come together and, you know, it was like a trickle effect. Everybody else started doing it," said Caroline Moore, the daughter of the first person to put a lock on the fence. The "locks of love," as they have become known, first became popularized in Paris at the Pont des Arts bridge. Lovers would put padlocks on the arches of the bridge and throw the key into the Seine River below to symbolize everlasting love. Other notable locations that hold these locks include the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the Napa Valley Wine Train station in Napa Valley in California and the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area in Augusta, Ga. The fence at Lake Murray holds not just hundreds of locks both rusted and new, but also some items, such as part of an exhaust pipe or a pacifier. Some have names, initials and dates crudely etched onto the locks with some locks forming hearts or a letter. Others are painted over either a single color or depict or scene such as a sunset. The first of these locks supposedly came in 2012 from over 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, according to Rhonda McCaskill-Edwards, who lived in Irmo in 2012. She now lives in Augusta, Georgia. Her then husband had gone to Dublin, Ireland, on a business trip and saw people putting locks on bridges over the River Liffy in a show of love. He even put one on himself while abroad. McCaskill-Edwards ex-husband would always bring gifts back from his trips. This time, he brought a single lock. I thought thats a pretty cool idea that you would want to start a tradition like that in the states, McCaskill-Edwards said. This drove McCaskill-Edwards' daughter, Moore, who grew up in Irmo, to attach a lock of her own dedicated to her and her husband, who were dating at the time. Moore attended the College of Charleston then and hung the lock during one of her visits home. She threw the key in the water just like her mother had. Moore, now living in Maryland, said it was nice to have a permanent fixture barely 10 minutes away from her hometown to remind her of her childhood. It's just nice to think about. We put the lock up and now some of the other people have done it. It's just like a real sense of community, Moore said. People in recent years continue to add their own locks onto the bridge, whether they be a single padlock or a bike lock in the shape of a heart. In other parts of the world, however, the weight of the locks has caused damage to some fences. At the Pont des Arts, some of the fencing around the bridge began to crumble under the combined weight of the 700,000 locks, which was around 20 elephants' worth of weight in 2015. The Parisian government eventually decided to remove the locks. In Dublin, the city government decided to remove the locks every two weeks in 2019 due to similar fears. They even considered making a new sculpture dedicated to placing the locks. In 2014, it put up signs asking people to not place locks. On Lake Murray Dam, the S.C. Department of Transportation, which has control of what goes on the fence, has no plans to remove the locks, agency spokesman Pete Poore said. Marti Bedell, who lives in Florida, put a lock on the fence in 2014 in memory of her son Jonathan, who died unexpectedly at age 27. She was relieved to hear the state has no plans to remove the locks. It's great to have a place to have expressed our love for him in an ongoing, kind of permanent way, Bedell said. Amy Landers, who once lived around Lake Murray, returned to the fence with a friend to find a lock she had placed there in September 2020 after her husband passed away. She said she'd rather visit to the fence than go to a cemetery to remember lost loved ones. "I'd rather drive by the dam and know that this was a special place for us," Landers said. Clarence Newsome, former president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, speaks to those gathered for a press conference and announcement of an annual national Bible study to be held at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston on Friday. In the months since Saul Seiberts rock outfit Boo Hag ended, hes been working with a whos who of local musicians to develop what is perhaps one of the loftiest projects in the Columbia music scene. The ambitious project is dubbed Zion, a meditative and sprawling release that tackles grand themes of the human condition with lengthy and affecting tracks. Its first track, Act 1, The Diaspora is out on streaming services, with the rest unreleased. It will ultimately have four acts that are intended to be listened to together, with the next act release in July. Its one that Seibert has written about at length on his personal social media pages, offering ruminations on the themes it tackles. On the groups Bandcamp page, he described the first acts theme as such: Origins and identity are at the very center of how we as a species understand and interpret the world around us and our particular place in that world within other worlds, Seibert wrote. For one to renounce or outgrow these identifying markers is no small thing. He continues: This "diaspora" if allowed, deconstructs and redefines our understanding of origins and identity and alters the ego so as to have a deeper perspective of meaning and life and who we are both individually as well as collectively. The work is one that finds Seibert reckoning with the personal across different times, and was born of his meditations and reflections, he further explained in his writings. If what youre asking me is Zion an existential work, yes it is, he said in an interview with Free Times. Its something that is very present a lot of the music is based off of reflection of past and present and ruminations of the future. To create the work, Seibert recruited: Marshall Brown, whose 2021 album Ay-Es-Em-Ar won annual Free Times Best of South Carolina Music poll that same year; Kevin Brewer of Brandy and the Butcher; Sean Thompson, known for eclectic instrumentation that manifests itself on projects like his Sitar-focused Christmas work; Darren Woodlief, a local bass player; and Seiberts brother Zach Seibert is on electric guitars alongside Saul, who is best known for his work with the group EZ Shakes. Theres something, its kind of dark and spooky and beautiful, but not dark and spooky in a Halloween kind of way, Thompson said. It makes you feel uncomfortable it makes you feel something happened or is about to happen theres something beautiful. The album was produced and recorded by Jay Matheson, owner of the Jam Room in Columbia. The group also collaborated with Greenville artist Virginia Russo for the album artwork and hope to incorporate her into live performances. Of course, the groups name, Zion, seems to nod towards an idea of home that is complete and whole. And it seems to be a matter of getting there that Seibert and the crew are invested. Each act of Zion will tackle separate themes in that journey, with the acts proceeding from Diaspora to Sojourn to The Ascent and culminating in The Summit. Act three is this moment of realizing theres work, theres a mountain to climb, Seibert said. The fourth act is the summit, which is the conclusion, which is where you know theres a sort of restoration, a peace. A sort of Zion. The first act opens with what Seibert described as the final words of his father checking in on him. Hey, just thought Id call and see how your detoxing is going. I hadnt talked to you in a few days and so I just thought Id check in on ya, his father says. The voicemail is looped for roughly two minutes, as it slowly and deliberately falls into distortion. It becomes less of anything tangibly discernible and instead transitions into a keen feeling. That feeling effectively gives way to instrumentation that is later stripped away. The listener is left with what sounds like sampled crying and birds chirping alongside. It strikes as nothing less than a return to nature. Across the rest of its eight-minute runtime, Zions first act follows a somewhat similar suit. It builds over time with little vocals aside from a voice that asserts the word repetition about two-thirds of the ways through. What varies, however, is as the track ends it bubbles over with a waterfall of rock and Eastern sounds. Its a captivating work of music that pushes the listener on The work stands out from Seiberts last musical output with Boo Hag, a rowdy rock outfit that ended at the turn of 2022. There Seibert focused on the same types of affecting, instrument-heavy rock music; but it didnt feel as though it tackled the same greater themes that hes reckoning with on Zion and instead was flecked with a sense of frivolity in its old-timey sensibilities. Zion is also a work that Seibert described as hopeful. I think it has to be. Hope is the gatekeeper to progress, you dont get anywhere good without hope, he concluded. If youre struggling in our life or youre struggling in a country or an existential context, then, I dont know the answers to all of those problems but you have to have hope to get through to solutions that are good and healthy. Out-of-state buyers acquired part of a long-term rental community in Fountain Inn for $41.8 million with plans to close on the remaining houses in the next 12 months. Foxchase is a build-for-rent 151-home community built by Charleston-based homebuilder Crescent Homes. It will include 87 single family homes and 64 townhomes with three-, four- and five-bedroom options available. The community is under construction on 32 acres near the intersection of Howard Drive and North Main Street in Fountain Inn and should be complete by spring 2023. In a joint venture, California-based real estate investment and management firm Haven Realty Capital and Pennsylvania-based real asset manager CenterSquare Investment Management closed on the first phase of the acquisition. This is the second build-for-rent community Haven Realty Capital and CenterSquare Investment Manager own together in the greater Greenville area. Last February, the partnership acquired Harrison Landing Townes in Simpsonville, an almost-complete 166-home community. They also own a 127-home rental community under construction in Atlanta. Four Points by Sheraton Spartanburg set for July opening A new hotel is opening in Spartanburg next month. Four Points by Sheraton Spartanburg will welcome its first guests on July 12. The hotel has six floors and 200 rooms. There are two floors of executive suites, four meeting rooms, a board room, saltwater pool and a fitness center. Poke 1831 is the hotel's restaurant. This has been meticulously architected out and designed to give Spartanburg, a world class hotel, said Brent Scarbro, principal and vice president of operations and sales for Maximum Hospitality. The property on 9027 Fairforest Rd. was first built as Wilson World Hotel and has been owned by various companies. Scarbro said the property wasnt used for several years. Every piece of this hotel was gutted and replaced, so theres new electric, drywall, ceilings, HVAC units and kitchen space, Scarbro said. Its basically a brand new hotel. The exterior of the hotel has also been redone. Theres new landscaping and a new parking lot. In other news... Charlotte, N.C.-originated Krispy Kreme selected 10 markets to try its new Original Glazed soft serve ice cream. Greenville is one of them. The doughnut company will offer seven milkshakes flavored after doughnuts and three flavors of soft serve in cups or waffle cones. selected 10 markets to try its new Original Glazed soft serve ice cream. Greenville is one of them. The doughnut company will offer seven milkshakes flavored after doughnuts and three flavors of soft serve in cups or waffle cones. Modern cabin rental company Getaway announced the Upstate is one of the next markets to get tiny cabins later this year. The South Carolina cabins will be in located in Seneca near Lake Hartwell and will include air conditioning and heat, a bed, toilet, shower, kitchenette, outdoor fire pit and picnic table. The company has 19 locations where they offer cabin. It will add nine more by the end of 2022, bringing the total number of cabins to 1,000. announced the Upstate is one of the next markets to get tiny cabins later this year. The South Carolina cabins will be in located in Seneca near Lake Hartwell and will include air conditioning and heat, a bed, toilet, shower, kitchenette, outdoor fire pit and picnic table. The company has 19 locations where they offer cabin. It will add nine more by the end of 2022, bringing the total number of cabins to 1,000. Greenville-based property management company NHE added six more communities to its portfolio, gaining 700 additional homes. The company added Brookwood Commons and Chestnut Pond in Simpsonville, Pendleton Plantation in Easley, Creekstone Townes in Travelers Rest, Pinecrest at Hollingsworth Park in Greenville and Trailside at Drayton Mills in Spartanburg. NHE manages over 18,000 homes, apartments and condominiums in 15 states across the Southeast. The United Community Bank Foundation partnered with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across its five-state footprint to support the cost of local builds and give opportunities for bank team members to volunteer. The partnership will begin in Wake County, N.C. on July 1 and in Atlanta on July 23. There are other builds planned for South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida later this fall for seven homes total in 2022. In South Carolina, the foundation plans to partner with Greenville and Central branches of the nonprofit. partnered with affiliates across its five-state footprint to support the cost of local builds and give opportunities for bank team members to volunteer. The partnership will begin in Wake County, N.C. on July 1 and in Atlanta on July 23. There are other builds planned for South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida later this fall for seven homes total in 2022. In South Carolina, the foundation plans to partner with Greenville and Central branches of the nonprofit. Charlotte-based SunCap Property Group broke ground on a 284,400-square-foot industrial facility within Spartanburgs Hillside Industrial Park. The project is called Hillside 290 and will feature 62 dock doors, 315 car-park spaces and 59 trailer-park spaces, according to a news release. Hillside 290 is located on 30 acres within the Hillside Industrial Park on Highway 290. Thats all for this week. Email your thoughts, tips, releases and newsy bits to smirah@postandcourier.com. Greenville, SC (29601) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. GREENVILLE The Democratic primary runoff next week for a state House seat in southern Greenville County is in doubt as candidates who lost in the crowded primary field pointed to the criminal record of a finisher who qualified for the runoff. Bruce Wilson, who placed fourth for retiring state Rep. Leola Robinson-Simpson's District 25 seat, filed a preliminary injunction June 21 asking a judge to halt the June 28 vote. The request claims Derrick Quarles should be disqualified in his runoff against top vote-getter Wendell Jones because of a probation violation 14 years ago that under state law bars him from seeking office until next year. A candidate who placed third behind Quarles by a slim margin of votes, Adriene Atkinson, announced on social media that she has filed a formal complaint with the state Democratic Party. The party will conduct a hearing on the challenge June 23, she said, and she has asked supporters to write-in her name on ballots that are available for early voting beginning June 22. In a statement emailed to The Post and Courier on June 21, Quarles said he had pursued and secured pardons for four criminal charges he believed would disqualify him from running. Quarles said his legal team "is adamantly reviewing this ongoing challenge to my eligibility" and that he has been committed to "running a campaign of integrity." "At the time of filing for candidacy I was of the belief that I was fully eligible to run for and hold office," Quarles said. "After having successfully made it into the runoff, I received character attacks and allegations were made questioning my eligibility." State party Chairman Trav Robertson told The Post and Courier on June 21 the party isn't prepared to comment. In 2004, Quarles was convicted of a grand larceny committed as a juvenile. Documents filed as part of Wilson's lawsuit show Quarles was charged in April 2007 with violating his probation and released from it in June 2008. Under state law, Wilson's suit alleges, a candidate must wait 15 years for a criminal charge to clear, including probation, which would mean Quarles wouldn't be eligible to run for office until June 2023. Records filed with the suit show the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services in July 2021 granted Quarles pardons for four charges dating back to 2009 when he was an adult breach of trust, second-degree harassment, obstructing justice and financial identity fraud. The pardons came at the written request of Robinson-Simpson and state Sen. Karl Allen. Sign up for our Greenville daily update newsletter. Sign up for daily roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Upstate. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Greenville news staff. Email Sign Up! In his statement, Quarles said that beginning at age 15 he was "ill-advised" in accepting plea deals he should have fought, but that the experience helped mold him as an advocate for Black people and how they are treated in the criminal justice system. Time is of the essence, Wilson told The Post and Courier on June 21, because early voting is this week and if Quarles wins the runoff and is certified but is later disqualified, it could yield the predominantly Democratic district to a Republican challenger. Wilson, who over the past two summers stood side by side with Quarles and organized multiple Black Lives Matter demonstrations in downtown Greenville to protest police discrimination against Black people, said he raised alarm bells with party leaders and warned Quarles that he shouldn't run. Wilson said his concerns were dismissed. Now look where we are," he said. "If we continue, this seat could actually be vacated. It tarnished the whole primary by having someone ineligible on the ballot." On June 14, Quarles finished second behind Jones in a five-person race to determine who advances to the general election in November. The results were close: Jones with 605 votes, Quarles with 577 and in third place, Atkinson with 505. Wilson received 217, and Justin Bennett finished last with 31. Because no candidate won a majority of the vote, the primary extended into a runoff on June 28 with the top two vote-getters. Atkinson was edged out of the runoff by 72 votes. Wilson wants the primary to be redone completely rather than elevate the third-place finisher, saying he and Quarles pull from the same voter base. In the days leading up to the primary, the subject of Robinson-Simpson's support came into question. A beloved leader of the civil rights era, an endorsement would loom large. Jones announced that Robinson-Simpson had endorsed him and posted to Facebook a speech she made praising his credentials to serve. Days later, Quarles posted on social media quotes attributed to her showing her support for his candidacy. Robinson-Simpson hasn't responded to multiple requests by The Post and Courier to clarify if she has endorsed a candidate. Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, ended its 2021 fiscal year with AED1.72 billion ($470 million) in consolidated sales across the Middle East, thus logging strong growth of 17% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2022, the sales revenue of the supplier of technology and services rose 5.2%. For the year as a whole, Bosch expects sales to grow more than 6%, and to achieve an EBIT margin in the range of 3% to 4% and this despite the likelihood of considerable burdens, especially due to rising costs for energy, raw materials, and logistics. Commenting on the results, Per Johansson, General Manager of Bosch Middle East said: "2021 was a special year for us, with many major milestones paving the road to achieving our growth last year. Being in the region for several decades now, Bosch is turning challenges into opportunities by developing technology that is Invented for life, and in turn, improving the quality of life for people across a number of markets. As we continue to expand our regional presence and provide consumers with value through best-in-class solutions and advanced features, we are sure that this positive trend will continue through 2022." The number of associates employed at Bosch across the Middle East stood at 183 as of December 31, 2021. Leveraging opportunities In 2021, Bosch's Automotive Aftermarket business division registered significant growth in the Middle East. Bosch's ability to fill voids in the after sales market, following logistic challenges faced by automotive spare-parts companies, enabled the Mobility Solutions Automotive Aftermarket division at Bosch to perform successfully during the year. Furthermore, despite global supply issues, Bosch's Power Tools business division outperformed the market, with robust double-digit growth in the region, compared to the previous year. Moreover, Boschs Building Technologies division also grew by double digits in the Middle East in 2021, attributing its success to a rebound in almost all countries that Bosch is operating in across the region. This was further supported by the divisions focus on several key industries including governmental, transportation, hospitality, finance, and banking. The Thermotechnology division, part of Boschs Energy and Building Technology business sector additionally registered remarkable expansion in the Middle East during the prior year Consequently, Bosch strengthened its foothold in Jordan by participating in key projects across diverse sectors including pharmaceutical, hospitality, construction, residential, commercial, food, education, textile, and packaging, ensuring sustainable growth despite market volatility. Outlook for 2022 Despite the dynamic economic uncertainties such as the war in Ukraine and its implications across the globe, Bosch has been striving to build on its legacy in the Middle East and plans to continue its growth in 2022. Over the last two years, markets across the region and its industries have faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, which have been compounded by supply chain disruptions and, most recently, a global semiconductor shortage, all of which have had a cascading effect on the automotive and technology industries, among others. As the demand for increased connectivity in technology grows, Bosch continues to serve the society with its innovative solutions that are cleaner, greener, and more connected than ever before. By utilising exponential technologies, GCC countries are progressively emphasising the importance of digital in accelerating economic diversification and promoting sustainability. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things are enabling long-term reforms and supporting the national agendas of key markets within the region. Each step toward digitalisation undertaken across organisations contribute to the public sector's maturity in delivering sustainable public service growth in line with the fourth industrial revolution. Strategic course In 2021, Bosch achieved significant growth in sales and result despite a difficult environment. The successful outcome of the 2021 business year bolsters our confidence as we tackle the challenging environment of the current year, said Dr Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. One of the considerable uncertainties is the war in Ukraine and all its implications. In his view, the current situation highlights the pressure on policymakers and society to become less dependent on fossil fuels and to vigorously pursue the development of new sources of energy. For this reason, he said, the Bosch Group is systematically continuing its efforts to mitigate global warming, despite the challenging economic environment. In addition, Hartung announced Bosch will be investing some three billion euros over three years in climate-neutral technology such as electrification and hydrogen. Electrification route to climate neutrality He believes electrification is the fastest route to climate neutrality, provided it is based on green electricity. That is why Bosch is driving sustainable mobility forward: in 2021, the companys orders relating to electromobility exceeded ten billion euros for the first time. But Hartung also stressed that hydrogen is needed as well. Industrial policy should focus on making all sectors of the economy hydrogen-ready, he said. In the interest of effective climate action, Bosch is also entering the components business for hydrogen electrolysis. The company plans to invest nearly 500 million euros ($526.22 million) in this new area of business by the end of the decade, half of it by the time of market launch, which is planned for 2025. At the same time, the Bosch chairman announced that, over the next three years, the company will be investing another ten billion euros in digitally transforming its business. Digitalisation also has a special role to play in sustainability and our solutions start from this premise, Hartung said. This year alone, moreover, Bosch plans to take on 10,000 new software engineers worldwide.-- TradeArabia News Service Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Scattered thunderstorms in the morning becoming more widespread in the afternoon. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. The FBI has joined the months-long criminal investigation into a Pee Dee politician who gave herself a $30,000 raise late last year from a pot of federal money she controls, The Post and Courier has learned. Meanwhile, Williamsburg County Clerk of Court Sharon Staggers has lawyered up, hiring federal prosecutor-turned-defense attorney Jim May and Greenville trial lawyer Matthew Richardson to represent her in the ongoing probe. "Mrs. Staggers is cooperating with the investigation and looks forward to having all of the facts reviewed and disclosed," May and Richardson wrote in a June 22 statement. Staggers, a Democrat first elected in 2012, has been under investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division since at least March 7. Thats when The Post and Courier first reported on the clerks controversial decision to dip into a little-known and scarcely regulated fund meant to enhance her offices child support enforcement efforts. But federal authorities and prosecutors at the U.S. Attorneys Office of South Carolina have become involved in the case, as well, the newspaper has learned. Little else is known about the joint state-and-federal probe. Such investigations are usually kept secret, with no public announcements until charges are either filed or the case is closed. FBI spokesman Kevin Wheeler declined to comment for this story. So did the Department of Social Services, the state agency that runs South Carolinas child support program. Staggers has kept a low profile during the investigation, repeatedly declining to comment for news stories and insisting she will tell her side in due time. Her pay hike ruffled feathers in rural Williamsburg, infuriating fellow officials and the public in an area where the median household income is less than $32,500 and more than a quarter of the residents live in poverty. The raise ballooned her pay to more than $92,900, nearly surpassing that of the county sheriff. Staggers had been unhappy with her nearly $62,000 annual salary, even though it already outpaced what her peers in similar counties earned, county officials told The Post and Courier. She authorized the $30,000 raise for herself only after Williamsburg County Council rejected her requests for more pay through the normal process the annual county budget. Staggers thought she deserved more money because she fulfilled the duties of both a clerk of court and a register of deeds, roles that are split into two jobs in larger counties. However, many of her peers in smaller counties like Williamsburg population 31,000 handle both roles for less pay than Staggers was previously making. Authorities are thought to be probing whether Staggers and other clerks of court can legally direct federal child support enforcement money to themselves. The money is supposed to be used strictly to improve child support enforcement programs. Clerks have used the money in the past to purchase new copiers, upgrade courtroom audio-visual equipment, travel to conferences, hire temporary employees for special projects and reward employees who go the extra mile with one-time bonuses. Records show Staggers provided Williamsburg County officials with a 2015 email from DSS advising the states 46 clerks of court that they could use Title IV-D money to pay salaries for employees in their office, with some exceptions. It did not clearly say whether clerks could boost their own pay with the money. SLED investigators met with DSS officials in March to discuss the case. Staggers, a Democrat, is not up for reelection until 2024. But there are ample signs voters arent happy with the pay hike. Williamsburg County Democrats voted out of office their most powerful official, Supervisor Tiffany Cooks, in the June 14 primary in part because many voters blamed Cooks for not stopping the pay hike. Cooks previously told The Post and Courier she feared Staggers might sue the cash-strapped county if Cooks tried to block the raise. Still, her challenger defeated her by a whopping 23 percentage points. Brandon Alter of The Kingstree News contributed to this report. CONWAY Horry County Council did not reinstate its Pride Month resolution despite dozens of LGBTQ+ supporters urging the council to reinstate it. The demonstrators gathered peacefully in front of the Horry County Government Center on June 21 in support of a resolution that would have designated June as Pride Month. The council quietly rescinded the resolution on June 7 after initially approving it on May 17. The council's actions garnered national attention, including coverage by CNN and The Washington Post. Reconsidering the resolution was not on the meeting agenda and no member took action to reinstate the resolution. Terry Livingston, co-founder of Grand Strand Pride, said demonstrators wanted council to make the resolution retroactive back to June 1, even if it means recognizing it next month in July. "Why do you disagree with it?" Livingston asked the council while delivering comments to the press outside. "Are you now saying that you are not committed to ensuring the right of every citizen and visitor to Horry County to live free from discrimination?" The rescinded resolution had supported the LGBTQ+ community's contributions to the county's economy, academics and arts. The resolution noted that the state's fourth-largest county "is dedicated to ensuring that everyone is empowered to live their life freely" and "encourages citizens to recognize, celebrate and accept the ongoing efforts and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community by building a culture of inclusiveness and acceptance." During the May 17 meeting, the county passed the Pride Month designation along with a number of other resolutions with single quick voice vote. Those resolutions included a designation for National Public Works Week. At the June 7 meeting, Councilman Danny Hardee, who represents a large rural area in the central part of the county, asked the council to rescind its approval of "Resolution 51-2022" without mentioning the subject of the resolution. Council Chairman Johnny Gardner called for a voice vote, which got a few "yeas" and the Pride Month designation was rescinded. During his speech on June 21, Livingston addressed comments made by Hardee to CNN, in which Hardee said it was not the council's job to set aside dates through proclamations like the one for Pride Month. Hardee did not respond to a request for comment. "Part of the job of being a council member in addition to being a leader is being a teacher," Livingston said. "We believe that council missed an excellent opportunity to teach the reported dozen complaints they received regarding Pride Month, rather than rescind it." During the June 21 meeting, the council prohibited all members of the public from bringing in flags of any kind into the council chambers, which included the rainbow PRIDE flags that many demonstrators carried outside. Council Chairman Johnny Gardner did not respond to a request for comment regarding the policy. Also, the time for public comments at the meeting was shortened to 30 minutes, which allowed for only about 10 speakers. After the meeting, Gardner said he was unsure if the resolution could be reinstated because of current protocol regarding how designation resolutions were brought before the council. "I'm glad they came out and everyone said their piece, but I don't have any comment on it," Gardner said, regarding the demonstrators. Gardner said he also did not want to comment on allegations from other council members who claimed they had not read the resolution prior to approving it in May 17. One of them was Hardee, who had told CNN that he missed the resolution in the May 17 meeting due to a "perfect storm" of other events going on at the same time, like working on the budget and upcoming elections. "I'm not going to comment on what they said," Gardner said. "I'm not going to speak for the other council members." Councilman Johnny Vaught said he does not believe the resolution would have been approved if the council had not missed it on the original consent agenda and if they had discussed it in open forum during the May 17 meeting. Vaught, who represents District 8, ran for council chairman in the June 14 primary, but will not be included in the June 28 runoff. "I'll always defend the right to peacefully demonstrate, no matter the issue," Vaught said. "I would not vote to reinstate the resolution were it to be brought back up. I don't feel it is within council's purview to approve or disapprove of lifestyle or morality issues." The designation was rescinded a week before Grand Strand Pride held its annual celebration at Chapin Park in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach City Council passed a Pride Month proclamation on May 24 that was worded similarly to the one Horry County rescinded. Members of Myrtle Beach Pride also attended the demonstration on June 21 in support of Grand Strand Pride. Horry County is one of the state's strongest conservative bases, though Myrtle Beach has been known for decades as a haven for the gay community. The resolution was also rescinded a week before the June 14 primary election. Following the primary, two council races will still need to be decided in the June 28 runoff, which include the chairman and District 8 seats. The chairman race features Gardner and Mark Lazarus, a former council chairman. Lazarus got 39 percent of the vote to Gardner's 25 percent during the June 14 primary. Lazarus is looking to avenge his loss to Gardner in 2018. The District 8 councilman race features Mikey Masciarelli, who netted 34 percent during the June 14 primary, and Brandon Skipper, who received 28 percent. Councilman Vaught was the District 8 seat incumbent, but he did not seek reelection. All candidates in these races are Republicans and will run unopposed in the November election. After a four-year pause, a major Charleston drainage project is starting up again. The final phase of the project to help a West Ashley neighborhood with persistent flooding problems was delayed because a telephone company couldn't decide whether to remove an underground "duct bank," or concrete case that houses phone and utility lines. The first phase was complete in 2018, but officials couldn't start on the last phase until they came to an agreement with AT&T about what to do with the utility lines. In the meantime, residents in the historically African American area have faced flooding in hard rain that can block them from leaving their homes and sometimes infiltrates their houses. Charleston officials have been in discussion with AT&T since 2013 about the utilitys lines under Playground Road, in the Forest Acres subdivision. Almost 10 years after those conversations began, City Council approved an allocation of $10.9 million for the final phase of the project June 21. "I voted on this in my second month on council. I have been on council for over 11 years," said Councilman Keith Waring, referring to a vote on the drainage bond that funded the project. The city awarded Gulf Stream Construction a $10.9 million construction contract for the final phase of the project, which includes expanding existing drainage channels and installing newer, larger culverts. The project will expand the channel between the Palmilla Apartments and the North Forest Acres neighborhood and put new drainage pipes in place under Playground Road and Brookwood Circle. The phone line was crucial for service, but it was also in the way of the city's plans. While working on the first phase of the project, which cost $10 million and was located east of the phone line, the city drew up an alternate design to avoid the utility equipment in the final phase. Working around it would cost an additional $2.3 million, which the city hoped AT&T would pay. But it would also cause problems for AT&T should it need to upgrade the lines in the future, said Matt Fountain, the city's stormwater program manager. After years of going back and forth on whether the equipment would be removed, Charleston officials finally came to an agreement with AT&T in early 2021. AT&T has worked over the past year to relocate the utility lines and upgrade them in the process, Fountain said. The relocation was complete in October, an AT&T spokesperson said. The city was then able to move forward with design for the project and put it out to bid. The contract approved June 21 is about $3 million higher than original estimates, mainly due to rising construction prices, Fountain said. Admittedly, it's a little higher than we had hoped in cost but all infrastructure projects have seen increases in costs," Mayor John Tecklenburg said during an initial discussion at council's Ways and Means Committee on June 21. "It covers a 300-acre drainage basin in West Ashley, and it's been a long time coming. City Council voted unanimously to approve the construction contract. Councilman Mike Seekings was absent. Five years ago, a solar flare knocked out radio communications as Hurricane Irma barreled across the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm. In Canada, millions were left without power for up to nine hours in 1989 after radiation and plasma belched toward the earth by the sun crashed the power grid. It came to be known as "the day the sun brought darkness. And earlier this year, dozens of satellites launched by SpaceX burned as they fell back to earth because a relatively minor solar storm disabled them, a loss estimated at $100 million. Even as technological advances have increased the understanding of what's known as "space weather," it remains notoriously difficult to forecast. For the most severe storms, scientists can see the eruption on the sun up to a few days before the energy reaches Earth's atmosphere, but they don't have much certainty about how damaging it might be until about an hour before it arrives. A Clemson University researcher with a doctorate in atmospheric sciences is leading a group of six scientists hoping to help change that. The goal is a more reliable warning system to avoid placing people or expensive equipment solar storms can endanger satellites, GPS systems, power grids and astronauts in harm's way. "I think our work can advance the future predictability," said researcher Xian Lu. "You can have sometimes a plane flying up and it needs to communicate with the control center. If theres a big solar storm, you can have a blacking out of those signals. If we can predict that, people can say, 'lets avoid that region.'" Lu, an associate professor in Clemson's physics and astronomy department, will lead a team of researchers as part of a three-year $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The team includes researchers from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech. The grant also includes creating a new space weather curriculum. Understanding the various factors that drive space weather is the next step toward being able to increase forecast times. Explosions on the surface of the sun, known as solar flares, can have impacts on earth within eight minutes. Other eruptions can cause geomagnetic storms that are felt in subsequent days. The sun is expected to be in one of its most active phases in the next few years, according to NASA. Our growing reliance on satellite-based technology adds to the urgency to better understand space weather. But some of that same technology is providing data that never existed before, including satellite observations and a newly developed solar telescope in Hawaii that's stronger than any built before. NASA's Parker Solar probe will fly closer to the sun 3.8 million miles in one of its orbits than any spacecraft launched. Lu said her team's research is possible thanks to the "emergence of the new capability of data analysis and data itself." The team will focus on better understanding how waves that originate near earth and move toward space interact in the upper atmosphere with those traveling from space toward earth. For example, a thunderstorm in Charleston would generate waves and change the electron density in the atmosphere. The team will use high-powered computer modeling to try to help understand how that storm's effects on the atmosphere would interact with space weather in the area 60 to 400 miles above the Earth known as the ionosphere and thermosphere. "There's a decent amount of progress being made (studying space weather), but it's a hard problem," said Michael Wiltberger, deputy director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research's High Altitude Observatory in Boulder, Colo. "There's lots of really complicated physics that are going on, on an object 93 million miles away that we can't touch." The S.C. Supreme Court is on a roll, and we hope people are paying attention. Were not referring to the courts decision to sidestep the normal, lengthy administrative process to disbar disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh, who by his own admission has violated numerous ethical requirements for lawyers. Thats hardly a difficult call at this point for a court that is appropriately interested in policing the practice of law in South Carolina. Were referring instead to the courts third action in three months and fourth since October against a lower-court judge with clear conflicts of interest. And in particular, were talking about what appears to be a proactive effort by the court, through its Office of Disciplinary Counsel, to identify problem judges before they become front-page exposes in The Post and Courier. After the court issued a public reprimand against him last week for hearing cases involving deputies his wife supervised, retired Marion County Magistrate Daniel Barker II told reporter Avery Wilks that judicial investigators discovered his case as they reviewed how judges have been handling conflicts. He said the review began after the Supreme Court first suspended Chester County Magistrate Angel Underwood in 2016 for failing to recuse herself in more than 100 cases brought by the local sheriffs department while her husband ran it. (The court had to suspend Judge Underwood again earlier this month.) Of course, the court will neither confirm nor deny Judge Barkers claim, but we cant think of a good reason for him to make that up. If its true, it marks an important shift for a court that has never been nearly as aggressive about policing judges as lawyers who arent judges. The court has always been willing to discipline magistrates and municipal judges but has taken a more hands-off approach to those presiding over Family and Circuit courts. And you'd expect those lower-level judges to run into more ethical problems since they dont have to be lawyers and they arent vetted in the same way other judges are. Still, the court either has overlooked or hast taken an inordinate amount of time to discipline some judges who committed pretty clear violations, notably the municipal judge who admitted commingling money owed to others with her own money and then not using it as agreed to pay off back taxes. So, were encouraged to see the court conducting what sounds like a systematic review of problems at least with magistrates. If it hasnt already, we encourage it to expand that beyond magistrates, perhaps starting with municipal, probate and master-in-equity judges and then working up to Circuit, Family and Appeals Court judges. Meantime, the Senate needs to do its job to reduce the need for the lower-court reviews. State Sen. Kent Williams, the Marion Democrat who hand-picked Judge Barker in 2009, wouldnt comment on the reprimand but told Mr. Wilks that the judge was a good magistrate with a firm grasp of the law. Thats not as egregious, but its reminiscent of the response by Fairfield Sen. Mike Fanning, who appointed and then reappointed the ethically challenged Judge Underwood. Funny how blind we can be to the sins of our political allies. Unfortunately, our system for appointing and reappointing magistrates actually encourages that blindness rather than compensating for it by requiring or at least allowing even a cursory vetting from people who dont have a dog in the fight. Not just on paper, but in reality. Technically, its the governor who appoints magistrates, not the resident senator; but governors know that these essential judicial positions will either remain unfilled or remain staffed by the incumbent if the governor doesn't do the local senators bidding. So once a bad judge is in office, there's nothing they can do about it. And technically, the full Senate must confirm these appointments, but senators know that their own appointments will be rejected if they reject the appointments of their colleagues, so they practice a perversion of the Golden Rule. Its not realistic to expect individual senators to research whether there are conflicts or other problems with magistrates and would-be magistrates, even if the senators were willing to incur the wrath of their colleagues. Thats why the Senate needs to require independent, or at least public, vetting of nominees and magistrates up for reappointment. And the full Legislature needs to change a particularly insidious law that allows magistrates to remain on the bench after their term expires. That allows the resident senator to turn what are supposed to be independent judges into at-will employees, by refusing to reappoint them and giving themselves the power to replace, at a moment's notice, people who are now in holdover positions. As for Judge Barker who retired as a magistrate in April but currently works as a municipal judge for the city of Mullins he says he always told defendants about his conflict of interest and that no one ever asked him to recuse himself. Of course, what he told them was that his wife worked as a captain in the sheriffs office but was not directly involved in the case, thereby omitting the most important information: that the deputies worked for her. Its hard to see how a good judge with a firm grasp of the law could fail to understand that this was not in fact the advice the court gave him when he asked how to handle cases after his wifes promotion. Which just underscores how important it is to stop allowing individual senators to decide who gets to put people in jail. COLUMBIA After a nearly clean three-way primary split, South Carolina Democrats head to the polls next week to decide their nominee to take on Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Tim Scott in November. The candidates, meanwhile, are just hoping voters show up. In a year when Democratic turnout was down statewide, the two candidates Columbia-area activist Catherine Fleming Bruce, and Ladson state Rep. Krystle Matthews enter their June 28 runoff as their party's last remaining statewide candidates while a contentious runoff for education superintendent plays out on the Republican side. "We do the best that we can to get in front of people," Matthews said in an interview. "But you know, being only one person, trying to get in front of millions of people, or hundreds of thousands of people for that matter, is a whole other story." Pair that with anemic fundraising, minimal press coverage and the fact South Carolina voters have not sent a non-incumbent Democrat to the Senate since the Civil Rights era and the two hopefuls are left facing an uphill battle to draw attention to a November election most observers believe is a lock for Republicans. Only one candidate, Matthews, has raised more than $100,000 on the campaign trail, while Scott's war chest ranks among Congress' strongest. And in the June 14 primaries, the three candidates Fleming Bruce in the Midlands, Matthews in the Lowcountry and Spartanburg resident Angela Geter split the vote almost perfectly, with all three rarely finding success outside of their geographic area, according to election night returns. With only days left in the campaign and only a handful of Democratic candidates participating in local runoff elections around the state, the candidates' focus has turned to stoking enthusiasm in the state's main population centers. In the first few days of the campaign's closing week, Matthews who has been endorsed by a significant share of her Democratic Statehouse colleagues made appearances in the Upstate and in Columbia, rounding out the week with a June 22 visit to Charleston to tout several new endorsements she'd received in the campaign's closing weeks. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! "Each one of us has a circle of influence," Matthews said. "Making sure that people in our circle of influence know who's on a ballot, who we're supporting and why we're supporting them, it becomes all the more important." Fleming Bruce, who ended election night in first place despite her campaign carrying roughly one-fourth of Matthews' financial resources, has deployed a similar strategy, seeking to solidify her support among the activist community in Richland County (where she finished second) and in Greenville County, which she carried with nearly 42 percent of the vote. "I've been somebody who has worked in the community for a number of years," Fleming Bruce said. "So I do have people around the state who know me already. "I don't have a lot of big groups endorsing me and all that kind of stuff," she added. "You know, we're just basically down to earth and grassroots and committed to policy change in Washington that's going to have an impact here." Fleming Bruce also traveled to Washington, D.C., to march with the Poor People's Campaign in recent days, helping raise awareness for a platform built around bolstering civil rights and fighting income inequality. Specific policy ideas she's supported include federal anti-eviction legislation, a federal $15-per- hour minimum wage and universal health care. While Matthews' platform is similar, she sees her legislative experience as setting her apart in the primary, making her the most pragmatic pick to run against Scott. "It's not just 'Can you guys talk?'" Matthews said. "It's 'Can you build a coalition for the greater good?' That is something that I think that I have done very well that my experience in the Statehouse has given me that my opponent doesn't have." Polls are open June 28 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. statewide. Visit SCVotes.org to learn more about the races taking place statewide and to confirm your polling place. HRH the Deputy King meets with the CEO of Eni The importance of building on the progress achieved by Bahrain's oil and gas sector was highlighted by the Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. During a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of Eni, Claudio Descalzi, at Gudaibiya Palace, HRH Prince Salman stressed on the need to strengthen public-private partnerships and deploying initiatives that reposition the economy as a smart oil-economy to achieve quality opportunities and long-term sustainable growth, said a Bahrain News Agency report. His Royal Highness highlighted that the Kingdom's oil and gas sector is a key contributing sector to the nation's comprehensive development, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. His Royal Highness commended the efforts of the Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, and Chairman of the Oil and Gas Holding Company (Nogaholding) Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa in supporting the sector's growth and its contribution to the Kingdom's development. Shaikh Nasser, Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Oil and Environment Minister Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Dina also attended the meeting. The two sides dicussed latest developments in the oil and gas sector at the regional and international levels. Exchanging experiences Meanwhile, at a separate meeting with the Eni Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi, nogaholding Chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa underlined the keenness of nogaholding to exchange experiences between Bahrain and Italy to upgrade the oil and gas sector and promote the oil economy in the kingdom. He discussed with Claudio Descalzi ways of boosting bilateral cooperation in various fields. He also highlighted the keenness of nogaholding to develop this vital sector to attain the goals of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. The meeting was held in the presence of Oil and Environment Minister Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, Tatweer Petroleum Board Chairman Engineer Faisal Al Mahrous; Acting Managing Director of Tatweer Petroleum Ghassan Ali Al Muhanna; Eni Director of Primary Operations, and Chief Executive of the Middle East Region Foued Krikchi. COLUMBIA A guidebook on effective ways to combat South Carolina's growing opioid crisis is being distributed statewide to give local leaders a reference for deciding how to spend their share of a national settlement. South Carolina is expected to receive $360 million over the next 18 years under a $26 billion settlement with a pharmaceutical company and three major opioid distributors announced earlier this year. More than 90 percent of the money must be used to stem abuse of the highly addictive drugs, and the bulk of that will go to the cities and counties that joined in the negotiations through Attorney General Alan Wilson's office. While the spending must fall under a list of approved uses, the details are largely up to local officials. The report released June 22 titled "South Carolina's Guide to Approved Uses for Investing Opioid Settlement Funds," aims to be a practical guide for decision-makers. It includes a glossary of the terminology, an overview of allowed uses and options and explanations for each. "With the lives at stake in this drug crisis we really cannot afford to squander the settlement funds," said Sara Goldsby, director of the state Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, which created the report with the South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health. "These experts have given content depth and detail based on the best science and the latest research." Suggestions include expanding the use of naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose, and expanding screening and treatment for pregnant women. "Its an incredibly difficult disease to treat and incredibly difficult to beat if you have it, but people can and do get better," said Dr. Edward Simmer, director of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. "There is hope, and its important to remember that." The statistics are startling, he said. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! In the past three years, 4,000 South Carolinians have died from an opioid overdose. In the past year alone, nearly 700 opioid prescriptions were written here for every 1,000 residents. That's enough for two-thirds of South Carolina's population, Simmer said. "That tells you theres an incredible amount of opioids coming into our state, and thats just the legal opioids," he said. "Think about all the illegal opioids, the fentanyl pills and things the traffickers are bringing into our state. This is a major crisis." Supplying fentanyl test strips is one potential use of the money, he said. "So when a college student buys what he thinks is an Adderall pill to help him stay awake at night as bad an idea as that is at least he can test it to see if theres fentanyl in there that will kill him," Simmer said. "That kind of thing saves lives." The money will be distributed and overseen by a nine-member board created by a law signed last month by Gov. Henry McMaster. The South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board will meet for the first time next month. Its initial agenda will include approving an application process. The first grants are expected to be approved in the fall. While the money will come in over 18 years, South Carolina should receive $75 million of it by the end of 2022, since Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay the bulk of its share upfront. Otherwise, payments to South Carolina will range from $13 million to $20 million yearly, with the largest payments toward the end of this decade, according to the Attorney General's Office. All 46 counties and 43 cities in South Carolina involved in negotiations are capped at a set amount. They can also seek a piece of $100 million set aside for grants that are also available to smaller towns, hospitals, nonprofits and state agencies. WASHINGTON The Senate's bipartisan gun safety bill, which has the backing of South Carolina's senior Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, includes a pair of provisions that would address two issues of tremendous importance in the Palmetto State: 1. Closing the so-called "Charleston loophole" that allowed a young white supremacist to buy a gun on a technicality before going on a hate-fueled rampage inside a downtown Charleston church in 2015, and 2. Expanding the definition that determines which domestic abusers are barred from getting guns, an issue of significance in a state that ranks sixth-worst in the nation for women killed by men. Graham was one of 14 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who joined all 48 Democrats and two independents in advancing the bill June 21 for debate. The 64-34 vote, which came hours after the release of the bill's text and with the backing of leadership in both parties, suggests the gun safety measure has more than enough support to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to break a Republican filibuster in the evenly divided Senate. "My goal from the start was to have a constitutional system that can intervene in time to stop unstable, mentally ill (individuals) from obtaining firearms and killing innocent people," Graham said in a media statement. "The legislation is not perfect, but we must not let the perfect become the enemy of the good." U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., joined the remaining GOP senators in opposing the proposal. In a statement provided to The Post and Courier on June 22, Scott suggested there was not adequate time to review and fine-tune the 80-page bill ahead of the procedural vote to advance it. "The tragedies we've mourned as a nation serve as a painful reminder of the consequences of our inability to engage in a meaningful and honest debate on the issue," Scott said. "Sadly we were yet again denied the opportunity to have that conversation, with no time to review, openly discuss and improve the legislation." While there were aspects of the bill Scott supported, like increasing resources for school safety and mental health, he said there were "certain concerns" he could not resolve in "such a short period of time." The senator's office declined to elaborate when pressed for more specifics. The 80-page bill, called the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, would strengthen background checks, including for the youngest firearms buyers, require more sellers to conduct background checks and beef up penalties on gun traffickers. Lawmakers who worked on the package have said they hope to see its passage out of the Senate before the chamber breaks for a two-week July Fourth recess. If it becomes law, the proposal would represent the most significant legislation to address gun violence since the 1990s, when Congress prohibited assault-style firearms. One of the provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act can be traced directly to Charleston. In an area covering juvenile records, the bill states authorities would have up to 10 business days to review both the juvenile and mental health records of gun purchasers who are under age 21. That proposed guardrail hits especially close to home for the Charleston community, where a white supremacist in 2015 shot and killed nine Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church during a Wednesday night Bible Study with a gun he should never have been able to get. The killer, who was 21 at the time, had an arrest record for drug use a prohibiting factor that should have barred him from buying any gun. But under federal law the gun sale was able to move forward because the FBI background check was not completed within three days. The gap is now known as the "Charleston loophole." It's a more narrow framework than past proposals introduced by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who for the last five years has introduced legislation in the House to expand the FBI background check period to 10 business days for all who want to purchase a firearm. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! On the seven-year anniversary of the shooting at Emanuel AME Church, Clyburn and Scott gathered at the church for an event commemorating the day. In an op-ed in The Post and Courier, Clyburn urged action. "We have an opportunity to enact meaningful laws to address the epidemics of gun violence and white supremacy. We have all heard the saying that 'where there is a will, there is a way.' The public will is strong and overwhelmingly in support of action," Clyburn wrote. "Lets develop ways to prevent being condemned to repeat our past mistakes and make our communities safer for everyone." In addition to taking steps to address the Charleston loophole, the Senate legislation would also, for the first time, seek to close the so-called "boyfriend loophole" by expanding current law to prohibit dating partners or recent dating partners convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a firearm. Under the current allowance, only convicted domestic abusers who have been married to, lived with their victim or have had a child with them are barred from purchasing firearms. That oversight has long excluded boyfriends, girlfriends, longtime partners and also estranged former partners and lovers. That could be especially significant in South Carolina. According to the annual When Men Murder Women report published Sept. 28, South Carolina ranked No. 6 in the nation for for women killed by men a discouraging statistic that comes despite its 11th-place grade in 2018, which at the time had spurred hope that South Carolina had reached a turning point in its persistent domestic-violence death rates. Guns play a significant role in these deaths. According to the report, 40 percent of South Carolinas total cases arose from arguments between the victim and her killer. Of all of the slayings, nearly 79 percent of the women were killed with guns. The Senate proposal would also funnel millions to help states implement so-called "red flag" laws that will let authorities temporarily confiscate guns from people who may pose an imminent threat to themselves or others, an idea Graham has urged states to adopt. It also would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives. Graham, who was one of 10 Republicans in a bipartisan group that sought to hammer out the details of the Senate's gun reform package, said in a statement that the bill strikes the right balance in addressing problems without infringing on constitutional rights. While the Palmetto State's senior senator said he believes the legislation has "a very good chance of saving lives while at the same time protecting the rights of responsible gun owners" he also acknowledged the bill "will not magically solve all of our problems when it comes to gun violence." "Deranged individuals who are intent on killing and maiming others will find ways to accomplish their hateful objective. However, I do think there is a greater likelihood this legislation will help us avert a mass killing than prevent a law-abiding citizen from losing their constitutional right to keep and bear arms," Graham said. Graham, who is a gun owner himself, also stressed, "Unless you're adjudicated (as) mentally ill or a convicted violent criminal, your Second Amendment rights wont be affected." The full Senate could vote on passing the measure in the next few days. It's then expected to pass in the Democratic-dominated House. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 87F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. CAMPOBELLO As a child, Tyler Lewis went looking for unique antiques and household items with his grandmother. They called it treasure hunting. After the death of his grandmother in 2020, Lewis put together a tag sale for all of the items within her home. When I meet people, I tell them about my grandmother, said Tyler Lewis, owner of Lewis Estate Liquidation Company, LLC. My grandmother is the reason I'm here today, and she's the reason for everything. Because of the emotional stress of going through his grandmothers belongings, Lewis wanted to create something that would take the burden off of families who lost a loved one or who have to let go of valuable items. He decided to start an estate sale company. Lewis Estate Liquidation Company, LLC handles living and passed estate sales related to death, debt, divorce and downsizing. Lewis started his company eight months ago and now plans to expand with Lewis Estate Liquidation Company, LLC Antiques & Consignment Store in Campobello next to Buck N Brew Coffee & Ice Cream. There will be an in-store estate sale July 7-9. Lewis hopes to have an official grand opening for the store by the end of July. Along with antiques, the store will have a section of consignment booths for people who sell their own items. Lewis said hes always liked helping people through difficult times. Months after his grandmothers death, Lewis quit his full-time job to care for his aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Lewis also worked with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for seven years doing patient transport and communications. We are a company thats open to helping everyone, Lewis said. We work really hard to try to accommodate every different circumstance and situation with a sale. During some sales, Lewis will write the history of items on a notecard. He prefers to do sales inside of the clients home because it adds a personal touch and a level of respect. Every item is individually priced. Lewis said he takes pride in researching the items and making sure there's a fair market value price. When items are left over Lewis tries to give clients options. An auction company can come and take the items, they can be donated, or the company will put together another sale. Estate Liquidation Company, LLC has estate sales on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lewis has done sales in Union County, Anderson County, Greenville, Columbia, Lexington and Chapin. He also has a license to sell in North Carolina. It just blows me away that what started out as a dream and vision has become a reality, he said. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. I will no longer be voting for him I will still vote for him I am going to vote in the Republican primary I think he should drop out of the race for governor Vote View Results Al Ghurair Retail, part of leading UAE business Al Ghurair Investment, is set to onboard several noted Spanish brands onto its portfolio after the success of La Tienda: Brands of Spain Shop at the recently concluded Expo 2020 Dubai. The first-of-its-kind shop, which was a collaboration between Al Ghurair Retail and the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE), counted more than 580,000 visitors throughout its 6-month run. It featured more than 20 brands from Spain, across a variety of categories, including fashion, food and beverage, and accessories. Commenting on the success of La Tienda, Arturo Lujan, CEO, Al Ghurair Ventures, which includes Al Ghurair Retail businesses, said: Expo 2020 Dubai was a visionary showcase of synergy: bringing together countries, brands and organisations from across the globe, in an energetic and colourful celebration of cultural diversity. Prestigious platform Through this prestigious platform, we were able to support our representative brands with elevating profile and equity, as well as enhancing consumer choice in the regional retail sector. We are honoured and humbled to have had the opportunity to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event through our Innovation and Sustainability commitments. Participating brands at La Tienda were selected based on Sustainability, quality, innovation, and design, in alignment with Al Ghurairs own core values to Enhance Life of our customers, employees and the communities that we serve. Its success has opened talks over Al Ghurair Retail potentially adding several Spanish brands to their diverse portfolio, cementing their footprint in the region. Fashion and jewellery brands were the top performers at La Tienda, taking up 53% of total sales, followed by gastronomy brands at 35%. Triumphant stint The conclusion of this triumphant stint at Expo 2020 follows the companys recent Friends of Spain prestigious award by Brands of Spain, in recognition of its contribution to forging economic, cultural, and business relationships between Spain and the UAE, which was presented on behalf of Spains President to Al Ghurair. Lujan added: We are committed to pursuing more impactful partnership opportunities that boost overall retail experience in the region, and support the UAEs vision of sustainability and innovation, as well as its trade relations with international markets. We are proud to play a crucial economic and cultural link between the UAE and other countries. Spain is already a major supplier of fashion, beauty, and leather footwear to the UAE, and we are proud to amplify this bilateral relationship. Now, we are working on building lasting relationships with several of the brands represented at La Tienda, and we hope to be able to share some exciting announcements about our extended retail portfolio soon!-- TradeArabia News Service In Minnesota, a new rule relating to certification of teachers is in process. As I understand it, the rule has proceeded without legislative action and ultimately will come before an administrative law judge who will (I assume) approve it, absent enormous public outcry. The rule provides that you cant be licensed as a teacher in Minnesota unless you subscribe to neo-Marxist theories of race, gender and so on. You have to read it to believe it: Subpart 1. Standard 1. Student learning. B. The teacher understands multiple theories of identity formation and knows how to help students develop positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society. *** D. The teacher fosters an environment that ensures student identities such as race/ethnicity, national origin, language, sex and gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical/developmental/emotional ability, socioeconomic class, and religious beliefs are historically and socially contextualized, affirmed, and incorporated into a learning environment where students are empowered to learn and contribute as their whole selves. E. The teacher understands and supports students as they recognize and process dehumanizing biases, discrimination, prejudices, and structural inequities. *** C. The teacher understands bias in assessment, evaluates standardized and teacher-created assessments for bias, and designs and modifies assessments that minimize sources of bias. *** E. The teacher plans how to achieve each students learning goals by choosing anti-racist, culturally relevant, and responsive instructional strategies, accommodations, and resources to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of learners. F. The teacher features, highlights, and uses resources written and developed by traditionally marginalized voices that offer diverse perspectives on race, culture, language, gender, sexual identity, ability, religion, nationality, migrant/refugee status, socioeconomic status, housing status, and other identities traditionally silenced or omitted from curriculum. *** H. The teacher creates opportunities for students to learn about power, privilege, intersectionality, and systemic oppression in the context of various communities and empowers learners to be agents of social change to promote equity. *** H. The teacher encourages critical thinking about culture and race and includes missing narratives to dominant culture in the curriculum. *** C. The teacher understands the historical foundations of education in Minnesota, including laws, policies, and practices, that have and continue to create inequitable opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for learners, especially for Indigenous students and students historically denied access, underserved, or underrepresented on the basis of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, language, socioeconomic status, or country of origin. D. The teacher understands how prejudice, discrimination, and racism operates at the interpersonal, intergroup, and institutional levels. E. The teacher explores their own intersecting social identities and how they impact daily experience as an educator. F. The teacher assesses how their biases, perceptions, and academic training may affect their teaching practice and perpetuate oppressive systems and utilizes tools to mitigate their own behavior to disrupt oppressive systems. G. The teacher uses a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to analyze and reflect on their practice and to make adaptations and adjustments toward more equitable outcomes. *** Subp. 8. Standard 8. Racial consciousness and reflection. A. The teacher understands multiple theories of race and ethnicity, including but not limited to racial formation, processes of racialization, and intersectionality. B. The teacher understands the definitions of and difference between prejudice, discrimination, bias, and racism. C. The teacher understands how ethnocentrism, eurocentrism, deficit-based teaching, and white supremacy undermine pedagogical equity. D. The teacher understands that knowledge creation, ways of knowing, and teaching are social and cultural practices shaped by race and ethnicity, often resulting in racially disparate advantages and disadvantages. E. The teacher understands the histories and social struggles of historically defined racialized groups, including but not limited to Indigenous people, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, and Asian Americans. F. The teacher understands the cultural content, world view, concepts, and perspectives of Minnesota-based American Indian Tribal Nations and communities, including Indigenous histories and languages. G. The teacher understands the impact of the intersection of race and ethnicity with other forms of difference, including class, gender, sexuality, religion, national origin, immigration status, language, ability, and age. On Monday the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled 7-0 that the Minneapolis mayor had breached his duty to staff the police department at the minimum level specified by the city charter. (The Supreme Court also ruled that the city council was in compliance with the related funding requirement.) For some reason or other, the police department has lost 300 officers since the summer of George Floyd. The city is now some 100 police officers short of meeting its legal requirement to staff the department at the minimum level set by the charter. Given the difficulties of recruiting under the circumstances, the city is confronted with a complicated situation. The city will be put to the challenge of proving up compliance with the charters minimum staffing requirement or its good-faith efforts comply. The mayor may be able to prove that he is unable to get this basic component of his job done. Maybe the city is incapable of providing a minimum level of police protection. After all, who in his right mind would go to work for the Minneapolis Police Department? Let us get a clue. The Supreme Court order presents a late opportunity to chew over the crisis confronting the city. The 300 officers who have taken retirement or disability since the summer of George Floyd should have set off a warning flare along with the crime wave that has accompanied the departments shrinkage. Even if the department were able to meet the legal minimum staffing requirement, it would still be short-staffed. The restoration of civic order is a long way away. Complacency nevertheless reigns. One-party party rule is not conducive to good government. Perhaps Minneapolis can look to its old Soviet Union sister city for help in developing multiparty government. The police department continues to take a beating from all comers. Most recently, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has charged it with systemic discrimination. Has anyone (other than me) questioned the likelihood that the department is guilty of 10 years of race based policing, as charged a period (January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020) that covers the leadership of Tim Dolan, Janee Harteau, and Medaria Arradondo? The Supreme Court order brings a variety of issues to the fore, all of them basic to the citys survival. We await the commentary of the Star Tribune editorial board on these issues. Turning to the paper today, we find the attention of the editors turned elsewhere. They opine that Voters suffer with fewer choices. Unfortunately, the editorial is not referring to the citys only daily newspaper. No, the editorial refers to races for sheriff and county attorney in counties around the state. A contested, competitive race allows voters to at least consider different perspectives on how an elected job should be done. This is true of course, but it isnt the case in Hennepin County (which includes the city of Minneapolis), at least this year. However, the lack of choice decried by the editors applies in spades to the citys only daily newspaper. This past Friday evening Tucker Carlson devoted his 18-minute opening segment (monologue plus guests Josh Boswell and Harmeet Dhillon) to the matter of Ashley Bidens diary. Project Veritas the object of the FBIs investigation into the alleged theft of the diary (see this tab) posted the segment in its entirety on YouTube, but YouTube removed it upon the objection of FOX News. Its the kind of segment that I have almost always found FOX News to make accessible following broadcast. It has a YouTube channel with nearly 10 million subscribers for such featured segments. However, not in this case. The synonyms for abuse that Tucker drew on to formulate questions for reporters to pose to President Biden or his spokesmen has made me wonder if management at FOX News might be concerned about payback in one form or another by the Biden administration. You wouldnt want to lose access to administration spokesman like Brian Deese, John Kirby and others, would you? Well, I would pay the price, but it wouldnt cost me anything. Its a mind-boggling story from just about every angle. Over the past seven months I have sought to expand on it through contact with OKeefe, his attorney Paul Calli, and other spokesmen. I also sought comment from New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt for one installment of this series. (Schmidt did not respond.) It is a difficult story for an outsider to advance with interests including possible criminal liability in play. In a fundraising appeal yesterday, James OKeefe summarized the case so far from his perspective at the top of Project Veritas. I have edited out the pleas for money and otherwise slightly edited the form of the message below. I thought readers might find it of interest: It has now been SEVEN months since the FBI illegally raided my home, and the homes of two of my journalists, over a personal diary belonging to the Presidents daughter, Ashley Biden. Its never been more apparent why they did. It has now been CONFIRMED by multiple media outlets, including the Daily Mail, that the diary which Project Veritas legally possessed did, in fact, contain disturbing allegations. Allegations that Ashley Biden described as being, Hyper-sexualized at a young age and inappropriate showers with her father, Joe Biden. Tucker Carlson recently pointed out the FBI was likely working on orders from none other than President Biden himself because he didnt want this to ever see the light of day. Since the ILLEGAL RAIDS happened back in November, weve had to spend MILLIONS of dollars defending ourselves and the First Amendment against a corrupt investigation. But the battle is far from over, and our legal costs continue to skyrocket. As I am writing to you now, the FBI is still in possession of over FORTY-FIVE devices belonging to Project Veritas. We are still actively being investigated by the Department of Justice. They want to bleed us dry, shut us down, and stop the important work that we do. If the FBI can do it to me and the brave journalists at Project Veritas, they can do it to anyone. No one is safe if the FBI can be weaponized against the people for the purpose of protecting the elite. In nine sentences omitted above OKeefes message links to this page for contributions. The prices of crude oil plummeted 4 per cent on Wednesday amid a push by the U.S. president, Joe Biden, to cut taxes on fuel to cut costs in the United States. Brent crude futures were down $4.65, or 4.1 per cent, at $110.00 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell $5.08, or 4.6 per cent, to $104.44 by 0918 GMT. Earlier in the session, both contracts had shed over $6 each to hit their lowest levels since May 19 and 12, respectively, Reuters reported. On Wednesday, Mr Biden is expected to call on Congress to pass a three-month suspension of the 18.4 cents per gallon federal gasoline tax to help combat record pump prices, according to Reuters. ALSO READ: OPEC agrees to increase output as EU bans Russian oil Reuters quoted a government official as saying, A federal gas tax suspension alone wont fix the problem we face, but it will provide families a little breathing room as we continue working to bring down prices for the long haul. A Nigerian energy solutions provider, Oando, has finally released its long-anticipated full-year 2019 and 2020 financial statements. The company confirmed the development in a statement issued on its website on Wednesday and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. The statement said the three-year delay in the release of the companys results was precipitated by the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) suspension of Oandos 2018 Annual General Meeting (AGM). It said this was due to a dispute with an indirect shareholder, Ansbury Investment Inc. The suspension of the companys 2018 AGM and attendant issues prevented shareholders from being kept abreast of business operations, a move decried on numerous occasions by Oando and her executives as not being in the best interests of the market. In July 2021, Oando entered into a settlement with the SEC on all matters subject to litigation and other issues flowing therefrom, thus putting an end to one part of the dispute with Ansbury. Key for Oando was that the SEC did not find the company guilty of any wrongdoing and by way of a settlement, was able to prevent further market disruption and harm to Oando Plcs shareholders, the statement said. According to the statement, after 12 consecutive quarters of profits up until the third quarter, 2019, the company reported in its 2019 audited financials a loss-after-tax of N207.1 billion. It said this was largely attributable to impairments for goodwill and loans associated with the indirect shareholder dispute. The settlement of this long-running dispute led to an impairment of N148 billion on financial assets but forms the final resolution and settlement of the dispute with Ansbury. The company has been resolute in reiterating that all actions taken to date have always been in the interests of all Oando shareholders. Furthermore shareholders have consistently asked the company to take all necessary steps to resolve this dispute and move the business forward. The actions of both SEC and the indirect shareholder contributed largely to eroding its stocks value significantly from its listing price of an average of N9 per share in 2017, to an average N3 per share in 2022, it said. It said despite the loss, this one action had far-reaching and positive implications the settlement finally takes Ansbury out of the picture and would be a welcome relief for the company, shareholders and market. The statement said it would finally allow the management to focus their efforts on setting a new path for growth and value creation for her shareholders. It said with 2019 behind it, the company faced a new challenge in 2020 in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic which negatively affected all corporate firms not just those operating in the oil and gas sector. In the companys 2020 full year-end financials, a loss after tax of N132.6 billion, a 36 per cent drop from 2019, was reported. A positive skew in results from the previous year, the statement said. READ FULL STATEMENT BY THE COMPANY BELOW. On Wednesday, June 22, Oando, Nigerias leading indigenous energy solutions provider finally released its long-anticipated full-year end 2019 and 2020 financial statements. You will recall that the 3-year delay in the release of the companys results was precipitated by the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) suspension of Oandos 2018 Annual General Meeting (AGM) following a dispute with an indirect shareholder, Ansbury Investment Inc. The suspension of the companys 2018 AGM and attendant issues prevented shareholders from being kept abreast of business operations, a move decried on numerous occasions by Oando and her executives as not being in the best interests of the market. In July 2021, Oando entered into a settlement with the SEC on all matters subject to litigation and other issues flowing therefrom, thus putting an end to one part of the dispute with Ansbury. Key for Oando was that the SEC did not find the company guilty of any wrongdoing and by way of a settlement, was able to prevent further market disruption and harm to Oando PLCs shareholders. After 12 consecutive quarters of profits up until Q3, 2019, the company reported in its 2019 audited financials a loss-after-tax of N207.1 billion largely attributable to impairments for goodwill and loans associated with the indirect shareholder dispute. The settlement of this long-running dispute led to an impairment of N148 billion on financial assets but forms the final resolution and settlement of the dispute with Ansbury, the indirect shareholder whose actions had significantly destroyed shareholder value over the last four years. The company has been resolute in reiterating that all actions taken to date have always been in the interests of all Oando shareholder, furthermore shareholders have consistently asked the company to take all necessary steps to resolve this dispute and move the business forward. The actions of both SEC and the indirect shareholder contributed largely to eroding its stocks value significantly from its listing price of an average of N9 per share in 2017, to an average N3 per share in 2022. Despite the loss, this one action has far-reaching and positive implications the settlement finally takes Ansbury out of the picture and will be a welcome relief for the company, her shareholders and market as it finally allows Management to focus their efforts on setting a new path for growth and value creation for her shareholders. With 2019 behind it, the company faced a new challenge in 2020 in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic which negatively affected all corporates not just those operating in the oil and gas sector. In the companys 2020 Full Year End financials, a loss after tax of N132.6 billion, a 36% drop from 2019, was reported. A positive skew in results from the previous year. The decline in oil revenue is on the back of the decline in crude oil price following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, which led to a supply glut. The price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia that broke out on March 4 due to the collapse of the OPEC+ agreement was a big factor in taking an already-deteriorating situation and turning it into an existential crisis for many companies including International Oil Companies like Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, etc. and indigenous companies like Oando amongst others. Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, Total, ENI, Baker Hughes, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Equinor, Halliburton, and Schlumberger posted a cumulative net loss of $119.2 billion. ExxonMobil posted the largest loss at $22.4 billion, followed by Royal Dutch Shell with a loss of $21.7 billion and BP with a loss of $20.3 billion. Closer to home companies such as Seplat, another indigenous player had to revalue downwards its oil and gas assets by $114.4million to reflect the lower crude oil prices of 2020 and this reversed the operating profit of US$82.7million to a loss for the year 2020 of US$85.3million, the company further incurred a non-cash impairment of $144.3 million. Against this backdrop and like other oil and gas players across the world, Oando reported further impairments across financial and non-financial assets which significantly impacted its financials after tax. The COVID-19 pandemic marked the cause of the third price collapse of the oil and gas industry in 12 years. It was particularly the worst shock among the three as there was an unparalleled decline in the demand for oil as well as its derivatives. This, combined with the inability of OPEC+ to agree to production cuts, resulted in a global excess supply of 35 million barrels a day by the end of Q1 2020. Commenting on the 2020 results Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC said: 2020 proved to be an unprecedented year for the global economy due to the impact of the novel COVID-19 pandemic. The Oil & Gas industry was no exception as the year turned out to be one of the most challenging years in its history as we witnessed the lowest oil prices since our sojourn into Nigerias upstream sector in 2008, thus negatively impacting our revenue during the period. This resulted in us having to impair a portion of the goodwill on our balance sheet to ensure the carrying value of our assets was a true reflection of the environment we were operating in. Furthermore, the second tranche funding of the settlement of a protracted and disruptive shareholder issue resulted in us taking a further impairment on a category of our financial and non-financial assets. Despite these challenges, our hedging policy and long-term offtake contracts ensured our cash flows were not severely stressed during this period. Amidst an uncertain operating environment, the companys operational performance remained on track as it grew its upstream production by 5%, whilst downstream traded volumes of crude oil and refined products ramped up by 13% and 53% respectively. However, these results are retrospective, being over 2 and 1 year late respectively thus attention should be more on the companys present-day results specifically its 2021 FYE and 2022 quarterlies as these are a true reflection of the companys most up-to-date financial standing and prospects. Based on recent initiatives announced by the company, as well as the external operating environment, Oando is very much still operational with highlights that speak to a viable future including its announcement in 2021 of an expansion of its business portfolio to include renewables, a recently signed MoU with Lagos state for the deployment of electric transit buses and EV infrastructure across the state and the sustained high oil prices which the market is relying on to translate to more optimistic financials in 2022. (NAN) Make the most of your Monsoon wedding! 27 Jun 2022 | 9:08 PM New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) After the sweltering hot and sunny days, monsoon season brings in the much needed wet and cool climate. see more.. Artist Mogrelia's maiden solo art exhibition in Mumbai from tomorrow 27 Jun 2022 | 8:54 PM Mumbai, June 27 (UNI) City-based senior artist Dinshaw Mogrelia is all set to showcase his thematic work on mysterious world of phobias in his maiden solo art show at Jehangir art gallery, from Tuesday till July 4. see more.. Trailer of Modern Love Hyderabad out 27 Jun 2022 | 7:37 PM New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Love has the power to charm, to excite, to hurt, but more than anything, it has the ability to heal. see more.. 'Pushpa Impossible': Pushpa aspires to fulfil her right to education 27 Jun 2022 | 6:46 PM New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) With her cheery disposition, optimistic mindset, and unique approach towards life, Pushpa (Karuna Pandey) of Sony SAB has captured our hearts. see more.. A Magistrate Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Monday remanded a Nigerian Nollywood actor, Moses Armstrong, at the Correctional Facility for allegedly raping a minor. The judge, Moreen Udoka, granted the prosecution ex parte motion for remand and adjourned the matter to July 19 for filing of information. The defence counsel, Emmanuel Pantaleon, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that he has applied for the Certified True Copy of the court proceedings and will respond accordingly. Mr Pantaleon was not in court when his client was remanded on Monday. Another judge, Samuel Ukoima, had struck out the remand application from the prosecution when Mr Armstrong was first arraigned. Mr Ukoima ruled that based on the new Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Akwa Ibom State 2022, an application for remand does not come as a charge but as an ex parte motion. Mr Ukoima struck out the matter and ordered that the Nollywood actor be re-arrested. A remand application was filed adequately since the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the case. The Nollywood actor was arraigned on charges of rape and threat to life. Like his colleague, James Olanrewaju, aka Baba Ijesha, Mr Armstrong is the second Nigerian actor to be entangled in the alleged rape of a minor. Following the allegations, Mr Armstrong, a former aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel, was suspended by the Actors Guild of Nigeria on Sunday. The group, in a statement signed by Emeka Rollas, said the suspension was based on facts emanating from the preliminary investigations conducted by the Guild on the allegations. Though we must protect our members when it comes to serious allegations, the law will have to take its course, the statement added 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 injuries sustained during the accident. Mary Dauda and Hauwa Joseph, the two rescued girls abducted from the GGSS Chibok in Borno in 2014, have revealed that more than 20 missing others are still in Gazuwa camp in Sambisa Forest, eight years after being kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents. NAN Reports that Gazuwa camp is the acclaimed Headquarters of the Jamaat Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Dawah wal-Jihad, Boko Haram faction, formerly known as Gabchari, Mantari and Mallum Masari, located about 9 kilometres to Bama Local Government Area of Borno. They disclosed this while interacting with newsmen on Tuesday in Maiduguri, at a news conference at the Command and Control Centre Maimalari Cantonment. Marry Dauda, who recounted her experience in the hands of the insurgents, said she could still vividly recall her compulsory marriage eight years ago after she was abducted at the age of 18 years. Dauda said she walked through the deadly forest for many days before she found help. Like the others conscripted by the militants, she had been told that she would be hunted down and killed if she deserted. She said: I took excuse from Malam Ahmed, that I will be visiting my relative from Chibok in the town of Ngoshe and he gave me one week. That is when I began my journey for freedom. I left Sabil Huda, popularly known as the camp of Abubakar Shekau, and proceeded towards Njimiya and Parisu, where I met some of the Mujahedeens. They asked where I was going and I told them I was given permission to visit my sister in Ngoshe. I finally arrived Gava village in Gwoza, after walking for many hours through the deadly forest under hardship condition. I asked some people to direct me to the home of daughter of Chibok. After meeting her, I told her of my plans to return home, she told me she had wanted to come with me but her husband has placed her on strict surveillance for attempting to run. I then left her and proceeded toward Ngoshe town. On my way, I met an old man who promised to help me to escape. But he told me that it wont be possible in the afternoon until the sun had set. At about 8 p.m., he took me to Ngoshe town and told me to pass the night in the outskirt of the town and proceed the next morning. When the day broke, I took myself to some soldiers where I was rescued with my baby, she said. On her part, Hauwa Joseph said she was forcefully married to Amir Abbah, Commander of Boko Haram (Munzul), at Gazuwa camp, who was later killed during an encounter with the troops of the Nigerian Army. She said she voluntarily escaped from the camp of the terrorists during a massive incursion of the troops of the Nigerian army into their camp in Gazuwa on June 12. Ms Joseph said as people were running in the same direction where the sect members were hiding women and children, she took a separate route to escape from the terrorist camp. She said on her way, she met with some of the insurgents who asked her where she was going, but she tricked them and told them that she was following some women to hide in the nearby forest. I slept under the tree with my child, then proceeded the next day until I arrived at the road where I approached a military checkpoint. Initially, they thought I was a suicide bomber, but when I explained myself, they took me along with them. She thanked the military for rescuing her, saying that she hoped other girls still in the camps of the terrorists would be rescued. Christopher Musa, a major general, who is The Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai North East Joint Operation, said that both girls were on the list of the missing Chibok girls. Mr Musa said the girls were rescued due to a massive military operation in Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountain, and the Lake Chad area. We are putting more efforts to ensure that the rest of the girls are rescued through the ongoing Operation Lake and Desert Sanity, he said. Also, another Major General, Waidi Shuaibu, The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the Army, said the girls were rescued between June 12 and 14, around Bama and Gwoza general area. Mr Shuaibu said the girls had received necessary medical attention and would be handed over to the appropriate authorities shortly. Boko Haram kidnapped 276 female students, aged between 16 and 18 from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State in April 2014. Over 100 of the girls were still missing as of April 14, 2021, seven years after the initial kidnapping. (NAN) The All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost another senator to an opposition party. The latest defection is by Haliru Jika who represents Bauchi Central senatorial district. He has joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). His official announcement was contained in a letter addressed to and read out by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at the start of plenary on Wednesday. He, however, gave no reason for leaving. I hereby wish to notify you of my defection from the APC to the NNPP whose ideals is in line with my political aspirations, he simply said in his letter. No lawmaker protested Mr Jikas defection which had, before the official announcement, taken place two days ago. In recent past, lawmakers of a party would complain of their colleagues defection and accuse them of breaching the law. They would cite Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution. The Section says a member of Senate or House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by another political party he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected. Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored. PDP too In a separate letter read out by Mr Lawan, Imo senator, Francis Onyewuchi, notified the Senate of his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Labour Party. Mr Onyewuchi reportedly joined the party in Imo State on Tuesday and has since emerged candidate for the Imo East senatorial poll. Like Mr Jika, he gave no reason for his defection. This is after due consultation with my family, constituents and supporters. This will enable me participate fully in the movement for a new Nigeria, he said. These defections come barely 24 hours after the Senate President announced the defections of three senators Francis Alimekhena (Edo North) and Babba Kaita (APC, Katsina North) who defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Lawal Gumau (Bauchi South) who left the APC to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Although the lawmakers had defected weeks ago, their letters were read out at the start of plenary on Wednesday. The latest defections also come about a week after Mr Lawan read out similar defection letters from the former Senate leader, Yahaya Abdullahi and Adamu Aliero both from Kebbi State. The duo had cited crisis in the party as their reasons for leaving, but also accused the state governor, Atiku Bagudu, of frustrating the efforts of party members in the state. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has explained that the motion to override the president on the electoral act was stepped down because it was not properly presented. Mr Gbajabiamila explained that the motion moved by Ben Igbakpa (PDP, Delta) to override President Muhammadu Buhari on section 84(8) of the Electoral Act was not consistent with the constitution and rules of the House. Last week, Mr Igbakpa had raised a constitutional point of order on the inaction of the president on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill transmitted by the National Assembly on May 12. The lawmaker had asked that the House should invoke Section 58(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to override the president. He added that the exclusion of statutory delegates from the Act had created a lacuna in it. In his ruling, the Speaker directed Mr Igbakpa to bring a substantive motion to that effect. However, on Tuesday, the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), while presiding over the plenary session, asked Mr Igbakpa to step down the motion. In the motion, Mr Igbakpa prayed that the House should Invoke Section 58(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) with respect to the Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act, 2022 i.e Amendment of Section 84(8) thereof to allow statutory delegates to participate in the congresses and conventions of political parties. Communicate the position of the House of Representatives to the Senate for concurrence. According to the deputy speaker, the motion was not in order because the bill has to be reconsidered and two-thirds of the members of the House must vote on it. No contradiction between me and deputy speaker Speaking on the controversy on the motion, Mr Gbajabiamila said his position and the deputy speakers are one and the same. He explained that the motion must re-introduce the bill for consideration, adding that Mr Igbakpas motion failed to introduce the bill for members to reconsider. You have to bring the bill back for consideration. But how do you bring the bill back? You have to bring the bill back by way of substantive motion. And you now recommitting it to perhaps the committee of the whole or in the alternative you go through the whole process again, first, second readings to third reading. You still have to bring a substantive motion to bring the bill back, not just by saying let us override. The bill has to be brought back to the House, Mr Gbajabiamila said. Section 58(4 and 5) provides that Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within thirty days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent. Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again passed by each House by two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required. Only once has the National Assembly successfully vetoed the decision of a president on a bill. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) became law without the assent of the president when the 4th Assembly vetoed then President Olusegun Obasanjo. Gunmen have beheaded a former lawmaker in Anambra State, Nigerias South-east. The victim, Nelson Achukwu, from Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was reportedly abducted a few months ago by gunmen who accused him of providing information to military authorities. He was, however, released after his abductors realised he was not guilty of the allegation. Mr Achukwu, a physically-challenged person, was again abducted three weeks ago from his house in the Mkpor community. He was beheaded after his family reportedly paid N15 million as ransom to the gunmen. The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES, Wednesday afternoon. He said the body of the former lawmaker was found on Tuesday between the boundary of Uke and Ukpor Communities in the council area. His decapitated body was found at the back of Ulasi Rivers and was quickly buried by the family on Tuesday evening as the body was already decomposing. Efforts were being made to rescue him (from his abductors) before this unfortunate development, Mr Ikenga said. The police spokesperson said the police would not relent in investigating the incident and assured that the suspects would be tracked down. Mr Achukwu is the owner of Nelly Oil & Gas Filling Station in Utuh, another community in the council area. He represented Nnewi South 2 Constituency in the state assembly during the administration of former governor, Chris Ngige, now Nigerias minister of Labour and Employment. Worsening insecurity Security in Nigerias South-east has deteriorated lately with attacks by armed persons reported almost on a daily basis across the region. Anambra State has witnessed some of the worst attacks in the region. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. The latest attack came exactly one month after gunmen abducted and then beheaded Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker representing Aguata 2 Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly. Mr Okoye was killed on May 21 with his aide, Cyril Chiegboka, six days after they were abducted along Aguluzigbo Road, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state. Again, gunmen abducted Uzozie Chukwujekwu, a special adviser to a former chairman of Nnewi South Council Area and also shot his only son, just a few hours after the news of the beheading of Mr Okoye went public. The Nigerian government has accused outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra of being responsible for some of the deadly attacks in the region. 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 detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism. The leadership of the Nigerian military has ordered the compulsory retirement of all disgruntled or unmotivated personnel in the army, navy and air force. This was disclosed in a memo by the Defence Headquarters, according to PRNigeria. The memo was signed by MB Nagenu, a Rear Admiral, on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Leo Irabor. PRNigeria quoted the memo as stating that the disgruntled and unmotivated officers and soldiers no longer exhibit a high level of undivided loyalty, and the presence of mind required for military operations. In view of the above, deployments of such personnel do not benefit the Services and are in fact counter-productive. Consequently, on the identification of disgruntled or unmotivated personnel Services are advised to take steps to compulsorily discharge or retire such personnel in line with extant laws, the memo states. Defence spokesperson, Jimmy Akpor, a major general, when contacted, confirmed the memo to PREMIUM TIMES. He, however, frowned at what he described as the regrettable leakage of the memo which he said was an internal affair. He said for the armed forces to carry out their constitutional roles efficiently, it depends on and emphasizes loyalty, discipline, integrity and self-sacrifice, among other core values. Take for example loyalty. Loyalty is both vertical and horizontal. All personnel must be loyal to his/her superiors and all lawful orders communicated downward; he/she must also be loyal to his/her subordinates by the robust leadership he/she is duty-bound to give; and horizontally, loyalty to his/her squad, section, platoon, company, squadron, unit, etc by building himself/herself up and conducting himself/herself in a manner that always brings glory to his/her team and the entire Armed Forces. Anything to the contrary portends negative perception for not only his team but also the entire Armed Forces. Such negativities also erode the morale of the fighting troops and overall efficiency of the Armed Forces, he said. Troops motivation Nigerian soldiers are fighting on many fronts and have been deployed to over 30 of Nigerias 36 states, senior military officials had told PREMIUM TIMES. Apart from fighting Boko Haram in the North-east, the military is also leading the battle against armed bandits in the North-west, separatists in the South-east and other armed groups in the North-central and South-south of the country. There have been reports of low morale among some soldiers who have complained of inadequate equipment to fight against the armed groups. In a bid to boost the morale of troops, the army last year rewarded some of its personnel at a social event in Damaturu, Yobe State. The event, which was organised by the Nigerian Army Social Activities (NASA), which is a Nigerian version of the West African Army Social Activities otherwise referred to as WASA, was staged by the Commander Sector II of Operation Lafiya Dole, Suleiman Idris. PREMIUM TIMES checks revealed that this is the first time the activities were held in the theatre in Damaturu during the almost 10 years of the Boko Haram insurgency. The Nigerian Army said its troops on Tuesday intercepted a vehicle loaded with explosive devices, guns and ammunition in Obudu, Cross River State. The army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, said the troops found the explosive devices in a Toyota Camry car with registration number JAL 492 AA. He did not, however, provide the identity or number of persons involved in the incident. Troops of 13 Brigade operating under command of 82 Division, Nigerian Army on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 intercepted a Toyota Camry car with registration number JAL 492 AA, ladened with assorted ammunition while en route Utanga village towards Obudu Mountains in Cross River State, the statement said. Troops deployed at Forward Operating Base, Amana, attempted to stop the vehicle at their checkpoint, but the driver evaded the checking and zoomed off. The drivers recalcitrance compelled the troops to open fire on the tyres of the vehicle, thereby, immobilising it. A thorough search conducted on the vehicle revealed it was conveying 72 Improvised Explosive Device chargers, 121 Dynamite Liquid, 200 rounds of 7.62 mm (NATO) and 82 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition. The army said military uniforms and kits were also recovered from the car. Media professionals and academics met Wednesday to discuss the financial viability and sustainability of the media in Nigeria. The experts spoke at a conference hosted by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in Abuja to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the organisation. Speaking at Wednesdays event, the Executive Director and Founder of the ICIR, Dayo Aiyetan, said it is imperative to hold a national conversation about the future of the media in Nigeria, particularly its viability and profitability. Mr Aiyetan said Wednesdays event was organised to serve as a starting point for the discussion. He called on professional bodies and media associations to organise a broader event about the future of the media. Many news organisations are not profitable because of dwindling sales and advertising revenue. Many media companies cannot pay salaries and are laying off staff. The media in Nigeria is haemorrhaging, he said, adding that industry leaders must discuss how to find profitable ways of running media businesses. The essential obligation of the media is to hold authorities accountable, Mr Aiyetan said in his opening address. And by doing that, we are only complimenting the work of anti-corruption agencies of the government. He added that public officials should see the media as partners if they are serious about fighting corruption instead of resorting to harassment and intimidating journalists. In his submission, Bongani Sinqoko, who delivered the keynote address on Sustainability Imperatives for African Media, acknowledged the fact that the media industry in Africa, and indeed globally, is experiencing existential challenges. Mr Sinqoko, a strategist at Arena Holdings, one of Africas largest English-language newspaper publishers in South Africa, argued that to overcome this challenge of sustainability, the media must be purpose-driven and diversify its business model. There is much to our business other than selling adverts and subscriptions, he said. To build a sustainable media, you must have a clear purpose and pride yourself with competence and the culture of excellence. He said media owners must drop the conventional measures of sustainability and innovate a way out of the industry disruption facing news media today. Mr Sinqoko, however, cautioned that all innovative models must not tamper with the editorial independence of the media. The consumption pattern of the news has changed with the advent of social media, Mr Sinqoko added; hence the need to transition from a news business to content business. Panellists Speak In her submission, Kadaria Ahmed, the founder of Radionow, said her primary responsibility as a journalist is to hold power accountable, not to run a business. However, I am of the opinion that content should be produced to enable me to do the job properly in an environment where accountability journalism is not commercially viable, she said. The other currency you need which is missing in the Nigerian media is trust, she said. The Nigerian audience no longer trusts the media. As far as they are concerned, we are bought by politicians and the cooperates. In addition to that, we do a great disservice to ourselves because we have become part of the problem of Nigeria. Our journalism must set the country on the right path, Ms Ahmed said, and the first element of sustainability that the media needs is for the country to function and that functionality of the country depends on the role journalists play. On her part, Abigail Ndisike, a professor of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, argued that the modern media must address issues of consumer needs. You must do audience categorisation and auditing. This would help to know how best to reach the audience, whether through influencers or any other way. This would help to keep and sustain partnership with the audience. Also, Angela Agoawike, the CEO of Omalicha radio, said that media managers have to look at ways of maximising what they do. There must be a strategy to manage media business and media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, she said. That balance must be there for sustainability without pulling down the role of media as the watchdog, she added. Media organisations must come together and come up with a clear policy on the operating environment which includes technology among other factors, the don said. Similarly, Umaru Pate, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, said media houses must adopt innovative business models to overcome sustainability challenges. Evolution of the internet and the changes in technology has changed the content demand from our audience, he said, noting that the government must support the media with relevant policies. Amazon and Google are taking all the big adverts today. We can have a share of that if we have a favourable policy from the government, the vice-chancellor said. In his submission, the former Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Trust newspaper, Mannir Dan-Ali, harped on the need for collaboration to foster growth and boost engagement in the media industry. The opportunities in this business are limitless, he said. We must remain committed and collaborate and engage the market, Mr Dan-Ali said. In his goodwill message, Dapo Olorunyomi, the Publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, congratulated ICIR on its ten years of impact. Mr Olorunyomi aligned himself with previous speakers that called on innovative models to sustain the media business. According to him, the media must see itself as a producer of technological products in order to operate in a sustainable manner. There is a need for us to build the media as a knowledge organisation, Mr Olorunyomi said, urging the media to ensure proper gatekeeping to defend Nigerias democracy. If this country must survive, the media must be an instrument that drives accountability, he said. The police in Imo State have said that the recent fire at the popular Izombe Central Market in Oguta Local Government Area of the state was not caused by bomb explosion, as reported in the media. The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday. A newspaper reported that the market was bombed on Monday by suspected members of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) enforcing the suspended the sit-at-home order. But the police spokesperson said the fire was not from a bomb and neither was it caused by IPOB members or its militant wing, Eastern Security Network. Preliminary investigation conducted by police operatives on arrival at the market while responding to the distress call on June 20, at about 16:30 hours, revealed that some overzealous miscreants came to the Izombe Central Market in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, on a motorcycle, went to a stationed bus where the conductor was canvassing for passengers traveling to Owerri and set it ablaze in the name of enforcing sit-at-home order in the community and left almost immediately after the act, Mr Abattam said. He said no life was lost in the incident which he said happened at the close of the market, when most traders had left. The spokesperson also denied that the traders had been warned by the IPOB members not to open for business on Mondays due to the IPOB sit-at-home order. He said the community has always engaged in their market business without fear of molestation from anybody. Mr Abattam said the report was misleading and done with the intention to undermine the already improved security situation in the state and also to dampen the confidence the police in the state. An Iyaganku Magistrates Court in Ibadan, on Wednesday sentenced a 23-year-old man, Isaac Dumabara, to one month imprisonment for stealing one pot of stew and meat worth N40,000 from a restaurant. Magistrate S. A Adesina, who found Dumabara guilty of theft, sentenced him without an option of fine. ALSO READ: Court remands Nollywood actor over alleged rape Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Sikiru Ibrahim, told the court that Mr Damubara also stole three gas cylinders, stabiliser and a pair of Adidas shoes from Pleasure Summit Restaurant, Magara Road, Iyaganku, Ibadan. Mr Ibrahim further told the court that the convict also stole a 42-inch television worth N200,000. He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 390(9) of the Criminal laws of Oyo State, 2000. (NAN) 46 migrants found dead in trailer in Texas 28 Jun 2022 | 10:10 AM Washington, June 28 (UNI) At least 46 people were found dead in a semi-truck in Texas' San Antonio, according to authorities. see more.. Dozens of migrant bodies found inside 18-wheeler in Texas 28 Jun 2022 | 10:06 AM Washington, June 28 (UNI/Sputnik) At least 40 bodies of migrants without documents were found dead in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, the US state of Texas, Fox News reported citing sources. see more.. UNSC to meet on Ukraine 28 Jun 2022 | 10:05 AM United Nations, June 28 (UNI/Sputnik) The United Nations Security Council is going to meet on Ukraine on Tuesday at 3 pm EST (7:00 pm GMT), according to the council's program. see more.. Malaysia reports 1,894 new Covid cases, 8 deaths 28 Jun 2022 | 9:16 AM Kuala Lumpur, June 28 (UNI/Xinhua) Malaysia recorded 1,894 new Covid-19 infections as of midnight Monday, bringing the total tally to 4,558,558, according to the Health Ministry. see more.. The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos, has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Lagos State government to implement the judgment by the Supreme Court approving the use of hijab in Lagos schools. The students group wants the government to issue a circular on the court verdict cautioning its officials against harassing Muslim females wearing the hijab to school. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, the associations president, Miftahudeen Thanni, said issuing the circular would curb overzealous teachers and principals from contempt of court. This is not to castigate the Lagos State government but to appeal for the prompt implementation of the Supreme Court judgment, he said. We waited patiently to get the judgment and we were lawful throughout. During this period, we consulted, collaborated, protested, held rallies and sensitised government officials on why a willing Muslim female should be allowed to put on the hijab. The case involved the Lagos State Government as the appellant and Asiyat AbdulKareem (through her father), Moriam Oyeniyi, and the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria as the respondents. Supreme Court verdict After years of legal tussle, the Supreme Court on July 17, 2022, approved the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students to school in Lagos State. Five out of the seven members of the courts panel ruled in favour of hijab while the two others dissented. The apex court rejected an appeal by the Lagos State government and affirmed the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal which ruled that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim students in the state. According to the Supreme Court, the ban violated the rights of the Muslim students to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, the dignity of human persons and freedom from discrimination guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution. The court panel included Justices Olukayode Ariwoola, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, John Inyang Okoro, Uwani Aji, Mohammed Garba, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim. A.B Gumel, who delivered the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal panel, held that wearing the hijab was an Islamic injunction and an act of worship required of Muslims. He said the use of hijab by Muslim pupils could not cause disunity, distraction and discrimination against students of other faiths as declared by the lower court judge. Legal tussle The Lagos State High Court had in a judgement, on October 17, 2014, upheld the state governments decision to ban the use of hijab in public primary and secondary schools in the state. But the decision was overturned by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal in a judgment delivered on July 21, 2016. In a unanimous judgment, the appeal court panel ruled that the ban on the use of hijab in public schools in the state was discriminatory against Muslim pupils. The Lagos State government was displeased with this judgment and attempted to obtain a stay of execution of the Court of Appeals decision but failed. In November 2018, the Lagos State Government later issued a circular to all principals of public secondary schools instructing them to allow students. Speaking further, Mr Thanni said, When the Lagos State Government issued the circular, we thought relief had come, but it is utterly unfortunate that some school authorities and some defective teachers are working against the circular. They are interested in ultimately jeopardising law and order. Instead of obeying the circular, some school principals, vice-principals and teachers feign ignorance of the approval of Hijab in Lagos State, and desperately began to deal with our members. For no reason should a girl-child be denied education again in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole. The images of Muslim students sent out of the examination hall for wearing hijab touch the heart and consistently bring tears to the eyes. We do not want this to recur. The education of the girl-child is very paramount in our hearts. No Muslim girl should ever be told to choose between her faith and education. Both are her rights. We demand that the Lagos State Government should issue a circular within 30 days after the delivery of the judgment allowing Hijab. The Lagos State Government should sanction officials who go against the Supreme Court judgment and hold a meeting with MSSNLagos, Muslim leaders and other Islamic organisations on the size and modalities of using the hijab. More comments In her comments, Mrs AbdulKareem, who sued the Lagos State Government, urged that the victimisation of Muslim students should stop. We suffered to get this judgment and it is my hope that it will be an end to the victimisation someone like me suffered, he said. On her part, Executive Secretary of Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Shereefat Enessi, commended the Supreme Court for the judgment. It is not a victory for the Muslims alone, it is a victory for civilisation, for democracy and for peace. We are not all Muslims and as such understanding, the importance of a religious command like hijab may not be easy, but at least we are all in the same boat that is Nigeria, pulling each other down would only take us all down, he said. Also, the National Amir of MSSN, Uthman Abubakar, who lamented that Muslim students have for long suffered discrimination saluted the judgment by the Supreme court. The MSSN salutes the courage, understanding and application of the Constitutional law as it is by the panel of the justices. The judgment is manifestly credible and guarantees as one of the fundamental Human Rights granted to Muslims and any other adherents of a religion, he said. The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has revoked the N200 million bail earlier granted to Lagos socialite, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, and issued a bench warrant for his arrest. The judge, Mojisola Dada, revoked the bail following Mr Mustaphas persistent absence from court proceedings, the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier at the proceedings, the prosecution requested that the matter be temporarily stood until noon for the defendant to be present in court, EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in the statement. But when the case was re-called, the defendant was again absent from court, prompting the judge, Ms Dada, to ask: So, where is the defendant? Responding, Mr Oyewole, a senior advocate, who also expressed surprise at the development, told the court that he was given the assurance that the defendant would be in court. I had his assurance until yesterday night that he will be in court, and that was why I was waiting downstairs for him, he said. Mr Oyewole further told the court that following the absence of the defendant at the previous sitting, he made efforts to ensure that the defendant was in court for the continuation of the trial. Reacting, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, said: If I say that this development is not shocking, it will be an understatement. As of yesterday, the learned senior advocate discussed with me and assured me that we should continue today with this proceedings. Mr Oyedepo then informed the court that, weve been able to file a plea bargain that he signed. He, however, noted that the defence counsel seemed to have taken some steps, adding that it appears it is not yielding any results. I urge your lordship to issue a warrant for his arrest and for the production of the defendant before your lordship. Granting Mr Oyedepos request, the judge ruled that The bail of the defendant is once again revoked and a bench warrant issued for his arrest against the next adjourned date of Thursday, 30th June 2022. Background Mompha has had several run-ins with the EFCC in the last two years involving allegations of money laundering and fraud. He has denied the charges. He was arraigned by the EFCC, on January 12, 2022, on eight counts of allegations of conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity, failure to disclose assets and property, possession of documents containing false pretence and use of property derived from an unlawful act. Over N5 billion is said to be involved. The judge had, on June 10, ordered the temporary revocation of the defendants bail but released him to his counsel, who pleaded for one week to investigate the allegation by the prosecution that the defendant procured another passport different from the one submitted to the court, as part of conditions for his bail. The prosecution told the court that the defendant used a new passport to travel from Ghana to Dubai thereby violating his bail terms. The continuation of the trial was also stalled last Thursday, due to the absence of the defendant. The defence lawyer, Mr Oyewole, had requested a stand-down throughout the proceedings and assured the Court that his client will be there. The police in Enugu State, Nigerias South-east, have rescued seven abducted persons unhurt in a forest at Okpatu community in Udi Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Enugu. According to him, police operatives in the state rescued the victims in the early hours of Tuesday. Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the Forest Guard and Neighborhood Watch personnel assisted the police in the rescue operation. Among those rescued were a couple who reportedly went to pray on a mountain Mount Calvary inside the forest at Awhum community in Udi Local Government Area before they were abducted by armed men, according to the police statement. They were abducted on June 19 at about 6.30 p.m while praying, Mr Ndukwe said. The police spokesperson said security surveillance had been put up in the area. The Command has launched a discreet investigation to fish out the perpetrators, he said. Abduction for ransom is now one of the dominant crimes across various Nigerian cities. Politicians, entrepreneurs, and just anyone with good financial worth, including school children, are easy targets. A photojournalist, Uchenna Nwube, who works in Ebonyi Government House, was abducted early this month by suspected kidnappers on Okigwe-Aba-Enugu Expressway. He was later released, apparently after ransom payment. In Anambra State, still within the South-east, the beheaded body of a former lawmaker was found on Tuesday after gunmen abducted him. About a month ago, a serving lawmaker in Anambra was similarly beheaded after gunmen abducted him. Besides abduction for ransom, states in the South-east have been grappling with deadly attacks by armed men. The attacks, which the Nigerian government blamed on an outlawed group Indigenous People of Biafra, often target police and other security agencies. (NAN) Gunmen have kidnapped a retired chief pharmacist from the Ekiti Ministry of Health, Israel Bamisaye. A witness said the gunmen, who were seven in number, kidnapped Mr Bamisaye at his farm located between Ero Dam and the Ekiti farm settlement at Orin Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The source said the retiree was kidnapped on his farm around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. The incident sparked panic in the town, as residents were said to have started leaving the town for fear of their lives. The seven gunmen had earlier attacked one man identified as Ojo within the vicinity of the farm where Bamisaye was kidnapped, the source who would not want to be named, said. The man was asked about the whereabouts of the white men working at the farm settlement, but he replied that he didnt know where they were. They ordered him to lie face down. They ransacked his car that was parked nearby and took away a sum of N4,500 they found inside the vehicle. They fired a shot and terrified the environment before they later found the victim and whisked him away. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Sunday Abutu, could not be reached to confirm the incident, as he did not pick up his calls. But the Commander, Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, Joe Akomolafe, confirmed it. We are aware of the kidnapping and my men are really working on it, Mr Komolafe said. In May, an armed gang kidnapped a Chinese expatriate and contractor handling the new Ado-Ado Iyin dualisation project in Ekiti State. He was later released after ransom was paid and some suspects were arrested by the Ekiti State Police Command. The 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2022) in Kigali has opened with a youth forum taking place concurrently with other forums. The three-day Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) which started on Saturday brought together about 350 young persons from across the Commonwealth to discuss the adverse impacts of climate change, conflict and COVID-19, which disproportionately hit young people by cutting employment, training and education opportunities. Approximately 60 per cent of the unemployed in Commonwealth countries are young people, with the World Bank warning of a looming global recession. Additionally, the forum will address thematic areas such as governance and the rule of law, technology, skills, innovation, sustainability, health and trade. It will also include the launch of a historic collaboration between the Commonwealth and the worlds largest youth organisations to create the Commonwealth Alliance for Quality Youth Leadership. Delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony, Rwandas Minister of Youth and Culture, Rosemary Mbabazi, commended the commitment, ingenuity, and hard work of the youth. I encourage you to build networks that will turn into the markets needed for your innovations, create innovations that respond to and solve challenges for our communities. I am sure you will leave here with more knowledge and transformed mindsets, she said. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Alodie Iradukunda, who doubles as Chair of the CYF task force and Chair of the Rwanda National Youth Council, said, young people across the Commonwealth played an integral role in the handling of this crisis, demonstrating yet again the great value that lies within the drive and brilliance of young people. I am here to reassure our leaders that we have not waited to be called upon. We understand what is at stake when it comes to the numerous issues that our world faces today. Echoing Ms Iradukunda, the newly appointed Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Council, Kim Allen, said as the world slowly walks out of the pandemic, todays challenges and issues are more complex than decades ago. Amid these challenges arise the opportunities to create a positive change. Fellow youth delegates and partners, your creativity, skill sets and abilities are needed to drive the change we want. Now is the time to act. We have to progress the efforts taken in the past through strategic and transformational approaches, he said. Also, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Arjoon Suddhoo called for young people to be included in policy decisions across the Commonwealth. He said, given the huge potential and ingenious proclivity of our young people, we simply cannot afford to exclude young people from the development agenda or equate youthfulness with inexperience and ignorance. This dangerous and damaging discrimination will hold all of us back from achieving our full potential. The Youth Forum is happening ahead of the formal Opening Ceremony which will take place on Friday, June 24, at the Kigali Convention Centre and is followed by closed-door Executive Sessions at which leaders will consider a range of topical issues including post-COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, trade and food security. To end the CYF on Tuesday, the Commonwealth Digital Trade Hackathon was officially launched. The hackathon is a joint initiative between the Commonwealth Secretariats Connectivity Agenda (CCA) and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO). Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said the Commonwealth is asking young people to take charge of the future. I am delighted that we are officially launching another important project for young people. We are asking you to lead the future charge in building resilient, sustainable and interconnected digital economies across the Commonwealth, she said. According to Ms Scotland, the Hackathon will scout, select and support impact-driven teams with game-changing solutions designed to harness the shift to digitalisation across the Commonwealth and beyond. The European Union (EU), in partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organisations, has taken its campaign for more youth participation in Nigerias political process, to Abuja. The campaign, titled `Youth Vote Count, has gained traction from youth who have continued to mobilise themselves online and offline for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) across the country. To get more youth to obtain their voter card and vote in the 2023 elections, INEC and CSOs, about two weeks ago, launched an awareness campaign concert where different celebrities performed in Lagos. Speaking on the second leg of the campaign, a programme officer of the EU, Olaolu Olawunmi, said in Abuja, Tuesday, that the concert is an answer to the countrys voter apathy. Since it returned to democracy in 1999, Nigeria has recorded a decline in election turnout at its general and off-cycle polls. The country recorded its lowest election turnout in 2019 when INEC data pegged the percentage of turnout at 34.75 per cent out of the 82 million registered voters. Despite recording a towering percentage of registered voters, the youth contributed largely to voter apathy. Over the last couple of years, we have tried to answer a very important question and that is, how can we get more young people involved in the political process? How do we get them engaged, not just by getting their voter card, to ensure sustained engagement from young people in Nigeria. The answer to us is now obvious. If you look at data from INEC, you will see that we have a high level of people in terms of population but that doesnt necessarily translate to their engagement in the political process and we have said how do we address this huge challenge? Ladies and gentlemen, that question was what we tried to answer when we came up with the concert Youth Vote Counts campaign back in 2018, Ms Olawunmi noted at the Old Parade Ground densely crowned with prospective youth voters struggling to register for their PVC. Her concerns were further expanded by the founder of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, who noted the renewed political engagement of Nigeria. The youth population on the INEC voters register was about 51.1 per cent in 2019. But as you can see from the images, and videos across the country, there is a renewed interest in youth to register and vote in the next election. Our contribution to this is providing them with that platform, opportunity and getting them to register. In Lagos, we had lots of young people who showed up. In fact, in Lagos alone, for the few days that the registration was held, over 11,000 voters were added to the INEC register and we hope that in Abuja, there would be more than that, he said. Speaking on the dividends of the partnership, the INEC FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yahaya Bello, said the commission had never recorded such a keen interest in the exercise from Nigeria youth. Against the backdrop of the social media outcry on the alleged ineffectiveness of the online registration portal of the commission, Mr Bello said the commission has all it takes to make the exercise work. In this partnership with the European Union (EU), where a lot of things have changed, where peoples participation in the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise which we have been doing for over a year, has never been patronised in such a manner, the FCT REC noted. No less than 11,000 new PVC registrants were recorded during the five-day long event in Lagos and more was promised in Abuja as INEC confirmed 50 machines and over 150 staff at the venue. While the mega-concert expected to host some of the countrys A-list music artistes, comedians and actors has been slated for June 25, the registration points set up by the commission within the Old Parade Ground have been attending to the teeming Nigerians since June 20. Entry for the concert is strictly by PVC or temporary voter slip. On his part, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the spokesperson to the INEC Chairman, advised the countrys youth to convert energies exact on social media into actual exercises like obtaining their PVCs to change the situation they rant over on the social media space. President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Wednesday for Kigali, Rwanda, to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), being held from June 20 to 26. The theme for CHOGM 2022 is, Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming. The presidents spokesman, Femi Adesina, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. According to Mr Adesina, the president will join other leaders in discussions on the progress and prosperity of the more than two billion people living in the 54 independent countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific that make up the Commonwealth. The Heads of Government are expected to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the Commonwealth Charter, which focuses on democracy, human rights, the rule of law, as well as economic opportunities and sustainable development, he said. The Nigerian leader, according to the media aide, will attend the official opening ceremony on June 24, followed by high-level meetings of Heads of State and Government on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 June. He said: The leaders are expected to consider a range of topical issues including post COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, poverty reduction, youth entrepreneurship and employment, trade and food security. Prior to this, the Nigerian delegation drawn from the public, private and youth organisations participated in four forums covering youth, women, business and civil society; and will engage in ministerial meetings and several side events. On the margins of the meeting, the Nigerian leader is scheduled to deliver remarks at the High-Level Session of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit and participate in an Intergenerational Dialogue for Youth. President Buhari is also expected to hold bilateral talks with some leaders from the Commonwealth countries, he further stated. The biennial meeting was due to take place in June 2020 but was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Buhari, in an article published in The Telegraph, London, stressed that the Commonwealth could become a real global power with improved collaborations on trade and security, lending weight to each other in international bodies. The president will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami. Others in the presidents entourage are the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai and the Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NidCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa. The president will return to the country on Sunday. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari will on Wednesday depart Abuja for Kigali, Rwanda to attend the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the presidency announced through its Twitter handle. As part of his contribution to deliberations at the summit, the president is scheduled to deliver a speech at a High-Level Session of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit and participate in an Intergenerational Dialogue for Youth. Mr Buhari will attend the official opening ceremony on Friday and high-level meetings of heads of state and government on the same day and Saturday. CHOGM brings together leaders and representatives of the 54 member countries of the Commonwealth. The leaders are expected to consider a range of topical issues including post COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, poverty reduction, youth entrepreneurship and employment, trade and food security, the release by the presidency said. The theme for CHOGM 2022 is Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming. Heads of Government are expected to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the Commonwealth Charter which focuses on democracy, human rights, the rule of law, as well as economic opportunities and sustainable development, it added. According to the statement, the Nigerian delegation drawn from the public, private and youth organisations participated in four forums covering youth, women, business and civil society; and will engage in ministerial meetings and several side events. The president is also expected to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of some of the Commonwealth countries. Accompanying the president to the summit are the ministers of foreign affairs; finance; health; environment; and communication and digital economy. Others in the entourage are the National Security Adviser, Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NidCOM). The President is expected back in Abuja on Sunday. 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. Justice Mojisola Dada of a Special Offences Court, Ikeja, on Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of suspected internet fraudster Ismaila Mustapha alias Mompha. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Mompha on an 8-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering of over N6 billion. He is being prosecuted alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited. Mompha was arrested on January 10 by the EFCC but was arraigned and granted bail. However, the defendant has failed to appear in court on two scheduled dates for his trial. At the last adjourned date, the defendants matter could not proceed due to his absence. At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, the judge stood down the matter for a while, expecting the defendants arrival, yet Mompha failed to appear in court. The EFCC lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked the court for another stand down, but the judge returned the request. She asked, Where is the defendant? Addressing the court, Mr Oyedepo told the court that the development shocked him. He urged the court to allow the defence to speak to his client and put him on the speaker to confirm the position of things. The judge was dissatisfied with the excuse given by Momphas counsel. The prosecution counsel, Mr Oyedepo, then urged the court to order Momphas arrest. My Lord should issue a warrant of arrest on the production of the defendant before your lordship, he said. Subsequently, Justice Dada revoked the defendants bail and ordered his arrest. She adjourned further proceedings till June 30. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), has described resolutions of the House on insecurity as mere statements that are not respected by concerned authorities. Mr Idris stated this on Wednesday while contributing to a motion by Solomon Maren (PDP, Plateau) on the general insecurity in Plateau State. Speaking on the motion, Mr Idris raised alarm on the general insecurity in Wase Federal Constituency, noting that abduction for ransom is a daily occurrence in the constituency. He said kidnappers demand as much as N10 million from villagers who are struggling to survive. Despite the resolutions of the House urging the security agencies to put out formations in some of these areas, so that we will be able to stop these things, but till this moment, nothing has happened. It is like our resolutions are mere statements. If they are taking us seriously, I believe many of these things can be stopped. I lost about five personsthey will take the ransom and still kill the person. At times, these things take place in places where you have a security unit shoot sporadically and abduct people, he said. The motion In his motion, Mr Maren raised alarm on the targeting of traditional rulers and district heads in Plateau State. He narrated how the district dead of Panyam in Plateau State was kidnapped by bandits who attacked his house. Mr Maren revealed that the attacks have been systematic, well-coordinated and targeted across the constituency, the state and indeed the country, which is alarming and of grave concern. He warned that if something urgent is not done to reduce, stop and or curtail these ugly occurrences which have become a recurrent decimal, our communities may soon be thrown into total terror, fear and or lawlessness. Consequently, the House resolved to summon the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali, and the Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya other relevant security agencies to appear before it. It also asked the security agencies to immediately do everything possible to ensure the safe release of the monarch and others in kidnappers captivity across the country, including victims of the Kaduna train attack. Also, the House urged the federal government to increase the recruitment of more hands in the security agencies and ensure they are properly funded to march the challenges. The state governments have also been urged to arm local vigilante groups in the fight against insecurity. The motion was adopted after it was put to vote by Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila. PM Modi holds bilateral with Canadian PM Trudeau, after four years 28 Jun 2022 | 12:42 AM Munich/New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held fruitful bilateral talks with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, a meeting taking place after over four years, and marking an uptick in relations that had turned cold. see more.. Use Indian agricultural talent to increase food production: PM Modi at G7 28 Jun 2022 | 12:26 AM Munich/New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday suggested that to tackle the subject of global food security, the G7 could cooperate with Indias effort to increase fertiliser production, create a system for the widespread use of Indian agricultural talent in the member nations and also help run a campaign to promote millets as a nutritious alternative. see more.. PM Modi, EU President discuss ways to deepen investment linkages, boost digital cooperation 27 Jun 2022 | 11:29 PM Munich/New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held bilateral talks with European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the G7 during which the two sides discussed ways to deepen investment linkages, efforts to combat climate change, boost digital cooperation and food security. see more.. MCD employee held on graft charges 27 Jun 2022 | 11:23 PM New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested an employee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi posted at Najafgarh zone in an alleged bribery case. see more.. Less than two months to the August 9 Kenya general elections, the political atmosphere is filled with uncertainty in the East African country. In the elections, candidates will vie for six positions, namely: president, governors, senators, county women, members of the National Assembly, and members of county assemblies. George Muhia, a human rights defender, does not expect the elections to be free or fair. He said the electoral umpire, IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) is already favouring two candidates over the more than 40 that were interested to vie. Mr Muhia said the other candidates were not allowed to present their papers. He added that although there will be a change in leadership, power will remain within the same circle of people. Violence is most likely to occur from the two camps of Ruto and Raila. Post-election violence While previous elections were characterised by post-election violence, the upcoming, according to The International Crisis Group, promises to be especially bitterly fought. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta is supporting his former opponent, Raila Odinga, thereby forsaking his own deputy, William Ruto, who was instrumental in Mr Kenyattas victory in two previous elections. Mr Kenyatta had promised to support Mr Ruto, who is making his first bid for the top office. But he reneged and has thrown his full weight behind Mr Odinga and the Azimio la Umoja coalition. This elite political friction is perhaps what informed Mr Muhias prediction that the elections will neither be free nor fair. It most likely also informed Perpetual Kariukis fear of the youth being incited to violence. She pointed to cases of police brutality, extrajudicial execution and forced disappearance, which is still a problem in Kenya, especially in informal settlements like Kayole, Mathare, Dandora, and Mukuru. However, Ms Kariuki, who works with Social Justice Centers Working Group, is excited over the involvement of more women in the elections. On a positive side, I am so pleased that more women and youth have come out to vie for various political positions, including human rights defenders. That alone has stood out for me because people are seeing potential and hope of having an all-inclusive government system, she said. Her optimism for an inclusive government is despite irregularities in the nomination of party candidates. Party primaries in most parts were not done fairly, some aspiring leaders were given direct tickets, depending on their influence in the party or the current ruling government. According to her, Kenyans may vote for leaders who have no integrity, are corrupt and are on the frontline in cases of human rights violations but somehow get away with their crimes due to their power. Presidential election and contenders The presidential election, which is the most talked about, has four candidates. However, Raila Odinga and William Ruto of the Azimio la Umoja coalition and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) respectively appear to be the major contenders. Mr Odinga appears to have an advantage over the incumbent vice president, Mr Ruto, as President Kenyatta has thrown his support behind the former opposition leader. Mr Odinga is backed by a coalition of 23 parties with big names and acts, including Charity Ngilu, Gideon Moi and Nderitu Mureithi. Although public views about Mr Odinga differ, he appears to enjoy the goodwill of Kenyans for fighting former President Arap Mois one-party system. He is perhaps even more famous because of his choice of a female running mate who is also as prominent. The Raila Odinga/Martha Karua Azimio ticket is my favourite. Both have been in the trenches fighting Mois one-party dictatorship, a Kenyan communication expert, Wallace Gichunge, said. According to Mr Gichunge, they are a stellar cast of the second liberation fight that ushered democratic governance into Kenya. They also have reformist credentials, are largely free from corruption baggage, and have prior experience in government. What is more, the ticket also strikes gold in terms of gender balance, he added. Martha Karua, Mr Odingas running mate, is a lawyer and politician. She played a key role in the expansion of Kenyas democratic space and gender issues during the clamour for multi-party democracy in the early 1990s. In 2013 and 2017, Ms Karua contested for the presidency and governorship, respectively. Although she did not win, she fought a good fight that has not been forgotten. For Mr Ruto, there appears to be a negative public perception of his involvement with Mr Mois administration. The William Ruto/ Rigathi Gachagua ticket (Kenya Kwanza) could be the opposite. Both gentlemen were mentored by Moi during his 24-year dictatorship, and are largely beneficiaries of the system with active corruption allegations/cases against them, Mr Gichunge noted. Despite being at loggerheads with his boss, Vice President Ruto remains resolute, building alliances. He is contesting under the UDA and enjoys the support of the Kenya Kwanza coalition. His running mate, Rigathi Gachagua, is a member of parliament facing graft charges in Kenyas anti-corruption court. With Kenyans looking to elect leaders with a seemingly clean slate, the chances of the Ruto-Gachagu ticket are slim. My expectations this time around is that Kenyans will vote wisely and that they will consider voting for a leader that understands real issues that are affecting the citizens rather than a politician or party. I hope they vote for a leader whose integrity is not in question and has not been involved directly or indirectly in cases of corruption, Ms Kariuki said. The other two tickets, George Wajackoyah/Justina Wambui of Roots Party and David Waihiga/Ruth Mutua of Agano Party, are seen as fringe candidates and parties. According to Mr Gichunge, the other two are fringe candidates to fill up the ballot paper. One, Prof. Wajackoyah has become an internet sensation after he presented himself as hyper-educated more than 10 degrees in Law from various universities in Europe and Americas. He has adopted a Rastafarian public outlook, and his rallying call is to turn around the countrys fortunes through commercial marijuana. This has really lit up the internet and people are already calling him The 5th. It remains to be seen, however, how he will fare on the ballot. For Mr Muhia, the newcomers bring the hope of change when compared to Mr Odinga or Mr Ruto, who bring Kenya back to the status quo. He also fears a return of post-election violence and continuity of violations and corruption from the same leaders we have had in the last 50 years. Lack of trust in the electoral system Mr Muhia also said the Kenyan electoral system is designed to keep the average citizen out, adding that the electoral umpire is complicit in the conspiracy. The average Kenyans are not to be heard in the conversations as the laws of elections do not favour their participation and also, the IEBC are always changing the laws even when illegal to favour a few, he said. Similarly, Mr Gichunge said, another fear is lack of confidence in IEBC they need to reassure the country and international community that they are well prepared for the big task through action. However, the vetting of presidential candidates from 51 to a final list of four is a confidence booster for the IEBC, he said. Mr Gichunge added that electioneering in Kenya still revolves around personalities as opposed to issues. The fear is that voters will play their part, but the country will not change in terms of addressing major issues: for example runaway corruption. Another fear is widespread misinformation and disinformation and low voter education interventions which compromise their ability to make informed choices, he added. According to the IEBC chairman, a preliminary audit report showed that the current voter register had 246,465 deceased voters, 481,711 duplicate records and 226,143 voters registered with IDs that dont validly belong to them. About 164,269 registered voters have invalid identification documents (IDs and Passports). The chairman said the discrepancies should have been addressed prior to certification and publishing of the register. The register has been published. Kenyas electoral institutions remain weak, in part because of the authorities failure to adopt all the prescriptions of commissions of inquiry that reviewed weeks of election-related mass violence occurring in 2007 and 2008, the International Crisis Group said. 2022 Kenya election what it means for Kenyan The August 9 general elections mark 30 years since the introduction of multi-party elections in Kenya in 1992. This is therefore the seventh cycle of elections (conducted every five years) where several candidates representing various political parties/coalitions participate at all levels from local government to the presidency. It will be the third general elections to be conducted under the new Kenyan Constitution promulgated in 2010 which created two levels of governance the national government (with presidency and deputy, members of parliament and members of the Senate) and county governments (devolved semi-autonomous governance units in 47 counties with governors, senators and county assemblies). Mr Gichunge noted that Every general election in Kenya heralds new formations basically it is the same players who shift allegiances depending on interests and promises of access to state largesse once their formation ascends to power. In essence, we have a scenario of the same monkeys, different forests. Kenya has a history of post-election violence, but the circumstances are quite different this time. While ethnic tensions/hate speech is discernible on the social media platforms, there is minimal danger of violence during and after elections. An Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Wednesday sentenced a man, Ayokunle Bailey, to life imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old girl. Delivering judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution has proven its case of defilement against the convict. Ms Soladoye held that the convict was brutal, crude and an unkind man who messed up with the minors purity and innocence. The convict is rough and selfish. The survivor gave her testimony truthfully, cogently, positively and brilliantly. She was brave. The story of the convict was full of lies and it was not gelling. He is a reckless and ruthless defendant. He is hereby found guilty as charged. He is sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine, she held. The judge ordered that the convict should have his name entered into the register of sexual offenders of Lagos State. NAN reports that the prosecution presented two witnesses at the trial against the defendant. According to the state prosecution team, Olusola Soneye and Olufunke Adegoke, the convict committed the offence on December 18, 2017, in Alaka, Mushin, Lagos. The prosecution submitted that the survivor had visited her grandmother and was playing with other children outside the house when the convict lured her into an uncompleted building and raped her. The prosecution said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (NAN) The Senate will screen the seven newly-appointed ministers next Wednesday. Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, made this known at the close of plenary on Wednesday. He admonished lawmakers to be present for the exercise. President Muhammadu Buhari had written the Senate on Tuesday, nominating the seven ministers and seeking the lawmakers confirmation. The nominated ministers are Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh Abia State; Umana Okon Umana Akwa Ibom State; Ekumankama Joseph Nkama- Ebonyi State and Goodluck Nanah Opiah Imo State. Others are Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub Kano State; Ademola Adewole Adegoroye Ondo State; and Odum Udi Rivers State. Mr Buhari, said the confirmation request was made in accordance with Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. He however, did not state their portfolios. The ministers will be screened individually during plenary. They are to replace ministers who resigned to contest for other offices. ALSO READ: Buhari appoints seven new ministers Some of the ministers who resigned are Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio, Ogbonnaya Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who contested for the presidential primary. Others are Uche Ogar who contested and won the factional Abia State governorship primary and Tayo Alasoadura who contested and lost the APC senatorial primary. They had resigned in accordance with the provisions of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act which states that No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election. The Nigerian Senate is set to intervene in the controversy arising from the allegations levelled against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad by some justices of the Supreme Court. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, directed the committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to get involved with the CJN and other justices with a view to resolving the issues. He gave the directive at the end of plenary on Wednesday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how 14 Supreme Court justices, in a leaked memo, accused the Mr Muhammad of not giving justices their legitimate entitlements. The letter contained operational challenges that have almost crippled the efficient adjudication of cases at the court first of its kind in the 58-year history of the court. Some major issues raised by the judges are non-replacement of poor vehicles, poor accommodation, lack of drugs at the Supreme Court clinic and epileptic electricity supply at the Supreme Court. Others are increase in electricity tariff, little or no increase in the allowances for diesel and lack of internet services to residences and chambers. The CJN has, however, replied the judges and addressed some issues, including non-provision of diesel allowances for justices, non-provision of equipped offices, accommodation, and the complete set of vehicles for new justices appointed two years ago, among others. He also allayed the fear of the general public assuring that theres no hostility or adverse feelings amongst the Justices of the Supreme Court, as everyone is going about his normal duty. Senate Addressing his colleagues at plenary, Mr Lawan said the Senate owes it a duty to Nigerians to intervene in the controversy rocking the apex court. There are some issues coming out of the judiciary. We must be interested in that arm of government. I believe that we owe to Nigerians to look into what is happening in that arm of government with a view to bringing solutions to the problems that judiciary faces. He thereafter asked the committee to get involved with the CJN and the judiciary generally and find out what the real issues are and how the National Assembly can help. The panel is expected to set up a meeting with representatives of the Supreme Court to address their grievances. No time was given to members of the panel to submit a report or give feedback. The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Wednesday, visited Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at his private residence in Port Harcourt, the state capital. On arrival at Mr Wikes residence, the former Anambra governor was taken inside where he had a closed-door meeting with the Rivers governor, according to reports in the local media. Messrs Obi and Wike declined to speak with journalists after the meeting, There are speculations that the LP candidate may have visited Mr Wike to seek his support ahead of the 2023 presidential election. Mr Wike was a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He lost the partys presidential primary to Nigerias former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who polled 371 votes against Mr Wikes 237 votes. Mr Obi, who was Mr Abubakars running mate in the PDP in the 2019 presidential election, was among the PDP presidential aspirants this year. He announced his resignation from the PDP a few days to the party presidential primary, saying there were practices in the party that were inconsistent with his belief and persona. He defected to the LP where he later emerged the partys 2023 presidential candidate. Mr Wike had criticised Mr Obi for the decision and accused the former governor of lacking character and integrity. Mr Obi is the third prominent politician to visit Mr Wike after the PDP presidential primaries in May. Mr Abubakar and the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, had earlier visited the Rivers State governor at his Abuja and Port Harcourt residences, respectively. Mr Obis visit comes amidst speculations that Mr Wike may dump the PDP due to his failed bid to become Mr Atikus running mate for the 2023 election. Mr Wike was rumoured to have joined the ruling All Progressives Congress recently after he lost in the PDP primary. But he has denied it. Mr Abubakar picked Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate last Thursday. The Rivers governor has been agitating for southern Nigeria to produce the next president in 2023. It is not clear, for now, if he would throw his weight behind Mr Obi for the 2023 election. The Senate, on Wednesday, at plenary constituted an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over non-compliance with the Petroleum Act and violation of the Joint Venture Agreement entered with the Federal Government. The Ad Hoc committee was mandated to investigate the Oil Mining Lease granted to SPDC between 1959 to 1989, and 1989 to 2019 under the SPDC and NNPC Joint Venture agreement. The committee, constituted by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan, has Sabi Abdullahi (APC- Niger) as chairman. Other members include George Thompson Sekibo,(PDP-Rivers) Abdullahi Yahaya, (PDP-Kebbi) Bassey Albert Akpan,(PDP-Akwa Ibom) Solomon Adeola,(APC-Lagos) Smart Adeyemi(APC-Kogi) and Aishatu Ahmed. ((APC-Adamawa). The Senate demanded a refund of 200 million dollars and any amount short of what was paid by SPDC, including penalties and interests under the lease agreements, to the federal government. The resolution was reached after it considered a motion sponsored by George Sekibo (PDP- Rivers ). The motion entitled: Non-payment of the sum of 200 million dollars accruals from the Oil Mining Lease (OML), by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited under the SPDC/NNPC Joint Venture Agreement. And, illegal and unlawful renewal of Oil Mining Leases by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources/Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) contrary to the provision of paragraph 10 of the First Schedule to the Petroleum Act 1969 (now Section 86(1) and 86(6) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2022. Mr Sekibo, in his lead debate, noted that the Joint Venture (JV) agreement was in contravention of the provisions of the Petroleum Act 1969, by the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, granted to the SPDC, NNPC a 30-year Oil Mining Lease from 1959 to 1989. He observed that doing so constituted an illegal extension of the Oil Mining Lease by 10 years in the first instance, instead of the prescribed term of 20 years, without recourse to the provisions of the Petroleum Act 1969 in paragraph 10 of the First Schedule. He said upon the expiration of the initial Oil Mining Lease in 1989, SPDC and NNPC JV, was granted another 30-year Oil Mining Lease again from 1st July 1989 to 30th June 2019, by the Ministry of Petroleum and DPR instead of the 20 years lease prescribed by the Petroleum Act. This, he said, is contrary to paragraph 10 of the First Schedule to the said act. He revealed that in the initial additional 10 years of Oil Mining Lease from 1969 to 1989, illegally granted to the SPDC and NNPC JV by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and DPR, the federal government lost from fees, taxes, rents and royalties the sum of 120 million dollars. He stated that in the second instance of the extra 10 years the federal government also lost a further sum of 80 million dollars, amounting to a total of 200 million dollars. He said the loss of 200 million dollars which was equivalent to N83.130 billion, could have been of great value to the economy of the nation. He expressed worry that the trend of illegal extension of Joint Venture (JV) period from 20 years to 30 years lease period without recourse to the Petroleum Act may have also applied to other Joint Venture agreements with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and need to be investigated. He disclosed that a whistle-blower petitioned the EFCC on the need to recover the fund from SPDC for the illegal extensions by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, DPR and to further investigate all other Joint Venture agreements that involved the aforementioned IOCs. He noted that the power to make laws for the federation as vested in the National Assembly by the Constitution also encompasses the power to make laws for the promotion of national prosperity and a dynamic self-reliant economy as provided in section 16(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. He said the Constitution also gives power to the National Assembly to carry out appropriate investigation on the misapplication of the laws enacted by the National Assembly, as provided in Section 88 of the Constitution. (NAN) But how do we identify genuine politicians, given the confusion and obfuscation of personalities and personae in the system? One way to decipher genuine politicians is to look at their antecedents and ask some very pertinent questions. What have they achieved outside politics? What comforts and luxuries are they leaving or setting aside to serve? What sacrifices are they willing to make and or are making? Are they willing to die for Nigeria to thrive? I often one wonder why people go into politics in Nigeria, because the challenges of the country are massive. Poor health systems. Low quality education. High youth unemployment and low skills. Hunger, poverty, and famine. Weak infrastructure and institutions. In addition, the politics appears dirty and bitter. The usual but superficial reason people often offer is that they are keen to serve. If the lure of politics is to serve others, why would one subject oneself through the tortuous process of democratic elections in order to serve? Sleepless nights. Odd meetings. Very strange companies. Painful compromises. A cynical view might suggest that whether a career in politics is pursued to serve or lord it over others, it is simply a quest for power. Of course, it is human and natural to seek dominion over others. But even at that, what then is the purpose of power and is politics the only means to exercise such powers? Another view is that politics is simply business in the sense that politicians financially invest in it and expect worthwhile returns on their investments. In such contexts, they may use money to influence votes. When politicians make such investments, they obviously expect some gains, and the higher the risks, the more the expected returns. However, politicians come in various shades. Some politicians do not pretend about money politics. It is as clear as it can be. It is what it is a very transactional engagement. It is all about their self-interests. This understanding makes it easy to attract like minds and to agree on expectations and outcomes. They often portray and pride themselves as the real masters of politics. Many people tend to agree with them, and they are unashamedly transparent about their strategies and aspirations. Thats how it is done. Anything short of this is naivety. During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is and idea which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. Other politicians prefer not to be very overt about their crude intentions and strategies. They rather mask them in some nebulous and grandiose cloaks often packaged as a form of progressivism and intellectualism. However, beneath this garb of elegance and decency is a constantly warped and treacherous display of self-interest and greed packaged and sold as enlightenment. The main difference between the two categories is their strategies. While the former is overt, the latter is covert. Nonetheless, their goals are the same. A third group is made up of politicians who are very idealistic and puritan in their approach. They have something to offer and truly want to serve, but they either do not understand the rules of the market for votes or they think they can change things by ignoring the rules and in most cases swimming against them. However, they hardly win elections because they rarely make any financial investments in the business of politics. As much as some voters may like what they represent, they rarely have sufficient incentives to patronise the politicians in this category. In the end, the politicians become cases of good products but unrealised potentials. Unfortunately, the business of politics and pretentious service leadership are the bane of democracy and good governance in many countries. Sadly, too, they are often normalised and taken for granted. This normalisation and taken-for-grantedness could be as a result of helplessness because people i.e., the electorate do not know how to unravel and dismantle them. However, no matter how they disguise, they can be unmasked effectively. In Nigeria, for example, where the elections season is simultaneously booming and looming, genuine politicians can be assessed by their preparedness to sacrifice and die for the good of Nigeria. Given where the country is today, especially with her challenges, it only needs politicians who are in it, not for their own sake, but for the growth and development of the country i.e., politicians who are both competent and ethical. Anything short of this is simply an entrenchment of the status quo, which has not done the country any good. Nigeria needs genuine political leaders who can literally take the proverbial bull by the horns. This will entail a lot of discomfort, political risks, sacrifices and even death. As scary as it may sound, genuine politicians are rarely deterred by it. It is obvious that Nigeria is at war with the forces of underdevelopment and darkness. Anyone running against these forces, therefore, must be ready to die, because he who easily rushes to war should know that war is death o ji oso agbakwuru ogu, omakwa na ogu bu onwu? But how do we identify genuine politicians, given the confusion and obfuscation of personalities and personae in the system? One way to decipher genuine politicians is to look at their antecedents and ask some very pertinent questions. What have they achieved outside politics? What comforts and luxuries are they leaving or setting aside to serve? What sacrifices are they willing to make and or are making? Are they willing to die for Nigeria to thrive? As much as these questions may sound unrealistic, politicians who fit this mode are truly the sort of politicians Nigeria needs now. Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, offered an excellent idea of what genuine political leadership looks like in practice when he said: During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is and idea which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die (emphasis, mine). It is obvious that Nigeria is at war with the forces of underdevelopment and darkness. Anyone running against these forces, therefore, must be ready to die, because he who easily rushes to war should know that war is death o ji oso agbakwuru ogu, omakwa na ogu bu onwu? Kenneth Amaeshi is a public philosopher, professor of sustainable finance and governance at the European University Institute, Italy, and visiting professor of leadership and financial markets in Africa at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom. He tweets @kenamaeshi The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N50 billion for the rehabilitation of roads in Taraba and Yobe States as well as the construction of injection substations to boost power supply in the Gwarinpa area of the Federal Capital Territory. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that N48.4 billion of the amount was approved for roads in Taraba and Yobe while the remaining N1.6 billion was meant for the FCT electrification project. The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, revealed this to State House Correspondents at the end of the councils meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday. Giving the breakdown of the N48.4 billion, the minister said N29.8 billion was approved as revised cost for the rehabilitation of the Yola-Hong-Mubi road and N18 billion was approved for the Yobe State Government as refunds for the construction of federal government roads in the state. He said: The Minister of the FCT brought his memo seeking approval for the upward review of the contract for the construction of two 15 MVA injection substations at Life Camp Gwarinpa, in Abuja. In 2015, the council approved the contract to supply 15/33 MVA injection substations to improve power supply in Gwarinpa, but regrettably for more than two years, the contractors could not access the site due to ownership tussle of the land. By the time they later had access, prices went up, dollar appreciated and they came back in 2018 and are coming again today saying that given the population of Gwarinpa now, they need not two but actually three injection substations there and that contract was approved today for the sum of N1,640,406,426.26. Govt is bad, is opposition better, asks daily Colombo, June 22 (UNI) Sri Lanka's beleaguered government is proving incapable of resolving the country's worst economic crisis, a leading newspaper said on Wednesday, but pulled up the opposition too for resorting to "gimmicks" at a time when the country is battling an unprecedented economic meltdown. In an editorial, The Island pulled up two main opposition parties for beginning a boycott of Parliament starting from Wednesday to protest against the government's failure to resolve the crisis that has seen Colombo pleading for international economic support to survive. "The incumbent government has manifestly failed to prove that it is equal to the task of managing the present crisis. It is groping in the dark apparently in the hope that the crisis will resolve itself with the passage of time!" the editorial said. Offering Study Programs at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and D-Link Group Work Opportunities TAIPEI, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- D-Link Corporation today announced the establishment of the "D-Link Group Scholarship" with National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) to encourage Ukrainian and international students to continue their education and plan for future careers in Taiwan. The D-Link Group Scholarship offers master's programs for 10 individuals in electronics, information technology or communication related disciplines. Scholarship recipients will be given financial aid, internship programs, and job opportunities at companies within the D-Link Group after graduation. "The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has caused the displacement of many Ukrainian students and interrupted their pursuit of higher education. Out of humanistic concerns and with the aim to foster new talents, we expanded our cooperation with NTUST and established the D-Link Group Scholarship. We would like to support Ukrainian students to study in Taiwan at NTUST without worries," said Victor Kuo, the Chairman of D-Link Corporation. "The scholarship recipients will not only receive financial support during their 2-year study, but also receive internships from D-Link Group companies, including D-Link, Amigo, Amit, Sapido and Cameo. After graduation, recipients with outstanding performance may also be hired directly." "By establishing the D-Link Group Scholarship, we hope to assist as many students as possible. In addition to Ukraine, students from other regions are welcome to apply as well," added Victor Kuo, "However, Ukrainian students will receive priority in our evaluation of scholarship applications." NTUST recruits the most foreign graduate students in Taiwan and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has drawn much attention to all students and faculty at NTUST. In addition to seminars, more than 50 teachers at NTUST also offer laboratory internship opportunities to Ukrainian students. "NTUST is very happy to work with D-Link again!" said Jia-Yush Yen, president of NTUST. "We really appreciate D-Link offering valuable resources and establishing the D-Link Group Scholarship with NTUST. In addition to providing generous financial support, D-Link Group Scholarship also offers internship and career opportunities, which means a lot to foreign students and makes this scholarship unique. We are looking forward to this combined effort between the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the Computer Center in NTUST and D-Link. We hope to assist more Ukrainian and international students while introducing more international talents to Taiwan." The D-Link Group Scholarship offers 10 students the opportunity for master's programs in electronics, information technology or communication related disciplines, including paid round-trip air fare, tuition and living allowance. Application for Spring 2023 will begin in September 2022, please check https://www.oia.ntust.edu.tw/p/412-1060-8929.php?Lang=en for details. About D-Link D-Link is a global leader in designing and developing networking and connectivity products and total solutions for consumers, small businesses, medium to large-sized enterprises, and service providers. From relatively modest beginnings in Taiwan, the company has grown since 1987 into an award-winning global brand in 57 countries. Find out more about D-Link at https://www.dlink.com/en/change-region SOURCE D-Link Corp HELSINKI, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DB Schenker, a world leading global logistics provider, and Caverion are deepening their nationwide partnership in technical maintenance and energy management in Finland. The companies have signed a partnership agreement, expanding the previous cooperation, which covers 18 DB Schenker properties across Finland. DB Schenker's properties are logistics centers, terminals, warehouses and office buildings with a total area of approximately 260,000 square meters. All the most recent properties are equipped with solar panels, geothermal energy and green asphalt. Caverion is responsible for the technical maintenance of the buildings, energy management and remote monitoring. "Sustainability is a priority in DB Schenker's business. Having energy-efficient and functional properties is one part of this goal and they also enable a competitive service for customers. Technical maintenance is a significant factor in maintaining the desired performance of properties throughout the period of use. To ensure this, we have invested in measures related to maintenance and energy efficiency. Caverion has been chosen as partner for this journey," says Marko Liimatainen, Real Estate Director, DB Schenker. Managing energy use With improved consumption monitoring, possible deviations can be found and corrected as part of energy management. Remote control ensures that all building technologies are correctly set, and that energy consumption does not increase. Energy consumption monitoring helps to recognise energy savings potential. The Caverion SmartView platform will be used as a nationwide maintenance book, enabling even more high-quality reporting, systematic maintenance and transparency. Separate property-specific measures leading to energy savings will also be reported through Caverion SmartView. This will further facilitate the monitoring of energy savings targets. "We are pleased with the expansion of our partnership. We can support DB Schenker's energy saving goals by maintaining the energy efficiency of their properties and managing their energy use. We have an extensive service network in Finland and are therefore close to Schenker's locations across the country," says Ville Tamminen, Head of Caverion Finland. CONTACT: Pasi Vartiainen, Head of Sales, Caverion Suomi Oy, pasi.vartiainen[at]caverion.com, puh. 050 343 3171 Kirsi Hemmila, Communications Manager, Caverion Finland, kirsi.hemmila [at] caverion.com, tel. 050 390 0941 Marko Liimatainen, Real Estate Director, Schenker Oy, marko.liimatainen [at] dbschenker.com, tel. 040 767 8614 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/caverion/r/db-schenker-relies-on-caverion-to-save-energy-for-its-properties-in-finland,c3589768 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/14078/3589768/1595890.pdf Release https://news.cision.com/caverion/i/schenker-lempaala-finland,c3063538 Schenker Lempaala Finland SOURCE Caverion Dhaka, June 22 (UNI) Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Vikram K Doraiswami has congratulated Bangladesh on its achievement in building its longest ever bridge under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas difficult but courageous decision saying the Padma Bridge simultaneously has a connotation involving traditional Bengals culture. We all know in Bengali culture the description of Ei paar and Oi paar (two sides of rivers), so the Padma has been a defining part of the sense of there being two Paars (two sides) of Bangla land, he said. The procedure was performed at the Center by Professor Scott Lim's team under on-site guidance from Professor Yuan Feng and remote guidance from Professor Mao Chen, who are both from Cardiology Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University in China. As the first-ever clinical application of a Chinese-developed heart valve product in the U.S., the case corroborates not only the unique clinical value of VenusP-Valve but also the significance of global-oriented innovation. Although there are several transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement (TPVR) products available in the U.S. market, such as Melody TPV and Harmony TPV by Medtronic and the SAPIEN series by Edwards, they do not work for the considerable number of patients with dilated right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). As a large-diameter product, VenusP-Valve can satisfy the clinical needs of 85% of patients in the case of large RVOT. In May 2022, VenusP-Valve was approved by the FDA for compassionate use in two patients. This first patient was a 21-year-old man who suffered from severe pulmonary regurgitation, right ventricular dilation, pulmonary artery dilation, and left ventricular dysfunction after transannular patch (TAP) repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The procedure was performed under local anesthesia where the patient remained conscious. Upon preoperative CT, intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and balloon measurement, a P34-25 (valve diameter 34mm, straight length 25mm) VenusP-Valve that precisely fit the patient's anatomy was delivered through the right femoral vein. On the first postoperative day, ultrasound scan indicated a marked decrease in right ventricle volume with no pulmonary regurgitation. Left ventricular function also returned to normal. Making a sound recovery according to postoperative assessment, the patient was discharged on June 18 (within 24 hours of the procedure) local time. "It was a great honor to work with Professor Chen and Professor Feng on the first compassionate use of VenusP-Valve in the United States", commented Professor Scott Lim after the procedure. "The product was very easy to handle as it's designed to facilitate precise positioning and delivery. The patient demonstrated significant improvement after the procedure. For the benefit of more patients, I really look forward to formal clinical trials of VenusP-Valve here as soon as possible." Professor Chen congratulated on the first compassionate use of VenusP-Valve in the U.S. As he noted, VenusP-Valve has gained broad recognition from the global cardiology community since its first implantation in 2013. In particular, the product is a lifesaver for patients with dilated RVOT. Its transcatheter approach reduces trauma and speeds recovery, enhancing quality of life for patients in various dimensions. Professor Feng said "VenusP-Valve is an excellent TPVR product. Its unique double flared-end design enables one-time delivery of stent and valve and simplifies the procedural workflow, making it a powerful tool for transcatheter treatment of pulmonary regurgitation. It is a pride of China to launch such a self-developed innovation in the U.S." In April 2022, VenusP-Valve became the first Chinese-developed self-expanding TPVR product to receive CE marking under the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR). Uniquely designed with both flared ends, the product ensures the blood flow of branchial artery with bare stents at the outflow end. It provides a stable multi-point anchoring system and enables easy delivery, with no need for pre-stenting before the procedure. Available in a variety of specifications with extensive applicability, the product is able to meet the needs of 85% of patients. VenusP-Valve is also undergoing review and approval with the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and is expected to be marketed within 2022. During its nine-year clinical use since 2013, VenusP-Valve has been applied to nearly 300 cases for humanitarian reasons, spanning more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. In March 2021, VenusP-Valve received special use authorization from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in designated medical institutions. VenusP-Valve has impressive clinical data backing up its long-term safety and efficacy. According to two-year follow-up result of the clinical study in Europe, the product demonstrated 100% procedural success, with no reoperation or death observed in two years. In addition, moderate and severe pulmonary regurgitation plunged from 16.88% and 83.12% preoperatively to 0%. The data suggest excellent performance, robust safety and reliability, and drastic and steady improvements in patients' cardiac function. "The first compassionate use of VenusP-Valve accentuates the urgent clinical need and high regulatory recognition of the product", said Eric Zi, Founder, Executive Director, and General Manager of Venus Medtech. "VenusP-Valve is undergoing clinical trials or marketing application in many mainstream countries. It is an exemplar for Chinese-developed innovative medical devices to reach global markets. We have full confidence in the rapid global launch of the product as well as the benefits it brings to patients worldwide." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845155/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845156/image_2.jpg SOURCE Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc. The Rollet Reefs Foundation has launched with an aim to educate, support, collaborate, and initiate coral reef conservation efforts in developing countries. PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilles Rollet, an investment banker with a prestigious 30-year international career in major financial institutions and the private banking sector, has announced the launch of his coral reef conversation non-profit organization , R ollet Rees Foundation (RRF) . Rollet, a keen scuba diver, who has dived coral reef sites across the globe for much of his life, was startled by the damage and impact he's witnessed over the last few decades on these delicate underwater ecosystems - primarily as a result of coral bleaching, pollution, and over-fishing. "My approach to investment is informed by a genuine comprehensive approach to environment, social and governance, ESG as it is called. However, when I personally witnessed the irreparable damage we've done to these fragile environs it was profoundly disturbing. More importantly, this damage isn't just endangering isolated habitats, but entire planetary ecosystems that millions depend on including humans. There comes a moment when as individuals, we are compelled to do more," said Rollet explaining the drive behind establishing the Rollet Reefs Foundation . Over the past 40 years, the world has lost over half of its reefs to coral bleaching. The destructive bleaching occurs when the water temperature is too warm for too long. The heated water induces the coral to expel the algae living inside it, leaving it colorless. The algae are vital to the reefs, as it provides their nutritional energy and if the water temperature doesn't return to normal, the coral dies. The Great Barrier Reef has suffered 6 major bleaching events over the past 20 years, with the last one just months ago in March. There seems little respite for reefs, when they start to heal, warmer waters can appear suddenly and without warning, killing the remaining surviving coral. Rollet has chosen to focus the efforts of the Rollet Reefs Foundation on reefs in developing countries, in particular those in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. "The world-famous reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef and the exemplary work being done in the Florida Keys for restoration with coral nurseries, have broad support from scientists, marine conservationists and the public. The innovations and discoveries they've made are essential to the protection of reefs around the world. The Rollet Reefs Foundation's mission is to support reefs in countries, which often don't have the same financial resources, or where the needs of industry outweigh those of the environment," states Rollet. Rollet's non-profit has only just established itself but he and his foundation are committed to making a difference in the field. "I knew it was a personal calling to do something impactful for reef protection, and I spent a considerable time exploring how and where I could make a difference, which is in developing countries. We're looking at what partnerships we can put in place to help amplify the good work that others are doing, how we can expand regional and global educational opportunities, and work with local governments and communities to initiate more protective measures and regulations." Rollet further explained that "bleaching has its roots in the amount of carbon we pump into the atmosphere. If we continue this way, it won't just be the reefs, it will be the organisms in the oceans dying that produce the air we need to breathe. We must find a better way to mass-produce goods without killing ourselves and the planet." Rollet elaborated further on ESG and the investments the corporate world must commit to for future generations. "There's a lot of what we call green-washing in the industry, where companies misrepresent their commitments to the environment. ESG requires a sincere and dedicated commitment to change. Corporations and individuals alike must begin to act in a sustainable, socially, and environmentally conscious manner, so resources aren't exploited to exhaustion leaving future generations with an unviable planet and our own potential extinction. Investments made today, must and can continue to provide sustainable returns over generations, but we must be willing to act now - together." About Rollet Reefs Foundation Rollet Reefs Foundation (RRF) is a non-profit dedicated to the protection of coral reefs in developing countries such as the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. Its mission is to educate the public about the importance of these ecosystems, create awareness of reef damage and its lasting impacts, and work with local governments and communities to find the balance between industry needs, locally dependent livelihoods, and implementation of active coral conservation and rehabilitation efforts. About Gilles Rollet Gilles Rollet is a banker with several successful investments in the financial services industry. He started his career at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York. Subsequently, he held a number of senior management and country management positions at ABN AMRO, throughout Asia, South Africa, San Francisco, Geneva, and Dubai. He later set up and ran Mirabaud & Cie. in Dubai. In 2014, Gilles became an entrepreneur and launched an asset management firm in Dubai, which he successfully sold in 2017. In 2016, he founded a private bank in the US. Today, Mr. Rollet is a passive investor in firms active in asset management, banking, robotics, data banks, and public health. Mr. Rollet holds a BA (Hons.) from Middlebury College and an MBA from INSEAD. He is a member of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) and the current Chapter Chair of YPO Gold Mauritius. SOURCE Rollet Reefs Foundation LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Symplicity Corporation, the global leader of student employability, wellbeing and success, today welcomed a new institution into its partnership network: Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA). Founded to develop young, artistic talent, RUFA is an international, multidisciplinary institution that provides students with an unconventional study in the arts. Enrolling 1,400 students studying painting, sculpture, graphic design, film, illustration, and much more, Symplicity is thrilled to offer its platform to support RUFA's ongoing mission that combines university curriculum and professional training. Prior to joining with Symplicity, RUFA had no platform to manage internship and career events. Yet, as the institution has continued to grow, RUFA realised in 2021 that it needed a solution to better support the institution's future goals and that of its students. "We found Symplicity CSM to be an innovative and customisable solution that continues to grow with the changing landscape," said Arch. Fabio Mongelli, Dean of RUFA. "The Symplicity team was extremely caring and available to adjust the platform to our very specific needs and processes, which made us decide to join its client network." RUFA has adopted Symplicity to keep records of internships, job offers, applications, events, and employer relations to better support its students. With its all-in-one-platform that is easily customisable, Symplicity was the right solution to meet RUFA's growing needs. With Symplicity, RUFA hopes to boost the employability of its students and offer valuable support for employment and continuous learning to its robust alumni. Recently launching RUFAlumni Community, the institution aims to use Symplicity to reconnect with its alumni to offer them opportunities to find new jobs, explore career paths, engage with the university, highlight work and experiences, and provide mentorship to current students. In addition, with its peer-to-peer mentorship program, new graduates are connected to experienced alumni who can provide advice and support. "As an intentionally recognised institution that fosters young artists, we are thrilled to welcome RUFA into our Symplicity network that includes many art-focused schools around the world," said Thomas Jepsen, President of International at Symplicity. "With Symplicity, RUFA can better support its current students, and alumni, with career readiness specific to their interest of study in the arts." About RUFA Rome University of Fine Arts (RFUA), is a multidisciplinary, international higher education Institution legally recognized by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) that offers accredited and innovative courses in the field of Arts, Design, Visual Communication, Audiovisual, Fashion, Game, and Media Arts. RUFA collaborates with well-known professionals and prestigious companies, guaranteeing its students a high-level theoretical preparation combined with a practical academic approach, whilst keeping a keen eye on the job market and current market trends. Founded in 1998 by Maestro Alfio Mongelli to welcome young talents from Italy and all around the world in an unconventional Academy of Fine Arts, RUFA now offers 15 Bachelor and Master of Arts programs that cut new paths through the contemporary art and culture scenes, providing transformative education and tangible career opportunities. About Symplicity Symplicity Corporation is a global leader in student employability and engagement software solutions to more than 2,000 colleges and universities. Symplicity's SaaS platform supports the full student experience, including early talent recruiting, accessibility, wellbeing and behavioral intervention. These solutions empower higher education clients to enhance a student's ability to stay in school, graduate and secure a first job. Learn more at www.symplicity.com. Media Contact Helena Okolicsanyi Senior Markting Specialist hokolicsanyi@symplicity.com SOURCE Symplicity Shri Aaditya Thackeray, Hon. Minister of Environment & Climate Change, Govt. of Maharashtra commented, "The Government of Maharashtra is committed to clean mobility and has been encouraging citizens to adopt Electric Vehicles. Earlier this year, our government decided to implement the decision of using only EVs for all government, Urban Local Bodies and Corporations. Today's announcement of SUN Mobility launching their Battery Swapping operations with Amazon in Maharashtra is yet another step towards achieving our goal of clean mobility in the state. I congratulate SUN Mobility, Amazon, Piaggio and their partners on this occasion. I am excited to see innovative technologies and models in mobility, like battery swapping, emerge in Maharashtra, that can be taken to the rest of the country and the world. We look forward to working with various players in the space and extending all necessary support to make Maharashtra a leading example in EV adoption." Earlier this year, Amazon and SUN Mobility worked together to expand the deployment of EVs integrated with battery swapping technology for delivery fleet operations. This expansion will further bolster Amazon's efforts to implement more sustainable practices in its operations, as well as contribute to its Climate Pledge goals a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. Commenting on the expansion Abhinav Singh, Director Customer Fulfilment, Supply Chain and Global Specialty Fulfilment, Amazon India said, "In line with our climate pledge, we made a commitment to sustainably build a fleet of 10,000 EVs in our transportation network by 2025. Our collaboration with SUN Mobility is yet another step in the direction of building this fleet and enabling it with industry-leading battery swap technology. Maharashtra is a very important state and has a significant delivery network and with this cross-industry collaboration, we will be able to deliver packages to a large customer base more sustainably." Anant Badjatya, CEO of SUN Mobility said, "It's inspiring to see Maharashtra government's leadership in accelerating EV adoption through policy initiatives. We are delighted to partner with the state in setting up an enabling ecosystem to drive automotive electrification with our strategic partners Indian Oil, Amazon our OEM partners like Piaggio, Omega Seiki, Hero Electric and Greaves. Our investments in setting up a battery swapping network is a testimony to our commitment to making Maharashtra a greener state. This expansion will further strengthen our partnership with Amazon, while enabling them with environment-friendly delivery options pan India." SUN Mobility plans to set up over 2000 Swap PointTM across the state of Maharashtra by 2025 supporting over 2,00,000 electric two and three-wheelers and expects to clock over 3,00,000 swaps per day. This infrastructure is expected to create 3000+ direct employment opportunities and support over 2,00,000 self-employed / fleet-employed EV users. The EV operations supported by SUN Mobility Swap PointTM network are expected to reduce vehicular CO2 emissions in the state, by 3,00,000 tons per annum. Out of this expansion, SUN Mobility plans to deploy over 100 swap stations in Mumbai itself and followed by Pune in this financial year (FY22-23). This network will support over 4000 EVs (2W and 3W for goods and passengers) in these two cities using SUN Mobility's battery swapping technology. SUN Mobility and Amazon have been working on deploying electric vehicles for last-mile delivery, and setting up Sun Mobility operated swapping points for the same at Amazon sites. Currently, there are 200+ vehicles deployed using SUN Mobility's swap solutions for Amazon's delivery operations across Delhi-NCR and Bangalore, covering 12,500+ daily kilometers, and clocking 1,250+ daily swaps. To take this partnership further, several Swap PointsTM are also being commissioned at different Amazon sites across Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. About Amazon India Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews. About SUN Mobility SUN Mobility is a global leader in providing energy services to the transport sector enabling electric vehicles to be refueled in a faster, cheaper, and more convenient way; thereby helping mass adoption of electric vehicles globally and transition to a sustainable, pollution-free future possible. Founded in 2017, it is a joint venture between SUN Group and Maini Group, pioneers in areas of electric mobility and clean energy. The company is co-founded by Chetan Maini, previously founder of Reva Electric Car Company now Mahindra Electric, Uday Khemka, Vice Chairman of SUN Group, and Ajay Goel, Co-Founder & Executive Director, and Anand Badjatya, CEO. In 2019, Bosch acquired stakes in SUN Mobility and has been a strategic partner in accelerating the technological evolution of the company. Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trading organization, is also a strategic investor in the company. SUN Mobility's energy solution, deployed at Swap PointTM leverages its interoperable battery swapping technology by means of Smart Battery, Quick Interchange Station, and Smart Network. The organization is working with fleet operators, shared mobility providers, cities and automotive OEMs across all platforms including 2/3 wheelers and buses to challenge the status quo with an economical, scalable, and smarter way forward. SUN Mobility has deployed ~100 Swap Points in more than 15 cities in India, powering over 20 million km in the country so far. For more information, please visit: www.SUNmobility.com For more information, contact: SUN Mobility Sutapa Duttaroy | [email protected] Pankhuri Yadav | [email protected] Amazon India Shashank Rathod | [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845237/SUN_Mobility_Swap_Point.jpg SOURCE SUN Mobility Stakeholders will look into unlocking some of the barriers that is affecting the digital future of Africa, building capacities and positioning the continent effectively and efficiently in the global technology race, as well as building African contents. The conference will also provide the perfect platform to showcase various brands and enhance reputation. It presents to its participants a major opportunity for unrivalled networking and privileged access to strategic partners, investors and potential buyers. Dr. Evans Woherem, Chairman, Digital Africa Global Consult and organiser of the event said there Is an urgent need for Africa to bridge the gap between the continent and the developed world in Information Technology, especially the exponential technologies driving the 4th Industrial Revolution. "I have always believed that you, as an individual or as a nation, can go to wherever or whatever altitude your vision, attitude, willpower and single-minded execution takes you. He said Africa needs to first affirm to itself that to catch up and even outflank many other continents is an existential imperative for which an eponymous amount of heavy lifting is needed urgently. "I, therefore, call on the Africa Union and all the countries in Africa to take this project seriously and so, come up with their respective visions, policies, and plans and execute same meticulously and urgently, paying particular attention to human capacity building, research, the establishment of Tech hubs, bricolage centres, funding, etc. "This, I believe, will go a long way in taking Africa to the desired levels of technological and economic development needed as we complete this century and head to the 22nd century," he said. Woherem said that it has been established time and time again that there is no development, no high standard of living without a commensurate level of development in technology, adding that in today's world, no one or country can hope to become advanced in the area of technology without first being advanced in the development and use of technology. "From whichever way you look at it, Information Technology is very vital and pivotal for whatever countries would want to do in order to achieve development. It is for this reason that some of us came together, not solely from Nigeria but people from the United Kingdom, Germany, Kenya, and Cameroon and said we should have an organization called Digital Africa," he said. According to Woherem, "Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition is about enabling Africa to bridge the gap between us and the rest of the World. This is because today, there are Companies and Countries that are already winners when it comes to IT and there are those that are losers. "The losers are merely countries in Africa; the winners are those developed Countries in Europe, America and now on the increase many Countries in Asia and even Countries in South America such as Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. They are the winners of evolving technology we have today. "Something needs to be done and done very urgently for us to bridge the gap. So far, Africa has been a consumer continent when it comes to IT. We just sit and consume some, not even all of what is being produced in other parts of the world. "The IT systems that we are going to use in the next 30-40 years are already being fabricated in the laboratories of Countries in the West and some other countries like China, India and so on. But here in Africa we are not doing much. Even in creating content in IT, Africa lags behind the rest of the world." Some of the confirmed speakers for the conference are Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; Mallam Inuwa Kashifu, Director General of NITDA; Mitchell Elegbe, Managing Director, Interswitch; Ghazi Triki, Chief Executive Officer, RIADVICE, Tunisia; Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB); Dr. Krish Ranganath, Chief Technology Officer, Africa Data Centres; Dr. Krish Ragnath, C.T.O, Africa Data Centers; Dr. Yele Okeremi, C.E.O, Precise Financial Systems, Peter Oluka, Editor at TechEconomy.ng. Ghazi Triki will be sharing his insights and playbook on how he has been able to lead a digital transformation company in Tunisia at the Digital Africa Conference. Ghazi grew RIADVICE technology stack 10 baremetal server to around 70 in the first week of COVID19 spread in the third week of March 2020. Then reached the summit with around 173 servers in March 2021. As a former Adobe Flex (Apache Flex) developer with strong development background, Ghazi combines the expertise development knowledge for PHP & Java (rare developers who can combine the 2 of them), Golang & Ruby. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845107/Digital_Africa.jpg SOURCE Digital Africa Developed by tech entrepreneurs looking to simplify the gear and device storage market, the Paragon Strap System offers is an innovative, new approach to organizing and transporting gear and tool kits SANTA ANA, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Designed by tech entrepreneurs seeking to simplify their lives, Godai Group, LLC has launched the Paragon Strap System, (https://paragongear.com/paragon-straps/), an innovative tech gadget organizer that is the ideal solution for conveniently storing gear and devices of all shapes and sizes. Think of it as the paragon of tech gadget organizers for all types of users from tech enthusiasts, engineers, educators, and hobbyists to travelers, campers, gamers, filmmakers, artists, musicians, and hair stylists, among many others. Designed by tech entrepreneurs seeking to simplify their lives, Godai Group, LLC has launched the Paragon Strap System, (https://paragongear.com/paragon-straps / ), an innovative tech gadget organizer that is the ideal solution for conveniently storing gear and devices of all shapes and sizes. Think of it as the paragon of tech gadget organizers for all types of users from tech enthusiasts, engineers, and hobbyists to travelers, campers, gamers, musicians, hair stylists, among many others. Made from simple and durable components, the Paragon Strap System is a unique, new approach to organizing and transporting gear and tool kits. The product's patent-pending strap modules quickly and easily conform to a variety of gear and can be positioned in any orientation. The Godai Group has launched a Kickstarter campaign, (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paragongear/paragon-strap-system?ref=9vlgo8 ) to raise funds toward the costs of bringing the Paragon Strap System to market. Made from simple and durable components, the Paragon Strap System is a unique, new approach to organizing and transporting gear and tool kits. The product's patent-pending strap modules quickly and easily conform to a variety of gear and can be positioned in any orientation. The Paragon Strap is completely adjustable and keeps everything securely in place with industrial-strength hook-and-loop compatible materials. Multiple straps can also be used to hold the larger items, and each strap can be subdivided to contain multiple gear simultaneously. "The Paragon Strap System will change how you carry your gear forever," said Garrett Gee, the founder and co-creator of Paragon Strap System. "Our solution is adaptable to any sized object. It gives freedom to the end-user to put together the exact thing they want. No other product on the market has taken this approach. This is why I invested the time, energy, and resources to apply for our four patents that are currently pending." The top benefits and features of the Paragon Strap System include: EVERY DEVICE COVERED -- The Paragon Strap System is an industry and device adaptable solution featuring maximum versatility, durability, modularity, and compatibility. -- The Paragon Strap System is an industry and device adaptable solution featuring maximum versatility, durability, modularity, and compatibility. VERSATILITY -- The Paragon Strap is not designed for any one type of tool - it is engineered to be single storage and organizational solution for a wide range of gear. The strap dividers enable a perfect fit for any tool or device. The Paragon Strap is not designed for any one type of tool - it is engineered to be single storage and organizational solution for a wide range of gear. The strap dividers enable a perfect fit for any tool or device. DURABILITY -- Paragon Gear uses the highest quality, industrial-strength hook and loop fabric to provide maximum hold strength and keep gear secure and in place. The industrial-grade hook and loop materials are rated at 9.9 pounds (635 g) per square inch. Each strap module is capable of securely holding gear with more than 15 pounds of shear force. Paragon Gear uses the highest quality, industrial-strength hook and loop fabric to provide maximum hold strength and keep gear secure and in place. The industrial-grade hook and loop materials are rated at 9.9 pounds (635 g) per square inch. Each strap module is capable of securely holding gear with more than 15 pounds of shear force. MODULARITY -- Due to its hook and loop-compatible elastic banding, each Paragon Strap is capable of attaching to itself. This enables the user to stack multiple modules together to save space and consolidate similar components. The product is infinitely reusable and rearrangeable, allowing it to adapt as a user's tool kit grows or work environment changes. Due to its hook and loop-compatible elastic banding, each Paragon Strap is capable of attaching to itself. This enables the user to stack multiple modules together to save space and consolidate similar components. The product is infinitely reusable and rearrangeable, allowing it to adapt as a user's tool kit grows or work environment changes. COMPATIBILITY -- Paragon Strap is cross-compatible with the ubiquitous MOLLE/PALS and any derivative system. Any generic or proprietary organizational product that involves hook and loop fabric easily integrates with the Paragon Strap System. It can quickly and securely hold down any tool caddy designed to be used with a belt, strap, clip, or pocket. The Godai Group has launched a Kickstarter campaign, (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paragongear/paragon-strap-system?ref=9vlgo8 ) to raise funds toward the costs of bringing the Paragon Strap System to market. ABOUT GODAI GROUP LLC Based in Santa Ana, California, Godai Group LLC provides innovative solutions for niche markets. For more information please visit, https://paragongear.com/paragon-straps/. Media Contact: George Pappas Conservaco/The Ignite Agency 562 857-5680 [email protected] https://ignitecfp.com SOURCE Godai Group The Futureverse Foundation invests in underrepresented artists, creatives, and communities in order to build more diverse, equitable, and inclusive spacesin both the metaverse and real world. NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Non-Fungible Labs, a New Zealand-based NFT and blockchain-based technology company and home to FLUF World, a collection of metaverse-ready unique 3D avatars, land, music and games, today announced a meaningful new chapter for their community and creatives globally, the launch of The Futureverse Foundation, a charitable foundation with advisors artist Alexandra Grant and actor Keanu Reeves. Through their shared value of advancing socio-economic equity and support of artists globally, The Futureverse Foundation is designed to support underrepresented artists and exhibit their work on digital and physical platforms. The Futureverse Foundation will make grants to support diverse and underrepresented artists and nurture their unique artistry on global platforms. The Futureverse Foundation also seeks to help keep the metaverse widely accessible, healthy, and evolving. In anticipation of the launch of the Futureverse Foundation, Non-Fungible Labs has provided a donation to Nana Oforiatta Ayim, to support her work curating the Ghanaian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2022. Oforiatta Ayim was given 100,000 euros in support of her curatorial concept based on a mobile museum, showcasing the work of Na Chainkua Reindorf, Afroscope and Diego Arauja, in an exhibition designed by architect DK Osseo Asare. Grantees will be selected via a nomination process, with consideration going to underrepresented artists and creatives. The cooperative mission will also be looking to the FLUF World community to bring causes and organizations for consideration that they're passionate about. The Futureverse Foundation is set up to give back to the arts community indefinitely, cementing its founders' commitment to creating a better world for artists. Non-Fungible Labs' commitment with The Futureverse Foundation has made the capability for global impact even stronger. For example, since the inception of Non-Fungible Labs' FLUF World in 2021, over two million dollars has been raised for causes such as homelessness and support for Ukraine. "Funding for the arts is a challenge for every artist and arts non-profit. Dreaming up a new model for arts philanthropy with the Non-Fungible Labs team that can have a lasting impact in both the digital and real realms has been one of the most exciting projects I've worked on, that has already had real impact," says Alexandra Grant. "Our creative future is going to be lived between the real and the digital, and it's our responsibility to include more people in that creative space." "I am honored to be joining Non-Fungible Labs' efforts in cooperation with Alexandra Grant for the extraordinary program and opportunity of the Futureverse Foundation, in support of artists and creators globally," says Keanu Reeves. "We feel that AI artists giving back to artists in the physical world is the embodiment of what the metaverse is and where it's going," says Brooke Howard-Smith, co-founder of FLUF World. "It's important to us that we do our charitable part and use our influence to inspire the collective to be generous and kind. Partnering with a renowned philanthropist like Alexandra Grant is the first of many incredible initiatives we hope to embark on to create a better future for artists everywhere." ABOUT FLUF WORLD FLUF World's digital ecosystem, built on the Ethereum blockchain, is beloved by a growing community of collectors and creators. With a mission to create the most open, inclusive creative & sustainable community possible, FLUF World fosters connections with artists, collaborators and FLUF Owners FLUFs are their genesis collection of 10,000 metaverse ready avatars. Recognized for its rapid growth and innovation, owners also have full derivative rights to their FLUF assets, unlocking a world of creativity, expression and monetization. WIth FLUFs being dynamic NFTs, customisable in the underground, Nonfungible labs has turned NFTs into content distribution channels. Visit FLUF World at: https://fluf.world/ Follow FLUF World social channels here: Instagram: @flufworld Twitter: @FLUFWorld ABOUT NON FUNGIBLE LABS Non-Fungible Labs is a Web3 dream factory based in Auckland, New Zealand. With an existing ecosystem of successful projects, including FLUF World , Non-fungible Labs are working closely with a range of partners to co-create fun and immersive decentralized content on their mission to empower everyday creatives in the development of an open metaverse. Follow Non-Fungible Labs social channels here: Instagram: @nonfungiblelabs Twitter: @NF_Labs ABOUT ALEXANDRA GRANT Having spent significant portions of her childhood and adolescence living in Mexico, France, and Spain, some of the basic questions that fuel her practice are: How do the languages we speak and the images we see form how we think and exchange ideas? How can artists and writers work to create and influence culture in an increasingly technology-driven world? Grant is a Los Angelesbased visual artist who examines language and written texts through painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and other media. Her work has been exhibited at the Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), the Pasadena Museum of California Art, among others, and in a solo exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art, Telepathy Is One Step Further Than Empathy, curated by Cassandra Coblentz. Awards include the COLA Individual Artist Fellowship and The Pollock-Krasner Foundation. Alexandra is the creator of the grantLOVE project, which has donated artwork to raise funds for arts-based non-profits, including Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA); Project Angel Food; Art of Elysium; 18th Street Arts Center, and LAXART. In 2017, Grant co-founded with Reeves, X Artists' Books, a publishing house for artist-centered books. ABOUT KEANU REEVES Keanu Reeves is an iconic actor, producer, writer and director who has entertained audiences worldwide for more than three decades. Reeves has developed an eclectic film roster that includes blockbuster franchises such as The Matrix and John Wick, has starred in indie films like My Own Private Idaho and made his directorial debut in 2013 with Man of Tai Chi. Reeves is also the co-founder of ARCH Motorcycle and creator of BRZRKR, his first comic book and graphic novel series that launched in March 2021. MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Goldstein [email protected] 917.890.7940 Ashley Orfus [email protected] 917.232.7349 SOURCE Futureverse Foundation Today, more than 37 million Americans about 11% of our nation are living with diabetes and 8.4 million Americans rely on insulin to survive. Insulin costs 10 times more in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. And as many as 1 in 4 insulin users report rationing their insulin skipping doses or taking less than they need, putting themselves at risk for serious and even deadly complications. In the diabetes community, which includes an outsized number of low-income Americans and for whom insulin means the difference between life and death, the rising cost of insulin is unsustainable. Consequently, the ADA has led the effort to establish insulin co-pay cap laws in 21 states and the District of Columbia, and has long advocated for reform of the prescription drug rebate system that inflates the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs. "This legislation and leadership by Senators Shaheen and Collins addresses some of the root cost-drivers of insulin, making the drug more affordable for people with diabetes who are facing serious and expensive complications without access," said Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA, who gave remarks about the impact of the high price of insulin at today's press conference. "At the American Diabetes Association, we always stand for what is best for people with diabetes, and this legislation will ensure that millions of Americans pay less for their insulin." In just the last few weeks, more than 52,000 of our ADA advocates have weighed in with their representatives and senators in every state, urging support for these measures. "We applaud the commitment of Senators Shaheen and Collins to finally make insulin affordable at a national level and we thank them for their leadership in legislation that includes important reforms to reduce the price of insulin by incentivizing lower list prices and include limits on out-of-pocket costs," said Lisa Murdock, chief advocacy officer of the American Diabetes Association. "Critically, these provisions would help both the insured and the uninsured patient communities." About the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 81 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociacion Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn). Contact: Daisy Diaz, 703-253-4807 [email protected] SOURCE American Diabetes Association An aviation education and more than 35 years of flying experience provide a unique basis for understanding aviation legal issues. Mr. Sobota earned his degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a minor in Aviation and Aerospace Safety, which provides a foundation for the technical knowledge, expertise, and skill needed to understand complex aviation matters. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with multiengine, instrument, and high performance ratings, and is also a licensed Part 107 small unmanned aircraft systems (drone) pilot. Peter Sobota is a standing member of The Florida Bar Aviation Law Committee and is AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which recognizes the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards. Peter Sobota grew up in Hollywood, Florida, graduated from South Broward High School, and currently resides in Weston, Florida with his wife and children. He began his law practice in a prominent Fort Lauderdale law firm before founding the law firm SOBOTA P.L. and launching Aviation Law Florida. His main office is located in Davie, Florida and features convenient access from all South Florida airports. Peter Sobota is also a member of the D.C. Bar and admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court. A representative list of available aviation legal services includes: FBO General Counsel Aircraft Sale and Purchase Airport Operations Air Charter Operations (Part 135) Pilot Schools (Part 141) Repair Stations (Part 145) Vendor Agreements Contract Negotiation and Review Fuel Purchase Agreements Hangar Leases Aviation Litigation Aircraft Lien Levy and Sale and Sale Signage and Advertising Airline Labor Law Small UAS (Drones) Regulatory Compliance Airman Licensing and Certificates FAA Enforcement Actions Insurance Claims Peter Sobota can be reached by phone at (954) 668-2782, by email at [email protected], or visit SOBOTA P.L. on the web at http://www.AviationLawFlorida.com. SOURCE SOBOTA P.L. With this new expansive agreement, a curated selection of UMG content is now available for Audiomack users in 16 African countries (Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe), as well as the U.K. and Canada. UMG will also provide Audiomack a full catalog offering for its premium subscribers in Africa. Dave Macli, Audiomack co-founder and CEO, said, "Millions of listeners across Africa, the UK, and Canada use Audiomack every day. Our expanded partnership with UMG helps artists in these regions better connect with their local fans and helps artists around the globe tap into a new audience of discovery-focused music fans." Sipho Dlamini, CEO, Universal Music South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa said, "We are excited for more fans across Africa and beyond to have greater access to some of Africa's most exciting musical talent, as well as UMG's unrivalled catalog of international superstars and releases. We welcome Audiomack as a partner and look forward to working with them to help strengthen the entire streaming ecosystem in Africa." Frank Kacou, Managing Director, Universal Music Africa said, "Working with Audiomack will enable our artists from across the continent to reach wider across both French-speaking Africa and beyond, as well as to build their audiences across Canada, the UK and US. We are excited for the future development of streaming across the continent and to finding great new ways to collaborate together with the team at Audiomack." About Audiomack Audiomack, which launched in 2012, currently reaches more than 20 million monthly users globally. The streaming and discovery service has played an integral role in breaking new acts, such as Rod Wave and Kaash Paige; served as a trusted partner to Eminem and Nicki Minaj, among other notable artists, to debut exclusive releases; and helped rising African stars, such as Omah Lay, reach an international audience. As of December 2021, Audiomack is the top-ranked music streaming app on Apple's iOS in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, and Kenya. About Universal Music Group At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms, and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com. SOURCE Universal Music Group New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi's first ever official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan from June 9-14 provided impetus to further deepen the strategic relations with both the Central Asian nations. During her visit to the Kyrgyz Republic from June 9-12, MoS called on the Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Zhaparov and reaffirmed India's commitment to be a reliable partner in the developmental journey of the Kyrgyz Republic. During her meeting with the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev, MoS Lekhi took stock of the state and prospects of bilateral relations and also exchanged views on regional and international issues of importance. Almost 50% of B2B sales professionals believe wrongly targeted sales outreach has a direct impact on their company's brand and over 50% believe it has an impact on their revenue; 96% want more help in the early stages of the sales cycle TEL AVIV, Israel, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent survey conducted by Lusha , the B2B data community and sales intelligence platform, almost half (49%) of B2B sales professionals believe one of the most common effects of wrongly targeted outreach is damage to their company's brand reputation. Along with damage to company reputation, poorly targeted outreach can result in an ongoing (52%) and/or immediate (37%) loss of sales. In addition, a whopping 96% of sales professionals feel they could use help in the early stages of the sales cycle. More help would have a direct impact on the amount of poorly targeted outreach, thus reducing the negative impact on the company reputation and lost sales. B2B sales processes still haven't modernized to the extent they should have. They still rely on un-targeted sales techniques (spray and pray) rather than using technology and data to make sales the ultra-focused process it should be. As a result, salespeople reach a high volume of potential customers with low relevance and spend too long on calls that are a waste of their time. This approach has a direct impact on those targeted to the extent that it directly damages their perception of the company's brand and reputation. "This survey shows how great the potential damage to a company's brand can be, based simply on poorly targeted sales calls", said Yoni Tserruya, CEO & Co-Founder of Lusha. "Similar to the shift that marketing underwent a decade ago, sales professionals are abandoning spray-and-pray outreach in favor of super-targeted selling based on data. But the industry needs to move faster and utilize data-based insights to ensure they aren't doing more harm than good to their company reputation with poorly targeted sales processes". The Impact of Poor Outreach According to the survey, on average a fifth (20%) of their monthly outreach calls are not optimally targeted and do not materialize into sales. With salespeople spending around 65% of their time on non-sales and administrative activities rather than engaging potential customers, it is essential that every one of their calls are highly targeted. Access to Sales Intelligence Tools The survey found that 96% of sales professionals feel they could use help in the early stages of the sales cycle, with the majority (30%) saying they would like more information about their prospects to initiate conversations. Respondents' pleas for more help are echoed in the access and usage of the tools at their disposal. While 95% report already having access to sales intelligence technologies provided by their companies, nearly two-thirds (60%) report having to supplement these with additional tools and/or prospecting efforts leaving questions as to the accuracy and value of the tools already employed. When the Tables are Turned Even the professionals themselves see the damage that poorly targeted sales calls can have. Having been on the other end of the sales process themselves, respondents were asked about their typical response. 80% indicated that they are put off in some way when receiving irrelevant and/or wrongly targeted sales outreach from other companies looking to sell to them, and 29% reported that they'd be unlikely to do business with the company as a result. The survey, conducted in May 2022, was based on a representative sample of 500 B2B sales professionals across the United States, in organizations of all sizes (between 50 to >10,000 employees) in the Financial Services, Information Technology, and Technology industries. About Lusha: Lusha is a crowdsourced data community and sales intelligence platform which empowers B2B sales professionals to identify, engage and close qualified prospects thanks to accurate and accessible data. Lusha recommends relevant prospects and organizations, eliminating cumbersome research and allowing salespeople to focus on selling. Lusha's community approach ensures that salespeople from organizations of all sizes have access to accurate sales data. Lusha was founded in 2016 by Assaf Eisenstein and Yoni Tserruya and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. Lusha's community has expanded to nearly 800,000 sales professionals and 273,000 sales organizations including Google, Microsoft, Dropbox and Uber. For more information, visit www.lusha.com . Media Contacts Terri Shapiro [email protected] +1 347 344 5316 SOURCE Lusha DALLAS, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon Wealth Management expands its Dallas office with three new additions including Chris Gold as Dallas market president, Megan Steinbach as senior private banker and Dan Patterson as senior wealth manager. They are all based in Dallas and report to Todd Carlton, regional president, Central Region. "The Dallas office is thriving and attracting new clients and we are well placed to add new talent to further support our Active Wealth framework," said Carlton. Chris will lead the Dallas area and focus on client relationships, COI interactions, product, service and sales delivery. area and focus on client relationships, COI interactions, product, service and sales delivery. Megan will work with new and existing high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients to develop and implement a strategic plan for managing credit and treasury solutions. Dan will provide comprehensive wealth management advice, including managing portfolios and providing strategic planning and advice for ultra-high-net-worth clients. Chris brings more than two decades of wealth management experience and joins BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Northern Trust, where he served as a senior managing director. Prior to that, he held a variety of senior roles at Lazard Asset Management, Bank of America and EY. Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University. Megan joins BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Northern Trust, where she most recently served as senior private banker. She also held a variety of roles at Frost Bank. Megan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Dan has 35 years of financial services experience and joins BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Northern Trust, where he was a senior investment portfolio manager. Before that, he served as an institutional fixed income portfolio manager at Provident Investment Counsel. Dan earned a Bachelor of Science from Marshall University, a Master of Business Administration from Northern Arizona University and a Juris Doctorate from Whittier College School of Law. ABOUT BNY MELLON WEALTH MANAGEMENT For more than two centuries, BNY Mellon Wealth Management has provided services to financially successful individuals and families, their family offices and business enterprises, planned giving programs, and endowments and foundations. It has $305 billion in total client assets as of March 31, 2022, and an extensive network of offices in the U.S. and internationally. BNY Mellon Wealth Management, which delivers leading wealth advice across investments, banking, custody, and wealth and estate planning, conducts business through various operating subsidiaries of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. A line of business within Wealth Management, BNY Mellon Investor Solutions includes the firm's institutional multi-asset solutions business. The Investor Solutions AUM/AUA is $28.7bn as of March 31, 2022. For more information, visit www.bnymellonwealth.com or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellonWealth. Media Contact: Ben Tanner 212-635-8676 [email protected] SOURCE BNY Mellon Wealth Management Open to the public for $200/ticket on ExploreTock.com , the launch dinner will be held on June 29 th at Oko Farms in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where Chef Tate has collaborated with local Black farmers, many of whom will attend the dinner as honored guests, to craft a bespoke seasonal tasting menu using fresh, homegrown ingredients. Designed to educate the public about the challenges that Black farmers face and draw the farming community together, each course will be dedicated to honoring a 'hero ingredient' from a nearby farm, while also incorporating fresh berries, a staple of seasonal summer fare and the berry-infused gin. The dinner will also be complemented by Chef Tate's signature BOMBAY BRAMBLE cocktail, the 'Bramble Berry Sour'. In further support of BOMBAY BRAMBLE and Chef Tate's ongoing mission to champion diverse voices in the culinary community, an additional pledge of $25,000 will be made to the Black Farmer Fund. The donation will be put towards helping to provide financial means and resources to Black-owned farms in the Northeast to build an equitable future. For those not able to attend the debut in Brooklyn, BOMBAY BRAMBLE will also host pop-ups in Atlanta and Charleston where foodies can experience a local chef's take on Chef Tate's menu of farm-to-table dishes later this summer. "As the perfect canvas for cocktail creativity, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has had a long history of supporting diverse artistic realms. With its distinctive taste profile that provides a veritable burst of berries, culinary creativity underpins our newest iteration BOMBAY BRAMBLE. We are honored to partner with Omar Tate to launch our new dinner series which pays tributes to Black farmers across the United States, who have made an integral contribution to American cuisine and culture," says Jaime Keller, Brand Director BOMBAY GINS North America. "Omar Tate is an extraordinary talent whose innovative approach and focus on art, poetry, science and community in his dishes mirrors our ethos perfectly, where we have always endeavored to foster creative expression and to be the perfect canvas for creativity in cocktails and beyond. Just like Omar pushes the boundaries in cooking, our latest iteration BOMBAY BRAMBLE continues to push the boundaries in the gin category as an all-natural, vibrant, berry-bursting offering that marries perfectly with a variety of cocktails, from the Gin & Tonic to the Tom Collins." Chef Tate has worked in some of the nation's best restaurants over the last 10 years, including the Michelin starred A Voce, Meadowsweet and Runner and Stone in NY; plus Fork and Russet in Philadelphia. Chef Tate is fast attaining cult status for his award-winning contemporary cuisine that 'sparks a revolution', fusing black culture, art, poetry, and community. Through his cooking, upcoming community center Honeysuckle and other initiatives Chef Tate is redefining the role of the restaurant in today's society. He is doing this by centering Black American culture through foodways with an emphasis on people's relationships to agriculture and the role of Black farmers. "Community is at the heart of what I do and a defining part of my passion as a chef. I'm incredibly honored to be a steward for my community, especially Black farmers, chefs and underrepresented creatives in the culinary industry, so I was so excited about this initiative and to partner with BOMBAY BRAMBLE to help shine a light on them and raise awareness of their contributions overall. It was also exciting creatively to be given the lens of fresh berries, and to come up with beautiful recipes and tasting menus with the help of local farmers to showcase the wealth of talent, produce and stories from Black farmers that need to be told and shown," added Omar Tate. The signature 'Bramble Berry Sour' cocktail of the Cultivating Community series is a refreshing summertime cocktail twist on the iconic sour cocktail, featuring the berry-infused BOMBAY BRAMBLE gin with notes of blackberries and raspberries, topped off with MARTINI FIERO, bitters, lemon and orange juices. To attend the dinner series in New York City visit ExploreTock.com for more information and to register/purchase tickets. COCKTAIL RECIPE "Bramble Berry Sour" The Official Cocktail of the Cultivating Community: Dinner Series 1.5 oz Bombay Bramble .5 oz Lemon Juice .5 oz Orange Juice .25 oz Martini and Rossi Bitter .25 oz Martini and Rossi Fiero .5 oz Honey Syrup (2:1) METHOD: Shake and strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice. Garnish with an orange wheel and a blackberry. Link to high-res imagery HERE See HERE to purchase BOMBAY BRAMBLE For press inquiries: Nike Communications Zara Biggs, [email protected] NOTES TO EDITORS: About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the world's number one premium gin by value and volume (IWSR). Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery at Laverstoke Mill has won a BREEAM award for sustainability and is the home of the signature Vapour Infusion process, where the natural flavors of the botanicals are skillfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE was awarded the prestigious Double Gold and Gold medal at the 17th San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Enjoy BOMBAY SAPPHIRE responsibly For the facts: www.BombaySapphire.com. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND BOMBAY BRAMBLE ARE TRADEMARKS ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND CREATIVITY Launching the 'Stir Creativity' campaign in 2018, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is leading a global mission - a call to arms for everyone to engage with their creativity and unlock their creative potential. From advocacy programs including the Most Imaginative Bartender competition running in the US for the last 14 years to hosting The Glasshouse Project, a global advocacy program bringing together the world's top bartenders in a series of creative workshops designed to push the boundaries of cocktail creativity. For nine years, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ran The Artisan Series, an art competition created by the brand to provide emerging artists with an international platform. The brand has also partnered with well-known artists and creators such as Tracey Emin, Thomas Heatherwick and Tom Dixon for the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Designer Glassware Competition. BE BRILLIANT AND INSPIRED. DRINK RESPONSIBLY 2022. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND ITS TRADE DRESS ARE TRADEMARKS. IMPORTED BY THE BOMBAY SPIRITS COMPANY U.S.A., CORAL GABLES, FL. GIN - 46% ALC. BY VOL. SOURCE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE SOURCE BOMBAY BRAMBLE As the company's top editor, Grant will supervise Britannica's editorial and media staff and oversee the expansion and maintenance of multiple information and media databases for lifelong and K-16 learners worldwide. She'll work closely with Britannica's technology, instructional, product development, and marketing teams on the creation of new products and services. Grant joins a long line of eminent Britannica editors stretching back to 1768, when William Smellie, a 28-year-old scholar in Edinburgh, Scotland, compiled Britannica's first edition. However, the position Grant will occupy is even more important than that of her predecessors. With the world awash in misinformation, disinformation and information lacking context, the need for Britannica's rigorous editorial process has never been more essential to creating a society of engaged and well-informed citizens. Part of Grant's mandate will be to expand Britannica's editorial capabilities to increase the quantity and quality of Britannica's content portfolio and to improve the growing number of information services provided to K-16 learners worldwide. "Tracy really is an editor for the 21st century," said Britannica CEO Jorge Cauz. "She was there on the ground floor of digital publishing and understands the challenges and opportunities of today's fast-moving information environment. From her long tenure at The Post, an organization that shares Britannica's values of truthfulness and accuracy, I know she is well prepared to uphold those values at a time when they are under attack." Grant has been The Washington Post's managing editor for staff development and standards since 2018, the second woman in the newspaper's history to achieve that rank. She joined The Post in 1993 and served in several editorial positions before becoming the newsroom's first Web editor in 1999. She was a features editor and parenting columnist before being named to the role of senior editor in 2013. She became deputy managing editor in 2014. During her tenure, Grant nearly doubled the journalist staff and expanded its diversity and equity initiatives. She is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. "I couldn't be more excited to be joining Encyclopaedia Britannica," Grant said. I've spent my career at a news organization that is committed to telling the truth. But I know that to truly understand the truth, people need all that Britannica has to offer: Not just the facts but also the context and history that elevate information to knowledge. The mission is to use all of Britannica's tools to educate and uphold the values of accuracy and integrity for a new generation. It will be challenging; it will be exciting; it will be fun. I can't wait to get started." About Britannica The Britannica Group is a global knowledge leader. A pioneer in digital learning since the early 1980s, it serves the instructional and information needs of students, educators, lifelong learners and professionals by providing curriculum products, language-study courses and digital encyclopedias. Britannica's digital properties attract more than 6 billion annual pageviews and 130 million casual learners every month, and it serves 150 million students in 156 countries and in 16 languages. The company is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit corporate.britannica.com and follow Britannica on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . SOURCE The Britannica Group Strategic moves to accelerate CAMBYA natural sugar replacement formula into US market TEL AVIV, Israel, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FoodTech start-up B.T. Sweet, Ltd. names Yishai Potack as its new CEO. Potack will lead efforts to take company's CAMBYA natural sweetener to the next level of its go-to-market plans. CAMBYA is a plant-based, one-to-one drop-in sugar replacer for use in multiple food applications. Yishai Potack, B.T. Sweet new CEO Potack Joins B.T. Sweet armed with two decades of extensive experience in leading the business, marketing, and product development needs of global medical device innovators. He previously held senior roles at ReWalk Robotics, Inc., developers of wearable robotic exoskeletons enabling spinal cord injured individuals to walk; Covidien Medtronic Minimally Invasive Therapies Group; and artificial cornea developers EyeYon Medical, Ltd. Potack carries a BSc from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and specialized in marketing at Yale University Business School, USA. "Yishai brings a wealth of knowledge and know-how in spearheading disruptive technologies and elevating start-ups to become well-established top-market names," states Dagi Pekatch, founder and Chairman of B.T. Sweet. "His multicultural experience in the global sphere, combined with strong leadership skills and innovative marketing strategies, combine to make him a perfect fit for B.T. Sweet. We're delighted to welcome him to the CAMBYA family." Simultaneously, the company has added industry consultant Mervyn De Souza, Ph.D. to a key position on its advisory board. "We also are extremely fortunate to have Dr. De Souza join our advisory board," adds Pekatch. "He is a savvy innovator and business strategist with seasoned knowledge of the F&B industry. De Souza has enjoyed a long and accomplished career leading high-performing teams in developing growth strategies at multinationals Cargill, Sensient Technologies, and Tate & Lyle." CAMBYA's guilt-free natural sweetener B.T. Sweet entered the B2B confectionary scene late last year with its breakthrough sweetening platform designed to help food formulators reduce simple sugars in their products without compromising the primary role of satisfying consumers' sweet tooths. The proprietary formula is composed of a proprietary blend of plant-based fibers, monk fruit, and select botanicals. It functions as a 1:1 equivalent to sucrose in both body and taste. CAMBYA delivers optimal sweetening capacity, without the need for masking agents, and is ideal for lowering sugar levels in a broad range of products, including cereals, chocolates, chocolate spreads, and more. It leaves no lingering aftertastes or altered textures. CAMBYA is supported by two patents, one for its formula and the second for its production process. New Growth Engines for CAMBYA "Coming from the medical technology space, I have always been passionate about advancing solutions that make a truly positive impact on people's lives and well-being," enthuses Potack. "My appointment with CAMBYA marks my entry into the food and beverage world and effectively places me at the center of the global battle against excess sugar consumption. I'm eager to take the reins and bring CAMBYA to the forefront of this international campaign." Potack will focus on propelling the company's upcoming funding round and penetrating the North American B2B market. The company already attained two letters of intent with a leading US snacks producer and a gummy manufacturer. He also will increase R&D efforts to broaden the scope of sweet food applications for CAMBYA. "The booming US confectionary market is yearning for more compelling sugar replacement solutions, and we are already experiencing traction there. The European market also is in our plans, and we currently are awaiting EFSA approval for monk fruit, anticipated to arrive by the end of the year." What to expect at IFT First B.T. Sweet will showcase CAMBYA sweetened chocolate bars and chocolate chip cookies at the upcoming IFT First annual event and expo due to take place in Chicago July 10-13 2022- Booth number S4285-R at the Startup Pavilion. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845209/Yishai_Potack_BT_Sweet_CEO.jpg Company Contact B.T. Sweet Ltd. Yishai Potack CEO and Business Development Manager Email: [email protected] Web: www.cambya.com Press Contact NutriPR Liat Simha Tel: +972-9-9742893 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.nutripr.com Twitter: @NutriPR_ SOURCE B.T. Sweet, Ltd. GLENDALE, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Using geometry principles to design kites, hatching chicks, creating a mariachi music program, and building a genetics lab are just a few of the teacher dream projects funded by California Credit Union through its Spring 2022 Teacher Grant program. As part of its commitment to help educators create innovative learning opportunities for their students, the credit union has provided 10 grants of $500 each to underwrite class projects in Los Angeles County. The credit union grants will fund a diverse range of programs illustrating the creativity and commitment teachers bring to their classrooms and communities. The Spring 2022 California Credit Union Teacher Grant recipients include teachers across Los Angeles County: California Credit Union Grant Recipient School City Crystal Alvarenga San Dimas High School San Dimas Veronica Azizi Stanley Mosk Elementary School Winnetka Ebony L. Batiste 74th Street Elementary & Gifted Magnet Los Angeles Jessica Gutierrez Santa Monica High School Santa Monica Tiffany Hirdler Fremont Elementary School Glendale Shayleen Mallick John F. Kennedy High School Granada Hills Brent Rojo Venice High School Venice Jorge Sombillo Jr. Phineas Banning High School Wilmington Rene Davila Treto James A. Garfield High School East Los Angeles Jennifer L Veron Dalton Elementary School Azusa "The creativity and passion of these grant programs inspire all of us. We congratulate each of these educators who are so committed to finding new ways to excite, support, and connect with their students," said California Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell. "After 90 years of supporting the education community, we never fail to be amazed at the dedication our teachers bring to their students, and wish all of them success in bringing these projects to life." Photos of all recipients can be found here. Since the creation of the program in 2012, California Credit Union has awarded $155,000 in teacher grants to support innovative learning projects. Up to 20 grants are awarded bi-annually in the spring and fall. Any full-time classroom teacher in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, and Riverside County can apply for a grant for a program that has clearly defined learning objectives tied to students' academic needs, displays creativity in education, and targets a significant number of students. About California Credit Union California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, California Credit Union has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Visit ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @CaliforniaCreditUnion. SOURCE California Credit Union NEW YORK, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Car Wash Advisory is excited to announce its partnership with Eric Harrison as he joins as Chief Financial Officer. Eric has built, owned, and operated four successful car washes. In addition, he's achieved successful exits and sales to both Mister Car Wash and WhiteWater Express, which gives him the hands-on experience to give proper financial advice to those wanting to sell or exit as well. Eric Harrison's valuable experience will help the Car Wash Advisory team continue to provide people with real investment advice that will help those looking to buy or acquire a car wash. About Eric Harrison Eric Harrison is a huge asset to the Car Wash Advisory team and brings years of qualified experience. To add to his experience of owning, operating, and selling car washes, Eric has also had several other successful business ventures. Eric holds a BBA in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from Ross School of Business and the University of Michigan. Upon graduating, Eric explored other business ventures, such as being a business consultant at Arthur Andersen. Afterward, he moved on to grow and build the RV Chassis Division as Vice President at a publicly-traded company, Lippert Components. "Eric is not only bringing over twenty years of direct multi-location car wash ownership and operations experience but also brings so much more in joining Car Wash Advisory's Leadership Team. Eric brings an innately matching cultural fit that we are so very excited for and so very fortunate to have with us," said Harry H. Caruso, the CEO and Founder of Car Wash Advisory. The Car Wash Advisory team benefits greatly by having Eric on the team with his years of expertise. If any client is looking to buy a car wash, needs advice with their transactions, or doesn't know where to start, his leadership and advice will aid them greatly. About Car Wash Advisory Car Wash Advisory is the top car wash-focused investment bank, transaction advisor, and broker in the United States. The goal of Car Wash Advisory is to always provide honest, authentic, and professional car wash transaction advice, producing the best results for clients with our experienced investment advisors. To learn more, please visit www.carwashadvisory.com . CONTACT: Robin Sisk - Administrative Coordinator Car Wash Advisory 332.209.4246 [email protected] SOURCE Car Wash Advisory Cascade Sotheby's International Realty, a Peerage Realty Partner, has joined forces with Hasson Company, a leading luxury residential real estate brokerage serving Portland Metro, Central Oregon, and Southwest Washington. With over 180 real estate advisors working across seven offices, Hasson Company, Realtors transacted US$2.9 billion (C$3.8 billion) in sales in 2021. The combined company, which brings together two deep leadership teams and their respective rosters of exceptional professional advisors, will be known as Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty. It will serve clients in Portland Metro, Bend, Redmond, Jacksonville, Ashland, Hood River, Southwest Washington, and Coast markets. The combined business has 570 agents, 25 offices, and US$6.2 billion (C$8.06 billion) in transacted sales for 2021. Cascade Sotheby's International Realty is an important partner within Peerage Realty Partners' substantial North American luxury real estate network. In adding Hasson Company to the partnership, the combined company is ideally positioned to capitalize on the remarkable opportunities for ongoing growth in new and existing markets. TORONTO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Cascade Sotheby's International Realty is partnering with leading independent firm Hasson Company ("Hasson") to create Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty. The newly formed luxury brokerage is focussed on serving clients in the luxury residential real estate markets of the Pacific Northwest including Portland Metro, Bend, Redmond, Jacksonville, Ashland, Hood River, Coast markets, and Southwest Washington (Vancouver). Both firms specialize in representing iconic properties that highlight sophisticated urban markets as well as the spectacular, rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest region. Together, the new partnership, Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty, has 570 agents, 25 offices, and US$6.2 billion (C$8.06 billion) in transacted sales for 2021. Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty will continue to be led by Deb Tebbs, CEO of Cascade Sotheby's International Realty, Steve Studley, CEO of Hasson Company, and Hasson President, Lynae Forbes, along with all the members of both existing management teams. "Hasson Company founder, the late Mike Hasson, was a deeply respected industry leader in Oregon and his legacy endures. His reputation for trust, integrity and exceptional client focus has continued to influence the firm's culture," said Philip White, President and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty. "Having watched the company grow steadily in both scale and talent, we could not be more delighted to welcome Hasson Company to the Sotheby's International Realty brand." Steve Studley, CEO of Hasson Company said: "From the outset, we always maintained the only partner for Hasson Company would be Sotheby's International Realty. Now, the time is right for us to join forces and partner with Cascade Sotheby's International Realty - a company we know, admire, trust, and respect - to dominate the Pacific Northwest luxury markets." "We are thrilled to partner with Hasson Company. All of us at Cascade Sotheby's International Realty hold Hasson Company in the highest professional and personal regard," noted Deb Tebbs, President and CEO of Cascade Sotheby's International Realty. "Hasson Company shares our values and beliefs, and our objective to build a strong and sustainable model that incorporates the most up-to-date technology, marketing and exceptional leadership to support our wonderful agents." "With our combined scale and resources, our agents will be even better equipped to deliver exceptional real estate services from which our clients will benefit even further," she added. Lynae Forbes, President of Hasson Company stated: "Our two firms are closely aligned in values, culture, and commitment to our shared community. This gives our combined team a wonderful start in collaborating effectively together." Said Gavin Swartzman, President and CEO of Peerage Realty Partners: "This newly architected partnership between Hasson Company and Cascade Sotheby's International Realty is an important new milestone for Peerage Realty. Our objective is always to provide incremental strategic, financial, and human resources to enable our partner firms to continue to grow and prosper. We are thrilled to partner with such exceptional management teams to expand our presence in the growing and important Pacific Northwest market." The Peerage group of Sotheby's International Realty affiliates includes: Sotheby's International Realty Canada ("SIRC"), Canada's largest luxury real estate brokerage with 30 offices and 690 agents in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta; Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty with six offices and 381 agents in North Texas, including Dallas and Fort Worth; Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty with 23 offices and 320 agents in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York (including Select Sotheby's International Realty); Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, a dominant player in the luxury residential and commercial real estate markets with six offices and 460 agents in the Greater Chicago Area; Pacific Sotheby's International Realty, based in San Diego with 620 agents and 18 offices in aspirational Southern California; Premier Sotheby's International Realty of Naples, the preeminent luxury realtor in Florida and North Carolina with 1,300 agents and 38 offices; and now Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty with 391 agents and 17 offices across Oregon and Southwest Washington. ABOUT HASSON COMPANY Founded by Mike Hasson, an iconic industry leader, in 1991, the company has grown to about 180 full-time agents in 7 offices located throughout the Portland Metro area, Central Oregon, and one in Southwest Washington. It sold US$2.9 billion (C$3.8 billion) of luxury real estate in 2021 and has been recognized as one of the leading independent firms in the region. In Oregon, it has offices in Portland (Northeast/Irving/Uptown), Lake Oswego, Charbonneau, Hood River, and West Linn. It also has an office in Vancouver, Washington. http://www.hasson.com/ ABOUT CASCADE SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY With 391 brokers and 17 offices serving Oregon and Southwest Washington, Cascade Sotheby's International Realty was ranked the third fastest-growing company in Portland in 2020. It has a 20 percent share of the key Bend, Oregon market, twice as much as its nearest competitor. In 2021, posting a 30 percent increase over the previous year, Cascade Sotheby's International Realty generated over US$3.3 billion (C$4.24 billion) in sales volume. Cascade Sotheby's International Realty has offices in the following Oregon communities: Ashland, Beaverton, Bend (2), Cannon Beach, Gearheart, Gleneden Beach, Grant's Pass, Hood River, Jacksonville, Lake Oswego, Manzanita, Portland (2), Sisters, and Sun River. In Washington, it has an office in Vancouver. www.CascadeSothebysrealty.com ABOUT PEERAGE REALTY PARTNERS Peerage Realty Partners is a leading residential real estate services firm, serving luxury markets across North America. Peerage Realty brokerage partners include leading Sotheby's International Realty franchisees, and renowned independent firms in both re-sale residential real estate brokerage, and new construction marketing. Peerage Realty core service activities include real estate financing, transaction services, asset management, and home improvement for purpose-built rental properties. Peerage Realty has the unique benefit of being a privately-owned enterprise that is positioned to commit to long-term partnerships and investments. Peerage Realty is projected to transact over US$53 billion (C$70 billion) of residential real estate through its partner firms. Peerage Realty is currently one of the top 10 largest residential real estate service firms in North America with over 7,000 best-in-class sales representatives and employees with 276 offices across Canada and the United States. To support growth and expansion among partners, Peerage Realty consistently provides strategic input, capital, technology, operational expertise, marketing, communications, and value-added products and services that differentiate and strengthen its partner firms in competitive markets. Its goal is to expand the suite of services that its partner firms can offer to enhance the client experience through all phases of a real estate transaction and beyond. www.peeragerealty.com ABOUT PEERAGE CAPITAL Peerage Capital is a leading North American business services and private investment firm. Peerage Capital is focused on partnering with exceptional, entrepreneurial management teams to form long-term investments across several strategic business services platforms including real estate services, real estate development and management, land assembly, self-storage, asset management and wealth advisory services. A growing network of partner companies has over 7,000 sales representatives and employees across Canada and the United States with approximately US$9 billion (C$11 billion) in total assets under management (AUM) and administration. Peerage Capital focuses on service sectors where there are opportunities to achieve scale through both organic growth as well as through acquisition, operating synergies, and brand differentiation. It supports the partner firms in which it invests by providing capital as well as a team of experienced professionals who add value in such areas as strategy, finance, technology, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and communications. Peerage Capital believes that superior talent is the ultimate driver of long-term growth and success. It operates with a strong culture of partnership, collaboration, and alignment of interests, both economic and cultural. Peerage Capital's unique "Professional Partnership" model has been refined over 40 years to accelerate growth through value-added services that enhance the sustainable, profitable growth rate of the organization, maximizing value for all stakeholders. www.peeragecapital.com ABOUT SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Sotheby's International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby's auction house. Today, the company's global footprint spans nearly 1,000 offices located in 79 countries and territories worldwide, including 51 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby's, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby's International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby's International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby's auction house, established in 1744. The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation, and settlement services. Both Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. www.sothebysrealty.com SOURCE Peerage Realty Partners Inc. The test marks the highest published hydrogen blend flow rate for a natural gas-fired advanced class gas turbine to-date and was conducted as part of Georgia Power's commitment to build the energy grid of the future and reduce carbon emissions across its power generation fleet. Certarus' mobile energy distribution platform provided over 4,000 kilograms of hydrogen for a 20% hydrogen, 80% natural gas fuel blend to support testing and monitoring for one of six gas turbines at the site over four days. During the test, the hydrogen fuel blend successfully generated efficient power to support full turbine capacity and produced fewer carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions compared to pure natural gas. "Hydrogen has the potential to help industrial operators and utility providers improve operational efficiency, significantly reduce carbon emissions, and achieve their net-zero goals," said Richard Cheng, Certarus' Vice President, Hydrogen. "Our on-road energy distribution platform is perfectly suited to safely transport hydrogen fuel across North America to support the acceleration of hydrogen adoption across industrial sectors." The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) supported the development of the project and had researchers on-site during testing to observe and collect data for a detailed report that is expected to be published this summer. ABOUT CERTARUS Certarus is the North American leader in providing on-road low carbon energy solutions through a fully integrated compressed natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen platform. Certarus safely delivers clean burning fuels to energy, utility, agricultural and industrial customers not connected to a pipeline. By displacing more carbon intensive fuels, Certarus is leading the energy transition and helping customers lower operating costs and improve environmental performance. With the largest fleet of mobile storage units in North America, Certarus is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for low and zero emission energy distribution. For more information, visit www.certarus.com and follow us on LinkedIn. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or Certarus' future performance. All Statements contained in this news release other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predictions and generally can be identified by the use of statements that include words or phrases such as, "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "likely" "may", "project", "predict", "propose", "potential", "might", "plan", "seek", "should", "targeting", "will", and similar expressions or the negative forms thereof. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Certarus believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon by readers, as actual results may vary materially from such forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the potential of hydrogen to help industrial operators and utility providers improve operational efficiency, cut carbon emissions and achieve net zero goals and carbon reduction; the ability of the Corporation to safely transport hydrogen fuel across North America to support research and development projects; the Corporation's, and hydrogen blending demonstrations', effect on the rate of adoption of hydrogen across industrial sectors; and the expected publication timing of a detailed report on the hydrogen blending test. Some of the risks which could affect future results and could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the impact of general economic and market conditions, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, environmental risks, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified service providers, personnel or management, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, the ability to obtain required consents, permits or approvals and the risk that results of past and current hydrogen testing are not accurate indications of the long-term or overall benefits of hydrogen compared to its alternatives. With respect to the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, management has made assumptions regarding, among other things: its ability to continue to safely transport hydrogen; counter party risk; there will be no material change to the regulatory environment in which Certarus operates; that the results of past and current hydrogen testing are accurate indications of the long-term and overall benefits of hydrogen compared to its alternatives; and the continued adoption of hydrogen across industrial sectors. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Corporation's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Corporation will derive therefrom. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof. Certarus disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Additionally, Certarus undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. SOURCE Certarus Ltd. The forum is part of the 14th summit of BRICS, an emerging-market group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. China holds the rotating presidency of BRICS this year. Xi: Peace should be defended by all The summit comes amid a lingering COVID-19 pandemic, sluggish world economic recovery and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has lasted nearly four months and exacerbated many existing problems. Xi urged the international community to "embrace solidarity and coordination and jointly maintain world peace and stability." He stressed that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontation only lead to wars and conflicts, citing lessons from the two world wars and the Cold War. "The Ukraine crisis is another wake-up call for all in the world," he said. "It reminds us that blind faith in the so-called 'position of strength' and attempts to expand military alliances and seek one's own security at the expense of others will only land oneself in a security dilemma." The international community should uphold the United Nations Charter and strive to maintain peace in a volatile world, he said. Reiterating the Global Security Initiative he proposed earlier this year, Xi called on all countries to stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, stay committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and stay committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously. Xi stresses sustainable global development Countries across the world should work together to promote sustainable global development and pursue win-win cooperation, Xi said, warning against attempts to politicize the global economy. "Development holds the key to solving various difficult problems and delivering better lives to the people," he stressed, noting that the global development process "has hit major roadblocks." Almost 1.2 billion people in nearly 70 countries are confronted with COVID-19, food, energy and debt crises, he said. Xi underscored the Global Development Initiative he put forward last year, reiterating the call for all counties to implement the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The international community should deepen cooperation to safeguard food and energy security, embrace innovation, and help developing countries advance green transformation and fight COVID-19, he said. He urged major developed countries to adopt responsible economic policies and "avoid negative policy spillovers that may take a heavy toll on developing countries." "To politicize the global economy and turn it into one's tool or weapon, and willfully impose sanctions by using one's primary position in the international financial and monetary systems will only end up hurting one's own interests as well as those of others, and inflict suffering on everyone," he said. China's commitment to opening-up Xi called for a commitment to inclusiveness, openness and integration, stressing that economic globalization is an "unstoppable historical trend." "China will continue to pursue opening-up against higher standards, develop new systems for a higher-standard open economy, and continue to foster a market- and law-based and internationalized business environment," he told the audience. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the opening ceremony of the forum, which was held in an online plus offline format in Beijing. About 1,000 economic and trade ministers, envoys to China and representatives from the business community were present. The five BRICS countries represent more than 26 percent of the world's landmass, 42 percent of the global population, and about a quarter of the global gross domestic product (GDP). https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-06-22/Xi-addresses-opening-ceremony-of-BRICS-Business-Forum-1b4KFLMYqFG/index.html SOURCE CGTN Addis Ababa/New Delhi, June 22 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is headed for the CHOGM summit in Kigali, Rwanda, on Wednesday was at the Ethiopian capital where he held talks with the Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde on bilateral cooperation and development partnership. He also addressed the Indian Community in Addis Ababa. In tweets, the EAM said: Thank Ethiopian President @SahleWorkZewde for receiving me. A good discussion on our bilateral cooperation including education, health, investment, as also development partnership. Also exchanged perspectives on the regional and international situation. On his address to the Indian community, he said: Addressed the Indian community in Addis Ababa this morning. Their role in education and employment generation has been commendable. Their contribution to Ethiopian society is widely recognised. Thank them for keeping India's flag flying high. Earlier, the EAM today inaugurated the new Indian Embassy Chancery building in the Ethiopian capital. He thanked the Ethiopian Minister of Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tesfaye Yilma for joining him on the occasion. Was a pleasure to formally inaugurate the new Indian Embassy Chancery building in Addis Ababa. Congratulate Ambassador @IndiaInEthiopia and his team for a great job. Thank Minister of Women and Social Affairs @ErgogieTesfaye and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tesfaye Yilma for joining me on this occasion Was a pleasure to meet Minister of Women and Social Affairs @ErgogieTesfaye of Ethiopia. She did her PhD under @ICCR_hq scholarship. Great to hear her speak Telugu, he posted. The EAM is leading the Indian delegation to the CHOGM, which had earlier been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He will be representing Prime Minister Modi at the Commonwealth Summit on June 24-25, as well as attending the pre-CHOGM Foreign Ministers Meeting on June 23 in Kigali. UNI RN The Strategic Agreement includes the intention to share technology of key highly engineered and in-demand products which are pivotal to the advancement of offshore renewable energy projects. These products provide critical solutions and are presently available only after long delivery lead times and are in short supply for offshore renewable energy projects. The signing of the Strategic Agreement will, not only close the gap to meet the demand in the Chinese market for these products, but also provide both the companies a strong platform to showcase each strengths for such products required to achieve net zero carbon emissions goals especially in China. Safety and functionality in a wide range of operational environmental factors are key requirements for success of such systems which KenzFigee already has an established track record in supplying to an international clientele. Currently, such technology for the products identified is still in early development stages in China and would require prohibitively long delivery lead times to secure. This has significantly impacted progress of offshore renewable energy projects. The Strategic Agreement brings together two entities with complementing capabilities to adequately addresses these needs. With 25 plus years of experience and a strong track record in the offshore industry, CMIC is leveraging these technologies and experiences to supply equipment, products and services to offshore wind power installations, operations and maintenance projects. With the recent recovery of the Oil & Gas sector, CMIC is well positioned to complement the growth in both renewables as well as in oil and gas, especially to meet the demand within the China Merchant Industry Group which supply various vessel and platforms for both industries. KenzFigee is a pioneer in the Dutch offshore crane industry founded as early as 1836. It is well reputed with significant experience and industry-leading high-tech design capabilities. KenzFigee provides comprehensive solutions for the worldwide offshore marine renewable energy sectors. KenzFigee has a specialised engineering and service team offering crane and equipment services worldwide, supporting clients from equipment selection to product design, production, assembly, testing, installation, commissioning, as well as after-sales service and maintenance. "The signing of the Strategic Agreement brings together the strengths of both companies to provide complementary factors of specialised technology, manufacturing capabilities, and project financing to fill an opportune supply gap," said Mr. Jiang Binghua, CEO of CMIC and he added that "It will also effectively support the high growth we will achieve in our renewable energy business. The rich experience KenzFigee brings with its past operations and maintenance services in the North Sea and Southeast Asia will add significant value to the markets in China and the East Asian region." The CEO of KenzFigee, Mr Maikel Takken also commented "We are excited to work with CMIC through this strategic cooperation agreement and contribute to the rapidly changing market and shift towards Offshore Renewable which brings together a wealth of experience to promote several highly engineered and sophisticated products. We are very much looking forward to bringing this plan to full realization." The market for global offshore wind power is estimated to exceed 90GW within 5 years. China currently operates nearly half of the world's installed offshore wind power capacity, about 26GW. According to GWEC, in the next five years (2022-2026) China domestic offshore wind power installation will steadily increase and is expected to add 39GW installed. The requirement for offshore wind power remains one of the biggest components of this growth. With this expansion of the offshore wind power market, offshore installation vessel owners have increasingly higher requirements for the adaptability for cost efficient operations and maintenance of vessels. CMIC CMIC Ocean En-tech is a leading technology company providing complete engineering, manufacturing and integrated solutions to customers in both onshore and offshore oil and gas, offshore wind and hydrogen sectors. CMIC is also in the business of investing in energy sectors including the renewable energy sector. CMIC's major shareholder is the China Merchants & Great Wall Ocean Strategy & Technology Fund (L.P.). KenzFigee KenzFigee is a leading provider in the designing and supplying of hoisting and lifting solutions on many types of installation, both onshore and offshore, with more than forty years of experience. KenzFigee covers a full spectrum of services to support its clients from specification to operation, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, testing, installation, and commissioning, as well as service and maintenance. SOURCE CMIC Increase in number of angiography, CT and MRI procedures, growth in technological sophistication, and surge in chronic diseases drive the growth of the global contrast injector systems market. PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Contrast Injector Systems Market by Product Type (Consumables, Injector Systems, Accessories), by Application (Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Interventional Cardiology), by End User (Hospitals, Diagnostics centers, Clinics, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030". According to the report, the global contrast injector systems industry generated $755.57 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $1.5 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 7.3% from 2021 to 2030. Download Sample PDF at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/3977 Prime determinants of growth Increase in number of angiography, CT, and MRI procedures, growth in technological sophistication, and surge in chronic diseases drive the growth of the global contrast injector systems market. However, high cost and risk associated with contrast injector systems and contrast media hinder the market growth. On the other hand, rise in healthcare expenditure and emergence of complex diseases in developing countries present new opportunities in the coming years. Covid-19 Scenario The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the growth of the global contrast injector systems market, owing to decline in number of geriatric patient visits in hospitals and clinics. Also, during the global lockdown, number of patients coming for CT & MRI declined in order to maintain the social distancing norms. This hampered the market growth. However, the market is going to recover soon in 2022. The radiology segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on application, the radiology segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global contrast injector systems market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is owing to surging occurrences of chronic disorders among the growing population, increase in the aging population, and changes in societal behavior. However, the interventional radiology segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 8.4% from 2021 to 2030, owing to reduced risks, lower cost, higher level of comfort, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery. Specific Requirement on COVID-19? Ask to Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3977 The hospitals segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on end user, the hospitals segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to around one-third of the global contrast injector systems market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is owing to large number of patient visits to the hospitals for diagnosis than clinics. However, the diagnostic centers segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 7.9% from 2021 to 2030, owing to onset of complex diseases among the population base that has necessitated the need for detailed examination and early diagnosis pattern of diseases. North America to maintain its dominance by 2030 Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue 2020, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global contrast injector systems market, owing to the well-established healthcare facilities, recent technological advancements, and rise in demand for early diagnosis of chronic diseases due to increase in awareness regarding contrast injectors. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period, owing to increase in incidence of various chronic diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, Alzheimer's, and dementia. Leading Market Players Bracco Imaging S.p.A Bayer Healthcare Guerbet Group Medtron AG Ulrich GmbH & Co. KG GE Healthcare Shenzhen Seacrown Electromechanical Co., Ltd. Nemoto Kyorindo Co. Ltd. Sino Medical- Device Technology Co., Ltd. Vivid Imaging Trending Reports in Healthcare Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): 3D Printing Healthcare Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 Ultrasound Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Remote Patient Monitoring Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Vaccines Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 Hepatitis Therapeutics Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 India Disposable Syringes Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 Urinary Incontinence Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 Cold Plasma Implant Treatment Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 Medical Cannabis Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 Plant Tissue Culture Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202028 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/life-sciences Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/life-sciences-industry-research/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research Maintains #1 Rankings in Account-Based Analytics & Attribution for Enterprise Organizations SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Demandbase, the Smarter GTM company for B2B brands, today announces it has earned extremely high rankings across numerous categories on a total of 40 of G2's Summer Grids. Specifically, Demandbase was named a leader in 34 areas, a high performer in six, and took the number one spot in three. The G2 Grid Reports are the result of real user ratings and reveal which solutions have the most satisfied customers and largest market presence. "We are so proud to earn high rankings in 40 of G2's Summer Grids," says Jon Miller, chief marketing officer at Demandbase. "We care deeply about our customers' satisfaction and success and having a strong presence on these grids every quarter speaks volumes about how we're serving them. Keeping the top spot in both Account-Based Analytics and Attribution is especially meaningful, given that we've prioritized providing rich data to power our customers' go-to-market strategy. We're eager to keep wowing our customers with our existing platform and every new feature we release." Demandbase was called out as a leader in the G2 Grid Reports in multiple categories across: Sales Intelligence Marketing Account Intelligence Account-Based Marketing Account Intelligence Account-Based Demand Side Platform (DSP) Account-Based Buyer Intent Data Tools Account-Based Attribution Account-Based Web & Content Experiences Account-Based Orchestration Platforms Account-Based Analytics Account-Based Advertising Account Data Management The company was lauded in these areas particularly in the enterprise space, as well as mid-market and small business. It was recognized in overall global categories, along with specific regions around the world. To learn more about Demandbase on G2's review page for ABM and ABX visit here and for Sales Intelligence Cloud here . About Demandbase Demandbase is Smarter GTM for B2B brands. We help marketing and sales teams spot the juiciest opportunities earlier and progress them faster by injecting Account Intelligence into every step of the buyer journey and orchestrating every action. For more information about Demandbase, visit www.demandbase.com . SOURCE Demandbase MADRID, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gamelearn has launched its latest, interactive report, Contradictions of Corporate Training 2022, in which more than 1,500 employees and HR and L&D professionals were surveyed. Results reveal that, although 64% of organizations increased their investment in digital training in the past year, there's still a mismatch between their e-learning offerings and employees' expectations. Employees from organizations in different sectors were asked what they thought about the online training they received, and their verdict was alarmingthey rated the e-learning at their companies with an average NPS of -29. This is in-line with the typical ratings associated with e-learning, which is now exacerbated by digital burnout. When asked what employees would like to find in their online courses, the answer was overwhelmingreal-life simulations (66%) and gamification (40%). Curiously, HR and L&D professionals and consultants also believe they should include these ingredients in their courses. The majority of employees and professionals, and even their companies' budgets, are ready to embrace new formats and methodologies in digital corporate training. So why isn't there more notable progress in that regard? Innovation can sometimes be identified with new and complicated processes, but nothing could be further from the truth in cases such as game-based learning. The basic ingredients of game-based learning are simple but very effective. The idea is to combine quality content with an attractive story and engaging gamification elements, coupled with simulations that allow immediate feedback (learning by doing). This formula has allowed serious games, or training video games, to achieve an NPS of 45, a far cry from the -29 employees rated their traditional e-learning courses last year. These serious games have become a solid bet to renew digital corporate training programs. With this methodology, HR and L&D teams have met and continue to meet their training objectives, in line with the expected impact on the business. While employees enjoy a format that engages them, being able to assimilate and retain what they learn while having fun. If you want to learn more about the opinions of +1,500 employees and HR and L&D professionals on online corporate training, access the interactive report here. About Gamelearn: Gamelearn is the leading platform in video games for corporate training. The Spanish company has revolutionized the corporate training sector with its game-based learning methodology. SOURCE Gamelearn "Josh is an excellent addition to the Boston office and we are thrilled to welcome him to the firm," said Wesley Holmes, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Boston. "His experience advising emerging and life sciences companies as well as private investment funds is highly synergistic with our client base in Boston, not to mention his work with multinational public companies, which complements Latham's global platform." Friedman also counsels venture capital, private equity and real estate funds, and investment managers on various ERISA issues, including the investment of ERISA plan assets and the establishment and operation of venture capital operating companies and real estate operating companies. "We are delighted to welcome Josh to our global team as we continue to expand the practice internationally, nationwide, and in Boston," said Bradd Williamson, Global Chair of Latham's Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice. "Demand for our team's counsel has been significantly rising, in line with the overall growth of Latham's transactional practices and the increased complexity of the executive compensation, employment and benefits space. Josh's experience advising on complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, and restructurings, will enhance the strength of our team and benefit our clients." "Latham is an ideal home for me as I look to further grow my practice offering an established, robust transactional platform, combined with a collegial and team-focused culture," said Friedman. "I look forward to serving clients on a range of cutting-edge and business-critical transactions, as well as day-to-day matters." Friedman is the third partner to join Latham's Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice this year, following the arrivals of Maj Vaseghi and Benjamin Rosemergy in the Bay Area and Chicago, respectively. Friedman received his LLM from New York University School of Law; JD from Boston University School of Law; and BA from the University of Pennsylvania. He joins Latham from Cooley in Boston. About Latham & Watkins ( lw.com ) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Firm of Salman M. Al-Sudairi, a limited liability company, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Wesley Holmes, Boston Office Managing Partner, + 1.617.948.6027 Bradd Williamson, Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice Global Chair, +1.212.906.1826 SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP SILVER SPRING, Md., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on additional steps it has taken that will lead to more infant formula available in the U.S. under the agency's recent increased flexibilities. Company: Global Kosher (United Kingdom) Product(s): Kendamil First Infant Formula with Iron (Kosher formula) Type of Formula: General Estimated Quantity/Bottle Equivalent: More than 4.8 million cans (more than 8.5 million pounds or more than 128 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles) Availability: Immediate -- 25,000 cases (150,000 cans) will be in the first shipment and then 200,000 cases (1.2 million cans) per month afterwards Where to Find More Information About the Products: Expected to be sold mostly in kosher supermarkets, but also in some mainstream retailers that sell kosher milk. The FDA is exercising enforcement discretion for the importation of the infant formula products listed above following the review of information provided pertaining to nutritional adequacy and safety, including microbiological testing, labeling and additional information about facility production and inspection history. The agency is leveraging a number of flexibilities to bolster the supply of products that serve as the sole source of nutrition for many infants while ensuring the infant formula can be used safely and provides adequate nutrition. The FDA remains in further discussions with manufacturers and suppliers regarding additional supply to ensure there's adequate infant formula available wherever and whenever parents and caregivers need it. The FDA issued guidance on May 16 that outlined a process by which the agency would not object to the importation of certain infant formula products intended for a foreign market or distribution in the U.S. of products manufactured here for export to foreign countries. This guidance also may provide flexibilities to those who manufacture infant formula products domestically and may be able to further increase the quantity of domestically produced product for the U.S. market. The agency has posted a webpage that will be updated with information about additional products headed to the U.S. Ongoing FDA Steps to Increase Availability of Safe, Nutritious Infant Formula The agency's around-the-clock work as part of the all-of-government efforts has already begun to improve supply and availability. The agency expects that the measures and steps it is taking, and the resumption of production at the Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis, Mich., facility, will mean more and more supply is on the way or on store shelves moving forward. The FDA continues to advise against making infant formulas at home or diluting formula. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to work with their child's health care provider for recommendations on changing feeding practices, if needed. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has additional information available at HHS.gov/formula, including information to help families find infant formula. The agency also monitors online marketplaces for fraudulent products and works with major online retailers to remove violative and harmful products offered for sale on their sites. Additionally, since many of these fraudulent products originate overseas, the agency targets and examines these products at ports of entry. The FDA also monitors and follows up on various external signals such as consumer complaints about potential counterfeit and fraudulent products. The FDA will continue to dedicate all available resources to help ensure that safe and nutritious infant formula products remain available for use in the U.S. and will keep the public informed of progress updates. Additional Information: Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540 Consumer Inquiries: 888-723-3366 The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Focus Academy, an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) charter school in the Hillsborough County Public School System will now be offering a middle school program this Fall with a focus on an intensive reading curriculum. According to Josephine Isenbergh, Focus Academy's Executive Director of Operations, the new intensive reading program has been made possible by a federal grant under The Cares Act. The Intensive Reading Program will serve the new middle school students as well as Focus Academy's High School and Transition students. "I am excited to see Focus Academy's new middle school come to fruition," said State Rep. Jackie Toledo, "ESE students will have additional opportunities to learn in an environment that is tailored to their specific needs and their parents will have new choices in preparing them for academic success." Focus Academy Executive Director of Programs Loretta Gallo-Lopez said, "We know that we need to reach our students with developmental and other disabilities at a younger age in order to effectively target those essential basic reading and math skills. Many of our students are currently starting high school with little to no reading skills, and are performing significantly below a functional, third-grade level. That is going to change, thanks to this grant." The federal grant that is allowing Focus Academy to initiate the new Intensive Reading Program will also provide the seed funds to hire a fully certified and state-licensed Intensive Reading Instructor along with a dedicated teaching assistant. "Luckily, in this case, we are engaging from within our school teaching staff to promote veteran English Teacher, Keri Como. She has over fifteen years of teaching experience with five years of tenure with Focus Academy. She knows firsthand how important it is for us to engage children with developmental and other disabilities during their middle school years," Isenbergh said. According to Focus Academy Principal, Elisabeth Kraft, the new middle school program is now accepting students for the upcoming fall semester for grades 6 through 8. "We will be utilizing the same innovative techniques and curriculum that have characterized the Focus Academy High School and Transition programs for students through age 22. Our middle school program will place a strong focus on intensive reading to better prepare our students for a high school experience where they can experience greater success. This allows them to focus on their future after high school, just like everyone else," Kraft said. Kraft added that students in grades 6 through 8 with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and on a modified curriculum will receive drama therapy, in addition to Access Points classes taught by our ESE-certified teachers, as Focus Academy high school students currently do. Student activities tailored to their specific needs will increase self-esteem and independence, preparing them for success in their high school years. The curriculum at Focus Academy is structured with dual purposes: academic achievement and social success. Many students are scholastically capable but are hindered by struggles in relating to peers. Focus Academy offers differentiated, individualized instruction, with an emphasis on a full school experience, including creative arts, physical education, field trips, and state-of-the-art technology. Focus Academy utilizes the Access Points curriculum, a modified curriculum that tailors instruction to a student's academic level and goals. This curriculum choice also allows for more flexibility in teaching, as well as in learning. Students participate in state testing at the end of each year by utilizing the Florida Standards Alternative Assessment (FSAA). End-of-course exams are also administered as required. Ellie Thompson, a licensed Mental Health Counselor at Focus Academy said "Each student is unique, and some have challenges that make learning in a traditional academic environment very frustrating. Focus Academy has spent the past decade offering unique strategies and direct instruction accessible with an innovative program in special needs education. We merge academics and social skills for a holistic approach that better prepares our students for life after high school." Interested parents, guardians and/or students may contact Focus Academy at 813-443-5558 for a guided campus tour or may learn more about the application process for the fall semester by visiting www.focusacademyflorida.org. About Focus Academy Focus Academy is a free ESE public charter school within the Hillsborough County Public School System that provides IEP and other specialized education for students from 6th grade through ages 22. Our students have disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Intellectually Disabled and Other Health Impaired. Social skills therapies are incorporated into the curriculum for a seamless learning experience with the goal of transitioning into the real world. The school includes a Middle School, High School, and a Transition Program SOURCE Focus Academy NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flash Labs Corporationa leading provider of blockchain and Web 3.0 solutionstoday announced that winemaker Barrel Riot Wines will utilize its NFT Minting and NFT Marketplace to enroll and manage membership into its exclusive wine club. Barrel Riot NFT holders will gain access to exclusive tastings, parties, major product reveals, early access to new varietals, and other hot deals. "The trend of NFTs being used solely for bragging rights has been dwindling," states Patrick Deegan, CTO of Flash Labs. "Our team sought out a means of injecting value into a non-fungible item, while bringing benefits to NFT holders and business owners. This is the first of many clients we will announce that can leverage this new approach to creating NFT offerings." Barrel Riot is known for its unique approach to winemaking. Its team carefully selects different varietals and ages them in bourbon, tequila, cognac, or rum barrels to create a flavor profile that stands apart from traditional wines. Their process naturally infuses layered complexity and encourages experimentation that has attracted a cult-like following. "Our customers are always asking about ways they can invest in helping grow the business and often suggest different combinations of wines and barrels they should be aged in," remarked Dan Lipsky, Founder of Barrel Riot. "The Flash Labs NFT marketplace provides a means to invest and influence our production, while offering a number of exclusive benefits." The winery has launched an NFT Loyalty program with several levels of membership rewards. Standard Membership NFTs allow customers to purchase exclusive signature bottles and get access to tastings, parties and more. Founder NFTs allow customers to help shape the future of the winery by becoming part of the customer advisory team which includes joining barrel tasting events, choosing varietals, and participating in barrel selection for future winesas well as all the benefits of having a Membership NFT. Flash Labs ' mission is to offer blockchain-based solutions that bring value to its clients. Its NFT minting platform allows businesses to easily mint NFTs and enter the world of Web 3.0 at their own pace, whether it be a phased approach or an all-out conversion. The most recent release allows wineries, breweries, and distilleries to easily step up their loyalty programs and offer discounts, perks, and digital assets representing physical goods to their customers and investors. "The idea had been fermenting for several months, and as utilization of NFTs has become more accessible, we want to bring this technology to the forefront of the wine industry and share this journey into Web 3.0 with our community," adds Lipsky. About Flash Labs Flash Labs Corporation ( http://www.flashlabs.io/ ) is the NY-based, US affiliate of HN Inc., and subsidiary of Big Sun Holdings Group, Inc. Flash Labs is comprised of experts in blockchain technology, monetization of digital assets, decentralized identifiers, and creating solutions focused on the security, sanctity, monetization, and usability of data. Additionally, Flash Labs offers "best of block" blockchain development and consulting services with the flexibility of tailoring chain agnostic smart contracts to meet the needs of each client. To build a better society, Flash Labs is developing and building blockchain solutions for all industries, including finance, construction, well-being, energy, and smart cities. About Barrel Riot Wines Barrel Riot Wines ( https://barrelriot.com ) is a San Diego, California-based craft winery which specializes in aging wines in bourbon, rum, and tequila barrels to bring a range of unique spices and flavors to their products. Barrel Riot's slogan is "a triumph over traditional." The company's founder Dan Lipsky explains, "Don't drink wineexperience it. If you're going to drink a spirit barrel-aged wine, you should be able to feel it." Focusing on the customer experience with their beverage range, Barrel Riot goes beyond thinking of wine as simply a grape product; they focus on removing the typical limitations associated with wine and creating unique, great-tasting beverages for their customers. Media contact: A Peter Cooperman 646-854-3878 [email protected] SOURCE Flash Labs Corporation Senior Fluor Executive to Lead Growth in Next Phase of IBAT's Evolution VANCOUVER, BC, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - International Battery Metals Ltd. (the "Company" or "IBAT") (CSE: IBAT) (OTC: IBATF) (FSE: 8RE) announced today that it has appointed Garry W. Flowers as President, effective July 11, 2022. Mr. Flowers, who has served on IBAT's advisory board since April 2021, will take over the role from Mr. Tony Colletti, who was appointed interim President of the Company in March 2022. Mr. Colletti will continue to serve on IBAT's Board of Directors. Mr. Flowers previously served as Executive Vice President of Operations for Fluor Corporation, a global leader in engineering, construction and project management, where he held numerous leadership positions since joining the company in 1978. Mr. Flowers brings proven expertise in engineering design construction, sustainable development, construction technology, field human resources, performance management and cost control. "Garry has deep experience in engineering, finance, project management, and a proven track record in growing sustainable businesses with a laser focus on cost control and positive outcomes," said IBAT CEO Dr. John Burba. "We look forward to the level of expertise, energy and enthusiasm he will bring to his new role and as the newest member of our executive team." IBAT is currently testing its first-of-its-kind modular, mobile lithium extraction plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The modular plant has been flow-testing lithium-bearing brine since early May, and extracting lithium chloride (LiCl) since mid-May, making IBAT the first company globally to successfully operate a commercial-scale mobile lithium extraction plant. The brine is sourced in the U.S. and is being delivered in significant volume via tanker truck. "I am thrilled to be joining IBAT at this stage in its evolution, and to be working alongside an industry innovator such as Dr. John Burba," Flowers said. "IBAT's focus on sustainable lithium extraction at scale and its industry-leading technology have the potential to revolutionize the lithium industry for the better, and to ensure North American lithium supply security for the long-term." As EVP of Operations at Fluor since 2016, Flowers was responsible for construction and fabrication, health, safety and environment, corporate security and investigations, industrial relations, corporate supply chain, and corporate risk. Among the many senior roles Mr. Flowers has had at Fluor, from 2012 to 2014, he served as Group President of the company's Global Services segment, where he managed a $3B operations and maintenance business sector with 19,000 employees in more than 100 countries, and subsidiaries AMECO (equipment rental company) and TRS, Fluor's temporary staffing company. Mr. Flowers also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, the Fluor-led partnership that oversees the management, cleanup, and operations at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site. Mr. Flowers is a graduate of Furman University in South Carolina, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science. Active in a variety of civic and professional organizations, he is a past member of the Executive Council of the U.S. Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and he is a past director on the board of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. He resides with his wife in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forwardlooking and cautionary statements This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any securities of the Company referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release may contain statements within the meaning of safe harbour provisions as defined under securities laws and regulations. This release may contain certain forwardlooking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company and certain of the plans and objectives of the Company with respect to the same. There is no assurance that the company's apparatus will be able to commercially produce lithium at the stated capacity. The purpose of the tests is to determine if it will be able to do so and successful completion of the tests cannot be assured as they are subject to risks and uncertainties associated with any new mineral processing method and characteristics of the material being processed. By their nature, forwardlooking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forwardlooking statements. SOURCE International Battery Metals Ltd. DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Analog-to-Digital Converters Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global analog-to-digital converters market reached a value of US$ 2.38 billion in 2021. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach a value of US$ 3.33 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.40% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, the analyst is continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different End-use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. An analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) is an electronic circuit used to measure and covert an input analog signal to a digital form that can be read and processed by a microcontroller. It is widely utilized in control and monitoring systems and sensors to produce analog output voltages. Nowadays, manufacturers across the globe are offering precision devices with high speed and resolution in a range of packaging options for industrial, communication, enterprise, and personal electronics applications. The increasing number of mobile phone subscribers, in confluence with the rising popularity of music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and YouTube Music, represents one of the key factors bolstering the market growth. Moreover, ADC is used in digital oscilloscopes, which find extensive application in the automotive industry to troubleshoot inconsistencies and potential problems in the ignition system, solenoids, sensors, actuators and communication data stream. This, coupled with the escalating adoption of connected motorcycles due to the growing emphasis on driver safety and the increasing preferences for a comfortable and safe riding experience, is catalyzing the demand for oscilloscopes and ADC. Apart from this, it is incorporated in medical devices, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and x-ray, to convert images from analog to digital before alteration. In line with this, the emerging need for medical imaging techniques on account of the rising prevalence of chronic diseases is driving the application of ADC in the healthcare industry. Besides this, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) emergence, along with the augmenting trend of precision manufacturing, is anticipated to catalyze the demand for ADC in industrial automation and offer lucrative growth opportunities to market players. Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Analog Devices Inc., Asahi Kasei Corporation, Cirrus Logic Inc., Microchip Technology Inc., National Instruments Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., onsemi, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Rohm Co. Ltd., STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments Incorporated. Key Questions Answered in This Report How has the global analog-to-digital converters market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global analog-to-digital converters market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the product type? What is the breakup of the market based on the resolution? What is the breakup of the market based on the application? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global analog-to-digital converters market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Analog-to-Digital Converters Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Product Type 6.1 Pipelined ADC 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Integrating ADC 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Successive Approximation ADC 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 6.4 Delta-Sigma ADC 6.4.1 Market Trends 6.4.2 Market Forecast 6.5 Others 6.5.1 Market Trends 6.5.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Resolution 7.1 8-bit 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 10-bit 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 12-bit 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 7.4 14-bit 7.4.1 Market Trends 7.4.2 Market Forecast 7.5 16-bit 7.5.1 Market Trends 7.5.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Application 8.1 Consumer Electronics 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 IT and Telecommunication 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Automotive 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Others 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 Advanced Micro Devices Inc. 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 Financials 14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.2 Analog Devices Inc. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 Financials 14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.3 Asahi Kasei Corporation 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3.3 Financials 14.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.4 Cirrus Logic Inc. 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 Financials 14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 Microchip Technology Inc. 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5.3 Financials 14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.6 National Instruments Corporation 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6.3 Financials 14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.7 NXP Semiconductors N.V. 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 Financials 14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.8 onsemi 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Renesas Electronics Corporation 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.10 Rohm Co. Ltd. 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10.3 Financials 14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.11 STMicroelectronics 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.11.3 Financials 14.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.12 Texas Instruments Incorporated 14.3.12.1 Company Overview 14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.12.3 Financials 14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r3lckh Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Co., Ltd selects Augmind's unique and cutting-edge Extended Reality & AI technologies to build a one-of-a-kind AI Content Production System HERZLIYA, Israel , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hakuhodo DY Holdings Co., Ltd. (HQ: Minato-ku, Tokyo. President: Masayuki Hishima), one of the largest advertising and public relations companies in Japan, and its cross-sectional R&D organization [Creative Technology Lab, Beat ("Beat")] selected Augmind, an Israeli-based deep-tech company specializing in inventing new XR & AI technologies, as their technology enabler. This came after a lengthy process of evaluating multiple other well-known and global companies. Hakuhodo is soon to launch an exclusive and innovative AI-tech service called H-AI UPRES, that automatically restores low-resolution, dated, damaged or compressed footage and content, and converts it to fully remastered, 4K resolution (and higher), digital assets, using cutting-edge AI technology. Additional key aspects of this service entail face-swapping and AI-Teleshopping, ready to be streamed in ultra-high resolution as never seen before. The service is said to target media related stakeholders and other IP holders (incl. NFTs). Ken Matsuzaki, Creative Director at Hakuhodo Inc., stated that "Through Augmind's ground-breaking specialties we are able to expand our services for our clients and provide them with a true next-level quality content and assets at a very competitive cost." Hakuhodo DY Holdings Co., Ltd.'s H-AI UPRES service is only the beginning of the two companies' cooperation and talks about additional potential joint ventures are at hand. These include the potential for the adaptation of this content into AR & VR experiences, which will ultimately enable a swift integration into the Metaverse. In parallel, Augmind is now gearing to launch its new flagship, MaxScene, a superior and holistic developers suite, promising to revolutionize the entire process of creating Extended Reality (XR) graphics, and empowering even novice developers with the tools to easily create state-of-the-art high-res realistic 3D content within a few simple clicks. Previously, this could only be seen on powerful PCs and consoles. This 3D content is automatically created to be performance-ready and presented smoothly on all web and mobile platforms. Augmind's goal is to ultimately clear the path for global metaverse adoption. "Augmind is honored to be joining forces with one of the most reputable agencies in Japan, representing some of the strongest brands across the continent and we look forward to servicing their clients via this collaboration," says Augmind's CEO, Ran Kern About Augmind Ltd. Augmind is a future-oriented company at the forefront of 3D, AR, VR, and MR visualization. Its proprietary technology uses the latest developments in AI to produce fast-loading, staggeringly life-like XR content that runs on all web and mobile platforms and is cost-effective to produce. By deploying advanced AI systems, Augmind slashes content-creation time without any compromise in quality, reduces costs, and delivers superior results in days, rather than weeks. Follow Augmind on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Contact Sharon Segal VP Business development & Marketing [email protected] SOURCE Augmind "High Life Farms has always taken a healing-focused approach to what we do. We're thrilled to be able to extend that healing into the community with Blue Star Service Dogs to help Veterans, Incarcerated people, and of course, the dogs in the shelters." says, Ben Celani, Co-Owner & Director of Cultivation at Highlife Farms. "This grant will benefit the organization by securing the rescue of ten more dogs and accepting ten more veterans into the program. This level of support will allow us to continue our mission providing not only service dog & training, but a sense of purpose, developing trust, and a path to heal invisible wounds. This will save lives." Says Christna Myran, Executive Director of Blue Star Service Dogs. "If the full match is met, we will also save our Training Center that has foundation issues and deterioration of the external structure as well as make long needed upgrades for the benefit of our teams at train here." Blue Star Service Dogs vets dogs from shelters to be part of a prison education program, where certified trainers work with incarcerated persons to train therapy dogs into certified therapy animals. These dogs are then matched and provided at no cost to veterans suffering from PTSD & TBI. For More Information on BSSD or to donate directly: https://www.bluestarservicedogs.org/our-programs For more information on Participating Dispensaries: https://highlifefarms.m-pages.com/9N51yg/dog-days-of-summer About High Life Farms High Life Farms is a national privately held, vertically integrated cannabis company based in Michigan with operations in the world's largest cannabis market: California. High Life Farms' best-in-class portfolio includes cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, in-house brands, brand partnerships, white labeling solutions and ownership stakes in numerous dispensaries. The company believes in the cannabis plant's potential to improve health, wellness, happiness and that everyone should have the right to make choices that improve their personal wellbeing. For more information, visit https://highlifefarms.com/. Media Contact: Katie Naudi High Life Farms 248-935-5452 [email protected] SOURCE High Life Farms WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Humanity Forward is celebrating the passage of a bipartisan blockchain resolution in the US Conference of Mayors (USCM), the largest national organization representing mayors of America's largest cities. Working with several cosponsors, Humanity Forward helped introduce and pass the resolution recognizing the potential of blockchain technology to create unique opportunities for communities across America to grow their economies and create jobs. As blockchain technology expands and grows, Humanity Forward and the bipartisan group of mayors are calling for "direct and coherent guidelines for the testing, adoption, and use of technologies" that protects consumers and fosters the growing innovation and vast potential of the emerging technology. "There has never been a more opportune time to embrace technologies that enhance government services and stimulate local economies," said Mayor Hillary Schieve of Reno, Nevada, the first Vice President of the USCM, and a cosponsor of the resolution. "This resolution seeks to lay the groundwork for measures that bring blockchain technology to our cities in a safe, accessible way." The resolution notes that Blockchain technology has the potential to "provide tools for cities to innovate, to streamline operations, functions, and to better deliver public services and increased access to opportunity for businesses and families." However it also notes that it is "increasingly clear that there needs to be direct and coherent guidelines for the testing, adoption, and use of technologies built on blockchains in a safe, transparent manner that protects consumers and businesses." "We are only beginning to see the potential for blockchain technologies," said Mayor Steve Williams of Huntington, West Virginia. "Cities across the nation can experience benefits as far ranging as expanded internet access and improved supply chains." Additional co-sponsors include Mayors Cavalier Johnson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Regina Romero of Tucson, Arizona, John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, and Sam Liccardo of San Jose, California, the nation's tenth largest city. "This news is a welcome step forward for communities, towns, and cities across the country," said Paolo Mastrangelo, Humanity Forward's Head of Policy & Government Affairs. "We would like to thank the US Conference of Mayors for prioritizing this emerging opportunity for American families, businesses, and public services." Humanity Forward is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to building bipartisan coalitions to advance the economic interests of the American people through federal policy. Uniquely positioned as America's fastest growing, altruistic advocacy organization, our mission is to advance evidence-based policies designed to strengthen families, generate economic growth, and end poverty. SOURCE Humanity Forward The employer-sponsored health plan insurer also earned URAC accreditations for disease management and health utilization management PHILADELPHIA, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine360, a company offering a simplified, total health plan solution for self-funded businesses, today announced they received Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) accreditation for the company's case management program. URAC's rigorous review and accreditation demonstrates Imagine360's exemplary care coordination in providing case management to its members. A collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation and advocacy help to ensure each member's comprehensive health needs are met. "Imagine360 is committed to ensuring exceptional member support and experience, and it is because of this commitment that we received this valued accreditation," said Jeff Bak, President and CEO at Imagine360. "Our credentialed and compassionate healthcare specialists, the 1:1 patient support, and the integration of plan data all support a seamless member experience. The URAC accreditation further distinguishes Imagine360's devotion to quality and accountability. We are very proud to have earned this distinction." The company also earned the URAC accreditations for disease management, for its ability to meet the needs of members with chronic diseases, and for health utilization management, recognizing its ability to help ensure members get the quality and cost-effective care they need. Imagine360 offers self-funded businesses and their employees innovative and cost-effective health plan solutions, all while providing the highest quality of member services. The solution is a people-centric, data-driven healthcare journey that includes identifying top-quality healthcare providers, assisting with the management of complex health issues, and ensuring full price protection with deep transparency. About Imagine360 Imagine360 is a company offering a simplified, total health plan solution for self-funded businesses that combines the financial savings from reference-based pricing with seamless benefits administration and concierge-level member support. The reimagined health plan solution leverages 50+ years of expertise and best-in-class offerings from industry leaders to deliver a more affordable and better healthcare experience. About URAC Founded in 1990 as a non-profit organization, URAC is the independent leader in promoting health care quality and patient safety through renowned accreditation programs. URAC develops its evidence-based standards in collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders and industry experts. The company's portfolio of accreditation and certification programs span the health care industry, addressing health care management and operations, pharmacies, telehealth, health plans, medical practices and more. URAC accreditation is a symbol of excellence for organizations to showcase their validated commitment to quality and accountability. SOURCE Imagine360 PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EEMBC is pleased to announce the development of AudioMark, the first end-to-end benchmark specifically focused on audio processing. Slated for release in 2023, AudioMark will be invaluable for developers of embedded microprocessors that cater to voice-controlled appliances, speech recognition, and other related audio processing tasks. Voice interaction has grown from a specialized interface associated with intelligent speakers to something we encounter every day. As this demand for ubiquitous audio-processing has increased, the microprocessor industry has shifted to provide the technology that powers it "AudioMark is a departure from EEMBC's kernel-specific benchmarks, for good reason: audio processing performance depends on more than just the individual steps in the pipeline," says EEMBC President Peter Torelli. "It was clearly necessary to develop an end-to-end benchmark for this critical task." Because audio processing encompasses so many different scenarios, AudioMark will be designed with several flexible parameters. A device that listens for a single word or phrase, for instance, has different processing needs than one that understands a multi-word vocabulary, and is more likely to process locally than send audio to the cloud. Other variables include single versus multiple audio streams, fixed- or floating-point computations, and if a DSP is used alongside the processor. "Audio is a rapidly growing part of our business, and we need a reliable way of comparing our products with each other, and with our competitors'," says Dr. Ashutosh Pandey, Lead Principal Engineer at Infineon Technologies and the technical lead of the AudioMark working group at EEMBC. "But audio processing exercises so many aspects of compute, and can be pursued in many different ways. It's critical that the industry have an audio benchmark that's flexible, but coherent enough to be meaningful." Fortunately, many aspects of the audio processing pipeline are fairly consistent. Nearly all start with a microphone with 16-bit output at 44.1 kHz, perform spectral analysis via Fourier transform, and must apply echo and noise cancellation. Similarly, other processes such as beam-forming and direction-of-arrival, are also key pipeline components. The final steps may employ a local feature extractor and neural net, or be synthesized for delivery to a cloud-based endpoint. In order to ensure that AudioMark strikes the right balance between flexibility and consistency, numerous expert advisors have been recruited from the EEMBC community. Intel, Arm, onsemi, Renesas, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, Synopsys, and Texas Instruments have already signed on to assist in AudioMark's development and testing, and their help will be invaluable. With AudioMark still in early development, there's a huge opportunity for microprocessor makers to get involved in shaping the benchmark that will help shape the industry. "By providing information about their specific tasks and processes, EEMBC members will ensure that AudioMark is as relevant and useful as possible," says Torelli, "making this an ideal time to join as a memberespecially if audio processing is part of your business." EEMBC Website www.eembc.org AudioMark Website www.eembc.org/audiomark Peter Torelli President EEMBC [email protected] SOURCE EEMBC Tucker's expertise in high-profile master-planned communities, mixed-use and commercial properties in suburban markets and the urban core will greatly enhance LPC's growth in Central Texas at a pivotal moment since the company's founding in 2018. The former vice president and general manager of Johnson Development Corp., one of the nation's leading residential and commercial land development companies, Tommy Tucker has a long track record of successful development. Tucker was also vice president, residential-Austin, for Crescent Communities, an award-winning national real estate developer dedicated to master-planned, multi-family, commercial mixed-use and resort development. He was previously vice president of Catellus Development, a national developer, overseeing the residential and retail development for Mueller, an award-winning, 700-acre planned community in Austin's urban core. "Tommy's senior and executive level development, construction and legal experience will help direct our growth from an organic, hands-on, entrepreneurial management approach. With a significant portfolio in place and numerous expansion opportunities, it is time to reward our growing Legacy Team and leverage the experience of this talented senior leader," said Legacy Performance Capital CEO, Philip Jalufka, who's also President and CEO of Legacy International, comprised of urban, active adult, luxury residential and resort communities, whose current portfolio exceeds $1 billion in sales revenue. "Having Tommy joining the Legacy Team in this capacity is a real win. We are very excited for his expertise and leadership within the organization." Tucker will direct LPC's team and strategic partners to acquire and develop a number of properties that will expand Legacy's portfolio in the next three to five years. He will also oversee the exisiting portfolio of over 1,300 homes with an investment commitment exceeding $400M. The existing portfolio includes The Station at St. Elmo, a $45M+ mixed-use residential development near Austin's central business district, a new $90M community in Lakeway, and many more throughout the Austin area. "I have strong, long-standing relationships that I can leverage with land planners, architects, commercial brokers, contractors, and suburban and urban real estate professionals in Central Texas to help raise Legacy's brand awareness and profile with new homebuyers and the real estate community," said Tucker. About Legacy Performance Capital To capitalize on 'innovative real estate opportunities', Philip W. Jalufka organized an Asset Management and Opportunity Fund, with a substantial equity placement and respective working capital investment. Known as Legacy Performance Capital (LPC), this capital resources the Legacy team and a real estate portfolio branded as "Legacy Communities" achieving internal return rates exceeding 25%. With a center of gravity in Texas and an active presence throughout the United States and the Americas, LPC creates new and enhanced opportunities for the Legacy team and related companies, while maximizing return for the investment partners. This passionate real estate team, with decades of experience in residential, resort and multifamily development, has identified a pipeline of diverse opportunities. Alongside industry leading strategic partners, the team provides a full suite of functional area responsibilities (including design, development, sales & marketing, and construction services) with a systems-based platform. For more information about Legacy Performance Capital, visit www.LegacyPerformanceCapital.com. For more information about LPC's real estate portfolio, visit www.LegacyCommunities.com. About Legacy International Legacy International is an international sales and marketing company with a portfolio of active adult, luxury residential, resort and metropolitan master plan communities generating over $1 billion in sales revenue to date. Founded in 2007, the company provides a suite of services, including world-class consulting, sales knowledge, marketing expertise and brokerage operations for home builders and real estate developers. Legacy's single objective is to maximize the return on investment to the developer through strategic management of the comprehensive sales and marketing process. With a center of gravity in Texas, Legacy has sales and marketing teams deployed in Arizona, Florida and throughout the Americas. Philip Jalufka, Legacy's International's founder, president and CEO, has recently published his first book, Leading With Your Life Equation: How to Be Indestructible, Indispensable, and Unstoppable. The Texas based author, real estate entrepreneur and former army aviation special operator chronicles a life of lessons crossing personal, military, business experiences and the journey to his own "life equation," leading to a remarkable record of service, achievement and enterprise. For more information, visit www.legacyirp.com. Media contact: Martin Elder: [email protected] 646-645-7108 SOURCE Legacy International As a proud partner of GLAAD, the premium tequila brand will honor grant recipients on the East and West coasts for their commitment to the LGBTQ community CHICAGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this year Hornitos Tequila proudly announced its official partnership with GLAAD the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization with the goal of identifying, honoring and celebrating LGBTQ community members who are spearheading change on a local and national level. As a brand that was founded on the belief that nothing great ever happens without taking a chance, Hornitos is proud to announce the inaugural selected grant recipients who have challenged the status quo for the better. LGBTQ Activists Awarded Grants from Hornitos Tequila to Amplify Advocacy Work About the Grantees DaShawn Usher and Julian J. Walker of Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) DaShawn Usher, Founder and Executive Director of MOBI, is a native New Yorker and an award-winning advocate, published researcher, and celebrated leader within the LGBT community and HIV prevention field. He has cultivated more than 15 years of extensive experience in research, program development and design, health communications, and campaigns. Julian J. Walker is an esteemed silver screen Actor, Author, and the Deputy Director of MOBI, this Jackson, MS native has spent the past seven years partnering with campaigns, leaders, universities, and organizations across the globe in hopes of creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ POC. MOBI is curated social connectivity events for gay and queer people of color to see their holistic self while promoting community, wellness, and personal development. MOBI's signature programming includes MOBItalks, a personal and professional development series for Black gay men and MOBIfest, an interactive wellness experience that celebrates Black queer voices in fashion, music, visual arts and media. The full MOBI team features: Anthony Curry (Director of Operations & Events), Dwyane Williams, Jr (Director of Community Engagement), and LaQuann Dawson (Visual Director). Maria Louise Roman-Taylorson of [email protected] Coalition (TLC) Maria Louise Roman-Taylorson has been a leader in social services for the transgender community in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. Maria is Vice President & Chief Operations Officer of the [email protected] Coalition, the largest Trans-lead organization in Los Angeles. As a 51-year-old Puerto Rican Latina woman who began her journey to self-discovery at age 19, Maria has become an outspoken voice, activist, and a role model to the Transgender community. Hornitos is honored to recognize Maria and TLC on their mission to advocate for the specific needs of the trans community through education, resources and empowerment. In recent years, TLC has hosted the G.A.R.R.A.S. Fashion Show (Groundbreaking Activism Redirecting and Reforming AllSystems) an event that provides the opportunity for members of the Trans community to showcase themselves as high fashion models and leaders through community mobilization while participating to raise funds for the organization. The grantees will be honored with an event in their respective cities this year, where each organization will receive a $10,000 grant to further their goals and commitment to the LGBTQ community. These grants are in addition to Hornitos' initial donation of $135,000 to support GLAAD and its mission of giving the doers, creators and innovators the opportunity to take on issues and create meaningful change in the world. "It has been our honor to partner with and learn from GLAAD over the course of the year, taking their guidance and connecting with changemaking individuals and organizations," said Rashidi Hodari, Managing Director of Tequila at Beam Suntory. "Our first selected grantees DaShawn, Julian and Maria are a true manifestation of the Hornitos brand mission to provide inspiration and create opportunities that propel people to "take shots" of their own, no matter how big or small. We are proud to amplify their incredible work." For those who are interested in donating to the cause or learning more about how to get involved, please visit www.hornitostequila.com/x-glaad/. To learn more about Hornitos Tequila and its tradition breaking brand history, visit www.hornitostequila.com or follow along with Hornitos Tequila on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . To learn more about GLAAD and its steadfast mission to advocate for the LGBTQ community, visit www.glaad.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter . About Hornitos Tequila Hornitos Tequila has a history of breaking tradition dating back to 1950 when founder Don Francisco launched the brand in honor of Mexican Independence Day. The Hornitos family of tequilas keeps Don Francisco's legacy alive, using the same high standards to cultivate the best and most flavorful agaves, molding them into premium tequilas that everyone can enjoy. Hornitos inspires its fans to adopt the same boundary-pushing mindset through its "A Shot Worth Taking" campaign that highlights the extraordinary things that can happen when people are willing to take a chance. Since the inception of "A Shot Worth Taking" in 2017, Hornitos has empowered fans to take their shot and provided funds and opportunities to make their aspirations achievable. Hornitos' portfolio of premium tequilas includes Hornitos Plata Tequila, Hornitos Reposado Tequila, Hornitos Anejo Tequila, Hornitos Cristalino Tequila, Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila as well as the recently launched Hornitos Tequila Seltzer which comes in Lime, Mango and now Pineapple and a line of ready-to-serve premixed margaritas available in Lime, Hibiscus, Strawberry Tamarind & Pineapple Poblano. About GLAAD GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter. Drink Responsibly. Hornitos Tequila, 40% alc./vol. 2022 Sauza Tequila Import Company, Chicago, IL SOURCE Hornitos Tequila "Having launched Little Saints as a one-woman-show selling out of our 'Baby Mint' vending trailer at outdoor music events throughout Detroit, Michigan in the summer of 2021, I am overjoyed to see how much we have grown in our first year," says Little Saint's Founder Megan Klein. "Our plant magic mocktails are now distributed nationally and loved by many people searching for a delicious, uplifting and sugar-free alternative to alcoholic cocktails. Our new flavors - Spicy Margarita and Mimosa - are pure fun in a can, and I can't wait to drink them with our plant magic-loving community all summer long." What is Plant Magic and how does it work? Each of Little Saints' mocktails contains a magic stack of the following three master plant ingredients: Hemp-Derived CBD A non-intoxicating derivative of the hemp plant, our CBD is fast-acting and designed to give you the take-the-edge-off feeling. Botanical Terpenes - Aromatic and deliciously distinctive, terpenes are the naturally occurring, mood-enhancing scents that enrich plants, roots, herbs and flowers. Reishi Mushroom - Traditional healers have used this adaptogen for centuries to boost resilience and promote a feeling of calm. Complementing the Plant Magic ingredients, carb-free monkfruit (only 5 calories) is added for sweetness while ensuring 0 sugar is used. How does Little Saints celebrate fun? Fun heals everything, and their goal is to share joy, levity and good vibes with their community through their thoughtful products and their four impactful flavors. (NEW) Spicy Margarita Sensory notes of juicy lime, mild jalapeno, orange blossom; visually yellow like the sunset (colored by turmeric). Best served on ice in a rocks glass, jalapeno garnish optional. (NEW) Mimosa Sensory notes of clementine with citrus rind notes and sweet honey; visually orange (colored by tree seeds). Best served in champagne flute. Chilled, of course. Ginger Mule Sensory notes of lime, citrus rinds, ginger, and a hint of lavender. Best served cold, in a rocks glass, to appreciate the iridescent fizz. Sensory notes of lime, citrus rinds, ginger, and a hint of lavender. Best served cold, in a rocks glass, to appreciate the iridescent fizz. Paloma Sensory notes of grapefruit, citrus rinds and a hint of agave; visually pink (colored by veggies). Best served on ice in a tall glass, lime garnish optional. What are the values of this woman-led brand? Little Saints is focused on demonstrating standards through deliberate daily choices. With a respect for feelings, intuition and connection, Little Saints honors feminine energy as a source of love and empowerment accessible to all genders. Through sourcing, partnerships and distribution purchasing decisions, Little Saints promotes environmental sustainability and conscious capitalism. With integrity and an open mind, Little Saints serves the community by donating more than 1% of its revenue to organizations fostering equity in relation to plant medicine and mental health. About Little Saints Little Saints is a brand of plant magic beverages inspired by our deep reverence for plants and equally deep commitment to fun. Working with functional ingredients sourced from Master Plantsplants with special spiritual and curative propertiesLittle Saints creates non alcoholic, sugar-free Plant Magic mocktails. With flavors inspired by classic cocktails like Paloma and Espresso Martinithe ready-to-drink mocktails are formulated with Little Saints proprietary blend of CBD, botanical terpenes, and Reishi mushroom. This plant magic "stack" was created in collaboration with Little Saints' adaptogen-expert food scientist and sacred-plant-medicine shaman to inspire positive emotions and a lifted spirit. Little Saints is available at Erewhon, Farmshop, and Pattern Bar in Los Angeles, Berkeley Bowl in San Francisco, as well as Spirited Away, Whalebone Bleecker, and Whalebone Montauk in New York. $5.99 per 8oz can. For additional information on Little Saints, follow the brand on Instagram at @littlesaintsco . About Founder Megan Klein Megan Klein, Little Saints' Founder + CEO, is a longtime advocate for plant-inspired living. As an environmental lawyer early in her career, Megan fought against frackers and factory farm polluters. Later, she became a modern farmer, running the country's largest vertical farm and playing a role in the burgeoning local food movement in the Midwest. As an extension of her work in local foods, in 2017 Megan founded Field + Farmer a plant-based food and beverage brand sold in grocery stores throughout the U.S. While running that company, Megan enrolled in the Kellogg School of Management, where she was when the pandemic hitand when her thoughts turned to emotional healing. Megan founded Little Saints in May 2021 in Detroit, and has since moved herself and the company to New York City, where she hugs trees daily. SOURCE Little Saints NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MIC Global announces today that it has received approval for Lloyd's Syndicate 5183 to commence underwriting, effective immediately. Syndicate 5183 will be managed by Asta through Lloyd's syndicate in a box (SIAB) platform. Syndicate 5183 further cements MIC Global as an international leader in providing embedded insurance solutions to platform companies a position which is further strengthened by the appointment of Erik Johnson as Senior Underwriting Manager in support of its objectives. Harry Croydon, CEO and Founder of MIC Global, said: "As a syndicate of Lloyd's, MIC Global can now offer companies highly rated, relevant, and affordable insurance products which can easily be embedded into their existing digital processes. This will accelerate the delivery of micro insurance products when and where customers need them, allowing access to cover that is not readily available through traditional insurance methods." Steve Haase, President of STP Insurance Services, LLC, a USA-based broker, spearheaded the organization of MIC Global's first two partnerships that will allow the company to underwrite business through Lloyds Syndicate 5183. The first partnership is with InsureTEK a Loss Control as a Service (LCaaS) platform, that helps predict and prevent catastrophic water events before they happen. Michael P. Murphy, KM President, and CEO of InsureTEK comments: "When we were seeking a strategic partner to help us create an embedded cover for IoT water sensor systems, we searched the market for a company that understood the need to evolve in order to stay relevant. MIC Global brought an entrepreneur's spirit matched with a technical expertise that quite simply has become a cornerstone of our business. Their innovators and professionals are second to none in matching outside the box thinking with regulatory compliance." MIC Global's second account to be underwritten by Syndicate 5183 is h.way, a Hispanic-owned neobank built around the financial needs and issues facing the Hispanic community. Lionel Carrasco, Founder and CEO at h.way, said: "We have found that much of our customer base does not have health insurance. By partnering with MIC Global, we are helping our members get access to up to $1,000 for unexpected medical expenses as part of our h.way membership experience. MIC Global's value proposition clearly aligns with our company's purpose of providing equitable financial services and cultural-driven product innovation." Julian Tighe, CEO of Asta, adds: "We are delighted that MIC Global's Syndicate has received approval from Lloyd's to commence underwriting. Entry to Lloyd's allows MIC Global to greatly expand their reach. Collaborations like this are an excellent example of how Asta can assist forward-thinking organizations like MIC Global with accessing the Lloyd's market." Jamie Crystal, Executive Chairman of MIC Global, concludes: "We are thrilled to receive approval to provide embedded insurance solutions globally through our Lloyd's syndicate." For press enquiries or more information about MIC Global, visit https://www.micglobal.com or email [email protected] For more information about Asta, visit https://www.asta-uk.com SOURCE MIC Global OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent tragedy at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa has deeply affected people across Oklahoma and the nation. MidFirst Bank and Saint Francis are both Oklahoma owned and rooted, and we support the victims, families and community impacted by this tragic event. Although nothing can truly heal the harm caused, together as a community, we can come together to support each other during this difficult time. Beginning June 22, MidFirst will be accepting donations to support the Saint Francis Strong efforts at its banking centers and through a secure online portal accessed at midfirst.com/saintfrancis. Saint Francis will be using 100% of these funds to support those impacted by the tragedy. "The tragedy at Saint Francis has deeply affected all Oklahomans," says Jeff Records, CEO at MidFirst Bank. "We are committed to doing our part to support our friends and neighbors in Tulsa. MidFirst Bank is providing $100,000 to the help support the Saint Francis Strong efforts, and we are encouraging the community to donate at our banking centers or through MidFirst's website." Join MidFirst Bank in supporting those impacted by the Tulsa tragedy by making a donation at any MidFirst banking center or online at midfirst.com/saintfrancis. About MidFirst Bank With $32.2 billion in assets and serving more than 900,000 customers, Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank is the largest privately owned bank in the country. MidFirst Bank has banking centers in Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado and Texas and provides commercial lending, wealth management, private banking and mortgage servicing nationally. MidFirst Bank also operates 1st Century Bank as a division of MidFirst Bank in Southern California. About Saint Francis Health System Founded in 1960 by Natalie O. and William K. Warren, Sr., Saint Francis is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system wholly owned and operated in Tulsa, Oklahoma whose mission is to extend the presence and healing ministry of Christ to all who seek its services. The health system is anchored by Saint Francis Hospital, a 1,100-bed tertiary center, which includes a 162-bed Children's Hospital with the region's only level IV neonatal intensive care unit, a 168-bed heart hospital and Tulsa's leading trauma and emergency center. The health system includes Saint Francis Hospital South, Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee, Saint Francis Hospital Vinita, Saint Francis Glenpool and Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospitala 90-bed private, psychiatric facility recognized nationally for its eating disorders program. Additionally, Saint Francis employs more than 500 physicians and advanced practice providers through Warren Clinic, which serves the region with over 90 locations throughout eastern Oklahoma. To further Saint Francis' commitment to integrated healthcare delivery, it also operates a home care division, which includes hospice, home health and durable medical equipment companies. In total, the organization has more than 10,500 employees, making it the largest private employer in eastern Oklahoma. Saint Francis Health System also is a 50 percent partner with Ascension Health in Community Care Managed Healthcare Plans of Oklahoma, an organization dedicated to providing high-quality, cost-effective health insurance coverage to individuals and families in the area. Saint Francis' mission and Catholic identity guide and direct all facets of its ministry to provide for the medical, psychological and spiritual needs of the communities it proudly serves. SOURCE MidFirst Bank In June, we are proud to feature farmer, first responder and West Mitsubishi Dealer Principal Gary Campbell , who recently rose to the occasion, when there was a medical emergency at a Mitsubishi Dealer Partner event. Campbell sprang into action, providing emergency medical assistance, and sprang onto our radar as a must-feature for our Dealer Partner Spotlight. FIVE QUESTIONS WITH GARY CAMPBELL Owner & Dealer Principal, West Mitsubishi, Orland, CA This is the story of a small-town farm kid, turned successful, independent car dealership owner, turned successful Mitsubishi franchise owner. Take us back to the very beginning. I grew up on a large farm in the small town of Orland, CA. Alongside my father, I worked from sunup to sundown, and we grew whatever crop was fashionable at the time hay, corn, etc. just trying to make a living. When I was 14, I went with my dad to a farm auction, where we bought four Pacific Gas and Electric farming vehicles. We painted them, fixed minor things here and there, and we re-sold each for a $500 profit. In the 80s, that was big money, and as farmers and entrepreneurs, that sparked our interest. From there, my father got his dealers license, and we opened a small independent dealership. We made mistakes at first, learning how to balance the store and the farm, but the farmer's work ethic prevailed, and 35 years later, the store, the farm (and the family) are still going strong. Five years ago, in your words, it was time to take the next step, and you became a Mitsubishi franchise dealer. Why this next step and why Mitsubishi? Orland is a Northern California farming town of less than 10,000 people far from the beaches and city lights of Los Angeles . Everybody knows everybody, and your word and reputation are everything. We wanted to grow the business, but we also wanted to be able to sleep at night, knowing we were doing right by our customers and our community. We were attracted to Mitsubishi, because of their 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty and the quality of their vehicles. I would put any family member or neighbor into one of these cars. Fast forward, I am now a member of Mitsubishi's National Advisory Board, where I am able to represent small towns and small businesses, and because they are a small manufacturer (in the grand scheme of the automotive industry), I really feel heard and valued, and that goes a long way. You're a farmer and a car dealer and a volunteer firefighter, and you are all of these things every day. How did you become a volunteer firefighter, and how do you balance it all? As a kid, I always wanted to be police officer. I studied criminal justice at the local junior college, and afterward, I graduated from the police academy. I was working at the dealership during the day, and as a reserve police officer at night, and it wasn't sustainable. Around that time, the local fire department was recruiting volunteers, and the position would allow me a little more flexibility, while still allowing me to serve my community. So, I signed up, and I have been volunteering with them now for 26 years. As far as balancing it all, family and my employee family always come first. I am very involved in the day-to-day operations of the dealership, but my phone also doubles as a fire department pager, and my team knows that, when the phone/pager/fire alarm sounds, even if I'm in the middle of a deal, I've got to go. The team is cross-trained, so there is no lapse in service. Plus, the dealership is strategically located one block from the fire house, so I can get there quickly. Community service is a core personal value of yours, and it is also a core value of your business. Tell us about that. My parents taught me to treat people right, to be fair, and when you can, to improve the lives of those around you. I try to do that for my employees, and as a team, we try to do that for the community. We support the local 4-H Club and high school, and I encourage everyone to get involved in their own personal causes, and to take time off as needed to support those causes. Those values influence the way we run our business. We greet people at the door with a smile; we treat them like family we walk them where they need to go and make any introductions needed; we are transparent about service and parts our customers really need. We build trust. Everything is clean and comfortable. As a result, our customers come back to us for service, and even customers of other manufacturers come to us for service! This is a farming town, and we see plenty of pickup trucks in our service lane. You've (seemingly) done it all. What's next? Even though I have been doing this my entire life, as the industry and society changes, there is still so much to learn. I am a member of several professional networking and education organizations, namely a 20 group, focused solely on Mitsubishi. 20 groups bring dealerships from across the country, large and small, together to learn from each other and consultants about how to grow and improve their businesses. In my free time, what little I have of it, I own several rental properties around town, and I enjoy working on them. I am also an avid motorcyclist. I've biked across the United States and Australia . One day, when I know that my family, business and community are taken care of, I hope to be able to get up and go whenever and wherever I want just ride off into the sunset. About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. MMNA was the top-ranked Japanese brand in the J.D. Power 2021 Initial Quality Study, ranking third overall and tied with Lexus. In its 2030 Environmental Plan, MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has set a goal of a 40 percent reduction in the CO2 emissions of its new cars by 2030 through leveraging EVs with PHEVs as the centerpiece to help create a sustainable society. With headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, and corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Florida and Virginia, MMNA directly and indirectly employs more than 8,000 people across the United States For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at 615-257-2698 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com. Contacts Jeremy Barnes Senior Director, Communications and Events [email protected] Mobile: 714-296-1402 Lauren Ryan Manager, Communications and Events [email protected] Mobile: 404-862-8286 SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MyPlace , the fast-growing social network connecting friends to share their homes with each other, has hired Aaron Zifkin to fill the newly created role of President and Chief Operating Officer. Zifkin brings extensive sharing economy leadership experience to his new position at MyPlace, having most recently held roles as the Managing Director for Lyft in Canada and the Regional Director of the Americas at Airbnb. In this role, Zifkin's priority will be to effectively scale MyPlace's mission to help people share their homes with their friends and communities around the world. After raising $5.8M in Seed Funding earlier this year, MyPlace is focused on their global launch. CEO Zach Bell shares, "As someone who has been leading the growth of the sharing economy for the last decade, Aaron was a natural addition to our leadership team. His experience scaling some of the most important companies of the 21st century is a perfect fit for our mission - to help people share more with their friends. We're looking forward to working with Aaron to help friends connect, share and have more together." Zifkin adds, "I am so inspired by MyPlace's mission to enable incredible travel experiences through sharing your friends' homes around the world. Their rapid growth is a testament to what happens when you can unlock trust that uniquely exists between friends. The world needs human connection today more than ever before, and MyPlace is delivering this through the promise of the true sharing economy." With a running beta community of over 5,000 community members and plans to debut the next version of their application this summer, MyPlace is on a mission to help people move and live around the world in new ways. Currently, MyPlace members are sharing their homes in over 150 cities around the world, with rapidly expanding communities in NYC, LA, Lisbon, Mexico City, Miami, and beyond. ABOUT MYPLACE MyPlace, a company founded in 2019 by CEO Zach Bell, is a social network that connects friends who are looking to share their homes with people they trust and is innovating the future of what travel could look like. With a running beta community of over 5,000 community members and a waitlist of over 7,500 people, MyPlace is revolutionizing the way we travel. MyPlace is on a mission to help you share your home with people you trust and currently has hundreds of private listings globally. Unlike other short-term rental or home swapping sites, members are not looking to publicly list their homes on the open market. The MyPlace beta platform encourages building a community of like-minded travelers across the globe who share their places within a trusted network. SOURCE MyPlace NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Piranha announced today its acquisition of Manhattan Made Marketing. This venture increases capabilities in creative production and digital strategy, bringing immediate scale to the two firms. Bogdan Dzyurak, founder and CEO, Manhattan Made Marketing, and Jerry Media alum, will join Piranha effective immediately to lead its digital practice. "We have collaborated with Bogdan and his team on multiple projects and are thrilled to formalize that relationship by combining forces," said Sean Ananou, Managing Partner, Piranha. "We've seen 50% year over year growth since 2019, with more demand for media strategy and distribution. Now, we can fully align creative and digital capabilities with this move." The combined agencies will operate under the Piranha name. Piranha, founded in 2009, is known for its agile and bespoke approach to creative strategy and content production, partnering with top-tier clients such as Saint Laurent, Paramount, and Life Time. Manhattan Made Marketing brings that same DNA of agility and performance in the digital space, with the focus of creating value for start-ups and high-growth companies. "I am very excited to join the talented Piranha team," said Dzyurak. "I started MMM to help small to mid-sized companies engage in digital marketing, more effectively using the tools that bigger brands have capitalized on. With this merger, we now have the resources to advance our vision of being a digital partner to clients rather than a single project agency, he explains." Rob Sabatini, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Piranha, also looks forward to the union. "We understand that high-end creative can be a luxury, while media distribution is a necessity," he added. "Our goal is to be a partner to clients on both fronts. No matter the scope of a project creative or strategy we want to make available our full resources to deliver value and results for clients." Even with the growth this acquisition brings, the combined agency plans to remain small and agile as part of its core strength. Brooklyn, NY will remain headquarters, with offices in Denver, Miami, and Barcelona. Piranha Piranha, an independent creative agency founded in 2009, brings together a network of strategists and creators to serve leading consumer brands, high-growth ventures, and global organizations. From conceiving and launching full funnel campaigns, to executing immersive activations, and producing acclaimed content, the agency helps clients define, design and deploy ideas at scale. piranhanyc.com Contact [email protected] SOURCE Piranha Patients that suffer from chronic mobility issues and severe motor disabilities widely employ powered wheelchair for their daily functionality. Increased healthcare facilities and quality of healthcare has led to an increased life expectancy of the population. There has been an overall increase in the proportion of geriatric population over the past few years. Elderly population is more likely to use powered wheelchair for their daily functionality. Furthermore, electric wheelchair can be used indoors as well as outdoors, which gives an added advantage to the end-users. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/5282 The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the powered wheelchair market. Due to the supply chain disruptions as well as shifted focus towards essential medical devices production, the powered wheelchair production was not prioritized during the peak of the pandemic. Furthermore, scarcity of electric components required for the manufacturing of motorized wheelchairs also contributed negatively to the market demand. Some major findings of the powered wheelchair market report include: Increased awareness regarding the usefulness of powered wheelchair in assisting patients. Growing burden of chronic ailments, neurological conditions and diseases requiring constant assistance, globally. Competitors are focusing on product innovation and launches to garner considerable market share and improve their market position. Some key players of this industry are Ottobock, Permobil, Invacare Corporation, Meyra Gmbh. Browse key industry insights spread across 250 pages with 385 tables & 24 figures and charts from the report," Powered Wheelchair Market Analysis By Product (Front Wheel Drive, Mid Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive), Technology (Standard Powered Wheelchair, Smart Wheelchair), Patient (Pediatric, Adult), Portability (Standalone, Portable), Application (Mobility, Neurological Conditions), By Distribution Channel (Brick & Mortar, E-commerce), End-use (Hospitals, Home Care, Long Term Care Facilities, Rehabilitation Centers) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2022 2030 " in detail along with Table of Contents. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/powered-wheelchair-market The front wheel drive (FWD) segment exceeded USD 300 million in 2021. The FWD provides stability over an obstacle, smoother transition, can also be used in front of counters, sinks, and can be even used on uneven terrains and small hills. Hence, owing to the several advantages of the FWD, the sales of this segment are anticipated to reach USD 500 million by 2030. Powered wheelchair market from smart wheelchair segment was valued at over USD 160 million in 2021 and is set to witness 8.1% CAGR during the analysis period. Smart wheelchairs are a boon to the people suffering from neurological conditions such as dementia, severe motor disability, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries. Smart wheelchairs extend the capabilities of traditional powered devices by introducing control and navigational intelligence. These products are integrated with sensors, cameras, etc. for range of applications to provide additional support to the disabled. Adult patients segment accounted for 80% revenue share in 2021 and is projected to register 6% CAGR during the analysis period. Adult patients are more equipped to handle the complexities of a powered wheelchair. Amputations is a key factor contributing to the use of powered wheelchair amongst adults. Powered wheelchair provides the amputees with an essential assistive technology for independence, functionality as well as mobility. Specialized electric wheelchairs are specifically designed to endorse confidence, as well as promote health and movement amongst individuals with disabilities caused by amputations. Request for customization of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/5282 Germany powered wheelchair market surpassed USD 150 million in 2021 and is set to register a significant CAGR through 2030. This is due to the presence of key players of this industry in the country. For instance, Ottobock is a medical device company operating in the field of orthopedic technology, which is headquartered in Duderstadt, Germany. Universal health coverage, advanced healthcare, developed healthcare infrastructure add to the reasons for Germany contributing a higher share in the European market. About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845110/Powered_Wheelchair_Market.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661916/GMI.jpg SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc. NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- R3, a global independent marketing consultancy, announced today that it has acquired the advertising intelligence platform Adbrands.net (Adbrands). Established in 1998, Adbrands assesses more than 1,000 leading advertisers, brands and agencies, and tracks account management for the world's leading brands and companies. The acquisition marks a continuation in R3's investment in the analysis of the marketing landscape and tracking of client-agency partnerships, which the company has done through its Global, China and Asia Pacific Agency Family Trees, New Business League, and M&A League. "We've always admired the depth of work that has gone into Adbrands and welcome 24 years of data and insight to the work that we do," said Greg Paull, Co-founder & Principal at R3. "Our ambition for Adbrands is to enhance its current library of information with expert analysis and make it the marketing knowledge resource for marketers and procurement professionals." "The advertising landscape has transformed exponentially since Adbrands first launched more than two decades ago. There are more agencies, and more clients with more markets," added Adbrands Founder & Publisher Simon Tesler. "Under R3's stewardship, I am confident that Adbrands will be able to expand its unique offering and continue to be a valued source of industry knowledge." Under R3 management, Adbrands will continue to operate a freemium model, with premium data and analysis available to clients and subscribers. R3 will maintain Company Profiles which examines the business records, geographic strength, and comparative performance of holding companies and key agencies. R3 will also manage the Account Assignments database, which tracks global new business wins. Historically, Adbrands has covered developments in marketing across Agencies, Advertisers, Countries, and Sectors. Its Agency and Advertiser profiles highlight sales, revenue, positioning against key competitors, and reports events that might have impact on overall marketing strategy and performance. For more information about Adbrands, please contact [email protected]. About R3 R3 is a leading global, regional, and local consultancy group focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of marketers and their agencies. We enable our clients to achieve a competitive edge and a better return on investment from agencies, media and marketing spend. With over 100 people in the US, Asia, EMEA and LATAM, we work with twelve of the world's top twenty marketers. SOURCE R3 CALGARY, AB, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - RocketFrac Cleantech ("RocketFrac" or "the Company"), an innovative energy services company, is pleased to announce that it has successfully deployed its ground-breaking EcoStim waterless well stimulation tool in Alberta, Canada. This deployment represents the addition of a valuable new approach to oil and gas well stimulation that expands the exploitation strategies available to producers while reducing carbon emissions, eliminating the use of proppant sand and scarce water resources. In the United States alone annual water consumption for hydraulic fracking is estimated to be 140 billion gallons equal to the combined annual consumption of Houston and Chicago. Creating effective well stimulation that eliminates this enormous strain on our precious natural resources is critical for meeting the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals prioritized by the investment community. This in turn eliminates the barrier of environmental concerns from the development of energy resources, allowing the expansion of production and movement toward the goal of energy independence. The EcoStim deployment was the reactivation of a suspended natural gas well. Highlights included the successful downhole activation of EcoStim's patent-pending isolation mechanism, full deflagration of the proprietary solid rocket propellant, retrieval of the EcoStim tool with critical sensor data, and a dramatic pressure increase at the wellhead. The company is using the groundbreaking test to refine EcoStim's design in preparation for the next deployment, planned for July. "This successful deployment of our proprietary technology proves that waterless well stimulation can be used for oil and gas reservoirs," says RocketFrac Cleantech CTO, Pavan Elapavuluri, PhD. "This test has already yielded important information about tool design and reservoir stimulation characteristics, and we are also gathering invaluable production data. As an engineer, I am excited to contribute to both increasing access to energy, and to reducing the environmental impact of its generation." The current high prices for oil and gas around the world have highlighted the need to expand production to reduce prices. The EcoStim solution addresses this need to expand production by improving the environmental performance of energy production. About RocketFrac Cleantech RocketFrac Cleantech is an innovative energy service company developing technologies to unlock tight reservoirs with a lower environmental footprint than alternatives. By eliminating the need to use water in the fracking process, RocketFrac's patent-pending proprietary technology conserves this important resource, while lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and improving operational efficiency. This approach respects Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments, while contributing to critical energy independence needs around the world. Founded in 2017, and headquartered in Canada, RocketFrac is working with international representatives in multiple markets to bring its unique fracking technology to a global customer base. RocketFrac Cleantech is guided by experienced energy sector experts, including CTO Pavan Elapavuluri, formerly of Schlumberger, and The Honorable Ronald R. Spoehel, Chairman, formerly of NASA. Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding RocketFrac's future, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. SOURCE RocketFrac Services Ltd. Marks 32nd State with Entry into Michigan Two Locations Serving Auburn Hills and Midland Grows RV Retailer Family of Stores to 102 Locations FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RV Retailer, LLC ("RVR") today announced the acquisition of A&S RV Centers with two locations in Auburn Hills and Midland, Michigan. Jon Ferrando, Chief Executive Officer and President of RVR stated, "We are excited to enter Michigan with A&S RV Centers growing our store count to 102 across the nation. Michigan is the 4th largest RV market in terms of registrations with excellent RV demographics. I know very well what a great state it is to enjoy the outdoors. I grew up in Michigan and my family went camping in our RV most weekends in the spring, summer, and fall." "We thank the Andree family for selecting us to acquire the A&S business. We are excited to welcome A&S associates into RV Retailer. Both locations have extensive service and parts centers to serve the active RV community that has over 150 RV parks less than 50 miles away," added Jon Ferrando. "We are pleased to represent our RV manufacturing partners in our newest market of Michigan and welcome all the new associates into the RV Retailer Family of stores," added Don Strollo, East Region President for RV Retailer. A&S RV Centers moved to its Auburn Hills location in 1973 and have been through multiple expansions, adding a second location in Midland in 2015. The Auburn Hills location is a full service RV dealership selling East to West, Forest River, Keystone, Lance and Palomino brands. The store is located in Auburn Hills west of I-75. The second store is located in Midland north of Highway 10 and southeast of Sanford Lake. The Midland location is a full service RV dealership selling East to West, Forest River, Keystone, Lance and Palomino brands. To learn more about our A&S RV Centers and RV Retailer, please visit: https://www.asrvcenter.com/ or https://www.rvretailer.com/ About RV Retailer, LLC RV Retailer, LLC is a leading recreational vehicle retail company in the United States with a focus on providing an outstanding experience for recreational vehicle customers in new and used sales, service and parts, and customer financial services. RV Retailer has 100 RV stores in 32 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Regional store brands include: RV One Superstores, Motor Home Specialist, ExploreUSA, Floyd's RV, Sonny's Camp-N-Travel, Cousins RV, Camper Clinic, RV Outlet USA, Lifestyle RVs, Family RV Group, Northgate RV, Tom's Camperland and Blue Dog RV, which sell a wide range of new and used RV brands with thousands of RVs in inventory. RV Retailer has a great management team led by founder Jon Ferrando, Chief Executive Officer and President. Jon Ferrando was instrumental in building America's largest automotive retailer from start-up to over $20 billion in revenue. RV Retailer's leadership team has over 250 years of automotive and RV retail industry experience. SOURCE RV Retailer, LLC Record Series A Round Will Be Used to Further Develop the AI-based Technology and Expand Business Within the U.S. and Abroad PALO ALTO, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanas, the world's first real-time accent translation technology company, today announced a $32 million Series A, the largest Series A round in history for a speech technology company, led by Insight Partners with participation from GV, Assurant Ventures and angel investor Gokul Rajaram. Existing investors Human Capital, General Catalyst, Quiet Capital and DN Capital also participated in the round. Alorica, one of the largest BPOs in the world, has announced a strategic partnership with Sanas to take this groundbreaking technology to their 100,000 employees and 250 enterprise customers across the globe. Sanas' accent translation technology allows for deeper personal choice when it comes to people's voices, can help increase foreign language fluency and addresses communication challenges between global teams and customers. It allows people to choose the accent they want to use in real time and preserve the speaker's authenticity, an experience that beta users and investors have described as "magical." Now, anyone can sound local on a global scale in different languages and regions highlighting a breakthrough for multinational enterprises. "The goal of Sanas has always been to bring people closer together and allow people to have a choice when it comes to their communication style something that was previously only possible through extensive speech language pathology," said Maxim Serebryakov, CEO of Sanas. "Similar to how social media platforms allow users to control the way they physically appear online, this technology enables anyone to have that same control in a digital setting but for the way they sound. With this funding, we'll be able to further our mission and build on our AI, which is taking advantage of a cutting-edge space in machine learning untapped until Sanas." Sharath, Cofounder of Sanas highlights the high individuality of the software explaining that it can only be used by an individual speaker, thus allowing them to control their voice, and only their voice on their sole command. The local-run software also allows for 800+ communication app capability and enterprise-grade data security. Sanas describes that there are many different reasons why one would want to manipulate their accent beta users describe everything from fluency in foreign language, higher connection to their roots, bias elimination or simply for fun. "We are excited to invest in our strategic partnership with Sanas and leverage their powerful linguistic translation capabilities to provide the very best CX outcomes possible in real time, at scale and without barriers, regardless of native accents and dialects," said Andy Lee, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alorica, a trusted global leader in digital customer experience (CX) solutions. "Alorica is constantly developing and investing in cutting-edge technologies that empower our 100,000 employees worldwide to deliver exceptional experiences on behalf of our clients." One key initiative with the fresh funds is to open an Indian headquarters, bolstering Sanas' global reach and tapping a wealth of developer talent. The office will be led by demand generation and international expansion expert, Ashish Kanoongo. With the majority of the world's call centers and many R&D centers being located in the Asia-Pacific region, the company's innovative accent-translation technology will propel the wider telecom industry into the future, drastically improving how effectively global teams, contact centers, and more interact on a day-to-day basis. A portion of the round is earmarked for talent acquisition to further R&D efforts and add to the growing team of AI and technology all-stars assembling at the company, which include recent additions Sharath Keshava Narayana as co-founder and COO, Marty (Massih) Sarim as president, Pavan Karnam as vice president of data and analytics and Dr. BalaKrishna Kolluru as vice president of engineering. These executives are among the key hires that have expanded Sanas' team by 300% in Q2 2022 alone. As part of the round, Ganesh Bell, managing director of Insight Partners will join the board, bringing with him over 25 years of experience building and operating startups, high-growth scaleups and global conglomerates such as General Electric, SAP, PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards. Also joining the board is industry stalwart and accented founding member Ram Gupta, who has experience working with teams that have created market capitalization of over $15B, including participating in three IPOs and nine acquisitions. Ram has held board positions across many forward-thinking technology companies including Postman Inc., Nexus Venture Partners, ThinkGeek and Neeyamo, and has worked for massive global names such as IBM and WebMD. "Insight Partners is thrilled to deepen its relationship with Sanas on such cutting-edge and transformative technology," said Bell. "As the company comes out of its stealth phase, I look forward to working with this immensely talented and passionate team to build a product that will, among many things, help eliminate the unfortunate biases and discrimination experienced by those who speak English as a second language, which includes many of Sanas' employees." Launched in August 2021, Sanas has already captured the attention of the Fortune 500, including welcoming Assurant as one of the company's first enterprise customers. "Sanas' real-time speech engine has the potential to disrupt and revolutionize communication," said Assurant Chief Strategy and Risk Officer Bob Lonergan. "As a global Fortune 500 company that currently serves 15 of the 50 most valuable global brands and with more than 300 million end customers, Assurant is making significant digital investments to differentiate our customer experience. Part of these investments include strategic funding and support of disrupters within connectivity, digitalization and AI automation. That's why creating a value-added partnership with Sanas is a great fit." About Sanas Sanas was established by three Stanford students coming out of the renowned Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) with the aim of increasing individual choice when it comes to the form people speak a native or foreign language powered by real-time accent translation. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Sanas' members and advisors include some of the top speech machine learning scientists in the world. For more information, visit sanas.ai. SOURCE Sanas REHOVOT, Israel, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SIRTLab Corporation, a pioneer in the manipulation of sirtuin proteins for the treatment of severe liver diseases and longevity, today announced the appointment of Michael G. Kauffman, MD, PhD, as Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Kauffman joins Boaz Misholi, Founder and Co-Chairman; Professor Haim Cohen, Founder and Chief Scientist; Hagit Ashush, PhD, Vice President, Research and Development; and Amir Shukrun, Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Kauffman's appointment follows positive proof of concept preclinical data in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and longevity models. Dr. Kauffman, a 25-year veteran of the biotechnology industry with major contributions to the approvals of three cancer drugs (Velcade, Kyprolis and Xpovio) who most recently served as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. commented, "I am looking forward to my next chapter at SIRTLab. Having followed the sirtuin field for many years, I find the team's results compelling not only in NASH and other severe liver diseases but also for a variety of other diseases negatively affecting longevity." SIRTLab's lead program is focused on high level expression of sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), a key orchestrator of responses to lipids, glucose and inflammation, based largely on the work of Professor Haim Cohen, initially at Harvard University and now at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv. SIRT6 suppresses triglyceride synthesis, fat metabolism and inflammation (by suppression of NF-kB and other pathways), as well as glycolysis. Professor Cohen's lab, along with others, has shown that transgenic overexpression of SIRT6 leads to restoration of "youthful" energy homeostasis, improved metabolic profiles and significant prolongation of lifespan in mice. Furthermore, liver-specific deletion of SIRT6 in mice induces marked alterations in gene expression, leading to increased triglyceride synthesis, reduced fatty acid -oxidation, reduced increased glycolysis and fatty liver formation. Markedly lower levels of SIRT6 are found in the livers of patients with NASH, other forms of progressive liver dysfunction, acetaminophen overdoses and other diseases. SIRTLab has shown that elevation of SIRT6 levels using its technology normalized liver gross and histological appearance, improved liver function tests and reversed fatty liver progression. "The recruitment of Dr. Kauffman represents a major advance for SIRTLab as we prepare to advance a completely novel class of agents for the treatment of NASH and other diseases," said SIRTLab Founder and Co-Chairman Boaz Misholi. "Michael has a long and successful record of professional achievements in the development and approval of important novel drugs and in building highly successful biotechnology companies." As CEO and Co-Founder of Karyopharm, Dr. Kauffman led the Company from inception through commercialization of Selinexor (XPOVIO and NEXPOVIO). Prior, Dr. Kauffman was the CMO of Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., which acquired Proteolix Inc., leading the development of carfilzomib, a novel proteasome inhibitor approved in 2012 as KYPROLIS. Dr. Kauffman was President and CEO of EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (previously Predix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) from 2002 to 2008. He led the VELCADE Development Program at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and held a number of senior positions at Millennium Predictive Medicine and Biogen. Dr. Kauffman received his MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins Medical School, trained in internal medicine and rheumatology at Beth Israel Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine. About SIRTLab Corporation SIRTLab Corporation is a privately held liver diseases and longevity company headquartered in the Rehovot Science Park, Israel. Boaz Misholi and Professor Haim Cohen founded the company in 2013 based on the work of Professor Haim Cohen, which began at Harvard Medical School with Professor David Sinclair and continues in his laboratory at Bar Ilan University, Tel Aviv; over $40M U.S. have been invested in Professor Cohen's work. SIRTLab focuses on the pharmacological modulation of SIRT6, a key orchestrator of multiple processes involved in triglyceride and lipid metabolism, glucose, inflammation, chromosomal maintenance and cellular homeostasis. The Company anticipates that initial studies will focus on moderate to severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with numerous additional applications including other chronic liver diseases, metabolic syndrome and multiple aspects of longevity. Contacts: Dr. Michael Kauffman +1-617-803-0097, [email protected] Boaz Misholi +972-54-455-3555, [email protected] Amir Shukrun +972-54-764-6424, [email protected] SOURCE SIRTLab Corporation Spirit receives top marks in Seattle and Los Angeles MIRAMAR, Fla., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two major West Coast airports have recently recognized Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) for operating with noise levels consistently lower than other airlines -- high marks for the airline with leading low fares. Spirit received the top ranking in its respective category in both the Port of Seattle Fly Quiet Awards and the LAX Fly Quieter Program for its operations in 2021. The innovative programs seek positive solutions to address neighborhood impacts of the airports by highlighting airlines with a higher rate of success in local noise abatement procedures through voluntary operational and technical practices. Spirit's Fit Fleet is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the industry, and combined with the latest engine technology, the modern Airbus A320 Family aircraft stand out in the area of low takeoff noise. Spirit received the Fly Quiet Award from the Port of Seattle , which noted the airline's "remarkably low takeoff noise levels" at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) thanks to the Fit Fleet . The awards are determined by four criteria, including operational sound levels and limitation of late-night noise. Spirit is proud to be the airport's top-scoring Fly Quiet airline for operations in 2021. , which noted the airline's "remarkably low takeoff noise levels" at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) thanks to the Fit Fleet . The awards are determined by four criteria, including operational sound levels and limitation of late-night noise. Spirit is proud to be the airport's top-scoring Fly Quiet airline for operations in 2021. Spirit was also recognized by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) as a 2021 gold winner of the LAX Fly Quieter Program, which is the highest in its category. The program evaluated all airline operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and scored them across five areas, including aircraft noise levels measured by monitors in residential communities under LAX arrivals. In addition, Spirit regularly contributes within the LAX/Community Noise Roundtable in an effort to mitigate airport noise effects within the community. "We want to thank the Port of Seattle and LAWA for these innovative programs and the strong partnerships they help foster," said John Bendoraitis, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Spirit Airlines. "These important distinctions are also a direct reflection of the skill of our Pilots, and their dedication to excellence, our Guests and the communities we serve." About Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) is committed to delivering the best value in the sky. We are the leader in providing customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. This allows our Guests to pay only for the options they choose like bags, seat assignments and refreshments something we call A La Smarte. We make it possible for our Guests to venture further and discover more than ever before. Our Fit Fleet is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S. We serve destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and are dedicated to giving back and improving those communities. Come save with us at spirit.com. SOURCE Spirit Airlines The WCO Data Analytics team gave 3 lectures on 13, 14 and 15 June 2022 to the WCO scholars at the Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) in Seoul. Participants from the WCO and SKKU Data Analytics Scholarship Programme included twelve scholars from the six WCO regions following a 5-month programme that holds a wide array of courses on data analytics, ranging from introductory to expert courses. The WCO lectures focused on the implementation of data strategy, the data analytics use cases for Customs and the various possibilities and uses of GEOINT. During the interactive session that followed, WCO representatives answered questions asked by scholars on the requirements for the development of effective data analytics capabilities, the role of the WCO to support members in implementing data analytics, and the following steps after the completion of the scholarship programme. Professors as well as the programme manager from SKKU attended the lecture and welcomed the support provided by the WCO and Korea. For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. GRANTS INCLUDE TWO $1 MILLION GIFTS TO CREATE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES FUNDING OF $37.6M , UP 17% , UP 17% RECIPIENTS INCREASE BY 6% TO 609 GRANTEES NUMBER OF NEW GRANTEES MORE THAN DOUBLES TO 52 NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shubert Foundation announced today a record $37.6 million in unrestricted grants to not-for-profit theatres, dance companies, academic theatre training programs, and related service agencies. As a leader in funding for the arts the Foundation has also made two $1 million gifts to create endowed scholarships for Theatre students at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Spelman College and Morehouse College. "We are delighted to increase both our funding and the number of our grantees this year," said Diana Phillips, President of The Shubert Foundation. "While it has been exciting to see life return to the performing arts, Covid has dealt a terrible blow and there remains enormous need everywhere." Ms. Phillips continued, "Responding to this need, and committed as we are to broadening access and eliminating barriers, we welcomed smaller budgeted first-time applicants without requiring audited financial statements this past year. I am pleased to announce that 18 of the 50 new grant recipients were added to our roster because of this change." "The Shubert Foundation has long supported education in the performing arts, both through our relationship with The New York City Public Schools and our Shubert Scholars Program at colleges and universities," said Chairman Robert E. Wankel. "This year, to further expand opportunities for college students of color to gain broad experiences in the performing arts, our Board approved two $1M endowments for scholarships at two HBCUs," added Mr. Wankel. In acknowledging this $1M gift from The Shubert Foundation, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., President of Spelman College said, "Spelman College is honored to receive such a generous endowment gift from The Shubert Foundation in support of the developing theater artistry of women of color. With the College's expansion and renewal of our theaters and performing spaces underway, the support of our promising young students is the perfect complement." David A. Thomas, Ph.D., Morehouse College President said, "Creativity is the most important talent the world will need in the future. This gift will ensure that men of color are able to use their unique artistic talents to communicate ideas, bridge cultural barriers, problem-solve, and serve as catalysts for motivation, excitement, reflection, and introspection. Leadership in the arts is one of the most critical fulfillments of the Morehouse mission." The Shubert Foundation is a leader in providing general operating support to professional resident theatre and dance companies that develop and produce new American work. As always, funds are unrestricted, empowering the organizations supported to utilize the funds as they see fit. To ensure support to the widest range of recipients, The Shubert Foundation maintains an open-door policy. The Shubert Foundation is also the largest funder of theatre education for the NYC Public Schools. Additionally, the Shubert Scholars Program provides scholarships for students in university programs in theatre arts. The Shubert Foundation was established in 1945 by Lee and J.J. Shubert, in memory of their brother Sam. Today, the Foundation is the nation's largest funder of unrestricted aid for not-for-profit theatre and dance companies. Since the establishment of The Shubert Foundation grants program in 1977, more than $575 million has been awarded to not-for-profit arts organizations throughout the United States. For more information, visit https://shubertfoundation.org. The Foundation also continues to expand the Shubert Archive. Created in 1976, the Archive contains more than a century's worth of production designs, scripts, sheet music, publicity materials, photographs, correspondence, business records and architectural plans. The collection is available to researchers, writers, historians and theatre professionals. For more information, visit https://shubertarchive.org. Morehouse College is the largest men's college in the United States and the only college with a mission to educate Black men. A private, liberal arts institution founded in 1867, Morehouse is the nation's top producer of Black men who go on to receive doctorates and the top producer of Rhodes Scholars among HBCUs. The home of notable alumni, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, Morehouse has the top-rated core curriculum of any HBCU nationwide, according to the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and Academic Influence named Morehouse one of the two most influential HBCUs of the 21st century. For more information, visit: https://morehouse.edu. Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.Ds in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The College's status is confirmed by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 54 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 24 for undergraduate teaching, No. 4 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 15th year among historically Black colleges and universities. For more information, visit: https://spelman.edu. The Shubert Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors Robert E. Wankel, Chairman Diana Phillips, President Laura Forese Wyche Fowler, Jr. Pamela Newkirk Richard J. Poccia Lee J. Seidler Stuart Subotnick Executive Director Vicki Reiss Senior Program Director Amy Dorfman Wine Program Director Rebecca Hewett 234 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036 212-944-3777 Contact: Matt Polk, Jeffrey Fauver, Kelly Stotmeister, Lauren Duffy SOURCE The Shubert Foundation At the opening ceremony, former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo, former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary Mihaly Varga, made video speeches. Li Ganjie, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, delivered a speech, and Zhou Naixiang, Governor of Shandong Province, presided over the ceremony. At the same time, Lu Zhiyuan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, attended the ceremony. During his speech, Li Ganjie announced that, for scientific and technological innovations, multinational companies are welcome to establish global and regional headquarters and R&D centers and collaborate with competitive innovative platforms in Shandong. For industrial upgrading, multinational companies are expected to take Shandong as a central pivot for their global business landscape and boost more open and advantageous cooperation in the industrial chain and supply chain. For green and low-carbon development, multinational companies are encouraged to actively help Shandong develop its low-carbon industries and green energy. For trade exchanges, endeavors will be made to pledge unimpeded international logistics channels and promote the continuous improvement of bilateral trade quality and efficiency. For regional cooperation, Shandong will work with multinational companies to actively explore the emerging markets and constantly extend cooperation in new forms, new models, and new fields. Sheng Qiuping, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, mentioned in his speech that multinational companies are direct participants in the domestic circulation and major drivers for the dual circulation development. China is committed to developing a new system of an advanced and open economy, accelerating the opening-up based on related institutions, establishing a quality platform for opening-up, further optimizing the business environment, and improving the supporting services, so as to attract and sustain foreign-funded enterprises with development opportunities. As Shandong is a crucial destination for multinational companies to invest in China, all interested companies are expected to leverage the Summit to conduct extensive exchanges, seize opportunities to invest in Shandong and seek further growth in China, and work together to achieve a new prospect of win-win cooperation. The Summit, which was held both online and offline, attracted 5,600 participants, including industry leaders from 186 Fortune 500 companies and 290 leading enterprises, diplomatic envoys of other countries to China, experts and scholars from related international organizations and business associations, heads of relevant ministries and commissions of China, and related officials from Shandong. During the Summit, there were 44 events of 14 categories, including meetings, sub-forums, summit dialogues, road shows of multinationals, introduction and marketing of the guest of honor, and project signing ceremonies. Contact Person: Ms. Zhu Yiling Tel.: 0086-532-85911619 Website: http://www.qingdaochina.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qingdaocity Twitter: https://twitter.com/loveqingdao YouTube: https://youtu.be/7o670FB5RXc Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1245709/Qingdao_Logo.jpg SOURCE Stadt Qingdao LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Timo Trippler, CEO of award winning blockchain funding organisation Fundraise Capital Advisory Service (FCAS), has received two accolades in the 2022 Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards. The awards seek to identify and honour the Most Respected C-level executives across the globe, from a variety of different sectors. They do not focus on a company's success, as many do, but instead the spotlight is on the success of individuals who make the corporations tick namely senior executives such as CEOs, Managing Directors, Directors, and senior-level management. The intention is to give a worthy individual the recognition they deserve, while using use their example to inspire other companies and business leaders to achieve similar success. Timo Tripper was the outright winner in two categories, being named 'Fintech Start-up CEO of the Year - Europe' & 'Growth Strategy CEO of Year - Germany'. FCAS provides fundraising, development, strategy, and advisory solutions to help deploy blockchain projects and incorporate this technology into worthy projects. As a pioneer in the strategic consulting and fundraising space for global blockchain projects, the German company recognised early on the importance of Web 3.0 (the third generation of the www) and blockchain technology. This latest version of the internet is set to revolutionise how the world communicates. Powered by decentralisation, encryption, and a shift from server-client interactions to peer-to-peer interactions, more and more companies are relying on data to power their digital transformation journeys. As the founder and CEO of FCAS, Timo Trippler is playing an important part in this revolution, and undertaking valuable work in the process. The organisation's client base includes many start-ups who are seeking venture capital funding, but an increasing number of established companies are also joining the portfolio for advice on how to transform via blockchain technology. Timo has built strong relationships with business angels and venture capital companies throughout his career, which proved invaluable in the establishment of the FCAS. He has also been involved in the blockchain movement since 2015 and since then has held several strategic and marketing advisory roles, as well as working with high profile brands from a diverse range of industries. Since founding the FCAS he has successfully secured funding for over 90 projects, amounting to more than $100 million. FCAS' work involves preparing the necessary documents to pitch to investors for future blockchain projects, along with providing in-depth advice on the sector. The organisation only works with projects and companies that Timo personally believes will be successful. Speaking to Business Worldwide Magazine, Timo explained FCAS recipe for success "Our success, and what distinguishes us from our competitors is our long-standing relationship of trust with investors. I've based my career on building valuable networks and partnerships with high-net-worth individuals and investors specialising in many sectors. All have common ground in seeking worthy projects to invest in and industrious, reputable advisors to introduce them." To find out more visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/timotrippler. To find out more about the Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards, visit https://www.bwmonline.com/awards/ About Business Worldwide Magazine Business Worldwide Magazine is the leading source of business and dealmaker intelligence throughout the world. Our quarterly magazine and online news portal enable an established audience of corporate dealmakers to track the latest news, stories and developments affecting the international markets, corporate finance, business strategy and changes in legislation. This readership includes of CEO/CFO - Banks, Corporate Lawyers, and Venture Capital/Private Equity Companies to name a few. Contact David Jones Awards Department E: [email protected] W: http://www.bwmonline.com SOURCE Business Worldwide Magazine PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH ADVANCED DATA SERVICES FOR ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Investment and Accelex have today launched a new initiative to offer an enhanced range of data services to alternative investors. One of Europe's leading fund service platforms and Super ManCos, Universal Investment, has partnered with Accelex, one of the best data acquisition, analytics and reporting providers, to deliver comprehensive portfolio analytics for alternative investments including detailed underlying asset insights. Transparency is key for investors, however, unlike highly standardized and automated securities, investments in private equity, infrastructure or renewable energy generate large amounts of unstructured content that requires manual, time-consuming processing. With Accelex, Universal Investment will digitize these processes from document acquisition and tagging, through data extraction, reporting and analytics all powered by Accelex's proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. As part of this partnership, the firms will also be developing a suite of advanced data services, providing clients with tools to better understand the drivers of alternative investment performance. "The partnership with Accelex is an important part of our continued drive for innovation. It extends our existing advanced reporting capabilities to alternative investments, enabling us to increase transparency for investors and asset managers on our platform. In addition, Accelex helps us also to further automate processes around alternative investments," remarked Michael Reinhard, CEO at Universal Investment. "Accelex brings proven, scalable capabilities and an outstanding team that we are excited to work with as we now also automate traditionally manual tasks for alternative investments allowing our clients to further improve their investment decisions." "We are delighted to partner with Universal Investment, deliver our solution and add value to their alternative investor clients," said Franck Vialaron, CEO at Accelex. "This relationship is a huge validation of the work we are doing here at Accelex, the applicability of our platform today and the future functionalities we can build together. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship." About Universal Investment Universal Investment Group is one of Europe's leading fund service platforms and Super ManCos with around EUR 753 billion (USD 785 billion) in assets under administration, about 2,000 mutual and special fund mandates and a workforce of more than 1,000 at locations in Frankfurt am Main, Luxembourg, Dublin and Krakow. Founded in 1968, the company is an independent platform for asset managers as well as institutional investors offering structuring and administration solutions as well as risk management for Securities, Real Estate and Alternative Investments. The companies UI labs, UI Enlyte and CAPinside complement the group's innovative service offering. Universal Investment is a signatory of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment. (as of April 30, 2022). About Accelex Accelex provides data acquisition, analytics and reporting solutions for alternative investors and asset servicers, enabling firms to access the full potential of critical investment performance and transaction data. Powered by proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, Accelex solutions automate processes for extraction, analysis and sharing of difficult-to-access unstructured data. Accelex is headquartered in London, with offices in Paris, Luxembourg, New York and Toronto. For more information please visit: www.accelextech.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1843248/Accelex_Logo.jpg Media contacts: Universal Investment: Bernd Obergfell Head of External Communications [email protected] Accelex: Ben Sinden Marketing Manager [email protected] +44 (0)7964 339482 SOURCE Accelex "To help make electric vehicles work, we need also to increase the production of lithium-ion batteries and we need responsible and sustainable domestic sourcing of the critical materials used to make lithium-ion batteries such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite," infrastructure implementation coordinator and senior Biden adviser Mitch Landrieu told reporters on May 2, 2022. Program Highlights: Rangefront Mining Services, a local Nevada firm, has been retained to provide geological services firm, has been retained to provide geological services Permitting process now underway following a successful site visit from USHA's technical team to review drill sites for the construction of access roads and drill pads in preparation for drilling USHA has increased the anticipated scope of the drill program to 2,700 metres over 6 holes Plans to commence drilling in late summer / early fall (pending permit approvals) Drill program is fully financed as USHA has recently completed an oversubscribed private placement for gross proceeds of $2,895,401 (https://bit.ly/3tOdqUu) The Company is pleased to announce that a site visit has been completed at the Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine project and that permitting for its maiden drilling program is underway. The purpose of the visit was to assess the Site to review drill sites for the construction of access roads and drill pads in preparation for drilling. Rangefront Mining Services (Rangefront), a local Nevada firm, has been selected to provide geological services for the design, execution, and management of exploration work at Jackpot Lake. Rangefront is a comprehensive geology and mining consulting firm with personnel that specialize in the planning and execution of lithium brine exploration, including resource estimation, as the Company works towards its goal of completing a 43-101 resource estimate by Q4 of 2022 (https://bit.ly/3tD9ndz). Furthermore, based on its review and discussion with Rangefront and the successful completion of its oversubscribed private placement for gross proceeds of $2,895,401, the Company has elected to increase the planned scope of its maiden drilling program from 900 metres over 3 holes to 2,700 metres over 6 holes to better define a 43-101 resource. Pending permit approvals, the Company anticipates commencing drilling in the late summer, early fall. Deepak Varshney, CEO of Usha Resources stated: "USHA is very excited to have begun our journey at Jackpot Lake and capitalize on our geographical advantage on US soil and to partner with the team at Rangefront. We believe they are the right team to work with and their engagement will provide us with consistency and accessibility to a variety and depth of innovative approaches that will accelerate our goals. With a well-funded treasury, we anticipate the remainder of 2022 to be an extremely active year and we look forward to a busy and productive field season at Jackpot Lake as we also proceed with our other catalysts including the Nicobat Nickel spinout." Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Property The Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Property is located within Clark County, 35 kilometres northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and is comprised of 140 mineral claims that total 2,800 acres. The project is exploring a "playa" which appears to be within a closed basin that may contain potentially lithium-rich brines. The geologic model is similar to that of Albemarle's Silver Peak Nevada Lithium Mine which has operated continuously since 1966, where sediments from lithiumrich surrounding source rocks accumulate and fill the deposit leading to a potential concentration of lithium brine due to successive evaporation and concentration events. The project is considered to be "drill-ready" based on the following work which has successfully delineated a 5 x 2 kilometre anomaly within a closed basin that suggests the presence of a highly concentrated brine: 129 core samples collected by the USGS with an average lithium value of 175 ppm with a high of 550 ppm and spectrographic and atomic-absorption analyses of 135 stream sediment samples confirming the potential for lithium mineral deposits. Gravitational surveying which has identified a closed basin, critical for ensuring brines remain within the basin without dilution from external water sources. Geophysical modelling based upon gravitational and controlled source audio magnetotellurics/magnetotellurics (CSAMT/MT) surveys has provided evidence of highly concentrated brines which are relatively near the surface. The CSAMT survey results of the Jackpot Lake Project demonstrate a large consistent body of very low resistivity consistent with highly concentrated brine behavior throughout the property, predominantly above bedrock depths of 625 meters. Corporate Video The Company is also pleased to premiere its corporate introduction video, which allows shareholders and the general public to meet Deepak Varshney, CEO of USHA, and learn about the Company and its project. The video can be accessed at the Company's homepage and at the following link: https://youtu.be/3rCA9SjUpps. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Helgi Sigurgeirson, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). About Usha Resources Ltd. Usha Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality battery and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, Usha's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and consist of Jackpot Lake, a lithium project in Nevada; Nicobat, a nickelcoppercobalt project in Ontario; and Lost Basin, a gold-copper project in Arizona. Usha trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol USHA, the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol USHAF and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol JO0. USHA RESOURCES LTD. "Deepak Varshney" CEO and Director For more information, please call Tyler Muir, Investor Relations, at 1-888-772-2452, email [email protected], or visit www.usharesources.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Usha Resources Ltd. She recently won the IBA (International Book Award) for her work. Jen Guidry's book, "The Storm" took the Top Honor for Religion: General Category and was also a Finalist under the Religion: Inspiration Category. American Book Fest announced the winners and finalists of THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (IBA) on June 3, 2022. Over 400 winners and finalists were announced in over 90 categories. Awards were presented for titles published in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of American Book Fest, said this year's contest yielded thousands of entries from authors and publishers around the world, which were then narrowed down to the final results. Past winners of an IBA include: Pope Francis, Damond John, Bob Odenkirk, Vanessa Williams, Brian Edwards, Peter Lik and Jon Land to name a few. Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Wiley, Hachette Books, McGraw-Hill, Taylor & Francis Group/Routledge, Zondervan, Forge, HCI Press, Hay House, Greenleaf Book Group Press, Skyhorse Publishing, She Writes Press, Ideapress Publishing and hundreds of national and international Independent Houses contribute to this year's competition. Now back at work and fully recovered, Jen has dedicated her life to helping others through her writing and counsel. She is currently working on her second book. While Jen Guidry did not ever intend to be an author, turns out she is one. She has endured many hardships and survived rape, cancer, abusive relationships and blood clotting disorders. Through it all, she had a smile on her face. Her advice actually comes from real experience. Her first book, "The Storm" has already "done its job" according to Jen. Her words have helped inspire others. She knows that she isn't done yet though. Ranked as one of the 250 Mortgage Professionals in America and the Top Loan Officer in San Antonio, Jennifer has used her television and writing platform to inspire others to conquer their own storms. CONTACT: Jen Guidry, +1 210-838-3310, [email protected] SOURCE Jen Guidry 42com future-proofs its International voice operations with Linxa's uniquely architectured solution 'Linxa Connect Voice platform' to have more advanced control over traffic quality, fight fraud and deliver highly customised services. LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Linxa, the award-winning wholesale telecom platform leader, is proud to announce the deployment of Linxa Connect, empowering 42com, a global voice wholesale specialist, to benefit from high levels of automation, agility and efficiencies which will help them not only transform their current voice business, but also more easily connect with their future strategic partners. Linxa Connect is a fully integrated end-to-end telecom management platform which seamlessly supports and automates voice and messaging wholesale processes, from rate management, to routing, quality and deal management, all the way to billing, dispute management, fraud detection and real-time reporting. With the Linxa Connect platform, 42com will be able to be bring its International wholesale voice business to a new level of agility and efficiency. It will also give them the tools to more effectively manage their business, thanks to automation and real-time reporting. Looking forward, the Linxa Connect voice platform will continue to evolve, with new features and functionalities, which will give 42com the ability to be flexible and scale with ease. "With a track record of successful partnerships and acquisitions, 42com is an exciting and dynamic wholesaler, with ambitions to become one of the dominant carriers in international wholesale voice industry. With our Linxa Connect platform, we look forward to playing a key role in the success of 42com's current and future growth strategy," says Kunal Dave, VP Global Sales at Linxa. "We are excited to be migrating our voice traffic to such a solid platform as Linxa Connect, as it will give us access to real-time reporting, flexible functionalities, and future-proof solutions that will be able to adapt to our current and future customers' and partners' needs," says Alberto Grunstein, CEO of 42com. The Linxa Connect platform empowers the successful voice and messaging business of a growing number of Tier-1 carriers and will continue to do so by fostering solutions that give these companies what they require to remain relevant: simplicity, automation, control and agility. About Linxa Linxa delivers telecom software platforms designed to make it simpler and faster to grow profitability and capture new revenue in the complex telecom market. Along with high performance switching and network products, we offer tools and support to efficiently manage rating, pricing, routing, monitoring / reporting and invoicing with high levels of automation. This enables telecom providers to focus on their core business, reduce fraud and disputes, while optimizing routing and making real-time decisions based on price and quality. Linxa has offices in the UK and Turkey with local presence in USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Tunisia, South Africa and Australia. www.linxa.com About 42com 42com is a German land line telecom operator, focused on carrier-to-carrier business, with strong relations in LATAM, CIS thanks to a strategy based on organic growth and acquisitions. It is driven to provide fraud free and high-quality voice termination, supporting mainly Tier-1 telecom operators in achieving full network accessibility with top notch reactive and flexible technical and managed solutions. www.42com.com SOURCE Linxa Frequently Asked Questions: Which is the fastest growing regional segment? APAC will emerge as the fastest growth-contributing regional segment during the forecast period. APAC will emerge as the fastest growth-contributing regional segment during the forecast period. What is the parent market? Technavio categorizes the global 5G equipment market as part of the communications equipment market. Technavio categorizes the global 5G equipment market as part of the communications equipment market. Anticipated YOY for 2021? The estimated YOY growth for 2021 was 34.69%. The estimated YOY growth for 2021 was 34.69%. What is the competitive landscape like? The market landscape is fragmented. The market landscape is fragmented. Which are the key consumer economies? US, China , UK, South Korea , and Japan Have More Questions? Get all your queries answered right here! Request For Sample Report 5G Equipment Market Segmentation Highlights Product Macrocell The macrocell product segment held the largest 5G equipment market share in 2020. The segment will continue to account for the highest revenue throughout the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the rising demand for high network bandwidth. Increasing demand for high-speed data services in larger areas is a major factor driving the demand for macrocells by telecommunications service providers. Macrocells are high-power network cells that provide radio coverage for cellular networks. The macrocell product segment held the largest 5G equipment market share in 2020. The segment will continue to account for the highest revenue throughout the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the rising demand for high network bandwidth. Increasing demand for high-speed data services in larger areas is a major factor driving the demand for macrocells by telecommunications service providers. Macrocells are high-power network cells that provide radio coverage for cellular networks. Small Cell Others Geography North America 32% of the market's growth will originate from North America during the forecast period. The US is the market for the global 5G equipment market in North America . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in regions. The significant increase in the adoption of cloud services by enterprises across industries in countries will facilitate the global 5G equipment market growth in North America over the forecast period. 32% of the market's growth will originate from during the forecast period. The US is the market for the global 5G equipment market in . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in regions. The significant increase in the adoption of cloud services by enterprises across industries in countries will facilitate the global 5G equipment market growth in over the forecast period. Europe APAC MEA South America Get Segment-based contribution highlights as you Download this Sample Report 5G Equipment Market Vendor Landscape The market is fragmented and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. In a bid to help players strengthen their market foothold, this 5G equipment market forecast report provides a detailed analysis of the leading market vendors. The report also empowers industry honchos with information on the competitive landscape and insights into the different product offerings offered by various companies. To make the most of the opportunities and recover from post pandemic impact, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The global 5G equipment market forecast report offers in-depth insights into key vendor profiles. The profiles include information on the production, sustainability, and prospects of the leading companies. Top 5G equipment companies covered in this report are: Cisco Systems Inc.: This company offers various 5G equipment such as branch routers, Cisco SD-WAN, wireless and mobility wifi. This company offers various 5G equipment such as branch routers, Cisco SD-WAN, wireless and mobility wifi. Fujitsu Ltd.: This company offers various 5G equipment such as Brocade 6520, Brocade 7810, Ethernet switch, SAN Backbone, and SAN extension. This company offers various 5G equipment such as Brocade 6520, Brocade 7810, Ethernet switch, SAN Backbone, and SAN extension. Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd.: This company offers various 5G equipment such as 5G MEC Solutions, 5G industry hotspots, and 5G digital power supply. This company offers various 5G equipment such as 5G MEC Solutions, 5G industry hotspots, and 5G digital power supply. NEC Corp.: This company offers various 5G equipment such as 5G NEC Smart connectivity and 5G Network Massive MIMO Antenna. This company offers various 5G equipment such as 5G NEC Smart connectivity and 5G Network Massive MIMO Antenna. Nokia Corp.: This company offers various 5G equipment such as Beacon 1, Beacon 2, and Beacon 6. This company offers various 5G equipment such as Beacon 1, Beacon 2, and Beacon 6. Qorvo Inc. Qualcomm Inc. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson ZTE Corp. Want to know more about the product offerings of other contributing vendors, Download Sample Report Right Here! 5G Equipment Market Scope Technavio categorizes the global 5G equipment market as part of the communications equipment market. Our report provides extensive information on the value chain analysis for the global 5G equipment market, which vendors can leverage to gain a competitive advantage during the forecast period. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The market report covers the following areas: 5G Equipment Market Takeaways CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025 Detailed information on factors that will assist 5G equipment market growth during the next five years Estimation of the 5G equipment market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the 5G equipment market across North America , Europe , APAC, MEA, and South America , , APAC, MEA, and Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of 5G equipment market vendors Related Reports: 5G Testing Equipment Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Satellite Communication Market in Defense Sector Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 5G Equipment Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 66.62% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 24.26 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 34.69 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 32% Key consumer countries US, China, UK, South Korea (Republic of Korea), and Japan Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Cisco Systems Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd., NEC Corp., Nokia Corp., Qorvo Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, and ZTE Corp. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Content 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 01: Parent market Exhibit 02: Market characteristics 2.2 Value chain analysis Exhibit 03: Value Chain Analysis - Communications Equipment 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 05: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2020 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million) Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2020 5 Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 15: Product - Market share 2020-2025 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 16: Comparison by Product 5.3 Macrocell - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 17: Macrocell - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 18: Macrocell - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.4 Small cell - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 19: Small cell - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 20: Comparison of various small cells Exhibit 21: Small cell - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 22: Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 23: Others - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 24: Market opportunity by Product 6 Customer Landscape 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 26: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 27: Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 28: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 29: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 30: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 31: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 32: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 33: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 34: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 35: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 36: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 37: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.8 Key leading countries Exhibit 38: Key leading countries 7.9 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 39: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges Exhibit 40: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 41: Vendor landscape 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 42: Landscape disruption Exhibit 43: Industry risks 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 45: Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Cisco Systems Inc. Exhibit 46: Cisco Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 47: Cisco Systems Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 48: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key news Exhibit 49: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 50: Cisco Systems Inc. - Segment focus 10.4 Fujitsu Ltd. Exhibit 51: Fujitsu Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 52: Fujitsu Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 53: Fujitsu Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 54: Fujitsu Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 55: Fujitsu Ltd. - Segment focus 10.5 Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd. Exhibit 56: Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 57: Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 58: Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 59: Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.6 NEC Corp. Exhibit 60: NEC Corp. - Overview Exhibit 61: NEC Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 62: NEC Corp. - Key news Exhibit 63: NEC Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 64: NEC Corp. - Segment focus 10.7 Nokia Corp. Exhibit 65: Nokia Corp. - Overview Exhibit 66: Nokia Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 67: Nokia Corp. - Key news Exhibit 68: Nokia Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 69: Nokia Corp. - Segment focus 10.8 Qorvo Inc. Exhibit 70: Qorvo Inc. - Overview Exhibit 71: Qorvo Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 72: Qorvo Inc.- Key news Exhibit 73: Qorvo Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 74: Qorvo Inc. - Segment focus 10.9 Qualcomm Inc. Exhibit 75: Qualcomm Inc. - Overview Exhibit 76: Qualcomm Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 77: Qualcomm Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 78: Qualcomm Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Exhibit 79: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 80: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 81: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 82: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.11 Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Exhibit 83: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson - Overview Exhibit 84: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson - Business segments Exhibit 85: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson - Key news Exhibit 86: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson - Key offerings Exhibit 87: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson - Segment focus 10.12 ZTE Corp. Exhibit 88: ZTE Corp. - Overview Exhibit 89: ZTE Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 90: ZTE Corp. - Key news Exhibit 91: ZTE Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 92: ZTE Corp. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 93: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research methodology Exhibit 94: Research Methodology Exhibit 95: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 96: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 97: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio RIVERSIDE, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charles A. Bibbs African American Museum and Cultural Center (The Bibbs) welcomed more than 500 community residents for its first AfroNoon celebration and mini-museum exhibition launch in White Park earlier this month. Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) was thrilled to join the city of Riverside as a sponsor, supporting The Bibbs and its mission to cultivate, collect and showcase expressions of African American arts and culture in the region. The Charles A. Bibbs African American Museum and Cultural Center (The Bibbs) welcomed more than 500 community residents for its first AfroNoon celebration and mini-museum exhibition launch in White Park earlier this month. Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) was thrilled to join the city of Riverside as a sponsor, supporting The Bibbs and its mission to cultivate, collect and showcase expressions of African American arts and culture in the region. AfroNoon served the community as a Black arts festival, highlighting local talent from various artistic elements: music, traditional arts, food, live performances, and craft vendors. Also featured, pieces by the center's namesake Charles A. Bibbs, an internationally renowned contemporary visual artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose work is found in museums, galleries, organizations and homes of many collectors, including Riverside City Hall. "The AfroNoon in White Park was successful!" said Bibbs. "The highly attended event was strongly indicative of the interest and cultural impact the Charles A. Bibbs African American Museum and Cultural Center will have on the community. Many people participated in the event to learn more about the upcoming museum and others came with excitement and support." "Our presentation of our mini-museum exhibit, featuring the art of local award-winning artists Maurice Howard, Diana Shannon and Charles Bibbs provided a small taste of what is to come when The Bibbs finds a gallery space of its own," added Bibbs. For IEHP, partnering with The Bibbs represents an opportunity to enhance cultural connections. "Inclusivity is just as critical as medicine is to healing and inspiring the human spirit," said Michael Deering, IEHP vice president of Innovation Acceleration and Diversity. "The Bibbs is a beacon to our community's ongoing dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion and also provides space to actively facilitate, honor and celebrate that commitment on the level it deserves." In addition to sponsorship, the health plan served on the AfroNoon planning committee, provided giveaways and volunteers to support various booths. Once a permanent location is secured, The Bibbs plans to continue their work to promote permanent and revolving world-class collections from Mr. Bibbs and other African American artists, providing inclusive spaces for community expression. "The Bibbs will be a cultural destination in Riverside. It will be a 'voice of empowerment' wherein established, emerging and youth African American artists will be able to showcase their work in every discipline. For the community it will be a place for individuals and families to collaborate and connect with others in an enjoyable, inclusive environment of creativity and culture," said Bibbs. The Bibbs is currently working on a collaboration with Riverside's Mission Inn Foundation to install a fine arts exhibition before November's Festival of Lights, in addition to beginning a capital campaign to build its permanent home. To learn more about The Bibbs, visit thebibbs.org About IEHP With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 26th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,800 providers and nearly 2,500 team members. Through dynamic partnerships with providers and community organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to its vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org. SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Luyster Creek Energy Storage projects at Astoria Generating Station Key to Meeting New York's Clean Energy Goals Applications will also be filed for Gowanus and Narrows stations NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastern Generation, LLC ("Eastern Generation"), an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC ("ArcLight"), announced that the NYPSC has approved its application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity ("CPCN") - a necessary permit to build energy storage at the Astoria Generating Station as part of the Luyster Creek Energy Storage project. The batteries in Astoria, which are being developed by the Astoria Generating Company, a subsidiary of Eastern Generation, will provide over 135 MW of energy storage once complete. Eastern Generation owns generating stations that account for over 18% of New York City's power generation capacity. Energy storage projects are needed to improve the flexibility and reliability of the electric system as New York City transitions away from dispatchable fossil-fueled generation to offshore wind and other intermittent renewable resources. The Luyster Creek Energy Storage projects will help maximize the energy that renewables can provide to the system and reduce reliance on capacity provided by existing fossil-fueled generation. "The Luyster Creek projects can be fully operational as soon as 2025 if market conditions permit and proper economic incentive investments are made by the state," said Mark Sudbey, CEO of Eastern Generation. "Eastern Generation stands ready to help Governor Hochul and New York meet its ambitious target of at least 6,000 MW of energy storage by the year 2030," said Dan Revers, Managing Partner of ArcLight. Eastern Generation is expected to submit CPCN applications for additional storage projects at its Gowanus and Narrows stations, which will provide a combined 350 MW when fully operational. All three battery projects are located at existing power generating facilities, which are industrially zoned, buffered from residential communities and have established connections to the power grid. About ArcLight ArcLight is a leading private equity firm focused on energy, infrastructure and energy transition with a successful long-term track record. Founded in 2001, the firm helped pioneer an asset-based approach to investing across the power, renewables, infrastructure and broader energy value chain. Since then, ArcLight has invested approximately $26 billion in 116 transactions, including over $10 billion of equity capital into the electrification segment, which includes power, transmission, renewable infrastructure and energy transition investments. Through its large infrastructure portfolio, ArcLight is focused on providing decarbonizing energy solutions with a strong ESG focus. Based in Boston, the firm's investment team employs a value-added investment approach that benefits from its dedicated in-house technical, operational, and commercial specialists and partners, as well as the firm's approximately 1,800-person asset management affiliate. More information about ArcLight can be found at www.arclight.com . Contact Cathy Rought, [email protected] , 202-263-9097 SOURCE Eastern Generation Upon request from the Director General of Oman Customs, Mr. Saeed bin Khamis Al Ghaithi, the World Customs Organization (WCO) organised, from 30 May to 3 June 2022 in Muscat, Oman, a workshop to train 15 Customs officers on data analytics and mirror analysis. The mission benefitted from the financial support of the Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) of Korea. As explained by the Director General the missions objectives aimed at mobilising data in Oman Customs through drafting a strategy on data mobilization and developing the capacities of high potential Customs officers. In addition to the training on R and mirror analysis, the mission discussed and explained the importance of adopting a holistic approach to fully benefit from Data Analytics. Therefore, the WCO mission recommended adopting a progressive approach to ensure ownership of the transition to data and develop internal capacities through, inter alia, the establishment of strong relationships and partnerships with relevant stakeholders. For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. Attorney Brittney Baca of Accident Attorneys in Lancaster, California has been selected for The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 distinction for her work as a civil plaintiff attorney. LANCASTER, Calif. , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Brittney Baca of Accident Attorneys in Lancaster, California was recently selected for The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 distinction. She was selected for her outstanding work as a civil plaintiff attorney with a focus on motor vehicle accident claims and product liability cases. Membership in this select group is highly limited and can only be obtained through an invitation. As the title implies, it is also limited only to attorneys who are under the age of 40. The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 distinguished members must demonstrate excellent legal skills, act as a leader in their legal and local communities, carry a positive reputation among their clients and peers, and maintain full compliance with state bar regulations. A multistep selection process that integrates peer nominations and independent research is used to select new members. Accident Attorneys is a law firm known for passionate legal counsel that can secure a record-breaking verdict. Attorney Baca's recent selection to The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 continues the firm's overall reputation for setting the example that other firms should follow. Brittney's National Trial Lawyers bio can be found at https://thenationaltriallawyers.org/profile-view/Brittney/Baca/30191/. For more information about The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, interested parties should visit https://thenationaltriallawyers.org/ntl-groups/top-40-under-40/. Additional information about Accident Attorneys and Attorney Brittney Baca can be found at www.avaccidentattorneys.com. CONTACT: Lancaster, CA Chris Levinson 661-261-4929 [email protected] SOURCE Accident Attorneys NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION CONGRATULATES 2021 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS AND INVITES AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS TO ENTER THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation and partners are excited to announce the winners of the 2021 Share the Experience photo contest and launch the 2022 contest. The Share the Experience photo contest invites amateur photographers to submit their favorite views, moments, memories, and adventures from national parks and public lands across the United States, with safety top of mind. View the collection of winning photos here. "The winning photos capture the imagination and inspire wonder," said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. "Congratulations to this year's contest winners whose park experiences and captivating images invite people to connect with the natural beauty and history preserved in national parks." Nearly 11,000 photos were submitted to the contest which ran from June 17, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Top Three Winners The peaceful blue sky overlooks Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks as a rocky mountain peak seems to pierce the sky in this scenic photograph. This photo, captured by Karla Rivera , is the grand prize winner of the 2021 Share the Experience photo contest and will be featured on the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. , is the grand prize winner of the 2021 Share the Experience photo contest and will be featured on the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. A photograph by Norman Lathrop of a sunlit creek surrounded by stunning greenery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park took second place. of a sunlit creek surrounded by stunning greenery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park took second place. Third place went to Christopher Neal for his photo of a breathtaking moment where he stopped on a wooden trail to capture the star filled sky illuminating a dimly light lighthouse in a quiet field at Cape Hatteras National Seashore . The National Park Foundation is also excited to launch the 2022 Share the Experience photo contest with co-sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton, the contractor and partner for the Recreation.gov platform. This year's contest invites amateur photographers to submit their favorite recent shots, while continuing to keep safety top of mind. "We at Booz Allen Hamilton celebrate the Share the Experience contest, and congratulate this year's winners who so vividly captured the beauty of our national lands," said Julie McPherson, executive vice president, Booz Allen Hamilton. "Our firm's hope is that ever more Americans will see these images and feel inspired to visit parks and make their own memories; when they do, the Recreation.gov website and mobile app are there to make the experience all the more welcoming and accessible to everyone." The grand prize for the winning image is $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place. Winners also receive outdoor gear provided by Celestron and Hydro Flask, hotel vouchers courtesy of Historic Hotels of America, and an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Prizes will also be awarded for the following six categories: Adventure & Recreation Share photos of your favorite activities and adventures highlighting the diversity of exhilarating moments that can be experienced on recreational lands and waters across the country from fishing to hiking to interpretive tours and more. And be sure to #RecreateResponsibly! Outdoors for All Featuring people, of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, who love to explore and experience recreational lands and waters. Share photos of family and friends that demonstrate how recreational lands and waters can be enjoyed by all. Historical & Cultural From the homes of civil rights leaders to spaces that bore witness to national movements, to battlefields where people fought for freedom and more, this category spotlights the multifaceted and multicultural stories of the United States and the places that preserve them. Scenic, Seasons & Landscapes The scenic vistas, sweeping landscapes, and beautiful flora of recreational lands and waters can be found in far-off locales or closer to home than you think. Capture fall foliage, forests, winter wonderlands, flowers, mountains, deserts, canyons, lakes, seashores, rivers, and more. Wildlife Take a walk on the wild side with photos of the incredibly diverse array of animals that call recreational lands and waters home. Remember to keep your distance and stay safe! Night Skies Capture the magic of a night out under the stars. Slow the shutter speed down and see what develops! The 2022 Share the Experience photo contest is hosted by the National Park Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and Recreation.gov. Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America's national parks and federal recreational lands and waters, showcasing the more than 500 million acres of federal lands and waters and drawing entries from across the United States. The 2022 contest is now open and accepting entries through December 31. Please visit sharetheexperience.org to learn more about the contest, including how to submit an image, the full list of prizing, and contest rules. You can also follow @NationalParkFoundation on Instagram for photo inspiration. ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at nationalparks.org. Related Links: SOURCE National Park Foundation High grade results from the Fekola North target area such as drill hole FKD_64, which returned 4.28 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold over 19.15 metres, from 529.0 metres, provides strong support for ongoing evaluation of underground development of the deepest portions of the Fekola Mine deposit In the Anaconda area, approximately 20 kilometres north of the Fekola Mine, drill hole MSD_212, which returned 8.09 g/t gold over 15.8 metres, from 431.1 metres, confirms the presence of high grade sulphide, approximately 100 metres below the limits of the current Mineral Resource pit boundary. The good grade and width combinations at the Anaconda area continue to provide a strong indication of the potential for Fekola-style plunging bodies of sulphide mineralization, which remain open at depth area, approximately 20 kilometres north of the Fekola Mine, drill hole MSD_212, which returned 8.09 g/t gold over 15.8 metres, from 431.1 metres, confirms the presence of high grade sulphide, approximately 100 metres below the limits of the current Mineral Resource pit boundary. The good grade and width combinations at the area continue to provide a strong indication of the potential for Fekola-style plunging bodies of sulphide mineralization, which remain open at depth Ongoing drilling by the Company on the Anaconda area to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area, and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization, including the Mamba and Adder zones, as well as several other targets below the saprolite mineralization, continues to generate positive drill results in both saprolite and sulphide domains and demonstrates strong potential to further increase the updated Anaconda area Mineral Resource estimate area to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area, and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization, including the Mamba and Adder zones, as well as several other targets below the saprolite mineralization, continues to generate positive drill results in both saprolite and sulphide domains and demonstrates strong potential to further increase the updated area Mineral Resource estimate Following the recent acquisition of the Bakolobi permit, immediately south of the Menankoto permit, the Company will conduct an approximately $3.4 million exploration program for 50,200 metres of diamond and reverse circulation drilling in the second half of 2022 exploration program for 50,200 metres of diamond and reverse circulation drilling in the second half of 2022 The Company recently announced the acquisition of Oklo Resources Limited and its Dandoko project, located approximately 25 kilometres from the Fekola Mine (subject to completion) Click here to view B2Gold's West Mali Tenement Map 2022 2022 Exploration Drilling B2Gold is currently conducting a 225,000 metre drill program in western Mali with a 2022 exploration budget of $35 million, including drill programs on the Fekola North deposit to further test the underground potential, and the Anaconda area, including the Mamba, Adder, Anaconda. Cascabel, Viper and Cobra zones. To date in 2022, the Company has completed approximately 70,000 metres of combined diamond, reverse circulation and aircore drilling on targets near the Fekola Mine, primarily targeting deep extensions of the Fekola deposit to the north and below the current reserve pit, and in the Anaconda Area, primarily on the Mamba, Adder and Cascabel zones), between 20 and 25 kilometres north of the Fekola Mine. Fekola North Exploration Drilling undertaken since December 2021 at the Fekola North deposit has partially infilled areas of the deepest portions of the current Mineral Resource area and also tested beyond the limits of the current Mineral Resource pit in areas believed to be amenable to underground development. Drill holes such as FKD_641, which returned 4.28 g/t gold over 19.15 metres, from 529.0 metres, and hole FKD_632 which returned 3.86 g/t gold over 9.73 metres, from 502.14 metres, intersect high grade sulphide mineralization in step outs beyond the limit of the current Mineral Resource pit and provide strong positive support to the ongoing evalution of underground mining at Fekola. The Company has completed approximately 15,000 metres of deep diamond drilling on the Fekola North deposit in 2022, with two drill rigs currently active. Select results from the Fekola North from drilling since December 2021 include: Hole ID Depth From Depth To Interval Au g/t FKD_620 530.00 548.3 18.3 4.00 FKD_622 550.78 557.00 6.22 4.64 FKD_623 502.00 520.40 18.40 7.32 FKD_625 528.83 544.00 15.17 4.06 FKD_626 558.80 577.80 19.00 4.38 FKD_629 444.20 463.00 18.80 3.17 FKD_631 472.85 481.30 8.45 3.36 and 487.30 494.66 7.36 5.72 FKD_632 502.14 506.00 3.86 9.73 FKD_633 508.67 519.60 10.93 3.59 and 526.70 530.20 3.50 3.39 FKD_636 627.76 635.00 7.24 5.90 FKD_638 430.00 435.40 5.40 3.26 and 443.35 461.20 17.85 5.86 and 469.30 477.60 8.30 3.28 FKD_639 638.20 642.40 4.20 7.82 FKD_641 529.00 548.15 19.15 4.28 FKD_644 540.25 544.00 3.75 4.98 Composites are uncapped and reported above 1.85 g/t gold cutoff, which approximates current underground cut-off grades. Core lengths are approximately 85-90% of true width. Anaconda Area Exploration On March 23, 2022, the Company announced an updated and significantly increased Mineral Resource estimate for the Anaconda area, comprised of the Menankoto permit and the Bantako North permit, located approximately 25 kilometres from the Fekola Mine. The updated and significantly increased Anaconda Mineral Resource estimate, constrained within a conceptual pit shell at a gold price of $1,800 per ounce, included an initial Indicated Mineral Resource estimate of 32,400,000 tonnes at 1.08 g/t gold for a total 1,130,000 ounces of gold, and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 63,700,000 tonnes at 1.12 g/t gold for 2,280,000 ounces of gold. The Mineral Resource estimate included first time reporting of 1,130,000 ounces of Indicated Mineral Resources and an increase of 1,510,000 ounces (196% increase) of Inferred Mineral Resources since the initial Inferred Mineral Resource estimate in 2017 (21,590,000 tonnes at 1.11 g/t gold, for 767,000 ounces. On the Mamba zone, drill hole BND_090, which returned 4.34 g/t gold over 5.6 metres, from 130.1 metres, and hole MSD_212, which returned 8.09 g/t gold over 15.8 metres, from 431.10 metres, are particularly significant as they confirm the continuity of high grade sulphide mineralization 110 metres below the limit of the updated Mineral Resource pit boundaries. In the main Anaconda area Mineral Resource pit, drill hole MSR_938, which returned 3.32 g/t gold over 10 metres, from 92 metres, and drill hole MSR_939, which returned 1.49 g/t gold over 50 metres, from 71 metres, demonstrate the potential to add sulphide Mineral Resources beneath the currently defined saprolite resources, where the mineralization remains open at depth. Select results from the Anaconda area exploration drilling include: Hole ID From To Metres Au g/t Domain BND_088 71.30 95.20 23.90 1.85 Saprolite and 143.00 147.55 4.55 7.08 Sulphide BND_089 42.20 62.50 20.30 1.34 Saprolite BND_090 131.10 136.70 5.60 4.34 Saprolite BNR_542 0.00 13.00 13.00 3.26 Saprolite MSD_212 431.10 446.90 15.80 8.09 Sulphide and 567.00 586.00 19.00 2.64 Sulphide MSR_918 21.00 42.00 21.00 3.96 Saprolite MSR_920 26.00 48.00 22.00 1.59 Saprolite and 60.00 71.00 11.00 4.15 Sulphide MSR_923 13.00 58.80 45.80 1.11 Saprolite MSR_924 113.90 149.30 35.40 1.03 Sulphide MSR_926 4.00 28.00 24.00 1.12 Saprolite MSR_936 0.00 52.00 52.00 0.71 Saprolite MSR_938 41.00 62.00 21.00 2.06 Sulphide and 92.00 102.00 10.00 3.31 Sulphide MSR_939 22.00 31.00 9.00 2.23 Saprolite and 35.00 50.00 15.00 1.45 Saprolite and 71.00 121.00 50.00 1.49 Sulphide MSR_943 15.00 43.00 28.00 1.88 Saprolite MSR_943 44.00 70.00 26.00 1.12 Sulphide MSR_944 40.00 63.00 23.00 1.31 Sulphide Saprolite composites are reported above a 0.2 g/t gold cutoff. Sulphide composites are uncapped and reported above 0.6 g/t gold cutoff. Ongoing drilling by the Company on the Anaconda areas to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization, including the Mamba and Adder zones, as well as several other targets below the saprolite mineralization, continues to generate positive drill results in both saprolite and sulphide domains and demonstrates strong potential to further increase the updated Anaconda area Mineral Resource estimate. 2022 Fekola and West Mali Regional Exploration For the remainder of 2022, the Company will continue to drill to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization at the Anaconda area, including the Mamba and Adder zones, and several other targets below the saprolite mineralization. The good grade and width combinations at the Anaconda area continue to provide a strong indication of the potential for Fekola-style south plunging bodies of sulphide mineralization, which remain open down plunge. Six drill rigs are currently drilling in the Anaconda area. In April 2022, the Company acquired the Bakolobi permit in Mali from a local Malian company. The Bakolobi permit is located between the Menankoto permit, to the North, and the Fekola Mine's Medinandi permit, wrapping around the latter to its south-west end, covering an area of 100 km2 and providing approximately 25 km of contiguous exploration potential along the Senegal-Mali Shear Zone An initial $3.4 million exploration program on the Bakolobi permit is scheduled for the second half of 2022. Drilling will focus on the southward extension of known resources in the Anaconda area. The Company believes that the Bakolobi permit is a highly prospective area that has the potential to provide for the near-term addition of both saprolite- and sulphide-hosted gold deposits. B2Gold's proposed acquisition of Oklo Resources Limited and its flagship Dandoko project, which remains subject to completion, will extend the footprint of B2Gold's exploration in Mali to over 1,700 km2 and add the Dandoko project's JORC 2012 compliant Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource estimate of 8.70 million tonnes at 1.88 g/t for 528,000 ounces of gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 2.63 million tonnes at 1.67 g/t for 141,000 ounces of gold, to B2Gold's rapidly growing Mineral Resource inventory in the region. The Company believes there is strong potential to extend the mineralization at the Dandoko project The Company also has one drill rig active on the Kolomba regional target, which is located approximately 15 kilometers from the Anaconda area, with assay results pending. Anaconda Development Update In 2022, the Company has budgeted $33 million for development of infrastructure for Phase I saprolite mining at the Anaconda area, including road construction. Based on the updated Mineral Resource estimate and B2Gold's preliminary planning, the Company has demonstrated that a pit situated on the Anaconda area could provide selective higher grade saprolite material (average grade of 2.2 g/t) to be trucked to and fed into the Fekola mill commencing as early as late 2022 at a rate of 1.5 million tonnes per annum. Subject to obtaining all necessary permits and completion of a final development plan, the trucking of selective higher grade saprolite material to the Fekola mill would increase the ore processed and annual gold production from the Fekola mill, with the potential to add an average of approximately 80,000 to 100,000 ounces per year to the Fekola mill's annual gold production. The plan to truck the selective higher grade saprolite material is not included in the Company's 2022 production guidance and the Anaconda area Mineral Resources have not been included in the current Fekola life of mine plan. Based on the updated Mineral Resource estimate and the 2022 exploration drilling results, the Company has commenced a Phase II scoping study to review the project economics of constructing a stand-alone mill near the Anaconda area. Subject to receipt of a positive Phase II scoping study, the Company expects that the saprolite material would continue to be trucked to and fed into the Fekola mill during the construction period for the Anaconda area stand-alone mill. QA/QC on Sample Collection and Assaying The primary laboratories for the Fekola Mine and West Mali regional exploration are SGS Laboratories in Bamako, Mali and Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Periodically, exploration samples will be analyzed at the Fekola Mine laboratory. At each laboratory, samples are prepared and analyzed using 50-gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish and/or gravimetric finish. Umpire assays are used to monitor lab performance monthly. Quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the core, reverse circulation and aircore drilling sample strings. The results of the control samples are evaluated on a regular basis with batches re-analyzed and/or resubmitted as needed. All results stated in this announcement have passed B2Gold's quality assurance and quality control protocols. Qualified Person Tom Garagan, Senior Vice President of Exploration at B2Gold, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the information contained in this news release. About B2Gold Corp. B2Gold is a low-cost international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has operating gold mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Mali, Colombia, Finland and Uzbekistan. B2Gold forecasts total consolidated gold production of between 990,000 and 1,050,000 ounces in 2022. On Behalf of B2GOLD CORP. "Clive T. Johnson" President & Chief Executive Officer For more information on B2Gold, please visit the Company's website at www.b2gold.com or contact: Randall Chatwin Cherry DeGeer SVP, Legal & Corporate Communications Director, Corporate Communications +1 604-681-8371 +1 604-681-8371 [email protected] [email protected] The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American LLC neither approve nor disapprove the information contained in this news release. Production guidance presented in this news release reflect total production at the mines B2Gold operates on a 100% project basis. Please see our Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2022 for a discussion of our ownership interest in the mines B2Gold operates. This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation, including: projections; outlook; guidance; forecasts; estimates; statements regarding future or estimated financial and operational performance, gold production and sales, revenues and cash flows, and capital costs (sustaining and non-sustaining) and operating costs, and including, without limitation: statements regarding the Transaction, including, without limitation, the completion of the Oklo transaction, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including from the TSX and NYSE MKT, and the satisfaction of conditions; total consolidated gold production of between 990,000 and 1,050,000 ounces in 2022. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond B2Gold's control, including risks associated with or related to: the duration and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of preventative measures and contingency plans put in place by the Company to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, social distancing, a non-essential travel ban, business continuity plans, and efforts to mitigate supply chain disruptions; escalation of travel restrictions on people or products and reductions in the ability of the Company to transport and refine dore; the volatility of metal prices and B2Gold's common shares; changes in tax laws; the dangers inherent in exploration, development and mining activities; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates; not achieving production, cost or other estimates; actual production, development plans and costs differing materially from the estimates in B2Gold's feasibility and other studies; the ability to obtain and maintain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for mining activities; environmental regulations or hazards and compliance with complex regulations associated with mining activities; climate change and climate change regulations; the ability to replace mineral reserves and identify acquisition opportunities; the unknown liabilities of companies acquired by B2Gold; the ability to successfully integrate new acquisitions; fluctuations in exchange rates; the availability of financing; financing and debt activities, including potential restrictions imposed on B2Gold's operations as a result thereof and the ability to generate sufficient cash flows; operations in foreign and developing countries and the compliance with foreign laws, including those associated with operations in Mali, Namibia, the Philippine and Colombia and including risks related to changes in foreign laws and changing policies related to mining and local ownership requirements or resource nationalization generally, including in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure; fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations; shortages or cost increases in necessary equipment, supplies and labour; regulatory, political and country risks, including local instability or acts of terrorism and the effects thereof; the reliance upon contractors, third parties and joint venture partners; the lack of sole decision-making authority related to Filminera Resources Corporation, which owns the Masbate Project; challenges to title or surface rights; the dependence on key personnel and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the risk of an uninsurable or uninsured loss; adverse climate and weather conditions; litigation risk; competition with other mining companies; community support for B2Gold's operations, including risks related to strikes and the halting of such operations from time to time; conflicts with small scale miners; failures of information systems or information security threats; the ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting as required by law, including Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; compliance with anti-corruption laws, and sanctions or other similar measures; social media and B2Gold's reputation; risks affecting Calibre having an impact on the value of the Company's investment in Calibre, and potential dilution of our equity interest in Calibre; as well as other factors identified and as described in more detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in B2Gold's most recent Annual Information Form, B2Gold's current Form 40-F Annual Report and B2Gold's other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which may be viewed at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively (the "Websites"). The list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect B2Gold's forward-looking statements B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to B2Gold's ability to carry on current and future operations, including: the duration and effects of COVID-19 on our operations and workforce; development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; B2Gold's ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry. B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. B2Gold does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits or liabilities B2Gold will derive therefrom. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. SOURCE B2Gold Corp. 48% of Women Are Confident About Their Finances, Though Only 28% Feel Empowered to Act; Top Financial Regret is Not Saving and Investing Sooner in Life Younger Women Taking Greater Control of Their Finances CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America today announced findings from a new body of research on women and financial wellness, which finds that 94% of women believe they will be personally responsible for their finances at some point in their adult life. Despite this, about half of women (48%) feel confident about their finances and only 28% feel empowered to take action. Women, money, confidence a lifelong relationship The study, which has been published in a new report titled Women, Money, Confidence: A Lifelong Relationship, gauged how women rate their financial health, with a majority of women reporting they are doing well managing their day-to-day finances, like paying their bills every month (70%) and following a budget (53%), however they are struggling with longer term actions like paying down debt (44%), saving for emergencies (44%), saving for retirement (36%) and building wealth (27%). One-in-five women (21%) acknowledge that it is time to make a change to their finances. "True financial freedom requires both short-term and long-term planning, and the confidence to take action," said Lorna Sabbia, Head of Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions at Bank of America. "It is imperative that we give women the tools and resources to take charge of their financial futures, and to close the gaps between confidence, empowerment and action." This new study continues Bank of America and Merrill's extensive research efforts exploring women's unique life journeys and how various factors impact their financial well-being. The report is based on a nationwide survey of more than 3,500 women and 1,200 men; and examines the progress women are making on their financial journeys and where they might need additional guidance and support. Investing is a key barrier and top regret Women are confident managing everyday financial tasks such as paying bills (92%) and managing a budget (87%), yet only half are confident managing investments (53%) and creating a diversified portfolio (44%). While women and men have nearly equal influence on day-to-day financial decisions, such as paying bills (68% of women vs. 67% of men) and determining the household budget (63% vs. 63%), less than half of women feel they have influence when it comes to decisions on investments (46% vs. 64%). The top obstacles women say are holding them back from investing include not having savings to invest (38%), lack of knowledge (32%) and believing investing is too risky (22%). When asked about their financial regrets, nearly half of women (44%) pointed to not saving and investing sooner. Women also say they would have invested more of their money (26%), educated themselves more around money (23%), not taken on as much credit card debt (21%), chosen a career with higher pay (19%), lived within their means (18%) and taken better care of their health (14%). Other key findings include: Younger women paving the way for open financial conversations. Younger women (ages 22-39) are more comfortable having financial conversations than their older counterparts (ages 65+), including talking with financial advisors (73% vs. 64%), applying for new or better positions at work (74% vs. 42%), discussing new investment opportunities (65% vs. 44%) and asking for a raise (59% vs. 38%). Younger women (ages 22-39) are more comfortable having financial conversations than their older counterparts (ages 65+), including talking with financial advisors (73% vs. 64%), applying for new or better positions at work (74% vs. 42%), discussing new investment opportunities (65% vs. 44%) and asking for a raise (59% vs. 38%). Being debt free seen as the top indicator of financial independence. 47% of women listed being debt-free as the hallmark of financial independence. Other top indicators included being able to weather an unexpected expense (39%), being able to support myself without financial help from my family (34%) and being able to support my family (32%). Paying off debt also topped the list of barriers to improving financial wellness (36%), followed by high cost of living (34%) and not being paid enough (31%). 47% of women listed being debt-free as the hallmark of financial independence. Other top indicators included being able to weather an unexpected expense (39%), being able to support myself without financial help from my family (34%) and being able to support my family (32%). Paying off debt also topped the list of barriers to improving financial wellness (36%), followed by high cost of living (34%) and not being paid enough (31%). Women's confidence levels vary for financial events during different life stages. A majority of women are confident about paying for future healthcare costs (56%) and staying comfortable in retirement (54%), but confidence levels drop as it pertains to buying a home (40%), funding children's or grandkids' education (38%) and taking care of aging parents (32%). A majority of women are confident about paying for future healthcare costs (56%) and staying comfortable in retirement (54%), but confidence levels drop as it pertains to buying a home (40%), funding children's or grandkids' education (38%) and taking care of aging parents (32%). Financial planning varies by groups . While 82% of women have a financial plan, only 30% focused on plans of 10 years or more. Caucasian and Asian-American women are more likely to have long-term plans (35% and 37%, respectively) than Black (20%) or Hispanic (20%) women. Women who identify as LGBTQ+ are also less likely to have a long-term plan (21%). While 82% of women have a financial plan, only 30% focused on plans of 10 years or more. Caucasian and Asian-American women are more likely to have long-term plans (35% and 37%, respectively) than Black (20%) or Hispanic (20%) women. Women who identify as LGBTQ+ are also less likely to have a long-term plan (21%). Saving for retirement is top of mind, yet many don't have an actionable plan. Saving for retirement topped the list of short-term (49%) and long-term (54%) goals, yet one-in-five women approaching retirement do not have a financial plan. In addition, 57% have not figured out how much to save for a comfortable retirement and 40% are not confident about staying comfortable in retirement. Saving for retirement topped the list of short-term (49%) and long-term (54%) goals, yet one-in-five women approaching retirement do not have a financial plan. In addition, 57% have not figured out how much to save for a comfortable retirement and 40% are not confident about staying comfortable in retirement. Older women turn to Social Security to fund retirement, younger women plan to lean on savings. 90% of women 65+ plan to rely on Social Security in retirement (vs. 49% of women ages 22-39). Younger women ages 22-39 are more likely to plan on using personal savings (63%, vs. 53% of women 65+). 90% of women 65+ plan to rely on Social Security in retirement (vs. 49% of women ages 22-39). Younger women ages 22-39 are more likely to plan on using personal savings (63%, vs. 53% of women 65+). Women in the workforce face unique concerns, prioritizing salary increases over time off. About half (49%) of women left the workforce at some point, with the primary reason being caregiving (58%). While 36% returned to a lower-paying job, a majority of women (77%) do not regret their decision to spend time away from their career, and 71% say returning to their job was rewarding. In addition, when asked if they would prefer higher pay or additional time off, 61% said they would prefer a pay increase. About half (49%) of women left the workforce at some point, with the primary reason being caregiving (58%). While 36% returned to a lower-paying job, a majority of women (77%) do not regret their decision to spend time away from their career, and 71% say returning to their job was rewarding. In addition, when asked if they would prefer higher pay or additional time off, 61% said they would prefer a pay increase. Women continue to look for reliable sources of advice to help them on their financial journeys. Though 35% say "a go-to trustworthy source for advice" would help make managing their finances easier and 44% see a financial advisor as a key financial resource, 55% have never worked with one. In addition, though reliance on financial advisors increased only slightly with age (41% of women ages 22-39 vs. 47% of women ages 65+), it increased significantly by income level (35% of women with less than $50k in income vs. 61% of women with more than $250k in income). "At Bank of America, we're committed to helping all women navigate the nuances of their financial journeys by providing the foundational education, professional advice and resources needed to build their confidence and take action to achieve financial security," said Sabbia. Bank of America's Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions organization serves more than 25,000 companies of all sizes and more than 5.8 million employees as of December 31, 20211. Bank of America offers institutional client employees a range of financial benefit programs to help them pursue their financial future, including our Financial Life Benefits program. Financial Life Benefits offers a suite of workplace benefits and solutions designed to help meet the near- and long-term financial needs of employees. This complete offering brings together traditional financial benefits including retirement plans2, health savings2, equity compensation2 and non-qualified deferred compensation plans2 with a range of banking and lending capabilities from Bank of America and investing capabilities from Merrill to help address employees' financial needs more comprehensively. Women, Money, Confidence: A Lifelong Relationship Methodology Ipsos conducted a 21-minute online survey among a representative sample of more than 3,500 women and more than 1,200 men age 22+ in February 2022. Quotas were enforced to ensure results were representative within gender by age, race, income and assets, marital status, employment status, and education. Survey content was developed by Ipsos in consultation with the Bank of America team. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,100 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 54 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com Retirement and Personal Wealth Solutions is the institutional retirement business of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp.") operating under the name "Bank of America." Investment advisory and brokerage services are provided by wholly owned non-bank affiliates of BofA Corp., including Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as "MLPF&S" or "Merrill"), a dually registered broker-dealer and investment adviser and member SIPC. Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value 2022 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Reporters may contact: Don Vecchiarello, Bank of America Phone: 1.980.387.4899 [email protected] 1Source: Global Wealth and Investment Management Finance. 2Investment products are available from Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. MAP# 4786086 SOURCE Bank of America Corporation Fears Nachawati trial lawyers gearing up for next Roundup cancer trial in August WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer has run out of appeals over a $25 million jury verdict for a California man who developed cancer after using Roundup weedkiller. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for thousands of pending lawsuits on behalf of people who developed cancer after exposure to the herbicide, said trial lawyer Majed Nachawati. "The Supreme Court has spoken loud and clear," said Mr. Nachawati, whose Dallas-based firm represents more than 5,000 cancer victims in litigation against the global chemical giant which owns Monsanto, the maker of Roundup. "Bayer and Monsanto cannot shirk responsibility to those who have been harmed by this cancer-causing weedkiller. This important decision means cancer victims can have their day in court, and Bayer Monsanto has reached the end of the line in efforts to stall and delay justice." The Supreme Court's rejection of Bayer's appeal was the second setback in recent days for Bayer (OTCMKTS: BAYZF, BAYRY). On June 17, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to re-examine the cancer risks associated with Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate. "Bayer and Monsanto have been using their armies of corporate lawyers and lobbyists to avoid accountability for too long," said Mr. Nachawati. "They can't hide from justice and the cancer victims who deserve answers. It's past time for this global chemical giant to stop playing games with people's lives." Mr. Nachawati and the Fears Nachawati law firm are gearing up for the next trial on behalf of Roundup cancer victims in early August in state court in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Nachawati has been an outspoken voice against Monsanto's attempts to circumvent the settlements of thousands of related lawsuits consolidated in multidistrict litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Three bellwether trials have produced multimillion-dollar verdicts, finding that exposure to the herbicide caused cancer. All three verdicts have been affirmed on appeal. A $25 million verdict for California resident Edwin Hardeman is the case that Bayer unsuccessfully appealed to the Supreme Court. The multidistrict litigation is In re: Bayer Roundup Products Liability Litigation, case number 3:16-md-02741. Mr. Nachawati represents individuals in mass tort litigation, businesses and governmental entities in contingent litigation and individual victims in complex personal injury litigation. The Fears Nachawati law firm is one of the largest and most diverse products liability law firms in the nation. The firm is ranked No. 1 nationally in products liability filings in federal court over the past three years, according to Lex Machina. For more information visit https://www.fnlawfirm.com. Media Contact: Robert Tharp 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Fears Nachawati Law Firm DENVER, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - BellRock Brands Inc. ("BellRock" or the "Company") (CSE: BRCK.U), an industry-leading cannabis multi-state house of brands announced today that C.J. Chapman, BellRock's Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, is leaving the company effective July 4, 2022. Under C.J.'s legal stewardship, the Company initially listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, the OTCQX and the Frankfurt Exchange and consummated various transactions, including the merger with BR Brands. He has agreed to work with the Company during this period to ensure a smooth transition with his replacement. "I would like to thank C.J. for his professionalism and legal guidance in taking the Company public and building out the legal department and various other functions over the past four years. He will be missed, and we wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors," said BellRock CEO and President, Brian Jansen. As a result of the change, Eduardo Provencio, BellRock's current Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Development, will be assuming the role of General Counsel. Eduardo was previously Mary's Medicinals' General Counsel prior to Dixie Brands merger with BR Brands. Eduardo has over six years of experience in the cannabis industry and has been a thought leader for the regulatory framework in Colorado and other states. "I am leaving the cannabis industry to pursue another opportunity, but BellRock is in good hands with Eduardo taking over the legal helm and with the guidance of Brian Jansen and the BellRock board," said C.J. Chapman. About BellRock Brands BellRock Brands is a cannabis multi-state house of brands and intellectual property focused CPG operator that possesses one of the industry's broadest branded product portfolios. BellRock consists of two iconic cannabis brands, Mary's Medicinals (a pioneer in the Health & Wellness segment since 2013) and Dixie (a market-leading cannabis-infused edibles brand since 2010). BellRock also includes two growing California-based brands, Rebel Coast and Defonce. BellRock's CBD portfolio includes the brands Mary's Nutritionals and Mary's Tails. With 7 brands and over 200 SKUs, BellRock reaches nearly every key consumer group and addresses the needs of a diverse cannabis consumer base. The BellRock manufacturing and distribution footprint continues to expand and currently spans nine states, and the Company owns or manages production facilities in its largest markets. For more information, visit www.bellrockbrands.com. Forward-Looking Information and Statements The information provided in this press release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, made by the Company (or its predecessors) that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "intends", "anticipates", "targeted", "continues", "forecasts", "designed", "goal", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. Forward-looking statements may relate to future financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, performance or business developments. These statements speak only as at the date they are made and are based on information currently available and on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events, which are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from that which was expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: (i) the regulation of the medical and recreational marijuana industry in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and other countries in which the Company may carry on its business; (ii) the ability of the Company to obtain meaningful consumer acceptance and a successful market for its products on a national and international basis at competitive prices; (iii) the ability of the Company to develop and maintain an effective sales network; (iv) the success of the Company in forecasting demand for its products or services; (v) the ability of the Company to maintain pricing and thereby maintain adequate profit margins; (vi) the ability of the Company to achieve adequate intellectual property protection; (vii) the availability of financing opportunities, risks associated with economic conditions, dependence on management and conflicts of interest; and (viii) other risks described from time to time in documents filed by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's listing statement dated October 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions, including the Company's ability to transition to new senior leadership without any material adverse change to the Company's operations or business. With respect to the forward-looking statements contained herein, although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements as no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, including the risks described above. Consequently, all forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by such cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the anticipated results or developments will actually be realized or, even if realized, that they will have the expected consequences to or effects on the Company. The cautionary statements contained or referred to herein should be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that the Company and/or persons acting on the Company's behalf may issue. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. SOURCE BellRock Brands Inc. Bitcoin of America's female team also spoke with the Miami Mayor about ways they can make a change. Mayor Francis Suarez welcomed the all-women team from Bitcoin of America. Bitcoin of America is known as the leading operator in the cryptocurrency industry to provide fast and hassle-free transactions to their customers while offering top of the line customer support. The company currently operates 2500 Bitcoin ATM locations across the United States and is constantly expands. The Bitcoin of America team passed around hats and t-shirts with the company's logo and "women in crypto" embroidery. Bitcoin of America has been known to send their female executive team to attend conferences, expos, and more. They also revealed that most of their top tier positions are held by women. Bitcoin of America's Chief Operating Officer, Operations Manager, Director of Marketing, and Director of Business Development are all run by powerful females. SOURCE Bitcoin of America South American farmers face significant challenges linked to the overuse of chemicals including high levels of water and soil pollution, herbicide resistance, and chemical drift. Until now, access to precision spraying technology on the continent has been limited to infra-red solutions that are not suitable for post-emergence (green-on-green) spraying, greatly reducing their efficacy and savings potential. Uniquely, the Greeneye solution overcomes this challenge by using proprietary AI technology to identify weeds in crops with unparalleled accuracy, unlocking the full potential of precision spraying. "As a leading agricultural producer, Bom Futuro is committed to increasing the productivity and sustainability of our operations something we believe can only be achieved with a long-term strategy of ecologically-balanced, economically-viable and socially-fair production," comments Jose Vengrus Zezao, Director of Agriculture and Mechanization at Bom Futuro. "To this end, we strive to adopt the latest innovative technologies that enable us to increase yield, protect the environment, and safeguard the health of farm workers. We expect precision spraying to play an important part in meeting our goals. We have been excited by the results Greeneye has achieved working with farmers in North America especially in post-emergence applications and we look forward to achieving similar success in Brazil." Bom Futuro manages 583,000 hectares of farmland throughout Mato Grosso, and produces 1.7 million tons of grain each year, including 1.3 million tons of soybeans. The second generation of Bom Futuro's heirs also invests heavily in "green" technologies. Rafael Bortoli and his sister Aline Bortoli will utilize Greeneye's precision spraying technology in the company they created called Natter . There, in addition to believing in sustainable production, they also invest in the manufacture and use of biofertilizers. Rafael Bortoli adds: "We believe that the use of more advanced products, such as Ingrow, combined with the evolution of the application proposed by Greeneye that can be integrated into our existing operations, is the future of agriculture." Nadav Bocher, CEO, Greeneye Technology, and Gidi Levanon, the company's representative in Brazil, comment: "2022 has already proved to be a milestone year for Greeneye Technology following its hugely successful launch in North America, and we are delighted to announce the next exciting stage in its global expansion. We are especially excited to work with Bom Futuro and Natter. They are visionary producers whose commitment to using innovative technology to improve farming outcomes and protect the environment perfectly aligns with Greeneye's mission to create a more sustainable and profitable farming future." About Greeneye Technology Greeneye Technology was founded in 2017 in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the mission to develop alternative and sustainable solutions to current crop protection practices to meet the growing global demand for food production, while also increasing productivity and profitability for farmers. The company is pioneering the use of precision spraying technology by harnessing AI and deep machine learning to enable intelligent, real-time decisions in the field that are proven to cut chemical use by up to 90% and improve weed control efficacy compared to standard broadcast spraying. Greeneye has a multidisciplinary team with expertise in computer vision, AI, agronomy, mechanical engineering, and business. In April 2022, Greeneye announced the commercial launch of its technology in North America, signalling a major milestone in unlocking mainstream adoption of precision spraying by overcoming previous barriers of efficacy, speed of delivery, and cost. In November 2021, it closed a $22m funding round led by international venture capital firm, JVP, KDT and including investment from agriculture industry leaders, Syngenta and AGCO. For more information see: www.greeneye.ag. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845494/Greeneye_AI.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845495/Greeneye_herbicide.jpg SOURCE Greeneye Technology BOSTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Burns & Levinson announced today that partner Ellen Zucker has been ranked Band 1 and partner Laura Studen has been ranked Band 2 in the Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation category (Massachusetts) in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA. Burns & Levinson also ranked Band 2 firmwide in the MA Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation. According to Chambers, Burns & Levinson is "respected for its adroit counseling of plaintiffs in all aspects of the working relationship, spanning from the pre-hiring process to the termination of employment." Specific areas of expertise include "discrimination, wrongful termination and wage and hour issues, before both state and federal courts" and "advising on labor relations and employee benefits issues." Zucker, who is well-known for her powerful trial advocacy for clients, was singled out for her "discrimination case work" and "strong focus on employment disputes for high-level executive clients." Studen, who is recognized as a skillful lawyer, was "praised for being relentless in helping her clients" in their plaintiff-side employment disputes. Chambers has ranked the best law firms and lawyers since 1990, and covers 190 countries worldwide. Inclusion is based solely on extensive, confidential interviews with thousands of lawyers and clients to identify the leading law firms and lawyers worldwide. Law firms and individual lawyers are ranked based on their technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, and commitment. Attorneys and law firms are ranked in bands from 1-6, with 1 being the highest. About Burns & Levinson LLP At Burns & Levinson, we provide high-level, client-centric and results-oriented legal services to our regional, national and international clients. We are a full-service law firm with over 125 lawyers in Boston, Providence and London. Our areas of expertise include: business/finance, business litigation, cannabis, divorce/family law, venture capital/emerging companies, employment, estate planning, government investigations, intellectual property, M&A/private equity, probate/trust litigation, and real estate. We partner with our clients to solve their business and personal legal issues in a collaborative, creative and cost-effective way. For more information, visit Burns & Levinson at www.burnslev.com . Contact: Amy Blumenthal or Kristen Weller Blumenthal & Associates Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer (617) 879-1511 (617) 345-3555 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Burns & Levinson "Clinicians are increasingly challenged in caring for older adults with complex medical and psychiatric needs. There is a growing demand for clinicians to improve their comfort level in managing psychiatric disorders in older adults, who are often taking multiple medications and experiencing unique psychosocial stressors," said Dr. Collier, Director of Education in the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean Hospital and Instructor, Harvard Medical School. "My goal for the newsletter is to give clinicians practical tools to provide the highest quality of care when treating their older patients." Dr. Carlat recognized the need for new materials on treating older patients through his work as Chief of Psychiatry at MelroseWakefield Healthcare in the Boston area. "I felt a personal need to ramp up my command of the topic," said Dr. Carlat. "I reached out to Dr. Collier, a colleague at McLeanonly a few miles away from my own hospital. I was impressed by her infectious enthusiasm for education and her devotion to elderly patients." The first issue is free and includes an expert interview on the FDA's approval of Aducanumab for Alzheimer's disease with Andrew Budson, MD, Chief of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology at the VA Boston Healthcare System. The first issue also includes an update on the FDA's approval of Adlarity (donepezil hydrochloride) for Alzheimer's disease, as well as articles covering how to interview older patients by Rehan Aziz, MD, and how to distinguish the dementias by Jose Ribas Roca, MD. About Carlat Publishing The Carlat Report newsletters are CME periodicals for mental health clinicians. Founded in 2003, Carlat Publishing is 100% subscriber funded and aims for unbiased, practical information. Approximately 1 in 5 US psychiatrists subscribe to a Carlat journal, including The Carlat Psychiatry Report; The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report; The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report; The Carlat Hospital Psychiatry Report; and The Carlat Geriatric Psychiatry Report. Their podcast is ranked #1 in psychiatric podcasts with 8000 downloads a week. Contact Information Carlat Publishing, LLC Laurie Martin (978) 248-8062 [email protected] SOURCE Carlat Publishing Vendor Insights The global Cell Imagers Market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying various organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Some vendors are also adopting inorganic growth strategies such as M&As to remain competitive in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including: Becton, Dickinson and Co. Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. Carl Zeiss AG General Electric Co. Leica Microsystems Merck KGaA Olympus Corp. PerkinElmer Inc. Sartorius AG Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by vendors and their product offerings, Read Sample Report . Geographical Market Analysis North America will account for 35% of market growth. The two biggest markets in North America for cell imagers are the US and Canada. This region's market will grow more slowly than the markets in any other regions. Over the projected period, the prevalence of chronic diseases will rise, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries will expand. These factors will support the expansion of the North American cell imagers market. Furthermore, countries such as the US, Germany, Japan, UK, and Canada are expected to emerge as prominent markets for Cell Imagers Market during the forecast period. Know more about this market's geographical distribution along with a detailed analysis of the top regions. Click here to get a sample report. Key Segment Analysis The equipment segment's market share growth for cell imagers will be strong. Standard microscopes, confocal microscopes, cutting-edge fluorescence microscopes, and image capture tools are some of the instruments used in cell imaging. These systems do not need to be connected to a computer. The need for cell imaging equipment is primarily driven by extensive microscopy research, high-resolution solutions offered by various pieces of equipment, and equipment modification based on end-user preferences. View Sample : to know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years. Key Market Drivers & Challenges: A significant element influencing the rise of the worldwide cell imagers market share is the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. Some of the most important steps that can help prevent chronic diseases include regular health examinations, early disease screenings, and appropriate treatment planning. In order to improve processes and better comprehend the metastatic process, specifically to grasp the dynamics and adaptability of dissolving cancer cells, these techniques are being applied more and more in the research of animal cells. However, the technical and economic challenges of super-resolution will be a major challenge for the global cell imagers market share growth. Get a Sample for highlights on market Drivers & Challenges affecting the Cell Imagers Market. Customize Your Report Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and know more insights about this market report. Our analysts can also help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time. Do reach out to our analysts for more customized reports as per your requirements. Speak to an analyst now! Related Reports: Rare Hemophilia Factors Market by Method and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Drugs Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Cell Imagers Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.9% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 4.12 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 8.96 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and ROW Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key consumer countries US, Germany, Japan, UK, and Canada Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Becton, Dickinson and Co., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Carl Zeiss AG, General Electric Co., Leica Microsystems, Merck KGaA, Olympus Corp., PerkinElmer Inc., Sartorius AG, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 01: Parent market Exhibit 02: Market characteristics 2.2 Value chain analysis Exhibit 03: Value chain analysis: Pharmaceuticals Market 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 05: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2020 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million) Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2020 5 Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 15: Product - Market share 2020-2025 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 16: Comparison by Product 5.3 Equipment - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 17: Equipment - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 18: Equipment - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.4 Consumables - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 19: Consumables - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 20: Consumables - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.5 Software - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 21: Software - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 22: Software - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 23: Market opportunity by Product 6 Customer Landscape 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 25: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 26: Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 27: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 28: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 29: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 31: Asia - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 32: Asia - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.6 ROW - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 33: ROW - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 34: ROW - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.7 Key leading countries Exhibit 35: Key leading countries 7.8 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges Exhibit 37: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Vendor Landscape Exhibit 38: Vendor landscape 9.2 Landscape disruption Exhibit 39: Landscape disruption Exhibit 40: Industry risks 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 41: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 42: Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Becton, Dickinson and Co. Exhibit 43: Becton, Dickinson and Co. - Overview Exhibit 44: Becton, Dickinson and Co. - Business segments Exhibit 45: Becton, Dickinson and Co. Key news Exhibit 46: Becton, Dickinson and Co. - Key offerings Exhibit 47: Becton, Dickinson and Co. - Segment focus 10.4 Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. Exhibit 48: Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. - Overview Exhibit 49: Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 50: Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. Key news Exhibit 51: Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 52: Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. - Segment focus 10.5 Carl Zeiss AG 10.6 General Electric Co. Exhibit 58: General Electric Co. - Overview Exhibit 59: General Electric Co. - Business segments Exhibit 60: General Electric Co. Key news Exhibit 61: General Electric Co. - Key offerings Exhibit 62: General Electric Co. - Segment focus 10.7 Leica Microsystems Exhibit 63: Leica Microsystems - Overview Exhibit 64: Leica Microsystems - Product and service Exhibit 65: Leica Microsystems Key news Exhibit 66: Leica Microsystems - Key offerings 10.8 Merck KGaA Exhibit 67: Merck KGaA - Overview Exhibit 68: Merck KGaA - Business segments Exhibit 69: Merck KGaA Key news Exhibit 70: Merck KGaA - Key offerings Exhibit 71: Merck KGaA - Segment focus 10.9 Olympus Corp. Exhibit 72: Olympus Corp. - Overview Exhibit 73: Olympus Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 74: Olympus Corp. Key news Exhibit 75: Olympus Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 76: Olympus Corp. - Segment focus 10.10 PerkinElmer Inc. Exhibit 77: PerkinElmer Inc. - Overview Exhibit 78: PerkinElmer Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 79: PerkinElmer Inc. Key news Exhibit 80: PerkinElmer Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 81: PerkinElmer Inc. - Segment focus 10.11 Sartorius AG Exhibit 82: Sartorius AG - Overview Exhibit 83: Sartorius AG - Business segments Exhibit 84: Sartorius AG Key news Exhibit 85: Sartorius AG - Key offerings Exhibit 86: Sartorius AG - Segment focus 10.12 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Exhibit 87: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Overview Exhibit 88: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 89: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Key news Exhibit 90: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 91: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 92: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research methodology Exhibit 93: Research Methodology Exhibit 94: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 95: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 96: List of abbreviations About Us: Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Multi-Unit Agreements and Upcoming Openings Fuel the Fast Casual's Statewide Growth, On Track to Hit Development Goal of 500 Locations by 2025 AUSTIN, Texas, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, has announced the signing of franchise agreements that will bring nearly 20 new restaurants to the state over the next five years. The brand has signed two major deals over the past year in Texas one for 8-units in San Antonio in October 2021 and most recently one for 8-units in Austin. Texas continues to prove itself as a prime area for expansion as Chicken Salad Chick builds on the success of its 21 existing locations across Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. The brand plans to open five new locations in Texas this year, which add to its goal to open 50 locations across the country by the end of 2022. Behind the Austin agreement is duo Austin Young and Sara Ingram. Restaurant and franchise veterans, Young and Ingram are the current owners of Chicken Salad Chick Waco and two of the youngest franchisees on the Chicken Salad Chick roster. The pair also has two restaurants in development in Temple and Killeen. Eager to further expand their multi-unit portfolio, Young and Ingram plan to open the eight units in Austin over the next three years. "Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and we're very excited to introduce the brand to such a booming market," said Austin Young. "As a young business owner, Chicken Salad Chick has been so welcoming and supportive with great core values in both operations and customer services on top of its quality menu offerings. This eight-unit deal was a natural next step in our career with the brand because we get to be on the ground floor of a fast-growing, fan-favorite concept." San Antonio development is fueled by OberRoc LLC, a franchise company formed by San Antonio natives James Oberg, Jeff Rochelle and George Shaw with the goal of growing innovative restaurant concepts in the Greater San Antonio area. The eight locations will span across San Antonio, including Bexar, Kendall, Comal and Hayes Counties, and development is well underway with the first location slated to open by the end of this year located at 22831 N US Hwy 281, Suite 116 in San Antonio and the second to open by Q2 2023. Additional development is expected for the Dallas-Fort Worth area with established Chicken Salad Chick franchise groups Hazel 5 Ventures, LLC and Metroplex CSC, LLC. Hazel 5 Ventures, LLC currently owns six locations in the Fort Worth area and plans to add five more locations to Greater Dallas over the next three years. They recently acquired the rights to develop Murphy, Rockwall, and Forney are expecting to open two new locations in Southlake and Weatherford by the beginning of 2023. Metroplex CSC, LLC currently owns three locations in the Dallas area with plans to add 12 more in the next five years and are expected to open a new location in Frisco by the end of 2022. "As our brand awareness and guest loyalty continue to increase, we are seeing a demand in franchise opportunities throughout the state," said Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. "It is exciting to see Chicken Salad Chick's southern expansion in action. We're more than humbled to support our franchisees as they continue to thrive in markets across Texas, and look forward to seeing how communities across the state respond to the product." Most recently, Chicken Salad Chick celebrated its opening in Lake Jackson on June 15th. Within the next 24 months, Chicken Salad Chick plans to open additional locations across Amarillo, Frisco, Houston, Missouri City, San Antonio, Temple, Tyler and Weatherford. With an open real estate landscape and vast opportunity for market growth, Chicken Salad Chick is looking to further expand across Texas by adding 50-plus locations over the next five years with strategic franchise partners. Target development markets for the state include Abilene, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Longview, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Sherman and Wichita Falls. Chicken Salad Chick is on track to open more than 40 locations in 2022 which will help propel it toward achieving its overall development goal to have 500 locations open and operating by the end of 2025. Chicken Salad Chick continues to be recognized as a standout franchise system, being named one of QSR magazine's Best Franchise Deals for the second consecutive year, as well as being named #3 in Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers in 2021 and #7 in the trade's Top 40 Smartest-Growing Franchises ranking for 2022, respectively. The brand was also highlighted as one of Entrepreneur magazine's Top Food Franchises of 2021 and has been listed in Franchise Times' Top 400 Ranking for 2021. To learn more about ownership opportunities with Chicken Salad Chick, contact Carrie Evans, Vice President of Franchise Development, at [email protected], call 214-733-0048 or visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com/franchising. About Chicken Salad Chick Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Founded in Auburn, Alabama by Stacy and Kevin Brown, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to 200 restaurants in 17 states. Today, under the leadership of Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the brand is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in Franchise Times' Fast & Serious and Fast Casual.com 's top Movers and Shakers for the third consecutive year, QSR's Best Franchise Deals for the second consecutive year and Franchise Business Review's Top Food Franchises in 2020. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information. SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick Earnings Call Scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on June 24, 2022 BEIJING, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China Online Education Group ("51Talk", or the "Company") (NYSE: COE), a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31,2022 on Friday, June 24, 2022, before the open of U.S. markets. The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on June 24, 2022 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on June 24, 2022). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows: United States Toll: +1-866-264-5888 International: +1-412-317-5226 Mainland China Toll: 400-120-1203 Hong Kong Toll: 800-905-945 Hong Kong-Local Toll: +852-3018-4992 Participants should dial-in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "China Online Education Group." Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.51talk.com. A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until July 1, 2022, by dialing the following telephone numbers: United States Toll: +1-877-344-7529 International Toll: +1-412-317-0088 Replay Access Code: 9842103 About China Online Education Group China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE) is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company's mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company's online and mobile education platforms enable students to take live interactive English lessons on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students. For more information, please visit http://ir.51talk.com. SOURCE China Online Education Group This year is the third year since President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative of setting up the SCO Demonstration Base for Agricultural Technology Training and Exchange (hereinafter referred to as the "SCO Agricultural Base"). Over the past three years, Yangling has grounded its efforts in its core functional positioning of "exchange, training and demonstration" to explore new exchange and training models and mechanisms in the field of agriculture. Moreover, it has strived to build up a multi-layered international cooperation platform that integrates a wide range of fields, including technology exchange, talent training, demonstration and promotion of best practices, international trade, cross-border e-commerce, financial services and people-to-people exchanges, depicting a new blueprint for international agricultural cooperation, which "focuses on China, reaches out to SCO member states, links neighboring countries and benefits the world". In the past three years, Yangling has successfully held over 20 bilateral and multilateral exchange events, established 16 SCO agricultural technology training bases, and put in place 13 international scientific research and innovation cooperation platforms and eight international cooperation parks, with 73 batches of 194 experts having been sent to this district. Moreover, the improved wheat varieties and the supporting cultivation techniques selected by the demonstration parks have been translated into about 16,667 hectares (250,000 mu) of overseas demonstration fields. Meanwhile, Yangling is committed to reaching partnership with other countries in multiple fields, like facility agriculture, water-saving irrigation, the planting of flowers and seedlings, and animal husbandry technology and management. With the SCO Agricultural Base as a platform, the agricultural technologies of Yangling have been adopted by and have resulted in good harvests in SCO-related countries. SOURCE CRI Online Cologix customers now have access to Comcast Business's platform for ActiveCore Software-Defined Networking, Comprehensive Data Networking and Cybersecurity Solutions TREVOSE, Pa., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business announced today it is expanding its collaboration with Cologix, North America's leading network-neutral interconnection and hyperscale edge data center company, with a new point-of-presence (PoP) at Cologix's NNJ3 digital edge data center in Parsippany, New Jersey. The latest collaboration in Parsippany expands the existing network solutions Comcast Business offers at Cologix's NNJ2 digital edge data center in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey. Cologix's NNJ3 digital edge data center is purpose-built to help protect mission-critical data applications across 120,000 SQFT of space with 4.5MW of power. It is situated above the Federal Emergency Management Agency 500-year flood plain and just outside of Manhattan, offering proximity to New York City for connectivity and geographic diversity, along with a safe, dry and accessible option in the event of natural disasters or storms. Companies wanting to do business at the digital edge can now benefit from the suite of services offered by Comcast Business. This includes Metro Ethernet Forum-compliant Data Connectivity offerings, including Ethernet Network Service (ENS), Ethernet Private Line (EPL), Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) and Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI). In addition, Comcast can provide advanced offerings such as DDOS Mitigation Service and ActiveCore based Software-Defined Networking offerings, such as SD-WAN with Unified Threat Management (UTM) services enabled. "We value our ongoing relationship with Comcast Business," said Cologix Chief Sales Officer Chris Heinrich. "The demand for data and its applications has only continued to accelerate as a result of the growing need to support hybrid and remote work. Our customers in New Jersey now have access to Comcast Business's fully redundant path fiber-based backbone for fast, reliable connectivity." With Comcast Business, Cologix customers can experience improved latency and speeds and the peace of mind that comes with redundancy. It also supports Cologix with more flexibility in its ability to respond to the explosion of data, the Internet of Things (IoT), remote or hybrid work and other trends that are continuing to push the data colocation space. "We are excited to expand our partnership with Cologix to help businesses continue to safeguard their data and benefit from enhanced connectivity," said Michael Louden, Vice President of Business Services for Comcast Business's Freedom Region. "Our partnership with Cologix is a significant example of how Comcast Business services can support a variety of industries on a broader scale through partnerships with data centers. This is truly just the beginning of what's next as we continue to help shape the future of digital infrastructure." For more information, please visit http://business.comcast.com or www.cologix.com. About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what's next. Powered by the nation's largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Cologix Inc. Cologix provides carrier- and cloud-neutral hyperscale edge data centers and services across North America. Cologix is the interconnection hub for cloud service providers, carriers and a rich ecosystem of partners who want to deploy applications at the very edge across Canada and the U.S. With a growing portfolio of next generation facilities that meet the unique requirements for hyperscale growth with deep connectivity, Cologix offers massive scale and tailor-made data center solutions to accelerate customers' digital transformation. For on-demand connectivity for scale and control, Cologix Access Marketplace provides fast, reliable, self-service provisioning. For a tour of one of our data centers in Ashburn, Columbus, Dallas, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Minneapolis, Montreal, New Jersey, Silicon Valley, Toronto or Vancouver visit Cologix or email [email protected] . Follow Cologix on LinkedIn and Twitter . SOURCE Comcast NBCUniversal Concorde Takes Another Step to Help Fill the Health Care Gap in Medical Technicians MISSION, Kan., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Concorde Career Colleges, Inc., a national leader in health care education with 17 campuses in eight states, has just announced the addition of a Phlebotomy Technician Diploma Program to help address the widespread shortage of medical technicians. The new program will be available at Concorde's Dallas, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miramar, Orlando, and Tampa campuses, reaching a large pool of potential students and educating more people about in-demand phlebotomy careers. According to the U.S. Bureau Labor of Statistics, employment of phlebotomists is projected to grow 22% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average across all occupations, as workers change career paths or retire. Over the decade, about 19,500 openings for phlebotomists are projected annually. Concorde's two-month diploma program consists of 40 on-site lab hours and 88 online theory hours, allowing students access to more convenient coursework material. Through hands-on training, students will learn the necessary skills required to be a successful phlebotomy technician, including properly screening patients, drawing blood for transfusions, donations, and research, and preparing samples for testing and transportation. "Our new Phlebotomy Program allows students to gain the top-quality, in-demand skills necessary to perform the duties required of medical technicians across a variety of different clinical settings hospitals, blood centers, and laboratories in as little as 90 days," said Jami Frazier, CEO of Concorde Career Colleges, Inc. "For graduates who would like to further develop their knowledge in health care, we encourage them to continue their educational journey with us and the wide range of programs we offer." Upon program completion, students will have the knowledge to take the Phlebotomy Technician Certification (PCT) exam, given through the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA), with no additional expenses. Concorde also offers exam preparation to ensure every student has equal opportunities to become a certified medical technician. For graduates who wish to further their health care training, Concorde offers a 9-month Medical Assistant (MA) Diploma Program that teaches students how to schedule patients, maintain medical records, preform common diagnostic tests, prepare samples, receive patient vital signs and medical history, and practice basic first aid and CPR. The MA Diploma Program is offered at all 17 Concorde campuses, giving more students the opportunity to continue developing their skills in health care. If graduates from the Phlebotomy Technician Diploma Program choose this education pathway, tuition discount assistance is available. To learn more about the wide variety of health care programs offered at Concorde, please visit www.concorde.edu or call 1-800-280-5231 About Concorde Career Colleges, Inc. Concorde Career Colleges, Inc., which operates 17 campuses in eight states under the brands Concorde Career College and Concorde Career Institute, prepares America's next generation of health care and dental professionals for rewarding careers. The Concorde hybrid/blended education model combines online coursework with in-person lab classes and clinical experiences. Concorde's 25 student-focused academic programs and personalized support prepares graduates for in-demand careers in nursing, dental, respiratory, diagnostic and other health care roles. Concorde's campuses are accredited by either the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) or the Council on Occupational Education (COE). For more information, visit www.concorde.edu. Media Contact: Devyn Raver CBD Marketing [email protected] 312.661.1050 SOURCE Concorde Career Colleges QINGDAO, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 3rd Qingdao Multinationals Summit (QMS) opened on June 19, with 476 representatives from the world's top 500 companies and other industry leaders discussing market trends as well as opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between MNCs and China. Many multinationals remain of the opinion that China is still an important destination for global investment and look forward to seizing new and rewarding opportunities for development in the country. Dow's commitment to and confidence in China has never wavered. Compared with other countries and regions, China boasts a broad market with ample headroom for growth, growing consumer demand, a complete industrial system and supply chain ecosystem. These unique advantages provide multinational companies, including Dow, with tremendous room for expansion. During the summit, biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca officially announced its expansion of investment in China, with plans to build a production and supply base and set up a regional headquarters in Qingdao. Air Products completed its first hydrogen refueling station in Shandong province last August - Zibo Huantai Demonstration Hydrogen Refueling Station, which provides hydrogen refueling services to several local bus lines and logistics fleets. Japan's Marubeni Corporation will collaborate with Chinese companies in green businesses such as healthcare and renewable energies. South Korea's SK Group will cooperate with Chinese counterparts to expand its global presence in hydrogen, renewable energies and other environmental fields. Germany's Festo is accelerating the rollout of its roadmap for China in several niche industries including 5G, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, EVs and semiconductors with a focus on automation and digital transformation. Tesla's Shanghai Super Factory has become the company's most important export base and production center, delivering more than 480,000 pure electric vehicles to drivers worldwide in 2021. The company's Chinese operations account for half of Tesla's global delivery volume. Multinational companies have participated in and witnessed China's opening up to the outside world, and have made important contributions to China's scientific and technological innovations, industrial transformation, and economic and social development. China has just entered a new stage of development. Building a new model for economic development, actively negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs), promoting the digital economy and low-carbon growth are sure to bring new development opportunities to multinational companies. SOURCE Information Office of the People's Government of Shandong Province PHOENIX, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CopperPoint Insurance Companies, a western-based super regional commercial insurance company, announced today that Ms. LoriAnn Lowery-Biggers and Mr. Marc Schmittlein have been re-elected to the Board of Directors of CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Holding Company, and that Mr. Michael Mathias and Ms. Marita Zuraitis have been elected to initial terms on the board. The results of this election were announced at the board meeting held on June 8, 2022. Ms. Lowery-Biggers and Mr. Schmittlein will serve three-year terms, while Mr. Mathias and Ms. Zuraitis will serve one-year terms. Survey & Ballot Systems, an independent election administrator, conducted the voting process. "This powerful combination of talent, coupled with our existing board leadership, provides a refreshed perspective and even greater capabilities supporting our dynamically growing company," said Ken Kirk, Board Chair. About CopperPoint Insurance Companies Founded in 1925, CopperPoint Insurance Companies, www.copperpoint.com, is a leading provider of workers' compensation and commercial property and casualty insurance solutions. With an expanded line of insurance products and a growing 26-state footprint, CopperPoint is in a strong position to meet the evolving needs of its agents, brokers, and customers. It has $5.1 billion in total assets and an enterprise surplus of approximately $1.6 billion. CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Holding Company is the corporate parent of CopperPoint Insurance Companies, Pacific Compensation Insurance Company and Alaska National Insurance Company. All companies are rated A (Excellent) by AM Best. SOURCE CopperPoint Insurance Companies NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Startup Founders in the Jewish Community now have a Tech accelerator program created just for them. Introducing Crown Ventures, a new 3-month accelerator program catering to Orthodox Tech entrepreneurs around the country. Crownventures Pioneered by Rabbi Yehoshua Werde of CHYE, and facilitated by Mark Gold (veteran facilitator of accelerator programs), Crown Ventures is the first startup accelerator and fund of its kind in the USA, specially designed for Tech founders from the Yeshiva world //www.crownventures.nyc/. The Crown Ventures mentors team includes a "who's who" of experts, founders and investors from across the community. Crown Ventures empowers entrepreneurs to take their ventures to the next level, providing resources such as funding, access to an exclusive network of investors and mentors, and a 3-month hands-on education program to boost startup founders' chances of success. If accepted, Crown Ventures grants every member up to $50,000 in funding upon joining the accelerator. The accelerator is a founder-focused program that gives participants a firm understanding of how to match their technology startup with market needs in order to create commercially viable products/services and organizational processes that rapidly scale. The educational component of the accelerator program will include modules covering a wide range of topics, and will culminate in a "Demo Day" pitch. "For the first time ever, we built a world class accelerator to support orthodox people in our community, giving them the tools they need to succeed in tech startups," said Yehoshua Werde. "After years of meeting aspiring founders and watching them struggle with navigating the startup scene, I believe this program will be a game-changer for our community," says Clark Valberg, CEO & co-founder of InVision and one of the fund's backers. "I have been waiting for years to see something like this come to the Jewish community," said Asher Weinberger COO & co-founder of Swimply and a Crown Ventures Mentor. "Encouraging entrepreneurship is essential to the frum world. I'm particularly excited about our community succeeding in tech, where it's less about which school you went to, and more about talent and drive. Yeshiva-world founders are smart and driven, and with Seyata DeShmaya we'll see some amazing successes come out of this accelerator," --Daniel Cotlar former CMO Blinds.com (Home Depot) and a Crown Ventures Mentor. Application to the program is open to men and women from the frum community with early-stage tech startups. The first class of five founders will be selected by a panel that will assess elements such as tech skills, identification of a real and solvable problem, a working demo, a cohesive team, passion, resilience, ability to learn from feedback and handle criticism, familiarity with their industry, and market potential. "The accelerator is a founder-focused program that gives members a birds-eye-view of the technology market. Participants gain a firm understanding of how to match their technology startup with market needs in order to create commercially viable products/services and organizational processes that rapidly scale," -- Mark Gold, Crown Ventures Program Facilitator. "With this program, the time has come for the next Tech Unicorn to come out of the Frum community," -- Rabbi Werde The first cohort is limited to 5 startups, to learn more about Crown Ventures, visit https://www.crownventures.nyc/. Crown Ventures is accepting applications for Fall Cohort 2022 from now until July 5. For more information contact us at [email protected] Media contact: Yehoshua Werde [email protected] 347-693-0486 SOURCE CrownVentures.NYC DENVER, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), announced today it will hold a special conference call with investors on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time. This call follows this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the Medicare Secondary Payor Act. You can join this call as follows: Thursday, June 23, 2022 Starting at 8:45 a.m. EDT Dial in number: 877-918-6630 International dial in: 517-308-9042 Webcast: investors.davita.com When calling in, please provide the operator the password "DaVita" and provide your name and company affiliation. Investors unable to listen to the conference call will be able to access a replay via our website at investors.davita.com. There will be no telephone replay. About DaVita Inc. DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a comprehensive kidney care provider focused on transforming care to improve the quality of life for patients globally. The company is a leading provider of kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 20 years. DaVita is working to help increase equitable access to care for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journeyfrom slowing progression of kidney disease to streamlining the transplant process, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As of March 31, 2022, DaVita served 200,800 patients at 2,809 outpatient dialysis centers in the U.S. The company operated an additional 346 outpatient dialysis centers in 11 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality and worked collaboratively to help propel the kidney care community to adopt an equitable, high-quality standard of care for patients around the globe. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About. Contact Information Investors: [email protected] SOURCE DaVita Inc. Lisa Marie Presley thinks Austin Butler deserves an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Elvis Presley. The 54-year-old star called for the actor to be included in the running for an Academy Award after she, her daughter Riley Keough, 33, and Elvis ex-wife Priscilla, 77, put their handprints and footprints in the cement at the TLC Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, on Tuesday (21.06.22) to celebrate the release of Baz Luhrmanns new biopic Elvis. Asked if he deserves an Oscar, she told Extra: A thousand percent... I mean, truly,,, You know, Im a bit biased, but absolutely, 100 percent... I can look at it objectively as well, sure. I think that he did such an incredible job. She pointed to the "immediate love" she and Austin shared, and her daughter Riley was similarly impressed. Lisa Marie said: "I feel like there was an immediate love and respect between Austin and myself. It was just like I grabbed him and I was full of emotion, and he couldn't be a more sweet and humble human as well as on top of everything else. Riley added: I think that's a huge plus. Hes a real kind soul... Its incredible what he did. You know, just on a performance level... the mimicry, but also just, like, embodying him in that way, especially. I mean, the whole thing, but we watched it again last night and the older stages of his life, what he was able to do... you dont see actors commit in that way... I really hope that he gets recognised for that. I mean, its mind-blowing. Director Luhrmann, 59, has said people who have watched the film, which will be released on June 24, had said it makes them feel as if they were meeting Elvis for the first time. Lisa Marie agreed: You know, theres folklore, theres stories, but it was never put down and he did his research... all of it is just put down. Its everything in this film everything. In his new role, Stoneley will lead the team responsible for bringing together the worlds of digital, data, and technology to deliver best-in-class marketing and advertising solutions to Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers consistent with the customer-focused Ford+ plan for growth and value creation. "We are excited to welcome Dean Stoneley to the FordDirect team," said Mike Pallotta, president of Pallotta Ford Lincoln in Wooster, Ohio and chairman of the FordDirect board of managers. "His tremendous relationships within Ford and his marketing experience will enable a strong and smooth transition and continuation of FordDirect's positive momentum as we help Ford Motor Company, Ford Dealers, and Lincoln Retailers provide great customer experiences and win at retail." After joining FordDirect in early 2021, VanDyke was instrumental in significant change and success at FordDirect. During his tenure, FordDirect earned "Top Workplace" recognition from the Detroit Free Press for the first time. The company scored all-time satisfaction survey highs from Dealers and Ford in 2021 following significant changes to the product portfolio, including evolving the former third-party lead delivery platform into an enhanced service. VanDyke oversaw the start of foundational work in project management and innovation and the launch of new inventory solutions to help dealerships through the unique challenges of the past two years. "Matt VanDyke has done a terrific job at FordDirect," Pallotta said. "His leadership skills, mentoring, and knowledge of the digital landscape have really been a big advantage for Dealers and FordDirect. He will be missed and we wish him all the best." An accomplished industry veteran, Stoneley most recently held the newly created role of general manager, North America Truck at Ford. In this role, he built a team with end-to-end responsibility for Ford's successful pick-up truck portfolio. During his tenure, F-Series was the best-selling truck in America for the 45th consecutive year. Stoneley also launched the all-new Ford Maverick, the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2022 North America Truck of the Year. "I want to thank Mike Pallotta and the board of managers for their support," Stoneley said. "I could not be more excited to be taking on this role. Marketing has been a lifelong passion for me, and I have been inspired by the work at FordDirect as I have modernized marketing functions across a number of markets globally. This is a business performing at a high caliber with an incredible level of sophistication. I can't wait to learn more as we strive for continued success while serving Ford Motor Company, Ford Dealers, and Lincoln Retailers. I look forward to the chance to meet the FordDirect team." Previously, Stoneley was president and CEO of the Ford Motor Company of Canada, where Ford is the No. 1 brand in the market. During his tenure, Stoneley worked closely with the Canadian government and Unifor to secure Oakville Assembly Complex as a BEV manufacturing site for the company. Stoneley's background with Ford has been predominantly in the marketing space, where he has held key marketing leadership roles in the U.S., Canada, Southern Africa, and Asia-Pacific markets. While based in China, Stoneley was vice president and director of marketing for a new joint venture with ChangAn Ford, responsible for marketing, sales, and service of Ford vehicles in China. Stoneley is a past chairperson of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council and member of the board of the Canadian Marketing Association. He holds a bachelor's degree from Western University in London, Ont. About FordDirect FordDirect, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., connects the worlds of data, analytics and technology to provide best-in-class digital marketing and advertising solutions exclusively for Ford and Lincoln Dealers. FordDirect is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchised dealers with a mission of helping Ford and Lincoln dealerships sell more cars and trucks. MEDIA CONTACT Jill Whitehead Vice President, Marketing and Dealer Engagement [email protected] Mobile: (248) 228-5075 SOURCE FordDirect NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The size of the global fencing market is expected to attain a value of USD 444.5 million in 2028, growing at a 5.55% CAGR during the forecast period from USD 300.01 million in 2021. Key Industry Insights & Finding of the Fencing Market Reports: As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Fencing Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 5.55 % (2022-2028). (2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the Fencing Market was valued approximately USD 300.01 Million in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly USD 444.5 Million by 2028. Million in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly Million by 2028. The North American region amounted for about 40.0 percent of the total market. The middle-class demographic in these regions is predicted to invest in over 75.0 percent of global fence purchases. Due to the expanding agricultural sector of rising nations such as India and China , Asia Pacific region is expected to gain momentum throughout the forecast period. India's urban growth and rising investment in infrastructure reforms are likely to boost the market in the region. Zion Market Research published the latest report titled as "Fencing Market By Material (Metal, Wood, Plastic, Concrete, & Others), By Products (Fixed Fencing, & Temporary Fencing), By End-Use (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Agricultural, And Others), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2022 2028." into their research database. Fencing Market : Overview Fences are detachable additional constructions that are manufactured and meant to prevent strangers from breaching a traditional border. A fence is differentiated from a wall by its strength; typically, a fence is weaker than a wall. Privacy fencing is used to keep unwanted visitors and livestock outside the venue, stylish fencing is used to improve the artistic attractiveness of the property, temporary fencing is used to provide control & safety access to building sites, and boundary fencing is used to clearly differentiate property boundaries. Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/fencing-market Our Free Sample Report Includes: 2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis Included 150 + Pages Research Report (Inclusion of Updated Research) Provide Chapter-wise guidance on Request 2022 Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share & Trends Includes Updated List of tables & figures Updated Report Includes Top Market Players with their Business Strategy, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis Zion Market Research methodology Industry Dynamics: Fencing Market : Growth Drivers Growth in middle-class population increases the demand for fences all over the world. The rise of the middle class is supporting the expansion of the fencing business. The emerging middle class is anticipated to rise to 5.5 billion people by 2030, as per the European Commission. Asians will make up 87 percent of the increased middle-class population. The rise of the fencing market is being fueled by rising house construction and a comeback in building completions. Growth in the estate market as a result of an increment in the number of businesses and increased investment in the building industry is also contributing to the growth of the global fencing market. Fencing Market : Restraints Fluctuating fence prices and unstable economic conditions due to COVID-19 pose threat to market. Raw material costs are fluctuating continuously due to unstable economic conditions all over the world due to pandemic and lockdowns. Metals used in fencing have become more expensive in several parts of the world. When the economy reopened and recovered from the over-a-year-long COVID-19 epidemic, the cost of goods such as aluminum, wood, and others had risen drastically. Economic activity in the global fencing market also slowed as a result of the epidemic. Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/fencing-market Global Fencing Market : Opportunities Increased use of electric fencing to seal international borders and for agricultural purposes to provide growth opportunities. Electric fence is being used by many military forces throughout the world to deter incursion near international boundaries. Over the disputed border with India, China's military services prefer to lay down spiked electric wires in the Ladakh valley. To safeguard the China-Russia border, Russia's militaries installed an electric fence. As a result, market development is expected to be aided by the increased focus on national security. An electric fence is far more impactful for farm safety since it prohibits wild animals from entering without permission. The industry is expected to grow as farm owners increasingly use electric fences to protect their land from animals in the wild. Global Fencing Market : Challenges High price associated with upgradation & maintenance of electric fences pose a challenge. The high price of upgrades and maintenance associated with replacing traditional electric fences makes it difficult to conduct frequent inspections to ensure optimal performance. Its expansion is hampered by hefty maintenance expenses. Farmers are seeking other solutions, like unmanned stems, to offset the high fixed costs linked with the necessity to deploy barriers over international boundaries, which may stifle market expansion. Global Fencing Market : Segmentation The global fencing market may be divided into four categories based on material: plastic fences, metal fences, concrete fences, wood fences, and other. Metal fence is by far the most popular material in the worldwide fencing industry. Due to its long-term reliability and low maintenance and repair needs, the plastic fence category is anticipated to rise at the highest pace in the future years. Composite, vinyl, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fences are examples of this type. Based on product, the fence can be divided as temporary and permanent, where the temporary segment is expected to depict a steady rise in the forecast period. Based on the end-user, the fencing market has been segmented into residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and others. Throughout the projection period, residential is expected to be the most popular application category and is likely to rise due to an increase in building and renovation activity. Moreover, increased disposable income combined with increasing consumer attention to home repair activities is anticipated to fuel demand for residential fences over the period. Get More Insight before [email protected] : https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/fencing-market List of Key Players of Fencing Market : Associated Materials LLC Jerith Manufacturing Company Inc. Gregory Industries Inc. Poly Vinyl Co. Inc. Ply Gem Holdings Inc. Ameristar Fence Products Inc. CertainTeed Corporation Allied Tube & Conduit Corporation Bekaert SA. Key questions answered in this report: What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Fencing Market ? What are the key driving factors propelling the Fencing Market forward? What are the most important companies in the Fencing Market Industry? What segments does the Fencing Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the Fencing Market sample report and company profiles? Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 300.01 Million Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 444.5 Million Growth Rate CAGR of almost 5.55 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, and By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Associated Materials LLC, Jerith Manufacturing Company Inc., Gregory Industries Inc., Poly Vinyl Co. Inc., Ply Gem Holdings Inc., Ameristar Fence Products Inc., CertainTeed Corporation, Allied Tube & Conduit Corporation, and Bekaert SA. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/3311 Free Brochure: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/fencing-market Recent Developments In 2019, several companies such as JVA technologies introduced a new product in the market, based on electric fencing with IoT systems. One of the most prominent products was Jumbo Electric Fence Energizer series which includes a whole CPU unit with a monitor and keyboard for control, and can be connected top devices through Wi-Fi. In 2021, two major companies in the fencing industry namely, Datamars SA and Cabi Group collaborated together as partners to increase the market of Speedrite Electric fencing in France. Regional Dominance: Europe and North America lead the global fencing market followed by Asia Pacific . Over the forecast period, Europe and North America are expected to be the most important regions. The regional market is expected to develop as building activities increase and demand for ornamental home items rises. In 2021, the North American region amounted for about 40.0 percent of the total market. The middle-class demographic in these regions is predicted to invest in over 75.0 percent of global fence purchases. Due to the expanding agricultural sector of rising nations such as India and China, Asia Pacific region is expected to gain momentum throughout the forecast period. India's urban growth and rising investment in infrastructure reforms are likely to boost the market in the region. Global Fencing Market is segmented as follows: Fencing Market : By Material Outlook (2022-2028) Metal Wood Plastic Concrete Others Fencing Market : By Product Outlook (2022-2028) Fixed Fencing Temporary Fencing Fencing Market : By End-Use Outlook (2022-2028) Residential Commercial Industrial Agricultural Others Fencing Market : By Region Outlook (2022-2028) North America The U.S. Canada Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Press Release For Fencing Market : https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-fencing-market Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research Vietnam Express Delivery Service Market - Global Industry Analysis : Vietnam express delivery service market was worth around $640 million in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around $2400 million by 2028 at a CAGR rate of 23% over the forecast period. express delivery service market was worth around in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 at a CAGR rate of 23% over the forecast period. U.S. Staple Gun Market - Global Industry Analysis : The U.S. Staple Gun Market accounted for USD 108.80 Million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 135.42 Million in 2028 growing at a CAGR of 2.8% between 2021 and 2028. The U.S. Staple Gun Market accounted for in 2020 and is expected to reach in 2028 growing at a CAGR of 2.8% between 2021 and 2028. Kitchenware Market - Global Industry Analysis: The global AA market accounted for USD 50,424 Million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 75,828 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2021 to 2028. Browse through Zion Market Research's coverage of the Global Consumer Goods Industry Follow Us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook About Us Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. 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Contact Us: Zion Market Research 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite N202 New York, 10001, United States Tel: +49-322 210 92714 USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/ Blog : https://zmrblog.com/ | Market Business Insights Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1605489/Zion_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Zion Market Research U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is an independent U.S. government's development finance institution. DFC partners with the private sector to provide finance support and solutions for projects with great economic potential and new economical tools that enable it to grant loans and offer credit solutions. DFC invests across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology; while provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets; adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights. According to DFC's annoucement in this quarter, it has approved several transactions of development priorities, focusing on food security, climate change, gender equity, and increasing financial access. These 34 approved projects total more than $1.4 billion, in which 22 transactions assist Corporations in developing regions including Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the approved corporations in this quarter, SeABank is the first and only financial organization in Vietnam receives an up to $200 million loan to encourage socioeconomic development, particularly supporting women-owned, women-led corporations, SMEs, and addressing the climate crisis one of the developmental strategies that SeABank prioritizes. DFC's loan for SeABank will help enhance the bank's financial capability to carry out its planned projects, focusing on addressing the credit gap for women-owned and women-led corporations, SMEs, dealing with the difference between the addressable demand of market and the exisiting supply in the economy. Before receving the loan from DFC, SeABank has been granted a $150 million loan package by IFC and 5 international investment funds include Banque Internationale de Commerce-BRED, BlueOrchard Microfinance Fund, KASIKORNBANK PCL, OPEC, and ResponsAbility Investments AG to provide financial assistance to SMEs, women-owned, women-led corporations and addressing climate crisis. This showcases SeABank's commitment to sustainable development strategies, affirming its credibility, great impacts of sustainable projects as well as the acknowledgement of world-class financial organizations for SeABank. SOURCE SeABank Situated in a prominent business hub in the National Capital Region, these high-profile dealerships will allow Dilawri to demonstrate its ongoing commitment and ability to successfully welcome and integrate established dealerships into its portfolio. "We are confident that these dealerships will be an outstanding addition to the Dilawri Group of Companies," added Co-founder, Ajay Dilawri. "These iconic brands align with our strategy and open the door to exciting new possibilities in the vibrant North American automotive marketplace." Ettore Gattolin, the current VP, Mergers, Acquisitions & Special Projects for Dilawri, will become VP, U.S. Operations. "Our expansion into the U.S. market comes at an opportune time, as both manufacturers are planning to introduce strategically important new product offerings" said Gattolin. "I look forward to working with the best-in-class teams currently in place, and to providing the exceptional customer service that has become a Dilawri hallmark." About the Dealerships Ferrari of Washington and Maserati of Washington are state-of-the-art facilities located minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport. In addition to being one of the oldest Ferrari Dealerships in the U.S., Ferrari of Washington is the only authorized Ferrari dealership in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. It was nominated for Dealership of the Year by Ferrari North America. About Dilawri Group of Companies Dilawri Group of Companies is Canada's largest automotive group with 75 franchised dealerships representing 35 automotive brands in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec. Privately owned and operated by the Dilawri family since 1985, the company continues to expand, building on its history of excellence in the automotive industry. With more than 3,000 employees, Dilawri is proud to offer exceptional products and services in every dealership. To learn more about Dilawri Group of Companies, visit dilawri.ca. SOURCE Dilawri Group of Companies SHANGHAI, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholarship on how culture influences curriculum is common in the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and education. However, this literature is Euro-American centric, disregarding diverse cultural contexts in Africa, Asia, and the rest of the world. This special issue, Childhood, Culture and Curriculum in Diverse Contexts addresses this gap by including studies on China, Singapore, and the UAE. "This special issue aims to explicitly acknowledge that, first, culture and the value system it provides has never stayed away from us. Second, social change and cultural collisions in the globalized world reshape children's experiences and curriculum," says Dr. Weipeng Yang, author of the issue's editorial. Watch an explainer video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f63CnNsMfU0) Different cultures around the world influence early childhood education curricula differently. It becomes important, therefore, to examine the different ways in which curricula and culture intersect in a rapidly globalizing world. The articles in this special issue are structured within the framework of the ecological model, which is redeveloped into the model of curriculum hybridization. According to the ecological model, the curriculum must be seen in the context of various competing ecosystems, i.e., the macrosystem (larger cultural context), the exosystem (institutional imperatives), and the mesosystem (parents, teachers, education experts). Addressing the microsystem, one paper explores how dramatic pedagogy can be used to instill morality in children. Taking the Chinese education context as backdrop, Dr. Mengyu Feng demonstrates how process drama facilitates empathy, autonomy, and dialogue. In contrast, another paper engages with the mesosystem. Against the backdrop of a rapidly urbanizing Chinese landscape, Dr. Xin Luo examines how parental involvement intersects with children's play and learning in public playgrounds. The issue then asks, how does policy reform influence childhood experiences and curriculum? Adopting a critical policy analysis approach, one study examines reforms in the education system in Wales, UK. Dr. Cathryn Knight and Prof. Tom Crick argue that despite a mandate towards greater inclusivity, policies tend to have contradictory perspectives that are counterproductive. Addressing the macrosystem, one of the studies examines how early childhood curriculum in the UAE serves to advance and transmit cultural values amongst children. Dr. Najwa Alhosani authors this first of its kind study within the Emirati cultural context. Going beyond the ecosystems that influence curriculum, in a comparative study, Dr. Weipeng Yang and Prof. Hui Li review research on early childhood education in China and Singapore to look at the various interactions between the global and the local in the creation of a curriculum. In another article, Prof. Jennifer J. Chen engages with this review and proposes that educators and policymakers alike should find a harmonious middle ground that mediates between policies and local culture, allowing a variety of perspectives to emerge from the curriculum making process. In an article that addresses the problems caused by adopting a dichotomous view of diversity while creating an early childhood curriculum, Prof. Sue Saltmarsh. proposes that binaries such as mainstream/margin, inclusion/exclusion, same/different encourage us to view diversity as a problem rather than an asset. The final two articles focus on Chinese cultural contexts. In the first, authors Prof. Yong Jiang et al. adopt expert interview methodsto examine China's preschool education policy. In the second study, Prof. Tian Baohong examines the importance of Zhong (both character and philosophy) in ancient Chinese education and its relevance, if any, to modern day education. Due to be released in June 2022, this issue of the ECNU Review of Education promises to bring new insights into early childhood experiences and curriculum development in diverse cultural contexts within a rapidly globalizing world. Reference DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311221092039 Title of original paper: Childhood Curriculum and Culture in Diverse Contexts Journal: ECNU Review of Education Media Contact: Li You +86 (21) 62224545 [email protected] SOURCE ECNU Review of Education WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Edelman Global Advisory (EGA) today announced that Mohammed Hussein will join as President of EGA London, effective August 1, 2022. Hussein, a highly sought-after advisor and political commentator, brings deep experience in policy, regulatory and government relations to EGA. He will focus on growing EGA's public affairs business by supporting UK companies at home and abroad, while developing an advisory business for foreign firms seeking to understand the UK's business and government environment. Prior to joining EGA, Hussein led an extensive government career in the UK. He has advised the Secretary of State for Defence and military personnel in Afghanistan, and was Special Adviser to the Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, providing political and policy support to her both as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Hussein also spent four years in Prime Minister David Cameron's communications team at 10 Downing Street, where he was Chief Press Officer for Economy and Industry. Most recently, Hussein held the role of Managing Director for Public Affairs and Innovation at PLMR, a London-based public relations and public affairs firm. "Mohammed's resume and experience is world-class," says EGA Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Deborah Lehr. "He has served as an advisor at the highest levels of government in the UK and brings a unique understanding of the policy-making landscape domestically and globally. His broad expertise which ranges from energy and climate to the Middle East and Asia adds to our capabilities to help companies navigate the challenging politics businesses face." Hussein said, "I'm delighted to be joining EGA as we seek to elevate our strong existing public affairs portfolio as part of a new bespoke global public affairs offer. Companies are a core part of the solution to many of the political and economic challenges facing governments around the world, like climate and food security, and I am energized by the chance to work with clients to navigate this complex environment to drive positive change. This is a unique opportunity, and I'm looking forward to delivering an unmatched offering in our sector within Edelman's world-class communications business." About Edelman Global Advisory Edelman Global Advisory (EGA) is a boutique advisory firm launched by Edelman, a global communications firm. EGA provides business and government advisory services to help navigate today's changing geopolitical and economic landscape. Our team is composed of 190+ professionals with decades of experience working in government, consulting, NGOs, and the business sector. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we work across 25+ offices and in every key market: the U.S. and Canada, APAC, MENA, Europe, Latin America, and India. Contact: Lindsay Clifton [email protected] SOURCE Edelman EDJX's Executive Vice President for Business and Corporate Development Rhett Gustafson will be speaking on a panel titled "Edge at Work '' Thursday, June 23rd from 3:00 PM to 3:55 PM Eastern Time. Gustafson will be joined by panelists Michael Skurla , Chief Product Officer, RadixIoT, Tom Snyder , Founder and Executive Director, RIoT , and Chuck Byers , CTO, Industry IoT Consortium . Carl Ford , CEO of Crossfire Media will be moderating. The panel will occur in person at the Solutions Theater on the Expo floor. This panel discussion of interconnected themes will delve into edge use cases, architectures, economies of edge, the role of data, data exchange, and data sovereignty that will come to cities. The panel will explore the new infrastructure data gathering that the community will use, paths to autonomy, innovative software, hardware, and physical architectures to enable the economic realization of the smart, sustainable, secure city of the future. The panel is also timely as EDJX is now onboarding IoT and edge application developers. EDJX Onboarding Developers, Announcing Platform Availability The EDJX edge computing platform brings compute, network and storage services close to the developer. EDJX built from scratch for the edge makes it easy to write, deploy and execute IoT and edge applications without paying for servers and maintaining infrastructure. The EDJX serverless computing environment allows developers to build powerful applications that become instantly global. The developer's C++ or Rust code gets compiled into WebAssembly; more languages will be offered soon. As Mark Boyd notes in The New Stack , "The IoT technology culture is headed toward serverless, and the recent buzz at conferences is the successful mingling of IoT and serverless. The general pulse of the market is that IoT implementations will drive portability across serverless platforms." Sign up and download details about building apps on EDJX Serverless here. Developers can build and scale with EDJX all summer long without charge. Time to Smash Your Servers! Build Your Apps on EDJX Serverless! Call to Action Register online to attend this year's IoT Evolution conference and follow EDJX on LinkedIn and Twitter for key conference takeaways. Download details about building apps on EDJX Serverless here. EDJX will also be running a hackathon later in summer 2022 stay tuned! About EDJX EDJX is an edge computing platform that makes it easy to write, deploy, and execute edge and IoT applications using serverless computing to increase the responsiveness of edge applications, secure edge data at the source, and accelerate content delivery. EDJX helps businesses handle the explosive demand for data processing to serve real-world edge computing applications including industrial IoT, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics. EDJX is a privately held company based in Raleigh, NC. Visit EDJX and follow EDJX on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media contact: [email protected] SOURCE EDJX, Inc. Rise in demand for electric vehicles, favorable emission standards, and long range & fast charging technology have boosted the growth of the global electric vehicle battery thermal management system market. PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Electric Vehicle Battery Thermal Management System Market by Type (Active, Passive, Hybrid), by Technology (Liquid Cooling and Heating, Air Cooling and Heating, Others), by Propulsion Type (Battery Electric Vehicle, Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Two Wheeler and Three Wheeler): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". As per the report, the global electric vehicle battery thermal management system industry was accounted for $2.3 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $8.4 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 14.6% from 2022 to 2031. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Rise in demand for electric vehicles, favorable emission standards, and long range & fast charging technology have boosted the growth of the global electric vehicle battery thermal management system market. However, complexities and challenges in designs and lack of infrastructure hinder the market growth. On the contrary, surge in technological changes in lithium-ion batteries and innovation in battery cooling systems are expected to open new opportunities in the future. Download Report (265 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/16768 Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic affected the market significantly due to implementation of strict lockdown and ban on import-export of essential raw materials. Sudden decline in global demand for automobile and halt in production hampered the market even more. The active segment held the largest share By type, the active segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for more than half of the global electric vehicle battery thermal management system market, as it is widely adopted in various vehicles and is cost-effective. However, the passive segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast period. Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/16768 The air cooling and heating segment dominated the market By technology, the air cooling and heating segment held the lion's share in 2021, contributing to nearly half of the global electric vehicle battery thermal management system market. However, the liquid cooling and heating segment is estimated to manifest the highest CAGR of 15.5% from 2022 to 2031, due to increased demand for efficient battery cooling in the vehicles. Asia-Pacific held the largest share By region, the market across Asia-Pacific dominated in 2021, holding nearly half of the global electric vehicle battery thermal management system market, due to rise in number of electric vehicles especially in China. However, market across Europe is projected to portray the highest CAGR of 16.5% during the forecast period, owing to several government regulations regarding fuel emission. Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/16768 Major market players Modine Manufacturing Company Continental AG Gentherm Dana Limited Hanon Systems Valeo MAHLE GmbH Robert Bosch GmbH Grayson VOSS Automotive GmbH Buy Complete Report Now! https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/24149c7a0eaa8fd8b3a71faccd92af87 Similar Reports We Have on EV Industry: Automotive Thermal Management System Market by Application (Engine Cooling, Transmission Cooling, Waste Heat Recovery and others), Vehicles Type (Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles), Propulsion (Internal Combustion Engine and Electric), Component (Power Distribution Box, Domain Controller Units, Engine Control Unit, Inverter, Convertors, Connectors and Power Integrated Circuits) and Technology (Active Transmission Warm-Up, Engine Thermal Mass Reduction, Exhaust Gas Recirculation and others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. Electric Vehicle Thermal Management Market by System (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC), Powertrain Cooling, Fluid Transport, and Others), Component Type (Motor, Battery, and Cabin Area), and Technology (Active Transmission Warmup, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), Reduced HVAC System Loading, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. Automotive Thermal System Market by Component (Compressor, HVAC, Powertrain Cooling, and Fluid Transport) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2030. EV Test Equipment Market by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle), Electric Vehicle Type (BEV and HEV), Equipment Type (AC/DC EVSE, Battery Test Equipment, Chassis Dynamometer, Engine Dynamometer, and EV Drive Train Test) Application (EV Component & Drivetrain, EV Charging, and Powertrain): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. 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Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner of the class action firm Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Convey Health Solutions Holdings, Inc. (CNVY), relating to its proposed acquisition by TPG Capital. Under the terms of the agreement, CNVY shareholders will receive $10.50 in cash per share they own. Click here for more information: http://monteverdelaw.com/case/convey-health-solutions-holdings-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. About Monteverde & Associates PC We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2021 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases. If you own common stock in CNVY and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2022 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC The Inc . honorees were selected after collecting data from thousands of submissions. Those that rose to the top are dedicated to "redefining and reimagining what a thriving business should feel like," according to Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk . Each nominated company took part in an employee survey conducted by Quantum Workplace. Best Workplace honorees foster environments where employees enthusiastically go above and beyond in their work and advocate for their organization. Anonymous feedback from Fairhaven employees cited by Inc. editors included: "From Day One, I felt welcomed! I had a tragedy in my family, and the company and employees supported me like family. I look forward to coming to work every day!" "Management is approachable, empathetic, decisive and creates a consistent vision while listening to and often incorporating feedback from each employee." "Fairhaven is a place where I feel valued and respected and where my contributions count every single day very rewarding!" "For entrepreneurs and business owners, Inc. is the gold-standard. Recognition by Inc. as a place where employee engagement makes us stand out from the competition is an incredible honor," said Marc Horner, Founder, and CEO, Fairhaven Wealth Management. "When I started Fairhaven, my primary goal was to create a better experience. We are getting it right when the firm is described with words like 'Valued, Collaborative, Rewarding, Family, and Fun.' Keep an eye on Fairhaven...the best is yet to come." Today, the Fairhaven Wealth Management group has 22 team members, serving more than 450 clients. For more information on the firm, visit www.fairhavenwealth.com. About Fairhaven Wealth Management Fairhaven is an independent, privately-owned SEC-registered investment and wealth management firm. Our values are summed up in the Fairhaven Way /fairhaven/: 1. Listen more than we speak 2. Provide unbiased financial advice 3. Tailor strategies to client goals 4. Deliver prudent investment management 5. Focus on tax efficiency 6. Remain disciplined in a world of uncertainty 7. Communicate candidly & consistently. To learn more, visit www.fairhavenwealth.com. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across various channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. For more information, visit www.inc.com. About Quantum Workplace Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit www.QuantumWorkplace.com. Fairhaven Wealth Management, Inc. Media and Quantum Workplace are separate and unaffiliated. Advisory services are offered through Fairhaven Wealth Management. The ranking may not be representative of the overall firm's performance, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor's future performance. The Inc Best Workplaces List is independently determined by Quantum Workplace and editors of Inc. magazine. More information about the methodology can be found in Inc Magazine. MEDIA CONTACT Marc Horner Fairhaven Wealth Management Founder & Wealth Advisor [email protected] SOURCE FAIRHAVEN WEALTH MGMT LLC Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Users benefit from rapidly deployed, cloud-hosted, Treasury as a Service LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Finastra today announced a strategic partnership with ITC Infotech to deliver Finastra's Fusion Kondor cloud-based Treasury as a Service solution to its growing customer base in Europe. Customers will benefit from increased automation of treasury services, an evergreen system that keeps pace with regulatory change, and rapid time to go-live for new features and functionalities. The partnership strengthens Finastra's long standing relationship with ITC Infotech. Anindya Roy, President - Europe at ITC Infotech commented, "Banking treasury teams are looking to modernize their processes and improve their operational resilience. The Kondor Treasury as a Service solution will enable banks to harness treasury technology quickly, to automate manual processes, reduce dependency on spreadsheets and legacy technology, and improve cost efficiency. Finastra's technology is market-leading, and we are excited to bring customers a seamless managed services proposition, which is easy and quick to implement, and significantly reduces cost overheads across treasury, risk and compliance." "Capacity to build and run treasury systems at many banks is a challenge, and with increasing regulations to comply with, an automated solution that fills operational gaps can be ideal," said Monica Summerville, Head of Capital Markets, Celent. "Leveraging cloud delivery, bank employees can focus on their core roles, rather than worrying about underlying IT. This route also provides treasury managers the visibility and flexibility to easily comply with regulations, for which requirements are constantly updated within the solution, including Basel IV, EU CRR IV, FRTB, SA-CCR, and IRRBB." The solution could be up and running in as little as 90 days, as it is designed ready-to-use and pre-configured with best practice models. Ahead of implementation, customer value experts from Finastra and ITC Infotech spend time with the bank's treasury, operations and IT teams to review the current architecture, helping to mitigate risk and ensuring a future proof solution in a secure cloud. Banks using Finastra technology can also tap into the FusionFabric.cloud open development platform to access innovative apps. Wissam Khoury, EVP, Treasury & Capital Markets Business Unit at Finastra said, "ITC Infotech has been a long-standing partner of ours and it makes sense to expand on our proven delivery track record, to bring banks in Europe, access to leading treasury technology in the cloud. Together we will deliver our treasury platform as a managed services offering, creating a compelling solution for our joint customers to take advantage of new capabilities such as liquidity management. This move aligns well with our commitment to orchestrating ecosystems that bring real value to the financial services industry." For further information please contact: Caroline Duff Priya Trivedi Global Head of PR Head Media Relations T +44 (0)7917 613586 T +91 815106622 E [email protected] E- [email protected] finastra.com itcinfotech.com About ITC Infotech ITC Infotech is a leading global technology services and solutions provider, led by Business and Technology Consulting. ITC Infotech provides business-friendly solutions to help clients succeed and be future-ready, by seamlessly bringing together digital expertise, strong industry specic alliances and the unique ability to leverage deep domain expertise from ITC Group businesses. The company provides technology solutions and services to enterprises across industries such as Banking & Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Travel and Hospitality, through a combination of traditional and newer business models, as a long-term sustainable partner. ITC is one of India's leading private sector companies and a diversified conglomerate with businesses spanning Consumer Goods, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging, Agri Business and Information Technology. For more information, please visit: http://www.itcinfotech.com/ About Finastra Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Retail & Digital Banking for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by ~8,600 institutions, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. For more information, visit finastra.com. Corporate headquarters 4 Kingdom Street Paddington London W2 6BD United Kingdom T: +44 20 3320 5000 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/967510/Finastra_Logo.jpg SOURCE Finastra Since 2013, FMC has built a world-class biologicals business with more than 50 biological products offering protection for multiple high-value specialty crops and row crops across 50 countries. FMC's Accudo biostimulant, Presence bionematicide and Quartzo bionematicide have been recognized by the Crop Science Forum Awards as best new biological products. The company has a robust pipeline of differentiated and patented technologies developed through its biological R&D organization as well as third-party collaborations. "FMC is investing substantially in the biological segment and is committed to providing growers with products offering unique modes of action as either stand-alone solutions or complementary to FMC's portfolio of crop protection chemistries," said Dr. Benedicte Flambard, global director of FMC Plant Health. "We are rapidly expanding our existing offerings into additional geographies by launching four new biopesticides around the world in the next four years. As part of this initiative, we are excited to share that we are introducing Zironar biofungicide/bionematicide in the U.S. and Provilar biofungicide in Brazil this year." Zironar biofungicide/bionematicide, a root-colonizing biological used at planting, produces a physical barrier along the length of the root to offer season-long protection against soil-borne fungal diseases and destructive nematodes. Studies show Zironar biofungicide/bionematicide increases root biomass and root branching for better utilization of water from the soil in drought-like conditions. Provilar biofungicide, a foliar Bacillus combination, recently received registration from Brazilian authorities to address key diseases in soybeans, cotton and beans. Studies have shown crops treated with Provilar biofungicide demonstrate higher yield as a result of improved disease management. Provilar biofungicide will be available in Brazil this year, while FMC is pursuing registration of this Bacillus strain combination in over 20 additional countries. For more information about Biologicals by FMC, Zironar biofungicide/bionematicide, Provilar biofungicide and FMC's biologicals portfolio, visit fmc.com/biologicals. About FMC FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,400 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Accudo, Presence, Provilar, Quartzo and Zironar are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. Always read and follow all label directions, restrictions and precautions for use. Products listed here may not be registered for sale or use in all states, countries or jurisdictions. Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2021 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law. SOURCE FMC Corporation NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the world continues to grapple with supply chain disruption, entrepreneurs Michael Goldberg and Robyn Shapiro saw this as an opportunity to fill the gaps traditional distributors left behind. Their new company, Foresight Supply has emerged as a market leader in scarce goods distribution. Foresight solidified its place in the national spotlight over the last two years with $100MM in sales, mostly driven by PPE and Covid-19 tests. However, the recent baby formula shortage hit home for the company's co-founder, Robyn Shapiro. "Being pregnant myself, this shortage was particularly unsettling. On one hand, I would see expecting women in crisis about the shortage the last thing any new mother needs on her plate. Yet, because of the business we are in, I knew Foresight had access to this desperately needed inventory. It was obvious to us, we needed to do our part to help." Foresight was able to quickly mobilize and procure a large quantity of infant formula that the company donated to Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). This month, Foresight delivered more than 34,000 fluid ounces of infant formula in a mission to help vulnerable families provide for their newborns. "RIDOH is very grateful to Foresight for their donation and for reaching out to us to see what the need is in Rhode Island," said Interim Director of Health James McDonald, MD, MPH. "We work with local community agencies throughout Rhode Island. Foresight was able to send us Similac, one of the most widely used brands. This generosity and sense of community helped so many families who were in need." Foresight Supply was born out of a need for rapid solutions for critical medical supplies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are a next generation distributor, focused on providing scarcity sourcing to ensure critical goods get in the hands of those who need them most. Foresight works closely with government, private enterprises, healthcare organizations and retailers to keep their fingers on the pulse for items experiencing supply chain disruptions. The company has worked with Conde Nast, Lyft, The State of Rhode Island, Stony Brook Medicine, The State of Texas, Value Drug Company and others to address critical supply chain issues. To learn more about Foresight Supply, visit www.foresightsupply.com . Contact: 844-5FSUPPL [email protected] SOURCE Foresight Supply Get a Free Original Double Steakburger or Free Regular Concrete by Downloading the App WICHITA, Kan., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast-casual restaurant concept Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers announced today the launch of the brand's new mobile app, which features delivery and order-ahead capabilities and an enhanced loyalty program. Guests who download the app will receive a signup reward of a free Original Double or regular concrete with one topping. Meet the All-New Freddy's App "Freddy's is committed to providing seamless and friendly service for all Guests, and our new easy-to-use app is designed to do just that," said Freddy's Chief Marketing Officer Laura Rueckel. "We're excited for our FredHeads to experience this enhanced digital platform. We believe they'll appreciate our generous rewards program as they continue to enjoy our cooked-to-order food and refreshing frozen custard treats." Guests can customize their order to their liking and select a convenient pickup time that fits their schedule. Additionally, Guests will earn 10 points per dollar spent through the app, which can be redeemed for free menu items such as a Signature Turtle Sundae, California Style Double or large Cheese Curds. Along with the launch of the app, Freddys.com also now offers order-ahead options allowing Guests to schedule delivery or pickup with just a few clicks. Freddy's recently unveiled its limited-time offerings for summer, including the cooked-to-order Double Bacon BBQ Steakburger, served on a toasted brioche bun with two sizzling patties, four slices of bacon, American Cheese and topped with fan-favorite Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. They've also brought back a summer fan favorite: the creamy Key Lime Pie Concrete featuring vanilla frozen custard blended with a whole slice of key lime pie. All regular and LTO menu items are available for order through the app and online. For more information on the app and loyalty program, please visit https://www.freddys.com/rewards-faq/. About Freddy's Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a leading fast-casual franchise concept with more than 440 locations across 36 states nationwide. Founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002, the brand offers a unique combination of cooked-to-order steakburgers, all-beef hot dogs, shoestring fries and other savory items along with freshly churned frozen custard treats. Known for operating the Freddy's Way, guests experience genuine hospitality and food prepared fresh with premium ingredients. This signature approach has fueled Freddy's ongoing growth throughout the U.S. and garnered national recognition from industry-leading rankings, including being named No. 1 on Forbes Best Franchises to Buy and No. 59 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. For more on Freddy's, visit the Newsroom and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information about development opportunities, visit https://freddysfranchising.com/. Media Contact: Joshua Morris [email protected] (754) 888-6316 SOURCE Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers To further their efforts, some of these programs are considering implementing whistleblower programs to bolster their own abilities to identify and prosecute tax evasion and fraud involving digital currencies and non-fungible tokens. It is more important now than ever to ensure that you do stay or become tax compliant. At the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, our seasoned Dual Licensed Cryptocurrency Tax Attorneys and CPAs are here to help. To get a first-time special reduced rate case assessment, call our offices today at (800) 681-1295 or schedule online here. IRS, DOJ Expected to Target Unreported Cryptocurrency Income Through False Claims Act This is a new step that expands on the federal version of the False Claims Act (FCA). Tax cases, specifically those involving the underreporting of income on tax returns of any sort, are explicitly excluded from the federal version of the FCA. However, certain states that have adopted their own version of the FCA may present a unique threat for tax enforcement. Taxpayers who skirt tax payments on virtual investments could be exposed to both criminal and civil tax liability under state versions of the FCA. Specifically, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., authorize state FCA suits based on tax liability for failure to report income and making false statements on those returns. The underreporting of virtual currency transactions is also a target of the IRS. The 2021 IRS Form 1040 prominently includes the following question at the top of the first page; "At any time during 2021, did you receive, sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any financial interest in any virtual currency?" While the federal FCA explicitly excludes tax cases, the IRS and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have made no secret of their efforts to address cryptocurrency tax fraud through criminal prosecutions. Federal tax code provides for the assessment of a 75% civil penalty for any underpayment of taxes where the taxpayer committed fraud. Even if fraud cannot be established, penalties for failure to report income or for underreporting income could apply. New Initiative Suggests Use of Whistleblowers International and state authorities could soon bolster enforcement efforts by rewarding individuals who provide information about underreporting income on virtual currency transactions. As a result, digital asset investors and their tax advisors could find themselves subject to liability under yet another regulation creeping into cryptocurrency governance. In the past, whistleblowers have proven to be a helpful resource in identifying and pursuing FCA violations. Potential tipsters have found motivation in state FCA provisions that allow whistleblowers to share in potential recovery awards. The frequency of these tips is likely to rise if the the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (also known as the J5) adopt their own form of whistleblower program to boost their enforcement efforts. The J5 has launched its own coordination event to target non-fungible tokens and decentralized exchanges. Blockchain technology, which publicly records digital asset transactions, now allows the government to independently test the veracity of whistleblower claims and focus in on egregious violators. Ways to Avoid Cryptocurrency Tax Noncompliance Penalties The developments discussed above suggest that further Treasury regulations and IRS actions regarding cryptocurrency reporting enforcement are likely to come in the near future. With additional cooperation among federal, state and non-U.S. tax authorities, taxpayers should be mindful of their reporting requirements. Reporting Properly The first step in remaining compliant with your cryptocurrency income tax filings is to identify what the government is looking for. Any sale or disposition of a digital asset, including trading one form of cryptocurrency for another, is a reportable transaction. You must also report any cryptocurrency you receive as payment for goods, services, or income through employment, as well as any cryptocurrency earned through mining. Crypto gains and losses should be reported on Form 8949, which requires the name of the cryptocurrency; purchase date; purchase quantity and price; date sold, traded or disposed of; sale price; and market value of the digital asset at the time of sale. These should all be tracked rigorously, so you should have a reliable system for recording your cryptocurrency transactions that you can look to when preparing your filings. Voluntary Disclosure Of course, it is possible that mistakes have already been made. Rather than ignoring the issue or waiting for the government to come knocking on your door, there are actions that you can take today to reduce the potential consequences of any missteps in your cryptocurrency income reporting. Just this year, the IRS released its revised Form 14457, which now allows taxpayers facing criminal tax issues to disclose all domestic and foreign noncompliant currency either directly owned or controlled by the taxpayer or of which the taxpayer was the beneficial owner. This is one form of voluntary disclosure, a process by which taxpayers can come forward with amended filings and additional documentation of their past noncompliance. In exchange for the taxpayer's cooperation, the government offers potential reductions in penalties and reductions in charges. Voluntary disclosure does not work in all cases and may end up doing more harm than good if handled the wrong way. You should only apply for voluntary disclosure after having a thorough assessment of your situation from a seasoned Tax Attorney and CPA. If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years, failed to report cryptocurrency based gains or taxable income or have taken a position on a tax return regarding cryptocurrency that could not be supported upon an IRS or state tax authority audit , eggshell audit , reverse eggshell audit , or criminal tax investigation , it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney to determine your best route back into federal or state tax compliance without facing criminal prosecution. Note: As long as a taxpayer that has willfully committed tax crimes (potentially including non-reported cryptocurrency taxable income coupled with affirmative evasion of U.S. income tax on offshore income) self-reports the tax fraud (including a pattern of non-filed returns) through a domestic or offshore voluntary disclosure before the IRS has started an audit or criminal tax investigation / prosecution, the taxpayer can ordinarily be successfully brought back into tax compliance and receive a nearly guaranteed pass on criminal tax prosecution and simultaneously often receive a break on the civil penalties that would otherwise apply. It is imperative that you hire an experienced and reputable criminal tax defense attorney to take you through the voluntary disclosure process. Only an Attorney has the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Privileges that will prevent the very professional that you hire from being potentially being forced to become a witness against you, especially where they prepared the returns that need to be amended, in a subsequent criminal tax audit, investigation or prosecution. Moreover, only an Attorney can enter you into a voluntary disclosure without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (a crime in itself). Only an Attorney trained in Criminal Tax Defense fully understands the risks and rewards involved in voluntary disclosures and how to protect you if you do not qualify for a voluntary disclosure. As uniquely qualified and extensively experienced Criminal Tax Defense Tax Attorneys , Kovel CPAs and EAs , our firm provides a one stop shop to efficiently achieve the optimal and predictable results that simultaneously protect your liberty and your net worth. See our Testimonials to see what our clients have to say about us! The Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing Can Help You with Cryptocurrency Tax Issues To get experienced and dedicated assistance in answering all of your cryptocurrency reporting concerns, contact the skilled Tax Attorneys and CPAs at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing by calling us at (800) 681-1295 or book online today. See our Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Q and A Library Here is a link to our YouTube channel: click here. Public Contact: Dave Klasing Esq. M.S.-Tax CPA, [email protected] SOURCE Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC CHICAGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glen-Gery , a brand of Brickworks and premiere brick manufacturer in North America, will showcase its newest brick and stone colors, international collections, and popular wall system products at A'22, the AIA Conference on Architecture 2022 , in Chicago, Illinois on June 22-25, 2022. "We're incredibly excited to return to an in-person exhibition where we can provide a personalized experience for each visitor to our booth," said Tim Leese, director of marketing for Glen-Gery. "Our new products are nothing short of inspiring. Add to that the ability to experience a taste of the sophistication, luxury and style that is reflective of our brick and stone products as well as the exclusive experience offered through our Design Studios. We look forward to collaborating on upcoming projects and finding new and unique ways to bring a design's story to life." New for 2022, Glen-Gery's G21 product collection features an assortment of new products from range extensions and new brick series, to unique international products sourced from around the globe, including: Metallix Series: A brick face that glimmers, sparks immediate interest and which possesses great subtlety. Currently available in Platinum, Titanium and Cuprum colors. With its depth of color, the Metallix range reflects light on finished brickwork, creating a satin metallic sheen that will lend depth and sophistication to every project. A brick face that glimmers, sparks immediate interest and which possesses great subtlety. Currently available in Platinum, Titanium and Cuprum colors. With its depth of color, the Metallix range reflects light on finished brickwork, creating a satin metallic sheen that will lend depth and sophistication to every project. Aviator Series: Consists of several distinct monochromatic tone bricks with sharp contrasts that resemble those of early aircraft and aviation equipment. The colors are unique and versatile, creating an architectural feel that will surely stand out on the block, available in Charter White, Pilot Gray and Jet Black colors. Consists of several distinct monochromatic tone bricks with sharp contrasts that resemble those of early aircraft and aviation equipment. The colors are unique and versatile, creating an architectural feel that will surely stand out on the block, available in Charter White, Pilot Gray and Jet Black colors. Kite Breeze (International): With its combination of geometric design and livable functionality, every aspect of the breeze block Kite Breeze has been carefully considered. Available in three iconic colors: Dune, Terracotta and White Glaze. A'22 EXHIBIT PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS (South Building - Level 3 - Booth 2339) Venetian Glass Brick From interior feature walls to exterior facades, Venetian glass bricks are shaped by Italian artisans and offer a natural centerpiece in any architectural landscape. The collection features four finishes - natural, frosted, polished or satin. Roman Maximus Featuring a length longer than any brick made in North America, the Roman Maximus evokes feelings of sophistication, exclusivity and prestige inspired by the grandiose buildings of the Romans. The collection features earthy tones coupled with European style. Molded Brick and Custom Shapes Design is in the details as Glen-Gery's molded brick offers irregularly softened edges to build character and a sense of timelessness. Depending on the need of the project, customizable shapes are available to provide further specialization via the exterior corner, watertable, coping, bullnose, radial and custom shape options. The collection reflects Glen-Gery's commitment to new technology that increases customizable design while honoring artisanal brickmaking methods of the past. Handmade Brick No two handmade bricks look the same, which is why the Handmade Collection remains one of the most premium and sought-after brick products available. Variation and character are the result of handcrafted artisanship and are fundamental to this collection. Wall Systems Designed with architects, designers and ultimately builders in mind, Glen-Gery's wall system products help to overcome limitations of space, time and budget while making installation easier and more efficient. Included within this collection is the popular Terracade Facade System, a ceramic facade system designed and crafted to appeal to both creative and practical applications while complementing a range of architectural styles. The complete Terracade collection is prefinished and colorfast, meaning it will look as vibrant in 100 years as it does upon installation. GLEN-GERY DESIGN TOOLS AND PUBLICATIONS To learn more about Glen-Gery and explore design inspirational content curated for the architectural and design community, visit the Glen-Gery Design Channel , which features project spotlights, the techniques and artistry of masonry, product discoveries, and recorded speaker events. Architects and designers are further invited to explore FOLIO , an exclusive Glen-Gery publication that celebrates the work of some of today's most inspiring architectural and design firms nationwide while exploring the architectural process and beauty of brick in an array of designs. The second edition of FOLIO is expected to release in Fall 2022. Media Contact: Stacey Bollinger 443-789-7153 [email protected] ABOUT GLEN-GERY Glen-Gery Corporation, part of Brickworks Limited of Australia, is a premier brick and stone manufacturer offering the most diverse product portfolio of more than 600 brick and stone products. For more than a century, Glen-Gery has provided high quality building products that meet both innovative design challenges and demanding construction specifications. Through technology advancements and product innovations, Glen-Gery delivers a premium product line that caters to the high-style needs of today's architects, designers and homeowners. Founded in 1890, Glen-Gery is headquartered in Wyomissing, PA. www.glengery.com ABOUT BRICKWORKS LIMITED Brickworks has been building the Australian dream for over a century. Today, Brickworks is more than Australia's largest and most trusted brick manufacturer. It comprises a diversified portfolio of attractive assets, offering shareholders stability and long-term growth. The Company has a proud track record, having paid a dividend every year since listing on the ASX in 1962. Brickworks comprises four divisions Building Products Australia, Building Products North America, Industrial Property, and Investments. Building Products Australia includes Austral Bricks, the country's largest bricks producer, and other leading brands such as Austral Masonry, Austral Precast and Bristile Roofing. Building Products North America is the leading brick producer in the Northeast of the United States and includes the flagship brand of Glen-Gery. www.brickworks.com.au SOURCE Glen-Gery DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Aircraft Type, Product Type, Application, and End User" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Aerospace Titanium Fasteners market was valued at US$ 1,119.23 million by 2028 from US$ 693.31 million in 2020; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% during 2021-2028 Most aircraft system manufacturers are focused on reducing the final weight of aircraft. Lightweight aircraft are more economical to operate, can travel a greater range, carry more payloads, and exhibit longer airworthiness. The unmanned military aircraft (UAV) is controlled by remote; it carries sensors, target designators, offensive ordnance, or electronic transmitters to interfere with or destroy enemy objects. Reducing the structure's weight allows it to have more sensors and payload. Thus, the rising demand for lightweight material-based fasteners will boost the ales of titanium fasteners in military UAV systems, eventually bolstering the aerospace titanium fasteners market. Technological advancements in the aerospace industry have led to the production of newer and more durable aerospace fasteners. Moreover, the increasing adoption of lightweight titanium fasteners in the aerospace industry provides notable opportunities for the aerospace titanium fasteners market players. In 2020, TriMas Aerospace received multi-year contracts from Airbus and signed new supply contracts with the company, which led to a surge in the sales of engineered fasteners of TriMas Aerospace in Europe. Moreover, the presence of developed countries, such as the US and Canada, and the high focus on the aerospace & defense sector are two major factors driving the growth of the aerospace titanium fasteners market in North America. Due to the high standards of living in North America, airplanes and helicopters are widely used modes of transportation for domestic and international travel. Thus, the demand for commercial aircraft for passenger travel and cargo services is relatively high in the region, which favors the aerospace titanium fasteners market growth. The US is a leading country in the world in terms of defense expenditure. North America is a hub of a few of the world's largest aircraft & helicopter manufacturers, such as Boeing, Textron Corporation, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Piper Aircraft Inc., Cirrus Design Corporation, Electric Aircraft Corporation, and Bombardier. Hence, the presence of aircraft manufacturers and increasing commercial aircraft production are the two major factors boosting the aerospace titanium fasteners market growth in North America. Titanium fasteners exhibit high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and nonmagnetic nature in military aircraft. Titanium's robust strength and low density provide the high levels of performance desired by aeroengine manufacturers. Its high-temperature capability is suitable for jet engines and airframe parts that must endure temperatures ranging from subzero readings to 600C. According to XOT Metals, titanium is mainly consumed by the military aerospace industry. The F/A-18, F-22, C-17, F-35, and the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter are among the military aircraft models that use a huge volume of titanium fasteners. Further, military helicopters and UAVs also need higher volumes of titanium fasteners to attain improved operational efficiencies and lower fuel consumption benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire aviation industry came to a halt. Several aircraft production units in the US, France, Russia, and China were temporarily shut down to adhere to the social restrictions enacted by various governments. Furthermore, the total number of commercial aircraft and general aviation deliveries has impacting negatively to the aerospace titanium fasteners market share due to the industry crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to a decline in the demand for aircraft components required for the assembly of new aircraft production. However, the number of deliveries of single-engine piston aircraft increased in 2020. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Associations, in 2019, ~1,111 units of single-engine piston airplanes were delivered worldwide, and the number rose to ~1,155 units in 2020. This led to an increased demand for aerospace titanium fasteners for piston airplanes in 2020. However, the aerospace titanium fasteners market witnessed an overall decline of ~20% due to a substantial negative impact on commercial and military aircraft deliveries during FY 2020. Nevertheless, aviation authorities, airlines, and aircraft OEMs foresee strong growth in the APAC aviation industry in the near future. Due to this, several airlines are ordering newer aircraft models, which is expected to drive the demand for aircraft components among aircraft OEMs and MRO vendors during the forecast period. The key players profiled in the study of the aerospace titanium fasteners market XOT Metals; Leeart industry Co., ltd.; B&B Specialties, Inc.; 3V Fasteners; Cherry Aerospace; Ferralloy inc.; SuperBTI CO., Ltd; TriMas Corporation; Torqbolt Inc.; and Lisi Aerospace Inc. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 4. Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Landscape 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Porter's Five Force Analysis 4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.2.3 Threat to New Entrants 4.2.4 Threat to Substitutes 4.2.5 Competitive Rivalry 4.3 Ecosystem Analysis 4.4 Expert Opinion 4.5 Premium Insights 4.5.1 Impact of Russia-Ukraine War in the Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market 5. Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market - Key Industry Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.1.1 Increasing Adoption in Military Aircraft 5.1.2 Rising Development by Aerospace Titanium Fastener Manufacturers 5.1.3 Increasing demand by MRO Service Provider 5.2 Market Restraints 5.2.1 Discontinuation of A380 and B747 Manufacturing 5.3 Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Increasing Demand of Light Weight Fasteners 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Rising adoption in Military UAV 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 6. Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market - Global Market Analysis 6.1 Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Overview 6.2 Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Forecast and Analysis 6.3 Market Positioning - Global Key Players 7. Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Analysis - By Aircraft Type 7.1 Overview 7.2 Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market, By Aircraft Type (2020 And 2028) 7.3 Narrow Body Aircraft 7.3.1 Overview 7.3.2 Narrow Body Aircraft: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 7.4 Wide Body Aircraft 7.4.1 Overview 7.4.2 Wide Body Aircraft: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 7.5 General Aviation 7.5.1 Overview 7.5.2 General Aviation: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 7.6 Cargo Aircraft 7.6.1 Overview 7.6.2 Cargo Aircraft: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 7.7 Helicopters 7.7.1 Overview 7.7.2 Helicopters: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 7.8 Military Aircraft 7.8.1 Overview 7.8.2 Military Aircraft: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 8. Global Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Analysis - By Product Type 8.1 Overview 8.2 Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market , By Product Type (2020 And 2028) 8.3 Bolts 8.3.1 Overview 8.3.2 Bolts: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 8.4 Nuts 8.4.1 Overview 8.4.2 Nuts: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 8.5 Screws 8.5.1 Overview 8.5.2 Screws: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 8.6 Rivets 8.6.1 Overview 8.6.2 Rivets: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 8.7 Others 8.7.1 Overview 8.7.2 Others: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 9. Global Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Analysis - By Applications 9.1 Overview 9.2 Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market , By Applications (2020 and 2028) 9.3 Flight Control Surfaces 9.3.1 Overview 9.3.2 Flight Control Surfaces: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 9.4 Airframe 9.4.1 Overview 9.4.2 Airframe: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 9.5 Engine 9.5.1 Overview 9.5.2 Engine: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 9.6 Interiors 9.6.1 Overview 9.6.2 Interiors: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 9.7 Landing Gear 9.7.1 Overview 9.7.2 Landing Gear: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 10. Global Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Analysis - By End User 10.1 Overview 10.2 Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market , By End User (2020 and 2028) 10.3 Aircraft Manufacturers 10.3.1 Overview 10.3.2 Aircraft Manufacturers: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 10.4 MRO Service Providers 10.4.1 Overview 10.4.2 MRO Service Providers: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 10.5 Military Forces 10.5.1 Overview 10.5.2 Military Forces: Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million) 11. Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market - Geographic Analysis 12. Aerospace Titanium Fasteners Market- COVID-19 Impact Analysis 12.1 Overview 12.1.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 12.1.2 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 12.1.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 12.1.4 Middle East and Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 12.1.5 South America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 13. Industry Landscape 13.1 Overview 13.2 Market Initiative 14. Company Profiles 14.1 XOT Metals 14.1.1 Key Facts 14.1.2 Business Description 14.1.3 Products and Services 14.1.4 Financial Overview 14.1.5 SWOT Analysis 14.1.6 Key Developments 14.2 Leeart Industry Co., Ltd. 14.2.1 Key Facts 14.2.2 Business Description 14.2.3 Products and Services 14.2.4 Financial Overview 14.2.5 SWOT Analysis 14.2.6 Key Developments 14.3 Cherry Aerospace (PCC) 14.3.1 Key Facts 14.3.2 Business Description 14.3.3 Products and Services 14.3.4 Financial Overview 14.3.5 SWOT Analysis 14.3.6 Key Developments 14.4 Ferralloy Inc. 14.4.1 Key Facts 14.4.2 Business Description 14.4.3 Products and Services 14.4.4 Financial Overview 14.4.5 SWOT Analysis 14.4.6 Key Developments 14.5 Superbti Co.,ltd. 14.5.1 Key Facts 14.5.2 Business Description 14.5.3 Products and Services 14.5.4 Financial Overview 14.5.5 SWOT Analysis 14.5.6 Key Developments 14.6 3 V Fasteners 14.6.1 Key Facts 14.6.2 Business Description 14.6.3 Products and Services 14.6.4 Financial Overview 14.6.5 SWOT Analysis 14.6.6 Key Developments 14.7 TorqBolt P(Ltd) 14.7.1 Key Facts 14.7.2 Business Description 14.7.3 Products and Services 14.7.4 Financial Overview 14.7.5 SWOT Analysis 14.7.6 Key Developments 14.8 TriMas Corporation 14.8.1 Key Facts 14.8.2 Business Description 14.8.3 Products and Services 14.8.4 Financial Overview 14.8.5 SWOT Analysis 14.8.6 Key Developments 14.9 B&B Specialties, Inc. 14.9.1 Key Facts 14.9.2 Business Description 14.9.3 Products and Services 14.9.4 Financial Overview 14.9.5 SWOT Analysis 14.9.6 Key Developments 14.10 LISI Aerospace 14.10.1 Key Facts 14.10.2 Business Description 14.10.3 Products and Services 14.10.4 Financial Overview 14.10.5 SWOT Analysis 14.10.6 Key Developments 15. Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2xuw7w Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Get a free sample of this data, download our sample report: https://spendedge.com/procurement-report/it-support-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report Who are the Top Suppliers in the IT Support Services Market? The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several top suppliers. Some of the leading IT Support Services suppliers profiled extensively in this report include: Microsoft International Business Machines Fujitsu Limited These are a few of the key suppliers in IT Support Services market. Discover more about these vendors, including the detailed analysis of procurement strategies deployed by major category end-users across several industries while sourcing for IT Support Services requirements. Download a free sample of this report: https://spendedge.com/procurement-report/it-support-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report What are the Most Adopted Procurement Strategies for the IT Support Services Market? The research includes a complete analysis of the most commonly used procurement strategies by buyers across sectors, as well as an insight into these strategies' innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost. Adopting these procurement tactics would enable buyers to minimize category TCO and achieve cost savings while sourcing IT Support Services. What Are the Most Effective Price Strategy That a Vendor Can Adopt and What is The Forecasted Incremental Spend? It is critical to monitor current and future pricing changes in order to maximize the value of the purchase. Price forecasts can assist in purchase planning, especially when combined with constant monitoring of price-influencing factors. The market expects an incremental spend of USD 85.94 billion over the forecast period as a result of several market drivers prevalent across multiple geographies. In addition, the sourcing and procurement report discusses different cost-cutting factors by analyzing the following criteria: Identify favorable opportunities in IT Support Services TCO (total cost of ownership) Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities Download the "IT Support Services Sourcing and Procurement" Sample Report to get detailed insights into few more pricing strategies. Which are the Key Regions for IT Support Services Market? The IT Support Services market will register an incremental spend of about USD 85.94 billion during the forecast period. However, only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America, Europe, and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. The growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand and adoption of the category across those few regions. To get more information on the volume drivers that are driving the adoption of the category across regions, Read more about this market from our sample report!. Smart Procurement Starts Here: SpendEdge's procurement intelligence platform is the go-to tool for companies looking to access latest procurement research insights and supplier data on an easy to use platform: Signup for our subscription services now for FREE!, to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Neurology Devices Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global neurology devices market is expected to grow from $13.94 billion in 2021 to $15.91 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2%. The market is expected to grow to $25.75 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8%. Major companies in the neurology devices market include Medtronic Inc., Stryker Corporation, Terumo Corporation, Integra Lifesciences, Boston Scientific Corporation, Penumbra, Inc., B. Braun Group, Nevro, LivaNova, PLC, and Natus Medical. The neurology devices market consists of sales of neurology devices and related services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that produce neurology devices to diagnose and treat neurological diseases. The main types of neurology devices are cerebrospinal fluid management (CSF) devices and equipment, interventional neurology devices and equipment, neurosurgery devices and equipment, and neurostimulation devices. The neurostimulation device is a device that generates the electrical impulses placed under the skin of specific parts of the patient's body. The type of expenditures is public and private. The products included are instruments/equipment and disposables. The various end-users involved are hospitals and clinics, diagnostic laboratories, and others. North America was the largest region in the global neurology devices market in 2021. Asia Pacific was the second largest region in the global neurology devices market. Africa. was the smallest region in the global neurology devices market. The increase in the patient pool due to the rising geriatric population globally contributed significantly to the growth of the neurology devices market during the historic period. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the share of the population over the age of 65 in the global population increased to 9% in 2019. The global population aged 65 years or over was 703 million in 2019. This rise in the geriatric population increased the demand for medical care and drove the healthcare expenditure. These factors increased the demand for neurology devices and drove the market during the historic period. Regulatory changes are likely to lead to increased costs relating to new product development and service offerings to clients. These regulations include changes to equipment approval procedures and others. For instance, the United States Food and Drug Administration is requesting more clinical data to support claims, therefore increasing the time to process 510(k)s by over 55% over the last decade. The potential loss of revenue due to delays in product release and additional costs incurred due to stringent approval processes puts a strain on investments relating to new product development, thereby affecting the growth of the market. Neurology devices manufacturers are investing in the research and development of implantable wireless brain devices to treat neurological and psychiatric diseases. The neuromodulation devices are tiny devices with a wireless neuromodulator, implanted inside the cranium (skull) to communicate with the brain and stimulate nerves in the body. They are equipped with antennas, application-specific integrated circuits, ceramic lid, and feedthrough. These devices are used for relieving depression, traumatic brain injury, stress, and bipolar disorders by manipulating brain signals accordingly. Companies Featured Medtronic Inc. Stryker Corporation Terumo Corporation Integra Lifesciences Boston Scientific Corporation Penumbra, Inc. B. Braun Group Nevro LivaNova, PLC. Natus Medical Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Report Structure 3. Neurology Devices Market Characteristics 3.1. Market Definition 3.2. Key Segmentations 4. Neurology Devices Market Product Analysis 4.1. Leading Products/ Services 4.2. Key Features and Differentiators 4.3. Development Products 5. Neurology Devices Market Supply Chain 5.1. Supply Chain 5.2. Distribution 5.3. End Customers 6. Neurology Devices Market Customer Information 6.1. Customer Preferences 6.2. End Use Market Size and Growth 7. Neurology Devices Market Trends And Strategies 8. Impact Of COVID-19 On Neurology Devices 9. Neurology Devices Market Size And Growth 9.1. Market Size 9.2. Historic Market Growth, Value ($ Billion) 9.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 9.2.2. Restraints On The Market 9.3. Forecast Market Growth, Value ($ Billion) 9.3.1. Drivers Of The Market 9.3.2. Restraints On The Market 10. Neurology Devices Market Regional Analysis 10.1. Global Neurology Devices Market, 2021, By Region, Value ($ Billion) 10.2. Global Neurology Devices Market, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, Historic And Forecast, By Region 10.3. Global Neurology Devices Market, Growth And Market Share Comparison, By Region 11. Neurology Devices Market Segmentation 11.1. Global Neurology Devices Market, Segmentation By Type, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Cerebrospinal Fluid Management (CSF) Devices And Equipment Interventional Neurology Devices And Equipment Neurosurgery Devices And Equipment Neurostimulation Devices 11.2. Global Neurology Devices Market, Segmentation By End User, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Hospitals And Clinics Diagnostic Laboratories Other End Users 11.3. Global Neurology Devices Market, Segmentation By Type of Expenditure, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Public Private 11.4. Global Neurology Devices Market, Segmentation By Product, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Instruments/Equipment Disposables 12. Neurology Devices Market Segments 12.1. Global Cerebrospinal Fluid Management (CSF) Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Type, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, Value ($ Billion) - CSF Drainage Systems; CSF Shunts 12.2. Global Interventional Neurology Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Type, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, Value ($ Billion) - Aneurysm Coiling & Embolization Devices; Neurothrombectomy Devices; Angioplasty Devices; Interventional Neurology Support Devices 12.3. Global Neurosurgery Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Type, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, Value ($ Billion) - Neurosurgical Navigation Systems; Neurosurgical endoscopes; Aneurysm Clips; Stereotactic Systems; Other Neurosurgery Devices 12.4. Global Neurostimulation Devices Market, Segmentation By Type, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, Value ($ Billion) - Implantable Neurostimulation Devices; External Neurostimulation Devices 13. Neurology Devices Market Metrics 13.1. Neurology Devices Market Size, Percentage Of GDP, 2016-2026, Global 13.2. Per Capita Average Neurology Devices Market Expenditure, 2016-2026, Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9q26ju Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Leading Fertility Concepts' Mission of Delivering the Best Patient Experience in the Industry Through Highly-Personalized Care Attracts Esteemed Investors IRVINE, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Premier Fertility , an innovative fertility company that builds, acquires, and manages fertility clinics and adjacent businesses, announced today the closing of an $11 million Series C funding round led by Triangle Capital Corporation . The entrepreneur-led private investment firm also committed to an additional $50 million investment, to be deployed over the next 12 months. The funding round will support Global Premier Fertility's acquisitions efforts, build new clinics with current and prospective physician partners, and help invest in recruiting top fertility talent. Triangle Capital Corporation co-invested alongside existing Global Premier Fertility investors to aid the brands' endeavors to revolutionize the fertility industry and provide major capital horsepower for sustained growth. Global Premier Fertility The Series C fundraiser follows a year of incredible growth for Global Premier Fertility, including the acquisition of Reproductive Health & Wellness Center in Laguna Hills, Calif. Additionally, they've developed strategic partnerships with the nation's top fertility specialists to launch RISE Fertility in Newport Beach and Mission Viejo and Dreams Fertility in Palm Springs, with more locations opening soon. As an estimated 48.5 million couples experience infertility worldwide, it is evident that cost, lack of insurance coverage, and high-quality care continue to be barriers for patients to reach their family-building goals. With a mission to deliver a seamless patient experience through innovative, personalized fertility care, the raise will help Global Premier Fertility to fill the void by building products and services to ensure practices have the support needed to deliver the best possible patient experience in the industry. "As we continue to navigate today's family-building challenges, we know there will always be a need for high-quality fertility care. Triangle's investment and support enables Global Premier Fertility to reach new heights in delivering robust, personalized treatment to patients in Southern California with a growth trajectory to reach new markets throughout the United States," said Kolin Ozonian, Founder and CEO of Global Premier Fertility. "As an international company, Triangle Capital Corporation understands the importance of treating infertility on a global scale, and we are humbled to have the support of our investors to help couples far and wide build the family of their dreams." Triangle Capital Corporation, owner of Bourn Hall in London, produced the first baby from in vitro fertilization in the world. Their investment in Global Premier Fertility further shows the systemic commitment to a global fertility solution. With strategic partnerships that span oceans and continents, infertility is being addressed worldwide with limitless possibilities for innovative treatments and improved care. "Global Premier Fertility is leading the charge in the fertility industry by leveraging a unique partnership model with the best fertility specialists in the country to provide unrivaled, highly-personalized care during a critical time of need," said Gill Broome, Co-Founder and President of Triangle Capital Corporation. "As the company continues to become a dominant player in solving today's most complex fertility issues, we are thrilled to have the team as part of our portfolio to support their continued growth. Our investment in Global Premier Fertility aligns with Triangle Capital Corporation's mission to partner with industry trailblazers." Global Premier Fertility is one of the most powerful fertility concepts, proving that the brand is attracting the next generation of physicians looking to elevate fertility care. Global Premier Fertility has developed an innovative and collaborative partnership model that disrupts the traditional arrangement between investors and their network of providers by providing fundamental management services while creating growth opportunities for younger physicians. Global Premier Fertility is located at 18401 Von Karman Ste 400, Irvine, CA 92612. For more information about Global Premier Fertility, please visit https://globalpremierfertility.com/ . About Global Premier Fertility : Global Premier Fertility offers a unique partnership model through an innovative platform that owns, operates, and integrates fertility centers, providing physicians the resources needed to lead day-to-day operations while working alongside an experienced fertility leadership team to execute the vision of the practice. The Global Premier Fertility family of Partner Centers improves patient outcomes by providing a seamless patient experience through an innovative, comprehensive suite of services, delivering personalized fertility care from the nation's top specialists. About Triangle Capital Corporation: Triangle Capital Corporation invests capital in established companies in the lower middle market to fund growth, changes of control, and other corporate events. Triangle's investment objective is to seek attractive returns by generating current income from debt investments and capital appreciation from equity-related investments. Triangle's investment philosophy is to partner with business owners, management teams, and financial sponsors to provide flexible financing solutions. MEDIA CONTACT: Kristina Avena / Joy Puder | Konnect Agency [email protected] 646-453-7167 SOURCE Global Premier Fertility "Our mission from day one has been to create a patient-first, tech-driven solution that anticipates patient needs before they step into the physical therapist's clinic and guides them through the duration of the treatment" said Brijraj Bhuptani, CEO & Co-founder of Spry . "With our 25 member strong team, we have been able to build a new-age, reliable and trustworthy platform to enable physical therapists to manage an omnichannel practice and improve the quality of patient care. We look forward to working with our new investors, Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital, as we accelerate our mission to be the platform of choice for physical therapists globally." Founded in 2021 by Ola's former chief technology officer, Brijraj Bhuptani, and Riyaz Rehman, Spry aims to democratize the accessibility and affordability of movement health through its full-stack digital health platform. It enables practitioners and owners of physical therapy centers to manage their clinical and administrative functions using a single tool. The platform supports a clinic's end-to-end operations, from patient intake to scheduling, communication, assessments, electronic medical records ('EMR'), revenue cycle management, home exercise plans, adherence tracking and patient lifecycle management. There is an increased demand for physical therapy in the United States, Spry's key target market, with more consumers striving to adopt healthy and active lifestyles, a growing aging population and favourable payer policies that are reducing the need for prior physician authorization. Physical rehabilitation services in the U.S present a $56 billion opportunity, with outpatient demand contributing a significant percentage. Many physical therapists are also setting up their own private practices, giving them increased autonomy and the ability to personalize treatment. New regulations have incentivized practice owners to adopt EMR solutions, and the inclusion by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow the reimbursement of remote physical therapy sessions has driven further adoption of new age practice management SaaS solutions. "Spry's comprehensive and omnichannel platform is a very compelling value proposition to the growing number of physical therapy practices who aspire to provide a continuum of care to their patients, in-clinic and at home. We are very excited to partner with Brijraj, Riyaz and the team as they continue on their journey to revolutionize the physical rehabilitation industry." said Dr. Prem Pavoor, Senior Partner, Head of India & Healthcare Investments at Eight Roads Ventures. Within a large market, Spry's solution enables physical therapists to efficiently manage their offline practice and compete online with direct-to-consumer digital therapy platforms. The self-assessment portal, which is unique to the platform, leverages computer vision technology to provide patients with a comprehensive assessment of their mobility and flexibility through auto-generated scorecards. This allows physical therapists to manage their time more effectively, as they can access a patient's scorecards in the initial appointment. "Spry has built a game-changing physical rehabilitation platform that allows providers to streamline operations and increase revenue while delivering a collaborative and seamless experience for their patients," said Carl Byers, Partner, F-Prime Capital. "F-Prime strongly supports the team at Spry and is confident in their ability to execute on its mission." Spry has a 25 team member strong team across both India and the U.S. In the coming months, the company aims to expand its team in India and the U.S, especially across its engineering and go-to-market functions. "It's only been a few months since we announced our partnership with Brijraj & Riyaz, but in these few months, we have been thrilled to see Spry scale from being a grand vision to disrupting how movement health is delivered and now being live across multiple clinics in the U.S. Spry's product has inspired us to double down on our partnership, a product that not only provides immaculate value to physical therapists globally but is also truly loved by every stakeholder in the value chain." Manav Garg, Founder of Together Fund. About Spry Spry is a purpose built platform for the physical rehabilitation industry. It helps therapists streamline care delivery, increase patient inflow and reduce administrative costs while also helping patients improve outcomes by making it easy to understand and follow care plans. Spry has been able to achieve this by using physical rehabilitation specific workflows, advanced computer vision technology and new age product design paradigms. Further Information: http://sprypt.com/ About Eight Roads Ventures: Eight Roads Ventures is a global venture capital firm backed by Fidelity, managing $7 billion of assets across offices in China, India, Japan, and the UK. Our 50-year history of investing includes partnerships with over 300 healthcare and technology companies. In May this year, Eight Roads launched its first dedicated US$250 million healthcare and life sciences fund for India. Eight Roads Ventures' India active and exited healthcare partner companies include Ashish Life Science, Caplin Steriles, Carestack, Cipla Health, Core Diagnostics, Denali Therapeutics, Doceree, eKincare, Eywa Pharma, Immuneel Therapeutics, Laurus Labs, Medwell Ventures, NOCD, Plasmagen Biosciences, Proximie, OZiva, PharmEasy, Richcore Lifesciences, Specsmakers, Spry, Toothsi, Trivitron Healthcare and Ujala Cygnus. Further information: https://eightroads.com SOURCE Spry Organization demonstrates financial and physician network growth SAN RAMON, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill Physicians Medical Group, California's largest independent physician association, has reported its 2021 annual audited financial results. Reporting $576 million in total revenue compared to $554 million the prior year, Hill continued to grow despite the challenges of the pandemic. Hill Physicians Medical Group is one of few independent medical groups to annually audit and share its financial results. The medical group also reported increased patient and physician support, while strategically expanding its lines of business: Reached out, engaged, and coordinated timely care for 98% of high-risk patients in 2021 Continued to expand physician adoption of technology, with over 80% of primary care physicians now offering video visits as an option for their patients Piloted a Community Health Advocate program in collaboration with Blue Shield of California , which contributed to 45% fewer ER visits , which contributed to 45% fewer ER visits Ended the year with our five largest health plan partners participating in a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) Bolstered its presence in Solano County , by adding Northbay Healthcare to Hill Physician's network of providers. "We continued to deliver exceptional care and support to our members and providers while managing the impacts of the global pandemic. We grew the Hill Physicians network and membership, added new plans and products to the portfolio and invested in technology," said David Joyner, CEO of Hill Physicians Medical Group. "I am proud of our performance as we delivered value-added services to help patients and our physicians navigate the complex healthcare landscape. Supporting our physicians and their staff is our primary goal, assisting them to deliver high quality patient care," reported David. The 2021 annual report and financial statements are available at HillPhysicians.com/2021. About Hill Physicians Medical Group Hill Physicians Medical Group is the largest independent physician association in Northern California. Since 1984, it has provided consumers access to quality, patient-focused healthcare. The group, comprised of more than 5,000 primary care and specialty physicians, partners with leading health plans and hospitals, giving members access to healthcare in 12 counties spanning the Sacramento, Stockton and San Francisco Bay areas. Comprehensive case management programs, targeted clinical initiatives and a dedication to technological advancement place it at the forefront of the industry. Hill Physicians is consistently acknowledged as one of the top-performing medical groups in the state by The Integrated Healthcare Association and Association of Physician Groups. For more information, visit: www.HillPhysicians.com. Contact: Cynthia Hibbard Phone: 925.327.6731 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Hill Physicians Medical Group The Business Research Company's Home Healthcare research report expands on key drivers, trends, and growth opportunities in the market. LONDON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The home healthcare market consists of sales of home healthcare services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used to help individuals to improve health function as it helps to provide initial treatment and avoid hospitalization. Home healthcare refers to a set of activities conducted to keep the home healthcare equipment in working condition. Home healthcare is supportive care provided by any professional caregiver in their respective homes where the patient is staying. It is a cost-effective way to deliver quality care at patients' homes. The global home healthcare market size is expected to grow from $277.97 billion in 2021 to $306.78 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4%. The global home healthcare market size is expected to reach $427.95 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 8.7%. Request a free sample of the Home Healthcare Market Report Home Healthcare Market Segments The global home healthcare market is segmented By Equipment: Therapeutic, Diagnostic, Mobility Care By Service: Rehabilitation Services, Respiratory Therapy Services, Infusion Therapy Services, Others By Indication: Cardiovascular Disorders and Hypertension, Diabetes, Respiratory Diseases, Pregnancy, Cancer, Wound Care, Others Home Healthcare Market Trends Technological advancements have emerged as a key trend gaining popularity in the home healthcare market. Companies operating in the home healthcare market are adopting new technologies to reinforce their position in the market. For instance, in August 2019, Zorgers, an India-based home healthcare company launched an Android app that aims to help monitor its patients remotely. When needed, the app also gives information on the patients' health and navigation to caretakers. It makes healthcare professionals' lives easier and keeps them connected to the healthcare ecosystem all day. Caregivers can also benefit from the app by using it to keep track of their clients' locations, addresses, and contact information. As a result, when a new Carer joins the team, the app assists him or her in tracking the patient's particular facts while also keeping the contact information secure. Home Healthcare Market Growth The rapid increase in the aging population is significantly driving the growth of the home healthcare market going forward. The increase in the aging population will boost the demand for healthcare as the aged people are more prone to chronic diseases, which is a favorable factor to the home healthcare market, and increases the overall reach of various home health services. This will reduce the unnecessary visits time involved in traveling, hospital admission, and others. For instance, in 2019, according to the United Nations Organisations, a US-based intergovernmental organization, 1 out of 11 people in the United States were above the age of 65, which will increase to 1 out of 6 people by 2050. Therefore, the increase in the aging population is driving the growth of the home healthcare market. See more on the Home Healthcare Market Report Check out similar market reports: Healthcare Services Global Market Report 2022 By Type (Medical And Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Dental Services, Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services, Residential Substance Abuse And Mental Health Facilities, Hospitals And Outpatient Care Centers, Physicians And Other Health Practitioners, All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services, Ambulance Services), By End-User Sex (Male, Female), By Type of Expenditure (Public, Private) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026 Consumer Healthcare Market Report 2022 By Product (OTC Pharmaceuticals, Dietary Supplements), By Application (Retail, Online, Hospitals) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026 Connected Healthcare Global Market Report 2022 By Type (e-Prescription, mHealth Services, mHealth Devices), By Function (Remote Patient Monitoring, Clinical Monitoring, Telemedicine, Other Functions), By Application (Monitoring Applications, Diagnosis And Treatment, Education And Awareness, Healthcare Management, Wellness And Prevention), By End Users (Hospitals And Clinics, Home Monitoring) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026 Residential Substance Abuse And Mental Health Facilities Global Market Report 2022 By Type (Residential Mental Health & Intellectual Disability Facilities, Substance Abuse Centers), By End-User Sex (Male, Female), By Type of Expenditure (Public, Private) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026 Interested to know more about The Business Research Company? The Business Research Company is a market intelligence firm that excels in company, market, and consumer research. Located globally, it has strategy enablement specialists in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, chemicals, and technology. The World's Most Comprehensive Database The Business Research Company's flagship product, Global Market Model, is a market intelligence platform covering various macroeconomic indicators and metrics across 60 geographies and 27 industries. The Global Market Model covers multi-layered datasets which help its users assess supply-demand gaps. Contact Information The Business Research Company Europe: +44 207 1930 708 Asia: +91 8897263534 Americas: +1 315 623 0293 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbrc_info YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24_fI0rV8cR5DxlCpgmyFQ Blog: http://blog.tbrc.info/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1751581/tbrc_logo.jpg SOURCE The Business Research Company The healthcare commercial application segment is projected to observe a substantial pace on account of the strict need to maintain good indoor quality, health safety, and aseptic conditions for hospital staff & patients. In addition, minimal operational costs and high output efficiency are some of the prominent factors fostering business expansion. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/268 The hydronic underfloor heating market across the retail commercial application segment is set to witness considerable traction owing to the increasing commercialization and consumer needs. Consistently improving consumer living standards in line with the mounting demand for advanced, compact, and optimized heating technologies will boost the product acceptance. Additionally, continuous research & development and product innovations by key industry players are further slated to foster the product demand. For instance, in March 2022, Danfoss launched a new line of electronic valve actuators called the A5 Series, which consist of the ABNM A5 electronic modulating valve actuator along with ABRA A5 electronic 2-position valve actuator. The new technologies are designed to work seamlessly with the company's temperature control valves, which can be utilized in hydronic underfloor heating, fin tube heating systems, radiators, and other heating & cooling systems, thereby contributing to the overall heating & cooling market. The North America market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of over 5% through 2030. Growing focus on carbon emissions in line with government funding & incentives toward the adoption of cost-effective space heating solutions will drive the business outlook. Furthermore, growing concerns toward product efficiency coupled with economic feasibility and low dependency on conventional fuels will further stimulate the business landscape. Some prime findings of the hydronic underfloor heating market report include: The increasing urbanization rate combined with a rising proportion of energy-efficient heating solutions will accelerate the industry potential. The proliferation of residential & commercial establishments will fuel the business scenario. Major manufacturers operating across the market include Uponor Corporation, Eberle by Schneider Electric, REHAU AG, Hunt Heating, Danfoss, Warmup, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, H2O Heating Pty Ltd., Daikin, Schluter Systems, Hurlcon Hydronic Heating, Robert Bosch GmbH, Amuheat, Honeywell International, Inc., Warmboard, Inc., and Polypipe. The increasing investments across residential, commercial, and industrial infrastructure coupled with the favorable regulatory framework will garner the hydronic underfloor heating industry deployment. Request for customization of this research report at https://www.gminsights.com/roc/268 Partial chapters of report table of contents (TOC): Chapter 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Hydronic underfloor heating industry 3600 synopsis, 2018 - 2030 2.1.1 Business trends 2.1.2 Facility trends 2.1.3 Application trends 2.1.4 Regional trends Chapter 3 Hydronic Underfloor Heating Industry Insights 3.1 Industry ecosystem analysis 3.2 Innovation & sustainability landscape 3.3 Regulatory landscape 3.4 COVID- 19 impact on the industry outlook 3.5 Impact of Russia-Ukraine war on the industry 3.6 Industry impact forces 3.6.1 Growth drivers 3.6.1.1 Implementation of new energy efficiency directives 3.6.1.2 Extreme climatic conditions 3.6.1.3 Rapid rate of commercialization and urbanization 3.6.1.4 Stringent government regulations 3.6.1.5 Increasing standard of living 3.6.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.6.2.1 High cost of retrofitting across prevailing building structures 3.7 Growth potential analysis 3.8 Porter's Analysis 3.9 Competitive landscape, 2021 3.10 PESTEL Analysis About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845139/Hydronic_Underfloor.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661916/GMI.jpg SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc. Town of Paradise, California, to require all new homes be built to Wildfire Prepared Home standard; creates path to mitigate existing homes PARADISE, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wildfire Prepared Home, the first-ever wildfire mitigation program to allow homeowners to achieve a designation showing they've taken the science-based actions required to meaningfully reduce their home's wildfire risk, is now open and accepting applications from single-family homeowners in California. A voluntary program based on the latest wildfire research from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), Wildfire Prepared Home fills a gap for homeowners looking to demonstrate the wildfire mitigation actions taken on their property and creates a uniform standard for all stakeholders to reduce wildfire risk. Joining IBHS for the program launch, the Town of Paradise, California, today announces steps to create a path for every resident to achieve the Wildfire Prepared Home designation for their property, making it the first municipality in the nation to do so. During a time of rapid rebuilding following the 2018 Camp Fire, new homes in Paradise will, as of July 14, 2022, be required to be built to IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home standard. To assist owners of existing homes, the Town is pursuing federal funding to address the cost associated with mitigation actions required to qualify for a Wildfire Prepared Home designation. Currently in the environmental clearance stage with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Town's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) project would help homeowners retrofit their homes to achieve IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home designation. "Homeowners, insurers, communities and policymakers have expressed a shared desire to reduce the losses and human suffering caused by wildfires, particularly wildfires that spread into suburban communities, as Paradise experienced in 2018," said Roy Wright, president and CEO of IBHS. "Science, public policy and market demand have finally come together to provide a meaningful benefit for homeowners. Wildfire Prepared Home brings together the group of mitigation actions that must be taken together to reduce wildfire risk and sets homeowners on a pathway to achieve a designation that shows they are doing their part to reduce the impact of wildfire." Based on the latest wildfire research from IBHS and input from the broader fire protection community, Wildfire Prepared Home is designed to meaningfully reduce wildfire risk by reducing the chance a home ignites during a wildfire. The system of actions required for a designation addresses the resilience of three vulnerable areas of a home the roof, specific building features and defensible space, including the 0-5-foot home ignition zone. Wildfire Prepared Home balances achievability with meaningful risk reduction. No home is fireproof; yet the system of actions required by Wildfire Prepared Home can limit the catastrophic reach of wildfire as it approaches neighborhoods by mitigating the most vulnerable components on and around a home. The voluntary program includes built-in homeowner education, a system of required mitigation actions, an initial verification process and an annual check-in to ensure ongoing landscape maintenance. In a unanimous vote last week, the Paradise Town Council adopted Wildfire Prepared Home requirements into ordinance, paving the way for a uniform approach to reducing wildfire risk as the Town continues to rebuild following the 2018 Camp Fire. "Our community knows all too well that hardening your home can help save it in the event of a wildfire, and we are happy to see IBHS rollout this designation program to support our homeowners in making their homes safer," said Paradise Town Manager Kevin Phillips. "We have a unique opportunity as we continue to rebuild to do so in a way that ensures greater resilience for generations to come." Wright, a Vacaville native whose family members lost their homes in Paradise during the Camp Fire, will join town leaders, including Mayor Steve Crowder and Town Manager Phillips, along with representatives from the insurance industry at an event today to designate the first home into the program. "Paradise experienced the heartbreak of wildfire as profoundly as any community in memory," Wright added. "As the town rebuilds, Wildfire Prepared Home will reduce the chance that happens again. For other communities in California, Wildfire Prepared Home offers a clear path to reduce the likelihood you have to rebuild from ashes. Homes can be built or retrofitted to the Wildfire Prepared Home standard, and every eligible home should." Wildfire Prepared Home applies the Suburban Wildfire Adaptation Roadmaps, released by IBHS in August 2020, to create a direct path for homeowners to apply the research to their homes and demonstrate their commitment to mitigation through a designation. Homeowners must take an active role in mitigation to achieve and maintain the 3-year designation, including submitting annual landscape reviews to ensure the ongoing maintenance needed to keep landscaping in compliance with the program is occurring. When homeowners embrace this system, the designation differentiates their homes from unmitigated or partially mitigated properties. "This program brings together more than a decade of IBHS wildfire research with learnings from the broader fire protection community," adds Dr. Anne Cope, chief engineer at IBHS. "As our research continues, we will immediately incorporate findings into the program's standard. Yet the wildfire crisis in California is happening right now, and we cannot let more communities suffer damage, disruption and displacement while we wait for perfect answers. We must apply what we know now to reduce the catastrophic reach of wildfire into suburban communities." Wildfire Prepared Home fills a gap as a specific, parcel-level mitigation program to reduce wildfire risk at a time when homeowners are eager to do more to protect their properties. Risk reduction efforts at the parcel-level, in concert with effective community actions like the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Firewise USAO program, provide homeowners greater peace of mind and are often recognized by the insurers who analyze changes in the risk landscape. "The specific steps required for the new IBHS designation are fully aligned with current research and knowledge on how homes ignite from wildfire and what can be done to prevent it," says Michele Steinberg, NFPA's wildfire division director. "We have long advocated for residents of wildfire-prone areas to prepare their homes and property to resist wildfire flames and embers, and to work cooperatively with neighbors to reduce vulnerability across the community using our Firewise USA recognition program process. Property owners will benefit from taking the steps to earn the IBHS designation and can further improve their risk profile by working with neighbors using the Firewise USA process." Available now in California, single-family homeowners can get started to achieve a Wildfire Prepared Home designation by taking a free online home assessment at wildfireprepared.org to identify the areas of their home that require further mitigation before applying for a designation. About the Town of Paradise The Town of Paradise was almost completely destroyed by the most destructive wildfire in California history the Camp Fire in November 2018, with more than 11,000 homes and businesses destroyed, and its population of 26,500 displaced as the community rebuilds. As of June 2022, nearly 8,000 residents have returned to call Paradise home again, with 1,400 homes rebuilt and over 700 under construction. 350 businesses have reopened, including restaurants, hardware stores, grocery stores and a medical clinic. Paradise expects its population to reach 75% of its pre-fire population by 2035. For more information on Paradise's recovery, visit www.townofparadise.com or www.makeitparadise.org. About the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) The IBHS mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss. Learn more about IBHS at DisasterSafety.org. SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "India Used Two Wheeler Market Outlook to 2026 (Second Edition) - Convenient Financing Options and Emergence of Online Marketplace Platforms Supporting Market Growth" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Overall Online Market is expected to Increase at a double Digit Positive CAGR during the period FY'2021-FY'2026E India Used Two Wheeler Market Outlook to 2026 provides a comprehensive analysis of pre-owned two wheelers services in India. The report concludes with market projections for future for the market described above highlighting the major opportunities and challenges. India Used Two Wheeler Market Overview and Size India is the largest producer and manufacturer of two wheelers in the world followed by the Republic of China. Rising fuel prices is one of the primary growth drivers for two-wheelers due to their higher fuel efficiency. In India, commuters across all age groups use motorized vehicles, especially two wheelers owing to the escalating population and rapid increase in traffic congestion, thereby making two wheelers as the most appropriate and convenient mode of transportation in urban areas. The market has attained speedy growth over the period of five years from FY'2015 to FY'2021. The demand for used two wheelers has seen a constant rise over the past few years, especially from models like Honda Activa, Aviator, TVS Jupiter, Bajaj Pulsar and Discover. Even in terms of exports, two-wheelers produced in India are the proud products of the Make-in-India initiative where nearly 7 in 10 automobiles delivered out of India are two-wheelers. Snapshot on Online Used Two Wheeler Landscape The online used two wheeler market has been emerging with the rise in the popularity of e-commerce platforms in the country. Online platforms such as Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal have enabled India users to trust online platforms and make high value transactions online using their debit/credit cards and net banking. The growth of online advertising, which has fuelled the rise of online classified platforms such as Droom, OLX, Quikr, Bikes24 and others have revolutionized the way in which pre-owned vehicles have been sold in the country. With the growth in the number of vehicles sold online, these players not only witnessed a sharp growth in marketplace revenue but also from other sources including advertisements, subscriptions and other value added services. Snapshot on Used Two Wheeler Finance In order to become a one stop shop for used two wheelers, most of the online platforms have partnered with multiple NBFCs and banks to offer loans to their customers. Finance institutions such as TATA capital, Yes Bank, Capital First, Bajaj Finance, ICICI bank and more have partnered with such online two wheeler platforms. The penetration rate for used two wheeler financing in India is less than 10%. In rural areas, the number of loans for used two wheelers is increasing significantly while in urban areas, the rate of such loans is low owing to the high risk premium. Various entities follow different business models. For instance, OEMs. Through their own portals allow the customers to avail loans through partnerships with leading banks and NBFCs and Online players providing auto loans as a bundled service through partnerships with leading banks and NBFCs along with the provision of automotive services including sale of used and new vehicles. Certification services amongst others Comparative Landscape in India Used Two Wheeler Market India used two wheelers market competition structure was observed to be highly fragmented with the presence of large number of local dealers, small mechanics and individual sellers. Organized players such as Droom, Honda Best Deal, CredR, BikeDekho.com, Mahindra First Choice Wheels Limited (MFCWL) and others contribute very limited to the overall market. Certification and authentication, brand, price, mileage and performance, engine quality/power and total number of dealers are some of the critical parameters on the basis of which companies compete in the organized segment. India Used Two Wheeler Market Future Outlook and Projections India Used Two Wheeler Market is expected to grow in the coming years as used vehicles are much cheaper to purchase than a new one, since the introduction of BS VI Standards. Individuals mostly in smaller cities and towns who wish to own a vehicle begin with buying a second hand two-wheeler to get hold of it. Similar is the case of women drivers who prefer purchasing a pre-owned vehicle to learn driving before they actually purchase a new vehicle. Also, local dealers who have been facing tough competition from the online classifieds will be seen associating with the online players to reach out to greater audiences India Used Two Wheeler Market Segmentation By Market Structure: In FY'2021 the sales volume through the unorganized sector is generated through individual sellers, local dealers/mechanics and small dealerships which collectively contributed to a majority of the proportion in the overall used two wheelers market. By Distribution Channel: Due to low awareness regarding the existence of organized online and offline players, the majority of transactions conducted in the market are through C2C or offline B2C channel. The C2C channel controlled a major proportion of the total sales volume in the used two-wheeler market during the FY'2021. By Type of Two Wheelers: India used two wheelers market was continuously dominated by motorcycles with a massive volume share during FY'2021. This is because male riders travelling a longer distance still prefer motorbikes instead of a scooter due to larger engine and greater mileage and large number of variants offered by motorcycles. On the other hand, gearless scooters are trending in the country, especially among female population. used two wheelers market was continuously dominated by motorcycles with a massive volume share during FY'2021. This is because male riders travelling a longer distance still prefer motorbikes instead of a scooter due to larger engine and greater mileage and large number of variants offered by motorcycles. On the other hand, gearless scooters are trending in the country, especially among female population. By Engine Capacity: On the basis of engine capacity of two-wheelers, it has been observed that used bikes with 100-110 cc engine capacity have been mostly purchased by buyers. On the other hand, engine capacities with 125-135 cc, 150-200 cc and others have been gaining traction in India . . By Average Ownership Period of Used Two Wheelers: The buying behavior of Indians has witnessed changes over the review period majorly due to a reduction in the ownership period of two wheelers by the owners. It has been observed that presently, Indians mostly use a two-wheeler for at least a period of three to five years before disposing it off. By Manufacturer of Two Wheelers: The Indian used two wheeler market is dominated by Hero which is also the global leader and largest player in the new two-wheeler market. The company caters to a wide consumer base and has segmented its market on the basis of income and age group. By Certification of Two Wheelers: The Indian used two wheeler market is segmented on the basis of certified and non-certified used two wheelers. Certified two wheelers are sold after a proper verification process and quality check. It has been observed that non certified used two wheelers have strong presence in the Indian market. By Financing of Two Wheeler: The Indian used two wheeler market is segmented on the basis of financing i.e. financed and non-financed used two wheelers. Many organized Used two wheeler players have started venturing into facilitation of loan services therefore the process of getting loans for two wheelers which was earlier very difficult, has now become much simpler. By Body Type of Two Wheelers: The category of commuter bikes such as Hero Splendor, Bajaj Discover, and Honda CB Twister contributed to a dominant volume share of used two-wheelers during the FY'2021. The next popular vehicle category in the used-two wheeler space in India has been scooters. Time Period Captured in the Report Historical Period: FY'2015-FY'2021 Forecast Period: FY'2021-FY'2025 Companies Covered Organized Used 2W Companies Honda Best Deal CredR Mahindra First Choice Bike Bazaar Suzuki Best Value Bikers Highway Royal Enfield Vintage Ducati Online Used 2W Platforms Droom Quikr Olx Bikes4Sale CarandBike Bike Jinni Bikes24 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vdi9sv Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The intricate world of smart homes is now more accessible than ever with the launch of InterOperate Smart Home, a home automation company located in Charlotte, N.C. InterOperate Smart Home is a division of the workflow automation and system integration company, InterOperate, which has been an industry leader in making complex technological solutions work together to allow teams and businesses to thrive. Now, they are taking their expertise to the next level. InterOperate Smart Home, a home automation company located in Charlotte, N.C., takes technology to the next level by using its client's behaviors and equipment to simplify daily tasks. "We believe smart home capabilities should be affordable and available to all," said Michael Blakely, InterOperate CEO. "The newest technology should not have to be limited to those with extensive experience in home automation. That's what we're here for." InterOperate Smart Home prides itself on taking the guesswork out of home automation by providing the consulting, installation and maintenance that comes with creating a seamless smart home ecosystem. Blakely said selecting the right connected devices is just as important as making them work well together, that is why InterOperate Smart Home is brand agnostic. It works with all systems and devices to create a customized design that works best for its clients. "We pride ourselves on being a full-service offering that includes everything in your home, like door locks, window shades, thermostats, garage doors and even coffee machines that automatically brew a fresh cup when you wake up in the morning," said Blakely. "We also expand beyond these common items and build automations that are personalized to our clients' needs." InterOperate Smart Home automation uses software to combine technologies with everyday behaviors to simplify daily tasks. Blakely says one of the best examples of how this technology can be utilized is when leaving for a vacation. "When you are running out the door on the way to the airport, you can close the wind shades, lock the doors, turn off the lights and completely prepare your home for your departure with the click of a button," says Blakely. "Then, while you're away, you can still have full access to the interworkings of your home by automatically watering your plants or receiving an alert if your smoke detectors or security systems go off to give you peace of mind that your home is in your control from anywhere in the world." InterOperate Smart Home currently offers its services in the Charlotte N.C. metro area, which serves as both the InterOperate Headquarters and Blakely's hometown. About InterOperate Smart Home InterOperate Smart Home is a full-service home automation company located in Charlotte, N.C. that specializes in building smart home ecosystems for residential and commercial properties. Providing consulting, installation and maintenance services, they help clients choose the right smart home devices that fit their needs. InterOperate Smart Home is device and system agnostic, working with all brands and systems. To learn more, visit https://interoperatemyhome.com Media Contact: Madelyn Darbonne (980) 505-7675 [email protected] SOURCE InterOperate LLC. FAIRVIEW, Texas, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 35-year-old Jacob Scheffel and his wife are the owners of a small firm in Stevensville, Montana which installs and services waste oil furnaces and boilers will throughout Montana. On June 12, 2021, Jacob incurred a T4 complete spinal cord injury while riding his dirt bike. His spinal cord injury would allow him to drive his 2019 Toyota Tundra, only he needed $20,000 of modifications to make that a reality. Jacob learned of the Joseph Groh Foundation through a mobility company in Missoula, and he petitioned the foundation for assistance. The foundation was able to provide the majority of the required funding for the seat transfer system and wheelchair lift, while another foundation provided a small grant for the driving controls. The provision of these modifications will allow Jacob to be more independent no matter what he ends up doing. In addition, it will allow them to keep their 4WD Tundra, which is important during Montana winters! Grant Recipient Jacob Scheffel The Joseph S. Groh Foundation is a 501c3 public charity, dedicated to providing information and financial assistance to those in the contracting trades who are living with a life altering disabilities. They also advocate for pathways to affordable short/long-term disability insurance for employees of small businesses in the contracting industry. The Joseph Groh Foundation has provided more than $850,000 to over 80 individuals and their families needing assistance in 32 states since their founding in 2009. For more information, please visit their website at www.josephgrohfoundation.org or contact them via e-mail at [email protected]g or by phone 214 998-9749. Media Contact: Joseph Groh Founder [email protected] SOURCE Joseph Groh Foundation ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kit Check, the leading automation vendor in Medication Intelligence was reviewed in KLAS's Drug Diversion Monitoring Report for its diversion monitoring software, Bluesight for Controlled Substances . Drug diversion monitoring continues to be a high-priority issue for hospital pharmacy departments across the U.S. The report analyzes the performance of several vendors and highlights those who consistently deliver key insights and analytics that help organizations prevent and identify drug diversion. Kit Check is the market share leader and a top performing vendor in this report, with Kit Check customers consistently seeing success in tangible outcomes. Earlier this year, Kit Check was ranked Best in KLAS for drug diversion monitoring for the third consecutive year. In the report, Kit Check's Bluesight for Controlled Substances ranked the highest under the loyalty pillar which gauges customers satisfaction and likelihood of recommending the product to others. Participants ranked Bluesight for Controlled Substances overwhelmingly above market average when asked if Bluesight for Controlled Substance was part of their long-term plans. Respondents also ranked Kit Check highly for overall satisfaction and applauded the platform for its ease of use, allowing for customers to save time and readily identify potential cases of diversion. "The vendor is very proactive. They look to their customers' needs. Kit Check is very open to our suggestions, and they mold themselves to meet our needs. They are doing a pretty good job of listening to our concerns right now." said one respondent. It is evident customers appreciate Kit Check's regular meetings with customers to offer guidance and solicit feedback.1 Additionally, respondents say product strengths include automatic daily benchmarking and reporting and the auditing process; these capabilities, along with consistent meetings with the vendor and proactive vendor guidance, have driven customer success. A director noted "One tangible outcome is the amount of time the system saves. I used to audit 100% of certain tabs due to issues that we identified. Auditing those tabs would take me anywhere between a half hour and an hour every day. I would have to run a hard report and then manually go into every chart. Now, when I open up the product, I know whether something isn't documented. There are some days when I have nothing to audit, and there are some days where I have a couple of things I need to look into. But the system saves a lot of time. The time savings are applied across every controlled substance, not just the specific ones. That is a huge tangible outcome.2" "When it comes to a diversion monitoring solution, tangible outcomes are always our number one focus." said Kevin MacDonald, co-founder and CEO of Kit Check. "We look to empower our customers to make informed decisions and the KLAS report highlights the value our customers are receiving." To learn more about KLAS, please visit http://www.klasresearch.com. About Kit Check Kit Check is the leading provider of automated medication tracking and diversion detection solutions for hospital pharmacies in the U.S., bringing visibility, simplicity, and predictability to the complex world of medication supply management. Our groundbreaking Medication Intelligence solutions provide item-level visibility, workflow simplicity, and actionable analytics, empowering stakeholders to deliver the right medicine to the right patient at the right time, every time. To date, our more than 950 U.S. and Canadian hospital partners have adopted Kit Check solutions to solve the most challenging of healthcare problems. Kit Check Solutions help providers save time, manage inventory, prevent diversion at their facilities, save money on medication spend, and ensure patient safety. More information about Kit Check and our software solutions can be found at kitcheck.com. About KLAS KLAS is a research and insights firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by amplifying the provider's voice. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data and insights on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. Contacts Hannah Fier Matter Health for Kit Check [email protected] 1 KLAS Drug Diversion Monitoring 2022, page 44, paragraph 4. 2 KLAS Drug Diversion Monitoring 2022, page 17, paragraph 3. SOURCE Kit Check 51% of consumers in Latin America have already made a transaction with cryptoassets. Latin Americans desire flexibility and convenience in digital currencies and payments and are seeking more support from their financial institutions. MIAMI, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The digital payments revolution that began during the pandemic is consolidating and driving Latin American interest in cryptocurrencies. 51% of consumers in the region have already made a transaction with cryptoassets and more than a third say they have made a payment for an everyday purchase with stablecoin, reveals Mastercard's New Payments Index 2022, a survey conducted between March and April of this year among more than 35,000 people around the world. The New Payments Index annually evaluates consumer behavior concerning emerging payment methods. In its second edition, the study shows that financial innovation -cryptocurrencies, DeFI solutions, blockchain, NFTs- registers significant activity in the region, with consumers eager to learn more about this ecosystem. In Latin America, 54% percent of Latino consumers are optimistic about the performance of digital assets as an investment. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Latinos want greater flexibility to use crypto and traditional payment methods interchangeably in their day-to-day operations. "More and more Latin Americans are showing interest in cryptocurrencies and want solutions that facilitate access to the crypto world. At Mastercard, we are designing these solutions to expand digital inclusion and strengthening alliances that guarantee operability and support", said Walter Pimenta, executive vice president, Products and Engineering, Mastercard Latin America and the Caribbean. The survey shows that consumers in Latin America and the Caribbean would feel more confident investing (69%) and making/receiving payments (67%) in cryptocurrencies if they were issued or backed by a trusted organization. Another 82% acknowledge that they would like to have cryptocurrency-related functions available directly from their current financial institution. Digital payments, convenience and flexibility Mastercard's New Payments Index 2022 reveals that 86% of Latino consumers have used at least one emerging payment method in the past year. While 77% of Americans and 74% of Europeans prefer traditional payment methods to newer ones, Latinos are willing to use emerging methods such as biometrics, digital currencies and QR code, in addition to contactless payments. "The future of payments is already here. Increasingly Latin Americans are turning to technology to conduct their financial transactions and this trend is expected to continue to rise, with an overwhelming 95% planning to use a digital payment method in the coming year and 29% acknowledging having used less cash in the past year", added Pimenta. Consumers in the region are familiar with fintechs and open banking, which allows them to conveniently manage their personal finances. Nearly 50% of Latin American consumers already use digital channels for financial activities and 78% of them are interested in flexible payment solutions that allow them, for example, to change the payment date of their bills, especially those with irregular incomes and millennials. Biometric payments: security and convenience When deciding which payment method to use, Latinos prioritize security (54%), but also look for the speed that financial technology offers. Biometrics is emerging as an option to find that balance between convenience and security. Three out of four Latinos say that "using biometric technologies for identity and payments is more secure than a PIN, password or another form of identification," but concerns persist about which entities have access to their data. People under 40 and millennials are more likely to perceive emerging digital solutions as secure. While they still use them, people who grew up in traditional banking are more wary, which is - for all players in the payments chain - an opportunity to build trust. To learn more about this year's New Payments Index, click here to Mastercard's Newsroom. About Mastercard (NYSE: MA) Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1162156/mc_symbol_Logo.jpg SOURCE Mastercard Latin America & the Caribbean RESTON, Va., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, announced today that the Defense Enclave Services (DES) contract awarded by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) was upheld by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) after a thorough and disciplined review. The single-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract was initially awarded in February 2022 and holds a total estimated value of $11.5 billion if all options are exercised. It includes a four-year base period of performance followed by three two-year option periods. "We are pleased the Government Accountability Office has affirmed the Defense Information Systems Agency's award," said Gerry Fasano, Leidos Defense Group President. "Leidos is deeply committed to DISA's critical mission, and never stopped preparing for the program's success. Our robust and continuous preparation has positioned us to start delivering benefits to the user base on or ahead of the current planned schedule, and we look forward to leveraging our decades of technological expertise to support mission success." Through the DES contract, Leidos will support DISA's mission by consolidating enterprise IT services at a global scale and by providing standardized, responsive and cost-effective solutions. The program involves a wide range of IT services for more than 370,000 users spanning 22 Department of Defense (DoD) agencies and field activities with over 500 sites both in the U.S. and abroad. This work will focus on mission value and user experience, while improving cybersecurity, network availability, and reliability for Fourth Estate agencies. DISA is headquartered at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland and supports joint warfighters, national level leaders, and other mission and coalition partners across the full spectrum of military operations with information sharing capabilities, command and control solutions and global enterprise infrastructure. About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. Leidos' 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.leidos.com. Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, further delays in our performance under the DES contract, including due to protests at the United States Court of Federal Claims, costs associated with intervening in and defending against further protests and any delays associated with such protests or any resulting corrective action, loss of the DES contract award, further award delays, including due to protests at the United States Court of Federal Claims, costs associated with defending against protests and any associated delays, loss of the contract award, and the "Risk Factors" set forth in Leidos' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Leidos does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made. Contact: Melissa Duenas (571) 526-6850 [email protected] Thomas Doheny (571) 474-4735 [email protected] Jalen Drummond (571) 992-5046 [email protected] SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc. The ENA Foundation Awards were bestowed to ENA members for their significant contributions SCHAUMBURG, Ill., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, the ENA Foundation announced the latest recipients of its Cornerstone Award and Keystone Award which will be presented during Emergency Nursing 2022 in Denver to two longtime ENA members. Cornerstone Award recipient Patti Kunz Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, BE-BC, FAEN, FAAN, of Kentucky, is being honored for her significant contributions to the ENA Foundation throughout her ENA tenure. Patti is known as a strong advocate for the ENA Foundation who relentlessly encourages her local and state chapters to engage in fundraising efforts and Foundation-sponsored challenges. In addition to her own personal donations and encouraging others to participate, Patti has served on the ENA Foundation Board of Trustees including a term as the chairperson in 2009. During her two terms as ENA president, Patti was a loud voice for the Foundation and urged members to support the advancement of research and education. She proudly developed an annual ENA Foundation scholarship in honor of her late father, Charles Kunz, solidifying her commitment to maintaining a legacy of giving. Keystone Award recipient Joan Somes, PhD, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, RN-BC, FAEN, of Minnesota, is being honored for her undisputed willingness to support the ENA Foundation. Joan annually donates to the ENA Foundation in support of its mission but will go above and beyond the call by making an additional donation to push a state-level scholarship beyond the minimum threshold. Joan's competitive side is made clear as she continuously checks where Minnesota ENA ranks and encourages additional donations from local and state members to boost giving. She identifies unique ways to raise additional funds such as high tea fundraisers, CEN reviews and silent auctions. Joan also donates her time by attending other chapter's events to assist leaders in finding ways to increase their fundraising efforts. "All of the support the ENA Foundation is capable of providing emergency nurses wouldn't be possible without dedicated members like Patti and Joan," said ENA Foundation Chair Jeff Solheim, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CFRN, FAEN, FAAN. "Both are so deserving of these awards, and I can't thank them enough for their endless contributions to this great Foundation we have. Their generous giving has supported many emergency nurses who were seeking to advance their education or gained help to attend ENA's annual conferences." The awards are given to an individual or organization such as a corporation, non-profit partner, or ENA Council or Chapter who has made significant contributions to the Foundation over the course of their lifetime. This includes ongoing contributions to a Foundation committee, sustained contributions on a local, national or global level, continued advocacy on behalf of the Foundation, and the significant donation of time, resources and funds to philanthropic activities benefitting the emergency nursing community and communities at large. About the ENA Foundation The ENA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is the philanthropic arm of the Emergency Nurses Association. The Foundation fuels the future of emergency nursing with a mission focused on providing academic scholarships and research grants to emergency nurses. Since 1991, the ENA Foundation has awarded approximately $5.3 million to more than 2,300 emergency nurses to help them earn degrees, expand their skills through continuing education and conduct research projects directly related to emergency nursing and led by nurse researchers. About the Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org. ENA Media Contact: Dan Campana Director of Communications 847-460-4017 [email protected] SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association Advancement in Chemical Industry to Propel Magnesium Chloride Market at 6.3% CAGR by 2032 Fact.MR's latest analysis of the magnesium chloride market offers an unbiased analysis of the key governing factors propelling sales growth between 2022 and 2032. The study also provides comprehensive outlook of opportunities, growth drivers, challenges and latest trends prevailing in the industry. Furthermore, the report delivers compelling insights into segments of the market in terms of type, form, grade, and application across six regions. NEW YORK , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sales in the global magnesium chloride market totalled US$ 1.4 Bn in 2021. Due to extensive usage of magnesium chloride in food, pharmaceutical, and industrial sector, the demand for magnesium chloride is expected to reach US$ 2.74 Bn by 2032. Since magnesium chloride is highly soluble in water, adoption is expected to surge in the chemical industry across the globe for chemicals and derivatives. Hence, expansion chemical industry, demand for magnesium chloride has been rising at an ethereal pace in the global market. The hydrated form of magnesium chloride, which is extracted from sea water has various applications in a variety of industries such as chemical, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage. Resulting in a surging demand for the compound for both residential and industrial purposes. For Critical Insights on this Market, Request for More Info! https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=7493 Further, demand for magnesium chloride is burgeoning with rising de-icer application in pharmaceutical industries. As per Fact.MR, sales of magnesium chloride in de-icer application is expected to contribute over for 30.5% of share in the global market. Application of magnesium chloride in oil & gas industry, water treatment, and industrial and chemical processing will also boost the market. On the back of these factors, the global market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period 2022-2032. Key Takeaways North America is likely to create an absolute $ opportunity of US$ 1.33 Bn in the evaluation period of 2022-2032. is likely to create an absolute $ opportunity of in the evaluation period of 2022-2032. Canada is expected to create a growth opportunity of US$ 71.9 Mn over the forecast period and reach a valuation of US$ 155.3 million by the end of 2032. is expected to create a growth opportunity of over the forecast period and reach a valuation of by the end of 2032. By form, solid magnesium chloride stands out with a market value share of 65.4% through 2032. Magnesium chloride hexahydrate flakes category is expected to reach US$ 1.15 Bn by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 6% between 2022 and 2032. by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 6% between 2022 and 2032. By application, the de-icing segment is expected to generate nearly 12.8% of the magnesium chloride market share. Growth Drivers Usage of magnesium chloride for drilling and rinsing oil wells to remove dust and debris during the mining process is expected to drive growth. Increasing utilization of magnesium chloride as a food ingredient for preparing baby formula milk, soy, and tofu is projected to augment growth. Restraints Toxicity of magnesium ions is expected to create a challenge for market players on the back of stringent regulations mandated on the use of magnesium chloride. Get Customized Report As Per Your Requirements! https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=7493 Competitive Landscape: Leading manufacturers of magnesium chloride are continuously performing research & development activities to increase production and purification processes to generate more revenue. Some of the other companies are involved in several growth and expansion strategies such as mergers and acquisition to gain a competitive advantage. Industry participants are also following value chain integration with business operations in multiple stages of the value chain. For instance, Nedmag B.V's magnesium chloride is gaining huge attention in various industries due to its improved properties, such as flame resistance and cost-effectiveness, and has witnessed huge demand in the fire-retardant industry. Key Companies Profiled by Fact.MR Compass Minerals International, Inc. K+S Aktiengesellschaft Israel Chemical Ltd. Intrepid Potash, Inc. Nedmag B.V Skyline Chemical Corporation Cargill Alkim Antera Agro Chem Celtic Chemicals Ltd More Valuable Insights on Magnesium Chloride Market In the latest study, Fact.MR offers a detailed study on global magnesium chloride market for the forecast period of 2022 to 2032. This study also highlights key drivers promoting the sales of magnesium chloride through detailed segmentation as follows: By Type: Anhydrous Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate Magnesium Chloride By Form: Liquid Magnesium Chloride Solid Magnesium Chloride Flakes Prills/Pellets By Grade: Industrial Grade Magnesium Chloride Food Grade Magnesium Chloride Pharmaceutical Grade Magnesium Chloride By Application: Metallurgy Building Material Food & Feed Chemicals & Derivatives Pharmaceuticals Water Treatment Oil & Gas De-icing Applications Fire Retarding Agents Others By Region: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia & Oceania & Oceania Middle East & Africa Interested to Procure The Data? Inquire here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=EB&rep_id=7493 Key Questions Covered in the Magnesium Chloride Market Report What is the estimated revenue of the magnesium chloride market during the forecast period? Which are the challenges faced in the magnesium chloride market? Which region is estimated to exhibit fastest growth rate in the global magnesium chloride market during 2022-2032? What is the projected market valuation of the magnesium chloride market in 2022? Which are the factors driving the magnesium chloride during 2022-2032? What is the expected growth rate of the magnesium chloride market until 2032? Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Chemical & Materials Domain Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Market: Cerium oxide nanoparticles or nanostructured cerium oxide is rare earth metal oxide which plays technologically important role due to its versatile applications. They are synthetized by solution-based methods such as hydrothermal, co-precipitation, and others. Cerium oxide nanoparticles are projected to gain traction in future owing to their usage in biomedical research involving various therapeutic aspects. Ammonium Chloride Market: Increasing usage of ammonium chloride as a fertilizer in paddy cultivation is expected to propel the market. Also, being a nitrogenous fertilizer, its demand will intensify with higher growth in rice cultivation globally. Zinc Sulphate Market Outlook: Zinc sulphate is primarily used as a precursor and raw material for a multitude of applications, ranging from pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, water treatment chemicals, and other niche applications. Methane Sulfonyl Chloride Market: The market for methane sulfonyl chloride witnessed massive slowdown in its progress as a result of the spread of Covid-19 pandemic across the globe. The level of demand declined to the extreme level due to lockdown creating hurdles for the key players operating in this market. Lauoryl Chloride Market: Growing consumption of personal care products has escalated the market of lauoryl chloride in the region of Latin America as well. Also, the growing pharmaceutical & cosmetic industry makes the Asia Pacific a prominent market for Lauoryl chloride which uses as an emulsifying agent. Methyl Chloride Market Study: Demand for methyl chloride is increasing primarily from silicone manufacturers as methyl chloride is essential for silicone manufacturing. It is most commonly used as a semiconductor in electronics. Methyl chloride is also useful in silicone fluids, which are used in a wide range of products such as antifoaming agents. Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Market Study: Rising adoption of sodium chloride for food processing, increasing usage of sodium sulfide in water treatment, and increased consumption of processed foods are the factors driving the sodium chloride market. Trichloroacetyl Chloride Market Study: Trichloroacetyl Chloride Market Analysis, By Purity (99%, 99.5%, 90%) By Application (Chlorpyriphos, Organic Chemical Synthesis, Oxalyl Acid Synthesis, Acetylation of Esters), By End-use Industry, by Region - Global Forecast 2021-2031 About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a market research and consulting agency with deep expertise in emerging market intelligence. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare, technology, chemical and materials, to even the most niche categories. 80% of Fortune 1000's trusts us in critical decision making. Contact: Mahendra Singh US Sales Office 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583 E: [email protected] Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713666/FactMR_Logo.jpg SOURCE Fact.MR DALLAS, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MB2 Dental has partnered with Dr. Aaron Lerg, owner of Danville Family Dental in Danville, Ohio. This is the Dental Partnership Organization's (DPO) first partnership in the state of Ohio. Dr. Lerg obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from The Ohio State University. He began his dental career in Boston, Massachusetts. He also completed advanced training in implant dentistry with the Engel Institute and IV/oral sedation with Miami Valley Hospital. In 2013, Dr. Lerg moved back to Ohio to treat patients in Danville, Mount Vernon, Utica, and all of Knox County. Dr. Lerg is a proud member of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the American Dental Association, the Ohio Dental Association, and the W.D. Miller Dental Society. Dr. Lerg gives back to the Knox County community by supporting various events throughout the year, including the Knox County Junior Fair Sale. MB2 Dental's partnership model will empower Dr. Lerg with the resources to continue growing and improving his thriving practice. The partnership with Dr. Lerg marks the 49th investment for MB2 Dental in 2022. "We've worked really hard at Danville Family Dental to create a family atmosphere for our team and patients," said Dr. Lerg, "With that in mind, our partnership with MB2 feels natural; our family is just a little bit bigger now. I am excited to help bring MB2 to Ohio and even more excited to learn ways to improve our practice from the 400+ other offices already part of the MB2 family." MB2 plans to add over 100 practices in 2022, with more than 20 scheduled to close over the next two months alone. About MB2 Dental Dallas, Texas-based MB2 Dental is a first-of-its-kind Dental Partnership Organization (DPO) founded and led by dentist and entrepreneur CEO Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, with a mission to empower dentists to preserve their profession. Since its founding in 2007, MB2 has partnered with hundreds of dentists to help them stay in the driver's seat as they maximize their talents, connect as part of a community and build exceptional wealth. MB2 currently partners with dentists and specialists in more than 35 states. For more information, visit https://mb2dental.com. SOURCE MB2 Dental The beer brand is pledging a donation up to $250,000 to the Pink Boots Society and committing to long-term development and increased representation of women in the beer industry CHICAGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fourth of July is beer's biggest weekend. And for good reason: nothing feels more American than enjoying a cold beer on America's birthday. But this year Miller Lite is unveiling the truth: there's no beer without women. A group of women called "Ale Wives" were the unsung heroes who brought beer to America in the first place, yet according to a recent poll only three percent of Americans know that fact. Miller Lite Limited-Edition Mary Lisle Can So this Fourth of July, Miller Lite is reimagining its iconic design to celebrate the trailblazing impact women have made in beer with the limited-edition Mary Lisle can, inspired by the country's first recorded female brewer and her revolutionary contributions to the American brewing industry. In 1734, Mary successfully ran a Philadelphia brewery, becoming the first American woman to own and operate one. But through time, women were excluded from the industry as others saw an opportunity to cash in on the nation's love of beer, forcing most women out of the business altogether. "When people think of beer, they think of men; there are very few people who realize that we actually have women to thank for beer in America," said Elizabeth Hitch, senior director of marketing for Miller Lite. "There's no better time to celebrate and put women back into the history books of beer than on the single largest beer selling weekend in America." In honor of female brewers past, present and future, Miller Lite will also donate $5 from any case purchased online via Drizly or Instacart between June 27 and July 4 to the Pink Boots Society*, which inspires women in beer to advance their careers through brewing education. Additionally, Miller Lite is committing to long-term development and representation of women in the beer industry to support the next generation of female brewers. "Women played a pivotal role in bringing beer to America as the first brewers here and are often underrepresented in the industry," said Erin Wallace, Pink Boot Society Board Member, "Which is why our mission at Pink Boots Society to assist, inspire and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented beverage industry through education is so important and wouldn't be able to continue without generous donations from brands like Miller Lite and fundraising." Drinkers can visit millerlite.com/marylisle for a chance to win a limited-edition Mary Lisle two pack** from June 22 to July 4. The can will also be released in Lisle's hometown of Philadelphia on June 30 and fans can visit here for details. *Must be 21 years or older. From 6/27/22 to 7/4/22 or until donation maximum is reached, whichever occurs first. Molson Coors Beverage Company USA LLC will calculate the total sales from all Miller Lite pack sizes, and will donate $5 from the average case price ($18.99) of Miller Lite, purchased from participating online retailers in the 50 US/DC, to the Pink Boots Society, up to a max. total donation of $250,000. Min. donation of $50,000. A "case" is defined as a twenty-four (24) count 12oz Miller Lite pack with an average price of $18.99. The amount donated will be determined by calculating total dollar sales of Miller Lite from the participating online retailers to the equivalent of case volume and attributing $5 per case. For terms and conditions, visit www.promorules.com/PL017953 . Void outside of participating retailers and where prohibited. For more information about Pink Boots Society, visit https://www.pinkbootssociety.org. All donations will be made by Molson Coors Beverage Company USA LLC and not by participants. **NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes begins at or about 12:00 PM CT on 6/22/22 and ends at 11:59:59 PM CT on 7/4/22. Open only to legal U.S. residents of Co, DC, FL, Id, LA, MS, MT, Ne, NV, NY, NC, SC, & SD, who are 21 years or older. Click Here for Official Rules, including how to enter, odds, prize details, and restrictions. Void where prohibited. Msg&data rates may apply. About Miller Brewing Company Miller Brewing Company was founded in 1855 by Frederick J. Miller when he purchased the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee, a city he chose as the best place for a brewery given its access to great water. Miller Lite, the original great-tasting light pilsner beer, (MillerLite.com, Facebook.com/MillerLite, @MillerLite on Twitter, YouTube.com/MillerLite) was introduced nationally in 1975 and is among the top-five selling beers in the United States. The brewery's oldest enduring beer is Miller High Life (MillerHighLife.com, Facebook.com/MillerHighLife, @MillerHighLife on Twitter). Known as the Champagne of Beers, it was introduced in 1903 and still is brewed with the same yeast strain that Miller carried in his pocket from Germany. Miller Genuine Draft (MGD.com, Facebook.com/MillerGenuineDraft, @Miller_Global on Twitter), introduced in 1986, is the original cold-filtered, packaged draft beer. Miller Brewing Company is part of the North America business unit of Molson Coors Beverage Company. Learn more at MolsonCoors.com, at Facebook.com/Molsoncoors or Instagram and Twitter with @MolsonCoors. SOURCE Miller Lite SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MWG Holdings, Inc., is pleased to welcome one of the company's founders and board members, Tom Sheridan, as Chief Executive Officer. As Denyelle Bruno steps down from the position, MWG Holdings plans to shift its focus going forward. This transition marks a new era for MWG Holdings. MWG Holdings is in a unique position with vertical integration and strategically placed retail facilities to continue to grow under it's new leadership. It's already been a successful year for the company, but the addition of Sheridan allows for a different approach moving forward. The company is confident that despite the current economic climate, MWG will continue to emerge as one of the most prominent players in the California cannabis market. "While the current economic climate has resulted in a difficult time for cannabis companies, we intend to make it a great time for MWG Holdings by ensuring a focus on longevity and profitability," said Tom Sheridan, the new CEO of MWG Holdings. "I'm excited to get to work and focus our efforts on profitable growth and overall efficiency at the company." Sheridan has over a decade of experience and a successful entrepreneurial track record in cannabis, making him uniquely qualified to bring MWG Holdings company back to its roots. With a driven focus on product quality, service and partnerships, Sheridan plans to quickly restructure the company from the ground up to ensure positive cash flow. While the company will continue to drive revenue through the various programs launched earlier this year, it will also significantly emphasize efficiency and economies of scale. "I intend to lend my support as needed to ensure the transition is not only smooth but efficient," said Danyelle Bruno, former CEO of MWG Holdings. "I continue to be a huge fan of the company, and after working with him, I am confident that Tom is the right person to lead MWG through the current economic headwinds." About MWG HOLDINGS, Inc. MWG Holdings, Inc. has over a decade of experience managing cannabis businesses, navigating state and local laws and regulations, and adding value to the communities where they operate. The company has a proven track record of building engagement, social welfare and outreach programs that focus on local partnerships, monetary investments, and in-store donation campaigns. SOURCE Perfect Union WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lee esta nota de prensa en espanol aqui. NASA has selected seven new additions to the team of flight directors to oversee operations of the International Space Station, commercial crew, and Artemis missions to the Moon. The inductees in the class of 2022 include Heidi Brewer, Ronak Dave, Chris Dobbins, Garrett Hehn, Nicole McElroy, Elias Myrmo, and Diana Trujillo. After completing a comprehensive training program that includes operational leadership and risk management, as well as the technical aspects of flight control and spacecraft systems, these future flight directors will lead human spaceflight missions from the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. In this role, these individuals will lead teams of flight controllers, research and engineering experts, and support personnel around the world, making the real-time decisions critical to keeping NASA astronauts safe in space. "These highly qualified individuals will be responsible for keeping astronauts safe and executing human spaceflight missions," said NASA Director of Flight Operations Norm Knight. "There were many outstanding candidates, both from within the agency and across the spaceflight industry, which is a great indication of the tremendous talent we have here at NASA and within the growing spaceflight community." NASA's flight directors lead missions to the space station and are preparing for lunar missions for NASA's Artemis program. The total number of agency flight directors is now 108 since the namesake of the Mission Control Center, Christopher C. Kraft Jr., became the agency's first flight director in 1958. The new class will be at the forefront of everything humans do in space, following in the footsteps of Apollo-era flight directors, including Glynn Lunney, Gene Kranz, and Kraft. Becoming a NASA flight director requires years of study and dedication, as well as a background of professional experience in a high-stress environment, requiring fast-paced decision making. "I am honored to welcome the flight director class of 2022. This diverse group brings with them an impressive body of experience flying the space station, launching rockets, driving Mars rovers, and developing interplanetary missions," said acting NASA Chief Flight Director Emily Nelson. "These flight directors and the experience they bring with them will be critical in humanity's return to the Moon and future exploration of Mars. I'm proud to have them join our team." Meet NASA's newest class of flight directors: Heidi Brewer Heidi Brewer started her career at NASA in 2006 in the Space Shuttle Instrumentation and Communications Officer group. In that role, she supported 19 shuttle missions and was a lead for the final shuttle flight, STS-135. At the conclusion of the shuttle program, in 2011, Brewer transitioned to the Space Station Integration and Systems Engineer group, where she worked as a specialist in integrating operations and training with SpaceX. She supported more than 20 Dragon missions for NASA's Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Programs, serving as a lead for multiple SpaceX resupply missions to the station for NASA, and Axiom Mission 1, the first private astronaut mission to the space station. Brewer also served as a lead operations integrator for the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, the Common Communication for Visiting Vehicles ship-to-ship radio system, and most recently, the Artemis human landing system. Brewer was raised in Marietta, Georgia, graduated from Georgia Tech in Atlanta with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 2005, and holds a Master of Science degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Ronak Dave Ronak Dave started his career at NASA in 2011 in the Pathways Intern Program. Upon becoming a full-time NASA engineer, he started work in the International Space Station Motion Control Systems Group as an attitude determination and control officer. In that role, he logged more than 1,000 hours in mission control and supported a SpaceX commercial resupply mission to station for NASA. He then transitioned to the propulsion systems group to support Orion, Space Launch System, and Boeing Starliner development and operations. He supported the Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test-1 mission as a propulsion officer. Most recently, he served as the ascent propulsion officer for the Boeing Starliner Orbit Flight Test-2 mission, supported astronaut training for the Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test, and served as the main propulsion systems officer for SLS and propulsion officer for Orion for the Artemis I mission, while leading rocket operations as a booster systems engineer for Artemis II. Dave was raised in Secaucus, New Jersey, and graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Chris Dobbins Chris Dobbins also began his NASA career in 2011 in the Pathways Intern Program. He started his full-time NASA career as a space station Environmental and Thermal Operating Systems flight controller in 2014, logging more than 2,500 hours of console time and serving as a lead for the International Space Station Expedition 56 and several spacewalks. He later began supporting the Boeing Starliner spacecraft as an Emergency, Environmental, and Consumables Manager flight controller, working in Mission Control for the company's uncrewed flight test for NASA. He most recently served as the ascent and entry lead for Boeing's Orbital Flight Test-2, while helping develop operational strategies and conduct astronaut training for the company's crewed flight test mission, including crewed vehicle emergency response procedures. Dobbins is originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, and graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. Garrett Hehn Garrett Hehn began his career at NASA in 2014 in the International Space Station Trajectory Operations group and became certified as a Trajectory Operations Officer in 2016. In that role, he served as lead for Expedition 50, a SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the space station for NASA, Sierra Space Dream Chaser development, and Boeing's Crew Flight Test. Hehn led an overhaul of an agency training flow and has been an instructor for other trainees since achieving certification as a trajectory operations officer. In 2018, he expanded his scope to become the lead Artemis II Flight Dynamics Officer while maintaining his previous roles. Earlier this year, he obtained his flight dynamics officer certification for Artemis I. Hehn was raised in Pittsburgh and graduated from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering and minors in mathematics and Spanish. Nicole (Lewis) McElroy Nicole McElroy joins the NASA flight director team from Virgin Orbit in Long Beach, California, where she worked as the launch director. McElroy first started her work at Virgin Orbit as an intern, and then returned full-time as a propulsion systems engineer designing the propellant and pressurant management systems. She later qualified those systems for flight, leading the first stage and second stage test campaigns. McElroy ultimately joined the launch operations team as the rocket systems operator for LauncherOne's first two flights. She served as launch director for the third and fourth flights, where she was responsible for the entire launch operation timeline. McElroy was born in England and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She graduated valedictorian from the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 2015. Elias Myrmo Elias Myrmo joined NASA in 2008 in the Flight Operations Directorate's Mission Systems Division, working on Mission Control Center systems and information technology infrastructure. Myrmo became a communication radio frequency onboard network utilization specialist in 2010, logging more than 2,000 hours at console in support of International Space Station Expeditions 32 through 50. Since 2016, he has served as lead of the Exploration Flight Dynamics and Operations Group, responsible for the training and certification of flight dynamics officers for Artemis missions. The group also is responsible for protection of the public on launch day through range safety, as well as day-of-launch update operations for the agency's Space Launch System rocket during Artemis missions. Myrmo was raised in Naples, Florida, and graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. Diana Trujillo Diana Trujillo most recently served as the Integrated Planning and Sequencing for Surface Missions Group Supervisor at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. In that role, she supported mission operations for NASA's ongoing exploration missions on the surface of Mars as well as the planned Mars Sample Return mission. She previously served as a mission lead for the Mars Perseverance rover, where she was responsible for the rover's tactical command team and the team that analyzed the rover's telemetry to determine its health and state. She served as a surface flight director during the early surface operations of the Mars Perseverance rover, including rover commissioning and the deployment of Ingenuity, the first helicopter to operate on another planet. Previously, she served as a mission lead and the engineering operations deputy team chief for the Mars Curiosity mission. Trujillo was born and raised in Cali, Colombia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland in College Park, with additional studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She also is a graduate of Miami-Dade College in Florida and the NASA Academy at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia. In 2021, she received the Cruz de Boyaca, the highest honor that the government of Colombia bestows upon civilians. All seven flight directors will participate in a Twitter question and answer session on Tuesday, July 19, answering questions using the @NASAFltDirector account. Visit NASA Johnson's Twitter feed for more details. Learn more about careers at NASA at: https://www.nasa.gov/careers SOURCE NASA North Sea Link Project is longest subsea electricity interconnector in the world linking UK and Norway renewable energy. Tweet this National Grid and Statnett's 1.6-billion (approximately $1.7 billion USD) NSL started commercial operations on October 1, 2021, marking a major milestone in the UK's and Norway's journeys to net zero. By enabling the trade of renewable energy between the two countries for the first time, NSL will help the UK to avoid 23 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2030. Stretching 720 kilometers (km, approximately 447 miles) across the North Sea between Blyth in the UK and the village of Kvilldal, near Stavanger in southwestern Norway, at depths of up to 700 meters (approximately 2,300 feet), NSL provides clean electricity to power 1.4 million homes. "Across the globe, EEI and our member companies are focused on getting the energy we provide as clean as we can as fast as we can, without compromising on the reliability or affordability that are essential to the customers and the communities we serve," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "Because of the NSL, multiple countries are able to take the next step toward powering a net-zero economy. I applaud National Grid for its leadership and congratulate them for winning this prestigious award for this engineering marvel." Presented annually and selected by a panel of former energy industry executives, the Edison Award is the electric power industry's highest honor in the US. The award was presented in Orlando, Fla., during EEI 2022, EEI's annual thought leadership forum. About National Grid National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook, and find our photos on Instagram. About EEI EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for more than 235 million Americans,and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than 65 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members. SOURCE National Grid WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 24th, two national membership organizations with shared passion and vision, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Women Presidents Organization (WPO), are partnering for a National Day of Service sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. The goal of this event is for members to come together as women helping women in communities across the United States. For this year's event, NAWBO and WPO are helping Dress For Success, a nonprofit that provides professional attire for low-income women, to help support their job-search and interview process. "At JPMorgan Chase, we believe that all women deserve equal opportunity to follow their ambitions and build their careers. Support and mentorship between women professionals are crucial to fostering that growth," said Thelma Ferguson, Vice Chair of JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking, who is sponsoring the National Day of Service. "We are honored to collaborate with Dress for Success, the WPO and NAWBO to help women build the confidence and skills they need to reach their full potential." NAWBO and WPO members will volunteer with Dress For Success in 13 U.S. locations where all three organizations share a strong presence. These locations include Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and New York City. Members can also choose to celebrate the National Day of Service by volunteering at or making a donation to another organization of their choice that supports women and girls. Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of America's more than 12.3 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest-growing segment of the economy. "NAWBO is an organization built and run by servant leaders who are passionate about supporting and lifting up women into greater spheres of power and influence," said NAWBO's CEO Jen Earle. "We're honored to partner with the WPO to do just this for the women in our communities who need it most right now." The WPO is a dynamic and diverse collective of women business leaders around the world who share insight in groups facilitated to drive game-changing experiences. "At the WPO, we believe that belonging to a peer community is as much about giving support, as getting it. By joining together with NAWBO, we are able to bring more leaders who are committed to empowering women together using our collective resources. Whether it's boosting confidence with new professional attire for interviews or sharing concrete career insights, our goal is to effect real change for women nationwide," said WPO's CEO Camille Burns. About NAWBO Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of America's more than 12.3 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries. NAWBO develops programs that help navigate women entrepreneurs through the various stages of their business growth. To learn more about NAWBO, please visit www.nawbo.org. About WPO The WPO is a non-profit membership organization where dynamic and diverse women business leaders around the world meet monthly to tap into collective insight with exclusive access to entrepreneurial equals, innovative ideas, and executive education. WPO members have guided their business to generate at least $2 million USD in gross annual sales (or $1 million USD for a service-based business). Each WPO chapter serves as a professionally-facilitated peer advisory group for members where they can harness the momentum of their successes and cultivate new strategies that will take them even farther. To learn more about WPO, please visit www.women-presidents.com. SOURCE National Association of Women Business Owners FREMONT, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Clinical Trials (SCT) 43rd Annual Meeting was held last month in San Diego. At the meeting, the SWOG Cancer Research Network (SWOG) poster "A More Efficient Approach to Clinical Trial Data Collection: The SWOG-nCartes Pilot Collaboration" was presented by Chris Cook, applications development director at Cancer Research And Biostatistics (CRAB). The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and CRAB host SWOG's Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC). CRAB is dedicated to providing statistics and data management operations and leadership support for the SWOG SDMC. SWOG is a global cancer research community that designs and conducts publicly funded clinical trials, with 39 open trials across 1,315 members sites in the U.S. and internationally. The poster session summarized the results to date of the SWOG-nCartes Pilot Collaboration. SWOG partnered with cloud clinical research software company nCoup to pilot and deploy the company's nCartes platform at SWOG sites to help advance data collection. With nCartes, research sites pull data available in the electronic medical record (EMR), such as labs and medications, and automatically transfer the data directly into the research sponsor's electronic data capture (EDC) system. In late-phase pilot testing, the results of data entry using the nCartes platform were compared to the current practice of manual data entry. To measure data entry time, an experienced study coordinator was timed entering 43 forms using nCartes. It took 100 minutes to complete all forms, or 2 minutes and 20 seconds per form a sizable time savings compared to current standard practice. Data quality also improved. To see the complete SWOG SCT poster, click here: https://www.crab.org/documents/posters/2022-SCT-Cook.pdf. "SWOG and the SWOG-nCartes pilot sites have been exceptional partners," says John S. McIlwain, CEO of nCoup, the cloud software company that developed and supports nCartes. "We are very pleased with these strong results and look forward to now making nCartes available to the broader SWOG community and many other sites and sponsors likely to realize significant time and cost benefits from nCartes." SWOG and nCoup gratefully acknowledge the leadership and teams at the following three SWOG-nCartes Pilot Collaboration sites, without whom this material progress would not have been possible: UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Kansas Cancer Center, which also led a previous industry-sponsored nCartes pilot Cancer Center, which also led a previous industry-sponsored nCartes pilot University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute About SWOG: SWOG Cancer Research Network is part of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program and is part of the oldest and largest publicly funded cancer research network in the nation. SWOG has nearly 12,000 members in 47 states and nine foreign countries who design and conduct clinical trials to improve the lives of people with cancer. SWOG trials have led to the approval of 14 cancer drugs, changed more than 100 standards of cancer care, and saved more than 3 million years of human life. Learn more at swog.org, and follow us on Twitter at @SWOG. About SWOG SDMC: The SWOG Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC) is co-located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and at Cancer Research And Biostatistics in Seattle, Washington. Under SWOG group statistician and director of the SDMC, Michael LeBlanc, PhD, SDMC staff provide state-of-the-art statistics and data management expertise for the effective design, conduct and reporting of clinical trials. Research conducted at the SWOG SDMC leads to new standards with respect to statistics design, reproducible research tools and efficient, scalable data management methodologies. Learn more at www.swogstat.org. About nCoup: nCoup provides innovative cloud solutions that address specialized operational needs of organizations conducting clinical research. nCoup, Inc. is privately held with headquarters in Fremont, California. For more information, visit www.ncoup.com. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE nCoup, Inc. COLUMBIA, Mo., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 80 years ago, the GI Bill promised to help economically disadvantaged Veterans become homeowners. Today, the same program is living up to its original promise by helping narrow the homeownership gap for female Veterans and Veterans of color. For Veterans and service members, the VA home loan benefit is opening doors to homeownership like never before, according to Veterans United Home Loans' recent report. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has backed more than 25 million home loans, which has expanded access to homeownership since 1944. Demographics of the military have changed drastically since the program's inception. For perspective, in 1945, the population of the military was 7.4% African American and Black, 0.48% Asian American and Pacific Islanders, 0.42% Hispanic and Latino, and 3% women, according to the National WWII Museum. Today, the military population is 13.4% African American and Black, 2.3% Asian American and Pacific Islanders, 8.02% Hispanic and Latino, and 10.9% women, according to the VA. "Military service and the VA home loan program are creating transformational and generational change for female Veterans and Veterans of color," said Chris Birk, vice president of mortgage insight at Veterans United Home Loans, the country's largest VA purchase lender. "In many ways, these Veterans and service members increasingly represent the future of this historic benefit." Overall, the Veteran and service member homeownership outlook will shift by 2048 with the following changes: The Hispanic and Latino population is expected to make up over 16% of the total Veteran population. An Urban Institute study has projected that 70% of new homeowners between 2020 and 2040 will be Hispanic and Latino. The homeownership rate is over 18 percentage points higher for Hispanic and Latino Veterans compared to their civilian counterparts. An Urban Institute study has projected that 70% of new homeowners between 2020 and 2040 will be Hispanic and Latino. The homeownership rate is over 18 percentage points higher for Hispanic and Latino Veterans compared to their civilian counterparts. The African American and Black population is expected to make up about 15% of the total Veteran population. African Americans own homes at about 17 percentage points higher than their civilian counterparts. VA loan usage for this demographic increased by 23% from 2018 to 2021. African Americans own homes at about 17 percentage points higher than their civilian counterparts. VA loan usage for this demographic increased by 23% from 2018 to 2021. By 2048, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are expected to make up 5% of the Veteran population, up from 0.42%. AAPI Veterans have higher homeownership rates than their civilian counterparts at about 13 percentage points. Education and household income are significant contributors to driving the growth of the AAPI population. By 2048, their Veterans population is expected to grow by 45%. AAPI Veterans have higher homeownership rates than their civilian counterparts at about 13 percentage points. Education and household income are significant contributors to driving the growth of the AAPI population. By 2048, their Veterans population is expected to grow by 45%. Female Veterans will account for about 18% of the total Veteran population. Over the last decade, female Veterans made up about 11% of Veterans and service members who use their VA home loan benefit. More female Veterans are projected to be homeowners as the population is expected to increase. The VA home loan benefit helps remove barriers such as down payments, no private mortgage insurance, access to the industry's lowest average rates, and flexible credit guidelines, especially for women and people of color. Although these key demographics remain the most impacted by these barriers, this program continues to level the playing field to achieve homeownership. About Veterans United Home Loans Based in Columbia, Missouri, the full-service national lender financed more than $29.9 billion in loans in 2021 and is the country's largest VA purchase lender according to the Department of Veterans Affairs Lender Statistics. The company's mission is to help Veterans and service members take advantage of the home loan benefits earned by their service. The company's employee-driven charitable arm, Veterans United Foundation, is committed to enhancing the lives of Veterans and military families nationwide by focusing on supporting military families and nonprofit organizations that strengthen local communities. Veterans United Home Loans and its employees have donated more than $100 million to the Foundation since its founding in November 2011. Learn more at EnhanceLives.com. VeteransUnited.com | 1-800-884-5560 | 1400 Veterans United Drive, Columbia, MO 65203 | NMLS ID #1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). A VA approved lender; Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Equal Opportunity Lender. Mortgage Research Center, LLC. SOURCE Veterans United Home Loans Focusing on Solving Business Challenges Through Strategic IT Investments DENVER, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New Charter Technologies, a portfolio company of Palo Alto-based private equity firm Oval Partners, recently announced the partnership of NetTech, a managed IT provider serving clients throughout Louisiana and Arkansas. NetTech has been providing results to loyal customers since 2004 with a unique business-focused IT process. When making the decision to enter the New Charter Technologies Equity Partnership, NetTech's ownership group consisting of Tom Bullock, Andy Martin, Ray Barnett, Aaron Paul, and Cody Davis, made the decision based on a desire to put people first both clients and team members. According to Mitch Morgan, CEO of New Charter Technologies, "NetTech has had such a strong presence in the communities they serve. The ownership group has established a great reputation for consistency, accountability, and quality for its clients. The company and its talented associates fit perfectly into our growing platform." The ability to offer enhanced technical opportunities to clients, better customer service, and better geographical reach also interested the NetTech ownership group. These enhanced capabilities come from having access to 17 other highly collaborative Operating Company Partners within the platform that share best practices and the opportunity to leverage advanced technology services such as Microsoft Partner Programs, best-in-class cybersecurity offerings through Cyber74, and more. "Becoming a New Charter Company allows us to offer our clients a level of product, service, and expertise that a company our size and in our location can't achieve on its own," said NetTech President Andy Martin. "In both the short and long term, those enhanced technology and service capabilities will lead to more business success for our clients, which is our main focus as a company. As such, we are incredibly excited about moving forward with our New Charter Technologies Partnership." The unique partnership with New Charter Technologies will also provide NetTech's employees with the ability to share knowledge with their peers at other New Charter companies, as well as provide significantly greater career and growth opportunities. The partnership also satisfies the ownership group's desire to create a succession plan for the organization. "The potential that will come from this partnership will create an opportunity-rich environment for our people to take advantage of," said NetTech CEO Tom Bullock. "This partnership also perpetuates the company beyond the life of the existing owners and creates longevity, opportunity, and collaboration for our employees." NetTech is the 18th high-performing MSP to join the New Charter Equity Partnership. The team is looking forward to offering their clients additional advanced cybersecurity services and contributing to the platform through the sharing of best practices. READ FULL RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Escovitz Oval Partners [email protected] 312.375.0050 SOURCE New Charter Technologies Survey conducted by Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence finds nearly 70% of executives are seriously considering quitting their roles for a job that better supports their well-being compared to 57% of employees NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Deloitte released a new report in collaboration with independent research firm Workplace Intelligence that explores the C-suite's role in organizational well-being and examines how an overall poor state of health is affecting retention for workers and executives alike. Across the globe, both employees and executive-level business leaders are struggling to prioritize their well-being and for most people, work is to blame. The situation is bad enough that 57% of employees and nearly 70% of the C-suite said they are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being. Despite this mutual struggle, the C-suite largely doesn't recognize that workers are struggling with their well-being, and this disconnect has the potential to further feed into The Great Resignation if leaders don't do more to understand the needs of their workers and demonstrate that they truly care about their holistic well-being. The report, "The C-suite's role in well-being: How health-savvy executives can go beyond workplace wellness to workplace well-being for themselves and their people," digs into the link between work and well-being, discusses why a strong organizational focus on well-being is critical for employee and executive retention, and outlines how organizations can reimagine well-being at work through an emphasis on broader cultural change and health-savvy leadership. Key findings from the report include: People's jobs are harming their well-being, and many say they will eventually quit as a result . Significantly, 63% of employees and 73% of the C-suite report that their job doesn't allow them to take time off from work and disconnect. Results also show that for 68% of employees and 81% of the C-suite, improving their well-being is more important to them than advancing their career right now. . Significantly, 63% of employees and 73% of the C-suite report that their job doesn't allow them to take time off from work and disconnect. Results also show that for 68% of employees and 81% of the C-suite, improving their well-being is more important to them than advancing their career right now. The pandemic has worsened everyone's health, but executives don't realize how much their employees are struggling Around 1 in 3 workers and executives "always" or "often" feel exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed, lonely, or depressed. Despite this, only around half of employees and two-thirds of the C-suite report that they use all their vacation time, take breaks during the day, get enough sleep, and have enough time for friends and family. Around 1 in 3 workers and executives "always" or "often" feel exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed, lonely, or depressed. Despite this, only around half of employees and two-thirds of the C-suite report that they use all their vacation time, take breaks during the day, get enough sleep, and have enough time for friends and family. Despite their own struggles with well-being, executives are significantly overestimating how well their employees are doing and how supported they feel by their leaders . For example, only 65% of employees rate their physical health as "excellent" or "good," but 89% of executives believe their workers are thriving. Just 56% of employees think their company's executives care about their well-being, but 91% of the C-suite see themselves as caring leaders. . For example, only 65% of employees rate their physical health as "excellent" or "good," but 89% of executives believe their workers are thriving. Just 56% of employees think their company's executives care about their well-being, but 91% of the C-suite see themselves as caring leaders. The C-suite must take greater ownership and action around matters of health. A whopping 95% of the C-suite agree that they should be responsible for employees' well-being, but at current, these sentiments aren't translating into action 68% admit that they're not doing enough to safeguard employee and stakeholder health. And because just 31% of employees feel that their leaders are health-savvy, it's evident that they also believe leaders should be taking greater initiative when it comes to matters of health. Despite work often working against well-being, leaders who are health-savvy have the ability to reimagine well-being for themselves and their workforce but they need to do more. Well-being is a top priority in today's workplace, but the journey to health-savvy leadership won't be easy. However, executives stand to gain a lot by embracing this new reality. Not only can they become better and more purpose-driven leaders, but they may discover that they're finally able prioritize their "own" well-being a critical shift that could help them stay the course in their role and become steadfast ambassadors of a better tomorrow. "While it's promising that so many executives feel they should be responsible for employee well-being, many also feel that they aren't taking enough action," said Jen Fisher, Deloitte's U.S. chief well-being officer. "It's time for the C-suite to become more health-savvy by embracing the expanding focus on well-being in their role. This critical shift will not only benefit their own well-being and the well-being of their people, but also the long-term success of their organizations." "There's a global imperative for organizations to examine how their day-to-day work experience affects people's well-being," added Dan Schawbel, managing partner at Workplace Intelligence. "The Great Resignation has shown us that employees are no longer willing to tolerate a job that leaves them constantly burned out and exhausted, and our study with Deloitte highlights that executives are also fed up with the current state of affairs." "To make well-being a reality, leaders need to first look at redesigning the work in their organization," said Steve Hatfield, Deloitte's Global Future of Work leader. "By integrating well-being into the design of work itself, organizations can strengthen the link between employee well-being and organizational performance." "The pandemic made well-being more vivid for many of us, yet many employees and leaders are struggling to find the organizational support they need to address it," said Paul Silverglate, US Executive Accelerators leader and Deloitte's US Technology Sector vice chair. "It's clear that well-being is a top-down concern, and today's C-suite has a great opportunity to drive organizational change to create a better workplace for all." Research findings are based on a survey conducted by Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence in February 2022 among more 2,100 employees and C-level executives across the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. For more insights, access the full report here. About Workplace Intelligence Workplace Intelligence, LLC is an HR research and advisory firm helping leaders adapt to trends, drive performance, and prepare for the future. Our mission is to create more intelligent workplaces using data-based insights. For more information go to our website and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter. About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Building on more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 345,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. SOURCE Deloitte Scientists develop a roadmap to future personalized medicine for heart defects that develop before birth HOUSTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of investigators from Texas Heart Institute, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine uncovered new insights into the mechanisms underlying the progression of congenital heart disease (CHD) a spectrum of heart defects that develop before birth and remain the leading cause of childhood death. The research published in Nature represents the first reported single-cell genomics evidence of unique differences in heart muscle cells and immune systems of CHD patients. Uncovering these key differences and how these diseases progress provides an opening for researchers to devise new ways to treat CHD. While the eventual outcome of heart failure in CHD is well documented, the underlying cause of declining heart function in these patients is still poorly understood. That knowledge gap in understanding has led to roadblocks in developing new therapies capable of extending a patient's life. To address these unanswered questions, Texas Heart Institute and Baylor College of Medicine's James F. Martin, MD, PhD, collaborated with Iki Adachi, MD, Director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at Texas Children's and Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and Diwakar Turaga, MD, PhD, a Texas Children's Hospital pediatric cardiac critical care specialist and Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, to profile heart and blood samples from CHD patients. The team studied patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and dilated (DCM) and hypertrophic (HCM) cardiomyopathies undergoing heart surgery. Dr. Martin is an internationally recognized physician-scientist who has made numerous fundamental contributions to our understanding of cardiac developmental and disease pathways, as well as tissue regeneration. "Using several exciting new technologies such as single-cell RNA sequencing, we were able to interrogate samples from congenital heart disease patients at the single cell level. One of our goals is to improve the natural history of this terrible disease afflicting children," said Dr. Martin, Director of the Cardiomyocyte Renewal Laboratory at the Texas Heart Institute and Vivian L. Smith Professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology at Baylor College of Medicine. "There is still a lot of work to do as the team, including co-first authors Drs. Matthew C. Hill, Zachary A. Kadow and Hali Long, heads toward that goal." Dr. Turaga is a physician-scientist dedicated to bringing cardiac regenerative medicine therapies to the bedside. "This is the first step in developing a comprehensive cell atlas of congenital heart disease," said Dr. Turaga, physician in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children's, as well as an expert in genomics and microscopy. "We are creating a roadmap for therapies targeting individual cell types and unique gene pathways in CHD that include both the heart and the immune system, something that had not been reported before. As the technology matures, this will become the standard of care in treatment of CHD." Dr. Adachi is a congenital heart surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital who is specialized in reconstructive surgical procedures of CHD lesions including those analyzed in this study. "What we achieved with this study is absolutely exciting but represents just the beginning," said Dr. Adachi, director of the world's largest pediatric Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Device Program. "The collaboration between the extremely sophisticated laboratory at the Texas Heart Institute and the top pediatric heart center at Texas Children's definitely has the potential to go further." The findings of the study not only provide a new roadmap to develop personalized treatments for CHDs, but also provide the scientific community with a critical resource of rare pediatric heart samples that can be used to make further discoveries and deepen our understanding of CHD. ABOUT TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE (THI) The Texas Heart Institute, founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative and progressive programs in research, education, and improved patient care. THI's scientists and physicians conduct fundamental biomedical, translational, and clinical research in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, molecular-based medicine, stem cell, and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine both independently and in collaboration with organizations worldwide. As a global leader of patient care for nearly six decades, Texas Heart Institute has been ranked among the top cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for the past 30 years. THI is dedicated to spreading awareness and sharing updates on ways to prevent, treat and defeat the cardiovascular disease. With over 10 million visitors coming to its website from around the world every year, www.texasheart.org is just one of the ways THI is helping to educate people on the importance of heart health. For more information, please visit https://www.texasheart.org. @Texas_Heart ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in Houston is recognized as a health sciences university and is known for excellence in education, research and patient care. It is ranked 22nd among medical schools for research and 17th for primary care by U.S. News & World Report. Baylor is listed 20th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding and No. 1 in Texas. The Baylor pediatrics program ranked 7th among all pediatric programs, reflecting the strong affiliation with Texas Children's Hospital where our faculty care for pediatric patients and our students and residents train. Nationally our physician assistant program was ranked 3rd in the health disciplines category and our nurse anesthesia program ranked 2nd. Located in the Texas Medical Center, Baylor has affiliations with seven teaching hospitals and jointly owns and operates Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, part of St. Luke's Health. Currently, Baylor has more than 3,000 trainees in medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, physician assistant, orthotics and genetic counseling as well as residents and postdoctoral fellows. Follow Baylor College of Medicine on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BaylorCollegeOfMedicine) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/BCMHouston). ABOUT TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for Pediatric Research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created the Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO for children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that's channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens. Media Contacts Daynene Vykoukal [email protected] 832-355-6628 Graciela Gutierrez [email protected] Kelley Carville [email protected] SOURCE Texas Heart Institute SAN DIEGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Creating an egg drop STEAM challenge, developing multi-cultural art & reading curricula, organizing a Girl Boss young entrepreneur program, and creating a multi-disciplinary nature journaling project are just a few of the teacher dream projects funded by North Island Credit Union through its Spring 2022 Teacher Grant program. Millennial Tech Middle School Teacher Sarah Hillard (center) and the Girl Boss Club girls receive a teacher grant from North Island Credit Union Sr. School and Community Development Officer Nancy Banuelos. This group of young entrepreneurs is taking over their middle school by creating and selling their own goods, including dog bandanas, aprons, earrings, cellphone accessories and more. As part of its commitment to help educators create innovative learning opportunities for their students, the credit union has provided 10 grants of $500 each to underwrite class projects in San Diego County. The credit union grants will fund a diverse range of programs illustrating the creativity and commitment teachers bring to their classrooms and communities. The Spring 2022 North Island Credit Union Teacher Grant recipients include teachers across San Diego County: North Island Credit Union Grant Recipient School City Christine Cecil Fulton K-8 School San Diego Caitlin Cradic Rancho Elementary School Spring Valley Amy Cutchin San Pasqual Elementary School Escondido Bita Farid-Mohebati Valley Center Middle School Valley Center Carla Hancock Aseltine School San Diego Sarah Hillard Millennial Tech Middle School San Diego Lora Josic Classical Academy Vista Rosanne Nightingale Coastal Academy Oceanside Christiane Noirez-Tingley Curie Elementary School San Diego Heather Wolzen Magnolia Elementary School El Cajon "The creativity and passion of these grant programs inspire all of us. We congratulate each of these educators who are so committed to finding new ways to excite, support, and connect with their students," said North Island Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell. "After 90 years of supporting the education community, we never fail to be amazed at the dedication our teachers bring to their students, and wish all of them success in bringing these projects to life." Photos of all North Island Credit Union Teacher Grant recipients can be found here. Since the creation of the program in 2012, the credit union has awarded $155,000 in teacher grants to support innovative learning projects. Up to 20 grants are awarded bi-annually in the spring and fall. Any full-time classroom teacher in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside County can apply for a grant for a program that has clearly defined learning objectives tied to students' academic needs, displays creativity in education, and targets a significant number of students. About North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, California Credit Union has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Please visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @northislandcu. SOURCE North Island Credit Union Nutella, the undisputed king of pancake toppings, asked pancake lovers around the country to nominate their favorite independently owned pancake spots for a chance to win the latest coveted restaurant industry top honor. After sifting through short stacks and tall, Nutella is excited to share the fans' favorite spots that serve up the best pancake recipes and lend the warmest atmospheres for cozy and memorable pancake breakfasts. 2022 Nutella Fancake Awards Winners Steve's Diner ( Exeter, NH ) ) The Pancake Pantry ( Franklin, TN ) ) The Magnolia Pancake Haus ( San Antonio, TX ) ) Pancake House ( Lubbock, TX ) ) Ricas Crepas ( Los Angeles, CA ) ) Cedric's Family Restaurant ( Idaho Falls, ID ) "Nutella is thrilled to announce the winners of our first-ever Nutella Fancake Awards," shares Endri Shtylla, Marketing Director, Nutella at Ferrero U.S.A. "Pancakes and the local small businesses that serve them, spread so much joy to people who go out to breakfast with friends and family. These pancake restaurants are integral parts of our communities and we look forward to helping them continue the tradition of creating special breakfast moments." For winning The Fancakes, Nutella will give all six pancake spots a $5,000 grant and year's supply of Nutella to spread more joy to their loyal patrons. The fan-voted winners will also receive new hardware in the form of a sparkling Nutella Fancakes trophy and team up with Nutella to create an exclusive Nutella pancake recipe that embodies how special each spot is to their local community. To learn more about The Nutella Fancake Awards winners and try their famous recipes at home, visit Nutella.com. Nutella Nutella was born in 1964. The unique hazelnut spread that millions of people around the world love, is made with a meticulous selection of high-quality ingredients and an exacting, artisan-inspired production. Today, the popular hazelnut spread is available in around 160 countries worldwide. About Ferrero For over 70 years, Ferrero has created products loved by generations. We've grown from a bakery in Alba, Italy into the third largest confectionery company in the world. Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and continues to spread joy with Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Fannie May chocolates. Ferrero Group expanded its portfolio in 2018 with the addition of Butterfinger, CRUNCH, Baby Ruth, 100Grand and other legendary chocolate brands. We are a family-owned company with 3,000 employees in eight offices and ten plants and warehouses in North America, including a cocoa processing plant in Brantford, Ontario and a planned chocolate processing factory in Bloomington, Illinois. Instilled in every aspect of our business is the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, and their passion for quality, creativity, and innovation. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and @FerreroNACorp on Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com. Contact: Kelsey McGeough [email protected] SOURCE Ferrero North America Employees say retirement benefits are highly important when deciding whether or not to leave an employer. Yet employers are missing key opportunities to tell them about their offerings, TIAA survey finds. NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the more than 30% of U.S. employees who say they are considering a job switch this year, benefits programs are often a crucial factor. TIAA's 2022 Employee Retention Survey shows a substantial majority (82%) of employees say their benefitsspecifically their retirement benefits (77%)are highly important in deciding whether they will change jobs. The survey also reveals a majority (68%) of employees are seeking better information about their retirement savings plans from their employer. Employees also say more educational resources and communications clarifying benefits can help build trust. Workers who trust their employer place an even higher importance on benefits when making career decisions. Other key survey findings include: Just 16% of employees say they received information about their current retirement plan before being hired. Less than half (42%) say their benefits were communicated when they first started their job. Just over half (54%) say they received information during open enrollment. Only one-third of employers say they communicate about their benefits plans before hiring an employee. "We know that retirement benefits can be a significant difference-maker for employees when they're considering career choices, yet employers are missing critical opportunities to communicate about them," said Raymond J. Bellucci, head of Recordkeeping Solutions at TIAA. "Regularly providing education and information about retirement benefits can enhance retention and recruitment strategies, build stronger employee-employer relationships and boost employees' retirement preparedness." Many employers see their current offerings as a valuable asset for attracting and retaining employees and note that they feel a high degree of responsibility for their employees' retirement preparedness (54%) and financial wellness (46%). Employers who report feeling more responsible are more likely to see their benefits as a recruiting advantage, think their employees are satisfied with their benefits, and are more likely to provide in-plan options for Guaranteed Lifetime Income in retirement. However, employees aren't seeing their employers' efforts to improve their finances. Since the beginning of the pandemic, most employees have recognized their employers' increased focus on health and safety (64%), but just one-third noted a heightened focus on their financial wellness. A majority (68%) of employees also say they would like their employer's help developing a retirement strategy. This number increases among employees ages 30-39; 78% reported they would like guidance on how much to save each year for retirement. Employers will likely continue to face recruitment and retention challenges as employees navigate the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and an unpredictable labor market. Communicating regularly about all benefits, especially retirement benefits, and providing employees with additional financial wellness resources can support recruitment and retention efforts and improve retirement outcomes. To see the survey's executive summary, click here. About TIAA TIAA is a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It is the #1 not-for-profit retirement market provider[1], paid more than $6.4 billion in lifetime income to retired clients in 2021 and has $1.3 trillion in assets under management (as of 3/31/2022)[2]. Learn more about TIAA Read the latest TIAA news Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Member FINRA, distributes securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY. Each is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor's own objectives and circumstances. Investment, insurance and annuity products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, are not deposits, are not insured by any federal government agency, are not a condition to any banking service or activity, and may lose value. As of Dec. 31, 2020 . Based on data in PLANSPONSOR's 403(b) Market Survey, which published in August 2021 . As of March 31, 2022 assets under management across Nuveen Investments affiliates and TIAA investment management teams are $1.321 trillion . 2022 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 2243030 SOURCE TIAA LARKSPUR, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Neill Vintners & Distillers , one of the fastest-growing wineries in California, announces today its B Corp Certification, which distinguishes companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. This certification comes less than a year after O'Neill earned Wine Institute's Green Medal Leader Award in 2021. O'Neill has excelled in meeting each standard as a leader in social and environmental preservation and joins over 5,000 companies across 80 countries and 155 industries in earning B Corp status. "Receiving B Corp certification is a testament to our team's persistent focus on continuous improvement to lead positive change in the industry. This is a profound achievement for a company of our size in an industry so closely connected to people and the planet," says Founder and CEO Jeff O'Neill. "We are honored to receive this distinction and become part of the B Corp community." O'Neill is the 10th largest wine company in the US and now the largest B Corp Certified winery in North America. Caine Thompson, Sustainability Lead for O'Neill Vintners & Distillers notes, "B Corp Certification was a natural progression for O'Neill, who has been striving for environmental and social responsibility since its founding in 2004." The announcement signifies a major milestone for O'Neill and its efforts to lead the beverage industry in sustainability, transparency, and social stewardship. Some of the company's initiatives include The O'Neill Sustainable Grower Certification Program, over 33,000 square feet of solar panels, BioFiltro BIDA wastewater program , and the Charles Woodson & O'Neill Family Scholarships. O'Neill Vintners & Distillers received a score of 98.3/200 on the B Impact Assessment and joins a global group of companies, including 25 wineries, that meet high standards across five areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. About O'Neill Vintners & Distillers O'Neill Vintners & Distillers was founded in 2004 by industry veteran and entrepreneur Jeff O'Neill. The vertically integrated winery is one of the fastest-growing premium wine and spirits companies in California with a reputation for producing premium-quality wines & spirits and it is known for leadership in sustainability practices. O'Neill received the Green Medal Leader Award in 2021 by the Wine Institute and was awarded B Corp Certification in 2022. The company's national brands portfolio includes Line 39, Robert Hall Winery, Harken, Day Owl Rose, Game Box, Rabble Wines, BrandyLab, and Charles Woodson's Intercept Wines. For more information, please visit www.ONeillWine.com . About Certified B Corporations: Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet the high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. For more information, please visit https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us SOURCE ONeill Vintners & Distillers GUANGZHOU, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Onion Global Limited ("Onion Global", the "Group" or the "Company") (NYSE: OG), a next-generation lifestyle brand platform that incubates, markets, and distributes the world's fresh, fashionable, and future brands to young people in China and across Asia, recently announced that it completed several overseas product launches as part of its "Go Global" strategy to help premium Chinese brands extend their reach and boost sales overseas. With its extensive brand-building capabilities, Onion Global helps domestic brands overcome the difficulties in overseas marketing, elevating their brand image while establishing closer connections with global consumers and capturing more market share. Demand-driven strategy enables private label brands to "go global" Leveraging its extensive experience in brand management and in-depth consumer insights, Onion Global has transformed itself from a cross-border trader into a brand management platform. It is now entering the global arena with its "Go Global" strategy, moving from importing products to exporting brands across the globe. Onion Global recently launched its private label brand Spirgo, a Malay dictionary-pen product targeting Malaysian students. With efficient and diversified translation functions, Spirgo can translate 55 languages, perform voice translation for 112 languages, and scan and translate 60 words in one minute, greatly enhancing the convenience of learning multiple languages for local students. Through leveraging high-quality overseas KOLs and social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram, Onion Global has achieved a successful overseas launch for Spirgo. Multi-platform marketing to propel Chinese brands into the global market In addition to the private label brand incubation, Onion Global conducted a full-service promotion campaign in Thailand for Colorkey, a third-party Chinese beauty brand for younger generations. Through precision marketing via Facebook featuring Dilraba, Colorkey's spokesperson and a renowned Chinese Celebrity, Onion Global successfully attracted many Dilraba fans in Thailand to share their product experiences and reviews. Colorkey gained high brand exposure via news feeds with 100,000 views and reaching over 150,000 users in Thailand. Mr. Cong (Kenny) Li, Founder, and CEO of Onion Global, commented, "We hope that our offerings can be integrated into the lifestyles of users around the world. Our vision is to be ubiquitous, and our aim is for our products and services to penetrate every aspect of consumers' lives, giving rise to our mission of 'creating a better lifestyle for this generation and many more to come'. We are now helping domestic brands expand overseas, making premium products accessible in the global market, which is an extension of our corporate vision and mission. Compared with 'Made in China'as a brand proposition to expand overseas, our brand-led "Go Global" branding strategy can cultivate more loyal consumers and enhance brand premiums. With our in-depth brand management experience and deep consumer insights, Onion Global is able to facilitate Chinese brands' expansion overseas. Going forward, Onion Global will continue to incubate and cultivate high-quality brands, actively helping Chinese brands 'go global', making Chinese brands and products accessible globally." Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, the Company's forecasts, general observation of the industry, and business outlook, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "anticipates," "target," "aim," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "potential," "estimates" "continue," "is/are likely to," or other similar statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Onion Global's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Onion Global does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. About Onion Global Limited Onion Global Limited (NYSE: OG) is a next-generation lifestyle brand platform that incubates, markets, and distributes the world's fresh, fashionable, and future brands, which we refer to as "3F brands," to young people in China and across Asia. The Company's mission is to be the dream factory of lifestyle brands for young people. The Company's platform offers an integrated solution to develop, market, and distribute new and inspiring branded products, thereby reshaping the lifestyle shopping and consumer culture in China. Onion Global Limited has been listed on New York Stock Exchange since May 2021. For more information, please visit: http://ir.msyc.com/. Investor Relations Contact In China: Onion Global Ltd. Investor Relations E-mail: [email protected] Christensen Mr. Eric Yuan E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +86-10-5900-1548 In the United States: Christensen Ms. Linda Bergkamp E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +1-480-614-3004 SOURCE Onion Global Limited "PenFed Credit Union Chairman Ed Cody and I were honored to present donations to the San Diego Food Bank, which feeds over 8 million meals a year to help others, and to Support The Enlisted Project, which assists junior enlisted service members with financial literacy and grants during times of financial emergencies," said PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck. "Both the food bank and STEP are already seeing a spike in those needing help because of inflation and increased living expenses in all areas. At PenFed we are continuing our efforts to help alleviate the struggles of those around us in the communities in which we live." PenFed chose Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank as a $15,000 donation recipient due to the organization's standing as the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County and the fact the organization distributed over 63 million pounds of food last year. On average, the San Diego Food Bank serves 500,000 people per month in San Diego County. "The San Diego Food Bank is humbled to receive this generous donation of $15,000 from steadfast community partner, PenFed Credit Union. The Food Bank is currently providing food assistance to nearly half-a-million San Diegans per month and among those we help are low-income military families and their dependents," said San Diego Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo. "It takes a community to feed a community, and PenFed's donation will go a long way to provide 30,000 meals to families facing food insecurity countywide. Thank you, PenFed!" PenFed also selected Support The Enlisted Project for a $5,000 donation to aid the organization's efforts building financial self-sufficiency among junior active-duty enlisted members, recently discharged enlisted veterans and their families facing financial crisis through counseling, education and grants. PenFed has a strong legacy of being a military-friendly company and donates up to 2% of its annual net income to charitable organizations, with the majority going to military charities. The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, was created in 2001 and, since then, has provided more than $42.5 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, families, and caregivers. About PenFed Credit Union Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America's second-largest federal credit union, serving over 2.8 million members worldwide with over $35 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services with members' interests always in mind. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. SOURCE PenFed Credit Union HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEx:2318; SSE:601318) is delighted to announce that Ping An Life has won the Global Bronze Award for Re-imagining the Customer Experience at the Efma-Accenture Innovation in Insurance Awards 2022 with its "Intelligent Visiting Assistant - AI Meeting Platform". Ping An Life is the only Chinese company among the award winners, demonstrating its outstanding performance in digital transformation Built with Ping An's proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the "Intelligent Visiting Assistant - AI Meeting Platform" has been used in a wide array of business scenarios, including agent recruitment, smart training, and digital sales management, to fully support the agent team to carry out recruitment, training and marketing management. In the agent recruitment process, the AI Interview tool can identify multi-dimensional information of prospective agents through smart conversation recognition and generate interview reports, saving a lot of interview manpower and costs. As of March 2022, AI Interview supported 17.98 million interviews over 2.76 million hours. In the agent training session, the AI Training simulates actual sales practices and improves agents' sales techniques through interacting with robots and receiving training feedback. As of March 2022, AI Training delivered 830.5 million training sessions. In exhibition marketing, the tool provides agents with functions including real-time Q&A with chatbots, smart conversation assistance, and conversation summaries. In addition, it also supports hosting large-scale online seminars and conferences, which can accommodate as many as 300 participants, making it the first of its kind in the insurance industry. In 2021, the platform facilitated more than 70,000 online product introduction meetings, with an average monthly meeting time exceeding 150,000 hours. Ping An continues to advance its life insurance reform and strengthen its core competitiveness. Guided by the Group's "Finance + Technology" strategy, Ping An Life will continue to explore ways to facilitate seamless integration of technology and business and promote innovative technologies and solutions in marketing, services and risk management. The EfmaAccenture Innovation in Insurance Awards was launched by Efma and Accenture in 2016. Efma is a global non-profit organization established by banks and insurance companies to support industry development. Accenture is a leading global professional services company. The award recognizes the most innovative projects, initiatives, and ideas in insurance globally. This year, the competition received 398 outstanding projects from 44 countries and over 250 insurance organizations across Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific. Participants included internationally renowned insurance companies, such as AXA from France, Allianz from Germany, and Discovery from South Africa. The winning projects are independently voted on by a panel of global industry experts. About Ping An Group Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") strives to become a world-leading retail financial services group. With over 223 million retail customers and nearly 657 million internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "integrated finance" and "healthcare", covering the provision of financial and health care services through its integrated financial services platform and ecosystems in financial services, healthcare, auto services and smart city services. The "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping An ranked 6th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2021 and ranked 16th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2021. For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN. SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. CHICAGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market by Raw Material (PEX, PE-RT, PPR, C-PVC, and PB), Application (Water Plumbing Pipes, Radiator Connection Pipes and Underfloor Surface Heating & Cooling), End User, & Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, global Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market size will grow to USD 8.7 billion by 2027 from USD 6.5 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. The growth of the residential sector is led by government support and incentives for adoption of underfloor heating system, even plastic hot and cold pipes are corrosion resistant, easy to install and cost efficient, hence these are driving demand for plastic hot and cold pipe globally. Moreover, building and construction sector is also witnessing surge in demand across globe after the COVID-19 crisis. For instance, according to Oxford Economics Report 2021, between 2020 and 2030, the worldwide construction market is predicted to rise by USD 4.5 trillion, reaching USD15.2 trillion. Plastic hot and cold pipes are widely used by residential sector, therefore growth in building and construction sector giving rise to opportunities for growth of the Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=149772680 The Plastic Hot and Cold Pipe Market includes prominent Tier I and Tier II manufacturers like Georg Fischer, Wienerberger, Uponor, Aliaxis, and Genuit Group. These companies have their manufacturing facilities spread across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the other regions. Many plastic hot and cod pipe manufacturers have incorporating AI and IoT technologies that provide real-time monitoring, remote operation capability, failure diagnosis and troubleshooting and a host of other features. The Residential, Commercial (Malls & Shopping Complexes, Hospitals, Office Spaces, and Others) and Industrial (Power Generation, Oil and Gas, Chemical & Petrochemical, Automotive, and Others) industries are the amongst the largest consumers of plastic hot & cold pipe. The growth of these industries is expected to also lead to the growth of the Plastic Hot and Cold Pipe Market. The water plumbing pipes segment is expected to dominate the Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market, by application, during the forecast period. A home's water supply system routes municipal water from the street to house, where it branches out to deliver the water to faucets, showers, toilets, bathtubs, and appliances such as the water heater, dishwasher, and washing machine. Water pipes, fittings, service valves, and faucets are the main components of this delivery and distribution system. Plastic, copper, or galvanized iron are the most popular materials for these pipes and associated fittings. Metal pipes are likely to corrode over a period of time but plastic hot and cold pipes such as C-PVC, PEX, PE-RT are corrosion resistant and easy to install. These pipes are also cost efficient compared to metal pipes. Therefore, demand for plastic hot and cold pipes in water plumbing segment is increasing. Browse in-depth TOC on "Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market" 152 Tables 55 Figures 216 Pages View Detailed Table of Content Here: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/plastic-hot-cold-pipe-market-149772680.html The residential segment is expected to be the largest and fastest growing market, by end user, during the forecast period. The residential segment held the largest market share of the Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market in 2021. Plastic hot & cold pipes find a variety of applications in the residential segment, as these pipes are responsible for carry hot water, also used for underfloor heating & cooling houses. Residential segment is the largest and fastest growing segment because increase in population. According to United Nations (UN) the world population is projected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030, and to increase further to 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. As the population increases in the future, these will certainly create demand for residential housing sector. Eventually creating demand for plastic hot and cold pipe for residential use. Asia Pacific likely to emerge as the largest Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market The Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest share of the pipe market in 2021. The major end users for plastic hot & cold pipe in the Asia Pacific region include residential, commercial and industrial industries. Growth in construction is also high in Emerging Asia, with average annual growth over 5% to 2030. Growth in China and India as well the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies will provide plenty of support. A cumulative total of almost USD 135 trillion is expected to be spent on construction globally over the next decade to 2030, with almost half attributed to growth in Asia Pacific. This raises important questions around the race to achieving Net Zero and climate change action. The Asia Pacific region has emerged as global hub for manufacturing activity, with virtually every industry experiencing growth here. There is a tremendous requirement of power, and the countries in the region have hiked domestic production to meet the demand. According to BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2021, the region had the highest refining capacity of 35.8% in the world in 2020, which is expected to grow further. The region is also a hub for the petrochemical and chemical industries. Hence, a growth of these industries is expected to positively drive the regional Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market during the forecast period Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=149772680 The Plastic Hot and Cold Pipe Market is dominated by major players that have a wide regional presence. Some of the key players in the Plastic Hot & Cold Pipe Market are Georg Fischer (Switzerland), Aliaxis (Belgium), Wienerberger (Austria), Genuit Group Inc. (UK), and Chevron Philips (US), Supreme (India), Wavin Asia (Singapore), Astral Pipes (India). Browse Adjacent Markets: Energy and Power Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Underfloor Heating Market by Offering (Hardware, Services), Product Type and Component (Hydronic, Electric), Installation Type (New, Retrofit), Application (Residential, Commercial), Region (2022-2027) Thermoplastic Pipe Market by Product Type (TCP and RTP), Polymer Type (PE, PP, PVDF, PVC, Others), Application (Onshore & Offshore), End-user Industry (Oil & Gas, Water & Wastewater Treatment, Mining & Dredging) and Region - Global Forecast to 2026 PEX (Crossed-Linked Polyethylene) Market by Type (HDPE, LDPE, Others), Technology (PEXa, PEXb, PEXc), Application (Wires & Cables, Plumbing, Automotive, Others), Region (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, MEA) - Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/plastic-hot-cold-pipe.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets SILICON SLOPES, Utah , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pluralsight, the technology workforce development company, today announced that its social impact organization, Pluralsight One, is providing over $2 million in immediate cash grants to existing nonprofit partners and over $1 million in immediate cash grants to four new partners: Girls Who Code, LaunchCode, Npower, and CodePath. Additionally, Pluralsight has provided product grants totalling approximately 5,000 free Pluralsight Skills licenses to new partners. The grants will support nonprofit partners as they meet the rapidly evolving needs of the communities they serve. Existing Pluralsight One strategic partners that are receiving additional grants include the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Year Up, Malala Fund, Code.org, and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). "We are deeply grateful for our new and existing partners for the work they do to help underserved talent begin and maintain tech careers. The need for tech talent continues to increase across the globe, and these organizations play an important role in providing opportunities to develop tech skills for all," said Christopher Oliver, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Pluralsight. "Our focus at Pluralsight One has always rested on unlocking technology career opportunities for underrepresented groups and, in the process, increasing diversity in the technology workforce. These grants will help our partners continue to offer their invaluable services to those who may not have otherwise had access to tech education." Pluralsight One partners will deploy their grants in a variety of ways, but all with the common objective of driving impact at scale towards important social issues. Pluralsight One partners expect to use the grants to provide impact in some of the following ways: NRC NRC protects displaced people and supports them as they build new futures. Pluralsight One will help support programs that meet immediate humanitarian needs, prevent further displacement, and contribute to durable solutions that create lasting social impact. Year Up Year Up's grant supports its mission to close the opportunity gap in the United States by helping young adults build technology skills that strengthen pathways to professional employment. Malala Fund With its grant from Pluralsight One, Malala Fund will support the STEAM Education for Girls initiative in Pakistan. This project will focus on advancing girls' access to STEAM education and aims to reach 13,000 public high schools across the country. Code.org Code.org's grant will support the organization's mission to expand access to computer science in schools and increase participation by young women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. CSTA With the grant provided by Pluralsight One, CSTA will continue to support the development and implementation of digital resources for teachers with a focus on equity and inclusion. (New) Girls Who Code Pluralsight will partner with Girls Who Code to help close the gender gap in computing by helping women foster ongoing connections, develop career readiness skills, and build confidence, ultimately improving their persistence in computer science and technology. (New) LaunchCode LaunchCode's grant will help the organization deliver free, accessible, job-focused educational programs for driven, qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds seeking new careers in tech. (New) NPower NPower's grant will support their mission of creating pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities. Pluralsight Skills content modules, labs, and practice exams will be used by learners to prepare for various certifications. (New) CodePath CodePath brings together employers, students, and colleges to eliminate inequities in tech education. With this partnership, CodePath students will experience the value of Pluralsight Skills in their professional development. About Pluralsight Pluralsight, the leading technology workforce development company, helps organizations build better technology teams by delivering skill development solutions and data insights that cover technology trends with breadth and depth. With Pluralsight Skills, enterprise organizations can utilize strategic skills consulting services, courses, hands-on labs, and knowledge assessments to build tech skills for individuals and teams at scale. Pluralsight Flow complements Skills by providing engineering teams with objective and actionable data insights about workflow patterns to improve developer experience, ensure strong software development team performance, and accelerate the delivery of products and services. Trusted by forward-thinking companies of every size in every industry, Pluralsight helps businesses and individuals transform with technology. For more information about Pluralsight, visit pluralsight.com Media Contact Pluralsight PR Layne Watson Sr. Manager of Communications [email protected] SOURCE Pluralsight "Our community of customers and partners are a constant reminder of the inspiring digital transformation success that organizations are achieving," said Nintex Chief Executive Officer Eric Johnson. "We congratulate the 2022 Solution Innovation Award winners and applaud them for their success in transforming the way people work with the Nintex Process Platform." Receiving top honors as the 2022 Nintex Champion, Quaker Houghton is a global leader in industrial process fluids and operates in more than 25 countries with 4,200 employees. Since their precise and sophisticated manufacturing processes leave no room for error, the organization uses Nintex Forms and Nintex Workflow to automate the process of initiating lab requests and directing them appropriately. To learn more about Quaker Houghton's Nintex success visit: https://www.nintex.com/case-study/quaker-houghton/ 2022 Nintex Solution Innovation Awards winners by award category are available online at https://www.nintex.com/using-nintex/customer-and-partner-awards/2022-nintex-solution-innovation-awards/ and include: 2022 Nintex Champion Quaker Houghton Regional Transformation Leaders Americas: GM Financial Asia Pacific : Austral Construction : Austral Construction Europe : Twinings : Twinings Middle East & Africa : Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia Game Changing Solution-Specific Deployments Process Excellence with Nintex Promapp : Thermo Fisher Scientific : Thermo Fisher Scientific Operational Performance with Nintex DocGen : Dubai South : Dubai South Breakthrough Use Cases with Nintex RPA: BGL Group Cloud-Based Success with Nintex Workflow Cloud: Newson Health Industry Breakthroughs Americas: Capital Farm Credit and Draeger Asia Pacific : IQumulate, Harrison Group and Yancoal Australia : IQumulate, Harrison Group and Yancoal Australia Europe : Fidelity International and DuPont De Nemours : Fidelity International and DuPont De Nemours Middle East & Africa : Wema Bank and Al Naboodah Group Public Sector Excellence Americas: Delaware Department of Transportation (Division of Motor Vehicles) Asia Pacific : AgriFutures : AgriFutures Middle East & Africa : Saudi Arabia Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Education & Non-Profit Success Education, Americas: Auburn University Education, Asia Pacific : Busy Bees Asia : Busy Bees Asia Education, EMEA: Khalifa University Non-Profit: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) The Nintex Solution Innovation award winners were selected by a panel of judges based on nominations submitted directly by Nintex customers and partners. To learn how more organizations are achieving digital transformation and improving the way people work with the Nintex Process Platform, visit https://www.nintex.com/why-nintex/case-studies/. Media Contact Laetitia Smith Nintex [email protected] cell: +64 21 154 7114 About Nintex Nintex is the global standard for process intelligence and automation. Today more than 10,000 public and private sector organizations across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Process Platform to accelerate progress on their digital transformation journeys by quickly and easily managing, automating and optimizing business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA). Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE Nintex Promethean is joined by Ron Clark Academy, Moss Bluff Elementary, and Page County High School in this hybrid event for presentations, impactful discussions, and more SEATTLE, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Join Promethean , a leading global education technology company, at ISTELive 22 , where for more than four decades educators and education leaders gather to engage in hands-on learning, share best practices, and hear from the brightest minds in the world of education and beyond. From June 2629, 2022, Promethean will participate in the hybrid conference with exciting news, speakers, sessions, giveaways, and activities at booth #1430. Promethean is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of ISTELive 22 and have featured speakers from The Ron Clark Academy , Moss Bluff Elementary , and Page County High School at the booth. Speaking sessions and discussions will range from harnessing the power of ActivPanel and ClassFlow, to how ActivInspire can be customized to teachers' needs, how to uplevel lesson plans, and much more. Join Promethean and participate in sessions that support educators, students, and administrators, including: A Special Announcement | June 27 at 11 AM CST Join Promethean for a special announcement that you won't want to miss with activities and fun prizes! Love is Lost: Promethean's Escape Room Experience Attendees will work as a group to solve puzzles on Promethean's immersive classroom solutions, including the ActivPanel . RAFTing in the River of VR Grab your life jacket and your ore as we explore ways that virtual reality headsets can be leveraged to create a dynamic, cross-curricular opportunity that the whole class can experience. Additional speakers include: Daniel Thompson , Ron Clark Academy Learn the power of using timers, spinners, and activities while utilizing the Promethean ActivPanel and ClassFlow . Michelle Farque , Moss Bluff Elementary Explore Promethean's ActivInspire activities and learn how you can easily customize, reuse, and share activities to engage your students. Nichole Brumfield , Page County High School Dry-erase boards and worksheets are some of teachers' favorite things but are they effective in this day and age? Learn how to use the ActivPanel to find some amazing premade resources and use the Promethean Whiteboard app to do a scavenger hunt. "Promethean is energized to be live in New Orleans for this year's ISTELive 22 event," said Jennifer Foreman, chief marketing officer at Promethean. "We are looking forward to some very exciting announcements at the show that will transform how teachers, students, and IT teams use technology to navigate the ever-changing classroom environment. You won't want to miss it we hope to see you at our booth." For more information on Promethean's sessions, speakers, and schedules, follow us on social media and visit https://www.prometheanworld.com/event/istelive-22/ . About Promethean Promethean is a leading education technology company working to transform the way the world learns and collaborates. From our founding in Blackburn, England, over 25 years ago to our global operations in 22 countries today, we've continued to explore, innovate, and inspiredesigning learning and collaboration tools that are built for breakthroughs. Our award-winning interactive display, ActivPanel, and lesson delivery software, ActivInspire and ClassFlow, were designed to engage students, connect colleagues, and bring out the brilliance in everyone. With headquarters in Seattle, Washington, and offices worldwide, Promethean is a member of the NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) group of companies. Visit us at PrometheanWorld.com . 2022 Promethean. All Rights Reserved. Promethean, the Promethean logo, ActivPanel, ActivSync, ActivInspire, ActivConnect, ActivSound, ClassFlow, and Vellum are trademarks or registered trademarks of Promethean Limited in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries around the world. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically identified as such, Promethean's use of third-party trademarks does not indicate any relationship, sponsorship, or endorsement between Promethean and the owners of these trademarks. SOURCE Promethean World Ltd These changes will impact the way brands engage with consumers and the survey findings illustrate a growing number of individuals who want more control and transparency over their personal data. The online survey was conducted in May 2022 by Qonsent and CITE Research ( www.citeresearch.com ) and polled 1,000 US Census-based US adults and 125 marketers. "Data is a valuable asset for both consumers and brands, but what's more important is the one-to-one connection and trust that is created between loyal communities and brands. As laws, consumer trust/tastes, and technology shift, we must as well," said Michael Kassan , Chairman and CEO, MediaLink. "I feel we're in a time of culture marketing, where we as marketers have an opportunity to continue to drive movements and make a powerful positive shift in how we engage loyal communities." The survey findings also show that transparency practices have an impact on consumers' purchasing decisions with close to half of respondents (47 percent) saying they try to purchase more from brands that clearly outline how, where, and when their data is being used. Another 30 percent said they only purchase from brands that demonstrate transparency, underscoring the growing importance of data privacy amongst consumers. Not surprisingly, 83 percent of consumers ranked offers of discounts in the top three types of incentives that would encourage them to allow their data to be used. "Data privacy has become a top priority for American consumers, and even most C-level executives in the absence of any coherent, effective data privacy legislationat both the state and federal levels," said Jesse Redniss , CEO and Co-founder, Qonsent. "This survey validated what we have been seeing and hearing, which is that the vast majority of consumers are concerned with how brands collect and handle their personal information. In fact, we found that more than half of consumers feel more secure and/or more empowered when they have control over their personal data." Instead of fearing the new laws or cobbling together disparate solutions, marketers and brands should take the straightforward approach and forge a new relationship with their consumers, as 84 percent of consumers said they are likely to share information with companies that clearly communicate how they use their data. The survey also found: 94 percent of consumers said having control over the information provided to companiesand how that information is usedis important, with two-thirds (66 percent) saying it is very important. of consumers said having control over the information provided to companiesand how that information is usedis important, with two-thirds (66 percent) saying it is very important. 61 percent of consumers prefer when a brand communicates how long they will keep personal information on file and how long they will use it. of consumers prefer when a brand communicates how long they will keep personal information on file and how long they will use it. 90 percent of consumers said that the ability to revoke a brand's access to their personal data in one click is especially appealing. In addition to consumer data privacy, the survey delved into marketers' attitudes about impending data privacy laws. Out of the 125 marketers surveyed, the majority (78 percent) are concerned that new legislation will negatively impact consumer engagement. However, over half (63 percent) believe consumers would react positively by increasing loyalty and engagement if brands are transparent about personal data. "The implications of this survey not only show that data privacy is a growing concern and there's increased awareness amongst consumers, it's especially important that we do everything to enable control for consumers," Redniss continued. "It has become a moral imperative to ensure that each brand builds better experiences through trust and transparency." To learn more about the report findings, download the Qonsent white paper: Qonsent Consumer Insights 2022 . About Qonsent Qonsent was founded in 2021 by leading visionaries from media, marketing, technology, legal, and security industries to help companies build 'privacy by design' and 'privacy by default' into products and processes to create a better experience, relationship, and value exchange with consumers. The services offered by the company encompass both B2B services and consumer-facing solutions that integrate with company offerings to remain compliant with PII data laws, including real-time ID validation, SmartQontracts, and customized offers through a Qonsent wallet. Qonsent is setting a new industry standard around Performance Privacy and Performance Giving with its platform, which bridges the current market gaps for brands, advertisers, publishers, creators, enterprises, and consumers. Contact: Michelle Van Jura [email protected] SOURCE Qonsent With a host of New Features and Functions, Leading PropTech Firm lands contracts with KW Commercial and eXp Commercial STAFFORD, Texas, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RealNex, a commercial real estate technology company, today announced a major release to its flagship RealNex Navigator platform. RealNex Navigator is a complete commercial real estate operating system, featuring CRM, Financial Analysis, Presentations, Marketing, Reporting and Transaction Management. With the release, the company also announced the successful deployment and implementation across the KW Commercial platform and the newly signed agreement to deliver its solution set to eXp Commercial as well as commercial agents at eXp Realty. RealNex Accelerates into 2022: Another Major Product Release and Continued Client Expansion "This is a massive new release, complete with scores of updates and enhancements that our rapidly growing user community has requested. Our eco-system has more than doubled over the past year and with that the new ideas and recommendations for new features has grown exponentially. We are doing our best to keep up with all the great ideas from our discerning clients and I am confident they are going to love this latest generation of RealNex," noted Jeffrey Finn, CEO. Core to the new update is the fully cloud based CRM, which completely breaks ties with the legacy desktop solution to enable dramatic enhancements. While all new deployments will be based on the new CRM cloud foundation, existing users will be systematically migrated to the new framework over the coming months. Within the new system, users will enjoy a host of powerful new tools and capabilities including enhanced filters, mapping, navigation email synch and enhanced system performance. While CRM launched the new cloud framework, an amazing array of new advances were also added to MarketEdge. Among them is the addition of Custom Global Pages, the ability for user to create their own Cover Pages and the flexibility to add multiple interior page designs Within RealNex MarketPlace the company has also added a greater degree of flexibility and display options for its MPDirect hosted listing engine. The new capability improves SEO and keeps the browser within the client website without having to open a new pop-up display. Clients can also modify the display with a configurable menu, optionally choosing to display prices, property types and availability. Listing displays have been increased to 500 properties at a time, while users can now modify map background color and determine whether or not to include an Agent Directory. If all of the software improvements were not enough, RealNex now offers foundational data and data services to seed CRM. Billed as RealNex Pro, the data package includes parcel and base building information, the two most recent sales, ownership, loan profiles including lender, loan amount and maturity date as well as tenant rosters. "The Team has done an amazing job. Not only is our solution the most complete and best in class commercial real estate operating system, our time-to-value is virtually immediate, and our client success satisfaction rating is solidly above 95%. We pride ourselves in delivering incredible software at an unbeatable price while providing an unparalleled level of service," according to Mark Kingston, Executive Chairman. For more details, the Full Release is available at https://bit.ly/3HJhV8t About RealNex LLC RealNex is a leading commercial real estate technology solutions company. It strives to become the portal and marketplace for the commercial real estate industry by integrating sector-based solutions to improve marketplace efficiency, transparency, and liquidity. Its singular solution is designed to improve user success by increasing accuracy, professionalism, and productivity. Contact: Oanh Nguyen 281.299.3161 [email protected] SOURCE RealNex TORONTO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Stillwater Capital Corporation is delighted to welcome Sammy Riddle as a Business Development Advisor in the firm's Transportation and Logistics practice group, effective June 15, 2022. He is based in Greenville, South Carolina. Sammy joins Stillwater following a 20-year distinguished career as Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions for Transplace, acquired by Uber in 2021, and Co-Founder of M33 Integrated Solutions, a Carolina-based third-party logistics provider. He brings with him extensive knowledge, insight, and strategic advice in the logistics space. "I am thrilled to join the Stillwater team and to provide those in my network the opportunity to explore and realize the possibility for recapitalization and transaction success with the support of the Stillwater team," said Sammy. "I was so impressed by their professionalism and dedication to their clients as we worked together in my previous roles with Transplace and M33 Integrated. I am excited for this opportunity to advise and support Stillwater's continued track record of success." Sammy holds a B.S. in Business Marketing & Management from Appalachian State University and advanced Supply Chain Management & Logistics certifications from Georgia Tech and Clemson University. "We could not be more delighted to have Sammy join the Stillwater team and to draw upon his expertise and relationships within the logistics industry," said Douglas Nix, Chairman of Stillwater. "His extensive knowledge and experience going through multiple acquisitions and two divestitures himself will be a significant asset as we continue to expand our footprint in the US logistics industry. His leadership, team values, and commercial focus on exceptional client outcomes make for an excellent cultural fit with Stillwater." About Stillwater Capital Corporation Established in 2002, Stillwater has grown to become one of North America's top mid-market mergers and acquisitions advisory firms. With over 100 completed transactions, the firm has deep expertise serving corporations, owners, and management teams in the transportation, logistics, and supply chain industry. It has a proven track record of creating exceptional client value, based on its hallmark independent advice and unwavering commitment to extraordinary client success. Through its membership in GGI Global Alliance AG (https://www.ggi.com and https://www.gcg.com) Stillwater has unmatched access to the international business community. For more information about Stillwater, visit https://www.stillwatercapital.ca. SOURCE Stillwater Capital More than 100 judges from diverse backgrounds recognized international winners across eight industries, six technologies and three regions. The awards ceremony was broadcast live on LinkedIn and YouTube. Unique SAS Hackathon format boosts innovation Rather than a traditional in-person hackathon that gathers coders for a few days, SAS Hackathon participants collaborated online for a month, enhancing their data science skills under the guidance of a SAS mentor through a variety of industry tracks. Each team had access to a learning portal and the ability to try SAS techniques such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, data visualization and IoT on SAS Viya, powered by Microsoft Azure. Participants were encouraged to network while solving real-world issues that affected their communities. "There's a stereotype that hackathons are just a bunch of coders hunched over computers tackling fluff challenges for the sake of it and it isn't true," said Einar Halvorsen, Global Hackathon Lead at SAS. "The end goal of the SAS Hackathon is to bring together sharp minds from many backgrounds to create a commercially viable solution for real-world problems. It's a learning experience, an incubator and a trial for taking world-changing ideas to market." 2022 SAS Hackathon Winners by category Global Industries Banking: Green Swedbank ( Sweden ): Record-breaking rain and flooding spurred by climate change battered Sweden last year. Team members from Swedbank and KPMG created a dashboard in SAS Visual Analytics to assess flood risk to properties and price potential losses for 100-, 200- and 1,000- year flooding scenarios. Green Swedbank ( ): Record-breaking rain and flooding spurred by climate change battered last year. Team members from Swedbank and KPMG created a dashboard in SAS Visual Analytics to assess flood risk to properties and price potential losses for 100-, 200- and 1,000- year flooding scenarios. Energy: Innova Data Hub ( Spain ): As the European city with the most deaths linked to traffic emissions, Madrid wants to prioritize green transportation. To improve BiciMAD, Madrid's bike service, Innova Data Hub from Innova-tsn compiled datasets on bike usage, then used predictive modeling to design an optimization solution that can be implemented in less than six minutes and reduce impossibilities by more than 90 percent. Innova Data Hub ( ): As the European city with the most deaths linked to traffic emissions, wants to prioritize green transportation. To improve BiciMAD, bike service, Innova Data Hub from Innova-tsn compiled datasets on bike usage, then used predictive modeling to design an optimization solution that can be implemented in less than six minutes and reduce impossibilities by more than 90 percent. Health and Life Science: The Chart Chasers! (U.S.): While value-based care ties doctors' paychecks to the efficiency of their care, doctors can be underpaid when mistakes are made in the medical coding process. Team members from InformedHC and Pinnacle Solutions built an automated system to uncover lost revenue for medical providers due to mistakes in the use of the International Classification of Diseases codes. The Chart Chasers! (U.S.): While value-based care ties doctors' paychecks to the efficiency of their care, doctors can be underpaid when mistakes are made in the medical coding process. Team members from InformedHC and Pinnacle Solutions built an automated system to uncover lost revenue for medical providers due to mistakes in the use of the International Classification of Diseases codes. Insurance: LiveEO #2 ( Germany /Mixed): Dennis Schmargon, head of business development at LiveEO, used SAS analytics, LiveEO and open-source public and commercial satellite data to create a model that monitors and predicts flooding events, empowering insurers to make informed decisions about risk potential. LiveEO #2 ( /Mixed): Dennis Schmargon, head of business development at LiveEO, used SAS analytics, LiveEO and open-source public and commercial satellite data to create a model that monitors and predicts flooding events, empowering insurers to make informed decisions about risk potential. Public Sector: Jakstat ( Indonesia ): Team Jakstat from StarCore applied SAS and Python to map and optimize the disbursement of COVID financial aid for the micro-, small and medium-sized businesses that make up 97 percent of Jakarta's economy. Jakstat ( ): Team Jakstat from StarCore applied SAS and Python to map and optimize the disbursement of COVID financial aid for the micro-, small and medium-sized businesses that make up 97 percent of economy. Telecom & Media: Funka ( Sweden ) To improve the accessibility of web forms for people with and without disabilities, team members from company Funka Nu AB used computer vision, optical character recognition, machine learning, and test automation to create a solution for website owners to evaluate the accessibility of their forms and apply solutions to any indicated problems by inputting their site's URL. Funka ( ) To improve the accessibility of web forms for people with and without disabilities, team members from company Funka Nu AB used computer vision, optical character recognition, machine learning, and test automation to create a solution for website owners to evaluate the accessibility of their forms and apply solutions to any indicated problems by inputting their site's URL. Retail: TrendsPro (U.S.): Team TrendsPro from Maypro Group LLC used search engine trend analysis to forecast consumer demand for products to optimize ad campaigns. Their solution allows business owners to allocate inventory, discover the most appropriate advertising channels, and decide how many and what kind of ads to deploy. TrendsPro (U.S.): Team TrendsPro from Maypro Group LLC used search engine trend analysis to forecast consumer demand for products to optimize ad campaigns. Their solution allows business owners to allocate inventory, discover the most appropriate advertising channels, and decide how many and what kind of ads to deploy. Mixed/Manufacturing: Notilyze ( Netherlands ): Notilyze created an insight tool for a food manufacturer that monitors processing and quality control. This allows the food manufacturer to optimize the manufacturing process for maximum profit while reducing energy consumption and food waste. Technologies IoT: Oges ( Singapore / India ): Accurate reservoir modeling is crucial for oil and gas companies to drill effectively, protect personnel and prevent oil spills. Team members from Oges Solutions incorporated SAS Visual Data Mining and Machine Learning and Python Libraries to create a hyper-accurate AI-based oil reservoir model, ready to be incorporated by any oil and gas company. Oges ( / ): Accurate reservoir modeling is crucial for oil and gas companies to drill effectively, protect personnel and prevent oil spills. Team members from Oges Solutions incorporated SAS Visual Data Mining and Machine Learning and Python Libraries to create a hyper-accurate AI-based oil reservoir model, ready to be incorporated by any oil and gas company. Machine Learning: The Positive Thinking Company ( Germany / Belgium ): As climate change intensifies, farmers most vulnerable to its impacts can benefit from protective, inexpensive microinsurance. Using SAS Viya and machine learning technology, The Positive Thinking Company analyzed climate risk in various states in India , then built a tool for at-risk farmers to explore how climate change can affect their livelihoods and how microinsurance can help. The Positive Thinking Company ( / ): As climate change intensifies, farmers most vulnerable to its impacts can benefit from protective, inexpensive microinsurance. Using SAS Viya and machine learning technology, The Positive Thinking Company analyzed climate risk in various states in , then built a tool for at-risk farmers to explore how climate change can affect their livelihoods and how microinsurance can help. Computer Vision : Funka [See above.] Funka [See above.] Decisioning: Linktera4Insurance ( Turkiye ): Digitalizing the customer journey in insurance would reduce paper usage and automate workflow and decision making for faster and easier underwriting and claims management. Linktera4Insurance from Link Tera Bilgi Teknolojileri employed SAS Viya on Azure to render complex insurance data into easily navigable dashboards and graphs, and used Neula Low Code Platform to automate workflow. Linktera4Insurance ( ): Digitalizing the customer journey in insurance would reduce paper usage and automate workflow and decision making for faster and easier underwriting and claims management. Linktera4Insurance from Link Tera Bilgi Teknolojileri employed SAS Viya on Azure to render complex insurance data into easily navigable dashboards and graphs, and used Neula Low Code Platform to automate workflow. Visual Analytics: Disaster Response AI ( Canada ): Globally, natural disasters cause more than 15,000 deaths and cost $173 billion per year. On SAS Viya, Team Disaster Response AI from Deloitte built an interactive map visualization rich with disaster insights and predictions to advise the Canadian government on how best to allocate relief funds. Disaster Response AI ( ): Globally, natural disasters cause more than 15,000 deaths and cost per year. On SAS Viya, Team Disaster Response AI from Deloitte built an interactive map visualization rich with disaster insights and predictions to advise the Canadian government on how best to allocate relief funds. Forecasting: Team 4-kasting ( Norway ): To keep its ranking as the fastest mobile network in the world, Telenor Norway requires enough network capacity to stay speedy without tipping into expensive and unsustainable overcapacity. Team 4-kasting deployed machine learning/visual forecasting to create a system that forecasts expected usage at any given site, potentially saving the telecommunications company millions. Team 4-kasting ( ): To keep its ranking as the fastest mobile network in the world, Telenor Norway requires enough network capacity to stay speedy without tipping into expensive and unsustainable overcapacity. Team 4-kasting deployed machine learning/visual forecasting to create a system that forecasts expected usage at any given site, potentially saving the telecommunications company millions. Natural Language Processing: The Chart Chasers! [See above.] Regions Asia : Jakstat Jakstat EMEA: Funka Funka Americas: The Chart Chasers! SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure key to scalability around the globe Microsoft the hackathon's sponsor and SAS offer integrated technology that fueled innovation among the international cohort at SAS Hackathon. SAS Hackathon participants implemented SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure's cloud-native, integrated technology to build insight tools, automated systems and models and more. Analytics and AI answer real-world problems at SAS Hackathon "Whether it's ensuring doctors are paid for the quality of their care, optimizing sustainable transportation, or rendering hyper-accurate AI models for the world's largest companies, our 2022 Hackathon winners applied SAS, Microsoft and open-source technologies in ways that inspired our judges," said Peter Lundqvist, Global Hackathon Program Manager. "Competition is fun, but collaboration and curiosity are what truly power the SAS Hackathon." For more information on the winners and what sets the SAS Hackathon apart, please visit sas.com/sas/events/hackathon.html and follow #SAShackathon on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. About SAS SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright 2022 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial Contact: Julia Norton [email protected] 919-741-7474 sas.com/news SOURCE SAS Deutsche Aircraft and Sasol ecoFT sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance Power-to-Liquid as a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (PtL-SAF / H2-SAF(PTL)) Both partners recognize the urgency of climate mitigation Existing Fischer-Tropsch fuels will be used to expedite technology development and production ramp-up, with the ultimate goal to enable a carbon-neutral fuel for the D328eco MUNICH and JOHANNESBURG, 22 June 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- German aircraft manufacturer Deutsche Aircraft and South African chemicals and energy company Sasol have signed a MoU on advancing technology for green hydrogen-based PtL-SAF in aviation. Sasol ecoFT and Deutsche Aircraft have both recognised the urgency in transitioning towards climate neutral aviation. The two companies thus plan to foster the certification of sustainable drop-in and non-drop-in jet fuels, more particularly the ramp-up of PtL-SAF for aviation. With its D328eco program, Deutsche Aircraft is working on an aircraft in the under 50-seat market, that will achieve near carbon neutrality. The aircraft, which is scheduled to be certified in 2026, will be able to use 100% H2-SAF (PtL) on top of any other certified sustainable aviation fuel and regular kerosene. Sasol ecoFT is an ideal partner for that task as the South African company is the world leader in FT (Fischer-Tropsch) technology. Sasol ecoFT leverages Sasol's extensive FT experience, proprietary technology, and catalysts to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals via Power-to-X processes. From a fossil heritage to a sustainable future "Sasol ecoFT and Deutsche Aircraft stand at the beginning of a decarbonisation journey. We both have products originally designed in the age of fossil fuels. Together we can develop rapid solutions to combat climate change by improving our products while building on our heritage and expertise," comments Dave Jackson, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft. PtL-SAF is a scalable, and thus long-term solution to minimise the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) footprint of aviation. The process uses for example CO 2 recycled from regular air, and hydrogen, produced with green energy, to form a synthetic fuel. Fuels manufactured like this still have the similar characteristics as regular kerosene: high energy density at low volume, proven safety, and distribution by established infrastructure. Furthermore, these fuels contain less aromatics and sulphur, thus improve local air quality and reduce the high-altitude impact of aviation. Deutsche Aircraft and Sasol will not only work on technology and production aspects of H2-SAF (PtL), but also aim at a certification for this type of fuel to be used as drop-in or non-drop-in jet fuel. From Coal-to-Liquid to PtL-SAF PtL-SAF is chemically similar to Coal-to-Liquid (CtL), in which Sasol has deep global experience at deploying at industrial scale. As a first step of their partnership Sasol ecoFT and Deutsche Aircraft will explore the compatibility of materials and system components with blended synthetic fuels produced through Sasol's FT technology currently applied in its existing CtL process. The priority of this aspect of the project is to expedite the certification of more sustainable PtL-SAF options. "We are extremely excited about the partnership with Deutsche Aircraft as we take a holistic approach to climate-neutral aviation by looking at the whole value chain from fuel production up to aircraft system level. Joining forces between aircraft manufacturers and fuel producers is vital, if we want to ensure that aviation becomes sustainable, while ensuring the highest possible safety standards," concluded Helge Sachs, Senior Vice President, of Sasol ecoFT. Note to Editors If you have any further questions about the topic or require additional information. We are happy to help, or to set up an interview with high level representatives from Deutsche Aircraft and Sasol. Contact for press: [email protected] About Deutsche Aircraft Founded on the proud heritage of Dornier and Germany's reputation for engineering design, quality and innovation, Deutsche Aircraft is the new purpose-driven German OEM. As Dornier 328 type certificate holder, Deutsche Aircraft will enable future development of the Do328 platform, and exploit future technologies and capabilities to produce a more efficient, economic and environmentally friendly aircraft, and to drive the future of aviation towards climate-neutral flight. Together with the participation of the German Government, Deutsche Aircraft is leading the way in a new era of a cleaner, safer and more efficient aviation. About Sasol ecoFT Sasol ecoFT is a pioneer in sustainable fuels and chemicals through its proprietary FT (Fischer-Tropsch) technology that converts green hydrogen and sustainable carbon sources into sustainable products. As part of Sasol, a global leader in synthetic fuels and chemicals, we have more than 70 years' experience in providing sustainable FT solutions globally. We seek to contribute to a thriving planet, society, enterprise and innovate for a better world. For more information: Ezena Reyneke, Brand and Communications Lead: Sasol ecoFT Email: [email protected] Mobile: (+27) 82 776 0855 SOURCE Sasol ecoFT Bailey Enterprises Holding will offer small businesses expanded offerings. TAMPA , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles Bailey, owner of The Bailey Group , Tampa, has launched a new insurance company that will offer an expanded menu of insurance and HR services to small business owners nationwide. The new firm, Bailey Enterprises Holding, Inc. (BEH), is an insurance company licensed in Florida that will build on Bailey's well-earned reputation as the nation's leading provider of business owner's life insurance required for SBA Loans. "I'm proud of the work we've done up until now and the company that we've built," Bailey said. "Our technology changed the way commercial lenders issue SBA loans by making it easy for their borrowers to get the life insurance coverage they need and for lenders to have regular reports on their borrowers' coverage. Now, we will expand our offerings to be a more complete partner for both small businesses and the financial institutions that serve them." Bailey says the new company builds on the trust that The Bailey Group has earned from its national client base and will enable him to bring them additional resources and access to organizations that will allow them to grow and protect their businesses and retain their best talent. BEH will provide services through its own portfolio of companies, other companies it acquires and through strategic partnerships. Brier Grieves Insurance (BGI) will be the first agency to strategically partner with the new insurance company. BGI is a family-owned business that has been successfully operating for 30 years that provides all business Property & Casualty insurance offerings required for approval of a new SBA loan. The company offers General Liability, Business Property, Business Interruption, Hazard, and Workers Compensation insurance, all of which are now available through BEH. They are licensed in over forty states and serve clients on a national basis. In the near future, BEH will make available to small business owners a number of HR outsourcing and administrative services, including human resources, employee benefits, payroll, and workers' compensation administration. The company is currently in discussions with Best in Breed providers to become strategic partners. "The goal is to provide a one-stop shop for small to medium-sized enterprises and the financial institutions that serve them," Bailey said. "Dealing with multiple vendors to protect and operate their enterprises is not efficient. Finding a trusted partner can be difficult and time consuming. The industry already knows my company. Commercial lenders want to streamline their new loan origination process by referring their clients to a trusted partner for all of the coverage required to qualify for a new loan. We are now in a position to offer this to them." For more information about the new company or its products, email [email protected] andhttps://baileyenterprisesholding.com/ (Coming Soon). About The Bailey Group Charles Bailey has been a professional in the Financial Services industry since 1996. In 2003, Bailey saw a need for a new business model that would expedite the process of acquiring life insurance for business owners obtaining SBA loans. He created The Bailey Group as a company that leverages its relationships with banking leaders to offer life insurance with fast approvals, superior service, and competitive rates for business owners nationwide. He originally began his career with Mutual of New York, and subsequently moved his business in 2005 to his current broker-dealer which is now Equitable Advisors. Find out more at https://www.thebaileygp.com . SOURCE Bailey Enterprises Holding, Inc. (BEH) HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seadrill Limited ("Seadrill" or "the Company") (XOAS: SDRL) announces today that it has been awarded contract extensions for the AOD I, AOD III and West Callisto for work offshore in the Arabian Gulf. The firm term of each contract is three years with commencement in direct continuation of the current contracts. AOD I, AOD III and West Callisto are now committed to June 2025, December 2025 and November 2025, respectively. Total contract value for the three contracts is approximately $361m in aggregate. Simon Johnson, Seadrill Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to be extending these rigs in the Arabian Gulf, solidifying Seadrill's strong market share and further extending our impressive backlog. These contracts demonstrate the value customers place on Seadrill's operational performance and safety record. The extensions also reflect the commitment and energy of our crews onboard the AOD I, AOD III and West Callisto and the shorebase teams that support them." About Seadrill Seadrill is a leading offshore drilling contractor utilizing advanced technology to unlock oil and gas resources for clients across harsh and benign locations around the globe. Seadrill's high-quality, technologically-advanced fleet spans all asset classes allowing its experienced crews to conduct operations from shallow to ultra-deep-water environments. The Company owns and/or operates 30 rigs, which includes drillships, semi-submersibles, and jack-ups. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes forward-looking statements. Such statements are generally not historical in nature, and specifically include statements about the Company's plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in its business and the markets in which it operates. These statements are made based upon management's current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risks described from time to time in the Company's regulatory filings and periodical reporting. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of these factors. Further, the Company cannot assess the impact of each such factor on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward looking statement. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. CONTACT: Media questions should be directed to: Sara Dunne Director of Communications [email protected] + 1 281 630 7064 Analyst questions should be directed to: Hawthorn Advisors [email protected] +44 (0) 203 7454960 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com SOURCE Seadrill Limited Collaboration between Sequent and Invicta delivers a trailblazing HIPAA and Cures Act-compliant tech solution that maximizes data sharing value and minimizes risk for healthcare providers, patients, and payors SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequent Software has announced the launch of its newest platform, 3PSecure, in connection with its collaboration with Invicta Health Solutions, a US-based, privately-owned healthcare industry revenue cycle management provider known for its prowess in advancing new approaches and tech-forward solutions. Invicta's clientele includes small-to-large healthcare systems, hospitals, and other organizations, and its services encompass AI/ML technology, enrollment and eligibility, and claims management solutions. The new platform, branded as "3PSecure, powered by Invicta," leverages more than 12 years of specialized fintech experience and is expected to expand Invicta's capabilities in the healthcare space and Sequent's healthcare footprint. Powers privacy for Patients Providers Payors. Privacy Enabling Technology ensures 21st Century Cures Act & HIPAA compliance. De-identified data unleashes Electronic Health Records. Knowledge graph NLP & advanced analytics makes healthcare data accessible & meaningful, resulting in superior business & clinical intelligence for RCMs, HINs, HIEs, Data Aggregators, Pharma & Medical Devices. Clinicians achieve demonstrably better patient outcomes in prevention, treatment. www.3PSecure.com Invicta Health Solutions, a US-based, privately-owned organization, partners with healthcare organizations to provide meaningful revenue cycle management solutions for improved operational and financial performance--all while positively impacting patients' satisfaction. Invicta Health Solutions' approach combines advanced technology, proven workflows, and a dedicated team of healthcare professionals to consistently exceed customers' expectations. For more information, visit www.invictahs.com. According to Sequent's Chief Executive Officer, Joan Ziegler, "Sequent is delighted to partner with Invicta. Their executive team, led by Donny Zamora, knows how to leverage technology tools to ensure fast, flexible deployment just as we do. Invicta keeps providers, patients, and payors at the forefront of business and clinical intelligence, and the deployment of our 3PSecure platform integration will bring even more superior AI/ML analytics to the table so Invicta's healthcare clients can achieve objectives rapidly, securely, and always HIPAA and Cures Act compliant." Sequent and Invicta leadership believe that 3PSecure is the "right solution, right now" as 21st Century Cures Act compliance requires payors and providers to share information for actionable AI/ML workflows. "The 3PSecure platform delivers superior business intelligence to accelerate payments to providers coupled with extraordinary clinical intelligence for high impact patient outcomes in patient treatment and prevention," said Donny Zamora, Invicta's Chief Executive Officer. "More than just de-identifying EHRs, 3PSecure empowers Invicta (on behalf of its clientele) to re-identify enriched analytics at the granular patient level. Further, Sequent has provided its signature bank grade security configured to mask, redact, and tokenize any sensitive personal data wherever it is shared. The Sequent and Invicta brands are well aligned for this collaboration." Members of the media may contact Kate Roe at [email protected] or Jennifer Evans at (832) 693-9790 or [email protected] to secure interview access and additional information. About Sequent Sequent is a Silicon Valley based privacy-enabling technology company that secures personal data in digital transformation. Sequent technologies protect sensitive personal information for financial and healthcare data at rest or on the move. Sequent's comprehensive solutions enables graph advanced analytics and archival data access tools, so our customers extract superior AI/BI from TB and PB of data for demonstrably better patient outcomes in treatment and prevention in healthcare and more secure digital payments and marketing programs in financial services. For more information, visit www.3PSecure.com. About Invicta Health Solutions Invicta Health Solutions, a US-based, privately-owned organization, partners with healthcare organizations to provide meaningful revenue cycle management solutions for improved operational and financial performance--all while positively impacting patients' satisfaction. Invicta Health Solutions' approach combines advanced technology, proven workflows, and a dedicated team of healthcare professionals to consistently exceed customers' expectations. For more information, visit www.invictahs.com. SOURCE Sequent 3PSecure Turf Exchange recently installed more than 1,800 square feet of Synthetic Grass Warehouse's Sierra Pro Clear Permeable artificial turf in a home in Camarillo, CA. TigerTurf Sierra Pro Clear Permeable artificial grass features a dual coloring of field green and field apple green blade tones with brown thatch, and it has a pile height of 1.75 inches. With a 73-ounce face weight, it is ideal for moderate to heavy foot traffic. The innovative Omega fiber shape provides enhanced durability and a soft touch that is ideal for homes with kids, pets, or lots of entertaining. It's also manufactured with UV inhibitors for long-lasting color that won't fade with extended exposure to sunlight. All synthetic grass products from SGW are non-toxic, lead-free, and will drain at a rate of 30 inches of rain per hour per square yard. Turf Exchange was tasked with installing synthetic grass around 39 flagstone pavers in their client's Camarillo backyard in order to create an elegant and relaxing entertaining space. Having to work around the uniquely-shaped pavers posed a challenge for Turf Exchange, but the end result exceeded the client's expectations. With one dog and lots of entertaining, they needed a durable landscape solution that would impress. By combining durable yet verdant synthetic grass with hard-wearing pavers, Turf Exchange was able to give their client the backyard oasis of their dreams. Founded by industry executives with expertise in a wide range of related fields, Turf Exchange proudly delivers high-performance artificial grass installations to Southern California residents. Turf Exchange is committed to supporting the state of California both economically and environmentally, sourcing all of its products from California-based suppliers that manufacture in-state. In addition to synthetic grass, Turf Exchange also specializes in gravel installation. Turf Exchange is Synthetic Grass Warehouse's "Install of the Month" winner for June 2022. Turf Exchange: Turf Exchange proudly serves Southern California residents from Santa Barbara to the South Bay. Having been in business for over a decade, Turf Exchange proudly offers a complete range of low-maintenance, high-performance, alternative turf solutions for residential or commercial spaces. You can learn more about Turf Exchange and view its other installations by visiting www.turfexchange.com . They can also be found on Facebook (@ turfexchange ) and Instagram ( @turfexchange ). About Synthetic Grass Warehouse, Inc.: Synthetic Grass Warehouse is the exclusive national distributor for TigerTurf and Everlast brands of artificial grass products. Founded in 2004, Synthetic Grass Warehouse specializes in turf products designed for landscaping, pets, putting greens, and playgrounds. SGW provides same-day shipping on all turf orders. Learn more at https://www.syntheticgrasswarehouse.com . SOURCE Synthetic Grass Warehouse, Inc. NEW YORK , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner of the class action firm Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating: Blueknight Energy Partners, L.P. (BKEP) , relating to its proposed acquisition by an affiliate of Ergon, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, BKEP shareholders are expected to receive $4.65 in cash per Common Unit and $8.75 in cash per Preferred Unit they own. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/blueknight-energy-partners-lp . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. , relating to its proposed acquisition by an affiliate of Ergon, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, BKEP shareholders are expected to receive in cash per Common Unit and in cash per Preferred Unit they own. PS Business Parks, Inc. (PSB) , relating to its proposed acquisition by Blackstone Real Estate. Under the terms of the merger, PSB shareholders are expected to receive $187.50 in cash per share they own. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/ps-business-parks-inc . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. , relating to its proposed acquisition by Blackstone Real Estate. Under the terms of the merger, PSB shareholders are expected to receive in cash per share they own. ServiceSource International, Inc. (SREV) , relating to its proposed acquisition by Concentrix Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, SREV shareholders will receive $1.50 in cash per share they own. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/servicesource-international-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. , relating to its proposed acquisition by Concentrix Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, SREV shareholders will receive in cash per share they own. Natus Medical Inc. (NTUS) , relating to its proposed acquisition by ArchiMed. Under the terms of the agreement, NTUS shareholders are expected to receive $33.50 in cash per share they own. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/natus-medical-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. , relating to its proposed acquisition by ArchiMed. Under the terms of the agreement, NTUS shareholders are expected to receive in cash per share they own. SailPoint Technologies Holdings, Inc. (SAIL), relating to its proposed acquisition by Thoma Bravo . Under the terms of the agreement, SAIL shareholders will receive $65.25 in cash per share they own. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/sailpoint-technologies-holdings-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. About Monteverde & Associates PC We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2021 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2022 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC MLD Hospitality, led by restaurant industry veteran and former Orlando resident Michael Burns, will initially open five locations in Orange County, beginning with one at 5919 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando in Q4. It will be the fourth Shipley in the Sunshine State, with other locations currently open in Bradenton, Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Burns says he believes MLD and the Orlando market could sustain up to 50 Shipley locations in the future. Burns first learned about the brand when he moved to the Houston area from Orlando four years ago. His wife wanted to surprise his team at work with do-nuts, and when she asked the family's new neighbors where she should go for the best do-nuts in town, the answer was unanimous Shipley. "Of course, she also got some do-nuts for the kids, and they absolutely loved them our family still talks about the day we discovered Shipley," said Burns, who serves as vice president of operations for MLD Hospitality and is relocating back to Orlando this summer. "The do-nuts are so fresh like your mom just made them and served them to you still warm. Nothing on the market compares, and we think the people of Orlando, plus the many visitors to the area, will embrace Shipley Do-Nuts just as we did." Fast-growing Shipley, which first started selling hot, fresh do-nuts in Houston in 1936, has focused on Florida as a growth market. In addition to the planned Orlando locations, the company currently has a multi-unit development deal to open three Shipley Do-Nuts in the Tampa Bay area. In total, Shipley has agreements in place to open more than 350 new locations in Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado and Texas over the next five years. "Florida has been an area of focus for us, and we really got the ball rolling with this latest signing in Orlando," said Shipley Do-Nuts CEO Clifton Rutledge. "Shipley is gaining recognition among potential franchisees who are seeing highly qualified, multi-unit operators investing in our brand, and then when they try the product for themselves, they are hooked. It's simply the World's Greatest Do-Nut." Shipley is actively recruiting franchisees in all markets, with a focus on increasing its presence in Colorado, Oklahoma and the Southeast. For more information, visit ownashipleydonuts.com. ABOUT SHIPLEY DO-NUTS Founded in 1936, Houston-based Shipley Do-Nuts is a leading do-nut restaurant franchisor and manufacturer of specialty food products. Shipley franchises over 330 restaurants to a diverse group of operators across 10 states and has served its do-nuts, kolaches and beverages to generations of guests. Shipley is ranked No. 144 on Entrepreneur's 2022 Franchise 500 list, the highest in its category. For information on franchising, visit ownashipleydonuts.com. Contact: Ashley Lennington, SPM Communications [email protected] 214-379-7000 SOURCE Shipley Do-Nuts DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "South African Juice Industry Landscape Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Within the local and global juice markets, consumers are increasingly prioritising mindful consumption, in terms of both personal health, as well as the environment. However, this does not mean that consumers are willing to compromise on taste or flavours. As a result, market players are increasingly refreshing the Juice market, with various innovations that offer consumers healthy and sustainable options, while providing the same quality of taste. This includes offering brand new product ranges, as well as adapting existing production processes to better meet this demand within the industry. In terms of the South African market, the local Juice market achieved growth of 3.4% year-on-year, in current prices, between 2020 and 2021. This growth is partially due to the increase in mindful consumption within the Juice market, in terms of both personal health and the environment, which has accelerated innovation in the industry. The report provides a dynamic synthesis of industry research, examining the local and global Juice industry (including the impact of COVID-19) from a uniquely holistic perspective, with detailed insights into the entire value chain - market size, industry trends, innovation and technology, industry drivers and challenges, manufacturer/distributor overview, and pricing analysis. The South African Juice Industry Landscape Report 2022 provides a holistic overview of the global and South African market and will help answer the following questions: For the Global Juice Industry Section: What are the current market dynamics of the Global Juice industry? What are the key markets within the Global Juice industry? What are the Global Juice industry trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges? For the South African Juice Industry Section: What are the current market dynamics (market size, market value, market volumes, imports and exports trade): 2016-2021 Actual, 2022-2026 Forecasts (including the impact of COVID-19), and distribution channels? What are the South African Juice industry trends, innovation and technology, drivers and challenges? For the South African Juice Manufacturer & Distributor Section: Which are the key manufacturing and distributor players in the South African Juice industry? For each key player, what is the latest company news in terms of products, services, new launches, and marketing initiatives? Which popular Juice brands and products do the respective companies manufacture/distribute? For the South African Juice Retail and Pricing Analysis Section: Which are the key retail players (supermarkets and independent retailers) in the South African Juice industry? What are the prices of popular Juice brands across South African retail outlets? Categories/Products Coverage The Juice market is segmented into 100% Juice (including Not from Concentrate 100% Juice, Reconstituted 100% Juice), Juice Drinks (up to 24% Juice), Nectars, as well as Coconut and Other Plant Waters. Key Topics Covered: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Global Industry Snapshot South African Industry Snapshot South African Industry Drivers and Challenges 1. GLOBAL JUICE INDUSTRY 1.1 Global Industry Overview 1.2 Global Industry Market Environment 1.3 Global Industry Production 1.4 Global Industry Imports 1.5 Global Industry Exports 1.6 Global Key Markets: Regional Overview 1.7 Global Industry Trends 1.8 Global Industry Innovation and Technology 1.9 Global Industry Drivers 1.10 Global Industry Challenges 2. SOUTH AFRICAN JUICE INDUSTRY 2.1 South African Industry Overview 2.2 South African Industry Overview: South African Fruit Juice Association 2.3 South African Market Distribution: Apple Market (2015 - 2020) 2.4 South African Market Distribution: Pear Market (2015 - 2020) 2.5 South African Market Distribution: Orange Market (2015 - 2021) 2.6 South African Industry Trade 2.7 South African Industry Market: South African Juice Market Definitions 2.8 South African Industry Market: South African Juice Distribution Channel Definitions 2.9 South African Industry Market Size: Juice Market (2016-2021) 2.10 South African Industry Market Size: Juice Market (2016-2021: By Category) 2.11 South African Industry Market Size: 100% Juice Market (2016-2021: By Category) 2.12 South African Industry Market Size: Juice Market (Forecast: 2022-2026) 2.13 South African Industry Market Size: Juice Market Volumes (2016-2026) 2.14 South African Industry Market Distribution: Juice Market: Channel distribution for Juice Products 2.15 South African Industry Trends 2.16 South African Industry Innovation and Technology 2.17 South African Industry Drivers 2.18 South African Industry Challenges 3. SOUTH AFRICAN JUICE MANUFACTURER & DISTRIBUTOR OVERVIEW 3.1 Clover SA: Overview 3.2 Clover SA: Juice Brands/Products 3.3 Coca-Cola Company: Overview 3.4 Coca-Cola Company: Juice Brands/Products 3.5 Darling Romery: Overview 3.6 Darling Romery: Juice Brands/Products 3.7 Dewfresh: Overview and Juice Brands/Products 3.8 Dynamic Brands: Overview 3.9 Dynamic Brands: Juice Brands/Products 3.10 Fair Cape Dairies: Overview 3.11 Fair Cape Dairies: Juice Brands/Products 3.12 Henties Juices Cape CC: Overview 3.13 Henties Juices Cape CC: Juice Brands/Products 3.14 Jumbo Brands: Overview and Juice Brands/Products 3.15 Lactalis South Africa: Overview 3.16 Lactalis South Africa: Juice Brands/Products 3.17 Pioneer Foods: Overview 3.18 Pioneer Foods: Juice Brands/Products 3.19 RFG Holdings: Overview 3.20 RFG Holdings: Juice Brands/Products 3.21 Sir Fruit: Overview 3.22 Sir Fruit: Juice Brands/Products 3.23 Tiger Brands: Overview 3.24 Tiger Brands: Juice Brands/Products 3.25 South African Juice Manufacturers and Distributors: Other 4. SOUTH AFRICAN JUICE RETAIL & PRICING ANALYSIS 4.1 South African Juice Supermarket Overview 4.2 South African Juice Independent Retailers 4.3 South African Juice Pricing Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/msjq75 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'South Korea Used Car Market Outlook to 2026: Relaxed Government Regulations on Big Companies Entering Used Car Market to Facilitate Increase in the Used Cars Sales and Improve the Organized Market Share' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Market is expected to increase at a five year CAGR of 1.0% (by sales volume in units) from 2021P to 2026F South Korea Used Car Market Outlook to 2026 provides a comprehensive analysis of the used car market trends and performance in South Korea. The used car industry in South Korea is expected to demonstrate a decent growth in the future. It is expected that the share of the organized segment in the used cars space will increase over time as more brands are planning to enter the OEM pre-owned certified space. Certain foreign established C2B players are too considering South Korea Used Car market a growing and profitable venture. Moreover, people in South Korea are realizing the advantages of buying a pre-owned cars through authorized outlets as there has been a shift in the general consumer preferences. South Korea Used Car Market Overview and Size: South Korea Used Car market increased at a CAGR of 0.8% (by sales volume in units) during 2015-2021P. The market has reached its maturity phase. A combination of restrictions on public transport and a movement towards private travel have accelerated the sale of used cars. Moreover, the availability of various financing facilities offered through banks and NBFIs, high internet penetration and increased government spending have been instrumental factors in facilitating the growth of the South Korean used car market. Snapshot on Online Used Car Landscape The number of online used car portals and marketplaces have risen significantly along with rising internet penetration in South Korea over the last few years. Major dealers such as K-Cars, Aj SellCar, Autoplus and others are using online platforms to increase their sales. Hence, there was an inevitable expansion in the lead generation of used cars via the online means. Social networking sites including Facebook and Instagram play a key role in expanding the used cars market in South Korea. Emergence of online auto-portals and classified platforms such as Encar and Kb Cha Cha Cha have provided increased visibility and credibility to the customer-to-customer transactions in the unorganized segment. South Korea had one of the fastest internet networks around the world. The internet infrastructure has been a high priority in numerous governmental regulations that led to its rapid and thorough expansion, contributing positively to the growth of the industry. Competitive Landscape of South Korea Used Car Market Various authorized dealerships, multi-brand outlets & independent (standalone as well as clustered dealers) operating in the industry have led to increased competition in the used car market. Most multi-brand dealers are providing value added services including easy financing options, handling the paperwork and warranty, to expand their market share and to compete with authorized dealers. South Korea Used Car Market Segmentations By Market Structure (Organized, and Unorganized): The organized segment dominates the South Korean used car market covering about 90% of the overall market space. The removal of restrictions on big finished car makers' entry into the local used car market in 2019 and the formal entry of these players in 2022 will further contribute to increasing the organized used car market. By Organized Market Source of Lead generation (Online, Dealership walk-ins): The lead generation for used cars is South Korea has primarily taken place via the online platforms. The Authorized Dealers showcase the available used cars for sale mainly through their own websites. While, several multi-brand dealers prefer listing their inventory on the classified platforms as well. For buying and selling used cars in South Korea , social networking sites like Kakaotalk, Facebook, and Instagram are gaining traction. has primarily taken place via the online platforms. The Authorized Dealers showcase the available used cars for sale mainly through their own websites. While, several multi-brand dealers prefer listing their inventory on the classified platforms as well. For buying and selling used cars in , social networking sites like Kakaotalk, Facebook, and Instagram are gaining traction. By Sales Channel (B2C and C2C): B2C sales in South Korea mainly occur through dealership walk-in and inventory listed on online classified platforms or through dealers' websites and Instagram pages, while C2C sales are mostly generated based on Online Classifieds & Offline References from friends & family. Social Media platforms like Kakaotalk and Facebook, are used extensively for C2C promotions and advertisements in order to reach a large set of potential customers quickly and free of cost. mainly occur through dealership walk-in and inventory listed on online classified platforms or through dealers' websites and Instagram pages, while C2C sales are mostly generated based on Online Classifieds & Offline References from friends & family. Social Media platforms like Kakaotalk and Facebook, are used extensively for C2C promotions and advertisements in order to reach a large set of potential customers quickly and free of cost. By Type of Car: SUVs and Luxury Sedans are quite popular in South Korea . SUVs, Sedans and Luxury Sedans account for more than 70% of the market share. . SUVs, Sedans and Luxury Sedans account for more than 70% of the market share. By Brand: Hyundai is the market leader in South Korea accounting for the major share of used cars sold by volume. Korean made brands such as Hyundai, Kia Motors and Ssangyong Motor, are some of the most preferred car brands due to strong brand preference, reliability and longer life span of the pre-owned car. Amongst the continental cars, BMW and Mercedes Benz are the most preferred. accounting for the major share of used cars sold by volume. Korean made brands such as Hyundai, Kia Motors and Ssangyong Motor, are some of the most preferred car brands due to strong brand preference, reliability and longer life span of the pre-owned car. Amongst the continental cars, BMW and are the most preferred. By Region: Most of the used cars market is concentrated in the Gyenonggi and Seoul region in South Korea . region in . By Age: Generally, any new car in South Korea is owned for 3 - 4 years before being sold to another owner. Therefore, the average age of used cars in the country also lies within the same bracket. is owned for 3 - 4 years before being sold to another owner. Therefore, the average age of used cars in the country also lies within the same bracket. By Kilometers Driven: Cars with a mileage of 60,000-80,000 kilometers dominated the used cars market in South Korea in the year 2021P. in the year 2021P. By Fuel: Petrol and diesel run cars dominate the used car market in South Korea . Electric and hybrid cars accounted for about 10% in 2021P. Key Topics Covered in the Report South Korea Used Car Market Overview South Korea Used Car Market Size, 2015-2021P South Korea Used Car Market Segmentation, 2021P Growth Drivers in South Korea Used Car Market Used Car Market Issues and Challenges in South Korea Used Car Market Used Car Market Government Regulations Ecosystem and Value Chain of Used Car Industry in South Korea Customers Purchase Decision Making Parameters Cross Comparison between Major Authorized Dealers and Multi-brand Dealers Snapshot on Online used car market Future Market Size and Segmentations, 2021P - 2026F Covid-19 Impact on the Industry & the way forward Analysts' Recommendations Competitive Landscape By Brand Hyundai Kia GM Korea Renault Samsung Ssangyong Benz BMW Genesis Audi Volkswagen Others (Includes both domestic and international brands) Authorized Dealers Benz Hansung BMW Deutsch Motor BMW Bavarian Motors KCC Auto C2B/C2B2C/B2C K-Cars Aj SellCar Autohands Hey Dealer U-Car Autoplus Online Portals - Online Auto Classified Platforms Encar Kb Cha Cha Cha Auction Players Hyundai Glovis Lotte Rental - Auction Aj SellCar Auction K Car Auction Key Segments Covered By Market Structure Organized Unorganized By Organized Channel Source of Lead generation Online Dealership walk-ins By Sales Channel B2C C2C By Type of Car Luxury Sedan Sedan Hatchback SUV MPV Others (Sports car, Station wagon) By Engine Size 2000 CC and Below 2000 CC - 3000 CC 3000 CC - 4000 CC 4000 CC and Above By Region Gyeonggi Seoul Gyeongnam Gyeongbuk Incheon Busan Chungnam Dae-Gu Jeonnam Jeonbuk Chungbuk Gangwon Gwangju Daejeon Ulsan Jeju Sejong By Age 0-2 Years 2-4 Years 4-6 Years 6-8 Years 8-10 Years More than 10 Years By Mileage Less than 20,000 20,000 - 40,000 Km 40,000 - 60,00 Km 60,000 - 80,000 Km 80,000 - 100,000 Km Over 100,00 Km By Fuel Petrol Diesel Electric Others (Petro-Electric, Diesel-Electric, etc.) By Transmission Type Auto Manual Others (Semi-Auto, CVT) Time Period Captured in the Report Historical Period - 2015-2021P Forecast Period - 2021P - 2026F For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/70cy2p Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on "Global Sparkling Water Market (Products (Natural/Mineral Sparkling Water, Caffeinated Sparkling Water), End-users (Hypermarket & Supermarket, Online, and Other End-Users)) By Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast Till 2030" According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global sparkling water market size valued at US$ 29.3 billion in 2021 and it is expected to reach US$ 67.6 billion in 2030, recording a promising CAGR of 10.0% during the period of 2022-2030. Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1277 Sparkling water is a naturally carbonated refreshing drink; sparkling water is the best alternative to alcoholic and carbonated beverages. In addition, this water has many health benefits. It helps to improve the digestive system and reduces the risk of heart health issues. The growing demand for sparkling water over sodas and other sweetened fizzy beverages is anticipated to propel the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, factors such as increasing health-conscious people, changing lifestyles, and high preference for safe and healthy products are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for this market. However, the little high cost of sparkling water compared to other types of water and lack of consumer awareness may limit the growth of the sparkling water market. Geographically, the North American region is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period due to the increasing preference for healthy products and easy product availability. Similarly, Europe and Asia Pacific regions also accounted for a significant share in 2020 due to the rising demand for sparkling water. Prominent key players are developing new products according to the requirement of health-conscious consumers to promote their products in the global market, which is likely to drive the sparkling water market growth. For instance, in February 2021, PepsiCo, Inc. introduced five new caffeinated sparkling water flavours: mango passion fruit, blood orange grapefruit, triple berry, blueberry pomegranate, and citrus cherry flavours, under its bubly brand. These launches are increasing product visibility in the market. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1277 Some of the key players in the sparkling water market are Nestle, PepsiCo Inc., Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, SANPELLEGRINO S.P.A., Danone S.A., Clear Cut Phocus, National Beverage Corp., Caribou Coffee Operating Company, Inc., GEROLSTEINER, BRUNNEN GmbH & Co. K.G., Evian, Mountain Valley Spring Company, L.L.C., Tempo Beverage Ltd, Reignwood Group, COTT Corporation, Crystal Geyser Water Company, A. G. BARR p.l.c. Icelandic Water Holdings ehf, CG Roxane, L.L.C., Vichy Catalan Corporation, and Other Prominent Players. Leading manufacturers of this market focus on strategic acquisitions, partnerships, expansions, mergers, and collaborations. In Jan 2022 , Evian debuted its first-ever sparkling water in both can and bottle versions. Hitting shelves in numerous markets. This new product includes the right degree of sparkles with its superb mineral quality and small bubbles providing a mild flavour and moderate intensity. Evian debuted its first-ever sparkling water in both can and bottle versions. Hitting shelves in numerous markets. This new product includes the right degree of sparkles with its superb mineral quality and small bubbles providing a mild flavour and moderate intensity. In May 2021 , Nestle Waters acquired Sparkling Spring Mineral Water Co., a leading distributor of home and office products. Nestle Waters strengthens its leadership position in the North America market, and this acquisition offers Nestle significant opportunities. Nestle Waters acquired Sparkling Spring Mineral Water Co., a leading distributor of home and office products. Nestle Waters strengthens its leadership position in the market, and this acquisition offers Nestle significant opportunities. In January 2020 , Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. acquired Limitless, a U.S.-based caffeinated sparkling water company. This acquisition has widened Keurig Dr Pepper's water portfolio, and the company entered the caffeinated sparkling water market through this acquisition. Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. acquired Limitless, a U.S.-based caffeinated sparkling water company. This acquisition has widened Keurig Dr Pepper's water portfolio, and the company entered the caffeinated sparkling water market through this acquisition. In May 2019 , National Beverage Corp. launched a new flavour, Hi-Biscus!, under its LaCroix brand. This new sparkling beverage has no carbohydrates, sweeteners, or sodium and has a unique taste of the hibiscus flower. Market Segments Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2022 to 2030 based on Products Natural/Mineral Sparkling Water Flavored Unflavored Caffeinated Sparkling Water Flavored Unflavored Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2022 to 2030 based on End-Users Hypermarket & Supermarket Online Other End-Users Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2022 to 2030 based on Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa North America sparkling water market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2022 to 2030 U.S. Canada Europe sparkling water market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2022 to 2030 Germany France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific sparkling water market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2022 to 2030 India China Japan South Korea Australia & New Zealand Latin America sparkling water market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2022 to 2030 Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa sparkling water market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2022 to 2030 GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa For Customized Information @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1277 Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic: Global Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Global Low & No Alcohol Beverages Market Global Functional Beverages Market Global Kombucha Market Global Organic Wine Market Why should buy this report: To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for global sparkling water market To receive industry overview and future trends of sparkling water market To analyse the sparkling water market drivers and challenges To get information on sparkling water market size value (US$ Mn) forecast till 2030 Major Investments, Mergers & Acquisition in sparkling water market industry About Us: InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner. Contact US: InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Tel.: +1 718 593 4405 Email: [email protected] Site Visit: www.insightaceanalytic.com Follow Us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/2tBXsgS Follow Us On Facebook @ bit.ly/2H9jnDZ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1729637/InsightAce_Analytic_Logo.jpg SOURCE InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Labor Disputes Continue to Grow at US Foods; Local 171 and Local 773 Members Prepare to Walk Off the Job WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Work stoppages at US Foods [NYSE: USFD] are looming, the Teamsters Union announced today. More than 200 members of Teamsters Local 171 in Salem, Va., and Teamsters Local 773 in Allentown, Pa., are currently in contentious contract negotiations with the company and are prepared to take action if a deal isn't reached during the next round of collective bargaining. There are at least 22 US Foods locations where the Teamsters have the right to honor picket lines in the event of a strike in Pennsylvania and Virginia. "We've been negotiating for a year and a half. The company told us we were 'essential' during the pandemic. Now they are dragging their feet and violating the law instead of treating us fairly. We are prepared to take action and ready to go out on a work stoppage to win the wages, benefits, and working conditions we deserve," said Chris Nothstein, a 25-year Teamster driver at US Foods. Nothstein and his co-workers in Allentown have been fighting for a contract since voting to join Local 773 in January 2021. There are 104 drivers in the bargaining unit. "We have bargained extensively with the company, but little progress has been made. We are far from where we need to be, and our members are tired of the company's stall tactics. US Foods is dragging its feet, and Teamsters Local 773 is fed up. If things don't change drastically during this next round of negotiations, we will be taking serious action," said Brian Taylor, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 773. Workers in Allentown aren't the only US Foods workers who are ready to act against the company's anti-union behavior. Approximately 120 drivers in Salem, Va., voted to join Local 171 in July 2021. Since then, the company has committed numerous violations of federal labor law, including illegally terminating drivers, retaliating against drivers who support the union, and bargaining in bad faith. "The Teamsters are gearing up for a fight at US Foods. Our members have been patient long enough. They are ready to show this company that the workers have the power," said Todd Robertson, President of Local 171. The company has violated federal labor laws in locations nationwide and is currently being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board for several allegations of unfair labor practices. These include illegal terminations, unilaterally changing working conditions, and bargaining in bad faith with union representatives. "Our members are ready to fight. If US Foods fails to negotiate a fair contract in good faith, these essential workers will take to the streets and they will have the backing of 1.2 million Teamsters behind them," said Tom Erickson, International Vice President and Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. US Foods is the third largest broadline foodservice distributor in the U.S. with more than 400,000 products and approximately 300,000 customers, servicing restaurants, hospitals, and schools via more than 70 distribution facilities. The Teamsters represent more than 4,800 members at US Foods. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit http://www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter at @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Currently, the global supply chain system is facing numerous challenges in terms of operation, including reversals in globalization, regional development, imbalance of resource allocation, increasing monopolization, trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed several problems with the global supply chains of some sectors, among them excessive length and complexity as well as the lack of reliability and stability. Opportunities coexist with challenges. With the inconsistency in U.S.-China macroeconomic policies, companies can bet on both markets to offset risks while addressing the huge needs of the productive service industry by adopting digital, eco-friendly and innovative technologies globally. At the same time, the Chinese government has attached more importance to trade balance by launching a "dual circulation" strategy that can be leveraged to bring more opportunities to multinational firms. Zhao Bingdi, vice president of Panasonic China Northeast Asia, said that Panasonic has continued investing in China partly as a result of the country's comprehensive, high-quality supply chain system, which also serves as a key advantage in the domestic business environment. Liu Lijia, vice president at Lafarge, a global cement maker, said that when choosing an investment destination, continuity and adaptability of local policies are the top concern for the company, followed by protection of intellectual property rights. Ding Lei, chairman of Chinese autonomous driving technology developer Human Horizons, expressed the opinion that the three most important elements of an attractive business environment are the local government's embrace of international practices, consistency in local industrial policies and the certainty of those policies. He also stressed that the business environment in many parts of China still needs to be further improved to become more structured and science-based. A good business environment is a major factor in helping companies speed up the resumption of work and production while addressing the challenges brought about by the pandemic. SOURCE Information Office of the People's Government of Shandong Province Over 95 years of smart solutions and premium experiences at the kitchen water hub OBERDERDINGEN, Germany and LUMBERTON, N.J. and TORONTO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BLANCO, the premium kitchen solutions brand backed by industry-leading German engineering, globally concluded a successful 2021 financial year with an 18.5 percent increase in sales to 483 million compared to the previous year, achieving its highest sales ever. CEO Frank Gfrorer comments on the achievement: "Particularly in this difficult market environment, it is clear that our consistent focus on a premium brand experience at the kitchen water place has won over both our trade partners and our end consumers." COVID-19 and the associated restrictions on everyday life also shaped the 2021 financial year. Against this backdrop, many consumers' desire for a significantly better quality of life in their homes has continued to increase and has reinforced the nesting trend. With that in mind, BLANCO focused on upgrading the kitchen water place: "People spend around 60 percent of their time in the kitchen doing activities at the water place, such as drinking, preparing food and cleaning, to name just the most important ones. We want our high-quality system solutions, the BLANCO UNITs, to make this time one of outstanding convenience, practicality and enjoyment," says Gfrorer. Trade Partners Benefit from Focus on End Customers and Digitalization BLANCO has always relied on a strong collaboration with its trade partners. This is now coupled with an increased focus on consumers, with the aim of inspiring them to add real value right from the initial ideas phase of kitchen planning, by opting for an ingeniously designed water place. For this reason, the company is accelerating communication in its digital end customer channels and further developing its online shop for spare parts and accessories to improve service quality and user friendliness. "By adopting this hybrid approach, we want to increase customer traffic to our trade partners and stimulate demand for high-quality system solutions," explains Gfrorer. "At the same time, we are supporting our trade partners to concentrate on their core business." BLANCO International: Investing in Reliability and Stability Besides increasing customer contact and loyalty, over the last financial year BLANCO invested around 13 million in strengthening its international production and logistics network. At a time of increased demand, expanding BLANCO's production capacities and making further improvements to processes ensured that order management remained largely stable. "Our investments have also created the conditions for faster innovation cycles and technological developments," says COO Andreas Ostermann von Roth. BLANCO has made changes to its international sales network. Beginning May 2022, the company is now represented in the Australian market with its own subsidiary, which reinforces its APAC sales region. At the same time, the company announced it will withdraw from the Russian market. Stepping Up Active Market Development: Focus on Convenience at the Water Place and Efficient Use of Space BLANCO is setting a clear course for the current financial year by increasing its focus on positioning the BLANCO UNIT as a premium solution for the kitchen water place. "We have laid a solid foundation for our teams and our trade partners. This provides us with a firm footing to promote the BLANCO UNIT concept," says Frank Gfrorer. Showcasing the importance of the kitchen water place is vital, stresses the CEO. The nesting trend persists, with more and more people looking for smart solutions in the kitchen including diverse portfolio of sinks and faucets, clever sink accessories and sink cabinet organization. "We're filling a gap in the market with the BLANCO UNIT," says Gfrorer. It also meets the desire for greater convenience in everyday life: "By ensuring functionally and ergonomically optimized interaction between all components, we enable a seamless workflow from the faucet to the sink and the waste separation system. That's the key promise of our BLANCO UNITs." The 2021 financial year in figures (rounded*) Consolidated total sales 483 million (+75 million/+18.5 %) Domestic sales 166 million (+15 million/+10 %) International sales 317 million (+60 million/+24 %) Percentage of sales generated abroad 65 % Investments 12.9 million Employees (full-time/end of 2021) of which in Germany of which at international locations 1,647 1,140 507 * Please note that rounding may result in differences from the exact figures for percentages, absolute values and comparisons with the previous year. About BLANCO With BLANCO, kitchen chores are transformed to be sources of joyful moments. BLANCO is the premium brand for well-thought-out kitchen water hubs in residential homes. At its core, the BLANCO UNIT is based on three founding pillars: "Drink, Prep, Clean" and is characterized by a wide array of seamless combinations of sinks, high-end faucets, water optimization solutions, complementary accessories and organization systems. This range of product and the design, color and material options, make it easy for every kitchen lover to find their perfectly customized UNIT at BLANCO. Founded over 95 years ago, the company is now an internationally recognized premium brand for the kitchen water hub. With subsidiaries in Europe, North America and APAC, plus its trading partners, BLANCO has a presence in about 100 countries all over the world and offers its customers a portfolio that is perfectly tailored to consumer needs. The company headquarters and key production sites in support of North American demand are in Southwest Germany and Canada. Established in 1925 by Heinrich Blanc, BLANCO is part of BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding. BLANCO America and BLANCO Canada have proudly served the North American market for over 30 years. BLANCO.com Connect with us on social: BLANCO America Instagram | BLANCO America Facebook | BLANCO America LinkedIn BLANCO Canada Instagram | BLANCO Canada Facebook | BLANCO Canada LinkedIn For more information, contact [email protected]. SOURCE BLANCO WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Currency Monetary Authority (DCMA) introduces a global regulatory compliant framework for broader banking and financial services adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. The DCMA's executive team has been working with governments and central banks on blockchain and digital currency cryptography since 2013. Their work has been featured by the European Commission, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum. Crypto 2.0 The vision for the DCMA stemmed out of a meeting with the People's Bank of China (PBOC) in 2018. Darrell Hubbard, a founding member of the DCMA, was invited to Beijing to meet with the PBOC to discuss the future of digital currencies and aspects of their digital yuan project. Since that time, the DCMA has been invited to review, participate, and collaborate with central banks around the world in their research and development of central bank digital currency (CBDC) from advanced economies, like the European Central Bank, to emerging markets, like the central bank of Ghana. When the Biden Administration released its Executive Order on Digital Assets, the United States Treasury requested and met with the DCMA to discuss a digital assets guidance framework for the banking industry. As stated in the first line of Bitcoin's Whitepaper, Bitcoin was not designed to operate within regulated financial institutions. Now that central banks are researching the adoption of cryptocurrency and digital assets, a new wave of cryptographic cash technology must evolve to meet the requirements of banks. For example, the global banking industry recognizes two forms of legal cash, regulated electronic cash and physical cash which can transact hand-to-hand outside of the banking system. Bitcoin's version of electronic cash has not gained much traction in retail and commercial banking because it does not cryptographically represent either of the two legal forms of societal cash. Universal Monetary Unit, a subsidiary of the DCMA, released the standards and protocol for Crypto 2.0 in collaboration with major central banks. The framework is monetized through the Unicoin network and is available only to governments, regulated banks, and licensed Fintech companies. Unicoin is a globally decentralized digital financial services network. In the same way you need an Internet Services Provider (ISP) to access the Internet, you need a Financial Services Provider (FSP) to access the Unicoin network. Unicoin, a store of value cryptocurrency, is a semi-decentralized network with monetary policies and will be governed by central bank members of the DCMA. Unicoin was first introduced on the world stage in 2020 when it won the Innovation of the Year Award during Hong Kong Blockchain Week alongside Yubi, one of DCMA's Fintech digital banking projects. The DCMA targets to launch the Unicoin network first with central banks and their member banks in India, Africa, and China. The first Crypto 2.0 Global Digital Banking Summit is being hosted by the DCMA on July 28, 2022 at Constitution Club of India in New Delhi. Various Officials from the Ministry of Finance and experts from the Finance sectors in India will be in attendance. The following week, the African Union has facilitated the DCMA to present Crypto 2.0 at the 2022 Special Meeting of the Association of African Central Banks (AACB) Governors in Banjul, Gambia. BitMart has expressed interest in being the first cryptocurrency exchange to list Unicoin. The DCMA plans to list Unicoin on crypto exchanges within the next few months. The learn more about the DCMA, Crypto 2.0, and Unicoin, visit https://unicoin.dcma.io MEDIA CONTACT Digital Currency Monetary Authority. Darrell Hubbard 17043035359 [email protected] SOURCE Digital Currency Monetary Authority MIRAMAR, Fla., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) is pleased to announce that the Dominican Republic will host the 2022 FCCA Cruise Conference, the only official cruise conference representing the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America. Taking place in Santo Domingo from October 11-14, the event will feature a series of meetings, workshops and networking opportunities with an expected 100 high-level executives from FCCA Member Lines, which represent more than 90 percent of global ocean cruising capacity. It will also allow the Dominican Republic to showcase its potential for increased benefits from cruise tourism and help the destination fulfill targeted objectives. "I am thankful for the continued partnership with the Dominican Republic that paved the way to hosting the FCCA Cruise Conference," said Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation and FCCA. "This will be a crucial time and place for the industry gather to continue cruise tourism's recovery, and it is a testament to the country's commitment." All Conference participants will have access to workshops led by cruise executives and successful stakeholders, including ones focused on tour operators and increasing local employment and sourcing opportunities. Participants will also have opportunities to interact with the expected 100 cruise executives during a series of meetings including one-on-one meetings and networking functions throughout the event, which will be celebrating FCCA's 50th anniversary. Additionally, the Dominican Republic will showcase some of the best to see, eat and hear in the destination for cruise guests, along with what its opportunities for growth that hosting the event has historically driven. Before, during and after the event, FCCA will work with the Dominican Republic toward its goals of developing a new cruise terminal in Samana and increasing demand for Sans Souci Terminal in Santo Domingo. FCCA is also partnering with the Dominican Republic on initiatives focused on cruise lines hiring citizens, cruise ships sourcing local goods, and increasing the already high percentage of cruisers that return as overnight guests. More details about and registration for the event will be announced in the coming months and available at www.FCCAConference.com. About Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Created in 1972, FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organization representing mutual interests of the cruise industry and destinations' private and public sectors. For more information, visit F-CCA.com and @FCCAupdates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. SOURCE Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association In the first 5 months of May 2022, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport registered 4,800 Ford cars and trucks, a 33 percent increase over the same period in 2021, when Cambodia registered 3,600 Ford vehicles. All had been imported. Ngorn Saing, CEO of RMA (Cambodia) Plc, an authorized Ford automobile distributor in Cambodia, noted at the inaugural event that the plant, in Pursat's easternmost Krakor district, would create more than 500 jobs and assemble about 9,000 vehicles each year. The company is also working with the Polytechnic Institute of Pursat Province (PIPP) to train staff and improve the technical skills needed for jobs at the plant. Speaking at the inauguration, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Deputy Commander and Royal Cambodian Army (RCA) Commander Lieutenant General Hun Manet said the improvement in living standards in Cambodia and the country's current state of development make the Kingdom a promising place for foreign investment. "The establishment of a Ford assembly plant in Pursat, Cambodia, now is a source of pride for locals as well as people across the country, as well as a welcome to the presence of heavy and modern industry," he said. "This factory is a model of a successful opportunity that will serve as a pioneer and encourage further large-scale investment, especially in the automotive sector in the future." Used cars currently account for 83 percent of the Cambodian market for passenger cars, with revenue at US $242 million in 2022, according to the General Department of Land Transport (GDLT). However, the demand for new cars is growing at a rate of 17 percent annually, parallel with the growing Cambodia economy. Cambodians are attracted to the latest technology, safety systems, quality guarantees and after-sale service that come with new cars. Ford's new assembly plant is the latest in a wave of new factories in the country, including nine new automobile manufacturing plants in 2021. According to the Cambodia Automotive Industry Federation (CAIF), the Kingdom's vehicle market is growing at an estimated 35 percent in 2022. SOURCE The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia Chef Mashama is a 2001 graduate of ICE's Culinary Arts program. Other honors she has received include the Foundation's Best Chef: Southeast in 2019, as well as Restaurant of the Year by Eater in 2017 and Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year in 2015. In 2022, seven ICE alumni were named as semifinalists and finalists for awards, including: Rachel Yang (Culinary, '01) for Outstanding Chef, Mary Attea (Culinary, '11) for Best Chef: NY State, Helen Nguyen (Culinary, '17) for Best Chef: NY State, Ayesha Nurdjaja (Culinary, '07) for Best Chef: NY State, Shennari Freeman (Health-Supportive Culinary Arts, '21) for Emerging Chef and Sohui Kim (Culinary Arts & Management, '02) for Best New Restaurant. "The James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Chef award is the highest singular honor in America for a chef, and we are thrilled that this year an ICE alumnus was the recipient. We congratulate Chef Mashama on this award," says ICE CEO Rick Smilow. "It's amazing to see how our students navigate the industry and find their culinary voices, and the ICE community is extremely proud of having been a step on the path to Chef Mashama's and all of our students' achievements." Chef Mashama enrolled at ICE in 2000 and, upon completion, worked under Jeremy Marshall at Aqua Grill for her externship. Next, she spent a number of years at Chef Gabrielle Hamilton's Prune, ultimately rising to sous chef. In 2014, she and partner John O. "Johno" Morisano opened The Grey in a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal, serving her take on Southern coastal and farm-to-table cuisine. She is also the author of "Black, White, and The Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant." In 2019, she was the subject of an episode of Netflix's Chef's Table. This summer, Chef Mashama and Mr. Morisano will open The Grey Diner Bar and The Grey Market in Austin. Over the years, ICE alumni have been nominated for and won many James Beard Foundation Awards. This year, Chef Mashama becomes the first to win the Outstanding Chef category. She joins the ranks of fellow alumni winners, including: CHEFS & RESTAURANTS 2018 Best Chef: New York City : Missy Robbins (Culinary Arts, '95): Lilia, Brooklyn, New York : (Culinary Arts, '95): Lilia, 2009 Outstanding Pastry Chef: Gina DePalma (Pastry & Baking Arts, '94): Babbo, New York (Pastry & Baking Arts, '94): Babbo, 2004 Rising Star Chef of the Year: Allison Vines-Rushing (Culinary Arts, '00): Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, New York (Culinary Arts, '00): Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, 2000 Outstanding Pastry Chef: Claudia Fleming (Culinary Arts, '88) Gramercy Tavern, New York (Culinary Arts, '88) Gramercy Tavern, 1998 Outstanding Pastry Chef: Stephen Durfee (Pastry & Baking Arts, ' 91): The French Laundry, Yountville, California FOOD MEDIA 2018 Video Webcast, Fixed Location and/or Instructional: Vivian Howard (Culinary Arts, '03): Panna Cooking: Black Bean-Glazed Salmon with Ginger Cabbage (Culinary Arts, '03): 2018 International Cookbook: Stacy Adimando (Culinary, '10): Nopalito: A Mexican Kitchen (Culinary, '10): 2016 Outstanding Personality/Host: Vivian Howard (Culinary Arts, '03): A Chef's Life, PBS (Culinary Arts, '03): A Chef's Life, PBS 2012 Video Webcast: Jamie Tiampo (Restaurant & Culinary Management, '06): EatTV with Jamie Tiampo , Eattv.com This year has continued to be a year of growth for the Institute of Culinary Education. The school's 2022 commencement had a record number of graduates and the school continues to develop across both New York City and Los Angeles campuses. Commencement speakers were Jacques Pepin (New York) and Antonia Lofaso (Los Angeles). In 2021, the school launched an online diploma program in Culinary Arts & Food Operations, which provides aspiring culinary professionals access to comprehensive training from the comfort of their own kitchens. That same year, ICE launched its first Associate of Occupational Studies degree program in Los Angeles, which offers a college-level curriculum with a restaurant and hospitality focus. About the Institute of Culinary Education The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is one of the largest and most diverse culinary schools in the world with campuses in New York and Los Angeles. Established in 1975, ICE offers award-winning six- to 14-month career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Health-Supportive Culinary Arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management and Hospitality & Hotel Management, in addition to professional development in Artisan Bread Baking, The Art of Cake Decorating and Intensive Sommelier Training with more than 15,000 alumni, many of whom are leaders in the industry. ICE also offers continuing education for culinary professionals, hosts 400 special events each year and is home to one of the world's largest recreational cooking, baking and beverage programs. ICE's 74,000-square-foot, cutting-edge campus in New York City and its 38,000-square-foot Los Angeles campus were designed for inspiration, creativity and community. ICE continues to grow and evolve with the launch of its LA campus in 2018, the addition of the Health-Supportive Culinary Arts program in 2019, an agreement with the International Culinary Center in 2020, the introduction of sommelier training and associate degrees in 2021 and the introduction of an Online Culinary Arts & Food Operations program in 2021. Visit us at ice.edu or join us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube at @iceculinary to find your culinary voice. CONTACT: Stephanie Fraiman Public Relations Director Institute of Culinary Education (212) 847-0703 [email protected] SOURCE The Institute of Culinary Education 3-part series offers nuanced look at the state's partisan politics Find it at fluentknowledge.com/california-series SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Purple Principle , an award-winning podcast, today announced the debut of " These Not So United States: California ," a three-part mini-series on that big blue state with nation-sized challenges. The special series brings on LA-based NPR veteran Barbara Bogaev as co-host with creator Robert Pease, a lifelong political independent, talking all things polarization with some of the state's most insightful politicos. Episode 1 premiered on California's primary day, June 7th, with new episodes releasing through the end of the month. "The Purple Principle" is available on all major distribution platforms, including Apple Podcasts , Castbox , Overcast , Spotify , and Stitcher . Episode Dates and Descriptions: Episode 1 , One Golden State, Two Democratic Parties : "California is still a two-party state," says special guest Daniel Schnur, USC Professor and former independent candidate. "It just so happens they're both Democratic parties." Author and geographer Joel Kotkin then views California's challenges through an economic lens. "In the past, middle class and working class people trying to improve their lives came to California," he observes. "I don't think they come any more for that." Episode 2, California Primaries by Faction & Tortilla : LA Times columnist and podcast host Gustavo Arellano discusses crime rates, media spin, and "rancho libertarianism" while dissecting 2022 California primary results. Episode 3 (launching June 28): Kristin Olsen describes the rise and fizzle of her moderate Republican "New Way California" effort while satirist Andrew Heaton provides some well-informed comic relief. "I have some really nice things to say about California electoral reform," says the author of Los Angeles is Hideous: Poems About an Ugly City. "And some horrible things to say about the zoning laws." Concluding the series, former 9-term Congress member Leon Panetta bemoans increasingly divisive one-party thinking in Washington and Sacramento. "A lot of critical problems in California," says Panetta, a life-long Democrat, " are not being addressed in a bipartisan way." Can a one-party, two-faction system effectively govern the hugely diverse Golden State? Listen to this mini-series on California for less partisan yet fully-engaged discussion from The Purple Principle . Audiences can access The Purple Principle online at www.purpleprinciple.com and on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube . Contact: Alison Byrne 732-766-1806 [email protected] SOURCE Fluent Knowledge LLC NEW YORK , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Thrive, Welcome, and Loom today announced an upcoming event called, "Transforming How We Work: New rituals, tech and practices to create a more human workplace in a hybrid world." CEOs for all three companies will come together to speak about how to build social capital, nurture connection, and drive collaboration among a newly distributed workforce. The virtual event is open to the public. What: Transforming How We Work: New rituals, tech and practices to create a more human workplace in a hybrid world a virtual event for forward-thinking leaders of hybrid teams and employees of distributed companies. When: Tuesday, June 28, 2022, 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT Where: Register here Who: Speakers include: Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Arianna Huffington is the Founder and CEO of Thrive, the Founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive, a leading behavior change technology company with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success. She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union. Roberto Ortiz, Co-Founder & CEO, Welcome Roberto Ortiz, Co-Founder and CEO at Welcome, is on a mission to help companies reimagine how they gather, engage, and inspire their employees. Prior to Welcome, Roberto led product design at Google, Yahoo, and Lockheed Martin. Having roots in Puerto Rico, being raised in Philadelphia, and running up the Silicon Valley ladder, he's developed a conviction to drive the conversation on changing how we work. He believes that remote work is the biggest catalyst to empowering belonging. Roberto currently lives in Puerto Rico with his growing family. Joe Thomas, Co-Founder & CEO, Loom Joe Thomas leads Loom as Co-Founder and CEO in its mission to empower everyone at work to communicate effectively, wherever they are. Prior to Loom, Thomas co-founded the Redesign Agency and served as Director of Product at MyLife.com. He lives in Atlanta with his family. About Thrive Thrive is a leading behavior change technology company founded by Arianna Huffington in 2016 with the mission to end the stress and burnout epidemic. Thrive helps individuals and organizations improve well-being, performance and mental resilience with its AI-powered behavior change technology platform. Thrive's Microsteps small, science-backed steps to improve health and productivity have been adopted by employees at more than 125 organizations in over 140 countries, rom frontline and call center workers to executives at multinational companies. Thrive Global is headquartered in New York City and has offices in San Francisco, Dublin, Athens, Bucharest and Melbourne. For more information, visit www.thriveglobal.com . About Welcome Welcome is a Webby Award-winning video platform for synchronous gatherings that engages and inspires employees. Companies use Welcome to elevate every touch point across the employee lifecycle such as company townhalls, new hire orientations, QBRs, team-building activities, hackathons, and more. Founded in 2020, Welcome is a fully-remote company backed by world-class investors, including Kleiner Perkins, Kapor Capital, Y Combinator, and Webb Investment Network. For more information, visit www.experiencewelcome.com . About Loom Loom is the video communication platform for async work that helps companies communicate better at scale. Loom makes it easy to record quick videos of your screen and camera and instantly share them with a link. More than 14M users across more than 200K companies around the world trust Loom to share feedback, updates, intros, training, and more every day. Founded in late 2015, Loom has raised $203M from world-class investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Iconic, and Coatue. To learn more please visit www.loom.com . SOURCE Welcome GIC and B Capital Lead $150 Million Series D Funding Round, Valuing FalconX at $8 Billion SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FalconX , a digital assets platform for institutional investors, today announced a $150M Series D financing round, valuing the company at $8 billion. The round was led by GIC and B Capital, with participation from Thoma Bravo, Wellington Management, Adams Street Partners and Tiger Global Management. This venture round more than doubles the value of FalconX after its Series C raise in August 2021 that valued the company at $3.75 billion. FalconX has now raised $430 million+ from the world's leading investors, making it one of the most valuable crypto prime brokerages in the world. Momentum Is Strong Throughout Recent Market Stress Tests There has been a definitive flight to quality in both the public and private markets with investors focused on strong, profitable and sustainable companies. In Q1 2022, FalconX had the strongest quarter of customer onboarding in the company's history, despite the volatile public and private markets. This growth is driven by demand from a diverse range of institutional market customers who are looking for a reliable execution platform in volatile crypto markets, capital efficiency to scale returns and strong risk management. "FalconX is one of the very few crypto prime brokerages who do not take on market risk, so we're not in conflict with our clients and their trading strategies. In light of recent market conditions, this is extremely valuable to our clients who demand a reliable market infrastructure provider. This investment is a validation of our client-first focus, the health and strength of the crypto industry, and the move towards digital asset transformation," said Raghu Yarlagadda, CEO and Founder of FalconX. FalconX At the Forefront of Digital Asset Transformation We are in the early stages of a shift towards digital asset transformation and crypto is the first use-case. Soon, every asset will go through a transformation, leverage tokenization and become truly global. This will unlock unparalleled value in industries where 24/7 liquidity and credit did not exist previously. From the world's largest hedge funds to fintech companies, boardrooms are focused on digital asset transformation. FalconX is driving this transformation by creating the underlying infrastructure required to not just access crypto but pave the way for traditional assets such as equities to be tokenized. "FalconX is a key liquidity provider for Apex Crypto and a key partner that contributes to best pricing," said Danny Rosenthal, CEO of Apex Crypto. "We are proud to partner with FalconX to provide strong markets for our customers, representing over 4.5 million cryptocurrency accounts, in a seamless and capital efficient manner. We look forward to our future with FalconX." Premier Talent Is Hungry to Be Involved in the Early Stages of Crypto While there has been a public narrative that the current hiring trend across the technology ecosystem is slowing down, FalconX's growth strategy remains unchanged. The company is currently hiring across departments. As one of the leading talent hubs in the world of crypto, the company recently announced the hiring of key executives like Suzy Walther (formerly of Carta) and Jon Kaplan (formerly of Pinterest). Because the crypto industry is well funded with more capital eager to engage, premier talent is hungry to be involved in these early stages. "We partner with companies that will have lasting impacts on the industries and customers they serve. As a tech-first digital asset infrastructure platform, FalconX provides a holistic product offering paired with unparalleled execution that supports over 70M+ transactions on a monthly basis. They are well-positioned to lead the ongoing institutional transition to digital assets for years to come," said Rashmi Gopinath, General Partner, B Capital. Last month, FalconX became the first CFTC-registered crypto-focused Swap Dealer and one of the first crypto-focused Primary Level Members of the International Swaps & Derivatives Association (ISDA). As a result of adhering to these regulatory and industry standards, U.S. institutions can now engage with this regulated product in a predictable and familiar way. To learn more or get started with FalconX today, visit https://falconx.io . About FalconX FalconX is a fully comprehensive digital asset platform that allows institutions to access and manage all of their crypto strategies through a single interface and seamless workflows, making it easy to execute trading, credit and clearing all in one place. FalconX's crypto-as-a-service offering powers leading banks, FinTech institutions and investment applications to easily add crypto to their product offerings with a goal of enabling the next billion users to enter the crypto space. The company is backed by investors including Accel, Adams Street Partners, Altimeter Capital, American Express Ventures, B Capital, GIC, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sapphire Ventures, Thoma Bravo, Tiger Global Management and Wellington Management. FalconX has offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Chicago, Bengaluru and Malta. For more information visit falconx.io or follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn . MEDIA CONTACT: Kasey Christolos Next PR [email protected] SOURCE FalconX TTA startups have drawn attention from investors at the final of Coup de Coeur, where FaceHeart, ible Technology, and iStaging won "Judge's Favorites". Faceheart's solution is packed into FH Vitals SDK, allowing seamless integrations into a variety of settings to remotely measure key vital signs. It helps to improve human health by transforming the healthcare, home automation, and insurance industries through its proprietary video-based rPPG technology. On the other hand, ible Technology has the smallest wearable air purifier, Airvida, in world. The device removes PM2.5, virus and etc., which has been tested and verified by authoritative laboratories. Last but not least, iStaging is a SaaS provider of out-of-the-box Augmented and Virtual Reality solutions for Business. It aims to help companies and brands transcend physical spaces and products, by crafting immersive solutions that empower visualization and live interaction. Beside Coup de Coeur, iStaging was also shortlisted for the LVMH Selection, and is expected to have further cooperation. TTA Startups Earned a Big Success During VivaTech 2022, MOST forms TTA pavilion to showcase innovation in diverse industries. TTA startups have great success at VivaTech 2022; corporations, investors and media were interested in TTA startups, and 3 fine startups won Judge's Favorites in Coup de Coeur. TTA looks forward to further cooperation with the world and will continuously help Taiwan startups connect with global industries and further enhance domestic development of startups and innovation. SOURCE Taiwan Tech Arena CARLISLE, Pa., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U-Haul of North Carlisle store at 1111 Harrisburg Pike recently closed its doors after 39 years of serving the local community. The facility had been serving do-it-yourself moving customers since 1983. Current plans call for U-Haul to maintain ownership of the 7,186-square-foot building. As a result of the May 31 closing, five Team Members were let go. Local U-Haul Companies are always exploring opportunities for growth as they pursue means to better serve the needs of customers, but sometimes find it necessary to close or relocate stores. Reasons for closures can include: long-term strategic plans; physical plant limitations, including insufficient square footage; shifts in demographics; trends in migration; expansion of the U-Haul neighborhood dealer network; and proximity to other new or existing U-Haul stores. U-Haul continues to serve local customers at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Carlisle, site of the former Kmart property at 1180 Walnut Bottom Road. U-Haul dealers in and around Carlisle are also available to meet the needs of DIY movers. U-Haul has partnered with independent dealers to offer rental equipment since 1945. During these challenging times for small businesses, more than 21,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership. When customers rent from U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because no financial investment is required, dealers are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses committing their lot space for U-Haul equipment and time to meet the mobility needs of customers. Learn more about how to partner with U-Haul at uhaul.com/dealer. About U-HAUL Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 186,000 trucks, 128,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 876,000 rentable storage units and 75.1 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America. Contact: Andrea Batchelor Jeff Lockridge E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 602-263-6981 Website: uhaul.com SOURCE U-Haul ARF to deliver 18 tons of pet food, a Microsoft-backed tech platform, a NFT blockchain-powered pet reconnection database, and M*A*S*H-style clinics to shelters nationwide, starting with Kyiv. NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Nearly seven million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At least 30% of Ukrainians were forced to leave behind their pets, which results in millions of domesticated animals without homes wandering the streets of Ukraine alone and vulnerable to bomb and missile attacks. Ukrainian Animals War Relief (ARF) announced today a relief fund to: Provide a technology platform powered by Microsoft's not-for-profit social initiative to get food, medicine, and supplies to Ukrainian animal shelters and groups. The platform will: Catalog abandoned dogs and cats to get them back to their families or adopted into a loving home. Provide visibility to shelters/group homes, drivers, and warehousAllow shelters to request an inventory of food, medicine, and supplies. Permit drivers to verify that a delivery has been made to shelters and get a Paypal transaction for fuel, lodging, and food. Let drivers verify the shelter's number of animals to reduce corruption and fraud. Create an NFT of each of the abandoned dogs and cats to catalog Ukraine's animals and raise funds for food, medicine, and supplies. animals and raise funds for food, medicine, and supplies. Run mobile spay, neuter, and vaccination M*A*S*H clinics to prevent the problem from getting worse. Build the nation's most comprehensive database of abandoned Ukrainian pets and reduce the chaos that volunteers helping over 1,000 animal shelters and group homes in Ukraine are facing today. Founded by Seattle native and Dot Com serial tech entrepreneur Dan Fine, proceeds from the relief fund ( https://www.gofundme.com/f/UWARF ) will go towards ARF's first major Ukraine initiative in early July 2022. As many local and international animal nonprofits abandon Ukrainian animals due to the human risk of warfare, ARF will deliver 18 tons of pet food in cooperation with DogsnHomes Rescue and M*A*S*H style medical clinics providing flea treatment, vaccination, and spay and neuter care to shelters nationwide. "We are proud supporters and partners of ARF with boots on the ground in Ukraine," says Gary Baxter, Co-founder of the UK nonprofit DogsnHomes Rescue, who has been delivering aid for dogs and cats since the war began. The initiative will start in two locations. One will be in a village outside of Kyiv capturing animals and treating them. The other will be at a bombed shelter north of Kyiv with 3,000 animals. The Sirius Shelter in Ukraine took in 200 new animals just this week. "You're probably asking, 'how could someone leave their animal behind?'," says Fine. "Imagine missiles dropping around you and making a beeline with your children for the bus or train station. Airplanes are grounded and roads and bridges destroyed. Once there, you're told to leave your luggage to make more room for people and pets are absolutely not allowed. You have no choice but to either let your dog or cat loose at the station or try to find a nearby shelter that is open, overcrowded, and understaffed. We were wondering what we could do to help these innocent animals, so we put our heads together and formulated ARF." "We are proud supporters of ARF's mission at Microsoft,"says Justin Spelhaug, Vice President and Global Lead of Tech for Social Impact. "As Ukrainian pet owners endure heartbreaking decisions, ARF is providing real relief and compassion in the form of food, medical care, and shelter to these innocent animals. We are honored to be ARF's technology partner and are happy to provide nonprofit grant support." "When Russia invaded, the Ukrainian government stopped the spay and neuter program to go fight the war," says Fine. "There are millions of animals wandering loose around Ukraine or stuffed into shelters that were designed for a fraction of the size they are currently handling. Here's the problem: if one pair of dogs or cats have a litter of six, and those litters have a litter, in six years, 67,000 animals will be produced alone. This will have catastrophic consequences." ARF will start with mobile M*A*S*H style clinics offering spay and neuter care in Kyiv and then roll out additional units to treat 1,000 animals a month. Fine and ARF advocate for stricter animal legislation in Ukraine and globally during times of war. "Russian soldiers are committing war crimes against civilians and animals," says Olga Orda, Hypemachine founder and ARF's Ukrainian Liaison. "Why can they walk away with no consequences when they commit crimes against innocent animals whereas they wouldn't be able to get away with this when committing war crimes against humans? ARF is standing up for the lives and dignity of these cherished family pets." "We spent 8000 years domesticating our pets and now, as we choose between leaving our child or our dog, we need to leave them behind to face landmines and bullets on war-ravaged streets," says Fine. "We are at fault here and we need to take responsibility for their lives. That's what ARF is here for." To learn more about ARF, visit https://uwarf.com. To help Ukrainian animals in dire need of assistance, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/UWARF to donate to ARF's relief fund. SOURCE Ukrainian War Animals Relief Fund "This opportunity to be the first African American woman elected as Chair of the Board of Commission on Accrediting for ATS is humbling. To have my gifts, skills, and talents in theological education recognized by such a great entity as ATS that serves schools across the U.S. and Canada, means that opportunities for underserved communities and people of color are broadening. To give an opportunity of this nature to someone from Payne Theological Seminary, where I serve as Academic Dean and a full-tenured professor of ecological theology, also speaks volumes and gives light to what we are doing in theological education as the oldest stand-alone Historically Black Seminary in the United States." Dr. Whitted Holley credits her doctoral studies at Union with her ability to look at the world through an interdisciplinary lens that expanded and deepened her knowledge and expertise. "Union truly prepared me by offering a plethora of opportunities, especially in racial and social justice, which enabled me to pursue the field of Environmental Ethics and African American Religious Studies. My dissertation focused on 'Raising and Sustaining the Ecological Consciousness of the African American Community.'" Dr. Whitted Holley expands on her Union education by explaining, "Because of Union, I am able to share, not only with my students here at Payne Theological Seminary [in Wilberforce, OH], the importance of understanding ecological theology and all of its ramifications but with my denomination, The African Methodist Episcopal Church. I helped in the development of our statement on 'Climate Change.' I also represent my denomination as a member of the Board of Directors for Creation Justice Ministries, which is part of the National Council of Churches. On this board, we develop policies related to racial and social justice issues. We just finished a resource for our many communions entitled, 'Faith Resilience and Climate Justice.' "The interdisciplinary approach that Union used in my Ph.D. program was for such a time as this. Being able to look at world problems through an interdisciplinary lens is a major way to meet the needs of the people that you serve, especially in the African American community and people of color. The COVID crisis that we are still experiencing really brought to fruition the plethora of justice issues that our world, globally, are facing; especially issues around healthcare, climate justice, environmental racism, to name a few." Dr. Whitted Holley is Academic Dean, Director of the Master of Divinity Degree Program, & Full Professor of Ecological Theology at Payne Theological Seminary. The seminary's mission is to prepare leaders for ministry in the African-American tradition of liberation, reconciliation, social justice, and the dignity of all humankind. The Commission on Accrediting of ATS accredits institutions and approves degree programs offered by ATS accredited schools. About Union Institute & University Founded in 1964, Union Institute & University is a pioneer in educating adults through distance learning. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Union Institute & University offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs and certificates designed for adults seeking to make a difference in their own lives and within their communities. The university offers specialized online and low residency degree programs with high-touch faculty attention, designed for students regardless of where they live and work. Union's flexible delivery models emphasize relevant and transformative coursework taught by a national faculty of scholar-practitioners. Union graduates including two dozen college presidents, in addition to other leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, members of the United States Congress, and the first female prime minister of Jamaica promote Union's legacy of utilizing education to transform lives and communities. To learn more about Union Institute & University, visit www.myunion.edu or call 1-800-861-6400. SOURCE Union Institute & University Honored at Utah Business' 30 Women to Watch and CXO of the Year Events SALT LAKE CITY, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- USANA is proud to announce two members of its legal team were recently recognized as top professionals in their field and Utah's business community by Utah Business magazine. USANA Chief Legal Officer Joshua Foukas was named a CXO of the Year, and USANA Corporate Counsel and Senior Manager of Government Relations Elise Walker Brown was honored as one of Utah's 30 Women to Watch. To learn more about USANA, please visit USANA.com. The CXO of the Year Award recognizes C-suite members who are changing the way we do business for the better. Josh Foukas has made positive change in many ways in his time at USANA. Josh joined the company in 2007 and has continued to grow within the organization, including his appointment as vice president of legal and investor relations in 2014 and executive vice president of legal in 2017. Now as USANA chief legal officer and general counsel, Josh directs the company's legal, ethics, international expansion and government relations efforts. With both a strategic and pragmatic approach to business, Josh provides proactive leadership to anticipate challenges and drive necessary change within USANA and its industry. "Josh is not only a remarkable attorney but also an invaluable asset for USANA. He undoubtedly deserves this award," says Kevin Guest, USANA CEO and chairman. "He is brilliant as both a legal strategist and business adviser to the company, and we are so incredibly fortunate to have him on our leadership team. His impact and service to me, our company and board is beyond measure." Utah Business recognized another valuable member of the USANA legal team in May. The 30 Women to Watch Award celebrates women who are on their way to truly amazing things. Honorees are the state's next senators, CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors, and social leaders. Elise joined USANA in 2020 as corporate counsel and senior manager of government relations. She graduated from the University of Utah and clerked for Chief Justice Lee of the Utah Supreme Court prior to becoming USANA's in-house counsel. Elise is also the co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council, which she helped USANA form in 2020. "Elise is a dynamic professional and leader and has made a significant impact not only on USANA's legal and government affairs matters, but also USANA's growing diversity and inclusion program," says Alex Kennedy, USANA vice president of legal & government relations. "Elise is courageous, hard-working, kind, intelligentand she gets things done. Through her efforts, she's making USANA and the Utah community even better places to be." About USANA USANA (NYSE:USNA) prides itself in providing consumers the highest quality nutritional products in the world. From its award-winning supplements to its innovative Celavive skincare and Active Nutrition lines, USANA has proven for nearly 30 years why it's a company you can trust. How about giving us a try? Shop at USANA.com or learn more at whatsupUSANA.com. USANA International Headquarters www.USANA.com Media Contact: Amy Haran Executive Vice President of Communications (801) 954-7641 media(at)USANAinc(dot)com SOURCE USANA Serving as the venture capital arm of General Motors, GM Ventures strategically invests in startup companies that share GM's enterprise vision of an all-electric, hands-free, and more seamlessly connected future, and are helping to position GM as a leading transportation technology enterprise. As part of the strategic collaboration agreement, the two companies have agreed to work on a variety of vehicle-inspection technology projects involving used-car auctions, fleet operations and automotive dealership sales. In the future, UVeye plans to incorporate electric-vehicle and autonomous-driving platforms into its inspection databases as well. UVeye systems use artificial intelligence, machine-learning and high-definition camera technologies to quickly and accurately check tires, underbody components and vehicle exteriors for defects, missing parts and other safety-related issues. More than 4,000 GM dealerships will be eligible to purchase the vehicle-inspection equipment to use in their service lanes. The team will also explore applications for extending the technology to exterior scans and photography to generate online interest and potential sales for used vehicles. "We are on a journey to create the best customer service experience possible and the implementation of UVeye into our dealership service lanes helps us do that," said John Roth, GM global vice president, Customer Care and Aftersales. "Providing real-time, consistent and accurate feedback to our customers will help us ensure they are getting the best performance out of their vehicle." Amir Hever, UVeye's CEO and co-founder, noted that automated inspection processes take seconds to complete and are significantly more accurate than time-consuming manual inspections commonly in use today. UVeye currently has facilities in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, including offices in Israel, Japan, Germany and the United States. The company has formed strategic partnerships with numerous dealership groups, used-car auctions and vehicle fleets since it was founded in 2016. GM dealerships have access to three high-speed UVeye systems that utilize a unique combination of proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning and sensor-fusion technologies. They include: Helios An underbody scanner that detects a wide variety of problems including frame damage, missing parts and fluid leaks, as well as brake and exhaust-system issues. An underbody scanner that detects a wide variety of problems including frame damage, missing parts and fluid leaks, as well as brake and exhaust-system issues. Artemis A system that checks tire quality. Within seconds it identifies tire brand, technical specifications, air pressure, tread depth, sidewall damage, alignment issues and whether or not a vehicle's tires are mismatched. A system that checks tire quality. Within seconds it identifies tire brand, technical specifications, air pressure, tread depth, sidewall damage, alignment issues and whether or not a vehicle's tires are mismatched. Atlas A 360-degree detection system that checks sheet metal and other external body components such as bumpers, door locks, grilles and windows. Hever believes that UVeye shares a common vision with General Motors for improved service quality that can benefit dealers, service technicians, and customers alike. "High-speed inspection equipment can serve as tools of empowerment for new- and used-car dealers," Hever said. "We very much look forward to working with GM in the months and years ahead. Both companies share the same vision and sense of innovation and when it comes to vehicle quality, the future is a bright one." Early implementations of UVeye's technology at a limited number of GM dealers in North America are already yielding positive results. As the collaboration continues, the two companies will look to expand the applications of the technology across GM's global dealer network, enhancing the robustness of real time vehicle diagnostics and creating a more streamlined exchange of information between customers, their vehicles and service technicians. About UVeye UVeye systems utilize a unique combination of proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning and sensor-fusion technologies. The drive-through systems can detect within seconds any external or mechanical flaw and identify anomalies, modifications or foreign objects from under and from any side of a vehicle. UVeye's scanning processes complete within seconds and can be used throughout a vehicle's lifecycle. Its technology originally was developed for the security industry to detect weapons and contraband. It now is used in the auto industry to detect a wide variety of quality issues, including oil leaks, paint scratches, tire problems, brake-line damage and exhaust-system issues. The company's investor group includes CarMax, Meitav Dash Investments, Menora Mivtachim Holdings and Y.D. More Investments. A DropBox selection of photos and video is available at https://bit.ly/3Oqffic. Additional information is available at www.uveye.com. SOURCE UVeye Grace at Home Extends In-Home Primary Care Services for Homebound and Home-Limited Patients CHICAGO and INDIANAPOLIS, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VillageMD announced today that Grace at Home has joined its Village Medical brand, further extending its in-home primary care services in Indiana. Grace at Home, a leading provider of home-based primary care services in the state, was founded by Tammy Browning, PA-C, in 2009 and has grown to a group of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. "Grace at Home aligns with our Village Medical at Home model, where we provide better care and build trusting relationships by offering high-quality care for complex patients in their homes," said Tom Cornwell, M.D., national medical director of Village Medical at Home and a primary care physician with 25 years of experience in home-based primary care. "At Village Medical, we're continuing to expand our primary care at home offerings given the increased needs and preferences of our complex patients and seniors." The experienced team of primary care providers will continue to care for Grace at Home's patients. The comprehensive care includes, but is not limited, to routine checkups, lab work, X-Rays, electrocardiogram (EKGs), and ultrasounds, all from the comfort of the patient's home. "I've dedicated the majority of my career to delivering high-quality, compassionate care for our patients to help them gain increased independence and a better quality of life," said Browning, who has more than 20 years of primary care experience and won the American Academy of Home Care Medicine's House Call Clinician of the Year in 2020. "Joining Village Medical allows us to grow and serve more patients throughout Indiana and beyond." Village Medical at Home brings primary care to the home for the most complex and high-risk patients. Village Medical provides access to care where patients need it, including in-office visits, telehealth, and at home. The benefits of home-based primary care include reduced health disparities, decreased hospitalizations and costs while increasing quality of life, emotional health, and independence. Village Medical at Home is currently available in select VillageMD markets. "We offer the right care at the right time and at the right place," added Dr. Cornwell. All Village Medical patients benefit from VillageMD's patent-pending docOS operating platform, which helps care teams identify and close gaps in care and helps patients be better informed about their health and care. To learn more, make an appointment or view all Village Medical locations, please visit www.villagemedical.com. To make an appointment with Grace at Home, please visit https://www.grace-at-home.com/welcome. About VillageMD VillageMD, through its subsidiary Village Medical, is a leading, national provider of value-based primary care services. VillageMD partners with physicians to provide the tools, technology, operations, staffing support and industry relationships to deliver high-quality clinical care and better patient outcomes, while reducing the total cost of care. The Village Medical brand provides primary care for patients at traditional free-standing practices, Village Medical at Walgreens practices, at home and via virtual visits. VillageMD and Village Medical have grown to 22 markets and are responsible for more than 1.6 million patients. VillageMD is a leading participant in CMS innovation programs and will apply to participate in the upcoming ACO REACH model, which helps providers deliver better outcomes for patients and create healthier communities through value-based care. To learn more, please visit www.villageMD.com. SOURCE VillageMD Vine leads the earliest financing rounds of technology companies, investing $1 million to $10 million as a first check. The firm offers hands-on support to founders, which has already resulted in multiple breakouts. Vine's Fund II follows a successful start to Fund I, which was raised in June 2020 and through year end 2021 is reporting a net IRR of 251%. In Fund I, 13 of 16 portfolio companies have raised further funding from Accel, Coatue, Felicis, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, and Tiger Global with many of these transactions facilitated by Vine's relationships. These include: TUL, a super-app digitizing the Latin American construction industry that raised a $180 million Series B at an $800 million valuation from Avenir, Dragoneer, Tiger Global, 8VC and Coatue Series B at an valuation from Avenir, Dragoneer, Tiger Global, 8VC and Coatue Komodor , an Israeli DevOps platform automating Kubernetes trouble-shooting that raised a $47 million Series B from Tiger Global, Accel and Felicis , an Israeli DevOps platform automating Kubernetes trouble-shooting that raised a Series B from Tiger Global, Accel and Felicis Habi , a Latin American proptech and first female-led unicorn in the region that raised a $200 million Series C from SoftBank's Latin America Fund , a Latin American proptech and first female-led unicorn in the region that raised a Series C from SoftBank's Latin America Fund Parallel Learning , a telehealth platform serving students with learning differences in New York that raised a $20M Series A from Tiger Global, JAWS and Obvious Ventures , a telehealth platform serving students with learning differences in that raised a Series A from Tiger Global, JAWS and Obvious Ventures OpenStore , a Shopify merchant aggregator led by Keith Rabois and backed by Founders Fund and General Catalyst , a Shopify merchant aggregator led by and backed by Founders Fund and General Catalyst Ennabl , a suite of SaaS tools and data-driven services for insurance brokers that aims to become the de facto broker-carrier connectivity platform , a suite of SaaS tools and data-driven services for insurance brokers that aims to become the de facto broker-carrier connectivity platform Modern Intelligence , a modular AI for the U.S. defense industry "Our mission is to identify founders and markets poised for massive outcomes, drive these leaders to success, and deliver top-tier returns to our investors. Vine's team is composed of investors trained at some of the most successful firms including Insight Partners, TA Associates and Blackstone. We have adapted these firms' best practices to bring unparalleled horsepower to early stage investing, so that the world's best company builders can begin their journey with the right resources," said Eric Reiner, Vine's Managing Partner. Vine Founders Eric Reiner and Dan Povitsky launched the firm before the age of 30 and have been recognized in Forbes 30u30. Previously, they held investing roles at Insight Partners and TA Associates. Together, they specialize in applying their unique flavor of multi-stage investing to the early stage. The pair have backed some of the world's most promising technology companies and dynamic founders, including eight unicorns: Carta , Hippo , Ro , Ramp , Dutchie , Habi , Unqork , and FrontApp . "With Fund II, we continue the important work of delivering the world's best user experience to founders. Our team's age and track-record of refining business models sets us apart from the typical seed venture capital firm. We approach founders from a place of mutuality and seek to build a shared understanding through rapid and comprehensive work. This has enabled us to take big bets on generational companies long before other investors arrive," said Dan Povitsky. About Vine Ventures Founded in June 2020 by Eric Reiner and Dan Povitsky, Vine Ventures has raised over $243M from two funds and several SPVs. Vine invests in technology companies across the US, Israel, and Latin America; and has led and participated in funding rounds for 23 companies in under two years. Eric and Dan bring their experience of multi-stage investing from Insight Partners and TA Associates to pre-Seed through Series A rounds. Both in their early 30s, they represent a new generation of venture capitalists who share the values, mindset, and worldview with their founders. Jennifer Bellah-Maguire and Crystal Becker of Gibson Dunn served as fund formation counsel for Vine Ventures. Imri Eisner of DLA Piper serves as its primary transaction counsel. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845236/Ventures_L_P.jpg SOURCE Vine Ventures L.P. View Our Sample Report Now for highlights on the market size, YOY growth rates, and other important statistics. Segmentation Analysis The 128-page report segments the global warehousing racking market by end-user (automotive industry, food and beverage industry, retail industry, and other industries) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America). Warehouse Racking Market End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025) Automotive industry - size and forecast 2020-2025 Food and beverage industry - size and forecast 2020-2025 Retail industry - size and forecast 2020-2025 other industries - size and forecast 2020-2025 By end-users, the automotive industry is exhibiting high demand for warehousing racking. Racking systems are generally in the automotive industry for storing small auto parts as it is ideal for quick and easy access to stock. The demand for such solutions is steadily increasing in the automotive industry with the growing sales of passenger and commercial vehicles. In addition, increased investments in the expansion of production facilities by prominent automobile manufacturers is contributing to the growth of the segment. Warehouse Racking Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025) APAC - size and forecast 2020-2025 North America - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - size and forecast 2020-2025 By region, APAC will present significant growth opportunities for market players during the forecast period. The market will register the fastest growth in APAC and about 62% of the market growth is expected to originate in the region. The primary factor driving the growth of the regional market is the increasing demand for warehouse racking from end-user industries such as automotive, food and beverage, retail, and other industries. In addition, significant industrial development across countries such as China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan are contributing to the growth of the warehouse racking market in APAC. Read Our Sample Report to identify potential segments and regions in the market. Major Warehouse Racking Companies: AK Material Handling Systems: The company offers pallet racks for warehouse racking systems. Daifuku Co. Ltd.: The company offers warehouse racking systems such as mobile pallet racking and shuttle rack L. Honeywell International Inc.: The company offers warehouse racking systems under the brand name Momentum. Interroll Holding AG: The company offers Interroll carton wheel flow for warehouse racking systems. Kardex AG: The company offers warehouse racking systems under the brand name Mcompact. Explore other dominant players in the market. Our reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. View Report Sample to Gain Confidence Related Reports: Warehouse Racking Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.92% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 1.74 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.91 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 62% Key consumer countries China, US, Germany, South Korea (Republic of Korea), and India Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AK Material Handling Systems, Daifuku Co. Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Interroll Holding AG, Kardex AG, KION GROUP AG, Mecalux SA, Murata Machinery Ltd., SSI SCHAEFER Group, and Toyota Industries Corp. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 01: Parent market Exhibit 02: Market characteristics 2.2 Value chain analysis Exhibit 03: Value chain analysis: Air freight and logistics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 05: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2020 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million) Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2020 5 Market Segmentation by End-user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 15: End-user - Market share 2020-2025 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 16: Comparison by End-user 5.3 Automotive industry - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 17: Automotive industry - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 18: Automotive industry - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.4 Food and beverage industry - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 19: Food and beverage industry - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 20: Food and beverage industry - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.5 Retail industry - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 21: Retail industry - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 22: Retail industry - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.6 Other industries - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 23: Other industries - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 24: Other industries - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.7 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 25: Market opportunity by End-user 6 Customer landscape 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 27: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 28: Geographic comparison 7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 29: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 30: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 31: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 32: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 33: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 35: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 36: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 37: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 38: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.8 Key leading countries Exhibit 39: Key leading countries 7.9 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges Exhibit 41: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 42: Vendor landscape 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 43: Landscape disruption Exhibit 44: Industry risks 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 45: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors 10.3 AK Material Handling Systems Exhibit 47: AK Material Handling Systems - Overview Exhibit 48: AK Material Handling Systems - Product and service Exhibit 49: AK Material Handling Systems - Key offerings 10.4 Daifuku Co. Ltd. Exhibit 50: Daifuku Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 51: Daifuku Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 52: Daifuku Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 53: Daifuku Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.5 Honeywell International Inc. Exhibit 54: Honeywell International Inc. - Overview Exhibit 55: Honeywell International Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 56: Honeywell International Inc. - Key news Exhibit 57: Honeywell International Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 58: Honeywell International Inc. - Segment focus 10.6 Interroll Holding AG Exhibit 59: Interroll Holding AG - Overview Exhibit 60: Interroll Holding AG - Business segments Exhibit 61: Interroll Holding AG - Key offerings Exhibit 62: Interroll Holding AG - Segment focus 10.7 Kardex AG Exhibit 63: Kardex AG - Overview Exhibit 64: Kardex AG - Business segments Exhibit 65: Kardex AG - Key offerings Exhibit 66: Kardex AG - Segment focus 10.8 KION GROUP AG Exhibit 67: KION GROUP AG - Overview Exhibit 68: KION GROUP AG - Business segments Exhibit 69: KION GROUP AG - Key news Exhibit 70: KION GROUP AG - Key offerings Exhibit 71: KION GROUP AG - Segment focus 10.9 Mecalux SA Exhibit 72: Mecalux SA - Overview Exhibit 73: Mecalux SA - Product and service Exhibit 74: Mecalux SA - Key news Exhibit 75: Mecalux SA - Key offerings 10.10 Murata Machinery Ltd. Exhibit 76: Murata Machinery Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 77: Murata Machinery Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 78: Murata Machinery Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 79: Murata Machinery Ltd. - Segment focus 10.11 SSI SCHAEFER Group Exhibit 80: SSI SCHAEFER Group - Overview Exhibit 81: SSI SCHAEFER Group - Product and service Exhibit 82: SSI SCHAEFER Group - Key offerings 10.12 Toyota Industries Corp. Exhibit 83: Toyota Industries Corp. - Overview Exhibit 84: Toyota Industries Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 85: Toyota Industries Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 86: Toyota Industries Corp. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 87: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research methodology Exhibit 88: Research Methodology Exhibit 89: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 90: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 91: List of abbreviations About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global water and wastewater treatment equipment market size was valued at USD 53.24 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2022 to 2030. The market is anticipated to reach USD 84.58 billion by 2030 according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing demand for clean water owing to rapid urbanization and industrialization coupled with infrastructural developments in the water management industry is anticipated to drive the market growth during the forecast period. Key Insights & Findings from the report: The biological product segment is estimated to register a CAGR of 5.2% from 2022 to 2030 due to the stringent regulations coupled with the increasing demand for high-quality solutions used for wastewater management. The secondary treatment segment accounted for a revenue share of 37.0% in 2021 owing to the high adoption of advanced wastewater management technologies, such as Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR) and Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) The product demand in the industrial application segment is anticipated to ascend at the fastest CAGR of 5.3% from 2022 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to the rapid industrialization, particularly in developing countries, coupled with stringent regulations pertaining to effluent discharge from industries. Major companies have undertaken several business strategies, such as mergers, acquisitions, and R&D, to strengthen their presence in the global market. For instance, in February 2020 , Veolia Water Technologies, U.K. completed the acquisition of Biochemica Water Ltd. It is expected to help the company in becoming one of the leading end-to-end suppliers to the industrial and municipal sectors in the U.K. Veolia Water Technologies. , Veolia Water Technologies, U.K. completed the acquisition of Biochemica Water Ltd. It is expected to help the company in becoming one of the leading end-to-end suppliers to the industrial and municipal sectors in the U.K. Veolia Water Technologies. In May 2022 , Saur and Veolia signed an agreement. According to that, Saur has committed to buy the latter's mobile water services business in Europe . Get more Insights from full market research report, "Water And Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Process, By Application, By Equipment, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research. Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Growth & Trends Wastewater and its discharge sludge contain several valuable resources, including phosphorus, and nitrogen, which can be recovered and reused to preserve threatened resources. Thus, a rising focus on reducing water consumption by reusing wastewater to ensure resource efficiency and support a globular economy is likely to open new avenues for market growth. Rapid technological developments in the global industry are expected to positively influence short- as well as long-term modifications at water & wastewater management facilities. Market players are increasingly focusing on integrating advanced technologies to develop more efficient and effective solutions for water management, thereby driving the product demand. In addition, the rising environmental concerns along with the need to comply with the stringent government regulations regarding water management, globally, are the factors anticipated to propel the product demand. Increasing investments to treat micropollutants and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), majorly in Europe and North America, are likely to have a positive impact on the growth of the global market. According to the World Bank, investment in fundamental public health infrastructures, such as water and sanitation systems, is one of the most cost-effective measures for improving pandemic preparedness, particularly in resource-constrained environments. The market was negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain disruption during the pandemic led to a shortage of equipment and consumables required for the treatment procedures. Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global water & wastewater treatment equipment market based on the equipment, process, application, and region: Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030) Membrane Separation Biological Disinfection Sludge Treatment Others Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market - Process Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030) Primary Secondary Tertiary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030) Municipal Industrial Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K. Russia Norway Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia Central & South America Brazil Argentina Venezuela Middle East & Africa & UAE Saudi Arabia Egypt List of the Key Players in the Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Veolia SUEZ DuPont Pentair plc Xylem, Inc. Aquatech International LLC Ecolab, Inc. Calgon Carbon Corp. Evoqua Water Technologies LLC Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: U.S. Wastewater Secondary Treatment Equipment Market - The U.S. wastewater secondary treatment equipment market size is expected to reach USD 2.1 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is projected to register a CAGR of 2.8% during the forecast period. Rising demand for wastewater treatment plants owing to increasing number of new users getting connected to centralized treatment systems is expected to translate into upgradation of existing treatment facilities or construction of new wastewater treatment facilities. The U.S. wastewater secondary treatment equipment market size is expected to reach by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is projected to register a CAGR of 2.8% during the forecast period. Rising demand for wastewater treatment plants owing to increasing number of new users getting connected to centralized treatment systems is expected to translate into upgradation of existing treatment facilities or construction of new wastewater treatment facilities. Primary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market - The global primary water and wastewater treatment equipment market size is expected to reach USD 15.92 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period. Rising awareness regarding water pollution and environmental degradation is anticipated to boost the demand for wastewater management plants, thereby driving the market growth. The global primary water and wastewater treatment equipment market size is expected to reach by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period. Rising awareness regarding water pollution and environmental degradation is anticipated to boost the demand for wastewater management plants, thereby driving the market growth. Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market - The global secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market size is expected to reach USD 30.05 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 3.9%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising demand for wastewater treatment plants owing to stringent regulations is expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Browse through Grand View Research's Water & Sludge Treatment Industry Research Reports. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Astra ESG Solutions Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. WINDSOR-ESSEX, ON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Today, Invest WindsorEssex (IWE), the lead economic development organization for the Windsor-Essex region, launched a marketing campaign in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana targeting small to medium-sized technology companies to expand their operations into Canada's rapidly growing automobility capital. The campaign, Windsor-Essex: A Bridge to Your Future, showcases the region as a prime location for foreign direct investment as a result of its strategic location, access to world-class talent, quality of life and thriving innovation ecosystem. The campaign strategy includes videos, social media, billboards, display ads and search engine marketing tactics designed to drive audiences to a landing page (TheFutureIsWe.ca) profiling the Windsor-Essex region's value proposition and next steps to future expansion. As the home of the Canadian Automobility Hub (first-of-its-kind in Canada EV ramp-up factory) and the future location of Canada's first gigafactory (NextStar Energy Inc.), Windsor-Essex is quickly becoming one of the nation's leaders in innovation and technology in the automobility space and beyond. Located at the United States-Canada border in the heart of the richest consumer market in the world, Windsor-Essex provides access to talent and trade from Canada and across the globe. Windsor-Essex is located at the beginning of Ontario's innovation corridor and is directly linked to the Waterloo region and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) through the MacdonaldCartier Freeway (Highway 401). It has a key advantage above its Canadian neighbouring cities: a short bridge's distance to a burgeoning talent pipeline and a region that is ready for the future of automobility. It's a region that is like no other in terms of its proximity to important industry and tech hubs and in its position as a talent incubator. Windsor-Essex is putting a direct call out to businesses and individuals in the United States to cross into Canada's innovation hub a bridge to future expansion and endless opportunities. Quotes "We are actively calling on forward-thinking technology companies and individuals to expand and invest in Windsor-Essex. The region is on the forefront of technology innovation, and we are opening our doors to opportunities and future partnerships. Our strategic location, strong binational talent and support network make Windsor-Essex a top destination for investment. We invite you to cross into Canada's innovation hub and become part of North America's gateway to the future." - Stephen MacKenzie, President and CEO, Invest WindsorEssex About Invest WindsorEssex (IWE) Invest WindsorEssex is the lead economic development agency for the Windsor-Essex region. The focus of the organization is to develop and execute strategies to retain, expand, attract and help new businesses start-up in Windsor-Essex. Invest WindsorEssex is led by a board of distinguished community leaders. A team of professional staff assists with location and investment decisions by working one-on-one with businesses to facilitate the process of starting, growing or locating a business in Windsor-Essex. InvestWindsorEssex.com SOURCE Invest WindsorEssex The World Dairy Innovation Awards was held simultaneously with the Congress. Leveraging strategic synergies and resource integration, Yili Group and its subsidiary Ausnutria topped the tally with six awards, covering segments of packaging design, infant nutrition, intolerance-friendly dairy products, ice cream, cheese and dairy snacks. One of the judges commented, "Yili have their finger on the pulse when it comes to identifying gaps in the market and creating brilliant innovative products that both taste and look great while simultaneously serving a purpose." Dr. Yun explained how Yili has focused on building a globally integrated innovation network, which helped the company win worldwide recognition. "Integrating talent and intelligence resources, we have currently set up a total of 15 innovation centers scattered around the world, and a 'global intelligence chain' has now been established." Developing health products through consumer-centric innovation "Guided by our New Vision for Value Creation, Yili pursues development as an innovation-driven company. We are dedicated to launching health products to meet the full life-cycle, all-scenario needs among all types of consumers," said Dr. Yun. For consumers to freely enjoy cheese without storage limitations, Yili developed the "Best Cheese" winner -- the ambient cheese lollipop, which is rich in nutrition and can be safely stored at room temperature. Revisiting traditional Chinese aesthetics, the Xujinhuan 3D Fresh Milk Ice Cream has been designed into the elegant shape of a Chinese fan, featuring traditional painting carved on the surface. Developed with global high-quality milk and ingredients, the beautiful look is also accompanied by good flavor and nutrition. For middle-aged and the elderly men, a group more focused on bone health and physical fitness, the Shuhua Lactose -- Free Milk for Dad includes 50% more natural calcium, vitamin D and taurine. Applying Yili's patented technology of LHT lactose hydrolysis, the product also addresses the problem of lactose intolerance that is common among Asian consumers. At the Congress, Dr. Yun also shared the company's progress in building a "Dairy Silicon Valley". In June, four key projects of Yili's Future Intelligence and Healthy Valley will be put into operation in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including a liquid milk production base, a milk powder production base, the Chilechuan Ecological Smart Farm, and the Yili Intelligent Manufacturing Experience Center. Commitment to building a net-zero carbon future Talking about dairy's role in addressing climate change, Dr. Yun said, "Embracing the tide of sustainable development across the globe, Yili has rolled out net-zero carbon products and factories, issued the Roadmap to a Net-Zero Carbon Future, and joined hands with our partners throughout the industrial chain to build a net-zero carbon future." In April, Yili took the lead in China's food industry to launch time-bound targets on carbon reduction, aiming to realize industrial chain-wide carbon neutrality before 2050. On June 5, Yili also introduced the packaging featuring "no printing, less ink". Applying the technology of ink reduction printing, the packaging is able to save ink consumption by 60%. The outer carton is 80% made up of recycled paper. By upgrading into paper handles, every 100,000 outer cartons will reduce plastic usage equating to 260 kg. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423776 Caption: Yili won six world dairy innovation awards. SOURCE Yili Group To further its mission, iN2L + LifeLoop welcomes Rachel Vincion, CFO, and Cambria Jacobs, CMO DENVER, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iN2L + LifeLoop , provider of the first and most comprehensive senior living technology platform developed to meaningfully impact staff effectiveness, workforce retention, staffing levels, and resident engagement, today announced the addition of Rachel Vincion as its chief financial officer and Cambria Jacobs as its chief marketing officer. Both Jacobs and Vincion will report directly to Lisa Taylor, CEO of iN2L+ LifeLoop, and will be instrumental in helping drive the organization's continued strategic growth. "We are beyond thrilled to welcome Rachel and Cambria to our newly-expanded Executive Leadership Team," said Taylor. "Rachel is a versatile and accomplished finance executive and Cambria is a dynamic and proven growth marketing leader. They help build lasting employee, customer, shareholder, and industry relationships, and drive strong return on investment. Both new leaders share our vision for enhancing the lives of hundreds of thousands of seniors through the advanced use of engagement technology. We're lucky to count them as colleagues." With 25 years of experience and success in leading finance and strategy for high growth healthcare SaaS companies, Rachel Vincion brings with her an extensive operational background that drives long term value for organizations. Most recently, she increased enterprise value by 40% for PlayMaker Health, where she also spearheaded three investment banking processes and oversaw the successful acquisition of a major competitor. Earlier in her career, she led organizations to profitability and helped transform early-stage start-ups to ensure their long-term success. In her new role as iN2L + LifeLoop's CFO, she will be pivotal in helping Lisa Taylor and the Executive Leadership Team define the future direction for continued strategic growth. "There could not be a more exciting time to join iN2L," said Vincion. "Together with LifeLoop, the organization offers the industry so much value, both for resident engagement and well-being, and for staff satisfaction and retention. I am delighted to be part of such a mission-driven company that will help the industry continue its recovery, both emotionally and financially." Cambria Jacobs has a more than 25-year track record of developing passionate, mission-driven brands and implementing marketing strategies for fast growth B2B and B2C companies in the health, wellness, and technology sectors. As the Global CMO at EGYM, a health and tech fitness company, Jacobs launched the company's first global brand and go-to-market strategies. Jacobs is also credited with the co-creation of Collaboration In Aging , an innovative new conference, designed to help solve issues faced by the longevity industry. As iN2L + LifeLoop's CMO, Jacobs is charged with developing the expanded organization's go-forward brand strategy, as well as spearheading community-centric marketing programs rooted in impacting staff efficiency, workforce retention, staffing levels, and resident engagement. "The iN2L + LifeLoop mission is very close to my heart," said Jacobs. "I couldn't be more honored to join an organization dedicated to enhancing the aging experience. I look forward to joining this industry and helping shape the future of senior living with fresh ideas, bright spot discussions, and new technologies that deliver real change for seniors, their families, and community staff and leadership alike." Click here to view iN2L + LifeLoop's leadership team. About iN2L + LifeLoop iN2L + LifeLoop, a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company, is on a mission to enhance the aging experience. Together, they offer the first and most comprehensive senior living technology platform designed to drive measurable impact across strategic priorities such as resident satisfaction, staff retention, workflow efficiencies, and occupancy rates to demonstrate clear value and achieve substantial ROI. Trusted by 4,500+ nursing homes, assisted and independent living communities, memory care settings, and adult day programs across North America, iN2L + LifeLoop's powerful system holistically supports the entire senior living ecosystem. One mission. One solution. For more information, visit iN2L.com . Media Contact John Gonda 616-309-4888 [email protected] SOURCE iN2L Woolpert will supply Google Maps Platform services, with a focus on mobility, to customers in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. These capabilities align with those of Woolpert, which has delivered geospatial services for more than 50 years, employs more than 600 geospatial professionals, collects mapping data and imagery around the world, develops and patents geospatial technologies, and owns and operates a fleet of aircraft and sensors. Woolpert Senior Vice President Jon Downey said Woolpert specializes in Google Maps Platform mobility solutions because they require the ability to navigate complex mapping challenges. "Google Maps Platform and these key services fit with who we are," Downey said. "Over the last few years, Google has developed solutions like On-demand Rides & Deliveries, Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing to support journey sharing, driver navigation, real-time ETAs, fleet optimization and route planning. These are the kinds of leading technologies that the world has come to expect from Google, and we're excited to share them with additional customers in Europe." Woolpert has earned two Google Cloud Location-Based Services Partner of the Year Awards and a Google Cloud Partner Award for Customer Success in Google Maps Platform. The firm has achieved 10 expertise distinctions, including Retail and Automotive in the Google Cloud Partner Program. About Woolpert Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, has earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America's fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has over 1,900 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com. Media contact: Jill Kelley; 937-531-1258, [email protected] SOURCE Woolpert DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Air Freight Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global air freight market reached a value of US$ 270.3 billion in 2021. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach a value of US$ 390.7 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.80% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, the analyst is continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different End-use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Air freight, also known as air cargo, is a transportation mode used to deliver fast speed shipments via charter or commercial air carriers. It can be delivered globally as goods sent from consignors to consignees or sellers to buyers. Moreover, it is handled along the chain by numerous entities, such as express carriers, aircraft and postal operators, regulated agents, haulers, and ground handlers, with varying responsibilities. At present, air freight is assisting in contributing to economic development across the globe. Air Freight Market Trends Air freight is utilized for delivering non-perishable goods like jewelry, clothing, automotive parts, and perishable items, including fruits, vegetables, and meats, which require quick delivery. Besides this, it plays a crucial role in the distribution of vaccines through a well-established temperature-sensitive distribution system and cutting-edge technology and procedures. This, in confluence with the burgeoning aviation industry, is bolstering the growth of the market. Additionally, other modes of transportation, such as marine, rail, or road transport, generally take days or weeks to deliver different items. However, transporting goods using air freight saves time and offers a high level of security. It also requires less packaging than other transportation methods to reduce the weight limit. This, coupled with the growing popularity of consolidated air freight services, is positively influencing the market. Apart from this, key players are increasingly focusing on geographical expansions and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to expand their customer base. This, along with the integration of the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the air cargo supply chain and the rising import and export of goods among numerous countries worldwide, is facilitating the growth of the market. Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being American Airlines Inc., ANA Cargo Inc., Bollore Logistics, Cargolux Airlines International S.A., Delta Air Lines Inc., Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV A/S, Expeditors International of Washington Inc., FedEx Corporation, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Nippon Express Co. Ltd., Qatar Airways and United Parcel Service Inc. Key Questions Answered in This Report How has the global air freight market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global air freight market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the service? What is the breakup of the market based on the destination? What is the breakup of the market based on the End-user? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global air freight market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Air Freight Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Service 6.1 Freight 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Express 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Mail 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 6.4 Others 6.4.1 Market Trends 6.4.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Destination 7.1 Domestic 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 International 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End User 8.1 Private 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Commercial 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 American Airlines Inc. 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 Financials 14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.2 ANA Cargo Inc. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 Financials 14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.3 Bollore Logistics 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3.3 Financials 14.3.4 Cargolux Airlines International S.A. 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5 Delta Air Lines Inc. 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5.3 Financials 14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.6 Deutsche Bahn AG 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.7 Deutsche Post AG 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 Financials 14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.8 DSV A/S 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Expeditors International of Washington Inc. 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.10 FedEx Corporation 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10.3 Financials 14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.11 Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.12 Kuehne + Nagel International AG 14.3.12.1 Company Overview 14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.13 Nippon Express Co. Ltd. 14.3.13.1 Company Overview 14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.13.3 Financials 14.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.14 Qatar Airways 14.3.14.1 Company Overview 14.3.14.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.15 United Parcel Service Inc. 14.3.15.1 Company Overview 14.3.15.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.15.3 Financials 14.3.15.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pja23f Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Genome Editing Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Genome editing is a method of making changes in a living organism's DNA and is used for improving crop yields, diagnosing and treating diseases, and for research purposes. The research and development in genome editing have been increasing worldwide as it is being used in the agriculture and healthcare sectors. Also, the investments in genome editing have been rising as the technique is being seen to have the potential to solve various problems, which is anticipated to surge the market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, the support of various governments worldwide for the use of genome editing to improve crop yields is another prominent factor expected to drive the genome editing market. Moreover, the growing cases of cancer and other genetic disorders are surging the need for effective treatment and consequently leading to the market growth of genome editing. The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the market as researchers developed new diagnostic tools based on CRISPR, a genome-editing technique, for diagnosing COVID-19 patients. This led to a positive impact on the genome editing market and increased the expected growth rates of the genome editing market in 2020 and 2021. As the spread of coronavirus continues to affect the world with its new waves and variants, the pandemic is projected to have a positive impact on the genome editing market in the coming years as well. Growing cases of cancer and other genetic disorders The cases of cancer and other genetic disorders have been increasing globally. The growing interest in genome editing for the treatment of cancer and several genetic disorders is anticipated to propel the growth of the genome editing market during the forecast period. NIH researchers have recently, in January 2021, found and recognized a new genetic disorder called linkage-specific-deubiquitylation-deficiency-induced embryonic defects syndrome (LINKED) that causes delays in development and hinders the proper formation of heart, facial features, and brain. Such identifications of new genetic disorders also contribute to the rising cases of genetic disorders. Furthermore, cancer cases have been proliferating. According to data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the number of cancer cases in the United Kingdom (England and Wales) has increased from 138,577 in 2010 to 156,444 in 2017 for males and from 130,674 in 2010 to 149,239 in 2017 for females. As per IARC, the number of cancer cases in Europe is projected to jump from 4.398 million in 2020 to 5.323 million in 2040, witnessing an increase of around 21%. In North America, the cases of cancer are projected to reach 3.525 million in 2040, increasing from 2.557 million in 2020, growing by nearly 38%. This is expected to have a positive impact on the genome editing market in the coming years, owing to an increasing need for better cancer treatments. Rising investments and research in genome editing In September 2021, the UK government announced its plans to support gene editing in agriculture to support the country's farmers in growing better and more productive crops. The government is making research and development easier. It also aims to make the necessary measures for genome-edited products to reach safely and responsibly to the market. Furthermore, the government of China is backing the use of CRISPR, a genome-editing technique, to improve the food supply in the country. North America to dominate the global market Geographically, the North American region is anticipated to hold a significant market share owing to the large investments being made in the region in the field of genome editing. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to witness substantial growth due to the surging cases of genetic disorders and cancer, along with higher spending on healthcare and research. As per the data from IARC, the number of cancer cases in Asia is projected to grow by more than 59%. Furthermore, the use of CRISPR has been increasing substantially in China, which is further expected to contribute to the market growth in the Asia Pacific. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 4.1. Market Drivers 4.2. Market Restraints 4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.3.1. Bargaining Power of End-Users 4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers 4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants 4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes 4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry 4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis 5. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by Technology 5.1. Introduction 5.2. CRISPR 5.3. TALEN 5.4. ZFN 5.5. Others 6. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by Application 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Cell Line Engineering 6.3. Animal Genetic Engineering 6.4. Plant Genetic Engineering 7. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by End-User 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Academic & Government Research Institutes 7.3. Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Companies 7.4. Contract Research Organizations 8. Genome Editing Market Analysis, by Geography 8.1. Introduction 8.2. North America 8.2.1. USA 8.2.2. Canada 8.2.3. Mexico 8.3. South America 8.3.1. Brazil 8.3.2. Argentina 8.3.3. Others 8.4. Europe 8.4.1. Germany 8.4.2. France 8.4.3. UK 8.4.4. Others 8.5. Middle East and Africa 8.5.1. Saudi Arabia 8.5.2. UAE 8.5.3. Others 8.6. Asia Pacific 8.6.1. China 8.6.2. India 8.6.3. Japan 8.6.4. South Korea 8.6.5. Taiwan 8.6.6. Thailand 8.6.7. Indonesia 8.6.8. Others 9. Competitive Environment and Analysis 9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis 9.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness 9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations 9.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix 10. Company Profiles 10.1. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 10.2. Merck & Co., Inc. 10.3. Horizon Discovery Group plc 10.4. GenScript 10.5. Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. 10.6. Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. 10.7. Lonza Group Ltd. 10.8. BEX Co., LTD. 10.9. OriGene Technologies, Inc. 10.10. Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fi87f0 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pine Chemicals Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pine chemicals market reached a value of US$ 5.12 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 6.6 Billion by 2027 exhibiting a CAGR of 4.10% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Pine chemicals are obtained from pine trees using the distillation of wood. They help improve product performance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the reuse of materials. As a result, they are widely used in inks, adhesives, perfumes, flavors of fizzy beverages and different food products, paints, fragrances of soaps and home cleaners, food additives, and automobile tires. At present, there is a rise in the utilization of pine chemicals in gum rosin, which further finds application as a concrete frothing agent and floor tiling, heat melt ingredient, pressure-sensitive, and rubber adhesives across the globe. The growing employment of pine chemicals in the mining industry to increase the productivity and efficiency of mining processes, such as extraction and recovery of minerals from ores, represents one of the key factors driving the market. Moreover, there is a rise in the applications of lubricants as antiwear, antioxidants and antifoaming agents, demulsifying and emulsifying agents, and rust and corrosion inhibitors. This, along with the increasing usage of pine chemicals in the flavors and fragrances industry across the globe, is propelling the growth of the market. In addition, extensive use of crude oil and natural gas products is resulting in the growing pollution around the world. As a result, there is a need to minimize fossil fuel consumption and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which in turn, is offering lucrative growth opportunities to the end users and investors. Furthermore, key market players are focusing on partnerships, collaborations, and agreements to improve product quality. These players are also focusing on product launches and expansions. Other growth-inducing factors are improvements in the production side, technological advancements, and rapid urbanization. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Arakawa Chemical Industries Ltd, Arboris LLC, DRT (Firmenich SA), Eastman Chemical Company, Forchem Oyj, Harima Chemicals Group Inc., Ingevity Corporation, Kraton Corporation, OOO Torgoviy Dom Lesokhimik and SunPine AB. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global pine chemicals market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global pine chemicals market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the product type? What is the breakup of the market based on the source? What is the breakup of the market based on the application? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global pine chemicals market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Pine Chemicals Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Product Type 6.1 Tall Oil 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Rosin 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Turpentine 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 6.4 Others 6.4.1 Market Trends 6.4.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Source 7.1 Pine Trunks 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Aged Pine Stumps 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Kraft Pulp 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Application 8.1 Adhesives and Coatings 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Solvents and Disinfectants 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Printing Ink 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Synthetic Rubber 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 8.5 Flavors and Fragrances 8.5.1 Market Trends 8.5.2 Market Forecast 8.6 Others 8.6.1 Market Trends 8.6.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 Arakawa Chemical Industries Ltd 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 Financials 14.3.2 Arboris LLC 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3 DRT (Firmenich SA) 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4 Eastman Chemical Company 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 Financials 14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 Forchem Oyj 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6 Harima Chemicals Group Inc. 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6.3 Financials 14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.7 Ingevity Corporation 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 Financials 14.3.8 Kraton Corporation 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.9 OOO Torgoviy Dom Lesokhimik 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10 SunPine AB 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yi4uqz Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets For PTSD awareness month, the focus of this live discussion is PTSD and Suicide. COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Wreaths Across America Radio is proud to announce the sixth in its series of roundtable discussions focused on Veteran Healing through sharing stories of resilience, purpose, and success. This live discussion will take place on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 12PM ET, and can be heard exclusively on Wreaths Across America Radio. The discussion will focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and veteran suicides, discussing the causes, highlighting the avenues to get help, and learning how to make those connections so veterans can empower themselves into building supportive communities. Guest panelists listed below will be interviewed by Wreaths Across America's Executive Director Karen Worcester and Director of Military & Veteran Outreach, Joe Regan, United States Army Veteran. Guest Panelists Include: Major General (ret) Gregg Martin: General Martin is a 36-year Army combat veteran, retired two-star general, and bipolar survivor, thriver, and warrior. A qualified Airborne-Ranger-Engineer and Strategist, he has commanded soldiers in combat, as well as a company, battalion, and brigade. As a general officer, he commanded the Corps of Engineers Northwest Division, the Army Engineer School, Fort Leonard Wood, the Army War College, and the National Defense University. A graduate of West Point, MIT, and both the Army and Naval War Colleges, he is an ardent and full-time mental health advocate. He lives with his wife in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he writes, speaks, and confers. His forthcoming book is entitled: "Bipolar General: my 'forever war' with mental illness." Cindy Roberts: Cindy is the Department of New York, President, American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. She and her husband Bob are the proud parents of SGT Kristie Roberts who served in the Army National Guard as a medic. Kristie took her own life on Aug. 21, 2012, and every day since her parents have worked tirelessly to help "stop the negative stigma" associated with suicide. This includes service and support to the national nonprofit Mission 22. "I have the utmost respect for all those who have served and are serving our country," said Karen Worcester, Executive Director, Wreaths Across America. "This discussion, like all our Roundtables have been to date, is so important to be had, if it can help even one person find a path forward." The goal of the Wreaths Across America Radio roundtable series on Veteran Healing is to help reduce barriers for veterans by: Supporting generational bonds between service veterans through stories of service and success; Destigmatizing issues faced by veterans and asking for help; Combating inaccurate perceptions of veterans by discussing the diverse experiences, challenges, and success of service members, veterans, and their families; and Connecting veterans with valuable resources. You can listen to Wreaths Across America Radio's 24/7 internet stream anytime and anywhere on the iHeart Radio app, Audacy app, TuneIn app, or at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/radio This is the sixth broadcast in this series, Roundtable discussions are broadcast on Wreaths Across America Radio at least once per quarter. All panel discussions are broadcast exclusively on Wreaths Across America Radio. About Wreaths Across America Radio Wreaths Across America Radio is a 24/7 Internet stream. Its unique format provides informational and inspiring content about members of the U.S. armed forces, their families, military veterans, and volunteers throughout the country and overseas who support the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. Along with the inspiring content, Wreaths Across America Radio plays a variety of music with roots firmly planted in patriotism and a country music thread running through the core of the stream. Wreaths Across America Radio has a live morning show every weekday morning from 6 am to 10 am eastern, along with a variety of special programs that support the mission. Listen live at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/radio and most recently, via the iHeart Radio app, or download it at the App Store or on Google! About Wreaths Across America Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission Remember, Honor, Teach is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as thousands of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. **NOTES TO MEDIA AND PRESS MATERIALS*** Moderators Karen Worcester and Joe Reagan will be available for interviews leading up to each event. Recorded presentations will be available for re-broadcast and distribution after each event. To help you build your stories quickly, general press information, pictures, and B-roll can be found by visiting https://learn.wreathsacrossamerica.org/mediaresources Karen Worcester, Executive Director, Wreaths Across America Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenworcester Pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sogkvijyufe2i65/karenheadshot21_hJePz5gl.jpg?dl=0 Joe Reagan, Director of Military & Veteran Outreach, Wreaths Across America, and United States Army Veteran Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-reagan Pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fbl9yhy97huod2w/Joe.jpeg?dl=0 SOURCE Wreaths Across America With new entry system for visitors, opportunities abound outside of Yellowstone National Park HELENA, Mont., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After temporary closures last week, Yellowstone National Park is welcoming visitors back today with the reopening of its south loop and three of its five entrances, including the West Entrance, South Entrance and East Entrance. "The National Park Service has done an incredible job of getting the park back open for visitors," said Scott Osterman, Director for the Montana Department of Commerce. "Tourism is a vital part of our economy, and we invite visitors to continue with their trips to Yellowstone National Park and Montana and encourage them to enjoy all our state has to offer beyond the park." Visitor access will be granted based on a just-launched alternating license plate system , which allows alternating entry on odd and even days of the month based on license plates. Specific details are available here . West Yellowstone , Montana which borders Yellowstone National Park and is home to the park's most popular West Entrance is the closest access point to the park and is open for travelers, with a variety of things to do, see and experience, including the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Yellowstone Aerial Adventures and Museum of the Yellowstone. Beyond West Yellowstone, there are endless options to experience Montana's wide-open spaces, touchable history, western offerings and American Indian culture. Cast a fishing line on blue-ribbon waters with an experienced guide in Ennis, walk through Montana history in Virginia City and Nevada City, take the backroads to Helena and explore the Gates of the Mountains. Additional trip inspiration and itineraries can be found at VISITMT.COM ; travelers can also call 800-847-4868 for specific information and ideas. "While we know this is throwing a wrench in the plans of many travelers, it's an incredible opportunity to be flexible and explore other parts of Montana, all while supporting local businesses and towns," said Jan Stoddard, Bureau Chief of the Office of Tourism for Montana. While there is no confirmed opening date for the park's North Entrance through Gardiner or the Northeast Entrance via Cooke City, both Gardiner and Red Lodge are open and accessible for travelers. Earlier this month, unprecedented amounts of rainfall caused substantial flooding, rockslides, and mudslides within Yellowstone National Park and south-central Montana. Historic water levels caused severe damage to roads, water and wastewater systems, power lines, and other infrastructure. The latest information from Yellowstone National Park can be found here . Travelers are encouraged to visit the following sites for up-to-date information: Road conditions: www.511mt.net Yellowstone National Park : https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/ : To sign up for text alerts for Yellowstone National Park : Text "82190" to 888-7777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions). ABOUT VISIT MONTANA Visit Montana markets Montana's spectacular unspoiled nature, vibrant and charming small towns, breathtaking experiences, relaxing hospitality and competitive business climate to promote the state as a place to visit and do business. For more information, please visit VISITMT.COM . SOURCE Visit Montana COSTA MESA, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Z SUPPLY looks to open doors for the next generation of fashion and design creatives by announcing new scholarship agreements with three art and design colleges in California through the Z SUPPLY Foundation. In 2021, Z SUPPLY celebrated the launch of the Foundation, focusing efforts on educational opportunities. Last year, Z SUPPLY was thrilled to raise $250,000 for specifically tailored scholarships to help students pursuing degrees in fashion design, art and marketing through sales made on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday on ZSUPPLY.COM (excluding taxes and shipping). "Thank you to all of our customers for making this initiative possible," said Z SUPPLY president, Mandy Fry. "We gave our customers the opportunity to support these students' college education alongside us. The money we raised will have a true impact on students in the fashion, art and marketing fields at Otis College of Art and Design, CCA and CSULB College of the Arts." The Z SUPPLY Foundation board of directors researched various colleges and were pleased to select three to create their own specific Z Supply Foundation scholarships. The board plans to visit each campus this fall to connect with students and faculty. Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design is a national leader in art and design education. The Z SUPPLY Foundation is pledging a $50,000 Endowed Scholarship fund to support one senior in any BFA program until such time as the endowment growth allows for additional recipients. In addition, the Foundation pledges a $50,000 Named Scholarship that will support 10 scholarships in Fashion Design, Digital Media, Communications Arts, Graphics, and related fields for the 2022-2023 academic year. California College of the Arts CCA educates visionary students to become versatile makers with inventive solutions to advance culture and society. The Foundation is pledging $50,000 to establish an endowment program to support the Scholarship in perpetuity, pledging an additional $50,000 as a spend-down gift to be awarded in full as the Z SUPPLY Foundation Scholarship in academic years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The Z SUPPLY Foundation scholarship at CCA will support students from diverse backgrounds as they pursue degrees in Fashion Design. California State University, Long Beach - College of the Arts College of the Arts at CSU Long Beach, is one of the largest, most respected state-supported arts colleges in the country. The Foundation is pledging a total of $50,000 to the CSULB 49er Foundations for students studying Graphic Design and Photography. New for 2022, Z SUPPLY Foundation is planning a separate fundraising event to benefit a social or environmental initiative, which will include both ZSUPPLY.COM and Z SUPPLY's wholesale partners. For more information regarding the Z SUPPLY Foundation and the Z SUPPLY Foundation college scholarships, please visit Z SUPPLY Foundation. About Z SUPPLY FOUNDATION: With the ethos that we are all in this together, Z SUPPLY launched its philanthropic arm, the Z SUPPLY Foundation in 2021. The Foundation is committed to supporting social, environmental and educational qualified tax-exempt 501(c) (3) public charities in the United States. Each year, the Foundation will have a specific focus, giving us the opportunity to support all the causes that mean so much to us as a brand. About Z SUPPLY: Launched in 2013, Z SUPPLY's philosophy is that simplicity, comfort, and style should coexist in every closet. What started with a cotton tee quickly expanded into a line of classic, casual-cool styles designed for everyday wear. Innovation continues to be key, which led Z SUPPLY to expand with more timeless fashion essentials, featuring signature soft fabrications and versatile styles, as well as cozy loungewear, eyewear and activewear collections. Contact: Amanda Pennington (949) 574-1440 [email protected] SOURCE Z SUPPLY Foundation Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX:ATC)s recent site visit to its Silumina Anodes pilot plant in Saxony, Germany, has led to a final construction contract with Kuttner GmbH & Co. KG. Kuttner is a German engineering firm with strong experience in delivering metallurgical plant projects and has worked with Altech to complete final plant engineering design and cost estimation. It has strong experience in design, procurement, project and construction management and plant commissioning across a range of industries. Altech has chosen a partner that previously completed metallurgical plant, water and off-gas treatment projects in Germany and that brings valuable local knowledge to the execution of the project. The Basic Engineering phase has confirmed key design parameters, locking in key equipment capacities and validating operational criteria. Work to start immediately Kuttner will start work straight away on the procurement process, with construction of the pilot plant to follow when equipment arrives toward the end of 2022. The pilot plant is designed to produce 120 kilograms per day of Silumina Anodes coated battery anode material, which will be made available to selected European battery manufacturers and auto-makers. The pilot plant will be established in Dock3 (leased warehouse space), next door to Altechs land in Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park in Saxony. Cashed up for construction Altech had a cash position at the end of March 2022 of A$11.571 million and is well funded to construct and complete the pilot plant, which is estimated to cost A$7.177 million. Costs will be split between Altech (75% owner), which will fund A$5.382 million of the costs and Altech Advanced Materials AG (25% owner), which will put in A$1.794 million. About Altech Altech is a specialty battery materials technology company that has licensed its proprietary high purity alumina coating technology to 75% owned subsidiary Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG), which has started a definitive feasibility study for the development of a 10,000 tonnes per annum silicon/graphite alumina coating plant in Saxony, to supply its Silumina Anodes product to the burgeoning European electric vehicle market. This company recently announced its game-changing technology of incorporating high-capacity silicon in lithium-ion batteries. Through in-house R&D, Altech has cracked the silicon code and successfully achieved a 30% higher energy battery with improved cyclability or battery life. Higher density batteries result in smaller, lighter batteries and substantially less greenhouse gases, and is the future for the EV market. NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) is getting an extension to the deadline for the sale of HM Treasurys stake in the company, UK Government Investments said today. The government investment group said it has agreed to extend the sale of the Treasurys shares in Natwest under the trading plan announced last July. The deadline for a sale of the governments shareholding has now been extended by a year to 11 August 2023. With its stake going below 50% in March, the Treasury has already recouped 1.6bn from share sales but still holds more than 5bn shares and about 48.5% of its voting rights. The Treasury plans to sell up to 15% of the total volume of shares in the company, subject to market conditions. It is possible these could be bought by Natwest through a company buyback. The government investment body has agreed not to sell shares below a price that the Treasury determines represents fair value and delivers money for the taxpayer. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) has been appointed to advise on the privatisation of the bank and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as legal counsel. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is handling the sale and will sell down ordinary shares in the bank on behalf of the Treasury. The Treasury is the sole shareholder in UK Government Investments, which is accountable to an independent board and ultimately to Parliament through Chancellor Rishi Sunak. A flash blog today as Im in town with key interview and meetings, anything I have missed I will add later or tomorrow. Wentworth Resources Wentworth has announced an operational update ahead of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held today. Following record production achieved in 2021, Wentworth and its joint venture partners continued to realize strong production rates throughout 2022, recording an average production rate of 92 MMscf/d year to date. The five producing wells in the Mnazi Bay field and the associated joint venture operated facilities continued to perform well and without issues. Furthermore, the reductions in natural gas demand typically seen during the wetter months, April and May, were less severe and shorter, compared to previous years. The Companys production guidance for the year, provided in January 2022, remains unchanged at 75 85 MMscf/d. The Government of Tanzania remains positive in their recent announcements regarding their willingness to progress and promote projects of national interest and it is expected that these positive actions will continue to promote further growth potential for the Tanzanian economy. With the Companys recent agreement to acquire Scirocco Energy PLC (AIM:SCIR)s 25% interest in the Ruvuma PSA, Wentworth is pleased to report that work on the 338 km2 3D seismic, over the discovery and potential development area, is progressing positively and is intended to provide data critical to the development of the field and to optimize further drilling locations. The operator, ARA Petroleum Tanzania, has indicated that the Chikumbi-1 well will be drilled following the completion of the seismic programme and that first gas from the project is possible by late 2024, following the award of a 25-year development licence and construction of a pipeline connecting the field to the Madimba gas processing facility which is located within the Mnazi Bay licence area. The Company looks forward to updating the market as operations on this transformational new project progress. Operational Highlights and Outlook Average daily production year to date is 92.2 MMscf/day (gross), compared with 79.9 MMscf/day (gross) during the same period in 2021 Record quarterly average daily production of 98.5 MMscf/day (gross) achieved in Q1 2022 Wentworth and Mnazi Bay JV Partners supply approximately 50% of natural gas demand in Tanzania which is primarily used for essential baseload electricity but is also expanding to include a multitude of industrial users The Mnazi Bay JV Partners continue to progress the 2022 work programme, which is focused on ensuring reliable gas production through diligent field maintenance The Operator will conduct essential maintenance during a two-day shut down planned for late June The health and safety of the employees at Mnazi Bay remains of paramount importance as is evidenced with our continued efforts to ensure robust health and safety standards. As of 31 May 2022, the Mnazi Bay operations have reported zero lost time incidents for a period of five years and 301 days Evaluation of the Mnazi Bay licence area for additional exploration and production potential is ongoing Financial Declared a final dividend in respect of FY 2021 of 1.16 pence per share ($2.6 million); a total dividend distribution in respect of 2021 of 1.7 pence per share ($4.0 million) representing an increase from 2020 ($3.8 million) and a yield of approximately 7.1% (based on current market capitalisation) Debt free with cash on hand of $26 million TPDC receivable $2.4 million representing 1-month of gas sales (fully current) TANESCO receivable $753k representing 6-months of gas sales ($615k representing 5-months of gas sales in arrears) Corporate Actively progressing the Companys strategy to diversify the asset portfolio with high quality growth opportunities as demonstrated with the recent Ruvuma acquisition Strict commitment to maintain sustainable progressive capital returns Continued focus on growth within Tanzania and the broader region by capitalising on a strong operational track record and in-depth local knowledge Maintenance of a highly skilled Board and management team Progressively engaged with shareholders by providing regular updates and management access Sustainability In light of the COP26 conference in 2021, Tanzania announced its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. In doing so, the Government cemented its commitment to decreasing its already-limited emissions output and reinforcing incentives for low-carbon energy sources such as natural gas Natural gas will play a critical role in meeting a reduction in emissions with reliable baseload electricity helping to further replace carbon-intensive off-grid fuel sources such as heavy fuel oil and diesel Ongoing ESG strategy remains a priority following the publication of Wentworths second Sustainability Report for 2021; it addresses how Wentworth proactively manages its impacts by upholding relevant international standards and adopting a responsible approach to doing business in Tanzania; the Company is progressing its initiatives with Vitol and the Government of Tanzania on how to best address these goals Katherine Roe, Chief Executive of Wentworth, said: I am delighted that Wentworth has made such a strong start to the year with production, supporting our full year guidance and providing the confidence to announce a further dividend increase and maintain our attractive yield, one of the highest in the independent E&P sector. Mnazi Bay continues to provide Tanzania with approximately half of the countrys natural gas demand and our contribution to the countrys growth will be further enhanced by our recently announced acquisition of a 25% stake in the nearby Ruvuma gas development project. Ruvuma is a transformational transaction for Wentworth and represents an attractively priced, low risk entry into a high growth opportunity which cements our position as a leading supplier of domestic gas to Tanzania. All going ahead of plans for Wentworth as todays update shows. Very strong production has led to another dividend increase and the recent Ruvuma deal will add to growth in Tanzania. The yield and this growth makes Wentworth amongst the best value shares in the sector. Chariot Chariot has announced its audited final results for the year ended 31 December 2021. Transitional Gas: Anchois Gas Development Project Successful drilling campaign of the Anchois-2 well, completed safely, on time and on budget delivering a significant gas discovery. An accelerated field development plan underway as the Company looks to progress the front end engineering design (FEED), ahead of the final investment decision (FID). Discovery exceeded expectations: 150m net pay confirmed across seven reservoirs, excellent quality and consistent dry gas composition which should enable a simple development. MoU on gas offtake and partnering signed with a leading international energy group Societe Generale appointed as financial advisor to lead the project financing. Collaboration / FEED agreement in place with Subsea Integration Alliance to progress the front-end design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation and operation of the development project. Management focussed on progressing towards material cashflows as quickly as possible. Material upside potential: The drilling campaign also directly de-risked a material portfolio of prospects within the Lixus licence area. The Rissana Offshore Licence, Morocco was signed in February 2022 which surrounds the Lixus acreage and captures gas play extensions from the Anchois wells. Potential for multi Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) volumes in deeper plays. Transitional Power Renewable Energy for Mining Projects Acquisition of AEMP completed in Q2 2021 with the AEMP team now fully integrated within Chariots Transitional Power business. Projects are developed in strategic partnership with Total Eren, a global renewable IPP focused on low-risk mining power projects in Africa. The partnership was extended in January 2022 to cover a three year period, with an option to extend for a further two years thereafter. Chariot has the right to invest between 15-49% into the co-developed projects. This partnership is building up a pipeline of African mining power projects and looking to collaborate on other non-mining energy projects and transactions across the continent. First project in operation, a 15MW solar project, at the Essakane gold mine in Burkina Faso, successfully generating material returns. Two more projects signed in the post-period and in development: An MoU signed for a 40MW solar PV project with Tharisa PLC (LSE:THS, JSE:THA, OTC:TIHRF), to provide power to its chrome and PGM operations in South Africa. Partnership in place with First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FQM) to advance the development of a 430 MW solar and wind power project for its copper mining operations in Zambia one of the largest renewable private sector energy projects in Africa. Green Hydrogen Project Nour Exclusivity awarded over licences to develop a large scale green hydrogen project utilising renewable power to split water through electrolysis. Recent Pre-Feasibility Study confirms that Mauritania is exceptionally well-placed for green hydrogen production due to its unique solar and wind resources and the project has the potential to produce some of the cheapest hydrogen in the world. Domestic benefits for Mauritania include providing baseload power to the national grid, diversifying industrial activities (e.g. green steel), promoting job creation and developing local infrastructure with the potential to have a significant impact on GDP. Framework Agreement in place which defines the terms and guiding principles to pave the way for the in-depth feasibility study that will be undertaken over the next 24 months. Optimising project fundamentals through reducing acreage position to 5,000km therefore allowing for a more focused scope MoU signed with the Port of Rotterdam International, a global energy hub and Europes largest seaport which represents a first step towards establishing supply chains. Partnering process underway with the objective to form a world class consortium. Other licences Whilst fully written down, Chariot has retained its interest in its licences in Brazil with no work commitments going forward and will host datarooms for interested parties as required. The Central Blocks in Namibia have expired but Chariot retains a 10% back in right in the Southern Blocks as a low risk future option. Corporate Further to the successful equity fundraising of US$25.5m and $4 million Open Offer announced in June 2022, the Company is well financed to take the Anchois Gas Project through to FEED and FID, in addition to progressing the Companys wider asset portfolio. Oversubscribed equity fundraising completed in December 2021. Year end cash position as at 31 December 2021 of $19.4 million with no debt and minimal remaining work commitments. Senior leadership team fully aligned with shareholders, with the Board owning 9.57% of the shares in issue following June 2022 fundraising. Outlook Chariot is focused on: Delivering prompt FID on the Anchois gas development Progressing towards production and material cashflows from Anchois as quickly as possible. Strategic partnering in Morocco to accelerate growth from a portfolio of high value, low risk upsides Further development of the pipeline of Transitional Power projects. Evaluation of further value-accretive new ventures in line with the Companys focus on the theme of energy transition. Adonis Pouroulis, Acting CEO of Chariot commented: During what has been a turbulent macro environment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am very proud of the progress we have made across the business over the past year, as we continue to establish our transitional energy platform within Africa. Our mission is to create value and deliver positive change by investing in projects that are driving the energy revolution and we are fully committed to executing our plan. Through progressing and accelerating our gas development offshore Morocco we are looking to provide a gas hungry market with domestic supply; through our renewable power projects we are materially reducing the carbon emissions of mining operations in Africa and with our acreage in Mauritania, we are progressing what has the potential to be one of the worlds largest green hydrogen projects and a key source of green energy in the future. As a nimble and entrepreneurial team, we will also continue to leverage our network and utilise our expertise to seek out new ventures where we can play a key role and that fit within our ethos and strategy. We are excited about the potential that sits within our current portfolio, as well as opportunities that the future holds. We look forward to our ongoing progression and evolution as a company and we thank our shareholders for their ongoing support. A very much in line with expectations set of results today with nothing that wasnt already in the market. CEO Adonis Pouroulis is very confident and so he should be. Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Eco has provided an update on the operations for its planned Gazania-1 Well, offshore South Africa. Eco through its wholly owned subsidiary Azinam South Africa Limited Operates and holds a 50% working interest (WI) in Block 2B, plans to spud the Gazania-1 well, 25km offshore the Northern Cape in South Africa in September 2022. The well will take approximately 25 days to drill. Eco Atlantic acquired 100% of Azinam Group as initially announced on 10 January 2022, which increased WI in its all existing Namibian licences PELs 97, 98, 99 and 100 to 85%, and led to a new country entry with two blocks offshore in the Orange Basin, South Africa; a 50% WI and Operatorship in Block 2B, which contains the previous AJ-1 oil discovery with 56 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmbbl) Mean Contingent Resources of light oil, and a 20% WI in Block 3B/4B. Block 3B/4B directly offsets the prolific multibillion barrels discoveries offshore Namibia announced earlier this year by Shell (Graff-1) and TotalEnergies (Venus-1). Eco, as Operator of Block 2B is leading the JV partnership comprised of Africa Energy Corp (27.5% WI), Panoro 2B Limited, a subsidiary of Panoro Energy ASA (12.5% WI) and Crown Energy AB (10% WI) in drilling the Gazania-1 Exploration Well in Q322. The well is being drilled 25km offshore in 150 meters of water and will be drilled to a depth of approximately 2,800 meters to target a stacked pay section up dip of the AJ-1 discovery and in the proven oil horizon. As announced on 3 March 2022, Eco contracted the Island Innovator rig with Island Drilling Company AS, the rig is to be mobilised from Bergen, Norway in the second half of July. The state of the art semi-submersible drilling rig was selected for its modern safe operating systems, its stationary anchoring and its system specifically engineered for the engineering requirements and depth range for this well. The well anticipated to be low pressure and low temperature based on the evaluation of all regional wells. It will be cased with three telescoped and cemented casings and will be drilled with environmentally friendly water based drilling fluids. The Company plans to seal and plug the well after the test with no remaining equipment left on the sea floor. The sea floor well area was surveyed in 2021 to confirm there are no environmental or culturally sensitive concerns. Eco recently met face-to-face with members of the local communities and interested organizations through both focus groups and ongoing open meeting forums, to provide information sharing sessions, to engage with them to inform on the upcoming operations and to answer any questions. Colin Kinley, Co-Founder and COO of Eco Atlantic commented: The acquisition of Azinam created an opportunity to work with the JV partners, the Government of South Africa and importantly the people of South Africa to drill this significant well in Q3 this year. We have worked diligently with our drilling team and partners to define a safe and efficient drilling strategy for Gazania, to define drilling engineering to meet world standards of environmental protection and hopefully give South Africa access to its own oil resources. We acknowledge that South Africas energy transition must be thought out from all perspectives. Although the required permits are in place at this point we thought it necessary to voluntarily meet with the regional local communities and interested parties to hear out concerns and interests. The Company met with community representatives at public information sessions and we have had, and will continue to have, face-to-face discussions in the coming weeks. We are currently on schedule to mobilize out of Norway in the third week of July and spud early in September. We anticipate approximately three to four weeks on site to drill the test well and then regardless of our findings we will seal off the well, ensure the site is completely restored and move off. Eco has chosen a majority of available South African services and will base its operations from Cape Town. This is an exciting opportunity and holds the potential of establishing a new over 300 million barrels light oil resource. As I mentioned the other day Gazania is on track with all systems go as Eco get well and truly stuck into the South African drilling programme. Savannah Energy Savannah Energy PLC (AIM:SAVE), the British independent energy company focused around the delivery of Projects that Matter in Africa, is pleased to announce that Accugas Limited (Accugas), the Companys 80% indirectly owned subsidiary, has commenced gas sales to First Independent Power Limiteds (FIPL) Trans Amadi power plant in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. As previously announced in April 2022, Savannah executed an addendum to its gas sales agreement with FIPL, allowing FIPL to increase the quantity of gas purchased to up to 65 MMscfpd (from 35 MMscfpd) to allow supply to both its Trans Amadi and Eleme power plants (as well as its Afam power plant). FIPL is an affiliate company of the Sahara Group, a leading international energy and infrastructure conglomerate with operations in over 42 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The FIPL Trans Amadi power plant has a power generation capacity of 136 MW but its generation capacity had recently been limited due to gas availability issues from its primary supplier. Savannah commenced gas supply to the Trans Amadi power plant on 19 June 2022, which has allowed for the immediate resumption of power generation and evacuation to Nigerias National Grid. Andrew Knott, CEO of Savannah Energy, said: I am very pleased to have commenced gas sales to the Trans Amadi power station. I am proud of the key role we are increasingly playing in providing power to Nigeria at this time. I would like to thank our partners at Sahara for continuing to choose to work with us and look forward to exploring further opportunities with them in the future. Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, said: We are pleased to have achieved operationalisation of gas supply to our Trans Amadi Plant sooner than anticipated and thank Savannah for their continued support in ensuring that FIPL remains committed to efficient power generation in Nigeria. More excellent news from Savannah as they power ahead with sales to the Trans Amadi station, plenty of growth is coming through from SAVE at the moment. Rules surrounding airport slots have been temporarily suspended by the Department for Transport (DfT) to avoid more of the last-minute cancellations that are currently plaguing the sector. Airlines will be given a short window, described as an amnesty, to hand back any take-off and landing slots they feel they will not be able to operate during the busy summer period. Previously, the government had demanded airlines put on a full flight schedule, adding they must fly 70% of their flight slots at airports or lose them. "This will help passengers find alternative arrangements ahead of time, rather than face the kind of last-minute cancellations seen over the Easter and half-term holidays," a spokesperson said, quoted in Sky News. Airports slots are bought by airlines to operate their schedules but can lose them to competitors if they do not use them and fail to maintain their obligations to airports and passengers. Airlines giving up slots some time in advance, as opposed to last-minute cancellations, may open the opportunities for rivals to take up the spaces left behind. For example, easyJet and British Airways have been some of the biggest offenders in recent weeks, with easyJet announcing releasing it will be forced to cancel thousands of flights this summer. The amnesty announcement potentially, therefore, gives Ryanair an opportunity to take those allocations, possibly for the long term. However, according to John Strickland, director at air transport consultancy JLS Consulting, the measures introduced are very much a temporary stance. Slots are immensely valuable to the airlines that use them. Currently it is more a case of relief that the pressure to use under very challenging circumstances rather than for any airline to seek opportunistic use if the capacity which is freed up. Capital Metals PLC (AIM:CMET)'s chief executive Michael Frayne joins Katie to talk about its latest exploration latest results from its heavy mineral sands project in Sri Lanka. It's the second set of results from last year's drilling at the Eastern Minerals project and the company says described them as 'better than we thought'. Auger drilling results from Komari and Urani North, situated in the south of the project, returned grades of up to 86.1% Total Heavy Minerals (THM). Significant results included 1.5 metres (m) at 51.9% THM; 2.5m at 38.4% THM; and 2.5m at 35.2% THM. Oriole Resources PLC (AIM:ORR)'s Tim Livesey talked to Katie about a newly updated environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the Muratdere copper-molybdenum project in Turkey Livesey says the report has now been submitted for Muratdere, marking an important milestone for what is a legacy asset for the company (it retains a royalty interest which will deliver revenues once the mine is produced). He's confident, saying the company is expecting a 'positive outcome' which would see the project move towards the mine development stage, later this year. Oriole anticipates such a de-risking step could pave the way for a deal to sell the royalty interest in the project. Anglo Pacific should get a strong tailwind from changes to Queenslands royalty rate on coal, according to broker Berenberg. The royalty specialist's ownership of the Kestrel metallurgical coal mine in Australia (it owns 50% of certain substratum lands) means that it is entitled to coal royalty receipts from the mine, which makes It a major beneficiary of the changes. As a result, Berenberg has lifted its Kestrel revenue forecasts by 86% for the second half of this year and by 65% for 2023. All told it estimates an extra US$49mln of revenue over 2022-24 and an extra US$37mln in free cash flow will result and help the groups business development activities and enable accelerated deployment of capital into new royalties. At spot prices, the 2022-24E revenue and FCF accretion are US$201mln and US$130mln respectively. Coal is no longer a priority for the group and it is winding down its exposure with revenues from Kestrel to deplete over time due to mining moving out of the royalty area. "The attractiveness of the royalty business model is highlighted here, with meaningful earnings accretion in a period when cost pressure is a major negative risk for traditional miners near term." 'Buy' is the investment view with a new price target of 300p per share (against a previous target of 260p) and a market price of 157.4p. Culture secretary Nadine Dorries is to hold talks with some of Britains largest telecom companies, including BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A) and Vodafone Group PLC (LSE:VOD), to encourage private sector bosses into addressing the cost-of-living crisis. According to Sky News, Dorries will press the businesses into coming up with practical ideas to ease the squeeze on the living costs for their customers. Possible solutions mentioned by sources familiar with the matter include mass-market pricing, the provision of payment holidays or social tariffs, which could help cash-strapped customers. Berenberg notes that while the call may scare some within the telecoms business, ultimately the aim is to help the vulnerable. Analysts at the firm suggest that the focus will firmly be on helping those who need it, rather than changing mass-market pricing dynamics. Recently, big telecoms business have increased prices, adding further strain to customers' pockets, with Berenberg adding much of its discussions with investors centre on the sustainability, and political acceptability, of this pricing dynamic. In terms of improving social tariffs, Ofcom is already currently applying pressure on operators, with its reporting in February showing that of the 4.2mln households on universal credit, only 55,000 had taken advantage of discounted broadband packages. Berenberg also warns that mass-market pricing could damage investment in the sector. We believe that the UK telecom operators would have a strong argument that mass-market pricing intervention would reduce investment levels, damaging the UKs international competitiveness, analysts said. Scheduled big company news is a little thin on ground tomorrow, so it gives some of the markets second division a chance to shine. John Menzies PLC (LSE:MNZS) can depart on a high note given the agreed 608p per share bid for the company from Kuwaiti aviation services provider Agility Public Warehousing. But given the chaos at airports currently, being out of the limelight is probably no bad thing. The second of three rail strikes also gets underway, so City streets are likely to be empty, though there are ex-dividends at Experian, British Land and United Utilities, which are expected to knock around 4.7 points from FTSE 100. Otherwise, it is left to the latest US bank stress test results and other US economic data to provide some headlines, Thursday 23 June Interims: Oxford Metrics (AIM:OMG) PLC Finals: Alpha Financial Markets Consulting PLC (AIM:AFM), Deepverge PLC (AIM:DVRG), First Property Group PLC (AIM:FPO), Manolete Partners PLC (AIM:MANO), Marlowe, Naked Wines, Volex PLC (AIM:VLX), XPS Pensions Group PLC (LSE:XPS) AGMs: Anglo Asian Mining PLC (AIM:AAZ, OTC:AGXKF), Avacta Group PLC (AIM:AVCT), Bluejay Mining PLC, Braime Group PLC, Card Factory (LSE:CARD) PLC, Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited, GENinCode PLC (AIM:GENI), Getech Group PLC (AIM:GTC), Life Settlement Assets PLC, Longboat Energy PLC (AIM:LBE), Menzies (John) PLC, Next Fifteen Communications Group PLC (AIM:NFC), Norman Broadbent PLC (AIM:NBB), Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC (LSE:ONT), RBG Holdings PLC (AIM:RBGP), Tandem Group PLC (AIM:TND), Union Jack Oil PLC (AIM:UJO), Zinnwald Lithium PLC (LSE:znwd) Economic announcements: Public Sector Net Borrowing (UK), Initial Jobless Claims (US), Continuing Claims (US), Current Account (US) SensOre Ltd (ASX:S3N)s flagship technology asset DPT has pinpointed drill targets for Yilgarn Exploration Ventures North Darlot drill program, near Leinster in Western Australias Goldfields region. The self-described geoscience technology disruptor used AI to predict two new gold corridors, which have since been confirmed following an aircore drilling campaign. Early results include: 1-metre at 1.08 g/t gold from 53 metres, end of hole; 4 metres at 0.11 g/t from 32 metres; 4 metres at 0.11 g/t gold from 32 metres; and 12 metres at 0.11 g/t from 60 metres. Yilgarn, in which SensOre has a 60% interest, is very encouraged by these aircore results and is making plans for a deeper follow-up RC and diamond drilling program. Slimline RC drilling results testing several structural and stratigraphic geological units are pending. New drilling breaks through cover North Darlot is a large, under-explored tenement in a regional fertile corridor, 25 kilometres north of Red 5s Darlot-Centenary Gold Mine and 45 kilometres southeast of Northern Stars Bronzewing operations. Yilgarns 2022 aircore and reverse circulation (RC) program aimed to test the underlying sequence below the transported cover and leached upper saprolite. Most historical drilling failed to penetrate the thick transported cover material or the depleted residual regolith and leached bedrock, while the 2022 program managed to reach the lower saprolite weathering horizon. Yilgarn is earning an 85% interest in the project, held by prospector Andrew Paterson. Modern, higher-power drilling rigs SensOre CEO Richard Taylor said: The aircore results are very encouraging and support our and [partner] DGOs efforts to date on the project. The use of modern, higher power drilling rigs supplied by our business partner Kennedy Drilling have enabled us to open up new areas of gold potential. We look forward to the RC drill results and are already planning a follow-up drilling program to extensively test the project. Extended mineralisation The intersection extends gold mineralisation 250 metres north of historical mineralisation encountered in the area and remains open to the north. Together, the mineralisation at the north and southern ends of the western target highlight the projects potential to host mineralisation over an 8-kilometre strike length. Elixir Energy Ltd (ASX:EXR) continues to make headway on its coal bed methane (CBM) exploration and appraisal program underway at the wholly-owned Nomgon IX CBM Production Sharing Contract (PSC) in Mongolia. The energy stock recently finished drilling the Bulag-Suuj-1S exploration well, which logged 21 metres of coal. This discovery has since opened up a potential new CBM-bearing sub-basin in the PSC area and Elixir is advancing a new appraisal well known as Bulag-Suuj-2S to follow up on the finding some 4 kilometres away. In the meantime, drilling contractor Top Diamond Drilling has moved a second rig to the site and is now spudding the Venetian-1S exploration well. Other activity Elixir has also closed the books on its 2022 2D seismic acquisition program the campaign concluded on time and within budget and picked up 322 kilometres of data. Now, that information is being processed and interpreted to help guide the explorers future drill programs. Further out, Elixirs Yangir-4 well has faced some drilling difficulties related to fractured coal and is being re-drilled. Taking a look at the bigger picture, the companys extended pilot production program is advancing in parallel to the exploration and appraisal drilling. Experienced Mongolian contractor Monbag has been hired to construct the civil works and this will kick off shortly. Drilling sub-contractor Major Drilling expects to spud the first of two production wells by the end of August. Outside its operation and exploration endeavours, Elixir has opened a tree plantation in the small Gobi town of Nomgon. It comes as the Mongolian Government strongly supports tree planting efforts as part of a broad program to fight desertification and mitigate carbon emissions. Moving into top gear Elixir managing director Neil Young said: As we move to the middle of the Mongolia summer, our operations efforts are moving into top gear. We now have three rigs working in our PSC, pursuing a range of exploration and appraisal targets. A fourth rig will join the program shortly as we move to start up our extended pilot production test. In parallel, our Gobi H2 project recently materially boosted by the execution of a memorandum of understanding with Japans SB Energy is hiring a fifth rig to undertake water exploration drilling over the coming months. Gascoyne Resources Ltd (ASX:GCY) has delivered a breakthrough result of 54 metres at 6.55 g/t gold, including 12 metres at 20.1 g/t, confirming the scale and potential of Gilbeys North discovery within the Dalgaranga Gold Project in Western Australia. Ongoing resource drilling at Gilbeys North has confirmed the presence of deeper and materially higher-grade material while also highlighting the consistent width and continuity of the mineralised system at this emerging near-mine discovery. Together with ongoing drilling to define consistent shallow mineralisation in the footwall of the Gilbeys open pit, this work forms part of the company's strategy to grow mineral resources and ore reserves and extend the mine life at Dalgaranga. Shares have traded higher, up as much as 19.6% on the previous close to $0.275 intraday. Exciting near-mine discovery Gascoyne managing director and CEO Simon Lawson said: This is a breakthrough result which significantly elevates the importance of this exciting near-mine discovery. The latest drill-hole has returned a composite intercept of six times our current head-grade at Dalgaranga over a 54-metre interval a truly impressive result coming from a growing area of shallow high-grade mineralisation located within 1,000 metres of our +2.5 million tonnes per annum processing plant. Our geology and mining teams are working closely with external consultants to deliver an initial mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Gilbeys North, as well as to provide models for pit optimisation scenarios and potential mine schedules. In light of recent industry-wide delays in assay turnaround times, we are revising the timing of the initial MRE for Gilbeys North towards the end of July 2022. I am very much looking forward to renaming the Gilbeys North prospect as a deposit with the release of the impending MRE. I am also confident that the shallow high-grade gold we have discovered across the area just to the north of the operating Gilbeys open-pit represents a significant milestone for the Dalgaranga Gold Project. "Importantly, the naming of the new deposit following on from what was already an amazing discovery is a fitting tribute to the purposeful alignment and stellar efforts of the entire team across the Gascoyne organisation. Plan view showing the location of RC drill-hole DGRC0971, current mineralisation and the location of other nearby holes with assays pending. Forward plan Gascoyne's follow-up drilling continues at Gilbeys North with two reverse circulation rigs operating. Assay turnaround continues to be heavily impacted by industry-wide delays from staffing shortages. Consequently, assays are awaited from more than 100 drill holes, including up-dip of these intersections. There is strong initial progress with the drill-out of the Gilbeys Eastern Footwall targets within the current pit, with work continuing in this area. A third RC drill rig is continuing to drill at Plymouth and Gilbeys South as well as testing several additional near-mine targets identified through an ongoing geological review. Pental Ltd (ASX:PTL)s Charlie McLeish speaks with Proactives Andrew Scott about the companys performance over the last six months, including its strong relationship with hardware giant Bunnings. The companys managing director highlights how the four products on Bunnings shelves have exceeded expectations, having performed better in Bunnings than in any other retail outlet in Australia. Given the strong performance, Pental will present three more products to Bunnings in the next few weeks. McLeish also discusses Australian consumers support for local products, how as an Australian manufacturer the company has weathered global supply chain issues, the rise of its Firelighters, and the companys pleasing financial performance in the second half of the current financial year. Cookie Policy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping us understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. See our Cookie Policy for more information. Sipa Resources Ltd (ASX:SRI)'s Pip Darvall speaks with Proactives Andrew Scott about the comprehensive reverse circulation (RC) drill program that is now underway at the companys key Paterson North project. Notably, drilling at Paterson, a joint venture project with mining giant Rio Tinto, is ahead of schedule, with Rio to fund the program and Sipa to manage it as part of the companies agreement. Rio and Sipa have worked up several targets and Darvall explains that now is the time to drill the holes. The program is expected to take six weeks and will comprise 3,000-4,000 metres of RC drilling testing primarily regional targets. The work for Sipa doesnt stop there, as the company will turn its attention to Barbwire Terrace, a 50/50 joint venture between Sipa and Buru Energy Ltd (ASX:BRU) and its 100% owned Wolfe Basin project following work at Paterson. The company expects to be busy for at least the next three months with plenty of newsflow to keep investors engaged. Alice Queen managing director Andrew T Buxton (second from left), executive director Dale McCabe (third from left) and in-country manager, Tausia Kerta (right). The Ring of Fire is a 40,000-kilometre-long, horseshoe-shaped chain of belts, volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches that extend from the tip of Chile up to Alaska, encircling the entire Pacific Ocean from Japan down through the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The Ring of Fire. A vast majority of the Earths most violent earthquakes occur here, alongside more than 450 volcanoes. The geological forces that have defined the Rings many mountain ranges and island archipelagos have also given rise to numerous prolific mineral systems around the Pacific Basin. These mineral systems host many of the worlds most productive deposit types, including epithermal gold, copper porphyry and volcanic massive sulphides (VMS). Many of the nations located along this chain host massive amounts of mineral resources and have become major mining jurisdictions. Gold mining in Viti Levu The Ring of Fires mineral wealth has not been lost on Fiji, especially on the archipelagos largest island, Viti Levu, which hosts gold, zinc and copper deposits. Mining in Fiji dates back to the 1930s, starting from the Vatukoula gold mine on Vitu Levu. Vatukoula is still in operation as a significant contributor to Fijis economy, producing more than seven million ounces of gold to date. Viti Levu has attracted some of the worlds largest miners, including Newcrest Mining Ltd and Mitsubishi Minerals Ltd, which have a joint venture partnership in one of the largest undeveloped copper resources in the world, the Namosi project. This major copper-gold porphyry deposit has reported proven and probable reserves of 5.2 million ounces of gold and 4.9 million tonnes of copper at a grade of 0.12 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.37% copper; in addition to indicated resources of 6.2 million ounces of gold and 6.2 million tonnes of copper at 0.11 g/t gold and 0.35% copper. Suffice to say, this is fertile ground and with the larger companies, come the small explorers. There are further reasons for the attraction: a supportive, pro-mining government, a positive regulatory framework based on British mining law (5% gross profit royalty and 20% corporate tax structure), established infrastructure and a long history of mining activity. Fiji is also resilient. While the other industries suffered the effects of the pandemic, the mining and mineral exploration sector has seen notable investment at the Vatukoula Gold Mines (AIM:VGM) Ltd (VGML) through sinking of a new shaft and construction of a new tailing dam, Mineral Resources Department acting director Raymond Mohammed said. During this time, VGML maintained its weekly export of gold and silver and set itself up for continued growth. We currently have eight active mining leases and 31 exploration licences whereby with exploration, the number is bound to increase because of the two licences that have been recently awarded and five applications that we are currently processing. For mining, the companies that are operating in Fiji have committed a lot of capital investment in the projects. The sector has the potential to be able to support the government in economic recovery, especially during this unprecedented time so we are working with the active mining leases to be able to explore any new business development opportunities and also to ramp up production given the favourable economic conditions. One Australian company that is well-positioned to play a significant role in Fiji is Alice Queen Ltd (ASX:AQX). Heavy lifting at Sabeto Project Alice Queen has been doing some heavy lifting in Fiji through its recently registered, 100%-owned company, Alice Exploration Pte Limited. The company recently applied for the Sabeto Project on Vitu Levu, which is 6.5 kilometres to the west of Lion One Metals Ltd (TSX-V:LLO)s Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project. Lion One caught the attention of investors earlier this month after discovering a major new gold feeder structure 20.86 g/t gold over 75.9 metres at depth beneath the current resource at Tuvatu. Tuvatu is in development with 658,600 ounces in resource and a significant upgrade expected. Sabeto location. Importantly for Alice Queen, Sabeto is on a major regional geophysical anomaly (radiometrics and magnetics) similar to Tuvatu, while Lion Ones success has encouraged Alice Queen to upgrade the Sabeto prospect as it looks for similar results. The proximity of Lion Ones project to Alice Queens gives the company confidence that its decision to move into this region of Fiji was the right one. We have always viewed Fiji as one of the worlds great gold addresses and this recent news from our next door neighbour Lion One Metals, reinforces our decision to pursue exploration opportunities in this underexplored jurisdiction, Alice Queens managing director Andrew Buxton said. We have been very lucky that throughout the COVID pandemic, our fantastic in-country team led by our exploration manager Melvyn Levrel and country manager Tausio Kerta have been able to continue working, thus keeping our portfolio moving forward, Andrew Buxton continued. Viani and Nabila prospects Alice Queen has also finalised the acquisition of two Special Prospecting Licences from its local partner Viti Mining. The transfer has been endorsed by the Mineral Resources Department, with the most prominent prospect, Viani SPL1513, being a highly prospective low sulphidation epithermal (LSE) prospect with a significant historic soil geochemical anomaly (4 kilometres long), open to the northwest. This prospect was highly recommended by historic explorer JICA-MMAJ, which discovered the high-grade Hishikari gold mine in Japan (LSE). The recommendation came after JICA confirmed mineralisation over a 700-metre strike length. The prospect remains fully open and only one target out of five has been drilled to date. A second prospect, Nabila SPL1514, hosts the discovery prospect of Faddys and historic artisanal Mistrys Mine, connected by a 2-kilometre-long gold anomaly corridor. Alice Queen believes the gold anomaly has not been fully tested at depth nor along strike. SPL1514 hosts quartz-carbonate-clay polymetallic breccia with numerous sub-surface indicators of a much larger system probably extending over several kilometres. While Alice Queen secures its expansion opportunities, Sabeto is a key focus. More about Sabeto The Sabeto Prospect was previously held by Emperor Gold Mines (EGM now Vatukoula Gold Mines (AIM:VGM) - and Geopacific Resources Ltd (ASX:GPR) and is just 6.5 kilometres from the Tuvatu Lion One adit and its future plant which is under construction. Only light exploration has been undertaken to date, with the prospect loosely interpreted as an alkalic-type system. Alkalic-type epithermal gold deposits are among the largest epithermal gold deposits in the world and considered a subset of low-sulphidation epithermal deposits. Once the licence is granted Alice Queen is looking at carrying out a two-phase approach. Phase one would include: an extensive geological mapping program; and reprocessing historical geophysical data (ZTEM). As a second phase, Alice Queen would likely look to emulate the CSAMT Survey, a process that has been instrumental for Lion One in targeting the deep-feeder zone at Tuvatu. Infinity Lithium Corporation Ltd (ASX:INF) has extended a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with offtake partner LG Energy Solution (LGES) as part of an effort to create a formal agreement between the two parties. Infinity through its wholly-owned Spanish subsidiary Extremadura New Energies is developing the San Jose Lithium Project in Extremadura, with plans for a local vertically integrated lithium-ion supply chain in the mix. The San Jose project boasts one of the largest hard rock lithium resources in the European Union, with a JORC resource of 111.3 million tonnes at 0.28% lithium and 0.61% lithium oxide (cut off of 1,000 parts per million lithium). LGES has signed an MoU with Infinity for the supply of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from its Spanish mine, which has been redesigned to rely only on underground methods of mineral extraction following community input. The company believes this underground mining method will reduce visual impact, as well as reducing or eliminating effects on land use and the water table, and noise, dust and vibration pollution. Formal agreement conditions Infinity Lithium and LGES are seeking a formal offtake agreement, subject to Infinity successfully entering commercial production and producing a product that meets specification requirements. INF recently re-visited its plans for a lithium battery chemical production facility, bringing its plans in line with government criteria for an environmentally and socially viable project. The MoU extension will come into effect on December 22, 2022. Base Resources' Tim Carstens speaks with Proactives Andrew Scott about the companys decision to proceed with development of the Bumamani Project after a definitive feasibility study confirmed the projects economic viability. Carstens explains how the decision now improves the ongoing problem it had with Kwale Operations mine life, which is now extended by 13 months to December 2024 once land access arrangements are finalised. Bumamani is a collection of higher-grade subsets around the companys North Dune and the significance of the decision is not just the cash flow that comes with the longer mine life, but importantly it is the continuity of operations while Base brings in other opportunities it sees around its holdings in Kenya. The company is looking to start mining on the North Dune in February next year once infrastructure is in place. This will be mined concurrently with the South Dune. Havilah Resources Ltd (ASX:HAV) has been offered Accelerated Discovery Initiative (ADI) funding from the South Australian Government to explore the highly prospective Benagerie Dyke in the states northeast. The funding of $175,000 on a matching basis is for the companys Exploration Drilling Benagerie Dyke project. This will involve Havilah undertaking geophysical surveying and follow-up drill testing of a major linear magnetic anomaly informally termed the Benagerie Dyke that may be caused by a mafic/ultramafic intrusive complex within the prolific Curnamona Province. New ideas and techniques In a media release, South Australia's Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis said the ADI funding will allow companies to use innovative technologies and concepts to fast-track new exploration ideas and techniques across South Australia. Havilahs technical director Dr Chris Giles said: Havilah is most grateful to the Government of South Australia for its support via this ADI funding, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to fostering mineral exploration in the State. Testimony to quality The proposal was assessed and ranked against certain merit criteria by an independent expert review panel and is testimony to the quality of Havilahs exploration project that it was selected for ADI funding, Giles said. A major new PGE-nickel-copper-cobalt-gold discovery would be a first for South Australia, just as the Julimar discovery was for Western Australia. Such a discovery would contribute significantly to mineral development in South Australia and also provide an impetus for further exploration of similar style mineralisation. Regional geological summary of Curnamona Province, showing the Benagerie Dyke near the western rifted margin of the Benagerie Ridge in relation to the Jupiter MT anomaly (indicated by red star showing C3 MT conductive zone). ADI proposal Havilahs successful ADI proposal highlights the scope of the Exploration Drilling Benagerie Dyke project: A prominent linear aeromagnetic feature, termed the Benagerie Dyke, extends for at least 28 kilometres along the interpreted western rifted margin of the Benagerie Ridge. "The origin is unknown as it has never been drilled, but the geometry suggests that it could be a mafic/ultramafic intrusive complex. If so, it could be prospective for the Julimar style PGE-nickel-copper-cobalt-gold mineralisation that was discovered during March 2020 near Perth. "The Benagerie Dyke coincides with the C2 magnetotelluric (MT) conductive feature, which lies above the major deep crustal C1 conductor that was defined by a previous ADI collaborative study with the University of Adelaide (Jupiter MT Anomaly Definition Study). It is also marked by a deep-seated magnetic susceptibility feature. "One drill hole at the southern end of the aeromagnetic anomaly, namely LNM10-1 drilled during August 1981, intersected amygdaloidal basalt at 231.5 metres vertical depth beneath a thin cover sequence of Adelaidean shelf sediments. The causative body was likely not intersected, although the basalt may in part explain the broader aeromagnetic feature here. "Initially it is proposed to carry out moving loop ground EM to detect the presence of sulphide mineralisation and to drill promising targets identified. This program will determine the origin of the Benagerie Dyke and its mineralisation potential. GlaxoSmithKline PLC kept an 'equal weight' stance with Barclays ahead of the demerger of Haleon, its consumer health business, in July. Analysts at the bank harmonised GSK Consumer Health forecasts ahead of Haleons launch, with projected sales of 10.7bn, underlying earnings (EBITDA) of 2.6bn and net income of 1.5bn. Additionally, Barclays upped its forecasts for GSKs Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine following a positive readout, with strong efficacy results expected. As a result, Barclays increased its RSV vaccine sales forecast to 3.3bn from 2.5bn, and also increases its point of sale estimate. Even so, Barclays thinks more improvement is required before further multiple expansion for new GSK as an independent company. Its target price remains unchanged at 1,800p. Rangers is the second of Brookside's three development wells in the SWISH AOI. Brookside Energy Ltd (ASX:BRK) continues to enhance the quality of its acreage in the SWISH Area of Interest (AOI) in Oklahomas world-class Anadarko Basin with the high-impact Rangers 36-25 SXH 1 Well returning strong daily production rates during flowback. The Rangers Well, the companys second of three development wells in the AOI, has recorded a daily production rate of 1,310 BOEPD, ~87% oil and gas liquids, with only 21% of stimulation fluid recovered to date. Production at Rangers, in which Brookside holds a working interest of ~80%, is modelled to continue to increase steadily as more stimulation fluid is recovered. Already a strong producer Managing director David Prentice said: We are very pleased with the results from the flowback of our Rangers Well to date. "This well is already a strong producer generating significant revenue for Brookside and our shareholders. The Rangers Well has already produced about 73,160 BOE (~87% oil and gas liquids) during only the first 2.5 months of production, reinforcing the quality of Brooksides SWISH acreage and its strategy of drilling low-risk high-impact development wells. Gross revenue on an 8/8ths basis generated by the Rangers Well to date is already estimated to exceed US$6.75 million based on WTI at US$110 per barrel and natural gas at US$8 per Mcf which will be highly accretive to Brookside's balance sheet. Proved up value of Rangers DSU As expected, the Rangers Well is exhibiting a flowback profile consistent with our pre-drill estimates and modelled reservoir characteristics, yielding more total liquids than our highly successful Jewell Well, at a similar stage of stimulation fluid recovery, Prentice said. Combined with our Jewell Well and, the soon to be on production Flames Well, Brooksides prospects have never looked better with growing revenue and production combined with a strong pricing environment. With the successful drilling, completion and flowback of our Rangers Well we have proved up the value of our Rangers DSU and reinforced to the market our ability to deliver on our strategy, quickly cementing our position as a top operator and significant ASX listed energy company." Oil and gas sales will continue as flowback operations continue, and the company will report an IP24 (peak rate), IP30 and IP90 production rates as these are achieved. About the Rangers Well Rangers Well is operated by Black Mesa Energy, a controlled subsidiary of Brookside, and was drilled by Kenai Drilling Company in Stephens County, Oklahoma. The well was drilled as a mid-length horizontal well targeting the Sycamore Formation at an average depth of ~9,750 feet. It was drilled to a total measured depth of ~17,460 feet, with ~7,500 feet of lateral section drilled in the Sycamore that was subsequently cased with production tubing to be perforated and treated to allow production of oil and rich gas. Lithium Power International Ltd (ASX:LPI) will assume full control of the highly attractive Maricunga Lithium Brine Project in Chile by way of a three-party all-scrip merger with joint venture partners MSB SpA, which owns 31.31% of the project, and TSXV-listed Bearing Lithium, a 17.14% owner. The transactions increase current LPI shareholders proportionate interest in Maricunga from 51.55% to around 57.9%. Benefits of consolidation LPI will consolidate the remaining 48.45% of the project that it does not currently own at a discount of roughly 17.1% compared with LPIs current look-through value of Maricunga. The company sees several benefits to securing 100% ownership of the project: this will simplify decision-making and provide the optimal structure to oversee the rapid development of Maricunga; consolidation will de-risk the funding pathway and enhance LPIs ability to source capital for the development of the project from a wider range of providers when compared with the existing joint venture ownership structure; and consideration will be paid in LPI shares, allowing the shareholders of the JV partners to retain exposure to a project which has a net present value (NPV8) of US$1.4 billion ($2.02 billion). Unanimous board endorsement The transactions have been unanimously endorsed by the boards of LPI, Bearing and MSB SpA, with the LPI board other than Martin Borda, who abstained due to being ultimate controller of MSB SpA recommending that LPI shareholders vote in favour of the transactions at the upcoming shareholder meeting. Lithium Power chairman David Hannon said: We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with both MSB SpA and Bearing to consolidate 100% ownership of Maricunga. Strong economics The updated DFS released on January 20, 2022, demonstrates that Maricunga could be one of the lowest-cost producers of lithium carbonate in the world, with the projects strong economics underpinning a highly attractive asset. This transaction is a highly logical step for LPI. By assuming full control of the project, LPI will create a strong platform from which to develop and fund Maricunga. We look forward to continuing to deliver long-term value for all LPI shareholders, including MSB SpA and the new Bearing shareholders. Elementos MD Joe David on site at Oropesa last week with Wave International executive general manager Ryan Hanrahan. Elementos Ltd (ASX:ELT, OTC:ELTLF)s Spanish subsidiary Minas de Estano de Espana SL (MESPA) has executed several key contracts to support delivery of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the Oropesa Tin Project. To deliver the DFS, the company has appointed Wave Europe BV as the owners engineer to oversee, integrate and author the Oropesa Tin Project DFS Report. In addition, Geociencia y Exploraciones Maritimas SL (GEM) has been contracted to finalise the development of the tailings dam and waste dump design while Norvento Ingenieria SLU has been contracted to develop the engineering for power connections to the local power grid. The Oropesa DFS in conjunction with the Spanish regulatory approvals process is on track to be delivered during the March quarter of 2023. Highly executable strategy Elementos managing director Joe David said the new project contracts reflected significant progress of the DFS at the Oropesa Tin Project, which represented one of the worlds few undeveloped tin deposits that can be mined as an open pit. Our vision to deliver the Oropesa Project and deliver tin into a forecast market deficit from 2025 is developing strongly. The expertise and experience of our partners in combination with the continued dedicated work of the Elementos and MESPA team will ensure the delivery of not only the DFS but a highly executable strategy for project delivery and operations. Wave already integrated Wave is an Australian-owned specialist engineering and project delivery entity with a specific focus on critical minerals and European project development. The owners engineer will provide study management services, discipline-specific expert owners engineers, capital and operating cost estimating, financial modelling services, DFS author and general study support. Wave has already integrated into the Oropesa Tin Project working team made up of Elementos and MESPA employees, Spanish project managers Soluciones Concentradores y Procesos De Ingeneria (SCYPI) and other discipline-specific consultants. David said Waves appointment followed several months of working together during which time Wave had distinguished itself. Our integrated team has some significant study milestones to achieve in the next 10 months which we are more than confident of achieving with Waves support, As a global company, Waves Brisbane and European-based study teams align well with Elementos Brisbane and Spanish working teams. Wave currently has a large portfolio of critical minerals projects through the EU and the UK approaching financial close, whereby wave is heavily involved in both the technical and final financing activities. This is in alignment with Elementos project objectives within the EU. Oropesa Tin Project Oropesa is one of the worlds largest undeveloped, open-cut mineable tin deposits, with access to world-class infrastructure and represents a near-term development and cash flow opportunity for Elementos. The companys optimisation study for Oropesa has confirmed a robust case for upgrading the project scale to a 1.25 million tonnes per annum run of mine (ROM) rate, with average annual contained tin production projected at 3,350 tonnes per annum. Elementos plans to undertake a definitive feasibility study (DFS) and finalise environmental permitting as its next steps in developing Oropesa. At the Loma Dorada area, the latest results from the 1 km along strike extension to the north of the San Juan/La Colorada vein system hit high-grade gold-silver typical of epithermal veins GR Silver Mining (TSX-V:GRSL) Ltd has posted drill results from new areas of exploration at its 432 square kilometre (km2) Plomosas project in Mexico, which underlines the future potential of the project. The work focused on new areas at El Saltito, Las Cuevas and Las Teresas, as well as the previously reported Loma Dorada vein system. Assays showed high-grade gold close to the surface and the potential to extend mineralization along strike from existing resource areas. "Our primary focus remains on delivering updated mineral resource estimates for the San Marcial and Plomosas Mine Areas in Q1|23," said GR Silver's CEO Eric Zaunscherb in a statement. "We cannot, however, ignore the rich potential of the wholly-owned, 432 km2 Plomosas Project in its entirety, with several strong regional, northwest-trending structures that remain untested over a combined 75 km strike length. The results released today are an indicator of the potential of the project's pipeline targets, which we will reveal going forward," he added. At the Loma Dorada area, the latest results from the 1 km along strike extension to the north of the San Juan/La Colorada vein system hit high-grade gold-silver typical of epithermal veins. One hole hit 5.2 metres (m) at 4.52 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 56 g/t silver from 103.5m depth, including an intercept of 1.3m at 10.17 g/t gold and 340 g/t silver. At El Saltito, shallow drilling results revealed narrow high-grade gold-rich epithermal veining at the southern extension of the 1.5 km long El Saltito vein system. One hole hit 0.5m at 30.09 g/t gold from 203.5m depth. That was the most south-eastern hole in the area, indicating the potential for additional high-grade gold mineralization further to the south-east. Other drill highlights include 0.9m at 0.38 g/t gold and 459 g/t silver, and 3.5m at 1.21 g/t gold and 67 g/t silver, including 0.4m at 9.44 g/t gold and 394 g/t silver. GR also noted that silver mineralization at Las Cuevas supported the potential for an along-strike extension of the silver mineralized system up to 1.5 km to the north-west of the NI 43-101 resource at the Plomosas mine area. Recent gold-silver-rich drill results indicate the presence of low sulphidation epithermal veining in multiple areas of the Plomosas project, which will likely be the subject of additional drilling in 2022. GR Silver Mining is a Mexico-focused junior explorer engaged in cost-effective silver-gold resource expansion on its wholly-owned assets, which sit on the eastern edge of the Rosario mining district, in the southeast of Sinaloa state, Mexico. Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinevstors.com Altaley Mining Corporation (TSX-V:ATLY) is on track to return revenues of US$190 million and net earnings of US$63 million, or US$0.23 per share, in 2022 as production at its two Mexican projects ramps up, according to broker Couloir Capital who has initiated coverage on the junior company with a Buy rating. Couloir analysts also provided a fair value estimate of CAD$0.93 per share. The companys shares currently trade at about C$0.21. Analysts noted that production at Altaleys Campo Morrado mine in Guerrero was increasing towards forecast levels as disruptions arising from prior shutdowns were resolved, with potential efficiency gains to be made at the site. The ore at Campo Morado has a significant content of refractory precious metals and increased recovery could have an outsize impact on mine revenues, they wrote. Further, analysts noted that production would be significantly boosted as the companys Tahuehueto mine in Durango comes online in the coming months. At current, we forecast production in 2022 of 32,300 gold ounces and 64 million pounds of zinc, arising from production at Campo Morado and Tahuehueto, analysts wrote. Altaley Mining is a Canada-based junior resource company with two Mexican gold, silver, and base metals mining projects. Contact the author Emily Jarvie at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie Infinitum Copper Corp (TSX-V:INFI, OTCQB:INUMF) CEO Steve Robertson joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with details of the company's high-quality copper assets: the La Adelita Project in Mexico's Sonora Province and the Hot Breccia Project in Arizona in the US. Robertson telling Proactive that Infinitum Copper is positioning itself to fill a growing deficit in the copper market as the greening and decarbonisation of the global economy results in additional demand for electric vehicles and automation. "We see a huge supply crunch coming in a couple of years' time and I don't see any solution to that problem," Robertson added. "As copper explorers, we're in a good spot." Surat, June 22 : The dissident group of Shiv Sena MLAs finally boarded a chartered flight from the Surat airport after keeping the chartered plane waiting for hours. Before boarding the flight, rebel Shiv Sena leader and Maharastra Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde said that Sena MLAs have not revolted against the party but their only wish is forming an alliance with the opposition BJP. At the Surat airport, Shinde said, "My and Sena MLAs wish is that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should form a government in alliance with the BJP, I have not quit the party." He added that he held talks with Uddhav Thackeray and chanted the slogan "Jai Maharashtra and Garv Se Kaho Hum Hindu Hai". Shiv Sena's MLAs have shown full trust and faith in the ideology laid down by party founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, Shinde said and added that Shiv Sena MLAs have not revolted against the party. Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh, who was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness, was seen climbing down from the bus and walking down to the boarding counter of the Spicejet airline. Sources close to the dissident group led by Eknath Shinde said that they were waiting for a few more MLAs to join them as they had left Mumbai on Tuesday evening. According to sources, the rebel MLA's tally has reached 37 and two to three more MLAs are expected to reach Guwahati directly on Wednesday. Around 2.15 a.m. on Wednesday, the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs started boarding one of the three buses along with BJP MLAs and workers, BJP leaders Mohit Kambhoj and Sanjay Kute were seen accompanying rebel Shiv Sena MLAs at the airport. The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs were escorted to Surat airport by the Surat police. After clearing all formalities, the rebel Sena MLAs boarded the flight having a capacity of 200 passengers. Till 4 a.m. Wednesday morning, the boarding process was going on. Vienna, June 22 : States parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) started examining the accord's implementation, reviewing its status and measuring the signatories' progress toward its goals at their first meeting opened in Vienna. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, told participants in a video message on Tuesday that the TPNW is "an important step towards the common aspiration of a world without nuclear weapons". He noted that the decisions made at the meeting would "help cement the treaty's position as an essential element of the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture". The TPNW includes a comprehensive set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities and obliges the signatories not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons, Xinhua news agency reported. The treaty was adopted in July 2017 at the UN and entered into force in January 2021. To date, 65 states have ratified or acceded to the pact and 86 have signed it, according to the United Nations Information Service in Vienna. United Nations, June 22 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern about the current tension between Lithuania and Russia over Kaliningrad, said his spokesman. "We are, obviously, following these developments very closely in and around Kaliningrad, including the warnings we have seen of possible escalation, which are very concerning," said Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, on Tuesday. "It's very important for us that all sides deal with their concerns through effective dialogue with appropriate diplomatic channels, in accordance with international law, and to refrain from any statement or from any action that could aggravate the tense situation," he added. Lithuania announced last week that it would ban the rail transit of goods subject to EU sanctions through its territory to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, Xinhua news agency reported. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the Lithuanian charge d'affaires and demanded the restrictions be immediately lifted, calling them "provocative" and "openly hostile". The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Head of the European Union Delegation to Russia and demanded the restrictions be lifted immediately, saying retaliation would follow if cargo transit was not restored. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Jerusalem, June 22 : Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to Israel in July. Lapid and Blinken spoke to each other on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. Lapid is expected to serve as Israel's Interim Prime Minister when Biden visits Israel on July 13. On Monday, The Israeli Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced to disband their shaky coalition, sending the country to a new parliamentary election, the fifth in three years. "The visit will have significant implications for the region and the fight against Iran, as well as tremendous potential to significantly improve regional stability and security," Lapid was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He said he was hopeful that Biden's first trip to Israel since becoming US President "will be an opportunity to emphasise the President's deep personal connection to Israel, and US' commitment to Israel's security, as well as strengthening Israel's status in the region". On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel is building a US-sponsored air defense alliance in the Middle East. He said the apparatus would be boosted by Biden's trip. Israel and Gulf Arab countries have been drawn closer over the past years amid the shared concerns over Iran, their common rival. Jerusalem, June 22 : The Israel Teachers Union has announced the shutdown of all elementary schools and kindergartens on Wednesday. "We have been negotiating with the Finance Ministry for six months, but we have not yet received a single concrete proposal," the Union's Secretary-General Yaffa Ben-David said on Tuesday in the statement. "This is a national emergency and a tangible danger to Israel's future," Ben-David added. "Only a pay agreement will prevent teachers from leaving, which leads to the collapse of the system." Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he is in favour of teachers and for a significant improvement in their employment conditions, Xinhua news agency reported. "There is a chance to make a big change, and it must not be missed," the Minister added. The strike does not apply to the upper grades, 7th to 12th, who have gone on summer vacation on Monday. Abuja, June 22 : Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered increased kinetic and non-kinetic efforts by security agencies to rescue the kidnapped victims of a railway attack by gunmen in the northwestern part of the country about three months ago, the presidency said. The President gave the order as the Nigerian government continues to review the issue of the kidnapped railway passengers to bring the case to closure, said a statement by senior presidential spokesman Garba Shehu on Tuesday. "Upon the President's approval, the government is continuing on the two-lane approach, kinetic and non-kinetic to secure the passengers' safe release," Shehu said, noting 51 or more victims were still being held in custody. On March 28, a passenger train on the way to the northwestern state of Kaduna from Abuja, the Nigerian capital, was attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Rijana, a town in Kaduna. The terrorists had planted explosive devices along the rail track, and when the Abuja-Kaduna bound train approached the point, the device exploded, causing the train to derail, Xinhua news agency reported. On March 29, the government confirmed that eight passengers were killed and 26 others sustained injuries in the attack while scores of people were taken away by the gunmen. Shehu said the defense, security and intelligence agencies had given assurances to intensify operational engagements geared toward securing the rescue of all hostages and restoring peace to all parts of the country. He added the government was also mindful of the efforts of some patriotic and influential citizens and institutions that are helping in securing the safe release of the hostages. "The President's clear directive on the issue is that the hostages must be brought home alive. The country's military and security agencies are aware of their duty to the nation and are determined to give effect to the President's charge with increased urgency," he said. Kanpur, June 22 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT), Kanpur Commissionerate of Police and Kanpur Outer Police, have arrested two more accused persons into the Nirala Nagar massacre in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district that took place during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The total number of accused arrested so far has gone up to six now. Deputy Inspector General of Police, SIT, Balendu Bhushan Singh, said on Wednesday, "We have arrested Amar Singh,61, and one Mobeen, 60, from Ghatampur area in a raid." Earlier, on June 15, four accused in the Nirala Nagar massacre identified as Yogendra Singh, Vijay Narain Singh, Shafiullah and Abdul Rehman were arrested by the SIT. The biggest catch Raghavendra Kushwaha, nephew of Shivnath Singh Kushwaha, who was Minister of State during the Congress government, is, however, yet to be arrested. The police officials said that one of the accused surrendered before the police team as soon as the raids began. In 1984, Bhupendra Singh and Rakshpal Singh were burnt alive in Nirala Nagar, while Satveer Singh, son of Sardar Gurudayal Singh, was shot dead. After the formation of SIT in 2019, 31 accused were identified in the case, of which four accused -- Shafiullah, Yogendra Singh, Vijay Narain Singh and Abdul Rehman -- were arrested and sent to jail. The SIT has completed the investigation of 11 cases and identified 96 accused, among whom 22 have died. A total of 127 Sikhs were killed in the riots in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by her security personnel. Nearly, 40 cases of murder, robbery and dacoity were registered, in which 29 were closed by the police with submission of final report. When the state government constituted an SIT for investigation, 29 cases were investigated again and the SIT got evidence in 14 cases. The SIT was set up on May 27, 2019, after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the state government in August 2017 on a petition seeking an SIT probe. The four-member SIT is headed by retired Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Atul. The other members are retired district judge Subhash Chandra Agarwal and retired Additional Director (prosecution) Yogeshwar Krishna Srivastava. Superintendent of Police Balendu Bhushan Singh is its member secretary. New Delhi, June 22 : Twenty-nine donor governments have finalised $5.33 billion in pledges to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the next four years, an increase of more than 30 per cent from its last operating period, and a surge of support for international efforts to meet nature and climate targets. The record funding will support large-scale initiatives to address biodiversity and forest loss, improve ocean health, combat pollution and reduce the effects of climate change within the decade. It reflects a growing consensus on the need to expand efforts in these areas and to work across borders and sectors. "This generous support from our donors at a challenging time shows just how committed countries around the world are to healing rather than harming nature, said GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodriguez. "We are singularly focused on delivering the 2030 environmental goals, which are critical to make our planet healthier and safer for people. Our upcoming programming and policy support is all about shifting to a nature positive, carbon neutral and pollution-free future." "This highly successful replenishment is reflective of the strong collective commitment of all participants to achieving the GEF's ambitious environmental goals. These goals are critical to the future of our planet and quality of life for all people," said Akihiko Nishio, World Bank's Vice-President of Development Finance, which as the GEF's trustee has responsibility for the mobilisation of resources for the fund. The final sum for the GEF-8 funding cycle includes additional pledges received in the weeks following the conclusion of formal replenishment negotiations in April. The GEF Council endorsed the final replenishment size during its 62nd meeting -- the first time the governing body met in person since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Aliioiga Feturi Elisaia of Samoa, Co-Chair of the GEF Council, welcomed "the abundance of genuine goodwill" from donor countries leading to a record GEF-8 replenishment. "It is a huge vote of confidence in the GEF, the conventions it serves, its partners and circle of donors, and all stakeholders alike in their collective work to address the urgent environmental issues facing our planet." The GEF is the only multilateral fund focused on biodiversity and is the funding mechanism for the Convention on Biological Diversity. It also finances the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, helping developing countries meet their international obligations under each initiative. The GEF's integrated approach to addressing challenges means that its projects and programmes target the drivers of environmental damage, with a goal of aligning policies and investment plans in favour of international environmental health. Biodiversity will be the biggest focus of the GEF's eighth programming period, which will run from July 2022 to June 2026. This support will be vital to the 'Leaders' Pledge for Nature', which aims to reverse species loss by 2030 by protecting land and ocean territory with globally important biodiversity. It will also power the implementation of the new Global Biodiversity Framework, which is expected to be agreed this year. Early action grants provided by the GEF in its seventh funding period have laid the groundwork for these efforts to reduce species loss and protect critical ecosystems. Other priorities in GEF-8 include addressing threats from climate change, land degradation, and chemicals and waste, and easing pressures on the ocean and international waters. Much of the funding will be delivered through a set of 11 integrated programmes that address multiple threats at once, such as environmental degradation linked to cities, food systems, plastics, water and forest management. Lucknow, June 22 : The autopsy report of seven stray dogs that were found dead in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, has proved inconclusive, adding an element of mystery to the deaths. The dogs were found dead in Mandiaon locality on Monday, leaving animal activists shocked. The veterinary doctors said on Wednesday that they are depending on the blood test report of three other street dogs, who were found unconscious but survived due to timely intervention by the locals. The veterinary doctors initially claimed that the dogs had been poisoned because blood and froth was found oozing from their mouth. Five other dogs were found in a similar, serious condition and were rushed to the government veterinary hospital. Two of them were discharged after a few hours, but the condition of the remaining three was critical. The police team scanned the CCTV camera footage in the area but could not find any clue. "The autopsy, conducted on Tuesday, has not given any clear answers as to what the actual cause of death was. Hence, the viscera have been preserved and their samples sent to the Forensic Science Lab for further examination. "It could take months for the result to come from the lab," said Chief Veterinary Officer D.K. Sharma said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, animal rights activists have shifted the three critical dogs from the government veterinary hospital to a private veterinary hospital in Nishatganj run by a non-government organisation for better treatment. Richa Singh, who lodged an FIR in the incident, said that it was best to shift the dogs to a private veterinary hospital as they would get more attention over there. "The three dogs are now stable, and their blood samples have been sent to a private lab to check possibilities of poisoning," she added. San Francisco, June 22 : Tech giant Amazon has announced that Doug Herrington will become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company's Worldwide Amazon Stores business, formerly known as "Consumer". Harrington has been at Amazon for 17 years. He joined the company in 2005 to build out the Consumables business, launched AmazonFresh in 2007, and in 2015, he took on leading all of Amazon's North American Consumer business. "Doug and I have worked together on S-team since 2011. He is a builder of great teams and brings substantial retail, grocery, demand generation, product development, and Amazon experience to bear," Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, said in a blogpost. "He is also a terrific inventor for customers, thinks big, has a thoughtful vision around how category management and ops can work well together, is a unifier, is highly curious, and an avid learner," Jassy added. Jassy emphasised that Harrington will do great things for customers and employees alike. As part of this organisational change, Amazon said that the Operations organisation will be united under a single leader, John Felton. Felton has been at Amazon for nearly 18 years, spending 12 years in Retail and Operations finance leadership roles. Recently, Dave Clark, CEO of worldwide consumer business, left the company after 23 years. Clark played a key role in developing Amazon's expansive and speedy supply chain. Kiev, June 22 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the seventh package of EU sanctions against Russia must be approved as soon as possible. "In all negotiations with foreign partners, I constantly emphasize that the seventh package of EU sanctions is needed as soon as possible. Russia must feel the growing pressure for the war and its aggressive anti-European policy," Zelensky was quoted as saying Ukrinform news agency. According to the Ukranian President, new Russian threats to Lithuania, the next wave of energy pressure and the next portion of lies from Russian officials about the food crisis are arguments behind the need to approve the seventh package of sanctions. The European Union is considering imposing sanctions on Russian gold as part of the next package of restrictive measures against Moscow for its aggression against Ukraine. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Kiev, June 22 : The total amount of assistance declared and provided to Ukraine, since the "invasion" launched by Russsia, by international partners is $30 billion, according to the June 2022 financial stability report by the National Bank of Ukraine. "Ukraine's partners also provide significant amounts of financial support directly to finance budget expenditures. The volume of loans from the IMF, the EU, the EIB, the World Bank, and foreign governments since the outbreak of the war as of mid-June exceeded $7 billion. In total, about $30 billion in financial assistance has been provided and announced," the statement reads. It is noted that up to a third of the funds provided are non-repayable grants, the rest are low-interest loans and credit guarantees. This money is the main source of covering the state budget deficit, which arose against the background of Russian military aggression, Ukrinform news agency reported. The National Bank clarified that the financing of defence and social spending, as well as economic support will continue to be critically dependent on international aid and its timely receipt. In particular, $5 billion a month is needed to cover the budget deficit. Canadian Deputy Prime Minister for Finance Christia Freeland and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have earlier reaffirmed their determination to continue supporting Ukraine. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Wellington, June 22 : New Zealand recorded 5,499 new community cases of Covid-19 with 18 more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Among the new community infections, 1,637 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. In addition, 78 new cases of Covid-19 were detected at the New Zealand border. Currently, 334 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, including four in intensive care units or high dependency units. New Zealand has reported 1,282,212 confirmed cases of coronavirus since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Seoul, June 22 : South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called on Wednesday for stronger measures against the inflow of monkeypox after the country reported its first two suspected cases the previous day, an official said. Yoon instructed health authorities to strengthen quarantine measures for foreign arrivals and to thoroughly monitor the possibility of additional cases, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the presidential official. Yoon also told health authorities "to be fully ready to swiftly deploy the available vaccines and treatments to the medical front-lines and to complete the introduction of third-generation vaccines and antiviral treatments against monkeypox as soon as possible," the official said. Health authorities have been conducting diagnostic tests on the two suspected cases and are expected to announce the results later Wednesday. One of the suspected patients is a foreigner who arrived in the country Monday, while the other is a South Korean national who arrived Tuesday, they said. The foreign national was admitted to a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan after complaining of a sore throat, skin lesions and other possible symptoms of the monkeypox virus. The South Korean arrived at Incheon International Airport from Germany around 4 p.m. Tuesday and reportedly showed symptoms two days before arriving. The person has been admitted to Incheon Medical Center in Incheon, west of Seoul. The virus, traditionally confined to regions in Central and Western Africa, can cause symptoms that include fever, chills, rash and lesions. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Phnom Penh, June 22 : The 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) kicked off here on Wednesday, with discussions focusing on key challenges and security in the region. Chaired by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh, the meeting brought together defence ministers or representatives from all ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, Xinhua news agency reported. Speaking in his opening speech, Banh said it was the first in-person meeting in over two years following the Covid-19 pandemic. "Our presence today underlines our commitment with high responsibilities to maintain ASEAN's centrality, unity and cooperation for peace and security in the region," he said. He said the meeting is convened at a time when the whole region is facing pressures arising from cross-border crime, terrorism, climate change, disasters and pandemics, among others. "Our joint commitment (to address these issues) will lead our region towards sustainable peace, security and prosperity," he added. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. London, June 22 : Some gay and bisexual men, who are at a higher risk of contracting monkeypox, should be offered a vaccine, say the UK health officials. According to the BBC, this could help to control the recent outbreak of the rare virus in the UK in which 793 people have been infected so far. The report mentioned that Monkeypox is not defined as a sexually-transmitted infection. However, it can be passed on by close contact during sex, and with bedding, towels and skin. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that a vaccine designed to protect against smallpox, called Imvanex, will help protect people who could be exposed to monkeypox. The vaccine is effective against monkeypox because it is from the same family of viruses. Its use has been signed off by the UK's vaccine experts, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Health officials say they are continuing to see "a notable proportion of cases in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men". They say they hope to roll out vaccines to those at higher risk that will "break chains of transmission". Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Los Angeles, June 22 : A civil jury found that comedian-actor Bill Cosby sexually abused Judy Huth in 1975 when she was a 16-year-old, ordering him to pay $500,000. The verdict was in Huth's favour, which her attorney, Gloria Allred, hailed as a win toward "real change", although no punitive compensation was awarded, reports 'Variety'. Huth, now 64, accused Cosby of luring her and a friend to the mansion, a few days after meeting them in a park. "I was elated," Huth said outside the courthouse, reacting to the verdict and telling reporters that she is grateful for the jury. "It's been so many years, so many tears, it's just a long time coming." Allred praised Huth, speaking to reporters outside of the courthouse. "The late United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg once said, 'Real change, enduring change happens one step at a time,'" Allred stated. "Today, our client won real change because she fought Bill Cosby one step at a time for over seven-and-a-half years. She proved with the jury's verdict that Mr Cosby did sexually assault her when she was a minor, and that he should be held and was held accountable for what he did to her." Allred noted that the case marks the first to go to trial under the Child Victims Act, which protects adult survivors of child sex abuse to come forward and hold their abuser accountable years later. "She or he may come forward years later, and they will have a right to do so," the attorney and women's rights activist said outside court. Cosby's team appeared to be pleased with the outcome. When the verdict was read with no punitive damages found, Cosby's spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, smiled in the gallery and his lawyers were gleeful as they exited the courtroom. In a statement issued to the media, following the verdict, Cosby's spokesperson said, in part, "We have always maintained that Judy Huth, Gloria Allred and their cohorts fabricated these false accusations, in order to force Mr. Cosby to finance their racist mission against successful and accomplished Black Men in America." The statement continued: "Mr. Cosby continues to maintain his innocence and will vigorously fight these false accusations, so that he can get back to bringing the pursuit of happiness, joy and laughter to the world." The jury found that Cosby did intend to cause a harmful or offensive contact with Huth and that "sexually offensive contact" resulted, while also finding that Hugh was "harmed" by Cosby's conduct. The jury concluded that any "normal person, without hesitation" would have been "disturbed, irritated, offended or injured" by Cosby's conduct. Nine jurors voted that they agreed that Cosby's conduct was motivated by an "unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in a minor, while three jurors did not agree. The trial centred on the testimony of Huth and her friend, Donna Samuelson, as well as two other women who alleged that Cosby had also sexually assaulted them in 1975. The verdict came down after nearly three days of deliberations, and the jury having to restart those deliberations from scratch when a juror was excused from the case, due to a scheduling conflict. The jury repeatedly asked questions, and was stuck on whether the case rose to the level of triggering punitive damages. Amid that process, Huth's team suggested a partial verdict, while Cosby's team asked for a mistrial -- marking their third separate request for a mistrial, all of which were denied by Judge Craig Karlan. Last Friday, the jury nearly reached a verdict, but had to start all over with their deliberations on Monday morning, when the foreperson was excused from the case and replaced with an alternate. The foreperson had said on Friday that the jurors had reached agreement on eight of the nine questions they were asked to decide. Judge Karlan initially said he would take a partial verdict on Friday afternoon, but changed his mind when a sheriff's deputy informed him that the courthouse would close within a few minutes. On Monday, Judge Karlan informed both sides that he put much thought into his decision, and instructed the jury to "disregard" their deliberations from the week prior and start all over again. The jury had trouble reaching an agreement over the question on the special verdict form, asking whether Cosby acted with "malice, oppression or fraud", which would trigger punitive damages. In his statement sent to the media, Cosby's spokesperson, suggested that he was unhappy with the judge's decision to ask the jury to continue deliberating, stating that the jury sent a note earlier in the day explaining that they are "seemingly deadlocked" and wished to "return the verdict with a consensus" on the one question regarding punitive damages. According to 'Variety', earlier on Tuesday morning, the judge had both sides re-argue the one point of confusion for the jury. It is highly unusual for arguments to continue amid deliberations. Cosby's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, urged the jury to focus on just what Cosby may have done to Huth, and not consider outside opinions or allegations. Bonjean also raised questions regarding the timeline of events, and told the jury that a common theme of Huth's testimony was that she was "angry," but not "distressed" to the point where it impacted her day-to-day life. "Forty years later, she starts experiencing distress?" said Bonjean. "It shouldn't take you 40 years to realise that something was so reprehensible, as the plaintiff says." Earlier in the trial, Huth testified that she and her friend felt like they were on an "adventure" when Cosby invited them to the mansion. But she got scared when Cosby had her sit next to him on a bed. "It was not what I wanted at all," she told the jury. "I was freaking out." Cosby, 84, exercised his Fifth Amendment right not to testify, and did not attend this trial. Instead, jurors saw clips from his videotaped deposition, in which he said he would never pursue a minor for sex. Jurors also saw excerpts of a deposition of Hugh Hefner, taken before his death in 2017. Huth filed her lawsuit in December 2014, as many other women were coming forward with allegations against Cosby. The suit was postponed for several years, while Cosby faced two criminal trials for sexual assault in Pennsylvania. Cosby's criminal conviction was overturned last year, and he was freed after serving nearly three years in state prison. New Delhi, June 22 : Travel is opening up across the world, and with that, our Instagram feeds are now being blessed with pictures of people exploring new and unique destinations. While most travel influencers flaunt beautiful destinations from across the globe, there is absolutely no dearth of insta-worthy destinations in India. Right from flower-filled landscapes to snowcapped mountain ranges, there is no shortage of beautiful destinations within the country, especially for those who want to make a quick getaway and explore picture-perfect destinations. To help spice up your travel feed, EaseMyTrip shares a list of some of the most beautiful destinations that will make others envious of your Instagram feed: Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh Image Source: IANS News Popular for its scenic mountain ranges, coniferous landscapes, and 400-year-old monasteries adorned in colorful Tibetan flags, the quaint town of Tawang is considered to be one of the prime Insta-worthy destinations, not just for those who want to grace their feeds with aesthetic posts, but also for those who want to visit a destination with tremendous natural beauty and history. The town is also home to one of the biggest, and oldest monasteries in India, dating back to 1680. This destination is especially perfect for those who want to enjoy an offbeat vacation, and who want to explore the unique hiking trails such as the Gorichen Peak, which gives travelers a breathtaking 360-degree view of Tawang. Insta Worthy Location: Gaden Namgyal Lhatse (Tawang Monastery) Munnar, Kerala Image Source: IANS News Located in the Idukki district of Kerala, Munnar is a scenic destination straight out of a fairytale. This quaint hill station is a romantic paradise nestled in the confluence of three mountain streams. Among the notable attractions, the Neelakurinji, which blooms once every 12 years, is a sight to behold, as these rare and unique flowers present a picturesque blue and purple landscape against the green rolling hills of Munnar. The tea estates, Lakkam waterfalls, and Eravikulam National Park are some must-visit destinations for those who want to explore the unique and magnificent sights of the hill station and add more color to their Instagram feed. Insta Worthy Location: Neelakurinji Bloom Hills Krem Liat Prah, Meghalaya Image Source: IANS News From the dazzling blue pools to stalagmites in gleaming hues, the unique caves nestled in KremLiatPrah make a traveler feel as if they are visiting a destination straight out of a fantasy novel. The KremLiatPrah stands as one of the longest natural caves in South Asia and is interconnected with over 150 caves to awaken the explorer in you. The caves can, however, only be explored along with an experienced cave guide, during the daytime, to truly experience the beauty of this unique destination. Winter is the perfect season to experience the vast stretches of cherry blossoms that bloom during this time of the year. KremLiatPrah is one of the most remote destinations in Meghalaya, which is why pre-booking a bus or a taxi to reach your destination from Shillong is considered to be the best option. Insta Worthy Location: Krem Dam Caves Thiksey, Leh Image Source: IANS News Image Source: IANS News Thiksey in Leh is one destination that is surely set to become an instant favorite, especially with the concept of glamping being at the forefront of the experiences here. While there are only specific months during the year when visitors can enjoy the sights, the pictures clicked here are sure to last a lifetime. The Chamba Camp in particular is a luxury glamping site that offers some of the best backdrops for scenic views. When visiting Thiksey, opt to stay in one of the local luxury tents, which creates a unique wilderness camping experience. October is one of the best times to visit this destination owing to the ThikseyGustor Festival, which gives visitors a unique insight into the ritualistic life of Tibetan people, and the culture that has been upheld for centuries in this region. Insta Worthy Location: Chamba Camp Kutch, Gujarat Image Source: IANS News Aptly dubbed as the "White Desert of India", Kutch is a unique destination that exudes a surreal feeling that is unmatched and sure to add a touch of flair to your feed. The vast and expansive white salt desert coupled with a backdrop of a starry sky is sure to have you staring in awe at the pictures that come as a result of it. The Rann Festival in particular is one of the most popular and instagrammable events, as the numerous sights and stalls set up here add a pop of color to an otherwise pristine backdrop. One of the attractions of this festival is also the hot air balloon rides being offered to patrons, giving them a unique bird's eye view of the vast saline mudflats that are iconic to this region. Kutch is also known for being home to the unique Tent City of Gujarat, whose notable attractions include the extensive lines of white tent houses and stores, as well as the renowned Statue of Unity. Insta Worthy Location: RaanUtsav (Tent City) (IANSlife can be contacted at IANSlife@ians.in) -- Syndicated from IANS Hyderabad, June 22 : A software engineer from Telangana was shot dead by an unidentified person in Maryland state of the US. Nakka Sai Charan (26), who hailed from Nalgonda district of Telangana, was killed when a person said to be a black man opened fire at him on Sunday evening. His friends in the US informed his family about the incident. Sai Charan was shot dead when he was travelling in his car near Catonsville in Maryland. He was returning home after dropping a friend at the airport. The techie was shot in the head. He was shifted to University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead. The software engineer was working with a company in Baltimore city of Maryland for the last two years. His parents and other family members were shocked on receiving the information. They have appealed to the Government of India and Telangana government to help bring the body home. New Delhi, June 22 : In December 2022, the world's longest river voyage, an epic 51-day cruise along the Ganges and Brahmaputra will be launched by Antara Luxury River Cruises launches. From Kashi (Uttar Pradesh) to Dibrugarh (Assam) via the Sunderbans and Bangladesh, you can sail on 27 small rivers, 5 states and 2 countries. Image Source: IANS News The 51-day cruise aboard Antara's newest Art Deco boutique ship, Antara Ganga Vilas, is a fantastic opportunity for those wishing to explore South Asian culture in some of its oldest regions and systems. Ideal for vacationers, history buffs, culture buffs, and nature lovers, the cruise also offers a hop-on hop-off option for those who only wish to travel on certain segments. Image Source: IANS News Commenting on this unique itinerary, Raj Singh, pioneer in luxury river tourism and Founding President of Antara Luxury River Cruises, said, "Each experience has been personally reviewed by me and designed for fellow avid travelers. The historic route has been completed with the backing, support and cooperation of the governments of India and Bangladesh working together to ensure a smooth journey between the two countries. "Mr. Raj Singh is also a recognized authority on Indian wildlife and has respected written guides to the mammals, birds and aquatic life of the subcontinent. During the trip, each day will have an experience at sea and an experience on land. Beginning in Varanasi, with short day trips to sights along the way, the cruise meanders the waters of the Ganges, stopping at World Heritage sites and ancient sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and in West Bengal for an in-depth look at its colonial influences and regional traditions. Sailing through the largest mangrove forest in the world, the UNESCO-protected Sundarbans, the ship arrives in Bangladesh. Shopping from the floating markets of Barisal to Bagerhat, home to the famous 60-domed mosque, to Sonargaon, the country's historic city. The journey continues from Dhaka to Jamuna in northern Bangladesh, turning east to return to India at Dhubri, embracing the Brahmaputra for the Assam leg of the journey, sailing through wilderness and many sites culture along the way. Explaining the wealth of experiences offered by the trip, Raj Singh adds, "Our guests visit Matiari, where they see how brassware and textiles are handcrafted in the villages, and they walk the same site to archaeological sites that are over 2500 years old. We visit Vikramshila, one of the largest Buddhist universities alongside Nalanda and Bhagalpur for its centuries-old traditions of Tussar silk weaving, the fascinating colonial, Dutch and French influences and the architecture of Inner Bengal, the wild and unspoiled beauty across the border from Bangladesh to Bangladesh India the Sunderbans, precious arts and crafts tours where guests can engage and converse with them - we have so carefully curated the entire trip, every stop and every experience. A real insight into understanding this special region while exploring the river landscapes to the phenomenal that the revered enjoy the offerings of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra." Annapurna Garimella, art historian and director of Antara Cruises, reflects on the artisans and craftsmanship that lived along these ever-changing but seemingly eternal shores, adding: "Life and civilizations began along these rivers, and artistic expression is its strongest reflection. of a culture. The cruise explores so many of these facets, whether in food, textiles, architecture or agriculture. Navigating through this vast landscape is to immerse yourself in the culture of this country that we now call India." Built in a mid-20th century modern style, the 18-suite Antara Ganga Vilas is a luxurious blend of refined structure and understated elegance. Each room is inspired by a color square painted by Bauhaus and Black Mountain teacher Josef Albers, and all fabrics, linens, furniture, and tableware are made in India, some even along the river. Large floor-to-ceiling sash windows offer enchanting river views throughout the ship's vast spaces, enhancing the feeling of walking inside while observing a moving river landscape. (IANSlife can be contacted at IANSlife@ians.in) -- Syndicated from IANS San Francisco, June 22 : As Elon Musk fixes a few 'unresolved matters' with Twitter, the company's board has recommended the $44 billion buyout. In a fresh regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) on Tuesday, Twitter's board of directors recommended unanimously that shareholders approve the proposed $44 billion buyout of the micro-blogging platform to Tesla CEO Musk. The board "unanimously recommends that you vote (for) the adoption of the merger agreement," it said in the filing. "Twitter's Board of Directors, after considering the factors more fully described in the enclosed proxy statement, unanimously determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders," the company said. Twitter shares jumped around 3 per cent to reach $38.60 each. Musk on Tuesday said that there are still a few "unresolved matters" with Twitter before he moves ahead with his $44 billion takeover deal. Addressing the Qatar Economic Forum, the world's richest man said that he is still waiting to know the presence of the actual number of bots on the platform. "There is the question of, will the debt portion of the round come together and then will the shareholders vote in favour," he said. He said he will focus on "driving the product" at Twitter and does not want to become the CEO of the micro-blogging platform. Annoyed at the presence of fake users and bots on Twitter, Musk in May put the $44 billion takeover deal on hold. Musk said he does not believe in Twitter findings, which claim that false or spam accounts represent fewer than 5 per cent of its monetisable daily active users (229 million). He said that Twitter's algorithm might be manipulating users and has "very bot-friendly" rules. Musk also asked the US SEC to probe whether Twitter's claim on the number of its user base is true. New Delhi, June 22 : Two people, including a dreaded criminal involved in multiple cases of murder and other crimes, were arrested after a brief exchange of fire in the national capital's northeast area, an official said on Wednesday. The accused were identified as Almas Khan alias Allu alias Salman who was previously involved in 12 criminal cases including murder (2), attempt to murder (4), obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions, robbery, snatching etc and his associate named Junaid, a resident of Chauhan Bangar Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Sanjay Kumar Sain said a police team was working to solve the incident of bike jacking reported in the area of Shastri Park police station on Monday. Meanwhile, another incident of bike jacking was reported in the East District on Tuesday, for which the bike jacked from Shastri Park was used. "Modus operandi in both the incidents was looking similar," the DCP said. Subsequently a team was constituted which found that the bike which was stolen from East District has been prosecuted by the traffic police near Durgapuri Chowk. After scanning multiple CCTV footage, the police extracted the image of the accused while he was being prosecuted by traffic police. "The presence of the suspect was zeroed in on the fourth floor of a house located at Maujpur near Kaneja Masjid. On recce of the building, it was found that it was located in an extremely narrow street of a densely populated area. It was also assessed that several families were residing in the building," Sain said, adding that the police team was prepared to conduct a raid at the said house. Around 11.15 p.m. on Tuesday, the police team, passing through the narrow street and stairs reached the 4th floor of the said building and knocked at the door. "On this three women, one of them was later found to be a transgender, barged out aggressively and manhandled the police personnel and tried to push them away from the door," the official said. At this, the accused, who was present in the room opened fire on the cops. The police also retaliated and one bullet hit the accused Almas Khan alias Allu alias Salman. Another person in the house was also overpowered by the police team. The injured accused was immediately shifted to a hospital. Accordingly, the police registered a case under sections 186, 353, 307, 332 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Jafrabad police station and arrested the accused. Two females and one transgender, who had opened the door of the house, were also apprehended and are being interrogated, the official added. Thiruvananthapuram, June 22 : Amid mounting troubles for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is in the eye of storm following allegations of involvement in gold and currency smuggling case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to grill the prime accused Swapna Suresh on Wednesday. Swapna Suresh, whose fresh allegations early this month through a confessional statement filed before a magistrate under Section 164 (5) of the Criminal Procedure Code, has been asked to appear before the federal agency which might spell more trouble for the chief minister. This would be her second appearance before the ED officials, the first being when the gold smuggling case surfaced and she was arrested form Bangalore in July 2020. Despite the adversities, Vijayan continued to maintain his calm and with the Covid pandemic peaking, things took a turn and he won both the local body and the 2021 Assembly polls and he, like several others, felt that the case would soon be forgotten, sources said. But, the case resurfaced and Swapna's fresh statements rocked the entire state as in the first round of ED interrogation, Vijayan's name was missing. Things have changed for worse for the CM as the accused has not only named him, but also his wife and their daughter. Subsequent to this, a top notch additional inspector general of police M.R.Ajithkumar was removed after Swapna alleged that he and another high ranking police official through a shady middleman was trying to settle issues. Suspicions grew further when the police tried their best to get her fresh confession statement, but a court thwarted that and things went astray for Vijayan, when the ED served a notice to the woman to appear before them on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Swapna wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a CBI probe into the role of the Kerala government in the gold smuggling case and has sought an appointment too. Meanwhile, the ruling Left Democratic Front has decided to shield Vijayan and held its first public meeting here on Tuesday evening with leader after leader trying their best to defend Vijayan. Vijayan has decided to keep away from these meetings as they have decided to hold one similar meeting in all the 14 districts of the state and would be held in the coming two weeks. To add to his woes, the fresh session of the Kerala Assembly is scheduled to begin here on Monday and the opposition Congress, buoyed by its stellar victory in Thrikkakara bypoll, is all set to corner him on the issue. Kochi, June 22 : Almost after two months of a long-drawn legal battle, actor-producer Vijay Babu, who is accused of rape by an actress, on Wednesday got anticipatory bail from the Kerala High Court. He has been asked to appear before the police probe team on June 27 and the police have been granted time to interrogate him -- seven days between June 27 and July 3. The court also asked him not to leave the state under any circumstances. On April 22, an actress from Kozhikode filed a complaint in Ernakulam that she was raped and beaten up by Vijay Babu several times in a flat in Kochi. She also accused him of intoxicating her before sexual abuse. As the news surfaced, Babu appeared live on his social media handle claiming that he was the "real victim" in this case, adding that he would take appropriate legal steps against the complainant whom he also named. The police, apart from the initial complaint, have registered a second case against him for disclosing the name of the complainant. Vijay Babu who had left the country after the actress filed a case against him, returned after the court gave him a temporary relief that he will not be arrested till his anticipatory bail plea is disposed and till then whenever the probe team seeks his presence he should present himself before them, which he did. After fleeing the country, he had spent some time in UAE and then moved to Georgia. Kabul, June 22 : At least 280 people were killed and 595 injured after an earthquake struck Afghansitan's Paktika province early on Wednesday, the state-run media reported. Some 255 people lost their lives in Barmal, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province, the most-hit eastern province, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported, citing the latest local sources. Helicopters and rescue teams have arrived in the affected areas. In neighbouring Khost province, at least 25 people were killed and 95 others wounded, the report said. The quake, with a magnitude of 6.1, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake has damaged dozens of houses in the region and also caused land sliding in Paktika, local sources said. Local officials say the death toll could rise if the central government did not provide emergency help. The Deputy Prime Minister in Taliban-led government, who heads the Relief and Disaster Control Authority, directed all concerned parties to reach the affected areas as soon as possible, and to use all available resources. "Save the lives of those affected and provide the necessary assistance to them," he was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency. New Delhi, June 22: After two years of low-profile celebrations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Yoga day was celebrated with befitting enthusiasm this year in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf countries. Yoga Day coincides with the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which is commemorating 75 years of India's Independence. In Saudi Arabia, besides NRIs, expatriates from various nationalities and also foreign diplomats participated at the event held at Indian Embassy premises in Riyadh on Tuesday. Charge d'affaires of India, N Ram Prasad said that Yoga is an important factor in growing partnership between India and Saudi Arabia in the Health sector. He said that yoga has become a popular activity in the Kingdom. In the port city Jeddah, Yoga-day was celebrated in unique style with a Yoga Carwan where young enthusiastic Saudi women travelled from the seashore to downtown. The participants took part in several mesmerising yoga sessions on the shores of the Red Sea. In Dubai, Hundreds of women took centre stage at a massive celebration of International Day of Yoga at Dubai World Trade Centre on Sunday evening which was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Sanjay Sudhir. Apart from Indians, several Arab women and also some Europeans participated in the event where UAE acclaimed yoga teachers Haifa Mohammed, Bashayer Alobedidli and Sumaya Almarzooq highlighted the benefits of different asanas and breathing techniques, according to reports. Bashayer and Sumaya , two Emarati friends are certified yoga teachers and founders of Barakah - Sharjah's first boutique yoga and pilates studio. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, June 22: Noted human rights activist from Karachi, Pakistan, Arif Aajakia, who gets his surname from his ancestral village of Ajak in Gujarat, is on a heavy dose of Hindu epic Bhagavad Gita. Known as the divine song, the Gita narrates the dialogue on a battlefield between a mortal Arjun, engulfed by doubts and fears, with Lord Krishna, who acts as his charioteer and guide. Enraptured by the Gita, Aajakia is balancing his time between his core work of making videos on international relations for the common man, with understanding the Gita and its message on human rights, status of women, conducting oneself on earth and relations between man and God. In an exclusive interview to India Narrative, Aajaia says: "It was in 1994 that I first went to the UN and came to know about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I was impressed with it. Then about five years back I read the Gita which reminded me about the UN Charter. The Gita urges you to respect the planet-its environment and food systems. I was left in awe that such exalted thoughts were said 5,000 years back". Excerpts from the interview: What else about the Gita has influenced you? Aajakia: The Gita does not restrict you to pray to a certain God. Since then, I have begun to hold discussions with friends who have read the Gita. I soon realised that even atheists have been granted rights in Hinduism. You cannot question Gods in other religions. But here in Hinduism, Arjun is holding a debate with Lord Krishna. The questions that Islam did not answer, I found in the Gita. I also saw that equality and respect has been granted to women. Jahan Ram Khade hain, wahin Sita khadi hain. Krishna ke saath Radha milengi. Shivaji ke saaath Parvati hoti hain (Lord Ram is always standing with Sita. Lord Krishna is found with Radha and Lord Shiva is shown with Parvati.) Other religions do not accord the same status to women and Goddesses". Lately, I have become a Ram Bhakht. The messages from Lord Ram are extraordinary. From any point of view, Ram's messages to friends, brothers and bhakts (faithfuls) have deep meanings. I also noticed that there is no messaging about Dalits in the Sanatan Dharma. Casteism and discrimination is not mentioned in the Hindu religion or texts. I did not find 'othering' in the Hindu texts. You recently visited India. What are your first impressions about the country and its people? Aajakia: I recently visited my ancestral village-Aajak, in Gujarat. When people came to know that I was coming, they waited for me. People wanted me to visit the local masjid. I told them that I will only visit a masjid which has not been built after destroying a temple. After they assured me that the Aajak masjid is not built over a temple, I visited the masjid where my father and grandfather had prayed before the Partition of India. I also visited the local temple where the priest and the local people gave me a warm welcome. I find that India in real life and in villages is very different from India that is portrayed on social media. Also, during my one-month visit I found people at peace. I did not come across people fighting with each other on the streets. I visited 13 cities and found quiet. In Karachi, you will witness two fights in one hour. I also went to Junagarh from where many Muslims had left for Pakistan during the Partition. The ones who stayed back remain in touch with the conditions in Pakistan and thank themselves that they did not migrate to Pakistan. During my India visit, I went to a place called Bantwa which has 17 mosques. Out of a population of 20,000 people just a few hundred people are Muslims yet they have 17 mosques. The Memon community, to which I belong, used to live here but most Memons left for Pakistan. More than 70 years later, the properties belonging to the Memons have not been taken over by the Hindus. My own house still had its lock intact on the front door after all these years. This is a reflection of the liberal and unselfish nature of the Hindus who did not covet the property left behind by the Muslims. What do you have to say about the violence in India that started with stone-throwing at Hindu festivals? Aajakia: There is no civil war in India despite the riots and arson, but it certainly is a dream for many who want a civil war to engulf the country. Both Pakistan and China would want a civil war in India. The stone throwing during Hindu festivals was pre-planned. Stones had been stored on the roof-tops of masjids in advance. This violates what Prophet Mohammed had said, 'that the masjid should be used for namaz, nothing else'. Recently, even at the al-Aqsa masjid in Jerusalem, stones had been stored in sacks. Young men standing guard over the sacks of stones were wearing shoes inside the mosque. With so much going on in the world, India seems to be under pressure from different quarters-the West, Islamic nations and certain ideologies...? Aajakia: India is rising. It has the potential. People know that India will rise again because no invader could control it for long. But India is everywhere-in Quadrilateral Security-I with the US, Japan and Australia, but also in Quadrilateral Security-II with the US, Israel and the UAE. There is a demand for India everywhere. Nations do not trust China any longer and only India is the country that can stand up to China. Narendra Modi is pursuing the right policies-strengthening communications, building transport links, setting up airports, all of which are creating value not just for the rich but for all sections of the society. With other policies like aatmanirbhar Bharat and defence manufacturing plants being set up in the country, India is on the right path. Even during the pandemic, India's image rose as it not only manufactured vaccines but also sent it to poor nations. We recently saw another attack on the Sikhs in Kabul. Why is there no outrage against attacks on minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Aajakia: The biggest reason is that India is poor in lobbying. Once Pakistan was partitioned in the 1971 war, it realised it would never win a conventional war against India. It decided to push up propaganda and non-conventional means of warfare by launching Operation Tupac to destabilise Kashmir and convert it into an exclusive Muslim region by communal violence. Across the world you will see a strong anti-India agenda. . A recent conference by an American professor was about dismantling Hinduism-an unnecessary attack on the Hindus. . Similarly, somebody called Gurpatwant Singh Pannu gave a call for a referendum and it caught the attention of people. . Before this call, he was an unknown entity. But after the call against India, he has become a darling of the Pakistani intelligence services. . There are anti-India speeches in the US and Canada parliaments just because Pakistan has been lobbying hard with the politicians there. . All these activities need a lot of money. Pakistan is pumping in money endlessly against India. But the Government of India will not do this because it says such activities are below its dignity. I will give you another example. At the UN conferences on human rights in Geneva, Pakistan will bring in bus-loads of hired people from Italy, Belgium, Germany and other countries. It will ensure that there is accommodation, food and transport for the hired protestors. In Geneva-a city of just over two lakh people, you will find a pro-Khalistan rally with 20 Sikhs and 200 Pakistanis. All will be shouting anti-India slogans because they have been paid to do so. The UN recently marked a day against Islamophobia. Do you agree with that? Aarif: The whole issue of Islamophobia is a concocted issue. Out of nearly 190-odd UN members, 57 are Islamic countries, so how can there be an irrational fear of Islam. Islamophobia is a tool to keep the Muslims happy. It is a tool of appeasement by the Western countries to keep Muslims under control. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Chennai, June 22 : Tamil Nadu Police are seeking legal opinion over a complaint filed by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) woman against a doctor from Chennai based out of Dubai that he had groped her during a flight. The incident occurred on Saturday but the United States-based woman who is now in Tamil Nadu did not file the complaint till Tuesday. In her complaint, the woman said that she had boarded the flight from the United States and after the flight stopped in Dubai, the accused got in. When the flight was mid-air, the doctor who was seated behind, groped her to her utter shock. A police officer who is investigating the case told IANS that the woman alerted the cabin crew after the incident who informed the airport police. The police took the passport of the Dubai-based doctor into custody and questioned him but he was let off as there was no complaint lodged till Tuesday. The police officer told IANS that they are seeking a legal opinion as the alleged incident took place mid-air and that they don't want any miscommunication over jurisdiction. Notably, the woman had tweeted about the incident and said that she was not proceeding with the case as the accused doctor had apologised. However, she filed a police complaint on Tuesday. Bihar: RJD, Left parties march to Raj Bhavan in protest against Agnipath scheme, demand to withdraw the scheme. Image Source: IANS News Bihar: RJD, Left parties march to Raj Bhavan in protest against Agnipath scheme, demand to withdraw the scheme. Image Source: IANS News Patna, June 22 : Tejashwi Yadav-led Mahagathbandhan leaders on Wednesday took out a march from Bihar Assembly to Raj Bhawan against the Centre's Agnipath scheme. Leaders of RJD and left parties participated in the march and handed over a memorandum to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan. "We have handed over the memorandum to the Bihar governor demanding cancellation of all FIRs registered against the agitators during Agnipath protest in the state. We have also demanded release of students arrested during the protest," Yadav said. The memorandum of RJD comprises 20 questions related to Agnipath scheme which he handed over to the Bihar governor. The protest March started around 10 a.m. from Bihar Assembly. "The BJP government at the centre is playing with the future of our youth. If the youths are not comfortable with the future through this job, how will they perform duties on the borders? The Centre should withdraw the Agnipath scheme. If it fails, our youth will force them to withdraw the Agnipath scheme," Tejashwi said. "The Narendra Modi government has sold rail, Air India, airports, petroleum companies, telecom, agriculture and now is interfering in the defense forces which is unacceptable. Our protests will continue," he said. "Some people are saying that the youth has gone silent now. I want to say that violent agitation is not the only way to protest against government policies. We can also resort to peaceful protests. The youth is still upset," Tejashwi said. The BJP leaders are making mockery of the youth. Its leaders are saying that they will be absorbed as security guards in BJP offices. This government has come to power on the promise of providing employment to 2 crore youth but now it is snatching jobs from the youths. During the Bihar Assembly election, the NDA claimed to provide 19 lakh jobs and now, Narendra Modi is pledging to give 10 lakh jobs in next 18 months, he stated. "The Narendra Modi government has destroyed the democracy of the country. Our constitution is under threat. They are bringing back to back hidden agendas before the country and playing with the country's future," said Bhai Virendra, the four times MLA of RJD. Munni Rajak, the newly elected MLC said: "Don't boil the blood of our youth. The dictatorial government of Narendra Modi brought demonetisation, GST, three farm bills and now four years contract recruitment in Indian defence forces. The central government has not brought in any policy that gave relief to common people. It should withdraw the Agnipath scheme or the agitation will intensify," Rajak said. Earlier, LJP (Ram Vilash) leader Chirag Paswan and Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav protested against the Agnipath scheme during Bihar bandh. The protest march of RJD was delayed as Tejashwi Yadav was not in Bihar. He returned from Delhi on Tuesday evening. Patna, June 22 : After the announcement of Droupadi Murmu as the NDA candidate for the Presidential poll, Bihar's two Dalit leaders -- former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan have announced support to her. Manjhi on Wednesday tweeted (in Hindi): "Our sister Droupadi Murmu is a pride of tribal people. I would like to congratulate her as NDA has declared her candidate for the highest post of the country. It is a great moment for us that a second leader from among us is going to become the President..." He also added the 'Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai' to his tweet. Curent President Ram Nath Kovind is also a Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh. Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has four MLAs in Bihar and each MLA has the power of 173 votes. Manjhi was not happy with the BJP as HAM, which is a part of NDA, was not given any seat during the MLC election. But now, his party has extended support to the NDA candidate as she belongs to the tribal community. Chirag Paswan is another Dalit leader of Bihar who has lent support to NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu. "It is a proud moment for us that the NDA has selected a tribal leader for the highest post of the country. It would be for the first time that a tribal leader becomes President of India. LJP (Ram Vilas) gives full support to BJP's decision," Chirag Paswan, the sole MP of LJP (Ram Vilas) said. Chirag Paswan is MP from Jamui in Bihar and the voting power of one MP is 700 votes. Sources from the BJP said that they earlier talked to these two leaders and asked them to vote for the NDA's Presidential candidate. Murmu is a native of Odisha and she comes from Santali tribal family. She was also MLA in Biju Janata Dal and a minister in the Naveen Patnaik government. She also served as the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015- 2021. Murmu will contest against socialist leader and former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who is a candidate of 17 opposition parties for the Presidential election. He recently resigned from the Trinamool Congress to contest the polls. Seoul, June 22 : South Korea on Wednesday confirmed its first case of monkeypox infection, prompting concerns over the possibility of the spread of the virus. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the patient, who arrived at Incheon International Airport from Germany at 4 p.m. Tuesday, has tested positive for the virus, Yonhap news agency reported. The person has been in isolation treatment at Incheon Medical Center, west of Seoul, since arriving in South Korea. The KDCA raised the monkeypox risk level from "attention" to "caution" and decided to bolster measures against the spread of the virus. A foreigner who has been hospitalized in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, after showing possible symptoms of monkeypox, has tested negative. The person arrived in South Korea on Monday and was admitted to the Busan hospital on Tuesday. The virus, traditionally confined to regions in Central and Western Africa, can cause symptoms that include fever, chills, rash and lesions. The country has been vigilant against a potential inflow of monkeypox as an increasing number of countries have reported cases of the viral disease and international travel has increased following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Health authorities have designated monkeypox as a second-degree infectious disease out of a four-tier system. Currently, 22 contagious diseases including Covid-19, cholera and chickenpox are included in the same category. Officials said last week the government is seeking to import the antiviral drug tecovirimat for 500 people next month. Monkeypox patients will be treated in isolation in specialized hospitals and a 21-day mandatory self-isolation period is being considered for those who have a high risk of transmission after being in close contact with monkeypox patients, health authorities said. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Kolkata, June 22 : Despite launching scathing attacks against the Agnipath, the Union government proposed short-entry service scheme in the Indian armed forces, the seriousness of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her opposition on this count is being questioned in her own state. Both Congress and the Left Parties have described her attacks on the floor of the house as a mere "eyewash" and part of her clandestine understanding with the BJP. According to the state Congress president in West Bengal and senior party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, if she is serious about her opposition on this count, she would bring in a resolution against it in the state Assembly and get it passed as done by the Rajasthan government. "If the chief minister really believes that the Agnipath scheme is meant for creating future cadres for the BJP, then she should follow the example set by the Rajasthan government, bring in a resolution in the state cabinet and the Assembly and get it passed," Chowdhury said. Incidentally on June 20, while addressing the Assembly, the chief minister described Agnipath scheme as BJP's "ploy" to create its own future armed cadre force. "The announcement for the Agnipath project was not made by the defence ministry. The announcement was made by the Union home ministry. This is actually a ploy of the BJP to create its own cadre force under the garb of Army training. The defence forces are just being used as a facade. The BJP is projecting a lollypop to create a force of its own goons throughout the country," the chief minister said. The CPI(M) central committee member and the former leader of left legislative parties in West Bengal Dr Sujan Chakraborty said that the chief minister's concept of civic volunteers is no different from the Union government- proposed Agnipath scheme. "In West Bengal, youths are recruited as civic volunteers in state police on contractual basis and are deprived of other benefits that other regular recruits in the forces. These civic volunteers are actually performing Trinamool Congress cadres. In West Bengal there is a concept of civic police and the Union government is now proposing a civic military," he said. Trinamool Congress spokesman and the party's state general secretary, Kunal Ghosh, has, however, described such charges as baseless. "The entire country is aware of how Mamata Banerjee had been running in the forefront against any anti-people policy of the Union government. Both Congress and CPI(M) have become insignificant forces in West Bengal and hence their leaders are trying to remain in the limelight by making such baseless comments," he said. Hyderabad, June 22 : Film shooting in and around Hyderabad was affected on Wednesday as more than 20,000 Telugu cine workers began a protest demanding a hike in wages. Large number of cine workers laid siege to the office of the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation in Jubilee Hills to demand a 45 per cent increase in wages. Police stopped the protesters, who raised slogans in support of their demand. The Federation president and general secretary assured the workers that a solution will be found by the evening after talks with the Film Producers' Council. The workers' unions, comprising 24 crafts of cinema, have called for indefinite strike. However, there was no clarity on whether the workers were staying away from work indefinitely. The protesters left the Federation office after an assurance by the leaders that they will ensure a 30 per cent hike but it was immediately not clear if they will resume work. The workers said they had long been demanding revision in wages in view of the increasing cost of fuel and all essential commodities. They said they extended all cooperation to the filmmakers by not pressing for their demand as the film producers were hit hard by Covid-19. The union leaders said they were forced to launch the protest as no steps were taken to meet their demand though they had been discussing the issues with the Telugu Film Chamber for the last six months. They said since the film industry has recovered from the impact of Covid and has produced some big hits including pan-India movies, the Film Chamber should take the initiative and address their long-pending demand. They expressed disappointment over the lack of coordination between the Telugu Film Chamber, Telugu Film Producers Council and Film Industry Employees Federation. The protest affected production of about 20 films, including Chiranjeevi's 'Waltair Veerayya', 'Bholaa Shankar' and Prabhas' 'Salaar' and 'RC 15'. Meanwhile, actor Naresh found fault with the decision to go on strike. He said such a move would hit the interests of the industry which was recuperating from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. He urged the unions to hold talks to find a solution. "A knee-jerk stop will crush not only the producers but also the lower financial strata members who are the majority. As a son of the TFI (Telugu film industry) it is my humble appeal to go slow on the lockdown & negotiate. Kindly cooperate with the federation & producers to avert a major crisis," he tweeted. Seoul, June 22 : The number of babies born in South Korea fell to a record low in April amid the chronically low birthrate, while that of deaths hit an all-time high due to rapid aging and the Covid-19 pandemic, data showed on Wednesday. A total of 21,124 babies were born in April, down 7 per cent from the previous year, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the data from Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest for any April since 1981, when the statistics agency started compiling related data. South Korea is struggling with a chronic decline in childbirths as many young people delay or give up on getting married or having babies amid an economic slowdown and high housing prices, coupled with changing social norms about marriages. The country's total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime -- hit an all-time low of 0.81 last year, down from 0.84 a year ago. It marked the fourth straight year the rate was below 1 per cent. The number of deaths soared to a record high in April, affected by rapid aging and the Covid-19 pandemic, the agency said. The number of deaths came to 36,697 in the month, up 46.3 percent from a year ago. It rose for the 14th straight month in April. It was the highest for any April since 1983, when the agency started compiling related data. The April rate was also the fastest on-year rise. South Korea suffered the worst wave of omicron in March, with daily virus cases jumping to over 620,000 in the middle of the month. Covid-19 deaths hit an all-time high of 469 on March 24. As the number of deaths outpaced that of births, the country's population declined by 15,573 in April, marking the 30th straight month of fall. South Korea reported the first natural fall in population in 2020, as the grim demographic trend has continued. The country's total population declined for the first time last year, due to the low birthrate, rapid aging and a fall in incoming foreigners over the pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of people getting married inched down 0.4 per cent on-year to 15,795. Amid the downtrend of marriages, more people postponed or delayed their weddings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the agency said. Divorces slid 20.4 per cent on-year to 7,198, due largely to a fall in marriages. Beijing, June 22 : China's National Meteorological Center on Wednesday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country. From 2 p.m. Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yunnan. Some areas may experience up to 150 mm of rainfall, Xinhua news agency reported. Some of these regions are also likely to encounter over 60 mm of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales. The meteorological center has advised local governments to make appropriate preparations and check the drainage systems in cities, farmland, and fishponds. Schools and kindergartens have been asked to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of children, while drivers have been alerted to watch out for flooding and traffic jams. China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. Kabul, June 22 : Taliban's border guards in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province were targeted by an unmanned aerial vehicle, according to the local sources. An unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle recently targeted the 203rd Mansoori Taliban Corps in Paktia province, located at the east of Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported, citing the sources. The attack made the Taliban border guards to believe that it was carried out by the Pakistani border police, resulting in verbal confrontation between the two forces, sources said. The details of the incident were not revealed to the media and no casualty is reported, however, sources confirm that the Taliban's forces opened aerial fires at the unidentified aerial vehicle. However, the Taliban's official in the province, Khaliqyar Ahmadzai, the head of Taliban's Information and Culture has denied the allegations of the airstrike by the unmanned aerial vehicle. This aerial attack on the soil of Afghanistan comes as a helicopter belonging to the Taliban forces was shot down by the National Resistance Front (NRF) last week. Two Taliban militants were reported to have been killed in the operation by NRF whereas four other militants were captured by the NRF forces. The Taliban forces are reported to have had clashes including verbal and armed confrontations with the neighboring countries' border forces. Lucknow, June 22 : The Bundelkhand Expressway in Uttar Pradesh is nearing its completion and is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-July. Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home and Chief Executive Officer of Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), Awanish Kumar Awasthi inspected the progress of the project in Etawah district on Tuesday and directed the construction agencies to complete the remaining work within 10 days. The 296-km access-controlled expressway starts near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district and merges with Agra-Lucknow expressway near Kudrail village in Etawah. The expressway will pass through Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jaluan, Aurraiya and Etawah districts. The four-lane expressway (expandable to six lanes) has four railway over bridges, 14 large bridges, 266 small bridges, 18 flyovers, six toll plazas and 7 ramp plazas. To provide access to the villagers settled near the expressway, service lane has been constructed, the officials said. As the Bundelkhand Expressway gets operational, the area will be linked with a fast and smooth traffic corridor with Delhi and National Capital Region through Agra-Lucknow expressway and Yamuna expressway. The expressway will give momentum to development of the backward region of Bundelkhand while giving thrust to agriculture, commerce, tourism and the industrial sector. The state government plans to develop an industrial corridor along the expressway to boost the investment in the region. Entrepreneurs can set up industrial training institute, educational institutions and medical institutes near the expressway. It will also give thrust to handloom industry, food processing, dairy, storage and traditional medium- and small-scale industrial units in Bundelkhand region, the ACS said. The major rivers of Bundelkhand, including Ken, Betwa, Yamuna, Bagen, Chandrawal, Birma and Sengar, flow near the expressway. The scheduled date of completion of the Bundelkhand Expressway project was 2023, but the construction of the expressway has been completed in 27 months. Seoul, June 22 : South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered health authorities to conduct swift and thorough epidemiological surveys to stem the spread of monkeypox infections, shortly after the first case of the virus was confirmed in South Korea, Han's office said on Wednesday. "Epidemiological surveys, including the movement of the patient, path of contacts and people who have come into contact with the patient, must be conducted swiftly and thoroughly to prevent further spread," Han said in a statement. Han instructed health authorities to make utmost efforts for treatment of the patient, Yonhap news agency reported. Also, Han said health authorities must disclose information about containment efforts of the virus in a swift and transparent manner. The first patient of monkeypox arrived at Incheon International Airport from Germany around 4 p.m. Tuesday and reportedly showed symptoms two days before arriving. The person has been admitted to Incheon Medical Center in Incheon, west of Seoul. Monkeypox, traditionally confined to regions in Central and Western Africa, can cause symptoms that include fever, chills, rash and lesions. Han is now on a visit to Paris to rally international support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southern port city of Busan. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Thiruvananthapuram, June 22 : Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday served a legal notice to top CPI-M leader and Left Democratic Front convenor E.P. Jayarajan for the latter's "baseless" allegation against the former. Jayarajan had said that Satheesan was one among those who were instrumental in preparing and releasing a video that defamed the Thrikkakara CPI-M candidate Joe Joseph. Incidentally, it was Jayarajan who was the lead campaigner for the CPI-M at the keenly contested by-election. The entire Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet and around 70 of the Left legislators were engaged in a massive campaign for Joseph, but the Congress candidate won by a margin of over 25,000 votes, the highest ever in the constituency. During the campaign, a fake video portraying Joseph in a poor light became viral, after which the Left targeted the Congress for creating it. After the election results, Jayarajan said it was Satheesan who was behind the video. In response to this, Satheesan said he will be taking further steps against Jayarajan. In the lawyer's notice, he has asked Jayarajan to publicly apologise for this in a week's time, failing which he (Satheesan) will start civil and criminal procedures against him. New Delhi, June 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Germany from June 26 to 27 to attend the G7 Summit and to the United Arab Emirates on June 28. Modi will be visiting Schloss Elmau, Germany at the invitation of Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, for the G7 Summit under the German Presidency on June 26 and 27. "During the Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to speak in two sessions that include environment, energy, climate, food security, health, gender equality and democracy," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. In an effort to strengthen international collaboration on the important issues, other democracies such as Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa have also been invited, it said, adding, "On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the participating countries." The invitation to G7 Summit is in keeping with the tradition of strong and close partnership and high-level political contacts between India and Germany. The Prime Minister's last visit to Germany was on May 2 for the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). After attending the G7 Summit, the Prime Minister would be travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on June 28 "to pay his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former UAE President and Abu Dhabi Ruler." PM will also take the opportunity to congratulate Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as the new President of UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, the MEA said. Prime Minister will depart from UAE the same night on June 28. New Delhi, June 22 : The violent protests against the Agnipath scheme, announced by the Narendra Modi government appear to be subsiding with time. The Union government is trying to convince the aspirants about the benefits of the recruitment scheme that offers a four-year job in the Indian armed forces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met Chiefs of the three services and took a briefing about their plan to implement the Agnipath scheme. The Central government announced the scheme on June 14 to recruit youngsters in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. However, violent protests broke out in different states against the scheme. The ruling BJP and opposition hurled accusations at each other as the country witnessed horrific scenes of violence and arson by the protesters from several states. While the opposition accused the BJP government of offering a job scheme to the youngsters without any financial and social security. The BJP attacked the opposition for instigating the youth against the scheme. Undeterred by the protests and accusations made by the opposition, the government has decided to go ahead to implement the Agnipath scheme and start recruitment. CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a countrywide survey to know people's views about the protests that erupted in the wake of announcement of the Agnipath scheme. During the survey, while 60 per cent of the respondents opined that the protests against the military recruitment scheme will die down slowly, 40 per cent of the respondents said that agitations against the scheme will intensify in coming days. Interestingly, during the survey, while the majority of NDA voters -- 74 per cent -- said that the demonstrations will end in near future, opposition supporters were divided on the issue. Amongst the opposition voters, while 51 per cent believe that protests will intensify, 49 per cent think that the agitations against the scheme will end slowly. The survey also revealed that the majority of urban and a large proportion of rural voters think that protests against the job scheme will end with time. According to the survey data, 64 per cent of urban voters and 58 per cent of rural voters opined that the agitations against the scheme will slowly end. During the survey, while the majority of respondents in older age groups believe that the protests will slowly die down, youngsters appeared to be divided in their opinion on the issue. As per the survey data, 71 per cent of the respondents above 55 years of age and 66 per cent of those in the 45-54 years age group said that protests will slowly die down. At the same time, while 55 per cent of the respondents between 18-24 years of age believe that agitations will end slowly, 45 per cent respondents in this age bracket did not share the sentiment. Bhavnagar, June 22 : Three BJP councillors from Palitana nagar palika in the Saurashtra region have submitted their resignations to the Deputy Collector. Ward number-3 councillors Roshanben Abda and Kiranben Kukreja resigned stating that since the public works were not executed in their wards, they are unable to face voters. The third councillor Ajay Joshi has cited personal reasons. He claimed that he keeps travelling in connection with his business, hence is unable to devote time to the constituency. Terming the development "surprising", President of BJP Bhavnagar district committee Mukesh Langalia said: "I came to know about the resignation late on Tuesday evening. I am going to meet them personally and resolve their issues if any. If public works of their wards are not completed, it can be taken up with the Palika president and resolved. Will convince all three councillors to withdraw resignations." This is not the first incident as last month, the State's urban development department was superseded for not calling general board meetings in the months of April, July, October and January month in 2021-22 financial year and also for not using the Rs 24 crore grant earmarked for urban development. BJP was elected to power in the Botad Nagar Palika. Later, nagarpalika president Alpa Sabva with support of Congress councillors won the presidential elections, for which she was suspended from the party. New Delhi, June 22 : Both NDA and the opposition camp declared names of their candidates for the upcoming presidential elections on Tuesday. While NDA named former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu as its presidential candidate, a group of opposition parties declared Trinamool Congress leader and former Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government Yashwant Sinha as their common candidate for the upcoming presidential polls. Sinha's name was finalised by political parties from the opposition camp after former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah opted out of the race to be the next President of India. Sinha's name was declared at the meeting of opposition leader convened by NCP chief Sharad Pawar in New Delhi. The meeting of the opposition camp to discuss the presidential candidate was attended by the Congress party, NCP, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPI-M, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, AIMIM, RJD and AIUDF. Fissures in the opposition camp to put up a strong fight against the BJP-led NDA candidate came to the fore as several regional parties -- TRS, BJD, AAP, SAD and YSRCP stayed away from the meeting. Earlier, these regional parties did not attend the meeting of opposition parties convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 15. CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a nationwide survey on behalf of IANS to know people's views about the efforts of senior opposition leaders to build unity in the opposition camp for the presidential elections. According to the survey data, the majority of Indians believe that the opposition continues to be a divided house and their presidential candidate is unlikely to give a tough fight to the NDA candidate. As per the survey data, while 71 per cent of the Indians are of the view that the opposition camp lacks unity, only 29 per cent of those interviewed during the tracker had a different opinion on the issue. Interestingly, during the tracker, a majority of both NDA and opposition voters opined that the opposition continues to be a divided lot. During the survey, 68 per cent of NDA voters and 73 per cent of opposition supporters stated that the opposition lacked unity. During the survey, the majority of both urban and rural voters shared similar views about dissension in the opposition camp. According to the survey data, 74 per cent of rural voters and 66 per cent of urban voters believe that opposition political parties remain divided. Surprisingly, during the survey, the majority of respondents from all the social groups opined that the opposition remain divided on the matter. According to the survey data, 71 per cent of Upper Caste Hindus (UCH), 72 per cent of Other Backward Classes (OBC), 71 per cent of Muslims, 64 per cent of Scheduled Castes (SC) and 77 per cent of Scheduled Tribes (ST) respondents firmly believe that opposition political parties have failed to develop unity ahead of presidential polls schedule to be held next month. The survey further highlighted that Indians are divided in their opinion about opposition fielding a candidate for presidential elections. According to the survey data, while 53 per cent of the respondents believe that the opposition should put up a candidate for presidential polls, 47 per cent of those who participated in the survey did not agree to this sentiment. Political polarisation on the issue was evident in the views expressed by the NDA and opposition voters. As per the survey data, while 64 per cent of opposition voters said that the opposition political parties should field a candidate for presidential polls, 60 per cent of the NDA voters opposed the idea. During the survey, respondents from different social groups shared different opinions on the issue. According to the survey data, while 62 per cent SC, 71 per cent ST and 85 per cent Muslim respondents spoke in favour of opposition fielding a presidential candidate, 63 per cent UCH and 54 per cent OBC respondents spoke against the idea of opposition giving a candidate for presidential elections. Notably, former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu has been declared as the NDA candidate for presidential elections. Lahore, June 22 : Pakistan's Punjab provincial government has decided to impose a complete lockdown in its provincial capital Lahore on Sundays on all kinds of business activities in a bid to conserve energy and reducing power outages. The decision is taken after special policies and steps were introduced to conserve energy including restrictions for market timings to 10 p.m., rescheduling of working days per week to 5 days, in which, Friday to be a work-from-home day and now imposing lockdown on all business activities on Sundays - except for emergency and essential services in Lahore. "Sunday will be observed as a closed day for all commercial markets, plazas, shops, including those of wholesale, and retail, shopping malls, bakeries, confectioneries, offices, store rooms, godowns, warehouses etc in Lahore", read a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Lahore Omer Sher Chatha. However, the business community is not happy with the decision and highlighted that such steps would encourage corruption among the police and the shopkeepers, who take and give bribes to open their shops respectively. "We have no reservations about the closure of Sundays. However, such restrictions would encourage corruption as police officials received bribes from traders and shopkeepers and allowed them to open their businesses during the Covid-19 lockdowns," said Abdul Razzaq Babbar, General Secretary, All Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran. On the other hand, small shop owners and traders say that they get better sales on Sundays, insisting that shops should be allowed to stay open. "We achieve better sales during Saturdays and Sundays as most offices are closed and people head to the shops," said Muhammad Asif, a small shop owner in Lahore. While the decision has opened up a debate among the traders, the district administration has constituted a special teams comprising Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) and other agencies to ensure closure of all commercial activities in the city at the notified time. The decision is part of Pakistan's ongoing economic and energy crisis, which has caused major power outages. Citizens are unhappy and have been arguing that they are forced to pay for expensive per unit charges of electricity, and are also forced to suffer to power outages, which have stretched to about 12 to 16 hours per day. New Delhi, June 22 : The Delhi police has busted an international immigration racket duping people on the pretext of sending them abroad, and arrested three people including a couple in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Parveen (32) and Priyanka Madhan (28), were involved in arranging fake Polish visas along with their counterpart Vishal alias Paaji in Poland and Jasvir, an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Punjab police. They were mostly operating in Punjab and adjoining Haryana and facilitating people in settling down in Europe through illegal means. Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Tanu Sharma said on June 15 one male passenger Sarabjeet Singh holding an Indian passport number and a Polish residence visa approached for immigration clearance for Paris. "During the scrutiny of the travel documents, the Polish residence visa seemed to be doubtful and after thorough scrutiny it was found that the visa was a duplicate without any specific UV features and intaglio mark which shows that the residence visa was fake," the DCP said. Accordingly, as the passenger had tried to cheat Indian immigration, an FIR was registered under section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document) and 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and section 12 of the Passport Act. During interrogation, the passenger disclosed that he came in contact with an agent, Jasvir (an ASI in the Punjab police) who assured him that he can arrange a Polish residence visa for him in lieu of Rs 12 lakh and shared contacts of his associates, the accused immigration agents -- Priyanka and Parveen based in Delhi. Sarabjeet paid Rs 60,000 cash as advance to Jasvir and made a cash deposit of Rs 30,000 in the bank account of Flying Star Overseas, an immigration consultancy run by the accused couple. On hearing about the arrest of Sarabjeet, Parveen and Priyanka fled from their rented home in Dwarka and kept changing their location. They were, however, nabbed by the police from Jaipur. So far on the accused's instance, police have recovered 18 Indian passports of different persons, 11 debit cards of different banks, six mobile phones and seven cheque books. Guwahati, June 22 : Rebel Shiv Sena Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday claimed that 40 MLAs have accompanied him to Guwahati and they are devoted to Balasaheb Thackeray's 'Hindutva' ideology. Shinde and 32 Shiv Sena MLAs and seven other legislators belonging to smaller parties and independents arrived in Guwahati on Wednesday and are now staying at a luxury hotel in the city. "Myself and 39 other MLAs accompanied me. We are loyal to Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology of 'Hindutva' and we are keen to take it forward," the dissident Shiv Sena leader said, refusing to disclose details and their future course of action. When asked by the reporters why they have come to the BJP ruled Assam, Shinde said: "It is a nice place." With the latest development, Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra seemed to be stumbling on the brink of a possible collapse. The dissident legislators were received at the Guwahati international airport by Assam's BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das and MLA Sushanta Borgohain, who months after his election to the state Assembly last year on a Congress ticket joined the BJP and subsequently became a member again in the bypoll as the saffron party nominee. The Maharashtra legislators immediately after their arrival at the Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport were taken to a hotel on the outskirts of the city in three luxury buses of the government owned Assam State Transport Corporation with police escort led by an IPS officer. With the deployment of a huge security contingent led by senior officials, tight security has been put in place in and around the hotel. For the first time, rebel MLAs from outside the region have been brought to the Northeastern region. "The MLAs are known to us. They came here and we have received them as a matter of courtesy," Borgohain told the media sarcastically. There is speculation that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP's key strategist in the Northeast region, is expected to meet the rebel MLAs. The Congress criticised the Assam Chief Minister for conspiring to break the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra at a time when the people of Assam are in serious distress due to devastating floods. Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah alleged that some 40 MLAs of Maharashtra were held to ransom in Guwahati. "Sarma is involved in a shameful act," the Congress leader said. "CM Assam Himanta Biswa should concentrate on his own job and provide adequate relief and rehabilitation and help to the flood-affected people of Assam. He can do his politicking in happier times not now when people are crying for the govt help," Borah tweeted. Mumbai, June 22 : Two suspected turncoat Shiv Sena MLAs made a dramatic escape from the rebels' camp - led by senior Minister Eknath Shinde and others who had pitched tent in a five-star hotel in Surat, Gujarat - and reached Maharashtra safely in the past 24 hours. The Sena MLAs who 'escaped' are: Kailas Patil from Osmanabad and Nitin Deshmukh from Akola, who claimed they were "misled and taken against their wishes" by the rebels group late on Monday. Recounting his tale to the Sena bigwigs, Patil said when the group of MLAs was heading for a purported party to Thane he sensed something amiss as the vehicle changed route and headed towards Gujarat from the Ghodbunder Road on Mira Road. Under the pretext of relieving himself, Patil managed to get down at Talasari near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border Police Check Post at that late hour, before entering the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled adjoining state. Taking advantage of the darkness, he started walking briskly for around five km towards Mumbai and then managed to hitch a bike ride towards the state capital. En route, Patil called up Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and briefed him on the upcoming political crisis spearheaded by Shinde and others. He finally reached Thackeray's private residence 'Matoshri' in Bandra from where he was escorted to a safe house and he remains lodged there since. Coming back with a sensational ordeal of survival and escape, Deshmukh claimed he was 'kidnapped' and then taken to Surat in the rebels' group which landed there during the night of Monday-Tuesday. "Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, I managed to escape from the hotel and went outside, to hitch a ride from some passing vehicles. I was pursued by over a hundred Gujarat Police personnel who prevented me from sitting in any vehicle and they forcibly took me to some hospital," Deshmukh told mediapersons on Wednesday at Nagpur. At the hospital, Deshmukh claimed that they performed some medical procedures on his body, tried to prove that he had 'suffered a heart attack' and gave him some injection, though he was perfectly healthy. "They treated me like some terrorist. Somehow I could manage to flee from the hospital and here I am - absolutely fit and fine, no heart problems as the police contended," said a relieved Deshmukh. Both Patil and Deshmukh reiterated that they are "of course with CM Thackeray and there was no question of them joining anti-party activities or rebelling. The duo could not provide the exact number of rebels allegedly supporting Shinde though Deshmukh said "many more will return" to the Sena fold. Earlier, Deshmukh's wife had lodged a missing complaint with the local police that she suspected threats to his life as he was not available on phone after 7 p.m. on Monday (June 20). Sena Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut drew the media attention to the successful escape by the two MLAs - Patil and Deshmukh - and said such treatment meted out to them was condemnable. Minister Shinde, who has shifted camp from Surat to Guwahati in Assam, on Wednesday claimed that he now enjoys the support of more than 42 Sena MLAs. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and CM Thackeray have both tested Covid-19 positive, and the rebels prepared for a 'wait-and-watch' spell and the Opposition BJP made preparations to topple the MVA and grab power. Kolkata, June 22 : Discontent has started brewing in the CPI(M) over the party high command's decision to support Yashwant Sinha's candidature as the unanimous opposition candidate for the Presidential polls. The anger over the candidature of Sinha, who resigned as the Trinamool Congress's national vice- president to contest the Presidential polls, is especially acute in the Bengal brigade of the CPI(M), for whom the Trinamool Congress is still the foremost political rival in the state. The discontent was ignited by a comment from the CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, the party's sole Parliamentary representative from West Bengal, to a section of the media. He said that in a hurry to ensure a unanimous opposition candidate, a wrong choice was made. "It is true that our party wanted unity among all opposition parties. But all I can say right now is that the choice of candidate has not been right," he said. Echoing Bhattacharya, a central committee member of the party told IANS on condition of anonymity that both from the ideological point of view as well as the candidate's credibility, Yashwant Sinha was a wrong choice at least from their party's point of view. "Sinha had served as Union finance minister and external affairs minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet. He has just taken off his coat as the Trinamool Congress' national vice president for the time being to contest the Presidential polls. From the numerical perspective, Sinha's defeat is a foregone conclusion. I am sure that he will again assume the chair of Trinamool Congress' national vice president after his defeat. In such a situation, our party could have kept a distance from the Presidential poll process. Many of us have already started facing questions from our younger comrades on whether this is not a surrender to the arm-twisting tactics of the Trinamool Congress even though it is quite certain that the opposition is fighting a lost battle," he said. He pointed out that in 2002, despite knowing that they are fighting a lost battle against NDA's Presidential candidate APJ Abdul Kalam, the Left parties fielded Captain Lakshmi Sehgal of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose-founded INA fame. "At present, we are not in a position to field our own candidate or pitch someone really of our choice. But at least we could have distanced ourselves from supporting a candidate who had enjoyed stints with both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress," he added. Several CPI(M) activists and supporters have reacted on social media questioning the party's decision to support Sinha's candidature. Kabul, June 22 : The death toll from the earthquake that struck Afghanistan's two eastern provinces early on Wednesday jumped to 920, Afghan state-run media reported. Deputy State Minister for Natural Disaster Management in Taliban-led government, Mawlavi Sharfuddin, said in a press conference that 920 people were killed and 610 others injured in the quake, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency said in a tweet. The casualties were reported from Barmal, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province. Helicopters and rescue teams have arrived in the affected areas from neighbouring provinces and Kabul. The Gayan district was the worst-hit area in Paktika, the news agency reported, adding that the quake has destroyed and damaged scores of houses in the region and also caused land sliding in Paktika. The number of casualties might rise as dozens were still trapped under the debris. The quake jolted in mountainous areas and the authorities dispatched seven helicopters with life-saving equipment and medical personnel to the area, while medical and rescue teams were also on the way to the affected areas. Hours after the quake, acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund chaired an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a tweet by Akhund's office. The acting Prime Minister has expressed sorrow over the loss of lives following the quake and expressed condolences to people who lost their relatives. "The meeting has ordered all concerned agencies to rush to the spot immediately. Use all available resources to save the lives of the affected people and provide all necessary assistance." The quake, with a magnitude of around 6, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the US Geological Survey. Jakarta, June 22 : Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit Moscow and Kiev by the end of June and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky respectively, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a press briefing on Wednesday. Retno said that during the visits, Widodo will discuss the food crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Xinhua news agency reported. The "special visits" would show that Indonesia, as the host country of Group of 20 (G20) Summit in November, was "actively responding" to the ongoing geopolitical issue. Indonesia has fully expected that Russia, one of G20 members, will attend the summit, while Ukraine was also invited for the meeting as a guest country. "We fully understand that the situation now is very complicated, and all of the countries in the world know that. Thus, through the visits, the president wants to contribute to overcoming the food crisis that has been caused by the war and has impacted the poor countries. The President wants to push for the spirit of peace," Retno said. She pointed out that President Widodo would be the first president from the Southeast Asia region to visit both countries since the conflict broke out in February. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been going on since then, which has been widely reported to trigger a rise in global food and energy prices. Before travelling to Moscow and Kiev, Widodo will first attend the G7 Summit in Germany. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War London, June 22 : Europe needs to prepare "immediately" for Russia to turn off all gas exports to the region this winter, according to the head of the International Energy Agency, who has called on governments to work on reducing demand and keeping nuclear power plants open. Fatih Birol said that the reductions in supplies in recent weeks the Kremlin has attributed to maintenance work could, in fact, be the beginning of wider cuts designed to prevent the filling of storage facilities in preparation for winter, as Russia seeks to gain leverage over the region, The Guardian reported. "Europe should be ready in case Russian gas is completely cut off," he said in an interview with the Financial Times. "The nearer we are coming to winter, the more we understand Russia's intentions." "I believe the cuts are geared towards avoiding Europe filling storage, and increasing Russia's leverage in the winter months." EU countries are racing to refill storage sites, with Germany hoping to reach 90 per cent of capacity by November. Its stores are only half full, The Guardian reported. Member states have also been working to reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels, by sourcing gas from other countries, including the US, and by speeding up the switch to renewable energy, although officials have conceded that the race to phase out Russian oil and gas would mean burning more coal and keeping nuclear plants going. Birol said emergency measures taken by European governments to reduce energy demand had probably not gone far enough, and urged countries to work on preserving energy supplies. "I believe there will be more and deeper demand measures as winter approaches," Birol said. He added that gas supplies may need to be rationed, if Russia were to further reduce gas exports. Moscow has reduced or even cut off gas deliveries to several EU countries in recent weeks, in response to their decision to impose sanctions on the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine. Russian gas supplies to Europe received through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline - which runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany - have been falling, The Guardian reported. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Saharanpur : , June 22 (IANS) Six people accused of cow slaughter have been arrested after an encounter here, the police said on Wednesday. Police recovered slaughtered cattle, butchering tools, a country-made pistol along with a few live cartridges from the possession of the accused. The arrested accused have been identified as Akram, Shehzad, Imran, Akbar, Israr and Arshad. Two other accused are absconding. Superintendent of Police (city) Rajesh Kumar said, "Acting on an intelligence input, our team raided a house under the Deoband police station limits. Eight people were found to be involved in cow slaughter there. Six of them have been arrested." Kochi, June 22 : Reacting to the Kerala High Court's order on Wednesday granting anticipatory bail to actor-producer Vijay Babu, who is accused of rape, the victim's family termed it "disappointing". The actress' father said it's really disappointing that the court has given bail to Vijay Babu. "This will send a wrong message to the society at large that the rich and mighty will get away by doing anything. We will now speak to our legal experts to decide the future course of action arising out the verdict," said the victim's father, who further added that his daughter has been in the film industry for the past few years and she has had a good track record also. Granting him anticipatory bail, the court also asked Vijay Babu to appear before the police probe team on June 27 and the police have been granted time to interrogate him -- seven days between June 27 and July 3. The court has also asked him not to leave the state under any circumstances. On April 22, an actress from Kozhikode filed a complaint in Ernakulam that she was raped and beaten up by Vijay Babu several times in a flat in Kochi. She also accused him of intoxicating her before sexual abuse. As the news surfaced, Vijay Babu appeared live on his social media handle claiming that he was the "real victim" in this case, adding that he would take appropriate legal steps against the complainant whom he also named. The police, apart from the initial complaint, have registered a second case against him for disclosing the name of the complainant. Vijay Babu who had left the country after the actress filed a case against him, returned after the court gave him a temporary relief that he will not be arrested till his anticipatory bail plea is disposed and till then whenever the probe team seeks his presence he should present himself before them, which he did. After fleeing the country, he had spent some time in the UAE and then moved to Georgia. Meanwhile the Kochi City Police Commissioner C.H. Nagaraju said they will leave nothing to chance in the probe and will be doing their job. New Delhi, June 22 : In a bid to attract Indian consumers, French consumer electronics brand Thomson on Wednesday launched a new 32-inch smart TV under its Alpha series. Priced at Rs 9,999, the newly launched smart TV will be available for sale from June 26 on Flipkart. "We are excited to launch the all-new Thomson Alpha 32 smart TV, we want consumers to be part of digital India. Therefore, we are offering a price of non-smart, this will be one of the most affordable official smart TVs," Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO, SPPL, which is an exclusive brand licensee of Thomson in India, said in a statement. "This is Thomson's third new product launch in 2022 and we are all geared up to offer many new products this entire year," he added. The company said that the TV comes with HD-ready, bezel-less, powerful surround sound. It also comes loaded with YouTube, Prime Video, Sony Liv, Zee5, Eros now, etc. Other specifications include 30W speakers, 512MB RAM, 4GB ROM, Miracast, WI-Fi, HDMI, USB connectivity, and much more. Chennai, June 22 : The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department of Tamil Nadu government is preparing a report based on the opinion and suggestions from the general public on the administration of Sri Sabha Nayagar(Nataraja) Temple in Chidambaram. The HR&CE department had asked for suggestions from the public after the Podu Dikshithars who are in control of the temple at present did not furnish details to the inspection team of the HR&CE who had reached the temple on June 7 and 8. With the Podu Dikshithars turning antagonistic, the department sought suggestions and opinions from the general public and 6628 petitions were received on Monday and Tuesday on the basis of which a report will be prepared by the HR&CE department that will decide on the control of the temple. The HR& CE department's Cuddalore assistant commissioner C. Jothi had directed the public to share their opinion and suggestions regarding the control of the temple. After the directive had come out in public, suggestions and opinions are pouring in. In a related development, Pichavaram Zamindar Family heir MR Rajasurappa Chozaganar visited the HR&CE office in Cuddalore and petitioned that the Chidambaram Sri Saba Nayagar (Nataraja) temple was built by Iranyavarma Chola. In the petition, Rajasurappa Chozaganar said that the Pichavaram Zamin Poligars are from the Chola dynasty and that the temple was managed by his forefathers. He also charged that the Dikshithars took charge of temple administration a century ago. It is now to be seen how the general public has responded in their suggestions and opinions and it will become known to the outside world only after the HR&CE prepares a report based on this. Seoul, June 22 : South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met on Wednesday with ambassadors from Central Asian nations and reaffirmed South Korea's efforts to deepen cooperation with the regional partners, his office said. Park held the meeting with embassy representatives from the five nations -- Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan -- at his office, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the ministry. He briefed them on the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's vision for playing a greater role in international affairs and expressed hope to expand high-level consultations with the Central Asian nations, it said. Surat/Ahmedabad, June 22 : Shiv Sena's rebel MLAs were flown to Guwahati early morning on Wednesday from Surat, but controversy related to them is not likely to die down soon. The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that while they were in Surat, the city police tortured MLAs in hotel. MLA Nitin Desmukh has alleged that Surat police abducted and beat him. Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar was not reachable, he has not responded to text messages too. AAP state unit president Gopal Italia alleged that some of the Shiv Sena MLAs who were brought from Maharashtra on Monday night were threatened, tortured by the Surat police on the instruction of BJP leaders. He further alleged that some lawmakers wanted to return back to Maharashtra, but were not allowed and were confined in their hotel rooms. Now, Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh has come out with a damning allegation that Surat police forcefully admitted him in the government hospital. Even when he was in hospital some 20 to 25 persons confined him against his wish. He alleged he was abducted. He said he has no health issues, but was treated for chest pain. Nitin Deshmukh escaped and finally reached Nagpur. Shiv Sena's two more MLAs Prakash Kadam and Nirmala Gavit reached Surat on Wednesday morning, from where they were flown to Guwahati. Though the BJP has preferred to keep mum on the issue, there was official embargo on party spokesman not to give comments and reactions, but former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel jumped in and said, "Shiv Sena MLAs are influenced with BJP's development work, so they want to ally with BJP and form the government in Maharashtra. MLAs are unhappy with their own government and so they had come to Gujarat, they are flown to Assam." Bengaluru, June 22 : Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is a relieved man after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Karnataka as it has put an end to the rumours about a change of leadership in the state. Modi praised Bommai at a public rally and sent a message that the developmental activities in the state would continue under the leadership of Bommai, bringing the curtains down on the leadership change talk in the state. Modi stated that Karnataka will scale greater heights under the leadership of Bommai and the central government would stand by him. Sources in the party said that the message given by Modi is clear that there will be no change of leadership for the upcoming assembly elections as the state has already entered the election year. BJP leaders directly or indirectly took potshots at Bommai, questioning his leadership abilities and organisational skills. The mixed results in the MLC elections, his failure to win Lingayat dominated constituencies raised many questions. However, the party top leadership stood by him. Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that the upcoming assembly elections would be fought under the leadership of Bommai. Jagadish Shettar, who refused to take a cabinet position stating that Bommai is his junior, is still maintaining a distance from him. The political tussle in Belagavi district, an important support base of the BJP, is yet to be settled. Sources in the party said that Modi's speech gave a clear message that the focus should be on development rather than on leadership change to prepare for the assembly elections to be held in less than one year. Mumbai, June 22 : As the suspense over the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) fate continued, a power struggle erupted between the Shiv Sena and rebels group to wrest control over the party, here on Wednesday. Sena's chief whip Sunil Prabhu shot off a letter to all party MLAs to attend a meeting convened by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray -- who's down with Covid-19 infection, on Wednesday evening. "If you fail to attend the meeting, it will be presumed that you voluntarily intend to leave the party and your membership is liable to be cancelled as per the laws and further action will be initiated, which must be noted," said Prabhu. Hitting back, the rebel group leader, Minister Eknath Shinde has termed the meeting called by the Chief Minister through the Whip as 'illegal'. Shinde -- who claims to enjoy the support of around 45 MLAs, further said from Guwahati that a Sena MLA Bharat Gogavale has been appointed as the new Chief Whip of the party. The developments came after Prabhu sent the letter through social media, e-mail and messages to all the 55 MLAs -- including those in the rebel group, for the meeting at 5 p.m. Agra, June 22 : As the skies cleared after days of rain in Agra, the citys reptile population took the opportunity to venture into warmer nooks. An Indian rat snake resting atop the Agra Fort entry gate and a cobra inside the kitchen of a hotel near the Taj Mahal were rescued by the trained personnel of Wild Life SOS. On Wednesday morning, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit received a call from a member of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) about a snake sighting at Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors were shocked to see a nearly five-foot-long rat snake resting atop the fort's entry gate. A two-member rescue team rushed to the spot and carefully extricated the snake, much to the relief of the public. In another incident, a five-foot-long cobra was spotted in the staff kitchen of the Aryan Taj Resort near the Taj Nature Walk in Tajganj. The resort is situated just half-a-kilometre from the Taj Mahal's East Gate. Being cold-blooded, reptiles depend on their external environment to regulate their body temperature. As the resort is in the vicinity of the Taj Protected Forest, snakes often find themselves inside the premises looking for places to cool themselves off in the summers. Further, when it rains, their burrows fill with water and they crawl out to seek refuge in warm crevices and corners. The NGO rescued another cobra that was found curled up behind a door inside the premises of JRM International School in Agra. Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, "As we go on encroaching their wild habitats, the summertime especially sees more and more reptiles wandering into urban settlements in search of cool spaces. The team finds itself on reptile rescue missions every other day. In the past month alone, our team has rescued about 50 reptiles from in and around Agra." Baiju Raj M.V., Director, Conservation Projects, at Wildlife SOS, said, "At least it is encouraging that people are reaching out to our rescue helplines when they spot a snake. In the past, snakes have suffered horrible fates after being spotted in human settlements. All three snakes are currently under observation and will soon be released into their natural habitat." Vijayawada, June 22 : Amanchi Krishna Mohan, a leader of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), has sought more time to appear before the CBI in a case relating to derogatory remarks on judges in social media. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case, had asked the former MLA to appear before it on Wednesday. Krishna Mohan, however, informed the central agency's cyber crime wing in Delhi that he would not be able to appear on Wednesday due to a pre-planned schedule. He sought a week's time to appear before the agency. The CBI accepted his request. The CBI had asked Krishna Mohan to appear before it for investigation into the case relating to derogatory remarks on judges made in social media for certain judgments passed against the state government. The agency had issued a notice to him under section 41 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code and asked him to appear before officials at CBI camp office in Vijayawada. Krishna Mohan, a former MLA from Chirala constituency, had earlier appeared before the CBI in the same case at Visakhapatnam. On the directions of Andhra Pradesh High Court, the CBI had registered a case on November 11, 2020, against 16 accused and it took over the investigation of 12 FIRs from the state Crime Investigation Department (CID). It was alleged that the accused were intentionally targeting the judiciary and made derogatory posts on social media platforms against judges following some court verdicts delivered by the Judges of the High Court. The CBI has so far arrested 11 persons in the case and filed charge sheets. The agency also got objectionable posts removed from the social media platforms and public domains. Hyderabad, June 22 : The Telangana government on Wednesday urged the Centre to reconsider its decision to set up a defence industrial production corridor in Uttar Pradesh, saying that Hyderabad-Bengaluru is the ideal location for the project. Industries Minister K. T. Rama Rao said the Centre should rise above political considerations and political agenda to encourage progressive states like Telangana. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for VEM Technologies's Integrated Defence Systems at National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ), Zaheerabad in Sangareddy district. He recalled that he had requested then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to approve a defence industrial production corridor between Hyderabad and Bengaluru as they have the required ecosystem for the project. He pointed out that Hyderabad has many defence public sector undertakings and more than 1,000 small and medium companies, while Bengaluru has HAL and Air Force-related institutions. If a defence industrial production corridor is created here, it will benefit districts like Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy and Wanaparthy in Telangana, Kurnool and Anantapur districts in Andhra Pradesh. He said that if the defence industry is to gain impetus and a slogan like 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' is to be translated into reality, the Centre should reconsider its decision. "It should set up the corridor at a place where there is an ecosystem. If you set it up in Uttar Pradesh because you have votes and seats and political preferences there, it won't work," he said. "Even in Hyderabad, this did not happen overnight. The PSUs have been in existence for decades, creating a favourable environment for the growth of the sector," he said. KTR also told the Centre that when major global companies come to invest, they look at places where there is infrastructure and they see how soon they get return on investment. "They don't see states or cities while deciding to invest. They look at the countries and what they offer in terms of infrastructure and ecosystem," he said. VEM will invest Rs. 1,000 crore in the facility coming up on 511 acres in NIMZ. This is billed as the largest investment in the private sector in the defence manufacturing industry in India. The unit will employ 2,000 people in the next five years. VEM is a defence and aerospace company that offers end-to-end technology solutions and systems for various weapon systems for land, air, and naval applications. One of the top five defence companies in India, VEM will manufacture weapons systems and defence equipment like anti-tank guided missiles, small arms, sniper rifles, unmanned aerial system, underwater weapons systems and radars at their unit at NIMZ. The work on the unit will start in August and the unit is expected to commence production in 2024-25. Kochi, June 22 : Following her explosive revelations in a confessional statement before a magistrate early this month, the prime accused in the gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh on Wednesday was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for five hours. She was asked to appear again on Thursday. Swapna after meeting her lawyer, reached the ED office after 11 a.m. and was allowed to go around 4.30 p.m. but was asked to return again on Thursday at 11 a.m. In her confessional statement made under Section 164 (5) of the Criminal Procedure Code, parts of which she herself told the media early this month that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala and their daughter Veena were engaged in smuggling of gold and currency and also biriyani vessels were moved from the residence of the UAE Consul general here to Vijayan's residence contained metal objects. Following this revelation, the Congress and the BJP launched a massive protest demanding the resignation of Vijayan, forcing him to go into a shell and after this he has remained indoors most of the time. And when stepping out, he moves around a massive security cordon. It was last week the ED had served a notice to Swapna asking her to present herself before them at their office here on Wednesday. New Delhi, June 22 : As India prepares for long-delayed 5G spectrum next month, top industry stakeholders have locked horns over the issue of public and private 5G networks and whether the government should allow spectrum directly to the enterprises for operating private captive 5G networks. The debate sparked further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month said 5G technology will contribute $450 billion to the Indian economy, dedicating an indigenous 5G Test Bed to the nation during an event by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The debate has now reached its nadir with the Union Cabinet approving the telecom department's proposal to conduct an auction through which spectrum will be assigned to the successful bidders for providing 5G services to public and enterprises next month-end. While the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry's apex body representing telcos, is of the firm opinion that there is no justification whatsoever for allocating spectrum to industry verticals for operating private captive networks, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) says that captive private 5G networks would be crucial for the enterprises to augment efficiencies, enhance productivity and march towards Industry 4.0. "There is no need to alienate spectrum directly to companies for captive private networks,a says the COAI in its position paper, adding that the requirement of industry verticals can be best met through telecom operator-led private networks. "A private network operated within the commercial network also fulfils the requirement of "law enforcement agencies" as necessary lawful interception and monitoring is provided by the service provider while no such facility is available to lease in private captive networks," argues the COAI, adding that the anti-social elements may exploit this facility to bypass interception and monitoring of messages which would be detrimental to national security. Private 5G captive networks are about the deployment of high speed, enhanced data capacity, and ultra-low latency applications inside a closed manufacturing unit, hospital, airport, shipping port, among others. Such networks are single end-users (the enterprise itself) in the given location, unlike a vast number of users in public networks. According to the BIF, meant for non-public use, Private captive 5G networks are not about public data and voice networks working inside private/captive campuses, as is being alluded to and misunderstood in certain quarters. "India needs higher efficiencies in verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion and many others to accelerate the process of digital transformation. This can best be achieved only through the use of Private Captive 5G Networks," said the BIG in its position paper. A public telecom network set up by a telecom licensee would necessarily have to be one which optimises the various needs of the masses. "It would not be in a position to meet specific enterprise higher and specific SLAs (service-level agreements) that are characteristic of specific industry verticals. For example, the needs and requirements would be quite different for a Maruti-Suzuki automotive factory from that of an Apollo Hospital or of an IIT Delhi campus, and so on," argues the industry body. The BIF has also termed demands to ensure a level-playing field between public and private 5G networks as "absurd and impractical." "Seeking a level-playing field with enterprises for captive private networks is akin to a child in kindergarten being asked to compete with someone who has a doctoral degree. No mature regulator anywhere in the world imposes regulation on a player with no or minimal market share," according to TV Ramachandran, ABIF President. Nowhere in over 55 countries where private 5G networks are deployed have similar regulations been issued, said the think tank, as the two networks are on completely different footings and are not competing with each other. A recent GSMA report on 'Mobile Networks for Industry Verticals: Spectrum Best Practice' stated that great care needs to be taken to ensure verticals are fully supported without harming other wireless users -- especially consumers and businesses who rely on 4G and 5G. "Verticals can benefit from telco's more extensive networks, more substantial spectrum assets, expertise and, typically, operators' lower cost base. Use of dedicated set-asides for verticals poses significant risks to wider mobile services, most notably slower 5G networks and reduced coverage," the report mentioned. The COAI said that there is no need for separate private captive 5G networks and the same should be dispensed with given the availability of state-of-art telecommunication networks. On the other hand, the BIF argues that there would be no revenue loss to the government on account of direct spectrum allocation for private 5G networks to enterprises, as they shall purchase the spectrum at a price to be fixed by the government and allocated administratively. According to Neil Shah, Vice President of Research, Counterpoint Research, opening of spectrum beyond telcos "is a bold and welcome step to empower tech companies, enterprises and ecosystem players to build Private 5G networks". "Factories, university campuses, cities, transportation, ports can now build their secure, closed private networks, cloud infrastructure and services and accelerate their digital transformation journeys," Shah told IANS. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) Bhubaneswar, June 22 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday met Pope Francis in Vatican City. "It has been an absolute pleasure meeting His Holiness Pope Francis (@Pontifex) in Vatican City. Thanked him for the warm audience and wished him good health and a long life," Patnaik said in a tweet. The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation of senior officials of the Odisha government to Rome and Dubai. As per schedule, Patnaik will visit World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome, where he will meet its Executive Director, David Beasley and the other senior leadership. 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. The CM 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. On his way back, Patnaik will meet 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 of all the support and facilitation by the state government. He will also have one-on-one meetings with some big investors from the region. Patna, June 22 : After Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM and Chirag Paswan's LJP-Ram Vilas, Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Wednesday announced support to NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu. "Selecting Draupadi Murmu as a candidate for the President's post is a pleasing thing for us. She comes from a tribal family and her selection as a candidate for the highest post of the country is a pleasing thing," Chief Minister and party head Nitish Kumar said. Earlier JD-U's national President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh officially announced support to Murmu. "Draupadi Murmu, who comes from a poor tribal family, was selected for the President's post. Our Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also dedicated to the works for the women empowerment and marginalised people of the society. JD-U has decided to support Draupadi Murmu for the presidential poll. I congratulate her for her selection as a candidate for the presidential post," he said. JD-U Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha also congratulated Murmu, and also appealed to the opposition parties to support tribal leaders of the country. Paswan and Manjhi had expressed support for Murmu after the BJP announced her name as the NDA candidate for the presidential poll. After opposition parties announced the name of Yashwant Sinha as their joint candidate, the BJP played the woman and tribal card and selected Murmu. Leaders like Nitish Kumar, Manjhi and Chirag Paswan cannot afford to go against the decision of the BJP as they may considered as anti-Dalit and anti-tribal. Agartala, June 22 : The last-minute preparations were underway on Wednesday for the politically crucial by-elections in four assembly constituencies in Tripura, scheduled to be held on Thursday. Central and state security forces were deployed ahead of the vital by-elections being termed as 'semi-final' before the 60-member Tripura assembly's general elections which are around 8 months away. As the BJP, CPI-M-led Left Front, Congress and the Trinamool Congress and other local parties put up their candidates, the by-polls would be multi-cornered. The prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPc have been promulgated in the four assembly constituencies -- Agartala, Town Bordowali, Surma, Jubarajnagar in three districts -- West Tripura, North Tripura and Dhalai district. In all, 1,89,032 voters would decide the political fortune of 22 candidates of the BJP, CPI-M-led Left Front, Congress and the Trinamool Congress, and other local parties. The over-a-month-long hectic poll campaign for the four assembly seats in Tripura ended on Tuesday while a tense situation prevailed in some areas of these poll-bound constituencies. The campaign was marred by violent incidents. Former BJP minister Sudip Roy Barman, who is now contesting from the Agartala constituency on a Congress ticket, was injured when "BJP activists" allegedly attacked him late on Sunday night. Barman, a five-time MLA from the politically crucial Agartala constituency, is now under treatment at a private hospital in Agartala. The focus of the by-elections was on the Town Bordowali Assembly constituency, where 69-year-old Congress-turned-BJP leader and Chief Minister Manik Saha is contesting against five other candidates. Saha, the state party president and a Rajya Sabha member who assumed office on May 15, a day after Biplab Kumar Deb's resignation from the top post, is contesting the elections for the first time. To fulfil the constitutional bindings, he has to become a member of the Assembly within six months. The by-polls were necessitated after the resignation of three BJP MLAs and the death of CPI-M legislator Ramendra Chandra Debnath. Amid open resentment among a section of BJP legislators against the then Chief Minister Deb, three MLAs -- Sudip Roy Barman (Agartala), Ashish Kumar Saha (Town Bordowali) and Ashis Das (Surma) -- quit the BJP and the Assembly. Roy Barman, also a former BJP minister, and Saha joined the Congress in February this year while Das joined the TMC last year. Das last month also resigned from the TMC. Elected from the Jubarajnagar constituency six times, Debnath was Assembly Speaker multiple times. He passed away on February 2 in Kolkata due to kidney failure. The votes will be counted on June 26. New Delhi, June 22 : Expanding its e-commerce business, Twitter on Wednesday partnered Shopify and will soon launch a sales channel app for the US merchants in Shopify's app store. All US Shopify merchants will have a quick and easy way to tap into Twitter to drive their customers to purchase. "With our Twitter Shopping ecosystem, we're investing in features that empower businesses to put their products in front of their customers and drive them to where they can make a purchase," the company said in a statement. In 2021, there were 6.5 billion tweets mentioning businesses globally. The company has built a Twitter sales channel app, available in Shopify's App Store and through the Shopify admin. With just a few clicks, merchants can connect their Twitter account to their Shopify admin and onboard onto Twitter's Shopping Manager. "In addition to having access to the Shopping Manager, merchants can also access the other free tools we are building for professionals," said the company. The sales channel app regularly syncs with Shopify merchants' product catalogs, so they don't need to manually update product information on Twitter, it informed. Merchants can showcase their products front and centre on their Twitter profile with the Shop Spotlight or Twitter Shops to build brand awareness, drive product discovery, and reach customers -for free. "Starting today, we are also expanding beyond the beta testing phase for Shop Spotlight and Twitter Shops and making both features available to all merchants in the US," Twitter informed. Shopify is already a go-to commerce platform for merchants looking to start, grow, and manage their business. As we look to scale our shopping products and bring them to more merchants, we're excited to partner with an industry leader. "Our partnership with Twitter, and the launch of the Twitter sales channel, will let merchants seamlessly bring commerce to the conversations they're already having on the platform," said Amir Kabbara, Director of Product, Shopify. Bhubaneswar, June 22 : Odisha Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday appealed to all MLAs in the state to support Draupadi Murmu, who has been named as the NDA candidate in the presidential election. Patnaik, who is in Rome now, made this appeal on Twitter. "Appeal all the members of Odisha Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, to extend unanimous support to elect the daughter of #Odisha - Smt #DraupadiMurmu to the country's highest office," he tweeted, clearly indicating that his party will support the NDA candidate in the race for Raisina Hill. On Tuesday, Patnaik had revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier discussed Murmu's candidature with him. The CM also said he is sure that Murmu will set a shining example for women empowerment in the country. In the 147-seat Odisha Assembly, the BJD has 114 members (including one expelled member), BJP 22, Congress nine, CPI-M one and there is one Independent too. Patnaik's BJP had supported NDA candidates in the previous two presidential elections (2012, 2017) also. In 2017, Patnaik had supported NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind after receiving a call from the Prime Minister. At that time, he had stated that the office of the President is above political consideration and the BJD wanted to keep it above politics. Similarly, Patnaik was the first to propose the name of former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma for the presidential election held in 2012 against UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee. New Delhi, June 22 : Terming it a contest between two ideologies and not individuals, the Opposition's presidential candidate and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said that the leaders of the other ideology are intent on throttling the Constitution and "Making a mockery of the people's mandate in elections." If elected, he said, "I shall not allow the independence and integrity of democratic institutions to be weaponised against political opponents, as is happening now." "The ongoing attacks on the federal structure of the Constitution, whereby the government is attempting to rob the state governments of their legitimate rights and powers, will be treated as totally unacceptable. I shall also use the authority of my office to check the menacing power of ill-gotten money that is killing the soul of Indian democracy and making a mockery of people's mandate in elections," Sinha told media persons here. A dozen-odd opposition parties declared Sinha as their candidate on Tuesday, the same day the BJP declared Draupadi Murmu as its candidate for the post of the President, elections for which are due on July 18. "This is not a contest between individuals. But this is a battle between two opposing ideologies. Leaders of one ideology are hell bent on throttling the Constitution. They believe India's Rashtrapati should not function with a mind of her/his own and should merely serve as a rubber stamp to do the government's bidding," Sinha said, adding that "I am proud to belong to the other ideology that is determined to save the Constitution and the Republic." He stated that if elected, he will conscientiously uphold, without fear or favour, the basic values and guiding ideals of the Indian Constitution, "In particular, as a custodian of the Constitution, I shall not allow the light of democracy and secularism to be dimmed by the executive." Sinha said that after filing his nomination papers on June 27, he plans to begin his campaign by visiting as many state capitals as possible to meet or speak with the leaders as well as the MPs and MLAs of all the political parties to seek their support. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who had announced Sinha's candidature on Tuesday on behalf of the opposition parties after their combined meeting, had said that Sinha would be forming a campaign committee. The committee would be formed when Sinha files his nomination papers on June 27. June 29 is the last date for filing the nomination for the Presidential poll and voting will take place on July 18. Counting of votes will be on July 21. Paris, June 22 : A teacher received death threats and was accused of 'Islamophobia' after asking a Muslim student to remove her face veil - as required by French law - before taking an exam at a high school in Paris, Daily Mail reported. The teacher was attacked on social media following the altercation with the high school student, who had allegedly refused to remove her veil to take her baccalaureate exam at the Charlemagne High School in Paris. The Paris prosecutor's office said it is investigating the death threats made against the teacher. In 2004, France had banned the wearing of 'conspicuous religious symbols', including the Muslim face veil known as the 'niqab', at schools. The student, from a Parisian high school, had been asked to remove the veil outside the examination room at the Charlemagne school so that staff could perform a standard identity check before the exam. She had insisted on wearing the veil 'despite several reminders of the law by the staff of the education office present at reception', reported Le Figaro. The pupil is said to have eventually removed the headscarf after a 'tense' exchange with the teacher before she entered the examination room. "I removed it to avoid any conflict," the student said in an interview with Revolution Permanente as she claimed the teacher became 'aggressive' while demanding she remove her veil. The altercation was tweeted by one of the student's friends on Twitter. The user accused the teacher of being 'Islamophobic'. Soon after, the teacher received death threats and some users even demanded to know the teacher's name and to be shown a photograph of the educator. Others called the teacher a 'b***h', Daily Mail reported. New Delhi, June 22: Talibans ambitious plan to rebuild the Afghan air force has suffered a massive blow after the United States made it plain that the military planes and helicopters that had Afghan pilots had flown out of the country when the Pashtun-dominated group had taken over Kabul will not be returned. "The aircraft would definitely not be returned to Afghanistan because they do not belong to the Taliban," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, the US Central Command commander on Monday during his visit to Tajikistan. The US military's top commander overseeing Central Asia said that the talks are being held with the Government of Tajikistan to determine the best way to effectively use and maintain these planes. "Our hope is to be able to hand over some or all of the aircraft to the Tajik government. I do not have a timeline on when this will occur, but we are working hard to make this happen," Reuters reported General Michael Kurilla as saying. In case Tajikistan integrates these planes in its arsenal, it is likely that US personnel, including maintenance staff, will be deployed in the Central Asian state -- a move that can help Washington to regain a foothold in the region. US presence and influence suffered a big blow in August 2021, when the Taliban overran Kabul, forcing American forces to stage an unseemly exit from the country. There have been reports that since it troops left Afghanistan last August the US has been desperate to establish a new base in Tajikistan to increase its "over-the-horizon" ability to track from afar and strike emerging terrorist threats. "Their top three concerns are: Afghanistan, Afghanistan, Afghanistan," The Washington Post quoted Michael Erik Kurilla as saying, adding that the US will not attempt to bigfoot countries uncertain about American staying power and unwilling to offend Russia. Russia's 201 motorised division has been deployed in Tajikistan, but Dushanbe may feel insecure if this division or its parts are deployed by Moscow in the Ukrainian theatre. It may be recalled, more than 100 US trained Afghan air force pilots had flown out of the country with their families to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan aboard more than 60 aircraft, including A-29 light attack planes, Black Hawk helicopters, C-208 utility aircraft, and Mi-17, Mi-25, and UH-60 helicopters. just days before the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15. Since then, the Taliban have been warning Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to immediately return Afghan planes and choppers. "We may relatively be weaker than those of our neighbour countries but we are not cowardly and will take into account every single spare part of our planes and helicopters. I ask them respectfully to return our planes and helicopters and not question our patience any further and not to force us to take all possible retaliatory steps," warned Mullah Yaqoob, the Defence Minister of the Taliban. But Tajikistan and Uzbekistan had refused to return these aircraft as they were "donated" to the previous Afghan government by the US. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Washington, June 22 : Another top-rated US school will be headed by an Indian-descent American. John Kuriyan, an alumnus of the University of Madras, was named dean of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences on Tuesday. He starts in January 2023. Kuriyan joins a growing band of Indian-Americans who are heading top US schools and colleges. He joins Srikant Datar, the dean of the Harvard business school (he took over from another Indian American Nitin Nhoria); Madhav V. Rajan, the dean of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business among others. Top educators of Indian descent also included C. Mauli Agrawal, chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Renu Khator, president of the University of Houston. "The opportunity to come to Vanderbilt and join the leadership of one of the nation's best schools for cutting-edge biomedical research is a tremendous honor and privilege," Kuriyan said in an announcement of his appointment by Vanderbilt University. "I am impressed by Vanderbilt's deeply collaborative and collegial community, its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to research, its unique partnership with a world-class medical center and its unwavering commitment to diversity and belonging." The Vanderbilt medicine school is rated 13the by US News, which does a widely acknowledged annual ranking of US schools and colleges. Kuriyan studied for two years at the University of Madras, according to the announcement. He then transferred to Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor of science in chemistry and then went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a doctorate in physical chemistry in 1986. His influential graduate advisers were distinguished scientists Martin Karplus, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems in 2013, was one of his two mentors at MIT. The university said that Kuriyan's own research focuses on the workings of molecular switches in the cell, which has revealed pioneering new insights into the ways that many drugs used to treat certain forms of cancer gain their specificity at the molecular level. Kuriyan co-founded Nurix Therapeutics, which is a publicly traded biotech company that is developing therapies for late-stage cancers. Bengaluru, June 22 : A Hindu outfit in Karnataka has slammed the statement by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) Chief Commissioner, Tushar Girinath that Bengaluru's Idgah Maidan does not belong to the civic agency. Vishva Sanatan Parishat President S. Bhaskaran has alleged that Tushar Girinath has made a "deal" with Muslims. Earlier on Wednesday, taking a U-turn, BBMP announced that it does not own the property. Tushar Girinath, BBMP Chief Commissioner on Wednesday said that Idgah Maidan located in Chamarajpet is not owned by the BBMP. He also said that BBMP does not have any authority to respond to the submissions seeking permission to celebrate Independence Day in the premises of the ground. After his statement, Bhaskaran alleged, "BBMP Chief Commissioner has gone mad. He should confess if he had made any deal with Chamarajpet Congress MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan." He further said that RTI documents given by BBMP clearly state that Idgah Maidan is its property. There are no documents which prove Wakf Board's claim that the land belongs to them. "I have documents which prove that the Idgah Maidan belongs to BBMP. I had doubts about the deal when BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath held a meeting with MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan," Bhaskaran said. He appealed to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take cognisance of the matter and give justice to Hindus. "If Chief Minister Bommai is not capable of managing this issue, let him submit resignation. We will speak to the next CM. I will release details of the discussion between Tushar Girinath and Zameer Ahmad Khan," he said. "They (BJP) forget Hindutva after attaining power," he charged. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he will speak to the BBMP Chief Commissioner and get details about the development. Kolkata, June 22 : In a shocking incident, a newborn girl was strangled to death by her father in Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday morning. The reason behind the heinous act was that the newborn was his third consecutive girl child and had a dark complexion. The culprit, Rohul Amin Islam, a small-time building contractor by profession, was thrashed by the local people before being handed over to the police. Islam is currently in police custody while the body of the newborn has been sent for post-mortem. The local people informed the police that the mother of the newborn, Rehana Begum, was subjected to mental and physical torture by her husband for quite some time after she gave birth to two girls. Meanwhile, Rehana became pregnant for the third time. Rehana informed the police that she was tensed since late Monday evening after she gave birth to her third girl child. She was keeping the newborn under close watch ever since her birth. However, early on Wednesday morning, when she went to the washroom, her husband strangled the newborn to death. The event was kept under cover for a few hours until some local health workers reached the residence of Islam to enquire about the health conditions of the newborn and noticed the dead baby. The health workers informed the local people who first thrashed Islam and then handed him over to the police. Local panchayat member Mojammel Haque informed the police and mediapersons that although they were aware of Islam's hatred for girl child, they did not imagine that he could take such a heinous step. New Delhi, June 22 : Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran will take over as the President of India International Centre (IIC) on Thursday. Saran, a Life Trustee who is next in line in the inter-se seniority of Life Trustees, has been unanimously elected by the Board as the new IIC President. The President of the India International Centre is elected once in five years from among the Life Trustees following the time-honoured principle of rotation of the presidency. N.N. Vohra completed his five years presidential tenure on Wednesday. Shyam Saran is a former Foreign Secretary and has served as Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Nuclear Affairs and Climate Change. After leaving government service in 2010, he headed the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, a prestigious think-tank focusing on economic issues (2011-2017) and was Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board under the National Security Council (2013-15). He is a member of the governing board of the Centre for Policy Research and of the Institute of Chinese Studies. His first book, 'How India Sees the World', was published in 2017. He has recently published his second book, 'How China Sees India and the World'. Shyam Saran was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 2011 for his contributions to civil service. In May 2019, he was conferred the Spring Order Gold and Silver Star by the Emperor of Japan for promoting India-Japan relations. Hyderabad, June 22 : Mild tension prevailed during Telangana Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao's visit to Zaheerabad in Sangareddy district on Wednesday as the farmers staged a protest demanding fair compensation for the lands acquired for National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ). Police had to use mild force to control the protestors ahead of Rao's visit to lay the foundation stone for a defence unit. As the protestors tried to proceed towards the venue, police carried out a baton charge to disperse them. A couple of farmers were injured in the incident. Police had closed the roads leading to Zaheerabad from various villages in Jharasangam and Nyalkal mandals to prevent locals from staging any protest during the programme. The state government is developing the NIMZ over 12,635 acres and on Wednesday, KTR, as the minister is popularly known, laid the foundation stone for VEM Technologies' defence manufacturing unit which is coming up on 511 acres. Speaking at the event, he asked the district authorities and public representatives to ensure that those losing lands to NIMZ are adequately compensated. "If possible, pay them more compensation by going out of the way," he said. The minister also wanted the district administration and the industry to make sure the farmer families whose lands are acquired get employment in NIMZ. "Every family losing land to NIMZ should get employment in NIMZ, then they will cooperate. The industry also has to work with us. They are losing gold-like land and this will naturally cause pain but if they are assured their future generation will get jobs in NIMZ, they will come forward (to give lands)," he said. KTR urged VEM Technologies to give preference to locals in employment in semi-skilled and unskilled categories. "This will be a win-win situation for both you and local youth. "For industry to be in consonance with locals and local ecosystem is extremely important in terms of the longevity of the project." The minister welcomed a proposal by VEM Technologies to set up a skill centre for locals to train them for jobs in their unit. The company will bear 50 per cent of the cost for the proposed centre. Kolkata, June 22 : The earthquake in Afghanistan that has claimed over 1,000 lives has shaken up the 'Kabuliwalas' in Kolkata. Many of them have families in the Khost region of Afghanistan, the epicentre of the earthquake, but are unable to receive any information regarding the well-being of their relatives. "My brother and his family live in Khost. For several hours now, I have been trying to get in touch with them. I realise that mobile towers may have been affected due to the tremor, but there should be a helpline. Things have gone haywire ever since the Taliban took over. They have no experience in handling such a crisis. All they know is how to kill people and subjugate others," an enraged Afghan national residing in Kolkata said. The earthquake occurred at around 2.30 a.m. (IST) on Wednesday in the Paktika province. Most casualties are from Khost where houses have been flattened even as the occupants slept. It was 1.30 a.m. in Afghanistan then. This is being considered the worst earthquake to have hit Afghanistan in the last three decades. It has been more than 12 hours since then, but there has been no noticeable effort to trace the trapped people and bring them out from under the rubble. The Taliban government in charge of affairs in Afghanistan simply doesn't have the capability to handle a natural disaster of this kind. "One of my sons lives in Khost with his family. I got in touch with some relatives in Kabul but they have received no information. The international community must rush in to provide help. The Taliban is incapable. They only know how to kill, not to rescue. All information from that region has been cut off. I am also trying to get in touch with India's External Affairs Ministry," another Afghan national in Kolkata said. The number of Afghan nationals in Kolkata has dwindled over the years, but over a thousand of them, some with families, still remain. The name 'Kabuliwala' or 'a person from Kabul' came into being after Rabindranath Tagore's famous story by the same name written exactly 130 years ago in 1892. While the Kabuliwalas of Kolkata no longer go from house to house peddling dry fruits and 'Ittar', many have built a life here as money lenders (with licence). Some of them arrived in the city over the last two decades, leaving behind families in a war-torn country, in search of a livelihood. They are the ones who are worried the most about the fate of their loved ones. They refuse to give their names, fearing reprisal by the Taliban against their family members still living in Afghanistan. "We hate the Taliban and their principles. We also hate the US for having ruined our country and then fled, leaving the Taliban as vultures to scavenge among the ruins. Why is the world sitting still when such a major humanitarian crisis has affected Afghanistan? Unless rescue operations are mounted, the death toll will go up to several thousand. Our people will die," another Afghan national said. This 48-year-old man's wife and three children live in Kabul and he is making all efforts to bring them to India. His father and two brothers and their families were in Khost though till last information came in. New Delhi, June 22 : It is not long since Pakistan used China's clout to block a joint proposal by India and the US to designate Pakistan-based top LeT militant Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the UN sanctions committee. His involvement in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youths for attacks in India is well known. Pakistan's continued aiding, abetting and giving safe havens to terrorists is amply clear from its relentless drone drops in Indian borders. It continues to push infiltration and target killings across the border in Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab. These are sufficient proofs of Islamabad's failure to comply with the conditions required to exit from grey listing of international watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Despite Pakistan's failures and misdemeanours in combating terror financing of which India is prime victim, it was unanimously cleared by FATF plenary held in Berlin during June 13-17. Pakistan Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar revealed on June 17 that Islamabad had largely and substantially completed 34 points of two simultaneous action plans against money laundering and terror financing. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed this as a recognition of the restoration of the country's international reputation. However, steps taken by Pakistan including detention of suspects and prosecution of commanders of UN-designated terror groups have been an eyewash. Pakistan army and ISI continue to use these terror outfits to wage a proxy war against India, radicalise the youth in India and facilitate infiltration of terrorists, and supply of explosives and arms and ammunitions. This is not possible without funding of terrorist outfits and their activities. Old habits, nevertheless, die hard. The jubilation in Pakistan may be short-lived as in the past. Islamabad was able to showcase developments to come out from grey list of FATF in 2015 after four years of grey listing since June 2010 for strategic deficiencies in AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terror) regime. It is the intention and motives that matter more and Islamabad sustained efforts could not last long in the absence of fundamental change in its state policy. For Islamabad, terrorism has been an integral part of foreign policy, albeit under cover. It is only a matter of time that it gets uncovered. However, Pakistan would continue to face the grey listing till the next quarter when it would try to secure an international certificate and get out of the list of increased monitoring by the FATF. It is not easy for Pakistan to remain compliant on FATF standards given the nature of the state and its nexus with terror outfits. Over the past few years, Islamabad filed FIRs and chargesheets against over 40 terrorists including Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Yahya Mujahid and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi who have been sentenced to imprisonments ranging from 9 to 30 years in terror financing cases. The sheer number of terrorists indicted and those who are still out of prosecution net is mammoth and dangerous. Even these convictions are open to further judicial process. If the way these terrorists enjoy facilities and freedom to address interact and incite their followers is any indication, they will again be back to mainstream as soon as Pakistan gets a certificate by FATF as a clean financial jurisdiction. So ultimately, Islambabad has managed to bluff the FATF inspectors by lobbying to get a clean chit from FATF. What would matter more is whether Pakistan would quit terror as its state policy. There are few sound reasons to entertain this belief. Mumbai, June 22 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday declared that he is ready to quit his post and also as party chief provided the rebels come and talk to him face-to-face while denying that he had discarded Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. In a direct, emotional challenge to the group of rebels led by Minister Eknath Shinde who are presently in Assam, Thackeray lamented the present situation in which he said, "my own (Shiv Sainiks) don't want me as CM". "But why go to Surat or some other places to say this. Shinde could have just come and told me right here. I would have quit immediately," Thackeray said. He said that ever since the political crisis erupted late on Monday, both Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar and Congress observer Kamal Nath categorically told him that they fully support him, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi regularly speaks with him. "Today, my own Shiv Sainiks don't want me to continue as CM. So, I am ready to resign, leave 'Varsha' (official CM residence) and go to my 'Matoshri' (private home). I am even ready to quit as Sena President. I shall be very delighted if some other Shiv Sainik becomes the CM," said Thackeray. Saying that he would pen his resignation letter, he urged the rebels - who have 'disappeared or were made to disappear', to come and deliver his resignation letter to Raj Bhavan. "Let any rebel Sena MLA come and tell me face-to-face that we don't want you. Not on social media. They can come and take my resignation letter to Raj Bhavan as I am down with Covid-19," asserted Thackeray. Dwelling back to Oct-Nov 2019 when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was born out of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress alliance, he said that after everything was finalised, Sharad Pawar spoke to him privately. "Pawar Saheb told me that I would have to take over the responsibility (of CM), or it would be difficult to continue the MVA alliance. I said I had no experience in such things, but he insisted and I agreed as there was no other option," said Thackeray, indicating he was neither 'power-hungry' as alleged nor has he lost the confidence of the MVA partners. "Now, if the Sainiks do not want me, then I am prepared to quit the government and party. I have nothing to fear, I have no greed for the post of CM. I have nothing to feel ashamed of and am not under any compulsions. But come and talk to me," the CM stated. Dismissing the contentions of Shinde and other rebels that he had deserted 'Hindutva', Thackeray hit back, pointing out how only last week (June 15), Aaditya Thacekray along with Shinde and Raut and others went to Ayodhya. "Where have I erred. I was the first CM to speak on Hindutva? Hindutva is in our breath and in our blood. In 2014, 63 Sena MLAs were elected solely on the basis of Hindutva. We are carrying forward Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva, we ensured it continued after him today and will continue tomorrow," Thackeray said. Stating that he had performed well as CM for two-and-a-half years as the head of the Maharashtra family, he said people are remembered not by their positions but by their contributions. "What are the numbers, it's not even a challenge. The only thing I need is your love," concluded Thackeray. The CM's address to the state got a flood of bouquets - and expectedly, even a few brickbats - from various quarters. While the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel praised Thackeray's honesty in the speech, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Spokesperson Sandip Deshpande flayed the CM's plea saying Sainiks may be emotional but are not fools to fall for it. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Los Angeles, June 22 : Rising British Egyptian star Amir El-Masry, who first got noticed when he played a chef opposite Tom Hiddleston in the Susanne Bier-directed mini-series 'The Night Manager', has been cast as the young Egyptian billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, former Harrods owner and father of Princess Diana's lover Dodi, in the upcoming fifth season of Netflix's 'The Crown', reveals 'Variety'. 'Variety' had previously reported that 'Oslo' actor Salim Daw has been cast as the older al-Fayed. Born in Cairo and raised in London, and inspired by his childhood memories of Omar Sharif, El Masry recently garnered critical praise for his role as a Syrian asylum-seeker living on a small Scottish island in Ben Sharrock's drama 'Limbo', 'Variety' reports. The role won for El Masry a BAFTA Scotland acting award. El Masry has also appeared as the military chief Masir Trach in the 2019 film 'Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker'. Neither Netflix, nor 'The Crown' producers are giving away any storylines, but the casting of two characters, both playing al-Fayed, according to 'Variety', suggests that, besides a glimpse into the last months of Diana's life, viewers will be served a substantial back story of the Egyptian businessman, now 93. In 2008, the former Harrods owner had accused Queen Elizabeth's late husband Prince Philip of ordering British security services to kill Princess Diana to stop her from marrying a Muslim man and having his baby. Al-Fayed's son Dodi was romantically linked to Diana when they both died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. He will be played by 'The Kite Runner' star Khalid Abdalla, who will star opposite Elizabeth Debicki ('Tenet') as Diana in the fifth season of the show, which will drop on Netflix in November 2022. New Delhi, June 22 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accepted the request of Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi to defer her questioning in connection with National Herald case. She was to be questioned on June 23. As the ED has accepted her request, now she will be given a new date to get her statement recorded. In coming days the ED will decide the next summon to the Congress president. "She was suffering with Covid complications and was not fit for the questioning," said a source. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi was questioned for about 51 hours in five days in the same case. Gandhi was reportedly questioned about a few transactions made by Kolkata-based Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. Kolkata, June 22 : Speculations over former Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Sovan Chatterjee's return to Trinamool Congress gained momentum on Wednesday after he, accompanied by his girlfriend Baisakhi Bandopadhyay, held an hour-long meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna. Although neither Chatterjee nor Bandopadhyay gave any direct reply to questions regarding the former Mayor's possible return to Trinamool, both said that whatever might happen will be as per the instructions of the Chief Minister, whom both of them addressed as 'Mamata didi'. However, Trinamool insiders said that in all probability, Chatterjee's return might be officially announced on July 21, when the party will hold its annual 'Martyrs' Day' programme. The gap between Chatterjee and Trinamool started widening ever since the former Mayor filed a divorce suit against his wife and Trinamool legislator Ratna Chatterjee, who is known to be close to the Chief Minister. Chatterjee's closeness to Bandopadhyay had also resulted in mud-slinging at the personal level at that point of time. In 2019, both Chatterjee and Bandopadhyay had joined the BJP. Before the 2021 Assembly polls, Chatterjee was made BJP's observer for Kolkata while Bandopadhyay was made the party's additional observer. However, soon differences between the duo and the BJP's state leadership emerged over the selection of candidates, following which both resigned from the saffron party. After that for about a year both took a sabbatical from politics before emerging in the limelight again on Wednesday following their meeting with the Chief Minister. "All the differences between Mamata-didi and Sovan have been resolved. I feel Sovan still has a lot to give when it comes to politics," Bandopadhyay told mediapersons after the meeting. However, not all in the Trinamool seem to be happy with the development. According to Ratna Chatterjee, both said a lot of things against Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. "People surely have not forgotten those comments. Now if Sovan Chatterjee wants to come back after admitting his mistakes and the Chief Minister approves that, I have nothing to say," Ratna Chatterjee said. Officially, she still continues to be Sovan Chatterjee's wife since the divorce case is yet to be resolved. Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh said, "It is up to the Chief Minister to decide whether Sovan Chatterjee will return to Trinamool Congress. But all I can say is that many who joined the BJP with some sweet dreams before the 2021 Assembly elections are now trying to come back after their dreams turned into nightmares." Eastbourne, June 22 : Italy's Camila Giorgi reached the quarterfinal of the Rothesay International here on Wednesday after beating Spain's Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-3 in 1 hour and 53 minutes in the third round. With this win, Giorgi moved into her third career quarterfinal in Eastbourne, having first reached the last eight here in 2014 and then the semifinals in 2021.The Italian also notched back-to-back quarterfinals on grass in 2022, following her last-eight run in Birmingham last week. Giorgi's victory is her 15th career Top 10 win, and second of 2022 following her upset of Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Roland Garros. She improved her head-to-head against Muguruza to 3-2, posting a win over the former World No.1 for the first time since the 2014 New Haven quarterfinals. No 12 seed Giorgi took some time to find her groove, particularly on serve. Of the World No 26's seven double faults, five came in her first four service games. A back-to-back pair paved the way for Muguruza to break for 2-1, and another duo gave the Spaniard a point for the double break at 4-2. But Giorgi upped the ante with a series of pacy forehands to get herself out of that game, and levelled at 4-4 when Muguruza contributed a double fault of her own down break point. At the climax of the set, Giorgi rattled off a series of winners to break Muguruza again in the last game. Former Wimbledon champion Muguruza took another 3-1 lead in the second set, but once again could not sustain her form. Her own double fault tally crept up to six as Giorgi hit back with a run of five straight games to seal victory. Consecutive dead net cords enlivened the final game, with the first going Muguruza's way and bringing up a break-back point, only to be denied by a second in Giorgi's favour. Giorgi finished with 30 winners to 33 unforced errors, while Muguruza found only 10 winners to 26 unforced errors. The 30-year-old Giorgi will next face lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova, who overcame qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in exactly 2 hours of play. Tomova had lost to Flipkens 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) in the final round of qualifying, but got into the draw following the withdrawal of No 2 seed Ons Jabeur. The No.128-ranked Bulgarian came from a set and a breakdown to exact revenge and reach her first WTA 500 quarterfinal. New Delhi, June 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emphasised on technology-led growth, ease of doing business, infrastructure expansion, and digital transformation that, he said, is bringing transformative changes in every sector in the emerging 'New India'. Modi said India has adopted the mantra of 'reform, perform and transform' in order to deal with the economic problems arising out of the pandemic, which, he said, is evident from the performance of the Indian economy. He made the remarks while virtually addressing the BRICS Business Forum 2022. Describing technology-led growth as a key pillar of India's current economic recovery, Modi said India is supporting innovation in every sector and made innovation-friendly policies in many areas such as space, blue economy, green hydrogen, clean energy, drones, geo-spatial data, etc. Listing out the efforts to improve the ease of doing business, the Prime Minister said how his government has changed thousands of rules to reduce the compliance burden on the business and how massive work is going on to bring in more transparency and consistency in government policies and procedures. Stating that infrastructure expansion is happening on a large scale, for which India has also prepared a national master plan, Modi informed the business forum of how it provided investment opportunities of $1.5 trillion under the National Infrastructure Pipeline. Modi also highlighted the digital transformation taking place in India, and said: "The value of the Indian digital economy will reach $1 trillion by 2025." The growth of the digital sector has also encouraged the participation of women in the workforce, he said, adding: "There are approximately 36 per cent women out of 4.4 million professionals working in our IT sector." Modi also said, the maximum benefit from technology-based financial inclusion has gone to the women in rural areas, and suggested that BRICS Women Business Alliance can undertake a study in this transformative change taking place in India. The Prime Minister concluded by suggesting the BRICS Business Forum to develop a platform for regular exchanges between India's StartUps. New Delhi, June 22 : A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of a man accused of cheating a businessman on the pretext of a business proposal under the 'Make In India' programme and posing as a close relative of IAS officer Nripendra Mishra, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per the complainant Ravinder Pratap Singh, accused Daya Shankar Mishra in connivance with co-accused Piyush Bandopadhyay, who introduced himself as an IFS officer, and another accused Shweta Shrout induced him to invest in their business proposal. Accordingly, Singh invested Rs 2.39 crore out of which Rs 24.26 lakh were transferred into the account of Bandopadhyay through RTGS. Bandopadhyay has already been arrested and he is in custody and Shrout has been declared as a Proclaimed Offender. "In the present case, offence alleged against the accused is serious in nature and he has been actively involved in the commission of offence and allegedly induced the complainant to part with a huge sum of money which has not been recovered till date," noted Patiala Court vacation judge Sanjay Khanagwal in an order passed on Tuesday. The court also observed that the accused is absconding and proceedings under CrPC's Section 82 are already in operation. No change of circumstances is shown since the dismissal of the previous bail application, it said. During the course of the hearing, Mishra's counsel argued that not a single penny went into the account of the applicant and he has been falsely implicated in this case and he has nothing to do with the alleged false claim of his connection with the PMO. Praying for the anticipatory bail, counsel argued that the accused had already joined the investigation and he is no more required for further investigation. He also highlighted that the applicant is a senior citizen. On the other hand, the public prosecutor said that on previous occasions also, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant were dismissed and non-bailable warrants were obtained, and proceeding under Section 82 of the CrPC has been initiated against him. He submitted that the accused joined the investigation prior to dismissal of his previous anticipatory bail application on November 25 last year and thereafter, he never joined the investigation and is absconding since then. Bengaluru, June 22 : The BJP high command has summoned Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to Delhi. Accordingly, Bommai will leave for the national capital on Thursday afternoon and return on Friday. Those eyeing an entry into the state Cabinet are now hopeful that this time Bommai will get a green signal for a Cabinet expansion. There are five vacant posts in the Cabinet and the upcoming Assembly elections are less than a year away. The BJP reportedly wants to bring new faces into the Cabinet and drop the non-performing ministers. Sources in the BJP said that Bommai has been summoned to Delhi to discuss the Presidential election along with other CMs from the BJP-ruled states. However, party sources also said that the top BJP leadership might take a final discussion on Cabinet expansion. BJP leaders in Karnataka are upbeat after the two-day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party is preparing for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections after the 40-month challenge taken up by Modi to finish all infrastructure projects, including the ambitious and long-pending suburban rail project. New Delhi, June 22 : A Delhi-based gang of cyber criminals was arrested for clandestinely taking out the money from the HDFC bank accounts of hundreds of people, an official said on Wednesday. The accused were identified as Sunny Kumar Singh, Kapil and Pavin Ramesh. However, another accused, identified as Rakesh, is still at large. Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said a complaint was received in Cyber North through National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) wherein the complainant alleged that he received a message regarding reissuing of his SIM card without his knowledge following which he received a message regarding password change of his Gmail ID. "On smelling something suspicious the complainant checked his SIM Card and found it inactive. After that the complainant went to the Vodafone store and found that his SIM card had been reissued a few days before," the DCP said. Thereafter, the complainant checked his HDFC account statement and found that someone has taken a loan of Rs 11 lakh from his account and has transferred 1,00,000 from the loan amount to someone else account through internet banking. Based on this complaint, the police registered a case under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code at the Cyber police station on May 7 and began probing the matter. After an investigation of over a month, the police arrested three accused people on June 20. During interrogation it was revealed that all the accused are friends and residents of Rohini, Delhi and its nearby areas. It was revealed that one of the accused Sunny Kumar Singh works in Credit Card Selling department of a reputed Bank at Ambience Mall in Rohini and has the access to records of bank from where he used to collect information of accounts that have exciting and alluring offers such as Instant Loan, Jumbo Loan, Smart EMI etc. "The accused Sunny Kumar used to collect details of these accounts which include Mobile Phone number linked to the account, Gmail ID linked to account, Address of Customer and relevant ID Proof. Thereafter, he along with other accused persons hatched a plan to cheat Bank customers to earn quick money," the official said. The accused would collect data of bank customers and co-accused Pavin Ramesh and Rakesh used to make fake ID proof through photoshop having their own photographs on fake IDs. After this they reissued SIM cards of the phone number linked with the accounts. Following which the accused Sunny Kumar Singh used to change the linked Gmail ID of HDFC account so that he can read the OTP received on Gmail ID and the people were then subsequently cheated. "Raids were conducted at the possible hideouts of the fourth accused Rakesh, but he was found absconding," the official said, adding that the investigation is still underway. Patna, June 22 : While RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asked 20 questions related to the Agnipath scheme from the Narendra Modi government, BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal gave the answer to every question. He said that the answers are so long that Tejashwi Yadav could neither read them nor understand them. "There are many changes coming worldwide on the economic and strategic front and India cannot advance without addressing these issues. Hence, the chiefs of our defence forces have taken the decision. We have launched the Agnipath scheme on the demand of our armed forces," Jaiswal said. "At present, reforms are required in many sectors of the country. The Centre has brought reforms in economic, industries, education and other sectors in the country. The Congress party was against these reforms right from the beginning while regional parties were not given logical and justified views on these issues. The RJD has asked 20 questions from us and the majority of them were already given by the chiefs of the armed forces. Still, I replied to RJD," Jaiswal said. "It is a great opportunity for youths in the age group of 17 to 21 to become disciplined persons and serve the nation. The majority of youths are accepting it. The RJD is hungry for power. Hence its leaders are playing with the emotions of common people," Jaiswal added. Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav and his mother Rabri Devi slammed the Narendra Modi government for launching the Agnipath scheme. Tejashwi Yadav along with the RJD and the Left parties leaders handed over a memorandum to Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan on Wednesday. "We have handed over a memorandum to the Bihar governor and demanded the cancellation of all FIRs registered against agitators during the Agnipath protests in Bihar. We have also demanded the release of the students who were arrested during the protests," Yadav said. The RJD memorandum comprises of 20 questions related to the Agnipath scheme. The protest march started around 10 a.m. from the Vidhan Sabha. "The BJP government at the Centre is playing with the future of the youths of the country. If the youths are not comfortable with the future through this job, how could they perform duties on the borders? The Centre should withdraw the Agnipath scheme. If it does not do so, our youths will force them to withdraw the scheme," Tejashwi said. "The Narendra Modi government has sold Rail, Sail, Air India, airports, petroleum companies, telecom, agriculture and now you are interfering with the defence forces. We will not tolerate this. Our protest will continue," Tejashwi said. Rabri Devi, the former chief minister of Bihar said: "The Narendra Modi government has brought the scheme to force youths to cross the Agnipath. The youths of the country cannot tolerate him. The Narendra Modi government is playing with the security of the country." New Delhi, June 22 : In a shocking incident, a 28-year-old man barged into a police station in the national capital on Wednesday and attacked the police personnel present there with a knife, leaving six of them injured, including one home guard. The accused, who has been identified as Bharat Bhati, was nabbed by the police while he was trying to escape from the spot. The incident took place at around 12.45 p.m. on the third floor of the cyber police station in Shahdara district. "After the accused reached the police station, he started filming a video which the policemen present there objected to," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), R Sathiyasundaram. However, Bhati suddenly started attacking them with a knife. "In the commotion, five policemen and one home guard were injured," the DCP said. The accused tried to flee but was overpowered by the police. All the six injured were immediately rushed to the GTB Hospital. One police, whose condition was critical, was shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre. "The constable was stabbed on his chest. He is currently admitted at the AIIMS Trauma Centre where his condition is said to be stable," the officer said. The police are yet to share the motive behind the gruesome attacks. "The accused person is being interrogated and more details will be shared soon," Sathiyasundaram said. New Delhi, June 22 : Terming the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the armed forces as a "fraud with the youth of the nation", AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a complete rollback of the scheme. "This plan, which has been brought without thinking, will create a dreadful situation in the country which the government of the time will have to deal by spending all its energy," the AAP leader said in his letter. "The BJP government is not only betraying the very tenets of India, but is also rubbing salt on the wounds of the youth; the Agnipath scheme must be withdrawn immediately," Singh said while talking to the media. The AAP leader also expressed apprehension in the letter that Agniveers who will return after four years of service could be misled due to economic difficulty and unemployment. "I can also understand that your government has failed miserably in bringing the country's economy back on track, so you want to reduce the pension bill of the army. Through the Agneepath scheme, you are trying to eliminate the pension of army personnel," the AAP leader said in the letter. He demanded that the Agnipath scheme be rolled back as the armed forces are the pride of India. New Delhi, June 22 : Asserting that higher production has made Indian administrators complacent, top agriculture scientist on Wednesday said, agriculture research is neglected for long and the government needs to expedite processes for research and introduction of new molecules to increase both, the quality and quantity of produce in view of the climate change. Till recently, it was being declared that India has seen increasing food grain production and can feed the world, but Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war and the massive heat wave in March has upset the cart, Charudatta Digambar Mayee, former Agriculture Commissioner with the Ministry of Agriculture said here. "As against the 111 million tonnes (MT) estimated production of wheat this year, they have now revised it to 103 MT, but my estimate is, we may not go beyond 101 MT," Mayee said, adding, "Almost 10 years ago, scientists had warned that for every 1 degree of temperature rise in the north, there would be a shortfall of 4 MT production." Farmers would need to adopt new technology but somehow higher production has made Indian administrators and policymakers complacent and they are often found saying: "There are no food problems, our godowns are full." But it is this complacency that has neglected the agriculture research and the government needs to expedite processes for research, introduction of new molecules to increase both, the quality and quantity of produce, he said. "In view of the climate changes and emerging threats of pest and disease there is an urgent need to overhaul the regulatory system for introduction of new and innovative chemistry and technologies. Agro-chemical industry is the backbone for farmers and ensures high yield with better quality produce while mitigating crop losses," he told media persons. Drawing attention to how even when the HtBt cotton is as yet prohibited, there are scores of farmers that are openly sowing it, Mayee called for improved enforcement and pointed out how the farmers are be-fooled with spurious seeds with no accountability on part of the private companies. Government should make National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification mandatory as done under FSSAI Act as well as support from Quality Council of India or other independent organisations, Mayee said as he addressed the media ahead of the FICCI's 11th agrochemicals conference 2022 on the theme 'Policy landscape for a flourishing Agrochemicals Industry' on Thursday. Chairman, Dhanuka Group, who is the chair, FICCI's committee on crop protection, R.G. Agarwal demanded from the government to reform the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) to expedite registration of new molecules to increase quality of produce, yield and farmers income and reduction of GST on agro-chemicals to 5 per cent from the current 18 per cent as it hurts small & marginal farmers, and providing PLI for pesticide industry to develop international manufacturing hub in India. New Delhi, June 22 : Delhi on Wednesday reported significant decline in Covid cases in last 24 hours, at 928 against 1,383 recorded on previous day, while there were three more deaths, as per the government health bulletin. Meanwhile, the Covid positivity rate has dropped to 7.08 per cent, while the number of active cases has also slightly dropped to 5,054. With 1,466 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has gone to 18,94,164. The number of patients being treated in home isolation has risen at 3,892. With new Covid cases, the total caseload of the city has jumped to 19,25,460 while the death toll has reached 26,242. The number of Covid containment zones stand at 291 in the city. A total of 13,099 new tests -- 9,635 RT-PCR and 3,464 Rapid Antigen - were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 3,89,19,278 while 26,453 vaccines were administered - 1,853 first doses, 5,167 second doses, and 19,433 precaution doses. The total number of cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 3,47,32,097, according to the health bulletin. Patna, June 22 : Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Wednesday slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government for the attacks on BJP leaders in Bihar during the recent agitations against the Centre's Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the armed forces. Holding the state government squarely responsible for the attacks, Paswan said, "Law and order is completely a state subject. Wherever violence takes place, it is the sole responsibility of the state government. Due to the lacklustre approach of the Nitish Kumar government, Bihar burnt for three days and several BJP leaders were attacked in various districts." The houses and properties of BJP leaders, including state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal, Deputy CM Renu Devi, and MLAs Vinay Bihari, Aruna Devi and C.N. Singh, were attacked by angry mobs on June 17 and 18 during the anti-Agnipath agitation. The protesters also set the BJP offices in Nawada and Madhepura on fire. "The violence was a result of the complete failure of the state police and intelligence agencies who were unable to assess the situation and failed to take preventive measures," Paswan said. On the other hand, Paswan also slammed BJP leaders for offering jobs of security guards to Agniveers at the end of their four-year tenure in the armed forces. "The youth put their lives at risk for the country and some BJP leaders are offering them jobs of security guards in BJP offices. The youth are not preparing to join the army to become security guards later. The Centre is misleading the youth. I appeal to the Centre to address the issues facing the youth," Paswan said. New Delhi, June 22 : A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to a B.Tech student who had allegedly developed a fake 'helicopter ticketing website' which was used to dupe people who wanted to travel from Katra to Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu and Kashmir. His counsel argued that the second year B.Tech student was stated to have been not aware of the modus operandi of the other accused that the website would be used to cheat the innocent persons. The applicant was praying for bail on the ground that he has been falsely implicated in this case and he has nothing to do with the alleged offence. His counsel submitted that his B.Tech examinations are about to take place. It was further submitted that accused is no more required for further investigation. The accused is already in custody since May 21 and no criminal antecedents has been shown, it was submitted. "Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, role of the accused, young age and clean antecedents, he is enlarged on bail on his furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 25,000 with one surety in the like amount," said the order passed by Vacation Judge Sanjay Khanagwal of Patiala House Court. In a similar case, the court on Tuesday granted bail to another accused who had allegedly facilitated the fraudsters with the bank account number for the money transfer on the pretext of booking helicopter tickets for visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. New Delhi, June 22 : A Delhi court on Wednesday granted permission to a prisoner, undergoing jail term for murder, to appear in the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), conducted by National Law University (NLU), scheduled to be held on June 26. The petitioner's counsel submitted that the accused had applied for the AILET exam for pursuing BA, LLB (Hons). Vacation Judge Chandra Shekhar of Rouse Avenue Court observed that as per law, the right to education is a fundamental right and the judicial record shows that a similar request, made by the accused last year, was allowed by the court concerned. "Therefore, it seems that it is in the interest of justice," the court noted. The court directed the Jail superintendent of Dasana Jail, where applicant Shashank Jadon is lodged presently, to make necessary arrangements to ensure his appearance at the examination centre. He is also directed to allow the accused to carry the necessary documents mentioned as "Instructions to candidates" on the admit card. The court further directed the Superintendent to file a compliance report of its order on June 28. Opposing the plea, the public prosecutor sought time to file a reply in the matter. However, the court noted that the CBI has not filed any reply to an earlier notice in the matter and there is no point in granting further time to it for filing a reply. New Delhi, June 22 : Around a dozen members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, on Wednesday allegedly attacked the residence of BJP President J.P. Nadda by throwing burning cloth over the security room and at the entrace of the house, a Delhi Police official said. The police have so far arrested four persons -- Jagdeep Singh (National Delegate, NSUI), Sarvottam Rana (Chandigarh State General Secretary), Pranav Pandey (National Coordinator, NSUI) and Vishal (General Secretary, NSUI). The incident took place at around 4.30 p.m. when around 8-12 people gathered outside Nadda's residence in the national capital and started sloganeering against the government over the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the armed forces. "After some time, the protesters became aggressive; they wrapped two khaki shorts on a wooden stick and set them on fire. Thereafter, they threw the burning shorts over the security room and at the gate of the house but their attempt was thwarted by the alert staff on duty," said Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), Sagar Preet Hooda. Accordingly, the police registered a case under the relevant sections of IPC at the Tughlak Road police station. Subsequently a police team was constituted which during the course of investigation collected exhibits from the spot for scientific examination. The CCTV footages were also examined. "It was captured in the footage that about 10-12 people had come in two vehicles which were found to be registered at Rohtak, Haryana, and Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh," the Special CP said. He said it was found that the offenders were members of the NSUI and several raids were conducted to apprehend the people involved. "One Innova car used by the accused persons has been recovered. The other co-accused have also been identified and efforts are on to apprehend them," the officer added. Meanwhile, NSUI President Neeraj Kundan alleged that the police deliberately added non-bailable sections following which four members of the organisation were sent to Tihar Jail. "If the NSUI office-bearers and students are not released, the government should be prepared to face the students' outrage," Kundan warned.--IANS Chennai, June 22 : In a major setback to AIADMK's Coordinator and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, the Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to interfere in the party's General Council meeting to be held here on Thursday. It also refused to restrain the General Council from amending the party's by-laws. The by-laws were to be amended for paving the way for a single leadership. A bench of Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy said: "It is for the General Council and the members to pass resolutions and this court cannot interfere with the process of conducting the General Council meeting. Therefore this court is not inclined to pass any interim orders or directions except making it clear that the General Council meeting which is scheduled to be held on June 23 will go on." Advocate Rajagopal, who represented Shanmugham, the co-petitioner with OPS, said that AIADMK has a by-law that mandates the agenda of the meeting be circulated before the General Council meeting but that was not done before the meeting called for June 23. He argued that the K. Palaniswami faction was trying to amend the by-law and bring back the post of General Secretary that was abolished after the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa who held the post. Rajagopal said that such an important decision cannot be taken without circulating the agenda to the members before the General Council meeting. He also said that the General Council meeting can take place but no important decision cannot be taken in it. Panneerselvam wanted the meeting to be postponed and had insisted on the continuation of dual leadership of the party. However, the faction led by Joint Co-ordinator and former Chief Minister Palaniswami insisted on amending the by-law and bringing back the post of General Secretary for single leadership. Guwahati, June 22 : With the deployment of large number of security personnel, a luxury hotel in Guwahati turned into a fortress on Wednesday as several rebel Shiv Sena MLAs from Maharashtra led by state minister Eknath Shinde camped there, putting the existence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government under threat. Entry of mediapersons into the hotel has been barred, where the Assam police have take over the security from the hotel's private guards. After arriving in Guwahati via Surat on Wednesday morning, Shinde claimed that 40 MLAs have accompanied him to Assam who are all devoted to late Balasaheb Thackeray's 'Hindutva' ideology. Shinde along with 32 Shiv Sena MLAs and seven other legislators, including Independents and those belonging to smaller parties, arrived in Guwahati on Wednesday morning and checked into the luxury hotel on the outskirts of Guwahati. "Thirty-nine MLAs accompanied me. We are loyal to Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology of 'Hindutva' and we are keen to take it forward," the dissident Shiv Sena leader said, refusing to disclose details of their future course of action. He, however, categorically said that they would not quit the party. When asked by reporters why they came to BJP-ruled Assam, pat came Shinde's reply: "It is a nice place." A BJP leader on condition of anonymity claimed that three more Independent MLAs backing the Shiv Sena arrived here on Wednesday evening. With the latest developments, the Shiv Sena-led government Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra seems to be stumbling on the brink of a possible collapse. The Shiv Sena, which heads the MVA, has 55 MLAs, followed by allies Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at 53 and Congress at 44 in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. Earlier, the dissident legislators were received at the Guwahati international airport by Assam BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das and MLA Sushanta Borgohain. After landing at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, the rebel MLAs were taken to the hotel on the outskirts of the city in three Assam State Transport Corporation luxury buses, escorted by the police. With the deployment of a large security contingent led by senior officers, tight security has been put in place in and around the hotel. This was the first time that rebel MLAs from outside the region have been brought to the northeast. "The MLAs are known to us. They came here and we have received them as a matter of courtesy," Borgohain told the media. Meanwhile, talking to the media, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "40 people came to Assam. This is good. We are happy if more people come. We hardly have any tourists during this time. "Some of our colleagues are there (with the Maharashtra MLAs). I will meet them if I find time today or tomorrow. Presently I am going to oversee the flood relief activities." The Congress on its part criticised the Assam Chief Minister for 'conspiring' to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra at a time when the people of Assam are in serious distress due to the devastating floods. Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah alleged that some 40 MLAs of Maharashtra have been held to ransom in Guwahati. "Sarma is involved in a shameful act," the Congress leader said. "The Chief Minister should concentrate on his own job and provide adequate relief to the flood-hit people of Assam. He can do his politicking later, not when people are crying for government support," Borah tweeted. Hyderabad, June 22 : The Juvenile Justice Board on Wednesday dismissed bail petitions of four minors in Jubilee Hills gang-rape case. The Board agreed with the argument by the police that in view of the serious nature of the offence, they should not be granted bail. The counsel of the four minors had submitted his arguments in support of the bail pleas. The police countered the same saying since the case is at the investigating stage, if minors are released on bail, they may try to influence the witnesses. The court was also told that the minors' parents, who hold influential positions in the society, may try to hamper the investigation. A bail petition on behalf of the fifth minor is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday. Six accused including a major were arrested earlier this month for gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl in a car on May 28 in the upscale Jubilee Hills. They had trapped the victim after a daytime party at a bar and after offering a lift, sexually assaulted her. Five accused including son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) have been charged with gang rape while sixth accused, who is son of a legislator of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), is facing molestation charges. The police last week questioned the accused in their custody and carried out scene reconstruction. Potency test was conducted on five accused who were involved in the gang-rape. The test established that they are capable of engaging in sexual acts or not. Saduddin Malik and four minors have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 D (gang rape), 323 (causing hurt), Section 5 (G) (gang penetrative sexual assault on child) read with Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 366 (kidnapping a woman) and 366 A (procuration of a minor girl) and Section 67 of Information Technology Act . Police say the accused could face punishment for not less than 20 years or imprisonment for life till death or even death penalty. The sixth minor was not involved in rape but he kissed the victim in the car. He has been booked under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 and Section 9 (G) read with 10 of POCSO Act. He could face 5-7 years imprisonment. New Delhi, June 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted search operations in Punjab's Ludhiana, Ferozpur and Gurdaspur in connection with a case related to the seizure of IEDs and ammunition from Batrara Toll Plaza in Haryana's Karnal. Three IEDs, one pistol, two magazines, six mobile phones and Rs 1.30 lakh in cash were recovered. Four persons were also apprehended from an Innova car. Initially, a case in this regard was lodged with Madhuban police station of Karnal and later on, the probe was taken over by the NIA in May. The NIA learnt during the investigation that Pakistan based operative of BKI (Babar Khalsa International) Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, had coordinated on the delivery of explosives, arms and ammunition at the behest of the Pakistani intelligence agency for carrying out terrorist attacks in different parts of India, in connivance with the arrested accused persons. "During the searches conducted on Wednesday, digital devices, details of financial transactions and property and other incriminating materials have been seized," said the NIA official. New Delhi, June 22 : The NIA on Wednesday conducted searches at 11 locations in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, Kulgam, Pulwama and Ganderbal in connection with the TRF conspiracy case and arrested an alleged terrorist, an official said. The case relates to the activities of 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), an offshoot of proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its self-styled commander Sajjad Gul, who has been actively radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of J&K to undertake violent activities in J&K and other parts of India, the official of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which registered the case suo moto on November 18, 2021, said. "During the searches conducted today, incriminating materials including digital devices have been seized," the official said. The alleged terrorist, identified as Mudasir Ahmed Dar, was held for providing logistical support and transporting arms and ammunition. He was closely associated with the TRF commander responsible for the recent targeted killings across the Kashmir Valley and also involved in radicalisation and recruitment of impressionable youth. New Delhi, June 22 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meeting on Thursday to discuss the spike in the number of Covid cases in the country. According to a source, Mandaviya will review the Covid situation with the core team of experts at the meeting. India has been witnessing a spike in daily Covid cases for the past few days. After a decline on Tuesday, India again reported a rise on Wednesday with 12,249 fresh Covid infections. During the same period, the country also reported 13 Covid deaths, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,24,903 so far. Meanwhile, the active caseload of the country has risen to 81,687, accounting for 0.19 per cent of the country's total positive cases. As per the Health Ministry data released on Wednesday morning, India's daily positivity rate was reported at 3.94 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate currently stands at 2.90 per cent. Patna, June 22 : A woman was allegedly set on fire by two men at a village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district after she resisted their attempts to rape her, the police said on Wednesday. The victim who sustained 60 per cent burn injuries, has been admitted to SKMCH Muzaffarpur. Her condition is said to be "very critical". Meanwhile, two persons have been arrested in this connection. The incident took place on Tuesday when the woman, aged around 21, was guarding the vegetable farming area at their village in her father's absence. Her father had gone to Sitamarhi town to buy medicines. "As per the statement of the victim, she was guarding the vegetable farm land in the village. One of the accused Amar Yadav arrived with his friend and tried to overpower her to violate her. As the victim resisted with her full force and foiled their attempt to rape her, the accused poured petrol on her body and set her on fire. The victim, in a bid to save her life, jumped into the nearby pond," Vijay Kumar, the SHO of Pupri police station said. "The victim was rescued by the villagers and taken to the hospital in Sitamarhi. Later, she was referred to SKMCH Muzaffarpur. We had immediately conducted raids in the hideouts of the accused and managed to arrest both of them," he said. New Delhi, June 23 : Amid the ongoing political tussle in Maharashtra, a BJP leader has filed a complaint against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray with the Mumbai Police, demanding registration of an FIR against the latter for violating Covid-19 protocols. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha National Secretary, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga told IANS that despite testing positive for Covid-19, Thackeray has violated Covid norms by meeting his supporters. Meanwhile, Bagga visited the Malabar Hill police station in Mumbai and filed an online complaint demanding to register an FIR against the Maharashtra Chief Minister. Bagga has alleged in the police complaint that since Wednesday morning various news reports came that Uddhav Thackeray has been infected with Covid-19 which senior Congress leader Kamal Nath has confirmed. Dhaka, June 23 : Amid rejection by a High Court (HC) bench of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the Opposition leader Kamal Hossain has submitted more than 8 million Bangladesh Taka (BDT) after the country's anti-tax watchdog found him hiding a staggering 80 per cent of his yearly income. Following the submission, lawyers on behalf of Hossain filed a fresh writ in the High Court on Tuesday. Hossain was the Prime Ministerial face of the Islamist Opposition alliance during the last Parliament polls in 2018. Drawing flak from the HC last week, Hossain's lawyers issued verbal confirmation about paying 10 per cent tax on the concealed amount with the Tax Tribunal that already found him guilty of dodging taxes over 80 per cent of total undisclosed income in 2018-19. Meanwhile, the HC bench issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in one week as to why the decision of the tribunal rejecting an appeal against the Income Tax department's assessment that imposed Tk 60.98 million as tax for the law firm in 2018-2019 tax year should not be declared illegal. It also directed to maintain the status quo for three months on the decision passed by the Taxes Appellate Tribunal, thanks to an investigation by the country's anti-tax watchdog. Kamal's law firm has barely disclosed five per cent of his actual annual earnings in his tax returns in the year he was projected as the face of the anti-Awami alliance of Islamist pro- Pakistan parties during the national elections. Kamal's firm disclosed only Taka 1,04,03,495 as his annual earnings, but the bank account shows his actual earnings as Taka 20,11,04,219, according to an investigation by the National Board of Revenue. The bank accounts of Kamal & Associates have come under scanner for these "shady financial transactions" as Kamal Hossain failed to prove his claims of innocence in the tax tribunal. It further says his firm is supposed to pay Taka 6,09,85,351 as income tax, but has actually paid only Taka 76,41,548. The source of this considerable income which Kamal Hossain allegedly concealed is also under probe. Though, announcement on final verdict is set for this week, an earlier bench ruled Kamal Hossain's plea on the evasion of 60 million BDT, as the appeal violated certain legal rules that one should comply with. While hailed as a "revered jurist" by his ardent followers, Kamal earned notoriety of a classic face of double standard as the octogenarian leader conveniently chose to cobble an alliance between Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat in the last election. Kamal Hossain long eyewash as 'Pro-liberation activist' as a part of Awami League ended when his Gano Forum party stitched an alliance with the Pakistan-paid Islamist opposition in 2000. The Pakistan-based Islamist coalition was involved in large-scale smuggling of arms and ammunitions of ULFA, as evident from the court verdict of the 2004 seizure of ten truckloads of arms and ammunitions, which was that the weapons and ammunition were smuggled in for United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) with the backing from the then BNP-Jamaat alliance government, was indeed a deliberate state policy of the then BNP-Jamaat government of Bangladesh, said Former BNP-Jamaat Government's Energy Advisor and BNP ideologue Mahmudur Rahman. Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, former State Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar and two senior officials of the National Security Intelligence have been accused in high-profile cases. Leader of the Indian separatist outfit ULFA, Paresh Barua is also accused in two cases filed under the Arms Act and Special Powers Act for smuggling of arms. After further probe, 50 people were charged in the arms case and 52 people in the smuggling case. As many as 265 people were made witnesses in both the cases. On April 2, 2004, early morning, the Chittagong Police had seized 10 trucks of weapons and ammunition from the state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited jetty in Chittagong while those were being offloaded from the ship of Q.C. Shipping, owned by the family of Pakistan-paid war criminal and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. Around 1,500 wooden boxes containing submachine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, submachine carbines, Chinese pistols, rocket shells and launchers, hand grenades and bullets were seized. The seizure of the huge cache of arms had triggered widespread uproar with the death penalty to 14 people, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar for smuggling 10 truckloads of firearms in 2004. The 14 convicts were also given life term imprisonment in another case filed for possessing illegal firearms. Pakistan-paid Jamaat Islami Secretary General Nizami was executed on May 11, 2016, after the Supreme Court upheld his death penalty for committing crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Motiur Rahman Nizami recently admitted that allowing 10 trucks full of military grade arms to pass through Bangladesh for the Assamese separatist group ULFA, pro-pakistan 1971 war crime campaigners, Bergman's blog activities reflected his desperate attempts to support the war criminals; majority are top Jamaat Islami Pakistan-paid leaders evade justice. Moreover, his offshore outlet 'Netra News', ceaselessly peddling lies; projecting million toll due to Covid-19 outbreak against Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members. The selection of Bergman to become the editor of Netra News clearly presents the question of conflict of interest and ceaseless smear campaigns against Hasina and her family members by the outlet pointed out Pakistan agenda aligned with his father-in-law Kamal, who vowed to bring down Hasina. Ahmedabad, June 23 : With Assembly elections coming up soon in Gujarat along with other states of the country, now is the time for MLAs to present their report cards to the people. In this regard, IANS spoke to Jagdish Patel, a BJP MLA from Amraiwadi constituency in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday. During Gujarat bypolls in 2019, Patel won from the Amraiwadi seat. He said that Amraiwadi is a mini-India area with a population of workers living on daily wages. "In the last three years or so, we have carried out various activities for the benefit of people over issues like water, sewage, roads, library, social improvement and government welfare schemes." "I am present at the Jan Sampark office for 10 to 12 hours a day," Jagdish Patel told IANS. "If I am busy with any programme, our corporators and BJP workers are present in the office so that no person goes back disappointed. In November 2019, I became the MLA of this area and in February-March 2020 there was a lockdown due to Covid-19. Migrant workers from different states of the country live in our area, so we carried out continuous work for them during the pandemic. We made arrangements to send them back to their native state, we also arranged for Covid tests, medications, treatment, sanitisation in various areas, as well as food for the needy people." Regarding the development work done during his tenure, Jagdish Patel said, "We have done various development works such as two new bridges, a library, beautification project of Kharikat canal, which will be completed soon." "Apart from this, in these three years, we have solved the problem of water and sewage in various societies, built water tanks and repaired roads. Recently the daughter of a needy family suffered from a lung disease, we helped them through PM Cares Fund, thus many needy people have also been given help individually." "A smart school has been set up in our area for middle class and underprivileged children, as well as an air-conditioned library for students who cannot study at home for higher studies," said young voter Brijraj Vaghela, who lives in the Amraiwadi area. Dinesh Prajapati, a resident of Amraiwadi area, said, "There was no sewage in our society and no water connection in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. They ( state government) are also building bridges here to solve the traffic problem." Istanbul, June 23 : Turkish security forces brought down an Iranian intelligence cell operating in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul, and detained its members for allegedly preparing to attack Israelis, reported the Ihlas news agency. Turkish intelligence and security forces raided on June 16 three houses and a hotel, apprehending suspects and confiscating weapons, it said on Wednesday, adding the number of suspects is currently undisclosed. Turkish intelligence units had been observing the cell that arrived in Istanbul disguised as tourists, businessmen, and students, according to the agency. The Iranian team "included hitmen and consisted of both Iranian and non-Iranian individuals," said the report, noting that the team was tailing Israeli targets for a while, Xinhua news agency reported. Israel had warned its citizens in Turkey of possible threats from Iranian cells one week ago, after Iran had accused Israel of assassinations against key figures with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Society is excited to announce the North America Team that will be leading the continental expansion over the coming months. Continuing its rapid growth with over 2,000 branded community apps across the globe, the Society team saw tremendous success over recent months, expanding into 230 educational institutions across 6 countries. It is now time for Society to develop in the largest market available: North America. It is time to lead a movement, the Road to 2.0, one app, one college at a time The North America Team includes some of the most talented student leaders at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). They are accomplished individuals in their own right and together are a formidable force. It is with great delight that Society Inc. announces the beginning of the North America journey with the following team: Ernst Ma, Head of North America Michael Balourdas, VP of Strategy JJ Knight, VP of Operations David Sutherland, VP of Finance Eli List, VP of External Outreach Coltyn Steinheimer, Head of Brand Ambassador Program Nathanial Whiteman, VP of Marketing Nima Khazani, VP of Communications Ernst Ma, President of UCLA Interfraternity Council (IFC), shared his passion as the new Head of North America, It is an amazing time to be joining Society and leading the North America journey. When Matthew first introduced me to the idea, I saw great potential. It is incredibly exciting to join the vision, and grow this app across the continent. It is time to lead a movement, the Road to 2.0, one app, one college at a time. The UCLA team has worked extensively together and there is no better group of people to come up with out-of-the-box initiatives and execute them flawlessly. Ernst believes that their greatest strength is their varied backgrounds. On this team there is an accomplished journalist, a film producer, an economic researcher, a published legal philosopher, and several with extensive business experience. It was through a philanthropy event that the Society Co-Founders met Ernst. Matthew Billington, Co-Founder of Society reflected on what impressed him, My co-founder and I are ecstatic to welcome our new North America Team, headhunted following the success of the 2022 Philanthropy Die Tournament that raised over $30,000 for charity. Their track record of success at UCLA speaks volumes and having personally worked with them closely we have been amazed by their sharp strategic thinking and creativity to manoeuvre challenges. Each community app can be built in 60 seconds making Society the fastest, free community app builder in the market globally The North America Team all live with each other, creating a fun startup atmosphere. Many of them are leaders of the fraternity system at the school, and in six months have totally changed the culture of Greek life at UCLA. Krishan Joshi, Co-Founder of Society commented, Each community app can be built in 60 seconds making Society the fastest, free community app builder in the market globally. Together with Ernsts leadership and his UCLA team, we believe Society will prove that this group of college students have the tenacity and strategic prowess to tackle any entrepreneurial challenge. Developing the US as a major market is now the priority. The US educational market is materially larger than the UK market. In comparison to the UK, the US has 10 times more secondary schools and 24 times more universities/colleges. It is a phenomenal time to be a part of this journey. The North America Team is ready to revolutionize how college organizations host events. With features such as in-app ticketing (with the lowest transaction fees on the market), unlimited encrypted chat facilities, and group chats with up to 1,000 participants, every college is invited to join the Society journey and Road to 2.0. For further information, and interview requests please contact Society via the website http://www.createyoursociety.com Hoosier Net, LLC, a consortium of internet service providers, announces today that it has received investment from Accord Telecommunications Collaborative, LLC, a service provider composed of 21 Rural Electric Membership Cooperatives (REMCs) and telephone cooperatives. This will make Hoosier Net the first Indatel statewide network composed of both telephone companies and electric cooperatives. The investment comes at a critical time for Hoosier Net, as federal and state authorities prepare to distribute billions of dollars in broadband grant funds under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Closing the digital divide is vital to the future of rural America. Hundreds of electric cooperatives across the nation are working to bring quality broadband service to their members and the communities they serve. Were glad to see Hoosier Net and Indianas electric cooperatives collaborate to bring high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved families and businesses in Indiana, said Paul M. Breakman, Vice President, Cooperative Business Solutions, Business & Technology Strategies, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Hoosier Net and Accord are collectively owned by 35 service providers. With Accords investment and partnership, the collective will be able to leverage integrated and complementary assets to achieve statewide scale and facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. Accords investment in Hoosier Net is another step toward accomplishing our shared vision of making Indiana the most connected state. We and our Hoosier Net partners form an unprecedented mix of electric cooperatives and telephone companies. Together we are seeking win-win opportunities that will ultimately benefit all Hoosiers, and that is what makes us excited about this investment, said James Tanneberger, Accord Chairman and President and Chief Executive Officer of South-Central Indiana REMC. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achieving broadband access for all Americans, regardless of where they live and the leadership and creative partnership led by Hoosier Net and its member companies will be a key part of finding the scope and scale to provide connectivity to communities and businesses in Indiana. I am thrilled to see this crucial investment in Hoosier Net at this moment in time when robust broadband access and middle mile transport has never been more critical to economic prosperity. Hoosier Nets users are already doing great work, and I cannot wait to see how this investment will further connect Hoosiers to high-speed broadband," said Shirley Bloomfield, Chief Executive Officer of NTCA. With the help of middle-mile networks like Hoosier Net, rural Hoosiers will have the ability to access high-speed Internet. "We are pleased to have Accord be an owner of Hoosier Net on behalf of their Indiana REMC(s) and telephone cooperative owners," said Rob Shema, Chief Executive Officer of Hoosier Net and CNI. "For us, gaining access to fiber resources for our Indiana middle mile network is critical. Accord's investment and partnership will help make that possible." Hoosier Net provides owners, telecommunications providers, and direct commercial clients such as hospitals, schools, and government organizations with high-speed fiber-optic backbone capabilities. Miami-Cass REMC is one of Accord's members. They've had the good fortune of receiving significant grant money from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), Cass County government, and the City of Delphi as they've built out broadband internet in their Indiana coverage areas. "Accord's investment in Hoosier Net will allow Broadway Broadband to help monetize the commercial side of our network and continue cost-effective network growth," said Rob Schwartz, President of Wabash Valley Power Alliance's Manager's Association and Chief Executive Officer of Miami-Cass REMC and Broadway Broadband. "As more and more federal and state funds are devoted to expanding broadband access in rural areas, Indiana's Internet service providers are scrambling to keep up," said John Greene, Chairman of Hoosier Net, LLC and CEO of New Lisbon Telephone Company. "Because of the enormity of building a statewide middle mile network, we are happy with Accord's investment and partnering opportunities as we apply for NTIA Middle Mile Grant Funding to help us build out this network." About Accord Telecommunications Collaborative, LLC Accord is owned by 21 service providers that serve critical and life-enhancing services to 300,000 homes and businesses in their communities. Accord and its members own and operate 20,000 miles of fiber providing access to telecom service providers and robust services to business customers. Visit http://www.accordtelcom.com or call 765-343-3910 for additional information. About NTCA NTCAThe Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at http://www.ntca.org. About NRECA The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation's landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $12 billion annually in their communities. Visit us at http://www.electric.coop. About Hoosier Net, LLC Hoosier Net is owned by 17 service providers that offer state-of-the-art services in their respective communities. Hoosier Net's fiber-optic backbone services are available to telecom operators and direct commercial customers. Hoosier Net and its owners are responsible for thousands of miles of fiber-optic network across Indiana. Hoosier Net also provides commercial service throughout the United States through INDATEL. Visit us at http://www.hoosiernet.com. Media Contact August Zehner, myTRA, PR for Hoosier Net, azehner@mytraconsulting.com or 317-403-3550 Electric Gospel Recording Artist & Producer Skerrit Bwoy One day God told me, Go Make Music!" I didnt even know how to play an instrument But as soon as I decided to make music, doors opened for me" - Skerrit Bwoy Former member of the EDM supergroup Major Lazer, current creator of Electric Gospel and Christian EDM, the recording artist Skerrit Bwoy recently released his first ever music video for his well-received title cut off his debut album Jesus Party Volume 1, as well as the second Volume to his Jesus Party trilogy. Endeavoring to share his faith and spread the gospel, Skerrit Bwoy takes his listeners on a musical journey with his dancehall-reggae roots mixed with Christian soul. Known for being a dynamic performer, deejay, Producer, and songwriter, Skerrit Bwoy is amassing a growing and loyal fan base. In addition, he has a reputation for being an active and philanthropic pillar of his community. Born in the Caribbean island of Antigua, Skerrit Bwoy immigrated to the Bronx, New York at the age of nine with his grandmother. Inspired by his successful father and uncle, who were both local deejays, he began creating mixtapes using reggae and dancehall recordings from the radio, while in Jr. high school. Skerrit Bwoy's innovative creativity facilitated his rise as a highly sought after DeeJay, producer, and MC, both as a member of Major Lazer and as a solo act. Skerrit Bwoy has performed in over 50 countries, on every inhabitable continent except for South America. Additionally, Skerrit Bwoy has been featured by prominent media outlets such as CNN, Large Up, The Fader and was the subject of a Documentary entitled 'Temporary Sanity', by Dan Bruun, which went on to be featured in several film festivals around the world". Skerrit Bwoy continued producing music, deejaying in night clubs and festivals throughout New York, the Caribbean, Asia, and more. As one of the biggest acts in the world, Skerrit loved his time performing alongside his Major Lazer family (Diplo, Switch & Jillionaire), however despite his success, he felt as if his life was not fulfilled and began to embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ. One a cool November afternoon, the Bwoy decided to dedicate his life and artistry to God. Skerrit Bwoy mission is to convey the message of the freedom that can be found when you fully embrace the love of God. The video for Jesus Party was directed by Lu Simmo at Tsaba Studio in Ft. Lauderdale Florida and featured several prominent Dancehall, Gospel and pop figures such as Sone G, ZekeDon, Sheni, Foody Boo, Wishbone, HQ Squad, Far Charles, Whitey (CEO of Reggae Pop Records) and many others - some who flew from across the country to celebrate with Skerrit Bwoy and Join in the Jesus Party. The music video captures the essence of Skerrit Bwoy and the video serves as a portal into Skerrit Bwoy's world of Christian EDM. Skerrit Bwoy has achieved remarkable social media and digital traction, since his debuts release Skerrit Bwoy has been consistently booked for several live events most recently the Memorial Gospel Fest Presented by Caribbean HD Radio to which he rocked a crowd of nearly 1000 people in attendance with 11,000 online viewers. Jesus Party the single achieving nearly 26,000 streams. Next up, Skerrit Bwoy is set to entertain over 5,000 kids at the Life Conference in Orlando, Florida at the World Marriott. Skerrit Bwoy chose a musical path very few are willing to embark on and so far he is not only gaining the respect of his peers but the admiration of his fans. SkerritBwoy.com SpotifyProfile Quality Tech Using DISCUS "DISCUS IDA is extremely impressive. It provides tremendous productivity improvements in the extraction of information from 2D drawings." - Mike Parsley, Quality Assurance, 110 Metalworks Fairborn, Ohio-based, DISCUS Software is proud to announce their latest software update, DISCUS 2022. DISCUS 2022 is a huge update to the software and makes great strides in the speed and accuracy of DISCUS. In DISCUS 2022, were moving from OCR to Intelligent Drawing Analysis (IDA). The move to IDA represents a powerful evolution in manufacturing and quality engineering software solutions and comes with several important benefits for you. Why the switch? OCR technology has limitations and IDA offers endless room for innovative solutions and improvements with its underlying AI technology. This major upgrade includes enhancements to DISCUS Desktop and includes a major release of a new module called DISCUS IDA. According to Jake Hart, Director of Sales and Marketing for DISCUS, This release focuses on the feedback we've received from our customers and responds to a critical and long awaited industry need: Intelligent Drawing Analysis of PDF and Tiff files. Hart adds, The goal of this latest release is to push DISCUS to a new level. DISCUS 2022 allows users to automatically balloon entire drawings in just a few clicks. This technology is groundbreaking in the 2D world of PDF drawings and shows our commitment to our customers and their needs: ballooning automation. DISCUS customer, Mike Parsley from 110 Metalworks, commented, "DISCUS IDA is extremely impressive. It provides tremendous productivity improvements in the extraction of information from 2D drawings." DISCUS 2022 is the result of internal and external feedback from nearly 2000 customers. We strive to enhance the DISCUS experience across all of our DISCUS modules. DISCUS 2022 has improvements that include: Intelligent Drawing Analysis (IDA) IDA is an add-on module that replaces the OCR add-on module IDA will automatically analyze the entire drawing and propose candidate characteristics Candidates and characteristics allow review, editing, and disposition within the drawing panel via respective popovers Improved characteristic type detection Reduces the amount of time required to complete an FAI on most good quality digital PDF drawings DISCUS 2022 3D add-on module Implemented the concept of model views, retiring the separate, secondary legacy Illustration Manager mode Integrated model view creation and modification directly into the Model display panel Improved the model toolbar Moved most 3D features which required dialogs to drawers at the left and right sides of the model panel Improved the measuring tool New Sectioning Tool with simpler, intuitive user interface, retiring the Cutting Planes dialogs Improved model support Improvements to the rendering of GD&T in the Model Panel of the DISCUS 3D add-on module Added the ability to orient model PMI to the screen DISCUS License Server (DLS) product DLS replaces the legacy on-premise DISCUS Floating License Server (DFLS) product DLS is compatible with DISCUS versions 0.0 and greater DLS only applies to licenses which have an Internal Floating share type DLS is a subscription-only product. Existing customers will be offered the subscription at no cost during the sunsetting period and then may elect to purchase a subscription to DLS or switch their license to an External Floating share type at no cost. And more... We are committed to customer satisfaction and are dedicated to making your DISCUS experience even more positive. Visit our website to download this latest version: http://www.DISCUSsoftware.com "DISCUS IDA is extremely impressive. It provides tremendous productivity improvements in the extraction of information from 2D drawings." - Mike Parsley, Quality Assurance, 110 Metalworks DISCUS 2022 provides upgraded features that continue to help the user have a great experience while using DISCUS. To try out DISCUS 2022, Download the free trial installer by clicking here. For questions or a demo, contact sales@discussoftware.com or call 614-360-2424 ext. 1. DISCUS Software Company specializes in the development of software tools for accelerating manufacturing and quality engineering. Its software products are productivity solutions that dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete first article inspection reports, in-process inspection planning and process planning. DISCUS was the first software product to automate engineering drawing annotation and manufacturing inspection requirement extraction. DISCUS is the innovator, not the imitator, in the First Article Inspection Reporting automation market. DISCUS is compatible with many of the requirements used by companies such as Boeing, Ford, GE, Lockheed, and Siemens. For more information visit https://www.discussoftware.com/about-us/. Twitter l Facebook l YouTube l LinkedIn l Blog Moche Hazout, Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Professional with Transworld Business Advisors, the world leader in business brokerage, was the honored recipient of the 2021 #1 Top Dollar Producer Award for the largest district in Florida. The award is bestowed by the Business Brokers of Florida (BBF), an organization consisting of the leading business brokerage firms and agents throughout the state. Hazout, who ranks among the top business brokers in the Florida, has also been awarded the 2021 Platinum Chairmans Circle Award for outstanding performance in 2021 by The International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) as part of its Member Excellence Awards Program. The IBBA is the largest international not-for-profit association for Business Brokers. These two prestigious accolades are in addition to the growing list of other awards Hazout has won in the past year alone, putting him in a very exclusive and elite group of brokers. His other recent awards include: Transworlds Presidents Club Multiple Awards + Diamond Level Business Brokers of Florida Dealmaker Award Business Brokers of Florida Million Dollar Plus Multiple Awards Business Brokers play a vital role in sustaining our economy by facilitating the successful transition of business ownership between sellers and buyers," stated IBBA Executive Director Kylene Golubski. We applaud and celebrate Moche Hazout, who not only has proven personal excellence but has also positively impacted the lives and futures of so many through his efforts. It is a privilege and a huge responsibility to work with business owners in what might well be the largest and most important financial transaction in their life, said Hazout. When you hire me, you not only get my wealth of personal and business experience, but you also get the resources and expansive network of Transworld with more 250 offices and more than 800 agents worldwide. Hazout joined Transworld in 2018. He has a great advantage of more than 20 years of management experience in several trades, having founded, built and successfully sold his own companies combined with Transworlds advanced training and methods. He was born and raised in Israel and served as a Captain Combat Engineer in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He is a Certified Merger and Acquisition Professional (CM&AP), Certified Business Intermediary (CBI), Certified Franchise Consultant (CFC) with the International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) and is a member of the Business Brokers of Florida (BBF), and the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). While he is a strong advocate of ongoing training in all aspects of his professional career, there is no substitute for his practical experience as a business owner going through the process of selling his own companies. More information about Moche Hazout with Transworld Business Advisors can be found at http://www.buysellbusinessbroker.com or by calling 954-608-8739 or email at mhazout@tworld.com. Synergy SKY announces a self-hosted interop solution developed for government agencies in demand of high-quality video meetings between their SIP video endpoints and Microsoft Teams, the predominant collaboration tool in the market. This award-winning, future-proof and flexible solution helps public organizations address the complexity and inconsistency caused by the plurality of vendors and technologies. The various vendors in the industry use different protocols. This demands additional solutions for compatibility, which ultimately affects the user experience and workflow. As a result, scheduling and joining a call became far more complicated than it ought to be, said Stale Reitan, CEO, Synergy SKY. Employees should not be expected to have deep-seated knowledge of video meeting technology to successfully join meetings from a video room. "We cannot overemphasize how important it is that CONNECT for Government enables the single user experience required to leverage Cisco or Poly SIP endpoints to connect both ways to Microsoft Teams. Users are now given one sole way to schedule, join, share, mute and hang up meetings. This means that they can easily be a part of a Teams meeting from office meeting rooms, regardless of who sends out the meeting invitation said Stale Reitan, CEO, Synergy SKY. With CONNECT for Government, there are no caveats for the SIP system to join the Microsoft Teams meeting and content share via PowerPoint Live. Also, and very importantly, it is the only solution in the market providing a native Microsoft Teams experience and supporting Microsoft Teams commercial cloud, GCC, GCC-H, and GCC-DoD, said Egil Hasting, CTO at Synergy SKY. With the launch of CONNECT for Government, it has become easier for public sector departments to have trusted, seamless video meetings without the introduction of new workflows. "The new location will help us to better serve our existing clients and new clients in Florida and nearby states. We selected the Tampa area because it is well situated to handle the southeast," said Bill Ivey, president of Ivey Engineering. Ivey Engineering (IEI), a nationwide expert witness and forensic engineering firm, recently announced the opening of its new office in Clearwater, Fla. The new branch opening will allow IEI to provide more expert witness services to clients in the southern states. "The new location will help us to better serve our existing clients and new clients in Florida and nearby states," said Bill Ivey, president of IEI. "We selected the Tampa area because it is well situated to handle the southeast." IEI is also pleased to announce that senior consultant Felix Touza will oversee the Clearwater office as lead engineer. Touza, a licensed Professional Engineer in seven states, has been with the firm for five years. He has over 35 years of experience in design, construction administration and forensic analysis of mechanical, plumbing, fire protection and energy management systems. "Besides his three decades of experience, Felix is smart, friendly, hardworking and a really good engineer," Ivey said. "To top it off, he began his engineering career in Florida and jumped at the opportunity to move back." Touza holds a Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) credential and has an EPA 608 Universal Certification. As lead engineer, Touza performs analysis of alleged construction defects, system failures and product and design defects. Additional responsibilities include mechanical and electrical building condition assessments. IEI has been offering its nationwide services through its corporate office in San Diego since 1994. So opening the new office in Clearwater was a no brainer for Ivey. "Besides bringing us more work," Ivey said, "opening the new office will save us time and money from flying back and forth from California." ABOUT IVEY ENGINEERING IEI is an expert witness and building systems consulting firm in San Diego, Calif. Established in 1994, IEI services clients in over 30 states. IEI's consultants have experience in the design, construction, service and repair of HVAC, plumbing and fire protection systems, as well as energy-efficiency related issues. To read more about Ivey Engineering and its consulting services, visit the companys website. We are pleased to announce Dr. Noah K. Weisberg of Skin Cancer Care Specialists, LLC is celebrating his 20th year of practicing in Palm Beach County Florida. Dr. Weisberg is one of a few fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons practicing in Jupiter Florida who have successfully completed a full Mohs fellowship accredited by the American College of Mohs Surgery. Dr. Weisberg continues to put his training from The New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to work for his patients and those in the community seeking expert clinical dermatologic care by an experienced board-certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs surgeon. Over the past 20 years Dr. Weisberg has treated over 30,000 skin cancers and continues to specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of skin lesions including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Dr. Weisberg practices clinical dermatology and Mohs surgery along with his two physician assistants, Kathryn Goggins, PA-C and Barbara Acosta, PA-C. Ms. Acosta has over 17 years of general dermatology experience and we are excited to add her expertise to the suite of clinical services offered at Skin Cancer Care Specialists. Kathryn Goggins, PA-C, has been with Skin Cancer Care Specialists for 9 years. Ms. Goggins has developed an expertise for skin cancer surveillance and surgical follow-up services during her tenure with our group. Together, along with our full staff, we continue to provide expert skin cancer care to Palm Beach County as we have done for the past 20 years. To schedule a skin cancer screening or a consultation with Dr. Weisberg, Kathryn Goggins, PA-C or Barbara Acosta, PA-C please contact our office at 561-775-6011 and our staff will be happy to assist you. "Implementing this solution gave us immediate benefits like improved field force productivity, better visibility, and a unified global database," said Raul Obregon, Head of Global Information and Transformation, Group Bimbo. Grupo Bimbo, a Mexican multinational company with operations in 33+ countries, joined forces with Ivy Mobility, an intelligent Route-to-Market solution to deliver maximum value to its consumers, field forces, and stakeholders. The company went live with Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and Cloud Distribution Management (DMS) solutions from Ivy Mobility in Q4 2020. This massive digital transformation of Grupo Bimbo's 800+ distribution centers on the Distribution Cloud-ERP and 35,000+ routes (users) across Mexico was taken up remotely owing to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. "Implementing this solution gave us immediate benefits like improved field force productivity, better visibility, and a unified global database," said Raul Obregon, Head of Global Information and Transformation, Group Bimbo. "A big share of credit goes to Grupo Bimbo's team for this successful implementation. Due to the pandemic, the entire implementation was done remotely, including end-user training, knowledge transfer, and upskilling. In the end, we were able to achieve a flawless deployment in less than three months," said Rajiv Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Ivy Mobility. The company's product being a convenience consumer good with a low shelf life, Grupo Bimbo needed a highly scalable, cloud-based solution to renew the day-to-day experience of their sales force. Ivy Mobility's solution provided scalability and elasticity to handle 800+ Sales Distribution Centers and 35,000+ sellers concurrently syncing their devices. Techniques like Auto Scaling led to better hardware utilization and financial savings over the traditional on-premise hosting model. About Ivy Mobility Ivy Mobility is a global leader in cloud-based software for the consumer goods industry. Since 2012, the company's outcome-driven, highly scalable, configurable, and intelligent route-to-market solution has been helping thousands of consumer goods manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and merchandising agencies grow faster. The company has its head offices in Singapore and operations in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. About Grupo Bimbo Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. (also known simply as Bimbo) is a Mexican multinational company with a presence in over 33 countries located in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. It has an annual sales volume of 15 billion dollars and is currently listed on the Mexican stock exchange with the ticker BIMBO. Grupo Bimbo has 134,000 employees, 196 bakeries, 3 million points of sale, and a distribution network with 57 thousand routes all over the world. The company has more than 100 brands and 13 thousand products, like Bimbo, Tia Rosa, Entenmann's, Pullman, Rainbo, Nutella, Marinela, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Thomas', Arnold and Barcel. [Approaching a Veteran about suicide] is a conversation that needs to be had because, frankly, the Vet in question probably wants to talk about it, says Jay Wylie. Twenty-two active and former military successfully commit suicide each day. On June 2nd, Confidential Recovery, an outpatient substance abuse treatment program in San Diego, partnered with the San Diego Veterans Coalition (SDVOC) to host an educational seminar on how to help prevent suicide. The event was held in-person, and also virtually broadcast via ZOOM, and was both educational and inspirational. Keely Wright from the Veterans Administrations Suicide Prevention Team shared many slides and explanations about the warning signs of suicidal behavior. She explained not only what the risk factors are (like having a firearm or a prior suicide attempt), but also what protective factors are, which reduce the likelihood of a suicide attempt (like employment and access to mental health care). Then, with an eye toward saving at-risk lives, Keely gave several tips on how to approach a suicidal person, what to ask, how to respond, and how to refer them to help. She also displayed several practical tools, like gun locks and pill boxes, which are designed to delay a rash decision and buy the Veteran some time to re-think an impulsive decision. Being Proactive When Someone is At-Risk of Suicide One of the key messages of the presentation was the recommendation to approach someone who might be in distress, especially if they have one or more risk factors. This can be daunting, but the Veteran (or civilian) in your life deserves that you take this step, and it might save their life. Theres nothing wrong with just asking, Are you thinking about killing yourself? Confidential Recovery Operations Manager Jay Wylie, a Veteran-in-recovery himself, echoes the need to approach Veterans about suicidal ideation. Its a conversation that needs to be had because, frankly, the Vet in question probably wants to talk about it. Being able to share your difficulties with someone who cares can be a huge relief, says Jay. Of course, the principles of the training apply to anybody, not just Veterans, although the suicide rate for Veterans is much higher than civilians. Also, the isolation and other challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic served to increase suicide rate amongst both veterans and civilians. To learn more about how to prevent a Veteran suicide, and find many resources to help, visit the Veterans Administration website about suicide prevention. More About Confidential Recovery: Scott H. Silverman, the author of The Opioid Epidemic, created Confidential Recovery in 2014 to provide the men and women of San Diego California a private and highly clinical outpatient treatment program for substance use disorders. Find out more at: https://www.confidentialrecovery.com/. More about the San Diego Veterans Coalition: San Diego non-profit was formed in 2009 and serves the needs of San Diego Veterans and their families by holding events and connecting organizations so that we may provide veterans and their families with a complete array of services and other opportunities. Find out more at: https://sdvetscoalition.org/. Download the 2022 Customer Education Benchmarks and Trends Report to uncover trends in budgets, content formats, monetization strategies, and more! Trained customers are your best customers because they are more satisfied, renew more often, and cost less to support. Companies who deeply value their customers are ramping up their investments in order to drive better business outcomes. - Sandi Lin, CEO and Co-Founder of Skilljar. Skilljar, the recognized leader in software that powers customer and partner training, today announced the launch of their 2022 Customer Education Benchmarks and Trends Report. According to the report, companies are demonstrating the value of their customer education programs by driving strategic business outcomes such as faster time to value, increased customer retention, and higher customer satisfaction. Skilljar gathered insights from customer and partner education professionals, combined with an analysis of anonymized and proprietary hosted data. The comprehensive and industry-leading report covers a wide range of unique trends related to budgets, content formats, monetization strategies, course completion rates, team organization, and more. Key insights from the research include: 75% of customer education programs secured a budget increase from 2020 to 2022. Over 70% are enhancing their measurement of how customer education drives revenue and profitability. Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) programs increased over 5X due to remote work. On average, companies see 29% of their user base engage with training annually. Investments in customer education are on the rise as more companies rely on education as a critical factor for efficient product adoption, and see it as a cost-effective way to support customers and protect revenue. The value of investing in customer education is clear, said Sandi Lin, CEO and Co-Founder of Skilljar. Trained customers are your best customers because they are more satisfied, renew more often, and cost less to support. Companies who deeply value their customers are ramping up their investments in order to drive better business outcomes. The research revealed that measuring the revenue impact from training continues to be a key focus area for customer education professionals. Over 70 percent of respondents plan to do more to measure the multiple ways that customer education influences revenue and profitability, which includes revenue expansion, retention efforts for trained accounts, and support ticket deflection. As customer education teams mature, more and more are tying education metrics directly to revenue and cost savings, said Sara Barnes, Vice President, Customer Success. Skilljar is easily integrated with our customers existing tech stack to make these insights accessible and actionable. The 2022 Customer Education Benchmarks and Trends Report is an additional key milestone in what has already been an impressive 2022 for Skilljar: Significant product enhancements to the best software for customer onboarding and training including: Launched File Upload functionality that enables learners to upload assignments to Skilljar for the instructor to review, comment, and grade. Introduced Custom Roles to give admins more flexibility beyond standard role definitions. Launched VILT Waitlists allowing learners to join a waitlist when the available seats for a live training event are full. Created Training Credits for companies to purchase training via PO and assign digital codes for learners to access courses. Rapid growth in Skilljars customer base with impressive wins at fast-growing and admirable organizations such as Reddit, Chili Piper, and MNTN. Announcement of its annual two-day user conference, Skilljar Connect 2022: The Premier Customer Education Conference, hosted in San Diego, CA, Nov. 14-16, 2022. Recognized as a leader by G2 for Customer Education Software and as Top Rated by TrustRadius for Customer Training Software. Since its founding, Skilljar has set a bold path in the customer and partner education industry by providing a powerful, easy-to-use external LMS that is unmatched in the market. The 2022 Customer Education Benchmarks and Trends Report is a reflection of the growth and positive impact companies are having through their customer and partner education efforts as well as the further evolution of the customer education industry at large. To download a copy of the 2022 Customer Education Benchmarks and Trends Report, visit https://www.skilljar.com/customer-education-benchmarks-and-trends-report. For more information, please visit http://www.skilljar.com. About Skilljar Skilljar is the best external LMS to educate, engage, and retain everyone you do business with. Skilljar believes that the most successful companies are those that have the most users who know how to successfully use their products. Purposefully built for external audiences and a great user experience, Skilljars powerful cloud software integrates with the rest of the customer-facing tech stack such as CRM, marketing automation, and customer success tools. Founded in 2013, Skilljar is based in Seattle and backed by top-tier venture capital firms Insight Partners, Mayfield, Trilogy Equity Partners, and Shasta Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.skilljar.com. Thrios omnichannel platform is the perfect backstop for the rich digital transformation environment of DialMyApp. Our omnichannel capabilities and REST APIs are enabling great options for a visually rich customer journey made possible by DialMyApp. - Edwin Margulies, CEO of Thrio DialMyApp, a leader in the Digital Transformation space, announced today its technology partnership with Thrio, Inc., maker of award-winning cloud contact center software. The partnership represents the blending of DialMyApps leading-edge digital transformation technology and Thrios award-winning CCaaS omnichannel platform. Thrio will be presenting demonstrations in its booth (number 630) at Customer Contact Week 2022 at Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. The DialMyApp patented Digital Call solution, intercepts calls coming into the call center, and serves up a digital menu on the customers mobile device, offering options to self-serve, chat, make payments, schedule a call-back, or continue the call. The language of the menu can be rendered based on the customers language and phone settings. This flexible and mobile-centric experience reduces friction and delivers a more convenient and faster way for the customer to resolve their issue. The DialMyApp Digital Call menu exposes elements of Thrios award-winning CCaaS solution, including displaying wait times, scheduling a call, chatting with an agent/AI-chatbot, making secure payments, etc. All of this is presented to the customer in a rich, frictionless mobile app experience. DialMyApp can handle 100% of the smartphone call volume. The best experience is when the DialMyApp Digital Call is enabled by embedding the DialMyApp patented SDK into a native iOS/Android app. Furthermore, IVR integration is generally not required which accelerates the implementation time frame. The combination of DialMyApp and Thrio: Reduces frustration with IVR Provides faster resolution of customer issues Drives out costs associated with long hold times Promotes 68% average digital engagement Helps achieve 25%-35% average call deflection Offers Rapid implementation of mobile app with CCaaS linkage Provides Increased Customer Satisfaction Delivers End-to-end Digital Transformation capabilities The partnership delivers mobile-centric Digital Transformation and CCaaS services via Thrio's global and redundant platform. This features seamless service provisioning in which there are no maintenance windows for enterprises that care about business continuity. Yoram Meriaz, CEO at DialMyApp, says "We are leading the way in digital transformation by taking a decidedly visual and mobile approach to customer engagement. We are using the ubiquity of smartphones and Thrios AI-based CCaaS as a lever. By working closely with Thrio, we have developed powerful use cases that enable call deflection, friendly automation and frictionless modality switching. We are growing our partnership with Thrio not only for their leading-edge technology but also our shared love of customer centricity. Edwin Margulies, CEO at Thrio says of the relationship: Thrios omnichannel platform is the perfect backstop for the rich digital transformation environment of DialMyApp. Our omnichannel capabilities and REST APIs are enabling great options for a visually rich customer journey made possible by DialMyApp. About DialMyApp DialMyApp is an innovative digital transformation platform. By elegantly bringing the digital channels into the call center experience, customers adopt the convenient choices at a high rate, simply by calling. This drives transformation at scale and generates opportunities for revenue growth and significant cost reductions. The DialMyApp solution is already installed on several hundred million devices globally. DialMyApp, developed by MBTE Sweden AB, provides the DialMyApp platform worldwide with offices in Gothenburg Sweden, Tel Aviv Israel, Mexico City, Sao Paulo Brazil, as well as Sales & Marketing offices in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more, please visit https://www.dialmyapp.com/ About Thrio, Inc. For businesses who want to meet customers wherever they are in our on-demand world, the solution lives within Thrios flexible, scalable AI-powered contact center platform. Powerful automations make agents jobs easier and quicker, with more personalized service for every customer. This paves the way for the friction-free service your customers want and your brand demands. Thrio helps enterprises stay at the heart of the right conversations and the right experiences, every time. To learn more, please visit https://www.thrio.com. Thrio Contact: Lance Fried Chief Marketing Officer 858-248-0098 Lance.Fried@Thrio.com Mployer Advisor announces the 2022 winners of the "Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards" in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. "We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas area. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide. Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers. The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience. The Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas job markets are competitive in the U.S. Southwest, employing over 4 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market. The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas are as follows: Dallas and Fort Worths Top Employee Benefits Consultants: Recognized Brokerages The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, visit MployerAdvisor.com. To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers. About Mployer Advisor: Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor. Media Contact: Abbey Dean (Head of Content) Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com ### Mployer Advisor announces the 2022 winners of the "Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards" for the Orlando, Florida area. "We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in the Orlando, Florida area. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide. Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers. The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience. The Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona, Florida area is a competitive job market in the U.S. Southeast, employing nearly 2 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market. The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for the Orlando, Florida area are as follows: The Orlando Areas Top Employee Benefits Consultants: Recognized Brokerages The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in the Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona, Florida area, visit MployerAdvisor.com. To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers. About Mployer Advisor: Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor. Media Contact: Abbey Dean (Head of Content) Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com ### Mployer Advisor announces the 2022 winners of the "Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards" for the greater Washington, D.C. area. "We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in the Washington, D.C. area. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide. Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers. The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience. The Washington, D.C. area market is one of the most competitive in the Mid-Atlantic region, employing 3.3 million people and boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market. The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Washington, D.C. are as follows: Washington, D.C. Areas Top Employee Benefits Consultants: Recognized Brokerages The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in the Washington, D.C. area, visit MployerAdvisor.com. To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers. About Mployer Advisor: Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor. Media Contact: Abbey Dean (Head of Content) Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com ### If you use Google Calendar you can generate in one-click a CXera digital microsite within the invite, said Mark Tasseel, CTO of CXera. CXera microsites drive repeatable success and increase productivity by providing structure and instant access to all materials that are relevant to each meeting. From the Google Chrome Web Store you can now download CXera for Google to generate a digital microsite in one-click when creating a Google meeting invite. While scheduling your next meeting, to improve customer experience and track customer behavior create a CXera microsite that is purpose-built for popular use cases such as: Onboarding Customers Self-serve Customer Onboard Training & Feedback Customer Proposal Delivery & Tracking Customer QBR Meetings & Actions Product Launch & Updates Drive Customer Renewal and Expansion CXera for Google fits seamlessly into your workday to enable you to improve every meeting and event you host, through templates that are designed to improve customer experience and ongoing engagement. These templates include targeted communication banners, prescriptive checklists, progress status, direct questions to engage, technology integrations including Google Drive, and other self-service functionality to meet the discrete needs of each customer organization. Love them or loathe them, business meetings are ubiquitous and everyones calendar is testament to this, said Mark Tasseel, CTO of CXera. Sometimes deciding whether you can fit another meeting into your busy schedule is determined by the detail in the meeting invite. If you use Google Calendar then you can simultaneously generate a CXera digital Experience Site and embed a hyperlink when you create an invite, increasing productivity by providing structure and instant access to all materials that are relevant to each meeting. To learn more about CXera for Google, visit the Chrome Web Store or request a trial here. About CXera CXera is a technology firm focused on revolutionizing the B2B Customer Experience (CX) through Digital Experience Microsites that help you digitally communicate, collaborate, take action and continuously improve customer success. As a pioneer of the Customer Everboarding concept, CXera integrates with popular services like Zoom, Google, and Slack to enable one-click Digital Experience creation. The CXera solution makes it possible for businesses to deliver personalized Experience Sites using their existing workflows and to start improving their CX today. CXera: Onboard, Expand, Everboard. By establishing access to FidoCure within its nationwide ecosystem, Thrive Pet Healthcare can provide cutting-edge precision medicine cancer care, to more dogs than any other veterinary clinic network. Thrive Pet Healthcare, a national veterinary hospital network offering a comprehensive continuum of care for pets, and FidoCure, the leading pet precision health company, today announced a strategic partnership which advances a joint vision for providing personalized, accessible veterinary cancer care. This partnership leverages FidoCures cutting edge precision medicine platform and unparalleled algorithmic driven diagnostics to improve outcomes in pets with cancer across Thrive Pet Healthcares nationwide network of over 350 veterinary care clinics. Thrive Pet Healthcares nationwide network of clinics. By joining forces, these two patient centric companies are poised to deliver groundbreaking pet specialty cancer care at scale. With roughly six million new cancer diagnoses in dogs each year, approximately one in three dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime. The FidoCure precision medicine platform, developed to address the vast unmet need for better canine cancer care, uses genomic-guided DNA testing to identify genetic mutations that can cause cancer in dogs and matches them to individualized treatment with targeted therapies. We are thrilled to partner with FidoCure to offer ground-breaking precision cancer treatment to pet patients in our communities, said Thrives Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Scott Schatzberg. Through this powerful partnership, we reinforce our belief in nurturing the animal-human bond and providing exceptional pet healthcare at every stage of a pets life. Every cancer case is unique, and now a personalized course of treatment is available to every patient within our nationwide network so that they can thrive. Approximately 3,000 dogs diagnosed with cancer have used the FidoCure Next Generation DNA Sequencing Test, resulting in the largest proprietary canine cancer dataset in the world. Sharing outcomes data, an additional element of this partnership, will significantly expand this dataset. Since humans and dogs are both vulnerable to similar genetic mutations that may cause cancer, the growth of this dataset may help not only advance canine oncology research, but research for humans as well. We are delighted to be collaborating with one of the worlds most trusted, innovative, and connected pet healthcare networks. This partnership between FidoCure and Thrive Pet Healthcare means that more pet parents, working with Thrives leading specialty clinicians, will have streamlined access to this cutting-edge cancer care platform, said Christina K. Lopes, co-founder and CEO of FidoCure. It is no secret that wide-scale access to veterinary oncology is sorely needed in the veterinary world. This partnership with FidoCure will enable Thrive Pet Healthcare clinicians across the country to better fulfill our mission of providing comprehensive pet care at every stage of life. As a veterinary oncologist, Im incredibly excited we can more broadly deliver precision medicine to dogs with cancer. It is essential that the scientific advancements available to humans be made available to pets as well, and now were doing just that with this partnership with FidoCure, said Dr. Mona Rosenberg, Thrive's National Specialty Director of Oncology and Director of Innovation in Clinical Oncology. About Thrive Pet Healthcare Thrive Pet Healthcare is a leading veterinary service network that uniquely delivers a continuum of care to pet families and services to veterinary hospitals. With an industry-first membership program and over 350 acute, primary, and specialty providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare offers personalized, accessible care through every stage of a pets life and health. The veterinarian-founded organization provides premier benefits for practice staff while elevating privately held veterinary hospitals with innovative service and technology solutions. By focusing on the needs and aspirations of veterinary care providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare is supporting the wellbeing of the industry and raising the national bar for veterinary excellence. To learn more about Thrive Pet Healthcare, please visit http://www.thrivepetcare.com. About FidoCure FidoCure is the first to bring the latest advances in human oncology - individualized, precision medicine - to dogs with cancer. We are a mission driven company that delivers the most sophisticated diagnostics and creates a tailored treatment plan for each dog. Our flagship product, FidoCure Next Generation DNA Sequencing Test, leverages technologies and therapies approved for human use, with additional data specific to canine cancer. With FidoCure, dogs with cancer receive access to the latest scientific advances in cancer care, from tests to treatment. FidoCure is backed by premier biotech investors including Polaris Ventures, A16Z, YCombinator and Global Brain. Learn more at fidocure.com. I am so proud of this team who shows up every day to give thousands of kids across this country the opportunity learn and grow, and thousands of CareDrivers the opportunity to earn a safe and flexible income. - Joanna McFarland, Co-founder and CEO HopSkipDrive is excited to announce that Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) named our Co-founder and CEO Joanna McFarland as an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Greater Los Angeles Award winner. Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who think big to succeed. An independent panel of judges selected Joanna McFarland based on her entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes. McFarland says, I'm incredibly honored to accept this award on behalf of HopSkipDrive. At HopSkipDrive, we know the difference between struggle and success is the ability to show up. I am so proud of this team who shows up every day to give thousands of kids across this country the opportunity learn and grow, and thousands of CareDrivers the opportunity to earn a safe and flexible income. HopSkipDrive is a safe youth transportation solution founded by McFarland and two other mothers with a vision of creating opportunity for all through mobility. Beginning their service in the Greater Los Angeles area, the company now operates in 20 major markets in 11 states. HopSkipDrive partners with school districts, counties and nonprofit organizations to arrange transportation for students often youth in foster care, youth with special needs or youth experiencing homelessness and older adults. As a Greater Los Angeles award winner, McFarland will now be considered by the National independent panel of judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 National Awards. The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has honored the inspirational leadership of entrepreneurs such as Jessica Alba, Christopher Gavigan, Sean Kane and Brian Lee of The Honest Company, Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company and Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia. Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are presented by PNC Bank. In Greater Los Angeles sponsors also include Marsh USA Inc., New Tangram LLC, CBRE, Inc., Cooley LLP, Cushman & Wakefield and Olmstead Williams Communications. About Entrepreneur Of The Year Entrepreneur Of The Year is the worlds most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. ey.com/us/eoy About HopSkipDrive Designed by protective moms and driven by caregivers, HopSkipDrive is the innovator in providing safe, dependable youth transportation solutions for schools, districts, government agencies and families. HopSkipDrives advanced technology platform and industry-leading operational expertise provide flexibility and visibility while helping to create opportunity for all through mobility. Since 2014, HopSkipDrive has helped 13,000 schools and currently operates in 20 major markets in 11 states and Washington, D.C. A venture capital-backed company, HopSkipDrive shares investors with well-known brands like Airbnb, Pinterest, Bird and Ring. Learn more at http://www.hopskipdrive.com SPEE3D Phaser Nozzle Spraying Titanium The SPEE3D PHASER nozzle is revolutionary because anyone can print whats considered hardier materials, and without having to rely on helium to cold spray these materials like other nozzles" SPEE3D, makers of the world's fastest metal 3D printers, today announced the launch of the SPEE3D Phaser nozzle a new ultra high energy nozzle designed to work with a wider range of hard phase materials, and with a significant increase in deposition velocity. The nozzle will be revealed this week at the CSAT (Cold Spray Action Team) 2022 Conference in Worchester, Massachusetts. SPEE3D's cold spray metal 3D printers are already the world's fastest, most robust, deployable additive solution to manufacture full-density, solid metal parts in just minutes. The new Phaser nozzle uses compressed air or nitrogen to deposit material four times faster than the speed of sound at much higher energy. This process achieves high particle velocity to enable more deformation of particles during the deposition process. As a result, harder materials can be made including stainless steel, titanium, high-strength aluminum, and nickel-based carbides. These materials are in addition to SPEE3Ds standard copper, aluminum bronze, and aluminum materials. The SPEE3D PHASER nozzle is revolutionary because anyone can print whats considered hardier materials, and without having to rely on helium to cold spray these materials like other nozzles, said Camilleri. With supply chain issues continuing to delay parts for industries such as space, defense, auto racing and maritime, the Phaser nozzle can create these parts in just minutes to withstand severe conditions, high stress, immense shock loads and abrasive environments. SPEE3D's cold spray process is high-speed, consistent, and able to produce high-quality applications every time. The technology is used worldwide and proven reliable by customers including the Australian Army, EWI, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, and other global organizations that require fabricating parts in harsh expeditionary field environments. With the Australian Army, SPEE3D has tested and validated metal 3D printing as a military capability with the latest field trial being the longest and toughest to date taking place in remote Northern Territory, alongside exercise Koolendong. The new SPEE3D PHASER Nozzle is available in all SPEE3D printer models now. To learn more, visit http://www.spee3d.com/phaser. About SPEE3D SPEE3D is the worlds fastest and first deployable metal 3D printing technology. The companys award-winning, cold-spray technology is used by manufacturers and militaries around the world to produce high-quality, industrial parts on-location, faster and at a lower cost than traditional manufacturing methods. SPEE3Ds technology is based on patented cold-spray technology and integrated software solutions. For more information, visit: http://www.spee3d.com Silanna Semiconductor to Showcase Leading AC/DC and DC/DC Power Management Solutions at PowerUP Expo 2022 Silanna Semiconductor is excited to attend the PowerUP Expo 2022 virtual event, which gives us the opportunity to showcase our CO2 Smart Power range of end-to-end AC/DC and DC/DC technologies that allow designers to develop high-efficiency, high-power-density charging solutions with a low BoM. Silanna Semiconductor, The Power Density Leader, has announced the company will be showcasing its latest, advanced AC/DC and DC/DC power devices at PowerUP Expo 2022 virtual conference and exhibition (28th 30th June 2022). Silanna Semiconductor, with its family of CO2 Smart Power families of advanced Fully-Integrated ACF controllers and high-frequency DC/DC converters, offers power management technologies that focus on the ultimate power management challenges, deliver unprecedented BoM savings and benefit the planet and the people on it by delivering best-in-class power density and efficiency. The companys end-to-end power solutions are driving key innovations in travel adapters, laptop adapters, appliance power, smart metering, computing, lighting, industrial power, and display power using the latest digital and analog control and device technologies. The PowerUP Expo 2022, sponsored by Silanna Semiconductor, will include a virtual exhibition and technical conference featuring keynotes, panel discussions, technical presentations and tutorials about major technical trends, market requirements, and new application areas. This years event will focus on three main topics: Wide bandgap devices, applications and system solutions; renewable energy and the smart grid; and low power innovations including energy harvesting and wireless power transfer. Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, Editor-in-Chief of Power Electronics News adds "PowerUP wishes to provide an opportunity to share the most updated developments and upcoming challenges in several markets where efficiency is the watchword. Major leaders in the power electronics industry will gather to present ideas, new solutions in low power and wide bandgap technologies, roadmaps, and future breakthroughs." Silanna Semiconductor is excited to attend the PowerUP Expo 2022 virtual event, which gives us the opportunity to showcase our CO2 Smart Power range of end-to-end AC/DC and DC/DC technologies that allow designers to develop high-efficiency, high-power-density charging solutions with a low BoM, says Ahsan Zaman, Silanna Semiconductors director of product marketing. Silanna Semiconductor virtual booth will showcase the latest expansion of the companys CO2 Smart Power product portfolio including AC/DC products such as the SZ1131 Fully-Integrated High Efficiency ACF controller, High Frequency DC/DC buck converters, Power SIP and the innovative AnyPort architecture, which simplifies the development of multi-port products. Visitors to the booth will also be able to experience Power Density Hero - a power management design tool that provides engineers an optimized design schematic and full Bill of Materials for all components - and an extensive power management Reference Design Library. More details about the PowerUP EXPO 2022 can be found at: https://www.powerup-expo.com/ More information is available at https://www.powerdensity.com or by contacting sales@silanna.com About Silanna Semiconductor: The Power Density Leader. Delivering on the ultimate Power Management challenge of best-in-class power density and efficiency performance that delights customers with unprecedented BoM savings. Silanna Semiconductors AC/DC and DC/DC power converter ICs are driving key innovations in Travel Adapters, Laptop Adapters, Appliance Power, Smart Metering, Computing, Lighting, Industrial Power, and Display Power utilizing the latest digital and analog control and device technologies. In addition to our global engineering sales force, customers are supported by regional design centers and online tools. Power Density Hero is an online design tool where customers input their power needs and instantly receive a complete design, schematic, and Bill of Materials (BOM). The Asian Center of Excellence (ACE) has a dedicated team of power system engineers to support our customers in their application specific design needs. Silanna Semiconductor, with its family of CO2 Smart Power ICs, offers technologies that will benefit the planet and the people on it by delivering best-in-class power density and efficiency. Silanna Semiconductor, headquartered in San Diego, CA, is a privately-held semiconductor company, and has global facilities supporting customers with design centers and offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. PR Contact: Grand Bridges Ltd, team@grandbridges.com, +1.310 529 0321 CGTN America releases President Xis Keynote Speech at BRICS: A Blueprint for Peace in Turbulent Times. Proclaiming peace is the common cause of mankind, Xi Jinping, the President of the Peoples Republic of China, opened the 14th annual BRICS Summit from Beijing. Chairing a virtual meeting of the BRICS Business Forum, President Xis keynote speech called on fellow BRICS nations to help create a new era in global development for benefit of people of all countries. Xi touched on the major themes: global growth, open development, cooperation instead of conflict, shared benefit. Openness and development, he said, is the historical trend. This, he said, will not reverse course, and our shared desire to meet challenges together through cooperation will remain as strong as ever. For at least two decades, the BRICS nations have been a major driver of global economic growth. Together, these five emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa account for more than 40 percent of the worlds population, 25 percent of the global economy and 18 percent of world trade. The world is in the throes of radical changes unseen in a century, he said. The headwinds slowing momentum a lingering COVID-19 pandemic, sluggish world economic recovery and the Russia-Ukraine conflict must not deter the international community from embracing solidarity, Xi said. His message to BRICS was also a message to the world. He called on nations to pursue peace by upholding the United Nations Charter. Citing the Global Security Initiative he proposed earlier this year, he urged all nations to respect each others sovereignty and territorial integrity while recognizing the legitimate security concerns of all countries. He warned against weaponizing the world economy, calling sanctions a boomerang that end up hurting ones own interests as well as those of others. Xi compared protectionism and efforts to decouple global supply chains to building a small courtyard with high walls. He assured fellow BRICS nations that China will continue to open its economy, and foster a market- and law-based and internationalized business environment. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the forum. Throughout his address, President Xi stressed the importance of peace, comparing it to sunshine that will illuminate the world. Click here to read more about President Xis Keynote Speech at BRICS: A blueprint for peace in turbulent times. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-06-22/Xi-addresses-opening-ceremony-of-BRICS-Business-Forum-1b4KFLMYqFG/index.html https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-06-22/Full-text-Xi-s-speech-at-opening-ceremony-of-BRICS-Business-Forum-1b4MUfNmsW4/index.html (This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.) AC Business Media (ACBM) announced today the launch of EXTEND Connected Content a team equipped to provide strategic content marketing services. EXTEND allows our clients the opportunity to tap into our subject matter experts, processes, and engagements to build great content environments that scale conversation with buyers. All at a fraction of the cost, and time, of trying to produce internally," says Ron Spink, CEO, AC Business Media. AC Business Media (ACBM) announced today the launch of EXTEND Connected Content a team equipped to provide strategic content marketing services to the heavy construction, asphalt, concrete, paving, rental, landscape, manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain industries. EXTEND will support our clients marketing goals, while positioning them as industry thought leaders, by wielding the power of custom content marketing campaigns and strategies extending their budget, team, audience, and success rate. The EXTEND Connected Content suite of custom products allows marketers to capitalize on ACBMs subject matter expertise, through full-service content development-execution-audience engagement channels, and includes written content (articles, info-sheets, education, and case studies), infographics, eBooks, white papers, podcasts, single-vendor social media management, and a range of video products. Today, B2B audiences have an incredibly hungry appetite for informed insights and perspective in vertical markets. Not only from trusted, third-party media sources, but from industry leading manufacturers and brands, says Ron Spink, chief executive officer of AC Business Media. However, relevance is the key to building connections. "EXTEND allows our clients the opportunity to tap into our subject matter experts, processes, and engagements to build great content environments that scale conversation with buyers. All at a fraction of the cost, and time, of trying to produce internally. By partnering with ACBMs EXTEND content marketing team of established writers, editors, videographers, social media managers, and designers, clients will have access to years of experience in the industries ACBM serves, the tools and resources to feed their content pipelines, and the strategic solutions creating loyal customers and growing sales. We have the best team in the business with a wide variety of skillsets and deep knowledge of how to serve our clients in these industries, said Bethany Chambers, general manager of marketing & online services. Marketing departments are stretched thin these days and need an extra handwe can extend your team and make an immediate impact. Coupled with the launch of EXTEND, ACBM has built a team of industry experts comprised of: Bethany Chambers, General Manager Online & Marketing Services; Jessica Lombardo, Content Director Marketing Services; Jason Frausto, Video Production Manager; Phillip Kelly, Video Producer; and Kay Ross-Baker, Director Enterprise Sales. For more information regarding EXTEND Connected Content, visit: https://www.acbusinessmedia.com/content-marketing/ About AC Business Media As one of Americas top business-to-business media companies, AC Business Media reaches millions of professionals annually and leads the way in providing targeted content to top decision-makers and organizations. With a portfolio of renowned brands in heavy construction, asphalt, concrete, paving, rental, sustainability, landscape, manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain markets, AC Business Media delivers relevant, cutting-edge content through its industry-leading digital properties, trade shows, videos, magazines, webinars, and newsletters. It also provides advertisers with the analytics, data, and ability to reach their target audience. About EXTEND Connected Content EXTEND Connected Content provides clients with access to an expert team of writers, editors, videographers, social media managers, and designers that deliver strategic custom content marketing services. This program, a one-stop shop for content marketing demands, delivers years of experience, the tools and resources to execute, and the strategic solutions to create loyal customers and grow their sales. The EXTEND Connected Content suite of products includes written content (articles, info-sheets, and case studies), infographics, eBooks, white papers, podcasts, full-service social media management, and a range of video products. To learn more, visit: https://www.acbusinessmedia.com/content-marketing/ Mortons Meanderings: Mission 1: Save Me. Save a Tree. Save We.: a heartfelt message of the dangers faced by the koala population. Mortons Meanderings: Mission 1: Save Me. Save a Tree. Save We. is the creation of published authors Alice Elizabeth Shoemake and Morton Mortimer Koala, Ph.D. Alice Elizabeth Shoemake and Morton Mortimer Koala, Ph.D. share, Welcome. Here we meet Morton the koala. Morton is a light-blue orphaned koala who wears a colorful scarf. He explains he is blue to help him stand out to all the boys and girls. Morton is an adventurer and goes on many meanderings or missions to deliver his messages. Morton comes in sadness and fear to deliver his first message. He has already lost his parents in a wildfire and now his remaining family and their homes are dwindling. On this first mission, he comes to explain why koalas need trees and how humans can help save them both. He points out that humans and koalas value trees and why the trees are so very important to koalas. He expresses his profound sadness that his family along with the trees are being destroyed by many sources. Morton explains our common threats and needs in the natural world. Working together, we can care for Mother Earth properly and help Morton and his koala family survive. Morton is very concerned about the rest of his family and needs your help quick. With your help, farther down the road, Morton hopes to continue his missions. These next messages would teach boys and girls, just like you, about wildlife conservation (focusing on koalas), other animals on the vulnerable or endangered status list, ecology, reforestation, global warming, and so on. Also mixed in these messages will be lessons of kindness, patience, tolerance, and other character traits that children need to learn. Remember, you must hear Mortons first message and begin working so Morton will know you want to help. Then he can continue with his next message. Morton will strive to tap into the childrens imagination, giving them ways, both creative and practical, they can help nonprofit organizations as well as creating their own new pathways. This connection, Morton hopes, will enrich childrens hearts and minds, creating a better future for our world. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Alice Elizabeth Shoemake and Morton Mortimer Koala, Ph.D.s new book will inspire while offering opportunity for educational discussion. Shoemake, along with her dear friend Morton, hopes to inspire the next generation of environmental activists in helping to protect endangered regions and species. Consumers can purchase Mortons Meanderings: Mission 1: Save Me. Save a Tree. Save We. at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Mortons Meanderings: Mission 1: Save Me. Save a Tree. Save We., contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Florida laws may be different from an individuals home state. Its easy to get caught up in having fun and make unwise decisions such as drinking too much. This could lead to a DUI or assault and battery charge if your temper gets the best of you and you end up in a fight with a fellow traveler. Central Florida Bonding announces their newest article entitled Tourism and Crime. This Orlando, Florida bail bonds agency encourages travelers to be vigilant when traveling. Hadi Khouri, owner of Central Florida Bonding, states, After two years, people are finally traveling again this year. Central Florida is home to major theme parks such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, Typhoon Lagoon, Volcano Bay, and Aquatica. Many travelers come from across the country and overseas to enjoy time at the theme parks and nearby beaches. Locals love exploring their own backyard and enjoying a staycation. Whether you are planning on heading across the country or just staying nearby and doing a staycation, our travel tips can help keep you and your family safe and secure. Central Florida Bonding offers these tips when traveling: When arriving at the airport, pick up bags as soon as possible. Also, keep a close watch on belongings and dont leave luggage unattended If renting a car, obey all traffic laws. Keep the doors and windows locked If using a ride share service or taxi, do not share too much personal information with the driver. If using public Wi-Fi, beware of its security. Hackers can hack in and steal credit card information Keep doors locked at the hotel. Do not admit people that are strangers Use the hotel safe to secure valuables Do not post travel information and photos on social media. Do not leave valuables in the stroller. Remember to pick up bags if they are placed on the ground for a photo op Travel light when sightseeing. Only take what is needed. Keep cash and credit cards separate. Leave extra cash and credit cards in the hotel safe Drink responsibly Dont drink and drive Be open to new things but do not partake in risky behaviors such as buying or using drugs These tips and more can be accessed online at: https://cfborlando.com/tourism-crime/ Khouri adds, Traveling can be wonderful, but people need to follow the law. Florida laws may be different from an individuals home state. Its easy to get caught up in having fun and make unwise decisions such as drinking too much. This could lead to a DUI or assault and battery charge if your temper gets the best of you and you end up in a fight with a fellow traveler. If you or a family member does end up in jail, then please give us a call at 407-841-3646 to start the bail bond process. Central Florida Bonding has bailed clients out of jail for numerous charges such as DUI, assault, battery, drug possession, identity theft, drug trafficking, road rage, and more. To start the bail bond process, please call 407-841-3646. Central Florida Bonding is licensed to post bail throughout the state of Florida and with affiliated agencies across the United States. A bail bond agent is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year. All of the bail bond agents at Central Florida Bonding are experienced, knowledgeable and licensed. They are ready to assist with paperwork, can explain the ins and outs of the bail bond process, and can answer questions regarding the criminal justice system. This Orlando bail bond agency serves all of Central Florida including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia, and Lake Counties. Defendants have benefited from the expertise of Central Florida Bonding since 1979. Khouri states, We have been helping Central Floridians for many years. We can help you too! Please rely on our experience and expertise to guide you through this stressful experience. Central Florida Bonding is located in the Cox Plaza at 2911 39th Street, Suite 300, in Orlando, Florida. To learn more about this bail bond agency, visit online at https://cfborlando.com/, or call 407-841-3646. We are proud to welcome Warren as CEO and Weikeng as Chief Scientist of Discreet Labs and look forward to the future innovation they will drive forward for Findora and more. Discreet Labs is proud to announce the promotion of Warren Paul Anderson into the role of CEO. Previously, Warren held the title of VP of Product at Discreet Labs where he has proven instrumental in helping to develop and launch many technical milestones over the past year on Findora, a high-performance EVM-compatible public blockchain utilizing Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to bring privacy to Web3. Warren is a startup founder and a strategic product creative with valuable experience building distributed systems and open protocols using applied cryptography. Before joining Discreet Labs, Warren led crypto products at Ripple for over 4 years, working on open protocols such as XRP Ledger, Interledger, & PayString, the RippleX developer platform, and RippleNet's On-Demand Liquidity enterprise product. Prior to Ripple, in 2014, Warren co-founded Hedgy, one of the first DeFi platforms for institutional OTC bitcoin transactions using programmable, escrowed smart contracts on the Bitcoin blockchain. Warren got started in the crypto industry as a hobbyist Bitcoin miner in 2011, back when one could still mine a block with a CPU. Warren earned two bachelors degrees from Northwestern and did graduate studies at Harvard. Warren is a regular presence in the blockchain community and press, a frequent public speaker, and has also guest lectured at institutions such as Stanford, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, Wharton, University College London, and University of Zurich on topics related to blockchain, cryptocurrency, fintech, and technology more broadly. Dr. Weikeng (pronounced "waken") Chen has also joined Discreet Labs as Chief Scientist where he will be leading cryptography research and development. Weikeng recently completed his PhD at U.C. Berkeleys world renowned Security & Applied Cryptography Group, where he focused his research on systems and applications of ZKPs and multi-party computation (MPC) with an emphasis on efficient implementations. Beyond his academic research, Weikeng has also been a core contributor to several ZKP open-source projects implemented in Rust including: arkworks, an ecosystem for developing and programming with zkSNARKs; Marlin, a Rust library that implements a preprocessing zkSNARK for R1CS with universal and updatable SRS; snarkVM, a virtual machine for ZKPs; and DZK, a decentralized system for practical end-to-end zero-knowledge proofs. Weikeng was also instrumental in implementing ZEXE (Zero-knowledge EXEcution), a ledger based system for enabling decentralized private computation. He was advised by Professor Raluca Ada Popa, a 2022 ACM Grace Hopper Murray Award winner. Dr. Weikeng Chen has already made many voluntary contributions to the Findora open source project, especially Zei, a cryptographic library of advanced ZKPs. Weikeng is among a small group of cryptographers that have dedicated their academic careers to the technologies that Discreet Labs is building to scale web3 privacy. In one years time, Discreet Labs has shipped multiple exciting protocols, platforms, and products for Findora, including an advanced multi-chain architecture, which combines privacy and scalability on Findora OG (UTXO chain) with programmability and interoperability on Findora X (scalable Web3 privacy solution with full EVM compatibility). Discreet Labs also recently launched Prism, a trustless atomic swap protocol that bridges Findora OG and Findora X. To interoperate Findoras multi-chain architecture with the growing ecosystem, Discreet Labs launched Rialto, which is a non-custodial bridge between all EVM compatible chains and Findora. With the launch of toolkits like Prism and Rialto, as well as a cryptographic library of advanced ZKPs, Discreet Labs is now focused on extending Findora privacy to EVM-based dApps with smart contract functionalities. Most recently, on April 22nd, Discreet Labs, in partnership with Columbus DAO, launched Yellow Submarine, the first Web3 dApp to enable privacy on Ethereum-compatible projects. In a historic, industry first, Yellow Submarine uses a practical implementation of ZKP to allow private transactions across BNB Chain, Ethereum and other EVM compatible chains, in a simple, intuitive and user-friendly way. We are proud to welcome Warren as CEO and Weikeng as Chief Scientist of Discreet Labs and look forward to the future innovation they will drive forward for Findora and more. Media contact: ABS media(at)findora(dot)org Jonathan(at)melrosepr(dot)com About Discreet Labs Discreet Labs is building scalable privacy systems for web3. Discreet Labs believes our digital future is more private and self-sovereign and is building the technology necessary to achieve this vision. Discreet Labs combines the reliability and transparency of decentralized, public blockchains, together with the security and privacy of zero-knowledge proofs, to enable confidential transactions. Applications developed by Discreet Labs provide both the transactional privacy that institutions desire, along with the proofs of compliance that regulators require. About Findora Findora is the first and leading privacy scaling solution for the entire crypto ecosystem, including Ethereum and all EVM compatible chains. As a privacy-centric ecosystem and layer-1 blockchain incorporating advanced ZKP-based cryptography features, Findora enables fully confidential on-chain and cross-chain transfers. Findora's private transfers between different blockchains create the foundation for institutional finance to enter DeFi in a significant way, ushering in the next wave of crypto mass adoption. Founded by a team of leading academics and entrepreneurs, including John Powers, former CEO of Stanfords USD $25 billion endowment fund, Findora is accessible to anyone in the world, whether individuals, small and medium enterprises, or industry giants. For more information, visit http://www.findora.org. There are several landmarks in Georgia that would simply not be there without Matts experience, involvement, and commitment. His work is not only highly visible but also of great significance and impact to our community, said Ernest LaMont Greer. Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP expanded its Atlanta Public Finance & Infrastructure Practice with the addition of Shareholder Matthew W. Nichols, who joins from King & Spalding. Nichols is an experienced infrastructure finance attorney who focuses his practice primarily on the municipal market, working on leveraged finance, direct placements, syndicated private placements, and municipal bond offerings. He advises issuers, lenders, underwriters, and sponsors and. He regularly represents universities, hospitals systems, state agencies, and local governments as they seek to tap into the public finance market. Matts experience enhances our ability to serve a broader group of issuers, lenders and sponsors throughout Georgia, said Jean E. Wilson, chair of the firm's Atlanta and Orlando Public Finance & Infrastructure Practices. Since Atlanta and the Southeast remain high-growth regions, his experience in managing large, complex public financing projects focused on infrastructure improvements, will help leverage the vast resources and expertise of our global Public Finance & Infrastructure team. Some of the representative matters Nichols previously handled include serving as bond counsel for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority in connection with the $500 million tax-exempt project financing for a new upscale convention center hotel adjacent to the World Congress Center and Mercedes Benz Stadium. He also advised Duke University Health System in connection with a $600 million offering, its first issuance of publicly offered taxable debt, and also represented the underwriters in a $427 million issuance of tax-exempt bonds for the Georgia Ports Authority. There are several landmarks in Georgia that would simply not be there without Matts experience, involvement, and commitment. His work is not only highly visible but also of great significance and impact to our community. He is focused on best-in-class service that fulfills a vision for clients. This is the type of professional drawn to our unique firm and we are grateful for that, said Ernest LaMont Greer, the firms co-president who is based in the Atlanta office. We are delighted to have Matt at Greenberg Traurig. In addition to working with many public-sector entities, Nichols also often works with private sector clients in public-private partnerships and joint ventures, as well as large variety of transactions involving government-owned, privately-financed and operated infrastructure and development projects such as student housing, stadiums, and hotels. I was drawn to Greenberg Traurigs strong and growing Public Finance and Infrastructure Practice. Having such a network behind me will support me as I work with my clients to help bring their projects to life, said Nichols said. Joining the Atlanta office also carriesd an extra benefit for me: the teams commitment to support and help grow our Georgia community. Nichols earned his J.D. cum laude at the University of Georgia Law School in 1993 and his B.B.A. magna cum laude with honors at University of Georgia. He is admitted to the Georgia Bar. The practices most recent additions include Shareholders Zachary D. Sakas in Phoenix, Solomon Cadle in Washington, D.C., and Of Counsel Martye Kendrick in Houston. About Greenberg Traurigs Public Finance & Infrastructure Practice: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has a national public finance practice that consistently ranks among the top bond, disclosure, and underwriters counsel firms according to The Bond Buyers nationwide and statewide rankings. Greenberg Traurig LLPs Public Finance & Infrastructure Practice has been serving the needs of state and local issuers, underwriters, credit providers, bondholders, and conduit borrowers throughout the United States for more than forty years in virtually every area of public finance. The firm currently has more than 35 attorneys in the Public Finance & Infrastructure Practice in its Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minneapolis, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, D.C. offices. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Atlanta: Greenberg Traurig's Atlanta office offers clients the local capabilities and wide-ranging experience of more than 100 attorneys, supported by the resources and reach of the firm's global platform. The firm's collaborative culture is reflected by attorneys who serve their clients with a combination of legal and business skills that are vital in today's competitive, global environment. Greenberg Traurig's Atlanta team brings a practical approach to the representation of our clients. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. The Houston office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP and the office managing shareholder Shari L. Heyen were selected by the Houston Business Journal (HBJ) as Diversity in Business Award honorees. According to HBJ, the Diversity in Business Awards program honors organizations and individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to promoting practices that advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as well as in business leadership. Firmwide and on a local level, Greenberg Traurig recognizes the importance of diversity initiatives and strives to remain at the forefront of creating and supporting a diverse law firm, said Demetrius G. McDaniel, regional operating shareholder for the firms Texas offices. Congratulations to the Houston office, Shari Heyen, and all the 2022 honorees. This year marks the second consecutive year that Greenberg Traurig Houston was recognized in the Outstanding Diverse Organizations category. This category identifies organizations that have contributed to harnessing diversity within their workforces. It also honors those that have actively taken the lead to promote and champion the business case for diversity within the community or their industries. Heyens recognition is in the Outstanding Diversity Champion category, which recognizes individuals who have shown outstanding initiative to promote diversity and inclusion either within the community or their organizations. Within Greenberg Traurig, we are steadfast and intentional with our diversity efforts, Heyen said. It is a true honor to be recognized by the HBJ for both our offices commitment and my individual dedication to advancing these initiatives. Heyen has advocated for greater diversity in business for over 30 years. She tirelessly gives her time and attention to organizations that advance diversity in business and frequently speaks on the topic. In 2021, Heyen and her team were awarded the Community & Social Impact Award of the Year from Global M&A Networks Turnaround Atlas in connection with the successful acquisition of Ebony Media. HBJ will host an award ceremony June 23 and will issue a special publication in the upcoming June 24 weekly edition. About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and the firms history. With approximately 140 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. I would recommend FEV Tutor because of the one-on-one live tutor who is present with each student. Our students feel comfortable to take chances and work through problems because they know they have their own personal tutor with them if they have questions. Students in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) who participated in online tutoring sessions with FEV Tutor, the most comprehensive virtual tutoring solution in K-12, demonstrated accelerated rates of growth relative to national norms in both math and reading on the NWEA MAP Growth Assessments. Students who participated in higher dosages of FEV Tutor showed the greatest gains, surpassing national RIT growth norms as well as the growth of non-participants and students who completed less than the recommended dosage of tutoring. In JCPS, an urban Kentucky school district that provides a high-quality education for 96,000 students, RIT Score Growth was analyzed from winter to spring during the 2021-22 school year. Students who participated in the recommended dosages of tutoring with FEV Tutor demonstrated 32% accelerated growth in both math and reading relative to national norms. JCPS launched its partnership with FEV Tutor in December 2020 to connect students with tutoring help when they need it. To date, FEV Tutor has delivered more than 60,000 hours of live one-to-one instruction to 7,000 students in 116 schools in JCPS. The online tutoring sessions are available to students in grades 3-12 and focus on the core subjects of math, English, science, and social studies. Tutors are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, and students can schedule lessons or opt for 24/7 tutoring with on-demand sessions. The service can also be accessed on weekends. The FEV Tutor online tutoring platform allows JCPS students to communicate with a live tutor via the chat function as well as share their screen or upload videos or documents. FEVs lessons can be translated into multiple languages, giving English language learners a tool for helping with their schoolwork. To accelerate student learning with the high-dosage tutoring, JCPS leaders have also prioritized the incorporation of the Design Principles for Effective Tutoring from the Annenberg Institute into their FEV Tutor foundational program design. I would recommend FEV Tutor because of the one-on-one live tutor who is present with each student, said Nicole W. Adell, principal of Newburg Middle School. Our students feel comfortable to take chances and work through problems because they know they have their own personal tutor with them if they have questions. About FEV Tutor Based in Boston, FEV Tutor is the leading Level 2 ESSA research and evidence-based online tutoring platform working nationally to effect change in K-12 education. Its intervention programs are strategically designed in close collaboration with each partner school, district, charter school, and other organizations to accelerate learning for every student. FEV Tutor leverages technology to deliver 1:1 high-impact and transformative personalized learning pathways through live, virtual tutoring sessions. For more information on FEV Tutor, visit fevtutor.com or follow on Twitter # # # We are extremely proud to be recognized for the hard work of our team members to uphold the highest level of care for infants and their mothers, MedStar Healths Maternal Newborn Center nursery at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center has achieved the highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review conducted by Baby-Friendly USA. This distinguished honor demonstrates that MedStar Health adheres to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. These standards are built on Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the first days of a newborns life. MedStar Healths standout qualities include an emphasis on robust education, training, and skills development in its MedStar Montgomery nursery, in addition to its commitment to effective and reliable communication between leadership, staff, and patients. The positive health effects of breastfeeding are well documented and widely recognized by health authorities throughout the world. In 2011, the Surgeon General issued aCall to Action to Support Breastfeeding stated that Breast milk is uniquely suited to the human infants nutritional needs and is a live substance with unparalleled immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a host of illnesses and diseases for both mothers and children. MedStar Montgomery joins a growing list of more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, 590 of which are in the United States. These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every womans right to make the best decision for herself and her family. We are extremely proud to be recognized for the hard work of our team members to uphold the highest level of care for infants and their mothers, said Dina MacDonald, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Nurse Manager at Medstar Montgomery Medical Centers Maternal Newborn Center. MedStar Montgomery is committed to providing the support, education and resources parents need as they welcome their baby. Our doctors and nurses aim to ensure a healthy, well-prepared start for growing families, said MedStar Montgomery Medical Center President Thomas J. Senker, FACHE. MedStar Montgomery recently completed enhancements to the nursery to provide mother and baby with an environment that is conducive to health well-being. These renovations include new flooring, furnishings, lighting and artwork. About MedStar Montgomery Medical Center and MedStar Health MedStar Montgomery Medical Center is a not-for-profit, acute care community hospital serving Montgomery County, Maryland. For 100 years, MedStar Montgomery has served as a medical care provider and community health resource offering high-quality, personalized care. MedStar Montgomery provides a broad range of healthcare specialties, advanced technologies, and treatments not traditionally found at community hospitalsincluding cutting-edge care in obstetrics, orthopedics, breast health, and oncology. MedStar Health is the region's largest non-profit and most trusted integrated healthcare delivery system, giving patients access to the latest in modern medicine and medical technology within a community hospital setting. About Baby-Friendly USA As the accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States, Baby-Friendly USA is responsible for upholding the highest standards in infant feeding care by coordinating and conducting all activities necessary to confer the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation and ensure the widespread adoption of the BFHI in the US. Learn more about Baby-Friendly USA and the BFHI at http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org. The Army of The Lord - El Ejercito del Senor: A Childrens Prayer Manual - Manual de Oracion para ninos: a potent opportunity to help young believers on their spiritual path. The Army of The Lord - El Ejercito del Senor: A Childrens Prayer Manual - Manual de Oracion para ninos is the creation of published author Minister Rosalind Riggs, a dedicated wife and mother who serves as a certified pre-K12 art educator and art therapist. Her MA degree is in biblical counseling, and she has been a public school educator for twenty-eight years. Minister Riggs is a faithful member, minister, and childrens church teacher at the Fountain of Praise church in Houston, Texas. Minister Riggs shares, Are you in the army of the living God? If not, you can join today! The Army of the Lord is a small prayer book that God instructed me to write for his children! It is the culmination of prayers that children have requested consistently during my twenty-eight years of youth ministry. They are the prayers that will equip our children for battle in this twenty-first century. Every prayer is locked and loaded with the Word of God, which is their number one weapon against the enemy. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Minister Rosalind Riggss new book shares a welcoming and inspiring voice for the encouragement of readers of any background. Minister Riggs shares in hopes of helping to nurture young readers as they learn to lean into Gods grace for comfort and guidance. Consumers can purchase The Army of The Lord - El Ejercito del Senor: A Childrens Prayer Manual - Manual de Oracion para ninos at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Army of The Lord - El Ejercito del Senor: A Childrens Prayer Manual - Manual de Oracion para ninos, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. "We hope this new status with Microsoft brings even more visibility into how multilingual meetings can power more effective, engaging, and collaborative discussions with international clients and colleagues". Michal Raz, VP of Global Partnerships, KUDO. KUDO, a multilingual meeting SaaS company, announced today that they have achieved Microsoft Co-Sell Ready status for their solution with Microsoft Teams. The integration enables users to access KUDO's multilingual solution with human-powered simultaneous interpreting driven by a marketplace of 12,000+ professional interpreters within Microsoft Teams. Launched in November of 2021, the SaaS offering allows customers to add real-time interpretation of 200+ spoken and sign languages to any Teams meeting, localize pre-recorded meetings by adding interpretation through KUDO Replay, access post-meeting multilingual recordings and benefit from multilingual technology such as artificial intelligence tools that assist interpreters, smooth boothmate handover/relay, dual-audio listening, reporting and more. Achieving this status ensures that KUDO will be available on Microsoft AppSource as a co-sell-ready solution. The new status unlocks the collaboration between KUDO and Microsofts representatives and channel partners in sales opportunities, exposing the solution to a vast community of Microsoft-managed customers. It also boosts KUDOs visibility via joint marketing activities with Microsoft. We have seen great traction since the launch, growing over 250% in monthly active users just in 2022. We hope this new status with Microsoft brings even more visibility into how multilingual meetings can power more effective, engaging, and collaborative discussions with international clients and colleagues," says Michal Raz, Vice President of Global Partnerships at KUDO. Achieving Microsoft Co-Sell status is only accomplished via detailed performance reviews. Microsoft is highly selective and holds this status for companies that demonstrate clear added value with a high-quality service like KUDO. ABOUT KUDO KUDO is a multilingual meeting SaaS company built around a B2B managed marketplace powered by the largest network of on-demand conference interpreters. Accessible from anywhere, on any device, KUDO redefines possibilities in global communication. More info at http://www.kudoway.com "Emerging from COVID, many parents recognized that their kids needed survival swimming skills, especially given the boom in residential pool construction and the fact that more families are choosing outdoor vacations to beaches and lakes," says British Swim School President Ashley Gundlach. Dubbed as the fastest-growing swim school franchise in the US, British Swim Schools newest franchisees are seeing a record-breaking increase in demand at their locations. British Swim School, coming off their strongest year ever in 2021, is continuing their booming US and Canadian expansion in 2022. In the first five months alone, the brand has awarded nine new franchises, with almost 240 open locations across 29 states and Canadian provinces. This momentum demonstrates an ever-growing need for swim lessons, with British Swim School primed to be the premier swim lesson provider in these communities. One new owner experiencing a boom in student enrollments is Ignacio Pinilla, franchise owner from British Swim School of Northern East Bay, CA. Pinilla enrolled his first students in March of last year and had an incredible 2021. Through April of 2022, Pinilla had already more than doubled that 2021 revenue via British Swim Schools time-tested model, which was a welcome service for a community in need of survival-based swimming instruction. Located to the south are Doug Kraus and Arlene Faalnik, franchise owners from British Swim School of Glendale-Burbank. These franchisees launched their new business in January 2022 and have already hit their first 100 customers, well ahead of the performance expectations for first year franchisees! The experience the past nine months has been challenging but extremely rewarding. British Swim School has been an awesome partner from the get-go in offering training and support on a continuous basis. I have also been very fortunate to hire a great staff to work through the challenges of launching a new business, shared Kraus. The business model is one that can be very successful as there is a high demand for these lessons we recently opened our third pool! We are excited for the future and the opportunity to save lives by developing safe, happy, and confident swimmers for all ages. The success of the newest class of British Swim School franchise owners also includes Dmitry Minaker and Svetlana Minakoff from British Swim School Manhattan. These owners have met the demand for swim lessons in New York City head on, outperforming any other new franchises in brand history in revenue during their first 90 days! Whats led to the success of these and numerous other franchisees out of the gate? Ashley Gundlach, President of British Swim School says that emerging from COVID, many parents recognized that their kids needed survival swimming skills, especially given the boom in residential pool construction and the fact that more families are choosing outdoor vacations to beaches and lakes. This had led to a spike in enrollment higher than ever before, with many of our franchisees operating at more than double where they were last year. Theres also a growing trend in subscription, year-round swim programs, offering parents a progression-based approach thats different than the typical session-based approach that was the standard when most of us were kids. British Swim School franchise owners are as unique as the swimmers they teach, coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, but are united by a shared passion for drowning prevention. Recently ranked #352 on the prestigious Franchise 500, British Swim Schools comes off a record-breaking year in terms of customer demand and franchise performance and looks forward to building on that growth in 2022. For more information about British Swim School, visit http://www.britishswimschool.com. To learn more about the benefits of British Swim Schools franchising opportunities, visit http://www.britishswimschoolfranchise.com. ### About British Swim School British Swim School, the nations most established swim school franchise with over 40 years in business, believes that every individual, regardless of age or ability, should have the opportunity to become a safe and happy swimmer. Offering lessons for babies, children, and adults, the brand is dedicated to its mantra, Survival of the Littlest, focusing first on the survival skills needed to survive a water accident, then moving on to stroke development and more advanced skills. Not only does British Swim Schools give peace of mind to countless families who seek the essential life skill the brand offers their children, the purpose-driven franchise also offers an exceptional opportunity for entrepreneurs who seek a fulfilling business venture with a sound foundation, low investment, and easily scalable model. Part of the Buzz Franchise Brands family, British Swim School currently operates over 215 schools across the United States and Canada. For more information about British Swim School, visit http://www.britishswimschool.com. To learn more about the benefits of British Swim Schools franchising opportunities, visit http://www.britishswimschoolfranchise.com. Marta C. Kolthoff, MD, MA, FACMG, FACOG, Director of the Olivias Angels Perinatal Palliative Care Program at Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA Its important to have a standard of care, to provide evidence-based care in order to help these families through the painful loss of their babies."Marta C. Kolthoff, MD, MA, FACMG, FACOG, Director of the Olivias Angels Perinatal Palliative Care Program at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Their names are Olivia and Eve, Caleb, Cameron and Asher, and many others. They are babies whose time on this earth, in their parents arms, was far too short. But they are forever loved, and never forgotten. And so on a sunny afternoon in the courtyard of Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Wexford Hospital, parents who lost babies through miscarriage, stillbirth or shortly after birth joined with siblings, physicians and other clinical caregivers for A Time to Remember AHN Perinatal Loss Spring Memorial. They heard poems and readings and enjoyed fellowship with others who had suffered similar losses. Guests also enjoyed bundtlet cakes donated by Nothing Bundt Cakes of Cranberry Township and corsages donated by McCandless Florist. Holding the event at AHN Wexford was significant, said Marta C. Kolthoff, MD, MA, FACMG, FACOG, Director of the Olivias Angels Perinatal Palliative Care Program at AHN, as the Olivias Angels program has now expanded from AHN West Penn Hospital to Wexford Hospital and to all other AHN hospitals with labor and delivery centers: AHN Forbes, AHN Jefferson and AHN Saint Vincent. That means having an on-site team that specializes in caring for families who either know ahead of time that their babies lives will be brief, or for whom their babies passing comes unexpectedly. They help families bond with their babies, help provide photos or other mementos, and gather support of other family members or spiritual leaders. Its important to have a standard of care, to provide evidence-based care in order to help these families through the painful loss of their babies, Dr. Kolthoff said of Olivias Angels, which serves about 100 families a year. We are so happy to know that this standard of care is now being duplicated at Wexford and throughout all of our AHN hospitals that care for women and infants. Olivias Angels is named for Olivia Bevevino, who passed unexpectedly shortly after birth 22 years ago. Her parents, Susan and Dan Bevevino of South Bend Township, Armstrong County, attended the memorial at Wexford, and Mrs. Bevevino smiled as she envisioned the young woman Olivia would be today. The Bevevinos were determined that Olivia not be forgotten. Among the programs they started in her memory were the Olivias Angels Perinatal Palliative Care Program and the Olivias Angels Perinatal Loss Support Group, for parents who experience miscarriage, stillbirth or death of a baby shortly after birth. Information on Olivias Angels is available at: https://www.ahn.org/services/womens-health/pregnancy-newborn/perinatal-palliative-care When they met Dr. Kolthoff in 2018 and learned about the work she has done at AHN creating the Perinatal Palliative Care Program, which provides hospice and grieving care to families who are experiencing the death of a baby before, during or after birth, We knew immediately this is where we needed to be, Mrs. Bevevino said. When Olivia died 22 years ago, it was a different era, and though the hospital staff was kind and sympathetic, they had difficulty finding things that the devastated Bevevinos needed: a photographer, so that they could have photos to remember Olivia by, and a priest to baptize her. At home, the couple felt alone, with nobody quite knowing how to talk to them about their loss. Now, attending the memorial event at Wexford, the Bevevinos are happy to see the progress that has been made, but hope to see more awareness of perinatal loss. We want to talk about our children, Dan Bevevino said. Ask us about them. We are always thinking about Olivia. Olivia is not here with us right now, but she is our daughter and always will be. AHN is on the forefront of perinatal bereavement services not only with Olivias Angels program services but also with the creation of a Butterfly Suite at West Penn Hospital. This one-of-a-kind suite includes a private family waiting room adjacent to a private patient room for families who are grieving the death of their baby. The Butterfly Suite represents a joint effort between the Keenan Family and AHN West Penn Hospital. Becky and Jeff Keenan of Shaler Township experienced the death of the beloved son, Caleb, in 2020 and the Butterfly Suite represents their commitment to both honor Caleb and to help other families who experience such a devastating loss. The Butterfly Suite is expected to open in the Fall of 2022. ### About the Allegheny Health Network: Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, womens health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Given the more applied nature of Agricultural and Applied Economics, General Economics faculty publish modestly fewer publications per year, on average, compared to Agricultural and Applied Economics faculty, that being 1.01 versus 1.08, respectively. The average number of annual publications for female faculty is 0.71 in General Economics and 0.92 in Agricultural and Applied Economics, with the corresponding numbers for male faculty being 1.07 and 1.12, respectively. Based on new analysis using 2017 data, Agricultural and Applied Economists (AAEs) are estimated to require 71% more publications than General Economists (GEs) to achieve the same positive contribution of publications to the achievement of higher academic rank. The positive contribution of publications to higher academic rank status is larger for females than for males for both types of economists. The relative positive differential for female versus male AAEs (15% higher) is notably less than the relative positive differential for their female GE counterparts (66% higher). In the new article Promotional achievement of economists: Does being agricultural or female matter? published in the Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Zarrina Juraqulova from Denison University, Jill McCluskey and Ron Mittelhammer from Washington State University, examine to what extent individual and institutional factors are associated with academic rank achievement of faculty at both General Economics and Agricultural and Applied Economics Ph.D.-granting departments at U.S. institutions. Juraqulova says, The contribution of a publication is greater for female economists than for male economists of both types, and the positive impact of a publication for female GEs is substantially larger than for female AAEs. The other side of the coin is that since publications contribute relatively more for female faculty in explaining rank achievement, if a female faculty has fewer publications, the negative impact on her rank achievement is relatively larger. Juraqulova continues, Other main findings include that increasing professional experience contributed positively to higher rank achievement for both types of economists and for both males and females. However, in relative terms, increasing experience is more supportive of rank advancement for female AAEs than for female GEs over the first 30-years of a faculty member's career. It is more supportive of females versus males when accounting for other explanatory factors evaluated at average levels. If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Allison Ware in the AAEA Business Office. ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes three journals, the Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (an open access journal), the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices and the online open access publication series Applied Economics Teaching Resources. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org. Republic worked with us over the years through the normal ups and downs of the energy industry, so it was ideal and easy to partner with an entrepreneurial finance company during an uncertain but potentially opportunistic market for us When a Texas-based manufacturing company needed a working capital facility to meet increased demand in the energy sector, it sought a trusted and reliable partner to fuel its growth plans. Republic Business Credit collaborated with private equity sponsors to structure a factoring facility that doubled its availability while maintaining the treasury management services as the incumbent bank. Republic was referred into the credit facility by several partners across the private equity, independent sponsor, and asset-based lending community. Republic was selected for its expertise, reputation, and long-term support of the oil field service industry. Additionally, Republic Business Credit worked with the company and private sponsor over several years to time up the refinance to take advantage of market conditions and opportunities. The CEO of the company said, Republic worked with us over the years through the normal ups and downs of the energy industry, so it was ideal and easy to partner with an entrepreneurial finance company during an uncertain but potentially opportunistic market for us. The manufacturer was formed through an initial acquisition and a series of smaller add-on acquisitions in the oil field service industry, with the aim of vertically integrating both the product and service suite of solutions to energy companies located throughout Texas and Louisiana. The company is able to provide manufacturing, installation, welding, fabrication, and repair services across its client base. The flexibility to focus its efforts across the suite of products uniquely situated it to outperform its competitors during the downturn and take advantage of the opportunities during a rebound in energy prices. The oil field service company is led by a dynamic and experienced management team that has been successful in the oil field industry for decades. The company prides itself on a diverse customer base that includes both energy and non-energy dependent customers that seek added value partners in the supply chain. Republic provided a $5.5 million Ledgered Line of Credit Facility to provide funding for their payroll, material costs, equipment repair, and the acquisition of new assets to match their increased demand forecast in 2022. Companies working in the Permian and Eagle Ford shale basins are challenged by unprecedented supply and demand issues, said Robert Meyers, President of Republic Business Credit. We have always been supportive of customers in the oil field industry, so we are able to understand the rapid growth demands combined with the uncertainty and unpredictability of present market conditions. Leigh Guglielmo, SVP of Business Development and recent Women in Secured Finance award winner, added, We partner with many of the downstream and midstream service firms to support the largest employer of our communities across the Gulf Region and it was great to partner with another well-run company. Republic Business Credit partners with banks, accountants, private equity sponsors, independent sponsors, lawyers and investment banks to collaboratively support entrepreneurs across the United States, to create value, by enabling them to focus on growing successful businesses About Republic Business Credit. Republic is a national provider of working capital facilities to private equity and entrepreneurial-owned businesses. Republic provides asset-based lending, ledgered lines of credit, traditional factoring, direct-to-consumer loans, factoring, and Fast AR Funding. Republic partners with its clients to provide up to $12 million in senior credit facilities to rapidly growing businesses, start-ups and companies experiencing recoverable distress. Nationally recognized as Winner of the 2015 Emerging Growth Company of the Year award from the Association of Corporate Growth, Republics expert and the knowledgeable team boasts four Top 40 Under 40 winners, two Top Women in Secured Finance and a Top Women in Asset Based Lending by the Secured Finance Network and ABF journals respectively. Republic is recognized by the Secured Finance Network as one of the largest independently owned finance companies in the United States of America. The company is proudly headquartered in New Orleans, La., with client service offices in Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago. Classroom aides and paraprofessionals are among the most dedicated personnel in a school district. We want to support those who are seeking ways to elevate their careers and become licensed teachers, says Gary Ritter, PhD, Dean of the School of Education. Saint Louis University School of Education and BloomBoard have partnered to announce a new initiative to help superintendents and school boards address the current crisis of teacher recruitment and retention. The initiative will include the development of collaborative strategies with school districts and educational leaders to enhance the number of PK-12 teachers to meet the needs of todays students. One of the first initiatives is the development of a program to support classroom aides and other paraprofessionals with earning a bachelors degree in education and qualifying for licensure as an elementary teacher in many states. Saint Louis University has a long-standing tradition of high-quality online education for undergraduate degree completion for busy adults who are building careers in business, nursing, social work, and information technology. The Saint Louis University School of Education has been dedicated to developing teachers, principals, and superintendents through its comprehensive set of academic programs and faculty-led research. Classroom aides and paraprofessionals are among the most dedicated personnel in a school district, and they often have strong ties to the community. We want to support those who are seeking ways to elevate their careers and become licensed teachers, says Gary Ritter, PhD, Dean of the School of Education. The School of Education is partnering with BloomBoard to collaborate with school districts that are interested in making new investments in the advancement of classroom aides and paraprofessionals. BloomBoards technology and competency-based approach aligns with Saint Louis Universitys goals to address the nations major social challenges, including the teacher workforce shortages in schools serving students at the margins. According to Sanford Kenyon, BloomBoards CEO, School districts are looking for new ways to show teachers aides and paraprofessionals that they honor their experience. By partnering with SLU to offer this program, we will be able to provide these highly committed professionals an opportunity to earn accredited bachelor's degrees in their employment context, often with significant financial support from their districts. Over the next few years, the Saint Louis University School of Education and BloomBoard will continue to collaborate to give school districts more ways to sponsor outstanding teachers and provide advancement opportunities. The new approaches will complement the SLUs research, policy advocacy, on-campus classes, teacher development programs for urban schools, administrator certification, and more. About Saint Louis University Saint Louis University located in St. Louis, Missouri, with a campus in Madrid, Spain is one of the nations oldest and most prestigious Catholic universities. Founded in 1818, SLU is recognized for world-class academics, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Guided by its enduring Jesuit mission, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a highly rigorous and deeply transformative education that helps them develop into bold, confident leaders. Rated among the nations top research universities, SLU boasts 15 graduate and undergraduate programs ranked among the top 50 in the country by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit http://www.slu.edu About BloomBoard BloomBoard offers micro-credential advancement pathways for educators to meaningfully improve their instructional practices, elevate their careers and increase their compensation. BloomBoard partners with states and school districts to create planned roadmaps for advancing educators based on a systems uniquely identified needs and gaps. For more information, visit http://www.bloomboard.com The company opened its first branch in Florida in 1983, and to be able to bring together more than 2,000 employees, manufacturing partners, and customers for a celebration of our companys growth was an incredible feeling," said CES President and CEO Thomas Hartland-Mackie. The seventh-largest electrical wholesale distributor in the U.S., City Electric Supply (CES), recently concluded its largest event in company history. CES Connect 2022 brought together more than 2,000 industry professionals and 50+ manufacturers across North America for the largest Counter Day City Electric Supply has ever hosted. CES Connect 2022 was the companys fourth conference, and for the first time, customers and trade school students were invited to the event in Orlando, Florida. The company opened its first branch in Florida in 1983, and to be able to bring together more than 2,000 employees, manufacturing partners, and customers for a celebration of our companys growth was an incredible feeling," said CES President and CEO Thomas Hartland-Mackie. The state of Florida holds sentimental meaning to CES, as its where the U.S. journey began for the company. Almost 40 years later, after opening more than 600 branches across North America, City Electric Supply returned to its U.S. roots to hold CES Connect in Orlando. With 103 locations in Florida, the company was thrilled to bring the conference just an hour and a half away from the first-ever U.S. location. CES Connect 2022 was a fantastic event. It solidified the many reasons why I am fortunate to work for such a great company, said Indianapolis District Manager Doug Hornback. This was the first event that employees in my district have been able to go to. Hearing the excitement in their voices talking about CES Connect has been really special and a great moment for me. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment for electricians is projected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029. Events for the ever-growing trade industry, such as CES Connect, are crucial now more than ever. For CES Connect in 2020, we planned to invite customers to the event for the very first time, said CES Chief Marketing Officer Thomas McShane. Since the event in 2020 did not happen, this was the first time they could attend and experience our Counter Day at CES Connect. We were so excited to celebrate the hard work of our employees and industry-leading manufacturers. Seeing customers get to experience it firsthand was an incredible feeling. This event has truly been a great experience, said Chris Brijbasu, CEO and President of AIS Connected. The CES employees are great people to work with. We love doing business with CES. Hosting 50+ manufacturers in a built onsite showroom, the new immersive Counter Day experience included several unique elements for the first time ever. Three immersive application centers showcased new innovative products in true-to-life vignettes; customers were able to experience cutting-edge features within realistic residential, jobsite, and commercial settings. Additionally, visitors met and networked with CES employees, visited manufacturers trade booths, and more. The energy that came out of CES Connect was awesome! said Milwaukee National Account Manager Sandy Johns. We have more engagement and momentum than ever before, as we plan together for the back half of 2022. There is nothing like being able to showcase new products to management, sales representatives, and customers, said Senior Sales Representative at Lutron, Grace Wirtz. CES Connect was an incredible weekend with incredible people. The technology at the event included three 150-foot-tall screens, projection mapping in the facility, and a digital slatwall. A mock branch was also set up on the floor to incorporate new products on display for customers. What I was most excited about was seeing 2,000 people back together celebrating each other and what our business has been able to accomplish over the last four years, said McShane. Through all the adversity and challenges that have occurred, we wanted to show our gratitude to our employees who have put CES in the position that its in. We hope people left feeling inspired and, most importantly, appreciated. About City Electric Supply (CES) is a family-owned electrical wholesale distributor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1951 by Tom Mackie in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 1983. Today, CES employs more than 3,000 people in over 500 branches across the U.S. CES is dedicated to providing personalized service and support for customers in the residential, commercial, and industrial marketplace. While CES is a large company, it prides itself in keeping its founding principle of empowering people to make local business decisions by providing customers tailored services for all their electric supply needs. ### Media Contact: Emily Davis Public Relations Specialist City Electric Supply Emily.Davis@cityelectricsupply.com I did not want this book to be about me but about all of the people who had an influence on my life and the stories around those people. I wanted to share my lessons learned, both good and bad, the fun I had, the failures, the heartaches and to a lesser extent, some of the successes. but as I began writing, I realized how many unique experiences Ive been fortunate to have could benefit a larger audience, Jerry Hodge states. In Youre on, Cowboy! Lessons learned from taking risks, taking names and knowing when to fold. (published by Archway Publishing), Hodge shares the valuable lessons he learned in life and business, from growing a single pharmacy into a national brand, to a life in local politics and community leadership, to ranching in the Panhandle and finding the love of his life after two unsuccessful marriages. Readers will be entertained and uplifted by his humorous anecdotes about great friendships and taking big risks that panned out with big wins. They will also learn from his losses, the mistakes he has made and from the brilliant advice imparted to him by the most important people in his life. This book will appeal to a wider audience as its a unique blend between fun anecdotes about some of the most colorful people Ive met, ranching in Texas, marriage and family, tactical business advice and my encounter with a cancer diagnosis that shifted my perspective on life, Hodge says. While the experiences Ive had may be time-stamped to an earlier generation, the lessons Ive learned are timeless. Older generations will value this book because they will identify with some of our shares experiences, and younger generations will gain valuable insight into how to build a life from the ground up. When asked what he wants readers to take away from the book, Hodge answers, I hope readers feel inspired to overcome obstacles, do business with integrity, hold close the ones they love the most, and remember to have fun. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/831933-youre-on-cowboy Youre on, Cowboy! Lessons learned from taking risks, taking names and knowing when to fold. By Jerry Hodge Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 218 pages | ISBN 9781665708746 Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 218 pages | ISBN 781665708739 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Jerry Hodge lives in Amarillo, Texas, where he has been a successful businessman and community leader. An Oklahoma native, Hodge moved to Amarillo the summer before his sophomore high school year and later received his pharmacy degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He purchased a local pharmacy in Amarillo in 1966 and turned it into a multi-million-dollar national business by the time he sold it in 2014. He also served as Amarillo mayor and a board member of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. After selling his company, he and his wife Margaret have been involved in philanthropic efforts to help Amarillo and the state of Texas. He was named 2018 Man of the Year by the Amarillo Globe-News. Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957. We sincerely thank the U.S. Air Force for supporting the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference by providing financial assistance for the community service project The U.S. Air Force has become an official partner of SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit focused on workforce development. Through this official partnership, the Air Force will provide support for SkillsUSAs National Leadership & Skills Conference, specifically, sponsorship and participation in the SkillsUSA community service project to be held on Friday, June 24 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. They will also provide support SkillsUSA TECHSPO, as well as general mission support. During the community service project approximately 400 SkillsUSA students will apply their skills and provide service to the Atlanta community by participating in the SkillsUSA Build Skills Do Good Complete the Cycle project. The student participants will construct bicycles which will be presented to local children. We sincerely thank the U.S. Air Force for supporting the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference by providing financial assistance for the community service project, said Chelle Travis, executive director at SkillsUSA. It will be wonderful to watch these excited children as they receive their new bicycles. About the U.S. Air Force The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win - airpower anytime, anywhere. For 2022, Air Force Recruiting Service is hiring over 26,000 new Airmen into one of over 130 enlisted career opportunities. Additionally, our total force partners, the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard are collectively hiring more than 19,000 part-time Airmen. The Air Force recruits to retain, so we recruit the best and brightest candidates possible, then provide them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of Americas Air Force. For more information about Air Force benefits and opportunities, go to http://www.airforce.com. About SkillsUSA Founded in 1965, SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of students, teachers and industry that empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. The SkillsUSA Framework of Personal, Workplace and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics inspires work and life success for students while helping industry close the skills gap currently leaving millions of skilled trade jobs unfilled. Through SkillsUSAs career competitions program and curricula, employers ensure schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSAs credentialing process, they can assess the career-readiness of their future employees. SkillsUSAs membership of more than 330,000 students and instructors encompasses middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions in every state and three U.S. territories. SkillsUSA programming covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and is recognized by the U.S. departments of Education and Labor as integral to career and technical education. For more information: http://www.skillsusa.org. We expect our union to enhance our ability to provide more cost-effective, best-in-class service that meets our clients needs and ultimately improves lives through research. Westat and Insight Policy Research (Insight) are pleased to announce that they have finalized arrangements for Westats acquisition of Insight, effective June 15, 2022. During a transition period of 18 to 24 months, Insight will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Westat and branded as Westat Insight. Following this transition period, plans are to fully integrate the Insight organization into Westat. The combined experience of Westat and Westat Insight will offer clients expertise in health, education, and social policy as well as deep methodological skills in survey research, evaluation, data collection and analysis, and technical assistance. Westat President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Royal said, Westat and Insight share a commitment to quality, a desire to use evidence to support sound policy, and a passion for solving complex problems with innovative solutions. We expect our union to enhance our ability to provide more cost-effective, best-in-class service that meets our clients needs and ultimately improves lives through research. Our organizations have been trusted partners for 10 years, and have a similar culture of excellence, innovation, and client service. There is a tremendous amount of mutual respect between our teams, said Anne Peterson, co-founder of Insight and now Chief Executive Officer of Westat Insight. As Insight grows beyond our small business roots, I am confident that the entrepreneurial spirit that has defined us will be welcomed and encouraged at Westat. Bryan Johnson, co-founder of Insight and now Chief Operating Officer of Westat Insight, added, We are excited to join the Westat family and extend our longstanding work improving the lives of people in historically underserved and economically disadvantaged populations. We look forward to offering our clients an even broader range of capabilities and services. About Westat (http://www.westat.com) Westat is an eminent leader in research, data collection and analysis, technical assistance, evaluation, and communications. Our evidence-based findings help clients in government and the private sector accelerate advancements in health, education, transportation, and social and economic policy. Rooted in rigorous statistical and data science methods with an unflagging dedication to improving lives through researchwe approach each project with investigative curiosity, data rigor, adaptive methods, and advanced technology. These attributes, unchanged since our establishment in 1963, combined with our innovative thinking, transparency, and adaptability, are why clients find exceptional value in our work. About Westat Insight (http://www.westatinsight.com) Insight (Westat Insight) has been one of the most trusted social policy research organizations for more than 20 years. Westat Insights mission is to improve the lives of historically marginalized individuals who face disparities in access to quality health care, nutritious food, education, and employment. Westat Insight provides expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, program evaluation, data science, technical assistance and training, and policy support. Its award-winning services are provided to Federal agencies, states, foundations, and private sector clients. Childrens Institute 10, in Phoenix, Ariz., buzzed with a giddy camaraderie among colleagues reuniting after several years apart. The show convened at the Arizona Biltmore, an architectural gem with cacti, palm trees, and hummingbirds aplenty. Although the resorts multiple pools beckoned, the literary sessions proved irresistible. Midmorning on Ci10s first day, booksellers and industry folks boarded two buses for a bookstore tour, taking in a trio of unique local establishments. Buses took turns visiting Grassrootz Books and Juice Bar and Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, where visitors queued for books, T-shirts, and specialty items like the DIY books at Palabras (a shop decorated with murals and canvases painted by bookseller Jeff Slim). The bus tours converged at Changing Hands, where attendees met owner Cindy Dach and childrens book buyer Brandi Stewart, then lined up at First Draft Book Bar for hydration in the dry heat. Ci10s opening reception and costume party functioned as another icebreaker. Anastasia McKenna of The Twig Book Shop (San Antonio, Tex.) dressed as Yellow Crayon, who vies with Orange Crayon for the real color of the sun in The Day the Crayons Quit, and other participants donned The Hate U Give shirts and Pete the Cat tie-dye. Amanda Lepper of Dog-Eared Books (Ames, Iowa) inhabited a Dougie Dung Beetle persona, and Cynthia Compton and Stephen Schultz of 4 Kids Books + Toys (Zionsville, Ind.) wore black buttons on their glasses in an uncanny imitation of Coralines Other Mother and Father. From The Bookshop Plus (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Elisa McIntosh put on gray foundation and a Moaning Myrtle robe that won her a free pass to Ci11 from an ABA panel of judges. Upon her victory, McIntosh-as-Myrtle declared, No toilets will be flooded tonight. From the reception, attendees proceeded to a more serious but not at all somber Juneteenth celebration. ABA CEO Allison Hill, chief communications officer Ray Daniels, and accounting coordinator Ana Gonzalez introduced a timely and celebrity-filled panel: Stamped from the Beginning author Ibram X. Kendi and Patriarchy Blues author Frederick Joseph, in conversation with Jake Cumsky-Whitlock, co-owner of Solid State Books in Washington, D.C. After providing background on Juneteenth and its designation as an American (not strictly African American) holiday, the trio talked about how they celebrate the occasion. Joseph likes to visit Ferncliff Cemetery in Westchester, N.Y., where Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz, Paul Robeson, and other Black icons are interred. After admitting that in his family we dont have a tradition as cool as that, Kendi explained that Juneteenth is not a day of relaxationit should be a day of education, a time to take action toward making society more equitable. When asked what role books for young readers play in Juneteenth recollections, Joseph reinforced the power of authors and booksellers as keepers of the gate, sharing the story of a white girl whose father refused to let her read Josephs book The Black Friend based on its subtitle, On Being a Better White Person. The girl pinged Joseph via social media, he sent her a copy of the book, and she wrote an essay to her father on the need for anti-racist action. Kendi agreed that childrens books can provide a counternarrative to decades of internalized racist ideas. The panelists agreed that all should be wary of inserting any white savior narrative into the holiday (its not about Abraham Lincoln), and that Juneteenth should not be commodified with slogan-bearing T-shirts. Following the panel, Gonzalez introduced an interpretive dance and musical performance by the Phoenix-based Black Theatre Troupe. Founded in 1970, the Black Theatre Troupe is the oldest African American theater company in the Southwestern U.S. Their dancers, live band, and choir presented powerful gospel-influenced pieces including Wade in the Water. Attendees did not get to meet Kendi, whose team spirited him away after the panel, but booksellers snagged signed copies of his picture book, Goodnight Racism. Joseph stayed to meet audience members and sign copies of Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World (written with his wife, Porsche Joseph). In sum, the event practiced what it preached, celebrating Juneteenth by educating on what schools and media historically have left out. The authors modeled a teach-in, the artists shared their abilities, and the crowd left informed and invigorated. Getting Down to Business Tuesday morning brought the opening of the Galley Room and shipping tables, where attendees packed ARCs into boxes and the ripping sound of packing-tape dispensers filled the air. Next door, ABA 's Hill began events with the announcement that ABA had made a donation to the Salt River Community Childrens Foundation, honoring the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Hill read from Joy Harjos Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, a poem titled For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet, as a lead-in to a breakfast keynote by Karen Walrond, author of The Lightmakers Manifesto. Educational programming, indie picks, and author events filled the day. Panels on storytime as performance, how to handle book-banning controversies, and IndieCommerce and Edelweiss tools provided professional guidance. Brenna Connor, manager of Industry Insights for the NPD Group, offered a granular overview of the childrens book market. And participants flocked to the Indies Introduce lunch, where booksellers heard snippets from forthcoming books and got their galleys signed by authors Jas Hammonds (We Deserve Monuments, Roaring Brook), Ana Gracia (Boys I Know, Peachtree Teen), Laura Krantz (The Search for Sasquatch, Abrams), XiXi Tran (This Place Is Still Beautiful, Balzer + Bray), Maggie Horne (Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One, Clarion), and Kay Dawault (Star Knights, Random House Graphic). The spectacular sunny day wrapped with a reception that brought together more than 40 authors signing their new books, followed by an after-party thrown by Scholastic Graphix. A pair of closely watched lawsuits in Virginia are now in the hands of a state judge after lawyers for two authors and publishers accused of violating an obscure state obscenity law asked the court to throw the cases out. First filed in May by lawyer and Republican Virginia assembly delegate Tim Anderson on behalf of plaintiff and Republican congressional candidate Tommy Altman, the suits allege that the graphic memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and A Court of Mist and Fury by bestselling author Sarah J. Maasare obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors. On May 18, a retired local judge found there was probable cause for the obscenity claims and ordered the authors and publishers to answer the charges, raising the possibility that the court could bar the books from public display and restrict booksellers and librarians from providing the books to minors without parental consent. But in filings late last week, lawyers for Kobabe and eir publisher, Oni Press, and Maas and her publisher Bloomsbury, along with lawyers for Barnes & Noble, told the court the suits as filed are defective and the remedy sought unconstitutional. The petition and show cause order are facially defective because [the Virginia law] does not authorize a court to declare that the book is obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors," reads a joint filing by Maas and Bloomsbury, explaining that the Virginia law cannot constitutionally be the basis for the relief sought by petitioner as a matter of law. In separate filings, Kobabe and Oni Press also argue the law in question is misapplied and the complaint defective. The statute permits the challenge of a book on the grounds that it is obscene to the entirety of the community of the Commonwealth," reads the brief from Oni Press lawyers. "Petitioner here attempts to redefine [the Virginia law] to have book declared obscene as it relates to one subset of the Community: minors in the Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach areas. Furthermore, lawyers for the authors and publishers argue that the books in question do not come close to meeting the standard for obscenity as established by the Supreme Court, which requires that materials, even if they contain explicit material, be found to lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. Thus, the relief requested by the plaintiffs would be "an unconstitutional restraint on free speech," lawyers argue. Kobabes Gender Queer is an acclaimed, award-winning coming of age story, while A Court of Mist and Fury, is a bestselling novel also with strong reviews. Lawyers for Barnes & Noble also filed a motion to have the case tossed, noting that the bookseller was served even though they are not a party to the underlying petition. In their brief, lawyers for B&N defend the works in question, and the rights of booksellers to carry the books. "As applied the [the Virginia law] violates booksellers' free speech and press rights under the First Amendment and their due process rights under the 14th amendment," lawyers for B&N argue, adding that the company as well as "other similarly situated booksellers" could be subjected to "restraining orders banning or limiting the circulation of constitutionally protected materials prior to any final adjudication of the merits," and possibly barred from selling books based on "an improper constitutional standard." At press time it is unclear what the next steps in the case will be, although the court could order a hearing. Also potentially bearing on the future of the case: the plaintiff, Congressional candidate Tommy Altman, was trounced in the Republican primary for Congress on June 21, losing by more than 41 points. Altman had sought to portray the suit as an issue of "parental rights," taking a page from Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin's successful campaign playbook. The obscenity charges in Virginia have garnered national headlines and generated concern among publishers, librarians, and free speech advocates including the American Booksellers for Free Expression, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, If persons like the petitioners obtain similar orders every time they have objections to a book, it will chill the freedom to read and stifle the voices of authors and publishers, reads a recently issued joint statement. Prohibiting the sale and distribution of books is an affront to our democratic values and threatens each person's and each family's individual liberties. It is contrary to our principles of democracy to allow anyone, regardless of their beliefs or political position, to determine what other Americans can read. In an effort to reach younger readers, Christian publishing house David C Cook acquired Corvus Comics, a graphic art studio based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Studio cofounders Christopher Wood and Q Wood are staying on as creative director at David C Cook and director of digital content production on the services and innovation team, respectively. Corvus Comics artist Luke McKinnon is also joining the David C Cook staff at the publishers headquarters in Colorado Springs. Drawing on the Corvus teams expertise in areas of graphic design, gaming, animation, and graphic novels, David C Cook plans to create art in-house that speaks to todays generations at a scale not yet seen within the ministry, the company said in a statement. Initially, the publisher is focusing on adapting and enhancing existing products through graphic art, and planning is underway for new publications as well as ways to incorporate the artists talents into the publishing program. There are no plans in place yet for new books from Corvus via David C Cook, nor is there a goal number of books to be published per year, according to Amy Konyndyk, v-p at David C Cook. "Our teams are in the exploratory process to determine how to maximize the acquisition and new capabilities," she tells PW. David C Cooks CEO John Aden says the company has a long history of recognizing the importance of using high-quality, illustrated graphics to engage students and teach biblical truths, he said in a statement. We are thrilled to build upon that heritage through this acquisition. In a statement about David C Cook's acquisition of Corvus, Christopher Wood said he and the Corvus team are honored to bring the Bible to life through illustrated media. Corvus Comics was founded in 2019 and has published several faith-based graphic novels, including three titles in the Tuttle Twins series for kids and graphic novels tied to the made-for-television movie, The Chosen. The studio self-distributed all content to the trade market as a "full development one-stop-shop, handling everything from conceptual design to printed product in the client's hand," Wood tells PW. Corvus works with all artists, "but an openness to developing gospel-centric and ministry-minded art content was paramount when selecting contributing artists to our team," he tells PW. He adds: "We are a ministry first, and a business second. This message has been true since our very first day together through our recent acquisition by David C Cook." The programming portion of this years Childrens Institute got off to a joyful start on Tuesday, June 21, with a breakfast keynote by author, lawyer, and activist Karen Walrond, who greeted booksellers with words of affirmation and gratitude. You all are amazing, she said. The fact that you open kids minds to real-life heroes, fantasy heroes, and heroes who look like themyall are my kind of people. Walrond spoke about her experience growing up in a small fishing village in Trinidad, raised by book-loving parents: her father holds a PhD in engineering and her mother speaks five languages. As a result, Walrond had an early and intense love of reading. Even my parents were concerned, she joked. My mom told me, Go outside! So, I brought my book outside. She went on to share the inspiration for her latest book, The Lightmakers Manifesto: How to Work for Change Without Losing Your Joy (Broadleaf Books, 2021). In January 2020, Valerie Weaver-Zercher, an editor at Broadleaf, contacted Walrond about the possibility of writing a book on the intersections of joy and activism. Walrond immediately said yes, though she harbored inner doubts. Im not an activist, she thought. Activists get teargassed and stand in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square. So the author decided to interview friends and colleagues, activism-minded individuals whom she refers to as lightmakers, including Brene Brown and founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke. It was through speaking with them that Walrond came to recognize the value of her own contributions. She signed her contract with Broadleaf in March 2020, and then the pandemic hit. It was actually such a gift [to write this book] when everything seemed hopeless, she said. Theres something about talking to people whove made it their lifes work to make the world better. Walrond stressed the positivity that can emerge from adversity, Joy is bigger than happiness. Its often derived from meaningful and purposeful action, pain, and difficulty. When viewed that way, joy seems close to activismand I would argue thats what you do as booksellers, she said. Welcome, lightmakers. Its so great to be here with you. Walrond offered her advice for carrying on this work in challenging times, including amid the lingering obstacles posed by the pandemic and the rise in book challenges and banning. Using the metaphor of building a fire, she encouraged booksellers to begin by creating a clearing, or space to do the work; gathering tinder (i.e. skills and expertise); finding your spark; and finally, tending your flame by making and maintaining a supportive community. She said that although change may not happen in our lifetime, the goal is to take the torch from those who came before us, and pass it on to those who come after. And thats precisely what booksellers do when the place a book in a childs hands, she said. Following her remarks, Walrond appeared in conversation with Kim Hooyboer, director of education for the American Booksellers Association. When asked to name additional tools for making and maintaining joy, Walrond cited her practice of taking a self-inventory to assess challenges and form goals and action plans based on personal strengths; gratitude journaling; fostering mindfulness; taking time to rest; and listening to oneself and to the needs of the community. Lets face it, we dont go into activism because things are good, Walrond said. Activism involves shared experiences of meaning, and it is beneficial to unwind and celebrate too, to gather the energy to go back in. Walrond wrapped up by recalling how her practice of focusing on gratitude and finding community helped her and her family recover from the devastating loss of their Houston home in 2018 due to Hurricane Harvey. Even during that time, I could always think of at least one good thing, she said, including the kindness of her neighbors. She also gave a shout-out to her local indie bookstore, Blue Willow Bookshop, for taking care of the community throughout the pandemic. The community in turn showed up for the bookstore, she said: You give love, you get love. Booksellers clearly resonated with Walronds words. In a session immediately following the keynote, titled Storytime as Performance, Ari Ray Agnew, childrens specialist at Book Passage in Corte Madera, Calif., referred back to the authors framing of bookselling as joyful activism, saying, When you invest energy in reading a book to kids, it becomes a performance or play, and play is a kind of joy." Katelyn Beaty, Christianity Todays first female managing editor who now serves as editorial director of Brazos Press, is exploring the cost of idolizing male evangelical leaders in her second book, Celebrities for Jesus (Brazos, Aug 16). Beaty draws on her journalistic background to analyze how celebrity has become a corrupting force in the church and why stories of power abuse have become so ubiquitous in the book, which PW called a must-read for anyone invested in the fate of evangelicalism in our starred review. Similar to Beatys first book, A Womans Place (Howard, 2016), which illustrated how womanhood and work can have a thriving coexistence, the idea for Celebrities for Jesus began during Beatys Christianity Today days. Between 2012 and 2016, the CT staff received several tips about allegations against famous Christian leaders and household names of the evangelical world related to sexual misconduct and financial impropriety. Beaty was particularly disturbed in 2014 after evangelical minister and author Ravi Zacharias had allegedly been seen with a woman who wasnt his spouse or colleague in a hotel. Beaty, who had listened to Zachariass apologetics talks in college and read some of his books, felt ashamed that he had hurt so many people as well as the credibility of what he professed. The cognitive dissonance between how he presented himself and his character against the nature of these allegations was really hard to grapple with, Beaty tells PW. She recognizes that many others shared her sentiment when the allegations were finally reported in 2021; they were confirmed as true by an investigation later that year. The allegations against Zacharias and others led Beaty to question celebrity pastors and their popularity. I started to feel like maybe the leading lights of contemporary evangelicalism are not who they present themselves to be, she says. It led her to ask: Why has this evangelical movement in the U.S. oriented itself so much around famous individual pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and writers over and against the local church? These allegations led Beaty to the central mission behind Celebrities for Jesus: I wanted to essentially diagnose our obsession with celebrity in the church and help fellow Christians recapture a vision of ordinary faithfulness, she says. To get to the root of the problem, Beaty had to look at more than just the celebrities themselves. These stories of fallen celebrity leaders arent just about the individuals and their behavior; theyre also about systems that build up around them that essentially allow them to evade accountability, she explains. One example she cites is Bill Hybels, the former pastor and founder of Willow Creek Community Church, which at its height had more than 25,000 congregants. Allegations of sexual misconduct by Hybels were reported in 2018, leading him to resign from the church later that year. Pastors like Hybels, who garner such gargantuan congregations and effectively reach celebrity status, tend to move further and further from the traditional pastor role. Though Beaty admits her bias as an attendee of a smaller church, she believes in the importance of a pastors visibility and availability for individual spiritual care. In megachurches, most congregants never have one-on-one interactions with their pastor. And pastors who preach through social media run the risk of becoming more like entertainers than spiritual shepherds. It cuts against the core essence of what spiritual leaders need to be able to do to lead and serve well, she says. Though Beaty believes the megachurch model does not lend itself to community and connection, she doesnt see its popularity waning in the coming years. I think megachurches have proven to be a durable and successful model of church in the United States and lots of Christians are very much drawn to that model, she says. Beaty believes looking for leaders who welcome accountability and understand power dynamics will help prevent future cases of fallen celebrity pastors. She also advises wariness toward leaders who cultivate a physically attractive image, citing Hillsong New York pastor Carl Lentz as an example. Beatys message carries a special significance for publishers, because when celebrity pastors prove to be undeserving of their status, it can tarnish the reputation of their supporters. In 2014, LifeWay Christian Resources pulled Mars Hill founding pastor Mark Driscolls title A Call to Resurgence after he was accused of plagiarism and inflating his book sales. He had also recently been asked to resign from his church amidst allegations of abusive leadership. Embedded in the book is a call for Christian publishers to return to their original mission to seek to work with authors who have an important message and great writing, and to not be overly deferential to authors who have large platforms, Beaty says. Jim Kinney, executive v-p at Baker, agrees. If were brokering a message to a reader, we want to make sure that its a message with integrity. He hopes that Beatys book challenges those in the publishing industry to take a more careful look at the people were publishing. He also believes her message holds an important message for the church: The trappings of success we accept as normal for some high-profile Christians come laced with potential dangers, he says. When it comes to her role at Brazos, Beaty hopes to create a publishing program that meets the needs of thoughtful Christians and engages contemporary cultural issues with nuance and depth, and this includes authoring more books herself. While she plans to wait until Celebrities for Jesus publishes before thinking about her next book, topics that interest Beaty include purity culture and how political polarization has affected the local church. Publicity for Celebrities for Jesus will include an event at the Baker Book House bookstore in Grand Rapids, Mich. in the fall, and Beatys podcast, Saved by the City, will feature a summer series on the books topics. Exploring The Gift of Rumi through a spiritual lens, a "thought-provoking look" at Revelation, and a Buddhist guide to compassion are among the titles coming from religion and spirituality publishers in July. Nonfiction July 5 The Heroic Heart: Awakening Unbound Compassion by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (Shambhala, $18.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-6454-7055-7). Palmo, a Buddhist nun, explores the road to compassion found in classic Buddhism. Make Room: Take Control of Your Space, Time, Energy, and Money to Live on Purpose by Jennifer Berry Ford (Baker, $16.99, 978-1540902153), a professional organizer, aims to help readers declutter their homes, eliminate distraction, and strengthen their faith, according to the publisher. Upside-Down Apocalypse: Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace by Jeremy Duncan (Herald, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5138-1039-3) is a thought-provoking look at Revelation, according to PWs review. July 12 What Will They Think?: Nine Women in the Bible Who Can Help You Live Your Life Boldly by Grace Valentine (Thomas Nelson, $17.99, 978-0785293040) describes the lives of Esther, Deborah, Sarah, Mary Magdalene, and other women in the Bible who focused on God rather than bending to peer pressure or people-pleasing, according to the publisher. July 19 Breaking Open: How Your Pain Becomes the Path to Living Again by Jacob Armstrong (Thomas Nelson), a pastor, explores seven ways people try to avoid emotional breakdowns and argues for how living vulnerably can lead to hope. July 26 Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age by Jay Y. Kim (IVP, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5140-0316-9). Kims first book addressed the impact of technology on Christians views of the church, and here he examines its effects on discipleship in the church. The Gift of Rumi by Emily Jane ODell (St. Martins Essentials, $17.99, 978-1250261373), a Sufism scholar and practitioner, explores the mystical and spiritual meanings within Rumis work. Fiction July 1 The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham (Barbour, 15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-6360-9325-3). In the aftermath of WWI, an Englishwoman and an alcoholic veteran face their broken lives during a time when Appalachian culture and traditions are challenged. July 5 The Deadly Shallows: Coastal Guardians #3 of 3 by Dani Pettrey (Bethany, $15.99, 978-0-7642-3086-8) takes place during the aftermath of a mass shooting on a Coast Guard base where Brooke and Noah must race to find the perpetrator before he strikes again. It might surprise readers to hear Hayley Arceneaux describe her literary debut about pediatric bone cancer, Wild Ride: A Memoir of IV Drips and Rocket Ships (Convergent, Sept. 6), as lighthearted. But being diagnosed with cancer at age 10 set the course toward Arceneauxs biggest adventure. In 2021, at age 29, she was chosen as one of four civilian astronauts to travel to space aboard a private flight sponsored by the spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX. The flight, called Inspiration4, raised more than $200 million for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, where Arceneaux works as a physicians assistant. The mission made Arceneaux the youngest American to orbit the earth, the first pediatric cancer survivor to travel to space, and, having received metal rods to replace parts of her leg bones during cancer treatment, the first astronaut with a prosthetic body part. You write you're grateful you had cancer. Why? When I first heard the word cancer after what I thought was going to be a regular doctor's visit, I thought a cancer diagnosis was the same as a death sentence. Having made it through to the other side, I have such an appreciation for life, and just so much love for every day that I'm here. It's ultimately because of my love for life that I said yes to going on this space mission. It's because I wanted to make the most of all the days I'm here. This is something I share with my patients as well. I tell them that having cancer will make them who they are. How did your cancer diagnosis impact your Christian faith? I was so shaken when I got that cancer diagnosis. My initial 10-year old response was, well, God must hate me. But then I really saw through my cancer journey, how loved I was by God, because I saw how things came together in such a beautiful way, and how people were placed in my life who really made an impact on me and ultimately led me down the path where I am now. The book describes how you brought photos of friends that you had lost to cancer with you to space, as well as a photo of yourself when you were going through treatment. Can you talk more about this? It was very healing being able to bring my friends to space, because all the friends that I brought had such a huge impact on my life. My favorite part of the process was contacting all their families because these are people that I have loved for years. I got to contact them and share my idea to bring their child's photo to space, and then just see how happy it made them. Several shared with me that they appreciated that they felt their child would never be forgotten. And then getting to see my friends in orbit, it really did feel like they were with me in so many ways on a spiritual level. That was a very meaningful part of the mission to me. What do you hope readers take away from Wild Ride? The readers that will connect the most with my book will be anyone that's gone through a tough timeand that doesn't necessarily mean childhood cancer. Everyone has had something in their life that they've had to overcome. I wrote the book because I wanted to share that there will be tough times. But then there will be incredible times after that, better than you can even imagine. I really wanted to encourage people when they are presented with incredible life-changing opportunities, to say yes, even if the opportunities scare them. What you learn about yourself from going through something that scares you is priceless. Holly Lebowitz Rossi is a freelance writer and coauthor of The Yoga Effect: A Proven Program for Depression and Anxiety (Da Capo / Lifelong, 2019). The study looks at the evolution of the telecom industry, assessing trends and drilling deeper into 5G-enabled sectors. Ericsson says that its latest statistics and forecasts highlight the strong demand data connectivity and digital services have, and are expected to have.The basic finding was that 5G is scaling faster than any previous generation of technology and that global mobile network data traffic has doubled in the past two years, driven by increased smartphone and mobile broadband usage, with video a key driver. Indeed, the report notes that 5G will also enable service providers to launch new services for consumers, including home broadband (5G FWA), enhanced video, multiplayer mobile gaming and AR/VR services. Over the long term, traffic growth is set to be driven by both the rising number of smartphone subscriptions and an increasing average data volume per subscription, fueled primarily by increased viewing of video content. Global mobile network traffic was found to have doubled in the past two years. Three-fifths of global mobile network data traffic is expected to be over 5G networks by 2027 while FWA is predicted to account for 20% of all mobile data network traffic in 2022.The study noted that about a quarter of the worlds population currently has access to 5G coverage, with some 70 million 5G subscriptions added during the first quarter of 2022 alone. The study predicts that by 2027, about three-quarters of the worlds population will be able to access 5G, according to the report. In global terms, 5G is forecast to account for almost half of all subscriptions by 2027, topping 4.4 billion subscriptions.More than 20 service providers globally have launched public 5G standalone SA networks by the end of 2021 and this figure is expected to double this year. The report also highlighted the increasingly important role that Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is playing in the delivery of broadband services. Ericsson predicts that the number of FWA connections will exceed 100 million in 2022, a figure that is forecast to more than double by 2027, reaching almost 230 million. FWA connections are set to double by 2027 with more than 80% of service providers across the world offering the technology.In several regions, deployment of 5G standalone networks is picking up pace, as communications service providers prepare for innovation to address the business opportunities beyond enhanced mobile broadband, said Ericsson executive vice president and head of networks Fredrik Jejdling commenting on the Ericsson Mobility Report . A solid digital network infrastructure underpins enterprises digital transformation plans, and their new capabilities can be turned into new customer servicesservice providers are looking to expand out of pure connectivity into service enablement platforms Managing the continued strong traffic growth while reducing energy consumption is also a top priority. Debuting on Audible in 2021, The Murder of Robert Wone is a Shakespearean mystery with major twists, turns and cover-ups, all set against a backdrop of sex, queerness and crime during the George W. Bush administration. The circumstances surrounding Wones death were, and remain, baffling and today, more than 15 years later, his murder is still unsolved.Wone and Joseph Price were unlikely friends who met in college, and both went on to become promising young lawyers in the high-powered world of Washington, DC. Wone was a first-generation Chinese American, newly married to his wife Kathy and about to embark on a new career. Price was a prominent LGBT activist, known for his wealth, influence and unconventional three-way relationship with partner Victor Zaborksy and with Dylan Ward, the younger man who shared their home in an affluent neighbourhood.On the night of 2 August 2006, the lives of all four men changed forever. Shortly before midnight, Wone was discovered stabbed to death in Prices guest room. At the scene, police found no evidence of an intruder but did discover a plethora of BDSM paraphernalia. The throuple were eventually charged and a contentious, highly publicised trial ensued, but did justice ever get truly served?The new partnership, Arrested Industries first since setting up its US office, will be led by LA-based co-CEO Anthony Kimble and AYR Media founder and president Aliza Rosen. Rosen and her team at AYR created and produced the original Murder of Robert Wone podcast, which was named one of Audibles Best Listens of 2021.Aliza and her team have cleverly created one of the most riveting and totally absorbing podcasts of recent times and I am beyond excited to now be working with AYR to develop this story as a drama, remarked Kimble. This is an incredible tale about how human emotion and passion crashed together with homophobia and sexual stigma in law enforcement, politics, the media, and DCs pearl-clutching culture to keep a murder from being solved. It is now destined to capture a whole new audience as a scripted series, in addition to re-engaging the many fans who have already listened spellbound to the podcast.We are extremely proud of the Robert Wone podcasts reception and popularity among listeners, and this is a story that weve always felt naturally lends itself to scripted television, added Rosen. Its a twisted and unpredictable true crime tale thats filled to the brim with colourful characters and culture clash, all unfolding during a glamorous and polarizing era in Washington DC. Im ecstatic to partner with Anthony and the Arrested team to build upon what we began with the original podcast, and we look forward to bringing this series to buyers and, ultimately, viewers. Global attention on the oil market and prices at the pump have focused on Russias invasion of Ukraine, OPEC+ production increases, and how companies can increase oil production and refinement. However, twin challenges in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq could have a more profound market impact than any OPEC+ quota increase. These threats are politically avoidable and largely unrecognized. President Joe Biden is likely to meet Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the sidelines of the Jeddah conference next month with an eye to securing OPEC oil production increases that will lower global crude prices. But at the same time, the U.S. is ignoring an easily avoided situation in Iraq that could take even more oil off the market, raise prices, and render Bidens trip pointless. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) originated in 1991 from the U.S.-imposed no-fly-zone under Operation Provide Comfort which restored Kurdistans semi-autonomy and halted Saddam Husseins assault on the ethnic nation. As the KRG celebrates its 30-year anniversary, Kurds remain the largest stateless ethnic group in the world and are now subject to unprecedented threats from Iran through Iraqs parliament, militias, and now its courts. These threats now place both the global oil market and one of the most reliable U.S. partners in the Middle East at risk. Iran threatened the Kurdistan Region when it allied with the Shia firebrand Muqtada Sadr to form a government that sought to exclude Iran-backed parties including former Prime Minster Nouri Maliki. In the last year alone, Iraqs government-funded, Iran-backed militias have conducted 580 rocket, drone, and IED attacks against U.S. and coalition forces and convoys, including 15 known drone attacks against U.S. bases. Irans attacks have also focused on Kurdistans oil and gas sector. Just this year, Iran rocketed and destroyed the home of Kurdistans most prominent oil businessman, and its Iraqi militias took a Kurdistan refinery offline and have also launched at least five separate rocket and drone attacks against Kurdistans oil infrastructure. Kurdistans oil sector and corresponding financial semi-autonomy is a remarkable success story. Until 2007, the Region had no oil development and was economically dependent on Baghdad, living under a constitution that the U.S. brokered but was unwilling to enforce. The Kurds recognized their need to become economically independent and attracted international investment through competitive oil and gas Product Sharing Contracts. In 15 short years, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq now produces approximately 450 thousand barrels of oil per day. Kurdistans gas resources are now poised to help both Iraq and eventually wean Turkey and southern Europe off Russian and Iranian gas supplies. None of these developments are what Iran has in mind for its vision for Iraq. The Kurdistan Regions oil is exported via the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, which is sold through the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Under direct influence from Iran, Iraq has waged a two-pronged legal challenge to Kurdistans oil economy. In mid-July, a Paris-based arbitration court is set to resume hearing Baghdads case against Turkey for allegedly violating their pipeline agreement by allowing Kurdistan oil exports. While Ankara believes a settlement remains possible, Baghdad is unwilling and unable to negotiate, hoping to achieve a large judgement imposed against Erdogans government. If this occurs, Turkey may shut the pipeline and wipe 450 thousand barrels of oil a day off the market. This is twice as much oil that OPEC+ recently agreed to increase for its July and August quotas, which is a driving factor in President Bidens upcoming trip to Riyadh. The second and most pressing legal challenge came from Iraqs Federal Supreme Court in February. In a 30-minute hearing held while Iraq was between elected governments, the court ruled on a 10-year-old case that Kurdistans oil sector is unconstitutional. In addition, the Court upended Iraqs government formation and further ruled that Iraqs government cannot legislate in its caretaker status. All of these rulings are contradictory to precedent and clearly politically motivated and directed by Tehran. The ruling against Kurdistans oil sector came shortly after Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) Commander, Ismael Qaani, visited Baghdad to meet with senior Iraqis in efforts to emulate his predecessor, Qassim Soleimaniis role in Iraqs government formation. This Iranian influence has now cascaded into Iraqs lower courts who have selectively summoned at least seven international oil firms seeking to invalidate their contracts with the KRG. Curiously, no Emirati or Russian companies received summons yet, or companies who Iraq hopes to convince to remain in Iraq. Irans influence was also evident in Iraqs recent legislation to criminalize relations with Israel and prevent Iraq from ever entering the Abraham Accords. The Kurdistan Region, Iraq itself, and the global oil markets are all teetering on a precipice. The U.S. continues to fund Kurdistans military salaries to the tune of $14 million per month, while Baghdad continues to fund the Iran-backed militias. For the first time since the 2003 invasion, the U.S. has sat out Iraqs government formation, likely because it would require confronting growing Iranian influence while the Biden Administration simultaneously sought to revive nuclear negotiations. Iraqs sovereignty, the Kurdistan Regions ability to remain a key U.S. strategic partner, and the global oil market are now all at risk. Iraqs future has also never been more bleak: it remains artificially dependent on Iranian energy, unable to meet growing energy demand, and incapable of tackling crippling corruption despite record oil revenues. As Biden is set to meet with Saudis Crown Prince and Iraqs Prime Minister next month, there has never been a better opportunity for the U.S. and international community to reengage in the Middle East and stabilize our most important allies and the global economy. President Biden alone has the political weight to underline just how important it is for Baghdad to take a breath and consider what its vendetta against Kurdistan oil exports will cost the global economy in terms of rampaging oil prices and hastened and deepened recessions. The international community does not tend to help Iraq unless the U.S. marshals such assistance, and Washington needs to signal that it cannot do so if Baghdad is taking steps that may torpedo efforts to stabilize global oil prices. Matthew M. Zais works for an American energy company with interest in the region and is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. He previously served as the Director of Iraq and Kurdish Affairs on the National Security Council and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy. As small farming and ranching operations struggle to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply-chain disruptions, the federal government is preparing to throw another hurdle their way. In March, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), a governmental outfit purporting to promote a market environment that is worthy of the public's trust, proposed a new Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rule. Billed as the Enhanced and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors, it would require registrants who do business with small operators to include certain climate-related disclosures called Scope 3 Emissionsindirect (upstream or downstream) emissions occurring in the value chain of the reporting company. Farmers and ranchers, however, arent public companies nor registrants reporting to the agency. But the aforementioned provision will adversely affect their operations and impose steep costs and liabilities. First, the agencys new rule is unenforceable as it cannot regulate non-financial goals like ESGincluding Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals. Why? Political goals fall outside their purview. As spelled out in Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the SEC can only create rules deemed necessary or appropriate for the proper protection of investors and to insure fair dealing in the security. ESG principles, as understood, dont make businesses more securejust more vulnerable to politicization. Unelected SEC staff cannot compel registrants to disclose information of their business partners. Only Congress is constitutionally authorized to craft bills relating to climate and environmental regulationsnot the SEC. The Mercatus Center notes, The SEC has therefore concluded that it is generally not authorized to order disclosures relating to environmental, sustainability, or other social goals except in response to a specific congressional mandate. Small owners and operators are already subjected to onerous regulations by local, state, and federal laws. Why put more strains on struggling businesses that feed and nourish us? It wouldnt be fair. Demanding these smaller producers adopt more rigorous reporting regimes in this manner would also invite massive privacy concerns. Unlike corporations, small and medium-sized agribusinesses typically run their operations out of their personal residences. For instance, disclosing data regarding individual operations and day-to-day activitiesif made public could invite threats by agriculture industry opponents and make them the target of radical environmentalists and animal rights activists intent on disrupting and stopping their operations altogether. Unfortunately for the SEC, the courts have previously ruled against governmental agencies that force disclosure of sensitive personal data. The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in American Farm Bureau Federation v. EPA (2016) that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosing spreadsheets containing personal information of farmers invites substantial privacy interest of the owners while furthering little in the way of public interest that is cognizable under FOIA and would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. If the agency goes down this route, registrants working with small companies wont trust them to handle disclosures containing sensitive information going forward. And they shouldnt. Given constraints already placed on small agribusinesses, disclosing personal data would place an enormous financial strain on them. To meet new demands, farmers and ranches would have more time dedicated to collecting data and less time on their food products. Farm management software (FMS), for instance, isnt cheap nor heavily utilized by most farmers and ranchers. Its reported software would cost these small businesses an additional $1,200 annually. Moreover, a 2018 survey of nearly 1,500 farmers found 69 percent still use non-computerized tools for their day-to-day operations compared to 16.5 percent who chiefly rely on FMS systems. Ultimately, adopting a rigorous reporting data regime would make it impossible for these small businesses to focus on their bottom line: feeding, fueling, and clothing the U.S. and beyond. If this rule proceeds, the SEC will betray its mission to protect investors, facilitate capital formation, and foster fair, orderly, and efficient markets. Worse, the Scope 3 considerations would result in the closure of small businesses and force SEC registrants to seek food products from businesses outside the U.Smaking our nation highly vulnerable to food insecurity. In response, a bipartisan group of 118 House members, including swing district Democrats Reps. Elaine Luria (D-VA) and Elise Stlokin (D-MI), have demanded the agency scrap the rule altogether ahead of its comment period deadline on June 17th, 2022. Trump-appointed SEC Commissioner Hester M. Piece has also voiced her opposition to the proposal because it would undermine the agencys disclosure regime and harm the economy. Farmers and ranchers are conservationists who are mindful of their environmental footprint. They dont need to heed SEC directives to properly steward their lands. Gabriella Hoffman is a Senior Fellow with Independent Womens Forum and host of the District of Conservation Podcast. Follow her on Twitter at @Gabby_Hoffman. The upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series announced on Tuesday three guest stars, including Charlie Bushnell, of the Disney+ series Diary of a Future President, among them. ADVERTISEMENT "Attention, campers!," the announcement read, which was re-tweeted by Disney+. "Meet more of our amazing guest stars on #PercyJackson and The Olympians, coming to @DisneyPlus." Bushnell will guest star as Luke Castellan, the thread of tweets announcing the stars shows. The character is a Greek demigod son of Hermes and May Castellan and one of the main antagonists, according to a profile on the website of Rick Riordan, author of the best-selling novel series that gave birth to the upcoming fantasy series on Disney +. Percy Jackson also announced Dior Goodjohn (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Glee, The Unicorn) Olivea Morton (And Yet They Speak, Better Now) as other guest stars. Riordan announced earlier this year that Disney + greenlit the series after nearly two years in development. The story follows 12-year-old demigod Percy Jackson, who the sky god Zeus accuses of stealing his master lightning bolt. Jackson then must travel across America to find it and restore order to Olympus while coming to terms with newfound supernatural powers. Earlier this month, other guest stars were announced, including Megan Mullally as Alecto, Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus, Glynn Turman as Chiron, Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson and Tim Sharp as Gabe Ugliano. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! In April, Disney + announced that Walker Scobell, 13, (The Adam Project) landed the lead role of Percy Jackson. Kim Kardashian says her daughter North has an interest in special effects makeup. ADVERTISEMENT The 41-year-old television personality and businesswoman discussed North, her 9-year-old daughter with her ex-husband Kanye West , during Tuesday's episode of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon Kardashian, who previously headed her KKW Beauty cosmetics line and launched the new skincare brand SSKN by Kim this week, said North shares her love for makeup. "She's really into special effects makeup," she said of North. "She does, like, really good, like, wounds and scars and really -- she's really good at it. So, she was taking classes." Kardashian recently threw North a "spooky wilderness-themed" birthday party where they went camping in the wilderness. "I have no idea how she got into it, but I got her a teacher to show her and got all of the supplies. So, she wanted to teach her girlfriends. And we took about eight kids, eight girls, and we went camping in the wilderness," Kardashian said. "She wanted it to be really spooky and she wanted, like, these mannequin heads. And she taught everyone. There was a whole class that she taught her friends how to do special effects wounds, and scars and -- she's really good at it," she added. Kardashian has three other children, daughter Chicago, 4, and sons Saint, 6, and Psalm, 3, with West. Saint and Psalm were in the audience at The Tonight Show and got scolded by Kardashian for making too much noise. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! "Guys, can you stop? This is, like, your first time at work with me. Can you please?" Kardashian told her sons. Kardashian has been dating actor and comedian Pete Davidson since 2021. She said in an interview Tuesday on Today that she waited six months before introducing Davidson to her kids. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/22/2022 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. alum John Hersey has defended Katie Thurston as fans continue to speculate about why they split after less than one year of dating and recently moving in together.Katie, who starred on 's seventeenth season, and John, one of Katie's Week 2 eliminees, announced their breakup Monday on Instagram Stories, but neither person divulged any details on what led to the demise of their relationship."I feel like Katie is the reason she can't get a guy," one troll wrote on the @BachelorWhatever Instagram account after news of Katie and John's split made headlines.And John replied in the comments, "You will speak a finite number of words throughout your life. I urge you to speak more kindly, especially about someone you don't know.""I have never been so supported or unconditionally loved by a partner. Assuming and implying that Katie is doing something wrong does not sit right with me. The internet can be a mean place -- let's not add to it."When Katie announced she and John had called it quits, she simply wrote on Instagram Stories, "Statement: no we aren't together."And John shared in a post of his own, "I love being able to share special moments with you all -- the funny ones. The happy ones. The outrageous, embarrassing, and heartfelt ones. But I don't know if it will ever get easier to share the sad ones.""As Katie stated earlier, we are no longer dating. This decision was not made lightly, and it was obviously not an easy one to make," he continued."I appreciate every one of you that has supported us throughout this journey. We could not (and would not) be here without you."Katie and John's breakup appears to have happened very recently because John posted an Instagram video of Katie walking their cats together on June 2. She was all smiles in the video and seemed happy.Katie and John met in early 2021 while filming the show, but they didn't go Instagram official with their relationship until late November 2021.Katie unveiled John as her boyfriend late last year by posting footage of John on Instagram Stories set to Taylor Swift 's "Begin Again," a song about falling in love all over again.The John dedication served as the conclusion of Katie's "12 Days of Messy" challenge in which she had been tasked with matching every song on Taylor's re-released "Red" album to one of her Season 17 bachelors.Katie and the San Diego-based bartender revealed in April 2022 that they were living together at Katie's apartment in San Diego, and they gushed on the "Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe " podcast that same month how they were madly in love.Katie and John had also purchased a van together so they could travel across the country and visit different cities together.Katie, however, said of possibly getting engaged at the time, "Look, the last thing I need right now is any kind of engagement. I am very, very content with where I'm at in my relationship with John."Katie had said she didn't "feel pressure at all" for John to pop the question."I don't think there's pressure. But I definitely think people ask it a lot," Katie told Kaitlyn about a John engagement."Because they are so used to a very quick engagement. So in their minds, they're like, 'So when are you guys getting engaged?' But in the normal world when you aren't on a dating show, it's not normal to ask that after just a few months."John previously admitted his nerves got the best of him while filming and so he didn't make a good impression on Katie, who thought her initial conversations with John were "robotic" and rehearsed.Katie therefore got engaged to wildlife manager Blake Moynes during her season finale, which filmed in April 2021 and aired in August last year.Katie and John went public with their romance only three short weeks after Katie and Blake announced in late October they had split and decided to end their engagement.Katie faced backlash for having moved on from her former fiance too quickly with a "rebound," and Blake said on the "Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation" podcast in November that he felt "flabbergasted," shocked and "speechless" upon finding out about Katie's romance with John.Blake also said he believed Katie had been emotionally cheating on him with John -- which Katie and John have both firmly denied in the press Katie admitted she and John considered hiding their relationship at first in fear of how Bachelor Nation might react to them."We were already talking about how to not be [seen and] known. But it's also like, 'F-ck that.' I want to live our best life. I want to live in my happiness. I went through hell and back being on TV," Katie said in April.Katie said she had determined that she owed it to herself to be in her "truest" and "happiest form.""At the end of the day, I was like, 'Life is too short. I've gone through so much and I just want to be happy.' And so that's ultimately what we did; we owned our connection not knowing it would take us to this day," Katie told Kaitlyn on her podcast.The former bank marketing manager previously said that John made her "want to be a better person.""He challenges me... He's very energetic and he keeps me young. He says I have the potential to be adventurous... and he makes me want to go and try new things," Katie recently shared.For Blake's part, he told Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti on their "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous Podcast" in February that he was ready to begin dating again, but only in the real world and not on Bachelor in Paradise.Blake also seemed ready to put his romance with Katie behind him and put aside any hard feelings."I could probably talk to her and have a cordial conversation ," Blake, who initially felt blindsided by Katie and John's romance, confirmed in late March.Prior to starring on , Katie competed on Matt James ' season of The Bachelor.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Athens-Clarke County District 5 is poised to have the only local runoff election on June 21, after candidates Dexter Fisher and Matt Pulver were unable to secure over 50% of the vote in the May 24 primaries. 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 Photographer / Multimedia Editor Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer. New Havens Shubert Theater will kick off its Broadway Series this October with a show thats not just a piece of musical theater history, but a piece of Connecticut history as well. The theater will launch its season by hosting a touring production of My Fair Lady from Oct. 19-22. My Fair lady, based on George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion, would go on to becoming a record breaking, Tony Award-winning musical that has seen numerous revivals right through to the modern Broadway era and helped launched the career of musical theater maven Julie Andrews. But on Feb. 4, 1956, the shows historic run nearly reached a full stop in Connecticut. Star Rex Harrison was unsure of himself singing with an orchestra at the time performers relied solely on the strength of their diaphragms to project some of the equipment was malfunctioning and snow was piling outside the Shubert. At one point, Harrison refused to perform, stating he wouldnt go on with those thirty-two interlopers in the pit, Brad Schreiber recounted in Stop the Show!: a history of insane incidents and absurd accidents at the theater. The show almost didnt go on. At one point the cast and crew were sent home, only to be called back last minute after director Moss Hart was able to get Harrison from his dressing room. In a 2018 New York Times story, actor Jerry Adler most recently known as Herman "Hesh" Rabkin, Tony Sopranos consigliere in "The Sopranos" recounted gathering the cast after theyd been dismissed. I went across the street to the Loews Poli, Adler told the Times, referring to a movie theater that used to be near the Shubert, and in the middle of the movie, I yelled out: Anyone here from My Fair Lady cast? The show is back on tonight! We got everyone but one Rosemary Gaines (an ensemble member), who had an attack of appendicitis and was in the hospital. Shubert 2022-2023 Broadway Season schedule "My Fair Lady" runs Oct. 19-22, 2022. "A Soldier's Play" runs Dec. 8-11, 2022. "The Book of Mormom" runs March 3-4, 2023. "OnYour Feet!" runs March 23-26, 2012. "Jesus Christ Superstar" runs April 21-23, 2023. See More Collapse At 8:45 that evening, My Fair Lady premiered with mid-show standing ovations and a sold-out run before intermission was over. The show was equally as successful as a film in 1964, with Audrey Hepburn taking over the role of Eliza Dolittle from Andrews. She won a Golden Globe for her performance in the film. Harrison reprised his role as Henry Higgins, earning an Oscar and Golden Globe for his role. The Shubert will next continue its tradition of launching musicals as it hosts the technical rehearsals and tour launch for A Soldiers Play from Dec. 8-11. The 1982 thriller won a 2020 Tony when it was revived by the Roundabout Theater Company. The nine-time Tony Award-winning Book of Mormon comes March 3-5, 2023 followed by On Your Feet! The musical, running from March 23-26 features the music of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine as it tells the tale of Estefan and husband Emilios rise to iconic stardom in the 90s. The series five-show run ends with Jesus Christ Superstar running April 21-23. I am proud of the progress we have made in re-engaging our patrons this season. It has been exciting for me to plan a varied lineup of shows for what will be my inaugural season, Anthony McDonald, Executive Director of Shubert Theatre, said. From an enchanting classic, a riveting new production and an inspiring triumph of the spirit; to sidesplitting irreverent comedy and a rockin iconic musicalIm convinced that the 2022-2023 Broadway Series is going to be one of Shuberts best. Shubert subscribers are also able to add a performance by the Blue Man Group to their subscription. The pantone percussionists will stop by Jan. 6-8 on their North American Tour. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) You're in the mood for fish and your server suggests a dish of invasive carp. Ugh, you might say. But how about broiled copi, fresh from the Mississippi River? Here's the catch: They're the same thing. Illinois and partner organizations kicked off a market-tested campaign Wednesday to rechristen as copi four species previously known collectively as Asian carp, hoping the new label will make them more attractive to U.S. consumers. Turning carp into a popular household and restaurant menu item is one way officials hope to rein in a decades-old invasion threatening native fish, mussels and aquatic plants in the Mississippi and other Midwestern rivers, as well as the Great Lakes. The carp name is so harsh that people wont even try it, said Kevin Irons, assistant fisheries chief with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. But its healthy, clean and it really tastes pretty darn good. The federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is funding the five-year, $600,000 project to rebrand the carp and make them widely available. More than two dozen distributors, processors, restaurants and retailers have signed on. Most are in Illinois, but some deliver to multiple states or nationwide. This could be a tremendous breakthrough, said John Goss, who led the Obama administrations effort to halt the carp invasion and worked on the renaming project. The next couple of years are very critical for building confidence and acceptance. Span, a Chicago communications design company, came up with copi." It's an abbreviated wordplay on copious a reference to the booming populations of bighead, silver, grass and black carp in the U.S. heartland. Imported from Asia in the 1960s-70s to gobble algae from Deep South sewage lagoons and fish farms, they escaped into the Mississippi. Theyve infested most of the river and many tributaries, crowding out native species like bass and crappie. Regulators have spent more than $600 million to keep them from the Great Lakes and waters such as Lake Barkley on the Kentucky-Tennessee line. Strategies include placing electric barriers at choke points and hiring crews to harvest the fish for products such as fertilizer and pet food. Other technologies underwater noisemakers, air bubble curtains are in the works. It would help if more people ate the critters, which are popular in other countries. Officials estimate up to 50 million pounds (22.7 million kilograms) could be netted annually in the Illinois River between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan. Even more are available from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. Government subsidies alone will not end this war, Goss said. Private-sector, market-driven demand for copi could be our best hope. In the U.S., carp are known primarily as muddy-tasting bottom feeders. Bighead and silver carp, the primary targets of the copi campaign, live higher in the water column, feeding on algae and plankton. Grass carp eat aquatic plants, while black carp prefer mussels and snails. All four are high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury and other contaminants, Irons said. It has a nice, mild flavor ... a pleasant surprise that should help fix its reputation, said Brian Jupiter, a Chicago chef who plans to offer a copi po'boy sandwich at his Ina Mae Tavern. The fish is adaptable to numerous cuisines including Cajun, Asian and Latin, he said. Yet it could be a hard sell, particularly because the fish's notorious boniness makes it challenging to produce fillets many diners expect, Jupiter added. Some of the best recipes may use chopped or ground copi, he said. Dirk and Terry Fucik, owners of Dirk's Fish and Gourmet Shop in Chicago, said they've sold carp burgers for years and offer carp meatballs, tacos and other dishes. Span researchers considered many names butterfin among them before settling on copi, Irons said. It sounded catchy, a tad exotic, even fun, he said. Span conducted surveys, interviews and focus group meetings with more than 350 Illinois residents, design principal Nick Adam said. Next step: Seeking approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which says coined or fanciful fish labels can be used if not misleading or confusing. A familiar example is slimehead, which became a hit after its market moniker was switched to orange roughy. Illinois also plans to register the copi trademark, enabling industry groups to develop quality control procedures, Irons said. Other regulatory agencies and scientific groups have their own policies and might not make the switch. The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and the American Fisheries Society have a committee that lists fish titles, including scientific names in Latin and long-accepted common names. The panel never adopted Asian carp as an umbrella term for the invasive species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to stick with invasive carp" and the four individual names, as its focus is on managing and controlling their spread, said Charlie Wooley, Midwest director. The Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, which involves numerous federal, state, local and Canadian provincial agencies, will do likewise. They dropped Asian carp last year because of concern about anti-Asian bigotry. Follow John Flesher on Twitter @JohnFlesher China has launched a third aircraft carrier, a Type 003 christened the Fujian, firming up its place in an elite group of countries led by the United States that are able to deploy huge seaborne military airports. The Fujianwhich follows the Peoples Liberation Army Navy's Liaoning carrier in 2012 and the Shandong in 2019will enhance the ability to safeguard world peace, said a Chinese Embassy spokesman in Washington. Taiwan, which has come under intense Chinese political and military pressure aimed at unifying the island with the mainland, views the vessel differently than Beijing. Nhim Sarom's defenders say the arrest is designed to discourage challenges to countrys ruling party. UPDATED at 1.30 P.M. EDT on 2022-06-22 Authorities in Cambodia arrested a newly elected commune chief over his alleged involvement in a robbery case 20 years ago, sources in the country told RFA. As a candidate for the opposition Candlelight Party, Nhim Sarom won a seat on the council of Chamna Lue commune in the central province of Kampong Thom during local elections on June 5. Police took him into custody on Tuesday afternoon, while he was working in the commune hall. He was released on bail a day later on Wednesday, his lawyer said. "He was only released on bail. He has the right to challenge the absentia verdict," said lawyer Sam Sokong, who questioned why the government is pursuing a case in which the statute of limitations had already expired. The arrest warrant for his involvement in an incident in 2002 was obtained by RFA. It is dated June 21, 2012, but only enforced, signed by Kampong Thom Provincial Police Commissioner Vorn Sophorn, on June 21, 2022. Khat Kheang, Nhim Saroms wife, told RFAs Khmer Service that her husband was innocent, and that his arrest was a violation of political rights and the will of the people. "I request that the authorities release my husband, she said. My husband is not in the wrong, my husband is clean, let the court help release my husband." Kampong Thom Provincial Court Investigating Judge Sik Vanna accused Nhim Sarom of robbery for an event that occurred 20 years ago. The arrest and charges are politically motivated, Thach Setha, the Candlelight Partys vice president, told RFA. The alleged case occurred in 2002 and there was an arrest warrant in 2012, but they never arrested him, Thach Setha said. Why did they arrested him only after he was elected to be commune chief? According to Thach Setha, the charge is related to the seizure of property for debt repayment. Nhim Sarom took a motorbike from a man who owed him money. He took the bike to the police station to try to find a solution, Thach Setha said. The two men later reconciled, and the problem was resolved. This is political intimidation, said Thach Setha. The 20 years between the incident and the arrest was strange, Soeung Senkaruna, spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA. As far as this case is concerned, it looks like a political issue. It is something that we think will have a significant impact on political competition, he said. Arrests like this one can undermine the publics confidence in Cambodias political and legal systems, said Soeung Senkaruna. Nhim Sarom was one of three Candlelight Party candidates elected to commune councils in Kampong Thom province on May 5, and the second newly elected local official from the party to be arrested following victory in the election. Ley Sokkon, who won a seat in Battambang province, was arrested June 8 for allegedly violating housing rights when he filmed local authorities of the ruling party registering people to vote on election day. RFA was unable to reach Kampong Thom Provincial Police Commissioner Vorn Sophorn for comment on Nhim Saroms arrest. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Civic groups in Lilongwe, Malawi, marched in protest over the actions of Chinese national Lu Ke, who was arrested by Zambian authorities after filming a racist video involving local children, calling for him to be tried in the country rather than sent back to China, the Nyasa Times reported on . Protesters from the University of Malawi Child Rights Legal Clinic and other civil society organizations also called for compensation and psychological support for the children exploited by Lu and made to say racist things about themselves in Chinese, the paper said. The Maravi Post cited clinic supervisor Garton Kamchedzera as saying that Lu's treatment of the children was in breach of the Malawian constitution. The group said it would also deliver a petition to the Chinese embassy. The paper said Lu had been "using violence to force the children say the phrases he wanted." Lu fled the country after being outed by BBC journalist Runako Celina as the maker of a video in which children from Lilongwe's Njerwa village said "I am a black ghost. I have a low IQ" to camera. The phrase "black ghost" is considered the Chinese equivalent of the N-word. Lu's video was far from being a one-off. Celina's documentary also uncovered a lucrative industry in short videos featuring Africans. "There's something inherently sinister in swanning into a village somewhere in Africa, tossing a few coins at people less privileged than you and being able to instruct them to do whatever you want," Celina wrote in an article on the BBC website after the documentary aired. "If the price (or pay off) is high enough, or the sense of humor crude enough the possibilities are endless." "It's this exact boundless freedom, plus a deeply ingrained racist ideology that has made an online Chinese industry I've spent the last year investigating possible," she wrote. A social media post with a commenter in blackface supporting anti-black racist commenters. Weibo. Anti-Black racism remains uncensored Immigration authorities in Zambia confirmed they had arrested Lu on . Ghanaian YouTuber Wode Maya told the Black Livity China podcast that the Chinese term "heigui," or "black ghost," is equivalent to the N-word in English. Guests told the show that anti-Black racism remains largely uncensored on China's tightly controlled internet, and that the video was part of a lucrative industry exploiting African adults and children with custom-made greetings videos. Not everyone in China likes the videos, which have been sold on online stores, but many believe they are a harmless and fun way to send a novelty greeting, while others see anti-Black racism as a function of Chinese colonial power in Africa, according to views expressed on the podcast and on social media. One video resulting from a keyword search on showed young black men dressed in coordinated clothing, performing to camera to cheer up residents of Shanghai during the grueling COVID-19 lockdown in April. Another showed black children dressed in red holding flowers and chalk boards with birthday messages for a Chinese woman called "Xingxing." The Malawian Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has called on the Chinese embassy in Malawi to apologize to black Malawians over the racist video filmed by Chinese national Lu Ke, and called for an immigration sweep for Chinese nationals who remain illegally in the country. "CDEDI is hereby challenging both the Malawi and the Chinese governments to treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves," Namiwa said in a statement posted to the group's website. A screenshot of the Chinese embassy statement on Twitter on June 13 that it had "noted with great concern" the findings of the BBC documentary Racism for Sale. 'Zero tolerance' "It should be emphasized that any attempts to downplay the issue or help the suspect to beat the long arm of the law will only succeed in stirring avoidable actions with far-reaching consequences," Namiwa said, but said the group didn't want anyone targeting the Chinese community for retaliation as a whole. "Since the matter also borders on aspects of profit-making, CDEDI is urging the relevant authorities to ensure that survivors of the exploitative filming should benefit by way of compensation," it said. The Chinese embassy said via Twitter on that it had "noted with great concern" the findings of the BBC documentary Racism for Sale. "We strongly condemn racism in any form, by anyone or happening anywhere," it said. "We also noted that the video was shot in 2020. It shall be stressed that Chinese government has zero tolerance for racism." It added on : "We demand internet & social media platforms to strictly prohibit the dissemination of all racist contents." The BBC documentary found that two Douyin accounts were sharing the video in question, along with other anti-Black racist content, and that Lu had bribed the kids with food and candy to take part in the shoot. Shih Yi-hsiang of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights said China's response to the incident was inadequate. "The Chinese government is condemning this matter and also saying that China has zero tolerance for racism, which is ridiculous, because what the Chinese regime has done to Tibetans [and] Uyghurs ... for a long time is seriously racist," Shih said. "What we actually see behind [these words] is exploitation and oppression," Shih said. "Chinese people are abusing these kids." Shih called for further investigation into the exploitation of African children by Chinese content creators. Blackface on CCTV Taiwan strategic analyst Shih Chien-yu cited the use of blackface on the CCTV Lunar New Year TV gala, as well as costumes associating black people with monkeys. Chinese people go to Africa to shoot these videos to make money, rationalize racism, which is clearly colonialism with Chinese characteristics, Shih Chien-yu said. "They believe that the local people are poor and they will be obedient if you give them some small benefits," Shih said. "We see the 19th century colonial mentality being replicated in 21st century China." Gong Yujian, a Chinese dissident now living in democratic Taiwan, said that anti-Black racism is still very common in China, although those who enjoy openly racist videos are in the minority. "Mao Zedong once said black Africans could obtain their national independence and liberation only with Chinese help, so there was a sense that they had come to China cap in hand," Gong told RFA. And since the launch of the Belt and Road overseas infrastructure and supply-chain initiative under ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping, many Chinese people had begun to consider themselves superior to others, he said. Comments still visible on Chinese social media this week were critical of the video, although largely in the context of China's international image, with some pointing to racism in the U.S. to deflect criticism of China. "The lack of supervision of Chinese online platforms, some low-quality trash groups, some with ulterior motives, [and] these attacks on black people have seriously affected China-Africa relations," Weibo user @LiuJiayi wrote. "It has brought huge and catastrophic losses to China's political, economic and diplomatic ties in Africa, and works in favor of the United States," the user wrote. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Rights groups called for the release of Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong, who has reported being tortured in detention, as his trial for "subversion" went ahead behind closed doors on . "The hearing ended," Xu's lawyer Zhang Lei said in comments reported by the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network on Twitter. "Once it was decided that in the name of the law that they announced the trial would be non-public, a lawyer can just be a witness, to witness that [Xu] doesn't just enter darkness," Zhang said. CHRD said police had also harassed Xu's sister who traveled to attend the trial at Linshu County People's Court in Linyi city, Shandong province, raiding her hotel room in the middle of the night and forcing her to leave. "Is there any humanity left in the [ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)] totalitarian state?" Xu's U.S.-based wife Luo Shengchun said via Twitter. "Not only was she unable to attend her brother's trial; she wasn't even allowed to stay in the area," Luo tweeted. "Does this darkness mean that dawn is coming soon? I hope so!" Luo said the trial had been moved to Linshu county to keep it out of the public spotlight. "In order to prevent witnesses from testifying in court, they put them all under house arrest; in order to prevent the media from reporting it, they kept proceedings secret and forced lawyers to sign non-disclosure agreements," Luo wrote. "They tortured to extract confessions, fabricated evidence and lies, and I will carry on exposing them to the rest of the world!" she tweeted. Xu's trial on charges of "subversion of state power" has been widely criticized by rights activists as resulting from a trumped-up charge. "The Chinese government is making a grave and shameful mistake by proceeding with the trial of Xu Zhiyong," Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center at PEN America said in a statement. She added: "Xu has not committed a crime. He is a leading public intellectual using his words to try to hold the Chinese government accountable to Chinese citizens." Rights groups say Xu's case has been marred with due process violations, including torture and incommunicado detention for nearly two-and-a-half years. "We call on the Chinese government to immediately drop all charges against Xu and release him from detention. We also urge an independent review of the harrowing reports that Xu has been tortured," American PEN said. CHRD has echoed calls for the release of Xu and rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, whose trial is scheduled for . "CHRD urges the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release the two human rights defenders," the group said in a recent statement. "The Chinese government must heed the opinions of UN experts who found that Xu and Ding are being arbitrarily detained in violation of international law." The trials come ahead of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, CHRD said, adding that Ding had also reported being tortured while in detention. The entire case against Xu and Ding stemmed from the men's "peaceful advocacy," the group said. It cited Ding's wife Luo Shengchun as saying that neither man's lawyers have been allowed to meet with them during the past three months, and had been barred from making copies of the case files. "Not allowing lawyers to make copies means that lawyers may have to read and take notes on hundreds of pages of case files at one fixed time in an office, which obviously impairs their capacity to adequately prepare for a legal defense," CHRD said. Ding's lawyers say he was restrained in a "tiger chair" between and 8, 2020, and interrogated for 21 hours a day, subjected to sleep deprivation and limited food and water. Ding and Luo have both filed applications to exclude the evidence against him as having been obtained illegally, under torture, but with no success. Xu has told his lawyer that he was subjected to similar treatment in the "tiger chair" while detained in Shandong's Yantai city. Xu, who has already served jail time for launching the New Citizens' Movement for greater official accountability, was detained in early 2020 and held on suspicion of "subversion of state power" alongside Ding and other activists who held a dinner gathering in the southeastern port city of Xiamen on Dec. 13, 2019. Both men were held incommunicado, denied permission to meet with either family members or a lawyer for two years, under "residential surveillance at a designated location" (RSDL) and criminal detention. They haven't been seen or heard from since their indictments in . Activists and rights lawyers say Xu has never advocated violence, and has paid a very heavy price for advocating for his personal ideals. They say the charges against those who attended the Xiamen dinner are a form of political persecution by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Police arrested three PDF members and seized weapons after the fighting in Pwint Phyu township. The burned-out truck hit by an RPG on Wednesday morning by security forces guarding Mae Zali Bridge. Twelve members of a Peoples Defense Force (PDF) have been shot dead and three others arrested after fighting near Mae Zali Bridge in Myanmars central Magway region, according to police, a PDF official and local residents. Locals said a six-wheeled red truck driving from Salin township was inspected by junta security forces at around 6 a.m. Wednesday. Fighting then erupted on Pathein-Monywa road in Pwint Phyu township, killing 12 PDF members in the vehicle. PDF official Ko Kyar Gyi confirmed the incident and told RFA that the PDF members were not from Pyint Phyu Township. He said the PDF is still trying to find out where they came from. PDF groups from other townships confronted the junta forces at the Mae Zali bridge. There were some casualties and arrests from our side by junta forces and also their side had some casualties, he said. Our townships PDF group was asked for some help after the fighting and we are assisting. We can explain in detail when the remaining members are safe. It will be announced on our township [social media] page. The local news outlet Myay Latt Voice said that the PDF members killed Wednesday morning were from Thayat and Kanma Townships in Magway region. It said the vehicle was carrying weapons from Sagaing region and was attacked by the military forces on the way back. A confidential telegram from Pwint Phyu Police, seen by RFA, stated that a red-six-wheeled vehicle driving along the Pathein-Monywa road from Salin township was stopped by junta forces led by Brigadier General Min Paing Soe near Mae Zali bridge and fighting broke out. It says that 12 PDF members were shot dead and three captured alive. Two of the arrested are said to be in critical condition. Rifles and a grenade launcher captured by security forces after the shootout. CREDIT: Citizen journalist Police confiscated 25 KA-25 rifles and a 40 milimeter grenade launcher according to the telegram. Residents said 12 people died when a rocket propelled grenade was fired at the vehicle carrying PDF members by security forces guarding the Mae Zali bridge. They said the vehicle was carrying weapons provided by the National Unity Government. RFA could not independently verify the claims and calls to a military council spokesman went unanswered. Photographs from pro-military websites show the bodies of the 12 dead PDF members were badly mutilated. Myay Latt Voice quoted a PDF spokesman as saying members were killed when their vehicle was shot by heavy artillery at close range by military forces. Magway is Myanmars second largest region and PDFs there have fought fiercely with junta forces since the coup on February 1 last year. The Myanmar junta-appointed Defense Minister Mya Tun Oo (R) listens during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in Phnom Penh on June 22, 2022. A representative of Myanmars military regime attended the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday, despite an appeal from hundreds of pro-democracy organizations in the war-ravaged country that the Southeast Asian regional bloc not engage with the junta. Myanmar Gen. Mya Tun Oo became the most senior official to represent the self-styled State Administration Council (SAC) at a ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since the military ousted the countrys democratically elected government in February 2021. The 10 ASEAN member states have appeared divided on how to deal with the junta, with some fearing that engagement might signal acceptance or endorsement of the regime and its bloody crackdown on its opponents. Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have all expressed to the 2022 ASEAN chair Cambodia that the junta should be excluded until there is an indication that hostilities in Myanmar will end. Even though there is participation from Myanmar involving a representative from the State Administrative Council in the meeting today, this does not mean that Malaysia has recognized the SAC as the legitimate Myanmar government, a statement from Malaysias Defense Ministry said. Malaysia has always stressed that SAC should expedite the enforcement of the matters which were agreed on based on the 5 Point Consensus to find a solution to the political crisis in Myanmar, it said, referring to the agreement reached between ASEANs leaders and Burmese military chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on April 24, 2021. The agreement sought an end to violence in Myanmar, the provision of humanitarian assistance, the appointment of an ASEAN envoy, and talks among the various groups in Myanmar to be mediated by the envoy. Cambodias Defense Minister Tea Banh, meanwhile, said that Mya Tun Oos participation in the meeting showed that the regional bloc is unified on security issues. "This is a participation to find solutions and this accusation, that accusation, we can't respond to all of them," he said during a news conference, responding to criticism over including Myanmar in the meeting. Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto told his counterparts to put aside their differences to safeguard their mutual interests. We must not allow outside powers to divide ASEAN and drag us into their competition. The future of ASEAN and our people rests on our shoulders, and I believe we all share the same view that we want peace and not conflict, cooperation rather than competition," he said. A coalition of 677 pro-democracy organizations in Myanmar last week co-authored an open letter to the ASEAN defense ministers, urging them not to invite a representative from the junta. The organizations said Mya Tun Oos representation would be inconsistent with other ASEAN decisions to exclude representation from the junta, such as at the 2021 ASEAN Summit and the 2022 Foreign Ministers Retreat. ADMMs engagement with the junta, which has included military exercises, may likely amount to the aiding and abetting of the juntas war crimes and crimes against humanity, the letter said. In allowing the junta to participate in ADMM, ASEAN is further risking complicity in the juntas atrocity crimes by providing support and legitimacy to the military and emboldening a military that is waging a nationwide campaign of terror. Cambodian state media reported that the ministers agreed in a joint declaration issued after the meeting to enhance cooperation between ASEAN defense forces for COVID-19 containment, boost support for ASEAN Women Peacekeepers, further collaborate between defense-oriented educational institutions, and share information to enhance maritime security. Additional reporting by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Nguy Thi Khanh posing for a photo as her team continues working at the headquarters of NGO Green ID in Hanoi on February 6, 2020. The international environmental group Climate Action Network (CAN) has called for the release of Vietnamese anti-coal activist Nguy Thi Khanh. In a news release Monday CAN condemned Nguys sentencing on tax evasion charges, saying she was one of a number of environmental activists targeted by state authorities in Vietnam. Nguy leads the Green Innovation and Development Center is also chair of the board of Climate Action Network South East Asia (CANSEA). It is apparent CANSEA Board Chair Nguy Thi Khanh has been imprisoned for her environmental work, especially against coal use, as part of an effort to silence dissent from environmental groups, said CANSEA director and regional coordinator Nithi Nesadurai. Her arrest has already had a chilling effect on other environmental civil society groups advocating for environmental protection and addressing the effects of climate change, on behalf of the Vietnamese people. We call on the government to release her immediately and all those detained on the pretext of other charges for doing their work on climate protection. CAN said that Nguy has dedicated her lifes work to fighting against an increase in the production and use of coal and trying to promote a transition to sustainable energy sources. The group said Nguy had succeeded in influencing the Vietnamese government to commit to a faster transition from coal to green energy. It said the Goldman Environmental Prize winner and Eisenhower Fellow was key to the implementation of the 1 million solar rooftop homes in Vietnam program. Nguy was arrested earlier this year and her office was ransacked. CAN said the raid was part of a crackdown on climate activists aimed at protecting what it called powerful vested interests, which have increased the risks faced by environmental activists in Vietnam. State media has been silent on the case but people familiar with trial said that Nguy was found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced on Friday to two years in prison. Michael Sutton, the Goldman Environmental Prize executive director, called for Nguys release, saying: We believe that the legal charges leveled against her are part of a wider effort to silence environmental leaders in Vietnam. CAN cited the recent murder of indigenous leader Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Brazilian Amazon as a reminder that those aiming to expose environmental wrongdoing are putting their lives on the line and that those in power will use any means possible to stop them. The repression, harassment and targeting of environmental defenders and civil society leaders is a dangerous trend across the world and highlights the enormous risks so many activists continue to take to simply do their work to protect people and the planet, said CAN executive director Tasneem Essop. There is no climate justice without social justice and the protection of basic human rights the rights of people to protest, to challenge the status quo and the state and the freedom to engage in our work without fear of repercussions. We call for the immediate release of Nguy Thi Khanh and all other civil society activists recently targeted by the Vietnamese authorities. We are closely watching the situation, not only in Vietnam, but also elsewhere in the world. We stand in solidarity with all those fighting for a better, safer and just future. An injury to one is an injury to all. CAN claims to be the worlds biggest climate network, made up of more than 1,500 civil society group in over 130 countries. 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 Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, a new RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. I'm Hannah Kaviani, a senior broadcaster and editor at RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Here's what Ive been following and what Im watching out for in the days ahead. The Big Issue Tensions are soaring between Iran and Israel, its regional foe. This comes as Israel is suspected of carrying out a recent spate of assassinations and sabotage attacks inside the Islamic republic. Irans powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on June 20 said the death of a Defense Ministry engineer in May was the result of "industrial sabotage," not simply an "accident," as officials previously suggested. The New York Times reported that the engineer had been killed in a suspected Israeli drone attack. Last month, Tehran blamed Israel for the killing of an IRGC colonel outside his home in the Iranian capital and vowed revenge. Why It Matters: Tensions have flared as negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers remain deadlocked. In the absence of a deal that would curb Irans sensitive nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions, Tehran has reduced its commitments and expanded its nuclear activities. There are fears in the West that Tehran is close to amassing enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. If Iran does acquire a nuclear weapon, Israel is likely to launch military strikes inside the Islamic republic, a worst-case scenario that could trigger a wider conflict in the region. What's Next: In the wake of suspected Israeli assassinations and sabotage attacks, calls have grown in Iran for a tough response. Some hard-liners have advocated for military strikes against Israel. The hard-line Resalat newspaper called for a hard blow against Israel. Iran is likely to target Israeli citizens or interests in the region. As Iranian rhetoric intensifies, Israel has warned its citizens not to travel to Turkey. Israel has already claimed that it has thwarted attacks against Israeli tourists in Istanbul. Some Iranian observers have cautioned that Iranian retaliation is likely to harm rather than benefit Tehrans interests. Stories You Might Have Missed -- Rights activist Maryam Karimbeigi was arrested by Iranian security forces after they raided her familys home. Karimbeigis brother, Mostafa, was killed in the state crackdown that followed mass street protests over the disputed 2009 presidential election. Karimbeigi was arrested on June 14, and she has been on a hunger strike since. Shahnaz Akmali, Karimbeigi's mother, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that her daughter had been under pressure by authorities as she sought justice for her brothers death. -- During a visit to a domestic aircraft manufacturer, President Ebrahim Raisi called on the company to intensify its efforts to build passenger planes. His comments on June 16 triggered skepticism and mockery among Iranian social media users. Due to U.S. sanctions, Iran has been unable to renew its aging fleet or import spare parts to maintain its aircraft. Days after Raisis comments, an Iranian-owned, U.S.-made F-14 fighter jet crashed during a military exercise, the second such incident in the past month. Tehran acquired the jets before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. What We're Watching Iran has been hit by near-daily protests by workers angered by soaring living costs in the Islamic republic. Authorities have tolerated some of the rallies, but they have cracked down on the teachers protests. The Iranian Teachers' Union's Coordination Council said that more than 100 teachers were detained on June 16 for participating in widespread protests demanding the release of other imprisoned teachers and better working conditions. Some are still in detention, where they have launched hunger strikes. A decision by authorities to increase taxes on the private sector has led to strikes by merchants and shopkeepers at bazaars. Why It Matters: Hamstrung by crippling U.S. sanctions and years of government mismanagement, Irans economy is unlikely to improve if the nuclear deal is not revived. In the meantime, discontent will grow, and more Iranians are likely to join the protests over living conditions. As of now, teachers, pensioners and retirees, truck drivers, bus workers, taxi drivers, merchants, and shopkeepers are among those taking to the streets to vent their anger and frustration at authorities. The rallies at Irans bazaars, in particular, are ominous. Rallies at the markets have often been the trigger for bigger and more significant protests in the past. Thats all from me for now. Don't hesitate to send us any questions, comments, or tips that you have by writing to newsletters@rferl.org We invite you to check out the improved Farda website in English and its dedicated Twitter account, which showcase all of our compelling journalism from Iran. And Farda's YouTube playlist is also worth a look. Until next time, Hannah Kaviani If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your in-box every Wednesday. *CORRECTION: A previous version of this article inferred that Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. The text has been changed. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran last year, a group of outspoken campaigners were preparing to sue the authorities for mismanaging the crisis and hampering the vaccine rollout. But the seven activists and lawyers, who became known in Iran as the "health defenders," were arrested before they could file their legal challenge against the government and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Less than a year later, following a trial held behind closed doors, a court in Tehran handed five of them prison terms ranging from 95 days to four years, according to their lawyer. The five, originally charged with spreading propaganda against the state and disrupting public order, were convicted of colluding to commit crimes against national security. Many Iranians were angered by the chaotic response of officials to the pandemic. The government was widely accused of hiding the real numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. There was also criticism over the delayed rollout of vaccines and Khamenei's ban on the import of vaccines from the United States and Britain, which was seen as a political move. Critics have said that the mismanagement of the pandemic and the slow vaccination rollout led to thousands of preventable deaths in Iran, which had the Middle East's deadliest outbreak. 'Not A Crime' Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the prison terms handed out to lawyers Mostafa Nili, Arash Keykhosro, and Reza Faghihi as well as rights defender and journalist Mehdi Mahmudian and activist Maryam Afrafaraz. "Sentencing prominent human rights defenders and lawyers for attempting to hold the government accountable for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a new low, even for the Iranian government, and shows their primary objective of protecting themselves rather than governing for the people," HRW researcher Tara Sepehrifar told RFE/RL. Babak Paknia, the lawyer for the defendants, revealed their sentences in an interview with the Emtedad news site on June 20. He said Mahmudian and Nili were each given four-year prison terms and banned from "media activities" for two years. Nili was also banned from practicing law for two years. Paknia said Keykhosro received a two-year prison term, a two-year ban on practicing law, and a one-year ban on "media activities." Faghihi was sentenced to six months in prison and Afrafaraz was given a 95-day sentence, according to Paknia. "Based on this verdict, our most honorable, trustworthy, and honest activists and lawyers have been sentenced to imprisonment and deprived of some of their social and professional rights," Paknia told Emtedadnet. He described the sentences as "strange" and said that he would launch an appeal. Paknia said he only attended the first day of the trial that began in October in Tehran's Revolutionary Court. After that, the authorities did not allow him to attend the proceedings even as a "spectator," he said. Paknia told RFE/RLs Radio Farda on June 21 that the court had found the group guilty of violating Article 610 of Irans Islamic Penal Code, which imposes a penalty of up to five years in prison when "two or more individuals collude and conspire to commit crimes against the national or foreign security of the country or prepare the facilities to commit the aforementioned crime. The conviction stems from the five allegedly creating a closed discussion group on social media forum Clubhouse. "The court argued that [their] group on Clubhouse was secret and they didn't allow anyone else to enter the group," he said, adding that the court concluded that "there was collusion to commit a crime." Paknia maintained that the five had not committed any crime, and that filing a complaint against state officials is a right under Iranian law. "Whether you want to file a complaint against the supreme leader or the president, all people are equal in front of the law. Therefore, coming together to file a complaint against Iranian leaders is not a crime," he said. The arrests of the seven campaigners in August 2021 led to widespread anger and calls for their release by rights groups. 'Recklessness' And 'Inaction' Three of the campaigners -- Mahmudian, Keykhosro, and Nili -- were kept in pretrial detention at Evin prison. Nili was released on bail in December. In an open letter issued in October 2021, the three said they had been held in solitary confinement for over a month without any contact with the outside world. They maintained that the authorities were to blame for the preventable deaths of thousands of Iranians and the suffering of millions more because of "recklessness, paying lip service, inaction, and prioritizing factional, economic, and political interests over the health of the people." At the height of the pandemic last summer, Iran was recording between 500 to 600 deaths and about 50,000 infections every day. But after accelerating the vaccination drive, the figures have dropped sharply. On June 2, Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said the country recorded no COVID-19 cases for the first time in two years. Iran's official death toll stands at 141,370, while the country has recorded more than 7,200,000 infections. On June 21, the Health Ministry reported four deaths and 187 new cases. The real number of infections and deaths in the country of around 84 million people is believed to be significantly higher. Fereshteh Ghazi of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report The last time Iran attempted to produce its own passenger planes to upgrade its aging commercial fleet, the effort barely got off the ground before it was doomed by a series of deadly crashes. Now, with nearly half of Iran's passenger aircraft grounded due to the lack of spare parts, the idea has taken flight again. Irans Civil Aviation Organization announced earlier this year that it had reached agreement with the military to share expertise in the production of domestically manufactured commercial aircraft. I'm very pessimistic.... Aircraft manufacturing is very, very expensive, consumes an extreme amount of capital, and requires a massive labor force, a technical labor force." A wide-body, turboprop-powered 100-seater is reportedly in the advanced planning stages. It has been touted by Iranian officials as the culmination of years of progress in gaining the engineering and manufacturing expertise needed to overcome U.S. sanctions that hinder Tehran's ability to obtain foreign aviation technology. Little else is known about the national project, but it attracted global attention this month after President Ebrahim Raisi visited the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and was quoted by a lawmaker as having ordered eight of the new planes. But Raisi's office has since denied ordering any planes, and the country's past failures in producing its own passenger planes have raised skepticism that the new effort can succeed. "I'm very pessimistic, considering the current technology and management and the state of the economy," said Bijan Vasigh, an aviation expert and professor at the U.S.-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "Aircraft manufacturing is very, very expensive, consumes an extreme amount of capital, and requires a massive labor force, a technical labor force." Vasigh said the brain drain of engineers has limited Iran's design and manufacturing abilities, and that massive corruption within the domestic aviation industry has led to a lack of productivity. The idea that Iran could design and manufacture an aircraft starting from a clean sheet is "wishful thinking," Vasigh said. More than half of Iran's passenger aircraft have been grounded due to age and the lack of spare parts and engines. U.S. sanctions imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution have hindered Tehran's ability to revamp the fleet with new planes and parts. Some of the planes -- including U.S.-made Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas jets, and EU-made Airbuses -- are well past their expiration dates. Iran's ability to keep them in the air has impressed observers. In the wake of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, U.S. sanctions were lifted and Iranian airlines placed orders for more than 300 planes, including modern airliners from Boeing and Airbus, and turboprop planes from European manufacturer ATR. But only three Airbuses and 11 ATRs were delivered to Iran before the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and began reimposing sanctions. Tehran's subsequent interest in purchasing Chinese jetliners, which contain U.S. technology, went nowhere due to China's refusal to violate the sanctions. And reported efforts to look into purchasing Russia's Sukhoi Superjet apparently proved futile. Iran's most ambitious effort to produce passenger planes on its own ended in 2014 when the domestically assembled Iran-140 was grounded by aviation authorities after a string of deadly crashes, and dozens of contracts were canceled. The project to assemble the Iran-140 using kits provided by the Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov got off to a tragic start from Day One, when a prototype of the turboprop crashed into a mountain as it was carrying Ukrainian and Russian guests to celebrate the opening of a new assembly plant in Isfahan Province in 2002, killing dozens. While more than 100 Iran-140s had been ordered, only a handful were built, and their spectacular technological failures eventually led to them being grounded due to safety concerns. One of the planes being tested by the domestic carrier Safiran Airlines suffered engine trouble in 2005 and was heavily damaged during an emergency landing. Safiran promptly returned the two other Iran-140s it was testing. In 2009, another Iran-140 crashed near the Shahin Shahr assembly facility during a training flight, killing all five crew members. And in 2014, tragedy struck again with the crash of an Iran-140 after it suffered an engine failure upon takeoff in Iran, leaving at least 38 dead. The Iran-140 never recovered from its subsequent grounding by Iranian aviation authorities. While some are still operated by Iran's military and police, the effort to showcase Iran's technical and manufacturing ability is widely seen as a costly failure. Since then, domestic manufacturer HESA has produced drones and helicopters for the Iranian military. In May, the company revealed a new turboprop transport plane, the Simorgh, that was hailed as a great national achievement that would boost the country's aviation industry. Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said during the unveiling ceremony that the Simorgh, which is currently undergoing testing, would meet international standards and feature a modern propulsion system, fuselage, and other parts engineered and manufactured in Iran. Aviation expert Vasigh says the amount of research and development that would be needed to design and manufacture an entirely new passenger plane, however, makes it highly unlikely that Iran could reach such a lofty objective. Vasigh said he believes the new passenger plane will build off the Ukrainian-engineered Iran-140, and described the possibility that the planes would be delivered as "really unlikely." A surprise initiative by France's waning EU presidency to end a two-year dispute over shared Balkan culture in time for this week's European summit hung in the balance ahead of a June 22 deadline, underscoring regional resentments and uncertainty amid risks of a further erosion of faith in the European Union. Bulgaria invoked its veto power on negotiations with would-be members in 2020 to block North Macedonia's candidacy based on accusations that the Macedonian language was simply Bulgarian by another name and Skopje was disrespecting its shared cultural and historic ties to Bulgarians. There were hopes that the sides could reach a compromise to lift the veto in time for EU leaders to green-light a negotiating framework for North Macedonia at the June 23-24 summit, breathing life into the EU's moribund enlargement efforts in the Western Balkans. Further stalemate could still be overcome -- eventually -- if this week ends in defeat for the French initiative. But any setback would be particularly painful in North Macedonia if Ukraine and Moldova leapfrog it in line at the summit. Moreover, a no-confidence vote in Bulgaria's pro-European prime minister and his frayed coalition on June 22 raised the stakes of the debate in Sofia. If the French initiative fails, there's no telling whether a hobbled or caretaker government could take meaningful action on such a fraught national topic with Bulgaria's fourth elections in about a year looming. Why Are They In This Mess? North Macedonia (then named Macedonia) formally applied to join the EU in 2004 and was granted "candidate" status the following year. But it still hasn't agreed with the bloc on the "special framework" that Western Balkans countries need for negotiations, known as the "stabilization and association process." That process requires unanimity among the EU's existing members, including Bulgaria. In October 2019, Bulgaria threatened to block North Macedonia's special framework, accusing Skopje of historical denialism and anti-Bulgarian attitudes over shared aspects of culture as Macedonians pursued "ongoing nation building." It suggested it didn't regard Macedonian as a separate language from Bulgarian and insisted EU officials avoid the term "Macedonian language." Some of those concerns had been at the center of a Friendship Treaty signed by both countries in 2017. But in September 2020, Bulgaria issued a formal memo to the European Council accusing North Macedonia of ignoring its commitments under the Friendship Treaty and laying out demands before it would lift its veto. Stalemate ensued. Shortly after new Bulgarian and Macedonian governments took over in December 2021 and January, respectively, they signaled fresh determination to achieve a breakthrough on the dispute. What's The 'French Proposal' Anyway? The French EU Presidency sent out a proposal for breaking the Bulgarian-Macedonian impasse on June 18. It has not been made public, although media, including RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, have obtained copies. It "welcomes Skopje's intention" to include in the preamble of the Macedonian Constitution "citizens who live within the borders of the state and are part of other nations, such as Bulgarians." Inserting such a clause would require a two-thirds vote in parliament. The proposal makes no specific mention of a "Bulgarian minority" but talks of the Macedonian government's obligation to protect the rights of all "minorities and communities" by preventing hate speech and discrimination. It states that the European Commission will monitor and report to the European Council on Macedonian compliance. The proposal "takes note" of intentions on both sides to issue "unilateral declarations on the issue of the Macedonian language," seemingly leaving the door open for action in Sofia and Skopje on the subject. It also imposes an obligation on Skopje to respect its 2017 Friendship Treaty with Sofia, effectively steering Brussels into monitoring compliance of that bilateral agreement as well as of the so-called Sofia Agreement of 2018. The proposal suggests two intergovernmental conferences, including one this week in Brussels and another after North Macedonia changes the constitution's preamble. Why Now? This week's EU summit will be largely dominated by decisions stemming from Russia's four-month-old invasion of Ukraine on whether to accept the EU applications of Ukraine, Moldova, and, more improbably, Georgia. But there are other items on the agenda. One of the bloc's principal challenges has been its relations toward nonmembers in the Balkans and perceptions that they are being frozen out again. France has been among the staunchest resistors of early enlargement, publicly and behind the scenes. Brussels and EU members have kicked the can of EU enlargement down the road for years regarding the so-called Western Balkans Six -- Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Now, in the context of Russia's war on Ukraine, some of those aspiring members' relations with Moscow and their resistance to joining Western sanctions and other efforts to punish or discourage President Vladimir Putin's aggression have taken on new significance. In Serbia, for instance, polling recently showed for the first time opposition to EU membership outweighing support and President Aleksandr Vucic has declined to impose sanctions or flight bans against Russia. On a visit to Kyiv last week, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that immediate candidate status for Ukraine should be associated with a road map for the Western Balkans and Moldova. His vision of what he called a "European Political Community" is reminiscent of an older French-backed notion of concentric circles for a future EU, and certainly has its detractors. But France's EU Presidency ends on June 30, so the summit could be Macron's last chance to usher through any perceived breakthroughs to nurture the EU ambitions of Balkan hopefuls. Why Is This So Tricky For Sofia... After months of reports suggesting momentum to convince the Bulgarian side to withdraw its veto, centrist Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's government was set, at best, to become a minority or caretaker government after the no-confidence vote of June 22. The Macedonian question has featured prominently in the current crisis. Petkov publicly soft-pedaled Sofia's demands earlier this month to include a parliamentary framework, "inclusion of Bulgarians" in the Macedonian Constitution "so that their rights can be protected," and implementation of the Friendship Treaty. Junior partner There Is Such a People then blamed the issue in part for a decision to leave the ruling coalition, and party leader Slavi Trifonov latched onto the purported absence of any explicit reference to a "Bulgarian minority" in the proposal. He described Petkov's actions as a national betrayal. Last week, with the walls closing in on Petkov's government, the Bulgarian cabinet handed responsibility for lifting the veto to parliament. That means opposition lawmakers -- potentially including the populist GERB party that lost power late last year -- are needed. This week, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, a former Petkov ally who has backed a hard line on the Macedonian question for two years, seemingly softened his position and expressed support for the French proposal. ...And Skopje? North Macedonia has now been idling for nearly two decades in its drive to get into the European Union, and still has no formal framework for EU negotiations. But the timing of a potential failure this week, exactly four years after Macedonians signed onto the Prespa Agreement to end a name dispute with Greece that qualified their country as "North Macedonia" despite fierce internal opposition, could be a double blow to the national psyche. That concession was supposed to revive Macedonians' EU integration efforts. But barely two years later, Bulgaria came along with its own qualifications of Macedonian identity and the accompanying veto. Following reports of the French proposal, Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski joined opposition politicians in seeking assurances that his country would "demand firm guarantees from both Bulgaria and the EU that the inclusion of Bulgarians in the country's constitution is the last condition" for accession negotiations to begin. Macedonian officials avoided staking out unambiguous positions on the French initiative in the absence of any confirmation that Sofia was aboard. Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani each said they would make their position clear once all 27 EU members were united. But RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service suggested that the EU had "offered Bulgaria more than it could have imagined" via the French proposal. A declaration adopted by the Macedonian parliament last year insists on the continuity of the Macedonian language and its dialects, as well as the native status of the Macedonian people and respect for their historical, linguistic, cultural, and religious continuity. Osmani, whose ministry is leading negotiations with Bulgaria but -- as of early this week -- said he had not received the French proposal, has suggested that "we think we have a mandate to continue talking" as long as any proposal complies within that parliamentary framework. As the deadlines loomed for Sofia and Skopje to sign off on their compromise, there was still some uncertainty as to whether Kovocevski's government had the authority to give national assent to the French proposal. One of the concerns among Macedonians is that whatever concessions they might make now, Bulgaria's position inside the EU gives it almost limitless power to derail Skopje's negotiations at any point in the process. Bulgaria could still potentially suspend the process over perceived failures to meet requirements of their 2017 Friendship Treaty, for example. Nikola Dimitrov, North Macedonia's foreign minister until January, told a recent roundtable debate on the topic that Skopje's fortunes have swung wildly and unfavorably in just a few months with respect to the prospect of European integration. "The [French] proposal doesn't lead us to EU membership. Do we want to start negotiations, or do we want to conclude negotiations and gain membership?" Why Should Outsiders Care? Critics argue that EU credibility has been at stake for years in the Balkans, with reassurances on enlargement repeatedly offered and abandoned. Publics in the region are exhausted by their own governments' reform failures and EU stonewalling, compounding demographic woes from emigration since the breakup of Yugoslavia and the subsequent wars. Meanwhile, Europeans have been acutely anxious for years about Russian attempts to maintain special and potentially disruptive relationships in the Balkans. Moscow has most notably kept its energy ties and political influence active in Serbia. But even since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late February, Moscow has stepped up its diplomatic and economic support for Serbia and for the secessionist Bosnian Serb leadership of Republika Srpska, which along with the Muslim and Croat federation composes Bosnia. Detractors of the French compromise have also warned that future European Union hopefuls could be held hostage to any EU member's bilateral demands as a result of the formal incorporation of Sofia's Friendship Treaty with North Macedonia into the negotiation and monitoring process. With reporting by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service and the Macedonian unit of RFE/RL's Balkan Service Going to the dentist is never a welcome task, but for Russians living under sanctions imposed by the West on their country for its invasion of Ukraine, its now even harder to stomach. The Russian dental industry is almost entirely dependent on European and U.S. imports of equipment and materials, and now, facing a virtually frozen supply chain, dentists are scrambling to weigh the alternatives of potentially inferior treatments for patients -- and having to raise prices. Getting ones teeth treated has always been a luxury, and now even more so, says Inna, the owner of a dental clinic in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. No matter how much you care for your patients, its impossible to keep the same prices. Inna says that every piece of dental equipment and material in her clinic is imported without exception, listing fillings, implants, prosthetics, crowns, and cement, among other essential items. Where previously these would have been ordered from European suppliers, many in Germany and Italy, now the supply chain has all but dried up. Any chance to get their gloved hands on the supplies that they have relied upon for so long now requires dentists to pay exorbitant prices, but in many instances simply isnt possible. Some dentists were able to stockpile supplies at the beginning of March before many Western sanctions came in. Innas clinic bought materials for the year ahead. If we hadnt done this, I dont even know what we would be doing now, she says. Now you can only buy quality materials if someone has some leftovers, and their prices on average are three times higher than before the war. She gives the example of an American filling material called Filtek, which in February cost 1,800 rubles ($33). Now, you cant find it for less than 4,300 ($79), she says. But the demand is still there. Other dentists point out that stockpiling can only go so far. Medical materials have a shelf life of about a year, says Igor Rodin, an orthopedist, chief physician, and owner of a network of dental clinics in Tyumen. He says their supplies are now four times as expensive as they used to be. First of all, the cost of consumables -- which are needed daily -- have risen. Paper is more expensive, as are aprons and saliva ejectors, to name a few. 'We Can't Refuse Patients' On the receiving end, patients are now finding themselves with unexpectedly steep bills. Lidia, a resident of Tyumen, says shes been taking her son to an orthodontist in nearby Chelyuskintsev for several years. Previously, an initial appointment cost 700 rubles ($13), and a follow-up was 500 ($9), she says. Now theyre asking for 1,000 ($18) for the follow-up -- the prices have doubled. Inna says most patients shes seen have been sympathetic about the price hikes, especially because her clinic stockpiled materials so was able to increase prices incrementally. Anesthesia at the beginning of the year cost 700 rubles ($13); now its 950 ($17.50). A root canal now costs 12,000 ($220) instead of the precrisis 8,000 ($147). We understand that people no longer have money and for many its expensive, but what can we do? We cannot work at a loss, she says. The costliest service that dental clinics in Russia provide is arguably prosthetics, in particular implants. The field of implantology is fully dependent on imports and is now on the brink of going under. I have always preferred to work with German, Swedish, and American materials, says Ilya Shumakov, an implantologist and orthopedic dentist from Novosibirsk. Premium implants use titanium compounds, with minimal impurities. "This isnt something you can skimp on, he adds, saying that now many materials have simply disappeared from the Russian market. Manufacturers dont want to work with our state, he says. You cant buy half of what you need. Rodin says his dental clinics fell into the red in the first quarter of 2022. The hardest part is insurance companies. They do annual contracts that state I cannot raise prices, he says. Today, we follow the 2020 price list of [Russian insurance company] SOGAZ. And we cant refuse patients. He says theyve had to resort to delaying patients. Yes, we started stretching them, saying everything is busy -- call back in a week. We play dirty, but SOGAZ also plays dirty. Russian Roulette, But Worse Without the quality equipment and materials that both they and patients have come to rely on, dentists are cautiously looking for alternatives made in other countries. They are adamant, though, not to use domestic products, citing poor quality and little selection. We looked at what we could find in Russia. To be honest, there is no comparison with foreign materials, says Inna of Krasnoyarsk. We dont want the client to return to us in a week, for example, with a filling thats fallen out. We will lose more on this than we will earn. She says there was a level of trust and confidence in supplies from Europe and the United States that is lacking when it comes to Russian counterparts. With ours so far, its Russian roulette, she says. And not with one bullet in the drum but vice versa, when there's only one empty chamber. Suppliers in China have been eager to fill the gap in the Russian market. Inna says shes had representatives write and call her directly, but she remains unsure. As a last resort, well have to switch to China. They now have a unique position to occupy the Russian market. But there are doubts about whether we will benefit from this," she says. "The cost is comparable to European equipment, but well have to see about the quality. Shumakov has also seen Chinese firms angling to replace importers that have pulled out. American 3M, for example, completely left Russia. Now the Chinese are trying to take their place, he says. We looked at the implants offered by China. It looks good on paper, but I dont know what will happen in practice. And theres no one to ask. Everyone else worked with imports from Europe or the United States, so they cant give any advice about which is better. There are a handful of dental materials manufactured and available domestically, but the thought of using them is a Soviet nightmare. I know very well what quality it is, says Shumakov. Sometimes Ive used our materials, but only for intermediate work. They are suitable for placing a temporary filling, but not a permanent one. Impression masses, cements, filling materials -- all this is not as good as it should be. And Russian anesthetics? No self-respecting dentist would use them. Its a nightmare to switch back to lidocaine in big 5cc syringes with thick needles. I hope it doesnt come to that, Shumakov says. For patients, too, the thought of returning to the poor-quality dental treatments of the Soviet era -- when dentists had limited choice of materials and lacked modern equipment and oversight -- is a terrifying prospect. I dont want to reach the point where we have to use [Russian implants for my treatment], says Olga Kerimova, a resident of Krasnoyarsk. "I still remember what Soviet dentistry is. I remember those yellow fillings and iron teeth. No thank you. I dont want to return to the U.S.S.R. 'Do Everything Now' Regardless of prices, people who need a dentist cannot put off the treatment indefinitely. Inna encourages people to get their teeth examined before more serious problems arise -- and cost even more. Prices will continue to rise, so its better to do everything now, she says. People are not idiots. They know how to count, especially in a crisis. They know that a cavity will not go away on its own. If you dont put a seal on it for 7,000 rubles, then youll have to treat the canals later for more than 12,000. Shumakov says that his clinic saw an influx of people in March who wanted to get their teeth treated for the old prices, and that even now, theres no shortage of patients. I hope that the problems with supplies will be resolved, and well have something to work with, he says. With reports of dozens killed as well as hundreds injured and detained in recent weeks, the Tajik government tried to settle a long-standing conflict in its Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) with forceful and repressive measures in a crackdown that has shocked the remote region. In the process, Dushanbe has seemingly destroyed any hope of regaining support in GBAO, where the ethnically and culturally distinctive Pamiri people make up the majority of the province's some 230,000 inhabitants. A considerable part of the GBAO population maintained a certain level of loyaltyor at least supported the idea of finding a compromise with Dushanbe," a Tajik analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told RFE/RL. "But today the population is in complete shock as many of us hoped for a peaceful solution [and] no one expected such a level of brutality [from the government]." The analyst added that there is a total collapse of relations between Dushanbe and the province. In the last several weeks police and security forces have killed more than 50 people and arrested several hundred GBAO residents ranging from informal leaders and influential opinion-makers to regular demonstrators, local activists say. Among those killed in the reported police actions were unofficial leaders Mahmadboqir Mahmadboqirov, in Khorugh, the regional capital, on May 22, when at least 21 people were killed; and Khursand Mazorov and Zoir Rajabov, who authorities said were "neutralized" during an operation on June 12. The three were influential members of the GBAO community and their deaths incensed locals. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said at a meeting of government officials in the Dangara region on June 18 that he had ordered "the neutralization of persons armed with weapons" because "there was no other way out." Evolution Of A Conflict The protracted conflict in GBAO started in July 2012 when the Tajik government undertook a large-scale military and police operation to arrest and eradicate a group of local informal leaders in the region that it accused of criminal and anti-state activities. Compared to other Tajik regions, GBAO was traditionally distinguished by its relatively strong and well-developed civil society and nongovernment sector. Therefore, for years it remained the only region where the government and law enforcement officials had to consider the people's opinion and possible reaction when making political and economic decisions. But as the authoritarian Rahmon -- who came to power in 1992 -- slowly consolidated his position, he attempted to establish complete control over the region, purging local leaders from the government and suppressing civil society leaders. This repressive policy promoted a large-scale protest movement in GBAO that was enhanced by a deepening socioeconomic crisis and a sharp drop in living standards. Although GBAO occupies almost half of Tajikistan and is rich in mineral and natural resources, it remains the least-developed region in the country with the highest unemployment rate and lowest living standards. As a result, tensions continued to rise in the region in the last decade, causing sporadic outbursts of violence. In October 2018, with the aim of defeating the protest movement, Tajik officials suddenly declared a new "anti-criminal campaign" in GBAO, deployed additional troops and police, and introduced martial law in Khorugh. The real power in the province was transferred to the newly established Inter-Agency Headquarters headed by General Saimumin Yatimov, the head of Tajik's secret service, known as the State Committee for National Security. The latest round of the conflict began in November, when a group of law enforcement agents killed Khorugh resident Gulbiddin Ziyobekov, whom they accused of attacking a deputy prosecutor in February 2020. The official statement claimed that Ziyobekov was shot after resisting arrest -- though eyewitnesses say he cooperated with police. Locals claim he was shot dead on the way to the police station. On the same day, protests erupted in Khorugh and police shot into a crowd that had assembled in front of the mayor's office, killing three. That led to further protests, with as many as 5,000 people gathering at the peak of the demonstrations, which lasted for four days. Authorities cut off mobile communications and the Internet as the rallies began and for several months have established a complete information blockade of the region. From those first demonstrations in November until the middle of May, the government and protest leaders tried in vain to negotiate a resolution to the conflict. In a statement posted on social media in December, the protesters demanded that the government normalize the situation in the province by demilitarizing the region, investigate the alleged killing of civilians, and eliminate the Inter-Agency Headquarters and return power to the provincial administration. Civic activists say that the government used the negotiations to try and divide the protest movement while simultaneously preparing the brutal crackdown in a bid to finally resolve the conflict. Ramzess Shogunov, a popular Badakhshani blogger, has accused the government of provoking riots in GBAO by arresting and killing the most popular public figures and informal leaders of the region. The government has even arrested holders of Russian passports and people have been forcibly deported from Russia at the request of Tajik authorities. The greatest public outburst was caused by Moscow's deportation and subsequent prosecution of Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev, a well-known MMA fighter who in March received a prison term of 8.5 years, and Amriddin Alovatshoev, a leader of the Pamiri diaspora in Russia who received an 18-year term in May after being abducted in Moscow in January and bundled to Tajikistan. Tajik officials also deployed additional police and military detachments in the region and increased pressure on local leaders, especially Mamadboqirov, who headed the most defiant group of protesters. Thus, by May the internal political situation in the province came to a shaky stalemate when prospects for a peaceful resolution of the conflict seemed increasingly doubtful. Ultimate Crackdown: The Tajik 'Bucha' The ruthless punishment of Chorshanbiev and Alovatshoev -- on what observers say are baseless charges -- was the final straw and led to protest leaders calling for fresh demonstrations in Khorugh on May 16. One witness told RFE/RL that the prevailing opinion of young protesters was "we will be arrested anyway and prosecuted for nothing. Lets do something so there will at least be a reason for our arrest." But this time the authorities were better prepared: The army and police units blockaded the center and major streets and districts of the city to prevent public gatherings. In the following days, security services launched a new wave of large-scale repression targeting all informal leaders and protest groups. Civil activists say that all of the main informal leaders in GBAO, starting with Mamadboqirov, have now either been arrested or executed in a series of police operations. The highest number of civilian casualties occurred in the town of Rushon, also known as Vamar, a center of the Rushon district located along the road from Dushanbe to Khorugh. On May 17, a group of residents from Vamar attempted to hold back a military column that was moving to the provincial center. In response, the army and police opened fire on the crowd, killing dozens. Some who escaped were reportedly shot at from helicopters. According to the human rights group ADC Memorial, about 40 civilians were killed in the unrest, though many corpses were reportedly thrown into the Panj River. Anora Sarkorova, a Tajik journalist living in Europe, wrote on Facebook that Vamar is like Bucha [the town in Ukraine where Russian soldiers are accused of killing civilians]. Corpses everywhere. Theyre looking for people. They take them to police stations and the State Committee for National Security and beat them to death. Based on the testimony of local witnesses and civic activists, several international human rights organizations, including ADC Memorial, Civil Rights Defenders, Amnesty International, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and the World Organization Against Torture, have accused Tajik authorities of blatantly violating basic human rights in Khorugh and Vamar, where cases of the torture of detainees, kidnapping, looting, and the extrajudicial execution of civilians have been reported. Human rights activists have also called for a thorough investigation into the use of force and the circumstances that led to the deaths and injuries of civilians during the protests in November and May, and for a public report to be made. The escalating violence in the region also sparked a call for restraint from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The European Union's diplomatic mission in Dushanbe and the French, German, British, and U.S. embassies have expressed their concern about the rights situation in GBAO and called for both sides to peacefully resolve the conflict. To justify Tajikistan's brutal policy in GBAO, officials began a large-scale media campaign intended to present the crackdown on the protest movement as an "anti-terrorist operation against armed criminal groups and international terrorists." Members of the protest movement reject the government's accusations. "It was a peaceful protest. If we had weapons or if it had been a military uprising, the Tajik Army and police would have suffered severe losses," said an activist on condition of anonymity. "But they lost only one soldier and, according to our sources, it was an accidental shooting death." As part of the media campaign, officials accused Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva, a well-known Tajik journalist and human rights defender, of organizing violent disturbances with several informal GBAO leaders and Tajik oppositionists living abroad, which they said were funded by an unnamed foreign country. The Russian state media immediately broadcast the allegations. Mamadshoeva and her husband, Kholbash Kholbashov, were shown on state TV on May 24 allegedly confessing to the charges, in an action condemned by rights groups. One week earlier, a day before she was detained, Mamadshoeva told RFE/RL that she had nothing to do with any of the anti-government protests. The Tajik government also went to great efforts to prevent the dissemination of information or video from eyewitnesses of alleged rights violations in GBAO. According to well-known Tajik blogger Rustami Joni, security forces broke into people's homes in the Rushon district and Khorugh to check phones and cameras for video and photos of alleged rights abuses committed by law enforcement. Tajik media outlets were also instructed not to cover events in GBAO under threat of closure. In mid-May, Asia-Plus, the largest Tajik independent media outlet, announced it was ceasing coverage of GBAO after receiving an official warning from the prosecutor-general. Members of the Pamiri community complain that security officers detain residents of GBAO upon arrival at Dushanbe airport where they are searched and interrogated. And Sarkorova said officials have increased pressure on the Pamiri diaspora in Russia, with activists and bloggers from GBAO living in Russia receiving text messages from Tajik security services urging them to return to Tajikistan for a security check to ensure they weren't involved in anti-state or criminal activity. What's Next? Many Tajik observers say the country is at a turning point in its development. It is not only about GBAO and suppressing a local protest movement, said one analyst in Dushanbe, who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity. Badakhshan is only the first step, a kind of testing ground for a complete crackdown on civil society and the eradication of all kinds of potential dissidents. Soon, the government will apply the same methodologythroughout the country. He pointed to a recent series of arrests, attacks, and harassment of several well-known bloggers and journalists in Dushanbe as proof of this. On May 17, unidentified people in plain clothes attacked four Tajik journalists from RFE/RL's Tajik Service and Current Time TV, a Russian-language outlet led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, that attempted to get an interview with Mamadshoeva. In June, the Tajik public was angered by the detention of Daleri Emomali and Abdullo Ghurbati -- two popular bloggers/journalists known for reports critical of authorities. Human Rights Watch demanded on June 22 that Tajik officials release the two bloggers. But they weren't the only ones detained. Khushom Gulom, a popular Pamiri blogger, was arrested soon after he arrived in Dushanbe from Khorugh. Soon afterward, Muhamad Sulton, a 72-year-old retired KGB colonel and popular blogger, was arrested in Dushanbe allegedly for comments on social media in which he criticized officials, including secret security chief Yatimov. "The people of Pamir will never be the same as they were before the conflict," said Joni, who lives in self-exile. This story was reported and written by a journalist who must remain anonymous for security reasons. RFE/RL's Tajik Service also contributed to this report. As Russian forces moved to encircle two key cities in the Donbas where Moscow has concentrated its military might, Ukraine described the situation in the eastern industrial city of Syevyerodonetsk as "hell." For four months, all our positions have been under fire from everything -- and I just want to emphasis this -- from all the weapons that the Russian Army has," the Luhansk regional Governor Serhiy Hayday said in a statement on social media. Its just hell out there," he added, referring to Syevyerodonetsk, which has been heavily shelled for weeks by Russian forces attempting to take complete control of the city. Ukrainian troops are struggling to resupply themselves under a barrage of Russian artillery and the recent destruction of three bridges that connected the twin cities of Syevyerodonetsk and Lysychansk. Ukraine has not released official casualty figures, which it keeps secret, but various officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, have suggested that as many as 100 Ukrainian soldiers are being killed every day. A Reuters photojournalist accompanied Ukrainian soldiers on June 20 as they engaged Russian forces in close-quarters combat in Syevyerodonetsk. And Here is a Two-Pound Croissant Le Parfait Paris has mastered the croissant art so much that even their stunt food tastes great Three Noble House Hotels & Resorts' executive chefs weigh in on the stigmas and scope of creating culinary programs for hotels Encinitas is revising its traffic-calming rules to allow more neighborhoods to win faster approval for easy-to-install measures such as speed cushions. The City Council unanimously approved the policy change Wednesday night, saying it could transform a process that now takes years into one that takes a few months. I want our residents experience to start changing, Councilwoman Tasha Boerner Horvath said. Councilman Tony Kranz said hed raised the regulatory issue with city staff after a Cornish Drive resident told him about her streets experience with the citys traffic-calming process. It is a bureaucratic matter, but were getting there, he told a crowd of Cornish Drive residents who attended Wednesday nights session. Advertisement Several Cornish Drive residents said it was about time, noting that they have been seeking improvements to their street since 2014. Were still waiting for some type of traffic calming or relief, Cornish Drive resident Harry Couglar told the council, adding that he thought the policy change was at least a good step in the right direction. In the past, Encinitas has used a system that places an emphasis on permanent, more costly traffic-calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds, such as narrowing roadway widths and expanding pedestrian areas, instead of changes that are seen as more temporary in nature. The new regulations will add a special fast-track process for easily removable, less costly traffic-calming measures, such as speed cushions, associate traffic engineer Nestor Mangohig said. Its hoped that it will be a four- to six-month approval process, a city staff report notes. Speed cushions are modern variations on the big asphalt speed bumps used in years past. Theyre rubberized devices that are designed to be longer than the space between a passenger cars wheels but shorter than that of a firetruck, so a car must slow to get over them, but a firetruck doesnt need to. The city recently has installed them on Willowspring Drive and Cerro Street. In order to be considered for the new fast-track process, residents on a given roadway first must submit a petition with at least 10 signatures representing at least 10 households on the street. City traffic engineers then will assess whether the roadway meets certain qualifications. Those include whether it is used by at least 500 vehicles a day and whether 85 percent of those vehicles are going at or below 32 mph. Before any bumps can be put onto a roadway, all of the residents along it will be surveyed by the city to gauge support for the proposal. After some discussion Wednesday night, council members decided to go with a 50 approval rate --- the city surveys must be returned by 50 percent of the residents and at least half of those who return the surveys must support the proposal. Mangohig said the placement of the cushions will be done with cooperation of the roadways residents, adding that people often volunteer to have them in front of their homes. Typically, he said, the people who live along a newly cushioned roadway give the bumps high praise, while drivers who live elsewhere and use the roadways as quick cut-through routes complain. Solana Beach is the latest California town to strike a deal with online vacation rental giant Airbnb allowing the company to automatically collect transient occupancy taxes from local bookings and forward that money to the city. Airbnb has similar contracts with about 17 counties and cities in the state, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Palm Desert and San Jose. Partnering with Airbnb is a way to level the playing field for property owners whove decided to list their homes as vacation rentals, said Solana Beach City Manager Greg Wade. Until now, it has been up to property owners to collect the tax and turn it in with no real way to determine whether everyone was fully complying. One of the complaints we receive is that there are people out there who arent paying the TOT (transient occupancy tax), Wade said. Everyone should play by the same rules. Advertisement Solana Beach approved its rules for short-term vacation rentals in 2003, and subjects the rentals to the same 13 percent transient occupancy tax it places on hotels and motels. In addition, property owners who rent out their units to vacationers are supposed to obtain special permits from the city. Airbnb reported 200 rentals in Solana Beach in 2016, but the city had only 198 active short-term vacation rental permits that year leading officials to conclude that at least two hosts, and probably more, were operating without permits. Though Airbnb is the largest online platform for vacation rentals, there are companies that offer similar services. Wade estimated there could be 250 to 300 short-term rental hosts in Solana Beach. In addition to permits, the citys ordinance requires vacation rental hosts pay the TOT, post placards with contact information, rent for at least seven days, and comply with other regulations. The city uses its two code compliance officers to enforce the rules, relying largely on complaints to reveal any problems. The city collected $371,400 in TOT from short-term vacation rentals in fiscal 2015-16, a staff report states. Airbnb charges no fee for collecting the tax. Were not just trying to get more money, Wade said of the deal, although the citys revenue is expected to increase under the contract. The greater goal is to make the process more fair for everyone, he said. Short-term vacation rentals have skyrocketed with the success of online services such as Airbnb, VRBO, Craigslist and others. However, in many resort towns they thrived before that using newspaper ads, bulletin boards and even word of mouth. A typical host in Solana Beach now earns $8,300 annually from rentals, the report states. Guests stay an average of 5.2 nights per visit, and a total of 37 nights per year. Airbnb reports 88 percent of Solana Beach hosts rent their entire home, and 12 percent rent a portion of the private space in their home. Los Angeles leads California in the short-term vacation rental business, with 1 million guest arrivals reported in 2016. San Diego is third on the list with 357,500 guests, behind San Francisco with 444,000. South Lake Tahoe, a tiny town in the High Sierra, is fourth with 131,000 arrivals last year. The rapid growth of short-term vacation rentals has made them a controversial issue in some communities, where long-time residents of older, quiet neighborhoods say the rapid turnover of visitors brings problems with noise, trash and petty crime. Last year the small coastal community of Del Mar placed a moratorium on new short-term rentals until it can prepare a city ordinance to regulate the activity. Short-term rentals have always been the rule, Ivo Feierabend, a Del Mar resident since the 1960s, told the City Council last month. He asked for the rentals to continue, saying coastal homes are costly and many residents depend on the income from vacation rentals. The San Diego City Council has struggled for at least two years to agree on regulations for the growing home-sharing business. Last fall it rejected a proposed ban on the rentals in neighborhoods dominated by single-family homes, but the issue is expected to come up again before the year is out. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle 2018 A BART train derailed between Concord and Pleasant Hill stations during rush hour Tuesday, injuring one person and shutting down a segment of the line in both directions, as people hustled to get home for the day. Two cars came off the tracks as the San Francisco-bound train one of the older models headed toward Pleasant Hill with 50 passengers on board at 5:30 p.m., BART spokesperson Alicia Trost said. Emergency personnel evacuated all riders and checked everyone for injuries, she added. One person went to the hospital for back pain. The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to reinstate pork producers' lawsuit against a voter-approved California law that set minimum standards for cages used to hold breeding pigs, egg-laying hens and veal calves. The companies have made a plausible case that the 2018 initiative, Proposition 12, interferes with interstate commerce and does not benefit either Californians or the animals they seek to protect, the Justice Department lawyers said in a filing Friday. California has no legitimate interest in protecting the welfare of animals located outside the state, the departments lawyers told the court. They said the hundreds of millions of dollars pork producers claim they will have to spend to comply with the law clearly outweigh the negligible in-state benefits to Californians. The filing was denounced by Wayne Pacelle, president of the nonprofits Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It is shocking that the Biden administration is attacking the rights of states to enact anti-cruelty and food safety laws that are nonexistent at the federal level, Pacelle said. Millions of people every year are sickened by a range of bacteria and viruses that flow from factory farms. The states interest in protecting the interests of Californians could not be clearer. Prop. 12, approved by more than 62% of voters, required producers to provide at least 24 square feet of floor space for each breeding pig, one square foot for each egg-laying hen and 43 square feet of floor space for calves raised for veal. It banned the sale in California of meat products from animals held in smaller cages. An earlier California initiative, Prop. 2 of 2008, required that farm animals have enough room to lie down, stand up, extend their limbs and turn freely. For egg-laying hens, the measure outlawed the cramped quarters known as battery cages, which animal-rights groups said were both inhumane and potential sources of disease. It initially applied only to California farms, but later legislation banned sale in California of eggs produced in battery cages. The measures survived court challenges and took effect in 2015. Last year the Supreme Court denied review of a suit against Prop. 12 by another industry group, the North American Meat Institute. The current suit by the National Pork Producers Council and the National Farm Bureau Federation, supported by 20 Republican-led states, was dismissed by lower federal courts, which said Prop. 12 merely increased the cost of production and did not interfere with interstate commerce. But the high court agreed in March to take up the case, with arguments due in the term that begins in October. In its filing supporting the farm groups, the Biden administration said it was not taking a position on whether Prop. 12 was unconstitutional, and was arguing only that the lower courts should not have dismissed the suit. But based on the farm groups arguments that the law would increase their costs by 9.2%, that breeding pigs are just as healthy in smaller spaces, and that there is no evidence of harm to consumers health the California law may amount to an undue interference in interstate commerce, government lawyers said. The state is closing its market to wholesome pork meat and sending its inspectors to farms in other states for the purpose of enforcing Californians judgments about appropriate animal husbandry throughout the nation, the filing said. By the same logic, it said, California might try to ban products because of objections to the producers low wages or business practices. 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. Pacelle, president of the animal-support groups, said the government was ignoring evidence of diseases in closely confined pigs and other animals, like salmonella, that can be transmitted to humans. Swine flu is also a danger, said Jim Keen, director of veterinary science for the Center for a Humane Economy. He said some potentially lethal bacteria have been resistant to antibiotics that are administered to pigs when they are removed from confinement. Like its predecessors, President Bidens Department of Agriculture led by Tom Vilsack, a former dairy executive has done almost nothing on animal welfare, Pacelle said. The case is National Pork Producers Council v. Ross, 21-468. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko AlertWildfire Cal Fire officials had made significant progress beating back the Edgewood Fire by Wednesday afternoon, when they said the blaze burning at the edge of a nature preserve in unincorporated San Mateo County was 42% contained, and holding at 20 acres. The grass fire prompted the evacuation of more than 1,100 homes Tuesday afternoon, but all evacuation orders were lifted by Tuesday evening, according to the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UPDATE: San Francisco officials release name of man shot and killed on Muni train One person was killed and another injured Wednesday morning following a shooting inside a Muni train between the systems Forest Hill and Castro stations, District Seven Supervisor Myrna Melgar said on Twitter. Melgar, citing information she received from the San Francisco Police Department, said the shooter ran out of the train at the Castro Station and was still at large, but stressed that police were not handling the incident as an active shooter situation. We have too many guns out there, Melgar said in a follow-up tweet. Too, too many. About 9:56 a.m., San Francisco police responded to a report of a shooting at the Muni Forest Hill Station, but on scene discovered that the train had already left and was headed toward the Castro Station, according to police spokesperson Allison Maxie. Officers discovered the two victims at the Castro station. A 70-year-old man was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and a second victim, a 27-year-old man, died at the scene despite life-saving measures by San Francisco firefighters, police said. Police confirmed that no arrests were made, and described the gunman as a male wearing dark clothing and a hooded jacket. On Wednesday night, San Francisco police released a still photo from surveillance video of a person authorities described as a person of interest. San Francisco police officials are asking this person to come forward and speak with investigators. Police said they obtained video of the shooting and investigators with the San Francisco polices Homicide Detail are leading the investigation into the killing. Maxie said the incident does not appear to be related to San Franciscos upcoming Pride festivities or the Castro districts broader LGBTQ community. Police on Wednesday night said in a statement that they would like to assure community members and visitors that this incident appears to be isolated, and we do not believe is related to Pride festivities or was targeting any group or community. Melgar told The Chronicle that the shooting was not random, and that the suspected shooter and another man were in a heated dispute prior to the gunfire. The shooter pulled out a gun and shot the guy he was arguing with, Melgar said. The second victim was not involved in the verbal altercation but just happened to be right next to the other victim. Melgar said witnesses heard three to four gunshots just as the train was leaving the Forest Hill Station. It was not clear if the shooting of the second victim, a female, was accidental, she said. The female victim was injured in the knee and is the one who survived her injuries, Melgar said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Police are interviewing witnesses and closed off the Castro Street Station to gather evidence, Melgar said. City officials Wednesday morning urged residents to avoid the area between Castro and Market streets due to police activity, and said bus shuttles were being arranged to transport people from West Portal to Embarcadero and Folsom Street. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, called the violence a horrific tragedy, and noted that it occurred on a stretch of subway line that hed taken thousands of times. Its another reminder that as long as our country is awash in guns, shootings can happen anywhere, anytime, he said in a statement. California has the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, and were continuing to strengthen them. But we need strong action from Congress to truly improve the safety of our community. Anyone with information about the person of interest or about the shooting should contact San Francisco polices tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. Callers may remain anonymous. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy San Jose police on Wednesday morning shot and killed a man who was suspected of killing two people on Tuesday evening, authorities said. The man, who was not immediately named, was taken to a local hospital just before 8 a.m., the San Jose Police Department tweeted. About three hours later, police confirmed the man died from his injuries at the hospital. San Jose police spokesperson Christian Camarillo said the man was armed and shot at officers Wednesday morning after a nearly 7-hour long car and foot chase that ended at a home in the 100 block of Bendorf Drive. The man barricaded himself inside a backyard shed, Camarillo said at a news conference. No officers were injured or struck by gunfire, authorities said. The chase, police said, began Tuesday evening after the man allegedly shot and killed two people one in East San Jose and another in Modesto (Stanislaus County). The first shooting was reported just after 7 p.m. in the 1400 block of Mt. Shasta Drive in which an adult male was taken to a local hospital that evening, police said. On Wednesday morning, San Jose police said the incident was being investigated as a homicide. The second shooting was reported two hours later as the gunman allegedly drove south to Modesto and fatally shot a 29-year-old woman, the Modesto Police Department wrote on Facebook. He then traveled back to San Jose and a pursuit ensued around 11 p.m., Camarillo said. After the gunman crashed and fled by foot, he opened fire on police officers during a standoff, authorities said. The gunman then barricaded himself inside a shed at a home on Bendorf Drive for several hours, prompting temporary evacuations in the South San Jose neighborhood. 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. Hours later, the gunman came out of the shed, pointing a firearm at an officer, and a police officer shot the gunman at least once, Camarillo said. The incident remains under investigation. Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores @sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores Springy al dente noodles pulled by hand and served with a nourishing beef broth are the specialty at Ox 9, a new Lanzhou noodle shop in San Mateo. The restaurant quietly opened last weekend at 11 S. B St., at the edge of downtown San Mateo near the Caltrain station. Ox 9 appears to be the first restaurant on the Peninsula and one of only a handful in the Bay Area dedicated to this style of fresh, hand-pulled noodles from northwestern China. The same owners operate the Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles restaurants further south, in Milpitas and Cupertino. At Ox 9, the noodle-making process is on display like a mesmerizing theatrical act. From behind a glass window, customers can watch employees roll dough into chubby cylinders and then deftly stretch the noodles into existence. They drop the noodles into boiling water to cook for no longer than 30 seconds. Staff need to spend at least a decade learning to make the noodles, said owner Nina Qu, to become intimately familiar with the proper proportions, temperature and ingredients. Customers can customize noodle dishes from six shapes and widths: from smaller round noodles similar to ramen to thick, pappardelle-esque flat noodles. Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle In the most classic preparation, the slightly yellow noodles arrive in a clear broth with paper-thin slices of beef, a bright red chile oil, green herbs and translucent daikon slices. The various components colors clear, white, red, green and yellow are essential standard-bearers of a traditional Lanzhou noodle soup. The broth, aromatic and flavorful, is built over 20 hours from nearly 30 ingredients. At Ox 9, the soup ($14.48) comes with a side plate of steamed bok choy and carrots, plus vessels of soy sauce, vinegar and chile oil on the tables, for customized garnishing. Other soup iterations come with lamb ($15.48) or pork ribs ($14.98) instead of beef. Or, the fresh noodles shine solo in brothless dishes, dressed simply in chile oil or with spicy ground pork (both ($13.48). While the noodle soups are the main event, there are also plenty of small plates like spicy wontons, garlicky cucumbers and fried popcorn chicken. The owners have long wanted to open in San Mateo. Its a food-centric city with a lot of noodle lovers, Qu said, including a sizable Asian population. While this noodle genre is famous in China, they hope to expose more American diners to the style. The dining room is minimalist and modern, the walls decorated with enormous illustrated posters explaining the history of the legendary noodles and how theyre made. Diners order on their phones using a QR code, but attentive servers bring water and answer questions about noodle shapes. Founder David Liu learned the art of hand-pulled noodles in Lanzhou before opening a shop there in 2012. He wanted to bring the specialty to Northern California and opened the first Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles (then called Zhongua) in Milpitas in 2017. They say it was the first dedicated restaurant of its kind in Northern California. When they expanded to Cupertino in 2021, the kitchen was overwhelmed by long lines of eager noodle fans, Qu said. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Some other Bay Area Chinese restaurants serve Lanzhou-style noodles, but its usually not their singular specialty. Another Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle restaurant, One Piece Lamian, opened in Fremont late last year; the East Bay city was also once home to the popular but now closed Shinry Lamian. Meanwhile, William Do of hit pop-up Laowai Noodles sells his spin on hand-pulled Sichuan noodles, but theyre hard to get with a long wait list. Ox 9. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. 11 S. B St., San Mateo. Indoor dining and takeout. 39miles.com/z/09688759 Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany Rental assistance for seniors. Drive-thru food pantries. Economic support for small businesses trying to survive the pandemic. Such programs are included on a list of more than $1 billion that San Francisco supervisors are considering adding back into Mayor London Breeds proposed budget for the next two fiscal years. Breed unveiled her latest spending plan for nearly $14 billion a year at the start of the month, and a committee of supervisors has been looking for cuts to free up funds for other priorities. Supervisors have authority under the City Charter to amend the mayors budget proposal, amending how much is directed to certain areas. This year, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who chairs the boards Budget and Appropriations Committee, is leading a charge to find as many savings as possible in order to maximize potential funding additions, drawing from numerous requests submitted by various groups in the city. While the list is part of the annual push-and-pull between the mayor and supervisors that plays out during every budgeting process, this years efforts reflect the difficult choices San Francisco leaders must make as the city tries to chart a path out of a historic pandemic while balancing needs that far outstrip its available resources. Some supervisors who see the proposed budget as too favorable to the interests of downtown businesses and the police may to try to move some funds more toward other neighborhoods and community groups. Ronen has directed the boards budget and legislative analyst to be aggressive in proposing cuts to the various departments, hoping to create as much room in the budget as possible. Ronen said she would take a hard look at any departments that have had vacant jobs linger for years. We are making Sophies choices in every single budget about what were going to fund and what were not going to fund, Ronen told The Chronicle. If we funded your position and you cant get it together and hire that position, then it wasnt as important as you told us it was and Im going to take it. The $1 billion list Ronen is drawing from includes a request for nearly $15 million per year that would, among other things, provide rental assistance for 1,000 seniors and people with disabilities. The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is asking for $10 million per year to preserve funding for COVID hunger response programs, including drive-thru food pantries and pop-up pantries. Latino community leaders have requested more than $80 million over a two-year period to provide grants, loans and other support to struggling businesses throughout the city. The full list of requests totals 34 pages. The mayors proposed budget totals $13.95 billion for the coming fiscal year and $13.85 billion for the year after. Her plan would allocate about $49 million over both years to help guide the citys recovery from the pandemic, including through events that are intended to attract visitors back to the downtown core. Breed also wants to raise the pay of San Francisco police and hire more officers as she tries to address residents concerns about public safety that recently propelled the successful recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin. The mayor is very much focused on our economic recovery and on public safety as well as supporting citywide initiatives, said Breeds spokesperson, Jeff Cretan. He said downtown businesses are in dire need of immediate help to rebound from the pandemic, and that increasing police staffing levels will benefit all areas of the city. We dont have (enough) police officers to be able to deal with the issues in the neighborhoods, Cretan said. If youre saying, Were for the neighborhoods, then you should be for the mayors public safety budget. 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. Despite the economic downturn brought by the pandemic, San Franciscos local government coffers have nonetheless been boosted by new sources of tax revenue, major real estate deals and better-than-expected pension returns, among other factors. A recent report from the city Controllers Office found that while Breeds budget made reasonable assumptions about how the San Francisco economy would recover from the pandemic, reality could prove to be more challenging than current forecasts expect. The revenue outlook for the City is closely tied to the recovery of sectors most affected by the pandemic: tourism, office using industries, and small businesses, the controllers report said. The extent to which changes in these sectors, including the prevalence of telecommuting, patterns of out-migration, resumption of conventions and international travel, are temporary or permanent will be critically important to the Citys tax base. The report also said the mayors budget proposal relied on nearly $1 billion of one-time sources to the general fund, including relief from the federal government and reserves. By the 2024 fiscal year, the city is expected to have used about 40% of the reserves it had on hand during the 2019 fiscal year. Supervisors Connie Chan, Aaron Peskin and Gordon Mar said they want to tap into some of the citys reserves to invest $118 million to support the work of nonprofits that serve Asian and Pacific Islander residents. Its not the only high-profile request coming from the board. Supervisor Dean Preston also said last week that he wanted his colleagues to approve $35 million in the city budget to pay for teacher housing projects, elevator improvements at single-room-occupancy hotels and other housing initiatives. At the same time, hes looking to secure an additional $100 million in long-term debt financing to pay for the purchase and construction of affordable housing and repairs to existing government-owned homes. The budget committee is expected to reach an agreement by early this week. The full board has to approve the budget by Aug. 1. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris Greens grow in a warehouse operated by Plenty Unlimited, an agricultural start-up, in South San Francisco on March 24. The controlled-environment agriculture industry is expected to grow to $9.7 billion worldwide by 2026, but it faces challenges, including high energy costs, technological limitations and the ability to scale. Angelica Campos is president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges. Isaac Alferos is president of the Cal State Student Association. Esme Quintero-Cubillan is president of University of California Student Association. LATEST June 22, 9 p.m. Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist with the company Vaisala that maps lightning strikes around in the world, said on Twitter on Wednesday evening that total of 54,329 lightning events were detected across California between 00 UTC June 22 to 00 UTC June 23. "The most in a single day since September 8, 2017, when 56,059 were detected," Vagasky said. "This is the 6th highest daily total since 2015." Vagasky told SFGATE: "Astonishingly, this lightning from the last 24 hours is almost 9% of the total lightning detected in California in 2020 and 2021 combined." June 22, 11:50 a.m. A push of monsoonal moisture that moved into Southern California, the Central Valley and the southern Sierra Nevada on Wednesday morning triggered thunderstorms that threw tens of thousands of lightning strikes and caused one death and one injury. Meteorologists said the weather event is unusual for June in California. Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist with the company Vaisala, which maps lightning strikes around in the world, said on Twitter the North American Lightning Detection Network detected 25,000 strikes between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Vagasky said this number puts the event in the top 2% of daily California lightning totals. Of the total strikes, Vagasky told SFGATE that 9,427 were cloud to ground, while the others were in-cloud pulses and didn't reach the ground. "This is an anomalous event for June," Vagasky said. "Californias most active period for lightning is usually from July to September once the monsoon has really established itself." The National Weather Service reported thunderstorms and lightning strikes across Southern California and the southern Central Valley on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. More than an inch of rain fell over Los Angeles and Ventura County across 12 hours, and there were reports of some pea-size hail. Firefighters responded to a fire that was likely started by lightning in Ventura County. "There were a number of very small fires but it's hard to confirm if they were started by lightning," said Ryan Kittell, a forecaster with the Los Angeles weather service office. "There was a small fire in Glendale. Everything has been really small. There hasn't been anything that has gotten very large. Even that one in Ventura stayed small." A woman and her dogs were reportedly struck and killed by lightning Wednesday morning in Pico Rivera, a city about 15 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, multiple media outlets reported. This marks the first death by lightning in California in 2022 and the third in the past three years, the Lightning Safety Council said. The city of Pico Rivera called on residents to cancel all outdoor activities because of the inclement weather. About a 160 miles northeast of Pico Rivera, a man was struck by lightning in Ridgecrest at about 7:30 a.m. while pushing a baby in a stroller and walking a dog, said Ridgecrest Police Department Capt. Aaron Tucker. "When officers arrived, they located a person suffering from a lightning strike, and person was providing CPR," said Tucker. "The victim regained consciousness. He was later transported to a hospital." Tucker said the dog and the baby were not harmed. The thunderstorms covered a large swath of California as moisture west of the Channel Islands drifted inland. "This is creating southerly flow from the Pacific into southern California, bringing sufficient moisture and instability into the region for thunderstorm development, when the air begins to interact with the California terrain," Vagasky said. "As that system moves over California and into Nevada over the next day or two, the moisture supply will go away and so will the chance of storms." The monsoonal moisture is expected to reach the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday afternoon, but the system will likely lose a lot of its strength and carry less moisture as it pushes east to west from the Central Valley toward the coast. While the thunderstorms in Southern California delivered some downpours of rain, the storm activity is expected to deliver less rain in the north. "I'd say for the most part, we're looking at scattered high-based showers with potentially an isolated thunderstorm or two," said Drew Peterson, a forecaster with the Bay Area's weather service office. "The most likely areas for this are pretty much from Hollister northward to about Benicia, including all of Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Solano County and Napa County, with the highest possibility on the eastern side of those counties." Data produced by North American Lightning Detection Network is monitored nonstop and validated against rocket-triggered lightning, lightning to tall towers, and other lightning references. "The network detects more than 95% of cloud-to-ground flashes with 100-meter accuracy," Vagasky told SFGATE for a previous story. UPDATE, June 22, 10:27 p.m. San Francisco police released images of a person of interest in a fatal shooting on a Muni train Wednesday morning. The person is seen wearing a black jacket, white sneakers, dark pants and a black shirt while riding a Muni light rail vehicle. He also has blue headphones and a red backpack. Police are asking this person to come forward and speak with investigators. A 27-year-old man was killed and a 70-year-old man sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting. One person is dead and a second injured after a shooting inside a Muni train in San Francisco, officials said. The shooting took place at 9:56 a.m. right at the Forest Hill Muni station as it was heading toward the Castro stop, a San Francisco police spokesperson told SFGATE in a statement. Police arrived at the scene of the shooting at about 10 a.m., according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which said that police activity has shuttered subway service between the West Portal and Castro stations in both directions. San Francisco District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar wrote on Twitter that the shooting occurred inside a train. One person was reportedly killed at the scene. The second individual, according to a San Francisco police officer's tweet, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The individual is currently at Zuckerberg San Francisco General. According to a statement by Melgar, a preliminary police report found that "the suspect and the victim were in a heated verbal argument." A San Francisco police spokesperson confirmed to reporters that the shooting does not appear to be a "hate-motivated crime" or tied to Pride in any way. Officers are still searching for the suspect who escaped from the Castro Muni station. Surveillance footage from the station shows the alleged shooter, police said. The suspect was seen wearing "dark clothing and a hooded jacket," a San Francisco police spokesperson said. "The incident that took place this morning is unnerving and yet another reason why we need to do more to prevent gun violence," Melgar said in her statement. "There are too many guns out in our society, escalating a verbal argument into a senseless death of a young life." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STROE, Netherlands (AP) Thousands of farmers gathered in the central Netherlands Wednesday to protest the Dutch governments plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, driving their tractors across the Netherlands and snarling traffic on major highways. The protest was organized earlier this month after the government published nationwide targets for reducing emissions, sparking anger from farmers who claim their livelihoods and those of thousands of people who work in the agricultural service industry are on the line. Calling it an unavoidable transition, the government mandated reductions in emissions of up to 70% in many places close to protected nature areas and as high as 95% in other places. The government has been forced to act after courts in recent years began blocking permits for infrastructure and housing projects because the country was missing its emissions targets. Organizers said some 40,000 farmers converged on a green field in the small agricultural village of Stroe, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of the capital, Amsterdam. A stage was set up for speakers to address the crowd and music blared out of speakers while children bounced in a giant inflatable pig. Farmers hooted their tractors' horns as they drove onto the field, where a banner on a truck read, in Dutch, What The Hague chooses is deeply sad for the farmer, a reference to lawmakers in the city that houses the Netherlands' parliament. Another banner on a tractor said: We can no longer be stopped. Marijn van Heun, a 23-year-old dairy farmer from the central Utrecht province, said the government plans were stripping young farmers of their futures. We cannot invest. Our fathers, our uncles, cannot invest in the future. And so as young farmers we also have no prospect of ... taking over a farm, he said. The national infrastructure authority urged motorists to delay travel as slow-moving convoys of tractors defied appeals not to use highways as they drove toward the demonstration. The traffic chaos continued throughout the day. As tractors returned home, some farmers blocked a highway. A tractor and a truck collided elsewhere. Earlier, in The Hague, a few dozen farmers and their supporters, some wearing T-shirts with the text No farmers, no food, gathered for a breakfast before heading to the protest. This is where the rules are made, said dairy farmer Jaap Zegwaard, who parked his tractor on the edge of a park in the city. I was asked to come here and provide breakfast so we can show we are food producers, not pollution producers. The ruling coalition has earmarked an extra 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to finance changes that will likely make many farmers drastically reduce their number of livestock or to get rid of them altogether. The plans, which have to be carried out by provincial governments, have been opposed even by members of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's own party and other members of his coalition. Provincial governments have been given a year to formulate plans to meet the reduction targets. One government lawmaker, Tjeerd de Groot, tweeted that he had planned to attend to discuss the plan with farmers but called off his trip on the advise of a government security agency. Does the law of the tractor apply in our country? he tweeted. Farming is a key sector in the Dutch economy, with exports worth nearly 105 billion euros last year. But it comes at a cost of producing of polluting gases, despite farmers taking steps to reduce emissions. Zegwaard said farmers were prepared to talk about how to reduce emissions, but objected to the industry shouldering most of the blame. Now the agricultural sector is dismissed as a major polluter and that is not right," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed. LATEST June 22, 7:15 a.m. It has been nearly 24 hours since a man was bitten by a shark while swimming at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove on Wednesday morning, and more details are emerging. Friends of the swimmer said that he is a member of a local swim club that often swims at Lovers Point. Multiple media outlets identified him as Steve Bruemmer, a retired IT specialist and computer science instructor at Monterey Peninsula College. KSBW news reporter Felix Cortez shared an image on Facebook of the three people who rescued the swimmer after the attack: Heath Braddock, a surfer from Moss Landing, Aimee Johns, a nurse from Folsom and her husband Paul Bandy, a Sacramento cop. The couple was on vacation in Pacific Grove for their wedding anniversary and paddle boarding when they heard the swimmer scream. He was screaming for help, you could tell the sound and the emotion in his voice that there was something definitely wrong and he was slapping the water, Paul Bandy told KSBW. I wasnt sure if that was some sort of thing he was trying to get something away from him or just trying to draw attention to himself. Video footage of the couple rescuing the swimmer was shared widely in social media. (See video below.) Jill Hannley, a friend of Bruemmer, told KION-TV that her friend is recovering and amputation of his leg "was not needed." The Monterey Fire Department deployed a drone to look for the shark. Ben Harvey, city manager of Pacific Grove, told the Monterey Herald that the shark was seen again in the area after the attack. June 22, 1:26 p.m. A man was attacked and seriously injured by a shark in the water off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, a California coastal town 118 miles south of San Francisco, on Wednesday morning, officials said. KSBW reported that the attack happened about 150 yards from the beach. The Pacific Grove Police Department received a call about the incident at 10:40 a.m., Shayla Hoffman, a spokesperson for the department, told SFGATE. The department said the adult male was swimming. The man was taken by ambulance to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, Hoffman said. His condition is unknown. Sea Palm turnout and the beach and the shorefront at Lovers Point are closed through Saturday. "They are using a drone to try to locate the shark in the water," Hoffman said. The type of shark that bit the man is unknown. Lovers Point Park is a popular gathering spot in Pacific Grove with a sandy beach and a stretch of grass with rocky cliffs at its western edge pouring into the ocean. Shark attacks in California aren't common but do occur occasionally. Nearly a year ago on June 28, a 35-year-old man was swimming off of Gray Whale Cove State Beach on the San Mateo County coast when he was bitten in the leg by a 6- to 8-foot great white shark. From the business owner/Yelp El Farolito, whose burritos are best consumed late at night with an alcohol-lined belly in need of carbs and protein, finally opened its newest outpost this past week in North Beach, according to Hoodline. Located at 1230 Grant Ave., the taqueria announced it would open this location back in August 2021, but the Lopez family, which first opened El Farolito in 1983, ran into San Franciscos formula retail planning code, which prohibits businesses with 11 or more locations from opening in designated Neighborhood Commercial Districts (NCDs), such as North Beach. El Farolito, which was deemed The Most Life Changing Burrito in America by Esquire Magazine in 2013, has 11 locations already throughout the Bay Area. Locals adore the juicy carne asada, spicy salsas and specialty meats such as lengua (beef tongue) and tripa (beef intestines). The tall, red-and-yellow neon sign is hard to miss driving down Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. A large arrow points to Hawaiis long standing icon Leonards Bakery, where lines wrap around the front and a mountain of malasadas 8,500 of them are sold every day. Its become a malasada landmark owned and operated by generations of Leonards. Best eaten hot and fresh, the pillowy-soft Portuguese doughnut is covered with sugar and shaped round without a hole. No one knew back when the bakery opened 70 years ago that malasadas would become so popular. The bakers didnt want to do it, Crystine Ito, Leonards Bakerys marketing manager, told SFGATE. They said it was too ethnic, too different, but they didnt own the bakery. Portuguese immigrants brought the malasada to Hawaii at a time when immigrant workers around the world were being contracted to work in the sugarcane fields around the late 1800s, but Leonards Bakery was the first bakery to make the sugary dessert widely available. Leonard Rego was the grandson of Portuguese immigrants from the Azores Sao Miguel Island who were sent to Maui to work. Rego moved with his wife, Margaret, to Honolulu and worked as a manager at another bakery before opening his own. In 1952, he opened Leonards Bakery and then, needing a bigger space, he moved the bakery to its current location on Kapahulu Avenue in 1957, and brought the neon signs with them. Selling breads and pastries, the bakery boasted the finest of bakery products, using natural ingredients of island eggs and fresh milk, unlike its competitors, who used powdered eggs and milk. Courtesy Leonard's Bakery Images courtesy of Leonard's Bakery Courtesy Leonard's Bakery Images courtesy of Leonard's Bakery Leonard's legacy (clockwise from top left): founder Leonard Rego, upper left, circa 1975; the grand opening of its present location in 1957; inside the new location in '57; a malasada wagon in the 1960s. (Images courtesy of Leonard's Bakery) Leonard's legacy (clockwise from top left): founder Leonard Rego, circa 1975; the grand opening of its present location in 1957; inside the new location in '57; a malasada wagon in the 1960s. (Images courtesy of Leonard's Bakery) It was Regos mom who suggested making malasadas using her own mothers recipe not long after opening. A Portuguese tradition, she encouraged Rego to make them for Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, which falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is the last day of eating rich foods before fasting for Lent. Were just such a melting pot, and everyone always uses that phrase because we truly are, and I think they accepted a Portuguese dessert in Hawaii and it took off, Ito says. Technically, malasadas are from the Azores islands, an archipelago off the coast of Portugal. The confection is made with yeast, eggs, butter and milk, but there can be variations in the recipe. Leonards Bakery uses their family recipe. Its secret is in how the dough is made, and its still in use today. Images courtesy of Leonard's Bakery The bakers, some of whom have been there for more than 40 years, mix over a thousand pounds of dough daily. From beginning to end, it can take about three hours. The process is really long, Ito says. They put all the ingredients together and they do the first mix and then they mix it again. They let it sit, they pull it out, they let it rise. They have to cut the dough, they fry the dough. Courtesy Leonard's Bakery Leonards also makes pao doce (Portuguese sweet bread), pastries, cookies, cupcakes and pies. In the 1960s, the bakery was the trendy place to go to get custom cakes decorating as many as 250 cakes on the weekend. It most notably created elaborately designed birthday cakes for celebrity parties, such as the ones for Duke Kahanamoku and Bob Hope. When Regos wife passed away, their son Leonard Rego Jr. became the current owner and decided he wanted to continue the legacy his parents had started. Today, his kids, including another Leonard, have helped with the bakery, too. Though the family would love to keep Leonards Bakery in the family, it has never been a requirement. They never actually made their kids come back to work, Ito says. COVID-19 brought the youngest Leonard back to Hawaii from college. While he was here, he learned the family business and worked in the bakery. I think hes enjoying it. The original malasada is still the bakerys best seller, though some are now sold with a variety of fillings. In the early 90s, Leonard Jr. thought filling the doughnuts with creams, such as custard, dobash (chocolate) and macadamia nut, would be a nice complement. The custard filling is customers favorite. Courtesy Leonard's Bakery The bakery has also grown to five Oahu locations. Four of them are food trucks scattered across the island, called Malasadamobiles. In 2005, a franchise location opened at a four-story shopping complex in Yokohama, Japan. [Leonard Jr.] just feels like its the hard work and his teams commitment to the bakery that makes them successful, Ito says. When you think of Hawaii, a lot of people think of plate lunches and malasadas, so I think he really does like being part of Hawaiis culture. I actually got stood up here one time, I tell Tay Kim as I sip a drink at the long old bar inside Edinburgh Castle. Scottish flags dangle from the ceiling and year-round Christmas lights twinkle while Kim stands behind the bar and we trade stories about our decadeslong histories at this fabled Tenderloin dive bar. Even though it's been 17 years and I'm now married, I still remember that indie rock party from 2005 where a girl I had a huge crush on didn't show up, or even bother to leave a message on my Motorola Razr. Its probably not the first forlorn love story Kim has heard considering hes been behind the stick at Edinburgh Castle for nearly 30 years. But his history with the place goes even further back than that. When he was 10 years old, long before he bought the place or even worked there, Kim once peeked his head into Edinburgh Castle, thought it was ominous and weird and decided he wanted nothing to do with the place. He had recently moved to the Tenderloin from Korea and had probably never seen a cavernous dive bar meant to feel like the love child of a Scottish castle and a pub. They didnt have anything like it back in Korea, but hell, there wasnt even anything else like it in San Francisco. Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE The Castle was opened on New Years in 1960 in what was most likely an old auto garage by a pair of Scotsmen named Douglas Kirk and Robert Johnson. The bar took its theme very seriously. Actual medieval weapons adorned the walls, which mustve been bolted down tightly because anyone whos spent enough time in bars knows that booze and battle axes are a dangerous combination. To this day a caber one of the tree trunk-type things people toss in Scottish Highland Games is still fastened to a wall near the pool table. And like so many other San Francisco institutions, of course it has a haunted past. Kim related a story to me about how late one night, he went upstairs to flip a light switch and the spot he was standing in shook like a major earthquake, though nothing else in the building moved. One of the bartenders saw it happen. But Kim isnt the only one who experienced weird things at the bar many past barkeeps have told him stories about seeing things move by themselves that shouldnt and noticed strange dark shadows creep through their peripheral vision late at night. Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE But after a 30-year-plus run which included a residency by a cageless parrot named Winston who spent years flying around the bar stealing quarters and hating bagpipes The Castle closed in the early '90s. Six months later, Kims cousins bought the bar in 1994. At age 24, Kim had just gotten back from traveling and needed a job, so his cousins hired him as a waiter. When I first showed up, I thought, Oh no, not this bar, he laughs, recounting the story of when he first saw the place at 10 years old. The thought that hed now be working at the bar that gave him the willies all those years ago has a funny irony to it. We were the only bar in the neighborhood like this, Kim explains as he hands me another drink. Back then everything else around here was either a Korean dive or a gay bar, so we were different. Kim was considering going to art school, but when he found out his cousin was trying to sell the Castle, he figured an opportunity like this wouldnt come up again. So in 1999 at age 29, he became the owner of the most famous castle in San Francisco where you can buy a Tecate and a shot for seven bucks. Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE Scenes inside the Edinburgh Castle, including regulars Marco Ibarra, upper right, as well as Rudy and his dog Jazz, lower left. (Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE) Scenes inside the Edinburgh Castle, including regulars Marco Ibarra, upper right, as well as Rudy and his dog Jazz, lower left. (Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE) I have a lot of fantastic stories about Edinburgh Castle from my 20s as well. When I started hanging out there in the early 2000s, it was known around the city as a spot for young hipsters to knock back cheap drinks and hopefully meet someone sexy at one of the bars many diverse events. There were raves, "Star Trek" nights, pub quizzes, a Robert Burns poetry night, a swearing festival and even a haggis celebration. My favorite was a party called 1964 where the DJs only played '60s soul music and we all danced so hard we sweat through our clothes. It was a regular stop on pub crawls I used to host, because it was one of the few SF bars large enough to accommodate a school bus full of 40 weirdos. And the small front room with the piano was one of the first places someone recognized me for my writing and bought me a drink because of it, which was one of the coolest things that had happened to me at the time and is seared into my memory. Id always wondered what the hell that small room with the graffitied piano and empty kegs was originally for, and Kim finally supplied the answer. It was originally a Scottish gift shop, Kim explains, but has since been used as a number of things, like an art gallery, a chill out room, a keg room and a make out room. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Edinburgh Castle made an unlikely transition from a 3000-square-foot dive bar popular with Scottish, English and Northern Irish expats to one of San Franciscos literary hubs. And most of that had to do with the bar manager, Alan Black. Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE Originally from Scotland, and having been involved with the literary scene there, Black brought his love of words and books with him when he started at the bar alongside Kim in 1994. He also brought a connection to a then-up-and-coming writer named Irvine Welsh who in 1995 was touring behind his new book of stories called The Acid House. Welsh did a reading at the Castles hidden upstairs stage, and according to an SFGATE article from 2002, A new chapter in the pub's history has begun, and everyone there knows it. Before Trainspotting became a hit movie based off of Welshs book of the same name, Edinburgh Castle had the exclusive rights to produce the play. Which they did for four straight months, and sold out every night. Kim even helped do some of the set design. Too bad there were no cellphones back then, Kim laments. I think there's a VHS recording of it somewhere, but I don't know where exactly. Despite the success of the play, they ended it after four months out of respect for Irvine. Shepherded along by Alan Black, many other great people and things came out of Edinburgh Castles literary scene. Well known writers like Po Bronson, Noah Hawley and Mary Roach would do readings there. San Franciscos famous Litquake literary festival was conceived over pints by Jane Ganahl and Jack Boulware. And in 2005, Black teamed up with writer Luke James and former bartender Sean O'Melveny to put out Public House, an anthology of spoken word, short fiction and poetry works from the Edinburgh Castles writing scene. Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE But Edinburgh Castles relationship with the arts didnt stop with the written or spoken word. They used to throw small 50-person concerts in the hidden upstairs room where local bands like Train and Two Gallants had their early shows. The tiny space is still used for comedy and theater. And scenes from the movies So I Married an Axe Murderer and Venom were shot in the bar. Kim loves to tell the story of the band The Killers trying to cut the line and him saying no. Everyone is treated equally at Edinburgh Castle, even rock stars. Things are a bit slower than in the 2000s salad days unfortunately. The pandemic was depressing and shocking for Kim and the Castle since they were closed for a year and a half. And even though they are back open, business is a quarter of what it was in the before times. Sadly, even Alan Black had to leave and now tends bar at Specs in North Beach. One of the only things that keeping the Castle alive is the fact that Kim bought the building back in 2010. In fact, Kim has been thinking about selling the place, and there are some interested parties, but, according to Kim, part of the stipulation is that they have to keep it true to the history of the Edinburgh Castle, since its such a landmark. So, what would you do if you sold the place? I asked Kim as things were wrapping up. Would you finally go to art school? Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE He laughed and said no, but he would love to buy some property in the East Bay and do some farming and metalworking. Which sounds pretty bad ass. Luckily for all of us though, neither Kim nor Edinburgh Castle are going anywhere at the moment. So, you should think of it as your duty to pop by for a pint or two and bring a couple dozen friends. The drinks are still cheap, the vibe is still perfect, and if youre real nice, Kim might even tell you a real-life ghost story. Stuart Schuffman is the editor-in-chief of BrokeAssStuart.com. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday that it recently rescued 27 Haitian migrants from the rocky cliffs of an uninhabited island that lies between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The two-day rescue operation began on June 7 after the Coast Guard said it detected an illegal smuggling boat near Puerto Ricos Monito Island. Officials said they arrested three illegal smugglers and rescued nine of 27 Haitians who jumped into the water upon seeing the Coast Guard. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) A suburban Minneapolis city has agreed to pay $3.2 million to the family of Daunte Wright, a Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer who said she confused her gun for her Taser. The tentative settlement also includes changes in police policies and training involving traffic stops like the one that resulted in Wright's death, according to a statement Tuesday night from attorneys representing Wright's family. Wright was shot once in the chest by Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter, who is white, after the 20-year-old was stopped for expired registration tags in April 2021. The former officer was subsequently convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to two years in prison. Potter is heard on video yelling Taser several times just before she fires her pistol. Wrights family members hope and believe the measures of change to policing, policies and training will create important improvements to the community in Dauntes name, said co-counsel Antonio M. Romanucci. Nothing can bring him back, but the family hopes his legacy is a positive one and prevents any other family from enduring the type of grief they will live with for the rest of their lives. The Associated Press left a message Wednesday seeking comment from the mayors office. The shooting happened at a time of high tension in the area, with former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, standing trial just miles away for the killing of George Floyd, who was Black. Floyd's May 2020 death prompted a reckoning over police brutality and discrimination involving people of color. The fallout from Wrights death led the Brooklyn Center City Council to pass a series of reforms, including the use of social workers and other trained professionals to respond to medical, mental health and social-needs calls that dont require police. The changes also prohibit police from making arrests for low-level offenses and require the city to use unarmed civilians to handle minor traffic violations. The settlement is one of the largest involving police conduct Minnesota. Last year, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay $27 million to Floyd's family. Minneapolis previously paid $20 million to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, after she called 911 to report a suspected assault behind her home in July 2017 and was fatally shot by Mohamed Noor, one of the officers who responded to her call. Noor is Somali American and Damond was white. ___ Find the APs full coverage of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright WASHINGTON (AP) The congressionally mandated watchdog for U.S. assistance to Afghanistan is accusing the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development of illegally withholding information from it about the American withdrawal from the country last year and current policy. Amid a spat over what the Biden administration believes to have been an overly critical report about the American pullout, the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko, said the State Department and USAID were refusing to cooperate with his staff in violation of the law that created the office. The allegations were made by in separate letters from Sopko to lawmakers and to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power, and by Sopko's general counsel to the top lawyers for each agency. The letters were obtained by The Associated Press. The State Department did not deny it had cut off cooperation with the watchdog. But it complained that the special inspector had not given the administration a chance to respond to its latest report covering the withdrawal that was released last month. The department said the report was unfairly negative and did not represent the administration's view of the events surrounding the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban takeover. In his letters, Sopko was blunt, seeking immediate action from Congress, Blinken and Power to restore the cooperation his office has had with their agencies in the past. I respectfully request that you direct State and USAID officials to cease their illegal obstruction of SIGARs oversight work and to provide the requested information and assistance without further delay, he wrote to Blinken and Power. Sopko said his staff had requested numerous documents and interviews with officials who were involved in the chaotic withdrawal and aftermath last July but had been stonewalled for several months. He said those requests involved information about the evacuation and resettlement of Afghan nationals as well as ongoing humanitarian aid and questions about whether that assistance might be transferred to the Taliban. It is now evident that offices and staff who have cooperated with similar requests in the past were being silenced or overruled by officials opposed to SIGARs independent oversight, Sopko wrote. The State Department said both it and USAID remain committed to assisting SIGAR's mission and would respond to the watchdog's allegations. But the department said it had concerns about how some of SIGARs requests for information relate to their statutory jurisdiction." The department said it had responded to a SIGAR complaint in April by pointing out that much of the information it was requesting was already being provided to Congress and an internal review of Afghanistan policy being conducted by all agencies in the administration. State Department spokesman Ned Price did not have a direct response to the allegations in Sopko's letters but voiced the administration's unhappiness with SIGAR's last report, which concluded that the withdrawal had been poorly managed and that the collapse of the Afghan government and military had not been correctly predicted. Our view is that the report does not reflect the consensus view of the State Department or the U.S. government," Price told reporters. "Many parts of the U.S. government, including the State Department, have unique insights and developments in Afghanistan last year that were not captured in the report and we dont concur with many aspects of the report. In addition, Price said the special inspector did not seek State Department input while drafting the April report and did not give the department the opportunity to review the draft before it was published. Ted S. Warren/AP SEATTLE (AP) A union has reached a deal with Alaska Airlines for a two-year contract extension that provides substantial raises for 5,300 gate agents, stores personnel and office staff, as well as for ramp workers who load cargo. The Seattle Times reports the deal announced Wednesday does not cover a separate group of about 2,000 ramp workers, also represented by the International Association of Machinists, who work for the McGee Air Services subsidiary and handle baggage on passenger flights. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) An Albuquerque woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in connection with a fatal car crash in June 2020. A New Mexico district judge on Tuesday sentenced 42-year-old Bernadette Etsitty, who pleaded guilty in April on a charge of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHOENIX (AP) The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature began hearings Tuesday on a long-delayed state budget plan that was immediately panned by some Democrats and public school advocates for failing to use a huge surplus to significantly boost school funding. But the plan remained incomplete, short of votes and without a clear path to the finish line. Sen. David Gowan recessed his appropriations committee until Tuesday afternoon, saying he would not proceed because some agreements were not being honored. The $17.9 billion spending plan must be in place by July 1 to avoid a near-complete shutdown of state government. The Senate and House have delayed taking up a budget for nearly three months because some Republicans have demanded more school spending, while others demanded less. Republicans hold just one-seat majorities in the House and Senate and without Democratic support can only lose one vote and be able to pass the budget. The basic spending plan is $15.6 billion, but that leaves out $2.3 billion in sales tax dollars that they want to divert from the general fund to pay for specific projects like road construction and a border wall in an apparent effort to lower the headline spending number. That brings total spending for the coming budget year at $17.9 billion, up from the current $12.3 billion. Critics call the plan's new school funding miserly, especially when the state is sitting on a unprecedented $5.3 billion surplus even with last year's $1.7 billion in income tax cuts. About 50 teachers wearing red showed up to protest the budgets education spending, saying it fell short of the $1.2 billion in new ongoing funding they sought for schools, including money dedicated to full-day kindergarten and special education. Educators are ... running to other states where we know they can get paid a livable wage, said Marisol Garcia, vice president of the Arizona Education Association, the states largest teachers union. The protest turnout was a far cry from four years ago, when tens of thousands of teachers walked out of school and flooded the Capitol complex to demand higher wages, eventually securing enough additional funding to give teachers a 20% pay increase by 2020. Garcia said teachers are still fired up about what they see as a lack of investment in education over many years, even though the number protesting at the Capitol has dwindled. Many more are calling lawmakers and advocating on social media, she said. The energy is still there, she said. Folks are exhausted. Theyve been through two years of COVID educating. This is a different world were living in. The plan that emerged late Monday adds about $676 million in new K-12 spending in the coming budget year for traditional district and charter schools, although $137 million is a mandatory inflation adjustment. There's also another $306 million to repair schools and chip away at $865 million owed to schools from a budget gimmick lawmakers used during the Great Recession. Of the new money, $100 million will go to special education, which has long been underfunded. But it falls short of the money voters said they wanted in 2020 when they approved a new tax on the wealthy to boost K-12 spending by about $900 million. The state Supreme Court ruled that Proposition 208 was unconstitutiona l because it put schools over a voter-approved spending limit. In addition to the new school spending, lawmakers are making massive investments of nearly $1 billion in state highway construction and $544 million for border security, including fencing. It provides 15% raises for state troopers costing $25 million and adds money to hire 90 more sworn officers and civilian staff. Corrections officers will get 20% raises and all other state workers would also get a bump. Rank and file workers have not had a raise in a decade. The Legislature also proposes earmarking $1.1 billion in the current budget year to pay down pension debt and depositing $425 million in the state's rainy day funds, which can be tapped in a recession to help avoid budget cuts. It currently holds nearly $1 billion. Sen. Paul Boyer, a Glendale Republican who has demanded changes to the budget, said he's not yet on board. He's been pushing for nearly $1 billion in new school funding and an expanded school voucher program. He has gotten much of the school spending and the House is pushing a universal school voucher plan. But the new budget adds only a sliver of what he said is the needed funding for the state's three universities, boosts the limits for another private school funding program called school tuition organizations and does not ask voters to approve a new fire district tax. The question is do they have the votes or not, Boyer said Tuesday. As it stands, Boyer said he's opposed. And some Republicans are upset at the sheer amount of spending, leaving open the possibility that theyll need Democratic votes. They do need Democrats, but by continually putting in poison pills like the STOs, they can't vote for it, he said, referring to school tuition organizations. Sen. Sean Bowie, a Democrat who has said all session that he's prepared to vote for a GOP budget, said he's also not yet ready to back the proposal. "I think the budget has made a lot of movement in the last couple of weeks," Bowie said. Theres a lot of good investments in there. He ticked off several good items, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande, rate increases for developmental disability providers, a boost in stipends paid to grandparents caring for their relatives, and more. But not included is a $74 million plan he championed and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey put in his state of the state address to add a new tax credit for working poor Arizonans. And he's also concerned about the lack of new university funding. "I think there's a path," Bowie said. I don't think we're quite there yet but hopefully we can get there. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Prince Charles has become the first British royal to visit Rwanda, representing Queen Elizabeth II as the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth at a summit where both the 54-nation bloc and the monarchy face uncertainty. Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited a memorial to Rwanda's 1994 genocide on Tuesday, their first appearance in Kigali, the capital, where they are for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this week. Royal historian Ed Owens said the 73-year-old heir to the British throne may find that when he succeeds his mother as the Commonwealth's leader he finds himself in charge of a rapidly disintegrating organization. But Charles decades of commitment to environmental issues could prove an asset with the bloc that includes low-lying island states on the front lines of climate change, he said. His care for the climate, his concern about environment is very real, Owens said. This week's summit in Rwanda will tackle challenges such as climate change and how to wrestle millions out of poverty. Charles was officially designated to be the queens successor as the Commonwealth's ceremonial head in 2018, although some suggested a non-royal leader would give the Commonwealth a modern profile. He is standing in for the 96-year-old queen at the bloc's summit for the second time, first doing so in Sri Lanka in 2013, seen as preparation for his future role as monarch. The Commonwealth itself struggles to carve out a strong identity. It faces criticism for not doing enough to look after the economic interests of poorer members, including Rwanda itself. A weakness of the group of mostly former British colonies is that it's not a trading bloc at a time when trade is what most nations want. With China as Africa's largest trade partner, some critics say, the Commonwealth risks being a largely ceremonial group. The challenge for the Commonwealth was always how the developed nations can help the poor countries transform themselves economically, said James Mugume, a retired diplomat in Uganda who helped organize the Commonwealth summit in 2007. The bloc's rich members use it for soft power, but when it comes to real issues, like how to increase trade and market access, that's where the challenge is," Mugume said. While the queen is widely respected at home and abroad, Charles relationship with the public is more complex. Days before he flew to Rwanda, the Times of London newspaper reported that he had called a British government plan to send asylum-seekers who arrive in the U.K. to Rwanda appalling. The anonymously sourced report was widely seen as an attempt to distance himself from the contentious and, critics say, illegal policy, which threatens to overshadow his visit. Legal challenges stopped a flight that would have brought the first group of asylum-seekers just days before the summit. Charles has hailed the Commonwealth's potential to make a difference on issues such as climate change and opportunities for young people, and, in so doing, to be an unparalleled force for good." The need to benefit every Commonwealth member has emerged as a strong theme this week, with people demanding a more dynamic bloc. We must ensure nobody is left behind, such as small and developing nations, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Tuesday, adding that he wants to see a bloc in which when we talk about the Commonwealth, we actually mean it being the Commonwealth, not just being common to a few of the many 54 countries. The bloc, with member states ranging from vast India to tiny Tuvalu, faces a new challenge as some discuss removing the queen as head of state. She is head of state in 14 Commonwealth realms, but Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit. While countries can remain in the Commonwealth if they become republics, it adds to uncertainty around an organization that the queens strong personal commitment has helped to unite. Questions remain about the bloc's value among poorer member states, with some critics scoffing at Africa's ties with an organization they see as tainted by the memory of slavery and colonialism. Look at the case of the host of this year's (Commonwealth summit). Rwanda was not colonized by the British but the Belgians ... It's like the village belle who leaves one bully and falls into the arms of another to make the former jealous but also to still get the privileges and protection of being ensconced with the powerful," said analyst Nicholas Sengoba in a column in Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009 after ties with former benefactor France frayed over its alleged responsibility for Rwanda's 1994 genocide. In Rwanda, Charles will meet survivors and perpetrators of the genocide, visiting a church where the remains of tens of thousands of victims are buried. ___ Lawless reported from London. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Authorities declared the final seats on Wednesday in a greener, more fragmented Australian Parliament following May 21 elections. The election brought Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses center-left Labor Party to power for the first time in nine years. The Australian Electoral Commission on Wednesday declared the Victoria state seat of Cooper was the 77th won by Labor in the 151-seat House of Representatives where parties need to control a majority to form government. The opposition conservative Liberal Party was later declared the winner of the Western Australia state seat of OConnor. Labors narrow majority means that the government will not have to negotiate with the opposition or unaligned lawmakers to get legislation through the lower chamber. But that is not the case in the Senate, where Labor holds only 26 of the 76 seats. If Labor got all 12 senators from the minor Greens party to support legislation, the government would only need to persuade one of the six remaining independent or unaligned legislators to reach a majority. The environmentally focused Greens held only nine seats in the previous Senate. An early test will be when the government attempts to enshrine in legislation a new greenhouse gas reduction target on July 26 when the Parliament sits for the first time since the election. Labor was elected on a pledge to reduce Australias emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030. The government last week formally adopted the target, but enshrining it in law would make the task of changing the target more difficult for a future administration to achieve. The conservative coalition went to the election last month with a less ambitious target of a reduction of 26% to 28% by the end of the decade. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has ruled out the 32 opposition senators supporting Labor's 43% target. Greens leader Adam Bandt has said he will push the government to ban new coal mines and gas projects when that target legislation is negotiated. The Greens want Australian emissions reduced by 75% by 2030. The major parties both lost seats to candidates who promised more action on climate change. The Liberal Party lost six House seats that were considered some of their safest to so-called teal independents: a greener shade than the partys traditional blue color. The number of lawmakers in the House unaligned to major parties has burgeoned from seven in the last Parliament to 16 in the new Parliament, which some observers say suggests the years of majority government in Australia are numbered. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Proposals to hold Pennsylvania's presidential primaries in March rather than April and to permit poll watchers to operate outside the counties where they live were advanced Wednesday by a divided House State Government Committee. Both bills had already passed the state Senate and were approved for consideration by the full House. The state's primary during presidential election years would be moved from the fourth Tuesday in April to the third Tuesday in March. Supporters say the change would position the state to have more of an impact on the parties' choice of presidential candidates. Right now Pennsylvanias primary really doesnt matter in the scheme of national politics, said committee chair Seth Grove, R-York, noting a recent exception was the Barack Obama-Hillary Rodham Clinton primary in 2008. The vote was 16-8, with two Democrats joining all Republicans in favor. Grove and the committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Scott Conklin of Centre County, both said the bill may need to be altered so that the period of signature gathering does not start around Christmas. The third Tuesday in March is expected to also be the 2024 presidential primary day in Arizona, Florida and Illinois. In 2020, Pennsylvanias primary was the same day as votes in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware. Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, the group that represents county governments that run the nuts-and-bolts of state elections, said election workers in December can still be finishing work from the previous month's election. If the third Tuesday in March schedule had been used this year, it would have meant a March 15 primary with petition circulation Dec. 13-Jan. 4, Schaefer said. You're really looking at a very short window of time for counties to turn around and get those petition packets ready and get ready for the primary, Schaefer said. Her organization has not taken positions on either elections bill. The poll watchers' bill, sponsored by the current GOP gubernatorial nominee, Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, would give candidates the right to have an additional observer and post them inside, close enough to see any canvassing and precanvassing. Theres no reason to have poll watchers if they arent able to be in the line of sight and clearly see whats happening, said Republican Rep. Paul Schemel of Franklin County. Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, called the bill a clear opportunity to allow voters to have enhanced confidence and belief that we're achieving election integrity. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfs spokeswoman said he is firmly opposed to the poll watcher bill and called it an attempt by Mastriano to encourage voter intimidation. Republicans should focus their efforts on election reform measures that ensure that voters can freely and safely exercise their right to vote, said Wolf press secretary Beth Rementer. State Rep. Joe Webster, D-Montgomery, called the proposal an atrocity of a bill that feeds mistaken suspicion and distrust of the state's elections. What is really happening around bills like this is we're intimidating enough poll workers that they're not going to be there, Webster said. Conklin warned the bill was looking for trouble and could require additional law enforcement monitoring at all voting precincts. Grove said that although the bill would allow candidates three poll watchers at voting places, in reality you're lucky to get one. What this bill does is allow for the checks and balances provisions within our elections that stem back to 1937 to continue, updated for modern needs, Grove said. The party-lines vote to advance the measure was 14-10. Waterbury Police Department / Contributed Photo / WATERBURY Police are investigating after they said a toddler was shot and brought to the hospital Tuesday afternoon. Waterbury hospital staff notified officers of the gunshot victim around 1:35 p.m. Officers said the 2-year-old boy was wounded by gunfire in the abdomen area and was taken to the emergency room. BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) Brazil's judicial watchdog agency says it is investigating a judge who stopped an 11-year-old rape victim from getting an abortion a procedure that advocates insist is allowed in the South American nation for rape cases at any stage of a pregnancy. Santa Catarina state Judge Joana Ribeiro Zimmer was filmed at a hearing May 9 asking the child whether she understood how pregnancies happen, referring to her rapist as the father of the baby," asking her to hold on a little more to save it and even suggesting a name should be picked. The girl repeatedly said she did not want to give birth. Abortion rights are expected to be one of the big issues in Brazil's presidential election in October, which will pit far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is the current front-runner in opinion polls. Both are trying to appeal to moderate voters. The case, reported by the website The Intercept Brasil last week, prompted associations of magistrates and human rights groups to request that the country's National Council of Justice remove Zimmer from her post. The council announced Tuesday it has opened an investigation. Lawyer Daniela Felix, who represents the 11-year-old's family, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the child, who was 10 at the time she was raped this year, only noticed her pregnancy in its 22nd week. The child's mother took her to a hospital in the city of Florianopolis to get an abortion, but doctors said they could perform the procedure only up to the 20th week of pregnancy. Felix said the family took the case to court within days, where Zimmer not only refused to allow the abortion but isolated the girl from her family in a state shelter. Some anti-abortion activists argue that Health Ministry recommendations urge a 20- to 22-week limit on abortions. But Felix and other lawyers noted the law itself makes no mention of a limit in the case or rape victims or when a woman's life is in danger. Local police and prosecutors claim her relatives are suspects in the crime. The child, who is now in the 29th week of pregnancy, was finally allowed to go home Tuesday under a ruling by another magistrate from the same court, though still without authorizing her to have an abortion. Zimmer said in a statement Wednesday that she will not speak about parts of the hearing, which were illegally leaked. She also said she will remain silent about the case to assure the due and full protection to the child. The probe on Zimmer's methods will be conducted by the same Santa Catarina court system in southern Brazil and its decision with be referred to her own court in the Southern Brazil state, and then taken for the national watchdog to make its final decision. Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of the president's sons, said in his social media channels Wednesday that he agreed with Zimmer's decisions. You should bear in mind the first ones to stop this abortion were in a medical team. Respect science, the conservative politician said. Bolsonaro and da Silva have already argued about abortion rights this year. Da Silva said April 6 that anyone should be allowed to get an abortion, a position that drew criticism from the president and many Evangelical supporters in his political base. For him, to abort a child or remove a tooth is the same thing, Bolsonaro said. Da Silva then backtracked, saying days later that he is against abortions but still believes women should be allowed the choice as a matter of public health. ___ Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) Burkina Fasos ruling junta says it will create two military zones where civilians must vacate their homes to allow the army to battle jihadi rebels without any hindrances. The two zones will be established in the country's hard-hit East and Sahel regions and the ministry of defense will form a new brigade to unite all security forces, said a statement by the military's National Operations Command. Any human presence or activity is forbidden in these areas at the risk of exposing oneself to the effects of the military operations that will be carried out there. Resident populations will be given time to move to more secure areas, said the statement. It did not specify the deadline by which civilians had to leave. The move is the latest attempt by Burkina Faso's military junta to secure the West African country amid escalating attacks by jihadi rebels linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. In January, mutinous soldiers ousted the democratically elected president, saying they could do a better job at securing the nation. But five months into their rule the situation is deteriorating. Earlier this month jihadis killed at least 80 people in Seytenga in the Sahel regions Seno province, one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since last year when at least 160 people were killed in Solhan. The junta's decision to create the military zones is a desperate measure to try to control a bad situation that is getting worse, according to conflict analysts. Basically the authorities are telling the population in these areas that security forces are no longer responsible for their protection and they must leave. This decision is going to cause further displacement with no concrete plans in place for them on where to go and where to seek shelter, food, and protection, Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan-based organization focused on economics and policy, told The Associated Press. Years of violence have created a dire humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso, forcing nearly 2 million people from their homes and pushing tens of thousands to the brink of starvation. While coup leader Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was welcomed when he seized power, patience among the population is waning. Damiba has recently tried to project an image of national unity. This week he met with two former presidents, Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo and Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who was ousted in the January coup and has since been under house arrest. The meeting was intended as a call for national unity and social cohesion and is the start of a series of actions to try to ease political tensions, according to a government statement on Facebook. Reactions in the capital to the announcement of the military zones have been mixed. The terrorists melt into civilians making the military operations hard. So having populations leave will help circumscribe the operation zones ... We salute the decision of the authorities (and after) liberating the zones, civilians will go back to their villages and live peacefully, said Mamadou Drabo, president of Save Burkina, a civic group. Others are less optimistic. This will lead to an increase in the number of internally displaced people, which already stands at nearly 2 million throughout the country. There is therefore likely to be a great deal of humanitarian pressure on the areas already hosting (displaced people) and many other areas, said Chrysogone Zougmore, president of the Burkina Faso Movement for Human Rights. This could be difficult to manage, given the weakness or total absence of government services in many parts of the country, he said. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Some Oregon business groups are suing over the states new job site rules mandating that employers take steps to protect workers from extreme heat and wildfire smoke. Regulations adopted by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division mandate that employers act once the temperature or air quality reaches a certain threshold. The heat rules took effect June 15, while the wildfire smoke rules start July 1. Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, Associated Oregon Loggers Inc. and the Oregon Forest & Industries Council are seeking an injunction to stop the state from enforcing the rules, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Together the groups represent over 1,000 Oregon companies and 50 forestland owners. They filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Medford last week. The groups allege several provisions are too vague to be fairly enforced and that the states workplace safety agency overstepped its statutory authority by adopting them. The groups also contend the wildfire smoke rules dont give employers a method for determining what percentage of the pollutants in the air at a worksite are caused by wildfire smoke versus other factors, which the groups say makes it impossible for employers to know when the rules go into effect. They further say requiring employers to pay workers during heat illness prevention breaks oversteps state authority. Shaun Jillions, executive director for Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, said the state needs to work with employers to craft new rules that will protect workers and businesses. A spokesperson for Oregon OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the newspaper. Worker advocates, who for years lobbied for the protections, have praised the new rules. The heat rules require employers to provide shaded areas, water and rest breaks. They also require employers to develop heat prevention plans and protect workers from heat in agricultural labor housing, among other measures. The wildfire smoke rules say employers must provide smoke danger training, make respirators available as the air quality reaches unhealthy levels or require workers to wear respirators if air quality levels spike above very unhealthy levels on the Air Quality Index. The federal government does not have similar rules, although it is developing heat regulations. Several states have adopted their own heat standards, including Washington and California. Oregon adopted temporary emergency rules to protect workers from extreme heat and wildfire smoke last year after workers across the state were exposed to harsh conditions during unprecedented heat in June 2021 and wildfires in September 2020. At least two workers died from heat-related illnesses after working through blistering heat last year. They were among nearly 100 people across Oregon who died during last years heat wave as temperatures reached a record-breaking 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 C) in Portland. Gov. Kate Brown directed Oregon OSHA and the Oregon Health Authority to develop standards to protect employees from excessive heat and wildfire smoke in 2020 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. NEW YORK (AP) Americans 65 and older should get newer, souped-up flu vaccines because regular shots don't provide them enough protection, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday. The panel unanimously recommended certain flu vaccines that might offer more or longer protection for seniors, whose weakened immune systems don't respond as well to traditional shots. Options include: Fluzone High-Dose, Fluad with an immune booster, or Flublok which is made with insect cells instead of chicken eggs. The panels recommendations usually are adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and become the governments guidance for U.S. doctors and their patients. This would be the first time the government has stated a flu vaccine preference for older adults. U.S. officials currently say that all Americans 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season. Flu shots tend to be less effective than other common vaccinations, but they have often been particularly disappointing in seniors. Health officials say there is persuasive research indicating some of the new shots work better in older adults, especially at preventing flu-related hospitalizations. Studies are limited, though, and theres little research comparing the three new versions. These influenza vaccines are better but are not yet the home run that we would love to have, said panel member Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University, The new shots have caught on. About 80% of Medicare beneficiaries get the souped-up vaccines each year, mostly the high-dose one, officials said. The new versions can cost roughly three times more than standard flu shots, but they are covered by insurance programs. Panel members said seniors should get regular flu shots if the newer ones aren't available. Also on Wednesday, CDC officials reported the flu vaccine didn't work all that well this past winter, when most illness were caused by a flu strain that vaccines traditionally do a relatively poor job protecting against. The vaccine was 35% effective in preventing flu symptoms severe enough to require a doctor visit. It was about 44% effective in children, and lower in adults. ___ 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. Esteban Felix/AP SANTIAGO (AP) Chiles new left-leaning government is doing away with the office of the first lady in an effort to transform a role that both the president and his partner have characterized as archaic. The first lady will now be known as the sociocultural coordinator of the republics presidency, the government said in a news release Wednesday. PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for two people reported overdue after they decided to return to Virginia in their weather-damaged boat instead of continuing their sailing trip to Portugals Azores. Coast Guard officials announced Tuesday that Virginia Beach natives Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, were missing. Nikopoulos and Jones left Hampton, Virginia, on June 8 on the 36-foot (11-meter) sailboat Kyklades for the Azores Islands, a mid-Atlantic archipelago about 800 mi (1,290 kilometers) west of Portugal, the Coast Guard said. But five days later, the pair told Jones daughter that heavy weather damaged their vessel and they were returning to Hampton, the Coast Guard said. The two were about 460 miles (740 kilometers) east of Virginia Beach at the time of the call, but no further communications were received, officials said. On Friday, Jones daughter reported to the Coast Guard that she hadnt heard from them and was concerned for their well-being. No date was set for their return, but Jones daughter expected them to be back by Monday, the Coast Guard said. HC-130 Hercules crews have conducted two overflights of the approximate area of the missing boaters and the Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast to alert boaters in the area. The Coast Guard is working with authorities in the Azores, Bermuda and Canada trying to help locate the pair. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Fifth Coast Guard District. We have not received any signs of distress, however, we encourage the public to keep a sharp eye out for Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Pulliam, the search and rescue mission coordinator in the Fifth District Command Center. YARMOUTH, Iowa (AP) Crews recovered the body of a man who was buried under piles of grain and debris from a collapsed grain silo in southeastern Iowa on Wednesday. The collapse happened just before 8 a.m. Tuesday at a grain elevator at Yarmouth, officials reported. As the national maternal mortality rate continues to rise, the state is ramping up its Medicaid program to protect and care for its pregnant patients. In one program that will debut next summer, pregnant individuals under HUSKY, Connecticuts Medicaid program, will be able to get covered help from doulas and breast feeding specialists, according to the state Department of Social Services. Coverage has already opened up some for pregnant patients. In April, those who are pregnant and meet the income requirements began to qualify for prenatal care regardless of their immigration status, opening up care for an estimated 1,400 patients a year. Nearly 600 people have already enrolled, Commissioner Deidre Gifford said in a press conference earlier this month. As an obstetrician gynecologist, I know firsthand the critical importance of early and regular prenatal care to a healthy pregnancy outcome, Gifford said. Eligible HUSKY members also started to get more postpartum coverage. Originally just two months, the program extended to 12 months starting in April. Officials are adding these services to help new mothers and try to prevent pregnancy-associated deaths. Though rare, these deaths do happen, and disproportionately to Black patients or patients with Medicaid, according to data from the Connecticut Maternal Mortality Review Committee. This is a situation that urgently needs to be addressed, Gifford said. Of the roughly 35,000 births Connecticut sees a year, HUSKY Health covers about 14,000 each year, according to DSS spokesperson David Dearborn. The Connecticut Maternal Mortality Review Committee reported 62 pregnancy-associated deaths from 2015 to 2019, or deaths which occurred during a pregnancy or within a year of the end of the pregnancy, regardless of the cause. This could mean complications during pregnancy, or an unrelated car crash. The state Department of Public Health said data on maternity deaths in 2020 and 2021 is not ready for release yet. Black patients and patients who had Medicaid for insurance were over represented in these deaths. Despite only making up 13.1 percent of live births, Black patients made up 27 percent of the pregnancy-associated deaths, according to the report. Medicaid patients made up 37 percent of live births but accounted for 68 percent of the deaths. Of those 62 deaths, 25, or about 40 percent, were directly related to pregnancy, or causally related to pregnancy or its management, the committee said in a report. This means the deaths were caused either from complications, postpartum depression ending in a suicide, unrelated conditions aggravated by pregnancy such as cancer or other related conditions. Some 33 of those were not pregnancy-related, but occurred either during pregnancy or within a year after the end of the pregnancy, and four were undetermined. The committee determined that 45 of the 62 deaths were preventable 22 of which were related to the pregnancy. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 2,200 maternal deaths from 2018 to 2020. And Black, American Indian and Alaska Native people are two to three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related causes than white people. The maternal mortality rate has also gone up nationally in recent years; going from 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 births to 23.8 per 100,000 in 2020. It rose from 658 in 2018, to 754 in 2019 to 861 in 2020. Almost two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, according to the CDC. By the summer of 2023, the Department of Social Services is introducing a maternity bundle which will integrate doulas and breastfeeding support. With the bundle, Gifford hopes to address disparities and birth outcomes, particularly focusing on women of color and those with substance use disorders. Cynthia Hayes, a practicing doula and breastfeeding consultant, said doulas are birthing professionals. Though not medical professionals, we are there simply to support the birthing parent before birth, during birth and also postpartum, she said during a press conference. Doulas will be able to help lower the C-section rate, and help new mothers breastfeed and support families in whatever way they need, Hayes added. The maternity bundle will be similar to what state employees receive, but with doulas, according to Dearborn. The Department of Public Health is also working toward getting doulas certified as independent providers in the state. However, DSS does not need the certification to use doulas in the bundle, Dearborn said. To further support patients postpartum, starting this fall, the agency is piloting a program to further support patients after birth. Gifford called this a universal home visiting and community health worker program, and it will start in Bridgeport. This means that each family will have access to a home visit from a trained registered nurse to help mothers and babies postpartum. These nurses will screen for intimate partner violence, substance use disorder and depression, as well as check on the babys health and development and provide education and support to the families. This program can also refer patients who need extra support to other programs. To get more information on these programs, or if you have questions or concerns about your pregnancy or childs development, call 211 or visit CDI.211CT.org. MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) More than five decades after Diane Cusicks lifeless body was discovered in the parking lot of a mall on New Yorks Long Island, authorities have linked her death to the so-called Torso Killer, a serial killer already convicted in 11 other killings. The suspect, Richard Cottingham believed to be one of Americas most prolific serial killers was arraigned Wednesday on a second-degree murder charge in connection with Cusicks 1968 killing. From a hospital bed in New Jersey, where hes already serving a life sentence for other killings, Cottingham pleaded not guilty. While he has claimed he was responsible for up to 100 homicides, authorities in New York and New Jersey have officially linked him to only a dozen so far, including Cusicks death. He has been imprisoned since 1980, when he was arrested after a motel maid heard a woman screaming inside his room. Authorities found her alive but bound with handcuffs and suffering from bite marks and knife wounds. Cottingham asked to be arraigned Wednesday by video feed from the New Jersey hospital because he was in poor health, bedridden and not ambulatory, Judge Caryn Fink said. He needed his lawyer, Jeff Groder, to repeat the judges questions several times because he has difficulty hearing, Groder said. He is a violent predator and no matter how he looks today in a hospital bed he was not always a feeble older man, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in an interview with The Associated Press. He was a young 22-year-old when he committed the murder of Ms. Cusick. He was strong, stronger than these women were, and he was violent. Authorities believe Cusick, 23, left her job at a childrens dance school and then stopped at the Green Acres Mall in Nassau County to buy a pair of shoes when Cottingham followed her out. Detectives believe he pretended to be a security guard or police officer, accused her of stealing and then overpowered the 98-pound (44-kilogram) Cusick, Nassau County Police Detective Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said. She was brutally beaten, murdered and raped in that car, Fitzpatrick said. The medical examiner concluded that Cusick had been beaten in the face and head and was suffocated until she died. She had defensive wounds on her hands and police were able to collect DNA evidence at the scene. But at the time, there was no DNA testing. Police interviewed dozens of people, retraced her steps and never stopped hunting for her killer. But the trail went cold. The police did a great job looking for any leads they could find. They spoke to hundreds of people at the Green Acres Mall to see if anyone had seen Diane, Donnelly said. Unfortunately, the trail went cold and the case went cold. Cottingham was working as a computer programmer for a health insurance company in New York at the time of Cusicks death. He was convicted of murder in both New York and New Jersey in the 1980s, though the law at the time didnt require people convicted to submit DNA samples, as it does now. His DNA was taken and entered into a national database in 2016 when he pleaded guilty to another murder in New Jersey. In 2021, police in Nassau County received a tip that a suspect who might be responsible for killings in the county, just east of New York City, was locked up in New Jersey. They began running DNA tests again on cold cases and came up with a match to Cottingham. Cottingham also led police to believe he was responsible for the death by providing some information about the case, including telling detectives he was near a drive-in theater, which was next to the mall at the time. But he stopped short of confessing directly to Cusicks death, Donnelly said. He didnt lay out a full admission. What he laid out was baby steps along the way that we were able to put together with the help of the police department to fill in that story, she said. Prosecutors are now reviewing all open cases around the same time and running DNA to see if Cottingham may have been responsible for other killings. Based on evidence that we have in this case, we are reviewing all murders of young females from 1967 to 1980 to see if we can put together any more cases against Mr. Cottingham, Donnelly said. Cusicks daughter, Darlene Altman, said she was overwhelmed when she saw Cottingham on the video screen in the courtroom. Altman was just 4 when her mother was killed. He just had this like dead stare. I felt like he was looking right at me, Altman said. It was creepy. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose will be offered to nursing home residents and people age 50 and over in Denmark later this year, the prime minister said Wednesday. The reason for the move is a rise in cases of the BA.5 coronavirus variant in Europe, and Denmark's government says it wants to move swiftly to avoid potential restrictions or a lockdown. The infection has been on the rise for the past three weeks, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. That is why we are acting now." She added that the swift move was aimed at taking care of older people and the vulnerable and to avoid the congestion of hospitals, shutdowns and restrictions and to keep the economy going. Last week, the BA.5 variant accounted for 59% of the positive cases while the previous week it represented 32% of the cases, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said. As of Wednesday, 1,958 cases were reported in Denmark and 249 people were hospitalized. These are staggering numbers, but they are low numbers compared to what we have tried before," said Heunicke, adding that while the variant is more contagious, it doesn't cause more serious illness. The shot will first be given to those living in nursing homes starting Sept. 15 and then those over 50 from Oct. 1. Vulnerable people also can get a vaccine by contacting their general practitioner, said the head of the Danish Health Authority, Sren Brostrm. Nursing home staff will also be offered a fourth shot. Frederiksen said it is the Danish health authorities assessment that 2.5 million people would be offered revaccination during the fall. She added that with the knowledge Denmark has now, we do not see an autumn and a winter with major restrictions and closures. "All we do now is to avoid the shutdowns," Heunicke said. ___ Follow APs coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/covid-19-pandemic This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW ORLEANS (AP) A Houston dredging company has been ordered to pay a $1 million fine for an oil spill that occurred when a subcontractor cut through an oil pipeline during barrier island restoration work off Louisiana in 2016. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, which describes itself as the nation's largest dredging company, was sentenced last Thursday for violating the Clean Water Act, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans. Great Lakes recklessly violated regulations designed to protect the environment and then tried to hide their actions, Kimberly Bahney, special agent in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency's criminal enforcement program in Louisiana, said Friday in that news release. The spill occurred when a marsh buggy hit a pipeline while digging and moving sediment to create part of the island's new outline, releasing an estimated 5,300 gallons (20,000 liters) of crude oil and oiling about 200 birds. The restoration at Chenier Ronquille, a barrier island east of Grand Isle, was paid for by money from the 2010 BP oil spill. Great Lakes, which was headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, in 2016 but has since moved to Houston, pleaded guilty in June 2021. As part of the plea, it said it violated state and federal laws by failing to tell companies about continuing work near their pipelines. A statement filed with the guilty plea also said Great Lakes' failure to properly supervise James Tassin, whose marsh buggy punctured the pipeline on Sept. 5, 2016, was a cause of the spill. Tassin, a Shallow Water Equipment LLC employee, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to violating the Clean Water Act. His sentencing is scheduled Aug. 16, according to online court documents. A Great Lakes employee told him to dig near pipelines even though that area wasn't in the plan approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to the news release. It said Great Lakes had not gotten pipeline companies' word that it was safe to dig, and Tassin said a Great Lakes employee told him "not to tell anyone that Tassin had been digging near the site of the spill. The two Houston companies that owned the pipeline, Harvest Pipeline Company and Arrowhead Gulf Coast Pipeline, LLC, sued for damages including cleanup costs. Prosecutors said Great Lakes agreed to pay nearly $3.2 million and Tassins employer agreed to pay it nearly $1.7 million. U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry last week rejected prosecutors' request to make Great Lakes pay a total of at least $6 million in restitution for the spill, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. The investigation would be too unwieldly, while unnecessarily stalling an end to the Chenier Ronquille incident, he wrote. Besides, he said, the figure probably wouldn't be far from the figure settled on for the damage suit. Money to pay the fine is already in a court account. Great Lakes deposited $2 million for possible restitution when it pleaded guilty, and will get the rest back, according to court documents. SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) El Salvadors congress voted Tuesday to extend for a third time the state of exception that has suspended some fundamental rights and led to the arrests of more than 41,000 people during the past three months. The government says the extraordinary powers are necessary to confront the powerful street gangs that control neighborhoods, extorting and driving people from their homes. President Nayib Bukele first requested the state of exception in late March, a day after gangs killed 62 people, shattering one of the presidents most touted achievements a dramatic decrease in murders. The proposal passed with votes from 67 of the 84 lawmakers in the unicameral Legislative Assembly. While the proposal was debated, Bukele said on Twitter that construction had started on a massive new prison. Under the state of exception, the time people can be held without seeing a judge was increased to 15 days from 72 hours. They also do not have to be informed of why they are being arrested or given the right to speak with a lawyer, and authorities can tap phones without a judges order. The constitution allows for the suspension of rights to be extended only if the circumstances that justified it in the first place continue. Civil rights organizations have argued that the state of exception was never justified, because authorities already had the ability to investigate and make arrests. Critics say that many of the arrests have been arbitrary, violate due process and have resulted in innocent people locked away. Judges have been practically automatic in ordering people held in jail for months while authorities try to build cases against them. On Tuesday, Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said that authorities were winning the war against the gangs, but there was more work to do. The mission that Salvadorans are giving us is clear, eradicate these terrorists from Salvadoran territory, he said. Bukeles approval ratings have remained high and the measures have been popular among a population tired of living in constant fear of the gangs. Jose Heriberto Hernandez, a 51-year-old laborer, said Tuesday that he supports the measures, but added that I also think that they need to take steps to free the innocent more quickly. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A safety mandate to reduce or eliminate space between elevator doors and landing doors inside North Carolina vacation cottages or similar short-term rentals needs one more affirmative vote to receive final General Assembly approval. The requirement is contained in the measure called Westons Law, named in memory of a 7-year-old Ohio boy who died last summer when he became trapped between the elevator car and elevator shaft at a rental home on the northern Outer Banks. On the day of Austin Butler's final screen test for Elvis," director Baz Luhrmann threw everything at him. Butler had spent five months building up to that moment, workshopping the role with Luhrmann, doing hair and make-up tests, rehearsing the songs. Against the odds, Butler had emerged as the unlikely favorite to land the role over more established names like Harry Styles, Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort. But it wasn't official yet. And during the screen test, Luhrmann flipped the script. Some of the scenes Butler had prepped went out the window. In others, Luhrmann fed him lines from behind the camera. The one minute of Suspicious Minds" that Butler was to perform in a Presley jumpsuit stretched to six. I got home and I really thought: I dont think I got that. I felt like my hands were tied behind my back,' Butler said in a recent interview. A week later in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old actor's phone rang. Luhrmann was calling from Australia. I look at the phone and go, OK, this is the moment, says Butler. I pick up the phone and he was very dramatic and downcast. He goes, Austin, I just wanted to be the first one to call you and say ... Are you ready to fly, Mr. Presley?' When Elvis opens in theaters Friday, it will resurrect one of the most iconic figures in American music in the biggest, most bedazzled film to ever try to capture the King of Rock n Roll. And it will propel Butler, an Orange County, Calif., native best known to this point for playing Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, onto a far bigger stage. It all feels sort of like this wonderful dream, Butler said the morning after the film's Cannes Film Festival premiere. I have to take moments to take a deep breath and say, This is real life. What's real and what's fake in the exaggerated land of the much-imitated Elvis hasn't always been easy to discern. Elvis, which Luhrmann co-scripted, doesn't take a standard biopic view of Presley but tells his story through Presley's infamous manager, Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), a former carnival barker who guided Presley to stardom but exploited and manipulated him until Presley's death in 1977. Parker narrates the tale, adding a dimension about the nature of show business and performance. Baz in the very first meeting said, Look, this is a story about two people. There would have never been an Elvis without a Col. Tom Parker, and, in his own mind, there would have never been a Col. Tom Parker without Elvis, says Hanks. As soon as he said that, I thought, Well, this is going to be new turf, and worthy of the Baz-maximalist-confetti-strewn style of moviemaking. And, like The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge, Elvis is indeed an extravagant, maximalist Baz-styled blow-out. As you'd expect, it breezes through pivotal moments in the Mississippi-born Memphis singer's life and a jukebox of songs. But Elvis also offers a more youthful, rebellious portrait of Presley as a product of Black gospel music, a hip-shaking sex symbol in eyeliner and a progressive-minded nonconformist whose closely controlled career reflected cultural battles of then and now. Butler's is an electric Elvis, not campy nostalgia act, with more Bowie in him than you might expect. Im not here to tell the world that Elvis is a great person. I'll tell you what he is for me," says Luhrmann. Everyone has their Elvis. My job generally is to take things that are considered either boring or old-fashioned or not relevant and shake off the rust, and recode them says Luhrmann, maker of the modern-day Romeo + Juliet. Not to change them, just to retranslate them so their value is once again present. Presley's value to contemporary audiences, while still beyond most of his contemporaries, has faded somewhat. To many, he represents the appropriation of Black music. Some relatively recent productions the 2005 Broadway musical All Shook Up," Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis show in Las Vegas failed to catch on substantially. All of which meant that Butler had a lot riding on his shoulders. For him, it was essential to find ways to make Presley more human than superhuman. One resonant connection for the actor was learning that Presley's mother died when he was 23, the same age Butler was when he lost his mom. And like Presley, an initially timid performer, Butler grew up shy. I could then go: When I feel afraid and I feel like all the pressures on me and Im terrified of falling on my face, he felt those things, says Butler. So then I could go: Its OK to feel the fear. Its how you channel it. Elvis is most moving in its second half, in the Vegas section of the film, when Presley was often reaching artistic highs on stage during his 1969-1976 run at the International Hotel but was increasingly trapped by Parker (who refused to tour Presley internationally) and drug use. Priscilla Presley, who has enthusiastically supported the film, is played by Olivia DeJonge. A lot of the characters in this film are larger-than-life, and authentically larger than life, says DeJonge. With Priscilla, I wanted to make sure she felt grounded and more like Elvis breath so that whenever hes with her, hes relaxed. Before Elvis began shooting in Memphis, Hanks had dinner with Priscilla Presley, who then described her ex-husband as an artist as unique as Picasso and as popular as Charlie Chaplin that really only felt truly himself and at home when he was singing." While a more villainous role represents a rare departure for Hanks who tested positive for coronavirus during the film's Australia shoot, an indelible early pandemic moment Elvis is also typical for the actor in that it grapples with American history and exists as a standalone drama. Elvis will be competing primarily with franchise installments in theaters this summer. The concept of franchise now is so much a part of the entertainment industrial complex that for me, I just dont think its very fun," says Hanks. Everybody knows that Ive been doing this for an awfully long time so I think theyre going to have just as much faith that theyll get all three acts out of me, and then theyll decide if it was worth seeing or not. Reviews have been largely positive for Elvis, but they've been glowing for Butler. (In the film, he sings some songs while Presley's voice is used in others.) The actor reckons he devoted two years of his life to the film, obsessively researching Presley and gradually transforming into him. Butler went through daily routines wondering how Presley did them. When the movie wrapped, Butler struggled to let go. Suddenly it was me brushing my teeth, now its me doing these mundane things. It was a real existential crisis when I finished," says Butler. The next morning, I woke up and I couldnt walk. I thought my appendix burst. It was the most excruciating pain in my stomach, so they took me to the emergency room. Its wild how your body can kind of hold on for the duration of doing something. The first big scene Butler shot, on the second day of production, was Presley taping his momentous comeback special. The scene put a leather-clad Butler isolated on stage, with little to rely on beside his own ability to thrill a crowd. His nerves nearly overwhelmed him. But that terror of my whole career feeling like it was riding on this film, thats exactly what Elvis was feeling, says Butler. His musical career was on the line. It was make or break for him. So I could rest in that. Then I went out there and it was like having an out of body experience." ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A former staffer for the Minnesota board that licenses police officers is suing the agency, alleging she was the victim of racial discrimination. Starr Suggs, who had spent 28 years with the Minnesota Peace Officers Standards and Training Board as an administrative specialist, told KSTP-TV the last straw came in February as a crowd gathered outside to protest the police killing of Amir Locke. While the protest remained peaceful, Suggs, the only Black employee among a staff of about a dozen, said she was disturbed by the reaction of her white colleagues and supervisors. They were running around, panicking, Oh my God, theyre coming! Suggs said. They mentioned Get your brass knuckles. One coworker was like, Yeah, I have my knife. They were like, Hey Starr, do you have our back? Suggs resigned a month later and her experience on that day is now one of several incidents detailed in a racial discrimination lawsuit she filed against the POST Board last month. The allegations came just weeks after the board, which regulates law enforcement officers across Minnesota, approved a plan to root out hate speech and white supremacy in policing. The executive director of the POST Board, Erik Misselt, declined to comment, citing the litigation. Late last year, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights confirmed several of details outlined in Suggs lawsuit but stopped short of calling it racial discrimination because board leaders regularly treated all staff poorly, KSTP reported. But department did find probable cause that leaders retaliated against her for complaining about discrimination. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate New tensions between Moscow and the West are rising after Lithuania decided to halt the transport of some goods through its territory to the Russian region of Kaliningrad as part of European Union sanctions on the Kremlin. The Kremlin warns it will retaliate against the sanctions, stemming from its invasion of Ukraine, in a way that will have a significant negative impact on the Lithuanian people, raising fears of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. A look at why tensions are rising over Kaliningrad, a part of Russia on the Baltic Sea that is separated from the rest of the country: RUSSIA'S WESTERNMOST TERRITORY The Kaliningrad region once was part of the German province of East Prussia, which was taken over by the Soviet Union after World War II in line with the 1945 Potsdam agreement among the Allied powers. East Prussia's capital of Konigsberg was renamed Kaliningrad, for Mikhail Kalinin, a Bolshevik leader. An estimated 2 million of Germans fled the territory in the final months of World War II, and those who stayed were forcibly expelled after hostilities ended. The Soviet authorities developed Kaliningrad as a major ice-free port and a key center of fishing, encouraging people from other regions to move into the territory. Since the Cold War era, Kaliningrad also has served as a major base of Russia's Baltic fleet. But since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the Baltic countries, Kaliningrad finds itself separated from the rest of Russia by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, now all NATO members. To the south is Poland, another NATO member. MILITARY BASTION As Russia's relations with the West have soured, Kaliningrad's military role has grown. Its location has put it in the forefront of Moscow's efforts to counter what it described as NATO's hostile policies. The Kremlin has methodically bolstered its military forces there, arming them with state-of-the-art weapons, including precision-guided Iskander missiles and an array of air defense systems. As the region's military significance has grown, its dependence on goods coming through Poland and Lithuania has made it particularly vulnerable. TRANSIT HALTED Lithuania emphasized that the ban on the movement of sanctioned goods was part of the fourth package of EU sanctions against Russia, noting it only applies to steel and ferrous metals starting on June 17. The government in Vilnius rejected Russia's description of the move as a blockade, stressing that unsanctioned goods and rail passengers can still move through Lithuania. In line with the EU decision, coal will be banned in August and shipments of oil and oil products will be halted in December. MOSCOW MULLS A RESPONSE Moscow formally protested the halt of shipments to Kaliningrad as a violation of Russia-EU agreements on free transit of goods to the region. Kaliningrad Gov. Anton Alikhanov said the ban will affect up to half of all items brought into the region, including cement and other construction materials. Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of Russia's Security Council and a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin, visited Kaliningrad on Tuesday to meet with local officials. He described the restrictions as hostile actions and warned that Moscow will respond with unspecified measures that "will have a significant negative impact on the population of Lithuania. Patrushev didn't elaborate, but Alikhanov suggested that the Russian response could include shutting the flow of cargo via the ports of Lithuania and other Baltic nations. However, Lithuania has significantly reduced its economic and energy dependence on Russia, recently becoming the first EU country to stop using Russian gas. It no longer imports Russian oil and has suspended imports of Russian electricity. The transport of most Russian transit via Lithuanian ports already has been halted under EU sanctions, but Moscow could move to restrict transit for cargo from third countries through Lithuania. Putin will decide Russia's respond after receiving Patrushevs report. Russia's standoff with Lithuania is part of their rocky relationship that dates back to Moscow's annexation of the country, along with Estonia and Latvia, in 1940. The three pressed their move toward independence under former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and regained it when the USSR collapsed in 1991. FEARS OF ESCALATION Some in the West long have feared that Russia could be eyeing military action to secure a land corridor between its ally Belarus and the Kaliningrad region via the so-called Suwalki Gap, a 65-kilometer (40-mile) strip of land in Poland along the border with Lithuania. The rhetoric on Russian state TV has risen to a high pitch, with commentator Vladimir Solovyov accusing the West of brinkmanship that has set the clock ticking toward World War III. Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas warned Wednesday of the danger of Russian provocations amid the Kaliningrad tensions. When you have a military force and they are ruled by the half-witted I apologize for the expression of course you can expect everything," he said, adding that Lithuania feels confident and relies on its NATO allies. With the bulk of Russia's military bogged down in Ukraine, any use of force in the Baltics could be beyond Moscows conventional weapons capability. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said she doesnt think there is a military threat to Lithuania, adding that Russia was trying to raise pressure on the EU to ease the sanctions. Russia is very good in playing on our fears so that we would, you know, step back from our decisions, Kallas said in an interview with The Associated Press. A Russian attempt to use force against Poland or Lithuania would trigger a direct conflict with NATO, which is obliged to protect any of its members under its charter's mutual defense clause known as Article 5. On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price emphasized Washington's ironclad commitment to that clause, which he described as NATO's bedrock principle. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov responded by warning the EU and NATO against dangerous rhetorical games over Kaliningrad. Certain influential and powerful forces in the West are doing all they can to further exacerbate tensions in relations with Russia, he said, adding that some simply have no limits in inventing scenarios when a military confrontation with us would look inevitable. __ Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, contributed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIAMI (AP) It's one of the world's highest-fetching wild-caught fish, sold for $32 a pound at Whole Foods and served up as meaty fillets on the menus of upscale eateries across the U.S. But Russia's obstruction of longstanding conservation efforts, resulting in a unilateral rejection of catch limits for the Chilean sea bass in a protected region near Antarctica, has triggered a fish fight at the bottom of the world, one dividing longtime allies, the U.S. and U.K. governments. The diplomatic feud, which has not been previously reported, intensified after the U.K. quietly issued licenses this spring to fish for the sea bass off the coast of South Georgia, a remote, uninhabited U.K.-controlled island some 1,400 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands. As a result, for the first time since governments banded together 40 years ago to protect marine life near the South Pole, deep-sea fishing for the pointy-toothed fish is proceeding this season without any catch limit from the 26-member Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources or CCAMLR. The move essentially transformed overnight one of the worlds best-managed fisheries into a France-sized stretch of outlaw ocean at least in the eyes of U.S. officials threatening to bar U.K. imports from the area. In a world beset by conflict, the U.K. is playing a risky game, said Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace U.K. The history of Antarctic protection is one of peaceful cooperation for the common good of humanity. Russias consistent willingness to abuse the process cannot excuse unilateral action by other Members. We trust that countries who have previously imported South Georgia toothfish will not accept the catch of what is now an unregulated fishery. For decades, the fishery near South Georgia was a poster child for international fisheries cooperation, one that brought together sometimes adversarial powers like Russia, China and the U.S. to protect the chilly, crystal blue southern ocean from the sort of fishing free-for-all seen on the high seas. Last year, as tensions with the West were rising over Ukraine, Russia took the unprecedented step of rejecting the toothfish catch limits proposed by the Antarctic commission's scientists. The move was tantamount to a unilateral veto because of rules, common to many international fisheries pacts, that require all decisions to be made by unanimous agreement. But critics say the U.K.'s response issuing licenses without a CCAMLR-approved catch limit is unlawful under the commission's rules and weakens the Antarctica Treaty established during the Cold War that set aside the continent as a scientific preserve. U.S. officials have also privately told their U.K. counterparts that they would likely bar imports of any toothfish caught near South Georgia, according to correspondence between U.S. fisheries managers and members of Congress seen by The Associated Press. The fight underscores how Russia's attempts to undermine the West have extended to even obscure forums normally removed from geopolitical tussles. It also risks reviving Britains tensions with Argentina, which invaded South Georgia in 1982 as part of its war with the U.K. over the Falkland Islands. But the outcome couldn't be more consequential: With fish stocks across the globe declining due to overfishing, consumers are demanding greater transparency about where the filets on their plates are sourced. Central to that effort is rules-based international fisheries management on the open ocean and environmentally sensitive areas like the polar regions. It sets a dangerous precedent, said Evan Bloom, who for 15 years, until his retirement from the State Department in 2020, led the U.S. delegation to the CCAMLR. What the Russians did clearly violates the spirit of science-based fisheries management," added Bloom, who is now an expert on polar issues at the Wilson Center in Washington. But that doesnt necessarily mean that the U.K. can act unilaterally. Three of the four vessels authorized by the U.K. to fish near South Georgia starting May 1 belong to Argos Froyanes, a British-Norwegian company that pioneered techniques credited with dramatically reducing seabird mortality in the south Atlantic. One of its customers is New York-based Mark Foods, the largest U.S. supplier of sea bass certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, the industry's gold standard for sustainability. CEO Barry Markman declined an interview request but said his company would not import any product deemed illegal by U.S. authorities. "We have been working collaboratively with U.S. officials to resolve this situation in a favorable manner," he wrote in an e-mail. Chilean seabass the commercial name of Patagonia toothfish from South Georgia is sold at both Whole Foods and Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, which operates the fine-dining chains Eddie V's and The Capital Grille. Neither company responded to a request for comment. An official from the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which issued the licenses in coordination with the U.K. foreign office, said it took action so as not to give in to obstructionist tactics by Russia that it doesn't expect will end anytime soon. The fishery is one of the best managed in the world, with catch limits set by South Georgia below even the quota recommended by the Antarctic commission. In addition, all vessels authorized to fish near the island have observers and tamper-proof electronic monitoring equipment on board. Officials say that closing the fishery would've taken valuable resources away from research and monitoring because about 70% of the island chain's budget comes from the sale of licenses. They point out that the population of toothfish a bottom-dwelling species capable of living up to 50 years almost collapsed in the days before CCAMLR due to poachers, many from the former Soviet Union, drawn to the high prices paid for the fish, which can weigh over 200 pounds. However, thanks in part to the multinational efforts of the commission, the species has bounced back. But U.S. officials have taken a dim view of the U.K.'s actions. Janet Coit, a senior official at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wrote in an April 25 letter obtained by the AP that in the absence of approved protections, any fishing near South Georgia would be of questionable legality" and have serious implications" for the Antarctic commission. She also stated that any shipments of fish harvested in what's known as subarea 48.3 would likely be barred from entering the U.S., a preliminary view she said was shared with the U.K. government and U.S. importers to guide their decision-making. "We recognize that fish from this subarea has represented a substantial percentage of toothfish imports," according to the letter, which was sent to a bipartisan group of seven House members concerned about the impact of a ban on the seafood industry. However, we are bound by our obligations under the CAMLR Convention, applicable conservation measures in force, and relevant U.S. law. The financial hit for the seafood industry from any import ban could be significant. Every year, the U.S. imports around 3 million pounds of MSC-certified toothfish from South Georgia, worth about $50 million. The loss of those imports can't be easily substituted because the four other MSC-certified toothfish fisheries in the CCAMLR convention area run by Australia, France and the Falkland Islands are fishing at or near capacity. Overall, about 15% of the more than 12,000 metric tons of toothfish caught in the CCAMLR convention area comes from South Georgia. Under U.S. law, fishing conducted in a way that disregards conservation measures, such as catch limits, adopted by international fishery organizations to which the U.S. is a party, is considered illegal. Vessels that engage in such activity can be denied access to U.S. ports and blacklisted within the Antarctic commission framework. Meanwhile, the U.K. has shown no sign of backing down. Even with no conservation measure in place, it insists it will continue to operate the fishery in the conservative way it always has, basing its decisions on the quota and other guidelines proposed by commision scientists. Russia egregiously blocked the agreed catch limits citing spurious scientific concerns not recognized by any other member of the CCAMLR, the U.K.s foreign office said in a statement. The UK will continue to operate the toothfish fishery within the framework agreed by all CCAMLR Members. ___ Follow Goodman at @APJoshGoodman ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/ BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) A former Brazilian education minister of President Jair Bolsonaro was arrested Wednesday in connection with a federal police corruption investigation, further hurting the far-right leaders bid for reelection. Milton Ribeiro left the post in March after Brazilian media reported leaked conversations of him with mayors who would allegedly be favored by the federal government in the distribution of the agency's budget. He was appointed to the position in July 2020. The leaked conversations reported by Brazilian media showed in March that Ribeiro had two Evangelical pastors as unofficial intermediaries approaching mayors who could help Bolsonaros campaign. The former minister is an Evangelical pastor himself. Both favored municipalities governed by their allies and demanded bribes, including a kilo of gold, the reports said. Ribeiro is accused of influence peddling, corruption, prevarication, and administrative advocacy - meaning under Brazilian law he could have used his ministerial job to promote private interests. The former minister denied any wrongdoing when the scandal broke. His lawyer, Daniel Bialski, said in a statement that Ribeiros arrest was unjust, uncalled for and unnecessary. Bolsonaro, who at the time said he would put his face to the fire for Ribeiro, changed his narrative after his former minister was jailed. If he is guilty, he will pay, Bolsonaro said in a radio interview. Let him answer for his actions. I pray to God that there is no problem. But if there is a problem, the federal police are investigating. Its a sign that I dont interfere with the federal police because it would be staining me, obviously. Brazils president is facing an uphill battle for his reelection. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads all polls for Octobers vote. He hopes to return to the job he had between 2003-2010. Mario Sergio Lima, a senior Brazil analyst for Medley Global Advisors, said the accusations against Ribeiro put Bolsonaro yet again in a defensive position and hurt his chances with conservative voters who are not in his hardcore base and used to see his anti-corruption narrative as a plus. These voters could be demobilized by this. And the more absent voters on election day, the better are the chances of the front-runner winning the election without a runoff, Lima said in a phone interview. It could also bring another impact: Moderate allies might step away from him. He has lost a big talking point against Lula. In one of the recordings, Ribeiro told mayors that Bolsonaro had asked him to prioritize mayors appointed by the two clerics. Brazils president denied any connection with the case. In a statement released on its website on Wednesday, Brazils federal police said that 13 search and seizure warrants had been issued and five people were under arrest in the case. Police did not say whether the two pastors mentioned in the recordings have been jailed. Conservative lawmaker Marco Feliciano, a close ally of Bolsonaros and an Evangelical pastor himself, said on Twitter that one of the two religious leaders linked to Ribeiro had been jailed. The arrest of pastor Gilmar Santos, a man I always had respect and admiration for as a preacher, causes profound embarrassment for us. All we can do is to wait for the investigations, Feliciano said. Many adversaries of the president said in their social media channels they will push for a congressional inquiry on the spending of Brazils education ministry under Bolsonaro. ___ Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report. TALLINN, Estonia (AP) French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country that neighbors Russia, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The airborne operation conducted on Tuesday night and dubbed Thunder Lynx enabled, at very short notice, the dropping of about 100 paratroopers from Frances 11th Airborne Brigade over an area secured by Estonian soldiers, the statement said. NEW YORK (AP) Historian George Chauncey has received a $500,000 lifetime achievement award from the Library of Congress, the John W. Kluge Prize, the first time the honor has gone to a scholar in LGBTQ studies. The prize is given for achievement in the study of humanity. Chauncey, a professor of American history at Columbia University, is known for such books as Gay New York and Why Marriage? The History Shaping Todays Debate over Gay Equality. NEW YORK (AP) An associate of Rudy Giuliani who was convicted of campaign finance crimes at trial and later pleaded guilty to a separate fraud charge is asking that he be spared from prison at his sentencing next week, but prosecutors on Wednesday recommended that he be ordered to spend over six years in prison. Lawyers for Lev Parnas made the request to a Manhattan federal judge in papers that were filed publicly Wednesday. The papers were dated June 15 but were kept sealed for a week while redactions were agreed to. Prosecutors filed their own sentencing arguments Wednesday, saying Parnas should serve at least 6 1/2 years in prison for pumping foreign money" into U.S. elections, making straw donations with other peoples' money, lying to the Federal Election Commission and defrauding investors of over $2 million to fund his lavish lifestyle. For years, prosecutors argued, Parnas has lied and swindled and corrupted for his own benefit." They said he had put himself above this country, his investors and the public." Parnas, 50, faces sentencing June 29 after he was convicted in October at a Manhattan trial of six charges alleging he made illegal donations in 2018 to jump-start a new energy company and used the wealth of a Russian financier to donate to politicians who might aid the launch of a legal recreational-marijuana business. In March, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud, saying that between 2012 and 2019 he conspired with another person to give investors false information about a Florida-based business, Fraud Guarantee. Fraud Guarantee was promoted as a company that could protect investors against fraud. In their presentencing submission, lawyers for the Soviet-born businessman argued that their client deserves leniency in part because he cooperated with Congress, calling it timely and material." Prosecutors, though, said information Parnas provided Congress was in response to a subpoena and falls far short of the extraordinary conduct and cooperation that can earn individuals leniency at sentencing. Defense lawyers said his efforts to cooperate with federal prosecutors were not successful because they used information he offered in a bid for a plea deal mainly to thwart his potential trial testimony, rather than to consider his attempt to provide substantial assistance in good faith." But prosecutors countered that the information Parnas offered them was not fully credible and in material respects was plainly contradicted by the evidence." Thus, they said, they had serious concerns about Parnas's credibility and candor." Defense lawyers recommended a sentence of time served roughly 12 days. Parnas several years ago worked with Giuliani to try to get Ukrainian officials to investigate the son of President Joe Biden, who was a candidate at the time. Giuliani has said he knew nothing about the crimes of Parnas and others. Giuliani a former New York City mayor who served as Donald Trumps personal lawyer during part of his presidency has not been criminally charged, though federal authorities have acknowledged that he is being investigated to determine whether he violated a federal law that governs lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities. BOSTON (AP) A voting rights bill designed to ensure that mail-in ballots and early voting become permanent fixtures in future Massachusetts elections was signed into law Wednesday by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker. The new law, which had passed the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts House and Senate by wide margins, would also increase ballot access for voters with disabilities and service members overseas. It would make sure eligible voters who are incarcerated can request a mail-in ballot and take steps to modernize the states election administration process. The law does not include provisions that would let individuals both register and vote on Election Day a change sought by some activists. Many of the voting options included in the new law proved popular in Massachusetts during the 2020 election at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when some voters were leery of heading to crowded polling locations. Preparations are underway to ensure that the changes will be in effect for the Sept. 6 state primary elections, according to Democratic Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, whose office oversees elections. Every voter in Massachusetts can expect to receive a pre-addressed, postage pre-paid Vote by Mail application in just a few weeks. Voters who prefer to vote in person will be able to take advantage of expanded in-person early voting or vote at their polling place on Election Day, Galvin said in a written statement. Voting rights advocates welcomed the new law. We are thrilled that Governor Baker signed the VOTES Act into law today, Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said in a written statement. At a time when many states are making it harder to vote, this new law will modernize our elections and make our democracy more accessible and equitable. The law will let registered voters vote by mail for any presidential, state or municipal primary or election; set aside two weeks including two weekends of early voting in-person for biennial state elections and one week including one weekend for presidential or state primaries; and move the voter registration deadline from 20 to 10 days before a preliminary, primary or general election. The secretary of state is required under the new law to send out mail-in ballot applications, with return postage guaranteed, to registered voters 45 days before any state election while hosting an online portal where voters can request ballots in multiple languages. The law also provides for electronic voting options for overseas voters including military personnel. Critics have questioned whether some of the changes are constitutional, but voting rights advocates said the bill is key to ensuring access to the ballot. More than 3.6 million residents cast ballots in the states 2020 general election, totaling 76% of all registered voters. Of those, 42% voted by mail in the general election. Another 23% voted during early voting windows. Achmad Ibrahim/AP JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesian President Joko Widodo is planning to meet the leaders of Russia and Ukraine following the Group of Seven summit in Germany later this month. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Wednesday that Widodo will travel to Kyiv and Moscow after attending the G-7 summit in the Bavarian village of Elmau on June 26-27. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Civil rights activists sued Missouri on Wednesday over a decades-old law that prohibits volunteers from offering ballot-booth help to multiple voters who have physical disabilities or are unable to read or write. The federal lawsuit contends Missouri's limits on voter assistance violate federal voting law and should be struck down. It's the latest of dozens of voting-related lawsuits across the U.S., as election procedures have come under increased scrutiny both from those seeking to guarantee access and ensure integrity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DENVER (AP) The mother of a man hailed as a hero for killing a gunman who ambushed and fatally shot a police officer only to be killed himself by another officer in suburban Denver filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging the officer who shot him should have realized he did not pose a threat. The lawsuit comes a day after the first anniversary of shootings that happened in the middle of the day in the main square in Olde Town Arvada, a historic shopping and entertainment area about 7 miles (10 kilometers) northwest of downtown Denver. The shootings came three months after a gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in nearby Boulder. Johnny Hurley's mother, Kathleen Boleyn, said the 40-year-old chef with a passion for helping people ran toward danger, assessing the situation as he went. Her lawsuit claims that Hurley was crouched down with a rifle pointing down and not in a threatening position when he was shot, adding that a witness said Hurley was taking the magazine out of a rifle he took away from the shooter. Johnny did what the police were supposed to do. He should not have had to die for it, Boleyn said. A district attorney investigation that cleared the officer who shot him, Kraig Brownlow, however found that it appeared to the officer like Hurley was reloading the rifle or trying to fix something on it. District Attorney Alexis King, who along with police has praised Hurleys actions, said that Brownlow thought Hurley was a second mass shooter and that he only had a moment to stop him from hurting others. Arvada Police Chief Link Strate was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. In a statement in response to the lawsuit, the city of Arvada stressed that the district attorney found that Brownlows actions were justified and implied the lawsuit was misleading. The events of June 21, 2021 were caused by Ronald Troyke, an individual that harbored an unfounded hatred toward police officers. When civil litigation is announced by a plaintiffs attorney in a manner that mischaracterizes and omits select information, it has the potential to compromise officer safety, it said. Brownlow left the department in good standing after the district attorneys investigation and was someone the department would gladly have back, police spokesperson Detective David Snelling said. Brownlow could not immediately be located to request comment on the lawsuit. Investigators say that Troyke was intent on killing as many police officers as he could. He shot and killed officer Gordon Beesley before being shot and killed by Hurley, who heard the shots, rushed out of a nearby store and fired his handgun at Troyke. Brownlow was one of three officers who had heard shots and spotted Troyke from inside a nearby police substation. None of the officers inside the substation knew that Beesley, a 19-year department veteran and beloved school resource officer, had been shot or that Hurley had intervened, according to the district attorneys investigation. The lawsuit says that Brownlow and the other two officers cowered in the substation, choosing self-preservation over defense of the civilian population" before Brownlow saw Hurley with Troyke's gun, opened the building's door and shot Hurley from behind after deciding against giving a warning first. He made this choice despite the fact that no reasonable officer could have perceived a threat from Mr. Hurleys actions," the lawsuit alleges. Mr. Hurleys death was not the result of a misfortunate split-second judgment call gone wrong, but the result of a deliberate and unlawful use of deadly force." The lawsuit alleges that the Arvada Police Department trains its officer never to give warnings before shooting in active shooter situations, which it claims is unconstitutional. Snelling countered that Arvada officers have discretion in whether to give warnings before shooting someone depending on whether giving one would give a suspect an advantage to shoot others or officers. It's Election Day in three states across the country. People in Virginia went to the polls today to cast their ballots in the state's primary elections. Meanwhile, Alabama and Georgia are hosting pivotal runoffs to choose which candidates will ultimately represent each party in November's general election. Check below for live updates of race results and breaking news from a busy primary night: 9:30 p.m. ET In the marquee race of the night, Katie Britt has been declared the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Alabama, defeating Rep. Mo Brooks. Britt, the former chief of staff to retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, emerged as the favorite coming into the night. But that wasn't the case at the beginning of the race. Brooks, who gave up his House seat to run for Senate, was expected to run away with the race. He was initially backed by Trump and many establishment GOP voices while leading the pack financially and experience-wise. But soon enough, Britt started gaining traction in the polls. Brooks' faltering front-runner status, along with his hesitancy to go all-in on Trump's unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, led the former president to rescind his endorsement of Brooks in March. And then just last month, Trump threw his weight behind Britt, almost assuring her ascension to GOP nominee, and in deep-red Alabama, a seat in the U.S. Senate. 8:45 p.m. ET Rich McCormick has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, according to the AP. McCormick, an emergency room physician and Marine veteran, is the second Georgia congressional candidate of the night to defeat a Trump-backed opponent, beating Jake Evans. The first to do so tonight was Mike Collins, who finished ahead of Vernon Jones. 8:35 p.m. ET The AP is reporting that Democratic incumbent Muriel Bowser has won the primary for mayor in Washington D.C. mayor, virtually assuring her reelection to a third term in November. Bowser bested challengers James Butler, Robert White and Trayon White. Video below: One-on-one interview with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser from March 2022 8:15 p.m. ET The AP has called the Republican primary runoff election for U.S. House in Georgia's 10th Congressional District for Mike Collins. Collins, a business executive, has defeated Vernon Jones, the self-proclaimed "Black Donald Trump," who was backed by the former president. Collins victory adds another result to Trump's murky endorsement record so far this primary season. Also, Terry Namkung has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Virginia's 3rd Congressional District, besting Theodore Engquist. Namkung will face Rep. Bobby Scott, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, in November in a district believed to be safely controlled by the Democrats. 8:00 p.m. ET Polls have closed in Alabama. The race of the night is taking place in Alabama, which is the Republican primary for U.S. Senate between Rep. Mo Brooks and Katie Britt, a former aide to Sen. Richard Shelby, who is vacating the seat. 7:30 p.m. ET The first races of the night have been called. The Associated Press is reporting that incumbent Rep. Ben Cline has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Virginia's 6th Congressional District, while Rep. Donald Beyer secures the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Virginia's 8th Congressional District. Both seats are widely considered to be safe. Additionally, Jen Kiggans, a state senator, has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. She will take on Rep. Elaine Luria, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Virginia's 2nd Congressional District is viewed as one of the most competitive districts in the country and is high on the GOP's target list in November. 7:00 p.m. ET Polls have closed in Virginia and Georgia. FAYETTE, Miss (AP) A Mississippi man has received a maximum 40-year sentence for the killing of an off-duty state Highway Patrol officer. Damion Whittley, 27, of Natchez, was sentenced Tuesday for the slaying of Troy Morris. Circuit Judge Tomika H. Irving said Whittley must serve at least 30 years of his sentence before he could be considered for parole. Morris body was found Aug. 7, 2020, on the side of U.S. Highway 61 near Fayette, Mississippi. Whittley pleaded guilty to depraved heart murder, a classification that generally refers to a killing committed with indifference to human life. At the time of his death, Morris had been working his part-time job with the U.S. Postal Service. Morris was driving his Postal Service truck until about 4 a.m. when he got a flat tire on the highway. He called the Highway Patrol and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department to report the flat and asked if someone could be dispatched to watch the truck while he waited for a replacement vehicle. When a deputy arrived, he found Morris shot to death inside his truck. Whittley was subsequently arrested in New Orleans. Morris, of Natchez, was a 27-year veteran of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. In a news release, District Attorney Daniella M. Shorter said the conviction and sentence reflect her pledge to deal with violent crimes in a harsh, straightforward manner. LAS VEGAS (AP) The first of three men who have admitted setting fire to a Las Vegas police vehicle during a May 2020 racial injustice street protest was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison by a U.S. judge who said he was giving him a "do-over to reset his life. Devarian Jamal Haynes apologized to the court, his family and the city of Las Vegas before U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon also sentenced him to three years of post-release supervision, 100 hours of community service and about $4,250 in restitution following his guilty plea in March to a reduced charge of civil disorder. Co-defendants Tyree Walker and Ricardo Densmore also took plea deals in March that avoided trial on conspiracy and arson charges. Each charge could have gotten them five to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. Densmore is due for sentencing in July, and Walker is due for sentencing in August. Each is expected to receive a sentence similar to Haynes. I take full accountability, Haynes, 25, said as he appeared by videoconference from his parents home in Houston, where he has been living on pretrial release. He said he wanted to get it over with and just get back to growing as a man and a father. The judge noted that Haynes violated pretrial restrictions and had a record of drunken driving, domestic violence and getting drunk and assaulting people that cost (him) a good career in the Army. But Gordon said he was willing to let Haynes start over and continue on a better path. The judge allowed Haynes to self-surrender in 30 days for his prison sentence. According to court documents, Densmore recorded and posted video on social media showing Haynes pouring a flammable liquid from a fuel can through a missing window of a marked police patrol SUV. It then shows Walker tossing a flaming object inside and Haynes dropping the gas can into the vehicle. The early May 31, 2020, incident occurred during more than a week of protests that followed the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Thousands of people gathered at various times in downtown Las Vegas, on the resort-lined but coronavirus pandemic-shuttered Strip and in other cities. Some protesters threw rocks and bottles, police used tear gas, several injuries were reported, some downtown Las Vegas businesses were vandalized, and police made dozens of arrests. On June 2, 2020, an armed man was shot and killed by Las Vegas police after a crowd was ordered to disperse near the Las Vegas federal courthouse, and a Las Vegas police officer was wounded and left paralyzed in a shooting during a separate protest that night near a Strip hotel-casino. BLUE HILL, Maine (AP) A man who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers outside a home was holding an injured woman against her will, state police said. Peter Pfister, 27, of Blue Hill, was killed early Tuesday in an armed confrontation with a deputy and two state police officers, said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety. EVERETT, Wash. (AP) An Everett man has been arrested and accused of shooting four people, two fatally, in separate incidents on Sunday and Monday. Shane Baker, 25, was arrested Tuesday, lodged in the Snohomish County Jail and had bail set at $5 million, The Herald reported. It wasnt immediately known if he has a lawyer to comment on his behalf. Around 9 a.m. Sunday, a man in his 30s was shot multiple times near an Everett intersection. Police said he remained in stable, but critical condition as of Tuesday. On Monday afternoon three men were shot in the 2000 block of Lexington Avenue in Everett. Two of the men, Anthony W. Burnett, 48, and Anthony R. Jolly, 44, had gunshot wounds to the head and died at the scene, according to police and the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office. The third man, who suffered a grazing gunshot wound to the head, gave police information about the alleged shooter, police said. Baker was allegedly driving a stolen pickup truck and had shot people who questioned him about the vehicle, according to police. Baker told police he bought the truck from an unknown person in the past few days for $200 without a bill of sale, according to the police report. He said hed recently given someone a ride to the Lexington Avenue home, but said he never returned, according to police. When officers told Baker they had surveillance footage near the house, he reportedly asked for an attorney. MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) An Oregon man who illegally imported and exported hundreds of live scorpions was sentenced in federal court for violating the Lacey Act. Darren Drake 39, was sentenced Wednesday to two years federal probation, 250 hours of community service, and a $5,000 fine payable to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon. CLEVELAND (AP) Coinciding with unrelenting cyberattacks against Ukraine, state-backed Russian hackers have engaged in strategic espionage against governments, think tanks, businesses and aid groups in 42 countries supporting Kyiv, Microsoft said in a report Wednesday. Since the start of the war, the Russian targeting (of Ukraine's allies) has been successful 29 percent of the time, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote, with data stolen in at least one-quarter of the successful network intrusions, As a coalition of countries has come together to defend Ukraine, Russian intelligence agencies have stepped up network penetration and espionage activities targeting allied governments outside Ukraine, Smith said. Nearly two-thirds of the cyberespionage targets involved NATO members. The United States was the prime target and Poland, the main conduit for military assistance flowing to Ukraine, was No. 2. In the past two months, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Turkey have seen stepped-up targeting, A striking exception is Estonia, where Microsoft said it has detected no Russian cyber intrusions since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The company credited Estonia's adoption of cloud computing, where it's easier to detect intruders. Significant collective defensive weaknesses remain among some other European governments, Microsoft said, without identifying them. Half of the 128 organizations targeted are government agencies and 12% are nongovernmental agencies, typically think tanks or humanitarian groups, according to the 28-page report. Other targets include telecommunications, energy and defense companies. Microsoft said Ukraine's cyber defenses have proven stronger overall than Russia's capabilities in waves of destructive cyberattacks against 48 distinct Ukrainian agencies and enterprises. Moscow's military hackers have been cautious not to unleash destructive data-destroying worms that could spread outside Ukraine, as the NotPetya virus did in 2017, the report noted. During the past month, as the Russian military moved to concentrate its attacks in the Donbas region, the number of destructive attacks has fallen, according to the report, Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War. The Redmond, Washington, company has unique insight in the domain due to the ubiquity of its software and threat detection teams. Microsoft said Ukraine has also set an example in data safeguarding. Ukraine went from storing its data locally on servers in government buildings a week before the Russian invasion making them vulnerable to aerial attack to dispersing that data in the cloud, hosted in data centers across Europe. The report also assessed Russian disinformation and propaganda aimed at undermining Western unity and deflecting criticism of Russian military war crimes and wooing people in nonaligned countries. Using artificial intelligence tools, Microsoft said, it estimated "Russian cyber influence operations successfully increased the spread of Russian propaganda after the war began by 216 percent in Ukraine and 82 percent in the United States. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia's highest court on Wednesday overturned the murder and child cruelty convictions against a man whose toddler son died after he left him in a hot car for hours, saying the jury saw evidence that was extremely and unfairly prejudicial. Justin Ross Harris, 41, was convicted in November 2016 on eight counts including malice murder in the death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. A judge sentenced him to life without parole as well as 32 more years in prison for other crimes. All of the Georgia Supreme Court justices agreed that there was sufficient evidence to support Harris' convictions, but the 134-page majority opinion written by Chief Justice David Nahmias says that much of the evidence having to do with Harris' sexual activities shouldn't have been admitted and may have improperly influenced the jury. The ruling means that Harris is entitled to a new trial on the murder and child cruelty charges against him. We are very appreciative and grateful that we'll have a new trial, said Harris' attorney, Mitch Durham. The high court upheld Harris convictions on three sex crimes committed against a 16-year-old girl that Harris had not appealed. He received a total of 12 years in prison for those crimes. The Cobb County District Attorney's office plans to file a motion for reconsideration in the case, according to an emailed statement. Prosecutors argued that Harris was unhappy in his marriage and intentionally killed his son to free himself. To support this theory, they presented extensive evidence of extramarital sexual activities that he engaged in, including exchanging sexually explicit messages and graphic photos with women and girls and meeting some of them for sex. Defense attorneys described him as a doting father and said the boys death was a tragic accident. The 6-3 majority opinion says that the jury heard and saw an extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence. It says that as prosecutors painted Harris as a man who "intentionally and maliciously" abandoned his child to die in the summer heat, they also presented a substantial amount of evidence to lead the jury to answer a different and more legally problematic question: what kind of man is (Harris)? Harris, who moved from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to the Atlanta area for work in 2012, told police he forgot to drop his son off at day care on the morning of June 18, 2014, driving straight to his job as a web developer for Home Depot without remembering that Cooper was still in his car seat. Cooper died after sitting for about seven hours in the back seat of the Hyundai Tucson SUV outside his fathers office in suburban Atlanta, where temperatures that day reached at least into the high 80s. No one disputes that Harris left his son in the SUV rather than dropping him off at day care and that the heat in the vehicle caused the boy's death. The only disputed issue was whether Harris intentionally and maliciously left his child to suffer that painful death, Nahmias wrote. While some of the evidence was appropriate to establish the prosecutions theory of Harris motive, the trial court should have excluded much of it, Nahmias wrote. Highly prejudicial evidence included evidence that Harris exchanged lewd and sometimes illegal messages and photos with four minors, color photos of his genitals taken from text messages and blown up to show in court, and evidence that he had hired a prostitute, the opinion says. The state convincingly demonstrated that (Harris) was a philanderer, a pervert, and even a sexual predator, Nahmias wrote. This evidence did little if anything to answer the key question of (Harris's) intent when he walked away from Cooper, but it was likely to lead the jurors to conclude that (Harris) was the kind of man who would engage in other morally repulsive conduct (like leaving his child to die painfully in a hot car) and who deserved punishment, even if the jurors were not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he purposefully killed Cooper. The properly admitted evidence that Harris intended for his child to die was far from overwhelming, Nahmias wrote, adding that we cannot say that it is highly probable that the erroneously admitted sexual evidence did not contribute to the jury's guilty verdicts. Justice Charlie Bethel wrote a partial dissent that was joined by Justice Shawn LaGrua and Justice Verda Colvin. He said the state was entitled to introduce, in detail, evidence of the nature, scope, and extent of the truly sinister motive it ascribed to Harris. For that reason, Bethel wrote, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the challenged evidence. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea discussed assigning additional duties to front-line army units at a key military meeting, state media said Thursday, a move that analysts said indicates it plans to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons targeting South Korea along the rivals tense border. While much international attention has focused on North Koreas testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, it is also developing a variety of nuclear-capable short-range missiles that can target South Korea. South Korean officials recently said that North Korea has completed preparations for its first test of a nuclear explosive device in five years, part of a possible effort to build warheads capable of being mounted on short-range missiles. During an ongoing meeting of the Central Military Commission of North Korea's ruling Workers Party, leader Kim Jong Un and other top military officers discussed on Wednesday the work of additionally confirming the operation duties of the front-line units of the Korean Peoples Army and modifying the operation plans, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Kim also ordered steps to enhance the operational capabilities of the front-line units, KCNA said. A KCNA photo showed what appeared to be a large map of the Korean Peninsulas eastern coast, including border sites, standing near the conference table. Although there was no public mention of tactical nuclear weapons, "I can assess that the issues of forward-deploying tactical nuclear weapons and the modification of related operational plans and military organization reshuffles have been discussed in an in-depth manner" at the meeting, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Koreas private Sejong Institute. Cheong said North Korea's push to deploy nuclear weapons at front-line units was expected since it said in April that its new tactical weapons would significantly boost the units' attack capacity and the efficient operation of tactical nuclear weapons. A KCNA report on April 17 on the test-launch of what it called a new type of tactical guided weapon said it has great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the front-line long-range artillery units, enhancing the efficiency in the operation of (North Koreas) tactical nukes and diversification of their firepower missions. Later in April, Kim said North Korea could preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they would never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent in situations in which the country faces external threats to its fundamental interests. The possibility of North Korea having an escalatory nuclear doctrine could pose greater concern for South Korea, Japan and the United States. North Korea has described some of its other short-range nuclear-capable missiles tested in recent years as tactical weapons, which experts say communicates a threat to proactively use them during conventional warfare to blunt the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States. Kim Jun-rak, a spokesperson for South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Thursday that it is closely monitoring North Korean activities but didnt elaborate. South Korea's Unification Ministry, which overseas relations with North Korea, said the North will likely increase its military threats against South Korea, but did not elaborate. Kim convened the Central Military Commission meeting earlier this week to confirm crucial and urgent tasks to expand the country's military capabilities and implement key defense policies, state media said. Cheong, the analyst, said North Korea is expected to conduct its seventh nuclear test after the meeting, noting that its third nuclear test in 2013 also came days after another Central Military Commission meeting. This year, North Korea has test-launched about 30 missiles in what some experts call an attempt to expand its arsenal and increase its leverage in future negotiations with the United States to win sanctions relief and other concessions. The weapons tested include an ICBM. Analysts say North Korea needs to master missile reentry capabilities and other technologies to make a functioning long-range weapon. There have been signs of an impending North Korean nuclear test for weeks. South Korean officials said the test has been delayed by North Koreas continuing COVID-19 outbreak and opposition from China, its last major ally and biggest aid provider. Won In-Choul, chairman of South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a video conference on Thursday with his American counterpart, Gen. Mark Milley, and said a North Korean ICBM test or nuclear test explosion could occur at any time, his office said in a statement. It said Milley responded that the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea remains iron-clad. South Korean and U.S. officials have warned North Korea that it will face consequences if it goes ahead with a nuclear test. But divisions between the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council make prospects for additional international sanctions on North Korea unclear. Earlier this year, Russia and China vetoed U.S.-sponsored resolutions that would have increased sanctions, insisting that Washington should focus on reviving dialogue. ___ Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) New Hampshire residents facing drastic increases in their electric bills could get some relief via several proposals outlined Wednesday by Gov. Chris Sununu. The Office of the Consumer Advocate has said utility bills are likely to rise by about 50% based on recent rate changes filed with the Public Utilities Commission. Utilities are passing along their higher supply costs, driven up in part because the global market for natural gas has been shaken by the war in Ukraine. Sununu wants to use $60 million in state surplus money to provide nearly every ratepayer with a $100 credit, with another $7 million shoring up the states electric assistance program for low-income residents. Participants in the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program meanwhile would get a boost via rolling over $32.5 million in unspent funds $7.5 million this summer and the rest next winter. We want to move quickly, we want to stay ahead of the ball, Sununu said at a news conference flanked by fellow Republican lawmakers. I think this opportunity is absolutely phenomenal. The states all-Democratic congressional delegation quickly pointed out that New Hampshire has a state surplus in part because they delivered nearly $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding and $94 million in LIHEAP funding in the past two years. They had written to Sununu last week suggesting that money be used for direct assistance. We are encouraged that the resources weve secured have helped the state have funds on hand to respond to rising energy costs and that the state is moving forward with direct relief, the delegation said in a statement Wednesday. The state needs to continue to explore additional ways to leverage remaining federal relief funds to support Granite Staters. State Sen. Tom Sherman, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, criticized Sununu as being reactive instead of strategic and said he had repeatedly vetoed measures that would expand energy options and mitigate rising costs. If we understand the environment in which things are happening, we can anticipate an awful lot of this and be ready, he said. We werent ready for this. Sununu called that criticism insanity and said the vetoes saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars. I take a lot of criticism sometimes for vetoing those bills but its the right thing to do, not for Chris Sununu, its the right thing to do for ratepayers, he said. The proposals involving the state surplus require the approval of the Legislature, which wont be in session until September when lawmakers return to take up vetoed bills. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) New Jersey would change the age for purchasing rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 under legislation an Assembly committee advanced on Wednesday, part of new bills aimed at tightening the state's already strict gun laws. The measure comes after fatal shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, where authorities identified the shooters as 18-year-olds. The fate of the bill, though, is uncertain because the state Senate has not so far taken up the measure. New Jersey's bill follows New York, which earlier this month adopted legislation setting 21 as the age at which residents could buy semiautomatic rifles weapons already banned in New Jersey. Rhode Island adopted a similar measure just this week. Under current law, New Jersey requires residents to be 21 to purchase a handgun. The new measure would raise the age threshold to 21 for those seeking to purchase rifles and shotguns, but also include several carveouts. Under the bill, those younger than 21 could possess a long gun under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian or another person permitted to carry a firearm; or for military drills, target practice, instruction, or training; or for hunting during the designated season along with holding a valid hunting license and taking a safety course. The committee also considered eight other bills, broadly in line with Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's repeated calls for more gun safety measures. The other measures include legislation sought by Murphy to allow the state attorney general to probe and seek injunctions against gun manufacturers whose weapons go against the state's public nuisance laws. The hearing unfolded over nearly four hours, with a handful of advocates and opponents in attendance. Wearing a red Moms Demand Action T-Shirt, Amy Faucher directly linked the bill increasing the firearm purchase age to the shootings in Texas and New York. Our nation has been shook to the core over the past month with two horrific mass shootings," said Faucher, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action. "If this bill can save one life in one city somewhere, to me its worth it. Darin Goens, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, criticized the bill, indicating it amounted to turning 18-to 20-year-olds into a second class of citizens who couldn't exercise a constitutional right. He predicted the bill would be challenged all the way up to the Supreme Court if it becomes law in New Jersey. In our estimation this is a complete violation of the Second Amendment, Goens said. Bills that pass out of committee typically head next to the full Democrat-led Assembly for consideration. The Democrat-controlled state Senate is considering the same legislation Thursday, except for the increase in the purchase age. Asked recently about the bills, Senate President Nicholas Scutari said he was evaluating the bills and making sure that we bring common sense gun solutions ... not just bills to pass bills but bills that are focused on a specific issue that could solve issues in our society." DENVER (AP) A former Colorado police officer acknowledged Wednesday that she failed to stop another officer from shoving an elderly woman with dementia to the ground during a shoplifting arrest. Daria Jalali, 28, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failure to intervene and faces up to five years of probation and 60 days in jail when she is sentenced Aug. 5, The Denver Post reported. As part of a plea deal, she agreed not to seek employment as a police officer again. SANAA, Yemen (AP) Suspected al-Qaida militants on Wednesday attacked a security post in a southern Yemeni province, sparking clashes that left five troops and three militants dead, officials said. The early morning attack took place in Ataq, the capital of the mountainous province of Shabwa, the officials said. At least four other troops were wounded in the attack, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio State University has won its fight to trademark the word The. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved the universitys request Tuesday. The school says it allows Ohio State to control use of The on branded products associated with and sold through athletics and collegiate channels, such as T-shirts, baseball caps and hats. THE has been a rallying cry in the Ohio State community for many years, and Buckeye fans who purchase official Ohio State gear support student scholarships, libraries and other university initiatives, said Ben Johnson, the university's senior director of media and public relations. He noted the universitys licensing and trademark program generates over $12.5 million a year in revenue, which helps fund student scholarships and university programs. Ohio State started pursuing a trademark in August 2019 after fashion retailer Marc Jacobs had filed an application for the word a few months earlier. The company and the university reached a deal in August 2021 that allows both parties to use the branding. The patent office rejected Ohio State's initial application, finding the trademark appeared to be used for merely decorative manner and as an ornamental feature that didn't appear to function as a trademark that would differentiate the items from others. Charlie Neibergall/AP DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa attorney general's office said Wednesday that a state Supreme Court decision that requires a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion won't take effect until next month, but the organization that provides most abortion in the state says it will immediately implement the waiting period. A spokesman for the Iowa attorney generals office said last week's ruling would not take effect until the case has been returned to the lower court judge for further action, likely around July 8. Typically, Supreme Court opinions go into effect 21 days after they are released. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) After a car chase and standoff, police shot and killed a man suspected in a pair of fatal shootings in San Jose and Modesto that happened in a two-hour span, authorities said Wednesday. The Mercury News in San Jose reported that the suspect fired on police during the pursuit and after he barricaded himself inside a residence in the South San Jose neighborhood, southeast of San Francisco. The suspect died at a local hospital following the Wednesday morning shooting, authorities said. No police officers were injured. The fatal confrontation came about 12 hours after the first shooting was reported at 7:11 p.m. Tuesday in San Jose, police said. A wounded man was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. Around 9:20 p.m. in Modesto, a second shooting was reported that resulted in the death of a 29-year-old woman, according to police. Officials in the Central California city said the shooting had been linked to the suspect, but did not specify how. After the second shooting, the suspect was spotted by California Highway Patrol officers as he was heading toward the San Francisco Bay Area. The CHP officers initiated a chase, which eventually included San Jose police and ended in the city. During that car chase, the suspect reportedly shot at pursuing officers, San Jose police said. Just after 5 a.m. Wednesday, police announced on Twitter that the suspect had barricaded himself in a residence it was not immediately clear if he was connected to the address after neighbors reported seeing someone knocking on windows and jumping fences on the street. On at least one occasion, the barricaded suspect opened fire on officers, but did not hit anyone, police said. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. Police spokesman Sgt. Christian Camarillo said at a Wednesday news conference that the man emerged from a backyard shed at 7:22 a.m. and pointed a gun at special-operations officers, prompting the officers to open fire. Camarillo said that was the only time that officers fired at the man, through the police chase and ensuing standoff. The incident marked the San Jose Police Departments third police shooting of 2022, two of which have been fatal. AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) A Georgia man is accused of killing his mother, stepfather and cousin at a suburban Atlanta home. Cobb County police say a domestic dispute on Tuesday led Marcus Smith, 37, to shoot and kill his 60-year-old mother, Janice Peaks; his 63-year-old stepfather, Donnell Peaks; and his 38-year-old cousin, Cameron King. Police found Donnell and Janice Peaks dead when they arrived at a home in the Atlanta suburb of Austell. King was found shot, dying shortly after arriving at an Atlanta hospital. A warrant obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution finds Donnell Peaks was shot in the head and legs, while Janice Peaks and King were both shot in the head. Cobb Police Sgt. Wayne Delk said King and Smith were first or second cousins. Police on Tuesday arrested Smith on a nearby street not far from the home. He's charged with three counts each of felony murder and aggravated assault and remained jailed without bail Wednesday in Cobb County. It's unclear if Smith has a lawyer to speak for him. The warrant says the shooting followed a verbal and physical fight. Delk said police believe no one other suspects were involved. VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis on Wednesday blasted the violence that plagues Mexico as he mourned the slayings of two of his brother Jesuits who were gunned down in a remote Mexican church by apparent drug gang members. Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, offered prayers to the Jesuit community at the end of his weekly general audience, saying he was saddened and dismayed to learn of the slayings in Mexico's mountainous Chihuahua state. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Ukrainian official overseeing the countrys push to join the European Union said Wednesday that shes 100% certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraine's EU candidacy during a summit this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar optimism, calling it a crucial moment for Ukraine. Ukraines membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders' summit starts. Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russias invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%. The EUs executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraines candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commission's endorsement as a game-changer that had taken the ground out from under the legs of those most hesitating." EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Ukraine's full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law. Stefanishyna told the AP that she think Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast. Were already very much integrated in the European Union, she said. We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years. To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms. In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Brussels summit as two decisive days that he, like Stefanishyna, thinks will result in approval of Ukraine's EU candidacy. That is a very crucial moment for us, for some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness," the Ukrainian president said through an interpreter. "In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivational factor for the unity and victory of the Ukrainian people. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraines candidate status. Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law," De Cross said. "But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward. Zelenskyy said he spoke with a total of 11 EU leaders Wednesday, following calls with nine the day before, in another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. In other developments: Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been coldly executed during the first weeks of the war as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers. Zelenskyy said Russian forces were carrying out very heavy air and artillery strikes in the eastern Donbas. Step by step they want to destroy all of the Donbas. All of it," he said in his nightly video address. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said in some battles, for every artillery shell Ukrainian forces fire, the Russian army fires at least six. Zelenskyy appealed to Western countries to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons to stop this diabolical armada. Russian forces captured three villages in the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said the villages are near Lysychansk, the last city in Luhansk still fully under Ukrainian control. The Russians have also taken a strategic coal village, Toshkivka, enabling them to intensify attacks, Haidai said. Russian forces continued shelling Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, and nearby towns, killing 10 people, including five women in the village of Pryshyb, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. He said Russian forces are advancing through the area around Pryshyb as they target Sloviansk, a Ukrainian-held city in the Donbas. All four of the medium-range rocket systems that the U.S. provided to Ukraine several weeks ago are now in the country in the hands of Ukrainian forces but it is not clear if they have used them yet, a U.S. defense official said. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems will give the Ukrainians greater precision in targeting Russian assets. The rockets generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military details. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian forces killed up to 500 Ukrainian servicemen in strikes Tuesday against a shipbuilding plant in Mykolaiv. Zelenskyy said the Russians fired seven missiles at Mykolaiv, wounding five people. He gave no details about what was hit. The Russian military also claimed Ukrainian forces evacuated up to 30 wounded and eight dead American and British fighters from near Mykolaivka, a town in the Donetsk region. There was no confirmation of this by Ukraine. Satellite images of Snake Island appear to show damage from a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied island in the Black Sea. The Maxar Technologies images taken Tuesday show three new scorched areas that were not there four days earlier. Russia and Ukraine offer conflicting accounts of the attack. The Ukrainian militarys southern command said it inflicted significant losses on Russian troops in an attack using various forces and methods of destruction, while the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses successfully repelled the Ukrainian assault. Russian forces captured the small rocky island in the first days of the war and have used it to strengthen their control over the northwestern part of the sea. Russian officials said a drone strike caused a fire at the largest oil refinery in southern Russia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a piece of machinery at the Novoshakhtinsk plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. Authorities said dozens of firefighters quickly contained the fire and no one was hurt. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the strike. Turkeys defense ministry said Wednesday that a Turkish ship was allowed to leave the Russian-occupied Azov Sea port of Mariupol following talks between Turkish and Russian defense ministry officials. A ministry statement said a Turkish freighter, Azov Concord, was the first foreign ship to be allowed to leave Mariupol. The ministry did not say what the freighter was carrying. The war has halted critical grain exports by sea. French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The exercise in Estonia, a NATO member that neighbors Russia, was executed as an act of strategic solidarity during Russias war in Ukraine. ___ Associated Press writers Sam Petrequin in Brussels, Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is rebranding Asian carp the invasive species that now make up an estimated 70% of fish in the Illinois River and are a threat to the Great Lakes in hopes of convincing Americans to help eat away at the fish's overpopulation problem. Four species of Asian carp bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp and black carp now will be known as copi a hopefully appetizing play on the word copious and a name chosen based on a $600,000 multi-year marketing study to assess Illinois residents thoughts on the fish. Calling it a name-based perception issue for a fish widely eaten elsewhere in the world, Nick Adam of Span design studio in Chicago, who led the research, said surveys, interviews and focus groups with more than 350 Illinois residents showed that 85% of participants had heard of Asian carp but only 5% had eaten it. We know that renaming works, Adam said, noting that orange roughy originally was known as slimehead, Chilean sea bass once was called Patagonian toothfish and even avocado and kiwi used to have far less popular monikers. The United States is the only nation in the world where Asian carp is not commonly eaten, according to John Goss, former invasive carp adviser to the White House. Theyre not in the Great Lakes and were doing everything we can to keep them out, Goss said. That includes convincing Americans to make copi burgers, copi sliders and other copi-based dishes part of their regular menu. In announcing the rebranding effort Wednesday during a Zoom call, natural resources officials got support from Chicago-based chef and Chopped champion Brian Jupiter of Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern and Dirk and Terry Fucik of Dirks Fish and Gourmet Shop in Chicago. Its a great substitute for ground beef, Terry Fucik said, noting that among Dirks popular menu items are copi burgers, copi tacos and copi bolognese. Jim Garvey, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale fisheries expert and director of SIUs Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, has studied bighead carp for more than 20 years. He was not part of Wednesday's announcement but said eating away at the problem may be the easiest, cheapest and best solution, he said. An electrical barrier on the Illinois River near Chicago appears to have succeeded so far in keeping the invasive species out of Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes, but those working to reduce or erase the problem dont want to rely solely on one solution, he said. It seems simple, but it took a long time to determine that commercial harvest is probably the best way to keep them from becoming abundant below the barrier, Garvey said, noting that other ideas, such as poisoning the invasive fish, have proven ineffective or too costly. Fishing for copi wont be regulated the way it is for native species, Garvey said. We would love copi to become extinct in the United States, but it just doesnt seem like these fish are going to be completely reduced, he said. But even if copi were to one day disappear, we are blessed with a variety of very good native fish on the Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Encouraging commercial fishing with a focus on Asian carp would not harm Illinois fishing industry, Garvey said. If our commercial fishermen had to go back to fishing native fishes after eradicating copi, they could, he said. We should celebrate it, if it happens. While the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has rolled out a plan to tout copi, its name change isnt yet official. The state expects to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by year's end to formally change the name. In the meantime, grocery store packaging will describe the fish both as carp and copi. Asian carp originally were imported from Southeast Asia to the U.S. to help clean fish farm retention ponds in the South. But flooding and accidental releases in the 1970s allowed them to migrate up the Mississippi River system. Local, state and federal agencies since have worked to keep the invasive species from Lake Michigan, where it would threaten a $7 billion-a-year commercial fishing industry and a $16 billion-a-year tourism industry in the Great Lakes region. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham is proposing an age limit for South Carolina politicians a cap that would cut off the 75-year-old incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster and making a veiled argument that even fellow Democrats like President Joe Biden are staying in office way past their prime. Our country and our state are being run by a geriatric oligarchy, people who stay in office way past their prime," Cunningham says in a campaign video, provided Wednesday to The Associated Press ahead of its public release. Some of these folks have been clinging onto power for 30, 40, even 50 years," Cunningham says. The folks who are making a career out of politics are making a mess of our country. Cunningham proposes instituting a 72-year-old age limit for South Carolina politicians, a retirement bar already in effect for the state's judges, and one that would take a constitutional amendment, approved by voters, to implement. South Carolina currently requires judges to retire officially at age 72, although jurists are allowed to stay on the bench in a fill-in capacity beyond that age limit. Cunningham ends the two-minute video by making a bipartisan appeal for support from those who may have previously voted for Biden, former President Donald Trump, or McMaster sometime in the last 40 years. Cunningham, who recently turned 40, has frequently jabbed at McMaster's age, arguing that the Republican who has served in a variety of public roles including lieutenant governor, U.S. attorney and South Carolina attorney general, for the majority of the past four decades has been in politics longer than I've been alive. But Cunningham's campaign wouldn't answer questions Wednesday about whether the Democrat would argue that Biden who has supported Cunningham since his 2018 run for Congress is too old to serve. When he took office last year at age 78, Biden was sworn in as the oldest president in the nations history, displacing Ronald Reagan, who left the White House in 1989 when he was 77 years and 349 days old. According to an AP-NORC survey conducted in January, more than three-quarters of Democrats said they felt confident that Biden has the mental capability to serve effectively as president or is healthy enough to serve effectively as president. However, 8 in 10 Republicans do not have much or any confidence in either his physical health or mental capacity. Republicans including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, have called on Biden to resign, calling him incoherent, incapacitated and confused. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley who served the Trump administration as U.N. ambassador proposed some sort of cognitive test for aging politicians, following a series of gaffes by Biden. McMaster campaign manager Mark Knoop told the AP that South Carolina had benefited from the leadership, hard work and ingenuity of people of all ages and backgrounds" and called Cunningham's notion "an insult to every senior in this state. In the video, Cunningham also floats ending South Carolina's income tax a practice already undertaken in a handful of other states to keep more money in your pocket. Cunningham, who served one term in the U.S. House before losing his 2020 reelection bid to Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, won a five-way primary June 14 to secure South Carolina's gubernatorial nomination. McMaster defeated his primary opponent ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. SALISBURY, Md. (AP) A Maryland sheriffs deputy who was fatally shot last week as he tried to arrest a fugitive was remembered Tuesday as a protector, a father and a beloved friend with an infectious smile. Friends, family, dignitaries and more than 1,000 officers from Maryland, Delaware and other states attended the funeral for Wicomico County sheriffs deputy Cpl. Glenn Hilliard at Emmanuel Wesleyan Church in Salisbury, news outlets reported. The service celebrated the life of the New Jersey native and Berlin resident. Glenn loved what he did so much that he went out on that battlefield to protect us and his family," said Pastor Dana Bunting-Stauffer of Emmanuel Fruitland, who officiated the service. "Im grateful that he was our protector, and if it meant chasing down an assailant, he would. First Sgt. Burley Williams, of the sheriffs office remembered Hilliard as a friend, not just as a colleague. His smile and laughter were infectious, Williams said of Hilliard. Theres no way you could be around Glenn when he was having a great time and not have a great time yourself. Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford described Hilliard as one of our true heroes who was there to protect our state with true valor. Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis remembered hiring Hilliard in 2012 and said it didnt take long for him to become a role model for other deputies and the community. He noted that Hilliards personnel file was full of letters of commendation. His was a career highlighted by valor and sacrifice, benchmarks of our law enforcement profession, Lewis said. Glenn put the welfare and safety of others beyond his own. Hilliard was fatally shot while trying to arrest a man wanted on multiple felony warrants at an apartment complex in Pittsville on June 12. After a two-hour search, Austin Davidson, 20, was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and other offenses in connection with Hilliards death. Lewis said he was surprised when Hilliard requested a transfer from the criminal investigation division to the patrol division, but Hilliard explained that he was interested in professional development to become a corporal. On Tuesday, Lewis posthumously promoted Hilliard from the rank of deputy first class to corporal. He also awarded Hilliard the Wicomico County Sheriffs Office Medal of Valor for his sacrifice, presenting the award to Hilliards widow, Tashica. Ive been there in support of people. But, Ive never been the one who needed to be supported. Im proud of how all of the different agencies took care of my family throughout this, Hilliards brother-in-law Theophilus Hobbs IV said. This right here is amazing, and he would love it. My sister says it, and I know it for sure. He would love the way that he is being represented today. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka's debt-laden economy has collapsed after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity, the prime minister told lawmakers Wednesday in comments that underscored the country's dire situation as it seeks help from international lenders. Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament the South Asian nation faces a far more serious situation" than the shortages alone, and he warned of "a possible fall to rock bottom. "Our economy has completely collapsed, he said. The crisis on the island of 22 million is considered its worst in recent memory, but Wickremesinghe did not cite any specific new developments. His comments appeared intended to emphasize to critics and opposition lawmakers that he has inherited a difficult task that cannot be fixed quickly. Hes setting expectations really, really low, said Anit Mukherjee, a policy fellow and economist at the Center for Global Development in Washington. Wickremesinghe's remarks also sent a message to potential lenders: You cant let a country of such strategic importance collapse," said Mukherjee, who noted that Sri Lanka sits in one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes. The Sri Lankan economy is foundering under the weight of heavy debts, lost tourism revenue and other effects of the pandemic, as well as surging costs for commodities. The result is a country hurtling towards bankruptcy, with hardly any money to import gasoline, milk, cooking gas and toilet paper. Lawmakers from the two main opposition parties are boycotting Parliament this week to protest Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister just over a month ago and is also finance minister, for failing to deliver on his pledges to turn the economy around. Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is unable to purchase imported fuel due to heavy debt owed by its petroleum corporation. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $700 million in debt, he told lawmakers. As a result, no country or organization in the world is willing to provide fuel to us. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash. The crisis has started to hurt Sri Lankas middle class, which is estimated to be 15% to 20% of the countrys urban population. The middle class began to swell in the 1970s after the economy opened up to more trade and investment. It has grown steadily since. Until recently, middle-class families generally enjoyed economic security. Now those that never had to think twice about fuel or food are struggling to manage three meals a day. They have really been jolted like no other time in the last three decades, said Bhavani Fonseka, a senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lankas capital. If the middle class is struggling like this, imagine how hard hit the more vulnerable are, Fonseka added. The situation has derailed years of progress toward relatively comfortable lifestyles aspired to across South Asia. Government officials have been given every Friday off for three months to save on fuel and grow their own fruits and vegetables. The inflation rate for food is 57%, according to official data. Wickremesinghe took office after days of violent protests over the countrys economic crisis forced his predecessor to step down. On Wednesday, he blamed the previous government for failing to act in time as Sri Lankas foreign reserves dwindled. The foreign currency crisis has crimped imports, creating the severe shortages that also include medicine and forcing people to stand in long lines to obtain basic needs. If steps had at least been taken to slow down the collapse of the economy at the beginning, we would not be facing this difficult situation today. But we lost out on this opportunity. We are now seeing signs of a possible fall to rock bottom, he said. So far, Sri Lanka has been muddling through, mainly supported by $4 billion in credit lines from neighboring India. But Wickremesinghe said India would not be able to keep Sri Lanka afloat for long. It also has received pledges of $300 million to $600 million from the World Bank to buy medicine and other essential items. Sri Lanka has already announced that it is suspending repayment of $7 billion in foreign debt due this year, pending the outcome of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a rescue package. It must pay $5 billion on average annually until 2026. Wickremesinghe said IMF assistance seems to be the country's only option now. Officials from the agency are visiting Sri Lanka to discuss the idea. A staff-level agreement is likely to be reached by the end of July. We have concluded the initial discussions, and we have exchanged ideas on various sectors," Wickremesighe said. Representatives of financial and legal advisers to the government on debt restructuring are also visiting the island, and a team from the U.S. Treasury will arrive next week, he said. ___ Krutika Pathi and Bharatha Mallawarachi in Colombo and Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HAVANA (AP) Olga Lidia Lahera lives with her daughter and two granddaughters in a tiny 15-square-meter (160-square-foot) apartment with peeling plaster walls that has barely enough room for a shelf with pots and a rickety sofa bed. A cloth curtain separates the space they use to wash up. There is no bathroom. A bit farther down Gloria Street in the Talla Piedra neighborhood of Old Havana, Anet Ayala and her brother Wilmedis live on the second floor of an old building with cracks in the walls and ceilings so big that air, light and even water can pass through. The first storm of the 2022 hurricane season, which hit Cuba in mid-June, collapsed or damaged dozens of homes in the capital that were already in poor condition, tearing off pieces of roof, balconies and facades. That highlighted one of Cubas main social problems: a shortage of quality housing caused by decades of inadequate maintenance, a lack of new housing and impediments facing people trying to fix up their own homes. An official review last year found that the island of 11.3 million people had 3.9 million homes at the end of 2020, almost 40% of which were just in fair to poor condition. Cuba needed another 862,000 homes to adequately house its people up from an officially estimated shortfall of about 500,000 in 2005. The government announced a major national program to solve the problem in 2018, but the latest official figures show a dramatic drop in recent construction as the country has struggled with a pandemic-stricken economy and tighter US. sanctions. In 2019, 44,000 homes were built 35% by the state and 65% by individual families. In 2020, that number dropped to 32,000 43% by the state and 57% by individuals. Last year, about 18,000 units were built (47% by the state and 53% by individuals). There are no official figures for the current year. That leaves families like Ayala's with little option. When it rains here everything gets wet, furniture, the refrigerator. We have nowhere to move things to, said Ayala, trying to control her emotion while showing the effects of the latest downpours, including a strong musty smell. Tomorrow a wind will come and this (roof) will fall on us and we will be two more dead, said Ayala, 36, whose face is partially paralyzed after surgery for a brain tumor. She and her brother Wilmedis Horta Ayala, a 39-year-old physical education teacher at a primary school, filled out all kinds of paperwork to get authorization to legally fix the place, which is about a century old, but the building permit mandatory in Cuba was never issued. Lahera, 65, was a state employee until she requested sick leave. The four of them live off what the Cuban state give her daughter to take care of her and the girls. When it rains, the walls here pick up a current (become electrified), she said. They are bad, but I dont know to what degree they would fall. They are all cracked; the building, the structure is very old. For decades in Cuba, residential construction was wholly controlled by the socialist government and no legal real estate market existed. People could not sell homes. In 2011, President Raul Castro authorized the buying and selling of homes as a way to reactivate the economy, giving more space to private enterprise. Thousands of people acquired houses or invested in fixing up the ones they had, which suddenly gained capital value. With an increase in tourism and a rapprochement with the United States in the middle of that decade, some areas like Old Havana saw a wave of gentrification, often aided by funds from families in the U.S. That hit a wall with the pandemic and Trump-era sanctions. Cuba's government has long struggled to build sufficient new housing or maintain existing structures, and tried to keep a tight hand on private efforts, believing often correctly that building materials had been pilfered from state stocks. In recent years it has tried to offer more credits for construction and repairs and stimulate efforts by professional and workplace groups to build apartment buildings for themselves. But construction materials are often hard to find at low-price official outlets which often insist on seeing permits and private sellers demand prices far beyond what Ayala or Lahera can afford, Now, the first rains of the new storm season have again exposed the fragility of Cubas housing much of it located in coastal cities with salt-laden air. You just have to walk through the city to see the profound deterioration of Havanas buildings, architect Orlando Inclan told The Associated Press. Inclan was part of a team that won a competition sponsoRed by his professional association to build social housing using alternative or recycled materials. He and some of his colleagues are urging the government to lift a ban on private architecture and construction businesses and let them participate in a movement to clean up public spaces and houses for the islands population. It is time to diversify the housing policy. The actors involved must be diversified, the materials must be diversified, the ways of understanding housing must be diversified, he said. There doesnt have to be only one producer of housing The only way to find a solution to this is to think creatively." - Andrea Rodriguez is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP NEW DELHI (AP) A woman representing Indias poor tribal community is likely to be the countrys next president after the governing Bharatiya Janata Party picked Draupadi Murmu as its candidate. The presidency is a ceremonial post and the election of Murmu, 64, is a formality with Prime Minister Narendra Modis BJP in a strong position to galvanize support for her among lawmakers representing parliament and state legislatures. The BJP chose Murmu at the partys parliamentary board meeting Tuesday chaired by Modi. Party president J.P. Nadda told reporters that they felt the next president should be a female tribal candidate. A divided opposition named Yashwant Sinha, a BJP rebel, to challenge Murmu in the election. Sinha, 84, had served as the country's finance minister during the previous BJP government from 1998 to 2002. He quit the party following a divergence with Modi on economic issues in 2018. The voting will be held on July 18. In India, the prime minister is the head of the government and holds the executive authority, and the president mostly follows the prime minister's advice so long as it is constitutional. Murmu, a member of Modis BJP, hails from the eastern Odisha state and had served as the governor of Jharkhand state. Modi tweeted Tuesday, Droupadi Murmu has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalized. Murmu's father and her grandfather were village headmen in Baidaposi in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. Tribes are generally poor, lacking health care and education facilities in remote Indian villages. India's tribal communities have developed their traditions and economies in concert with the natural resources at hand. EAST ALTON East Alton officials battled the unhealthy odors of animal feces and urine Wednesday to rescue about 20 cats from a duplex apartment in the 100 block of Ohio Street after removing the female resident from the apartment. East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike said that, around noon Wednesday, police called the East Alton Fire Department for assistance and breathing apparatus to help officers removing the cats which were mostly kittens. MANISTEE Anyone looking for the quality artwork, crafts and unique collector type items will have two venues to find them during the Manistee National Forest Festival. The Manistee World of Arts and Crafts event that has been wowing people for nearly five decades with artwork and crafts to purchase. For the past two years the World of Arts and Crafts was on a hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Worlds of Arts and Crafts Committee member Ann Hunter Vadeboncoeur said the craft show not only is back, but it will be bigger and better than ever. The event is slated to take place 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 2 and 3 in its traditional location in Red Szymarek Park on Fifth Avenue in Manistee. The event is juried, meaning artists not only have to apply to get in, but be approved, in order to maintain the long-standing tradition of high quality work at the show. "We are going back to the way it always has been in the past, and besides the arts and crafts there will be food, music and we hope to get the fire trucks to come down for the kids," said Vadeboncoeur. "There will be over 60 vendors and it will be a wide variety of glasswork, pottery, jewelry, metal work, photography, woven rugs and much more." Vadeboncoeur said there is strong interest among the artists in coming back to the event and in new ones wanting to become a part of it. "They are coming from all over as we have them from as far away as New Orleans, Florida and some from Colorado," said Vadeboncoeur. "It's a juried show so it is all the best crafted items, and I think it is going to be a great year because people have been waiting for it to come back." Over the past two years Vadeboncoeur said she has received numerous phone calls from artists inquiring about the status of the show. Related content Ice cream eating contest, magic show among Manistee National Forest Festival new events They keep calling asking when we were coming back and saying ours is the best because they know we dont allow anything else except high quality work in, she said. For a lot of these crafters this isnt a second business for them, but it is their year round one. Vadeboncoeur said that is the main reason the committee opted against a partial show last year or in 2020. We waited and wanted to bring the show back exactly as it was in the past without any restrictions, she said. We wanted the quality we always had. We feel this years is going to be better than the last one we held (in 2019). Another place where people can purchase a wide variety of items is the Forest Festival Marketplace, which will be running daily from 10 a.m to dusk from June 30 to July 4 at Douglas Park First Street Beach. I have 40 to 50 dealers scheduled to come and every one of them has different items, said Marketplace organizer Cheryl Harder. We will have antiques, lots of collectibles, new merchandise, jewelry, yard items, blankets, pillows, sheets, homemade items a great variety. Harder said people looking to get something to eat will have a good opportunity to do so at the Marketplace. We have several food booths like barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, cotton candy, pretzels, snow cones and other things, she said. They will probably be serving food from 11 a.m. to dusk. During the Forest Festival, the area is filled with activities so Harder said it is the perfect place to get something to eat. We would like everyone to come down to eat their lunch or dinner to support the food people as its good food at reasonable prices and there will be picnic tables set up where they can eat, she said. Harder said last years Marketplace was "wonderful," but like everything else she is concerned how the event might be impacted by the rising gasoline costs. Everyone did very well last year, but this year I am a little worried because the cost of gas, she said. So far the other shows we have done this year have been OK, but not as well as last year. Carnivals and other things have raised their prices, but not so much with flea market people. Harder hopes the location of the event will be in its favor. Being at the beach with so much else going on like the carnival, fireworks, the tent, so we hope people come down and not worry about the price of gas, said Harder. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing logistical support to import the equivalent of about 16 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles from Mexico starting this weekend, as part of its efforts to ease nationwide supply shortages caused by the closure of the largest U.S. manufacturing plant. The Department of Health and Human Services is expediting the travel of trucks that will drive about 1 million pounds of Gerber Good Start Gentle infant formula from a Nestle plant to U.S. retailers, the White House said, nearly doubling the amount imported to the U.S. to date. Cargo flights from Europe and Australia already have brought baby formula into the U.S., including two new rounds of air shipments that begin this weekend. HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) After six decades of service to William Carey University, including 14 years as the school's president, Dr. Tommy King, is retiring. The university's Board of Trustees announced King's retirement on Tuesday and the selection of Dr. Ben Burnett as his replacement, WDAM-TV reported. The Board of Trustees is very thankful for Dr. Kings long and successful tenure, and we are extremely pleased that the Lord very clearly led to the selection of Dr. Ben Burnett as his successor, said board Chairman Dr. Jimmy Stewart. We look forward to working with Dr. Burnett as always, expecting great things from God and attempting great things for God. William Carey University is a private Christian liberal arts college with three campuses two in Mississippi and one in Louisiana. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Mississippi Baptist Convention. Burnett will serve as the university's 10th president when his tenure begins Aug. 16. Inauguration ceremonies for Burnett are being planned for later in the fall, the university said. Burnett succeeds King, who became president in 2007 and is the first WCU graduate to lead the school. Before that, he served as a WCU trustee, adjunct professor, department chair and executive vice president. During his tenure as president, King oversaw unprecedented growth in enrollment. The number of students has more than doubled, from 2,500 to more than 5,200, according to official reports. King also was instrumental in establishing the School of Pharmacy at the Tradition campus in Biloxi, a physical therapy doctoral program in Hattiesburg and a new nursing school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also led the way in the construction of a new 67,000-square-foot (6,224- square-meter) facility for the College of Health Sciences. Burnett, who was elected twice as superintendent of the Lamar County School District, served as dean of WCU's School of Education in 2014 and in 2020 was named executive vice president. A public reception honoring King will take place in the King Student Center on Thursday, July 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The widow of a Vermont man killed in 2018 in what federal prosecutors say was a murder-for-hire is suing the California man accused of arranging to have her husband killed. Melissa Davis and the estate of her late husband Gregory Davis filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Burlington on Tuesday against Serhat Gumrukcu. VTDigger, a nonprofit news organization, first reported on the suit. Prosecutors say Gregory Davis, 49, was abducted from his Danville, Vermont, home by a man posing as a U.S. Marshal on Jan. 6, 2018. He was found shot to death and handcuffed the next day in a snowbank on a back road in nearby Barnet. Prosecutors say that Davis had been threatening to go to the FBI with information that Gumrukcu, the co-founder of a Los Angeles-based biotechnology company, was defrauding Davis in a multi-million dollar oil deal that Gumrukcu and his brother had entered into with Davis in 2015. Gumrukcu, of Los Angeles, was arrested last month on charges of conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire which resulted in the death of Davis. Three other men also have been charged. Jerry Banks, 34, of Fort Garland, Colorado, has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping Davis. Federal prosecutors say they believe Banks killed Davis but he has not been charged in the killing. All the suspects are all being held. The Davis estate is seeking judgement in their favor against Gumrukcu with fuIl, fair, just and adequate compensation, costs, interest, attorneys fees and such other relief as is just and proper, the complaint states. As a direct result of Mr. Gumrukcus wrongful acts, Melissa Davis lost the care, comfort, love, support, guidance and consortium of her husband, Gregory Davis, and has experienced, and will continue to experience, great emotional distress, the lawsuit states. An email was sent to Gumrukcu's lawyer in the criminal case seeking comment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ST. CATHERINES ISLAND, Ga. (AP) Wildfires sparked by lightning have scorched hundreds of acres on this unspoiled island off the Georgia coast, where crews are battling to protect plantation ruins, the remnants of a 16th century Spanish mission and archaeological sites that have yielded human artifacts thousands of years old. St. Catherines Island has long been prized as an ecological and historic coastal treasure. Giant sea turtles nest on its beaches and ring-tailed lemurs, brought to the island decades ago, live in its dense forest. Slave quarters made from oyster-shell tabby survive on the island, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Savannah, as does the home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Protected for decades under ownership of a private foundation, St. Catherines Island has seen roughly 15% of its land area burn since a lightning storm sparked fires June 11. Severe drought left the island tinder-dry, allowing flames to rapidly spread. Columns of black smoke have been visible from the mainland, and raging flames reaching the treetops have at times burned near the beach. We have an untouched history, so we go above and beyond to try to protect that," Michael Halderson, the island's manager and only fulltime resident, told reporters Wednesday during a boat tour of the island's perimeter, where smoldering fire formed thick smoke among blackened trees. The island fires are among more than 30,000 that have burned roughly 4,600 square miles nationwide during one of the worst starts the U.S. has seen to its wildfire season. Halderson and his small staff of seven worked nonstop for days trying to contain the flames until they realized four separate fires were burning across the island's 6,700 acres (2,700 hectares). Help arrived last week from the Georgia Forestry Commission, which mobilized about 15 wildland firefighters with bulldozers for plowing fire breaks as well as planes and a helicopter equipped to dump water on the flames. Another 25 fire team members were expected to arrive Thursday. Crews haven't attacked the fires with trench-digging plows as aggressively as they normally would, given the island's history as a trove of historical treasures. Over the decades, archaeologists have located the site where Catholic missionaries from Spain established a church and settlement on the island in the 1570s. Others have found evidence of humans living here 4,500 years ago. In total, the island has yielded well over 1 million artifacts. Concerned that heavy plows could destroy undiscovered buried treasures, firefighters in some areas have taken a slower approach using bulldozers to scrape just a few inches (centimeters) from the ground enough to clear grasses and vegetation so they won't fuel the spread of approaching fire. Areas of the island considered more sensitive are being doused with water from the air, said Byron Haire, a spokesman for the forestry commission team. We want to get this fire stopped, but we just have to slow down," Haire said, adding that crews are trying to keep a light hand on the land vs. the heavy hand of a machine that digs up a lot of dirt. Haire estimated the fires so far have burned up to 1,000 acres (405 hectares). Low humidity and unpredictable winds have made fighting the blazes more difficult. Still, crews have managed to keep the flames out of the island's compound that includes lodging for visiting researchers and a radio tower that's vital for communications. Also protected in that area is the former home of Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who bought the island in 1766 and lived there until he died in 1777 after being mortally wounded in a duel. Flames crept close to the tabby plantation ruins on the island's south end until a helicopter snuffed them with water dumped from a giant bucket, Halderson said. He said fire burned through the Spanish mission site, where planted palm trees outline the footprint of the church that stood there centuries ago, but appeared to do little damage. As for the island's wildlife, both Halderson and Haire noted that animals typically are adept at avoiding fire. In some areas scorched when the fire first started, new plants have already begun to sprout. Still, Halderson said doesn't expect the fires to be extinguished any time soon. This will continue until we get significant rain, Halderson said. It could take weeks. It could be months. IN SUMMARY Some California cannabis companies are going directly to voters to get around local officials opposed to dispensaries. The epicenter for the effort is in Manhattan Beach and three nearby cities in Southern California. By Alexei Koseff CalMatters Working regular overnight shifts has distorted Samantha Kadera's sleep schedule, so the emergency room doctor smokes cannabis a few times a week to relax before bed. It's a common habit among the young parents that Kadera knows in Manhattan Beach, the upscale Los Angeles suburb where she moved last year to raise her two elementary school-aged children in a more family-friendly environment. But there are no dispensaries in the city; officials banned them five years ago after voters legalized recreational cannabis in California, concerned about attracting criminal activity and advertising aimed at minors. So Kadera stops at a store on her way to and from the Westside L.A. hospital where she works. Changes loom if Manhattan Beach residents approve an initiative this fall to allow as many as two licensed cannabis businesses. It has triggered an increasingly acrimonious battle between a local entrepreneur eager to gain a foothold in a fresh market and city leaders determined to protect what they see as the character of their community. "They do like to keep us in a bubble," Kadera, 40, said one evening as she strolled with her dog along the Strand, a beachside path lined with multimillion-dollar homes. "But the reality is, there's widespread use, so it would be nice to have it around here." Rapidly shifting attitudes -- and a nascent legal industry still struggling to stabilize itself -- have thrust cannabis back onto ballots across the state, six years after voters approved Proposition 64 to authorize Californians who are at least 21 years old to buy, grow and use it for recreational purposes. A provision in that 2016 measure gave local governments discretion to ban cannabis businesses -- and the vast majority of them did. More than 60% of cities and counties do not allow retail sales, according to the state, and while most of California's most populous places do permit dispensaries, there are strict limits in many of them. Desperate to expand where they can operate and to compete with a still-dominant illicit market, many in the cannabis industry have pushed state leaders to override Prop. 64 and open the entirety of California to retail sales. But it's a nonstarter at the state Capitol, where local control generally rules the day. A bill this session that would have only required local governments to permit medical cannabis businesses was quickly scaled back to a guarantee for patient access to delivery options. So frustrated cannabis users and companies are turning their attention to the local level, launching municipal campaigns to pry open the holdouts, one at a time. 'Voters have lost their patience' Hirsh Jain, founder of the cannabis consulting firm Ananda Strategy, has tracked about two dozen cities over the past year -- from Red Bluff to Sausalito to Santee -- where citizen initiative drives are qualifying for the ballot or pressuring local officials to develop their own ordinances to regulate and tax cannabis sales. "The ballot initiative is a way to get the elected officials to stare reality in the face that their citizens want this," Jain said, pointing to a fall 2019 poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies that found public support for legal cannabis had only increased since Prop. 64. Nearly two-thirds of respondents favored allowing commercial dispensaries in their communities. "Voters have lost their patience," he said. "They might be willing to cut their elected officials some slack, but after a while, they're going to take matters into their own hands." Enter Elliot Lewis, a self-described "motherf--ing hustler to the core" and the founder of Catalyst Cannabis Co., which operates 11 dispensaries, mainly in Southern California. He and fellow executives at the company are aggressively pursuing a strategy to force their way into cities that continue to ban retail cannabis sales. They have funded initiatives to require dispensary licenses in Manhattan Beach and three of its neighbors in the South Bay -- Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and El Segundo -- which each represent a crown jewel of the untapped legal cannabis market: wealthy and touristy, with a voter base that firmly backed Prop. 64. Voters in all four cities will get a chance to weigh in on permitting cannabis sales in either November or next March. In his profane and zealous style -- alternately hilarious and intimidating -- Lewis defends his approach as more than a business venture. It is a political statement, a frontal assault on the principle of local control that he believes the "Karens and Chadwick Moneybags" who run city governments worship with Biblical reverence, often flouting the will of their own constituents. "You're talking about cocktail-party-donor people. I don't think they understand where the zeitgeist of the younger generation is," Lewis said. "You've metaphorically got to take a gun to their head, because that's just how they operate." 'It doesn't fit with our community' The rising tension over the future of cannabis access in California is perhaps best captured by Manhattan Beach, a surfing hotspot of 35,000 residents, most famous for its iconic concrete pier. Though 62% of the city's voters supported Prop. 64, officials remain skeptical about cannabis dispensaries. City council members say there has been no groundswell of demand for retail sales among their constituents, including some who complain about being duped and coerced into signing the initiative petitions. "It's about money. There's a lot of money in the South Bay and the dispensary owners know this," Mayor Steve Napolitano told CalMatters in an email. "So why have pot shops that residents don't need or want, just to enrich a few owners?" To fight the initiative, the council directed city staff last month to develop competing measures for the November ballot that would uphold the ban on dispensaries and establish regulations, including a 25% sales tax, to make opening a dispensary prohibitively expensive. "It doesn't fit with our community. It certainly doesn't fit with the development of our community," said Hildy Stern, a Manhattan Beach councilmember who served as mayor this spring while the city debated how to respond to the initiative. Stern, a mother of four who said she could not remember how she voted on Prop. 64, called it "distressing" that retail cannabis sales might be imposed by outsiders whose values do not fit with Manhattan Beach's "small-town, family-oriented nature." The city banned public smoking and tobacco sales in recent years -- rare steps even for liberal California -- to reduce beach pollution and vaping by students. "I do not feel that the retail sale of cannabis in Manhattan Beach is appropriate," Stern said. "I really am concerned about how access increases normalization to our youth." 'It cheapens a high-end beach town' That sentiment has framed the public debate in Manhattan Beach, which prides itself on its top-performing schools. Loading up her car with groceries outside the Vons downtown, Amy McAvin, 51, a bookkeeper who has lived in the city her whole life, said she worries about cannabis becoming even easier for kids to get. A mother of two teenagers, McAvin assumed her children would use cannabis, so she encouraged them to develop safe habits, such as only smoking in social situations and not driving afterwards. She said she smoked herself when she was younger and voted for Prop. 64, but "I just don't really condone it." "I'm not going to be out there picketing" if the initiative passes, she said. "We could just put other things in place of a dispensary." The litany of objections around town is long: The community is too residential. Dispensaries would attract undesirable visitors. It would be hypocritical to allow cannabis sales after banning tobacco. Those who want cannabis can already easily get it by delivery or driving to a nearby city. "It cheapens a high-end beach town," said Charlene Harding, 59, a retired government worker who moved to Manhattan Beach two decades ago. Though she has "never even puffed," she said she did not care if others smoked -- within reason: "I hate when I go to the beach and it smells like skunk." The opposition is far from universal, however, despite what city officials say they have heard. David Sulaski, 54, a retired investment banker who has lived in Manhattan Beach for six years, said the city was full of "fun-loving people" who would embrace dispensaries. "This is a community that likes to have a good time," he said as he walked his dog down Manhattan Avenue in the city's commercial center. "I don't know why we make decisions that fly in the face of those things." Sulaski, who uses cannabis "every day that I can" and gets it delivered, said it was silly to make people go elsewhere to buy cannabis when Manhattan Beach could benefit from the tax revenue. "We don't expect our freedoms to be restricted in California. We could live in a red state for that," he said. "Just give people what they want." 'Weed doesn't change that' Tax revenue may be the most compelling reason for cities to finally allow retail sales. Officials in Redondo Beach estimate that each license could generate as much as $1 million per year for the city. State regulations also require testing cannabis products to ensure they are free of contaminants before they can be sold in licensed dispensaries, a safeguard that does not exist on the illicit market. Derek Glunts, who grew up in Manhattan Beach, began smoking in high school and bought cannabis that he said was cut with chemicals at an illegal dispensary that presented itself as a church. "Every single product they sold there was fake. They would turn black within a week and genuinely our lungs would hurt afterwards." Glunts said. "I had a friend who was coughing up brown stuff from his lungs repeatedly for weeks and weeks after smoking some of the stuff he bought." The 21-year-old student was recruited last year to serve as the proponent for the Manhattan Beach initiative by a childhood friend, who had already signed on as a proponent for the petition in Redondo Beach. Both were longtime customers at Catalyst Cannabis. Glunts, who has a medical cannabis prescription to treat anxiety and depression, said he enjoys smoking because "it takes the edge off things" and connects him to a community, though he has been taking a break in recent months to focus on his mental health. Not even old enough to vote when Prop. 64 was on the ballot, Glunts said he was proud to be starting a conversation around cannabis use in a community that has long acted as though it wasn't happening there. His family is in full support, he said, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, aside from elitist and traditional residents who worry about riffraff coming to Manhattan Beach just to buy cannabis. "The biggest battle is just getting over that stigma, that image," he said. "Weed doesn't change that. It's not like weed's going to come in to Manhattan Beach and all of a sudden, the schools are going to start performing poorly, people are going to move away, we're going to have a bunch of bachelors move in. That's not the reality." 'They've had six years to figure this out' The Catalyst Cannabis team's strategy was to target places where support for Prop. 64 was high and "city councils were just dithering and failing to act," Lewis said. Splitting the approximately $300,000 cost with another cannabis brand, Tradecraft Farms, they circulated petitions last year to overturn the bans on retail sales in the four beach cities. Once they collected signatures from at least 10% of registered voters, officials could either adopt the ordinances as written or put them to the ballot. Their model was El Monte, a city in the San Gabriel Valley where the team first tested this blueprint three years ago. After presenting the city with enough signatures, the council ratified the ordinance, rather than hold an election, because the voters had already affirmed their support for legal cannabis with Prop. 64. The first dispensary, operated by Catalyst, opened last October. None of the cities in the South Bay followed suit, however. The firm resistance caught Lewis by surprise, and he said he regrets not engaging with local officials to try to get them on board before launching the initiatives. He acknowledges that the sneak attack may have undercut any opportunity to reach a compromise and avert an election fight, though he also believes "incompetent" council members are using his approach as an excuse for their underlying opposition to cannabis. "It just hits them in a way that they're not used to. But I am who I am," he said. "They've had six years to figure this out." While Manhattan Beach plots to uphold its ban on retail cannabis sales, its neighbors have not gone quite as far in their opposition. Hermosa Beach and El Segundo, which are set to vote in November on allowing two storefronts each, are considering adding competing measures to the ballot that would create a local cannabis tax or allow dispensaries under more restrictive rules. Redondo Beach, the biggest of the beach cities and the most valuable potential prize among them, has signaled the most openness to the commercial cannabis market. Before banning retail sales in 2017, the city council deliberated allowing dispensaries, and it established a steering committee to continue exploring that option. The local mall, the South Bay Galleria, has been particularly enthusiastic about serving as a potential site as it struggles to recover from losing its anchor department store. Those discussions, however, languished for years, which the Catalyst team cited as an impetus for taking the issue to voters. Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand, who has used cannabis to treat the nausea from chemotherapy for lung cancer, said the city always planned to repeal the sales ban, but it was not a priority, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. "I haven't had people in the community beating down on our door to do anything," he said. "We tend to focus on things the community's concerned about." 'Slash-and-burn strategy' The qualification of Catalyst's initiative, which would allow as many as three dispensaries in Redondo Beach, has made it unavoidable. City council members punted the measure to the March 2023 ballot, giving them more time to finish developing their own ordinance based on recommendations from the steering committee. That more restrictive framework -- which would only allow two retailers, impose a 5% sales tax and establish a 1,500-foot buffer zone around schools -- is on track for approval as soon as August. Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr. said the city wanted to strike a "reasonable" balance that would better accommodate feedback from residents, many of whom he said do not oppose cannabis but are wary of a dispensary opening near where they live or their children walk to school. Like other local officials in the South Bay, he vehemently opposes the proposal from the Catalyst team, which he calls a "slash-and-burn strategy" to create a commercial cannabis monopoly. "They framed this initiative to virtually give themselves a license," Obagi said. "This didn't sit right with any of us." These accusations set Lewis off. He repeatedly denies that he is trying to establish a monopoly -- yet he admits there are criteria written into the initiatives that would benefit Catalyst when applying for a dispensary license. The system cities would use to evaluate applicants, for example, awards points for being a union operator, which Catalyst is. The company already leases properties in Manhattan Beach and El Segundo that fall within the eligible areas for cannabis businesses. "We'd be stupid if we didn't try to take a little bit of an advantage," Lewis said. "But those self-serving things are very, very mildly self-serving." Now, tensions between Catalyst and the beach cities are only deepening -- Lewis is circulating a petition to recall Obagi, whom he calls "fake" and a "douchebag" -- and it seems increasingly likely that they are headed to a campaign showdown. That means spending more money on a political fight that Catalyst and its allies cannot use to build out their businesses. Still, it may be worthwhile for Lewis, who said he could probably pay off what he's invested in the initiatives with just one new store in the South Bay, though he worries that the city officials will scheme to block his applications for a license. "They'll make sure I lose," he predicted. "On a good day, if I get one or two, I'll be f--ing happy." And despite the bad blood his approach has generated, Lewis is ready to try again, perhaps with some slight modifications. He said he's considering targeting as many as 10 more cities across California over the next year. "If the initiative is bad, step the f-- out of the way," he warned. "It's called democracy. Let the voters decide." Copyright 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The officers in the hallway of Robb Elementary wanted to get inside classrooms 111 and 112 immediately. One officers daughter was inside. Another officer had gotten a call from his wife, a teacher, who told him she was bleeding to death. Two closed doors and a wall stood between them and an 18-year-old with an AR-15 who had opened fire on children and teachers inside the connected classrooms. A Halligan bar an ax-like forcible-entry tool used by firefighters to get through locked doors was available. Ballistic shields were arriving on the scene. So was plenty of firepower, including at least two rifles. Some officers were itching to move. One such officer, a special agent at the Texas Department of Public Safety, had arrived around 20 minutes after the shooting started. He immediately asked: Are there still kids in the classrooms? If there is, then they just need to go in, the agent said. Another officer answered, It is unknown at this time. The agent shot back, Yall dont know if theres kids in there? He added, If theres kids in there we need to go in there. Whoever is in charge will determine that, came the reply. The inaction appeared too much for the special agent. He noted that there were still children in other classrooms within the school who needed to be evacuated. Well, theres kids over here, he said. So Im getting kids out. The exchange happened early in the excruciating 77 minutes on May 24 that started when Salvador Ramos, who had just shot his grandmother in the face, walked through an unlocked door of Robb Elementary, encountering no interference as he wielded an AR-15 he had bought eight days earlier. At the end of those 77 minutes, 19 students, including the daughter of one of the officers stationed in the hallway, and two teachers were dead or dying. Others sustained serious physical injuries; the emotional and psychological ones will last for life. It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. But during most of those 77 minutes, despite the urgent pleas from officers and parents amassed outside, officers stayed put outside rooms 111 and 112, stationed on either end of a wide hallway with sky blue and green walls and bulletin boards displaying childrens artwork. Ramos fired at least four sets of rounds including the initial spray of fire that likely killed many of his victims instantaneously. After the special agents comment, nearly another hour passed before a tactical team from the Border Patrol breached the classroom doors and killed the gunman. In the weeks since the tragedy in Uvalde, questions have swirled around the actions of police and whether some lives could have been saved if officers confronted the barricaded gunman sooner. Authorities have shared conflicting information about who was in charge, who confronted the shooter and when. A debate over whether the locked classroom doors could be breached gave way to the discovery that they may never have been locked at all. Revelations have trickled out in the press: The New York Times has described officers doubts about the decision to wait; breakdowns in communications and tactics; and the fact that officers held off from the confrontation even though they knew people were injured, and possibly dying, inside. The San Antonio Express-News reported that there is no evidence that officers tried the doors on rooms 111 and 112 contradicting a key assertion by the Uvalde schools police chief, Pete Arredondo, who told The Texas Tribune that officers tried the doors, found them locked and had to wait for a master key to unlock them. On Monday evening, the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV revealed that the officers, in effect, had more than enough firepower, equipment and motivation to breach the classrooms. Meanwhile, at least three investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Texas Legislature, and the local district attorney, Christina Mitchell Busbee are reviewing records and interviewing witnesses to evaluate the law enforcement response. Public understanding of the response to the tragedy has been marred by refusals by state and local agencies to release public records, efforts by local officials to bar journalists from public meetings, and the closed-door nature of the hearings held by state lawmakers. The secrecy has already prompted Texas Monthly to ask, Will We Ever Know the Truth About Uvalde? For this article, the Tribune reviewed a timeline of events compiled by law enforcement, plus surveillance footage and transcripts of radio traffic and phone calls from the day of the shooting. The details were confirmed by a senior official at the Department of Public Safety. The investigation is still in the early stages, and the understanding of what happened could still change as video records are synched and enhanced. But current records and footage show a well-equipped group of local officers entered the school almost immediately that day and then pulled back once the shooter began firing from inside the classroom. Then they waited for more than an hour to reengage. They had the tools, said Terry Nichols, a former Seguin police chief and active-shooter expert. Tactically, theres lots of different ways you could tackle this. But it takes someone in charge, in front, making and executing decisions, and that simply did not happen. Here are some key findings from these records and materials: No security footage from inside the school showed police officers attempting to open the doors to classrooms 111 and 112, which were connected by an adjoining door. Arredondo told the Tribune that he tried to open one door and another group of officers tried to open another, but that the door was reinforced and impenetrable. Those attempts were not caught in the footage reviewed by the Tribune. Some law enforcement officials are skeptical that the doors were ever locked. Within the first minutes of the law enforcement response, an officer said the Halligan (a firefighting tool that is also sometimes spelled hooligan) was on site. It wasnt brought into the school until an hour after the first officers entered the building. Authorities didnt use it and instead waited for keys. Officers had access to four ballistic shields inside the school during the standoff with the gunman, according to a law enforcement transcript. The first arrived 58 minutes before officers stormed the classrooms. The last arrived 30 minutes before. Multiple Department of Public Safety officers up to eight, at one point entered the building at various times while the shooter was holed up. Many quickly left to pursue other duties, including evacuating children, after seeing the number of officers already there. At least one of the officers expressed confusion and frustration about why the officers werent breaching the classroom, but was told that no order to do so had been given. At least some officers on the scene seemed to believe that Arredondo was in charge inside the school, and at times Arredondo seemed to be issuing orders such as directing officers to evacuate students from other classrooms. That contradicts Arredondos assertion that he did not believe he was running the law enforcement response. Arredondos lawyer, George E. Hyde, said the chief will not elaborate on his interview with the Tribune, given the ongoing investigation. What the camera saw Most of the video from inside the school is captured by a wide-angle camera positioned inside the school buildings northwest entrance, the same one the gunman used. The camera looks straight south from its north ceiling perch and offers a slight view of the entrances to classrooms 111 and 112 to the left. The Tribune also reviewed transcripts of radio traffic and body camera footage. They show that the gunman arrived on campus at 11:28 a.m. He appears to have been planning a shooting for a while. In October, according to the law enforcement timeline, he withdrew from Uvalde High School. A month later, when he was still 17, he purchased some gun accessories online, including rifle slings and a military carrier vest. He began buying his ammunition in April and purchased his gun on his 18th birthday in May. On May 14, he posted an ominous message on Instagram: 10 more days. At 11:33 a.m. on May 24, he walked into Robb Elementarys northwest entrance and headed south toward the two classrooms on the left side, randomly firing shots from his rifle in the hallway. He had crashed his car and fired some shots outside, so the school was already on lockdown at that point and the hallways were nearly empty. No one was hit, but a boy could be seen peeking around the corner at the northeast end of the hallway, apparently trying to return to class from a nearby bathroom. The boy heard the gunfire and ran away. (DPS confirmed that he escaped without physical injury.) Within a minute, the shooter entered classroom 111 he didnt appear to encounter a locked door in the footage and began shooting. He briefly walked out the classroom door and then went back in, shooting some more. For the next three minutes, he fired frequently inside a classroom filled with children. During that burst of gunfire, the first three officers entered the school: two from the Uvalde Police Department and one from the school districts force. All were carrying handguns. Moments later, Arredondo and seven more officers arrived. The shooter opened fire at the first three officers closest to the two classrooms, grazing two and forcing all the officers to bolt to either end of the hallway. Those officers, including Arredondo, remained in these positions for the rest of the standoff, never firing a shot. Officers believed that the shooter was contained, and Arredondo called the Uvalde Police Departments dispatch on his cellphone. (The school police unit was created four years ago and does not report to the city police.) Seven minutes had passed since the shooter first entered the building. Hey, hey, its Arredondo. Its Arredondo. Can you hear me? said the 50-year-old veteran of law enforcement, who leads a department of six. No, I have to tell you where were at. Its an emergency right now. Im inside the building. Since the massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in 1999, an evolving and increasingly detailed body of training on mass shootings instructs police to confront shooters as soon as possible even at the risk of officers lives. By the time Arredondo called dispatch, at least 11 officers had entered the school and at least two are seen in the video carrying rifles. But Arredondo told the dispatcher that he didnt have the firepower to confront the lone gunman, according to a transcript reviewed by The Texas Tribune. OK, we have him in the room, he said, speaking on his cellphone. Hes got an AR-15. Hes shot a lot. Hes in the room. He hasnt come out yet. Were surrounded, but I dont have a radio. After the dispatcher confirmed the location of a SWAT team, Arredondo continued. Yes and they need to be outside of this building prepared, he said. Because we dont have enough firepower right now. Its all pistol and he has an AR-15. If you can get the SWAT team set up, by the funeral home, OK, we need yes, I need some more firepower in here because we all have pistols and this guys got a rifle. So I dont have a radio. I dont have a radio. If somebody can come in The dispatcher asked Arredondo to stay on the line as long as he could. Arredondo agreed but said hed drop his phone when the gunman comes out that door. Then the dispatcher shared the location of the shooter over a police radio and requested that a SWAT team be amassed by a funeral home across the street. So, so I need you to bring a radio for me, and give me my radio for me, Arredondo said. I need to get one rifle. Hold on. Im trying to set him. Im trying to set him up. Then the call ended. Shooting started again inside the school within a minute of the start of the call. But police wouldnt breach the classroom where the gunman was barricaded for another hour and 10 minutes. An agonizing wait One minute after Arredondos phone call, officers on the scene reported that the suspect was barricaded in a classroom. A dispatcher asked whether the door was locked, and an officer replied that they didnt know but that they had a Halligan available. No such tool was ever used. No one even brought one into the school for another 54 minutes. A standoff had begun. The gunman fired shots at least three more times at 11:40 a.m., 11:44 a.m., and 12:21 p.m. but officers held their positions. That was true even as more police filed in and four ballistic shields were carried into the building over the next 40 minutes. The officers who entered the school at that time included DPS troopers who walked into the hallway before noon and then left after seeing how many officers were already there. The special agent from DPS who urged officers to go into the classroom stayed for six minutes before leaving to clear other rooms, rescuing a student found hiding in a bathroom. More troopers arrived just minutes or seconds before the tactical team from the Border Patrol stormed the classroom, but did not participate in the breach. Another officer who entered the hallway was Ruben Ruiz of the Uvalde city police. His wife, teacher Eva Mireles, had called him on his cellphone and told him she was bleeding heavily. She says she is shot, he told the officers on the scene. The video from inside the hallway doesnt capture what Ruiz did inside the school. But a DPS official told the Tribune that Ruiz was soon escorted away by other officers on the scene. By 12:01 p.m., the DPS special agent had returned to the hallway and offered his urgent assessment: The situation required officers to go into the classrooms. It sounds like a hostage rescue situation, the DPS officer said. Sounds like a UC [undercover] rescue. They should probably go in. A police officer its not clear whether from the city or school district then said, Dont you think we should have a supervisor approve that? Hes not my supervisor, the DPS agent countered before leaving the hallway to clear other rooms of children. The painful wait continued. SWAT officers from the city police arrived on the scene at around 12:10 p.m., a little more than a half-hour after the shooter first entered the school. One minute later, Arredondo asked for a master key that would allow him to unlock classroom doors, according to the transcripts. It took about six minutes for a set of keys to arrive, and the chief began testing them on a different classroom door. Soon after, more gunshots could be heard from inside the classrooms full of students. Arredondo tried to speak with the shooter but didnt get a response. Uvaldes mayor, Don McLaughlin, told The Washington Post that a would-be negotiator, working from a nearby funeral home to which the mayor had rushed, also tried to reach the shooter, to no avail. At 12:38 p.m., Arredondo tried to talk to the shooter. Hearing no reply, he indicated that the SWAT team could breach the classrooms if it was ready. By then, a long-awaited working key had been found. Officers inserted it into the door of room 111, and a tactical unit from the Border Patrol stormed in. All thats audible from the video is a flurry of gunshots. The team then exited the room and indicated that the gunman was dead 77 minutes after the carnage started. An aftermath of doubts and questions With the shooter killed, the excruciating aftermath began. The fisheye camera in the hallway captured a single first responder standing in the center of the hallway, his surgical-gloved hands motioning to others standing behind him to remain there until all the officers exited. Once he got that signal, he directed the team to move quickly inside rooms 111 and 112. Gurneys and ambulance backboards suddenly popped into view. The first to reach the victims inside pulled motionless, bloodied children onto the hallways linoleum flooring as they tried to assess their vital signs. None of the children appeared to make a sound. One child whose still body was placed on the floor had to be gently pushed to make room for others streaming in and and out, his blood leaving a wide swath of crimson across the hallway floor. Almost immediately, the questions about whether police did the right thing began. State officials offered contradicting information in the immediate aftermath. DPS Director Steve McCraw told reporters days later that it was the wrong decision not to breach the classroom sooner. He is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee on Tuesday morning. Law enforcement experts say Arredondo was the rightful incident commander, though they were baffled why he abandoned his radios, declined to take charge and lacked access to classrooms. J. Pete Blair, executive director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University, dismissed the idea that the state police, being a far larger police agency, should have wrested command from Arredondo when they arrived on scene. The person who should be in charge is the person who has the best picture of whats happening and also the skill set to manage what needs to happen, Blair said. He added, Command exchanges are voluntary. Theyre not forced. [Someone] cant come in and say, Im taking it away from you. Scrutiny has fallen most intensely on Arredondo. He defended his actions in an interview this month with the Tribune, but many of his claims are not supported by the records. He said he didnt consider himself the incident commander that day and never issued orders to anyone during the shooting. Yet at 11:50 a.m., according to body-camera transcripts, an officer says, The chief is in charge. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP Arredondo said he intentionally left behind his radios, which he said were cumbersome and had a habit of not working well from inside the school, but he did ask for someone to bring them to him when he called police dispatch. He also requested a SWAT team, snipers and a door-breaching tool. (Its not clear if hed heard that a Halligan was available.) By noon, officers had rifles, a Halligan and at least one ballistic shield yet made no attempt to enter the classrooms for 50 minutes. In a statement on Thursday, Arredondos lawyer, Hyde, told the Tribune: The chief has requested that no further comment be made until all the information is collected and evaluated to minimize misinformation, which serves no one. I must honor that request. Further, the D.A. must present the police shooting in this matter to a grand jury, so there is also a criminal investigation underway, which he must respect. The district attorney did not respond to a request for comment. At this point its clear that a multitude of errors in judgment combined to turn a bad situation into a catastrophe, said Katherine Schweit, a former FBI agent who co-authored the agencys foremost research on mass shootings. The law enforcement rarely thinks their response is textbook, [but] I cant think of another incident in the United States where it appears so many missed opportunities occurred to get it right. But law enforcement officers have particularly homed in on Arredondos search for keys. It may never be known whether that insistence on obtaining a key was necessary as lives hung in the balance. The classroom doors are supposed to lock automatically, but from the start, the shooter could be seen walking unobstructed into the room and then darting easily in and out at least three times. The footage caused some authorities who watched it to question whether the doors were ever locked. Through his lawyer, Arredondo told the Tribune in a June 9 email that the doors were checked: My memory is that the team on the north side of the hallway tried room on their side, which would be room 112 and I tried to open room 111 within minutes of arriving on the scene. We both took the sprayed gunfire through the walls. But authorities have seen no video so far that confirms that. Zach Despart contributed reporting. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. FRIDAY: David Patterson flew locally in his Beech V-35B Bonanza. A customer flew up from Lubbock for touch and goes, fuel, and later back to Lubbock in his Piper Cherokee 140. A customer flew in from Lubbock on business, and later back to Lubbock in his Cessna Turbo 210 Centurion. Trey Weathers, pilot for Barr Air Patrol, flew in from Bartlesville, Oklahoma for fuel, then flew back to Bartlesville in their Cessna 182 Skylane. Rod Billingsley flew in from Las Vegas, New Mexico, and Edmonson for fuel, then flew back to Las Vegas in his Bellanca Viking. A customer flew in Van Nuys, California for a quick turn on fuel, then headed for Fort Lauderdale, Florida in his Embraer Phenom 300 jet. Med-Trans flew to Lockney, Lubbock and back in their Bell 407 jet helicopter. SATURDAY: Med-Trans flew to North of Turkey to pick up a patient, then flew to Lubbock and back in their Bell 407 jet helicopter. A customer flew to Dayton, Ohio in his Socata TBM 850 prop jet. Ron Lowe flew locally in his Ercoupe. A customer flew down from Amarillo for a touch and go, then back to Amarillo in his Cessna 182 Skylane. SUNDAY: Two customers flew in from Amarillo to pick up a passenger, then flew to Austin and Huntsville in their Beech 200 King Air prop jet. A customer flew in from Lago Vista for fuel, then flew to Montrose, Colorado in his Cirrus SR-22 Turbo. A customer flew in from Midland and Lufkin to pick up a passenger, then to Midland in his Beech 350 King Air prop jet. A customer flew in from Temple for fuel, pick up a passenger, then back to Temple in his Grumman Tiger. A customer flew in from Alamosa, Colorado for fuel, drop off a passenger, then back to Alamosa in his Piper Comanche. MONDAY: A customer flew in from Lake Havasu City, Arizona for fuel, then headed for in his Piper Meridian prop jet. TUESDAY: A customer flew to Clovis, New Mexico, Durango, Colorado and back in a Cessna Turbo 210 Centurion. A customer flew in from Georgetown and Abilene in his AMT-200 Super Ximango powered glider. A customer flew in from Fort Collins/Loveland, Colorado for fuel, then flew to Georgetown in his Cirrus SR-22. A customer flew in from Pueblo, Colorado for fuel, then flew to Del Rio in his Cessna 182 Skylane. WEDNESDAY: AeroCare flew in from Lubbock to pick up a patient, then flew back to Lubbock in their Beech 200 King Air prop jet. AeroCare flew up from Lubbock for pilot training practicing the GPS approaches, and later back to Lubbock in their Beech 200 King Air prop jet. A customer flew in from El Paso for fuel, then back to El Paso in a Pilatus PC-12 prop jet. A customer flew in from Amarillo for a touch and go, then back to Amarillo in his Piper Cherokee 180. A customer flew in from Dalhart in his Cirrus SR-22 for fuel, and to spend the night. THURSDAY: A customer flew up from Seminole on business, and later back to Seminole in his Cessna 210 Centurion. Two customers flew in from Huntsville for fuel, business, and later back to Huntsville in their Beech 200 King Air prop jet. A customer flew in from Graham for fuel, then flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico in his Piper Super Cub. Whitney Boggs flew in from Shreveport, Louisiana for fuel, then flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico in his Cessna 501 Citation 1 jet. Trey Weathers, pilot for Barr Air Patrol, flew in from Bartlesville, Oklahoma for fuel, then headed to Libby, New Mexico to pick up the pipeline to patrol, then later back to Bartlesville in their Cessna 182 Skylane. A customer flew in from Lubbock for some touch and goes, then back to Lubbock in his Cessna 182 Skylane. AeroCare flew in from Lubbock to pick up a patient, then flew to Fort Worth in their Beech 200 King Air prop jet. A customer flew in from Hereford to pick up a passenger, then flew to Montezuma, Kansas in his Beech C-90 King Air prop jet. A customer flew in from Lubbock for a touch and go, then back to Lubbock in a Eurocopter AS-350 jet helicopter. A customer departed for Rice Lake, Wisconsin in his Cirrus SR-22. A customer flew down from Amarillo for a touch and go, then back to Amarillo in his Piper Cherokee 180. Med-Trans flew to Clovis, New Mexico, Friona and back in their Bell 407 jet helicopter. If there is a competitive Democratic Party presidential primary in 2024 a scenario that seems to grow likelier by the day given increasingly loud chatter from Democratic circles over whether President Joe Biden should seek re-election a new poll from New Hampshire did not bring encouraging news to Vice President Kamala Harris. Even though Democrats are seeking to change the order of primary contests, the Washington Post reported Tuesday that party officials expect that New Hampshire will still play a "significant role" in "the first stages of the nominating process." The order of contests is likely to change because of the unbridled disaster otherwise known as the 2020 Iowa caucuses, as well as concerns that two overwhelmingly white states Iowa and New Hampshire go first in selecting a presidential nominee for a political party with many nonwhite voters. On Wednesday, the University of New Hampshire released a statewide poll on the 2024 presidential election. While the poll's most eye-popping findings are that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical Republican Party presidential primary and that only 54% of self-described Democrats want Biden to run again in 2024, it also provides some clues as to how Vice President Kamala Harris may fare in the state in the event Biden doesn't run. Previous national polling showed that, as of now, Harris is a weak candidate in a general election but has strength in a presidential primary without Biden. The New Hampshire poll reaffirms general election fears (64% of survey respondents had an unfavorable view of Harris) and also suggests Harris might struggle in a primary there, too. Among self-described New Hampshire Democrats, Harris has a favorability rating of just 52%, 12 percentage points lower than Biden's mark of 64%. Twenty-five percent of New Hampshire Democrats have an unfavorable view of Harris, and 21% said they have neutral views. Being seen favorably by just half of a state's Democratic voters is clearly problematic, especially when once considers the fact that favorable views don't necessarily equate to support in a primary contest (A voter could have a belief along the lines of "I like Kamala Harris personally but don't think she'd win in a general election, so I'm going to vote for a different candidate instead.") The poll did not survey a hypothetical primary without Biden, leaving us with the imperfect measure of her favorability ratings to gauge support. Regardless, any discussion of how Harris might fare in a primary misses the forest for the trees somewhat: The fact that 64% of all New Hampshire voters have an unfavorable view of Harris is frightening enough for her general election prospects to where evaluating her primary chances seems like a much less meaningful endeavor. It's also worth pointing out that New Hampshire has fewer Black voters than other nominating contests, and primary polls have shown Harris running strong with African American voters. The Washington Post report on the order of primaries notes that Michigan or Minnesota may take Iowa's place at the start of primary season. You can read the full poll results from the University of New Hampshire. WFO LOS ANGELES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in OXNARD has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Los Angeles County in southwestern California... * Until 115 AM PDT. * At 1242 AM PDT Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. This storm was located over Mount Wilson and was moving northwest at 25 mph. Penny size hail may also accompany the damaging winds. * Locations impacted include... Mount Wilson... Monrovia... Angeles Crest Highway between Mount Wilson and Mount Waterman... Sierra Madre... Arcadia... and Duarte. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Severe thunderstorms produce damaging winds and deadly lightning. In addition to large hail and damaging winds continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LOS ANGELES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in OXNARD has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Los Angeles County in southwestern California... * Until 145 AM PDT. * At 110 AM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles northeast of Mount Wilson, moving north at 15 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Pearblossom... Llano... Valyermo... and Angeles Crest Highway between Mount Wilson and Mount Waterman. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO SAN DIEGO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Riverside County in southern California... * Until 630 PM PDT. * At 320 PM PDT, gauge reports indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 0.75 inches in 1 hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Gauges reported. 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... Northwestern Palm Springs, Mt San Jacinto State Park, Hwy 243 Between Banning And Idyllwild, northwestern Desert Hot Springs, Whitewater, Cabazon, North Palm Springs and Morongo Indian Reservation. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Hanford CA has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... North central Kern County in central California... South central Tulare County in central California... * Until 415 AM PDT. * At 344 AM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 13 miles east of McFarland, or 15 miles east of Delano, moving north at 30 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Ducor, Richgrove and Fountain Springs. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Large hail and continuous lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather LATEST June 22, 8:35 p.m. Most of the weather action remained just south of the Bay Area on Wednesday evening with thunderstorms over Monterey and San Benito counties, but the National Weather Service reported sprinkles in Pleasanton at 8:25 p.m. June 22, 7 p.m. Thunderstorms dropped heavy rain, lightning and hail just south of the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday night. Meteorologists said the thunderstorms could move into the Bay Area later this evening. "Quite an impressive mesoscale blow-up of strong thunderstorms in Monterey and San Benito Counties!" UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on Twitter. "Lots of lightning with these, but also some localized heavy downpours. There have been strikes outside of the rain cores, though, so fire starts still possible." Swain added, "Would not be entirely surprised if some outflow boundaries emanating from this impressive thunderstorm cluster triggered some secondary storms to the north and east later this evening (which could include southern SF Bay Area or Central Valley)." NBC Bay Area meteorologist Jeff Ranieri said on Twitter that strong thunderstorm activity about 26 miles south of Gilroy produced about 28 lightning strikes, winds up to 40 mph, and small hail. "This could hold up over next hour to impact SF #BayArea," Ranieri wrote. June 22, 5:30 p.m. Clouds blanketed the San Francisco Bay Area Wednesday evening as monsoonal moisture pushed into the region. Just south of the Bay Area, thunderstorms brought some rain and lightning to Monterey and San Benito counties. Weather service forecaster Sara McCorkle said just before 5:30 p.m. that the thunderstorm activity is likely to stay south of the Bay Area. "Theres still maybe a slight chance for the Bay Area, but its looking like Monterey and San Benito counties will see the most impacts," McCorkle said. NBC meteorologist Jeff Ranieri said on Twitter that at least 26 lightning strikes were detected just south of the Bay Area. The clouds arrived in the Bay Area on the day after a major warm-up, and the region felt muggy with the combination of moisture and heat. "The clouds above us right now are from what was a tropical storm which is why its starting to feel humid. Expect a muggy morning tomorrow," ABC meteorologist Drew Tuma wrote on Twitter. Mark Vihtelic June 22, 9:50 a.m. A heat wave in California was broken on Wednesday as monsoonal moisture from the Gulf of Mexico pushed into Southern California early Wednesday, delivering scattered thunderstorms and lightning across the region. The National Weather Service reported a line of showers and thunderstorms over Ventura County and Los Angeles County just after 8:30 a.m. "Expect off and on again lightning, small hail, and heavy rain through the day. Plan for extra time on the roads today," the weather service's LA office said on Twitter. The North American Lightning Detection Network detected 25,000 lightning strikes between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning across California. The surge was pushing into the San Joaquin Valley and southern Sacramento Valley and will impact the San Francisco Bay Area this afternoon. As the monsoonal moisture moves into the area, clouds are expected to arrive from the east and there's a slight chance for thunderstorms, hail, showers and dry lightning through Thursday. A monsoon refers to a seasonal reversal of winds. The summer monsoon is associated with an increase in thunderstorm activity; in North America, winds pull moisture from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and transport it into the Southwest U.S. The summer monsoon is a typical weather pattern that is most pronounced in the interior Southwest states of Arizona and New Mexico. Sometimes the moisture pushes northward into California. In most situations, lightning is more common in the Sierra Nevada than along the coast due to the mountains' lack of a marine layer and its topography. In the mountains, the air mass is forced to lift, intensifying the thunderstorms. Drew Peterson, a forecaster with the weather service's Monterey office, said that as the moisture approaches the Bay Area, a low-pressure system off the coast of Big Sur will drive it in a counterclockwise direction. As the moisture moves east from the Sacramento Valley into the greater Bay Area, it will lose strength, but there's still a chance for thunderstorms, bursts of heavy rain and hail and dry lightning, starting at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. with the peak around 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. There's a possibility of another round on Thursday. "I'd say for the most part, we're looking at scattered high-based showers with potentially an isolated thunderstorm or two," Peterson said. "The most likely areas for this are pretty much from Hollister northward to about Benicia, including all of Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Solano County and Napa County, with the highest possibility on the eastern side of those counties." Peterson said there's less likelihood for thunderstorms in Marin and San Francisco, but they are still possible. While fire starts are a concern, Peterson said the weather service didn't issue a red flag warning for the region. "The risk is near critical, just below needing to put out a red flag warning, but we're missing some of the key ingredients such as winds and widespread dry lightning that make the fire risk severe," Peterson said. WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Buffalo NY 334 AM EDT Wed Jun 22 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values from the mid 90s to near 100 expected inland from the Lake Ontario shoreline. * WHERE...Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Genesee, Livingston, and Ontario counties. * WHEN...From 11 AM this morning to 6 PM EDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values in the upper 90s expected inland from the Lake Erie shoreline. * WHERE...Erie and Chautauqua counties. * WHAT...Heat index values in the mid to upper 90s expected. * WHERE...Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Wyoming County in western New York... Northeastern Cattaraugus County in western New York... Southeastern Erie County in western New York... Northwestern Allegany County in western New York... * Until 530 PM EDT. * At 431 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Springville, or 18 miles south of East Aurora, moving southeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines. * Locations impacted include... Springville, Ashford, Arcade, Franklinville, Rushford, East Concord, Ashford Hollow, Chaffee, Houghton and Concord. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southwestern Wayne, northeastern Livingston, southern Monroe and northwestern Ontario Counties through 515 PM EDT... At 435 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Spencerport to near Henrietta to near Honeoye. Movement was northeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Chili, Canandaigua, Brockport, East Rochester, Webster, Fairport, Brighton, Gates-North Gates, Henrietta, Penfield, Spencerport, Victor, Honeoye Falls, Bristol, Lima, Bloomfield and Farmington. This includes the following highways... Interstate 390 near exit 12. Interstate 90 between exits 46 and 44. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 4326 7745 4310 7731 4286 7719 4283 7762 4301 7762 4323 7794 TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 243DEG 10KT 4321 7777 4304 7756 4275 7753 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 22, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Buffalo NY 544 PM EDT Wed Jun 22 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Wayne and northeastern Ontario Counties through 645 PM EDT... At 544 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Palmyra, or 12 miles northeast of Canandaigua, moving east at 15 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Geneva, Newark, Marion, Lyons, Palmyra, Clifton Springs, Clyde, Phelps, Savannah, Manchester, Shortsville, Seneca Lake State Park, Fairville, Port Gibson, Seneca Castle, Willow Creek Estates and West Junius. This includes Interstate 90 between exits 43 and 42. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. LAT...LON 4293 7727 4320 7719 4307 7671 4302 7672 4301 7696 4287 7696 4287 7698 4286 7698 4284 7697 TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 289DEG 14KT 4305 7718 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO EL PASO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, June 21, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in El Paso has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Hudspeth County in western Texas... * Until 645 PM MDT. * At 611 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 20 miles north of Sierra Blanca, moving northwest at 15 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Sunset Ranches. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Son is captured by the police. (Photo: SGGP) Because of business needs, T.Q.K. (Chairman of the Director Board of Dai Tho Nguyen Co.) applied for investment into constructing a waste treatment plant in Soc Trang Province and sought investors. At the end of 2018, thanks to his social network, K was introduced to Nguyen Van Muc (born in 1967 and living in An Giang Province). Muc told K that he knew an acquaintance with large capital that could invest in Ks waste treatment plant. Muc then introduced K to Nguyen Tan Su (General Director and Legal Representative of Nui Chua Co.), Nguyen Thuy Long Phuong (CFO of Nui Chua Co.). These two people said they had close connections with banks, plus a foreign currency source of US$100 billion from HSBC Vietnam Finance Group JSC., to invest in the project. Trusting them, K signed a contract with Nui Chua Co. to initiate the construction project in Soc Trang Province, with the total investment of VND2 trillion ($86 million) in the form of bank guarantee. He also gave all project documents to Nui Chua Co. K then transferred VND570 million ($24,500) for the cost of document appraisal and was shown a written bank approval of a loan of VND250 billion ($10.8 million). K was also shown the Letter of Credit and Approval of Non-refundable Investment Capital from HSBC Vietnam, signed by its General Director Tran Quang Son, with the content that HSCB Vietnam approves a credit and cash amount for Nui Chua Co. and D.T.N Company, worth $250-500 million, a preferential for the construction project of Soc Trang waste treatment plant. Seeing this, K continued to transfer to Phuong and Su VND1 billion ($43,000) to carry out the guarantee for the construction contract. When contacting the bank afterwards, K discovered that the letter of credit was a fake; and in December 2020, he sent accusation to the investigation police agency. After careful investigation, the police have prosecuted the accused, detained Su and Phuong. Son has been determined by the police to constitute the crime of fraud and property appropriation under the role of a helper. By Chi Thach Translated by Yen Nhi To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Its a big week for Crown Resorts people around Australia. Its Sydney Barangaroo operation has finally been granted a highly conditional gaming licence and the company will finally break the link to James Packer on Friday when it is taken into private ownership by its new owner, US private equity giant Blackstone which is paying $8.9 billion for the privilege. Crown board members leave the building. Credit:Matt Golding But the takeover will create displaced people. Chief Executive Steve McCann will be fine, even if, as has been widely speculated, Blackstone wants a new captain at the helm; McCanns contract guarantees him more than $5 million when the deal goes through, on top of his salary of $2.5 million. Not bad for a bloke whos been in the job barely a year. What of the board though? A private company doesnt need a board so Ziggy Switkowski, chairman for only seven months, can say goodbye to his $700,000-a-year-gig, along with non-executive directors Jane Halton, who earned about $340,00 in fees in 2020-21, and Ann Ward, whos only been there since June. The other directors, Nigel Morrison and Bruce Carter, will join Switkowski, Halton and Ward in leaving board positions on Crown Melbourne, Crown Sydney and the Perth operation Burswood Limited. Two Sydney brothers enjoyed stellar reviews for their alleged large-scale online drug business, sending up to 60 deliveries a day that police say earned them millions. 30,000 sales on here, read Aussiepillimporters advertisement. Similar sales off platform. Claiming 60,000 transactions wasnt an idle boast, police say; for seven years, brothers Alexander Busse of Rose Bay and Ioan Busu of Chatswood allegedly sold cocaine, MDMA, prescription drugs and other illicit substances in small amounts to thousands of users across the country via the Dark Web. Alexander Busse is arrested at his Rose Bay home, from where police allege he was running a Dark Web distribution business. Credit:NSW Police It came crashing down when half a dozen Riot Squad officers broke down the door of Busses Rose Bay apartment last month, removing him from the building in handcuffs, charging him with a raft of drug supply offences, participating in a criminal group and dealing with the proceeds of crime. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has moved to distance himself from the appointment of former Nationals leader John Barilaro to a $500,000-a-year trade role in New York, with the growing scandal overshadowing the Coalitions budget pitch to voters. Hours after the NSW upper house backed a motion calling on the government to block the posting until a parliamentary probe had been completed, Perrottet shifted focus towards the senior public servant he said was ultimately responsible for the appointment, Amy Brown. Then deputy premier John Barilaro with Premier Dominic Perrottet in 2021. Credit:Rhett Wyman Brown reported to Barilaro when he was the deputy premier and minister in charge of the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade. Perrottet told parliament that the department was the final decision maker in two recruitment rounds for the US role. Tradition keeps elitist school standards in place In his schools defence, the principal of the Kings School says it is standard practice among independent schools to fly principals overseas with their spouses and traditional for the schools principal to travel business class (Kings defends its princely sums in regatta row, June 22). Elite, exclusive private schools certainly love standard practice and tradition, especially that other standard practice of receiving public funding and their traditional response of crying poor if its ever suggested their public funding be removed and channelled into the public schools that need it. Lynne Wallis, Talofa This decision by Kings is irrelevant to anyone other than the school community. It is of no relevance to the public whether the school chooses to fly individuals first class, business class, by private jet or whether proper procedure was followed by the school in making that decision. What is of relevance to the public is that a school which can afford to do this is in receipt of public funds and that every dollar which it receives from those funds is a dollar not allocated to a needy public school. Bad optics does not even begin to adequately describe the situation. If parents choose to send their children to private schools because they believe a better education will be obtained, that their children will mix with the right people or that the familys religious values will be reinforced, that is their right, but they must be prepared to fund that decision themselves. Currently, their decisions are being subsidised by the public, too many of whom are struggling to provide a decent education for their children in a grossly underfunded public school system. Kendal Tichon, Bundanoon If a public school had that much money lying around theyd probably be fixing leaking roofs, employing additional support staff for kids with disabilities or making ageing toilet blocks more functional. The schools chair acknowledges concerns of its parent body which was seemingly unaware of this largesse, but from inside the Kings bubble there is no acknowledgment of the wave of outrage it has created in the broader community. Lyn Savage, Coogee The Kings Schools need to seek strategically relevant schools outside of Australia so as to enrich the opportunities to the staff and student of Kings displays the extreme elitism and entitlement fed to that schools community. Ironically, it is our own state and national egalitarian school funding model that sees all school sectors receive government funding, regardless of individual school needs, that has enabled the entitlement of this elite school. Catherine Hoskin, Gloucester Educators have duty to complain Teachers are at breaking point and students are paying an unnecessary price that will extend into a future made gloomier by serious damage to the education of their generation (Teachers to hold strike as anger boils over, June 22). A retired head of English and head of school, I take private students from a range of public and private schools. My standard opening question is what did you do in class this week? This year, the standard reply is nothing. I probe further and get no satisfaction. I do not criticise teachers. Teachers are overworked, they are on sick leave, they are looking after blended classes because relief teachers are not available, they have too much accountability paperwork to do, they are preparing online classes while teaching face to face. In effect, too often teachers can only provide supervision in place of teaching. Students are bored and, although sympathetic, they have given up. Teachers are not paid properly for the basic job, let alone for all the extra they are heroically performing. They are not at breaking point. They are broken. It is no wonder teachers are mounting a historic strike. Hear their cry. Given the seriousness of the consequences governments have allowed our children to suffer, it is teachers moral and civic duty to complain. Judith Wheeldon, Roseville Chase Treasurer Matt Kean thinks the proposed teachers strike is political. I wonder if he thinks the words abrogation of governmental duty to adequately recompense its employees equally political? Diane Dennis, Epping Of course the teachers pay dispute is about politics, just as the onerous demands that have been imposed on teachers is about politics. There was a time, not so long ago, when a backbencher was paid about the same as a teacher on the top of the scale. Now, a backbencher is paid twice as much as the highest-paid teacher. But thats politics. Robert Binns, Blaxland Cant afford to wait Illustration: Vintage John Shakespeare Credit: Chris Uhlmanns article is useful in that it points out the socio-political difficulties in rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables (Rhetoric wont keep the lights on, June 22). No politician could survive prolonged blackouts. However, Uhlmann failed to weigh this against the global armageddon that is becoming increasingly likely since we are failing to make this energy transition at warp speed. We are between a rock and a hard place. Blackouts are one thing but the UKs Met Office warns that a billion people could be affected by fatal heat and humidity if the global average temperature rises by 2C above pre-industrial levels. The world is heading for 2.4 degrees of warming, according to the recent COP26 meeting in Glasgow. The costs of rapid transitioning may be high but the probable costs of not acting are beyond measure. Alan Jones, Narraweena Consumption truth Tanya Plibersek is right: we can have a healthy environment and jobs for all (Labors environment reforms will take time to deliver, Plibersek says, June 22). We will, however, need to change what those jobs look like, from production to caring for others and nature. Plibersek is also wrong: it is not possible to have economic growth and protect the natural environment. Our natural environment is a key input into economic growth the more we grow, the more we consume our environment. GDP and material footprint are coupled and cant be absolutely decoupled at all, and certainly not in time to save our climate and biodiversity. We must restrain our material footprint, including energy, if we are to have any hope of avoiding mass extinction. Erin Remblance, Seaforth Trans ban unfair In the 60s and 70s, women were barred from employment as firefighters and police officers because, it was reasoned, they didnt have the capacity to do things men in those jobs did (Letters, June 22). This wasnt fair because it didnt allow for diversity in women. When equal employment opportunity policy required criteria to specify exactly what was required to do a job ie capacity to lift xx kg etc women who met those criteria started to gain employment in those fields. FINAs outright ban on transgender women from participating in womens elite competition also fails to take into account the diversity among transgender women. Its also not fair because it applies a blanket rule that doesnt recognise individual differences in transgender women. Vicki Burge, Camperdown Nature criminals go free The raid by police on an environmentalists camp at Colo points to the success of eco-cidal corporations in getting governments to stymie effective protest against the deliberated wrecking of our planets biosphere (Seven charged after police raid Blockade Australias Blue Mountains gathering, smh.com.au, June 22). As life on Earth is pulverised by global heating, habitat destruction and species extinctions, the exploiters know they cant win the debate, so they aim to put environmentalists out of action through vilification, legal sanctions and unprecedented punishment. They want worried citizens to wave placards uselessly from the footpath while they drive their log trucks, coal trucks and gas rigs up the highways to more riches and planetary ruin. The future is shaping up to see heartfelt environmentalists going to jail while the real criminals of this era of ecological degradation get their tax deductions and more Orders of Australia. Bob Brown, Bob Brown Foundation, Cygnet (Tas) Under the flag I applaud and share your correspondents hope for change, but I suspect it will take more than an Aboriginal flag on the Harbour Bridge to right the injustices of the past 250 years (Letters, June 22). Ross Duncan, Potts Point Dear premier, dont ponder why the flagpole costs so much just do what we all do and get a second quote. It might just be less than $1million. John Swanton, Coogee Mind your peas By all means send in lettuce to the editor (Letters, June 22), but please remember to mind your peas and cukes. Alicia Dawson, Balmain We should discourage lettuce to the editor lest they become a basis for verbal salads. John Baird, Corrimal The letters pages should be reserved for serious letters on important topics. So, lettuce stop this frivolity. Margaret Grove, Abbotsford A fatal motorbike crash closed two of three southbound lanes on the M1 at the Gold Coast for four hours on Wednesday afternoon, creating a 20-kilometre logjam. Emergency services were called to the crash involving a light truck and a motorbike about 2.15pm just before Exit 71 in Nerang. The crash scene on the M1 at Nerang. Credit:Queensland Ambulance Service The male rider was assessed by paramedics, but died at the scene. He was believed to be aged in his mid-60s. Police reduced traffic to one lane. At 4pm, the congestion stretched for 20 kilometres to Pimpama. It wasnt enough for James Balcombe that his bouncy castle business was successful and brought joy to customers. Behind the bounce, he was ruthless. Having hired consultants to enhance his companys online marketing and website, Balcombe then turned to old-fashioned business bastardry: he paid men to target his competitors and burn them to the ground. James Balcombe outside the County Court in 2017. Credit:Jason South Molotov cocktails were used on five businesses in a combined 10 arson attacks on factories across Melbourne and in Warragul between December 2016 and February 2017, which meant a stressful summer for Victorias party hire industry. Most of the arson attempts either didnt catch or caused limited damage, but a fire at the A&A Jumping Castles warehouse in Hoppers Crossing destroyed at least $1.4 million of property, including the building, a truck, jumping castles and other equipment, the County Court heard on Wednesday. Victorias Ombudsman has uncovered persistent and endemic issues around the use of force in the states remand centres, where prisoners claim to have been choked, punched, kicked, slammed and badly injured by staff. Ombudsman Deborah Glass examined eight separate incidents at the Melbourne Remand Centre and the Melbourne Assessment Prison between 2018 and 2020 where prisoners alleged they were assaulted by corrections officers. A new Ombudsman report has found persistent and endemic issues around the use of force in Victorias remand centres. Credit:Jason South In one of the incidents, a prisoner with an acquired brain injury was hit in the back of the head and made to walk into doors by an officer escorting him inside the Metropolitan Remand Centre. On a separate occasion, another prisoner had his wrist fractured by officers attempting to remove his handcuffs. The eight separate investigations found officers werent using body-worn cameras as they were supposed to and a concerning number of incidents occurred in CCTV blind spots, making it hard for investigators to determine whether excessive force was used. Lying naked and bleeding on a Broome street in March, 2013, Tamica Mullaley had no idea the night was only the start of a near decade-long ordeal in which the Aboriginal mother endured the unthinkable. Mullaley had been savagely beaten by her partner at the time, Mervyn Bell, but when officers arrived to find her covered only in a sheet, she was arrested after lashing out at them. She had suffered breaks to her collarbone and ribs in the assault, as well as damage to her spleen and kidney. Not wanting her 10-month-old son Charlie to see her beaten, she left him with family and friends when she was taken into custody. But Bell returned later that night and kidnapped the boy, taking him on a horror journey through the North West during which he was sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered. Their efforts to undermine Americas democratic fabric, going on gradually for decades, now suddenly threatens to fundamentally compromise US democracy itself. The January 6 Attack committees vice-chair, Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, electrified the hearings and wrote herself into the history books by standing out against the toxic indifference to integrity on her own side of politics. Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney criticised members of her own party for failing to condemn the January 6 attack. Credit:AP I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible, Cheney said. There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonour will remain. Her courage in the breach begs the question, who is the Liberals potential Liz Cheney, capable of stimulating ethical reflection here? Its not the new Liberal leader Peter Dutton. Loading Duttons post-election attempt to dress as lamb does not extend much beyond photo shoots with his family members. He is considering support for some kind of federal integrity commission but unapologetic about the Morrison governments record in office. After their election, Dutton and new Liberal deputy-leader Sussan Ley promised to listen to voters. Theyre deaf if they missed the integrity message that not only helped Labor win office but helped community independents take a swag of Liberal heartland seats off them too. If deaf, Dutton and Ley might not be blind to the fact that if the Andrews government is re-elected this year and the Perrottet government falls early next year, mainland Australia will have Labor governments at both federal and state levels for only the second time in history. (It happened only once before, briefly under the Hawke government.) Youve got to be determinedly myopic not to see that coming. However, there is a grand experiment in Liberal renewal running right now from which the federal arm of the party might learn. Its the Perrottet government in NSW. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Credit:Rhett Wyman Former prime minister Scott Morrison derided the NSW ICAC as a kangaroo court. Premier Dominic Perrottet, in contrast, defended ICAC and increased its budget. Further, Perrottet is visibly trying to drag the government towards the political centre. This weeks NSW budget includes some material examples, most prominently relating to women. Perrottet knows hell lose office if the gender split evident at the federal election happens to them at the state election next March. Perrottet, a hard right-winger, is on the right track, with his recent performance featuring repeated centrist declarations. Loading The invisible hand of Labor giant Paul Keating is part of the reason. Victorian Premier Dan Andrews disclosure that Keating had suggested he and Perrottet get together over shared policy interests is the tip of the iceberg. Keating was consulted by the NSW government in recent years about the Macquarie Street arts precinct as well as ideas for an Indigenous arts centre. He came into contact with the then treasurer Perrottet along the way and stayed in touch with him as premier. For Perrottet its a bromance according to one Liberal. Theyre very close, another confirms. Perrottet is picking up a lot from Paul about how to do things, a Liberal who has observed them directly says. From Perrottets side, hes long admired Keating. Dom in private cant stand all these f-----s who pussy-foot around. Hes very derogatory about people who dont have any vision. He was very derogatory of Gladys because she was a plodder. Loading Yet just as things were going so well, Perrottet allowed the tendrils of the ethically compromised former Berejiklian government to entwine him with the appointment of former deputy-premier John Barilaro to a lucrative government job overseas. Perrottet has said the public service made the appointment and that he had no role in it. Hanging in the air is the fate of NSW Liberal premiers Nick Greiner, Barry OFarrell and Gladys Berejiklian, who left their jobs in controversial circumstances. The state ballot in March will be the test of NSW voters support for his policies and their faith in his words. ~ Former MP Frans Richardson was condemned to 20 months with a 5-year ban on passive rights. ~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Former Chief Executive Officer of Ports St. Maarten Mark Mingo was fully acquitted by the Court of Appeals on Tuesday. Mingos life was turned upside down when he was arrested on June 17th, 2017. On Tuesday the former CEO broke down when the verdict was read in open court and he was able to walk out a free man. The court determined that the prosecution did not have the evidence to support their claim that Mingo overrated over 200 invoices. Chief Executive Officer Mark Mingo was found guilty in January 2020 by the Court of First Instance he was found guilty of forgery and scamming the Port of St. Maarten in excess of $10M. Mingo was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment while not allowed to work for any government-owned company for a period of six years. On Tuesday, he was declared an innocent man since the Prosecution was not able to prove their charges against him. The Prosecutors claim that some companies sent fictitious or greatly increased bills to the port that were paid. The appeals court found that the prosecution did not prove their case against Mingo. In 2017 the Prosecution said Mingo defrauded the port of at least 17 million dollars. In 2020 he was convicted of defrauding the port of over $10M. Co- suspects in the Emerald case were former Member of Parliament Frans Richardson who received 20 months imprisonment and a 5-year ban on his passive rights. Member of Parliament Frans Richardson was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment while he lost his voting rights for a period of five years. The court found that Richardson accepted $370,000.00 in bribes from the dredging project conducted by Devcon. While businessman Oniel Arrindell was found guilty of bribing MP Richardson, tax fraud, and firearm possession. He was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment by the court of the first instance in 2020/ The appeals court reduced his sentence to some 40 months. The appeal in large-scale TBO investigation Emerald: convictions and acquittal The Common Court of Justice today sentenced A., the main suspect in the Emerald investigation, to a prison sentence of forty months. Another suspect, a former member of parliament R. has been sentenced to twenty months in prison. The suspectM., CEO of the Port at the time, was acquitted of all the accusations made against him. The Court has found that A. was guilty of defrauding the Port, bribing then a member of parliament R., possessing a firearm and ammunition, and committing tax fraud. A. was acquitted of the accusation that he had defrauded the Port by submitting false invoices to the Port. A., who acted as a PR employee of the Port and at the same time as a consultant to an American company where the Port had concluded a dredging contract, defrauded the Port by an amount of USD 2.7 million that this dredging company paid to him as a consultant under false pretenses by charging to the Port. In addition, A. bribed a member of parliament R. by paying him a sum of USD 370,000 in exchange for support from R. to the dredging contract to be concluded between the Port and the American company. As a member of parliament, R. allowed himself to be bribed by A. for the aforementioned amount of USD 370,000,-, laundered this money, and also committed tax fraud. In addition to the prison sentence of twenty months, the Court imposed on Mr. R. as an additional punishment that he may not be elected as a member of general representative bodies for a period of five years. M., who was ultimately responsible for the Port at the time, was acquitted of defrauding the Port. It is true that the Court's investigation has shown that his actions as CEO of the Port can be questioned, but in the court's opinion, no legal and convincing evidence has been provided for his involvement in the port fraud. The defendants and the public prosecutor have 14 days to lodge an appeal in cassation with the Hoge Raad in the Netherlands. Court of First Instance Press Release. Rajant Appoints Diana Logue Chief Operating Officer Posted by Publisher Telecommunication Malvern, PA a June 21, 2022: Rajant Corporation, the pioneer of Kinetic MeshA wireless networks headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has promoted Diana Logue to serve as Rajanta?s Chief Operating Officer. This appointment furthers Ms. Loguea?s expert impact on Rajanta?s day-to-day tasks supporting staff and the Rajant sales channel. aThis promotion and increased responsibilities are in recognition of Dianaa?s value to Rajant,a says Paul Hellhake, Rajanta?s President, CTO, and Co-founder. aDiana plays a critical role in maintaining superior stability to our fixed operations and sales fulfillment process. She is an asset and a pleasure to work with.a Ms. Logue formerly served as Rajant\-s Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations. In her new role, Ms. Logue will maintain and direct daily business operations, including accounting, human resources, legal, strategic planning, reporting, financial analysis, project management, month-end close processes, budgeting, and inventory control. Prior to being Senior VP, Ms. Logue held several positions in the financial and accounting arena with increasing levels of responsibility, including end-of-year auditing oversight, leasing arrangements and contracts, tax reconciliation and reporting, and training of support staff. aIa?m honored and would like to thank both Rajant co-founders, Robert Schena and Paul Hellhake, for this exciting opportunity,a shares Diana Logue. aThe last nine years have been very exciting to see the growth of Rajant. In my new role, I look forward to being part of many more years and hopefully much more growth.a Rajant Chairman, CEO, and Co-founder Robert Schena adds, aDiana is fantastic, and this promotion is very well deserved. She works harder than anyone I know to bring her absolute best to Rajant, and I could not be prouder of her.a Ms. Logue also serves as Corporate Secretary and works closely with the company\-s board of directors. Before she arrived at Rajant, she was the Controller at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Logue obtained her Bachelora?s degree in Accounting from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Maryland. Vizsla Silver drills 1,030 g/t ageq over 20.45 metres at copala expands mineralized zone to 600m by 400m Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSX-V: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) (Frankfurt: 0G3) (\Vizsla\ or the \Company\ https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/vizsla-silver-corp/ ) is pleased to report results from 24 new drill holes targeting the Tajitos Copala resource area in the western portion of its 100%-owned, flagship Panuco silver-gold project (\Panuco\ or the \Project\) located in Mexico. The results are exclusively for the Copala structure and expand the high-grade mineralized footprint to 600 metres along strike by 400 metres down dip. Highlights CS-22-169 returned 1,030 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent (AgEq) over 20.45 metres true width (mTW) (780 g/t silver and 4.23 g/t gold) Includes 2,727 g/t AgEq over 1.21 mTW (2,230 g/t silver and 9.08 g/t gold) And 9,880 g/t AgEq over 0.85 mTW (7,900 g/t silver and 35.20 g/t gold) CS-22-155 returned 900 g/t AgEq over 14.50 mTW (667 g/t silver and 3.89 g/t gold) CS-22-154 returned 1,331 g/t AgEq over 9.35 mTW (1,010 g/t silver and 5.44 g/t gold) Includes 4,579 g/t AgEq over 1.30 mTW (3,548 g/t silver and 17.78 g/t gold) CS-22-164 returned 1,242 g/t AgEq over 4.40 mTW (802 g/t silver and 6.89 g/t gold) CS-22-160 returned 2,007 g/t AgEq over 3.40 mTW (1,642 g/t silver and 6.67 g/t gold) \The Copala Vein continues to exceed our expectations, delivering excellent precious metal grades over very large widths,\ commented Michael Konnert, President and CEO. \When we first discovered the Copala Vein in late 2021, we knew we were on to something special given the well developed, near surface mineral continuity. At the time of the maiden resource, eight drill holes from Copala contributed 6.4Moz AgEq of indicated and 18.6Moz AgEq of inferred1. We have now reported 46 holes from Copala, effectively expanding the mineralized footprint to 600m along strike by 400m down dip with drill intercepts showing mineralization remains open in all directions. We continue to target the Copala area with three rigs and view this portion of the district as a major focus for resource expansion ahead of the Resource Update planned for Q4 of this year.\ The Copala Vein is a shallow dipping structure located at the northern extent and on the hangingwall side of the Tajitos structure. Copala is marked by high precious metals grades (up to 7,900 g/t silver and 35.20 g/t gold over 0.85 mTW) hosted within a broader envelope of vein-breccia up to 82 metres thick with local mineralized pockets up to 20.45 mTW averaging 1,030 g/t AgEq (780 g/t silver and 4.23 g/t gold). Today\-s reported intercepts expand a NNW-SSE striking high-grade shoot with approximate dimensions of 400 metres along strike and 200 metres down dip. This high-grade zone remains open to the north and down-dip to the east. Ongoing detailed structural-geologic interpretations suggest mineralization continues to the south, beyond the previously reported Cristiano Vein (see press releases dated January 19, 2022 and March 10, 2022), and is a near-term focus for expansion as Vizsla continues to explore this area. The Company currently has three drill rigs targeting the Tajitos Copala resource area. The Company is encouraged that the northern sector of the Tajitos Copala resource area continues to grow, and the intercepts reported here, along with the recent discovery of Copala 2 between Tajitos and Copala (see press release dated May 19, 2022), demonstrates significant potential for additional blind to surface veins in the district. Vizsla is currently negotiating additional land access and has prepared a drill plan to advance the exploration of the Tajitos Copala area to the north. To further support its 2022 growth initiatives, Vizsla recently completed a district-scale LiDar survey over the main 6,200 ha claim block to aid in geologic-structural mapping, drill-hole planning and geologic modelling. About the Panuco project The newly consolidated Panuco silver-gold project is an emerging high-grade discovery located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, near the city of MazatlAn. The 6,754-hectare, past producing district benefits from over 75 kilometres of total vein extent, 35 kilometres of underground mines, roads, power, and permits. The district contains intermediate to low sulfidation epithermal silver and gold deposits related to siliceous volcanism and crustal extension in the Oligocene and Miocene. Host rocks are mainly continental volcanic rocks correlated to the Tarahumara Formation. The Panuco Project hosts an estimated in-situ indicated mineral resource of 61.1 Moz AgEq and an in-situ inferred resource of 45.6 Moz AgEq The Technical Report, titled \National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Panuco Project Mineral Resource Estimate Concordia, Sinaloa, Mexico\ was filed on SEDAR on April 7, 2022, has an effective date of March 1, 2022 and was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (\NI 43-101\) by Tim Maunula, P.Geo., Principal Geologist, T. Maunula & Associates Consulting Inc and Kevin Murray, P.Eng, Manager Process Engineering, Ausenco. About Vizsla Silver Vizsla Silver is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, focused on advancing its flagship, 100%-owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Sinaloa, Mexico. To date, Vizsla has completed over 140,000 metres of drilling at Panuco leading to the discovery of several new high-grade veins. For 2022, Vizsla has budgeted +120,000 metres of resource/discovery-based drilling designed to upgrade and expand the maiden resource, as well as test other high priority targets across the district. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Drill core and rock samples were shipped to ALS Limited in Zacatecas, Mexico and in North Vancouver, Canada for sample preparation and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Zacatecas and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Silver and base metals were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish and gold was assayed by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption (\AA\) spectroscopy finish. Over limit analyses for silver, lead and zinc were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with AA finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples, duplicates and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company\-s quality assurance / quality control protocol. Qualified Person In accordance with NI 43-101, Martin Dupuis, P.Geo., COO , is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources The scientific and technical information in this news release was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the \SEC\). The terms \measured mineral resource\, \indicated mineral resource\ and \inferred mineral resource\ used herein are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the \CIM Definition Standards\), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained herein providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. You are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, \inferred mineral resources\ are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of \contained ounces\ in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute \reserves\ by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the \SEC Modernization Rules\), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of \measured mineral resources\, \indicated mineral resources\ and \inferred mineral resources\. Information regarding mineral resources contained or referenced herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be \substantially similar\ to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as \measured mineral resources\, \indicated mineral resources\ and \inferred mineral resources\ under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain \Forward?Looking Statements\ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and \forward?looking information\ under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words \anticipate\, \believe\, \estimate\, \expect\, \target\, \plan\, \forecast\, \may\, \would\, \could\, \schedule\ and similar words or expressions, identify forward?looking statements or information. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the exploration, development, and production at Panuco, including plans for resource/discovery-based drilling, designed to upgrade, and expand the maiden resource as well as test other high priority targets across the district. Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Vizsla Silver, future growth potential for Vizsla Silver and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management\-s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management\-s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of silver, gold, and other metals; no escalation in the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Vizsla Silver\-s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms. These statements reflect Vizsla Silver\-s respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward?looking statements or forward-looking information and Vizsla Silver has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company\-s dependence on one mineral project; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company\-s mining activities in Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company\-s management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company\-s inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company\-s interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company\-s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified under the caption \Risk Factors\ in Vizsla Silver\-s management discussion and analysis. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward?looking statements or forward-looking information. Although Vizsla Silver has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Vizsla Silver does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward?looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. Discovery Announces Details of its Upcoming Annual General Meeting Discovery Silver Corp. (TSX-V: DSV, OTCQX: DSVSF) (aDiscoverya or the aCompanya https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/discovery-metals-corp/ ) announces that the Companya?s Annual General Meeting (the aMeetinga) will be held online this Friday, June 24, 2022, at 11:00 am (Toronto time). The nominees for Director at the Meeting are: Murray John (Chair); Tony Makuch; Jeff Parr; Moira Smith; Daniel Vickerman; and Jennifer Wagner. To attend the live audio webcast online, participants should access the following website at or immediately prior to the start time of the Meeting: https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/1311 A (password: discovery2022). Registered and beneficial shareholders will require their control number when logging in if they intend to vote at the meeting. After the formal part of the Meeting, the Companya?s Interim CEO, Tony Makuch, will provide a company update followed by a question-and-answer session. A About Discovery Discoverya?s flagship project is its 100%-owned Cordero project, one of the worlda?s largest silver deposits. The PEA completed in November 2021 demonstrates that Cordero has the potential to be developed into a highly capital efficient mine that offers the combination of margin, size and scalability. Cordero is located close to infrastructure in a prolific mining belt in Chihuahua State, Mexico. Continued exploration and project development at Cordero is supported by a strong balance sheet with cash of approximately C$70 million. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release is not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the a1933 Acta) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements including, but not limited to Discoverya?s future plans and objectives with respect to the Cordero project, estimates of future mineral reserves, mineral resources, mineral production, development potential and, future exploration activities planned, plans and objectives in the areas of sustainable development, health, safety, environment, community development, the Cordero, Puerto Rico, Minerva and Monclova projects, and the prospect of further discoveries there, all of which constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Discovery believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. Discovery does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws. Voters selected the Republican nominee for Alabama's top election official in the runoff Tuesday, and the general election race for governor was set as Democratic voters picked their gubernatorial nominee. Three other statewide nominations plus a U.S. House seat also were on the ballot. Here is a look at the results: SECRETARY OF STATE State Rep. Wes Allen won the Republican nomination for secretary of state in a contest that featured both candidates promoting the need to tighten election security in harmony with former President Donald Trumps false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential race because of fraud. Allen defeated outgoing State Auditor Jim Zeigler and will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte, an Air Force veteran and corrections supervisor in Mobile County, in the general election to become Alabamas top election official. Zeigler received the most votes among four candidates in the primary election in May, but Allen overcame the deficit. Allen, from Troy, previously served as probate judge in Pike County. Citing the potential for fraud, he opposed 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. During the campaign, Zeigler 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. The current secretary of state, Republican John Merrill, couldnt run again because of term limits, and the GOP nominee will be a heavy favorite to win in November. GOVERNOR Yolanda Rochelle Flowers defeated state Sen. Malika Sanders Fortier in the Democratic race for governor to become the first Black person to win a major partys gubernatorial nomination in Alabama. Flowers, a career educator from Birmingham, narrowly led a six-person field in the May primary. In what will be the states first all-female gubernatorial race, she will be a decided underdog against Gov. Kay Ivey, who vanquished eight challengers to win the GOP primary without a runoff. Almost four times as many people voted in the Republican primary as the Democratic primary in May, and Republicans hold every statewide office. Flowers ran on a platform of reconstructing Alabama by rebuilding its economy and systems for education, health care and criminal justice, Among other things, she 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 states economy, schools and health care. She is the daughter of former state Sen. Hank Sanders and attorney Faya Rose Toure. STATE AUDITOR Andrew Sorrell claimed the GOP nomination for state auditor by defeating Stan Cooke, a win that was tantamount to election since theres no Democratic contender. Sorrell, a state representative from Colbert County who led balloting in the May primary, tried to make election security a prime issue, saying a strong auditor is needed to appoint county registrars who will keep voter rolls clean. Cooke, a pastor from the Jefferson County town of Kimberly, claimed Alabama is at a crossroads where it could remain a conservative state or come under the control of liberal Democrats. Echoing Trumps false claims of election theft, he highlighted the auditors role in appointing county election officials who can prevent Democrats from stealing elections. The current auditor, Republican Jim Zeigler, was barred from seeking another term. U.S. HOUSE Madison County Commission chair Dale Strong won the only runoff among the states seven U.S. House seats, claiming the Republican nomination for an open position in north Alabamas 5th District. Strong defeated Casey Wardynski, a former Huntsville school superintendent. Strong handily led a six-candidate field with about 45% of the primary vote in May but couldnt avoid a runoff. Strong will face Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton of Decatur in the mostly Republican Tennessee Valley district in November. The seat was given up by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who lost a runoff race 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 dispatched challengers to keep their jobs on the three-member utility-regulating board. Jeremy Oden, a former state legislator from Cullman seeking his third term, defeated attorney Brent Woodall, a PSC staffer and Republican activist, for the Place 1 nomination. Oden cast himself as a conservative bulwark against liberal environmental policies. Chip Beeker, a former Greene County commissioner first elected to the PSC in 2014, defeated Robert L. McCollum to win the GOP nomination for Place 2. Beeker portrayed himself as an opponent of Democratic environmental policies, while McCollum, a small business owner from Tallapoosa County, argued 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. WASHINGTON (AP) In a pointed back and forth, the head of Chevron complained Tuesday that President Joe Biden has vilified energy firms at a time when gasoline prices are at near record levels and the president responded that the oil company CEO was being mildly sensitive. The president in recent weeks has criticized oil producers and refiners for maximizing profits and making more money than God, rather than increasing production in response to higher prices as the economy recovers from the pandemic and feels the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Michael Wirth, chairman and CEO of Chevron, sent Biden a letter via email on Tuesday that said the president's own words have been self-defeating in terms of encouraging companies to boost their output. Chevron is investing in more production, Wirth wrote, but your Administration has largely sought to criticize, and at times vilify, our industry. These actions are not beneficial to meeting the challenges we face and are not what the American people deserve. The oil company CEO said he wanted a more cooperative relationship with the government. Let's work together, Wirth wrote. "The American people rightly expect our countrys leaders and industry to address the challenges they are facing in a serious and resolute manner." Asked about those comments, Biden displayed no sympathy. Hes mildly sensitive, Biden said. I didnt know theyd get their feelings hurt that quickly. Look, we need more refining capacity. This idea that they dont have oil to drill and to bring up is simply not true. Average gas prices are nearly $5 a gallon nationwide, a strain on commuters and a political albatross for Bidens fellow Democrats going into the midterm elections. That has left the White House scrambling for solutions, including a possible suspension of the 18.4 cents a gallon federal gas tax .Biden plans to decide by the end of the week if the tax should be suspended, a move meant to relieve price pressures and that would need approval from a reluctant Congress. The gas tax funds highways, but Biden said Tuesday any lost revenue would not have a major impact on road construction because of last years $1 trillion infrastructure law. The clash between the Biden administration and oil producers and refiners unfolded ahead of a Thursday meeting that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will hold with energy companies. Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell have previously voiced skepticism about the benefits of suspending the gas tax. But Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is sponsoring a bill that would put the gas tax on hold through the end of 2023. Schiff said in a statement that he has been in touch with the White House to encourage the gas tax holiday, adding, But we shouldnt stop there. We should also hold Big Oil accountable for the price-gouging that is driving prices up in the first place. The House has approved legislation to crack down on alleged price gouging by oil companies, but the bill has stalled in the Senate. Democratic proposals to impose a windfall profits tax on oil producers have generated little support in Congress. The possibility of a gas tax holiday has drawn criticism from economists and the business community for not fixing the underlying supply challenges. In an address Tuesday at the Economic Club of New York, a non-profit, non-partisan business group, Target CEO Brian Cornell called the gas tax holiday a temporary mini stimulus that does nothing to fundamentally change the supply and demand curve for fuel and transportation. We have a classic supply-and-demand challenge, Cornell told the audience. In all due respect, the gas holiday is only going to fuel demand. Its doing nothing to increase the supply. Harvard University professor Jason Furman, formerly the top economist in the Obama White House, said a gas tax suspension would not address the supply pressures. Refineries are even more constrained now so supply is nearly fully inelastic, he wrote on Twitter. Most of the 18.4 cent reduction would be pocketed by industry -- with maybe a few cents passed on to consumers. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the administration is looking into as many ways as possible to provide consumers with some relief at the gas pump. But the administration does not plan to tell Americans to drive less during the July 4 holiday and reduce some of the supply pressures. Americans are going to do what they feel is right for themselves and for their family, Jean-Pierre said. That's not something for us to make a judgment on. ___ AP reporters Matthew Daly in Washington and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report. Citing concerns for the professionalism of command staff, state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella who oversees the state police has requested an outside review of an alleged antisemitic email incident. DESPP officials said they began investigating in early May after a long-time employee allegedly sent an internal email containing a derogatory term and the word Jews in the subject line. Based on our initial review, the commissioner had great concerns with the professionalism of the state police command staff in relation to the investigation, said Brian Foley, an executive aide to Rovella. As a result and at our request, the investigation now sits external to DESPP, with the possibility of the entirety of the incident could be investigated by an external investigation team. Foley declined further comment. A May 9 letter from Rovella to the states Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities indicates that DESPP received a complaint about the email. According to the letter, the complaint makes several allegations, including claims against the agencys Equal Employment Opportunity office. Rovella referred the complaint to the CHRO for review and, if appropriate, have the state Department of Administrative Services conduct an investigation. DAS is now working to ensure there is no conflict of interest while conducting the investigation, said Lora Rae Anderson, a spokesperson for the agency said. The investigation began after an executive assistant with more than 15 years as a state employee sent the email May 6 to the DESPPs equal opportunities officer and a state police colonel to discuss an upcoming interview with a job candidate, Foley said at the time. Foley said the body of the email was entirely related to the interview, but the subject line contained a derogatory term and the word Jews. When one of the recipients pointed out the language in the subject line, the employee apologized and immediately said it must have been an auto-correct and he meant to type interview, Foley said. The employee notified Rovella and requested an IT review to determine how the incident happened and how to prevent it in the future, Foley said. Regardless of the source, we are aware of how painful and frightening these words can be, Foley said on May 6. As a result, and at the request of the employee who sent the email as well as the order of the commissioner, we have initiated an investigation. Based on Rovellas May 9 letter, it is unclear if anyone at the state police conducted an investigation. According to state law, any time the equal opportunity officer of an agency is involved in a complaint, the case is sent to DAS for investigation. DAS can either conduct an investigation or hire an outside firm to conduct an investigation, officials said. The states Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities has not received a complaint from an individual regarding the email, said Darcy Strand, a spokesperson for the agency. Strand declined to comment on whether the CHRO reviewed the complaint forwarded by Rovella or passed the case on to DAS. Hearst Connecticut Media Group filed a public records request for the email and any documents pertaining to the investigation. The DESPP legal department has not supplied the documents as of Wednesday. The employee who sent the email remains on the job, officials said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) A steady stream of protesters has turned the street in front of the Supreme Court building into an open-air forum encapsulating the fierce national debate over abortion after the leak of a draft opinion suggesting the justices would overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Both supporters and foes of abortion rights have gathered during large, organized weekend marches and on weekdays when the court is scheduled to release its opinion. They march and chant; sometimes they attempt to shout the other side down. For each, the reasons for protesting are deeply personal. Here's what some had to say: ___ Benita Lubic of Washington A widow, Lubic was joined by her daughter Wendie Lubic, sitting in a black canvas camping chair between the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, holding a handwritten sign saying, I dont regret my abortion. In 1968, and with three children already, Benita Lubics IUD birth control device failed. She was allowed a medical abortion in Washington, D.C., but doctors also performed a partial hysterectomy, she believes, to ensure she would have no further pregnancies. Im a senior citizen so I am way past having another child, but I do want to help younger people, particularly those who have been raped and abused, that they will be able to get an abortion, said Lubic, 86. Wendie Lubic, 60, also had an abortion, in 1986, although she didn't tell her mother about it until years later. We just werent ready to get married at that time, says Wendie Lubic, who later did marry the man and they have two daughters. Benita Lubic blames Senate Republicans for blocking the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland during the final months of President Barack Obamas last term, but then fast-tracking the nomination of the newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020, less than two months before the election. "Im just sorry that Ruth Bader Ginsburg isnt alive to support us, she said. ___ Grace Rykaczewski of Morristown, New Jersey With a hot pink bullhorn, matching lipstick, and pink eyeshadow, Grace Rykaczewski, 21, was in a triumphant mood at the thought of Roe v. Wades potential demise. Once its overturned, for the pro-life movement this is only the beginning, said Rykaczewski, who goes by the handle, Pro Life Barbie on social media. I think the next goal is twofold. On one hand we will want to enact laws on a state level to make abortions as rare as possible. On the other hand, a goal is to make women feel like they dont need abortions anymore, to make help for women in difficult situations so there isnt even a demand for abortion anymore. Rykaczewski is already making plans to return to the Supreme Court to celebrate if the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is released. ___ Rob Zaidel and Danny Drees, both of Washington The pair joined abortion rights protesters on Saturday, May 14, outside the White House on their way to the National Mall during protests across the country. Its important for me, identifying as a man, to have that presence here," said Zaidel, 28. Its important for all of us to come together, its not just a womens issue. He said he feared that the court wouldn't stop at abortion and that gay marriage could be one of the things that's next. Drees, 27, said, Its important for a democracy to have equal rights for all, and this makes women and all people with uteruses less equal and have less power. ___ Julia Bradley-Cook of Washington Seven months pregnant, Bradley-Cook marched by the court with the words No Forced Pregnancy written across her bare belly. I think there is a dichotomy set up on abortion and pregnancy, she said. Its important to show that just because we support the right to choose, doesnt mean we cant also be pregnant. She and another pregnant friend represented the group 500 Women Scientists. ___ KVone Cropp, and Kayla Cropp of Richmond, Virginia The 26-year-old twin sisters came to the Supreme Court with the group Students for Life on a recent day when court rulings were announced, hoping to be there when the Roe v. Wade ruling came down. The group wore light blue T-shirts with the phrase, We are the pro-life generation, emblazoned on the front. We arent big talkers, said Kayla Cropp. We are just here supporting the cause and abolishing abortion. ___ Lauren McKillip and her wife Marissa McKillip of Crofton, Maryland Marissa McKillip held their son Lincoln, 4, on her shoulders as her wife, Lauren, cradled their 2-year-old daughter, Thea, in a soft blue wrap. Its important for us to come here for our daughter, for our marriage, for all the things now established so that our daughter doesnt have to fight for it, said Marissa McKillip, 28. I think Roe was a foundational court case that paved the way for a lot of other things we saw happen after that like interracial marriage, and gay marriage the government not having so much overreach into our personal lives, said Lauren McKillip, 29. If its overturned, we will come out again for sure, to just keep fighting, fight for what comes next." ___ Sonia Glenn of Fairfax, Virginia A green foam crown, flowing green silk dress and sash proclaiming Abortion Liberty transformed Sofia Glenn into the abortion rights-themed Lady Liberty. I cant believe somebody else is going to make decisions about my body, said the 37-year-old, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico 15 years ago. I was raised as a Catholic. But I always thought it was so unfair, that religion and men, priests, have the rights to tell you what you can and cannot do with your body. It doesnt make any sense to me. Glenn said she refers to her birth control pills as Liberty Pills and plans to help make the abortion pill option available for those who can't access them if Roe v. Wade is overturned.. ___ Noah Slayter of Manassas, Virginia Slayter, 20, decided to demonstrate against abortion after being part of a family that fostered 10 children. Those on the abortion side like to purport that those in foster care could have a terrible life. Who is to say that theyll have a terrible life? The kids sleeping in the room across from me, theres people that think they should have been killed, he said. Slayter said opponents of abortion rights are primed for a state-by-state battle to both restrict the procedure and promote adoption and foster care options. Previously the movement had one battle, a national one. And now we will have 50, he said. ___ Abby Thomas of Los Angeles Wearing green and white face paint smeared on her cheeks and forehead, Thomas, 27, spent five days protesting outside the court. A lot of organizations are at the point where they are planning for a post-Roe world. But its easier to fight for our rights while we still have them, she said. Thomas said the abortion rights community was hoping for a massive backlash at the voting booth if the court rules to lift federal abortion protections. If it is overturned, the majority of the country supports abortion access, she said, and I hope the majority of the country would come out, to show the Supreme Court and the Republican Party the extent theyve wronged the American people. ___ Tanya Ditty of Alexandria, Virginia Ditty, 62, wore a black T-shirt with the phrase, She prays, she votes. A teenager when Roe v. Wade came down, she said the abortion issue should be decided not by the federal government, but by the states, "where the people closest to local government can influence their state legislators. We will continue to go to those statehouses, year after year, and attempt and attempt and attempt," she said. "We will stand side by side with pregnancy centers and churches that provide services. Its so not true that we wont support women, we will provide avenues. ___ Ekerin Shopshire of Silver Spring, Maryland A kindergarten teacher in Montgomery County, Shopshire, 47, and a friend demonstrated outside the Supreme Court in May and later joined a small protest outside the home of one of the justices. "We arent being heard and thats scary, she said. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Shopshire saw the battle over abortion moving to the states. I foresee a lot of traveling, crossing of state lines to get the medical attention people may want or need. I see an increase in deaths, for women who arent able to easily cross those state lines for the medical help they need, she said. The back-alley abortions are going to make a comeback, thats just whats going to happen. ___ Beila Kraus of Chappaqua, New York Though still a teenager and unable to vote, Kraus convinced her parents to let her take a bus to Washington to protest for several days while staying with fellow members of the activist group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights. Kraus, 15, said shes deeply frustrated by her own inability to cast a vote on the issue, and fears it could take years of struggle to reverse a rollback of Roe v. Wades abortion protections. Being outside the Supreme Court, for me its representation as the people making this decision are in there. Its this image of the power that these justices hold, she said. ___ Alexandra McPhee of Arlington, Virginia McPhee came to the Supreme Court with the anti-abortion advocacy group Concerned Women for America, where she is director of government relations. I want to be out here to show that this is an issue that I care about that I believe is helpful for all women, all families, to have more protections for life than there are now. And this decision will make that possible, said McPhee, 29. ___ Christal Surowicz of Cheverly, Maryland Surowicz, 58, wore a black judges robe covered with red plastic coat hangers. I am a strong supporter of womens rights and I feel like abortion is a necessary evil. We dont think lets go out and promote abortion, but we feel it needs to be available, she said. The ramifications for it not being available are just too much. Part of it is controlling women but it also impacts womens health. An audiologist, Surowicz acknowledged that defenders of abortion rights face an uphill battle. We need to elect more officials who will be supportive." The state Medical Examining Board on Tuesday suspended the license of a Stamford doctor after state Department of Public Health officials said his excessive use of alcohol and drugs and his mental illnesses may affect his ability to safely practice medicine. A statement of charges against him says that Dr. Jeffrey Stern excessively used alcohol and narcotics in 2019 and 2020, and since 2019, has had mental illnesses or emotional disorders. DPH records show that Stern was arrested on Aug. 29, 2020 and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use and driving while intoxicated. It was unclear where the arrest took place. In 2019, Stern had temporarily surrendered his medical license in New York and voluntarily agreed to stop practicing medicine in Florida, DPH records show. In the statement of charges, DPH contends that Stern, who is listed on state records as living in New York City, falsely answered no when asked on his 2020 Connecticut medical license application if he had voluntarily surrendered any professional license or was facing possible discipline in any other state. From 2020 to 2021, Stern also falsely used his Connecticut license to treat patients in New York and violated Connecticut law by prescribing opioid drugs to patients though telehealth appointments, the statement said. During the same period, he also violated state law by prescribing controlled substances to patients who had no demonstrated physical or medical disorders, it said. From 2020 to 2021, he also prescribed more than a 72-hour supply of a controlled substance to a patient and failed to review electronic prescription drug monitoring records, the statement said. At the meeting, additional charges were added against Stern after Joelle Newton, a DPH staff attorney, said the health department had received new allegations from the state Department of Consumer Protections Drug Control Division about Stern prescribing controlled substances. Darius Marzec, a Brooklyn, New York attorney representing Stern, objected to the new charges being added and asked that a public hearing in the case be continued to August. The board agreed to the continuance after suspending Sterns license. In an unrelated case, the board also voted to reprimand the physician assistant license of Derek William Donovan of Colchester and placed his license on probation for five years because a DPH investigation found that he had used alcohol and marijuana excessively since 2020. Donovan chose not to contest the allegations and agreed to the punishment in a consent order that was accepted by the board Tuesday. The order, which said he has an emotional disorder or mental illness, states that Donovan falsified medical records in 2021 and made false written statements the same year to mislead people working on behalf of DPH. During the probation, Donovan must submit to random drug and alcohol tests, complete a course in professional ethics, undergo therapy and attend support group meetings. Under the order, he is also barred from working as a solo practitioner. Matthew Carlone, a Wethersfield attorney representing Donovan, told the board that the consent order was a fair and equitable agreement. This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team , a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting. STAMFORD The citys recently picked deputy director of operations will be paid an annual salary starting about $150,000 under a contract that the Board of Representatives could approve as soon as next month. Stamford created the new role after Mayor Caroline Simmons entered office and appointed former Board of Representatives president Matthew Quinones as head of the Office of Operations. Operations includes the citys building, engineering, road maintenance, land use, parks, sanitation and traffic departments The goal of the new position is to strengthen cross-department collaboration, according to a job description. Quinones has said that one of his deputys tasks will be speeding up the construction permitting process. Monday evening, Quinones told the Board of Representatives Personnel Committee that Josephine Carpanzano, who has worked for the city in IT-related roles for the past several years, was part of a group of eight or nine candidates that he and other officials interviewed for the job. Since those interviews, Carpanzano has been serving as deputy director on an acting basis. Some members of the committee voiced concern about Carpanzanos qualifications. The job description for the deputy director of operations calls for someone who has earned a masters degree in public administration, business administration or engineering. Carpanzano has a bachelors degree in biology. Al Cava, the citys director of human resources, said Carpanzano has substantial experience which was found to be equivalent to the masters degree. She is a veteran who held a number of leadership positions over more than a decade in the U.S. Army. More and more, were looking for alternatives to formal education in order to give more people an opportunity to apply for these positions and not preclude people from meeting the minimum qualifications, Cava said. Carpanzanos contract is for four years, and the city will have the option to extend it for one additional year. The Personnel Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the full Board of Representatives approve her contract when it meets July 5. The board is also expected to vote on adding the deputy director position to the citys Code of Ordinances at that meeting. On Monday, the Personnel Committee also unanimously supported a contract for Director of Health Jody Bishop-Pullan. Her salary will start about $139,000 under the contract. Simmons announced last month that she had decided to appoint Bishop-Pullan as the citys health director a role that comes with a five-year term. Bishop-Pullan had served as acting director since mid-2021. Her predecessor, Jennifer Calder, decided not to renew her contract after five years in the position. This was a very difficult position to fill, Cava said. There are not many candidates out there that have the required masters in public health. State statute requires local health directors to either have a graduate degree in public health or to be a licensed physician with a degree in public health. Bishop-Pullan earned a master of public health degree from Southern Connecticut State University. Before becoming acting health director, she managed an oral health program for the city. Ted Jankowski, Stamfords director of public safety, health and welfare, said Bishop-Pullan stood out among the nearly 10 candidates who went through an interview process. When Rep. Anabel Figueroa, D-8, who chairs the boards Personnel Committee, questioned why Bishop-Pullans salary was lower than Carpanzanos, Cava said Bishop-Pullan is starting at the first step of a higher salary grade and her pay will increase over time. brianna.gurciullo@hearstmediact.com Senate Minority Whip John Thune (Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press/Newscom) As a bipartisan group of negotiators hammers out a gun control package that will have enough support to pass the Senate, one seemingly uncontroversial proposalclosing the "boyfriend loophole" for firearm purchaseshas proven unexpectedly contentious. Democrats want to expand the disqualification for people convicted of misdemeanors involving domestic violence beyond the current categories, while Republicans worry that the resulting legislation will rely on nebulous definitions and lack appropriate due process safeguards. Federal law has long prohibited gun possession by people convicted of crimes punishable by more than a year of incarceration, meaning nearly all felonies. That lifelong ban does not allow for the possibility of rehabilitation, since it applies regardless of how old the conviction is, and it is clearly overbroad, since it includes nonviolent crimes such as fraud and even offenses, like drug dealing, that violate no one's rights. At the same time, the ban as originally enacted was arguably underinclusive, since it did not cover violent misdemeanors such as assault and batteryincluding misdemeanor domestic violence that might signal a potentially deadly threat. In 1996, Congress addressed that issue by extending the ban to include convictions for any "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence." That phrase is defined as a misdemeanor that "has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim." The ban also covers anyone who is subject to a restraining order aimed at protecting someone who falls into those categories and who faces "a credible threat" to her "physical safety." The "boyfriend loophole" refers to the omission of misdemeanors and restraining orders involving people who were never married to a would-be gun buyer, never lived with him, and never produced a child with him. [...] ..... This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Republican Tara Sweeney's campaign does not plan to sue over a finding released by Alaska elections officials that Sweeney cannot advance to the special election for U.S. House following the withdrawal of another candidate, Sweeney's campaign manager said Wednesday. We made the decision that this is not a candidate fight, Sweeney campaign manager Karina Waller said in an interview. This is on the ranked choice voting procedures that the voters approved, and ... this is not our fight. Independent Al Gross placed third in the June 11 special primary, behind two Republicans former Gov. Sarah Palin and businessman Nick Begich and ahead of Democrat Mary Peltola, a former state lawmaker. Gross, an orthopedic surgeon, was positioned to advance to the August special election as one of the top four vote-getters under a new open primary system. But late Monday, he suddenly announced plans to end his campaign. Sweeney finished fifth in the vote count, completed Tuesday. State elections officials aim to certify the results by Saturday. Gail Fenumiai, director of the Division of Elections, cited the timing of Gross' withdrawal in saying that state law does not permit the fifth-place candidate to advance to the special election. Gross withdrew Tuesday, and because the withdrawal occurred less than 64 days before the election, the law does not allow the division to put the fifth-place finisher from the special primary on the special election ballot in his place, she said. Fenumiai said the division would remove Gross' name from the special election ballot. She outlined the division's position in a letter to an attorney for Begich's campaign, which had sought clarification on the process. Fenumiai said anyone who disagrees with the decisions should sue immediately. She said the division needs a final determination from the courts by Tuesday to print ballots and keep the special election on track. Sweeney said she believes she should be moved into the fourth place position and that voters should have four candidates to choose from. She said the process has been confusing and expressed frustration with it. This was the first election under a system approved by Alaska voters that ends party primaries and institutes ranked voting for general elections. If there are individuals who feel ... like they want to litigate this, thats their prerogative and it will be decided by the courts, she said. I simply just disagree with limiting the choices for voters, and so if there is a change in the decision, either by the Division of Elections or the courts, and I am afforded the opportunity to fill that fourth-place spot, I will be in it until the end and I will fight for Don Young's seat. But right now, I'm currently in fifth, she said. Alaska's only House seat was held for 49 years by Republican Rep. Don Young, who died in March. Kim Reitmeier, president of ANCSA Regional Association, which represents leaders of Alaska Native regional corporations, released a statement Wednesday on behalf of the third-party group the association set up to support Sweeney's candidacy. At present we are reviewing this dynamic situation, but at this time we have no plans to sue the Division of Elections," she said. Sweeney served as an assistant secretary of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Interior Department during the Trump administration. She also was previously an executive with Arctic Slope Regional Corp. Begich's campaign manager, Truman Reed, in a statement said the law must be strictly adhered to and that the Begich campaign agrees with the Division of Elections' determination. Sweeney said it was par for the course for Nick Begich to want to limit choices for Alaskans. The Palin and Peltola campaigns did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The special election will feature ranked voting and determine who will serve out Young's term. The August regular primary and November general election will determine who will serve a new, two-year term, starting in January. Waller said the Sweeney campaign has not made a final decision on whether to pursue a run in the regular primary. The withdrawal deadline for that primary is Saturday. Several candidates have dropped out, including Gross and Republicans John Coghill and Josh Revak. Democrat Christopher Constant's campaign last week said he intended to withdraw. As experts you know what is best for your child. Thanks to many of you who advocated in such a timely and robust manner, five Board of Education members were able to force the superintendent to drop the infamous and impractical 4x4 high school block schedule. After five months of angst and Board of Education politics, you proved a parent constitutional republic could make a difference. Using democracy and your Constitutional right to voice your opinion, you made sure Board of Education complacency did not get in the way of majority voice and common-sense legislation. In unison, you also gave all ninth- 12th-grade students an opportunity to pursue the happiness of learning rather than the rush, rush of a 4x4 block schedule. But dont stop now continue to ask the hard questions that our central office administrators should be answering even before the A/B Block is instituted. They know the answers and should be held accountable! 1. How does this new block schedule help our students learn better? 2. What is the proper role of the Board of Education? 3. As parents, what other issues should you be concerned about? A) What are the ninth- 12th-grade failure rates the last five years at AITE, Stamford High School and Westhill High School? B) Since equity is so concerning, what are the actual statistics and what else can the community do to assure all students are successful? C) What are the plans in handling chronic absences using the A/B Block? D) Why were attendance rules suddenly dropped this year (Day 181) for all high schools? Will this happen in the future and why? E) In addition, why were course make-ups suddenly revised the last few weeks of this year and Edgenuity implemented? Will this happen in the future and why? F) How are demographics changing the Advanced Placement and Honors course offerings? How many of these courses were dropped in next years schedule? Will this become an ongoing pattern? G) Why are grades being configured differently starting Fall 2022 (Mastery Learning and G4E-Grading for Equity)? How will this help our students learn, achieve and succeed in preparation for graduation and beyond? H) Why are midterms and finals not required? What other assessments will be used to evaluate learning? How will those mid-semester and end-of-semester assessments be shared with families and the Board of Education? I) Why are families leaving the district and what are the actual numbers? In the bylaws of the Board of Education, it is the BOEs responsibility to inform the people of Stamford of the goals, values, conditions and needs of our schools. Please continue to step forward in a bipartisan manner and ask for transparency the 4x4 block schedule was presented December 2021 (the first time teachers and administrators ever heard of it) and then made mandatory three weeks later, January 2022. Rather than mandates, listening and a spirit of cooperation need to be used consistently with all Stamford Public School staff and parents. As parents, you are not only experts when it comes to knowing what is best for your child, you are also community leaders that the Board of Education should listen to. Stamford children need your voice and critical questions need to be asked ... there is no better time than now! Becky Hamman is a member of the Stamford Board of Education. 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"During today's meeting in Abu Dhabi, the representatives of this group said that they wish to develop projects in the area of Mol 3 and 4 within the Port. We agreed to establish a joint work group, which will discuss about finishing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Port of Constanta and AD Ports Group. I invited the representatives of AD Ports Group to visit the Port of Constanta to establish the terms of collaboration, including in the context of the interest shown by them for investments regarding the port's artificial island," Grindeanu wrote.The Minister specified that he discussed about a possible partnership for developing the Intermodal cargo Logistics Center on the Traian Vuia International Airport in western Timisoara, which can become a powerful regional commercial node, connected to railway and road transport networks.This Intermodal Center, construction that is evaluated at 300 million euros, could be developed on a surface of 65 hectares and would offer storage and transportation facilities, including for inter-continental cargo, the Minister added.Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca is on a two-day work visit in the United Arab Emirates. The official delegation that accompanies the PM in UAE is composed of Sorin Grindeanu, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Virgil Popescu, the Minister of Energy, Adrian Chesnoiu, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Iulian Chifu, state councilor to the Prime Minister's Chancellery, as well as Dan Carbunaru, secretary of state and Government spokesman."The visit aims to develop and consolidate bilateral dialogue at a political, economic and sectorial level between the two states. Discussions will include topics of importance and priority for the UAE and Romania, as well as regional and international topics of interest," the press release reads.AGERPRES Romania is interested in purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil and petroleum products from the United Arab Emirates in order to diversify its supply sources and routes, according to Romanian Energy Minister Virgil Popescu. "Today, I participated in the opening of the second session of the Co-operation Commission between the Government of Romania and the UAE Government, the ministerial meeting. I said that there is a significant potential for co-operation between our countries in the energy sector. Romania is interested in purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil and petroleum products from the United Arab Emirates in order to diversify its supply sources and routes. I also invited Emirati companies to invest in Romania, in the energy sector, including in renewable energy," Popescu said Wednesday on his Facebook page. Popescu accompanied Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca at his meetings in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Vice-President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, alongside Romanian Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Sorin Grindeanu and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Adrian Chesnoiu. "Talks focused on the development and consolidation of bilateral dialogue at the political, economic and sectoral levels between the two countries. During the meeting, important and priority issues for the United Arab Emirates and Romania were addressed, as well as regional and international affairs," according to Popescu's post. The main subjects were projects in the field of energy, port infrastructure, agriculture and IT. "The dialogue set concrete benchmark for solutions to diversify oil and gas supply resources amidst ongoing tensions in the Black Sea region and the European embargo on Russian oil and oil supplies. At the same time, investment opportunities in Romania in the field of renewable energy were addressed, both offshore and on-shore," the Energy Minister stressed. The visit preceded a second session of the Co-operation Commission between the Government of Romania and the Government of the United Arab Emirates, scheduled for June 21-22. AGERPRES. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu on Wednesday expressed the "firm interest" for continuing the development of collaboration in areas of importance for Romania and the United Arab Emirates, namely economic, commercial, maritime and air transport, energy, IT&C, cyber security, agriculture and food security, environment and aerospace research, at the 2nd session of the Cooperation Committee between the Romanian Government and the UAE Government, a release by the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) reads. "In this respect, together with the Emirates side, it was decided to amplify the sectoral dialogue, through direct contacts between the relevant institutions in Romania and the UAE, exchanges of visits, involvement in joint cooperation projects, including on third markets, and encouraging interactions between businesspersons; he also pleaded for the increase of the Emirates' investments in Romania," the press release says.Bogdan Aurescu has co-chaired in Abu Dhabi, alongside Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State for Economic and Commercial Affairs in the UAE government, the 2nd session of the Cooperation Committee between the two governments.According to MAE, the session tackled concrete opportunities for the development of joint cooperation projects in areas of mutual interest for both states.Minister Aurescu noted that the Commission's session takes place in the context of the visit of Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca and the very good results of the discussions held by the government head on the previous day with the President and Prime Minister of the UAE.In the context of the multidimensional effects of the security crisis generated by the war of aggression unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, Aurescu stressed the importance of the energy field, where it is necessary to intensify bilateral cooperation, including by mobilizing ministries and companies."He also presented the efforts made by Romania to manage the over 1.3 million Ukrainian refugees who entered Romania, as well as the results of the humanitarian hub in northeastern Suceava, inviting the Emirates to use it. In this context, he also stressed the steps taken by our country to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian cereals," according to the MAE release.At the same time, Romanian chief diplomat pointed out that this in-depth political and sectoral dialogue, carried out within the Committee, represents a proof of commitment and common interest to develop and diversify the bilateral relationship, with progress and tangible results being made, including through the efficiency of bilateral coordination at governmental level.At the end of the plenary session, Minister Bogdan Aurescu and Minister Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh signed the Minutes of the second session of the Cooperation Committee between the Romanian Government and the UAE Government.Also, two other bilateral cooperation documents were signed, following the Committee's works, as follows: the Agreement between the Government of Romania and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on cooperation in the military field, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Romania and the Port, Customs and Free Zones Authority in Dubai.AGERPRES The new security laws should regulate that no fundamental right of individuals will be sacrificed in the name of national security, says to the chairman of the committee for exercising parliamentary control for the activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), Senator Ioan-Cristian Chirtes. The message, sent on the occasion of SRI's stocktaking report for 2021, was published on the Facebook page of the Parliamentary Committee.According to Senator Chirtes, the way in which the debate began in the public space regarding the draft laws of the new security laws is "regrettable"."Unfortunately, it was partially compromised from the begging, an absolutely necessary action, that of modernizing the legislative framework in the area of security and national defence. Now it falls to Parliament to reestablish the balance and to bring the debate back to the essence of these laws: how we will defend Romania, without having any Romanian harmed in their rights and individual liberties, unless they did something that would jeopardize national security. The new laws should clearly regulate that no fundamental right of people will be sacrificed in the name of national security. On the contrary! We will have to convince them that by updating the laws we will offer the citizens new guarantees of protecting their civil rights and human dignity," the message of Ioan-Cristian Chirtes reads.According to him, it is necessary for the new laws to consolidate parliamentary control of the activities of intelligence services."The trust of the Romanian people must be won through the power of the law that prevents abuse and to limit the power of those that govern. We are in a critical moment, in which I consider that it is necessary to make a shared effort for developing security culture, at an individual level, within companies and public institutions, including the political class. A strong security culture, doubled by communicating with the civil society and increasing transparency at the level of responsible institutions for achieving national security, are the premises of finding the balance to achieving the defence of the state and citizens, in a consolidated democracy," the senator mentions.He adds that in the year 2021 "fake news, misinformation, cyber attacks, cyber crime, online terrorism or social extremism" were the challenges on SRI's work agenda and adds that, from the standpoint of the need for more security, updating laws "can no longer be delayed"."In a democracy, the main work instrument is the law," Ioan-Cristian Chirtes adds.AGERPRES The plenum of Parliament on Wednesday took note of the letter of the President Klaus Iohannis informing the Senators and Deputies about the entry, stationing and operation of a Portuguese detachment on the Romanian territory in order to fulfill the post-consolidation missions to deter and defend NATO. "The illegal and unjustified aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has severely affected European and Euro-Atlantic regional security and has generated a negative global projection. The Supreme Court of the European Allied Forces (SACEUR) has proposed and received the support of allied nations for the establishment of increased vigilance measures," reads President Iohannis' letter. The head of state says in the same document that "at the NATO level, more measures are being taken without delay in preparation of the allied forces for the significant long-term strengthening of the deterrence and defence position on the Eastern Flank, especially on the Black Sea, by the deployment of allied troops and by the establishment of the Romanian battle group, with France as its leading nation, and the Portuguese authorities also approved the national contribution to the activities of increased vigilance." President Iohannis informs Parliament that, following the analysis of the security situation in the region, (...) at the proposal of the Prime Minister and after consulting the Supreme Council of National Defence, he approved the entry, stationing and operation of the Portuguese detachment, which consists of 223 soldiers and the related equipment on the Romanian territory in order to fulfill the missions subsumed to the strengthening of NATO deterrence and defence position. AGERPRES President Klaus Iohannis will attend European Union and Western Balkans leaders' meetings on Thursday and Friday, the European Council meeting and the extended Euro Summit in Brussels, the Presidential Administration has announced. According to the quoted source, the meeting of the leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkans will be an opportunity to reaffirm, in the current geopolitical context, the support of EU leaders for the European anchoring of the Western Balkans and for advancing and consolidating the enlargement process based on the established criteria. At the same time, the meeting will be dedicated to an exchange of views with partners in the region to identify concrete ways to stimulate reform processes and strengthen cooperation in key areas of common interest, in order to strengthen resilience. The agenda of the European Council meeting, which will take place on Thursday and Friday, will include a strategic debate on defining the European Union's relations with its European partners, the situation in Ukraine, in terms of security developments and the European Union's support on multiple levels, the EU accession applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, in the context of the publication on June 17 of the Opinions of the European Commission, as well as the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe and the next steps. The enlarged Euro Summit will address the economic situation in the Union and developments in the Banking Union and capital markets. AGERPRES Six localities in Romania have registered in the competition Best Tourism Villages, an initiative of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), dedicated to the recognition of villages that are remarkable examples of rural tourist destinations, informs the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT), in a press release sent on Wednesday to AGERPRES. Ciocanesti (northeastern Suceava county), Costesti (southern Valcea county), Eibenthal (southwestern Mehedinti county), Rasinari, Rau Sadului and Biertan (all from central Sibiu county) are on the list."Romania is very well positioned internationally, from the point of view of rural tourism, respectively of agri-tourism! Our traditions, folk music, as well as different gastronomic and living customs are defining elements for a truly authentic holiday experience. Therefore, I am confident that the localities enrolled in the Best Tourism Villages competition, organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, will enjoy success!" said Constantin-Daniel Cadariu, Minister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism.According to the ministry, in the first phase of the competition, the applications were evaluated by the MAT specialists, based on the information sent by the applicants.Thus, the eligibility and selection criteria were taken into account, according to the guidance provided by UNWTO, as well as the photos and videos presenting the destinations, attached to the registrations. Subsequently, field checks were started, in order to establish the conformity of the transmitted data, and at the end of the process, a score will be established for each village that entered the competition.The competition regulation stipulates that the first three villages that have accumulated the highest scores are Romania's proposals for the competition run by UNWTO, worldwide."Further, those that will be designated Best Tourism Villages will become members of a network that facilitates the exchange of information, experience and best practices. The network also includes experts, public and private partners in the field of promoting tourism for rural development. The rural destinations included in the network can be considered case studies in the UNWTO policy documents and mentioned/promoted in recommendations and at events for rural development and tourism. The villages developed from a tourist point of view, but which did not fully meet the criteria to be designated Best Tourism Villages, will be included in the Upgrade Program, through which they will benefit from support from UNWTO and partners for the improvement of the fields of activity, according to the results of the evaluation. We mention that all the six villages registered in the contest, with the purpose of promoting them, will be an integral part of a cultural tourist route, developed at national level by MAT," the press release specifies.June 28, 2022 is the deadline for submitting proposals from Romania to the UNWTO.AGERPRES CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham is proposing an age limit for South Carolina politicians a cap that would cut off the 75-year-old incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster and making a veiled argument that even fellow Democrats like President Joe Biden are staying in office way past their prime. Our country and our state are being run by a geriatric oligarchy, people who stay in office way past their prime," Cunningham says in a campaign video, provided Wednesday to The Associated Press ahead of its public release. Some of these folks have been clinging onto power for 30, 40, even 50 years," Cunningham says. The folks who are making a career out of politics are making a mess of our country. Cunningham proposes instituting a 72-year-old age limit for South Carolina politicians, a retirement bar already in effect for the state's judges, and one that would take a constitutional amendment, approved by voters, to implement. South Carolina currently requires judges to retire officially at age 72, although jurists are allowed to stay on the bench in a fill-in capacity beyond that age limit. Cunningham ends the two-minute video by making a bipartisan appeal for support from those who may have previously voted for Biden, former President Donald Trump, or McMaster sometime in the last 40 years. Cunningham, who recently turned 40, has frequently jabbed at McMaster's age, arguing that the Republican who has served in a variety of public roles including lieutenant governor, U.S. attorney and South Carolina attorney general, for the majority of the past four decades has been in politics longer than I've been alive. But Cunningham's campaign wouldn't answer questions Wednesday about whether the Democrat would argue that Biden who has supported Cunningham since his 2018 run for Congress is too old to serve. When he took office last year at age 78, Biden was sworn in as the oldest president in the nations history, displacing Ronald Reagan, who left the White House in 1989 when he was 77 years and 349 days old. According to an AP-NORC survey conducted in January, more than three-quarters of Democrats said they felt confident that Biden has the mental capability to serve effectively as president or is healthy enough to serve effectively as president. However, 8 in 10 Republicans do not have much or any confidence in either his physical health or mental capacity. Republicans including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, have called on Biden to resign, calling him incoherent, incapacitated and confused. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley who served the Trump administration as U.N. ambassador proposed some sort of cognitive test for aging politicians, following a series of gaffes by Biden. McMaster campaign manager Mark Knoop told the AP that South Carolina had benefited from the leadership, hard work and ingenuity of people of all ages and backgrounds" and called Cunningham's notion "an insult to every senior in this state. In the video, Cunningham also floats ending South Carolina's income tax a practice already undertaken in a handful of other states to keep more money in your pocket. Cunningham, who served one term in the U.S. House before losing his 2020 reelection bid to Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, won a five-way primary June 14 to secure South Carolina's gubernatorial nomination. McMaster defeated his primary opponent Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. GRANITE CITY New owners have purchased one of the regions few abortion clinics and are looking to expand as more patients travel to the Metro East for care. Three longtime pro-choice advocates took over operations this month of the Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City. The new owners include a 40-year veteran of abortion advocacy, an expert in maternal and child health, and an executive who has spent decades trying to make abortions more accessible in the Midwest. The sale comes at a crucial moment for the Hope Clinic. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion, the procedures would be further restricted in many states, and more patients would likely travel to Illinois for care. The Hope Clinic and the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights together may see thousands of additional patients each year if the court issues such a decision. Julie Burkhart, one of the new co-owners, said on Tuesday that the facility is already seeing higher volumes of patients, and is looking at how to increase capacity. We are working on ramping up now, Burkhart said. We want to be as prepared as we can be. Besides expanding, Burkhart said she wants to make sure the quality of care offered at the Hope Clinic remains consistent, and that staff are taken care of. The Hope Clinic, at 1602 21st Street in Granite City, has around 40 or 50 employees, including doctors, security, administrators and support staff. This is a really tumultuous, challenging time for people working in abortion care, Burkhart said. She said the group purchased the clinic from the family trust of Dr. Hector Zevallos. Zevallos founded the Hope Clinic in 1974. In a high-profile incident in 1982, Zevallos and his wife were abducted from their home near Edwardsville and held for eight days before being released. Burkhart said the previous owners approached her in March 2021 about purchasing the clinic, and it took over a year before it was finalized on May 31. The clinic has always been a stand-alone facility, and Burkhart said there are no immediate plans to change that, or merge with her Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Wellspring Health Access. Burkharts career in the movement began with a summer job during college at the front desk of the Wichita Womens Center in Wichita, Kansas. She worked there in 1991 during the Summer of Mercy, when anti-abortion protesters flooded into the city by the thousands. Dr. George Tiller, a high-profile doctor in the pro-choice movement, recruited Burkhart to run a political action committee he founded, called ProKanDo. After Tiller was killed in 2009 by an anti-abortion extremist, Burkhart founded Trust Women, an organization that reestablished abortion care at Tillers former clinic in Wichita in 2013, and opened a second facility in 2016, in Oklahoma City. Burkhart went on to found and serve as the president of Wellspring Health Access, a group that plans to open a clinic in Casper, Wyoming. The clinic was expected to open this month, but on May 25 a woman set fire to the building. The damage will likely delay the clinics opening by about six months, Burkhart said Tuesday. Burkhart said her work has been motivated by strongly held beliefs that people must have agency over their bodies. If we dont let people decide when theyre going to become a parent, if theyre going to become a parent, how big their family might be ... I just feel very deeply that that person, then, does not have complete freedom, Burkhart said. People can be trusted with these decisions. Co-owners are 40-year advocate Kathy Dean, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and Chelsea Souder, who has a masters degree in public health, specializing in maternal and child health. Souder is the founder and director of Nebraska Abortion Resources, a statewide abortion fund. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. CHARLES The Starbucks unionization push has reached St. Charles. Workers at the store at Fifth Street and Boone's Lick Road here said Tuesday they plan to file for a union election. Once they do, they'll join colleagues at more than 200 stores across the country, including seven here, that have sought to unionize in recent months amid a pandemic that spotlighted their working conditions and a tight labor market that bolstered their bargaining power. In interviews and letters to the company, Starbucks workers have complained that they are overworked and feel ignored by management at a time when the company just recorded one of its most profitable years ever, and they want to bargain for better pay and working conditions. Starbucks has opposed unionization efforts here and elsewhere, saying the company and its workers are better off without a third party in the mix. The company has announced plans to boost average pay for U.S. workers to $17 per hour, from $14 per hour this year. And in April, CEO Howard Schultz announced the company would suspend billions of dollars in stock buybacks gifts to shareholders to put money toward stores and employees. Analysts and investors have been watching closely to see which way things will go. While the movement has only reached a small fraction of Starbucks 9,000 company-owned stores, it has grown rapidly since workers successfully unionized in Buffalo, New York, in December. Workers at three stores in the area one in Ladue and two in St. Louis voted to join the union last week, while workers at a store in Bridgeton voted against the idea. The other stores in Chesterfield, Richmond Heights and Valley Park have dates later this summer. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS Federal prosecutors here have charged more than a dozen people with lying to receive loans or grants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. One bought a Maserati. Others jetted off on vacation. Another spent thousands at Neiman Marcus, Ulta Beauty and Victorias Secret. And more are almost certainly coming: Prosecutors have dozens of open cases in the works. Its a huge problem, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll, whos in charge of white collar prosecution for the St. Louis office. Federal agents, she said, keep finding people trying to work the system. Pandemic-related fraud came under the microscope this month when former St. Louis County jail official Tony Weaver was indicted over accusations he filed four grant applications on behalf of a local businessman in exchange for splitting the proceeds, according to court documents. Federal officials said nearly 1,500 people have been charged nationwide with making fraudulent claims to receive pandemic aid. Last week, they estimated as much as 20% tens of billions of dollars may have been awarded to fraudsters through one Small Business Administration loan program alone. The wave of fraud started in March 2020 when Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act as businesses across the country were forced to shut down to stop the virus spread. Carroll, a longtime fraud prosecutor, recalled sitting in a conference room at the FBI with fellow investigators and reading the CARES Act distribution guidelines in May 2020. The loans were designed to be distributed quickly with few stopgaps a recipe for abuse, she said. Its almost like we were standing on the beach and seeing a tidal wave very far off in the distance, she said. In the months to come, more than 142,000 borrowers in Missouri would receive $4.6 billion as part of the Paycheck Protection Program alone. Trillions of dollars would be distributed through the CARES Act and subsequent coronavirus relief packages. As all the money flooded in, so did fraud accusations. Among those charged was Susan Hampe a woman in her 70s from St. Louis County who had been convicted twice of defrauding others, including her sister. Hampe pleaded guilty in April to filing for bolstered COVID-19 unemployment benefits in multiple states even though she wasnt eligible. Then there was Robert Williams, 59, from St. Louis County, who had a series of previous stealing and fraud convictions and was sentenced in April to more than 10 years in prison for lying to receive $2.7 million in coronavirus aid. Prosecutors said he misrepresented information on 30 applications for his own business and helped others file an additional 23. And on Friday, a St. Louis woman, Porshia L. Thomas, 31, pleaded guilty to lying on applications to receive $291,600 in payroll protection loans for her 15-person company, Couture Trading Inc., out of Beverly Hills, California, according to court records. She spent the money on living expenses, personal purchases and a 2018 Audi S5 Sportback Quattro. The fraud was not limited to business aid. Carroll said investigators have also opened inquiries in the region, Missouris eastern district, for people hoping to take advantage of housing assistance. In one recent case, Semaj Portis, 43, of St. Louis County, admitted to pretending to be a landlord and using fraudulent leases when she applied for rental help 52 times in a 10-month period. She received $267,239 in aid, according to court documents. The CARES Act and other pandemic aid programs created a lucrative opportunity for fraudsters, she said. Still, she said, many businesses were saved because of the money. The problem isnt the program, she said. Its that people take advantage of opportunities. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) A small preliminary study suggests that the health of an expectant mother's gums may affect her likelihood of a preterm birth. The study compared oral inflammation and microbes in 33 women whose babies were born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, considered preterm, with 44 who had full-term deliveries. "We observed that women with premature births more often had inflamed gums, with pockets and loss of the supporting tissue around their teeth compared to their peers with full-term pregnancies," said study author Dr. Valentin Bartha of Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany. "If confirmed, these results could have implications for preventing preterm delivery, which occurs in 10% of births and accounts for up to 75% of perinatal deaths and more than 50% of developmental disorders in children," Bartha added. Gum disease, also called periodontitis, is triggered by a microbial infection. It is characterized by gums that are red, bleeding, inflamed and sometimes swollen the body's response to an unhealthy build-up of bacteria on the teeth. Such chronic inflammation can cause pockets and gaps around the teeth, destruction of the supporting tissues and bone, and eventually tooth loss. For the study, the researchers collected information on women's ages, smoking habits, health conditions and medications. They evaluated gum bleeding, the depth of pockets and loss of attachment at each of several teeth. "Inflammation around the teeth causes the supporting tissues to become permanently detached from the tooth surface," Bartha said in a news release from the European Federation of Periodontology. "When a probe can be inserted more than 3 millimeters along a tooth, this is called a pathological pocket." (Three millimeters is about 1/12th of an inch.) The team also collected plaque samples and used gene sequencing to identify bacterial species. The investigators found that women with preterm births had significantly greater loss of tooth attachment, more pockets measuring 4 mm or more, and different populations of bacteria on and under the teeth. "We found that preterm mothers were more likely to have lost supporting tissues around the teeth, have a higher proportion of sites with deep pockets, and have unhealthy oral bacteria compared with full-term mothers," Bartha said. "Birth weight was significantly lower for mothers with periodontitis compared to mothers with good oral health or just bleeding gums but without pathological pockets (gingivitis)," he added. Larger studies are needed to verify these preliminary findings. Earlier research has yielded similar findings. The new study was presented in Copenhagen Friday at a meeting of the European Federation of Periodontology. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More information The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on dental health. SOURCE: European Federation of Periodontology, news release, June 17, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. ST. LOUIS Illinois abortion providers on Wednesday asked supporters to urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his administration to immediately direct more funding toward efforts to improve abortion access, as well as allow providers like nurse practitioners to perform abortions. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling is expected by the end of June that could overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a right to an abortion, sending thousands seeking the procedure to abortion-friendly states like Illinois. The governor has been a great partner, but as is always true, there is more to be done, said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, the chief medical officer for reproductive health services at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, which includes a clinic in Fairview Heights. We are now just days away from a decision, so time is of the essence. We really need him to step up and lead in this moment. Planned Parenthood of Illinois and the St. Louis regions affiliate sent out emails across the state Wednesday, asking recipients to urge Pritzker to act now to ensure Illinois lives up to its promise to be a critical access state to abortion. The emails included a link to a draft letter that could be signed and instantly sent to the governors desk. In 2019, Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act, which enshrined reproductive health care including abortion as a fundamental right in Illinois. The Democratic governor also signed legislation tossing out a requirement that abortion providers notify an adult family member of any patient under the age of 18 at least 48 hours before the procedure. When a draft Supreme Court opinion leaked to the press in early May that showed justices were poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Pritzker called Illinois a beacon of hope where lawmakers will fight like hell to expand access. Abortion providers in the state say they need millions in funds to beef up security at clinics, expand facilities and help defray the costs of those having to travel from far distances to get to Illinois for an abortion. The January opening of the Regional Logistic Center in Fairview Heights has given a glimpse to what the financial needs will be to help those traveling from other states, McNicholas said. The Planned Parenthood clinic joined with the Hope Clinic for Women in neighboring Granite City in opening the logistics center soon after a Texas law effectively banned abortion there. Staff helps patients with travel arrangements and connects them to other resources, including financial assistance. The center has already helped more than 1,000 patients traveling from states other than Illinois and Missouri, McNicholas said. Each has needed between $900 and $1,500 to cover the cost of the abortion, gas, bus or airline tickets, lodging, meals or child care. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, some 26 states are expected to ban abortion, some immediately, which is expected to send an additional 30,000 patients a year to Illinois. There are going to be tens of thousands of patients coming to Illinois for care and we want to make sure we can see them, and we also want to make sure we have the capacity to see Illinois patients, said Brigid Leahy, vice president of public policy for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, which operates 17 abortion clinics in the state 11 of which provide medication abortion, and six that provide both medication and procedural abortions. Needs are also increasing as Oklahoma recently joined Texas in effectively banning abortion, causing wait times for appointments to increase in states across the Midwest and South. Patients are having to travel to a clinic where they can be seen the soonest, rather than one that is closest. We are talking about astronomical amounts of resources that are going to be needed to help people access this care, McNicholas said. The providers point to other states they say have done more to direct funding toward improving access to abortion: Oregon legislators approved creating a $15 million reproductive health equity fund to help providers with everything from patient cost to workforce training. New Yorks governor recently took executive action to direct $35 million toward increasing staff and security at abortion clinics. Californias governor has pledged $125 million in state funds to back legislative proposals to ease access to abortion and defray costs. If the governor wants to join the ranks of other haven states that are truly protecting access and putting money behind that promise, then this is a critical component of that work, McNicholas said. Providers also want Illinois to join the ranks of more than a dozen states that allow advanced practice providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants to perform procedural abortions. Studies show that first-trimester abortions are equally safe whether performed by a doctor or advanced practice providers, and medical and physician groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have supported the provider expansion. The RHA legislation signed by Pritzker eliminated a 1975 requirement that only physicians can perform abortions, but abortion providers say they need the state to specifically outline who can. Pritzkers office responded to a request for comment with an email stating that the governor has long worked to expand reproductive rights: He looks forward to working with advocates and the General Assembly to discuss additional steps to ensure reproductive rights are accessible and protected. State Republican lawmakers have argued that Illinois abortion laws have become too extreme. They want to restore parental notification and end public health insurance coverage of abortions. Democrats supporting abortion access, however, make up the majority in both the state House and Senate. We have a governor and Legislature who have already done the work and championed reproductive rights, but a right is meaningless if you cant access it, Leahy said. Posted at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Could the way a senior handles his or her money offer clues about their risk for Alzheimer's disease? Yes, according to a new study involving dozens of elderly men and women that found a higher likelihood to give away money to anonymous individuals correlated with a poorer performance on the kinds of tests that screen for dementia. The study did not, however, assess the mental state of seniors who might decide to more freely donate to a recognized charitable cause, stressed lead researcher Gali Weissberger, who conducted her work while a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. She is now a senior lecturer with the interdisciplinary department of social sciences at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. "We do not want to send the message that altruism is a negative behavior by any means," Weissberger noted. It can be a very deliberative and positive use of one's money." But spotting a possible link between an increased desire to give away money and heightened Alzheimers risk could prove useful, she noted. It could help physicians and caregivers better screen for the sort of telltale behavior that indicates both a developing health issue and an increased vulnerability to financial scams and exploitation. In a recent issue of the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, Weissberger's team reported on its work with 67 seniors. At an average age of 69, none of the participants had a previous diagnosis of dementia or any form of mental health decline. All were given $10 to spend, and then paired up with an anonymous person in an online setting. That money could then be split up as each participant wished -- either to be kept or given away -- with allocations made in single dollar amounts. In turn, all participants completed standard thinking tests -- such as story and word recall tasks -- designed to spot signs of early-stage Alzheimers. The upshot: Those who gave away the most money to someone they didn't know fared the worst on the tests. Weissberger said more tests will be needed with a larger group of participants, to get a more definitive sense of how strong the connection is between bad financial choices and Alzheimers. And she cautioned that "it is possible that there is a third underlying factor that contributes to both altruism and dementia" not accounted for in this study. "However, our findings are consistent with a growing body of literature suggesting that poor decision-making and trouble handling money may be a very early sign of impending Alzheimers disease," said Weissberger. "Past work from our group and others have shown that financial exploitation of older adults is associated with brain regions vulnerable to age-related pathological changes," she noted. "Thus, it is possible that the inclination to give away money is a very early sign of early brain changes associated with Alzheimer's." Rebecca Edelmayer, senior director of scientific engagement with the Alzheimer's Association, said the findings are "not necessarily surprising." In fact, the study "adds to other work in this area that has suggested changes in judgment, financial ability or decision-making may be among the first memory and thinking changes that individuals and family members notice," said Edelmayer. Still, she reiterated Weissberger's point that "these findings do not mean that older individuals who donate to charities often have dementia. "There are many other personal, social and economic reasons why someone might be generous with their spending," Edelmayer noted. "That being said, research has shown that other financial behaviors -- such as falling for scams or making late payments -- are associated with dementia," she said. Edelmayer's advice: "Because older persons, especially those at greater risk for dementia, may be more vulnerable to making poor financial decisions, the Alzheimer's Association urges our community to be informed, vigilant and aware so that our loved ones are not subjected to fraud, scams or other financial harm." More information There's more on the telltale signs of Alzheimers risk at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. SOURCES: Gali Weissberger, PhD, senior lecturer, interdisciplinary department of social sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Rebecca Edelmayer, PhD, senior director, scientific engagement, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago; Journal of Alzheimers Disease, June 13, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people. The disaster posed a new test for Afghanistans Taliban rulers and relief agencies already struggling with the countrys multiple humanitarian crises. The quake was Afghanistans deadliest in two decades, and officials said the toll could rise. An estimated 1,500 others were reported injured, the state-run news agency said. The disaster inflicted by the 6.1-magnitude quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power nearly 10 months ago amid the U.S. and NATO withdrawal. The takeover led to a cutoff of vital international financing, and most of the world has shunned the Taliban government. In a rare move, the Talibans supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, who almost never appears in public, pleaded with the international community and humanitarian organizations to help the Afghan people affected by this great tragedy and to spare no effort." Residents in the remote area near the Pakistani border searched for victims dead or alive by digging with their bare hands through the rubble, according to footage shown by the Bakhtar news agency. It was not immediately clear if heavy rescue equipment was being sent, or if it could even reach the area. At least 2,000 homes were destroyed in the region, where on average every household has seven or eight people living in it, said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative to Afghanistan. The full extent of the destruction among the villages tucked in the mountains was slow in coming to light. The roads, which are rutted and difficult to travel in the best of circumstances, may have been badly damaged, and landslides from recent rains made access even more difficult. Rescuers rushed in by helicopter, but the relief effort could be hindered by the exodus of many international aid agencies from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last August. Moreover, most governments are wary of dealing directly with the Taliban. In a sign of the muddled workings between the Taliban and the rest of the world, Alakbarov said the Taliban had not formally requested that the U.N. mobilize international search-and-rescue teams or obtain equipment from neighboring countries to supplement the few dozen ambulances and several helicopters sent in by Afghan authorities. Still, officials from multiple U.N. agencies said the Taliban were giving them full access to the area. The quake was centered in Paktika province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, according to neighboring Pakistans Meteorological Department. Experts put its depth at just 10 kilometers (6 miles). Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage. The European seismological agency said the quake was felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Footage from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to a waiting helicopter. Other victims were treated on the ground. One person could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home, and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble. Roofs and walls had caved in. The death toll reported by the Bakhtar news agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan. Those are the deadliest since 1998, when an earthquake that was also 6.1 in magnitude and subsequent tremors in the remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. Wednesdays quake took place in a region prone to landslides, with many older, weaker buildings. The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings, said Stefano Sozza, Afghanistan country director for the Italian medical aid group Emergency, which sent seven ambulances and staff to areas near the quake zone. More than 60% of Afghanistans population of 38 million already relies on international aid to survive. Humanitarian agencies still operating in the country, including UNICEF, rushed supplies to the quake-stricken areas. And Pakistan said it would send food, tents, blankets and other essentials. Obtaining more direct international help may be more difficult: Many countries, including the U.S., funnel humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through the U.N. and other such organizations to avoid putting money in the Talibans hands. The quake will only add to the immense humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, and it really has to be all hands on deck to make sure that we really limit the suffering that families, that women and children are already going through, said Shelley Thakral, spokesperson for the the U.N. World Food Program in Kabul. In the capital, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace. When such a big incident happens in any country, there is a need for help from other countries, said Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of state for disaster management. It is very difficult for us to be able to respond to this huge incident. That may prove difficult given the international isolation of Afghanistan under the Taliban, who were toppled from power by the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The newly restored government has issued a flurry of edicts curtailing the rights of women and girls and the news media in a turn back toward the Talibans harsh rule from the late 1990s. This does add a lot to the daily burden of survival, the U.N.s Alakbarov said of the quake. We are not optimistic today. Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. He was a longtime member of the board of directors of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and The Muny, and also served stints as president of both groups. He also was on the boards of the Central Institute for the Deaf, St. Luke's Hospital, Siteman Cancer Center and the Starkloff Disability Institute. He also was a two-term member of the Ladue City Council. Reagan got to know his "great friend" when Lemkemeier represented The Muny in contract talks with labor unions at the venue. "The guy was the most trustworthy person in St. Louis; smart and unpretentious, a straight shooter with a heart of gold," Reagan said. John Lemkemeier said his father was quiet and humble. "As a father, in terms of telling me what to do, he was not that type; he modeled everything," he said. Other survivors include his wife, Sally; another son, David Lemkemeier; five grandchildren and a sister, Carol Goettman. When it came to advice, David Lemkemeier said his father doled out one main piece of advice, befitting a man who spent his life in negotiations. "Listen before you talk," the son quoted his father. "It's the only way to get people to common ground." ST. LOUIS A St. Louis man who was 18 when he fatally shot a 15-year-old boy during a gun exchange last year pleaded guilty Wednesday for a 15-year prison term. Treshawn Fox, 20, pleaded guilty before Circuit Judge Timothy Boyer to armed criminal action and second-degree murder reduced from first-degree as well as first-degree assault and property damage. Fox's plea agreement included a 12-year term for murder and a consecutive three-year term for armed criminal action. He received concurrent sentences for the other charges. Fox admitted killing 15-year-old Teshawn Ford in February 2021 outside Desta's Market & Deli at 2503 North Taylor Avenue. Fords brother told police that he and Ford had arranged to trade guns with Fox, charges said. As Ford handed a gun to Fox, Fox tried to grab it and fired multiple shots. A 70-year-old man was hit by stray gunfire, authorities said. Fox's lawyer could not be reached. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. UPDATED with additional detail ST. LOUIS Two people were shot one fatally at a gas station in the Fountain Park neighborhood Tuesday night. The shooting happened about 6:10 p.m. at the Crown Mart gas station, 930 North Kingshighway. The dead man was found slumped in the driver's seat of a sedan. The other man was wounded and taken in a private vehicle to a hospital in critical condition. Both men were in their 20s. Police have not released the name of the man who died. A large section of the gas station property had been taped off by police, and bullet holes could be seen in the front window of a vehicle parked at the site. HAZELWOOD Police are seeking the public's help to solve a shooting that killed a 20-year-old man while he was sleeping in his bedroom early Friday. Hazelwood officers responded to a reported shooting about 3 a.m. Friday in the 7600 block of Hazelcrest Drive. They found Preston Jones, who was killed when he was shot through a bedroom window of his apartment, police said. No other details on the shooting were available. Hazelwood police are asking anyone with information that may help solve the killing to call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477). Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward. When applications opened Wednesday for Missouris new tax-credit scholarships for kindergarten through high school, some prominent names were left off the list of participating schools. Elite prep schools John Burroughs in Ladue and Pembroke Hill in Kansas City have not partnered with any of the states certified Educational Assistance Organizations, religious groups chosen to collect and distribute the funds. The scholarships I thought were designed to help parents who wanted private school options to be able to afford it, said Krystal Barnett, executive director of school choice advocacy group Bridge 2 Hope St. Louis. Whats unclear is if all private schools are included. Under state law signed last year by Gov. Mike Parson, the MOScholars program allows residents and businesses to receive a credit of up to 50% of state tax liability for donations to the program. The groups then grant the annual scholarships of up to $6,375, prioritizing those students with special needs or from low-income families. The funds go into an app that can only be used for tuition and other qualifying expenses. Each religious group will, at its discretion, establish relationships with eligible schools before students can apply. The groups each receive up to 10% of the donations to administer the program. One of the six groups chosen to run the scholarship program includes the Herzog Foundation, which has a mission to catalyze and accelerate the development of quality Christ-centered K-12 education. Group leaders have criticized public and private schools including Pembroke Hill for indoctrinating children with a radical race and sex agenda. Herzog will partner with any eligible school and is adding to its list daily, said Elizabeth Roberts, communications director. Secular schools on its list of partners include MICDS and the College School in St. Louis County. About half of the member schools in Independent Schools of St. Louis have partnered with one of the scholarship management groups, including nearly all Catholic and Lutheran schools, said executive director Jamie Driver. Those that havent, havent gotten around to it yet or may not be interested in participating in the program in this first year, Driver said. There are still more questions than answers. A spokeswoman for John Burroughs School said they are open to participating but the school is not likely to be a common choice based on the income restrictions and rule that students must have attended a public school in the last year. Tuition at the school for 2022-2023 is $32,800. Schools not on the list of participants also include Miriam and Churchill in St. Louis County for students with learning disabilities. Any student with an individualized educational program (IEP) for special needs is eligible for one of the scholarships, regardless of family income. Participating families must release their home school district of obligations for educating the student other than disability evaluations. Miriam intends to participate but has yet to register, according to a spokeswoman. While home-schooled students can use the scholarships for educational costs including tutoring or technology, the states largest homeschooling group is urging families not to participate. Leaders of Families for Home Education based in Maryville oppose the programs required background checks on every member of the household and standardized testing of students because it sets a dangerous precedent for state monitoring of home schools. The scholarships are intended to be distributed for the upcoming school year, with donations accepted starting July 1. In its first year, the program could divert up to $25 million in tax collections to private schools and educational companies. This is an exciting day for qualifying Missouri students who need educational options, said state treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick in a statement Wednesday. Our EAO partners, my staff, and I have been working hard to get this program up and ready to begin accepting applications. Now, the program needs donors to help make these scholarships possible. Posted at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CLAYTON A political action committee supporting Jane Dueker, a Democrat running for St. Louis County Executive, has collected more than $171,000 since forming in late April thanks to large contributions from about a dozen police boosters and business executives. Backing JanePAC with checks worth more than $5,000 are St. Louis Police Foundation leaders, former Anheuser-Busch chairman August A. Busch III, several other local business magnates and the St. Louis County Police Association. All but one of the donations were $10,000 or more. Full campaign finance reports, including contributions of less than $5,000, arent due until July 15. But large donations give a picture of the interests supporting Dueker, a former lobbyist and adviser to Pages predecessor, Steve Stenger. Dueker announced in March she would challenge County Executive Sam Page in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary. Page, who succeeded Stenger in 2019, won election in 2020 to finish Stengers term. He is now seeking a full four-year term. Pages campaign has a larger war chest, reporting more than $227,050 in cash on hand at the end of the last quarter April 1, raising $157,506 from January up to that date. Page PAC, the JanePAC equivalent, reported $508,605 in cash on hand, with $161,000 raised in the last quarter. Since February, Pages PAC took in contributions of $10,000 or more from The Union Labor Life Insurance Co., a business that insures labor union members; McBride & Son Homes; Lou Fusz Automotive; Eric Holland, a partner at Holland Law Firm; and ASAPAC, the political arm of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Page, an anesthesiologist, has been active with the organization. But one of the two largest donations to Pages PAC this year came from Sam Fox, a Clayton businessman, former U.S. ambassador to Belgium, and philanthropist who has been among Missouris most generous donors to the GOP locally and nationally. Fox gave $25,000 on Jan. 31. The Laborers International Union of North America, or L.I.U.N.A., also contributed $25,000 to Page PAC this month. Other groups contributing more than $5,000 were the United Association Political Education Committee, a PAC affiliated with the plumbers and pipefitters union; the St. Louis Association of Realtors; BUILD St. Louis PAC, a political campaign arm of the Home Builders Association of St. Louis; and the Associated General Contractors of Missouri. Duekers campaign fund has not yet had to report contributions, but campaign spokesman Ed Rhode said the committee has been actively fundraising. Campaign funds are limited to contributions of no more than $2,600, but PACs supporting campaigns can collect larger contributions. Contributions of more than $5,000 are required to be reported within 48 hours. The County Police Association was the first to contribute to JanePAC, signing a $10,000 check on April 22. The St. Louis Police Association and a local chapter of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police representing some municipal police joined the county police union in endorsing Dueker on Tuesday. Dueker had been a lobbyist and attorney for the county and city police associations since 2017. Busch, great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch co-founder Adolphus Busch and a longtime Republican donor, was another early booster to JanePAC, giving $22,400 on May 9. Board members of the St. Louis Police Foundation, which supports police in the region, contributed a total $40,000, including President Doug Albrecht, chair of the Bodley Group; Greg Twardowski, former president and CEO of Whelan Security and a former chair of the Regional Business Council; John OConnell, vice chairman of Bodley Group and treasurer of the foundation; and Joseph A. Stieven, a banking analyst and vice chair of events for the foundation. Albrecht, a frequent donor to Republican candidates, has also contributed to the campaign of state Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, who is running for county executive. The largest single contribution to JanePAC, $30,000, was from Commercial Development Company Inc., a Des Peres-based commercial real estate company that redevelops brownfields and is led by principals Mike and Tom Roberts. Other contributions to JanePAC came from Airport Investment Co., a business led by Ted Kienstra Jr., who owns a ready-mix concrete company founded by his father in north St. Louis County that owns several plants in the metro area; Stephen Rafferty, president of Summit Consulting Group and a co-owner of Savvi Trademark Properties, the formal wear company; Keely Travers and Kevin Travers, who co-own a family-founded Chesterfield-based retail company; Robert F. OBrien, CEO of OBrien Capital; David Wagner, CEO of RV Wagner contracting company; Fields Foods owner Chris Goodson; and Catherine Ruggeri-Rea, a former St. Louis city courts administrator who along with her husband, another former city employee, won a $70 million jackpot in 2015. Dueker was scheduled to host a fundraiser with many of the same names in Ladue on Thursday. Page, meanwhile, held a fundraiser Monday night in the city of St. Louis that included several former and current Democratic officials, including state Reps. Peter Meredith, LaDonna Appelbaum and Rasheen Aldridge and St. Louis Alderman Christine Ingrassia. Page campaign spokesman Richard Callow on Tuesday touted traditional Democratic support from the elected officials, labor unions, pro-choice groups and progressives. He characterized Duekers donors as law and order hard-liners, and the cranky end of the Republican aristocracy. I dont think theres enough money to make Jane look like a Democratic candidate to enough Democrats to win in August, Callow said in a statement. If it wasnt too late to file, she could probably finish second or third in the Republican primary. Dueker said her broad base of support was a response to her campaign focus on giving more resources to police in an effort to fight crime, which she called the No. 1 issue. I think my message of tackling the crime problem is resonating with a lot of people, Dueker said. Thats the No. 1 issue on voters minds. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON In a fundraising video for his U.S. Senate campaign released Monday, former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens held a pump-action shotgun and introduced himself as a Navy SEAL. The video then showed him joining a group of men in tactical gear who broke into an empty house to hunt members of his own political party. But Greitens is no longer a Navy SEAL. He has also not been affiliated with the Navy Reserve or the Department of the Navy for more than a year, according to a Navy spokesperson. Greitens resigned his commission in the Navy Reserve on May 1, 2021, just two months after he launched his campaign for U.S. Senate, according to officials at the Navy. He was an active member of the Navy Reserve for around two years. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Throughout his political career, Greitens has leaned on his credential as a former SEAL to propel himself to prominence. He created an image of the principled veteran and despite some warnings from his fellow SEALs penned three books and toured the speaking circuit giving talks about ethics and leadership. But that curated image came crashing down amid a bevy of scandals during his brief tenure in the governors mansion. Allegations of sexual abuse and campaign finance violations forced him to resign June 1, 2018. He served less than half his term. As he attempted to build himself back up after his resignation, Greitens asked to be reinstated into active duty in the Naval Reserve in January 2019. He had been moved to inactive status while he served as governor, which allowed him to retain his commission. Initially, he met resistance. Neither the SEALs nor the Navy wanted him back. It was only after Greitens received support from Vice President Mike Pence that Navy officials allowed him to return to military service in a reserve role. But he was denied the designation of SEAL when he returned as a general unrestricted line officer, a classification used for reservists who typically perform office duties and lack a warfare classification. It is unclear what role Greitens played while serving between 2019 and 2021. As late as May 2019, the Navy was still struggling with what role to assign him, according to a previous records request. He has alluded to VPOTUS throughout the process, but has been very cagey in all of his discussions with us, Rear Adm. Brendan McLanes executive assistant wrote to the command May 24, 2019. I tried to draw him out on the subject a few weeks ago, but all he would say is that he wanted to affiliate with NOSC St. Louis and then be available to be assigned to Washington D.C. for work with the National Security Council. The Navys decision to return him to active status sparked an investigation into how the Navy handles misconduct cases. 2022 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com. JEFFERSON CITY While his opponents seek the backing of former President Donald Trump, one Republican candidate for Missouris U.S. Senate seat is harkening back to a politician whose tenure ended in the 1980s. As part of a branding effort heading toward the crowded Aug. 2 primary election, Missouri Senate President Dave Schatz is calling himself an acolyte of Ronald Reagan, hoping to appeal to voters who might prefer less bombastic political leaders. Schatz, R-Sullivan, launched a statewide tour Tuesday beginning on the steps of the Missouri Capitol. He spoke to reporters at a lectern with a Return to Reaganism sign on it. Im a proud product of the Reagan revolution and Im here to say its time to return to Reaganism. First, we must restore Reagans 11th commandment, which says, Thou shall not speak ill of fellow Republicans, Schatz said. His remarks came as candidates, social media companies, political organizations and lobbying groups have slammed former Gov. Eric Greitens for a video released Monday in which he calls his opponents Republicans in name only and calls on his supporters to hunt them. Greitens later said the video was meant to be humorous. Reagan called for peace among Republicans. Greitens is calling for war, Schatz said. We should reward optimism over fear. Reagan, who served two terms as president more than 35 years ago, is known for tax cuts, economic deregulation and opposition to labor unions. The tour is designed to boost Schatzs low polling numbers against Greitens, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and U.S. Rep. Billy Long. Schatz has already spent more than a half a million dollars of his own money purchasing television ads primarily directed at adult audiences 35 and older in the St. Louis media market. Along with serving as the leader of the Senate, Schatz owns an underground utility installation company. His ads cast him as a blue-collar candidate as he drives a company truck. As president of the Missouri Senate, Schatz butted heads this spring with members of a conservative faction of Republicans. He said the tension that often brought business in the upper chamber to a grinding stop did not affect the outcome of the legislative session. Im no stranger to the conflict that is inside of our own caucus. But I had an open door and worked well with them. Again, not inciting violence, calling names and picking fights with them was not a solution in getting things done, he said. It was embracing and talking and working on ideas as the way to get things accomplished. Schatz also said his support for raising Missouris gasoline tax was not an indication that his beliefs dont align with Reagans tax-cutting philosophy. Rather, he said the gas tax increase was an investment in the states future that will be paid for by users of the infrastructure. Schatz has been critical of Greitens, calling on him to end his campaign in March after his ex-wife accused him of abuse. He repeated that call Tuesday, saying Greitens is too divisive to adequately serve the people of Missouri. We must reject this nonsense. Missouri deserves better, Schatz said. Posted at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY A decision could be coming within a week on whether a Missouri native will run for the states U.S. Senate seat as an independent. John F. Wood, a senior attorney on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, is leaving the panel to explore a bid, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The report notes that he could make a decision in the coming days. If he jumps in, Wood must submit a candidate declaration form noting that he is a resident of the state. The campaign must also collect 10,000 signatures from registered voters within the state by Aug. 1. It is not clear if Wood has property in Missouri. Records show he owns a house in Virginia, where he has worked for years after serving as U.S. attorney for Missouris western district. A campaign committee for Wood launched a website Monday. The website features pictures of Wood, his wife, Julie, and their children. It urges voters to support Wood as an alternative, primarily, to former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Our choices must be better than two politicians, one who resigned in disgrace from his last job after blackmailing his mistress and who has since been credibly accused of abusing his wife and child. The other will be a rubber-stamp for Joe Biden and Chuck Schumers radical, progressive agenda that is out-of-touch with the values of Missourians, the website says. Woods Missouri roots reach into the St. Louis area. According to the website, he graduated from St. Louis Country Day School before heading to the University of Virginia and then Harvard Law School. Although former Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth supports Wood as a candidate, he is not heading the committee that is attempting to get his name on the November ballot. It was not coordinated with Danforth. It was all done independently, said Danforth spokesman Paul Wagman. In February, Danforth predicted a center-right independent candidate would file to run for U.S. Senate in Missouri, based on the results of a poll suggesting an independent candidate one who promotes a message of unity instead of division would have a strong chance of winning the general election. A sign of that divisiveness came Monday when Greitens released a video suggesting that people who arent sufficiently conservative should be hunted. Greitens later said the video was meant to be humorous, but it caused outrage among both Republicans and Democrats. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Wood worked on Danforths staff. He also clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge J. Michael Luttig, who recently testified before the Jan. 6 commission. Wood, 52, was brought on to the Jan. 6 panel by U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming. He served on a team that probed former President Donald Trumps involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol building. Posted at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS The city Election Board is expected Thursday to formally set a special primary for Sept. 13 to begin the process of electing a successor to Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, who resigned following his indictment on bribery-related charges. Gary Stoff, the boards Republican director, said the bipartisan board scheduled its meeting after City Register Amber Boykins Simms on Wednesday issued a formal notice of the vacancy, which called for the primary to be held on that date. Under this scenario, the two top vote-getters at the primary would advance to the Nov. 8 general election. So far only two candidates are in the race Aldermen Megan Green, 15th Ward, and Jack Coatar, 7th Ward. At least one other potential contender is Alderman Cara Spencer, 20th Ward. Whoever wins in November would serve until what would have been the end of Reeds term next April. A separate election will be held then for the offices next four-year term, preceded by a March primary. The notice was issued following a legal opinion from City Counselor Sheena Hamilton which said the last few months of Reeds four-year term should be filled at elections later this year. Hamiltons opinion came to the same conclusion as the Election Boards own legal counsel, Stoff said. Election Board officials had said last week that they wanted a detailed notice from city government stating that a special primary and general election should be called in this situation. They said they wanted something beyond Reeds resignation letter because of legal ambiguity in the city charter and ordinances on how to proceed. Normally the board doesnt seek such a notice, which is outlined in state law. Hamiltons legal opinion was issued to the two declared candidates, Green and Coatar. The two aldermen had each requested the opinion; each released a copy to the Post-Dispatch. Spencer said on social media Tuesday that she saw no reason to hold special elections for the post since someone will be elected anyway next April for the next four-year term. Our Charter says that a vacancy in Prez is filled by seniority that has put Joe Vollmer in charge, Spencer said on Twitter. He has done an excellent job to steady the ship, serving in a refreshingly fair, unbiased and communicative manner. Vollmer, the 10th Ward alderman and the boards vice president, became acting president when Reed stepped down but says he will serve only until a successor is elected. While the charter doesnt call for a special election when a vacancy develops in the aldermanic presidents position, a city ordinance says the post should be filled at the next city or state general election. In this case thats Nov. 8. Hamilton in her opinion said the charter provision regarding the vice president serving as acting president specifically references situations in which the president temporarily serves as mayor when there is a mayoral vacancy. As no Charter provision controls, the City Code and Ordinances must do so, she said. Spencer declined to comment further on Wednesday. James Wilson, a former city counselor, had argued in letters to the Election Board that the board doesnt have specific legal authority to set a special primary date. He contended that can happen only if aldermen set up a nomination procedure. Wilson, who supported Spencers unsuccessful candidacy for mayor last year, said he wasnt representing Spencer on this matter. Its too late under state law to schedule the special primary on Aug. 2, the date of the regular Missouri state primary. Updated at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) The final phase of jury selection in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began Wednesday with prosecutors and defense attorneys asking candidates about their job histories, opinions on law enforcement and racial minorities, whether they own guns and if they could handle viewing gruesome crime scene photos. The final 83 candidates remaining from about 1,800 who began the three-step process back on April 4 are being brought back to Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer's courtroom in four groups over two days, the first two undergoing questioning Wednesday. The 23 men and 15 women in the groups come from diverse backgrounds. An airline pilot. Bankers. A circus fire eater and stilt walker. A city councilwoman. Grocery store and Walmart workers. A loading dock supervisor, a human resources manager, a special education teacher, a new self-help author, a librarian, computer techs, a longshoreman and retirees. They appeared to range from their 20s through their 60s and at least 17 appeared to be racial minorities. Two volunteered they are gay. About a third said they own guns. Some are U.S. military veterans. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 14 students and three staff members at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After the finalists are questioned, 12 jurors and eight alternates will be selected on Tuesday by the attorneys and judge for the four-month trial that will decide if Cruz is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. The trial is scheduled to start July 6. While lead prosecutor Mike Satz mostly asked straight-forward questions Wednesday about the panelists' backgrounds, assistant public defenders Nawal Bashimam and Tamara Curtis followed with more wide-ranging and open questions, their motivation not always obvious. About half the men raised their hands when Bashimam asked if any panelists play violent video games and most panelists said they have strong animosity toward people who torture animals both something Cruz did in the years before the shooting. When Bashimam asked the first group if any believed in the existence of white privilege the assertion that white people in the U.S. have societal advantages over minorities about half raised their hands, including some of the white ones. The pilot, an Air Force veteran, interjected to strongly disagree, saying this country provides opportunities to all who work for it. The book author, who is Black, agreed with him. All said they could remain fair toward Cruz even after they see crime scene and autopsy photos and walk the still blood-stained and bullet-pocked Stoneman Douglas classroom building where the massacre occurred. A retired U.S. Customs agent said he did recovery work at the World Trade Center in 2001 after the 9-11 terrorist attack, so he's already experienced something similarly horrific. A firefighter and nurse agreed when asked if some people aren't cut out to see such photos. The jury selection process was expected to take only about a month, but turned into a slog because of attorneys' illnesses and controversies. Those included a threat by Cruz's lead public defender, Melisa McNeill, to withdraw if Scherer proceeded when a member of her team became ill. Scherer resumed the trial the following day, the ailing attorney sitting at the defense table. That resulted in a defense motion that the judge remove herself from the case as biased. Scherer rejected that motion.. Still undecided is a motion by the defense to delay the trial because of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead. The defense argues that the shooting has again raised emotions in Broward County and makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. During Tuesday's final selection, each side can try to convince Scherer that certain candidates are biased and ask her to dismiss them. If she refuses, they will each also have at least 10 peremptory challenges where they can dismiss a potential juror for any reason except race or gender. When a jury is finally seated, it will have to decide whether the aggravating factors such as Cruzs multiple victims, his planning, the terror he created and the cruelty he showed outweigh such mitigating circumstances as his long history of mental and emotional problems, his possible sexual abuse and the death of his parents. For Cruz to get death, the jurors must unanimously agree. If one or more vote for life, that will be his sentence. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Wednesday, making his first visit to Turkey as the two regional heavyweights press ahead with efforts to repair ties following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. The crown prince will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the last leg of a Middle East tour that also took him to Egypt and Jordan. His visit comes before U.S. President Joe Bidens trip to the region next month. Erdogan said talks with the prince, who is commonly referred to by his initials MBS, would focus on advancing Turkish-Saudi relations to a much higher degree. Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, paying his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, a year before the gruesome killing of Khashoggi by Saudi agents in the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul. Turkeys efforts to improve ties with Saudi Arabia comes as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments from wealthy Gulf Arab states. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Talks with the UAEs Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year led to investment deals worth $10 billion after years of regional rivalry. Saudi Arabia for its part, has been trying to broaden its alliances at a time when relations between Riyadh and Washington are strained. The crown prince also seeks to put an end to the scandal over Khashoggis killing that damaged his reputation. Turkey had opened a trial in absentia against 26 Saudis suspected in Khashoggi's killing, but the court earlier this year ruled to halt the proceedings and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the countries rapprochement. The killing of Khashoggi had sparked global outrage and put pressure on the prince, who was said to have approved the operation to kill or capture Khashoggi, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. The prince has denied any knowledge of the operation that was carried out by agents who worked directly for him. While never naming Prince Mohammed, Erdogan said the operation that killed Khashoggi was ordered by the highest levels of the Saudi government. Khashoggi had entered the consulate in October 2018 by appointment to obtain papers to allow him to wed his Turkish fiancee, who waited for him outside. He never emerged and his body was never found. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Some Oregon business groups are suing over the states new job site rules mandating that employers take steps to protect workers from extreme heat and wildfire smoke. Regulations adopted by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division mandate that employers act once the temperature or air quality reaches a certain threshold. The heat rules took effect June 15, while the wildfire smoke rules start July 1. Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, Associated Oregon Loggers Inc. and the Oregon Forest & Industries Council are seeking an injunction to stop the state from enforcing the rules, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Together the groups represent over 1,000 Oregon companies and 50 forestland owners. They filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Medford last week. The groups allege several provisions are too vague to be fairly enforced and that the states workplace safety agency overstepped its statutory authority by adopting them. The groups also contend the wildfire smoke rules dont give employers a method for determining what percentage of the pollutants in the air at a worksite are caused by wildfire smoke versus other factors, which the groups say makes it impossible for employers to know when the rules go into effect. They further say requiring employers to pay workers during heat illness prevention breaks oversteps state authority. Shaun Jillions, executive director for Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, said the state needs to work with employers to craft new rules that will protect workers and businesses. A spokesperson for Oregon OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the newspaper. Worker advocates, who for years lobbied for the protections, have praised the new rules. The heat rules require employers to provide shaded areas, water and rest breaks. They also require employers to develop heat prevention plans and protect workers from heat in agricultural labor housing, among other measures. The wildfire smoke rules say employers must provide smoke danger training, make respirators available as the air quality reaches unhealthy levels or require workers to wear respirators if air quality levels spike above very unhealthy levels on the Air Quality Index. The federal government does not have similar rules, although it is developing heat regulations. Several states have adopted their own heat standards, including Washington and California. Oregon adopted temporary emergency rules to protect workers from extreme heat and wildfire smoke last year after workers across the state were exposed to harsh conditions during unprecedented heat in June 2021 and wildfires in September 2020. At least two workers died from heat-related illnesses after working through blistering heat last year. They were among nearly 100 people across Oregon who died during last years heat wave as temperatures reached a record-breaking 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 C) in Portland. Gov. Kate Brown directed Oregon OSHA and the Oregon Health Authority to develop standards to protect employees from excessive heat and wildfire smoke in 2020 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ATLANTA (AP) Three Democrats endorsed by Stacey Abrams won runoffs for statewide office Tuesday, while two Republicans beat other members of their party who had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Bee Nguyen beat Dee Dawkins-Haigler in the Democratic race for secretary of state. Charlie Bailey beat Kwanza Hall in the party's race for lieutenant governor, while state Rep. William Boddie Jr. beat Nicole Horn for the Democratic nod for labor commissioner. All three were endorsed by Abrams, meaning she got a racially diverse ticket for her November run against incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Georgia Republicans chose their nominees in two heavily GOP districts in Tuesday runoffs. In the 10th Congressional District east of Atlanta, Mike Collins beat former Democrat Vernon Jones. In suburban Atlantas 6th District, Rich McCormick beat Jake Evans. Both Jones and Evans lost badly after both were endorsed by Trump. That means that the majority of Trump's choices who were opposed in Republican primaries in Georgia lost, including former Sen. David Perdue, who was blown out by Kemp in the governor's race. Here's a look at races other than the Democratic secretary of state: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Bailey, who was the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2018, beat former Atlanta City Council member Hall. Bailey had trailed Hall in the May 24 primary but overtook him with backing by Democratic leaders, including Abrams Bailey will take on Republican state Sen. Burt Jones, who won the nomination after being endorsed by Trump. Republican incumbent Geoff Duncan didn't seek another term. Bailey had been running for attorney general again but shifted into the lieutenant governor's race. Bailey is promising to work with Abrams to cover uninsured adults, improve education and increase public safety. Bailey attacked 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 said he did nothing wrong. Hall, who also served out the last month of the late John Lewis' term in Congress, enjoyed strong name recognition from his time on City Council, but his low-dollar campaign wasn't enough to overcome Abrams' support of the better-financed Bailey. LABOR COMMISSIONER Boddie beat entrepreneur Horn for the Democratic nomination for labor commissioner and will face state Sen. Bruce Thompson, the Republican nominee, in November. Republican incumbent Mark Butler didn't seek reelection after the the state Labor Department was beset by complaints when Georgia's unemployment rate hit a record during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Boddie and Horn agreed that the department needs more money to hire more employees, ensuring jobless benefit applicants can get responses to questions. Boddie has said his legislative experience will help him persuade lawmakers to give the department more money. Boddie criticized Republicans for pulling Georgia out of the federal program that extended unemployment benefits months before the federal program expired. INSURANCE COMMISSIONER The Democrats' nominee from 2018 will get another run at being Georgia's chief insurance regulator, as Janice Laws Robinson beat insurance salesman Raphael Baker. She 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 has said she would also crack down on insurers taking advantage of policy buyers through unfair underwriting practices. Baker, a Democratic activist, said he wanted to lower auto insurance rates. He said Black consumers, in particular, pay too much, and he wanted to make insurance practices more equitable. CONGRESS REPUBLICANS In the 10th Congressional District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Collins easily beat Jones in a bitter runoff. Trump backed Jones, but Kemp, fresh off a primary triumph over Trump-endorsed Perdue, joined other GOP officeholders in backing Collins. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician McCormick romped over Trump-backed lawyer Evans. That race revolved around accusations by each candidate that the other is insufficiently conservative. The 6th and the 10th are both heavily Republican districts. In southwest Georgia's 2nd District, real estate developer Chris West, who finished second on May 24, edged out former Army officer Jeremy Hunt. West will carry forward Republicans' high hopes of knocking off 30-year Democratic incumbent Sanford Bishop in November. In suburban Atlanta's 7th District, frontrunner Mark Gonsalves beat Michael Corbin, and will face Democrat Lucy McBath in a district that became much more Democratic in redistricting. CONGRESS DEMOCRATS In coastal Georgia's 1st District, lawyer Wade Herring swamped Joyce Marie Griggs after outspending her. Herring told Democrats he would have a better chance of upsetting incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. Griggs, a disbarred lawyer, had lost to Carter as the Democratic nominee in 2020. But in the 10th District, Tabitha Johnson-Green will be the Democratic nominee for the third cycle in a row after losing to Republican incumbent Jody Hice in 2018 and 2020. She handily beat Athens real estate agent and musician Jessica Fore, and will face Collins in November. STATE LEGISLATIVE SEATS Party nominations were being settled in one state Senate and 10 state House seats. Banker Mike Hodges beat former state House member Jeff Jones 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 were two incumbents who didn't win majorities on May 24 and needed wins Tuesday to keep their chances of reelection alive. Republican incumbent Sheri Gilligan, a sometime critic of House Speaker David Ralston, was opposed by Carter Barrett in House District 24 in southwestern Forsyth County. Democratic incumbent Roger Bruce was 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. WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection heard from election workers and state officials on Tuesday as they described President Donald Trumps pressure to overturn his 2020 election defeat. On Thursday, the nine-member panel will hear from former Justice Department officials who refused Trumps entreaties to declare the election corrupt. The committees fourth and fifth hearings, held this week, are part of an effort to show how Trumps pressure eventually shifted to Congress, where his false declarations of widespread election fraud led directly to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters violently breached the Capitol and interrupted the certification of President Joe Bidens election victory. In July, the panel will hold at least two more hearings that are expected to focus on the far-right domestic extremists who attacked the Capitol and what Trump was doing inside the White House as the violence unfolded. TRUMPS PRESSURE ON STATES State officials testified at Tuesday's hearing about the extraordinary pressure they faced from Trump after the election to try and invalidate Bidens win. Arizonas House speaker, Rusty Bowers, testified about phone calls from Trump and his allies asking him to decertify Arizonas legitimate electors and replace them. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told of the now-infamous phone call when Trump asked officials there to find 11,780 votes. The officials did not give in. You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath, Bowers said he told Trump and his allies. He recalled lawyer John Eastman, a chief architect of Trumps plan to create slates of fake electors, telling him to just do it and let the courts sort it out. Bowers said he repeatedly asked Trumps team for evidence of the widespread fraud they were claiming, but they never provided it. Raffensperger said his team investigated all of Trumps claims and went down down every rabbit hole, finding nothing. But Trump wouldnt accept it. TRUMPS PRESSURE ON PENCE The committees third hearing last week featured testimony from former aides to Vice President Mike Pence. The aides described the then-presidents efforts to persuade Pence to veer from his ceremonial role and object as Congress counted the electoral votes on Jan. 6. Pence concluded from the start, his former counsel Greg Jacob told the committee, that there is no justifiable basis to conclude that the vice president has that kind of authority. Trump did not let up, even after his supporters were breaking into the Capitol and Pence was hiding in an undisclosed location at one point just 40 feet from the rioters, the committee said. Trump sent a tweet that afternoon saying that Pence did not have the courage to do what was necessary. The committee played video of the rioters outside the Capitol calling for Pences death. Donald Trump turned the mob on him, said Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the panel. PUSHBACK FROM TRUMPS AIDES The hearings have repeatedly showed how Trump moved forward with his baseless claims of fraud even as his top advisors told them they werent true. The committee played video testimony from several aides who said they disagreed with the plan or tried to talk Trump out of it even though few of them spoke out publicly at the time. Even his daughter, Ivanka Trump, said she accepted the conclusion of former Attorney General Bill Barr, who resigned after telling the president there was no evidence of widespread fraud. The efforts to persuade Trump started on election night, when the race was still too close to call. Lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Trump to just go ahead and declare victory. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said in one interview clip that he told Trump it was way too early for such a pronouncement. But Trump did it anyway. Frankly, we did win this election, Trump said before the cameras. The committee used video clips of testimony from Barr, who told Trump he had looked into the allegations and found no evidence that any of them were true. He said he tried convince Trump, but felt that the president was becoming detached from reality" and had no interest in what the actual facts were. THE VIOLENCE, AND REAL LIVES UPENDED The committee has also used the hearings to tell the stories of the people who have been hurt, either in the violence of Jan. 6 or through harassment from those who believe the election was stolen. Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards testified about the traumatic brain injury she suffered after being pushed to he concrete when the first rioters breached the makeshift barriers around the Capitol. She described a war scene out of the movies and hours of hand-to-hand combat. They were throwing up I saw friends with blood all over their faces, said Edwards, who still has not returned to the unit where she worked. It was carnage. It was chaos. On Tuesday, two election workers from Georgia who became the center of false conspiracy theories tearfully testified about how it has upended their lives. The Justice Department has debunked claims that Wandrea Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, introduced suitcases of illegal ballots and committed other acts of election fraud to try to alter the outcome a conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and Trump. But Moss says she no longer leaves her house and it has affected her life in every way after receiving violent and racist threats from Trumps supporters. In video testimony, Freeman said she no longer advertises her local business with her name on it: Lady Ruby. Ive lost my name, and Ive lost my reputation. Ive lost my sense of security, Freeman said. WHATS NEXT On Thursday, the hearing will move to another pressure campaign Trumps efforts to have Justice Department officials declare the election corrupt, and a scheme within the department to go after states to change the results. Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, who took over after Barr resigned, and his deputy, Richard Donoghue, will testify about how they successfully resisted that pressure. The two hearings after that, expected to cover domestic extremism and Trumps actions inside the White House, will be held in July. And they may not be the last before the panel issues final reports later this year. We are picking up new evidence on a daily basis with enormous velocity, said Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the committee. And so were constantly incorporating and including the new information thats coming out. Another panel member suggested they could still subpoena Pence it's certainly a possibility, said California Rep. Adam Schiff. We would still, I think, like to have several high-profile people come before our committee, Schiff said. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri and Kevin Freking contributed. For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstones five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning after an estimated 2,000-3,000 vehicles entered the park in the first few hours in long lines that stretched for several miles (kilometers) at one gate. Paul Nithyanand of Chennai, India, gathered around Old Faithful along with 1,500 people in the afternoon to see it erupt. Nithyanand was touring the western U.S with his brother and had already seen the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, but said nothing on his trip compared with Old Faithful. Its awesome, said Nithyanand, who was so impressed he waited around 80 minutes to it erupt again. Ive been seeing it in movies and on YouTube but seeing it live is amazing. Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called bison jam where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which theyd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyomings Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. The whole purpose of our trip was to come here, Lonnie Macmillan said. We werent going to go home until we got here. The record floods reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at Americas first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this," he said. To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1% of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the parks 400 miles (644 kilometers) of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials will impose a reservation system for entrance. Along the road to Yellowstones south entrance in Wyoming, a long, slow-moving line of cars snaked along a road with a sign that for days had been flashing Yellowstone closed" but now alerted drivers that the park was open with restricted access. Gracie Brennan of Kentucky and two of her friends were going to Yellowstone as part of a tour of national parks. Old Faithful was the main thing I wanted to see, so if we can get there, which ever way we got to go, it doesnt really matter," Brennan said. The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. Its an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the parks geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. Thats turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. Theyre also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who received criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesdays reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also wasn't in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the parks wildlife. We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages ... saying Dont come, dont come, she said. But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work. Hanson reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana at Yellowstone National Parks south entrance in Wyoming contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. KABUL, Afghanistan A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people in the countrys deadliest quake in two decades, the state-run news agency reported. An estimated 1,500 others were reported injured, and officials said the death toll could rise. The disaster inflicted by the 6.1-magnitude quake posed a major test for Afghanistans Taliban government, which retook power nearly 10 months ago as the U.S. and its NATO allies withdrew from the country and has been largely shunned by the rest of the world since. In a rare move, the Talibans supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, who almost never appears in public, pleaded with the international community and humanitarian organizations to help the Afghan people affected by this great tragedy and to spare no effort to help the affected people. Residents in the remote area near the Pakistani border searched for victims dead or alive by digging with their bare hands through the rubble, according to footage shown by the Bakhtar news agency. It was not immediately clear if heavy rescue equipment was being sent, or even if it could reach the area. At least 2,000 homes were destroyed in the region, where on average every home has seven or eight people living in it, said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative to Afghanistan. The full extent of the destruction among the villages tucked in the mountains was slow in coming to light. Rutted roads difficult to pass in the best of times may have been badly damaged, and landslides from recent rains made access even more difficult. Rescuers rushed in by helicopter, but the relief effort could be hindered by the exodus of many international aid agencies from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last August. Moreover, most governments are wary of dealing directly with the Taliban. In a sign of the muddled workings between the Taliban and the rest of the world, Alakbarov said the Taliban had not formally requested that the U.N. mobilize international search-and-rescue teams or obtain equipment from neighboring countries to supplement the few dozen ambulances and several helicopters sent in by Afghan authorities. The disaster only compounds the misery in Afghanistan, which is already deep in one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing increasing hunger and poverty after the cutoff of international financing to the Taliban. That has prompted a huge aid program, but to avoid putting money in the Talibans hands, the world has funneled funding through the U.N. and other humanitarian agencies, a system that may be too slow for an emergency response to the quake. The quake was centered in Paktika province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, according to neighboring Pakistans Meteorological Department. Experts put its depth at just 10 kilometers (6 miles). Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage. The European seismological agency said the quake was felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Footage from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to a waiting helicopter. Other victims were treated on the ground. One person could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home, and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble. Roofs and walls had caved in. The death toll was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan. Those are the deadliest since 1998, when an earthquake that was also 6.1 in magnitude and subsequent tremors in the remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. Wednesdays quake took place in a region prone to landslides, with many older buildings likely to crumble. The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings, said Stefano Sozza, Afghanistan country director for the Italian medical aid group Emergency. Emergency, which was dispensing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan before the disaster, sent seven ambulances and staff to areas near the quake zone. The childrens agency UNICEF had health and nutrition teams in the area and sent truckloads of blankets, tents and other supplies, Sam Mort, communications chief for UNICEF Afghanistan, told British broadcaster Sky. Hospitals in the region were overwhelmed with the injured, she said. Pakistan said it would send food, tents, blankets and other essentials. The quake "will only add to the immense humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, and it really has to be all hands on deck to make sure that we really limit the suffering that families, that women and children are already going through, said Shelley Thakral, spokesperson for the the U.N. World Food Program in Kabul. In the capital, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace. When such a big incident happens in any country, there is a need for help from other countries, said Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of state for disaster management. It is very difficult for us to be able to respond to this huge incident. That may prove difficult given the international isolation of Afghanistan under the Taliban, who were toppled from power by the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The newly restored government has issued a flurry of edicts curtailing the rights of women and girls and the news media in a turn back toward the Talibans harsh rule from the late 1990s. This does add a lot to the daily burden of survival," the U.N.s Alakbarov said. "We are not optimistic today. Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt has long been among the most reliable political supporters and biggest beneficiaries of a corrosive gun lobby that has turned America into a shooting gallery. That makes Blunts support of the Senates tentative bipartisan gun-safety agreement all the more important. Hes already coming under enormous pressure from extremists in his own party to abandon the agreement, as a letter from dozens of Republican Missouri legislators last week made clear. For the sake of the country and his own legacy, its urgent that Blunt resist that pressure and finish his career with this important step toward sanity. In the wake of recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, some Republicans in Congress have finally started to come around to the realization that offering thoughts and prayers, and nothing else, is an intolerable political response to what has become an ongoing national crisis. Blunt is among 20 senators (10 of each party) who have hammered out a tentative agreement to enhance background checks for gun buyers under 21, offer financial incentives for states to pass red flag laws to keep guns from unstable people, and increase funding for mental health and school safety. As weve noted before, the tentative agreement falls far short of what should be done, and what most Americans want, including universal background checks for all gun sales, bans on military-style semiautomatic firearms and high-capacity ammunition magazines, and raising the purchasing age for all guns to 21. But the measures in the tentative agreement will make the public at least incrementally safer. And, crucially, they are the first acknowledgement from top GOP officials in years that the federal government does, in fact, have an obligation to proactively address gun safety. But the party is by no means united on that point. Push-back is coming at all levels, from hard-right members of Congress to rank-and-file Republican voters. Another member of the bipartisan group, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for example, was booed over the weekend at a state GOP convention. Blunt hasnt faced anything like that yet but his support for the agreement has already drawn the ire of fellow Missouri Republicans back in Jefferson City. A letter signed by 47 Missouri House Republicans urges Blunt to back out of the agreement. The letter specifically takes issue with a plan to offer states financial incentives to create red-flag laws. Its not even a requirement, just an option, yet even that mild proposition has tripped the alarms among the gun-culture extremists. Blunts coming retirement puts him out of reach of those extremists electorally, but even at that, no politician likes to be the focal point of anger from his own party. Blunt should stand by the agreement anyway. History will stand with him. Tubitak SAGE, a Turkish government defense research institute has been trying to compete with Roketsan Corporation by announcing that its Bozok lightweight laser-guided missile was finally entering production. There was a similar announcement back in 2014, but that was soon canceled as it was realized that the rival Mam-L was a success when carried by the then-new TB2 UAV. The 2022 Bozok missile has more range (15 kilometers) and is smaller than Mam-L. Until there are production models of Bozok in use by customers, no one. including the manufacturer, will know if Bozok is competitive with Mam-L. SAGE was founded half a century ago to develop ballistic and other types of missiles. Fifteen years after SAGE was created the government decided to try the market approach and took the lead in establishing Roketsan, which was a much more productive and innovative operation than SAGE. During its first two decades Roketsan concentrated on developing and producing Turkish versions of most of the weapons and munitions Turkey had to import. This was done without stealing patented tech from other nations, as Russia and China have long done. Turkey wanted Rokestan to be able to freely export its munitions, especially the innovative or less-expensive ones. The next phase was to do the same with more complex systems like guided and ballistic missiles. Bayraktar, another Turkish company, did the same thing with UAVs that Rokestan had done with munitions. Early Turkish efforts to develop effective and affordable UAVs using government institutes and companies were not working. This gave Bayraktar, an entrepreneurial company, an opportunity to fill the government's need for UAVs and in 2014 introduced the affordable and successful TB2 UAV. Similar to successful Israeli and American UAVs, Roketsan already had suitable missiles and guided bombs for the TB2. The most used weapon was the Mam-L laser guided missile. This was a lightweight version of the American Hellfire missile that had been around since the 1980s and non-American versions could be developed using a lot of off-the-shelf tech. Rokestan had done this with its Mam-L missile that weighed half as much as Hellfire but had similar range (8 kilometers) and laser guided accuracy. The 25 kg (55 pound) Mam-L is an unpowered version of the larger (37.5 kg/83 pound) UMTAS rocket-powered laser-guided missile. Both have a range of eight kilometers but the Mam-L glides to the target and its range is less if the UAV is at a low altitude. UMTAS is much faster and has a fire and forget feature where, once the UAV laser designator identifies the target, the UMTAS will home in on it while the UAV seeks other targets. Mam-L is used against smaller, unarmored and stationary targets. UMTAS is described as an anti-tank missile and effective against tanks whereas the Man-I will usually only damage a tank. Most of the targets Turkish UAVs attacked were troops in the open, bunkers, buildings, or unarmored vehicles. In this respect MAM-L excelled and thousands of them have been successfully used. Mam-L was light enough for smaller UAVs like the TB2 to carry two of them. Mam-L and the larger UMTAS are the principal weapons of Turkish armed UAVs and are used regularly against PKK separatists in Turkey and Syrian forces and rebel groups in Syria. Mam-L and UMTAS are available to all customers for Turkish UAVs large enough to carry them and a growing number of countries, including Ukraine and Poland, have bought them. Ukrainian TB2s have been particularly effective, making the TB2 and Mam-L even more attractive to export customers. Which brings us back to the SAGE effort to develop and sell Bozok, a competitor to the Mam-L. One reason for that is the two other Mam missiles now available. One is the 6.5 kg 70mm Mam-C, which is based on the American World War II vintage 2.8-inch unguided rocket. This weapon is still in use but for over twenty years developers in many nations have added laser-guidance to the 70mm rocket. Then there is the 94 kg Mam-T that can be used on UAVs as well as helicopters and jet fighters. Mam-T has a range of 30-80 kilometers depending how high and fast the launching aircraft is. Mam-T uses both laser and GPS guidance. First some good news. For many reasons Malawians are proud of the Malawi Battalion serving with the Force Intervention Brigade. This brigade was created in 2013 and is unique because it is the only UN peacekeeper brigade created to carry out offensive operations. The brigade usually has over 2,000 troops. There are two or three infantry battalions plus an artillery unit. Each battalion comes from a different country and only nations with troops of known competence and combat experience are assigned to the intervention brigade. The Malawi government is touting the success of its battalions deployment in Beni (Congos North Kivu province). For the past seven months the battalion has had several jobs, including protecting civilians in the area and supporting Congolese Army and National Police operations against the Islamist Allied Democratic Force (ADF) rebels. The Malawi battalion regularly conducted motorized and foot patrols in and around Beni. The battalion also had regular meetings with Congolese civilians to discuss the civilians defense concerns. The intervention brigade currently has infantry battalions from South Africa and Tanzania as well as Malawi. Now the bad news. Malawis National Audit Office believes that between 2015 and 2020 over $100 million was stolen from the Malawi government. Auditors found that government ministries, departments and agencies failed to provide documentation for disbursement of the missing funds. Even the national police were involved as well as local governments. Government agencies were accused of deliberately destroying documents in order to hide the theft. The auditors are in the process of identifying public officers responsible for the theft. Bad news? This has a positive side. The country is trying to expose systemic government corruption, which is a major step towards ending it. Congo applauded the Kenyan governments proposed deployment of a regional military force to combat the M23 rebel group. However, the government said it will not allow Rwanda to participate in the regional force. Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting M23. Rwanda denies the allegation. A UN investigation concluded Rwanda and Uganda backed M23 in 2012 when the rebel outfit was very active, but in 2022 there are no clear connections. In 2012, M23 captured Goma, capital of North Kivu province. In 2013 Congolese and UN peacekeeping forces defeated M23. M23 survivors retreated into Rwanda and Uganda where they supposedly demobilized. The UNs Force Intervention Brigade played a prominent role in M23s defeat. Despite this, M23 remained active and rebuilt. To deal with this the East African Community (EAC) has agreed to send a joint military force to eastern Congo (North Kivu province). The EAC consists of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The leaders of six of the seven member nations (including Congo and Rwanda) met in Kenya to discuss organizing the proposed regional force. The force would have a unified command (senior officers from all participating nations) and cooperate with UN peacekeeping forces in eastern Congo. Officially the force is being deployed to combat the surge in rebel and terrorist activity that began in late 2021. It may well do that, but it will also serve to keep Congo and Rwanda from going to war over the M23 militias new attacks. Congo claims Rwanda backs M23. Kenya is acting as the chief mediator between Congo and Rwanda with the goal of de-escalating tensions and avoiding a regional war. To be fair, Rwanda is concerned about radical Hutu organizations like FDLR and the RUD-Urunana faction. Both are associated with ethnic Hutu extremists involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A counterattack by the Tutsi victims drove the genocidal Hutu factions into eastern Congo, where they have operated ever since, much to the discomfort of Congo and Rwanda and at great cost in lives to the people of eastern Congo. Rwanda believes both groups still have base camps in eastern Congo. Congos government approves of the EAC proposal as long as it doesnt include Rwandan forces. (Austin Bay) June 17, 2022: In Rwanda police shot and killed a Congolese soldier who crossed the Congo-Rwanda border. According to Rwanda, the Congolese soldier fired at Rwandan border security forces. Two Rwandan policemen were wounded in the incident. Rwanda later said the Congolese soldier was 25 meters over the border when he started shooting. The incident occurred about 50 kilometers away from the area where Congolese troops are fighting M23 rebels. In response to the death of the soldier, the Congolese government closed its border with Rwanda. June 14, 2022: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) the provincial military governor accused Rwanda of invading Congo after ethnic Tutsi M23 rebels seized the town of Bunagana. Congolese authorities alleged that Rwanda military forces were involved in the attack. Rwanda did not immediately respond to the Congolese allegation. Bunagana, is only 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Goma, the provincial capital. Bunagana is a major border transit point between Rwanda and Congo. Rwanda is preparing to accept its first group of migrants from Great Britain. Britain has denied the migrants asylum statuswhich means they are illegals. The EU has condemned the British plan to deport the migrants to Rwanda and the plan is on hold. Rwanda has an international center that accepts individuals deported from other countries. Congo accused Rwanda of invading eastern Congo yesterday. The (M23) Hutu militia captured the eastern Congo town of Bunagana, which lies on the border with Rwanda. Congo accused Rwanda of being complicit in M23s assault by deploying 500 soldiers in North Kivu provinces Tshanzu border area several days before the M23 attack. Rwanda denied it. M23 is a predominantly ethnic Tutsi rebel group drawing heavily on Congolese Tutsis, known as Banyamulenge Tutsis. Rwandas president, Paul Kagame, is a Rwandan Tutsi. Its leadership cadre are definitely Tutsis. Since June 14 the crisis has escalated. M23 sometimes refers to itself as the CRA (Congolese Revolutionary Army). (Austin Bay) June 13, 2022: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) M23 rebels attacked and captured the border (with Uganda) town of Bunagana. The rebel group itself made the announcement. Congolese authorities confirmed the rebels occupied the town while 30,000 civilians fled the fighting, most of them taking refuge in nearby Uganda. Uganda acknowledged its joint eastern Congo military operation with the Congolese troops is straining Ugandas relations with Rwanda. Uganda and Congo claim this joint operation is a success. However, a recent independent civilian analysis pointed out the ADF has fragmented but has not been destroyed. The Ugandan military agrees that the ADF has not been eradicated but points out that western Uganda is being protected, including Ugandas oil-producing Lake Albert area. Billions of dollars have been invested in the Lake Albert oil venture, to include building road infrastructure and a pipeline. June 12, 2022: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) fighting between soldiers and M23 rebels broke out near the Rwanda border. June 10, 2022: In southern Congo (Lualaba province) the China Molybdenum conglomerate denied reports that Congos state mining company has taken control of Tenke Fungurume Mining (the world's second-largest cobalt producer). This contradicts a statement made by the secretary-general of Gecamines, Congo's state mining company. China Molybdenum is the majority owner of Tenke Fungurume Mining. Congo has been prosecuting these Chinese mining operations for corruption and bribing senior government officials to get favorable (to China) contracts in Congo. June 9, 2022: In southwest Congo (Kasai region) six amateur miners died when their improvised diamond mine caved in. According to the government, in 2021 amateur miners in Congo produced 9.2 million carats of diamonds. The heavy activity by amateur miners is a side-effect of the chaos created during the last decade by Kuba and Luba tribal militias feuding over farmland and farming rights. Several efforts to negotiate a long-term settlement have failed. In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) the Hutu Mai Mai Nyatura militia attacked the Rujagati refugee camp, killing seven people. June 8, 2022: In a visit to Congo Belgium's King Philippe said he regretted his countrys colonial exploitation of Congo, to include racism, violent acts and humiliations. Congolese media noted the king did not formally apologize for Belgiums actions. These atrocities were carried out during the 19th century by the Belgium monarchy, which owned and ruled much of Congo. This was unique in African colonialism where other European colonies were run for the benefit of the nation that controlled them, In Congo all the profits went to the Belgium royal family. June 5, 2022: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) ADF Islamic terrorists carried out attacks on towns that left at least 20 civilians dead and are suspected of responsibility for other attacks in the area that left sixteen dead. CODECO (Cooperative for the Development of Congo) rebels are the usual suspects for these attacks. CODECO is feuding with several other armed militias, including the ADF, over the rich mineral deposits in the area. CODECO rebels are primarily from the Lendu tribe, so it also targets the rival Hema tribe. June 3, 2022: African and European diplomats warned that the revival of M23 has greatly increased the possibility of war between Congo and Rwanda. The diplomatic warnings follow Congo president Tshisekedis decision in late May to summon Rwanda's ambassador and accuse Rwanda of backing M23. Congo suspended air flights between the two countries and denied Rwandas government air carrier overflight rights. June 2, 2022: Congo and Uganda formally extended their joint military operation in eastern Congo. Since December 2021 Uganda has had a contingent of at least 1,700 troops in Congo. At times the force has exceeded 2,000 soldiers. May 31, 2022: Rwanda announced it will retaliate if it suffers further attacks from Congolese territory. Rwanda claims the Congolese Army fired artillery shells across the border in early May. The shells destroyed several houses. Rwanda also claimed that numerous former FDLR Hutu extremists are now serving in the Congolese army. In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) claimed responsibility for an attack on a village where they claim to have killed nearly 20 Christians. Congolese authorities described it differently. The ADF launched the attack and killed at least 15 civilians. The terrorists also pillaged houses and burned six vehicles. May 28, 2022: President Tshisekedi of Congo summoned Rwanda's ambassador to Congo and suspended RwandAir flights to Congo. He accused Rwanda of supporting M23s offensive in eastern Congo. An M23 column reportedly advanced toward Goma and briefly took a Congolese army base. Congolese troops recaptured its base several days later. In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) ADF Islamic terrorists murdered at least 12 civilians in a remote village. May 27, 2022: A Congo military court sentenced to death eight soldiers and three civilians for the crime of selling weapons to the CODECO rebels. Two other civilians received ten-year jail terms. The soldiers were also convicted of criminal association (with rebels), war crimes, and participation in an insurrectional movement. CODECO often uses terror tactics. Since 2017 CODECO has conducted a brutal rebellion in Ituri province. CODECO is a predominantly ethnic Lendu militia. May 26, 2022: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) soldiers discovered 17 decapitated bodies near the Ituri River. Authorities believe the ADF was responsible. Police in Uganda have arrested of a 26 people possibly involved in the murder of a senior army officer in a guest house near Ugandas capital, Kampala. May 25, 2022: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) soldiers fought M23 rebels in town the Rwandan border). May 15, 2022: In Malawi (a small landlocked nation in southeast Africa) the UN conducted a joint investigation with the Malawian national police and uncovered widespread exploitation of men, women, and children at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp. The crimes include the selling of children, prostitution and forced labor. Forced labor can be a euphemism for selling people into slavery. One investigator discovered a market where children were bought and sold. Malawian police managed to rescue some of the victims. The Dzaleka camp is 40 kilometers from Lilongwe, Malawis capital. It has been in operation since 1994 and currently houses 52,000 people from five different countries. ST JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2022 / Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SIC)(OTCQB: SICNF) ("Sokoman") and Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV:BEX) ("Benton") and, together (the "Alliance")today announced that the Alliance has initiated drilling on the Grey River Gold Project, located in southern Newfoundland. In addition, the Alliance has nearly completed the camp construction at the Kraken Lithium discovery, located in southwest Newfoundland near the village of Burgeo, and the drill rig is on-site ready to start drilling. At the Grey River Gold Project, the first two holes have been completed and are being logged, cut and sampled for gold analysis. This current campaign will include a planned 20-hole program to follow up on the successful five-hole 2021 program that saw significant gold mineralization intersected in all holes spread over a five km strike length (See March 16, 2022 press release). The first three holes will be 25 m to 50 m step-out holes centered around GR-21-01, the furthest hole to the east which intersected three parallel zones of gold mineralization including 1.80 m of 10.58 g/t Au.) The fourth hole will be drilled one km east of GR-21-01 to test a new 1.0 g/t Au surface sample collected in the early summer of this year. The mineralization on the Grey River property is associated with large zones of silica associated with disseminated and stringer pyrite (from 2% - 20% pyrite) within the >10 km-long quartz/silica body. In addition, the Alliance is also looking at various technologies for more precise targeting of high-grade mineralization along the large structural zone which will be ongoing as drilling is complete. Further prospecting and mapping will be conducted to assist with drill targeting. At the Kepenkeck Gold-Uranium Project, the Alliance has recently made the annual option payments to the vendors of the property and is planning further prospecting, mapping, and soil sampling to begin shortly. The 2021 summer exploration season returned results from trace elements up to 5.46 g/t Au in selective sampling along with several areas grading > 1.0 g/t that will be subject to follow-up. Tim Froude, President and CEO of Sokoman comments; "In addition to our aggressive drill campaign on our 100%-owned Moosehead Gold Property, we are very excited to have a drill turning at Grey River and drilling to commence shortly at the Kraken Lithium prospect at the Golden Hope property. The Grey River program will represent the most significant gold exploration program undertaken on the extensive quartz +/- sulphide system that we now know to host significant gold mineralization from our 2021 drilling. We expect to be completing up to 20 holes across the length of the silica zone which should take us into early Fall." Stephen Stares, President and CEO of Benton states; "We're confident that this year will be very productive for our shareholders as our plans represent the most aggressive, multi-project exploration program we have ever undertaken. The quality of these projects is second to none and I'm very optimistic that our upcoming work will return favourable results. We look forward to providing updates as the summer season progresses." QP This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp., and Stephen House, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., both of whom are 'Qualified Persons' under National Instrument 43-101. COVID-19 Protocols To ensure a working environment that protects the health and safety of the staff and contractors, Benton and Sokoman are operating under federally and provincially mandated and recommended COVID-19 guidelines. About Sokoman Minerals Corp. Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects: flagship, 100%-owned Moosehead, Crippleback Lake (optioned to Trans Canada Gold Corp.) and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project in northwestern Newfoundland, which is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland, and Cononish in Scotland. The company also recently entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three large-scale joint venture properties including Grey River Gold, Golden Hope and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. Sokoman now controls independently and through the Benton alliance more than 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1,500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, Canada's newest and rapidly-emerging gold district. The company also retains an interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to White Metal Resources Inc., and in Labrador, the company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project that has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Sokoman's property. About Benton Resources Inc. Benton Resources Inc. is a well-funded mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BEX. Following a project generation business model, Benton has a diversified, highly-prospective property portfolio of Gold, Silver, Nickel, Copper, Platinum Group Elements, and most-recently Lithium assets. In addition, it currently holds large equity positions in other mining companies that are advancing high-quality assets. Whenever possible, BEX retains Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalties with potential long-term cash flow value. Benton also recently entered into a 50/50 strategic alliance with Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SIC) through three large-scale joint venture properties including Grey River Gold, Golden Hope and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland and Labrador that are now being explored. For further information, please contact: CHF Capital Markets Thomas Do, IR Manager Phone: 416-868-1079 x 232 Email: [email protected] Sokoman Minerals Corp. Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO Phone: 709-765-1726 Email: [email protected] Benton Resources Inc. Stephen Stares, President & CEO Phone: 807-475-7474 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com, www.bentonresources.ca Twitter: @SokomanMinerals, @BentonResources Facebook: @SokomanMinerals, @BentonResourcesBEX LinkedIn: @SokomanMinerals, @BentonResources THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to 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 Alliance's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Alliance's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Alliance'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 Alliance 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 Alliance's expectations or projections. SOURCE: Sokoman Minerals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 21, 2022 / Torq Resources Inc. (TSX-V:TORQ)(OTCQX:TRBMF) ("Torq" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that two current directors are changing management positions in order to better reflect the expected executive involvement of each person going forward. Shawn Wallace the current Board Chair is being appointed to Chief Executive Officer while Michael Kosowan will assume the office of Vice President of Capital Markets. Mr. Wallace will continue to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of Torq, and Mr. Kosowan will continue to serve as a director. The Board has created the office Lead Independent Director and has appointed Steve Cook in that office. CEO Shawn Wallace commented, "I look forward to greater involvement with the day-to-day management of Torq than before. We thank Michael for all his past contributions as CEO and look forward to his help in developing our capital markets." The Company also announces that it is granting Ms. Tracy George, Torq's Corporate Secretary, 25,000 options, which are exercisable for a period of five years from the date of grant. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Shawn Wallace CEO & Chair For further information on Torq Resources, please visit www.torqresources.com or contact Natasha Frakes, Vice President of Corporate Communications at (778) 729-0500 or [email protected]. About Torq Resources Torq is a Vancouver-based copper and gold exploration company with a portfolio of premium holdings in Chile. The Company is establishing itself as a leader of new exploration in prominent mining belts, guided by responsible, respectful and sustainable practices. The Company was built by a management team with prior success in monetizing exploration assets and its specialized technical team is recognized for their extensive experience working with major mining companies, supported by robust safety standards and technical proficiency. The technical team includes Chile-based geologists with invaluable local expertise and a noteworthy track record for major discovery in the country. Torq is committed to operating at the highest standards of applicable environmental, social and governance practices in the pursuit of a landmark discovery. For more information, visit www.torqresources.com. Forward Looking Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking information is information that includes implied future performance and/or forecast information including information relating to, or associated with, exploration and or development of mineral properties. These statements or graphical information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different (either positively or negatively) from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. See Torq's public filings at www.sedar.com for disclosure of the risks and uncertainties faced in this business. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Torq Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: Eileen Drake (the CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: AJRD)) and the other members of the Committee For Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization today announced that leading independent proxy advisory firm, Glass Lewis, has recommended that shareholders elect the entire Drake Independent Slate at the special meeting of shareholders scheduled for June 30, 2022. Glass Lewis is the second leading independent proxy advisory firm to recommend that shareholders vote "FOR" the Drake Independent Slate. As previously announced, Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") has also recommended that shareholders vote "FOR" the entire Drake Independent Slate. Ms. Drake commented: "We are very gratified to have received Glass Lewis' full support for our Independent Slate. We now have the validation of the two leading independent proxy advisory firms, and look forward to shareholders casting their vote at the June 30th special meeting." In supporting Ms. Drake and her Independent Slate, Glass Lewis made the following observations: Drake and the Independent Slate "Ms. Drake working against challenging time constraints and with far fewer resources than those we expect were available to the Steel Faction has assembled an experienced and well-rounded slate of candidates in short order, an outcome which seems to speak volumes to Ms. Drake's ability to attract credible, independent nominees to her cause." "[W]e consider [the Drake nominees] each appear credible and independent, with the slate collectively offering well-rounded experience in the aerospace and defense industry." "[W]e note Ms. Drake is a sitting CEO who, in our view, has already demonstrated strategic and operational credibility and reasonable value-creation bona fides . We do not believe Mr. Lichtenstein has been successful in reshaping that narrative, and would, as a result, question the need for Ms. Drake to essentially reinvent the operational wheel simply to impress the Steel Faction at this juncture." . We do not believe Mr. Lichtenstein has been successful in reshaping that narrative, and would, as a result, question the need for Ms. Drake to essentially reinvent the operational wheel simply to impress the Steel Faction at this juncture." "[W]e note Ms. Drake's go-forward agenda contains a number of favorable action items, including elimination of the executive chair role, establishment of an independent board chair, increased accountability in relation to ARD's underfunded pension fund and, by virtue of the Drake Faction slate, enhanced gender and racial diversity." "[T]he Drake Faction commits to considering all alternatives prospectively available to the Company up to and including a prospective sale alongside the continued pursuit of ARD's stand-alone strategic platform. We view this framework favorably." Lichtenstein's Lack of Independence and Accountability "[S]upport for the Steel Faction would portend a considerable step back in terms of reliable, progressive corporate governance, in all cases in favor of a sitting chair recently inclined to delay shareholder votes, privately pursue personal objectives irrespective of board directives, sensationally misrepresent key developments and, perhaps most critically here, circumvent personal culpability." "[W]e are concerned Mr. Lichtenstein's late-stage slate change still leaves the Steel Faction list stacked with nominees personally or professionally proximate to Mr. Lichtenstein, including CEO-in-waiting Mark Tucker." "The larger question, however, is a pointed one that falls in line with doubts raised throughout our commentary: if the operational issues at ARD are so pervasive and, to be clear, we do not believe that they are why then has Mr. Lichtenstein, as a long-serving and highly compensated employee of the Company, not previously accepted responsibility, signaled the need for change or more aggressively posited strategies and alternatives comparable to those included in the Steel Faction's existing materials?" "[T]he circumstances smack of procedural convenience, with Mr. Lichtenstein selectively abdicating himself of his existing responsibilities where it suits the Steel Faction campaign. Unsurprisingly, we consider this methodology hardly signals a willingness by Mr. Lichtenstein or his cohort to accept responsibility for any failure to achieve the operational targets and governance objectives contained in the Steel Faction plan." "Mr. Lichtenstein is a named executive officer who sits at the top of ARD's summary compensation table. In absolute candor, we remain confounded by the notion that historical critiques of executive staff persuasive or not are viewed as a winning tack by the Steel Faction. In the service of absolute clarity, we would firmly emphasize again that this approach to accountability and responsibility disconcertingly reinforces Mr. Lichtenstein's willingness to shirk fault, even when his own arguments expressly indicate he is part of the problem." Findings of Internal Investigation on Lichtenstein's Conduct "While the result of this investigative process is, in our view, already fairly damning, we consider Mr. Lichtenstein's oddly dismissive response and material recharacterizations are just as problematic." "Mr. Lichtenstein has continually sought to reframe his unauthorized engagements [with CEO candidates] as, "proper contingency planning," purportedly consistent with his duties as executive chair. The conceptual lift here is nothing short of heroic, as Mr. Lichtenstein seems to be extolling his own virtues for attempting to surreptitiously circumvent board directives in a manner which opened ARD and, by extension, its investors to harm." "In a very damaging theme for the Steel Faction, we again find this sets a very troubling precedent in terms of accountability, transparency and candor, and is, in our view, nearly disqualifying on its own." Delaware Opinion "As it relates to the recent opinion issued by the Delaware Court of Chancery, it arguably comes as limited surprise that the Steel Faction again adopts a fairly aggressive representation of available fact patterns. [W]e consider a fair read of the published opinion offers a much more muted tone with substantially less relief than was originally sought by Mr. Lichtenstein: the court failed to find any major violations of the TRO, failed to find defendants in contempt, declined to invalidate any delivered proxies and declined to award a reimbursement of plaintiff's attorneys' fees." "[C]omments included in the Court's opinion taken together with the rather modest awards secured by the Steel Faction hardly add up to the more calamitous representations offered in the Steel Faction's recent materials, particularly given the Drake Faction purportedly offered to make the same curative disclosures prior to the foregoing proceeding." Conclusion "Our confidence in [our] recommendation is also carved in relief by the Steel Faction platform, the bulk of which suggests Mr. Lichtenstein has a strong preference for personal and professional affiliates, a disinterest in competing voices and a questionable approach to accountability." Ms. Drake and the other members of the Committee for Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization encourage all investors to review and consider the recent presentation materials posted on the Committee's website addressing many of Mr. Lichtenstein's false statements and mischaracterizations available here. 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. Shareholders with questions can contact our solicitor: D.F. King & Co., (212) 269-5550 (collect) or via e-mail at [email protected]. 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. We have neither sought nor obtained consent from any third party to use any statements or information indicated herein. 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 in connection with the solicitation of proxies for a special meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on June 30, 2022. PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In 2021, Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans costs declined by 0.4% per member compared with growth of 5.2% in 2020 and 6.6% in 2019. These comparisons are between continuously reporting Plans and eliminate the effect of product mix differences between comparison years. Median PMPM costs were $41.66. The results are published in Plan Management Navigator and are posted at sherlockco.com/navigator. Navigator excerpts from the 2022 Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan edition of the Sherlock Benchmarks. This edition of the Sherlock Benchmarks analyzes and reports on the in-depth surveys of 16 Blue Plans serving 49 million members. Surveyed Plans serve 71% of the members of Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans excluding publicly-traded companies. Corporate Services significantly declined as Sales and Marketing increased. Account and Membership grew modestly as Information Systems costs declined. Commercial membership declined in 2021, especially for insured products. Membership in ASO/ASC, FEP, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage increased. Staffing ratios decreased by 1.5% and compensation increased by 0.8%. Outsourcing edged up to 13.5%. 2021 costs reflected trends in membership, the effects of cost management and a redeployment of expenses. The growth in Product Development, Benefit Configuration, Credit Card Fees and Actuarial suggests vigorous adaptation in a competitive environment. We will discuss the results via free web conference on Thursday, June 23rd, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. Douglas Sherlock will offer a brief presentation, followed by questions and answers. To participate in the web conference, please register at sherlockco.com/webinar. Once registered, dial-in information and a link to connect will be provided in a confirmation email. The recent operating environment has been challenging for health plans. The Sherlock Benchmarks can assist in adapting to this environment and optimizing expenses. The Sherlock Benchmarks for 2022 will reflect approximately 963 health plan years of experience spanning 25 consecutive years. They are the gold standard of benchmarks and are used to measure and manage health plan administrative activities in health plans serving over 210 million members. Planning, budgeting and cost benefit analyses are credibly informed by the Sherlock Benchmarks. Besides the Blue Cross Blue Shield universe, other universes include Independent/Provider-Sponsored plans, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans. Collectively, the 34 participating plans serve 63 million insured Americans. Sherlock Company (www.sherlockco.com), based in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, provides informed solutions for health plan financial management. Since its founding in 1987, Sherlock Company has been known for its impartiality and technical competence in service to its clients. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005938/en/ Douglas B. Sherlock, CFA 215-628-2289 [email protected] Source: Sherlock Company The strategic combination further strengthens GlacierPoints focus on exceptional customer service and expands the platforms distribution footprint THE BRONX, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GlacierPoint Enterprises, Inc. (GlacierPoint), a portfolio company of Mill Point Capital LLC (Mill Point) and the parent company of E&M Logistics, Jack & Jill and A. Panza & Sons, announced today that it has partnered with Gillette Creamery (Gillette), a full-service direct store food and ice cream distributor servicing all of Eastern New York State and bordering states. The addition of Gillette to the GlacierPoint platform widens the combined companys distribution capabilities, with capacity to service customers from the Mid-Atlantic region up to the U.S./Canadian border. The partnership also provides a significant opportunity to accelerate growth within GlacierPoints foodservice distribution business. Gillettes operations will continue to be led by JB, Bill, Rich and Stephen Gillette alongside GlacierPoints existing senior management team. The Gillette family relentlessly pursued a vision and ultimately built a tremendous platform that is anchored by top-quality customer service and unmatched industry expertise. Their business has been built on a foundation that is entirely consistent with the core pillars we have established at GlacierPoint. We are truly fortunate to have our leadership ranks expanded by the industry experience and insight of the four Gillette brothers, and their execution strength and operating culture are a perfect fit with GlacierPoints unwavering commitment to flawless customer service, commented Jim Schubauer, CEO and Executive Chairman of GlacierPoint. JB Gillette added, My brothers and I are thrilled to be a part of the GlacierPoint team. The upside potential of this organization is extremely exciting for the Gillette family and our employees. Who could have imagined the former E&M, Jack & Jill and Panza all being on the same team now? The combination of leadership and expanded product portfolio will significantly elevate the capabilities and bandwidth of Gillette Creamery. Jim has done an impressive job of pulling together the finest in our industry. The Gillette brothers are eager to contribute our combined decades of operating experience to the continuing growth and expansion of this dynamic organization. About Gillette Creamery Gillette is one of the largest supplier of ice cream products to all classes of trade in Eastern New York State as well as portions of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Gillette distributes a broad array of ice cream and frozen food and refrigerated products, including brands such as Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerrys, Nestle, Good Humor, Perrys, Ronnybrook, Leibys and many others. Gillette has been family-owned and operated since its founding in 1985, and is headquartered in Gardiner, NY. About GlacierPoint Headquartered in The Bronx, NY, GlacierPoint is a leader in Direct Store Delivery (DSD) distribution, serving as the exclusive DSD distributor of Nestle products, Haagen-Dazs and Unilever ice cream, as well as other fresh and frozen products, spanning the New York Metro area through the Mid-Atlantic region. GlacierPoint distributes to a broad customer base comprised of grocery store chains, independent supermarkets, delis, drugstores, convenience store chains and foodservice customers. GlacierPoint is recognized as a leading distribution partner to suppliers and retailers with an extensive history of dependability, reliability and consistency. About Mill Point Capital Mill Point Capital LLC is a private equity firm focused on control investments in lower-middle market companies in North America across the business services, IT services and industrials sectors. Mill Points experienced team of investors and Executive Partners seek portfolio company value enhancement through rigorous implementation of transformative strategic initiatives and operational improvements. Mill Point is based in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.millpoint.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621006108/en/ Jiaeh Kim, [email protected], 212-416-5800 Source: Mill Point Capital LLC CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today that it has appointed Pamela Boneham as a Senior Strategic Advisor to its Ventas Investment Management (VIM) Platform. In this role, Boneham will provide experienced advice and guidance across Ventass institutional third-party investment management platform, currently with over $5 billion in assets under management, including the Ventas Life Science & Healthcare Real Estate Fund. Leveraging Ventass expertise, VIM is focused on investing in high quality life science, medical office, senior housing and other healthcare real estate for third-party institutional investors in a variety of vehicles. We are delighted to welcome Pam as a senior strategic advisor to Ventass Investment Management platform. Her decades of accomplishment in commercial real estate and deep understanding of institutional investors perspectives and objectives will be invaluable to our continued growth and value creation, said Brian Newman, Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Ventas. Boneham commented, I am delighted to join the Ventas Investment Management platform, which is off to an outstanding start. I look forward to making significant contributions as it becomes a more established and influential participant in the investment management business focused on high-quality life science, medical office and other healthcare real estate. Boneham currently serves as an Independent Investment Committee Member for CBRE Investment Managements Americas Direct Real Estate Investment Committee and for City of Hope, a world-class non-profit cancer care hospital headquartered in Southern California. She has over 35 years of experience in commercial real estate and the institutional investment advisory business, having held senior roles with Barings, from which she recently retired, RREEF/DWS, Equity Office and JLL. Boneham holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated summa cum laude with a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. About Ventas Ventas Inc., an S&P 500 company, operates at the intersection of two large and dynamic industries healthcare and real estate. Fueled by powerful demographic demand from growth in the aging population, Ventas owns a diversified portfolio of over 1,200 properties in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Ventas uses the power of its capital to unlock the value of senior living communities; life science, research & innovation properties; medical office & outpatient facilities, hospitals and other healthcare real estate. A globally recognized real estate investment trust, Ventas follows a successful long-term strategy, proven over more than 20 years, built on diversification of property types, capital sources and industry leading partners, financial strength and flexibility, consistent and reliable growth and industry leading ESG achievements, managed by a collaborative and experienced team dedicated to its stakeholders. About VIM Ventas Investment Management consolidates the companys third-party capital ventures under a single umbrella. Within the $16 trillion commercial real estate industry, approximately 20 percent is owned by public entities, while the remaining 80 percent is in the hands of private investors. VIM enables Ventas to access this expansive market opportunity by attracting global private capital to its demographically driven asset classes. Private owners of real estate seek to invest alongside Ventas directly in life science, senior housing and other healthcare real estate to obtain the benefit of Ventass experience, relationships and industry knowledge. With more than $5 billion in assets under management, the VIM platform includes the Ventas Life Science & Healthcare Real Estate Fund, a life science development joint venture with GIC and its senior housing development State Pension Fund joint venture. VIM enables Ventas to expand its footprint, diversify its capital sources, augment its investment capacity, accelerate its development and acquisition pipeline and generate additional recurring revenue and profit opportunities, all by leveraging its team and infrastructure. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005281/en/ BJ Grant, (877) 4-VENTAS Source: Ventas, Inc. DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Following todays United States Supreme Court decision to deny Bayers petition for writ of certiorari (as reported in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and other news outlets), attorneys from the law firms Duncan Stubbs and Forrest Weldon Law Group, LLP voiced support for the decision and commented on the justice it brings to thousands of individuals suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Duncan Stubbs and Forrest Weldon represent individuals involved in litigation against Bayer following exposure to glyphosate in Bayers Roundup weedkiller and subsequent diagnoses of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Were grateful that SCOTUS has put an end to Bayers strategy of deny and delay, said Matthew Stubbs, Partner, Duncan Stubbs. After years of appeals, not a single court has agreed with Bayer in this case. Today, SCOTUS has set a clear path for recovery in the courts, and we look forward to having jury trials throughout the country for decades to come. Duncan Stubbs represents thousands of victims, many of them newly diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Our cases, and the cases that continue to come into our firm, have stronger liability and more severe injuries than the cases Bayer settled years ago. The Supreme Courts decision to deny Monsanto Companys petition for writ of certiorari was the correct one and consistent with applicable legal precedent, said Bart Rankin, Partner at Forrest Weldon. Plaintiffs will continue to litigate these claims against Monsanto to address the egregious harm felt by American consumers because of Monsantos actions. Forrest Weldon Law Group has multiple jury trials scheduled and anticipates more in the coming months. Attorneys from Duncan Stubbs and Forrest Weldon are available to media for immediate comment. If youre an individual suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma caused by Roundup, please visit www.DuncanStubbs.com to learn more about how to take action. About Duncan Stubbs Duncan Stubbs exists for one reason: to maximize client recovery. Its team of legal experts regularly represents thousands of individuals against a single negligent corporation, spreading the word of corporate wrongdoing throughout the country to protect future generations from harm. Duncan Stubbs has continuously brought strategic litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country, accompanied by a select group of lawyers who have specialized expertise in jury trials, state consolidated litigation, and federal consolidated litigation. For more information, visit www.duncanstubbs.com. About Forrest Weldon Law Group, LLP Forrest Weldon is a civil litigation firm in Dallas, Texas that brings world-class strategies to support meaningful change in the lives of those it serves. With over 40 years of combined litigation experience in state and federal courts nationwide, its team is positioned to handle any complex civil case in a relentless pursuit of justice. For more information, visit forrestweldon.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621006164/en/ Shanna Watkins [email protected] Source: Duncan Stubbs and Forrest Weldon Law Group, LLP Multi-sector, yield-focused mandate leverages Apollos origination and credit expertise in APAC Region NEW YORK and MELBOURNE, Australia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced the formation of an Asia Pacific Credit Strategy in strategic partnership with Hostplus, one of the five largest superannuation funds in Australia. The new strategy launches with US$1.25bn in assets, following an inaugural raise that includes a $500 million anchor commitment from Hostplus alongside Apollos internal and affiliated insurance balance sheets. The dedicated strategy brings Apollos global credit platform together with local expertise to capitalize on growing demand for private credit across Asia Pacific, providing companies and sponsors with flexible and bespoke solutions. The Asia Pacific Credit Strategy is designed to leverage Apollos credit expertise and differentiated asset origination to source high-quality opportunities across the yield spectrum. Today, Apollo has more than $10 billion1 of assets under management invested in the region and a growing team of nearly 60 investment professionals. Last year, Apollo appointed Partner Matt Michelini as Head of Asia Pacific, now based in Singapore, and hired an Australia-based credit team led by Partner Anthony Hermann, among other key additions. Apollo Co-President Jim Zelter said, This strategy is a natural extension of our global credit capabilities and reflects growing demand in the region for flexible, expedient capital solutions from non-bank lenders. We are pleased to launch Asia Pacific Credit in alignment with our long-term partners at Hostplus, who share in our disciplined investment philosophy. Hostplus CEO David Elia commented, We are delighted to extend our 13-year relationship with Apollo, one of the leading global credit managers. This launch is part of our broader investment strategy to help to further diversify our investment portfolio to protect and grow our member investments over the long-term. Credit plays an important role in our strategic asset allocation to ensure we spread investment risk and help stabilize our investment portfolio, smoothing the ups and downs of investment market cycles. We continue to make tremendous progress building our team and capabilities across Asia Pacific to serve the growing credit needs of companies in the region, said Matt Michelini, Apollo Partner and Head of Asia Pacific. This new strategy seamlessly combines our global capital base and ability to provide large-scale, differentiated, cross capital structure solutions with local expertise and origination. The Asia Pacific Credit Strategy will focus geographically on Australia, India, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, with select deployment across other parts of the region. Launch of the strategy follows increasing investment activity in APAC for Apollo. Recently, Apollo-managed credit funds provided a comprehensive, US$750 million financing for Mumbai International Airport Ltd., one of the largest-ever private placements in India. Apollo also helped to structure and made a cornerstone investment in a A$150 million sustainability-linked note issuance for Ampol in Australia, with targets that included carbon-emission reductions and installation of EV charging points supported by 100% renewable energy. In addition to increased investment opportunities in the region, Apollo continues to grow its partnership with key Asian and Australian investors. Since 2017, Apollo has raised more than $22 billion from institutional investors in the region. About Apollo Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three investing strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2022, Apollo had approximately $513 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com. About Hostplus Hostplus has grown to be one of the largest industry super funds in Australia. With over 1.5 million members, more than 250,000 employers and $89 billion in funds under management (as at 20 April 2021), our scale and ongoing growth allows for low member costs and a broad range of investment opportunities. To learn more, please visits www.hostplus.com.au. Contacts Apollo Noah Gunn Global Head of Investor Relations 212-822-0540 [email protected] Joanna Rose Global Head of Corporate Communications 212-822-0491 [email protected] Hostplus Nathan Motton +61 447 771 882 [email protected] 1 APAC-based assets as of 3/31/22 with pro forma inclusion of commitment to Mumbai International Airport Ltd. NEW YORK and MELBOURNE, Australia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced the formation of an Asia Pacific Credit Strategy in strategic partnership with Hostplus, one of the five largest superannuation funds in Australia. The new strategy launches with US$1.25bn in assets, following an inaugural raise that includes a $500 million anchor commitment from Hostplus alongside Apollos internal and affiliated insurance balance sheets. The dedicated strategy brings Apollos global credit platform together with local expertise to capitalize on growing demand for private credit across Asia Pacific, providing companies and sponsors with flexible and bespoke solutions. The Asia Pacific Credit Strategy is designed to leverage Apollos credit expertise and differentiated asset origination to source high-quality opportunities across the yield spectrum. Today, Apollo has more than $10 billion1 of assets under management invested in the region and a growing team of nearly 60 investment professionals. Last year, Apollo appointed Partner Matt Michelini as Head of Asia Pacific, now based in Singapore, and hired an Australia-based credit team led by Partner Anthony Hermann, among other key additions. Apollo Co-President Jim Zelter said, This strategy is a natural extension of our global credit capabilities and reflects growing demand in the region for flexible, expedient capital solutions from non-bank lenders. We are pleased to launch Asia Pacific Credit in alignment with our long-term partners at Hostplus, who share in our disciplined investment philosophy. Hostplus CEO David Elia commented, We are delighted to extend our 13-year relationship with Apollo, one of the leading global credit managers. This launch is part of our broader investment strategy to help to further diversify our investment portfolio to protect and grow our member investments over the long-term. Credit plays an important role in our strategic asset allocation to ensure we spread investment risk and help stabilize our investment portfolio, smoothing the ups and downs of investment market cycles. We continue to make tremendous progress building our team and capabilities across Asia Pacific to serve the growing credit needs of companies in the region, said Matt Michelini, Apollo Partner and Head of Asia Pacific. This new strategy seamlessly combines our global capital base and ability to provide large-scale, differentiated, cross capital structure solutions with local expertise and origination. The Asia Pacific Credit Strategy will focus geographically on Australia, India, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, with select deployment across other parts of the region. Launch of the strategy follows increasing investment activity in APAC for Apollo. Recently, Apollo-managed credit funds provided a comprehensive, US$750 million financing for Mumbai International Airport Ltd., one of the largest-ever private placements in India. Apollo also helped to structure and made a cornerstone investment in a A$150 million sustainability-linked note issuance for Ampol in Australia, with targets that included carbon-emission reductions and installation of EV charging points supported by 100% renewable energy. In addition to increased investment opportunities in the region, Apollo continues to grow its partnership with key Asian and Australian investors. Since 2017, Apollo has raised more than $22 billion from institutional investors in the region. About ApolloApollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three investing strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2022, Apollo had approximately $513 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com. About Hostplus Hostplus has grown to be one of the largest industry super funds in Australia. With over 1.5 million members, more than 250,000 employers and $89 billion in funds under management (as at 20 April 2021), our scale and ongoing growth allows for low member costs and a broad range of investment opportunities. To learn more, please visits www.hostplus.com.au. Contacts Apollo Noah GunnGlobal Head of Investor Relations212-822-0540[email protected] Joanna RoseGlobal Head of Corporate Communications212-822-0491[email protected] Hostplus Nathan Motton+61 447 771 882[email protected] 1 APAC-based assets as of 3/31/22 with pro forma inclusion of commitment to Mumbai International Airport Ltd. Source: Apollo Global Management, Inc. MONTREAL, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to announce the acquisition, by map designation, of 100% interest in 460 claims (260 km2) in the Abitibi region, between the towns of Amos and Matagami. This new strategic acquisition is also located approximately 60 kilometres west of the Copernick zone discovered by Midland in 2016 on the Laflamme JV project, which yielded grades up to 0.45% Ni, 0.33% Cu, 0.15 g/t Pt and 0.24 g/t Pd over 42.60 metres (core length) in drill hole LAF-16-38, from 446.50 to 489.10 metres (see press release by Midland dated April 14, 2016). This new project, dubbed Nickel Square, extends over a total surface area of approximately 300 square kilometres with strong yet underexplored potential for Ni-Cu-Co-PGE. It covers the Maizerest Intrusions, a series of ultramafic intrusions that are locally associated with untested historical electromagnetic (INPUT) conductors. In the north part of the Nickel Square project, a historical grab sample collected by the Ministere de lEnergie et des Ressources naturelles du Quebec in ultramafic rocks of the Maizerest with minor sulphide mineralization yielded anomalous values of 0.20% Ni, 450 ppm Cu, 110 ppm Co, 117 ppb Pd and 68 ppb Pt. Similar to the Copernick zone discovered by Midland further east, these ultramafic intrusions are hosted in dominantly mafic rocks assigned to the Vanier-Dalet-Poirier Group. These mafic-ultramafic assemblages are located approximately 10 kilometres north of the sedimentary Glandelet Formation, mainly composed of sandstones and graphitic mudrocks. Midland is eager to begin exploration on the property with a prospecting campaign and a high-resolution magnetic survey planned for this year. Cautionary statement: Note that grab and float sample grades may not be representative of mineralized zones. About Midland Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as BHP Canada Inc., Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., Probe Metals Inc., Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, SOQUEM Inc., Osisko Development Corp., the Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Corporation portfolio and generate shareholder value. This press release was reviewed and approved by Mario Masson, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midlands website or contact: Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 450 420-5977 Fax: 450 420-5978Email: [email protected]Website: https://www.midlandexploration.com/ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midlands periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. Figures accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc0b26d9-7255-49d9-80fa-359353638efd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/36ce44c8-68a8-4b1d-a145-3f1a6b59d00a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e316975e-1510-4a10-b4d3-9ba1c5ad6735 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28fd82a5-4ee4-40b6-b393-d81805ed5b4f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f473b8c3-887a-43f6-85d5-4e6dd687d619 Figure 1 Abitibi Geology - Midland Projects Figure 2 Abitibi New Opportunities Ni-Cu-Co-PGE Figure 3 Nickel Square Geology - New Acquisition Figure 4 Nickel Square Mag - New Acquisition Figure 5 Nickel Square Mag - Untested Input Clusters Source: Midland Exploration Inc. Los Angeles, CA., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Motoclub.io (Motoclub), the premier marketplace for digital automotive collectibles, is pleased to announce that it will be offering the second set of SparkNFTs in the Barrett-Jackson 50th Anniversary Collection at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas. The Barrett-Jackson 50th Anniversary Collection has been created in collaboration with Barrett-Jackson to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Split into three series, the first launched at Palm Beach in April. The second series goes on the block in Las Vegas on July 1 and July 2, 2022, respectively. The Collection features some of the most premium collector car auctions held by Barrett-Jackson in 2022, with each selected sale being minted into a highly collectible one-of-one SparkNFT. In total, 18 sales will be chosen to represent this exclusive 50th Anniversary Collection, all of which will be auctioned by Barrett-Jackson. The six vehicle sales selected to represent the Barrett-Jackson 50th Anniversary Collection for Series 2 are: Friday, July 1, 2022: 1971 Plymouth HEMI Cuda lot #4001 1967 Chevrolet Yenko Super Camaro 427/450 lot #4002 1959 Buick Invicta Custom Coupe Blue Suede Shoes lot #4003 Saturday, July 2, 2022: 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX 2032 lot #4004 1971 Plymouth HEMI Superbird lot #4005 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SE lot #4006 Each SparkNFT will be minted as one-of-one and will contain 3 x high-res digital images, and 1 x video commemorating the chosen vehicles respective sale at Barrett-Jackson. To register to bid on these exclusive SparkNFTs, please sign-up here . Speaking ahead of the Las Vegas auction, Nick Cardinale, Chief Operating Officer at Barrett-Jackson, said: Im thrilled with the continued success weve seen in 2022, including our most successful auction in Barrett-Jacksons history during our 50th anniversary celebration in Scottsdale in January, followed by our most successful Palm Beach auction in our history this past April. I look forward to carrying this momentum into Las Vegas as there are many amazing collectible vehicles set to cross the block, some of which Im sure will get their own SparkNFTs in the future. Motoclub co-head Cameron Chell said: Im delighted with the response weve received for this Series from Motoclub members. By creating a split collection of scarce SparkNFTs, we have successfully driven the competitive nature of digital collectors, who appreciate the value of being able to hold a complete set of these unique SparkNFTs. The Barrett-Jackson 2022 Las Vegas Auction takes place from June 30 to July 2 inclusive. For more information on opening a Motoclub account, please click here . About Motoclub.io Motoclub is a digital collectible space for automotive enthusiasts and fans of automotive memorabilia. Motoclub partners with some of the biggest names in motorsport, classic and contemporary vehicles, to bring collectors some of the most unique and exclusive digital collectibles available today. All Motoclub collectible NFTs are minted, sold, and traded through its own specially created platform for buyers to enjoy through their own Motoclub digital wallets. The Motoclub platform is supported and managed by blockchain pioneers CurrencyWorks Inc. For more information, go to http://www.motoclub.io . Media Contact [email protected] About Barrett-Jackson Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson, The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions, is the leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events. Welcoming over 500,000 attendees per year, Barrett-Jackson produces live collector car auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada, and Houston, Texas where thousands of the most sought-after, unique, and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience. With broadcast partner A+E Networks, Barrett-Jackson features live television coverage of their events on FYI and The HISTORY Channel, as well as all the cars, all the time via their produced live stream on Barrett-Jackson.com. For more information, go to www.barrett-jackson.com . About CurrencyWorks CurrencyWorks Inc. (CSE: CWRK and OTCQB: CWRK) is an award-winning, publicly-traded company that builds and operates a full-service blockchain platform. For more information on CurrencyWorks, please visit us at www.currencyworks.io . For additional investor info, visit www.currencyworks.io or www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov , searching CWRK. Media Contact: Arian Hopkins [email protected] NNIT accelerates strategy execution to increase growth and profitability through an exclusive focus on the Groups two business units, Life Sciences Solutions and Cloud & Digital Solutions. NNIT consequently divests its Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit as well as select parts of its Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit to funds advised by Agilitas Private Equity LLP. The guidance for 2022 is suspended due to the divestment. Today, NNIT has entered into an agreement to divest its Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit as well as select parts of its Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit (together the IO business) to funds advised by Agilitas Private Equity LLP (Agilitas). The divestment contemplates a transfer to a newly incorporated Danish company established by NNIT of the IO business comprising all functions, activities, customer contracts, other assets in its Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit and shares in subsidiaries in China, the Czech Republic and the Philippines as well as select parts of the SAP Basis and Cloud Native Solutions operations of its Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit, and a subsequent sale of all shares in the newly incorporated Danish company to funds advised by Agilitas. The IO business employs approximately 1,500 staff in Denmark, China, the Czech Republic and the Philippines. The purchase price for the divested operations amounts to DKK 1,500 million (Enterprise Value on a debt free basis). The purchase price will be adjusted for net debt, working capital and potential EBITDA adjustments as of the closing of the transaction. Net proceeds will further be adjusted for the payment of carve-out and separation costs currently estimated to amount to around DKK 200 million to be booked as special items in 2022 as well as tax associated with the divestment. NNIT intends to reinvest the proceeds to accelerate growth in its continuing activities. In connection with the transaction, NNIT has undertaken to issue a vendor note of up to DKK 200 million to be repaid no later than six (6) years after closing of the transaction, and the rest of the purchase price will be paid in cash. Par Fors, CEO of NNIT, comments: We are pleased to enter into this agreement to sell our infrastructure outsourcing business to funds advised by Agilitas and establish NNIT as a highly specialized IT services provider focusing exclusively on our core areas within life sciences and cloud and digital solutions. The transaction will enable accelerated investments in services, customer experiences and growth initiatives to build a more focused business with higher margin expectations. The new NNIT will build critical mass and pursue specific business opportunities in our core business areas, while simultaneously launching agile services and entering innovative partnerships to create customer value. The divestment will be carried out with a focus on continuing to create customer value and ensuring continuity. We are convinced that the infrastructure activities will be better positioned to fulfill service and growth goals and deliver customer value as a specialized, stand-alone infrastructure outsourcing business backed by Agilitas. We have included our largest customer Novo Nordisk in our deliberations, and they have confirmed to continue the IT operations contracts and relationship under the new ownership, said Par Fors. Kevin Iermiin, Partner at Agilitas, who will be joining the board of the IO business following closing of the transaction, commented: This is a pivotal moment for the IO business, which we believe will flourish from becoming a standalone company with a dedicated management team. It is a business of high quality, which is a testament to the talent of its work force. We look forward to working together with the management team and further investing in the IO business to accelerate growth following closing of the transaction. We will work to ensure continuity while driving innovative new products and services which will ultimately benefit the IO business customers. Agilitas has extensive experience of leading investments in Denmark, and a strong enthusiasm for the Danish IT market, having previously backed the buyouts of several Danish companies. He continued: The quality of the services provided by the IO business and the people behind them have impressed incoming CEO of the IO business Henrik Bodskov, who will be leveraging his more than 20 years experience in the IT sector, including CEO of IBM Denmark. Henrik will build on the existing platform and bring innovative solutions to help its customers secure and scale their IT infrastructure as they grow. Henrik Bodskov will start as CEO of the IO business following closing of the transaction, as he transitions out of his current role at IBM Denmark. The transaction entails a carve-out and separation of the IO business which is expected to take six months. The transaction is subject to the separation and carve-out having in all material respects been completed (including certain key carve-out milestones having been met) without material adverse change on the IO business or the continuing business of NNIT and conditional on the purchase price not falling below DKK 1,000 million after adjustments. The transaction is further subject to regulatory approvals as well as other customary closing conditions. Strategic focus The transaction enables the NNIT Group to center investments, competencies and sales force around the two core business areas, Life Sciences Solutions and Cloud & Digital Solutions, delivering high-quality solutions and services in attractive markets with strong growth prospects. The divestment marks an acceleration of NNITs strategy execution with the aim of increasing growth and profitability, while simultaneously enabling greater investment in the continuing business and reducing capital employed. Following the divestment, NNIT will be organized in two independent business units and have approximately 1,650 employees in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, USA, the Philippines, China and Poland. According to proforma figures, the continuing operations had revenue of approximately DKK 1.5 billion in 2021. All employees working for the IO business will be transferred to the new entity in their existing roles, with no day-to-day changes for staff or customers of the IO business. It remains part of NNITs strategy to pursue M&A opportunities. The acquisitions of US-based Valiance in 2018, Swiss-based Halfmann Goetsch Partner in 2019, US-based Excellis Health Solutions in 2020, Ireland-based SL Controls in 2021, and most recently German-based prime4services in 2022 have added significant value to the continuing operations in terms of capabilities, services, customers, and growth. Life Sciences Solutions offers specialized, regulated IT solutions to global life sciences companies. The business unit delivers solutions within Clinical, Regulatory Affairs, Production IT, Quality management and other business areas supporting the entire life sciences value chain. Headed by Senior Vice President Ricco Larsen, the business unit employs approximately 850 people. The business unit reported revenue of DKK 723 million in 2021. NNIT continues to see attractive growth potential for Life Sciences Solutions, driven by deep subject matter expertise, agile services and solutions, further specialization in high-growth areas, accelerated cloud migration towards public clouds as well as acquisitions and new partnerships. Cloud & Digital Solutions offers digital transformation solutions centered around applications, including Microsoft Solutions, SAP Solutions, Cybersecurity, Custom Application Development, and Digital Business Consultants to both Danish corporations as well as international life sciences clients. Headed by Senior Vice President Kasper Sndergaard Andersen, the business unit employs approximately 800 people and reported revenue of approximately DKK 750 million in 2021, excluding the Cloud Native and SAP Basis activities that are included in the transaction. Cloud & Digital Solutions has the potential to fast-track growth on the back of an increased focus on its core application centered solution areas where the continued business unit can now focus on building critical mass, expanding its portfolio of offerings and focus its Cloud capabilities to support customers application and data-led journey into the public cloud. Suspended 2022 guidance After todays agreement, the IO business will be reclassified to discontinued activities in NNITs consolidated financial statements. Due to the contemplated structural change of the Group, NNIT does not consider it prudent to provide 2022 guidance for the continuing activities, hence NNIT temporarily suspends its 2022 outlook (previously: revenue growth of 2-5% with an operating profit before special items of around 5% and special items of up to the same level as in 2021). NNIT will provide updates to the market when NNITs visibility on the 2022 guidance for the continuing activities increases and in the second half of the year. Following closing of the transaction, NNIT will leverage the sharpened focus on the two core business units, Life Sciences Solutions and Cloud & Digital Solutions, with the ambition to significantly strengthen revenue and profitability of the continuing activities from 2023. The divested business The IO business constitutes a leading Danish IT infrastructure outsourcing business with long-standing customer relationships with international life sciences companies, including Novo Nordisk, as well as Danish private and public sector customers. The business builds mainly on three state-of-the-art data centers, two of which are fully owned, supported by offshore deliveries. The activities reported proforma revenue of approximately DKK 1.4 billion in 2021, employ approximately 1,500 people and will be headed by Henrik Bodskov who is expected to start as CEO of the IO business following closing of the transaction. In addition to the Hybrid Cloud Solutions business unit, the agreement also covers select parts of the SAP Basis and Cloud Native Solutions operations of the Cloud & Digital Solutions business unit. Agilitas believes the IO business will flourish as a standalone company with a dedicated management team. Agilitas is looking forward to working with the management team and employees of the IO business to continue to answer the critical needs of its customers with even more innovative and sustainable solutions. Agilitas is a seasoned backer of businesses with significant experience of leading investments in the Danish IT infrastructure market. Transition period With the signing of the agreement, a transition period of six months will commence before the transaction can close. This period will be dedicated to the detailed planning of the transfer of the IO business into a newly incorporated Danish company established by NNIT in close dialogue with customers and appropriate parties to address all commercial, HR and legal aspects. Special attention will be paid to avoiding any disruption to day-to-day operations and ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction. Employees will be transferred to the new company in accordance with the Danish Act on Transfer of Undertakings honoring all rights and obligations under individual employment agreements and collective bargaining agreements. Nordea acted as exclusive financial advisor to NNIT. Contact for further information Pernille Fabricius EVP & CFO Tel: +45 3077 9500 Media relations: Tina Joanne Hindsbo Media Relations Manager Tel: +45 3077 9578 [email protected] Enquiries for Agilitas Private Equity LLP International: Greenbrook James Madsen / Teresa Berezowski +44 20 7952 2000 | [email protected] Conference call NNIT will host a teleconference today, June 22, 2022 at 9:30 CEST to present the transaction and answer questions. Please visit the NNIT website www.nnit.com to access the teleconference, which can be found under Investors Events & Presentations. Material will be available on the website. Conference call details: https://streams.eventcdn.net/nnit/nnit-announcement/ Participant telephone numbers: Denmark: +45 89 87 50 45 United Kingdom: +44 020 3936 2999 Sweden: +46 010 884 80 16 United States: +1 646 664 1960 Participant access code: 188851 The NNIT Group provides a wide range of IT and consulting services internationally. In Denmark, where the Group HQ is based, we are one of the leading IT companies, servicing both private and public sector customers across all industries. In the rest of Europe, Asia and USA, we are solely focused on companies within life sciences. Supporting the entire supply chain, we help optimize internal company processes, production, sales and customer experiences: We advise, build, operate and support, enabling digital transformation and customers to reap the full potential of their organizations. Our role is to foster innovation and make the mark our customers and we aspire to. The NNIT Group consists of group company NNIT A/S and subsidiaries Valiance, SCALES Excellis Health Solutions, SL Controls, and prime4services. Read more at www.nnit.com. Agilitas Private Equity LLP www.agilitaspe.com Agilitas is a pan-European, mid-market private equity firm founded in 2011. The funds advised by the firm invest in high-quality, defensible businesses with opportunities for significant step changes, creating long-term value. Agilitas Private Equity LLP has a patient, sector-focused approach to investing and a strong track record of growing, improving and strengthening the businesses it backs. Agilitas is experienced at leading investments in the Nordics and Denmark in particular, having led the buy-out of the Reconor Group, Danoffice IT, and Cibicom as well as strategic add-ons for these companies such as Mijodan for the Reconor Group, Datacon and Edgemo for Danoffice IT, and TelPartner for Cibicom. Attachment CALGARY, Alberta, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Resverlogix Corp. (Resverlogix, or the "Corporation") (TSX: RVX) today held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) in Calgary, Alberta. During business proceedings at the Meeting, shareholders elected five (5) Board members until the next annual meeting. The voting results of shares represented at the Meeting for individual directors were as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld Percent For Percent Withheld Donald J. McCaffrey 125,007,142 7,326,179 94.46% 5.54% Shawn Lu 126,119,539 6,213,782 95.30% 4.70% Kelly McNeill 125,955,508 6,377,813 95.18% 4.82% Siu Lun (Dicky) To 127,354,197 4,979,124 96.24% 3.76% Kenneth Zuerblis 127,166,543 5,166,778 96.10% 3.90% Resverlogix shareholders approved all resolutions outlined in the Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular dated May 11, 2022 (the Information Circular). The Information Circular is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on the Resverlogix website at www.resverlogix.com. A webcast archive of the executive presentation portion of the Meeting will be available HERE. About Resverlogix Founded in 2001, Resverlogix is a Calgary based late-stage biotechnology company and the world leader in epigenetics, or gene regulation, with the goal of developing first-in-class therapies for the benefit of patients with chronic disease. Resverlogix is developing a new class of epigenetic therapies designed to regulate the expression of disease-causing genes. We aim to improve patients lives by restoring biological functions altered by serious illnesses such as cardiovascular disease back to a healthier state. The Companys clinical program is focused on evaluating the lead epigenetic candidate apabetalone for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and associated comorbidities, and COVID-19. Resverlogix common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RVX). Follow us: For further information please contact: Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected]Phone: 403-254-9252 www.resverlogix.com Source: Resverlogix Corp VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) (FSE: ZSB) (OTC: SRBCF) (Sirona) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) WuXi AppTec (WuXi), Shanghai, for the small-scale production of TFC-1326, a powerful active against the aging effects on skin. Years of groundbreaking research by Sironas team of scientists at TFChem has shown in preclinical studies that TFC-1326 has the potential to reverse the effects of aging on skin, including the potential to eliminate fine wrinkles. The scientific data is strong, and we are now preparing for a clinical trial. There are no existing compounds that our scientists are aware of, that have the potential to reverse the effects of the aging process on skin to truly restore its structure and youthful appearance. The anti-aging and anti-wrinkle markets are estimated to be $271 Billion USD globally by 2024. We are in advanced discussions with a leading clinical trial provider designing the planned clinical trial. Other necessary steps, including formulation and safety work, is being organized. As soon as this is completed and the clinical study starts, we will provide further information on this. There are many anti-aging and anti-wrinkle products available on the market currently. But to truly reverse the damage to the skin integrity that occurs naturally with aging is an area of unmet need. Our goal is to demonstrate clinically the potential of TFC-1326 to restore the integrity of the skin and return a more youthful appearance. The treatment of fine wrinkles is also a goal. BOTOX is the most effective on dynamic wrinkles while static wrinkles typically are managed by fillers. TFC-1326 has the potential to replace or supplement dermal filler injections to treat these static wrinkles, said Dr Howard Verrico, CEO of Sirona Biochem. TFC-1326 with its unique mechanism of action is revolutionary in the aesthetic skin care space. Like our recent success, licensing TFC-1067 and the corresponding compound family globally, we see this as another opportunity to showcase the tremendous potential of our platform technology. And, of course, we are pursuing another lucrative licensing agreement for TFC-1326. About WuXi AppTecWuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries worldwide to advance discoveries and deliver ground-breaking treatments to patients. As an innovation-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi AppTec helps partners improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. With industry-leading capabilities such as R&D and manufacturing for small molecule drugs, cell and gene therapies, and testing for medical devices, WuXi AppTecs open-access platform is enabling more than 3,900 collaborators from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need and to realize the vision that every drug can be made, and every disease can be treated.For more information, please visit: www.wuxiapptec.com About Sirona Biochem Corp.Sirona Biochem is a cosmetic ingredient and drug discovery company with a proprietary platform technology. Sirona specializes in stabilizing carbohydrate molecules with the goal of improving efficacy and safety. New compounds are patented for maximum revenue potential. Sironas compounds are licensed to leading cosmetics and pharma companies around the world in return for licensing fees, milestone payments and ongoing royalty payments. Sironas R&D unit, TFChem, is in France and is the recipient of multiple French national scientific awards and European Union and French government grants. For more information, please visit www.sironabiochem.com. For more information regarding this press release, please contact: Investor Enquiries:Jonathan WilliamsManaging DirectorMomentum PRPhone: 1.450.332.6939Email: [email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Sirona Biochem cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Sirona Biochems forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Sirona Biochems business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Sirona Biochem does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law. Source: Sirona Biochem Corp. New vertical expands overall market opportunity and sets Danavation apart from competitors whose offerings are limited to retail applications Rigorous requirements for warehouse deployment are exceeded by the ideal durability and range of Digital Smart Labels" and associated Platform-as-a-Service technology Initial installation already operational at client's Quebec warehouse; additional Digital Smart Labels" are on order to undertake a second phase roll out in the facility Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Danavation Technologies Corp. (CSE: DVN) (OTCQB: DVNCF) ("Danavation" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based Internet of Things ("IoT") technology company and provider of micro e-paper displays, is excited to confirm its entry into the warehousing and logistics segment with the successful implementation of our Digital Smart Labels" into a warehouse for Montreal-based Chef Cook it ("Cook it"), a pioneer in Canadian home delivery meal kits. Entering this new vertical represents an expanded market opportunity for the Company and demonstrates the broad reaching utility of Danavation's Digital Smart Labels" and Platform-as-a-Service ("PaaS") technology. The implementation at the Cook it warehouse was fully integrated in early June and has resulted in excellent customer feedback along with pending orders for additional Digital Smart Labels" to undertake a second phase roll-out at the facility. Within the Cook it warehouse application, Digital Smart Labels" are affixed to bins and updated in real-time at each stage of meal assembly through the production line. Given a warehouse environment poses greater risk for physical impact or damage to labels due to the extensive hands-on nature of the production line, the potential for interference from other systems, and the speed with which updates are required, Cook it chose Danavation's Digital Smart Labels" for their strong durability, range of communication and exceptional software. Entering this new vertical affords Danavation exposure to an expanded set of market opportunities for its Digital Smart Labels", which have proven utility across numerous different applications and settings. "The team at Danavation is extremely proud to be working with Cook it to help optimize the logistics chain within their warehouse and production lines, offering enhanced efficiency and accuracy at each step of production, while further contributing to ongoing ESG efforts by reducing dependency on paper labels," said John Ricci, CEO of Danavation. "Our well-engineered and extremely sturdy Digital Smart Labels" are ideal for use in a high-impact, fast-paced environment like the Cook it production line, which truly set us apart from the competition who remain singularly focused on retail applications." Cook it was created in 2014 by three friends with a big dream to reduce food waste and relieve the mental load associated with meal planning. Cook it was Canada's first ready-to-cook meal company, and the first to come up with an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional meal kit. Cook it is committed to supporting local farmers with at least 50% of each meal kit regionally sourced. Today, Cook it is part of the country's 300 biggest employers and is a true pioneer in the Canadian ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat industries. About Danavation Danavation Technologies Corp. is a Canadian-based, Internet of Things ("IoT") technology company, providing micro e-paper displays to organizations across North America. The Company's Digital Smart Labels", powered by IoT automation technology and software Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), enables companies across various sectors to automate labelling, price, product, and promotions in real-time, enhancing data accuracy and improving performance by removing high labour costs and low productivity associated with traditional labour-intensive workflows. By empowering the adoption of smart retail, smart cities and industry 4.0, our goal is to create a sustainable and profitable business for shareholders while advancing sound environmental, social and governance practices, including by significantly reducing paper usage. Danavation has introduced its solution to retailers across North America, including big box and boutique grocers, while also targeting new markets including healthcare providers, manufacturing, and logistics companies. Learn more about the background of Danavation and our vision for the future on our website. As well, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for more updates on how we are transforming the retail landscape. For further information, please contact: John Ricci President & Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Cindy Gray 5 Quarters Investor Relations, Inc. Tel: 1-403-705-5076 | [email protected] Investor Relations - United States Trevor Brucato, Managing Director RBMG - RB Milestone Group LLC New York, NY & Stamford, CT [email protected] | www.rbmilestone.com For media relations / management interview requests: Mr. Nelson Hudes Hudes Communications International Tel: 1-905-660-9155 or [email protected] Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128560 NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO, "Atento" or the "Company is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing ("CRM BPO") services in Latin America, and among the top providers globally, announced today that it will release fiscal second quarter 2022 financial and operating results after the market close of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Atento's senior management team will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the Company's fiscal second quarter financial and operating results on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Dial-in Info:USA: +1-866-807-9684Brazil: +55 11 4933-0682Spain: +34 80 030-0687UK: +44 20 3514-3188International: +1-412-317-5415 Webcast: click here A replay of the webcast will be available in the Events & Presentations section of Atento's website at http://investors.atento.com. About Atento Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing ("CRM BPO") services in Latin America, and among the top providers globally. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 14 countries where it employs approximately 150,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM BPO services through multiple channels. Atento's clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in industries such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. Atento's shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2019, Atento was named one of the World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces and one of the Best Multinationals to Work for in Latin America by Great Place to Work. Also, in 2021 Everest named Atento as a star performer. Gartner named the company as a leader for two years in a row, since 2021 in the Gartner Magic Quadrant. For more information visit www.atento.com Media Relations [email protected] Investor and analyst inquiries Hernan van Waveren+1 979-633-9539[email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, and governments' extraordinary measures to limit the spread of the virus, are disrupting the global economy and Atento's industry, and consequently adversely affecting the Company's business, results of operation and cash flows and, as conditions are recent, uncertain and changing rapidly, it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact that the pandemic will have. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the comp any with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atento-sets-date-for-fiscal-2022-second-quarter-results-301573488.html SOURCE Atento S.A. VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO) (NYSE AMERICAN: BTG) (NSX: B2G) ("B2Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional positive exploration drilling results from Fekola North and the Anaconda area, and provide an update on the development of the Anaconda area. Highlights High grade results from the Fekola North target area such as drill hole FKD_64, which returned 4.28 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold over 19.15 metres, from 529.0 metres, provides strong support for ongoing evaluation of underground development of the deepest portions of the Fekola Mine deposit In the Anaconda area, approximately 20 kilometres north of the Fekola Mine, drill hole MSD_212, which returned 8.09 g/t gold over 15.8 metres, from 431.1 metres, confirms the presence of high grade sulphide, approximately 100 metres below the limits of the current Mineral Resource pit boundary. The good grade and width combinations at the Anaconda area continue to provide a strong indication of the potential for Fekola-style plunging bodies of sulphide mineralization, which remain open at depth Ongoing drilling by the Company on the Anaconda area to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area, and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization, including the Mamba and Adder zones, as well as several other targets below the saprolite mineralization, continues to generate positive drill results in both saprolite and sulphide domains and demonstrates strong potential to further increase the updated Anaconda area Mineral Resource estimate Following the recent acquisition of the Bakolobi permit, immediately south of the Menankoto permit, the Company will conduct an approximately $3.4 million exploration program for 50,200 metres of diamond and reverse circulation drilling in the second half of 2022 The Company recently announced the acquisition of Oklo Resources Limited and its Dandoko project, located approximately 25 kilometres from the Fekola Mine (subject to completion) Click here to view B2Gold's West Mali Tenement Map 2022 2022 Exploration Drilling B2Gold is currently conducting a 225,000 metre drill program in western Mali with a 2022 exploration budget of $35 million, including drill programs on the Fekola North deposit to further test the underground potential, and the Anaconda area, including the Mamba, Adder, Anaconda. Cascabel, Viper and Cobra zones. To date in 2022, the Company has completed approximately 70,000 metres of combined diamond, reverse circulation and aircore drilling on targets near the Fekola Mine, primarily targeting deep extensions of the Fekola deposit to the north and below the current reserve pit, and in the Anaconda Area, primarily on the Mamba, Adder and Cascabel zones), between 20 and 25 kilometres north of the Fekola Mine. Fekola North Exploration Drilling undertaken since December 2021 at the Fekola North deposit has partially infilled areas of the deepest portions of the current Mineral Resource area and also tested beyond the limits of the current Mineral Resource pit in areas believed to be amenable to underground development. Drill holes such as FKD_641, which returned 4.28 g/t gold over 19.15 metres, from 529.0 metres, and hole FKD_632 which returned 3.86 g/t gold over 9.73 metres, from 502.14 metres, intersect high grade sulphide mineralization in step outs beyond the limit of the current Mineral Resource pit and provide strong positive support to the ongoing evalution of underground mining at Fekola. The Company has completed approximately 15,000 metres of deep diamond drilling on the Fekola North deposit in 2022, with two drill rigs currently active. Select results from the Fekola North from drilling since December 2021 include: Hole ID Depth From Depth To Interval Au g/t FKD_620 530.00 548.3 18.3 4.00 FKD_622 550.78 557.00 6.22 4.64 FKD_623 502.00 520.40 18.40 7.32 FKD_625 528.83 544.00 15.17 4.06 FKD_626 558.80 577.80 19.00 4.38 FKD_629 444.20 463.00 18.80 3.17 FKD_631 472.85 481.30 8.45 3.36 and 487.30 494.66 7.36 5.72 FKD_632 502.14 506.00 3.86 9.73 FKD_633 508.67 519.60 10.93 3.59 and 526.70 530.20 3.50 3.39 FKD_636 627.76 635.00 7.24 5.90 FKD_638 430.00 435.40 5.40 3.26 and 443.35 461.20 17.85 5.86 and 469.30 477.60 8.30 3.28 FKD_639 638.20 642.40 4.20 7.82 FKD_641 529.00 548.15 19.15 4.28 FKD_644 540.25 544.00 3.75 4.98 Composites are uncapped and reported above 1.85 g/t gold cutoff, which approximates current underground cut-off grades. Core lengths are approximately 85-90% of true width. Anaconda Area Exploration On March 23, 2022, the Company announced an updated and significantly increased Mineral Resource estimate for the Anaconda area, comprised of the Menankoto permit and the Bantako North permit, located approximately 25 kilometres from the Fekola Mine. The updated and significantly increased Anaconda Mineral Resource estimate, constrained within a conceptual pit shell at a gold price of $1,800 per ounce, included an initial Indicated Mineral Resource estimate of 32,400,000 tonnes at 1.08 g/t gold for a total 1,130,000 ounces of gold, and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 63,700,000 tonnes at 1.12 g/t gold for 2,280,000 ounces of gold. The Mineral Resource estimate included first time reporting of 1,130,000 ounces of Indicated Mineral Resources and an increase of 1,510,000 ounces (196% increase) of Inferred Mineral Resources since the initial Inferred Mineral Resource estimate in 2017 (21,590,000 tonnes at 1.11 g/t gold, for 767,000 ounces. On the Mamba zone, drill hole BND_090, which returned 4.34 g/t gold over 5.6 metres, from 130.1 metres, and hole MSD_212, which returned 8.09 g/t gold over 15.8 metres, from 431.10 metres, are particularly significant as they confirm the continuity of high grade sulphide mineralization 110 metres below the limit of the updated Mineral Resource pit boundaries. In the main Anaconda area Mineral Resource pit, drill hole MSR_938, which returned 3.32 g/t gold over 10 metres, from 92 metres, and drill hole MSR_939, which returned 1.49 g/t gold over 50 metres, from 71 metres, demonstrate the potential to add sulphide Mineral Resources beneath the currently defined saprolite resources, where the mineralization remains open at depth. Select results from the Anaconda area exploration drilling include: Hole ID From To Metres Au g/t Domain BND_088 71.30 95.20 23.90 1.85 Saprolite and 143.00 147.55 4.55 7.08 Sulphide BND_089 42.20 62.50 20.30 1.34 Saprolite BND_090 131.10 136.70 5.60 4.34 Saprolite BNR_542 0.00 13.00 13.00 3.26 Saprolite MSD_212 431.10 446.90 15.80 8.09 Sulphide and 567.00 586.00 19.00 2.64 Sulphide MSR_918 21.00 42.00 21.00 3.96 Saprolite MSR_920 26.00 48.00 22.00 1.59 Saprolite and 60.00 71.00 11.00 4.15 Sulphide MSR_923 13.00 58.80 45.80 1.11 Saprolite MSR_924 113.90 149.30 35.40 1.03 Sulphide MSR_926 4.00 28.00 24.00 1.12 Saprolite MSR_936 0.00 52.00 52.00 0.71 Saprolite MSR_938 41.00 62.00 21.00 2.06 Sulphide and 92.00 102.00 10.00 3.31 Sulphide MSR_939 22.00 31.00 9.00 2.23 Saprolite and 35.00 50.00 15.00 1.45 Saprolite and 71.00 121.00 50.00 1.49 Sulphide MSR_943 15.00 43.00 28.00 1.88 Saprolite MSR_943 44.00 70.00 26.00 1.12 Sulphide MSR_944 40.00 63.00 23.00 1.31 Sulphide Saprolite composites are reported above a 0.2 g/t gold cutoff. Sulphide composites are uncapped and reported above 0.6 g/t gold cutoff. Ongoing drilling by the Company on the Anaconda areas to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization, including the Mamba and Adder zones, as well as several other targets below the saprolite mineralization, continues to generate positive drill results in both saprolite and sulphide domains and demonstrates strong potential to further increase the updated Anaconda area Mineral Resource estimate. 2022 Fekola and West Mali Regional Exploration For the remainder of 2022, the Company will continue to drill to infill and extend the saprolite Mineral Resource area and to follow up on the sulphide mineralization at the Anaconda area, including the Mamba and Adder zones, and several other targets below the saprolite mineralization. The good grade and width combinations at the Anaconda area continue to provide a strong indication of the potential for Fekola-style south plunging bodies of sulphide mineralization, which remain open down plunge. Six drill rigs are currently drilling in the Anaconda area. In April 2022, the Company acquired the Bakolobi permit in Mali from a local Malian company. The Bakolobi permit is located between the Menankoto permit, to the North, and the Fekola Mine's Medinandi permit, wrapping around the latter to its south-west end, covering an area of 100 km2 and providing approximately 25 km of contiguous exploration potential along the Senegal-Mali Shear Zone An initial $3.4 million exploration program on the Bakolobi permit is scheduled for the second half of 2022. Drilling will focus on the southward extension of known resources in the Anaconda area. The Company believes that the Bakolobi permit is a highly prospective area that has the potential to provide for the near-term addition of both saprolite- and sulphide-hosted gold deposits. B2Gold's proposed acquisition of Oklo Resources Limited and its flagship Dandoko project, which remains subject to completion, will extend the footprint of B2Gold's exploration in Mali to over 1,700 km2 and add the Dandoko project's JORC 2012 compliant Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource estimate of 8.70 million tonnes at 1.88 g/t for 528,000 ounces of gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 2.63 million tonnes at 1.67 g/t for 141,000 ounces of gold, to B2Gold's rapidly growing Mineral Resource inventory in the region. The Company believes there is strong potential to extend the mineralization at the Dandoko project The Company also has one drill rig active on the Kolomba regional target, which is located approximately 15 kilometers from the Anaconda area, with assay results pending. Anaconda Development Update In 2022, the Company has budgeted $33 million for development of infrastructure for Phase I saprolite mining at the Anaconda area, including road construction. Based on the updated Mineral Resource estimate and B2Gold's preliminary planning, the Company has demonstrated that a pit situated on the Anaconda area could provide selective higher grade saprolite material (average grade of 2.2 g/t) to be trucked to and fed into the Fekola mill commencing as early as late 2022 at a rate of 1.5 million tonnes per annum. Subject to obtaining all necessary permits and completion of a final development plan, the trucking of selective higher grade saprolite material to the Fekola mill would increase the ore processed and annual gold production from the Fekola mill, with the potential to add an average of approximately 80,000 to 100,000 ounces per year to the Fekola mill's annual gold production. The plan to truck the selective higher grade saprolite material is not included in the Company's 2022 production guidance and the Anaconda area Mineral Resources have not been included in the current Fekola life of mine plan. Based on the updated Mineral Resource estimate and the 2022 exploration drilling results, the Company has commenced a Phase II scoping study to review the project economics of constructing a stand-alone mill near the Anaconda area. Subject to receipt of a positive Phase II scoping study, the Company expects that the saprolite material would continue to be trucked to and fed into the Fekola mill during the construction period for the Anaconda area stand-alone mill. QA/QC on Sample Collection and Assaying The primary laboratories for the Fekola Mine and West Mali regional exploration are SGS Laboratories in Bamako, Mali and Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Periodically, exploration samples will be analyzed at the Fekola Mine laboratory. At each laboratory, samples are prepared and analyzed using 50-gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish and/or gravimetric finish. Umpire assays are used to monitor lab performance monthly. Quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the core, reverse circulation and aircore drilling sample strings. The results of the control samples are evaluated on a regular basis with batches re-analyzed and/or resubmitted as needed. All results stated in this announcement have passed B2Gold's quality assurance and quality control protocols. Qualified Person Tom Garagan, Senior Vice President of Exploration at B2Gold, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the information contained in this news release. About B2Gold Corp. B2Gold is a low-cost international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has operating gold mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Mali, Colombia, Finland and Uzbekistan. B2Gold forecasts total consolidated gold production of between 990,000 and 1,050,000 ounces in 2022. On Behalf of B2GOLD CORP."Clive T. Johnson"President & Chief Executive Officer For more information on B2Gold, please visit the Company's website at www.b2gold.com or contact: Randall Chatwin Cherry DeGeer SVP, Legal & Corporate Communications Director, Corporate Communications +1 604-681-8371 +1 604-681-8371 [email protected] [email protected] The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American LLC neither approve nor disapprove the information contained in this news release. Production guidance presented in this news release reflect total production at the mines B2Gold operates on a 100% project basis. Please see our Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2022 for a discussion of our ownership interest in the mines B2Gold operates. This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation, including: projections; outlook; guidance; forecasts; estimates; statements regarding future or estimated financial and operational performance, gold production and sales, revenues and cash flows, and capital costs (sustaining and non-sustaining) and operating costs, and including, without limitation: statements regarding the Transaction, including, without limitation, the completion of the Oklo transaction, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including from the TSX and NYSE MKT, and the satisfaction of conditions; total consolidated gold production of between 990,000 and 1,050,000 ounces in 2022. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond B2Gold's control, including risks associated with or related to: the duration and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of preventative measures and contingency plans put in place by the Company to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, social distancing, a non-essential travel ban, business continuity plans, and efforts to mitigate supply chain disruptions; escalation of travel restrictions on people or products and reductions in the ability of the Company to transport and refine dore; the volatility of metal prices and B2Gold's common shares; changes in tax laws; the dangers inherent in exploration, development and mining activities; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates; not achieving production, cost or other estimates; actual production, development plans and costs differing materially from the estimates in B2Gold's feasibility and other studies; the ability to obtain and maintain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for mining activities; environmental regulations or hazards and compliance with complex regulations associated with mining activities; climate change and climate change regulations; the ability to replace mineral reserves and identify acquisition opportunities; the unknown liabilities of companies acquired by B2Gold; the ability to successfully integrate new acquisitions; fluctuations in exchange rates; the availability of financing; financing and debt activities, including potential restrictions imposed on B2Gold's operations as a result thereof and the ability to generate sufficient cash flows; operations in foreign and developing countries and the compliance with foreign laws, including those associated with operations in Mali, Namibia, the Philippine and Colombia and including risks related to changes in foreign laws and changing policies related to mining and local ownership requirements or resource nationalization generally, including in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure; fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations; shortages or cost increases in necessary equipment, supplies and labour; regulatory, political and country risks, including local instability or acts of terrorism and the effects thereof; the reliance upon contractors, third parties and joint venture partners; the lack of sole decision-making authority related to Filminera Resources Corporation, which owns the Masbate Project; challenges to title or surface rights; the dependence on key personnel and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the risk of an uninsurable or uninsured loss; adverse climate and weather conditions; litigation risk; competition with other mining companies; community support for B2Gold's operations, including risks related to strikes and the halting of such operations from time to time; conflicts with small scale miners; failures of information systems or information security threats; the ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting as required by law, including Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; compliance with anti-corruption laws, and sanctions or other similar measures; social media and B2Gold's reputation; risks affecting Calibre having an impact on the value of the Company's investment in Calibre, and potential dilution of our equity interest in Calibre; as well as other factors identified and as described in more detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in B2Gold's most recent Annual Information Form, B2Gold's current Form 40-F Annual Report and B2Gold's other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which may be viewed at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively (the "Websites"). The list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect B2Gold's forward-looking statements B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to B2Gold's ability to carry on current and future operations, including: the duration and effects of COVID-19 on our operations and workforce; development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; B2Gold's ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry. B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. B2Gold does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits or liabilities B2Gold will derive therefrom. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/b2gold-announces-positive-exploration-drill-results-in-mali-from-fekola-north-and-anaconda-area-exploration-drilling-301572806.html SOURCE B2Gold Corp. Expansion of Tidewater's construction territory into Alabama strengthens customer support and continues strong dealer network growth for CASE in southeastern United States. RACINE, Wis., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CASE Construction Equipment dealer Tidewater Equipment Company has expanded its construction equipment footprint in the southeastern United States with an all-new full-service location in Enterprise, Alabama delivering dedicated equipment sales, parts and service support to southern Alabama. This is Tidewater's sixth construction equipment operation, and the company now serves a broad section of the southeastern U.S. construction industry with facilities throughout southern Georgia and northern Florida. "Tidewater has been a heavy equipment powerhouse throughout the southeast since 1947 our construction-focused partnership started in 2019, and their team has shown an unwavering commitment to customer support and helping businesses grow with the right equipment and technology," says Terry Dolan, vice president North America, CASE Construction Equipment. "Their customer-first approach matched with the continuing evolution and growth of the CASE lineup including some never-before seen products and solutions available this fall will position equipment owners and their businesses for success for years to come." The opening of the new Enterprise location was attended by representatives of CASE and Case IH, Enterprise Mayor William E. Cooper, elected officials, local members of the Chamber of Commerce, and other local celebrities. CASE and Tidewater treated guests and partners to a barbecue lunch and a raffle giveaway of Tidewater, CASE and Case IH branded prizes, and special equipment offers and other swag. "We are passionate about the jobs we're creating here in southern Alabama, as well as providing the world-class support that equipment owners and construction businesses here deserve," says Jamie Young, president and CEO, Tidewater Equipment Company. "We've been in the heavy equipment game since the 1940s and understand what good equipment and support means to business success we're passionate about that work and proud to be waving the CASE flag here in Alabama." The new location is open now and is ready to serve all equipment needs in the region at 1504 East Park Avenue in Enterprise, Alabama. For more information on Tidewater Equipment Company and its work in the region, visit TidewaterEquip.com. CASE Construction Equipment is a global full-line manufacturer of construction equipment that combines generations of manufacturing expertise with practical innovation. CASE is dedicated to improving productivity, simplifying operation and maintenance while achieving lower total cost of ownership for fleets around the world. The CASE dealer network sells and supports this world-class equipment, by offering customized aftermarket support packages, hundreds of attachments, genuine parts and fluids as well as industry-leading warranties and flexible financing. More than a manufacturer, CASE is committed to giving back by dedicating time, resources and equipment to building communities. This includes supporting disaster response, infrastructure investment, and non-profit organizations that provide housing and resources for those in need. CASE Construction Equipment is a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., a World leader in Capital Goods listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CNHI) and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario of the Borsa Italiana (MI: CNHI). More information about CNH Industrial can be found online at http://www.cnhindustrial.com/. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/case-and-tidewater-equipment-company-roll-into-southern-alabama-with-new-construction-equipment-sales-parts-and-service-operation-in-enterprise-alabama-301573562.html SOURCE CASE Construction Equipment SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cordoba Music Group, which includes highly-respected and iconic brands such as Cordoba Guitars and Guild Guitars, is excited to announce that long-time industry veteran, Heiko Starke, has accepted the position of Sales Manager for its European direct operations. This territory includes Germany, Austria, Benelux, and Spain. Effective immediately, Heiko will be taking over all sales related operations from current European Business Manager Ralf Benninghaus-Fliedner, who will continue to work with CMG management in areas of strategy and brand development. Heiko Starke comes to CMG with over 28 years of experience in the musical instrument industry, many of them in leading positions at Fender Musical Instruments GmbH and Musik Meyer GmbH. "We are excited to have Heiko who is extremely self-motivated, and an internationally experienced sales professional join the CMG team and look forward to continued success with him leading the charge," says Ralf Benninghaus-Fliedner. About Guild Guitars Cordoba Music Group is a leading manufacturer and distributor of acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles, and musical instrument accessories. CMG's brands include Cordoba Guitars, Guild Guitars, HumiCase, and DeArmond, which are globally distributed and used by musicians around the world. Other CMG brands include Savarez and Aquila strings, of which CMG acts as primary importer and U.S. distributor to retail stores. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Santa Monica, CA, and distribution and manufacturing facilities are located in Oxnard, CA.For more information, visit www.cordobamusicgroup.com. CONTACT CORDOBA MUSIC GROUPMedia Contact: Alex R. Ordonez310.857.1710 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industry-veteran-joins-cordoba-music-group-as-european-sales-manager-301572510.html SOURCE Cordoba Music Group Inc. TEL AVIV, Israel and WARSAW, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BICI Solutions, an Israeli strategic consulting with wide international connections, entered as a new investor in Airway Medix S.A. (WSE: AWM) and gradually will take over the day-to-day management of Airway Medix and its Subsidiary Biovo Technologies. The BICI Solutions team will implement a new strategy which includes completion of Hyperform platform technology and expansion of Biovo's existing sales channel network, building Biovo's position as global leader in the Intensive Care and Anesthesia market sector. Airway Medix's Cuffix and Oral Care are already distributed in four continents and a clinical trial is set to begin in the US as the cornerstone for the future introduction of Cuffix to the American market. The COVID 19 pandemic has vastly increased worldwide demand for paradigm changing ICUs products and the entrance of BICI will enable Biovo Technologies and Airway Medix to meet the growing demand. BICI Solutions aims to maximize Airway Medix's shareholders value through product sales expansion, completion of pipeline development and opportunistically collaborate with complementary products/companies. "I am convinced of the potential of its unique and proprietary portfolio. I believe the current price of AWM shares on the Warsaw Stock Exchange may be significantly undervalued. The intense relations of our team with investors so far show that their comprehensive education, engagement of smart capital and increase of the company's exposure to the Israeli and the US financial markets can lead to improved target valuation - with a premium for shareholders," says Shai Braitner, Founder and CEO of BICI. About BICI: BICI Solutions is an Israeli consulting company specializing in supporting international clients, investing, among others, in Israel. The company's team consists of business, financial and industry advisors, negotiation experts, BI experts and with over 15 years of experience in business and the public sector. BICI Solutions is also supported by external consultants with experience in the healthcare industry, the medical devices sector, and financial markets. www.bici-solutions.com. BICI clients represent the private as well as public sector. The consultancy has been involved in recent years in several large-scale projects focused on the restructuring, recovery, funding, and management of Israeli and international enterprises. Airway Medix S.A. (WSE: AWM) focuses on research and development work and commercialization of innovative, disposable devices for the mechanically ventilated patients in the Intensive Care Units (ICU), and for the patients in life-threatening conditions in the anesthesiology departments. Products presented by Airway Medix address the immediate clinical needs and make up for the shortcomings in the area of currently applied medical devices. They provide the patients, their careers and healthcare financing institutions with considerable clinical and economic benefits. The Company conducts research and development work in a R&D laboratory certified according to (ISO 13485:2003 & EN ISO 13485:2012) located in Israel, www.biovo-tech.com. For further details, please contact:Mr. Ronen GrossmanBiovo Investor Relations +972 72 2151 115 [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/israeli-bici-solutions-to-take-over-the-management-role-of-polish-airway-medix-group-301573336.html SOURCE Airway Medix S.A.; BICI Solutions Lung Association provides science-based COVID-19 vaccine information to parents CHICAGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Last weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months and up. The American Lung Association asked 5 medical experts to provide trusted information about COVID-19 vaccines for kids. Since many parents will have questions about getting their young children vaccinated, the American Lung Association asked five medical experts to provide trusted information about COVID-19 vaccines for kids. Why Should You Get Your Child Vaccinated? "We are still in the middle of a COVID pandemic, and the virus is mutating into different variants, with the latest (omicron) being much more contagious than the original COVID virus. The virus is going to continue to be a part of our daily lives and is going to continue to mutate. Children are getting sick or dying from COVID, and we need to keep them protected from current and future COVID strains." Afif El-Hasan, M.D., Pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente, California "Vaccination is the best way to prevent severe outcomes (including hospitalization) with COVID-19. Until now, children ages 6 months to 4 years have not had the benefit of access to a vaccine. Though most people know that risk for severe COVID-19 increases with age, and that most young children often seem to do fine with a mild illness when infected with COVID-19, at the same time, many do not realize that COVID-19 infection still presents significant risk to young children: it has been one of the most common reasons for hospital admission for young children throughout the COVID pandemic and is significantly higher than a typical flu season, for example. It is very exciting for pediatric specialists, like myself, and parents of young children, like myself, to know that we can finally offer the protection of a vaccine to our young children. It feels like we have been waiting a very long time for this, and we haveso this is exciting news." Christy Sadreameli, M.D., pediatric pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital. "Children get COVID and the complications that come along with itthe vaccine is the best protection we have against it. The vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization, MIS-C (a systemic inflammatory reaction in children that follows a COVID infection) and the incidence of long COVID. In the pediatric world, we have been eagerly awaiting the approval of this layer of protection for some of our youngest patients." - Traci Gonzales, APRN, PNP-C, AE-C, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Texas Children's Hospital "Parents should get their young children vaccinated because although this age group comprises 3% of COVID-19 cases, they are the age group that has been increasing in hospitalizations and death rate over the last few months. We have also lost nearly 500 children in this age group to this pandemic. Not one more child should be lost. The other reason to get this age group vaccinated is because children have served as viral vectors of transmission of COVID-19 and vaccinating them means protecting their grandparents and all vulnerable members of the family. Vaccinating the children means protecting them and protecting the entire family." Juanita Mora, M.D., Allergist/Immunologist at Chicago Allergy Center "It's a lot easier for an adult to self-isolate if they have COVID than a child. When you think about it, a young child with symptoms from COVID can have a significant impact on the whole family, even if children are less likely to die from COVID than adults. And we're still learning about the long-term effects of people getting COVID which applies to children as well. It is important to keep them safe and one of the best ways to do that right now is with the vaccine." Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Environmental Health Sciences and the Director of the Pediatric Pulmonary Division at Columbia University Irving Medical Center What Can Parents Expect After They Get Their Children (6mo-4yrs) Vaccinated? "Parents should expect side effects with the vaccine, and this means that the immune system is working normally and creating immunity to the COVID virus. Sometimes the subsequent vaccines will cause more side effects than the first vaccine. Everyone's body functions differently, so a lack of side effects does not mean that the vaccine is not working." Dr. El-Hasan "Children may have some side effects from their vaccine, but they are mild and short-lived. The most common side effects are pain at the injection site, just like with most vaccines. Young kids in the trial were sometimes fussy or sleepy after their vaccine, and some children ages 2-5 reported a headache. Fever may also occur. What is great is that the young kids in the vaccine trials tended to have fewer side effects than older kids, and we saw this same trend in school age kids (5-11 years old), who have tended to have fewer side effects compared with adults. We can also expect parents and healthcare professionals to have peace of mind knowing that their child has the benefit of vaccination." - Dr. Sadreameli "Studies have shown that the vaccine is well tolerated in young children, and that's the only reason they are now becoming available for this particular age group. Typical side effects are the same as with other vaccines including redness, itching and pain at the injection site and sometimes fever." . Dr. Lovinsky-Desir "After the vaccine, your child may experience some fatigue, achiness or fever. Some children may also notice redness or discomfort at the injection site. These symptoms seem to be fairly mild overall. If a parent has questions regarding any symptoms following the vaccine, I encourage them to reach out to their healthcare provider." Gonzales The Lung Association recommends all Americans stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, including all recommended boosters when eligible. In addition, the public should continue to rigorously follow CDC community level prevention recommendations to reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. In October 2021, the American Lung Association hosted a roundtable consisting of medical professionals, community members, school administrators, representatives from vaccine developers, communications experts and policy officials to discuss strategies for increasing vaccination rates for youth. Perspectives gained from the roundtable continue to guide the work of the Lung Association. Thank you to Viatris, who provided funding for the COVID-19 Vaccine in Kids Roundtable. You can access the summary report here. The Lung Association focuses on educating the public with the most up to date science-based COVID-19 information, investing in research through our COVID-19 Action Initiative and supporting people who have long COVID through our online support community. More information about COVID-19 can be found at Lung.org/Vaccine-Kids or the Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNGUSA. About the American Lung Association The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Gold-Level GuideStar Member, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. American Lung Association 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150 Chicago, IL 606011331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Ste. 1425 North Washington, D.C. 200041-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) Lung.org CONTACT: Jill Dale, American Lung AssociationP: 312-940-7001 M: 720-438-8289 E: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medical-experts-weigh-in-why-you-should-get-your-young-children-vaccinated-and-what-to-expect-301573026.html SOURCE American Lung Association WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded the Mission Enabling Services Contract (MESC), which consists of five individual contracts, to four companies to support highly specialized mission-enabling spaceflight and aircraft management services within the Flight Operations Directorate at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The combined maximum potential value of the contracts, including all options and incentives, is $103.4 million. The work will be broken into three segments: The Baseline A segment covers information technology and related support services for the NASA Aircraft Management Information System, which is an integrated, module-based, custom software suite that supports aircraft flight operations across the agency. Baseline A has a potential value of $27.3 million. It has been awarded to SAIC of Reston, Virginia. The Baseline B segment covers services and support to the Flight Operations Directorate's information technology system and its predecessor legacy components. The potential value of Baseline B is $41.1 million. It has been awarded to Rothe Development Inc. of San Antonio, Texas. The multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract segment covers specialized, highly specialized, and advanced research and development information technology, not to exceed $35 million. This award is shared by ASRC Federal Aerospace Services of Beltsville, Maryland, Mathematical Research Inc. of Houston, and Rothe Development Inc. All five contracts begin Oct. 1. Baseline A and B are cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts, each with a two-year base period, a two-year option, followed by a one-year option. The multiple-award IDIQ contracts have an ordering period of five-years, for issuing firm-fixed-price task orders. Both the Baseline B and IDIQ awards were small business set-asides. The MESC contracts support NASA Johnson and external partners, including other NASA centers, international partners, other government organizations, and affiliate commercial enterprise partners. The agreements may be used to support requirements at other NASA centers in the future. Learn more about NASA and agency programs at: https://www.nasa.gov/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-contracts-for-mission-enabling-services-301573559.html SOURCE NASA MOST Leads TTA Startups in VivaTech 2022 TAIPEI, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VivaTech 2022 has made a highlight for the global startup ecosystem, with more than 60 thousand participants. Numerous startup challenges were also held during the event, where over 39 nations were involved and competed. Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) presence were strong, leading 33 startups (27 onsite) to showcase Taiwan's innovation. Among these startups, 6 startups, including iStaging, FaceHeart, PanelSemi, Mindtronic AI, ible Technology, and AiSeed Tech, made it to the final of "Coup de Coeur". In addition to that, 3 Taiwanese startups were selected in the Innovation Challenge final, including iStaging, FaceHeart and E-Kids. TTA Startups: FaceHeart, ible Technology, iStaging Won Judge's Favorites in Coup de Coeur TTA startups have drawn attention from investors at the final of Coup de Coeur, where FaceHeart, ible Technology, and iStaging won "Judge's Favorites". Faceheart's solution is packed into FH Vitals SDK, allowing seamless integrations into a variety of settings to remotely measure key vital signs. It helps to improve human health by transforming the healthcare, home automation, and insurance industries through its proprietary video-based rPPG technology. On the other hand, ible Technology has the smallest wearable air purifier, Airvida, in world. The device removes PM2.5, virus and etc., which has been tested and verified by authoritative laboratories. Last but not least, iStaging is a SaaS provider of out-of-the-box Augmented and Virtual Reality solutions for Business. It aims to help companies and brands transcend physical spaces and products, by crafting immersive solutions that empower visualization and live interaction. Beside Coup de Coeur, iStaging was also shortlisted for the LVMH Selection, and is expected to have further cooperation. TTA Startups Earned a Big Success During VivaTech 2022, MOST forms TTA pavilion to showcase innovation in diverse industries. TTA startups have great success at VivaTech 2022; corporations, investors and media were interested in TTA startups, and 3 fine startups won Judge's Favorites in Coup de Coeur. TTA looks forward to further cooperation with the world and will continuously help Taiwan startups connect with global industries and further enhance domestic development of startups and innovation. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tta-startups-faceheart-istaging-and-ible-technology-to-win-global-challenge-coup-de-coeur-at-vivatech-2022-301572683.html SOURCE Taiwan Tech Arena Survey findings from Mitto announced at Collision highlight necessity for omnichannel communications support in ecommerce ZURICH, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitto, a leading provider of global omnichannel communications solutions, today announced the results of a survey that explored consumer behaviors and communication preferences when interacting with ecommerce brands. The survey revealed that 90% of consumers find it important for brands to interact with them on their preferred channels, whether that is SMS, social media or chat apps. As ecommerce brands work to meet consumers' mobile commerce and payments demands, the research shows they can benefit from integrating fintech solutions and an omnichannel strategy that enables immediate and seamless interactions on a variety of communication channels. Mitto found that the type of interaction the customer is having with a brand influences the preferred communications channel. For quick questions or confirmations, including two-factor authentication (2FA), 46% of survey respondents favored text messaging over email. This number was even higher when looking at Generation Z and Millennials as more than two-thirds preferred SMS. "The level of communication that consumers are requiring from brands can only be completed successfully with a full omnichannel strategy," said Andrea Giacomini, CEO of Mitto. "Through the use of omnichannel communications, ecommerce brands can meet customers where they are already spending their time. By going one step further and integrating fintech and payment tools that already leverage popular digital communications channels like SMS and WhatsApp, ecommerce brands can deliver a positive experience throughout the consumers' entire journey." Fintech solutions enable fast and secure ecommerce payments The option for real-time payments is important to more than 40% of consumers. Similarly, third-party integration within payment platforms, including PayPal or Apple Pay, is vital as this made it more likely that 41% of consumers would make a purchase. But these payments need to be immediate and secure, which brands can facilitate via SMS and other digital channels: Key findings: Speed is especially critical when it comes to 2FA as 58% of consumers expect a 2FA text message immediately and if they have to wait to receive this, 41% would consider abandoning their purchase. 86% of individuals would prefer that brands confirm their identities for large purchases, with 47% wanting confirmation for all purchases greater than $200. More than half believe SMS is the best way to communicate during these confirmation exchanges. The importance of SMS for ecommerce As the level of ecommerce continues to increase, pay-by-link options remain an untapped market as less than half of respondents have used this method, but those who have reported it to be both quick and easy. SMS is the preferred channel for pay-by-link payments with 30% favoring this over email due to faster response times, which was a priority for 27% of all respondents and almost 70% of Generation Z and Millennials. Survey Methodology: These findings are based on a Pollfish survey of 1,000 Americans. The survey ran in May 2022. About Mitto: Mitto is a leading provider of global, omnichannel communications solutions, supporting business growth with advanced customer engagement technology and messaging enablement. Offering easy-to-integrate SMS, Voice, and Chat App APIs, next-generation business messaging, and end-to-end phone number management, Mitto's platform ensures the world's largest brands and MNOs are ready for what's next. Follow Mitto on Twitter: @mittoglobal Media Contact:[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/two-thirds-of-gen-z-favor-text-messaging-over-email-during-ecommerce-interactions-301573371.html SOURCE Mitto HOHHOT, China, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From June 14-16, the 15th Global Dairy Congress was hosted in Laval, France. Dr. Zhanyou Yun, Assistant President of Yili Group, attended the "Innovation for the Future" session, delivering a keynote speech with the theme "Create Value through Innovation". Dr. Gerrit Smit, Managing Director of Yili Innovation Center Europe, attended the roundtable discussion. The World Dairy Innovation Awards was held simultaneously with the Congress. Leveraging strategic synergies and resource integration, Yili Group and its subsidiary Ausnutria topped the tally with six awards, covering segments of packaging design, infant nutrition, intolerance-friendly dairy products, ice cream, cheese and dairy snacks. One of the judges commented, "Yili have their finger on the pulse when it comes to identifying gaps in the market and creating brilliant innovative products that both taste and look great while simultaneously serving a purpose." Dr. Yun explained how Yili has focused on building a globally integrated innovation network, which helped the company win worldwide recognition. "Integrating talent and intelligence resources, we have currently set up a total of 15 innovation centers scattered around the world, and a 'global intelligence chain' has now been established." Developing health products through consumer-centric innovation "Guided by our New Vision for Value Creation, Yili pursues development as an innovation-driven company. We are dedicated to launching health products to meet the full life-cycle, all-scenario needs among all types of consumers," said Dr. Yun. For consumers to freely enjoy cheese without storage limitations, Yili developed the "Best Cheese" winner -- the ambient cheese lollipop, which is rich in nutrition and can be safely stored at room temperature. Revisiting traditional Chinese aesthetics, the Xujinhuan 3D Fresh Milk Ice Cream has been designed into the elegant shape of a Chinese fan, featuring traditional painting carved on the surface. Developed with global high-quality milk and ingredients, the beautiful look is also accompanied by good flavor and nutrition. For middle-aged and the elderly men, a group more focused on bone health and physical fitness, the Shuhua Lactose -- Free Milk for Dad includes 50% more natural calcium, vitamin D and taurine. Applying Yili's patented technology of LHT lactose hydrolysis, the product also addresses the problem of lactose intolerance that is common among Asian consumers. At the Congress, Dr. Yun also shared the company's progress in building a "Dairy Silicon Valley". In June, four key projects of Yili's Future Intelligence and Healthy Valley will be put into operation in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including a liquid milk production base, a milk powder production base, the Chilechuan Ecological Smart Farm, and the Yili Intelligent Manufacturing Experience Center. Commitment to building a net-zero carbon future Talking about dairy's role in addressing climate change, Dr. Yun said, "Embracing the tide of sustainable development across the globe, Yili has rolled out net-zero carbon products and factories, issued the Roadmap to a Net-Zero Carbon Future, and joined hands with our partners throughout the industrial chain to build a net-zero carbon future." In April, Yili took the lead in China's food industry to launch time-bound targets on carbon reduction, aiming to realize industrial chain-wide carbon neutrality before 2050. On June 5, Yili also introduced the packaging featuring "no printing, less ink". Applying the technology of ink reduction printing, the packaging is able to save ink consumption by 60%. The outer carton is 80% made up of recycled paper. By upgrading into paper handles, every 100,000 outer cartons will reduce plastic usage equating to 260 kg. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423776 Caption: Yili won six world dairy innovation awards. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/winner-of-six-awards-yili-further-elevated-its-profile-as-a-world-leading-innovator-301572666.html SOURCE Yili Group MINNEAPOLIS, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- World Poker Store Inc. (OTC: WPKS) (the "Company") has completed all official filings with the respective Secretaries of State of Minnesota and Nevada to approve and certify its pending merger with Genuine Marketing Group Inc., a Minnesota corporation based in suburban Minneapolis, which merger will be effective on July 15, 2022. On June 16, 2022, the Company was issued a Certificate of Merger from the Secretary of State of Minnesota which included a Plan and Articles of Merger which will result in Genuine Marketing Group, Inc., a Minnesota corporation ("GMG") becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Upon the Effective Date of this merger, all pre-merger shareholders of GMG will receive one share of common stock of the Company for each common share of GMG owned by them, resulting in GMG shareholders acquiring 90% of the post-merger Company. On June 17, 2022, the Company was issued a Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation from the Secretary of State of Nevada with the same Effective Date as the merger, whereby the Company amended its Articles of Incorporation as follows: (i) all outstanding pre-merger common stock will be reverse split on the basis of one share of post-split common stock issued for each ten shares of pre-split common stock, (ii) the Company's corporate name will be changed to "Genuine Marketing Group Inc.", and (iii) the authorized shares of the Company will be changed to include Seven Hundred Fifty Million Common Shares and Fifty Million Preferred Shares, all of $.0001 par value per share. Genuine Marketing Group Inc. or GMG is a retail and consumer focused marketing company that creates brand affinity and builds consumer confidence through its proprietary authentication system, ZPtag. Combining the user-friendly engagement of a smartphone app with the smart contracts of the IBM blockchain, GMG seamlessly integrates brand marketing and measuring consumer sentiment into the everyday consumer shopping experience. As GMG's app development and technology partner, IBM not only serves as the blockchain engine, but also as an integral part of the data-rich user experience. IBM blockchain is utilized to authenticate products while tracking and recording the product journey from origin to shopping cart. This allows for real-time customer engagement and product authentication direct from the shopping aisle. More information about Genuine Marketing Group Inc. can be found athttps://genuinemarketinggroup.com/ Contact: Greg NeedhamEmail: [email protected] This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described within the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-poker-store-inc-completes-documentary-filings-for-merger-with-genuine-marketing-group-inc-301573561.html SOURCE The World Poker Store Inc. FILE PHOTO: A 20,69-carat yellow diamond is pictured during an official presentation by diamond producer Alrosa in Moscow, Russia Ferbuary 13, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo GABORONE (Reuters) -Russia avoided censure over its invasion of Ukraine at an international conflict diamond meeting in Botswana, an official said, drawing sharp criticism from civil society. A rift has emerged within the Kimberley Process (KP) -- a coalition of governments, the diamond industry and the umbrella coalition representing civil society -- created to prevent the use of gems to fund conflict, over top producer Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In the run-up to this week's meeting, Ukraine, the European Union, Australia, Britain, Canada, the United States and civil society groups were pushing to place Russia on the agenda, as well as to broaden the KP's definition of conflict diamonds to include state actors using the stones to fund acts of aggression. Russia, backed by Belarus, Mali, Central African Republic (CAR) and Kyrgyzstan, objected to the proposals, dashing any hopes of action by the KP, which makes decisions by consensus. "It was a long debate and it took a lot of comprise and negotiating to adopt the final agenda and the issue of the Russia-Ukraine war is not on it," Jacob Thamage of Botswana, the current KP chair, told Reuters. The Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition on Monday sharply criticised the global diamond watchdog for failing to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Indeed, the silence of the KP over the Ukraine crisis confirms that we are right to challenge the claim that conflict diamonds represent less than 1% of all diamonds in circulation," said Michel Yoboue, coordinator of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition. The United States and Britain have imposed sanctions on Russia's Alrosa, the world's largest producer of rough diamonds, which accounted for around 30% of global output last year, and is partly state-owned. "The fact that the KP is unable to even discuss whether it should continue certifying Russian diamonds as conflict-free, reaffirms what we have been denouncing for years: That the world's conflict diamond scheme is no longer fit for purpose," Yoboue said in his speech at the gathering. (Reporting by Brian Benza in Gaborone and Nelson Banya in Harare; Editing by Sandra Maler, William Maclean) Pregnant airmen and guardians at 10 bases across the country and in Japan will soon be able to receive free maternity uniform items through the Maternity Uniform Pilot Program, or Rent the Camo. The program is a joint effort between the Air Force and the Army, which will maintain a stock of operational camouflage pattern maternity uniforms for the program, according to an Air Force news release. The Air Force, Space Force and Army use the same OCP uniforms. Details on how and where to apply for the program are being finalized, the news release said. Pregnant airmen or guardians at participating locations can work with their first sergeant to complete necessary documentation to obtain the uniforms. The service members temporarily will be issued three sets of maternity OCP tops and bottoms, which they can wear up to six months post-partum, the release said. The bases participating in the pilot program are: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Joint Base San Antonio, Texas Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Pope Army Airfield, N.C. Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. Yokota Air Base, Japan Kadena Air Base, Japan By temporarily issuing free maternity uniforms, we can improve our airmen and guardians quality of life so they can focus on executing the mission, John Fedrigo, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said in the news release. The program was created when Congress passed the Rent the Camo: Access to Maternity Wear Act in 2020. Under this bill, the Defense Logistics Agency will establish pilot programs within each military branch to issue maternity uniform items to pregnant service members, the news release said. The bill also directs maternity uniforms not to be treated with the insect repellant Permethrin. While there is no known health risk associated with Permethrin, pregnant service members preferred that maternity uniforms not be treated with it, the release said. Reservists on Title 10 orders also are eligible for the program. The program is expected to end Sept. 30, 2026, the release said. RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany The 32,000 American airmen in 3rd Air Force have a new boss, and he knows his way around the controls. Maj. Gen. Derek France took the reins of the only numbered air force in USAFE-AFAFRICA at a ceremony Wednesday. The command is in capable hands with France, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said, citing his tactical experience as an F-15 and F-22 pilot and his operational knowledge. France stepped into the role about a month after his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Randall Reed, left to be second in charge at Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, where he also put on a third star. A fighter pilot and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, France will oversee 10 wings across two continents at a critical time for Europe and the NATO alliance, as Russias war in Ukraine is about to enter its fifth month with no end in sight. France vowed to continue to prioritize people, our readiness, our posture and partnerships while also defending the alliance. While the world has changed, 3rd Air Force will adapt and embrace those new realities, he said. The needle will not move when it comes to the dedication, readiness and resolve of our airmen. France commanded an expeditionary wing at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates and served as deputy director of operations for U.S. Central Command. The past two years, he was assigned to Europe, where he was the director of operations for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration for USAFE-AFAFRICA. As a leader, France knows how to collectively find the right balance between executing the mission and taking care of airmen and their families, Harrigian said. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Macy assumed responsibility as the command chief warrant officer of the 110th Aviation Brigade during a change of responsibility ceremony Tuesday, June 21, at Fort Rucker, Ala. He assumed command from Chief Warrant Officer 5 Chris Cottrill. Being selected for command chief warrant officer and being able to serve here at the home of Army aviation, its unparalleled, Macy said in a video posted to Fort Ruckers Facebook page. The 110th Aviation Brigade consists of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, which provides staff assistance to four battalions, according to army.mil. CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea Repairs to a dozen elevators out of order at Camp Humphreys, some in housing areas, are delayed by a three-to-five-month parts backlog, according to a post on the base Facebook page Tuesday. The 351 elevators at Humphreys must conform to U.S. safety codes, which differ from South Korean codes, so repairs to the malfunctioning 12 may not include locally sourced parts, garrison commander Army Col. Seth Graves told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday. The Army Corps of Engineers is considering a waiver for local codes to obtain the necessary parts from a South Korean supplier, Graves said. The world is still recovering from snarled global supply chains that arose from labor shortages and port and factory closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The malfunctioning elevators include one at the Army Lodge and several at the barracks and Army Family Housing, he said. Even one inoperative elevator is a concern, and the base is ensuring every building has at least one functioning elevator, Graves said. At this time, no one should be required to use the stairs because there remain working elevators in each of these buildings, he said. The only exception to the policy is one of the Army Family Housing buildings, which currently only has residents on the first floor. Camp Humphreys, located about 40 miles south of Seoul, is the largest U.S. military base overseas, and has roughly 32,000 daily visitors. The base is headquarters for U.S. Forces Korea, Eighth Army, the 2nd Infantry Division and U.N. Command. (Tribune News Service) As the jury in the "Fat Leonard" trial deliberates the fate of five former officers charged with bribery, defense lawyers made new allegations that federal prosecutors were improperly withholding evidence that could help their case. In a motion filed June 17, lawyers for the five said that they uncovered information that a federal agent who was key in the sprawling investigation of military contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, known as "Fat Leonard" for his immense size, made inaccurate statements in a sworn arrest warrant affidavit in a strikingly similar case a year ago. At a brief court hearing Tuesday, lead prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pletcher did not address the accusations and told U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino the government would write a response to the motion. It is the latest allegation from defense lawyers about prosecutorial misconduct in the trial that began in February. The defendants former Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless; former Capts. David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman; and former Cmdr. Mario Herrera are charged with conspiracy, bribery and fraud. They are accused of accepting bribes from Francis and in return helping his Singapore-based ship servicing business, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, or GMDA. Francis pleaded guilty and admitted defrauding the government out of at least $35 million. The statements by Defense Criminal Investigative Services Special Agent Cordell DeLaPena came in the unrelated prosecution of Frank Rafaraci, the chief executive of Multinational Logistics Service, or MLS, which like Francis' company, contracts with the U.S. Navy to service ships in foreign ports. Rafaraci was initially charged in September 2021 with bribery of a Navy official and defrauding the government out of at least $50 million through inflated invoices between 2011 and 2018. In an affidavit for his arrest, DeLaPena made a series of incorrect statements regarding the fraudulent billing, according to court records in Rafaraci's case. When defense lawyers for Rafaraci complained the statements were incorrect, lawyers for the Department of Justice agreed in a motion jointly filed with the defense in March that the statements were "factually inaccurate." The DOJ took the unusual step of then asking a federal judge to not only strike the complaint, but also remove entirely from the official docket the inaccurate affidavit. But the judge in the case declined to remove the affidavit and instead ordered the inaccurate paragraphs to be redacted. Rafaraci, whose case was promoted by the DOJ as a major case of fraud that echoed the GDMA case, ended up being indicted on a single count of bribery. The fraud allegations were not part of the indictment. He pleaded guilty to the bribery charge in April and is awaiting sentencing. The concession that DeLaPena had made inaccurate statements in the Rafaraci case was made in motions filed on March 23 in federal court in Washington, D.C., according to the court docket there. DeLaPena testified in the Fat Leonard case in San Diego in April, but defense lawyers said in the motion filed Friday that prosecutors did not disclose the previous inaccurate statements to them. Robert Boyce, the lawyer for Lausman, wrote in the latest motion that not disclosing the inaccurate statements before DeLaPena testified violated legal requirements that obligates prosecutors to hand over any information and evidence they have that can be favorable to the defense. Lawyers for the other defendants joined in Boyce's motion, which argued that the information about DeLaPena's conduct in the Rafaraci case could have been used by defense lawyers to attack his credibility as a witness, and the entire investigation. DeLaPena investigated the Fat Leonard case for a decade, and testified that he had reviewed millions of documents, Boyce wrote. "He testified he was intimately familiar with Mr. Francis's fraud scheme and had a deep understanding of the case against the defendants," he wrote. DeLaPena had already come under scrutiny in the San Diego trial for his role in an effort to get foreign prostitutes, who the government says were provided to some of the officers at Francis' expense years ago, to come to San Diego to testify. In an extraordinary mid-trial hearing called to determine if that information also had been improperly withheld from the defense, DeLaPena was mentioned in an email message between other agents as wanting to provide "reward money" to one of the women for testifying. The evidence included an email from DeLaPena in reply which said "$$ enroute." Sammartino has not yet issued any written rulings on previous defense motions. The government has been accused of concealing evidence that Francis and another cooperating witness were found with child pornography on their computers but not prosecuted in exchange for pleading guilty and cooperating. Also at issue were statements from a prostitute that she did not have sex with Lausman, even though the government contended she did. The jury has so far deliberated for six days. The jury said on Thursday it had reached a verdict on some charges, but not others. They were supposed to reconvene Tuesday but did not deliberate because two jurors could not attend due to health issues. This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune. 2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Fans of the Stars Wars franchise at military bases around the world quizzed the stars of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, at a USO event recently. McGregor plays the title role and Christensen his former student and eventual nemesis Anakin Skywalker in the TV series streaming on Disney+. From Kadena Air Base, Japan, someone asked Christensen how it felt to reprise Skywalkers alter ego, Darth Vader. All of the feelings and emotions that it brought up for me, getting to come back to this character after all of this time has been a huge deal and putting the Vader costume back on for the first time, it is hard to put into words, but it was just an incredible thing, Christensen said. During the global virtual chat June 15, McGregor and Christensen spoke to military members and their families at 166 military installations across Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Guam, Germany, Kuwait, South Korea, Bahrain, Spain, Belize, New Zealand, Norway, Iraq and 46 of the United States. At Naval Base Guam, the USO served Star Wars-themed foods: a Death Star cake, Millennium Falcon waffles and Dark Side coffee. U.S. Southern Command in Florida also held a Star Wars party with an R2D2 display in the middle of its table. At Camp Geiger, N.C., a stadium full of Marines let loose a booming Ooh-rah,! as they greeted the stars. Thats amazing, Christensen said after hearing the battle cry. This chapter of the Star Wars story takes place 10 years after the movie Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. The plot revolves around the downfall of Christensens character, who turned to the Dark Side as Sith Lord Darth Vader. McGregor first played the venerable Obi-Wan in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 1999. In the last 17 years Ive made so many movies and played different roles, McGregor said. So, to come back to a role that youve known and loved, it is interesting to do that. Especially with something like Star Wars where you could sense over the years that there was such a hunger for it. After the Q&A portion wrapped up, USO Kadena manager Micah Taylor explained the base mission of supporting fighter aircraft, which sparked McGregors interest. His brother Colin McGregor served in the Royal Air Force for 20 years. My older brother was a Tornado fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force, McGregor said. So, Im sure from him he would like to pass his wishes to you guys over there. The program closed with words of thanks from both men. I want to thank all of you for your service and everything that you guys do every day, Christensen said. We get to play these incredible characters, but you guys are the real heroes, so it is a real honor and privilege to get to be here and share this time with you. So, thank you for everything you do. McGregor echoed his costars sentiment. I want to say thank you for your service and I know that whatever branch in the military you are in that you are working incredibly hard for the betterment of all of us here, McGregor said. We really appreciate what you do on a daily basis, and I hope that you stay safe and stay strong. KAMPALA, Uganda Prince Charles has become the first British royal to visit Rwanda, representing Queen Elizabeth II as the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth at a summit where both the 54-nation bloc and the monarchy face uncertainty. Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited a memorial to Rwanda's 1994 genocide on Tuesday, their first appearance in Kigali, the capital, where they are for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this week. Royal historian Ed Owens said the 73-year-old heir to the British throne may find that when he succeeds his mother as the Commonwealth's leader "he finds himself in charge of a rapidly disintegrating organization." But Charles' decades of commitment to environmental issues could prove an asset with the bloc that includes low-lying island states on the front lines of climate change, he said. "His care for the climate, his concern about environment is very real," Owens said. This week's summit in Rwanda will tackle challenges such as climate change and how to wrestle millions out of poverty. Charles was officially designated to be the queen's successor as the Commonwealth's ceremonial head in 2018, although some suggested a non-royal leader would give the Commonwealth a modern profile. He is standing in for the 96-year-old queen at the bloc's summit for the second time, first doing so in Sri Lanka in 2013, seen as preparation for his future role as monarch. The Commonwealth itself struggles to carve out a strong identity. It faces criticism for not doing enough to look after the economic interests of poorer members, including Rwanda itself. A weakness of the group of mostly former British colonies is that it's not a trading bloc at a time when trade is what most nations want. With China as Africa's largest trade partner, some critics say, the Commonwealth risks being a largely ceremonial group. "The challenge for the Commonwealth was always how the developed nations can help the poor countries transform themselves economically," said James Mugume, a retired diplomat in Uganda who helped organize the Commonwealth summit in 2007. The bloc's rich members "use it for soft power, but when it comes to real issues, like how to increase trade and market access, that's where the challenge is," Mugume said. While the queen is widely respected at home and abroad, Charles' relationship with the public is more complex. Days before he flew to Rwanda, the Times of London newspaper reported that he had called a British government plan to send asylum-seekers who arrive in the U.K. to Rwanda "appalling." The anonymously sourced report was widely seen as an attempt to distance himself from the contentious and, critics say, illegal policy, which threatens to overshadow his visit. Legal challenges stopped a flight that would have brought the first group of asylum-seekers just days before the summit. Charles has hailed the Commonwealth's potential to make a difference on issues such as climate change and opportunities for young people, "and, in so doing, to be an unparalleled force for good." The need to benefit every Commonwealth member has emerged as a strong theme this week, with people demanding a more dynamic bloc. "We must ensure nobody is left behind, such as small and developing nations," Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Tuesday, adding that he wants to see a bloc in which "when we talk about the Commonwealth, we actually mean it being the Commonwealth, not just being common to a few of the many 54 countries." The bloc, with member states ranging from vast India to tiny Tuvalu, faces a new challenge as some discuss removing the queen as head of state. She is head of state in 14 Commonwealth realms, but Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit. While countries can remain in the Commonwealth if they become republics, it adds to uncertainty around an organization that the queen's strong personal commitment has helped to unite. Questions remain about the bloc's value among poorer member states, with some critics scoffing at Africa's ties with an organization they see as tainted by the memory of slavery and colonialism. "Look at the case of the host of this year's (Commonwealth summit). Rwanda was not colonized by the British but the Belgians ... It's like the village belle who leaves one bully and falls into the arms of another to make the former jealous but also to still get the privileges and protection of being ensconced with the powerful," said analyst Nicholas Sengoba in a column in Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009 after ties with former benefactor France frayed over its alleged responsibility for Rwanda's 1994 genocide. In Rwanda, Charles will meet survivors and perpetrators of the genocide, visiting a church where the remains of tens of thousands of victims are buried. ___ Lawless reported from London. SEOUL, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is meeting with his senior military officials to discuss national defense policies and continuing his arms buildup following a highly provocative run in ballistic missile testing this year that revived tensions with Washington and Seoul. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim presided over a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission that began Tuesday to review defense work during the first half of 2022 and confirm "crucial and urgent tasks" to expand military capabilities and implement key defense policies. The report did not specify any plans or mention any critical remarks toward the United States or rival South Korea. U.S. and South Korean officials have said in recent months that the North could be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test explosion since 2017 as Kim escalates brinkmanship aimed at cementing the North's status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. KCNA said the commission's members started discussing the agenda that was presented, indicating the meeting may continue for days. The members could discuss the progress in weapons development and plans to deploy some of the systems that were tested in recent months, including a purported hypersonic missile, a long-range cruise missile and the North's newest intercontinental ballistic missile, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's private Sejong Institute. The North's ramped-up testing activity has come under a five-year arms development plan Kim announced in early 2021, when he revealed an extensive wish list of advanced military assets, including tactical nuclear weapons, nuclear-powered submarines, multiwarhead missiles and solid-fuel, long-range weapons. The meeting follows another major political conference earlier this month where Kim doubled down on his arms buildup in the face of what he described as an aggravating security environment and set forth further "militant tasks" to be pursued by his armed forces and military scientists. North Korea has already set an annual record in ballistic launches through the first half of 2022, firing 31 missiles in over 18 different launch events, including its first demonstrations of ICBMs in nearly five years. South Korea's military also detected the North firing suspected artillery shells into sea last week. Kim may up the ante soon as U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea has all but finished preparations to detonate a nuclear device at its testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. The site had been inactive since hosting the North's sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it said it detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs. The North's unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores Kim's dual intent to advance his arsenal and pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear diplomacy, experts say. While the United States has said it would push for additional sanctions if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, the divisions between permanent members of the U.N. Security Council make the prospects for meaningful punitive measures unclear. Russia and China this year vetoed U.S.-sponsored resolutions that would have increased sanctions, insisting Washington should focus on reviving dialogue. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Myanmar's defense minister, under sanctions from the United States, Britain and other countries for abuses committed by his country's military, was welcomed Wednesday to an annual meeting with his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Gen. Mya Tun Oo wore his military uniform as he attended the ASEAN defense ministers' meeting in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. More than 600 civic groups inside and outside Myanmar had issued an appeal to the ministers not to invite him. They accuse him of complicity in violence committed by Myanmar's military as it seeks to crush opposition to its seizure of power last year from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a private organization that tracks government killings and arrests, said Friday that 2,000 civilians have been killed by Myanmar's security forces. The army is also battling anti-government guerrillas in the countryside. Mya Tun Oo has also been accused of involvement in atrocities carried out by the army against the Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017, when he was chief of the military's general staff, the third most powerful post in the army. International courts are investigating allegations that the military committed genocide in brutal counterinsurgency campaigns that sent more than 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh for safety. "The Myanmar military junta's acts fully meet the definition of terror under international and national law, and is responsible for ongoing violations of international human rights and humanitarian law following the military's illegal coup attempt," said the appeal issued by 677 civic groups to the ASEAN defense ministers. "General Mya Tun Oo plays a leading role in the management of the military, which is responsible for committing ongoing atrocity crimes with total impunity," it said. "Mya Tun Oo's direct responsibility for international law violations has been recognized by the USA, UK, EU, Canada and New Zealand, which sanctioned him." Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, from the group Burma Campaign UK, told The Associated Press that ASEAN was failing to respect and stand with the people of Myanmar by inviting Mya Tun Oo to its meeting. "The military will see this invitation as a sign of encouragement to continue carrying out their human rights violations in the country with complete impunity," she said. Cambodia is chair of the 10-nation ASEAN this year. In February, ASEAN foreign ministers held their annual retreat without their counterpart from Myanmar, who was prevented from participating but allowed to attend online as an observer. In January, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen became the first head of government to visit Myanmar since the army seized power. He has stressed that Myanmar must be included in ASEAN's activities, but has also expressed pessimism that any progress toward peace can be made this year. ASEAN has sought to play a mediating role in Myanmar's crisis, fearing its increasingly violent unrest may cause problems regionally. In April last year it reached a consensus on a five-point plan to try to help restore stability, but Myanmar has hindered the agreement's implementation. Relations were strained further when Myanmar would not allow an ASEAN special envoy to meet with Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the takeover. ASEAN, under the guidance of its former chair, Brunei, took the unprecedented step of not allowing the leader of Myanmar's military government, Min Aung Hlaing, to attend its annual summit last October. A joint declaration issued after Wednesday's defense ministers meeting included a statement of support for the five-point consensus, which calls for an immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. Malaysia's defense ministry called the meeting useful, but said in a statement that the attendance of its defense minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, does not mean Malaysia recognizes Myanmar's ruling military council as the country's valid government. It said it has always stressed that Myanmar's military government must immediately implement ASEAN's five-point consensus. Malaysia is the ASEAN member most critical of Myanmar's ruling generals. In May, its foreign minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, met with his counterpart in the National Unity Government, a group set up by previously elected Myanmar politicians that operates as an underground shadow administration. The military has declared it an illegal terrorist organization. - Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report. BANGKOK Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was transferred Wednesday from a secret detention location to a prison in the country's capital, legal officials familiar with her case said. Her ongoing court cases will be tried at a new facility constructed in the prison compound, they said. Suu Kyi was arrested on Feb. 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government. She was initially held at her residence in the capital, but was later moved to at least one other location, and for about the past year has been held at an undisclosed location in the capital, Naypyitaw, generally assumed to be on a military base. She has been tried on multiple charges, including corruption, at a special court in Naypyitaw that began hearings on May 24, 2021. Each of the 11 corruption counts she faces is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Already she has been sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment after being convicted on charges of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions. In addition to the corruption cases that are underway, she also has been charged with election fraud and violating the Officials Secrets Act. Suu Kyi's supporters and rights groups say the charges against her are politically motivated and are an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the military's seizure of power while keeping her from returning to politics. Many senior members of her government and party were also arrested and tried, and several are co-defendants in some of her cases. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a private organization that tracks government killings and arrests, a total of 11,174 people are currently in detention for suspected opposition to the ruling military council. Suu Kyi, who turned 77 on Sunday, spent about 15 years in detention under a previous military government, but virtually all of it was under house arrest at her family home in Yangon, the country's biggest city. Three legal officials said Suu Kyi's lawyers were informed Tuesday that a new building at the prison has been completed and all Suu Kyi's remaining court hearings will be held there starting on Thursday. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release any information about her cases. One of the officials said the government intended to put her in solitary confinement after her first conviction last year, but had to wait until the new facilities at the main prison in Naypyitaw were completed. No government spokesperson was available to confirm Suu Kyi's move. The secret location where she had been held for about the past year was a residence where she had nine people to help with her living arrangements, along with a dog that was a gift arranged by one of her sons. Australian economist Sean Turnell, who was an adviser to Suu Kyi, is being held at the same prison where Suu Kyi was sent. Turnell and Suu Kyi are being prosecuted in the same case under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, so both are to appear at the court inside the prison on Thursday. In addition to the 11 counts of corruption, Suu Kyi and several colleagues have been charged with election fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of three years. Taiwan deployed jets and air defense systems Tuesday after 29 Chinese warplanes, including bombers and fighters, entered its air defense zone, according to Taiwans Ministry of National Defense. Chinese aircraft have approached Taiwans territory repeatedly in recent years, forcing the islands air force to scramble jets in response. Large formations of Chinese military aircraft also approached Taiwan in January and May. The latest incursion included six bombers and 17 fighters along with electronic warfare, early warning, antisubmarine and aerial refueling planes, Taiwans Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website Tuesday. The air defense identification zone is a wide area beyond a countrys airspace where approaching aircraft are required to identify themselves. [A]ircraft tasked, radio warnings issued and air defense missile systems deployed to monitor the activities, the ministry said in its statement. A map tweeted by the ministry the same day shows most of the Chinese planes traveled in a zig-zag flight path south of Taiwan. The incursion came four days after the launch of Chinas third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, named for the mainland province opposite Taiwan. A week ago, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman repeated his countrys claim to exclusive rights over the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. considers the strait international waters and has sent warships through it on a monthly basis this year. Chinese aircraft and vessels have made an alarming increase in unsafe aerial intercepts and confrontations at sea, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said June 11 at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore. Weve witnessed a steady increase in provocative and destabilizing military activity near Taiwan, Austin said. Americas One China policy regarding Taiwan remains unchanged and unwavering, Austin said during the opening speech at the defense summit held each summer in the Asian city-state. But unfortunately, that doesnt seem to be true for [China], he said. Under the One China policy, the U.S. acknowledges Beijings view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949, but considers Taiwans status as unsettled. Chinese aircraft in recent months flew in record numbers near Taiwan, and nearly every day, Austin said. China regards Taiwan, which lies just off its southeast coast, as a renegade province that, at some point, must be unified under Beijings control. The United States formally switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. The U.S., however, has continued to supply arms to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act. The U.S. has maintained strategic ambiguity about what military actions it would take in the event China moved to take the self-governing island by force. President Joe Biden, in Tokyo on May 23 during his first presidential visit to Japan, signaled an apparent end to that policy by saying the U.S. would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. The U.S. One China policy acknowledges Beijings claim over Taiwan but doesnt give China the right to take Taiwan by force, Biden said. We agree with the One China policy and all the attendant agreements we made, but the idea that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, would just not be appropriate, Biden said. VIENNA Austrias capital was to host the first meeting of the states that are party to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on Tuesday. During the three-day meeting, participants are likely to reiterate the importance of nuclear disarmament and also condemn Russia for threatening to use nuclear weapons during its invasion of Ukraine. Discussions are expected to address mechanisms to encourage non-parties to join the treaty, such as by holding regular dialogues, and support for victims of nuclear weapons, and an outcome document will be compiled. On Tuesday, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Tagami, as heads of atomic-bombed cities, were to deliver speeches to raise awareness about the inhumanity of nuclear weapons. Non-signatory countries including North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members Germany, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands, were expected to participate as observers without voting rights. The global situation regarding nuclear abolition is becoming increasingly complicated, with calls to eliminate nuclear weapons from a humanitarian standpoint continuing to increase amid a growing emphasis on the usefulness of nuclear deterrence. The TPNW was adopted by the United Nations in 2017 and entered into force in January last year. As of June 13, 62 countries and regions, mainly in Africa and South America, have ratified the treaty. Nuclear powers, including the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, which are permitted to possess nuclear weapons under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), will not participate in the TPNW and therefore will not be bound by the treaty. European NATO members, as well as Japan and South Korea, which rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, have not joined the TPNW, either. The Japanese government claims to share the TPNWs goal of abolishing nuclear weapons but takes the position that its ratification would undermine the legitimacy of the U.S. nuclear deterrence according to government sources. Finland and Sweden, which have applied to join NATO, and Ukraine have not signed the treaty. Nor have major countries in the Middle East that are reeling from Irans nuclear program. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of using nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, China is trying to modernize its nuclear arsenal and North Korea is thought to be preparing for its seventh nuclear test. In March, Germany announced it would upgrade its fighter jets that can be equipped to carry nuclear bombs as part of its strategy to share nuclear forces with the United States. The move suggests that Germany, which is participating in the Vienna conference as an observer, has no intention of ratifying the TPNW. A rare intrusion into Estonian airspace by a Russian Mi-8 attack helicopter has prompted the latest salvo of charges that Moscow is ratcheting up tensions in the Baltic region one week ahead of a major NATO security summit. Earlier this week, Russia lashed out at Lithuania for imposing a transit ban on certain goods to Russias military exclave of Kaliningrad. Both the ban and the airspace incursion happened over the weekend. The helicopter, assigned to a Russian border guard unit, was flying with its transponders turned off and lingered in Estonian airspace Saturday evening for nearly two minutes, the Estonian Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. This is the picture of the threat, how we see the Russian threat, Kusti Salm, a ministry official, told local reporters Tuesday. It has never been as serious as it is now. In response, Estonia summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipayev and lodged a formal complaint. The incident was the second violation of Estonian airspace by Russia this year, the ministry said. Last year, five such incidents occurred, it said. But Estonian officials are sounding the alarm over the latest incursion, which comes amid high tensions over Russias unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war there. Estonian officials said the Russian aircraft didnt file a flight plan or establish two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic control, as air safety rules require. The incident undoubtedly causes additional tensions and is completely unacceptable, Tallinn said Tuesday. News of the airspace violation comes on the heels of Kremlin threats to retaliate against fellow NATO member Lithuania unless the transit ban is lifted. Russia relies on trains that travel through Lithuania to get supplies to Kaliningrad. The items affected by the ban are subject to European Union sanctions, and officials shot down claims that Lithuania had acted unilaterally against Russia. They said the Baltic country coordinated its move with the EU. At a NATO summit in Madrid next week, heads of state are expected to adopt a new strategy to address concerns about potential Russian aggression. The strategy is expected to involve an increase in troop levels along the alliances eastern flank. TALLINN, Estonia French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country that neighbors Russia, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The airborne operation conducted on Tuesday night and dubbed Thunder Lynx "enabled, at very short notice, the dropping of about 100 paratroopers" from France's 11th Airborne Brigade "over an area secured by Estonian soldiers," the statement said. The hastily organized exercise in Estonia, a NATO ally, was executed as an act of "strategic solidarity" amid Russia's war in Ukraine. "The airborne operation illustrates the ability of the French armed forces to intervene, in emergency, and support an allied country," a French defense ministry statement said. France was one of the first countries to send its troops to Europe's eastern flank following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. France has around 500 soldiers deployed to Romania as part of NATO's Rapid Reaction Force and has been a key player in NATO's bolstering of forces on the alliance's eastern flank since the war started. In May, France deployed an air defense system to Romania that NATO said "can ensure protection to the forces operating within the area." During a recent visit to the French troops stationed in Romania, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized his country's commitment to "defend Europe as war is being waged again." BERLIN German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that he wants to discuss the outlines of a "Marshall plan for Ukraine" with the leaders of the Group of Seven countries at their upcoming summit in Germany. Scholz hopes for a united front on long-term support for Ukraine when he hosts the annual G-7 summit in Bavaria next week. The group of the world's leading economic powers is made up of the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Canada and Japan. The chancellor told Germany's parliament that "rebuilding Ukraine will be a task for generations." Recalling his visit last week to Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that saw intense fighting, he said that "some things there remind not just me of the pictures of German cities after World War II." Like Europe then, "Ukraine today needs a Marshall plan for its rebuilding," Scholz said referring to the U.S.-sponsored plan that helped revive European economies after WWII. Billions of dollars will be needed to finance rebuilding over years, and that can only work if European nations, other major donor countries and international organizations work together, Scholz said. He has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the matter with the G-7 leaders by video link on Monday. Aside from funding, "one thing is really decisive we must agree ... what such a 'Marshall plan for Ukraine' can look like," he added. "How we coordinate it internationally; how we decide together in the future what investments advance Ukraine fastest on its European path." Scholz said that, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he will call for a high-ranking expert conference on Ukraine to be convened under the umbrella of Germany's G-7 presidency. European Union leaders are expect at a summit Thursday and Friday to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership, kicking off a progress that will likely take years and whose success isn't guaranteed. Russian President Vladimir Putins international favorability ratings have plummeted in the wake of his war on Ukraine, while attitudes toward the U.S. and NATO have improved, according to a new Pew Research Center global opinion survey. A median of 65% of those polled across 11 alliance member countries held favorable views of NATO, compared with 26% having negative views, Pew said. Meanwhile, ratings for the U.S. were generally positive, with 61% across 17 nations expressing a favorable view of the country. Since Russias full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, NATOs role in defending member states from potential aggression has been brought into sharper focus and likely contributed to its rising favorability. Russias invasion of Ukraine has brought war to Europe at a scale unseen since the 1940s, Pew noted. Poland, which has been among the most vocal supporters of Ukraine in its battle against Russia, had the highest view of NATO, with 89% looking positively on the alliance, Pew found. But there were exceptions to NATOs popularity. In Italy, ratings dropped from 72% in 2021 to 64% now. And in Greece, where the population has historically been ambivalent about NATO, 64% reported negative views, Pew said. The survey findings show a contrast between public opinion in Greece and the enthusiasm of the Greek government, which in October 2021 signed a deal to increase the American military footprint in the country. Meanwhile, Russias credibility has nose-dived following the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, with 85% of those polled across 18 countries expressing unfavorable views of Russia. Majorities in most nations also say they have a very unfavorable opinions, Pew said. In almost every country surveyed, at least seven-in-ten have an unfavorable opinion of Russia. Malaysia is the only country where this is not true, Pew said. Anti-Russian feelings were strongest in Poland, with 97 % holding negative views. In the U.S., 92 % of those polled look unfavorably on Russia. Confidence in Putin to do the right thing in world affairs also reached a 20-year low in most countries with, 90% across 18 countries saying Putin could not be relied on, Pew said. Generally, the small minorities in Europe who had confidence in Putin were aligned with right-wing populist parties, such as the Alternative for Germany party. Although the overseas popularity of Putins U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, has dipped, 60% of respondents expressed confidence that he would do the right thing in world affairs. Bidens 82% approval rating in Poland was tops in the poll, whereas only 41% of Greeks surveyed approve of Biden, the lowest rating among the countries involved. One possible factor in Bidens decline, Pew reported, was his handling of the messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in a chaotic evacuation and the Talibans return to power after two decades of NATO military presence in the country. Still, while Biden got low marks for his handling of the U.S. departure, a slight majority said the decision to leave Afghanistan was the right one, with 51% across 17 countries saying it was time to go. The Pew survey included data from 18 nations: the U.S., Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Interviews were conducted from Feb. 14 to May 11. NATOs top official said Wednesday that the U.S. and other allies must be prepared to support Ukraine for the long haul in its war with Russia. Failure to do so would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned at an event in Brussels hosted by Politico. If Putin gets his way by using military force against an independent, democratic nation in Europe, it will be a much higher (price) than the price we pay today to support Ukraine, Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting of allied heads of state in Madrid. Politico and other outlets reported in recent weeks that Germany, France and Italy were keen to hasten the end of the war, even if that required concessions to Putin. But on Wednesday, Stoltenberg squelched notions of an end to the fighting in the near term. I cannot tell you exactly how long this war will last, he said. This is now turning into a war of attrition. Next week, U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders will agree to a new NATO strategic concept that deals with threats posed by Russia and the military rise of China. Allies also will look to increase the number of troops positioned along NATOs eastern flank, Stoltenberg said. While exact details havent been revealed, the plan could result in additional rotations to the Baltics, Poland or elsewhere for U.S. troops operating in Europe. Meanwhile, the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war are expected to take center stage at the summit. To that end, allies will make new commitments to Ukraine with a focus on helping it shift from Soviet-era weaponry to NATO gear, Stoltenberg said at Wednesdays event. Also, anti-drone equipment and technology to enhance secure command-and-control communication are among the things allies will provide, Stoltenberg said. Ukrainian officials have warned that much more will be needed to hold off Russias push into the eastern part of the country, where artillery bombards cities around the clock. For allies, the test going forward will be one of political endurance as the U.S. and other members spend billions of dollars getting increasingly sophisticated weaponry into the country. BERLIN Austria, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands announced plans this week to prepare to resurrect old coal plants as gas supplies dwindled. The moves came just days after Moscow reduced natural gas flows to several European countries, including Italy and Slovakia, alarming leaders who are worried about energy reserves ahead of winter. Thats not the direction in which these government wanted to move. A return to coal would controvert climate policy already in place in Amsterdam and Berlin. Some officials are concerned about the longer-term threat such a move would post to efforts to fight climate change in Europe. We have to make sure that we use this crisis to move forward and not to have a backsliding on the dirty fossil fuels, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Tuesday. Germany says it is restarting some coal power plants, while Austria is outfitting an existing plant to use coal. In the Netherlands, authorities have lifted production caps on coal-fired plants. When it came to power late last year, the new German coalition government made up of the center-left Social Democrats, Greens and the liberal Free Democrats had put climate policy at the center of its agenda aiming to bring forward the countrys coal exit to 2030. Its ambitious plans also include aiming to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. But Russias war in Ukraine has shaken up plans amid uncertainty about Moscows natural gas supply cuts. The situation is serious, said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, co-leader of Germanys climate-conscious Greens. He called the supply cuts an attack being carried out against us with energy as a weapon, speaking at a Tuesday event held by the Federation of German Industries. In a statement, his ministry announced several steps meant to conserve natural gas, including restarting an unspecified number of coal-fired power plants and using an incentive system to reduce industrial consumption of gas. The prospect of firing up coal-fired plants is bitter but essential, Habeck said. To reduce gas consumption, less gas must be used to generate electricity. Coal-first power plants will have to be used more instead, he said, adding that the aim is to have gas storage tanks filled ahead of winter. Habecks ministry has said that with the share of gas being used to produce electricity on the decline, operators of reserve coal power plants should prepare themselves now so that everything is ready for use as soon as possible. Turning to coal allows nations to displace natural gas used in power generation and save it for other uses as it cant be easily replaced, said Samantha Gross, director of the Brookings Institutions Energy Security and Climate Initiative. The temporary turn to coal isnt great from a climate perspective, but the ... European governments are sticking to their guns on their overall decarbonization goals, she told The Washington Post. One hopes this is a short-term adjustment while Europe finds additional sources of gas supply and over time displaces gas use through efficiency and technology switching. Questioned about the status of national coal-phaseout plans, Stephan Gabriel Haufe, a spokesman for Habecks ministry, said, The coal exit in 2030 isnt wobbling at all. ... It is more important than ever that it happens in 2030 - that is our view. But even facing the fear of an energy crunch this winter, Germany has resisted calls to keep its last nuclear power plants online, having pledged to phase out nuclear power by the end of the year. In Austria, where the last coal plant was converted into a gas facility in 2020, the government announced that the factory will once again be outfitted to produce electricity from coal. Once online, the plant is to be used only in an emergency, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammers office said in a statement. An Austrian government deal set out aims to produce all electricity using renewable sources by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. The Netherlands launched the early warning phase of its energy crisis plan Monday, and lifted the production cap on coal-fired plants. Enacted in January, the cap forced coal-fired power stations to operate at a maximum of 35 percent of full capacity. While a slight uptick in coal use this winter may be unavoidable, it would represent a colossal failure on the part of policymakers and the energy industry if we were in the same position next year, Matt Watson, vice president of energy transition at the Environmental Defense Fund, told The Post. He proposed alternatives to filling gas supply gaps, including requiring oil and gas producers to reduce wasteful flaring and leaks of methane - a change that could put hundreds of billions of cubic meters of gas into the market without drilling a single new well. Earlier this month, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry warned that if countries increased their reliance on coal due to the war in Ukraine, we are cooked. - - - Westfall and Thebault reported from Washington. New tensions between Moscow and the West are rising after Lithuania decided to halt the transport of some goods through its territory to the Russian region of Kaliningrad as part of European Union sanctions on the Kremlin. The Kremlin warns it will retaliate against the sanctions, stemming from its invasion of Ukraine, in a way that will have a "significant negative impact" on the Lithuanian people, raising fears of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. A look at why tensions are rising over Kaliningrad, a part of Russia on the Baltic Sea that is separated from the rest of the country: RUSSIA'S WESTERNMOST TERRITORY The Kaliningrad region once was part of the German province of East Prussia, which was taken over by the Soviet Union after World War II in line with the 1945 Potsdam agreement among the Allied powers. East Prussia's capital of Konigsberg was renamed Kaliningrad, for Mikhail Kalinin, a Bolshevik leader. An estimated 2 million of Germans fled the territory in the final months of World War II, and those who stayed were forcibly expelled after hostilities ended. The Soviet authorities developed Kaliningrad as a major ice-free port and a key center of fishing, encouraging people from other regions to move into the territory. Since the Cold War era, Kaliningrad also has served as a major base of Russia's Baltic fleet. But since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the Baltic countries, Kaliningrad finds itself separated from the rest of Russia by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, now all NATO members. To the south is Poland, another NATO member. MILITARY BASTION As Russia's relations with the West have soured, Kaliningrad's military role has grown. Its location has put it in the forefront of Moscow's efforts to counter what it described as NATO's hostile policies. The Kremlin has methodically bolstered its military forces there, arming them with state-of-the-art weapons, including precision-guided Iskander missiles and an array of air defense systems. As the region's military significance has grown, its dependence on goods coming through Poland and Lithuania has made it particularly vulnerable. TRANSIT HALTED Lithuania emphasized that the ban on the movement of sanctioned goods was part of the fourth package of EU sanctions against Russia, noting it only applies to steel and ferrous metals starting on June 17. The government in Vilnius rejected Russia's description of the move as a blockade, stressing that unsanctioned goods and rail passengers can still move through Lithuania. In line with the EU decision, coal will be banned in August and shipments of oil and oil products will be halted in December. MOSCOW MULLS A RESPONSE Moscow formally protested the halt of shipments to Kaliningrad as a violation of Russia-EU agreements on free transit of goods to the region. Kaliningrad Gov. Anton Alikhanov said the ban will affect up to half of all items brought into the region, including cement and other construction materials. Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of Russia's Security Council and a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin, visited Kaliningrad on Tuesday to meet with local officials. He described the restrictions as "hostile actions" and warned that Moscow will respond with unspecified measures that "will have a significant negative impact on the population of Lithuania." Patrushev didn't elaborate, but Alikhanov suggested that the Russian response could include shutting the flow of cargo via the ports of Lithuania and other Baltic nations. However, Lithuania has significantly reduced its economic and energy dependence on Russia, recently becoming the first EU country to stop using Russian gas. It no longer imports Russian oil and has suspended imports of Russian electricity. The transport of most Russian transit via Lithuanian ports already has been halted under EU sanctions, but Moscow could move to restrict transit for cargo from third countries through Lithuania. Putin will decide Russia's respond after receiving Patrushev's report. Russia's standoff with Lithuania is part of their rocky relationship that dates back to Moscow's annexation of the country, along with Estonia and Latvia, in 1940. The three pressed their move toward independence under former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and regained it when the USSR collapsed in 1991. FEARS OF ESCALATION Some in the West long have feared that Russia could be eyeing military action to secure a land corridor between its ally Belarus and the Kaliningrad region via the so-called Suwalki Gap, a 65-kilometer (40-mile) strip of land in Poland along the border with Lithuania. The rhetoric on Russian state TV has risen to a high pitch, with commentator Vladimir Solovyov accusing the West of brinkmanship that has set the clock ticking toward World War III. Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas warned Wednesday of the danger of Russian provocations amid the Kaliningrad tensions. "When you have a military force and they are ruled by the half-witted I apologize for the expression of course you can expect everything," he said, adding that Lithuania feels confident and relies on its NATO allies. With the bulk of Russia's military bogged down in Ukraine, any use of force in the Baltics could be beyond Moscow's conventional weapons capability. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said she doesn't think there is a military threat to Lithuania, adding that Russia was trying to raise pressure on the EU to ease the sanctions. "Russia is very good in playing on our fears so that we would, you know, step back from our decisions," Kallas said in an interview with The Associated Press. A Russian attempt to use force against Poland or Lithuania would trigger a direct conflict with NATO, which is obliged to protect any of its members under its charter's mutual defense clause known as Article 5. On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price emphasized Washington's "ironclad" commitment to that clause, which he described as NATO's "bedrock" principle. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov responded by warning the EU and NATO against "dangerous rhetorical games" over Kaliningrad. "Certain influential and powerful forces in the West are doing all they can to further exacerbate tensions in relations with Russia," he said, adding that "some simply have no limits in inventing scenarios when a military confrontation with us would look inevitable." __ Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, contributed. Dantri/DTiNews readers support poor student in Quang Binh Dantri/DTiNews readers have donated VND190 million (USD8,189) to a poor student in the central province of Quang Binh who is taking care of his ailing mother. VND130 million was donated through the newspapers Compassionate Hearts Programme, VND20 million through the Vietnam Study Promotion Fund with the remainder sent directly to Le Quoc Longs family in Son Thuy Commune, Le Thuy District. After an article about the familys situation was published on Dantri, many people made donations. Long, a Grade-4 student, lives with his 42-year-old mother Le Thi Duyen who has faced Basedow Disease. Due to financial difficulties, Duyen has stayed at home for self-treatment. The inappropriate treatment has caused her complications such as heart problems and arthritis. Long and his mother Every day, after returning from school, Long collects scrap metal to earn money. Duyen said that she was really happy to receive the donation. She expressed her great thanks to the newspaper and the public. Huu Han, vice chairman of Le Thuy Commune attended the donation ceremony and Han thanked Dantri/DTiNews for helping raise donations for the family. Press Release June 21, 2022 Bong Go: protect and promote Filipino's mental health Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has raised concern over the impact of the ongoing pandemic and other crises on the mental health of Filipinos and reiterated his call for stronger government interventions, particularly on the provision of psychosocial services and support. The senator echoed the recent World Health Organization's appeal for nations to invest more in mental health after the latter reported that just two percent of national health budgets and less than one percent of all international health aid go to mental health. Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go once again called on the government to explore all possibilities of extending needed guidance to families, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect not only the livelihood and physical health of Filipinos, but also their emotional and mental conditions. He stressed that persistent efforts must be exerted to fully accomplish the purpose of the landmark Mental Health Law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte back in 2018. Republic Act 11036 establishes a national mental health policy directed towards improving the health of the population. It also underscores the basic right of all Filipinos to mental health care while shaping the structural and attitudinal challenges to achieving positive mental health. Specifically, it aims to provide mental health services at the barangay level, and integrate mental health and wellness programs at the grassroots level so that interventions will be felt by the communities. It also seeks to improve mental health facilities and promote mental health education in schools and workplaces. As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go successfully pushed for additional funding for the implementation of the Mental Health Law in the 2021 and 2022 budgets. The senator had early on urged the relevant agencies to continue working together to expand access to free mental health care and psychosocial support services especially amid the global health crisis. "I urge PhilHealth to develop as soon as possible a more comprehensive mental health package that will also include consultation and other outpatient services. For as long as it is viable on the part of PhilHealth, coverage should include a much wider range of mental and behavioral conditions," he appealed. "I also appeal to the Department of Health to make its existing Medicine Access Program for Mental Health more accessible to as many Filipinos in need of mental health medicines. Although the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City continues to cater to mental health patients, we have to make this type of government service available to more people nationwide, especially in rural and far-flung areas," he added. According to the WHO's latest World Mental Health Report, about one in eight people globally live with a mental disorder, highlighting that "the suffering is enormous" across the world. It added that while more than 70 percent of people suffering psychosis receive treatment in high-income countries, the number drops to 12 percent in low-income nations. Pushing for greater investment in mental healthcare services and facilities, Go stressed, "With or without the pandemic, mental health is very important. Government must make sure that all kinds of psychosocial services and assistance is accessible to our people suffering from all forms of mental health conditions." "Huwag na nating pahirapan ang mga mamamayan natin na sila pa ang lalapit sa atin. Gobyerno na dapat ang lumapit sa kanila. As I have said many times before, we have to ensure that no Filipino is left behind on our journey towards full post-pandemic and economic recovery," he concluded. KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian official overseeing the country's push to join the European Union said Wednesday that she's "100%" certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraine's EU candidacy during a summit this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar optimism, calling it a "crucial moment" for Ukraine. Ukraine's membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders' summit starts. Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russia's invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: "The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%." The EU's executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraine's candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commission's endorsement as "a game-changer" that had taken the ground out from under "the legs of those most hesitating." EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Ukraine's full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law. Stefanishyna told the AP that she think Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast. "We're already very much integrated in the European Union," she said. "We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years." To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms. In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Brussels summit as "two decisive days" that he, like Stefanishyna, thinks will result in approval of Ukraine's EU candidacy. "That is a very crucial moment for us, for some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness," the Ukrainian president said through an interpreter. "In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivational factor for the unity and victory of the Ukrainian people." Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraine's candidate status. "Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law," De Cross said. "But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward." Zelenskyy said he spoke with a total of 11 EU leaders Wednesday, following calls with nine the day before, in another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. In other developments: Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been "coldly executed" during the first weeks of the war as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers. Zelenskyy said Russian forces were carrying out very heavy air and artillery strikes in the eastern Donbas. "Step by step they want to destroy all of the Donbas. All of it," he said in his nightly video address. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said in some battles, for every artillery shell Ukrainian forces fire, the Russian army fires at least six. Zelenskyy appealed to Western countries to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons "to stop this diabolical armada." Russian forces captured three villages in the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said the villages are near Lysychansk, the last city in Luhansk still fully under Ukrainian control. The Russians have also taken a strategic coal village, Toshkivka, enabling them to intensify attacks, Haidai said. Russian forces continued shelling Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, and nearby towns, killing 10 people, including five women in the village of Pryshyb, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. He said Russian forces are advancing through the area around Pryshyb as they target Sloviansk, a Ukrainian-held city in the Donbas. All four of the medium-range rocket systems that the U.S. provided to Ukraine several weeks ago are now in the country in the hands of Ukrainian forces but it is not clear if they have used them yet, a U.S. defense official said. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems will give the Ukrainians greater precision in targeting Russian assets. The rockets generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military details. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian forces killed up to 500 Ukrainian servicemen in strikes Tuesday against a shipbuilding plant in Mykolaiv. Zelenskyy said the Russians fired seven missiles at Mykolaiv, wounding five people. He gave no details about what was hit. The Russian military also claimed Ukrainian forces evacuated up to 30 wounded and eight dead American and British fighters from near Mykolaivka, a town in the Donetsk region. There was no confirmation of this by Ukraine. Satellite images of Snake Island appear to show damage from a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied island in the Black Sea. The Maxar Technologies images taken Tuesday show three new scorched areas that were not there four days earlier. Russia and Ukraine offer conflicting accounts of the attack. The Ukrainian military's southern command said it inflicted "significant losses" on Russian troops in an attack using "various forces and methods of destruction," while the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses successfully repelled the Ukrainian assault. Russian forces captured the small rocky island in the first days of the war and have used it to strengthen their control over the northwestern part of the sea. Russian officials said a drone strike caused a fire at the largest oil refinery in southern Russia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a piece of machinery at the Novoshakhtinsk plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. Authorities said dozens of firefighters quickly contained the fire and no one was hurt. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the strike. Turkey's defense ministry said Wednesday that a Turkish ship was allowed to leave the Russian-occupied Azov Sea port of Mariupol following talks between Turkish and Russian defense ministry officials. A ministry statement said a Turkish freighter, Azov Concord, was the first foreign ship to be allowed to leave Mariupol. The ministry did not say what the freighter was carrying. The war has halted critical grain exports by sea. French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The exercise in Estonia, a NATO member that neighbors Russia, was executed as an act of "strategic solidarity" during Russia's war in Ukraine. ___ Associated Press writers Sam Petrequin in Brussels, Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. Reporters Without Borders said an investigation it published Wednesday found evidence that Russian forces killed a Ukrainian photojournalist, along with a soldier accompanying him, in a forest near Kyiv in March. Maksym Levin, whom colleagues called Max, was found dead in April after friends lost contact with him in March. The photojournalist who had worked for organizations including Reuters, the BBC and Ukrainian outlets had been reporting near the front lines around the capital, from which Russian forces later retreated. He is one of at least eight journalists killed doing their work during nearly four months of Russias war in Ukraine, Reporters Without Borders said. The press freedom group, known by its initials in French as RSF, sent two investigators to Ukraine to gather evidence about Levins death on the northern outskirts of Kyiv. The probe, including at the site of Levins charred car, indicated the two men were executed in cold blood by Russian forces, probably after being interrogated and tortured, RSF said Wednesday, citing photos, testimonies, bullets it collected from the site and other information it gathered. The evidence against the Russian forces is overwhelming, it said. There was no immediate comment from Moscow. The 40-year-old Levin survived by four young sons, as well as his wife and parents had covered the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the eastern Donbas region since 2014. He had wanted to be a photographer since age 15, according to Ukrainian online media outlet LB.ua, where he had worked. His colleagues recalled that Levin once said: Every Ukrainian photographer dreams of taking a photo that will stop the war. After its findings, RSF said it has not been able to answer all the questions that remained, but it detailed two scenarios based on the evidence and hoped its reconstruction of events could one day lead to the perpetrators. RSF said it counted 14 bullet marks in the car and recovered the identity papers of Levins friend, Ukrainian soldier Oleksiy Chernyshov, whose body was burned. A gasoline jerrycan and Levins helmet were nearby. Photos from April showed a bullet impact on the photographers chest and two in his head, the investigation report added. It said the two were probably searching for Levins camera drone when they were killed. A Ukrainian search team discovered a bullet buried in the ground where Levins body was found and spotted what was a Russian position about 230 feet into the forest, which it could not approach because of the possible presence of explosive devices, RSF said. The findings indicate the bullets that hit Levin were fired from a close range when the journalist was already on the ground, it said. The report said that while Levin may have at times provided images from his drone to Ukrainian forces, the use of his equipment was above all journalistic in nature. The group said it shared evidence with Ukrainian investigators and could not confirm whether authorities had performed autopsies, which it described as vital to investigating the deaths. Fighting had gripped the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, near where Levin was reporting, before Russian forces shifted their focus to the east more recently. Their withdrawal revealed evidence of war crimes including bodies in the streets, burning and torture. The Kremlin has denied the accusations. In a post sharing Levins work shortly after his death, a Politico journalist described him as thoughtful and also a talented writer. He was brave, talented, and dedicated to covering this story, Christopher Miller wrote. He talked about peace more than war. The Washington Posts Amar Nadhir contributed to this report. BELGRADE, Serbia European Union leaders will seek to offer support this week to six Western Balkan countries that have long been knocking at the bloc's doors, and now see the war in Ukraine raging not far from their borders amid fears Russia could turn its sights on their region. The two-day summit starting Thursday in Brussels is expected to approve the European Commission's proposal to give Ukraine and Moldova candidate EU membership status, the beginning of a long process that the Western Balkan Six started years ago. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the urgency of getting the historically volatile Western Balkans into the EU fold as some of the region's states chiefly Serbia are increasingly turning toward Moscow, both politically and militarily. The EC has repeatedly told Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia that their future lies within the 27-nation bloc. But progress has stalled for all sorts of reasons. The countries are at different levels of negotiations and fulfilling numerous membership requirements, with Montenegro leading the pack and Kosovo not even starting the talks. Clement Beaune, France's minister for European affairs, said the war in Ukraine makes it even more essential that the six countries get a renewed perspective. WHY ALL THE FUSS? The Kremlin has for years been saying it considers the Balkans its zone of "strategic interest," although the six Western Balkan states were never part of the Soviet bloc. Russian officials say they don't mind them joining the EU, but strongly objected when Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia joined NATO, and when Bosnia announced plans to seek alliance membership. Tiny Montenegro was warned that it could be targeted by Russian long-range missiles after it joined EU sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine. WHAT'S THE ROLE OF SERBIA? Serbia, the largest of the six countries, is pivotal in Russia's regional influence. After a brief pro-Western government in the early 2000s when the country launched its EU accession bid former ultranationalists took power 10 years ago, leaning Serbia more toward traditional Slavic ally Russia, and China. While still formally seeking EU membership, and although the EU is by far Serbia's biggest trading partner, Belgrade refused to align its foreign policies with the bloc's, including to impose sanctions on Moscow. Pro-Putin propaganda in state-controlled media is so widespread that for the first time since Serbia submitted its EU bid support for joining the bloc is below 50%. Top EU officials have told Belgrade it will soon have to make up its mind whether it wants to continue on its EU path by complying with its policies and standards. AND BOSNIA? After the European Commission tapped Ukraine for candidate status, many asked why multi-ethnic Bosnia which also went through a bloody war in the 1990s doesn't get the same status. EU member Slovenia said it will propose Bosnia's candidacy at this week's summit. The move to let Ukraine leapfrog others in the long candidacy queue has reawakened fears in the Western Balkans that the region could be left behind as the EU focuses on Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova. Bosnia has faced open threats from Russian officials for its plan to seek NATO membership and has also been destabilized by secessionist threats from Bosnian Serbs who control about half of the Balkan country. NORTH MACEDONIA: LOUD NEIGHBORS North Macedonia applied for EU membership in 2004, and is still waiting for the start of its accession talks after repeated obstacles placed by neighboring EU members. First Greece required that the country then known as Macedonia should change its name, saying it implied claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. In 2018 the country agreed to rename itself North Macedonia, hoping that would unlock its EU bid. But then Bulgaria vetoed membership talks, pending settlement of its own disputes with North Macedonia that include historic and cultural issues. France said it is making last-ditch efforts to overcome the problem although it doesn't help that Bulgaria is currently facing a new political crisis. WHAT ABOUT MONTENEGRO? Tiny Montenegro has fulfilled most of its EU membership obligations, but still seems far from becoming a member. It has applied EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, drawing angry responses from the Kremlin. It has also managed to stave off attempts of destabilization from both Russia and neighboring Serbia after it joined NATO. ALBANIA: COLLATERAL DAMAGE Albania's candidacy bid has been stalled mostly because it's tied to North Macedonia's, which is being blocked by Bulgaria. Prime Minister Edi Rama said if no progress is made at the EU summit this week he will seek to decouple the two processes. But in a recent visit to Kyiv alongside Montenegrin counterpart Dritan Abazovic, Rama said both still fully support Ukraine's request to get EU candidate status. "No one should speculate with the fact that because Europe has not kept its promise to us, we do not feel well now it is taking the step for Ukraine," Rama said. KOSOVO: AT THE BACK OF THE LINE Kosovo, a former Serbian province that broke off following a separatist uprising and NATO bombing campaign against Serbia, declaring independence in 2008, seems to be last in line for membership talks. Five EU states don't even recognize it as a country, and its U.N. membership has been blocked in the Security Council by Serbia's allies Russia and China. ____ AP writers Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, and Konstantin Testorides in Skopje, North Macedonia, contributed. ECOUST-SAINT-MEIN, France For more than a century, the British soldier lay in an anonymous grave, one of so many unidentified victims buried beneath the killing fields of World War I. But now, his headstone finally bears a name: 2nd Lt. Osmund Bartle Wordsworth a great-great-nephew of English poet William Wordsworth who was recently identified by DNA research, and given a funeral ceremony Tuesday, 105 years after he died. A new headstone for Wordsworth, who was killed in action in the Battle of Arras on April 2, 1917, was mounted at his gravesite at a cemetery in Ecoust-Saint-Mein in northern France. A cleric led the ceremony, and a British military attache handed Wordsworth's relatives a carefully folded French flag to place on the grave. The evolution of DNA technology has allowed for the identification of more and more unknown soldiers from World War I. A service will be held for others in Ypres, Belgium, next week. KABUL, Afghanistan A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the country's deadliest quakes in decades, the state-run news agency reported. Officials warned that the already grim toll may still rise. Information from the remote area near the Pakistani border remained scarce, but early footage from villages tucked among the rough mountains showed residents picking through rubble of collapsed stone and mudbrick houses. The disaster posed a major test for Afghanistan's Taliban government, which seized power nearly 10 months ago as the U.S. and its NATO allies prepared to pull out of the country and has been largely shunned by the world community since. Rescuers rushed to the area by helicopter, but the response is likely to be complicated since many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Moreover, most governments are wary of dealing directly with the Taliban, a reluctance that could slow the deployment of emergency aid and teams typically sent after such natural disasters. In a rare move, the Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, who almost never appears in public, called for "the international community and all humanitarian organizations to help the Afghan people affected by this great tragedy and to spare no effort to help the affected people." "We ask God to save our poor people from trials and harm," he said in a statement put out by the Taliban spokesman. The disaster hits at a time when Afghanistan is already deep in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing increasing hunger and poverty after the cutoff of international financing to the Taliban. That has prompted a massive aid program, but to avoid putting money in the Taliban's hands, the world has funneled funding through the U.N. and other humanitarian agencies a system that may be too slow for an emergency response to the quake. What's more, reaching rural areas even in the best circumstances remains difficult in Afghanistan, a landlocked nation just smaller than Texas with rutted mountain roadways that may now have sustained significant damage. The 6.1 magnitude quake had its epicenter in Paktika province, some 31 miles southwest of the city of Khost, according to neighboring Pakistan's Meteorological Department. Quakes of that strength can cause serious damage in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common. Experts put the depth at just 6 miles another factor that could lead to severe destruction. Footage from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to waiting helicopters. Others were treated on the ground. One resident could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble from destroyed stone houses, some of whose roofs or walls had caved in. The death toll given by the Bakhtar News Agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan. Those are the deadliest since 1998, when an earthquake also 6.1 in magnitude and subsequent tremors in the remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. In most places in the world, an earthquake of that strength wouldn't inflict such extensive devastation, said Robert Sanders, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. But a quake's death toll more often comes down to geography, building quality and population density. "Because of the mountainous area, there are rockslides and landslides that we won't know about until later reporting. Older buildings are likely to crumble and fail," he said. "Due to how condensed the area is in that part of the world, we've seen in the past similar earthquakes deal significant damage." The Taliban are still trying to reconstitute government ministries abandoned by staff loyal to its previous Western-backed government, and it was not clear how officials arrived at the casualty tolls reported by Bakhtar. In Kabul, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace to coordinate the relief effort, and Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter to urge aid agencies to send teams to the area. "When such a big incident happens in any country, there is a need for help from other countries," said Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of state for disaster management. "It is very difficult for us to be able to respond to this huge incident." The "response is on its way," the U.N. resident coordinator in Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, wrote on Twitter. That may prove difficult given the renewed international isolation of Afghanistan under the Taliban following their takeover last year, two decades after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the same insurgents in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The new government has issued a flurry of repressive edicts curtailing the rights of women and girls and the press that hark to the Taliban's harsh rule from the late 1990s, despite promising that would not happen. The Afghan Red Crescent Society, however, sent some 4,000 blankets, 800 tents and 800 kitchen kits to the affected area, according to Bakhtar's director-general, Abdul Wahid Rayan. The Italian medical aid group Emergency, which still operates in Afghanistan, said it sent seven ambulances and staff to the areas closest to the quake zone. "The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings," said Stefano Sozza, country director for Emergency in Afghanistan. "This latest tragedy cannot but worsen further the condition of fragility and economic and social difficulties which Afghanistan has experienced for months." Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said his nation would provide help. At the Vatican, Pope Francis offered prayers for all those killed and injured and for the "suffering of the dear Afghan population." The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquake's tremors were felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Some remote areas of Pakistan saw reports of damage to homes near the Afghan border, but it wasn't immediately clear if that was due to rain or the earthquake, said Taimoor Khan, a disaster management spokesperson in the area. Mountainous Afghanistan and the larger region of South Asia along the Hindu Kush mountains has long been vulnerable to devastating earthquakes. ___ Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. ANKARA, Turkey Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday declared their determination to start a "new era of cooperation" during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as they set aside years of acrimony following the brutal slaying of a Saudi columnist. The Turkish fiancee of the slain journalist meanwhile, decried the crown prince's visit. Prince Mohammed making his first trip to Turkey following the killing, by Saudi agents, of Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul held one-on-one talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that lasted some two hours. Prince Mohammed is on the last leg of a Middle East tour that also took him to Egypt and Jordan. A joint statement released followed their meeting said the sides "strongly emphasized a joint determination to start a new era of cooperation in bilateral relations ... including political, economic, military, security and cultural relations." The two sides also discussed the possibility of developing and diversifying trade and boosting investments and partnerships in various fields. The talks were held in an atmosphere of "sincerity and brotherhood embodying the depth of excellent relations between the two countries," according to the statement. The crown prince's convoy arrived at the presidential palace complex escorted by Turkish mounted honor guards. Erdogan greeted the prince at an entrance to the palace after which the two kissed each other on both cheeks. Efforts by the regional heavyweights to improve their ties come as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments from wealthy Gulf Arab states. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Talks with the UAE's Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year led to investment deals worth $10 billion after years of regional rivalry. Saudi Arabia, for its part, has been trying to broaden its alliances at a time of strained relations with Washington. The crown prince also seeks to put an end to the scandal over Khashoggi's killing that damaged his reputation. U.S. President Joe Biden is due to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of a July 13-16 regional trip that includes stops in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, paying his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, a year before Khashoggi's killing. Ayham Kamel, head of the Eurasia Group's Middle East research team, said the prince's regional trip this week is "designed to cement Riyadh's regional role and expand reconciliation efforts" ahead of Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia. He said it could also serve to mediate between Egypt and Turkey, which are working toward reconciliation after their relations broke down over Turkey's strong opposition to the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. "Bilateral trade is likely to increase, and there is a good chance that Saudi tourism flows to Turkey will resume," Kamel wrote. "Talks could also involve military/defense cooperation or arms procurement, as the Saudis are interested in exploring diversifying their suppliers." As relations with Turkey frayed over Khashoggi's Oct. 2018 slaying, Saudi Arabia launched an unofficial embargo on Turkish exports, dramatically curbing around $5 billion in bilateral trade. The kingdom also temporarily barred wildly popular Turkish soap operas. The killing in the consulate sparked global outrage and put pressure on Prince Mohammed, who was said to have approved the operation to kill or capture the journalist, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. The prince has denied any knowledge of the operation that was carried out by agents who worked directly for him. While never naming the crown prince, Erdogan has said the operation that killed Khashoggi was ordered by the "highest levels" of the Saudi government. Khashoggi entered the consulate to obtain papers to allow him to wed his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who waited for him outside. He never emerged and his body was never found. Cengiz said she welcomed the improvement in Saudi and Turkish relations but opposed Prince Mohammed getting welcomed to Ankara before Khashoggi's killers were brought to justice. "As someone who has been wronged, I find it very heartbreaking," Cengiz told The Associated Press in a written response to questions. "I object to this. Jamal's body is still missing. I am devastated that this has gone unanswered and that those who killed him remain unpunished." Turkey opened a trial in absentia against 26 Saudis suspected in Khashoggi's killing, but the court earlier this year ruled to halt the proceedings and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the countries' rapprochement. "An apology should have been made both to my country and to me," Cengiz said. She also was critical of Biden's plans to visit Saudi Arabia. "Forgetting all the promises he made, he is now taking steps for his own country's interests. He is violating the values that he believes in," Cengiz said. "With this visit, he is making the whole world question his sincerity." ___ Wieting reported from Istanbul. PORTLAND, Ore. A federal judge has sentenced a 25-year-old man who threw Molotov cocktails at police in Portland, Ore., during mass protests against police brutality to 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez in Portland sentenced Army veteran Malik Fard Muhammad, of Indianapolis, on Tuesday. Prosecutors said Muhammad traveled from Indianapolis to Portland and on several days in September 2020 threw Molotov cocktails at police, broke windows in buildings, and provided bats to others so they could do the same. One of the devices exploded when it hit the ground on Sept. 23, creating a fireball and setting the pant leg of an officer on fire, prosecutors said. On Oct. 11, prosecutors said he was seen smashing windows of the Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University and businesses with a metal baton before police arrested him. Police said he had ditched a loaded pistol before the arrest and was found with a loaded magazine in his pocket. Assistant Federal Public Defender Fidel Cassino-DuCloux said Muhammad has been diagnosed with bipolar and post traumatic stress disorders and has been on medication since his federal arrest, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. "I just regret my decisions, and if I could take them back, I would," Muhammad told the judge. "I'm here now to atone for them.'' He pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices. In state court, he pleaded guilty in March to four counts of riot, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, four counts of criminal mischief, and one count each of manufacture of a destructive device, possession of a destructive device, possession of a firearm and second-degree assault. Muhammad's federal sentence will run concurrently with a 10-year sentence imposed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said the sentencing deal was reached after negotiations between federal and state prosecutors and Muhammad's defense lawyer. Prosecutors said they took into account Muhammad's past military service and history of abuse as a child. During a racial justice protest in Indiana in 2020, Muhammad was at the center of a dramatic moment in which he and a police lieutenant reached a compromise to turn a march away from the governor's residence. He will serve his sentence in Oregon state prison, prosecutors said. With opponents of the government's three waters reforms saying they're dangerous, wasteful and unpopular, what's their alternative? Nearly six years on from the deadly campylobacter outbreak in Havelock North that sparked it, the government's first piece of water service legislation is now out for consultation. It would move water service management for drinking, waste and storm water from 67 local authorities to four large body corporates, arguing councils cannot sustainably fund the water infrastructure upgrades needed on their own. Government-funded analysis puts the cost of those upgrades somewhere between $120 billion and $185b. National and ACT have both promised to scrap the government's reforms, but despite vocal outcry over the government's plan most opponents agree there is a problem that must be solved. Council-controlled organisations - C4LD Perhaps the most detailed alternative is from a group of more than 30 councils who banded together to oppose the reforms, Communities 4 Local Democracy (C4LD). Its chair, Manawatu mayor Helen Worboys, says three things are needed: regulation, enforcement for failing to live up to those expectations, and sustainable funding not reliant on rates. The first has already been introduced through the regulator, Taumata Arowai. The government's proposal aims to solve the latter problems but Worboys said they could be achieved through jointly and singly owned council enterprises. "It protects the community's property rights and the community voice ... the key thing here is to allow councils and communities to come up with the solutions that work for them." She says the group has met with Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta several times, and has not been challenged on its proposals or its criticisms of the government's model. They had heard no explanation of why the government had rejected their plan, she says. "Let's have that discussion and go through it, there has been no discussion on the detail of this. "The government seems hell-bent on charging ahead with the reform model that they've made mandatory for councils. And so it's now up to the councils around the country and the people of the country to stand up and say that they are opposed to the mandated entity model." Mahuta argues many models have been tested over the past four years the government has spent developing its proposals, and the four-entity model offered big enough customer bases to achieve economies of scale, and benchmarking between similarly sized organisations. She suggests many councils do not have a good picture of the health of their water networks. "All we had, perhaps, was a operational view of how much leakage was occurring. We had some asset management plans which gave an indication of renewals, repairs and maintenance schedules, things like that. "We still don't have a complete picture - so people only know how much they're investing into their infrastructure, but not really, whether it's operating effectively and whether it is at the optimum level." Worboys says that is simply trying to lump all councils together again. "One size fits none. Every community across the country is different, some have invested incredibly well. "We're saying yes, we do need reform, yes, we do need to understand our infrastructure, and some councils know the infrastructure really, really well." Central and local government working together - National National's Local Government spokesperson Simon Watts says the government has gone about the reforms in totally the wrong way and needs to start again from the beginning. He acknowledges water infrastructure will need improvement in some areas, and rates alone will be unable to fund it. "We need to be looking at alternative mechanisms to fund and finance that," he says. His solution bears similarities to that of C4LD. He says National will target the areas that need investment, by working with councils to explore other ways of supporting debt. "One size fits all is not the answer, you need a toolkit of different solution options. And they need to be adopted and customised based on the specific requirement. "If you look at what happens in roading in terms of the way in which roads are funded - in combination between local and central government - there's some opportunities in that space that would be applicable in water as well." He says many councils around the country are not as bad off as the government has been trying to portray. "This whole concept that our entire water infrastructure across our entire country is broken is simply not the reality." However, Mahuta argues the reforms are also about preparing for challenges like climate change and population growth - and communities could not wait any longer. "The amount of investment that councils have made in infrastructure, probably only been able to address repairs and maintenance and then perhaps some occasional significant investments on a case-by-case basis. So that's been a real challenge for councils, and they themselves would admit that too." She says the government's solution is designed for New Zealand's specific circumstances, and will enable councils to focus on other ways of serving ratepayers. The government has pointed to additional plans for an economic regulator and consumer protection body to resolve concerns about value for money and loss of local voice, but the details are not yet public. "National support the concept of economic regulation within this model, but I've seen no detail in terms around how that will work or how that will be structured," Watts says. "And, you know, that is an area that is is complex in itself." Public-private partnerships - ACT ACT's Simon Court proposes bringing in private investment, saying developers are already in the business of building pipes and roads. "That's a model where people who are going to benefit from the infrastructure pay for it over over a reasonable amount of time, but in the end, it still transfers to public ownership," he says. "It's exactly the same model we have with motorways like Transmission Gully, and with schools and hospitals built under the private public partnership model over the past 10 to 15 years." The public-private model has not always been cost efficient, however: Transmission Gully was delayed for years, with costs blowing out dramatically. Court is quick to defend it. "Here's the thing. Any Wellingtonian who's driven out of Wellington on Transmission Gully knows that that's the best thing that's happened to Wellington in over a generation in terms of infrastructure," he says. "While it's true that the initial scope and final costs weren't clearly understood at the time, if you think about it, what Wellington has got for a little over a billion dollars, there's no way you could have delivered that for less than double that price now." Some estimates have put the true cost of the motorway to taxpayers closer to $3.5 billion. Court argues private sector investors like KiwiSaver, ACC and iwi trusts could be persuaded with a guaranteed rate of return, in exchange for a commitment to funding and maintaining the infrastructure for a longer period of time. "While there might be disagreements about certain aspects of costs or scope along the way, they can be resolved through the contract." Select Committee submissions on the first piece of legislation close in a month's time, on July 22. -RNZ/Russell Palmer. Bay of Plenty We are looking for STMS' for permanent full-time roles. To be chosen as one of the successful candidates, you will have... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The Ministry of Health is today reporting 5499 new Covid community cases, 334 current hospitalisations, and 18 deaths. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 4873 last Wednesday it was 5777. "Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 18 people with Covid-19. Fifteen deaths of the reported occurred in the past three days, and three occurred since June 13," says a spokesperson for the Ministry. "Todays reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 1,450 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 13. "Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; three were from the Auckland region, one from Waikato, one from MidCentral, five were from the Wellington region, two were from Nelson-Marlborough, three were from Canterbury, one was from South Canterbury, and two were from Southern. "One person was in 50s, one was in their 60s, three were in their 70s, eight were in their 80s and five were aged over 90. Of these people, eight were male and 10 were female. "This is a very sad time for whanau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment on these deaths." Matariki weekend reminder The long weekend is always an ideal time to get away and relax with whanau and friends if you are going away, please remember to have plans in place in the event you contract Covid-19 or are identified as a household contact of a case, says the Ministry. "You would need to self-isolate and likely remain wherever you test positive or become a household contact, so there may be extra costs involved in paying for additional accommodation and changing your travel plans. "If you have used your own vehicle to travel, you can travel back to your home to isolate, taking public health measures to ensure you dont infect anyone on your way home such as maintaining social distance (distancing yourself from others), wearing your mask correctly, making sure you keep your hands clean and dry and using self-service petrol stations if you need to refuel your vehicle. "However, if you have used public transport or travelled between islands, you wont be able to travel to isolate at your home. So it is important you have a plan and the ability to isolate where you are holidaying if you need to do so. "As with all variants of Omicron, the public health advice remains the same. Getting your booster remains one of the best defences against Covid-19. Stay home if youre unwell, get tested if youre symptomatic, wash and dry your hands, cover coughs and sneezes, wear a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor public settings and get vaccinated." For guidance if you or someone you know tests positive or becomes a household contact, visit the Ministry of Health website. For more information on mask use at Orange, visit the Unite Against COVID-19 website. Hospitalisations Cases in hospital: total number 334: Northland: 8; Waitemata: 41; Counties Manukau: 37; Auckland: 57; Waikato: 26; Bay of Plenty: 10; Lakes: 1; Tairawhiti: 2; Hawkes Bay: 6; Taranaki: 15; Whanganui: 3; MidCentral: 25; Wairarapa: 1; Hutt Valley: 17; Capital and Coast: 15; Nelson Marlborough: 5; Canterbury: 38; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 0; Southern: 24. Average age of current hospitalisations: 59 Cases in ICU or HDU: 4 *Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital: Unvaccinated or not eligible (42 cases / 17%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (1 case / 0.4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (47 cases / 19%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (159 cases / 64%). *Please note: We are now using data from DHBs with tertiary hospitals. These are Auckland, Canterbury, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast, Waitemata and Northland. Previously we only used the vaccination status of patients in Northern Region hospitals. Cases Seven day rolling average of community cases: 4,873 Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 5,777 Number of new community cases: 5,499 Number of new community cases (PCR): 179 Number of new community cases (RAT): 5,320 Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (144), Auckland (1,637), Waikato (335), Bay of Plenty (166), Lakes (81), Hawkes Bay (150), MidCentral (129), Whanganui (53), Taranaki (144), Tairawhiti (54), Wairarapa (56), Capital and Coast (559), Hutt Valley (252), Nelson Marlborough (258), Canterbury (896), South Canterbury (85), Southern (446), West Coast (50), Unknown (4). Number of new imported cases: 78 Number of active community cases (total): 34,091 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered) Confirmed cases (total): 1,282,212 Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO. Tests Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 2,949 Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 11,791 PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 2,665 Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 22 June 2022): 1.3 million Vaccinations administered in New Zealand Vaccines administered to date: 4,028,258 first doses; 3,980,481 second doses; 32,860 third primary doses; 2,675,756 booster doses: 263,865 paediatric first doses and 130,896 paediatric second doses Vaccines administered yesterday: 30 first doses; 49 second doses; 38 third primary doses; 805 booster doses; 40 paediatric first doses and 272 paediatric second doses People vaccinated All ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,268 first dose (96.3%); 4,005,766 second dose (95.2%), 2,653,215 boosted (of the 18+ population) (72.8% of those eligible) Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,656 first dose (91.3%); 504,945 second dose (88.4%), 239,326 boosted (of the 18+ population) (55.9% of those eligible) Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 282,283 first dose (98.5%); 277,532 second dose (96.8%), 143,981 boosted (of the 18+ population) (59.8% of those eligible) 16 to 17 year old booster uptake (all ethnicities): 12,533 boosted (12.6% of those eligible) 16 to 17 year old booster uptake (Maori): 1,188 boosted (6.1% of those eligible) 16 to 17 year old booster uptake (Pacific Peoples): 733 boosted (7.2% of those eligible) 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 260,425 first dose (54.7%); 127,454 second dose (26.8%) 5 to 11-year-olds - Maori: 41,123 first dose (35.6%); 14,914 second dose (12.9%) 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,809 first dose (48.2%); 8,142 second dose (16.5%) Note that the number for People vaccinated differs slightly from Vaccines administered as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas. Vaccination rates for all DHBs Northland DHB: first dose (90%); second dose (88%); boosted (69%) Auckland DHB: first dose (99%); second dose (98.1%); boosted (75.3%) Counties Manukau DHB: first dose (96.2%); second dose (95%); boosted (68.4%) Waitemata DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (73.3%) Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (68.2%) Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (67.2%) Lakes DHB: first dose (92.9%); second dose (91.1%); boosted (67.4%) MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.3%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (73.6%) Tairawhiti DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (90.6%); boosted (67.3%) Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.8%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (72.6%) Hawkes Bay DHB: first dose (97.4%); second dose (95.8%); boosted (71.1%) Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (69.4%) Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (74.3%) Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.2%) Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (76.5%) Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74.8%) West Coast DHB: first dose (92.5%); second dose (91.1%); boosted (72.3%) Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.8%); second dose (99%); boosted (75.9%) South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (75.5%) Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.5%); boosted (74.6%) Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose or 16 and 17 year olds who have become eligible 6 months after having their second dose. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. sp2894 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2022 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4 Thanked: 12 Times Which new car for Home-to-Office commuting | Budget of 15-18 lakhs Hi TeamBHP members, This is my first post on the forum and it would help to get your advice on a crucial car purchase decision. I will be moving back to my hometown (New Delhi) in a month's time and need a vehicle to do my daily commute from home to my office in Cyber Hub in Gurgaon. We are four people in the family and the two cars that we have currently are being used by my parents and my sister respectively. Monday to Friday the vehicle will be used in bumper to bumper traffic for around 25 KMs one way. Hence, an automatic is a must. I have been driving for the past 10 years and I am well versed with hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs. So, I am not fixated on the car type. However, only looking at 1st hand cars and not pre-worshipped. At present, we have a 2020 Endeavour 3.2 and a Maruti Celerio at home. This new car is unlikely to see a lot of outstation family trips due to the presence of the Endeavour. I have planned for a budget of around 15-18 Lacs (on road price) Please do let me know if there are some good discounts/offers that I can look at. TL;DR: If you were looking forward to seeing Nothing's Phone (1) land in the US this summer, prepare for some disappointment. The company has confirmed that its first handheld will not be getting a widespread release in the United States or Canada when it launches on July 12. Only a limited number of private community investors within these locations will be able to get their hands on the device via a closed beta program. Nothing confirmed its plans to launch the Phone (1) back in March, with CEO Carl Pei promising it would ignite a change in the "sleepy" smartphone market and be "the most compelling alternative to Apple." But it seems those in the US and Canada won't find out if the Phone (1) lives up to Pei's bold claims when it arrives on July 12. In a statement to PCMag, the company said, "While we'd love to bring phone (1) to the entire community around the world, we're focusing on home markets, including the UK and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers. It takes a lot to launch a smartphone as you know, from ensuring the handset is supported by the country's cellular technologies to carrier partnerships and local regulation, and as we're still a young brand we need to be strategic about it." Sounds like Nothing is skipping the US with respect to Phone (1) availability and network compatibility. Disappointing, but understandable. Hard for young brands to achieve carrier adoption here, and without those deals, not really worth negotiating retail channels at all... Ev (@evleaks) June 21, 2022 The news doesn't come as a total surprise. It's difficult for new arrivals to break into a US carrier market dominated by handsets from Apple and Samsung, and increasingly demanding requirements have made it even more difficult for startups like Nothing in recent years. Nothing did say that it has plans to launch a US-supported smartphone in the future, though when that might be is unclear. And while it will be possible to try an upcoming Phone (1) in the States before then, the company said to expect "unpredictable" coverage on T-Mobile, no voice-over-4G on AT&T, and no service on Verizon at all. If you want to see the Nothing Phone (1) reveal, make sure to sign up in advance to watch the livestreamed event. What just happened? NASA and the Department of Energy have selected three companies to design concepts for a fission surface power system to provide nuclear power on the Moon. The winning contractors include Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX, which is a joint venture between X-Energy and Intuitive Machines. Each 12-month contract is worth approximately $5 million, and calls for a preliminary design of a 40-kilowatt class fission power system that can last for at least 10 years on the lunar surface. "Developing these early designs will help us lay the groundwork for powering our long-term human presence on other worlds," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA said the phase one awards will provide them with critical information that can lead to the joint development of a full flight-certified power system. A concept could be ready to launch for testing on the Moon by the end of the decade, we're told. The space agency demonstrated a portable nuclear reactor power system in 2018, but that device was only capable of generating 10 kilowatts of electrical power. It utilized a solid, cast uranium-235 reactor core that was roughly the size of a paper towel roll. Last year, the Department of Defense started accepting proposals for nuclear propulsion technologies that could be used for deep space exploration missions. The DoD said existing solar and electrical-based propulsion systems aren't sufficient for use on next-gen spacecraft that will venture beyond Earth's orbit. Far future space exploration will likely require a deeper understanding of extremely sophisticated concepts such as quantum mechanics, electromagnetic theory or gravitics. Contracts are as crucial as any other resource you use for your work operations, whether you run a successful company or a startup. However, it is one of the most challenging and intimidating undertakings. A simple contract inquiry, for example, or the effort to obtain the most recent contract version might severely compromise a critical business transaction. Legislate offers a solution to counteract such a hurdle and increase workflow efficiency, as shared by CEO Charles Brecque. What Is Legislate? In an interview with Tech Times, CEO Charles Brecque explained Legislate's functionalities. According to him, "Legislate is an easy way for non-lawyers to create contracts, but more importantly, to track the data and the contracts post signature." Unlike other contract management tools, Legislate is intended to be simple. Making contracts is achievable through a machine-readable format, which effectively allows technology to read the data and contracts without the need for lawyers. Therefore, there is no need to finance a legal team to draft a contract for you. Key Features We visited Legislate's website and found these key features: You can select a lawyer-approved agreement from their template library. Then, you may customize the contract terms directly in Legislate. You can also collaborate on the agreement with your team and send an email to other parties by inviting them to Legislate. Thus, it is a contract management software that is simple to use, robust, transparent, and secure. Access all the contract forms you need to run your company and properties, such as Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements, Lodger License Agreements, Lettings Agent Terms of Business, Employment Agreements, etc. Patented knowledge graph technology also produces compliant contracts and makes contracts hyper searchable. There is a lot more to expect, of course. But above all, Legislate's contract templates have been evaluated by legal specialists to guarantee that they are fair and robust enough to protect both parties involved in the contract. Everything is also written in plain English to make it easier for those who aren't lawyers to understand. Besides that, by answering simple questions, you may customize your contract form to your exact needs. Future Updates for Legislate However, laws in the United States differ significantly from those in the United Kingdom. Legislate is now focused on England but plans to expand to the United States shortly, adding another legal team to its roster. Brecque also wants to do more than what Legislate can offer, especially in employment agreements. "[We want to] make contracts usable within workflows because when you hire an employee, it doesn't end." There may be additional services associated with the first contract. But, for the time being, such manual processing must be done by a human in the loop. "So what we're planning to do, you know, as we've made contracts machine-readable is turn contracts into APIs so that we can start to integrate with all these services, start to offer these services so that, hiring and onboarding a new employee can be done directly from Legislate." Legislate's Major Advantages As previously discussed, what distinguishes Legislate is the ability to generate contracts right away utilizing up-to-date lawyer-approved agreements from its template collection. This drastically reduces your time. They also make it simple to sign electronically within the bounds of Legislate's platform. So you don't have to download and email it to everyone involved. Everything takes place in one location. You will gain access to the contract on your dashboard after the other party has signed. And when you acquire contracts, you can ask questions, filter them, and so on. For inexperienced users who want to develop contracts, they may do so through customization within Legislate. All they need to do is answer a few questions. "We've made simple little questions and answers, and behind the scenes, we're controlling the quality of the input so that users don't make mistakes and they don't end up with contracts, which are not enforceable. But once they've set those answers to the questions, we generate the actual contract," CEO Charles added. The Inspiration Behind Legislate Brecque recalls his days doing business development when he had to suffer long hours of waiting for contracts to be completed. "...in my previous role, I was doing business development, and I found that half my time was spent processing contracts, whether it was generating contracts from a template or communicating. The sharing of templates with the clients and waiting for their feedback. And a lot of that time was wasted on waiting." Besides that, you don't simply waste time; you also lose deals. Brecque recalls that on some occasions, they lost agreements or opportunities because contracts were not executed quickly enough. Even if contracts were already being handled, company priorities would shift during that period. To avoid his experiences from resurfacing again, Brecque created Legislate. "So I wanted to come up with a solution, which would allow me, the business user, to create and negotiate those contracts without getting the lawyers involved. Not that we don't want to get the lawyers involved, but using technology to delegate [contracts]." The CEO also made it possible to start with Legislate immediately without going through complicated steps. You will only need your email to sign up, and you're good to go. Additionally, Brecque stated that their target consumers for producing contracts are not lawyers because they are already used to drafting contracts. They streamlined the procedure for small company owners recruiting an employee for the first time since they will need contracts for that. Is Legislate for Everyone? Today, small enterprises in the employment sector are struggling to solve contract writing issues. It motivates them to invest more in the legal aspects of creating one, which might consume a significant amount of financial resources. It's not always worth the cost because it takes up a lot of time and may cause you to lose out on important transactions and other opportunities. Charles Brecque reiterated that Legislate is not just a simplified process of creating contracts. It's also efficient way to track the data in your contractsdefinitely a 'cost-effective solution' to consider. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The new Tesla Optimus prototype is expected to be unveiled this coming Tesla AI Day 2 2022. Elon Musk even claimed that he and his development team are on track to launch the humanoid robot officially. TESLA is working on a humanoid robot. It's said to use the same AI tech from their cars. I love where technology is heading to. pic.twitter.com/lt9yqh2fN8 Ezeugo 1 (@ezeugo_i) August 23, 2021 The automaker's most-awaited human-like AI-based machine was first introduced back in 2021. Although not much was known about the robot before, many consumers are really intrigued by the innovation of Tesla. Now, it seems like there will be an actual working Tesla Optimus prototype before 2022 ends. Here's what Musk revealed during the recent Qatar Economic Forum. Tesla Optimus Prototype's Unveiling According to Teslarati's latest report, there's a very high chance that the most-awaited Tesla Optimus prototype will be unveiled on the upcoming AI Day 2 2022. Elon Musk said that he and his Tesla team are working closely so that the humanoid robot's working version will be ready as early as September. Tesla Bot: Develop the next generation of automation, including a general purpose, bi-pedal, humanoid robot capable of performing tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring. Apply here: https://t.co/6WeUVy4nWy pic.twitter.com/FxB6RaS5n9 Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 20, 2021 Also Read: Tesla Bot Could Be An Actual Companion By Developing A 'Unique Personality'--Elon Musk "And I think we are tracking to that point. And there'll be a few other exciting things that we talk about at the Tesla AI Day," said the billionaire. He added that the new AI-based robot is a big deal for Tesla since it shows that the automaker can work on other bigger technologies. Tesla the largest robotics company developing a humanoid robot after a driving one! Everything needed to successfully bring a humanoid robot to market, including hardware, software, and talent, is already in place This is a game-changer and a new chapter in history to remember pic.twitter.com/f9QMVLJDGQ Alex (@alex_avoigt) August 20, 2021 Musk shared his belief that Tesla is the top real-world artificial intelligence company that really exists. As of writing, the giant electric vehicle manufacturer is expected to start producing the new humanoid machine by 2023. If this happens, then Tesla can change the labor economy and play a massive role in the rising artificial intelligence industry. Tesla Optimus' Features Tesla's official website explained what consumers can expect from the upcoming Optimus humanoid robot. The EV maker said that it will be able to conduct repetitive activities safely. This means that this new AI-based machine can actually work in manufacturing plants and other areas where people's lives can be at risk. But, much more will be revealed once Tesla demonstrates the working prototype of Optimus. If you want to see more details about the automaker's upcoming humanoid bot, you can visit this link. On the other hand, a robot coated in living skin was created by scientists. Meanwhile, a Canberra-based cafe's robots were used after the restaurant suffered from a lack of staff. For more news updates about the new Tesla Optimus robot and other humanoid machines, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Elon Musk Announced Humanoid Robot Commercialization in 2023: Brain and Personality Download This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's deep space Voyager probes are among the oldest rockets launched by the international space agency. However, these sats are now expected to retire as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration confirmed that it would shut them down. (Photo : Photo by NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) A NASA image of one of the Voyager space probes. Voyager 1 and its identical sister craft Voyager 2 were launched in 1977 to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were sent into outer space around 45 years ago (1977). Thanks to these advanced NASA rockets, space explorations became better. Experts stated that these space probes reached distances that the latest satellite models still cannot achieve. Because of this, they believe that rockets' records will remain unbroken in the next coming decades. NASA's Deep Space Voyager Probe Deactivation According to Business Insider's latest report, NASA explained that they will retire the Voyager probe systems since they are now switching to newer sat models. (Photo : Photo by NASA/Keystone/Getty Images) An annotated picture of a voyager spacecraft, one of two being sent from the Kennedy Space Center on a ten year exploration of the solar system including Jupiter, Saturn and possibly Uranus. After which they will continue on into interstellar space. Also Read: NASA Hubble Space Telescope Snaps 5,000 Ancient Galaxies Glowing Like Candles in Space "We're at 44 and a half years. So we've done 10 times the warranty on the darn things," said Ralph McNutt, one of the physicists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, via the Scientific American. He is also among the space experts who worked with NASA to make the launches of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 possible. On the other hand, NASA also planned to launch more similar rockets after the successful launches back in the 1970s. Linda Spilker, a JPL planetary expert, said that the international space union planned the so-called Grand Tour, which aimed to send five more probes that could reach the regions of the gas giants, as well as Pluto. However, this was declined by the U.S. Congress because it was too expensive back then. What Will Happen To the Voyager Rockets? Among the first steps of NASA as it starts to turn off the Voyager satellites is deactivating their systems. This will reduce the sats' energy consumption, allowing them to fly further regions of space until 2030. Because of this, they will remain their unbreakable record as the farthest human-made object from Earth. On the other hand, experts said that Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 would even outlive humans, as well as the solar system, as it reaches longer distances. If you want to see more details about the ongoing retirement of these deep space probes, you can visit this link. Meanwhile, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is expected to bring better images of the universe. Previously, the NASA Perseverance rover identified a mysterious rock on Mars. For more news updates about NASA and its upcoming space activities, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Detects Isolated Black Hole For The First Time; What Makes This Black Hole Different From Others? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amazon has been known as a huge proponent of automation in its warehouse and the technology it uses. The company has just recently announced the addition of a fully autonomous mobile warehouse robot called Proteus. Amazon is Adding a Fully Autonomous Mobile Robot for Its Warehouses The company has just announced a fully autonomous mobile robot that is designed to help move large carts throughout the warehouse. This robot was noted as the "first" fully autonomous mobile robot and goes by the name Proteus. As per Amazon, the robot is capable of navigating around employees. This is different from the robots that the companies have used in the past since they needed to be kept in separate caged areas due to their lack of full automation, as per the New York Times. New Fully Autonomous Warehouse Robot is Called 'Proteus' Amazon notes that its new Proteus robots are capable of "advanced safety, perception, and navigation technology." A video was uploaded to YouTube showcasing how a green light is located in front of the robots while they move around. According to the story by The Verge, whenever the robot senses a human in the area, the robot stops moving, and once the human steps away, the robot will then continue its route. As per the company, there are numerous robotic systems added as well. Amazon is Also Adding a Robotic Arm Called Cardinal Amazon will also be adding Cardinal, a robotic arm capable of lifting weights up to 50 pounds. The company is hoping to deploy the robotic arms in its warehouses sometime next year. The company noted that the robot's computer vision systems allow users to pick out and lift certain individual packages. This means that the robot is capable of lifting the packages despite them being in a pile. How the Robot is Capable of Scanning Barcodes A video was posted to YouTube showing off the tech that could allow employees to simply no longer use hand scanners in order to log barcodes. The workers, instead, will simply have to stand in front of a camera system in order for it to recognize the packages without needing to pause and scan the label. Read Also: Tesla Optimus Prototype AI Day 2 2022: Elon Musk Says Humanoid Robot On Track for Unveiling Amazon Lead Says the Move to Add Robots is Not to Replace People Not a lot of details were revealed regarding how the technology works aside from being a combination of a 120 fps camera system and machine learning. The effect, however, is similar to that of the tech being used in the company's cashier-less stores called the Just Walk Out tech. The company stated that its move to build robots is not to be in replacement of hiring people as reported in an article by Vox. An Amazon robotics division lead gave a statement to Forbes saying "replacing people with machines is just a fallacy," which could lead to them potentially going "out of business." Related Article: Scientists Coated a Robot in Living Skin, Plans to Incorporate Blood Cells, Sweat Glands, and Hair Follicles Underway This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SpaceX's battle against Dish Network, an American television provider, is becoming more serious. The independent space agency is now asking FCC (Federal Communications Commission) further to investigate the use of the so-called 12 GHz band. (Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket sits on launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center as it is prepared for tomorrow's lift-off on February 5, 2018 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket, which is the most powerful rocket in the world, is scheduled to make its maiden flight between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. For those unfamiliar with this network tech, it is a range of frequencies used for broadband communications. It has the capability to support both space-based and ground-based services. Now, SpaceX warned that using the 12 GHz band for terrestrial 5G could interfere with its Starlink internet networks, especially in the United States, as reported by SpaceNews. SpaceX Asks FCC To Investigate Dish Network's 12 GHz Band According to CNBC's latest report, Dish and RS Access, funded by the billionaire Michael Dell, published their studies in January 2021. (Photo : Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images) Elon Musk, CEO of Space Exploration Technologies Corp, speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club April 5, 2011 in Washington, DC. Elon Musk, CEO of Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) and Tesla Motors, held the news conference to announce SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket which could complete missions to the International Space Station and Moon and should be ready for use by the end of 2012. Also Read: SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches its 13th Flight! One of Three Flights in 36 Hours? These researches were conducted after FCC asked them how to best use the 12 GHz band. Of course, the findings of Dish Network and RS Access revealed that the use of the 12 GHz band for 5G networks would not affect low Earth orbit satellite networks, such as SpaceX's Starlink, as well as OneWeb. But, a new analysis was filed by SpaceX on Tuesday, June 21. The independent space agency sent its latest findings to the Federal Communications Commission. Now, SpaceX is asking FCC to conduct a more serious investigation since they believe that using the 12 GHz band will drastically affect the performance of Starlink broadband service. Why SpaceX is Against 12 GHz Band In the letter sent by SpaceX to the Federal Communications Commission, the space company explained that it conducted tests in Las Vegas. After they were completed, SpaceX's findings showed that using the 12 GHz band in 5G networks would actually harm Starlink satellites' performances. Specifically, the use of this frequency range can lead to Starlink interferences 77% of the time. This means that users will likely experience a loss of connection more frequently. If you want to see further details about the issue of SpaceX and Dish Network, you can view this link. Previously, SpaceX employees criticized Elon Musk after his harmful Twitter behavior. On the other hand, the SpaceX Cargo Dragon launch experienced another delay due to a rare spacecraft leak. For news updates on SpaceX's Starlink and other new internet services, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Why SpaceX's Second Falcon 9 Launch Concerns Experts Even More! Here Are Some of the Reasons This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Is Nothing's Phone 1 coming to the U.S.market despite not including US wireless carriers? Skipping North America Unfortunately, the new phone will not be hitting the US shelves after Nothing was confirmed to PCMag that the company would not be releasing the phone in North America for its July 12 debut. The company stated that even though they want to make the Phone 1 accessible globally, it will only focus on its home markets, which include the UK and Europe. Although the brand-new phone could be obtained in the US through a restricted beta program, it was noted that it will only be available to a small number of Nothing's "private community investors." Following a tease by inventor Carl Pei, Nothing debuted the device for the first time last week on Twitter. The most prominent feature is a translucent rear that reveals a wireless charging coil and an enigmatic lighting pattern. Along with the pure Android Nothing OS, the startup has also promised an open and varied "product ecosystem." Renowned leaker Evan Blass became aware of the issue early since Nothing provided a set of wireless carriers that are supported, and neither US nor Canadian carriers are included. "Disappointing, but understandable. Hard for young brands to achieve carrier adoption here, and without those deals, not really worth negotiating retail channels at all," Blass wrote in a tweet. Read also: 100 Units of Nothing Phone 1 to be Auctioned at StockX Ahead of Official Release Will Nothing Provide US Supported Phone 1 Someday? Nothing further explained that it takes a lot for them to develop a new phone, especially from carrier relationships and local laws to ensure the handset is compatible with the cellular technologies of various countries. The company also stressed that they are still a "young brand" and need to be more "strategic." Individuals included in the limited beta program are also expected to have troubles with coverage and insufficient support of services like voice over LTE, as noted by PCMag. However, Nothing does have aspirations to launch in North America. The company expressed its intentions to "introduce a US supported smartphone" in the coming years. The company's translucent Phone 1 will make its debut in London on July 12. In recent years, US carrier standards have become more stringent. Industry standards throughout the 3G era mandated that AT&T and T-Mobile would embrace any phone that was technically capable of working with their networks. Since there is no similar need for 4G and 5G, the carriers are free to "white list" or only let approved phones on their networks, according to PCMag. Related Article: Tired of Android? Try the Nothing Launcher Beta, Now an App-Soon to be an OS This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's InSight Lander has been around for almost four years on the Martian surface. The space agency is using this spacecraft to explore the geography of the planet and learn more about "Marsquakes." For the sake of science and discovery, scientists are staking the condition of this machine in hopes of gathering more information about Mars. InSight Mars Lander Might Cave In Soon (Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) NASA scientists are risking the InSight Mars Lander's condition to gather more data on the Red Planet in the upcoming months. The Red Planet has been a challenging environment for the robotic lander. For many years, it's been digging a lot of data on Mars, and this has helped the experts study the planet deeply. However, the machines have limitations, and so does the lander. According to CNET, the scientists will use the InSight spacecraft on its final days to detect more Marsquakes on Earth's neighboring planet. With that in mind, NASA expects that the lander won't last long, and it will stop all of its operations by the end of 2022. The spacecraft will continue its quest to learn more about the seismic activities of Mars. The experts are aware of the caveat of pushing the InSight lander to its limits. In doing so, its solar-powered batteries will be quickly discharged, and this means immediate death for the machine. "InSight hasn't finished teaching us about Mars yet. We're going to get every last bit of science we can before the lander concludes operations," NASA's Planetary Science Division in Washington director Lori Glaze said in a recent release. Throughout its operations on the red planet starting in 2018, the robot succeeded in detecting more than 1,300 Marsquakes. This gave a lot of ideas to the scientists about the potential structure of Mars' core. During its early days, it could use 5,000 watt-hours per sol (the equivalent day on Mars). Since it's been struggling to move forward due to the extreme landscape of the Martian soil, its capability has declined, and it could only use 500 watt-hours per sol. Related Article: NASA Perseverance Rover Discovers Mysterious Rock on Mars, Scientists Astounded on Formation Risking InSight Lander on its Upcoming Explorations As of the moment, the scientists are hoping that the lander's seismometer will still be functional. Since the machine is at the peak of breaking, the team decided to switch to the fault protection system of InSight. Through this feature, the lander automatically goes to safe mode when it detects hazards like dust storms. If the spacecraft is already low in power, it would also go in the same mode. NASA hopes that putting the lander at risk in the next few months will be worth the sacrifice. By that time, the lander needs to gather more data that the scientists need in their research. As per Gizmodo, it's a huge obstacle for the team to get rid of the dust on the panel of the InSight. For this part, they could incorporate a dusting mechanism for the robot to thrive longer on its journey. Read Also: [PHOTO] NASA's HiRISE Camera Captures Mars' Weird Honeycomb Pattern Made of CO2 and Water Ice This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lara Nicholson writes for The Advocate as a Report for America Corps Member. Email her at lnicholson@theadvocate.com or follow her on Twitter @LaraNicholson_. To learn more about Report for America and to support our journalism, please click here. The NAACP, ACLU, and family of Ronald Greene lead a rally on the State Capitol steps and then a march to the Governor's Mansion to protest Greene's death at the hands of the Louisiana State Police Thursday May 27, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. The Bridge City Center for Youth is seen in Bridge City on Friday, June 17, 2022. About 20 juveniles being detained at the Bridge City Center for Youth took over parts of the building Thursday night, prompting Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies and SWAT members to be sent in to restore order, authorities said. (Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate) Fines for breaching Western Australias Casino Control Act could increase by $99.9 million under proposed laws to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday. The bill forms the first legislative response to the Perth Casino Royal Commission report handed down in March, which found current Perth casino operator Crown was not fit to hold a licence. WA Racing and Gaming Minister Tony Buti. Credit:Hamish Hastie The maximum fine for non-compliance with the act has been lifted from $100,000 to $100 million while the laws will also establish an independent monitor, a key recommendation by the royal commission to enforce the repair of casino operations. Racing and Gaming Minister Tony Buti said the independent monitor and bigger penalties would ensure the highest standards were upheld at the casino. The Island, however, has much more in common with McKintys breakthrough thriller, The Chain, than with the Duffy series, though one can only hope it encourages readers who havent yet had the pleasure to seek out the latter. Set against the background of the Troubles in Belfast during the 80s, the Duffy books have won umpteen awards and McKinty says there are more books on the way. Even though, as McKinty himself has ruefully observed, they havent made enough to pay the rent, yet. Its always a joy spotting the cultural references in McKintys multi-layered crime fiction, especially when he goes off at a tangent (as he does so often in the wonderful Sean Duffy series) to discuss some piece of rock trivia or argue the case for a (least) favourite album. Or, in the case of The Island, by providing one of the minor characters with a convincing back story as a Sex Pistols fan. Welcome to Adrian McKintys gothic Australian nightmare with its echoes of Wake in Fright via Mad Max with a soupcon of Deliverance and a hillbillyesque family headed by a matriarch who could well be related to Mags Bennett in the TV adaptation of Elmore Leonards Justified. It begins on an island. A desperate woman with an ancient machete is stalking a man with a gun. Theres a crow with a skeptical yellow eye watching from the branch of a lightning-struck eucalyptus tree while a great white shark with a scarred dorsal fin surfaces in the bay. And then she steps on a piece of broken glass. Like The Chain, The Island is a thriller with a central female character who discovers just what she is made of when her family comes under threat. This is a smart move in an era when women are taking centre stage in politics and the arts as well as in superhero movies, while the avid readership for crime fiction skews significantly female (judging by the attendance at writers festivals). So mild-mannered Heather, a massage therapist from Seattle, comes into her own as an unlikely action hero desperate to protect her two step-children from the fury that ensues. Adrian McKintys The Island. The set-up is brisk. Tom is a well-regarded American doctor due to present a keynote at a conference in Melbourne. He is accompanied by Heather, his new wife, who is significantly younger than him, and his two children from his first marriage who are dosed up on Ritalin and anti-depressants following the death of their mother a year earlier. On a daytrip in search of koalas, the family take a ferry to an island just off the Mornington Peninsula, where Tom accidently runs over a young woman on a bike. After trying to conceal the body, the family are prevented from leaving by members of the resident family demanding revenge. In the resulting fracas, Tom is stabbed and Heather and the children go on the run. What follows is a murderous game of hide and seek across inhospitable terrain under a relentless sun. The fact that the already damaged Olivia and Owen dont even like Heather is a nice complication. As in the best thrillers, theres danger at every turn as presented by the vengeful ONeill family or the deadly native faunae. There are also moments of sheer horror that derive from McKintys affection for the video nasties of the 80s such as the female rape revenge movie, I Spit on Your Grave. As it happens, Heather is the daughter of a traumatised war veteran who has taught her a range of survival skills that will come in very handy. Even more intriguing is a narrative thread that addresses the ownership of country. This begins with Heathers chance meeting with an Indigenous elder outside Alice Springs who presents her with a beautiful pocket knife, and her subsequent discovery of the Indigenous history of the island. Just how these encounters will be of assistance to both her and the children is the story you have to read. The Island is a breathless and confronting ride. Bonnie & Clyde Hayes Theatre, until July 17 Were Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow alive today theyd just be two more narcissists taking selfies. Even Clydes obsession with high-powered firearms wouldnt delineate him, especially in his home state of Texas. The conundrum that faced the creators of this 2009 musical (as it did the makers of the famed 1967 film) is whether these murderous gangsters should be romanticised. In the event Frank Wildhorn (music), Don Black (lyrics) and Ivan Menchall (book) do romanticise them, if not as wildly as did the film. But its still dodgy territory. Like the nameless people who shot John Lennon or committed the Port Arthur massacre, Bonnie and Clyde pursued fame via gun violence. No one would dare to romanticise the above two unmentionables (or the perpetrators of countless other crimes or acts of terrorism), so why is it okay with these two? Is it merely because its set in the 1930s? Bonnie (Teagan Wouters) and Clyde (Blake Appelqvist) at the Hayes Theatres Bonnie and Clyde. Credit:Grant Leslie The creators did consider the issue, in as much as they spend much of Act One filling us in on why Clyde turned vile not quite as a justification, but almost. This set-up period grinds like unoiled gears, but once Bonnie and Clyde get together, the show swiftly gathers narrative and emotional momentum our cue to slide morality aside and take it on its own terms. An author has given evidence at Chris Dawsons murder trial that her unpublished book about the former teacher and his babysitter was written on the basis that he had killed his first wife, Lynette. Rebecca Hazel told the NSW Supreme Court late on Tuesday that The Schoolgirl, Her Teacher and his Wife remained in galley proofs, a step before publication, and hasnt actually been made up. Rebecca Hazel gave evidence at Chris Dawsons trial on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Steven Siewert She said she met Chris Dawsons former babysitter and second wife, known as JC, while working at a womens refuge in 2007. Hazel said she was a solicitor and JC was a caseworker, and the two women were friends before their relationship later broke down. Dawson, 73, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Lynette Dawson, who disappeared from Sydneys northern beaches in January 1982. The Crown alleges he was motivated by his desire to have an unfettered relationship with JC, whom he married in 1984 before they split in 1990. Half a dozen new public schools that were announced in 2018 are yet to start construction, as pressure on packed classrooms in Sydneys booming north and south-west push enrolments beyond capacity. New schools listed in the state budget four years ago, including Gregory Hills and Westmead primary schools, a new high school at Edmondson Park and a primary and high school at Macquarie Park Education Precinct, remain in planning phases. A kindergarten to year 12 school at Rydalmere also announced that year is yet to move past the planning stage. Kate Laney and her sons Lucas and Nathan, who attend Gledswood Hills primary school. Laney moved to Gregory Hills on the assumption a new school would be built there. Credit:Rhett Wyman In Tuesdays budget, the government allocated $1.6 billion to deliver 23 new and upgraded schools and $1.2 billion to maintain schools and invest in growing the teaching workforce. Funding was allocated to the schools announced four years ago, but it is unclear when construction will start on these projects. New primary schools in this years budget are earmarked for Macquarie Park, Gables in the Hills District and Melonba in the north-west. Tens of millions of dollars generated from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and tunnel would be diverted to tolling relief for drivers under a NSW Labor government. As part of his budget reply on Thursday, Opposition Leader Chris Minns will call for both harbour crossings to remain in public hands ahead of the tolling concession for the tunnel expiring in August this year. NSW Labor plans to divert tolling revenue from the Harbour Bridge to relief for drivers. Credit:Anna Kucera Minns is also expected to announce Labors intention to build half of all transport rolling stock in NSW by the end of the next term of government. Im proud to announce that this will be my first premiers priority if I have the privilege of forming government next March, Minns said. Senate signs MoU with Mabuhay Shriners The Senate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with non-governmental organization Mabuhay Shriners that aims to help indigent Filipinos seeking medical assistance. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation, collaboration, and civic engagements between the Senate, through the Senate Public Assistance Office (SPAO), and Mabuhay Shriners. Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Rep Romeo S. Momo Sr., the potentate of Mabuhay Shriners, signed the MoU last June 13. Lino S. Ong, director general of the Senate Public Assistance Office, represented Sotto and served as witness to the signing ceremony. Through this partnership, the Senate will refer to the organization requests for social and medical assistance from the public seeking assistance from the Senate and from each individual senator's office. This includes, but is not limited to, the grant of medical aid to children who suffered burns and need of cleft lip, cleft palate and clubfoot surgeries, and other medical aid which Mabuhay Shriners can provide in the future. Upon proper evaluation and assessment of the medical assistance sought by any constituent of the Senators, the Senate, through SPAO, shall endorse to Mabuhay Shriners the requests for proper evaluation. The partnership is part of the initiatives of the Senate Public Assistance Office to partner and collaborate with several government institutions and the private sector to provide effective, efficient and expeditious services to the public. In 2021, SPAO facilitated 36,997 various forms of medical assistance and referred over a thousand of non-medical related requests for assistance. A 13-year-old boy has died in a Brisbane hospital after an alleged joyride with three other teenagers in a suspected stolen vehicle turned tragic. Four teenage boys aged between 13 and 14 were injured when the vehicle rolled on Henningsen Road near the Warrego Highway at Oakey about 8.35am on Monday. Two of the boys were flown to a Brisbane hospital in critical conditions. Two other boys, aged 14, were taken to Toowoomba Base Hospital. Unvaccinated teachers, school staff and childcare workers will be free to return to work from next week, just two months after hundreds were officially terminated over their refusal to be inoculated against COVID-19. The vaccine mandate that requires all education staff to have had three doses will expire at midnight on Friday and school leaders have been briefed on what they need to do to redeploy unvaccinated staff, as well as how to respond to any objections by parents. Marissa Dunn with her daughter Hannah. Marissa is an early learning student teacher who could not complete her 120 hours of placement due to the vaccine mandate. Credit:Jason South Parents will not have the right to pull their children out of a class because a teacher is unvaccinated nor be informed of any school staff members vaccination status. Parents do not have the right to ask for this information and no one at the school should have this information. Principals do not hold information about the vaccination status of staff or students, an information sheet for principals seen by The Age states. A man has died after being crushed by a truck at a rail project on the Shepparton line, leading to train cancellations on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred at the site of a level crossing upgrade on Bunganail Road in Wahring, north of Nagambie, where a truck and trailer delivering quarry material tipped over while reversing about 3.10pm. A road block at the scene where a worker was killed at a rail project on the Shepparton line. Credit:Nine News A man working as a traffic management subcontractor at the Rail Projects Victoria site was acting as a spotter for the truck when it tipped over. The 64-year-old Mooroopna man died at the scene. Renting out spare rooms should be incentivised for empty nesters as a way to help ease Perths rental crisis, a property expert says. Australia has 13 million spare bedrooms, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics data, and that number is set to grow thanks to an ageing population holding on to empty nests with little incentive to downsize. The number of spare bedrooms is on the rise, given little incentive to downsize. Credit:iStock Two-thirds of those surveyed were in households with a couple only, or a single person, and most owned their own homes. Property investment expert Garth Davis said the state government could follow the lead of NSW which has proposed giving home buyers the choice to either pay stamp duty up front or pay a smaller annual property tax. Colombo: Sri Lankas prime minister says its debt-laden economy has collapsed after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity, and the South Asian island nation cannot even purchase imported oil. We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food. Our economy has completely collapsed. That is the most serious issue before us today, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Wednesday. Sri Lankas new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was appointed after the previous leader resigned and fled his home. Credit:AP Wickremesinghe is also the finance minister tasked with stabilising the economy, which is foundering under the weight of heavy debts, lost tourism revenue and other impacts from the pandemic and surging costs for commodities. Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $700 million in debt, he told MPs. As a result, no country or organisation in the world is willing to provide fuel to us. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash, he said. Los Angeles: A California jury has found comedian Bill Cosby was liable for sexually assaulting a woman at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was a teenager. The jury in the civil case awarded Judy Huth $US500,000 ($717,000) in damages for emotional distress she said she suffered years later when multiple allegations against Cosby from other women helped stir up memories of her interaction with the comedian. Judy Huth, right, said that Bill Cosby, left, sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16. Credit:AP Speaking after the verdict, Huth told reporters she was elated by the result that was a long time coming. Its been torture, she said of her seven-year legal fight. To be ripped apart, you know, thrown under the bus and backed over. This, to me, is such a big victory. News Updates Would you like to receive our newsletter? Get local, Wyoming, and national news, the weather forecast, and more, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2021. Seated, from left: Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Standing, from left: Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images/TNS A fire from a gas processing plant continues to burn behind a field of wheat after the plant was hit by shelling a few days prior in Andriivka in the Kharkiv region in Ukraine, on June 21, 2022. (Leah Millis/Reuters) 15 Killed as Russia Rains Rockets on Kharkiv KYIV/KHARKIVRussian forces pounded Ukraines second-largest city Kharkiv and the surrounding countryside with rockets, killing at least 15 people, in what Kyiv called a bid to force it to pull resources from the main battlefield to protect civilians from attack. Inside Russia, a fire tore through an oil refinery just 8 km (5 miles) from the Ukrainian border, after what the refinery described as a cross border attack by two drones. In the main battlefield city of Sievierodonetsk, where Russia has claimed to have Ukrainian forces surrounded since last week, pictures filmed by a freelance journalist showed the battle was not over, with Ukrainian troops able to resupply their garrison by crossing a river in inflatable rafts. The Russian strikes on Kharkiv, throughout Tuesday and continuing on Wednesday morning. Ukrainian authorities said there were reports of more casualties overnight and on Wednesday morning after 15 people were killed and 16 wounded on Tuesday in the Kharkiv region. The main battlefield is now to the south of Kharkiv in the Donbass region with the worst fighting concentrated in the devastated city of Sievierodonetsk. Russia says Ukrainian forces in Sievierodonetsk are trapped. After the last bridge over the Siverskyi Donets river was destroyed last week, Moscow ordered the Ukrainians to surrender or die. But Oleksandr Ratushniak, a freelance photographer who reached Sievierodonetsk with Ukrainian forces in recent days, filmed soldiers crossing the river in an inflatable raft, evidence that the garrison is not yet cut off. Ukrainian service members patrol an area in the city of Sievierodonetsk, as Russias attack on Ukraine continues, Ukraine, on June 20, 2022. (Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters) Drone Strike There was no immediate Ukrainian comment about the apparent drone strike which suspended production at Russias Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, on the Russian side of the frontier with Donbass territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Video footage posted on social media appeared to show a drone flying towards the refinery, before a large ball of flame and black smoke billowed up into the summer sky. The local emergency service, cited by Interfax, said no one was hurt and the blaze was put out. Ukraine generally does not comment on reports of attacks on Russian infrastructure near the border. In a separate incident, Russian authorities said four people were killed after a shell exploded at an ammunition depot deep inside Russia. Wednesday is marked in both Russia and Ukraine as the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, anniversary of the day when Hitlers Germany attacked the Soviet Union. An estimated 27 million Soviet citizens died in World War Two. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin laid flowers at a memorial flame for the dead. Moscow repeated threats on Wednesday to take unspecified retaliation for a decision by Lithuania to block rail shipments of some goods to Russias Kaliningrad enclave on the Baltic Sea. Lithuania says it was required to block the shipments under EU sanctions that took effect on Saturday. We are convinced that the illegal sanctions adopted by the European Union are absolutely unacceptable in this situation, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters, adding that countermeasures were being prepared. By Pavel Polityuk and Vitalii Hnidyi 2 Orange County Men Allegedly Kidnapped Woman While Acting Illegally as Bounty Hunters ORANGE, Calif.Two Orange County men are accused of kidnapping a woman while working illegally as bounty hunters. Rodger Jeffrey Corbett, 49, of Corona, and Kevin Andrew Pedersen, 34, of Fullerton, are facing criminal charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence, menace, fraud or deceit, and enhancement with firearm, according to a June 20 statement by the California Department of Insurance. The state agency and the Orange County District Attorneys Office Special Prosecutions Unit launched an investigation after a video was posted on social media showing Corbett and Pedersen attempting to locate a subject who had missed court appearances. The person who posted the video misidentified the two men as undercover police officers. Investigators later found out Corbett and Pedersen had not completed the requirements to be bail fugitive recovery personscommonly known as bounty hunters. They allegedly kidnapped and handcuffed the girlfriend of the subject whom they were seeking and drove her around for several hours while being visibly armed, the state agency stated. The authorities are still investigating the incident, where the unpermitted bail fugitive recovery persons were hired by a licensed bail agent, according to the statement. The alleged kidnapping dates back to October 2020, according to various media reports. Though bounty hunters in California do not need to be licensed by the state insurance department, they need to complete training courses, have no criminal records, and be hired by licensed bail agents in order to arrest bail fugitives legally. The state is now considering Assembly Bill 2043, which was introduced in February, to require bounty hunters to be licensed. Marlin Stapleton, the attorney representing Corbett, said the girlfriend was trying to help the fugitive to evade capture after he was being accused of assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence. Stapleton said she is confident that Corbett will be exonerated because they are good guys. Both Corbett and Pedersen had previously served as police officers in Orange County. Corbett was given a pre-trial diversion sentence in February 2021 after being charged for filing a false police record to cover up the then-Fullerton city managers DUI crash in 2016. The diversion program requires Corbett to complete 80 hours of community service, pay $500 in restitution, and agree to no longer work in law enforcementin exchange for eliminating not only prison time but also the case from his record. His employment with the Fullerton Police Department already ended in March 2018, according to Orange County Register. Pedersen was fired in 2018 by the Anaheim Police Department after he and another officer fired more than 76 gunshots and killed a man in a car chase in Anaheim. Their arraignment is scheduled for June 29. Aerial view of Miami International Airport in Miami, Fla., on May 26, 2019 (Daniel Slim / AFP via Getty Images) 3 Hospitalized After Plane Landing Gear Collapses, Catches Fire in Miami Three people were injured Tuesday when an airplane caught fire after its landing gear collapsed at Miami International Airport, local emergency services said. The landing gear in the nose of the aircraft collapsed and caught fire when Red Air flight 203 from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic arrived at Miami International Airport at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the airport said on Twitter. There were a total of 126 people on board. The fire has been extinguished and passengers will be bussed from the plane to the terminal, a Miami International Airport spokesperson said in a statement to The Epoch Times. So far, three people are being transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Two outbound flights have been delayed so far. Red Air #203 from Santo Domingo had its landing gear in the nose of the plane collapse, which seems to have caused a fire. @MiamiDadeFire responded & extinguished the fire. Some flights have been delayed as a result. Please follow up with your airline for the latest flight info. pic.twitter.com/06Vs8WuqIB Miami Intl Airport (@iflymia) June 21, 2022 Emergency Crews Respond Miami Dade Fire and Rescue confirmed that they had the fire under control and three people were taken to the hospital. [Miami Dade Fire and Rescue] is on scene of an aircraft fire at [Miami International Airport], the emergency service said on Twitter. Fire crews have placed the fire under control and are mitigating fuel spillage. All souls on board have been assessed for injuries. A total of 3 patients have been transported to local area hospitals. #MDFR is on scene of an aircraft fire at @iflyMIA. Fire crews have placed the fire under control and are mitigating fuel spillage. All souls on board have been assessed for injuries. A total of 3 patients have been transported to local area hospitals. pic.twitter.com/hMP68ncJ4s Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 21, 2022 Videos circulating on social media show the aircraft with its collapsed landing gear on fire. The Epoch Times reached out to Miami International Airport for further comment. Firefighting units next to a Red Air plane that caught fire after the front landing gear collapsed upon landing after arriving from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Miami International Airport in Miami on June 21, 2022. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP) 3 Injured When Jetliner Crash Lands, Catches Fire in Miami MIAMIThe crash landing of a jetliner that caught fire on the runway at Miami International Airport with 126 people on board had passengers screaming and panicking, witnesses said. People were very frightened, RED Air Flight 203 passenger Mauricio Davis told the Miami Herald. People were grabbing the seats to keep from spinning around. The fire started Tuesday after the MD-82 jetliners landing gear collapsed on arrival from the Dominican Republic, Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesman Greg Chin said. Three passengers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, while the others were bussed to the terminal, Chin said. Passenger Paola Garcia said she thought she was going to die. I started running and I jumped, and I thought it was going to explode, she told WSVN. Firefighting units next to a Red Air plane that caught fire after the front landing gear collapsed upon landing after arriving from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Miami International Airport in Miami on June 21, 2022. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP) The plane came to a stop on the grass beside a runway, where it was doused with chemicals to put out the fire. At least three firefighting vehicles responded. Emergency crews reached the plane in a minute and a half, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. What happened here is a miracle, the mayor told reporters. Airport officials said in a tweet that the collapse of the front landing gear in the nose of the aircraft appeared to cause the fire. RED Air is a low-fare airline that launched last November and only flies between Santo Domingo and Miami. The airline has four McDonnell Douglass MD-81 and MD-82 aircraft and more than 50 employees, the Herald reported. The National Transportation Safety Board posted that a team would arrive at the airport by Wednesday to investigate. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks to reporters as he walks to the Senate Chambers of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on June 21, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) 4 Key Proposals in Senates Gun Control Bill The Senate voted on June 21 to advance newly unveiled bipartisan gun legislation, with 14 Republicans joining all 50 members of the Democratic caucus in a 6434 procedural vote. The bill, which would be the most sweeping gun safety package approved by Congress in decades, includes key proposed changes to existing law. Closing Boyfriend Loophole A 1996 amendment to the Federal Gun Control Act barred people convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from buying or owning a gun. Such a crime is defined as a misdemeanor under federal, state, tribal, or local law and must have been committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim. Critics have been trying to get lawmakers to broaden the law to apply to people who commit crimes against their boyfriend or girlfriend. Gun control groups refer to the issue as the boyfriend loophole. The new legislation would change or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim to or by a person who has a current or recent former dating relationship with the victim. It would also add a definition of dating relationship, stating that it refers to a relationship between individuals who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature, with considerations of whether a relationship constitutes a dating relationship including the length of the relationship, the nature of the relationship, and the frequency and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. A casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context does not constitute a dating relationship of a romantic or intimate nature, the proposed language states. The bill would also add people convicted of domestic violence who are in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Funding for Red Flag Laws Nineteen states have laws that enable courts to strip people of their constitutional rights to own a gun. They are known as red flag laws, and have resulted in thousands of Americans being ordered not to possess guns because of concerns about their mental health. The new measure would utilize grants from the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program to support states that impose such laws, or already have them in place. It would do so by altering the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Under that legislation, the attorney general is authorized to make the grants to state and local governments to provide additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice. The new legislation would add civil proceedings after criminal justice and state that the grants can go towards implementation of State crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives such as extreme risk protection order programs, or the red flag laws. In order for the programs to receive grants, they must include certain rights for the accused, including the right to an in-person hearing before the courts rule on attempted enforcement, and the right to present evidence. Intensifying Background Checks When individuals under the age of 21 attempt to buy a firearm, more intense background checks would kick in if the proposal is enacted. While some Democrats have hoped for an outright ban on firearm sales to individuals under 21, the compromise bill wouldnt go as far. Instead, it would bolster the NICS to more thoroughly examine juvenile criminal records. In addition, it would impose a three-day waiting period between an attempt to purchase a firearm and the actual purchase. If NICS finds a potentially disqualifying record in need of further investigation, that waiting period is extended to 10 days; at the end of that period, if the firearm dealer hasnt been informed that a purchaser is disqualified from possessing a firearm, the sale is allowed to go through. To counter this, the bill includes a provision providing for the removal of false, expired, or erroneous records to ensure that qualified buyers arent flagged under the expanded NICS requirements. School Security, Mental Health Programs A significant portion of the bill focuses on expanding access and funding to mental health programs as preventative measures against future mass shootings. The bill would furnish about $15 billion over the next five years to expand mental health access and enhance school security, first to be distributed to states that propose a comprehensive pilot program for using the funds. More than a dozen new initiatives, including creating a network of community health behavioral centers and expanding access to telehealth services, are included in the bill. To offset the $15 billion expenditure, the measure would delay a Medicare drug rebate program for one year, which proponents say would save the federal government $21 billion. Another focus for GOP negotiators was enhanced school security, and much of the $15 billion appropriation would be devoted to this end. The legislation emphasizes programs for early identification and intervention with students who may become a threat to other students or teachers. As a corollary, the bill would expand resources for school mental health services. $300 million of the bill is exclusively devoted to instituting stricter safety measures at schools and providing training to school staff and students. Zachary Stieber Reporter Follow Zachary Stieber covers U.S. and world news. He is based in Maryland. For most high school and college seniors, the big day is now over. Youve gathered with your classmates and loved ones, walked across a stage wearing a cap and gown, received a diploma and a handshake, and are now officially graduates. Some of you will go on to college or post-graduate studies. Others will join the work force or the military. Some of you know exactly what you want from the future: a specific career, marriage; someday a family of your own. Others, having left behind the structure and demands of school, may feel at loose ends. The future looks about as clear as the Great Dismal Swamp in a thunderstorm. Whatever your plans, or lack thereof, here are nine random tips that might ease your anxiety and help you along the road. The Best-Laid Plans The best laid schemes o Mice and Men, wrote Robert Burns, gang aft agly. In other words, our plans often fall apart. Or as an old Yiddish saying has it, We plan, God laughs. Lets say you majored in pre-med studies in college. You enter a respectable medical school and do fine academically, but by the end of your first year, a little voice in your head keeps asking, Are you sure this is what you want? Entertain that voice. Listen to it. Maybe youre just having a case of the jitters about the future. On the other hand, maybe you werent meant to be a physician after all. Sometimes when our dreams fade, changing directions is okay. Life is enough of a long march without pursuing a misbegotten destiny. Expect the Unexpected Had someone told me in my boyhood that someday I would homeschool my children, operate a bed-and-breakfast, and magically dispatch something called email to places like Minneapolis or Chicago within the space of a breath, I would have been dumbfounded. They might as well have spoken Japanese. Homeschooling? A bed-and-breakfast? Email? At age 11, I had no idea at all what those things were. But change, especially in the whirlwind that is our present age, is as inevitable as dawn. Learn to be adaptable. A Lifelong Education Youve just spent years reading books for teachers. If you were one of the lucky students, those teachers introduced you to some classics: Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, The Old Man and the Sea, and more. Now youre free to choose your own books. Podcasts, television dramas and comedies, and movies are all beneficial, but I encourage you to become readers. Frequently visit your local library and bookstore. Follow your heart in your reading, and try to include some old books from time to time. Whatever the case, keep educating yourself. Stop and Smell the Flowers Now theres about as hackneyed a phrase as possible. Yet this cliche rings true. Some people Ive known go through life following a furrow in a cornfield behind a plow. They keep on moving, eyes front and center, yet they miss not just opportunities all around them, but also the simple pleasures offered daily by this world. Their 3-year-old asks some sweet question they dont hear because theyre too busy poking away on their phone. They stop every morning for a cup of coffee and fail to see the beauty in the smile of the barista behind the counter. They pride themselves on overcoming difficulties at work, but rarely stop to count their blessings and say thank you to life. Take pleasure in life whenever you can and offer gratitude. Companionship Once they leave school, and especially once they move past their 30th birthday, many adults find it more difficult to make friends or, for that matter, to meet a possible spouse. Places of employment often limit our circle of acquaintances, which means we must find other venues for meeting people. If you feel the need to broaden your circle of friends, consider becoming active in a church, joining some of the interest groups found online, or volunteering for some organization interesting to you. Whatever you do, make some friends and keep them close. Sooner or later, youre going to need one another. Listen and Learn Recently I read an account of a young man who envied a friend for his ability to strike up a conversation with strangers. One day, the young man asked his friend for his secret, and the answer was simple, Ask questions. As his friend pointed out, most people are enchanted when someone takes an interest in them and will respond positively to questions about themselves. That advice, the young man saidhe is now much olderwas invaluable. Because he took his friends suggestion to heart, he has spent his life asking questions, paying attention to the answers, and learning. Listening is an invaluable tool for the workplace or for further studies, for marriage, and for raising children. Practice it early on, and it will become a great habit. Mentors Im just over 70 years old, yet I still have mentors: at present, a man and two women younger than I. Over the years, theyve acted as cheerleaders in my endeavors, given me invaluable counsel, and helped me get past my failures. These people would laugh aloud if I described them as mentors, but there it is. A mentorsomeone in the workplace, a friend, a pastor, a counselorcan be invaluable as a listening board and a giver of helpful guidance. A spouse can serve in this same role. One man I know credits his wife with saving me from myself. Aiming for Excellence In The Curmudgeons Guide to Getting Ahead, which I highly recommend to all graduates, Charles Murray ends his short book of advice for the young by urging them to watch the movie Groundhog Day, not just once but several times. In this film, we watch as an egocentric jerk is transformed into a fully realized human beinga person who has learned to experience deep and lasting justified satisfaction with life. Watch and study Groundhog Day. Murray then ends his book with this summary of encouragement: Try hard. Be true. Enjoy. Godspeed. Targets to Aim For Murrays trying hard means getting out of bed every morning and tackling whatever the day brings to your front porch. It means finding the strength to go on when you feel you cant take another step. It means, as Rudyard Kipling says in If, filling the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run. Endurance is a key component of true adulthood. Being true applies to our ideals, our honor, the right way, and our family. When we betray these virtues, a part of our spirit, often unnoted at first, dies. Commit that betrayal too many times, and we literally become the living dead. Be true to all you are, and whatever else happens, you can always look at yourself without shame in the mirror. Enjoyment means taking pleasure from life. Close a lucrative deal at the software company where you work in sales, and youre ecstatic. And so you should be. But simpler delights can also deliver joy: a delicious sandwich eaten at lunch, a spouses hug on returning from a business trip, the laughter and squeals of children running under a sprinkler in the backyard. As for Murrays Godspeed, that word intends an expression of good wishes to a person starting on a journey. So, graduates, Godspeed to you all. Anaheim Mayor Pro Tem Trevor ONeil (R) speaks to his colleagues in Anaheim, Calif., on May 24, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Anaheim Moves Ahead Without Mayor, OKs Investigation Anaheim will continue operating without a mayor after the city council elected not to appoint a new one at its regular meeting June 22. Two candidatesformer Mayor Tom Tait and realtor Paul Kottwere nominated by city councilors but failed to get enough council votes to be appointed. Each only received one vote. As a result, the city will continue operating with Mayor Pro Tem Trevor ONeil at the helm. ONeil was tasked with leading meetings and other mayoral duties when former Mayor Harry Sidhu resigned last month after an FBI investigation alleged he was involved in a pay-to-play scheme as part of the negotiations to sell Angel Stadium. Sidhu has not been charged or indicted. This was the second attempt by the council to fill the open position. The council first considered it two weeks ago when Councilman Jose Moreno nominated himself but did not receive any support from other councilors. The citys charter requires the councilors to fill the vacancy within 60 days. If not filled within that time, the city would be required to hold a special election. However, the general election to elect a new mayor is Nov. 8, which makes the timeline too tight to organize a special election, according to ONeil. Anaheim City Hall in Anaheim, Calif., on May 24, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) City leaders also continued to address corruption allegations revealed in the FBI probe by considering campaign finance reform and an independent investigation. Councilors unanimously voted and approved a plan to hire an outside group to investigate and report on all campaign contributions given to current city councilors and former Mayor Sidhu. The investigation would also uncover any Brown Act, or open meeting, violations and any conflicts of interest with city contracts. City staff estimated the investigation could cost between $250,000 and $500,000. Some councilors were concerned that the results of the probe would not be available before the November election. ONeil said he would prefer to hire a company staff had recommended instead of going through a bidding process. Were up against the clock and we run the risk of not even getting anything back until after the election, ONeil said. The whole point of this is to make sure that there was no impropriety to ensure that everyone is either cleared or indicated prior to the election. Several residents attended the meeting to encourage the city council to be more transparent and address any misdeeds. One resident, a woman who moved to California from Mexico for safety reasons, said she did not want to see the city become like her former hometown. Thirty years ago, I came from Mexico, and I came because in my hometown, there were a lot of girls disappearing, the woman told city councilors. I came to California, United States, because I want to feel safe and I want to have a better life. Right now, the things that are happening here in Anaheim, I feel like Im living back in my hometown, where the [politicians] are taking advantage of all the situations to gain money to their own benefit, she said. The speaker said she supported a plan to strengthen campaign finance reform in the city. Moreno proposed the campaign finance reform ordinance to create more transparency and reduce the possibility of corruption, but it failed to pass on a tie vote. Its goal is to mitigate the undue influence of money in the decision-making in our city and provide as much trust as possible, Moreno said. The new rules, based roughly on the states Levine Act, would have required city councilors to abstain from voting on any issue that would affect any campaign donors for a period of six months. They would also have had to file reports with the city clerks office within 24 hours of receiving any contribution over $250. The ordinance needed four votes to pass, but councilors were deadlocked on the issue, voting 3 to 3, with ONeil, Councilwoman Gloria Maae, and Councilman Jose Diaz voting against it. Councilman Diaz said he supported transparency in campaign finance but the new rules would not stop money coming in from outside the city. I support transparency, Diaz said. All this does is bring in money from outside the city. The moneys going to be there, its just coming from someplace else. In other action, the council decided to change the way members can place items on future agendas. The new policy will allow councilors to request items be put on meeting agendas without having to get the support of other councilors. Andrew Gillum, Forward Florida chairman, speaks at the Broward County Governmental Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 6, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Andrew Gillum Charged With Wire Fraud, Making False Statements The man who ran against Ron DeSantis in Floridas 2018 gubernatorial race has been charged with wire fraud, conspiracy, and making false statements. Andrew Gillum, also a former mayor of Tallahassee, solicited campaign payments and gifts like Broadway tickets from undercover FBI agents who were posing as real estate developers and, according to the grand jury indictment, which was obtained by The Epoch Times after it was unsealed on June 22. Gillum failed to disclose the payments and gifts, as mandated by federal law. Further, Gillum later told FBI agents that the developers never offered or gave him anything, which was false, according to court documents. Gillum is also accused of conspiring with an associate, Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, to defraud people by asking for funds that they represented would be used for Gillums campaign, but of which a portion was diverted to a corporation Lettman-Hicks was running. Gillum was paid directly with some of the money, authorities say. Gillums position at the business was only a cover to provide him funds that he lost, the indictment states. Gillum allegedly received over $56,000 through the scheme for his personal use. Florida law prohibits candidates from using campaign funds to defray living expenses other than expenses incurred in the course of campaigning. If convicted of the 21 counts, Gillum faces decades in prison. Lettman-Hicks was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. They were both due to appear in court on Wednesday. Gillum, a Democrat who lost to DeSantis, denied wrongdoing after the indictment was released. I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people. Every campaign Ive run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political, Gillum said in a statement. Throughout my career, I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power. Theres been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now. Gillum, a onetime CNN contributor, was previously found drunk in a hotel room where suspected drugs were recovered, according to a police report from Miami Beach. Gillum was discovered naked in the room unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state, officers wrote. After the report was made public in 2020, Gillum apologized and said that he has never used drugs. He was not charged. Chinese troops march during a military parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) Arizona Makes Civics Education a High School Graduation Requirement Proponent says freedom in danger because Americans don't know its value Arizona state Rep. Quang Nguyen learned about the sorrows of communism through the eyes of a child in South Vietnam. His final lesson came in 1975, when his family fled the country as communist North Vietnamese tanks rolled into Saigon, signifying the end of liberty as he knew it. I have had the unfortunate [perspective] of dealing with three invasions during my lifetime in Vietnam, Nguyen told The Epoch Times. Some people argue [communism] is an economic systemno more, no less. I would argue against that. Its a system of total control of the peoplebut control not because of policies. Its control because of fear. Its all about putting the thumb on your life. In America, Nguyen said his family discovered this amazing thing called freedom. Arizona state Rep. Quang Nguyen And it is the freedom he has lived for so many years that he sees slipping away because Americans havent experienced the painful lessons of communism. For this reason, Nguyen sponsored HB2008 to make civics education a high school graduation requirement in Arizona. On June 12, Arizonas Senate adopted its version of the bill on a slim 16-12 vote. The House narrowly passed an amended version on Feb. 17. The vote was 31-28. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill into law on June 17. Understanding Totalitarianism This bill is another point for Arizonas strong civics education, Ducey posted June 17 on Twitter. Students will learn about other nations governing philosophies and form a deeper understanding of the freedoms and rights Americans are guaranteed. According to the bill, the new standards will help students become civically responsible and knowledgeable adults. The Arizona Board of Education (AZBOE) will work with organizations such as the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom at Arizona State University, and the Sandra Day OConnor Institute to develop new civic education standards. Lessons would include the original intent of Americas founding documents and principles and the civic-minded expectations of an upright and desirable citizenry. In a statement, Nguyen said the bills intent is for Arizona high school students to graduate with a similar appreciation for what it means to be an American. This [education] is mandatory. This is not an option, Nguyen said. This civics standards update will help ensure that our students are taught the brutal facts of oppressive communist systems and how they are fundamentally antithetical to Americas founding principles, he added. HB 2008 directs the board of education to update its high school social studies academic standards to incorporate a comparative discussion of political ideologies that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy. The standards will include a knowledge of communism and totalitarianism as they exist today in countries such as the Peoples Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Having grown up in Vietnam and survived three communist invasions, I have a deep love and appreciation for the United States and its freedoms, which are guaranteed to all, said Nguyen, a Republican. Ignorance Is Not Bliss As refugees worldwide flock to America, Nguyen said, young people in the United States know little about communisms bloody past and present. I thought about just the next generation not being aware of what communism is doing to the world. Communism hasnt ended. It is happening every day, said Nguyen, citing 100 million people killed after a century of communism. We want to make sure you understand the difference between the policies in these countries against what makes this such a great nation. We dont want to lose that, Nguyen said. He said on social media people have accused him of wanting to dictate what students learn. The exact opposite it true, he said. They dont realize I worked with the state board of education on this bill. Were not even going around the state board of education. I sat down with them on the bill, and they amended it. The BOE did not immediately respond to an email requesting a comment. Nguyen said it could take another two years before Arizonas civics education standards receive an overhaul to include the new civics education standards, but hes willing to wait. If I dont get it this year, Ill get it another year. Im all good, Nguyen said. Residents line up for nucleic acid tests during lockdown in Shanghai on April 30, 2022. (Aly Song/Reuters) Australia Joins Global Pandemic Preparedness Fund Australia will provide money as part of a new global fund to help protect countries against future pandemics. Speaking at a G20 virtual meeting, Health Minister Mark Butler and Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the federal government would contribute to the new financial intermediary fund. The fund, established through the World Bank and World Health Organisation, will bring together key institutions to help tackle the risks of future pandemics in the wake of COVID-19. Few events have had greater impact than the pandemic on our way of life, Health Minister Butler told the joint meeting of health and finance ministers. We have an opportunity to strengthen our collective ability to better prepare for future pandemics. Ellumes COVID-19 coronavirus home test units are seen at a digital diagnostics company in Australia, on Dec. 21. 2020. (Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images) Australias final contribution to the fund will be determined as part of existing federal funding for overseas development assistance. The new fund is aimed at addressing key gaps in the prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics. Treasurer Chalmers said Australia was pleased to be able to play its part in the new fund. While it has often been said that COVID-19 doesnt discriminate, we all know our most vulnerable citizens were impacted most by both the health and economic damage of this awful virus, he told the summit. The G20s collective action is important, and I urge all members and guests here today to continue to support Indonesias leadership in addressing systemic financing gaps for pandemic preparedness and response. The treasurer also confirmed he would attend the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Bali next month. Indonesia is presiding over the G20 this year, with world leaders also meeting in Bali for talks during November. During the meeting, finance and health ministers discussed coordination arrangements to address gaps in preventing pandemics, along with reviewing progress made by the WHO and World Bank in setting up the fund. Office buildings are seen illuminated in the central business district in Sydney, Australia, on June 21, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Australian Energy Market Operator to Remove Extraordinary Market Suspension The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has announced that it will end its extraordinary intervention in the national energy market following improvements in power supplies. After a week of suspending the energy market, the AEMO said it would remove the suspension from 4 a.m. on June 23 as 4,000 megawatts of generation returned to the grid after outages. The first step is that at 4 a.m. tomorrow, we will allow the market to set the price again, AEMO chief executive Daniel Westerman said. AEMO said there would be no problem with the system used to schedule generation into the energy grid. Additionally, it would reduce the number of directions to generators. In the second step of the plan, the market operator will completely lift the suspension after 24 hours of close monitoring. On June 21, the AEMO had a meeting with the energy industry to discuss the process of returning to normal operation for the Australian electricity market. We have seen nearly 4000MW of generation return to service since this time last week, Westerman said. That means the risk of any shortfall has reduced markedly. A smart energy meter used to monitor gas and electricity use is pictured in a home in Walthamstow, east London, on Feb. 4, 2022. (TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the cooperation between energy suppliers and the government was important and necessary. The Australian people can have confidence in the market operator, (which) works closely with state and territory and the federal government to ensure that consumers best interests are protected and that our energy system remains reliable, despite the very considerable challenges that have been faced in recent weeks, he said. The minister also emphasised the need for ongoing management of the national energy market. The issues that have led to this have been multi-faceted we need more transmission, more storage and more generation of electricity, Bowen said. Risks remain in the system, and I know AEMO remains vigilant about what needs to be cared for in the coming days. New Power for Consumer Watchdog Electricity lines in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 22, 2012. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) The AEMOs announcement comes as the federal government has granted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) more power to monitor energy pricing. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the decision would allow the government agency to crack down on energy providers dishonest behaviour. The ACCC is also expected to advise the government on the necessary steps to address the pricing practice of power generators. As the country is grappling with the energy crisis, news of the collapse of Australias first community-owned electricity retailer has emerged. The Byron Bay-based Enova Community Energy has been placed into voluntary administration as it was not able to secure a new fixed pricing arrangement with its electricity supplierDiamond Energy. The company said it was no longer financially viable to operate in the face of surging wholesale energy prices from July 1. Over 13,000 customers across New South Wales and southeast Queensland are affected by the collapse. However, they will be transferred automatically to a new retailer under the Retailer of Last Resort scheme. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) speaks during a joint press conference with Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama in Fiji's capital city Suva on May 30, 2022. (Leon Lord/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Winning the Entropic War in the South Pacific: Expert Was the Chinese foreign minister's Pacific tour a failure or success? As democratic leaders continue working to shore up alliances with Pacific leaders, one expert has warned leaders that Beijing is already well advanced in fomenting corruption and eroding democratic institutions in the region. Cleo Paskal, senior fellow for the Indo-Pacific at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said foreign officials need to cast off well-worn bureaucratic procedures to counteract Beijings entropic warfare. In 1999, two colonels from the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force published a book called Unrestricted Warfare, which involves attacking an enemy through all means possible short of open conflictgeopolitical and defence experts classify this as hybrid or grey zone warfare. For instigators like the Chinese Communist Party, unrestricted warfare has seen the regime exploit the cyber, economic, political, legal, and media realms in its effort to destabilise an enemyin this case, the United States, democratic nations, and now the Pacific region. Those weapons are used to weaken the target country from the inside and to fragment and create disorder in the target country so that it is less able to withstand Chinese influence, Paskal told The Epoch Times. A burnt out truck sits in the Chinatown district of Honiara on the Solomon Islands on Nov. 26, 2021. (Charley Piringi/AFP via Getty Images) That process of creating instability and fragmentation can be described as creating a state of entropyof political, social, and economic entropywhere things start to just break down. And in that state of disorder, China can create a new order with itself and its proxies at the centre. Breaking Down A Democracy Paskal says the situation in the Solomon Islands was a key example. From 2019, when the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare decided to switch diplomatic allegiances from Taiwan to Beijing, issues of corruption have become more overt. One report revealed that 39 of 50 pro-Beijing members of Parliament received payments from the National Development Fund operated in conjunction with the Chinese Embassy. Opposition leader Matthew Wale has also accused the prime minister of not delivering basic services, over-centralising power, and exploiting the countrys timber industry for the benefit of a few logging companies and to line his own pockets. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honour guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Late last year, local anger erupted, and protests were held in the capital Honiara against Prime Minister Sogavare, which resulted in three deaths and the Chinatown District being razed. You start to get this distortion in the society that creates an enormous amount of social anger. If you are from a democratic background, you think thats a bad thing, Paskal said. But if you accept this premise of entropic warfare being the desired outcome from Beijing, you actually do want to create disruption within the society. Then the authoritarian leadership elements get increasingly isolated from their own population and the international community, and become more reliant on Beijing. Western Leaders Could Exacerbate Corruption According to Heston Russell, a former Australian special forces operative who has worked in the Pacific, western leaders who engage purely with the leadership classand not other stakeholdersrisk exacerbating and enabling this corruption. Theres a separation between the political level and local population. Most of the population are too busy surviving and going about their everyday lives and are not actively engaged in politics or whats going on, he previously told The Epoch Times. That allows the political elite to exploit the country, be influenced, be corrupted, and that plays right into the hands of countries with big resources, big regions, big power bases like the Chinese. The U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell and Indias high commissioner have endeavoured to meet with the Solomons opposition during recent visits. Entropy Spreading Across the South Pacific Also, while there has been much fanfare around the apparent failure of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to convince eight Pacific nations to sign-up for a sweeping security and trade bloc, Paskal said the ministers visit was a success for the Chinese regime on several fronts. Wang Yi was able to convince Pacific leaders to waive quarantine restrictions for his delegation and ban local media from asking questions at press conferences. This picture, released by the Samoa Observer on May 28, 2022, shows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) and Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa attending an agreement signing ceremony between the two countries in Apia. (Vaitogi Asuisui Matafeo/Samoa Observer/AFP via Getty Images) At the same time, despite signing a huge swathe of deals with the leaders of the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Lesterlittle detail has been made publicly available. All of that created antagonism between the leadership of those countries and their own population and media. Sending them down this path that the Solomon Islands is already much deeper down, Paskal said. The institutions of Vanuatu are also beginning to feel the strain after the opposition refused to join a parliamentary sitting in response to proposed amendments to the Constitution. Prime Minister Bob Loughman was forced to shelve the amendments which proposed extending the term limit of government from four to five years, imposing term limits on the chief justice, and allowing dual citizens to hold office. These changes would not only centralise more power with Loughmans government but potentially pave the way for Chinese nationals to hold office. West Needs to Be Flexible Paskal says democratic governments need to adopt a more flexible approach to meeting the needs of Pacific nations while counteracting Beijings unrestricted and entropic warfare. Former East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao (R) greets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) during a meeting in Dili on June 4, 2022. (Valentino Dariel Sousa /AFP via Getty Images) Australias and New Zealands bureaucracy says we have to hold half a dozen workshops and we need to check those boxes, she said. Thats what our bureaucracy says. You need to be flexible and adapt to their bureaucracy. A country like the Marshall Islandstheir entire ministry of foreign affairs, including administrative staff, might be 15 people. Meanwhile, Russell has also pushed for greater grassroots engagement and less focus on the political class of society. He said democratic nations could work in tandem with the United States providing the overarching strategic, financial, and diplomatic framework, and countries like Australia and New Zealand providing the actual boots on the ground to develop human connections through sport, building schools, assisting with infrastructure, and help with disaster relief. Cigarette packs on a shelf in a store in Los Angeles on April 28, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Biden Administration Wants to Remove Most Nicotine From Cigarettes President Joe Bidens administration has proposed removing most nicotine from cigarettes in an effort to make the product less addictive. The proposal, outlined in a brief agenda by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), would establish a lower ceiling for nicotine levels in cigarettes and some similar products. Because tobacco-related harms primarily result from addiction to products that repeatedly expose users to toxins, FDA would take this action to reduce addictiveness to certain tobacco products, thus giving addicted users a greater ability to quit. This product standard would also help to prevent experimenters (mainly youth) from initiating regular use, and, therefore, from becoming regular smokers, officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an HHS agency, stated in the agenda. Nicotine is powerfully addictive, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement. Making cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products minimally addictive or non-addictive would help save lives. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 allows the FDA to regulate tobacco products, including setting certain levels of nicotine and other ingredients. But the law states that the FDA cant require companies to put zero nicotine in their products. Some praised the new initiative, including Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. Reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes could help millions of people quit smoking and prevent millions of others from starting the deadly habit. By reducing the addictiveness of cigarettes, the deadliest consumer products on the market, the FDA will spare countless families nationwide from disease and death caused by tobacco use, Brown said in a statement. Altria, a large cigarette maker, told media outlets that the FDAs announcement marks the start of a long-term process, which must be science-based and account for potentially serious unintended consequences. Guy Bentley, director of consumer freedom at the Reason Foundation, was among those questioning the move. If implemented, reducing nicotine levels would spark a black market, Bentley wrote on Twitter. The FDA stated in 2020 that it recognized lingering questions regarding the possible unintended consequences of limiting nicotine levels in cigarettes, including potentially boosting a black market and smokers increasing the number of cigarettes they smoke to compensate for the lower levels. The FDA proposed a ban earlier this year on all menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, and during the Trump administration, regulators moved to impose new limits on nicotine levels in cigarettes. That plan was dropped in late 2019. The agency has focused on regulations that reflect its most immediate priorities, an FDA spokesperson told media outlets at the time. FDA continues to gather evidence and data on an ongoing basis regarding all tobacco products. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who helmed the FDA from 2017 through April 2019, had expressed a desire to force companies to put nearly no nicotine in cigarettes. A Cambodian woman carrying a baby walks by landmine awareness sign at O'Chhoeu Kram village in the former Khmer Rouge's stronghold Pailin near the Thai border. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Reverses Trump-Era Policies on Anti-Personnel Landmines President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday the United States will ban almost all anti-personnel landmine (APL) use pushing the APL policies back to the Obama era. After conducting a comprehensive policy review, the United States is joining the vast majority of countries around the world in committing to limit the use of anti-personnel landmines, the White House said in a statement. The new commitment announced today will align U.S. APL policy outside of the Korean Peninsula with the key requirements of the Ottawa Convention. Under the policy change, the United States commits to: Not develop, produce, or acquire APL Not export or transfer of APL, except when necessary for activities related to mine detection or removal, and for the purpose of destruction Not use APL outside of the Korean Peninsula Not assist, encourage, or induce anyone, outside of the context of the Korean Peninsula Undertake to destroy all APL stockpiles not required for the defense of the Republic of Korea Reversal of Trump-Era Policies The Biden administrations policy changes on APL follow the same pattern after Biden came to the White House: reversing Trump-era policies and putting Obama policies back. Bidens move put the United States back on the path of acceding to the Ottawa Treaty, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of APL. The United States has not signed the treaty since it was negotiated in 1997. In 2014, Former President Barack Obama announced that the United States would begin to destroy the landmine stockpiles not required for the defense of South Korea. He also was committed to ultimately complying fully and acceding to the Ottawa Convention. However, President Donald Trump pulled the efforts to ban landmines because they help the U.S. military to regain its competitive advantages. The environment requires our military to regain its competitive advantages by becoming more lethal, resilient, agile, and ready across a range of potential contingencies and geographies, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement (pdf). Area denial systems, such as landmines, play an important role in enabling these force attributes. Bill Cosby speaks to reporters outside of his home in Cheltenham, Pa., on June 30, 2021. (Michael Abbott/Getty Images) Bill Cosby Found Liable in Civil Case for Sexual Assault in 1975 SANTA MONICA, Calif.A California jury on Tuesday found comedian Bill Cosby was liable for sexually assaulting a woman at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was a teenager. The jury awarded Judy Huth $500,000 in damages for emotional distress she said she suffered years later when multiple allegations against Cosby from other women helped stir up memories of her interaction with the comedian. Huth testified that the comedian invited her and a friend to the Playboy Mansion when she was 16, and he was 37, and forced her to perform a sex act. Cosby, who did not appear in person at the trial, denied the allegation. In video of a deposition shown to jurors, Cosby said he did not remember Huth. But he said the incident could not have happened because he would not have pursued sexual contact at that time with someone who was under age 18. Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean challenged Huths account throughout the trial, including her revised timeline. When the lawsuit was filed in December 2014, Huth said the incident occurred in 1974, when she was 15. She told jurors she recently concluded that she had been mistaken about the year and now believes it happened in 1975. Huth is now 64. The civil trial in California took place 11 months after Cosby was freed from prison when Pennsylvanias highest court threw out his sexual assault conviction in a different criminal case there. Cosby, 84, is best known for his role as the lovable husband and father in the 1980s television comedy series The Cosby Show, earning him the nickname Americas Dad. But his family-friendly reputation was shattered after more than 50 women accused him of sexual assaults over nearly five decades. Former president of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during an event to announce Lula's pre-candidacy for October presidential elections along with running mate Geraldo Alckmin at Expo Center Norte in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 7, 2022. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images) Brazilian Presidential Elections: Lulas Reelection Would Be a Reward for Corruption Commentary When running as a candidate for the 2002 presidential elections, Brazils former president and now presidential candidate, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, pledged to do everything to combat corruption. In 2002, he even signed an Anti-Corruption Pledge prepared by Transparency International. Ironically, however, corruption ended up reaching unprecedented levels during the Lula administration, from 2002 to 2010. Numerous of his closest advisers, congressional leaders, and party bosses were deeply involved in large-scale transfers of public funds into electoral campaigns, private enrichment, and financing of full-time public functionaries. The first in a continuous series of corruption schemes was unveiled in February 2004, with a video recording of Waldomiro Diniz, the deputy chief for parliamentary affairs, collecting bribes from a gambling tycoon for the electoral campaign of Workers Party (PT) politicians. Since the action was both filmed and recorded, Lula had no other option but to dismiss him from the party. In another corruption scandal, Lulas PT was found paying bribes to members of Congress in return for their votes in August 2005. The case began to be uncovered when a political appointee working at the postal service was filmed telling two bogus businessmen that they could win public contracts by paying bribes to Roberto Jefferson, the parliamentary leader of the Brazilian Labour Party. In an attempt to deflect media attention from himself, Jefferson disclosed another, far more serious scandal. On June 15, 2005, he told a congressional ethics committee that the ruling party was paying a monthly allowance of US$12,000 to congressmen in return for their support for government bills, thus allowing the Lula administration to obtain a de facto majority in Congress through means of bribery. He named the then chief of staff, Minister Jose Dirceu, as the creator of the scheme. Demonstrators hold images of Brazilian politicians Jose Dirceu (C) and Joao Paulo Cunha (R) and publicist Marcos Valerio, some of the defendants in the trial known as mensalao, with prison clothes, in front of the Supreme Court headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, on Aug. 3, 2012. (Pedro Ladeira/AFP/GettyImages) Communist Policies Pushed Corruption Further According to Arthur Ituassu, a foreign relations professor, Dirceu is a high-profile figure in Brazilian political life, well-known to the countrys political class and media for many years He trained as a guerrilla in Cuba and returned [to Brazil] in disguise with a new identity. For years, he did not even reveal his real name to his own wife. He was successful in studies and politics, where his Stalinist expertise greatly helped his rise to become Lulas most trusted aide. Dirceus guiding mantra was clear to everyone: It does not matter how you do it as long as you do it. By operating according to it, he was both feared and powerful inside the PT and (after 2002) the government; and it is also how he planned to reach the presidency after Lulas second term expired in 2010. When a group of congressmen expressed the desire to establish a Parliamentary Investigatory Committee to investigate these notorious scandals, the governments political coordinator at the time, Aldo Rebello, a member of the Communist Party of Brazil, claimed that any such parliamentary investigation would amount to a plan of reactionary forces to destabilize the progressive Lula administration. Fortunately, another congressman, Valdemar da Costa Neto, confessed to an ethics committee that he had personally received payoffs from Lulas party. Forced to resign from his parliamentary seat in August 2005, he went on to reveal the governments involvement in a further corruption scheme in which he and other political leaders were receiving bribes to support Lulas candidature for reelection in the 2006 presidential election. Lulas Own Brother Did Not Believe Him Because of the weight of evidence against him, even his own brother, Jackson da Silva, thought it was impossible that Lula did not know that most of his closest friends, including Dirceu, who resigned from the ministry in 2005, and Delubio Soares, the PTs treasurer, were bribing members of parliament. They have been with my brother for years. My wife can cheat on me for a month, but not years. If Dad were alive he would have pulled his ear for not saying the truth, said Lulas brother, Jackson da Silva. Supporters of the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hold a Workers Party flag and a painting of Lula da Silva during a rally on Sept. 1 2006, in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. (Antonio Scorza/AFP via Getty Images) Curiously, the serving chief justice at the time, Nelson Jobim, expressed on the occasion his opposition to the impeachment of Lula, claiming that this could trigger an untenable climate of confrontation, given his continued popularity and strong support-base, making the country ungovernable for years to come. And so, the highest judicial authority in the nation basically regarded Lulas popularity as counting for more than the respect for the rule of law. Corruption An Endemic Problem During the Lula Progressive Administration Perhaps also important is to consider that, during the Lula administration, the federal government employed more than 40,000 members and supporters of the president to work in the public administration. This led retired Chief Justice Mauricio Correa to comment that even the more technical government jobs were actually going to unqualified party members, who had to give a levy of up to 20 percent of their income to the ruling PT. By being indirectly financed by Brazilian taxpayers, PT unsurprisingly became far richer and more powerful than all other parties in Brazil put together. As can be seen, corruption was an endemic problem during the Lula progressive administration. In those days, the Brazilian media was day after day full of reports of numerous cases of widespread corruption. Fortunately, these numerous corruption scandals that shook the Lula administration had the beneficial effect of demoralising a government bent on establishing a long-lasting populist regime based on a disguised form of socialist dictatorship. Of course, it would be incredibly unwise for the Brazilians to return this far-left candidate to the presidency. For Lula would finally be able to finish the job he had started of turning Brazil into another Cuba or Venezuela. Personally, I dont believe Brazilians would be so unwise. Under fair and transparent elections, it is simply impossible to conceive that Lula da Silva can ever be re-elected to the presidency of Brazil. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Katie Bryant, Daunte Wrights mother, is surrounded by community members and activists in Minneapolis, Minn., on Feb. 18, 2022. (Nicole Neri/AP Photo) Brooklyn Center Agrees to $3.25 Million Settlement With Family of Daunte Wright The family of Daunte Wright has reached a $3.25 million settlement with the City of Brooklyn Center following his death by a police officer in April last year. The city has also agreed to facilitate changes to its policies and police officer training related to making traffic stops for equipment violations that do not interfere with the safety of the driver, passenger or members of the community, according to a statement from lawyers representing Wrights family released Tuesday night. Attorneys said the $3.25 million settlement is thought to be the third-largest civil rights wrongful death settlement of its kind in Minnesota and the largest such settlement for a city in Minnesota outside Minneapolis. The city of Minneapolis in March 2021 agreed to pay a record $27 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by George Floyds family following his death in police custody. There is no true justice for the Wrights because Daunte is never coming home, said co-counsel Jeff Storms of the Newmark Storms Dworak law firm based in Minneapolis in a statement. The financial component of this settlement cannot come close to compensating the family for their loss, yet the comparative cost for and commitment by the city reflects a commitment to accountability for this small community. A guiding principle of our efforts was to strike a balance between holding Brooklyn Center accountable while not undermining the financial stability of the city or limiting the services it provides to its residents, many of whom are people of color. Lawyers noted, however, that the settlement will not be finalized until an agreement is made on substantial and meaningful nonmonetary relief. They anticipate that relief will include training for the citys police department on officer intervention, implicit bias, weapons confusion, de-escalation, and mental health crises, according to the statement. A permanent memorial to the 20-year-old will also be created at the same site as the current memorial, lawyers said. Wright was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center Police Department officer Kim Potter on April 11, 2021, after he was pulled over near Minneapolis because his vehicle registration was not up to date. Potter was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter in December and was given a 16-month prison sentence. She had previously resigned two days after Wright was killed. Her lawyers had maintained that she inadvertently pulled out her gun instead of a Taser after Wright tried to flee the encounter. Police body camera and dashcam footage that was shown at the start of her manslaughter trial late last year showed Potter collapsing in tears after shooting and killing Wright during the traffic stop. She could also be heard yelling out: Oh [expletive]! I just shot him. I grabbed the wrong [expletive] gun! I shot him. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Im going to prison. We hope black families, people of color, and all residents feel safer now in Brooklyn Center because of the changes the city must make to resolve our claims, said Wrights parents, Katie and Aubrey Wright, in a statement following the settlement. It is vital to us that the city fulfill its good-faith commitment to fully funding and implementing the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Resolution. Conservative member of Parliament Michelle Rempel Garner holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 5, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Brown Campaign Manager Joins Michelle Rempel Garner for Possible UCP Leadership Bid Patrick Browns campaign manager has left to help Michelle Rempel Garner with her possible bid for the United Conservative Party leadership in Alberta. Browns federal leadership campaign says Sean Schnell has stepped away to follow Rempel Garner, who announced last week she was leaving her role as Browns national co-chair. Rempel Garner is mulling a possible run for Alberta Premier Jason Kenneys job as leader of the United Conservative Party, following his announcement last month that he was resigning after only narrowly surviving a leadership review. Schnell had worked for Rempel Garners office before either leadership race began. Brown spokesman Chisholm Pothier says Schnell left to assist Rempel Garner and had remained in the role for a few days as the team transitioned. Pothier says Fred DeLorey, who served as the partys national campaign manager for the 2021 federal election, remains on the team as the executive chairman. California Plotting to Punish Medical Dissent Commentary I will be heading to Sacramento next Monday to testify at a Senate committee hearing on California Assembly Bill 2098. The bill, sponsored by Senator Panwho has been in Pharmas back pocket for years and the source of much legislative health policy mischief in my home statewould give the medical board the authority to punish any physicians who challenge the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines. This bill is advanced even as evidence continues to emerge of safety problems with the mRNA shots, including a study this week showing the vaccines lower sperm counts in men. Bummer. I mean, who would have thought? pic.twitter.com/qbDQc86g9d Aaron Kheriaty, MD (@akheriaty) June 19, 2022 But this proposed measure seeks to enshrine in law scientific conclusions which are highly dubious: All three of these statements are demonstrably false: (a) The death count figures cited are grossly overestimated by hospitals failing to distinguish dying from COVID vs. dying with COVID and the financial incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to overestimate COVID deaths; (b) the efficacy of vaccines has declined with time and new variants, so the statistic cited here is no longer true of the vaccines against omicron; (c) the CDC has consistently failed to follow-up on serious safety signals, apart from myocarditis, and the post-marketing surveillance data acquired from our FOIA request showed serious safety issues in the first three months of vaccine rollout. If this bill passes, any physician who raises these or other inconvenient scientific facts or study findings could be disciplined by the medical board, as the text of the bill explains: It shall constitute unprofessional conduct for a physician and surgeon to disseminate misinformation or disinformation related to COVID-19, including false or misleading information regarding the nature and risks of the virus, its prevention and treatment; and the development, safety, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. The supposed scientific facts mentioned in the bill make it clear just what information will be considered misinformation under this law. This bill will spell the end of scientific integrity and medical freedom in California. I worry that if it passes, other states could follow suit. As I have said before, California is the tip of the spear. Here is the text of a letter I submitted last week to the committee where the bill is currently being reviewed: 13 June 2022 To: California Legislators and Committee Members RE: AB 2098: Physicians and Surgeons: Unprofessional ConductOPPOSE As a licensed physician in California I strongly oppose the proposed California bill AB 2098 and urge you to vote no and oppose as well. Advances in science and medicine typically occur when doctors and scientists challenge conventional thinking or settled opinion. This is the very nature of scientific progress. Fixating any current medical consensus as unchallengeable by physicians will stifle medical and scientific advances and give undue authority to a few gatekeepers who act as guardians of the consensus. As I testified in January at a U.S. Senate panel on Covid policy: The scientific method suffered [during the pandemic] from a repressive academic and social climate of censorship and silencing of competing perspectives. This projected the false appearance of a scientific consensusa consensus often strongly influenced by economic and political interests. One need only look at the last two years to see how frequently public health recommendations and consensus thinking about Covid changed from one month to the next with the advent of new information. It was frontline ICU physicians who discovered and spoke out about bad outcomes when patients were prematurely placed on ventilators. This shifted the consensus in the direction of avoiding ventilation as much as possible. Likewise, it was frontline physicians who discovered that placing covid patients face-down in the prone position while they were ventilated could improve outcomes, challenging another consensus. Both of these advances came by way of challenging the way things were currently being done. Other physicians challenged the early consensus, which did not recommend the use of steroids to treat Covid. Eventually, this dissenting opinion gained ground and now represents conventional thinking: corticosteroids for critically ill covid patients are now standard care. Many other examples regarding guidelines on masks, social distancing, and other Covid policies could be cited here. Allowing the free interchange among competing perspectives is absolutely necessary for scientific and medical progress. Good science is characterized by conjecture and refutation, lively deliberation, often fierce debate, and always openness to new data. The censorship of free speech in AB 2098 spells not only the demise of civil liberties and constitutional rights, but the end of the scientific enterprise when it comes to dealing with Covid in CA. Patients will not trust physicians if they believe their physician has been muzzled by the law and cannot speak his or her mind honestly. Patients want to know that if they ask their physician a question, including a question about Covid, they will get their doctors honest opinionregardless of whether they follow that opinion, seek a second opinion, or whatever. Patients will not trust physicians if they know their doctor is simply parroting a consensus judgment that he may or may not agree with or endorse. This bill will not help us to deal with Covid more effectively. Doctors will be punished for practicing medicine according to their best judgment. Informed consent, the foundation of good medical ethics, will be seriously compromised, and the trust necessary for the doctor-patient relationship will be shattered. I strongly urge you and your fellow lawmakers must oppose AB 2098. It will harm not only physicians and medical institutions in California, but even more concerningly, it will harm patients. Sincerely, Aaron Kheriaty, MD From the Brownstone Institute Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Gas prices over $7.00 a gallon displayed at a Chevron gas station in Menlo Park, Calif., on May 25, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Californians Share Pain at the Pump California currently has the highest gas prices in the nation, with some counties hitting $7 per gallon. San Diego resident Jose Gonzalez said the cost of gas is so high now, that his boss is paying for it. I feel bad because thats my work truck, Gonzalez told The Epoch Times. I know its obviously hurting my bosss pocket. Gonzalez, who works in agriculture and drives a RAM 1500 all over San Diego and San Bernardino counties, said his boss is paying $450 to $500 every day just to keep him working. He is paying to fill five other employees gas tanks, too, which is roughly coming out to $7,000 a month. And the state gas tax is expected to increase 5.6 percent, or 2.8 cents, on July 1. But the gas tax isnt the only factor hiking up gas prices. According to economist Tim Shaler, Californias gas prices are up to 25 percent higher than the rest of the country because of its limited supply. The most important reason is California has its own form of gasoline, Shaler said on EpochTVs California Insider program. This was imposed on California drivers as a way to mitigate the terrible smog we had in the 1970s; so arguably, it has worked. Additionally, California is the only state that imposes a carbon tax. A $20 per ton tax is levied on air and surface modes of transportation which account for up to 50 percent of carbon emissions in California. Meanwhile, Californians remain without remedy, with the average cost of gas in most counties above $6. This time last year, gas was just over $4, according to government data. For us in particular, not only was it the price of gas, but we increased by two cars in this month, Chino Hills resident and Upland teacher Diana Bonilla told The Epoch Times. Were totally feeling that. Bonilla and her husband have two children who just got cars. She said this has added an extra burden for her. Filling up twice a week to commute to work in her Ford Explorer is costing her over $200 a week. Bonilla said her family has stopped going on road trips, and even simple outings to the beach. She canceled hosting a family Fathers Day celebration over the weekend and said she wont be hosting for Fourth of July weekend, either. I am very apprehensive to do anything thats not necessary, she said. Upland resident Cory Langerfield works in Azusa and said gas prices are part of his everyday conversations with people. California is usually a place where you can get to all these different types of unique places on weekends, Langerfield told The Epoch Times. Now, those trips you really have to sit and think if you want to do it and if you can afford to do it. Langerfield said he and his wife have begun relying more on her car, a Honda Civic, than his GMC Terrain to save a few bucks. Obviously that wears, that puts a lot of miles on her car, he said. Now, I measure my trip to work in terms of tanks of gas, not in miles, and not in time. Voters are headed to the polls in key primary races. Well tell you which races have the potential to impact the balance of power in Washington. Tyler Alcorn is a four-tour, Special Forces combat veteran, and he is running for office in the state of Colorado. We ask him why he feels the need to serve his country yet again. Starting Tuesday, children as young as 6 months old can get a COVID-19 vaccine, and President Joe Biden is pushing for it. Well hear from a medical expert about what it could mean. Over the past few years, many of communist Chinas Confucius Institutes have been shut down due to U.S. government concerns about propaganda and espionage. But did they really shut down? A new report answers that and explains how the communist regime continues to maintain influence on college campuses. We had a chance to speak with Congressman Jim Banks on the resurgence of the Chinese Communist Partys soft power campaign on American soil. Rachelle Peterson is director of policy at the National Association of Scholars, and she wrote the book on Chinas soft power campaign and Confucius Institutes. She joins us to discuss. * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow CapitolReport on social media: Twitter https://twitter.com/capitolreport Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CapitolReport/ Gettr https://gettr.com/user/capitolreport Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV J-10 fighter jets from the Aug. 1 Aerobatics Team of the People's Liberation Army Air Force perform during the 10th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, on Nov. 11, 2014. (Reuters/Alex Lee) Chinas Reckless Fighter Pilots Aim to Weaken Western Alliances: Expert News Analysis Its late May and an Australian surveillance plane flies through the azure skies above the South China Sea. The crew of the aircraft is on a routine surveillance mission in international airspace. They dont expect trouble. Suddenly, a Chinese fighter jet intercepts them. It launches flares and cuts fast and close across the nose of the Australian aircraft. The fighter then deploys its chaff, a bundle of tiny metal strips typically used as a countermeasure to disrupt an enemys radar systems. The innumerable little shards of aluminum are immediately sucked up into the engines of the surveillance plane, damaging the aircraft, putting its crew at severe risk, and cutting the Australian mission short. While international leadership has refrained from considering the event an act of war, it is just one of a growing number of hostile encounters between the military forces of Chinas communist regime and those of Americas closest allies. Quite obviously, this is very dangerous, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said after the incident. Yet its just the latest in a long line of aggressive and at times reckless stunts carried out by the Chinese military in its efforts to intimidate Western allies away from the Indo-Pacific. Aggression Against Americas Allies Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for Chinas Defense Ministry, accused the Australian crew of disregard of repeated warnings from the Chinese side and of entering airspace over the Paracel Islands, a disputed territory of which China, Taiwan, and Vietnam all claim ownership. Tan didnt present any evidence to support the claim. Nor did he connect the dangerous maneuver to a growing number of incidents conducted by the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) military wing, likely intended to intimidate U.S. allies away from engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Indeed, Chinese fighter pilots are becoming increasingly aggressive with international encounters to the point of recklessness, frequently buzzing allied aircraft and ships, flying so close as to cause turbulence and force allied missions to take detours from their intended routes. Most recently, Chinese fighter jets flew within 20 feet of a Canadian surveillance planeclose enough that the Canadian pilots could make eye contact with the Chinese pilots, who then presented the Canadians with a middle finger, according to Canadas Global News, which cited unnamed government sources. According to a separate Global News report, there have been more than 60 such interceptions of Canadian aircraft by Chinese fighters in international waters in recent months, including several in which Chinese pilots opted to play chicken with Canadian pilots, forcing them to change their flight path in order to avoid a mid-air collision. Chinas Quest for Revolutionary Martyrs To the questions of why now, why Americas allies, and why like this, there are few exceptional answers that highlight the ambition and strategy of the CCP in the Indo-Pacific. One reason for such intimidation is that the CCP is seeking to obscure evidence of its own wrongdoing. The CCP is currently suspected to be violating sanctions against North Korea by illicitly transferring oil to North Korean ships at sea, for example. The Canadian planes so closely buzzed by Chinese forces were part of Operation Neon, a U.N. mission to track just such sanctions breaking from North Korea and prevent the hermit state from developing a nuclear weapon. However, the tactic of using high-publicity stunts and intimidation goes back much further than Chinas likely sanction busting and has deep precedent in the past 20 years of CCP propaganda and doctrine. Back in 2001, a Chinese fighter pilot named Wang Wei, who had his own long history of buzzing Western aircraft, collided with a U.S. Navy surveillance plane and was killed after ejecting from his fighter jet over the South China Sea. Then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin subsequently declared Wang a guardian of the seawaters and airspace, and CCP propaganda celebrated him as a revolutionary martyr, forever enshrining his actions in the cultural lexicon of Chinese military tactics. The granting of martyr status to Wang was also tied chronologically to the adoption of the CCPs three warfare and unrestricted hybrid warfare strategy, which sought to maximize the politicization of everything for the sake of propagating communism. Now, 21 years later, Xi Jinpings CCP is unloading a new barrage of military psychological operations against the United States and its allies in an apparent attempt to push the Western powers into a retreat from influence in the Western Pacific. In a tense meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on June 10, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said the CCP was ready for war no matter the cost. That meeting was supposed to have focused on setting guardrails for the two powers in an effort to prevent a catastrophic miscalculation that could start just such a war. Soon thereafter, Xi announced 59 new regulations for the military with the intent of preparing China for nonwar military operations, echoing similar language used by its partner Russia to refer to the invasion of Ukraine. That, in turn, was followed by another announcement that China and Russia would increase strategic coordination, including military ties. In each incident, the CCP followed a well-established pattern of saying post hoc that it was acting in defense of its sovereignty, precisely the language used to justify the needless violence and death of the pilot Wang 21 years ago. Weakening the Enemy With the exception of one close encounter between U.S. and Chinese fighter jets, the CCPs campaign of aerial intimidation has focused heavily on U.S. allies, but not the United States itself. According to one expert, this is deliberate and is most likely an attempt to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies in the region, whom it depends upon as part of its national strategyand from whom it will desperately require assistance in the event that its drawn into a war over the continued de facto independence of Taiwan. If China intends to invade Taiwan, the CCP wants to intimidate U.S. allies to make them think twice about supporting economic sanctions or a ground war, said Casey Fleming, CEO of risk management firm BlackOps Partners. According to Fleming, the frequency and showmanship of Chinas aerial aggression ought to be considered within the CCPs larger campaign of unrestricted hybrid warfare, through which it seeks to erode the capabilities and influence of Western democracies through military, legal, economic, and psychological means. Hybrid warfare is based on weakening your enemy through any and all means possible, Fleming said. [These] intimidation tactics are meant to show strength and willingness to fight should a ground war take effect in Taiwan. As such, recklessness in air-to-air confrontations between the CCP and allied forces shouldnt be considered isolated incidents. Rather, theyre a key part of Chinas strategy to demoralize and weaken U.S. allies and partners whom Chinas communist leadership fears may assist the United States in the event open conflict erupts in the Indo-Pacific. To that end, Fleming said the best practice Australian, Canadian, and other allied forces could implement was to document and publicize each and every encounter and continue to demonstrate their ability to fly freely through international airspace in spite of CCP outbursts. Our allies need to record and document these intimidation tactics while continuing undeterred in their legal flights, Fleming said. Voters in Georgia's 10th Congressional District headed to the polls on June 21 for the GOP runoff. (Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times) Chris West Wins Georgia 2nd Congressional District GOP Runoff Attorney and Georgia Air National Guard officer Chris West defeated heavily funded West Point graduate and former Army captain Jeremy Hunt in Georgias 2nd Congressional District GOP runoff on June 21. With 94 percent of the votes reported at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, West accumulated 51.3 percent of the vote followed by Hunt at 48.7 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ. In the general election, West will oppose Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), who received 93 percent of the vote in the May 24 primary and has held office since 1993, In the May 24 Republican primary, Hunt tallied 37 percent of the ballots with West in second place at 30 percent. Heading into the runoff, Hunt outspent West 6-to-1 and received $300,000 from the American Values First PAC following the May 24 primary. He was endorsed by Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.). West, 38, is a lifelong South Georgian born and raised in the 2nd Congressional District, according to his website. He earned a bachelors degree and masters degree at Valdosta State University in Georgia before his law degree. The Thomasville resident called Hunt a carpetbagger. The 28-year-old Hunt, who is also a Fox News commentator, left Yale Law School and moved to Columbus, Georgia to enter the race. Voting records from the Georgia Secretary of States office show that Hunt registered to vote in Muscogee County in February 2022. At a debate, West quizzed Hunt about the districts communities. Id just like for you to demonstrate to the audience that you do know this district and tell us which three counties the city of Jakin lies in, the city of Brinson lies in and the city of Mauk? West asked. What counties are those? Hunt accurately said Jakin is in Early County, but he was incorrect with Brinson and Mauk. Wayne Johnson, who placed third in the May 24 primary behind Hunt and West, announced late last week that he is suing Fox News and Hunt, alleging racketeering and conspiring to get Hunt elected to the 2nd district seat. Throughout the primary, Johnson wrote complaints to Fox News Channel CEO Suzanne Scott claiming that Hunt was receiving unfair and unequal airtime and using that coverage to elevate name recognition and generate money for his campaign. Much of the 2nd district leans Democrat, but Republicans believe the seat can be flipped because of high gas prices, a poor economy, and President Joe Bidens low approval rating, The districts map was redrawn and now includes around 45 percent of Republican-leaning voters. Bishop was named one of the most vulnerable incumbents by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Heres Where Things Are at With Elon Musks Twitter Purchase Could billionaire CEO Elon Musks purchase of Twitter finally be in the home stretch? According to a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Musks acquisition of the social media platform has been unanimously approved by the board, which recommended that stockholders vote for the adoption of the merger agreement. Shareholders must still vote on the $44 billion takeover proposal. If Musks purchase were finalized today, investors would receive a premium of more than $15 per share at the current share price. Musk responded to the news, posting a tweet on June 21 that the vote of confidence is much appreciated. Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg at the Qatar Economic Forum on June 21, Musk confirmed that there were a few unresolved matters before he could seal the deal. For Musk, there are three issues that need to be resolved: fake accounts, shareholder approval, and debt financing. Elon Musks Twitter profile on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken on April 28, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) There is the question of, will the debt portion of the round come together, and then, will the shareholders vote in favor, he said. Theres a limit to what I can say publicly, he noted. It is somewhat of a sensitive matter. Musk said he doesnt want to be at the head of Twitter, preferring to focus on driving the product. He has never been too keen on corporate titles, changing his designation to TechnoKing at Tesla Motors. Over the past month, there have been widespread concerns that the purchase would be called off. In May, Musk threatened to walk away from the deal, writing in a tweet that his planned purchase was temporarily on hold as he waited for details on spam bots and fake accounts, although he reiterated that he was still committed to acquisition. Later, Musk explained that his $44 billion offer was based on the companys SEC filings being accurate. However, without accurate proof showing that fewer than 5 percent of the companys accounts are spam, Musk said the deal cannot move forward until that proof is provided. Following a June 6 letter from his legal team that requested comprehensive data, Twitter announced that the tech firm would extend him unprecedented access to the entire firehose of internal data. During last weeks all-hands Q&A meeting with Twitter staff, Musk provided more details on his plans for the microblogging website. The SpaceX and Tesla Motors CEO told personnel that anonymity is critical for people to freely express their political opinions, something that is crucial for him. At the same time, he considered the concept that users could pay to be authenticated as human through a mechanism similar to the Twitter Blue subscription services, which could rank those users tweets higher than others. For content moderation, something he has consistently lamented, Musk believes users should be able to post pretty outrageous things as long as those statements are legal. He reiterated his position that if 10 percent of the far left and far right are upset equally, then Twitter is doing a good job. After laying off about 10 percent of Tesla staff, there had been a concern that Musk would mirror this measure at the San Francisco-based tech giant. But this action might depend on Twitters financial situation. It depends. The company does need to get healthy. Right now, the costs exceed the revenue, he said. Anyone who is a significant contributor has nothing to worry about. If someone is getting useful things done, thats great. If theyre not, then Im like, why are they at the company. Ultimately, Musks goal is for Twitter to have more than a billion users. According to the most recent quarterly report, the website has approximately 229 million monetizable daily active users. Twitter Update Twitter could soon allow its users to publish long-form content and provide more nuance in their tweets. The company announced on June 22 that it would be merging its newsletter subscriptions into Twitter Write, an aspect of the website that facilitates long-form writing, including Notes and newsletters. It also announced that it would be launching a new feature that would allow long-form content to be published on the website. Users could produce articles using rich formatting and uploaded media, content that could then be posted and shared with their followers. Were testing a way to write longer on Twitter, the company wrote in a tweet. What Wall Street Thinks of MuskTwitter Deal Will Musk and Twitter finalize the deal, or will it be abandoned? With shares wiping out their post-Musk gains and the stock plummeting more than 8 percent year-to-date, investors might not be confident that the acquisition will be completed. But the base case for some Wall Street firms and market analysts is that the two sides will reach an agreement. The Morningstar base case scenario is that the deal closes as advertised. But until then, there are regulatory hurdles to clear, political pressures, and questions around Musks own determination to stick with the buyout, wrote Dave Sekera, an analyst at Morningstar, adding that the transaction would close within six months. Speaking in an interview with BNN Bloomberg, Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, suggested that Musk is looking for a scapegoat to back out of the Twitter deal. The whole thing feels like cold feet, looking for a scapegoata way to get out of the deal, he said, adding that the fall in Tesla shares is applying pressure on the Twitter deal. The consensus analyst rating is currently hold and the average price target is $48.06, meaning a 23 percent upside. Rosenblatt Securities lowered its price target by nearly 13 percent to $33, while Piper Sandler boosted its target to $54.20. Twitter shares rose about 0.6 percent to above $39 on June 22. Mike Collins, endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, defeated Donald-Trump-backed Vernon Jones, in the 10th Congressional District runoff on June 21. (Courtesy of Collins for Congress). Collins Beats Trump-backed Vernon Jones in Georgia Congressional Runoff In one of the most heated congressional races to date in 2022, trucking company owner Mike Collins easily defeated Donald Trump-endorsed Vernon Jones in Georgias 10th Congressional District Republican primary runoff election. With 34 percent of the votes reported at 8:09 p.m. on June 21, Collins received 78 percent of the vote while Jones accumulated 22 percent, according to The Associated Press. Collins will face Tabitha Johnson-Green or Jessica Fore, the candidates in the Democratic primary runoff. Green and Fore remained in the race after a recount requested by third-place finisher Phyllis Hatcher did not change the results. The 10th Congressional District seat opened after Rep. Jody Hice unsuccessfully ran against incumbent Brad Raffensperger in last months Republican primary for Georgia secretary of state. Incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who decisively defeated Trump-endorsed David Perdue in last months primary, backed Collins. Collins also received the backing of all six primary candidates who did not advance to the runoff. Collins is the son of the late former Republican congressman Mac Collins. He owns a trucking company and drives an 18-wheeler to campaign events. In the May 24 GOP primary, Collins received 26 percent while Jones received 22 percent. Collins had the fundraising edge, spending $517,000 compared to $397,000 for Jones. Former Georgia state representative Vernon Jones, during an interview for the American Thought Leaders program, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 27, 2021. (The Epoch Times) A lifelong Democrat and a former state representative, Jones switched parties, endorsed Trumps 2020 Presidential campaign, and left the Georgia state house in 2021. At Trumps urging, he stepped out of the Republican gubernatorial primary to give Perdue a clearer path. Jones, who has called himself the black Donald Trump, secured the former presidents endorsement in the U.S. House race in a district that covers 18 counties east of Atlanta and stretches through Athens and Elbert County to the South Carolina line. He was also endorsed by the National Rifle Association. On June 20, Trump released a recorded message to voters in the district condemning Collins for unfair treatment of Jones and vicious political ads that arent true. In the message, Trump also said that Jones has proven time and time again hes with the MAGA movement. Right from the beginning, he was with us. I realized it early, and Im very proud of it, Trump said in the message. Vernon, hes going to fight so hard. Hes a man that will never let you down. He just doesnt stop, and hes the kind of guy that Georgia needs and Georgia, I think, will get. Collins was edged by Hice in the 2014 10th District primary, Though he did not get Trumps stamp of approval, Collins stands behind the former presidents America First platform and openly says that the 2020 Presidential election was not legitimate. He also promised to vote against Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) if the House minority leader is nominated for speaker of the House if the GOP regains control of the chamber. Leading up to the runoff, Collins told Henry County Republicans that they should vote for him if youre looking for somebody that is truly, unapologetically pro-Trump, an America First agenda candidate, conservative to the core, an outsider never been elected anything in my life. In the Democratic primary on May 24, Johnson-Green generated 42 percent of the vote. Hatcher and Fore received around 19 percent each, and Fore finished with 137 more votes than Hatcher. According to Georgia law, Hatcher was allowed to seek a recount, but the new figures added four votes to Fores number and decreased Hatchers total by two. Brenda Lebsack, a teacher of 30 years and a former school board member for Orange Unified School District. (Crossroads/ Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Comprehensive Sex Ed Being Taught in California Schools by Outside Contractors: Ex-School Board Member School districts in California have contracted with outside agencies focused on mental health, tutoring, suicide prevention, and many other topics to provide schools with sex and gender education services, said Brenda Lebsack, a teacher of 30 years and a former board member for the Orange Unified School District. A lot of it comes from Human Rights Campaigns Welcoming Schools [program] that teaches kids: You can choose your gender. When youre born, parents or doctors just make a guess at your gender by looking at your body parts, but that doesnt determine who you really are. And you can be both genders, neither gender, gender fluid, or change as you go depending on your feelings. Human Rights Campaign is a Washington-based LGBTQ advocacy organization. We have a lot of young new mental health workers, counselors being added to our schools because theres a lot of grant money coming in right now for mental health, Lebsack told EpochTVs Crossroads program on June 16. When Lebsack asked these workers how they were trained to define childrens gender identity, they explained that they affirm whatever gender a kindergartner chooses to be and the pronoun the child wants to go by, she said. If a kindergartner is concerned that his or her parents will not like their choice, the mental health worker will keep it confidential and not tell the parents about it, Lebsack said. In the meantime, in California, mental health workers or somebody whos working with the school can actually change a childs gender category without parent permission. The worker then stays in touch with the child in some schools through virtual platforms, or through text messaging, Lebsack continued, giving an example of Planned Parenthood, which may provide children with a text number to be used to talk about gender identity. Lebsack sent a text message to such a number pretending that she was a child who was scared about puberty and unsure of its gender. In response, she received a message proposing 10 gender options to choose from. One of them was make up your own gender, she said. The worker who responded to her also put her in touch with a chat space for people ages 10 years to 45 years, proposed she go on puberty blockers, and gave her an option to make an appointment with the agency to explore her problem further, Lebsack said. She did not enter that chat space but said that she had seen chat spaces where minors are mixed with adults and she thinks that it is clearly grooming [and] its an opportunity for pedophiles. Kids are being reached out [to] behind even the teachers back [and] a lot of administrators and superintendents dont even know, Lebsack said. They just assume: Oh, a suicide hotline. Oh, a mental health hotline. But they dont understand how these mental health workers are now being trained, especially the young ones. Puberty blockers Teaching about gender identity creates a dilemma for kids and a lot of them are caught up in that, reasonably so, because puberty is a very awkward time, Lebsack said. Kids want to escape from that, especially girls who are often horrified by their puberty, she added. Workers tell kids that if they are unsure about their gender they can start taking puberty blockers, which gives them more time to decide, Lebsack said. It is appealing to girls in particular as they may think that they can just become a boy after taking a pill, she said. But if parents do not agree with the schools approach, then in California, they may be accused of spiritual abuse of their kids, Lebsack said. [Spiritual abuse] means using religion to justify rigid gender ideology such as gender is based on biology.' The school [then] could call [Child Protective Services], and [the parents] could have their child taken away. Hormones determine our stability, and puberty is a tumultuous time anyways, Lebsack said. This type of hormone treatment may impact kids ability to cope, their cognitive development, and even sterilize them, she explained. Dangerous Side Effects Puberty blockers may cause depression and other emotional disturbances related to suicide, according to the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds). One commonly prescribed puberty blocker in America has also been associated with, and may be the cause of, many serious permanent side effects, including osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility, said ACPeds website. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated on its website that puberty blockers are reversible and can be used in youth with gender dysphoria until 16 years of age so the child has more time to explore gender identity, but it also warns about risks associated with taking puberty blockers. Delaying puberty beyond ones peers can also be stressful and can lead to lower self-esteem and increased risk-taking, the AAPs website said. Research on long-term risks, particularly in terms of bone metabolism and fertility, is currently limited and provides varied results. Dr. Lawrence Tabak, acting director of the National Institutes of Health, acknowledged that there are no long-term studies on the risks associated with the off-label use of puberty blockers by minors when questioned by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) during a Senate hearing in May, according to a statement. All of the research in this space is observational. We do no interventional work, Tabak said at the hearing. An observational study does not test any potential treatment and researchers observe the health outcomes of participants who undergo normal treatment, whereas an interventional study tests the outcome of a particular therapeutic treatment or procedure. Rubio also stressed during the hearing that the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy in minors has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Funding Sexual Education Funding to hire external entities to provide schools with sexual education services comes from governmental sources on either the federal or state level, which means that taxpayer money is used to pay for these services, Lebsack said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides funding for sexual education to Advocates for Youth which, along with the AAP, affirms various gender categories for children, including gender creative, meaning that a child can make up their own gender, Lebsack explained. Moreover, national sexual education standards for 2020, which many states follow, were written by Advocates for Youth, Lebsack said. Advocates for Youth manages Amaze, an organization that produces videos that are part of the sex education curriculum, Lebsack said. The videos are available worldwide in many languages and they teach kids that gender is based on a childs feelings, that a child can choose its gender, and that gender fluctuates, Lebsack explained, adding that Amaze videos also encourage children to explore their sexuality at any age, which can also be fluid. When she was a school board member in California, Lebsack said, a local hospital offered mental health services to 20,000 students in the district. The hospital had a pediatric gender clinic and its workers were gender transitioning kids socially at age 5 and medically at age 9, Lebsack said. State grant money made the initiative possible, she explained. Educating children about transgender identities is also included in the universal pre-school program that is part of President Joe Bidens Build Back Better plan, Lebsack said. Marxism Applied to Sex Ed Schools also leverage critical race theory (CRT) to teach kids that those who uphold their biological gender are considered privileged and oppressors, while those who do not align with their biological gender or uphold different gender identities are considered the marginalized and oppressed, the teacher said. It incentivizes kids and puts pressure on them to explore different gender identities because no one wants to be an oppressor, she continued. Critical race theory is based on the Marxist archetype of class struggle, which pits two social classesthe bourgeoisie and the proletariatagainst each other to divide and conquer, but CRT divides people into the oppressors and the oppressed based on their skin color or gender. Lebsack said she talked to many parents who disagree with the prospect of their children falling prey to gender ideology, and found them torn apart. Its heartbreaking, she said. Its destroys a family, and it destroys kids. Ella Kietlinska Reporter Follow Ella Kietlinska is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. and world politics. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland takes part in the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency surrounding the government's use of the Emergencies Act in February, in Ottawa on June 14, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Convoy Emergencies Act: What We Know/Dont Know From Hearings So Far Will the public get a clear picture of whether the threshold was met for the government to invoke the Emergencies Act to clear the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa back in February? Will the public find out the critical information that might have led to the decision to use the act for the first time since its creation in 1988? Those and many other questions are what some are seeking answers to from two separate bodies mandated by law to probe the acts invocation. One is the currently sitting Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (DEDC). The other is the Public Order Emergency Commission that will be conducting an inquiry into the use of the act. During the hearings held by the DEDC, which is formed by a joint committee of MPs and senators, some members have expressed frustration at the lack of answers provided so far by testifying Liberal ministers, who often cite cabinet confidentiality. The Conservatives, meanwhile, have criticized the Liberal government for attempting to focus the scope of the inquiry into the protesters actions rather than whether the threshold to use the act was met. Several civil liberty and constitutional rights groups, as well as the Alberta government, have launched lawsuits to challenge the federal governments use of the act. The Liberals invoked the act on Feb. 14 to deal with cross-country protests and border blockades demanding the lifting of COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. They then revoked the act on Feb. 23 after all sites had been cleared, either by police or voluntarily. Four months since the emergency order, here is what has been brought forth so far. What the Liberals Say So far, four senior Liberal ministers have testified before the DEDC special parliamentary joint committee of MPs and senators. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 14, 2022. (The Canadian Press/ Patrick Doyle) In his April 26 testimony, Justice Minister David Lametti told the committee that the measures used within the act, which included freezing some of the protesters bank accounts, were compliant with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but he refused to provide his supporting analysis. Lametti also cited cabinet confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege a number of times when refusing to answer questions from committee members. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair both highlighted in their prepared written testimonies on June 14 the issue of economic harm caused by the border blockades. The worlds confidence in Canada as an investment destination was being undermined, said Freeland, calling the invocation of the act a last resort. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino also talked about economic harm, saying in his testimony on April 26 that the delivery of essential items had been compromised. He went further than his colleagues by saying that the protesters in Ottawa wanted to violently overthrow the government along with their demands for the end of vaccine mandates. These ideologically extreme goals helped incite thousands to form massive blockades at our borders, legislatures, monuments, and here in Ottawa in front of Parliament Hill, he said. Aside from those ministers remarks on the threats they say they saw, the government has said the use of the act was needed because law enforcement did not have the tools it needed to put an end to the blockades due to uncooperative towing companies. Blair mentioned the issue on numerous occasions during his testimony. We had heard from many jurisdictions that they were virtually unable to get the tow trucks they needed to remove those large heavy trucks that were being used in the blockade. Those vehicles anchored that blockade and made it almost impossible for the police to affect a peaceful resolution of those demonstrations because of the presence of the vehicles, he said. Mendicino told reporters on June 8 that the power to compel towing companies found itself in the Emergencies Act and it could not be granted to the police without its invocation. What the Opposition Parties Say During the committee hearings, Conservative Senator Claude Carignan challenged claims that the powers needed by police to clear protesters werent available without the use of the Emergencies Act. He asked RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki on May 10 if anyone had been charged under Section 129 of the Criminal Code, which states that it is an indictable offence to resist or willfully obstruct a peace officer in the execution of his or her duty. An RCMP tactical vehicle drives past the Parliament Buildings after a massive police operation quelled the Convoy Protest in Ottawa, on Feb. 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Lucki said she was unaware of anyone being charged under that section. Carignan also asked Blair on June 14 why the provision of the Criminal Code wasnt used. Blair did not answer directly, mentioning that the unavailability of tow trucks was an issue across jurisdictions. Carignan also challenged the issue of economic damage as a reason to invoke the act, since the Ambassador Bridge blockade, which accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars of trade daily, was already cleared at the time the act was invoked. Freeland said the act was still needed as there was a constant danger of new blockades. Besides challenging the reasons for invoking the act, the Opposition members of the committee have repeatedly said officials displayed a lack transparency on its use. The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois were opposed to the use of the act, while the NDP supported it. But even the NDP MP on the special committee has been voicing criticism about the lack of details from the Liberal government about the use of the act. Blair was the rare one not to be criticized for his responses on June 14, with Tory MP Larry Brock even thanking him for his candour, although Brock and NDP MP Matthew Green expressed disbelief that Blair doesnt take notes when attending meetings. Are you telling this committee you did not keep any notes, no note-taking by you, regardless of the number of meetings? asked Brock. Thats in fact true. I do not keep notes, Blair replied. DEDC committee members want to obtain documents the government produced surrounding the Emergencies Act, including handwritten notes by ministers. Freeland did not say she does not take notes but instead avoided questions about any notes she took, or told the committee she would not share them, including in any meetings she had with financial institutions that froze protesters accounts. Claims of Law Enforcement Advice Mendicino said a number of times in committees and in the House of Commons that the act was invoked based on the advice of law enforcement. In his prepared remarks before the DEDC, he made the same claim. The government remained engaged with law enforcement throughout to ensure that they had the support and the resources they needed. However, when efforts using existing authorities proved ineffective, the advice we received was to invoke the Emergencies Act, he said. After the RCMP commissioner and current and former Ottawa police chiefs testified that they had not requested the act or advised its use, there was a change in messaging from the government. Mendicinos deputy, Rob Stewart, said the minister had been misunderstood and that police had only requested the tools the act could provide, not the act itself. Freeland and Blair told the DEDC they were unaware of law enforcement providing advice to invoke the act. The Conservatives are calling for Mendicino to resign for misleading the Parliament. Public Inquiry Along with the special committee, a commission of inquiry will also examine what transpired surrounding the public order emergency. Hundreds of people gather by TransCanada Highway 20 to show their support to truckers heading to Ottawa to protest against COVID-19 restrictions, in Levis, Quebec, on Jan. 28, 2022. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) The way the government framed its decree setting up the inquiry indicates that it wishes efforts be concentrated on examining the protesters and their impact. The commissioner is tasked with looking into the circumstances that led to the declaration of emergency, including the leadership of the convoy, the impact of domestic and foreign funding, the impact of misinformation and disinformation, the economic impact of the blockades, and police efforts before and after the declaration. The government is also asking the inquiry to examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of measures taken under the emergency, which would include freezing bank accounts without a court order. The commission, headed by Justice Paul Rouleau, is not asked to evaluate whether or not the threshold was meant to invoke the Emergencies Act. In a June 1 news release, the commission called for cooperation and flexibility from all Parties in order to meet the challenge of the tight timeline it faces. The deadline for completing its final report is February 2023. It also indicated that it had already asked the government for the information that led to Cabinets decision to declare an emergency. Groups or individuals seeking standing with the commission had until June 15 to submit their applications. Disproven Claims The Liberal government, MPs, and the media have made a number of claims about this winters protest movement that have been contradicted or disproven. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the Freedom Convoy organizers came to Ottawa to overthrow a democratically elected government. NDP MP Green called the convoy an armed insurrection in a Feb. 10 tweet. They grow more emboldened by the day. Their ongoing impunity will only lead them towards deeper delusion and escalated violence, he said in another tweet also mentioning an insurrection. However, no insurrection or notable violence transpired. Green asked Blair why he was not prepared for the truckers given hes responsible for emergency preparedness under anti-terrorism protocols. This was not a terrorist event. To be very clear, Mr. Green, this was not a terrorist event, Blair answered. This was a blockade. It was a criminal offence. While not calling it a terrorist event, Blair has also made a similar claim in saying the protest movement was a largely foreign-funded, targeted and coordinated attack on critical infrastructure and our democratic institutions. The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, however, told the House public safety committee that 88 percent of donations to the Freedom Convoy fundraiser originated within Canada. A woman reads the signboards placed by Freedom Convoy protesters outside Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2022 (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times) That fundraiser was shut down and another one sprung up on the platform GiveSendGo, of which 60 percent of donations were from Canada, but none of those funds ever made it to the protesters due to a court order. On the issue of violence, internal government emails obtained by Rebel News through an Access to Information Act request also suggest the government knew the event was peaceful. No violence took place in the NCR [National Capital Region] despite national protest for a wide variety of causes, wrote Deryck Trehearne, the director general of the Government Operations Centre, on Feb. 1. This was after the first weekend of the Freedom Convoy protest, which drew the largest crowds. Trehearnes overall assessment derived from open sources said the majority of the event was peaceful. Since most government employees are working remotely, the disruption to government activities is so far minor. There were no similar emails provided for other dates. Another disproven claim was that the protesters were involved in an alleged act of arson in an Ottawa building, as claimed by Liberal ministers and Liberal and NDP MPs. Police said the suspects had no links to the protest. Nevertheless, Mendicino repeated the claim after the facts were made public. After the arrest in February of a small group of individuals in Coutts, Alta., on serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, some media reports and politicians have made claims linking the Ottawa protest to the same group. One media outlet and a minister said loaded firearms were present during the Ottawa protests as well. However, Ottawas chief of police said no firearms were found and no related charges had been laid in Ottawa. A nurse administers a pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a girl at a L.A. Care Health Plan vaccination clinic at Los Angeles Mission College in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) COVID Vaccinations Slowly Roll out for Kids Under 5 in LA County COVID-19 vaccine doses for children under age 5 began slowly rolling out in Los Angeles County Tuesday, although health officials warned that due to shipping delays, the pediatric shots werent expected to be more widely available until at least Wednesday. Ultimately, the county anticipates the shots being available at more than 900 vaccination sites. Federal authorities approved the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for kids as young as 6 months over the weekend. Some Southland pharmacies and pediatrician offices began administering the doses Tuesday, but availability was limited at many county-run sites. According to the county Department of Public Health, shipping issues were causing the delay, with more widespread availability anticipated by Wednesday. The county on Tuesday reported another nearly 2,300 COVID infections, raising the overall total from throughout the pandemic to just over 3 million. Health officials have said that the overall number of people testing positive is likely much higher than the daily reports, since many people are relying on at-home tests, the results of which are often not relayed to the county. The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus reached 10.6 percent. The percentage has been rising because of a drop in the overall number of people getting tested caused by schools going on summer break. City News Services contributed to this report. The CBC logo is projected onto a screen in Toronto on May 29, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Tijana Martin) CRTC Renews CBC Licensing for Another Five Years, Tweaks Its Mandate The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is renewing CBCs licensing, with tweaks to its mandate that will require it to spend money on programming produced by people with disabilities, indigenous and racialized people and the LGBTQ community. The CRTC is dropping the requirement for CBC to maintain minimum thresholds of local programming in urban markets where Canadians have multiple options, but its maintaining those thresholds in rural parts of the country. In its decision, the CRTC says there has been a great deal of change in the media landscape since 2013, the last time the license was renewed, and its making changes to the CBC mandate to align with that. Its setting out new rules to ensure the difference between news and information programming and branded content or advertising is clearly distinguished. CBC will need to submit new reports to the CRTC on a range of topics including workforce diversity, privacy issues and perception and consultation. Licenses for radio, TV and multiplatform content in both English and French are valid until August 2027. DeSantis Expected to Sign Bill Deeming Religious Services Essential in Emergencies Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign legislation to grant places of worship the right to keep doors open during states of emergency. Florida bill SB 254, which was approved by the Senate in January, would officially designate religious services as being essential and therefore allow houses of worship, including churches, to remain open and host public gatherings in the event of a public emergency or disaster. The governor received the measure on June 17 and has until June 30 to act on it. An emergency order authorized by this part may not directly or indirectly prohibit religious services or activities, the bill states. It adds that the only circumstance of a shutdown is in an emergency order which applies uniformly to all entities in the affected jurisdiction [and] may be applied to a religious institution if the provision is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest. If signed into law by DeSantis, the provisions would take effect on July 1. The Sunshine State will then be one of a dozen states to exempt houses of worship from stay-at-home orders. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many churches were forced to close, while liquor or marijuana stores remained open. Some houses of worship streamed their services online. Amid the pandemic, DeSantis issued a temporary statewide emergency order in April 2020 (pdf) outlining attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues, and houses of worship as essential services and activities, after states such as Washington, New York, and California shuttered local places of worship. I dont think the government has the authority to close a church, DeSantis told reporters during a news conference at the time. Im certainly not going to do that. The draft legislation SB 254 would make the executive order permanent. Bill sponsor state Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Republican, said earlier this year that the importance of houses of worship was one takeaway from the pandemic, according to Florida Politics. Basically, if Target and Publix are open, so too should be the religious institution, he said. Arizona, Kentucky, and South Carolina signed similar bills in April to protect residents right to religious freedom, declaring religious services essential in times of state emergencies. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in June 2021 to prohibit government agencies from ordering churches and houses of worship to close, following health-related COVID-19 orders that mandated the closure of churches and other religious facilities. In June 2021, DeSantis signed a measure that would require K12 public schools to hold at least one minute of silence for children to meditate or pray. A smartphone with Facebook's logo is seen in front of displayed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration taken Oct. 28, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters, Illustration) Meta Loses Appeal in Russian Court Over Extremist Activity Tag: TASS MOSCOWA Moscow court on Monday rejected an appeal brought by Meta Platforms Inc after it was found guilty of extremist activity in Russia in March, the TASS news agency reported. Russia restricted access to Metas flagship platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as fellow social network Twitter, in the wake of Moscow sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, a move critics have cast as an effort by Russia to exert greater control over information flows. Back in March, Russia said its extremism ruling would not affect Metas WhatsApp messenger service, focusing instead on Facebook and Instagram. Meta did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Lawyer Victoria Shakina in March told a court that Meta was not carrying out extremist activity and was against Russophobia. Russia initially banned Facebook for restricting access to Russian media while Instagram was then targeted after Meta said it would allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages urging violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and troops Moscow sent there. Meta subsequently narrowed its guidance to prohibit calls for the death of a head of state and said its guidance should never be interpreted as condoning violence against Russians in general. Russia has also objected to foreign platforms treatment of its own media, some of which carry labels of being state-controlled. State communications regulator Roskomnadzor has also regularly fined social media companies that fail to delete content Russia deems illegal. A lawyer representing Meta on Monday told the court that refusing to block access to content and labelling state-controlled media were not activities that qualified as extremist, according to a Kommersant reporter in the courtroom. Reuters could not independently verify that account and the lawyer could not immediately be reached. The ruling caused some confusion in March because Metas WhatsApp service remained available. Furthermore, prosecutors said that individuals would not be charged simply for using Metas services, which are still accessible through virtual private networks (VPNs). According to the ruling, when referring to Meta in the public sphere, organisations and individuals are required to include the disclaimer that Metas activities are banned on Russian territory. Afghans look at destruction caused by an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, on June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar News Agency via AP) Earthquake in Afghanistan Kills 1,000 People, Injures Over 1,500 An earthquake in eastern Afghanistan early on June 22 left at least 1,000 people dead and at least that many injured, with tremors felt in neighboring Pakistan and India, officials said. Unfortunately, last night, there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses, government spokesperson Bilal Karimi wrote in a June 22 Twitter post. We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe. More than 1,000 people died in the Gayan and Barmal districts of Paktika province alone, the head of the provinces Information and Culture Department told Bakhtar News Agency. In addition, more than 1,500 have been injured, the agency wrote on Twitter. The death toll is expected to increase as an investigation in affected areas is still ongoing, the agency stated. Some villages are located in remote mountainous regions, meaning that more time is needed to collect full details of the situation, Interior Ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi told Reuters. The epicenter of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake was located around 31 miles from the city of Khost. The quake began shortly after 1:30 a.m. local time, when most people were asleep in their homes. In most places around the world, an earthquake of that magnitude wouldnt cause extensive damage, Robert Sanders, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told The Associated Press. But because the quake happened in a mountainous area where falling rocks and landslides can be an issue, a true picture of the devastation wouldnt be known until later reporting, he said. In addition, older buildings are likely to crumble and fail. Images circulating on the internet showed destroyed houses and landslides. Dozens of people are believed to be trapped under the rubble. Footage from the affected regions showed victims being airlifted and carried away in helicopters. Tremors from the earthquake were felt in Pakistans capital city of Islamabad. However, no casualties have been reported there and the damage has mostly been minimal, according to BBC Urdu. While rescuers have rushed to the affected area with helicopters, the response will likely face challenges, since many international agencies have left Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the Presidential Palace to discuss coordinating relief efforts. Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations resident coordinator in Afghanistan, offered condolences to the victims. @OCHAAfg and @unafghanistan are assessing the needs and responding in the aftermath of the earthquake last night which has taken hundreds of lives. Our condolences to the families of deceased, response is on its way, Alakbarov wrote in a Twitter post. Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes since its located in a tectonically active region, with several fault lines such as the Central Badakhshan, Hari Rud, Darvaz, and Chaman faults. An average of 560 deaths are registered in Afghanistan every year from earthquakes. According to the U.N.s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, earthquakes have killed more than 7,000 people there in the past decade. People rally against Bill C-14, the medically assisted dying bill, during a protest in Ottawa on June 1, 2016. Bill C-7, currently before the Senate, seeks to broaden the 2016 law on medical assistance in dying. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Euthanasias Cruel Compassion Commentary Frederico Carboni made international news recently when he died in Italys first legal assisted suicide. Carboni was not terminally ill. He was paralyzed from an auto accident. He wanted suicide because he had no autonomy, saying in an interview, I am like a boat adrift in the ocean. How tragic. Quadriplegia need not be the end of all good things. People who have experienced such catastrophic accidents often pick up the pieces and get on with lifewhen they receive life-affirming care and are not merely warehoused in a nursing home. But too often people with disabilities are denied that compassion, which pushes them toward euthanasia or suicide out of desperation. One such woman is Rosie Ashcraft, who lives in British Columbia. Ashcraft has an agonizing neuromuscular condition. She wants surgery to stabilize her neck and make the pain more bearable. But in Canadas sclerotic socialized medical system, she has been unable to obtain an appointment with a neurosurgeon for four yearsand coming to the United States for the care would cost more than $100,000. In desperation, she says she is seriously considering being killed by a doctor rather than continue in pain without hope of amelioration. One suspects that she would not have to wait four years for that doctors appointment. Alas, Ashcraft isnt alone in being so abandoned. During COVID-19, a 90-year-old Canadian woman named Nancy Russell chose to be euthanized because she was distraught at the idea of being kept isolated from relatives during a spike in cases, worrying that she would experience the profound loneliness and health decline she had during an earlier nursing home lockdown. In an especially bitter irony, her relatives were allowed to be with her when she was lethally injectedbut would have been excluded from her company had she chosen to go on living. Right about now, some readers might be saying, Well, if I were paralyzed or in unremitting pain, I would want to die too. And therein lies the insidious trap. Because killing rather than caring for people with the most serious and painful disabilities can quickly become the default setting. That was certainly the concern of my good friend Mark OBrien. Mark contracted polio in 1955 when he was six. He was completely paralyzed and spent the 44 years that remained of his life in an iron lung. Some might say that it would be better to be dead than be ensconced in a machine to breathe. To be sure, Marks life wasnt easy, and he sometimes got depressed. But he refused to fall prey to despondency. Indeed, Marks true yearning was for full inclusion in a society too often indifferent to the common humanity of its disabled members. In fact, he insisted on it. Toward that end, he became a disability rights activist and helped pioneer the independent living movement that allows people with disabilities to be at the cause of their lives instead of the effect of their disability. Independent living allowed Mark to reside in his own apartment cared for by an aide whom he hiredand could fire. So empowered, Mark graduated from U.C. Berkeley. He became a published poet, journalist, and essayist. He was the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary, Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark OBrien. Mark was also an adamant campaigner against assisted suicide, which he viewed to be an explicitly anti-disabilities policy. He bitterly criticized euthanasia advocate Jack Kevorkian as a killer of disabled people, and he bluntly described the message pitched by the assisted suicide movement as Get rid of these people. I dont care how. Just get them out of my sight. Shortly before he died from post-polio syndrome, I interviewed Mark for one of my books. Mentioning all that he had accomplished, I asked whether he would change anything. He answered vehemently, I sure as hell wouldnt have had polio! No one would want that. But life is what you make of it. By this and any measurement, Mark triumphed. His funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners, including at least one girlfriend of whom I knew. And yet, in Canada and many other countriesperhaps even in California when he became so weak to be determined terminalMark would have qualified for facilitated death, and many would have thought that by so allowing, they were doing him a favor. Boy, would he have ever given them an earful! Then, there was my late friend Robert Salamanca, who died of ALS. I met Bob as his hospice volunteer. A vigorous exerciser and former amateur boxer, Bob told me that he wanted to commit suicide after being diagnosed with the progressively disabling illness. This was when Kevorkian wasto much media acclaimhelping people with disabilities and terminal conditions kill themselves. Bob caught that message and wanted to die at Kevorkians hands. But unlike some do today, Bobs family refused to be part of any such plan. And was Bob ever glad they did! As he described it to me, I came out of the fog. Bob spent his remaining time watching his children grow, investing successfully online, and collecting art. But if assisted suicide had been legal in California at the time of his greatest despair, he might not have lived long enough to do those things. Before he died peacefully in his sleep, Bob authored an op/ed column for the Feb. 19, 1997, San Francisco Chronicle titled, I Dont Want a Choice to Die, in which he wrote in part: Euthanasia advocates believe they are doing people like me a favor. They are not. The negative emotions toward the terminally ill and disabled generated by their advocacy is actually at the expense of the dying and their families and friends. We often feel disheartened and without self-assurance because of a false picture of what it is like to die created by these enthusiasts who prey on the misinformed. In other words, the euthanasia movement message of exclusion made Bobs life more difficult, not better. Bob wrote that, instead of people supporting facilitated death, What we, the terminally ill, need is exactly the oppositeto realize how important our lives are. And our loved ones, friends, and, indeed, society need to help us feel that we are loved and appreciated unconditionally. He concluded: In my view, the pro-euthanasia followers posture is a great threat to the foundation upon which all life is based, and that is hope. I exhort everyone: Life is worth living, and life is worth receiving. I know. I live it every day. The media continually promote the euthanasia/assisted suicide movement as compassionate. If so, its a cruel compassion. As Bob put it, Reporting in the media too often makes us feel like token presences, burdens who are better off dead. So, the next time assisted suicide is presented in a positive light, remember Carboni, Ashcraft, Russell, OBrien, Salamanca, and many others like them. Rather than putting so much emphasis on helping people die, lets instead focus on providing the kind of care that could help those in extremis go on living. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A young girl holds up an Australian Aboriginal flag on Australia Day in Sydney, on Jan. 26, 2022. (Steven Saphore/AFP via Getty Images) Exaggeration of Colonial Trauma Leads to Victimhood: Indigenous Academic An Indigenous academic has warned about the impact of overemphasising the assumed trauma brought about by colonisation when addressing Aboriginal issues at school, saying it will promote a sense of victimhood among Indigenous students. The comment comes about a week before the Victorian government implements its new school program which will require educational settings across the state to acknowledge Indigenous culture and adopt measures to eliminate racism. The standard, which commences on July 1, applies to all government and independent schools including those without no Indigenous students. Australias colonial history has caused significant trauma and hurt that individuals, families and communities still feel today, the guidance stated. However, Aboriginal communities have a long history of resilience and growth in the face of adversity and trauma. Schools should show respect for the deep resilience of Victorian Aboriginal communities. Anthony Dillon, a researcher at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University, argued that the statement is quite a stretch. While there may have been trauma to some Aboriginal people at the time of colonisation, it is quite a stretch today to suggest that any trauma an Aboriginal person may be experiencing is the result of those events, he told The Epoch Times. Dillon noted that if the program focuses on the assumed trauma caused by colonisation, it is potentially promoting a sense of victimhood amongst students with Aboriginal ancestry. Will there be lessons on Aboriginal students offering forgiveness to the original invaders? Will students be taught that many Aboriginal people today have escaped any assumed trauma? Negative Approach Could Cause Victimhood Responding to the governments suggestion that the program will foster culturally safe environments in which Aboriginal young people are respected and valued, the Indigenous academic asked: Are they not feeling respected and safe now? Do initiatives like this encourage children of Aboriginal ancestry to embrace all their ancestries or only one of them? The opinion was echoed by Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, who told The Epoch Times that there should be more celebration of Australias achievements rather than focusing on negative stuff all the timearguing that such an approach would spark division. My concern is, you get this victimhood mentality within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And then on the other side, you get this guilt mentality. We dont want any of that, because theyre all negative, he said. We dont want people to feel guilty without people to be victims, we want people to be strong, stoic, and move forward and build this country together. Under the guidance, schools will need to recognise 15 key Indigenous events throughout the year, including the 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations anniversary (Feb 13), Close the Gap day (March 18), Sorry day (May 26) and Reconciliation Week (May 27 June 3). All Victorian educational settings are encouraged to display plaques and signs to acknowledge Aboriginal heritage, speak with respect and confidence about Aboriginal culture, hold events with an Acknowledge of Country as a standing agenda item and use this as an opportunity to pause and reflect. Staff will also be trained to create a culturally inclusive learning environment, while Aboriginal history and culture are considered compulsory in professional learning for staff and in curriculum planning for students. Benefits From the Program Minimal Dillon suggested that some activities in the program might instill a bit of pride in Indigenous children so long as it is not overdone. Apart from that, any benefit is minimal, he added. Victorian Premier Dan Andrew on Tuesday stood by the new school standard, arguing that its about making sure that everybody feels equal. I think it might be the whole school and I dont see anything wrong with that, he told The Herald Sun. Being reconciled is just that. You cant be reconciled if youre not prepared to acknowledge some pretty awful stuff that happened in the past. Experts Call for Action to Curtail Vaping Among Adolescents, Lower Potential Long-Term Risks The American Heart Association has called for action to reduce e-cigarette use amongst adolescents after a study found adverse health effects from e-cigarette consumption can accrue over time. The latest available scientific evidence suggests the accumulated use of e-cigarettes leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, the association said in a scientific statement published in its peer-reviewed journal on Tuesday. While adolescents who use e-cigarettes may not feel that vaping is affecting them at the moment, it is increasingly clear that the chemicals contained in e-cigarette aerosols are harming cardiovascular cells, leading to changes that promote the development of heart disease over time, said Dr. Loren Wold, associate dean for research operations and compliance in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University. It usually takes decades before people who smoke combustible cigarettes develop cardiovascular disease and/or chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease, and the same may be true of vaping. Since contents within the e-liquid such as nicotine, flavoring, propylene glycol, glycerin, and other chemicals are generally deemed to be non-toxic for consumption, there has been very little regulation of nicotine concentration. E-cigarettes have become increasingly efficient at delivering nicotine with different designs and modes of nicotine delivery entering the market, some vapes are capable of achieving the same level of plasma nicotine as combustible cigarettes. Despite the huge market variety, researchers know very little about the implications of inhaling these chemicals. Increasing Use Among Adolescents While traditional cigarette use has gradually decreased with e-cigarettes introduced as an alternative for quitting smoking, researchers are seeing strong take-up of it amongst adolescents. The 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 27.5 percent of youths in grades 9 to 12 and 10.5 percent of children in grades 6 to 8 reported vaping in the past month. Due to the novelty, studies on vaping have mostly been conducted on adult animal studies rather than on humans, which can impact the accuracy of the results. Nonetheless, the recent study still found concerns of long-term health risks based on known findings of impaired lung development, cardiovascular disease, and early development of addictions. Since lung development continues into the early 20s, adolescents who vape are at risk of stunting or altering their lung development, such that they may never reach their full lung function potential, the authors warned. Though more studies are needed to confirm this finding, previous studies suggest that individuals that vape during their adolescent years are more likely to have lower lung function and are more easily susceptible to conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, or interstitial lung disease. There is already evidence of inflammation and dysfunction in blood vessel cells. In addition, researchers have also observed changes in stiffness of blood vessels, blood pressure, and heart rate which all support the likelihood of increased cardiovascular disease once adolescent vapers reach middle-aged or beyond. Mental Health Risks The study also warned of potential mental health risks, as the use of e-cigarettes affects sleep quality and increases the risk of life-long addiction. The nicotine in the vape liquid activates the reward pathways in the dopaminergic neurons in the brain, making the brain gradually addicted to the chemical. Use of addictive substances during the adolescent years fundamentally alters the set points for addictive behaviors as an adult, the authors wrote. This is concerning as vaping may lead to lifelong addictions, psychopathology, and dysfunction in both social and occupational settings. The authors called for the removal of flavors in vapes, as many studies found that flavoring is the main reason why many adolescents take up vaping. The Food and Drug Administration banned flavors popular amongst youths such as mint and fruit-flavored e-liquids in January 2020. The researchers also encouraged education on e-cigarette harm, addiction programs in hospitals, reduced exposure to e-cigarettes on social media, and the addition of vapes in smoke-free air laws to denormalize vaping amongst youth. It is clear that this field is of great public health concern and requires more intensive examination, the authors concluded. It is imperative that we determine the short- and long-term adverse consequences of vaping in adolescence because it is likely that health effects will be observed many years in the future. Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson attend the marie claire International Women's Day breakfast at est. on March 08, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Extreme Media Attention Delays Trial of Brittany Higgins Rape Allegation, Justice Says The trial of the man accused of sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been delayed after television host Lisa Wilkinson praised Higgins in her acceptance speech at an Australian TV award. Australian Captial Territory Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum on Tuesday said the extreme media attention around the matter would undermine a fair trial and has forced her to set back the trial date of June 27 regrettably and with gritted teeth. The ACT Chief Justice told the ACT Supreme Court that despite having received a clear and appropriate warning prior to the TV awards ceremony, Wilkinson proceeded to deliver an acceptance speech that openly referred to and praised the complainant in the present trial. The recent publicity does, in my view, change the landscape because of its immediacy, its intensity and its capacity to obliterate the important distinctions between an allegation that remains untested at law and one that has been accepted by a jury giving a true verdict according to the evidence, she said. The public at large is given to believe guilt is established. The importance of the rule of law has been set at nil. The ACT Chief Justice also noted while a delay in the case has a corrosive effect on evidence, the overriding principle is that the trial needs to be fair. Potential Contempt of Court Wilkinson was nominated for a Logie for her reporting of Higgins allegation in which the former Liberal staffer accused a male colleague of raping her in the office of the then Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019. The man has pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual intercourse. Wilkinson, who is due to give evidence at the trial as a key witness, has been warned by crown prosecutor Shane Drumgold that further public commentary surrounding the matter could lead to the trial being delayed, the court heard. However, upon receiving her award at the Logies on Sunday, the TV presenter mentioned and thanked Higgins for sharing her story. Later, she also replied to a tweet by ABC reporter Louise Milligan in which she called Milligans Inside the Canberra Bubble Four Corners report a crucial stepping stone in helping Brittany find her voice. Steve Whybrow, the barrister representing the accused, launched the legal application in the wake of Wilkinsons speech. Whybrow argued Wilkinsons remarks displayed a contempt of court. Your honour, this speech did not need to be made, Whybrow said on Tuesday morning, noting that the speech attracted more than 800,000 online searches on Monday as well as a wave of social media engagements. I Trusted The Press Justice McCallum said she could not be satisfied any directions given to jurors during empanelment or after would prejudice the trial. The present case is different because the author of the impugned remarks (Wilkinson) will be a key witness in the trial, she said. A central issue in the trial, it is now clear, will be the credibility of the complainant and whether her allegation of sexual assault can be believed. McCallum also warned that the media is treating Higginss case in the same way as the case of sexual assault survivor and Australian of the Year in 2021 Grace Tame, although in the Higgins case, the man hasnt yet been convicted. Grace Tame was talking about her experience after the man had been convicted and served a sentence of imprisonment, McCallum said. Miss Higgins is treated as being in the same category. And shes not. She further told Drumgold she regretted not taking his advice on prohibiting publication around the case. I trusted the press, she said, You were right, and I was wrong. The implicit premise of [Wilkinsons speech] is to celebrate the truthfulness of the story she exposed. A Network 10 spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday to The Australian that both the network and Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of Wilkinsons speech, but refused to comment further. The case will return to court for mention on Thursday. AAP contributed to this article Farmers, Politicians, Scientists Call to End Major Dam Projects in NSW Farmers, politicians, and scientists from top Australian universities are urging the government to abandon major dam projects in New South Wales (NSW), citing serious environmental and economic impacts. Professor Jamie Pittock from Australian National University (ANU) will tell The Lachlan Conference on Wednesday that the dam proposals, which include the expansion of the Wyangala dam near Cowra and the construction of the Dungowan dam near Tamworth, are wasting taxpayers money. The proposal to raise Wyangala Dam is an exemplar of why these dam-building projects are crazy; it was proposed without a business case, Pittock, who teaches at Fenner School of Environment and Society and specializes in water policy, told AAP. There are better ways at reducing flood risk and better ways for securing water for agriculture. Joining the professor are farmers from central western NSW, warning of the agricultural consequences the expansion will have on the Lachlan River. The environmental impact of this project will be disastrous and irreversible in our area, with hundreds of river red gums in the inundation zone that are hundreds of years old that will be waterlogged, said Cowra beef and cropping farmer Kerri Webster, whose most productive farmland will be compulsorily acquired under the proposal. We get frustrated, angry, were very emotional were completely perplexed, she told the conference on Tuesday, saying that her family had not been consulted. Dams Good for Flood Management Mary Ewing, the head of the Lachlan Valley water group, which advocated for the expansion, promised at the conference that all business cases must be thorough. We know the business case must be done. The environmental impact assessment must be done, she said. Forbes farmer Tom Green, Chair of the Lachlan Valley water group, said raising the dam wall is beneficial, according to early studies. We believe the project has shown it will be highly effective for both flood management and water security, he told AAP. Echoing Green are mayors from Forbes, Cowra, and Lachlan Shires. To those people that say raising the wall and inundating some land up in the dam catchment is an environmental problem, let them come see what a flood does, Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said. Map of Dungowan Dam. (NSW Government) It comes at a time when Finance Minister Damien Tudehope, the leader of the Government in the Upper House, was censured for failing to produce business cases for the two dam projects. Meanwhile, Mark Rodda, the Deputy Mayor of Tamworth, previously doubted the costs of Dungowan Dam, which had already reached $1.28 billion, a triple of the initial budget of $480 million. It would probably be cheaper for the people of Tamworth to have showers with bottled water than to purchase water from that new dam, he told Guardian. An environmental impact statement for the Wyangala dam project is expected to be released after August, while the first phase of work on the Dungowan Dam pipeline has already begun. AAP contributed to this report. Florida AG Asks Judge to Reject Motion to Delay New Abortion Law PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on June 20 filed a document asking Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper to reject a motion by abortion clinics and a doctor to temporarily delay the law prohibiting most abortions after 15 weeks that is set to take effect on July 1. Judge Cooper will hear arguments on June 27 on the temporary injunction. The case could test Floridas Constitution privacy clause and establish future abortion rights across the state. The privacy clause states: Every natural person has the right to be let alone and free from governmental intrusion into the persons private life except as otherwise provided herein. This section shall not be construed to limit the publics right of access to public records and meetings as provided by law. At a minimum, the states interest is compelling in situations where the effect of HB 5 (the new law) is to encourage women to schedule their abortions earlier and results in a less dangerous medical procedure, the states filing said. As to protecting children in utero, the state defendants experts will show that a 15-week-old child is a distinct living being who is conscious and experiences pain. The plaintiffs, however, chose to focus on a 30-year-old Florida Supreme Court decision that has protected abortion rights based on the privacy clause in the state Constitution. Plaintiffs have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits because HB 5 is unconstitutional on its face, the motion for temporary injunction filed by the plaintiffs on June 1 said. Simply put, the right to privacy enshrined in the Florida Constitution protects the right to obtain an abortion before fetal viability, and the act (HB 5) contravenes that right by banning abortion months before viability. The Republican-controlled legislative session that ended in March passed HB 5, and it was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April. The new law closely mirrors the Mississippi law that the U.S. Supreme Court is now considering. A leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito suggests the court could overturn the 1973 Roe V. Wade decision, sending the abortion issue back to the states. In response to the new Florida law, several abortion clinics and a doctor filed suit on June 1 in Leon County circuit court. The lawsuit claims that the new law does not include exceptions for rape or incest. It allows abortions after 15 weeks if needed to save the life of the mother. The 15-week window dates from the womans last menstrual period. In addition to citing the privacy clause, the plaintiffs also argued that preventing abortions after the 15-week window could endanger the womans health by requiring them to give birth. the Florida Supreme Court has held repeatedly that the right to terminate a pregnancy is not just covered, but central among those liberties guaranteed by the privacy clause, the motion read. With a more conservative Florida Supreme Court in place, it has in the past shown a willingness to toss out court precedents, leaving the privacy clause up for grabs. Moodys office raised several arguments to convince Cooper to reject a temporary injunction. The plaintiffs dont have legal standing and would not suffer irreparable harm from the law, according to the attorney generals filing. States attorneys argued that the vast majority of abortions are performed before the 15-week window and cited that almost 80,000 abortions were performed in Florida in 2021, with nearly 75,000 performed in the first trimester of pregnancy. In the filing, the states lawyers quoted legal precedent, In other words, for most women seeking an abortion, HB 5 will have no effect at all, much less cause a significant restriction.' As of Wednesdaywhich is a full 17 months after the Jan. 6 Capitol protestthere are approximately 50 people locked up in Capitol police jail. Many of them are sitting in 22-hour solitary confinement. Furthermore, for many of them, this is pre-trial detentionmeaning they have been holed up in solitary confinement, awaiting a fair and speedy trial for the past 17 months. However, despite the fact that the legacy media has, by and large, ignored these people, there are activists working to bring these prisoners plight to light. Given the fact that the January 6th Select Committee is currently holding its hearings in CongressI thought it apt to publish a special episode based on a protest that my team and I attended several months back. We had previously used bits and pieces of this footage and these interviews, but never published them in stand-alone entirety. This rallyheld in New York City, of all placeswas organized to bring awareness of what the protesters called the plight of Americas political prisoners. I hope you enjoy this special episode. Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events. Listen to Podcasts: iTunes Podcast: https://ept.ms/FactsMatterApplePodcast Spotify Podcast: https://ept.ms/FactsMatterSpotifyPodcast Google Podcast: https://ept.ms/FactsMatterGooglePodcast Follow Facts Matter on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FactsMatterRB Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@FactsMatterRoman Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/factsmatterrb Gab: https://gab.com/factsmatterroman Telegram: https://t.me/FactsMatter_Roman Instagram: @epoch.times.roman Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Gay Men With Multiple Partners Top Priority in UKs Monkeypox Vaccination Campaign Gay men, especially those with multiple partners or who have participated in group sex, will be the main target in the UKs monkeypox vaccination campaign, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. In a vaccination strategy published on Tuesday, the agency said although anyone can contract monkeypox, the current outbreak is primarily in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) who have largely been located in the London area. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that GBMSM be offered smallpox vaccines as soon as feasible, given they are at highest risk due to a large number of contacts, the UKHSA said. There are currently no monkeypox vaccines licensed in the UK or Europe, but vaccines developed for smallpox are considered to provide cross-protection against monkeypox as the two viruses are related. The vaccine that is being offered in the UK, smallpox Modified Vaccinia AnkaraBavarian Nordic (MVA-BN), was licensed for smallpox in the UK and Europe but was also licensed for monkeypox in the United States under a different brand name. The JCVI said those at higher risk among the GBMSM can be identified using markers of high-risk behaviour such as a recent history of multiple partners, participating in group sex, attending sex on premises venues, or a proxy marker such as recent sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the past year. The other prioritised groups are health and laboratory workers who are more likely to be exposed to monkeypox virus or other pox viruses. Test tube labelled Monkeypox virus positive in a photo illustration taken on May 22, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) The document said pre-exposure vaccination should be prioritised as there is very limited evidence on whether the vaccine given after exposure can make any difference, but it also recommended rapid post-exposure vaccination for those who are at higher risk of the complications of monkeypox including pregnant women, the immunosuppressed, and children under the age of 10 to 11. Like the strategy deployed during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, the JAVI recommended prioritising the first doses for more people instead of giving the second doses. Monkeypox is a disease mostly associated with West or Central Africa. According to UKHSA, there have been seven cases in the UK between 2018 and 2021, but the current outbreak is the first time that chains of transmission have been reported in Europe without known epidemiological links to West or Central Africa. The first case in the UK was detected on May 7, with two unconnected incidents confirmed soon after. By Monday, there have been 793 laboratory-confirmed cases in the UK18 in Scotland, three in Northern Ireland, six in Wales, and 766 in England. Almost 80 percent of cases in England are located in London. According to the UKHSA, among those whose gender information was available, 99 percent of the UKs confirmed cases identified themselves as male, with five cases identifying themselves as female. Its not clear whether any transgender patients were involved. No recovery or death has been reported so far. UKHSA has said while severe illness can occur in some people, monkeypox is usually a mild self-limiting illness and most people recover within a few weeks. Jackson trucking company owner and lifelong 10th Congressional District resident Mike Collins (R) talks to a TV reporter after his GOP runoff victory on June 21, 2022, in Jackson, Georgia. (Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times) Trump-Backed Candidates Lose in Georgia Primary Elections Five of six Georgia Republican primary candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump have lost election contests in 2022. The latest Trump-supported Georgia candidates to fall in nomination battles are Vernon Jones in the 10th Congressional District (CD 10) and Jake Evans in the 6th District (CD 6). Neither of their races was close; both were called not long after the polls closed. The Trump-endorsed candidates were running in two of the four runoffs decided by Republicans on June 21. In Virginia, voters selected a slate of challengers for incumbents in all of the states 11 congressional districts. Jones, who calls himself the black Donald Trump, had been a lifelong Democrat and a former state representative who switched parties. He endorsed Trumps 2020 presidential campaign, and then resigned his state House seat to run for governor. Then-Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones poses for a portrait at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, on Oct. 25, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images) At Trumps urging, Jones left the GOP gubernatorial primary to allow former U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) to run against Gov. Brian Kemp and instead run for the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), who was Trumps choice to challenge Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in Georgias May 24 primary. Trucking Company Owner Kemp handily defeated Purdue in the GOP gubernatorial race, Raffensperger topped Hice, and trucking company owner Mike Collins defeated Jones by more than 20 percent of the vote in the CD 10 runoff. Collins, who was endorsed by Kemp, is the son of the late former Rep. Mac Collins (R-Ga.). Even without Trumps endorsement, he led in polling and fundraising and remained the favorite in the district. Mike Collins, endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, defeated Donald Trump-backed Vernon Jones in the 10th Congressional District runoff on June 21. (Courtesy of Collins for Congress). Trump released a recorded message to CD 10 voters claiming Collins has flooded the airwaves with unfair and vicious political ads that arent true. Trump said Jones has proven time and time again hes with the MAGA movement and that hes the kind of guy that Georgia needs and Georgia, I think, will get. During the campaign, Collins called himself unapologetically pro-Trump, an America First agenda candidate, conservative to the core. Evans Outpolled In Georgias CD 6, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and emergency room physician Dr. Rich McCormick easily outpolled Trump-backed Evans, an attorney. The Associated Press called that race before 8:30 p.m. local time, with McCormick mounting an insurmountable nearly 50 percent lead after only a third of the ballots had been counted. Evans, the former head of the Georgia Ethics Commission, is the son of attorney Randy Evans, a prominent Trump donor who served as the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg under Trump. In his endorsement, Trump called Evans a young man rapidly on the rise and said his father is a highly respected legal warrior. CD 6 was represented by U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), but post-2020 census redistricting moved her into the 7th District, where she defeated fellow incumbent U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Suwanee) in the districts Democratic primary. That makes CD 6 essentially a new and wide-open district that favors Republicans. Trump Endorsements Overall, Trump is 1208 in endorsements in the 2022 Republican primaries, including 63 in governors races, 120 in U.S. Senate races, and 102-4 in congressional district races. One of the former presidents candidates did win on June 21 in the Alabama U.S. Senate runoff, with his endorsed candidate Katie Britt defeating Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) for the Senate seat left vacant by six-term Sen. Richard Shelbys retirement. Trump had initially endorsed Brooks, who was among the speakers at the Jan. 6, 2021, rally at the U.S. Capitol and voted against certifying Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory, but withdrew support for Brooks when the congressman said it was time to get over the election. A supporter of Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) hammers a campaign sign into the ground outside a polling place at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., on June 21, 2022. (Jackson Elliott/The Epoch Times) Brooks claimed he was the standard-bearer of the Trump agenda, calling himself MAGA Mo and the America First patriot. Nevertheless, Trump never re-endorsed Brooks. Britts victory in the runoff was lopsided. The Epoch Times called the race with less than 20 percent of total ballots cast counted, with Britt garnering more than 67 percent of the vote. We were told by pretty much everyone everywhere that this was an insurmountable task and do not take it on, Britt told supporters in a victory speech in Montgomery on June 21. God calls us to do hard things. Well, Ill be honest with you, it still hasnt sunk in, but we just did a really hard thing. With the June 21 primary and runoff elections over, 25 states will have conducted their preliminary races and set candidates for the November elections. Louisiana and Rhode Island dont have primaries, so primaries in 23 states still await. Trump still has at least 70 endorsements on the docket for GOP primaries, mainly in Augustincluding eight for governor, seven for U.S. Senate, and about 55 U.S. House races. On Saturday, June 18, just in time for Fathers Day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a media statement recommending that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The statement continues: This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children. Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nations fight against COVID-19, CDC Direction Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky told the public. We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with todays decision, they can. 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. Recommended by the CDC, Mandated by Each State In the United States, the CDC makes recommendations and then each state implements them. However, health in the United States is the purview of the state, not the federal government. So parents are told they must get vaccines by the state in order for their child to go to daycare or attend school. At the same time, every state in the United States allows for medical exemptionsif a child cannot safely get vaccinated, a doctor can certify that the child is medically exempt. In addition, all states except five (California, Maine, Mississippi, New York, and West Virginia) also allow for religious exemptions to vaccines. Some religions, like the Church of Christ Scientist, prioritize prayer over vaccination. Many, if not most, Old-Order Amish choose to put their faith in Gods will in times of illness. The majority of Americas 350,000 Amish choose to do very few or no vaccines. Some Orthodox Jews and Conservative Christians object to the COVID-19 vaccinations, and others like them, because all of these vaccines available were developed using cell lines grown on aborted fetal tissue. Vaccines to protect against chickenpox, rubella, hepatitis A, and rabies are also made using human fetal cells, according to the Childrens Hospital of Pennsylvanias Vaccine Education Center. For others, the religious objection to vaccination is based on the biblical passage from Corinthians that the body is a temple that should not be desecrated by preventative pharmaceutical products, which contain small amounts of known carcinogens, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and ingredients (pdf) like canine kidney cell protein, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, and bovine serum albumin. Safety Matters Each vaccine on the CDC childhood vaccination schedule is safety tested individually. No testing is done, however, on the schedule as a whole to see if it is safe to administer multiple vaccinations at the same well baby visit. The CDC asserts that COVID-19 vaccines have undergoneand will continue to undergothe most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. But there has been no researchnoneon whether giving babies, toddlers, and small children a series of COVID-19 vaccines in addition to the other vaccines already on the schedule is safe. At the same time, however, there is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that over-vaccinated children suffer from poor health outcomes. For example, the more highly vaccinated the country, the higher rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, according to a peer-reviewed study published in 2011 in the journal Human & Experimental Toxicology. Furthermore, a 2017 study of homeschooled children uncovered that vaccinated children had higher incidents of allergies, ear infections, neurodevelopmental disorders, and pneumonia than unvaccinated children. Another study, published in 2020, found that unvaccinated children were healthier than their vaccinated counterparts on nearly every index. This study created such an uproar in the scientific community, however, that the journal retracted it eight months later. Still, a 2021 study published in the Journal of Translational Science similarly found that fully and partially vaccinated children had higher rates of asthma, attention disorders, autism, gastrointestinal problems, ear infections, and severe allergies than their unvaccinated peers. Despite the CDCs assertion to the contrary, scientific researchers and doctors are concerned about the many post-market COVID-19 safety signals that they are seeing. Vaccine injuries documented in the scientific literature include myocarditis, tinnitus, Bells palsy, and thrombocytopenia, among others. The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) is passive surveillance system known to significantly underreport adverse reactions, said Dr. Reni Moon, a pediatrician who is board certified in pediatric hospital medicine and pediatrics. Yet it has literally blown up with individual reports at unprecedented levels. Despite this, injections are still described as safe and effective on regulatory agency websites and in daily email letters to physicians and other health care professionals, Moon said. At the same time, Moon said, her doctor colleagues are scared to report what theyre seeing in practice. She explained: Theyre threatened, told not to provide misinformation. Misinformation is anything that deviates from the policy/narrative coming from regulatory agencies. Were all facing threats of job loss, revocation of our medical licenses, loss of reputation with our peers. Moon said that her concern over the lack of necessity and efficacy of these COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the harm they have already caused, has made it impossible for her to remain silent, despite being a self-described pro-vaccine doctor who has always encouraged parents to follow the CDC schedule for their children. Alarm bells are ringing like crazy, telling us that some of our children have serious issues with these products, she said. When loud alarms are ringing, you dont silence them and pretend that they arent making all that noise. The answer is not to say, You arent hearing any alarms. Yet thats exactly what were doing. Dr. Robert Verkerk, Ph.D., founder of the Alliance for Natural Health International, has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles relating to health, agriculture and the environment, is also concerned about disastrous long-term consequences for some children that may result after exposure to the spike protein via vaccines. Verkerk, who is based in the United Kingdom and co-authored a study with an international team of researchers, Self-reported outcomes, choices and discrimination among a global COVID-19 unvaccinated cohort, which is available as a pre-print, told The Epoch Times via email that parents who think their kids should get the vaccine have been misled. There could be disastrous long-term consequences for some children if they are exposed to the spike protein via the vaccine before they are exposed to circulating coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, that would otherwise result in broader-based, more robust naturally-acquired immunity, Verkerk wrote. Mechanisms that should be of grave concern to any health professional include original antigenic sin, antibody dependent enhancement (ADE), disrupted innate immune training and suppression of cytotoxic (CD4+ and CD8+) T cells. These are not areas with which members of the public, unless they have a keen interest in immunology, are likely to be familiar. Put more simply, Verkerk and his team are concerned that the vaccines may actually compromise the immune system, making it harder for children who are vaccinated to survive a subsequent infection. Another concern, reported in the New York Times, is that a small group of people may have a genetic flaw that cripples a very important immune molecule: interferon type I. What the New York Times failed to report, however, is that the COVID-19 vaccines themselves may actually cripple interferon type 1, which was one of the findings in a peer-reviewed scientific study, Innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes, and MicroRNAs, published this month in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. Sweden: No Vaccines For Children In the United Kingdom parents of children over the age of 5 are being advised to give their children the vaccine. However, the independent advisory committee that advises the health departments on immunizations in the United Kingdom, JCVI, is not pushing for children under the age of 5 to be vaccinated. Verkerk told us this is presumably because committee members dont recognize the clinical need, know that there is not sufficient data to show that the vaccines would benefit this age group, and might find it difficult to deliver the necessary information to ensure informed consent by parents or guardians. Health authorities in Sweden, a country that has consistently taken a child-forward approach during the pandemic, do not recommend any COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 11. [W]e dont see any clear benefit with vaccinating them, Britta Bjorkholm, said at a news conference in January. Finlands public health agency also has not explicitly recommended the vaccine for healthy children ages 5 to 11, choosing, instead, to promote vaccines for this age group for immune-compromised children or children who live in high-risk households only. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has also stopped short of recommending COVID-19 vaccines to children 11 and under. Their public health handouts, available in English, concede that COVID-19 is rarely harmful for children, and that Having COVID-19 gives as good protection as the vaccine against reinfection, but also specify that, Some children may still benefit from the vaccine. Furthermore, even the World Health Organization, as of this writing, does not explicitly recommend any of the 10 available brands of COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 years old. What About Israel? Israel, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, is currently dealing with unprecedented numbers of COVID cases, including severe illness and hospitalization. While many consider this to suggest that the vaccine campaign is not working as it should, now that the United States recommends the vaccine for children under five, Israel health authorities are expected to follow suit, Israeli news sources report. Is Science or Money Leading the Charge to Vaccinate Children? The COVID pandemic has proved a boon to the pharmaceutical industry. Pfizers earnings have been projected to top $100 billion, more than any other country in the history of the pharmaceutical industry, according to Fierce Pharma And thats just one company. When you try to vaccinate virtually every human being on the planet, regardless of age, especially with vaccines that deliver only short-term benefits at bestso they need to be delivered more than once annuallythe market is vast, Verkerk pointed out. The Biden administration has announced that it has 10 million doses of the vaccine for babies and small children ready to go. Vaccine prices vary widely, but it has been reported that Pfizer charges $19.50 per dose of the COVID vaccine. Pfizer posted $25.7 billion in earning for the first three months of 2022 alone. The company reported growing by 82 percent, largely due to what the industry calls its COVID assets. This current CDC recommendation of vaccinating 20 million children 6 months through 5 years of age would add about $780,000,000 per year to the industry. In addition, some 3,600,000 million babies are born in the United States each year. If all these children were vaccinated against COVID-19 at least two times a year with their shot, Pfizer would stand to earn some $70,200,000 every six months, or $140,400,000 a year. But thats not all. This same company makes a medication to treat COVID, Paxlovid, which has earned them enormous profits as well. Indeed, the company recently estimated that it will earn some $22 billion from the anti-viral. Its a brilliant business model, said Dr. Cammy Benton, an integrative family physician based in Huntersville, North Carolina, who does not advise parents to give babies or small children this vaccine. Make a medicine that fails and make the medicine to treat the medicine that failed and then you can charge for both. They win big. But you know who loses? Our kids. Correction: Two instances that mentioned studies comparing the health of vaccinated and unvaccinated children erroneously referred to the unvaccinated peer group as vaccinated. This refers to the 2017 study and 2021 study mentioned in the article. The article has been updated. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Kwan Mei-bo, Director of the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science at CUHK and Choh-Ming Professor of Geography and Resource Management, has been awarded the James R. Anderson Medal of Honor for Applied Geography. (website of CUHK) Hong Kong Scholar Awarded the Highest Honor of the American Association of Geographers First Chinese female scholar to win the Award The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) said yesterday that Kwan Mei-bo, Director of the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science at CUHK and Choh-Ming Professor of Geography and Resource Management, has been awarded the James R. Anderson Medal of Honor for Applied Geography in recognition of her work in promoting Multi-Disciplinary Applied Geography, and her contributions to research in paradigm shift. The James R. Anderson Medal of Honor for Applied Geography is the highest honor in the Applied Geography Professional Group of the American Association of Geographers. Kwan Mei-bo is the first Chinese and the third female scholar to receive this award in 39 years since the award has been established. The American Association of Geographers commends Kwan Mei-bo for her success in integrating geography with different disciplines such as information technology, health, urban, social and behavioural subjects. Kwan Mei-bo said she was very grateful to the American Society for affirming her research work, and she was very pleased to receive the same honor as other outstanding Applied Geographers. She also expects to make further contributions to the innovative research of geography in the future to benefit the society and improve human life. Kwan Mei-bo is good at collecting real-time personal level spatial and environmental data through geospatial technology. Her research areas include geographic information science, health geography, urban geography, transportation geography, social and behavioral geography, and so on. She is a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Fellow of the American Society of Geographers. Her academic awards include the Royal Geographical Society Transportation Geography Professional Group Outstanding Academic Contribution Award, the Universities Commission on Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) Outstanding Research Achievement Award, and the American Society of Geographers Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. The James R. Anderson Medal of Honor for Applied Geography, established in 1983, is the highest honor in the Applied Geography Professional Group of the American Association of Geographers, and is designed to recognize individuals or groups who have made outstanding contributions in geography. In early June, 2022, Hong Kong Watch co-founder Aileen Calverley, proposed the "Human Rights Defenders Protection Plan" to Canadian MPs, hoping that Canada would continue and expand the scope of its "Lifeboat Program" to protect more Hongkongers,. Photo taken Jan 7, 2006 shows: (L-R) Ray Wong Toi-yeung, Aileen Calverley, Benedict Rogers of Hong Kong Watch. (Yi Ling/The Epoch Times) Human Rights Group Proposes New Lifeboat Scheme to Canada to Offer More Hongkongers Refuge The Canadian government announced the extension of its lifeboat work visa program in May, 2021, but not many Hongkongers could apply. For this matter, human rights organizations proposed a new Hongkongers Protection Plan to the Canadian government, to expand the scope of the previous lifeboat program, so that more Hongkongers who wish to leave Hong Kong can be safeguarded under Canadian wings. Sam Goodman, Director of Policy and Advocacy of human rights group Hong Kong Watch, and co-founder, and trustee Aileen Calverley proposed the Human Rights Defenders Protection Plan to members of Parliament of Canada on June 6, 2022. The organization suggested in its proposal that Canada would continue and expand the scope of its previously implemented Lifeboat Program while filling its loopholes and shortcomings. Hong Kong Watch team shared their desire for Hong Kong protesters who arent eligible for the BNO Visa Programto gain assistance from Canada and offer them a safe harbor away from political oppression in Hong Kong. In an interview with Radio Free Asia in mid-June, Calverley said protesters who arent covered by the Lifeboat Scheme should also be protected. Therefore, by initiating The Human Rights Defenders Program, it will offer any ineligible BNO Hong Konger a chance to apply for work visas. Calverley further explained, The current Lifeboat Program only covers people of a certain age and education levels, but that only benefits a small batch of Hongkongers. Coupled with the deteriorating human rights and press freedom in Hong Kong in the past two years, more people are in need of assistanceparticularly, media professionals, front-line first responders, protesters who have been released from prison, and protesters who are at risk of arrest due to their participation in the protests. According to the data from Hong Kong Watch, from the beginning of the anti-extradition protests in 2019 to this May 2022, there are over 700 political prisoners, including former legislative councilors, district councilors, and democracy activists. Of those arrestees 600 have been sentenced to jail, while 160 of them have been detained with pending trials. Many of the democratic figures have already been confined in prison for an extended period before any trial; some of them have also been denied bail by the courts. Calverley told Radio Free Asia that Hong Kong Watch has been in talks with the Canadian government about expanding the current Young Talent Scheme, which can help fill Canadas current labor shortage. By expanding the scheme, more blue-collar Hongkongers and graduates from vocational schools will be enticed to apply for work visas in Canada and contribute to the country. This is a win-win outcome. Calverley explained the background information and details of the schemes as follows: Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada shows that, as of the end of January 2022, the implementation of the lifeboat programs work permit visa, only attracted about 10,000 Hongkongers to apply for this type of visa. The figures represent only a small fraction of the total number of people who left Hong Kong. In November 2020, ex-Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, Marco Mendicino, officially launched the lifeboat work permit visa scheme which was set up for Hong Kongers, in Feb. 2021. It is open to eligible Hongkongers to apply for permanent residency who wish to move to Canada through study or work. The scheme will operate until Feb. 7, 2023, a total of three years. Effective May 17, 2021, the Canadian government expanded its public policy with 3-year open work permits for Hong Kong recent graduates and unveiled two additional immigration pathways to support Hongkongers. Applications begin from June 1, 2021 and ends on August 31, 2026. The application fee is US$1,085. The two other pathways were explained as follows. For the first pathway, applicants must hold a degree or diploma from a Canadian-designated or recognized educational institution gained within the last 3 years, while at least 50 percent of the course must be completed in Canada via classroom or online learning. Applicants must hold a bachelors degree or above, and the diploma must have a minimum of two years of coursework. For postgraduate degrees or postgraduate educational diplomas or certificates, a minimum of a year of coursework is required. University courses and undergraduate degrees or diplomas must have been obtained within five years of starting of the postgraduate program. In the second pathway policy, any applicant must have had at least one year of full-time work experience in Canada within the past three years, which is equivalent to a minimum of 1560 hours worth of part-time work. Applicants are also required to have completed one of these (one year or 1560 hours of work) in any educational institution within or outside Canada, in the past five years. Eligible applicants must hold a bachelors degree or above and a diploma with at least two years of coursework, or a postgraduate diploma or certificate of at least one-year coursework. In addition, courses and university degrees or diplomas must be obtained within five years of the start of a graduate or postgraduate program. Current Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser announced in mid-Feb. 2022 that the Canadian government had devised immigration absorption targets for 2022 to 2024. It is estimated that more than 430,000 new immigrants will be absorbed each year to support the post-pandemic economic recovery and labor shortages, as well as to meet Canadas humanitarian commitments. Artist Ariel Rosenberg, who performs under his stage name, Ariel Pink, has been driven out of the independent music scene over his support for former President Donald Trump. (Courtesy of Ariel Rosenberg) Ideological Exile: Musician Cancelled for Going to Jan. 6 Rally Closes Book on Former Life to Begin New Chapter For over 20 years, Ariel Rosenberg, also known by his stage name Ariel Pink, has been embraced in the independent music industry as an enigmatic, imaginative musician who thinks for himself and makes his own way. But when it was discovered that Rosenberg had been at the rally outside of the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, where former President Donald Trump spoke, preceding what legacy media outlets portrayed as an insurrection, Rosenbergwho is pro-Trumpwas swiftly banished from his global artist community, dropped from his record label, and exiled because of his own personal worldview. Now stranded in the limbo between ideologies after having faced the wrath of leftist cancel culture, Rosenberg told The Epoch Times hes finding where I fit in this new landscape. On having been one of the many who were caught in the storm of propaganda following the events of Jan. 6, Rosenberg compared the leftist rage to pit bulls who have been kept in a cage for four years with a cardboard cutout of Trump in front of them. With the help of the anti-Trump narratives in the media, Rosenberg said the pit bulls were foaming at the mouth by the time they were put into a pandemic situation for a year, before the gate was opened. Thats when they ripped Trump and anyone who supported Trump to shreds, Rosenberg said. Everyone was abused. Artist Ariel Rosenberg performs under his stage name, Ariel Pink. (Courtesy of Ariel Rosenberg) Rosenberg, a native of Los Angeles, began recording songs in high school on a home multitrack recorder. In 1997, he entered the California Institute of the Arts, where he recorded earlier work that was later picked up and brought him critical praise, which began his career. Im such a huge fan of different types of music. It was how I orientated myself in the world and I was able to get a good grasp on the 20th century through it, so [I] just wanted to make music for me and people like me, Rosenberg said. As a fan, Rosenberg had never been turned off by the beliefs and opinions of an artist hed researched, he said. If anything, it makes them more fascinating, he said. I get into different artists from different areas from different places. That doesnt mean I would endorse their beliefs, but their beliefs made them more unique. Exiled in Los Angeles Being one of the few Trump supporters in Hollywood has been what Rosenberg described as super weird. What does it mean when nobody can openly say they are pro-Trump in this city, in any city, or in any industry? he asked. I just think its very strange that I find myself so alone in the way I feel politically. When at the Trump rally outside the White House on Jan. 6, Rosenberg said he felt less alone. It was beautiful to be surrounded by so many patriots being all in one place, Rosenberg said. It was refreshing to have a president who is pro-American. People just really love the guy, and I saw that in full effect on Jan. 6. Single-Party Payola Rosenberg said he had always been anti-establishment and felt that both the Republican and Democratic parties were equal in their corruption. But Trump, though running on the Republican ticket, was bringing a new message, he said. It wasnt just Trump, however, that caught Rosenbergs attention. The media that railed suspiciously against Trump left Rosenberg thinking there might be more to the real estate tycoons story, he said. The most striking thing to me was the campaigning coverage in 2015 when the media unmasked itself as a single-party payola, Rosenberg said. It became painfully obvious that the media was in lockstep with the Democratic Party. Though he went back to his hotel after Trump was done speaking at the White House, over 200 news articles, mainly those within the music industry, were published in the following days that attempted to connect Rosenberg to the events at the U.S. Capitol, which eventually led to his record label dropping him. Its been a year and a half of trying to crawl out of this dustbin they threw me in, he said. Everybody who was in D.C. that day was fair game, and that just goes to the heart of who the media is ethically and what theyre willing to do to get their way. Self-Anointed Thought Police In an article for The Epoch Times titled The Limits of Appeals to Cancel Culture,' columnist Josh Hammer says cancel culture is a form of ostracization that seeks to remove a person from social media, other media, and the public square more broadlyfor offending the ever-shifting sensibilities of a self-anointed thought police clerisy. Even now, more than a year later, when someone asks Rosenberg to play a festival or participate in any public event, he said he doesnt get his hopes up, because somewhere in between the invitation and the next day, another person will intervene and say, No. Then theres the pathetic walk back, he said. It happens every time. Im used to it now. A Dark Detour The Jan. 6 committee hearings are absurdist theater, Rosenberg said, perpetuating a myth that the Democratic Party is trying to spin about Trump and his supporters by portraying them as domestic terrorists led by a con artist, he added. I dont think they ever really got over Trump winning, so theyre dragging this grandstanding and mockery out, he said. I dont think theres really one talking point thats going to survive this. Rosenberg said the country has taken a dark detour and that it will take wide-scale national humility, and acknowledgment of wrongdoing, to get it back on a brighter path. There was a very intentional lever pulled after Trump disrobed the wizard and showed what was going on behind the scenes. Basically, everything changed at that point across the board, he said. There was a go-for-broke moment. Its sinister and evil, and its very clear that its coordinated. Artist Ariel Rosenberg performs under his stage name, Ariel Pink. (Courtesy of Ariel Rosenberg) Beginning Again Today, Rosenberg said hes simply grateful for the career he had making music. Thats a chapter thats closed. I dont know what the next one is, he said. Ill definitely be making music forever. The question is whether it will be shared with an audience. Older now and with a family, Rosenberg said he has come to a new stage. Its like going back to that place where it all started and making music with no audience in mind, Rosenberg said. Hopeful for the future, he said he believes his best work is ahead of him. I never really expected to get famous, but after years of hard work, I got some attention, and it was an amazing experience, Rosenberg said. Luckily, it didnt go to my head completely. I dont have an urge to be seen anymore. I think I got that out of my system. For Rosenberg to move forward, he said he had to make peace with all thats happened through forgiveness. It can be debilitating to have that bad feeling just hanging over me, Rosenberg said. Its difficult for people to overcome anger and accept and forgive each other, he said. But on a national level, the country is going to continue spinning its wheels until there is some atonement, he said. We all go down dark paths and make mistakes, he said. While Rosenberg said there are deep state slow-moving creatures embedded in government who need to be held up to an international trial and sent to jail, he also said its the work of the people who have been divided by the fraudulent narratives to find ways back to each other. There needs to be something positive like that to happen, he said. There needs to be some sanity. Former President Donald Trump is displayed on a screen during the fourth hearing on the Jan. 6 investigation in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on June 21, 2022. (Al Drago/Pool via Getty Images) Jan. 6 Committee Focuses on Trump Efforts to Sway State Legislatures, Secretaries of State The House Jan. 6 Committee on June 21 held its fourth day of public hearings, during which it argued that President Donald Trump had organized a pressure campaign against state legislatures and secretaries of state to get them to reject the results of elections in their states, which Trump said were rife with fraud. Tuesdays hearing comes after the committee, during its first three hearings, has sought to make a case that Trump led an organized behind-the-scenes effort to overturn the 2020 election. Committee members have rejected Trumps claims of election fraud, and have suggested in various interviews that they hope for a criminal conviction to come as a result of the hearings. During the third day of hearings, the committee focused on the ways that it said Trumps efforts to prevent congressional certification of 2020 electors put Vice President Mike Pences life in danger. In the fourth round of hearings, the committee turned its eye to the state level, particularly focusing on the key battleground states of Georgia and Arizona, where they said Trump tried to continue efforts to overturn the reported results of elections. Committee Continues to Present Jan. 6 Rally as Threat to Our Democracy During opening statements, several prominent members of the Jan. 6 commission made dire declarations about the continuing threat to our democracy posed by election fraud claims and the Jan. 6 rally. Trumps lies about election fraud, Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said, [havent] gone away and are corrupting our democratic institutions. Only a few officials, Thompson added in a comment setting the mood for the day, stood between Trump and the upending of democracy. In her own opening statement, Ranking Member Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) suggested that Trump implicitly endorsed the violence that unfolded on Jan. 6 and sought to make the United States a nation of thug violence. Donald Trump did not care about the threats of violence. He did not condemn them, he made no effort to stop them. He went forward with his fake allegations anyway, said Cheney. You will hear about a number of threats and efforts to pressure state officials to reverse the election outcome. One of our witnesses todayGabriel Sterlingexplicitly warned President Trump about potential violence on Dec. 1, 2020, more than a month before Jan. 6. You will see excerpts from that video repeatedly today, she said. We cannot let America become a nation of conspiracy theories and thug violence, Cheney concluded. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who took the lead in presenting evidence during the fourth day of hearings, sounded a similar chord in a statement to another media outlet, saying that more than a year [after Jan. 6], the threat to our democracy is as grave as ever. Jan. 6 was not a day in isolation, but the violent culmination of multiple efforts to overturn the last presidential election and interfere with the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in our history. Committee Targets Trumps Particular Obsession With Georgia A key focus of Tuesdays hearings was Trumps efforts to challenge election results in Georgia, which reportedly went to President Joe Biden by the narrowest of margins. Trump had a particular obsession with Georgia, Thompson said. President Joe Bidens reported win in Georgia, which has long been a GOP-stronghold, was among the most hotly-contested of any state. A contested claim originating with the Trump campaign held that election workers in Atlanta, following a timely pipe explosion, had booted GOP workers from a polling place. After the GOP poll watchers were kicked out, the claim goes, Democrat-aligned election workers had altered results with suitcases full of ballots to change the result of the election. The claim was a key focus of the commissions fourth day of hearings, and they roundly rejected the claim. The footage alleging to show these suitcases full of ballots was obtained and released by One America News. Rudy Giuliania key Trump ally in disputes over election fraudcalled the video a smoking gun at a Senate rally in Georgia. Seeking to discredit the claim, which Trump allies have continued to point to, the Jan. 6 panel heard from several witnesses, including Georgia election official Gabe Sterling, who said that the claim was false. They also pointed to the ruling of Attorney General Bill Barrs Department of Justice that the claim was false. The claim, the commission and Sterling said, endangered the lives of election workers. Georgia Secretary of State Insists Office Checked for Election Fraud Headlining the hearing was Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who won the ire of Trump and his supporters for his handling of the 2020 election in the state. During his own testimony, Raffensperger said he had also faced a great deal of pressure to look further into claims of election fraud, which he ultimately rejected. Particularly insistent, according to Raffensperger, was former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who reportedly reached out to Raffenspergers office a total of 18 times to set up a phone call between Trump and Raffensperger. Raffensperger, who recently won his primary election over Trump-backed challenger Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), insisted that his office had been diligent ensuring that election fraud had not taken place. Every allegation we checked. We ran down the rabbit trail to make sure our numbers were accurate, Raffensperger insisted. Again, the commission noted scattered acts of violence against Raffenspergers family in order to bolster their claims of Trump causing an outburst of thug violence. Raffensperger said that he and his wife had both received thousands of messages following his decision to reject Trumps claims. Their daughter-in-law, Raffensperger said, also had her home broken into. Still, Raffensperger said, I knew we had followed the law, we had followed the Constitution. Arizona House Speaker Testifies on Election Fraud Claims One of the key witnesses during the Tuesday hearing was Arizona State House Speaker Rusty Bowers, a Republican. His state, a key battleground state, was one of the most hotly-contested swing states during the 2020 election. Trump and his allies particularly set their sights on the blue stronghold of Maricopa County, where they said massive election fraud took place. Republicans in the state House, agreeing with Trumps assessment, made an effort in February 2021 to pass legislation allowing the state House, when it sees fit, to reject the reported results of an election. Bowers, who had rejected Trumps claims of election fraud, used his position as speaker to practically ensure that this bill would never pass, taking the unprecedented step of forcing it to win the approval of all 12 Arizona state House committees before it could come to the floor. On Tuesday, Bowers testified against Trumps efforts to challenge the 2020 election in his state. During his testimony, Bowers, who insisted that he had hoped that Trump would win the election, refuted Trump for allegedly misrepresenting his comments in a phone conversation. In a past statement, Trump said: In Nov. 2020, Bowers thanked me for getting him elected. He said he would have lost, and in fact expected to lose, if I hadnt come along. During the conversation, he told me that the election was rigged and that I won Arizona Bowers should hope theres not a tape of the conversation. That statement, Bowers claimed, was false. I did have a conversation with the Presidentthat certainly isnt it, Bowers said. There are parts of it that are true, there are parts of it that are not true, Bowers qualified later when asked about Trumps statement by Schiff. Anywhere, anyone anytime who has said that I said the election was riggedthat would not be true, he said. Bowers also rejected Trumps claims of election fraud in the state, saying that had never provided evidence that such widespread fraud took place. In his testimony, Bowers said that several Trump allies, including Giuliani, Trump-adjacent attorney John Eastman, and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) all pushed him to support the decertification of Arizonas electors, which Bowers said he refused to do. Playing into their claims that Trump wanted to use thug violence to intimidate adversaries, the committee also noted that Bowers faced protests outside his home from Trump supporters hoping to stop the certification of Arizonas contested election results. Hope of a Trump Indictment Underlies Hearings Members of the Democrat-dominated Jan. 6 Committee have made no efforts to hide their hopes that Trump will face criminal charges for his actions on and leading up to Jan. 6. I would like to see the Justice Department investigate any credible allegation of criminal activity on the part of Donald Trump or anyone else, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on ABC News This Week. They need to be investigated if theres credible evidence, which I think there is. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said the committee has laid out in various legal pleadings the criminal statutes that we think have been violated, and claimed that the panel has evidence that Trump knew Joe Biden won the 2020 election. I think we can prove to any reasonable, open-minded person that Donald Trump absolutely knew because he was surrounded by lawyers, Raskin said on CNNs State of the Union. He continues to spread it to this very day. He continues to foist that propaganda on his followers. I certainly think the President is guilty of knowing what he did. Seditious conspiracy. Being involved in these, you know, kind of different segments of pressuring DOJ, Vice President, etc., Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), one of two Republicans on the committee, said when asked during an appearance on ABCs This Week if Trump should face criminal charges. It remains unclear whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) will take the unprecedented step of opening a criminal investigation of Trump, whatever the calls from members of the panel. Arrested Jan. 6 Rallygoers Have Not Faced Insurrection Charges Thus far, Attorney General Merrick Garlands DOJ, in one of the most resource-intensive manhunts in its history, has arrested over 840 people who attended the rally at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Despite claims that Jan. 6 constituted an insurrection, top Jan. 6 attorney Joe McBride noted in an interview with The Epoch Times that nobody arrested in connection to the Capitol breach has faced insurrection charges. Only a handful, 16 people at the time of publication, have been charged with sedition. Sedition, defined under U.S. law as [conspiracy] to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, carries a steeper maximum penalty than insurrection, with those found guilty liable for up to 20 years in federal prison. However, an insurrection conviction, which only carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, also strips those found guilty of the right to hold public office. Thus, even as the DOJ and Democrats have continued to paint the Jan. 6 rally as an insurrection, the DOJ apparently lacks confidence that such a charge could stick in a court of law. Even after 17 months, the DOJ has said, the investigation is far from over. The DOJ says it is still looking for over 350 people who allegedly committed violent acts on Capitol grounds. A Trump indictment, however, would be a harder goal for the DOJ and Trumps opponents to achieve. Practically every member of the Jan. 6 panel agrees that Trump committed criminal acts. But, given their relatively limited legal power, the committee can do little more than make recommendations for criminal charges against the former president; from there, it will be up to Garland to decide on next steps. Whatever his views on the Jan. 6 rally and the events leading up to it, Garland may be hesitant to take such a dramatic and unprecedented step. Alabama Republican Senate candidate and honorary starter, Katie Britt is introduced on stage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Oct. 3, 2021. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images) Katie Britt Wins Alabama US Senate Primary Runoff Election MONTGOMERY, Ala.Katie Britt defeated Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) in the Republican primary runoff election for the U.S. Senate ballot berth in the November general election. Britt received more than 67 percent of the vote as of 9:19 p.m. on June 21, and was declared the winner by Decision Desk HQ with 18 percent of the votes reported. We were told by pretty much everyone everywhere that this was an insurmountable task and do not take it on, Britt told supporters in a victory speech in Montgomery on Tuesday night. God calls us to do hard things. Well Ill be honest with you it still hasnt sunk in but we just did a really hard thing. Alabama has spoken. We want new blood we want fresh blood we want someone who will fight for conservative Christian values, she added. A densely-packed crowd watched Britt as she delivered her speech. She sounded excited, but with tears on her face. Britt received a late endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who had months ago withdrawn his endorsement of Brooks. Despite Trumps swift reversal, Brooks called himself MAGA Mo on the campaign trail. Britt and Brooks have similar platforms. Until barely a week ago, it appeared what set the two apart was their political allegiances. Brooks ran on a MAGA campaign and emphasized his agreement with Trump. Although Britt supported many Trump policies, her campaign website didnt have the same focus on Trump-related slogans as Brooks. Brooks then missed an endorsement from primary candidate Mike Durant, who had finished in third place in the primary. Trumps endorsement of Britt was a surprise. Political action committees affiliated with Trumps rival Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have spent immense amounts of money on campaign ads for Britt. But according to Alabama voters interviewed by The Epoch Times, Trumps last-minute endorsement flips had little impact on their votes. Its been a bunch of noise, said Britt voter Mose Stuart. The whole issue with Donald Trump endorsement, I think he himself has rendered it a little bit meaningless. Stuart said that Trump has often endorsed candidates who lead in polls late in the race. This approach means that Trump-endorsed candidates usually win because Trump only endorses people who are already winning. Im not even sure that it would have mattered in this election, he said. Voter Vanessa Askren said she was voting for Brooks because he impressed her in an interview on Glenn Becks show. He sounded very intelligent, very savvy on the economics of everything, she said. Several voters mentioned concerns over the rising cost of energy, the lack of border security, a bad economy, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the increasing power of China. Askren said she believed the next few elections were very important. I think this election and 2024 are for the survival of this country, she said. Our liberty is going away, and I dont think people realize it. Press Release June 21, 2022 Revilla: Flexi-work should ensure efficiency in public service I commend the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for institutionalizing the flexible work arrangements in the public sector through the promulgation of CSC Resolution 2200209 which took effect last June 15. It is a step in the right direction in making our civil servants ready to embrace and adapt to the realities of the new normal, while ensuring their wellbeing and safety during public emergencies. We fully recognize the health risks that our government workers are constantly exposed to; hence, there is a need to safeguard them against these work hazards. The times, after all, demand that we are able to quickly and diligently respond to the new and arising needs of our people. Dito nga tunay na masusubok ang ating kakayahan na tanggapin at unawain ang mga pagbabagong dulot ng pandemya upang bigyan ng proteksyon ang ating mga mamamayan. In balancing the interests of all, we must also ensure that government services would not be hampered. Kailangan siguraduhing epektibo at mabilisan pa ring umaagos ang serbisyo publiko sa taumbayan sa kabila ng mga pagbabagong ngayon ay kinakailangan nating tahakin. I urge the CSC to ensure that in the time of transition, government frontline services should continue to be delivered efficiently and without disruptions. We should prove that technology-assisted civil service organizations will turn out to have increased productivity and responsiveness and faster service delivery, and not the other way around. Let us make sure that compressed work week, skeleton workforce, work shifts, flexitime or any combination of all these, as provided under the CSC resolution, will not work to the disadvantage of the transacting general public and the Filipino people whom we are mandated to serve and to which we are all accountable. Sa gitna ng kahit anong delubyo at pandemya, kailangan na tayong nasa larangan ng serbisyo publiko ay patuloy na masigasig na manilbihan sa taumbayan. Los Angeles Tentatively OKs Healthcare Worker Wage Hike LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved an ordinance on June 21 that would raise the minimum wage for people working at covered health care facilities in the city to $25 per hour. The Minimum Wage for Employees Working at Healthcare Facilities initiative, which was brought to the council through a successful petition drive, would raise the workers minimum wage and have it adjusted annually to account for increases in the cost of living. The ordinance would also prohibit employers from funding the minimum wage increase by laying off workers or reducing benefits or hours. The council had the choice of either adopting the initiative or putting it before voters. On a 102 vote, the council opted to adopt the measure without going to a public vote. Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Paul Krekorian opposed the measure. Since the vote was not unanimous, the issue will have to return to the council next week for a second vote. People who work for healthcare facilities in Los Angeles do not have their own minimum wage law and are included under the citys general minimum wage of $15, which will increase to $16.04 on July 1. Los Angeles minimum wage is based on the regions Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in the L.A. metropolitan area. Several workers spoke to the council before the vote, with one saying he has to work outside jobssuch as painting houses or doing constructionto make ends meet outside of his job. Another told the council that health care facility workers should be able to focus on their patients without worrying about having enough money to feed their families. Some health care industry representatives spoke against the idea, with one urging the council to put the matter before voters so they could fully weigh the issues, while also warning it will create an unfair playing field for some area clinics that will have to dramatically raise wages to compete amid a limited workforce. Councilman Paul Koretz said he is concerned about the health care industry in general, saying it cant keep up with the need for workers. Especially during the pandemic when people were burned out from incredibly long hours, he said. They were burned out from people in their care dying. Obviously all of you that are in the health care field love helping people. You wouldnt do it otherwise because the financial remuneration isnt enough. Especially at this levelpeople who risk their lives when they could be working at Target, or working at McDonalds without the risk, without the hard work, without the burnout. Protesters gather in front of a liquor store in flames near the Third Police Precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 28, 2020. (Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images) Lefts Leniency on Its Political Violence Demonstrates Its Devotion to Injustice Commentary The deafening silence over the alleged plot to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, combined with the lefts lenient prosecutions of Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters, while Capitol breachers are treated like terrorists, provides yet another crystal-clear illustration of the bad faith with which the left operates, and the devotion to injustice to which it adheres. The likes of The New York Times and the Sunday shows dont want to talk about the very real murder plot that put a man armed with a Glock, two magazines and ammo, a black tactical chest rig and tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crow bar, pistol light, [and] duct tape on his person a stones throw from Kavanaughs house for more than a half an hour before his surrender to police and indictment on charges of attempted murder of a U.S. judge. The president wont talk about it either. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is shockingly mum. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is dismissive of it, after she and her colleagues for weeks held up legislation to beef up security for judges. Why? Is this not a hugely consequential story? Is it not incredibly disturbing? Is this plot not the stuff of insurrectionsgoing far beyond an attempt to obstruct the deliberationsthe proceedingsof the Supreme Court, to an effort to alter the Dobbs opinion through murder? Why isnt the Justice Department, so deeply concerned with threats to democracy, prosecuting the people breaking the law weekly by menacing Supreme Court judges outside their homes? The answer lies in the fact that to focus on this plot, and put an end to the progressive mobs attempts to intimidate judges, isnt politically useful, particularly when, in 2022 and in the midst of the Jan. 6 Soviet-style show trial, the sole narrative these forces want to drum into the American mind is that its their political opponents who are domestic terrorists. They cant be distracted by plots to kill judges who might rule in ways they dont like on matters like abortion, and that send a message to other judges as to the fate they might face should they rule wrongly. They cant be troubled by the fact their pro-abortion allies are firebombing and otherwise attacking pro-life centers across the country and threatening more, and perhaps worse. The Jan. 6 Committee itself clams up when asked if it would probe the vastly more deathly and destructive political violence that exploded on U.S. streets for months by like-minded Antifa/BLM-and-adjacent rioters during the summer of 2020. Its remarkable in fact to contrast Democratic leaders heated and hostile rhetoric, correlating with these acts, with former President Donald Trump instructing protesters on Jan. 6 to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard at the Capitola statement made after the breach had already begun. Leftist political violence in Americawhich has persisted for decades, exploding particularly from the 1960s onwardsis to be ignored if not treated as acceptable. And that holds not just in the court of public opinion but in the court of law. Consider some of the sweetheart deals the Biden Justice Department has inked with perpetrators of some of the most violent acts of the summer 2020 riots. During those riots, two New York lawyers, Urooj Rahman and Colinford Mattis, allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail into a New York Police Department vehicle. They faced domestic terrorism charges and up to 30 years in jail. Yet, earlier this month, the Biden administration and the accused consummated a plea agreement that, as constitutional lawyer and professor Jonathan Turley details, resulted in a massive reduction in charges likely to only result in two years of jail time. The pair had initially pleaded guilty to one count of possessing and making an explosive device, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Now, Turley writes: They will be allowed to withdraw the earlier plea and instead plead guilty to conspiring to assemble the Molotov cocktail and damage the New York Police Department patrol car. That is a nosebleed of a drop in the severity and punishment for this violent attack. It is a sharp contrast to the harsh position taken by the Biden Justice Department on many of those accused of rioting on January 6th. Attorney General Merrick Garland cited the threat to police officers in pledging an unprecedented effort to charge and convict those involved on any level in the riot. Conspiring to assemble the Molotov cocktail and damage the New York Police Department patrol car does not quite capture what these two attorneys did during the violent riot in New York. Rahman was caught on video throwing the firebomb and then fleeing the scene. Colinford Mattis was accused of having a store of firebombs in his vehicle and was videotaped as he attempted to hand them out to other rioters to fuel further violence. Rahman later was unapologetic and declared to reporters that the only way they hear us is through violence. These werent the only rioters let off the hook. As Republican Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) highlighted in a letter (pdf) to Garland, his Justice Department breathtakingly dropped an arson charge against a man accused of attempting to ignite another NYPD vehicle after allegedly lighting a cloth glove on fire and putting it under said vehicle. The NYPD claims this was all caught on video. The perp, Victor A. Sanchez-Santa, faced a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison and up to 20 years on the high end. Yet after deferring his prosecution for nine months, and after Sanchez-Santa completed anger-management courses, the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Yorks Southern District concluded that further prosecution would not be in the interests of justice. These cases follow those of the likes of Montez Lee, who burned down a Minneapolis pawn shop, killing a father of five during the riots, yet was solely charged with arson, and, at the Biden DOJs request, only sentenced to 10 years in prison when sentencing guidelines called for a prison stint two times as longwith the DOJ invoking Martin Luther King Jr.s words in so making their case for leniency. The same Justice Department had previously supported mass dismissals and deferred prosecutions in federal cases against Portland, Oregons summer 2020 rioters. While these individuals walk free, there are dozens of Capitol breachers who have been held in pretrial detention in horrid conditions in Washington for months, some of whom wont go to trial for well over a year, many facing non-violent trumped-up trespassing charges. As Banks summarizes it: The Department of Justice is operating under a two-tiered system of justice. Violent rioters who are likely to vote Democrats are often released with a slap on the wrist, or less, while January 6th defendants are prosecuted to the harshest extent possible. The unequal application of justice is an injustice, and your politicization of federal law-enforcement is an attack on the basic American principle of equal justice before the law. There is parallelism in blue cities, where leftist district attorneys too have treated criminality as acceptable. In the former instance, the left justifies its political violence by claiming the perpetrators are righteously angry about societal injustice. In the latter, the left justifies leniency by claiming that society is at fault for criminal behavior and that legal punishment only victimizes the criminals further. Thankfully, as can be seen in the recall of Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, and the fact his Los Angeles counterpart, George Gascon, might face a similar fate, theres a brewing backlash against progressives for being soft on crime. But there ought to be an equivalent backlash against progressives who are hard on thought crimesthat is who criminalize political dissent and punish dissenters more harshly than their partisans. Actual justice demands it. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Liberated Ethnic Studies Comes Down the Pike to K-5 Classrooms Commentary In October 2021, Governor Newsom signed Californias ethnic studies mandate for high schools into law. While many school districts are still deciding on the specific curricula contents for their high school ethnic studies courses, a group of teacher activists have been busy introducing the paradigm in lower grades. On June 10, 2022, the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium (LESMCC) hosted an online training program for elementary school educators. (Screenshot via Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium) The program featured Dr. Orieal Maria Siu, a self-described anti-racist childrens book author, with her two new books titled Christopher the Ogre Cologre, Its Over!: The Real History of Christopher Columbus and Rebeldita the Fearless in Ogreland. The former is branded as a must for every classroom, library and home that teaches the truth about Christopher Columbus, white settler colonialism and history of the Americas from the perspective of indigenous and black resistances. The latter is a fiction about a girl born out of long-enduring Black and Indigenous resistances in the Americas who knows her history and uses it to change her present in Ogreland. (Screenshot via Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium) Using colorful cartoon drawings, playful language and bilingual translations, these books are an effective weapon of thought indoctrination into one-sided accounts of American history and activism-oriented lessons for kids ages 5 to 10. Describing Christopher Columbus as a ruthless and heartless Ogre sent by greedy king and queen of EuroLandia to steal treasures and land in utopia AbyaYala, Christopher the Ogre Cologre paints a picture of racist conquistadors brutalizing the Indigenous people and imported slaves. In addition to plundering AbyaYala, the ogre Christopher also suppressed the teaching of true history of an ancient land full of life, history, and technological advancements. (Screenshot via Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium) Out of the systemic oppression imposed by the ogres, a heroinethe abuelitaemerged to lead the resistance movement of which children were the main foot soldiers. Deriving her power from stereotypically eating beans, the abuelita singlehandedly commanded the RESISTANCE to preserve AbyaYalas unique cultural traditions. Under her watch, the children meticulously documented its authentic history in a book called The Forbidden History of AbyaYala that the Ogre, Christopher Cologre, Does Not Want Anywhere Told! When the new generation amassed enough knowledge and organization, the abuelita then passed on the torch to one of her young proteges named Rebeldita, a fearless girl who could talk to trees and committed herself to truth-telling as the way to liberate AbyaYalans from the cologres. (Screenshot via Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium) If you think this is only a fairy-land story to inspire childrens imagination and humanity, you are wrong. According to the author, Christopher the Ogre Cologre, Its Over! was written to counter systemic negation, denial, omissions and lies taught in the K-12 pertaining to the history of the Americas/white settler colonialism. In other words, teaching the truth amounts to overcompensating historical revisionism through which confounding institutional changes as a result of colonialism are replaced by a dichotomy of the evildoing of one-dimensional ogres vis-v-vis the heroic resistances of the indigenous and black populations. (Screenshot via Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium) This reductive view of American history disregards many consequential factors explaining colonialism and post-colonial developments, such as different types of colonial institutions, regime types of the home governments, and the political structures of the pre-colonial societies. Was the evil king and queen of EuroLandia better or worse than the Mayan or Aztec emperors who practiced human sacrifice and exploited their own people? How should students view those indigenous leaders who entered alliances with the conquistadors, including Xicotencatl the Elder and Maxixcatzin? The intentional over-simplification damages learning and blunts formation of well-rounded worldviews, while these highly controversial materials are propagated in a cartoon format with the expressive goal of driving up social activism among young kids. The bicameral lens of racist European settlers versus innocent indigenas is reflective of two interlocking trends. At the national level, teaching truth or teaching hard history has become synonymous with hard-left propaganda spewed by organized groups like Learning for Justice (LFJ) and the Zinn Education Project. For LFJ, teaching hard history is an original framework for teaching about slavery and white supremacy. The framework contains six guiding principles: Teach that slavery is foundational. Acknowledge that slavery existed in the North and the South. Talk explicitly about racism and white supremacy. Rely on responsive pedagogy that is well suited to the topic. Center the black experience. Connect to the present. In no uncertain terms, foundations of teaching hard history are identical with the 1619 Project and major tenets of critical race theory (CRT) that treats white racism as a permanent feature of America. As for the Zinn Education Project, it launched a project called Pledge to Teach the Truth last year in defiance of growing state-level legislative bans on K-12 teaching of CRT. The project has collected 8,322 signatures from teachers across the country, pledging to defy legislation banning teaching that identifies people or groups of people, entities, or institutions in the United States as inherently, immutably, or systemically sexist, racist, anti-LGBT, bigoted, biased, privileged, or oppressed. For the signers, educating American students requires that they hyper-focus on the teaching of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and oppression throughout U.S. history. Interestingly, the Zinn Education Project also runs a campaign to abolish Columbus Day because when the school curriculum celebrates Columbus, children are taught that its OK for white people to rule over peoples of color and that militarily powerful nations can bully weaker nations. At the state level, infusing social justice, a resistance pedagogy, and anti-racism into elementary school teaching demonstrates the deep inroads into public education made by the liberated ethnic studies movement. Although the California Department of Education approved a state model curriculum last March, proponents of the liberated camp are pushing for a more radical paradigm after protesting the state version as a compromise for white supremacist, right wing, conservatives. Dedicated to teaching ethnic studies as a form of liberation and a pedagogy of transformational resistance, the liberated curriculum is almost identical with the state-rejected first field draft, which, according to both Governor Newsom and the State Legislature, would never see the light of day. Yet, the institution created to market liberated ethnic studies is now hosting professional development webinars targeting K-5 teachers. So, parents, watch out. If your kid is asked to read Christopher the Ogre Cologre, you should know that a coordinated campaign of anti-American, ideological capture is taking place backstage. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Anthony Rauda, right, was charged with murder in shooting of 35-year-old research scientist Tristan Thomas Beaudette, left, who was camping with two children in Malibu Creek State Park on June 22, 2018. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) Man Charged in Killing of Irvine Scientist Sentenced for Attacking Deputies LOS ANGELESA man accused of murdering a research scientist in Malibu Creek State Park was sentenced on June 21 to three years and eight months in jail for attacking two Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies while he has been in custody. Jurors found Anthony Rauda, 45, guilty June 9 of two felony counts of battery with injury on a peace officer. The sentence he received Tuesday from Superior Court Judge David Fields amounted to time he has already served behind bars, but Rauda remains in jail while awaiting trial on the far more serious charges he is facing. The charges on which he was convicted involved the following: A March 30, 2020, attack on a male sheriffs deputy after a hearing in his murder case at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse An attack on a female sheriffs deputy at Mens Central Jail with a shaved-down pencil after a contentious court hearing on March 16 of this year The jury also found in connection with this years attack that Rauda had engaged in violent behavior that indicated a serious danger to society. Jurors could not reach a verdict on the same allegation involving the attack on the first deputy. In her closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu told jurors that Rauda became angry and rageful over court proceedings, and he takes it out on deputies. The prosecutor said Rauda has shown that there is no restraining him there is no stopping him, noting that the two deputies were attacked while he was surrounded by other deputies. In a brief closing argument, Raudas attorney asked the jury to find that there was insufficient evidence to convict Rauda. Both of the attacks were captured on surveillance video and shown repeatedly to jurors during the trial. Raudawho was brought into the downtown Los Angeles courtroom for his sentencing in a chair in which he was confinedis awaiting trial separately on a charge that he murdered 35-year-old Allergan scientist Tristan Thomas Beaudette of Irvine, who was shot at about 4:45 a.m. June 22, 2018, while camping in a tent with his then 2- and 4-year-old daughters, who escaped injury. He is also facing trial on 10 counts of attempted murderBeaudettes daughters are among the named victimsalong with five counts of second-degree commercial burglary involving a series of crimes dating back three years. Rauda has a string of convictions for weapons-related offenses dating back to 2006, according to the criminal complaint filed against him in the murder case in January of 2019. He is due back in court June 29 for a pretrial hearing on that case. Prosecutors allege that Rauda carried out attacks dating back to November of 2016, when he allegedly wounded a man who was sleeping in a hammock in the Malibu State Park area. He allegedly fired into the sleeping area of a vehicle less than a week later. Rauda is also charged with shooting into vehicles, but not injuring anyone, on three occasions in 2017 and shooting at a Tesla on Las Virgenes Road four days before Beaudettes killing. He is additionally accused of a series of commercial burglaries committed between July 27 and Oct. 9, 2018. He was arrested in October 2018 after a series of large-scale manhunts in the area for a rifle-toting culprit suspected in multiple food heists in the Calabasas area, including an early morning burglary at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center, where someone smashed a vending machine and stole food. Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies thought the burglaries might be linked to Beaudettes killing. Rauda was allegedly carrying a rifle when he was arrested in a ravine about a mile and a half north of Mulholland Highway west of Las Virgenes Road in the Malibu Canyon area, after deputies combing the area spotted fresh boot prints and tracked him down. Authorities say Rauda had been captured on surveillance video in one of the crimes carrying a rifle and wearing what sheriffs investigators described as tactical gear. The suspect in all of the heists stole food, detectives said, suggesting the man was living off the grid in the wilderness, carrying out the burglaries when he needed sustenance. He was sentenced in December of 2018 to six months in jail for gun and ammunition violations, a sentence set to run consecutively with an earlier 160-day sentence for a probation violation. In a statement released after Rauda was charged with Beaudettes slaying, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said evidence had been developed and gathered incriminating Rauda as being responsible for a series of armed burglaries, multiple shooting incidents, and the murder of Tristan Beaudette. A concentrated effort by detectives to unearth the past activities of Rauda correlating with this investigation has revealed that he apparently acted alone during this identified crime spree, stretching from November of 2016 to October of 2018. No similar crimes have been reported in the area since the October 2018 arrest of Rauda, according to the statement. Dr. Rich McCormick prevailed in Georgia's 6th Congressional District Republican runoff on June 21. (Courtesy of Dr. Rich McCormick for Congress). McCormick Wins Over Trump-Endorsed Evans in Georgia Congressional Runoff In Georgias newly drawn 6th Congressional District, emergency room physician and Marine veteran Rich McCormick topped Donald Trump-endorsed Jake Evans. With 32 percent of the ballots reported at 8:26 p.m. on June 21, McCormick received 71 percent of the vote followed by Evans at 28 percent, according to The Associated Press. In the May 24 primary Evans received 23 percent to McCormicks 43 percent. In a debate earlier this month, Evans said that Georgia should switch to closed primaries so Democrats cannot pull Republican ballots. What Im now for is ensuring Republicans elect Republicans that will represent them, that Democrats dont infiltrate, manipulate, influence our elections, which is what happened two Tuesdays ago, Evans said. Both candidates said they are the most conservative. Redistricting shifted the 6th district to be heavily Republican. McCormick accused Evans of changing his stance on multiple issues and has reminded voters about Evans past criticism of Trump. Evans said that McCormick is a moderate who will compromise with Democrats if he is elected. Evans, who is the former head of the Georgia Ethics Commission, told reporters that he has the most momentum of anyone entering the May 24 primary, which featured nine candidates. Evans is the son of attorney Randy Evans, a prominent Trump donor who served as the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg under Trump. Evans is a young man rapidly on the rise and his dad is a highly respected legal warrior, Trump told reporters. After he advanced to the runoff, McCormick issued a press release calling out Fake Jake Evans as a woke activist lawyer and fake conservative with a troubling past. McCormick is endorsed by the Club for Growth. A former military medic, McCormick served in the Marines and Navy before returning to Georgia to work for hospitals. When asked why he did not vote in the 2016 Presidential election, McCormick said he was deployed to Afghanistan and his absentee ballot did not get processed. In November, McCormick will clash with Bob Christian, a former Army soldier and restaurant manager who won the Democratic primary. The district is overwhelmingly Republican, so McCormick is all but sure to win the House seat in November. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gestures during the 108th anniversary of the epic military feat known as "March of Loyalty," at the Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 9, 2021. (Edgard Garrido/File/Reuters) Mexico to Open Its Doors to Julian Assange, With President Asking Biden to Free WikiLeaks Founder Mexico is willing to take in the best journalist of our time Julian Assange if the United States were to release him, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday. Obradors comments come after the UKs Home Secretary Priti Patel signed an extradition order on June 17, sending the WikiLeaks founder back to the United States where he is wanted for publishing thousands of classified and sensitive documents. Assange faces up to 175 years behind bars if convicted. Lopez Obrador told reporters that he will ask U.S. President Joe Biden to address Assanges case, saying Mexico would open its doors to Assange if he were released. The Mexican president is set to meet his U.S. counterpart in July. Lopez Obrador praised Assange on Tuesday, calling him the best journalist of our time in the world and stating that he has been treated very unfairly, worse than a criminal. This is a shame for the world, Lopez Obrador said. Im going to ask President Biden to address this issue humanism must prevail. The Mexican president also stated that he plans to ask Biden to drop the charges against the WikiLeaks founder when they meet next month, RT reported. U.S. prosecutors have indicted Assange on 18 criminal charges of breaking an espionage law and conspiring to hack government computers after WikiLeaks published a U.S. military video in 2010 showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed multiple civilians, including two Reuters news staff. It then released thousands of secret classified files and diplomatic cables. Washington says the leaks put lives in danger. Supporters of Assange have branded him an anti-establishment hero who has been targeted by the United States for exposing wrongdoings in a string of conflicts across the globe. They also believe his prosecution is an attack on journalism and free speech. Assange sought refuge inside Ecuadors London Embassy from 2012 until he was arrested in April 2019 for skipping bail during a separate legal battle. He is being held in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison and has argued that he wont get a fair trial in the United States. His wife Stella said Assange would appeal his extradition and called Patels signing of the extradition order a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy. Meanwhile, Lopez Obrador skipped the recent U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas at the Los Angeles Convention Center in protest over the White Houses exclusion of the governments of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from the event. I am not going to the Summit because not all the countries of the Americas are invited, Obrador said in a statement. I believe in the need to change the policy that has been imposed for centuries, exclusion, wanting to dominate for no reason, not respecting the sovereignty of countries All countries, no matter how small, are free and independent. Reuters contributed to this report. Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users next to a screen projection of Microsoft logo on March 28, 2018. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Microsoft Retiring Emotion-Reading Technology, Limiting Access to Facial Recognition Amid Concerns Over Privacy Microsoft on Tuesday announced it would stop selling technology that predicts a persons emotional state and gender amid concerns over its privacy and a lack of consensus on a definition of emotions. Sarah Bird, principal group product manager at Microsofts Azure AI unit, announced the decisionpart of Microsofts efforts to ensure its AI technology is used more responsiblyin a blog post. It comes after an extensive review resulting in a team at Microsoft developing a Responsible AI Standard that guides the companys AI product development and deployment. The tech giant will also limit unrestricted access to facial recognition technology. We will retire facial analysis capabilities that purport to infer emotional states and identity attributes such as gender, age, smile, facial hair, hair, and makeup, Bird wrote. We collaborated with internal and external researchers to understand the limitations and potential benefits of this technology and navigate the tradeoffs. In the case of emotion classification specifically, these efforts raised important questions about privacy, the lack of consensus on a definition of emotions, and the inability to generalize the linkage between facial expression and emotional state across use cases, regions, and demographics, Bird continued. The product manager also noted that application programming interface access to capabilities that predict sensitive attributes also opens up a wide range of ways they can be misusedincluding subjecting people to stereotyping, discrimination, or unfair denial of services. Such artificial intelligence tools will no longer be available to new customers beginning June 21, 2022. Existing customers will have one year before losing access to them. While API access to these attributes will no longer be available to customers for general-purpose use, Microsoft recognizes these capabilities can be valuable when used for a set of controlled accessibility scenarios, Bird noted. The group product manager said Microsoft remains committed to supporting technology for people with disabilities and will continue to use these capabilities through integration into other applications, such as Seeing AI, a free app that narrates the world for individuals who are blind or who have low vision. Microsoft will also introduce limited access to its facial recognition technology, and new customers using those technologies must obtain prior approval. Existing customers of Azure Face API, Computer Vision, and Video Indexer, on the other hand, have one year to apply and get approval for continued access based on their provided use cases. Beginning June 30, 2023, existing customers will no longer have access to those facial recognition capabilities if their applications are not approved by Microsoft. In the meantime, the company has asked clients to avoid situations that infringe on privacy or infer intimate personal information such as a persons sexual orientation. Facial detection capabilities (including detecting blur, exposure, glasses, head pose, landmarks, noise, occlusion, and facial bounding box) will remain generally available and do not require an application, the tech giant said. Microsofts decision comes shortly after an engineer at Google was reportedly placed on paid administrative leave after raising concerns about the human-like behavior of one of the companys artificial-intelligence language models which he described as a coworker and a child. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre arrives on Parliament Hill prior to a cabinet meeting in Ottawa on Nov. 23, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Military Vaccine Mandate Under Review as Unvaccinated Public Servants Return to Work Unvaccinated public servants were allowed back to work on June 20, including civilians of the Department of National Defence (DND), but unvaccinated Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel will have to wait for their employers review of the vaccine mandate to know their fate. Given updated guidance from the Treasury Board, we are currently reviewing the CDS [Chief of Defence Staff] Directives on COVID-19 Vaccination, in order to maintain a safe working environment and while remaining ready to conduct CAF operations in support of Canadians at home and around the world, DND said in an emailed statement on June 22. In the meantime, the CDS Directives remain in effect for CAF members until further notice. The CDS directive, which was issued in October, allowed for exemptions under medical, religious, or human rights grounds, but not many have been granted. Out of 1,300 exemption requests, DND says that as of May 31 only 157 were granted, with 98 for religious reasons, 42 for medical reasons, and 17 for other reasons (which can include claims of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act). The department says that as of June 15, the voluntary release of 103 regular forces members has been granted by the CAF. Those members cited the directive on vaccination as the primary reason for seeking release. Another 234 CAF members have been released non-voluntarily for not complying with the directive. As of June 15, 805 soldiers face remedial measures. If the CAF judges those measures to be unsuccessful, further administrative actions can be taken leading to release. DND says 463 personnel are under administrative review. Lawyer Philip Millar, a CAF combat arms veteran, is representing about 30 armed forces members affected by the vaccine mandate. He predicts the CDS will not expedite the review in order to release as many non-compliant personnel as possible. Now that its clear that the mandates are untenable, unjustifiable, and unconscionable, the CDS is dragging its feet because the longer they wait, the more people get released, he said. Millar was set to debate a motion in court on the CAF vaccine mandate this week but the hearing was postponed. Im sure they knew [the motion] was going to be successful, and thats why the government changed it, but theyre playing games with peoples lives, he says. The CAF currently has issues with recruiting, and Millar says the vaccine mandate isnt helping. The Canadian Forces currently has a huge manpower shortagenobody is joining. And theyre kicking out hundreds of people who have given 10 years of their lives, theres $200,000 invested in their training. Its just politics, he said. DND says 95 percent of CAF personnel have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 64 percent have received a third dose. As of May 24, 8,359 COVID-19 cases were reported in the military. Last November, an outbreak occurred during a training exercise at the Petawawa base amongst the fully vaccinated participants, which led to the cancellation of the exercise. Minnesota Supreme Court Rules Minneapolis Mayor Must Hire More Police Officers Amid Rise in Crime The city of Minneapolis must hire more police officers after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on Monday (pdf) that the mayor had not met his legal duty to do so or demonstrated why he hasnt. In the ruling, Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said Mayor Jacob Frey has a clear legal duty under the Minneapolis City Charter to employ at least 731 sworn police officers or at least 0.0017 of the 2020 census population, whichever is higher. Frey must also show proof that the City actually employed 731 sworn officers or explain why [he] could not satisfy that duty. The city must comply with this ruling by June 30, 2022. According to police payroll data cited by CBS Minnesota, the Minneapolis Police Department had 890 sworn officers on staff this time two years ago and 910 officers this time three years ago. Those numbers decreased significantly last year with the latter half of 2021 showing around closer to 650 officers, according to CBS. As of June 4, there were 626 sworn officers including 39 who were on continuous leave. The city has not had at least 731 officers or more since March 2021, according to city records. Loss of Personnel Not Easily Corrected In a statement on Monday, interim Minneapolis City Attorney Peter Ginder said the loss of police personnel is unprecedented and not easily corrected but the city is working to hire more officers in the department. He added that the police department has lost almost 300 peace officers in the last two years while crediting multiple departures to retirements as well as those who had left the force due to post-traumatic stress disorder following the protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody in 2020. Floyds death sparked widespread riots, protests, violence, and looting across Minnesota and saw a police precinct set on fire in Minneapolis. Mayor Jacob Frey, the Minneapolis Police Department, and City are working in good faith to recruit and hire more community-oriented peace officers as quickly as reasonably possible, Ginder said. From additional funding for recruit classes and officer wellness programming to hiring bonuses, the City is continuing to work to rebuild the police force to full strength. The court order was bought on by a group of eight Minneapolis residents who sought to force the city into hiring more police officers, as required by the charter, amid an uptick in violent crime and a dwindling police presence. Plaintiffs told the Supreme Court earlier this month that the current staffing is roughly 120 officers less than they believed was required. Attorneys for Minneapolis had argued that the charter requirement relates only to funding but that Frey could ultimately decide how the money be used within the department. Mondays ruling means the case will now be sent back to the district court in Hennepin County, which in July last year issued a writ of mandamus (pdf) ordering the city to hire more police officers. Upper Midwest Law Center Senior Trial Counsel James Dickey called Mondays ruling a huge victory for our clients and the residents of Minneapolis. This decision requires Mayor Frey to show that he has complied with the Charter police minimum or show why he cannot, Dickey said in a statement. MPD is under the required amount by at least a hundred officers, and we look forward to seeing the evidence of what the Mayor and City Council have done to change that. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mississippi GOP Primary Runoff Pits Scalise-Endorsed Incumbent Against Local Sheriff The Republican contest over Mississippis fourth district is heating up, with incumbent Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) hoping to improve on his performance in the June 7 primary against Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell in a June 28 runoff election. That election will come days after a pivotal debate between the two scheduled for June 24 at 7 PM CST. First elected in 2011, Palazzos 31.6 percent of the vote in the June 7 primary was above Ezells 25.1 percent. All the other GOP candidates in that primary subsequently endorsed Ezell, as reported by Mississippi Today and other outlets. In a June 21 interview with The Epoch Times, Ezell argued that Palazzos inaccessibility to locals helps account for that broad support for a change in leadershipPalazzos opponents have taken to calling him no-show Palazzo. Voters, he said, want to know that if they call, that youre going to be accessiblethat you will be responsible to their needs and try to help them with their problems. He said that out on the campaign trail, people tell him that Palazzo wont return their calls. Yet in his own June 21 interview with The Epoch Times, Palazzo counter-argued that attacks on his availability show Ezell doesnt understand how Congress works. South Mississippi hired me to go up there and fight the woke Biden agenda, and that requires me to be in DC two to three weeks out of the month, he said, adding that he had a limited amount of time to cover all of the districts when he is in Mississippi. He maintains that Ezells victory in the June 7 primary can be chalked up to low voter turnout. Ezell, who won the Jackson County Sheriff post in a 2014 special election following the resignation of scandal-plagued incumbent Mike Byrd, is running on his four-decade-plus record in law enforcement. He said he wants to help push legislation or act in other ways through Congress, including the power of the purse, to protect police officers throughout the United States. Some of these DAs [district attorneys] around the country are just going soft on crime, he said, adding that he hopes to serve on the Houses Homeland Security Committee. Endorsed by House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Palazzo thinks his service on the influential Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee for homeland security help illustrate why South Mississippians should vote for him again. In an interview on WDAM, Palazzo said he expects he could chair that subcommittee if Republicans gain control over the House of Representatives in November. He told The Epoch Times that Ezell isnt going to be on any of the committees that are influential in helping South Mississippi families. Palazzo is running on what he says is a strong record of delivering results, including $1.4 billion in 2019 for President Trumps border wall he helped obtain while on the appropriations subcommittee for homeland security. In terms of more local results, he cited money he secured for Ingalls Shipbuilding, a large employer in Pascagoula responsible for roughly 70 percent of the United States current Navy surface warship fleet. He also claims to have helped many Mississippi veterans by assisting them in securing benefits and obtaining Purple Hearts. Ezell has a different perspective. The leaders of this state and this country are not going to let [Ingalls] shipyard go away, he said, arguing that funding would continue regardless of who represents the district in Congress. He said local military veterans have told him Palazzo is not easily accessible. Ezell said he thinks an investigation of Palazzo that started in the Office of Congressional Ethics would prevent him from serving in any leadership roles during the upcoming Congress. Thats a cloud thats been hanging over his head for over a year, he said. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) found there was substantial reason to believe Palazzo illegally spent campaign money on his private riverfront property. It also alleged that he used his clout to help his brother, Kyle Palazzo, reenlist in the military with an upgraded enlistment code. The House Committee on Ethics reportedly has not created a subcommittee to investigate the accusations further, leading the attorney representing the group that first filed a complaint against Palazzo to believe the charges may just sort of evaporate, as reported by Mississippi Today. Such investigations can take multiple Congresses to complete. For example, the House Committee on Ethics only closed an investigation into Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) recordkeeping and mixing of unrelated funds in 2019, after it began with a 2013 OCE report. (She was reproved through the committees 2019 report and asked to refund $7,575.95.) Echoing his comments in that article, Palazzo told The Epoch Times he would be glad to have the allegations resolved by that committee. Its a simply a false political attack by my opponents, he said. As for a leadership role: Im already in the leadershipI serve on the Republican Whip team, [and] I was nominated by the Speaker to serve on the Board of Visitors from the Naval Academy. While Palazzo received Trumps endorsement in 2020, neither he nor Ezell have secured his endorsement this cycle. The House Committee on Ethics did not comment. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern shake hands before the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on April 1, 2019. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Pool/Getty Images) More Than Half of New Zealanders Now View China as a Threat: Survey New Zealanders perception of China has shifted dramatically over the first half of 2022, with the majority now viewing the Asian nation as a threat, according to a recent survey. A mini-survey conducted by Asia New Zealand Foundation in June found that 58 percent of New Zealanders view China as a threat and a record low 13 percent saw the country as a friend. This is a significant shift from the main survey conducted in November 2021, where 37 percent viewed China as threatening, and 29 percent saw China as friendly. It comes after Beijing initiated moves to establish military ties within the Pacific, on New Zealands doorstep, as well as its refusal to condemn Russias war in Ukraine. The June mini-survey revealed that negative sentiment towards Russia has similarly surged, with 79 percent of New Zealanders seeing Russia as a threat compared to 45 percent in November. The main survey revealed that prior to the war in Ukraine, North Korea, Russia, and China were named as the three most significant threats to the country. Despite the increasing perception of China as a threat, New Zealanders still believe it is one of the two most important countriestied with Australia to develop economic ties. The Asia New Zealand Foundation executive director Simon Draper noted that the New Zealand-China relationship had been featured more prominently in public discourse, so questions were asked about it in the survey. Three-quarters of New Zealanders would like to see New Zealand broaden trade beyond the Chinese market and most (53 percent) support our political leaders regularly engaging with Chinese counterparts, Draper said. Further, 63 percent support travel and trade sanctions on Chinese politicians for human rights abuses and 45 percent oppose joint military exercises with China. New Zealands Friends The survey also revealed that Australia remains New Zealands closest nation despite a slight dip in friendliness rating, followed by its other long-time allies, the United Kingdom and Canada. New Zealanders perception towards the United States also received a significant boost after Joe Biden became president, with 61 percent rating the country friendly compared to 50 percent in 2020. The percentage of people who viewed the United States as a threat also dropped from 20 percent to 11 percent in the same period. Additionally, the survey revealed that Kiwis saw the United Kingdom as the major power that is most trusted to act responsibly, followed by Japan. While New Zealand maintains the tightest bonds with its traditional allies, New Zealanders increasingly believe that developing strong ties with Asia is important for the countrys future. Over 2,300 people aged 15 and over participated in the November survey, while 1,186 people participated in the mini poll that repeated three questions from the major survey. MPs Meet With Veteran Making Trek From Vancouver to Ottawa to Protest COVID Mandates OTTAWAMilitary veteran James Topp, who has almost completed his walk from Vancouver to Ottawa to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, was in Ottawa on Wednesday to meet with MPs. So far, Topps journey has taken him to Deep River, about 200 kilometres west of Ottawa. He drove to the capital for the meeting with MPs before the House of Commons goes on summer break on June 23. Topp will duly complete the trek on foot on June 30, walking from the suburb of Kanata to the War Memorial in downtown Ottawa. The journey has been arduous, physically challenging, but at the same time, it has allowed me to connect with my fellow Canadians in a way that I never would have thought possible, Topp told around 20 MPs. The combat veteran told the MPsall of them Conservativesthat hes seeing a divide in Canada that hes only seen before in a war zone. I would like for us to repair the divide that has been created by the imposition of these mandates, and by the overall overbearing nature of some of the policies that have been pushed down on us, said Topp. MPs shook hands and posed for pictures with Topp, and some of them took the floor. I appreciate the non-partisan bent you guys are taking here today. Its very professional. The reality is theres one political party that has been represented around this table here today, said Jeremy Patzer. Patzer noted that he had recently (on June 6) presented a petition in the House for the lifting of mandates. You have support. Youve had support all along. It takes a lot of work and effort to get that message out because its a message that, in this Ottawa bubble, was not a popular one, said Patzer. Topp has been affected by the mandates in the military, due to his current service in the Reserves, and the one imposed on the RCMP where he works as a civilian. Topp started his walk on Feb. 20 from the Terry Fox statue in downtown Vancouver, after appearing a few days earlier in dress uniform at an anti-mandate protest and making his views known in videos. Topp faces two counts of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline under the military code for those actions, on top of a pending administrative release under the 5f code, Unsuitable for further service. This type of release is normally reserved for military personnel who develop personal weaknesses or have other problems that seriously impair their usefulness or makes them an excessive administrative burden on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Its currently being used to release soldiers refusing COVID-19 vaccination. Lawyer Philip Millar, a former CAF combat arms veteran who is representing Topp, says it doesnt make sense to release someone like Topp who is healthy and strong enough to walk across Canada. The man is healthy, but you want to kick him out? It blows my mind, Millar told The Epoch Times. Even though Topp elected to be court-martialled for his initial charges, the military removed the charges and re-laid them without the option for a military court, says Millar, which means Topp is now facing much more reduced penalties, like probably a fine. For the event with the MPs, Topp was flanked by Tom Marazzo and Dr. Paul Alexander, both of whom were involved with the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa this winter. Marazzo, also a military veteran, was a spokesperson for the convoy and recently ran for the Ontario Party in the Ontario elections. He currently works with the organization Veterans for Freedom, which is helping coordinate some of Topps activities. We are an apolitical organization, were not interested in tipping the balance for one party over anotherthats not our interest, Marazzo said. What our interest is, is repairing Canada. We want you to be a partner, we want the Government of Canada to be a partner to that end, he told the MPs. Alexander, an epidemiologist who worked on the COVID task force under the Trump administration, spoke at length about how he says the pandemic was mismanaged by governments. There is no evidence anywhere to keep emergency powers in place, or any of these mandates. COVID is done. It is over and it is time society moves forward, he said. Among the Tory MPs who attended were Dean Allison, Cheryl Gallant, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Arnold Viersen, Leslyn Lewis, Ted Falk, Tako Van Popta, Warren Steinley, Damien Kurek, Martin Shields, James Bezan, Ryan Williams, Gerald Soroka, John Barlow, Melissa Lantsman, and Brad Vis. Noe Chartier Follow Noe Chartier is an Epoch Times reporter based in Montreal. Twitter: @NChartierET Gettr: @nchartieret Adil Khan (left) and Qari Abdul Rauf after their arrest in Rochdale, England, in 2010. (Greater Manchester Police) My Son Needs Role Model Says Rochdale Sex Offender Facing UK Deportation Ten years after they were convicted of grooming and sexually exploiting underage girls in the town of Rochdale in the north of England, two men have mounted a last-ditch effort to stop their deportation to Pakistan. One of the men, Adil Khan, who is now 52, was jailed for eight years for conspiracy and trafficking for sexual exploitation in 2012 after he fathered a baby with a 13-year-old girl. Speaking through an interpreter Khan told an immigration tribunal in London on Wednesday: As you know, the father figure is very important in every culture in the world, to be a role model for the child, to tell him or her right from wrong. He also said he was not wanted by his family in Pakistan because his crime might harm their business. The second Rochdale sex offender, Qari Abdul Rauf, now 53, was jailed for six years for conspiracy and trafficking for sexual exploitation. Rauf, a married religious studies teacher at a Rochdale mosque, asked a 15-year-old girl victim if she had younger friends and then supplied the girls to other men who would have sex with them. The pair were part of a notorious grooming gang in Rochdale, which included Shabir Ahmed, a welfare rights officer for neighbouring Oldham Council who was jailed for 22 years for his role. Grooming Gang Driven by Lust and Greed Sentencing the gang Justice Gerald Clifton said they were driven by lust and greed and told the men they had treated the girls as though they were worthless and beyond respect. The then Home Secretary Theresa May ordered Khan and Rauf to be deported to Pakistan but they appealed, leading to 18 hearings in crown courts, immigration tribunals, and finally the Court of Appeal. On Wednesday the pair began a three-day hearing in the First Tier Tribunal Immigration And Asylum Chamber in London. The former MP for Rochdale, Simon Danczuk, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday: I campaigned to have these sent back to Pakistan. Our legal system should not protect perpetrators like these, nor should UK taxpayers be financing lawyers so much, for so long. Think about who protects these rapists. The Rochdale case, along with similar Asian grooming gangs in Rotherham, Oxford, Telford, and Huddersfield who targeted white girls often in care homes, led to accusations that politicians, social workers, and senior police officers turned a blind eye to the abuse for fear of being accused of being racist. In 2017 the Labour MP for Rotherham, Sarah Champion, resigned as a shadow equalities minister, after writing a column in The Sun newspaper in which she wrote: Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls. The following year the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC: When it comes to gang-based child exploitation it is self-evident to anyone who cares to look that if you look at all the recent high-profile cases there is a high proportion of men that have Pakistani heritage. On Wednesday the Independent Office for Police Conduct published its final report into the Rotherham grooming gang which found South Yorkshire Police failed to protect vulnerable children and young people. A protester asks Tufts University to close its Confucius Institute, a language training program that the Chinese regime uses to promote communist mentalities, in Somerville, Mass., on March 13, 2021. (Learner Liu/The Epoch Times) New Report Warns of Confucius Institute Rebrand WASHINGTONA new report warns that China has rebranded its Confucius Institutes (CI) in U.S. universities. Out of the 118 CIs in the United States, about 105 have closed or announced closures. However, at least 38 colleges have replaced their closed CI programs with similar alternatives, according to the report by the National Association of Scholars (NAS), a conservative research and advocacy organization. CIs are funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which picks and pays for textbooks and selects and pays Chinese nationals who come to the United States to teach Chinese language, culture, and history. Li Changchun, a standing member of the CCPs Politburo, said in April 2007 that CIs were an important part of Chinas overseas propaganda setup. A 2018 report by the U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission said CIs had longstanding and formal ties to the CCPs United Front Work Department, an agency responsible for coordinating the CCPs influence operations. In February 2019, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found that the CCP had invested more than $158 million in U.S.-based CIs since 2006. In August 2020, the U.S. State Department designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center (CIUS) as a Chinese foreign mission. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described CIUS as an entity advancing Beijings global propaganda and malign influence campaign on U.S. campuses and K-12 classrooms. Story of Success and Warning The CI story was a story of success and a story of warning, said Rachelle Peterson, a NAS senior research fellow, at the report launch event at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation on June 21. Peterson authored the new and the 2017 reports that facilitated the U.S. policy change. A Confucius Institute office at the University of North Florida. (Huang Yuntian/The Epoch Times) In the new report, titled After Confucius Institutes: Chinas Enduring Influence on American Higher Education, she compared CIs to scaffolds that would serve no use to the CCP anymore after the buildingthe influence operationshad been constructed. When these U.S. higher education institutes decided to shut down their CIs, the most common reason they gave was that they would replace their CI with a new program, the report found. In other words, they were ditching the CI name but retaining the investments. And only five of them said that they were concerned about the Chinese regimes influence on other colleges but assured that their campuses had been perfectly safe. According to the report, the CCPs response to CI shutdowns in the United States changed from shock and anger to regret, eventually making offers to support alternative programs. In closing their CI, some universities had to pay penalties to the CCP. For example, Kennesaw State University in Georgia paid back at least $31,000, and the University of Maryland refunded China $900,000, an amount China initially provided for a CI renovation. The report also reveals that some U.S. nonprofit organizations have acted as middlemen in the CI rebranding, hence playing a key role in keeping CIs alive. NASs recommendations to the federal government include limiting federal funding to colleges that maintain a CI or similar program and commissioning a study on Confucius Classrooms, the K12 equivalent to CIs in universities. The report also advocated stricter transparency requirements in the Higher Education Act for U.S. universities to disclose foreign investments. New Tennessee Law Puts Homeless at Risk of Prison for Camping on Public Land Tennessee will be the first state in the nation to make camping on public land a felonypunishable with up to six years in prisonwhen a controversial new law comes into force on July 1. This creates complications for the unsheltered homeless population amidst the backdrop of an affordable housing crisis. The fallout from the new legislation will also put added pressure on the states rescue missions, especially in cities with a high volume of destitute people such as Nashville. Shelters statewide work to provide assistance and housing to a community of 7,256 people who lack permanent lodgings. Nearly 35 percent of that number are living unsheltered and are the group that stands to be most affected by the new law. The skyline of Nashville, Tenn., on April 25, 2019. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) In other words, more than 2,500 people could face time in prison if police catch them setting up camp on public or state property. These include popular areas for tent camps like city parks and green spaces near bike paths and river walks. It just [aggravates] the existing challenges for people, Carrie Gatlin told The Epoch Times. Gatlin is the vice president of ministries at Nashville Rescue Mission and says the new law SB1610/HB0978which upgrades camping on public land to a class E felonywill make certain hurdles the homeless are facing even worse. Once they have that felony conviction, it makes [finding] housing harder, and it makes getting a job harder, she said. Complicating things further is the dire shortage of affordable and low-income housing in Tennessee due to soaring demand and lack of construction from the previous decade. Vulnerable to Minor Changes Presently, theres a scarcity of 127,102 rental units accessible to extremely low income (ELI) earners. Within the population of renters in Tennessee, 26 percent are classified as ELI households. Further, 67 percent of ELI renters are severely cost burdened by housing, leaving them vulnerable to minor economic changes that can easily end in homelessness. Right now, housing is a big issue and theres not enough of it. Affordable housing doesnt exist for the people we serve, Gatlin said. However, she also made it clear she wasnt opposing the new law, but rather the felony offense attached to it. Gatlin noted most shelters already have a love-hate relationship with city anti-camping ordinances. Governor Bill Lee declined a direct endorsement of House Bill 0978, but let it become law without his signature on May 3. Lee told reporters during a press conference he had concerns over the unintended consequences of the bill, but was also worried about things like the issues of people on public property. Regarding homeless trends, some cities in Tennessee have experienced a plateau or decrease in recent months. Meanwhile, other regions in the state, particularly Knoxville and southeastern cities like Chattanooga, are seeing numbers surge since last year. Homeless Rate Soars 153 per cent In Knoxville, the population of homeless people has jumped 50 percent since 2021, according to a recent report. That number soars to a 153 percent increase in southeastern Tennessee, based on data from the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition (CRHC). In April, the executive director of the CRHC, Wendy Winters, told reporters that homeless numbers increased this year again, illustrating how devastating the affordable housing crisis is in the southeastern region. Nate First of Knoxville Homeless Management Information System (Knox HMIS) reiterated the need to address those afflicted by all kinds of homelessness, whether chronic or recent, in a May press release from the mayors office. Every communitys response to homelessness must address these events at both ends, by housing people who are already homeless as well as by preventing episodes of homelessness before they start, First said. Additionally, he added one of the primary factors contributing to homeless trends listed on the Knox HMIS dashboard is no affordable housing. Though Nashville experienced an overall 5 percent decline in displaced people since 2020, vice president of development at the Nashville Rescue Mission Cheryl Chunn told The Epoch Times a lack of low income housing keeps filling shelter beds. 800 People in Shelters Every Night We have 800 men, women, and children we take care of every single night. Certainly, our capacity has grown with the struggling economy and housing shortage here in Nashville, Chunn said. A 2021 report from the city mayors office revealed the Music City needs to create an additional 18,000 affordable housing units for people earning 80 percent of the areas median income level or lower to address the current crisis. Yet when it comes to the logistics of how this new law will be enforced, which begins in less than two weeks, police departments are still working out the details. The statute is currently under review by the MNPD, Don Aaron at the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, told The Epoch Times. However, a silver lining exists that may help address the need to camp in city parks. Theres an abundance of work opportunities in Tennessee, which is currently hard pressed for employees in nearly every field. On the plus side there are a ton of jobs out there. And everybody has been raising their wages and adding sign-on bonuses. The job market is plentiful for low wage, medium wage, and skilled people with certifications, Gatlin said. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins speaks during a COVID-19 response update in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Nov. 24, 2021. (Mark Mitchell/Pool/Getty Images) New Zealands Former COVID Response Minister Apologizes to Kiwi Journalist Barred From Entering Country New Zealands former COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has apologised to journalist Charlotte Bellis for incorrect comments made about her attempts to secure a MIQ (managed isolation and quarantine) spot during the height of lockdowns. Bellis had tried to return to New Zealand after discovering she was pregnant in Qatar, where sex outside of marriage is illegal. In a column published in the New Zealand Herald, Bellis described her struggle to return to her country in January, when all citizens would have been required to go through MIQ. On Jan. 31, I released a statement regarding Charlotte Bellis and her MIQ application, Hipkins said in a statement on June 22. I stated that emergency allocation criteria includes a requirement to travel to New Zealand within the next 14 days. While MIQ did have such a requirement for general application, Hipkins said guidelines did contain exceptions. I have since been made aware that Ms Bellis was relying on special circumstances in respect of her application as she was in Afghanistan and that MIQ deactivated her application in error, he said. In the January statement, Hipkins said he also encouraged Bellis to take up any offers of assistance after consular assistance had been offered twice in early December but had not been responded to. I have subsequently been made aware that these comments were not accurate. On March 15, I wrote to Ms Bellis apologising for the errors in my comments, and the inclusion of personal information in the statement and for the subsequent distress it caused her, Hipkins said. Putting This Behind and Looking Forward Bellis welcomed the apology and thanked Hipkins for correcting his earlier comments that had caused widespread confusion and resulted in unwarranted abuse towards herself and her partner. We stand by our decision to speak out about our experience with MIQ to shine a light on a system that was no longer fit for purpose and negatively affecting so many New Zealand families; as well as hold Minister Hipkins to account for his response to our personal case, Bellis wrote on Twitter. We look forward to putting this behind us and enjoying a new chapter with our daughter. Charlotte Bellis poses in a selfie with her partner Jim Huylebroek in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Charlotte Bellis via AP) The New Zealand National Party commended Hipkins for apologising but said the government should now apologise for the entire MIQ system. For every Charlotte Bellis, there are countless other examples that havent hit the headlines, Nationals COVID-19 response spokesman Chris Bishop said in a media statement. Bishop noted a high court ruling that found MIQ had unjustly violated the rights of returning New Zealanders in some instances due to operating with unfair spot limitations. It was also previously revealed that an internal document dated back to Nov. 12, 2021, in the New Zealand Ministry of Health had advised officials that there was no longer any justification to continue MIQ. Hipkins later told reporters that his apology to Bellis did not extend to the MIQ system. In terms of MIQ I will maintain, and the courts in fact have maintained, MIQ was absolutely justified, he said. MIQ remained until February, when it began winding down operations. NRA Responds to Senates Gun-Control Bill The National Rifle Association (NRA) responded to the Senates gun control package by saying it falls short on every level. The NRA will support legislation that improves school security, promotes mental health services, and helps reduce violent crime. However, we will oppose this gun control legislation because it falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners, the NRA wrote in a statement Tuesday. On Tuesday, the Senate released 80 pages of the bill, which includes funding for states that implement red flag laws, more background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21, and penalties for straw purchases. That same day, the Senate voted to advance the bill 64 to 34 as 14 Republicans support the measure, meaning that it has enough votes to pass the 60-vote threshold to overcome the filibuster. The NRA continued to say that the bill can be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases, infringe upon the rights of law-abiding Americans, and use federal dollars to fund gun control measures being adopted by state and local politicians. This bill leaves too much discretion in the hands of government officials and also contains undefined and overbroad provisionsinviting interference with our constitutional freedoms, the pro-Second Amendment group said. Decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States in the Heller and McDonald cases make clear that the Second Amendment is an individual constitutional freedom. We will always fight for those freedomsand the fundamental values we have defended for over 150 years. Controversy Earlier this month, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced they came to an agreement on a proposed gun-control framework after several high-profile mass shootings, including in New York and Texas. In Texas, a top law enforcement on Tuesday said that a shooting that left 19 children dead in Uvalde could have been prevented if law enforcement acted more quickly and described the police response as a failure. Some Republican senators said they wont support the bill. I do not support this legislation and will continue to vote against it, Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said in a statement. As a senator from Wyoming, I know the meaning of the Second Amendment. I will not vote for any legislation that would jeopardize the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. And a number of House Republican lawmakers have argued that it shouldnt be passed because it supports red flag laws, which they described as unconstitutional and in violation of its Due Process Clause. Cornyn, meanwhile, was resoundingly booed and jeered over the past weekend when he delivered a speech at the Texas GOP convention. A pro-gun rights group demanded that he apologize after he called the crowd a mob. Officials Urge Maximum Penalty for Man Arrested 10 Times in 2 Years San Diego County officials are urging a judge to issue the maximum sentence for a repeat offender arrested in Escondido last month, making it the 10th time the suspect was arrested in the last two years. Supervisor Jim Desmond was joined by Escondido officials at a June 21 news conference where they blamed Proposition 47, 57, and Assembly Bill 109 for the offenders record, identified as Craig Blas. These policies, which were part of the states criminal reform efforts, have become center stage for Californias debate over the rising crime rate. I really think we need change in Sacramento for some of these laws that are really soft on crime and lack consequences for criminals, Desmond told The Epoch Times. Desmond sent a letter to Superior Court Judge James Simmons, who is overseeing Blass sentencing on June 21, urging him to give Blas the maximum penalty. Blas, 32, was arrested in Escondido on May 7 where police seized the following items: 235 fentanyl pills 3.56 grams of powder fentanyl digital scale and baggies consistent with the kind used to package illegal narcotics 3 fake oxycodone pills that tested positive for fentanyl 36 grams of methamphetamine handgun magazine and loaded magazine red dot sight for a pistol $738 in cash Officers said they recognized Blas as a known felon. In 2020, Blas was arrested for multiple drug and weapon violations, and again arrested in 2021 on similar charges. Blas was released on parole following each arrest. In 2017 and 2018, officials said he was arrested for possessing an assault rifle and short-barreled shotgun. Desmond compared Blass continual release back into society to the suspect that killed two police officers in El Monte last week, Justin Flores, who had a previous criminal record and was let out on a plea deal under Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon last year. [Residents are] seeing crime, theyre seeing an uptick in crime and then and then there are suspects like this who are getting out multiple times, Desmond said. We should have some sort of limit on the number of arrests and be able to look back when considering sentencing. Desmond said he will be meeting with local law enforcement and the district attorneys office to try to figure out ways to close some of these loopholes in the county. A memorial site for shooting victim Dr. John Cheng sits on display at the entrance of South Bay Medical Group in Aliso Viejo, Calif., on May 17, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Orange County Congresswomen Team Up for Tribute to Church Shooting Hero SANTA ANA, Calif.Reps. Michelle Steel (R-Huntington Beach) and Katie Porter (D-Irvine) announced Wednesday they have teamed up to sponsor legislation to honor Dr. John Cheng, who was killed stopping a shooting suspect in a Laguna Woods church, with a Congressional Gold Medal. Dr. John Cheng was a hero who represents the very best of Orange County, Steel said. With his bravery, he saved dozens of other lives and prevented an even bigger tragedy from occurring. Im proud to support this effort to award him with a Congressional Gold Medal so that his courage will never be forgotten. Chengs legacy must live on, Porter said. Dr. Cheng undoubtedly saved lives when he charged the gunman attacking his mothers church last month, Porter said. Representative Steel and I are pushing to honor Dr. Chengs sacrifice and bestow him with Congress highest civilian award. Cheng, who lived in Laguna Niguel, rushed the gunman and was shot while tackling him May 15 inside the Geneva Presbyterian Church, authorities said. That gave other parishioners time to subdue the assailant and hold him for sheriffs deputies. David Wenwei Chou, 68, of Las Vegas, is awaiting trial on charges of special circumstances murder while lying in wait, five counts of attempted murder, four counts of possession of an explosive device and faces sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a firearm and a hate crime. Authorities said Chou carried out the shooting due to a long-standing grievance against the Taiwanese community over tensions with China. A pro-life demonstrator prays in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on June 21, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Over 40 Attacks Targeted Pro-life Group Since Supreme Court Leak: Report More than 40 attacks against pro-life individuals and organizations have been recorded since the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion indicating a potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, according to a report released on June 16. The report, published by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, says the over 40 incidents that have occurred in recent weeks involve violence, vandalism, and intimidation. Every abortion is an act of violenceviolence against the unborn child who is killed and violence against the mother who is wounded in one of the deepest ways possible, Marjorie Dannenfelser, the groups president, said in the statement accompanying the report. In contrast to that inherent violence, the vast network of pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and other organizations across America exist to peacefully and lovingly serve women and families, it said. Actions of Comrades The latest incidents detailed in the report include vandalizations in Hope Pregnancy Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 11. The office of the pro-life group had four windows smashed and vandalized with graffiti. An online blog post dated June 12 from someone who claimed credit for the damage under the name of Anti Hope Brigade said they were inspired by the actions of comrades in Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, and a growing list of places, according to the report. Thread: Weve released a report listing 40+ incidents of violence & vandalism directed at pro-life individuals and orgs since the leak of the draft Supreme Court Dobbs opinion https://t.co/oAEiVO9exS Biden must unequivocally condemn these attacks 1/ SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) June 16, 2022 The sharp rise in attacks began in early May when a leaked draft opinion indicated that the Supreme Court is poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling concluding access to abortion is a constitutional right. The institution noted Janes Revenge, which has taken credit for dozens of recent attacks on pregnancy centers across the nation, issued a new threat on June 15. The pro-abortion radicals, in the statement published on its website, declared open season on pro-life institutions that do not shut down. SBA Pro-Life America urged the Biden administration to condemn the attacks. President Biden, his administration, and every elected officeholder and candidate needs to unequivocally condemn them now, including illegal picketing of Supreme Court justices homes and the attempted murder of Justice Kavanaugh, read the statement. The group appeared to be referring to the California man who was arrested with a gun near the Maryland home of a Supreme Court justice on June 8. The man named Nicholas John Roske was indicated on a charge of attempted assassination. The Epoch Times has sought comment from the White House. Earlier this month, SBA Pro-Life America and a dozen organizations wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, demanding action to address the recent attacks. Meanwhile, 16 U.S. senators, led by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), also expressed concerns and urged information about how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is addressing the recent violence and threats against the groups in a letter to Attorney General Garland dated June 7. The DOJ and Department of Homeland Security have not commented on the attacks. The FBI has previously told The Epoch Times that its investigating the recent attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centers and faith-based organizations across the country. The FBI takes all threats seriously and we continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and will remain vigilant to protect our communities, it added. Zachary Stieber contributed to the report. Worcester College, Oxford University, founded in 1283 as Gloucester College, 1542 as Gloucester Hall, and 1714 as Worcester College, on April 15, 2014. (Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Oxford College Misled Students Over Account of Events Leading to Christian Group Ban An investigation has disproved allegations against the Christian group the Wilberforce Academy after a joint campaign by the Free Speech Union and Christian Concern. Last year, Worcester College was accused of cancel culture after it apologised to students for the distress caused after it hosted a Christian Concern training camp called the Wilberforce Academy while the college was closed for the summer break. On June 21, Worcester Collegein a joint statement with Christian Concernadmitted that it misled students. At the time, it was alleged that students complained that the curriculum for the week-long event was Islamophobic as the final day included a discussion about the nature of Islam. Accusations of aggressive leafleting and unsolicited conversations about conversion therapy were also raised. Other subjects in the event included Life & Health, The Art of Freedom, Beginning and End of Life Issues, and Homosexuality and Transgenderism. Uncover the Truth Subsequently, Worcester Colleges Provost David Isaac, the former Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain and the former Chair of the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall apologised to students for hosting the camp and canceled a second booking after a small number of students complained. Christian Concern replied to the College on March 21 by saying they would conduct their own investigation to try to uncover the truth or otherwise of the allegations by seeking statements from the attendees. In February, an Independent Inquiry had found no evidence to justify the Oxford College apologising (pdf). Following the inquiry The Free Speech Union (FSU), which supports self-styled defenders of free expression in England, supported Wilberforce Academy by contacting Isaac (pdf), asking that he retract his apology to students and withdraw the ban he imposed on further bookings by the Academy. You do not need reminding that refusing to provide the Colleges services because of Christian Concerns religious beliefs would constitute unlawful discrimination, FSU General Secretary Toby Young. We continue to stand by Christian Concern and will provide whatever legal and financial assistance we deem appropriate should this matter escalate, added Young. In the joint statement on Tuesday, Christian Concern and Worcester College wrote that they had met to reaffirm their mutual commitment to the right to freedom of speech and religious belief and the dignity of all people. After detailed examination of the circumstances of Christian Concerns conference in September 2021, Worcester College acknowledges that notwithstanding various accounts of events it was misleading to suggest that Conference delegates or representatives of Christian Concern acted improperly in an email to students in September 2021 which was subsequently leaked to the Cherwell Student newspaper, it added. Worcester College said that it did not act with the intention of impugning Christian Concern or its reputation. In a world where differing views are strongly and sincerely held it is important to come together and listen to each other. To that end, Worcester has invited Christian Concern to speak at a debate which will take place as soon as can be arranged. Worcester looks forward to welcoming Christian Concern back to College, it added. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz stands as prospective jurors enter the courtroom for jury selection in the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 22, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool) Parkland High School Mass Shooters Jury Selection Enters Final Stretch FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.The final phase of jury selection in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began Wednesday with prosecutors and defense attorneys asking candidates about their job histories, opinions on law enforcement, whether they own guns, and if they could handle viewing gruesome crime scene photos. The final 83 candidates remaining from about 1,800 who began the three-step process back on April 4 are being brought back to Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherers courtroom in four groups over two days, the first undergoing questioning Wednesday morning. The 12 men and six women in that group come from diverse backgrounds. An airline pilot. A bank vice president who served in the French military. Grocery store and Walmart workers. A loading dock supervisor, a human resources manager, a special education teacher, a new self-help author, a librarian, computer techs, a longshoreman, and retirees. They appeared to range from their 20s through their 60s. About half said they own guns. Some are U.S. military veterans. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 14 students and three staff members at Parklands Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After the finalists are questioned, 12 jurors and eight alternates will be selected on Tuesday by the attorneys and judge for the four-month trial that will decide if Cruz is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. The trial is expected to begin in about two weeks. While lead prosecutor Mike Satz mostly asked the first group straight-forward questions Wednesday about the panelists backgrounds, assistant public defender Nawal Bashimam followed with more wide-ranging and open questions, their motivation not always obvious. About half the men raised their hands when Bashimam asked if any panelists play violent video games and most panelists said they have strong animosity toward people who torture animalsboth something Cruz did in the years before the shooting. All said they could remain fair toward Cruz even after they see crime scene and autopsy photos and walk the still blood-stained and bullet-pocked Stoneman Douglas classroom building where the massacre occurred. Some expressed concern when Bashimam told them their names and the questionnaires they completed as part of the process will eventually become part of the trials public record, but Scherer stepped in to mollify their anxiety. She said if anyone tries to talk to them during the trial, they should report that to her. Judge Elizabeth Scherer participates in a sidebar discussion via headset during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 22, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool) The jury selection process was expected to take only about a month, but turned into a slog because of attorneys illnesses and controversies. Those included a threat by Cruzs lead public defender, Melisa McNeill, to withdraw if Scherer proceeded when a member of her team became ill. Scherer resumed the trial the following day, the ailing attorney sitting at the defense table. That resulted in a defense motion that the judge remove herself from the case as biased. Scherer rejected that motion.. Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill participates in a sidebar discussion via headset during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 22, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool) Still undecided is a motion by the defense to delay the trial because of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead. The defense argues that the shooting has again raised emotions in Broward County and makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. During Tuesdays final selection, each side can try to convince Scherer that certain candidates are biased and ask her to dismiss them. If she refuses, they will each also have at least 10 peremptory challenges where they can dismiss a potential juror for any reason except race or gender. When a jury is finally seated, it will have to decide whether the aggravating factors such as Cruzs multiple victims, his planning, the terror he created and the cruelty he showed outweigh such mitigating circumstances as his long history of mental and emotional problems, his possible sexual abuse, and the death of his parents. For Cruz to get a death sentence, the jurors must unanimously agree. If one or more vote for life, that will be his sentence. Pentagon Trampling on Freedoms, Say Nearly 600 Service Members Who Refused Vaccine Mandate A mid-June report is making its way into the hands of U.S. Representatives and Senators. Titled the Congressional Survey of Accountability, Truth, and Freedom (ATAF), nearly 600 service members are making a grassroots effort to fight back against what they allege to be discriminatory treatment theyve received by the Department of Defense for refusing to abide by its vaccine mandate. The final page of the 12-page report (pdf) includes links to enclosures with over 60 pages of testimony from various members of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, National Guard, and Coast Guard. Capt. Joshua Hoppe, a Marines Corp MV-22B Osprey pilot, told The Epoch Times he is praying for the report to bring accountability, truth, and freedom to the many honorable service members who want nothing more than continued service without infringing on their personal beliefs and freedoms. This is why Im speaking up and holding the line like all the other Marines who have requested religious accommodation, Hoppe said. Ever since the vaccine mandate was imposed, he and others began pushing for political action and compelling others to make a plea to Congress to take action on their behalf. Hoppe said he is humbled to be part of this grassroots effort and he appreciates everyone willing to stand up and fight. According to the Osprey pilot of six years, the mandate violates the Constitution by trampling over our religious freedoms, our medical freedoms, [and] our moral freedoms. With thorough documentation, (pdf) Hoppe requested religious accommodation on Sep. 8, 2021, but was denied on Oct. 21, 2021. A subsequent appeal made on Nov. 5, 2021, was also denied the following March. Lt. Col. Daniel Lewis, a third-generation Marine with almost 20 years of service, also spoke to The Epoch Times. What I have witnessed [regarding the measures taken against the coronavirus] over the last two years in our country and in our Defense Department is truly soul crushing, he said. Like Hoppe, his application and appeal for religious exemption were also specifically and categorically denied. While he is contemplating the decision to take the vaccine, he believes it is necessary to continue speaking out against the mandate whatever his final decision will be. Im not being a hypocrite, he said. It has to be considered for the sake of my family and our future, and my sacrifice doesnt change the facts of the case or the debate. Despite leaderships direction to provide dignity and respect to those members wishing to stand firm in their first principles and God-given rights, Lewis said, adding that service members were treated very poorly and unnecessarily soand the survey we conducted clearly demonstrates this. Both Hoppe and Lewis emphasized that their views do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of the Navy, or the U.S. Marine Corps. Burden Ignored It is Hoppes desire to convince Congress that what the DoD has been doing is unlawful. Lewis hopes that the survey will provide civilian leadership a fact-based warning about what is happening to their military uniformed members. Our elected representation and their constituents need to understand whats happening as the mandate continues to be enforced, he added. Both Marine Corps officers are concerned about the legality of mandating the vaccine. Hoppe is particularly concerned about the blanket denials for the religious accommodation requests, explaining that the burden of proof is on the government to prove that there is a compelling governmental interest in order to deny our religious freedoms by forcing us to take a vaccine that weve requested not to, based on our sincerely held beliefs. But according to Hoppe, this has not been the case. On Nov. 2, 2021, the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps released a message to the force stating I know the science behind it. I know how the vaccine was developed. Im confident in it. But, as Hoppe notes, General David H. Berger did not expound on any of the science in the video or in any of the denial letters that Marines have received. Hoppe said that there were over 27 different federal court cases that are challenging the mandate. Most of the cases, he said, are making challenges based on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. However, he pointed to the class action lawsuit by Dale Sara, which challenges the legality of mandating a vaccine by arguing that the COVID-19 treatments are not truly vaccines. It doesnt prevent you from getting COVID, nor does it keep you from spreading it, he said. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) agreed, stating, the shot mandate is placing an undue burden on our dedicated service members. He explained that experienced warriors must face the choice of getting the shot against their personal or religious beliefs to continue their patriotic service in defense of our freedoms, or sacrifice their military career. The lawmaker also considers it outrageous that it is well known that the vaccine does not prevent infection or spread of the virus. Grounded and in Limbo Service members who refuse to comply with the mandate for religious or other reasons are now finding themselves facing adverse actions. While there are challenges in court, the DoD is continuing full steam ahead with separating individuals and taking other adverse actions, like the grounding of pilots, for example, Hoppe said. While Hoppe considers himself fortunate to continue flying the MV-22 Osprey, he said, hundreds of other pilots and aircrew across the DoD have been grounded for the past 10 months. Since some are grounded and others are not, he doesnt understand such a disparity of treatment among service members from the DoD. Why are some treated terriblyeven to the extent of being sent to mental counseling because they requested a religious accommodation to the vaccine? For those who have served in the Marine Corps for less than six years and are in limbo, waiting for their appeals to be fully adjudicated, he said, once that final decision is made, theyre going to be rapidly pushed out of service within two to four weeks. To that end, Stauber said, Medical decisions are personal and should be made by an individual in consultation with their doctor, not forced by a mandate. A Future Threatened Lewis indicated that a certain profile fits those refusing to take the vaccine. He or she is likely someone grounded in their faith, someone with a bit of life experience and seniority, and someone who can critically think. He is gravely concerned that such a profile will no longer be part of the military or no longer be welcomed in the military. While he continues to serve in the Marine Corps, his hope is to continue providing fact-based information and arguments against what is being proven in both the DoDs administrative proceedings as well as the civilian judicial system proceedings as an unlawful enforcement regime. Its startling to Lewis that even people with previous medical exemptions were subsequently denied, as noted in the survey. And several participants in the survey included those slated for command. However, he said, he has voluntarily removed himself from consideration to become a commanding officer. The Covid mitigation and non-pharmaceuticals interventions being enforced are things I cant enforce on others, [as] theyre being enforced on me. Lewis has no intention of undermining the Marine Corps decision, but he cant see himself forcing others to get the shot. More than anything, its the end result that has him concerned. How are we going to become a more lethal, capable, and modern force if people, like those represented in the survey, are being pressured to get out? How many people will want to reenlist? How many officers would want to take commanding positions? he asked. Theres already a big cost to what theyre enforcing and its going to be unrecoverableand I dont think people understand it. On the aviation side, he said, it is astronomical, [as] pilots are being removed from command positions and instructor pilots are grounded first and then removed. These losses will hurt aviation training for years to comein a time already suffering from shortages, he said. Its Not Enough Lewis said, the military is setting itself up for a massive readiness, capability, [and] lethality shortfall, if we continue down this path. Military leadership is looking at the pilot production shortfall [and] their ability to produce and retain, he said. But theyre not looking at who theyre pushing out the door. How is morale, readiness, lethality, modernization, recruitment, and retention being affectedpositive or negativeunder this construct? he inquired, suggesting that it would be a good question to ask, as a starting point, in my humble opinion. Stauber agreed, stating military readiness has been negatively impacted by this administrations obsession with COVID-19 being the number one enemy, in lieu of known and sworn enemies worldwide. He remains concerned that our national security is more at risk. The Armed Services are no place for political virtue signaling, the lawmaker said. Totalitarian states like Communist China are more emboldened than ever, and yet the Biden administration decided to force through this shot mandate that weakenednot strengthenedour fighting forces. Staubers congressional office has been contacted by several active-duty military personnel from his district and across this country. [They] are pleading with me to do something on this issue, he said. Thus, he strongly opposes President Joe Biden and Secretary Lloyd Austins tyrannical vaccine mandate. In the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act, Stauber supported a provision to prohibit dishonorable discharges for servicemembers who refuse the vaccine. While he is glad the provision was included and signed into law, he said, it does not go far enough. He has promised to continue to fight to end this mandate on our brave men and women of the U.S. military. In a response to an inquiry from The Epoch Times, the DoD, without replying to any questions posed, pointed to the Aug. 25, 2021, press release announcing the issuance of the Pentagons vaccine mandate. People Have to Stand Up Before We Are Led Into a Really Bloody Civil War: Retired US Major General Paul Vallely Retired U.S. Army Major General Paul Vallely is vigorously sounding the alarm against a potential communist takeover of the country and is also very concerned about the mandatory COVID vaccination of all members of the military. Vallely asserts that there have been many adverse reactions within the force since the rollout of the vaccines, singling out the risk of blood clots and heart problems with the jabs. The mandatory vaccines and boosters under Department of Defense guidance and directives to the commands throughout the Armed Forces have caused a great deal of controversy. Number one: those that declined mandatory vaccination under the First Amendment religious rights, Vallely told The Epoch Times. He believes that there is no need to force COVID vaccines on them, as these are the healthiest men and women we have in the country. They can take [the vaccines] as an option, but weve got to stop this mandatory vaccination. Its hurting the armed forces. And of course, our enemies see thatthe Russians, the Chinese, the cartels. And then [theres] the wokeism, the teaching of critical race theory. So there are a lot of things going on that are affecting the status and the readiness of our forces right now. Im very worried about that. According to U.S. Army Public Affairs, 97 percent of the active army and 88 percent of the army reserve is completely vaccinated. It also states that 2,846 exemption requests have been refused and there have been 3,330 official reprimands, as of April 13. However, an anonymous whistleblower told The Defender that the actual vaccination rates may be significantly lower. The Army had separated 669 soldiers for refusing the lawful order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as of May 19. Vallely served for 31 years in the U.S. Army and retired in 1992 as the deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has over 15 years of experience in special operations, psychological operations, and civil-military operations. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and earned his commission in the Army in 1961, at the height of the Vietnam war. After serving two combat tours in Vietnam, Vallely also served in several other overseas theaters in Europe and Pacific Rim countries. Vallely also served on U.S. security assistance missions and civilianmilitary relations tours all over the world. Paul E. Vallely MG U.S. Army (Ret). (Courtesy of Paul E. Vallely) Time Spent on CRT and Communist Ideology Could Be Used for Gun Training I think the Russians and the cartels and the Chinese, theyre letting us destroy ourselves from within. They dont have to even do anything. Its self-destruction within our own government. They see that, and of course, that makes us very, very vulnerable when we have critical race theory and ideology and what we call indoctrination, rather than putting forth the training and education that has to go on within our military, Vallely said. He believes that there absolutely is an agenda to transform the republic, that the country is being dismantled from within, and that a socialist takeover has already made substantial progress. When you take away to teach a critical race theory and communist ideology, youre taking away from the time that could be used for learning how to shoot better, how to operate airplanes better, take care of airplanes through maintenance; and even within the medical corps of the armed forces, it has affected many the doctors and nurses. So its a terrible thing. They need to stop it right now. They need to stop enforcing the mandates, he stated. This is terrible tyranny thats going on. How to Stop a Communist Takeover Despite the gloomy prospects, Vallely keeps a positive spirit and thinks that if the country is to be preserved, Americans need to awaken and act, starting at the local leveland quickly turn the tides before its too late. We have to have the sheriffs and the governors enforcing the 10th Amendment. We need to have that happen. Im not sure that the elections are going to be fair in November. People have to stand up before we are led into a really bloody civil war. And thats what its looking like. Vallely further asserted that there are high-tech oligarchs that, behind the scenes, want to change the direction of this country, and theyre doing it. Theyre dismantling this country. They dont believe in our Constitution, for example they dont care about the First Amendment or Second Amendment. They want to completely dominate the society culturally. Vallely is now the chairman of Stand Up America US Foundation and the Legacy National Security Advisory Group. He is a founding member of the Citizens Committee on National Security and is the founder of Nemo Arms incorporated in Boise, Idaho. 2022 is the awakening of America. We need to wake up to see whats happening to our country and to our governmentthe demolishing of our Constitution, increased burglaries, crime, and deaths within our cities. We got to enforce the law. These are all things that are on the table that must be done to turn the country around. If not, well be destroyed, Vallely concluded. The case reports included in Pfizer clinical trial documents, released June 1 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reveal a trend of classifying almost all adverse events and in particular severe adverse events as being not related to the vaccine. The latest release by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine documents reveals numerous instances of participants who sustained severe adverse events during Phase 3 trials. Some of these participants withdrew from the trials, some were dropped and some died. The 80,000-page document cache includes an extensive set of Case Report Forms (CRFs) from Pfizer Phase 3 trials conducted at various locations in the U.S., in addition to other documentation pertaining to participants in Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trials in the U.S. and worldwide. The FDA on June 1 released the documents, which pertain to the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the vaccine, as part of a court-ordered disclosure schedule stemming from an expedited Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed in August 2021. Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency (PHMPT), a group of doctors and public health professionals, submitted the FOIA request. CRFs Show Deaths, Severe Reactions to the Vaccines During Phase 3 Trials The CRFs included in this months documents contain often vague explanations of the specific symptoms experienced by the trial participants. They also reveal a trend of classifying almost all adverse events and in particular severe adverse events (SAEs) as being not related to the vaccine. For example: A female in her early 50s (randomization number 86545) who participated in the trial at the Sterling Research Group in Cincinnati, Ohio, died of an apparent myocardial infarction on Nov. 4, 2020. She had received two doses of the vaccine, on Sept. 10 and Sept. 29, 2020. The patient had a medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis of the knees and attention deficit disorder. Her death was listed as not related to the vaccine, and was instead attributed to hypertensive cardiovascular disease. A female in her late 50s (randomization number 220496), who participated in the trial at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, died of cardiac arrest on Oct. 21, 2020. Her death, however, was indicated as not related to her vaccinations (which occurred on July 30, 2020, and Aug. 20, 2020) as it occurred 2 months after last receipt of study agent, according to her CRF. The participants medical history included obesity, placement of a gastric sleeve, gastroesophageal reflux, sleep apnea, supraventricular tachycardia, hypothyroidism, depression and asthma. A male in his mid-60s (randomization number 221076) who participated in the trial operated by the Texas-based Ventavia Research Group died of an apparent myocardial infarction on Nov. 28, 2020. He had received the two doses of the vaccine on July 31, 2020, and Aug. 19, 2020. The participant had a medical history that included a previous myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anxiety, bilateral hip pain, type 2 diabetes, fluid retention, angina (intermittent), restless leg syndrome, Vitamin D deficiency, tobacco dependency and the placement of a coronary arterial stent in 2017. According to the CRF, he sustained the myocardial infarction on Oct. 27, 2020, and was diagnosed with pneumonia the following day. While both diagnoses were classified as serious in his CRF, they were both listed as not related to the vaccination, with his myocardial infection attributed to a failed cardiac stent and the pneumonia simply attributed to infection. A female in her teens (randomization number 104650) was diagnosed with right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis on Nov. 15, 2020, which was still ongoing as of Mar. 29, 2021, the date of the CRF. She was hospitalized and her condition was classified as serious, but it was indicated as not related to the vaccine, instead attributed to a fracture occurring prior to her vaccination on Sept. 11, 2020. The patient had a medical history including asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and obesity. A male in his mid-70s (randomization number 227629) participating in the trial at Clinical Neuroscience Solutions Inc. (operating in Florida and Tennessee) sustained a series of adverse events following his vaccinations on Aug. 13 and Oct. 7, 2020. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Aug. 30, 2020, which coincided with several other diagnoses classified as serious, including abdominal adhesions (Aug. 29, 2020), altered mental status (Aug. 29, 2020, lasting through Sept. 16, 2020), and acute hypoxic respiratory failure (Aug. 30, 2020). These diagnoses required his hospitalization. He was also listed as having suffered from congestive heart failure on Aug. 30, 2020, but this diagnosis was listed as not serious and as not related to the vaccine, but to prior surgery, with no further details given. Similarly, his other serious adverse events were listed as being related to prior or previous surgery, or to concomitant non-drug treatment. Other non-serious adverse events listed in this patients CRF include hypokalemia, anemia, acute renal failure, sepsis, hyponatremia, leukopenia, small bowel obstruction, aspiration pneumonia, mild concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (symptoms of which were still ongoing as of the CRF date of Mar. 29, 2021) and urinary tract infection. The patient had a medical history encompassing ongoing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, constipation, hiatal hernia and previous diagnoses of small bowel resection, small bowel perforation, inguinal hernia, osteoarthritis in both knees and knee replacement (both knees). A male in his mid-70s (randomization number 266982) participating in the trial at Boston Medical Center suffered a series of adverse events following vaccination, including pneumonia and peripheral edema. He had received two doses of the vaccine, on Oct. 2, 2020, and Oct. 27, 2020. The patient was hospitalized for pneumonia on Jan. 20, 2021, in an event classified as serious but also as not related to the vaccine. However, the cause of his pneumonia was listed in the CRF simply as un-related to vaccine, while his peripheral edema diagnosis was attributed to existing neuropathy. During his hospitalization with pneumonia, his blood pressure was measured as high as 179/72, with a heart rate reaching 105 beats per minute and an oxygen saturation level that fell to 92.0. In total, he had three emergency room visits during the observation period. The patient had a medical history that included type 2 diabetes, alcoholic cirrhosis, hypothyroidism, asthma, sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetic neuropathy, congestive heart failure, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, insomnia, excessive urination, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and HIV-positive status. A protocol deviation also occurred involving this patient, as his diary was not activated following administration of the first dose of the vaccine. A male in his early 40s (randomization number 68489) who participated in the trial at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center sustained chronic myelogenous leukemia on Sept. 24, 2020, with the condition ongoing as of the date of the CRF on Mar. 29, 2021. This was classified as a serious and life-threatening adverse event, albeit one that did not require hospitalization, but it was listed as not related to the vaccination but instead to a genetic change in stem cells. The patient had been vaccinated on Aug. 26, 2020, and Sept. 17, 2020, and had a medical history of asthma and seasonal allergies. Other non-serious adverse events he sustained included leukocytosis and thrombocytosis. A female in her mid-40s (randomization number 49018) who participated in the trial at Clinical Neuroscience Solutions Inc. was diagnosed with kidney stones on Jan. 4, 2021. This was classified as a serious adverse event that required hospitalization, but was listed as not related to the vaccine, instead being related, again, to kidney stone (sic). She had received the two doses of the vaccine on Aug. 17, 2020, and Sept. 8, 2020. The patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Jan. 27, 2021. Her prior medical history included migraine headaches, hypercholesterolemia and a Tarlov cyst. A female approximately 30 years old (randomization number 53307) participating in the trial at Boston Medical Center, with nothing to report in her medical history, sustained a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) on Sept. 9, 2020, with symptoms continuing until Feb. 8, 2021. This injury was listed as being related to the second dose of the vaccine, which she received on Sept. 9, 2020 (she had previously received her first dose on Aug. 17, 2020). A female in her late 50s (randomization number 260125) participating in the trial at Clinical Neuroscience Solutions Inc., suffered from acute exacerbation of asthma. The symptoms appeared in mid-December 2020, following her vaccination on Sept. 16, 2020, and Oct. 5, 2020. Her symptoms were classified as serious but not life-threatening, and she was hospitalized. However, her asthma symptoms were listed as not related to the vaccine, instead being related to asthma with no further explanation provided. On Jan. 12, 2021, her blood pressure was recorded as 183/130, with a heart rate of 98 beats per minute. Other less serious adverse events sustained by the patient included injection site pain, body pain, chills and a low-grade fever. Her medical history included cholecystitis (and a cholecystectomy), herniated disc, total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, endometriosis, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, rheumatoid arthritis in remission, asthma, seasonal allergies, irritable bowel syndrome and obesity. A male in his late 20s (randomization number 48413) who participated in the trial at Clinical Neuroscience Solutions Inc., sustained a bilateral pulmonary embolism on Dec. 14, 2020, with symptoms still ongoing as of the CRF date of Mar. 29, 2021. This was listed as a serious adverse event that required hospitalization, but was attributed to the patients habit of vaping and his sedentary lifestyle. He had received the two doses of the vaccine on Aug. 13, 2020, and Sept. 2, 2020. Other post-vaccination symptoms listed for the patient included fever, fatigue, headache, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, new/worsened muscle pain, new/worsened joint pain and swelling. The patient had a medical history that included elevated triglycerides, genital herpes and seasonal allergies, in addition to a vaping habit. The many serious adverse events and several deaths recorded during the Phase 3 trials are also apparent in a separate, massive document, exceeding 2,500 pages, cataloging such adverse events. This document lists a wide range of adverse events suffered by trial participants classified as toxicity level 4 the highest and most serious such level. However, not one of the level 4 (most severe) adverse events listed in this particular document is classified as being related to the vaccination. Level 4 adverse events listed in the document include but are not limited to the following, many of which occurred in multiple patients: Acute cholecystitis Acute respiratory failure Adrenal carcinoma Anaphylactic shock Aortic valve incompetence Appendicitis Arrhythmia, supraventricular Arteriosclerosis Brain abscess Cardiac arrest Chronic myeloid leukemia Complicated appendicitis/acute appendicitis with necrosis Congenital heart disease/heart anomaly Coronary artery occlusion COVID-19 illness Deep vein thrombosis Diverticulitis Hemiplegic migraine Hemorrhagic stroke Interstitial lung disease Myocardial infarction Orthostatic hypotension/possible postural hypotension Osteoarthritis Pericolic abscess Peritoneal abscess Renal colic Ruptured diverticulum Small bowel obstruction/small intestinal obstruction Spontaneous coronary artery dissection Subarachnoid hemorrhage Suicidal ideation (and suicidal ideation with attempt) Syncope Type 2 diabetes Worsening of abdominal pain An unevaluable event/unknown of unknown origin Similarly, only a small number of toxicity level 3 adverse events were indicated as having been related to vaccination. Such adverse events included but are not limited to the following, some of which occurred in multiple trial participants: Arthralgia Blood glucose increase/glucose spike Deafness/hearing loss Dyspepsia Hypotension Lymph node pain Lymphadenopathy/lymph node swelling Musculoskeletal chest pain (non-cardiac) Neutropenia Pain in fingers/bilateral hands Pruritus Pyrexia/febrile syndrome Severe headache Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration Sleep disorder/sleep disturbance Tachycardia Urticaria Ventricular arrhythmia Vertigo Page 2,525 of the document in question also lists six trial participant deaths, with causes of death including arteriosclerosis, cardiac arrest, hemorrhagic stroke and myocardial infarction. The small number of adverse events listed as being connected to the vaccine follows a trend noted in the previous tranche of Pfizer-BioNTech documents, released in May. An additional document released in this months tranche catalogs patients who discontinued their participation in the Phase 3 trial, or whose participation was discontinued by physicians or other medical professionals. While many patients were discontinued because they could not be located, because of a physicians orders, because they moved to another region or for other personal reasons, numerous patients ended their participation due to adverse events, including but not limited to the following symptoms: Acute myocardial infarction Amnesia Anorexia Atrial fibrillation Cerebral infarction Congestive cardiac failure Coronary artery disease Deafness (unilateral) Depression Diabetic foot Diverticular perforation Exposure during pregnancy Eye pain Gait instability Gastric adenocarcinoma Gastrointestinal hemorrhage Hypertension Irregular heart rate Loss of taste and smell Myalgia Paraparesis Parkinsonism Presyncope Pulmonary embolism Pyrexia Swelling face Tachycardia Transient ischaemic attack Urticaria Vaccine allergy Vertigo In other instances, subjects withdrew because of fears connected to safety concerns related to the vaccine, or discomfort in receiving the second dose. Clinical Review Document Glosses Over Adverse Events During Trials Also included in Junes FDA document dump was a 334-page clinical review document, which appears to have been approved by the FDA on Apr. 30, 2021, and which presents pivotal data from Phase 1/2/3 Study C4591001, conducted in the U.S., along with supporting Phase 1/2 data from Study BNT162-01, performed in Germany. This document refers to both Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which received an EUA from the FDA, and the Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine, which received full FDA approval but is reportedly almost impossible to find at vaccination locations in the U.S. As previously reported by The Defender, a federal judge found the Pfizer-BioNTech and Pfizer Comirnaty vaccines are legally distinct. The clinical review document states: BNT162b2 has received temporary authorizations for emergency supply in 28 countries and conditional marketing authorizations in 39 countries globally. The name of the product supplied under emergency/temporary use authorization for all applicable regions is Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. The name of the product supplied under conditional marketing authorization for all applicable regions is COMIRNATY [COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (nucleoside modified)]. The document states that trial participants were administered one of two candidate vaccines, labeled BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 (the latter of which ultimately received an EUA from the FDA), or a placebo. A variety of dosage levels were also tested, ranging from 10 g to 100 g for BNT162b1, and 10 g to 30 g for BNT162b2. In Phase 1 of Study BNT162-01, the clinical review reports that 40% to 45% of participants who received BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 across age groups and across dose levels reported one or more AEs [adverse events] from Dose 1 through 28 days (i.e., 1 month) after Dose 2. In what will turn out to be a general pattern throughout the clinical review, we are told that most AEs were considered by the investigator as not related to study intervention and mild to moderate in severity, and all AEs were reported as resolved. Some specific adverse events highlighted in this part of the clinical review include: Among BNT162b1 recipients, 1 younger participant in the 10 g group discontinued the study due to a moderate AE of malaise (considered as not related to study intervention) after Dose 1 and 1 younger participant in the 60 g group discontinued due to a dose-limiting toxicity of pyrexia after Dose 1. One older participant in the 20 g group had an SAE of severe syncope (considered as not related to study intervention) after Dose 1 and study treatment was withdrawn. Among BNT162b2 recipients, 1 younger participant in the 10 g group discontinued the study due to a moderate AE of nasopharyngitis (considered as not related to study intervention) after Dose 1. One older participant in the 20 g group had an SAE of ankle fracture (considered as not related to study intervention) after receiving both doses, was listed as recovering, and remains in follow-up. The clinical review also states no deaths occurred in the Phase 1 part of Study BNT162-01. The review adds that from Dose 1 of BNT162b2 30 g to the unblinding date, 6 (50.0%) participants in the younger age group and 3 (25.0%) participants in the older age group reported at least 1 AE. Specifically, in this portion of the study, two (16.7%) participants in the BNT162b2 30 g younger age group and 1 (8.3%) participant in the BNT162b2 30 g older age group reported at least 1 severe AE, and in the BNT162b2 30 g younger age group, 3 (25.0%) participants reported at least 1 related AE and 1 (8.3%) participant reported 1 severe SAE. These specific adverse events, according to the review, were reported in the system organ class (SOC) of nervous system disorders (3 [25.0%] participants in the younger age group and 1 [8.3%] participant in the older age group), followed by musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (1 [8.3%] participant in each age group). All AEs by preferred term (PT) were reported by no more than 1 participant. The review adds, from Dose 1 to the unblinding date, 1 participant in the BNT162b2 30 g younger age group reported a severe SAE (neuritis) that was assessed by the investigator as not related to study intervention, and there were no Phase 1 participants randomized to BNT162b2 30 g or corresponding placebo who died through the data cutoff date of 13 March 2021. Review of Results From Study C4591001 While incidences in the BNT162b2 and placebo were similar within the age groups for younger (9.1% vs 11.1%) and older (4.3% vs 8.9%) participants, among those who received BNT162b2 instead of the placebo, two severe events of myalgia and gastric adenocarcinoma (which was also an SAE) were reported for 2 participants in the younger age group, both assessed by the investigator as not related to study intervention. It is further mentioned that the only discontinuation due to an AE during this time was the participant in the BNT162b2 younger age group who reported an SAE of gastric adenocarcinoma (discontinued from the study on Day 23 after Dose 1 of BNT162b2). Ultimately, from dose 1 to 1 month after dose 2 for participants during the blinded safety follow-up of study C4591001, the numbers of overall participants who reported at least 1 AE and at least 1 related AE were higher in the BNT162b2 group (30.2% and 23.9%, respectively) as compared with the placebo group (13.9% and 6.0%, respectively). Specifically, severe AEs were reported by 1.2% and 0.7% in in the BNT162b2 and placebo groups respectively, and life-threatening AEs were similar (0.1% in both groups), and SAEs and AEs leading to withdrawal were reported by 0.6% and 0.2%, respectively, in both groups, while discontinuations due to related AEs were reported in 13 participants in the BNT162b2 group and 11 participants in the placebo group (0.1% in both groups). Overall, as reported for this part of the study, in the younger age group, the number of participants who reported at least 1 AE from Dose 1 to 1 month after Dose 2 was 4233 (32.6%) and 1871 (14.4%) in the BNT162b2 and placebo groups, respectively. In the older age group, the number of participants who reported at least 1 AE from Dose 1 to 1 month after Dose 2 was 2384 (26.7%) and 1177 (13.2%) in the BNT162b2 and placebo groups, respectively. The review specifies that the most frequently reported AEs in the BNT162b2 group were injection site pain (2915 [13.3%]), pyrexia (1517 [6.9%]), fatigue (1463 [6.7%]), chills (1365 [6.2%]), headache (1339 [6.1%]), and myalgia (1239 [5.7%]), however, some more serious adverse events that were reported during this stage of the trial included facial paralysis, cardiac disorders, hepatic cirrhosis, cholecystitis/cholecystitis acute, biliary colic, bile duct stone, biliary dyskinesia, lymphadenopathy, appendicitis, optic neuritis and hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis. Overall, according to the review, from Dose 1 to 1 month after Dose 2, severe AEs reported during the blinded follow-up period were low in frequency, reported in 1.2% of BNT162b2 recipients and 0.7% of placebo recipients. During the open-label follow-up period, referring to the period when the initial trial has been completed but participants are invited to continue taking the study drug for an additional period, the review states three participants originally randomized to BNT162b2 died during open-label follow-up. While one of these deaths was reportedly due to a road accident, the other two were attributed to lung metastases and myocardial infarction. However, none of these deaths were assessed by the investigator as related to study intervention. Furthermore, according to the report, during this period there were 12,006 participants who had at least 6 months of follow-up. Among these, 3,454 participants (28.8%) reported at least 1 AE and 2245 participants (18.7%) reported at least 1 related AE. Severe AEs and SAEs were reported by 2.1% and 1.6%, respectively. The review provides data for participants from dose 3 (first dose of BNT162b2) to the data cutoff date. The severe adverse event incidence rate (IR) was 6.0 per 100 PY (patient-years), with specific conditions reported including pulmonary embolisms, thrombosis, urticaria, a cerebrovascular accident and COVID-19 pneumonia. Here, the review adds that the IR for original placebo participants who had at least 1 life-threatening AE from Dose 3 to the data cutoff date was 0.5 per 100 PY. Only one such life-threatening event, an instance of anaphylactoid reaction, was considered to be related to the vaccination. Other life-threatening, serious adverse events included cardio-respiratory arrest, gastrointestinal necrosis, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The report also notes, There were 15 deaths in the BNT162b2 group and 14 deaths in the placebo group from Dose 1 to the unblinding date during the blinded placebo-controlled follow-up period. However, the report does not appear to go into detail about the causes of death for either group, other than to state, None of these deaths were assessed by the investigator as related to study intervention. In the Blinded Follow-Up Period from Dose 1 Through 1 Month After Dose 2, in the BNT162b2 group, SAE [serious adverse events] was similar in the BNT162b2 group (0.6%) and in the placebo group (0.5%), with three SAEs in the non-placebo group deemed to be related to the vaccine. These included ventricular arrhythmia, lymphadenopathy and SIRVA. During the open-label follow-up period for original BNT162b2 participants, the report states one younger participant with no past medical history had a life-threatening SAE of myocardial infarction 71 days after Dose 2 that was assessed by the investigator as related to study intervention. However, despite its life-threatening nature, this condition lasted 1 day and resolved the same day. Overall, from Dose 1 to 6 months after Dose 2, during the blinded and open-label follow-up periods, 190 (1.6%) participants in the BNT162b2 group reported at least 1 SAE, and the number of participants who reported at least 1 SAE was 73 (1.1%) and 117 (2.2%) in the younger and older age groups, respectively. These SAEs were categorized as neoplasms, infections and infestations, gastrointestinal disorders, hepatobiliary disorders, respiratory/thoracic/mediastinal disorders and injury/poisoning/procedural complications. An original placebo participant who received BNT162b2 for Dose 3 experienced a severe adverse event that was assessed by the investigator as related to study intervention; specifically, an anaphylactoid reaction 2 days post Dose 3 leading to the participants withdrawal from the study, despite a reported resolution. A separate subsection in the report specifically addressed cases of Bells palsy and facial paralysis among trial participants. Specifically, during the blinded placebo-controlled follow-up period, 6 participants developed one-sided facial paralysis (Bells palsy): 4 were randomized to BNT162b2 (all male) and 2 were randomized to placebo (1 male; 1 female), according to the review. Regarding the four vaccinated trial participants, their ages ranged from 40 to 70, with symptoms appearing three to 48 days after their last dose. Their symptoms were recorded as mild to moderate in severity, with duration ranging from 3 to 68 days, and with two of these cases considered by the investigator to be related to study intervention. Moreover, during the open-label follow-up period, 3 participants who received BNT162b2 as Dose 3 or Dose 4 (after originally being randomized to placebo) experienced facial paralysis, according to the review. These patients were all female, with an age range between 19 and 34. Events were recorded as beginning two to eight days after administration of the third dose, and were mild to severe. One case had a duration of 12 days, while the other two cases were ongoing as of the cutoff date of the trial. Notably, according to the review, all these events of facial paralysis were considered by the investigator as related to study intervention. The review adds, during the open-label follow-up period for participants originally randomized to BNT162b2, a male participant 51 years of age developed Bells Palsy 154 days after receiving Dose 2. No indication is given as to whether this was deemed to be related to the vaccination or not. From dose 1 to the unblinding date, heart-related adverse events included 6 acute myocardial infarctions, 4 myocardial infarctions group, and 1 acute coronary syndrome in the BNT162b2 group. According to the review, most of these events had onset distant (ie, >30 days following) to receipt of vaccine or placebo. None of these events were assessed by the investigator as related to study intervention. Moreover, there was 1 participant in the older BNT162b2 age group with pericarditis. The event had an onset of 28 days after Dose 2, was ongoing at the data cutoff date, and was assessed by the investigator as not related to the study intervention. Additionally, there were 8 cases of pulmonary embolism in the BNT162b2 group, in addition to four hemorrhagic strokes and 2 ischemic strokes, 4 cerebral vascular accidents, 2 transient ischemic attacks in this group, plus 1 case of thrombocytopenia and 1 case of platelet count decreased. Furthermore, there were 9 thrombotic events in the BNT162b2 group, including seven instances of deep vein thrombosis, one case of coagulopathy and one case of ophthalmic vein thrombosis. Regarding autoimmune issues in the BNT162b2 group, the review states there were 10 autoimmune disease cases identified, with one case each of autoimmune thyroiditis, ulcerative colitis, Crohns disease, reactive arthritis, fibromyalgia, systemic lupus erythematosus, alopecia areata, psoriasis, and two cases of psoriatic arthropathy. Pregnancies were largely glossed over in the review, which states: At the time of the data cutoff date (13 March 2021), a total of 50 participants who had received BNT162b2 had reported pregnancies, including 42 participants originally randomized to the BNT162b2 group and 8 participants originally randomized to the placebo group who then received BNT162b2. In total, 12 participants (n=6 each in the randomized BNT162b2 and placebo groups) withdrew from the blinded placebo-controlled vaccination period of the study due to pregnancy, and 4 participants originally randomized to placebo who then received BNT162b2 withdrew from the open-label vaccination period due to pregnancy. These participants continue to be followed for pregnancy outcomes. No births have been reported from individuals who have become pregnant in Study C4591001 as of the time of this submission. All pregnancies have a risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. Available data on BNT162b2 administered to pregnant women are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy. Pfizer Concludes Vaccines Are Safe and Well-Tolerated Overall, despite the incidence of severe adverse events some of which were admitted to be related to the vaccine and deaths, as well as an admitted lack of data regarding outcomes for pregnant women who participated in the trial, the safety conclusions of the review indicate the following: Based on Phase 1 data from the FIH Study BNT162-01, BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 were safe and well-tolerated in healthy adults 18 to 55 years of age, with no unanticipated safety findings and the AE profile and clinical laboratory results did not suggest any safety concerns. Based on Phase 1 data from Study C4591001 and Study BNT162-01, BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 were safe and well-tolerated in younger healthy adults 18 to 85 years of age, with no unanticipated safety findings and the AE profile did not suggest any safety concerns, including up to approximately 6 months after Dose 2 for BNT162b2 30 g groups. Based on Phase 2/3 data from approximately 44,000 participants 16 years of age with up to at least 6 months of follow-up after Dose 2 in Study C4591001, BNT162b2 at 30 g was safe and well-tolerated across age groups and the AE profile did not suggest any serious safety concerns. The incidence of SAEs and deaths were low in the context of the number of participants enrolled and comparable in BNT162b2 and placebo. The incidence of discontinuations due to AEs was also generally low and similar between BNT162b2 and placebo groups. Cumulative safety follow-up to at least 6 months after Dose 2 for approximately 12,000 Phase 2/3 participants originally randomized to BNT162b2, comprising the combined blinded and open-label periods, showed no new safety signals or suggested [any] new safety concerns arising from this period of follow-up. Similarly, open-label follow-up of participants originally randomized to placebo from the time of unblinding to receive BNT162b2 until the data cutoff date showed no new safety signals or concerns. The AE profile among approximately 44,000 participants 16 years of age enrolled to date as of the most recent safety cutoff date (13 March 2021), was mostly reflective of reactogenicity events with low incidences of severe and/or related events. The incidence of SAEs was low and similar in the vaccine and placebo groups. Few participants withdrew from the study due to AEs. Few deaths occurred overall in both the vaccine and placebo groups with no imbalance. For participants randomized to placebo and then unblinded to receive BNT162b2 vaccination, open-label data from the time of unblinding to the data cutoff date (13 March 2021) showed no new safety findings or signals. Taken together, efficacy and immunogenicity data suggest the BNT162b2 (30 g) 2-dose regimen induces a strong immune response and provides durable protection from COVID-19 across a spectrum of individuals representative of the population at large for individuals 16 years of age: those with or without prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and those in higher-risk categories based on age, race, ethnicity, and/or comorbidity. As a result, and based on the above data, the review makes a case for the approval of BNT162b2: A vaccine program must be implemented expediently and rapidly expanded to have a significant impact on the pandemic course. Licensure of BNT162b2 is likely to enhance vaccine uptake by facilitating supply of vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech directly to pharmacies and healthcare providers/facilities. The greatest impact of BNT162b2 licensure may be direct supply to healthcare providers who serve vulnerable populations such as elderly patients and those who live in rural and underserved communities (i.e., individuals who might be unable to navigate the challenges of securing vaccine access using the systems in place for EUA). Expansion of vaccine via licensure would ultimately improve the prospect of achieving population herd immunity to bring the pandemic under control. Overall, the potential risks and benefits, as assessed by the safety profile and the efficacy and immunogenicity of BNT162b2 (30 g), are balanced in favor of the potential benefits to prevent COVID-19 in immunized individuals. Likewise, the BNT162b2 30 g benefit and risk profile support further development in pediatric, maternal, and other at-risk populations. 06/21/22 Childrens Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of Childrens Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from Childrens Health Defense? Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Childrens Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts. Pfizer Vaccine Impairs Sperm CountConspiracy Theorists Were Right Commentary A new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Andrology on June 17 vindicates another dark suspicion about COVID-19 vaccines: They harm male fertility. Specifically, researchers find declining sperm counts for up to five months after the second dose of Pfizers mRNA COVID-19 jab. Previously, any legitimate questions about COVID-19 vaccination affecting fertility were dismissed using the perverse rhetoric of theres no evidence (its dependent upon the advocates of a universally distributed medical product to prove its safe, not the other way around). Then, there was a published study that seemingly disproved any male fertility concerns. We now have evidence that should reassure you that the risk of immunization compromising your sperm count is extremely low, Dr. David Cohen, a reproduction expert, told CNN. Because the vaccines contain mRNA and not the live virus, it is unlikely that the vaccine would affect sperm parameters, stated study author Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the Reproductive Urology Fellowship program at the University of Miami. After the publication of the study and positive support from the scientific community, all male fertility concerns were brushed aside. Anyone who dared to question the parameters of the study or the longer-term effects was relegated to a conspiracy theorist. As someone who generally doesnt like to engage in speculation, I wasnt one of these peoplebut I vividly recall it happening. There was one severe limitation of the study: It only looked at sperm counts before the first dose and 70 days after the second. What happens after two months remained a mystery, but a mystery not worth worrying about, we were told. The new study published in Andrology tested beyond 70 days and tested sperm counts from men who donated sperm to three fertility clinics in Israel. The study had four phases: a pre-vaccination baseline control, and a short-term (1545 days), intermediate (75120 days), and long-term (>150 days) test. In the first phase (1545 days), no significant change in sperm concentration or motility was found. However, the intermediate evaluation (75120 days) showed a temporary 15.4 percent sperm concentration decrease, which led to a total motile count (TMC) reduction of 22.1 percent compared to the pre-vaccination baseline control. The study authors concluded that the immune response induced by the Pfizer vaccine is a reasonable cause for transient semen concentration and TMC decline. This study isnt without its limitations. There was no control group of unvaccinated sperm donors to compare to. Moreover, only relative reduction rates were given rather than absolute sperm counts. If the broader data paints an even darker picture, its possible it was obscured given the tremendous amount of public and institutional pressure to support the unchallengeable holy biotechnology (see the backlash Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg and colleagues faced for publishing the vaccine myocarditis studies). The biggest unanswered question from this study is the reproductive side effects associated with a booster shot. Study participants were given a third dose, but data collection ended after the second shot. Moreover, this data is only for the Pfizer vaccine. As weve seen with myocarditis, the Moderna vaccine has severalfold (approximately 3 to 5 times) higher rates of myocarditis compared to Pfizer. If the differential vaccine damage for myocarditis in any way aligns with sperm count impairment, this would be a medical disaster. Vaccine fanatics have always dismissed concerns as conspiracy theory. That vaccines are wildly ineffective at preventing transmission was once a conspiracy theory. Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson was kicked off Twitter for making this claim, alongside other misinformation. Robust evidence showing vaccines cause an unacceptably high rate of myocarditis in men has also been bizarrely challenged, ignored, and distorted (see Dr. Sanjay Gupta on The Joe Rogan Experience). Being concerned with long-term side effects was treated like speculating whether the Earth is flat. Vaccine advocates made the grave mistake of overconfidently assuming the unknowns were completely benign, and any consideration otherwise was blasphemous. Science isnt religious scriptureits an ever-evolving process. With the new data in, responsible scientists must acknowledge this risk and compare it with the potential benefits of vaccination (against severe disease and death). And accordingly, the one-size-fits-all everyone 5 and up should get boosted propaganda campaign must be scrapped in favor of age-specific, individualized decision-making. A 30-year-old male looking to start a family may be reasonably discouraged from getting vaccinated (or now getting a booster) given the new data; meanwhile, a frail 75-year-old man with multiple comorbidities would much rather be protected from the potentially lethal consequences of COVID-19. The question is, will the public health authorities and top epidemiologists re-evaluate their universal vaccine advisory and honestly discuss the risks? If not, I may contend science is dead with Nietzschean zeal. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Family members who lost a sibling place flowers outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via TNS) Police Husband of Teacher Killed in Texas School Shooting Detained, Had Gun Taken Away A Uvalde police officer whose teacher wife was killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School was blocked by law enforcement from trying to help her, an official said. Ruben Ruiz wanted to get to his wife, teacher Eva Mireles, when she called him after being shot inside the classroom where she was trapped with the shooter on May 24. Instead, officers took his gun, detained him, and led him away from the scene, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw told a Texas Senate hearing on Tuesday, streamed by PBS News Hour. We got an officer, Officer Ruiz, whose wife had called him and said she had been shot and shes dying, McCraw said. What happened to him was he tried to move forward into the hallway, he was detained and they took his gun away from him and escorted him off the scene. Eva Mireles was one of two teachers fatally shot along with 19 fourth-grade students. Almost 90 minutes passed from the time 18-year-old shooter Salvador Ramos entered the school at 11.33 a.m. and when a specialized Border Patrol unit finally entered the classroom at 12.51 p.m. and killed him. During that time, children were still making calls to 911 from within the classroom, McCraw said. Further, a new image from inside the school timestamped 19 minutes after the shooter entered shows officers standing in the hallway with high-powered rifles and a ballistics shield. The hearings, being held on Tuesday and Wednesday, are seeking to uncover why officers waited for around 90 minutes before killing Ramos. Using photos of doors from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Tex., Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw testifies at a Texas Senate hearing at the state capitol in Austin, Tex., on June 21, 2022. (Eric Gay/AP Photo) On-Scene Misinformation McCraw told the hearing that one of the biggest problems during the mass shooting was the lack of leadership and misinformation thats being provided on the scene which contributed to what one Texas senator said was a complete failure by law enforcement that day. As more experienced officers arrived on the scene, McCraw said they were being told the shooter was contained and that Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was in an office negotiating or talking to the subject. As a result of what McCraw described as misinformation being conveyed to arriving officers, who McCraw said had no reason to discount what they were told, the officers went about providing support elsewhere, not knowing that some children were still alive in the classroom and calling 911. So everyone is treating it, that comes in afterwards, youre in the hallway and youre looking at it, and youre being told this, theres no reason to discount that, McCraw said. Now, certainly if you heard, Well, wait a minute, were getting 911 calls from children in the classroom. And we didnt know the timeline. Law enforcement personnel guard the scene of a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. (Marco Bello/Reuters) Active shooter protocol demands law enforcement go to where the shots are firing and prevent loss of life as a first priority. McCraw confirmed that a DPS officer on the scene made a declarative statement that if theres children we need to go in, we need to go in right now. He testified that there were enough officers on the scene to have stopped the shooter three minutes after he entered the building. However, the misinformation meant officers believed the situation had changed from an active shooter to barricaded subject, which has different protocols. Responding to parts of McCraws testimony, state Sen. Juan Hinojosa, a Democrat for District 20, said that the officers should have charged the classroom. In this situation, some law enforcement might have been killed charging in there, but thats why you signed up for the job. Theres always a risk involved, he said. UPDATE: This article has been updated to correct the name of Ruizs wife to Eva Mireles and clarify that Pete Arredondo is the school police chief. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) waves as he meets with Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman Weibur in the capital city Port Vila on June 1, 2022. (Ginny Stein/AFP via Getty Images) Pro-Beijing Vanuatu PM Shelves Constitutional Changes After Boycott From Opposition Vanuatus government has shelved proposed changes to its Constitution to allow foreign nationals to hold office and extend term limits for members of Parliament. The contentious changes come amid concerns that democratic institutions across the South Pacific are being weakened as Beijing ramps up its influence. On June 21, Prime Minister Bob Loughman was forced to park the amendments after the opposition refused to attend Parliament to consider the changes. With only 31 out of 52 MPs present, the Parliament was short of a quorum (34 MPs). The proposed changes included extending the terms of MPs from four to five years, introducing term limits for the chief justice, allowing dual citizens to hold public office, and expanding the definition of the people of Vanuatu to include naturalised citizens, which would likely include around 1,200 Chinese migrant investors. Opposition leader Ralph Regenvanu criticised the proposal saying changes to the Constitution should be brought about via referendum to see what the public mood is, according to comments obtained by Radio New Zealand. Beijing Influence Undermines Democratic Institutions South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal has warned that the developments in Vanuatu mirrored those of other Pacific nations like the Solomon Islands, where democratic institutions are beginning to show signs of strainthe common thread, she says, is the emergence of authoritarianism and deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). You start to get this distortion in the society that creates an enormous amount of social anger. If you are from a democratic background, you think thats a bad thing, she previously told The Epoch Times. But if you accept this premise of entropic warfare being the desired outcome from Beijing, you actually do want to create disruption within the society. Vanuatus Prime Minister Bob Loughman Weibur (C) talks to visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) during a signing ceremony of agreements between the two countries in the capital city Port Vila on June 1, 2022. (Ginny Stein/AFP via Getty Images) Then the authoritarian leadership elements get increasingly isolated from their own population and the international community, and become more reliant on Beijing. Some symptoms of this relationship include the increasing involvement of CCP-linked figures in decision-making, manipulation of the democratic process, and more power is granted to the central government. The Vanuatu prime ministers deep ties to Beijing are no secret. Loughman was one of eight Pacific leaders to be visited by the Chinese Foreign Minister during his recent trip to the South Pacific. Further, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati recently backed a statement delivered by Cuba at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, calling for countries to stop scrutinising Beijings human rights abuses. Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet-related issues are Chinas internal affairs, the statement claimed. Outgoing chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin speaks during a news conference on her retirement, in Ottawa on Dec. 15, 2017. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Propping Up the Regime: Former Chief Justice McLachlin Criticized for Continuing to Serve on Hong Kongs Top Court Former Supreme Court of Canada chief justice Beverley McLachlin is drawing flak for continuing to sit as a judge on Hong Kongs highest court. Two British supreme court judges and one from Australia resigned from the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (HKCFA) in light of the National Security Law (NSL) imposed by Beijing on the territory that observers say threatens civil liberties. But McLachlin and other Hong Kong-appointed international judges have remained. Its really disconcerting, Ryan Alford, a professor at Lakehead Universitys Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, said in an interview. Alford called for McLachlins resignation from the HKCFA in a series of Twitter posts on June 17. [I]n the course of an unrelenting assault on Hong Kongs civil society every pro-democracy organization of note there has called for the foreign judges to resign, noting that they merely provide China with a fig leaf for its rapaciousness, he wrote. Beijing, through judicial education & libelous state controlled media has driven independent judges & lawyers out: leaders of the HK Bar Council were accused of sedition & the govt interfered with theHK Law Societys elections. A protester is detained by police during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Alfords comments followed a CBC interview in which McLachlin defended her presence as a non-permanent judge on the bench, insisting that the court is functioning the way Im used in Canada to courts functioning and there is no governmental influence. Technically, at least, the Hong Kong government is independent of the central government [in Beijing], and so far they have committed to supporting an independent court. I dont see myself sitting on a court whose rulings are not respected, no, she said. I have stayed on because we [the external judges who remain] believe it would be the wrong signal to send that theres anything wrong with this court. This court may be called upon to rule on some of these very controversial provisions in the security law. And what they need, what Hong Kong needs, and what the bar tells us they need, is that court to remain in place, to remain independent, and to remain strong. However, China expert Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, noted on Twitter that international justices of the HKCFA are not permitted to sit on national security cases so [McLachlin] cant help the pro-democracy legislators who are imprisoned. She accepted the position on her own so the [Canadian government] cant remove her. The Brits left as they saw they were a fig leaf for the CCP, McCuaig-Johnston wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Canadian Friends of Hong Kong wrote on Twitter that the CCPs judicial interference/influence is pre-ruling & on individual judges. Just the optics of having a Chief Justice of Canada on the [Hong Kong] bench itself is propping up the regime, the group said. Alford said Beijing first overturned the HKCFAs interpretations in 1999 and it has eroded ever since. In a bail hearing on Feb. 9, 2021, the court ruled that the NSL is not subject to constitutional review by the court on the basis of any alleged incompatibility as between the NSL and the Basic Law as applied to Hong Kong. He says he believes this jurisprudence would be known to McLachlin, and she should know she could not rule against the NSL. The Basic Law is Hong Kongs mini constitution that came into effect on July 1, 1997, when the British returned the territory to China. It enshrines the one country, two systems principle and, among other rights, protects freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. Alford also says McLachlins claim that the bar wants her to stay is not an argument in her favour. There was direct political interference from the government in the election of the Law Society of Hong Kong. Lawyers in Hong Kong were warned not to vote for certain people to join, essentially, the board of directors. The NSL applies retroactively, Alford says, just as the Emergencies Act did for the Freedom Convoy participants in Ottawa and supporters in Canada. Youre on notice that if you were involved in these protests, which are some of the largest protests in the history of the worldor if you have you spoken in favour of peoples right to do itthat youre going to be next in this crackdown. And this involves the barristers. Theyve been charged on that basis and [the authorities] seized privileged barrister-client materials. Reputational Benefit to HK Govt McLachlin is one of 10 judges from foreign jurisdictions who remain as non-permanent members of the HKCFA. On March 30, Lord Robert Reed, president of the United Kingdom Supreme Court, and Lord Patrick Hodge, deputy president of the same court, both resigned from the HKCFA. Demonstrators take part in a protest against the new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images) I have concluded, in agreement with the government, that the judges of the Supreme Court cannot continue to sit in Hong Kong without appearing to endorse an administration which has departed from values of political freedom, and freedom of expression, Reed wrote in a statement. James Spigelman, a former chief justice of New South Wales, Australia, stepped down from the HKCFA in September 2020 over the NSL. He was the first senior judge to resign while publicly citing the new law, which was passed by Beijing on June 30, 2020, without consultation or legislative process in Hong Kong. On June 16, former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler and others from abroad with former high positions in law backed a 56-page legal paper that outlined why the judges should resign. [T]here has been a trend toward greater judicial deference toward the executive in ways that deviate from established legal principles, the document says, adding that having international judges remain is of considerable reputational benefit to the Hong Kong government, which has repeatedly asserted the continued presence amounts to a vote of confidence in the Hong Kong courts as whole. Toronto lawyer Chi-Kun Shi, who was born in Hong Kong prior to the Chinese takeover in 1997, says McLachlin has stood down while the government manipulates judicial process by choosing which judges will adjudicate security cases. I am not aware that she has opposed any of the alarming developments in the rule of law in Hong Kong, she told The Epoch Times. Shi says the only way McLachlin can promote values of fundamental rights and freedoms as laid out by Hong Kongs Basic Law and international law is by her resignation. Her absence, should it occur, will be the first act of her opposition to the current state of rule of law in Hong Kong to my knowledge to date. It would be influential and for the good, she said. Her presence provides credibility to the HKCFA, for which credibility no longer exists. The good of her resignation would be the truth. Raab Unveils Bill of Rights in Effort to Reassert UK Legal Supremacy Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has unveiled a Bill of Rights that he claims would overrule decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights, such as the recent interim measure which blocked the deportation of several illegal immigrants to Rwanda. Raab, who is also the deputy prime minister, says the Bill of Rightswhich would supplant the Human Rights Actwould assert that British courts do not have to follow edicts from Strasbourg and the UK Supreme Court in London is the ultimate arbiter on human rights issues. Raab introduced the proposed Bill of Rights to Parliament on Wednesday, saying it was fulfilling a commitment made in the 2019 Conservative general election manifesto to carry out human rights reform following Britains departure from the European Union. He said the new legislation would make it crystal clear that it is Parliament that decides policy, not a court in Strasbourg. But the Bill of Rights was immediately criticised by the opposition Labour Party. Shadow justice minister Ellie Reeves said: This is a very dark day for victims of crime, for women, for people in care, for everyone in this country who relies on the state to protect them from harm. This is not a Bill of Rights, its a con it will create endless delays and red tape. She said the Rwanda policy was bungled and unworkable and the government had attempted to blame someone else, in the form of the European Court of Human Rights, for its failures. Earlier Raab told LBC: No one is talking about tearing up human rights in this country. We are staying within the European Convention, we are going to reinforce those quintessentially British rights like free speech. But I do think, when it comes to public protection, people want to see a dose of common sense and balance provided, and thats what our reforms will achieve. No Automatic Right to Appeal in Trivial Cases The Bill of Rights would also boost the freedom of speech and is designed to stop cancel culture which prevents people with certain views being given a platform, especially in institutions such as universities. It would also restrict the right of foreign-born residents with children convicted of crimes in Britain to fight the deportation of their family on the grounds of a right to family life. The Bill of Rights would also remove the automatic right to legal recourse in trivial cases and would mean claimants would have to prove they had suffered significant damage. The Ministry of Justice says it will also insulate the governments plans to increase the use of prison Separation Centres against legal challenge from extremist offenders claiming a right to socialise.' Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UKs chief executive, said the legislation would represent a giant leap backwards for the rights of ordinary people. PA Media contributed to this report. RCMP Commissioner Wanted Firearms Used in NS Mass Killing Publicized to Support Liberals Gun Control Bill, Document Says Conservatives say revelations show interference in investigations into the mass shooting A document released by the inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia shows RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki wanted details of the firearms used in the killing shared with the public in order to raise support for federal gun control legislation. Conservative MPs say the revelation shows attempts to interfere with an investigation into the shooting. The document, citing notes submitted by Nova Scotia RCMP Superintendent Darren Campbell, said that during a conference call on April 28, 2020, shortly after the rampage that took the life of 22 people, Lucki criticized senior RCMP managers who had refused to reveal details of the guns used in the killings. At the meeting, Commr. Lucki expressed disappointment in the press briefings carried out by the Nova Scotia RCMP. In particular, Commr. Lucki felt that the Nova Scotia RCMP had disobeyed her instructions to include specific information on the firearms used by the perpetrator, the document said. It went on to say that Campbell was concerned that revealing information about the firearms could compromise the RCMPs investigation into the case. In his notes, Supt. Campbell indicated that he had told the Nova Scotia RCMP Strategic Communications Unit not to release information about the perpetrators firearms out of concern that it would jeopardize the ongoing investigation into the perpetrators access to firearms, which was being carried out both by the RCMP and United States law enforcement. The document added that Campbell wrote in his notes that Lucki had promised the minister of public safety and the Prime Ministers Office that the RCMP would release the information related to the guns. His notes added that when he tried to explain the reasoning for not releasing that information, Lucki said the Nova Scotia RCMP didnt understand, that this was tied to pending gun control legislation that would make officers and public safer by or through this legislation. Campbell also said some in the meeting were in tears over Luckis reprimand. This Is Alarming According to police, the guns used by the killer were not obtained legally, with some of them smuggled into Canada from the United States. In May 2020, shortly after the mass killing, the Liberal government announced a ban on 1,500 types of weapons in Canada. It has since announced more gun restrictions, introducing new legislation this year to implement a national freeze on the sale, transfer, and importation of handguns into and within Canada. The Conservatives were quick to condemn the revelations in the report, saying in the House of Commons and on social media that the incident amounts to interference in the investigations into the killings. If true, this is damning, said Tory MP Dane Lloyd. The allegations are that the commissioner for the RCMP sought to interfere in an active criminal investigation at the behest of the Prime Ministers Office and Public Safety to advance Liberal gun control announcement. A woman comforts her daughter after they placed flowers at an impromptu memorial in front of the RCMP detachment in Enfield, Nova Scotia, on April 20, 2020. (Tim Krochak/Getty Images) This is alarming, said Tory MP Dan Albas, while fellow MP Melissa Lantsman repeated Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus words from February 2020: We are not the kind of country where politicians get to tell the police what to do. In a statement, Lucki said she would never interfere with an investigation into the mass killing. It is important to note that the sharing of information and briefings with the minister of public safety are necessary, particularly during a mass shooting on Canadian soil, she said. This is standard procedure and does not impact the integrity of ongoing investigations or interfere with the independence of the RCMP. She added that she did meet with Nova Scotia RCMP shortly after the shootings to discuss communication flow and the release of information to the public. It was a tense discussion, and I regret the way I approached the meeting and the impact it had on those in attendance, she said. Bill Blair, minister of emergency preparedness, said the federal government didnt issue directions to Lucki on the matter. The commissioner has confirmed that no direction and no pressure was given by me or by any member of this government to direct her in any way, Blair said. The Canadian Press contributed to this report. COVID-19 Vaccination Reactivates Highly Contagious Virus: Studies Reports of people being diagnosed with shingles on the rise News Analysis Doctors and scientists are seeing an increase in the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, known as varicella-zoster virus (VZV), following the COVID-19 injections. The chickenpox virus is one of the eight herpes viruses known to infect humans. After a person contracts and recovers from chickenpox, the virus never leaves the body but lies dormant in the nervous system for life. The chickenpox virus will show up as shingles, or herpes zoster (HZ) when it gets reactivated. Federal health authorities claim that theres no correlation between COVID-19 injections and shingles, but studies show that there is a higher incidence of shingles in people whove received the vaccine. Israel was one of the earlier countries to publish a case series of six women (out of 491 participants) with an autoimmune disorder who developed shingles 3 to 14 days after receiving the first or second dose of Pfizer COVID-19 shot. None of the 99 participants in the control group developed shingles. The study was published in the journal Rheumatology in April 2021. To our knowledge, there were no reports of varicella-like skin rash or HZ in the mRNA-based vaccines COVID-19 clinical trials and our case series is the first one to report this observation in patients within a relatively young age range: 3661, average age 49 11 years, the authors wrote. They hoped that publishing the case series would raise awareness to a potential causal link between COVID-19 vaccination as a trigger of HZ reactivation in relatively young patients with stable AIIRD [autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases]. Man with scarring from shingles on June 21, 2022. (Meiling Lee/The Epoch Times) In a different case study from Taiwan, researchers reported three healthy men ages 71, 46, and 42 who developed shingles two to seven days following the first dose of the Moderna or AstraZeneca COVID-19 injection. HZ does not often appear after the administration of other kinds of vaccinations, the researchers wrote. But we believed that there might be a link between COVID-19 vaccine and HZ emergence. One of the reasons is the short delay of onset after vaccination. The other reason is that these three patients were immunocompetent, they added. The largest study to date, based on real-world data (pdf) of more than two million patients, found that there was a higher incidence of shingles among the vaccinated (who received a COVID-19 shot within 60 days) than in the unvaccinated cohort, who were diagnosed with shingles within 60 days of visiting a healthcare office for any other reason. According to the researchers, the risk of developing shingles was calculated as 0.20 percent for the vaccinated group and 0.11 percent for the unvaccinated, and the difference was statistically highly significant. Reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus appears to be a potential ADR [adverse drug reaction] to COVID-19 vaccines, at least for mRNA LNP-based formulations, the authors wrote, adding that vaccination against COVID-19 seems to potentially raise the risk of precipitating HZ [herpes zoster]. Dr. Richard Urso, an ophthalmologist, and drug design and treatment specialist, told EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program in April 2022 that of the three to five patients he sees a week with long COVID or problems after receiving the COVID-19 shot, a huge number of them have reactivated Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, CMV. Regardless of the rise in reports of shingles after the rollout of the COVID-19 shots, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims that it has not detected any safety signal between the two. FDA has not seen a safety signal for shingles/herpes zoster following administration of the approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines, Abby Capobianco, FDA press officer told The Epoch Times via email last month, adding that the agency will continue to closely monitor the safety of these vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also alleges that there is no current connection between COVID-19 vaccines and the reactivation of the chickenpox virus. CDC spokesperson Scott Pauley said that any adverse reactions experienced after receiving a COVID-19 shot are temporary and a positive sign that the vaccine is working. Some people have side effects from the vaccine, which are normal signs that their body is building protection, Pauley wrote in an email to The Epoch Times. These side effects may affect their ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects, and allergic reactions are rare. Adverse Events of Special Interest Screenshot of Pfizers safety document released in March 2022. Shingles or herpes zoster is one of the adverse events of special interest to look out for following a COVID-19 shot. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times) Shingles is listed as one of the 1,291 adverse events of special interest in Pfizers safety document (pdf) released by the FDA in March 2022. Adverse events of special interest (AESI) are side effectsthat can be severe or not but can lead to a serious medical conditionthat health care practitioners should look out for following vaccination, according to Dr. Jesse Santiano, an emergency room physician and internist. The medical conditions in the list does not mean that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine causes all of those, Santiano said on May 11. Thats because we dont have enough data to make that conclusion, at least not yet. The list of medical conditions is not specific to only Pfizer, but to all COVID-19 vaccines administered globally. Anyone whos received a COVID-19 injection and then diagnosed with a disorder on the listwhether months or years after the shotshould make a report to the vaccine maker or Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). The earliest reports made to VAERS of people developing the painful rash after their COVID-19 shot was in December 2020. According to the latest VAERS data as of June 10, 2022, there were 1.301 million total COVID-19 reports in the database, of which, 13,887 cases were of shingles. In comparison, a search of herpes zoster and influenza vaccines or shingles vaccine resulted in 1,127 total events in the past three decades and more than 18,000 events in over 15 years, respectively. The CDC says that VAERS reports do not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the adverse effect. The Epoch Times has reached out to Pfizer for a request for comment. Treatment Shingles is characterized by a painful, stripe-like rash or small blisters that usually appear on one side of the body or face. Many individuals with shingles experience one or more of the following symptoms: burning and shooting pain; fluid-filled blisters; skin that itches, tingles, or is numb; and fever, chills, headache, or upset stomach. The disease usually resolves in two to four weeks after the blisters develop, but some people may develop complications such as persistent nerve pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia, vision or hearing loss, and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome which causes facial paralysis. Screenshot of a shingles rash with clusters of blisters. (CDC MMWR/screenshot by The Epoch Times) When the rash is in the blister stage, people with shingles can spread the virus to those who have not yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases says that about 1 million Americans develop shingles each year and half of the population who lives to 85 years of age will experience shingles during their lifetime. Its not clear what triggers the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, but the most significant risk factor for shingles is an immune system that is weakened or compromised. If your immune system isnt performing properly, the chickenpox virus can reactivate. Extreme stress, old age, taking immunosuppressive drugs, or certain diseases and vaccines are factors that may increase the risk of shingles. While the risk of getting shingles goes up for people aged 50 and older, studies have shown that shingles may also occur in young, healthy people after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Keith Berkowitz, an internist, says that shingles usually present as a secondary disease. Typically, shingles is never a primary process, its usually a secondary process, Berkowitz told The Epoch Times. Its something compromising the immune system leading them to develop shingles. Treatment for shingles should begin immediately after the rash appears and consists of one of the three FDA-approved antivirals to shorten the length and severity of the illness and nerve pain medications, the CDC says. Cold, wet compresses, calamine lotion, and colloidal oatmeal baths may also help relieve itching. A container of Vitamin D capsules. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo) Shingles may also be treated with supplements such as lysine, quercetin, and vitamin D (when taken early), according to Berkowitz who prescribes them to his patients. He says that the ratio of lysine to arginine in a persons body is particularly important when it comes to shingles. The spreading of shingles requires the virus to multiply, and the amino acid arginine that helps the herpes virus replicate. Lysine interferes with arginine and helps prevent herpes from spreading, Berkowitz said. Lysine and arginine are essential amino acids that are needed to help the body build proteins. Unlike arginine, the body cannot produce lysine on its own and can only be obtained from certain foods or with supplementation. During a shingles outbreak, its advisable to avoid foods that are high in arginine like nuts and seeds, tofu, and chocolate, among other foods. Quercetina natural pigment (flavonoid) found in many vegetables, fruits, and grainshas anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that might help reduce swelling, kill cancer cells, control blood sugar, and help prevent heart disease, according to webmd.com. Berkowitz says that quercetin suppresses viral replication in shingles. As for vitamin D, Berkowitz explains that it acts as an effect-modifier for the entire herpes zoster spectrum with regard to disease susceptibility, manifestation, the efficacy of pharmacologic management, and emergent complications during treatment. Studies have shown that vitamin D has important functions beyond just bone health, which include regulating immune function and inflammation. Besides lysine, quercetin, and vitamin D, Berkowitz also suggests taking probiotics like lactobacillus to possibly help improve your immune system. Probiotics such as lactobacillus may help to treat herpes by boosting your bodys immune system, Berkowitz said. Special peptides are found in lactobacillus and are essential in inducing a rapid immune response in your body. Once activated, the immune system can do its job of protecting your body. People who are having symptoms of shingles should consult with their doctor about what treatment would best suit them. Those who experience shingles on the face should seek immediate medical attention. The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for older people aged 50 and older and adults 19 and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy to prevent the disease. Members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces examine new armament, including NLAW anti-tank systems and other portable anti-tank grenade launchers, in Kyiv, on March 9, 2022. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images) Rebuilding UK Weapons Stockpile to Pre-Ukraine War Level Could Take Years: Military Chief It could take years for the UK to rebuild its weapons stockpile to the level before the Ukraine war, the head of the British armed forces has said. Britain, which has become one of Ukraines most important allies in the countrys resistance against the Russian invasion, was the first European country to send lethal aid to Ukraine and has sent military aid worth hundreds of millions of pounds, including thousands of anti-tank missiles, air defence systems, and armoured vehicles. Last month, the UK government pledged 1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) worth of further military support to Ukraine. Undated photograph of Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, head of the UK armed forces. (Andrew Milligan/PA Media) Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, who took over as chief of the defence staff in November 2021, acknowledged on June 22 that the rate of expenditure of weapons in Ukraine and the industrial capacity to backfill had already become a significant issue. Answering questions from the International Relations and Defence Committee in the House of Lords, Radakin said the government needs to work with defence suppliers, and has already invited 12 leading companies to Downing Street for talks. But he added: We are then talking in years, because you cannot whistle up with modern weapons a quick production line. Yes, you can churn out shells and artillery, but even at the not super-sophisticated end, even at the modest end of an NLAW [anti-tank] weapon, then thats going to take several years to get back to our original stocks. Regrowing UK Capability Defence minister Leo Docherty told the House of Commons on June 20 that the UK had sent Ukraine 6,900 anti-tank missiles, five air defence systems including Starstreak anti-air missiles, 120 armoured fighting vehicles and 1,360 anti-structures munitions, 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosives, and 400,000 rounds of small-arms ammunitions. But replacing those weapons has become a concern for members in both houses of the British Parliament. On June 16, Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, described the UKs weapons stockpile as insufficient and called for the country to start producing weapons almost on a 24/7 basis. On June 20, Liam Fox MP, a Conservative former minister, asked the government if the UK is restocking weapons adequately and quickly enough. Docherty, the defence minister, said the government is replacing its weapon stocks as soon as possible and is operating a new-for-old policy with regard to arms supplies for Britains own military. At Wednesdays session, Radakin also said it could take 5 to 10 years before the UK could deploy a division with the capabilities to fight alongside U.S. forces. Asked by former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Campbell whether the UK could deploy a full division, Radakin said it was possible but the armed forces were regrowing their ability to return to a much more orthodox divisional strength including longer-range weapons and modern vehicles. He said, We can put out a division, but the division that we want to put out is a much better one in sort of 5 to 10 years time, with the capabilities that America would want fighting alongside America. PA Media contributed to this report. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) speaks to reporters as he departs from the Senate Chambers on Oct. 6, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Republican Senator Suffers Serious Hand Injury, May Need Amputation Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) on Wednesday announced that he missed a vote on the gun control bill because he suffered a hand injury and may require an amputation. Cramer clarified later on Twitter that the amputation risk was to one of his fingersnot the entire hand. While working in the yard over the weekend, I sustained a serious injury to my right hand, which required immediate surgery, Cramer previously said in a statement. I continue to remain in North Dakota close to medical care, as there is high risk of infection and the possible need for amputation. I am alert and in good spirits. Speaking to local media outlets, the senator said the tip of his finger may require amputation after a large rock rolled onto his fingers, ripping off the tip of his pinkie finger. The part was stitched back during an emergency room visit. He didnt disclose how a large rock rolled onto his fingers. He added that although I am missing this week of votes and hearings, I am monitoring Senate business closely and in constant contact with my colleagues and staff I plan to return to Washington, D.C., after the Independence Day state work period and expect to be doling out a lot of left-handed fist bumps. While Cramer didnt vote, the gun control measure advanced in a 6434 vote. The bill includes a controversial provision that would provide funding to red flag laws as well as ending straw purchasing and enhancing background checks for buyers under age 21. In a recent interview, Cramer suggested that he wouldnt vote for the bill due to the red flag law. The senator noted that the upper chamber likely wouldnt pass a federal red-flag law and said it wouldnt make sense to provide funding to states that have such laws, which have been criticized by some Republicans as unconstitutional. We arent going to pass a federal red flag law, and we shouldnt. So why would we incentivize states to do something that we think is a bad idea? There is some confusion about what it actually does and that is what they are trying to clarify, he said. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who is soon retiring from the Senate, also did not vote Wednesday, but he released a statement on Tuesday that supported the gun control measure. Steam rises from the cooling towers of the coal power plant of RWE, one of Europe's biggest electricity and gas companies in Niederaussem, Germany, on March 3, 2016. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters) Russia May Cut Off Gas Completely, Europe Must Act Now: IEA BRUSSELSRussia may cut off gas to Europe entirely as it seeks to bolster its political leverage amid the Ukraine crisis, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on June 22, adding Europe needed to prepare now. I wouldnt rule out Russia continuing to find different issues here and there and continuing to find excuses to further reduce gas deliveries to Europe and maybe even cut it off completely, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement sent to Reuters. This is the reason Europe needs contingency plans, Birol added, saying a recent reduction in flows may be an attempt to gain political leverage ahead of higher-demand winter months. The IEA didnt see a full cut-off as the most likely scenario, he added. The European Union has sanctioned Russian oil and coal, but has held off from banning gas imports due in part to its heavy reliance on supplies from Moscow. In terms of total energy investment for 2022, the IEA said in a report that $2.4 trillion was set to be invested in the sector this year, including record spending on renewables. But it added that fell short of plugging a supply gap. Rising 8 percent from the previous year, when the pandemic was more severe, the investment includes big increases in the electricity sector and efforts to bolster energy efficiency, it said in its annual investment report published on Wednesday. By Noah Browning Race horses head for the finish line at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on June 23, 2019. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Santa Anita Officials Hail Dramatic Drop in Horse Fatalities ARCADIA, Calif.With racing completed in Santa Anita Parks winter-spring season, track officials on June 21 hailed what they called major improvements in horse safety that made the facility the safest track in North America compared to those with similar racing and training activity. According to track officials and California Horse Racing Board records, there were three racing fatalities at the track during the meet from among more than 4,800 starters, and no musculoskeletal racing fatalities occurred on the main dirt track. The racing boards records show a total of nine equine deaths at the track during the winter-spring season. Park officials called the safety record a 62.5 percent improvement over the previous year, and a 74 percent improvement since the spring of 2019. A total of 42 horses died at the facility in 2019, sparking widespread debate about safety issues at the track and about horse racing in general. The uproar led to procedural and veterinary oversight changes at the park. Members of the group Horseracing Wrongs and their supporters hold a Requiem March for the fallen horses to protest their deaths at Santa Anita Park race track and other venues across the country in Pasadena, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2019. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images) These results highlight the efforts of the entire racing community to put the safety of the horse above all else, Nate Newby, senior vice president and general manager of Santa Anita Park, said in a statement. The diligence and dedication of the owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians and the hardworking men and women who care for the horses each day are truly revolutionizing the sport. We are especially indebted to our Santa Anita Park track crew, led by veteran Dennis Moore, whose tireless efforts have been instrumental in this success story. None of the protocols, however, work without our horseplayers who have backed this transformation, and we are grateful for their continued support. Park officials noted that Santa Anita is one of the largest year-round training facilities in the nation, the scene of more than 375,000 training sessions annually. Racing will resume at Santa Ania on Sept. 30 for the five-week fall meet. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) speaks to reporters outside of the Senate Chambers of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on June 21, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Senate Advances Gun Control Bill in Procedural Vote After Bipartisan Negotiations The Senate cleared a procedural hurdle to advance a gun control bill Tuesday night following negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. The chamber voted 64 to 34 to advance the 80-page legislation, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Senate negotiators released the text an hour prior to the vote. The procedural vote came nine days after lawmakers agreed to a framework for the legislation. Lead negotiators Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), said in a statement that the finalized bipartisan measure would protect Americas children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country. Our legislation will save lives and will not infringe on any law-abiding Americans Second Amendment rights, they added. We look forward to earning broad, bipartisan support and passing our commonsense legislation into law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) both voted for the bill. In addition to McConnell, Cornyn, and Tillis, the other 11 Republicans who joined all Democrat senators in support of the bill are Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Todd Young (R-Ind.). In a statement, McConnell called the measure a commonsense package. For years, the far left falsely claimed that Congress could only address the terrible issue of mass murders by trampling on law-abiding Americans constitutional rights. This bill proves that false, he said. Our colleagues have put together a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Schumer said in a statement ahead of the vote that the bipartisan gun-safety legislation is progress and will save lives. While it is not everything we want, this legislation is urgently needed. Read More 4 Key Proposals in Senates Gun Control Bill NRA Opposition The National Rifle Association opposes the legislation. It said in a statement, It falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners. The Senate is expected to hold a floor vote on the measure this week before a two-week July 4 recess. A minimum of 10 Republican votes are needed to clear a filibuster that requires 60 votes in the 50-50 divided Senate. Prior to the release of the full text of the bill, at least 10 Republicans had joined 10 Democrats in supporting the framework of the legislation, and Cornyn, the lead Republican negotiator in the bipartisan negotiations, told reporters that I think there will be at least 10 GOP votes for the measure. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks to reporters as he walks to the Senate Chambers of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on June 21, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Miss.) criticized the quick vote on the bill, saying on Twitter, Here we are voting to move on a bill negotiated entirely behind closed doors, released only an hour ago, that no one has had time to fully read, that ignores the national crime wave & chips away instead at the fundamental rights of law abiding citizens. Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said he doubted the bill would achieve what the negotiators asserted. This bill wont stop the violent shootings by deranged criminals, he said in a statement. But it will restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials. Stopping gun violence starts with more funding for police and tougher sentences for the criminals who violate gun lawsnot taking away due process from law-abiding gun owners. Expansion of Background Checks Among multiple requirements, the measure would expand background checks for people between 18 to 21 who seek to buy a gun, by including additional checks of juvenile records. The added required checks could add up to seven more days to the current three-day limit on background checks. The requirement for background checking would expire after 10 years, on Sept. 30, 2032, which means lawmakers would have to pass a new bill to extend it. In an effort to prevent people from evading dealer licensing requirements, the bill adjusts language in the current law so that people who regularly buy and sell guns to predominantly earn a profit are required to register as a federal firearm licensee. With this designation, these gun sellers would be required to run background checks for transactions. The bill would also toughen penalties on gun traffickers and straw purchasers, including fines and up to 15 years in prison for violators. The new proposed legislation would also boost funding to states and communities for initiatives to improve mental health services and treatment, and improve school safety and security. This includes more than $2 billion to hire and train staff for school mental health services, including $300 million to improve school safety. Boyfriend Loophole The so-called boyfriend loophole would be closed under the bill, whereby convicted domestic abusers would be barred from buying guns if their victim is their romantic partner or a recent former romantic partner. Currently, convicted domestic abusers are already prohibited to have a gun if they are married to, live with, or had children with their victims. The persons right to buy a gun would be restored after five years if they do not commit any violence or felonies. We are closing the boyfriend loophole, Murphy said on the Senate floor. This provision alone is going to save the lives of so many women who unfortunately die at the hands of a boyfriend or an ex-boyfriend who hunts them down with a firearm. The new legislation would also provide some $750 million to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that have red flag laws or other violence prevention programs to make it easier to temporarily confiscate guns from people deemed dangerous. States with red flag laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearms removal. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Protesters march against China's censorship of the internet in Pasadena, Calif., in this file photo. (Jose Gil/Shutterstock) Shanghai Tech Expert and Fiancee Detained by CCP Over Allegedly Helping Develop Firewall Circumvention Tool He Binggang, 46, is the owner of a computer and electronics firm in Shanghai. Since October last year, He and his fiancee, Zhang Yibo, a former business manager at Siemens Shanghai, have been detained for allegedly helping the Chinese public gain access to uncensored information by circumventing the communist regimes internet firewall. Shanghai Tech expert He Binggang and fiancee Zhang Yibo have been detained in Shanghai since October 2021 for helping Chinese people gain access to uncensored information by circumventing the regimes internet firewall. (The Epoch Times) Both He and Zhang practice Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline including five meditative exercises and a set of moral teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Its popularity grew in the late 1990s in China, with estimates putting the number of practitioners at 70 million to 100 million. Perceiving this popularity to be a threat, the CCP launched a brutal campaign against Falun Gong in 1999. Since then, millions of adherents have been detained in jails, labor camps, and detention centers across the country, where theyre subjected to torture, slave labor, indoctrination, and forced organ harvesting. Circumventing the Firewall The Epoch Times has confirmed with sources close to the case that the CCP police had been monitoring He and Zhang for some time. By monitoring internet traffic, they traced some packets to a firewall circumvention tool called oGate. The Chinese regime runs the worlds most sprawling and sophisticated online censorship and surveillance apparatus, known as the Great Firewall, blocking internet traffic in and out of China. Many Chinese inside the country thus use circumvention tools to bypass the CCPs firewall to access uncensored information from the outside world, such as virtual private networks (VPNs). Over the years, Falun Gong practitioners have developed a suite of firewall circumvention tools, which are free to use. The latest such tool is oGate, which doesnt require the user to install any software. Because of its ease of use, oGate enables millions of page views per month. Held in Isolation At around 9 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2021, two dozen officers from Shanghais Changning District Police Station arrested He and ransacked his home, without an arrest warrant or search warrant. Neither did they provide a list of confiscated items, which included Hes personal computers and cellphone, according to a friend of Zhangs. Zhang was also taken by police, and the couple have been held in Changning District Detention Center since then. Shanghai Changning District Detention Center where He Binggang and Zhang Yibo have been detained since October 2021. (The Epoch Times) During their first five months in detention, He and Zhangs only way to communicate with the outside worldthrough their lawyerswas denied by Changning District Detention Center, which said it was an order from above, Zhangs friend told The Epoch Times. In early March, the lawyers were finally allowed to talk to their clients over the phone, without video. He Binggang He Binggang had displayed exceptional technical acumen since he was a teenager. His invention of a voice-activated system that helped blind people use the computer won him a top prize at the age of 15. He passed the programmers certificate exam when he was 16, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that serves as a clearinghouse for information on the persecution of Falun Gong in China. At 18, He was accepted, without having to take an exam, to the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai. Four years later, he was again accepted without an exam to graduate school at the university. The Shanghai-based Fudan University logo, on Dec. 18, 2019. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) However, everything changed for He after the persecution of Falun Gong began. Fudan University forced him to drop out of graduate school in 2000 because he wouldnt give up his faith. Since then, He has been arrested, detained, and tortured many times, to the point where he was almost paralyzed. But whenever he could, he tried to keep abreast of developments in internet technology and became a self-taught computer expert. In 2007, He opened a computer and electronics firm after a six-year prison term. He once said: I was very much into philosophy, searching for the purpose of life until I found my belief [Falun Gong]. I do business honestly, and I dont fight with others for profit. My heart is at peace, and Ive made a lot of friends. His business grew rapidly, even though He and his company were under police surveillance. The CCP police wouldnt tolerate Hes success in business, and in April 2010 planted illegal items in his business to use as a pretext to raid his company and put him in detention, according to Zhangs friend. While in detention, He was beaten so badly that he developed spinal compression. He suffered excruciating pain, but received no medical care for nine months, from July 2010 to March 2011. Zhang Yibo Zhang Yibo, 43, started practicing Falun Gong soon after the persecution started in 1999, Minghui reported. On June 4, 2009, Zhang and her mother, Li Yaohua, also a practitioner, were taken from their home by police for distributing information on Falun Gong. Despite rescue efforts by Zhangs older brother, who is in the United States, and her grandfather, who lives in Taiwan, Zhang and Li were both given prison terms. Zhang was sentenced to 18 months. This ended Zhangs career as a business manager at Siemens Shanghai. The postcard from 2009 that Zhang Yibos older brother used to rescue Zhang Yibo and their mother Li Yaohua. They were sentenced to 18 months and 3.5 years respectively by a district court in Shanghai. (The Epoch Times) Zhangs mother was given a 3 1/2-year sentence. She became very ill in prison with sciatic nerve and cervical spine disease, and vomited when she ate. She also had high blood pressure and angina. In March 2010, she was sent to the hospital, but the prison refused to release her on medical parole. Li has not recovered her health to this day. Continued Persecution Now, He Binggangs health is deteriorating inside the detention center. He told his lawyer in March that he was suffering from continuous headaches, abnormal digestion, abnormal clotting, and urinary incontinence, the friend told The Epoch Times. At times, he couldnt move his limbs and could only lie in bed. The cases of Zhang and He were forwarded to the Changning District Court on March 15. They have been waiting for a court date for three months and counting. TAINAN, TaiwanAfter three consecutive sold-out performances in Chiayi, Shen Yuns International Company traveled to Tainan and performed at the Tainan Cultural Center on the afternoon of June 15. At Shen Yuns second stop in Tainan, Taiwans Vice President Lai Ching-teh presented a flower basket, wishing Shen Yun a successful tour. Vice President Lai Ching-tes flower basket for Shen Yun in Tainan, Taiwan, on June 15, 2022, wishing the performance a great success. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times) Lin Hsien-wen, chair of the board of directors of a biotechnology company, was one of the performances audience members. Shen Yun combines modern technology and traditional culture, which is really great, Mr. Lin said. Shen Yun is spreading the rich essence of Eastern culture to the whole world. Mr. Lin said people have been staying indoors for the last two years but it is now post-pandemic. Shen Yuns coming to Taiwan can enrich and nourish the hearts and souls of the Taiwanese people, he said. Lin Hsien-wen, a chair of the board of directors of a biotechnology company, watched Shen Yun in Tainan, Taiwan on June 15, 2022. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times) Mr. Lin, who holds a doctorate in pharmacology, agrees and feels strongly that Shen Yuns energy heals the mind and body. When you watch Shen Yun, your heart is full of excitement and you get so inspired, and for Easterners, that is energy, he said. Feel 10 Years Younger The energy of Shen Yun also struck a chord with former Tainan City Good Samaritan representative Chang Chiung-wen, who is 78 years old this year. This was her first time seeing Shen Yun. I feel 10 years younger after watching Shen Yun, Ms. Chang said. She encouraged everyone to, make sure you come to see Shen Yun, its really worth it. Chang Chiung-wen (L) and Chang Min-li at the Shen Yun performance in Tainan, Taiwan on June 15, 2022. (Lung Fang/The Epoch Times) Jewelry designer Lin Pao-hua, who is also chairwoman of Paolipao Jewelry Ltd., Co., said that she had seen Shen Yun a number of times before. Due to the pandemic, Shen Yun hasnt been to Taiwan for three years and she has eagerly awaited its return. I think the pandemic has locked people in for more than two years, its time to step out to enjoy Shen Yuns dance and music, which presents such positive and beneficial energy to human beings, Ms. Lin said. With Shen Yun touring Taiwan like this, I believe the pandemic can be behind us soon, she added. Ms. Lin encouraged people to get out and see Shen Yun, which can bring peace and joy to their hearts. Very Beautiful Wang Chia-chin, deputy general manager of the Tainan branch of the King Full Herd company, watched Shen Yun with his 97-year-old mother and his older sister. Mr. Wang said that he originally considered canceling the trip, as his mother fell in the bathroom last week. But they decided to make the trip because he wanted his mother to watch the world-class performance. It turned out his mother enjoyed Shen Yun. Its very beautiful! Im very happy to see it, she said. Mr. Wang said his mothers body aches and pains had all gone, and his mother also confirmed, everything is fine now! Wang Chia-chin, with his 97-year-old mother, and his elder sister after watching Shen Yun in Tainan, Taiwan on June 15, 2022. (Lily Chu/The Epoch Times) Mr. Wang reminded everyone to not be afraid of the pandemic. Shen Yuns performances are full of righteous energy and when youre in its presence, you wont fall ill, he said. Thats how people are. If people have evil spirits, demons will come to you. If you stay righteous, the demons will not dare to approach you. Traveling Through Time and Space Wang Chun-hsiung, the owner of the Humanities Teahouse, has seen Shen Yun several times, and he is very happy that Shen Yun is touring Taiwan again. Mr. Wang praised Shen Yuns dynamic backdrop for allowing the audience to travel through time and space. The backdrop design is very well done and very lifelike, he said. The technology enabled for a smooth and swift transition from contemporary to the past and back again, giving people the feeling of traveling through time and space. Mr. Wang also felt that Shen Yuns positive energy could dispel pandemic fears. Shen Yuns performance is full of positive energy; for example, when we feel down, it is very beneficial for us to see a performance thats full of energy, he said. Shen Yun recreates the 5,000-year-old Chinese culture, bringing to life on the stage many familiar stories that feature themes of loyalty and filial piety while exploring Chinas rich history and myths. Mr. Wang believes that such a program can enhance peoples ethics and morality in a society. Nowadays, societys morality is declining. We often say that public morality is not what it used to be. It is so true. Shen Yuns program is very educational, and it can also purify peoples hearts and improve morality. Reporting by Epoch Staff in Tainan. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. South Carolina Attorney Alex Murdaugh Likely to Lose License COLUMBIA, S.C.Prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, who faces more than 70 criminal charges after police scrutinized his finances in the aftermath of the unsolved shooting deaths of his wife and son last year, is likely going to permanently lose his law license. The South Carolina Supreme Court said Murdaughs attorneys said Tuesday they would not contest any arguments scheduled for a disbarment hearing Wednesday. As a result, the justices canceled the proceedings. The decision likely ends the legal career of a member of a prominent family that has dominated the legal scene in tiny Hampton County for nearly a century. Murdaughs father, grandfather and great-grandfather were the areas elected prosecutors for 87 years straight. Alex Murdaugh once worked for the family-founded law firm, which discreetly boasted of securing million-dollar verdicts for accidental deaths, product liability, or workplace safety cases. The firm said in September that Murdaugh was stealing money. Chief Justice Don Beatty said in court papers last week that Murdaughs own admissions in civil cases and statements by his lawyers in bond hearings leave no doubt he stole money from clients and had lied to the authorities and should be disbarred. Thats even as no arrests have been made in the June 2021 killings of Murdaughs wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at a family home in Colleton County. A statement from Beatty on Tuesday said a formal order on disbarment will be issued later. Beatty left no doubt in his order last Thursday where he falls on what should happen to Murdaughs law license. In this unique case, Respondents admissions in the public record lead to only one conclusionthat Respondents egregious ethical misconduct subjects him to the most significant sanction availabledisbarment, Beatty wrote. Alex Murdaugh sits during his bond hearing in Varnville, S.C., on Sept. 16, 2021. (Mic Smith/AP Photo) The deaths of his wife and younger son prompted at least a half-dozen investigations into Murdaugh and his finances that resulted in indictments against him. Murdaugh is facing charges he stole $8.5 million from people who hired him and that he lied to police in saying he was shot by a stranger on a roadside whenofficials sayhe really asked a friend to kill him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. Anything Murdaugh or his attorneys said before the state Supreme Court could have been used against him in criminal cases or additional investigations. A number of other former clients have accused him of stealing from them, leading to dozens of criminal indictments. Murdaugh signed a civil settlement saying he is responsible for taking more than $4.3 million from insurance settlements meant for the family of his housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, who Murdaugh said died after a fall in the familys home. Meanwhile, the anniversary of the June 7, 2021, deaths of Murdaughs wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22, passed with no arrests and no additional information from the State Law Enforcement Division. Its agents have revealed little beyond the fact that the two were shot outside their Colleton County home and Murdaugh called 911, saying he discovered the bodies. Murdaughs lawyers continue to insist he had nothing to do with the killings, saying he was visiting his mother and ailing father when his wife and son were killed. State police also are investigating other unusual deaths around the Murdaughs and plan to exhume Satterfields body. Murdaugh reported she was gravely injured in a fall, dying later in the hospital. But the coroners office said it was not informed of her death like it should have been for anyone who dies under unusual or suspicious circumstances. State police also are looking at an unsolved death that was ruled a hit-and-run on a Hampton County road in 2015. The 19-year-old victims mother said she thought Paul Murdaugh could have been involved. A judge has frozen Murdaughs assets as a number of civil lawsuits make their way through the courts, including some on behalf of the family of a 19-year-old woman killed and others on board Murdaughs boat in February 2019 when it crashed into a bridge pier. Police charged Murdaughs late son with boating under the influence. By Jeffrey Collins South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg Convicted, Removed From Office Over 2020 Fatal Crash Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of South Dakota was convicted by the states Senate on June 21 of two impeachment charges in connection with a car crash in 2020 that claimed the life of a pedestrian. The vote to impeach the Republican came after hours of questioning from lawmakers, who didnt appear to believe Ravnsborgs account of the crash, and also triggered his automatic removal from office. Senate lawmakers needed a two-thirds majority vote or more for each of the two separate impeachment articles against Ravnsborg, which included crimes causing death and malfeasance in office. The state lawmakers voted 249 on the first article of impeachment of crimes causing death, meeting the two-thirds majority needed to convict him and have him removed from office. The Senate voted 312 on the second article, malfeasance in office, which alleged he misled investigators. Two 330 votes barred him from ever holding office in South Dakota again. The impeachment articles were passed in April by the South Dakota House of Representatives, marking the first impeachment of a state official in the states history. Following that vote, Ravnsborg was suspended from his duties. His seat is up for election in November 2022. At the center of the impeachment is a car crash that took place on Sept. 12, 2020, while Ravnsborg was driving home from a dinner in Redfield to Pierre, the state capital. Ravnsborg initially called 911 on the night of the incident and said he believed he had struck a deer. He told House lawmakers the same thing. However, Ravnsborg had, in fact, fatally struck 55-year-old Joseph Boever, who police determined had been walking beside the roadway. Attorney General Claimed Ignorance Ravnsborg, a first-term Republican who only recently announced he wouldnt seek reelection, insisted that he was unaware that he had hit someone with his vehicle until he returned to the scene the following morning. South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg speaks to reporters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Sept. 9, 2019. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) Criminal investigators said they didnt believe some of Ravnsborgs statements, while lawmakers had pressed him on how he didnt see the victims face in his windshield, given that the victims glasses were found inside Ravnsborgs car following the impact. Theres no question that was a lie, said state Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, the chambers top-ranking Republican, on June 21. This person ran down an innocent South Dakotan. An investigation into the incident found that Ravnsborg had been using his phone during his drive that evening, and the attorney general later admitted to using the phone minutes before the crash, after previously denying he had done so. He also failed to operate his vehicle in its proper lane at the time of the impact, despite having previously told law enforcement officials that he was in the middle of the road at the time of impact. Furthermore, investigators said that after hitting Boever, Ravnsborg walked past the mans body and that Boever was still holding the lit flashlight he had been carrying during his walk. The flashlight was still lit the next morning. Ravnsborg Questioned Staff About Forensics Ravnsborg pleaded no contest in 2021 to two misdemeanor charges related to the crash, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving. He was fined but avoided jail time. His attorney, Mike Butler, had asked senators to consider the implications of impeachment on the function of state government. Butler also contended that his client had done nothing nefarious and instead had cooperated fully with the investigation into the crash. Prosecutors showed an exchange Ravnsborg had with one of his staff members three days after the crash, despite having handed his phones over to crash investigators. Ravnsborg also questioned an agent in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation about what might be found during forensic examinations of his cell phones, potentially pointing to a conflict of interest issue. Butler pinned any discrepancies in Ravnsborgs memory of that night on human error. In a letter sent to lawmakers and news outlets before House lawmakers voted to impeach him in April, Ravnsborg said that he thought about the victim every day, calling him a man I had never met, who changed my life forever. I am sorry the family has had to endure this tragedy in so many ways and has been put in the middle of this highly political situation, he wrote, adding that impeachment could set forth a dangerous precedent for all South Dakota elected officials. In September 2021, Ravnsborg agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boevers widow. The latest decision by Senate lawmakers means Ravnsborg is the first official to be impeached and convicted in South Dakota history. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was among those who had called for her fellow Republican to resign from office following the fatal incident, while urging lawmakers to pursue impeachment. The governor, who will appoint a replacement to finish out Ravnsborgs term, took to Twitter following the June 21 vote on the crash, which she called a dark cloud that has been hanging over the attorney generals office for nearly two years. It is now time to move on and begin to restore confidence in the office, Noem wrote. Ravnsborg has claimed that Noem, who has positioned herself for a possible 2024 presidential bid, had pushed for him to be ousted from office in part because he had investigated ethics complaints against her. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Nuri rocket, the first domestically produced space rocket, lifts off from a launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Korea, on June 21, 2022. (Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP) South Korea Launches First Satellite With Homegrown Rocket SEOUL, South KoreaSouth Korea conducted its first successful satellite launch using a domestically developed rocket on Tuesday, officials said, boosting its growing aerospace ambitions and demonstrating it has key technologies needed to launch spy satellites and build larger missiles amid tensions with rival North Korea. The three-stage Nuri rocket placed a functioning performance verification satellite at a target altitude of 700 kilometers (435 miles) after its 4 p.m. liftoff from South Koreas space launch center on a southern island, the Science Ministry said. The satellite transmitted signals about its status to an unmanned South Korean station in Antarctica. It is carrying four smaller satellites that will be released in coming days for Earth observation and other missions, ministry officials said. The science and technology of the Republic of Korea have made a great advance, Science Minister Lee Jong-Ho said in a televised news conference at the launch center. The government will continue its audacious march toward becoming a space power together with the people. In a video conference with scientists and others involved in the launch, President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated them for their achievement and vowed to keep his campaign promise to establish a state aerospace agency, according to his office. South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol (C), celebrates the successful launch of the Nuri rocket, the first domestically produced space rocket, at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on June 21, 2022. (Ahn Jung-won/Yonhap via AP) Live TV video showed the 47-meter (154-foot) rocket rising into the air amid bright flames and thick white smoke. The launch made South Korea the worlds 10th nation to place a satellite into space with its own technology. It was South Koreas second launch of a Nuri rocket. In the first attempt last October, the rockets dummy payload reached the desired altitude but didnt enter orbit because the engine of the rockets third stage burned out earlier than planned. South Korea, which has the worlds 10th largest economy, is a major producer of semiconductors, automobiles, and smartphones. But its space development program lags behind that of Asian neighbors China, India, and Japan. North Korea placed Earth observation satellites into orbit in 2012 and 2016, though there is no proof that either one has ever transmitted spaced-based imagery and data back home. The North Korean launches resulted in U.N. economic sanctions because they were viewed as covers for testing the countrys banned long-range missile technology. Since the early 1990s, South Korea has sent a slew of satellites into space, but all used foreign rocket technology or launch sites. In 2013, South Korea successfully launched a satellite for the first time from its soil, but the first stage of the rocket was Russian-made. After that satellite launch, North Koreas Foreign Ministry accused the United States of having double standards and brigandish nature, arguing that Washington supported the South Korean launch but led the U.N. sanctions over the Norths satellite launch the previous year. North Korea didnt immediately comment on Tuesdays Nuri launch. South Korea plans four more Nuri launches in coming years. It also hopes to send a probe to the moon, build next-generation space launch vehicles and send large-scale satellites into orbit. South Korean officials said the Nuri rocket has no military purposes. The Nuri rocket, the first domestically produced space rocket, lifts off from a launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Korea, on June 21, 2022. (Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP) The transfer of space launch technology is strictly restricted under a multilateral export control regime because it has military applications. Ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles often share similar bodies, engines, and other components, though missiles require a reentry capability and other technologies. If you put a satellite on the top of a rocket, it would become a space launch vehicle. But if you mount a warhead on it, it becomes a weapon, said Kwon Yong Soo, a former professor at Korea National Defense University in South Korea. (A successful launch) is really meaningful because we also succeed in the test of a long-range rocket that can be used to build a long-range missile. Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Koreas Science and Technology Policy Institute, said it would be difficult to directly use Nuri as a missile because it employs liquid fuels that must be kept at extremely low temperatures and requires much longer fueling time than solid fuels. He said North Korean long-range missiles also use liquid fuels, but extremely toxic ones that are maintained at ordinary temperatures and require less fueling time than Nuri. This year, North Korea has test-launched about 30 missiles with ranges that potentially place the U.S. mainland and regional allies South Korea and Japan within striking distance. South Korea already has missiles that can hit all of North Korea, but some experts say it also needs longer-range missiles because its surrounded by regional military powers and potential adversaries. If we only think about North Korea, a long-range missile doesnt mean much for us. But its very unfortunate that military powers like China and Russia are near us, Kwon said. He said Nuris successful launch proves South Korea has the capability to send a spy satellite into orbit. Lee said Nuri can be used to launch a spy satellite, but it would be better for South Korea to have many small spy satellites that could be sent up with less powerful solid-fueled rockets. South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and depends on U.S. spy satellites to monitor strategic facilities in North Korea. South Korea has said it plans to launch its own surveillance satellites soon. By Hyung-Jin Kim Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (C) visits a Buddhist temple after his swearing in ceremony in Colombo on May 12, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images) Sri Lankas Economy Has Completely Collapsed: PM Sri Lankas prime minister is increasing efforts to revive the countrys completely collapsed economy amid a lack of foreign exchange reserves and severe shortages of essential items. We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity, and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on June 22. It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves. Sri Lanka will hold a credit aid conference with India, China, and Japan for loan packages. Wickremesinghe said the goal is to reach a general consensus on the lending processes as each country has its own system for granting loans. However, there have been some conflicts and disagreements between us in the recent past. We are working towards resolving these and fostering friendly relations once again, he added. The government also will seek help from the United States, with representatives from the U.S. Treasury Department visiting Sri Lanka next week. Australia said it would provide Sri Lanka with a $50 million development-assistance package following Wickremesinghes meeting with Australias Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil on June 20. Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka has received a $4 billion credit line from India and requested additional loan assistance from the neighboring country. A top-level Indian delegation is expected to meet with Sri Lankan leaders on June 23 to discuss extending an additional $500 million credit line to Sri Lanka for the purchase of oil, local media Daily Mirror reported. But even India will not be able to continuously support us in this manner. Even their assistance has its limits. On the other hand, we too must have a plan to repay these loans. These are not charitable donations, Wickremesinghe added. He said that negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had made progress, with the government expecting to reach an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. If we receive the IMF seal of approval, the world will once again trust us. It will help us to secure loan assistance as well as low-interest loans from other countries in the world, he said. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $700 million in debt. As a result, no country or organization in the world is willing to provide fuel to us. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash. Sri Lanka also has requested that China amend the terms of a $1.5 billion yuan-denominated swap facility that it signed last year, which stipulates that the fund can only be used provided that Sri Lanka has enough foreign reserves to last three months. Men on a scooter ride past the burnt buses near Sri Lankas former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksas official residence Temple Trees, a day after they were torched by protesters in Colombo on May 10, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images) The country is on the verge of bankruptcy, with its foreign exchange reserves plummeting by 70 percent in the past two years. The government stated on April 12 that it was suspending foreign debt repayments. About 10 percent of Sri Lankas $51 billion external debt is owed to China, and the government had requested help from China to restructure its debt obligations. Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka wouldnt be experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades if the government had acted sooner. If steps had at least been taken to slow down the collapse of the economy at the beginning, we would not be facing this difficult situation today. But we lost out on this opportunity. We are now seeing signs of a possible fall into the very bottom, he said. Sri Lankans during a protest outside the presidents office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 11, 2022. (Eranga Jayawardena/AP Photo) Thousands of Sri Lankans have taken to the streets to protest the governments mishandling of the countrys economic crisis, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 9. The countrys unprecedented economic crisis has left millions of its people in need of life-saving aid, with the severe shortages of essential medicines and frequent power cuts jeopardizing the countrys health care system. The United Nations launched a worldwide public appeal on June 9 to provide $47.2 million of aid between June and September to 1.7 million people whose livelihoods and food security are most at risk. Containers are stacked on the deck of the cargo ship as it is underway in New York Harbor in New York City, on Nov. 7, 2021. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Supreme Court Agrees to Hear New Yorks Case Opposing New Jersey Leaving Waterfront Commission The Supreme Court agreed on June 21 to hear New Yorks lawsuit seeking to prevent New Jersey from unilaterally withdrawing from the interstate compact that created the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor to combat corruption. The storied Port of New York and New Jerseys reckoning with organized crime was immortalized in director Elia Kazans 1954 film, On the Waterfront, a winner of eight Academy Awards that starred Marlon Brando. But organized crime was driven out years ago and critics have long accused the commission of over-regulating businesses involved in the port and causing labor shortages. New Jersey also claims it no longer benefits from the existence of the commission because when the compact was created in 1953 most of the economic activity in the port was on the New York side, but nowadays more than 90 percent of the activity is on the New Jersey side. The state also argues it should be able to police its own ports. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, previously said that allowing New Jersey to leave the compact would cause immediate and irreparable harm to New York and result in more crime, higher prices on goods, and racial inequities in port hiring. The decision to proceed with the case came after the Supreme Court decided on Nov. 22, 2021, in Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor v. Murphy (court file 20-772) to leave in place a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit that allowed New Jersey to pull out of the commission, as The Epoch Times previously reported. Phil Murphy, the Democratic governor of New Jersey, was the respondent in the action. New York decided to take the dispute to the Supreme Court, invoking its original jurisdiction. Because individual states lack jurisdiction over each other, state courts cannot hear cases dealing with another state, so the U.S. Constitution allows the Supreme Court to hear disputes between states. But instead of filing a petition for certiorari asking the high court to take up the case, states have to file a motion for leave, or permission, to file a bill of complaint. New York filed its motion (pdf) on March 14 in New York v. New Jersey (court file 22O156). The justices did not explain in their unsigned order why they agreed to hear the case, as is their usual practice when deciding whether to hear cases. The case goes back to 2018 when New Jersey resolved to get out of the compact. Then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, signed legislation known as Chapter 324 withdrawing the state from the compact. Christie was succeeded in the post by Murphy. The commission took the unusual step of suing to block Murphy from enforcing the law that purports to end the commission and redirects revenues that would otherwise fund the body to the New Jersey State Police, who would assume the commissions regulatory responsibilities over the New Jersey side of the port. A federal district court ruled for the commission, but the 3rd Circuit reversed it finding New Jerseys sovereign immunity precluded the commissions lawsuit. The Supreme Court then decided not to get involved in the case at that time. But in the case at hand, the court decided March 24 to enjoin New Jersey from enforcing Chapter 324. In its March 14 filing with the high court, New York argued that New Jersey lacks the power to withdraw unilaterally from the compact or abolish the commission without New Yorks consent. The compact is a binding contract and its terms provide that it may be amended only by concurring legislation enacted by both states and that the Compact Act may be repealed only by Congress. Morgan Rubin, a spokeswoman for James, told Gothamist after the Supreme Court acted that her office was pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear this case, and we look forward to presenting our arguments to the court in the coming months. Bailey Lawrence, a spokesman for Murphy, told NorthJersey.com that he was upbeat about the states chances in the case. Murphy remains confident that when the case is fully considered and decided, New Jerseys right to withdraw from the commission will be vindicated, and New Jersey will be able to reclaim authority over its ports with a regulatory structure more suited for the 21st century, Lawrence said. The Supreme Court gave New Jersey until Aug. 22 to file an answer to New Yorks bill of complaint, and New York until Oct. 21 to file its opposition brief. New Jersey then has until Nov. 7 to file a reply brief and New Yorks reply to that brief is due Nov. 22. After the last brief is filed, the Supreme Court would presumably decide how to proceed. It could then decide to schedule oral argument in the case. Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh attend the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Feb. 5, 2019. (Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images) Supreme Court Curbs Federal Law That Increases Penalty If Crime Involves Gun The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a criminal defendant, voting 72 to curb a federal law that mandates significantly enhanced penalties for crimes involving a firearm. The June 21 decision came as gun control legislation moved forward in Congress following a series of highly publicized mass shootings. At the same time, Americans are awaiting the high courts ruling in another gun-related case that challenges New York States tough concealed-carry gun permitting system. In the case at hand, Justin Eugene Taylor was involved in the marijuana trade in Richmond, Virginia. On Aug. 14, 2003, he offered to obtain the drug for a distributor but instead tried to rob the man. The victim resisted and Taylors accomplice fatally shot him. Federal prosecutors charged Taylor under 18 U.S.C. 924(c), which punishes anyone who uses or carries a firearm during and in relation to any crime of violence, or who possesses a firearm in furtherance of any such crime, according to court documents. A crime of violence is defined as a crime that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another. A conviction carries a minimum five-year prison sentence. Prosecutors predicated the 924(c) charge on Taylors commission of attempted Hobbs Act robbery. The Hobbs Act punishes robbery or extortion that has an effect on interstate commerce. Prosecutors cut a deal with Taylor. He agreed to plead guilty to the charge and to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. Taylor acknowledged that the attempted robbery was a crime of violence under the residual clause of 924(c). The residual clause provides that a crime of violence can also include any felony that, by its nature, entails a substantial risk of physical force. A federal district court accepted Taylors guilty plea to one count under 924(c) and one count under the Hobbs Act, sentencing him to 30 years, a decade more than he could have received for his Hobbs Act conviction alone. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit rejected his appeal in 2011. In 2015, the Supreme Court struck down part of the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) as unconstitutionally vague in Johnson v. U.S. In 2016, the high court held in Welch v. U.S. that Johnson could be applied retroactively. Citing Johnson and Welch, Taylor petitioned the circuit court, arguing the residual clause in ACCA paralleled the residual clause in 924(c) and that the latter was therefore also unconstitutionally vague. He also argued that attempted Hobbs Act robbery did not constitute a crime of violence under 924(c)s elements clause because it lacked as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force. This time, the 4th Circuit vacated Taylors 924(c) conviction. The majority of Supreme Court justices in the case, U.S. v. Taylor, court file 20-1459, voted to affirm the circuit court and ruled that attempted Hobbs Act robbery isnt necessarily a crime of violence and therefore Taylor shouldnt have received the longer sentence. The decision (pdf), written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, was joined by three conservative and three liberal justices. Simply put, no element of attempted Hobbs Act robbery requires proof that the defendant used, attempted to use, or threatened to use force, Gorsuch wrote. Taylor may receive 20 years under the Hobbs Act, but Congress has not authorized courts to convict and sentence him to a decade of further imprisonment under the 924(c) law. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas wrote separate dissenting opinions. The ruling exemplifies just how this Courts categorical approach has led the Federal Judiciary on a journey Through the Looking Glass, during which we have found many strange things, Thomas wrote, referencing Lewis Carrolls classic fantasy novels, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Rather than continue this 30-year excursion into the absurd, I would hold Taylor accountable for what he actually did and uphold his conviction. Taylors attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Frances H. Pratt, welcomed the courts opinion. We are gratified to know that the Supreme Court ruled for our client and we hope that the decision will help not only him but also other people convicted of 924(c) violations based on attempted Hobbs Act robbery, she told The Epoch Times by email. Danielle Blevins of the U.S. Department of Justice said by email, Were going to decline to comment on any decisions handed down yesterday. Supreme Court Defies Tax-Hungry Biden Administration, Agrees to Hear Appeal Against Massive IRS Fines The Supreme Court agreed on June 21 to hear an appeal from a Romanian-American businessman who was fined $50,000 for failing to file tax forms on time, but whose penalty ballooned to $2.72 million when an appeals court ruled the fine should be imposed based on the number of bank accounts he held, instead of on the number of forms he failed to file. The Biden administration, which wants to beef up enforcement efforts by the IRS, favors the larger penalty and had asked the high court to refuse to take the case. The case is Bittner v. United States of America (court file 21-1195) an appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. The justices did not explain in their unsigned order why they agreed to hear the case, as is their usual practice when deciding the granting of petitions for certiorari, or review. Alexandru Bittner was born in communist Romania. He moved to the United States in his youth, working as a dishwasher and later as a plumber. Eventually, he was naturalized in the United States and has been a dual Romanian-U.S. citizen ever since. Bittner returned to Romania after the collapse of Soviet bloc communism in 1990 and lived there for more than 20 years until late 2011. He was a successful businessman and had several non-U.S. personal bank accounts and owned stock in a number of Romanian corporations that also had foreign bank accounts. While living abroad, Bittner had limited contact with the United States. Like many dual citizens, he was unaware that he was required to file U.S. income tax returns reporting his foreign income, according to the petition (pdf) Bittner filed with the high court. Bittner was also not aware of the existence of the FBAR form, that is, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) on Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Form 114, or his duty to file such forms. Soon after coming back to the U.S. in 2011 he realized he should have filed U.S. tax returns while living in Romania to report his worldwide income. Bittner retained a professional accountant, who advised him on the requirement to file FBARs, to prepare and file the needed documents. But the IRS found Bittner had failed to timely file FBARs for five years, 2007 through 2011. In that period, because he had more than 25 foreign accounts, he was not required to detail those accounts, but was permitted merely to state the total number of foreign accounts in which he had a financial interest. His corrected forms nevertheless volunteered the full information. The IRS sought to impose the maximum penalty under the Bank Secrecy Act, even though Bittners delinquency was non-willful. Despite failing to file five annual forms on time, the IRS took the position that Bittner had violated the Act a full 272 timesonce for each account that was not reported in each of those five years. The IRS assessed a $2.72 million penalty, representing a $10,000 fine for each account Bittner disclosed on his untimely FBARs. The IRS sued Bittner in federal district court in Texas, which determined the tax collection agency erred. The court ruled the total fine should be capped at $50,000, or $10,000 maximum for each annual FBAR. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed the decision, finding fines should apply on a per-account, not a per-form, basis, and restoring the $2.72 million penalty figure. The decision conflicts with precedent in the U.S. Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit, Bittner argued in his petition, and needs to be resolved by the Supreme Court. [T]here is no reason to think the conflict will disappear on its own: the IRS is applying one rule in the Ninth Circuit and a different rule everywhere else, leaving the conflict entrenchedand ensuring that tax penalties vary greatly based entirely on the happenstance of where a taxpayer is located. That disparate treatment of identically situated parties undermines the proper administration of the tax system and interferes with sound tax policy, he stated in the petition. The filing added: This critical issue arises all the time, and the acts penalties for identically situated parties will now turn on whether the taxpayer is from California or Texas. U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar had urged the Supreme Court to throw out Bittners appeal, according to a brief (pdf) filed May 17. When Bittner filed the untimely FBARs the forms were inaccurate and incomplete. The IRS, she stated, had accused Bittner of concealing cash and of not cooperating with the agency. The IRS also claimed that when the man filed U.S. income tax returns for six of the taxable years in which he was living in Romania, he did provide accurate answers to the question regarding whether he had foreign financial accounts and whether he had a requirement to file an FBAR. Bittners attorney, Daniel Geyser of Haynes and Boone in Dallas, was pleased the Supreme Court will hear the case. This case presents exceptionally important questions for taxpayers nationwide, Geyser told The Epoch Times by email. The IRS is profoundly misreading the act to impose breathtaking penalties for non-willful conduct. Were grateful for the grant, and we look forward to litigating the case on the merits. Contacted by The Epoch Times, the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment. An H-6 bomber of the Chinese army flies near a Taiwan F-16 on Feb. 10, 2020. (Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/Handout via Reuters) Taiwan Scrambles Jets to Warn Away 29 Chinese Military Aircrafts Entering Air Defense Zone A total of 29 Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on June 21, according to Taipeis Ministry of National Defense (MND). The Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) aircraft included fighters, bombers, and aircraft with electronic warfare, according to Taiwans defense ministry. This is the third-largest breach in 2022. Earlier this year, Taiwan reported 39 Chinese military aircraft on Jan. 23 and 30 Chinese aircraft on May 30. A Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location in a file photo. (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP) Taiwan reacted with a combat air patrol (CAP), radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the PLAs activities, the MND said on its website. From what we see recently, China seems to be gearing up its military preparations, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview with Newsmax on June 15. Wu said that Taiwan sees a very threatening China these days. He pointed out the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) repeated military activities in the Taiwan Straitthe CCPs naval exercises east of Taiwan for two weeks in early May and multiple air exercises in Taiwans airspace. According to the MND, last year, when the CCP celebrated the anniversary of its takeover of China in 1949, the communist regime sent 38 aircraft to Taiwans airspace on Oct. 1, 39 aircraft on Oct. 2, 16 aircraft on Oct. 3, and 56 aircraft on Oct. 4, making it the largest incursion since Sept. 17, 2020, when the MND began to publish real-time updates on the CCPs military threats. The CCP has always claimed Taiwan, the self-governing island, as part of China, and its military spokesperson declares that the medium line of the Taiwan Strait does not exist, according to Wu in the interview with Newsmax. He pointed out that the medium line of the Taiwan Strait has been safeguarding status quo and peace and stability over this area for years. US Supports Taiwan The Biden administration has voiced its commitment to defending Taiwan. President Joe Biden told a CNN town hall event in Baltimore on Oct. 21, 2021, that the United States was committed to defending Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, which was a departure from a long-held U.S. position of strategic ambiguity. At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asias most important security summit held from June 10 to 12, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin criticized the CCPs military activities near Taiwan as a threat to regional security. He said that the United States adheres to the one-China policy but firmly opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. 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) The United States has not recognized Taiwan as an independent nation since 1979. However, Washington maintains a commitment to Taiwan, outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act, in which it guarantees it will provide Taiwan with the military capabilities required to defend itself and maintain its de facto independence. From May 30 to June 1, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) led a delegation to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as President of the Executive Yuan Su Tseng-chang and Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua, for an in-depth meeting on various issues regarding Taiwan-U.S. relations. Duckworth is a member of the Senate Taiwan Caucus and has repeatedly promoted and co-signed Taiwan-friendly bills in the U.S. Senate. For example, she introduced the Strengthen Taiwans Security Act of 2022 on May 26, supporting Taiwan and the United States in strengthening coordination in response to Taiwans security situation amid the CCPs provocations while proposing specific measures to strengthen Taiwans defense capabilities. Duckworth and 51 other senators sent a letter to Biden in mid-May, calling for Taiwan to be included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). She also co-sponsored the Taiwan Partnership Act with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to develop a partnership between the National Guard and Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capability. The initiative has been included in the 2022 Fiscal Year National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 2022) through legislation. A delegation comprised of Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) (3rd L), Christoper Coons (D-Del.) (3rd R), and Dan Sullivan (R-Ala.) (2nd L) poses for photographs with Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (2nd R) and American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen (R) following their arrival at the Songshan Airport in Taipei on June 6, 2021. (Pei Chen/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. Department of State spokesperson Price stated at a press briefing on June 21 that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway. He said the United States regards peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as central to the security and the prosperity of the broader Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan Beefs Up Security Taiwan has also stepped up its self-defense preparations amid the CCPs escalated military provocations. You Si-kun, president of Taiwans Legislative Yuan, told the Taiwan Overseas Network earlier this month that Taiwans supersonic cruise missiles are capable of striking Chinas capital Beijing and the Three Gorges Dam, which is the worlds largest power station. Tsai presided over a military promotion ceremony on June 20, calling on newly promoted generals to beef up Taiwans combat readiness. Wu told Newsmax in an interview on June 15, The most important thing for us is that we need to be prepared, and we are trying to beef up our defense capabilities to face a situation that China may launch a war against Taiwan. We have faith in democracy. And we believe that democracy is going to prevail, and Taiwan is going to prevail, he said. Zhong Yuan contributed to this article. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks during a ceremony to announce the decree for Afghan women's dress code in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 7, 2022. (Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP via Getty Images) Taliban Release Several British Citizens Held in Afghanistan ISLAMABADThe Taliban terrorist group has released several British citizens who were detained in Afghanistan after an agreement was reached between the two countries, Taliban and UK officials said Monday. The detainees were released Sunday following a series of meetings between Afghan and British officials, said Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban government, in a statement. A number of British nationals were released, who were arrested about six months ago for violating the laws and traditions of the Afghan people, he said. Mujahid didnt say what laws the UK citizens had broken or elaborate on why they had been detained. The statement said all of them pledged to respect the laws of Afghanistan, the traditions and culture of the Afghan people and not to violate them again. The identities of the British citizens were not released by either government but the Frontline Club, a journalists club in London that campaigned for former BBC cameraman Peter Jouvenals release, said he was among the five who were freed. Former BBC journalist David Loyn also said in a tweet: Peter Jouvenal has been released from captivity in Afghanistan after more than six months. His family have requested privacy at this time, and have expressed gratitude to the Foreign Office who have worked tirelessly to secure the release. British television cameraman Peter Jouvenal (C) smiles as he is reunited with his wife (R) and sister-in-law (L) in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Nov. 26, 2004, after being released from questioning by Afghan authorities. (Farzana Wahidy/AFP via Getty Images) A statement from the British government in February had said there were a number of British nationals in Taliban custody. Although the government refused to release their identities, Hassina Syed, Jouvenals wife, told The Associated Press that the former freelance cameraman turned businessman was taken on Dec. 13. We welcome and appreciate the release by the current administration of Afghanistan of five British nationals who were detained in Afghanistan, said a statement Monday from Britains Foreign Office. There was no report on the fate of an American citizen who was also detained by the Taliban. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNNs State of the Union earlier this year that Washington was actively working to get the American released from Taliban custody. He refused to say more at the time, citing the sensitivity of it. The British statement said the freed detainees had no role in the UK. governments work in Afghanistan and traveled to the country against the UK governments travel advice. This was a mistake it said. On behalf of the families of the British nationals, we express their apologies for any breach of Afghan culture, customs or laws, and offer their assurance of future good conduct, the statement by the UK government added. Jouvenals wife, Syed, an Afghan, had said her husband was in the country investigating business opportunities, including investment in lithium mining. Afghanistan is rich in lithium, a key component of energy-storage batteries. He was traveling alone and not associated with the other detainees, she said. Jouvenal had worked as a freelance cameraman during the 1980s Soviet invasion in Afghanistan and followed the country through its many wars. He married Syed and they have three daughters. Jouvenal, who speaks both Pashto and Dari, Afghanistans two official languages, had held several meetings with the Talibans mining ministry before being detained in December, Syed said, including with the minister. Until his detention, Syed said, Jouvenal had been careful to stay in regular contact with the Taliban authorities to ensure that they were aware of his activities and movements. In the mid 2000s, Jouvenal owned and operated the Gandamak Restaurant and guesthouse in the Afghan capital, which had become well known among the many journalists who traveled to Afghanistan during the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. Since seizing power in mid-August last year, the Taliban have imposed harsh edicts in Afghanistan, harking back to their repressive rule during the late 1990s. They have restricted freedoms and rights of women, who are now barred from going to school beyond the sixth grade, and minorities. The country has plunged into an unprecedented crisis, hurtling toward an economic meltdown as famine and hunger loom. According to people with direct knowledge of the men who were held in Taliban custody, at least two of the detainees were apparently in Afghanistan to secretly evacuate Afghan nationals. The people with direct knowledge spoke to the AP earlier this year on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. The Taliban have made it clear that Afghans without proper documents would not be allowed to leave the country. Syed said she feared her husband may have gotten caught up in a Taliban investigation into attempts to secretly transfer Afghan nationals out of the country. By Rahim Faiez The Historical Meaning of Donald Trump Commentary It is already five-and-a-half years since that November day and night that shocked the liberal world. I know what it did to my faculty and media colleagues, but the bigger impact on the United States isnt so clear. One is tempted by the response of the Chinese communist when asked about the impact of the French Revolution: Its too early to tell. Thats the long view of the Marxist, who looks for deep structural changes in society whose effects take longer to materialize, not small reforms or changes in policy that start immediately. To him, a rise in the tax rate on high incomes, a new welfare program, a tougher environmental regulation, and other customary progressive proposals are just thatadjustments of custom, not radical transformation. Thats why liberals accept them, our Marxist would say: because they leave the liberal order intact. To break that order, or any other longstanding hegemony, takes time and, often, drastic measures. The hysterical reaction to Donald Trump on the part of liberals, though, suggests that Trump may, indeed, have signified a radical action that cuts to the heart of things political in our country. Its hard not to believe that after witnessing otherwise intelligent and informed individuals slip into Trump Derangement Syndrome and not relax for four full years. I dont mean specific planks that offended them such as the Wall, controversial though they were. He had to have posed a more fundamental threat. That Establishment conservatives felt the same way as conventional liberals did reinforces that suspicion. Trump certainly upset the mainstream elite a lot more than did the progressive Bernie Sanders. At this point, perhaps we should recognize that their absurd protests, Russian fantasies, and wild notions of getting rid of him (for instance, by declaring him mentally unfit) werent hysterical at all. The Jan. 6 hearings are a dismal political circus, but however grotesque they appear, they have a wholly rational goal: to keep Trump out in 2024. He must be stopped. Lets assume that mainstream elite figures understand quite well the dangers he poses, and they know that he endangers them. Thats how it looks to me. The old feminist slogan The personal is political applies here in reverse: The political is personal. Think about how Trump himself told Americans that the party politics of Democrats versus Republicans was no such thing. As he declared right off in his inauguration speech, the leadership of both parties formed a faction of their own, and the American people were their piggy bank. Theyd produced carnage across America and lined their own pockets. Dont buy their political shows and fake news, he urged. D.C. is the home of uniparty swamp dwellers, and theyre playing the American people as suckers. All the people sitting behind him on Day One, Democrats and Republicans both, realized instantly, Hes not one of us, and hell never be one of us. Trump made it very personal. They couldnt avoid the calculation: If he succeeds, we lose. He told the Great Unwashed what they should never be told, that their leaders had a terrible track record, that their Ivy League degrees didnt translate into competent statesmanship, and that they didnt care about their own country and fellow citizensand the people cheered. This was bad, very bad. Suddenly, it seemed to the elite and everyone who wants to join them that their security and livelihoods were at risk. Draining the swamp and discrediting the media would take away their food and water. People wouldnt trust their expertise anymore. The qualifications and experience on their lengthy resumes wouldnt be so impressive. Statements such as I was an undersecretary of _____ under President Y might evoke a wry smile instead of a reverent nod. These people had worked all their lives in hypercompetitive settings to advance and succeed. Theyd proven their excellence. They had the advanced degrees and political posts and distinguished by-lines as sure evidence, and this orange-haired blowhard dared to mutter, Youre not so special. Infuriating, yes, and treacherous, too. On this point, our masters on the right and left could agree. As our Marxist would say, they had a system to maintain, made up of themselves, and Trump didnt honor it and become a well-behaving member. This is what makes him a radical force in American history. Building the wall, breaking from China, tariffs, agreements in the Middle East, oil independence they irked certain factions and violated D.C. wisdom, yes, but those actions could be handled politically, either defeated by anti-Trump groups or slow-walked by swamp officials. But this other contention, the incompetence and corruption of the Beltway crowdit was different. It put real people on the line, ones who believe that they should never be on the line. As I said, it was personal, and that always raises the heat. When Hillary Clinton in one debate stated that someone with Donald Trumps temperament should not be president and he shot back with, Because youd be in jail, it appalled the Establishment, but not for the obvious reasons of its wise-cracking curtness, ungentlemanly cast, or un-presidential insult. That may be how it struck a lot of Americans (some disgusted, some joyous), but the elite heard something else. He told them that their high status didnt amount to a hill of beans. He showed his willingness to punch them in the face with the American people watching. Most of all, he declared he was coming after them, because they deserved it. The historical meaning of Donald Trump depends on this outcome. How many of the longstanding, high-ranking, well-remunerated denizens of the swamp will survive Trump populism? How many will still be in place, running the D.C. show, steering money, churning out words and speeches and interviews, winning re-election, and keeping Trump-ish individuals away? They have certainly lost their luster, and a good portion of the American public despises them, but they are still in tight control of the halls of power. In 10 years, or 20, will they still hold the reins? A simple head count will determine what the Trump revolt of the masses really meant. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. NEW YORKTheres a saying that the truth will set you free, but for that to happen, the truth must first be revealed. And there are those who will do anything to keep it hidden, a point made clear in Frances Ya-Chu Cowhigs powerful and, sadly, quite topical drama Snow in Midsummer, now at Classic Stage Company. In present day China, the ironically named New Harmony is, for all intents and purposes, a company town. Formerly known as Cloud Forest, its where Master Zhang (Kenneth Lee) established a thriving business, with multiple factories. The Zhang family quickly became the towns biggest employer and power in town. However, Zhangs sudden murder threatens to throw the New Harmony status quo into chaos. Accused as his murderer is a young woman named Dou Yi (Dorcus Leung), who is subsequently sentenced to death, which is carried out with alacrity. (LR) Teresa Avia Lim as Tianyun, Alex Vinh as Worker Huang, Julian Leong as Worker Fang, Paul Juhn as Worker Jing, and Wai Ching Ho as Nurse Wong and Mother Cai in Snow in Midsummer. (Julieta Cervantes) Shortly before she dies, Dou Yi places a curse on the land. The curse will bring a three-year drought that will last until snow falls in June and her innocence is proven. The drought and the resulting devastation that it brings to the countryside follow all too quickly. Three years later, successful businesswoman Tianyun (Teresa Avia Lim) arrives to a warm welcome from the locals. She has worked her way up from nothing and intends to purchase the Zhang-owned factories and, thus, become the new boss in town. Handsome Zhang (John Yi), who took over the family business when his father died, is anxious to sell his holdings, so he can begin a new life far away from New Harmony and its memories. Not long after, Tianyuns adopted daughter Fei-Fei (Fin Moulding) begins to act strangely. The young girl, whos about to turn 7, seems to be talking to a figure that no one else can see. That figure is the spirit of Dou Yi. As Tianyun tries to make sense of the situation, shes met with resistance at every turn, with no one in town wanting to talk about what happened. Desperate to help her daughter, Tianyun begins to uncover a dark conspiracy. What she discovers involves a forbidden love and deeply buried family secrets. She also uncovers unscrupulous judges and doctors, and a highly questionable practice when it comes to obtaining human organscircumstances which could very well still be in vogue today in China. The Need to Stand Up for Truth Based on a Chinese tale from the 13th century, Snow in Midsummer is a story about the importance of truth, along with how turning a blind eye to a wrong can be just as criminal as committing the actual act. Even more telling is the way the play offers an unflinching look at a corrupt system on multiple levels. The system is built on satisfying those who can pay for whatever outcome they want, not minding the innocents destroyed in the process. Those who can pay may try to excuse their actions by believing it was all for a greater good, or that events would have happened as they did, regardless. Yet time and again it is shown how such decisions lead to tragedy. This is something organ recipient Rocket Wu (Tommy Bo) experiences firsthand when he becomes filled with guilt and remorse over what was done in the name of love. Also interesting is the way the play effectively contrasts a modern worldcomplete with cell phones, texting, and heart transplantswith peoples fears of the supernatural. The town workers, for example, demand that Tianyun, who they see as the new power in town, fix what is happening and thus save them all from Dou Yis anger. This is despite the fact that Tianyun had no knowledge of the curse or its circumstances until recently, much less any idea of how to end it. A Compelling Performance Taking place on a relatively bare stage, and with the help of flashbacks, the performers are able to powerfully recreate the tale depicted. Direction by Zi Alikhan shows a firm understanding of the story and is able to highlight the pieces constant, underlying tension. John Yi as Handsome Zhang in Snow in Midsummer. (Julieta Cervantes) Yet, at the same time, the director keeps the pace of events moving smoothly enough to allow the audience to be slowly drawn into the story. The only major technical problem in the show is with the sound design. It is hard to hear the actors at points, in particular, little Moulding. The fact that the play takes place in the round, with the actors not always facing the entire audience, doesnt help matters. Yi is convincing as Handsome Zhang, a seemingly self-assured and somewhat smarmy sort, who in the end is revealed to be far more insecure than originally perceived. Lim is very good as Tianyun, who, as the mystery unfolds for her, learns of, and reacts to, events at the same time the audience does. Moulding does a realistic job as Fei-Fei, her character is compelling without being overly precocious. Leung is excellent as Dou Yi, a woman who gets swept up in events beyond her control while her attitude changes from innocence to desperation to anger and, finally, to seeking vengeance. Wai Ching Ho turns in a fine performance as the owner of a local bar, and former wet nurse to Handsome Zhang. With a running time that feels half its length, Snow in Midsummer is a striking reminder of how no one is exempt from the decisions they make, and how its only by the acknowledgement of the truth that those affected finally move on and begin anew. Its also a timely piece, given the accounts of organ trafficking that continue to plague people of faith in China. Snow in Midsummer Classic Stage Company 136 E. 13th St., New York, NY Tickets: ClassicStage.org Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (1 intermission) Closes: July 9 Former President Donald Trump speaks at an event in Houston, Texas on May 27, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Trump Says McCarthy Made Mistake by Not Including Republicans on Jan. 6 Panel The top Republican in the House of Representatives erred by not having GOP members on the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, former President Donald Trump said on June 21. It was a bad decision not to have representation on this Committee, Trump told Wayne Allyn Root on his show. That was a very, very foolish decision. The Republicans dont have a voice. They dont even have anything to say, Trump added to Punchbowl News. Its not even a question that McCarthy should have placed members on the panel, he said. McCarthys office did not respond to a request for comment. Trump spoke as the panel held another hearing exploring the former presidents efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Headed by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the panel is entirely made up of anti-Trump lawmakers, including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). McCarthy picked five members for the panel, including House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) refused to seat Jordan and Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), prompting McCarthy to pull all of his picks. Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republicans, we will not participate, McCarthy said at the time. Pelosi did not. The speaker, who had tapped Cheney for a membership, later added Kinzinger to the committee. Both Cheney and Kinzinger are ardently against Trump. Midterm Prospects Cheney is facing a tough reelection test and Kinzinger plans on retiring after his current term. The rest of the members are Democrats. Trumps comments came after Trump clarified his endorsement of McCarthy, saying it was for the congressmans reelection bid. I endorsed him in his race. But I havent endorsed anybody for speaker, Trump said on Roots show. Republicans believe theyll flip the lower chamber in the upcoming midterm elections, which would enable McCarthy to try for the speakers position. Its unclear what other Republicans could try for speaker. Pelosi has held the position since 2019. Former Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the last Republican speaker, has retired, as has Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the speaker before Ryan. McCarthy and Trumps relationship have been tested in recent months, with audio recordings emerging that showed the minority leader disparaged Trump in phone calls after the Capitol breach. Trump said in April that the relationship was not damaged. I think its all a big compliment, frankly, Trump said at the time. They realized they were wrong and supported me. United Airlines CEO Warns Fuel Costs Could Remain High United Airlines Inc. is expecting fuel prices to remain at elevated levels over the long term, says the companys CEO Scott Kirby. Speaking to reporters in Doha, Qatar, Kirby said that United Airlines will have to foot the bill for $12 billion in fuel in 2022 considering current prices, according to Reuters. In North America, jet fuel price was at $176.13 per barrel as of June 17, data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed. This is 17.2 percent higher when compared to the previous month and a whopping 125.5 percent higher compared to the same time in 2021. As airline fleets consume large amounts of fuel, even a small change in fuel prices can significantly impact operations. For instance, a Boeing 747 quad jet uses one gallon of fuel per second, meaning that a 5-hour journey will result in the use of 18,000 gallons of fuel, Simple Flying reports. Jet fuel prices have been affected by several factors such as the post-pandemic recovery in demand for air travel and the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, there is also another factor at play with regard to airline fuel prices. Impact of Environmental Regulations In 2020, the International Maritime Organization implemented a mandate for cutting down the proportion of sulfur content in the fuel used in ships. As a result, demand for the type of crude oil that makes jet fuel and diesel increased significantly to supply the maritime market, John Kingston, editor at large at FreightWaves, told Flying Mag. Combined with the recent sanctions against Russia, a major global oil supplier, the mandate has contributed to a drought in oil supply, thereby pushing up prices of the fuel. In May 2022, Kirby blamed COVID-19 and rising jet fuel prices for higher airfares. In April, airfare prices rose by 18.6 percent according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Were in the recovery mode from COVID and trying to come out of what was the most devastating crisis in the history aviation, he said in an interview with CBS News. Weve got to get back. We made it. We survived through the crisis. But now at United, we took on an extra $22 billion of debt. Weve got to start paying that down. Weve at least got to recover the increase in jet fuel prices. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that fuel consumption by U.S. airlines fell by 9.5 percent in April 2022 when compared to pre-pandemic April 2019. The cost per gallon of aviation fuel for domestic operations rose by 103.3 percent year-over-year. At $3.58 per gallon, this was the highest April price since 2000. A U.S. soldier stands near a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) during a patrol near the Rumaylan (Rmeilan) oil wells in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on June 22, 2021. (Delil Soulieman/AFP via Getty Images) US Air Force Wont Reveal ID of Member Arrested in Connection to Insider Attack A U.S. Air Force service member was arrested in connection to an attack on a small American base in Syria that injured four, officials said Thursday. As part of an ongoing investigation, on June 16, an Airman was taken into custody stateside in conjunction with the attack in Green Village, Syria, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement, referring to the April incident. The military hasnt released the service members name unless he or she is charged. After reviewing the information in the investigation, the Airmans commander made the decision to place him in pretrial confinement, Stefanek added. The U.S. military first blamed the attack at Green Village in eastern Syria on indirect fire. It later stated that a subsequent investigation suggested that the explosion was the result of the deliberate placement of explosives in an ammunition holding area. Officials said last week that they were investigating the possibility of it being an insider attack. Stefanek told CNN that her expectation is that charges will be filed within the coming weeks. We wont release the individuals name unless charges are preferred. It is too early in the process for a charge sheet. It will be available if charges are preferred, Stefaneks statement said. According to reports earlier this year, the four soldiers who were injured in the blast suffered traumatic brain injuries, although none were seriously hurt. They all returned back to duty after several weeks. Syrian War Still Ongoing The United States maintains about 900 soldiers in Syria, including special operations forces that advise a group of Syrian fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces that operate in northern and eastern Syria. On Feb. 3, 2022, the White House announced that U.S. special forces in northwest Syria killed the leader of the ISIS terrorist group, known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshithe leader of ISIS. All Americans have returned safely from the operation, said Biden at the time. Earlier this month, meanwhile, Syrias Defense Ministry indicated that at least 13 people died in an attack on a bus in northern Syria on the Raqqa-Homs highway. At about 6:30 [03:30 GMT] this morning, a civilian bus was subjected to a terrorist attack on the Raqqa-Homs highway in al-Jira area, the ministry said in a statement last Monday. The U.S. Air Force airmans arrest in Syria this week comes just days after the U.S. Air Force cleared crew members in the deaths of Afghan citizens who were seen clinging to aircraft evacuating the Kabul airport before they plunged to their deaths. Reuters contributed to this report. A Navy F-18 Growler flies over Syria in a mission supporting Operation Inherent Resolve to desroy ISIS, on Aug. 4. (Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride) US Airman Arrested for Alleged Insider Attack at Green Village Base in Syria A U.S. airman has been arrested by military law enforcement over an alleged insider explosives attack at a U.S. base called Green Village in eastern Syria in April. Ann Stefanek, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson, told CNN that the unnamed U.S. airman was taken into custody in the United States on June 16 as part of an ongoing joint investigation into the attack at Green Village in Syria. After reviewing the information in the investigation, the Airmans commander made the decision to place him in pretrial confinement, she said. The Armys Criminal Investigation Division and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are carrying out the joint investigation. Details about the identity of the U.S. airman have not yet been released. We wont release the individuals name unless charges are preferred, Stefanek said. It is too early in the process for a charge sheet. It will be available if charges are preferred. Stefanek said that charges could be filed within the next few weeks. Update: Follow-up on OIR statement regarding the attack on Green Village in Eastern Syria, April 7th. pic.twitter.com/e9mPSbnWJa Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) April 15, 2022 The alleged insider attack occurred after midnight, at 1:09 a.m., local time. The U.S.-led coalition said at the time that four U.S. service members had to be evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries. They reportedly returned to service later in April. Officials also told CNN that the blast was not insignificant and stronger than one produced by a hand grenade. The attack was initially reported by officials from Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition, as an indirect fire attack on April 7. It was initially thought to be from something like a rocket strike. But after further investigation, the joint task force said in an update a week later that the explosion was the result of the deliberate placement of explosive charges by an unidentified individual at an ammunition holding area and shower facility. Green Village The Green Village is located in eastern Syria, north of the Euphrates River and around 60 miles west of the Iraq-Syrian border crossing. It is within areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, according to northwestern Iraqi media outlet Rudaw. Surveillance cameras captured the attack, showing a figure moving quickly in two instances, CNN reported. The objective of the attack is unknown, including whether it was intended to cause mass casualties or not. The investigation also seeks to determine if sentries were on duty at the time of the attack. Around 900 U.S. troops are operating in Syria, mainly training and advising Syrian partner forces fighting the remnants of ISIS terrorists, U.S. military officials say. A perimeter fence surrounds what is officially called a vocational skills education center in Dabancheng in Xinjiang, China, on Sept. 4, 2018. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) US Bans Chinas Xinjiang Imports Over Forced Labor The United States banned the import of goods from Chinas Xinjiang region on June 21, with the enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act signed into law by President Joe Biden last year. Under the rules, all goods produced in whole or in part in Xinjiang wont be allowed to be imported into the United States. To be granted an exception, importers would need to provide clear and convincing evidence that no forced labor was used in producing the goods, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 21 reaffirmed Bidens commitment to combating forced labor and strengthening international coordination against human rights violations in Xinjiang. Together with our interagency partners, we will continue to engage companies to remind them of U.S. legal obligations which prohibit importing goods to the United States that are made with forced labor, he said in a statement. We are rallying our allies and partners to make global supply chains free from the use of forced labor, to speak out against atrocities in Xinjiang, and to join us in calling on the government of the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to immediately end atrocities and human rights abuses, including forced labor. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing strongly condemns the law and vows to take measures to safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. The act is a clear indication that the U.S. is seeking to engender forced unemployment in Xinjiang through the legal form of actions and to make the world decouple with China, Wang told reporters at a June 21 press briefing in Beijing. Human Rights Abuses Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in December last year to ban imports of goods that were made using forced labor, following Chinas alleged human rights violations against the Uyghur ethnic minority in Xinjiang. The Chinese regime is utilizing vocational training and rehabilitation centers for political reeducation based on administrative detention, according to a 2022 report released by the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) on Feb. 10. It noted a widespread and systematic program involving the extensive use of forced labor of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities for agriculture and industrial activities throughout Xinjiang. While employed outside of the region, [Uyghur] workers lack freedom of movement, remaining confined to dormitories and are required to use supervised transport to and from the factory. They are subject to impossible production expectations and long working hours, the report reads. Some 13 million members of the ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang are targeted on the basis of their ethnicity and religion with a goal of social control and assimilation of their culture and identity. Persecuted Uyghurs, rights groups, and lawmakers worldwide have accused Chinese authorities in Xinjiang of facilitating forced labor by arbitrarily detaining more than a million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in a network of camps in the northwestern region. Beijing initially denied the existence of any detention camps. It later claimed that it had set up vocational training centers in Xinjiang to curb what it said was terrorism, separatism, and religious radicalism. The Chinese Communist Partys campaign against Uyghurs in Xinjiang has been labeled a genocide by nations and rights groups, including the previous and current U.S. administrations, the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, Lithuania, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. The United States, Britain, and other countries have called for the ILO to set up a mission to probe alleged labor abuses in Xinjiang and urged Beijing to allow unfettered access. Reuters contributed to this report. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before a Senate Finance Commmittee hearing on President Biden's 2023 budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 7, 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) US in Talks With Allies on Russian Oil Price Cap, Says Yellen TORONTOThe United States is in talks with Canada and other allies to further restrict Moscows energy revenue by imposing a price cap on Russian oil, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday. We are talking about price caps or a price exception that would enhance and strengthen recent and proposed energy restrictions by Europe, the United States, the UK and others, that would push down the price of Russian oil and depress Putins revenues while allowing more oil supply to reach the global market, Yellen told reporters in Toronto. We think a price exception is also an important way to prevent spillover effects to low income and developing countries that are struggling with high costs food and energy, Yellen said, speaking alongside Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Yellen said a price exception is an effective cap that could be achieved through a mechanism to restrict or ban insurance or financing for Russian oil shipments above a certain amount. The United States, Canada, Britain, and some other countries have banned imports of Russian oil, but the European Union remains highly dependent on Russian crude. Asked if U.S. President Joe Biden planned to seek consensus on an oil price plan at the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders summit in Germany next week, Yellen said: We are very active, actively working on this with our partners. Freeland said Canada thinks it is a really good idea to try to limit Russias oil revenues, but recognizes that this will be challenging for European countries. The path forward here is really to be talking with our European partners and to recognize, you know, how central they are in the decision making here, Freeland said, adding that Ukraine needed to be included in any decisions as well. By David Lawder US Needs to Decouple From China: Expert The United States needs to decouple from China economically, politically, and technologically, Ian Easton, senior director of The Project 2049 Institute, a Virginia-based think tank focused on promoting American values and security interests in the Indo-Pacific region, told The Epoch Times in an interview. Easton suggested that U.S. interactions with China are a zero-sum game, and said that it is dangerous to treat a strategic competitor, a radical political organization like the Chinese Communist Party like its normal, and like this is a country we can do business with. Easton is the author of the new book The Final Struggle: Inside Chinas Global Strategy, which former CIA director and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called a must-read for anyone who cares about freedoms future and a convincing and in-depth study of the CCPs unbridled ambition for global dominance. Easton also authored The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwans Defense and American Strategy in Asia, which, like The Final Struggle is published by Eastbridge Books, an imprint of the Taiwan-focused publisher Camphor Press. An Illinois native, Easton has written that he grew up in a family of cops and previously lived in Taiwan for more than four years, in addition to studying in Shanghai. In his first book, The Chinese Invasion Threat, Easton wrote that he began thinking about the invasion threat faced by Taiwan after experiencing an air raid drill during the summer of 2005 in Taipei, where he was studying Mandarin. Classes had let out, and I was strolling down Ho-ping (Peace) Road on my way to the metro station when the piercing wail of an emergency alert siren cut through the sticky air, Easton recalls in his first book. I looked up into the sky, my eyes scanning for trouble. Having spent my formative years in rural Illinois, surrounded by cornfields, my brain was programmed to automatically assume that sirens meant tornados were coming. Take cover! But on this particular day the skies were dazzlingly blue, without a threatening cloud mass anywhere in sight. Armed police officers and soldiers suddenly materialized on the streets around me, seemingly out of nowhere. Of his early years and his decision to focus his studies on Taiwan and China, Easton told The Epoch Times, I wanted to see the world from a very young age. I wanted to get out of those cornfields and travel and learn foreign languages and learn about other cultures. And the more I traveled, the more people I talked to, the more I read, the more clear it became, or at least it seemed to become, that China was the place to go, and then Taiwan was the place to go. That these were going to be some of the most interesting foreign policy challenges of our generation. US-China Relations A Zero-Sum Game Referencing a May speech by Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlining the Biden administrations China policy, Easton said that President Biden and his foreign policy team have a very conflicted kind of policy that is a policy at war with itself. In his recent speech, Blinken said, The United States stands with countries around the world against the genocide and crimes against humanity happening in the Xinjiang region we stand together on Tibet, where the authorities continue to wage a brutal campaign against Tibetans and in Hong Kong, where the Chinese Communist Party has imposed harsh anti-democratic measures under the guise of national security. However, in the same speech, Blinken also said, The United States does not want to sever Chinas economy from ours or from the global economy For our part, we want trade and investment as long as theyre fair and dont jeopardize our national security To the people of China: well compete with confidence; well cooperate wherever we can; well contest where we must. We do not see conflict. Easton offered the following critique of the policy statement. Secretary of State Blinkens recent China speech, he did, I think, very accurately, and correctly diagnose the problem. He described a genocidal regime [the CCP] that is hostile and that is undermining the free and open, liberal world order that the United States sought to create in the wake of World War II. But the problem and the contradiction comes when they [the Biden administration] then switch gears and talk about how we dont want to decouple, we want to continue to trade with China. In fact, were willing to trade even more with China if China removes some of their predatory economic policies, and that the United States wants to find more areas to cooperate with the PRC [Peoples Republic of China]. To me thats very contradictory, because you cannot compete, and you cannot defend yourself and cooperate at the same time. At a certain point, it becomes a zero-sum game. And if you continue to seek cooperation with the PRC, they will exploit that as an opportunity to undermine you. And thats something that theyve done very successfully throughout the history of US-PRC relations. Easton said that more U.S. cooperation with China comes with a price, and the price is that the administration risks not doing everything that it could or should be doing to support human rights, for example, to support the defense of Taiwan, to beef up our own national security situation, which is, in my view, in a very troubled state right now. And this is why I think economically decoupling or moving in that direction is so important. And its not just economic decoupling. Its also political decoupling. Its technologically decoupling. It is looking at this challenge that we face, which is systemic, and it affects our entire society, and then starting to actually take real policy measures. The Epoch Times has reached out to the State Department for comment. CCP Infiltration of American Markets and Infrastructure Decoupling-related policy measures recommended by Easton include removing commercial electronics made by Chinese companies from the U.S. market. Chinese companies are, by Chinese law, answerable to the CCP. Easton writes in The Final Struggle, We never think of our own homes as being on the frontlines of a war with China. Perhaps we should start. The CCP has developed countless ways to clandestinely set the foundations of the American universe trembling without firing a single rocket. The author told The Epoch Times, Lenovo, for example, is a company that has been blacklisted by the Pentagon because of its close ties to the PLA [the Peoples Liberation Army], the Chinese military, and yet Lenovo computers dominate the American commercial sector. Theyre in homes and hospitals and grocery stores and clinics and offices and banks and police stations and fire stations across America. He pointed to the Chinese digital radio maker Hytera as another company in the U.S. market that poses a security threat, as well as smartphone maker Motorola Mobility and home appliance maker GE Appliances, whichthough they continue to use previously trusted American brand namesare now, following buyouts, Chinese-owned companies. The Internet of Things, where your appliances are talking to each other and everythings collecting data and sharing data to try to make your life easier, in theory, thats not a bad thing, necessarily, if youre comfortable with that, Easton said. But in practice, if all of those electronics are linked to the Chinese government, then thats a serious problem. And unfortunately, that is the case today, where Chinese electronic systems which are known by the U.S. government to be under the control of the Chinese Communist Party and have strong links to the PLA, theyre dominating our entire society. And so far, Congress and the administration have not done anything to get those off the market. We also suffer from the same problem in terms of our critical infrastructure, Easton said, pointing to China-made smart cranes that are prevalent in United States container ports as an example. In The Final Struggle, Easton notes that gantry crane-maker Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC)a Chinese state-owned enterprise and branch of the China Communications Construction Corp. (CCCC), which was blacklisted by the Department of Defense in 2020continues to maintain coast-to-coast operations in the United States, supplying smart cranes that are a fixture in nearly every American container port, including those in Los Angeles, Long Beach (California), Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle, Philadelphia, Wilmington (North Carolina), Charleston (South Carolina), Jacksonville, Gulfport (Mississippi), Tampa Bay, Miami, and Elizabeth (New Jersey). Almost every container port in America is now dominated by a Chinese state-owned enterprise [ZPMC], which is linked to the PLA. Its a very close relationship with the PLA. Theyre smart cranes, theyre automated, and theyre connected to the internet, Easton told The Epoch Times. And we have Chinese government employees that service those cranes and that are in all of our port facilities. And so I think that says something about how troubled our China policy has been, and how dangerous it is to treat a strategic competitor, a radical political organization like the Chinese Communist Party, like its normal, and like this is a country we can do business with. I dont believe thats the case. And so I think we need to start rolling that back. Xi Jinping Is Nothing Like Americans Easton told The Epoch Times that in addition to detailing the CCPs infiltration into U.S. markets and infrastructure, One of the aims I had for the book [The Final Struggle] and the research was to try to get a sense of what is Xi Jinpings worldview, and what might the worldview be of those around him? What is the collective personality and outlook of the Chinese Communist Party? Easton said, I think its important for American policymakers in particular, but also for our friends and allies around the world to understand that Xi Jinping is not like them. Hes nothing like them at all. His lived experiences are very different than theirs. And the lived experiences of those in the Chinese Communist Party and the world outlook, the way theyve been indoctrinated, the way theyve been trained, the way they frankly have been brainwashed makes them very different actors than those in the West. He added, Unfortunately, we have a terrible problem in Washington and elsewhere across the United States: mirror imaging. In other words, were not good at putting ourselves in the other guys shoes, or if youre in the military, the other guys boots. And so we just project our own values onto our rivals and our adversaries and our enemies, and thats a recipe for strategic disaster, miscalculation, and surprise and mistakes. And so I think that its important that we try to spend a little more time as an analytic community to talk more about these kinds of issues. In The Final Struggle, Easton details the turbulent early years and career trajectory of the CCP leader. One striking passage describes how Xis mother, Qi Xin, made the decision, following the expulsion from Beijing of Xis father, who was formerly a senior official in the CCP, to turn her back on her firstborn son to save her own skin by publicly disowning Xi during Chinas tumultuous Cultural Revolution. Easton writes, Family ties were one of the cardinal sins of humanity according to Maos communist ideology, and they had to be expunged. At a rally, Xi Jinping was rounded up and paraded across a stage so that a rabid crowdwhich included his mothercould excoriate him. He watched from the stage as his mom publicly disowned him, her fist raised as she chanted along with his persecutors, Down with Xi Jinping! He was fifteen. When I read that story, it really struck me, Easton told The Epoch Times. It struck me that here is a leader whos like pretty much everybody in his generation. In fact, almost every single person in China has been brutalized and traumatized by what the Chinese Communist Party did, what they continue to do. And Im concerned that this will continue into the future, because what the Party is trying to do is socially reengineer all Chinese culture, all Chinese civilization, and all Chinese society. And to do that requires using extreme levels of oppression and violence and dividing families against each other, dividing communities against each other, removing religion, treating religion as if its what they call one of the poisons of society. Its very traumatic, and what it does to people, I believe, is it does traumatize them and brutalizes them. And that certainly happened to Xi Jinping and it happened to hundreds of millions of people as well. Easton suggested that as a result of the trauma they have experienced, Xi Jinping and other senior officials are deeply psychologically damaged. Now we have an entire government, a ruling regime in Beijing, that is run by people who almost certainly have post-traumatic stress syndrome. Theyre almost certainly deeply psychologically damaged. And that may account for some of the behavior were seeing, the wolf warrior diplomacy, very aggressive, very militant foreign policy, Easton said. That may also account for these extremely horrific policies of genocide that theyve undertaken in Xinjiang, in Tibet, and elsewhere. It may account for, and I think it does account for, this Orwellian mass surveillance program and the way that the Chinese Communist Party elite continues to oppress the people of China. US Should Normalize Our Relationship with Taiwan Easton also spoke about U.S. policy toward Taiwan, a democratic island of 23 million people that China threatens to invade. The United States has not had official diplomatic relations with Taiwan since diplomatic relations were established with the Chinese regime in 1979. This is a very troubled foreign policy issue for the United States, Easton said. Its very problematic that, in the case of Taiwan, the U.S. does not support self-determination. We support self-determination, of course, for ourselves and for peoples around the world and countries around the world. And so I think its very problematic and hypocritical for the U.S. State Department to say we do not support self-determination for Taiwan. Pointing to Taiwans ranking as one of the worlds top 10 democracies by the Economist Intelligence Units Democracy Index, Easton called the island a shining success story. And it is arguably the freest country in all of Asia, with the possible exception of Australia. And so its certainly in our principled interest to move to normalize our relationship with Taiwan and to treat Taiwan with the dignity and the respect that it deserves diplomatically, he said. The author continued, If we can do that, if we can develop a positive vision for a new and improved Taiwan policy, and also, of course, we need one for our China policy as well, then a lot of very good things I think will flow from that, which will improve our economic relationship and our defense posture and our security posture in the region, and our ability to maintain our technological dominance long into the future as well. But it all starts with that positive political vision. What Winning Looks Like For The US In The Final Struggle, Easton writes, The final struggle sought by Beijing would mean continuous revolution and political violence forever. The true struggle that will decide the future of the world is the struggle for increasingly open, moderate, and tolerant politics. If humankind is to ever be peaceful and prosperous in a broad and comprehensive sense, that is the struggle we must win. Easton described to the Epoch Times what winning against the CCP would look like for the United States. A win for us means to spread democracy around the world. I think as Americans, we all believe in the idea that all men and women are created equal and that all people have these fundamental rights, what we call universal values, and that the individual matters more than the collective, that for the first time in human history, thats what happened in the United States. We were the first country that could do that, Easton said. For the first time ever, the individual and the dignity of the individual mattered more than the state. It mattered more than the empire. That we empowered people at the expense of their own governments. And we allowed people to decide their own political futures, and to give them sovereignty, and give them that basic dignity and to protect their human rights and to have rule of law. And so I think its certainly in our principled interest to defeat the spread of totalitarianism and authoritarianism and, ultimately, to allow for self-determination to thrive around the world. Darrell Brooks is escorted out of the courtroom after making his initial appearance in Waukesha County Court in Waukesha, Wis., on Nov. 23, 2021. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, Pool) Waukesha Parade Massacre Suspect Changes Plea, Uses Insanity Defense The man accused of killing six people and injuring dozens more by ramming an SUV into a Christmas parade last year in Waukesha, Wisconsin, will plead not guilty to his criminal charges by reason of insanity. Darrell Brooks, the 40-year-old accused killer, has changed his plea from not guilty to not guilty by reason of mental defect or insanity. Waukesha County court records show that he will undergo a mental evaluation. Brooks is accused of driving his SUV into a crowd of people attending a Christmas parade on Nov. 21, 2021. Prosecutors have since charged him with a total of 83 counts of crime related to the incident, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide, each punishable by life in prison. The suspects defense attorneys previously filed a motion requesting to move the trial out of Waukesha or to bring in jurors from a county other than Waukesha. They argued that an impartial trial cannot be held in Waukesha, citing the extensive media coverage of the deadly attack and the communitys outpouring of support for the victims. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow on Monday denied the motion. There is no doubt in this courts mind that an impartial jury can and will be impaneled in Waukesha County, she said. The Kenosha Way The case will proceed in what Dorow called the Kenosha way, a reference to last years high-profile homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, during which 12 jurors of Kenosha, Wisconsin, had been allowed to return home but not to discuss the case when they left the courtroom. Rittenhouse was eventually acquitted of all criminal charges against him. This was a prophylactic used during the highly publicized trial of Kyle Rittenhouse last year and one which this court viewed as being appropriate and meeting the needs to ensure a fair and impartial jury, Dorow said. Once a jury of 16 is impaneled, juries will be sequestered at the courthouse during each day of trial but allowed to return home at the end of the day, the judge added. These jurors will meet each day at a different undisclosed location for transport to the courthouse by the clerks office and law enforcement. This will ensure that jurors are kept separate from victims, witnesses, attorneys, and the media. The attack at Waukesha left six people dead, including an eight-year-old boy. More than 60 others were injured. According to the complaint filed at Waukesha County Circuit court, Brooks struck people from at least eight different groups marching in the parade, spread out over the course of about five blocks, and some spectators along the way. Brooks, with no emotion on his face, at no time stopped to avoid striking any person, according to the complaint. At one point, he leaned his head out the window to steer because there was a person on the windshield blocking his vision. However, Brooks does not stop but continues driving, the complaint alleges, citing a detectives report. As I continued to watch the SUV, it continued to drive in a zig zag motion, a witness said, according to the complaint. It was like the SUV was trying to avoid vehicles, not people. There was no attempt made by the vehicle to stop, much less slow down. As the June 30 deadline nears for compliance with the U.S. militarys COVID-19 vaccine mandate, U.S. Army officials publicly claim a very small percentage of its members are unvaccinated, reporting 96% or more of its members are fully vaccinated. However, the Armys vaccination rate is in fact significantly lower than 96%, an active-duty senior Army official with access to senior-level information told The Defender so low, that if the Army were to enforce the deadline, the loss of up to 120,000 service members would render it combat-ineffective. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Army is strongly considering pushing the June 30 deadline much further into the future but will not announce the date change until closer to, or even after, the upcoming deadline. Concern about the number of unvaccinated service members was the topic of recent senior-level briefings, according to the official. He said hes blowing the whistle now because many service members who remain unvaccinated and/or who are on the fence about getting the vaccine may feel compelled to do so to meet the June 30 deadline unaware the deadline may soon change. He said by going public with this information now, service members who have not yet been vaccinated but who are feeling increasing pressure to get the COVID-19 vaccine may reconsider. Real Numbers of Unvaccinated Army Members Higher Than Anybody Thought As far back as December 2021, an article on the U.S. Army website stated 96% of the Armys 461,209 members were fully vaccinated. In March 2022, as the Army began to announce the initiation of separation procedures for unvaccinated soldiers, officials again claimed 96% of its service members were fully vaccinated. Later that month, an article on the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) website claimed the entire force may be vaccinated for COVID-19 by early summer. According to the whistleblower though, the real numbers of unvaccinated service members are way higher than anybody thought, adding that while everyone thought the number of unvaccinated in the Army was approximately 8,000-10,000 members, it is actually around 120,000. To confirm that number, the official confidentially shared an internal U.S. Army document, dated June 2022. According to the document, in the Army National Guard (ARNG), there are 280,678 members who are fully vaccinated (84.6%), and 7,735 who are partially vaccinated (1 dose) (2.3%) leaving 43,269, or 13%, who have not yet received a single dose. In some states, such as Oklahoma, the document shows the vaccination rate for members of the ARNG is as low as 74.11%. Of those, the document lists 15,698 members as refusals and 6,749 (2.0%) as going through an exemption process with 6,257 (1.9%) requesting a religious exemption and 492 (0.1%) requesting a medical exemption. The document also notes that 80% of unvaccinated soldiers in the ARNG are age 32 or younger, with an average age of 26.2 and median age of 24. The document adds that unvaccinated soldiers in their first 1-3 years of service and 4-7 years of service represent the greatest risk to readiness for the ARNG, and that Infantry, Maintenance, Engineer and Transportation career fields represent the greatest areas [of] concern for the ARNG. The document also states projected losses could drive [the ARNG] below 70% available strength. According to the document, Current forecasts project unprogrammed, vaccination mandate-related losses to range from 3-6% of assigned strength, which would require an anticipated seven-year effort at 1,500-2,000 ramp per year to restore [the] End Strength necessary to meet required Force Structure. The same document also provides figures for the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR), stating that 157,390 members are fully vaccinated (87.9%), with an additional 1,411 members partially vaccinated with one dose (0.8%), leaving 19,872 members (11.3%) fully unvaccinated. Among the unvaccinated, 7,623 members (4.3%) are listed as refusals and 4,100 (2.3%) are listed as undergoing an exemption process, with 3,982 members (2.2%) having requested a religious accommodation, and 118 (0.1%) having requested a medical exemption. In some states, such as Wyoming, the vaccination rate in the USAR is as low as 80.9%, according to the document. The document also notes 65% of unvaccinated soldiers in the USAR are age 30 or younger, with an average age of 28 and a median age of 26. Supply and Services, Mechanical Maintenance, Engineer and Transportation career fields represent the greatest areas [of] concern for the USAR, the document states. The document recommends commanders counsel every unvaccinated Soldier, explore [the] impact of Bars to Reenlistment and publicize [the] Novavax option as [U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] approves as it may appeal to some seeking religious exemptions. The number of unvaccinated service members in the ARNG and USAR is confirmed in a second document an internal information document that the whistleblower shared with The Defender. According to the whistleblower, this leaves approximately 56,000 unvaccinated service members in the U.S. Army itself. These figures refer only to the Army, the whistleblower said. He does not know the figures for other branches of the armed forces, such as the Navy, Marines and Air Force. The reason most members of the Army thought the number of unvaccinated was much smaller, aside from the information provided via the Armys official channels, is that the Army has been very tight-lipped about these figures, not leaking [them] to anybody, even internally, according to the whistleblower. Those who are not vaccinated are segregated, so it is hard to find out who isnt vaccinated, he said. The Army has done a very good job of not letting that information be leaked across the service. As a result, according to the whistleblower, sometimes you feel youre the only one, that theres only a few people left who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. However, those who are unvaccinated and who are privy to the real figures are, as the whistleblower described it, re-energized and encouraged by these numbers. Army Will Be Combat-Ineffective Unless It Moves June 30 Deadline The whistleblower told The Defender the DOD still plans to separate the unvaccinated soldiers, but instead of enforcing the June 30 deadline, what they are going to do is hold off on separating soldiers on July 1, and will most likely push that into 2023 at the earliest. The June 2022 Army document confirms this, as it proposes that a phased approach to involuntary separation for unvaccinated service members would begin on October 1, 2022, with a mandatory bar to reenlistment, while mandatory involuntary separations for COVID vaccine refusal would begin January 1, 2023, and last up to approximately 2 years. The document also recommends separations for Soldiers start in FY23 [fiscal year 2023] with a phased approach. The whistleblower said the later date and phased approach are necessary because the Army is having a difficult time recruiting new troops, as recruiting numbers have tanked over the past six months. The June 2022 document confirms this, describing an extremely challenging recruiting environment. Moreover, the whistleblower claims that the Army knows they cannot separate 120,000 soldiers, as the Army would become combat-ineffective, which the whistleblower states is another reason why the real figures have been tightly guarded. Strength is in numbers, he said. Instead of getting the high numbers of vaccinated soldiers the DOD was hoping for, it appears the military now has to manage a larger-than-expected number of service members who have refused the COVID vaccine. The Pentagon knows that too many [service members] have said no and that there is not much they can do about it, said the whistleblower. Service Members, Unaware of an Impending Change to June 30 Deadline, Face a Very Hard Decision While the DOD may be ready to move the June 30 COVID-19 vaccination deadline to a later date, the whistleblower said officials are keeping this information under wraps for the time being. Between now and July 1, nothing will change with the guidance, he said, adding the new deadline will be announced at a later date. However, in the period between now and June 30, unvaccinated service members who remain unaware of this possible change will have to make a very difficult decision: Get the vaccine or be separated, the whistleblower said. Separately, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) last week called for the DOD to reinstate all troops discharged from any branch of the U.S. military, with their same rank, benefits and back pay. And Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) last week once again demanded the DOD turn over all documents related to management of the militarys medical database between 2016 and 2020, following accusations by other DOD whistleblowers that the database was altered in order to obscure evidence of injuries related to the COVID-19 vaccines. 06/22/22 Childrens Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of Childrens Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from Childrens Health Defense? Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Childrens Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Commissioner of Hong Kong Police, Raymond Siu Chak-yee, addresses the media after the passing out parade at Aberdeen Police College on Nov. 27, 2021. (Bill Cox/The Epoch Times) Xis Uncertain Visit to Hong Kong Has Police in War Mode, Students Made to Meet and Greet Xi As 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kongs handover to China, news circulating pointed to the possibility of the China regime leader, Xi Jinping, visiting Hong Kong, to host the new chief executive oath-taking ceremony on July 1, 2022. The Hong Kong government is ready to lay out the red carpet for the event. Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is going to send out every officer it has. At the same time some pro-Beijing leftist schools have invited students to partake in a so-called Glorious Missiongreeting the regime leader on arrival. Writer and columnist Chen Pokong questioned whether Xis visit has something to do with the power struggle taking place within their party. Scholar Benson Wong Wai-kwok thought, that since the Hong Kong pandemic is not yet under control, such a meet-and-greet should be as simple as possible. Wong also raised the probability of the police using that day as an excuse to fine citizens with Prohibition on Gathering Regulation (599G) tickets. Professor Chung Kim-wah, on other hand, said the phenomenon reflects the current Hong Kong situation, where everyone in the government thinks the more left you lean, the better. Xi Undecided About Visiting Hong Kong Its just a few days before July 1 approaches, yet there is no feedback on whether Xi Jinping will visit Hong Kong. According to multiple media sources, once Xis trip to Hong Kong is confirmed, it will be scheduled for two days instead of three, as it was in the past. During the visit, Xi will host the oath-taking ceremony of the new Hong Kong leader, John Lee Ka-chiu. The Hong Kong authority will do whatever it takes to prepare for the event, such as ensuring whoever comes in contact with the president will be put in quarantine for at least a week. That includes officials and social elites. In recent weeks, the pandemic with Covid-19 in Hong Kong has been fluctuating. With more than 1,000 new additional confirmed cases most days, it raises questions about whether Xi Jinping will be deterred from coming to Hong Kong. On June 14, outgoing Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that she still would make every effort to create favorable conditions for Xis visit to Hong Kong. Therefore, Lam would not relax the pandemic entry measures requested by foreign investors, before the end of the month. Xi Visit Due to Power Struggle? Interestingly, Chinese-American writer Chen Pokong analyzed in an online program, that the decision of whether Xi Jinping will visit Hong Kong is not pandemic-related, but his very own personal safety. Chen said, Xi made a huge mess in Hong Kong, so he is scared to death for his safety. On the other hand, this might also involve a power struggle among the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). If the CCP is slowly passing work to Li Keqiang, the China regimes number two, sliding Xi into the background, the CCP, after a deliberation, might not agree to Xi being in Hong Kong. He continued that Xi Jinpings visit depends on the upper management of the CCP, especially the Politburo Standing Committee. This scenario places Xi at a disadvantage since at least four of the committee members protest against Xi. Chen said. Students Invited to Meet and Greet Xi According to Ming Paos published report on June 10, Hong Kong Federation of Educators Wong Chu Biao School, a Hong Kong school known for being extremely pro-Beijing, had sent out a circular notice to parents, inviting their children to partake in a Xis meet-and-greet at the Hong Kong Airport on June 30 and a farewell event on July 1. However, the school requires students to be isolated in a designated hotel, accompanied by teachers for seven days. During that time, the students will be learning via Zoom. Only students who have received two shots of vaccinations are eligible for this golden opportunity. The notice, describing the function as a rare and glorious mission, urged parents to persuade their kids to join. Ken Wong Kam-leung, Pro-CCP headmaster, also chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers said, The main purpose of giving out the circular note is to understand parents initial response and make arrangements accordingly. Details will be announced by HKGov later. Police Mobilize the Entire Force to Escort Xi On June 14 2022, Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee expressed that the visit of Xi Jinping is yet to be confirmed. However, Siu shared that the force has been preparing the security logistics for the coming July 1, since 2021. To make sure the day is a smooth sail, the Hong Kong Police Force will mobilize the entire force and be ready for dispatch, including special forces, logistics personnel and retired police officers. CIDs will also be sent out to the streets and observe any suspicious person or item. In the past, when Hu Jintao, former leader of PRC visited in 2012, The police dispatched approximately 30,000 police officers. In 2017, when Xi Jinping visited, approximately 10,000 were dispatched. So based on what Siu had said, if and when Xi visits Hong Kong on July 1, 2022, police will send out closer to 30,000 officers, which is three times more than his visit 10 years ago. On June 25, 2017, Xinhua News Agency published a press release, announcing Xi Jinpings visit to Hong Kong from June 29 to July 1, 2017. Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived in Hong Kong on June 29, 2017, and departed three days later, after attending the inauguration ceremony of the Hong Kong government on July 1. During his 3-day trip five years ago, Xi Jinping met with more than 100 political and business persons. Xi also stopped by at Junior Police Permanent Activity Centre and at the Integrated Youth Training Camp, Shek Kong Barracks, while his wife Peng visited kindergartens and elderly nursing homes. During Xis Last Visit, Demonstrations in Hong Kong Were Suppressed On June 28 2017, 26 activists from the now disbanded Demonsisto and League of Social Democrats, including Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Wong Ho-ming, Leung Kwok-hung (Long Hair), Avery Ng Man-yuen , Figo Chan Ho-wun, Tam Tak-chi (Fast Beat), Tsang Kin-shing and Agnes Chow Ting, climbed onto the bronze statue of The Golden Bauhinia Square; they demonstrated and displayed a banner which wrote Unconditionally release Liu Xiaobo. Hongkongers want true universal suffrage. They were all arrested by the police one by one that evening. On June 30, 2017 the Hong Kong National Party planned to hold a rally at the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, but the police issued a prohibition notice of assemblies. Convener of the assembly, Chan Ho-tin, appeared in Tsim Sha Tsui that day and was surrounded by more than 100 police officers. On the morning of July 1, 2017 the League of Social Democrats and Demosisto marched to the flag-raising ceremony in Wan Chai to protest. While the members were waiting in front of the Family Planning Association Hong Kong, a number of unknown people smashed up their belongings and demonstration props, while others went on to attack the demonstrators. Glorious Mission or Political Brainwashing In response to an interview with our reporter, Professor Benson Wong Wai-kwok, former assistant professor of politics and international relations at Hong Kong Baptist University, pointed out that since the Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong is still unstable, Xi Jinping may not necessarily attend the ceremony in Hong Kong for health reasons. Even if Xi Jinping decides to visit Hong Kong, shouldnt the Hong Kong government simplify the welcome and farewell ceremonies to reduce the risks of the virus infection? Xi Jinping can always go directly to the inauguration ceremony as soon as he arrives in Hong Kong and return to Beijing immediately after the event. Wong said. Wong also questioned whether the Hong Kong Federation of Educators Wong Chu Biao School is jeopardizing the health of its students and teachers in exchange for currying favour with the CCP. The so-called Glorious Mission in the circular is entirely political brainwashing. As for the police dispatching 30,000 officers, that is just a formal political gesture to national leaders. However, we cant be sure if the police would not issue random 599G tickets to fine citizens who are bothered by HKPFs nuisance and inconvenience. Wong worried. Threatening Citizens to Keep Their Mouths Shut Professor Chung Kim-wah, former assistant professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, stated, If I were a parent of HKFEW Wong Chu Biao School, there is no way I would let my children attend the Glorious Mission meet and greet ceremonies. Chung also did not rule out the possibility of some parents refusal of their children to participate in the red-pleasing act. Chung also reckoned that dispatching 30,000 police officers is just over the top. It will be the same as it was 5 years ago when Xi visited. Police were everywhere. the public was so fearful that they kept their mouths shut. Maybe thats what made the police think they did a great job. Chung stated. The facts above reflect what is happening in Hong Kong today: Whether you are on top or at the bottom of the food chain, the more of a leftist you are, the better. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Firefighter groups are applauding the Biden administration's steps to raise pay but warn that the temporary wage hikes won't be enough to combat staffing problems, as federal agencies compete with local fire departments and big box stores in a tight labor market. Its an effort and an attempt to try to keep people at their jobs, Jonathon Golden, a former federal firefighter from Park City, Utah, said of the move to raise federal firefighter pay. But it still falls woefully short of the pay in municipal departments and other state agencies. Wildfire season is raging throughout the western U.S. and fierce competition for workers is exacerbating challenges facing the land management agencies that employ firefighters. For years, firefighters and their advocates have decried stagnant pay and increased costs of living, arguing both are making recruitment difficult and attrition inevitable. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that infrastructure bill funds would go to backpay and giving all federal firefighters a raise for two years either a 50% bump from their base salary or $20,000, whichever is less. The move follows an executive order President Joe Biden signed last year to raise federal firefighter minimum wage to $15 an hour. And it implements provisions of last year's infrastructure bill designed to help recruit and retain firefighters, including $600 million in one-time funding to raise pay. Biden said funding for long-term pay raises remained a priority as climate change makes the U.S. West hotter, drier and more prone to wildfires. I will do everything in my power, including working with Congress to secure long-term funding, to make sure these heroes keep earning the paychecks and dignity they deserve, he said in a statement. Though officials say its an imperfect metric, the number of unfilled staffing requests on large wildfires or unable to fill orders, indicates growing problems: In 2019, there were 92 times where the National Interagency Fire Center couldnt mobilize crews to wildfires upon request. In 2020, there were 339 crew mobilization orders that couldnt be filled. And last year, 1,858 crew mobilization orders couldnt be filled. Ken Schmid, operations specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center, said unable to fill orders reflect staffing needs but also may depend on geography or time of year, particularly in months when agencies dedicate staff to training or other high priority work. What it comes down to is weve got more big fires out there and incident management teams with needs to try and corral them than we have folks available, said Grant Beebe, a former smokejumper and the Bureau of Land Managements assistant director for fire and aviation. Members of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters believe raises were long overdue. However, they warn that without permanent increases, some of the nation's most skilled firefighters including hotshots, smokejumpers and helitack crews may go work elsewhere. You can go to a Whole Foods and start off at $16 an hour with $1,000 signing bonus. Its just a tight labor market now, Golden, the former firefighter, said. In addition to facing competition from retail employers, federal agencies also compete with state and local departments that can pay more, offer more full-time positions and better benefits. Mid-career federal firefighters currently earn roughly half the pay of third-year firefighters employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, according to analysis from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. Incident commanders working for federal agencies can make as little as one-quarter of the pay of entry-level municipal firefighters working the same fire. Pay bumps and the creation of a new job classification that will allow more firefighters to be hired for year-round positions will narrow the gap between federal firefighters pay and benefits and their state and local counterparts, federal officials say. In a fact-sheet released this week, they say they expect the changes announced Tuesday to help firefighting agencies recruit more workers and create career advancement opportunities for those already employed. Both, officials say, should lower attrition rates for skilled firefighters who have left for other departments or industries. Land management agencies, mainly the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, hope to employ more than 30,000 firefighters during peak season this summer and have worked to recruit new employees throughout the spring. But the Forest Service said last month that staffing levels were 90% overall, but as low as 50% in some fire-prone regions, including California, Oregon and Washington. Randy Erwin, president of the union representing a majority of federal wildland firefighters, said recruitment and retention had been particularly difficult this year, amid a worse-than-normal fire season. He expects the pay bump to help agencies fill their firefighting ranks. Firefighters simply could not make ends meet on the hopelessly low salaries offered at federal agencies, so jobs were becoming very difficult to fill, he said in a statement. Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said there were few signs of competition for workers decreasing or hiring slowing down. Though the labor market remains tight, he said private sector employers have recovered to pre-pandemic levels more than public sector employers such as the federal agencies who employ firefighters. Firefighting may be an attractive profession for young people craving adventure and a sense of purpose, but Hershbein said the allure would likely not insulate federal agencies from broader trends in the labor market and the many factors that prospective employees weigh when considering jobs. Based on my read of everything going on in the labor market, unless they are going to be doing other things to attract people like bonuses and other incentives its going to be really hard," he said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who last month in a letter called looming staffing shortages an urgent threat to natural resources, public safety, and taxpayer dollars," applauded Biden's announcement. But he said more needed to be done for firefighters, particularly as blazes grow more severe. They deserve the basic decency of good pay and good benefits that fully recognize their sacrifice and essential work, and allows them to support their families," he said. Summer is here, there are firefighter shortages in Oregon and across the West, and there is no time to waste in getting these changes implemented on the ground. ___ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington, D.C. Metz reported part of this story from an Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources workshop in Boise, Idaho. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media STAMFORD A Wilton man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl when he was 18 years old. Gaston Alex Acosta-Rua, now 22, pleaded guilty to a charge of fourth-degree sexual assault, a Class D felony, at the Superior Court in Stamford as part of a plea agreement with state prosecutors. Great Rivers and Routes recently received a grant for $460,000 on Edwardsville's behalf to restore a building at West and St. Louis streets into a Route 66 Interpretative Center. However, those plans were not without much discussion among city officials. The city's Administrative and Community Service (ACS) Committee unanimously voted in favor of one item for a sign installation last Thursday but debated the other one, which ended in a 2-1 vote. The full council voted 7-0 in favor of the project on Tuesday. Under one resolution, the city and tourism bureau would enter into an agreement to place one of six Route 66 Monument Signs at the southeast corner of Schwarz Street and Route 157, near the existing Route 66 Kiosk and across from Lincoln Middle School. The other locations are Carlinville, Litchfield, Hamel, Collinsville and Granite City. Great Rivers and Routes would provide the monument, delivery and installation at no cost while the city would have to provide the concrete pad for the monument. The total cost of the monuments is $101,466; just one monument sign is $16,911. "This monument sign is 12.5-feet tall, or 156 square feet, and it is a highway marker that has the number 66 on it," said Economic and Community Development Director James Arnold. "The agreement stipulates that we are accepting of this award, the sign maintenance is on us and they would like to see this stay up until Dec. 31, 2026, which is the 100-year anniversary of The Mother Road. After that, the city can do as it chooses with it." Arnold said there is ample parking at the kiosk site, which is about 10 years old, near Lizotte Sheet Metal. Alderman William Krause called the sign a potential "Instagrammable moment." To help with that, there needs to be enough space to provide access to everyone, including those with disabilities. Arnold said there is no penalty for not installing it if the city cannot find a suitable location after acceptance of the monument. Decorative fencing and lighting have been considered but the city would have to pay for them. If the sign breaks or someone drives into it, the city's insurance would cover the damage. The committee voted 3-0 in favor of the sign installation. The committee then had a quick 3-0 vote on a resolution for a sign variance for the monument sign last week. The variance was then unanimously passed by city council Tuesday. City Planner Emily Calderon pointed out the sign is so large that it does not fit into the city's sign code in any way, thus the variance. Following the variance vote, the committee turned its attention to what became the biggest item on the agenda -- the interpretive center. Great Rivers and Routes accepted a $460,000 grant on the city's behalf, a sub-agreement, to restore the old West End Service Station into a Route 66 Interpretive Center. The site, at the southeast corner of St. Louis and West Streets, was formerly Dr. Beau Moody's dental office and before that, another dentist worked there after the original "filling station" closed. Since the measure was approved by city council Tuesday, Great Rivers and Routes and the State of Illinois, which owns the site, will allow Edwardsville to operate the station as a tourism site. Great Rivers and Routes will pay for the acquisition, design, redevelopment, amenities, signage and educational pieces for the station. The city had until June 30 to accept the agreement and turn in all related paperwork to accommodate Illinois' fiscal calendar. If restoration starts in September, crews would have about eight months to finish the project by the May 31, 2023 deadline. Public Works Director Eric Williams said the deadline is feasible if they can get all of the acquisitions cleared with Illinois, which he said are in progress. During the committee meeting last week, alderpeople had questions for Arnold. "Do we have an idea of what the annual operational cost would be? It's great that we get the upfront money for these developments but what is the long-term plan?" asked Krause. Arnold said he has not run the projections yet on the cost of owning, maintaining and insuring the site. "At this juncture, I would like more information on that longer-term plan," Krause said. "I'm not saying the building isn't worth saving and redeveloping." He compared it to the Wildey, which he said had some "growing pains" in its early years though it more than pays to for itself these days. "I would like to have a little more detail about where this site is at in five years, given that so many tiny museums around the state and around the country are struggling with volunteers, attendance and keeping their doors open but I don't want to say 'no' to $460,000." Alderman Jack Burns asked who is responsible for staffing the museum, Great Rivers and Routes or the city. Arnold replied that Great Rivers and Routes will have a person on-site but utilities are the city's responsibility. Krause asked if that meant a long-term agreement with Great Rivers and Routes on this and what if, in two or three years, the city cut ties with the tourism bureau, who staffs the museum. Burns asked what the ramifications are to the city if they don't accept the funds but Arnold said since Great Rivers and Routes applied for this money on the city's behalf, the onus is on the tourism bureau. "They applied for this knowing that we did not have ownership of the building," Arnold said. Other questions regarded what happens if the museum goes into the red, penalties for backing out of the project or not meeting deadlines, staffing and parking arrangements. Ultimately, Grant and Burns voted for the project with Krause initially opposed and wanting more information in time for city council Tuesday. However, at council Tuesday, Mayor Art Risavy announced an irregularity. He called for an additional closed session about 50 minutes into the meeting to discuss the interpretive center before aldermen voted on it. In what became almost an hour-long closed session, the council requested Cory Jobe, president and CEO of Great Rivers and Routes, join them about 30 minutes after the session started. Perhaps 20 minutes after he entered, Jobe left city hall. The chamber was opened to the public again at about 8:50 p.m. The final vote was 6-1 in favor, contingent on the successful acquisiton of the West End Service Station site. Alderman William Krause voted 'no.' There was no public discussion before the vote. One attorney is out and now the public defender is in. At a pre-trial hearing Wednesday afternoon in Montgomery County Court, David Fahrenkamp officially withdrew from defending Robert J. "Bobby" Tarr in his murder case. Fahrenkamp submitted the motion to withdraw a little over a month ago, but the discussion had been delayed so he and Tarr could possibly come to an agreement. They did not. Tarr told the court the two "couldn't come to an agreeable understanding." "It is what it is," Tarr told Resident Circuit Judge Jim Roberts. The hearing was held virtually via Zoom. "He has to do what he has to do and so do I." In previous interviews, Fahrenkamp cited retainer fees and Tarr's own motions handwritten to the court without his consultation. Tarr is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Leslie Reeves of Troy, Illinois, and attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Chris Smith of Farmersville. Reeves and Smith were on a blind date the night of the incident. Read more: Well-known Troy businesswoman and advocate killed, ex-boyfriend charged Watch: 'I should've listened to my gut feeling,' shooting survivor says Roberts gave Tarr the option to either be assigned a public defender, hire another attorney or represent himself, he even offered Tarr time to seek new representation. Tarr decided to go with the public defender for now, but hinted at possibly hiring another attorney later after the judge told him he could do so. Montgomery County Public Defender Erin Mattson was assigned the case, but visibly not to Tarr's approval. After Roberts appointed Mattson, Tarr tried to interject with a preferred defender, but the judge cut him off. "You don't have a choice, I choose for you," Roberts said glaring into the camera. "I really don't need to hear your preference." What's waiting to be determined is Tarr's ability to adequately pay for his representation. He told the court he owns some "ground" that's maybe worth $1,000, but also brought up a firearm that's worth more than $1,000 with ammunition. That firearm was taken when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tarr's residence and is the subject of the motion he submitted to the court. Tarr told the court the firearm has nothing to do with the case and its release would allow him to sell it. The discussion will move forward at Tarr's next hearing, and first appearance with Mattson, next Friday, July 1, at 1 p.m. Roberts reminded Tarr that stipulations, should he post bond, do not allow him to possess and someone would have to sell the firearm on his behalf. Read more: Accused killer left home twice the night of Farmersville homicide 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Police had enough officers and firepower on the scene of the Uvalde school massacre to have stopped the gunman three minutes after he entered the building, and they would have found the door to the classroom where he was holed up unlocked if they had bothered to check it, the head of the Texas state police testified Tuesday, pronouncing the law enforcement response an abject failure. Officers with rifles instead stood in a hallway for over an hour, waiting in part for more weapons and gear, before they finally stormed the classroom and killed the gunman, putting an end to the May 24 attack that left 19 children and two teachers dead. I dont care if you have on flip-flops and Bermuda shorts, you go in, Col. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in blistering testimony at a state Senate hearing. The classroom door, it turned out, could not be locked from the inside by design, according to McCraw, who also said a teacher reported before the shooting that the lock was broken. Yet there is no indication officers tried to open it during the standoff, McCraw said. He said police instead waited for keys. I have great reasons to believe it was never secured, McCraw said of the door. How about trying the door and seeing if its locked? Delays in the law enforcement response at Robb Elementary School have become the focus of federal, state and local investigations. McCraw lit into Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school district police chief who McCraw said was in charge, saying: The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering Room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children. Arredondo made terrible decisions, said McCraw, who lamented that the police response "set our profession back a decade. Arredondo has said he didnt consider himself the person in charge and assumed someone else had taken control of the law enforcement response. He has declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press, and his lawyer did not immediately respond Tuesday. The police chief testified for about five hours Tuesday at a closed-door hearing of a Texas House committee also investigating the tragedy, according to the panel chair. Senate members hearing the latest details reacted with fury, some decrying Arredondo as incompetent and saying the delay cost lives. Others pressed McCraw on why state troopers on the scene didnt take charge. McCraw said the troopers did not have legal authority to do so. The public safety chief presented a timeline that said three officers with two rifles entered the building less than three minutes behind the gunman, an 18-year-old with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. Several more officers entered minutes after that. Two of the officers who went into the hallway early on were grazed by gunfire. The decision by police to hold back went against much of what law enforcement has learned in the two decades since the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado in which 13 people were killed in 1999, McCraw said. You dont wait for a SWAT team. You have one officer, thats enough, he said. He also said officers did not need to wait for shields to enter the classroom. The first shield arrived less than 20 minutes after the shooter entered, according to McCraw. Eight minutes after the shooter entered, an officer reported that police had a heavy-duty crowbar that they could use to break down the classroom door, McCraw said. The public safety chief spent nearly five hours offering the clearest picture yet of the massacre, outlining a series of other missed opportunities, communication breakdowns and errors based on an investigation that has included roughly 700 interviews. Among the missteps: Arredondo did not have a radio with him. Police and sheriffs radios did not work inside the school. Only the radios of Border Patrol agents on the scene did, and they did not work perfectly. Some school diagrams that police used to coordinate their response were wrong. Public leaders, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, initially praised the police response in Uvalde. Abbott said officers reacted quickly and ran toward the gunfire with amazing courage to take out the killer, thereby saving lives. He later said he was misled. State police initially said the gunman, Salvador Ramos, entered the school through an exterior door that had been propped open by a teacher. However, McCraw said the teacher had closed the door, but unbeknownst to her, it could be locked only from the outside. The gunman walked straight through, McCraw said. The gunman knew the building well, having attended the fourth grade in the same classrooms where he carried out the attack, McCraw said. Ramos never communicated with police that day, the public safety chief said. Sen. Paul Bettencourt said the entire premise of lockdown and shooter training is worthless if school doors cant be locked. We have a culture where we think weve trained an entire school for lockdown .... but we set up a condition to failure, he said. Bettencourt challenged Arredondo to testify in public and said he should have removed himself from the job immediately. He angrily pointed out that shots were heard while police waited. There are at least six shots fired during this time," he said. Why is this person shooting? Hes killing somebody. Yet this incident commander finds every reason to do nothing. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said Tuesday that the city has specific legal reasons that it's not answering questions publicly or releasing records. There is no cover-up," he said in a statement. Later in the day, the Uvalde City Council voted unanimously against giving Arredondo, who is a council member, a leave of absence from appearing at public meetings. Relatives of the shooting victims had pleaded with city leaders to instead fire him. Please, please, were begging you, get this man out of our lives, said Berlinda Arreola, the grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza. After the meeting, the mayor pushed back on McCraw's testimony casting blame on Arredondo, saying that the Department of Public Safety has repeatedly put out false information about the shooting and glossed over the role of its own officers. He called the Senate hearing a clown show and said he heard nothing from McCraw about state troopers' involvement, even though McLaughlin said their number in the school hallway at points during the slaughter surpassed that of any other law enforcement agency. Questions about the law enforcement response began days after the massacre. McCraw said three days afterward that Arredondo made the wrong decision when he chose not to storm the classroom for more than 70 minutes, even as trapped fourth graders inside two classrooms were desperately calling 911 for help and anguished parents outside the school begged officers to go inside. An hour after the shooter first crashed his truck outside the school, Arredondo said, according to McCraws timeline: People are going to ask why were taking so long. Were trying to preserve the rest of the life. But McCraw said Tuesday that the amount of time that elapsed before officers entered the classroom was intolerable. Police havent found any red flags in Ramos' school disciplinary files but learned through interviews that he engaged in cruelty to animals. He walked around with a bag of dead cats, McCraw said. In the days and weeks after the shooting, authorities gave conflicting and incorrect accounts of what happened. But McCraw assured lawmakers: Everything Ive testified today is corroborated. McCraw said if he could make just one recommendation, it would be for more training. He also said every state patrol car in Texas should have shields and door-breaching tools. I want every trooper to know how to breach and have the tools to do it, he said. ___ Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle and Terry Wallace in Dallas, correspondent John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and photographer Eric Gay in Austin contributed to this report. ___ Find more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting John Eibner calls on British Foreign Secretary to declare Nigeria country of particular concern at International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief ZURICH - On Friday, the Catholic Diocese of Ondo state in Nigeria laid to rest the bodies of more than 40 churchgoers who were murdered on Pentecost Sunday. Today, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is calling on British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to use the upcoming ministerial for freedom of religion or belief in London to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern for systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom. On June 5, gunmen attacked St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the city of Owo during Pentecost mass, killing dozens, including children. Until now, this sort of attack has been rare in Nigerias Christian-majority southwest. No one has been arrested for the attack. In an open letter to Foreign Secretary Truss, Dr. John Eibner, the president of CSI, warned that Nigeria has experienced a spike in atrocity crimes committed against Christians since U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens decision last November to remove Nigeria from the U.S. own list of countries of particular concern. Washingtons declaration that it had no particular concern about religious freedom in Nigeria was openly celebrated by advisors of Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari, Eibner noted. But it was widely condemned by representatives of Nigerias victimized religious communities. The upcoming International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, scheduled for July 5-6 in London, is part of a series of religious freedom ministerials that was launched by the US government in Washington DC in 2019. A UK government strategy document from July 2021, Global Britain in a Competitive Age, highlighted the planned 2022 Ministerial, and called the campaign for religious freedom a vital instrument of our influence overseas. Eibner urged Truss to use the Ministerial to propose the adoption of a resolution declaring that Nigeria is indeed a Country of Particular Concern and to urge Secretary Blinken to reinstate Nigeria on the U.S. Department of States list. About CSI Christian Solidarity International is an international human rights group campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity. It runs a website, www.nigeria-report.org, to draw attention to the violence and religious cleansing taking place in Nigeria. A joint security team comprising of the Nigeria Police Force and vigilante in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State has eliminated two suspected terrorists during a gun duel with terrorists at Sabon Dawa village in the council. The State Police Public Relation Officer, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the development on Wednesday, said the shootout occurred on Tuesday evening. He explained, On 21, June 2022 at about 5 p.m, a distress call was received that terrorists in their numbers, armed with AK47 rifles, attacked Sabon Dawa village, Zakka District, Safana LGA of Katsina State. DPO Safana led a combined team of police and vigilante to the area, engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun duel, neutralised two of the terrorists and foiled their heinous mission. Reacting to the development, State Police Commissioner, Idrisu Dauda, applauded the security team and the community for their resilience, stating that they stood ground and defended the community from terrorist attack. He assured residents that the police would continue to do everything possible to ensure safety and security of their communities. Dauda charged the state residents to report any suspicious person or group of persons to the police via 08156977777, 09053872247. In an online written response to questions from Bloomberg News as posted by William Clowes and Michael Cohen on June 21, 2022, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said hundreds of millions in stolen funds have been returned from outside and within Nigeria, and he is not giving up as his time in office is almost ending. In the face of mass insecurity and a hopeless economy, Buhari, the leader of Africas most populous country, largest economy, and a drained democracy, stated that in 2021, through the whistleblowing policy, around $386 million was recovered from looted funds that came back into the country. In his own words, he told Bloomberg news, "As an illustration, monetary recoveries (January-December) 2021 show that more [than] N152 billion has been recovered. Dollar recoveries for the year amount to over USD 386 million; GBP, more than 1.1 million; Euro, about 157,000; Saudi Riyals about 1.7 million some more in digital and other currencies." Unlike some of his predecessors, he is not denying that acts of corruption are present in his administration, as in the case of his Accountant-general, Ahmed Idris recently arrested for stealing N80 billion which is over $193 Million. Unlike his predecessors, who showed indifference to the national character of corruption, he remindedBloomberg news, "Those partners refused to return these monies held for decades to previous Nigerian administrations in the certainty they would simply be re-stolen. They changed their approach with us because they knew my administration could be trusted." These stolen funds by so called Nigerian government leaders "have been returned from abroad primarily from the UK, US, and Switzerland and used as social and welfare funds distributed directly to the poorest during the COVID pandemic and the provision of long-delayed infrastructure roads, bridges, rail, and power." It is worth noting that in 2021, Nigeria ranked 154th out of 180 countries listed in Transparency International's Corruption Index. In a 2015 edition of the Journal of Political Sciences & Public Affairs, an article by Abamara Nnaemeka, Okoye Chukwuemeka, Oguegbe Tochukwu, and Joe-Akunne Chiamaka , titled Corruption and Insecurity in Nigeria: A Psychosocial Insight, partly submitted, using the lens of psychoanalysis, that "corruption has been institutionalized in the Nigerian polity, and it has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigerian societycrime resides in the instinctual drive of an individual. Therefore, corruption resides (as) a component of human personality." Whether the inability to resist the urge to steal is exacerbated by the state of society's economy, one thing is certain: for far too long, many Nigerians appear to have been unable to manage the impulse, control, or resist the temptation to steal. Could it be that for many Nigerians, especially those involved in mass looting of public funds over and over, due to both psychological and biological pressures, they cannot resist it? I do not know. But if there is an instinct to steal in some Nigerians, Buharis fight against corruption through internal and external enforcement will not completely do it. Let me quickly point out that, based on psychological or psychoafricalytic reasoning, corruption, to me in the Nigerian context, is not only occurring by way of money but also by ideas. As in the behavior of public officials who abuse the rights and obligations of the people, a type of corrupt idea as in when winners of primary elections conducted by the government are replaced by others who did not participate in the poll, as in the cases of the Yobe North Senatorial District and Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District in Nigeria. It appears that many Nigerians are just subconsciously, behaviorally, and ethically corrupt. The governments institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the police and the judiciary have sometimes done their respective best, but with acts of corruption by way of ideas and money running through every level of the Nigerian government, the fight against corruption remains pervasive. So, this thing is possibly psychological and biological in many inhabitants, so Buhari, as an ex-army general and former military ruler, probably needs to be familiar with a Japanese fantasy story called Akumetsu, written by Yoshiaki Tabata and illustrated by Yuki Yugo. Akumetsu is the story of Hazama Shou, a young man with a fantasy thriller in wishful thinking of the slaughtering of corrupt government officials, bankers, and business operators. In Akumetsu, he sees his nation experiencing extreme economic despair because of the spread of corruption among public officials, politicians, and businessoperators. As almost all hope is lost, Akumetsu appears and starts killing these corrupt politicians in order to try and make things better for society. Akumetsu first makes them confess what crimes they committed and then wipes them off the earth. He believes killing these criminals may be enough to cleanse crime. In the story, they target those who are deemed responsible for the massive economic crisis and, as such, are labeled as evil by the masked men, who all go by the common alias Akumetsu (literally, destroyer of evil). In the story, the Akumetsu, or evil destroyer, seeks out politicians and businessmen lavishing themselves amidst growing public economic unrest, amid massive economic downfall, increasing public deficits, and suffering, brutally slaughtering them in different ways. No attempt is made here to ask for the unlawful killing of known corrupt human beings or arbitrary killings of characters who continue to inspire widespread public condemnation but are free, and even contest for more positions and make more business deals. Continued poor governance and fraud remain twin elements that continue to alienate the public in general in our young democracy and entrench pain and suffering. As such, something drastic needs to be done, as those very faithful to endemic corruption are liabilities to everything and everyone. Nigerian corruption threatens Nigeria's security, economic equity, undermines human rights, national anti-poverty and development efforts, and democracy itself. In the past, I have written about corruption matters in Nigeria, understanding causes, effects, and possible solutions, but it continues, so what should Buhari do now and what should we all see as the best approach to reduce it drastically? In the past, I have written about corruption matters in Nigeria, understanding causes, effects, and possible solutions, but it continues, so what should Buhari do now and what should we all see as the best approach to reduce it drastically? The question of whether Nigeria should incorporate Akumetsu's fiction and fantasy into Nigerian reality as a useful tool in achieving anti-corruption goals remains open to response. John Egbeazien Oshodi was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria and is an American-based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected] EGAT inaugurates Phukets new 500kV power substation PHUKET: Boonyanit Wongrakmit, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), was in Phuket yesterday (June 21) to inaugurate the official opening of the new power substation in Koh Kaew, built to receive the new 500kV supply line from Surat Thani to feed into the Phuket power grid. construction By The Phuket News Wednesday 22 June 2022, 10:04AM At the event, held at the power substation, Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan praised the development. Phuket is a strategic area in the tourism industry that is important to the country. It is the province with the second-highest income from tourism in the country after Bangkok Having stable, sufficient electrical infrastructure is considered at the heart of Phukets long-term development, V/Gov Amnuay said. The opening of Phuket High Voltage Power Station 3 is a good thing for Phuket, to support higher electricity demand in the future, making it possible to develop towards the goals and strategies that have been set. We are fully ready to support the Specialized Expo 2028-Phuket Thailand, which the Phuket team led by the Phuket Governor has joined forces with the team of TCEB to present their readiness to the BIE committee in Paris to compete for hosting the event along with four other countries competing. We are confident that there will be good news for Phuket and Thailand, he added. Mr Boonyanit explained the new 500kV supply line to Phuket draws from the central region power grid through the Bang Saphan 2 High Voltage Power Station in Prachuap Khiri Khan connecting to the Surat Thani High Voltage Power Station 2. The new 500kV power lines from Surat Thani to the new Phuket High Voltage Substation 3 covers a total distance of 504 kilometres. It is the first 500kV electric power supply line in the South and is the longest electrical supply line in Thailand, he said. It increases the ability to transmit electricity from the central region to the south by more than two times, from 700 megawatts to 1,600 megawatts, and increases the ability to deliver electricity to Phuket in the future, Mr Boonyanit continued. Further, Phuket High Voltage Power Station 3 is a Gas Insulated Substation [GIS], which is the latest technology and uses less construction space, he added. EGAT has a mission to maintain the stability of the countrys power system and has continued to develop electrical infrastructure to support the growing demand for electricity in the South, especially for Phuket in the long term, as Phuket has the second-highest demand for electricity in the southern region and has a record of 7-10% higher electricity usage per year, Mr Boonyanit said. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High around 24C. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 14C. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. City_news alert featured Neo-Nazis raided by RCMP Joel Goldenberg / RCMP Quebec Members of the RCMP in Quebec during the June 16 raid. Last week, the Quebec division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police sent dozens of their officers to raid and conduct searches in the rural areas of St-Ferdinand and Plessisville, which are between Montreal and Quebec City, to the premises of a neo-Nazi organization. It was an investigation targeting individuals with suspected ties to the AtomWaffen Division terrorist group, the RCMP posted just before noon June 16. All measures were in place to ensure the safety of the public and our police officers. The RCMP later told the media their focus was the collection of evidence, and arrests may come at a later time. Publicsafety.gc.ca posted in February 2021 that the group, founded in the United States in 2013, the AtomWaffen Division (AWD) is an international neo-Nazi terror group, which has since expanded to the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and elsewhere. The group calls for acts of violence against racial, religious, and ethnic groups, and informants, police, and bureaucrats, to prompt the collapse of society. AWD has previously held training camps, also known as hate camps, where its members receive weapons and hand-to-hand combat training. AWD members have also carried out violent acts at public rallies, including the August 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In July 2019, the co-leader of AWD, an American citizen, was banned from Canada by the Immigration and Refugee Board after it was determined that he was a member of an organization that has or will engage in terrorist activities. The group is also known as the National Socialist Order and NSO. According to reports, the group is inspired by Charles Manson, who directed the Tate-LaBianca killings in California in 1969. The RCMP told the media that investigations into the neo-Nazi group have been taking place since 2020. Press Release June 21, 2022 Villar visits Oblate Farm in Cotabato; cites importance of farm tourism STRESSING that farm tourism and farm schools helps augment the income of farmers and boost the country's agriculture, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar said these are among the reasons why she authored the Farm Tourism Development Law or Republic Act 10816. Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, noted that this law paved the way for an increasing number of farmers, farm owners and farming communities and enjoying the benefits of converting their farms into farm tourist sites and farm schools or learning sites. "It multiplies the earning potential of farmers- from their crops, from the tourists who visit their farm and buy their produce or products, and from the tuition fees of the trainees in their farm schools," said Viilar. During a visit to Oblate Galilee Farm Malangag, in Antipas, Cotabato, Villar said she shares the goal of its founder, Father Yves Caroff- to develop "communities of poor farmers who constitute one of the poorest and most neglected social groups in the country". "And he helped them "rise from poverty and hands-on agricultural education became the means he has employed".That is why I am an avid supporter too providing agricultural training through farm schools and learning sites," Villar further talked of Father Yves. The visit to the Oblate Galilee Farm with the local and provincial government officials and officers of the Together Ensemble Foundation and French Ambassador Michele Boccoz, Villar emphasized, is indeed one great way to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Together Ensemble Foundation and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the France. The senator also said she is happy that the Oblate Galilee Farm is on its way to be among the TESDA- accredited farm schools. "Oblate Galilee Farm is a very good example of how a vision of one man can impact the lives of so many families and communities when dedicated and committed individuals and organizations come together and extend help," added the senator. She said the increasing number of venues for agriculture-related training helps remove the barriers that prevent Filipino farmers and fisherfolks from being competitive and profitable. She also acknowledged that Hubert d'Aboville Together Ensemble also shared and supported Father Yves even back in the 1990s when he first visited Galilee Farm. Villar, binisita ang Oblate Farm sa Cotabato; kinilala ang kahalagahan ng farm tourism SA paggigiit na importante ang farm tourism at farm schools para madagdagan ang kita ng mga magsasaka at mapalakas ang agrikultura ng bansa, sinabi ni Sen. Cynthia A. Villar na kabilang ito sa mga rason sa pag-akda niya sa Farm Tourism Development Law o Republic Act 10816. Ayon kay Villar, chairperson ng the Senate committee on agriculture and food, nagresulta ang batas na ito sa dumaraming magsasaka, may-ari ng mga bukid at farming communities at tumataas n benepisyo matapos gawing farm tourist sites at farm schools o learning sites ang mga bukid. "It multiplies the earning potential of farmers- from their crops, from the tourists who visit their farm and buy their produce or products, and from the tuition fees of the trainees in their farm schools," ayon kay Viilar. Sa pagbisita sa Oblate Galilee Farm sa Malangag, Antipas, Cotabato, sinabi ni Villar na kaakibat siya sa adhikain ng founder nito na si Father Yves Caroff- na isulong ang "communities of poor farmers who constitute one of the poorest and most neglected social groups in the country". "And he helped them "rise from poverty and hands-on agricultural education became the means he has employed". That is why I am an avid supporter too providing agricultural training through farm schools and learning sites," giit pa ni Villar tungkol kay Father Yves. Ang pagbisita sa Oblate Galilee Farm kasama ang local at provincial government officials at opisyales ng Together Ensemble Foundation at French Ambassador Michele Boccoz, ani Villar, ay isang malaking paraan upang kilalanin ang 30th Anniversary of the Together Ensemble Foundation at 75th anniversary ng diplomatic relations sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Pransya. Masaya rin ang senador na magiging TESDA-accredited Farm school na ang Oblate Galilee Farm. "Oblate Galilee Farm is a very good example of how a vision of one man can impact the lives of so many families and communities when dedicated and committed individuals and organizations come together and extend help," pahYg ng pa ng senador. "The increasing areas of agriculture-related training helps remove the barriers that prevent Filipino farmers and fisherfolks from being competitive and profitable." Binanggit din niya na suportado rin ni Hubert d'Aboville Together Ensemble si Father Yves simula pa noong 1990 sa unang pagbisita nito sa Galilee Farm. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 23C. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 14C. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. FILE - In this photo made available by the Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak after their meeting in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, April 29, 2022. Saudi Crown Prince is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 making his first visit to Turkey as the two regional heavyweights press ahead with efforts to repair ties following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com . Back in January 2018, Cami Tedoldi, left, and Aaron Bush collaborated with other Foxboro music instructors to produce an online spoof of Ozzy Osbornes Crazy Train in homage to the New England Patriots appearance in Super Bown LII. The two faculty members are among 207 music educators nationwide under consideration for the 2023 Music Educator Award, presented jointly by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Miraj Madushanka never thought he'd need government rations to ensure his family could eat two meals a day, but Sri Lankas economic crisis, the worst in its history, has recast his life and those of many others in its burgeoning middle class. Families that never had to think twice about fuel or food are struggling to manage three meals a day, cutting back on portions. Days are spent waiting in lines to buy scarce fuel. The crisis has derailed years of progress toward relatively comfortable lifestyles aspired to across South Asia. An island nation of 22 million, Sri Lanka is hurtling towards bankruptcy after amassing $51 billion in foreign debt. There is hardly any money to import items like gasoline, milk, cooking gas and toilet paper. Before things began unraveling, Madushanka, a 27-year-old accountant, studied in Japan and hoped to work there. He moved back home in 2018 after his father died, to look after his mother and sister. Madushanka finished his studies and found a job in tourism, but lost it in the shadow of 2019 terror attacks that rattled the country and its economy. The next job evaporated during the pandemic. He's now working for a management company, his fourth job in four years. But even with a reliable paycheck, he can barely manage to support his family. Food prices have tripled in recent weeks, forcing the family to seek out government handouts of rice and donations from nearby Buddhist temples and mosques. Madushankas savings are finished. Right now, there is only enough to survive -- if there are months where we dont get extra benefits from outside, we have to just hold on somehow, he said. Even past crises, like Sri Lanka's nearly 30-year long civil war that ended in 2009 or the devastating 2004 tsunami, did not cause this degree of pain or anguish for those outside of the affected areas, experts say. The prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said Wednesday the economy has completely collapsed. Until recently, Sri Lankas middle class, estimated by experts to be between 15 to 20% of the countrys urban population, generally enjoyed economic security and comfort. The crisis has really shocked the middle class -- it has forced them into hardships they were never exposed to before, like getting basic items, not knowing whether they could get fuel despite spending hours in line, said Bhavani Fonseka, a senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. They have really been jolted like no other time in the last three decades, Fonseka said. Sri Lanka's middle class began to swell in the 1970s after the country's economy opened up to more trade and investment. It has grown steadily since, with Sri Lanka's GDP per capita surging higher than those of many of its neighbors. The ambition was to own a home and car, be able to send your kids to a good school, eat out every few weeks and afford a vacation here and there," said economist Chayu Damsinghe. But now it feels like the middle class has lost its dream," he added. If the middle class is struggling like this, imagine how hard hit the more vulnerable are, Fonseka said. Protests have raged since April, with demonstrators blaming President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government for policy blunders that torpedoed the economy and plunged the nation into chaos. In May, a wave of violent protests forced Rajapaksas brother and then-prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to step down. His successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is banking on a bail-out package from the International Monetary Fund and help from friendly countries like India and China to keep the economy afloat. In an interview with the Associated Press last week, Wickremesinghe said he feared food shortages might persist until 2024 as the war in Ukraine disrupts global supply chains, causing prices of some commodities to soar. Sri Lanka's economic predicament was compounded by a ban last year on imported chemical fertilizers that angered farmers and hurt harvests. The ban was lifted after six months, but the damage was already done, leading to food shortages. Government officials have been given every Friday off for three months to save on fuel and grow their own fruits and vegetables as food reserves run low. The inflation rate for food is 57%, according to official data, and 70% of Sri Lankan homes surveyed by UNICEF in May reported reduced food consumption. On a recent afternoon, residents swarmed a busy vegetable market in Colombo, sweating under the suns glare as they carefully compared prices of tomatoes and oranges with those at markets they had visited earlier. Sriyani Kankanamge, 63, said she has stopped buying meat or fish and buys only a few kinds of vegetables. I am angry. Prices of every essential item are going up rice, sugar, milk, chicken, fish. How can people eat? she said bitterly. Madushankas family has opted to give up three daily meals for just a late breakfast and dinner. On a recent Friday, his mother, Ambepitiyage Indrani, was grinding coconut and boiling a pot of water over a thin stack of firewood. When their gas cylinder ran empty in May, the thought of waiting in a queue with no guarantee of success seemed futile. The kitchen ceiling, once a gleaming white, is now streaked with soot from the cooking fire. An electric stove bought a few years ago has been sold. Indrani has glaucoma in her left eye and is using her eye drops once a day instead of twice, as recommended by her doctor. The price for the medicine has quadrupled. It has been the hardest time of my life, she said, recalling how just a few months earlier she used to cook extra food to give away to others in the neighborhood. The family's radio and television set have been turned off for weeks, their scooter is parked outside, covered. They hardly use it any more, preferring to walk or take the bus rather than queue for fuel. When the daily three hour-long power cut hits, Madushanka sometimes heads to the main protest site outside the presidents office. Like many Sri Lankans he feels the only way out may be to leave. I had a simple dream -- build a house, buy a car, work full-time during the week and go on holiday once in a while. I wanted to get married and raise a family, he said. But I'm scared this dream is no longer possible, at least not in this country. BETHALTO No serious injuries were reported in a Tuesday morning crash in Bethalto. At about 9 a.m. Tuesday a Chevrolet Silverado collided with a a Jeep Compass on Illinois 140 at Shellview Street in Bethalto. The drivers and a passenger in the pickup truck all escaped serious injuries. The truck had been hauling a flat trailer behind it during the crash. Bethalto firefighters checked on the occupants of both vehicles but all declined a trip to the hospital. The accident remains under investigation by Bethalto Police. SPRINGFIELD With Illinois primary election day less than a week away, early voting continues to lag. This is the latest the primary election has been held in Illinois in nearly 100 years. The primary is usually held in March but was moved to June 28 because the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau numbers needed for redistricting were late. McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael said voter turnout for the 2018 primary was in the neighborhood of 26%. She expects the number to be lower this year. Well see, but in the primaries you know people just havent made up their minds yet and I hear a lot of that now more than Ive heard in the past as well, said Michael. Even with primary races for governor, secretary of state and U.S. congressional seats up for grabs, voters are showing little interest. Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman said the later primary date for Illinois may be contributing to the lack of interest in voting. I really believe with the change from March to June for the primary election itself that it has thrown individuals off, said Ackerman. Although as of Tuesday early voting numbers were behind 2018 totals, Ackerman expects heavier traffic through the rest of the week. He added his county has seen a noticeable increase in mail-in voting from 55 in 2018 to 488 already this year. An expensive Republican gubernatorial primary is drawing attention. With six candidates on the ballot, recent polling indicates the race may be between state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia; Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin; and venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan. Others running are business owner Gary Rabine; former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo; and attorney Max Solomon. The 15th Congressional District has a Republican primary face-off as well, with U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, and Mary Miller, R-Oakland, pitted against each other after the state lost a congressional seat because of population decline. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend a Miller campaign rally Saturday in Mendon, about 130 miles northwest of Alton. The statewide primary election is June 28; polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. To be counted, mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within 14 days after. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate QUITO (AP) Ecuadors defense minister warned Tuesday the countrys democracy was at risk as Indigenous protesters attacked the prosecutors office and demonstrations against the government and rising fuel prices turned increasingly violent in Quito. Ecuador's capital was virtually paralyzed amid increasing signs of food and fuel shortages and reports of clashes between Indigenous protesters and police. In the morning, protesters punctured the wheels of buses, forcing passengers to walk. In a national broadcast, Defense Minister Luis Lara said the military was watching events with concern amid the manipulation of social protests and the growth in violence by those who have rejected dialogue. Lara said that these actions go beyond a citizen protest; this amounts to a deliberate effort to use violence to threaten democracy, endanger institutions. The violence marked an escalation of protests that began eight days earlier, when the powerful Indigenous Nationalities Confederation called for an indefinite strike to press its demands that President Guillermo Lasso cut fuel prices, put price controls on agricultural products and increase the education budget, among other issues. Images in local media showed damage to Ecuador's prosecutors office, which is next to a focal point for the protests, Salesiana University. Officials in the office requested help from the police and military and said they were moving files with sensitive information to a safe location to ensure investigations were not affected. In similar Indigenous protests in October 2019, a group entered the government comptroller's office and set fire to the building and destroyed files. The strike has largely affected six provinces in Ecuadors north, but demonstrators have also intermittently blocked roads, leading to fuel and food shortages in numerous areas of the country, including the capital. A group made up of Ecuadors universities, the Catholic Church and delegations of the United Nations and the Organization of American States, among 300 other institutions, have called on the government and Indigenous groups to reach agreements to deal with the serious economic, social and political crisis that Ecuador is going through. The government accepted the call, but the demonstrators have yet to respond. The Energy Ministry has invoked contract clauses that prevent lawsuits from being filed by hydrocarbon operators over unfulfilled contracts as the protests affect output. Demonstrators have entered oil fields, forcing companies to shut down almost 609 wells in the Amazon, leading to a loss of around 30,000 barrels per day. Also Tuesday, the prosecutors office said on Twitter it had launched an investigation into reports of the alleged contamination of water sources that enter treatment plants in the city of Ambato, which has a population of around 170,000. Reports from the Andean city say water in at least seven sectors was coming out with a dark color and with the smell of burned motor oil. Three years ago, sabotage by demonstrators cut off water supplies in Ambato, 131 kilometers (81 miles) south of the capital. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANILA, Philippines (AP) The mayor of Philadelphia expressed shock and sorrow over the killing of a Filipino lawyer who was shot in the city over the weekend and is offering a $20,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest of the shooter, a senior Philippine diplomat said Wednesday. John Albert Laylo and his mother were heading to the airport to board a flight early Saturday when someone in a nearby car fired several rounds into their Uber at a red light near the University of Pennsylvania, police said. Laylo was hit in the back of the head and died Sunday in a hospital. I am sorry. Its terrible, Philippine Consul General Elmer Cato quoted Mayor Jim Kenney as telling him in a meeting at Philadelphia City Hall in an apology for Laylos family and the Philippines. The mayor told him a $20,000 reward was being offered for any information that will lead to the arrest of the gunman, he said. The victims mother, Leah Laylo, told me to convey to the mayor her anguish, her anger and her demand for justice and Kenney gave his assurance that everything will be done to bring whoever is responsible for the death of her son to justice, Cato told The Associated Press. I also conveyed the great importance the Philippine government places on this case and the hope that authorities would do everything they can to solve the case, he said. Laylo, 35, had last worked for a private company in Manila, Cato said. He had also served as a legislative staffer for opposition Sen. Leila de Lima from 2016 to 2018 then left to take up graduate studies. De Lima earlier expressed hope a suspect would immediately be held to account for the brutal and senseless act. In Cato's meeting with Kenney, who was with two police officials involved in the investigation of the shooting, we were told it is mostly likely a case of mistaken identity, Cato said without elaborating. He added police were analyzing video footage that showed some vehicles, including a black Cadillac, near the car carrying Laylo and his mother shortly before or around the time of the attack. Kenney expressed his concern over the proliferation of guns that has led to deadly shootings in the U.S., Cato said. In tweets earlier this week, Kenney said he was appalled by the senseless shooting. Every act of gun violence is an unspeakable tragedy, he wrote, while also calling for anyone with information about the shooting to contact police. Philadelphia, along with other large U.S. cities, is experiencing a surge in gun violence. In one notable episode June 4, a gun melee in the South Street entertainment district, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the shooting that killed Laylo, left three people dead and several others injured. Laylos mother, who was slightly injured by glass fragments during the shooting, posted to Facebook that she and her son had been on vacation together. She shared snapshots of her and her son touring sites in New York, Washington and Philadelphia. The victims remains may be flown back to the Philippines on Tuesday, Cato said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MEXICO CITY (AP) Two elderly Jesuit priests were killed inside a church where a man pursued by gunmen apparently sought refuge in a remote mountainous area of northern Mexico, the religious orders Mexican branch announced Tuesday. Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar, 80, were slain Monday inside the church in Cerocahui in Chihuahua state. They were apparently killed after a man fleeing a drug gang took refuge in the church, authorities said. The gang apparently pursued and caught him, and killed all three. Chihuahua Gov. Maria Eugenia Campos confirmed a third man was killed, without identifying him. But President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said during his daily news conference that the man fleeing the gunmen was also killed. The state government later identified the third man as a tourist guide, and said he had been kidnapped and taken to the church, apparently by the gunmen. The governor said the killings caused deep anger, indignation and pain and shook us to our deepest depths." Lopez Obrador said authorities had information about possible suspects in the killings and noted the area has a strong organized crime presence. Violence has plagued the Tarahumara mountains for years. The rugged, pine-clad region is home to the Indigenous group of the same name. Cerocahui is near a point where Chihuahua state meets Sonora and Sinaloa, a major drug-producing region. A statement from the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus in Mexico demanded justice and the return of the mens bodies. It said gunmen had taken both of their bodies from the church. Acts like these are not isolated, the statement said. The Tarahumara mountains, like many other regions of the country, face conditions of violence and abandonment that have not been reversed. Every day men and women are arbitrarily deprived of life, as our murdered brothers were today. For some reason, the gunmen did not kill a third priest who was at the church, but refused his pleas for them to leave the bodies of his two colleagues, said Narce Santibanez, the press director for the Jesuits in Mexico. The surviving priest said his two colleagues had been killed with gunshots at close range. The Tarahumara Diocese said in a statement that the killers, not content with murdering them, have taken their bodies ... leaving a wake of pain, sadness and indigation among all of us who want to mourn them. The killing of priests has been a persistent tragedy in Mexico, at least since the start of the drug war in 2006. The Rev. Gilberto Guevara serves in the parish of Aguililla in the western state of Michoacan, a town which has been on the front lines of cartel turf wars for years. Three priests have been killed in the area over the last decade. The danger is always there, Guevara said about working in the cartel-dominated region. As long as we don't get in the way, they respect us, just as the government respects as as long as we are useful to them. The churchs Catholic Multimedia Center said seven priests have been murdered under the current administration, which took office in December 2018, and at least two dozen under the former president, who took office in 2012. The center said that on May 15, a priest who ran a migrant shelter in the northern border city of Tecate was found dead on a ranch. In 2021, a Franciscan priest died when he was caught in the crossfire of a drug gang shootout in the north-central state of Zacatecas as he drove to Mass. Another priest was killed in the central state of Morelos and another in the violence-plagued state of Guanajuato that year. In 2019, a priest was stabbed to death in the northern border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas. Chihuahua's governor wrote in her Twitter account that she laments and condemns the killings and said security arrangements had been discussed for priests in the area. Campos Morales was ordained as a priest in 1972 and spent almost a half-century working in parishes in the Tarahumara region, known for its grinding poverty and scenic beauty. Mora Salazar was ordained in 1971 and worked off and on in the Tarahumara in the 1970s and 80s before returning full time in 2000. The Tarahumara people, who prefer the name Raramuri, suffered centuries of poverty, exclusion and exploitation, with loggers plundering their forests and drug gangs cultivating marijuana and opium poppies in the mountains. The Jesuits started missions among the Raramuri in the 1600s but were expelled by Spain in 1767. They returned around 1900. The Indigenous community has gained worldwide fame for their skill at running dozens of miles through their mountainous territory, often in leather sandals or barefoot, and have inspired and competed in ultra-long-distance foot races. EDWARDSVILLE An Alton man is facing felony escape and weapons charges following an Alton incident. Orlanduis M. Lacey, 26, of Alton, has been charged with escape, a Class 1 felony; two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony; and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on June 18 Lacey allegedly was arrested on a misdemeanor offense and found to have an outstanding warrant, when he attempted to escape from Alton police while armed with a .45 caliber Springfield Armory XDS handgun. He allegedly was in possession of the handgun while on parole or mandatory supervised release, and resisted attempts by two Alton police officers to arrest him. Lacey has a 2014 Madison County conviction for residential burglary and was on probation or supervised release at the time of Saturday's incident. Bail was set at $100,000. Court documents indicate Lacey also has two pending aggravated domestic battery cases from 2020 and 2021 still pending. In a separate case, Jason R. Hemann, 40, of Highland, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and residential burglary, both Class 3 felonies. The case was presented by the Highland Police Department. According to court documents, on June 19 Hemann allegedly entered a home in Highland to commit theft and was found to be in possession of at least six stolen firearms, including a scoped AR-15, a number of handguns and multiple boxes of ammunition. He has a 2004 Montgomery County conviction for burglary, making it illegal for him to possess weapons or ammunition. Bail was set at $100,000. Also, David C. Donaldson, 38, of Granite City, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On June 17 Donaldson allegedly had .22 caliber ammunition. He has a 2015 conviction for unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance out of Madison County, making him ineligible to possess ammunition. Bail was set at $45,000. Jordan J. Gates, 21, of Alton, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on June 19 Gates allegedly had a Smith & Wesson SD9 VE 9 mm handgun without a concealed carry permit. Bail was set at $15,000. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 78F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Periods of rain. High 72F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Rain early. Decreasing clouds overnight. Low 58F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. The Government has reached an agreement worth 1billion with US-based group Moderna to open a new vaccine factory and research centre in Britain. Jab-maker Moderna, whose Covid-19 mRNA vaccines played a vital role in getting Britons vaccinated during the pandemic, will manufacture around 250million doses of vaccines a year from the site, the location of which is yet to be revealed. The new Innovation and Technology Centre will develop 'cutting-edge' mRNA vaccines for a range of respiratory diseases, including Covid-19 vaccines that can protect against multiple variants, helping to future-proof the UK against potential emerging health threats, the Government said. Construction is expected to start as early as this year, with the first mRNA vaccine due to be produced in the UK in 2025. New deal: Health Secretary Sajid Javid during his visit to St George's Clinical Research Facility in London today Boris Johnson said: 'We are bringing supercharged home-grown vaccines right to our shores. 'I want the UK to be the brightest and best in research and technology, creating more jobs and securing our economic future. 'Our investment will guarantee jabs in arms against some of the toughest viruses out there, bringing us to the forefront of the fight against future threats. 'We've all seen what vaccines can do, and today's partnership brings us one step closer to finding cures for some of the most devastating diseases.' Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid, who was visiting St George's Clinical Research Facility in London today, said: 'Our new partnership with Moderna will cement the UK's status as a science superpower, significantly boosting the economy and creating jobs and it has the potential to unlock the next generation of cutting-edge vaccines to fight diseases such as Covid-19, seasonal flu and RSV. 'mRNA is a truly transformational technology and we have seen its life-saving power during the pandemic. 'Thanks to this new deal, NHS patients will benefit from scientific breakthroughs and the new state-of-the-art manufacturing centre will boost our ability to respond to the next pandemic by ensuring we're able to produce vaccines rapidly on our own shores.' Looking ahead: Ministers said the new strategic partnership with Moderna would help 'future proof' the UK against future health threats' It is hoped the move will guarantee British patients rapid access to new vaccines and treatments. Government officials said the deal will see NHS patients get access to 'cutting edge' vaccines while being able to enrol in clinical trials for vaccines developed by the firm. Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine used mRNA. These vaccines teach the body's cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response. It is hoped the technology will go on to be used to tackle a wide range of diseases including cancer, dementia, flu and heart disease. Stephane Bancel, Moderna's chief executive, said: 'We are excited to be able to continue our collaboration with the UK Government and Vaccine Taskforce with this new mRNA Innovation and Technology Centre in the UK. 'We are committed to global public health, and as we continue to expand internationally, we are pleased to bring local mRNA manufacturing to the UK. 'We look forward to establishing our R&D (research and development) activities and capabilities in the country.' The Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the announcement was 'great news for the UK's R&D activities and future capabilities.' He added: 'Rapid cutting-edge vaccines were vital in the response to the Covid pandemic. 'Developing the next generation of mRNA vaccines will be crucial in boosting our ability to prevent and respond to a wide range of respiratory diseases in the future.' Vertu Motors has recorded a solid start to the financial year due to continued supply chain troubles creating a shortfall of vehicles for sale. Since reporting its annual results in May, the automotive retailer said the shortage and steep price of motors across all channels had enabled its gross margins to remain significantly high. The Gateshead-based company, which owns the Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors dealership businesses, admitted the volume of used cars had experienced a 'significant decline' on a like-for-like basis last month. Performance: Automotive retailer Vertu Motors said the shortage and steep price of vehicles across all channels had enabled its gross margins to remain significantly high This was largely because of the release of pent-up demand during the comparative period in 2021, when the loosening of travel restrictions by the UK Government led to a resurgence in automobile purchases. Yet it noted that the profit on each used car purchase was greater than last year's levels, while its high-margin aftersales departments were aided by the expansion in the number of working days. Gross margins in its new retail and fleet channels have also stayed strong following the disruption in global vehicle production, a phenomenon that is partly down to a worldwide shortage of semiconductors. Vertu said the volume of new motors is set to 'improve gradually' in the coming months even as it warned that consumer demand and vehicle supply forecasts remained uncertain. Alongside the trading update, the group revealed that investors had overwhelmingly approved all the resolutions at its annual general meeting. However, more than 17 per cent of its shareholders had each voted against re-electing chairman Andrew Goss and the firm's proposed dividend. A final dividend of 1.05p per share was recommended by board members in May when Vertu reported its best ever yearly trading results. Revenues for the year ending February 28 jumped ahead of pre-pandemic levels after skyrocketing by over 1billion, helping profits increase by 268 per cent to 60million. The AIM-listed company said it 'has had a strong start to the financial year, but it is premature at this stage to indicate any changes to market expectations of the full-year trading profits. 'Management remains focused on the delivery of operational excellence around cost, conversion and customer experience. 'In addition, the group continues to evaluate and execute acquisition opportunities as it seeks to deliver its core strategic objective of growth.' To this effect, Vertu is engaging in a multi-franchise strategy, which has seen it acquire Toyota franchises covering the west of Scotland, Loughborough and Leicester, along with franchises belonging to Honda Bikes, Citroen and Vauxhall. More recently, the business bought the freehold and long leasehold interests of a site in Derby, where it operates outlets selling cars built by Nissan, Skoda, Renault & Dacia and Peugeot, and a Bristol Street Motors dealership. Vertu Motors shares rose by 4.1 per cent to 55.3p on Wednesday, although their value has plunged by around a fifth since the start of the year. Credit Suisse has been hit with another lawsuit this time in a deal involving the Vatican, a luxury London property and a high-flying fund manager. The beleaguered bank is accused by Raffaele Mincione of failing to tell him that money invested in his fund group WRM came from donations the Vatican earmarked for the needy. Instead, the cash was put into a WRM fund which purchased 60 Sloane Avenue, in Londons Knightsbridge district which was formerly used by Harrods. Property deal: Credit Suisse is accused by Raffaele Mincione of failing to tell him that money invested in his fund group WRM came from donations the Vatican earmarked for the needy Credit Suisse is reeling from involvement in the Greensill Capital and Archegos Capital implosions, and recently brought in a chairman, having ousted former Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio who broke lockdown rules to visit Wimbledon. Mincione faces proceedings in the Vatican, where he has been charged him with fraud and embezzlement, which he denies. Companies connected to WRM originally bought the flash London building in 2012 for 129million, the Financial Times reported. But two years later, a separate WRM fund, which included money from the Vaticans charitable Peters Pence pot, bought a stake in it at a much higher valuation. The Vatican snapped up the rest of the building in 2018, and prosecutors say Minciones firms made a big profit. More than 300million of Vatican donations were invested in 60 Sloane Avenue between 2014 and 2018. Mincione denies any wrongdoing, and says the Vatican was advised by its own banks, including Credit Suisse. He is bringing a claim against fund administrator, Citco. WRM said Credit Suisse and Citco kept information from Mincione to cover up the exact origin of the said money in the framework of the relationship between [Credit Suisse and Citco] and the Vatican. A Credit Suisse spokesman said: Credit Suisse will defend itself vigorously against this claim brought by WRM Group which is unfounded and without merit. The allegations seem to be designed to merely divert attention away from Mr Mincione. Credit Suisse is not involved in the Vatican trial. A spokesperson for Citco said: We must highlight that Citco is not involved in the original legal proceedings with the Vatican. Citco disputes the accusation in question and plans to defend its position against WRM Groups wholly unfounded claim. House prices in Britain have soared by 50,000 since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures released yesterday. In a report that cast doubt on expectations of a sharp slowdown in the property market, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the value of a typical home hit 281,000 in April. That was 50,000 higher than in February 2020 as the coronavirus crisis struck, and 31,000 higher than in April last year. The Office for National Statistics said the value of a typical home hit 281,000 in April. That was 50,000 higher than in February 2020 and 31,000 higher than in April last year Analysts said the property market was being driven by buyers looking to lock in cheap mortgage deals ahead of further expected rate hikes by the Bank of England. Mark Harris, of SPF Private Clients, a mortgage broker, commented: Borrowers are moving quickly to secure the best fixed rates. The ONS said house prices increased 12.4 per cent in the 12 months to April, which was a faster rise than the 9.7 per cent gain that was made in the year to March. It was the second highest rate of growth for 16 years beaten only by June 2021 when prices rose by 13.3 per cent as buyers raced to complete in a stamp duty holiday. In Wales and Scotland, house price growth hit 16.2 per cent. In England, the rate was 11.9 per cent, while Northern Ireland recorded 10.4 per cent growth. The South West had the fastest price increases of any region in England, with growth at 14.1 per cent, while London recorded the slowest pace of growth, at 7.9 per cent. Despite the rises experts have warned the property market will slow later this year as cheap mortgage options dry up. Andrew Montlake, the managing director of mortgage broker Coreco, said: This data is not a true reflection of where the market is right now. The era of ultra-cheap money is finished and that will soon start to feed through into house-price growth. Government officials have floated the idea of using national security rules to force Arm to list on the stock market in London. The UK chip giant, owned by Japans SoftBank, is in talks with ministers who want it to return to Britains public markets. Officials have considered applying the National Security and Investment Act as a means of influencing SoftBank to choose London, says the Financial Times. UK-based chip giant Arm, owned by Japans SoftBank, is currently in talks with ministers who want it to return to Britains public markets But there is opposition to the plan within government, which has not been acted on. The act lets the Government halt deals that could harm UK security. Arm was dual-listed before SoftBanks takeover in 2016, but a float is on the cards after its 30billion sale to Americas Nvidia fell through. It had looked set to opt for an exclusive US listing but SoftBanks position has softened following a Government charm offensive. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has held meetings with Arm and SoftBank executives and the Prime Minister has penned a letter to Arms owner. Arm, based in Cambridge, designs chips that run virtually every smartphone on Earth. It has about 6,400 staff. Arm was contacted for comment. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is under mounting pressure to block the US takeover of Britains leading satellite company after the deal moved a step closer. In a crucial vote, California-based Viasat won the approval of its shareholders for the 5.6billion buyout to go ahead. Rick Baldridge, Viasats boss, hailed the step as an important milestone and expects the sale to be finalised this year. Intervention: Viasats 5.6bn deal for British satellite firm Inmarsat is facing calls for scrutiny Viasat would take control of Inmarsat in a tie-up that Baldridge said will create a global satellite leader and accelerate both companies growth. But the takeover is being investigated by Kwarteng, who intervened after calls from defence experts and MPs to block the sale. Ministers have been handed sweeping powers under the National Security and Investment Act to look at tie-ups and investments in 17 sensitive sectors, and act where necessary. Inmarsat is Britains leading satellite company and the largest provider of in-flight wifi for airlines and a major player in internet connections for ships. It has 14 satellites in orbit and plans to launch another seven. Customers include the British military and, as a result, the company is considered a strategic asset by the Government. There are fears Inmarsat could suffer the same fate as aerospace group Cobham, which was carved up 18 months after it was bought by US private equity firm Advent. Viasat has promised to boost research and development spending in the UK and create a UK board of directors to oversee key decisions. The global headquarters of the combined group would be in London. But independent analyst Francis Tusa said Kwartengs move suggests there is enough doubt over the implications. He said: If there is enough doubt, that says no. The UK has to be open for business. But not at the expense of risking security. The days of the Government saying: Go on, take it over, we dont care, are gone. So the deal is a step closer as it were, but if whatever the deal is is suspect enough that the Government is not sure about it, then there is enough doubt. The Government is stepping up scrutiny of similar deals. Last month Kwarteng launched a probe into the Chinese takeover of Britains leading semiconductor maker Newport Wafer Fab. It also comes after the founding family of defence giant Cobham raised the alarm over a slew of sensitive takeovers. Lady Cobham, the daughter-in-law of founder Sir Alan Cobham, has warned against auctioning off high-tech firms Ultra Electronics, Inmarsat and Meggitt in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Others to oppose the takeover include Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of Parliaments foreign affairs committee, and former defence minister Tobias Ellwood. And former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine yesterday said: I am sceptical about the idea of high technology companies being sold without regard. Viasat said its takeover of Inmarsat will strengthen its contribution to UK defence and security. A spokesman said: We have committed to invest heavily in our UK business and to continue to create more high-quality jobs in the growing space sector, in support of the UK Governments National Space Strategy. Unilever has been accused of hypocrisy after it promised to get rid of plastic sachets only to then fight to keep using them. The consumer goods giant has been a vocal opponent of the tiny plastic packets, with a senior executive once calling them evil. They have been blamed for fuelling a global waste crisis, with the packets littering neighbourhoods and harming wildlife. Broken pledge: Plastic sachets have been blamed for fuelling a global waste crisis, with the empty packets littering neighbourhoods, clogging waterways and harming wildlife Chief executive Alan Jope said in 2020: We have to get rid of them. Its pretty much impossible to mechanically recycle and so its got no real value. But a Reuters investigation found Unilever lobbied the Sri Lankan government to reconsider a proposed ban on the tiny packets. It also found that Unilever then tried to manoeuvre around it when it was imposed. Sources also said Unilever lobbied against sachet bans in India and the Philippines that were then dropped. Conservative MP Lee Anderson said: This is another case of do as I say and not as I do. These multinational faceless hypocrites need to put their money where their mouth is instead of falsely hiding on the moral high ground dictating to the rest of us on morality. They should concentrate on things that affect real people, like making ice-cream people can actually afford. Unilever, which owns the Dove, Ben & Jerrys and Hellmanns brands, used the packets for products including shampoo and conditioner. Sri Lanka tried to end the tide of plastic waste spoiling beaches and other nature areas. Environmental group A Plastic Planet estimates 855billion sachets are sold every year. But despite Sri Lankas ban on sachets sized 20ml or under, the report exposed how Unilever kept selling 6ml sachets there. The countrys environment minister Anil Jasinghe told Reuters: Unilever tried to deceive us. Unilever declined to comment on the lobbying but said it was phasing out the sachets. Deadbolts, door stops and detours: The CIA shares how to travel like a spy The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the JCPDs Criminal Investigations Division at (423) 434-6166 or Crime Stoppers at 434-6158 to remain anonymous. Confidential tips can also be texted to 847411 or submitted online at www.citizenobserver.com . The Tennessee Board of Regents is proposing to spend $40 million in 2023-2024 to turn Carter County's Workforce Development Complex into an education center for Northeast State Community College, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton and the Middle College program for the Carter County School System. When can local parents expect vaccines for children under 5 to be available? The death toll from an earthquake in Afghanistan on Wednesday hit 1,000, disaster management officials said, with more than 600 injured and the toll expected to grow as information trickles in from remote mountain villages. Houses were reduced to rubble and bodies swathed in blankets lay on the ground, photographs on Afghan media showed Helicopters were deployed in the rescue effort to reach the injured and fly in medical supplies and food, interior ministry official Salahuddin Ayubi said. The death toll is likely to rise as some of the villages are in remote areas in the mountains and it will take some time to collect details, he said. Wednesdays quake was the deadliest in Afghanistan since 2002. It struck about 44 km (27 miles) from the southeastern city of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGC) said. Disaster management officials said at least 1,000 are dead and 600 injured. However, local officials put the number of injured higher. 1,000 dead, 1,500 injured, and this number might go up, many families have been lost. Injured people have been taken to Kabul and Gardez, Mohammad Amin Hozaifa, information and culture director of Paktika, told Reuters. Most of the confirmed deaths were in the eastern province of Paktika, where 255 people were killed and more than 200 injured, Ayubi added. In the province of Khost, 25 were dead and 90 had been taken to hospital. Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the ruling Taliban, offered his condolences in a statement. Mounting a rescue operation will prove a major test for the Taliban, who took over the country last August and have been cut off from much international assistance because of sanctions. Shaking was felt by about 119 million people in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, the EMSC said on Twitter, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in Pakistan. The EMSC put the earthquakes magnitude at 6.1, though the USGC said it was 5.9. Adding to the challenge for Afghan authorities is recent flooding in many regions, which the disaster agency said had killed 11, injured 50 and blocked stretches of highway. The disaster comes as Afghanistan grapples with a severe economic crisis since the Taliban took over as U.S.-led international forces withdrew following two decades of war. In response to the Taliban takeover, many nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistans banking sector and cut billions of dollars worth of development aid. Humanitarian aid has continued, however, with international agencies, such as the United Nations, operating. The U.N.s office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said Afghanistan had asked humanitarian agencies to help with rescue efforts, and teams were being sent to the quake-hit area. A foreign ministry spokesman said the Taliban would welcome international help. Neighbouring Pakistan said it was working to extend assistance. Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate. In 2015, an earthquake struck the remote Afghan northeast, killing several hundred people in Afghanistan and nearby northern Pakistan. In January, an earthquake struck western Afghanistan, killing more than 20 people. SOURCE: REUTERS New York state is arguably the nations most historically significant state, said Guilderland author and historian Bruce Dearstyne. His most recent book is the second edition of The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire States History (SUNY Press), with 19 chapters that explore dramatic events from April 22, 1777, the day New York became a state with the signing of the constitution, to 2015 when the enormously popular play Hamilton opened on Broadway. I tried to find stories that had ramifications not only for New York but for the entire country as well. Dearstyne left out topics like the building of the Erie Canal and the Civil War. I figured there are already so many great books on both of those topics. I wrote about people like aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss from Hammondsport, who made his first flight from Albany to New York City in 1910. Most people havent heard of him. If I had more time I could write five more books similar to this and never repeat a story. Thats how significant New York state has been and still is. For most of our nations history and through the late 1960s, New York state was the most populous. We were the place where millions of immigrants landed, the place where many people got their first start," Dearstyne said. "New York has been the leader in so many things such as the building of the Erie Canal, public education, religious freedom, the center of media, publishing and the world of business. New York was the first state that was forced to deal with industrialization and urbanization. New York has always been one of the most diverse states with so many nationalities. Because we are usually the first, other states have watched how weve dealt with issues. Dearstyne has written five books on history. He has also worked at the Office of State History and the State Archives along with being a professor at the University at Albany and Russell Sage College. I tried to write this book like I was a storyteller. Thats how I think most people learn and understand history. Explaining historical events like I was a spectator observing what is going on is the way Ive tried to motivate my students through the years. He admits some of his other books have been a bit didactic and intended for an academic audience, but with this book Dearstyne has tried to write it more for the public This is a scholarly book with a lot of research behind it, but its intended for a general audience to appeal to readers who are not historians. Dearstyne wrote the first edition of the book in 2015, which took him a few rewrites because he was learning how to write in a different style. For this new edition he has included the Miracle on the Hudson when U.S. Airways pilot Sully Sullenberger safely landed his plane in the Hudson River in 2009, the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, and superstorm Sandy in 2012 along with Hamilton. My favorite person in the entire book was Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Most people know she was involved with the Seneca Falls manifesto demanding the right to vote and other measures of equality for women, but she worked for fifty more years after that. She was energetic, versatile and determined. She passed away in 1902 shortly after writing a draft about the need for more womens rights and presenting that to President Theodore Roosevelt for his support. His favorite time period to write, and teach about, was the Progressive Era from 1900 to 1920. There were so many memorable New York characters at that time and so many issues about big business corporations, economic conditions and regulations. Im amazed 100 years later were still discussing the same issues such as personal privacy. Thats coming up in this years Supreme Court. How far can the government go in regulating a business, a womans body, and gun control? Dearstyne credits his mom and dad as the major reasons he became fascinated by history. My parents encouraged me to read history books when I was growing up. I also grew up in the historic town of Berne, which was the headquarters of the Anti-Rent wars of 1839. He studied state and U.S. history when he attended the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District, and as an undergraduate at Hartwick College and Syracuse University he loved finding primary sources such as paper documents and other historical artifacts. Theres a lot of debate today about the meaning of history, who was represented in the past and who was left out. Some of that is fine, but some is excessive. We take the risk of taking some people who were major players and regulating them to a secondary status. Dearstyne is encouraged that many people today are interested in history and even in discovering their own ancestry. I hope that will continue. Looking back on our history its easy to see so many of the concerning events that have happened and how people were treated. I think we can use a study of history for some guidance in how to do things in a better way. ITHACA The three Democratic candidates vying to represent a congressional district stretching from Hudson to Ithaca talked about cost-of-living increases, mental health, and how they will beat Republican candidate Marc Molinaro during a candidates forum Monday night. The candidates Josh Riley, Osun Zotique and Jamie Cheney must convince Democratic primary voters they are the best option in the new 19th Congressional District, which was created after redistricting this year and leans slightly Republican. Jamie Cheney, the founding partner of a staffing firm who owns a beef farm with her husband in northern Dutchess County, focused on wallet issues above more idealist progressive matters, while Josh Riley, an Endicott-born attorney who clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals and worked under U.S. Sen. Al Franken, focused on specific policies hed like to implement if elected. Osun Zotique, who uses the gender-neutral pronoun they, is a doctoral candidate who positioned themself as further left than the other two candidates, saying they would offer a unique lens as the first gender nonbinary member of Congress. Cheney said Democrats were not going to win the general election against Republican Marc Molinaro by simply stimulating Democratic turnout. The new 19th District leans slightly Republican, according to the political statistics blog FiveThirtyEight. We must get crossover votes, Cheney said. We need to connect to people on their day-to-day issues, not only on the larger issues we want them to care about. Cheney said she had spoken to conservative women after a draft memo was leaked suggesting the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade this summer, leaving the legal status of abortion up to individual states; though the women were unhappy with the opinion, its No. 11 on their list of problems. Cheney wants to lower fuel prices by further tapping the strategic oil reserve, give Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices and extend the pandemic-area child tax credit to help the finances of 19th District residents. She said Democrats often couldnt get bipartisan agreement on policies because they too often pushed away the other side. As an example, she said she was a gun owner, but was still for a ban on assault weapons, a goal she said was achievable if Democrats worked with Republicans. Her campaign recently opened an office in Ithaca to better cover the district and said staffers on the campaign should only come from the region, as it shows credibility to have political energy arise from the community. Zotique, who lives in Hudson, said a candidate could win the 19th District by leaning into their progressive vision. Theres absolutely no reason that a leader with a progressive platform could not, [like a] photo negative, do the reverse of what Trump did in 2016, they said. Their candidacy could get new Democratic votes by inspiring unregistered voters, unmotivated voters and second homeowners, they said. Zotique said they brought a diverse experience and team to their candidacy. A first-generation Cuban-American, Zotique said their staff consisted entirely of LGBTQ+ people of varied ethnic backgrounds. Zotique mentioned the affordable housing crisis as a major issue in the region and said they wanted to ameliorate economic woes by looking into Universal Basic Income, rethinking the Trump-era Economic Opportunity Zones, and expanding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On the environment, Zotique said politicians had to show how pollution impacts citizens health to make progress, mentioning PFOAs, the forever chemicals that contaminated drinking water in Hoosick Falls and Newburgh. When asked about health care, Zotique said they supported Medicare for All, an answer that contrasted with the other candidates responses. Riley said the three most important issues with regards to health care were accessing services in rural areas, the mental health crisis, and the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. He wanted to address the former by providing greater access to telemedicine, which could be accomplished through the Farm Bill, which is up for its quadrennial renegotiation this year. He also wanted to provide funding for more school counselors. Riley came down on international trade deals negotiated by Democratic and Republican administrations, saying they had shipped thousands of jobs overseas and put our supply chains halfway around the world, an issue that is rearing its head with pandemic-related international supply-chain bottlenecks. For short-term economic relief, Riley said he wants to expand Medicare to include vision and dental and to reinstate enhanced child tax credits. which he would pay for by closing the carried interest loophole. Riley often cited specific bills and policies when talking about his stances and gave examples from his history as a law clerk and as a government and private attorney when laying out his arguments. He said his background would allow him to hit the ground running. He also said his campaign would not take money from corporate political action committees (PACs). When asked about the biggest issue facing the country, Riley responded that the American democracy was imperiled by how campaigns were funded through dark money megadonors and corporate interests and that the country was becoming dominated by conspiracy theorists and misinformation peddlers. The Democratic primary is Aug. 23. Most people want a swimming pool in their backyard, but Alan Wilzig isnt most people. Some 15 years ago, the American entrepreneur and philanthropist had the wild idea to build a $8 million racetrack in the backyard of his 150-year-old Dutch Colonial-style Columbia County home. Wilzigs 275-acre estate has a 1.15-mile private racetrack, 40 feet wide and with 80 feet of elevation change. It has nine turns and, from above, looks a bit like a lobster claw. Building it cost Wilzig $7.5 million plus another $500,000 in legal fees. According to him, it is just the fourth privately owned personal racetrack built to professional specifications in the world. Wilzig had to fight activist groups who opposed the project, until he received all the appropriate permits from the town of Taghkanic. All of my contiguous neighbors were great supporters of mine, ironically given the circumstance and that there was noise or disturbance, they would be closest to it, said Wilzig. Its extremely telling that they remain my friends and neighbors a decade later. They trusted me from the beginning that I was a sensitive human being and wished to always be a great neighbor. Wilzig is the heir to a banking fortune who made even more money as CEO of the Trust Company of New Jersey bank, allowing him to fund this dream project himself. He told the Times Union back in 2009 that hed be a good neighbor once the track is up and running. Residents at the time formed a group to fight his plans because they feared the constant noise of high-performance bikes, as well as crowds. People are living here for generations, and I showed up and proposed this, said Wilzig, whose daughter attends Chatham High School. Now, its my primary residence and so much has changed. Just last year, Hudson Valley residents formed a group to stop a drag racing strip in someones backyard in Plattekill in Ulster County for the same reason: noise complaints. Wilzig believes he has met his promise of being a good neighbor. He said since the racetrack began operating over a decade ago, he hasnt heard any complaints and the only neighbor who has moved away was a couple who got divorced. In fact, Wilzig says he tries to give back to the community with the racetrack, which he opens to the public one day a year as part of a charity event. The first five years of the event, the proceeds went to Camp Sundown, a summer camp for children with xeroderma pigmentosum, which holds all of its activities after sundown to ensure children with this condition are not injured by the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It completely changed their existence, said Wilzig. We went from making enough money to having an extra one-week session for an extra six kids to paying their entire expenses for 12 months for the entire facility. It was super rewarding. After Camp Sundown reached financial stability, the fundraiser was then used to support other local organizations, including the High & Mighty Therapeutic Riding and Driving Center in Ghent, which Wilzigs son attends. Other funds are donated to Racecars for a Cause in Western Massachusetts, which is veteran-run and supports veterans who wish to drive or work on a racetrack. Were it not for the American allies that rescued [my father] from the Mauthausen Concentration Camp at age 19, none of us would be here, said Wilzig. Wilzig only rides motorcycles on racetracks instead of on the street to manage his risk. Everyone I knew from here to London who got hurt on a motorcycle was always on the street, never on the track, said Wilzig. It was an easy decision to make and one that Ive stuck to for the past 12 years. Hes done over 20,000 laps on his track since it was built. An eclectic array of riders make use of the track, at Wilzigs invitation. I got really into the motorcycle culture because you can have a rich guy, like me to our friends who are just local carpenters, said Wilzig. Everybody treats everybody the same. Im not interested in the elitism thing. I prefer the shared interest, shared passion. Aside from his racetrack, Wilzig has a three-story steel-and-glass garage to house his collection of a dozen cars and 110 motorcycles. His collection doesnt include any German cars or bikes and he does not allow them on his track. His father, Siggi Wilzig calls him his hero survived the Holocaust before arriving in the U.S. penniless in 1947. He went on to create an oil and banking empire worth $4 billion. A biography was published about him last year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Albany Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Albany Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ALBANY City police charged a 29-year-old Madison Avenue man with felonies after he allegedly fired a bullet through his apartment floor, sending it through the ceiling of his downstairs neighbors home. The suspect was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and felony weapon charges after police seized two 9 mm ghost guns, an AR-15 rifle and several high-capacity magazines, police said Tuesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The state's education commissioner hopes a ruling against Cambridge Central School District will motivate other districts to replace mascots and nicknames that reference Indigenous People. The district lost its appeal late Tuesday to keep its Indian mascot and image. The district could try to take the case to the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state, but a school board member and the districts attorney said it was too early to comment. No decision has been made yet. Im hopeful that the community will accept it and truly work through the differences and find common unity in community, Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a phone interview after the court ruling was filed. The Cambridge board plans to meet privately with its attorneys Wednesday night to discuss the case and will update the public at the July 7 board meeting. Rosa called the case extremely important in the Education Departments efforts toward diversity, equality and inclusion. At issue in the case was whether Rosa acted legally when she annulled a school board vote. The Cambridge school board had spent much of a year studying whether to replace the mascot with an image that was unrelated to Indigenous People, and eventually voted 3-2 to retire the Indian. Three weeks later, after new board members were elected, the decision was reversed and the mascot restored. Then some residents took the matter to Rosa, saying the reversal was arbitrary and capricious. She agreed and ordered the board to get rid of the mascot. In the ruling, acting state Supreme Court Justice Sara McGinty said the case hinged on the amount of time and study the board put into its first decision, versus the quick reversal. Noting the many reasons given for replacing the mascot in the first resolution passed by the board, McGinty wrote, but there is no meaningful explanation as to why the evidence which was so compelling in June was given short shrift only three weeks later. She criticized the reversal resolution for relying on the views of one board member, who described himself as a member of the Haudenosaunee Nation. He was not an elected or appointed representative of the Haudenosaunee Nation, whose ancestors occupied the lands now used by the District, she wrote. To the contrary, a 2021 statement of the Haudenosaunee Nation terms the use of Natives as mascots as offensive and defamatory. The board member in question, Dillon Honyoust, did not respond to a request for comment. In addition, the first resolution had said that using the mascot violated the districts diversity policy. McGinty said the reversal resolution did not address why the District opted to depart from its own Diversity Policy. McGinty also described the mascot as a race-based nickname and imagery. The Court finds that the Commissioner Decision correctly determined that the summary reversal of the June resolution without further inquiry or explanation was arbitrary and capricious, she wrote. Choosing to restore an Indian mascot was also an abuse of discretion for the school board, she wrote, citing the districts diversity policy and the fact that a former education commissioner asked all school districts to stop using such mascots 20 years ago. Cambridge officials had argued that Rosas decision was unfair because she didnt ban the many other school mascots in the region that reference Indigenous People. About 60 other school districts in the state still have nicknames or mascot images that reference Indigenous People, Rosa said. Sometimes they are described as violent people, such as Red Raiders, Savages or Warriors. 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. Rosa is hoping those districts voluntarily drop their mascots, as Cambridge did initially. There is a climate right now, a momentum and an opportunity to look at these issues of social justice, she said. When Cambridge spent much of a year studying whether to retire its mascot, she was encouraged. We celebrated the decision, she said the school boards initial 3-2 vote to replace the mascot. But a packed crowd urged the school board to sue after Rosa ordered the board to stick to that decision. Rosa said there was more work to do in Cambridge. The community needs a teachable moment, she said, citing a story in which a Cambridge student came home from school to say that they had played like animals and called the game Savages. And when that diner came out with the cowboys and Indians (party), oh my god. These were lessons happening in a community that was clearly not responding to the whole issue actually they were being culturally insensitive, she said. The fact that Cambridge took the matter to court also indicated, to her, how little the community understood the issue. Given what has happened in Cambridge, the investment they were willing to make to continue this issue, really speaks volumes to the work the community has to do, she said. COLONIE Sand Creek Middle School students collected nearly 12,000 books to help build a new library in the village of Annai, Guyana, South America. Sand Creek student council members collected "gently used" books as a spring fundraiser. Their goal was to make a lasting positive impact in a small indigenous community in Guyana. Their original goal was 5,000 books. BALLSTON - One week after the school board election, a Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school board member resigned setting off criticism from those who felt he should have announced his plans before the election. Now the school board is trying to decide how to replace John Blowers, a 17-year board member who must resign because he is moving out of the district. The board could hold another election, select someone or appoint the person who received the third-highest number of votes in last months election. Eight people ran for the two positions up for a vote last month, and the winners each received nearly three times as many votes as Emily Walsh, the first runner-up. Walsh is a member of the parents rights group that tried to take back school boards last month. The movement was only successful in a handful of races, but had members running in almost every school board race in the Capital Region. Many supporters want Walsh appointed and many others specifically want her not appointed, Board President David Versocki said. He sent out a letter to the community Tuesday acknowledging the dilemma. Originally, we were prepared to collect letters of interest from qualified residents who are interested in serving out the vacant term. This has been past practice in the district when a preterm board seat became vacant due to a resignation, he wrote. Since then, however, I have received many emails asking that the board consider appointing the candidate on the May 17 ballot who received the third highest number of votes (Emily Walsh) to fill the vacancy. Conversely, I have also received a large number of communications from residents who expressed they feel the vote results would have been much different had there been three board vacancies at the time of election and are urging the board to consider a special election. Walsh said the most appropriate course of action would be to appoint her since she finished third. A special election would be costly and unnecessary for a one-year term, she said, and might take months. With the many concerns that parents have regarding the health and safety protocols which may be imposed by New York State in the upcoming school year, it is imperative that our School District has a full Board both present and engaged as soon as possible, she said. On social media, she has received some district resident support. 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 only right thing for the board to do is appoint the candidate that had the 3rd highest number of votes this past election, Emily Walsh. The election was weeks ago and the voters will should not be ignored! one man wrote. The arrogance of elected officials ignoring the voters and saying they should decide who represents the community is offensive and everything wrong with political bodies today. Its common practice for political bodies to appoint a member of the majority, or a member that represents the views of the people who can make the appointment, when there is a vacancy. It happens at every level, from town board to Congress. Appointments last only until the next election. In this case, that would be May 2023. The board will discuss the matter at the July 13 meeting, Versocki said. I recognize there are differing opinions throughout the community as to how to best fill the board vacancy. I also know that the community deserves to hear the board's open and honest discussion and see the transparency in our decision, he wrote. Its likely that not everyone will agree with whatever decision the board makes, but its important for the community to see how the board approaches the discussion, weighs the options, and makes an informed decision. The imagery is violent and bizarre: A shotgun-toting man in civilian clothes leads a team in military gear as they break down the door of a home. They're on the hunt, he declares, for Republicans, and there's no bag limit. This isn't some twisted fantasy video posted by an unhinged Democrat. It's a twisted campaign commercial for an unhinged Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Eric Greitens, who is running in a GOP primary in Missouri. And it ought to be the latest warning to Republican leaders and voters that the vitriolic rhetoric from too many of their politicians and leaders, and their indulgence of radical, violent groups, are getting increasingly out of hand turning outward against the very institutions of our democracy, and turning inward on the party itself. Mr. Greitens, a former Missouri governor who resigned after less than two years amid allegations of sexual misconduct, and whose wife accused him of domestic abuse, is running in a 21-person primary field vying for the GOP nomination in a race to replace retiring Sen. Roy Blunt. In the ad, he invites people to "hunt" Republicans in Name Only RINOs a pejorative term for moderates whom hard-line conservatives see as not far enough to the right. Twitter flagged the ad as a violation of its standards but kept it up in the name of "the public's interest." It drew criticism from both sides of the aisle; Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat, called it "sociopathic" and warned, "You're going to get someone killed"; Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican who has been branded a RINO and threatened with violence for criticizing Donald Trump, called Mr. Greitens "a very bad man." Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Whether Mr. Greitens suffers for it remains to be seen. He is running, after all, in a party whose leaders still stand with Mr. Trump even after his incitement of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters stirred up by his lie of a stolen election. A party whose congressional caucuses largely still support Mr. Trump and his false claims, and refused to hold him accountable through impeachment. A party whose Number Three leader in the House of Representatives, Rep. Elise Stefanik of Schuylerville, echoes the language of racist "great replacement theory" and repeats Mr. Trump's disproven allegations of widespread election fraud. And still, corporate money rolls in for her and others who stand by Mr. Trump. And, as North Country Public Radio recently reported, she retains a board seat on, ironically enough, the The National Endowment for Democracy a group that promotes democracy abroad even as she continues to support Mr. Trump's attacks on democracy here at home. Certainly there has been violence and violent rhetoric on the left, but it has not attained the almost-institutional acceptance America is witnessing in the Grand Old Party. We are watching as prominent figures in a major political party abandon one societal norm after another the acceptance of the results of fair democratic elections, the shunning of leaders and politicians who openly lie, the abhorrence of even the suggestion that violence has a place in our politics. Mr. Greiten's staged home invasion, we fear, may not even yet be the worst of it. ALBANY The number of "extreme risk protection orders" being filed by State Police has surged in the wake of an executive order issued by Gov. Kathy Hochul last month that mandated troopers pursue the court applications whenever they encounter a person who is "likely" to be at risk of harm to themselves or to others. The civil cases almost always involve firearms, and whether a person who poses a potential public safety threat should have those weapons seized by police through a court order either temporarily or for up to a year. The governor's order was issued days after a mass shooting in Buffalo in which 10 Black people were killed by an 18-year-old white man in what police said was a racially motivated attack. But many of these "Red Flag Law" cases are being dismissed by judges across the state because the troopers and investigators filing the complicated applications with courts are often appearing at the hearings without attorneys and in proceedings in which they have been instructed by the State Police to not make legal arguments, according to correspondence and interviews with people familiar with the matter. Earlier this month, a state Supreme Court justice in Orange County wrote a letter to the state attorney general's office and the State Police "as a courtesy" informing them that he was requiring their respective offices be notified of applications for final extreme risk protection orders filed by State Police. "State Police investigators and troopers are designated as petitioners in these matters and are required to appear in Orange County Supreme Court to prosecute them," Justice Craig Stephen Brown wrote. "These law enforcement officials have been appearing without counsel ... in these civil proceedings in the Supreme Court. It does not appear their training includes the legal nuances necessary for them to proceed in such a manner in these legal proceedings (rules of evidence, conducting direct and cross examinations, etc.)." Brown noted that Hochul, who also cited mass shootings in Pennsylvania, California and Texas in her May 18 executive order, had "placed a priority on these proceedings" and that the attorney general's office represents the State Police in other matters. But in a written response dated June 9, Vinita Kamath, an assistant attorney general in charge of the office's regional office in Poughkeepsie, informed the judge that "our office will not represent (State Police) in these proceedings." Kamath's one-paragraph response noted that in August 2019, after the state enacted its Red Flag Law providing for extreme risk protection orders which could be petitioned by police officers, family members or school officials they had discussions with State Police and determined they would not litigate those applications in court. Kamath said those discussions were revived following Hochul's recent executive order, but they reached the same conclusion: The attorney general's office will not represent troopers in the civil cases. After this story was published online Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for state Attorney General Letitia James said their office is "re-examining this issue and considering using every possible tool to ensure red flag laws are executed and firearms kept away from dangerous individuals." Hochul's office acknowledged that since New Yorks law took effect in 2019, "the lack of uniform legal representation for petitioners has contributed to the dismissal of some ERPO applications, and recognizing that, we have been working with the attorney generals office, district attorneys, and the Office of Court Administration to improve these proceedings and ensure adequate support for State Police." "Gov. Hochul continues to take action to strengthen the states red flag law and increase awareness and education efforts to prevent gun violence and keep New Yorkers safe," said Hazel Crampton-Hays, a spokeswoman for the governor. Although district attorneys' office are also allowed to file petitions for these orders, they are not mandated by law to represent police officers or other petitioners in the cases. Still, law enforcement sources said that some district attorneys' office are representing police in the civil proceedings. Law enforcement officials interviewed for this story said it's possible that county attorneys' offices could be responsible for representing petitioners in the the civil proceedings, but many of those offices do not have the resources to handle the increased caseloads. Timothy Dymond, a State Police senior investigator and president of the New York State Police Investigators Association, said his members are "struggling with the workload and worrying about these things going to court and (if dismissed by a judge) ... the guns going back to the respondent, and then the respondent is going to go out and commit some horrible tragedy." Dymond said the paperwork for an extreme risk protection order is time-consuming, and the process unfolds over several days. If a trooper responds to a domestic incident and determines a member of a household has access to firearms and poses a danger, they can request a judge issue a temporary order that enables police to seize those weapons. But a formal hearing for seizing the firearms for up to a year must take place generally within three days, and the respondents often appear at those proceedings with private attorneys. "The investigators union we are big fans of the 'Red Flag Law'," Dymond said. "The problem is the guidance that were given is pretty vague. And its almost like all-encompassing now. ... Its becoming a workload and a burden that were struggling to keep up with." The most alarming concern is that judges are dismissing cases in which a potentially dangerous person is able to retake possession of their firearms because of a lack of legal representation for the petitioner, he added. In 2021, the State Police filed applications for 36 temporary or final extreme risk protection orders between Jan. 1 and June 22. This year, the number of those applications during that same time period has soared to 146 including 85 over the past two months. The governor's office noted that their records indicate State Police have received temporary approval for roughly 91 percent of the extreme risk protection orders filed since the governor signed the executive order last month. However, police sources said judges routinely approve the temporary orders; it is during the formal hearings seeking the final orders where they said troopers are not receiving legal representation. In her executive order, Hochul cited data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies that indicate the number of domestic extremist attacks or plots had more than tripled in the past decade. Questions also were raised about whether police should have sought an extreme risk protection order for the Buffalo shooting suspect, Payton Gendron, who a year before the incident had made online threats about murder and suicide. "Ten people were killed with a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine in an act of white supremacist domestic terrorism in a shooting on May 14 ... at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket, demonstrating the need for increased vigilance to prevent, whenever possible, similar tragedies from occurring in the future," the governor's recent executive order states. Sources close to the matter said State Police engaged in discussions with the governor's office about the need for increased legal resources to handle the recent increase in applications for extreme risk protection orders. But those talks did not result in the attorney general's office providing assistance to the State Police or any decision to add attorneys to the Division to State Police to help litigate the cases. Hochul, who is facing a Democratic primary next week and seeking re-election her first full term as governor in November, has campaigned heavily on what she describes as a nation-leading effort to strengthen New Yorks gun safety laws. The push for stricter gun laws is not a new effort in New York. In 2019, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and 11 other Democratic governors sent a letter to then-President Donald J. Trump and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging the Republican leaders to pursue stricter federal gun-control measures. New York's Red Flag Law went into effect that same month, aligning it with similar laws in nearly two dozen other states and the District of Columbia. Many of those states enacted their versions in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead. Thomas Mungeer, president of the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, said the governor's recent executive order was "a knee-jerk reaction" that created "logistical and administrative problems that will take time to work through." "Most of the burden rests on the men and women of the New York State Police, who proudly wear their gray uniforms and protect the citizens of New York state every day," Mungeer added. "It is our understanding that with the increased workload, the necessary resources were not allocated to the New York State Police. ROCHESTER On Tuesday, New York's four Republican gubernatorial contenders went toe-to-toe for the party's nod in an often heated final debate that left candidates dodging jabs on issues ranging from abortion and crime to the question of where each candidate would put themselves on a scale ranging from former President Donald Trump to ex-Vice President Mike Pence. The discussion at the Kodak Center in Rochester, sponsored by the conservative network Newsmax and moderated by Eric Bolling, was the second in as many days involving U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, former Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, former White House staffer Andrew Giuliani and businessman Harry Wilson. Despite the recent mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 dead, none of the candidates thought it was necessary for New York to implement additional gun control measures. New York's gun laws go too far as it is, said Zeldin, who claims the most institutional support within the state party. Out of the four candidates, only Wilson identified himself as pro-choice. People should have up to the point of viability the right to make a decision on their own, he said. Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, expressed his opposition to education on gender identity. When I ended up going to the hospital to pick up my baby Grace, I had on her birth certificate the option to fill out male, female or other," he said. "There are two genders here, ladies and gentlemen. The fact that our kids are learning that there are more is absurd." It was the first time Giuliani was able to participate in a debate in-person: He had to appear from remote locations for the first two GOP debates because he has said he is unvaccinated for COVID-19. At the start of the debate, Giuliani declared his intention to make New York the best fracking state in the country again the natural gas drilling process known as hydrofracking has never been broadly implemented in the state and announced plans to eliminate property taxes for residents over 65 that make $100,000 or less annually. On immigration, Zeldin said that the federal government should have finished construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Astorino said that in New York, non-citizens are treated better than citizens, before adding that Zeldin, who is a member of Congress, should be doing something about the issue. Zeldin took the most rhetorical blows from his opponents, and was booed loudly by audience members at one point as they castigated him for an alleged lack of vigor in his support for Trump. Zeldin was one of the ex-president's most vocal supporters during his two impeachments, but has taken heat particularly from Giuliani for a 2016 CNN interview in which he said then-candidate Trump had made a racist statement against a judge overseeing a civil court case involving his company. Among those not in the theater, Gov. Kathy Hochul the Democratic front-runner was a frequent target. Citing Hochul's seven years serving alongside former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Zeldin said she should be fired because she was either complicit or out to lunch on every single scandal whether its the COVID-19 testing scandal, (or) the deadly nursing home order and coverup that followed. The Trump-to-Pence scale was introduced near the end of the debate. Giuliani, who worked in the Trump White House as special assistant to the president, was the only person to align himself squarely with the former president. Wilson said he didnt know how to answer the question but called himself a limited-government conservative in all respects. Astorino identified himself an Astorino conservative, before adding that he previously defended the former president on CNN. Zeldin said it was "important to always be my own man. He also said hed go on to support the winner of the primary while insisiting it would be him. Early voting continues this week in the gubernatorial and Assembly contests ahead of Tuesday's primary day. The Government cannot justify delaying the restoration of pre-austerity wage rates for thousands of Irelands highest paid public servants, the Tanaiste has insisted. Leo Varadkar said he realised the move would prove controversial amid the cost-of-living crisis, but he said legal advice received by ministers was very clear that an intervention would be hard to defend in the courts. Wages across public services were cut following the financial crash of 2008 and the vast majority have been restored since legislation was passed in 2017 to reinstate the original pay rates. The group earning above 150,000, which includes hospital consultants, judges and top-grade civil servants, is the final cohort to receive the pay rise. The restoration is due to take effect at the start of July. Mr Varadkar said the Government considered delaying the restoration but concluded it could not justify singling out one group of public sector workers while wages have already been restored to all others. That legislation that was used to cut the pay of public servants was a financial emergency provision, he told RTEs Morning Ireland programme. There is no longer financial emergency, weve record levels of employment, public finances are in good order and we would have to go into court and make the arguments that it was right to fully reverse the pay cuts for a school principal or somebody working in the passport office or a Garda inspector but it was OK to single out doctors, and that wouldnt be right. Away from the issue of pre-crash wage restoration, Mr Varadkar also revealed the Government is poised to make a new offer to public sector unions in a bid to break the impasse over current pay rates. A Government proposal that would have seen a 2.5% pay increase this year, following by a similar rise the following year, was rejected by the unions during talks involving the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last week. Mr Varadkar said the Government intended to re-engage with the negotiations and table a further offer. He said the proposals would see lower paid workers offered a bigger increase. Workers above a certain wage threshold would get a smaller increase but the Tanaiste said the difference would be made up by way of tax reforms. He said the Government package would also involve measures such as reducing childcare costs. The economy is very good condition, he said. More people at work than ever before, more people earning more than ever before, record trade numbers. We do have financial firepower that we didnt have in the past and some of that, that not all of it, some of it can go towards public sector pay. The Tanaiste again defended the Governments decision not to introduce any further cost-of-living support measures until Octobers budget. Wed like to move when we think it will be most effective and it is going to be going into the autumn period when energy bills are going to bite even harder than theyre biting now, he said. Mr Varadkar said he could not 100% rule out fresh measures before October though he made clear he did not anticipate that. Weve no plans for further intervention until budget day and the budget will happen in the autumn, he said. But you know, as is always the case, Im reluctant to definitively rule anything out 100%, because this is a rapidly changing situation. I think if we were to see, you know, further dramatic escalation to fuel prices, wed have to give consideration to an intervention then. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The first public hearings in Texas looking into the Uvalde school massacre have centered on law enforcement blunders, school building safety and mental health This town's leading blogger on faith & morals offers his perspective on evolving religious communities often inspired & spurned by politics. Here's the word . . . "At one point in the 20th Century the U.S. was simply a landslide for Protestantism. But Protestants now make up fewer than half the American adult population and that diminishment continues. Among the fastest-growing groups with a label that relates to religion in the U.S. are the "nones," meaning the religiously unaffiliated. "So the Bible has seemed less and less important to Americans. Where it still holds great sway, it does so in large part because of how its words are interpreted. For instance, the Bible has been used as a weapon in the debate about the role of LGBTQ+ people in our society and in our congregations. " Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Election season is taking hold in Kansas City and overall we've noticed widespread voter dissatisfaction with incumbents. After two years of online Zoom meetings and social distancing we can't blame locals for feeling disconnected from their elected officials. Accordingly . . . NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS IN THE 4TH DISTRICT HOPE TO DRAFT NORTHEAST LEADER HENRY RIZZO AGAINST COUNCILMAN ERIC BUNCH!!! Of course we'll have more on this topic but for now here's a quick preview of how the local election battle might play out . . . For those who don't know, Henry Rizzo is a longtime local political leader having served 18 years in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1985 to 2003. He then earned a position in the Jackson County Legislature where he worked until 2010. Meanwhile, Councilman Bunch is relatively new on the local political scene having started his career with Bike/Walk KC and a surprise council victory in 2019. Recently he confronted a recall effort that failed by only 184 signatures. Now, here's where things get interesting . . . New district lines bolster Northland & Northeast representation in the 4th District. This favors Mr. Rizzo if he decides to run. Meanwhile, whilst the 4th District is the progressive heart & soul of KCMO . . . Democratic Party leaders have urged their constituents to abandon the "Defund Police" mantra adopted by councilman Bunch. It's worth remembering that councilman Bunch was one of the leading voices demanding the resignation and removal of former KCPD Chief Smith. What's worse is that council dude Bunch has very little connection with some of the major neighborhoods in his district according to critics on his own social media outlets. Whilst the councilman is often engaged in the progressive politics of Midtown and the Crossroads . . . The Westside, homeowners in Westport & Northeast don't really have much contact with their elected representative. More interestingly . . . As of late there has been a surprising move to push back against KCMO bike lanes -- The councilman's signature issue -- and notable opposition against their impact which often complicates navigating urban core streets. Meanwhile . . . Neighborhood frustration with 12th & Oak policy on issues like homelessness have thrust Mr. Rizzo back into the political fray. Recently, residents of Columbus Park pleaded with Henry Rizzo to help resolve a Northeast-area homeless crisis that not only endangered residents of a make-shift camp on a toxic site but also served to blight and spike crime throughout the area. Mr. Rizzo's decades of community connections eventually pressured 12th & Oak to rethink their defense of a homeless camp that endangered an entire community. Again there's more to consider but here's our basic view . . . Kansas City neighborhoods are desperate for leadership and connection to elected officials in order to solve the problems which confront them on a street level. Meanwhile, Mr. Bunch and so many at city hall seem to believe that their constituents crave social justice activism mostly through bold tweets. This election might help decide what Kansas City voters really want . . . Progressive activists or leaders with strong community connections. Developing . . . In this quick post we play catch-up with a bevy of crime reports that are worth consideration but probably not debate . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . Kansas City man sentenced after selling guns and drugs to undercover cops KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City man has been sentenced to federal prison after he sold guns and drugs to an undercover police officer. The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that 24-year-old Paul Ortiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Metro man sentenced to 20 years for crash that killed 2 OLATHE, Kan. - A judge sentenced a Kansas City-area man to nearly 20 years behind bars for a hit-and-run crash that killed two men. In February, Bradley Woodworth, 48, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of 18-year-old Matthew Bloskey and 20-year-old Samuel Siebuhr. Man sentenced after selling 4 AR-15 rifles to undercover police officer KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Missouri, man who sold four AR-15 style rifles and marijuana to an undercover police officer will spend 10 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Paul N. Ortiz, 24, was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday after the transactions that happened in 2018. Thousands demand justice for Mizzou student left paralyzed after alleged hazing COLUMBIA, Mo. - Two men have been charged in an alleged hazing incident that left a former University of Missouri student in a wheelchair, blind, and unable to speak. Now, thousands of family, friends, and even strangers across the country are signing a petition, wanting more justice for Danny Santulli. Scooter rider injured in Kansas City hit-and-run dies weeks later KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City police say a scooter rider who was injured in a hit-and-run has died weeks later. The hit-and-run crash happened May 30 at 34th Street and Prospect Avenue. Police said a black SUV was traveling westbound on 34th when it struck someone driving a red scooter that was traveling southbound on Propsect. Man's stolen U-Haul, family ashes located in Overland Park KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A happy ending for a man victimized in Kansas City as he moved from Florida to Colorado. Jared D'amato said he and two friends were driving a U-Haul with his belongings. They decided to stop for the night in Kansas City, Kansas. Clay County task force formed to fight human trafficking KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Clay County, Missouri, task force has been formed to battle child sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The task force will work with Homeland Security Investigations of Kansas City. Developing . . . For those who don't know . . . MARC is a public/private "interest" which serves as a hub for nearly every bad idea hatched by elected officials, low-rent lawyers and amateur urban planners. For better and worse . . . MARC LAUNCHES ROBOT ARMY TO FIGHT RACISM ARMED WITH ECONOMIC DATA!!! Apparently, they're going to kill Sarah Connor by way of sparking her white guilt. Here's the story . . . The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is pulling together a lot of data, helping figure out what help the metro needs and where programs to address those needs should happen. The map is called the Economic Equity Value Atlas (EEVA), and it tracks more than 100 types of data throughout the metro. It makes it a lot easier to see which parts of town are thriving and which parts arent. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . TV is the last medium worth fighting over and TKC is the only KC covering this somewhat entertaining slap fight confronting the Guv. Basically . . . The complaint alleges that the Guv is using undue influence in censoring a political TV advert. Here are the basics . . . "The RGA delivered a criminal referral to the Shawnee County District Attorney, Michael Kagay, and the Shawnee County Sheriff, Brian Hill, accusing Kelly of criminal use of taxpayer resources to aide in her re-election campaign. Both Kagay and Hill are Republicans. "According to the group, Kellys campaign tried to have an RGA Kansas 2022 PAC ad taken off the air. Kellys campaign sent a letter to TV stations. The group says they received a letter from a lawyer which included a memo from Kansas Department of Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard, which has since resulted in an ethics complaint being filed by the RGA. "Kellys campaign pointed back to the dismissed ethics complaint when asked about the RGAs attempts to prosecute the governor." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Golden Ghetto police report a tragic tale amid wedding season. Here are the basics . . . "A spokesperson with the Overland Park Police department identified the victims as Adam Fetters, 37, and Tammy Matsuo, 34, both of Overland Park. The spokesperson said they believe the couple was engaged to be married." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Engaged couple identified as victims in deadly Overland Park fire KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Officials announced Wednesday the identities of two people killed in a house fire early Monday morning in Overland Park. A spokesperson with the Overland Park Police department identified the victims as Adam Fetters, 37, and Tammy Matsuo, 34, both of Overland Park. Victims in fatal Overland Park fire identified OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The two victims in a fatal Overland Park fire early Monday morning have been identified. According to the Overland Park Police Department, 34-year-old Tammy Matsuo and 37-year-old Adam Fetters, both of Overland Park, were killed in the fire in the 103 block of Westgate Street. Developing . . . Avoid gridlock before it happens: your weekly roundup of Ontario highway closures for new and ongoing construction in Toronto, including North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke. "The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky," by Kim Jihyun (Floris, $25.50, 32 pages, ages 4-7) / "Book of Questions: Selections/ Libro de las Preguntas: selecciones," by Pablo Neruda, illustrated by Paloma Valdivia (Enchanted Lion, 80 pages, $32.50, all ages) - Floris/ Enchanted Lion The Academic Partnership Engagement Experiment or APEX highlighted a research partnership between the University of Cincinnati and a Pennsylvania company to develop new artificial intelligence algorithms using U.S. Air Force grants. VISIMO, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the recipient of small business technology transfer grants totaling $2.2 million to develop new autonomous navigation systems for unmanned aerial vehicles and spherical robots called orbs. Researchers in UC's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics will work with VISIMO to develop artificial intelligence algorithms for sense-and-avoid neural network architectures. This will allow the orbs or drones to perceive, learn, decide and act more efficiently and effectively on their own. We come up with novel approaches alongside subject matter experts from universities who inform the creation of our models, Emma Lamberton, grants, and contracts manager at VISIMO, told APEX. The Air Force has awarded more than $25 million in research and development grants to research institutions across the country. According to APEX, the latest phase of grants is designed to bridge the "valley of death," the tricky period when a new technology project isn't quite ready for the marketplace but is too narrow in scope to draw additional attention from other research institutions that might otherwise help it mature. Read the APEX story. Featured pic at top: UC will work with Pennsylvania company VISIMO to develop new AI technology for drones and spherical robots called orbs. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand The Armed Forces of Ukraine have struck Snake Island [Zmiinyi Island] with different weapons and means of destruction. The Russian garrison suffered significant losses. The relevant statement was made by the South Operational Command on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The concentrated blow was dealt to Snake Island, using different forces and means of destruction. As a result, something proudly named by rashists as the island garrison is counting significant losses. The military operation continues and requires information silence until it is over, the report states. In addition, the Ukrainian military eliminated 26 Russian troops, destroyed an enemy tank and multi-purpose armored tracked vehicle in southern Ukraine. Our units continue to destroy the enemy and push them back to the east. This morning a pair of helicopters has struck a group of enemy troops and military equipment. Rocket and artillery units completed more than 100 fire missions. The results are yet to be checked, but, as of this morning, it is already known that 26 rashists were eliminated. One enemy tank, one multi-purpose armored tracked vehicle, three armored vehicles and four trucks will no longer harm the Ukrainian people, the South Operational Command noted. Meanwhile, Russias naval group in the Black Sea has remained unchanged. As of June 20, 2022, five enemy warships, four large landing crafts and one submarine were in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. mk The military leadership of Belarus plans to set up the Southern Operational Command, which will be responsible for the Ukrainian direction. In the near future, the participation of the Belarus forces in Russian aggression against Ukraine is unlikely, but it cannot be ruled out completely. This was announced in an interview with Ukrinform by Oleksandr Pavliuk, Commander of the Kyiv Defense Group. "The illegitimate leadership of the Republic of Belarus continues to aggravate the situation around the alleged military threat from Ukraine and the spread of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to their countrys territory. Under the guise of these fabrications, they are stepping up efforts to increase defense capabilities and strengthen the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. To this end, they have increased the intensity of operational and combat training efforts, updating their mobilization potential, and developing the territorial defense system. They plan to create the Southern Operational Command to be responsible for the Ukrainian direction," the commander said. Read also: Yermak assesses likelihood of Belarus forces joining Russian invasion of Ukraine According to Pavliuk, the Command will be headquartered in Gomel. Military units are set to be filled with conscripts and contractors from mobilization reserve. "Given the use of the Belarus territory by Russian occupation forces to carry out aggression against Ukraine, Belarus has actually become a party to conflict. In the near future, the participation of the Belarus forces in aggression against Ukraine is unlikely, but it isnt completely ruled out," Pavliuk said. At the moment, there is no threat of invasion from Belarus. If the threat arises, the Ukrainian side will take appropriate actions. The relevant statement was made by Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Kyrylo Budanov during a nationwide telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. At this stage, there is no threat on the Belarusian side. I can say this with absolute confidence. The situation is completely under control, Budanov told. The Ukrainian intelligence is aware of Belarusian reserve duty training exercises, border enhancement procedures and a whole range of military-oriented actions. But, they are not aimed at conducting hostilities against Ukraine at this stage. When such thoughts arise, we will immediately know about them and will take appropriate actions, Budanov stressed. A reminder that Belarus started 10-day mobilization exercises, involving military commissariats in Gomel Region, bordering with Ukraine. Photo: spiegel.de mk Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhny and Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak had a phone conversation with US President's National Security Advisor Jacob Sullivan and United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. The Head of the Office of the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted the leading role of the United States in defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and expressed gratitude for the comprehensive support for our state, the Presidents Office informs. On February 24, the Russian Federation launched a new phase of the war against Ukraine a full-scale invasion. The invaders shell and bomb Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages, torturing and killing civilians. From the first days, the United States stated that it will support Ukraine until victory. Washington provides financial support and defensive weapons for defense. ol The German government has stated its readiness to continue the use of coal-fired power plants to withstand Russia's energy pressure. This was stated at a briefing by the official representative of the German government, Steffen Hebestreit, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Commenting on the decision of the Ministry of Economy to continue the operations of some coal-fired power plants to compensate for energy shortages in the face of declining gas exports, Hebestrait said that coal is more harmful to the environment, but in current conditions its use in limited quantities and in the short term is justified. Read also: European lawmakers call for abandoning Russian energy At the same time, according to the official, the German leadership ruled out the possibility of a "renaissance of nuclear energy" the continued operation of nuclear power plants prepared for shutdown. It is noted that this will take time, while the decision must be urgent. "In the short term, this will not help," the spokesman said, referring to expert conclusions. "LNG terminals are being built on the North Sea coast, and a law on the use of wind energy has been passed in order to implement renewable energy more efficiently. It also provides more independence," Hebesteait said. In turn, the press secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Stephan Gabriel Haufe, recalled that the decision to continue the use of some coal-fired thermal power plants is a short-term move, which will not be continued beyond 2024. "The abandonment of coal is not the subject of discussion," Haufe said. He said there were ten 4.3-GW coal-fired TPPs in the reserve and six more at 1.6 GW that could be used if needed. Also ready are five units of thermal power plants with a capacity of 1.9 GW. Germany earlier planned to shut down its last three nuclear power plants by December 31, 2022. The decision was approved in 2011. Against this background, the government has decided not to dismantle and leave the already shut down coal-fired power plants in case Russia stops supplying gas. Last week, Russia cut gas exports through its Nord Stream pipeline to 40% of capacity. Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has assured Ukrainians that her country would further strengthen Russia sanctions, provide Ukraine with the necessary support, and back the nations candidacy for EU membership. The head of government spoke in a video address to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on June 21, according to the Danish governments press service. Dear Ukrainians. On behalf of the Danish people: You have our deepest and utmost respect. You are fighting not only for your own country. But for free nations all over the world. It is a war between freedom and oppression. Between democracy and tyranny. A war none of us can afford to lose. Denmark all of Denmark stand behind you. Along with the rest of the free world. Together, we have imposed historic sanctions on Russia. To weaken the Russian economy. To weaken Putin. And make no mistake: We are not done yet. Denmark is committed to the strongest possible pressure on Putin. To impose more sanctions with our partners in the EU. And other friends. Transatlantic, Frederiksen said. Read also: Stefanishyna says full consensus among EU leaders on candidate status for Ukraine The head of government has noted the fact that Denmark is supplying weapons, as well as humanitarian and financial assistance, vowing to do everything possible to provide Ukraine with all that is required. Also, Frederiksen praised Ukraines aspirations to become part of the European Union, reaffirming Denmarks support for granting Ukraine a candidate status. The road to EU membership can be as you know long and demanding. There are requirements that need to be met. We cannot change that. But we will support you every step of the way. You belong in Europe. And Europe belongs to you, the prime minister told Ukrainian lawmakers. Concluding her address, Frederiksen said she was confident Ukraine would win the war with Russia, expressing certainty that a new and stronger Ukraine will arise. Democracy will win. Peace will be restored. Ukraine will be free, she stressed. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on June 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine thanked Portugal and Denmark for supporting the idea of Ukraine being granted the status of candidate for EU membership. The leader earlier spoke with both prime ministers over the phone. Photo: rada.gov.ua The Ukrainian authorities are doing everything possible at the political level to speed up the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war, but this is a complex process that is being professionally handled by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. Thats according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke at a joint briefing with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel in Kyiv on Tuesday, June 21. "It's a very complicated issue. Many details cannot be revealed. We really want the exchange to take place, the partners who have committed to helping with this exchange to keep their word. Not only do we believe in this, but also we are working, it is carried out by our Main Intelligence Directorate. It is they who control this process. We will wait for the result," the president said. Volodymyr Zelensky recalled that several people had recently been returned from captivity, including paramedic Yulia Tayra Paievska. Read also: Ukrainian Justice Ministry shows camp for Russian POWs The president said he would like to avoid any delays in the issue of POW liberation because captivity has a negative impact on their condition. "After all, we do not know what exactly is happening now with their condition and what help they receive, except in words. Intelligence knows more. And I believe that this process is in their hands today," the president explained. He noted that the state must do everything possible in this matter at the political level. "We involve our partners in this process as much as possible: the Red Cross, the United Nations, several states that have certain influence on the aggressor country," said Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian democratic institutions have remained in place despite the hard pressure of the ongoing war unleashed by Russia, while Ukraines victory over Russia will come fast if the international community joins efforts to this end. Thats according to President Zelensky, who addressed a charity telethon Embrace Ukraine - #StrivingTogether, which was held in Amsterdam, Ukrinform reports. I believe that together we can end the war with our victory as quickly as possible and we will rebuild everything Russia has destroyed. United Europe is definitely stronger than any tyranny! Even during such a brutal war, Ukrainian democratic institutions have been preserved. Even now we are extending the reach of the European values yesterday the Ukrainian Parliament ratified the Istanbul Convention, Zelensky said. He noted that in just a few days, the European Union is expected to pass a historic decision regarding Ukraine, and expressed hope that this would be a positive decision. We deserve it! And we deserve it not only for our bravery and our fight for freedom. Russia's attack on Ukraine has restored to our memory the worst pages of history. Russian bombs are destroying cities. Russian soldiers are killing thousands of civilians. Russia is even carrying out mass deportations of Ukrainians. What is this? This is Russia's attack against the whole free Europe against our common values. Against human rights, the rule of law and conventions that protect everyone in Europe and the world. We will not allow to destroy our values! said the president. He added that, no matter how much pressure Russia puts on us, we remain confident that Europe's future is bright and free, because we all stand together to protect it! As Ukrinform reported earlier, on June 17, the European Commission published an opinion as regards Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgias applications for EU membership, recommending that the candidate status be granted to the previous two. The EU Council at its summit June 23-24 is set to consider the opinion and pass a final decision in this regard. Ukraine expects that a decision to grant the EU candidate status will be approved at the European Council summit on the morning of 24 June, supposing it will be made on the evening of June 23. "We expect that such a decision will be approved on the morning of June 24. Given the high level of consensus that exists at the moment, it is possible that such a decision will be made tomorrow evening," Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna said at a briefing at the Media Center UkraineUkrinform. Stefanishyna noted that almost all EU leaders had confirmed the consensus on granting Ukraine candidate status. In this regard, she stressed that the Ukrainian authorities were already preparing to meet the conditions set out in the conclusion of the European Commission. In particular, Ukraine elaborates a roadmap for the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations, which will soon be presented and approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky. "We hope and expect that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow the leaders of the European Union will not only grant Ukraine candidate status, but will also clearly determine that we are moving towards membership in the European Union and will apply financial and economic mechanisms to the country to become a EU member state," the official noted. She stressed that the candidate status, in addition to being an important political signal, gives Ukraine a completely different status in relations with the EU. In particular, it is about access to the EU structural funds which, according to Stefanishyna, are completely disproportionate compared to what Ukraine had before: "Today we are talking about hundreds of billions of euros that will be available to us after obtaining this status." As reported, on June 17, the European Commission published its conclusions on the applications for accession to the EU filed by Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia and made a recommendation to grant the first two candidate status. The European Council is due to consider the issue and make a final decision at the summit on 23-24 June. ol President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo for the support for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for European Union membership. Talked to Belgiums PM Alexander De Croo. Thanked for the support of granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership & significant assistance during Russias full-scale invasion. We expect Belgium to make a significant contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine, Zelensky posted on Twitter. Zelensky also invited De Croo to visit Ukraine. As reported, the European Council will hold a substantive discussion on granting Ukraine the status of a country candidate for membership in the European Union at a meeting on June 23-24. ol A 30-meter long Ukrainian flag was unfolded at a charity concert in support of Ukraine in the capital of the Netherlands on June 21. As an Ukrinform correspondent reported, the music event in the center of Amsterdam gathered thousands of people. Eurovision stars Kalush Orchestra, Jamala, Conchita Wurst, Emmelie de Forest, S10 took part in the two-hour Embrace Ukraine #StrivingTogether charity concert. Calls to support Ukraine and give it a chance to become part of the European family were heard during the concert. As a reminder, the European Council will decide on granting Ukraine the EU candidate status at its meeting in Brussels on June 23-24. ol UNHCR GENEVA - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened to see the tragic aftermath of this mornings deadly earthquake in Afghanistan. Reports suggest that so far nearly 1,000 people have died and more are injured amid large-scale destruction. UNHCR has deployed staff to the most affected areas in Pakitika and Khost provinces from its field office in Gardez. Currently the focus is on search and rescue operations to find survivors. There are fears that more lives could be lost if survivors are not reached urgently in remote parts of the country. Interim authorities have appealed for immediate humanitarian assistance and UNHCR is rushing supplies and staff to assist the affected people, working with other humanitarian partners. It is heart-breaking to see this tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan on top of the ongoing humanitarian crisis that Afghans are going through every day, said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. I convey my deepest sympathies to the people of Afghanistan and especially those who have lost friends and family in this horrific natural disaster. UNHCR stands with Afghans at this difficult time and will make all efforts to provide relief to those affected. Afghanistan is going through a dire humanitarian crisis with some 3.5 million people displaced inside the country. Millions of others are struggling to survive amid rising levels of poverty and hunger, with social services under immense strain. This tragedy highlights once again that Afghans need and deserve the worlds solidarity and support, Grandi added. UNHCR has worked with Afghans for the last four decades inside Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. Nearly one million displaced Afghans and host communities have been assisted with aid since January this year. All UNHCR staff in the country are accounted for. For more information on this topic, please contact: Gardez, Afghanistan, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :A powerful earthquake in Afghanistan killed at least 40 people and injured 60 others in areas bordering Pakistan, with the toll expected to rise, officials said Wednesday. "We call on aid agencies to provide immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe," government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted after a 5.9-magnitude quake hit several areas bordering Pakistan during the night. Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of the Information and Culture Department in Paktika, one of the provinces hit by the tremor, told AFP the toll is expected to rise. Government officials said they would soon release details of casualties and damage caused by the quake. Photographs posted on social media showed several heavily damaged mud houses in remote rural areas. Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. LISBON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) --:Portugal raised 32.7 million Euros (34.5 million U.S. Dollars) for projects to preserve the climate, generate energy and facilitate mobility, the Portuguese National Innovation Agency (ANI) reported on Tuesday. "In these areas of climate, energy and mobility, we are very competitive and able to attract a lot of funding," Lusa news agency quoted ANI President Joana Mendonca as saying. She highlighted one of the projects "Hyfuelup," which develops a technology to convert waste into renewable biofuel for fleets of heavy goods vehicles. (@FahadShabbir) Mexico City, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :Pope Francis on Wednesday mourned the deaths of two Jesuits and a sanctuary seeker whose bodies were spirited away by armed men after they were gunned down inside a church in northern Mexico. The pope, who also belongs to the Jesuit order, expressed sadness and dismay over the killings of men he called his "brothers" in the remote mountains of Chihuahua state. "So many murders in Mexico. I am close, in affection and prayer, to the Catholic community affected by this tragedy," he said. Priests Javier Campos Morales and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar were shot dead in the town of Cerocahui on Monday "while trying to defend a man who was seeking refuge," according to the order also known as the Society of Jesus. The pursued man, who worked as a tour guide, was also killed. The three bodies were then placed in the back of a pickup truck by armed men, covered with plastic and taken away, according to Father Luis Gerardo Moro Madrid, head of the order in Mexico. Madrid said the shooter allegedly told a third priest who ran into the church: "I'm sorry, we're going to take the bodies." "We denounce the murder of our brothers (...) We demand justice and the recovery of the bodies," he said in a separate statement, adding the men had been killed "in the context of the violence this country is experiencing." Experts say Chihuahua is an important transit route for illegal drugs bound for the United States and therefore violently contested between rival trafficking gangs. More than 340,000 people have been killed in a wave of bloodshed since the government deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006. Father Jorge Atilano Gonzalez, also a Jesuit, told a local television station the priests had attempted to intervene because they knew the assailant, who was from the area. "He wanted to confess" after the shooting, said Gonzalez, citing the testimony of the third priest. "What we believe is that he was in a state of alcoholism or addiction because of the reaction he had," he added. The country's security secretariat on Tuesday evening said the alleged shooter had already been identified and a manhunt was under way. - 'Important social work' The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico condemned the killings, saying the priests had carried out "important social and pastoral work" among the Indigenous Raramuri, or Tarahumara, people. "The murder of these two well-known priests reminds us of the situation of extreme violence and vulnerability faced by the communities of the Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua," said Guillermo Fernandez-Maldonado, the UN human rights representative in Mexico. The Mexican Episcopal Conference also issued a statement Tuesday, calling for a rapid investigation as well as increased security for the country's clergy. Earlier in the day, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had confirmed the killings at his daily press conference, conceding several municipalities in Chihuahua state were struggling in the "presence of organized crime." It is common for religious leaders in Mexico to act as defenders of their communities and as mediators with criminal gangs operating there. In states such as Michoacan and Guerrero, some have even entered into dialogue with drug traffickers in a bid to keep the peace in largely poor regions with little government presence. About 30 priests have been killed in Mexico in the past decade, according to the Centro Catolico Multimedial, a Catholic organization. (@FahadShabbir) Geneva, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :The World Trade Organization may feel this week like it has risen from its slumber after striking breakthrough agreements, but the global trade body remains far from firing on all cylinders. "We succeeded, and we are determined to continue," WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala boasted as she wrapped up the first ministerial conference under her leadership, having taken over the reins with gusto in March last year. The talks at the WTO's Geneva headquarters were meant to conclude after four days on Wednesday last week, but went round the clock into early Friday as the former Nigerian finance and foreign minister pushed on for results. Despite feeling "exhausted" after two sleepless nights, she talked up the WTO's role in addressing major global challenges. "When I started this job, the expectations of the WTO were not very high," she said, with the organisation often branded as dysfunctional, sclerotic and unable to reach big decisions. But now, "we've shown that the WTO can produce outcomes". The conference concluded with deals on curbing harmful fishing subsidies, bolstering food insecurity and temporarily waiving patents on Covid-19 vaccines. Reaching these agreements at the WTO -- where consensus is needed among all 164 members -- has revived the organisation, which had failed to strike any significant deals for nearly a decade. Time will tell whether it was beginner's luck for Okonjo-Iweala, or -- more likely -- sheer determination and an effective negotiation strategy. Australia's WTO ambassador George Mina called the results a "welcome boost" for the WTO, while France's Foreign Trade Minister Franck Riester said there was "lots left to do". Pascal Lamy, who ran the WTO from 2005 to 2013, told AFP that the conference was neither historic nor mediocre, but praised the fisheries deal as a "real breakthrough" after 21 years of talks, for taking the WTO into combating environmental issues. He praised the efforts of Colombia's WTO ambassador Santiago Wills, who steered the fisheries talks, saying he had "really done remarkable diplomatic work". EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said that despite fruitful outcomes, the divergences between members "confirm that a deep reform of the organisation is urgently needed". Members agreed to a rough outline on how to proceed, envisioning "reforms to improve all its functions". But "ideas vary a lot on the priorities and the directions to follow", said Sebastien Jean, professor of industrial economics at the French National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts university. Maria Pagan, the US WTO ambassador, said: "Everybody says we want to reform; everybody has a different conception of reform." ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :A European Union (EU) monitoring mission comprising officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS) arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday to assess the effective implementation of 27 international conventions to which Pakistan is a signatory. The delegation also includes the European Commission's Directorates-General for Trade and Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, said a statement issued by the EU's mission in Pakistan. The GSP+ (Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus) provides wide-ranging tariff preferences for imports to the EU from vulnerable developing countries to support poverty eradication, sustainable development, and their participation in the global economy and reinforce good governance. Eligible countries like Pakistan can export goods to the EU market at zero duties for 66% of tariff lines. This preferential status is conditional on GSP+ countries demonstrating tangible progress on the implementation of 27 international conventions on human and labor rights, environmental protection, climate change, and good governance. Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis in 2021 "For five decades, the EU GSP has supported vulnerable countries to grow sustainably by giving them preferential access to the EU market. It has also helped beneficiary countries to diversify their economies and create jobs. It has also galvanized beneficiary countries into improving human and labor rights, the environment, and good governance". Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles said, "The GSP scheme is all about the EU's and Pakistan's joint commitment to sustainable development. " According to the statement, GSP+ has been very beneficial for Pakistani businesses, increasing their exports to the EU market by 65% since the country joined GSP+ in 2014. The European Single Market, with over 440 million consumers, is Pakistan's most important destination. Pakistan exports worth EUR 5.4 billion (approx. PKR 1.2 trillion), including garments, bed linen, terry towels, hosiery, leather, sports, and surgical goods. During the mission, meetings with the government, the UN Country Team, International Labour Organization (ILO), business and civil society representatives, and other stakeholders will occur. The mission's findings will be part of the next GSP report, which will be presented to the European Parliament and the Council towards the end of 2022, said a statement. The European Union continuously monitors the implementation of relevant 27 international conventions drawing inter alia on the reports and information by the UN and other international agencies that are the custodian of the respective convention. The EU regularly sends monitoring missions to assess the situation on the ground and subsequently reflect its evaluation in the publicly available report to the European Parliament and the EU Member States in the Council. So far, three biennial reviews have been concluded in 2016, 2018, and 2020, respectively. The current GSP framework is coming to an end in December 2023. The legislative process on its successor for 2024-2033 is ongoing. Apart from Pakistan, the EU currently unilaterally grants GSP+ tariff concessions to Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said they wanted to transform Pakistan into an Asian hub for industrialization through extensive investment ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said they wanted to transform Pakistan into an Asian hub for industrialization through extensive investment. The prime minister was talking to a delegation of Bahrainian companies led by Founder/Chairman Royale Nova Pvt. Ltd. Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Salman Al Khalifa that called on him. Minister for Investment board Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Minister for Trade Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Housing and Works Abdul Wasay, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, PM's Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and other relevant high authorities attended the meeting, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. On the occasion, the prime minister directed the authorities concerned to provide all possible facilities to the Bahraini investors on priority basis by utilizing all the available resources. The Board of Investment (BOI) authorities briefed the delegation about the huge investment opportunities in Pakistan in different sectors, including health, tourism, hotel and hospitality, housing, agriculture, food and information and technology. The delegation was informed that Pakistan was an ideal country for investment due to its strategic location, young population, skilled manpower, immense natural resources and business-friendly environment. The delegation reiterated to avail the existing huge investment opportunities in Pakistan and hinted to start investing in hotel and hospitality and housing sectors in the next six months. Besides, they also showed keen interest in the agriculture, fishery and construction sectors. The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has introduced a Summary Automation System (E-summary system) for provincial departments PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has introduced a Summary Automation System (E-summary system) for provincial departments. Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has formally launched the newly introduced E-summary system during a ceremony held here in Chief Minister's House on Wednesday. Besides, provincial ministers Atif Khan, Taimur Salim Jhagra, Shaukat Ali Yousufzai and Special Assistant to KP CM on Information, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Chief Secretary Shahzad Bangash, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, administrative secretaries of concerned departments, Director Performance Management and Reforms Unit (PMRU) and other relevant officials also attended the inaugural ceremony. The participants were briefed in detail about the features, workflow and other important aspects of the newly introduced system. Briefing about the important features of the system, it was informed that all the activities related to the summaries including creation of summary, process, approval and review would be carried out through Automation System adding that a dedicated mobile app has been prepared for the purpose. It was a secure automation system as only relevant authorities would have access to the system through particular QR code. Other features of the system include Summary & Note Management, Para Management, Summary & Note Highlights, Video/Audio Highlights, Alerts and Notifications and Centralized Dashboard. The system would also have the facility of Digital Signature enabled through Pin Code. Similarly, the system has been integrated with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa knowledge-base i.e Rules and Regulations. The participants were further informed that all provincial departments have been trained with regard to the use of this summary automation system adding that all the updates regarding the summaries in process would be available for the chief minister and chief secretary on dashboards. Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister has directed the concerned authorities to ensure implementation of the system in an effective manner however he allowed to move summaries digital and manual in parallel during the one month transition time adding that after the aforesaid transition time manual system would be stopped once for all and only digital summary system would be allowed. He said that the launching of the E-summary system was a continuity of provincial government initiatives under its E-governance strategy adding that the government had already introduced a number of reform initiatives to this effect including E-tendering, E-billing, E-bidding and E-payment. Mahmood Khan further stated that his government has taken visible steps under the vision of paperless governance which have resulted in significant improvement in the overall performance of the provincial departments. He was optimistic that the newly introduced E-summary system would serve as a key performance indicator in performance management. (@FahadShabbir) Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said relief goods were being dispatched to Afghanistan immediately for the victims of the earthquake which claimed several lives in the neighboring country ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said relief goods were being dispatched to Afghanistan immediately for the victims of the earthquake which claimed several lives in the neighboring country. Emergency supplies including food, camps, blankets and other essential items were being dispatched to Afghanistan on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, she said in a news statement. She said the prime minister announced humanitarian assistance earlier in the day in the wake of earthquake which caused loss of lives and property in the landlocked country. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), on the instructions of PM, arranged the assistance in collaboration with other stakeholders. (@Abdulla99267510) The son and daughter of Aamir Liaqat Hussain have approached the court against exhumation and autopsy. KARACHI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-June 22nd, 2022) The Sindh High Court has suspended an order for exhumation and autopsy of PTI leader and famous tv host Aamir Liaqat Hussain. A SHC division beard the plea and sought replies from the police. The family of Aamir Liaquat Hussain filed an appeal in the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging decision of a judicial magistrate for his exhumation and autopsy. The son and daughter of Aamir Liaqat Hussain filed the appeal and asked for urgent hearing of the case as exhumation and autopsy were planned for Thursday (tomorrow). The court admiited the plea for hearing and a division bench would take it up today. A judicial magistrate, on June 20, ordered the formation of a medical board for the post-mortem examination of former TV host and politician Aamir Liaquat Hussain. The magistrate wrote a letter to the provincial health secretary to form a medical board and fix a date for the exhumation of the body. The police of Brigade police station was directed to ensure necessary arrangements. A six-member medical board headed by surgeon Samiya Syed was constitutes on the courts orders to exhume Aamir Liaqats body. The team would exhume Amirs body on June 23 and conduct an autopsy to confirm if he died of natural reasons or was murdered. Additional Police surgeon Shahid Nizam, HOD forensic medicine Jinnah Pervez, Forensic expert Dr Hariram Lohana, Dr Gulzar Ali Solangi and MLO Dr Areeb Baqai were the other members of the medical board. The coffin of slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba returned to his home region on Wednesday for an emotionally charged tour and burial, more than six decades after his assassination Tshumbe, DR Congo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2022 ) :The coffin of slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba returned to his home region on Wednesday for an emotionally charged tour and burial, more than six decades after his assassination. A plane took Lumumba's mortal remains -- a tooth that ex-colonial power Belgium handed over to his family on Monday -- from Brussels to Kinshasa for a nine-day trip around the Democratic Republic of Congo. The coffin and an accompanying delegation then flew to the central province of Sankuru, where the country's first post-independence leader was born in the village of Onalua in 1925. The remains will visit sites symbolically important to Lumumba's life and be laid to rest in a mausoleum in the capital Kinshasa on June 30, following three days of national mourning. "His spirit, which was imprisoned in Belgium, comes back here," said Onalua Maurice Tasombo Omatuku, a traditional chief and nephew of Lumumba. Finally able to mourn his uncle but knowing he was assassinated in 1961, Omatuku said he was feeling emotionally torn. USM to Introduce Accelerated Nursing Degree Option at Gulf Park Wed, 06/22/2022 - 10:10am | By: Van Arnold The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has devised a unique plan to combat the nations ongoing nursing shortage by offering an accelerated degree pathway through the Universitys Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss. Pending full academic and accreditation approvals, this distinctive, accelerated pathway will help eligible students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in a shorter time and decrease barriers to admission, while providing benefits to those who have already earned a higher education degree. Students expected to enroll in this degree option will be eligible to bypass some typical BSN requirements because they have already earned a degree. Prospective applicants must have completed a bachelors degree from an accredited college or university. Dr. Lachel Story, Dean of USMs College of Nursing and Health Professions, points out that the accelerated delivery format will be the only one of its kind in South Mississippi. With the nation continuing to suffer from an unprecedented nursing shortage following the COVID-19 pandemic and USMs traditional nursing program on the Hattiesburg campus consistently filled, the time seemed right to consider a coastal alternative that will meet the needs of a different student market that has recently emerged. We have been having conversations over the last year with our clinical partners and community stakeholders about how we can address the nursing shortage and meet the needs of the coastal community. This pathway was developed as a part of those conversations, said Story. Story notes that the curriculum is in final stages of development and review. Provided all academic and accreditation approvals are obtained on schedule, the application could open as early as this fall, with the goal of admitting the first cohort to begin next year. Once enrolled, students can expect to complete the accelerated pathway in as little as one year. Earlier this year, online resource guide Nursingprocess.org, ranked USM as No. 1 for best accredited nursing schools in Mississippi. Housed within the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the nursing program has continued to raise the bar for excellence in education and clinical preparation. Southern Miss nursing students put classroom theory into action at the state-of-the-art facilities and simulation labs, where students can focus on learning essential nursing competencies such as assessment, skills, and patient care. Clinical rotations are scheduled at a range of local health care facilities throughout Central and South Mississippi. Through the forthcoming accelerated pathway, those rotations will include facilities along the Gulf Coast. The accelerated nursing option will provide a unique non-traditional path that will serve as an example of innovative programming that our Coastal Operations are becoming known for. Our goal is to continue to meet the needs of our citizens along the Gulf Coast region and across Mississippi, said Dr. Steven R. Moser, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at USM. Dr. Gordon Cannon, Vice President for Research at USM, noted a significant benefit for students who enroll in the accelerated option. In addition to helping alleviate the shortage in nursing professionals, this accelerated option will facilitate our students ability to get good paying jobs in health services throughout the state as well as the coastal region of Mississippi, said Cannon. To learn more about USMs nursing program, call 601.266.5445 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/nursing-health-professions/index.php About The University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is a comprehensive public research institution delivering transformative programs on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as online. Founded in 1910, USM is one of only 137 universities in the nation to earn the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Educations "R1: Doctoral Universities Very high research activity designation, and its robust research enterprise includes experts in ocean science and engineering, polymer science and engineering, and large event venue safety and security, among others. USM is also one of only 39 institutions in the nation accredited in theatre, art and design, dance and music. As an economic driver, USM generates an annual economic impact of more than $663 million across the state. USM welcomes a diverse student body of more than 14,000, representing 71 countries, all 50 states, and every county in Mississippi. USM students have collected four Truman Scholarships and 37 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, while also leading Mississippi with 27 Goldwater Scholarships, an honor that recognizes the next generation of great research scientists. Home to the Golden Eagles, USM competes in 17 Division I sports sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For more information, visit usm.edu. Gulf Blue Navigator Program Applications Open Wed, 06/22/2022 - 13:00pm Applications are now open for the Gulf Blue Navigator: a six-month program that provides scaling blue technology startups with market access to the Gulf of Mexico region, proximity to federal agencies, technical facilities and expertise. The Gulf Blue Navigator features virtual and in-person interactive workshops provided by a network of practitioners, specialists and experts in the Gulf Coast region. Companies will travel to Mississippi to participate several days a month, where they will join site visits to relevant federal agencies, stakeholders and experience the best the Mississippi Gulf Coast has to offer. Selected companies will receive $25,000 in financial support to subsidize the cost of travel and accommodation. The program design maximizes value for global blue technology startups that specialize in in uncrewed maritime systems, precision marine aquaculture, ocean-related data analytics, coastal restoration, ocean-friendly plastics, sea and space systems and the Future of Maritime. Ideal applicants will have a prototype, earn less than $1M in recurring annual revenue and be ready to scale. The Gulf Blue Navigator is the first bluetech program in the Gulf of Mexico; bringing to bear the vastness of the Gulf Coasts ocean-related infrastructure for the most promising global blue technology startups, said Mark Huang, co-founder at SeaAhead. Participating startups will have the ability to interact with a supportive ecosystem of federal agencies, industry and academia." The Gulf Blue Navigator initial program partners include: NOAA, The University of Southern Mississippi, Jackson State University, The Mississippi Aquarium, The Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport, Leidos, Harrison County Development Commission, Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission, Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, City of Gulfport, and City of Diamondhead. Partners are engaged as practitioners in their fields to teach workshops, mentor startups, and provide place-based expertise on doing business in Mississippi. This local ecosystem is critical to providing startups with a welcoming and supportive environment. "We are excited to partner with the Gulf Blue Navigator to explore the opportunities that await us at the intersection of research, industry, and innovation," said Rear Adm. Nancy Hann, director of NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. The Gulf Blue Navigator program aims to inspire entrepreneurship locally, regionally, and globally. In doing so, it will provide access to the Blue Economy for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. Leveraging partnerships with state and federal agencies, academic institutions, and commercial enterprises, the program will provide many opportunities for involvement and mutually beneficial economic growth. "JSU is excited to participate in the Gulf Blue Navigator program. The program has the potential to create applicable job opportunities for our students, expand participation of JSU researchers in tech innovation, and promote diversity and inclusion in the blue economy." said Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Jackson State University. Funding for the Gulf Blue Navigator is provided by a grant from the Builders Initiative Foundation, whose oceans impact strategy centers around four core program areas: sustainable fisheries management, ocean resilience, ocean plastics, and catalyzing restorative aquaculture. Additional financial support is provided by the Members of Coast Electric through their Operation Round Up program in partnership with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. For more information about the program and application, please refer to the website: gulfbluenavigator.org or apply directly through the portal at: https://passport.theonevalley.com/display/GBNAN/SignIn USMRF The USM Research Foundation is a Mississippi non-profit corporation formed in 1998 and is administered and operated exclusively for the benefit of The University of Southern Mississippi. The foundation supports and enhances the research mission of the University by promoting the increase of useful knowledge and encourages the development of intellectual property owned by the University. The foundation also provides support to the University by managing research contracts, coworking space and entrepreneurial programs. SeaAhead Headquartered in Massachusetts, SeaAhead Inc. specializes in high potential ocean-focused technology startups, building global networks, and venture financing. Now co-located in the Gulf & Ship Island building in Gulfport, SeaAheads platform, in tandem with USMs infrastructure and mission of fostering a culture of innovation, will connect promising global blue technology startups to the Mississippi Gulf Coast blue economy. Media inquiries should be directed to: USMRF: James Coll: james.coll@usm.edu SeaAhead: Hailey Bathurst navigator@sea-ahead.com As the UN prepares for COP15 in autumn this year, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) calls for urgent action to deliver an ambitious Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. By Lisa Zengarini Ahead of the upcoming United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) to be held in China in October 2022, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has joined in urging governments to take immediate and ambitious action to protect the diversity of Creation. COP15 on biodiversity COP15 will convene governments from around the world to agree to a new set of goals for nature over the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process. The framework sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in societys relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled. The Conference will also look at the implementation of the protocols of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that deal with the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of nature, and the safe transport, handling and labelling of Living Modified Organisms. SECAM statement released at event in Nairobi For the first time the African bishops have taken a public stance on this important issue in a document titled SECAM calls for urgent action to deliver an ambitious Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework". The statement was released on Tuesday at an event organized in Nairobi, Kenya, in collaboration with the Laudato Si Movement (LSM) and the Ecclesial Network on the Congo Basin Forest (REBAC). Among the participants in the gathering were Fr. Joshtrom Issac Kureethadam, of the Vaticans Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and representatives of various organizations, including Justice, peace and integrity of Creation Franciscan Africa (JPICFA), and the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA). Care for nature and for the most vulnerable In line with Pope Francis Encyclical Laudato Si on Care for our Common Home", the statement points out that protecting nature and the most vulnerable go hand in hand. For this reason, the SECAM bishops have joined those who are calling for 50% of the Earth to be protected by 2030 We have no such a right to destroy biodiversity. Rights of indigenous peoples As reported by LSM's website, SECAM also calls for the respect of the rights of indigenous peoples and the immediate stop of the construction of the 1,443-kilometre East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) . The controversial pipeline is expected to transport oil from Hoima, in Uganda, to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, displacing about 118,000 people across the two African nations. endangering the regions unique ecosystems, and threatening wetlands, wildlife, and fresh water sources that support millions of people. Protecting the biomass of the Congo Basin The statement makes special reference to the biomass of the Congo Basin, the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world, where illegal and unsustainable logging, along with land grabbing and industrial agriculture put indigenous peoples and endangered species at risk. In this regard, the African Bishops point out that the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis are intimately linked. Indeed , climate and biodiversity are two sides of the same coin and, therefore, must be tackled together, they say. Similarly, the ecological problem is inseparable from its social dimension: abuses against biodiversity affect vulnerable communities that have been caring for these ecosystems for centuries, and also generate a number of social conflicts, the Bishops point out. The statement signed by SECAM Vice President, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, finally calls on governments, especially of the developped countries, to be transparent and to be held accountable, while reminding them of their financial commitments to halt biodiversity loss and initiate its recovery. A report on the situation of human rights in Eritrea presented to the UN Human Rights Council highlights the application of force in gathering recruits for military service in the country. By Vatican News staff writer The special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdesalam Babiker, has put the spotlight on reports of forced recruitment of people, including children, by Eritrea to fight in the ongoing conflict in the northern Tigrayan region of Ethiopia In a report titled Situation of human rights in Eritrea, presented to the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council which is taking place in Geneva from 13 June 8 July, Babiker highlighted the continuing involvement of Eritrea in the war in Ethiopia which has important implications for the internal human rights situation in the country. The rapporteurs report explored several aspects, ranging from the national/military service, access to justice and the rule of law, civil and political rights/fundamental freedoms and the impacts of the conflict in Tigray on the human rights situation in Eritrea, among others Indefinite national military service, militarization The report identified some worrying trends in Eritrea, noting the increased militarization of the country and the use of military conscription raids or giffa to enlist people to go to the front lines. The rapporteur pointed out that the government of Eritrea states that the national service program has a duration of 18 months but since 1998, authorities have created a permanent state of general mobilization, extending the statutory period indefinitely, justifying the high level of militarization of the country with the no war, no peace situation with Ethiopia. Babiker noted that since November 2020, conscripts have been forced to fight in a gruesome war in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia alongside Ethiopian National Defence Forces and allied militias, but the families of those forced to fight have not received information about their whereabouts. More so, while only men and women over the age of 18 have the duty to serve in the national service, the rapporteur observed a worsening in previously documented patterns of forced conscription of children with reports of the rounding up of children, some as young as 14 years old. Some children were also deployed for military combat in Tigray with limited training, and according to reports received by the rapporteur, a large number of children were allegedly injured or killed during the early stages of the conflict, and dozens sustained grave injuries causing disabilities. Furthermore, draft evaders and deserters are routinely punished with arbitrary detention in highly punitive conditions, and often subjected to torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. Refugees forcefully conscripted Babiker also pointed to the situation of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia, saying that many fleeing the dismal human rights situation in their country are forcefully returned, detained, punished and forcibly conscripted by the same military forces they had fled from in Eritrea. According to UNHCR, as of March 2022, Ethiopia hosted 159,000 Eritrean refugees, 20,000 fewer than when the conflict in the Tigray Region erupted in November 2020. At that time, there were 96,000 Eritrean refugees estimated to be living in Tigray and an additional 54,000 Eritrean refugees were hosted in the Afar Region. The rapporteur notes that many of the refugees in Tigray are unaccounted for, even as reports of escalation of violence, extrajudicial killings and kidnapping continue to pour in, and many are caught up between warring groups in the Tigray and Afar regions and displaced predominantly to the Amhara region. On the one hand, the report said, Eritrean refugees, many of whom had fled Eritrea for political reasons, have been targeted by Eritrean forces, who have attacked refugee camps, rounded up thousands of refugees, and sent them back to Eritrea. On the other hand, while Ethiopia, and the Tigray Region specifically, have historically welcomed Eritrean refugees, the abuses committed by Eritrean forces initially fuelled hostility against Eritrean refugees among the Tigrayan population, particularly in mid-2021. The rapporteur stressed that returns made using deception or under duress or through actual or implied threats of violence and ill-treatment cannot be considered voluntary and therefore constitute refoulement. Recommendations In light of these, the report proposed, among other things, that the Government of Eritrea investigate the recruitment of children by the countrys armed forces to fight in Tigray, and take the necessary steps to prevent the conscription and deployment of child soldiers. Furthermore, the rapporteur recommended an investigation into abductions and forced returns of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers into Eritrea and their subsequent military subscription, as well as an investigation into the allegations of human rights and humanitarian law violations in Ethiopia. The rapporteur also called for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopia, and abstention from obstructing the access of humanitarian personnel, food and supplies to the country. Join veteran journalist Hayde Adams on Straight Talk Africa every Wednesday as he and his guests discuss topics of special interest to Africans, including politics, economic development, press freedom, health, social issues and conflict resolution. European Union leaders hold a key summit Thursday and Friday with a top item on their agenda okaying Ukraines bid to be a candidate for the bloc appearing to be on track. The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between Europe and Moscow as the war drags on in Ukraine. Hours before the European Union summit, France which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU offered a confident assessment of Kyivs candidacy application. Frances Europe Minister Clement Beaune said there is a "total consensus" in favor, following discussions among EU country representatives. Now, he said, it's up to their leaders to formally vote on the candidate status Thursday, along with those of Moldova and Georgia. Kyiv has been pushing hard to join the 27-member bloc as soon as possible. Some EU countries like Portugal and Denmark earlier expressed reservations. But last week, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen offered a strong endorsement. Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective. We want them to live with us the European dream, der Leyen said. But it seems unlikely EU leaders will agree to Ukraines call for fast-tracking its application. Being admitted into the bloc can take years, or decades. I think if there were a fast track [for Ukraine], then it would provoke some uproar from the western Balkan countries, who have been in the antechamber of this candidate status for a while now, said Tara Varma who heads the Paris office of the European Council on Foreign Relations policy institute. I think the Europeans need to be quite careful about how they deal with this," Varma said. "Honestly, granting candidate status in such a short period would already be quite a revolution. France is pushing for an intermediary association for Ukraine and other non-EU members in the meantime. This weeks summit follows a visit to Ukraine by leaders of France, Germany and Italy the EUs three most powerful members along with Romania. Beyond the symbolism, they promised to deliver more weapons a source of tension with Ukraine, among other issues. But while EU leaders have displayed remarkable unity in agreeing to ever-stronger sanctions against Russia over the war, European citizens are feeling its economic backlash. Europeans will also have to think about how they deal with the situation at home as well. Because were seeing an increasing sense of worry from the European population side and also the beginning of a war fatigue," said Varma. Also up for discussion this summit will be the blocs deteriorating relationship with Moscow. Over the past week, Russia has cut off natural gas exports to more EU countries, notably heavyweights France and Germany. Its also threatened EU and NATO member Lithuania over its rail transit blockade of some goods to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called Russias own blockade of Ukraines grain exports which are critical for some of the worlds poorest countries a war crime. In Kosovo, which has been waiting for visa-free travel to the European Union since 2010, a restaurant owner has erected a large replica of France's famed Eiffel Tower for its diners. "We have built it as a form of consolation for the people who cannot go to Paris," said Blerim Bislimi, owner of Te Anija (At The Boat) restaurant on the edge of the capital Pristina. The joke reflects a wider malaise across the Balkans about the prospects of its six members Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia ever joining the EU. A lack of progress on milestones such as visa-free travel along the way has lead to such a sense of disillusion that the leaders of Albania and Serbia briefly considered not attending Thursday's Balkan-EU summit in Brussels. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday they will now go, but Rama expressed his despondency on Twitter: "We'll attend the EU Council meeting. There won't be much to hear about." In Serbia, the largest country in the region, enthusiasm for EU membership has declined so much that now 44% of people are against it and only 35% in favor, with the remainder unsure, according to an Ipsos poll in April. A draft of the summit statement seen by Reuters showed that EU leaders will again give "full and unequivocal commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans." But Ukraine's fast-tracked progress to formal candidate status, to be agreed at Thursday's summit, has only served to increase their feeling of being sidelined, Balkan countries say, even if all but Bosnia and Kosovo are already EU candidates. "North Macedonia and Albania have every right to be upset," said Zvezdana Kovac at the European Movement in Serbia, a non-profit organization pushing for Serbian membership of the EU, referring to the stalled negotiation process. EU member Bulgaria in 2020 blocked the start of accession talks with North Macedonia over a dispute relating to history and language. Albania's progress is formally linked by the EU to that of North Macedonia, which already had to agree to settle a decades-long stand-off with Greece over its name to clear its path to EU membership. North Macedonia and Albania earlier had to wait for a green light from France over their track record on democracy and fighting corruption. EU diplomats do not expect a breakthrough at the summit. Too many conditions? Awarding Ukraine its EU candidacy status without any feasible progress for the Balkans is also a "bad message" for the region, Kovac said. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel have all visited the region, reiterating support, but taking no concrete steps. There has been no progress on overcoming Bulgaria's veto or wider momentum to help Serbia and Montenegro in their negotiations, which require politically unpopular reforms. Arton Demhasaj, from the Pristina-based anti-corruption watchdog of Cohu (Wake up), said: "The European Union has no clear enlargement policies towards the Western Balkans." "If countries that aspire to join the EU face delays, they will reorient their policies and then we will have an increase of Russian and Chinese influence in the Western Balkans," he said. In contrast to the success of the EU's eastward enlargement drive that transformed former communist countries such as Poland into thriving market democracies, the EU approach now offers too little reward tied to too many conditions, Balkan officials say. Some EU governments, particularly in France, the Netherlands and Denmark, fear a political backlash in member states over migration from the Balkans and have sought to increase reforms. "Too many EU governments think we can keep handing the Balkans new demands and say: come back when you're done," said a senior EU diplomat involved in the talks. "But it doesn't work like that, at some point they are going to give up." The Black Death, a plague that killed up to 60% of people in western Eurasia from roughly 1346 to 1353, likely originated in the Tian Shan mountains of central Asia, new research shows. Scientists recovered two genomes of an ancient strain of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, from human remains buried in two 14th-century cemeteries in Kyrgyzstan. The strain is the ancestor of the microbes that caused the Black Death. The origin of the Black Death has been one of the most widely debated topics not only in medieval history, but I perhaps will not exaggerate if I say that it has been one of the most debated topics in history, period, said historian and study co-author Philip Slavin of the University of Stirling. There are many competing theories, he said, but without ancient DNA, you wouldn't be able actually to confirm one of those theories. Researchers reconstructed an ancient Y. pestis genome for the first time in 2011 using samples from a burial ground in London. Since then, a handful of additional Black Death genomes from western Eurasia and many more from modern Y. pestis strains carried by rodents and their parasites the natural reservoirs of plague also were sequenced. But even with the new data, it was still quite clear to us that this kind of research was not really telling us much about where it all started and when it all started, said Maria Spyrou, a biologist at the Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen and first author of the new study. Spike in deaths The wellspring of the Black Death wouldnt be found in a European grave. But Slavin thought that two cemeteries near Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan looked promising. Based on tombstone inscriptions, the area saw a spike in deaths between 1338 and 1339. Some of those deaths were blamed on an unknown pestilence. The researchers extracted and sequenced genetic material from seven teeth from seven individuals buried at the cemeteries. Human teeth are crisscrossed by a dense network of blood vessels, making them one of the best places in which to look for the centuries-old DNA of blood-borne pathogens like Y. pestis. Three of the seven individuals had plague DNA in their teeth, allowing researchers to reconstruct the genome of the strain that killed them. In a genetic family tree of the plague, the new strain sits right at base of what Spyrou called an explosion of genetic diversity a dramatic radiation of new strains including the ones that caused the Black Death. The origin strains closest modern cousins are carried by marmots in the surrounding Tian Shan area, so it seems to have developed locally. It started most likely in this Tian Shan region of central Asia, said Spyrou. But I dont want to claim that we have found, I dont know, a patient zero or outbreak zero, because this is almost impossible using the archaeological record. Sharon DeWitte, an archaeologist at the University of South Carolina, was excited by the results, but she noted that theres still a small chance the Black Death reached central Asia from elsewhere. Yersinia pestis can travel pretty far without accumulating any genetic variation, she said. But that being said, there's strong evidence that that general area was the origin. Why, how did it spread? Finding where the Black Death began is a major step toward understanding why and how it spilled over from animals to humans and spread so catastrophically in the 14th century. Slavin suspects trade was an important factor. This community was situated right at the heart of long-distance trade routes known as the Silk Road, he said. They were extremely cosmopolitan, very multinational, very multiethnic, and [had] lots of geographic mobility. Graves contained pearls from the Pacific and Indian oceans, silks from China or Uzbekistan and shells from the Mediterranean, said Slavin. Climate could also have been involved, said Spyrou and DeWitte. Future studies of historical climate events in central Asia could help explain the pandemics timing and spread. More ancient plague genomes from Asia also would help, but Slavin noted that finding similar archaeological sites or collections isnt as straightforward as it sounds. Plague still kills people every year. Because it evolves fast and jumps from animals to humans, its important to understand the conditions that make it dangerous and monitor it closely, according to DeWitte. And studying past pandemics can offer lessons for the present, too. The Black Death is basically a natural experiment where we are gathering a huge amount of data about the human populations affected, the animals that might have been involved, the bacterium that was involved, and climate conditions, said DeWitte. And I think all that's really important in terms of building resilience for populations moving forward so that we don't actually suffer from the worst possible outcomes of pandemic disease. Canadian parliamentarians are being issued panic buttons to summon security or police in an emergency, officials said Tuesday as harassment, intimidation and threats of violence are on the rise. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, who announced the measure, has himself received online death threats in recent weeks in response to proposed legislation to curb handgun ownership. "The situation is very concerning," he said of the "very negative and toxic rhetoric that we see online, which can then lead to violence" and has led to menacing confrontations. "We need to have a space where we can have vigorous debates without seeing the level of vitriol and near physical confrontation and out and out incitement to violence and death threats," he said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, despite being surrounded by a security detail, had rocks thrown at him at an election rally last September. At several campaign stops, protesters whom Trudeau has described as "practically foaming at the mouth, they were so mad at me" also shouted racial and misogynist slurs. And Jagmeet Singh, the leader of a small leftist party, faced an angry mob outside an event last month who shouted expletives at him, called him a traitor and wished him dead. At a news conference the next day, he said it was "among the worst experiences" he'd ever had and reflected a polarization in politics. On Tuesday, Mendicino said threats against politicians are multiplying and described the panic buttons called mobile duress alarms as another layer of security for MPs and their staff. The devices can be used across Canada to alert police. Parliament's sergeant-at-arms has also offered training to lawmakers and their staff on how to de-escalate situations that risk turning violent. "We know unfortunately that there's a significant amount of anger and frustration out there directed at government, directed at officials," Trudeau said Tuesday. "We need to make sure that anyone who steps up to serve their community at any level of politics is safe." Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in "bison jams" on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstone's five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning after an estimated 2,000-3,000 vehicles entered the park in the first few hours in long lines that stretched for several miles (kilometers) at one gate. Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called "bison jam" where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which they'd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyoming's Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. "The whole purpose of our trip was to come here," Lonnie Macmillan said. "We weren't going to go home until we got here." The record floods reshaped the park's rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at America's first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this," he said. To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1% of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the park's 400 miles (644 kilometers) of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials will impose a reservation system for entrance. Along the road to Yellowstone's south entrance in Wyoming, a long, slow-moving line of cars snaked along a road with a sign that for days had been flashing "Yellowstone closed" but now alerted drivers that the park was open with restricted access. Gracie Brennan of Kentucky and two of her friends were going to Yellowstone as part of a tour of national parks. "Old Faithful was the main thing I wanted to see, so if we can get there, which ever way we got to go, it doesn't really matter," Brennan said. The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. It's an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the park's geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. That's turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. They're also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. In Red Lodge, one of those gateway towns cut off from the park, most businesses are open even as cleanup continues. The Montana Department of Transportation is beginning repairs to the road between Red Lodge and the scenic Beartooth Highway and the National Park Service is working to restore access to some areas in the northern part of the park. "We have to remain optimistic, but we also have to remain realistic that there's a lot of things going on and a lot of moving pieces to make it happen," said Tim Weamer, who does marketing for the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, who received criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesday's reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon also wasn't in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the park's wildlife. "We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages ... saying 'Don't come, don't come,'" she said. "But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work." Ecuador on Wednesday refused to end its state of emergency and said 18 police officers were missing following an attack by Indigenous protesters on a police station in the eastern Amazon region. Two people have died in the 10-day protest in which the government has declared an emergency in six of Ecuador's 24 departments following violent clashes between protesters and security forces. Around 90 civilians and 100 members of the security forces have been injured in clashes, while the interior minister said 18 officers were missing following the attack in the Amazonian city of Puyo. Another six officers were seriously injured and three more were detained by the protesters, said Patricio Carrillo. A protester also died in the attack in Puyo, a five-hour drive south of Quito, the government said Tuesday night. "The mob began setting fires with police still inside patrol cars, began looting, burning public-private facilities such as the Guayaquil Bank, Red Cross, until they ended up torching the police facilities in the center of the city," said Carrillo. Conditions for dialogue President Guillermo Lasso has proposed dialogue with the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which called the protests, in a bid to end the escalating violence. But CONAIE leader Leonidas Iza said talks were conditioned on the state of emergency being repealed and the "demilitarization" of a public park in Quito that is a traditional rallying point for Indigenous people but is currently under the control of security forces. "We cannot lift the state of exception because that would leave the capital defenseless, and we already know what happened in October 2019, and we will not allow that," Minister of Government Francisco Jimenez told the Teleamazonas channel. CONAIE led two weeks of nationwide protests in 2019 in which 11 people died and more than 1,000 were injured, also generating losses of $800 million. In the capital, Quito, Indigenous protesters occupied congress, torched the comptroller's office, and damaged public and private property. 'Sit down and talk' The capital is again the epicenter of the protests. CONAIE, which has mobilized at least 10,000 people in Quito, hundreds of whom have clashed with security forces in recent days, want the government to lower fuel prices. "It is not the time to put more conditions, to make more demands. It is the moment to sit down and talk," said Jimenez. "Unfortunately, there has been accidental loss of life, according to the information we have, and we cannot keep waiting." An Indigenous protester died after he was "hit in the face, apparently with a tear gas bomb," on Tuesday following the "confrontation" with security forces in Puyo, a lawyer for the Alliance of Human Rights Organizations told AFP. The police said "it was presumed that the person died as a result of handling an explosive device." Murder probe Another protester died on Monday after falling into a ravine outside Quito, with police claiming that, too, was an accident. However, the public prosecutor's office has opened a murder investigation. The alliance said 90 people had been injured and 87 arrested since protests began on June 13. Police said 101 officers and military personnel had been injured, with another 27 temporarily detained by protesters. It said 80 civilians had been arrested. Quito was relatively calm on Wednesday morning. Donald Trump on Tuesday notched a significant victory in South Carolina, where his preferred candidate easily ousted five-term Rep. Tom Rice, the first Republican to be booted from office after voting to impeach the former president last year. But another high-profile GOP target of Trump in the state, Rep. Nancy Mace, managed to hold back a challenger. Meanwhile, in Nevada, Trump's pick, Adam Laxalt, won his U.S. Senate primary, defeating a populist candidate who is arguably more representative of the Trump base. Takeaways from the latest round of primary elections: Split decision in South Carolina Rice and Mace have been objects of Trump's anger ever since a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's win. Their transgressions? Mace stated on national TV that Trump's ``entire legacy was wiped out'' by the attack, while Rice became an apostate for joining a small group of Republicans who voted with Democrats in favor of Trump's second impeachment. ``He threw a temper tantrum that culminated with the sacking of the United States Capitol,'' Rice told NBC News on Monday. ``It's a direct attack on the Constitution, and he should be held accountable.'' Voters ultimately rendered different judgments on the duo, reflecting a split within the GOP about how to move forward from the Trump era. Rice's largely rural district is representative of Trump's America, where crossing the former president carries a steep cost. Even as Trump railed against both lawmakers, he chose to hold a rally in Rice's district earlier this year. That's because Mace's district, which centers on Charleston, is full of the type of moderate suburban voters who fled the GOP under Trump. It is one of the few districts in an overall red state where Democrats have been even moderately competitive in congressional races. The results demonstrate that the Trump factor can't be underestimated in solidly Republican territory, a potential warning sign for other Republicans, including Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who also voted to impeach Trump and has helped lead the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack. She's facing a competitive primary in August from a Trump-backed challenger. Another notable factor in the Mace contest: It amounted to a proxy battle between Trump, who is contemplating a 2024 White House campaign, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is also considering a run. Trump backed former state Rep. Katie Arrington in the race, while Haley, a former South Carolina governor, effectively challenged Trump by campaigning with Mace. Trump, McConnell, align on Laxalt in Nevada Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell don't agree on much. One rare exception is Laxalt, who won Nevada's Republican Senate primary. The two Republican leaders haven't been on speaking terms since December 2020, when McConnell acknowledged that Biden defeated Trump. But they both endorsed Laxalt, who defeated retired Army Capt. Sam Brown, a West Point graduate and Purple Heart recipient who ran an unexpectedly strong campaign as a conservative outsider. The mutual support, which brought together the Trump and establishment wings of the party, demonstrates the intense focus Republican have placed on flipping the seat held by first-term Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who is considered among the most vulnerable senators. Texas house seat flip A once solidly Democratic district in South Texas will now be represented by a Republican after Mayra Flores won a special primary election to finish the term of former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who resigned this year to become a lobbyist. Flores, a GOP organizer who is the daughter of migrant workers, will only hold the seat for several months before the district is redrawn to be more favorable to Democrats. But her victory in the heavily Hispanic Rio Grande Valley is an ominous sign for Democrats. They are not only losing ground in a region they long dominated, but Flores' success as a candidate also demonstrates that Republicans are making inroads with Hispanic voters. Her win also has implications for Democrats' ambitions in Congress, denying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi an opportunity to add to her slim two-vote margin to pass legislation. From South Carolina to the White House? Also in South Carolina, Republican Tim Scott coasted to an easy and unopposed primary win Tuesday for what he says will be his last term in the Senate. But another state is also on his mind the presidential proving ground of Iowa. It's become an article of faith that there are no ``accidental'' trips to Iowa by ambitious politicians. And Scott, the Senate's sole Black Republican, has made several visits, including one last week. He certainly has the money to contend. As he campaigned for reelection to the Senate, Scott amassed a jaw-dropping $42 million. That's more than double the $15.7 million average cost of a winning Senate campaign in the 2018 midterms. It's also more than enough to launch a Republican presidential campaign in 2024. Even before his recent appearance at an Iowa Republican Party event, Scott has been raising his profile. He spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention and delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's first joint congressional address. He's also visited New Hampshire, another early-voting presidential state, and delivered a speech at the Reagan Presidential Library, another frequent stop for Republicans eyeing the White House. A LePage comeback? Governor's races are often overlooked. But the general election contest in Maine is among a handful of governor's races that are likely to be competitive this year, along with Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona. Tuesday's gubernatorial primaries were a mere formality, since the races were uncontested. But they locked in what promises to be a doozy of a general election between two longtime foes. Democratic incumbent Janet Mills is seeking a second term. She's a former district attorney, state lawmaker and Maine attorney general who frequently clashed with Republican Paul LePage when he was governor. Now LePage, who has described himself as ``Trump before there was Trump,'' is challenging her. The contest will test the appeal of Trumpian candidates in New England. The Democratic Governors Association has already booked $5 million in TV ad time. That Mills and LePage are even competing against each other is somewhat of a surprise. LePage moved to Florida and swore off politics when he left office in 2019 following two raucous terms that often drew national attention for his indecorous remarks. But the draw of elected office was apparently too great. By 2020, he was back in Maine pledging to challenge his old nemesis. Ethiopia is refuting reports of a fuel shortage in the embattled Tigray region. A European Union official visited Tigray this week, and on Tuesday said a lack of fuel is preventing delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. However, a spokeswoman for Ethiopia's prime minister told VOA that the idea of a fuel shortage in Tigray is a myth. European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said Tigrayans have suffered enough due to a continuous aid blockade. He said at a news conference in Addis Ababa on Tuesday that the number of trucks bringing food to the regional capital, Mekelle, has almost reached the level necessary to cover the basic humanitarian needs of the people of Tigray. However, he said the aid effort needs more fuel so that humanitarian workers can deliver assistance to all in need. "There's need to lift restrictions, especially on the provision of fuel. More fuel is needed because without it, even this food assistance that comes to Mekelle cannot reach rural areas where the needs are highest," Lenarcic said. "So now we have a situation, where humanitarian houses in Mekelle are full, but the people out there in the countryside are still hungry." The conflict that began in November 2020 between the Ethiopian federal government and the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front has forced thousands to the brink of famine and left millions more in need of food aid. Lenarcic also urged Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy's government to lift financial restrictions he said are hampering the provision of basic services, such as payment of salaries to humanitarian workers and hospital employees who have gone without pay for one year. "I fail to see the military rationale being the blockade of electricity, banking services," Lenarcic said. "On the contrary, we believe that these services should be restored without delay, because they are primarily destined to the civilian use, and the lack of these services aggravates the humanitarian situation in that region." However, the Ethiopia federal government denies any blockades, especially on fuel. A spokeswoman for Abiy, Billene Seyoum, said data available indicates that last week alone, three fuel tankers carrying over 137,500 liters of fuel arrived in Mekelle. Seyoum said that, in total, more than 920,000 liters of fuel have been sent to the region since April. "So, the myth of fuel shortage is a TPLF hidden agenda to enhance mobility of its army in preparation for another round of conflict. Hence, there are no fuel sanctions and such claims need to be reviewed with clarity on the reality," Seyoum said. On its Twitter account, the Tigray External Affairs Office insists the level of aid being allowed into Tigray does not meet the region's needs. It says between April and early June, just over 770,000 liters of fuel have been allowed into Tigray. In a text message to VOA, TPLF spokesperson Getachaw Reda accused the Abiy government of misrepresenting facts. He said the fuel shortage in Tigray is as vicious as creating unnecessary checkpoints or other obstacles aimed at hindering humanitarian access. As North Korea gears up in ways that satellite images suggest are preparations for a nuclear test, experts said Pyongyang is also getting ready to deal with the aftermath of such a test to blunt global condemnation likely to follow and defend its nuclear position while pressuring the U.S. to make concessions. North Korea has been getting ready to conduct a nuclear test for several months, as suggested by satellite images of its only nuclear site in Punggye-ri, which the regime closed in 2018. Activity at the site was first detected by satellite imagery analyzed by the California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in early March. Activities continued to be detected at the site every month since, according to satellite images analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) research group Beyond Parallel. Any such test would likely be met with international outcry, and the June 11 announcement of the appointment of seasoned diplomat Choe Son Hui as foreign minister indicates North Korea is preparing post-nuclear test strategies of offsetting international condemnation, experts say. Choe has extensive experience dealing with the U.S. She served as the interpreter for a North Korean delegation in four-party nuclear talks in 1997, joining the six-party talks in the early 2000s. Choe was formerly the director of the North America department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on the U.S. She participated at North Koreas two summits with the U.S. in 2018 and 2019 and was a vice-foreign minister before being promoted to head the foreign ministry. With her appointment, North Korea is laying the groundwork for being able to deal with the blowback from North Korean actions probably coming in the future after it conducts a nuclear test, said Ken Gause, director of the Adversary Analytics Program at CNA, a think tank. Gause noted Choe can send an articulate and very forceful message to the international community that North Korea is a sovereign country with the right to test and possess nuclear weapons to defend itself. As North Korea announced Choes new position, Kim set forth the militant tasks to be pushed forward, emphasizing the right to self-defense and defending sovereignty, according to its state media outlet, Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 11, the day of Choes appointment. Gause said Choe is "also able to effectively deflect U.S. arguments for additional sanctions" and "engage with China to try to make sure that China keeps continuing to have North Korea's back." A U.S.-led resolution calling for additional sanctions on North Korea in response to its ballistic missile launches was blocked by China and Russia on May 26 in support of North Korea. Pyongyang conducted 18 rounds of non-nuclear weapons tests this year, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capable of targeting the U.S. At the same time, Choe can take the off ramp from the escalatory ladder and pivot very quickly toward engagement with the U.S. if Pyongyang feels the need, Gause added. Preparations complete South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said after meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on June 14 that North Korea now appears to have completed preparations for another nuclear test. Park said it is only a matter of a political decision by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as to when to detonate the explosives. It would be the regimes seventh nuclear test since 2006 and its first since September 2017. According to the research group Beyond Parallel, preparation for a possible nuclear test at Punggye-ris tunnel number 3 is complete. The group said on June 15 that new activities were detected at tunnel number 4 to make it ready for a possible nuclear test. As Ukraine awaits an expected decision this week by EU leaders to begin its candidacy process for eventually joining the 27-nation bloc, the U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine and Russia tell VOA why they support Kyivs goals for EU membership and keeping up the fight against Russian invaders. The two diplomats also share their experiences of returning to the Ukrainian capital and seeing U.S. businesses abandon Moscow as U.S. sanctions on Russia take hold. An international coalition of journalists, editors and publishers demanded Wednesday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange be immediately released from a UK jail and that all charges against him be dropped. Fifteen representatives of journalist and publishers' unions and organizations from six countries gathered in Geneva for the call to free Julian Assange in the name of press freedom The petitioners also called on Swiss authorities, who have said they have worked to protect Assange, to facilitate his release by offering him a safe haven from further prosecution in Switzerland. The call came after the British government last week approved Assange's extradition to the United States, to the dismay of his supporters and free press campaigners. Assange, 50, has said he will appeal against the decision. He is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010, and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty. The Assange case has become a cause celebre for media freedom and his supporters accuse Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. Wednesday's event slammed the British decision as a "flagrant violation of human rights and a showing of total contempt for freedom of the press". Pierre Ruetschi, the head of the Swiss Press Club hosting the event, warned that "democracy is being taken hostage". "This attempt at criminalizing journalism is a serious threat." Tim Dawson, of the National Union of Journalists of Britain and Ireland, agreed. "If Julian Assange can be threatened with prosecution as a spy, what might that mean for other journalists?" he said. Assange has been held on remand at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019 for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden. Before that he spent seven years at Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid being removed to Sweden. The Australian was arrested when the government changed in Quito and his diplomatic protection was removed. Libya's parliament-appointed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha said on Wednesday his government supported removing all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, guided by a committee set up to safeguard a ceasefire after the 2014-2020 conflict. In an interview with Reuters in London, where Bashagha is trying to drum up support for his government to take over in Tripoli, the leader said he was a "big supporter" of the 5+5 committee which agreed foreign fighters should be expelled. The 59-year-old said his government in the eastern city of Sirte had begun its work despite Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who was installed as prime minister last year through a U.N.-backed process, rejecting its move, leading to a standoff. Since April, groups in the east have forcibly closed many Libyan oil facilities to demand that Bashagha take power in the capital, blockading much of Libya's oil output and putting new pressure on world energy prices. Asked about the presence of the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group in Libya, Bashagha said the group was in Libya but he stood by the 5+5 ceasefire committee, which includes five officers from each side of the 2014-20 conflict, that every foreign force should be out of the country. "We support that approach strongly, strongly, strongly," he said via a translator, adding that he did not have any relationship with Moscow and that he would work through the 5+5 committee. The role of the Wagner Group in Africa has been put in the spotlight since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, with fears that it could further destabilize the region. Wagner was brought into Libya to support eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, who was backed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in a 2019 offensive against the internationally recognized government in Tripoli. That assault was turned back when Turkey brought its own forces into the conflict in support of the Tripoli government. Although Bashagha was interior minister in that Tripoli government, and played a role in orchestrating the fight against Haftar, he is now backed by the same parliament that took Haftar's side in the last war. Both Wagner and Turkey have established military bases in Libya and remain there despite a clause in the 2020 ceasefire demanding all foreign forces leave. Ankara and western Libyan factions say the Turkish presence should be exempt because it was brought in through an agreement with the internationally recognized government. Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has suspended the powers of Vice President Saulos Chilima after the country's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) accused Chilima of accepting kickbacks in return for government contracts. The bureaus findings come a month after Britain's National Crime Agency showed that Chilima was on the list of Malawi government officials receiving kickbacks from British-Malawian businessman Zuneth Abdul Rashid Sattar. Sattar was arrested in Britain last year for allegedly providing bribes to Malawi government officials to win contracts from Malawis police service, defense force and immigration department. Sattar denies the accusations. In a televised address Tuesday, President Chakwera suspended the powers of Chilima, fired Malawi Police Service Inspector General George Kainja and suspended two other officials. He said the four are among 13 government officials the ACB found to have received money from Sattar between 2017 and 2021. However, Chakwera said he could not fire or formally suspend Chilima because he has no constitutional authority to do so. The best I can do for now, which is what I have decided to do, is to withhold from his office any delegated duties while waiting for the bureau to substantiate its allegations against him, Chakawera said, and to make known its course of action in relation to such. The ACB investigation said 53 public officers and 31 individuals from the private sector, civic groups and the legal community also received money from Sattar between March and October last year. Michael Kaiyatsa, executive director for the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, said findings confirm how deeply corruption is entrenched in Malawi. If you look at a report as presented by the State President, almost all the key government institutions have been mentioned, Kaiyatsa said. You talk of Malawi Police Service, MDF [Malawi Defense Force], Financial Intelligence Authority, the Ministry of Justice and even the State House. Chilimas press aide, Pilirani Phiri, said Chilima will comment on the matter at an opportune time. The United Transformation Movement, which also is Chilimas political party, said in a statement it is shocked by the development. The party said it is reserving further comment until the matter is concluded. Kaiyatsa said Chilima should have explained himself. His silence is not helping matters, Kaiyatsa said. It is actually worsening peoples perception of him. The public trust is not there anymore until he speaks up and tells us what he thinks. In the meantime, some analysts are pushing for the immediate resignations of all those implicated in the ACB probe to pave the way for smooth investigations. North Korean state media reported the countrys leader Kim Jong Un has convened a meeting of senior military officials. The official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday the meeting of the Central Military Commission began Tuesday and would involve reviewing defense work so far this year and confirming crucial and urgent tasks to expand military capabilities and implement defense policies. The talks come amid a record year for North Korean ballistic launches, including the countrys first launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in nearly five years. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press. Britains Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russia is continuing its heavy shelling as it tries to envelop the Sievierodonetsk area. A ministry statement also said Russia is highly likely preparing to attempt to deploy a large number of reserve units to the Donbas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that the military situation in the eastern region of Luhansk is really the toughest area right now. The occupiers are also putting serious pressure on the Donetsk direction. He said Russia has stepped up efforts to evict Ukrainian troops from key areas. Serhiy Haidai, governor of Ukraines eastern Luhansk region, told The Associated Press in written comments, Its just hell there. Everything is engulfed in fire. The shelling doesnt stop even for an hour. Today, everything that can burn is on fire, Haidai said. He reported heavy fighting at the Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk, where Ukrainian fighters and about 500 civilians are taking shelter. Russian forces control about 95% of the Luhansk region, AP reported, with Ukraine forces holding just the Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk. Haidai also said Russian forces had brought catastrophic destruction to Lysychansk, an industrial city just across a river from Sievierodonetsk. Zelenskyy acknowledged difficulties trying to defend the countrys eastern region but said Russian forces would continue to be met with Ukrainian resistance. In Lviv, Ukraine, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland met Tuesday with Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova to announce the creation of a team focused on war crimes accountability, the Justice Department said. The United States is sending an unmistakable message. There is no place to hide. We will, we and our partners, will pursue every avenue available to make sure that those who are responsible for these atrocities are held accountable, Garland told reporters. The War Crimes Accountability Team will assist Ukraine with criminal prosecution, evidence collection and forensics of human rights abuse, war crimes and other atrocities, the department said, adding that the teams lead counselor is Eli Rosenbaum, a Justice Department official who once led the effort to track down Nazi war criminals. America and the world has seen the many horrific images and read the heart-wrenching accounts of brutality and death that have resulted from Russias unjust invasion of Ukraine, Garland said in a statement. The team will also focus on potential war crimes over which the United States has jurisdiction, including killing and wounding U.S. journalists, the department said. "In addition, the Justice Department will provide additional personnel to expand its work with Ukraine and other partners to counter Russian illicit finance and sanctions evasion. Among other things, the Department will provide Ukraine an expert Justice Department prosecutor to advise on fighting kleptocracy, corruption, and money laundering, the DOJ statement said. Also, Ukraine is set to become an official candidate for European Union membership on Thursday, ministers and diplomats said on Tuesday. Last week, the European Commission recommended the action. After several days of internal EU discussion, none of the 27 member states have voiced opposition to the plan, three diplomats told Reuters. We are working towards the point where we tell [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that Ukraine belongs to Europe, that we will also defend the values that Ukraine defends, Jean Asselborn, Luxembourgs foreign affairs minister, said, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that the United Nations and its humanitarian partners delivered on Monday 12 trucks of critical supplies to help nearly 64,000 people in the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. He said the cities are close to the front lines of the government-controlled Donetska Oblast. The humanitarian convoy that reached the two cities carried hygiene supplies, water purification tablets and food assistance, he said. This humanitarian convoy was possible thanks to the support of several U.N. agencies, as well as nongovernmental organizations, Dujarric said. The international community has now stepped up and generously provided nearly 70% funding to our humanitarian appeal for Ukraine, which stands at $2.25 billion. VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this article. Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. From multinational makers of clothing to consumer electronics, companies are reassessing their sources of raw materials, parts and factory assembly because of the pandemic, experts say. That means countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America are becoming key go-to places in the global supply chain as businesses shift away from China post-pandemic. China had attracted foreign-invested factories since the 1980s for cheap labor and high productivity. But since the pandemic, Chinas traditional role as the worlds factory will be reduced, as American and European multinationals look for parts, labor and assembly at home for higher-end goods nearby or wherever subsidies are available according to Jayant Menon, a visiting senior fellow with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institutes Regional Economic Studies Program in Singapore. Countries like China that mismanage COVID will suffer greatly, Menon told VOA via WhatsApp. Thats because their zero COVID approach has been very disruptive to supply chains. While Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia have been lifting pandemic restrictions this year, China reinstated lockdowns in two major cities. The lockdowns upset factory orders and raised consumer prices because of shipping slowdowns and worker shortages. Seeking alternatives to China In addition to pandemic-related disruptions in China, delays caused by worker shortages at major global ports and airports, including South Korea and the United States, have stifled the flow of consumer goods into Europe, North America and parts of Asia. Taiwan-based PC developer Acer, for example, is addressing lockdown-driven supply chain problems by qualifying second sources for materials where needed, a spokesperson told VOA. The worlds No. 5 PC vendor by market share manufactures largely in China. The second sources will come from various countries, the spokesperson said without giving details. American firms intend to stay in China overall but diversify, said Douglas Barry, communications vice president with the U.S.-China Business Council advocacy group in Washington. We hear over and over that its a mistake to put all your eggs in one basket, Barry said. Chinas response to COVID and growing geopolitical tensions are reminders of this truism. Southeast Asia Nations such as Vietnam and Thailand were taking business from China before 2020, as investors faced rising Chinese labor costs and higher tariffs thanks to the Sino-U.S. trade dispute that began in 2018. I think Southeast Asia will clearly be a beneficiary of all this reconfiguration taking place. Countries like Vietnam, and to a lesser extent Thailand and Malaysia, have already seen gains from restructuring of supply chains, Menon said. Vietnam, he said, has a lead because of its workforce talent, pro-business reforms and network of free trade agreements. Electronics giant Samsung and American chip developer Intel both operate in Vietnam, as do foreign-invested car factories. Malaysia is trying to capture more multinational tech, he noted. Last month, a subsidiary of giant Taiwanese electronics assembler Foxconn Technology signed an agreement with its Malaysian partner Dagang NeXchange to set up a factory, possibly for electric vehicles. Malaysia, along with Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, offer moderate wages compared to China, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist with S&P Global Market Intelligence in Singapore. Multinationals, he said, are likely to expand industrial capacity in multiple places but stay in China for its market of a billion-plus people. They will still continue producing in China, but they will create additional production capacity in other hubs, and because of what weve seen during the pandemic when you can see disruptions in multiple locations, the resilience in the supply chain comes from having multiple production facilities, which also, I think, includes producing outside of Asia, Biswas said. Latin America In Latin America, especially its industrial hub Mexico, products have been selling to the all-important U.S. market as a border nation. Mexico stands to benefit more from a trend known as near-shoring, analysts say. A shared border, common time zones and linguistic similarities bring Mexico especially close to the United States, said Evan Ellis, a research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. The workforce is relatively educated, too, he said. Mexico is generally more accessible to many businesses in the United States in terms of the language and the culture and things than, for example, setting up shop in some cases in an Asian country or some other country thats out of the hemisphere, Ellis said. Mexico has attracted American firms since the 1990s and retains strong advantages, Ellis said, but drug crimes and electricity costs loom as drawbacks. Mexico is enticing some investors because its goods can enter the United States duty free under trade agreement rules, communications executive Barry said. Brazil makes sense for companies that need its natural resources, such as ore or petroleum or that sell cars for example to its market of 212 million people, many in middle class cities, Ellis said. He noted that costs and regulations, however, challenge investors in Brazil. Manufactures are competing for limited supply of key commodities and logistical capacity, leading to consumers experiencing empty shelves and long purchase lead times, stated professional services firm KPMG on its website. Now, it adds, industry is evaluating and investing in their long-term supply chain strategies, paving the way for a new post pandemic normal, which includes finding alternative customers, markets and suppliers to avoid overdependence on just one. The number of New Zealanders who see China as a geopolitical threat has climbed, according to a new survey. The research was conducted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation, a Wellington-based non-profit organization. It has been sampling the views of New Zealanders since 1997. Of the more than 1100 people surveyed in the most recent study, just 13% saw China as a friend, which is a record low. Fifty-eight percent of respondents consider China to be a geopolitical threat. That apprehension has increased from last years figure of 37%. The foundation says the views of New Zealanders are influenced by media stories, which have charted Beijings growing assertiveness in the Pacific region and its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. Only 10% of respondents to the study considered that China would act responsibly in the world. The Asia New Zealand Foundation executive director Simon Draper said the bilateral relationship with Beijing was once mostly based on trade, but had become increasingly entwined in global politics. He told Radio New Zealand that has caused tensions to rise. New Zealands relationship with China was pretty uncomplicated, you know, we sold them and continue to sell them in large numbers dairy, and meat and other goods and services, horticulture etcetera. Over the last few years, we have seen that relationship become a bit more complicated not just with New Zealand and China, but with China with a number of its partners, he said. The study also revealed that New Zealanders were increasingly worried about cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns perpetrated by other countries. The research reported that 79% of respondents saw Russia as a threatening country, followed by 75% who had similar fears over North Korea. The survey has also indicates that New Zealanders increasingly feel a strong connection with Asia through their friends, their community and their interests. The government in Wellington has joined Australia in attempting to curb Beijings security and trade ambitions in the Pacific, which both trans-Tasman neighbors consider to be their traditional sphere of influence. U.S. President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier this month reaffirmed their strategic partnership and raised concerns about Chinas recently signed security pact with Solomon Islands in the Pacific. A joint statement criticized China over alleged human rights abuses, the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea. In response, state-media in Beijing accused the Ardern government of smearing and demonizing China. Taiwan scrambled jets on Tuesday to warn away Chinese aircraft in its air defense identification zone including bombers that flew to the south of the island and into the Pacific, in the latest uptick in tensions and largest incursion since late May. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years or so of repeated missions by the Chinese air force near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of its air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. Taiwan calls China's repeated nearby military activities gray zone warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwanese forces by making them repeatedly scramble and also to test Taiwanese responses. The latest Chinese mission included 17 fighters and six H-6 bombers, as well as electronic warfare, early warning, antisubmarine and an aerial refueling aircraft, Taiwan's defense ministry said. Some of the aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas, according to a map the ministry provided. However, the bombers, accompanied by an electronic warfare and an intelligence gathering aircraft, flew into the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and into the Pacific before turning back to China on the route they came in. Taiwan sent combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response. It was the largest incursion since Taiwan reported 30 Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ on May 30. The largest to date this year occurred on January 23, involving 39 aircraft. There was no immediate comment from China, which has in the past said that such moves were drills aimed at protecting the country's sovereignty. A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an email that Beijing should "cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and intimidation against Taiwan." China launched its third aircraft carrier on Friday, the Fujian, named after the province opposite Taiwan. China's military said last month it had conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a "solemn warning" against its "collusion" with the United States. That came after U.S. President Joe Biden angered China by appearing to signal a change in a U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan by saying the United States would get involved militarily if China were to attack the island. China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. The Taipei government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked. No shots have been fired and the Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan's air space, but in its ADIZ, a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats. Thailand is facing wide criticism for legalizing cannabis before putting sturdy guardrails against its abuse in place, and doubts the authorities can do much to stem a likely rise in its recreational use. Marking a first for Asia, Thailand pulled cannabis from its list of narcotics on June 9, making its import, export, production, distribution, consumption and possession legal. Anyone can now grow the plant at home, after registering with the government via a mobile app, though commercial growers still need to apply for permits. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who championed the plan, has tried to dissuade people from lighting up for fun, stressing the plants medical virtues and its potential as a cash crop. His ministry warns that anyone smoking cannabis in public can still be charged with causing a nuisance, fined $704 and spend up to three months in jail. "Problems occur due to the abuse of cannabis. This is not the aim of liberalizing the use of the plant. We want to promote medical use and boost the income of growers, Anutin told reporters last week. But others in the government, and in his own ministry, say the move may be premature. Somsak Akksilp, who heads Thailands Medical Services Department under Anutin, said he worried that legalizing cannabis without laws actually restricting it to medical use, and even then to adults only, could spur recreational use as well, which he opposes. Thats why I [have] said other authorities should try to issue the regulations as soon as possible [to] try to restrict the use of cannabis for ... medical cannabis, he told VOA. Because we know that there is ... two sides of the coin, the good and the bad, he added. We know not much about the cannabis, so we have to learn more if we want to use for other issues. In a June 14 Facebook post, Mana Nimitmongkol, the head of the Thai governments Anti-Corruption Organization, complained of the move to legalize cannabis without any controls other than word of mouth. Much of the concern has focused on concerns of a coming tide of cannabis use among children and adolescents. The day after cannabis went legal, Thailands Royal College of Pediatricians issued an open letter urging the government to ban the use of cannabis and cannabis-laced products among those under 20 years of age without a physicians approval. A few days later, Anutin signed an order adding cannabis to Thailands Traditional Medical Wisdom Protection and Promotion Act, denying the plant to not only adolescents but also pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. The municipal government of Bangkok, Thailands capital, and the Ministry of Higher Education have subsequently banned cannabis from public schools and universities as well. Somsak said the piecemeal steps can help, to a degree. This is not through the law itself; its a kind of ... canton regulation, he said. If you want it to be the full regulation by law, you have to issue [it] by the parliament. A Cannabis and Hemp Bill meant to limit the plants use passed its first reading in parliament on June 8 but may have to wait weeks or months for the second and third readings it will need to become law. The motley rules agencies are imposing in the meantime may help clear up what people now can and cant do with cannabis. But ... its still confusing, said Rasmon Kalayasiri, director of the Center for Addiction Studies at Thailands Chulalongkorn University. By legalizing cannabis use before legislating its boundaries, its like were chasing the problem instead of preventing the problem, she added. Rasmon said her centers own research suggests recreational cannabis use among 18 to 19-year-olds has doubled to about 2% of the age group since 2019. With the government now vigorously pushing the herbs health benefits, she worries it will keep rising among adolescents and adults alike, and with it the health problems that afflict up to 1 in 10 habitual users, including addiction and psychosis. I think the public is very confused by this for sure, Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a lawmaker for the opposition Move Forward party, said of the governments cannabis rollout. Taopiphop says he supports laws that would ban access to children and adolescents and force edible cannabis venders to display the doses of intoxicating tetrahydrocannabinol in their products. But the self-professed pothead also favors recreational use, and doubts the government can now expect to rein it in having legalized cannabis before putting any strong checks in place. If you release the tiger to the jungle, its hard [to make it] come back, he said. Chokwan Chopaka called the rollout an irresponsible free-for-all. A giant pot leaf in bright green neon lights marks the spot of her tiny cannabis shop, Chopaka, in central Bangkok. A hint of the cured flowers sweet, trademark aroma hangs over the counter, where dried buds sit in clear glass jars with names like blue gelato, banana hammock and orange deluxe sugarcane. Determined to sell responsibly, Chokwan took it upon herself to bar sales to anyone under 20 years of age even before the government told vendors to do so. When the buds are around, even my daughter has to wait outside, she said. The shop opened in March selling cannabis-flavored gummies but saw a sharp spike in business as soon as it started selling the real thing on June 10. Chokwan said shes sure most of her customers are smoking for fun, and believes they should have the right, just as with alcohol. But rather than trying to legislate the risks away, she believes the government could also be doing more to teach people how to use responsibly. This time is the time when we should educate, not just put it back into a cage and then expect people to not use, she said, because theres no bloody way you can stop people from getting high. Anutins office referred VOAs requests for an interview to the ministrys Food and Drug Administration, which referred questions back to Anutins office. A United Nations study finds 222 million children and adolescents worldwide have had their education disrupted by multiple crises. Education Cannot Wait, the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, produced the study. When the organization was created in 2016, the number of crisis-affected children whose education had been disrupted stood at around 75 million. ECW Director Yasmine Sherif says multiple crises over the past six years have boosted the number to 222 million among more than 40 countries. "Conflicts are raging around the world we know that, but they also are more and more protracted. But the growing record high number of refugees and internally displaced, as a result of conflicts and climate-induced disasters, have also contributed to this number, as have, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic," Sherif said. The study finds 78.2 million children worldwide have dropped out of school entirely. Education experts say those children are unlikely to resume their education, resulting in a detrimental impact on their prospects and earning capacity. Sherif says she has visited countries where most children currently are out of school, and she has seen what happens to children in crisis-ridden countries such as Mali, Chad, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. "When you do not go to school, you are very exposed to being if you are a boy forcibly recruited into armed groups, terrorist groups, militia, government groups," she said. "And, if you are a girl, you are exposed to becoming part of a gender-based violence at homes, sexual violence, trafficking, early marriages, and early childbirth." Sherif says the new data must be a wake-up call for all leaders and policymakers as more children are being left behind due to crises. She says the international community must do more to support their educational needs, or there will be far-reaching negative impacts for human and economic development. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Irans increasing use of executions and the death penalty including among children - in violation of international law. The secretary-general has submitted a report on the human rights situation in Iran to the U.N. human rights council. The secretary-general has deplored Tehrans increasing use of executions and the death penalty, saying they are based on charges that do not amount to the most serious crimes and are incompatible with fair trial standards. U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, who presented the report, said at least 570 people were executed in the past two years, many on drug-related charges. Those executed, she said, included at least 14 women and more than 100 people belonging to minority groups. Al-Nashif decried the execution of at least two child offenders between August 2021 and March 2022, in violation of international law. She said more than 85 child offenders remain on death row. Patterns of arbitrary deprivation of life due to excessive force used by the authorities against border couriers, peaceful protestors, and those in detention, continued with impunity," Al-Nashif said. "The scale of deaths in detention, both as a result of violence and ill-treatment by officials and due to the lack of timely access to medical care is of serious concern. The report accuses the Iranian government of keeping a tight grip on its population through increasingly repressive measures. It says the government maintains total control through restrictive legislation, the use of violence, and widespread violations of peoples human rights. Al-Nashif cited a series of legislative measures with detrimental consequences for peoples reproductive rights and uncensored access to the Internet. However, the laws she said fail to criminalize violence against women and they undermine minority rights, particularly the Bahai religious minority. Civic and democratic space continue to be restricted with human rights defenders and civil society actors operating within a coercive environment where violations are committed with impunity," Al-Nashif said. "In April and May of 2022, at least 55 individuals, teachers, lawyers, labor rights defenders, artists, and academics were arrested during protests. Irans deputy permanent representative in Geneva, Mehdi Ali Abadi denounced the report as an appalling and disgraceful political tool used by the United States and Canada against his country. He said the report was biased and based on false allegations. He said Iran was fully committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and respected its international obligations. The U.S. government has eased some of the stringent requirements Afghans have to navigate as they apply to resettle in the United States. Until now, Afghans who held civilian positions under the Taliban regime or paid it for public services such as getting a passport, have been ineligible for a U.S. visa on the basis that they have ties to a terrorist group. The Biden administration says that is no longer the case. "[T]he Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of State exercised their authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow the U.S. government on a case-by-case basis to grant an exemption for otherwise qualified applicants for visas and certain other immigration benefits who would otherwise not qualify due to the statute's broad inadmissibility grounds," a State Department spokesman told VOA. "This action will allow the U.S. government to meet the protection needs of qualifying Afghans who do not pose a national security or public safety risk and provide them with the ability to access a durable immigration status in the United States," the spokesperson said, adding that Afghans who worked as civil servants during the first Taliban reign in Afghanistan from September 1996 to December 2001, and after August 15, 2021, are eligible under the policy. Since 2006, the U.S. government, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, has applied this exemption authority more than 30 times to protect U.S. allies against inadvertent terrorism-related blockings. "Doctors, teachers, engineers, and other Afghans, including those who bravely and loyally supported U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan at great risk to their safety, should not be denied humanitarian protection and other immigration benefits due to their inescapable proximity to war or their work as civil servants," the State Department spokesperson said. Some requirements unclear Afghans who apply for admission to the U.S. through Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), a program enacted by Congress in 2009, must submit, among other documents, a recommendation letter from a supervisor of a U.S. project in Afghanistan. For years, applicants were asked to have a U.S. citizen verify and sign the letter of recommendation or have a U.S. citizen as a co-signer if the supervisor was a foreign national, according to International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), a U.S.-based nongovernment organization. It remains unclear whether that requirement has been dropped. According to IRAP policy expert Adam Bates, although the State Department asks applicants for the signed letters, Congress never mandated that requirement. "The statute governing the SIV program never contained this requirement in the first place; Congress never intended for Afghan allies to have their applications delayed or rejected for lack of a letter from a U.S. citizen," Bates told VOA. The State Department, however, said applicants should still try to obtain such a letter and did not confirm that the requirement has been dropped entirely. Applicants "should try to obtain this letter from a U.S. citizen supervisor who knows them personally, but if that is not possible, they should try to provide a letter of recommendation signed by a non-U.S. citizen supervisor and co-signed by the U.S. citizen responsible for the contract," the State Department spokesperson told VOA, quoting SIV application requirements guidelines. IRAP says the requirement creates unwarranted obstacles and problems for applicants who, for various reasons, cannot find a U.S. citizen to sign or co-sign a recommendation letter, an increasingly onerous task since the August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. forces and personnel, particularly for Afghans who've been forced from their jobs or compelled to change contact information. More visas needed Since 2014, Congress has approved 34,500 principal visas for the Afghan SIV program, excluding visas issued for dependents, of which about 16,000 visas are left. Evacuate Our Allies, a coalition of human rights and refugee organizations including IRAP, has called on Congress to approve 25,000 additional SIV visas for Afghans. "It would be unconscionable for SIV-qualified Afghans who risked their lives on behalf of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan to check all the bureaucratic boxes and invest the years of their lives required to make it through the SIV process only for Congress to not authorize enough visas to ensure they have pathway to safety," Bates said. Currently, there are at least 50,000 principal applications awaiting screening and approval. "[W]e are processing more initial applications than ever," the State Department spokesperson said. The U.S. embassy in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, remains closed since August last year, but the State Department says it has increased staff in third-country embassies and consulates to enhance and expedite SIV applications. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa could face criminal charges and is already facing calls to step down over claims that he tried to cover up the theft of millions of dollars in U.S. currency that was hidden inside furniture at his game farm. The astonishing allegations made by the former head of South Africa's intelligence agency also include that the suspects in the robbery two years ago were tracked down and kidnapped by Ramaphosa's presidential protection unit, interrogated on his property, and bribed to keep quiet about the existence of the cash, and nothing was reported to the police. The accusations badly undermine Ramaphosa's reputation as a leader dedicated to fighting corruption. He became president in 2018 on promises to clean up government and his graft-tainted ruling party, the African National Congress, which is now a far cry from the days when it was widely respected and led by Nelson Mandela. The scandal, dubbed farmgate by the South African press, threatens to end Ramaphosa's presidency and destabilize Africa's most developed economy. This is what we know so far about the scandal: THE CASH Former State Security Agency director Arthur Fraser walked into a Johannesburg police station on June 1 and laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa over the theft of what Fraser says was more than $4 million in cash that was concealed on the ranch. It sent the country's media into a frenzy. Fraser alleged in an affidavit that Ramaphosa and others were guilty of money laundering and breaching the country's foreign currency control laws over the hidden money. Fraser also claimed that the suspects in the robbery were kidnapped and bribed to stay silent, and Ramaphosa hid the incident from the police and tax authorities. Fraser said he submitted supporting evidence to the police that included photographs, video footage and bank account details. He said the robbery happened in February 2020. THE SPY BOSS The fact that it was Fraser who made the allegations against Ramaphosa suggests they are politically motivated. Fraser is a well-known loyalist to former President Jacob Zuma and a faction of the ANC that wants Ramaphosa out. Zuma, Ramaphosa's predecessor, was forced to resign as president in 2018 and is now on trial for corruption. That trial is seen as an indicator of Ramaphosa's commitment to confront corruption at the highest level. Fraser was also in the news headlines last year when, as head of the department of corrections, he granted Zuma medical parole from prison against the recommendation of a parole board which advised that Zuma should not be released early after he was convicted of contempt of court. Fraser was South Africa's spy boss under Zuma from 2016 to 2018. THE PRESIDENT The allegations have forced the 69-year-old Ramaphosa to fight for his political life. He has admitted the robbery did happen at his Phala Phala ranch in the northern province of Limpopo but said it was reported to the head of his protection unit, which falls under the South African Police Services. He said the money came from the sale of game animals at the farm and he was not involved in any criminal conduct. Those answers have been seen as woefully inadequate, though. Ramaphosa has refused to say how much money was involved, why it was stashed at his ranch, and if the foreign currency was declared to authorities. He sidestepped a plethora of questions over the scandal at a 90-minute press conference at Parliament last week, where he cut an exhausted, under-pressure figure. He said he wouldn't comment before a police investigation. I'd like the due process to unfold in this matter, Ramaphosa said. THE FALLOUT Ramaphosa was shouted down in Parliament on two consecutive days last week by lawmakers from the Economic Freedom Fighters, the second biggest opposition party. The EFF has since upped its criticism by demanding Ramaphosa resign over the scandal. Two other opposition parties applied this week for Parliament to put Ramaphosa on sabbatical leave and start a parliamentary investigation. That was rejected by the speaker of Parliament. No criminal charges against Ramaphosa have been announced by the police, although a unit that deals with serious and high-profile crimes is investigating Fraser's allegations. Ramaphosa has said he will voluntarily appear before an ANC integrity committee, which has the power to suspend him as party leader. No date has yet been set for Ramaphosa to appear before the committee. The timing of the scandal is terrible for Ramaphosa, who already faces daunting political challenges and a critical party election in December that will decide if he stays on as leader of the ANC and, effectively, if he remains president. ___ AP writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) has declassified and published on its website the interrogation records of Latvian Nazi collaborators. These revelations come as the actions of the Banderites in Ukraine are largely glossed over and as those of the Latvian collaborators are also greatly underestimated. These documents reveal that, contrary to what is generally believed, in Latvia the mass murder of Jews and Roma by the Nazi regime began in July 1941, well ahead of the Wansee conference of 20 January 1942. They also indicate that the massacres of Jews and political opponents reached far greater proportions than is generally acknowledged. Finally, they attest that the Nazi leaders themselves were shocked by the cruelty of the Latvian volunteers. In December 1941, the 30,000 Jews in the Riga ghetto were all exterminated. The Latvian Sonderkommando Arajs unit guarding the Salaspils concentration camp executed 30,000 prisoners. It set up a blood factory in which prisoners, mainly children, were bled every two days until they died from exhaustion for the needs of the Wehrmacht. 46,000 civilians, including 12,000 Jews, were brought to Latvia from Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia to be killed in Bikernieki Forest. 105,000 people out of 120,000 were murdered by Latvians in the Minsk ghetto (now Belarus). The Red Army discovered mass graves in Latvia containing more than 300,000 bodies. The Latvian parliament (Saeima) has just passed a law ordering the dismantling of all monuments honoring the Red Army no later than 15 November 2022. The Latvian government continues to pay tribute to Nazi collaborators in Latvia and Ukraine. According to Los Angeles Times columnist Doyle McManus [1], worsening economic conditions in NATO member states have turned peoples attitudes upside down. In April, the overwhelming majority of Americans supported strong sanctions against Russia. Today that has changed: 51% of Americans put their purchasing power before the support they had expressed for Ukraine in May. The majority of Westerners no longer have the will to fight Russia, he concludes. For almost four decades the Orlandi family has sought answers to one of Italy's greatest mysteries. A sit-in will take place in Rome on Wednesday evening near St Peter's Square, 39 years after 15-year-old schoolgirl Emanuela Orlandi disappeared without a trace while returning to her family home in Vatican City. The sit-in protest has been organised by Emanuela's brother Pietro Orlandi, who has been seeking answers from the Vatican about his sister's whereabouts ever since she went missing on 22 June 1983. The daughter of an employee at the Vatican Bank, Orlandi vanished as she was on her way home to the Vatican after a flute lesson at her music school in Rome. Over the decades there have been numerous false leads relating to Orlandi's mysterious disappearance but they have always come to a dead end. Missing posters for Emanuela Orlandi in Rome, 1983. In 2019 the Vatican opened two tombs in the Teutonic Cemetery, adjacent to St Peter's, following an anonymous tip-off received by the family of the missing girl. However the tombs, which were supposed to house the remains of two 19th-century princesses, were found to be empty, adding further mystery to a case that has enthralled Italian for decades. In 2018 human remains found underneath the Vatican nunciature to Italy, in Rome's Parioli district, sparked speculation that Orlandi might have finally been found. But DNA testing revealed that the bones belonged to a man who died sometime between the years 90 and 230 AD. The unsolved case has sparked conspiracy theories ranging from kidnap by a terrorist group demanding the release of Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish man who shot Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Square in 1981, to the involvement of the Banda della Magliana, Romes notorious criminal gang founded in the 1970s. One of the theories was that Orlandi was buried alongside Roman mobster Enrico De Pedis in the Basilica di S. Apollinare near Piazza Navona. However when his tomb was opened in 2012 there were no clues found. Over the years there have also been numerous alleged sightings of the missing girl but all have been unreliable. The mystery continues. This evening's sit-in, led by Pietro Orlandi, will take place in Largo Giovanni XXIII from 18.00 to 20.00. Di Maio parts ways with Movimento 5 Stelle led by Conte. Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio has left the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) to establish a breakaway parliamentary group supporting the coalition government of premier Mario Draghi. Di Maio, a former leader of the once anti-establishment M5S, told reporters on Tuesday night that his departure was a "painful choice" but was necessary due to "weeks of ambiguity" in relation to Italy's support of Ukraine following Russia's invasion. Di Maio accused the M5S, led by former Italian premier Giuseppe Conte, of undermining government efforts to send weapons to Ukraine and of "weakening" Italys international standing. According to Italian news reports, around 50 former M5S deputies and a dozen senators are expected to join Di Maio in the new group, which could be called Insieme per il futuro (Together for the Future). Underlining the importance of supporting "European and Atlanticist values", Di Maio pledged that the new group would back Draghi's government "with loyalty and commitment". The move means that the M5S is no longer the largest party in Draghi's broad coalition which risks fresh instability as a result of the schism. Photo ANSA Masks are not mandatory as written exams return after two years. More than half a million final-year students in Italy started the "Maturita" state exams, the Italian public high-school diploma, on Wednesday 22 June. The Maturita kicked off at 08.30 with a written Italian exam, with students given up to six hours to write an essay providing analysis or critical reflection on one of seven different literary texts given as options. Antonello Venditti returned to his old school in #Rome to sing Notte prima degli esamipic.twitter.com/B9muPjglyF Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) June 9, 2022 This year marks the return of written exams, after two years of orals due to the covid pandemic, with students recommended - but not obliged - to wear masks. Before the exams began, students received a message of encouragement from Italy's education minister Patrizio Bianchi: "We are at your side. Trust in your abilities." Placeholder while article actions load Juul Labs Inc. had already slipped from Altria Group Inc.s crown. Now the tobacco companys investment in the e-cigarette maker could receive a further setback. The US Food and Drug Administration is preparing to order Juul, in which Altria holds a 35% stake, to take its e-cigarettes off the market, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Altria shares fell as much as 10%, the most since March 2020. The move shows that regulations that came into force two years ago, requiring companies to submit applications to keep their e-cigarettes in the US market, are no tick-box exercise. A ban on Juul would be very bad news for Altria. It originally paid $12.8 billion for its stake in 2018. It has progressively written down the value, and the worth of the brand most recently stood at $1.6 billion. Kenneth Shea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, says this remaining value could now be even lower, possibly even requiring a write-off of the full amount. Advertisement This would be the latest blow to Altrias attempt to unlock the tobacco alternatives market and to the overall playbook of Big Tobacco. As cigarette smoking declines, the industrys giants are betting on potentially lower-risk substitutes. But Juuls loss may be British American Tobacco Plc and Philip Morris International Inc.s gain. Some of BATs Vuse vape models, now the leader in US vapor, have already been approved. However, it is still awaiting the FDA decision on its main product, the Vuse Alto. The potential decision on Juul is a risk for BAT, too. But if Vuse Alto is permitted to stay in the US market and Juul is not, that would be a boon for BAT. Its also worth contrasting the FDAs stance with that of the British government, which sees e-cigarettes as a way to help people quit smoking. Advertisement Philip Morris, meanwhile, has concentrated on devices that heat rather than burn tobacco, in the form of its IQOS product. Its possible that heating products pick up more users. The company is also buying Swedish Match AB, maker of trendy nicotine pouches for $16 billion. The deal also brings a vast distribution network in the US, paving the way to rollout other products including e-cigarettes. To be sure, the FDA has not yet formally pronounced on Juul, and the company could appeal. The approval of Vuse Alto could also go either way. But unfortunately for Altria, there may be no smoke without fire. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. Previously, she was a reporter for the Financial Times. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load What explained the devastating weight of Tuesdays hearing of the House Jan. 6 committee? The testimony barely mentioned the attack on the Capitol or other events of that day. Instead we heard, in new and terrifying detail, about Donald Trumps efforts to pressure Republican officials in state after state to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. By expanding the scope of the events covered, the panel heard from witnesses who recounted just how massive and systematic the efforts by Trump and his allies really were and how violence and threats of violence played a central role in it. Arguments about whether the attack on the Capitol was an insurrection or not are beside the point. What matters is the big picture. We still do not have firm evidence tying Trump specifically to organized violent outbreaks, including the Capitol attack. But weve now seen enough that its clear Trump either knew his words would put people in danger or he should have known. And the same goes for those around him. Advertisement Those of us who have followed this story closely already knew the broad outlines and even many details in the stories of Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers; Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; Gabriel Sterling of the Georgia secretary of states office, and Georgia election worker Shaye Moss. But Tuesdays airing of their accounts, one after another, was just brutal. Bowers endured Saturday protests outside his house, with armed Trump fans calling him (among other things) a pedophile. Sterling described how he was moved to give his forceful public statement denouncing efforts to overturn the election after seeing a staffer in his office overwhelmed by vicious, personal attacks on social media. Moss and her mother were so intimidated by the presidents attacks and those of his followers that they basically shut down their lives. In other words, the committee artfully made the case that the violence of Jan. 6 was only a continuation of violent efforts to bully everyone who stood in the way of the president and his desire to stay in office, regardless of the facts and the law. Advertisement We already knew that the fraud accusations that Trump and his allies made were investigated and found to be false or frivolous, based on obvious fictions or misunderstandings of normal procedures. And that, despite this, Trump ramped up pressure on Republican officeholders in states that Joe Biden had won. We knew about the scheme, probably criminal and certainly outside of the law and the Constitution, to submit slates of false electors in states that Trump had lost. And about his call to Raffensperger, in which the then president of the United States begged, cajoled and threatened him to find the votes needed to reverse the Georgia outcome this figured prominently in Trumps second impeachment and Senate trial. There was some new detail. For example, Rudy Giuliani told Bowers that weve got lots of theories we just dont have any evidence. I dont think that was previously reported, and it helped make the committees point that the conspirators were well aware that Trump had lost the election. Advertisement And we knew that violence and threats of violence had been present throughout the post-election period and were a regular feature of Trumps rallies from the start of his 2016 run for president. In contrast to Trump and his allies, Tuesdays witnesses stood out as patriots. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson in his opening remarks thanked the various elected officials, bureaucrats and election workers who have testified for their service: The US is defended, after all, by its democratic institutions defined by the men and women who do their jobs faithfully or not even more than by its military might, and has been since 1776. It was inspiring to watching Bowers, Raffensperger, Sterling and Moss stand up for democracy, despite the costs that they have had to endure especially when you consider how few Republicans have been willing to rally to their side. Its not yet clear how strong the legal case against Trump will be. But I agree with the political scientist Alex Garlick, who said that the more we learn from the January 6 committee, the more it becomes obvious that the Senates inability to convict Trump in February 2021 was a failure of historical proportions. Advertisement More From Bloomberg Opinion: The Plot Darkens in the Jan. 6 Hearings: Jonathan Bernstein The Jan. 6 Committee Should Finish Its Job Quickly: The Editors Will Jan. 6 Be a Factor on Nov. 8?: Julianna Goldman This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Kellogg will split into 3 companies Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The maker of Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies is breaking itself up into three companies, the corporate worlds latest turn away from sprawling conglomerates in favor of streamlined enterprises that cater to the evolving tastes of consumers. Kellogg announced Tuesday that it will split off its North American cereal and plant-based food units into separate companies, leaving its most profitable arm focused on selling snacks that have cemented themselves in American pop culture, including Pop-Tarts and Pringles. None of the new publicly traded companies has been named, but the breakup is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Kellogg derives 80 percent of its revenue from international snacks, noodles, frozen breakfasts and other foods that will make up whats been dubbed the Global Snacking Co. The next largest entity, dubbed the North America Cereal Co., will become the leading cereal business in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The smallest entity will exclusively produce plant-based foods such as MorningStar Farms products, aiming to capitalize on the prospects of long-term growth in the United States and abroad for vegan and vegetarian foods. Advertisement Last year, Kellogg generated more than $14 billion in sales. Put simply, each of these businesses have different priorities, and splitting up allows the respective management teams to focus solely on accomplishing the long-term goals, with the potential of delivering more value to its shareholders, said Michael Farr of the investment firm Farr, Miller & Washington. In previous years, some investors and management teams tended to favor sprawling conglomerates, touting the benefits of combined operations and teams. But the promised corporate synergies now often derided as a boardroom buzzword often fell short of expectations. Whats more, Farr said that since the onset of the pandemic, the importance of supply chains has been heavily scrutinized, forcing executives to reconsider how they can operate in the most efficient way. That can lead to separating business lines. Advertisement Kellogg emphasized the success of its global snacks business, highlighting its growth in emerging markets. Kellogg expects its snacks operation, relative to the legacy company, to expand even faster, helping to explain why investors might view the snacks business as an even more valuable stand-alone company. Meanwhile, the cereal and plant-based operations are at different stages of growth: stable sales with the goal of improving profit margins and an emerging food category with huge prospects. Hamza Shaban Facebook to change housing ad algorithms Facebook will change its algorithms to prevent discriminatory housing advertising and its parent company will subject itself to court oversight to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday. In a release, U.S. government officials said it had reached agreement with Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, to settle the lawsuit filed simultaneously in Manhattan federal court. Advertisement According to the release, it was the Justice Departments first case challenging algorithmic discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. Facebook will now be subject to Justice Department approval and court oversight for its ad targeting and delivery system. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called the lawsuit groundbreaking. Ashley Settle, a Facebook spokesperson, said in an email that the company was building a novel machine learning method without our ads system that will change the way housing ads are delivered to people residing in the U.S. across different demographic groups. She said the company would extend its new method for ads related to employment and credit in the United States. Associated Press Microsoft will stop selling artificial intelligence-based facial-analysis software tools that infer a subject's emotional state, gender, age, mood and other personal attributes after the algorithms were shown to exhibit problematic bias and inaccuracies. Existing customers of the tools can keep using them for a year before they expire. The company is also limiting the use of other facial recognition programs to ensure the technologies meet Microsoft's ethical AI guidelines. Bloomberg News GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load A tsunami of oil and gas from the technique called fracking has made the US the worlds biggest producer of both, giving the country the energy independence its leaders have sought for decades and upending the geopolitics of the world energy trade. Now, with the world crying out for more oil and gas, American frackers are theoretically in a position to provide it. Instead, they are riding the brakes, having changed their business models to focus on generating profits for investors rather than increasing production. 1. What is fracking? Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, was first used commercially in 1949 in the oil- and gas-rich US state of Oklahoma. The technique involves forcing water mixed with sand and chemicals into a well to create fissures in underground rocks known as shale so that oil or gas trapped inside can be captured. Advances in another technique, horizontal drilling, came in the early 1980s and opened up access to thin layers of shale deep underground. The subsequent exploitation of the Barnett Shale formation in Texas proved large-scale fracking was economically viable. Advertisement 2. How has fracking changed the energy trade? US oil and gas output has more than doubled in two decades, largely thanks to shale-rich areas such as the Permian Basin, which stretches from Texas to New Mexico and alone pumps more oil than most OPEC nations. Thats enabled the worlds largest economy to export fossil fuels at a pace unthinkable only a few years ago. Americas new dominance undercuts OPECs ability to control the oil market. OPEC tried to drive North American frackers out of business starting in 2014 by flooding the market with crude, provoking a price crash. Although some frackers went bust, overall they proved nimble, innovating to reduce production costs and stay alive. The abundance of shale gas has helped the US cut its use of coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, nearly in half since 2008. Whats more, American gas is now available on world markets, thanks to a process that enables it to be super-cooled into liquefied natural gas and transported via ship. 3. Why are US frackers holding back now? Advertisement Recent oil busts, exacerbated by the pandemic, drove many producers to bankruptcy. Coming out of the wreckage, investors demanded that publicly traded producers show more austerity and return profits to shareholders rather than plow it all back into drilling. Some of the biggest producers in the US are generally keeping annual production growth to 5% or less. The service providers who are hired to do the actual fracking are also embracing the chance to reward their shareholders with greater returns. They are holding off on ordering more gear to avoid being stuck with excess equipment as they were when previous booms ended. 4. Where else is fracking done? Canada was the first country to thoroughly embrace shale extraction outside the US. Its also spreading to Argentina, Australia, China and Saudi Arabia. The enormous amounts of sand and water required are a limitation in many places. Fracking faces bans or opposition in numerous countries, including the UK, where the government has placed a moratorium on new permits. Advertisement 5. What are the objections to fracking? Opposition within communities often focuses on water concerns. The copious amount of water needed for fracking as much as 16 million gallons per well in the US can threaten local supplies, and concerns have been raised that shale operations may contaminate water sources. Fracking and, more commonly, the pumping of wastewater into wells, have been connected to earthquakes. Theyve been mostly small, but temblors in Chinas shale hub in Sichuan province killed two people and damaged 11,000 homes in early 2019. More broadly, critics of fracking say that by making oil and gas more plentiful, it has reduced incentives to invest in a switch to renewable energy, even as climate scientists call for speeding the change. 6. What do defenders say? They note that a growing number of companies are reusing the water employed to frack a well multiple times and are reducing emissions from their operations by utilizing electric-powered vehicles instead of the diesel-powered fleets typical in the oil and gas industry. They point to the jobs created by fracking and the cleaner air natural gas produces where it replaces coal. Their larger argument is that, compared with coal, gas emits half as much carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas. Theres a robust debate as to how much the carbon savings are offset by leaks throughout the natural gas supply chain of methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Supporters tout natural gas as a bridge fuel that will ease the transition to renewables, supplying power when wind and solar sources dont, until sufficient storage capacity is built. The Reference Shelf A related QuickTake on fracking-related earthquakes and another on methane. A video animation of the fracking process by National Geographic. Reporter Gregory Zuckermans history of fracking and the wildcatters it made into billionaires. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad known until 1946 by its German name of Koenigsberg is a microcosm of all thats ever gone wrong in Europe. So its hardly surprising that this strip of land by the Baltic Sea has become the latest flashpoint in the wider conflict between Moscow and the West. The clash was probably inevitable. Kaliningrad is a part of Russia implausibly wedged between Lithuania and Poland, two countries that belong to the European Union and NATO. Rail links between mainland Russia and the exclave must go through Lithuania, which has started enforcing EU sanctions against Moscow. That means blocking Russian trains that carry restricted freight such as coal, steel and kit containing certain technologies. This amounts to a blockade, says the Kremlin. Unsurprisingly, its threatening dire but as yet vague consequences. Kaliningrad is certainly armed to the teeth. Its home to Russias Baltic fleet as well as ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads (Moscow hasnt confirmed whether they actually do). Advertisement In reply, Vilnius and Brussels are pointing out that the new restrictions are not a blockade but simply compliance. As a member of the EU, Lithuania must enforce the blocs rules, including its sanctions. Those only became necessary because Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a ruthless war against Ukraine. Its escaped nobodys attention that if Russia actually were to retaliate against Lithuania with an all-out assault or hybrid warfare NATOs mutual-defense clause would immediately kick in. One spark, and both sides could enter the spiral of doom. But thats by no means inevitable. If Russia and the West alike took a moment to ruminate on Kaliningrads dramatic and often tragic past, they might conclude that there are better ways to deal with situations such as this. Kaliningrads history is in a sense a summary of the continents traumas. The area was at one point or another claimed, governed, fought over and lost by just about every rival power in the vicinity. Advertisement During the Middle Ages, the region was settled by a Baltic tribe called the Prussians, who as yet had nothing whatsoever to do with the Germans far to their west. In the 13th century, the (German-speaking) Teutonic Knights showed up and founded a very martial monastic state. Later, the area later became a fiefdom of the Polish Crown, with Lithuanian and Swedish plot twists. It was as a duchy of the Hohenzollern dynasty originally from Swabia but better known for its possessions in Brandenburg, the region around Berlin that Prussia subsequently gave its name to that familys up-and-coming German kingdom. The word came to stand for the militarism of spiked helmets and clicking heels, later associated with the German Empire. But along the way, Koenigsberg was also a venue for European civilization at its most exalted. As a Hanseatic trading center, it was a polyglot metropolis, with Germanic, Baltic and Slavic dialects heard on the streets. For a time, it was even the continents eastern outpost of the Enlightenment, where Immanuel Kant (who never in his life ventured more than a few miles from his hometown) mused on pure reason and perpetual peace among nations. Advertisement As though to negate Kant, the region found itself during the 20th century near the center of what historian Timothy Snyder calls Bloodlands the killing grounds between Hitler and Stalin. At the Potsdam Conference of 1945, the latter took Koenigsberg and made it part of the Soviet Union, renaming it in honor of Mikhail Kalinin after that communist leaders death the following year. That change in Kaliningrads status didnt matter much at the time. Lithuania and Belarus next door were also part of the Soviet Union, and Poland would soon become a formal ally in the Warsaw Pact. But then the Soviet Union collapsed, and within a few years both Poland and Lithuania joined the EU and NATO. Kaliningrad was left stranded, like an incongruous plaque to history, its scars well hidden underneath the drab post-Soviet cityscape. To Putin, it probably looks more like a huge and fixed aircraft-carrier group behind enemy lines. Advertisement So now what? Kaliningrad is certainly not at risk of starvation Lithuanias restrictions only affect about half of rail freight so far, and Russia can still supply its exclave via air and sea. And yet, Putin cant afford to appear weak by leaving perceived snubs unanswered. The sad irony is that this dispute, like the war in Ukraine and so much else that Putin is responsible for, wasnt necessary, as Kaliningrads story proves. Post-war Germany, to howls of protests by its refugees from East Prussia, accepted the loss of Koenigsberg as final. It did the same with everything from Alsace in the west to Silesia in the east. Likewise, all other states that subsequently joined the EU forsook whatever territorial claims they imagined to have accumulated over the millennia. This, in fact, is the alternative approach offered today by the idea of Europe. Its to respect borders no matter how arbitrary they may once have been, and to gradually make them irrelevant through harmonious cooperation between states. It is, in short, the opposite of Putins worldview. Advertisement All Putin has to do to solve his Kaliningrad problem is to recognize the borders of Ukraine and other states and stop being an aggressor. Until then, Lithuania, the EU and NATO must keep up the pressure, and if necessary take the heat. More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion: Mariupol Could Be the Thermopylae of the 21st Century: Andreas Kluth Putin May Win in Ukraine, But the Real War Is Just Starting: Max Hastings Putins Parades Cant Hide a Missing Victory: Clara Ferreira Marques This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Wouldnt it be nice if companies cared less about profits and more about the social good? Its popular to think so. Stakeholder capitalism is fashionable. Shareholder capitalism is not. Many high-profile business leaders and academics now condemn the idea Milton Friedman laid out in a famous 1970 New York Times Magazine essay: a corporate executive is an employe of the owners of the business. He has direct responsibility to his employers. That responsibility is to conduct the business in accordance with their desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom. If only this wicked notion of maximizing profits hadnt come along, some seem to think, wed live in a progressive utopia of high wages, racial harmony, economic equality and environmental purity. Advertisement In 2019, the Business Roundtable repudiated the Friedman doctrine, changing its Principles of Corporate Governance to embrace the goal of managing companies for the benefit of all stakeholders customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders. It didnt specify how businesses would resolve conflicts between constituencies. The usual response is that conflicts are illusory. Do good and youll do well. In todays globally interconnected world, a company must create value for and be valued by its full range of stakeholders in order to deliver long-term value for its shareholders, wrote BlackRocks Larry Fink in his 2022 letter to CEOs, reiterating the message that made news in 2018: To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society. Advertisement Of course, if stakeholder-pleasing endeavors and the creation of economic value always went hand in hand, stakeholder and shareholder capitalism would be identical. But life isnt that simple. Contrary to what you may have heard, letting stakeholders take precedence over business objectives is anything but nice. Stakeholder capitalism isnt just a temptation for managers to pursue their pet interests. Its a prescription for culture wars, political backlash, managerial paralysis and human-resources nightmares. Every effective enterprise has to consider the interests of employees, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders. But not everyone wants the same thing, and sometimes organizations have to make tradeoffs between goals everyone might agree are good. The question is what to do when faced with a conflict. Without an eye on value maximization, its too easy for managers to dissipate company resources by pursuing their personal interests. Advertisement The great value of the Friedman doctrine is that it establishes a coherent standard for making tradeoffs. Maximizing economic value tells you to spend an additional dollar on any constituency provided the long-term value added to the firm from such expenditure is a dollar or more, as Harvard Business School economist Michael Jensen put it in a 2010 article. Stakeholder theory, by contrast, tells you nothing. It assumes you just make everybody happy. And, as Jensen wrote, Without the clarity of mission provided by a single-valued objective function, companies embracing stakeholder theory will experience managerial confusion, conflict, inefficiency, and perhaps even competitive failure. Jensens article is the best articulation of why what he calls enlightened value maximization is indispensable. But neither he nor Friedman fully imagined the chaos that could ensue without it. Advertisement Look at the backlash when Walt Disney Co. tried to placate vocal employees by opposing Florida legislation to ban discussing sexual orientation with younger children in schools. The political pushback like the original protests reflected a sense of betrayal by a beloved company whose fans see their dreams and values reflected in its characters and stories. Appeasing one group of stakeholders alienated others. It wasnt hard for conservatives to find opposing voices within the company. Disney has nearly 200,000 employees and countless customers. All are stakeholders, and they represent every conceivable viewpoint. By focusing on business goals, by contrast, Netflix, despite other challenges, has more successfully weathered its own controversies, from conservative uproar over the French film Cuties to more recent protests about Dave Chappelles jokes about trans women. To make expectations clear, the company revised its cultural guidelines for employees to explicitly say, As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values. Advertisement Stakeholder capitalism implicitly assumes a cultural consensus identical to whatever its advocates believe. It harks back to the mid-20th century, when big US companies enjoyed little competition, mass media marginalized all but a narrow range of political, religious and social views, and hierarchy and security dominated worker expectations. It pretends social media, Slack channels and bringing your whole self to work dont exist. For a purer version of what stakeholder-oriented management can engender, forget profits and political disagreements. Look at the turmoil roiling all sorts of left-wing nonprofits. In a report in the Intercept, Ryan Grim details why Washington D.C.-based groups have spent the past few years engaged in knock-down, drag-out fights between competing factions of their organizations, most often breaking down along staff-versus-management lines. He writes that: Advertisement Instead of fueling a groundswell of public support to reinvigorate the [Democratic] partys ambitious agenda, most of the foundation-backed organizations that make up the backbone of the partys ideological infrastructure were still spending their time locked in virtual retreats, Slack wars, and healing sessions, grappling with tensions over hierarchy, patriarchy, race, gender, and power. Grim quotes the executive director of one such group, anonymously: A lot of staff that work for me, they expect the organization to be all the things: a movement, OK, get out the vote, OK, healing, OK, take care of you when youre sick, OK. Its all the things, said one executive director. Can you get your love and healing at home, please? But I cant say that, they would crucify me. Despite their commitments to making the world a better place and general agreement on what that means trying to please every vocal stakeholder is wreaking such widespread organizational havoc that one groups head, also quoted anonymously, told Grim you couldnt conceive of a better right-wing plot to paralyze progressive leaders. Advertisement The problem isnt that the groups are leftist. Its that their missions and decisions are constantly up for internal debate. New attitudes and forms of communication have destroyed the legitimacy of their managerial hierarchies.(1) Compared with mission-oriented nonprofits, businesses that focus on creating economic value are fortunate to have a clear definition of success. If they want to make the world a nicer place, they should strive to defend that standard. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Mickey Mouse Is Progressivisms Canary in a Coal Mine: Adrian Wooldridge Young Americans Arent as Woke as You Think: Adrian Wooldridge Disney Is Latest Casualty of Culture Wars Crossfire: Adrian Wooldridge (1) For a deeper dive into this phenomenon, drawing on Mary Douglass anthropological studies, see my Substack essay Purity, Sorcery, and Cancel Culture. Advertisement This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a visiting fellow at the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University and author, most recently, of The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load A bipartisan group of US senators has proposed new rules on guns that would break a decades-long legislative stalemate on the issue. Backed by President Joe Biden, the package of initiatives was inspired most recently by massacres at a Texas elementary school and a Buffalo, New York, grocery store. Here are the initiatives in the deal under consideration in Congress, plus a status report on other gun-related issues gaining momentum: Encourage Red Flag Laws Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already have these laws, which empower family members or police officers to ask a court to temporarily block people exhibiting violent behavior from owning firearms. The Senate legislation wouldnt mandate these laws, but it would create a grant program that would be used to encourage more states to adopt them. Advertisement Expand Background Checks ... Licensed firearm dealers are required to run criminal background checks of buyers through the Federal Bureau of Investigation before finalizing a sale; if that check isnt done within three days, the sale can proceed anyway. Private sellers -- those who only occasionally sell firearms, including at gun shows -- dont need licenses and therefore arent required to conduct a background check, a distinction often shorthanded as the gun-show loophole. The Senate bill would narrow the loophole by expanding which firearms sellers must conduct background checks. In the case of gun buyers younger than 21, the bill would give officials an extra 10 business days to review and approve a sale if an initial check turns up a questionable juvenile record. (Under federal law, people as young as 18 can legally purchase shotguns or rifles like the popular AR-15, though not handguns.) ... and Close the Boyfriend Loophole Advertisement Federal law bars firearms purchases by people who have been convicted of domestic violence against a spouse, a co-parent or a live-in partner. The Senate deal would add dating partners to the list, limiting the so-called boyfriend loophole. Roughly 40% of female homicide victims in the US are killed by a current or former male intimate partner, according to Justice Department statistics last updated in 2011. (Michael Bloomberg, owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, founded and helps fund Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for universal background checks and other gun violence prevention measures.) Fund Local Violence-Prevention Efforts The Senate deal includes $250 million for violence-prevention programs in underserved urban neighborhoods, aiming to identify and redirect would-be violent criminals. In May, Biden nominated criminal justice attorney Amy Solomon to lead the Justice Department office that funds such programs. The Senate has yet to consider her nomination. In 2021, Biden broadened the federal funding available for such programs and asked Congress for an extra $5 billion over eight years to fund them, but that request is stalled along with much of Bidens proposed spending on social programs. Advertisement Issue Active-Shooter Alerts The House is taking up a bill that would create a national active-shooter alert system, modeled after how law enforcement and broadcasters notify the public about missing children. The Justice Department would coordinate the alerts, which mobile phone users could choose to receive on their devices. The measure had the support of more than a dozen House Republicans as of June 16. Confirm Top Firearm Regulator The Senate is nearing a vote to confirm former prosecutor Steve Dettelbach to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Democrats so far unanimously support Dettelbach, as do Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Rob Portman of Ohio. The agency hasnt had a permanent director since 2015. Biden withdrew his initial choice to lead the bureau in the fall of 2021, after he failed to win a majority of the Senates support. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Defenders of former President Donald Trumps attempted coup have deployed many smokescreens to distract the public and help him avoid accountability. The 2020 presidential election really was rigged, they say. Vote-counting was flawed, and most likely fraudulent. Trumps repeated efforts to strongarm individuals and institutions to do his bidding were just responses to corruption. And so on. Witnesses to Trumps corruption, by contrast, have a far simpler job: They only have to recite the facts. But as the fourth day of testimony overseen by the bipartisan congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol made clear, doing so can come with enormous personal sacrifice. A series of witnesses, most of them Republicans, testified Tuesday about why they chose to follow the law rather than disenfranchise voters. Asked to commit crimes to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump and the Republican Party, they responded by variously saying that their allegiance was to the rule of law, the US Constitution and their states. They showed in vivid and poignant detail that the fate of Americas democratic institutions hung on the integrity of individuals and it was a slender thread. Advertisement When one of Trumps hatchet men, Rudolph Giuliani, asked Arizona House Speaker Russell Rusty Bowers to find ways of replacing Joe Bidens electors with Trumps after the 2020 election, Bowers refused. You are asking me to do something that is counter to my oath, when I swore to the Constitution to uphold it, he said. He repeatedly asked Giuliani for proof of electoral fraud. We have lots of theories, Bowers said Giuliani responded. We just dont have the evidence. Bowers, a Republican, wanted Trump to win the election but as he noted in his journal at the time, I do not want to be a winner by cheating. Its not a sentiment that the former president shares, based on his track record and evidence from the hearings that he was directly involved in some of the scheming. (Hmm, I can imagine Trump thinking. Ive always been OK with cheating.) Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who got a call from Trump himself, also offered testimony that demonstrated the gulf between people like him and the former president. Trump famously phoned Raffensperger days before Congress was to certify the election results on Jan. 6, 2021, begging him to manufacture the 11,779 votes he needed to surmount Bidens victory margin in Georgia. Raffensperger, a conservative Republican, refused. And he did so with a clear conscience. Advertisement I knew that we had followed the law and we had followed the Constitution, Raffensperger testified on Tuesday. And I think sometimes moments require you to stand up and just take the shots. Youre doing your job. And thats all we did. Trump, meanwhile, came across as a corrupt, 19th-century ward heeler in his phone call to Raffensperger, which was recorded. So what are we going to do here folks? Trump asked during the one-hour call. I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Its not hard to envision how the Republican Party would have reacted if former President Barack Obama tried to corrupt a secretary of state to sabotage the results of a presidential election he had lost. Yet when confronted with the reality of Trumps scheming and thuggery, most of the GOPs leadership has been mute. Advertisement Public servants such as Bowers and Raffensperger, by contrast, did the right thing and paid enormous costs. Bowers testified that his office was swamped by tens of thousands of hostile phone calls, texts and e-mail messages from Trump supporters. One person accused him of being a pedophile; another approached him armed with a gun. Raffensperger said he was doxed, making it easier for Trump supporters to harass him. His wife received lewd sexualized texts and his daughter-in-laws home was burglarized. Such attacks were widespread. Egged on by the former president, Trump supporters routinely threatened local officials and electoral workers in swing states with violence, as videos and other evidence presented at the hearing showed. Trump loyalists also attacked their targets reputations, with Trump himself indifferent to the fallout. Some of the most jarring testimony came from Wandrea Shaye Moss, a former election worker in Georgia whom Trump supporters falsely accused of engaging in electoral fraud. She, her mother and her grandmother were all victimized. Moss, who is Black, said she received racist messages wishing death upon me, telling me that you know, Ill be in jail with my mother, and saying things like, Be glad its 2020 and not 1920. Advertisement For his part, Giuliani publicly likened Moss and her mother to drug dealers and called on Georgias state legislators to have the Mosss workplaces and homes searched. Moss said the various threats she received upended her entire life, and she continues to fear for her safety. I dont want anyone knowing my name, she testified. I dont want to go anywhere. I second-guess everything that I do. All because of lies. If the president of the United States sees fit to bring the weight of his office to bear on vulnerable individuals such as Moss and her mother, asked Representative Adam Schiff, Who among us is safe? The Jan. 6 hearings have to ensure that partisan animus and violence dont compromise personal safety and democracy ever again. It would be a travesty to squander the courage of anyone who put their well-being and livelihoods at stake protecting the right to vote. Advertisement As Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican, noted at the hearing: Our institutions do not defend themselves. Individuals do that. More From Bloomberg Opinion: The Plot Darkens in the Jan. 6 Hearings: Jonathan Bernstein The Jan. 6 Committee Should Finish Its Job Quickly: The Editors Will Jan. 6 Be a Factor on Nov. 8?: Julianna Goldman This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Timothy L. OBrien is a senior columnist for Bloomberg Opinion covering U.S. business and politics. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey attends the Save America Rally in Mendon, Ill., on Saturday. (Reuters) Critics have accused Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association of trying to ensure that the Republican nominee will be Darren Bailey, a rural state lawmaker who has called for kicking the city of Chicago out of the state of Illinois. Placeholder while article actions load Over the past few years, the world has experienced an escalating series of trade disruptions -- the US-China trade war, the Covid-19 pandemic and the supply-chain disruptions it caused, Russias invasion of Ukraine and the dueling sanctions and export controls that followed. Their cumulative impact has called into question the vision of a globalized economy. In response, some US officials are pushing friend-shoring -- a happy-sounding label for a world divided between free-market democracies and countries that align with the authoritarian regimes of China or Russia. Its a world in which supply chains could be more robust and less subject to economic blackmail. Its also likely a world thats poorer and less productive. 1. What is friend-shoring? US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has proposed friend-shoring as a means to insulate global supply chains from external disruption or economic coercion. The idea is for a group of countries with shared values to deploy policies encouraging companies to spread manufacturing within that group. The goal is to prevent less-like-minded nations from unfairly leveraging their market position in key raw materials, technologies or products to disrupt the US economy or those of its allies. Its one of several twists of the term off-shoring -- the large-scale push by companies earlier in the century to move what operations they could to places where it was cheaper to operate. Another iteration is re-shoring. Advertisement 2. Whats an example of something to friend-shore? The US aims to reduce dependence on authoritarian regimes for key products like rare earths, magnets and other items that can be adapted for military purposes. The push will also seek to diversify away from Russian suppliers of critical commodities, particularly energy, food, and fertilizer. In some areas, such as semiconductors, the idea is to diversify sources among friendly nations. The US is heavily reliant on Taiwan, which faces security pressures from mainland China; the US has recently stepped up engagement on chips with South Korea. 3. Who would be the winners in friend-shoring? Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and other Indo-Pacific countries would likely benefit as production plants, jobs and investments move toward nations deemed to be trustworthy by the US and its allies. Diversifying the geographic concentration of global supply chains will also help businesses become more resilient to external shocks like wars, famine, political changes or the next pandemic. Advertisement 4. Who would lose out? The US-led effort is mainly targeted at non-market economy regimes like China that the US sees as unfairly supporting their domestic industries and at nations that violate international norms, like Russia. Such countries would see an economic hit as investments and jobs shift toward other regional trade partners. And, of course, there would be repercussions for the countries within a friend-shoring alliance. 5. What would the impact be? A process that some are calling de-globalization and that others have called decoupling would likely lead to short-term supply shocks and higher prices -- developments not unlike those produced by the turmoil of recent years. In the long run, the outcome is likely to be lower economic growth due to lost efficiencies, higher costs and supply bottlenecks. Thats why Yellen expressed the hope that China would take Western human rights and national security concerns seriously, to preserve the benefits of deep economic integration with China -- not going to a bipolar world. Advertisement A 2020 Newsweek column credited a USAID official with coining the term allied-shoring. Yellens speech in which she described friend-shoring. An article and set of charts by Bloomberg Economics laying out the prospects and costs of de-globalization. An article looking at what the World Trade Organization thinks Russias invasion of Ukraine will do to global trade. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Largest wildfire since 2007 mostly contained Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The largest New Jersey wildfire since 2007, which has for days burned through the states southern pine lands, is now almost entirely contained, officials said Tuesday. The Mullica River Fire, which began Sunday, has grown to 13,500 acres and is 95 percent contained as of Tuesday evening, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS). No injuries were reported, but the blaze threatened at least 18 structures in the Wharton State Forest area, including the Batsto Village historic site. Wharton State Forest sits amid an ecosystem known as the Pine Barrens, about 20 miles northwest of Atlantic City. Officials ruled out natural causes, and New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said the fire could have been avoided. Advertisement By Monday, fire crews were fighting the blaze in four townships Washington, Shamong, Hammonton and Mullica after dry and breezy conditions helped the fire spread, according to the NJFFS. Authorities said wind was hindering efforts to drop water from helicopters while areas along the Mullica River which the fire jumped twice were too wet for equipment to get in but not wet enough for fire to be stopped. Fire crews are focusing their efforts on protecting structures in the Wharton State Forest campgrounds and the Batsto Village, a historic site in Washington Township, according to Larry Hajna, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The wildfire forced two road closures, including portions of U.S. Route 206, a north-south thoroughfare. As of Tuesday, both routes had reopened. Advertisement Kim Bellware Court: Statute allows partisan redistricting Kansass top court declared Tuesday that the state constitution doesnt prohibit partisan gerrymandering, prompting one dissenting justice to accuse the majority of ignoring a full-scale assault on democracy from a Republican congressional redistricting law. The state Supreme Court issued the opinion explaining its 4-to-3 decision last month to approve the new congressional map. It previously issued only a brief opinion that did not explain the majoritys reasons. The new map makes it harder for the only Democrat in the Kansas congressional delegation, two-term Rep. Sharice Davids, to win reelection in her Kansas City-area district. Davids is the states first openly lesbian and Native American woman in Congress. Dissenting Justice Eric Rosen argued that the decision moves Kansas toward a one-party system of government, aids a power grab and authorizes political chicanery. Advertisement In the Supreme Courts majority opinion Tuesday, Justice Caleb Stegall said the state constitutions guarantee of equal legal protection for all citizens does not prohibit the legislature from considering partisan factors when redrawing lines each decade to make districts as equal in population as possible. The legislature has Republican supermajorities and traditionally has been controlled by the GOP. Stegall also argued that unless the state Supreme Court set a zero tolerance standard on partisan gerrymandering, it has no clear standards for when it should be prohibited. Associated Press 5-year-old dies after being left in hot car A 5-year-old boy has died after being left in a vehicle in the Houston area as his mother prepared for a birthday party and as temperatures soared past 100 degrees, authorities said. Advertisement Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the boy died Monday as his family was getting ready to celebrate his 8-year-old sisters birthday. The boy, his sister and his mother went to the store to buy some items for the party, and when they returned home, the mother assumed both children had gotten out of the car on their own. Gonzalez said that about two to three hours after the mother went into the house, she began looking for her son and went to the car. She found him unresponsive, still buckled in, and called 911. The sheriffs office said the child was pronounced dead at the scene. The mother told the sheriff that her son had gotten out of his car seat by himself before but that the family was using a rental vehicle that may have been unfamiliar to him. Associated Press GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load U.N. places travel curbs Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight on education ministers Two Afghan education ministers are no longer allowed to travel abroad for any peace and stability talks after the United Nations Security Council removed them from a sanctions exemption list, diplomats said Tuesday. The move, unanimously agreed to by the Security Councils Taliban sanctions committee, comes after the Taliban backtracked in March on its pledge to open high schools for girls, saying they would remain closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law for them to reopen. Dozens of Taliban members have long been subjected to targeted U.N. sanctions a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. But an exemption to the travel ban was granted to some to allow them to join peace talks. The sanctions committee this week agreed to extend the travel ban exemption for 13 Taliban leaders but removed the deputy minister of education and the minister of higher education from the list, diplomats said. Advertisement The Security Council last month called on the Taliban to swiftly reverse policies and practices restricting the rights and freedoms of women and girls. Reuters 2 Canadians stabbed to death in Mexican resort: Two Canadians were found dead of knife wounds in Mexico's Caribbean coast resort town of Playa del Carmen, the state prosecutor's office said. Prosecutors in Quintana Roo state said that the man and the woman were found dead at a hotel or condominium in the troubled resort and that a third person was reported injured. Prosecutors confirmed the male victim was on an Interpol wanted list over fraud charges. Playa del Carmen has been the scene of several instances of violence involving foreigners. Belgium repatriates mothers, children from Syria: Belgium's judicial authorities said they have repatriated six women with Belgian citizenship who were held in a Syrian detention camp for foreigners affiliated with Islamic State extremists, along with 16 children. The federal prosecutor's office said it was the second repatriation operation of this kind after one in July 2021, when Belgian authorities brought back six mothers and 10 children. The transfer was made possible after a decision last year by Belgium to allow the return of mothers who have clearly expressed such a wish and have distanced themselves from extremist ideology. Advertisement Lebanon, Syria and Egypt sign deal to supply Beirut with gas: Lebanon, Egypt and Syria signed an agreement to import Egyptian gas to a power plant in northern Lebanon through Syria. The deal would increase the electricity supply in Lebanon, which is suffering under a severe energy crisis and chronic outages. The agreement needs to be signed off on by the World Bank, which is supposed to finance the process. Also, U.S. assurances are needed that the countries involved will not be penalized under American sanctions imposed on Syria, Lebanon's energy minister said. Palestinian stabbed to death by Israeli settler: The Palestinian Health Ministry said a man died after being stabbed by an Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank. Israeli police said they responded to a report of "friction" between Palestinians and Israelis near the settlement of Ariel, in the northern West Bank, where the stabbing occurred. They said they were investigating. From news services GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Polio found in sewage, but infection risk low Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Polio has been detected in sewage samples from Britains capital, the first sign since the 1980s that the virus could be spreading in the country, but no cases have been found, authorities said. The risk of infection from the virus, which causes paralysis in children in under 1 percent of cases, was also low because of high vaccination rates, the U.K. Health Security Agency said. The agency, nevertheless, encouraged parents to ensure their children were vaccinated after the discovery of the virus during routine wastewater surveillance particularly those who may have missed shots during the pandemic. Nationwide vaccination levels are above the 90 percent needed to prevent outbreaks, but coverage rates among children under 2 in London has dipped below that in recent years. Advertisement The last polio case in Britain was in 1984, and the wild, or naturally occurring, form of the disease is now found only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with imported outbreaks reported in Malawi and Mozambique in 2022. Reuters U.S. couple issue plea after abortion denial An American couple on Wednesday appealed to authorities in Malta to let them leave the country to have an abortion and avoid any risks to the mother after she showed symptoms of a miscarriage. Malta is the only country in the European Union that does not allow abortion under any circumstances. Andrea Prudente and her partner, Jay Weeldreyer, were on holiday on the Mediterranean island when Prudente, 16 weeks pregnant, started bleeding. They requested that the pregnancy be terminated because of the risks of maternal infection and death. But doctors did not agree, Weeldreyer told the Times of Malta. Advertisement The couple have also asked to fly to Britain, where the pregnancy can be ended, but doctors have refused to certify Andrea as fit for travel. The couple have been waiting for almost a week since being told their baby would die. But Maltese hospital staff are refusing their request for termination because there is still a fetal heartbeat and Prudentes life is not deemed to be at imminent risk. Reuters Ex-education minister in Brazil jailed in graft probe: A former education minister in Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's administration was arrested in a federal police corruption probe, further hurting the far-right leader's bid for reelection. Milton Ribeiro left his post in March after Brazilian media reported on his leaked conversations with mayors who allegedly would be favored by the federal government in the distribution of the budget. Bolsonaro is facing an uphill reelection battle in October. Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads all polls. Advertisement Burkina Faso to create military zones to fight rebels: Burkina Faso's junta said it will create two military zones where civilians must vacate their homes to allow the army to battle Islamist rebels unhindered. The zones will be in the hard-hit East and Sahel regions,the military's National Operations Command said. It is the latest attempt by the junta to secure the West African country amid escalating attacks by rebels linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. In January, mutinous troops ousted the democratically elected president, saying they could do a better job of securing the nation. But the situation is deteriorating. From news services GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load BRASILIA, Brazil Brazils judicial watchdog agency says it is investigating a judge who stopped an 11-year-old rape victim from getting an abortion a procedure that advocates insist is allowed in the South American nation for rape cases at any stage of a pregnancy. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Santa Catarina state Judge Joana Ribeiro Zimmer was filmed at a hearing May 9 asking the child whether she understood how pregnancies happen, referring to her rapist as the father of the baby, asking her to hold on a little more to save it and even suggesting a name should be picked. The girl repeatedly said she did not want to give birth. Abortion rights are expected to be one of the big issues in Brazils presidential election in October, which will pit far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is the current front-runner in opinion polls. Both are trying to appeal to moderate voters. Advertisement The case, reported by the website The Intercept Brasil last week, prompted associations of magistrates and human rights groups to request that the countrys National Council of Justice remove Zimmer from her post. The council announced Tuesday it has opened an investigation. Lawyer Daniela Felix, who represents the 11-year-olds family, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the child, who was 10 at the time she was raped this year, only noticed her pregnancy in its 22nd week. The childs mother took her to a hospital in the city of Florianopolis to get an abortion, but doctors said they could perform the procedure only up to the 20th week of pregnancy. Felix said the family took the case to court within days, where Zimmer not only refused to allow the abortion but isolated the girl from her family in a state shelter. Advertisement Some anti-abortion activists argue that Health Ministry recommendations urge a 20- to 22-week limit on abortions. But Felix and other lawyers noted the law itself makes no mention of a limit in the case or rape victims or when a womans life is in danger. Local police and prosecutors claim her relatives are suspects in the crime. The child, who is now in the 29th week of pregnancy, was finally allowed to go home Tuesday under a ruling by another magistrate from the same court, though still without authorizing her to have an abortion. Zimmer said in a statement Wednesday that she will not speak about parts of the hearing, which were illegally leaked. She also said she will remain silent about the case to assure the due and full protection to the child. The probe on Zimmers methods will be conducted by the same Santa Catarina court system in southern Brazil and its decision with be referred to her own court in the Southern Brazil state, and then taken for the national watchdog to make its final decision. Advertisement Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of the presidents sons, said in his social media channels Wednesday that he agreed with Zimmers decisions. You should bear in mind the first ones to stop this abortion were in a medical team. Respect science, the conservative politician said. Bolsonaro and da Silva have already argued about abortion rights this year. Da Silva said April 6 that anyone should be allowed to get an abortion, a position that drew criticism from the president and many Evangelical supporters in his political base. For him, to abort a child or remove a tooth is the same thing, Bolsonaro said. Da Silva then backtracked, saying days later that he is against abortions but still believes women should be allowed the choice as a matter of public health. ___ Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load SAO PAULO Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva laid out his campaign platform Tuesday, including a pledge for zero deforestation initiatives and appeals to moderates as seeks to unseat Jair Bolsonaro in Brazils election in October. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The 76-year-old leftist, who governed in 2003-2010, leads the far-right incumbent in all opinion polls on the presidential race. Da Silva unveiled his plan at a hotel in Sao Paulo standing next to former Sao Paulo Gov. Geraldo Alckmin, a right-leaning politician turned ally who will be his running mate. Da Silva said the 34-page document will be later updated after national gatherings with allies. Everyone here, even those who are not engineers, knows that a house starts with good foundations, he told supporters in a televised address. These are our foundations. We will build our house overtime. Advertisement Da Silvas plan includes a promise to fight environmental crime promoted by vigilantes, land grabbers, logging traffickers and any economic organization acting in defiance to the law. Our commitment is with the relentless combat against illegal deforestation and the promotion of zero net deforestation, which means the restructuring of degraded areas and reforestation of the biomes, the document says. The plan also says the standard for mineral regulation should be modernized, and illegal mining, particularly in the Amazon, will be fought against severely. Bolsonaro is a staunch supporter of miners and says they should have the right to operate on Indigenous lands, which are often are among the best protected against deforestation in Brazil. The plan also talks about green jobs at state-run oil giant Petrobras. The company should operate in segments linked to environmental and energy transition, such as gas, fertilizers, biofuels and renewable energies, the document says, without mentioning how much would be spent on that initiative. Advertisement Drafted by members of seven parties supporting Da Silva, the plan doesnt include an expected call for scrapping a labor law overhaul passed by congress in 2017. It says only that da Silva would seek to annul the regressive parts of the current labor laws. The document also is silent on several other matters that had been expected to be addressed, including regulation of the media, policies for land reform and a clear defense of abortion rights. Allies of da Silva said those drafting the document sought to appeal to business leaders who have expressed concerns about da Silvas bid to return to the presidency. They said the anti-deforestation tone is aimed at politicians like environmentalist Marina Silva, a moderate who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in the last three elections and has yet to endorse anyone in this race. Advertisement Speaking about zero net deforestation is what Marina does, said Sen. Randolfe Rodrigues, a da Silva ally who from the Rede Sustentabilidade party. The rest of the language is indeed for moderates to take heed, look at what we are doing. Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, said the plan is adequately wide and superficial so moderates can be attracted to the bid by da Silva, who is called Lula by Brazilians. Lulas challenge is not to cause an impact with this document. He is speaking little about what he will do so no divisive talking points become the focus, Melo said in a phone interview. A Bolsonaro supporter briefly interrupted the presentation by shouting at da Silva from a few meters (yards) away, a security breach that unsettled the staff of the former president. Advertisement The heckler, far-right politician Caique Mafra, is a friend of lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of the president, and will run for Sao Paulo states legislative this year. He came in, teased us, but there was no attack, said Aloizio Mercadante, one of the coordinators of the campaign document. This incident only stresses how much care we need to have with security in this tough campaign. In the last presidential contest, Bolsonaro was stabbed in his abdomen during a campaign rally. Doctors said the wounds nearly took his life, but he recovered in time to emerge victorious over leftist Fernando Haddad, an ally of da Silvas. Bolsonaro has undergone six surgeries because of damage from the stabbing, most of them in his intestines. The attacker, Adelio Bispo, has been in a mental institution since the incident. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load DAMASCUS, Syria The international airport in Syrias capital will resume flights after nearly two weeks following an Israeli airstrike that caused serious damage to the facility, state TV reported Wednesday. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The outlet quoted the Transportation Ministry as saying that flights will resume at Damascus International Airport on Thursday adding that all companies should schedule their arriving and departing flights as of this date. The June 10 Israeli airstrike caused significant damage to infrastructure and runways and rendered the main runway unserviceable. Work has been ongoing since then to repair the damage and flights have been mostly diverted to the international airport in the northern city of Aleppo, Syrias largest city. Israels military has declined to comment on the Damascus airport airstrike. The facility is located just south of the capital, where Syrian opposition activists say Iran-backed militiamen are active and have arms depots. Advertisement Israel has staged hundreds of strikes on targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. The airport strike marked a major escalation in Israels campaign, further ratcheting up tensions between Israel on one side and Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah on the other. Israel says it targets bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Hezbollah, which has fighters deployed in Syria fighting on the side of President Bashar Assads government forces and ships arms believed to be bound for the militias. On Tuesday, a flight by private Syrian airline Cham Wings landed at an airport used by Russias military in the coastal province of Latakia in western Syria. The flight was the first to land at the airbase since the strike at Damascus airport. It was also the first Syrian international flight to land at the facility since Russia took it over after joining the war in Syria in September 2015, helping tip the balance of power in favor of Assads forces. GiftOutline Gift Article Elon Musk, the billionaire visionary and oftentimes erratic entrepreneur, struck a sober tone Tuesday as he forecast a probable recession in the US and left doubts about his commitment to a $US44 billion takeover of Twitter. In an interview at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, the Tesla chief executive officer said the electric-car makers workforce needs to be trimmed as supply-chain snarls crimp growth. He was also unguarded in his view that the US economy is headed toward contraction. Its just a question of when. Musks deal for Twitter remains in some doubt. Credit:AP A recession is inevitable at some point, said Musk, who joined the Middle East forum via video linkup from the US in the middle of his night. As to whether there is a recession in the near term, that is more likely than not. Musk, whos also the CEO of rocket-launch company SpaceX, was far from the jocular and sometimes edgy showman whos a star on Twitter, with almost 100 million followers. Appearing in front of some of the Qatari backers of his planned acquisition of the social media platform, the billionaire was businesslike, measured and respectful. At 3am New York time, Musk was dressed in a dark suit jacket and a collared white shirt. When it was first published by Sylvia Beach from her famous Parisian bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, in February 1922, it immediately fell foul of obscenity laws around the world and was roundly denounced, banned, censored and burnt. That the story not only survived but went on to be one of the most read and unread books of all time must be a testament to something. What was I missing? Great-grand nieces and nephews of Irish writer James Joyce at the Bloomsday celebrations. Credit:AP I bought the novel (again) four weeks before Bloomsday itself and sought the counsel of friends, acquaintances and the internet on how to tackle it now that I was older, wiser and desperate not to look like a total fool in Dublin (this last proving a surprisingly efficacious stimulus). Advice ranged from listening to it as an audiobook (an Irish accent helps, to be sure), not taking it too seriously, starting at chapter 4, skipping the boring bits, reading a chapter a week, reading a chapter a year, reading it all in 24 hours, reading it out loud, reading it while drunk and reading it out loud while drunk. Ulysses novelist James Joyce. Credit:Getty Images To those not in the know, Ulysses is set on one day June 16, 1904 and concerns two men, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, as they go about their lives. It starts in a Martello tower in Sandycove just outside Dublin city and ends in the early hours of the next day after the two men get rip-roaringly drunk. It is a book exceptional for its time, as academic, author and Joyce scholar Declan Kiberd writes in the introduction to my edition, in cleaving to the quotidian. After all, here were characters shown urinating, defecating, masturbating, having sex and farting. On Bloomsday, at the top of the Martello tower that Joyce once stayed in and later used in the first chapter, volunteer guide Seamus Cannon, resplendent like many others on Bloomsday in a beige linen suit, bowtie and straw boater, put it thus: He [Joyce] took the bread of life and consecrated it into art. He also gave headaches and feelings of intellectual inadequacy to generations of would-be readers (though that might just be me) who couldnt get their head around the stream-of-consciousness style and the lack of punctuation. It helps to know that Joyce was attempting to recreate on the page how the way the brain works in real life. Imagine how your mind wanders during just a few seconds all the chitter-chatter of everyday life and shards of memory and of thoughts thought, examined, discarded and youll have an idea of what reading Ulysses entails. It helps, as someone on an online comments section put it, to have a comprehensive education in English literature from Anglo-Saxon to the 19th century and an acquaintance with early Continental modernism and the classics to appreciate and understand it. A bit of Latin and a thorough grounding in Irish history, Catholicism and politics wouldnt go amiss, either. And lets not even get started on the fact that the book is Joyces interpretation of Homers Odyssey, with Leopold Blooms wanderings through Dublin standing in for Odysseuss 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan Wars. In fact, forget I mentioned it. Bloomsday, itself, began in 1954 when a few local literary luminaries decided to celebrate the book by getting together to recreate it. That first Bloomsday ended in drunkenness and recriminations, but a tradition was born that has turned into an event celebrated around the world. That sound you can hear is Shakespeare turning in his grave. My Bloomsday begins at the James Joyce Centre, where I have inveigled an invite to the official Bloomsday breakfast. Here, the great and the good of Dublin (it is kicked off by Irish politician Catherine Martin, who exults in the positively Joycean title of Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media) are dressed to the nines in Edwardian garb like many other Ulysses nuts throughout the city to watch a troupe of actors perform excerpts from the book. I also meet a man from Philadelphia who has been studying Ulysses via Zoom meetings and has flown over from the USA to meet his fellow pupils. They started reading it in February and have just finished. One well-timed bomb here, I think, would wipe out most of the people in the world who have read the whole of Ulysses. Loading After this, we head off on a walking tour with guide Loic Wright, whose erudition and heavily annotated and bookmarked copy of the book (his last one fell apart at the seams) help trace the Dublin of Ulysses over modern Dublin. Bloomsday is busy. The city is awash with people in period dress-up, following in Blooms footsteps. They head en masse to Davy Byrnes restaurant for a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of burgundy, a la Bloom. They queue massively outside Swenys former chemist to buy, a la Bloom, a scented lemon soap. There are kidneys for breakfast on many menus, a la Bloom. They, like us, head to the Martello tower to stand on the top and gaze at people diving off the rocks below into what Joyce called the snotgreen and scrotumtightening sea. Gradually it begins to rub off all the discussions and the listening and the orations and the performances and starts to make weird sense. This was Joyce going where nobody had gone before. He was experimenting with interior monologues, making up words, pushing boundaries. There are passages of pure beauty, genius even. And there are passages that make you want to deliberately choke to death on your breakfast kidney. I was halfway through (though I did skip ahead to read the closing monologue of that sexy minx Molly Bloom) but Im going to begin again with a fresh perspective. Starting with that wonderful opening: Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed Keith Austin attended Bloomsday courtesy of Failte Ireland Tourism Office. To read more from Spectrum, visit our page here. 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. Advertisement 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: Advertisement 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 Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement Parkinson in Australia Between 1979 and 1983 leading British talk show host Michael Parkinson would decamp to the ABCs Gore Hill studios in Sydney, where he would helm an Australian edition of a program that was already close to an institution in the United Kingdom. A selection of the 75 episodes produced are now streaming on ABC iview, serving as a mix of time capsule and cultural snapshot. As a means of eavesdropping on the past the chat show might not be an obvious choice, but four decades later this is a valuable resource and fascinating viewing. A selection of episodes are now streaming on ABC iview, serving as a mix of time capsule and cultural snapshot. Each episode begins with a contemporary disclaimer: The following program expresses attitudes that are not consistent with current standards and may offend some viewers. Thats true, although the question is whether its Barry Humphries comic creation Sir Les Patterson or then-Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen discussing abortion that deserves the warning. There may be unseen episodes that do cross a line, but historic insight outranks contemporary privilege. This was monocultural Australia, just starting to mix with the world repeat guest Bob Hawke was not yet prime minister, just the gregarious head of the ACTU. Theres a degree of cultural cringe to bringing out an Englishman to engage notable Australians (and a healthy quota of British celebrities), but Parkinson really was an accomplished interviewer. His questioning was direct but alert these are conversations that are fluid in mood, so that guests got in their best anecdotes for the audiences amusement but they would equally be pressed on thornier points. In this age of seven-minute slots the extended running time is a pleasure, with many opening guests getting a half an hour or more opposite the lanky Parkinson. Living with severe asthma is a major challenge. Since I was a child it has affected many aspects of my life. This includes, for example, working out which friends I can visit based on what kinds of pets they have goldfish are fine but cats are completely out! It also affects when and where I can go on holiday. If I ended up in a new city during a major burn-off, it could be quite dangerous. These days I am fortunate enough to live in a pleasant suburb in bayside Melbourne. For much of the time my asthma is OK, although I need to be especially careful during spring because its hayfever season. More recently, the terrible summer bushfires weve had in Victoria have meant the air quality was so bad I was unable to leave the house for many days. Living with severe asthma is a major challenge. Credit:Tribune To keep myself safe from these kinds of issues at home, we have double-glazed windows and two air purifiers. Weve also sealed up the gaps under the external doors and around windows. I accept the fact that the weather and seasons present extra risks. Unfortunately, there is one additional seasonal challenge I have to deal with smoke from woodfire heaters. Every winter a small number of neighbours warm their homes by burning wood. This is a leafy inner-city suburb so this kind of heating is not driven by financial needs (unlike the situation say in rural parts of Victoria, where it might make more sense to have a wood fire.) Im sure it is much more about the aesthetic pleasure of having a glowing fire inside peoples homes. Work-related deaths across Western Australias farming sector will be investigated by the states WorkSafe commissioner. Darren Kavanagh will conduct an inquiry into the agricultural industry after the twelfth fatality in the past 12 months, looking at deaths over the past five years. There have been a dozen deaths in as many months on WA farms. Credit:Erin Jonasson A 24-year-old man died in the Great Southern region on Tuesday after being struck in the head when equipment he was using to tow a bogged trailer failed. The statistics for the agricultural industry are not acceptable, and it is deeply concerning that the number of fatalities in the industry continues to increase, Kavanagh said in a statement on Wednesday. Similarly, the Head of State called on lawmakers of Puno region and High-Andean areas to join this initiative. Likewise, the top official expressed his commitment to allocate a budget for the public works required by Puno on issues such as drinking water, sanitation, sewerage, and storm drainage. Mr. Castillo stressed that it is necessary to promote agriculture and the distribution of products grown in Puno. He also said that immediate actions were taken in the face of the fertilizer shortage, such as the distribution of guano from the island until the recently-purchased fertilizers arrive in Peru. From Puno he detailed 300 tons will arrive for areas such as Sandia, Macusani, Azangaro, Ayaviri, and Juli. Faced with the immediate need for the Juliaca-Puno Highway, the President said this project cannot remain postponed. The Head of State also ratified the Government's willingness for the electrification of Azangaro and implementation of the primary care level in Puno provinces. Moreover, the top official mentioned that a contract has been signed to resume the preparation of the technical file for storm drainage in Juliaca. Regarding the decontamination of Lake Titicaca, he reported on expansion works for wastewater treatment entailing an investment of S/1.186 billion (about US$319 million) through public-private partnerships. More than 1,000 residents, leaders of social organizations, regional authorities, mayors and legislators representing this region attended the first meeting for the development of Puno. Durante su encuentro con la poblacion y autoridades de la region Puno, desde Juliaca, el presidente @PedroCastilloTe anuncio que convocara a un Consejo de Ministros extraordinario para reforzar la atencion de la poblacion, agricultura y ganaderia frente a las heladas y el friaje. pic.twitter.com/CGKZP9vDUO The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate or offensive posts may be removed by the moderator. Posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language or memes are automatically removed, to the best of its ability, by a pre-programmed algorithm. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. ?? En vivo | Intervencion del jefe de Estado, @PedroCastilloTe, en el primer encuentro por el desarrollo de la region Puno, desde Juliaca. #SiempreConElPueblo https://t.co/MLVz7wSwFK Reading, PA (19601) 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. The activity took place at the Main Square of Juliaca. More than 1,000 residents of this region, leaders of social organizations, regional authorities, mayors, and lawmakers representing said jurisdiction attended the event. Among the participating social organizations were Frente de Defensa Unificado de la Cuenca del Rio Coata y de Afectados por Metales Pesados (Unified Defense Front of Coata River Basin and of People Affected by Heavy Metals), Proyecto Integral de Agua y Alcantarillado de las Urbanizaciones Union Juliaca y San Ramon (the Comprehensive Water and Sewage Project of Union Juliaca and San Raman Urbanizations), and representatives from Llallimayo Basin. According to the official agenda, the meeting began with words by San Roman Province Mayor David Sucacahua and Puno Region Governor German Alejo. Afterwards, the leaders of social organizations took the floor as they made their main needs known. In turn, the Head of State proposed measures aimed at the development of the population. To protect small farmers and ranchers from low temperatures, the Government is expected to deliver 400 foliar kits; 90 forage conservation kits; 5,700 cultivated pasture kits; 5,129 veterinary kits; 490 crop protectors and 716 sheds through Agro Rural, the executing unit of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation #MachuPicchu esta nominado a los World Travel Awards!?? Hagamos que nuestro santuario historico siga siendo el Mejor Destino Pais de Sudamerica en los @WTravelAwards 2022! ??#VotaPorPeru hasta el 29 de julio?? https://t.co/cXhxFG1LEX Detalles?? https://t.co/P4XtmszgQX pic.twitter.com/aRP1T0saU2 At the event, a sustainable development agenda was worked on to allow closing social gaps in the southern region. The meeting was attended by State Ministers, who had the opportunity to give an account of the work they have been carrying out; the progress of public policy actions; as well as short-, medium-, and long-term projections that they implement for the development of this region and the rest of the country. The Head of State arrived at Arequipa's Coliseum, after having participated with dozens of farmers in the cornerstone laying ceremony for the "Improvement of water service recharge and rainwater use" on the esplanade of Fintaya sector in Coporaque district, Caylloma province. The 17th Decentralized Council of Ministers began with welcoming speeches by Arequipa Province Mayor Omar Candia, Region Governor Kimmerlee Gutierrez, and Vice-President of the Republic Dina Boluarte. Other officials also participated in this session. Lastly, President Castillo and Prime Minister Anibal Torres closed today's event. To date, Decentralized Councils of Ministers have been held in Cusco; Moquegua; Huancavelica; Junin; Puno; Valley of Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM); Ucayali; Ica; Tumbes; Pasco; Huanuco; Amazonas; Loreto; Lima region; and Tacna. ?? En vivo | El jefe de Estado, @PedroCastilloTe, preside la clausura del XVII Consejo de Ministros Descentralizado en Arequipa.#SiempreConElPueblo https://t.co/nQ0dPCA3Ot Eclectic, experimental and oddball performance art returns to centre stage this summer during the first live Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival in two years. Eclectic, experimental and oddball performance art returns to centre stage this summer during the first live Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival in two years. Event preview Click to Expand Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival July 13-24, various venues Tickets start at $12 per show and can be purchased online or at the door; Frequent Fringer passes are available at $76 for eight or $130 for 14 shows Visit winnipegfringe.com for a free digital program On Tuesday, the organization announced its lineup for the 12-day festival, which begins July 13 and includes 113 different shows of every imaginable genre. "It allows the creativity of the indie artists to shine," executive producer Chuck McEwen says of the festivals non-prescriptive format. "Fringers have to sort of take a chance with a lot of new work and artists theyve never heard of and thats what makes it unique in the performance world." This years pared-down roster Fringe usually hosts upwards of 170 shows is due to space constraints and artist availability. Several of the festivals usual venues were undergoing construction and others, like the University of Winnipeg and Red River College, werent open to outside bookings owing to pandemic restrictions while the groundwork was being laid in January. While artists who were accepted into the 2020 festival have had their spot deferred until this year, travelling still presents a risk for out-of-town performers. Download 2022 Fringe program "A lot of our companies come from across Canada and around the world, and decided not to travel at all, regardless of their vaccination status," McEwen says. "Theres so many challenges right now with flights and costs. And what happens if you get COVID? Do you have to cancel all your performances and lose all your revenue?" Instead of running a full lottery to fill out the lineup, the festival promoted its BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue) option for artists who wanted to participate and could arrange their own performance space. The event is also making creative use of new locations. "We have two new main venues at Portage Place," festival manager Tori Popp says. "Were using some of the old storefronts and turning them into theatres and making them really Fringey." WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES As usual, Old Market Square in the Exchange District will be reserved for live music and buskers. As usual, Old Market Square in the Exchange District will be reserved for live music and buskers, while Kids Fringe activities have been moved to Stephen Juba Park along Waterfront Drive, "I think thats going to be really great for all the kiddos to have a lot more space and grass to run around," Popp says. Also new this year is the option to buy tickets to every show ahead of time online a development long in the making that has been fast-tracked amid the pandemic to avoid large crowds and lineups at venues. A free digital program is also available online. While Fringe-goers wont need to show proof of vaccination at the door, the festival encourages mask-use at indoor shows and requires that volunteers, staff and performers be fully vaccinated. The organization has recruited roughly 400 volunteers so far and is currently accepting applications to fill remaining positions. Its been a little bit chaotic and hectic, but its much like riding a bike. Festival manager Tori Popp Like many large summer events, the pandemic has thrown a wrench into this years planning. Still, its exciting to be back. "Its been a little bit chaotic and hectic, but its much like riding a bike," Popp says. "Were reminding ourselves of what we need to do and how to do our jobs and what we need to get done." Popp is looking forward to seeing the Exchange District teeming with people, "The spontaneity of Fringe is what Im excited for and just the serendipitous interactions with folks that I havent seen in a while," she says. McEwen is also looking forward to the energy that comes with the jam-packed festival. "Im excited to see our audience members out rushing from venue to venue trying to see all their shows and chatting about the new companies theyve just heard about," he says. "And Im sure the artists cant wait to see crowds in front of them again, after working digitally for a couple of years." Visit winnipegfringe.com for show details and to purchase tickets. eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @evawasney If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. How far would you go to get what you want? How far would you go to get what you want? This ethical question forms the core of much pop culture, and in turn, much of our daily lives. Would you tell a white lie to get ahead at work? Transform your persona completely to impress a crush? Would you kill several relatives to acquire a vast fortune? "I might think about how to spend the money," says Donna Fletcher, the co-founder of Winnipeg theatre company Dry Cold Productions. "But I dont think Id consider bumping people off." Thats where she and Monty Navarro differ. Navarro is the protagonist at the heart of Dry Colds current show, A Gentlemens Guide to Love & Murder, a Tony-winning musical set in England just past the turn of the 20th century, the Victorian era in the rearview mirror but very much at the forefront of class politics. Men as aimless and as penniless as Navarro, played by Winnipegs Justin Stadnyk, often require a kick in the pants to seek direction or dollars, and in Gentlemen, that kick comes courtesy of two women. One is a romantic interest, an upper cruster named Sibella (played by local Sarah Luby), who wants to reach an even higher tax bracket. The other is a little old lady named Miss Shingle (Tracy Penner), who brings Monty some shocking news: his mother was a member of the wealthy DYsquith family, banished for defying their snobbery. Dollar signs and hearts replace Navarros pupils: he is eighth in line to become the Earl of Highhurst. To get ahead, he might have to cut. Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press. Dry Cold Productions wanted a jolt of musical glee for its first show since before the pandemic and found it in A Gentlemans Guide to Love & Murder. For a show about murder, Fletcher says Guide is anything but foul. A loose adaptation of Roy Hornimans 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal, which in turn inspired Kind Hearts and Coronets, the show is a smorgasbord of musical styles and comedic approaches: there is pointed satire, murder mystery, slapstick, gallows humour and all-around cleverness. "Its devilishly funny," Fletcher says. An interesting term devilishly funny. The show satirizes the mores of elite British society, which of course are present everywhere in the world, and the wealthy classs obsession with maintaining a separation from those who do not fit their expensive bill a division bordering on caste, especially in the period depicted. It also pokes at the question of social mobility, both upward and downward, what is to be gained and what is to be lost in a move in either direction. There are shades of Mr. Bean, Monty Python, Sondheim and Gilbert & Sullivan daubed throughout the 24-song show, with themes reminiscent of everything from Six Degrees of Separation to Brewsters Millions to Trading Places to Downton Abbey. Rich and poor is a tale as old as money. Written by Robert L. Freedman with music by Steven Lutvak, the Broadway production won widespread acclaim, including four Tonys, in 2013. When the rights became available, Fletcher said it was an obvious fit for Dry Cold, which in mounting its first show since before the pandemic began required a joyful jolt of musical glee. The Free Press | Newsletter Applause A weekly review of the Winnipeg arts scene, delivered every Thursday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The cast and crew takes its cue from director Erin McGrath: they are all local talent. Stadnyk and Luby, plus Sydney Clarke as Montys other love interest, Phoebe, provide a love triangle. Kevin Klassen, who will portray the entire DYsquith family, provides a deadly octagon. "He has eight personas in the show," says Fletcher: the current earl, the next two in line, a woeful actress, Lady Hyacinth DYsquith, a major, a lord who served in the Boer War and a reverend. Key to the show is Monty, who Fletcher says remains loveable even as he plots and executes capital sins. "He takes it further than any of us would go," she says. Nothing is off the table. ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Las vacunas son seguras y protegen. Vacunate!, es el mensaje del presidente del Consejo de Ministros, Anibal Torres. ?? Recuerda que la pandemia no ha terminado por eso #NoBajemosLaGuardia. ???? #MeVacunoPeru pic.twitter.com/9TDGzI1qNv NEW YORK (AP) An associate of Rudy Giuliani who was convicted of campaign finance crimes at trial and later pleaded guilty to a separate fraud charge is asking that he be spared from prison at his sentencing next week, but prosecutors on Wednesday recommended that he be ordered to spend over six years in prison. NEW YORK (AP) An associate of Rudy Giuliani who was convicted of campaign finance crimes at trial and later pleaded guilty to a separate fraud charge is asking that he be spared from prison at his sentencing next week, but prosecutors on Wednesday recommended that he be ordered to spend over six years in prison. Lawyers for Lev Parnas made the request to a Manhattan federal judge in papers that were filed publicly Wednesday. The papers were dated June 15 but were kept sealed for a week while redactions were agreed to. Prosecutors filed their own sentencing arguments Wednesday, saying Parnas should serve at least 6 1/2 years in prison for pumping foreign money" into U.S. elections, making straw donations with other peoples' money, lying to the Federal Election Commission and defrauding investors of over $2 million to fund his lavish lifestyle. For years, prosecutors argued, Parnas has lied and swindled and corrupted for his own benefit." They said he had put himself above this country, his investors and the public." Parnas, 50, faces sentencing June 29 after he was convicted in October at a Manhattan trial of six charges alleging he made illegal donations in 2018 to jump-start a new energy company and used the wealth of a Russian financier to donate to politicians who might aid the launch of a legal recreational-marijuana business. In March, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud, saying that between 2012 and 2019 he conspired with another person to give investors false information about a Florida-based business, Fraud Guarantee. Fraud Guarantee was promoted as a company that could protect investors against fraud. In their presentencing submission, lawyers for the Soviet-born businessman argued that their client deserves leniency in part because he cooperated with Congress, calling it timely and material." The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Prosecutors, though, said information Parnas provided Congress was in response to a subpoena and falls far short of the extraordinary conduct and cooperation that can earn individuals leniency at sentencing. Defense lawyers said his efforts to cooperate with federal prosecutors were not successful because they used information he offered in a bid for a plea deal mainly to thwart his potential trial testimony, rather than to consider his attempt to provide substantial assistance in good faith." But prosecutors countered that the information Parnas offered them was not fully credible and in material respects was plainly contradicted by the evidence." Thus, they said, they had serious concerns about Parnas's credibility and candor." Defense lawyers recommended a sentence of time served roughly 12 days. Parnas several years ago worked with Giuliani to try to get Ukrainian officials to investigate the son of President Joe Biden, who was a candidate at the time. Giuliani has said he knew nothing about the crimes of Parnas and others. Giuliani a former New York City mayor who served as Donald Trumps personal lawyer during part of his presidency has not been criminally charged, though federal authorities have acknowledged that he is being investigated to determine whether he violated a federal law that governs lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities. MEXICO CITY (AP) Two elderly Jesuit priests were killed inside a church where a man pursued by gunmen apparently sought refuge in a remote mountainous area of northern Mexico, the religious orders Mexican branch announced Tuesday. A priest touches the photos of Jesuit priests Javier Campos Morales, left, and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar during a Mass to mourn their death, at a church in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. The two elderly priests were killed inside a church where a man pursued by gunmen apparently sought refuge in a remote mountainous area of northern Mexico, the religious order's Mexican branch announced Tuesday. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) MEXICO CITY (AP) Two elderly Jesuit priests were killed inside a church where a man pursued by gunmen apparently sought refuge in a remote mountainous area of northern Mexico, the religious orders Mexican branch announced Tuesday. Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar, 80, were slain Monday inside the church in Cerocahui in Chihuahua state. They were apparently killed after a man fleeing a drug gang took refuge in the church, authorities said. The gang apparently pursued and caught him, and killed all three. Chihuahua Gov. Maria Eugenia Campos confirmed a third man was killed, without identifying him. But President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said during his daily news conference that the man fleeing the gunmen was also killed. The state government later identified the third man as a tourist guide, and said he had been kidnapped and taken to the church, apparently by the gunmen. The governor said the killings caused deep anger, indignation and pain and shook us to our deepest depths." Lopez Obrador said authorities had information about possible suspects in the killings and noted the area has a strong organized crime presence. People attend a Mass to mourn Jesuit priests Javier Campos Morales and Joaquin Cesar Mora Salazar, at a church in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. The two elderly priests were killed inside a church where a man pursued by gunmen apparently sought refuge in a remote mountainous area of northern Mexico, the religious order's Mexican branch announced Tuesday. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Violence has plagued the Tarahumara mountains for years. The rugged, pine-clad region is home to the Indigenous group of the same name. Cerocahui is near a point where Chihuahua state meets Sonora and Sinaloa, a major drug-producing region. A statement from the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus in Mexico demanded justice and the return of the mens bodies. It said gunmen had taken both of their bodies from the church. Acts like these are not isolated, the statement said. The Tarahumara mountains, like many other regions of the country, face conditions of violence and abandonment that have not been reversed. Every day men and women are arbitrarily deprived of life, as our murdered brothers were today. For some reason, the gunmen did not kill a third priest who was at the church, but refused his pleas for them to leave the bodies of his two colleagues, said Narce Santibanez, the press director for the Jesuits in Mexico. The surviving priest said his two colleagues had been killed with gunshots at close range. The Tarahumara Diocese said in a statement that the killers, not content with murdering them, have taken their bodies ... leaving a wake of pain, sadness and indigation among all of us who want to mourn them. The killing of priests has been a persistent tragedy in Mexico, at least since the start of the drug war in 2006. The Rev. Gilberto Guevara serves in the parish of Aguililla in the western state of Michoacan, a town which has been on the front lines of cartel turf wars for years. Three priests have been killed in the area over the last decade. The danger is always there, Guevara said about working in the cartel-dominated region. As long as we don't get in the way, they respect us, just as the government respects as as long as we are useful to them. The churchs Catholic Multimedia Center said seven priests have been murdered under the current administration, which took office in December 2018, and at least two dozen under the former president, who took office in 2012. The center said that on May 15, a priest who ran a migrant shelter in the northern border city of Tecate was found dead on a ranch. In 2021, a Franciscan priest died when he was caught in the crossfire of a drug gang shootout in the north-central state of Zacatecas as he drove to Mass. Another priest was killed in the central state of Morelos and another in the violence-plagued state of Guanajuato that year. In 2019, a priest was stabbed to death in the northern border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Chihuahua's governor wrote in her Twitter account that she laments and condemns the killings and said security arrangements had been discussed for priests in the area. Campos Morales was ordained as a priest in 1972 and spent almost a half-century working in parishes in the Tarahumara region, known for its grinding poverty and scenic beauty. Mora Salazar was ordained in 1971 and worked off and on in the Tarahumara in the 1970s and 80s before returning full time in 2000. The Tarahumara people, who prefer the name Raramuri, suffered centuries of poverty, exclusion and exploitation, with loggers plundering their forests and drug gangs cultivating marijuana and opium poppies in the mountains. The Jesuits started missions among the Raramuri in the 1600s but were expelled by Spain in 1767. They returned around 1900. The Indigenous community has gained worldwide fame for their skill at running dozens of miles through their mountainous territory, often in leather sandals or barefoot, and have inspired and competed in ultra-long-distance foot races. SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) Scientists say climate change is a factor behind the erratic and early rains that triggered unprecedented floods in Bangladesh and northeastern India, killing dozens and making lives miserable for millions of others. A man uses banana plants for floatation as he transports his goats through flood waters in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Villagers in northeastern Bangladesh are crowding makeshift refugee centers and scrambling to meet boats arriving with food and fresh water as massive floods, which have killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) Scientists say climate change is a factor behind the erratic and early rains that triggered unprecedented floods in Bangladesh and northeastern India, killing dozens and making lives miserable for millions of others. Although the region is no stranger to flooding, it typically takes place later in the year when monsoon rains are well underway. This year's torrential rainfall lashed the area as early as March. It may take much longer to determine the extent to which climate change played a role in the floods, but scientists say that it has made the monsoon a seasonable change in weather usually associated with strong rains more variable over the past decades. This means that much of the rain expected to fall in a year is arriving in a space of weeks. The northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya received nearly three times its average June rainfall in just the first three weeks of the month, and neighboring Assam received twice its monthly average in the same period. Several rivers, including one of Asia's largest, flow downstream from the two states into the Bay of Bengal in low-lying Bangladesh, a densely populated delta nation. People walk through flood waters in Sunamganj, Bangladesh, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Villagers in northeastern Bangladesh are crowding makeshift refugee centers and scrambling to meet boats arriving with food and fresh water as massive floods, which have killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) With more rainfall predicted over the next five days, Bangladesh's Flood Forecast and Warning Centre warned Tuesday that water levels would remain dangerously high in the country's northern regions. The pattern of monsoons, vital for the agrarian economies of India and Bangladesh, has been shifting since the 1950s, with longer dry spells interspersed with heavy rain, said Roxy Matthew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, adding that extreme rainfall events were also projected to increase. Until now, floods in northeastern Bangladesh were rare while Assam state, famed for its tea cultivation, usually coped with floods later in the year during the usual monsoon season. The sheer volume of early rain this year that lashed the region in just a few weeks makes the current floods an unprecedented situation, said Anjal Prakash, a research director at Indias Bharti Institute of Public Policy, who has contributed to U.N.-sponsored study on global warming. This is something that we have never heard of and never seen, he said. Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave a similarly grim assessment Wednesday. Flood affected people wait to receive relief material in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) We havent faced a crisis like this for a long time. Infrastructure must be constructed to cope with such disasters," she told a news conference in Dhaka. The water coming from Meghalaya and Assam has affected the Sylhet region in northeastern Bangladesh, she said, adding that there is no quick respite for the country. Hasina said that floodwaters would recede soon from the northeast, but they would likely hit the countrys southern region soon on the way to the Bay of Bengal. We should prepare to face it, she said. We live in a region where flooding happens quite often, which we have to bear in mind. We must prepare for that. A total of 42 people have died in Bangladesh since May 17 while Indian authorities reported that flood deaths have risen to 78 in Assam state, with 17 others killed in landslides. Hundreds of thousands are displaced and millions in the region have been forced to scramble to makeshift evacuation centers. A flood affected family return to their home as flood water levels recede slowly in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) Bangladesh, home to about 160 million, has historically contributed a fraction of the world's emissions. Meanwhile, a decade-old deal for rich nations, who have contributed more to global emissions, to give $100 billion to poorer nations every year to adapt to climate change and switch to cleaner fuels hasn't been fulfilled. And the money that is provided is spread too thin. That means that countries like Bangladesh whose GDP has risen from $6.2 billion in 1972 to $305 billion in 2019 have to redirect funds to combat climate change, instead of of spending it on policies aimed at lifting millions from poverty. This is a problem which is created by the global industrialized north. And we are paying the price for it because they have ignored their responsibility, Prakash said. In the hardest-hit city of Sylhet, shop owner Mohammad Rashiq Ahamed has returned home with his families to see what can be salvaged from floods. Wading through knee-deep water, he said that he was worried about waters rising again. The weather is changing ... there can be another disaster, at any time. He is one of about 3.5 million Bangladeshis who face the same predicament each year when rivers flood, according to a 2015 analysis by the World Bank Institute. Bangladesh is considered one of the most vulnerable to climate change and the poor are disproportionately impacted. Parul Akhter, a poultry farmer, held on to her disabled son to save him from the floodwaters in Sylhet. But she lost her only income her chickens and all other belongings. The chicken farm was the only way for me to live. I have no other means to earn," she said. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Mohammad Arfanuzzaman, a climate change expert at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, said that catastrophic floods like the one this year could have wide-ranging impacts, from farmers losing their crops and being trapped in a cycle of debt to children not being able to go to school and at increased risk to disease. Poor people are suffering a lot from the ongoing flooding, he said. ___ Ghosal reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Julhas Alam from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Victoria Milko in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report. ___ 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. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Lindi O'Brien picks up a commendation plaque to her father's police service from the barn of her parent's home badly damaged by the severe flooding in Fromberg, Mont., Friday, June 17, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman) YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) Throngs of tourists gleefully watched the legendary Old Faithful geyser shoot towering bursts of steaming water while others got stuck in bison jams on picturesque valley roads as visitors returned Wednesday for the partial reopening of Yellowstone National Park after destructive floods. Park managers raised the gates at three of Yellowstones five entrances for the first time since June 13, when 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt. The cost and scope of the damage is still being assessed, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday. Empty roads and parking lots quickly grew busier by mid-morning as about 5,000 vehicles entered the park after getting through long lines that stretched for several miles (kilometers) at one gate in the early morning. The backups were gone by early afternoon, though, and visitation numbers were less than a normal summer day that draws about 10,000 vehicles, park officials said in a news release. Paul Nithyanand of Chennai, India, gathered around Old Faithful along with 1,500 people in the afternoon to see it erupt. Nithyanand was touring the western U.S with his brother and had already seen the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, but said nothing on his trip compared with Old Faithful. Its awesome, said Nithyanand, who was so impressed he waited around 80 minutes to it erupt again. Ive been seeing it in movies and on YouTube but seeing it live is amazing. Lindi O'Brien sorts through personal mementos in the barn of her parent's home badly damaged by the severe flooding in Fromberg, Mont., Friday, June 17, 2022. As officials scramble to reopen Yellowstone National Park to tourists this week after record floods pounded southern Montana, some of those hardest hit in the disaster live far from the famous park's limelight and are leaning heavily on one another to pull their lives out of the mud. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Lonnie and Graham Macmillan of Vancouver, Canada, were among those at a so-called bison jam where a group of the burly animals crossed the road. The bison sighting capped a successful morning in which theyd already seen two moose and numerous deer. They showed up at the park last week, only to get turned away as it was under evacuation. They diverted to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for a few days and then to Wyomings Big Horn mountains before returning to Yellowstone as soon as the chance arose. The whole purpose of our trip was to come here, Lonnie Macmillan said. We werent going to go home until we got here. A river flows through a missing section of a key bridge that leads to the tourist town of Fishtail, Mont. Friday, June 17, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman) The record floods reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. Some of the premier attractions at Americas first national park were again viewable, including Old Faithful, which shoots bursts of steaming water almost like clockwork more than a dozen times a day. But the bears, wolves and bison that roam the wild Lamar Valley and the thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs will remain out of reach. The wildlife-rich northern half of the park will be shuttered until at least early July, and key routes into the park remain severed near the Montana tourist towns of Gardiner, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Snow capped mountains stand in the background as a detour sign directs traffic off a damaged road from severe flooding in Fishtail, Mont., Friday, June 17, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Muris Demirovic, 43, of Miami and his 70-year-old mother arrived at the east entrance at about 5:30 a.m. and were second in a line of dozens of cars. He and his mother, who is from Bosnia, were on a cross country trip visiting national parks and Yellowstone was at the top of their list. However, when they arrived, it was closed due to flooding. Demirovic and his mother toured Cody, Wyoming, went to a rodeo, walked some trails and visited a museum. They had planned to leave the Yellowstone area on Monday, but stayed when they learned the park would reopen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and my mom, so I had to make sure she sees this," he said. A escort vehicle guides traffic through a single-lane county road after a key bridge that leads to the tourist town of Fishtail, Mont., collapsed, causing traffic to divert, Friday, June 17, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman) To keep visitor numbers down while repairs continue, park managers are using a system that with few exceptions only allows cars with even-numbered last digits on their license plates to enter on even days, while vehicles with odd-numbered last numbers can come on odd days. Park rangers had to turn away fewer than 1% of the people lined up due to license plate issues, and they were turning them away before they got in long lines to enter the park, Sholly said. If traffic along the parks 400 miles (644 kilometers) of roads becomes unmanageable, Sholly said officials could switch to a reservation system. Yokie Johnson turns off a lamp at the end of the night at MontAsia, the restaurant she runs with her husband in Fishtail, Mont., Thursday, June 16, 2022. The main road into Fishtail was washed away by the recent floodwaters and Johnson worries the lack of traffic will hurt their business. For Johnson, the business was a dream come true. She had beat cancer a few years ago, but it returned late last year in a more aggressive form and has spread across her body. "I'm not sure how much time I have left, so the time I have left I want to be with my family, work with them every day, see them every day," she said. (AP Photo/David Goldman) The reopening comes as officials in Yellowstone are still tallying the extent of the damage. Based on other national park disasters, it could take years and carry a steep price tag to rebuild. Its an environmentally sensitive landscape with a huge underground plumbing system that feeds into the parks geysers, hot springs and other thermal features. Construction season only runs from the spring thaw until the first snowfall, a narrow window that means some roads could receive only temporary fixes this year. Thats turned some Montana communities into dead ends instead of being gateways to Yellowstone, a blow to their tourism-dependent economies. Theyre also still struggling to clean up damage to several hundred homes and businesses that were swamped by flooding. Sholly said he initially thought damage was worse than it actually is, but stressed that it is still bad in some areas of the park. That includes what he called catastrophic damage to one road near Gardiner, Montana, that won't be able to be rebuilt in the same canyon. A Yellowstone National Park ranger is seen standing near a road wiped out by flooding along the Gardner River the week before, near Gardiner, Mont., June 19, 2022. Park officials said they hope to open most of the park within two weeks after it was shuttered in the wake of the floods. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown) It could have been a lot worse, Sholly said. But that doesnt mean it wasnt super serious and it doesnt mean its not going to take a long time to recover from. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who r eceived criticism last week for not disclosing he was out of the country until two days after the flooding, was not at the park for Wednesdays reopening. Spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said Gianforte was scheduled to meet with Cabinet members and be briefed on flood response and recovery. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon also wasn't in the park, said his spokesperson Michael Pearlman. This photo provided by National Park Service shows West Entrance gate traffic on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Visitors will return to a changed landscape in Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday as it partially reopens following record floods that reshaped the parks rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. (National Park Service via AP) Tiffany Jahn from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was with her husband and daughter in the line at the south entrance in Wyoming, said she was excited to see anything that was still open and especially hoping to glimpse the parks wildlife. We were actually coming last week and we were getting messages ... saying Dont come, dont come, she said. But we were already out here so we kind of just altered our plans and made it work. ___ Hanson reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana at Yellowstone National Parks south entrance in Wyoming contributed to this report. EDMONTON - Aurora Cannabis Inc. says it is laying off 12 per cent of its workforce as the company embarks on a reorganization. Cannabis seedlings are shown at an Aurora Cannabis grow facility in Montreal on Nov. 24, 2017. Aurora Cannabis Inc. says it is laying off 12 per cent of its workforce as the company embarks on a reorganization. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz EDMONTON - Aurora Cannabis Inc. says it is laying off 12 per cent of its workforce as the company embarks on a reorganization. The Edmonton-based cannabis company confirmed the cut in an email to The Canadian Press, but did not share how many workers would be impacted, what roles they were in or where they were located. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Spokesperson Kate Hillyar says the reorganization will allow Aurora to operate as a leaner, more agile and future-focused company it feels will be fit for success. She says the cuts are part of an additional $70 to $90 million in cost savings Aurora identified in its third-quarter earnings as key to its path to profitability. Several cannabis companies, including Aurora, have been overhauling their operations to better align supply with demand in hopes of becoming profitable in the next few years. Earlier this year, Aurora announced it will close three facilities, including one in Edmonton, where 13 per cent of its global workforce was employed. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022. Companies in this story: (TSX:ACB) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose will be offered to nursing home residents and people age 50 and over in Denmark later this year, the prime minister said Wednesday. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose will be offered to nursing home residents and people age 50 and over in Denmark later this year, the prime minister said Wednesday. The reason for the move is a rise in cases of the BA.5 coronavirus variant in Europe, and Denmark's government says it wants to move swiftly to avoid potential restrictions or a lockdown. The infection has been on the rise for the past three weeks, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. That is why we are acting now." She added that the swift move was aimed at taking care of older people and the vulnerable and to avoid the congestion of hospitals, shutdowns and restrictions and to keep the economy going. Last week, the BA.5 variant accounted for 59% of the positive cases while the previous week it represented 32% of the cases, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said. As of Wednesday, 1,958 cases were reported in Denmark and 249 people were hospitalized. These are staggering numbers, but they are low numbers compared to what we have tried before," said Heunicke, adding that while the variant is more contagious, it doesn't cause more serious illness. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The shot will first be given to those living in nursing homes starting Sept. 15 and then those over 50 from Oct. 1. Vulnerable people also can get a vaccine by contacting their general practitioner, said the head of the Danish Health Authority, Sren Brostrm. Nursing home staff will also be offered a fourth shot. Frederiksen said it is the Danish health authorities assessment that 2.5 million people would be offered revaccination during the fall. She added that with the knowledge Denmark has now, we do not see an autumn and a winter with major restrictions and closures. "All we do now is to avoid the shutdowns," Heunicke said. ___ Follow APs coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/covid-19-pandemic NEW ORLEANS (AP) A Houston dredging company has been ordered to pay a $1 million fine for an oil spill that occurred when a subcontractor cut through an oil pipeline during barrier island restoration work off Louisiana in 2016. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Lyndsey Slabe surveys the cleanup efforts in Bay Long, La., Sept. 10, 2016. A Houston dredging company has been ordered Thursday, June 16, 2022, to pay a $1 million fine for an oil spill that occurred when a subcontractor cut through a pipeline during Louisiana barrier island restoration work in 2016. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Giles/U.S. Coast Guard via AP) NEW ORLEANS (AP) A Houston dredging company has been ordered to pay a $1 million fine for an oil spill that occurred when a subcontractor cut through an oil pipeline during barrier island restoration work off Louisiana in 2016. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, which describes itself as the nation's largest dredging company, was sentenced last Thursday for violating the Clean Water Act, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans. Great Lakes recklessly violated regulations designed to protect the environment and then tried to hide their actions, Kimberly Bahney, special agent in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency's criminal enforcement program in Louisiana, said Friday in that news release. The spill occurred when a marsh buggy hit a pipeline while digging and moving sediment to create part of the island's new outline, releasing an estimated 5,300 gallons (20,000 liters) of crude oil and oiling about 200 birds. The restoration at Chenier Ronquille, a barrier island east of Grand Isle, was paid for by money from the 2010 BP oil spill. Great Lakes, which was headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, in 2016 but has since moved to Houston, pleaded guilty in June 2021. As part of the plea, it said it violated state and federal laws by failing to tell companies about continuing work near their pipelines. A statement filed with the guilty plea also said Great Lakes' failure to properly supervise James Tassin, whose marsh buggy punctured the pipeline on Sept. 5, 2016, was a cause of the spill. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Tassin, a Shallow Water Equipment LLC employee, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to violating the Clean Water Act. His sentencing is scheduled Aug. 16, according to online court documents. A Great Lakes employee told him to dig near pipelines even though that area wasn't in the plan approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to the news release. It said Great Lakes had not gotten pipeline companies' word that it was safe to dig, and Tassin said a Great Lakes employee told him "not to tell anyone that Tassin had been digging near the site of the spill. The two Houston companies that owned the pipeline, Harvest Pipeline Company and Arrowhead Gulf Coast Pipeline, LLC, sued for damages including cleanup costs. Prosecutors said Great Lakes agreed to pay nearly $3.2 million and Tassins employer agreed to pay it nearly $1.7 million. U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry last week rejected prosecutors' request to make Great Lakes pay a total of at least $6 million in restitution for the spill, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. The investigation would be too unwieldly, while unnecessarily stalling an end to the Chenier Ronquille incident, he wrote. Besides, he said, the figure probably wouldn't be far from the figure settled on for the damage suit. Money to pay the fine is already in a court account. Great Lakes deposited $2 million for possible restitution when it pleaded guilty, and will get the rest back, according to court documents. STROE, Netherlands (AP) Thousands of farmers gathered in the central Netherlands Wednesday to protest the Dutch governments plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, driving their tractors across the Netherlands and snarling traffic on major highways. A small group of people gather ahead of a major protest by farmers at a village in central Netherlands, in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Thousands of farmers are driving their tractors along roads and highways across the Netherlands, heading for a mass protest against the Dutch governments plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia. (AP Photo/Michael Corder) STROE, Netherlands (AP) Thousands of farmers gathered in the central Netherlands Wednesday to protest the Dutch governments plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, driving their tractors across the Netherlands and snarling traffic on major highways. The protest was organized earlier this month after the government published nationwide targets for reducing emissions, sparking anger from farmers who claim their livelihoods and those of thousands of people who work in the agricultural service industry are on the line. Calling it an unavoidable transition, the government mandated reductions in emissions of up to 70% in many places close to protected nature areas and as high as 95% in other places. The government has been forced to act after courts in recent years began blocking permits for infrastructure and housing projects because the country was missing its emissions targets. Organizers said some 40,000 farmers converged on a green field in the small agricultural village of Stroe, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of the capital, Amsterdam. A stage was set up for speakers to address the crowd and music blared out of speakers while children bounced in a giant inflatable pig. Farmers hooted their tractors' horns as they drove onto the field, where a banner on a truck read, in Dutch, What The Hague chooses is deeply sad for the farmer, a reference to lawmakers in the city that houses the Netherlands' parliament. Another banner on a tractor said: We can no longer be stopped. Marijn van Heun, a 23-year-old dairy farmer from the central Utrecht province, said the government plans were stripping young farmers of their futures. We cannot invest. Our fathers, our uncles, cannot invest in the future. And so as young farmers we also have no prospect of ... taking over a farm, he said. The national infrastructure authority urged motorists to delay travel as slow-moving convoys of tractors defied appeals not to use highways as they drove toward the demonstration. The traffic chaos continued throughout the day. As tractors returned home, some farmers blocked a highway. A tractor and a truck collided elsewhere. Earlier, in The Hague, a few dozen farmers and their supporters, some wearing T-shirts with the text No farmers, no food, gathered for a breakfast before heading to the protest. This is where the rules are made, said dairy farmer Jaap Zegwaard, who parked his tractor on the edge of a park in the city. I was asked to come here and provide breakfast so we can show we are food producers, not pollution producers. The ruling coalition has earmarked an extra 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to finance changes that will likely make many farmers drastically reduce their number of livestock or to get rid of them altogether. The plans, which have to be carried out by provincial governments, have been opposed even by members of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's own party and other members of his coalition. Provincial governments have been given a year to formulate plans to meet the reduction targets. One government lawmaker, Tjeerd de Groot, tweeted that he had planned to attend to discuss the plan with farmers but called off his trip on the advise of a government security agency. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Does the law of the tractor apply in our country? he tweeted. Farming is a key sector in the Dutch economy, with exports worth nearly 105 billion euros last year. But it comes at a cost of producing of polluting gases, despite farmers taking steps to reduce emissions. Zegwaard said farmers were prepared to talk about how to reduce emissions, but objected to the industry shouldering most of the blame. Now the agricultural sector is dismissed as a major polluter and that is not right," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed. BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union's executive arm on Wednesday proposed setting legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools. BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union's executive arm on Wednesday proposed setting legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools. The European Commission said the current rules limiting the use of pesticides were too weak and have not been applied consistently across the EU. A study by the group Pesticide Action Network Europe last month said the contamination of fruit and vegetables produced in the European Union with the most toxic pesticides has substantially increased over the past decade. To facilitate the transition from chemical pesticides to alternative methods, farmers would be able to use EU funds to cover the cost of the new requirements for five years, the European Commission said. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The commission also wants to introduce a law aimed at repairing environmental damage by 2050. The aim is to cover at least 20% of the EUs land and sea areas by 2030 with nature restoration measures, and eventually extend these to all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050," the commission said. The proposed measure includes plans to stop the decline of pollinators by 2030 and then increase their populations. In recent years, theres been an alarming drop in bee populations, which has stoked fears of an ensuing impact on crop production. According to recent figures released by the European Parliament, about 84% of crop species and 78% of wildflowers across the EU depend to some extent on pollination, and almost 15 billion euros ($16.5 billion) of the blocs annual agricultural output is directly attributed to insect pollinators. The commission's proposals need to be endorsed by EU lawmakers and member countries. When we restore nature, we allow it to continue providing clean air, water, and food, and we enable it to shield us from the worst of the climate crisis, said commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, who oversees the European Green Deal. Reducing pesticide use likewise helps nature recover, and protects the humans who work with these chemicals. MADRID (AP) Extended drought conditions in several Mediterranean countries, a heat wave last week that reached northern Germany and high fuel costs for aircraft needed to fight wildfires have heightened concerns across Europe this summer. A firefighter works in front of flames during a wildfire in the Sierra de la Culebra in the Zamora Provence on Saturday June 18, 2022. Spain is breathing a sigh of relief as a sharp drop in temperatures is helping firefighters contain wildfires across the country that destroyed tens of thousands of acres of wooded land. But its still only June. Extended drought conditions in several Mediterranean countries, a heat wave last week that reached northern Germany and high fuel costs needed to operate firefighting aircraft have already heightened concerns across Europe this summer. (Emilio Fraile/Europa Press via AP) MADRID (AP) Extended drought conditions in several Mediterranean countries, a heat wave last week that reached northern Germany and high fuel costs for aircraft needed to fight wildfires have heightened concerns across Europe this summer. And it's only June. Much of the continent is in drought, said Cathelijne Stoof, an environmental science professor at the Netherlands Wageningen University, who called the wildfire outlook very challenging across Europe. Fires last summer blackened more than 11,000 square kilometers (4,250 square miles) of land an area more than four times the size of Luxembourg. About half of the damage was in the European Union. And, experts say, Europes wildfires aren't just a problem for the southern, hotter countries. What scientists are warning us is that (fires) are obviously going north and in countries such as the U.K., in countries such as Germany as well as in Scandinavian countries, in the future, we need to expect wildfires to happen more often, said Catherine Gamper, a climate change adaptation specialist at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Wildfires across Spain have destroyed tens of thousands of acres of wooded land, though a recent sharp drop in temperatures is helping firefighters contain them. Spains problems began with the arrival in spring of the earliest heat wave in two decades. Temperatures as high as those normally recorded in August rose above 40 C (104 F) in many Spanish cities. Neighboring Portugal also saw its warmest May in nine decades, and in France the month was the hottest on record. As a result of climate change, heat waves are starting earlier and are becoming more frequent and more severe because of record concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, the World Meteorological Organization said last week. What we are witnessing today is a foretaste of the future. Despite the extensive planning, early-warning surveillance, and prediction models, preparing for wildfires remains a huge challenge. The EU is expanding a shared pool of planes and helicopters on standby this summer to provide cross-border support and is expected to partner with more nations outside the bloc. Its very difficult to predict wildfires, said Marta Arbinolo, an OECD policy analyst and climate adaptation and resilience specialist. We do know that summer (of) 2022 is predicted by weather forecasts to be particularly warm and dry, possibly even more than 2020 or 21, which was the driest and warmest summer in Europe," she said. "We can expect that the risk of wildfires in Europe for the summer might be very high. In Greece, which suffered some of Europes most devastating fires last August, authorities say higher fuel costs have added to challenges facing the fire service, which relies heavily on water-dropping planes to battle blazes in the mountainous country. Greece will begin using fire retardant chemicals in water drops this year, while the EU is sending more than 200 firefighters and equipment from France, Germany and four other countries to Greece to remain throughout the summer. Wildfire seasons are also getting longer. The concept of a fire season is losing its meaning right now. We have the fire season all year-round, said Victor Resco de Dios, professor of forest engineering at Lleida University, in Spains northeastern Catalonia region, which has been hit hard by summer fires. The main changes we are seeing with climate change is a longer duration of fire seasons. Laura Vilagra, a senior Catalonia government official, told a regional conference that fire prevention measures this season could include park closures. The weather every year is more adverse, and the drought is very evident this year, she said. Were expecting a very complicated summer. Resco foresees a bleak future in Spain, arguing that areas currently affected by fires probably will not experience many fires by the turn of the century. Why? Because forests would be very scarce. There would be nothing left to burn. Other experts aren't as grim. The OECDs Gamper and Arbinolo point out that some of the worst fires have actually brought positive developments such as the EUs Civil Protection Mechanism that facilitates rapid cooperation between countries in emergencies. European countries, they argue, are also opening up to incorporate risk reduction in their planning, rather than simply boosting their firefighting resources. The core is the need for integrated fire management, attention to fires all year round rather than just when it is dry, and investment in landscape management, Stoof said. Gamper appealed for two things she said would have a major impact. First, reconsider urban planning by not building near forests of extreme risk. I think our first sort of appeal to countries is really to think about where you continue to settle, Gamper said. Second of all, enforce your regulations. Countries know what to do. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. ___ Derek Gatopoulos reported from Athens, Greece. Hernan Munoz Ratto contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain. ___ Follow Ciaran Giles at https://twitter.com/ciarangiles and Derek Gatopoulos https://twitter.com/dgatopoulos ___ Follow APs climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Orion Summit 2022, that is taking place in Yerevan, is of vital importance for tech companies, as well as for the development of the sector. This technological summit is also a good opportunity to record the sectors developments and achievements, Armenian Minister of High Technological Industry Robert Khachatryan said in his speech at the summit, Armenpress correspondent reports. Holding such events is of key importance for the technological companies, as well as for the development of the field. Today famous representatives of technological and business sectors will gather in a single platform to discuss the relevant topics, share their experience and success stories. This is also a good opportunity for us to record the developments and achievements of the field, the minister said. In his remarks the minister said one should not avoid talking also about the problems as, according to him, revealing and discussing them, developing solution ways allows not to repeat the mistakes and avoid making new mistakes. He said that the development of startup ecosystem is on the agenda of the high-tech ministry. Minister Khachatryan assured that they are conducting consistent works for the development and progress of startups. He is sure that the experience of successful companies could be a serious impetus for the new startups. Armenia has a big technological potential, and this potential is partially gathered here. I am convinced the results of this summit will not make wait long. I am sure that the event will be productive and will contribute to finding jointly new directions for progress, the minister said. About Orion Orion Worldwide Innovations (Orion), is a startup growth and ecosystem acceleration hub and offers a full-service package to make companies investable to enter the US market, enhance their customer acquisition strategies, stay competitive and protect their innovation. Orion is a U.S.-based company formed in 2017, with offices in New York City, U.S., and Yerevan, Armenia, though Orion partners with companies and investor networks worldwide. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Firefighter groups are applauding the Biden administration's steps to raise pay but warn that the temporary wage hikes won't be enough to combat staffing problems, as federal agencies compete with local fire departments and big box stores in a tight labor market. Jonathon Golden, a former federal firefighter, poses for a photograph on May 19, 2022, in Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Salt Lake City. Firefighter groups are applauding steps taken by the Biden administration to temporarily raise wages for the men and women on the front lines of the nation's largest wildfires. Its an effort and an attempt to try to to keep people at their jobs, said Golden. But it still falls woefully short of the pay in municipal departments and other state agencies. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Firefighter groups are applauding the Biden administration's steps to raise pay but warn that the temporary wage hikes won't be enough to combat staffing problems, as federal agencies compete with local fire departments and big box stores in a tight labor market. Its an effort and an attempt to try to keep people at their jobs, Jonathon Golden, a former federal firefighter from Park City, Utah, said of the move to raise federal firefighter pay. But it still falls woefully short of the pay in municipal departments and other state agencies. Wildfire season is raging throughout the western U.S. and fierce competition for workers is exacerbating challenges facing the land management agencies that employ firefighters. For years, firefighters and their advocates have decried stagnant pay and increased costs of living, arguing both are making recruitment difficult and attrition inevitable. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that infrastructure bill funds would go to backpay and giving all federal firefighters a raise for two years either a 50% bump from their base salary or $20,000, whichever is less. The move follows an executive order President Joe Biden signed last year to raise federal firefighter minimum wage to $15 an hour. And it implements provisions of last year's infrastructure bill designed to help recruit and retain firefighters, including $600 million in one-time funding to raise pay. Biden said funding for long-term pay raises remained a priority as climate change makes the U.S. West hotter, drier and more prone to wildfires. I will do everything in my power, including working with Congress to secure long-term funding, to make sure these heroes keep earning the paychecks and dignity they deserve, he said in a statement. Though officials say its an imperfect metric, the number of unfilled staffing requests on large wildfires or unable to fill orders, indicates growing problems: In 2019, there were 92 times where the National Interagency Fire Center couldnt mobilize crews to wildfires upon request. In 2020, there were 339 crew mobilization orders that couldnt be filled. And last year, 1,858 crew mobilization orders couldnt be filled. Ken Schmid, operations specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center, said unable to fill orders reflect staffing needs but also may depend on geography or time of year, particularly in months when agencies dedicate staff to training or other high priority work. What it comes down to is weve got more big fires out there and incident management teams with needs to try and corral them than we have folks available, said Grant Beebe, a former smokejumper and the Bureau of Land Managements assistant director for fire and aviation. Members of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters believe raises were long overdue. However, they warn that without permanent increases, some of the nation's most skilled firefighters including hotshots, smokejumpers and helitack crews may go work elsewhere. You can go to a Whole Foods and start off at $16 an hour with $1,000 signing bonus. Its just a tight labor market now, Golden, the former firefighter, said. In addition to facing competition from retail employers, federal agencies also compete with state and local departments that can pay more, offer more full-time positions and better benefits. Mid-career federal firefighters currently earn roughly half the pay of third-year firefighters employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, according to analysis from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. Incident commanders working for federal agencies can make as little as one-quarter of the pay of entry-level municipal firefighters working the same fire. Pay bumps and the creation of a new job classification that will allow more firefighters to be hired for year-round positions will narrow the gap between federal firefighters pay and benefits and their state and local counterparts, federal officials say. In a fact-sheet released this week, they say they expect the changes announced Tuesday to help firefighting agencies recruit more workers and create career advancement opportunities for those already employed. Both, officials say, should lower attrition rates for skilled firefighters who have left for other departments or industries. Land management agencies, mainly the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, hope to employ more than 30,000 firefighters during peak season this summer and have worked to recruit new employees throughout the spring. But the Forest Service said last month that staffing levels were 90% overall, but as low as 50% in some fire-prone regions, including California, Oregon and Washington. Randy Erwin, president of the union representing a majority of federal wildland firefighters, said recruitment and retention had been particularly difficult this year, amid a worse-than-normal fire season. He expects the pay bump to help agencies fill their firefighting ranks. Firefighters simply could not make ends meet on the hopelessly low salaries offered at federal agencies, so jobs were becoming very difficult to fill, he said in a statement. Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said there were few signs of competition for workers decreasing or hiring slowing down. Though the labor market remains tight, he said private sector employers have recovered to pre-pandemic levels more than public sector employers such as the federal agencies who employ firefighters. Firefighting may be an attractive profession for young people craving adventure and a sense of purpose, but Hershbein said the allure would likely not insulate federal agencies from broader trends in the labor market and the many factors that prospective employees weigh when considering jobs. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Based on my read of everything going on in the labor market, unless they are going to be doing other things to attract people like bonuses and other incentives its going to be really hard," he said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who last month in a letter called looming staffing shortages an urgent threat to natural resources, public safety, and taxpayer dollars," applauded Biden's announcement. But he said more needed to be done for firefighters, particularly as blazes grow more severe. They deserve the basic decency of good pay and good benefits that fully recognize their sacrifice and essential work, and allows them to support their families," he said. Summer is here, there are firefighter shortages in Oregon and across the West, and there is no time to waste in getting these changes implemented on the ground. ___ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington, D.C. Metz reported part of this story from an Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources workshop in Boise, Idaho. ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, making his first visit to Turkey following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. FILE - In this photo made available by the Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak after their meeting in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, April 29, 2022. Saudi Crown Prince is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 making his first visit to Turkey as the two regional heavyweights press ahead with efforts to repair ties following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. (Turkish Presidency via AP, File) ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, making his first visit to Turkey following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted the prince at the gates of the presidential palace. As Saudi Arabia and Turkey press ahead with efforts to repair ties that were strained by Khashoggis killing. Prince Mohammed is on the last leg of a Middle East tour that also took him to Egypt and Jordan. Erdogan said talks with the prince, who is commonly referred to by his initials MBS, would focus on advancing Turkish-Saudi relations to a much higher degree. Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, paying his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, a year before the gruesome killing of Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the kingdoms Istanbul consulate. The crown princes convoy arrived at the presidential palace complex escorted by Turkish mounted honor guards. Prince Mohammed and Erdogan smiled and kissed each other on both cheeks before a military band played the national anthems of both their countries. The president then led his visitor down a turquoise-colored carpet, where the prince greeted the Turkish honor guards. Efforts by the regional heavyweights to improve their ties come as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments from wealthy Gulf Arab states. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Talks with the UAEs Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year led to investment deals worth $10 billion after years of regional rivalry. Saudi Arabia, for its part, has been trying to broaden its alliances at a time of strained relations between Riyadh and Washington. The crown prince also seeks to put an end to the scandal over Khashoggis killing that damaged his reputation. Prince Mohammeds Middle East trip comes before U.S. President Joe Bidens scheduled trip to the region next month. Biden is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of a July 13-16 trip that includes stops in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Ayham Kamel, head of the Euroasia Groups Middle East research team, said the princes regional trip this week is designed to cement Riyadhs regional role and expand reconciliation efforts" ahead of Bidens visit to Saudi Arabia. He said it could also serve to mediate between Egypt and Turkey, which are working toward reconciliation after their relations broke down over Turkeys strong opposition to the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Bilateral trade is likely to increase, and there is a good chance that Saudi tourism flows to Turkey will resume, Kamel wrote. Talks could also involve military/defense cooperation or arms procurement, as the Saudis are interested in exploring diversifying their suppliers. As relations with Turkey frayed over Khashoggi's Oct. 2018 slaying, Saudi Arabia launched an unofficial embargo on Turkish exports, dramatically curbing around $5 billion in bilateral trade. The kingdom also temporarily barred wildly popular Turkish soap operas. The killing in the consulate sparked global outrage and put pressure on Prince Mohammed, who was said to have approved the operation to kill or capture the journalist, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. The prince has denied any knowledge of the operation that was carried out by agents who worked directly for him. While never naming the crown prince, Erdogan has said the operation that killed Khashoggi was ordered by the highest levels of the Saudi government. Khashoggi entered the consulate by appointment to obtain papers to allow him to wed his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who waited for him outside. He never emerged and his body was never found. Cengiz said she welcomed the improvement in Saudi and Turkish relations but opposed Prince Mohammed getting welcomed to Ankara before Khashoggi's killers were brought to justice. As someone who has been wronged, I find it very heartbreaking, Cengiz told The Associated Press in a written response to questions. I object to this. Jamals body is still missing. I am devastated that this has gone unanswered and that those who killed him remain unpunished. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Turkey opened a trial in absentia against 26 Saudis suspected in Khashoggis killing, but the court earlier this year ruled to halt the proceedings and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the countries rapprochement. An apology should have been made both to my country and to me, Cengiz said. She also was critical of Bidens plans to visit Saudi Arabia. Forgetting all the promises he made, he is now taking steps for his own countrys interests. He is violating the values that he believes in," Cengiz said. "With this visit, he is making the whole world question his sincerity. ___ Wieting reported from Istanbul. MONTREAL - The head of Pornhub's parent company and its chief operating officer have resigned from MindGeek's day-to-day operations after more than a decade. MONTREAL - The head of Pornhub's parent company and its chief operating officer have resigned from MindGeek's day-to-day operations after more than a decade. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The company, which has legal headquarters in Luxembourg and its main office in Montreal, says chief executive Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo will remain shareholders. MindGeek's executive leadership team will run daily operations while a search is underway to permanently fill the positions. The company says in an email that under Antoon and Tassillo's leadership, MindGeek's platforms have become global market leaders, with flagship platform Pornhub ranking among the 10 most popular websites worldwide, attracting millions of visitors daily. Pornhub and several affiliated companies settled a lawsuit last October brought by 50 women who alleged it profited from pornographic videos published without their full consent. The lawsuit filed in U.S. district court in California initially involved 40 women, including three Canadians, but it was later expanded to include 10 additional women and other businesses connected to MindGeek were added as defendants. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2022. OTTAWA - Almost 100,000 mail-in ballots were not counted in the federal election, most because they arrived after the deadline, a report by Elections Canada has revealed. Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault speaks at a press conference about Elections Canada's recommendations report from the 43rd and 44th general elections in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle OTTAWA - Almost 100,000 mail-in ballots were not counted in the federal election, most because they arrived after the deadline, a report by Elections Canada has revealed. The body that administers Canada's elections says 99,988 special ballots were "set aside" and not counted, including because they arrived too late, were not filled in properly or lacked a signature. Canadian expats living overseas, people working away from home in Canada and members of the Armed Forces were among those whose special ballots were not counted. A record number of people asked for special mailable ballots for the Sept. 21 election. But most Canadians voted in person at a polling station, although COVID-19 restrictions, including sanitizing and physical distancing, led to long delays at some. The Elections Canada analysis found an 82 per cent increase in the number of mail-in ballots in last year's general election compared to the 2019 federal poll. The report said more than 1.1 million special ballots were received, including from prisoners in jail. During a federal election, local electors voting by special ballot must return it to Elections Canada by close of polls. International voters, those voting by mail from away from home, including Canadian Forces and prisoners, need to return their ballot to Elections Canada headquarters in Ottawa by 6 p.m. for it to count. Canada's Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault recommended this month that Parliament take steps to ensure that ballots arrive on time, including extending the period for registering for a special ballot. "The earlier electors cast their special ballot, the more likely it is that it will be received before the deadline," his report to MPs said. "It's important to note that this is the first time that Elections Canada has published special ballot voting data to this degree of detail," said Matthew McKenna, a spokesman for Elections Canada. "The Chief Electoral Officer has also already made recommendations to Parliament on how to amend the Canada Elections Act in ways that would improve the special ballot process." Perrault suggested that people voting by mail-in ballot be able to name a political party rather than a candidate, as is the case in provincial elections in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, to make the process quicker. Elections Canada put in place some measures to make it easier to vote by special ballot before the election, including allowing people to drop off the envelope containing their ballot at polling stations in their district. Many Canadian embassies and high commissions reached out to expats to tell them how to vote by mail, with some offering to send their ballots to Ottawa directly. Some embassies also warned that postal services could be held up because of COVID-19 delays, suggesting that voters fill in and post their ballots early. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Anne McGrath, the NDP National Director, said it should be made easier to vote, not harder. She had proposed measures to help more people participate in elections. Those included suggesting that a postal mark with a date on it could be used for votes by mail "so voters who did the right thing and mailed their ballot by the cut off date will get to have their vote counted." A total of 1,275,226 voters requested a special ballot during the 2021 election compared to 700,542 in 2019. Not all were returned. Some elections agents went to extraordinary lengths to get special ballots to Canadians living and working in remote areas. In British Columbia, an election agent who usually runs a chocolate shop flew by helicopter to lighthouses with a ballot box, to help lighthouse-keepers to vote on time. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022. KIGALI, Rwanda - Canada will open an embassy in Rwanda as part of efforts to combat the influence of Russia and China in Africa, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced on Wednesday shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in the country to begin a 10-day overseas trip. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a closing press conference following the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, June 10, 2022. The prime minister is set to depart on a ten day trip to confer with his international counterparts around the world Tuesday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick KIGALI, Rwanda - Canada will open an embassy in Rwanda as part of efforts to combat the influence of Russia and China in Africa, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced on Wednesday shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in the country to begin a 10-day overseas trip. "Yes, we know that Russia is present on the continent. Yes, we know that China is increasingly present also on the continent. We can't be naive," Joly told reporters in Kigali. "We need to make sure that we have the diplomats on the ground with eyes and ears listening to what's going on, to make sure that we can play a positive role with Rwanda and the entire region." She said Canada is setting up a permanent embassy in Kigali, with an ambassador, and will also name a new ambassador to the African Union, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The prime minister's plane touched down at sunset on Wednesday in Kigali, where he will gather beginning Thursday with the heads of government from the other 53 countries in the Commonwealth for the first time since 2018. The original meeting, planned for 2020, was, like so much else, put off by the COVID-19 pandemic that is still an important backdrop to the talks. The consequences of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, have been felt around the globe particularly in some of the smaller nations whose leaders Trudeau will meet in Kigali. The conflict sparked a massive refugee crisis. It also limited other countries' access to wheat from Ukraine, often referred to as the breadbasket of Europe because of its significant food production. African countries, 19 of which are Commonwealth members, have faced especially severe food insecurity as a result. The UN World Food Program has warned that millions of people in the developing world and conflict zones are in danger of starvation. Before the war, Russia and Ukraine produced about 30 per cent of the world's exported grain. The closure of key ports in the Black Sea has made it difficult to ship those goods to the countries that need them. "We are ready to send ships to Romania, basically to get every single grain out of Ukraine. We need to free the wheat," Joly said. Dealing with the emerging geopolitical consequences of the conflict in Ukraine is what Joly calls the "third phase" of Canada's response to the Russian invasion and said there will be further announcements on that front this week. Trudeau spoke about potential measures during a phone call last week with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, who will be hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Canada will also be rallying support for Ukraine among Commonwealth members and attempt to win over any leaders who may be on the fence about condemning Russia. When the United Nations voted to suspend Russia from the human rights council in April, 58 countries abstained from the vote. Of those, 29 were Commonwealth countries. Macky Sall, the president of Senegal and chair of the African Union, blamed western sanctions on Russia for stopping the flow of grain. He made the remarks at a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month. Joly said it will be important to hear from members of the African Union and those who abstained from the UN vote to understand where they're coming from and how to change their minds. That will be her goal on Thursday when she sits down with her counterpart from India, a country with long-standing diplomatic ties to Russia. In Kigali, Trudeau will take part in meetings with Commonwealth leaders and roundtable discussions on the climate economy. Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are also both scheduled to attend the gathering. The Queen attended the 2018 Commonwealth summit, which took place at Buckingham Palace. Trudeau is also expected to pay his respects at the Kigali Genocide Memorial on Thursday, in memory of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi people. He will depart for Schloss Elmau, a resort in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, for the G7 leaders' summit on Saturday before heading to a NATO meeting in Madrid next week. He will also meet Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress said it expects Trudeau to spur other leaders into action on Ukraine when he is in Germany and Spain. Congress head Ihor Michalchyshyn said he spoke to Ukrainian defence officials in a recent trip to Kyiv, who highlighted the dire situation they're facing with dwindling military equipment. "They don't have enough weapons. They've been actually saying that they're going to run out of ammunition in coming weeks and months," Michalchyshyn said. "If there's nothing of substance announced and operationalized there, the rhetoric is empty." Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to address the G7 and NATO summits, where the conversation will be largely focused on economic and military support for the embattled country. Last week in Brussels, Defence Minister Anita Anand, who will join Trudeau at the NATO summit, announced Canada would deliver 10 replacement artillery barrels, worth $9 million, to support the M777 howitzer artillery guns already provided. As of the end of January, 33,346 candidates for the Security Forces of Ukraine have participated in Canada's training program, called Operation Unifier, since September 2015. Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins pressed Trudeau during his visit to Canada last month for a more permanent military presence in the Baltics to counter any Russian perceptions of NATO weakness in the area. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Canada currently has nearly 700 troops leading a NATO battlegroup in Latvia, one of several in the region. At a joint news conference with Karins in Ottawa, Trudeau announced one general and six staff officers from the Canadian Armed Forces would be deployed to a NATO headquarters in Adazi near the Latvian capital of Riga, but deferred any major decisions to the NATO talks. The serious conflict between Ukraine and Russia has drawn more countries to the coming NATO meeting in Madrid, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He is he first Japanese leader to join a top meeting of the North Atlantic military alliance. Sweden and Finland, which have applied to join NATO, are sending delegations. South Korea's new President Yoon Suk-yeol has also signalled his intention to attend. Trudeau is expected to return to Ottawa on June 30, in time for Canada Day celebrations. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version misspelled Defence Minister Anita Anand's surname. Several more people have contacted Manitoba RCMP with allegations they were abused by a now-retired Catholic priest when he worked at residential schools in the 1960s. Several more people have contacted Manitoba RCMP with allegations they were abused by a now-retired Catholic priest when he worked at residential schools in the 1960s. The RCMP would not say how many complaints have been received since it announced June 17 a charge of indecent assault against Arthur Masse, 92. LA SOCIETE HISTORIQUE DE SAINT-BONIFACE Father Arthur Masse The national police service has vowed to look into every report from residential school survivors. Former Skownan First Nation chief Bernard Catcheway, who alleges he was sexually assaulted at the Pine Creek Residential School when he was about 10 years old, is among those whove called or visited police in recent days. "I will never forgive him for what he did," Catcheway, 70, told the Free Press on Tuesday. "I struggle every day. I still try to block (it) out in my mind, but its really hard." Catcheway said he gave a statement to the RCMP detachment in Winnipegosis, after seeing media coverage of the charge against Masse. He was told officers from D Division headquarters in Winnipeg will interview him. "Im getting up in age. I want to set myself free from the damage," he said. "I have to deal with the pain, the suffering. Ive got to heal. If he goes to jail, fine. Its really up to a judge." I got angry. I still cry. I was treated like an animal at the residential school. It was very detrimental what we had to go through." Bernard Catcheway Arrested at his home in Winnipeg, Masse was charged with indecent assault for an alleged offence against a 10-year-old girl. She was a student at the Fort Alexander Residential School in Sagkeeng First Nation, between 1968 and 1970, the year the school closed. The charge followed a decade-long investigation into the school, which developed a reputation for abuse. Seeing a photo of Masse in a TV news report last week made Catcheway emotional. ARCHIVES OF THE MISSIONARY OBLATE SISTERS The Fort Alexander Indian Residential School on the Fort Alexander Reserve, now the Sagkeeng First Nation, in southeastern Manitoba was built in 1905. "I got angry. I still cry," said Catcheway, who attended Pine Creek, about 400 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, for about eight years. "I was treated like an animal at the residential school. It was very detrimental what we had to go through." According to online records from the Winnipeg-based National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Masse was the Pine Creek schools principal from July 1961 to July 1966. He was principal and, later, an administrator at the Fort Alexander school between August 1966 and July 1969, records state. Marilyn Courchene, 62, encountered Masse when she was a day school student at Fort Alexander. She alleges the man stroked her neck and made her feel uncomfortable as he stood over her in a classroom when she was in Grade 2. "It was wrong," said Courchene. Years later, when she was about 12, Masse visited her familys home and sat next to her when her mother left the room to make tea, she alleged. "He put his hand on my leg and asked, How are you doing?" said Courchene. SUPPLIED Residential school survivor Marilyn Courchene: It was wrong." She said she is on a "healing journey," while dealing with the abuse suffered at the school. Courchene went to the Powerview RCMP detachment Tuesday also National Indigenous Peoples Day to make a complaint about Masse. She was told an investigator would take her statement later this week. If Masse is found guilty of an offence, Courchene would prefer any punishment to be handled by a traditional sentencing circle. "I dont want vengeance. Im looking for justice in a good way, not in a colonial way," she said. "Im asking him to sit with us and to be accountable to us. "Just tell us, Im sorry. Thats all we need to hear to move forward for forgiveness. At least we could get closure from one priest out of many." SUPPLIED Marilyn Courchene, left, sitting next to her cousin Jeff Courchene. Courchene and other residential school survivors are planning to attend court July 20 in Powerview, when Masse, who was released with conditions, is scheduled to appear. Masse has not been charged with any additional offences, as RCMP receive reports from more complainants. "I can confirm there have been further reports made to police since the news of the arrest," RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel wrote in an email. "However, we will not be providing numbers or any further specifics at this time. We will look into every report received." I dont want vengeance. Im looking for justice in a good way, not in a colonial way. Im asking him to sit with us and to be accountable to us." Marilyn Courchene Some of NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaines family members attended Fort Alexander. She said the charge against Masse has prompted a range of reactions and emotions from residential school survivors. The St. Johns MLA said the arrest shows there is no reason others cannot be brought to justice decades later. But there is a sense of urgency and police investigations should be expedited because alleged abusers who are still alive are at an advanced age, she said. "I would like to see that there be devoted front-end resources toward bringing to justice those predators and offenders that are still alive," said Fontaine. Masse worked at least two other residential schools, including one in Brandon, where he was an administrator from September 1970 to June 1971, according to NCTR records. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A Societe historique de Saint-Boniface archive said his first post was at the Fort Frances Residential School in northwestern Ontario, where he stayed until 1957. After working in Manitoba, he returned to Fort Frances, located in Couchiching First Nation, from July 1971 to September 1974. After the school closed, he worked as a missionary in Fort Frances until 1981. The residential schools resolution health support program has a crisis line for survivors and their relatives at 1-866-925-4419 chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching Scattered thunderstorms couldnt dampen the spirits of people and organizers who celebrated the 26th annual National Indigenous Peoples Day. Scattered thunderstorms couldnt dampen the spirits of people and organizers who celebrated the 26th annual National Indigenous Peoples Day. People shared stories, music, food and culture in the spirit of recognition and reconciliation in events across the city Tuesday. It was a day of unity, said Louise McKay, an elder-in-residence with the Womens Health Clinic and the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute. This is not about colour. This is not about whether youre Indigenous or non-Indigenous. This is about celebrating indigeneity What is culture if you cant share it? McKay said. By us coming together we can reach more people. We can do more things. Indigenous Peoples Day, originally called National Aboriginal Day, is a time for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people. McKay said there has been a positive shift in Canadas relationship with Indigenous people and she believes celebrations like Indigenous Peoples Day contribute. She pointed to the public sympathy following the discovery of potential unmarked graces at former residential schools across Canada. We havent come as far as we would like to, but we sure came a long way, she said. I think theres more non-Indigenous folks today who are wanting to do more If Kamloops happened (in 1996) instead of now, you would wish it wouldve had the same impact, but the impact today is, theres more people being moved by something like that. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A short downpour did not stop the festivities only slowed it down for a few minutes. People shared stories, music, food and culture in the spirit of recognition and reconciliation in events across the city Tuesday. In May 2021, potential unmarked graves were found at the site of the former Kamloops residential school. The discovery sparked investigations into sites across the country. Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimated the total number of potential graves to be around 3,200. Since then, the federal government has promised to spend more than $320 million to advance reconciliation, Pope Francis has issued a public apology to acknowledge the Catholic Churchs role in the residential school system, and Sept. 30 became the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. With McKays help, the clinic and institute partnered with Neecheewam and Blue Thunderbird Family Care to host, Hey Cuzzin, an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration they say will become a yearly event in Jacob Penner Park, located at 794 Victor St. The event included a pipe ceremony, prayers, a fiddle performance and free food. Another crowd gathered blocks away at the University of Manitobas Brodie Centre at the Health Sciences Centre. It was standing-room only as elder Margaret Lavallee delivered a teaching about the significance of spirit names in Indigenous culture. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Before the pandemic, U of M hosted an annual celebration for the national day of recognition. Tuesday marked its much-needed return, said Melanie MacKinnon, head of the Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing. I want it to be about celebrating one another, about individual and collective pride of who we are as a people and our culture, language, and achievements, MacKinnon said. Other events included a full day of live music at Old Market Square featuring performances from 20 Indigenous musicians. Parks Canada hosted an event with Wa-Say Healing Centre at The Forks. Portage, Selkirk, Dauphin, Flin Flon and Swan River hosted celebrations as well. tyler.searle@winnipegfreepress.com Less than a month after his mother was sentenced to prison for manslaughter, a Winnipeg man was in a Winnipeg courtroom Tuesday before the same judge to face punishment for the same charge. DAVID LIPNOWSKI / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Derrik Lawrence Edward Smith pleaded guilty to manslaughter for an unprovoked attack on Denzel Constant in 2020 that resulted in his death a day later from a brain injury. Less than a month after his mother was sentenced to prison for manslaughter, a Winnipeg man was in a Winnipeg courtroom Tuesday before the same judge to face punishment for the same charge. Derrik Lawrence Edward Smith, 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for an unprovoked attack on 24-year-old Denzel Constant, on Oct. 12, 2020, that resulted in his death a day later from a catastrophic brain injury. Court was told Constant and a friend were walking on Salter Street near Burrows Avenue around 8:30 p.m. when Smith and another man approached them and demanded Constant surrender his backpack. When he did, Smith struck Constant in the head with the backpack, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the sidewalk. Constant got to his feet, and with his friend walked to his apartment, a supportive housing unit operated by New Directions. After arriving home, Constant continued to be in significant pain and began suffering seizures, Crown attorney Bryton Moen told Queens Bench Justice Sadie Bond. New Directions staff found Constant dead in his apartment the next morning, with foam around his mouth, Moen said. An autopsy found Constant had suffered significant internal injuries to his brain, Moen said. Smiths assault on Constant was captured on security video. In an interview with police, Smith said Constant was wearing a white bandanna, which is associated with the Native Syndicate street gang. Smith, an associate of a rival gang, said after knocking Constant to the ground he removed his bandanna and walked away. Smith had a chaotic upbringing marked by neglect, violence and exposure to drug abuse during periods spent in the care of his mother, Roberta Jessamine, defence lawyer Scott Newman told Bond, who last month sentenced Jessamine to 14 years in prison. "Its quite evident to me that Ms. Jessamine was not equipped in any meaningful way to deal with the needs of her children," Newman said, adding she "actively interfered" with Smith receiving appropriate medical and psychiatric care as a child. In a pre-sentence report provided to court, Smith expressed continuing devotion to his mother, saying: "She has always been there for me, even with all her problems. She has always been there trying to help me do better." "Of course, he loves his mother," Newman said. "But I cant help but look at his upbringing and see how much of the problems he has had flow from her inability (to parent)." Moen urged Bond to sentence Smith to nine years in prison, while Newman recommended she sentence him to no more than two years in jail, arguing it would provide him the best chance at rehabilitation. Bond raised concerns about an agreed statement of facts provided to court after Smith appeared to recant on an admission the attack was motivated, in part, by gang rivalry. Moen said Smiths position was irrelevant, arguing his crime would be no less serious if the victim had been a random stranger. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Its a distinction without a difference in terms of the ultimate sentence. Both are concerning," he said. Jessamine, 51, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for her part in the March 2020 killing of John Kirkwa. Jessamine and co-accused Selena Cross had assaulted Kirkwa for his bank card number. When he died, they dumped the 33-year-old mans body in a garbage bin and siphoned the remaining money from his bank account. "It is clearly an insult and an indignity to the deceased that he was treated in that way," Bond told Jessamine at her May 26 sentencing. Bond will sentence Smith at a later date. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca Former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray hopes to win his old job back this fall. Former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray hopes to win his old job back this fall. Murray registered for the 2022 mayoral race on Wednesday, 18 years after he resigned from the same job to run for the federal Liberals. "The city has some enormous challenges. They are on the scale of the challenges when I was elected mayor the first time and had a lot less experience Im way more qualified to do this job (than) when I was very young and did it the first time," he told media. Murray entry makes good mayoral race better MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Former mayor Glen Murray arrives at city hall on Wednesday afternoon to submit his registration papers to enter the 2022 mayoral race. Posted: 7:00 PM Jun. 22, 2022 Now that former mayor Glen Murray has officially entered the 2022 Winnipeg race a madcap affair featuring 11 registered candidates we can be sure of only one thing. Its not going to be dull. Read Full Story Election day, Oct. 26, is also Murrays 65th birthday. The experienced politician noted the outward expansion of the city, which he declined to label "urban sprawl," has strained Winnipegs ability to maintain its infrastructure and provide services, hinting that issue will be tackled in his upcoming platform. "While our city is expanding out, we keep on adding and adding to it We have so overstretched ourselves right now that we really have to get back to not pushing out, we have to build up and we really have to really start seriously thinking about a priority on restoring our existing neighbourhoods and completing our newer suburban neighbourhoods," said Murray. After holding the top council job from 1998 to 2004, Murray cut short his second four-year term as mayor to embark on an unsuccessful run as a Liberal candidate in the 2004 federal election. He was later elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2010, holding a few ministerial portfolios before he resigned in 2017. In 2020, he finished fourth in the leadership race to head the federal Green party. Murray said his varied political experience and network among key community groups in Winnipeg would help him be effective as the citys next mayor. When asked if he would commit to serving a full term of office if hes elected in 2022, Murray said he expects to compete to lead council for two full terms. "I think it takes eight years to do what Im thinking wed do," he said. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Glen Murray has added his name to an already crowded field of 10 other mayoral candidates after registering his campaign on Wednesday. The candidate said he left to pursue federal politics in 2004 with a goal to ensure a greater share of gas tax dollars reached cities, a critical opportunity for Winnipeg and other cities that he couldnt pass up. Murray also told the Free Press he believes the controversial decision to replace this years Canada Day festivities with the "Its a New Day at The Forks" event on July 1 is backed by good intentions. "Its really clear that The Forks is trying to do something out of respect at a national historic site, at a place where there are some pretty horrific memories for people and theyre trying to create a respectful safe place The mayor should not be, in my mind, second-guessing or micro-managing those kinds of things," he said. Murray said how Canada Day is marked in future years warrants much more discussion. "Were discovering more graves (linked to residential schools) and more horror stories and were having trouble processing it. (And) Canada Day is a part of peoples culture and history," he said. I really think this does change the mayoral campaign I think Glen Murray will clearly be seen as the frontrunner or one of the frontrunners on the progressive side of the ballot. Christopher Adams One political expert said Murray should have a significant impact on the mayoral race, especially among candidates deemed "left-of-centre." "I really think this does change the mayoral campaign I think Glen Murray will clearly be seen as the front-runner or one of the front-runners on the progressive side of the ballot," said Christopher Adams, a political scientist at the University of Manitoba. Adams said Murray will enjoy the name recognition of an incumbent, even though he last served as Winnipegs mayor almost two decades ago, and appears quite motivated to get back into political life. "Hes a guy whos clearly hungering for the limelight, who wants to find a place in politics and feels that coming back to Winnipeg to run for mayor is a place that he feels comfortable doing (that)," said Adams. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Murray says his varied political experience and network among key community groups in Winnipeg would help him be effective as the citys next mayor. Murray is the 11th person to register in the mayoral race. Idris Adelakun, Chris Clacio, Rana Bokhari, Scott Gillingham, Shaun Loney, Jenny Motkaluk, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Rick Shone, Desmond Thomas and Don Woodstock have also registered to run, while Mayor Brian Bowman is not seeking re-election. Shone responded to Murrays announcement with a critical press release entitled: "Our future is not in the rearview mirror!" "When Glen Murray, who was first elected as mayor in 1998, abandoned Winnipeggers in 2004 for Toronto, he left the job unfinished Now is not the time to look back," the release said. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga Political red tape has hamstrung RCMP community volunteer patrols in Manitoba, frustrating would-be participants and reducing support for rural police officers. The auxiliary program (formerly called the auxiliary constable program) enlists the help of trained volunteers to assist Mounties in traffic control, crime prevention and community outreach. Due to a contractual dispute, Manitobas auxiliary volunteers have been on hold since 2016. They will not return until the national police force and the province reach an agreement, an RCMP spokesperson told the Free Press. The RCMP has forwarded its terms to the province, but negotiations have stalled due to a dispute over which party is liable for auxiliaries safety, the spokesperson said. Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen commented on the proceedings June 16, during an unrelated news conference. "I think we understand that its a program thats shown value in different places and different ways, but not a lot I can say while its sort of ongoing," Goertzen said. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen "Ive certainly heard from individuals whove either been through the program or have been benefited from the program, who would say that its a valuable program. Everything becomes a question of: is this the most valuable thing that you can do given the resources that you have?" The National Police Federation, a labour relations organization representing around 20,000 RCMP members, said it is asking every level of government to provide support for the RCMP, which has struggled to recruit and retain members in recent years. "Our members are asked to do more with less," said Bobby Baker, director of the NPF Prairie region. "A decline in recruitment applications, increased workloads, mental health impacts Staff shortages are an issue that all police services across Canada, including RCMP in Manitoba, are dealing with." A decline in recruitment applications, increased workloads, mental health impacts Staff shortages are an issue that all police services across Canada, including RCMP in Manitoba, are dealing with. Bobby Baker The auxiliary program began in 1963, and was a staple of recruitment and community policing until the RCMP placed it under review after a 2015 shooting in St. Albert, Alta., killed Const. David Wynn and wounded Aux. Const. Derek Bond. The incident led to the end of ride-along practices and firearms training for auxiliaries who, despite not carrying guns, were trained to be familiar with them. Between 2016 and 2019, the RCMP conducted a national evaluation of the program, eventually publishing a summary document in December 2020 that identified issues, including inadequate training opportunities, a lack of insurance coverage for auxiliaries, and ineffective communication between RCMP and volunteers. It also highlighted benefits, such as auxiliaries ability to address the challenge of limited RCMP presence in rural communities where fewer officers are responsible for larger geographic areas. CP DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES A national evaluation of the program identified various problems, including inadequate training opportunities, a lack of insurance coverage for auxiliaries, and ineffective communication between RCMP and volunteers. When the review began, Canadas auxiliary force was some 1,500 strong, but the number of volunteers has since dropped by nearly 50 per cent across the country. Ultimately, the RCMP restructured the program, implementing changes to responsibilities and uniforms, developing national training standards and removing the "constable" designation. In an email statement, RCMP national headquarters confirmed there are auxiliary volunteers currently active in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, but could not comment on when the program might resume in Manitoba. "Having an auxiliary program is up to each division," it said. The province also provided an email statement to the Free Press, but declined to comment on negotiations or disclose how much it has previously spent on auxiliaries. The summary document estimated the cost of training and outfitting each volunteer at up to $3,180. In 2016, Manitoba had 54 auxiliaries, suggesting it may have cost the province roughly $170,000 to establish its volunteer force. A 1999 provincial news release announced a $500,000 commitment to expand the program. That money came in addition to the $50,000 the province had invested annually since 1992. "As a volunteer, it just makes me angry I want to help, and Ive been helping for over two years at my own cost Its like operating with your hands tied behind your back," said Kerry McInnes, an Oak Bluff resident who hoped to become an auxiliary. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The cost of training and outfitting auxiliaries should not discourage the province from coming to an agreement with the RCMP, says Kerry McInnes. McInnes, 69, was formerly a member of the local branch of Citizens on Patrol Program, a resident-led neighbourhood watch group active in 49 Manitoba communities. He began volunteering with COPP in 2020, but left in August 2021, feeling the program was ineffective because members preferred to patrol during the day not at night when crimes occur. McInnes hoped the auxiliary program would be more impactful because of the specialized training and close relationship between auxiliaries and RCMP officers. He applied in December, but never heard back from the RCMP. "Im so frustrated," McInnes said. "I thought I was in and after six months, I never heard a word from them They just left me in the lurch." Im so frustrated... I thought I was in and after six months, I never heard a word from them They just left me in the lurch. Kerry McInnes The cost of training and outfitting auxiliaries should not discourage the province from coming to an agreement with the RCMP, McInnes said, adding he believes communities would be willing to fundraise money to cover the expense. "The first responders, these guys who are picking up bodies on the side of the road, are left holding the bag. Thats why I wanted to help them out," he said. "I really applaud their job and the ability they have. They are really my heroes." with files from Erik Pindera tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia Workforce Development Activity first national conference, funded by USAID, launched in Yerevan today. Chip Laitinen, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the United States of America in Armenia, highlighted the cooperation between different structures that will support the government of Armenia in the activities of the Employment national strategy. Human capital is one of the most important assets of Armenia. We continue supporting workforce development as they are developed and competitive people who will allow the country to fully use the economic potential, he said. Natia Natsvlishvili, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia, also attached importance to the active collaboration. We are here to support promotion of employment in Armenia. We know that this problem has existed here for years. We see much higher unemployment among the youth, women and girls. We believe that the efforts of the international partners and the Armenian government will be directed to solving the current issues, she said. Director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat Yengibaryan said that the basis of the Armenia Workforce Development Program are youth. This is one of the programs that creates future. In other words, we create a person who should think, create and resist the future challenges, he said. Armenia Workforce Development Activity (AWDA) is a five-year program, designed to provide the youth and women with the opportunities to improve their skills in line with labor market needs and find employment in the fields of ICT/high-tech, agriculture, tourism and hospitality. The program is funded by the US Agency for International Development and will be implemented by Enterprise Incubator Foundation with Armenian National Agrarian University, Fund of Armenian Relief and CIVITTA Armenia. SOMERSET, Man. Victoria McIntoshs thoughts returned to herself as a small, vulnerable 10-year-old girl when she learned a retired Catholic priest was being charged with sexually assaulting her at a residential school. SOMERSET, Man. Victoria McIntoshs thoughts returned to herself as a small, vulnerable 10-year-old girl when she learned a retired Catholic priest was being charged with sexually assaulting her at a residential school. For most of her adult life, it felt like she was running from the horrors of the Fort Alexander Residential School in Sagkeeng First Nation. The feeling came to a halt, she said, on June 17 when police announced the arrest of Arthur Masse, 92, who is charged with indecent assault for alleged abuse between 1968 and 1970. "I felt guilty at first. I thought, Hes a pathetic, old man, but then, No, I was a 10-year-old kid. I couldnt fight back," she told the Free Press Wednesday. "How dare you? I was 10 years old. I can have empathy, I can have compassion, but he had no right to cross that line. "He was an adult. He knew better, but he didnt do better." "I was 10 years old. I can have empathy, I can have compassion, but he had no right to cross that line." Victoria McIntosh McIntosh, 63, is speaking out because she is tired of carrying shame and wants to educate people about what happened at residential schools and the impact on survivors. "I did it for the next generations. I want to have just one day of peace where I dont have to think of this anymore," she said. "I was hurt and I was broken. Im putting the pieces together. "Im on my healing journey, but Ive accepted that some of these wounds are so deep Im going to be healing until I take my last breath." McIntosh sat in a chair on the front porch of her home in Somerset, Man., about 140 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, as she spoke to a reporter. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Residential school survivor Victoria McIntosh is speaking out because she is tired of carrying shame and wants to educate people about what happened at residential schools and the impact on survivors. She happens to live across the street from a Catholic church, and had to pause for a few moments as its bell chimed at noon and echoed through the community. She soon pulled out the coat, handmade by her grandmother, that she was wearing when she was five on her first day at the Fort Alexander school in eastern Manitoba in 1964. A nun forced her to take it off at the door and then threw it to her mother, she said. Years of physical and spiritual abuse at the hands of priests and nuns followed, as she dealt with the loneliness and sadness of being apart from her family, said McIntosh, an artist, school teacher and knowledge keeper at a womens shelter. She said Masse, who was always looking around "like he was scouting," made girls feel uncomfortable. "He was always hanging around the girls bathroom. We thought, Why do you need to be here? What are you looking for?" she said. "He always had a sneer. He would look like he was soft in his mannerisms. "He reminded me of somebody who could sneak up on you and you wouldnt hear it, and all of a sudden, he was there." He reminded me of somebody who could sneak up on you and you wouldnt hear it, and all of a sudden, he was there. Victoria McIntosh McIntosh said she and her classmates were "always getting smacked and hit" and insulted by priests and nuns. She would get hit if she didnt pour coffee a certain way for staff. "I couldnt stand the smell of coffee for the longest time. I would get nervous," she said. McIntosh suffered flashbacks and nightmares. She has had difficulty trusting people, especially those in positions of authority. As she dealt with "real self-hate" in her teenage years, she had thoughts of suicide, self-harmed and developed an eating disorder. She dropped out of school. McIntosh confided in people about her time at the Fort Alexander school, but most didnt believe her. One of the first people she told was a man, who was in a position of power and trust. He then began to abuse her, she said. La Societe historique de Saint-Boniface Fort Alexander Residential School, 1935. Art became her "religion," as she sought an outlet while trying to cope with her trauma. She has created a number of pieces based on her residential school experience. A few years ago, McIntosh made a doll after thinking of a girl she met at the Fort Alexander school. The last time she saw her, she said, the girl was being punched repeatedly by a nun. "She had on a long, little raggedy dress. I dont know what happened to her," said McIntosh, as tears welled in her eyes. "I didnt see her after that. I felt so sorry for her. I hope youre OK." McIntosh, who is from the Turtle Clan, found "truth" and comfort as she explored her culture and traditions. While researching her familys history, she discovered she has a half-brother who lives in the U.S. They are planning to meet in person for the first time in a few weeks. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Residential school survivor Victoria McIntosh made a doll after thinking of a girl she met at the Fort Alexander school. The last time she saw her, she said, the girl was being punched repeatedly by a nun. McIntosh, now a mother and grandmother, hasnt seen Masse since the residential school closed in 1970 and she moved to Red Lake, Ont., when she was 12 to attend public school. She is planning to go to court in Powerview when he is scheduled to make his first appearance July 20. Many abusers will never be held accountable by the courts, McIntosh acknowledges, but she believes they may be held accountable elsewhere. "I know there is a God. I know there is another place that we go to," she said. More people have come forward with allegations of abuse since the charge against Masse was announced last week following a decade-long RCMP investigation into the school, which developed a reputation for abuse. Police have not said how many people have contacted officers. McIntosh said the RCMP contacted her about nine or 10 years ago during the investigation into the school. She felt apprehensive, but agreed to answer officers questions. "They didnt mention his name, but I knew right away who they were talking about," she said. As years passed, she didnt think anything would come of it. Then the RCMP recently got in touch to tell her about the charge against Masse, who was arrested at his home in Winnipeg and released with conditions. "It was surreal," she said. "Like, Wow, its going to happen. I could feel my mom (was there), and even the spirit of my grandpa, who was a residential school survivor." It was surreal... Like, Wow, its going to happen. I could feel my mom (was there), and even the spirit of my grandpa, who was a residential school survivor. Victoria McIntosh Her 76-year-old mother, Emily, died after she was hit by a vehicle in Selkirk in March 2016. Before her death, McIntoshs mother opened up about her own trauma from her time in residential schools, and apologized to her daughter. "She said, I felt so guilty I had to leave you there. I cried and cried I had to leave you there," said McIntosh, who was brought to tears as she recalled the moment. "I just said to her, Its not your fault." After struggling to find her place in life, McIntosh enrolled at the University of Manitoba around the age of 50. She completed her bachelor of arts, and is now pursuing a masters degree in education. She speaks to students about residential schools, as part of her efforts to educate people. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Residential school survivor Victoria McIntosh in her art studio at her home in Somerset Manitoba. Shes holding a little jacket that she wore while at the school. "The next generation has a right to know. I want to do my part to say, It happened," she said. "This is Canadas shame. Its time that we start talking to each other. "If we dont tell our stories, someone else is going to tell them for us." Masse was principal and, later, an administrator at the Fort Alexander school between August 1966 and July 1969, according to online records from the Winnipeg-based National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. He also worked at the Pine Creek, Brandon and Fort Frances, Ont., residential schools. "If we dont tell our stories, someone else is going to tell them for us." Victoria McIntosh The Manitoba Metis Federation said Wednesday it is launching its own investigation into Masse, who spent time in the Metis villages of Duck Bay and Camperville. "In his time, Mr. Masse spent an estimated 20 years in our community churches, presiding over services and ceremonies," MMF president David Chartrand said in a statement. "During this time, citizens in these communities would have received both group and one-on-one tutoring and teaching from this individual." The residential schools resolution health support program has a crisis line for survivors and their relatives at 1-866-925-4419 chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Ontario developers behind the failed SkyCity condominiums in downtown Winnipeg have been charged with fraud after a six-year RCMP investigation. The Ontario developers behind the failed SkyCity condominiums in downtown Winnipeg have been charged with fraud after a six-year RCMP investigation. Project Dynasty wrapped up with charges being laid against Jawad Rathore of Markham and Vince Petrozza of Richmond Hill. They operated Fortress Real Developments Inc., which had promised in 2013 to build a 45-storey building on the north side of Graham Avenue between Smith and Garry streets. There was much fanfare about the development, which was billed as a much-needed boost to downtown. RCMP say police had received a complaint that the company had fraudulently obtained investments in a syndicated mortgage scheme, which is when two or more people invest in a single mortgage for one property. "It is alleged that the founders of Fortress Real Developments engaged in fraud by orchestrating an ongoing scheme whereby they did not disclose the various risks to brokers and investors," RCMP said in a news release Tuesday. The accused are also charged with "secret commissions" contrary to a section of the Criminal Code. SkyCity Centre was marketed as a mixed-use project that would cost $200 million and was supposed to have major commercial tenants such as a national grocery store chain. Pre-sale of the condos began in the spring of 2014. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "This investigation is a great example of the RCMPs commitment to keeping our communities safe by effectively disrupting financial crime," said Insp. Vance Morgan, the officer in charge of the integrated market enforcement team, which conducted the probe. The team is mandated to protect the integrity of Canadas capital markets by detecting, investigating and deterring capital market fraud. Half of the units in SkyCity were snapped up after the project was launched, but sales petered out. In 2018, Fortress was raided by the RCMP. Later that year, disgruntled condo buyers filed a class-action lawsuit against the developer in the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench; Fortress paid refunds to buyers whod placed 10 per cent deposits, and the sky-high project was all but grounded. The accused are slated to appear in court in Toronto on Aug. 3. fpcity@freepress.mb.ca University of Manitoba students joined post-secondary schools across Canada to attend a virtual lecture from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Wednesday morning. The event, organized by the University of Torontos Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, came as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing war nears its fourth month. While many Ukrainians have stayed to fight in the war, millions have also fled as refugees, including to Manitoba, as the West supports the country with military and humanitarian aid. Zelenskyy has spoken in virtual addresses to governments across the world, including the Canadian House of Commons, the U.S. Congress and the U.K. Parliament in March. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, a staunch supporter of the eastern European nation and a Ukrainian-Canadian, introduced Zelenskyy ahead of his address to students at universities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. "The people of Ukraine are telling us that democracy is worth fighting for," she said. Zelenskyy began his 20-minute speech by speaking about a University of Toronto conference he attended about reforms in Ukraine and its future, drawing parallels between the conversations he had then with Canadian political leaders and the current realities of the war-torn nation. He ended his address by thanking Canada for its military and financial support. "In 2019, I was talking about peace in the east of Ukraine with (Freeland) and Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau," he said through a translator, referring to the Russian-backed seperatist conflict which began in 2014. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. At that time, he said, he spoke about rebuilding in the east, which he estimated would cost $10 billion. Now, he said, the country will need "hundreds of billions" of dollars to rebuild nationwide. He then took a series of questions from students, ranging on topics of his historical and literary heros, the power of the internet and social media, and the need for the West to support democracy. U of M medicine student Mitchell Wilson, 21, listened to the address at the Bannatyne campus, while others attended at the universitys main Fort Garry Campus. "Canadians have seen on the news and everything how much the (Canadian) governement is supporting the country and thats for a reason Canadas filled with a lot of Ukrainian heritage so I think it was important to come and see and connect with the leader of the country that our countrys been supporting so much," Wilson said. "I think we all support him what hes doing on the world stage." erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca No one wants to get a bill in the mail, but some Wildwood Park residents are wondering why some arent even reaching their mailboxes. No one wants to get a bill in the mail, but some Wildwood Park residents are wondering why some arent even reaching their mailboxes. At least 10 residents in the Winnipeg neighbourhood are reporting they have had credit card bills go missing, as well as paperwork from Manitoba Hydro, Bell MTS and City of Winnipeg property tax bills. Kathy Allen said her family began noticing certain pieces of mail hadnt been delivered last month when waiting for a credit card bill which never arrived. "About four days before the due date I phoned and asked have you sent it out, and they said yes," Allen said, noting she was able to pay the bill in time. "Then a week-and-a-half ago, I started thinking, I dont think weve got our hydro bill or our telephone bill last month. When I phoned Hydro, they said a bill had been sent out and theyve charged us a small fine. Same with MTS. Then on Monday, I realized we havent got our property tax bill. Thats when I called the post office." A Canada Post employee took down the information about the missing pieces of mail, Allen said. After speaking with neighbours and reaching out to other residents through the neighbourhoods Facebook page, she phoned back and spoke to a different Canada Post employee. "He paused when I said there are ten other people who have missing mail. He said the local delivery depot will be looking into it," she said. Another area resident, who asked not to be named, said they are also missing a property tax bill. "To try to get a replacement I went to the City of Winnipeg website, where it said to call 311," the resident said. "I tried and tried to get through. I ended up emailing 311 on June 13, and have not heard back." The Crown corporation is looking into the issue, a spokesman for Canada Post said. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We take the security of the mail very seriously and are currently investigating this situation," Phil Legault said in a statement Wednesday. Any customers who believe they have not received a piece of mail should first contact the sender and then, if there are still questions about mail delivery, Canada Post at canadapost.ca/support or by telephone at 1-866-607-6301, Legault said. The experience is making Allen reconsider how she gets her bills. "It does make you think whether one should be reliant on Canada Post or just do things online," she said. "If it turns out this is because someone was sick, then it is not the fault of the carrier but it is the fault of Canada Post for not having sufficient replacements." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Once upon a time (about four years ago), Cyril Ramaphosa was seen as South Africas last, best hope. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the leadership of the countrys ruling African National Congress (ANC) had passed from the wise and heroic Nelson Mandela to the intellectual but ineffectual Thabo Mbeki and then to the corrupt and ignorant Jacob Zuma. Opinion Once upon a time (about four years ago), Cyril Ramaphosa was seen as South Africas last, best hope. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the leadership of the countrys ruling African National Congress (ANC) had passed from the wise and heroic Nelson Mandela to the intellectual but ineffectual Thabo Mbeki and then to the corrupt and ignorant Jacob Zuma. But in 2018, the fractured and demoralized ANC pulled itself together, remembered its purpose, and replaced Zuma as president with Cyril Ramaphosa. Hope soared: Ramaphosa had a long record of activism in the struggle against apartheid, he was a former trade union leader, and he was so rich that he didnt need to be corrupt. He was the ideal candidate. For a while, it went well. The economy didnt grow much and unemployment stayed very high, but Zumas chief cronies fled abroad, others were charged with various crimes, and even Zuma wound up in jail. Ramaphosa was at least trying to clean up the mess but then, two years ago, there was a burglary at his wildlife game farm in Limpopo province. Nobody heard about it at the time, because Ramaphosa didnt mention it publicly. Thats understandable, because the burglars allegedly found US$4 million in cash hidden in cushions on his sofa. Thats not a good look for a president whose USP is fighting corruption, so no report was made to the police. Ramaphosa just swallowed the loss. Thats not as crazy as it sounds: Ramaphosa is one of the richest men in South Africa, and US$4 million is less than one per cent of his wealth. He could just be trying not to draw attention to it but then, early this month, Arthur Fraser, former head of South Africas intelligence agency, lodged a criminal complaint with the police about the affair. Fraser said Ramaphosas "presidential protection unit" (bodyguards) had tracked down the burglars, kidnapped and interrogated them, and then bribed them to keep quiet about the cash. Maybe Ramaphosa was just trying to protect his reputation as a man of the people, but even so he would have been breaking the law. And then Fraser outed him. The news is now out all over town, and by this week Ramaphosa was under attack from all sides. "Criminals do not report crimes when the proceeds of their crimes are stolen," as Julius Malema, leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party, put it, and a great many other people in parliament and in the street took the same view. This comes at just the wrong time for Ramaphosa, who faces a leadership challenge in the ANC in December. His anti-corruption campaign within the party has not prospered, and Zumas supporters staged riots that killed hundreds when he was jailed. Now Zumas out of jail, and Ramaphosa is tarred with the same corruption brush himself. Theres a lot thats wrong with this story. Fraser, the former spy chief who brought the complaint against Ramaphosa, is a close ally of Zumas. The South African president does hold regular cash auctions of his prize Ankole cattle and various game animals at his farm, but why would he hide the cash in pillows? Tax avoidance? The Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Gardener What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. A monthly email from the Free Press with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This is a man who has sat on literally dozens of boards and is allegedly worth US$450 million. If he wants to avoid taxes, he has lawyers aplenty; he doesnt need sofa cushions. The whole "burglary" operation, and especially the source and the timing of the "complaint," smells like a political sting. Nevertheless, Ramaphosa is in deep trouble. The real object of the sting would have been to highlight Ramaphosas great and unexplained wealth. He probably didnt break the law to get it, like Zuma did, but he didnt inherit it and he didnt earn it by hard work. He just got paid huge sums to sit on boards, and invested the proceeds wisely. Ramaphosa got on those boards as part of the ANC-sponsored "Black Economic Empowerment" programme, one of whose purposes was to provide a reliable, low-profile income stream for its political work. Most of its supporters were very poor, but the chosen "BEE" appointees were expected to donate much of their large incomes to the ANC. Its less lurid than Zumas route to great wealth via partnership with Indian "entrepreneurs" in a project of "state capture," but both mens riches come from their ties to the ANC. To the average voter in Alexandra township, the two men will look exactly the same. That is why the ANC will probably lose its majority in parliament in the 2024 election, after 30 years in power. High time, really, even though nobody knows whats coming out of the box next. Gwynne Dyers new book is The Shortest History of War. Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has tested positive for COVID-19. Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson greets Ukrainian nationals on the first charter to land in at the Richardson International Airport, in Winnipeg, Monday, May 23, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has tested positive for COVID-19. The Free Press | Newsletter Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Stefanson has posted on social media that she is experiencing minor symptoms and is working from home while self-isolating. The premier says her office has informed people she came into contact with over the last few days. Stefanson was at a few public events recently, including the unveiling of a mural at the legislature Monday which had dozens of people in attendance. Manitoba's other main party leaders have also tested positive for COVID-19 at different times during the pandemic. Opposition Leader Wab Kinew, who tested positive last November, wished Stefanson a speedy recovery on Twitter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022 GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people. The disaster posed a new test for Afghanistans Taliban rulers and relief agencies already struggling with the countrys multiple humanitarian crises. In this image taken from video from Bakhtar State News Agency, Taliban fighters secure a government helicopter to evacuate injured people in Gayan district, Paktika province, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. An earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 255 people, authorities said. (Bakhtar State News Agency via AP) GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people. The disaster posed a new test for Afghanistans Taliban rulers and relief agencies already struggling with the countrys multiple humanitarian crises. The quake was Afghanistans deadliest in two decades, and officials said the toll could rise. An estimated 1,500 others were reported injured, the state-run news agency said. The disaster inflicted by the 6.1-magnitude quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power nearly 10 months ago amid the U.S. and NATO withdrawal. The takeover led to a cutoff of vital international financing, and most of the world has shunned the Taliban government. In this photo released by a set-run news agency Bakhtar, Afghans look at destruction caused by an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar News Agency via AP) In a rare move, the Talibans supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, who almost never appears in public, pleaded with the international community and humanitarian organizations to help the Afghan people affected by this great tragedy and to spare no effort." Residents in the remote area near the Pakistani border searched for victims dead or alive by digging with their bare hands through the rubble, according to footage shown by the Bakhtar news agency. It was not immediately clear if heavy rescue equipment was being sent, or if it could even reach the area. At least 2,000 homes were destroyed in the region, where on average every household has seven or eight people living in it, said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative to Afghanistan. The full extent of the destruction among the villages tucked in the mountains was slow in coming to light. The roads, which are rutted and difficult to travel in the best of circumstances, may have been badly damaged, and landslides from recent rains made access even more difficult. An Afghan villager collects his belongings from under the rubble of his home that was destroyed in an earthquake in the Spera District of the southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the country's deadliest quakes in decades, the state-run news agency reported. (AP Photo) Rescuers rushed in by helicopter, but the relief effort could be hindered by the exodus of many international aid agencies from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last August. Moreover, most governments are wary of dealing directly with the Taliban. In a sign of the muddled workings between the Taliban and the rest of the world, Alakbarov said the Taliban had not formally requested that the U.N. mobilize international search-and-rescue teams or obtain equipment from neighboring countries to supplement the few dozen ambulances and several helicopters sent in by Afghan authorities. Still, officials from multiple U.N. agencies said the Taliban were giving them full access to the area. The quake was centered in Paktika province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, according to neighboring Pakistans Meteorological Department. Experts put its depth at just 10 kilometers (6 miles). Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage. The European seismological agency said the quake was felt over 500 kilometers (310 miles) by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. An Afghan girl stands near a house that was damaged by an earthquake in the Spera District of the southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the country's deadliest quakes in decades, the state-run news agency reported. (AP Photo) Footage from Paktika showed men carrying people in blankets to a waiting helicopter. Other victims were treated on the ground. One person could be seen receiving IV fluids while sitting in a plastic chair outside the rubble of his home, and still more were sprawled on gurneys. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble. Roofs and walls had caved in. The death toll reported by the Bakhtar news agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan. Those are the deadliest since 1998, when an earthquake that was also 6.1 in magnitude and subsequent tremors in the remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people. Wednesdays quake took place in a region prone to landslides, with many older, weaker buildings. The fear is that the victims will increase further, also because many people could be trapped under collapsed buildings, said Stefano Sozza, Afghanistan country director for the Italian medical aid group Emergency, which sent seven ambulances and staff to areas near the quake zone. Afghans look for survivors in the village of Gyan, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes in the country's deadliest quake in two decades, the state-run news agency reported. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Nooroozi) More than 60% of Afghanistans population of 38 million already relies on international aid to survive. Humanitarian agencies still operating in the country, including UNICEF, rushed supplies to the quake-stricken areas. And Pakistan said it would send food, tents, blankets and other essentials. Obtaining more direct international help may be more difficult: Many countries, including the U.S., funnel humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through the U.N. and other such organizations to avoid putting money in the Talibans hands. The quake will only add to the immense humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, and it really has to be all hands on deck to make sure that we really limit the suffering that families, that women and children are already going through, said Shelley Thakral, spokesperson for the the U.N. World Food Program in Kabul. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In the capital, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace. When such a big incident happens in any country, there is a need for help from other countries, said Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of state for disaster management. It is very difficult for us to be able to respond to this huge incident. That may prove difficult given the international isolation of Afghanistan under the Taliban, who were toppled from power by the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The newly restored government has issued a flurry of edicts curtailing the rights of women and girls and the news media in a turn back toward the Talibans harsh rule from the late 1990s. This does add a lot to the daily burden of survival, the U.N.s Alakbarov said of the quake. We are not optimistic today. ___ Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia Martin Galstyan commented on the current revaluation of the Armenian dram and the issues raised by exporters during his speech at the Orion Summit 2022 in Yerevan. He presented factors which contribute to revaluation of the dram, such as the flow of foreign visitors to Armenia, the growth in export of services. Many of you visit restaurants in the evening where you can see how many foreigners there are. According to the statistical rules, it should be registered as an export. Thus, we can see an unprecedented growth in export from Armenia this year, which, of course, leads to the appreciation of the national currency, he said. He said that now some part of the society, particularly the exporters call on the Central Bank to artificially depreciate the Armenian dram, which, most probably, should help them to be more effective and competitive. However, the CBA Governor raises a question whether the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of exporters depends on the revaluation of the dram by 5-10%. In my view, this is not a solution. The solution is to be unique. If we want to be unique, there are many things we can do together. But I will not rely only on the artificial depreciation, he said. Recently the Armenian dram has been appreciating especially against the US dollar. As of June 21 exchange rates set by the CBA, the US dollar exchange rate has decreased by 4.02 drams, comprising 417.01 drams. The Euro exchange rate decreased by 3.40 drams, comprising 440.07 drams. YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Moscow doubts the sincerity of the statement of Washington to continue the cooperation with Russian within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a weekly press briefing in response to the question of Lurer news program. If Washington and Paris had really considered important the unique mediation format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, they would not have ignored that mandate approved by all participating states of the OSCE and would not have demonstratively stopped the contacts with the Russian Co-Chair on February 24 without any consultation. This caused an irreversible damage to the work of the Co-Chairs. And now they are making such statements, she said. Zakharova said that the United States and France have not provided yet a concrete explanation over this step. She stated that Russia is interested in the normalization of the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Monday and Tuesday of the past two weeks have been unseasonably hot, and such weather can cause lack of comfort and present health issues. Summers in Wisconsin are normally warm but most days do not present temperatures above 90. However, the sweltering heat does come around from time to time, and south-central Wisconsin residents have already experienced a few days in 2022 where going outside can feel like stepping into a blast furnace. Johnny Holt, the director of urgent care services at SSM Health St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, said that temperatures in the 90s means people should take extra measures to sustain their well-being. This includes wearing lighter, looser clothing, increasing fluid consumption, and remaining in air-conditioned environments as much as possible. Stay away from sugary drinks, caffeinated drinks, alcoholic beverages, (as) those actually really dehydrate you, said Holt. Things like Gatorade are OK to drink, but you should really cut them in half: 50% Gatorade, 50% water. Gatorade, which was originally designed to replenish athletes who lose water and other electrolytes during intense physical exertion, has a fair amount of sugar, according to Holt. So, he recommended limiting its consumption, particularly for people who do not often exert themselves physically at a high level. Ice cream is highly consumed during hot Wisconsin weather because of its service temperature and the states residents love for dairy products. However, because of the milk and sugar content, ice cream can be very heavy on your stomach and cause nausea and more discomfort from the heat, according to Holt. Holt recommends refrigerated watermelon and other frozen treats with low sugar content, such as Italian ice pops and lemon Chill. Holt said that clothing worn in intense heat should be light colors (white, yellow, etc...), lightweight and should fit loosely, as tight clothing can cause increased discomfort. He said any hats worn are best with white brims. Sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen are also more highly recommended in intense heat where there are little to no clouds in the sky. For indoor environments, he said that people should stay in their homes as much as possible if air conditioned and if not, should make arrangements to spend time at a family member or friends house who does have it. Youd be surprised how many people will open up their home, said Holt. He also said windows should stay covered to prevent heat from sunlight, and even recommended putting aluminum foil over windows to reflect the rays. Just try not to do anything outdoors during the hottest part of the day, said Holt. Wait until later at night or first thing early in the morning. Other facilities Holt recommended were cooling centers in Baraboo and Reedsburg, as well as taking advantage of the weather in a fun manner in Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton at the areas waterparks. He noted that if people go to waterparks, they should remember to stay hydrated, as the water activities can give people a sense that they have more hydration than they actually have. Area churches and volunteers are banding together to provide free weekly to go meals to those in need. The effort already has vast support from the community, and beyond. Meals commence on Aug. 2, and will be held every Tuesday evening at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 311 W. Mackie St., Beaver Dam. They may be picked up between 4 and 5:30 p.m. by driving through the churchs parking lot off Beaver Street. Meals are intended for those who need them, but are available to everyone regardless of income level. The program is being administered through the First Lutheran Loaves & Fishes ministry, although efforts began with church members John and Linda Smedema. I told John he needed to get a hobby after his retirement and look what happened, said Linda, laughing. For me its kind of based on my faith, said John. Im trying to follow Jesus example of serving others. To me thats a big part of his message. When John was working in Watertown he was looking for service opportunities and connected to a program at Watertown Moravian Church. They served a hot meal every week, said John. I volunteered there for two-and-a-half years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the church was serving 60 to 80 people a week in the church basement. During COVID that number, switched to drive-through pick-up, jumped to more than 400. After 13 years of operation, the program has served more than 80,000 meals. Closer to home, John and Linda looked for a similar opportunity, and learned of the Community Table at The Watermark Community Center. That program has not been held for some time. We did an investigation of what was offered, said John. I talked to churches that held meals in the past, and we felt that there truly is a need. We came to our own church, which has a commercial kitchen, and they were very receptive. They met Louis Gregurich, whom many may know from his work in the area, and he was highly interested as well. We want to make good, wholesome meals, said Gregurich, who received his training from Northern Technical College and has been in the food business for 22 years. This is not fast food. This is a big opportunity to make sure that everyone is being fed. I dont want anyone to go hungry. Ive been around food for a long time and I love what Im doing, said Gregurich. Ive also got multiple chefs from different parts of the country who are eager to participate. None of them are getting paid. Its their way of sharing their talents with the community, and getting creative with whatever is available to them. For them its a chance to have fun and prepare some really great food. Were all really happy to be a part of this. He added, Well do everything we can to make sure it doesnt come out of a can, but if it has to well make sure that it tastes good. The effort is ecumenical, involving many area churches, to establish a core of volunteers and support. Backing has come from a number of sources including United Way of Dodge County, Horicon Bank, the Presbytery of Milwaukee, Klassen Quality Chocolates, Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation and other sources. Recruiting volunteers is a hurdle, but people are eagerly responding. We sent out letters to area churches and organizations and some have already responded, said Linda. Were hoping to get more, as it takes six to eight people a week to run things efficiently. Were hoping to have enough people so we dont have to rely on the same team every week. If someone can help twice a year that would be fine. It gives everyone who joins us the chance to interact with the community. A relationship is formed. Families can volunteer, along with local businesses, industries, civic groups and others. Weve heard from churches in Waupun and Cambria that are eager to help, said John. Its open to the entire area, and that goes for volunteers as well. Donations are always welcome, whether they be food, cash or supplies. Every penny donated to us is going to food and providing meals for area communities, said Linda. Its not just Beaver Dam. Its Horicon, Mayville, Randolph, Burnett, Juneau, Columbus, Waupun. A brat fry is coming July 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Food Pride and there will also be a car wash and bake sale at First Lutheran Church on July 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are welcome to come out and support the mission. Checks may be made out to Loaves & Fishes in care of First Lutheran Church, 311 W. Mackie St., Beaver Dam, WI 53916. For more information call John Smedema at (920) 382-1518, email smedes20@charter.net, or visit bdloavesandfishes on Facebook (currently being established). To volunteer visit https://bit.ly/loavesfishesbd. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Residents of Juneau County will have a chance to vote on more state involvement in cleaning up the countys water supply in the fall. During the County Boards meeting on June 21, the board approved adding an advisory referendum to the November ballot asking residents if the state should take more action regarding the quality of drinking water. The measure, which was passed in a 12-6 vote, was proposed because of citizens increased concerns about the countys drinking water and its health effects. I think the (state) legislature does need to look at clean water, and this is one way to get their attention to look at that issue, said District 17 Sup. Steven Thomas. Thomas, who is on the countys Board of Health, said that the board has been looking at water issues in the county during the past three years. He said that wells in the county and groundwater contamination are the two key issues surrounding the countys supply. Theres a need to look at what the contaminants are and then track back to what are the sources for those contaminants, said Thomas. The question on the ballot will read, Should the State of Wisconsin establish a right to clean water to protect human health, the environment, and the diverse cultural and natural heritage of Wisconsin? Juneau is one of a growing list of Wisconsin counties to approve adding a Clean Water Now referendum to the fall ballot, according to a release from River Alliance of Wisconsin communications director Stacy Harbaugh. Green and Adams counties are two others in the southwest region of the state to approve the referendum. Timothy Cottingham, the board chairperson, said that the referendum will help get more attention at the state level to water issues in Juneau and other counties in the state. He said that seemingly each time the issue begins to make progress, it gets less prioritized. Hopefully, we can get it to the next level, said Cottingham. It seems like when they start making advancements, some other things happen and it just gets put on the back burner. We just want to hopefully let Madison and the legislature know that, Hey, this a concern throughout the counties, and not only our county. Five counties in the state have already approved the referendum in the previous two spring elections, with all of them earning over 70% of the vote. In April, 86% of voters in La Crosse County voted for it. It is no accident that so many counties are coming forward to ask our state leaders to do more to ensure water is protected for drinking, fishing, recreation, and a strong economy, said Johnson Bridgewater, the River Alliance of Wisconsins Water Advocates organizer, in the release. Harbaugh added that Wisconsin residents raised water protection concerns in 2019, but that proposals fell short and the state legislature has not taken meaningful action on proposed bills. The six Juneau County district supervisors to vote against adding the referendum were: Aimee Stieve (21), Ray Zipperer (13), Jack Jasinski (11), John Ard (12), Mike Keichinger (9), and Roy Granger (15). Zipperer said he voted against adding the referendum because it did not appear to have a plan for how the county would approach the state for cleaner water. We didnt really know what the resolution meant, said Zipperer. Were all for clean water and we want the legislature to do their part. After that, what do we want the legislature to do? That should have been in the resolution. Wonewoc took a step toward cleaning up its water supply earlier this year, as the Juneau County village was approved for a $7.4 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to help replace its outdated water treatment plant. The new plant will be completed over the next three years. Three of the 21 supervisors James Parrett, James Ryczek, and Kim Strompolis were absent from the meeting. Juneau County businesses and homes were heavily impacted by a tornado from a storm system that swept through the area on June 15. The cost of the road to recovery is still to be determined. Because of the damage from the storms, the County Board unanimously voted (18-0, with three absent) to declare a 60-day local state of emergency for the county at the boards June 21 meeting. The state of emergency allows the county to secure resources from the State of Wisconsin, which include air and emergency management assistance. Mauston, the county seat and largest city in the county, was hit hard by the severe weather. Roman Castle, an Italian restaurant on Wisconsin Highway 82 in the city, had its roof torn off by the heavy winds. Mile Bluff Medical Center also had some vehicles in its parking lot damaged by the storm and operated on backup power as a result of damaged electrical systems in the surrounding area. Our staff did an amazing job before, during, and since the storm, to protect our patients and keep Mile Bluff operational, said Kathy Behnke, the medical centers director of public relations, in an email. One elevator was inoperable following the storm, but was restored on June 16, according to Behnke. Randy Reeg, the city administrator in Mauston, said that the city is still waiting on a full estimate of the damages from the tornado. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers visited Roman Castle on June 16, when the restaurant had the original roof temporarily reaffixed to the building. Reeg said permanent repairs for the restaurant are in the queue. Jeremy Bonikowske, the countys emergency management director, also is in the process of gathering estimated costs of county-wide damage. He said the county is still waiting to hear back from homeowners regarding damage amounts and insurance claims. Seven trailers in the county sustained major damage, according to Bonikowske, and his department had 54 calls to 2-1-1 due to property damage. A Mauston High School teacher, Luke Heath, whose students recently received national recognition for their work with wind energy, was involved in cleaning up after the storms. He assisted Doug and Lori Bellile, whose home is near Mile Bluff in a heavily wooded area. Heath said that between 10 and 20 trees fell near the Bellile residence, but that fortunately none of them hit their house or vehicles. However, the fallen debris did cover their driveway and yard and would take weeks or months to clean up. Upon his familys arrival at the Bellile home, Heath said that there already were 15 to 25 people at the residence with saws and helping to move and cut branches for city pickup. He said that the work was nearly done and that his family helped finish. Mauston has lots of great people that are very generous and always willing to help others in need, said Heath. That is one of the reasons I really do enjoy being part of this community. No injuries or fatalities were reported as a result of the storms. Other county cities New Lisbon and Elroy, the other cities fully in Juneau County, did not sustain much impact from the storms. New Lisbon public works director Nick Wyss said that the city sustained a power outage that lasted roughly 2 hours and that three large branches fell onto roadways, but that the city was very lucky overall. Elroy city administrator Carole Brown said that no significant damage happened in the community. Dells Area The Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton area was also not impacted much by the severe weather. Lake Delton village administrator Tim McCumber said the only notable result of the storm were some downed branches. Wisconsin Dells public works director Chris Tollaksen said the same about the city. Power was out at businesses such as Walgreens and McDonalds in Wisconsin Dells as a result of a short outage in the area of the intersection of Broadway and Wisconsin Dells Parkway. Tollaksen said a transmission line outside city limits providing wholesale power went down and that the city had to temporarily redirect power distribution during that time. July 9, 1974June 20, 2022 LOVES PARK, ILLINOIS Kelly J. Herwig, age 47, of Loves Park, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 20, 2022. Kelly was born on July 9, 1974, in Portage, WI, the daughter of Gary and Karen (Horton) Herwig. In 1997, Kelly graduated from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy. After graduation, Kelly moved to the Rockford area where she lived and worked as an Occupational Therapist. Kelly was a strong, independent, generous and devoted person. She enjoyed traveling; she especially enjoyed her 2019 trip to Europe and the many family vacations to Canada. Kelly is survived by her father, Gary Herwig of Portage; her brother, Cory (Mandi) Herwig of Portage; two special nephews, Ben (Tori) Herwig of Shoreview, MN and Marcus Herwig of Portage. She is further survived by many special aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives and many friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Karen Herwig, grandparents, George and Amy Horton, and grandmother, Irmgard May. Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church in Portage, with the Rev. Greg Hovland officiating. Inurnment will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Johns Lutheran Church of Portage, WI. The family would like to express their gratitude for the care she received at Mercyhealth in Rockford, IL. Kellys giving, loving nature will always be remembered; her family and friends will dearly miss her. Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage (www.pmmfh.com) is assisting the family. Less than two months before the August primary, GOP gubernatorial candidates Tim Michels and Rebecca Kleefisch are neck and neck at the top of a packed field of Republicans seeking to oust incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers this fall, according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll. The poll, released Wednesday, finds that 27% of Republican primary voters support Michels, the millionaire co-owner of Brownsville-based Michels Corp., while 26% support former Lt. Gov. Kleefisch, setting the stage for a tight race between the two GOP candidates. The poll has a margin of error of 6.3% among GOP primary voters, and 32% of respondents remain undecided, down from 46% of respondents in April. The takeaway here is that Michels entry into the race has put him in a very close competition for the lead with Rebecca Kleefisch, poll director Charles Franklin said. A one-point difference doesnt mean very much when you think of that margin of error. So a close, close race here. However, polling also finds Evers holding a slight edge in head-to-head matchups with the four major Republicans in the race. The winner of the Aug. 9 primary will go on to face Evers in the Nov. 8 election. The Democratic governor was the pick of 47% of respondents in a head-to-head scenario with Kleefisch, who received 43% support. Against Michels, who had not previously been featured in a Marquette poll, Evers held a 48-41 advantage. Evers also fared better against former Marine Kevin Nicholson (48-40) and state Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport (51-34). Rebecca Kleefisch is the best Republican candidate to beat Tony Evers this fall, Kleefischs campaign manager Charles Nichols said in a statement. The latest poll found Nicholson receiving 10% of support from Republican primary voters, the same he received in April, while Ramthuns support went from 4% to 3%. While Kleefischs support declined six points from 32% in April, Franklin said thats not necessarily a result of Michels joining the race. Michels entry seems to have drawn substantial support from the folks who were undecided rather than taking away support from the other candidates, Franklin said. Michels joined the race in late April and earlier this month secured an endorsement from Donald Trump. The former president still holds considerable sway over Republican voters, and political experts believe his endorsement could provide a significant boost for Michels in a packed GOP primary in August. Whats more, delegates attending the Republican Party of Wisconsins annual convention last month chose not to endorse a candidate in several statewide races, including for governor. The decision means the state party will not provide funding or resources to a preferred candidate until after a nominee is selected in the Aug. 9 primary. While none of the gubernatorial candidates received enough votes to secure the partys endorsement, Kleefisch easily won the majority of votes, coming in just about six percentage points short of the 60% needed for an endorsement. Ramthun, Nicholson and Michels each received less than 6%. Kleefisch, who served eight years under former Gov. Scott Walker, joined the race back in September, while Nicholson and Ramthun announced campaigns earlier this year. Michels campaign manager Patrick McNulty said in a statement the latest poll reflects what we have been seeing and hearing all across the state. Tim Michels is the only candidate running to defeat Tony Evers who leads large teams to accomplish big things, and thats what hell do as governor, McNulty said. The poll found 48% approve of Evers job as governor, compared with 45% disapproving, marking little change from April. The June poll also found that 67% of Republicans were very enthused about voting this fall compared with 58% of Democratic voters. Only 35% of independents are very enthusiastic to vote. As of today, Republicans do have an advantage in enthusiasm and if that translated into turnout that would make them more competitive in the races theyre behind in, Franklin said. U.S. Senate In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, where a packed field of candidates are vying for the chance to unseat GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is supported by 25% of primary voters, up from 19% in April. And 21% support Milwaukee Bucks executive-on-leave Alex Lasry, up from 16% in April. State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski saw her support increase from 7% in April to 9% this month, while Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelsons support increased from 5% to 7%. Still, 36% of respondents had no preference, indicating a still wide-open race. In head-to-head matchups with Johnson, Barnes received 46% to Johnsons 44%, Godlewski received 45% to Johnsons 43%, Lasry received 42% to Johnsons 45% and Nelson received 44% to Johnsons 43%. All of these are well within the margin of error but they show that, compared to the governors race, the senate race does appear to be a bit tighter, Franklin said. Johnsons favorability was largely unchanged from the previous poll, sitting at 37% this month, compared with 46% viewing him unfavorably. Election confidence Junes poll shows little change among respondents in confidence in the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election, with 67% saying they are very or somewhat confident that votes were accurately cast and counted, compared with 32% who are not too confident or not at all confident. Among Republicans, 65% of respondents are either not at all confident or not too confident in the 2020 elections results. Among Democrats, 90% are very confident, while another 5% are somewhat confident. And among independents, 51% are very confident in the elections results, 19% are somewhat confident, 3% are not too confident, and 26% are not at all confident. The poll included 803 registered voters interviewed by telephone June 14-20 and has an overall margin of error of 4.3%. Margins of error were 6.3% for the GOP primary and 6.2% for the Democratic primary. Other issues Other results from the June Marquette poll include: 75% of respondents say they are very concerned with inflation, 58% are very concerned with abortion policy, 56% are very concerned with gun violence, 47% are very concerned with health care, and 18% remain very concerned with COVID-19. 81% support red-flag laws, which allow police to take firearms away from people found by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others, while 13% oppose such laws. 79% support mandatory background checks on people making gun purchases at gun shows or through private sales, while 16% are opposed. 56% support raising the minimum age for purchasing a gun to 21, while 38% would keep the minimum age at 18. 44% say they know someone who identifies as transgender, while 55% do not. 46% say they favor laws banning discrimination based on whether a person is transgender, while 39% oppose such laws, and 13% say they dont know. 62% say athletes should only be allowed to compete on teams that match their birth gender, while 22% say they support participation by athletes on teams that match their gender identity and 14% say they dont know. 66% say water quality issues are a statewide concern, while 24% see it as an issue only in isolated parts of the state. RACINE The Wisconsin Office of School Safety is spending $1 million to help schools better respond to crisis situations by developing and training 12 regional Critical Incident Response Teams. However, school districts remain largely in the dark about how the teams will function. One Racine County school district said they had not even heard about the program until contacted by a reporter. Trish Kilpin, director of the Office of School Safety, wrote in an email that the goal of this project is to collectively improve the capacity and confidence of critical incident responders, ensuring that they are utilizing evidence-informed interventions to decrease the trauma symptoms that children experience after exposure to an acute traumatic stressor. The Office of School Safety is part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is led by Attorney General Josh Kaul. The Critical Incident Response Teams, which are undergoing training this summer, 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. Wisconsin is the first state to implement the regional teams on a statewide basis, according to the DOJ. However, the makeup of the teams still needs to be determined by the state. Area school districts seemingly werent included in the planning. In an email, a spokeswoman for the Burlington Area School District said the new Critical Incident Response Team is news to us." She continued: "We'll have to see how they establish the teams. Likewise, the Racine Unified School District last week said it had not been part of planning for the new CIRT. The 12 regional teams will cover the same areas as the 12 Cooperative Educational Service Agency regions under the state Department of Public Instruction. Racine Unified is in the CESA 1 region, which includes more than 40 districts, with schools in Milwaukee and Kenosha, among others. All other Racine County school districts are in CESA 2, which is more sprawling, including schools in Dane County and Green County. Volunteers will staff the regional response teams, though it is unclear how many people will be on a team. Empowering caring volunteers who live in or near the communities impacted by the crisis will provide quick access to support in the event of an emergency, Kilpin wrote. The $1 million comes from a federal grant through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. It will be spent on summer training sessions and implementation. The grant expires in September 2023, and OSS hopes to be awarded stable state funding that would enable us to continue this work beyond the period of the grant, Kilpin wrote. Team members will attend one of four weeklong training sessions this summer. One training session occurred last week, one is currently taking place and two are in August. The program should be up and running this fall. After that, the critical incident responders will have opportunities for continued training, learning debriefing and support, Kilpin wrote. Schools that experience a critical event will contact our office and resources will be deployed. Tracking rainfall moisture in Lesotho Lesotho is considered to be the water tower of southern Africa and it is key to water security in the region. Researchers from Wits University and the University College in London (UCL) recently undertook a field trip to the mountainous kingdom, Lesotho, as part of the quest to explore the source of moisture that influences rainfall in Lesotho. The team of climatologists and water experts set off on 2 June headed for the Caledonspoort Border Post leading into Lesotho. By lunch time, the team had crossed into the country and immediately set about collecting water samples. Associate Professor of Physical Geography in the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at Wits, Jennifer Fitchett says studies into rainfall moisture around Lesotho are critical for several reasons. First, Lesotho is considered the water tower of southern Africa, hosting the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which supplies South Africa with water. Understanding the dynamics of moisture sources for Lesotho is important in understanding the water security for the region, says Fitchett. Another reason says Fitchett is that the Lesotho Highlands receive approximately eight snowfall events per year, and thus provides us with the best opportunity to explore the isotopes of snow relative to that of groundwater and rivers. If there is a difference in the moisture sources for winter and summer precipitation, this would be most likely to be traced in this environment. The research also helps to understand rainfall and droughts in South Africa and the movement of moisture that has evaporated from the Indian Ocean to the two neighbouring countries South Africa and Lesotho. This study is one of several joint research projects under the Wits-UCL Strategic Partnership Seed Funding launched in 2019. Research awards are granted annually and carry up to approximately R100 000 (5,000), per project. Thus far, 18 research projects in different disciplines have received funding. The peer-to-peer collaboration promotes research excellence and interaction with a range of students and early career researchers. Fitchett is working with Principal Investigator Emeritus Professor Anson Mackay and his colleague Professor Jonathan Holmes (UCL). Mackay, however, was not able to join the field trip due to health reasons, but in his place Dr Simone Dahms-Verster (Wits) and Prof Chris Curtis (UJ) joined Fitchett and Holmes for the fieldwork. The team covered massive ground during the four-day trip moving from Caledonspoort to Sani Top, Sani Top to Katse Dam, Katse Dam to Mafeteng, and Mafeteng to Maseru collecting samples from snowpacks, rivers, dams and springs across the northern half of Lesotho. In addition to collecting water samples for analysis, we also collected the GPS coordinates and altitude using a Garmin GPS, the air temperature using a Kestrel 5000, and the water temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and pH using a YSI. We collected a total of 35 samples, says Fitchett. The water samples are currently being analysed at the Bloomsbury Environmental Isotope Facility at UCL. Pioneering own solutions Research equipment can be costly, hard to source and sometimes there is a mismatch between the product on the market and the research needs. The climate and environmental group faced this challenge when it came to rainwater collectors. To overcome this, Holmes built and tested a rainwater collector in his home in the UK and it also proved to be effective in preventing evaporation (a critical factor for rainwater isotope analyses). This prototype was replicated in Johannesburg by Holmes and Fitchett during Holmes visit to Wits in June 2022, with the assistance of the Civil and Environmental Engineering laboratories at Wits. Preliminary tests confirmed effectiveness and the equipment has been deployed at three locations. The purpose is to obtain weekly rainwater samples from across South Africa against which the oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios from the water samples in Lesotho can be compared. This will help the team in further understanding the variation in water isotope signatures across southern Africa, and to link these to the primary moisture sources. Related articles: 2019-20 UCL-Wits Seed Funds recipients announced Recipients of UCL-Wits University Strategic Partner Funds 2021/22 YEREVAN, 22 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 22 June, USD exchange rate down by 4.39 drams to 412.62 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.99 drams to 434.08 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.11 drams to 7.76 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 6.84 drams to 505.42 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 209.46 drams to 24412.83 drams. Silver price down by 2.85 drams to 287.48 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams. Florida Bay is a vast shallow lagoon located between the southernmost point of mainland Florida and the Florida Keys, a chain of small islands. The Bay is noteworthy for its seagrass ecosystem and the animals that dwell in it. Everglades National Park encompasses nearly all of Florida Bay. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary runs along the southern end of the bay. The northern half of the Keys are located beyond the Bay, and so is the Florida Reef, North America's sole barrier coral reef. Why is Florida Bay Important? Map showing the location of the Florida Bay. Florida Bay seagrasses are crucial to the economics and ecology of the southern Gulf of Mexico, supplying food and shelter to a diverse range of fish and invertebrates, including economically important pink shrimp, stone crab, and spiny lobster. In addition to this, several wading birds and many endangered species like bald eagles, manatees, American crocodiles, and sea turtles rely on the bay's seagrass ecosystems to some extent. Everglades National Park Nature in the Everglades National Park, Florida. Located in the southern part of Florida, the Everglades National Park covers an area of 6,106.6 sq. km and protects about 20% of the initial Florida Everglades. The park has the most tropical wilderness in the United States, as well as the most wilderness of any sort east of the Mississippi River. It is a crucial home for several rare and endangered animals, including the manatee and the American crocodile. After Death Valley and Yellowstone, Everglades is the third-largest national park in the contiguous United States. The Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Park were declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1976 by UNESCO. In the later years, the Everglades National Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Wetland. Threats To Florida Bay Florida Bay Marshland at Bald Point, Florida Gulf. Freshwater flow from the Everglades has been drastically curtailed, resulting in greater salt levels. The degradation of Florida Bay's biological communities has been caused by a drop in water quality due to changes in and diversion of water flow within the Everglades, which reduces the quantity of freshwater flow into the Bay. Salinity levels have risen to the point that some seagrass beds have perished. Seagrass-associated organism populations have also dropped, affecting animals further up the food chain. Rainwater runoff carrying agricultural fertilizers carries high amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into the estuary. While these fertilizers are utilized in agricultural fields, they induce algal blooms in aquatic systems. When the algal population increases quickly, oxygen from the water is sucked up, lowering the quantity accessible to other marine species. Algae blooms also obstruct a large portion of the sunlight required by seagrasses to perform photosynthesis. Mercury is also a pollutant of concern in south Florida's waterways, particularly the Everglades and Florida Bay. Very low amounts of mercury, originating from agricultural fungicides utilized by farms north of the Everglades as well as atmospheric sources, can have a significant influence on aquatic environments. Threatened And Endangered Species In Florida Bay American Alligator American alligator resting on a log in Everglades National Park, Florida. The American crocodile has a pointed snout and a grayish-green color, but the American alligator has a rounded snout and is black in color. Because of its resemblance to the American crocodile, the American alligator is considered an endangered species. Sea Turtles The Atlantic ridley sea turtle and the hawksbill sea turtle are two of the four sea turtles found in Florida Bay. The most prevalent sea turtles are the endangered green sea turtle and the loggerhead sea turtle. Manatee A Manatee in Southern Florida. The manatee is a huge, slow-moving, plant-eating aquatic animal that is federally listed as endangered. Its distribution is mainly governed by water temperature since manatees cannot survive in water below 63 F for lengthy periods. During the winter months in Florida, manatees frequently move into warm spring-fed rivers or near the heated discharges of power plants. Manatees travel out into shallow fresh, brackish, and seawater habitats when the offshore seas warm in late spring and summer. Wood Stork A wood stork is foraging for food. The endangered wood stork lives in Florida Bay's mangrove swamps and estuaries. This species' decline is primarily due to the lack of feeding habitat caused by man's manipulation of wetlands. Gloucester is an urban hub located within Essex County in the US state of Massachusets. Situated along the coast of the Northern Atlantic Ocean, this city is known for its prominent fishing spots and tourist locations. Along with this, it is one of the countys important urban hubs and is a mix of both the fishing industry and a summer retreat. The city is also known for having a wide range of history throughout its ambiance, whether this is in the pre-Revolutionary architecture or the various museums and monuments. Geography And Climate Of Gloucester Gloucester, Massachusetts. Gloucester is located at the northeastern end of Massachusets along the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean. It occupies most of the eastern end of Cape Ann, with the entire city being split centrally by the Annisquam River. The city's southern end along the coast is known as Gloucester Harbor, which is segregated into various smaller coves. The city itself covers a total area of 107.5 sq. km, with 67.8 sq. km being land while the remaining 37% is water. This mass of water is divided along the coast and the various rivers and lakes within the city. According to the Koppen Climate Classification, Gloucester experiences a humid continental climate. This means that it has a temperate climate with chilling winters and decently warm summers. Testament to this, the average temperatures in the city range from highs of 26.6 C to lows of -7.7, which is much broader than the national average. Gloucester also gets more precipitation throughout the year. With an average yearly rainfall of 49 inches, the city gets nearly 11 inches more rainfall than the national average. In addition to this, precipitation can be seen for approximately 114 days in a year, so Gloucester also gets up to 44 inches of snow during the winter months. Brief History Of Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial Cenotaph, also known as the "Man at the Wheel" statue, on South Stacy Boulevard in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Editorial credit: ARK NEYMAN / Shutterstock.com Gloucester has a vast historical origin that dates back many centuries as it was inhabited by the Agawam people and many other Native American Tribes. However, in 1202, a french colonizer named Samuel de Champlain visited the land and, within the next ten years, was established as a permanent fishing outpost by the English Dorcester Company. This began the initial development of the area as a city, but it was soon to end as the colony was abandoned for more fertile regions in 1626. It took another 20 years after this for English settlers to gradually move back into the land until it was finally incorporated as the town of Gloucester in 1642. Over the next 70 years, the town was involved in various battles until things finally settled down with the institution of Town Green, a small settlement within Gloucester that had a school and multiple families. This sparked development in the region, and beginning in the early 1700s, various industries such as granite factories, farming, logging, etc., moved in. The town gradually grew into more of a harbor city and attracted many immigrants from Europe and nearby areas. The City of Gloucester was officially incorporated in 1873 and, since then, has maintained a decent growth rate in terms of population and economy. The Population And Economy Of Gloucester Eastern Point Lighthouse at Gloucester, Massachusetts. Based on the latest US Census, the city of Gloucester has a population of 29,729 individuals. This brings the population density across the city to an average of 438.23 individuals per sq. km, which is just slightly higher than the state average, which is 346 individuals per sq. km. Throughout the citys population, 50.4% of individuals are female, which brings the gender divide to nearly equivalent. In terms of racial makeup, 93.1% of Gloucesters population is made up of White individuals. The remainder, 6.9%, is split mainly between Hispanic/Latinos, Asians, and African Americans. The median household income in Gloucester was $76,260 in 2020. Apart from this, the average house value in the city was an impressive $435,200, which is relatively high for the state. Due to this disparity in income and home value, Gloucester does have quite a high poverty rate of 9.6%. Attractions In Gloucester Good Harbor Beach Aerial view of Good Harbor Beach during summer in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Located at the eastern end of Gloucester, Good Harbor Beach is a fantastic place for both tourists and locals alike. The beach is filled with sand dunes, so one can always find something fun to do. Along with this, one can also go for a swim out into the open waters. Hammond Castle Museum Aerial view of Hammond Castle in the village of Magnolia in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Hammond Castle Museum is a relic that delves into the glorious life of John Hays Hammond Jr. with artifacts from various times in history. Built in 1929 by the Allen & Collens architectural firm, the castle was designed to be Hammonds dream home. It was inspired by Medieval architecture and thus, is complete with a tower house, great hall, and much more. As of now, the massive structure has been converted into a museum where you can find relics from Roman, Renaissance, and Medieval times. Main Street Historic commercial buildings on Main Street in downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts. Editorial credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com Main Street is one of the most happening places in Gloucester city. The street is filled with several things to do, ranging from restaurants for a quick meal to stores to fulfill all one's shopping needs. Located close to the shoreline, it is the perfect place to relax with one's friends and have a drink after a tiring day at the beach. The Russian Embassy in Washington has so far received no requests from the US administration regarding two US mercenaries, captured in Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said, answering to media questions, Tass informs. June 22, 2022, 10:12 Russian embassy received no requests about US mercenaries ambassador STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: "There were no requests to the embassy. I do not confirm receiving a request of this kind from the US side," the head of the Russian diplomatic mission said. US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday the US administration has been "in touch with Russian authorities regarding U.S. citizens who may have been captured while fighting in Ukraine." Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday Two Americans recently captured in Donbass were being accused of mercenarism and were therefore not subject to the Geneva Convention. The Russian presidents press secretary noted that the actions of the captured Americans "should be investigated and they should be brought to justice." That said, he didnt count out the possibility that the court would sentence them to capital punishment. Last week, the UKs Daily Telegraph reported that two former US servicemen, 39-year-old Alexander Drueke and 27-year-old Andy Huynh, were captured near Kharkov. On June 16, the US Department of State said the United States was ready for contacts with Russia over the American citizens detained near Kharkov who came to Ukraine to participate in combat. The agency reiterated its strong recommendations to US citizens to refrain from visiting Ukraine. Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. Russia welcomes the intensification of the Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan deputy prime ministerial working group dealing with the unblocking of regional communications, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a weekly press briefing, in response to the question of a reporter of Armenian Public TVs Lurer program. June 22, 2022, 17:13 Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani deputy PMs bring their positions closer on a number of issues Zakharova STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: We welcome the intensification of the activity of the trilateral working group led by the deputy prime ministers of the three countries dealing with the unblocking of economic and transportation communications in South Caucasus. As you know, the working group held its 10th meeting on June 3, the sides managed to bring their positions closer on a number of issues. The discussions continued on June 16-17 on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Russian side will continue providing close support to this process, Zakharova said. Details of callouts attended by officers from NWP Wrexham Town in the last 24 hours have been released by the local inspector. Insp Luke Hughes has started providing daily updates to the public on the sort of incidents that police attend on a daily basis. Along with crimes many incidents are attended to assist with vulnerable members of the public or to issue advice and guidance. Officers in the town centre dealt with 56 calls on Tuesday (21 June), including five shoplifting offences, an attempted break in at a shop and assisting elderly residents in the community. A breakdown of the callouts from yesterday can be found below: 09:35hrs: Shoplifting high street fabric softener stolen by female suspect. Insp Hughes said: Sadly likely to be sold on so the offender can purchase drugs. It is a sad reality of most towns / cities across the UK, locally we are looking at way to support these individuals and get them help, but we also take a hard line on prosecution and a court appearance will be inevitable. 10:58hrs: Officers attend to a vehicle that has momentarily lost control whilst parking and driven straight through the owners own garage door, through the back wall and into a shed. No one was hurt. 11:04hrs: Attend to an insecure property with concerns people are accessing it all in order and arrangements made to secure. 12:10hrs: Another shoplifting staff report that two adults have given items to a child (under 10) and encouraged the same to walk out of the shop thus stealing the items. Insp Hughes said: Im lost for words utterly disgraceful, CCTV enquiries ongoing, clear concern for safety of the child concerned. Five shopliftings were reported in total yesterday; all items stolen were non-essential items, stolen for profit, officers will review the CCTV and follow up, no respect for retailers and local business, if you are ever offered cheap products please turn them down. 13:00hrs: Notification from national offenders management that a male has been recalled to prison, details circulated and enquiries ongoing to locate no risk to public. 14:33hrs: Concerned member of the public reports a group of people trying to light a barbecue in a local park, officers attend and advise given. 14:45hrs: Sec59 ASB driving warning notice issued to rider of motorbike Archers Way if he continues it will be seized. 15:28hrs: Report of suspicious male trying to sell conifers door to door in a residential area officers attend no trees or suspicions men seen. 15:30hrs: Elderly male who has taken a fall in a flat pulling his emergency cord, officers attend all in order. 15:42hrs: Concerns for safety elderly confused male cant find his wife, officer attend offer comfort and reunite all in order. 17:42hrs: Anti social behaviour involving a drone over a residential property, previously warned no sign of drone on arrival NPT will monitor. 19:20hrs: Panic alarm pressed at OAP property, installed in case of rogue traders etc., officers arrive within 4 minutes from time dispatched all in order, accidental activation. 00:07hrs: Officers respond to a disorder male in Abbot street, he has assaulted a member of the public, and duly assaults a female officer who attempt to assist arrested, request made to charge and bail with conditions to not enter Wrexham at night and our licensed venues totally unacceptable behaviour. 02:24hrs: Call from member of the public advising she thinks someone is breaking into a shop prompt response area search and three arrests made for burglary. Insp Hughes added: Officers also had to travel to Gatwick overnight to bring back two males arrested for offences in Wrexham when they were detained trying to flee the country top result. Cant do the time, dont do the crime As you can see, quite a lot of our work is none crime based, but its all done to help people in our community and Im overwhelmed by the support show to the officers as they go about their work. Ukraine nationals who fled country after the Russian invasion welcomed to Wales Ukraine nationals who fled their country after the Russian invasion have been welcomed to Wales by the First Minister and Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt. They met the Ukrainian nationals seeking sanctuary in Wales on World Refugee Day (20 June) during a visit to a Welcome Centre, where more than 200 people have been sponsored under the Welsh Government Super Sponsor scheme. Thousands more people from Ukraine have already claimed sanctuary in Wales, thanks to many people who have kindly volunteered to be a sponsor, after fleeing the country following the Russian invasion. More than 6,500 people have been welcomed to Wales after having their visa applications confirmed, with 3,600 of these with the Welsh Government as a super sponsor. A further 5,500 visas have been issued to those with a sponsor in Wales, of which 2,965 have Welsh Government as a super sponsor. The true figures are likelier to be higher as the total number of confirmed applications is an undercount of around 1,300, with the super-sponsor scheme making up the majority of the undercount. Earlier this month the Welsh Government announced that it had temporarily paused new applications to its super sponsor scheme during June. This is to ensure people who are arriving, and those already here in Wales, continue to receive an excellent level of care and support, the Welsh Government has said. During their time at the Welcome Centre, guests have been given support in terms of schoolwork for children and young people, finding work for adults and keeping in touch with other Ukrainian families in Wales. As well as English and Maths lessons for the children, adults have also been taught English to help them settle into Wales and boost their chances of finding work. Every effort is also being made to enrol children in local schools once their families have found suitable communities to settle into. Welcome Centres across Wales are working closely with local government, health boards, charities and others in an effort to find suitable places for Ukraine nationals to settle. They are being given advice to help find their way in a new country, including help with money, welfare benefits and advice about finding work. Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt: We are proud to have been able to welcome thousands of people to Wales from Ukraine and it has been truly humbling to meet them today and hear their stories. We are determined to be a Nation of Sanctuary and will do everything in our powers to help them rebuild their lives and settle into Wales. It has been heartening to see the efforts being made at the Welcome Centre to make them feel at home and I would like to thank them for all they have done. First Minister Mark Drakeford said: We are working very hard with local authorities across Wales to find placements for people after their time in the Welcome Centre. Thousands of Welsh households said they wanted to take part in the Homes for Ukraine scheme and many of those are already hosting Ukrainians. We would like to thank them for their efforts as, combined with our incredible Welcome Centres across Wales, it has helped provide those in need with sanctuary at their darkest hour. Wrexham head to Alicante and Nantwich for pre season Wrexham AFC has announced its pre-season plans, in preparation for the 2022/23 National League campaign. The team will head to Alicante in Spain for two fixtures on July 19 and July 23. Full details including opposition, venues and kick-off times will be confirmed next week, but the club can confirm that supporters will be admitted to these games. Two domestic fixtures have also been confirmed. The first will take place on Saturday July 16 against Northern Premier League side Nantwich Town, with kick-off at the Swansway Stadium scheduled for 3pm. As previously announced, the Club committed to this friendly as a thank you for hosting last seasons FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round Replay against Marine. This will be an all-ticket game with no segregation, and tickets are now available for purchase here. A fortnight later, on Saturday July 30, we will host Macclesfield FC at the Racecourse Ground for another 3pm kick-off. Ticket information for this fixture will be announced in due course, as the Club looks forward to welcoming fans back through the turnstiles. A garage was destroyed in a Skaneateles fire that spread to a home Wednesday morning, but damage to the residence was limited. Dana Pickering, first assistant chief with the Skaneateles Volunteer Fire Department, told The Citizen that the call for a blaze at 151 E. Genesee St. came in around 3:48 a.m. It was determined the fire originated in the garage, and spread to an outside wall of the home. While the garage is a complete loss, Pickering said, the house received "very little damage." There were no injuries, and two adults and two children safely exited the house. The fire was extinguished a little before 5 a.m., Pickering said, adding that the cause of the blaze was under investigation by fire investigators with Onondaga County. Pickering said all of the agencies at the scene coordinated together well. "The residents all got out safe and we all did our job," he said. A Facebook post on the fire from Evan Whitney, the official photographer for the volunteer Mottville Fire Company, said fire departments with Skaneateles, Mottville, Owasco, Amber, Marcellus, Jordan, Spafford, Borodino, Elbridge, Navorino and Otisco were all at the scene. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 0 Safety will be compromised 100 percent. We already dont have enough staff to do the work as it stands. A WSWS reporting team spoke to an experienced maintenance engineer on the picket line at the Network Rail depot on Blast Lane, Sheffield. The picket line at Network Rail's Blast Lane depot in Sheffield [Photo: WSWS] The worker, whose name has been withheld for protection, raised the danger that the slashing of jobs was taking the national rail back to the dark days of Railtrack. In 1994, track, signalling, tunnels, level crossings and stations were handed over to the private sector when British Rail was privatised. A series of mass fatality disasters followed, including train collisions at Southall in 1997, Ladbroke Grove in 1999 and the Hatfield derailment in 2000. All were linked to the degradation of safety by private operators. Railtrack went into bankruptcy and was bailed out by the Labour government, with rail infrastructure brought back into public ownership on an arms-length basis by the establishment of Network Rail in 2002. Nobody speaks about the fact that there are constantly positions opened up in Bands 1-4 which are effectively management grades for people who have no experience in the rail network. They bring them on with company cars on 60-70,000 a year jobs, who then sit in offices around the country who have never been outside. The ground level staff, who are physically on the line, are outnumbered by 5 to 1. It is an upside-down pyramid. The more they move towards the fragmentation of maintenance its effectively a retreat to the Railtrack days. There were four major disasters before they retreated from that idea. But its the same government, same policies, same rhetoric the same circle of Thatcher politics. The current figure they are releasing for job losses is between two-and-a-half to three thousand people. The part they dont discuss as part of the modernisation of the railway programme, where they are talking about changing team positions and reducing staff on that basis, the original figure is closer to 15,000. It is in a Network Rail published document. For instance, where you need three people to do certain jobs, taking it down to two is just not physically possible. If you do, you just encourage risk, you encourage danger and eventually people are going to die. We work in locations such as old power signal boxes where there are loads of electro-mechanical components all over the place; it can involve running between 100 and 200 wires to renew something. Sounds simple enough. If you cross two of those wires over, thats two trains into one anotherhead onand youve just killed 600 people. The gravity of the situation facing workers raised broader issues of strategy to defeat the Johnson government. The pay rise is focussed on by the mainstream press, but it is one small part of the whole thing. Within reason everyone wants a fair pay rise, that is the same for every public sector worker. They keep saying they can only afford a pay increase if its fair on the public pocket, but surely if that is the case, why is every public sector worker not entitled to the same protection as MPs? Why arent I entitled to claim for travel expenses every time I have to drive somewhere, or to claim every time I need food or a babysitter. How does that work? You cant go down the public sector line and say everybody is the same when you are effectively at the highest level as a public worker. You can call yourself a member of parliament, but you are still employed by the people in exactly the same way as I am, as doctors, fire brigade and nurses. A general strike wont be called by the entire public sector until you get every union on the same wavelength, which at the minute the TUC [Trades Union Congress] cant do. Weve got a Labour Party who arent supporting the strike by the workers who originally started the Labour Party. It is the same as all the others now. It wants to sit on the centre fence. There is no movement away from the centre line because if you are seen as anything other, you are vilified. Youve got the likes of Rupert Murdoch, who is the pinnacle of shit, who is in control of the majority of papers. It is a well-publicised fact that you cannot get into power unless you have Murdoch on side. WSWS reporters pointed out there was a growing sentiment for a general strike against the Johnson government which the unionsincluding the RMTwere sitting on. This shows the need for rank-and-file committees organised by workers themselves to take up a political fight against the Johnson government. The fact that Labour has lined up squarely against strike action underlined the need for the building of a new political party for the working class. Pickets took copies of a statement issued by the Socialist Equality Party calling for the mobilisation of the entire working class against the Johnson government. The disastrous situation in New Zealands hospitals continues to worsen, with ongoing deaths from COVID-19, growing hospitalisations for influenza and other winter illnesses, and a severe staffing shortage. Yesterday, another 17 people died with COVID, including a child under 10 years of age. A total of 362 people were in hospital with the virus. Altogether, the Ministry of Health has recorded 1,432 COVID-related deaths. All but 59 of these occurred in 2022, during the highly infectious Omicron wave, and as a direct result of the Labour Party-led governments criminal decision last October to end its zero COVID policy. The government put the demands of big business for a return to work ahead of protecting the health and lives of the population. No lockdowns have been implemented this year, the border has fully reopened, vaccine mandates have been scrapped, and schools and nonessential businesses are open. According to the Worldometer website, New Zealand recorded 14 deaths per million people in the last seven days. This is the sixth-highest rate in the world, surpassed only by Taiwan, Portugal and three Caribbean island countries. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern answers a question during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand. (Robert Kitchin/Pool Photo via AP) On June 20, Radio NZs Corin Dann asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern whether she was considering reintroducing measures such as mandatory masks in schools, given the pressures on ED [hospital emergency departments], the ongoing deaths, the ongoing hospitalisations. In response, Ardern defended the present settings, which amount to a policy of mass infection. She noted that the government had eased public health restrictions when the COVID hospitalisation rate was even higher than it is now. She added that, in some hospitals, flu is now a greater cause of respiratory hospitalisation than COVID-19. Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland is reportedly seeing a fourfold increase in the number of influenza patients compared with 2019 and previous years. Influenza, however, can be controlled with the same measures used to stop COVID-19. In 2020 and 2021, thanks to New Zealands elimination strategy, the flu virus practically disappeared. The government is seeking to normalise the crisis in public hospitals. Health minister Andrew Little told Radio NZ yesterday that hospitals were under pressure, but added that every hospital scales back planned care every winter, there is nothing unusual about that. Hospital overcrowding is having tragic consequences. On June 15, a 51-year-old woman arrived at the Middlemore ED with a severe headache, but went home after being told she could not be seen for several hours. She died hours later of a brain haemorrhage. A doctor at the hospital told Stuff that the woman might have been saved if she had been seen immediately. They said: We dont know what to do, we are suffering in silence. We know how bad everything is but no one will acknowledge it. Stuff also reported on June 17 that a woman who had a miscarriage was sent home from Wellington Hospital and forced to wait two days before her dead baby could be delivered, because of short staffing. On June 21, hospitals in Wellington deferred all non-urgent operations for another four weeks, with the District Health Board saying the current staffing challenges will continue for the foreseeable future. Thousands of people, many living with painful and debilitating conditions, are unable to access the care they need. A recent survey by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists of heads of department and clinical directors at several different hospitals, found an overall staffing shortage of 22 percent. The Wairarapa District Health Board in the lower North Island reported the worst shortage of 50 percent. The survey also found that the real level of need throughout the country exceeds the publicly advertised staff vacancies. A worker at the Taranaki District Health Board told the WSWS: Almost all healthcare workers are getting tired. Hospitals cant fill out vacancies, as the number of people applying for jobs in this sector is getting lower day by day. He said the staffing shortage was largely because of a significant reduction of international workforce after the COVID-19 border closure, and the refusal of the government to recognise all overseas nursing qualifications. The worker pointed out that a large number of hospital patients had been transferred from aged care facilities, where conditions have deteriorated sharply. A nurse at a Wellington retirement home told the WSWS that understaffing in the sector was terrible. Across the aged care sector, he said, we currently have a shortage of 2,000 registered nurses. This has forced some facilities to close, while others have stopped accepting new residents. At his workplace, there is a shortage of six nurses. We need three nurses per shift, but usually we are getting two. This means in an average shift, one nurse must look after 20 to 30 residents. This impacts on patient care, because sometimes they are getting their medication late, and the nurse said he worries about what might happen in the event of an emergency. He also said immigration restrictions had exacerbated the crisis. A large proportion of nurses are migrants, especially from India and the Philippines. The border has now reopened, but the nurse said overseas registered nurses were choosing to move to Australia because of New Zealands low wages. Aged care residents are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Staff are required to take a rapid antigen test every day, and visits are limited to one hour, but visitors do not face the same testing requirements. Despite the precautions, the Wellington nurse said, among our staff more than 50 percent have had COVID, requiring them to stay home for seven days and placing pressure on other workers to work long hours. I am working more than 60 hours per week, he said. In response to health minister Andrew Littles statements that the healthcare system is coping, the nurse said: Which politician will say we are in terrible conditions? They will always say, We are good, we are under control. All over the world, all politicians tell lies. He said the minister should come into the community and ask how terrible it is. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation yesterday criticised Littles statements as absolutely disrespectful to healthcare workers. But the unions have fully collaborated with the governments reopening policy, herding people back into unsafe schools and other workplaces. The fight for a fully-resourced elimination strategy, including an immediate lockdown with compensation for workers and small businesses, must be taken up by workers in a rebellion against the pro-capitalist trade unions. This requires the formation of new organisationsrank-and-file workplace safety committees, controlled by workers themselvesand a political movement of the working class, in opposition to Labour and its allies, for the socialist reorganisation of society. On Tuesday, the House Select Committee on January 6 held the fourth in a series of televised hearings detailing the plot led by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize dictatorial power. Tuesdays hearing focused on the attempt to pressure Republican-led legislatures in six pivotal states that voted for Biden to submit fake slates of pro-Trump electors, creating the conditions for the courts, and perhaps Trump himself, still the lame-duck president, to intervene to block congressional certification. Trump and the 147 Republican members of Congress who voted against certification after the insurrectionary mob had been cleared out of the Capitol, as well as their backers in the military, the police and the intelligence agencies, counted, with good reason, on the Democrats to capitulate and agree to a filthy compromise that would leave Trump in power. As in the previous hearings, the main witnesses were conservative Republicans who backed Trumps campaign for reelection, but balked at joining his flagrant effort to overturn the election and the US Constitution. Once again, the Democratic-led panel presented them as heroic examples of good Republicans who saved American democracypart of the Democrats effort to rehabilitate the Republican Party and cover up the role of the Supreme Court and the institutions of the capitalist state in general in the mounting assault on democratic rights. Tuesdays hearing underscored even more than those that preceded it the systematic and at times violent reprisals unleashed by Trump on officials and even local election workers who stood in the way of his dictatorial aims. Trumps gangster methods, and the fact that he remains at large, along with his top co-conspirators like Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, Peter Navarro and Sidney Powell, demonstrates that the threat of fascism and dictatorship continues and American democracy remains at deaths door. The first panel of in-person witnesses consisted of Rusty Bowers, the speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, and his chief operating officer, Gabriel Sterling. Bowers testified that Trump and Giuliani called him to demand that he convene a special session of the state legislature to select a fake slate of pro-Trump electors in opposition to the certified slate of Biden electors. Arizona voted for Biden by a margin of 10,457 votes. Bowers said he repeatedly pressed Giuliani for evidence to back his claim that hundreds of thousands of votes of undocumented immigrants and thousands of votes of dead people had swung to election to Biden, and Trumps lawyer never produced any. He quoted the former New York mayor as saying, Weve got lots of theories. We just dont have the evidence. Bowers also said that Eastman, the Trump lawyer who pushed the notion that state legislatures had plenary authority to reject electors based on the popular vote and certify their own slate, when pressed on how he could legally sanction the dismissal of the popular vote, told him, Just do it and let the courts work it out. Eventually, Bowers testified, a fake slate of electors was adopted by a group of Arizona state lawmakers behind his back. He said that his office received 20,000 emails and tens of thousands of voice mails from Trump supporters. He reported that a mob of Trump backers came to his home and one of them, wielding a pistol and threatening his neighbor, had three bars on his chest, the symbol of the fascist Three Percenters militia. The committee also showed a video of Trump supporters illegally entering the Arizona House of Representatives building and refusing to leave. The group included Proud Boys who remained inside and men with rifles on the outside. Bowers also told the committee that on the morning of January 6, he received a call from US Representative Andy Biggs, Republican from Arizona, urging him to decertify the Biden slate of electors from Arizona. Biggs was heavily involved in the Stop the Steal campaign that prepared the way for the attempted coup. Significantly, the committee did not ask Bowers about the role of Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the pressure campaign to overthrow the election result in Arizona and nationally. Ginni Thomas emailed Bowers and state Representative Shawnna Bolick on November 9, 2020, just after the media called the race for Biden, and urged that they intervene, saying that the responsibility to choose electors was yours and yours alone. Spouting the line of Eastman, who had clerked for her husband, she wrote, Article II of the United States Constitution gives you an awesome responsibility: to choose our states Electors please take action to ensure that a clean slate of Electors is chosen. This is the authoritarian notion that was put forward by Justice Antonin Scalia during the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore, which halted vote-counting in Florida and hijacked the 2000 election for Bush, who had lost the nationwide popular vote and likely the popular vote in Florida as well. The Democrats capitulation in 2000 paved the way for the intensifying attack on democratic processes today. Ginni Thomas renewed her pressure on Arizona legislators the following month, on the eve of the certification deadline for the states, December 14, contacting a total of 26 lawmakers. Bolick is currently running in the Arizona primary elections to become the next secretary of state. The Democrats, including those on the January 6 Committee, have refused to call for Clarence Thomass impeachment, though he is clearly implicated in the conspiracy and has refused even to recuse himself from cases related to January 6. The testimony of Georgia election officials Raffensperger and Sterling largely reiterated their previous exposures of Trumps efforts to overturn Bidens victory in Georgia (11,779 votes) and the gangster methods he and his allies employed to pressure them. Sterling on December 1, 2020 denounced Trump for inciting violence against state election officials and demanded that he repudiate it, something Trump never did. Representative Adam Schiff, who led the questioning, focused on Trumps notorious 67-minute telephone call to Raffensperger on January 2, 2021. In that call, Trump declared, I just want to find 11,780 votes. He went on to threaten the Georgia secretary of state with criminal prosecution, and warned that if he continued to defy the White House, it would be dangerous for him. Raffensperger testified that he received thousands of threatening texts and emails, many of a sexual nature attacking his wife. At one point, a pro-Trump mob broke into his daughter-in-laws home. A second panel consisted of a former Fulton County, Georgia (Atlanta) election worker, Wandrea ArShaye Moss, with video testimony by her mother, Ruby Freeman, who sat behind her in the audience. The lives of these working class women have been devastated by false accusations leveled against them publicly by both Giuliani and Trump as part of their effort to overturn the election result in Georgia. Giuliani went to Georgia in December of 2020 and broadcast a conspiracy theory that was entirely concocted and thoroughly debunked by Raffensperger and Sterling. He claimed that vote counters at the State Farm Arena counting center in Atlanta kicked out poll watchers on a pretext and then brought in suitcases stuffed with 18,000 fake votes, all for Biden. He posted a video showing Shaye Moss and her mother, who was at the center, and accused them by name at a state Senate hearing on December 10, 2020. Giuliani said the two passed around USB drives like vials of heroin and cocaine. In his January 2 telephone call with Raffensperger, Trump singled out Shaye Moss and her mother as central players in the supposed ballot stuffing operation, referring to Ruby Freeman a professional vote scammer. Moss, who has since resigned her post as election worker, along with virtually all of her co-workers, told the committee, It turned my life upside down. She said that her Facebook page was deluged with threatening messages, many overtly racist, following the allegations by Giuliani and Trump, and that ever since she fears for her life and the lives of her family members. She said her septuagenarian mother at one point called her in a panic saying people had come to her home to make a citizens arrest. The committee showed a clip of Ruby Freemans videotaped deposition, in which the mother said, I have lost my sense of security, all because of a group of people, starting with (Trump) and his ally Rudy Giuliani, decided to scapegoat me, and my daughter, Shaye, to push lies about how the election was stolen. Schiff noted that the FBI advised Freeman to leave her home and stay away for a number of weeks in advance of January 6, 2021 for her own safety. This is highly significant, since FBI Director Christopher Wray testified last year before Congress that his agency had no intelligence before January 6 warranting the conclusion that there was a significant risk of violence at the Capitol. This has been exposed as a lie, and no explanation has been given for the fact that the Capitol was left completely unprotected on the day Trump had set for mass protests that he promised would be wild. Schiff and company declared their deep sympathy for Moss and her mother. That, however, did not prevent him in his closing statement from saying, Whether his [Trumps] actions were criminal will be for others to decide. Trump, for his part, called Bowers the latest RINO to play along with the select committee, in a tweet released in advance of the hearing. He followed this with a statement on his social media platform hailing the Texas Republican Party for adopting a resolution calling the Biden administration illegitimate. Look at the Great State of Texas and their powerful Republican Party Platform on the 2020 Presidential Election Fraud, he wrote. More than 1,500 autoworkers at the Ford Motors assembly plant near Chennai, the capital of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, are continuing their strike against the companys plans to permanently close the plant. Ford workers are now in their fourth week of job action despite a management ultimatum and the unions deliberate isolation of their struggle. Striking Ford Chennai workers voice their support for building a rank-and-file committee to spearhead their struggle for job security. (WSWS Media) They have rejected an augmented management severance package, and are instead fighting for job security Last September, Ford announced it would end its operations in India, closing the Chennai plant and another in the western state of Gujarat. The closures directly threaten 4,000 jobs. However, the closure of the Chennai factory alone is predicted to cause 40,000 job losses, when ancillary jobs, mainly in auto parts, are taken into account. The current job action has already disrupted the companys plans to complete more than 1,400 cars before the plants closure set for the end of this month. Corporate media like The Hindu and Economic Times, eagerly echoing management, reported last week that more than 300 workers involved in the strike had reported to duty and that production has resumed. But as we learned from striking workers, in reality, fewer than 40 permanent workers had reported to duty and production has still not yet resumed. The permanent workers are relatively older and have more to lose if the company were to retaliate by firing workers participating in the job action or otherwise reducing their severance pay entitlement. As part of its efforts to break the strike, Ford management has also rehired several dozen trainees, who were put out of work by the strikes, as contract workers. In an attempt to enlist some workers to break the strike, Ford management last week announced an increase in the severance package from its earlier offer of 87 days of base wages per year worked to 110 days, and a second sum equal to the amount earned over 87 days ending in May. Its offer also includes continuation of current medical insurance until March 2024. Management wants to end the strike so that it can finish production of 1,400 cars on order and permanently close down the plant. However, the majority of younger workers are still sticking to their demand for job security and continuing their strike. Ford management has extended the deadline to restart production and for workers to accept its upgraded severance package from the initial June 13 to June 18 and now again to the evening of June 22. At the same time, Ford management has arrogantly threatened legal consequences for workers who do not opt for a severance package and continue the strike beyond its deadline. It has already imposed a loss of pay as per Certified Standing Orders from June 14 and threatened that in case of workers non-cooperation, it will halt the production of the remaining 1,400 cars for export and instead move to immediately close the plant. For the moment, Fords Gujarat plant has been taken over by Tata Motors without any cuts to jobs. Chennai Ford workers are also demanding the same type of job security. Ford India management has been encouraged in its strikebreaking moves by the unions treacherous isolation of the workers militant job action. This includes the officially-recognised Chennai Ford Employees Union (CFEU) and the Stalinist-led union federationsthe Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). Affiliated respectively to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM and the Communist Party of India (CPI), the CITU and AITUC have a substantial membership in Tamil Nadu as across India. The current job action was not even called by the CFEU. Rather it was an initiative taken by militant young workers. Although the CFEU later announced its support for the strike, it is not backing the workers demand for job security and instead is promoting a higher severance package, i.e., forcing workers to sacrifice their jobs for money. The CFEU kept asking the workers to believe in the management, isolating the strikers and diverting them into futile appeals to various authorities, including government labour officials and the right-wing DMK-led Tamil Nadu state government, which was elected to office in May 2021 with the support of the Stalinist parties and unions. On June 9 the Stalinist CITU organised a protest demonstration headed by its assistant state secretary S. Kannan, near Maraimalainagar town, claiming to oppose the Ford plant closure. It conspicuously failed to call for any mobilisation of industrial workers in the Sriperumbudur and Maraimalainagar industrial zones, let alone elsewhere in Tamil Nadu or India, in support of the striking Ford workers. Rather it pleaded to the DMK-led state government and labour ministry to intervene to prevent the plant closure. The demonstration portrayed the plant closure and consequent destruction of jobs as solely a local or regional action by cynically raising the question Is Chengalpet district an exploitative and a cheap labour zone? This is in line with the Stalinist attempt to divide workers in Chengalpet district, where the Ford plant is located, from their class brothers and sisters elsewhere, despite the fact that all are facing the same brutal and exploitative conditions and the same big business-government drive to sweat still more profit from workers. The Stalinists, who for decades have functioned as part of the political establishment, have a long record of suppressing and betraying workers struggles throughout India. In 2014, while over 4,000 Nokia India workers staged a mass protest against the threatened closing of Nokias cell phone manufacturing plant in the Sriperumbudur Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on the outskirts of Chennai, the CITU, being hostile to any mobilization of the working class against the brutal exploitation of the transnational corporations in the industrial zone, appealed to caste-based regional political parties, the courts and other anti-working class forces, including then notorious All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) state chief minister, J. Jayalalitha, who had suppressed a strike by the state government employees in 2003 by sacking hundreds of thousands of workers en masse. In 2010, the CITU similarly betrayed the strikes of 7,000 Foxcon and 3,000 BYD workers who fought for similar demands, including improved wages and working conditions, the regularization of contract workers and union recognition. Both the strikes faced brutal police repression organized by Tamil Nadu's DMK state government. The treacherous role of the Stalinist parties, which posture as parties of the working class, and the complete silence of the national-level trade unions and their federations, including both the Stalinist and Maoist-led unions, in the past in the Sriperumbudur and Maraimalainagar industrial zones, have greatly strengthened the hands of Ford management, which stepped up its repressive measures against strikers by issuing an intimidating notice to workers to resume production. Indian supporters of the ICFI have repeatedly intervened among striking Ford workers, discussing with them the need to form their own rank-and-file committee independent of the unions to lead their struggle and fight for unity with other workers in Tamil Nadu, elsewhere in India and internationally. As part of that political intervention, a discussion was organized with striking Ford workers and a US-based supporter of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committes. Ramesh, 32, a leading young striker who participated in that discussion, said, I believe only your organisation is telling the truth and helping workers to organise themselves independently through rank-and-file committees. Our unions are standing aside with their hands tied. They are leading us nowhere. The labour commissioners are openly echoing the voice of Ford management. A police commissioner openly threatened the strikers by questioning us, is 30 months settlement package not enough? Even labour commissioners have threatened us for criticizing the DMK-led state government. I completely agree with you that there is a need to join with workers in supplier industries of Ford, also with Ford Gujarat workers who were earlier involved in militant struggles for job security, and especially with other industrial workers in the Sriperumbudur-Maraimalainagar zone. We cannot and will not accept the settlement package. We will fight till the end for job security. We are ready to form rank-and-file committees. I thank your organisation for guiding young workers like us. Striking Ford worker Illayaraja (WSWS Media) Illayaraja, 35, a permanent worker from Kallakurichi town in Tamil Nadu, said, I just got married. My future is totally uncertain and dark since the plant I worked from a young age is now going to be closed. I agree with you that the strike must be expanded through rank-and-file committees. This expansion should have been done earlier in September last year by unions in this zone when the plant was announced to be closed. Demonstrations, protests and roadblocks and mass strikes should have been done on a massive scale, mobilizing huge number of people. But our union consciously isolated our struggles towards so-called collective discussion with management. The union leaders never actually participated in our strike. They simply stand aside. But the management is now threatening us saying it is an illegal strike and has now taken away our pay. I agree that only way forward is forming rank-and-file committees to expand our struggle. The Ford workers strike for job security and basic democratic rights can only be advanced by challenging the capitalist system and all its political agencies. This requires a complete break from the CFEU, all Stalinist-Maoist controlled, pro-capitalist unions and for workers to establish genuinely independent rank-and-file committees that fight to mobilise auto workers in unified action throughout India and around the world on a socialist and internationalist program. While the NATO powers are escalating the proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) is threatening Moscow with the use of nuclear weapons. According to a report in the Bild newspaper, the Air Force head Ingo Gerhartz stated at the Kiel International Seapower Symposium on Friday: For credible deterrence, we need both the means and the political will to implement nuclear deterrence if necessary. According to the newspaper, he added threateningly, Putin, dont mess with us! By 2030, Europeans will have 600 modern fighter jets in the Baltic Sea region. Then there are the Americans planes. The fact that a German general is openly threatening to use nuclear weapons against Russia must be taken as a serious warning. Seventy-seven years after the fall of the Third Reich, a fascist mentality is once again spreading in the ruling class. It is ready to commit the worst crimes once again in order to assert its imperialist interests. The Wehrmachts war of annihilation against the Soviet Union which began 81 years ago today and in which the Luftwaffe under its then leader Hermann Gohring played a central role, resulted in the death of about 30 million Soviet citizens. A comprehensive nuclear war with Russia would not only turn Europe into a nuclear desert, but it would also call into question the survival of all humanity. Figures like Gerhartz are apparently totally unmoved by such a scenario. In a recent interview on the official YouTube channel of the German Armed Forces, he defended the proxy war being waged by Germany and the other leading NATO powers against Russia, which increasingly directly raises the threat of a nuclear war. The general began by celebrating the successes of the Ukrainian Air Force against Russia. He admired the courage and bravery with which it acts there. The country has repeatedly succeeded in occasionally shooting down Russian planes and helicopters. German help played a central role in this. For example, Ukraine was supplied with Stinger missiles to combat enemy aircraft, and these have even shot down one or the other combat aircraft and also helicopters. Now the support has to go even further. The Luftwaffe will supply the Iris-T SLM system and thus a rocket that we have developed for the Eurofighter to shoot down enemy aircraft and helicopters, he continued. Gerhartz leaves no doubt that the German military is de facto already at war with Russia. In an interview, he praised the rapid advance of the German Air Force in Eastern Europe. After the Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the Air Force was the first to move its Eurofighters to Romania, he said. They have shown what the Air Force has to show, that we are fast. The Patriot missile defense systems already rolled into Slovakia one week after the invasion. The general made clear that the Bundeswehr is preparing for a comprehensive military confrontation behind the backs of the population. Among other things, he called for the rapid procurement of a national missile defense system. This is now urgently also a gap that we must close. In order to be able to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles in space, he proposed to politicians the acquisition of the US-Israeli Arrow 3 system, he explained. Gerhartz is particularly proud of the prompt acquisition of the US F-35 fighter jets, which were funded from the 100 billion Bundeswehr Special Fund. He said he was glad that we were able to achieve this in this government and that we will now move forward very, very quickly. The F-35 were the most modern system at present and enabled the Air Force to act strongly against the Russian armed forces, against Putin in the alliance. What this acting in an alliance precisely means in an emergency is regulated by the NATO concept of so-called nuclear participation. In the event of a nuclear war against Russia, German combat aircraft would be armed with US nuclear bombs stored in Germany and would also use them. According to an article on the official website of the Ministry of Defence, the possible arming of the F-35 includes free-falling nuclear weapons. Gerhartzs nuclear threats against Russia are not simply the testimony of a mad general but are consistent with the logic of war. With the systematic military encirclement of Russia by NATO, the imperialist powers, especially Germany and the US, provoked Putins reactionary attack on Ukraine. Above all, they are now responding to the deep economic crisis and the growing opposition of the working class with a further escalation of war, which literally provokes the use of nuclear weapons. Above all, the ruling class in Germany is striking out more and more recklessly and sees war as an opportunity to return to an aggressive foreign and great power policy after their monstrous crimes in two world wars. In a keynote speech at a conference of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung yesterday, Lars Klingbeil, Co-Leader of the SPD, stated that after almost 80 years of restraint ... Germany now has a new role in the global coordinate system. Germany is increasingly at the centre and must have the ambition to be a leadership power. Klingbeil explicitly understands this to mean the use of military weapons. For me, a peace policy also means seeing military force as a legitimate means of politics, he stated. He praised the special assets of the Bundeswehr, the decision of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to deploy more German troops on NATOs eastern flank and demanded that Europe be given more weight as a geopolitical actor. This is the only way to survive in the coming years in the international competition for relationships, dependencies, connections, cooperation and projectionthat is, the imperialist redivision of the world. The costs of this megalomaniac policy are to be passed on to the working class. This new role as a leading power will demand tough decisions from Germany, including financial and political decisions, he threatened. One must change structures, also renegotiate budgets. The ruling class knows that the policy of war abroad, as in the past, requires the militarisation of society and the establishment of a dictatorship at home. He wants we as a society to develop a new normality with the Bundeswehr. That we develop a self-evident way of paying respect and recognition to those who do their service for our country, who are willing to go to extremes if Parliament so decides. The warmongers in the media underscored that there are no more moral boundaries for these extremes. Earlier this week, Der Spiegel Editor Dirk Kurbjuweit published an article directly calling for German nuclear weapons. Kurbjuweit cynically explains that only a functioning nuclear deterrent can prevent great wars. This would include a debate that is not yet underway: If Europe cannot rely one hundred percent on the United States, if Germany cannot rely one hundred percent on France and Britain, does Germany not also need nuclear weapons? He said that when he wrote these words, it sent chills down his spine. But if you think through all that is currently happening, he continued, you have to ask yourself this question. The fact that the call for German nuclear weapons is raised by Kurbjuweit of all people sheds light on the new era of foreign policy that has been proclaimed. In reality, the new era was prepared over a lengthy period of time. It was Kurbjuweit who, just a few days after representatives of the Federal Government announced the end of military restraint at the 2014 Munich Security Conference, published the notorious article The Transformation of the Past in Der Spiegel. Kurbjuweit attacked the historian Fritz Fischer, who had proved in his 1961 book Griff nach der Weltmacht (Grab for World Power) that the German Empire had a large share of responsibility in the outbreak of the First World War. Fischers theses are basically scandalous, he quoted the now emeritus Humboldt Professor Herfried Munkler. With regard to the German crimes in the Second World War, Kurbjuweit gave the Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte, who died in 2016, a platform. Nolte had already claimed in the historians dispute in the 1980s that the Holocaust was a justified reaction against the Soviet Union. Kurbjuweit quoted the Berlin historian Jorg Baberowski, a declared follower of Nolte, as saying: Hitler was not a psychopath, and he wasnt vicious. He did not want to talk about the extermination of the Jews at his table. Eight years have passed since these repugnant statements, and all the warnings of the Socialist Equality Party and its youth organization, the IYSSE, at the time have been dramatically confirmed. The relativization of the historical crimes of German imperialism serves to prepare new wars and new crimes. It is high time to draw the necessary conclusions and join the struggle for a powerful socialist anti-war movement of the international working class. Former Governor Eric Greitens threatening to hunt "RINO's" [Republican In Name Only] in recent fascist campaign advertisement [Photo by Eri Greitens Campaign On Monday, aspiring US senator and disgraced former governor of Missouri Eric Greitens, a Republican, released a 38-second campaign ad in which he and a heavily armed squad of paramilitaries break into a home as part of a RINO [Republican In Name Only] hunting expedition. The fascist campaign video, released as the House January 6 Select Committee continued to hold public hearings detailing the ongoing threat of political violence following Donald Trumps failed coup, evoked mass anger on social media forums. Thousands of people denounced the video on Twitter, causing it to be temporarily suspended by the platform. The violent content of the ad, and the outrage it provoked, led Facebook to remove it the same day it was published. Twitter said that while the ad violated Twitter rules about abusive behavior, it had reinstated Greitens tweet because it may be in the publics interest for the Tweet to remain accessible. The ad begins with a grinning 48-year-old Greitens carrying a shotgun and touting his military background as a US Navy Seal. Today we are going RINO hunting, Greitens says as he chambers a round into the shotgun he is holding. After Greitens loads his weapon, the camera cuts to him and a squad of heavily armed men dressed in military fatigues, similar to a police SWAT team, in front of a residential house. Greitens comments, The RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice. As he finishes his sentence, one of the men uses a battering ram to smash open the door, followed by another masked paramilitary, who throws a smoke grenade into the home. Greitens and company enter the home through the smoke with rifles pointed up, ready to fire. Greitens tells his viewers: Join the MAGA crew. Get a RINO hunting permit, there is no bagging limit, there is no tagging limit and it doesnt expire until we save our country. The RINO hunting permit is a sticker available for purchase on Greitens campaign website and requires a minimum donation of $25. This is the second advertisement issued by the Greitens campaign in the last two months in which he glorifies homicidal violence against his political opponents while wielding a firearm. In a campaign ad released this past April, Greitens and Donald Trump Jr. are filmed shooting metal human cutouts with automatic rifles. As Trump Jr. and Greitens walk toward the camera, Trump Jr. says they are striking fear into the hearts of liberals everywhere, folks. Liberals beware, Greitens adds over the sound of gunfire. While ex-president Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement in the Missouri primary, which will take place on August 2, Greitens is currently the front-runner to replace retiring Senator Roy Blunt. Greitens is closely linked to the Trumps. His campaign chair is Don Jr.s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Trumps former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani hosted a rally for him last year, and Greitens has already made at least one pilgrimage to Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort this year. Billionaire Richard Uihlein, who previously gave over $4.7 million to pro-Trump groups that amplified Trumps lies of a stolen election prior to the January 6 coup, created a pro-Greitens super PAC last year, seeding the political action committee with $2.5 million. And while the organization has yet to officially endorse him, it was revealed in a March 2022 Politico article that David McIntosh, president of the major conservative group Club for Growth, urged Trump to support Greitens. Greitens is a highly trained killer who has deployed four times as a Navy SEAL in the service of US imperialism. He participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where he was the commander of an assassination squad tasked with targeting alleged al-Qaeda elements. Greitens also deployed as a SEAL to Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Southeast Asia. There is no doubt that Greitens has killed human beings using the methods, weapons and tactics he glorifies in his campaign ads. Greitens ad drew the standard milquetoast denunciations from Democrats. California Rep. Eric Swalwell on Twitter meekly condemned House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for failing to confront & condemn the MAGA radicals of their party. For their part, Greitens and many fellow Republicans are using the Democrats outrage to fundraise and bolster their far-right credentials. In an appearance on the Steve Bannon War Room show on Tuesday, Greitens defended the ad, saying that anger against him was the faux outrage of snowflakes. He called the images of him and heavily armed military elements breaking into a home only a metaphor, and said he stood behind the ad 100 percent. Greitens was forced to resign as governor of Missouri in 2018, just over 500 days after assuming office, due to multiple criminal investigations at the time. There were allegations of campaign finance law violations, and he was also under investigation for felony invasion of privacy. The latter charge centered on allegations that Greitens blackmailed a woman with whom he was having an affair by taking illicit photos of her without permission and threatening to release them if she ever spoke out. This past March, as part of an ongoing dispute over custody of their children, Greitens ex-wife, Sheena Greitens, filed an affidavit alleging that her former husband, the one-time Navy SEAL and amateur boxer, was physically abusive and demonstrated unstable and coercive behavior during their relationship. The Associated Press reported that in the affidavit, Sheena alleged that her ex-husband threatened to use his political connections to gain custody of the children. She said that prior to their April 2018 divorce, he physically assaulted her and took away her cell phone, wallet and keys so that I was unable to call for help or extricate myself and our children from home. She detailed multiple incidents of alleged abuse, including an occasion when Greitens struck their three-old son across the face and pulled him by his hair. Sheena further alleged that after a visit to their fathers home in 2019, one of her sons said Greitens had hit him. She said he returned from the visit with a swollen face, bleeding gums and a loose tooth, which later had to be removed. Sheena claims that in the spring of 2018, when Greitens was still governor but coming under increasing pressure to resign, his behavior deteriorated to the point that on three separate occasions multiple people other than myself were worried enough to intervene to limit Erics access to firearms. I started sleeping in my childrens room simply to try to keep them safe, she wrote in the court documents. The New York Times reported last month that so far this election cycle, over 100 Republicans have aired advertisements in which guns are featured. The glorification of violence by far-right Republicans coincides with Trumps ongoing attacks against weak and cowardly Republicans, who did not have the strength to enforce his dictatorial strategy. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans serving on the January 6 Select Committee, revealed a recent death threat he and his family received. In a handwritten letter sent to his home and addressed to Kinzingers wife, the anonymous writer warns Sofia that her husband will be executed for breaking his oath. But dont worry! the letter continues, You and Christian (the Kinzingers five-month-old child) will be joining Adam in hell too! The Australian Labor governments Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited Solomon Islands last Friday to bolster recent threats by the US and Australia against the Pacific country over its closer security ties with China. Last April, Wong declared that Solomon Islands decision to sign a military agreement with Beijing represented the worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of World War II. She denounced the then Liberal-National government for not responding in the most energetic, effective, and agile way. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaking at Burns Creek, Honiara [Credit: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation] These statements had been issued on the same day that a senior-level US delegation, led by White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell, met Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Afterwards, the US issued a menacing statement warning that Washington would respond accordingly to any announcement of a de facto Chinese permanent military presence in the country. Asked directly if this meant a US military invasion of Solomon Islands, a State Department official refused to deny or clarify the query, leaving no doubt of the Biden administrations intentions. Washingtons aggressive stance against the Sogavare government includes highly provocative funding and political support for separatist forces in the Solomons province of Malaita. One section of this separatist movement led a violent coup attempt in Honiara last November. The US destabilisation drive is part of its wider strategy of confronting and encircling China while it prepares for war against the Asian power. Then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison subsequently echoed the US threat of military action by declaring that a Chinese military base would represent a red line. Penny Wong made no effort to distance herself from these thuggish threats, unsurprisingly given that during last months federal election campaign the Labor Party sought to position itself as the most reliable and ruthless ally of US imperialism. After meeting with Sogavare, Wong explained: Obviously, we did talk about regional security. Australias view does remain that the Pacific family should be responsible for our security. And the Pacific family is more than capable of providing that security. She added that she welcomed the Solomon Islands government assurances that there will not be a military base, nor a persistent foreign military presence here in Solomon Islands, and that Australia remains Solomon Islands first security partner of choice. Every aspect of Wongs visit to Solomon Islands reeked of neo-colonial arrogance and hypocrisy. The compliant Australian media has not once challenged Wong, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, or their predecessors as to on what basis they claim the right to dictate the terms of a sovereign countrys relationship with China. The elected government in Honiara has every right under international law to enter into whatever arrangements with other governments, including military arrangements, that it sees fit. For Washington and Canberra, however, this is a dead letter, with Solomon Islands regarded as nothing more than a subordinate dominion. Wongs rhetoric about a Pacific family is based on the unstated premise that Australia is the paterfamilias, to be obeyed on all issues related to so-called national security. Again, there is no basis in international law for regional families. For the Labor government, this conception represents a thinly veiled Australian version transposed to the South West Pacific of the Monroe Doctrine, under which Washington insisted that no rival powers could intrude into Latin America. After World War II, US strategic planners deemed the South Pacific an American lake. Responsibility for shutting out rival powers was delegated to Australia. Canberra lent support for American military operations around the world, and in return enjoyed US backing for its own predatory operations in the Pacific, including exploitation of the regions considerable natural resources. Chinas growing global economic and military influence is now disrupting this longstanding arrangement. In addition to military concerns, Canberra is alarmed by Beijings expanding economic influence in the Pacific. In Solomon Islands, significant gold reserves at the Gold Ridge mining site were previously extracted by an Australian company, but the mine is now operated by a Chinese company and is being prepared for a substantial expansion. Chinese investments in other sectors of the economy are set to expand following last months agreement by the Honiara and Beijing governments of a memorandum of understanding on trade and investment. The memorandum reportedly referenced potential Chinese investment in port wharves, submarine optimal cable construction, shipbuilding and ship repair and ocean transportation, as well as exploration and development of offshore oil, gas and mineral resources. The reference to offshore resources will especially alarm the Australian government. Solomon Islands has a vast ocean territory under its exclusive economic zone. New technologies have developed in deep sea mining, potentially allowing the extraction of lucrative minerals including copper, nickel, manganese and rare earth minerals. These materials are critical for important products including batteries, computer and phone technologies, solar panels, and control over their extraction is an important strategic issue in the conflict between the US and China. There are vast resources in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists estimate that in one region alone, the Clipperton Fracture Zone (in the eastern Pacific, approximately the size of Europe), there is more manganese, cobalt, and nickel than all the known deposits on land. The recently elected Labor government is a determined representative of Australian corporate interests and advocate of the US alliance. It can be expected to step up pressure on the Sogavare government. No credence whatsoever ought to be given to Canberras humanitarian pretentions. In Honiara, Wong visited a local school and the impoverished Burns Creek settlement. She announced an additional donation of COVID-19 vaccines, promoted Australian health and education aid, and boasted of the Labor governments climate change policies. This all represented an effort to cloak Canberras iron fist within a velvet glove. Australian imperialism bears direct responsibility for Solomon Islands poverty and underdevelopment, not least through the 2003-2017 neo-colonial Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) intervention force, under which virtually nothing was done to improve the living conditions of working people and the rural poor. Labor Notes, which has presented itself as the voice of union activists, held its biennial conference last weekend in Chicago, Illinois. No doubt that among the 4,000 individuals who attended the conference, including many youth, there were those who believed the conference provided them with a mechanism for mobilizing the working class. A number of young organizers for Starbucks Workers United, which has won union elections at more than 100 stores, participated in multiple panel discussions. The motivations of the conference organizers, however, were entirely different. Labor Notes exists as a mechanism for promoting the Democratic Party and the trade union apparatus. Any association that it once had with labor radicalism is long gone. Among those featured as major speakers was Senator Bernie Sanders, the former Democratic Party presidential candidate and now close ally of the Biden administration. It was the first time that Sanders has attended a conference since 1993, when he was a political unknown. Sanders has converted his political revolution into the position of Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, where he oversees the finances of the ruling class, including support for war. Also featured were the presidents of several major unions and local functionaries. Many of the bureaucrats at Labor Notes were at the AFL-CIO convention one week before, where they warmly received President Biden and reaffirmed the commitment of the bureaucracy to the NATO proxy war in Ukraine. The beginning of the main session of the Labor Notes conference [Photo by @labornotes] Labor Notes sought deliberately to whitewash the record of union officials who appeared at its conference, which included Stacy Davis Gates of the Chicago Teachers Union, Sara Nelson of the Association of Flight Attendants, and Sean OBrien of the Teamsters. They were all falsely presented to the audience as militant working class leaders. In reality, the CTU, which Labor Notes Editor Alexandra Bradbury called one of our favorite unions, is widely hated by teachers for its betrayals to force the reopening of schools during the pandemic. The ruling Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators, a reform group which took office more than a decade ago, is so discredited that it is breaking apart. Nelson was a leading candidate last year for AFL-CIO president, a post which eventually went to Liz Shuler. OBrien is a former acolyte of the notorious corrupt ex-Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr. (son of the more famous Hoffa who led the union in the 1960s). He was elected president amid the lowest turnout since the union moved to direct elections of the national leadership in the 1990s, as a result of a federal takeover of the union under anti-racketeering statutes. Indeed, OBrien threatened violence against Labor Notes-backed candidates from Teamsters for a Democratic Union in 2014. Now, however, they have buried the hatchet and appeared as friends on the platform in Chicago, while Labor Notes presented them in the best possible light. There was no discussion, except in the most perfunctory and dishonest way, of any significant political issues facing workers throughout the world. There was no discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 1 million people in the US, or the role of the unions in enforcing the back-to-work policy of the ruling class. There was no discussion of the US-NATO war against Russia, which threatens to develop into a nuclear world war. Most presentations focused on personal anecdotes and practical organizing tips, and a significant portion of the conference was taken up by singing and chanting. Panelists responded with extreme defensiveness when audience members went off message and asked inconvenient questions. One significant episode took place in an early workshop Friday morning, STRIKE! Reviving Labors Most Powerful Weapon, chaired by Nelson of the AFA (who has never called a meaningful strike of flight attendants). In the course of the 90-minute discussion, the panelists singled out for praise local Democrats who made occasional appearances at the picket line or passed toothless local bills requiring five days notice for forced overtime. One audience member, unimpressed, rose and said both parties serve the rich. Why not a new workers party, she asked? The question was also repeated by audience members at other workshops throughout the weekend. The three panelists, clearly embarrassed by the question, hemmed and hawed. Nelson then took the mic. We cant divide ourselves with politics, she said, because that only serves the owner class. If we start seeing ourselves as a working class, then we dont need a party. The party [Democrats, as well as Republicans] will come to us. Incredibly, she cited as proof of this as the multibillion dollar COVID bailout of the airline industry, which the AFA helped get passed. The airline industry held workers jobs for ransom if Congress did not give them their cut of the trillion-dollar bailout package. We had a working relationship with the airlines in lobbying for it, she said. They handled the Republicans, and we handled the Democrats. Her own argument, the logic of which she sought to conceal by shouting and using radical sounding phrases like fighting capitalism, proves that the phrase no politics always means the subordination of workers to capitalist politics. In another session, a member of the audience addressed what he called the elephant in the room, the traitorous labor bureaucracy. An official from the Stalinist-dominated UE union declared that the main fight is against the boss. Its not against the labor bureaucracy. They can stand in the way and catch some bullets, but that main fight is against the boss. He also pointed to various reform factions as examples of movements that are beginning to assert member control. But these same movements were at the conference rubbing elbows with the top echelons of the bureaucracy. Above all, there was no serious acknowledgment of the actual role of the unions in suppressing the class struggle. When betrayals were raised, they were minimized and presented as merely the product of the conservative mindset of entrenched officials, to be resolved through union elections. There was no reference to the tens of billions of dollars in assets and tens of millions in salary outlays, which constitute the real social foundation for the bureaucracy and its hostility to the class struggle. This is not accidental but expresses the basic outlook of Labor Notes since its inception. Labor Notes was founded in the 1970s by members of the International Socialists, followers of Max Shachtman, an ex-Trotskyist who became a Cold War anticommunist and adviser to the AFL-CIO bureaucracy. It relegated to the distant future a fight for the political independence of working class and socialist politics. Instead, it sought to organize campaigns for union democracy that left untouched the pro-capitalist program of the unions, its allegiance to the Democratic Party and its support for American imperialism, which were producing a transformation at that time of the unions into open adjuncts of management, jointly collaborating in slashing wages and closing plants. This perspective of replacing bad, bureaucratic leaders with good, democratic ones led repeatedly to shipwreck. Democratic caucuses backed by Labor Notes that entered into the leadership of the unions, such as Miners for Democracy and Teamsters for a Democratic Union (which previously entered the leadership of the Teamsters in the 1990s under Ron Carey), proved to be no less hostile to the interests of workers than the bureaucrats they replaced. This record makes Labor Notes ideally suited to help bolster the credibility of the unions by developing rank-and-file groupings that are in reality controlled entirely by the apparatus. To accomplish this, Labor Notes is preying upon a layer of politically inexperienced youth and workers, such as those involved in the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which was able to appeal to Amazon workers at JFK8 by presenting itself as an independent union different from the established union bureaucracy. Among those featured at the conference was Chris Smalls, president of the upstart Amazon Labor Union, which won a union election at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island this year. After their election victory, Smalls and other ALU leaders were quickly overwhelmed by the flood of money and media attention and adapted themselves to their newfound allies. Within a few weeks, the ALU abandoned its independence, and a second campaign at the neighboring LDJ5 warehouse, this time centered on ALUs new support in the media, the Democratic Party and union officialdom, ended in defeat. Smalls, for his part, was greeted warmly by Biden at the White House. The development of a powerful movement in the working class must be based not on taking over the existing structures and replacing the current bureaucrats with would-be bureaucrats, but on the organization of rank-and-file workers to shatter the influence of the bureaucracy as a whole. This is why the World Socialist Web Site fights for the establishment of rank-and-file committees, independent of the union apparatus, to organize rank-and-file workers to oppose the sabotage and isolation of their struggles by the union bureaucracy. Such a struggle must be connected to the fight against the Democratic Party and the unions integration with the capitalist state, through which they function as a critical prop of capitalist rule. COVID is continuing to cause havoc in Australian schools, belying state and federal government claims that the pandemic is over. Schools across the country are reporting chronic daily teacher shortages due to illness. This is seeing classes being combined or cancelled, executive staff covering classes, and year groups being returned to remote learning for all or part of the school week. Students sitting the HSC in 2019 (Credit: ABC News) Mitigation measures such as mask mandates, contact tracing and isolation periods for close contacts have been junked across the country. Masks are no longer mandated at schools for either staff or students, and close contacts of confirmed cases no longer need to isolate. Under education department directives, schools have also resumed camps, assemblies and other forms of mass congregations. Around the country, hundreds, and in some cases, more than a thousand young people and staff are regularly packed into poorly ventilated halls. Parents are reporting on social media that numerous school camps have ended up as super spreader events. Infection rates and deaths were relatively low in Australia before late 2021 and early 2022. Under pressure from teachers, school workers and parents, state governments responded to earlier surges in the pandemic by having schools function via remote learning as an important mitigation measure. The emergence of the Omicron variant was falsely presented as a mild variety of COVID, and over the December-January summer school holiday state and federal governments, Labor and Liberal alike, worked with the teacher unions to enforce the reopening of schools regardless of infection rates. On January 13, then Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained the pro-business calculations behind the reopening drive: If schools dont open, then that can add an additional five percent to the absenteeism in the workforce, he declared. So it is absolutely essential for schools to go back safely and to remain safely open if we are not to see any further exacerbation of the workforce challenges were currently facing. So schools open means shops open Thats what schools open means, and its very important they go back. In the subsequent six months, the outcome has been mass infection, illness, and death. Out of Australias population of nearly 26 million people, 7.7 million cases have been officially confirmed. Of the 9,200 confirmed deaths due to COVID, the vast majority, around 7,000, occurred in 2022. Daily per capita COVID deaths in Australia are now the third highest in the world for countries with populations greater than 10 million. An Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report released in May provided a snapshot into the effect of COVID on families. One-third of Australian households with children under 18 reported their childs attendance at school was affected by COVID. A significant proportion of households, 12 percent, reported that they were unwilling to send their children to school or preschool due to COVID. The extent of the crisis is being covered over both by the government and the unions. One teacher reported to the World Socialist Web Site that primary school principals in New South Wales (NSW) schools have been threatened by the education department with disciplinary action if they talk to the media about cohorts of students required to study from home, or the number of classes collapsed due to staff shortages. Schools are reporting staff absences of up to 40 percent on any one day, many due to COVID infections. One teacher, on condition of anonymity, reported to the Committee for Public Education (CFPE) that COVID is rampant in our school we are now finally getting SOME of the COVID numbers, but these are not the real numbers of the COVID spread, especially as sibling groups are not actively testingso never get covid. The reality is, a lot of the VCE (final year) students are reluctant to report their results (even when positive) to the school as it means that they are unable to attend school. One principal from a regional school in NSW revealed the difficulties that he and his staff were facing. He wrote a letter to the parents at his school outlining what it would be doing to mitigate against the teacher shortage, including collapsing classes, having students under minimal supervision in the playground and getting unqualified staff to supervise some classes. The Department of Education rewrote his letter, deleting almost all of his temporary arrangements. In an interview with the ABCs Background Briefing, he said that he had refused to send the redrafted letter to parents, as it was just outright lying to parents. He added, 'People need to know that there is a real issue, and this is not something just to be swept under the carpet.' The principal expressed his frustration: I love my job. Absolutely love it But work is really, really hard. And I don't mind working hard when you get outcomes, but when you work your backside off and the people around you are doing the same and the kids are still missing out Teacher shortages were a huge problem before COVID, but the pandemic has led the system to a breaking point. An article recently published by Monash academics found that 59 percent of teachers surveyed were planning to leave the profession. The reasons given by teachers included heavy workloads, health and wellbeing concerns for teachers and the status of the profession. Epidemiologists are warning that the BA.4 and BA.5 are set to become the dominant variants in Australia, which will lead to another surge in infections. Of serious concern is a recent study from Japan, which found that the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are not only more pathogenic but also have the ability to evade existing immune responses from both prior infection and vaccination. In May this year, Ozsage, a multi-disciplinary network of Australian experts, warned that COVID was now the leading cause of death in Australia. Professor Nancy Baxter explained, On average some 50 people a day are dying from COVID. Thats one person every 30 minutes. We will see tens of thousands more suffering from long COVID. Our health systems, schools and businesses are already struggling and the situation will get a lot worse if we do not act. The diagnosis of Long Covid covers a raft of symptoms that last well occur after even mild infection from the virus. It includes significant damage to many of the bodys major organs including the brain. Several studies have found that 10 percent or more of people who are infected with the virus will suffer from some form of Long Covid. This includes countless children now contracting the virus in their classrooms. The mass exposure of children to these dangers is an indictment of the state and federal governments, Labor and Liberal alike, the teacher unions and the capitalist system they defend. It underscores the need for educators to establish their own rank-and-file committees, independent of the unions, to fight for measures aimed at eliminating transmission, including a return to online learning. The fight against the let it rip COVID policies is a key component of the struggle against wage cuts, unbearable conditions and the chronic under-funding of public education. We encourage teachers, staff, parents and students to contact the CFPE today: The Cayuga County Legislature on Tuesday approved a resolution urging the state to repeal a solitary confinement reform law that took effect in April. The target of the resolution is the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, known as HALT for short. The state Legislature passed the measure in 2021 and it was signed by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. HALT's main provisions include limiting the use of segregated confinement to no more than 15 consecutive days or 20 days in a 60-day period. The law also establishes residential rehabilitation units as an alternative to solitary confinement. Before the law took effect, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association the union representing state corrections officers blasted HALT. The union filed a federal lawsuit to block the law, but that legal challenge was dismissed last week. NYSCOPBA believes that HALT has led to increased violence in prisons. The union cites data from the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision that shows there were 532 assaults 265 on staff and 267 on incarcerated individuals from April 1, when the law took effect, through May 31. In the previous three-month period, from January through March, there were 590 assaults in prisons. The HALT repeal resolution was first considered at the Cayuga County Legislature's Judicial and Public Safety Committee earlier this month. It was defeated, mainly due to questions from some legislators about the law and how it affects correctional facilities and jails. But Legislator Mark Strong, a former corrections officer, offered the resolution for consideration at the full Legislature meeting. The resolution received bipartisan support from county lawmakers. Legislator Heidi Nightengale, the Democratic leader, said she toured the Cayuga County Jail and sat through a presentation to educate herself about HALT. Her takeaways were that the issues that led to HALT's passage are "very downstate-oriented." She also repeated NYSCOPBA's argument that HALT has led to an increase in prison violence. (Assaults on staff have been increasing since 2012. In 2021, there was a record 1,177 assaults on staff.) Cayuga County Legislature Chairman David Gould, a Republican who previously served as county sheriff, noted that the use of solitary confinement doesn't just protect corrections officers in prisons. "It protects other inmates, too, and that's a big thing," he said. "There are an awful lot of inmates that are getting assaulted." Legislator Christina Calarco proposed an amendment that would add language to the resolution. Specifically, she sought to change it so that would mention "repeal and/or revision" of HALT. Her reasoning was that amendments could improve the law. A few legislators supported her amendment, but it was soundly defeated. "If we're going to send a message to Albany, we should make it as strong as possible, not weaken it," said Legislator Hans Pecher, who opposed the amendment but voted for the resolution. The resolution passed with little opposition. Legislator Brian Muldrow voted against it, mainly due to criticisms of how solitary confinement has been used in the past. Legislator Chris Petrus, who works as a state parole officer, abstained. There was bipartisan support for the measure. Legislator Trish Ottley, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, criticized the legislative process that led to the passage of HALT. She believes the law should be repealed and the state should start over. Legislator Lydia Patti Ruffini, a Republican, called for quick passage of the resolution to send a message to state lawmakers. "I think every day that we let this continue and do not repeal this HALT Act, we are responsible personally for more assaults," she said. In the current climate, it's unlikely HALT will be repealed. It was approved by the Democratic-led state Legislature. The party still controls both houses. The law took effect under Gov. Kathy Hochul, who would need to sign off on any HALT repeal. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Workers and farmers in Sri Lanka are being forced into destitution, hunger and social degradation as a result of the dire economic, social and political conditions created by Gotabaya Rajapaksas government and its predecessors over the last 74 years. The COVID-19 pandemic and the US-NATO led proxy war against Russia in Ukraine has intensified the crisis. Opposition to the ruling establishment has taken an insurrectionary character over the last couple of months. The working class and the masses face a daily desperate battle to find fuel, cooking gas and other essentials. One of the catastrophic problems is lack of medicines and medical equipment as the government cannot afford to pay for them due to foreign revenues drying up. Some hospitals have run out of the most basic lifesaving medication. Many pathological laboratories are suffering a shortage of chemicals necessary to carry out patient investigations. According to the Ministry of Health there is a shortage of 14 essential medicines and 185 other types of medicine across the country. It was reported early this month that Dinuth Devanath, a 16-year-old boy from Anuradhapira, died following a viper bite as the anti-venom was not available in Anuradhapura General Hospital. The WSWS spoke to two nurses who recently migrated to the UK. They spoke about the lack of medicines and equipment in Sri Lanka as well as the terrible consequences for patients. Vishaka, a nurse who worked in Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), the main childrens hospital in Sri Lanka, for 14 years said, The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has created enormous problems regarding the shortages of essential medical equipment and medicines for vulnerable children. Nurses protest outside Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April, 2022 [Photo by image supplied to WSWS courtesy of nursing staff] IV Levetiracetam injections were among many things we didnt have in our unit. This is a critical medication to avoid continuous seizures in children. When it was not available, we managed to receive some through the local purchase system for a while. Then we could not find it at all. We only had an oral form of that medication. But they take much longer to respond and children have to suffer. There can be severe consequences as a result. You will not be able to imagine this, but many parents cannot afford to buy pampers for their children. They are very expensive anyway. So, we had to make our own makeshift pampers using wadding and gauze. This had to be done on top of our other nursing work. Even wadding was scarce by the time I left. Shortages were not confined to our unit. Surgical operation units were also struggling due to lack of medicines and the necessary equipment. I heard from colleagues working in the Cardio Thoracic ICU that they did not have a number of essential items. There were incidents when there werent stents and artificial valves to treat heart conditions. During the recent anti-government protests we demanded they immediately provide the necessary equipment and medicines. Without these essential drugs we cannot treat children properly. Many children who come to LRH are from very poor backgrounds. They cant afford to bring medication from outside pharmacies. There were some funds available for them before, but they have dried up. We had a money collection till in every ward for the people who could not afford to buy medicines from outside pharmacies. Health workers protest against Rajapaksa's government outside Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo, April 2022 [Photo by image supplied to WSWS courtesy of nursing staff] The Rajapaksa government like their counterparts across the world have been callously indifferent to the lives of the working people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vishaka commented, During the first wave of the pandemic we did not have necessary Personal Protective Equipment [PPE]. So, we used garbage bags to make aprons. We sewed our own mask using clothes at the beginning. Later on we received PPE mainly as donations. As ours is the main children hospital, many children with COVID and its complications were transferred from all over the country. Patients and staff faced unimaginable difficulties during that period. Nurses protest outside Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April, 2022 [Photo by image supplied to WSWS courtesy of nursing staff] Malintha is a nurse with 11 years experience. Before migrating to the UK, she had been working for one year in the divisional hospital in Kithulgala, which was utilized as a treatment hub for COVID patients. Previously she had worked in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL). Kithulgala divisional hospital is a very small treatment centre more than 75 kilometres from Colombo. It has an Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU), an Out Patients Department (OPD) and three wards. Malintha described the chilling situation during the pandemic and current situation with dire shortages. At the height of the pandemic in August last year, they had around 200 patients with COVID in this small rural hospital. To look after these patients they had only 10 nurses, six doctors and a few auxiliary staff. At one point, six nurses including Malintha became ill with COVID. The remaining four nurses had to stay in the hospital, day and night, with short breaks in between, checking the vital signs and medication of the patients. Patients whose conditions deteriorated were sent to the nearby Karawanella Base Hospital (KBH). Malintha said, Sadly we could only do the bare minimum for patients. When they were seen by the doctors, we gave them all the medication labelled for 10 days. Then we went inside the wards only during emergencies and to check vital signs and to document them. Some patients collapsed inside due to diabetes, dehydration and other medical conditions. Then we had to wear PPE and go inside to start intravenous infusions and other treatment. The rest of the time patients had to look after themselves. Luckily the patients we had were not that symptomatic. But one of the main issues was that we did not have enough oxygen cylinders. There were instances when we had to administer oxygen for patients who became deoxygenated or short of breath. We had only one or two cylinders in the hospital. We were instructed to transfer patients who needed oxygen therapy. On some occasions transfer was not an option because there were no beds in the base hospital. One day we had a patient who came to the ETU. We did a rapid antigen test and he was positive. Then he was taken to the ward on a wheelchair. Before he was transferred onto the bed he collapsed and fell over. We had to go inside without any PPE. Another day a patient had fits so we had to rush in wearing only masks and gloves. We had to suck out his secretions to avoid aspiration. The suction set did not work. We borrowed one from another ward and it didnt function either. These were among the major problems we faced during that time. We did not have any deaths in our hospital because we transferred patients to KBH when their conditions got worse. Unfortunately, we heard from our colleagues that some of the patients we transferred died at KBH. Health workers at Cancer Hospital Maharagama protest against the Rajapaksa government, Sri Lanka, May 6, 2022 [Photo: WSWS] Speaking about the current situation Malintha said, We have around 500 patients coming here for treatment, but for the wards we get only two elastic plaster rolls a week. They are highly inadequate to put pressure dressings for some wounds. As we do not have proper IV cannula dressings, we have to use them for securing the cannulas too. We did not have enough normal saline and other IV infusions. We were compelled to use the same saline bottle to administer nebulization for months in ETU, OPD and on the wards. When I worked in the SICU [Surgical Intensive Care Unit] of the NHSL, we used to change it every day. We received around five bottles of saline for the OPD, but they were not enough at all. We use them to cleanse wounds, dilute medicines and ear irrigation. How can you do all these with five bottles of saline a week? One of the major problems we have is the non-availability of the anti-rabies vaccine ARV. We have at least three/four patients a day who have bitten by a dog, monkey, cat or a squirrel. They should have the ARV. If it is a major bite, we send them to the KBH to have the anti-rabies serum. Serum injection is a very expensive treatment and it should be given in a facility with intensive care units. Patients do not get these critical treatments now. We do not have family care equipment and medicines. We do not have Depo-Provera [a contraceptive injection that contains the hormone progestin], loop contraceptives or Jadelle [a reversable long-acting contraceptive implant]. Before I left this month we only had oral contraceptive pills (OCP). Some people who can afford it buy Depo-Provera from outside and get injected at our hospital. Many people do not have money for their other essentials. Some people who live in very remote hill areas come here by hiring three wheelers [a small taxi]. When they come here they do not have treatment. We were short of antibiotics. I remember once we had only Flagyl [Metronidazole] in our hospital. We did not have oral Augmentin [Co-Amoxiclav]. These can have severe consequences for patients. We had to transfer patients to KBH sometimes because we did not have basic antibiotics to treat conditions. Some patients do not like to be discharged because they have nothing to eat at home. Some desperately try to exaggerate their conditions or pretend collapsing when they are discharged to extend their stay in the hospital. At least they get some food to eat in the hospital. Behind the Johnson governments pretence that the pandemic is over and we should live with the virus, the number of COVID cases is surging in Britain. Infections shot up last week by 43 percent, with 425,800 new cases. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), one in 50 people in England had the virus. The rise may be driven by new variants BA.4 and BA.5. Alongside another variant, BA.2.12.1, these variants replicate more effectively in the lungs than BA.2, indicating they could be more lethal. Total daily hospital admissions for all age groups in England rose gradually from 443 on June 4, to 842 on June 15. Parents take children to a primary school in Bournemouth, UK following the reopening of schools nationally. March, 2021 (WSWS media) In the week from June 5-June 11, hospital admissions among children (0-17) rose 50 percent from 147 the previous week to 220, after falling steadily since April. For the youngest children (0-5), for whom a vaccine has not been approved in the UK, the rise was 60 percent, from 94 to 150. On June 17, 39 children aged 0-17 were admitted to hospital, of whom 33 were aged 0-5 and 6 aged 5-17. There were 978 new child (0-19) COVID cases, 8.1 percent of the total 12,065 new cases in England. On June 16, 36 children were admitted overnight, including 22 in the 0-5 age bracket and 14 aged 6-17. Total child cases in 0-19 age range rose by 914, or 7.5 percent of total new cases in England of 12,080. The figures for the day before were 40 children (0-17) hospitalized overnight, including 31 aged 0-5 and 9 aged 6-17. Total new child cases were 1,053, that is 7.8 percent of the 13,401 total new infections. Total child (0-17) hospital admissions due to COVID were 25,971 on June 16. By June 21, total hospital admissions of child COVID cases rose to 26,207, a rise of 56 overnight. This included 44 aged 0-5, and 12 aged 6-17. On that date there were 1,565 new child COVID cases. These figures are extrapolated from coronavirus.data.gov.uk by Twitter user Tigress. Total UK child COVID deaths stand at 188 and cases among children well over 3 million. In the US, National Centre for Health Statistics, based on data from March 1, 2020-April 30, 2022, reported COVID as the leading cause of death among children aged 0-19. The British Medical Journal (BMJ) noted as early as January a rise in hospital admissions in young children who contracted Omicron. The proportion of children admitted to hospital with covid-19 who were aged under 1 was 42.2% in the four-week period studied (14 December 2021 to 12 January 2022), much higher than earlier in the pandemic. Children hospitalised with Omicron were not as sick as those admitted during the Alpha and Delta waves. The fear is the new Omicron subvariants may prove far more dangerous. After prevaricating throughout 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised in February 2022 that all children in the 5-11 age group be offered two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine. Introducing the roll-out as a non-urgent offer of the vaccine, the Johnson government downplayed the dangers, leading to a situation where nearly three months on only 346,924 or 7 percent out of five million eligible children aged 5-11 have been inoculated. Pulse magazine noted, NHS England had previously said that primary care networks (PCNs) would not be expected to lead on the vaccine rollout for five-to-11-year-olds, due to ongoing workforce pressures. The JCVI and the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health were at pains to stress that COVID is mild in children and the benefits of vaccination minimal. While vaccines are a valuable tool in preventing serious illness, they do not prevent transmissibility. A joint study across 130 countries conducted by a team from the University of Manchester and Imperial College Londonwith results published in BMC Public Healthfound the closure of schools and workplaces the most effective measure in reducing deaths during the first wave of the pandemic. The example of China, with a population of 1.4 billion, underlines this. China pursued a strategy of elimination, and consequently managed to limit the number of COVID fatalities to just 5,226, implementing a gamut of public health measures including mass testing and lockdowns whenever an outbreak occurred. In UK schools all mitigation measures were lifted as in the wider community, with the virus given free rein. Schools are instructed to record all absences including due to COVID as non-specific illness. Prior to the lifting of all mitigations, headteachers informed parents if someone tested positive in their childs class. The government did not make public which schools had outbreaks and neither did the trade unions. Parent and grassroots campaigner Daniella Modus-Cutter took it upon herself to collate data showing a list of schools with outbreaks, to warn Clinically Extremely Vulnerable families like her own so they could shield their children at home. With the ditching of mass testing, there is no longer any reporting of infections in the education sector, making even such efforts made by Daniella impossible and putting more lives at risk. The full implications of infection and repeated infections with COVID are still emerging. The virus can cause widespread damage, and its assault on the immune system is a possible causative factor in the otherwise inexplicable rise in hepatitis in children after infection. Last week UK child hepatitis cases passed 250 (251 confirmed cases), and 12 children, mostly under-fives, needed a liver transplant. Children may also develop the rare, but life-threatening condition known as PIMS or MIS-C. The prognosis for those suffering Long COVID is still unknown. But for the education unions COVID is a non- issue. The press releases of the National Education Union (NEU) makes no mention of COVID after April, when Joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney made a hypocritical statement regarding Long COVID, as he commented on motion 44 passed at the NEUs annual conference. Courtney acknowledged that the pandemic is far from over and that the prevalence of Long COVID was highest among those working in teaching and education. Declaring employers owe these staff a duty of care he outlined a series of demands regarding safety which he and the NEU have no intention of fighting for. This would mean mobilising its membership for online learning and the closure of schools until the virus is suppressed. This is anathema to the NEU leader who spent much of the pandemic insisting that children and staff remain in school as he ranted against education disruption. Courtney never mentioned the prevalence of Long COVID among children. On June 16, the i newspaper reported the comments of clinical epidemiologist Dr. Deepti Gurdasani that Long COVID affects 2 percent of young children in the community to a level that is causing restriction of day-to-day activity A small proportion of millions is still tens of thousands of children I cant think of another childhood illness that has had the same impact on childrenweve done so little to prevent this from mitigations in schools to vaccination. The unions played a vital role keeping workplaces open before the virus was suppressed, allowing the emergence of more transmissible variants resistant to antibodies whether through prior infection or vaccination. The education unions were key to keeping schools, colleges and universities open, sharing responsibility for the deaths of over 500 educators. In January 2021, the NEU released its Education Recovery Plan January 2021, urging the government to create the conditions to sustain education throughout and beyond the pandemic. This was predicated on the fiction that it was possible to reopen schools safely before the virus was eliminated, smoothing the way for the government to end lockdown restrictions then in place. At the time, the UK passed the milestone of 100,000 COVID deaths. Within 18 months that figure has doubled. Emboldened by the cooperation of the unions, and despite cases of COVID-19 rising among school children, the government is pushing ahead with its threats to fine parents for non-attendance. In the past week, new measures were announced beginning in September that track electronic attendance records centrally to streamline the issuing of fines for non-attendance, currently up to the head teacher or Local authority. To fight for a fully resourced and COVID safe education system means setting up new organisations independent of the unions. Join the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee UK today. Floyd Rayburn's campaign for the 24th Congressional District seat ended before it really began. Rayburn, R-Canandaigua, announced Wednesday that he was kicked off the Aug. 23 primary ballot. He filed petitions to join three other Republicans seeking the nomination U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, Mario Fratto and George Phillips. According to Rayburn's campaign, Tenney's supporters challenged his petitions. There were court proceedings and then the ruling on Wednesday that he did not collect enough valid signatures to qualify for the primary. To be eligible for the primary, he needed a minimum of 1,062 signatures. "I'm disappointed that I will not appear on the primary ballot," Rayburn said. "We ran into some issues with some of our petitions, knocking us down below the required number of signatures. At the same time, I'm frustrated with the disservice being done to the residents of this district." He continued, "I had only 17 days to collect and vet more than 1,000 signatures. My opponents, however, had 38 days to do the same. Unlike Ms. Tenney, I sought out the approval of district residents and received their signatures in support of my campaign to represent them. Her petition signatures are from an entirely different district: the one she had initially announced her run for." Rayburn's complaint stems from a ruling made by state Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister after the state Court of Appeals threw out the initial set of congressional district maps. As McAllister oversaw the redrawing of new district lines, he changed the date of the primary from June 28 to Aug. 23 and allowed candidates who already filed petitions to submit a certificate of designation to secure their spot on the primary ballot. There was no prohibition on using the certificate to run in a different district. When Tenney collected signatures to run for reelection, she initially planned to run in the 23rd district a largely Southern Tier district. When the new maps were drawn, she changed course and opted to run in the 24th, a 12-county district that stretches from western New York to the North Country. All of Cayuga is in the district. With Rayburn's ouster, there will be a three-way primary for the GOP nomination. Tenney is considered the favorite since she is the incumbent. Fratto, of Geneva, is an attorney and operates his family's granite manufacturing business. Phillips is a former Broome County legislator who has faced Tenney in two other GOP primaries for Congress. He lost both of those races. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. June 22, 2007 AUBURN Auburn Memorial Hospital's newly minted chief executive officer and president brings the confidence to the job only a Boston Red Sox fan has, joked Dr. Saul Rosenblum, president of AMH's medical staff. Scott Berlucchi joined AMH two months ago and just a week before the hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure $13 million in debts. On Thursday night, Berlucchi and other AMH leaders held a public reception to introduce Berlucchi to an audience of 60 and to touch upon their vision of AMH's future. Attendees went through a receiving line with Berlucchi, Berlucchi's wife, Aileen, and their sons. Robert Bergan, president of AMH's board of trustees, said the previous two years of millions of dollars in losses, a strict financial turnaround and Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing were probably the most difficult in AMH's existence. But we know from letters to the editor and comments on the street the community cares deeply about the hospital's future, said Stephen Zabriskie, president of the Auburn Memorial Hospital System Foundation. Berlucchi praised the hospital's growth from $400,000 of cash on hand to $2.5 million and reaching black ink, cash in the bank. John Baran, AMH's interim chief financial officer, noted the hospital lost more than $10 million in 2005 and 2006, but 2007 has brought modest gains. The bankruptcy filing has gone smoothly so far and donations from foundations and private individuals are 100-percent going into bricks and mortar. The bankruptcy is expected to be finalized in several months. Berlucchi was fully informed about the bankruptcy when he decided to take the job, Baran and Bergan said. Berlucchi opted to come before the bankruptcy filing rather than after. After a successful stint with a financial turnaround firm and hitting the black again, AMH's leaders were faced with a choice between spending 20 years to pay back $13 million in pension obligations or to invest in the hospital's infrastructure and medical equipment, Berlucchi said. Our hard decision was to lean on you and the way out of this, tactfully and strategically, was Chapter 11, Berlucchi said. Berlucchi highlighted: Plans to open a free-standing ambulatory surgical center; Intent to seek partnerships with tertiary-care hospitals in Rochester and Syracuse with complex services not available at a community hospital; Opening a women's diagnostic imaging center; Updating operating rooms; Renovating medical rooms from rooms for two patients and bathrooms for four patients to solitary rooms; Bringing AMH's psychiatric facility into the hospital from North Street; Installing a modern heating and air conditioning system to reduce energy costs. There's no reason we can't be the envy of all of central New York in terms of patient care, Berlucchi said. Compiled by David Wilcox Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stanley Smith and Nick Valenti served their country, returned home and gave back to their communities. That commitment to service has been recognized by their state representatives. Smith, of Sterling, and Valenti, of Auburn, have been inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. Valenti was inducted by state Sen. John Mannion, who represents most of Auburn. Smith was inducted by state Sen. Pam Helming, whose district includes the town of Sterling. Smith is a World War II veteran. He was a military police officer and rifleman from 1944 to 1946. After the Allied forces won the war, he reported to the Palace of Justice and Nuremberg Prison. Following his military service, Smith returned to Sterling. He married his wife, Arlene, and the couple has three children. He has been a lifelong member of the Fair Haven Fire Department and a longtime member of American Legion George Ingersoll Post 658. For years, Smith was the groundskeeper at the Little League field on Cayuga Street in Fair Haven. The field was later named in his honor. Susan Parsons, who serves as Sterling town historian, nominated Smith for induction into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. "Mr. Smith has dedicated his life to service, serving with honor and distinction during World War II, then continuing his service to his community after the war," Helming said. "As one of the approximately 240,000 surviving veterans of World War II and the Greatest Generation, we owe Mr. Smith a debt of gratitude." Valenti's story is similar to Smith's. The Auburn resident served in the Vietnam War. When he returned home, he got involved in several veteran causes in the community. Valenti is the New York State Central District director for the Vietnam Veterans of America. His other roles include serving as an American Legion post commander and president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 704. He has been a member of the state Veterans Service Officer Association and a county service officer. One of Valenti's contributions is bringing The Wall That Heals to Cayuga County. The Wall That Heals is a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He also played a key role in the establishment of the Cayuga County Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Mannion held an induction ceremony for Valenti at a veterans resource fair on June 14. "A Marine and Vietnam veteran, Nick Valenti has lived a life of service to his country and his community," Mannion said. "He has spent decades as a tireless advocate for his fellow veterans including 18 years as an American Legion post commander and co-chairing the effort that brought The Wall That Heals to Cayuga County." The New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame was created in 2005. Each year, state senators can select one inductee from their districts. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Mercedes-Benz Group AG appointed Paul Gao to the newly created position of Chief Strategy Officer, who would be reporting directly to Chief Executive, Ola Kallenius, effective July 1, 2022. Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz Paul Gao will steer all aspects of the Mercedes-Benz strategy. Meanwhile, a crucial part of Gaos responsibilities will be to incorporate the specific requirements and insights of key Asian markets, especially China, into strategic business decisions at Mercedes-Benz. Paul Gao; photo credit: Mercedes-Benz Paul is an excellent addition to our team: a proven strategist with exceptional analytical skills who has also demonstrated the ability to successfully deploy his ideas. He has close to 30 years of auto industry experience and essential know-how about China and other Asian growth markets. This makes Paul the right choice to further enhance the international profile of our brand, our management and our company, said Ola Kallenius, Chief Executive of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. During Gaos decades of experience in the industry, he has served in many well-known consulting firms, devoting nearly two decades with McKinsey & Company. The industry-veteran made Partner in McKinsey in 2003, and became Senior Partner in 2013, providing consultations for leading automakers worldwide. Gaos expertise lies in corporate and business unit strategy, sales and marketing strategy, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, cross-border transactions, organizational development, and product strategy with a focus on e-mobility. Authorities have arrested a second suspect in connection with an April robbery of McDonald's in Fairbury. On June 9 an arrest warrant was issued for 42-year-old Michall A. Gillians of Lincoln for connection to the robbery that took place at McDonalds in Fairbury on April 16. A press release from the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office stated the warrant came from hours of investigation into the incident with the cooperation of many witnesses and citizens of Fairbury. The sheriffs office was assisted by the US Marshals Task Force in apprehending Gillians on June 21 in Lincoln. He was transported to the Jefferson County Jail where he remains in custody. Just before 11:30 p.m. on April 16, the Jefferson County 911 Center received a call from an employee at McDonalds stating there was a robbery and a female employee was assaulted and needed medical attention. At the time of the call a Jefferson County Deputy was already near the area and observed two black males run south through the large parking lot near McDonalds, head south across Highway 136 and then south on J Street. The deputy started to follow them and saw headlights from a vehicle parked on the side of the street turn on. The deputy pulled in front of the vehicle in an attempt to stop them from leaving, but the vehicle jumped the curb and took off. The deputy pursued the vehicle and it failed to stop and left Fairbury eastbound on Highway 136. Other deputies who responded to the scene of the crime found a female employee of McDonalds had been assaulted and she had serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries. She was transported to the Jefferson County Hospital where she was treated. Deputies pursued the vehicle eastbound on highway 136 to Beatrice, where speeds reached 125 mph. The press release stated the suspect drove in an extremely reckless manner and drove with the lights off at times during the pursuit. With the assistance of the Beatrice Police Department, spike strips were deployed near Southeast Community College as the vehicle neared Beatrice. One suspect fled on foot near the disabled vehicle. With the assistance of the Beatrice Police Department, Gage County Sheriffs Office, and the Jefferson County Emergency Management Drone Team, a search was conducted. A suspect, identified as 34-year-old Marzeanis M. Coleman, of Lincoln, was found and taken into custody in connection with the robbery after a 90 minute search. During the investigation it was determined that two black males entered the back door of McDonalds during closing while a cash drawer count was being conducted. During the robbery, a struggle between one of the suspects and the female employee occurred. The suspects fled McDonalds after getting a small amount of cash. There was also a pistol located in the vehicle that was later determined to be a stolen firearm. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Russian prosecutors seek qualification of WWII massacres in Belgorod region as genocide MOSCOW, June 22 (RAPSI) The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has petitioned the Belgorod Regional Court to recognize the massacres committed by the Nazis on the territory of the Belgorod Region during the Great Patriotic War as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide of the Soviet people, the press service of the Office reports. It was been established that in the period of 1941 through 1943, on the territory of the Belgorod region, the German invaders formed punitive battalions that massacred Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, made illegal arrests, and used cruel tortures. Thus, in early February 1942, in the area of the village of Mikhailovka, Belgorod region, about 2,000 people, including women and children, died at the hands of the German invaders. People in groups of 40 - 50 people were herded into sheds, where they were shot and burned, the Prosecutor Generals Office said in a statement. According to the prosecutors, in total, during the period of temporary occupation of the region by the Nazi invaders and their accomplices, 71,787 people were exterminated. The stated facts are confirmed by the testimonies of numerous eyewitnesses about the extermination of Soviet civilians on the territory of the Belgorod region and archival data, the Prosecutor Generals Office noted. As last week's flood waters slink back into their rivers, some roads and transport essentials have been left with damages if not completely wiped out while other less impacted areas are returning to normal. Roads and bridges For those traveling by car or truck, the impacts become visible fast. In Carbon County, the Beartooth Highway or U.S. Highway 212 from the Wyoming border to Red Lodge remains closed. Montana Highway 78 from Red Lodge to Roscoe and S-419 between Junction and Nye are also closed, along with a number of side roads and bridges. According to the Carbon Alert Incident map, the north and south East side road bridges are both out. The Meteetse Trail Bridge, Lower Wapiti Valley Road Bridge, the 9th street bridge, the 19th Street Bridge and the bridge crossing Highway 78 on Roscoe are completely out due to flood damage. The Silver Run Bridge, Bridge Road Bridge, Howell Gulch Road Bridge, Highway 308 Bridge, Two Mile Bridge, Fox East Bench Road, the northern and southern Tuttle Ln. bridges, the Edgar bridge and Ridgeway Road bridges and the bridge at Highway 78 and Lower Luther Road are all damaged but remain standing. West Fork Road, Broadway Avenue, Park Avenue, North Cooper Avenue, East Rosebud, East Side Road, Sheep Creek Road, Snowcreek Road, Spring Creek Road, Hellroaring Road, the Lower Lake Fork Trail and Parkside Trail are all closed. U.S. Highway 89 from Junction Interstate 90 East and US 191 North to 3 miles north of Junction Interstate 90 East and US 191 North remain closed. A perilously teetering rail bridge close to Highway 89 has caused the closure near Livingston, Park County Public Works official Matt Whitman said. The rail bridge has been abandoned for years, and the choppy waters have eroded enough of the bank and structure that some witnesses fear it's close to collapse. Whitman says that state engineers with the Montana Department of Transport will be able to look over the bridge once the waters recede. Until they're able to declare it steady, Highway 69 will remained closed. If the bridge collapses, its remains could destroy parts of Highway 89 down the river. The Point of Rocks Bridge on Highway 89 is still closed, but repairs are projected to be finished by the end of the week. Theyre still working on some paving and guardrail work sometime during midweek, said Lori Ryan. And theyre looking to have it re-opened by the weekend. In Rosebud County, the Big Porcupine Creek Bridge on Big Porcupine Road is closed and will be replaced. The process of road recovery and bridge repair is one that requires precision, area road experts explained. Each layer of a road depends on the one beneath it, so any mistakes impact future ones. Railroads Meanwhile, railways are trying to keep up post-floods. Much of the rail systems in Montana stay clear of the flood zones, but one of Montana Rail Links routes follows the Yellowstone River. MRL is a regional railroad that usually hauls products from businesses across Montana and Idaho. During the peak of the floods last week, MRL saw an eight hour delay of transportation, holding the commute for safety reasons, MRLs media contact Andy Garland said. By the time the waters receded, railway patrols had determined the water hadnt damaged the tracks beyond some washed away dirt something MRL railways could easily patch, Garland said. With that, the trains were launched once more and havent seen a significant delay since. However, other railways haven't been as lucky. BNSF Railway, a nationwide railway company that crosses through Montana, saw several tracks shut down. Some were closed after high waters tore away at their foundations, making the earth too unsteady to hold trains. Repairs for some tracks have begun, but it is currently unknown when BNSF will be fully up and running again. Fishtail moving forward The small town of Fishtail has gotten lost a bit in the shuffle. Its not a big tourist attraction like Gardiner or Red Lodge, and it doesnt have the economic pull of the nearby Stillwater Mine. Still, the town took a major hit when flooding closed S-419, also known as Nye Rd., cutting off Fishtails main artery MT-79, which connects to Absarokee and Red Lodge. The only other way into Fishtail is by taking Grove Creek Rd. Stillwater County is asking for local traffic only on the small road, but that includes people wishing to shop or eat in Fishtail. Theres a pilot car to guide traffic, and the county is asking all travelers to use the stop signs posted throughout. Instead of turning south at Absarokee and staying on MT-79, turn west onto Stillwater River Rd., continue for three miles and turn left onto Lower Grove Creek Rd. The road should come in handy this weekend. On Saturday, June 25, The Fishtail Community Council is holding the annual Fishtail Family Fun Day, a carnival held in the Fishtail Family Park from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. The event will have food and beverage vendors, a parade, a cornhole tournament, live music and more. Check out their Facebook page for more information. Red lodge boil lifted Tuesday afternoon, recovering Red Lodge lifted its water boil order, meaning residents are safe to use running tap water. The lift came from the Carbon County Department of Environmental Health, which also advised residents get rid of their old, possibly dirty water. People should run both hot and cold water for at least five minutes each to flush contaminants out. People should also flush out appliances connected to their water line, like refrigerators and dishwashers. Disposable filters that touched dirty water should be replaced, and ice from ice makers should be dumped and replaced three times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Amazon is once again facing allegations of firing union organizers. The Washington Post reports employee group Amazonians United has filed National Labor Relations Board charges accusing Amazon of illegally firing two workers at a Maryland warehouse for labor organizing. The staff at the DMD9 delivery outpost in Upper Marlboro allegedly lost their jobs for both collecting petition signatures and promoting a large-scale walkout protest in March. The petitions, created in August and December of 2021, pushed for improved working conditions that included healthier food, less restrictive bathroom breaks and pay raises that had been granted at other facilities. The August petition led to some changes, but Amazon's refusal to budge on the December petition prompted the March walkouts. One of the fired employees, Jackie Davis, said she was fired weeks later without a clear or justified reason. Company spokeswoman Kelly Nantel denied any wrongdoing in a statement to The Post. Amazon fired Davis for "time theft" and not being at the facility after clocking in, the representative claimed. Nantel also maintained that worker support for a movement "doesn't factor" into terminating employment, and that the staffers simply didn't meet "basic expectations." The charges come in the wake of numerous accusations of anti-union activity on Amazon's part. The NLRB found that Amazon illegally fired a New York union organizer last fall, while two workers at a Staten Island warehouse claimed they were fired for helping to organize the first successful Amazon union election. The tech pioneer has also been accused of intimidation tactics that include threats of lower pay, labeling labor organizers as "thugs" and multiple attempts at interfering with union votes. In 2021, Amazon spent $4.3 million on consultants known for thwarting unionization campaigns. Whatever the reasons for these latest firings, it may be difficult for Amazon to avoid pressure to change. Amazonians United has secured some improvements by replacing conventional union strategies with grassroots relationship building and pressing for smaller material gains. This won't necessarily lead to more successful unionization efforts, but it won't be surprising if there are more reforms. Etowah County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a repaving project for Appalachian Highway. The project, titled Project ECP 28-076-18, will resurface the highway on an 8-mile stretch from U.S. Highway 278 to U.S. Highway 411, exempting the bridge that will have work done on a later date when needed. "It's one of the main routes of the county, as it is one of the few crossings for the Coosa River within the county, which makes it a very important route," said Robert Nail, the county's engineer, "It has not been resurfaced since the late 1990s, so this is very needed." "Hokes Bluff has about 2 miles of the highway stretch through, which makes it a big asset for our community and we're happy to see this work moving forward," added Hokes Bluff Mayor Scott Reeves. Read this: Etowah County credit unions join forces to host first Fight Fraud Workshop Previously: No resolution yet in Etowah Commission District 5 election contest Etowah County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Cosby said this project is especially important for the system when it comes to bussing students. "We have school buses that drive that highway all the time going from the elementary schools to the middle and high schools, and I appreciate the relations we all have between the commissioners and the City of Hokes Bluff," he said. "It all culminates to making Etowah County a better place." The project will cost an estimated $4 million, with the funding being secured by the State of Alabama. "Several of the commissioners, alongside Mayor Reeves and myself, met with Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper over the course of the past year to discuss funding," Nail said. "It is an expensive roadway to fix, but we're glad that both Cooper and Gov. Kay Ivey has made a way to get funding for that roadway so we can get this project underway." "This is a very important project. I drive that road a lot, so I see the needs it has first hand," said state Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre. "This is a much-needed project and I'm glad to see all the work done to see this project come to fruition." Story continues Nail said the project's cost stems from the width and condition of the road. requiring a bigger buildup to meet the industrial standards the highway is subjected to daily. "Unfortunately, aid and costs of materials have kept going up, so I'm hoping we can still complete this project with the funding we've been allotted," he said. While there is no official timeline for the project to begin, Nail said it's hoped that it could start after the new section on U.S. Highway 411 is completed, so officials can see the traffic impact it will have. Commissioners said their next scheduled meeting will be postponed from July 5 to July 12. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Etowah County Commission approves repaving for Appalachian Highway Oscar-winning writer and director Paul Haggis has been arrested in Italy on charges of aggravated sexual violence and aggravated personal injuries after a woman alleged the 69-year-old sexually assaulted her over several days. Haggis, who is currently under house arrest in Italy, was arrested Sunday in the Italian city of Ostuni, according to The New York Times. Haggis is accused of having non-consensual relations with a woman over two days, according to a statement from the office of prosecutors Antonio Negro and Livia Orlando obtained by the news outlet and the CBC. According to the account provided by prosecutors who refer to Haggis as a Canadian with the initials P.H. after the alleged assault, Haggis brought the woman to the Brindisi airport despite [her] precarious physical and psychological conditions and left her there on Friday around dawn. The airport employees and border police noticed the woman in a confused state and intervened. She was acting strange, very out of it. But so far we found no trace of drugs, Brindisi State Police Insp. Vincenzo Leo told the CBC News. She wasnt crying, but psychologically stressed. Prosecutors said the woman was taken to a local police station and then to a hospital, where she underwent a protocol in Italy used for victims of sexual assault. She was discharged on Sunday night. The victim was described as a young woman who was not Italian. Leo confirmed to The New York Times that Haggis was considered the suspect in the case. His U.S. attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement to Oxygen.com that Haggis was totally innocent of the allegations against him. Under Italian law, I cannot discuss the evidence, she said. That said, I am confident that all allegations will be dismissed against Mr. Haggis. He is totally innocent, and willing to fully cooperate with the authorities so the truth comes out quickly. Haggis had been in Italy to participate in Allora Fest, a film festival also expected to be attended by Oliver Stone, Marisa Tomei, Edward Norton and Matt Dillon. Story continues In a statement to Variety, organizers said they immediately proceeded to remove any participation of the director from the event once the allegations surfaced. At the same time, they express full solidarity with the woman involved, the statement continued. Haggis won an Oscar in 2006 for co-writing the original screenplay for Crash, which he also directed. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture that year. In 2018, publicist Haleigh Breest accused the director of raping her after a 2013 movie premiere and sued him. The trial was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and remains pending. After Breest came forward with her allegations, another three women also accused Haggis of sexual misconduct. Haggis attorney Christine Lepera denied the womens accusations to The Associated Press in 2018. He didnt rape anybody, she said at the time. Italian police told the CBC that Haggis will remain under house arrest until a judge determines the next steps. The judge can decide whether to extend the house arrest, institute other measures (like sending him to jail) or set him free. The Palm Springs International ShortFest will mark an in-person return to the California desert oasis from June 21-27, showcasing 300 short films in 51 different curated programs. If that seems like a markedly high number of films considering all of the disruptions in both the film production and festival space over the past two years, interim festival director Sudeep Sharma has an explanation. One thing Ive been saying a lot is that the pandemic has seemingly affected everything except for the production of short films, says Sharma, a ShortFest veteran currently manning the festival helm while director Lili Rodriguez is on maternity leave. I mean that kind of tongue-in-cheek, but our submissions numbers did not drastically change. More from Variety ShortFest has always cast a long shadow in the world of short filmmaking, with last years hybrid festival featuring eight of the years eventual Oscar nominees, and two winners. This year promises plenty of star power onscreen, with the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Vicky Krieps, Isabella Rossellini and Zachary Quinto among the talent featured in competing films. But ShortFests real raison detre is the discovery of new voices, and its hard to think of a time when general audiences are as primed to meet short films on their own terms. With platforms like YouTube and TikTok acculturating a greater familiarity with short-form content, the potential reach of short films is longer than its ever been. There have never been more avenues for people to watch short films, and not just the YouTubes, but also the New Yorker, the New York Times, Nownessthere are more publishers and places than ever looking to share short film content, Sharma says. People get what a short film is, and theyve actually seen short films. Five or ten years ago that was not necessarily the case. Story continues ShortFest takes pains to maintain a market and a forum for filmmakers to meet industryites who attend, and Sharma underscores that plenty of shorts do sell out of the festival. But he stresses that the main motivation for attending is less about making a deal than nurturing craft and connections. Its very difficult to make a short film, and if the goal is Im going to make money or a profit off of this, that is usually not going to be successful, he says. I think the real value is in career development and the experiences of the filmmakers themselves, from going to festivals and meeting people, and also to have something you can point to not just as a calling card but something where you can say, this is the type of thing Im capable of, and this is the type of voice that I have. Indeed, the idea that a successful short film is merely an entry ticket to feature filmmaking opportunities appears to be on the wane. Filmmaker Varun Chopra has shown his shorts at festivals from San Sebastian to Oaxaca, and comes to ShortFest with Holy Cowboys, a strikingly intimate documentary about Indias cow vigilantes, groups of Hindus who rescue the sacred animals from mistreatment, and which have lately become incubators of right-wing anti-Muslim sentiment. The 24-minute doc was born during the research process for a feature Chopra is developing, when he realized his unusual access to this world offered the opportunity for a standalone short. I feel perhaps [the short film] has become more than just a calling card for a filmmaker, he says. There are ample avenues [for exposure], and there is a certain degree of amplification, so that you wont find your film just sitting there on Vimeo collecting dust. Writer-director Lena Hudson will be attending ShortFest with her narrative short, Daddys Girl, which premiered at last winters virtual Sundance and has since played in-person at SXSW, Sun Valley, and others. She says she hopes to find a home for the short and eventually develop it into a feature, but says her priorities for ShortFest are just as much to see other shorts, connect with fellow filmmakers, and simply to experience her film with that most elusive of commodities: a real live audience. I think you hear things differently when youre watching your film in a room with people who havent seen it before, she says. Hearing people laugh at something you made is always such a thrill, but then theres also this sense that, because people are seeing it for the first time, youre seeing it differently, and theres always an interesting sense of discovery there. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Thirty-seven landowners will be awarded 47 free elk hunting tags only good on their property during this falls hunting season under a newly devised process, the Fish and Wildlife Commission agreed at its Wednesday meeting. In return, the landowners can pick one person to hunt while the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks will pick two others for a total of 141 public hunters. Created in 2001 and known as 454 agreements, after the bill number creating the legislation, the Elk Hunting Access Agreements were altered by the last Legislature, increasing landowner interest. In the past, landowners had to allow four hunters for every free tag they received. The Legislature dropped that to three with the landowner allowed to pick one. The landowner tags are also transferable to family or full-time employees. Landowners can provide additional hunters access to their land, and some have, but are required by statute to at least meet the minimum requirements. Jason Kool, landowner-sportsman coordinator for FWP, said so far about 27 of the landowners have indicated they will provide access beyond just three hunters. It was also noted that some landowners will provide public access through the Block Management Program, a separate FWP access program that pays landowners to provide public access to their private land. Nothing prohibits a landowner from participating in both, and no landowner had yet shifted to the 454 program and dropped their Block Management enrollment, Kool added. I see this as showing the awesome potential of what happens when you incentivize landowners instead of trying to intimidate them, said Commissioner Brian Cebull of Billings. I think its a great success. He went on to encourage the department to monitor the program to ensure landowners are participating in good spirit by reaching out to public hunters and allowing them adequate time to hunt. He said he would also like to see some standards for landowners, including allowing a public bull elk hunter for every free bull elk tag awarded by FWP. The Private Land/Public Wildlife Council is looking at such changes, which will have to be made legislatively, FWP Director Hank Worsech noted. This is going to be impactful for access in the future, Cebull added. Conservation group representatives, who had decried the haphazard process used last year to award 28 landowners tags some after the hunting season had already started joined in praise for the new process with a few reservations. This was kind of a little bit of a mess when this program first came to you, and youve done a really great job in getting it punched up and in a working fashion, said Marcus Strange, of the Montana Wildlife Federation. However, he said his group is concerned that this is moving away from a wildlife management tool, and one example of that is if you look at where its at on the agenda, its in the parks and recreation. This is not a parks and recreation program. This is a management tool to help local biologists address overpopulation of elk specifically on these properties. He added there are other programs meant to build relationships with landowners. Thomas Baumeister, volunteer vice-chair of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, praised the department for listening and reconfiguring the program with an application deadline, a way to manage demand, as well as accountability, transparency, communication and public involvement. The director deserves much credit for championing this process, Baumeister said. Next year the application deadline will be moved even earlier in an attempt to align with hunting license drawings. Last season, the 454 agreements provided 28 free tags to 13 landowners and free public access to a minimum of 84 public elk hunters on nearly 400,000 private land acres, FWP reported in an analysis. Ten landowners offered additional free public elk hunting access, with FWP calculating that more than 660 additional public hunters gained access. Most landowners and hunters who participated praised the program, although some glitches were noted like landowners not answering calls or hunters not responding to landowners. Out of the 96 hunters surveyed by FWP, 48 shot elk, including 16 bulls. Some hunters reported shooting a second elk through the program. Twenty-two of the 28 landowner tags were filled, with 20 bulls shot. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that she expects the Senate to pass its new gun reform package in time for the House to take it up before the weekend. Senate Democrats started the clock on the legislation Tuesday night with a procedural vote that sets the stage for the upper chamber to approve the bill later in the week, though the exact timing remains unclear. With the House scheduled to leave Washington on Friday for a long, two-week July Fourth recess, lawmakers are hoping the Senate will pass the gun package within that window. Pelosi said she expects it will. I anticipate that they will get it done, the Speaker told reporters Wednesday morning just off of Capitol Hill, where House Democrats had held a caucus meeting. Some other Democrats said theyve been advised that the bill will come over from the Senate on Thursday or Friday or maybe Friday or Saturday, said Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio). If the timeline does slip into the weekend, I hope wed stick around, Beatty added. The Senate gun package was cobbled together by a bipartisan group after weeks of tough negotiations over the scope of several new restrictions on gun purchases. It includes billions of dollars in funding for state mental health services and school security. It also attempts to close the so-called boyfriend loophole, which has allowed dating partners to retain their rights to gun ownership even after domestic abuse convictions. And it provides states with new tools to enforce red flag laws, which allow law enforcers to confiscate guns from individuals deemed by a court to be a danger to themselves or others. The package came in response to a pair of mass shootings last month, one at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., and another at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed. I believe that this week we will pass legislation that will become the most significant piece of anti-gun-violence legislation Congress will have passed in 30 years, said Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), the lead Democratic negotiator. Story continues In Tuesdays procedural vote, 14 Senate Republicans joined all Democrats, and the two independents who caucus with the Democrats, in advancing the bill a sign that its certain to pass when the final vote comes around. The package does not include the much tougher gun control measures favored by Democrats, including an assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazines or a hike in the age to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles. House Democrats, joined by five Republicans, had approved several of those changes in their own gun-reform package, which passed through the lower chamber earlier in the month. Still, the nations leading gun reform groups have endorsed the package. And Pelosi, like Murphy, is framing the legislation as a significant step in the ongoing effort to fight the nations gun violence epidemic. This is an important piece of legislation. Were very excited about it. It will save lives, she said. But we want to get it done. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A top law enforcement official in Texas testified Tuesday that efforts by law enforcement to end the Robb Elementary School mass shooting sooner were an "abject failure," laying much of the blame at the feet of a local police chief who waited well over an hour to breach a classroom door and kill the gunman. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw appeared before the Texas state Senate panel investigating the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. MORE: Uvalde shooting hearing: Police response was 'abject failure' McCraw's testimony, supported by an updated timeline of events that he said was based on police body camera and surveillance videos, and a transcript of police communications during the rampage, appeared to offer the most complete version of events to date -- and heightened scrutiny of Pete Arredondo, the embattled school district police chief in who was the on-scene commander during the shooting. Here are five key takeaways from Tuesday's hearing. Officers could have 'neutralized' shooter within minutes In a striking rebuke of the responding authorities, McCraw claimed that enough officers and equipment had arrived on the scene within three minutes to "neutralize" the shooter, who had by then entered the classroom and begun firing on students and teachers. "The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander," McCraw said, referring to Arredondo, who McCraw said "decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children." McCraw's testimony shattered previous claims that officers who responded immediately lacked the necessary equipment and weapons to breach the doorway, instead opting to wait as more resources arrived. PHOTO: Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw uses photos of doors to present what happened during the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, during the hearing at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, June 21, 2022. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman via USA Today Network) "One hour, 14 minutes and eight seconds. That's how long the children waited and the teachers waited in rooms 111 and 112 to be rescued," McCraw said. "And while they waited, the on-scene commander waited for radios and rifles. Then he waited for shields. Then he waited for SWAT." Story continues "Lastly, he waited for key that was never needed," said McCraw. The door to the classroom may not have been locked McCraw sought to clarify some confusion over whether the exterior and interior doors used by the gunman to enter Robb Elementary School were locked -- and whether officers even needed keys to breach the classroom where the gunman had barricaded himself. According to McCraw, the door to the classroom containing the gunman could not be locked from inside, meaning it was likely unlocked for the duration of the shooting. "I have great reasons to believe [the door] was never secured," he said. McCraw later said it appears that officers on the scene never checked whether the door to the classroom was unlocked, even as they waited for additional equipment to breach it and worked to secure a set of keys. "How about trying the door and seeing if it's locked?" McCraw said he would ask the officers who responded first. Communication failures crippled law enforcement response A staggering series of communications failures plagued the police response at Robb Elementary, McCraw said Tuesday, including problematic radio reception inside the school building. McCraw confirmed previous reporting that Arredondo arrived at the school without a radio. Later, according to McCraw, local police and Border Patrol lost radio communication signals inside the school. Those circumstances ultimately led Arredondo and others to communicate with dispatchers on their cell phones, McCraw said. "Cell phones did work, obviously, inside the school," he said. "It's just the portable radio devices that first responders had didn't." State police 'don't have authority' to overrule on-site commander Multiple state senators challenged McCraw to explain why arriving officers from larger law enforcement agencies did not take over command from Arredondo when they saw he was waiting to breach the classroom. "I don't see why y'all didn't take command once you had DPS agents inside the hall pushing to breach the door," one state senator asked McCraw. "Lives would have been saved." "They don't have authority by law," McCraw shot back. McCraw explained the normal procedure is that the agency with the most direct order of expertise should take command -- and that the school district police chief, in this circumstance, was the best person to deliver orders. PHOTO: Using a diagram of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw testifies at a Texas Senate hearing at the state capitol in Austin, Texas, June 21, 2022. (Eric Gay/AP) "I'm reluctant to encourage -- or even think of any situation -- where you'd want some level of hierarchy, where a larger police department gets to come in and take over that type of thing," McCraw said. Arredondo is under growing pressure to provide his account New revelations from the Senate hearing put an additional spotlight on Arredondo. The embattled school district police chief spent Tuesday in the neighboring Texas House chamber, where he testified behind closed doors for nearly five hours. A lawmaker on the state Senate panel called on Arredondo to appear before their committee in a public setting. "I challenge this chief to come testify in public as to what happened here," said Sen. Brian Birdwell, a Republican on the state Senate committee. "Don't go hide in the House and talk privately -- come to the Senate, where the public can ask these questions." MORE: Police chief of Uvalde school district testifies in investigative hearing with Texas legislators Arredondo has largely remained silent in the four weeks since the shooting, save for an interview with The Texas Tribune earlier this month. "Not a single responding officer ever hesitated, even for a moment, to put themselves at risk to save the children," Arredondo told the paper. "Our objective was to save as many lives as we could, and the extraction of the students from the classrooms by all that were involved saved over 500 of our Uvalde students and teachers before we gained access to the shooter and eliminated the threat." Arredondo, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other law enforcement agencies that responded to the shooting have declined a long list of media requests and requests from families to release underlying records. 5 key takeaways from Texas Senate's hearing on Uvalde shooting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON Despite efforts by both the right and left to kill it, Congress is on track to pass the most meaningful package of gun restrictions in decades a rare bipartisan achievement. Even if the proposed Bipartisan Safer Communities Act becomes law, the fractious political debate over guns suggests few will be happy with the results, and Republicans and Democrats will keep pushing for measures the other side is unlikely to ever pass. The House Freedom Caucus, for example, a group of the most conservative congressional Republicans, vowed to fight "red flag" laws that they say "permit the preemptive seizure of firearms from Americans without due process." In contrast, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said this bill is not everything that is needed "not by a mile" and she and others will seek tougher laws. Nevertheless, Murray said she supports the Senate package because "the most extreme option on the table is doing nothing at all." The Senate voted late Tuesday to speed up debate on the gun bill, a procedural move supported by 14 Republicans, more than enough to secure passage. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was the brainchild of Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.; and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. "We've talked, we've debated, we've disagreed and finally we've reached an agreement," Cornyn said on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. Why are the parties coming together now? Senators from both parties agreed to the specific language of a gun deal shortly after the latest congressional hearing on the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, an investigation that has inflamed party tensions for more than a year and a half. Republican predictions of a "red wave" this election because of Biden's struggles have also made it difficult for the parties to work together until Uvalde. The slaying of elementary school children in Texas in May renewed interest in gun laws. Members of both parties saw the tragedy as an opportunity to show voters they could work together for the common good in a moment of crisis. Story continues Gun deal moves: Senate gun bill includes mental health funding, enhanced background checks, closes boyfriend loophole Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has been leading bipartisan talks on a gun control deal since his passionate floor speech after the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, last month. For awhile, the gun deal seemed to be on the brink of collapse. But Senate negotiators found bipartisan agreement after the weekend on the two main sticking points the "boyfriend loophole" and "red flag" grants. Late Tuesday, the four leading negotiators released a statement saying they finalized "commonsense legislation to protect America's children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country." What's in the Senate gun bill? In announcing the deal, the four main Senate negotiators reiterated a frequent talking point: The legislation will save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights. The 20 senators 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans who first supported the bipartisan framework have tried to strike that delicate balance throughout negotiations, striving to expand gun safety laws without making it harder for law-abiding citizens to buy guns. Their legislation would include about $15 billion for mental health and school safety services, which Republicans wanted. Grants would be provided to every state as an incentive to adopt "red flag" laws, which allow courts to remove firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others. States that did not enact red flag laws could use the money for other crisis prevention programs, according to the legislation. The Senate package would close the "boyfriend loophole," a legislative gray area that leaves some women vulnerable to gun-related domestic violence. Law prevents domestic violence offenders from buying guns if they abused their spouses or live-in partners with whom they had children. The Senate legislation would expand the law to include "boyfriends" or partners in a current or recent relationship "of a romantic or intimate nature" who have been convicted of domestic violence. "This provision alone is going to save the lives of so many women who unfortunately die at the hands of a boyfriend or an ex-boyfriend who hunts them down with a firearm," Murphy said. Another major feature of the proposed legislation is expanded background checks on gun buyers 21 and younger to include their mental health and juvenile justice records. It would provide a waiting period of 10 business days for the seller and authorities to complete the review. Senators said such a review could have stopped mass shootings last month in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., told USA TODAY last week that a three-day waiting period in South Carolina is not enough and enabled a racially motivated mass shooting seven years ago in his home state. "Nine souls were killed in Charleston," Clyburn said, referring to an attack in 2015 when a white supremacist gunman fired on Black worshippers at a church in Charleston. Background: Group of senators including 10 Republicans announce breakthrough When might the Senate gun bill pass? Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has been the lead Republican negotiator in Senate gun talks. Lawmakers are racing to get the bill through the Senate before Congress leaves Capitol Hill Friday for a two-week recess around July 4. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday evening on the Senate floor he expects to pass the gun safety legislation "by the week's end." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he supports the bill, providing political cover for other Republicans to back the legislation. At least 11 GOP senators support the deal, which is enough to beat a filibuster: Cornyn, Tillis, McConnell, Mitt Romney of Utah, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rob Portman of Ohio. A procedural vote Tuesday night officially opened debate on the bill, and additional Republican senators were among the "yes" votes to advance the legislation, including Joni Ernst of Iowa, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Todd Young of Indiana. If the legislation passes the Senate this week, it will be the most sweeping gun control to make it through either chamber in about 30 years. It's unclear when it could reach the House for a vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday she doesn't anticipate the House would need to delay the holiday recess to pass the Senate bill. She expected both chambers would pass the bill, setting up a question of not if but when. 'I don't feel safe at school': 11-year-old Uvalde survivor fears more shootings; other gun hearing takeaways Resistance to gun deal The pushback started before the legislative text was written and continued once it was released Tuesday. Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., broke with party leaders and voted against advancing the gun deal. Thune and Barrasso are the No. 2 and No. 3 Republicans in the Senate, respectively. Though most of the Republicans who back the Senate deal either plan to retire or aren't on the ballot for four years, others face political consequences. Cornyn was booed Saturday in Houston during his speech at the Texas Republican Party's annual convention. The party passed a resolution that formally rebuked Cornyn and other Senate Republicans who support the gun deal. Cornyn is up for reelection in 2026 and hasn't lost a political election in 40 years. Some voters in states where senators back the federal legislation said they would remember these votes in four years though four years in politics can be an eternity, full of sharp changes and shifting political landscapes. Until this point, the GOP had been a firewall against gun restrictions. North Carolina Pastor Michael Fox told USA TODAY he "absolutely will not vote for" Tillis in 2026. Burr is not seeking reelection. "We didn't vote for them to take away our rights," Fox said of the senators. The National Rifle Association sent out a statement Tuesday opposing the Senate agreement. Claiming infringement of the Second Amendment, the NRA said, "this legislation can be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases, infringe upon the rights of law-abiding Americans, and use federal dollars to fund gun control measures being adopted by state and local politicians." Kari Lake, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona, said that if she wins, "Arizona will not recognize unconstitutional Gun Laws in our state." In a tweet, she said, "What are the Feds going to do? Fly down here and arrest a sitting Governor? Call my bluff." Some Democrats and gun control groups lamented what they perceived as shortcomings of the bill, but they lined up to support it, if only as a first step. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, severely wounded by a gunman in 2011, said the proposed legislation "takes important steps needed to protect communities and save lives from gun violence," but she said more work needs to be done. "I know that together we will keep fighting for our safety," Giffords said. 'Upset no matter what happens': Senate gun deal leaves voters on both sides unsatisfied, frustrated Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress on track to pass Senate gun deal, but more fights loom Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty Seven years ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders did something remarkable. He brought democratic socialism into the mainstream of the most anti-socialist country in the developed world. He was a serious contender for the presidency in both 2016 and 2020, and in the years since he declared his first run, more self-described socialists have been elected to CongressCori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Rashida Tlaib, and of course, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Two stories in the last few weeks tell us everything about the current state of this movement. First, Sanders took on Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in a debate in Boston broadcast by Fox News. He was in peak form, hitting hard and keeping the focus squarely on those subjects where his message is most popularsubjects like health care, wages, retirement savings, and the skyrocketing economic and political power of the billionaire class. What Happened to Medicare For All? Second, AOC went on Instagram to criticize Democratic politicians who dont like the term Latinx. Even though only 2 percent of Latinx people use the term to describe themselves and a full 40 percent of them express some level of distaste for it, the second most prominent representative of American socialism felt the need to deliver a little lecture (in the spirit of pride month) in which she mocked politicians who are so dismissive of the need for gender-inclusive language that they think its a big problem to put that little x in their campaign materials. Im not an AOC-hater. I think she has the right positions on the vast majority of policy issues and Im glad that shes in Congress. But I do worry that she and other young Berniecrats arent mimicking the things that make Bernie so effective as a political communicator. Trying to fuse his social democratic policy agenda with relentless appeals to Team Blue in the culture wars wont give us the kind of movement that could actually win over a majority of Americans and politically realign our deeply divided countrywhich is what it would take for them to enact that agenda. Story continues Bernie has always had robustly progressive positions on social policy issues. Hes unapologetically pro-choice, for example, and he was a supporter of gay and trans rights as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in the 1980sdecades before Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton dropped their long-standing opposition to same-sex marriage. Ask Sanders about any of those subjects and hell give succinct but unambiguous answers that reflect the same moral commitment to egalitarianism that animates his economic positions. And then hell pivot to health care and education and raising the minimum wage. At his best, Sanders seems to rise above the day-to-day noise of red vs. blue media narratives. In the debate with Lindsay Graham, he didnt attack Graham as a representative of the GOP or of the conservative side of the culture war. Instead, he called him an effective representative of the establishment. He didnt accuse Graham of being a racist or a transphobe. He went after him for his apparent indifference to the poverty wages in Grahams home state of South Carolina. In a recent essay for New York magazine, Sam Adler-Bell defined wokeness as a communicative register that presents unintuitive and morally burdensome progressive requirements in a manner that suggests they are self-evident. While the w-word has been used to mean many different things in recent years, theres no denying that Adler-Bells definition captures a big part of why so many people find wokeness annoying. Think of AOC chiding Democrats for being unwilling to put that little x at the end of Latin. Progressives Who Want Joe Rogan Off Spotify Should Be Careful What They Wish For Sanders is an unimpeachable progressive on social policy but his communicative register has never been especially woke. Two seconds into an argument about language choices, hed be changing the subject to Medicare for All. This approach has served him well over the course of his long career. He represents a predominantly rural state with a Republican governor but hes regularly re-elected by the kind of margins Saddam Hussein used to give himself in elections in Iraq. He started off the 2016 election as a marginal protest candidate and he ended up beating Hillary Clinton in 22 states. He won West Virginia. Sanders came even closer at the beginning of 2020he was the Democratic frontrunner until Joe Biden won South Carolina and Pete Buttigieg abruptly dropped out of the race. In a world where there wasnt a pandemic and several centrist candidates had stayed in the race, would Sanders have won the Democratic nomination in the same way that Donald Trump slowly turned his plurality into a majority over the course of the Republican primaries in 2016? Well never know. But I have a hard time imagining any of the younger democratic socialists coming as close as he did to winning national power in any future election. If AOC ran against Kamala Harris or Pete Buttigieg in 2028, Id vote for her and hope for the bestbut I have to admit that I have a depressingly hard time imagining her actually becoming president. Who among the young Berniecrats would have a shot? Im not sure. What the Left badly needs is a different kind of Berniecratone who actually acts like Bernie. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. After the Williams family purchased the Bay Port Fish Company in 1978, they would take their boats out to Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron to catch carp, catfish and yellow perch. Decades later, they still hold a license for 44 nets to catch yellow perch but have not used it for at least two years. From left, customer Darrell Seegmiller, 75, of Hemlock and Lakon Williams, co-owner of the Bay Port Fish Company in Bay Port, go over his order of smelt fish at the counter on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. There just isnt much yellow perch left on our side of the bay, said Lakon Williams, who took over the management of the family business 10 years ago. Why would I want to hurt the population more and set 44 nets out there? Over the years the Williams family, one of the few remaining commercial fishers in Michigan, invested in new equipment for harvesting whitefish, a higher value catch whose stocks were rebounding after a sharp drop in the mid-1900s. Since the turn of the century, however, whitefish harvests have dwindled. For the business to survive, Lakon added processing and resale to their fishing operations, purchasing the catch from other fisheries and shifting most of their business into retail and distribution. A boat full of fish at the Bay Port Fish Company in Bay Port in this undated photo. In the 80s all we had to do was to dip them out of the tanks and put them into peoples coolers, she said. We had to add a lot of value to stay relevant. The story of the Bay Port Fish company is only one in the millions of lives, built on the shores of the Great Lakes the largest freshwater lake system in the world. More than 34 million people now live in the Great Lakes basin a complex, ever-changing environment that includes parts of eight U.S. states Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the province of Ontario in Canada. Over the last few centuries the region has had to endure a number of environmental stresses: industrialization and deforestation, growth of large-scale agriculture and overfishing, disruptive infrastructure projects and waves of invasive species. Climate change brings a new and accelerating challenge to the region. According to the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments program, from 1951 to 2017: Story continues average temperatures in the Great Lakes basin have increased 2.3 degrees. total precipitation increased by 14%. heavy precipitation events increased by 35%. GLISA is a collaboration between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In most areas the ice season has gotten shorter and summer surface water temperature has increased at a higher rate than the surrounding air temperature. According to a 2019 report by the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Great Lakes region has been warming faster than the rest of the contiguous United States. The Great Lakes are experiencing yet another transformation, and the warming climate is having an indelible effect on the nearly two hundred known species of fish living in these waters in ways that are not yet fully understood. The changes impact where Great Lakes fish can live, what they can eat, where they lay their eggs and how well their young survive. It also can open the door for more invasive species that out-compete native species and other, desired fish stocks. With the Great Lakes fishery estimated to be worth more than $7 billion to the region annually, recognizing the ways in which the local fisheries are changing is a matter of great concern to environment biologists, fishery managers, state treasurers, and pretty much anyone who likes to spend a weekend with a fishing rod and bring home some fresh catch. A bit of history In her book Fishing the Great Lakes : An Environmental History, 17831933 Margaret Beattie Bogue tells about Father Claude Dablon, a Jesuit missionary who provided one of the earliest written accounts of traveling through this immense expanse of water and the surrounding lands. Entering Lake Ontario in 1655, he wrote, Such a scene of awe inspiring beauty I have never beheld, nothing but islands and huge masses of rock, as large as cities, all covered with cedars and firs." One of a number of proselytizing monks who followed the fur traders into this sparsely populated expanse, he witnessed the Ojibwe hoop-net fishing in the rapids of the St. Marys River, catching the plentiful whitefish. Those fishermen followed in the tradition of generations of Native Americans, who have fished the Great Lakes for millennia before European settlers arrived. Completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 sped up the arrival of migrants and stimulated industrial development, logging, agriculture and large-scale commercial fishing. The effect on the environment was enormous, prompting the rise of the contemporary environmental movement and attempts at regulating natural resource exploitation. As early as 1801, New York State passed the first measure designed to protect the salmon fishery, prohibiting the use of obstructions and building dams on designated rivers and streams flowing into Lake Ontario. Throughout the nineteenth century, laws were passed in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada, attempting to address the issues of overfishing and contamination, Bogue writes, but the overwhelming pressure from commercial interests and lack of public engagement made them largely ineffective. Atlantic salmon disappeared from the Great Lakes before the 20th century. A fire tug fights flames on the Cuyahoga River near downtown Cleveland, Ohio, where oil and other industrial wastes caught fire on June 25, 1969. When Canada and the United States approved the first version of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972, the running joke in Cleveland was that anyone unlucky enough to fall into the Cuyahoga River would decay rather than drown. Rapid industrialization, growth of agriculture and logging, invasive species and habitat loss caused by urban development have dealt serious blows to the ecology of the lakes. The low point, arguably, came toward the 1950s and 60s, when piles of dead and rotting alewife would stretch for miles along the beaches, and tributaries were so polluted they occasionally caught on fire. Lake Erie was briefly pronounced dead because of an overload of phosphorus from municipal waste. Environmental movements of the 1960s ignited public concern about the deterioration of water quality, stimulating new investment into research and management of the Great Lakes watershed. This concern was formalized in the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the U.S. in 1972 and led to a number of concerted efforts to address environmental issues, including failing fish populations. Thanks to stronger environmental legislation and investment into restorative projects, the last 50 years have seen large-scale efforts to overturn two centuries of damage to the Great Lakes. Popular sporting fish such as the Pacific salmon were introduced and many native species have rebounded. Recreational fishing generates $2.3 billion in Michigan alone, according to a 2019 report by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business, while commercial fisheries continue to provide the markets and restaurants with fresh catch. According to Marc Gaden, communications director for the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, on a very broad scale the lakes are probably in the best shape theyve been in for 150 years. However, climate change poses a threat to the gains made over the last 50 years, Gaden said. It will have an effect on every stressor the lakes are already experiencing, from farm runoff to shoreline erosion, from influencing invasive species habitats to overstressing the thousands of aging dams in the region. It will transform the lakes as we know them, in many ways yet unknown. Whitefish One of the native species affected by the warming climate is whitefish an unassuming, silvery-brown fish native to these waters that has sustained people living on these shores for thousands of years. Adikameg, as it is called in Ojibwe language, has been an important staple to Native American peoples, and over the last two centuries sustained robust commercial fisheries on both sides of the border. Whitefish populations had collapsed by the 1950s, then rose throughout the late 20th century, but took a hit again at the start of this century, following the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels, invasive species likely brought to the Great Lakes by large ocean-going ships sometime in the 1980s. Collectively known as dreissenid mussels, they aggressively filter lake waters for plankton and algae, altering the food web, robbing whitefish of the prey they used to rely on. Yet these nutrient-gobbling mollusks quietly transforming the local ecosystem are not the only culprit. Adult whitefish spawn from October to December on nearshore shoals, preferring rocky lake bottoms, where the eggs then spend the winter before hatching in the spring. Larval fish then move to nearby embayments, hungry for plankton tiny drifting organisms carried along with tides and currents, whose abundance is critical to their survival. Larvae that grow to become juvenile fish move into deeper colder waters in the summer, where they continue their path to adulthood. This process, by which very young small fish survive to become older, larger fish, is called recruitment. Whitefish recruitment is largely driven by larval survival, said Mark Ebener, research technician at Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Ebener edited a number of white papers for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, including a 2021 report on whitefish. He noted that both harvests and recruitment in all of the lakes except Lake Superior have been falling, and have dropped even more since writing the report. In northern Lake Huron, he said, tribal fishers caught only 125,000 pounds of whitefish in 2020, a precipitous drop from over 2 million pounds in years prior. From left, Terry Story, 70, of Owendale and John Deimel, 46, of Bay Port cut up whitefish with other workers at the Bay Port Fish Company in Bay Port on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. It is a long and dangerous journey for a juvenile fish to become an adult, to spawn or to get caught in a fishermans net, but its nowhere near the rates of mortality for eggs and larvae. A female whitefish can produce from 10,000 to 130,000 eggs in a season, and just a fraction of a percent make it through the first year. If spawning grounds stop consistently adding juveniles to the population chances diminish for the fishery at large to stay healthy. Ebener suggests that managers put increased focus on whitefish reproduction habitat, both physical and biological state of the areas that make up about 2% of the total area of the Great Lakes. A lot of the scientific work on the effect of climate change on fish recruitment is only now getting started, said Steve Pothoven, a fishery biologist at NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. It takes five to seven years for whitefish to mature and plenty is still unknown about their life cycle. Lake whitefish enjoy cold waters and benefit from long winters and plentiful ice cover. Multiple studies have suggested that ice protects the eggs from the wind and waves or from UV radiation. Other papers notice a link between cold waters and improved embryo growth. Ice cover may also help improve production of zooplankton microscopic animals that larval whitefish feast on. After a cold winter, Pothoven said he noticed waters warm up fast and larvae seem to eat well, while early springs are often followed by cold snaps that stall their development. Ebener has observed similar changes where he lives, on Sugar Island at the outflow of Lake Superior. You dont get frost anymore in September, he said. You hardly get frost in October. But this May has been cold as hell. The climatic cycle looks to have shifted, and these changes have to have some influence on fish reproduction, he said. Lakon Williams, co-owner of Bay Port Fish Company in Bay Port, adds another label to a whitefish filet on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. Commercial whitefish harvests across the Great Lakes region had declined 59% from their 1998 peak to 2016, according to data provided by Ebener. In some areas, catch numbers remained flat or rose slightly. In and around Saginaw Bay, where the Williams family plies their trade, the whitefish population has been sustained, with catches dropping only 18%. Overall, however, Lake Huron whitefish harvests have dropped by 69%. The northern Michigan area of Lake Huron has borne the brunt of the decline, dropping by a massive 92%. Commercial whitefish harvest by location SOURCE Mark Ebener, The Fresh Lake Whitefish, Sault Ste. Marie Ebener agreed that warming waters are having an effect, however he noted that many spawning sites that no longer get ice in winter are still producing plenty of fish. The primary driver, he said, is the dreissenid mussel invasion, and the dropping amounts of zooplankton caused by it. Climate change effects need to be studied in conjunction with all the other factors transforming ecosystems. Climate change is here Any sort of environmental change is gradual, Pothoven said. Its like not noticing the changes in your face. But then you jump back 20 years and see something thats really different. Weather differences from year to year can sometimes mask long-term changes, he added, but at least in Muskegon, where he lives, most people who fish would say theres definitely not as much ice as there used to be. With high-quality observational data compiled over more than a century by the Climatic Research Unit, the warming trends become clear. As the air warms, so do the lake waters. According to the US Climate Resilience Kit from climate.gov, summer surface water temperature in Lake Huron increased by 5.2 degrees, and in Lake Superior by 4.5 degrees between 1968 and 2002. That was twice the rate of increase in air temperature. The ice season got shorter by an average of five days every decade from 1974 to 2004 across 65 lakes in the region. These trends are expected to continue and accelerate, according to the kit, and the rates of change will depend on the amount of heat-trapping gasses like carbon dioxide and methane released into the atmosphere. With a highly energy-intensive economy, per capita emissions of greenhouse gasses more than 20% higher than the national average and a large potential to reduce emissions, the Great Lakes region will continue to have an outsized influence on the global climate. On thin ice there aint much to ice fishing till you miss a day or more Bill Morrissey, Ice Fishing Climate change sucks, Brian Seiferlein said. Seiferlein decided to become an ice fishing guide after the winters of 2014 and 2015, when everyone learned the term polar vortex. For two years in a row, a low-pressure system of Arctic air got pushed south into the continental United States, making for some memorable cold seasons. Brian Seiferlein poses for a photo with a walleye while fishing on Saginaw Bay. That was like the good old days, like when I was a kid, said Seiferlein, whos been fishing on Saginaw Bay for over 40 years. Ice on the bay stayed strong for months, and Seiferlein decided to turn his hobby into a business. He bought more equipment and built a website. But there havent been winters like that since. In 2021, Seiferlein said, they had just nine days of ice fishing in February, then the temperature jumped to 50 degrees and ice went bad. He feels fortunate to have a full-time job, so he can pay for the equipment worth over $100,000, but knows other guides who are struggling. Seiferleins favorite winter catch is walleye a native species with sweet, mild flesh, whose populations in lakes Huron and Erie have been growing over the past few decades. You can fish for walleye in the summer, but ice fishing is more fun, he said. Youre using a 26-inch pole and youre jigging up and down. And when one bites, the pole bends over and you fight them and you have to get them through an eight-inch hole. Its awesome. Its exhilarating. Its also big business. Anglers flock to the Great Lakes region from all over the world, with the Michigan Department of Natural resources selling over a million fishing licenses every year. Gone are the days when you would sit on a bucket, out on the open ice, with a $20 pole in hand. Lightweight pop-up shanties that double as gear totes, state-of-the-art insulated winter suits, portable electronic fish finders, underwater cameras and other gear costing hundreds and thousands of dollars made the sport both more comfortable and more popular. According to the 2016 Report by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, almost 2 million anglers in the US brave the winter cold, collectively spending over 18 million days ice fishing each winter. Dakota Rinehart of Port Huron looks through ice at his spot on the frozen Lake St. Clair in Ira Township while ice fishing with his grandfather Ray Rinehart of Port Huron on Thursday December 28, 2017. And while the sport grows in popularity, the number of ice fishing days is growing scarcer. In a paper published in Nature Journal in 2019, Sapna Sharma, associate professor at York University in Toronto, estimated that 14,800 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere experience intermittent ice cover. If the goals of the Paris Agreement are reached, with the international community taking urgent measures to limit the average rise in global temperature to 3.6 degrees above pre-industrial level by the end of the century, that number still would rise, but only to 35,300 lakes. Under scenarios where climate change is addressed less aggressively or not at all, from 90,200 to 215,600 lakes worldwide may start experiencing winters without ice. Some areas of the Great Lakes, according to an analysis of data from NOAA, have been losing as much as a day and a half of ice per year on average from 1973 till 2019. Trends in ice cover duration in the Great Lakes, 19732019 Trends in ice cover duration in the Great Lakes, 19732019 Climate change projections To understand both short-term weather patterns and long-term climate change trends, scientists build models. These models use sets of mathematical equations that follow fundamental laws of physics, chemistry and fluid dynamics to represent natural phenomena, describing how energy and matter interact in different parts of the air, water and land. To do that, the surface of the earth is divided into thousands of cells, with each cell assigned a set of equations. Powerful supercomputers solve the equations, repeatedly passing the results from cell to cell to simulate the passage of time. To run their models researchers use standardized climate change scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, representing a specific amount of pressure human activity puts on the climate. Think of these scenarios as stories of humanitys future in numbers, projections of what can happen that are plausible, internally consistent and rational. Scenarios most commonly used now are called Representative Concentration Pathways or RCPs pathways to a specific level of climate forcing. As the average temperatures across the globe rise, regional climatic patterns shift, often in unexpected ways. To better reflect such changes, American environmentalist Hunter Lovins coined the term "global weirding," highlighting the increase in the frequency of extreme events heat waves and cold snaps, violent storms and droughts. With local governments gearing up to confront climate change, forecasting regional effects of climate change in order to better predict its effects on local communities becomes increasingly important. Anyone who has had to dig out their house from lake effect snow or felt the gales of November can attest that the Great Lakes play an outsized role in local weather. Still, up until now downscaled climate models for this region were unable to fully account for the long-term effect these gargantuan bodies of fresh water have on their surroundings a problem climate scientists pointed out. That is a goal Pengfei Xue, associate professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Michigan Technological University, has focused on in his research, developing a method to fully integrate the physical processes of the Great Lakes into his regional climate model. Ice formations are covered in deep snow along the coast of Lake Superior not far from Calumet in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in February 2021. As Xue explained, the size and depth of these lakes makes them behave like coastal ocean areas, with jet currents, rolling waves and other phenomena not present in smaller inland lakes. The lakes exert force on the climate around them, while atmospheric changes are transforming the lakes. Current regional climate change models, he said, while being able to provide useful results, up till now have not been able to fully integrate these complex processes. Xues team developed a regional modeling system that couples the atmospheric climate model to the complex 3-D hydrodynamic model of the Great Lakes. As he described it, the two models can now work side by side, constantly exchanging information between them. This two-way feedback mechanism potentially improves its forecasting capabilities compared with older models, more accurately representing real-world phenomena. In their latest study they ran their model for two scenarios. RCP8.5, often called "business as usual" or "worst case scenario," assumes no meaningful climate policy. RCP4.5 assumes a fairly aggressive effort to combat climate change. Projected changes in ice duration in the Great Lakes in the mid-century and the late century relative to the present-day by climate scenario Projected changes in ice duration in the Great Lakes in the mid-century and the late century relative to the present-day by climate scenario Neither of these scenarios is expected to accomplish the aims of the Paris Agreement. Xues study projected that by the mid-21st century ice duration will decrease by 5 to 25 days per year depending on the scenario and location and by the late century up to 60 days in the coastal regions where higher ice covers are typical in the present-day climate. Fish and climate The Great Lakes are massive inland seas, said David Bunnell, a biologist at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We are able to monitor relatively small parts of them, relatively few aspects of the food web and relatively few times of the year. It takes a lot of time and effort to collect enough data to first detect the patterns, and even longer to understand what is driving those patterns, he said. Warming waters combine with other factors, both natural and man-made, to influence fish growth and survival, and every species is affected differently. For example, walleye, a cool water fish, has experienced a recovery in the warming waters of Lake Huron and Western Lake Erie. On the other hand, alewife, an important food source for the Pacific salmon, had a population collapse despite the assumption that warmer springs should aid in its growth. That collapse prompted the return of lake trout, a native cold water species. Because of the complexity of interactions in ecosystems large enough to be called inner seas, scientists find predictions hard to make. Yet as they chip away at one mystery after another, our understanding of these ecosystems improves. One such study, published in the journal of Freshwater Biology in 2021, looks at climate change and agricultural conservation practices in the Western Lake Erie basin to predict recruitment numbers for yellow perch, white perch and walleye. Just like the whitefish, yellow perch and walleye benefit from colder winters. Western Lake Eries ecosystem depends greatly on nutrients brought in by the Maumee River, which collects farm runoff from densely developed agricultural lands in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The study combined various scenarios for both climate change and agricultural conservation practices to predict that by the 2060s, in most cases, there will be fewer good winters for yellow perch and walleye recruitment while the misleadingly named white perch, a non-native fish belonging to the bass family, would see its numbers rise. Notably, stronger efforts to limit farm runoff may have a negative effect on yellow perch populations. Xues current model projects that the average annual air temperature on the Great Lakes may increase by 4 to 6 degrees by the end of the century, while the average annual surface water temperature will go up by 1.4 to 4.6 degrees, depending on the scenario and lakes. There will be more precipitation, with the southern and western parts of the Great Lakes basin experiencing the largest increases. Climate change projections inform the work of biologists and limnologists (scientists who study lakes), but understanding the mechanics of these changes may prove to be even more useful. Xue is currently working with Bunnell, the biologist from Ann Arbor, on a new study about how the currents in Lake Michigan affect alewife, which hatch really small and spend their early lives drifting in the waters. Every species has an optimal spot, Bunnell explained, where the temperature is just right and where its metabolic reactions are perfect for growth. But even if the thermal conditions are optimal, does the species' new habitat provide it with enough food and oxygen? Climate change is transforming the physical and biological makeup of the lakes, altering the lower food web, and we need to understand how those changes percolate throughout the ecosystem. Momentum to understand the climate drivers of environmental change has been building, Bunnell said. More studies are getting funded and agencies are installing more buoys, collecting temperature data in more spots at more depths and for longer periods of time. New technologies help track fish movement through the lakes, with some even recognizing when a fish is eaten by a predator. And there is an increased effort to understand what happens to the lakes in the winter, a season when historically few studies were done. We need continued monitoring to identify trends, said Mike McKay, executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at University of Windsor just across the Canada border from Detroit. This February dozens of scientists from both sides of the border, including McKay, went out by foot and on snowmobiles, rode ATVs and hitched rides aboard icebreakers for what they called the Winter Grab. One group even used a fan-powered air boat to go out onto western Lake Erie. They took measurements and collected water samples, working to fill the gap in data collection that satellite readings and autonomous buoy operations cannot provide. Winter is still the black box in our understanding of ecosystem function in the Great Lakes, McKay said. Unfortunately, monitoring programs are often the first on the chopping block during economic downturns, since they dont bring immediate returns. Do we have enough time? While most agencies have acknowledged the threat of climate change, scientists said a lot of funded research so far has focused on other, more immediate stressors like the invasive species. People can easily cut themselves on a zebra mussel when they walk on the shore, said Randy Claramunt, Lake Huron Basin coordinator at Michigan DNR Fisheries Division. But recent events are starting to make climate change impossible to ignore. We have been thinking of these challenges being 20 years down the line, 30 years down the line, but we are getting these today," said Ashish Sharma, atmospheric scientist at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The 2012 Midwestern heat wave led to 123 deaths and more than $30 billion in economic damage. The 2011 Lake Erie harmful algal bloom was the largest in recorded history. In August 2014 heavy rains caused nearly $1 billion in damage across metro Detroit, and the 2021 summer was the seventh wettest and ninth warmest on record in Detroit. Sanilac Township Road Commission workers discuss next steps to stabilize a section on land off of M-25 in Lexington Township on Thursday, January 23, 2020 that is damaged due to erosion from Lake Huron. Stronger storms and lack of ice cover can lead to coastal erosion. There will likely be more lake effect snow. Increased precipitation can cause more agricultural runoff, if not properly managed, producing bigger and stronger algal blooms. Warmer waters can help invasive mussels spread faster and grow bigger; they can also make the waters more hospitable to new, yet unknown, invasive species. Climate change will also bring more variability. Water levels in the lakes went from a record low in 2012 to a record high in 2019, a change that was both bigger and quicker than any on record, according to Claramunt. When the water level dropped, he said nearly 3000 spawning reefs turned to dry land. And when it rose again, the opposite happened. Preparing for change 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act the first comprehensive federal legislation protecting water quality. Since then, thanks to more stringent regulations and large-scale investments, there have been a number of environmental improvements in the region and across the United States. Despite the improvements there is still a spate of problems. Toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie are back, with farm runoff problems worsening. Recent disastrous dam failures highlight the need to address the aging infrastructure. Salt-water-going ships are still coming into the lakes, exposing us to the danger of new, yet unknown, invasive species. And climate change still often gets ignored. In recent years biologists at the natural resource departments of the Native American tribes in northern Michigan have been leading the way in trying to use aquaculture to replenish the dwindling whitefish populations. Jason Smith, who works for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, has been incubating fish under controlled conditions and then letting them grow in ponds before releasing them into the lake, while his friends at the Little Traverse Bay Odawa Indians DNR have been doing more conventional aquaculture, releasing juveniles in late spring. These experiments are only a few years old, and time will tell whether such practices will boost whitefish numbers. Managers need to understand, Claramunt said, all the factors affecting fish recruitment and how they could be handled. Stocking may serve as a stopgap measure but we still need to address the underlying issues. In this Sept. 20, 2017 photo, a catfish appears on the shoreline in the algae-filled waters at the end of 113th Street in the Point Place section of North Toledo, Ohio. In recent years, the blooms have continued affecting fish habitats and those along the Lake Erie coastline. To help fish succeed as the changing climate alters their ecosystems, we should reduce the stresses that we already know we are putting on them, Smith said. He refuses to believe the dreissenid mussel problem cannot be solved, but also wonders what new, yet unknown invaders we may introduce. Smith supports the proposals to ban ocean ships in the Great Lakes. Living up here in Indian Country, he said, I dont know anyone who has benefited from these handful of boats, other than maybe having some cheaper TVs at Walmart. The Great Lakes have proven to be resilient, rebounding from many crises throughout recent history, transforming throughout the process, and we have yet to see what climate change will do to them in this century. We often see paradigm shifts and new normals, McKay said. They seem to be able to sort themselves out. But is there a point where the stressors on the lakes will be too much and they cant? I dont know. In recent years many environmental scientists have taken on more prominent roles as advocates, with professional organizations like the American Fisheries Society embracing a more proactive stand in their policies. Smith agrees. If Rachel Carson had not advocated when she wrote Silent Spring, we wouldnt see any robins in the springtime, he said. Everyone who cares about the Great Lakes needs to advocate for the Great Lakes. Maybe that really is the best answer I have. Alec Gitelman and Allen Cheng are Columbia University graduate students in journalism and statistics. They reported this article with support from Anjanette Delgado, an executive editor at the Detroit Free Press, and Kristi Tanner, a computational journalist at the Free Press. Become a subscriber. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Great Lakes fish and fisheries suffer stress of warming climate A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter in the Rostov region of Russia in January. REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov Estonia, a NATO member, said a Russian Mi-8 helicopter crossed into its airspace on Saturday. The intrusion came days before a major NATO summit in Madrid, Spain. Putin has long seen NATO as a threat, citing it as justification to invade Ukraine this year. Estonia, a NATO country, said a Russian military helicopter briefly crossed into its territory last Saturday, suggesting Russia was further threatening the military bloc and lashing out at its closest neighbors. Estonia's defense ministry said on Tuesday that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter entered the region of Koidula without permission for two minutes on Saturday, adding that it was one of several recent aerial intrusions by Russia. Kusti Salm, the ministry's top civil servant, said Russia was simulating missile attacks against Estonia with the threat to the country at an all-time high, Sky News reported. The helicopter intrusion into Estonia came days ahead of a major NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, set to be held on June 29. NATO members are expected to discuss how the bloc can strengthen in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long remonstrated that NATO's expansion poses a threat to Russia, and he used it as a justification to invade Ukraine earlier this year. In May, Russia's neighbor Finland which that month applied to join NATO in light of Russia's invasion said that a Russian Mi-17 helicopter entered its airspace but that it was not a serious provocation. Russia is also threatening Lithuania, another of its neighbors. Earlier this week, Lithuania, a member of NATO and the European Union, refused to let Russian steel and iron-ore materials pass through its territory to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, telling Moscow it would be violating EU sanctions if it did. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, the EU barred member states from letting an array of Russian exports including coal, metals, construction materials, and tech goods into the bloc. Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, said the decision to block goods "will have a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania." Read the original article on Business Insider The Minnesota Vikings could be looking to beef up their defensive front even more with a report surfacing of the team reaching out to three-time first-team All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. At first, the Las Vegas Raiders seemed to be the runaway favorites to land the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, but the Vikings are seemingly a surprise team that have suddenly emerged as a potential suitor, per Tyler Dragon of USA TODAY. Not only have the Vikings reached out to Suh, but according to Dragon, the team has had multiple conversations with him. So it would seem like theres serious interest there to potentially get a deal done. Granted, its a two-way street, and theres no certainty how close Minnesota is in comparison to Las Vegas on a contract coming together. There is mutual interest between the Raiders and Ndamukong Suh, per a source. Another team to keep an eye on is the Vikings. The Raiders and Vikings have both had multiple conversations with the free-agent DT. Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) June 21, 2022 Even at 35 years old. Suh has still proven himself to be a productive player. He accumulated 27 tackles, six sacks and one fumble recovery last season with the Bucs. The Vikings showing interest in him is proof that first-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is acting with a real sense of urgency in what is being dubbed as a win-now season. Suh working in with Dalvin Tomlinson and Harrison Phillips is a terrifying possibility for opposing offenses that will already have to deal with Danielle Hunter and ZaDarius Smith on the edges. It would also be a step in the right direction for a team desperately looking to regain defensive relevance. List New Hanover County Sheriff's Office deputies on Tuesday, June 21, responded to a demonstration during a Pride event at a local library. New Hanover County Sheriff's Office deputies on Tuesday responded to a demonstration during a LGBTQ community Pride event for children at a local library. According to a Wednesday news release from the sheriff's office, the Pine Valley branch of the New Hanover County library held a Pride story time event Tuesday in a private room of the library. During the event, a small group of "demonstrators" assembled in the parking lot and eventually entered the library. According to photos posted on social media, the demonstrators appear dressed similarly to members of the far-right group, the Cape Fear Proud Boys, who attended several New Hanover County school board meetings in recent months. The Proud Boys wear trademark black-and-yellow clothing and cover their faces with black masks. Earlier this month in Washington, the U.S. Justice Department charged five of the group's members with seditious conspiracy in the Jan 6. attack in the U.S. Capitol. A flyer advertising Tuesday's event at the Pine Valley library described it as an "inclusive story time featuring LGBTQIA+ stories to celebrate all families." The in-person event was geared toward children under 7 years old accompanied by adults. Emily Jones said she took her 17-month-old daughter to the event. "I felt like with the groups of people that are infiltrating these events, various Pride events, I felt like this story time was really one of the safest places I could take my daughter for a Pride event," Jones said. "I just felt like it's the library, it's probably pretty low-risk." When she arrived, a few demonstrators were already outside dressed in plain clothes. Some held signs, Jones said, with messages written across them claiming "LGBT is grooming our kids" and "the library is responsible for child abuse." Jones said she was immediately nervous. Six kids and four parents attended the event, Jones said, and an estimated 15 demonstrators showed up. The event proceeded for about 20 minutes, before the group entered the library, she said. Story continues A sheriff's office supervisor told the demonstrators they were not allowed to enter the room where the event was being held and positioned himself between the room and the demonstrators, a news release said. In a statement, Linda Thompson, chief diversity and equity officer for New Hanover County, said the protesting group did not enter the library until after the event had ended, but participants were still inside the room. "Anyone from the public is permitted inside the building as long as they are not actively protesting or disturbing other patrons, based on the library's code of conduct," she said. Jones said while no demonstrators were able to gain access to the locked room, they looked inside through a glass window and "marched" in the hall outside the room while the event was still taking place. Last week, the Anti-Defamation League reported that Proud Boys and other extremists, white supremacist groups have been targeting LGBTQ events across the country during the June Pride month, making claims that "members of the LGBTQ+ community are pedophiles who are 'grooming' children. "Grooming refers to actions taken by abusers to sexualize, manipulate and coerce minors, according to the ADL. Incidents have been reported in Texas, Idaho, Florida, California, New Jersey, with an event in Georgia canceled, according to the ADL, because of a credible death threat. More: Why do the US Capitol storming Proud Boys attend New Hanover school board meetings? Cape Fear Proud Boys boldly and valiantly descended on STORYTIME at the local public library in #WilmingtonNC to intimidate the crowd... which was all CHILDREN under the age of SEVEN. Why? Because the theme of storyline was "Pride" and "celebrating all families." Who's POYB now? pic.twitter.com/QALnL6MguV gwen frisbie-fulton (@gwen_fulton) June 22, 2022 According to the sheriff's office release, on Tuesday at the library deputies never saw the group cause any disturbance inside the building or try to enter the private room. Thompson's statement reiterated that the group was not allowed in the private room and there was no disturbance inside the building. Jones said she felt nervous and intimidated when the group was allowed inside the library. The reading concluded and participants left without incident, law enforcement said. Jones said participants were asked to stay locked in the room after the event concluded for "safety reasons." She said law enforcement eventually allowed her to leave out a side door of the building. I took an oath not to uphold opinions, but to uphold the law. Which is exactly what my supervisor and deputies did," New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon said in the release. Thompson said the parents and children participating in the program were "not in danger at any time." "I certainly felt like I was in danger when they entered the building," Jones said. Staff at the Pine Valley branch declined to comment on the event or demonstration. Thompson said the library's staff had coordinated safety protocols ahead of Tuesday's event in collaboration with the sheriff's office "to help ensure the safety of patrons and their ability to participate in activities without disruption, while also respecting the publics right to protest outside." Jones said she wished she and the other parents would have been notified that safety was a concern prior to the event. Thompson said deputies and library staff helped parents and children exit safely. "The county celebrates all people, cultures, genders and gender identities and will continue to do that through our events, programs, and actions," she said. According to the U.S. Justice Department, "in the 17 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement." Jamey Cross is the public safety reporter at the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover police respond to demonstration during Pride event North Dakota's Ethics Commission has adopted rules for how certain state officials should handle potential bias arising from campaign contributions. The five-member, voter-approved ethics panel unanimously approved the rules Wednesday after months of drafting and public input, including revisions right up to the vote. The rules for boards to avoid appearance of bias in "quasi-judicial" proceedings were initially joined with a general conflict of interest rule draft, but the Ethics Commission in March split the rules to avoid confusion. The general conflict of interest rule has yet to be finalized. It will affect state agencies, boards and commissions without a current conflict of interest statute or rule. New rules The seven-page rules adopted Wednesday take effect immediately and apply to the Public Service Commission and governor-led Industrial Commission, which make decisions usually involving companies in the energy and utility industries. Both boards have their own ethics policies. The rules outline how the officials "shall voluntarily recuse" themselves from involvement in proceedings "where the potential conflict of interest or campaign or monetary in-kind support creates an appearance of bias to a reasonable person." Officials may consult a "neutral reviewer" to determine whether an appearance of bias exists in a situation. The reviewer would be different based on who the official is. For example, a member of the governor's Cabinet might consult with the governor's ethics officer. "It doesn't have to create an actual conflict (of interest). It's just the facts are such that a reasonable person would say, 'We're not confident that you can get a fair hearing under the circumstances,'" Commission Executive Director Dave Thiele said. The rules also outline factors for determining whether campaign contributions create an appearance of bias, such as the sum and timing of the contribution. The Ethics Commission mandates the disclosures of potential bias be made using a form on its website. The rules exclude campaign contributions of $200 or less, limiting disclosures to donations already required by law for candidates to report, available on the secretary of state's website. The rules' definitions exclude "lawful campaign contributions" of any amount from "significant financial interest." Thiele said "a lawful campaign contribution is not a conflict of interest, but it can create an appearance of a problem" to be addressed by the rules adopted Wednesday. Other matters The Ethics Commission is interviewing candidates for who will be the board's next executive director. Thiele is retiring, effective Aug. 1. He began in January 2020. The board on Wednesday also requested an attorney general opinion related to its authority to investigate violations of state law for which the board has not adopted a rule. Gov. Doug Burgum and Senate leaders this spring reappointed Commissioner David Anderson, of Bismarck, to the board. He is serving a three-year term set to expire in September; his reappointment is for four years. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Illinois pilot James Meyer ran out of fuel about 40 miles short of his destination, the Ankeny Regional Airport, and had to perform an emergency landing Tuesday, June 21, 2022, in a Jasper County soybean field. The pilot was allowed to refuel the plane and fly his aircraft out of the field, according to a news release from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office. An Illinois pilot made an emergency landing Tuesday in a Jasper County soybean field after running out of fuel on the way to Ankeny. James Meyer and a passenger were flying from Illinois to Ankeny Regional Airport when his aircraft ran out of fuel and he made the landing in a field north of Sully on S 48th Avenue E around 11 a.m, according to a news release from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office. Deputies made contact with Meyer over the phone and responded to the emergency landing. Meyer was able to land his plane in the field without injuries, deputies said. Meyer refueled the plane after landing and took off again just before 1 p.m., the release said. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the emergency landing. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Airplane runs out of fuel, lands in Jasper County field; no injuries Pennsylvania State Police are looking for help identifying a suspect in the theft and vandalism of a Jonestown laundromat. The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the South Lancaster Street ABC Laundromat in Jonestown. The suspect broke into arcade machines, causing $150 in damage and getting away with $100 in change. Police say that the suspect fled the scene in a yellow GMC Sierra single-cab truck with a model year between 2014 and 2018. State police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Trooper Price at (717) 856-2194 or anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477). This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Police searching for suspect in arcade machine theft, vandalism. A Springfield law firm filed five more lawsuits Thursday against Agape Boarding School in Stockton. This brings the total number of lawsuits against the boys boarding and reform school up to 19. Nine suits were filed in April 2022 by Ryan Frazier of Monsees and Mayer P.C., who also filed the most recent ones. The most recent suits include students who attended the school as recently as April 2022 alleging that they experienced physical and emotional abuse while at Agape Boarding School. The suits also allege that Agape violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act by misrepresenting or concealing information from parents, such as the quality of education provided, activities at the school, discipline practices, and food and medical treatment available to students. Each lawsuit requests unspecified damages and a jury trial. Frazier did not return a request for comment on Tuesday. Agape Boarding School in Stockton is "a Christian boarding school that turns around rebellious boys," according to its website, and is still open and enrolling students. It is a ministry of Agape Baptist Church, and is a non-profit. As of publication Tuesday, Agape Boarding School had not returned a request for comment. In 2021, Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither charged five former Agape employees with 13 low-level "Class E" felonies, which are punishable by no more than four years in prison, according to previous News-Leader reporting. More: Cedar County prosecutor charges just five individuals in Agape Boarding School abuse case Those charges led Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt to ask Gov. Mike Parson permission to leave the case, even though Cedar County had requested his help. The Attorney General's office stated that it wanted 65 criminal counts, including high-level charges of child abuse, against 22 individuals linked to Agape, according to a letter his office sent to Gov. Mike Parson on Sept. 23. In the letter, Schmitt said that in his view, Gaither "has indicated that he does not intend to seek justice for all of the 36 children who were allegedly victimized by 22 members of the Agape Boarding School staff." Story continues More: Greene County judge finds probable cause in Agape Boarding School Dr. Smock case; accuser takes stand In March 2022, longtime physician for Agape Boarding School, Dr. David Smock, pleaded not guilty to 12 felony child sex crime charges in Cedar County. Smock also faces three similar charges in a separate case in Greene County. Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: More lawsuits allege abuse at Agape Boarding School in Stockton Election 2022 Missouri Senate (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) John Wood, the House January 6 committee lawyer who led questioning of retired judge Michael Luttig during the panels hearing on former president Donald Trumps pressure campaign against his own Vice President, is reportedly leaving his post at the end of the week. According to CNN, Mr Wood confirmed his departure but did not elaborate on the reason for it. Mr Wood is both the panels senior investigative counsel and counsel to Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney, the select committees vice chair. His unexpected departure comes as the panel prepares to hold its fifth hearing on Thursday to examine how Mr Trump tried to enlist the Department of Justice in his push to remain in office despite losing the 2020 election. Mr Wood, who previously worked for former Missouri Senator John Danforth, is reportedly being encouraged to throw his hat into the ring for Missouris open Senate seat in the Republican primary. The current frontrunner, disgraced ex-governor Eric Greitens, drew outrage earlier this week after releasing a campaign ad depicting him with a shotgun while hunting RINOs, a term used to describe candidates considered Republicans In Name Only because they are insufficiently loyal to Mr Trump. Photo credit: Justin Sullivan - Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below." There isnt much a president can do to quickly lower the price of gas, but President Biden could call for a gas tax holiday, which could reduce the price at the pump by around 18 cents a gallon. If the gas tax were paused for an entire year, the average driver would likely save a whopping $90, or around 18 bonus gallons of gas during the year. Biden announced a trip to Saudi Arabia next month, and the global supply of oil is certainly going to be on the agenda. Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of gas has reached $4.97, thanks to a 41 percent increase since Russia invaded Ukraine almost four months ago. A small portion of that totalaround 3.7 percentcomes from the federal gas tax, which has long been set at 18.4 cents per gallon. President Biden said that he is considering pausing the collection of that tax, and could announce his decision soon. He will need to have Congressional support and can't unilaterally call for it on his own, as The Hill points out today. "Yes, I'm considering it," Biden told a group of reporters Monday. "I hope to have a decision based on the data. I'm looking for by the end of the week." There isnt much a president can do to quickly affect gas prices. Biden has already released some of the strategic petroleum supply to the market, and administration members are scheduled to meet with CEOs of major oil companies to discuss the rise in gas prices later this week. Biden has announced plans to travel to Saudi Arabia next month, and the global energy supply will certainly be a topic of conversation. But Biden can't force Saudi Arabia to produce more oil, and with Russian supplies out of reach due to sanctions for the invasion, a gas tax holiday would at least show some sort of action. Of course, such a move would require Congressional approval, putting another potential wrench in the situation. Story continues Would a Gas Tax Pause Really Help? But what would eliminating the federal gas tax do for everyday drivers? (State gas taxes vary dramatically and are another story altogether.) Depending on your gas usage, pausing the gas tax would will likely save you just under $100 a year. The average vehicle's fuel economy in the U.S. is 27.35 mpg, and the average driver puts 13,500 miles on their car every year, which would mean they burn around 494 gallons a year. Paying 18.4 cents less for each gallon would lead to an annual savings of, drumroll please, around $91. And that's only if the oil producers and gas stations pass along the full amount of the reduction to customers. Biden should know that reducing the gas tax will provide only modest relief to drivers. In fact, before Biden became vice president, President Obama came out against eliminating the gas tax. During Obama's presidential campaign, when both Hillary Clinton and John McCain were in favor of such a move, he said lowering the tax is the easy way out. "We're arguing over a gimmick that would save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say they did something," Obama said at the time. Earlier this year, when the idea of a gas tax holiday was discussed in Congress, senator Mitch McConnell echoed Obama's words and called it a gimmick. The last time the federal gas tax was raised was in 1993, and we've been saying for years that the current 18-cent levy is not enough to pay for properly kept-up roads and bridges (the federal tax on diesel fuel is 24.4 cents). There was some brief discussion about raising the federal gas tax early in Bidens presidency, but were a long way from that reality today. You Might Also Like Saudi crown prince, Erdogan meet in Turkey with 'full normalisation' in sights Turkish President Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meet in Ankara By Orhan Coskun and Tuvan Gumrukcu ANKARA (Reuters) -Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Turkey for the first time in years on Wednesday for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan aimed at fully normalising ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The visit marks a step in efforts by the de facto Saudi leader to rehabilite his image beyond the Gulf, and comes as Erdogan seeks financial support that could help relieve Turkey's beleaguered economy ahead of tight elections for the president. In April, Erdogan held one-on-one talks with Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia after a months-long drive to mend relations between the regional powers, including dropping the Turkish trial over Khashoggi's 2018 murder in Istanbul. Erdogan said last week he and Prince Mohammed would discuss "to what much higher level" they can take ties during talks in Ankara. The visit is expected to bring "a full normalisation and a restoration of the pre-crisis period," a senior Turkish official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "A new era will begin." Erdogan welcomed Prince Mohammed at the presidential palace in Ankara with a ceremony and the two shook hands and embraced, before being met by members of the Turkish cabinet. In a statement following the talks, the two countries emphasized determination on ushering in a new period of cooperation in bilateral relations. The Turkish official said the two countries had lifted restrictions on trade, flights and the screening of TV series, with mutual negative media coverage also halted. However, he said negotiations on a possible currency swap line - which could help restore Turkey's diminished foreign reserves - were not moving "as fast as desired" and will be discussed privately between Erdogan and Prince Mohammed. The two countries also discussed improving cooperation in trade and sectors such as defence, energy and tourism among others, the joint statement said. It added that Ankara invited Saudi investment funds to invest in Turkish startups. Story continues CRITICISM HALTED Prince Mohammed is on his first tour outside the Gulf region in over three years including a visit to Jordan. Ties between Ankara and Riyadh took a turn for the worse after a Saudi hit squad killed and dismembered Khashoggi in 2018 at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Erdogan at the time blamed it on the "highest levels" of the Saudi government. The visit, including the welcoming ceremony at the palace, marks a turnaround in their relations. Ankara stopped all criticism and halted its murder trial in April, transferring the case to Riyadh in a move condemned by human rights groups. Prince Mohammed has been leveraging Saudi Arabia's vast wealth and oil production capacity to lure in Western leaders and private business partners, hoping shifting geopolitics and a focus on social and economic reforms would soften criticism of his human rights record. U.S. President Joe Biden is set to visit Saudi Arabia in July as Washington struggles with record high gasoline prices and building a united front against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The visit also comes as Turkey's economy is badly strained by a slumping lira and inflation soaring beyond 70%. Saudi funds and foreign currency could help Erdogan shore up support ahead of elections by June 2023, analysts say. The Turkish official said Saudi Arabia may be interested in companies within the Turkish Wealth Fund or elsewhere, or in making investments similar to those by the United Arab Emirates in recent months. The leaders will also discuss the possible sale of Turkish armed drones to Riyadh, the person added. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said on Tuesday that Erdogan "will embrace the man who ordered the killing" of Khashoggi and accused him of trading "the country's honour" for financial aid. Prince Mohammed denies any involvement in the murder. (Additional reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh and Daren Butler in Istanbul; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Angus MacSwan and Deepa Babington) A couple walks the trail at Leonard Springs Nature Park Friday, July 24, 2020. Bloomington resident Cathy Meyer recently returned from spending seven days with a friend hiking over 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park. Ive had the good, the bad and the ugly, she said. A lot of good times, hiking with friends. On one hike in Georgia, Meyer and a friend encountered a bear which, unfazed by their attempts to distract it, stole their food. Since then shes learned to use a plastic barrel vault that bears cant open. During the pandemic, many people have been itching to get out of their houses and spend time in the wilderness. Hiking trails have seen an increase in visitors that continues now. Rent that equipment: Bloomington startup Quiptu makes outdoor adventures accessible by renting equipment According to park and preservation authorities, hikers should watch for limited parking at the trails and try others if a specific trail is full. All visitors should be respectful of the environment, by coming prepared, removing any trash they bring in and not taking wildlife. Lake Monroe to add trails Interpretive naturalist for Lake Monroe Jill Vance said there are three trails at the state reservoir and three additional trails will be opening later this year, including a long-distance hiking opportunity. Vance said her favorite is the 1.75-mile Turkey Trot Trail at Allen's Creek State Recreation Area. The pandemic did not lead to a significant increase of hikers on the Lake Monroe trails, Vance said, but there was an increase in campers. Two hikers tackle Whitetail trail in Paynetown State Recreation Area on July 16, 2018. Fairfax and Paynetown state recreation areas have entrance fees. Hikers and other people on the properties are asked not to litter, to keep pets on a leash, not collect wildlife other than mushrooms, berries and nuts, limit themselves to foot traffic and not damage anything. Just be respectful and try to keep things nicer than you found it, Vance said. Sycamore Land Trust's hike on a boardwalk Communications and Membership Director Kate Hammel said Sycamore Land Trust protects land and restores habitat in southern Indiana. Story continues There are 13 public preserves with more than 30 miles of hiking trails. The nonprofit land trust is membership-based, but anyone can hike for free on the properties open to the public. Making these natural areas accessible is one of the ways that we remind people that we're all a part of protecting this land and that financial support is needed for our community to keep these preserves open to the public, she said. A hiker walks the trail to the boardwalk July 25, 2020, at the Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve. Hikers might encounter many diverse animals such as reptiles, amphibians, birds, owls, bobcats and more. The Sycamore Land Trust uses wildlife cameras to observe the species of animals on the preserves. Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve is Hammels favorite hike on the preserves, she said, because it has a variety of wildlife and plants. The hike is 2.5 miles, more than a 1.5 miles of which is on an elevated boardwalk. We're certainly attracting people from all over the nation who are visiting this area and want to observe the natural beauty that we're protecting here, she said. More: Here's where to park for the Karst Farm Greenway in Ellettsville Leonard Springs Nature Park has caves, waterfalls Steve Cotter, natural resources manager at Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said the main trail at Leonard Springs Nature Park is 1.1 miles long. Hikers can expect to see a cave, water flowing along the trail, exposed fossils and diverse vegetation as a result of erosion over the years. Signs along the trail give hikers information about the history of the park. The creek rushes down a small waterfall at the Leonard Springs Nature Park as seen in this photo from July 2015. Anyone can hike at Leonard Springs Nature Park for free, but dogs must be on a leash. Its a really cool property, both because of the karst features on it, which includes springs and caves, he said. Its one of the first areas that was settled in this part of the state. Hoosier National Forest has many trails, some close to Bloomington Marion Mason, public affairs specialist at Hoosier National Forest, said Pate Hollow Trail is the closest to Bloomington and about 8 miles long. The trail is a series of two loops, one longer and one shorter. Its a hiking-only trail, she said. So if you dont want to encounter other users, if its horses or bikes, that might be a good option. Signs in the Hoosier National Forest tell visitors how they can do their part while hiking on the trails. Hickory Ridge Trail is about 48 miles, she said, but hikers can choose small segments to hike. Its a multi-use trail, Mason said, meaning hikers may encounter horseback riding and mountain biking. Loved to death: Overuse, damage leads Hoosier National Forest to propose camping closures Its almost like going on a different hike every time, she said. Fork Ridge Trail is Masons favorite, about 3.5 miles and less used. Hikers can expect to see beautiful terrain on the quiet, natural hike. The majority of the trails at Hoosier National Forest are free, but some of the larger recreation areas with trails inside have a fee. Mason said hikers are asked to minimize their impact on the environment by coming prepared, leaving any artifacts they may find, as the land was previously owned by Native Americans, and removing any trash. McCormicks Creek State Park has 10 trails Kody Kirby, interpretive naturalist at McCormicks Creek State Park, said there are 10 numbered trails at the park with a few unnumbered connecting trails. Trail 3 is popular as it brings visitors down to the waterfalls, he said, and the full trail is about 1 mile. Trail 8, which is wheelchair accessible, and 5 show off the Wolf Cave Nature Preserve. The falls at McCormicks Creek State Park in Owen County can be seen from one of the trails in the state park near Spencer. We have a really diverse landscape and ecosystem here, he said. I would encourage folks to look beyond those really frequented trails. Kirby said hes surprised more hikers dont explore trail 2, which goes past the Old State House Quarry. Its really nice that we have that historic site, he said. A lot of stones in there went on to be used in the State Capitol building. Trail 4, a shorter trail that has its own fire tower, and trail 7 that goes toward the White River, both feel underutilized, Kirby said. It costs $7 per vehicle for in-state visitors and $9 for out-of-state visitors to enter the park, Kirby said, but once the fee is paid all trails are available. Dogs are welcome on a leash, Kirby said. McCormicks Creek State Park also has a pool with a small fee, a restaurant and a company that provides horseback riding. The Nature Conservancy options include 3 near Bloomington Peter Bauson, The Nature Conservancys southern Indiana land manager, said there are three trails within an hour of Bloomington. Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve, located in Monroe County, has a 1.2-mile trail. The first half is smooth, and after passing a rocky streambank, hikers will go to the top of the bluffs and encounter cedars that grow and hang over the edge. The hiking trail has been renowned for its beautiful wildflowers, Bauson said, and people come from all over to see the display. Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve is state dedicated, so it has an extra layer of protection, Bauson said. Anyone can come to Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve for free, with the understanding that they have as low of an impact on the environment as possible. Meyer, a former naturalist with the Monroe County Parks and Recreation Department, advises all hikers, experienced or new, to protect themselves from ticks with long pants and sprays like permethrin. Theres all kinds of public properties around here with lots of trails, and most of the year, its good to get out, she said. Reach Luzane Draughon at ldraughon@gannett.com or @luzdraughon on Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Best places to do outdoor hiking trials around Bloomington, Indiana Photo credit: Chris Rank - Getty Images Ollen Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and one of the most forward-thinking track operators died Wednesday at age 95. The native of Oakboro, North Carolina had been in failing health for some time and had rarely been seen in public since his 2016 Hall of Fame induction. Smith was best-known for building the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway north of the growing city in the late 1950s. Ollen Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and one of the most forward-thinking track operators and promoters in all of motorsports, died Wednesday at age 95 in Charlotte. The native of Oakboro, North Carolina had been in failing health for some time and had rarely been seen in public since his 2016 induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Creative, innovative, and a fearless entrepreneur, he was the first to take a motorsports-related company his Speedway Motorsports Inc. franchise to the New York Stock Exchange in 1995. SMI eventually would build its business portfolio to include 11 speedways that currently host almost two dozen NASCAR and NHRA races. Among SMIs holdings are tracks at Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Dover, Kentucky, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Hampshire, North Wilkesboro, Sonoma, and Fort Worth. Photo credit: Streeter Lecka - Getty Images During a 2016 NASCAR media event, team owner Roger Penske said of Smith: Bruton is a special guy and someone who has brought so much to NASCAR. When you think about the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol, and tracks like New Hampshire and Sonoma and Atlanta, hes been the best. Theres no question. He set the bar. Smith was best-known for building the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway north of the growing city in the late 1950s. He and co-founder Curtis Turner struggled financially throughout the project, but eventually opened for its inaugural World 600 in June of 1959, only a few weeks delayed from their Memorial Day weekend goal. The track endured some difficult times in the 1960s, but never shut down, hosting several NASCAR Cup Series races a year. It went into bankruptcy and receivership even as Smith relocated to the Midwest to build an automotive empire bought up shares in the business. The track began to flourish in the mid-1970s, when Smith returned to the Charlotte area and acquired sole ownership of the facility. Story continues Photo credit: RacingOne - Getty Images Along with right-hand man Humpy Wheeler, he added lights to give network television options regarding its programming schedule. He built permanent condominiums overlooking Turns 1-2 and added a massive business center, VIP suites, and the high-end Speedway Club overlooking the start-finish line. He also installed a 16,000-square-foot HDTV on the backstretch, thus allowing fans better views of the action. He also signed off on the Roval, the course that includes much of the 1.5-mile trioval and the infield road course. Over time, there was almost nothing he, his son, Marcus, and Wheeler wouldnt do to entertain fans. He once described to Car & Driver magazine the relentless force that spurred him from a dirt-poor farm with eight siblings to world-wide acclaim as a motorsports pioneer. You have food, clothing and shelter, he said in 2003, but you never have any money. And I never did like that. I did not like it. You worked from sunup to sundown, but you did not see the rewards. I decided by the time I was eight or nine that I was not going to stay on the farm. He briefly tried driving, but despite some early success, reluctantly gave it up at his mothers urging. I started driving, and it wasnt as difficult as I thought it was, he said during his Hall of Fame induction speech. I thought, OK, now Ive got my career going. My dad didnt have a problem with it but my mom had a problem with it. She said, I wish you wouldnt do that. My mother was a very religious person, and my mom started praying I would quit. I knew then it was time to quit because I was not going to compete with that. Photo credit: RacingOne - Getty Images He began promoting short-track, dirt-track races as a teenager, but had to give it up when the Army drafted him for two years in 1951. Before leaving, he created something he called National Stock Car Racing Association in hopes of doing what Florida-based Bill France was doing so successfully. But his fledgling organization was so grossly mismanaged during his absence that it never challenged Frances new NASCAR series. They were never best of friends, but came to appreciate each others dedication to stock car racing. Jim France, CEO and president of NASCAR summed up Smith's legacy in a statement on Wednesday: "Race fans are, and always will be, the lifeblood of NASCAR. Few knew this truth better than Bruton Smith. Bruton built his race tracks employing a simple philosophy: give race fans memories they will cherish for a lifetime. In doing so, Bruton helped grow NASCARs popularity as the preeminent spectator sport. His vision and legacy inspired many, and his fan-first mentality remains today through his son Marcus. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bruton Smith, a giant of our sport." PIERRE, S.D. (AP) The South Dakota Senate on Tuesday convicted Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of two impeachment charges stemming from a 2020 fatal crash, removing and barring him from future office in a stinging rebuke that showed most senators didnt believe his account of the crash. Ravnsborg, a first-term Republican who only recently announced he wouldn't seek reelection, showed little emotion as senators convicted him first of committing a crime that caused someone's death. They then delivered another guilty verdict on a malfeasance charge that alleged he misled investigators and misused his office. Ravnsborg told a 911 dispatcher the night of the crash that he might have struck a deer or other large animal and has said he didnt know he struck a man 55-year-old Joseph Boever until he returned to the scene the next morning. Criminal investigators said they didnt believe some of Ravnsborgs statements, and several senators made clear they didn't either. There's no question that was a lie, said Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, the chamber's top-ranking Republican. This person ran down an innocent South Dakotan. Schoenbeck also criticized Ravnsborg for declining to testify in his own defense, saying Ravnsborg should have shared what the hell he was doing the night of the crash. There's a mic right there, and that's a damn short walk," Schoenbeck said. The convictions required a two-thirds majority in the Senate, controlled 32-3 by Republicans. Senators mustered the bare minimum 24 votes to convict Ravnsborg on the first charge, with some senators saying the two misdemeanors he pleaded guilty to weren't serious enough crimes to warrant impeachment. The malfeasance charge Ravnsborg also asked investigators what data could be found on his cellphone, among other things sailed through with 31 votes. Votes to bar Ravnsborg from future office, taken on both counts, were unanimous. Ravnsborgs face showed little emotion throughout the votes, holding his hand over his mouth as he had for much of the trial, then writing on a notepad in his lap. He did not answer questions from reporters as he exited the Capitol. Ravnsborg in September agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boevers widow. Nick Nemec, Boevers cousin who has been a constant advocate for a severe punishment for Ravnsborg, said the votes were vindication. Its just a relief. Its been nearly two years that this has drug on and it just feels like a weight off my shoulders, he said. Ravnsborg is the first official to be impeached and convicted in South Dakota history. Gov. Kristi Noem, who will pick Ravnsborg's replacement until the candidate elected to replace him in November is sworn in, called for her fellow Republican to resign soon after the crash and later pressed lawmakers to pursue impeachment. As the saga dragged on, Noem publicly endorsed Ravnsborgs predecessor, Republican Marty Jackley, for election as his replacement. The governor celebrated the impeachment conviction on Twitter, saying it had lifted the dark cloud over the Attorney General's office. It is now time to move on and begin to restore confidence in the office, she said, but gave no indication as to who she will pick for the interim position. Ravnsborg has argued that the governor, who has positioned herself for a possible 2024 White House bid, pushed for his removal in part because he had investigated ethics complaints against Noem. As the impeachment trial opened Tuesday, prosecutors drove at a question that has hung over developments since the September 2020 collision: Did Ravnsborg know he killed a man the night of the crash? He absolutely saw the man that he struck in the moments after, said Alexis Tracy, the Clay County states attorney who led the prosecution. Prosecutors also told senators that Ravnsborg had used his title to set the tone and gain influence in the aftermath of the crash, even as he allegedly made misstatements and outright lies to the crash investigators. The prosecution played a montage of audio clips of Ravnsborg referring to himself as the attorney general. Prosecuting attorneys probed Ravnsborg's alleged misstatements during the aftermath of the crash, including that he never drove excessively over the speed limit, that he had reached out to Boevers family to offer his condolence, and that he had not been browsing his phone during his drive home. The prosecution played a series of video clips during their closing arguments that showed Ravnsborg's shifting account of his phone use during interviews with criminal investigators. The attorney general at first outright denied he had been using his phone while driving, but then acknowledged he had been looking at his phone minutes before the crash. When it was time for senators to speak, several noted an accident reconstruction that found Ravnsborg's car had veered entirely out of its lane, in contrast to his initial statement that he was in the middle of the road at the time of impact. Ravnsborg resolved the criminal case last year by pleading no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, and was fined by a judge. The attorney generals defense asked senators to consider the implications of impeachment on the function of state government. Ross Garber, a legal analyst and law professor at Tulane University who specializes in impeachment proceedings, told senators to impeach would be undoing the will of the voters. Ravnsborg was driving home from a political fundraiser after dark on Sept. 12, 2020, on a state highway in central South Dakota when his car struck something, according to a transcript of his 911 call afterward. He told the dispatcher it might have been a deer or other animal. Investigators identified what they thought were slips in Ravnsborgs statements, such as when he said he turned around at the accident scene and saw him before quickly correcting himself and saying: I didnt see him. And they contended that Boevers face had come through Ravnsborgs windshield because his glasses were found in the car. Weve heard better lies from 5-year-olds, Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo, acting as an impeachment prosecutor, said of Ravnsborg's statement. Investigators had determined the attorney general walked right past Boevers body and the flashlight Boever had been carrying still illuminated the next morning as he looked around the scene the night of the crash. Ravnsborg said neither he nor the county sheriff who came to the scene knew that Boever's body was lying just feet from the pavement on the highway shoulder. There isnt any way you can go by without seeing that, Arnie Rummel, an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation who led the criminal probe, said in testimony Tuesday. Rummel was one of three North Dakota BCI agents who traveled to Pierre for the hearing, according to the North Dakota Attorney General's Office. Prosecutors also raised an exchange that Ravnsborg had with one of his staff members three days following the crash, after he had submitted his phones to crash investigators. Ravnsborg questioned an agent in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation about what would turn up during forensic exams of his cellphones, even though the agency was supposed to have no part in the investigation to avoid conflicts of interest. We were not supposed to be involved, the now-retired agent, Brent Gromer, said as he described why the exchange made him uncomfortable. Ravnsborg's defense attorney contended that the attorney general had done nothing nefarious. His defense attorney, Mike Butler, described any discrepancies in Ravnsborg's memory of that night as owing to human error, and disparaged testimony from Rummel, the crash investigator, as opinion that would not hold up in a court of law. During closing arguments, Butler stated that the criminal prosecution found no criminal culpability for Boever's death and urged senators to refrain from rehashing that case. No amount of fire and brimstone changes that given fact, he said. Sen. Arthur Rusch, a retired judge who said he had gotten to know Ravnsborg when he was a young attorney practicing in Ruschs court, was among senators who didnt support impeachment on the first charge, but did on the second. He said he was bothered by Ravnsborgs actions in questioning Division of Criminal Investigation agents on aspects of the case and for issuing a press release on attorney general stationery. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. && The Okanogan sheriff says two people died and one was seriously hurt after two neighbors shot at each other during an argument in eastern Washington What we do to sustain life and what were called to do for the good of the gospel and our neighbor are two different things. But the first can be put in the service of the second. [] It is sometimes claimedwronglythat until the Reformation, the only vocations known to Christian teaching were monastic and/or clerical. One might be called to a monastery or called to the priesthood, but ordinary work, family life, secular singlenessthese are the things of the world one may be called out from, not something God called one to. Then Martin Luther and the Reformation came along and changed all that. I say this account is wrong for two reasons. First, while there may have been a clericalism and an overemphasis on monasticism in the 16th century, one can find defenses of the good of marriage by St. Augustine, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who exhorted his catechumens in this way: Hast thou been put in trust with riches? Dispense them well. Hast thou been entrusted with the word of teaching? Be a good steward thereof. Canst thou attach the souls of the hearers? Do this diligently. There are many doors of good stewardship. One must remember that many ancient and medieval Christian texts come from expert rhetoricians. So when commending the good of monasticism or the daunting duties of ordination, they speak in the highest terms available and may at times seem to denigrate ordinary life. But then one only needs to read a little further to discover that such an interpretation is unfounded. Too many, it seems, have not had the will to read a little further. Second, the account I began with is wrong because it misrepresents the Lutheran and general Protestant understanding of vocation. Luther and others may seem to elevate the mundane and denigrate ordinationand in the case of monasticism, they surely, if understandably, went too farbut they do not simply say that all jobs are vocations. Rather, Luther wrote, It is the part of a Christian to take care of his own body for the very purpose that, by its soundness and well-being, he may be enabled to labour, and to acquire and preserve property, for the aid of those who are in want, that thus the stronger member may serve the weaker member, and we may be children of God, thoughtful and busy one for another, bearing one anothers burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ. Thus, ones vocation is not so much the job itself as the end that the job ought to serve. If one does ones job to that end, then ones vocation can be found in it. As the Lutheran theologian Gene Edward Veith has summarized it, The purpose of every vocation is to love and serve our neighbors. This distinction is important because there is an opposite error to the clericalism of the Middle Ages (to the extent such was really the case): the failure to acknowledge that our work in this world is under the curse of human sin and is everywhere tainted by toil. That toilsome quality of work can ascetically contribute to our sanctification, but telling someone stuck in a genuinely terrible job that it is their God-given vocation, as sometimes happens or is at least implied by the common rhetoric of vocation today, does not strike me as truly loving our neighbors. Rather, it may actually be a failure to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:12). For example, people who had to drop out of college or give up a dream of becoming an artist or a musician or an athlete to support their children might feel that, in terms of their job, they have missed their calling to properly steward the talents God endowed them with. Telling them, in response, that the job theyve settled for is their real vocation downplays the toilsome burden they bear. That doesnt mean that job cant serve their true vocation, but first they need to look beyond their job for what that vocation really is. Helping them do that is a better way to bear with them in love. The Orthodox saint Mother Maria Skobtsova wrote insightfully and beautifully on this problem of balancing encouragement in the grind of a hard job, on one hand, while refusing to romanticize it as necessarily a divinely imposed vocation, on the other, in her essay on The Mysticism of Human Communion. Those who would denigrate worldly work and service, she characterizes scathingly: Love of Godthis is the chief and only thing. All the rest is just obedience, just a job, which in any case should not diminish the chief thing. Pity, love, work, responsibility for the human soul, willingness to sacrificethese are all necessary elements of obedience, but one must know moderation in them. They should not be allowed to overwhelm and disperse the spirit. Compared to the chief thing, it is all not a deed but a job. Such is her caricature of the one who overemphasizes the individual aspect of the Christian life. However, she did not, for that, fall into the opposite extreme: Here we must add the reservation that there is, of course, work that can essentially be called a job. When hermits wove mats and fashioned clay pots, it was a job. When we peel potatoes, mend underwear, do the accounts, ride the subway, that is also a job. But when monks of old, by way of obedience, buried the dead, looked after lepers, preached to fallen women, denounced the unrighteous life, gave almsthat was not a job. And when we act in our modern life, visiting the sick, feeding the unemployed, teaching children, keeping company with all kinds of human grief and failure, dealing with drunkards, criminals, madmen, the dejected, the gone-to-seed, with all the spiritual leprosy of our life, it is not a job and not only a tribute to obedience that has its limits within our chief endeavorit is the very inner endeavor itself, an inseparable part of our main task. One might read this as still driving something of a divide between sacred and worldly occupations, but I think that would be a misreading. If we peel potatoes, mend underwear, do the accounts, ride the subway, and so on, as means to the love-inspired ends of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, setting aside funds for almsgiving, or traveling from our homes to encounter the reflection of Gods image in the face of every human being, honoring and reverencing that image as we do holy icons in our churches and homes, then these tasks become not a job but the very means by which we fulfill our true vocation, loving God and our neighbors by taking up the cross daily for them. This, too, St. Maria knew well, speaking of how the churching of life should transform our vision of our neighbors through the sense of the whole world as one church, adorned with icons that should be venerated, that should be honored and loved, because these icons are true images of God that have the holiness of the Living God upon them. Moreover, Everything in the world can be Christian, but only if it is pervaded by the authentic awe of communion with God, which is also possible on the path of authentic communion with man. Thus, your job is not your vocation. But your job can serve your vocation, which in its highest sense is the same for all people, as Jesus prayed, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:26), no matter what job you may happen to have. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Viktor Orban by phone on Tuesday, and their discussion focused on Ukraines bid to join the European Union and Hungarys welcoming of war refugees, Orbans press chief told MTI. The Hungarian prime minister underscored Hungarys support for Ukraines EU candidate status and the removal of bureaucratic obstacles to Ukraines EU accession, Bertalan Havasi, deputy state secretary for media communications at the Prime Ministers Office, said. Orban pledged to represent Hungarys stance at this weeks EU summit in Brussels. Orban noted that the country has now welcomed almost 800,000 Ukrainian refugees, and it is prepared to cooperate in further energy projects as well as the rail transport of Ukrainian grain. Hungary will also host an even higher number of Ukrainian students, he told his counterpart. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, Zelensky thanked the Hungarian people for their help, Havasi said. STROMSBURG -- Historians and descendants of Civil War veteran William H. Fetters invite the public to a special Saturday, June 25, ceremony in his honor at the Stromsburg Cemetery. Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will dedicate a marker recognizing Fetters as the last Union soldier buried in Polk County. At the time of his death in 1947, he was 102 and one of only two Civil War veterans still living in Nebraska. Saturdays ceremony will begin at 4 p.m., at the cemetery, which is on Ninth Street (County Road 126) on the eastern edge of Stromsburg. Local historian Charles Noyd will present information about Private Fetters life. Members of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the American Legion honor guard and the First Nebraska Volunteers Brass Band also will participate. A meal will be served at 5:30 p.m., at the American Legion Club in Stromsburg, and the brass band will present a free concert at 6 p.m. in the town square. These musicians in Civil War style uniforms specialize in patriotic tunes and music from the 19th century. Local veterans and descendants, such as Dr. Richard Larson of Florida, will join the SUVCW in honoring Private Fetters. Fetters was born in rural Indiana in 1844. At age 17, he enlisted in the 30th Indiana Infantry and served from 1862 until his discharge in 1865. He was wounded during the battle of Stones River near Murfreesboro, Tennessee in December 1862 and was captured and sent to a Confederate prison camp in Richmond. Private Fetters was later exchanged and rejoined his regiment, which saw action in several other engagements during the Civil War. He married Sarah Sawyer in Indiana in 1866, and the couple moved to a homestead five miles west of Stromsburg in 1872. After establishing a prosperous farm in Polk County, the Fetters moved to Stromsburg in 1903, where he retired. Williams wife and their three children died before him, but he was survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In his later years, William lived with granddaughter, Ruth Larson and her family. In 1938, he traveled with them to the veterans reunion in Gettysburg on the 75th anniversary of that famous battle. His 5-year-old great grandson, Richard Larson of Stromsburg, visited Fetters among his Yankee comrades. In 1940, this aging former solder received the Purple Heart for his long-ago service. Hindustan Motors Ltd, a CK Birla Group company, announced that it has agreed to sell its 'Contessa' brand to SG Corporate Mobility Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed fee. On June 16, 2022, Hindustan Motors signed a brand transfer agreement with SG Corporate Mobility Pvt Ltd for the transfer of the Contessa brand, including the trademarks with application numbers and some related rights, according to a regulatory filing. The transfer of the brand shall be effective upon fulfilment of the terms and conditions as prescribed in the agreement, it added. Contessa was a premium sedan sold in India by Hindustan Motors from the 1980s to the early 2000s. It was positioned above the company's then-popular model Ambassador. While it succeeded in creating a mark for itself in the market, the entry of players like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Ford and others in the Indian market posed a stiff challenge to the brand, which it could not withstand and led to its phasing out. The competition from global players also hit Hindustan Motors badly, which has shut its manufacturing unit at Uttarpara in West Bengal since 2014 and stopped production of the Ambassador car as well. The Ambassador brand was then acquired by French automaker PSA Groupe (now part of Stellantis) for Rs 80 crore in February 2017. A few days after the rumours of Hindustan Motors Ambassador making a comeback hit the internet, a report later suggested that the iconic HM Contessa muscle car might be relaunched in the Indian market. To substantiate the comeback, the publication has shared details of a trademark, which was initiated in March 2022 to register Contessa name by Hindustan Motors Limited at their Kolkata corporate office. Not only this, Uttam Bose, Director of Hindustan Motors mentioned in an interview that Hindustan Motors has entered in a JV with a Europe-based company to make electric two wheelers, which might later translate to an electric four wheeler as well, giving impetus to Ambassador comeback rumours. With inputs from PTI Live TV The Bundelkhand Expressway in Uttar Pradesh is nearing completion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate it in mid-July. Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) for Home and Chief Executive Officer of the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), inspected the project's progress in the Etawah district and directed the construction agencies to complete the remaining work within ten days. The 296-km access-controlled expressway starts near Bharatkoop in the Chitrakoot district and merges with the Agra-Lucknow expressway near Kudrail village in Etawah. The expressway will pass through Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jaluan, Aurraiya, and Etawah districts. The four-lane expressway (expandable to six lanes) has four railway over bridges, 14 large bridges, 266 small bridges, 18 flyovers, six toll plazas, and seven ramp plazas. To provide access to the villagers settled near the expressway, a service lane has been constructed, the officials said. Also read: Man rides overloaded scooter, Telangana Police uses viral video to spread road safety awareness As the Bundelkhand Expressway gets operational, the area will be linked with a fast and smooth traffic corridor with Delhi and National Capital Region through the Agra-Lucknow expressway and Yamuna expressway. The expressway will give momentum to the development of the backward region of Bundelkhand while giving thrust to agriculture, commerce, tourism, and the industrial sector. The state government plans to develop an industrial corridor along the expressway to boost investment in the region. Entrepreneurs can set up industrial training institutes, educational institutions, and medical institutes near the expressway. The ACS said it will also give a thrust to the handloom industry, food processing, dairy, storage, and traditional medium- and small-scale industrial units in the Bundelkhand region. The major rivers of Bundelkhand, including Ken, Betwa, Yamuna, Bagen, Chandrawal, Birma, and Sengar, flow near the expressway. The scheduled completion date of the Bundelkhand Expressway project was 2023, but the expressway construction was completed in 27 months. With inputs from IANS Vigo, a lovely ocean resort in Galicia, Spain, has made it unaffordable to all but the very rich to urinate in or around the ocean. Until the city builds more public toilets there, less affluent beachgoers are advised to just hold it and have antibiotics on hand for the resultant urinary tract infection. Universal access to public toilets should be a basic human right. And activists have been fighting for them for a long time. From The Economist: The story is a long one. In the 1950s and 60s civil-rights protesters decried "whites only" latrines. An Oakland assemblywoman, Margaret Fong Eu, took a sledgehammer to a toilet wrapped in chains outside the state capitol in 1969 to protest against pay toilets in public buildings, arguing that they placed an undue burden on women because urinals were often free. Activists poured fake urine over the steps of Harvard's Lowell Hall in 1973 demanding "potty parity", the equitable distribution of male and female toilets. In recent years Starbucks has become the de facto public toilet, and CEO Howard Schultz seemed to support that concept. Until recently, that is. From Curbed: Howard Schultz, citing unspecified concerns about "security" and "hardening our stores," said at a New York Times forum that the company was reconsidering the open-to-all bathroom policy that it set in place in 2018. He is using the language of preventing gun violence, but you have to assume that this is mostly about allowing access by unhoused people and the effect their presence has on paying customers in the coffee shops. Starbucks is within its rights to do this, of course. It's a private company, and its bathrooms are not civic property. Most businesses in New York City, at least won't let noncustomers use the toilets; many restrict their use to staff only. New York City has just four public toliets open in the evening. One thing I love about visiting Japan is that I never have to worry about not being able to find a public toilet there. Air India's "best years are yet to come," according to CEO-designate Campbell Wilson, who said that becoming a world-class airline will necessitate "big and small, easy and difficult" initiatives. Campbell, who will take over as CEO and MD following the Tata Group's takeover of the airline in January, paid his first visit to the carrier's headquarters in New Delhi and spoke with top officials. "Given the length and complexity of the road ahead, we must work hard to keep channels of communication open. Not just with our customers but within and across teams, too. "For my part, I will start by devoting much of the next few weeks to meeting with as many of you as I can, getting to know you, giving a chance for you to know me, and to listening to what you have to say," he said in a message to the employees. Also read: Air Canada to resume its Toronto-Mumbai flight services from October 29 Sources at the airline told PTI that Wilson visited its office and met top executives. In his message, Wilson said he was looking forward to joining after all formalities had been completed. "This morning, I was proud to walk through the doors of Air India's New Delhi office for the first time. To be a part of this iconic airline at this historic time in its journey is a rare and exciting privilege," he said. Stating that "Air India has always had a very special place in the hearts of travellers -- including mine, ever since I flew an Air India 747 for the first time way back in 1995", he said it is a long and storied legacy that has touched millions, and "to which many of you have contributed years of your working lives." "We should rightly celebrate this legacy and these contributions, but we must also have our gaze focussed squarely on the future," Wilson stated. Noting that he is convinced that Air India's best years are yet to come, he said, "India's potential is vast in myriad areas, and you know as well as I the long-term posture and performance culture of Tata Group. You know as well as I that, in any organisation, there are areas that can be improved upon." He said that he fully subscribed to the ambition of making Air India a world class-airline, adding, "but the task itself now falls upon us to deliver." "Much will be required to reach the heights to which we aspire, and the goal will not be attained overnight. The journey will require efforts big and small, easy and difficult. More than anything else, it will require us to work together and be prepared, where necessary, to evolve," Wilson said in the letter. "I want to understand your aspirations for our airline, your thoughts about what we do well, and your views on where we can do better. This will supplement the material already gathered in various workshops and help us set clear directions for this transformation -- at once the most exciting and challenging in world aviation today," he added. With inputs from PTI A plane belonging to Red Air, a Dominican Republic air carrier carrying 126 people crash landed at the Miami International Airport after its landing gear collapsed. The plane immediately caught fire, although no serious injuries were reported, authorities said. The fire was caused by the collapse of landing gear on a Red Air flight arriving from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to the Miami International Airport in the United States. The plane was carrying 126 people, and three of them were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, he added. Other passengers were being bussed from the plane to the terminal. #UPDATE: New video shows moments after when the Red Air plane's caught fire when the landing gear collapsed on the runway catching the aircraft on fire three people are injured and There were about 126 people on board the airline pic.twitter.com/8ker38qn3p R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 21, 2022 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue posted on Twitter that fire crews had placed the fire under control and were mitigating fuel spillage. TV news images showed the plane appeared to have come to rest in grass beside a runway and that the aircraft and an area all around it were apparently doused with white firefighters' chemicals. At least three firefighting vehicles were positioned nearby. Also read: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air's 1st Boeing 737 MAX lands at Delhi International Airport: IN PICS Eyewitness Christina Rundstrom, who was travelling with her family, filmed the scene on the tarmac just before boarding her flight and said the sight was "definitely not what youd like to see before boarding". "Having my kids with me just put me on edge with that on the tarmac," she told Reuters. With agency inputs Live TV New Delhi: IKEA, a well-known Swedish home furniture company, opened its first big box store format in Nagasandra, Bengaluru, its biggest store to date, on June 22. IKEA India expects to draw up to 5 million tourists to Bengaluru this year with a planned investment of Rs 3,000 crore in Karnataka, the firm said. According to a press release, the Nagasandra Store is IKEA's fourth location in India. It will be a well-known landmark in the community and offer home furnishing options to suit a variety of family needs. Spread over 12.2 acres, the 4,60,000 sq. ft IKEA Nagasandra store will feature more than 7,000 well-designed home furnishing products along with beautifully designed 65+ room sets for ideas and inspirations to live a better life at home. The store will also house one of the largest children's play areas, Smaland', along with a 1,000-seater restaurant and a bistro serving a mix of Swedish and Indian delicacies with many vegetarian and vegan food options to choose from, it added. (Also Read: PM KISAN eKYC deadline ends on July 31, here's how to do OTP based eKYC) "We have a long-term commitment to Karnataka to create a positive impact on the local economy through our business. With our growing retail presence, IKEA India will be a strong contributor to increasing the overall home furnishing market. It will give opportunities for a growing eco-system for the whole industry, including growing people and skills, we continue to stand by our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people," IKEA India Chief Executive Officer & Chief Sustainability Officer Susanne Pulverer said. (Also Read: Markets fall after 2-day breather, Sensex trades 418 points lower) IKEA has employed 1,000 co-workers with 72 per cent of local co-workers and plans to hire more people from the local neighbourhood. IKEA truly believes that it will create the best work environment for its many co-workers, offering equal pay and growth opportunities for all. The store also believes in empowering women and has seen women taking up job roles traditionally reserved for men, such as forklift driving, power stacking, assembly, and installation services, the company said. - With PTI inputs. New Delhi: Shark Tank India fame and online matrimonial site Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, on Wednesday (June 22), said that the styles of co-judges of the popular business show are a little bit different. He also opened up about what co-investors on the show feel about the entrepreneurs seeking funding for their startups and ideas. At the end of the day, I think all the sharks have the pitchers best interests at heart, Mittal said on microblogging platform Twitter, adding, Styles thode alag hain (styles are a bit different.) The investor was replying to a tweet by a user who believes that Mittal was the best investor on the show due to his calming personality and constructive responses to the pitchers. (ALSO READ: 220 employees earn more than Rs 1 crore at THIS Indian company) @AnupamMittal is my most favorite shark! Love how chivalrous and honest this person is with literally everyone and love his calm personality. Love how he guides every other pitcher so passionately and chooses to give a constructive response in the most gentle ways, a Twitter user who goes by the username @_reallifeshutu said. (ALSO READ: Expecting 7.5% economic growth rate this year: PM Modi at BRICS Business Forum) thx for the kind words at the end of the day, I think all the sharks have the pitchers best interests at heart. Styles thode alag hain https://t.co/xtD40iwvsh Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) June 21, 2022 Upon seeing Mittal reply to his tweet, Twitter was clearly left more impressed with the Shark Tank judge than ever. You are welcome. Must say, your humility and appreciation for your team members are again evident. Much Appreciated, he said on Twitter. Meanwhile, followers of Shark Tank India are now impatiently waiting for the second edition of the show. Currently, the registrations for the Shark Tank India, season 2, are open. Interested entrepreneurs can register their startups or ideas online to get a chance to showcase their hustle and raise funding from the judges on the show. BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover, Mittal, CEO & Co-Founder of SUGAR Cosmetics -- Vineeta Singh, Executive Director at Emcure Pharma -- Namita Thapar, Co-Founder & CIO of Mamaearth -- Ghazal Alagh, Founder and CEO of Lenskart.com -- Peyush Bansal featured as investors on the show. The names of investors for the second edition are yet to be released. EVTRIC Motors, an EV manufacturer, announced the release of its first motorcycle, priced at Rs 1.60 lakh (ex-showroom). It also announced that bookings for the e-bike, EVTRIC Rise, would begin on June 22 with a Rs 5,000 deposit. The motorcycle, which was unveiled recently at the company's dealers' meeting in Rajasthan, has a top speed of 70 km/h and can travel more than 110 kilometers on a single charge. EVTRIC Motors is a part of Pune-based automation company PAPL. The company ventured into the electric vehicle space last July with plans to invest Rs 100 crore in the business in a phased manner and roll out electric scooters, bicycles, bikes, and three-wheelers. EVTRIC already has three electric scooters namely AXIS, RIDE, and MIGHTY, in its product portfolio. These vehicles are being sold through a network of 125 touchpoints across 22 states. Also read: Top 5 electric scooters you can drive in India without driving license: Hero, HOP and more Powered by a 2000-watt BLDC motor paired with a 70v/40ah lithium-ion battery, the e-bike gets fully charged within four hours with the accompanying 10amp micro charger, which comes with the auto cut feature, the company said. "We are excited to bring our latest creation, RISE, our first 'Make in India' electric bike for the customers who are still otherwise hesitant to switch from internal combustion engine-powered vehicles to EV," said Manoj Patil, Founder- MD, EVTRIC Motors. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: The counting of votes for the Haryana Municipal Corporation election 2022 is underway amid tight security and the results for the same will be declared on Wednesday. Elections to the 93 urban bodies of the Haryana Municipal Corporation were held on June 19. Elections were held for the seats of presidents and members of all wards of 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils. Polling began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm. Nearly 70 per cent voter turnout was recorded in these elections. The highest polling percentage of 84.6 was recorded in Bawal municipal committee in Rewari. The elections for the Faridabad Municipal Corporation and three other municipalities have been postponed as the poll panel is revising the voters` list. There are a total of 456 wards in 18 Municipal Councils and there were 12.60 lakh registered voters, including 6,63,870 male, 5,96,095 female and 35 transgender. The polling for the Haryana municipal bodies was held amid tight security and adequate deployment of policemen to ensure free and fair voting. The main contest was between the state`s ruling BJP-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) alliance and the Congress. Tap here for live updates on Haryana municipal elections results- -CM Manohar Lal Khattar congratulates victorious BJP candidates. -BJP wins 10 President posts. -20 President posts won by Independent candidates. -BJP lost two posts of President in Taraori and Assandh Municipal Committees in the Karnal district. -AAP's Nisha Kano Vangha wins the president's post in the Ismailabad municipal committee of Kurukshetra district, defeats BJP-JJP candidate Pooja Garg by 101 votes. -Protests in Yamunanagar's Sadhaura as an independent candidate Sarjeevan Kumar wins with a margin of 1 vote. He faces protests and sloganeering from the supporters of the independent runner-up Deep. They are demanding a recounting, while area SDM and police are trying to pacify them. -Congress-backed Virender Singh wins the poll for president's post poll from Bawal municipal council in Rewari. -BJP candidate Shalini wins the post of President at Sadhaura municipal council in Yamunanagar, with a margin of 122 votes against Independent candidate Nisha Aggarwal. Shalini got 2135 votes against 2013 votes secured by Nisha. -Independent candidate Aaina Gupta wins Naraingarh's ward 1 by 453 votes. -BJP's Bakshi Ram Saini leading towards victory for chairperson post in Dadri MC. -BJP-backed Shimla Devi defeats AAP's Anjali by 77 votes for the post of president from the Kundli municipal council in Sonepat district. - AAP candidate Babli loses against BJP's Daisy Sharma for ward number 1 of Sadhaura municipal council. -Gaurav, the son of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattars adviser Krishan Bedi lost from ward number 9 of Shahbad Municipal council. -Independent Advocate Birender Singh wins election for chairperson's post in Rewari. New Delhi: Amid the ongoing outrage over the newly-launched Agneepath scheme, the three military services on Tuesday (June 21, 2022) said that the yojana will not entail any change in the existing system of recruitment of soldiers and that it will not at all impact their combat capabilities and operational readiness. Addressing a press conference, additional secretary in the defence ministry's department of military affairs Lt Gen Anil Puri asserted that the Agneepath scheme has not been brought to "right-size" the armed forces but to lower their age profile and enhance their overall capability. He addressed various issues raised about the new scheme after several parts of the country witnessed violent protests in wake of the new model that seeks to recruit youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years. "There will be no change in the recruitment process. What happened five years ago, what happened earlier, the same will continue," Lt Gen Puri said, adding those recruited under the scheme will be eligible for gallantry awards. "The scheme is being rolled out so that armed forces draw the best talents," he said. Agneepath scheme would add strength to armed forces Lt Gen Puri said that the Agneepath scheme would add strength to the armed forces. The top officials of the three services also announced a detailed schedule of the recruitment process. They asserted that there will be no compromise on the quality of the training to be imparted to the 'Agniveers', though its duration would be compressed. "The combat capabilities and readiness of the Indian Air Force are non-negotiable. The Indian Air Force and the government will do everything that is required to keep us combat-worthy and combat-ready," Air Officer-in-Charge of Personnel Air Marshal SK Jha said. He said there is "absolutely no change" in the IAF's process of induction, entry-level qualification, examination syllabus and medical standards for the recruits under the Agnipath scheme "All the enrollments in the Indian Air Force will take place only through Agniveer Vayu," Jha stated. Agneepath yojana will not dent but improve Indian Army's combat capabilities Lt Gen Puri said that the recruitment under the Agneepath scheme is a matter of national security and described as "fake" information that old-timers of the Army will be recruited under the new model. "No other country in the world has the demographic dividend as that of India. Fifty per cent of our youth is under the age group of 25 years. We should make the most of it," Lt Gen Puri said. Fulfilling Agniveersaspirations, 10% of the job vacancies in Defence Civilian posts of Ministry of Defence reserved for #Agniveers, meeting requisite eligibility criteria.This reservation is in addition to existing reservations for ex-servicemen. #AgnipathScheme pic.twitter.com/NDsTQ7uqma PRO Udhampur, Ministry of Defence (@proudhampur) June 20, 2022 He said the Agnipath scheme aims to ensure a youthful profile of the armed forces, bring technically adept people and make them future-ready to deal with any challenge facing the nation. Lt Gen Puri said working for the army is a passion and a commitment and it is not an everyday job. Army's Adjutant General Lt Gen Bansi Ponappa said that the Army would induct women under the Agnipath scheme for induction as military police. He said the scheme will not dent but improve the Army's combat capabilities. Detailed discussions held on Agnipath scheme Lt Gen Puri noted that various committees including the Kargil Review Committee, Arun Singh Committee and Shekatkar Committee had recommended bringing down the age profile of the armed forces. The additional secretary also said that there were detailed discussions on the Agnipath scheme in the three services and the ministry of defence as well as under the whole-of-the-government approach. He said the services held 150 meetings totalling 500 hours, the ministry had 60 meetings with a total duration of 150 hours while 44 meetings lasting 100 hours took place under the whole-of-government framework. Under the scheme, the Army plans to recruit 40,000 soldiers this year and the number is going to increase in the coming years. Once 75 per cent of the recruits exit the force after the four-year tenure, around 10,000 Agniveers will continue to serve from the 2022 batch. According to officials, around 50,000 army personnel retire from the Army every year. Agneepath scheme: Indian Army's registration process for agniveers to begin on July 1 Releasing the recruitment schedule under the Agneepath scheme, Lt Gen Ponappa said that the online registration of the aspirants and announcement of the schedule of the recruitment rallies will commence on July 1. He said that the recruitment rallies will commence from the second week of August, the Combined Entrance Examination for the first batch of Agniveers will be on October 16 and November 13 and they will report at the training centres on On December 22. The first batch will join their respective units on July 23. The Combined Entrance Examination for the second batch will take place on January 23 and the recruits will report to training centres on February 23, he said, adding the army has launched an Agniveer helpline to address queries of the aspirants Indian Air Force to begin registration process under Agnipath scheme from June 24 Sharing details of the IAF's recruitment schedule under the Agnipath yojana, Air Marshal Jha said that the registration of candidates will be between June 24 and July 5, while the registration for the STAR examination (online) will be available from July 24 to 31. The IAF would issue call letters to the provisionally selected candidates by August 10 and their medical tests would be conducted from August 29 to November 8. Air Marshal Jha said that the provisional selection list will be released on December 1, the enrolment list and call letters would be issued to successful candidates on December 11 and the course will commence on December 30. In the press briefing, he also said that Agniveers are being inducted with a two percent intake in the first year and the number for the IAF would go to nearly 6,000 in the fifth year. Registration process under Agneepath scheme for Indian Navy Recruitment to begin on July 1 About the Indian Navy's recruitment schedule under Agneepath yojana, Vice Admiral (Personnel) Dinesh Tripathi said that the online registration will commence for all candidates on July 1. He also informed that the details of the registration process are going to be out on Wednesday and said that a detailed notification for the recruits will be published in July. Vice Admiral Tripathi also stated that the application window would be available from July 15 to 30 and examination and physical fitness tests would be held in mid-October while the training process will commence on November 21. He said Agniveers will get an opportunity to join the Merchant Navy following completing their four-year tenure. Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam continued to remain grim with rising water levels of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers inundating fresh areas in the state and impacting over 55 lakh people across 32 districts, officials said on Wednesday (June 22). Eighty-nine people have lost their lives since mid-May due to the two deluges, they said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma travelled to Nagaon by train to review the situation in flood-hit areas in the district, the officials said, adding that he was also scheduled to visit a few relief camps there. Nagaon was severely affected by the current wave of floods with over 4,57,381 people coming under the impact of the deluge and 15,188 inmates have taken shelter in 147 relief camps. "Undertook a train journey from Guwahati to flood-affected areas in Chaparmukh and Kampur. The journey enabled me to take a closer look at the areas ravaged by flood along the railway tracks, which will help us in taking informed decisions and intervene accordingly," Sarma said on Twitter. Undertook a train journey from Guwahati to flood-affected areas in Chaparmukh and Kampur. The journey enabled me to take a closer look at the areas ravaged by flood along the railway tracks, which will help us in taking informed decisions and intervene accordingly. pic.twitter.com/j98TFVnaEK June 22, 2022 As the floodwaters of Kopili have inundated large areas in Nagaon district, necessary steps will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such calamity in the future, he said. Sarma visited Chaparmukh railway station to interact with flood-affected people taking shelter there and took stock of relief materials provided to them. "Assuring them all possible help, I asked district administration to ensure adequate relief to the affected people & be on stand-by," he said. The flood situation in three districts of the Barak Valley - Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi - remained critical with rising water levels of the Barak and Kushiara rivers inundating vast tracts of land in the valley, the officials said. National Disaster Response Force personnel have been engaged in Cachar districts to evacuate people to safe places, while representatives of State Disaster Response Force and other agencies were deployed in the two remaining districts. Altogether 2,16,851 people have been hit by the flood in 506 villages in Cachar district, 1,47,649 in Karimganj and nearly one lakh in Hailakandi. The chief minister is scheduled to visit Silchar to review the prevailing flood situation. Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya has been camping at Silchar in Cachar and monitoring the flood situation in the Barak valley with the local MLAs, deputy commissioners and senior officials of the three districts. Meanwhile, Ambassador of Japan to India Satoshi Suzuki expressed sympathy to the families who lost their "beloved ones and are affected by the recent floods and landslides occurring in Assam and Meghalaya". "Japan always stands with the people in such difficult times," Satoshi said on Twitter. The CM thanked him for expressing his concern for the state and people affected by the current wave of floods. "We sincerely acknowledge the support and cooperation of Japan and its beautiful people towards the development of our state," Sarma said on the microblogging site. Oil India Ltd has contributed Rs 5 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Sarma thanked Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli and the company's chairman and managing director Sushil Kumar Mishra for the contribution and said this will "significantly aid our ongoing flood-relief work". Altogether 55, 42,053 people have been affected by the ongoing floods in 32 of the 36 districts of the state. Seven more people died due to the floods during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 89 and one was reported missing from Kamrup, according to a bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Among the worst-affected districts are Barpeta with 12,51,359 people reeling under the floodwaters, Dhubri with 5,94,708 and Darrang with 5,47,421, according to the bulletin. The devastating floods, caused by incessant rainfall, affected 121 revenue circles and 5,577 villages, while 2,62,155 inmates have taken shelter in 862 relief camps, it said. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is indulging in horse-trading to topple the governments in non- BJP ruled states and said democracy is diminishing in the country in the name of Hindutva. "Democracy is diminishing in the country in name of Hindutva. People are not understanding now but they will regret it later. These people (BJP) are doing horse-trading and bringing down the governments while law and order situation remains fragile and the economy weakens," Gehlot told ANI here. "They have made a joke of everything. They were hatching a conspiracy and were targetting Maharashtra from the very beginning but now it has come to light. PM Modi and Amit Shah should not be arrogant and must run the country as per the Constitution," he added. Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the ruling BJP at the Centre wants to build an "Opposition-free India". "BJP`s goal is to capture entire India. If an Opposition party speaks against them, they do not tolerate it. They are walking the path of building an `Opposition-free India`. First, they said `Congress-mukt` Bharat, now they changed it to `vipaksh-mukt` Bharat," Chowdhury told ANI. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held in the presence of All India Congress Committees (AICC) observer Kamal Nath amid the deepening political crisis in Maharashtra.Amid the intensifying political crisis in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," said Raut in a Twitter post. Back-to-back meetings of Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are taking place in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. On the contrary, Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal ruled out midterm polls in the state. "Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?," Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said. Sources further said the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking for floor test in the state Legislative Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray`s Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. Live TV Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has given a new offer to convince his rebel MLAs that he is ready to step down from the post of Chief Minister, but he wants the new Chief Minister to be a Shiv Sainik. That is, he is making an offer to Eknath Shinde that if he comes back, Uddhav will make him the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Secondly, he is also instilling greed in his mind that even if he goes with BJP, he should be made the Chief Minister. On the other hand, Eknath Shinde has said that all the rebel MLAs are ready to come back if Shiv Sena breaks its ties with Congress and NCP. In todays DNA, Zee News Editor-In-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary analysed the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra. Now Uddhav Thackeray is left with only 16 MLAs out of 55 and all other MLAs are with Eknath Shinde. Shinde is saying that he is the real leader of Shiv Sena. He wants to take over the entire party and throw the Thackeray family out of it. The most interesting match of politics is being played in Maharashtra at the moment. And this game has everything. It also has a numbers game. And this whole political game is like a film story, in which you will also get comedy and tragedy. And the comedy is that Uddhav Thackeray was only saving his government till now. But now it seems he will not be able to save his party Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde has directly challenged the decision of Uddhav Thackeray, in which Uddhav removed him from the post of Legislature Party leader and declared Ajay Chaudhary as the leader of Shiv Sena MLAs. But Shinde has now written a letter to the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra, and he has told him that he has the support of two-thirds of the Shiv Sena MLAs. And all these MLAs have elected him as the leader of their legislature party. This means that Eknath Shinde has directly taken over Shiv Sena. Live TV I was absolutely thrilled at the conclusion of the final episode of Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi. After the massive disappointments of their last mini-series, I was super concerned Kenobi would fall apart, and Disney managed to keep that suspense through Episode 5, right up to the finale where they just nailed it. All the storylines came together as perfectly as you could hope. Folks concerned with canon are given room to do their thing; fans who watch for the inconsistencies have a whole disappearing Star Destroyer to discuss; but folks who love fan service just got a giant, wonderful bounty. As we expected, Obi-Wan figures his shit out, is still the guy who cut off Vader's legs and left him to roast, and has a beaming smile. The lightsaber battle was as epic as promised. I loved the moment Obi-Wan changed from his defensive form to go on the attack. One of the most important things this series confirmed for us is that Leia was always the most interesting character, and Luke is a bad climber. It seems clear which young Skywalker we ought to see having more adventures. Vivien Lyra Blair, who plays young Leia, did an amazing job. The only loose ends all point to a second series, which I think will be wonderful. Obi-Wan and spirit Qui-Gon doing a Bing and Bob kinda thing could be fun. New Delhi: Draupadi Murmu on Tuesday (June 21, 2022) reacted to becoming the ruling NDA's Presidential candidate and said that Narendra Modi-led government has now proven BJP's slogan of "Sabka saath, Sabka vishwas" by selecting a tribal woman for the top post. A tribal leader-turned Governor, Murmu expressed that she was both surprised and delighted on learning on television that she had been nominated for the top job by the NDA. "I am surprised as well as delighted. As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, I had not thought about becoming the candidate for the top post," Murmu was quoted as saying by news agency PTI at her Rairangpur residence in Odisha. Asked whether she can get the support of Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which holds over 2.8 per cent of votes in the electoral college for the forthcoming Presidential Elections, Murmu said that she is "optimistic of support from all members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and MPs." "I am the daughter of the soil. I have the right to request all members to support me as an Odia," she said. Draupadi Murmu will be a great President: PM Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed former Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu after she was announced as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA nominee for the July 18 presidential election. PM Modi said that millions of people who have faced hardships in life derive strength from the life of Murmu and added that she will make a "great President". "Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country," PM Narendra Modi said in a tweet. Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2022 "Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised. She has rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure. I am confident she will be a great President of our nation, he added. Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised. She has rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure. I am confident she will be a great President of our nation. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2022 A proud moment for Odisha: CM Naveen Patnaik Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also congratulated Draupadi Murmu and expressed that it is a "proud moment" for the people of his coastal state. "Congratulations Smt Draupadi Murmu on being announced as candidate of NDA for the countrys highest office. I was delighted when Honble PM Narendra Modi ji discussed this with me. It is indeed a proud moment for people of Odisha," he said. "I am sure Smt Murmu will set a shining example for women empowerment in the country," the BJD chief added. I am sure Smt Murmu will set a shining example for women empowerment in the country. Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 21, 2022 Who is Draupadi Murmu? Draupadi Murmu was born in 1958 in the Santhal community. She began her political career as a councillor in Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat in 1997 and rose through the ranks to become a minister in the BJD-BJP alliance government in 2000 and later the Governor of Jharkhand in 2015, according to news agency PTI. A two-term former MLA from Rairangpur, Murmu held on to her assembly seat in 2009 when the BJD had snapped ties with the BJP weeks ahead of the state elections which were swept by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's party. Meanwhile, the Opposition has announced former Union minister Yashwant Sinha as its joint candidate for the post. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (June 21) hailed former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu after she was announced as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA nominee for the Presidential election 2022. PM said millions of people who have faced hardships in life derive strength from the life of Murmu, a tribal leader of the BJP from Odisha, adding that she will make a "great President". Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country, Narendra Modi tweeted. Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised. She has rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure. I am confident she will be a great President of our nation, he added in another tweet. Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2022 Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised. She has rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure. I am confident she will be a great President of our nation. June 21, 2022 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated Droupadi Murmu, saying her nomination is proof of the BJP's commitment to 'Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas'. "Heartiest congratulations to former governor of Jharkhand, Droupadi Murmu ji, on being made the NDA candidate for the post of President. The selection of Murmu ji, who hails from the tribal society, is a strong proof of commitment towards 'Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas' in 'New India'," the UP CM said in a tweet in Hindi. The BJP on Tuesday named Murmu as the ruling NDA's candidate for the presidential election, pitching her against Opposition parties' nominee former Minister of Finance and External Affairs Yashwant Sinha. The candidature of Murmu (64) holds significance as she will be the first person from Odisha and the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post if elected. BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed happiness at Murmu's selection and said it was a proud moment for the people of his state. "I was delighted when Hon'ble PM @narendramodi ji discussed this with me. It is indeed a proud moment for people of Odisha," Patnaik tweeted. Meanwhile, Droupadi Murmu is expected to file her nomination for Presidential polls 2022 on June 25, ANI cited sources as saying. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Maharashtra cabinet minister Eknath Shinde and 40 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena on Wednesday (June 22, 2022) left their hotel in Gujarat's Surat and are now being flown to Guwahati in Assam. According to news agency ANI, some 7 independent legislators, who were staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat, have also arrived in Guwahati along with Shinde. These MLAs sat in a luxury bus during the early hours of Wednesday as they were being taken to the airport, from where they were shifted to another BJP-ruled state Assam. "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva and will carry it further," Eknath Shinde told reporters at the Surat airport. We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena & will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb's Hindutva & will carry it further, said Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde at Surat airport in Gujarat pic.twitter.com/SVnGziEGxO ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2022 The development came hours after Shiv Sena leaders Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak, sent by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, held discussions with the rebels at the hotel. ALSO READ | Explained: Maharashtra number game - BJP, Shiv Sena need THESE many MLAs to form government Earlier on Tuesday, Shinde had taken a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the Maha Vijas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb's thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb's teachings," he had tweeted before dropping "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. The Maharashtra minister and some MLAs reached the hotel in Surat late Monday night, hours after Legislative Council polls which saw the BJP winning the fifth seat despite not having enough numbers in the Assembly, possibly due to suspected cross-voting from the ruling bloc besides support from Independent MLAs and those from smaller parties. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has moved its MLAs to hotels to ward off poaching bids after Shinde rebelled against the party along with some fellow legislators. Mumbai: Amid the intensifying political crisis in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hinted at the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. "The ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra is heading to the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha," Sanjay Raut said in a Twitter post. .. Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) June 22, 2022 His tweet came amid back-to-back meetings by the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP MLAs in Mumbai over the rapidly changing political developments in the state. However, on the contrary, Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal ruled out midterm polls in the state. "Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?," Bhujbal said. Midterm elections? There have been no talks yet. What can I say?: #Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/lXhVHbNVcK ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Shiv Sena women workers in Aurangabad break down and weep as they protest against rebel leader Eknath Shinde who has led to ongoing instability in the MVA govt in the state. This came after 40 Maharashtra MLAs including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent MLAs exhorted their support to rebel Shiv Sena leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde by signing a letter, said sources. Sources further said the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking for floor test in the state Legislative Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The MLAs are now staying at Radisson Blu Hotel in the city. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray`s Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati.The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shivsena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial`s post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. Mumbai: Even as rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde along with some party MLAs have moved to Guwahati in Assam, Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said he has been holding discussions with Shinde and the talks are "positive". Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said Shinde has not put forth any conditions before the party, and that discussions are also underway with other Sena leaders who are with Shinde. Raut expressed confidence that Shinde and other rebel MLAs will be back into the party fold, and said their "misunderstandings will be addressed". "It is difficult for him (Shinde) to leave the party and it will be difficult for us (the Sena) to leave him. Our dialogue is on. We spoke for an hour in the morning. Talks are also on with the MLAs who are with Shinde," Raut said. ALSO READ: Maharashtra crisis: 'Old friend' Eknath Shinde aware of why Shiv Sena left BJP, says Sanjay Raut "Our talks with him are taking place in a cordial manner and they have been positive," the Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson said. Asked about the rebel MLAs moving to Guwahati, Raut said "Let them go. Guwahati has a nice forest (nearby) Kaziranga (national park). The MLAs should see the country, this will help them understand it." Raut said Shinde has not put forth any terms and conditions before the party. "He is a Shiv Sainik and it appears that he will stay in the Shiv Sena and spend his life in the party," Raut said, adding that there in no bitterness between the two sides. Shinde and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray share a strong bond, he said. Raut said Thackeray will also talk to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, the chief architect of the state's ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi. The entire country is now looking at the direction in which the political crisis in Maharashtra will take a turn. More than 40 MLAs have left the state along with Shiv Sena Minister Eknath Shinde, putting the Uddhav Thackeray government in danger. When most of the party's MLAs have joined the other party, a Shiv Sena MLA proved his loyalty to Uddhav Thackeray. There was also an attempt to take the Shiv Sena MLA (Unnamed) to Gujarat, but before reaching Surat, he made his way back. The way the MLA returned back, will beat the story of perfect script for a Bollywood blockbuster with all the right elements. It is learnt that arrangements were made to take a total of six Shiv Sena MLAs to Gujarat, including the unnamed MLA. Eknath Shinde told them that he wanted to meet the MLAs with someone in Gujarat. The six MLAs left for Gujarat in a same car. But after crossing Vasai Virar and entering the border in Gujarat, there was a doubt among the MLAs. The MLA got down from the car even though the rest did not return. After this, the unnamed Shiv Sena MLA took a lift from a biker. After coming on a bike, the MLA walked about four kilometres towards Maharashtra. Then he reached Dahisar in a truck and reached the house of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He narrated the whole incident to the the chief minister. At present, the rebel minister Eknath Shinde, who is in Guwahati with the remaining rebel MLAs, refused to return even after talking to Uddhav Thackeray over the phone. Instead, sources said that he has given conditions for forming a coalition government with the BJP. Though Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is hopeful that the majority will remain with them, he is hopeful that many more MLAs will return to Maharashtra from Assam. But Uddhav himself is well aware that Shinde will not return easily. Maharashtra Political Crisis: As the political crisis in Maharashtra reaches its peak, there are all sorts of rumours and questions, the chief being - will Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resign? Amid a revolt within the Shiv Sena, Thackeray has called a meeting at 5 pm in Mumbai of all Shiv Sena MLAs. In a tweet earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut tweeted in Marathi which translates to: "The political development in Maharashtra is heading towards the dissolution of Vidhan Sabha." There were also rumours that Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray has dropped 'minister' from Twitter bio. However, Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a "fact check" post on Twitter saying, "He (Aaditya Thackeray) did not have his minister status ever on his Twitter bio." CM Thackeray says no proposal to dissolve Assembly: Maharashtra Congress chief Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Wednesday said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has made it clear that there was no proposal to recommend the dissolution of the state Assembly. Patole's remarks came in the backdrop of reports that the state's ongoing political developments could lead to the Assembly's dissolution. "We will run the government effectively," Patole said quoting Thackeray. Patole said senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, who is in Mumbai in the wake of the political crisis in the Maharashtra government, spoke to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over phone since the latter has tested positive for Covid-19. Missing' Shiv Sena MLA returns from Surat, says he was forcibly admitted to hospital Meanwhile, drama heightened as Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh, who had accompanied party rebel Eknath Shinde to Surat, on Wednesday claimed that some people had forcibly admitted him to a hospital there and he was administered injections though he never suffered a heart attack. Speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport, the Akola MLA said he somehow managed to return safely to Maharashtra from Surat and pledged loyalty to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. A day earlier, Deshmukh's wife had filed a complaint with the Akola police stating that her husband had gone missing. Deshmukh represents the Balapur assembly seat in the Akola district in the Vidarbha region. "I am a Shivsainik of Uddhav Thackeray and Balasaheb Thackeray. I am in good health. On Tuesday, I was taken to a hospital in Surat by 20-25 people and police personnel. They said I had suffered a heart attack but I never suffered any heart attack. My blood pressure also didn't shoot up. Their intention was wrong. I was given some injections forcibly," he claimed. New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who has turned out to be a disruptor for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government in Maharashtra, enjoys wide mass support and has been instrumental in strengthening the party in the Thane region. Coming from humble origins, Shinde, a fierce orator and a grassroots leader, is known for highlighting his respect for Shiv Sena and its founder late Bal Thackeray for his rise in Maharashtra politics. The 58-year-old leader, now gone rogue, holds urban development and PWD portfolios in the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. Who is Eknath Shinde, leader behind Maharashtra political crisis? Eknath Shinde, born on February 9, 1964, hails from a Maratha family of Jawali in Satara, and was once an auto-rickshaw driver in Thane city adjoining Mumbai. He left his education before completing graduation and soon got associated with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra after he came in contact with the partys former Thane supremo Anand Dighe. Bal Thackerays staunch Hindutva approach and his persona inspired Shinde to join Shiv Sena in Thane. He soon emerged as a prominent Shiv Sena leader in the Thane-Palghar region. The sitting MLA from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in Thane city has never shied away from participating in street politics and also has dozens of criminal charges against him such as voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and rioting, among others. Shinde became Anand Dighes deputy and strengthened Shiv Sena after the sudden death of the latter in 2001. The four-time MLA became a corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997 and won his first Maharashtra Assembly election in 2004. In 2005, the leader often seen as the No. 2 leader in Bal Thackerays party, was appointed as the partys Thane district head. Shinde served as the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for a brief period in 2014 before Shiv Sena joined the BJP-led government. Due to Shinde's closeness with Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP fought 2016 elections to all civic bodies in Maharashtra against the Shiv Sena, except for the Thane Municipal Corporation (Shinde's home turf). His son Dr Shrikant Shinde is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan. Eknath Shinde goes rogue, puts MVA in a predicament Eknath Shinde went incommunicado on Tuesday (June 21) morning, following a suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls a day earlier. He was found camping at a hotel on Dumas road along with over 30 rebel MLAs in Surat city after their arrival on Monday night. Eknath Shinde flew to Guwahati in Assam from Surat early Wednesday morning along with the other rebel MLAs. Speaking to reporters outside Guwahati airport, Shinde claimed he has 40 MLAs. "Here 40 MLAs are with me. Additional 10 MLAs will join me soon. I do not want to criticise any one. We are keen on continuing the Sena founded by late Balasaheb Thackeray," he was quoted as saying by PTI. Eknath Shinde while meeting the two representatives of the Shiv Sena Milind Narvekar and Ravi Pathak-- in Surat on Tuesday has reportedly demanded a Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and is likely to join the saffron camp, toppling the Uddhav Thackeray led government in Maharashtra. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: The Central government has provided round-the-clock Z+ category armed security cover by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel to NDAs presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu. According to news agency ANI, the CRPF has been tasked to provide security to Murmu from Wednesday morning following orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The move comes a day after the BJP named former Jharkhand governor Draupadi Murmu as the ruling National Democratic Alliance`s presidential candidate on Tuesday. If elected, the 64-year-old leader from Odisha will be the first tribal and the second woman to become the President of India. Murmu, a grassroots politician, has many firsts to her credit. She was the first woman and tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as governor of any state. She served as the governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021, the first governor to complete the term in the state. She was also in consideration for the presidential post in 2017 but later Ramnath Kovind made the cut. Her political career began when she contested and won an election for councillor in Rairangpur, Odisha. She later won the assembly election in 2000 from Rairangpur and became a minister in the BJD-BJP government in the state. She earned great respect in her tenure as an MLA and minister in the state. The BJP`s move to name Murmu as its presidential candidate comes ahead of assembly elections in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The four states have 128 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes, of which the BJP had won just 35 seats in the last assembly elections. NEW DELHI: After hectic deliberations, the BJP central leadership on Tuesday picked Draupadi Murmu as the NDAs candidate for the upcoming presidential elections 2022 which will be held on July 18. Murmu, a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister, is pitted against the oppositions joint candidate Yashwant Sinha, a former BJP leader and a former Union minister who quit the saffron party several years ago after being apparently sidelined. How is BJP placed in the electoral college? The Narendra Modi-powered BJP is comfortably placed in the electoral college with a vote value of 10.86 lakh although it lacks nearly 2 per cent of votes for a majority. BJP central leadership looks confident that it would get adequate support from parties like BJD led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, especially in view of the fact that Murmu hails from the state, and YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress. This way, the ruling BJP will be able to easily bridge the narrow gap in the electoral college, ensuring a comfortable victory for its presidential nominee. Why did BJP choose Murmu? Murmu's selection as the presidential candidate is being viewed as a calculated move by the ruling BJP, which is likely to benefit the saffron party in the Assembly elections in Gujarat. It is also in line with NDA's thought process which picked Ramnath Kovind a Dalit - as its Presidential face in 2017. Kovind, who hails from a small Koli community in Uttar Pradesh, was born in a poor farmers house and eventually became India's second Dalit President. By picking Murmu, the BJP is also likely to enhance its presence in the tribal belt of the country, in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where there is a large number of tribal voters. According to political experts, Murmu has a comparatively higher chance of being elected as President than Yashwant Sinha considering that she is a woman and comes from a humble tribal background and possesses enough political experience. If elected, Murmu will become the first tribal president of India and the second woman president in the country. Draupadi Murmu brief political profile Draupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Coming from a poor tribal family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women`s College Bhubaneswar. She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, the Odisha assembly honoured her with `Nilakantha Award` for best MLA. She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president state ST Morcha in 1997. Murmu was a national executive member of BJP`s ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP`s ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. Yashwant Sinha- a veteran in politics 84-year-old Yashwant Sinha, who quit BJP after being apparently sidelined, was a minister of finance between (19901991) when PM Chandra Shekhar was in office. He was again the minister of finance in between March 1998 July 2002 under PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was the Minister of External Affairs between July 2002 May 2004. He joined All India Trinamool Congress on March 13, 2021, He finally left All India Trinamool Congress on June 21, 2022, for being the joint opposition Presidential Candidate. Sinha was an IAS officer, he joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1960 and spent over 24 years holding important posts during his service tenure. It's two months since New Jersey legalized recreational marijuana and there's rising controversy about cops using it, even during their off hours. Currently, officers are subject to random drug testing that currently includes a check for marijuana which can stay in the system for days or even weeks after its effects have worn off. Hunterdon County Sheriff Frederick W. Brown would prefer officers to be banned from using marijuana entirely. From WFMZ: "The other side of that would be to remove marijuana as one of the [randomly] tested drugs, and then we wouldn't know, unless somebody was showing signs that they were under the influence," said Brown. "All police have to undergo random drug testing, and it still covers marijuana. I would hate to have an officer get jammed up for doing something that the Attorney General said is okay, but on our part of it, it isn't okay."[] There are a few bills in the works to limit marijuana use among certain industries, including law enforcement, though none have completed the legislative process. "It just needs to be straightened out," said Brown. New Delhi: On Tuesday (June 21), the Opposition parties have agreed upon former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha as their presidential candidate. NCP leader Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi had declined to be presidential nominees of opposition parties. Asked about his prospects against the BJP-led NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu for the presidential election slated for July 18, Sinha said it was a battle of issues and to "save the constitution". "If I am not able to win the election, should I withdraw? When we are on the battlefield, we fight with full might. I have already said we do not have any personal fight with Droupadi Murmuji. I know her very well and convey my best wishes. But this is a battle of issues. It is to save the Constitution of India and I can tell you with confidence that I will be more constitutional when I will be in President House than the NDA candidate," he said. Droupadi Murmu, a former Jharkhand Governor and a former Odisha minister, was on Tuesday declared as NDA's presidential candidate. Murmu reached Bhubaneswar on Wednesday night, covering a distance of about 280 km on road from her native Rairangpur town in Mayurbhanj district, amid cheers and greetings by locals along the way. She is set to leave for Delhi on Thursday morning. Murmu was received by Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi at a guest house in the state capital, where she will be putting up for the night, an official here said. "She is scheduled to leave for Delhi on Thursday morning around 9 am," the official told reporters. Also read: Mysterious death of one son, another killed in accident - President candidate Droupadi Murmu's grave personal tragedies Earlier, Murmu had told ANI on Tuesday that she was surprised to learn of her candidature. Droupadi Murmu had also said that she will work according to the powers of the President in the constitution. "I'm surprised, I wasn't able to believe it. I am thankful and do not wish to speak much. Whatever powers are there of a President in the Constitution, I'll work accordingly," she had said. Asked about Yashwant Sinha being declared the opposition candidate, the NDA candidate said she will seek support from all parties. "There are candidates. Our work is to go to people, reach out to members of the electoral college and seek their cooperation. I'll request all parties and states for support," she had said. Rampur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday urged voters to place the Rampuri knife in the right hands as with them it will be used to protect the poor. The chief minister said this addressing a rally ahead of the June 23 bypolls to the Rampur Lok Sabha constituency, a stronghold of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who vacated the seat after being elected to the state Legislative Assembly. Rampur, notably, is known for the knives it produces. "It is up to you to decide whom to give the Rampuri knife. In the hands of good people, it will be used to protect the poor and downtrodden but wrong people will misuse it for looting and grabbing properties of the public," Adityanath told people as he accused the Samajwadi Party of land grabbing. He urged people to vote for the BJP, which he claimed liberated the poor from those who grabbed their land. "After coming to power, our government gave the land back to the poor and took action against such mafia," he said stressing that his government freed 640 hectares from criminals. Adityanath said Rampur will not be allowed to become a den of anti-social elements. The district has its own heritage but some people made an attempt to destroy it, he alleged. , , ! pic.twitter.com/gULyUhxIye Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) June 21, 2022 "If anyone will try to destroy its identity, then the public also knows well how to teach them a lesson," he said. Highlighting the works done by the Centre and his government during the covid pandemic, Adityanath said the double engine under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided free ration and treatment to people. "We don't create problems, rather we solve them. This is the reason that India is being respected at the global level," he remarked. In a veiled attack against the Samajwadi Party, he said they lost power but their "attitude" remained unchanged. "Those who were in jail got free treatment but they did not acknowledge it," he said in an apparent reference to Azam Khan, who spent over two years in a state jail after being booked in a number of case. Khan got bail recently following the Supreme Court intervention. Opposition misleading youth on Agnipath recruitment scheme Adityanath also accused the opposition parties of misleading the youth on the Agnipath recruitment policy for defence forces. The CM appealed to the youth not to get misled by the opposition's propaganda against it, which he said is in their interest. He declared the Bilaspur Sugar mill will be modernised soon and the government has already given its approval. The bypolls to the Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats will be held on June 23 and Tuesday was the last day of campaigning for it. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Azam Khan's close aide Asim Raja from Rampur against BJP's Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi. Guwahati: Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said that it was essential for the party's survival to get out of the "unnatural alliance" and asserted that only the constituent parties benefitted during the tenure of the coalition government in the state. Shinde was referring to the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition that is in power in the state. The Sena is in coalition with Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress. Shinde said while constituent parties benefitted, the Shiv Sainiks got weaker. Shiv Sena's rebel MLAs led by Shinde met in Assam's capital Guwahati after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed people and said he was willing to submit his resignation to party MLAs. The rebel MLAs held a meeting in the hotel in Guwahati where they are staying after shifting from Surat. The meeting lasted about 50 minutes. Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das said it is "their internal matter"."They may be discussing the issue. But we have provided facilities to them so that they don't have any inconvenience," Das said. Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed people amid a growing political crisis in Maharashtra. The Chief Minister said, "Some people say that it's not Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. They should tell what were the thoughts of Balasaheb. This is the same Shiv Sena that it was at his time, 'Hindutva' is our life." Thackeray also made an emotional appeal to rebel MLAs saying that he was willing to quit his post as chief minister. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers... I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," Thackeray said, adding that, "Sharad Pawar and Kamal Nath phoned me saying they want me to continue as chief minister." While offering to quit, he also said that "if they (rebel MLAs) had something against me, what was the need of saying all this in Surat? They could have come here and said this to my face." He again said, "If any of my MLAs wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Versha Bungalow (official residence of the Maharashtra CM) to Matoshri." Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde claimed earlier today that he has the support of 46 MLAs and the number will rise in the future."Right now we have 46 MLAs with us, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. This number will rise in the time to come. As of now we have neither received any proposal from BJP nor are we holding any talks with them," Shinde told ANI over the phone. Shinde said that the rebel MLAs are not in talks with the Shiv Sena or CM Uddhav Thackeray. "As far as the current political situation is concerned, I would say that we are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks and will continue to be Shiv Sainiks. As of now, we are not holding any talks with Shiv Sena or the Chief Minister. We have not decided on the future course of action," Shinde had said. Mumbai: The political crisis in Maharashtra is continuing to show new twists and turns, ever since it was triggered by Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion. And on Wednesday, NCP president Sharad Pawar called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar was accompanied by his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule and party minister Jitendra Awhad. Earlier in the day, it was reported that Thackeray has tested positive for Covid-19. But later, it was revealed that the CM has tested negative. As per the CM's Office, the Chief Minister's antigen report had come out as positive earlier but his RTPCR report is negative. The NCP leaders held discussions with the chief minister at 'Varsha', his official residence in south Mumbai. However, what transpired at the meeting could not be known. #WATCH NCP leader Supriya Sule shows thumbs up after meeting with Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. The meeting between NCP's Sharad Pawar and CM Thackeray lasted around an hour. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/3LGjf279M9 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 The meeting took place after Thackeray's live webcast, in which he offered to quit as Maharashtra chief minister and extended an olive branch to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, saying he will be happy if a Shiv Sainik succeeds him. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Kamal Nath also spoke to Thackeray over phone. The rebellion by Shinde, who has claimed the support of 46 MLAs, has pushed the two-and-a-half-year old Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to the brink. The Sena has 55 members in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. Also read: Willing to resign from Chief Minister's post: Uddhav Thackeray amid revolt in Shiv Sena - key points In the wee hours of Wednesday, Shinde and other rebel MLAs were flown to Guwahati in Assam from Surat, where they were camping since early Tuesday. (With PTI inputs) Bhopal: A question asked in the preliminary examination of the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) over the highly vexed Kashmir issue has triggered a big controversy, evoking sharp reactions from the political quarters. According to reports, the candidates were asked to answer whether India should give Kashmir to Pakistan? After this matter came to the fore, two officials from the commission who were involved in setting the paper, have been debarred. The preliminary examination was conducted by MPPSC on June 19. The questions that were asked to the examinees had four answer options followed by two arguments. The question was, should India decide to give Kashmir to Pakistan? Argument 1: yes, this will save a lot of money for India; argument 2: no, such a decision will increase more such demands. The four answer options were - (A) argument 1 strong, (B) argument 2 strong, (C) argument 1 and 2 both strong, (D) argument 1 and 2 both not strong. When the matter of this controversial question came to light, MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, "The context of asking a disputed question related to Kashmir in MPPSC examination is objectionable. The paper setters who asked the controversial question were from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. They have been debarred by the PSC from preparing question papers in future." He said the PSC and the Higher Education Department have been asked to take action against both while it has been announced that the paper setters have been debarred and no work should be given to them. It may be noted that government has time and again maintained that Kashmir is and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India and has categorically rejected any comment, opinion or intervention from the outside world on Kashmir. UPSC Prelims Results 2022 DECLARED: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday, June 22 declared the results of Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2022 on its official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in. The examination was held on June 5. Candidates who appeared for the exam can check their UPSC prelims result on the official website-- upsc.gov.in. Shortlisted candidates would be required to apply again in the Detailed Application Form-I (DAF-I) for IFS Mains exams or Civil Services Mains exam. UPSC will announce the details for UPSC Mains Exam 2022 on the official website shortly. The prelims exam was held in two shifts. The morning shift began from 9:30 AM to 11:30 PM. The afternoon shift was scheduled to begin from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Those who secure merit in this will be shortlisted for the next round, the UPSC Mains Exam 2022. Every year, around 10 lakh candidates appear for the prestigious UPSC exam in the hope of becoming an IAS officer. Below are the steps to download the UPSC Prelims Result 2022. UPSC Prelims Result 2022: Heres How to Download - Visit the official website of the Union Public Service Commission at upsc.gov.in. - On the homepage, go to the Whats New section. - Click on the link that reads, Result: Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2022 - A new webpage will open on the screen. - Your UPSC Prelims 2022 Result will appear on the screen. - Download the result and take a printout of it for future reference. Candidates are also informed that marks, cut-off marks and answer keys of the CS (P) Examination, 2022 will be uploaded on the Commissions website at https://upsc.gov.in only after the entire process of the Civil Services Examination, 2022 is over i.e. after the declaration of the final result. UPSC is considered one of the toughest exams in the country and is conducted with tight security.! For more details, candidates are advised to go through the official website of the Union Public Service Commission. New Delhi: India, the nation of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha, known for its tolerance and resilience, has witnessed one of its strongest protests that transformed into an intemperate outrage in no time- REASON? Agnipath, a reform made by the NDA-ruled Indian government in the defence recruitment process for the non-commissioned rank. In just four days- 12 trains were burned down, public property worth lakhs vandalised and a railway station was looted of Rs 3 lakh cash in Bihar alone. The Indian Railways, badly disrupted by the nationwide violence, had to cancel 529 trains resulting in massive inconvenience to the civilians. Unfortunately, one person has died and 13 others were left injured as protesters clashed in Secunderabad city in Telangana on Friday- All in the name of Agnipath. The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved the Agnipath recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces. Under this, around 46,000 soldiers, between the ages of 17-and-a-half years and 21 years, will be recruited into the three services in a contract for four years. The youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Ever since the announcement of the policy, anti-Agnipath protestors argue that the scheme strips a soldier of long service with the benefits that he/she deserves and leaves them with no job security and pension. They say that the youth in smaller towns and villages prepare for years to become soldiers in the armed forces as the job brings prestige, a regular income and for some, a way out of poverty, which will not be the case anymore. Many argue that the scheme doesnt take into consideration those who had already cleared physical examination for the defence recruitment as per the previous recruitment system. Another primary concern for the youth is that 75% of the recruits will be left demobilised with no life service and benefits, including pensions. However, a pertinent question that comes to the fore and is being highlighted by many defence veterans is if the scheme would be effective in a nation like ours? To understand the Agnipath scheme from a military perspective, Zee Media spoke to General VP Malik, who served as Army chief during the Kargil War and Geopolitical & Military Analyst and Army veteran Colonel Rohit Dev and Major General Yash Mor. Talking about Agnipaths effectiveness for Indian Army advancement, Gen VP Malik says like any other scheme it has its own set of advantages and apprehensions. However, there is always room for modifications in case something doesnt work out or a need arises. Similarly, Col Dev believes it to be a very progressive and well-thought-out reform for the defence forces which will have due Follow Up Actions, based on suggestions and learnings while implementation. He mentioned the Follow Up Actions being taken by various Ministries and how this will benefit our Forces and Youth as well. On the other hand, Major Gen More said, "In my view, the pitfalls of this innovative scheme will be realised at the functional level, on the ground." The 4 year-tenure concern- from the military lens For most protestors, the temporary 4-year term employment has been the primary concern. While many argue that it would be difficult for the Agniveers to get into the workforce after their tenure in the armed forces, others say that this time frame isnt enough to inculcate the military ethos, sentiments and surmountable training, especially in those recruited for the combative roles. Strongly disapproving of the argument, Gen Malik said that even during the Kargil war, most soldiers who joined the fight were in the services for less than 2 years but fought very well. So the Army sentiment or training cannot be confined to a particular time frame. It is more about how quickly and smoothly the men let the unit ethos seep in and they will be able to do well if trained properly. Time is not of much significance in the case. A jawan is best and adequately trained by the time he takes the oath to serve the country and this has nothing to do with the time frame, said Col Dev on the 4-year-tenure. I dont agree with this argument and believe that the four-year term is more than enough to create well-skilled, disciplined soldiers who will come out not only as effective assets to the army but also as well-prepared citizens to serve in the civilian workforce Col Dev added and gave examples how his Renewable Energy Company PRESPL was hiring Veterans and Ex-servicemen at all levels, as a strategy and how Structured and Non-Structured jobs will be available for Agniveers in future. Agnipath: Will it help to retain only the best in the Armed forces Reiterating his confidence in the Agnipath scheme, Col Dev said that under this recruitment policy, the best performing soldiers and servicemen will be filtered and retained in the army after four years as theres no vast time mandate and this will leave us with the very best of the lot adding to efficiency and quality of Army personnel. So if anyone during the training part or otherwise does not perform to the optimised level and behaves in an improper or, unbecoming manner or creates trouble, the Army wouldnt have to bear them for 15-17 years and the Forces will weed them out. This method of intake will in no way impinge on the military performance but will certainly invigorate it, he added. On being asked if the Agnipath scheme will help Indian Army retain the best of the lot, Major General Yash Mor said that judging the performance of a soldier in a span of four years seems unreasonable. "How will you judge the performance of a jawan in just 4 years? Is it enough for him to get to his best potential? Is there any criteria by which these soldiers will be judged and retained after the tenure, Maj Gen Mor added. The Army needs younger soldiers From the Army perspective, I need a younger people. The way we have functioned for the last few decades, the average age of a soldier in the Indian Army has been raised and this isnt a good sign, said Gen Malik. We have to consider the future of the warfare and our deployments where the soldier needs to be stationed at difficult terrains like Galwan and the high altitude mountains. Our likely adversary China has a tech-savvy military. Our soldiers also need to be tech-savvy, young and fast learners. Young jawans are the need of the hour and the Agnipath scheme will bring young men into the forces he added. On the other hand, Maj Gen Mor said, I disagree with this argument that getting younger soldiers will help or that age was even a point of concern." "No study has been done on this aspect that the army needs soldiers, particularly in that age bracket so that they are more efficient," Maj Gen Mor added. Agnipath will help modernise and strengthen the Army Our defence revenue budget is rising every year on account of pensions. We are left with little money to modernise and purchase technologically enhanced weapons and equipment. It has been long pending and we have to adopt a more practical approach. Agnipath is one way to do this, said Gen Malik. The money that we save will be invested in modernising and giving better weapons, equipment and training in the army. This will in turn optimise our effectiveness as an Armed Force, he added. Col Dev also agreed that the Agnipath scheme, apart from tangible benefits for Forces and Youth, is also focused on the financial repercussion as the pension burden is surmounting and as the military needs more funds to buy modern weapons and technology to face present and future challenges and enhance the quality of life of personnel. Mumbai: Shiv Sena can't be separated from Hindutva, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said while making his address amid a growing political crisis in Maharashtra. The Chief Minister said, "Some people say that it's not Balasaheb's Shiv Sena. They should tell what were the thoughts of Balasaheb. This is the same Shiv Sena that it was at his time, 'Hindutva' is our life." Thackeray also said they have been getting calls from MLAs who have gone with Eknath Shinde. "They are claiming that they were forcibly taken away," he said. Thackeray also made an emotional appeal to rebel MLAs saying that he was willing to quit his post as chief minister. "If you (MLAs) say, then I am ready to leave the CM post. It's not about numbers... I will leave if even one person or MLA is against me. It's very shameful for me if even a single MLA is against me," Thackeray said, adding that, "Sharad Pawar and Kamal Nath phoned me saying they want me to continue as chief minister." While offering to quit, he also said that "if they (rebel MLAs) had something against me, what was the need of saying all this in Surat? They could have come here and said this to my face." He again said, "If any of my MLAs wants me to not continue as the CM, I am ready to take all my belongings from Versha Bungalow (official residence of the Maharashtra CM) to Matoshri." He also said, "CM's posts will come and go but the real asset is the affection of the people. In the past two years, I was fortunate enough to get a lot of affection from people." Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray said he is ready to quit even as Shiv Sena chief, not just Chief Minister. "Let those disgruntled MLAs come forward and demand so," he added. The CM also said, "Will be happy if another person from Shiv Sena succeeds me as CM if I quit." Guwahati/ Mumbai: Eknath Shinde, the leader of the rebellion in Maharashtras ruling party Shiv Sena, on Wednesday made a big claim saying he has the support of 40 MLAs with him. Shinde, who arrived at the Guwahati airport, spoke to reporters for the first time since his decision to rebel against his own party. On late Monday night, Shinde had left Mumbai with several Sena MLAs and stayed at a hotel in Gujarat's Surat city. However, after holding talks with BJP leaders, he decided to shift to Guwahati. Speaking to reporters outside Guwahati airport, Shinde said, Here 40 MLAs are with me. Additional 10 MLAs will join me soon. I do not want to criticise anyone. We are keen on continuing the Sena founded by late Balasaheb Thackeray. His remarks came as speculation is rife that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Upon reaching Guwahati, the Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. "I came to receive them (Shiv Sena MLAs from Surat, Gujarat). I have not counted how many MLAs have arrived. I came here for personal relations. They have not disclosed any program," Borgohain said. Speaking to media persons at the Surat airport here before leaving for Guwahati, Shinde said that they have not left Balasaheb Thackeray`s Shiv Sena. "We have not left Balasaheb Thackeray`s Shiv Sena and will not leave it. We have been following Balasaheb`s Hindutva and will carry it further." The fast-paced developments took place after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray`s close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb`s staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb`s thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb`s teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader`s post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that "technically" the state government is in "minority" as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone. He said that the BJP was presently in a "wait and watch" mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde. "BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority," he said. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial`s post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. Shiv Sena presently has 56 MLAs in Maharashtra legislative assembly which has joined hands with NCP and Congress post 2019 assembly polls and formed government, breaking its alliance with the BJP. (With Agency Inputs) Mumbai: Maharashtras rebel MLAs, including 33 Shiv Sena and seven independent legislators, have signed a letter in support of their leader and state Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde and may seek a floor test in the state assembly. According to news agency ANI, the rebel legislators may write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking a floor test in the state Assembly. The 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam on Wednesday. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. "A total of 40 MLAs are present here. We will carry Balasaheb Thackeray`s Hindutva," said Shinde after arriving in Guwahati. The Shiv Sena MLAs were received by BJP MLA Sushanta Borgohain and BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das at Guwahati airport. #WATCH Gujarat | Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde seen with party MLAs at a Surat hotel, yesterday, June 21 As of now, Shinde, as per his claim, is with at least 40 MLAs who are camping in Guwahati, Assam pic.twitter.com/yvYI4rXbhJ ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2022 Shinde along with Shiv Sena and independent legislatures was staying in a hotel in Gujarat`s Surat following the cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls and took flight earlier today to reach Guwahati. Before leaving for Guwahati, a video was released in which all the rebel MLAs are seen sitting together in a Surat hotel. In another video, all the MLAs are seen putting their signatures on paper. It is believed that by releasing the video, the Eknath Shinde faction demonstrated its strength with the number of MLAs. Shiv Sena throughout Tuesday continued to say that only 10 to 15 MLAs are with Shinde however, after the video Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut`s claim stood false. Notably, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a State Cabinet meeting at 1 pm on Wednesday. In the wake of recent political developments in Maharashtra, Congress deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the state. "The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath AICC observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," Congress said in an official statement. On the other hand, when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was asked about the crisis in MVA, he termed the turmoil "an internal matter of the Sena". Pawar also said he remains fully committed to the three-party government. He also ruled out any tie-up with the opposition BJP. The developments came up after suspected cross-voting in Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged five seats, in a major blow to the MVA alliance government. NCP and Shiv Sena won two each while Congress was able to clinch one seat out of the total 10 seats in Legislative Council that went to the polls on Monday. After the MLC elections, Shinde along with some other Shiv Sena MLAs was staying at Le Meridien hotel in Surat. A Shiv Sena delegation comprising Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray`s close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak had also met Shinde and other party legislators in Surat. Alleging that efforts are being made to topple the MVA government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday had confirmed that some Shiv Sena MLAs and Eknath Shinde were currently "not reachable". He said that Shiv Sena MLAs were in Surat and they were not being allowed to leave. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, however, said that his party would "definitely consider" a proposal if it comes from Shinde to form an alternative government. Amid the drama, Shinde took a veiled dig at Shiv Sena for joining hands with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state and tweeted, "We are Balasaheb`s staunch Shiv Sainiks ... Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power regarding Balasaheb`s thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb`s teachings." Shinde has also dropped "Shiv Sena" from his Twitter bio. He has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the Thane region and was made the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 after the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP. Shinde was appointed as a cabinet minister in the MVA government. However, sources said Shinde has been feeling sidelined since the formation of the MVA government. His son Shrikant Shinde represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. Amid these developments, Shiv Sena leaders met Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal and handed over him a letter requesting to remove Eknath Shinde from the Legislative party leader`s post and replace him with Ajay Chaudhary as Shiv Sena Legislative party leader. Shiv Sena`s Sanjay Raut has claimed the rebellion has been engineered by the BJP to topple the ruling MVA alliance a claim denied by the BJP. There are a total of 288 members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. So the halfway mark is 145 to form the government. With 106 MLAs, BJP is the largest party in the House. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has three MLAs in the assembly. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA, currently, 287 MLAs are there in the Assembly and 144 MLAs are now needed to form the government. Before the rebellion, the Shiv Sena-led MVA government enjoyed the support of 169 MLAs, while the BJP-led Opposition camp had 113 MLAs besides, five other MLAs. The BJP and the Shiv Sena used to be allies until 2019 when after contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together both parted ways over the issue of the chief ministerial`s post. Following days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and the NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government. A few months ago, John Moe wrote a hilarious article for McSweeney's called "What your favorite sad dad band says about you." It is 100% accurate in every way. Well, I'm not a dad, but my favorite sad dad band is the Mountain Goats, and this is what that says about me, according to Moe: The Mountain Goats: You have received sensible health care. You drive Toyota cars and your dalliance with a used domestic pickup that had character did not end well. Your tolerance for people telling you a lot about building a computer ends at the nineteen-minute mark, at which point you politely excuse yourself. Without explanation, you decline the escape room team-building event at work. I saw the Mountain Goats last month in Phoenix and they, as usual, were engaging and energetic and brilliant and hilarious and just all around awesome. They recently announced a new record that will drop on August 19. Pitchfork describes it this way: The Mountain Goats have announced their next album. It's called Bleed Out, and it was produced in full by Bully's Alicia Bognanno. The follow-up to last year's Dark in Here arrives August 19 via Merge. Today, the band has shared lead single "Training Montage" along with a goofy music video. Check it out below and scroll down for the album art, tracklist, and a string of upcoming tour dates. Bleed Out was inspired by action movies from the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, in which Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle found comfort toward the end of 2020. Cozied up in his North Carolina home, Darnielle watched French thrillers like 2008's Mesrine, vintage Italian Poliziotteschi, and 1974's The Freakmaker starring Donald Pleasence. "So, heads up. I got this idea to write a bunch of songs where they were all uptempo mini-action movies," Darnielle said of his process for the new batch of songs. "Plots, characters, heists, hostages, questionable capers, getaway cars, all that stuff. Gas pedal glued to the floor. Eventually as you might guess I wanted at least one song where the tempo relaxed a little and that's the title track but otherwise buckle up. We hid out in the woods in Chapel Hill and made this album with nobody knowing about it. Proper secret-soldier style. It has been pretty hard keeping this under our hats, we are really proud of what we got here." If you can't stand waiting around, in the meantime you can at least listen to the first track off the album they've releasedTraining Montageand watch the video a million times, like I have. I love how it features John Darnielle's completely out of control pandemic hairdo and goatee combo. Simply divine. New Delhi: Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone turned heads in an ivory gown with a plunging neckline at an even in Spain. After representing India at Cannes Films Festival 2022, she stood tall at a Cartier event in Spain. Many photos and videos have been doing the rounds on the internet where the stunner can be seen posing with none other than Hollywood star Rami Malek and Egyptian actor Yasmine Sabri. DEEPIKA PADUKONE POSES WITH RAMI MALEK Deepika Padukone wore a white gown, with layers of frill on the sides and rocked a plunging neckline. She tied her hair in a bun and wore a diamond necklace. Deepika kept her make-up nude and dewy. Rami Malek was seen in a crisp black tuxedo, while Yasmine pulled off a red off-shoulder gown, looking simply sensational. DEEPIKA PADUKONE IN SPAIN Our desi queen Deepika posing with Rami Malek and Yasmine got the netizens talking about it Meanwhile, on the film front, Deepika will be seen sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan, which is all set to release on January 25, 2023. She is also a part of Project K -- featuring Prabhas, and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead roles and the Hindi remake of Hollywood biggie The Intern respectively. (With ANI inputs) New Delhi: Giving further window period for lakhs of eligible farmers of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, the government has extended the deadline to complete mandatory eKYC under from May 31 to July 31, 2022. As per the PM KISAN official website the following three things must be noted. The website says: 1. eKYC is MANDATORY for PMKISAN Registered Farmers. OTP Based eKYC is available on PMKISAN Portal. 2. or nearest CSC centres may be contacted for Biometric based eKYC. 3. Deadline of eKYC for all the PMKISAN beneficiaries has been extended till 31st July 2022. PM KISAN UPDATE: How to do Aadhaar OTP-based authentication - Visit PM Kisan website - Go to farmers corner - Click on eKYC tab - Enter your Aadhaar number and click on Search tab - You will recieve a 4-digit OTP on your registered mobile number - Click on Submit OTP - Enter Aadhaar registered mobile OTP and your eKYC process will be complete Prime Minister Narendra Modi released 11th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on May 31. Modi transferred an amount of around Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched by PM Modi in 2019. The Scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. In a financial year, PM Kisan installment is credited thrice through --Period 1 from April-July; Period 2 from August to November; and Period 3 from December to March. New Delhi: In a shocking incident in Jaipur, a 13-year-old boy posted obscene content from the social media accounts of his parents. The gaming-addicted also hacked the mobile phones of his parents and wiped out the entire data from the devices. But thats not all, he also reportedly threatened his parents via social media, making the case more bizarre. The parents got to know about the involvement of their child behind what was looked at as a hacking attack by a professional after they complained to the police about the shocking incidents happening with them. The parents also told the cyber cell that their phone's screens were flashing strange animations. According to Mukesh Chaudhary, the Cyber expert of Police Commissionerate Jaipur, the parents also found chips and Bluetooth earphones pasted on their houses walls. The devices gave them the impression that someone was snooping on their family. (ALSO READ: Gold price today, June 22: Check gold rates in your city) The cyber cell department found that their son was behind all the bizarre incidents happening with them. However, initially, the child told the police that a hacker had threatened to kill his parents. But later on, the boy admitted that he was doing all this as a prank. (ALSO READ: Markets fall after 2-day breather, Sensex trades 418 points lower) Chaudhary said that the police found in the investigation that it was someone from the family who was doing all this. The police found that the obscene content was posted from a smartphone which belonged to the uncle of the boy. He added that the boy used the phone quite frequently. When parents told us about this, we asked the family members to monitor the activities of their son, and when parents interrogated him strictly, he admitted that he was doing it at the behest of a hacker but later said that he himself was doing all this," Chaudhary was quoted as saying in a report by Free Press Journal. New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience. Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. (Also read: Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro features listed on ecommerce website: Details here) Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for June 22, 2022 Z2FBHASU3VXS 4UBYXPTWERES FXDSTSWYQTJ9 BKSKECCMJZEB L8LNF5WK2YPN TPNAMS84ZE8E 26JT3G6RQVAV A46NU6UFQ2JP 6LU69JJZJ7S8 FAG4LHKD92GZ RHUVSWWVN9G4 FBJ9MTXB9XAP 5R9SAGS5MCK5 2K5AWHD3FKWB XKVJM65ANPUQ AMCT7DU2K2U2 LQ6Q2A95G29F HDQKXDFJ7D4H QA97CXS2JOFO W73D61AWNGL2 UK2PZ3NFGV5U NLCB6S92K2DE (Also read: Shocking! Ex-Amazon Web Services engineer hacked data of 10 crore customers) How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, 22 June 2022 Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID. Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box. Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account. (Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules) New Delhi: Mohit Malik is one of the top TV celebs today. He is totally acing his stunt game in the ongoing season of Khatron Ke Khiladi. The actor amongst a host of other names is one of the most anticipated contestants of the reality show's season 12. From reality shows to daily soaps, Mohit has always been a prominent Indian television face. He already has a large fanbase in India, was pleasantly surprised when he was also recently mobbed by fans in Capetown when he reached there for KKK 12. Receiving such love in foreign, Mohit was overwhelmed and said, "It was lovely to see people recognize me for my work all the way here in Capetown. It just shows how much of an amazing impact our Indian television shows have made all over the world. There were people coming upto me and excitedly calling out my name which got me very emotional". "For me, seeing love pouring across the globe is overwhelming! I feel grateful that all of my work till date is loved and appreciated by people all over the world," he added. Khatron Ke Khiladi season 12 shoot has started and will go on for about 2 months in Cape Town. The contestants of the show are Rubina Dilaik, Sriti Jha, Shivangi Joshi, Kanika Mann, Pratik Sehajpal, Mohit Malik, Tushar Kalia, Chetna Pande, Rajiv Adatia, Nishant Bhat, Jannat Zubair, and others. Khatron Ke Khiladi season 12 will start airing on the TV screens from 2nd July every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm on Colors TV. New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Government has responded strongly to Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind's plea and told the Supreme Court that recent demolitions of properties carried out in the state were done following due process and were in no way related to subsequent action against persons accused of rioting. The Yogi Adityanath government has taken action against rioters as per a different set of statutes, the UP government informed the highest court. "It was only after due service and providing adequate opportunity under Section 27 of the Act that the illegal construction was demolished by the Prayagraj Development Authority on 12.06.2022 after following due process of law and the same had no relation to the incident of rioting, " the UP Government said in its affidavit. The reply from the UP govt came in response to Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind's application against the recent demolition drive in Uttar Pradesh. In its affidavit, the Uttar Pradesh government urged the Court to dismiss Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind's application, saying that it is ''without merit.'' Blaming the petitioner for cherry-picking just one instance of demolition of the house of one Javed Mohammed in Prayagraj, the UP government said the process against that alleged unauthorised construction had been initiated much prior to incidents of rioting. Uttar Pradesh government stated through an affidavit that in so far as taking action against the persons accused in rioting, the State government is taking stringent steps against them in accordance with a completely different set of statutes. Countering the allegation levelled by petitioner Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, the UP government said that the applicant organization has merely hand-picked certain media reporting relating to demolitions to make unfounded allegations against the State machinery and its officers, and seeks sweeping omnibus reliefs unfounded in either law or fact. UP government also accused Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind of attempting to give a mala fide colour to lawful action taken by the local development authorities as per the procedure established by law by cherry-picking one-sided media reporting of a few incidents and extrapolating sweeping allegations from the same against the State. The government submitted that allegations levelled by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind are ''absolutely false and vehemently denied''. UP government urged Supreme Court to dismiss the plea filed by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind which sought directions to the State of UP to ensure that no further demolitions are carried out in the State without following due process. UP government also apprised the court that aggrieved parties have not approached the top court.UP government said recent demolitions have been carried out by the Local Development Authorities, which are statutory autonomous bodies, independent of the State administration, as per law as part of their routine effort against unauthorised/illegal constructions and encroachments, in accordance with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1972. Uttar Pradesh Government told Supreme Court that it takes strong exception to the attempt by the Petitioner Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind to name the highest constitutional functionaries of the State and falsely colour the local development Authority`s lawful actions strictly complying with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, as "extra-legal punitive measures" against accused persons, targeting any particular religious community. Uttar Pradesh Government stated that allegations are absolutely false and are vehemently denied. It also apprised the top court that recent demolitions have been carried out by the Local Development Authorities, which are statutory autonomous bodies, independent of the State administration, as per law as part of their routine effort against unauthorised/illegal constructions and encroachments, in accordance with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1972. The state government has taken strong exception to the attempt by the Petitioner Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind to name the highest constitutional functionaries of the State and falsely colour the local development Authority`s lawful actions strictly complying with the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, as "extra-legal punitive measures" against accused persons, targeting any particular religious community. Last week, the Supreme Court sought the response of the Uttar Pradesh government on pleas by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind and also asked the administration to follow the process of law for carrying out the demolition of alleged unauthorised structures. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has filed an application seeking to issue directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh that no precipitative action be taken in the state against the residential or commercial property of any accused in any criminal proceedings as an extra-legal punitive measure. The application by the organization Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has also urged the Court that any demolition drive that the authorities are planning to carry out in Kanpur District should be stayed during the pendency of the instant writ petition. New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has assured Sri Lanka of her "fullest support" and cooperation for its recovery from the ongoing economic crisis. Sitharaman conveyed the assurance to Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda when the envoy met her on Monday. The Finance Minister of India assured the high commissioner of her "fullest support and cooperation to the process of economic recovery in Sri Lanka", the Sri Lankan high commission said in a statement. It was the latest in a series of meetings Moragoda held with Sitharaman on India's economic cooperation and assistance to Sri Lanka in view of the economic crisis. He had last met her on May 27. Also Read: Our economy has 'collapsed', says Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, 'aid from India NOT....' "High Commissioner Moragoda once again thanked Minister Sitharaman for the continuation of assistance that India is extending to Sri Lanka, and particularly for expeditiously arranging a separate line of credit of USD 55 million granted on June 10 to import 65,000 MT of urea required for the present cultivation season in Sri Lanka," the high commission said. "In response, Minister Sitharaman assured High Commissioner Moragoda of her fullest cooperation to the economic recovery process in Sri Lanka, while expressing the hope that Sri Lanka would recover very soon given the resilience of her people," it said. Moragoda also met with 15 European envoys based in New Delhi, who are concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka. The ambassadors of Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the High Commissioner of Malta attended the meeting on Tuesday. Moragoda briefed the heads of mission on the current economic and political developments in Sri Lanka, especially the plans for the stabilisation and recovery of the Sri Lankan economy, the high commission said. Live TV Colombo (Sri Lanka): Prime Minister of crisis-ridden Sri Lanka on Wednesday (June 22) said that he will hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and arrive at an agreement to obtain an additional credit facility. "The only safe option before us now is to hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund. In fact, this is our only option. We must take this path," said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said while addressing the Sri Lankan Parliament. Wickremesinghe said that his country's debt-laden economy has "collapsed" after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity, and it cannot even purchase imported oil. "Following discussions with the Central Bank, Treasury, relevant government officials, professionals and experts this plan has already been formulated. I urge you to inform us of a better solution if available. In fact, if you are in possession of a practical and more favourable plan for the country we call on you to put it forward," said the Sri Lankan PM. The PM said that an IMF team had arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday. Wickremesinghe lauded the assistance provided by India, however, he said, "financial assistance provided by India is not "charitable donations" and the island nation facing severe economic crisis must have a plan to repay these loans." Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, leading to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, 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 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. The Indian credit lines since January this year have provided a lifeline to Sri Lanka amidst growing public dissent over the worsening economic conditions. Wickremesinghe said next Monday, a team of representatives from the US Department of the Treasury will also arrive in Sri Lanka. We intend to enter into an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. He also laid out the plans to bring out the island nation from this crisis. The Sri Lankan PM also highlighted the debt restructuring plan with IMF. Explaining further, PM Wickremesinghe said that in parallel to holding talks with IMF, Sri Lanka will also organise a credit aid conference with India, Japan and China - the main lending countries to Sri Lanka."We are also currently holding discussions with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United States, other friendly nations and heads of state to secure interim short-term loans till we receive IMF support. We will be able to lay the foundation to ensure economic stability following the successful completion of these tasks. But this by no means will be the end. In fact, it will be the beginning of our journey. A new journey toward a stronger economy. We will then have to forge ahead with our plans to strengthen and create a new Sri Lankan economy," said Wickremesinghe. Athenex Inc. continues to unload its noncore assets, a key part of a turnaround plan the Buffalo biopharmaceutical company announced this year. Its latest move: The company on Wednesday announced an agreement for the sale of revenues from U.S. and European royalty and milestone interests in Klisyri, a medicine used on the skin to treat actinic keratosis on the face or scalp, for $85 million to Sagard Healthcare Partners and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management. Once the deal closes, Athenex said about $80 million of that will be used to go toward existing debt as well as to operate the business. The remaining $5 million would be placed into escrow and paid to Athenex "upon the satisfaction of certain conditions." "We are executing on our new strategy and will continue to deliver on the objectives that we laid out to extend our cash runway by over 18 months," Athenex CEO Dr. Johnson Lau said in a statement. "We are pleased to enter into this agreement, as we believe it generates meaningful benefits for our stockholders as we continue to pay down debt and extend our cash runway." The company, founded as Kinex nearly two decades ago, in March said it was focusing its research-and-development resources on developing cell therapy programs while cutting jobs and slashing costs to lower operating expenses by more than 50%. The shift involved Athenex selling its leasehold interest in a state-funded Dunkirk manufacturing plant to California-based ImmunityBio for about $40 million, a deal that closed in February. Even after shedding the Dunkirk plant, the company still has a sizable presence in Western New York, with its headquarters in the Conventus Building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and a compounding facility in Clarence. As of Dec. 31, Athenex said it had hired 211 permanent employees in the Buffalo area, chipping away at an agreement with the state that it must hire 250 workers here. The proceeds from the planned sale announced Wednesday are geared toward bolstering Athenex's financial position. As of March 31, Athenex had $51.2 million in cash and short-term investments, down from about $62 million at the end of 2021. Athenex, with stock trading near 50 cents, continues slashing costs in turnaround bid While a turnaround will take time, company officials noted positive developments toward their goals during a conference call with analysts Tuesday morning. Athenex first announced a strategic partnership with Almirall, a skin health-focused pharmaceutical company, in late 2017 to develop and commercialize a treatment for actinic keratosis. As part of that deal, Athenex became eligible to receive launch and sales milestone payments as well as tiered royalties. In fact, the launch of Klisyri in the United States led to a milestone payment of $20 million, which Athenex collected as revenue in the first quarter of 2021, and the drug's launch in Europe came with a payment of $5 million, realized in the third quarter of last year. For about two months, shares of Athenex have been trading at around 50 cents which increased slightly to about 55 cents a share in morning trading Wednesday. Jon Harris can be reached at 716-849-3482 or jharris@buffnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByJonHarris. Buffalo Next Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. State Duma adopts bill toughening punishment for torture MOSCOW, June 22 (RAPSI) The lower house of Russian parliament, the State Duma, passed a bill on tough sentence of up to 15 years in prison for tortures in a final third reading on Wednesday. The initiative defines tortures as actions aimed at the intimidation of an individual or forcing a person to commit certain actions. The draft law recategorizes tortures committed by officials as extremely serious crimes punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 years. Moreover, the bill fixes prison terms ranging from 3 to 10 years for abuse of power committed with the use of force or threat of violence, armed abuse of office or resulted in the grave circumstances, including actions against minors. The same actions accompanied by tortures will be punished with jail terms varying from 4 to 12 years with the deprivation of a right to hold certain posts for up to 10 years. The document also introduces prison sentence of up to 15 years with the prohibition to hold specified posts for up to 20 years for tortures resulted in the death of a victim by negligence or causing harm which endangers life. Amendments are proposed to the Criminal Code of Russia. The National Labor Relations Board's Buffalo region director is asking a federal court to reinstate seven local Starbucks workers who were fired, allegedly for their union activities. We are asking the court to swiftly grant the injunction so that the unlawfully discharged workers can return to work and effectively exercise their right to engage in union activities, including collectively bargain a union contract," said Linda M. Leslie, the NLRB's Buffalo regional director. The court filing comes amid ongoing efforts by Starbucks Workers United to organize workers at Starbucks stores around the country, and opposition by the Seattle-based corporation. The petition claims Starbucks improperly fired seven union activists at five Buffalo-area stores over the course of six weeks. Leslie accused Starbucks of launching a "vigorous antiunion campaign." She alleged Starbucks has used illegal tactics at stores where elections were taking place, including selective raising of wages and promising of benefits and bringing in managers to "monitor and discourage" union activity, along with closing stores with active organizing drives and threatening employees. Reggie Borges, a Starbucks spokesperson, said of the filing: "As we have said previously, we believe these claims are false and will be prepared to defend our case." Borges noted that a judge in Arizona earlier this month ruled in favor of Starbucks after the NLRB regional director there sought the reinstatement of three fired workers. The judge in that case said there was insufficient evidence to support the unfair labor practice charges made by the regional director. The latest petition calls for a court to put a stop to "antiunion" activities allegedly occurring at Starbucks stores around the country, and to notify Starbucks workers of their rights under federal labor law. "Absent immediate interim relief, Starbucks will achieve its goal, through unlawful means, of irreparably harming the campaign in Buffalo, and sending a clear chilling message to its employees across the country, Leslie said. The petition also calls for Starbucks to bargain a contract with workers at a Starbucks store on Camp Road in Hamburg, claiming that the company interfered with an election held there. An administrative law judge is scheduled to hold a hearing July 11 on the complaint. "The NLRBs petition is a historic condemnation of Starbucks anti-union campaign," said Ian Hayes, an attorney for Starbucks Workers United. "The companys union busting has been shocking and relentless over the last 10 months, and the relief the NLRB seeks in federal court matches the scope and depth of Starbucks violations of workers rights." Matt Glynn Buffalo Next Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A motorcycle operator was fatally injured in a two-vehicle collision that occurred at noon Wednesday on Route 16 between Hand and Allen roads in Sardinia, according to the Erie County Sheriff's Office. Life-saving measures were performed by deputies on the motorcycle operator who, after several minutes of CPR, was pronounced deceased. The identity of the motorcycle operator was withheld by the Sheriff's Office until the victim's next of kin is notified. The cause of the crash is unknown. The incident remains under investigation by the Crash Investigation Unit of the Sheriff's Office. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Two houses in Wyoming County that volunteer firefighters use for training were scheduled to be burned down after the exercises were complete. Authorities say an arsonist beat them to it. And they are eager to learn who that is. Those two fires in the town of Orangeville and Wethersfield and a third at a silo in Orangeville are all being investigated as arsons. "There's nothing solid yet, but we're turning over every stone," said Bill Streicher, fire coordinator for the Wyoming County Office of Emergency Services. "We're looking into every angle and possible scenario." The fires were all reported in the 11 p.m. hour on successive Saturdays in June. On June 4, a vacant house caught fire in Orangeville. The second fire happened June 11 at a vacant house in Wethersfield. On June 18, a tire fire broke out in a bunk silo in Orangeville. Two firefighters, one from Warsaw and one from Silver Springs, suffered minor injuries while treating the second Orangeville fire. A Strykersville Fire Department tanker truck was damaged during a refill at the Wethersfield fire. The Wyoming County Sheriff's Office and the Wyoming County Office of Emergency Services are handling the investigation. The two houses are owned by Marquart Bros. The bunk silo is owned by TJ Marquart and Sons, which is part of the same family company as Marquart Bros. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Cash, drugs and two firearms were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers during an inspection Sunday of a vehicle that made a U-turn on the Peace Bridge. Officers said the vehicle turned back on the bridge and was required to submit to an inspection. Four men in the vehicle all U.S. citizens indicated that they had purchased items from the Duty Free America shop, but had no intention of traveling to Canada. A Springfield XD-9 semi-automatic handgun that was later determined to have been stolen in 2019 was discovered by officers in the front waistband of one of men in the vehicle. A second firearm a Glock 43, along with a high-capacity ammunition-drum containing 47 rounds was found. About two pounds of marijuana, 80 tabs of the narcotic Nucynta and more than $8,500 cash were also seized. The 25-year-old driver of the vehicle, along with the three other men, aged 25, 35 and 38, were all arrested and taken into custody. One of the men who claimed ownership of everything that was seized was turned over to the Buffalo Police Department to face weapons and narcotics charges, according to a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection. Names of the men were not provided. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Niagara Falls man who lost his job after refusing to comply with a weekly Covid-19 testing requirement has lost his court case. Julian A. Urban, 55, formerly a computer technical support specialist at Erie 1 BOCES in West Seneca, did not amend his lawsuit in U.S. District Court, an option offered to him by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy in April, so his case was closed Tuesday. Urban refused to disclose his vaccination status and to submit to weekly testing, saying in his lawsuit the requirement "violates his right of bodily autonomy and informed consent." Urban sued State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett and Lynn Fusco, Erie 1 BOCES superintendent of schools. The state Health Department requires all unvaccinated teachers and staff working in a school setting to get tested once a week. While Urban's lawsuit referenced state and federal statutes and constitutional amendments "regarding his alleged right, it fails to state where the right is defined, what the scope of the right is and how getting a Covid-19 test violates that right," Judge McCarthy said in April. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PHOENIX (AP) Republicans in the Arizona House approved a massive expansion of the state's private school voucher program Wednesday, voting to allow any of the state's 1.1 million public school students to apply to use public money to attend private schools. The measure comes just four years after voters overwhelmingly rejected a smaller voucher expansion after an unprecedented mobilization by teachers opposed to using tax dollars for private education. The new bill still needs approval in the Senate, which backed a smaller expansion in February. Democrats fiercely opposed the bill, saying there is no testing or other mechanism to make sure children are actually learning. We are disrespecting the will of the voters, Democratic Rep. Kelli Butler of Paradise Valley said of the GOP-controlled Legislature. We are disrespecting the taxpayers who deserve and need accountability for the use of our tax dollars. Currently about 255,000 public school students qualify for the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, although fewer than 12,000 take them. In addition to all current public school students, about 59,000 current private school students would be newly eligible under the new plan championed by House Majority Leader Ben Toma. Many private school students currently get state funding though a separate tax credit program, but over time many would opt for the new funding because the $7,000 average voucher exceeds the average tax credit by more than $2,500 a year, the Legislature's budget analysts said in an evaluation of the costs. Homeschooled students would also be eligible. I really do wonder often why should private schools be the exclusive domain of the wealthy, Toma said. Why shouldnt every child in Arizona have that same opportunity? Parents are the ultimate accountability, he said, and would remove their children from a school that's failing to educate them. Mesa Republican Rep. Michelle Udall was among a few House Republicans who blocked a voucher expansion last year and was opposed to an earlier version this year because it lacked testing or other accountability. She said last week that she wanted much more K-12 spending to win her support, but a separate new funding bill adding about $400 million in spending did not move Wednesday. Udall still voted for the voucher expansion. She didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The Legislatures budget analysts said the voucher expansion would cost the state $125 million a year by 2025, and grow each year thereafter. The Legislature is not adding extra funding for that cost. Meanwhile, Republican legislative leaders will need to drastically trim the nearly $18 billion state budget deal they hammered out with GOP Gov. Doug Ducey or persuade some Democrats to vote for the proposal if they are to get it enacted. With just one-vote majorities in the House and Senate, GOP leaders need every Republican vote, and they aren't there. Some Democrats were working to get changes they needed to get on board. Still, the budget plan was moving on Wednesday, with the Senate Appropriations Committee approving the spending package after a delay the day before triggered by a disagreement with the House. The House, meanwhile, planned to debate and vote on the full plan late Wednesday even as a path through the Senate remained uncertain. The budget's overall spending is Republican Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita's concern. The Scottsdale lawmaker called the spending plan unsustainable and bloated and noted that $2.3 billion in spending is outside the normal budget process and unprecedented. That's straight up manipulation and abuse, she said. She wants some of the state's $5.3 billion cash surplus used to provide meaningful tax relief, potentially a cut in the state gasoline tax. Right now, the Biden Administration is acting more Republican than the Republican (House and Senate) leadership and the Republican governor if he signs this, Ugenti-Rita said. She noted President Joe Biden on Wednesday proposed a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax and urged states to do the same. Democratic Sen. Sean Bowie, who has said all session that he could back a Republican budget, said during the morning hearing that hes close to being able to back the plan, but it will need some specific changes. They include equalizing levels of new funding for all three state universities. Under the current plan. the University of Arizona is getting more new cash. Bowie also wants an increase in the states private school tax credit program eliminated, more school funding and for the Legislature to waive a spending cap for K-12 schools and community colleges for the coming year. I honestly do feel like were close, the Phoenix lawmaker said. Id like a little bit more I think that gets us a long way towards a bipartisan budget." Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. An attorney working as a senior investigator for the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection will leave the post amid calls urging him to run for a Missouri U.S. Senate seat as an independent. John F. Wood's resignation is effective Friday. The resignation was confirmed Wednesday by Steve Crim, a political consultant working with the group formed to back Wood as a Senate candidate, johnwoodformo.org. Crim said Wood has not declared a Senate run, but is exploring the possibility. We are encouraged by Johns decision to leave the select committee on Friday as an important next step in providing Missourians a principled, common-sense choice this November, Crim said in a statement. The committee launched a website on Monday urging Wood to run for retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt's seat. The website called Wood a principled leader who has put country over party when the stakes are highest, and is committed to serving the people of our state with integrity. The launch came the same day a leading Republican candidate, former Gov. Eric Greitens, released a campaign video showing him brandishing a shotgun and declaring that hes hunting RINOs, which stands for Republicans in Name Only. The ad's violent imagery drew strong criticism, including from some conservatives, though Greitens contended it was meant to be humorous. Facebook took down the ad. Former Republican U.S. Sen. John Danforth of suburban St. Louis also has urged Wood to run as a right-leaning independent. Wood once worked for Danforth's staff. Wood, 52, served as U.S. attorney for Missouris Western District from 2007 to 2009 and prior to that held key roles in the George W. Bush administration. He was working as general counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when he stepped down in September to become senior investigative counsel for the Jan. 6 committee. Republicans are skeptical of a third-party bid in Missouri, but some acknowledged there is no backup plan if Greitens wins the primary. Danforth plans to contribute $5 million from his political action committee to advertise in support of a campaign and is seeking to raise substantially more to build on that donation, a person familiar with Danforths decision told The Associated Press Wednesday. The person was not authorized to speak on behalf of Danforth and confirmed the amount on condition of anonymity. To get on the November ballot as an independent, Wood would need to submit petitions signed by 10,000 registered voters by Aug. 1. Twenty-one Republicans are competing in the August primary election. Greitens is considered a frontrunner despite resigning as governor in 2018 in the midst of an investigation into whether he used a compromising photo to blackmail a woman from speaking about their extramarital affair. Many Republican leaders fear Greitens could win the nomination but lose to a Democrat in November, ceding what should be a safe Republican Senate seat in an election where control of the Senate is on the line. Other GOP contenders include Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz and St. Louis attorney Mark McCloskey. Schatz is positioning himself as a Reagan Republican. The others are strong supporters of former President Donald Trump, who has not yet endorsed a candidate in the race. Leading Democratic contenders include former Marine Lucas Kunce and Trudy Busch Valentine, who is part of the Busch brewery family. AP journalists Lisa Mascaro in Washington, D.C. and Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Last week the World Professional Association for Transgender Health released an advance copy of its revised guidelines for transgender health care. The guidelines are to be published in a medical journal soon. Among the guidelines is the recommendation that medical gender transition treatment could be done at a younger age: 14 years old for some hormone treatments; 15 or 17 for certain surgeries. We know from numerous reports that the guidelines are controversial, not just among parents and activists, but among the members of WPATH themselves. That is unsurprising, because the guidelines reflect an attempt to establish a policy within a social context in which every choice of terminology and every study cited is subject to dispute. A complicating consideration is the fact that of the estimated 1.6 million Americans who identify as transgender, a large and rapidly increasing proportion of them are under age 18. But most of what researchers know about whether a person is likely to regret engaging in irreversible treatment comes from studies of people who transitioned after age 18. WPATH appears to have framed their decision in a fairly straightforward utilitarian way: Will it cause less pain and suffering overall to allow gender-affirming treatment at a younger age with the result that some might later regret their decision, or will it be worse to delay that treatment which may cause harm to those who have to wait? I do not have any special expertise in this area, so I will not take issue here with the new guidelines themselves. However, as an ethicist, I have two significant concerns about the way the debate is being framed, both within WPATH and within our greater cultural context. My first concern is the use of suicide as the chief justification for gender-affirming treatments at a young age. The underlying assumption is that suicide is a predictable response to extreme suffering, so if a certain set of conditions result in higher suicide rates (or increased thoughts of suicide), then that is a good indication those conditions contribute to extreme suffering. The threat of suicide is then used by pro-transitioning advocates to pressure parents into consenting to gender-affirming treatment for their child. Reporter Emily Bazelon notes that while researching her recent New York Times Magazine story on gender therapy, [m]any parents told me theyd heard the mantra: Its better to have a live son than a dead daughter. It is not just parents who hear this. Listen sometimes to how adolescents talk to one another about the dangers of non-conformity. Suicide seems to have become the new norm for responding to all kinds of social rejection. We know from repeated studies about social norms that the expectation that a certain behavior is a typical response to a set of conditions makes it more likely that people will act that way under those conditions. Is the constant talk about suicide among transgender youth one of the chief reasons suicide attempts are rising among that population? Suicide is not a health effect, it is a behavior. But we constantly talk as if suicides result from exposure to negative experiences in the same way that cancer results from exposure to toxins. Talking that way is not only careless, it is dangerous and irresponsible. My second concern is the easy assurance with which so many talk about choosing ones identity and the assumption that the biggest challenge is overcoming resistance to social expectations. LGBTQ activists often speak blithely about society moving beyond our cisgender norms, as if that would remove any obstacles to everybody being able to live a more satisfying life of their own choosing. But we dont know how much our individual and social well-being actually depends upon having a stable and reliable social context, certain forms of life that one can just fall into, as it were, without having to explicitly choose them. Bearing the weight of responsibility for choosing every aspect of ones identity can be a terrifying prospect to many. It is not even clear that such a life would be possible. Immanuel Kant wrote of a dove, feeling the resistance against its wings as it flies, imagining how much easier it would be to fly in empty space. Of all the various deceptions and misconstruals to which one can fall victim, the most pernicious is the conviction that it is easy to know oneself if only one could be rid of all outside influences. The difficulty of knowing who we are is so great because human beings live in a world comprised of natural limits while also possessing an imagination that has relatively few such limits. The life we create for ourselves is always something of a compromise among what we can imagine, what we are able to do and what society expects of us. Young people who are questioning their gender identity need above all two things from the communities in which they live. They need to know that the value of their life lies beyond the specific choices they make and beyond the way others might perceive them. Each life is worthy of love and respect, and they should be encouraged to feel their self-worth deeply and consistently. They also need a circle of support comprised of people who are humble enough to listen to them and help them ask the questions that may deepen their understanding of their place in the world. Thats something we all need. Beyond the invaluable work of the House select committee investigating the attempted theft of the 2020 presidential election lies another virtue: Viewers are seeing for themselves that a corps of prominent Republicans remain true to the country and its Constitution. If thats not a surprise, its at least a relief. Too many others in the party seem ready to dissemble or look the other way as the ex-president drags it into a gutter of dispute and threatens to take the country with it. Anyone watching the hearings sees that quiet patriotism in the committees two Republican members, but the heroes are in the witness chairs. Those seats have been occupied by dutiful and devoted party members who declined to sell their souls to the president who pushed them to betray their oaths. Those individuals and others have riveted the country, detailing the criminal pressures they resisted, even as they and their families their children, even were threatened with violence. That has been their price for insisting upon truth and law and standing against the lies Donald Trump told. And still tells. But too many Republicans, including some here in Western New York, remain willing to support the ex-presidents ongoing assault on the Constitution. You can only hope that these putative leaders, including Nick Langworthy and Claudia Tenney, are not beyond redemption. Those two are seeking election to the 23rd and 24th congressional districts, respectively, and are fully in the bag for Trump despite his historic and contemptible assault on American voters. (Former gubernatorial nominee Carl Paladino is also running for the 23rd District seat but he has, in fact, shown himself to be beyond redemption.) Its not just them. Although Rep. Chris Jacobs, R-Orchard Park, bravely stood up to the gun lobby and sacrificed his seat for that act, he has also remained silent on the work of this committee and on the irrefutable evidence of Trumps infamy. He has little to lose, at this point. His voice could make a difference. Perhaps worst of all is Rep. Elise Stefanik of New Yorks North Country. The No. 3 House Republican continues to shill for the corrupt ex-president. Has she watched these hearings? Has any of them? Do they care about the institution they want to serve? On Tuesday, Arizona House Speaker Russell Rusty Bowers, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Trump in 2020, exposed the corrupt effort to pressure him to illegally overrule the voters of his state. His testimony was compelling and ought to be inspiring. In a sign of his potential influence, Trump spread lies about Bowers and their conversations shortly before the Arizonan began his testimony. Also Tuesday, Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, detailed Trumps pressure campaign to get him to break the law. His recording of their conversation showed Trump pushed the Republican to find votes that didnt exist. Falsely insisting that thousands of ballots in Fulton County had been illegally destroyed, Trump issued a vague threat: Thats a criminal offense, he said. And you cant let that happen. Thats a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. But Raffensperger refused to budge. Like Bowers, he had sworn an oath and he clung to it. That drew threats from Trumps more radical followers against him and his family, he told the committee. Do Western New York Republican leaders not care about this? Did they hear the testimony of Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ArShaye Shaye Moss, mother and daughter election workers? Trump, himself, falsely accused them of fraud, upending their lives. Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States target you? Freeman asked in testimony recorded earlier. The president of the United States is supposed to represent every American, not to target one. But he targeted me. She, too, has endured threats, instigated by the former president. Rep. Liz Cheney, the committees Republican vice chair, put it into context. The point is this: Donald Trump didnt care about the threats of violence, she said Tuesday. He did not condemn them, he made no effort to stop them; he went forward with his fake allegations anyway. Langworthy is the head of the New York State Republican Party. He hasnt condemned the violence or the lies, either. He should care about this. Does he? Do Tenney, Jacobs and Stefanik care at all? What are their values that they would choose to support a man such as Trump over honorable public servants Republicans who did right by their country, even at risk to their safety? We understand the pressures of politics, especially in so divisive a time, but thats what makes this is a moment for choosing. You can be for Trump or for the country. Bowers, Raffensperger and many others, including retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig, a highly respected and deeply conservative man, chose the country. They werent going to have any part of the insurrectionist caucus. Its not too late for Langworthy, Tenney, Jacobs and Stefanik to do the same, and we hope they will. Its not that hard. You just have to value your country more than your ambition. Georgians, by the way, just re-elected Raffensperger. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. Two Indian naval ships to visit HCM City Two Indian naval ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kadmatt are scheduled to arrive at Nha Rong Port in HCM City for a visit to the city on June 24-26. The visit is among activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and India. The two Indian ships to visit HCM City The visit includes exchange activities between naval officers of the two countries and a meeting between representatives from the Indian ship and the Vietnamese government. The Indian guests will also visit historical sites in and around Ho Chi Minh City, as well as sporting events. The Indian delegation and Vietnam Peoples Navy will then conduct passage exercise training operations. Visits by navy and coast guard ships from the two countries have become a regular activity. Vietnam Peoples Navy Frigate 016 Quang Trung visited India in February this year to participate in the Multilateral Naval Exercise in Visakhapatnam, India. Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh visited Vietnam on June 8-10. Russian President signs decree on external debt payment MOSCOW, June 22 (RAPSI) President of Russia Vladimir Putin has signed a decree establishing a new temporary procedure of payment of the countrys foreign debt. The document was published on the official website of legal information. According to the document, obligations for Eurobonds are recognized as duly discharged if they are paid in rubles in the amount equivalent to the value of obligations in foreign currency and calculated in the foreign exchange rate formed at Russias domestic foreign exchange market on the day when the payment was made to the central depository. Putin also ordered Russias Cabinet of Ministers and Finance Ministry to determine the banks for payments on Eurobonds according to the general scheme within 10 days. In late May, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced its intention not to extend the external debt service license in dollars for the Russian Federation. Russia in turn said that the American authorities decision violated the rights of foreign investors and brought discredit to the West financial infrastructure. Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said there a real danger that Ireland could become semi-detached from the EU single market if the UK Protocol Bill becomes law. He said that if the British Government pushes ahead with legislation to scrap the bulk of the Northern Ireland Protocol, Ireland may have to face checks on its goods entering the EU single market. Mr Ahern said that while it would be the last resort, the scenario is a step or two nearer following the publication of the legislation. Last week the Government tabled a Bill at Westminster that would empower ministers to override much of the contentious post-Brexit trading regime it agreed with the EU in the withdrawal talks. "Threats to break international law cannot be seen as solutions and only serve to undermine trust. It would be an historic low in relations, signalling a disregard for international law." Bertie Ahern speaking to the @iiea this lunchtime pic.twitter.com/mOzeoqrBko IIEA (@iiea) June 21, 2022 Asked if there is a danger that Ireland could become semi-detached from the single market, Mr Ahern said: Yes. Speaking to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), Mr Ahern said: If this was to continue on down the slippery slope and the legislation is passed, the EU will say that they have to see the single market implemented and if there is no land border then it has to be in ports. I shudder to think and we saw what the delays were in the harbours and other ports two years ago when there were limited checks. You can imagine the difficulty that would create for Irish traders. If it was to continue and this Bill was to be passed, if the EU said we cant get anywhere here, and there has to be checks, which they will, they ultimately will because they have to protect the integrity of the single market. Story continues They have to continue with the line that theres a sea wall around the single market, then theres a real difficulty because if we want to stay in the single market, then you have to go with checks. I think thats the last resort and its something we dont want to see but Im afraid after last weeks position it is a step or two nearer. Mr Ahern also that said that unilateral action is deeply unhelpful in building relationships and trust between the UK and the EU. A partnership that is central to the implementation of the protocol, and not just within this country but with the European Union, which was set out in the agreement, he added. The UKs international reputation as a trustworthy partner is also an issue. 'We are in a position now where the atmosphere is toxic. I do believe that in all negotiations it is possible to find solutions. But it takes two sides to negotiate. It takes the UK & EU in this instance. It takes leadership at the top to do this' @BertieAhernFF IIEA (@iiea) June 21, 2022 In Northern Ireland, Brexit continues to exacerbate political tensions within the Executive and last September north-south co-operation ceased, which effectively means there has been no co-operation on the Good Friday Agreement since last summer. He told the IIEA that it is clear many in Northern Ireland, particularly in the business community, want the protocol to work well and see the benefits of it. But the DUP has blocked the establishment of a new ministerial executive following last months Assembly election in protest at the protocol, which has created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The party has made clear that tabling the legislation is not enough to convince it to return to the executive, saying it needs to see tangible delivery on removing the so-called Irish Sea border. But Mr Ahern said that businesses in Northern Ireland view the protocol as a help to them. The protocol presents real opportunities for Northern Ireland due to access to the single market, he added. He was also critical of the relationship between officials in the Republic and in Great Britain. It has all been extraordinarily negative. My understanding is that at official level, at parliamentary level, at ministerial level, and at heads of state level, that relationships are poor, and this is very disappointing, Mr Ahern added. I think we are in a position now where the atmosphere is toxic. I do think in all negotiations it is possible to find solutions, I never believe things are impossible. But it takes two sides to negotiate. He described Boris Johnson as a clever man, but claimed the Prime Minister has no great interest in negotiating with the EU. Photo credit: NBC - Getty Images We don't know about you, but being the younger sibling specifically, the younger sister comes with many 'a responsibly. And among said responsibilities is having the power to copy (without consequence) everything your elder sister does. But just a few years later and, of course, with more flair and pizazz. However, reversing the roles today is Kim Kardashian, who, as the older sibling, has copied her younger sister, Khloe. When it comes to the Kardashians and #twinning moments, nothing is a surprise anymore. We've seen Kim and Kylie look alike, as well as Kris and Khloe and even Kourtney and Travis Barker's daughter, Alabama. This time though, Kim has only gone and got Khloe's signature hairstyle: the long blonde bob. Just the other day KoKo styled the classic look with a 1990s swish for the The Kardashians Hulu show season finale premiere. And now, Kim has done the same (less swish, more slick) but for her appearance on The Today Show. Coincidence, much? Having said that, Chris Appleton, the celebrity hairstylist behind Keeks' recent look, has styled her hair pin-straight and in a middle parting. On the other hand, Khloe's sits in a deep swooping side part with the ends flicked under. Plus, unlike Khloe, who has her darker roots showing through amidst the blonde, Kim's hair is platinum blonde (more or less) all over. Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images As we all [should] know, celebrities love utilising the power of a wig switcheroo along with extensions from time to time. That way, they can provide all the drama with their look but without committing to a big chop or colour job. So, who knows, Kim's lob could be a wig after all... I guess only time will tell! You Might Also Like Lavras Gold has an estimated one million ounces of gold available from two prospects at the Lavras do Sul project Lavras Gold Corp (TSX-V:LGC) is a Toronto-based company exploring the multi-million-ounce potential of the Lavras do Sul (LDS) gold project in southern Brazil. With approximately C$10 million in cash and a resource base starting at a million ounces of gold at LDS, Lavras expects to realize the potential of the project as a multi-million-ounce gold district by applying an integrated exploration approach to its 22,000-hectare land position. The company is a spin-out of Amarillo Gold Corporation which was purchased by Hochschild Mining PLC in March 2022. In addition to the LDS project, Lavras acquired a 2% net smelter return royalty on certain exploration properties outside the Posse Gold deposit in Mara Rosa, Brazil, from the Amarillo spin-out. LDS features historical gold workings dating back to the 1700s. Exploration to date suggests that the project is primarily an intrusive hosted gold system likely of alkaline affinity with epithermal and porphyry characteristics, with the scale of known gold showings on par with other large-scale alkaline gold systems. Lavras CEO Michael Durose told Proactive that the company was working to de-risk the LDS project from both the exploration side and permitting side as the company pursues increased investor visibility through its recent listing on the TSX-V exchange. An exploration geologist by training with a masters of mineral economics, Durose has worked as a financial analyst for more than 25 years, with a focus on gold and precious metals. Having been a member of Amarillos board from 2009 to 2014, Durose returned to the company in 2019 to supervise a number of exploration projects for the company ahead of the spin-out of Lavras. When the spin-out came, they wanted someone with an exploration background [to lead the company] because thats the stage of this project in order to take it to the next level, Durose said. Lavras do Suls potential Per two NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimates, Lavras has an estimated one million ounces of gold available from two prospects - Butia and Cerrito - at the LDS project. At the most developed prospect Butia, mineralization generally extends from the surface to a depth of 300 metres (m) with a width of 15m to 20m, according to the resource estimate. Durose told Proactive that the million ounces of gold the company has defined to date at LDS were from just two of 23 known gold showings throughout the project's 10 kilometre (km) diameter intrusive gold complex. We think weve got a multimillion ounce exploration project, which is quite unique in Brazil, so were just working away to prove that up, he said. We know well be adding to that system, its just a question of what the grades are, what size they are, what the geometry of those deposits are, and ultimately what the economics is going to look like. Underway at the site is a 12,000m drilling program with two drills on site. Durose said the company is testing three targets - the Zeca Souza, Matilde, and Matilde Extension prospects - with the goal of getting to an additional two targets by the end of 2022. Conceptually, what will likely happen at Lavras is that there will be a central processing facility and we will feed into this mill from the various deposits in the district, Durose explained. Following the exploration stage, Lavras is open to moving the project to the next level itself, however, Durose noted the company was not married to the project, so it was also open to leaving that up to the right group to take the project forward. Well see what the share price is, well see how investors support us and make our decisions accordingly, he said. Working in Brazil The LDS project is located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The site, named for the historical gold mining town of Lavras do Sul, is a four-and-a-half-hour drive southwest of the port city of Porto Alegre. To Lavras advantage, the project is supported by excellent infrastructure, including tarmac roads, water, and power. Durose, who has travelled extensively to mining and exploration projects throughout Central and Latin America throughout his career, said that he ranked Brazil as the most advanced economy in the regions. It's very sophisticated and on the mining side, theyve got a strong mining culture, he explained, noting that it was important to have the right people in place on the ground to push things along. Two members of Lavras leadership team are based in Brazil: country manager Paulo Serpa and project geology coordinator Thiago Schlichta. Serpa is a Brazilian national with more than 35 years of experience developing mines and numerous contacts within the mines ministry of Brazil - advantageous to Lavras when it comes to permitting - and Schlichta has previously worked as an exploration manager for Anglo Gold Ashanti Limited at Serra Grande, Brazil. Serpa is moving to the town of Lavras do Sul, a small farming town of 7,500 people, with Schlichta already having made the move, allowing the pair to be located as close to the project site as possible. The investment case for gold Durose, drawing on his experience as a mining analyst, said the investment thesis for gold was that it is a portfolio diversifying asset. Golds been in a bear market you could argue for 11 years, since 2011, he explained. These cycles always change and the sentiment is starting to change, so I think the prognosis for gold is quite constructive in the near term. He noted that gold was essentially a negatively correlated asset class. When stock markets go up, gold goes down, and when stock markets go down, gold goes up, he said. On Lavras in the context of golds broader outlook, Durose said the company as a junior explorer would move with the gold price as money flows in and out of the sector. Hopefully, well have catalysts that will supersede just the gold price movement which will ultimately be good drilling results to create value for stakeholders, the Lavras CEO concluded. Contact the author Emily Jarvie at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie Metallurgical analysis of select trench samples is still underway, Tocvan said, adding that it expects reports to be available soon Tocvan Ventures Corp. (CSE:TOC) said drilling has resumed at its Pilar gold-silver project in Sonora, Mexico, and will focus on priority exploration targets across the property. The drilling, a continuation of Phase III, targets parallel trends and trend extensions as the company looks to rapidly define the extent of mineralization at Pilar. Recent reconnaissance drilling in a 200-meter gap between the Main Zone and 4-T Trend was successful in defining a new parallel trend - JES-22-63 returned 54.9-meters at 0.3 grams per ton (g/t) gold (Au) and 5 g/t silver (Ag) from 6.1-meters depth. Another 200-meters to the east, surface exploration returned chip samples of 6.6 g/t Au and 433 g/t Ag defining an untested extension of the 4-T Trend, both of these targets will be tested during this stage of drilling, the company said. "We are excited for this next stage of drilling at Pilar, as we feel the potential to expand the known areas of mineralization is very significant," Tocvan CEO Brodie Sutherland said in a statement. "All of these targets have compelling surface geochemistry that warrant further evaluation. Information collected here will be instrumental to the next steps of development as we look to utilize substantial funding to fully unlock the potential of Pilar." Metallurgical analysis of select trench samples is still underway, the company said, adding that it expects reports to be available soon. The company expects to have Pilar match other regional analogs that show a range of gold recovery between 67.6% and 75.0%. Continuous metallurgical work will be required to understand the best methods to recover gold and silver across different domains on the project, Tocvan said. Additionally, over the past two months, field crews have been evaluating priority target areas at the El Picacho Au-Ag project. A total of 180 samples have been collected to date and are pending results. A preliminary trench program assessing the San Ramon and Jabali target areas is being planned for this summer. The Pilar Gold-Silver property is interpreted as a structurally controlled low-sulphidation epithermal project hosted in andesite rocks. Three zones of mineralization have been identified in the north-west part of the property from historic surface work and drilling and are referred to as the Main Zone, North Hill and 4-Trench. Structural features and zones of mineralization within the structures follow an overall NW-SE trend of mineralization. Over 20,700-meters of drilling have been completed to date. Tocvan is a d exploration development company created in order to take advantage of the prolonged downturn in the junior mining exploration sector, by identifying and negotiating interest in opportunities where management feels they can build upon previous success. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com Golden Shield Resources said it will issue up to 4,651,162 company units at a price of C$0.43 per unit Golden Shield Resources (CSE:GSRI) Corp said it has amended the terms of its previously announced private placement and will now raise up to about C$2 million by issuing up to 4,651,162 company units at a price of C$0.43 per unit. The Guyana-focused gold explorer said net proceeds from the offering will be used to advance exploration on the company's properties in Guyana, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. Each unit of the amended private placement will consist of one company common share plus one common share purchase warrant, with each warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Golden Shield common share at a price of C$0.60 for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the offering. As well, the company noted that it has agreed to grant the agent an option to sell up to an additional 697,674 units at the offering price, exercisable in whole or in part, at any time up to 48 hours before the closing of the offering to cover over-allotments, if any. It added that if the over-allotment option is exercised in full, about an additional C$300,000 in gross proceeds will be raised pursuant to the offering and the total gross proceeds of the offering will be about C$2.3 million. The offering is scheduled to close on or about July 5, 2022 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Vancouver-based Golden Shield is exploring three high-grade gold projects in Guyana: Marudi Mountain, Arakaka, and Fish Creek. Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2022) - Global Battery Metals Ltd. (TSXV: GBML) (OTCQB: REZZF) (FSE: REZ) (the "Company" or "GBML") is pleased to announce that it has received all required permits to drill on its 100% owned Lithium King property ("Lithium King Property" or the "Property") in Utah. The objective of drilling is to confirm the potential at depth of lithium bearing brines in the Salduro Salt flat basin. The Company is in the process of selecting a drilling contractor. Lithium King Property Description The Lithium King Property is located on the west side of the Great Salt Lake Basin in western Utah, adjacent to the community of Wendover, Utah. The land position consists of approximately 1,760 acres of placer claims. The Property has the potential to host a lithium and magnesium brine deposit in an existing mineral producing location in a mining-friendly state. Please see the Company's news release dated March 4, 2021, for a detailed project review. About Global Battery Metals Ltd. GBML is a mineral exploration company with a focus on metals that make up and support the rapid evolution to battery power. GBML's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange and quoted on the OTCQB. GBML currently has five projects: (1) an option to acquire up to a 90% in the North-West Leinster lithium property in Ireland; (2) a 100% interest in the Lithium King Property in Utah; (3) an option to acquire up to a 100% interest in the Lapoile lithium project in Newfoundland; (4) an option to lease the Sawyer Camp prospective nickel-copper project in Michigan; and (5) a 55% stake in Peru-based Lara copper property, which has over 10,000 metres of drilling. As previously disclosed, Minsur S.A., a Peruvian mining company, entered into an option agreement (the "Lara Property Option Agreement") with GBML and Lara Exploration Ltd. to acquire the Lara copper property for staged payments of USD$5.75 million. The Lara Property Option Agreement also provides for a 0.75% net smelter royalty in favour of GBML. Story continues Global Battery Metals Ltd. Michael Murphy BA, MBA, MSc., ICD President & CEO T: 604-649-2350 E: MM@gbml.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or" should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans, including a proposed drill program to be conducted on the Company's Lithium King Property in Utah, United States. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128572 The City of Lake Geneva will be in the national spotlight Thursday, June 23, as it will be featured during a segment of "Today with Hoda & Jenna." The segment featuring Lake Geneva will air from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on NBC Channel 5 in the Chicago market and from 11 a.m. to noon on NBC Channel 4 in the Milwaukee market. Lake Geneva will kick off the show's summer 2022 travel series. Officials from VISIT Lake Geneva have worked with "Today Show" producers during the past several month to encourage them to film a show in Lake Geneva. "Today Show" staff visited Lake Geneva, June 16, to film the segment. As part of their visit, the staff interviewed Lake Geneva Cruise Line mailboat jumpers and several people throughout the community and visited local businesses and tourist attractions. During the segment, VISIT Lake Geneva President and CEO Stephanie Klett talks about what attracts visitors to Lake Geneva. The segment is set to include video of the lakeshore path, the Downtown area, Riviera plaza, Mars Resort, and area beaches. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BLOOMER A former Bloomer school district employee accused of having sex with a 16-year-old female pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of sex assault of a student by school staff. Noah R. Lane, 23, 714 Thompson St., was charged in Chippewa County Court in August. The criminal complaint states that Lane had sexual intercourse with the 16-year-old girl in the parking lot of a Bloomer business in December 2020. Lane appeared via video for Tuesdays hearing. He posted a $1,000 cash bond after he was arrested in July. As terms of his probation, he cannot have contact with the victim, her family, or her residence. He also cannot have any contact with any juveniles, or be near schools when juveniles are present. Chippewa County Judge Ben Lane set another hearing for Sept. 9; no trial dates have been set. Lane remains free on bond at this time. At the time of the arrest, Lane was a special education paraprofessional in the Bloomer Middle School. Bloomer Police Chief Jared Zwiefelhofer said one of his officers handled the investigation. His office was tipped off on an anonymous tip line, and there were two possible victims. When Lane was interviewed, he admitted to sex with one of the juveniles. Chippewa County assistant district attorney Scott Zehr said the investigation shows Lane also sent sexually explicit materials to the juveniles. Zehr said the victims are students at the high school. Bloomer Superintendent Brian Misfeldt said Lane was hired in fall 2018 and passed a background investigation. Lane was immediately suspended when the arrest occurred, and his contract was not renewed for the 2021-22 school year, Misfeldt said Tuesday. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 EAU CLAIRE The suspect in last weeks Eau Claire County homicide has been taken into custody, authorities say. Philip R. Novak, 36, was taken into custody without incident overnight Tuesday in Phillips in Price County, Eau Claire Sheriffs Lt. Dustin Walters said Wednesday. The Sheriffs Office would like to thank the community for all the information and tips that came in that led to the arrest of Novak, Walters said. We would also like to thank the officers from the Phillips Police Department for their determination in apprehending Novak. Authorities said Tuesday that Novak was identified as the suspect and was believed to have fled the area. Authorities believed Novak was in northern Wisconsin or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Authorities on Tuesday identified the homicide victim as Eddie L. Banks, 46, of Eau Claire. The manner of Banks death appears to be a gunshot wound, authorities said. Although the primary suspect is in custody, the Sheriffs Office is still following up on a number of leads and has additional interviews to conduct, Walters said. Banks body was found in a ditch last week alongside a rural Eau Claire County road and a death investigation was launched. Walters on Monday said the incident was being investigated as a homicide. Authorities have said since the time Banks body was found that there was no reason to believe the general public was in danger. According to the Sheriffs Office: A passerby contacted authorities at 11:03 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, about a dead body seen in the ditch on the E11000 block of Mallard Road in the town of Clear Creek. Information and evidence collected by the Sheriffs Office led investigators to believe the persons death was a targeted and isolated incident. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 [June 21, 2022] DATAMARK to Speak With Avaya at Customer Contact Week EL PASO, Texas, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DATAMARK, Inc., a global Contact Center and Business Process Outsourcing provider, recently partnered with Avaya to participate in a panel discussion regarding "Key Trends in Conversational AI." The event will take place Wednesday, June 22 and Thursday, June 23 at 11 a.m. PT and will dive deep into embracing a balanced User Experience (UX), Multi-Experience(MX), Customer Experience (CX), and Employee Experience (EX) to ensure a stellar Total Experience (TX). The panel will be moderated by Brian Cantor, Lead Analyst at IQPC. He'll be joined by Ali Karim, Business Engineering Manager at DATAMARK; Gordon Littley, Leader, North America Client Consulting at Avaya; and Hunter Croft, Executive Vice President at Advanced Call Center Technologies. "We're excited to participate in this panel and discuss how we've embraced conversational AI capabilities to ensure a balanced and effective Total Experience at DATAMARK," said Ali Karim, Business Engineering Manager t DATAMARK. "The contact center industry continues to change rapidly, and it's essential to adapt and embrace the trends in order to develop effective and accurate uses of AI to deliver a consistent Total Experience at all touchpoints." The panel discussion will outline the key trends influencing conversational AI for better understanding and processing natural speech and developing more accurate and improved AI. "We've seen tremendous change in the last couple of years regarding AI, and we keep moving fast towards even more change," said Paul Lang of Contact Center Solutions Marketing at Avaya. "This is why it's imperative to keep the conversation going to ensure your business and contact centers are always prepared and equipped with more accurate, improved, and effective AI moving forward." Those interested in learning more about this workshop and attending live can do so by visiting customercontactweekdigital.com. Businesses are built by the experiences they provide, and every day millions of those experiences are delivered by Avaya Inc. Avaya is shaping what's next for the future of work with innovation and partnerships that deliver game-changing business benefits. Our cloud communications solutions and multi-cloud application ecosystem power personalized, intelligent, and effortless customer and employee experiences to help achieve strategic ambitions and desired outcomes. Together, we are committed to help grow your business by delivering Experiences that Matter. Learn more at https://www.avaya.com. Founded in 1989, DATAMARK, Inc. is a leading mid-sized Contact Center and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company headquartered in El Paso, Texas. Small enough to care, yet big enough to serve the world's leading brands, DATAMARK serves large enterprises and government agencies from its delivery centers located in the U.S., Mexico, and India. DATAMARK offers a wide range of CX and BPO services, including omnichannel, multilingual contact center services, document lifecycle management, loyalty program management, and finance & accounting outsourcing. Mark Boudreau 123 W. Mills Ave., Suite #400 El Paso, TX 79901 915-242-0264 Mark.Boudreau@datamark.net Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Featured Image for DATAMARK [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] The former state Supreme Court Justice leading the GOP-ordered review into Wisconsins 2020 election has appealed a Dane County judges decision to hold him in contempt after a heated courtroom appearance. Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington last week held the Office of Special Counsel headed by Michael Gableman in contempt, offering a scathing rebuke of the former justices behavior in court earlier this month, when Gableman accused the judge of being a partisan advocate. Remington ordered Gableman be fined $2,000 a day until he complies with ongoing public records requests and directed Gablemans sneering conduct in Remingtons courtroom to the office that regulates attorneys and judges in Wisconsin to take possible action against his license to practice law. Attorneys for Gableman late last week filed an appeal of Remingtons order, seeking review by a three-judge panel in Wisconsins District 2 Court of Appeals in Waukesha. Gablemans attorneys wrote in the court filing that Remington erred in the June 16 hearing by denying his motion to adjourn the contempt hearing, seeking to force Gableman to testify without legal counsel present and ordering sanctions grossly disproportionate to the violation. Remingtons order was made after Gableman refused to provide testimony in a June 10 hearing. It also came two days after Remington cautioned the former justices staffer Zakory Niemierowicz, whom Gablemans attorneys have described as the sole legal custodian of the requested records, to consider seeking legal counsel, noting that remedial sanctions for contempt could include jail time. Gableman refused to testify without counsel, and after a heated exchange with the court, J. Remington mis-characterized Gablemans objection as invoking Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and found OSC in contempt, Gablemans attorneys wrote in the filing. At Remingtons order, the Dane County Clerk of Courts forwarded his decision and the transcript of the hearing to the Office of Lawyer Regulation, which may be the first such referral for a former state Supreme Court justice who is practicing law after leaving the high court. There are limits to the public availability of complaints filed against lawyers, which are confidential until the Office of Lawyer Regulation, which investigates the complaints, asks the state Supreme Court to act, and the court later issues some form of discipline. Discipline can be anything from a private reprimand to revocation of a lawyers license to practice. Gableman is expected to be back in court on Thursday as part of another case filed by liberal watchdog group American Oversight seeking records related to the ongoing probe. American Oversight has filed three open records cases against Gableman, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and the Assembly seeking public records related to Gablemans review of the 2020 election. Gableman was hired a year ago by Vos, under pressure from Donald Trump to investigate the former presidents loss to President Joe Biden by just under 21,000 votes in Wisconsin. While the probe was originally allocated $676,000 in taxpayer funds, invoices have shown that ongoing court battles surrounding the review have pushed the cost to nearly $900,000. A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Only 24 people out of nearly 3.3 million who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud in Wisconsin. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Columbus woman Savannah Slusarski loves everything vintage, specifically old Hollywood glamour think Marilyn Monroe. It's being sexy without showing everything you got. I feel like it's very empowering to do that kind of modeling, Slusarski said. It's the fun hair and the dark red lips and being flirty and fun without literally showing everything that you have. There's a little mystery with it and I really like that. Slusarski is now one of many women taking part in the 2022 Maxim Cover Girl Competition. The winner of the competition will be featured on the cover of Maxim, an international mens magazine. I do pin-up modeling, which is like the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s style, Slusarski said, noting she started in 2019. That was kind of the photos (submitted for the contest) from some past photoshoots I had done. I wasn't sure if that would be something they would consider cool for Maxim or not, but they accepted it. Slusarski, who works as a hairstylist and makeup artist, said she learned of the contest online and filled out the application. She learned on May 26 that she has been accepted into the contest. The competition is in its first round until Thursday night, and the top 20 in each group will go on to the next round. There will be several rounds until the finals in August. Slusarski is currently second in her group, and there are several groups involved in the competition. Those wanting to vote for her can do so at bit.ly/3biWKOG. There is a free daily voting, which requires verification to prevent spamming. There are also special warrior votes that benefit the Homes for Wounded Warriors, which helps build and remodel handicap-accessible homes for disabled veterans. The warrior votes allow someone to pay for extra votes, with proceeds benefiting the organization. In addition to being the cover girl, the winner will also receive $25,000 and a trip to Paris for a photo shoot. Slusarski said if she won, she would give some of those funds to a local nonprofit. Her voting page states she would also take her family on a vacation. I have been so blessed to be a part of my community and work with so many people that work with Center for Survivors here in Columbus, she said. I've personally known some people who have gone through some really rough times and they have certainly helped them immensely. Braeden Tyma, a Kearney-based photographer specializing in cars and pin-ups, said hes known Slusarski for a couple of years, having met her through a mutual friend. She considers the whole concept of a photo shoot. So for shooting with a car, she thinks to the area of the car, the style of the car and how that relates to her hair, her makeup, her wardrobe, Tyma said. She connects the whole concept, everything that's going to be in the photo, which is what makes the photos stand out. Tyma noted hes known others competing for a chance to work with magazines like Maxim and Inked, and he enjoys seeing people from small areas trying their hand at the field. I always love to see people who are not from the coasts or not from Texas or somewhere big that are out here trying to compete and do things and use their photos beyond just like pegging them on the wall, Tyma said. She's really pushing for that. Her skill level as a model is so above and beyond that. She would deserve and fit in with models that are being hired by that magazine. The pin-up community, Slusarski said, is body positive, something she appreciates and strives for. She noted shes always been interested in modeling and acting but has heard her fair share of negative comments. When it came to modeling, I was always told you're not tall enough, you're not skinny enough. When you get told that your whole life, you really do believe it, Slusarski said. I feel like if I could win this, it would be proof that you don't have to be 6 feet tall and a size zero to be to make it on a big cover, to be on the face of the magazine. I love to be the face of a not normal girl that you see on the magazine. Slusarski said throughout her career as a hairstylist and makeup artist, shes spent her time making women feel as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside whether it be family photos, headshots, senior pictures, school dances or weddings. I have spent so much time behind the scenes because I know what it's like to feel not enough to be in front of the camera. My goal in life and in this experience is to encourage others, it doesn't matter what the naysayers think, you don't have to be ideal you just have to believe in yourself, she said. If this is all the further I make it in the competition, it's perfectly fine because I've been able to experience all this love and support from my community and I'm so proud to be a Columbus native. Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Columbus resident John Peterson has been coming to Ag Park for the horse racing since moving to the town in 1990. He got hooked into attending the races thanks to relative. "It's the atmosphere. Friday nights, they usually have big crowds and cheap beer so that was always a good draw," Peterson said. "I got a son-in-law who's a trainer, so he got me involved that way." Peterson was one of hundreds in attendance Saturday to witness the final horse races at Ag Park. If the plan stays on track, the horse racing season will move to a 1-mile track at the Harrah's Casino project. "I thought they would make a bigger deal about it with this being the last one," Peterson said. "I'm excited for the new mile track that's coming in on the west side of town." The larger track is what Peterson is most looking forward to. "It's a mile track. It's the only one around here," he said. "You're going to get better horses, more horses and bigger purses." Mary Beiermann, a Columbus resident for about 40 years, said she was also excited on the possibilities that'll come with the new oval. "Maybe better payout, more horses and longer season," Beiermann said. Saturday night was Beiermann's first race day she attended this summer. She said she normally tries to come once a year. "It was the last night and I finally got somebody to come with me," Beiermann said. Beiermann's daughter joined her at Ag Park as she was in town from Colorado. She described her emotions of being among the crowd for the final night of horse racing at Ag Park. "It's bittersweet. I wish they still run here," Beiermann said. "I'm kind of anxious for the new track as well." Dawn Lafromboise experienced her first horse racing season at Ag Park this year. She said her partner was the person who worked the gates at the track this season. Before the Columbus horse racing season began, they were in Grand Island for four months. They're heading to Denver next. Lafromboise said she was impressed with the crowd turnout. She said she's been to Turf Paradise in Phoenix when nobody was there. "I'm glad to see there's a good turnout and there's still enough horse to do the races," Lafromboise said. Columbus Exposition and Racing member Dan Clarey told The Telegram in May that construction on the race track were going to be started this summer. Clarey said the racing surface could be done in the fall with the other construction getting underway in 2023. Having been to numerous tracks in the area, Lafromboise said she's eager to see what the new one will look like. "I heard they're building a new one," she said. "We've had our chance to go around here and we can tell it's a little bit older, so it's good to have a new one." Sam Ficarro is a reporter with The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at sam.ficarro@lee.net Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Its not uncommon for Pennsylvanias 253-member General Assembly to shower deserved praise on active and retired members of the U.S, Armed Services, or to solemnly honor those who have fallen in the line of duty. But when state lawmakers here were given a real opportunity to help service members and veterans recently, they flubbed it in the worst way possible. On June 13, the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee effectively buried a package of gun violence-reduction bills, mainly authored by Democrats, by exiling them to an unrelated House panel where their chance of receiving a vote is almost nonexistent. One of those bills seeks to authorize the creation of extreme risk protection orders, which allow for the temporary, court-ordered seizure of someones weapons if its shown that they pose an immediate danger to themselves or to others. Such orders, popularly known as a red flag law, have been shown to prevent firearms suicides, based on analysis of data in two states, Indiana and Connecticut, where they are on the books, according to a CNN fact-check. The proposals enjoy bipartisan backing and preserve due process. Thats because petitioners seeking to seize weapons, usually law enforcement or family, must meet a burden of proof. Gun owners are allowed to contest the orders in the case of the long-term seizure of someones weapons, as legal scholars Joseph Blocher and Jake Charles wrote in a Washington Post op-ed earlier this month. And the courts, they add, have not seen any constitutional issue. The numbers also have shown that veterans are particularly at-risk for firearms suicides, and thus stand to benefit the most from the laws. Nationwide, about 17 veterans die by suicide every day, and 12 die by a self-inflicted firearm injury, according to RISE: Veterans, a Pennsylvania-based advocacy group. Of the 498 suicide deaths among service members in 2019, 318, or 64 percent, involved a firearm, the group said, citing 2020 U.S. Department of Defense data. And while veterans comprise around 7 percent of the nations adult population, they account for 18 percent of the countrys gun suicide deaths, the group said. The emergency orders do not strip the rights of veterans, and they prevent permanent restrictions on firearms ownership, the groups executive director, Aryanna Wagner, a veteran, wrote in a letter to state policymakers. The red flag laws, which also enjoy popular support, provide law enforcement officials with a formal, legal process for an order to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations, Wagner wrote. It is our hope that Pennsylvania legislators are serious about addressing the epidemic of veteran suicide, and support a legal tool to protect our community of veterans in the commonwealth. Unfortunately, theres no evidence the red flag law bill will be brought to a vote anytime soon. Todd Stephens, a Republican state representative and a former prosecutor, said that while the Pennsylvania General Assembly has focused much of its attention on cracking down on gun crime in the commonwealths largest cities, it has done vanishingly little to address the issue of firearms suicide. If his colleagues were serious, he added, Republicans, who mainly represent the states vast rural middle, would realize that this is an issue that hits them in their own wheelhouse, since suicide deaths are rising in rural Pennsylvania. Suicide is the larger problem where we havent focused enough attention, Stephens said. We need another tool in our toolbox. Whats particularly galling about the Pennsylvania legislatures lack of action is that the gun reform framework now before lawmakers on Capitol Hill incentivizes states to pass such laws. That language, however, had reportedly emerged as a sticking point in negotiations. But Ill turn to the data again: Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have red flag laws in place, according to Marketplace. And for every 10 to 20 red flag orders that are issued, you avert one suicide, NPR reported, citing data compiled by a researcher at the University of California, Davis. That may not sound like a lot. But for the family and loved ones of a veteran thinking about suicide, thats the difference between an empty place at the table, or having them with you. Passing a red flag law is the best, and most effective, way lawmakers can honor the service of veterans and the people who wear the uniform. The aid from Washington only will help. Pennsylvania and other states should not pass it up. An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is Editor-in-Chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pa. Email him at jmicek@penncapital-star.com and follow him on Twitter @ByJohnLMicek. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Today's Sentinel police log includes an arrest in the rape of a child in the area of LeTort Park, as well as an incident of someone shooting a sleeping man with a BB gun. Gleim introduced House Bill 2521 in April and it was referred to the education committee on April 14. The bill would create the Anti-Indoctrination in Teaching Act, which would prevent teachers or other school district employees from compelling students to adopt or adhere to beliefs that violate the Civil Rights Act; specifically those that involve inequality or unequal treatment based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age or familial status. Though the new bill does not broach the subject of critical race theory specifically and only points to protections under the Civil Rights Act, Gleim in an editorial she submitted to newspapers this week pointed directly to critical race theory, as well as racial justice, as a reason for the bill. Whatever terminology is used, it is a belief system marketed through the U.S. Department of Education K-12 curriculum that replaces history as we know it and teaches our children history through the lens of social and racial oppression, Gleim wrote. If the historical viewpoint is not accepted, your child will be labeled inherently racist or sexist, and even then, there is no way of rectifying that identity. Gleim said she has received examples from parents regarding material in class, but her office declined to provide any of those examples or specific complaints when asked for more information. Democrat Alan Howe, who is running against Gleim in this years election for the 199th House seat, said the growing movement to change how history is taught is concerning. The anti-CRT and anti-woke movements were created by white supremacists to stop the honest teaching of American history in schools, including the history of slavery, the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Native American tribes, the rise of the KKK and Jim Crow, and more, he said. Our commonwealth was a leader in abolition, and Gleims bill is an insult to that history and to our educators. He also accused Gleim of adopting the cause of the Moms for Liberty group, which the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights labels as a far-right group with a school-centered focus. The group espouses Stop woke indoctrination, and one of Gleims personal Facebook posts on the private groups account went viral among local Democrats for her position on residents volunteering to become substitute teachers as a way to keep an eye on what teachers are doing. It is telling that the motivation in her [editorial] is entirely hidden in the bill she crafted, Howe said. House bill Gleims effort regarding transparency in what teachers teach is still evident in her latest bill. Its co-sponsors include Rep. Dawn Keefer, Rep. Greg Rothman and Rep. Perry Stambaugh. The act would require training for teachers on engaging in academic discussion without imposing their personal beliefs, as well as set up a system and timetable for how complaints can be filed with school districts and school boards and the process in which the investigation must take place and when those involved must be notified of decisions. The act also establishes a state appeals process of the schools decision. The goal is to teach students to be independent thinkers and discerning consumers of information and different viewpoints, Gleim wrote. At the same time, the bill can be administered in a way that preserves due respect for educators and efficiently dismisses unsubstantiated complaints. The bill, she said in her editorial, is a replacement for her co-sponsored House Bill 1532, which would have created the Teaching Racial and Universal Equality Act and addressed the teaching of racial and sexist concepts in both public schools and post-secondary schools supported by the state. That bill had been referred to the Education Committee in June 2021, but did not come up for a vote. The new bill only addresses what is being taught in K-12 public schools. The best way to defeat bad ideas and destructive ideologies is to introduce students, and teachers in a few cases, to better ones, Gleim said of her new bill. Once passed, this bill will provide a comprehensive framework to root out critical race theory and its destructive derivatives from our childrens classrooms. Teachers are with our children upward of eight hours a day, nine months a year, and contribute substantially to a childs upbringing. They have a lasting impact on our children and this issue is far too important for me and my fellow representatives not to tackle. Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. American Airlines will drop service to Dubuque, Iowa, beginning on Sept. 7, ending flights for the regional airports sole commercial airline. The move adds a fourth city to the list of recent pullbacks by American Airlines as the company grapples with a pilot shortage. The airline previously said it will also drop service to Toledo, Ohio; Ithaca, N.Y.; and Islip, N.Y., following the Labor Day weekend. American informed the Iowa airport on Tuesday that it would drop service, an airline spokesperson and the Dubuque airport director said. The airport is not closed, Dubuque Regional Airport Director Todd Dalsing said in a statement. We have robust general aviation with multiple corporate and private aircraft, including the University of Dubuque. Dalsing noted that the airport also hosts various events and Sun Country Airlines charter flights. The airport has not yet announced if another commercial airline will replace American, but Dalsing said staff continue to meet with legacy and low-cost carriers. The pullback is the latest fallout after American and other airlines shed millions of jobs at the height of the coronavirus pandemic to cut costs. But now travel demand is surging, with daily passenger output regularly surpassing 2 million people at the nations airports at rates that approach pre-pandemic trends. Airlines have struggled to keep up with that rising demand, facing issues like pilot shortages and higher fuel costs, driving prices higher. Carriers like Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have cut back on their schedules this summer, and thousands of flights were canceled or delayed this past weekend ahead of Fathers Day and Juneteenth. American Airlines has been a long-time partner for many years in Dubuque, Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh said in a statement. We fully understand this is a nationwide issue with multiple airlines and airports announcing air service cancellations and reductions. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), who represents Dubuque, blamed the cut back on President Biden. I am disappointed that the pilot shortage has led to American Airlines canceling service to Dubuque, Hinson said in a release. The consequences of President Bidens failed policies are reverberating throughout our economy and taking opportunities away from communities like Dubuque. I will continue to work on commonsense solutions to get our economy back on track and promote economic development in Iowa. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Biden administration on Tuesday announced that it would limit the U.S. militarys use of land mines. Well break down the policy, plus talk about Attorney General Merrick Garlands unannounced visit to Ukraine. 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. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here. Biden moves to limit use of land mines The Biden administration on Tuesday moved to limit the U.S. militarys use of land mines, reversing a Trump-era policy that loosened restrictions on anti-personnel land mines. Under the new policy, the Biden administration said the U.S. will not develop, produce, acquire, export or transfer anti-personnel land mines and will not use them, with the exception of along South Koreas border with North Korea. The White House said Biden had directed the U.S. to align its policy on land mine use with provisions of the Ottawa Treaty, a 1997 treaty with the goal of eliminating the use of anti-personnel land mines around the world, with the exception of around the Korean Peninsula. A White House fact sheet cited the unique circumstances on the Korean Peninsula in explaining the exemption for the new policy. Additionally, the White House said Biden would order the Pentagon to work to find alternatives to such land mines that would allow the U.S. to join the Ottawa Convention, which the U.S. cannot join because of its current policies. Why this change? The White House cited the disproportionate impact of land mines on civilians and children in announcing the new policy, which came after an extensive review. The world has once again witnessed the devastating impact that anti-personnel landmines can have in the context of Russias brutal and unprovoked war in Ukraine, where Russian forces use of these and other munitions have caused extensive harm to civilians and civilian objects, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. Story continues President Biden is committed to continuing the United States role as the worlds leader in mitigating the harmful consequences of anti-personnel landmines worldwide, she said. Backstory: The Trump administration relaxed a ban on the use of land mines in early 2020, saying that the Obama-era prohibition put U.S. troops at a disadvantage. The Trump-era policy allowed U.S. military commanders to order the deployment of land mines in exceptional circumstances around the globe. That policy had been under review by the Biden administration since at least last spring. Biden as a Democratic presidential candidate vowed to roll back the Trump-era policy, calling it reckless and saying it put civilians at unnecessary risk. Read the story here. Garland makes unannounced visit to Ukraine Attorney General Merrick Garland made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart to discuss the prosecution of war crimes in the Russian invasion. While there he announced the creation of a War Crimes Accountability Team to centralize the departments work in holding accountable those who have committed war crimes. Why Garland went: Garland met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova to reaffirm the United Statess commitment to identify, apprehend and prosecute those who have taken part in war crimes during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to a tweet from Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley. Garland said in a video Coley posted that he came to Ukraine to continue the discussions he has had with Venediktova on how the U.S. can assist and is assisting Ukrainian officials in holding individuals responsible for the atrocities the world has seen. The United States is sending an unmistakable message: there is no place to hide, he said. We and our partners will pursue every avenue available to make sure that those who are responsible for these atrocities are held accountable. Behind the war crimes effort: The former director of the Justice Departments Office of Special Investigations, which was responsible for identifying and deporting Nazi war criminals, will lead a team to investigate war crimes that have occurred in Ukraine. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a release Tuesday that Eli Rosenbaum, who has served in the department for 36 years, will lead the War Crimes Accountability Team, which will focus on war crimes and atrocities committed during Russias invasion of Ukraine. Working alongside our domestic and international partners, the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable every person complicit in the commission of war crimes, torture, and other grave violations during the unprovoked conflict in Ukraine, Garland said in the release. SECOND AMERICAN KILLED IN UKRAINE The Department of State on Tuesday confirmed a second American citizen has died while fighting in Ukraine. A State Department official, speaking on background, said U.S. citizen Stephen Zabielski died in Ukraine. The official did not offer any further details. State Department officials have been in touch with the family and have provided all possible consular assistance, the official added. We once again reiterate U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict and the singling out of U.S. citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials, the official said. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options. About Zabielski: Zabielski, 52, of Hernando, Fla., died while fighting in the village of Dorozhniank, according to his obituary in local news outlet The Recorder. He is formerly of Cranesville, N.Y., and enjoyed life, including riding his Harley motorcycle as well as hunting and fishing. Steve will be missed by all who knew and loved him, the obituary reads. He is survived by his wife, five stepchildren, seven siblings and his extended family. Other Americans who died: Zabielski is the second American citizen to die in Ukraine during combat after Willy Joseph Cancel, a 22-year-old former U.S. Marine. Cancels family reported in April that a military contracting company sent him to Ukraine. Read the full story here. ON TAP TOMORROW The Atlantic Council and the Delegation of the European Union to the United States will host the 2022 EU-US Defense & Future Forum at 8:30 a.m. The Ronald Reagan Institute will host an event on Countering Foreign Information Operations: Developing a Wole of Society Approach to Build Resilience at 10 a.m. The Hudson Institute will host its Defense Disruptors Series: General CQ Brown and the US Air Force at 10:30 a.m. The American Bar Association will host an event on The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Status Update at 12 p.m. The Quincy Institute and The American Conservative will host an event on The New Right: Ukraine Marks Major Foreign Policy Shift Among Conservatives at 12 p.m. The Center for a New American Security will host a conversation with Michael Brown, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit at 12:30 p.m. The Institute of World Politics will hold an online seminar on Counterintelligence and Cyber Technology at 6 p.m. SENATE The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing Examining FEMAs Strategic Priorities and Disaster Preparedness at 2:30 p.m. The Intelligence Committee will hold a closed intelligence hearing at 2:30 p.m. The Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on NATO Enlargement: Examining the Proposed Accession of Sweden and Finland at 2:45 p.m. HOUSE The Appropriations Committee will review the FY 2023 Report on the Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2023, Defense, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills at 10 a.m. The Armed Services Committee will markup the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act at 10 a.m. The Intelligence Committee will hold a closed National Security Budget Hearing at 10 a.m. The Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Oversight of the Department of Justice National Security Division at 10 a.m. The Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health will hold a legislative hearing at 10 a.m. The Appropriations Committee will markup the FY 2023 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee Bill at 5 p.m. WHAT WERE READING Biden signs cyber bills into law The Hill Opinion: The military has a serious recruiting problem Congress must fix it The Hill Opinion: US weapons technology can help Ukraine while reassuring Russia Thats it for today. Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow! READ THE FULL VERSION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A high school principal in Pennsylvania has been charged with 30 counts of sexual intercourse and contact with a student, according to court documents filed Monday. Roger Weaver Freed, 34, who served as a principal of Williamsport Area High School, is accused of maintaining a yearslong sexual relationship with a student that continued after the student graduated high school and while he was attending college, according to court documents filed in a magisterial district judges office. Freed is charged with 30 counts of third-degree felony school-intercourse/sexual contact with a student, in addition to several other charges, which include third-degree felony corruption of minors defendant age 18 or above, second-degree felony sexual assault, second-degree aggravated indecent assault without consent, and three misdemeanor counts of furnishing liquor to a minor, court documents show. It is unclear at this time if Freed has retained an attorney. CNN attempted to reach out to Freed but did not hear back. The student told investigators that he approached Freed around 2015 after noticing that he was popular with students at the middle school service center, according to the affidavit. At the time, the student was attending Williamsport Area Middle School, the document says. Police say the student began to believe that he could lean on Freed for emotional support after one of his family members died, the affidavit said. The student said he trusted Freed like an older brother, it said. The in-school conversations turned into numerous after school interactions beginning in 2015 and progressing through 2018, when the student graduated high school, court documents said. The sexual relationship continued until April 2022, the affidavit said. The student told police that Freed volunteered to drive him to various locations for one-on-one conversations. He added that he and the principal were bros, and could talk about anything, especially the students sexuality, the document said. Story continues In 2017, the student and Freed discussed advancing their relationship sexually one evening while driving around Williamsport, the affidavit said. After driving to a parking lot, Freed said to the student, You promise not to tell anybody? and I could lose my job over this, while massaging the students shoulders, the affidavit said. Following the first alleged sexual encounter, the student told investigators that Freed stressed the importance of not telling a soul, and how their relationship was private, according to the document. The student said he felt overwhelming guilt about the sexual encounter, according to the affidavit. The two continued to engage in sexual acts 4-5 times a week, always at night, throughout the next two years of high school, the document said. The student told police he continued an emotional and sexual relationship with Freed throughout the remainder of his senior year in high school and into college, detailing multiple sexual encounters, the affidavit said. Freed was arraigned Tuesday and his bail was set at $175,000. CNN attempted to reach out to Williamsport Area School District but did not hear back. CNNs Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Fredericktown FFA had two members participate in the Missouri Agribusiness Academy. Leah Thompson and Gavin Graham earned the opportunity to travel with twenty-eight other FFA members from across the state with the Missouri Agribusiness Academy. Agriculture has a tremendous impact on our nations economy, and Missouri is at the heart of this industry," according ot the Missouri Department of Agriculture website. "It is important that young people carry on the tradition and heritage of those who have made this state the agricultural leader it is today and develop the skills necessary to continue that legacy in the future. "Since 1988, the Missouri Agribusiness Academy (MAbA) has awarded 1,030 academy memberships through a competitive application and interview process. To be eligible for the Missouri Agribusiness Academy, students must come from a farming family or be an active member of the National FFA Organization or 4-H. The 2022 MAbA class will toured agribusinesses, explore educational opportunities and meet with agricultural leaders in the Kansas City area on June 6-10, 2022. The students will ended their week in Jefferson City. Gavin Graham, chapter Treasurer said his highlight of the academy was the friendships and connections made with other members of the academy and having the opportunity to meet all of the great people who help make the agricultural industry better and more efficient. Touring different businesses and facilities were interesting. Some included Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri-Pacific Lumber, DeLaval, American Angus Association, Triumph Foods, Agriculture Future of America, Ad Farm, American Royal, Kansas City Zoo, MFA Rail Facility, Trans Ova Genetics, and the Hemme Brothers Creamery. Gavin also said they had an overview of the Missouri Department of Agriculture with the director of Agriculture Chris Chinn, and Etiquette Dinner, CAFNR presentations, a meal with Kate Lambert, a True Colors Activity, meal with guest speaker Jim Bellis, and concluded the academy with a presentation given by Missouri Farm Bureau. When speaking with Leah Thompson, chapter President, she also recounted many of the tour locations and experiences. Her two favorite places were Triumph Foods, a hog processing plant;, and Missouri Pacific Lumber, a wood mill. Both industries are ones Leahs family is involved with in Madison County. Leah said her highlight of the trip was creating so many friendships in such a short amount of time. She said, by the end they all felt like a family. This is definitely the best experience I have ever had in my life and I will always be very thankful for having the opportunity, Leah said. Leah and Gavin are involved in the Fredericktown FFA on a variety of levels and heavily immersed in the agriculture industry. This is an experience they will without a doubt remember for a lifetime and be able to utilize the knowledge of the agriculture industry they have gained to better the industry. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 [June 21, 2022] Digital Marketing Leader MTA360 Unveils Free, Limited-Time Offer for AI Chat and Google Review Software Complimentary offer enables residential HVAC and related home improvement businesses to improve conversion ratio and lower cost of obtaining new leads SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MTA360, a 2021 Top Google Marketing provider serving the home improvement, HVAC and related industries, announced today a free, limited-time offer that enables prospective customers to try two of its industry-leading online tools: Artifical Intelligence (AI) Chat and Review Software. Customers who sign up for the offer will gain complimentary access to these distinct, proven MTA360 technologies for a 12-month period. The AI Chat technology enables 24/7 engagement for website inquiries with instant, customized, brand-aligned scripted responses. With MTA360's innovative chat technology, 60% of chats, on average, are converted to leads. MTA360's Review Software links to any Google My Business profile and makes it easy for happy customers to post positive reviews, which improve search engine optimization and lead generation. "Our fully engaged clients enjoy an average cost per lead in the $25 range, a massive savings compared with the industry average of $300," said Jack Nagy, president of MTA360. "This leading technology works so well, especially for home improvement-related businesses, we want to share it with more organizations for a full-year free test run. These digital marketing tools are well-suited for the HVAC and other home improvement industries, which are looking for easy-to-deploy proven technologies to drive awareness, consideration, and business." MTA360 designs and develops highly effective SEO-ready websites from scratch using roprietary technology with no templates or themes, which can get in the way of search engine rankings. The company's SEO strategies are industry-specific with built-it natural backlink creation, which is a significant factor in enhancing site ranking, especially on Google. The firm uses a proprietary technology to easily drive updates across its customers' websites and provides full-service hosting and support with quick-turn content updates. Thousands of home improvement contractors use the AI Chat and Review Software tools to improve conversion ratios and generate new leads. The two technologies go hand-in-hand, but can be utilized independently if desired. The review software makes it easy to generate positive customer reviews, which are important to SEO and increasing website traffic. The software integrates with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and payment/bookkeeping systems to deliver a unified customer journey. The AI Chat feature enables 24/7 customer support, allows for easy human interruption when desired, and, on average, converts 60% of chats to leads. The MTA360 offer is available for a limited time, represents a $5,000 value and is available to all home improvement contractors. To sign up for the free offer, click here. About MTA360 MTA360 delivers proven digital marketing technologies that drive business. As a leading full-service digital marketing, training and advertising agency focused on the home improvement industry and related businesses, the firm was recognized by MarTech magazine as the 2021 Top Google Marketing provider for its ablity to create SEO-ready websites that rank prominently on top search engines. The company has headquarter offices in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Tampa, Fla., and is staffed with a team of digital marketing and technology experts. The firm has thousands of clients across HVAC, plumbing, solar and roofing sectors that are reaping the benefits of the MTA360 technology and approach, deploying digital marketing technologies that work and driving an average cost per lead of $25 and as low as under $10. Media Contact: Mardi Larson Amendola Communications (for MTA360) mlarson@acmarketingpr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-marketing-leader-mta360-unveils-free-limited-time-offer-for-ai-chat-and-google-review-software-301572403.html SOURCE MTA360 [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] A Park Hills man was killed and multiple other area motorists were injured in separate Tuesday accidents in St. Francois, Washington, and Ste. Genevieve counties. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) crash report, 29-year-old Steven Monia of Park Hills was driving a 2017 Toyota Corolla north on St. Joe Drive in Park Hills Tuesday morning. The report states that at 9:48 a.m., Monias car traveled off the right side of the road and struck a concrete pylon support at the intersection of St. Joe and Parkway Drive. The report indicates the man was pronounced dead by St. Francois County Assistant Coroner Greg Armstrong at 10:02 a.m. and taken to the St. Francois County Morgue. Monia was listed as not wearing a seat belt, and damage to the vehicle was listed as total. Later on Tuesday, a motorcyclist was injured in a separate, one-vehicle crash in Washington County. The MSHP report states that 44-year-old Robert Wilkinson of Blackwell was driving a 2015 Honda CBR600RR motorcycle north on Highway 21 when, at 3:10 p.m., the bike traveled off the right side of the road and overturned east of Highway 47. Wilkinson sustained serious injuries in the accident and was taken by Washington County Ambulance to Mercy Hospital South for treatment, according to the report. The patrol noted Wilkinson was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The report lists damage to the motorcycle as minor. A teen driver was injured after hitting a utility pole and a tree in a separate accident Tuesday afternoon in St. Francois County. According to the crash report, a 16-year-old driver from Park Hills was heading south on Germania Road in a 2008 Ford F-150 truck. The report states that, at 3:22 p.m., the truck traveled off the right road edge, striking a utility pole and a tree a quarter of a mile south of Tiffany Road outside Terre Du Lac. The juvenile reportedly received moderate injuries in the accident and was taken by St. Francois County Ambulance to Parkland Health Center in Bonne Terre. The MSHP reports the teen was wearing a seat belt during the crash, and damage to the truck was listed as total. Another juvenile was injured while riding as a passenger in a truck that turned over in Ste. Genevieve County Tuesday night. The MSHP crash report states that 18-year-old Elijah Wann of Farmington was driving a 1998 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck heading west on Saline Creek Road with his 17-year-old male passenger, also of Farmington. At 8:25 p.m., the report states, the truck traveled off the left side of the road and Wann overcorrected the vehicle. The vehicle reportedly returned to the road and flipped on Saline Creek Road east of Cave Road. The MSHP reports Wann was uninjured in the crash, but his juvenile passenger sustained moderate injuries and was airlifted by Air Evac helicopter to SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. The patrol stated Wann was not wearing a seat belt during the accident, while the juvenile passenger was wearing a seat belt. Damage to the truck is listed in the report as moderate. Following the accident, records indicate Wann was arrested and charged with DWI - serious physical injury, operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident, and failing to wear a seat belt. An area man was injured in a separate accident occurring in Washington County Tuesday evening. According to the MSHP crash report, 50-year-old Doyle Dunivan of Cadet was driving a 1998 Honda Accord south on Highway 47 when at 8:30 p.m., the car traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree south of Eagle Road. The report states Dunivan was moderately injured in the collision and was transported to Washington County Memorial Hospital by the Washington County Ambulance District. The man was reportedly wearing a seat belt during the accident, and damage to the vehicle was listed in the report as extensive. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After state officials gave the green light last Wednesday, allowing Mineral Area College (MAC) to offer a variety of academic programs at Cape College Center for the next five years, Dr. Joe Gilgour, MAC's president, announced the agreement during MACs monthly trustees' meeting held last Thursday. With the trustees unanimously approving the agreement, the fractious dispute between Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) and the Park Hills-based community college appeared to reach an end. Members of the state Coordinating Board of Higher Education (CBHE) gave MACs proposal its provisional approval, which will let the school offer several dozen associate programs at the Cape College Center for a five-year period made up of lower-level academic courses that its likely an incoming university student would take in their first and second years of working towards a four-year degree. Earlier in the year, MAC took possession of Cape Girardeau Countys geographical jurisdiction from Three Rivers College, which had received authorization to offer academic courses at the college center. MAC agreed to pay Three Rivers $100,000 each year for ten years, Gilgour said, to offset the loss the Poplar Bluff-based community college received from the center. SEMO initially opposed MAC's plan, claiming it had jurisdiction over collegiate academic offerings in Cape Girardeau. Members of the CBHE ordered officials at both schools to attempt a negotiated settlement on the issue, with the deadline for that agreement having passed at the end of May. In an interview with the Daily Journal, Gilgour explained how the agreement was reached between the two schools. We submitted our request in February and that was in time for the April board meeting, he said. We got a lot of public support. They opened up for public comment and there were almost 150 letters of public support from the Cape Girardeau area. The state said that was the most public support theyd ever received for any program request they ever had, so we are really humbled by that and really appreciate that support from the community. There were some questions about how well interact. I mean, theres already a university in town. Would we be duplicating programs? Things like this that needed to be answered. The commissioner decided to wait a little longer and have us work with the university and some mediators, so to speak. We were able to come together, and we didnt come to anything special on that, but the coordinating boards next meeting was in June and so, they just put it on their agenda and went ahead and approved it. Gilgour believes MACs move into Cape Girardeau County is going to be a game-changer for the community college that in recent years has seen a steep decline in enrollment and financial shortfalls that have resulted in the school dropping a number of its most popular offerings such as music, theater and agribusiness. The community college, according to data annually compiled by Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD), has seen a 49.2% drop in enrollment since 2014, eclipsing all other two- and four-year colleges and universities in Missouri in terms of loss in enrollment. This is a really big deal for MAC, Gilgour said of the Cape College Center deal. We get to expand and serve another community thats really important to us. At every trustees board meeting I read the schools mission, Providing access to quality affordable education to the community, and Cape Girardeau is in our community. We actually have 17 counties in our community. This is a community thats been wanting a community college for two decades and just hasnt been able to get one." Gilgour explained that the college's service region is comprised of school districts that touch 17 counties. Its taxing region involves school districts that primarily lie in two counties, Madison and St. Francois. They (Cape Girardeau community members) invited us to become a part of the community and be the community college provider. With the approval of the state this last week, were able to do that. So, its a big deal for us because it really expands our reach and allows us to keep offering more services to more areas more access to education. Its basically going to be an outreach site, just like our outreach sites in Perryville, Fredericktown and Potosi. According to Gilgour, until last week, MAC was one of a handful of community colleges in the state that did not have a four-year university campus in its service region. If you look at Moberly Area Community College theyve got a campus in Kirksville, next to Truman, he said. They've got a campus in Columbia with Mizzou they work really close to Mizzou. Theres OTC in Springfield with Missouri State, and all of these colleges just work really well together. Im anticipating were going to see a lot of students coming through that maybe didnt know if they were quite ready for the university but want to try college so they can try with us and then well help them get ready and be a little buffer between not going to college and the big university. We can be that middleman and help them get ready and help them travel on to the university. The spokesperson for the president of Southeast Missouri University, Dr. Carlos Vargas, said the university's feelings on the subject had not changed and referred inquiries about the future of the center, which is located in a building owned by Cape Girardeau Public Schools, back to Gilgour. Dr. Wesley Payne, president of Three Rivers College, did not respond to attempts to contact him. Gilgour thinks MAC will be providing a popular service for Cape Girardeau high school students. I could see a lot more students taking advantage of our associate of arts degree thats a transfer degree, he said. A lot of our students do that now. They transfer to all kinds of universities, but not having a home campus of a university in our service area means every student has to relocate to transfer. Now, students in Cape Girardeau go to school with us and then transfer right into the university, right there in town, if thats what they choose to do. Gilgour stressed that no local tax dollars will be used to fund MACs Cape Girardeau campus. Our outreach sites are intended to be self-sufficient and so we dont use local tax dollars for Potosi, Perryville, or now, Cape Girardeau, he said. We want to make that clear. Kevin R. Jenkins is the managing editor of the Farmington Press and can be reached at 573-783-9667 or kjenkins@farmingtonpressonline.com Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Charlottesville will honor and remember those killed and injured in the deadly Aug. 12, 2017 white supremacist Unite The Right rally with an art installation displayed on the Downtown Mall, thanks to the donation of a local photographer. Eze Amos, a Charlottesville-based photojournalist, is donating the memorial installation, entitled the The Story of Us: Reclaiming the Narrative of #Charlottesville through Portraits of Community Resilience. The memorial will consist of between a dozen and 16 printed photographs on vinyl, attached to and displayed within the trees along the Downtown Mall. According to the proposal, no images of violence will be used. The components of the memorial would be attached to various trees along the Downtown Mall, accompanied by QR codes that will allow the public to listen to audio recordings of individual stories about moments captured within the photographs. Amos has taken photos for The New York Times, NPR, Getty Images and The Washington Post. The goal of the project is to allow those personally affected by the events of the Unite The Right rally to reclaim their stories. The audio recordings will feature Charlottesville residents telling their stories about events and their lives in Charlottesville before, during and after Aug. 11-12, 2017. These personal narratives will illustrate what we know to be true about Charlottesville. It is a city with a complex history and many flaws, but it is also a place of resilience, of unity, of art, and of joy, the proposal states. National media outlets have portrayed our community in negative ways and overlooked all of the ways weve moved toward a better understanding of one another and our citys history, the proposal states. This project allows our community to share their personal stories that are unseen and untold, giving voice and opportunities to share stories beyond the medias narrative. The City Council voted unanimously to accept the donation from Amos at its Tuesday meeting. Councilor Sena Magill will act as the council liaison for the project. Amos is a very, very capable photographer. Ive admired his work for years. Im confident we will be very pleased with what the public will see, Mayor Lloyd Snook said. Everybodys got their own version of what happened that day, he said. Part of what makes [Amos] vision for this so compelling is hes going to have 15 or 16 people tell their vision of what happened to them. Councilor Michael Payne said hed like the city to also look into a more permanent memorial to Aug. 12, 2017. The events of Aug. 11 and 12 continue to define the past several years in our community, and our politics. I think its something we should memorialize, Payne said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Supreme Court issued its biggest gun rights ruling in more than a decade. Here's a Q&A about what the decision does and does not do. It was many years coming, but with the stroke of his pen on Tuesday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin authorized Virginias newest state park, one that will preserve and commemorate Culpeper Countys two most significant Civil War battlefields. In adopting the commonwealths two-year budget, the governor cleared the way for the nonprofit American Battlefield Trust to donate 1,700 acres in Culpeper to the state. Now, Youngkins administration can set to work to create a turn-key state park for opening by July 1, 2024, as mandated by the Virginia General Assembly. The park will incorporate lands preserved at Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Hansbroughs Ridge near Stevensburg and elsewhere. Virginia historian Clark B. Hall, long the chronicler of Culpeper in the American Civil War, said he is elated by the news. We cant wait to see all those eager to experience a historic, scenic and engaging landscape flock to the Piedmont to enjoy Culpeper Battlefields State Park, American Battlefields Trust President David Duncan said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. At the trust, we are fond of saying that we build parks and tell stories, some of the greatest stories in American history, Duncan added. In this instance, we mean it especially literallythe creation of this new state park is the culmination of hard work across long years. The national preservation organization has been protecting land on the Culpeper County battlefields of Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kellys Ford and Rappahannock Station for decades. First, the group saved the land from threats of inappropriate development, then bought it outright. The new park promises a meaningful addition to Virginias landscape in greater recreation opportunities and economic potential through heritage tourism, Duncan said. Now, it is up to state agencies to craft a plan that will efficiently transfer the trusts holdings to Virginia and create the infrastructure necessary for a successful park, he said. The trust, which protects sites from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War, expressed its gratitude to Youngkin, whose signature has brought this journey to its happy conclusion, Duncan said. We are deeply indebted to a number of insightful lawmakers who embraced our vision and helped bring it to reality, he said. Specifically, the trust thanked state Sens. Bryce Reeves and Chap Petersen, House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, state Sen. Emmett Hanger, Del. Michael Webert, Del. Robert Bloxom Jr., Del. Alfonso Lopez, Sen. David Marsden, Del. Daniel Marshall and Andrew Wheeler, senior advisor to Gov. Youngkin. For Hall, a retired FBI agent who lives in Culpeper, the park effort has occupied a big chunk of his life. When we started the Brandy Station preservation effort in 1987, the question that I was most often was, If you succeed in saving the battlefield or part of it, will there someday be a park here? he recalled Tuesday afternoon. I was asked that all the time. I used to answer, We sure hope so. We hope it will be a park. Thanks to the dedicated services of a lot of people, who were with us at the beginning and remain with us now, we have succeeded, the historian said. And the governor, to his credit of that of his staff and his supporters, had made it a reality as of today. In the Battle of Cedar Mountain, waged on Aug. 9, 1862, Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson repelled Union forces that marched into Culpeper intent on capturing the critical rail junction at Gordonsville in Orange County. The Battle of Brandy Station, which caught Confederate infantry commander J.E.B. Stuart by surprise, was the opening fight of Gen. Robert E. Lees Gettysburg campaign, his armys second invasion of the North. It was the largest cavalry engagement fought in the Western hemisphere. The June 9, 1863 battle, the first time that Union cavalry proved it was the equal of Stuarts vaunted horsemen, saw Stuart severely criticized in the press. Today, historians still debate his role and how events in Culpeper and Gettysburg affected the wars outcome. The Culpeper battle also involved Union Gen. John Buford, later a hero of the first days fighting at Gettysburg. He ordered a desperate charge against a Confederate artillery battery that shelled his troops from high ground around St. James Church. During the Civil War, Culpepers setting between the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers made it strategically important to the Union and the Confederacy. Thousands of enslaved people crossed its rivers northward to freedom at the first opportunity. As free men enlisted in the U.S. army, some later returned to fight for their country on the same ground. The American Battlefield Trust, which educates the public about what happened on the nations hallowed battlegrounds and why it matters today, has protected more than 55,000 acres from the three major wars waged on U.S. soil. Learn more at battlefields.org. The Benton County Health Department continues to work with community partners to offer COVID-19 vaccination events throughout the county during the month of June. Between medical providers, pharmacies and special vaccination events there, is an opportunity every day to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Here is the schedule of upcoming special events: Philomath: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 24, cafeteria, Clemens Primary School, 535 S. 19th St. 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 24, cafeteria, Clemens Primary School, 535 S. 19th St. Monroe: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 25, commons, Monroe High School, 365 N. Fifth St. 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 25, commons, Monroe High School, 365 N. Fifth St. Corvallis: 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 26, Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis, 1112 NW Circle Blvd. The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available at each event. No identification or proof of address is needed, and individuals do not have to live permanently in Oregon to get the vaccine. All events are fully accessible. To request additional accommodations, call 541-766-6120. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-VaccinationEvents. All individuals 5 years or over are eligible to receive the vaccine, including the newly authorized booster dose for those 5 to 11 years old. Drop-ins welcome, no appointment needed. Primary vaccination series and first and second boosters will be available at each of the events. Individuals 5 years and up should receive a first booster dose at least five months after completing their primary series. Individuals 50 years or over, as well as those 12 to 49 years old with immunocompromising conditions, can receive a second COVID-19 vaccine booster. This second booster can be given four months after the previous one. Even if authorized, the COVID-19 vaccine for younger children ages 6 months to 4 years old will not be available at these events. This vaccine is a new formulation; supplies need to be distributed and providers will need time to prepare before it can be offered. For this age group, a pediatricians or other medical providers office can provide a more welcoming environment. Benton County Health recommends that parents and guardians work with their medical providers once this age group is eligible for vaccination. The Lebanon Police Department has arrested a Lebanon man suspected of multiple sex crimes allegedly committed against a minor. Police arrested Wesley Clarence Wright, 58, on Monday, June 20. A secret indictment was filed in Linn County Circuit Court June 16. The indictment alleges Wright sexually abused a child under the age of 12 on multiple occasions between 1996 to 2001. According to the indictment, four witnesses appeared before a grand jury, including the alleged victim. Wright is accused of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and five counts of first-degree sodomy. The indictment listed Wrights security amount at $600,000. Wright was arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court Tuesday, June 21. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 4 CCTV: An article on UK newspaper The Mail on Sunday cited a source saying that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), had recently confided to a senior European politician that the most likely explanation for the origin of COVID-19 was an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan. Whats Chinas comment? Wang Wenbin: China has received clarification from the WHO Secretariat regarding the report. The Secretariat made it clear to us that Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus did not make those remarks either publicly or privately. The report you mentioned is entirely false and the Director-General completely refutes the story in the article. China has stated its position on the lab leak hypothesis on multiple occasions. The so-called lab leak is a lie created by forces against China. It is politically motivated and has no scientific basis. WHO international experts have visited the lab in Wuhan at Chinas invitation. The report of the joint WHO-China study concluded that lab leak is extremely unlikely. It is quite irresponsible and ill-motivated for certain media outlets to rehash the lab leak rumor by citing anonymous sources that do not exist. It only adds to the evidence that the lab leak assertion is part of the political manipulation of certain parties to smear China, obstruct science-based origins-tracing and undermine international cooperation against COVID. More and more clues from the international science community are pointing the origins of the coronavirus to sources around the world. Yet the US government still has not given a convincing answer on major questions such as when COVID-19 first broke out in the US, nor has the US responded to the worlds legitimate concerns over the highly suspicious activities in the labs of Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina. If there has to be a study into the role of labs, then highly suspicious ones at Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina must be examined first. If certain parties truly care about the progress of origins-tracing, they should ask why the US still has not responded directly to the doubts from the international community, and they should call on the US to open up those labs for international investigation. That would be a concrete way to support origins-tracing. AFP: Ive got two questions. US President Joe Biden has said that he plans to have a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discuss moves to lift US tariffs on Chinese exports. Has the date and time been fixed? The next one is, is China planning to send any humanitarian aid to Afghanistan after a deadly earthquake that has killed at least 200 people? Wang Wenbin: On your first question, I have no information to offer. It needs to be stressed that its important to maintain head-of-state exchanges between China and the US. Any specifics would need to be discussed and determined by both sides through diplomatic channels, and enabling conditions and atmosphere would also need to be created for such interactions. On your second question, we mourn the victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan and extend condolences to the bereaved families and the injured. According to information gathered by our embassy in Afghanistan so far, no Chinese casualties have been reported. Afghanistan is a friendly neighbor of China. We stand ready to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in light of its needs. CCTV: It is reported that since July 2021, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received over 46,000 applications from Afghan refugees hoping to go to the US through the humanitarian parole process. However, as of June 2, only 297 requests, or less than 1% applications, from Afghans had been approved. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: I have noted the reports. During the 20 years of US invasion in Afghanistan, over 30,000 Afghan civilians were killed and 11 million Afghans became refugees. As the one who created the Afghan issue in the first place, the US should have assumed due responsibility for Afghanistans restoration of stability and post-war reconstruction. However, the US has no courage to punish war criminals, no sincerity to help the Afghan people, and no sense of responsibility to own up to its action and make amends to the Afghan people. Even worse, the US seized billions of dollars of Afghan peoples life-saving money and turned away large numbers of Afghan refugees. This is not how a responsible major country behaves. This is might makes right. The plight of the Afghan people is just one example of all those around the world suffering from the USs ruthless willfulness. US aggression and interference and the conflict and turbulence it has generated are taking a huge toll on small and weak countries. And yet the US continues to wave the flag of democracy and human rights, and assert the status of a rules-based international order. The US says little, however, about how many innocent lives have been lost and how many families torn apart as a steep price for this order championed by the US. Bloomberg: Just over one in ten Australians have faith in the Chinese government to act responsibly in international affairs, according to a Lowy Institute survey today, down from 4 years ago when 52% of Australians had a positive view of China. How does China respond to this? And does China think that Chinese action such as tariffing Australian goods is responsible for this decline? Wang Wenbin: We generally dont comment on specific poll findings. What I would like to tell you is that the measures China has taken on imported foreign goods are strictly consistent with Chinese laws and regulations and WTO rules with a view to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of relevant industries in China and the safety of our consumers. The measures are legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. Our position on China-Australia relations is consistent and clear. We hope the Australian side will handle bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit and work with China to promote the sound and steady development of China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. Bloomberg: I have two more questions. The first one is China's mainland made its third largest incursion into Taiwans ADIZ on Tuesday, sending 29 aircraft near the island. What prompted this? And is Beijing aware that Taiwanese officials are in Washington this week to discuss a potential arms deal? Wang Wenbin: Your first question does not concern Chinas foreign relations. I would like to refer you to the competent authorities. On your second question, we always firmly oppose official interactions and military ties between the US and Taiwan and US arms sales to Taiwan. We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the norms established in the three China-US joint communiques, stop all forms of official interactions and military ties with Taiwan, stop arms sales to Taiwan, and stop emboldening Taiwan independence separatist forces. We would also like to make it clear to the DPP authorities that soliciting foreign support to seek Taiwan independence will get them nowhere. Anyone who throw themselves on the mercy of others will only end up being tossed aside like used chess pieces. Bloomberg: You said you urge Australia to use mutual respect in relations. Is it your position that Australia is responsible for making the first move to improve relations? What specific steps do you want to see from the new Australian government? Wang Wenbin: I stated Chinas position on China-Australia relations earlier. We hope the Australian side will handle bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit and work with China to promote the sound and steady development of China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. Phelicia Kossie-Tonje stopped a woman in the middle of her story about how the father of her children was smashing windows, breaking doors and slashing her tires. Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. The Juneteenth flag flies over the Colorado State Capitol Building on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in honor of the first official recognition of the new state holiday. (Hannah Metzger/Colorado Politics) David is an award-winning Senior Investigative Reporter at The Gazette and has worked in Colorado for more than two decades. He has been a journalist since 1982 and has also worked in New York, St. Louis, and Detroit. Runaway ostrich startles motoristsWith a deft flip of a coiled rope, Dr. Richard Marlin Perkins Schulz yesterday lassoed his escaped ostrich, setting the stage for the old sock-over-the-head trick and a safe return to the animals pasture. Actually, it wasnt all that funny for the Schulz family or the ostrich, who was struck at least twice by hit-and-run drivers on U.S. Highway 90. Schulz, a Marianna physician, keeps numerous varieties of animals on his farm, including camels, llamas and deer. Jackson County Floridan, July 9, 1974 Marianna man is killed in Tallahassee shootingA 41-year-old Marianna man was shot and killed yesterday by a Tallahassee policeman after he reportedly assaulted the officer with a butcher knife as he was investigating a routine automobile accident. Dead in the mishap is Timothy Bell of Marianna. Bell, a former resident of Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, was involved in a traffic accident in Marianna at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, when he collided with a police car while driving the 1966 Pontiac that was destroyed in the Tallahassee wreck. Jackson County Floridan, July 9, 1974 Stone to open race in countyU.S. Senate candidate Richard Dick Stone officially opened his campaign in Jackson County today. The former Florida secretary of state was the featured guest at a luncheon at Tonys Restaurant, to which about 100 had been invited. The Jackson County stop on the first day of qualifying for state and national offices in Florida was the first day of a 67-county All Florida Campaign Tour planned by Stone. Jackson County Floridan, July 9, 1974 Attorneys debate executive powersThe Supreme Court has begun deliberations based on 459 pages of briefs, three hours of oral argument and a file including still-secret material on President Nixons Watergate claim of executive privilege. A lawyer for special Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski, Philip Lacovara, asked the court in a historic hearing Monday to explicitly, decisively and definitively uphold a lower court order directing Nixon to produce records of 64 White House conversations. Jackson County Floridan, July 9, 1974 As the power available to NASA's InSight Mars lander diminishes by the day, the spacecraft's team has revised the mission's timeline in order to maximize the science they can conduct. The lander was projected to automatically shut down the seismometer - InSight's last operational science instrument - by the end of June in order to conserve energy, surviving on what power its dust-laden solar panels can generate until around December. Instead, the team now plans to program the lander so that the seismometer can operate longer, perhaps until the end of August or into early September. Doing so will discharge the lander's batteries sooner and cause the spacecraft to run out of power at that time as well, but it might enable the seismometer to detect additional marsquakes. "InSight hasn't finished teaching us about Mars yet," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division in Washington. "We're going to get every last bit of science we can before the lander concludes operations." InSight (short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is in an extended mission after achieving its science goals. The lander has detected more than 1,300 marsquakes since touching down on Mars in 2018, providing information that has allowed scientists to measure the depth and composition of Mars' crust, mantle, and core. With its other instruments, InSight has recorded invaluable weather data, investigated the soil beneath the lander, and studied remnants of Mars' ancient magnetic field. All instruments but the seismometer have already been powered down. Like other Mars spacecraft, InSight has a fault protection system that automatically triggers "safe mode" in threatening situations and shuts down all but its most essential functions, allowing engineers to assess the situation. Low power and temperatures that drift outside predetermined limits can both trigger safe mode. To enable the seismometer to continue to run for as long as possible, the mission team is turning off InSight's fault protection system. While this will enable the instrument to operate longer, it leaves the lander unprotected from sudden, unexpected events that ground controllers wouldn't have time to respond to. "The goal is to get scientific data all the way to the point where InSight can't operate at all, rather than conserve energy and operate the lander with no science benefit," said Chuck Scott, InSight's project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Regular updates on InSight's power and observations from mission team members will appear on blogs.nasa.gov/insight. The InSight team will also be available to answer your questions directly on June 28 at 3 p.m. EDT (noon PDT) during a livestream event on YouTube. Questions can be asked using the #AskNASA hashtag. More About the Mission JPL manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supports spacecraft operations for the mission. A number of European partners, including France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), are supporting the InSight mission. CNES provided the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument to NASA, with the principal investigator at IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris). Significant contributions for SEIS came from IPGP; the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland; Imperial College London and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center (CBK) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB) supplied the temperature and wind sensors. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Election officials predicted a light turnout for Tuesdays runoff elections in the GOP and Democratic primaries, but Houston Countys polling fell short of the forecast with only 14.71 percent of the countys 78,105 registered voters casting ballots in the state and local races. Locally, Houston County District 3 Commissioner Ricky Herring easily bested a challenger in Tuesdays Republican runoff election, retaining his seat for another term. Herring sailed to a win with 2,218 votes (62.8%) over challenger Richard Talley, who finished with 1,314 votes (37.2%). Incumbent Herring faced five challengers in the May Primary. While he finished with 2,251 votes, he failed to win outright, ending up with 47.78% of the vote, leading to a runoff with closest challenger Talley, who polled 22.11% with 1,042 votes. Herring was in the news earlier this year after he refused to approve proposed member to the Houston County Healthcare Authority. The controversy was resolved following the resignation of one board member, resulting in Herrings appointment of his favored appointee. In Houston County, GOP ballots numbered 10,931 in Tuesdays polling while 556 voters cast ballots in the Democratic runoff, which had a single race, a runoff between Yolanda Rochelle Flowers (385 votes, or 69.24%) and Malika Sanders Fortier (171 votes, or 30.75%). Houston County unofficial totals: U.S. Senator: Katie Britt (8,704 or 80.29%); Mo Brooks (2,136 or 19.70%) Secretary of State: Wes Allen (6,411 or 64.25%); Jim Ziegler (3,567 or 35.74%) State Auditor: Stan Cooke (3,311 or 35.53%); Andrew Sorrell (6,006 or 64.46%) Public Service Commission Place 1: Jeremy Oden (2,990 or 34.75%); Brent Woodall (5,613 or 65.24%) Public Service Commission Place 2: Chip Beeker (5,107 or 59.51%); Robert. McCollum (3,474 or 40.48%) Dothan Rotary Club rolled out the red carpet to Rotary District 6880 for a fun night of fellowship and celebration as it hosted its District Governor Installation on June 17 at the Dothan Country Club. Dr. Dell Goodwin was installed as Rotary District 6880 Governor for 2022-2023. The Dothan Rotary Club is the home club for Dr. Goodwin. District 6880 includes all Rotary clubs in the southern half of Alabama. There were about 100 Rotarians throughout the district in attendance as they reflected on the last year under Bruce McNeals year as district governor and also thought about what lies ahead for Rotary. Participating in the nights festivities were a host of current and former Rotary leadership from across the district including past district governors Barry Cavan, Skip Dotherow, Sam Adams, Tom Mann, Henry Crawford, Bob Kelly, Bob Rudder, Bob Callahan, Linda Mong, Bill Trant, Jerry Blacklaw, and Bruce McNeal. The night was full of surprises as Barry Cavan was presented with the prestigious Harry Hall Meritorious Award, the highest honor in the district. Tim Goodwin was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow. A special solo was by Dells granddaughter, Madison Goodwin. Ricky Herring is looking toward a second term on the Houston County Commission. Looking back on his first term representing District 3, Herring said he had some bumpy times along the way but never considered not running for a second term. Youre serving your constituents not only in your district but youre also serving them throughout the whole county because decisions you make, what you do, affects people within the whole county whenever youre on a commission, Herring said. Herring won Tuesdays Republican runoff election against Richard Talley, receiving 2,218 votes, or 62.8%, to Talleys 1,314 votes, or 37.2%, according to unofficial vote totals from the Alabama Secretary of States website. Herring originally faced four opponents in the May primary election. Like other county commissioners, Herring said he has spent the last four years listening to the concerns of District 3 residents as well as those who live elsewhere in the county. Thats what we should do as elected officials is to be there to be a listening ear, to hear what they have to say, their concerns, and try to do what we can to fix those issues, he said. The biggest bump during Herrings first term was with the Houston County Health Care Authority, the governing board for Dothans Southeast Health. Herring had a lengthy dispute with the authority over the appointment process for authority members by the county commission, refusing to approve the authoritys recommendation for District 3 because the authority did not consider a candidate Herring had asked to be considered. The dispute nearly went as far as state legislation before it was resolved. Herring, who works with the Houston County Sheriffs Department, said he feels his re-election is a sign that voters supported that fight, and he said while he had no issues with current authority members, he plans to keep pushing for new members on the health care authority even looking to make his next appointment someone with boots on the ground experience in health care. Two new district commissioners Tracy Adams in District 2 and James Ivey in District 4 will take office in November. Current District 4 Commissioner Brandon Shoupe will fill the chairmans seat after current Chairman Mark Culver chose not seek re-election. Shoupe defeated District 2 Commissioner Doug Sinquefield and Bobby Lewis for chairman during the Republican Primary in May. There are no Democratic challengers for the district seats or the chairmans seat. Herring said he looks forward to hearing new ideas for Houston County. His advice for the new district commissioners is not to expect anything to happen overnight. Governing takes communication and, at times, compromise, he said. They bring new things to the table, and our countys growing were growing really fast, Herring said of working with new commissioners. I think were the 11th largest county in the state of Alabama out of 67 counties. So theres a lot thats going on, a lot of things that theyll see day in and day out, and theyre going to bring new opportunities to the table. In other local races, Chris Richardson won the Republican runoff against Seth Brooks for circuit judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit of Henry and Houston counties, ending up with nearly 53% of total votes cast in the two counties. In Houston County, Richardson received 5,626 votes 52.83% to Brooks 5,024 votes, or 47.17%. In Henry County, Richardson received 1,438 votes, or 52.04%, while Brooks received 1,325 votes, or 47.96%. Eric EB Blankenship won the Republican runoff for Henry County Sheriff against Joshua Moore with 1,698 votes, 60.21%, compared to Moores 1,122 votes, or 39.79%. In the Republican runoff for Henry County Commission District 2, incumbent John Saunders won against Jason Burke with 394 votes, or 51.24%, to 375 votes, or 48.76%. Peggy Ussery is a Dothan Eagle staff writer and can be reached at aussery@dothaneagle.com or 334-712-7963. Support her work and that of other Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. State Rep. Wes Allen won the Republican nomination for secretary of state on Tuesday in contest that featured both candidates promoting the need to tighten election security in harmony with former President Donald Trumps false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential race because of fraud. Allen defeated outgoing State Auditor Jim Zeigler and will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte, an Air Force veteran and corrections supervisor in Mobile County, in the general election to become Alabamas top election official. Zeigler received the most votes among four candidates in the primary election in May, but Allen overcame the deficit. Allen, from Troy, previously served as probate judge in Pike County. Citing the potential for fraud, he opposed 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. During the campaign, Zeigler 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. The current secretary of state, Republican John Merrill, couldnt run again because of term limits, and the GOP nominee will be a heavy favorite to win in November. GOVERNOR Either Yolanda Rochelle Flowers or state Sen. Malika Sanders Fortier will become the first Black person to win a major partys 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 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 states 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 Andrew Sorrell claimed the GOP nomination for state auditor by defeating Stan Cooke, a win that was tantamount to election since theres no Democratic contender for the office. Sorrell, a state representative from Colbert County who led balloting in the May primary, tried to make election security a prime issue, saying a strong auditor is needed to appoint county registrars who will keep voter rolls clean. Cooke, a pastor from the Jefferson County town of Kimberly, claimed Alabama is at a crossroads where it could remain a conservative state or come under the control of liberal Democrats. Echoing Trumps false claims of election theft, he highlighted the auditors role in appointing county election officials who can prevent Democrats from stealing elections. The current auditor, Republican Jim Zeigler, was barred from seeking another term. U.S. HOUSE Madison County Commission chair Dale Strong won the only runoff among the states seven U.S. House seats, claiming the Republican nomination for an open position in north Alabamas 5th District. Strong defeated Casey Wardynski, a former Huntsville school superintendent. Strong handily led a six-candidate field with about 45% of the primary vote in May but couldnt avoid a runoff. Strong will face Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton of Decatur in the mostly Republican Tennessee Valley district in November. The seat was given up by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who was 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 faced challenges to keep their jobs on the utility-regulating board, and at least one won. Chip Beeker, a former Greene County commissioner first elected to the PSC in 2014, defeated Robert L. McCollum to win the GOP nomination for Place 2. Beeker portrayed himself as an opponent of Democratic environmental policies, while McCollum, a small business owner from Tallapoosa County, argued the commission is too close to Alabama Power Co. 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. No Democrat qualified for either position, making a victory in the Republican runoff tantamount to election. MONTGOMERY Katie Britt won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama on Tuesday, defeating six-term Rep. Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his endorsement of Brooks. The loss ends a turbulent campaign for Brooks, a conservative firebrand who 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 Britt's former boss, retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, but then pulled 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. She will face Democrat Will Boyd in November in the overwhelmingly Republican state. The race was among a handful of contests held Tuesday at the midpoint of a primary season that has been shaped by Trumps effort to influence the GOP. While Britt was already considered the favorite by the time Trump got behind her, the result gives the former president a win at a time his influence over the GOP has come under scrutiny. Trump has had a mixed record of success in backing candidates this election season, helping lift Senate candidates in Pennsylvania and Ohio while floundering elsewhere, particularly in Georgia. Voters in the onetime Republican stronghold rejected his efforts to unseat the states GOP governor and secretary of state, both of whom rebuffed his extraordinary pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump's losing streak in Georgia, a crucial swing state this year and in the 2024 presidential campaign, deepened Tuesday as two of his endorsed congressional candidates faltered in their GOP run-off elections. In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick beat Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans. And in the 10th District east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins bested Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones. Trump had persuaded Jones to run for the seat and drop his long-shot bid for governor to clear the field for his chosen candidate, former Sen. David Perdue. Perdue lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who endorsed Collins. The seat is being vacated by Republican Rep. Jody Hice, who also lost his bid to unseat Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another top Trump target. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser won the Democratic nomination to serve another term, fending off a pair of challengers amid concerns over rising crime and homelessness. But the Alabama Senate runoff had drawn particular attention because of the drama surrounding Trump's endorsement. Trump initially endorsed Brooks in the spring of 2021, rewarding an ardent champion of his baseless claims of a stolen election. Brooks had voted against certifying Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory and delivered a fiery speech at the rally before the U.S. Capitol insurrection, telling the crowd, Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass." But nearly a year later, Trump rescinded his support after the pair's relationship soured and as Brooks languished in the polls. Trump blamed his decision on comments Brooks had made months earlier, at an August rally, when he said it was time for the party to move on from litigating the 2020 presidential race comments Trump claimed showed Brooks, one of the most conservative members of Congress, had gone woke. Brooks, who is known for his bombastic oratory style, has described the primary race as a battle for the soul of Republican Party, pitting the true conservative wing against establishment members of the GOP. He disparaged Britt, 40, as a RINO the GOP pejorative meaning Republican in name only and maintained he was the only one with a proven conservative record. The founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus also made his opposition to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a pillar of his campaign, embarking on a Fire McConnell Tour of town halls. In his concession speech Tuesday night, Brooks told supporters he respected the race's outcome. But in a sign of the contentious race, he accused voters of having been seduced by false advertising and congratulated high-dollar donors and special interest groups for funding Britt's campaign. We are sending to Washington, D.C., the exact opposite of what we need in the United States Senate. But the voters have spoken. They might not have spoken wisely, he groused. Britt, meanwhile, cast herself as part of a new generation of conservative leaders while disparaging Brooks, 68, as a career politician. If victorious in November, Britt will be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama and one of its youngest members. The states previous female senators had been appointed. Alabama has spoken. We want new blood. We want fresh blood," she said at her victory party. We want someone who will fight for Christian conservative values, who will fight for the freedoms and liberties this nation was founded on and will fight for the American dream for the next generation and the next generation." That argument seemed to resonate with some voters Tuesday. Shes young. Shes smart," said 86-year-old Carolyn Bowman. Thats what we need in Congress." Regular readers of this page know that one of our most fervent beliefs is that the opportunity to have a voice in government is a precious privilege. One way to exercise that voice is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in the clause, to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, a concept traced to the Magna Carta in the 13th century. Another way is voting in local, state, and national elections. Its simple enough to do if one is willing to make the effort. On Tuesday, polls were open in 67 counties across Alabama for runoff elections in the Republican and Democratic primaries. According to the Alabama Secretary of States figures, 464,577 ballots were cast over the 12-hour polling, including absentee ballots. Alabama has 3,647,310 registered voters. Voter turnout on Tuesday was 12.74%. Where was everyone? Voter apathy makes a mockery of the concept of majority rule. Take, for example, Katie Britts victory in the GOP runoff for U.S. Senate. Britt trounced opponent Mo Brooks in the high-profile race, taking 63.01% of the vote to Brooks 36.99%. Shell face Democrat Will Boyd and two independent challengers in November, and is expected to prevail. However, from a mathematical perspective Britts win is hardly a mandate. Because the voter turnout was so poor, Britt became the Republican nominee with the support of less than 7% of registered Alabama voters. Extrapolate that to the states 5 million-plus population, and shes likely catapulted to office by 5% of Alabamians. About 72% percent of Alabamians are registered voters. That would be roughly 14 people in a group of 20 who could participate in determining who would lead. In this case, 13 would abdicate their privilege, and a leader would be chosen by one person 5% of the group of 20. If you voted Tuesday, well done. It means that about seven other registered voters didnt. What if they had? Rose beyond the latest vintage - analysis The world of rose is vast and while consistency and young vintages suit some styles, theres a case for flexibility elsewhere, finds Lucy Britner Provence continues to lure consumers with its iconic pale pink hue. And theres no doubt that the popularity of this style has proved a rising tide for all pink ships. For Mark Jarman, head of wine operations at Morrisons, the trend is still very much towards the lighter, drier, elegant styles of rose and at a recent portfolio tasting, of the 18 roses on show in the summer drinks section, five were from Provence and all were a similar shade. Weve seen other countries that do it very well, without taking on a pure Provence style but moving more towards the Provence style in their own way, he says. What were trying to show is that we can move closer to the style customers are expecting ie, a Provence style but also celebrate what those countries are able to do in their own right. He says consumers buy rose on colour, taste and image. The Provence bottles are very appealing, he says of their shape. Thats an important part of the customer experience. However, Jarman says grapes are less of a part of it, which he believes is probably a good thing because it could get very complicated with the various varieties that are in those wines. And that would be unnecessarily complicated from a customers perspective. Not to mention, its not always the same grapes in the same quantities. At Maison Mirabeau, for example, co-founder Stephen Cronk says that, generally speaking, part of the appeal of Provence is consistency. Were a brand and if someone wants Mirabeau Classic and follows it every year, they dont want to go on the same journey as they would if they were following a Burgundian estate, where vintage variation becomes a sort of intellectual journey. For Provence rose, we need to present a style that is recognisable each year. And so, every year, the Grenache and the Syrah and the Cinsault give us a different profile. This year, we used more Grenache than we normally would in the Classic because it has the right profile, he explains. BEYOND PROVENCE Though it has the pale salmon colour in common with Provence rose, Accolades recent launch, under the Mud House brand, hails from Chile. To provide distinction on-shelf between the existing Mud House ranges, the latest wine features Chiles national bellflower on-pack in the same spirit as the traditional Mud House New Zealand design, which features the native nikau palm. While brands such as Mud House will also strive for consistency, when it comes to vintages, the shelves arent awash with Chilean rose and theres a pretty logical reason why. Michael Awin, owner of wine agency Awin Barratt Siegel, says the challenge with rose from the southern hemisphere is the timing of when the vintage is ready, since grapes are harvested in UK springtime. This puts countries such as Chile about six months behind in terms of what the trade needs to meet summer drinking demand, he explains. Rose is an all-year-round wine, but summer is when most rose sales are, and the trade is very demanding in terms of the vintage they want the latest vintage, he says. However, Awin believes retailers should look beyond the latest vintage for southern hemisphere roses, especially when it comes to quality producers. We always try to find roses that will last theyre good into the next vintage. But the gatekeepers of the trade demand the freshest vintage and really they should taste first. He says the shuttered on-trade during lockdowns has inspired some to reconsider earlier wines that they still had in stock, and looking forward, shipping issues might also mean the approach to the latest vintages softens a bit among buyers. But ultimately, he says, it must always come down to taste. Paul Daniell, head of off -trade at Ehrmanns Wines agrees. He says 2020 Malbec roses, something with a bit of body, are drinking fantastically and will be great for a year or two longer. As with all things wine, Dan Farrell-Wright, director of online retailer Wickhams, says the answer to the question of older vintages is: it depends. Most pale rose wines we see on the shelves are made to be fruity and youthful: the grapes are picked early, the fermentation is at a cooler temperature. If you tasted a 2021, 2020 and 2019 in this style side by side the 2019 would most likely be spent, with very little fruit remaining, he says. However, take a look at Bandol and theres ageing potential in those wines. Or an English rose made with Pinot Noir and allowed a malolactic fermentation the profile will be very diff erent, smoother and creamier. Or Garrus from Chateau dEsclans which is made to be aged. He says in order to sell older vintages, merchants need to guide customers to those roses that have the potential to be aged, which means paying the right price. He says Garrus is around 100 per bottle, while good English rose will be between 20 and 30. There are always older roses available at incredibly cheap prices, but if the quality isnt there, its not a good strategy for returning custom, he concludes. Related articles: From the start of the monsoon in April to date, the southern Binh Duong Province has recorded 4,867 dengue fever cases, up 17.6 percent against the same period last year. Of those cases, eight have died, Nguyen Hong Chuong, director of Binh Duongs Health Department, told a provincial meeting Wednesday. Binh Duong, a major industrial hub bordering Ho Chi Minh City, has detected 920 dengue fever hotspots this year. The HCMC Center for Disease Control (HCDC) said Sunday the city had recorded 16,057 dengue fever cases as of June 19, up 117.3 percent over the same period last year, and nine have died. The HCDC said with the southern region entering the rainy season, it is now the peak of dengue fever. It warned people to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Vietnam has been trying to find an effective way to tackle dengue, one of the biggest killers of its 28 common infectious diseases. The only vaccine for it available globally is not recommended for people who have not had dengue before. The World Health Organization says vector control is the key strategy to prevent transmission of the dengue virus. The United States remains focused on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order: the Peoples Republic of China, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Under President Xi, the ruling Chinese Communist Party has become more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad. The U.S. cannot rely on the PRC to change its trajectory, instead the Biden administration had developed a strategy that can be summed up in three words invest, align, compete. The Biden administration is investing in an industrial strategy to sustain and expand U.S. economic and technological influence, making the U.S. economy and supply chains more resilient and competitive. The second piece of the strategy is to re-energize Americas network of alliances and to re-engage in international institutions. Another area of alignment we share with our allies and partners is human rights, said Secretary Blinken: The United States stands with countries and people around the world against the genocide and crimes against humanity happening in the Xinjiang region . . . .We stand together on Tibet, where the authorities continue to wage a brutal campaign against Tibetans and their culture, language, and religious traditions, and in Hong Kong, where the Chinese Communist Party has imposed harsh anti-democratic measures under the guise of national security. That brings us to the third element of our strategy, which is to outcompete China in key areas, said Secretary Blinken. Beijing is. . .taking advantage of the openness of our economies to spy, to hack, to steal technology and know-how to advance its military innovation and entrench its surveillance state. So, as we make sure the next wave of innovation is unleashed by the United States and our allies and partners, well also protect ourselves against efforts to siphon off our ingenuity or imperil our security. On Taiwan, the United States remains committed to its one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, the Six Assurances. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, said Secretary Blinken. Well compete with confidence; well cooperate [with China] wherever we can; well contest where we must, declared Secretary Blinken. Theres no reason why our great nations cannot coexist peacefully, and share in and contribute to human progress together. The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency voted overwhelmingly to rebuke the Iranian government for failing to fully answer questions about traces of uranium which were found at three undeclared sites in Iran. The vote was taken on June 8 after IAEA Director Rafael Grossi submitted a report to the Board citing Irans lack of cooperation with an IAEA investigation into the matter. At a press briefing on June 6, Director General Grossi said, "Iran has not provided explanations that are technically credible in relation to the Agency's findings at three undeclared locations in Iran." He also noted that Iran is just a few weeks away from having a "significant quantity of highly enriched uranium. Thirty out of thirty-five countries voted in favor of the IAEA resolution. Two countries, Russia and China, voted against it; and three, India, Pakistan and Libya, abstained. The United States, in a joint statement with France, Germany and the United Kingdom, welcomed the IAEAs resolution responding to Irans insufficient cooperation with the IAEA on serious and outstanding safeguards issues relating to Irans obligations under its NPT-required safeguards agreement. The four countries said the overwhelming majority vote for the resolution sends an unambiguous message to Iran that it must meet its safeguards obligations and provide technically credible clarifications on outstanding safeguards issues. The United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom urged Iran to heed the call of the international community to fulfill its legal obligations and cooperate with the IAEA to fully clarify and resolve issues without further delay. The adoption of the IAEA resolution comes during a pause in negotiations between Iran and the P5 +1 countries over the United States' and Irans return to full implementation of the nuclear deal, known formally as the JCPOA. The year-long talks in Vienna have stalled in recent weeks over non-nuclear issues that are outside the purview of the JCPOA. White House Spokesperson Karine Jeanne-Pierre said the United States regards the IAEAs nuclear safeguards issue to be on a separate track from the P5+1 negotiations. There is a deal on the table that would effectuate a compliance-for-compliance return to the JCPOA without dealing with extraneous issues. That deal is available to Iran, she said. They should take it. Southwest Research Institute scientists combined data from NASA's New Horizons mission with novel laboratory experiments and exospheric modeling to reveal the likely composition of the red cap on Pluto's moon Charon and how it may have formed. This first-ever description of Charon's dynamic methane atmosphere using new experimental data provides a fascinating glimpse into the origins of this moon's red spot as described in two recent papers. "Prior to New Horizons, the best Hubble images of Pluto revealed only a fuzzy blob of reflected light," said SwRI's Randy Gladstone, a member of the New Horizons science team. "In addition to all the fascinating features discovered on Pluto's surface, the flyby revealed an unusual feature on Charon, a surprising red cap centered on its north pole." Soon after the 2015 encounter, New Horizons scientists proposed that a reddish "tholin-like" material at Charon's pole could be synthesized by ultraviolet light breaking down methane molecules. These are captured after escaping from Pluto and then frozen onto the moon's polar regions during their long winter nights. Tholins are sticky organic residues formed by chemical reactions powered by light, in this case the Lyman-alpha ultraviolet glow scattered by interplanetary hydrogen molecules. "Our findings indicate that drastic seasonal surges in Charon's thin atmosphere as well as light breaking down the condensing methane frost are key to understanding the origins of Charon's red polar zone," said SwRI's Dr. Ujjwal Raut, lead author of a paper titled "Charon's Refractory Factory" in the journal Science Advances. "This is one of the most illustrative and stark examples of surface-atmospheric interactions so far observed at a planetary body." The team realistically replicated Charon surface conditions at SwRI's new Center for Laboratory Astrophysics and Space Science Experiments (CLASSE) to measure the composition and color of hydrocarbons produced on Charon's winter hemisphere as methane freezes beneath the Lyman-alpha glow. The team fed the measurements into a new atmospheric model of Charon to show methane breaking down into residue on Charon's north polar spot. "Our team's novel 'dynamic photolysis' experiments provided new limits on the contribution of interplanetary Lyman-alpha to the synthesis of Charon's red material," Raut said. "Our experiment condensed methane in an ultra-high vacuum chamber under exposure to Lyman-alpha photons to replicate with high fidelity the conditions at Charon's poles." SwRI scientists also developed a new computer simulation to model Charon's thin methane atmosphere. "The model points to 'explosive' seasonal pulsations in Charon's atmosphere due to extreme shifts in conditions over Pluto's long journey around the Sun," said Dr. Ben Teolis, lead author of a related paper titled "Extreme Exospheric Dynamics at Charon: Implications for the Red Spot" in Geophysical Research Letters. The team input the results from SwRI's ultra-realistic experiments into the atmospheric model to estimate the distribution of complex hydrocarbons emerging from methane decomposition under the influence of ultraviolet light. The model has polar zones primarily generating ethane, a colorless material that does not contribute to a reddish color. "We think ionizing radiation from the solar wind decomposes the Lyman-alpha-cooked polar frost to synthesize increasingly complex, redder materials responsible for the unique albedo on this enigmatic moon," Raut said. "Ethane is less volatile than methane and stays frozen to Charon's surface long after spring sunrise. Exposure to the solar wind may convert ethane into persistent reddish surface deposits contributing to Charon's red cap." "The team is set to investigate the role of solar wind in the formation of the red pole," said SwRI's Dr. Josh Kammer, who secured continued support from NASA's New Frontier Data Analysis Program. "Extreme Exospheric Dynamics at Charon: Implications for the Red Spot" in Geophysical Research Letters can be found at https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097580. "Charon's refractory factory" article in ScienceAdvances can be found at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq5701. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed, built and operates the New Horizons spacecraft, and manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Southwest Research Institute directs the mission via Principal Investigator Alan Stern, and leads the science team, payload operations and encounter science planning. New Horizons is part of the New Frontiers Program managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/planetary-science. About SwRI: SwRI is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organization based in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 3,000 employees and an annual research volume of nearly $726 million. Southwest Research Institute and SwRI are registered marks in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For more information, please visit www.swri.org. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. ELKO The City of Elko honored longtime Animal Shelter veterinarians and volunteers with a banquet on June 1 at the Northeastern Nevada Museum. The evening, postponed two years ago due to Covid-19, spotlighted the Local Animal Shelter Support Organization of Elko and the work it has done in the community to help with the pet population. City Manager Curtis Calder, who is the president of LASSO, thanked multiple organizations and individuals for their support of the animal shelter. Theres a lot of people out there who arent here tonight and I just want to make sure that we know that those people are out there and they are working toward a common goal, Calder said. We all love animals and we want the best for those animals, but the harsh reality is there are a lot of people who dont feel that way about animals. Thats why we have an animal shelter because there are a lot of unwanted pets out there. Doris Toothman, Laurie Cabaret, and Susan Gammill were recognized, with Cabaret and Gammill receiving prints of National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Photos. Dumke-Weeks Spay and Neuter Clinic veterinarians Dr. William Wright and Dr. Hannah Rodriguez were also honored, along with vet techs Alyssa Mangum and Kirsten Kowing. Wildlife photographer Mark Hayward, whose work was featured in the current LASSO brochure was also recognized. The LASSO board includes Calder, Treasurer Walt Goddard, Animal Shelter Manager Karen Walther, and members Judge Randall Soderquist, Donna Engdahl, Joe Jarvis and Jennifer Spencer. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRING CREEK What are the steps to protect Spring Creek homes and lives in the event of a wildfire emergency? Those questions were answered in a multi-agency presentation, Living with Fire, led by the University of Nevada Renos Cooperative Extension. Speakers from UNR, the Elko County Fire Protection District, NV Energy, Bureau of Land Management Elko District, U.S. Forest Service Humboldt Toiyabe District and Nevada Division of Forestry covered topics such as defensible space, home hardening, evacuation tips, fuels reduction and more. Jamie Roice-Gomes, manager of the Living with Fire program, said her team visits high-fire hazard areas throughout the state, such as Spring Creek. We just want to raise awareness of wildfire and preparedness for it, Roice-Gomes said. Local high school students could also see a new wildfire science curriculum developed in partnership with fire agencies next year, Roice-Gomes added. They are going to be doing a test run here in the fall, she said. Evacuation David Brown, Nevada Department of Transportation Highway Manager for Elko District, said his department received questions about secondary routes and that it was in the preplanning stage. Everybody knows you are dealing with private properties that we do not own, Brown said. The Spring Creek Association and Elko County have part of that as well as land owners. There would have to be a lot of planning. All agencies are on board to try to help with that, but as of now, we have the one route. Brown added that if there were an evacuation, NDOT would open more lanes on Lamoille Highway going into Elko. Evacuation shelters include Spring Creek High School and the Horse Palace. Brown said depending on the location of the wildfire, residents would be directed through message boards, various media and social media outlets and NDOTs 511 to head to a shelter. In the event of a wildfire, state law prohibits agencies from mandating evacuations. We can highly encourage people to evacuate, but the governor is the only one who can say, You have to get out of here, said Fire District Chief Matt Petersen. Evacuees will be notified door-to-door by first responders and directed on a path away from the fire. Additionally, agencies are working on a reverse 911 system to notify communities of a wildfire, and updates will also be posted on social media, and through news sources, Petersen said. Attendees also learned about evacuation preparation, including packing and keeping an emergency bag, preparing family members and pets to leave at a sudden notice, and securing the home. Roice-Gomes also suggested practicing loading small or large animals into travel crates or trailers if heading to a local shelter. If you have to go to an evacuation shelter, you have to have a crate for your pet, or maybe your pet isnt used to it, she said. Home hardening and defensible space Roice-Gomes explained methods and practices homeowners can take to protect homes and reduce wildfire threats, which goes hand-in-hand with defensible space. Home hardening includes clearing crawlspaces and attics, retrofitting roofs, rain gutters, eaves, vents and decks that can reduce vulnerability to embers and sparks. Non-combustible siding such as stucco or fiber-cement is expensive, Roice-Gomes said but can be done on sections of the home to reduce costs. Defensible space inspections are free to homeowners, giving them recommendations to reduce the wildfire threat, Roice-Gomes added, and have three zones designated from the house. Every home is different, has different vegetation type around it, or a different slope around it, she said. Different homes have different aspects of shade and sun. Clearing flammable fuels within 30 feet of a house, such as cheatgrass, is also highly recommended. It makes really hot and fast fires. You cant outrun them, Roice-Gomes said. NV Energy Public Safety Outage Management Among the proactive responses is public safety outage management led by NV Energy, which shuts down power to neighborhoods and residences in the event of a wildfire. We primarily are starting to treat powerlines in the infrastructure area, explained Petersen. It was identified as a high hazard for us as powerlines starting wildland fires in Elko County, Nevada, California, throughout the West. NV Energy took a very aggressive stance and said were going to partner with our local fire departments, and theyre going to do the work with us, not for us, Petersen continued. With that, we can add up to 22 firefighters in Elko County, and that is a massive workload that we can take on and add to our workforce, not only for fuel reduction but fire response as well. The Fire District has identified primary areas that feed community power or are designated high-hazard. Firefighters mow along the powerlines to the right-of-way 15 to 175 feet. If you, the homeowners, agree for us to go farther, it makes sense for us to do it. It makes sense for you to do it, Petersen said. Alex Hoon, NV Energy senior meteorologist, works with fire agencies throughout the state and the West, delivering fire weather forecasting to make informed decisions to keep firefighters safe on the ground. The Public Safety Outage Management program is the only one in the nation that works with fire departments and state and federal agencies, Hoon added. It is the highest priority for NV Energy. Wildlife risk reductions through PSOM include using covered conductors on powerlines to replace exposed lines and replacing fuses with non-expulsion fuses to prevent sparks from emitting in the event of a fault on the line, Hoon explained. The program also replaces wooden power poles with iron and steel and modernizes circuits. Shared Stewardship Josh Nichols, Ranger with the U.S. Forest Service, explained that the objective behind shared stewardship is to start bringing our fuels reduction program into more of a collaborative interagency approach. The stewardship is an agreement among entities such as Elko County, the Spring Creek Association, local utility companies, the Nevada Department of Transportation and tribal partners. The goal behind shared stewardship is for us to look at all the project work being done on different jurisdiction lands and tie those together, Nichols said. Expand fuel treatments and noxious weed treatments to cover more area and reduce the threat of wildfire. Coralee Ditman, Resource Manager with the Nevada Division of Forestry, said her agency, under a Western State Fire Management Hazardous Fuels grant, has worked with the BLM and Elko Fire District to clear 278 acres of greenspaces in Vista Grande Tract 200 this spring. This is to help prevent a wildfire from starting in the community and working out into BLM land and private land, taking out their homes, Ditman said. Currently, crews are working in Marina Hills Tract 100 and Sunset Ridge Tract 300 and will move into the Horse Palace area, she added. For more information on preparing homes and defensible space, visit, email lwf@unr.edu or call 775-784-4848 to be directed to a Living with Fire team member. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Secretary of the Quang Ninh Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky (right) and President of the Assembly of Mozambique Esperanca Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias (Photo: VNA) Being on an official visit to Vietnam, she expressed her impression during a reception hosted by Nguyen Xuan Ky, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee, on June 18. According to Ms Esperanca Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias, Mozambique is the 11th country out of 72 countries and territories where Vietnam has investment activities. Cooperation between the two countries is focused in the field of agriculture. The two sides have many cooperation projects to share experiences and train in technical development of agriculture and fisheries; and maintain effective cooperation in the field of education and professionals. With the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, she said she believed that this visit will further promote the relationship between Vietnam and Mozambique in general and with Quang Ninh Province in particular, especially in the fields of agriculture and telecommunications technology. I hope that more Vietnamese businesses will invest and develop their businesses in Mozambique, she added. Expressing his honour to welcome the delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique to Quang Ninh, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky briefly informed the delegation about the provinces potential, advantages and economic development situation. He stressed that with the system of economic and social infrastructure, especially transport, urban, tourism and service infrastructure, which is increasingly invested methodically and synchronously, as a bridge between Vietnam and ASEAN countries and a locality with the first position for 5 consecutive years in the Provincial Competitiveness Index, Quang Ninh possesses many conditions to attract and bring success to foreign investors. He also voiced his hope that after the visit, the President of the Mozambican Assembly will help encourage many businesses, investors, and people from her country to invest and travel in Vietnam, including Quang Ninh. On this occasion, the host official invited the Mozambican delegation to visit Ha Long Bay, a renowned world natural heritage site in the province./. The event attracts a large number of visitors (Photo: VNA) The culinary festival, the second of its kind held at Ici Vietnam so far, aimed to popularise the Vietnamese cuisines identities, from street food to the dishes served in restaurants. The event had the participation of 26 associations, businesses, and restaurants of Vietnamese people in France such as Foyer Vietnam, Ba Noi, Ngoc Xuyen, Thanh Binh Jeune, Tra Art, and France Plumfoot. Many typical foods and beverages nationwide offered at the event such as bun bo (beef noodle soup), bun tron (mixed noodles), nem cuon (fresh spring rolls), nem ran (fried spring rolls), Vietnamese sandwich, sugarcane juice, tea, and coffee. Local residents were also attracted to this festival by singing and dancing performances by Vietnamese-origin artists, along with folk games and the introduction of some French - Vietnamese books. Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang highly appreciated the Ici Vietnam Festival, which showed the dynamism of the Vietnamese people in France and created momentum for more activities in 2023, when the two countries will mark the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership. Florence Berthout, Mayor of the 5th Arrondissement, said the local administration and herself have always supported cultural activities of the Vietnamese community, affirming that Vietnam has many special cultural identities, including cuisine, that many French people want to learn about and explore. Vice Mayor Benjamin Isare expressed his delight at the large number of visitors to the event despite the hot weather, which proved the attractiveness of Vietnamese food. The Ici Vietnam Festival was an idea of a group of young Vietnamese-French people who wished to organize festive events on different areas, from cinematography, arts to cuisine, to introduce Vietnamese culture to the French. This idea has been supported by the Vietnamese People Association in France and Foyer Vietnam and held annually since 2018./. Lawyers are looking for mechanisms to guarantee compensation for the losses inflicted by the aggressor on Ukrainian business, according to the results of a poll conducted by Interfax-Ukraine. "The topic of losses and compensation is one of the most relevant among business and the legal community. Now, there is not a single guaranteed algorithm or tool for obtaining such compensation. Actually, not only Ukraine, but the whole world, for the first time in the last few decades, met with such a large-scale military conflict," partner at Sayenko Kharenko law firm Olena Sukmanova said. In her opinion, there may be two sources of such compensation in the future. In particular, these are compensations that can be paid to citizens and businesses by the Ukrainian state on the basis of specially adopted regulations, and compensations based on decisions of international or Ukrainian courts. "In both cases, especially for businesses, it is very important to have enough evidence of damage and its causes," the lawyer said. In turn, Hleb Bialy, partner at Asters law firm, said that there is still no clear sequence of actions to record losses. In particular, the procedure for determining the damage and damage caused to Ukraine due to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, approved on March 22 by the Cabinet of Ministers, contains a definition of the concept of losses for individuals and legal entities, the state, as well as a list of types of damage in 18 areas, but does not regulate the issue of sequence actions to record them. "Each case of damage can be unique depending on the nature and extent of the damage, the activities of the enterprise, etc. That is why it is very difficult to talk about a single clear algorithm of actions for recording them," Bialy said. He conditionally divided the sequence of recording the damage into three separate blocks: the state before the injury, the circumstances of the injury and the state after the injury. Bialy advises, in case of damage, to record it as early as possible and as detailed as possible, indicating the source of evidence and information about the person who recorded it, to carry out the proper identification of witnesses, and also to trace the chain of evidence owners from the moment they are received to the moment they are submitted to the competent authority. In addition, the lawyer recommends ensuring the authenticity of the evidence, not changing the evidence after it has been recorded, and taking care of the security of the evidence, providing for the creation of backup copies of it. Bialy said that Ukrainian legislation lacks a clearly defined methodology for recording losses for intangible assets, as well as intellectual property. "In our opinion, the best option for recording such losses may be to carry out actions that are usually performed when considering litigation this may be an examination in the relevant areas or an independent assessment, etc.," he said. For their part, the experts of the law company Ri Group also said that a detailed and complete list and description of the damaged destroyed property will significantly speed up and facilitate the procedure for compensating for damages. In addition, they recommend collecting title documents for the property and making copies of them. "You should not count on a projectile, bomb or rocket to bypass you. The enemy is acting insidiously and directs his aggression precisely at the civilian population. First of all, we advise you to collect title documents for property right now, as well as find checks, receipts, warranty certificates for household appliances, equipment, furniture, etc., make copies of them. It is better to keep all documents in one place with you," Ri Group said. The company believes that a detailed description with video and photography of real estate, vehicles, etc., to record the current state of the property, can be useful in establishing the market value of the property in the event of its destruction and will facilitate its assessment by an expert appraiser. Lawyers of Ri Group advise in case of damage to property from enemy shelling, call the employees of the State Emergency Service to eliminate the consequences and draw up an appropriate act, get a copy of it, file a complaint about the crime with law enforcement agencies, providing evidence of property destruction, and get an extract from the unified register of pretrial investigations. If the local administration is working, file an application for drawing up an act of inspection of housing and / or draw up an act of destruction on your own with neighbors and make photo and video recording of the destruction. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in all negotiations with European leaders, stressed the need for the adoption of the seventh package of sanctions as soon as possible. "In all negotiations, I always emphasize that the seventh package of the European Union sanctions is needed as soon as possible, " he said in his traditional video address Tuesday evening. According to him, "Russia must feel a constant increase in pressure for the war and for its aggressive anti-European policy." "Another Russian threat to Lithuania, another wave of energy pressure, another batch of lies from Russian officials about the food crisis are all arguments to agree on the seventh package of sanctions" he said. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan Railways CJSC subsidiary ADY Container LLC has launched a new service from Batumi Port connecting China and Europe via the Middle Corridor, Azernews reports. A feeder vessel between the Georgian port of Batumi and the Romanian port of Constanta has been launched as a joint project between ADY Container and Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO). The vessel, which will deliver containers from the Batumi Port to the Constanta Port and in the reverse direction will have six departures a month. "The new railway-sea connection between China and Europe will ensure the integrity of the supply chain in the current complex situation and will allow China and Europe to connect quickly and efficiently through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Romania," the company reports. The Trans-Caspian transport route (Middle Corridor) 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. ADY Container LLC is a fully-fledged subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC with the mission of providing high-quality, dependable freight transportation in the country. ADY Container LLC, which operates exclusively within Azerbaijan, provides a wide range of services, from multimodal transport to custom brokerage and storage facilities, all of which can be conveniently managed through our online customer portal. Six children suffered injuries as a result of an attack by the Russian occupation forces on the beach in the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on June 21. According to preliminary information, the enemy used cluster munitions, Head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko has said. "Six children were injured as a result of a shelling attack on Chasiv Yar yesterday. The Russian forces hit the beach on the Zolota Rybka Lake in the town. According to preliminary information, they used cluster munitions," he said on the Telegram channel. One person was killed and eleven people were injured as a result of the attack. US Dept of Justice to provide Ukraine with prosecutor to advise on anti-corruption issues The U.S. Department of Justice will provide Ukraine with additional personnel to expand work on countering Russia's illegal finances and evading sanctions, the website of the U.S. Department of Justice reported. "Among other things, the Department will provide Ukraine an expert Justice Department prosecutor to advise on fighting kleptocracy, corruption, and money laundering," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release. As noted, the U.S. Department of Justice will use every opportunity to bring to justice those who commit war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine. In addition, it plans to deploy two expert attorneys from the Office of International Affairs (OIA) one to a U.S. Embassy in Europe, and another to a U.S. Embassy in the Middle East in support of the Departments KleptoCapture Task Force. "These senior attorneys will work closely with their counterparts in EU member states and Middle Eastern countries to facilitate mutual legal assistance and extraditions relating to Russian illicit finance and sanctions evasion, including with respect to designated Russian oligarchs who have supported the Russian regime and its efforts to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty, " the message reads. It is also reported that Attorney General Garland announced the KleptoCapture Task Force in March to further leverage the Departments tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. Government in response to Russian military aggression. "Since then, the task force has facilitated the seizure of super yachts of two sanctioned individuals with close ties to the Russian regime; dismantled Russian criminal networks; and enforced sanctions violations, among other actions," the message says. Assets related to Russian persons and entities, totaling almost 2 billion euros, have been frozen in Ireland, The Irish Times said on Tuesday quoting the latest information from a representative of the Irish Foreign Ministry. "Ireland has frozen EUR 1.72 billion of assets linked to sanctioned Russian individuals and entities," the newspaper said. The Irish Central Bank wrote on Monday to a number of business and professional organizations to remind them of the need to comply with the EU prohibitions on Russia, The Irish Times said. According to the newspaper, relevant messages were sent to the Law Society, the Bar of Ireland, chambers of commerce, accounting bodies of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and other business unions. The Armed Forces of Ukraine killed 49 Russian military and annihilated the enemy's Pantsir S1 air defense missile and gun system on the Snake Island, the Pivden (South) task force has reported. "The operation to hit enemy units on the Snake Island continues. A strike into a Pantsir S1 air defense missile and gun system, a radio location system and a motor vehicle was registered," it said. The final information is being clarified. The enemy also lost 49 servicemen, two Msta S self-propelled howitzers, one tow truck, one electronic warfare station, one munitions depot, five units of armored and motor vehicles, the task force said. However, on June 21 in the morning, the enemy attacked Mykolaiv and Ochakiv with cruise missiles, causing damage to the port infrastructure, trucks, buildings of an enterprise, and the electricity network. At the same time, the Russian forces attacked residential quarters in Mykolaiv using an Uragan multiple rocket launcher. "The enemy again used cluster munitions. One the clusters went off in the yard of a private house, where there were two men at that moment. One man was killed on the spot and the second one was injured. Doctors are fighting for his life," it said. Casualties were also reported in Ochakiv following an enemy attack from multiple rocket launchers. Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova has said Ukraine needs support from the United States in the form of additional professional assistance, equipment, and legal support for the investigation into Russia's war crimes. "Ukraine badly needs its partners' support with additional professional assistance and equipment assistance on the ground and special equipment. The United States is considering such a possibility. Legal support is as necessary and effective as defense assistance for fight against Russia, which is committing unexampled scaled atrocities against the civilians in our country," she said during a meeting with Attorney General of the United States Merrick Garland in Kyiv on Tuesday, according to the press service of the PGO. Venediktova also stressed the importance of expert assistance in the sphere of returning assets Ukraine is expecting. "We are actively cooperating on search of property of war criminals jointly with the American Cleptocapture Task Force," she said. The officials also discussed cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. on legal issues, as well as the format of the U.S. joint work with Ukraine in the task force for the investigation into Russia's war crimes. Venediktova thanked the American colleagues for their high assessment of work of the Ukrainian law enforcement system under extremely difficult conditions of the war and thanked the U.S., EU, and British experts for their effective work within the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group. The sides also discussed cooperation in the sphere of fight against environmental crimes during the war, fight against corruption in Ukraine and cybersecurity issues. Journalist and publisher Volodymyr Chepovy was killed at the front, said Iryna Geraschenko, co-chair of the European Solidarity faction. "Volodymyr Chepovy has been killed in battle. He has been in the journalism and publishing business all his life, created many successful media projects," Geraschenko wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. Chepovy was the editor-in-chief of the Business magazine and the director general of the publishing house Blitz-Inform One killed, two wounded, lots of facilities damaged over missile attacks on Mykolaiv on Wed mayor As a result of missile attacks in Mykolaiv, one person was killed, two more were injured, one school, five high-rise buildings, four private houses and two private enterprises were damaged, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych has said. "At this time, we have information about two enterprises affected. These are private enterprises, on the territory of which there were fuel and lubricants, and so on. One school was damaged, windows were broken, the roof was damaged. Five high-rise buildings, five-story, doors in the entrances were broken. In general, a complete set," Senkevych said on the air of the telethon on Wednesday. Mykolaiv mayor said that as a result of a rocket hitting one of the enterprises on its territory, a fire started, in connection with which "almost all of Mykolaiv is in black smoke." "Smoke rises over the whole city. Firefighters are working, but everything must burn out there, because it is impossible to extinguish it," Senkevych said. He said that as a result of shelling one person was killed, two more were injured. "We also received information about four more private houses that were destroyed. Roofs, windows, doors flew out," the mayor said. No concrete agreements on holding talks with participation of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, UN on grain export MFA No concrete agreements have been reached on holding quadripartite talks with the participation of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN on resolving the issue of exporting grain from Russian-blocked Ukrainian seaports, Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Oleh Nikolenko has said. "Ukraine welcomes the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to resolve the issue of the export of grain from Russian-blocked Ukrainian seaports. Expert consultations between the parties concerned are currently ongoing. Specific agreements on holding quadripartite negotiations with the participation of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN have not yet been reached," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday. He said security issues remain a fundamental element of the Ukrainian position. The draft conclusions of the forthcoming meeting of the European Council at the level of heads of state and government of the member states of the Community, which will be held in Brussels on June 23 and 24, contain a decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate member of the European Union. This follows from the draft document, which are available to Interfax-Ukraine agency. The decision is spelled out in the third section of the conclusions entitled "Application for membership of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia." "The European Council recognises the European perspective of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. The future of these countries and their citizens lies within the European Union. The European Council has decided to grant the status of candidate country to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova," according to the draft document. The draft conclusions also propose that the European Commission is invited to report to the Council "on the fulfilment of the conditions specified in the Commission's opinions on the respective membership applications as part of its regular enlargement package." "The Council will decide on further steps once all these conditions are fully met," according to the draft document. With regard to Georgia, it is stated that the European Council is "ready to grant the status of candidate country to Georgia once the priorities specified in the Commission's opinion on Georgia's membership application have been addressed." "The progress of each country towards the European Union will depend on its own merit in meeting the Copenhagen criteria, including the EU's capacity to absorb new members," the officials said in the draft conclusions. EU leaders are expected to make these decisions on the first day of the summit, as this issue comes first. The summit will start at 15.00 Brussels time. Italy will continue to raise funds to restore the city of Bucha in Kyiv region, which suffered from Russian occupiers, Mayor of Bergamo (Italy) Giorgio Gori said during a meeting with Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko and Managing Director of the Rothschild international banking group for the CIS region Giovanni Salvetti. As the Ministry of Finance pointed out in a press release on the website on Wednesday following the meeting, in April 2022, the Italian humanitarian organization Cesvi, headquartered in Bergamo, allocated the first EUR 0,5 million for the restoration of Bucha, and Gori confirmed its readiness to raise funds in the future. The mayor of the Italian city noted that the amount of financial support for the restoration of the communal infrastructure and social facilities of Bucha will be increased through charitable contributions from private and public donors, in particular from the municipality of the city of Bergamo. "Today, the amount of infrastructure damage reaches $104 billion, but the war is not over yet. Now, even after the victory, a difficult path for the restoration of Ukraine awaits us," the Minister of Finance of Ukraine said in turn, quoted by the ministry's press service. Priority areas for the recovery of Bucha are the restoration of destroyed infrastructure, housing, refurbishment of fleets of special equipment, including ambulances, fire engines and public transport, the ministry added. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad An international conference on Transportation of oil and oil products through the South Caucasus transport corridor was held in Batumi, Georgia, Azernews reports, citing ADY Express LLC. One of the discussion points at the conference was the capacity of the ports and oil terminals of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, their capabilities, and the capabilities of the railways. Speaking at the event, ADY Express LLC logistics departments head Yusif Ramazanov briefed on the transportation of such cargo by Azerbaijani Railways. He also spoke about the transit opportunities of the country in general for the transportation of oil and oil products. The conference participants discussed the latest situation with the transportation and logistics of oil and oil products as a result of geopolitical changes in recent months. Moreover, the issue of launching these products on the world market through the South Caucasus Transport Corridor was in the spotlight. In this regard, the participants of the corridor were provided with extensive information on transport, logistics, and infrastructure opportunities. In addition, the conference participants were given the opportunity to establish new commercial contacts during meetings and negotiations. During the event, the participants also discussed the future prospects of the Central Asia-Caucasus-Europe/West route and exchanged views on increasing the efficiency of cooperation in the logistics sector. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine welcomes the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and the adoption of the Anti-Corruption Strategy. "We welcome President Volodymyr Zelensky's signature of a law ratifying the Istanbul Convention to combat violence against women and domestic violence, as well as the Rada's adoption of the 2021-2025 anti-corruption strategy both important victories for the Ukrainian people!" The embassy said on Twitter. As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday signed a law on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, adopted by Parliament on Monday. The ratification was supported by 259 MPS, there were only eight people against. The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence has been open for signature since May 11, 2011 in Istanbul. Signed by 46 countries and the European Union (Ukraine signed in November 2011), entered into force in 2014. Granting the status of a candidate member of the European Union to Ukraine will be the first issue of the European Council meeting at the level of heads of state and government of the Community member states. A senior European official said that during the first day, the leaders will deal with the applications for EU membership of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. According to the diplomat, the formal meeting of the leaders, which will be preceded by a meeting with the leaders of the Western Balkans, will start at 15.00 with a traditional exchange of views with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. Answering a question from Interfax-Ukraine agency about possible "surprises" during the discussion of the issue of granting candidate status to Ukraine, a high-ranking diplomat noted that as such, he does not see a problem because of the work that has been done before by the President of the European Council Charles Michel. In addition, regarding Ukraine, the EU leaders will discuss issues of military, financial support, food security in the light of the blocking of Russian ports in the Black Sea. The diplomat said that on the same day, the leaders will extend the sanctions on Russia, which are extended by six months and which are related to the situation in Ukraine. Work continues to strengthen the framework (functioning of sanctions), but it is not expected that a decision will be made on the (new) sanctions regime. 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. Two explosions, within minutes of each other, killed at least nine people and wounded 13 in northern Afghanistan on Thursday, a spokesman for a Taliban-appointed police chief said. The blasts targeted two separate vehicles in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, according to Mohammad Asif Waziri, the spokesman. The source of the blasts was not immediately clear and the spokesman provided no further details. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban security cordoned off the area. Residents in the area said members of the Shia minority Hazara ethnic group appeared to be the target. They spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for their safety. The attacks are the latest in a series of deadly bombings to rattle Afghanistan. Last week, 33 Shia worshippers were killed when a bomb ripped through a mosque and an adjacent religious building school. The Islamic State group's regional affiliate - a top foe of Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers - claimed responsibility for that bombing. Search Keywords: Short link: Al-Azhar condemned Friday terrorist attack on a mosque in Afghanistans capital Kabul that left dozens of worshippers dead and injured. Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim worlds top religious institution, reiterated in a statement on Friday evening its rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism that target places of worship. It also offered its condolences to the Afghan people and the families of the victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. The attack against the Khalifa Aga Gul Jan Sunni mosque in eastern Kabul, which came in the form of an explosion, killed and injured more than 50 worshippers after the last Friday prayers of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The source of the explosion remains unidentified, and no one has claimed responsibility for the blast as of yet. The explosion is the latest in a series of relentless terrorist attacks across the Sunni-majority country against civilians and mosques, both Shia and Sunni, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State (IS). IS has been stepping up its attacks across Afghanistan to become the primary enemy of the Taliban since their takeover of the country last August. Search Keywords: Short link: President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi asserted on Tuesday Egypts commitment to its stance regarding the national security of the Gulf region as part of its own national security rejecting any practices aiming to destabilize it in his meeting in Cairo with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, the Egyptian Presidency said. The statement from El-Sisi came following his meeting in Cairo with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. Cairo is the first stop for Prince bin Salman in a regional tour that includes also Jordan and Turkey. According to the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi and bin Salman also discussed the latest developments regionally and internationally, with both sides having a mutual understanding about continuing joint efforts to face the dangers threatening the security and stability of the region. In a joint statement issued following the meeting, Egypt and Saudi Arabia emphasised the necessity of supporting international efforts to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. They also highlighted the importance of boosting the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as safekeep the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia reiterated their support for efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction free zone in a way that contributes to achieving international and regional stability. They also support the efforts to encourage Iran to commit to the principles of non-interfere in the Arab states affairs and refrain from all destabilising activities in the region including supporting armed militias and threatening maritime navigation. According to the joint statement, both leaders also discussed other developments in Palestine, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. The two leaders also discussed the upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council +3 Summit which will be chaired by Saudi Arabia and will run from 15 to 16 June The summit will host the heads of state of the GCC countries, the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, as well as US President Joe Biden, who will be making his first tour in the Middle East by visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Saudi Arabia reiterated its full support to the Egyptian water security as a part of Arab water security, encouraging Ethiopia not to take any unilateral actions regarding the filling and operation of the dam. They also called for Ethiopia to agree to a legally binding agreement with Egypt and Sudan in accordance with the UN Security Councils presidential statement issued in September 2021. Saudi Arabia also announced in the joint statement it supports Egypt in hosting the upcoming UN Conference on Climate Change (COP27), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in November. Egypt and Saudi Arabia also agreed to hold a Green Middle East Initiative summit and Saudi Arabias green initiative forum during the COP27. During the talks, the Saudi crown prince praised Egypts vital role as a main pillar of security and stability in the region. Egyptian-Saudi Trade Relations Earlier Tuesday, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed 14 investment agreements worth $7.7 billion in several fields, including petroleum, renewable energy, green hydrogen, IT, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and cyber security. The signing comes on the side-lines of the two-day official visit of Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Egypt that started on Monday night. ver the past years, Egypt and Saudi have shared warm relations in the various political, economic, security and investment fields and have maintained continuous coordination on regional issues of concern. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached about SAR 54 billion ($14.4 billion) in 2021 its highest value in history achieving a growth of 87 percent compared to 2020, according to a recent report issued by the Federation of Saudi Chambers. Moreover, the volume of Saudi exports to the Egyptian market reached SAR 38.6 billion ($10.8 billion), and Egyptian imports to the Saudi market reached SAR 15.7 billion ($4.18 billion) a record growth of 60 percent. Furthermore, the volume of Saudi investments in Egypt amounts to more than $32 billion through more than 6,800 Saudi companies, according to the Saudi Press Agency. During the current global crisis, Saudi Arabia has deposited $5 billion in the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), and the kingdom is expected to invest further in the country. Moreover, prior to the war, Saudi Arabia deposited $3 billion in the CBE and extended the maturity of other deposits worth $2.3 billion that will now be paid in October 2026. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian energy giant Gazprom's slashing of gas supplies to Europe amounts to an "attack on us" by Moscow, the German economy minister said Tuesday. "The reduction of gas deliveries via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline is an attack on us, an economic attack on us," Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a speech to a German industry conference. Gazprom said last week it would reduce supplies of the fuel to Germany via the pipeline due to delayed repairs, while the German government has called the decision "political". As a result of the cut, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, decided to reactivate mothballed coal power plants to reduce their gas consumption. Germany has also mandated the filling of gas reserves to 90 percent ahead of the European winter, to hedge against a further reduction in supply. "When we go into the winter with half full gas stores and the taps are turned off then we are talking about a difficult economic crisis in Germany," Habeck said. Currently, Germany's gas storage capacity is just under 60 percent full. "We have seen this pattern multiple times now," Habeck said at the conference. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to "create chaos" in European gas markets by cutting off supply to Poland and Bulgaria among other European countries, the minister said. Habeck called for the "diversification" of suppliers of raw materials and energy to achieve "a bit of independence from the malign intentions of the world's dictators". Germany had a "system rivalry" with Russia and China, the minister said. China was a "big market", Habeck said, but urged industry to use trade to promote "our values". Search Keywords: Short link: 'Despite the continents enormous renewable energy potential, just two percent of renewable energy investments have gone to Africa over the last decade," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres underlined in his speech at the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, adding that Countries must arrive in Egypt for COP27 determined with clear plans to close this financing gap. Despite the continents enormous renewable energy potential, just two percent of renewable energy investments have gone to Africa over the last decade, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated on Tuesday. The Secretary Generals remarks came in his speech at the forum's opening session the two-day Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development that kicked off in Cairo on Tuesday, adding that Countries must arrive in Egypt for COP27 determined with clear plans to close this financing gap. "We need to end the COVID-19 pandemic, with governments, global and regional organizations, and pharmaceutical companies working better together to deliver and locally produce tests, vaccines, and treatments," Guterres said. We must expand African countries access to financing and debt relief, so they can invest in job creation, poverty reduction, expanded social protection, food security and green growth, he said. "We need to silence the guns across Africa, and address conflicts many roots by tackling inequalities and discrimination, and strengthening governance, institutions, public services and justice systems," he added. And we need bold climate action, Guterres said. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified Africa as a global hotspot for the climate crisis. Breaching the Paris Agreements 1.5 degree goal would be disastrous. He went on to say "Many AU member states have come forward with ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions, clearly identified adaptation needs and adopted the African Union Green Stimulus Program." The world must match Africas ambitions with resources, financing and technologies to accelerate the transition from coal and other fossil fuels to renewables," he said. I am calling for a five-point proposal to achieve a renewable energy revolution, making renewable technology freely available as a global public good, he noted. Countries should support the work of the World Meteorological Organization to ensure that every person in the world has access to early warning systems for disasters over the next five years, he added. He concluded by saying "Across all these areas, the United Nations stands with Africa as we shape a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for all Africans." Mobilizing efforts to confront climate change Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat thanked Egypt for organizing the Aswan Peace Forum, hoping that the forum's results will contribute to efforts to shore up stability and peace in the African continent. He also stressed the importance of mobilizing efforts to confront climate change and provide comprehensive solutions to the enormous challenges facing Africa. In this regard, he underlined the importance of investing in the climate field, saying there should be new energy applications to back efforts exerted by developing countries on this score. He also hoped that the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC, set for Sharm El Sheikh in November will end in success. The third edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development was held in 21-22 June in a hybrid format with a focus on climate and security issues in Africa. The event, held under the auspices of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to host 900 representatives from 50 countries, including foreign ministers of the continent, senior officials, think tanks, the private sector, and NGOs. In a recorded video message aired during the opening session, Sisi stated that Egypt seeks to crystallise a joint African vision that accelerates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda and climate action, as well as boosting the African intra-cooperation in partnership with the global and regional partners. Search Keywords: Short link: By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson will visit Azerbaijan in July, Azernews reports. She made the announcement during the Three Seas Business Forum on "Building a balanced and resilient energy sector in the three seas region" in Riga. Noting that the EU Energy Platform is one of the key drivers of the EU efforts to diversity, she stated that this platform will aggregate EU gas demand and allow Europe to better and more efficiently use gas infrastructure. "In terms of outreach to international partners, we are quite advanced with the United States, as well as Norway. Last week I traveled to Cairo where we signed an MoU with Egypt and Israel. I will also visit Azerbaijan in July. At the same time, we have intense contacts with Canada, Qatar, Algeria, and others, she said. EU and Azerbaijan are in active dialogue on increasing gas supplies amid the energy crisis. A joint statement on energy cooperation with the EU was signed more than ten years ago. The EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation had reached a new level and is still ongoing within the framework of the Southern Gas Corridor. The EU places a high value on energy supply diversification, and the Southern Gas Corridor is particularly important in this regard. To recall, with the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. The Southern Gas Corridor is an initiative of the European Commission for a natural gas supply route from the Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to Europe. The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline, TANAP, and TAP. Last year, TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. By late 2022, Azerbaijan plans to increase gas supplies to Europe to 9.1 billion cubic meters, and in 2023, the volume of gas supplies is expected to reach 11 billion cubic meters. The United States on Tuesday called it "appalling" for the Kremlin to suggest that two US citizens captured while fighting for Ukraine against the Russian invasion could face execution. "It's appalling that a public official in Russia would even suggest the death penalty for two American citizens that were in Ukraine," John Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters after the Kremlin spokesman said the two men are not protected by the Geneva Conventions on prisoners of war. Kirby, spokesman for foreign policy at the White House, said the Kremlin was being at minimum reckless with the comments. "Whether they actually mean what they're saying here, and that this could be an outcome, that they could levy a death penalty against two Americans that were fighting in Ukraine, or that they just feel that it's a responsible thing for a major power to do, to talk about doing this..., either one of them is equally alarming," he said. An unknown number of foreigners, including Americans, have flocked to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February, joining the Ukrainian armed forces. Ukraine has established an international legion for volunteers with varying degrees of previous military training. With many sent to the frontlines, there's been a steady trickle of reports of individuals killed, captured or missing. The State Department on Tuesday confirmed that a second American had been killed, identifying the man as 52-year-old Stephen Zabielski, and again issuing the now almost daily plea for US citizens to keep away. "We once again reiterate US citizens should not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict and the singling out of US citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials," a State Department spokesperson said. "If you want to help the people of Ukraine, there's a whole lot of other better options to do that than to go in and put yourself in harm's way," Kirby said. Mercenaries Claim The two captured Americans are both former servicemen and were taken prisoner in the east of Ukraine earlier this month. Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, previously living in Alabama, have appeared in videos and pictures aired by Russian state media and social media, but President Joe Biden said last week he does not know exactly where they are being held. The State Department says Russia is required to treat volunteers humanely as they would other prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit execution and torture or other mistreatment of war detainees. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in an interview with NBC News released on Monday, said the Americans were mercenaries and should be "held responsible for those crimes that they have committed" -- without the Geneva Conventions applying. A 22-year-old former Marine, Willy Joseph Cancel, was confirmed as the first American killed fighting for Ukraine in late April. A third missing American, identified as a former US Marines captain with 20 years experience, was last heard from in late April, CNN quoted his wife as saying. Two British men and a Moroccan captured in fighting have been sentenced to death by the Russian proxy authorities in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, a Moscow-controlled swath of eastern Ukraine. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due in Iran Wednesday for talks on boosting trade and energy cooperation as the two countries grapple with Western economic sanctions. Tehran and Moscow both have huge oil and gas reserves but are constrained by sanctions that limit their ability to export their output. "Lavrov will meet our foreign minister (Hossein Amir-Abdollahian) tomorrow (Thursday)," Iran's official IRNA news agency said. Russia was slapped with sanctions following its February invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, while Iran's economy has been reeling under biting sanctions reimposed by the US in 2018, following Washington's withdrawal from a nuclear accord between Tehran and major powers. Russia played a key role in that deal, taking charge of Iran's excess enriched uranium stocks beyond those permitted under the agreement. It has been party to stumbling talks between Iran and the powers on reviving the 2015 deal with renewed US participation. The negotiations have been stalled since March amid sharp differences between Tehran and Washington on the US sanctions that would be lifted in exchange for Iran's return to full compliance with the agreed limits to its nuclear activities. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi visited Moscow in January, and said he had presented his counterpart Vladimir Putin with draft documents on strategic cooperation that would cement collaboration for the next two decades. In late May, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak visited Tehran at the head of a large delegation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent global oil and gas prices soaring. Search Keywords: Short link: Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait and his Qatari counterpart Ali bin Ahmed Al-Kawary signed the MoU that is meant to foster cooperation and coordinate financial visions, positions, and policies at the bilateral and international levels, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Finance read on Tuesday evening. The MoU also aims to exchange expertise in the fields of taxation, customs, and financial policies. According to the finance ministry, the MoU paves the way for reaching an agreement on preventing double taxation between the two sides with a view to stimulating joint investments. The two ministers praised the tangible progress made in the course of bilateral relations. The MoU is the latest episode of cooperation between Egypt and Qatar following the restoration in January 2021 of diplomatic, economic, and travel ties after a four-year hiatus. Egypt and Qatar have worked on strengthening their newly-restored relations and reaching common ground on regional issues since Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed the Al-Ula Declaration with Qatar in January 2021, ending years of a diplomatic rift. In the wake of the agreement, Egypt and Qatar held rounds of talks to develop relations, eventually forming the Egyptian-Qatari Joint Committee to foster and strengthen these ties. Earlier in June, the Qatari minister met with Maait on the sidelines of the 2022 Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) in Sharm El-Sheikh, and affirmed the importance of boosting bilateral cooperation amid the current global economic crisis to mitigate its impact on citizens. In March, during his meeting in Cairo with Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said the tangible progress in Egyptian-Qatari relations should serve the interests of the two countries and enhance the efforts to bolster the security and stability of the Arab region. In that meeting, the Qatari FM affirmed to El-Sisi Doha's keenness to cement ties with Cairo. Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Bin Abdulrahman held an extended meeting on a Qatari package of $5 billion in investments and partnerships in Egypt within "the framework of boosting economic cooperation." This came a day after Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Bin Abdulrahman announced a decision to establish a high joint committee to boost cooperation and coordination on all fronts. Egypts National Council for Human Rights NCHR) and the House of Representatives Human Rights Committee have agreed to hold joint workshops to contribute to achieving the goals of the National Strategy for Human Rights. In a periodic meeting with members of the parliamentary committee on Wednesday, President of the NCHR Moushira Khattab said the council has completed a plan to follow up on the national strategy on the ground, a statement by the council read. Tarek Radwan, head of the Parliaments Human Rights Committee, affirmed the need for concerted efforts by legislative and executive authorities as well as national councils to promote human rights. Radwan stressed the presence of a political will to implement the national strategy. The countrys 2021-2026 National Strategy for Human Rights was launched by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in September last year to address political, economic, social, and cultural rights for all societal groups. During the meeting, Khattab said that the council practices its work in light of the national strategy, which has contributed to raising the ceiling for human rights. The NCHR and the parliamentary committee held an open dialogue to discuss safeguarding human rights and have agreed on holding joint periodic meetings to discuss recent and future workplans. They also agreed on launching an expanded conference to discuss the impact of overpopulation on human rights. During the meeting, Vice-President of the NCHR Mahmoud Karem reviewed the outcomes of the NCHR delegations visit to Geneva and Bern. He said high-level meetings in the two cities have confirmed the keenness of the countries and institutions concerned with human rights to back the steps of Egypts national strategy. The NCHR delegation recently held meetings in Switzerland with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the ambassador of the European Union, and think tanks, Karem said. During her meeting with Bachelet earlier in June, the chief of the NCHR said the council will sign a cooperation programme with the European Union and the UN Human Rights Office on implementing Egypts National Strategy for Human Rights. Egypt has taken several steps over the past months to advance human rights. In April, El-Sisi called for a national dialogue that includes all forces "without exception or discrimination" and revived the Presidential Pardon Committee formed in 2016. The president has also declared 2022 as a year of civil society. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's public prosecution announced on Tuesday evening that two young men committed suicide - one who jumped from the 187-metre Cairo Tower and another man who drove off the Mansoura Bridge in Damietta - due to experiencing financial problems and distress. The man who jumped off the Cairo Tower took his life after a financial crunch that led to disputes with his two brothers, the prosecution concluded after examining the victims body, phone, as well as surveillance cameras on site and interrogating eyewitnesses. The victim's last moments were spelled out in two text messages he sent to two persons. In the first message he asked for an increase in his monthly pocket money, and in the second -- sent while he was at the tower -- he indicated that those were the last moments of his life, according to a statement by the prosecution. The man headed alone to the Cairo Tower, went up to the top deck accompanied by one of the landmark's security staffers. When the latter asked him to depart the place because the visiting time was over, he jumped off the 62nd floor, the statement pointed out. The prosecution said it took statements from two workers at the Cairo Tower, five eyewitnesses, and the victim's friends. The prosecution added that it ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death and asked that the police investigate the incident. In the same statement, the prosecution said the second man took his life by driving off the Mansoura Bridge in Damietta's Talkha city, northeast of Cairo, due to distress over family disputes. The victim left a farewell message on his Facebook account indicating the presence of family disputes. The prosecution said it examined the victim's car and body and took the statements of four relatives and an acquaintance. The prosecution said it ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of his death and demanded a police investigation into the incident. It also asked the victim's family to hand over his phone to be examined. The two incidents caused an immediate public uproar. In recent years, several cases were reported of people committing suicide whether by jumping off the Cairo Tower or in front of trains, or even swallowing pesticides. However, the World Health Organisation has listed Egypt among countries with low suicide rates. More recently, many private and government-sponsored online campaigns have begun addressing the problem. Online initiatives such as Takestep and Shezlong enable users to book and pay for online or phone sessions anonymously. Also, upon dialling 02 2081 6831 or 080 0888 0700 -- the hotlines of the Ministry of Health and Population's General Secretariat of Mental Health -- callers are able to talk about their mental health issues and are then directed to the nearest suitable mental health facility. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Public Prosecution has referred a young man to trial on a premeditated murder charge for knifing to death university student Nayera Ashraf in Mansoura city in northern Egypt, two days after the crime took place and sent shockwaves across the country. The first trial session for the defendant, Mohamed Adel, will be held on Sunday 26 June, the prosecution said in a statement on Wednesday. A video of the tragic incident, which took place on Monday, has been widely circulated on social media, showing a man who appears to be cutting a womans throat on a busy street in front of Mansoura University before he is attacked and restrained by bystanders. He was determined to kill her and followed her until he caught up with her at Mansoura University. He [then] attacked her with a knife, stabbed her several times, and slit her throat with the aim of taking her life, the statement said. The prosecution said 25 witnesses, including students, university security guards, and shop workers have confirmed that they saw the defendant commit the crime. The victims friends say that Adel threatened to hurt her after she refused his marriage proposal, and that she had filed several police reports against him, the prosecution added. Authorities say Adels phone contained several messages where he threatened to kill the victim by slitting her throat, the prosecution said. The prosecution said that a surveillance camera showed that the assailant followed the victim, got on the same bus, and attacked her after she got off. Adel confessed to the murder during interrogation and re-enacted the crime at the scene, the statement added. The prosecution stressed its resolute response against all violence crimes, especially those committed against women and children. The prosecution also warned against making useless speculations about the circumstances of such crimes with the aim of gaining attention on social media or rushing to obtain information about the crime without regard to the confidentiality of the ongoing investigation. The Public Prosecution will take strict legal measures against anyone who commits any of these acts, which constitute criminal offenses punishable by law, the statement added. The prosecution urged the public not to circulate information about the case except from its official statements, and stressed that it is keen on maintaining transparency with the public. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt has expressed its deepest condolences to Afghanistan over a devastating earthquake that hit the Asian country early on Wednesday killing around 1000 people and injuring over 600 others. In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for all the injured. The ministry stressed the solidarity of Egypt with Afghanistan in this painful affliction, the statement added. The deadliest quake hit the provinces of Paktika and Khost, with several houses reduced to rubble. Rescue operations are still underway in search for trapped under rubble in mountain villages. Search Keywords: Short link: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Wednesday, making his first visit to Turkey as the two regional heavyweights press ahead with efforts to repair ties following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. The crown prince will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the last leg of a Middle East tour that also took him to Egypt and Jordan. His visit comes before U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to the region next month. Erdogan said talks with the prince, who is commonly referred to by his initials MBS, would focus on advancing Turkish-Saudi relations to a ``much higher degree.'' Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, paying his first visit to the kingdom since 2017, a year before the gruesome killing of Khashoggi by Saudi agents in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Turkey's efforts to improve ties with Saudi Arabia comes as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments from wealthy Gulf Arab states. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. Talks with the UAE's Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year led to investment deals worth $10 billion after years of regional rivalry. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Hamas is working to restore ties with Syria's government, a senior official within the Palestinian Islamist group said on Tuesday, following a decade-long rupture after Hamas backed the Syrian opposition. "Communication with Syria is improving and is on its way to being entirely restored to what it used to be," the official told AFP, requesting anonymity. The official said that Hamas leaders have made multiple recent visits to Syria, adding: "Syria supports the Palestinian people and cause, and Hamas is devoted to its relationship with Syria and all Arab countries." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government declined to comment on reports of warming ties. Assad's regime and Hamas, both staunch foes of Israel, had been firmly allied until the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, when the Palestinian group publicly backed those fighting to overthrow the government in Damascus. The rupture that followed saw Hamas abandon its headquarters in the Syrian capital, where the group's former chief Khaled Meshal had lived for many years. Top Hamas officials subsequently relocated to Doha and Istanbul. Hamas has voiced anger over a recent diplomatic rapprochement between Turkey and Israel. The breakdown of Hamas-Syrian relations also angered their common ally Iran, which remains a major backer of armed groups in Gaza, a Palestinian territory of roughly 2.3 million people blockaded by Israel since 2007. Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Beirut on Tuesday, for meetings aimed at "strengthening cooperation and fraternity between the Palestinian and the Lebanese people", a Hamas statement said. There was no immediate indication that Haniyeh's visit to was tied to the Syrian outreach. Search Keywords: Short link: Kuwait's crown prince announced Wednesday the dissolution of parliament and called for new elections amid escalating disputes between the legislative assembly and cabinet. The move came as 21 opposition MPs have been on strike for eight days in the parliament headquarters over the delaying of legislative sessions and the failure to form a new government. The cabinet, the fourth to be formed in two years, resigned in April, three months after it was sworn in, but continued to act in a caretaker capacity. "It is in the nation's interest that I seek the dissolution of the National Assembly," said Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah in a televised address. "I urge the Kuwaiti people to elect a new house that can bear the great responsibility of maintaining state stability," he continued in the address given on behalf of Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The 84-year-old emir had delegated some of his constitutional responsibilities to the crown prince last year. A royal decree on the dissolution of parliament will be issued and a call for new elections will be made in the next few months, Sheikh Meshal added, without specifying the exact date. Oil-rich Kuwait has been shaken by disputes between lawmakers and successive governments dominated by the ruling Al-Sabah family for more than a decade, with parliaments and cabinets dissolved several times. Kuwait is the only Gulf Arab state with a fully elected parliament, which enjoys wide legislative powers and can vote ministers out of office. In February, the country's interior and defence ministers resigned in protest over the manner of parliamentary questioning of other ministers. The opposition and its allies won nearly half of parliament's 50 seats in the elections in 2020. The polls were the first since Sheikh Nawaf took power following the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah. In recent years, there have been mounting calls for reform in Kuwait, where expatriate residents make up 70 percent of the 4.8 million population. Search Keywords: Short link: By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have discussed ways for boosting cooperation and addressed the support provided to SMBs, Azernews reports. The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijans Agency for Small and Medium Business Development Chairman Orkhan Mammadov and Uzbekistans Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Deputy Minister, Agency for Entrepreneurship Development Director Mirzokhid Ubaydullayev. During the meeting, the parties also discussed the small and medium business activities in both countries. To recall, an Azerbaijani-Uzbek business forum was held in Tashkent on June 20 ahead of the visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Uzbekistan. Within the forum, a number of cooperation documents were signed between the two countries. In this regard, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Azerbaijans Agency for Small and Medium Business Development and Uzbekistans Chamber of Commerce and Industry was signed. The document was signed by the agencys chairman Orkhan Mammadov and the chambers head Davron Vakhabov. According to the memorandum, the sides will inform each other about trade and investment opportunities of the two countries, support and promote the development of bilateral relations between SMBs, and organize mutual business missions. Additionally, during the visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Tashkent, the two countries presidents signed the declaration on the deepening of strategic partnership and expanding comprehensive cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. At the same time, various cooperation documents were also signed in the presence of Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan amounted to $111.9 million in 2021. Presently, around 195 Azerbaijani enterprises are represented in Uzbekistan, 69 of which have joint capital and 126 of them have 100 percent Azerbaijani capital. Coinciding with unrelenting cyberattacks against Ukraine, state-backed Russian hackers have engaged in ``strategic espionage'' against governments, think tanks, businesses and aid groups in 42 countries supporting Kyiv, Microsoft said in a report Wednesday. ``Since the start of the war, the Russian targeting (of Ukraine's allies) has been successful 29 percent of the time,'' Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote, with data stolen in at least one-quarter of the successful network intrusions, ``As a coalition of countries has come together to defend Ukraine, Russian intelligence agencies have stepped up network penetration and espionage activities targeting allied governments outside Ukraine,'' Smith said. Nearly two-thirds of the cyberespionage targets involved NATO members. The United States was the prime target and Poland, the main conduit for military assistance flowing to Ukraine, was No. 2. In the past two months, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Turkey have seen stepped-up targeting, A striking exception is Estonia, where Microsoft said it has detected no Russian cyber intrusions since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The company credited Estonia's adoption of cloud computing, where it's easier to detect intruders. ``Significant collective defensive weaknesses remain'' among some other European governments, Microsoft said, without identifying them. Half of the 128 organizations targeted are government agencies and 12% are nongovernmental agencies, typically think tanks or humanitarian groups, according to the 28-page report. Other targets include telecommunications, energy and defense companies. Microsoft said Ukraine's cyber defenses ``have proven stronger'' overall than Russia's capabilities in ``waves of destructive cyberattacks against 48 distinct Ukrainian agencies and enterprises.'' Moscow's military hackers have been cautious not to unleash destructive data-destroying worms that could spread outside Ukraine, as the NotPetya virus did in 2017, the report noted. ``During the past month, as the Russian military moved to concentrate its attacks in the Donbas region, the number of destructive attacks has fallen,'' according to the report, ``Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War.'' The Redmond, Washington, company has unique insight in the domain due to the ubiquity of its software and threat detection teams. Microsoft said Ukraine has also set an example in data safeguarding. Ukraine went from storing its data locally on servers in government buildings a week before the Russian invasion, making them vulnerable to aerial attack, to dispersing that data in the cloud, hosted in data centers across Europe. The report also assessed Russian disinformation and propaganda aimed at ``undermining Western unity and deflecting criticism of Russian military war crimes'' and wooing people in nonaligned countries. Using artificial intelligence tools, Microsoft said, it estimated ``Russian cyber influence operations successfully increased the spread of Russian propaganda after the war began by 216 percent in Ukraine and 82 percent in the United States.'' Search Keywords: Short link: In its final day, experts and officials of the two-day Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development asserted the importance of international financial institutions (IFI) multilateral finances and the private sector in mobilising finances for climate action across Africa. They also urged the international community to fulfil its commitment to provide developing countries with $100 billion in finances per year to adapt and deal with the climate crisis. The third edition of the forum was held under the theme Africa in an Era of Cascading Risks and Climate Vulnerability: Pathways for a Peaceful, Resilient, and Sustainable Continent and organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding in partnership with the Swedish government and the African Development Bank (AfDB). In a recorded message, Mahmoud Mohi El-Din Egypts climate champion, special envoy on financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that there is no room to talk about global political cooperation while there are regions suffering from food crises, climate change vulnerability, and conflicts like the ones in Africa. He also noted that the war in Ukraine, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, have deepened the troubles the continent is beset by, especially that its countries need to spend around 35 percent of their GDP to invest in water, food, and infrastructure amid the ongoing challenges. Africas financing needs in this regard edged up from $2.2 trillion to $2.4 trillion amid the ongoing challenging time, he said. The COP27 is a platform through which Egypt will adopt a local and regional approach for the development of the continent, he said, calling for availing the room for the private sector and multilateral finances provided by IFIs to mobilise finances in this respect. Mohi El-Din also touched upon the sustainable debt issue in the continent, which is aggregated by the impacts of both the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic. If creditors cannot introduce a solution to deal with this issue, all efforts of investing in the continents water, energy, and food security will be at risk. We have to work on channelling the required finances for the continents development from the private sector as well as IFIs to achieve Africas SDG Agenda and the 2063 Africa We Want Agenda, Mohi El-Din explained. Kevin Urama, acting chief economist and vice president for economic governance and knowledge management at the AfDB, noted that financial commitments for climate action need to transform from pledges and promises to implementation on the ground to avoid the severe impacts of climate change on Africa, which is responsible for only 3% of global carbon emissions. He stressed that the global climate action inflow structure shows that the most vulnerable countries to climate change in Africa do not receive any of these inflows, while inflows to other countries on the continent leave much to be desired. In this respect, Urama pointed out the role the African Development Fund plays in mobilising concessional finances for Africa to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. He also asserted the need to scale up the funds finances, adding that it managed to allocate 45 billion in finances to support the continent just in time for its 50th anniversary. For her part, Elizabeth Spehar, assistant secretary-general for peace building support at the UN, said that $50-70 billion are allocated annually in peace building finances. She affirmed that innovative solutions are crucial to address the peace and security challenges on the continent by working under public-private-partnerships (PPPs) and with the private sector to avail extra finances to address such an issue. She added that there is also a need to resort to non-traditional donors in this regard as well as mobilising local finances. Over the past two days, the Aswan Forum discussed the avenues the continent can approach to achieve its sustainable development and have access to the required finances amid the ongoing multifaceted crisis that also affects its peace and security. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) awarded on Tuesday Thales and its partners Orascom Construction and Colas Rail a contract to design, supply, deploy, and maintain for two years years the first phase of Metro Line 4. The contract includes the advanced and integrated digital solutions for telecommunications, centralised control, and ticketing system of phase one. According to Thales, Line 4 will see the development of a 42km line and 35 stations in two phases. The first phase of the project will take six years, according to the French multinational company, to complete 19km, 16 stations, a depot and an operations control centre. Phase 1 of Metro Line 4 will connect the centre of Greater Cairo to the Giza Pyramid Complex in southwest Greater Cairo and is expected to be heavily used by tourists, transporting them to the Pyramids site and the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), according to Thales. Thales will supply and install the full scope of its Integrated Communication and Supervision systems (including radio, multi-service network, wayside telephone and wireless LAN systems, wayside equipment for security systems, Passenger Information and Public Address, and Operations Control Centre) as well as revenue collection solutions in the project. Phase 2 will be implemented at a later stage, with additional 23.5km, 19 stations, and 92 trains. "This contract confirms our strong commitment towards NAT to support their development of Metro Cairo and the more than 30 years of GTS presence in mass transit in the country, having previously provided the first ticketing system for Cairo Line 1, and the Integrated Communication, Supervision and ticketing solutions for lines 2 and 3." Thales said in its statement. In November 2020, Egypt's Orascom Construction and Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation signed a contract worth around $800 million to begin construction work at the first phase of Line 4 of the Cairo Metro. Search Keywords: Short link: Bahraini King Hamad bin Eissa Al-Khalifa and Jordanian King Abdullah II had already met with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh to the same end. Both meetings confirm Egypts central role in reaching a united Arab stand ahead of the widely anticipated, mid-July meeting between the US president and leaders of nine Arab nations: the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. Ahead of his first visit to an Arab country since taking office 18 months ago, Biden will stop in Israel and Palestine for meetings with top Israeli government officials and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Democratic administration has long promised to bring the peace process back on track, after it was damaged nearly to the point of collapse under the Trump administration. So far, little if anything has been achieved, making it difficult for Arab leaders who will meet Biden in Jeddah to interact positively with ongoing US efforts to form a new joint security alliance against Iranian threats to the Arab Gulf region, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq. Trump had disregarded all key pillars of that peace process since it was launched in Oslo in 1993: the exchange of land for peace, and linking the normalisation of ties between Israel and Arab countries to progress in the two-state solution. He recognised occupied East Jerusalem as Israels united capital, closed the Palestinian Embassy in Washington and shut down the US Consulate in East Jerusalem, which endorsed Washingtons refusal to recognise Israels unilateral decision to annex that part of the disputed city which was occupied in 1967, like the rest of Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. Instead, Trump and his infamous son-in-law Jarred Kushner pushed for normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab countries, known as the Abraham Accords, while promising billions of dollars in aid to Palestinians, imagining that this would be a fair offer in return for giving up the aspiration to an independent Palestinian state. The Biden administration sought to distance itself from those steps, but no tangible measures have been taken to revive peace talks between Israel and Palestinians. The announcement by Israels fragile ruling coalition on Monday that it would call for new elections, expected by autumn, is certainly going to be the common Israeli excuse to escape from taking any steps towards reviving serious peace talks with the Palestinians. On the Iran confrontation front, any Israeli government in office, especially if right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a comeback, will remain a central issue, if not the only one. Netanyahus possible return to office as prime minister would likely lead to more hard-line language and stands on Iran, and a return to the total disregard of any attempt to reach peace with the Palestinians. The consultations that took place in Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh are a necessary prelude to ensure that Arab leaders will speak in a united voice when they meet Biden in Jeddah to discuss various thorny topics, including Iran, the dead Palestinian-Israeli peace process and, more recently, the devastating effect of the Russia-Ukraine war on the region. The soaring prices of basic commodities, such as wheat and cooking oil, as well as fuel, has added tremendous pressure on Egypts budget, nearly doubling the cost of its imports. Al-Sisi and Bin Salman discussed the vital role Saudi Arabia played in helping Egypt overcome the massive losses it suffered following the outbreak of the Ukraine war four months ago. As portfolio investors pulled money from Egypt, tourism income declined and the government faced rising commodity prices in knock-on effects at the start of the Ukraine war, Saudi Arabia deposited $5 billion in Egypts Central Bank. The Saudi-based International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) has provided Egypt with finance for commodity imports and Egypts government has said cooperation with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund will result in $10 billion in investments. Egypt has also strongly supported recent efforts by Saudi Arabia to bring an end to the ongoing war and suffering in Yemen, which is likely to be another important topic on the agenda of the upcoming US-Arab summit. President Al-Sisi has expressed strong support to the UN-mediated truce in Yemen, which has led to the most peaceful period there since war broke out seven years ago. Egypts ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf nations, as well as Jordan and Iraq, constitute to a strategic partnership, given that these relations are the cornerstone of preserving regional security and stability. This partnership aims at achieving development and peace through a unified and effective vision. A version of this article appears in print in the 23 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The cancellation of this years El Gouna Film Festival is a great loss for all those involved in the film industry in Egypt. I was saddened to read the recent statement issued by the management of the El Gouna Film Festival announcing the cancellation of this years festival, planned for mid-October, due to what it described as current global challenges. I imagine that this sudden cancellation will bring relief to those who over the years have seen nothing in the festival except the red carpet, controversial outfits, extravagant opening and closing ceremonies, and lots of jewelry. But in fact the medias focus (to the point of obsession) on these aspects of the festival has entrenched a negative and provocative image in peoples minds, to the extent that the festival has come to be seen more as an occasion for the wearing of extravagant costumes than as an international cultural event to be proud of and one at which to watch international films, receive international stars, directors, and producers, celebrate the heritage of Egyptian cinema, honour our great artists, and perpetuate the memory of departed giants. Cancelling any artistic, literary, or cultural festival is unfortunate whatever the circumstances because it disrupts a channel for the dissemination of art and creativity, wastes an opportunity to learn about new cultural and intellectual trends around the globe, and deprives Egyptian art of an opportunity to break into the world scene. If we really want Egyptian cinema to regain the position that it occupied in previous decades, then this will not be achieved by reminiscing about the past or looking nostalgically at film posters from the fifties and sixties. Instead, it means venturing into global competition and encouraging creativity and cultural activity, even if this might mean tolerating some silly behaviour and extravagant costumes. On the other hand, limiting ones gaze to the extravagance that necessarily surrounds any international film festival obscures an economic reality that is no less important than the cultural one. Cinema is an industry that employs large numbers of people, not only in artistic production, but also in terms of the provision of equipment, services, costumes, food, security, and supplies of all kinds, all of which provide job opportunities and support the economy. When an international festival is held in Egypt, whether in El Gouna or in Cairo, this means increased demand for hotels, transport, restaurants, apartments, and the whole range of tourism services. Moreover, an international festival brings free advertising to the country and attracts the attention and curiosity of millions around the world who will see photographs of their favourite stars appearing in front of Egyptian landmarks. As for the belief that cancelling the El Gouna Festival this year will be respectful to ordinary peoples feelings and avoid provoking them in the light of the present harsh economic conditions, in my opinion this risks having the opposite effect because the real economic impact of any such cancellation would be the loss of job opportunities, tourism, and foreign currency, all of which we desperately need. Whatever the real reasons and justifications for cancelling this years festival, I hope that there will be room for this decision to be reviewed and that the authorities will intervene to support this cultural event of world importance that our neighbouring countries are seeking to imitate. I hope that we will all stand in solidarity with the festival and its management because the loss of the opportunity to organise an international festival that is well established and well recognised is a loss for the country, tourism, the economy, and the arts. This article also appears in todays edition of the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm (23 June). A version of this article appears in print in the 23 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Will the latest reconciliation agreement in Darfur put an end to bloodshed or is it just another photo-op? The Rezeigat and Misseriya tribes signed a reconciliation agreement on Saturday following clashes that led to the death of hundreds, injury of thousands, and displacement of tens of thousands of Sudanese. Present at the signing, which took place in a festive atmosphere in Al-Geneina, west Darfur, were among other, high-level Sudanese officials Vice President of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti. The signatories and attendees expressed their hope that the agreement would end war and destruction in Darfur, which has endured heavy fighting since 2003. According to UN estimates, some 300,000 Sudanese died and three million people were displaced in clashes during the reign of toppled president Omar Al-Bashir. However, the Sudanese government put the death toll at 10,000. The war in Darfur led the UN Security Council to charge Al-Bashir and a number of his aides at the International Criminal Court with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. During his speech at the signing ceremony, Hemeti said the Sudanese government will not allow chaos, the lack of security, and crimes to persist. He added that the regular forces will stop attempts to sabotage the state, pledging to put in place tight security plans. Peace should be ensured through deterrence and the extension of respect for the state and rule of law, Hemeti stated. He also expressed the hope that the reconciliation agreement will end clashes between the Rezeigat and Misseriya tribes once and for all. Masar Abdelrahman Aseel, one of Rezeigats tribal leaders, said the clan will work on closing all the loopholes in the reconciliation, making it a model to emulate, and calling for a permanent, comprehensive solution. Despite the ray of hope the agreement gave to stop bloodshed and find Darfurs lost peace, many observers from Darfur and other parts of Sudan opined that bloodshed and destruction in the region will only stop through real, tangible measures on the ground. Amir Hafez Al-Sheikh, one of the leaders of the Misseriya tribe, said the war that erupted between the two tribes led to killing, displacement and burning of villages, stressing the need to impose the respect for the state by increasing security vehicles to deter outlaws. He noted that there are reasons that fuel conflicts between tribes, such as the emergence of tribal fanaticism, partisan and regional polarisation on social media, as well as extremist ideologies. Sudanese author and political analyst Fayez Al-Salik told Al-Ahram Weekly controlling the situation in Darfur is extremely complicated amid the lack of security. Stability in Darfur is not granted, even after the reconciliation agreement, due to the spread of weapons among Arab and non-Arab tribes, and the common notion that every group has to protect itself and earn its rights by the power of arms, he added. Al-Salik pointed out that all the parties want to control Darfurs resources, especially gold. Failure to address the roots of the problem indicates that conflicts may erupt at any time, and without seizing weapons, achieving development, enforcing stability and the presence of forces that can impose respect for the state, conflicts will not stop nor will peace prevail in Darfur, he noted. Sudanese author and political analyst Abdul-Azim Shawki told the Weekly that the governments plan is based on the heavy deployment of security forces to enforce the law, chasing down criminals and punishing them. He believes that the state is accused in some cases of being a partner in those crimes, or turning a blind eye to some crimes, often failing to catch the culprits, possibly lacking the necessary capabilities. Shawki said that tribal interests sometimes outweigh the higher interests of Sudan, with some tribal members enrolled in the RSF or the army turning a blind eye to conflicts in their tribes to tip the scale in their tribes favour. Al-Bashirs regime used to orchestrate battles and arm tribes, Shawki added, pointing out that the recent events in Darfur are the outcome of the practices of Al-Bashir, whose forces launched attacks on some areas with Antonov planes. For the state to enforce respect, Shawki stated, resources for development are needed. Respect cannot be imposed by force of arms because the borders are expansive. He explained that the withdrawal of UNAMID in 2020 had a negative impact on Sudans security, stressing that despite criticisms directed at UNAMID and attempts to weaken it by the previous regime, it was still recording violations. Making matters worse is the plummeting economic conditions in Sudan and tribal aspirations to control other tribes. Gold mining and the rise of the price of land is another reason why peace is difficult to attain, Shawki said. Partial and security solutions and empty promises are not enough to solve the problem in Darfur, he noted, stressing that development, the permanent presence of security forces, improving living conditions, and disarming people and tribes are the means for peace to prevail. Adam Rigal, the spokesman of the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, concurred, saying that the present calm in Darfur is not indication enough of security as long as the real causes of the conflict are still present. All the committees concerned with investigating the massacres and violent incidents that took place in Darfur since the fall of the previous regime have not revealed their results, he added. Sudanese journalist Al-Sir Al-Sayed believes that the crisis in Sudan needs to be resolved at a grassroots level to avoid tribal strife, racism and hate speech, stressing the importance of the strict application of the law. The problem, however, is that tribal strife is rearing its ugly head extensively over all of Sudan once more. Many Sudanese observers and politicians believe that before solving tribal problems the crises of the centre of Sudan should be addressed first. At present, Sudan is suffering from political tensions, security fragility, economic and social deterioration, which exacerbates the crises in the far stretches of the country, threatened with more flare-ups and armed confrontations if the political conflicts in Khartoum are not resolved. The UN warned that 40 per cent of the Sudanese population is threatened with starvation. Moreover, regional and international conditions are casting heavy shadows over Sudan, making matters worse on all fronts. A version of this article appears in print in the 23 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman toured some regional capitals this week, ending with an official visit to Turkey, the first in almost four years. He started with Egypt, followed by Jordan. Saudi sources say the prince will visit Cyprus, Greece and Algeria probably in late July. The visit to Egypt was preceded by a summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh and attended by Bahraini King Hamad bin Eissa Al-Khalifa and Jordanian King Abdullah II. Official statements from the summit said the leaders discussed mutual coordination towards various issues of common concern in addition to the latest developments on the regional and international arenas and the challenges facing the region. The leaders also stressed the importance of bolstering up the brotherly and strategic relationship between the three countries to achieve common goals and interests. The only reference to Bidens visit was that they also welcomed the upcoming summit to be hosted by Saudi Arabia in July, comprising leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and the US. Some analysts note that the summit, which occurred just two days before Bin Salmans visit to Egypt and Jordan, was mainly meant to formulate a somehow unified position on different issues ranging from the economic fallout of the Ukraine war, especially on energy and food prices, to the stance on relations with Israel and Iran. The Saudi crown-princes visit to the two Arab countries would conclude a shared position on almost all these issues. One commentator noted that Riyadh is taking the lead with the UAE backstage for now. But many Gulf sources confirmed to Al-Ahram Weekly that all regional issues that might arise in the summit with the American president are coordinated between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The visit to Turkey may be a bilateral event between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Saudi commentator Abdul-Aziz Alkhames told the Weekly that the crown-princes visit to Turkey is in return for Erdogans visit to the Kingdom [in April this year], and mainly to show normalisation of relations. Also, there is a need to coordinate on regional issues, especially on Iran, to reach a coherent stance before Bidens visit to the region. The visit aims also to push the rapprochement between Turkey and Egypt. There are other aspects to Bin Salmans tour, mainly economic, including investment pledges and financial assistance under such dire circumstances in accordance with Saudi sources. Such areas might appear unrelated to preparation for the July summit, but commentators see it as part of the effort to bring political positions closer to the Saudi stance when the leaders meet US President Joe Biden in Jeddah next month. Though Biden tried to downplay his eagerness to get the Gulf countries to produce more oil and lower prices for consumers in the US, many in the region believe it is still one of his primary goals. When asked about that recently, Biden said his Middle East visit is mainly about Israel, not oil. But even that, as many American commentators say, is another electioneering ploy. Yet gas prices at the pump are more important for the American voter than peace in the Middle East. A pro-Israel lobby in the US might not be enough to improve Bidens and his Democratic Partys chances in the upcoming mid-term elections for the Congress. By and large, the outlook of the Jeddah summit might not be that very bright. Abdul-Aziz Alkhames said that he is not expecting much to come out of the visit and the summit, other than reinforcing the new shift in the region towards a balanced foreign policy mandated mainly by national interests. There was a notion propagated by some parties within the region that the US will use the summit to form an Israeli-Arab alliance, mainly against Iran. Israeli officials downplayed that, mentioning that only token achievements like opening Saudi airspace to Israeli flights are possible. I dont think there will be any announcement on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. Any development in relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv will be separate from these accords. Saudi relations with Israel will be different, fitting with the Saudi vision only, Alkhames said. Even Iran, which is the main issue of concern to GCC countries, might not be addressed in a fully conclusive way. This administration is not ready for full cooperation in the right way. Biden is only concerned about energy and a few other issues. The American position on Iran is not clear, according to Alkhames. The time for American leadership is past, he concluded. The region now seeks cooperation only. That applies to US and others as national interests dictate. Many in the West echo the same view especially that Biden is going to be in a different Middle east. Some question the American goal of upending the GCC and Arab closeness to Russia and China. A veteran Western diplomat told Al-Ahram Weekly of what he described as double-hesitancy that might not help achieve the goals of the visit: On one hand, the Biden administration has no strategy for a coherent Middle East policy. On the other hand, Gulf and Arab stances on almost all regional issues are not the same to say the least. The lack of a solid strategy is replaced by the kind of tactical policy that has become a norm in Bidens administration both on internal issues and foreign policy. Leaders in the region understand this as they note opinion polls showing this administrations popularity declining day by day. If Biden is trying to achieve a foreign policy mark that might help his administration and party internally, he might be frustrated. In fact, the hosts are aware of the situation he is in and might not be enthusiastic to help. As for regional players, matters close to home are more important and they no longer buy the grand rhetoric of global coalition or American-led free world, the diplomat added. Many in the region and in the West see two main outcomes of the summit: rehabilitation of the Saudi crown-prince, which is a big U-turn for Bidens administration; and reinforcing the GCC and Arab foreign policy shift away from American hegemony. A version of this article appears in print in the 23 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: A Ukrainian official overseeing the country's push to join the European Union said Wednesday that she's ``100%'' certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraine's EU candidacy during a summit this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar optimism, calling it a ``crucial moment'' for Ukraine. Ukraine's membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders' summit starts. Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russia's invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: ``The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%.'' The EU's executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraine's candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commission's endorsement as ``a game-changer'' that had taken the ground out from under ``the legs of those most hesitating.`` EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc. Ukraine's full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law. Stefanishyna told the AP that she think Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast. ``We're already very much integrated in the European Union,'' she said. ``We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years.'' To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms. In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Brussels summit as ``two decisive days'' that he, like Stefanishyna, thinks will result in approval of Ukraine's EU candidacy. ``That is a very crucial moment for us, for some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness,`` the Ukrainian president said. ``In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivational factor for the unity and victory of the Ukrainian people.'' Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraine's candidate status. ``Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law,`` De Cross said. ``But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward.'' Search Keywords: Short link: A Turkish defence delegation was in Moscow for talks aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukraine across the Black Sea, Russia's defence ministry said Wednesday. Millions of tonnes of wheat and other grains have been stuck in Ukrainian ports since Russia sent troops to its pro-Western neighbour, sparking concern about hunger and food prices worldwide. "The parties discussed the safe exit of Turkish merchant ships and the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, as well as approaches to ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea," the ministry said in a statement following the meeting on Tuesday. Russia has repeatedly denied blocking the passage of cargo ships loaded with Ukrainian grain, instead of blaming Western sanctions against Moscow for contributing to the food crisis. Turkey -- which has maintained good relations with Moscow and Kyiv -- has offered to enable the passage of vessels from Ukraine based on a UN plan that would see safe corridors set up around known mines. Search Keywords: Short link: Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the U.S. State Department, arrived in Beirut on Monday following an invitation by the Lebanese government. The invitation came after Israel set up a gas rig at its designated location at the Karish field, which Israel says is part of its U.N.-recognized exclusive economic zone. Lebanon insists it is in a disputed area. Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed militant Hezbollah have been exchanging threats, with Hezbollah's leader last week warning he would strike the gas rig at Karish. Hezbollah, which has fought several wars with Israel, has repeatedly said in the past that it would use its weapons to protect Lebanon's economic rights. Days later, Israel's army Chief Aviv Kochavi threatened Lebanon with 'unprecedented bombing' saying that a future war would be very large. The U.S.-mediated indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel have been stalled since last year amid disagreements within Lebanon over how big the disputed area is. The two countries, which have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history. Last year, the Lebanese delegation in the talks - a mix of army generals and professionals - offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles) as Lebanese territory. Hochstein did not speak to reporters after his 40-minute meeting with Aoun. Lebanese media reported ahead of Tuesday's meeting that Aoun would put forward several proposals, including one which shows readiness to give Israel full control of Karish field in return for Lebanon getting the Qana field, part of which stretches deep into the disputed area. During a visit to Lebanon in February, Hochstein handed Lebanese officials a proposal which gives more than half the disputed area to Lebanon. Lebanon did not respond to the proposal. Asked what the United Nations could do to advance the negotiations, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, said the U.N. can ``work with the parties to help them find a solution through dialogues, through discussion, between both sides.'' The dispute over the maritime border is more than a decade old. In 2012, Lebanon rejected an American proposal of getting 550 square kilometers (212 square miles), or almost two thirds of the area, while Israel would have gotten the remaining third. The offer was known at the time as the ``Hoff Line,'' after U.S. diplomat Frederick Hoff who was mediating then between the two countries. Hanoi motorbike tour, Hoi An cooking class among top travel experiences in Asia Hanoi motorbike tour and Hoi An cooking class have been selected by readers of US travel site Tripadvisor as two of the 25 best travel experiences in Asia. The Hanoi motorbike tour takes more than four hours. (Photo: Tripadvisor) The half-day guided motorbike tour in Hanoi allows tourists to explore Vietnams capital citys famous landmarks like Long Bien Bridge, Hai Ba Trung Temple, the Presidential Palace Historical Site and try some of the city's best street foods. As part of the tour, visitors will have an opportunity to explore "Train Street", formed by railway tracks running alongside Dien Bien Phu and Phung Hung streets in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter, with residential buildings just a few feet away on either side. Meanwhile, the five-hour cooking class, organised by Hoi An Eco Tours Discovery, is considered a fun and interesting way to experience the rural life in Hoi An, a popular tourist destination in Vietnams central Quang Nam province, and Vietnamese cuisine. Participants will visit Cam Thanh fishing village, about five kilometres from Hoi An, where they will be taught how to use basket boats, a dispensable part of local fishermen, and experience a bamboo basket boat tour in Bay Mau nipa palm forest. After such eco-tour activities, they will be welcomed in the restaurant and participate in cooking around 2 hours with the chef. On top of the list is Thai and Akha Cooking Class in Thailand's Chiang Mai, followed by the Khmer cooking class at a Local's Home in Cambodia's Krong Siem Reap and sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. This year, an Amsterdam open boat canal cruise was the world's best travel experience. The selections have taken into account reviews and ratings from solely the past 12 months, trawling through the data to figure out which experiences have gathered the most positive responses from its online community. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Representatives of the Azerbaijani Labour and Social Security Ministry and a delegation from the Asian Development Bank have discussed the prospects of cooperation in the field of labour and social protection, and improvement of vocational training, Azernews reports, citing the ministry. During the meeting, Labour and Social Security Deputy Minister Anar Aliyev emphasized the importance of cooperation with ADB in improving the social security system and reforms in the field of pensions and social assistance. He noted that Azerbaijan has significantly expanded reforms in the labour market, employment and social protection, as well as active employment programs. In this context, he stated that over the past four years, the number of concluded labour contracts has increased by 30 per cent, the payroll by 2.2 times, and 340,000 people were provided with jobs through employment agencies. Moreover, the deputy minister noted the steps taken to organize vocational training courses for the unemployed and job seekers. In turn, ADB Social Sector Division for Central and West Asia Departments Head Rie Hiraoka stressed the importance of continuing cooperation in the process of consistent reforms in the field of labour, employment and social protection in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been a member of the Asian Development Bank since 1999. Since then, the bank has committed $4.4 billion in loans, and $32.28 million in technical assistance projects, including ADB-administered co-financing for Azerbaijan. Britain has named a new envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, a strategic region beset by multiple security and humanitarian crises. The appointment of diplomat Sarah Montgomery was announced Tuesday just as Beijing's special envoy to the Horn of Africa was in Ethiopia seeking to play a greater role in the region. "From a humanitarian crisis enveloping the Horn of Africa to our deepening ties across the Gulf, the UK's relationship with the Red Sea region is at a critical juncture," Britain's Minister for Africa Vicky Ford said in a statement. The Horn of Africa has a strategic position opposite the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf of Aden. Montgomery was previously at the British embassy in Washington and also held senior roles in the Gulf, Yemen and Iran section at the UK's National Security Secretariat, the statement said. "Her experience on security issues in the Gulf indicates that the Red Sea will be her focus," Ben Hunter, East Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, told AFP. "Saudi Arabia and the UAE have become major security and economic players in the Horn." Three countries in the region, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, are in the grip of a punishing drought, with warnings that Somalia is at risk of famine. Northern Ethiopia has been engulfed in a war that erupted in November 2020 between government forces and Tigrayan rebels, and the country is also being shaken by several local conflicts of varying intensity. China's special envoy Xue Bing, who was appointed to the role in February, said Tuesday after a two-day regional conference in Addis Ababa that Beijing wanted to play a "more important role" in promoting peace and security in the Horn. The United States earlier this month named veteran diplomat Mike Hammer as its latest envoy for the Horn with the delicate task of building on Ethiopia's fragile efforts towards peace. Search Keywords: Short link: The Nuri "was successfully launched from the Naro Space Center in South Jeolla Province at 4 p.m. and placed a dummy satellite in orbit 700 km above the Earth 15 minutes and 46 seconds after launch," the Ministry of Science and ICT said Tuesday. Korea on Tuesday succeeded in launching a fully homegrown rocket into space and became the seventh country in the world to put a satellite into orbit with its own technology. The country began developing the Nuri in 2010. The three-stage rocket, officially called the Korea Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II) "successfully communicated with the King Sejong Station in Antarctica to verify its location." The rocket was designed to put a 1.5-ton satellite into orbit at an altitude of 600 km to 800 km. Development cost W1.96 trillion (US$1=W1,294). The Korea Aerospace Research Institute plans to launch four more Nuris from 2023 to 2027. An upgraded version will be used to send a landing module to the moon in 2030. "Now a path to space has been opened from" Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol said after watching the launch at his office in Seoul. "It is the result of overcoming tough challenges over 30 years... [for Koreans] to reach out to space." He added the government will establish an aerospace agency to support the industry. Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung signed a W700-million, one-year contract with the Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders on Tuesday. The 34-year-old will earn W450 million in salary and up to W250 million in incentives for the 2022-23 season (US$1=W1,294). Heungkuk Life actively wooed Kim to return to the club, where she made her professional debut in 2005. She left the club in 2009 to play overseas, joining JT Marvelous in Japan until 2011, Fenerbahce in Turkey from 2011 to 2017, Shanghai Guohua Life in China from 2017 to 2018 and another Turkish club, Eczacbas VitrA, from 2018 to 2020. She then returned to Heungkuk Life and played for one season. Last season, she joined Shanghai Bright Ubest, formerly Shanghai Guohua Life, for whom she played in the 2017-18 season. "I'm happy to meet Korean fans at the [Pink Spiders'] new home stadium in Incheon. I'm excited to play in front of them now that the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. We'll try to perform at our best," Kim said. But Kim will no longer play for Korea as she retired from the national team last year, ending her 17-year international career. Korea succeeded in launching its first homegrown rocket into space from the Naro Space Center in South Jeolla Province on Tuesday, placing a dummy satellite into geosynchronous orbit. Technicians fixed a glitch that caused a previous launch in October of last year to fail and the Nuri or Korea Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II) successfully separated and completed its mission. Korea is now only the seventh country in the world to be able to launch a satellite into space entirely with its own technology. Korea spent around W2 trillion over the last 12 years to develop the Nuri and some 300 companies took part in the project (US$1=W1,294). Space rockets are dual-use technology that can be converted into intercontinental missiles, so countries are reluctant to share knowhow with others. Rocket designs developed in the 1950s remain classified to this day. Korean scientists scoured museums overseas to study old rockets and retrieved documents discarded by Russian researchers who visited Korea to obtain the necessary technology. Their blood, sweat and tears led to the successful launch on Tuesday. Advanced countries are competing fiercely in space, which is viewed as the future of industry. They are coming up with plans for space stations, space hotels and lunar bases. Already, tickets for trips to space have sold in their hundreds despite the exorbitant price of over W500 million, while the U.S. company Space X is valued at W160 trillion. European countries led the maritime age in the 15th and 16th centuries and ended up dominating the world, and experts say those who win the space race could reap equally huge benefits in the years to come. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute plans to conduct four more rocket launches by 2027 before transferring the technology to the private sector. Decades of experience accumulated by NASA led to the creation of the Space X program, and Korea should develop a similar space ecosystem using the Nuri rocket. Korea's first lunar orbiter Danuri will be launched from the U.S. in August of this year, and Korea plans to send a lunar landing module in 2031. Korea has built its own space center, launched a homegrown rocket and secured the technology to place a satellite into orbit. But it still lags far behind the leaders in space technology and must overcome numerous hurdles, such as developing a reusable rocket and the capacity to send heavier satellites into space. This will take decades to achieve. President Yoon Suk-yeol's pledge to create a Korean version of NASA is an important start. At the same time, fearless space entrepreneurs such as Innospace, Perigee Aerospace and Contec will have to grow into key players in the space industry. By Wakako Jo, KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 12:33 | Feature, All, Japan Financial education for young children is expanding in Japan to enhance their understanding of money, prompted by compulsory requirements in high school and the reduction of the age of adulthood from 20 to 18. The need comes as opportunities to handle cash decrease with the spread of electronic payments, and as adults worry how to develop their children's "money sense." Teachers, meanwhile, are turning to familiar games and recreations to help get the message across. In late May, a card game was held in a class of fifth-graders at the Kamakura Elementary School attached to Yokohama National University in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Pupils were divided into groups of four to five and instructed to indicate what they determined to be more valuable, an "object" or "behavior" from randomly picked cards. In a group that picked "one-hour care of a sick person" and "a colored pencil," Mihiro Tajima and Ako Goto picked care, saying it should not be treated simply as a matter of money. Tenma Saito agreed but for a different reason, saying that "I imagined my grandma as the sick person." Another student, Tendo Tashiro, chose the pencil because of his fondness for drawing pictures, adding, "When it comes to care, it would depend on who needs it. There may also be a risk of getting infected." "What we think has value and what we'll pay money for changes depending on the person and the age. Let's figure it out for ourselves," Mai Araya, the teacher, said to her pupils. "Most students commute by train and do shopping via electronic payment using their IC transit cards. Since there are few opportunities to receive change, it is hard to get a sense that they've spent money," Araya said after the class. "I hope that with money as a gateway, they will turn their attention to society and working people and discover the values" of various things, she said. The card game is part of a financial education program developed by Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. to help elementary school pupils think about the value of goods and services for themselves through the flow of money. With the financial services company starting to supply the program in April, national, public and private elementary schools in six prefectures have introduced or decided to introduce it. If requested, the Tokyo-based company dispatches employees to schools as instructors. The number of accounts newly opened at MUMSS by people aged 18 and 19 in April and May increased more than sevenfold from the corresponding period in 2021 because, according to a company official, "the drop in the legal age of adulthood has made young people recognize the need to build their assets earlier than in the past." MUMSS hopes to encourage the next generation of investors through the educational program designed to help children properly understand investments and risks. Kid's Money School, an organization in the city of Oita that provides financial education to children aged 4 to 10 across Japan, has witnessed a steep rise in inquiries about its programs from schools and local governments since last year. Adults tend to feel money is a "scary" thing to talk about in the presence of children, said Koji Miura, head of the organization, which began to hold classes for parents and children in 2014. "But kids can flexibly understand the mechanism of money and absorb (the concepts)," he said. In a class held in Tokyo in May, five children aged 5 to 8 accompanied by their parents experienced exchanges in money and products at a mock shop. The kids were impressed with the "heavy" weight of a bag full of one-yen coins equivalent to a foreign bank bill. In the past, financial education was meant to teach girls household management and boys about finance in the economy, said Kyoko Uemura, professor of household economics at Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University. But education has "evolved to the point where people learn the management of their own living expenses regardless of gender," she said. "Adults shouldn't be afraid to talk about money in daily conversation with their kids." Related coverage: FEATURE: Use of tablets on the rise for truant, sick children FEATURE: Education adds to Japan's latest exports to developing nations Gov't seeks more inclusive education for foreign children in Japan KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 16:35 | All, Japan, Coronavirus U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Wednesday applied to Japan's health ministry for approval of its COVID-19 booster shots for children aged 5 to 11. While third vaccine shots are widely administered to adults in Japan, children in that age group are currently only allowed to receive up to two shots. According to Pfizer's clinical trial data released in April, its booster shots increased the amount of neutralizing antibodies, which curb virus activities, sixfold when administered to children aged 5 to 11 about six months after their second shots. The vaccines were found to be effective for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and no safety issues were identified, the company said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer's booster shots for children in the age group in May. KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 23:52 | All, Japan Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Wednesday criticized Chinese and Russian warships recently sailing near Japan for their "show of force," warning against such actions as saber-rattling tactics against his nation. Kishi said at a press conference in Phnom Penh that Japan confirmed five Russian naval vessels have been sailing southward off Hokkaido in the Pacific Ocean and then passing through the Tsushima Strait in southwestern Japan before moving to the Sea of Japan since mid-June. He described the actions as "almost circling Japan," and said three Chinese navy ships were also following a similar path. Kishi expressed concern over "nearly 10 Russian and Chinese ships moving around our nation in such a short period of time in similar courses." He said another six Chinese vessels passed near the southern island prefecture of Okinawa when they moved from the East China Sea toward the Pacific from Tuesday to Wednesday. "We need to closely monitor the situation," Kishi said, also referring to the entry of 29 Chinese warplanes into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone. The incursion was announced Tuesday by Taiwan's Defense Ministry. The Japanese minister has condemned Beijing and Moscow over a long-distance joint flight by their strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Pacific in late May. Kishi was on a two-day visit to Cambodia from Tuesday to attend a meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held earlier Wednesday. KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 20:56 | All, Japan Japan's news outlets have legal grounds to jointly negotiate contracts on the use of their articles on sites run by IT giants, including Yahoo Japan Corp., the antitrust watchdog said Wednesday. Japan's Fair Trade Commission said media companies would not be violating the antimonopoly law by asking to see the revenue IT firms generate from operating news sites or by cooperating in seeking a standardized written contract. Distribution fees are based on the level of revenue. But the commission did say it could not allow media firms to limit competition by jointly deciding distribution fees. News firms have been deeply dissatisfied by what they consider unfair compensation for their articles used by online news sites, which have strong connections with advertisers and readers. Cooperation would give them greater negotiating power and could lead to revisions in contract terms with major online companies. It is also thought that if news firms used a prepared, standard contract, they could broker deals from an equal position. The commission stated its findings in its fiscal 2021 compilation of consultations. Although the consulting entity is anonymous, major Japanese daily The Asahi Shimbun told Kyodo News it approached the commission in 2021 over whether joint negotiations would contravene the antimonopoly law's promotion of "fair and free competition." The commission said requesting information from IT companies, using joint contracts and pursuing distribution agreements were not problematic. Although news companies do receive payment from IT firms based on articles' page views, among other variables, details of the income that technology businesses get from running the sites are not shared. It is hoped revealing this data will lead to discussions on equitable pay for articles. Contracts in deals with foreign tech firms are drawn up in English, and problems that emerge are addressed per international law. Cases of websites without contractual agreements with media companies publishing unauthorized links to articles are also under scrutiny. The commission said it would be possible for news firms to cooperate in pursuing legal agreements with these sites. KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 17:40 | World, All South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will participate in next week's North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit to be held in Spain, his office said Wednesday. It is the first time that the South Korean president has been invited to the NATO meeting, National Security Adviser Kim Sung Han said in his press briefing, explaining that Yoon will be there as one of the four leaders of the security alliance's Asia-Pacific partners, which include Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. "President Yoon, through his attendance at the NATO summit, will strengthen solidarity with 30 NATO partner countries," Kim said, adding that the government plans to gather broad support for its stance on North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. This will also be Yoon's first overseas trip since he took office in May. A meeting involving Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could take place on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Madrid from Wednesday. If realized, officials have said that trilateral security cooperation will likely be high on the agenda amid lingering concerns over the possibility of North Korea conducting a nuclear test for the first time since 2017. Related coverage: Japan, U.S., South Korea eye summit on NATO fringes South Korea succeeds in putting satellites into orbit, 7th in world South Korea to set up body on wartime labor during Japan's rule: report KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 19:55 | All, Japan Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Wednesday during talks with his ASEAN counterparts that maintaining a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region is important, apparently with China's growing maritime assertiveness in mind. In pushing for Japan's vision of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, Kishi called for a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea to be "effective, substantial and consistent with international law," his ministry said in a press release. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Beijing are crafting the code of conduct to defuse tensions in the disputed areas. The talks in Phnom Penh came as Japan aims to further enhance security relations with the 10-member regional group, at a time when China is extending its military influence in the region. Southeast Asia is a strategically important region that straddles key sea lanes, including the South China Sea where some of the members have territorial disputes with Beijing. In Cambodia, new ship-repairing facilities at Ream Naval Base located on the Gulf of Thailand are under construction with Chinese financial support. Cambodia's defense minister has denied the presence of Chinese forces at the base. Referring to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Kishi told a press conference after the talks that the "unilateral change of the status quo by force" does not only concern Europe and could also happen in the Indo-Pacific in the future. "We shared such concern with ASEAN nations," Kishi said, adding Japan held specific discussions with them to build reciprocal partnerships with each country. Kishi also pledged Japan's continued security cooperation with ASEAN including providing defense equipment for the bloc's members based on their needs, the ministry said. At the first in-person meeting between Japanese and ASEAN defense chiefs since November 2019, they also talked about boosting their cybersecurity capabilities, according to the ministry. Kishi was quoted by the ministry as expressing concern over the situation in Myanmar, saying there is no improvement since the February 2021 coup put the nation under military rule. He also urged the Myanmar military to immediately halt violence. The Japan-ASEAN defense talks were held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting in the Cambodian capital. ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Kishi was on a two-day visit to Cambodia from Tuesday, when he held separate meetings with his counterparts from Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei and Vietnam. Earlier Wednesday, the Japanese minister met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Related coverage: Japan concerned over Cambodia naval base modernizing with Chinese aid Japan, Singapore to launch talks on defense equipment transfer pact Japan PM says action plan for free Indo-Pacific to be ready by spring By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova Modern challenges in the museum sector have been discussed within a project "Discover A Museum Together with Professionals", Azernews reports citing the Carpet Museum. As part of the project, training was held in the Heydar Aliyev Center in Lankaran. The training focuses on museum management, protection of museum exhibits, international partnership, and much more. Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum Dr. Shirin Malikova, Deputy Director for the Protection and Registration of Exhibits, chief curator Mira Mammadkhanova took part in the event. During the two-day training, Shirin Malikova highlighted the Carpet Museum's experience in museum management and educational program in the museum. She also provided information about the winners of the EMYA 2022 (European Museum of the Year Award) contest annually held by the European Museum Forum. She pointed out that the Carpet Museum was awarded the certificate for innovations in public relations in the museum field in 2018. Next, the Carpet Museum director gave a master class on exhibit presentation and held a survey on different topics. Mira Mammadkhanova delivered speeches on the fund's work and evacuation issues in the museums. The heads of the Heydar Aliyev Centers from Lankaran, Lerik, and Astara, directors of the house museums, memorial museums, museums of local history, and art galleries, head curators, and other museum specialists, in total 47 participants, attended the event. The training covered provided the actual current museum issues and discussed ways to enhance productive and up-to-date museum management. KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2022 - 17:09 | All, World The first meeting of parties to a U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons will conclude with an action plan pledging cooperation with nonsignatory countries affected by such weapons as it charts a course for their abolition, a draft obtained by Kyodo News showed Wednesday. Japan, the only country in the world to have experienced the horrors of nuclear weapons in war, has not signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and did not join the meeting that started Tuesday in Vienna, even as an observer, despite high expectations among survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings that it would. While the eight-page draft of the action plan dated June 8 did not mention specific countries, it appealed to nonsignatory states to support the nuclear ban treaty and pledged to cooperate closely with them to achieve its goals, including providing relief for people who have been physically affected by nuclear radiation. Related coverage: Hiroshima, Nagasaki mayors call for nuclear abolition at treaty meet Other nonsignatory countries such as Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Australia, which was the site of British nuclear tests, have joined the meeting expected to conclude Thursday as observers. The treaty, which took effect in January last year, is the first international pact outlawing the development, testing, possession and use of nuclear weapons. But the five recognized nuclear weapons states -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- have opposed the treaty, saying it ignores security threats that the countries face. Japan has stood aligned with the United States as it has a long-standing security alliance with Washington that offers the shelter of its nuclear umbrella. The draft emphasized cooperation between parties of the nuclear ban treaty and those of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which includes the five nuclear weapons states. It also pledged to select experts by the next meeting to form a scientific advisory group to deepen knowledge on the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, and called on state parties to develop legislation to provide relief to victims of nuclear tests and promote environmental restoration. Separate to the action plan, the meeting is also expected to conclude with a political statement sounding the alarm on the accelerating expansion of nuclear arsenals. A road is under construction in Brasil Novo of Para State, Brazil, May 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) by Zodidi Mahlana, Herbert Mashishi JOHANNESBURG, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS countries, has flexible policies geared towards tackling infrastructure and development challenges faced by emerging economies, Director-General of the NDB's Africa Regional Center Monale Ratsoma has said. "The way the bank is modeling itself is targeted at addressing issues developing countries are struggling with," said Ratsoma in a recent interview with Xinhua at the regional center in Johannesburg, noting the bank's focus is assisting with infrastructure. Unlike other major financial institutions, the NDB is willing to finance private sector projects, even though it has mostly funded government and parastatal projects since its opening in the region in 2017, he said. "We are now increasingly seeing in our portfolio that corporate projects are coming through and private projects are coming through in South Africa," he said. Ratsoma hailed the establishment of the NDB as a game-changer, because it is the first of its kind that has been established by a group of emerging economies, and through the NDB they could shape everything based on the challenges the countries face. The bank provided a loan to Eskom to help the national electricity utility tackle its problems through renewable energy programs and reducing emissions, he said. The bank is exploring a way to expand its membership, which will enable it to do more in certain areas, he said, citing a water project financed by the bank in Lesotho. The project will augment water supply from Lesotho to semi-arid South Africa, which is heavily reliant on water transferred from its neighbor. "South Africa is a water-scarce country, so the economic development impact of that can be easily measurable," Ratsoma added. A man riding a motorbike passes a notice with Para State and New Development Bank (NDB) in Brasil Novo of Para State, Brazil, May 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) A worker stands on a road under construction in Brasil Novo of Para State, Brazil, May 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) A construction worker stands near a machine at a road pavement project in Brasil Novo of Para State, Brazil, May 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) People walk on a newly built road in Brasil Novo of Para State, Brazil, May 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) A machine works on a road under construction in Brasil Novo of Para State, Brazil, May 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) In this combo photo, astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu (from L to R) are out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-13 spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 16, 2022. (Xinhua) BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Three astronauts from the Shenzhou-13 crewed mission were awarded medals for their service to China's space endeavors on Tuesday. Zhai Zhigang, the mission commander, and Wang Yaping, the first female on China's space station, were honored with second-class aerospace achievement medals, while Ye Guangfu received a third-class medal and the honorary title "heroic astronaut." The awards were given by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission. The Shenzhou-13 mission was the second space mission for Zhai, who served as commander for the second time during the mission. He has performed extravehicular activities (EVAs) on three occasions, the most by any Chinese astronaut so far. The flight was Wang's second space mission and Ye's first. Launched on Oct. 16, 2021, the Shenzhou-13 spaceship sent the trio to China's space station core module Tianhe, where they lived and worked for six months, the longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts on a single mission. They performed EVAs twice and delivered two live classes from the space station during their stay. The mission marks China's completion of the verification of key technologies used on the space station. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends the plenary meeting of the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, June 21, 2022. Twelve national political advisors on Tuesday shared their thoughts on promoting green, low carbon and high quality development at the meeting. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China's national political advisors on Tuesday shared their thoughts on promoting green, low carbon and high quality development at a meeting in Beijing. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the plenary meeting of the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee. Twelve national political advisors delivered remarks on topics including ecological restoration, non-fossil fuels, green technology, financial support for low carbon development, electricity market reforms, and grassland protection. The Russian president said Tuesday that the country's first Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile system would enter combat duty by end of the year. Meanwhile, Ukraine has received 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000s from Germany. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the EU Delegation to Russia to protest against restrictions on cargo transit between Kaliningrad and the rest of the Russian territory. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Aerial photo taken on April 19, 2022 shows a seeding machine guided by the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System working in a cotton field in a farm of a division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) URUMQI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States' so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" that entered into effect on Tuesday is nothing but a weapon wielded by Washington to contain China and eke out its struggling hegemony. The act is based on lies, loaded with ulterior motives and doomed to fail. Based on the so-called act, U.S. Customs and Border Protection started imposing a ban on imports of all products related to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The ban, a typical example of economic coercion, has explicitly demonstrated that the U.S. is practicing unilateralism, protectionism and bullying in the name of "human rights," seriously undermining market principles and violating the rules of the World Trade Organization. Truth speaks for itself. Forced labor is explicitly prohibited under Chinese law. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are pursuing a better life through their own hard work with all rights and interests protected by law. One example of the enormous progress Xinjiang has made in promoting human rights and improving people's well-being is that from 1978 to 2020, the per capita disposable income of residents in both urban and rural areas of the region saw an increase of over 100 times. The fabrication of the so-called forced labor are fundamentally untrue. The U.S. ban may deprive people in Xinjiang of their rights to work and develop, and result in forced unemployment and even a return to poverty. The real intention of the U.S. is to discredit China's image, interfere in its internal affairs, curb its development, and undermine Xinjiang's prosperity and stability. Does Washington sincerely care about labor rights? No. The label of "forced labor" fits the United States itself perfectly. Studies have shown that nearly 100,000 people are smuggled into the United States as forced laborers each year. Rather, what it really cares about is how to protect its hegemonic self-interests. Even U.S. officials have admitted that they fabricated lies, including those claiming there is "forced labor" and "ethnic genocide" in Xinjiang, to create ethnic tensions and undermine China's social stability. Such calculations are nothing but wishful thinking. Fundamentally speaking, clouds can never hide the sun forever. Lies and rumors will eventually shatter into pieces in front of facts and truth. In recent years, more than 2,000 experts, scholars, journalists, diplomats and religious personnel from over 100 countries have visited Xinjiang. They have seen first-hand facts about social stability, economic development and people's lives in Xinjiang. At the UN Human Rights Council, almost 100 countries unanimously expressed support for the Chinese government's policy in Xinjiang, and voiced opposition to interference in China's internal affairs in the name of human rights. As the world's top economies, China and the U.S. need to respect each other, coexist in peace and avoid confrontation, and the two sides should increase communication and dialogue at all levels and in all fields. With the world facing grave challenges, both countries have an important role to play in maintaining global peace and prosperity. "The question is," as a recent South China Morning Post opinion piece said, "will the U.S. understand this before it's too late?" Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows the office of Russia's energy giant Gazprom in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua) Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Greece are among the first European nations to reopen coal power plants or take measures to support coal power, underlining the importance of energy supply security in the upcoming winter. BERLIN, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Many European countries are considering turning back to coal to secure energy supplies as gas supplies from Russia slump amid EU sanctions in recent weeks. Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Greece are among the first European nations to reopen coal power plants or take measures to support coal power, underlining the importance of energy supply security in the upcoming winter. This represents a "U-turn" from Europe's efforts in recent years to foster new energy sources, restrict coal power generation in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the proportion of coal power in the energy mix. UNEXPECTED SITUATION The European Commission noted Monday that "some of the existing coal capacities might be used longer than initially expected" because of the new energy landscape in Europe. "We know that the energy mix and the plans of member states will adjust slightly because we are in an unexpected situation," Commission spokesman Tim McPhie said at a press briefing. The logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom is seen at a petrol station in Moscow, Russia, on April 28, 2022. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua) Russia's energy firm Gazprom has significantly reduced the flow of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany recently. Following the gas supply cut, the German government introduced on Sunday several energy-saving measures, which include reducing the use of gas for power generation and industrial activities, and filling up storage facilities. "Gas consumption must continue to fall, and more gas must be put into storage, otherwise things will really get tight in winter," German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said on Sunday. Austrian energy company OMV said on Monday that the country was set to receive half the usual amount of natural gas from Russia for a second day. Austria gets about 80 percent of its natural gas from Russia. The energy crisis has also caught Greece in a difficult situation during its transition to green economy. Coal production has been ramped up at Greece's largest coal mine near the northern city of Kozani. While inaugurating a new solar facility in northern Greece in April, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a 50 percent hike in lignite production through 2024 to build up reserves. Plans to retire more coal-fired power stations are halted. "Certainly, for the next two years, it would make sense increasing coal-fired energy generation by ramping up its mining by 50 percent so that we cut reliance from gas in the short-term," Mitsotakis said. TEMPORARY MEASURES? The Russian-Ukrainian conflict forced many European nations to reconsider their energy supplies. They insisted that the "reverse" of the energy policy and measures are short-lived and will help avoid gas shortage in the upcoming winter. Photo taken on Oct. 8, 2021 shows a thermal power station in Frankfurt, Germany. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) The German government said that gas power plants were replaced with coal-fired power plants for electricity generation to reduce gas consumption, while insisting that the surprise U-turn on energy policy did not mean a withdrawal from the coal exit plan. Before the conflict, the German government alliance had even decided to bring the coal phaseout forward, "ideally" from 2038 to 2030. In the first quarter of the year, coal remained Germany's most important energy source, accounting for 31.5 percent of total electricity production. The Dutch government has also given the green light to coal-fired power stations, which are allowed to run at full power until 2024. By increasing coal production, the Dutch government hopes to save 2.3 billion cubic meters of gas each year. In another development, Austria announced on Sunday that it would reopen a mothballed coal power plant to cope with potential power shortages due to reduced natural gas supplies from Russia. The Austrian government said it would work with electricity supplier Verbund Group to reactivate the plant in the southern city of Mellach. In addition, Poland, one of the European Union's most coal-dependent country, has announced measures to subsidize coal for households and housing cooperatives amid coal shortages and soaring prices. Around 70 percent of Poland's electricity comes from coal, by far the highest proportion in the European Union. One third of the Polish households use coal to heat their homes. Under the Polish government's proposals, consumers will be able to buy up to three tons of coal at around 1000 zlotys (227 U.S. dollars) per ton, while the market price can reach up to 3000 zlotys (681 dollars) per ton, largely due to the country's ban on Russian coal imports in April. (1 zloty=0.227 dollar) Photo taken on June 14, 2022 shows a giant freshwater stingray in Stung Treng province, Cambodia. (Chhut Chheana/Wonders of the Mekong/Handout via Xinhua) A fisher caught the record-breaking stingray and contacted a team from the Wonders of the Mekong research project to help release it back into the river. PHNOM PENH, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The world's largest freshwater fish, a 661-pound (300-kilogram) giant stingray, has been found near a remote island in the Mekong River in northeast Cambodia's Stung Treng province, according to a Wonders of the Mekong's press statement released late on Monday. The record-breaking stingray, which measured over 13 feet (almost 4 meters) from snout to tail, was hooked by a fisher south of the town of Stung Treng on June 13, in the middle stretches of the Mekong River, the statement said. The previous record-holder for the largest freshwater fish on earth was a 646-pound (293-kilogram) Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in 2005, it added. According to the statement, recognizing the importance of his catch, the fisher quickly contacted a team from the Wonders of the Mekong research project to help release the ray, an endangered species, back into the river. Photo taken on June 14, 2022 shows a giant freshwater stingray in Stung Treng province, Cambodia. (Chhut Chheana/Wonders of the Mekong/Handout via Xinhua) For Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno who leads the Wonders of the Mekong, the stingray find is evidence that the natural world can still yield new and extraordinary discoveries, and that many of the largest aquatic creatures remain woefully understudied. "In 20 years of researching giant fish in rivers and lakes on six continents, this is the largest freshwater fish that we've encountered or that's been documented anywhere worldwide," Hogan said. "This is an absolutely astonishing discovery, and justifies efforts to better understand the mysteries surrounding this species and the incredible stretch of river where it lives," he added. For the first time ever in Cambodia, the huge ray was fitted with an acoustic tag, the technology that will enable biologists to learn more about the secretive creature's elusive behavior. In collaboration with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration, the Wonders of the Mekong project established a network of fishers who agreed to report catches of giant and endangered fish, including stingrays. Last month, fishers in the same area reported to the team that they had caught a 400-pound giant female stingray, which the research team then helped release safely into the depths of the river. Photo taken on June 14, 2022 shows a giant freshwater stingray in Stung Treng province, Cambodia. (Chhut Chheana/Wonders of the Mekong/Handout via Xinhua) "The discovery of this world record stingray indicates the special opportunity we have in Cambodia to protect this species and its core habitat," said Poum Sotha, director general of the Cambodian Fisheries Administration. He added that the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute of the Cambodian Fisheries Administration will host a meeting to map out a regional species conservation action plan and solidify safeguards for the river, wildlife, fisheries, and local communities. Chea Seila, program manager for Wonders of the Mekong, said fishers called to inform the team that a "much bigger" ray had been caught during the night of June 13. She said the stingray was fitted with an acoustic tag to track its movements before being safely returned to the river and that it appeared strong and healthy as it quickly descended into the murky depths of the Mekong. "Fishers now cooperate with our project when they find giant stingrays so that we can tag and release them," Seila said. "These successful releases illustrate the importance of partnerships with local communities. Together, we all have an important role to play in fisheries monitoring and conservation." ADEN, Yemen, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch carried out an attack against a military checkpoint in Yemen's oil-rich province of Shabwa on Wednesday, leaving three soldiers killed, a government official told Xinhua. "Masked gunmen in two Hilux trucks launched a surprise attack against a military checkpoint manned by Shabwa Defense Forces near the eastern entrance of strategic province, where key oil fields are located," the local government source said on condition of anonymity. The source added that an armed fight ensued, leaving three soldiers killed and five others injured at the scene. He clarified that "a stiff resistance by other soldiers stationed in the area forced the al-Qaida gunmen to flee and abandon one of their trucks." The attack comes several hours after five pro-government soldiers were killed as a result of an ambush set up by al-Qaida gunmen in the neighboring southern province of Abyan. A series of gunmen attacks happened in recent months in various parts of the Arab country, leading to the deaths of members of security forces. The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces. The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged country. BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for joint efforts to seek and safeguard peace. History has shown that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontations bring neither peace nor stability, but rather war and conflict, said Xi in a keynote speech delivered in virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum. The Ukraine crisis has again sounded the alarm for humanity: Countries will surely end up in security hardships if they place blind faith in their positions of strength, expand military alliances, and seek their own safety at the expense of others, Xi said. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan and Iran intend to expand cultural cooperation, Azernews reports citing the Azerbaijani Culture Ministry. The sides noted the potential for further cooperation between the two countries within international organizations and that work is underway on a draft culture exchange program. In his speech, Azerbaijan Culture Minister Anar Karimov stressed that his visit to Iran coincided with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Anar Karimov underlined that the establishment of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Tehran will contribute to the deepening of mutual cultural ties. The Azerbaijan culture minister touched upon the reconstruction works in Azerbaijan's liberated territories and noted the symbolic significance of Shusha city to the Islamic world. Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mehdi Ismaili said that there are wide opportunities for cooperation in the field of literature and stressed the importance of holding film and music festivals, organizing cultural weeks, and exchange programs in the field of sculpture, and painting. The meeting continued with a discussion of a number of issues of mutual interest. Furthermore, Anar Karimov met with the chairman of Iran's Islamic Culture and Relations Organization Mehdi Imanipur. The meeting covered cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan in the field of cinema and the book industry. The sides spoke about the joint work within UNESCO, ICESCO, and other international organizations. Speaking at the meeting, Anar Karimov said that Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Tehran will serve the development of cultural ties between the two countries. The culture minister stressed that the restoration work is underway in Azerbaijan's liberated territories. The reconstruction work is progressing rapidly under the leadership of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Mehdi Imanipur said that Iran is interested in strengthening fraternal relations between Baku and Tehran. It was also suggested that Azerbaijan's cultural capital - the city of Shusha - be twinned with one of the Iranian cities. A number of other important issues were also discussed at the meeting. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), chairs the closing meeting of the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and delivers a speech, in Beijing, capital of China, June 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang has called for efforts to foster high-quality growth that embodies green and low-carbon development. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), chaired the closing meeting of the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and delivered a speech on Wednesday. Promoting green, low-carbon and high-quality development is the inevitable path to achieving sustainable social and economic development and sustaining the development of the Chinese nation, Wang said. To this end, Wang called for making breakthroughs in core technologies in reducing pollution and carbon emissions and promoting innovations in policy, management, business model, as well as institution and mechanism. Efforts should be made to ensure the security of energy, grain and the industrial chain to maintain the stability of the macro economy and guarantee normal life and production of people, Wang said. At least 280 people were killed and 595 injured after an earthquake struck Afghanistan's Paktika province early on Wednesday, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported. Some 255 people lost their lives in Barmal, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province, the most-hit eastern province, according to the report, citing the latest local sources. Helicopters and rescue teams have arrived in the affected areas, according to the report. In neighboring Khost province, at least 25 people were killed and 95 others wounded, the report said. The quake, with a magnitude of 6.1, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake has damaged dozens of houses in the region and also caused land sliding in Paktika, local sources said. Produced by Xinhua Global Service SAO PAULO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's former President and current presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday unveiled his government plan to strengthen Latin American integration. "To defend our sovereignty is to defend the integration of South America, Latin America and the Caribbean, with a view to maintaining regional security and promoting development, based on productive complementarity," the plan's foreign policy section read. If elected, Lula, who served as president from 2003 to 2010, said he will strengthen the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), the Union of South American Nations, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. "We advocate working toward the construction of a new global order committed to multilateralism, respect for the sovereignty of nations, peace, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, which takes into account the needs of developing countries," the plan said. Lula's plan also calls for the resumption of the "South-South policy toward Latin America and Africa" that started during his presidency. Attending the unveiling of the government plan in Sao Paulo were the seven parties that make up the Let's Go Together for Brazil coalition that has nominated Lula as president and former Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin as vice president. Lula, founder of the Workers' Party, leads in the polls ahead of the Oct. 2 elections, where incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro is seeking a second term. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry addresses the third edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Cairo, Egypt, on June 21, 2022. The third Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on multiple crises faced by Africa, especially the food security, climate change and anti-terror fight. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The third Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on multiple crises faced by Africa, especially the food security, climate change and anti-terror fight. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said in his video message to the forum held in Egypt's capital Cairo that "the people of Africa are facing unprecedented and multidimensional crises." The crises, Guterres said, include an economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and deepened by the skyrocketing prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a crisis of unequal access to vaccines, a financial crisis with countries unable to access debt relief, a crisis of instability, terrorism and conflict, as well as a climate crisis. Guterres added that the continent needs expanded access to financing and debt relief so it can invest in job creation, poverty reduction, social protection, food security, and green growth, as the conflict in Ukraine along with climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have affected it severely. In his remarks, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi highlighted the food crisis that Africa is experiencing and the serious repercussions it may have on the safety and stability of African communities, urging African countries to adopt a package of urgent and effective measures in coordination with international partners and the international community. "The challenges related to water scarcity and price hikes require us to find quick solutions to overcome this global crisis," the president noted. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, told the gathering that the AU has formulated a strategy to increase the green areas and reduce the emission of carbon, along with helping the less developed countries in increasing investments to achieve sustainable development. The two-day forum is held in a hybrid format under the theme "Africa in an Era of Cascading Risks and Climate Vulnerability: Pathways for a Peaceful, Resilient and Sustainable Continent." With the participation of 900 representatives from 50 countries, the forum addresses a number of Africa's priorities, including enhancing cooperation in combating terrorism, overcoming the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving food security, and advancing post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts, reported the Egyptian state-run Ahram newspaper. Guests attend the third edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Cairo, Egypt, on June 21, 2022. The third Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on multiple crises faced by Africa, especially the food security, climate change and anti-terror fight. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Guests attend the third edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Cairo, Egypt, on June 21, 2022. The third Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on multiple crises faced by Africa, especially the food security, climate change and anti-terror fight. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi addresses via video the third edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Cairo, Egypt, on June 21, 2022. The third Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on multiple crises faced by Africa, especially the food security, climate change and anti-terror fight. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses via video the third edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Cairo, Egypt, on June 21, 2022. The third Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on multiple crises faced by Africa, especially the food security, climate change and anti-terror fight. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Xue Bing (C), Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivers a speech during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) Chinese envoy Xue Bing has called on the international community to step up investment in the Horn of Africa and make greater contributions to the independent and sustainable development of the region and Africa in general. ADDIS ABABA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Xue Bing, the special envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has reiterated China's resolve to continue supporting Horn of Africa (HOA) countries in their efforts toward sustainable peace, security and regional development. The Chinese special envoy made the remarks as China and countries in the region began the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference Monday. China will continue to support countries in the region to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; protect regional peace and security; and silence the guns in the Horn of Africa, Xue told ministers and senior officials attending the peace conference in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The two-day conference, which ended Tuesday, brought together ministers and high-level representatives of Horn of Africa countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti. Addressing the conference, Xue underscored China's readiness to support HOA countries to focus on development, accelerate regional integration, enhance connectivity, boost home-grown economic development, explore complementarity among one another, and step up cooperation in areas including agriculture, trade, manufacturing and infrastructure with a view to foster industrial and economic belt areas and create more jobs and growth. Xue emphasized the notable potential of the HOA, which is home to about 300 million people, as an intersection to the eastern and western civilizations with a unique geographical location and abundant natural endowments. He, however, noted that peace and development of the region are put into a challenge in recent times, which necessitates building lasting regional peace and development. He said China, as a good partner of countries in the region, put forth the Outlook on Peace and Development in the HOA early this year based on the region's reality and past experience. The outlook is aimed at supporting countries in the region to steer clear of external interference, respond to the triple challenges of security, development and governance; and realize peace, development and prosperity, Xue said. Xue said China encourages HOA countries to step up experience sharing on domestic governance, synergize national development policies, and explore a way of growing relations among different ethnic groups, religions and cultures. He said China will continue supporting countries in the region to join their efforts, engage in a holistic approach, and make a common response to non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and the refugee crisis, among others. The special envoy reiterated China's readiness to contribute its share to the peaceful development of the Horn of Africa alongside the implementation of the "Nine Programs" that were made at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November last year. The Chinese envoy also called on the international community to step up investment in the region and make greater contributions to the independent and sustainable development of the region and Africa in general. Amid a series of old and emerging security perils, countries in the region urgently need to find fresh conflict resolution approaches to ensure stability and peaceful socioeconomic development. China has been part of efforts to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when visiting Kenya in early January that China stands ready to propose the "Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa" to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. CAIRO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed 14 investment deals in Cairo valued at 7.7 billion U.S. dollars during the state visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Egyptian government said Tuesday. The agreements covered the fields of food and pharmaceutical industries, infrastructure, renewable energy, green hydrogen, e-commerce, digital finance, and information services, said a government statement. Almost half of the agreements were signed with Ajlan and Bros, a Saudi conglomerate, one of which focuses on building a petrochemical storage facility in Egypt valued at 3.36 billion dollars. In addition, Saudi ACWA Power will invest 1.5 billion dollars in a wind power plant in Egypt according to one of the signed deals. Some other deals involve building a multi-purpose terminal at Egypt's Damietta port and establishing a "pharmaceutical city" worth 150 million dollars by Egypt in the Gulf kingdom. The Saudi crown prince landed in the Egyptian capital on Monday as the first stop of his Middle East diplomatic tour. KABUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 280 people were killed and 595 injured after an earthquake struck Afghansitan's Paktika province early on Wednesday, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported. Some 255 people lost their lives in Barmal, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province, the most-hit eastern province, according to the report, citing the latest local sources. Helicopters and rescue teams have arrived in the affected areas, according to the report. In neighboring Khost province, at least 25 people were killed and 95 others wounded, the report said. The quake, with a magnitude of 6.1, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake has damaged dozens of houses in the region and also caused land sliding in Paktika, local sources said. BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for steering global development into a new era when he delivered a keynote speech in virtual format at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum. Noting that development holds the key to tackle challenges and promote people's well-being, Xi said the aspirations of the people and the interests of the international community should be the focus in steering global development into a new era to bring benefits to people of all countries. Xue Bing (C), Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivers a speech during the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on June 20, 2022. Xue Bing has reiterated China's resolve to continue supporting Horn of Africa (HOA) countries in their efforts toward sustainable peace, security and regional development. The Chinese special envoy made the remarks as China and countries in the region kicked off the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference on Monday. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Xue Bing, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has reiterated China's resolve to continue supporting Horn of Africa (HOA) countries in their efforts toward sustainable peace, security and regional development. The Chinese special envoy made the remarks as China and countries in the region kicked off the First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference on Monday. China will continue to support countries in the region to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; protect regional peace and security; and silence the guns in the Horn of Africa, Xue told ministers and senior officials attending the peace conference in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The two-day conference, which runs until Tuesday, brought together ministers and high-level representatives of Horn of Africa countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti. Addressing the conference, Xue underscored China's readiness to support HOA countries to focus on development, accelerate regional integration, enhance connectivity, boost home-grown economic development, explore complementarity among one another, and step up cooperation in areas including agriculture, trade, manufacturing and infrastructure with a view to foster industrial and economic belt areas and create more jobs and growth. Xue emphasized the notable potential of the HOA, which is home for about 300 million people, as an intersection to the eastern and western civilizations with a unique geographical location and abundant natural endowments. He, however, noted that peace and development of the region are put into challenge in recent times, which necessitates building lasting regional peace and development. He said China, as a good partner of countries in the region, put forth the Outlook on Peace and Development in the HOA early this year based on the region's reality and past experience. The outlook is aimed at supporting countries in the region to steer clear of external interference, respond to the triple challenges of security, development and governance; and realize peace, development and prosperity, Xue said. Xue said China encourages HOA countries to step up experience sharing on domestic governance, synergize national development policies, and explore a way of growing relations among different ethnic groups, religions and cultures. He said China will continue supporting countries in the region to join their efforts, engage in a holistic approach, and make a common response to non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and the refugee crisis, among others. The special envoy reiterated China's readiness to contribute its share to the peaceful development of the Horn of Africa alongside the implementation of the "Nine Programs" that were made at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November last year. Meanwhile, the Chinese envoy called on the international community to step up investment in the region and make greater contributions to the independent and sustainable development of the region and Africa in general. Amid a series of old and emerging security perils, countries in the region urgently need to find fresh conflict resolution approaches to ensure stability and peaceful socio-economic development. China has been part of efforts to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when visiting Kenya in early January that China stands ready to propose the "Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa" to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. Photo taken on June 22, 2022 shows ambulances in Paktika province after an earthquake hits eastern Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) An Afghan official noted that the number of casualties might further rise as the quake destroyed scores of houses in the mountainous Paktika province and several people were still trapped under the debris. KABUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday has reached 920, while more than 600 people were injured, a disaster official said, adding the number of casualties might rise further. "The death toll of the quake has reached 920 and at least 620 were wounded," Deputy to State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim told reporters. The official noted that the number of casualties may further rise as the quake destroyed scores of houses in the mountainous region and several people were still trapped under the debris. Gayan district in Paktika province and Sapari district of neighboring Khost province were the worst-hit areas. Photo taken on June 22, 2022 shows ambulances in Paktika province after an earthquake hits eastern Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) The disaster and humanitarian body has planned to pay 100,000 afghani (about 1,124 U.S. dollars) to the family of any individual killed and 50,000 afghani (about 558 U.S. dollars) to anyone injured in the earthquake, according to Muslim. The quake, with a magnitude of 5.9, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake jolted mountainous areas and the Ministry of Defense dispatched seven helicopters with life-saving equipment and medical personnel to the area, while medical and rescue teams were also on the way to the affected areas, the ministry said on Twitter. More than 300 ambulances reached the affected areas, according to local sources. The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has also dispatched rescue workers, health teams and volunteers to help those affected by the earthquake, the agency wrote on Twitter. "The ARCS is transferring blankets, tents, kitchen utensils, medicine, water bottles, and food items to the earthquake areas of Khost and Paktika provinces from HQ warehouses of the ARCS in Kabul," it said. World Health Organization (WHO) country office in Afghanistan also sent medical teams to provide assistance to the affected people. "WHO sympathizes with families of those who lost their lives and livelihoods from the earthquake that affected some provinces of Afghanistan. WHO Teams are on the ground to support immediate health needs, provide ambulances, medicines and trauma services and conduct needs assessment," it tweeted. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova The Ministry of Culture and the Azerbaijan Federation of Creative Industries have launched a joint awareness-raising campaign on social media to promote three cities included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. As it is known, Shaki (2017), Baku (2019), and Lankaran (2021) have been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). So, the Ministry of Culture and its partners invite the general public to follow these pages to promote these posts and information nationally and internationally. In addition, if viewers want to share any interesting content related to the above-mentioned creative cities, please send that information to [email protected] and [email protected] The Facebook and Instagram pages of the three cities included in the Creative Cities Network are the following: https://www.instagram.com/shekicityofcraft/ https://www.facebook.com/shekicityofcraft/ https://www.instagram.com/bakucityofdesign/ https://www.facebook.com/bakucityofdesign/ https://www.instagram.com/lankarancityofgastronomy/ https://www.facebook.com/lankarancityofgastronomy/ URUMQI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is seeing increasing foreign trade in tandem with surging China-Europe freight train trips, the construction and development of land ports and comprehensive bonded zones. The region posted over 67.4 billion yuan (about 10 billion U.S. dollars) in foreign trade in the first five months of this year, up 30.9 percent year on year. The Customs of Urumqi, the region's capital, said that from January to May, the region had trade with 157 countries and regions. Since the beginning of this year, the number of China-Europe freight train routes via Xinjiang's Alashankou port has reached 80, departing from 24 provincial-level regions in China for 13 countries, including Germany, Russia and Hungary. Xinjiang boasts two of the country's four major ports for China-Europe freight train services. In 2011, the Alashankou port saw the first such train bound for Duisburg of Germany. Five years later, the Horgos port welcomed its first China-Europe freight train. Since the opening of the China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight train services, the Horgos and Alashankou ports recorded more than 50,000 China-Europe freight train trips. In 2021, China-Europe freight trains transported 1.46 million TEUs of goods worth 74.9 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 8 percent of the total trade between China and Europe, according to the China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group Co., Ltd. Xinjiang hosts four comprehensive bonded areas in Kashgar, Alashankou, Horgos and Urumqi. From January to April, the import and export volume of the four bonded areas totaled 9.5 billion yuan, accounting for 18.3 percent of Xinjiang's total foreign trade in the period, the Urumqi Customs said. Although some enterprises faced the pressure of shortage of raw materials and reduction of orders in the early stage of the epidemic, local authorities have helped them resume and improve production. "Now the customs clearance speed is very fast, and enterprises are receiving more and more orders. In the first four months of this year, our trade volume was close to 100 million yuan," said Tursunay Gheni, head of a technology-related trade enterprise in the Kashgar comprehensive bonded zone. Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the headquarters building of the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS bank, in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) Facing headwinds like the COVID-19 pandemic and major changes rarely seen in a century, the world, particularly the developing south, has high expectations for this week's BRICS summit. by Xinhua writers Shu Chang, Tian Dongdong, Liu Yifang BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Shabby infrastructure has troubled the Padre Leo Schneider School in northern Brazil for long enough. The road outside its gate -- muddy in winter and dusty in summer -- has scared off quality teachers and reduced student attendance. Things will change in a few months. Thanks to funding from the New Development Bank (NDB), the road will be paved with asphalt and built with a drainage system, part of an urban development project covering nine cities in Brazil's Para state. The project, together with many other BRICS-funded or initiated programs, has illustrated the importance of the group -- an acronym for the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- for developing countries and the world. The BRICS itself is home to over 40 percent of the world's population and about a quarter of the global economy. Facing headwinds like the COVID-19 pandemic and major changes rarely seen in a century, the world, particularly the developing south, has high expectations for this week's BRICS summit. FIVE FINGERS OF A FIST Like five fingers of a fist, the BRICS countries have closely cooperated since the group's inception in 2006. Infrastructure, green finance, the digital economy and global governance reform have been firm areas of collaboration. Since 2006, the BRICS countries have proven a constructive force in modernizing economies and reallocating aid resources to more deserving countries, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar. During the past 16 years, the BRICS has set up a series of cooperation mechanisms including the NDB, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution Innovation Center. To fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the group launched the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Center in March. In May, BRICS health ministers agreed to establish an early warning system for large-scale pandemics. Earlier this month, the group's economic and trade ministers pledged to deepen cooperation in trade, sustainable development, supply chains and multilateral trade mechanisms. Intensified collaboration has also been nailed down in aerospace, information and communications, the environment, new energy and biotechnology. Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2021 shows models of jets during an exhibition on BRICS New Industrial Revolution held in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) BRICS mechanism is based on creating a spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. Common ground is sought while differences are preserved, Wang Lei, director of the Center for BRICS Cooperation Studies at Beijing Normal University, told Xinhua. Since assuming the BRICS chairmanship this year, China has held more than 70 conferences and activities, covering politics, security, trade and finance, people-to-people exchanges, sustainable development and public health. China has made practical contributions to BRICS regarding financial security, technology, human resources, agriculture and infectious diseases, said Wang. As the rotating chair, China has prioritized promoting poverty alleviation and food security, which is "a welcome step," said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University. "China's experience in poverty reduction and increasing the income of the peasantry would come in handy and be beneficial for poverty eradication." ECONOMIC BALLAST The BRICS mechanism provides a stage for the voices of developing countries to be heard, said Zhu Xufeng, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University. Amid a shifting international landscape and global pandemic, the five countries have become a ballast for global economic development, added Zhu. "The BRICS countries in the year 2022 become all the more important," said Herman Tiu Laurel, founder of Philippine BRICS Strategic Studies, stressing that the mechanism allows the BRICS countries to push the global community to focus attention on development again. Speaking of China's chairmanship, Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said he believes China will tap the occasion to promote the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. Under the theme of "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development," the 14th summit offers BRICS countries an opportunity to increase people-to-people exchanges, intensify coordination on major international and regional issues and broaden South-South cooperation. The summit aims to build consensus on achieving stronger, greener and healthier global development. "The BRICS will be able to play a more important role in preventing the fragmentation of the world," as developing and underdeveloped countries have suffered "the worst consequences" of the pandemic, climate change and geopolitical conflicts, Luis Antonio Paulino, a professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences at Sao Paulo State University, told Xinhua. BRICS EXPANSION DISCUSSED When China was the BRICS chair back in 2017, it proposed the "BRICS Plus" cooperation model, which aims to forge the most influential platform of South-South cooperation and build a broader mutually beneficial partnership with more emerging markets and developing countries. Several rounds of dialogue have been held since. The latest one in May was the "BRICS Plus" dialogue at the foreign minister level. It was attended by participants from the BRICS countries and Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal, United Arab Emirates and Thailand. "'BRICS Plus' reflects the true spirit of multilateralism and multiculturalism and can consequently guarantee the survival of emerging markets and developing countries," said Phea. "It would also enhance global security governance and safeguard world peace and tranquility." Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2021 shows an intelligent robot dog during an exhibition on BRICS New Industrial Revolution held in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) The start of a possible BRICS expansion is also being discussed, with many countries expressing readiness to join the group. In an online meeting in May, BRICS foreign ministers supported advancing the process of BRICS expansion and indicated that further discussions would be held on this issue. By acknowledging developing countries as a potent force for global economic growth, BRICS has earned the international community's respect, said Adhere. The "BRICS Plus" mechanism will "enable more developing countries and emerging markets to participate in BRICS cooperation, thus strengthening solidarity among developing countries and encouraging them to work together for the reform of the international governance system," said Wang Lei. "Otherwise, it will be very difficult to change." "BRICS cooperation enjoys bright prospects and boundless potential," said Zhang Rui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute of the Russian State University for the Humanities. The "BRICS Plus" mechanism will raise the voice of developing countries in the international arena, encouraging them to actively meet challenges and achieve peace and development. Enditem (Xinhua correspondents Luo Jingjing in Sao Paulo, Bai Lin in Nairobi, Hu Xiaoming and Jiang Lei in New Delhi, Yan Jie and Liu Kai in Manila, Sovan Nguon in Phnom Penh, Luo Xin and Wei Mengjia in Beijing also contributed to the story.) UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that he was saddened by the tragic loss of life in the earthquake that struck Afghanistan earlier in the day. "Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and injured, and this tragic toll might continue to rise," he said in a statement. "My heart goes out to the people of Afghanistan who are already reeling from the impact of years of conflict, economic hardship and hunger. I convey my deep condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," he said. The United Nations in Afghanistan is fully mobilized, and UN teams are already on the ground assessing the needs and providing initial support, he said. "We count on the international community to help support the hundreds of families hit by this latest disaster. Now is the time for solidarity," Guterres said. Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said later on Wednesday that the World Health Organization and several nongovernmental organizations are deploying mobile health teams, medicines and medical equipment to Afghanistan's Paktika and Khost provinces and mobilizing additional medical supplies. The UN Children's Fund has deployed at least 12 teams of health workers to the worst-hit Giyan district in Paktika, and several mobile health and nutrition teams to Barmal district of Paktika, and Spera district in Khost. The World Food Programme, along with its humanitarian partners, is conducting a vulnerability assessment mission in the remote areas hit by the earthquake. UN humanitarians said the Taliban are responding, including with search-and-rescue efforts. But heavy rain and wind are hampering efforts with helicopters reportedly unable to land on Wednesday afternoon, according to Haq. Those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed are seeking shelter with family and friends, with some reportedly living in the open. The Taliban have delivered food and emergency tents to some of these families. But more assistance is required, he said. Given the unseasonable heavy rains and cold, emergency shelter is an immediate priority. Other immediate needs include emergency trauma care, non-food items, food assistance and water and sanitation hygiene support, said Haq. An earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, and the death toll has surpassed 1,000, with more than 1,500 people injured, news reports said. SEOUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea confirmed its first case of monkeypox infection on Wednesday out of the two suspected cases. A South Korean national who arrived here from Germany Tuesday afternoon was confirmed to be infected with the virus, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The patient developed headache from Saturday and showed symptoms, including mild fever, sore throat, asthenia, fatigue and skin lesions, when arriving here. On arrival, the South Korean voluntarily reported to the health authorities and was admitted to the Incheon Medical Center in Incheon, west of the capital Seoul. Another suspected patient, a foreigner who arrived here on Monday, tested positive for chickenpox, not monkeypox. After developing symptoms such as a sore throat and skin lesions from Sunday, the foreigner visited a hospital in Busan, about 450 km southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. The health authorities raised the risk level of monkeypox from "attention" to "caution" to contain the virus spread through cooperation among ministries. South Korea has designated monkeypox as a second-degree infectious disease in its four-tier system. In the second-degree category were 22 contagious diseases such as COVID-19. ROME, June 22 (Xinhua) -- President of Italy's main food and beverage industry group has warned that food supply issues stemming from the conflict in Ukraine risk causing major problems in Italy in the fall unless steps are taken now to avoid transportation problems. Ivano Vacondio, president of Federalimentare, recently told local media that Italy was on the verge of a crisis regarding the supply of key grains and cereals. Vacondio's remarks were verified and contextualized Wednesday by Federalimentare officials contacted by Xinhua. "It's a logistics issue, which is fundamental for a country like ours that already imports 4 million tons of wheat and 6 million tons of corn as well as large quantities of barley and soybeans," Vacondio said. "The supply problem already exists, but we can make up for it now with our own domestic crops," the organization's president said. "But starting in September, when we will have to start importing grains and cereals from other parts of Europe and the rest of the world, we will need better logistics and that is a system that is experiencing a great deal of stress at the current time." Federalimentare is not the only national entity expecting hard times for Italy's food system. Multiple Italian agricultural and farmers' associations have predicted reductions as large as half of northern Italy's summer agricultural output due to unusually high temperatures and dry conditions. This comes amid higher fuel costs and other transportation issues related to the crisis in Ukraine. In this context, the global Food Price Index, produced by the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, recorded its three highest readings ever over the last three months. MOSCOW, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the country's first Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile system would enter combat duty by the end of the year. "We will continue to develop and strengthen our armed forces, taking into account potential military threats and risks," Putin said during his meeting with military academy graduates. Putin said it was important to equip troops with modern weapon systems, as this would largely determine the Russian army's combat capabilities for decades to come. He said that Russia had already successfully tested its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, adding that the first such missile system would be deployed at the end of the year. The Russian leader said troops were already being equipped with S-500 air and missile defense systems, which "have no analogues in the world." KUNMING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 4 tonnes of drugs were seized in the first five months this year in southwest China's Yunnan Province, down more than 50 percent year on year, according to the provincial government. "Yunnan has seen decreased drugs from abroad in recent years, due to the stringent epidemic prevention and control efforts in the border areas and strengthened investigation into drug crimes," said Hu Shuiwang, deputy director of the province's narcotics control commission. Last year, the province cracked 5,306 drug criminal cases, arrested 6,161 suspects and seized 29.87 tonnes of drugs, down by 33.8 percent, 31.2 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively. Corresponding figures from January to May this year totaled 1,293, 1,382 and 4 tonnes, down by 37.7 percent, 42.3 percent and 55.3 percent year on year, respectively. Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking. Citlalli Hernandez Mora, secretary general of Mexico's ruling party National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei) MEXICO CITY, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States should adhere to non-interference in the internal affairs of Latin American countries and show respect for their sovereignty, said the leader of Mexico's ruling party National Regeneration Movement (MORENA). It is not easy to share a border with the United States, which continues to meddle in Latin American countries' internal affairs as it has gotten used to regarding the region as its "backyard," Secretary General of MORENA Citlalli Hernandez Mora told Xinhua in a recent interview, adding regional countries are "struggling for" their sovereignty. Recalling the exclusions of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua by the United States from the Summit of the Americas earlier this month, Hernandez said such a move hindered regional cooperation and revealed U.S. disrespect for Latin America. "As long as there are no real mechanisms for cooperation, exchange, dialogue, we will not be able to create serious opportunities where we can raise the issues that concern the continent," Hernandez said, citing arms smuggling and drug trafficking as examples. She said the United States continues to evade its responsibilities on domestic problems that have spilled over the border to Latin American countries. For example, Mexican authorities estimated that at least half a million weapons flow illegally each year from the United States into the hands of criminal organizations in Mexico, fueling gun violence in the Latin American country, Hernandez said. The United States also overlooked its role as the world's leading consumer of narcotics, and blamed Mexico for more illegal drugs circulating in its own land, she said. Hernandez called on the United States to show respect for ideological and governmental differences in the whole continent, "leading to a foreign policy of collaboration, solidarity and joint problem-solving." Citlalli Hernandez Mora, secretary general of Mexico's ruling party National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei) Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, speaks in an interview during the 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) by Martina Fuchs TORONTO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, two of the world's largest and fastest-growing tech conferences, said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. Asked about his views on China's technology developments over the next couple of years, Cosgrave said: "I think it's firstly quite phenomenal. It was really interesting seeing Huawei file for a patent for a quantum computer chip. I think progress in semiconductors is moving faster than anybody expected." Last week, Chinese telecom giant Huawei announced a patent for a quantum chipset and said it would now dive into the world of quantum computers. "I'm particularly interested in the progress of COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China)," Cosgrave said. "In the aerospace sector, COMAC in time will be a competitor of Boeing and Airbus and I have no doubt they will make planes as successfully as Airbus and Boeing have been making them and they'll probably be cheaper, and they'll probably be lighter," he said. "I think that's good for the industry as a whole, that will inspire Boeing and Airbus to become even more innovative than they already are. I think competition is a good thing," the CEO continued. "We're seeing the same in the electric car industry. I think NIO, amongst others, will make fantastic progress in Europe over the coming years. It's going to be interesting for European car manufacturers. China will remain open, and I think Europe will remain open to Chinese imports," Cosgrave said. More than 35,000 people from around the world have convened at the Enercare Centre in Toronto this week for the largest tech event taking place in Canada since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Over 900 speakers, 1,500 startups, 1,200 journalists, 850 investors and 100 unicorn companies are expected to gather to discuss topics covering technology, artificial intelligence, data science, finance, autotech, and digital media. The executive said that he also plans to further expand global footprint with additional conferences. "We're continuing to create regional events. Web Summit is our mothership in Lisbon, that's our annual global gathering, and as the years have passed, more and more people have been coming from South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia." "We want to go to those markets to increase the brand awareness of Web Summit. In 2023, we're going to Rio de Janeiro, we've done a deal with the city, with the government and we're looking forward, we hope, to going to the Middle East and going to more places in Asia and Africa in 2024, 2025." Cosgrave added that the RISE conference, which is one of the most important media and tech industry summits for the Asian region and also produced by the team behind Web Summit and Collision, will return to Hong Kong during March 21-23 in the AsiaWorld-Expo. "We started RISE just over five years ago. It's our baby, our little sister conference in Hong Kong," he told Xinhua. "For us, it's a perfect meeting place for the East meeting the West, or the rest of the world." "Historically, we've brought some of the most interesting Chinese founders and investors together with some of the most interesting entrepreneurs and investors from the rest of the world. We've been so sad that we haven't been able to do it since 2019 but we hope in 2023, we'll be back in Hong Kong," Cosgrave said. With demand for in-person events increasing rapidly, the number of Collision attendees has grown by 40 percent, from 25,711 in 2019 to 35,562 from 130 countries in 2022, Collision said in a press release. Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, speaks in an interview during the 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Paddy Cosgrave (L), the founder and CEO of Web Summit and Collision, speaks in an interview during the 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2022. China is progressing rapidly in the development of aerospace, quantum computing and electric vehicles, which lead to more innovative competition, Paddy Cosgrave said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) By Azernews By Laman Ismayilov During his visit to Tehran, Azerbaijan Culture Minister Anar Karimov met with Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Ezzatollah Zarghami, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. Speaking about preserving cultural heritage, Anar Karimov praised Azerbaijani-Iranian joint work in the field of intangible cultural heritage, adding that various files on common cultural elements have been included in the UNESCO Representative List in recent years. The Azerbaijan culture minister briefed the Iranian minister about Armenian vandalism. During the Armenian occupation, the Islamic heritage was severely damaged in Azerbaijan. Over 80 mosques were destroyed. Mosques were even used as a stable for keeping animals. Anar Karimov said that Azerbaijan now focuses on the restoration of the liberated territories and expressed his hope that Iran would support these processes in order to demonstrate Islamic solidarity. In his remarks, Ezzatollah Zargham expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of protection of cultural heritage and strongly condemned the demolition of mosques. The Iranian minister of cultural heritage, handicrafts, and tourism said that his country is determined to continue successful cooperation in the field of intangible cultural heritage within UNESCO. The sides also stressed the importance of joint cooperation for the inclusion of the Khudafarin Bridge in the UNESCO World Heritage List of the two countries. It was noted that Baku and Tehran are expected to agree to sign a memorandum of understanding for this purpose. At the same time, Azerbaijan and Iran agreed to jointly study Nizami Ganjavi's legacy. Nizami's poetry has become an integral part of the spirituality of the Azerbaijani people. His works had a strong impact on the development of the literature of the peoples of the Caucasus and the Middle East. The rare manuscript copies of his works are kept and preserved like precious pearls in famous libraries, museums, and literary foundations in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Baku, Tashkent, Tabriz, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, London, Paris, and others. In Khamsa (Quintet), the poet revealed the living pages of history. The attack of the Russians on Barda city, a fairy tale of the Russian Princess, the beautiful Shirin amazons, battles, described in various poems of Nizami - all this is historically and geographically related to medieval Azerbaijan and the Caucasus. The description of a man's inner world, his feelings, and thoughts along with the dynamic development of the main hero's characters underlie the basic aim and content of Nizamis literary school. TASHKENT: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and visiting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a declaration on deepening the strategic alliance and expanding comprehensive cooperation, according to the Uzbek president's press service. Following their talks on Tuesday, the two sides signed 18 documents on industrial cooperation, international road transport, illegal migration, quarantine and plant protection, military and military-technical cooperation, and military and military-technical collaboration, as per the statement. The Uzbek president also proposed increasing bilateral trade volume and implementing a number of projects in machine-building, electrical engineering, textile, wine-making, food, construction, oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, agro-industrial, and other industries. According to media reports, the two countries have agreed to establish a joint investment fund to develop and promote promising cooperation projects in both countries, and to improve efficiency by utilising the transport communications system, which includes the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. First meeting on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons treaty opens in Vienna Counter-Terrorism Deptt warns of assassination threat against Imran Khan Colombia's ELN guerrillas willing to resume peace with new govt SAO PAULO: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former president of Brazil and current candidate for president, has outlined his government's strategy to promote integration in the region. The foreign policy component of the plan said that "defending our sovereignty entails defending the integration of South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean, with a view to sustaining regional security and boosting development, based on constructive complementarity." Lula, who presided over Brazil from 2003 to 2010, promised to strengthen Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States if elected, according to the Xinhua news. "We advise working toward the establishment of a new global order committed to multilateralism, respect for national sovereignty, peace, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability, which takes into account the requirements of developing countries," the plan said. The "South-South policy toward Latin America and Africa" that was initiated during his presidency is also called for to be resumed in Lula's proposal. The seven parties that make up the coalition Let's Go Together for Brazil, which has proposed Geraldo Alckmin as vice president and Lula as president, were present at the introduction of the government proposal in Sao Paulo. Cambodia hosts the opening of ASEAN defence ministers' meet Zelensky urges quick approval of next package of EU sanctions against Russia First meeting on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons treaty opens in Vienna Finland ready to fight Russia if attacked, says defense chief 22 June, 06:00 PM Finnish armed forces chief General Timo Kivinen (Photo:REUTERS/Anne Kauranen) Finland has prepared for decades for a Russian attack and would put up stiff resistance should one occur, its armed forces chief, General Timo Kivinen, said in an interview with the Reuters news agency on June 22. "We have systematically developed our military defense precisely for the type of warfare that is being waged there (in Ukraine), with a massive use of firepower, armored forces and also air forces," Kivinen said. Finland has fought two wars in the 1940s against its eastern neighbor, with which it shares a 1,300-kilometer (810-mile) border, Reuters noted. Kivinen also welcomed Finland's decision to apply to join NATO. NATO membership would allow Finland to boost its early warning capacity by being part of the alliance's joint airspace control, he said. Finland would also benefit from the deterrence of being part of an alliance in which an attack on one member is an attack on all its members, the official said. Nevertheless, he said, "the main responsibility for Finland's defense will still be borne by Finland." On May 18, Finland and Sweden submitted applications for NATO membership, signed by the foreign ministers. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had previously assured that the countries would join NATO "with open arms" after they submitted their applications. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in turn said that his country would not support Sweden's and Finland's plans to join the Alliance. According to media reports, Turkey demands that Sweden and Finland publicly condemn the Kurdistan Workers' Party (KWP), recognize it and the Kurdish People's Self-Defense Forces as terrorist organizations, and even stop the activities of KWP supporters who, according to Ankara, are operating in the countries. Sweden and Finland claim they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue. At the same time, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is threatening "retaliatory measures" against the emergence of NATO military infrastructure in Finland and Sweden. He also called Finland's renunciation of neutrality "wrong." Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Kathmandu, June 22 The Independent Candidate Campaign has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission asking it not to register Rabi Lamichhane-led Nepal Independent Party. Election Commission spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel informed that a group had come with a letter for the election commission. Campaign coordinator Dambar Shahu has filed a complaint demanding that the word independent not be used in the name of the party. Demanding the dismissal of the party, the petition stated that no independent candidate wanted to be associated with a political party and that Lamichhanes Nepal Independent Party was trying to take away the right given by the constitution to contest an election independently. Description May 19 - July 3, 2022 OVERVIEW KINKY BOOTS is the freshest, most fabulous, feel-good musical and the winner of every major award, including the Tony Award for Best Musical! With songs by Grammy and Tony winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper and book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein, this dazzling, sassy, and uplifting musical celebrates a joyous story, inspired by true-life events, taking you from the factory floor of a mens shoe factory to the glamorous catwalks of Milan! Its the ultimate fun night out for everyone to experience the energy, joy, and laughter of this dazzling show. THE ENGEMAN EXPERIENCE Our lounge is located inside the lobby of the John W. Engeman Theater and is open one hour before the show for ticket holders only, and after the show to the general public. Craft Beers, select wines, cocktails, and soft drinks are available for purchase. Northampton, MA --News Direct-- The Chemours Company WILMINGTON, Del., June 22, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC), a global chemistry company with leading market positions in Titanium Technologies, Thermal & Specialized Solutions, and Advanced Performance Materials, has been recognized as a 3+ company by 50/50 Women on Boards (50/50WOB), a global education and advocacy campaign driving gender balance and diversity on corporate boards. The recognition commends Chemours for its work advancing inclusion, diversity, and equity on its board. It is an honor for the Chemours board to be recognized by 50/50WOB for our efforts to ensure that our leadership better represents the world we serve and seek to improve, said Dawn Farrell, chair of the board of directors at Chemours. A diverse board of directors brings valuable perspectives and innovative ideas that help drive Chemours mission forward, and we will continue to champion diversity throughout the company. Mark Newman, President and CEO of Chemours shared, Chemours is helping realize a more inspired, inclusive society both inside and outside of our walls. Whether its in the boardroom, our labs and plant sites, or our offices and communities across the globe, we recognize that diversity drives excellence and is essential to uncovering and delivering the innovative solutions society needs. I want to thank 50/50WOB for this recognition, as well as the entire Chemours board of directors for their shared commitment to fostering greater diversity and making Chemours the greatest place to work. Four of Chemours ten board of director seats are held by women, including its chairperson. Chemours has also made progress on gender equity among its senior executive leadership team, achieving 44% female representation. Chemours aspires to achieve a diverse and gender-balanced workforce through the diversity it reflects at the leadership level, its approach to attracting talent, the resources and engagement opportunities provided to employees, and the trainings offered to foster an inclusive workplace. Story continues Investors and enlightened leaders continue to make institutional decisions that reinforce the business advantages of diverse boards, said Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO of 50/50 Women on Boards. We are pleased to recognize Chemours for prioritizing this business decision that benefits its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities. About The Chemours Company The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in Titanium Technologies, Thermal & Specialized Solutions, and Advanced Performance Materials providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. We deliver customized solutions with a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals products for markets, including coatings, plastics, refrigeration and air conditioning, transportation, semiconductor and consumer electronics, general industrial, and oil and gas. Our flagship products include prominent brands such as Ti-Pure, Opteon, Freon, Teflon, Viton, Nafion, and Krytox. The company has approximately 6,400 employees and 29 manufacturing sites serving approximately 3,200 customers in approximately 120 countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC. For more information, we invite you to visit chemours.com or follow us on Twitter @Chemours or LinkedIn. About 50/50 Women on Boards (50/50WOB) 50/50 Women on Boards (50/50WOB), a nonprofit 501(c)3, is a leading education and advocacy campaign driving the movement toward gender balance and diversity on corporate boards. The campaign publishes its 50/50 Women on Boards Gender Diversity Index directory and research reports to track the gender composition of corporate boards on the Russell 3000 by board size, state, sector, and rating. Public awareness campaigns and educational programs produced by 50/50WOB include The Global Conversation on Board Diversity; and Educational Workshops for women at various career levels, aspiring to serve on boards. For more information, visit: www.5050wob.com. CONTACT: INVESTORS Jonathan LockSVP, Chief Development Officerinvestor@chemours.com Kurt Bonner,investor@chemours.com NEWS MEDIA Cassie Olszewskimedia@chemours.com View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from The Chemours Company on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/50-50-women-on-boards-recognizes-chemours-as-a-3-company-with-three-or-more-women-directors-212270671 By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The Azerbaijani armys naval forces are conducting tactical drills in line with the approved annual combat training plan for 2022, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry. Commander of the Azerbaijani Naval Forces Rear Admiral Subhan Bakirov was briefed on the progress of the drills and forthcoming operations prior to the ships leaving the base, the ministry said. The main goals of the drills, according to the statement, are to practice joint actions of ship tactical groups with special forces groups in various conditions while carrying out assigned tasks, as well as to improve commanders' and staff officers' skills in organizing combat operations and managing forces during battles. It added that over 30 Naval Forces ships and boats, as well as up to 1,500 military personnel, have been involved in the drills. The units of the Naval Forces will be responsible for carrying out combat operations related to the security and defense of energy infrastructure in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea. It should be noted that members of the Azerbaijani Naval Forces attended the Efes-2022 multinational drills conducted in Turkiye. The servicemen successfully completed actions such as rescuing a hijacked ship and disembarking naval special troops from a helicopter to a ship, as a part of the drills next stage, the ministry reported earlier. Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve the combat readiness of the military personnel. The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills. Acrivon Therapeutics --Pioneering trial will be using a first-of-its-kind OncoSignature companion diagnostic to identify and treat patients that are predicted most likely to benefit from treatment --OncoSignature-positive patients will receive ACR-368 monotherapy in a single-arm Phase 2 study and OncoSignature-negative patients will receive ACR-368 in combination with low-dose gemcitabine in a concurrent Phase 1b/2 study --ACR-368 is a DNA Damage Response (DDR) inhibitor that will be evaluated at the recommended Phase 2 dose based on extensive clinical safety and efficacy data, including previously demonstrated durable single-agent activity and complete responses in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, as well as other high unmet need solid tumors WATERTOWN, Mass., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrivon Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology therapeutics company with proprietary proteomics-based technologies driving a new era of precision medicine, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its lead asset ACR-368 in a Phase 2 master protocol trial to treat patients with ovarian, endometrial and urothelial cancer based on predicted ACR-368 sensitivity. ACR-368 is a potent, selective inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1 and 2 (CHK1/2) which has previously shown durable monotherapy efficacy in a proportion of patients across several high unmet need solid tumor types. Acrivon will stratify patients for its trial into two treatment groups using its pioneering OncoSignature proteomic companion diagnostic. OncoSignature-positive patients will receive ACR-368 monotherapy in a Phase 2 Simon two-stage study design at the recommended Phase 2 dose, while OncoSignature-negative patients will receive ACR-368 in combination with low-dose gemcitabine in a Phase 1b/2 study design. Acrivons Predictive Precision Proteomics (AP3) technology platform enables the development of drug-tailored OncoSignature companion diagnostics, which apply quantitative protein multiplex imaging tests to pretreatment tumor biopsies and are designed to enable the identification of the patients whose tumors are regulated by and sensitive to the drug. Acrivons AP3 platform was also used to identify key mechanisms associated with ACR-368 resistance, and that the addition of low-dose gemcitabine substantially re-sensitizes resistant tumors to ACR-368, which was subsequently confirmed in multiple preclinical studies. Story continues Our clinical development approach is quite different than the industry norm, and this clinical trial design is equally unprecedented, said Peter Blume-Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Acrivon. Acrivons next generation proteomics-based precision medicine platform is engineered to uncover the disease-driving mechanisms that are uniquely sensitive to our drugs or rational drug combinations in individual patient tumors, independent of genetic alterations. Our strategy is to apply the ACR-368-tailored OncoSignature test to a tumor biopsy from the patient before the start of treatment and use that result to direct ACR-368 to only those patients predicted to be most likely to benefit from either monotherapy treatment or the combination therapy. Acrivons OncoSignature tests are designed to predict drug sensitivity regardless of tumor type, said Erick Gamelin, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of Acrivon. By using OncoSignature to screen across human cancer tissue samples, we found that a proportion of endometrial and urothelial cancers is also sensitive to the drug, and following further confirmation in preclinical patient-derived xenograft models, we have included these together with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in our upcoming trial. With Acrivons rigorous science-based and selective methodologies, we aim to forge a paradigm change in personalized medicine for optimal patient care. The Phase 2, multicenter, open-label study will enroll patients with histologically confirmed, locally advanced or metastatic, recurrent platinum-resistant high-grade ovarian cancer, or endometrial adenocarcinoma, or platinum-resistant urothelial carcinoma. Based on the results of the companys proprietary OncoSignature predictive test, patients will be allocated to one of two treatment arms. Patients who test positive for predicted sensitivity to ACR-368 monotherapy will be enrolled into a single-arm Phase 2 study to assess primarily the anti-tumor activity (confirmed overall response rate) of the recommended Phase 2 dose of ACR-368 (105 mg/m2) for each of the three cancers. Patients who test negative on the OncoSignature test will be enrolled in a single-arm Phase 1b/2 study. The Phase 1b portion of the study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of the combination of the recommended Phase 2 dose of ACR-368 with escalating doses of low-dose gemcitabine for each of the three cancers. Once the recommended Phase 2 dose of low-dose gemcitabine has been determined, the study will expand into a Phase 2 study to assess the anti-tumor activity (confirmed overall response rate) of ACR-368 and low-dose gemcitabine for each of the three cancers. About ACR-368 ACR-368 is a potent, selective inhibitor of CHK1 and CHK2 which has shown deep durable single agent activity, including complete responses, in a proportion of patients across several Phase 2 studies of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and in squamous cell cancers, including anal cancer for which FDA has granted orphan drug designation. ACR-368 has been tested in >1,000 patients as monotherapy and in combination, showing excellent pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties and a favorable safety profile at the recommended Phase 2 dose across monotherapy studies. Acrivon has obtained exclusive, world-wide rights to develop and commercialize ACR-368 (also known as prexasertib) under a license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company. About Acrivon Acrivon is a clinical stage oncology company leveraging its unique, proprietary phosphoproteomics technology called Acrivon Precision Predictive Proteomics, or AP3, in development of its pipeline of oncology drugs. The AP3 platform enables the creation of drug-specific proprietary OncoSignature companion diagnostics that are being developed to identify patients most likely to benefit from Acrivons product candidates. Through its highly specific patient selection, the company seeks to accelerate clinical development and increase the probability of successful treatment outcome for patients. The companys pipeline includes the clinically advanced lead program, ACR-368 (also known as prexasertib), a targeted oncology asset in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company which has demonstrated evidence of durable responses, in solid cancers in Phase 2 trials. Acrivon is also developing additional pipeline programs targeting critical nodes in DNA Damage Response (DDR) and cell cycle regulation. Please visit the companys website at https://acrivon.com for more information. Acrivon Contacts: Alexandra Santos asantos@wheelhouselsa.com Aljanae Reynolds areynolds@wheelhouselsa.com MONTREAL, June 22, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Utica Resources today filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to nullify Bill 21 or, failing that, to obtain compensation of $18 Billion which corresponds to the net present value of future profits, as estimated by a leading independent expert. Utica Resources Logo (CNW Group/Ressources Utica) Bill 21 constitutes an attack on Utica Resources' right to "the peaceful enjoyment and free disposition of its property", a fundamental right protected by the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Article 6) and section 952 of the Civil Code of Quebec, which states that "No owner may be compelled to transfer his ownership except by expropriation according to law for public utility and in return for a just and prior indemnity." "We will defend our rights so that this disguised expropriation, the public utility of which does not exist, is compensated at the fair value of our properties", declared Utica's CEO, Mario Levesque. "A leading independent expert has concluded that Utica's properties would generate $67 Billion in future profits (net value of recoverable resources in place), the equivalent of $18 Billion in net present value using the discount rate of the Court." "For years, the Quebec government had invited us and others to invest in order to explore and extract Quebec's oil and gas resources. We acted in good faith, found local and foreign investors and respected all of Quebec's regulatory requirements. Then from one day to the next, the government changed its mind for political reasons and effectively expropriated our properties without proper prior compensation. Bill 21 is completely irresponsible and without logic in all regards and goes against the will of a significant majority of Quebecers. It is bad for Quebec, our European allies who desperately need our gas and even for the environment." If the government's actions were to be upheld by the Court, it would mean that there are no property rights in Quebec and Canada. The province and the country would become un-investable and make a mockery of Mr Legault's claim that "Quebec is not a banana republic" and Invest in Canada's claim that "Canada is the best country for global investment. Period. " Story continues About Utica Resources Utica Resources is a Quebec company whose mission is to participate in the energy transition currently underway by developing a diversified portfolio that includes, in addition to light oil and natural gas, renewable energy projects such as hydrogen and CO2 storage. All our projects are carried out with a view to sustainable development, optimal use of available resources, respect for host communities and maximization of local economic benefits. The lawsuit is available upon request. SOURCE Ressources Utica Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/22/c7739.html Statement from Minister Steven Guilbeault and Minister Melanie Joly OTTAWA, ON, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - "We can confirm that Canada will welcome the world to Montreal in December 2022 for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), which will focus on protecting nature and halting biodiversity loss around the world. "The COP15 Presidency will remain under China, as recognized by all members of the UN Convention. "Montreal has always hosted the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Given that China cannot provide the location for the conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada is stepping up to fulfil this role. "The Government of Canada's primary concern has always been to ensure the COP15 is a success for nature, no matter where it is held. "There is an urgent need for international partners to halt and reverse the alarming loss of biodiversity worldwide. Canada will continue to advocate for international collaboration on an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework, targeting 30 percent of lands and oceans conserved by 2030. "With up to one million species currently at risk of extinction worldwide, the decline of biodiversity has critical implications for humanity, from the collapse of food, economic, and health systems to the disruption of entire supply chains. The world cannot afford to wait any longer for global action on nature protection. "This important international conference will be a landmark event for Canada, with thousands of delegates from around the world gathered in Montreal to take action on protecting nature. "Halting and reversing biodiversity loss require real collaboration and partnership, including with Indigenous Peoples, the original guardians of the land. It also requires real transformative change, innovation, and a proper accounting for the true value of nature in decision-making across all sectors." SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/22/c2085.html Canadian National Railway CN is building the premier railway of the 21st century by investing in Ontario MONTREAL, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announced today plans to invest approximately C$430 million in Ontario in 2022. This includes investments in technology, capacity, rolling stock units and company-wide decarbonization initiatives, as well as network improvements. These investments will power sustainable growth and ensure the continued safe movement of goods in Ontario and everywhere on CNs transcontinental network. "We continue to make significant investments in our network, technology, and capacity. We are building the premier railroad of the 21st century to do even more for our customers, railroaders, shareholders, and the communities in which we operate. " - Sean Finn, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Legal Officer of CN At a time when the resilience of our supply chains is more important than ever, investing in our rail transportation system ensures essential goods can reach Canadians on time. Railways play an important role in growing our economy, and I am pleased to see CN taking this important step to strengthen our rail networks. Todays announcement will help improve the fluidity of our rail network against the unprecedented disruptions to service we have seen in the last two years, and is good news for Canadians. - The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, Government of Canada The Ontario Chamber of Commerce applauds our member, CN, for making such a significant investment in the province. With continued strains on global supply chains, we welcome CNs work to strengthen domestic competitiveness and supply chain resilience. - Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Maintenance program highlights include: Replacing 43 miles of rail; Installing approximately 123,000 new railroad ties; Rebuilding 84 road crossing surfaces; and Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems, and other track infrastructure Story continues Ontario in numbers: Capital investments: More than C$1.4 billion in the last five years Employees: approximately 3,830 Railroad route miles operated: 2,542 Community partnerships: C$3.2 million in 2021 Local spending: C$2.3 billion in 2021 Cash taxes paid: C$97 million in 2021 Forward-looking Statements Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under Canadian securities laws. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company cautions that its assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as believes, expects, anticipates, assumes, outlook, plans, targets, or other similar words. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. CN assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event CN does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that CN will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement. About CN CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canadas Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 18,600-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. Contacts: Media Investment Community Mathieu Gaudreault Paul Butcher Senior Advisor Vice-President Media Relations Investor Relations 514-399-7956 media@cn.ca (514) 399-0052 investor.relations@cn.ca HANOI, Vietnam, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has announced its approvement of 34 transactions valued up to1.4 billion USD that advance development impact in developing countries. Among these projects, Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank, stock code: SSB) is the only Vietnam-based bank to be approved an up to $200 million loan in order to encourage socioeconomic development in the country through supporting women-owned, women-led corporations, SMEs, and addressing the climate crisis. DFC grants an up to 200 million USD loan to Vietnams SeABank U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is an independent U.S. government's development finance institution. DFC partners with the private sector to provide finance support and solutions for projects with great economic potential and new economical tools that enable it to grant loans and offer credit solutions. DFC invests across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology; while provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets; adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights. According to DFC's annoucement in this quarter, it has approved several transactions of development priorities, focusing on food security, climate change, gender equity, and increasing financial access. These 34 approved projects total more than $1.4 billion, in which 22 transactions assist Corporations in developing regions including Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the approved corporations in this quarter, SeABank is the first and only financial organization in Vietnam receives an up to $200 million loan to encourage socioeconomic development, particularly supporting women-owned, women-led corporations, SMEs, and addressing the climate crisis one of the developmental strategies that SeABank prioritizes. Story continues DFC's loan for SeABank will help enhance the bank's financial capability to carry out its planned projects, focusing on addressing the credit gap for women-owned and women-led corporations, SMEs, dealing with the difference between the addressable demand of market and the exisiting supply in the economy. Before receving the loan from DFC, SeABank has been granted a $150 million loan package by IFC and 5 international investment funds include Banque Internationale de Commerce-BRED, BlueOrchard Microfinance Fund, KASIKORNBANK PCL, OPEC, and ResponsAbility Investments AG to provide financial assistance to SMEs, women-owned, women-led corporations and addressing climate crisis. This showcases SeABank's commitment to sustainable development strategies, affirming its credibility, great impacts of sustainable projects as well as the acknowledgement of world-class financial organizations for SeABank. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dfc-grants-an-up-to-200-million-usd-loan-to-vietnams-seabank-301572144.html SOURCE SeABank Six houses in Bloomington are home to men and women overcoming addiction, part of an organized treatment network that offers independent housing to help people regain their footing. The 49 Oxford House residents live together, seven to 10 per house. Each household is considered a family under federal housing codes. The sober-living homes in city neighborhoods operate as nonprofits, exempt from local limits on the number of unrelated individuals allowed to live under one roof. The Oxford House transition model was started with one home in Maryland in 1975. There are now 68 in Indiana, and more than 2,200 worldwide in 45 states, Canada, Australia, England and Ghana. Each house has a charter with the organization, a franchise of sorts, and is financially independent. More: With nowhere to place homeless youth, Stepping Stones plans to end supportive housing A local initiative called Courage to Change oversees four other sober-living transitional houses in Bloomington, two for men and two for women. The two organizations share a philosophy and goal: to support people battling substance use disorder as they establish sobriety and move toward a stable life free from drugs and alcohol. An Oxford house residence in a northside Bloomington neighborhood is home to 10 men in addiction recovery. What Oxford House offers Alan Thompson, 58, a Bloomington native, was released from prison last November. He's one of 10 men living at Oxford House Nova Hayden, a 3,566-square-foot home in a northside Bloomington neighborhood purchased in October 2021. An Austin, Texas, man bought the house for $340,000 and opened the sober living residence with an Oxford House charter. Two decades ago, Thompson was sentenced to 23 years in prison for driving recklessly under the influence of drugs and killing a man in his early 40s who left behind a wife and six children. Thompson caught a break and was released after just six years. He went back to prison when he got picked up again for driving while intoxicated. He's out now, and works at Cook Medical. Story continues Kaylee May poses outside a treatment services facility in Bloomington where the mother of two works to help people overcome addictions. Kaylee May, 29, spent nine months in an Oxford House in Texas when she was released from jail there. Then she came home to Bloomington and lived seven months at Oxford House Maya for women on the east side. Indianapolis-based YANA LLC bought the five-bedroom, 2,286-square-foot house in May 2019 for $221,000 and established it as an Oxford House. May got mixed up with the wrong people, and with heroin, and was arrested in Texas for dealing drugs. Her parents spent their life savings to bail her out of jail, but she kept violating her probation and getting sent back. Her mother took guardianship of May's son so he would have a safe place to live. May finally went into rehab after nearly dying from a heroin overdose. She works at the Indiana Center for Recovery, helping people who are where she's been. Life in Oxford House residences Oxford House residents work and pay their own way, taking on duties and expenses. Each home has officers in charge of household finances and operations. Democratic principles apply. For instance, a resident will be asked to leave if they relapse and a majority of the others vote to evict them. Closed on weekends: Staffing, safety and funding issues to close Shalom Center on weekends "An Idea Based On a Sound System For Recovering Alcoholics and Drug Addicts to Help Themselves," the Oxford manual says. "Housing, fellowship, self reliance, self respect for recovering individuals." Thompson attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and volunteers at the Community Kitchen. "Do what you have to do to combat the disease," he said. "Pick yourself up and surround yourself with people trying to be clean and try to project yourself into the future." Oxford House residents are expected to attend 12-step meetings and embark on a plan for living sober. "Down in Texas, the girls were like, 'This is how you stay sober, this is how it works. You have to work the 12 steps, you have to have a spiritual life with God or yourself or the universe.' You've got to ground yourself in something," May said. According to the Oxford House charter, any recovering alcoholic or drug addict can apply for residency at an Oxford House by calling and being interviewed by the existing house members. There are houses for men, women and single parents with children. There's no time limit for a person in recovery to stay at an Oxford House, as long as they abstain from drugs and alcohol, work and pay their share of household expenses. Residents often stay a year, or longer, before moving on to living on their own. "I have three years and three months clean on the eighth of June and I'm doing everything I can do to stay that way. They closed my DCS (Department of Child Services) case last year and I'm still in contact with my caseworker and the CASA worker," May said, "because they never gave up on me." Eight women in addiction recovery live in this house in an eastside Bloomington neighborhood. How the houses function Josh Riley is the Oxford House regional outreach worker who oversees the 17 women and 32 men living in Bloomington's six houses named Sage, Maya, Libra, Eden Coe, Nova Hayden and Ryder and two in Columbus. Indiana also has two Oxford Houses in Terre Haute, seven in Evansville, four in Lafayette, three in South Bend, six in Fort Wayne and 18 in Indianapolis. Part of settlement: Bloomington, Monroe County back in opioid settlement, stand to gain $4.8M Riley said there's no paid house manager, no one on site to oversee residents who are expected to be accountable to one another. "We are not a program and treatment facility. We are a single-family home with a set of recovery guidelines," he explained. A 1995 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case involving a zoning challenge to an Oxford House in Washington defined recovering addicts living together in a house there as "handicapped" under federal law. That means they are protected under the federal Fair Housing Act and must be granted reasonable accommodations to support their recovery and be treated as single families for zoning purposes. Perry Township Trustee Dan Combs and his staff looked into the Oxford House model when residents started coming to the trustee's office seeking money to help pay rent. He said state law is clear about the township's obligations as far as rental assistance, and he doesn't think think Oxford House residents qualify for aid. Combs said state law defines residency requirements for assistance, which excludes people "in a penal institution, public or private charitable or benevolent institution, hospital or fraternal home." The intent, he said, is to keep people in townships that have large institutions such as state hospitals, prisons and sanatoriums "from becoming the responsibility of the taxpayers of the townships those institutions were located in." With drug treatment options in Bloomington expanding, more people are moving to the city, then seeking the trustee's financial assistance to live in an Oxford House. "As Bloomington promotes a brand for treatment and rehab for southern Indiana, this becomes an important release valve," Combs said. "We have created literally thousands of treatment slots in the past few years for all comers. By this law, townships are only responsible for our own." Riley said Oxford House residents deserve the same services others living in the city receive. "Oxford House is basically for people who are not quite ready to live on their own yet, a last step down before independent living," Riley said. "Learning how to start over, as a group, sometimes advice and experiences are more well received when they come from a peer group rather than from an authority." Living with men who, like him, have pasts that bring nightmares is a kind of therapy for Thompson. "This is the sort of place that holds people accountable to themselves, and that's different from someone coming in from the outside telling you what to do," he said. How the homes were started The Oxford House manual states that charters are granted to people who themselves have beaten addiction. "Two or more recovering alcoholics can apply for a charter from Oxford House, Inc., by completing an application for a charter or simply writing a letter containing the pertinent information to Oxford House World Services," the guide states. But that's not how Oxford Houses got started in Bloomington, where four are owned by Scott Caulfield's Lean On Me LLC. He grew up in Bloomington, lives in Westfield and owns Arbutus Properties in Bloomington, which has seven student rental houses. Caulfield said Oxford House officials came to him and a business partner in 2017 seeking inroads and access to the Bloomington housing market, where he already was an established buyer. He claims a connection to addiction through a cousin who had a gambling problem and died from suicide. He has since purchased four houses through Lean On Me LLC in Bloomington and is branching out in eight other Indiana counties using Oxford House charters, serving as landlord for the independent homes. Caulfield said instead of year-long leases with students, his LLC has three- to five-year leases with Oxford House residents. High student rental costs benefit landlords, but so do homes with as many as 10 occupants paying rent. Excess cash is expected to be diverted, under terms of the organization's charter, to fund the purchase of more Oxford Houses. "Once a cluster of houses is developed in an area, it becomes easier to expand because of help from existing Oxford Houses," the organization's 2021 annual report states. For Caulfield, it's a way to make money and do good at the same time. "It's something that has a financial return and that makes sense, and we've connected with some other investors and are working with Oxford to help meet the need where it exists," Caulfield said. "Things are not always as smooth as they would be if we were to rent the standard way. This is sometimes more hands on." Perception of others Caulfield acknowledges negative responses in some neighborhoods from people who aren't happy living next to recovering addicts. Oxford House residents know it, too. "We had some Homeowners' Association problems, some neighbors were concerned. One even sold their home. Now, one of the neighbors who was complaining has one of our guys doing their yard work," Thompson said. "Perceptions can change." Still, the welcome mat isn't always out for Oxford House residents, even though they are paying their portion of the cost to live in the neighborhood. The lease between Oxford House Ryder and Lean On Me shows the current monthly rent for the home is $2,900. That would be split among 7 or 8 residents who also share utility costs and food bills. "We are pushing out into uncharted territory and there is a stigma attached. 'Why would you want to rent to people like that?' But, having done this for awhile, I can say our Oxford Houses are maintained better than a lot of our student rentals," Caulfield said. Kaylee May lived in Oxford Houses in Austin, Texas, and now in Bloomington, where she is a volunteer with the organization. May recently was named Woman of the Year for her region at an Oxford House annual meeting. She was touched. "I have done so many bad things in my life, and to hear someone say out loud the things I've done to get this far, and to choose me ..." she said. Caulfield said people who make mistakes deserve a chance to start over. A stable place to find footing. "These are people who have made mistakes and had issues in their past lives and are trying to get back on track. They're in recovery. They need a place to live." Thompson expects no mercy. "I was using and I killed a person in a car wreck. It was horrible then and it's still horrible today. We have to live with what we did and make amends. It's it not something that ever goes away. You live with it, stigmatized as this bad person." Contact reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com, 812-331-4362 or 812-318-5967. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Oxford House recovery homes in Bloomington offer sober living To further its mission, iN2L + LifeLoop welcomes Rachel Vincion, CFO, and Cambria Jacobs, CMO DENVER, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iN2L + LifeLoop , provider of the first and most comprehensive senior living technology platform developed to meaningfully impact staff effectiveness, workforce retention, staffing levels, and resident engagement, today announced the addition of Rachel Vincion as its chief financial officer and Cambria Jacobs as its chief marketing officer. Both Jacobs and Vincion will report directly to Lisa Taylor, CEO of iN2L+ LifeLoop, and will be instrumental in helping drive the organization's continued strategic growth. iN2L + LifeLoop, a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company, is on a mission to enhance the aging experience. Together, they offer the first and most comprehensive senior living technology platform designed to drive measurable impact across strategic priorities such as resident satisfaction, staff retention, workflow efficiencies, and occupancy rates to demonstrate clear value and achieve substantial ROI. "We are beyond thrilled to welcome Rachel and Cambria to our newly-expanded Executive Leadership Team," said Taylor. "Rachel is a versatile and accomplished finance executive and Cambria is a dynamic and proven growth marketing leader. They help build lasting employee, customer, shareholder, and industry relationships, and drive strong return on investment. Both new leaders share our vision for enhancing the lives of hundreds of thousands of seniors through the advanced use of engagement technology. We're lucky to count them as colleagues." With 25 years of experience and success in leading finance and strategy for high growth healthcare SaaS companies, Rachel Vincion brings with her an extensive operational background that drives long term value for organizations. Most recently, she increased enterprise value by 40% for PlayMaker Health, where she also spearheaded three investment banking processes and oversaw the successful acquisition of a major competitor. Earlier in her career, she led organizations to profitability and helped transform early-stage start-ups to ensure their long-term success. In her new role as iN2L + LifeLoop's CFO, she will be pivotal in helping Lisa Taylor and the Executive Leadership Team define the future direction for continued strategic growth. Story continues "There could not be a more exciting time to join iN2L," said Vincion. "Together with LifeLoop, the organization offers the industry so much value, both for resident engagement and well-being, and for staff satisfaction and retention. I am delighted to be part of such a mission-driven company that will help the industry continue its recovery, both emotionally and financially." Cambria Jacobs has a more than 25-year track record of developing passionate, mission-driven brands and implementing marketing strategies for fast growth B2B and B2C companies in the health, wellness, and technology sectors. As the Global CMO at EGYM, a health and tech fitness company, Jacobs launched the company's first global brand and go-to-market strategies. Jacobs is also credited with the co-creation of Collaboration In Aging , an innovative new conference, designed to help solve issues faced by the longevity industry. As iN2L + LifeLoop's CMO, Jacobs is charged with developing the expanded organization's go-forward brand strategy, as well as spearheading community-centric marketing programs rooted in impacting staff efficiency, workforce retention, staffing levels, and resident engagement. "The iN2L + LifeLoop mission is very close to my heart," said Jacobs. "I couldn't be more honored to join an organization dedicated to enhancing the aging experience. I look forward to joining this industry and helping shape the future of senior living with fresh ideas, bright spot discussions, and new technologies that deliver real change for seniors, their families, and community staff and leadership alike." Click here to view iN2L + LifeLoop's leadership team. About iN2L + LifeLoop iN2L + LifeLoop, a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company, is on a mission to enhance the aging experience. Together, they offer the first and most comprehensive senior living technology platform designed to drive measurable impact across strategic priorities such as resident satisfaction, staff retention, workflow efficiencies, and occupancy rates to demonstrate clear value and achieve substantial ROI. Trusted by 4,500+ nursing homes, assisted and independent living communities, memory care settings, and adult day programs across North America, iN2L + LifeLoop's powerful system holistically supports the entire senior living ecosystem. One mission. One solution. For more information, visit iN2L.com . Media Contact John Gonda 616-309-4888 jgonda@sage-growth.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-an-eye-on-growth-in2l--lifeloop-hires-proven-finance-and-marketing-leaders-301572917.html SOURCE iN2L Fingerprint Cards AB The Stockholm District Court has today announced that Johan Carlstrom, the Chairman of the Board of Fingerprint Cards AB, has been found guilty of four counts of insider trading. He was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. The verdict is available at the Stockholm District Courts web site. As a result of this verdict, Mr. Carlstrom is leaving the Board of Directors and is thus resigning from his position as Chairman of the Board of Fingerprint Cards AB. Johan Carlstrom commented: I note with great surprise and disappointment that the Stockholm District Court has come to a conclusion that I and my lawyers believe is incorrect. However, in light of the District Court's ruling, and with the companys best interests in mind, I have decided to leave the board of Fingerprint Cards AB. The Board of Directors has appointed Dimitrij Titov as acting Chairman, effective immediately, and plans to convene an extraordinary general meeting. Mr. Titov commented: I am fully committed to taking on the role of Chairman in the current situation. The Boards work continues uninterrupted, with a strong shared view of the companys challenges, business model and strategy. For further information, please contact: Investor Relations: +46(0)10-172 00 10 investrel@fingerprints.com Press: +46(0)10-172 00 20 press@fingerprints.com This is the type of information that Fingerprint Cards AB is obligated to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 11:30 am CEST on June 22, 2022. About Fingerprints Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) the worlds leading biometrics company, with its roots in Sweden. We believe in a secure and seamless universe, where you are the key to everything. Our solutions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications, and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch. For more information visit our website, read our blog, and follow us on Twitter. Fingerprints is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (FING B) Story continues Attachment A fiber optic cable enclosure that connects the cables that send information in the form of light. Fiber internet is considerably faster than standard coaxial cable infrastructure. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was awarded $2.5 million to help provide fiber-based, high speed internet services to tribal households in Flandreau and surrounding areas. The federal grant is part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which provides tribal members with prepaid internet for five years. With this grant, tribal members will have the opportunity to implement robust, gigabit, fiber broadband services into their lives," stated Valley FiberCom CEO Jeff Symens in a press release. Valley FiberCom will be the tribe's internet service provider for the duration of the grant, which will also include giving all qualifying tribal households a laptop. As part of the collaboration, Valley FiberCom will offer computer classes on using the laptop as well as internet service applications. More: Despite state funding in South Dakota, many still lack broadband internet access "This opportunity will help place [Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe] members on a level playing field with other area citizens and businesses, creating sustainability of broadband access and increased opportunities," Symens added. Additional information on how tribe members can sign up for services will be released later this fall. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: $2.5M grant awarded to Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe for internet, laptops BAY COUNTY A Georgia man is facing multiple charges after allegedly raping a juvenile girl in Panama City Beach early Sunday morning. The Bay County Sheriffs Office announced the arrest of Branden Green, 33, of LaGrange, Georgia, on charges of sexual battery while using a weapon and possession of MDMA, or ecstasy. Panama City: Man enjoying afternoon with friends drowns in Lake Martin after raft capsizes Read more: Man sets fire to strangers' condo, returns to kick in door, BCSO says. Inside the report: According to BCSO, during the early morning hours on Sunday two juvenile girls reported to a deputy that one of them had been forcibly raped. During an interview, the accuser stated Green held a knife to her and forced her to participate in various sex acts with him against her will. During the initial investigation, the girls identified Green as the suspect when he drove by the deputy and the accuser on a golf cart. Deputies reportedly made contact with Green and detained him while BCSO Criminal Investigations responded to the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital to meet with a sexual assault nurse examiner where it was determined there was physical evidence of a sexual assault. A search warrant was conducted at Greens residence where investigators were reportedly able to locate several key pieces of evidence that corroborated the accusers statement. Green was booked into the Bay County Jail and is awaiting his first appearance. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Georgia man arrested for sexual battery of minor on Panama City Beach By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudswoman) Sabina Aliyeva condemned the attack by a group of Armenians on the Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Paris, France, Azernews reports, citing the Ombudswoman's Office. I strongly condemn criminal actions of Armenia, based on hatred against Azerbaijan, as well as members of the Azerbaijani community abroad, and call on the Armenian side to refrain from attempts that impede peace talks and to fulfill its obligations and to respect human rights and freedoms, the ombudsperson stressed. As previously reported, a group of Armenians attacked the Cultural Center of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris in order to disrupt the screening of the film "The Road to Karabakh". The protestors screamed offensive slogans about Shusha and Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, assaulted citizens, and showed violence. Aytan Muradova, vice-president of the French-Azerbaijani Dialogue Association, and other attendees were hurt in the incident. The provocation was stopped when police got to the site. We regret that in many parts of the world, Azerbaijanis who try to convey the truth of Azerbaijani culture and history to the world community using freedom of speech, opinion, and expression have been repeatedly attacked on the basis of ethnicity and hatred, Aliyeva underlined. She emphasized that these events, which were accompanied by flagrant violations of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and other international instruments, are a clear manifestation of Armenia's policy of ethnic and religious hatred, enmity, and intolerance. These provocative acts, which form the basis of Armenia's state policy and incite discrimination and hatred against Azerbaijanis, are evidence of the fact that the leadership of this state strongly believes in ethnic incompatibility between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, the ombudsperson said. ReportLinker The growth of the market can be attributed to the rising demand for RF tunable filters in aerospace & defense industry and the increasing demand for 5G smartphones, smartphones, and mobile phones. New York, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "RF Tunable Filter Market by Type, Tuning Mechanism, Tuning Component, System, Application and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05601835/?utm_source=GNW Bandpass filter segment is projected to capture a larger share of the overall market during the forecast period The RF tunable filter market for the bandpass filter segment is projected to capture a larger share of the overall market during the forecast period attributed to the increased use of bandpass filters in the aerospace & defense, communications, and healthcare industries. The market for the radar system segment is expected to hold the largest share of the overall market in 2022 The market for the radar system segment is expected to hold the largest share of the overall market in 2022.Radar systems are widely used in the aerospace & defense industry as they can penetrate different mediums, such as clouds, fogs, mist, and snow. In commercial and military aircraft, radar systems are used to assist pilots while flying through the fog. Thus, the demand for radar systems is rising in the aerospace & defense industry, which, in turn, fuels the adoption of RF tunable filters. In 2022, the RF tunable filter market for the aerospace and defense segment is expected to hold the largest share of the overall market In 2022, the RF tunable filter market for the aerospace and defense segment is expected to hold the largest share of the overall market, and the trend is projected to continue during the forecast period. The dominance of the aerospace and defense segment can be attributed to the rising demand for handheld and pocket radios, radar systems, communication and navigation systems, and satellite communication systems in the aerospace & defense industry. Based on region, North America held the largest share of the overall RF tunable filter market in 2022 In 2022, North America held the largest share of the overall RF tunable filter market, followed by Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW, respectively.Also, it is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The presence of major players such as Analog Devices, Inc., Dover Corporation, The LGL Group, Inc., EXFO Inc., DiCon Fiberoptics, Inc., Netcom, Inc., RF Products Inc., Telonic Berkeley Corporation, and Coleman Microwave Company in the region is the key factor driving the market growth. In addition, the region holds a strong base of end users, including aerospace & defense, energy & power, mining, transportation, smart cities, and healthcare industries. These end users demand highly reliable and fast-responding RF tunable filters to achieve smooth and secure communication. In-depth interviews have been conducted with chief executive officers (CEOs), directors, and other executives from various key organizations operating in the RF tunable filter marketplace. By Company Type: Tier 1 50%, Tier 2 30%, and Tier 3 20% By Designation: C-level Executives 45%, Directors 35%, and Others 20% By Region: North America 40%, Europe 30%, APAC 20%, and RoW 10% Analog Devices, Inc. (US), Dover Corporation (US), Smiths Group plc (UK),The LGL Group, Inc. (US), EXFO Inc. (Canada), DiCon Fiberoptics, Inc. (US), Netcom, Inc. (US), RF Products Inc. (US), Telonic Berkeley Corporation (US), and Coleman Microwave Company (US) are some of the key players in the RF tunable filter market. The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of these key players in the RF tunable filter market, with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. Research Coverage The report defines, describes, and forecasts the RF tunable filter market based on type, tuning mechanism, tuning component, system, application, and geography.It provides detailed information regarding factors such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges influencing the growth of the RF tunable filter market. It also analyzes product launches, collaborations, partnerships, contracts, agreements, expansions, and acquisitions, carried out by the key players to grow in the market. Key Benefits of Buying the Report This report will help market leaders/new entrants in this industry with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall RF tunable filter market and the subsegments.The report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to better position their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report will also help stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05601835/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Story continues CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 PERTH, Australia, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KEENON Robotics participates in the 2022 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference from 21-22 June 2022, marking its first official foray into the Western Australia region. The company showcases its T5, T6, and T8 delivery robots and M2 disinfection robot, offering reliable and efficient service solutions. The conference is presented jointly by Tourism Council WA, Visitor Centres WA, Caravan Industry Association WA, FACET, WAITOC, and Destination Perth and is supported by Tourism Western Australia. As one of the most prominent events in the tourism industry across the western Australia, the WA Tourism Conference has been bringing together a cross-section of tourism sector representatives, national, state and local government leaders, professionals in marketing, and tourism academics since 2015. "We are delighted to be able to participate in the 2022 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference and showcase KEENON's latest advanced and smart robotics technologies," said Mr. Derren Wong, Head of Sales, Australia, KEENON Robotics. "KEENON has established six business regions across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East and we offer a wide range of products and automation solutions to meet various business needs." With fully autonomous positioning and navigation systems that work in tandem, KEENON products boast highly sensitive perception and obstacle avoidance technologies. These advanced solutions can assist employees in a variety of complex real-world application scenarios while providing safety, reliability, and efficiency. As a global award-winning technology pioneer in the indoor intelligent autonomous distribution robotics space, KEENON uses its products to create a seamless everyday lifestyle for end consumers. The onset of COVID-19 brought the importance of automation to the fore amid the global effort to minimize direct human-to-human contact and reduce the spread of the virus. KEENON robot played a crucial role in assisting people in everyday tasks, reducing their risk of contracting the virus while also freeing them up to focus on more pressing matters. Story continues "Our service robots are designed to free people from the high volume of trivial and repetitive work. They can assist the staff and perform a whole range of tasks, including delivering food and interacting with guests. They are now deployed as humanoid frontliners in the hospitality and tourism industry, from waiters in restaurants to robotic concierges in hotels, leading to improvements in terms of speed, cost-effectiveness, and overall guest experience. We are excited to have the opportunity at the WA Tourism Conference to meet with delegates from the tourism and the hospitality industry in Western Australia, offering them high-efficiency robotics solutions." Wong added. KEENON's main solutions are on display at the event, covering the catering and food services, hotels, and disinfection sectors. The T5, T6, and T8 food runner robots can assist human waiters in swiftly serving and returning used plates. Employees can then focus their time and energy on customer service, thereby reducing the risk of staff injury and significantly raising the restaurant's overall efficiency and service level. In terms of hotels, KEENON robots can help to redefine a guest's experience in terms of safety and efficiency. For example, a W3 hotel service robot can ride the elevator to any floor and deliver room service, providing a contactless reliable service to those with privacy concerns. The company's M2 disinfection robot can also facilitate professional disinfection lighting and sprayers to quickly and efficiently kill both surface and airborne bacteria and viruses in a public setting, allowing for enhanced cleanliness in public spaces. KEENON prides itself on its R&D capabilities with a team that is constantly working on a wide range of new patented technologies for cutting-edge hardware and software to improve on the company's current product portfolio. Thanks to their efforts, KEENON products can be found in premium restaurants, hotels, bars, and hospitals all over the world. The company also runs a comprehensive aftersales service program. KEENON ON-care allows customers direct access to product experts who provide one-stop repairs and maintenance. About KEENON Robotics: Founded in 2010, KEENON ROBOTICS offers intelligent, reliable, and convenient solutions for various scenarios including restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, supermarkets, and factories. In September 2021, KEENON completed a $200M Series D financing led by Softbank Vision Fund 2 (SVF2), marking the largest funding ever received by a service robot company. KEENON robots have been deployed in more than 60 countries. SOURCE KEENON Robotics --Enhanced with Timbalands Beatclub Collaboration Supporting Emerging Artists and Fans with a Passion for Music-- --Latest Milestone in Mastercards Sonic Brand Journey-- --Album Available First on Spotify, the Worlds Most Popular Audio Platform-- CANNES, France, June 22, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Mastercard unveiled its first ever music album titled Priceless at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. The album, available first on Spotify and then other streaming platforms, features 10 songs by 10 artists from around the globe. Each song incorporates the recognizable melody of Mastercards brand sound. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005387/en/ Priceless (Photo: Business Wire) To enhance its commitment to music fans and emerging talent, Mastercard has joined forces with acclaimed producer Timbalands Beatclub music creator platform. Inspired by the original songs developed for Mastercards album, up-and-coming Beatclub music creators were mentored by Timbaland as they remixed two standout tracks. "Our first ever music album featuring the inspiring, original work of 10 rising artists takes our innovative sonic branding approach to an even higher, unmatched level," said Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer and president, Healthcare. "From Algeria to Australia and Slovenia to Sweden, each of the artists integrated our melody into their songs and created something that we are all truly proud of! We hope others will enjoy these songs as much as we do." As part of the Beatclub collaboration, Mastercard will purchase and provide one-year memberships to the Beatclub platform to hundreds of up-and-coming creators from disenfranchised communities. "This partnership was a natural fit given Mastercard and Beatclubs mutual goal of supporting artists and the industry," said Timbaland. "Together were elevating emerging artists through the power of music and mentorship. Providing platforms, tools, and connections for creators to pursue their passions opens doors for countless artists to break into an industry that is often impenetrable." Story continues Mastercard collaborated closely with executive producer Niclas Molinder to find artists who span a variety of cultures, languages and genres a core element of the albums identity. Each artist was tasked with incorporating the brands melody into their song, demonstrating how audio branding can be used innovatively. The full album will feature tracks from up-and-coming artists including Michael Rice (United Kingdom), Shiraz (Lebanon), Good Harvest (Sweden), Alma Lake (Colombia/USA), Raees (Algeria), Tejas (India), Nadine Randle (United Kingdom/Sweden), Tania (Australia), Elle B. (USA) and Amaya (Slovenia). The music will be introduced at a launch party with Spotify, Mastercards exclusive launch partner and the worlds most popular audio platform with 422 million users across 183 markets. As a fellow global leader in their respective industry, Spotify is committed to lifting up and supporting emerging artists and will provide an even larger platform for them to connect with a robust global audience of listeners and fans. Mastercard has a longstanding relationship with the music industry, through its Priceless platform and work with artists like Jennifer Hudson, SZA and others. Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA, a co-founder of Sessions, a platform empowering music creators and a Beatclub partner said, "Mastercards one-of-a-kind album and Beatclub partnership shines a light on supporting emerging artists and creators, which will help these talented performers become recognized on a global scale." About Mastercard (NYSE: MA) Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. About Beatclub Beatclub is the worlds premier marketplace that connects the music creator community with record labels, publishers, gaming companies, TV and Film companies, and artists. Beatclubs NFT portal helps artists, producers and songwriters collaborate to create NFTs. Beatclub is the brainchild of Grammy Award winning super-producer Timbaland and longtime business partner Gary Marella. Beatclub allows creators to sell, buy or license beats, loops, samples, acappellas, and more. It enables them to customize their licenses, allowing creators to set their terms on publishing, royalties, master rights, and fees. This empowering, creator-centered model has attracted an impressive list of elite producers, songwriters, and artists to join the platform, including Justin Timberlake, J. Cole, Mike Dean, Cash Money AP, Tommy Brown, Jozzy, Larrance Dopson, Federico Vindver, Boogz, Tainy, Ang Lopez, Mike WiLL Made-It and thousands of invited new members. www.beatclub.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005387/en/ Contacts Jill S. Davison, Jill.Davison@Mastercard.com Macy Salama, Macy.Salama@Mastercard.com Mindset Pharma Inc. TORONTO, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mindset Pharma Inc. (CSE: MSET) (FSE: 9DF) (OTCQB: MSSTF) (Mindset or the Company), a drug discovery and development company focused on creating optimized and patentable next-generation psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders with unmet medical needs, today announced that the Company has entered into an innovative research collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), a top psychiatric research hospital based in Toronto, Canada. Mindset will sponsor a preclinical study at CAMH on its lead asset, MSP-1014, a novel and patented second generation psilocybin-like compound that is being prepared for First-in-Human studies alongside psilocybin. Single psychedelic experiences can cause both short- and long-term behavioral changes in humans and the mechanisms of these are relatively under explored. The study will interrogate how macro and micro doses of psychedelic compounds modulate expression levels of molecular biomarkers of brain plasticity in rats. The team expects to uncover short- and long-term changes in cFOS and BDNF expression that could underlie the long-term behavioral changes associated with a single psychedelic experience and develop molecular insights into the magnitude of effects of its lead compound, MSP-1014, compared to psilocybin. Dr. Anh Dzung Le, Senior Scientist and Head of Neurobiology of Alcohol Lab in the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH, will lead the study, supported by Dr. Douglas Funk, a Project Scientist in the CAMH Neurobiology of Alcohol Lab Mindsets drug discovery platform is built on a broad spectrum of high-quality scientific data generated in preclinical models. This collaboration will profile and build our understanding of the observed superiority of our lead asset, MSP-1014, to psilocybin at the molecular level. We are excited to partner with Dr Le and Dr. Funk who are pioneers in mental health research to build this dataset and continue in our shared mission to advance groundbreaking new treatments to patients who are waiting. said James Lanthier, CEO of Mindset. This study is the beginning of a strong partnership with CAMH, and we are excited for the research to come. We are eager to work together with Mindset Pharma to contribute to the field of psychedelic knowledge. Given that by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have or have had a mental illness, CAMH scientists and clinicians are dedicated to exploring treatment option that account for the unique needs of individual patients, said Dr. Anh Dzung Le. We are pleased to partner with Mindset on this study as our missions are aligned in the prioritization of mental health care. About CAMH The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres in its field. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. About Mindset Pharma Inc. Mindset Pharma Inc. is a drug discovery and development company focused on creating optimized and patentable next-generation psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders with unmet needs. Mindset was established in order to develop next-generation pharmaceutical assets that leverage the breakthrough therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. Mindset is developing several novel families of next-generation psychedelic compounds, as well as an innovative process to chemically synthesize psilocybin in addition to its own proprietary compounds. The company has a co-development agreement with the McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development, a member of the Otsuka Pharmaceuticals family of companies, for its short-duration compounds, Mindset Families 2 & 4. For further information on Mindset, please visit our website at www.mindsetpharma.com. For more information, please contact: Investor Contact: Allison Soss KCSA Strategic Communications Email: MindSet@kcsa.com Phone: 212-896-1267 Media Contact: McKenna Miller KCSA Strategic Communications Email: MindSet@kcsa.com Phone: 949-606-6585 Company Contact: James Lanthier, CEO Email: jlanthier@mindsetpharma.com Jason Atkinson, VP, Corporate Development Email: jatkinson@mindsetpharma.com Phone: 416-479-4094 NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Workers tap into Marcellus natural gas at an active hydraulic fracking operation outside Wellsboro, Pa., operated by Shell Oil. It was a landmark year for natural gas production in Beaver County. Pennsylvanias tax on natural gas developers generated $731,668 for Beaver County government in 2021 a record high that outpaced the countys previous record of $727,511 in 2018. Act 13s impact fee on unconventional natural gas wells raised a combined $1.7 million for Beaver County and its 54 municipalities last year. New Sewickley Township led Beaver County municipalities with $245,401, followed by Marion Township with $110,960 and Independence Township with $97,748. The state Public Utility Commission reported 140 eligible wells in Beaver County last year, up slightly from 2020 but a dramatic increase from just 55 in 2016. More:Gas impact fee revenue declines in Pennsylvania The PUC on Friday announced $234 million in impact fee revenue statewide last year the second-largest amount generated since Act 13 was established a decade ago and nearly 60% higher than 2020s total. Pennsylvania counties and municipalities touched by gas drilling will receive more than $129 million, and another $105 million will be allocated to statewide projects and agencies like the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and conservations districts. Impact fees are imposed in addition to regular business taxes to fund projects and improve infrastructure in places directly tied to drilling. The amount raised largely depends on the average annual price of natural gas and related market conditions. Demand for natural gas declined amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, shrinking impact fee revenue. Beaver County government saw nearly $425,000 in impact fee funding from 2020. The average price of natural gas in 2021 was $3.84 per million British thermal units, compared to $2.08 per million British thermal units in 2020. The PUC reported 518 new wells added statewide in 2021. The 60% distribution boost is directly related to heightened activity levels and the commodity price environment, underscoring the importance of policies that encourage domestic natural gas development, transportation and use, said Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Callahan. Story continues Regionally, Washington County produced the most impact fee revenue with $7.6 million and 1,938 active wells. This years impact fee distribution is especially beneficial to us as 27% of all county and municipal distributions for the entire state are going just to the 46th District, state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-46, Washington County, said. Nearly $2.3 billion in payments have been distributed throughout the Keystone State since the programs launch. Every corner of the commonwealth has directly benefited from Pennsylvania's impact fee, said American Petroleum Institute Pennsylvania Executive Director Stephanie Catarino Wissman. This tax on natural gas wells has generated new revenue - totaling more than $2.2 billion over the past decade for a wide variety of environmental, conservation, infrastructure, public safety and recreation projects." This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Natural gas impact fee boost hits new high in Beaver County OTTAWA, ON, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - NAV CANADA today announced it is commencing a 12-month evaluation of iTEC in collaboration with NATS, Avinor and Indra. NAV CANADA (CNW Group/NAV CANADA) This initial agreement will provide NAV CANADA the opportunity to evaluate the benefits and innovations inherent in a collaboratively developed platform. The evaluation will include: The deployment of an evaluation version of the iTEC FDP into the NAV CANADA Trajectory Based Operations test facility in Ottawa The evaluation of the Indra iACM air traffic flow management product as part of an enhanced focus on network management capabilities in Canada The long-term potential for the iTEC FDP and iTEC controller working position to replace the current NAV CANADA developed ATM system called CAATS The iTEC consortium comprises seven of the most important European ANSPs, which collaboratively develop a common system together with the Technology Partner Indra, sharing investments and R&D efforts. In the coming years, iTEC will support the largest network of Air Traffic Control Centers in Europe, managing two thirds of Europe's air traffic and providing the technology to materialize significant savings in flight time, fuel and running costs. NATS is a founding member of iTEC and is closely cooperating with Avinor in the NATS iTEC System Group. "NAV CANADA has a long history of innovation and partnership in the deployment of best-in-class technologies," said Raymond G. Bohn, President and CEO. "As the global aviation sector evolves to meet the demands of the future for air travel, for operational efficiency and environmental sustainability leveraging partnerships and collaboration are key." "Many ANSPs worldwide are facing similar technology and operational opportunities, challenges and needs and we are excited to be able to work with Indra and NATS to see if iTEC can meet our needs," said Bohn. "While our participation is very much at an evaluation phase, this aligns with our strategic direction as we modernize our air traffic management platforms towards Trajectory-Based operations that will benefit our customers and stakeholders." Story continues Ignacio Mataix, Indra CEO, said: "This agreement with NAV CANADA boosts the strength of iTEC Alliance; its collaboration spirit takes a leap forward and expands its frontiers demonstrating our involvement with the industry challenges beyond Europe. We are convinced that iTEC, which is already being used to manage some of the most complex skies in Europe, will definitely meet NAV CANADA expectations." About NAV CANADA NAV CANADA is a private, not-for-profit company, established in 1996, providing air traffic control, airport advisory services, weather briefings and aeronautical information services for more than 18 million square kilometres of Canadian domestic and international airspace. The Company is internationally recognized for its safety record, and technology innovation. Air traffic management systems developed by NAV CANADA are used by air navigation service providers in countries worldwide. About Indra Indra is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers world-wide. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport, Air Traffic and Defence markets, and the leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. About NATS NATS is the UK's principal air navigation services provider and is split into two main businesses, which provide two distinct services: NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) the regulated business, which provides air traffic management services to aircraft within UK airspace and over the eastern part of the North Atlantic; and NATS (Services) Ltd (NSL) the unregulated business, which provides air traffic control services at many of the UK's major airports (13 civil and 7 military airfields) and other airports overseas. NATS provides aerodrome, data, engineering, capacity, efficiency and environmental performance solutions to customers worldwide, including airports, airlines, air traffic service providers and governments. NATS handled 661,000 flights in the UK in the last financial year (2020/21), a reduction of 73% reflecting Covid-19 travel restrictions. About Avinor Avinor is a wholly-owned state limited company under the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications and is responsible for 44 state-owned airports. Avinor provides safe and efficient travels for around 50 million passengers annually, half of which travel to and from Oslo Airport. Avinor Air Navigation Services AS provides aerodrome control and approach control services at airports, air traffic services in Norwegian airspace and maintenance and operation of the technical infrastructure for air navigation. About iTEC iTEC is a next-generation air traffic management system developed by Indra in collaboration with air navigation service providers in the UK (NATS), Spain (ENAIRE), Germany (DFS), the Netherlands (LVNL), Norway (Avinor), Poland (PANSA), and Lithuania (Oro Navigacija). iTEC is currently deployed in several control centers including Prestwick in Scotland and Karlsruhe in Germany. In the coming years iTEC will be managing two thirds of Europe's air traffic. SOURCE NAV CANADA Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/22/c8546.html FILE PHOTO: Trevor Milton, founder and former-CEO of Nikola Corp., exits court in New York City By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday added a new wire fraud charge to their criminal case accusing Trevor Milton, the founder and former chief executive of Nikola Corp, of defrauding investors by lying about the electric- and hydrogen-powered truck maker. The new charge concerns Milton's alleged effort to defraud the seller of Wasatch Creeks Ranch in Utah by making false and misleading statements about Nikola's products and business prospects. Milton previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud over statements he made from November 2019 to September 2020. His faces a scheduled July 18 jury trial in Manhattan federal court. Lawyers for Milton did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The new fraud charge concerns Milton's purchase of Wasatch Creeks Ranch from a Massachusetts man, who said he accepted Nikola stock options as part of the purchase price based on Milton's claims about the company. In a civil complaint filed on March 14 in Utah's federal court, the seller said the options' value was "destroyed" as Milton's alleged lies became known and Nikola's stock price cratered. The lawsuit seeks $45 million. Milton's criminal case is among the most prominent involving a company that went public after merging with a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Critics say that process is prone to conflicts of interest and shoddy due diligence. Nikola went public in June 2020. Authorities have said Milton misled investors in social media posts, TV appearances and podcast interviews designed to drive up Nikola's stock price and bolster his stature as an entrepreneur. In December, Nikola agreed to pay $125 million to settle a related U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil fraud case. Nikola neither admitted nor denied the SEC's accusations. The SEC has also charged Milton with civil fraud. On Monday, Milton, a former billionaire according to Forbes magazine, asked the judge in his criminal case not to let jurors hear evidence about his wealth, lifestyle and spending habits, saying it would be unfairly prejudicial. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Nick Zieminski and Richard Chang) TSXV: NOVR OTCQB: NOVRF Nova Royalty Corp. logo (CNW Group/Nova Royalty Corp.) VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Nova Royalty Corp. ("Nova" or the "Company") (TSXV: NOVR) (OTCQB: NOVRF) is pleased to announce the voting results for its annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 21, 2022 (the "Meeting"). Brett Heath, Alex Tsukernik, E.B. Tucker, Johanna Fipke, Andrew Greville and Luke Leslie were re-elected to serve as directors of the Company. A total of 41,317,681 common shares were represented at the Meeting, representing 48.51% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares. Shareholders approved all matters brought before the Meeting as follows: MOTIONS NUMBER OF SHARES PERCENTAGE OF VOTES CAST FOR AGAINST WITHHELD/ ABSTAIN SPOILED FOR AGAINST WITHHELD/ ABSTAIN Number of Directors 26,215,051 202,861 0 0 99.23 % 0.77 % 0.00 % Brett Heath 26,328,042 0 89,870 0 99.66 % 0.00 % 0.34 % Alex Tsukernik 26,350,978 0 66,934 0 99.75 % 0.00 % 0.25 % E.B. Tucker 26,343,718 0 74,194 0 99.72 % 0.00 % 0.28 % Johanna Fipke 26,328,626 0 89,286 0 99.66 % 0.00 % 0.34 % Andrew Greville 26,328,627 0 89,285 0 99.66 % 0.00 % 0.34 % Luke Leslie 26,317,561 0 100,351 0 99.62 % 0.00 % 0.38 % Appointment of Auditors 41,167,571 0 150,110 0 99.64 % 0.00 % 0.36 % Approval of Share Compensation Plan 24,840,211 1,577,701 0 0 94.03 % 5.97 % 0.00 % LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS Nova is also pleased to provide a Company update via a letter to shareholders written by President and CEO, Alex Tsukernik. The letter can be accessed on the Nova Royalty website, by clicking here. ABOUT NOVA Nova Royalty is a company focused on providing investors with royalty exposure to the key building blocks of clean energy copper and nickel. The Company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "NOVR" and on the US OTCQB under the trading symbol "NOVRF". Story continues ON BEHALF OF NOVA ROYALTY CORP., (signed) "Alex Tsukernik" President and Chief Executive Officer Website: www.novaroyalty.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Nova to control or predict, that may cause Nova's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, the risk factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated April 29, 2022 and other filings available for review on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com . Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. SOURCE Nova Royalty Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/22/c4851.html OctoML, the well-funded machine learning startup that helps enterprises optimize and deploy their models, launched a major update to its product today that will make it far easier for developers to integrate ML models into their applications. With this new release, OctoML can now transform ML models into portable software functions that developers can interact with through a consistent API. With this, it'll also be easier to integrate these models into existing DevOps workflows. As OctoML founder and CEO Luis Ceze told me, he believes that this is a major moment for the company. Ceze, together with the company's Chief Technologist Tianqi Chen, CPO Jason Knight, CTO Jared Roesch and VP of Technology Partnerships Thierry Moreau, founded the company to productize TVM, an open source machine learning compiler framework that helps ML engineers optimize their models for specific hardware. Image Credits: OctoML "When we started OctoML, we said: Let's make TVM as a service," Ceze said. "We learned a lot from that but then it became clear as we worked with more customers that AI/ML deployment is still too hard." He noted that as the tools to ingest data and build models improved over the last few years, the gap between what those models can do and actually integrating them into applications has only grown. So by essentially turning models into functions, that gap mostly disappears. This new system abstracts a lot of that complexity away for developers, which will surely help to bring more models into production. Currently, depending on whose numbers you trust, more than half of trained ML models never make it into production, after all. Since OctoML already offers tools to make those models essentially run anywhere, a lot of those choices about where to deploy a model can now also be automated. "What sets us apart from any other solution is the ability to get the model for deployment, integrate it into the application -- and then run on any endpoint," Ceze said and noted that this is a game-changer for autoscaling, too, since it allows engineers to build autoscaling systems that can move the model to CPUs and accelerators with different performance characteristics as needed. Story continues The models-as-functions capability is only one part of the company's announcements today, though. Also new in the platform is a new tool that helps OctoML use machine learning to optimize machine learning models. The service can automatically detect and resolve dependencies and clean and optimize model code. There is also a new local OctoML command-line interface and support for Nvidia's Triton inference server that can now be used with the new model-as-function service. "Nvidia Triton is a powerful abstraction which allows users to leverage multiple deep learning frameworks and acceleration technologies across both CPU and Nvidia GPU," said OctoMl CTO Jared Roesch. "Furthermore, by combining Nvidia Triton with OctoML we are enabling users to more easily choose, integrate and deploy Triton-powered functionality. The OctoML workflow further increases the user value of Triton-based deployments by seamlessly integrating OctoML acceleration technology, allowing you to get the most out of both the serving and model layers." Looking ahead, Ceze noted that the company, which has grown from 20 employees to over 140 since 2020, will focus on bringing its service to more edge devices including smartphones and, thanks to its partnership with Qualcomm, other Snapdragon-powered devices. "The timing seems right because as we talk to folks that are deploying to the cloud, now they all say they have plans to deploy on the edge, too," he said. President Joe Biden laughs during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2022. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images President Biden says he's "proud" of Apple retail workers in Maryland who recently voted to unionize. "Workers have a right to determine under what condition they are going to work or not work," he said. This weekend, staff at the Towson Town Center Apple Store near Baltimore became Apple's first retail workers to vote to unionize in the US. Apple store workers in Maryland recently voted for unionization in a historic moment for the tech giant's retail staff, and their win has gotten them the president's attention. President Biden praised the workers at the Towson Town Center Apple Store near Baltimore for voting to join a union. "I am proud of them," Biden told reporters on Monday, according to Reuters. "Workers have a right to determine under what condition they are going to work or not work." "Everybody is better off, including the final product is always better off (because of unions)," added Biden, who is considered the most pro-union US president in decades. On Saturday, 65 staff members at the Towson store voted in favor of unionization, and 33 were opposed. Other Apple stores have taken steps to form a union. Employees at Apple's Grand Central store in New York have reportedly started collecting signatures to unionize. Workers at the Oxmoor Center Apple store in Louisville, Kentucky, have announced a union drive of their own, according to Bloomberg Law. But workers claim they're facing intimidation from Apple to deter them from unionizing. Employees at Apple's Cumberland Mall location in Atlanta reportedly withdrew their request for a union vote days before it was set to begin, alleging the tech giant conducted "a systematic, sophisticated campaign to intimidate them and interfere with their right to form a union." Last month, leaked audio recordings showed Apple's senior vice president of retail and people, Deirdre O'Brien, telling the company's 58,000 retail workers she had concerns about unionizing. "I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship, an organization that does not have a deep understanding of Apple or our business, and most importantly, one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you," O'Brien told workers, according to Vice, which published some of the audio. Are you an Apple retail worker? Contact this reporter at sjackson@insider.com from a non-work device. Read the original article on Business Insider By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli In an attempt to wreak havoc between Baku and Moscow, Armenia goes to great pains in an effort to make a big deal out of nothing by resorting to wide-ranging stratagems. It is an open secret that Azerbaijan has strong ties with its neighbors, which never seizes to infuriate Armenia. In this regard, the latest report of Armenian media claiming that Azerbaijani 82-mm 20N5 mortars were seen in service with the Ukrainian army is another pathetic shot in the direction of destroying Azerbaijani-Russian relations. The reality is far simpler than that, Azerbaijan does indeed produce 20N5 82mm "NATO" caliber mortars at the factories of the Defense Industry Ministry. Moreover, it is known that Azerbaijan was negotiating to export the 20N5 82mm mortar to a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa back in 2015. Even though there is no information on Azerbaijan directly supplying these mortars to Ukraine, they could have appeared there through the countries that procured them first-hand. Armenias unfounded and empty claims about weapons sales to Ukraine are exaggerated as Azerbaijan sells weapons to several countries and the resale of them is up to the countries who purchased them. Under the Ministry of Defense Industry, Azerbaijani weapons and military equipment are exported to more than 30 countries. In a similar fashion, a Facebook post of Armenian MP Tigran Abramyan of the I Have Honor Alliance previously indicted Azerbaijan of anti-Russian propaganda. The MP claimed that an alleged hatred towards Russians was generated in Azerbaijan. What provokes Armenia here is the fact that unlike it, Azerbaijan has strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine. As a country that underwent a long and painful occupation and bloody wars, Azerbaijan fully supports Ukraines territorial integrity and condemns the war. At this point, it is worthy to bring up that despite all of Armenias claims of Azerbaijans anti-Russian policy, on March 25, four Su-30 fighters are said to have taken off from Armenia and flown to Russia to be used against Ukraine. This is a clear indication that as usual, Armenia overlooks attempts for regional peace and rather contributes to the conflict's escalation. Moreover, Armenia expresses concern over the correlation between the signing of the Moscow Declaration between Russia and Azerbaijan and the so-called anti-Russian narrative. If they are not aware, it should be pointed out that Article 9 of the declaration stipulates that the parties will refrain from any actions, including those carried out through third states, directed against each other. All of the above is a clear sign of the Armenian policy to alienate Azerbaijan from its neighbors, which is doomed to failure. One grand prize winner will earn a donation toward a sustainable project for their school and a science day with The Space Gal, Emily Calandrelli WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- What sustainable solutions do you want to see at your school? That's the question the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is asking students and parents to think about as part of a new scholarship contest to promote environmentally friendly practices at schoollike riding on a clean, propane-powered school bus. Jack Kendrick successfully petitioned his school district to purchase a special needs propane-powered school bus, earning him PERC's Clean Energy Hero Award. PERC's "Be Like Jack" sustainability contest, held in partnership with The Week Junior magazine, is inspired by Jack Kendrick, a middle school student from South Carolina that successfully petitioned his school district to purchase the state's first propane-powered special needs school bus. Jack earned PERC's first Clean Energy Hero Award for his actions. Students ages 8-14 interested in entering the contest can visit theweekjunior.com/percbigideas to submit a drawing with a short, written response about how they would make their school more sustainable. One winner from each age group (8-9, 10-11, 12-14) will earn a $2,000 donation to their school to put toward a sustainability project of its choice. "Jack is an inspiration to us all, and we know there are many more children just like him who have big ideas on how to make the world a more sustainable place," said Stephen Whaley, director of autogas business development for PERC. "By advocating for propane school buses, Jack was able to significantly reduce harmful emissions for his classmates, his bus driver, and his community. Imagine what could happen if every student stood up for their sustainable idea, and we're excited to kickstart a cleaner future through these donations." Additionally, one grand prize winner will also get to meet The Space Gal, Emily Calandrelli, during a special Day of Science event at their school. Emily is an MIT-engineer turned Emmy-nominated science TV host and co-executive producer of Emily's Wonder Lab on Netflix. She's also featured as a correspondent on Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World and an executive producer and host of FOX's Xploration Outer Space. Emily is the author of the science chapter book series, the Ada Lace Adventures. Story continues "These students have the power to change the world with their ideas and make their community a cleaner place to live," said Calandrelli. "We hope this contest inspires them to think big about how they can make a difference, just like Jack with his propane school bus." More than 1,000 school districts across the country have improved its sustainability by adopting propane-powered school buses, including many districts that have replaced entire diesel fleets with clean propane. Compared to modern diesel buses, propane buses reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions by 96%, which is the key building block to smog and ozone formation that can aggravate respiratory issues. Propane school buses also have the lowest total cost-of-ownership of any fuel, saving districts money that can go back into the classroom. Learn more about propane school buses, by visiting BetterOurBuses.com. To submit an entry into the "Be Like Jack" contest, or to view official rules of entry, visit theweekjunior.com/percbigideas. Entries must be submitted by July 15, 2022. About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com. For More Information: Ingrid Bechard Propane Education & Research Council 202-452-8975 ingrid.bechard@propane.com Jenna Jaynes Swanson Russell 402-437-6406 jennaj@swansonrussell.com Authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1996, PERC is a Washington, D.C.-based not-for-profit charged with leading propane safety and training programs. With collaboration and funds from the propane industry, the organization also invests in research and innovation for propane applications in the transportation, agriculture, power, residential, and commercial construction sectors. (PRNewsfoto/Propane Education & Research Council) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/share-your-sustainability-ideas-and-win-big-for-your-school-with-the-propane-council-301573303.html SOURCE Propane Education & Research Council Singapore will contribute US$10 million to a fund managed by the World Bank to deal with pandemics. (PHOTO: Getty Images) SINGAPORE Singapore will contribute US$10 million (S$13,892,150) to a fund hosted by the World Bank to deal with pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. We have to play our part to overcome the current pandemic and better prepare for the next one. This will help avoid a repeat of the catastrophic economic, social and human costs of COVID-19, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health said in a joint statement issued Tuesday (21 June). The G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers Meeting has endorsed a proposal to set up a financial intermediary fund (FIF), in line with recommendations by the G20 High Level Independent Panel. The panel, established by the Italian G20 Presidency last year, is co-chaired by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam along with World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. A financial intermediary fund is a trust fund administered and managed by the World Bank to leverage public and private resources for global initiatives, such as preventing communicable diseases, responding to climate change and providing food security. Other such funds include the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Also read: Cordlife, AMILI launch banking service to preserve healthy microbes in stool Also read: Singapore's $1.5 billion inflation support package to help workers, households Also read: Travelling DBS PayLah! users can now pay with QR codes outside of Singapore Over US$1.1 billion has been pledged to the fund by the United States, the European Union, Germany and Singapore, among others, Indonesia's health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a news conference yesterday, according to a Reuters report. Singapore said it will continue to work closely with the Indonesia G20 Presidency and international partners in efforts and responses against future pandemics. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore MONTREAL, June 22, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - SNC-Lavalin (TSX: SNC), a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, has been awarded a 6-year, $31 million contract to provide design engineering services for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to help improve resiliency, safety, travel times and trip reliability along the notoriously congested I-70 Mountain Corridor that leads to some of Colorado's most popular recreational destinations. "Our transportation planning and design services work involves developing solutions that help our clients' meet their customers' needs," said Ian L. Edwards, President and CEO of SNC-Lavalin. "From initial feasibility studies and preliminary design to contract procurement and supervision of on-site delivery, our technical design teams work to address today's challenges while providing long-term solutions." High-traffic volume along the highway has led to ever-increasing periods of slow traffic or gridlock. This section can also be significantly affected by adverse weather conditions. Major elements of the project include replacing deficient infrastructure, adding a lane to increase highway capacity and implementing curve safety modifications to improve travel speeds, sight distance and reduce crashes. In addition to addressing resiliency and rockfall in the canyon, the project will provide a frontage road connection to improve emergency access and mobility during severe weather and facilitate efficient freight movement. "The I-70 Mountain Corridor is vital to commuters who live and work in the mountain communities and essential for freight and transit in western destinations," said George Nash, CEO of Atkins North America. "Leveraging our past experience on the recently completed Veterans Memorial Tunnels and Mountain Express Lanes projects, our team is well positioned to help CDOT create safer, more enjoyable travel with the successful completion of this project." About SNC-Lavalin Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital and delivered to clients in key strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear, Operations & Maintenance and Capital. News and information are available at snclavalin.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. SOURCE SNC-Lavalin Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/22/c2502.html DUBLIN, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'South Korea Used Car Market Outlook to 2026: Relaxed Government Regulations on Big Companies Entering Used Car Market to Facilitate Increase in the Used Cars Sales and Improve the Organized Market Share' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo Market is expected to increase at a five year CAGR of 1.0% (by sales volume in units) from 2021P to 2026F South Korea Used Car Market Outlook to 2026 provides a comprehensive analysis of the used car market trends and performance in South Korea. The used car industry in South Korea is expected to demonstrate a decent growth in the future. It is expected that the share of the organized segment in the used cars space will increase over time as more brands are planning to enter the OEM pre-owned certified space. Certain foreign established C2B players are too considering South Korea Used Car market a growing and profitable venture. Moreover, people in South Korea are realizing the advantages of buying a pre-owned cars through authorized outlets as there has been a shift in the general consumer preferences. South Korea Used Car Market Overview and Size: South Korea Used Car market increased at a CAGR of 0.8% (by sales volume in units) during 2015-2021P. The market has reached its maturity phase. A combination of restrictions on public transport and a movement towards private travel have accelerated the sale of used cars. Moreover, the availability of various financing facilities offered through banks and NBFIs, high internet penetration and increased government spending have been instrumental factors in facilitating the growth of the South Korean used car market. Snapshot on Online Used Car Landscape The number of online used car portals and marketplaces have risen significantly along with rising internet penetration in South Korea over the last few years. Major dealers such as K-Cars, Aj SellCar, Autoplus and others are using online platforms to increase their sales. Hence, there was an inevitable expansion in the lead generation of used cars via the online means. Story continues Social networking sites including Facebook and Instagram play a key role in expanding the used cars market in South Korea. Emergence of online auto-portals and classified platforms such as Encar and Kb Cha Cha Cha have provided increased visibility and credibility to the customer-to-customer transactions in the unorganized segment. South Korea had one of the fastest internet networks around the world. The internet infrastructure has been a high priority in numerous governmental regulations that led to its rapid and thorough expansion, contributing positively to the growth of the industry. Competitive Landscape of South Korea Used Car Market Various authorized dealerships, multi-brand outlets & independent (standalone as well as clustered dealers) operating in the industry have led to increased competition in the used car market. Most multi-brand dealers are providing value added services including easy financing options, handling the paperwork and warranty, to expand their market share and to compete with authorized dealers. South Korea Used Car Market Segmentations By Market Structure (Organized, and Unorganized): The organized segment dominates the South Korean used car market covering about 90% of the overall market space. The removal of restrictions on big finished car makers' entry into the local used car market in 2019 and the formal entry of these players in 2022 will further contribute to increasing the organized used car market. By Organized Market Source of Lead generation (Online, Dealership walk-ins): The lead generation for used cars is South Korea has primarily taken place via the online platforms. The Authorized Dealers showcase the available used cars for sale mainly through their own websites. While, several multi-brand dealers prefer listing their inventory on the classified platforms as well. For buying and selling used cars in South Korea, social networking sites like Kakaotalk, Facebook, and Instagram are gaining traction. By Sales Channel (B2C and C2C): B2C sales in South Korea mainly occur through dealership walk-in and inventory listed on online classified platforms or through dealers' websites and Instagram pages, while C2C sales are mostly generated based on Online Classifieds & Offline References from friends & family. Social Media platforms like Kakaotalk and Facebook, are used extensively for C2C promotions and advertisements in order to reach a large set of potential customers quickly and free of cost. By Type of Car: SUVs and Luxury Sedans are quite popular in South Korea. SUVs, Sedans and Luxury Sedans account for more than 70% of the market share. By Brand: Hyundai is the market leader in South Korea accounting for the major share of used cars sold by volume. Korean made brands such as Hyundai, Kia Motors and Ssangyong Motor, are some of the most preferred car brands due to strong brand preference, reliability and longer life span of the pre-owned car. Amongst the continental cars, BMW and Mercedes Benz are the most preferred. By Region: Most of the used cars market is concentrated in the Gyenonggi and Seoul region in South Korea. By Age: Generally, any new car in South Korea is owned for 3 - 4 years before being sold to another owner. Therefore, the average age of used cars in the country also lies within the same bracket. By Kilometers Driven: Cars with a mileage of 60,000-80,000 kilometers dominated the used cars market in South Korea in the year 2021P. By Fuel: Petrol and diesel run cars dominate the used car market in South Korea. Electric and hybrid cars accounted for about 10% in 2021P. Key Topics Covered in the Report South Korea Used Car Market Overview South Korea Used Car Market Size, 2015-2021P South Korea Used Car Market Segmentation, 2021P Growth Drivers in South Korea Used Car Market Issues and Challenges in South Korea Used Car Market Government Regulations Ecosystem and Value Chain of Used Car Industry in South Korea Customers Purchase Decision Making Parameters Cross Comparison between Major Authorized Dealers and Multi-brand Dealers Snapshot on Online used car market Future Market Size and Segmentations, 2021P - 2026F Covid-19 Impact on the Industry & the way forward Analysts' Recommendations Competitive Landscape By Brand Hyundai Kia GM Korea Renault Samsung Ssangyong Benz BMW Genesis Audi Volkswagen Others (Includes both domestic and international brands) Authorized Dealers Benz Hansung BMW Deutsch Motor BMW Bavarian Motors KCC Auto C2B/C2B2C/B2C K-Cars Aj SellCar Autohands Hey Dealer U-Car Autoplus Online Portals - Online Auto Classified Platforms Encar Kb Cha Cha Cha Auction Players Hyundai Glovis Lotte Rental - Auction Aj SellCar Auction K Car Auction Key Segments Covered By Market Structure Organized Unorganized By Organized Channel Source of Lead generation Online Dealership walk-ins By Sales Channel B2C C2C By Type of Car Luxury Sedan Sedan Hatchback SUV MPV Others (Sports car, Station wagon) By Engine Size 2000 CC and Below 2000 CC - 3000 CC 3000 CC - 4000 CC 4000 CC and Above By Region Gyeonggi Seoul Gyeongnam Gyeongbuk Incheon Busan Chungnam Dae-Gu Jeonnam Jeonbuk Chungbuk Gangwon Gwangju Daejeon Ulsan Jeju Sejong By Age 0-2 Years 2-4 Years 4-6 Years 6-8 Years 8-10 Years More than 10 Years By Mileage Less than 20,000 20,000 - 40,000 Km 40,000 - 60,00 Km 60,000 - 80,000 Km 80,000 - 100,000 Km Over 100,00 Km By Fuel Petrol Diesel Electric Others (Petro-Electric, Diesel-Electric, etc.) By Transmission Type Auto Manual Others (Semi-Auto, CVT) Time Period Captured in the Report Historical Period - 2015-2021P Forecast Period - 2021P - 2026F For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/70cy2p Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/south-korea-used-car-market-analysis--outlook-2015-2021--2021-2026-cross-comparison-between-major-authorized-dealers-and-multi-brand-dealers-301572999.html SOURCE Research and Markets After a storm destroyed Norwood Hospital in June 2020, the hospital is building a new facility. The undamaged materials that once made up Norwood will soon be repurposed in Haiti and other vulnerable international communities. NORWOOD, Mass., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Norwood Hospital announced their donations of essential building materials and equipment will be leveraged for future international healthcare infrastructure projects, including additions to the Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Haiti. Following catastrophic flooding, Norwood Hospital is in the process of demolition and reconstructing a new facility. The hospital is partnering with Build Health International (BHI) to collect salvageable materialssuch as metal, doors, and sinkswhich will be used for global health projects serving vulnerable communities. Steward Health Care System "Norwood Hospital is thankful for this project to turn a terrible misfortune into a unique opportunity to help others," said Salvatore Perla, DrPH, President of Norwood Hospital. "The materials that helped us provide care for our community will live on in essential services to the people of Haiti." "The incredible generosity of the Steward team and the Norwood Hospital allowed BHI to target and access essential materials needed for current and future healthcare infrastructure projects," said Zac Chase, BHI's Director of Partnerships. "Gift-in-kind donations have a tremendous impact on our work and procurement costs. Collaboration is key for BHI, and we welcome any opportunities to repurpose materials to expand global health quality and accessibility." Among the materials collected from Norwood Hospital, some of the most meaningful were 175 metal, wood and lead-lined standard hospital doors. According to the BHI team, Norwood's donation will help them reallocate money towards purchasing other critical line items, like biomedical equipment. In addition to the doors, other essential materials were collected, including scrub sinks, stainless corner guards, and grab bars, which will present huge cost savings for future international healthcare projects. Story continues The materials collected from Norwood have found a home at a new diagnostic center at the Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Haiti, and across a number of BHI's pipeline of projects. Ground was broken on the new Norwood Hospital in December of 2021. The diagnostics center at Haiti's Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais is set to open at the end of 2022 and the new Norwood Hospital plans to re-open its doors before the end of 2024 . About Steward Health Care Nearly a decade ago, Steward Health Care System emerged as a different kind of health care company designed to usher in a new era of wellness. One that provides our patients better, more proactive care at a sustainable cost, our providers unrivaled coordination of care, and our communities greater prosperity and stability. As the country's largest physician-led, tax paying, integrated health care system, our doctors can be certain that we share their interests and those of their patients. Together we are on a mission to revolutionize the way health care is delivered - creating healthier lives, thriving communities and a better world. Steward is among the nation's largest and most successful accountable care organizations (ACO), with more than 5,500 providers and 43,000 health care professionals who care for 12.3 million patients a year through a closely integrated network of hospitals, multispecialty medical groups, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health centers. Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates 39 hospitals across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah. For more information, visit www.steward.org . About Build Health International: Build Health International (BHI) believes that every person has a right to quality healthcare. By designing, building, equipping, and maintaining healthcare infrastructure in low resource settings, BHI develops dignified care spaces and solutions that elevate the quality and accessibility of healthcare worldwide. Working closely with Ministries of Health, partner organizations, and local workforces, BHI promotes sustainable design, empowers communities, and enables access to dignified and affordable healthcare for some of the world's most resource-poor populations. BHI staff collect doors from the Norwood Hospital in December 2021. These doors will soon be used as part of a new diagnostics center at Haitis Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/steward-health-cares-norwood-hospital-in-massachusetts-partners-with-build-health-international-to-donate-salvaged-building-materials-to-haiti-301573332.html SOURCE Steward Health Care (Adds Maran Gas Alexandria; shows Nikolay Urvantsev, Energy Liberty, Castillo Santisteban are docked; removes first entrance for Bu Samra after it leaves port; updates arrival date for Maran Gas Posidonia) June 22 (Reuters) - The following liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are expected to arrive in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Estimated arrival dates, often revised by port authorities and AIS Live ship-tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon, are updated below. Some tankers heading for Belgium and Britain may be loading at the terminal. Those expected to load are indicated with an (L). Those likely to perform ship-to-ship transfers are indicated with (STS). Tankers that have docked are indicated with (A). For the Reuters LNG guide, click here: LNG TANKER CAPACITY in EXPECTED ARRIVAL FROM PORT cubic metres BRITAIN Arctic Lady 145,000 June 21 (A) Norway Isle of Grain Castillo Santisteban 170,000 June 21 (A) Peru Dragon Energy Liberty 165,000 June 22 (A) United States Isle of Grain Aamira 261,000 June 24 Qatar South Hook Valencia Knutsen 170,000 June 24 Peru Dragon Maran Gas Posidonia 159,000 June 26 United States South Hook Al Dafna 262,000 July 2 Qatar South Hook Al Mafyar 261,000 July 5 Qatar South Hook Methane Becki Anne 170,000 July 11 Peru Milford Haven BELGIUM Nikolay Urvantsev 169,000 June 21 (STS)(A) Russia Zeebrugge Energy Intelligence 173,000 June 21 (L)(STS)(A) Netherlands Zeebrugge Bu Samra 261,000 June 23^ Qatar Zeebrugge Yakov Gakkel 172,000 June 24 Russia Zeebrugge Al Jassasiya 144,000 June 25 Qatar Zeebrugge Clean Ocean 159,000 June 25 (L) Egypt Zeebrugge Eduard Toll 172,000 June 26 Russia Zeebrugge Mu Lan 178,000 June 27 (L) N/A Zeebrugge Corcovado Lng 158,000 June 28 United States Zeebrugge Golar Crystal 160,000 July 9 (L) France Zeebrugge NETHERLANDS Lng Endeavour 174,000 June 20 (A) United States Gate Lngc Golar Celsius 160,000 June 23 United States Gate British Listener 174,000 June 23 United States Gate Maran Gas Alexandria 164,000 June 23 Trinidad & Tobago Gate Lng Rosenrot 177,000 July 2 United States Gate Sources: Ports, AIS Live ship tracking, Refinitiv Eikon data. (^) Partial unload (*) Arrival date calculated using www.searates.com at an average speed of 13.5 knots (Reporting by Nora Buli in Oslo) Donald Trumps former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen says the former presidents efforts to pressure Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election results included a Mafia-style threat. Mr Cohen, in a video posted on the YouTube channel Meidas Touch, analysed the former presidents speeches before 6 January last year and said: If anyone knows how Donald Trump speaks in code, its me. Mr Trump in his speeches had said that then-vice president Mike Pence would not be his friend anymore if Mr Pence didnt help him overthrow the election results. Mr Cohen said: We have seen clips of Trump speaking at rallies including the one in Georgia leading up to Jan 6 saying that he is not going to like Mike Pence if he doesnt reject the election. He went on to say that observers said that he [Trump] was behaving like a five-year old but that is not a correct way of looking at this. He cited the example of John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family. Mr Cohen said that when you review the Mafia wire tapes, for example, John Gotti, he uses the identical languages. Trump was *not* being childish when he told Pence he would not be his friend anymore. @MichaelCohen212 tells us Trump was putting a hit on Pence using the coded language of the Mob. The Jan 6 committee and DOJ need to watch this! pic.twitter.com/SnyOA6CgRW MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) June 18, 2022 Quoting Gottis speech when he said things like I dont love him anymore.. I hope he does the right thing, Mr Cohen drew parallels between his language and Mr Trumps. He said that Mr Trumps speeches leading up to 6 January last year sound like almost the same person. The message that Donald Trump is conveying to Pence is that you are my enemy, you are either my friend or my enemy, Mr Cohen said. Story continues This is incredibly chilling. Can this be true? https://t.co/5pR8BP0vbV Patrice Fitzgerald (@PatriceFitz) June 19, 2022 Meanwhile, Mr Trump tore into the 6 January committee over its third public hearing, writing on Truth Social that he did not order Mr Pence to overturn the 2020 election. Mr Trump has made two speeches this weekend in which he again amplified his fake election fraud conspiracies. He called the Democrats political thugs and called the investigation into the Capitol riot a witch hunt. Michael Cohen compares tRump to John Gotti (The original "Teflon Don") when he says if Pence doesn't do the right thing, then he won't be his friend anymore. Mob language! https://t.co/j81PWAl1Em Melinda Gorden (@MelindaGorden12) June 18, 2022 On social media, Mr Cohens analysis received mixed reviews. One user wrote: Cohen grates on my nerves, but he is an excellent interpreter of Mafia lingo. Worth a listen. Another said: This is incredibly chilling. Michael Cohen compares tRump [sic] to John Gotti (The original Teflon Don) when he says if Pence doesnt do the right thing, then he wont be his friend anymore. Mob language! another said. The White House announced Thursday a $450 million assistance package for Ukraine that includes four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) as the fight with Russia in the Donbas grinds on. The four HIMARS the U.S. announced in a previous aid package arrived in Ukraine this week. In the battle in eastern Ukraine, the Russians have a numerical advantage when it comes to firepower. To help Ukraine, the U.S. first sent Howitzers and have since started sending the longer-range and more accurate HIMARS. In addition to HIMARS, the package announced Thursday includes 36,000 rounds of ammunition, tactical vehicles, 2,000 machine guns and over 1,000 grenade launchers. The U.S. has now committed about $6.1 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's invasion. In announcing the first shipment that included HIMARS, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl said, "The HIMARS, and the guided munitions that go along with them will allow Ukraine to range any target they need for that fight inside Ukrainian territory." Soldiers assigned to A Battery 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, shoot live rounds in a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in support of Ivy Mass at Fort Carson, Colorado, June 8, 2022. / Credit: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Collin MacKown Ukrainian leaders assured the U.S. that the systems would not be used to strike into Russia. The munitions sent by the U.S. with the first shipment of HIMARS have a range of up to 70 kilometers, more than twice the range of M777 Howitzers, but less than the long-range Advanced Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) that can reach hundreds of kilometers. "We don't assess that they need systems that range out hundreds and hundreds of kilometers for the current fight, and so that's how we settled on it," Kahl said earlier this month. Since Ukrainian forces don't use HIMARS, the U.S. organized training that takes about three weeks for Ukrainians outside of Ukraine. The U.S. prepositioned the four HIMARS in Europe so training could start quickly, and the first 60 Ukrainians graduated from training last week. The HIMARS are a priority for Ukraine, which is losing 100 soldiers a day. The HIMARS provide more precision-guided targeting with extended range so the Ukrainians can hit high-valued Russian targets from farther away. Story continues Russia is also taking significant losses despite its numerical superiority. The Russian Defense Ministry hasn't given estimated casualties for months, but Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said last week that Russia has lost between 20-30% of its armored forces and has "suffered a tremendous amount of casualties." The fight in the east has been described as a street-by-street battle that could take months, if not years. The U.S. has provided more than $5.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine. Congress recently approved a $40 billion security package for Ukraine that will allow for more aid shipments through the summer. Title IX pioneers reflect on law's 50th anniversary Chicago police recruits Marines amid officer shortage Supreme Court strikes down New York concealed carry gun law Company Logo Global Medical Cyclotron Market Global Medical Cyclotron Market Dublin, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Medical Cyclotron Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global medical cyclotron market reached a value of US$ 192.6 Million in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 323.7 Million by 2027, exhibiting at a CAGR of 9.13% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major marke contributor. A medical cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator that is used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It utilizes electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles, which produce radioactive isotopes for medical drugs. These isotopes are further used in positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. As compared to research reactors that produce radioisotopes, medical cyclotrons generate less hazardous waste. Medical Cyclotron Market Trends: The increasing geriatric population, which is more likely to develop cancer, represents one of the primary factors contributing to the market growth. Moreover, on account of changing lifestyles, inflating disposable incomes and increasing awareness about the use of medical cyclotrons in the diagnosis of tumors, there is a rise in the demand for diagnostics treatments with PET scan. This, in confluence with significant investments in the healthcare infrastructure and the increasing shift from nuclear reactors to medical cyclotrons, is creating a favorable outlook for the market. Besides this, the rising number of cancer cases has increased the demand for nuclear scans for accurate diagnosis across the world. Story continues In addition to this, medical cyclotrons are increasingly being utilized in cardiology, neurology, and oncology in hospitals and diagnostic centers. Furthermore, the leading players are introducing technologically advanced diagnostic devices, which is anticipated to expand their overall market reach and positively influence the demand for medical cyclotron around the world. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Advanced Cyclotron Systems Inc., Alcen, Best Medical International Inc., General Electric Company, IBA RadioPharma Solutions, Ionetix Corporation, Isosolution Inc., Siemens AG, Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. and Varian Medical Systems Inc. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global medical cyclotron market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global medical cyclotron market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the type? What is the breakup of the market based on the product type? What is the breakup of the market based on the end user? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global medical cyclotron market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Medical Cyclotron Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Type 6.1 Ring Cyclotron 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Azimuthally Varying Field (AVF) Cyclotron 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Product Type 7.1 Cyclotron 10-12 MeV 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Cyclotron 16-18 MeV 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Cyclotron 19-24 MeV 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 7.4 Cyclotron 24 MeV and Above 7.4.1 Market Trends 7.4.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End User 8.1 Hospitals 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Diagnostic Centers 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Research and Academic Institutes 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Others 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 Advanced Cyclotron Systems Inc. 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2 Alcen 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3 Best Medical International Inc. 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4 General Electric Company 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 Financials 14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 IBA RadioPharma Solutions 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6 Ionetix Corporation 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7 Isosolution Inc. 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8 Siemens AG 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.10 Varian Medical Systems Inc. 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10.3 Financials 14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uvhn2h Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova President of Uzbekistan Shovkat Mirziyayev has presented one of Fuzuli's manuscripts to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at a joint press conference in Tashkent, Azernews reports, citing Azertac. In his remarks, Shovkat Mirziyayev praised the level of the Azerbaijani-Uzbekh relations which, he said, are based on common spiritual values, religion, similar culture, and language. "The relations of traditional friendship, trust, and mutual understanding with Azerbaijan are particularly valued in Uzbekistan. They are based on common spiritual values, religion, and similar cultures and languages. Our peoples are bound together by a long history...," said the Uzbek president. "Many cities of Azerbaijan where the mutual influence of eastern and western civilizations took place are mentioned in the scientific works of Ahmad Ferghani and Abu Reykhan Biruni. The funds of our Institute of Oriental Studies carefully store dozens of unique manuscripts of Azerbaijani poets and thinkers such as Nizami, Khagani, Tusi, Fuzuli, Khatai, and many others. Today I presented one of Fuzuli's manuscripts to esteemed Ilham Heydar oglu," he said. Shovkat Mirziyayev emphasized that the people of Uzbekistan have always highly appreciated Azerbaijani culture. "This, I think, is a treasure for us. There are a lot of such manuscripts in Uzbekistan. This is further evidence that the Uzbek people have been treating Azerbaijani culture with great respect and interest for centuries. I want to specifically note that the founding father of Uzbek literature and poetry, Alisher Navoi, was inspired by the works of great Nizami Ganjavi, whom he described as "the king of poets". This is how he assessed it," said Shovkat Mirziyayev. Fuzuli is considered one of the greatest contributors to the divan tradition of Azerbaijani literature. The 16th-century poet, writer, and thinker is regarded as one of the greatest Ottoman lyrical poets. He wrote poetry and philosophical works in Azerbaijani, Persian and Arabic languages. Fuzuli's masterpiece "Leyli and Majnun" laid the foundation of the first Middle Eastern opera. This poem is considered the pinnacle of a poet's creativity. Based on the poem, in 1907 Uzeyir Hajibeyli wrote the opera "Leyli and Majnun". The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for two Virginia Beach natives who failed to return to Hampton from a sailing trip to Portugal Monday. Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, were reported missing by Jones daughter on June 20. Jones daughter contacted the Coast Guard Fifth District command center three days prior on June 17, reporting that she hadnt received any communication from her mother since the pair departed on June 13. Nikopoulos and Jones were sailing on a boat named Kyklades from Azores, Portugal. Coast Guard spokesperson Breanna Centeno said the pair left on June 8 from Old Comfort Point Marina in Hampton. They were en route to Greece from Azores, but on June 13, they notified family members that heavy weather had damaged their sailboat and they were turning around to head back to Hampton. The missing boaters were approximately 460 miles east of Virginia Beach at the time of the call. While there was not a set return date, Jones daughter indicated she was expecting Jones and Nikopoulos to return Monday, Centeno said. The Coast Guard is coordinating with Bermuda-based authorities to track cellphone and radio pings to narrow the search for Coast Guard air crews, according to a press release issued Tuesday evening. HC-130 Hercules crews from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City have conducted two overflights of the approximate area of Jones and Nikopoulos. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast has been issued by the Fifth Coast Guard District Command Center to alert boaters in the area to the situation. In situations like this, where there are so many unknowns, our coordination efforts need to cast a wide and intentional net, said Chief Brian Gainey, command duty officer. Its a lot of detective work, but its all in service to finding these two individuals and bringing them home to their families. The Coast Guard is asking that anyone with information related to the search for Jones and Nikopoulos to call the Fifth District Command Center at 757-398-6390. This Virginia family spent a year living on a boat and cruising the East Coast Its been one year since Rob and Kristen Kaplan sold their house in Midlothian, Va., and most of their belongings, packed up their four children and dog, bought a boat and headed for the water. A project involving work on portions of a runway at Fremont Municipal Airport is being pushed back a year. The earliest this project will start is 2024. Dave Goedeken, director of public works for the City of Fremont, said a state official initially was confident federal funding would be allocated this year with the project potentially starting in 2023. But during the recent airport advisory committee meeting, Goedeken said he talked with Anna Lannin, engineering division manager of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics. Lannin indicated the project wont proceed as soon as planned. Theyre hearing back from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) that theyre short on money, lets put it that way, Goedeken said. Everything is getting pushed back. Projects they had slated for this year are going to happen next year and projects for next year are going to happen the following year. Goedeken said in January the project would be included in a request for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill funding. In the last six months, board members have talked about work on portions of the runway and a connecting taxiway. Concrete in these portions has been deteriorating from within due to an adverse chemical reaction. This deterioration has been occurring in multiple sites in Nebraska and other states. Goedeken said earlier this year that after a pavement analysis, officials would make recommendations of types of repairs such as: Rehabilitation; an asphalt overlay; or total removal of and replacement of sections in the areas of deterioration. The board learned that the cost is estimated to be $7.3 million if a total replacement of sections in these portions was required. Pilot Ken Cox is not an advisory committee member, but has attended several meetings. During the recent meeting, he asked if the project would be re-evaluated in the future. Goedeken mentioned the types of possible repairs again and said these options will be examined in a study done by engineers. He said the federal government requires that all the different options be examined so the most cost-effective method is used. Board member Jeff Peterson shared an idea for a possible option. Peterson said an Omaha company pumps a type of foam which becomes rock-like hard under concrete. He said the company would be willing to provide an estimate. Peterson said this option could save a lot of money and time. They could come out here in the morning and get to work and by the next day, youre ready to roll, Peterson said. He said the company has a contract with Offutt Air Force Base and offers different products. Maybe were not a candidate for that, but maybe we are, Peterson said. And if we are and it costs less and achieves the goal of not shutting down the airport hey why not, if it works? Board members and Jim Kjeldgaard, president of Fremont Aviation which operates the airport, have been concerned that it could take nine months for concrete removal and replacement. Kjeldgaard has said that not using the runway all those months would seriously impact Fremont Aviation and other businesses that use the airport. I dont want to shut a mans business down, Peterson said. I dont want to shut the airport down. Peterson stressed the importance of runway safety. We have to have an excellent runway, Peterson said. Thats no question, but if we can do it at a lesser cost that will allow us funds hopefully to do things like this FBO hangar (for which there currently isnt funding). We certainly want to do whats right, but I dont want to overspend. Committee members have discussed the possible alternatives of using former Runway 1-19 during work on the main runway. Lannin has said Runway 1-19 was decommissioned by the FAA. Robert Steenblock, committee chairman, again talked about 1-19. Steenblock said he remembered that the runway was decommissioned due to proposed roadway construction, which didnt occur. So he asked why the airport couldnt have 1-19 as a runway again and have it overlaid with asphalt. The state did say that if we relinquished that to it, that they would blacktop that thing and use it as a taxiway. Nothings happened, Steenblock said. Kjeldgaard also favored reopening 1-19, adding that hed like to have a grass runway as well. Last month, members talked about having a grass runway, saying that while larger aircrafts couldnt use it, smaller ones could. Board member Eric Johnson, vice president of Kirkham Michael Consulting Engineers, provided another perspective. What we see, too, in the industry is that the FAA does not support these (grass runways) with their funding, so you hate to say it but it would be pretty sure that it would be an all-local cost to build it, Johnson said. Committee members also talked about obtaining funds to construct a corporate hangar that would house incoming planes and serve as a maintenance hangar where aircraft is inspected and repaired. Peterson said he talked with Melissa Diers of the Fremont Area Community Foundation, which provides grants such as one for Keene Memorial Library expansion, and said shed be happy to meet with board members. Goedeken said there are drawings for the corporate hangar, which could be shown to the FACF. Johnson also recommended providing a summary of the airports economic impact on the city. A Nebraska Aviation Counts! Team study indicates that Fremonts airport generates $10.5 million in goods and services from airport-related activities and supports more than 90 jobs related to airport activities. The payroll from those jobs totals more than $2.6 million. In other business, Goedeken talked about the new airport terminal. He has been working with the contractor who must make sure various tasks are completed before the project is closed out. For instance, the contractor will need to have pavement replaced in front of the terminal where there is a water puddle. A fence will need to be fixed in a place where it was accidentally damaged by a machine. New airport furniture is scheduled to come in July. The airport advisory committee meets at 8:15 a.m. the third Friday of each month. Members now are having meetings in the new terminal at the airport. Meetings are open to the public. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wet your whistle and get a taste of the Old West at one of these five historic bars in Colorado. Providers began vaccinating some of the youngest Coloradans on Tuesday, just days after federal regulators approved the use of the doses for children ages 6 months to 4 years. The first shipments of doses for the young children arrived in the state Monday, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said. The state will receive 67,800 doses primarily of the Pfizer vaccine in the first 10 days of the rollout, a state health official said last week, and the first "handful" of doses were administered Tuesday. "We anticipate pediatric COVID-19 vaccine administration to increase steadily this week," the spokesman said in an email, adding the state will have enough doses so every parent or guardian who wants to vaccinate their child can do so. Heather Roth, the health department's immunization manager, said last week that nearly 270 providers have signed up to administer the vaccine in the first two waves of distribution. A list and map of providers can be found at covid19.colorado.gov. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises vaccination even for those who already had COVID-19 to protect against reinfection and says it is OK to get other vaccines at the same time. For the littlest kids, the options are Pfizers three-shot series or Modernas two shots. The distribution and early administration comes four days after regulators with the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer and Moderna doses, which are smaller than the adult vaccines. The CDC signed off on the decision Saturday, clearing the way for doses to flow. President Joe Biden, public health authorities in Colorado and pediatricians hailed the moment. Gov. Jared Polis earlier publicly urged federal authorities to swiftly approve the doses, which had been delayed by months. Parents like me are ready to get our young children vaccinated and give them the protection weve been anxiously awaiting with this approval," Roth said in a statement Saturday. While children younger than 5 are less vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 than adults, they can still experience severe and lasting outcomes. Vaccines are the safest, most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help avoid the worst outcomes for Coloradans of all ages. Despite the enthusiasm, officials also acknowledged that getting some parents on board may be a challenge given disappointing vaccination rates about 30% in school-age kids. Roth told the Colorado Board of Health last week that national polling indicated that 18% of parents said they would immediately get their children vaccinated. Another 38% said they were taking a wait-and-see approach. The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association were among physician groups that encouraged doctors and families to get young children vaccinated. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Prosecutors say a convicted sex offender has been sentenced in California to 20 years in prison for taking a 15-year-old girl on a three-month interstate road trip during which he gave the teen meth and had an unlawful sexual relationship with her A transgender woman has filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court of Colorado against the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for being subjected to a "humiliating" cross-gender body-cavity search. According to the lawsuit acquired by The Gazette, Juniper McGinn alleged that on June 2, 2020, she was arrested and placed in El Paso County jail for her participation in a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd. After being arrested, McGinn asked deputies for a woman to perform her visual body-cavity search, but was told by deputies that jail policy only allows for a woman to conduct a search of the top half of her body, and a male would be responsible for the rest of the procedure. The lawsuit alleges that five deputies in total watched McGinn shower and watched her visual body-cavity search, and that four of the deputies laughed at McGinn throughout the process. "There was no basis to have five deputies watching Ms. McGinn as she showered and was subjected to a visual body-cavity search. And there was certainly no penological purpose for any of the actions taken by Defendant John Does 2-4," McGinn's attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. "El Paso County officials derogatory visual body-cavity search of Ms. McGinn led her to suffer significant emotional distress." The lawsuit alleges that El Paso County jail's procedure on searching transgender individuals is "humiliating," "discriminatory" and "unconstitutional." The attorneys representing McGinn also spoke of a second incident at the jail involving a transgender woman, Darlene Griffith, who was allegedly sexually harassed by a deputy following an arrest in 2020. The lawsuit claims that Griffith was subjected to a male conducting her visual body-cavity search just like McGinn but that the deputy during the search made derogatory and harassing comments. "The male deputy then told Ms. Griffith to step back, bend over, and 'spread [her] sexy cheeks.' Ms. Griffith protested the male deputys use of this derogatory language, but complied with his directive," the lawsuit states. "The male deputy then told Ms. Griffith that he was 'going to go balls deep in that a--' while grabbing his own penis in view of Ms. Griffith." The lawsuit claims that the El Paso County jail never imposed any discipline on the deputies involved in the search of Griffith. "What happened to Ms. Griffith is another example of the derogatory actions that are customarily inflicted on transgender women at the El Paso County jail," McGinn's attorneys wrote. McGinn is seeking a jury trial on all issues that are triable, and she is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages, according to the lawsuit. The El Paso County Sherriff's Office did not respond to a request for comment from The Gazette. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has hosted a reception in honor of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the city of Khiva, Azernews reports citing Azertac. The event featured a concert program. The heads of state listened to the performances of artists and spoke with them. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: First of all, our artists showed my friend, my brother Ilham Heydar oglu our beautiful culture, art and their closeness in beautiful Khiva, Uzbekistan. I am very grateful to you, and I felt very proud today that my brother and I spoke the same language and there was no interpreter between us. These artists sang of our culture, history, ancestral roots and unity with deep love, affection and respect, showing that the historical unity and future of these two great nations is truly unshakable. We have been talking and discussing our friendship and relations since yesterday. But today you have shown this in practice through art. I am grateful to you. It is commendable that we have respected our culture, history, in general, our magom and mugham in recent years. Years will pass, centuries will pass and you will be involved in this culture in the future. Your children, neighbors and friends will always be in touch with this culture. I am pleased to tell my brother Ilham Heydar oglu that artists have shown us a new culture in New Uzbekistan. President Ilham Aliyev: I understood everything my brother Shavkat Miromonovich has said, there was no need for an interpreter. My state visit ends today. I am very pleased to have visited Tashkent yesterday, Khiva, Urgench and Khorezm today. Yesterday and today, I saw once again how close our peoples are to each other. Our culture, art and, in general, the roots of our peoples are the same. The songs sung in the Azerbaijani language seemed to have been performed by Azerbaijani singers. There is no dialect. What does this indicate? It indicates the unity of our peoples. You are our pride, performers, artists and masters of culture who glorify our Turkic culture. During the conversation with Shavkat Miromonovich at this table, the President knew the names of every single performer. He knew where they had studied, that someone had studied in Baku or elsewhere, the Minister of Culture, etc. This shows that the President deals with the issues of each artist personally. His love for you is his love for the Uzbek people. Today I discovered a new Uzbekistan for myself. New Uzbekistan is flourishing in the person of my brother, through you. May the life of the new Uzbekistan be successful and prosperous. Inshallah, all of us the Uzbek and Azerbaijani peoples will be together like a fist. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Inshallah. President Ilham Aliyev: We also have these hats. The Khorezm dialect is very similar to the Azerbaijani language. We call this hat the Bukhara hat. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: From the first day, my brother Ilham Heydar oglu and I exchanged views and made decisions on the implementation of many issues, on our unity, solidarity and, most importantly, our peaceful life and prosperity. We have discussed major plans for our future cooperation. I want to tell you that economics and politics are important, but the main value that unites us is culture. I think culture is a strong tool that brings us closer together. We have agreed to make reciprocal visits at least every three months, increase traffic and raise our cultural unity to a new level. It would be so wonderful to organize a joint concert on the art of mugham and magom based on Fuzuli and Navai poems with the participation of our orchestra during our meeting in Samarkand in November this year. I think that if you prepare for it for a month, you can achieve great results. None of our intentions and actions can be realized without culture, without contacts with culture. I am grateful to our orchestra, which prepared this concert for my brother in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in Khiva, in the Khorezm region, in a distant land. Our Minister of Culture organized this orchestra, and I appreciate his service. Thank you. President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. *** Then a picture was taken. Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. FILE PHOTO: A logo of Ant Group is pictured at the headquarters of Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 29, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song/ FILE PHOTO: Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Incoming HKSAR chief executive John Lee vows to build caring, inclusive Hong Kong Xinhua) 07:50, June 22, 2022 Photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows John Lee, the incoming sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) during an interview. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) - John Lee, the incoming sixth-term chief executive of the HKSAR vowed to address deep-rooted problems such as housing and youth development with a results-oriented approach. - Lee's political manifesto promises to formulate a comprehensive youth policy and youth development blueprint to aid their upward mobility. HONG KONG, June 21 (Xinhua) -- John Lee, the incoming sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), has pledged to build a caring and inclusive Hong Kong that boasts diversified development under his leadership. "The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong as the city's order has been restored and it is advancing toward prosperity, and I will spare no effort to promote Hong Kong's development," Lee said in an interview with Xinhua. Photo taken on July 31, 2021 shows the statues on the square of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) in south China's Hong Kong. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) REVIVING ECONOMY, IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD Lee, who won the HKSAR's sixth-term chief executive election on May 8 with an overwhelming majority, will assume office on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Over the next five years, the HKSAR government will focus on economy and people's livelihood, trying to solve the problems accumulated over the past years, while remaining vigilant about safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, Lee said. "We need to lay a solid foundation in the next five years, so that we can further develop without worry after that," he said, vowing to address deep-rooted problems, including housing and youth development during his term. The newly appointed chief executive stressed on multiple occasions that he would handle problems with a results-oriented approach, and said he intends to ensure there is a good risk management system to deal with any potential crises that may threaten Hong Kong. "From my point of view, development is the key to solving problems in Hong Kong," Lee said, adding that the focus of the new HKSAR administration is to promote development to benefit Hong Kong residents, so that the issues long plaguing the Hong Kong society will be gradually solved. John Lee, the incoming sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) speaks during an interview in Hong Kong, south China, on June 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) INTEGRATING INTO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Over the past 25 years, Hong Kong has weathered challenges including the Asian financial crisis, the SARS epidemic and the international financial crisis, and consolidated its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center. Lee deemed the country's support as Hong Kong's most important strength for overcoming challenges and initiating new chapters of progress. Noting that Hong Kong serves as an effective bridge between the mainland and the rest of the world, he said the city's unique advantages should be leveraged to contribute to the development of the country. According to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development, Hong Kong is being supported in establishing itself as an international center for innovation and technology, a center in the Asia-Pacific region for international legal and dispute resolution services, a regional center for intellectual property trade, and a center for cultural and art exchanges with other countries. Hong Kong should give full play to its own advantages, enhance its international competitiveness, and better integrate into the country's overall development, Lee said. He also said that it is the HKSAR's constitutional responsibility to achieve the Article 23 legislation under the HKSAR Basic Law. "We will do a full legal study to ensure that local legislation can handle the national security risks that may be encountered in the future," he said. Reflecting on the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, Lee said he believes that over the past 25 years, the principle has been successfully implemented, albeit not without weathering some storms, "but Hong Kong became more resilient and dynamic after overcoming each of the challenges." "We need to further improve the overall development of Hong Kong and heighten its international reputation to make the city more successful," Lee said. "This is the key objective of promoting the 'one country, two systems.'" Students attend a lecture given by space scientists at the Po Leung Kuk Ho Yuk Ching College in south China's Hong Kong, June 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) SUPPORTING YOUNGER GENERATION Lee's political manifesto promises to formulate a comprehensive youth policy and youth development blueprint to aid their upward mobility. The initiatives include vocational training, employment opportunities and start-up support for young entrepreneurs; encouraging the younger generation to serve on government advisory and statutory bodies; and supporting Hong Kong youths in gaining employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the mainland. Lee emphasized the importance of youth employment and encouraged the younger generation to seek job opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He expressed hope that the younger generation will take pride in their country and Hong Kong, and share their stories with the rest of the world. "It is important that we let our youths understand more about our history," said Lee, "at the same time, they know the difficulties and hardship that the country went through." When the country makes remarkable advances, the young people in Hong Kong also share the pride and joy, said Lee, citing the recent success of the Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission, and the contributions of Hong Kong universities to the country's space programs. "This participation and togetherness make them part of the story," Lee said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) By Trend Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday discussed initiatives aimed at resolving the ongoing crises caused by the situation in Ukraine, a statement said, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. In a phone call, Erdogan told Guterres that Turkiye maintains joint efforts to ensure the export of Ukrainian grains via the Black Sea, which would be effective in terms of averting a global food crisis, the Turkish Communications Directorate said. Turkiye is involved in efforts for the establishment of the U.N.-led mechanism that would free Ukraine's Black Sea ports and allow grain to be shipped out. Turkey would facilitate and protect the transport of the grain in the Black Sea, officials have said. Erdogan said he continues to urge his counterparts to revive peace negotiations and end the war through diplomacy. FILE PHOTO: CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier One of Colorado Springs oldest educational nonprofits is joining forces with a national teacher training organization to try to combat the shortage of Black teachers, according to a recent news release. The Sachs Foundation, which has helped send 3,000 Black Coloradans to college since its 1931 inception, and Teach For America Colorado, the state branch of a national group that expands educational opportunity for children by recruiting and training educators, are partnering to build a pipeline of Black educators in a state that sorely needs them, according to Sachs Foundation President Ben Ralston. "Teach For America is a well-known and widely respected national organization, so we're thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the TFA Colorado team," Ralston said. "We've been committed to building a pipeline of diverse teachers for Colorado from the beginning," said Prateek Dutta, executive director of TFA Colorado. "Black teachers have to overcome so many barriers, and this partnership is the perfect step in the right direction because now we have the resources to attract and retain Black educators by addressing the two major challenges they face: lack of funding and isolation. The partnership is seeking a local solution to what has been a national problem for decades, Ralston said. Educational data show that the number of Black teachers in the U.S. has steadily declined since Brown vs. Board of Education outlawed school segregation in 1954. Currently about 7% of U.S. teachers are Black, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Colorado's numbers are even starker than the national average: About 1.6% of the states teachers are Black. Colorado Springs' largest school district, Academy School District 20, had 16 Black teachers during the 2021-2022 school year less than 1% of the district's 1,651 teachers, according to Colorado Department of Education data. Of the area's districts, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 had the highest percentage of Black teachers last year, at 3.6%. District 11, Widefield School District 3, and Harrison School District 2 were tied for second-highest at 3.4%. We found those numbers disturbing, said Ralston. And we think we can do something to help change that narrative. The teacher development program could have far-reaching implications for teachers and students, Ralston said. Studies have shown that the presence of just one Black teacher grades 3-5 increases lower-income Black boys interest in college and reduces their high school dropout rate by nearly 40%. Black students, and Black men in particular, have lower dropout rates, high college attendance, and less disciplinary issues if they have just one Black teacher at some point in their school career, Ralston said. The two organizations plan to help build a community of Black educators through salary supplements, training and support groups, Ralston said. Teach for America will recruit and train the teachers, and the Sachs foundation which granted $2 million in scholarships to high-achieving Black Coloradans in the past year will provide financial support for teaching candidates and for participating Black teachers. The financial support is integral, Ralston said, because many Black college graduates who typically have greater student loan debt than their white counterparts often feel the need to pursue more lucrative careers like engineering or business, even if they would rather teach. Ralston said cohort groups, which will provide networking opportunities and peer support, should help overcome a critical recruiting obstacle: Many Black prospects, cognizant of the fact that about 140 of Colorados 178 school districts have no Black educators at all, might balk at the idea of being the only Black teacher at their school. Before its partnership with Teach for America, the Sachs Foundation had worked on a teacher development program with Colorado College and hopes to bring more local colleges and universities into the fold as the program grows, officials said. Ralston does not expect to create a deluge of Black teachers, especially in a state where Black people only make up about 4% of the population. But he believes the partnership can make a significant impact in the coming years. It's a natural fit because we share the same values, and our capabilities are complementary, Ralston said. The Sachs Foundation has funds we can use to meet this challenge, and TFA has the critical teacher recruiting and training expertise to make it work. We're hoping to expand the program eventually." Just 10 days after the Buffalo mass shooting, yet another deranged sociopath struck a school in Uvalde, Texas. Predictably, anti-gun liberals Colorado's law requiring vehicles to display red taillights 500 feet to the rear does not mean red is the only acceptable color, the state Supreme Court ruled by 5-2 on Tuesday. In writing for the court's majority, Justice Richard L. Gabriel noted that a hardline interpretation of the tail lamp law would enable officers to stop certain groups of people at higher rates for taillight infractions after spotting slight defects. Police "could initiate a traffic stop if the officer detects a hairline fracture in a vehicles tail lamp that emits the tiniest sliver of white light. Such an interpretation would serve no purpose other than to allow traffic stops that have nothing to do with traffic safety," Gabriel wrote in the June 21 opinion. "And such stops would likely disproportionately burden those in lower socioeconomic classes who might lack the resources to replace tail-lamp covers that have minor cracks but are otherwise fully serviceable." The request to interpret the tail lamp law came to the high court out of Mesa County, where deputies pulled over Timothy Robert McBride's car after observing him fail to signal when exiting a roundabout. Law enforcement arrested McBride on an outstanding warrant and also searched his car to find narcotics and a handgun. Prosecutors charged McBride with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a weapon by a prior offender and failing to signal. They also prosecuted McBride for violating the tail lamp law, given that his car's taillights did not have the customary red lens, but rather were covered in red tape and partially melted from the rear light bulbs. State law requires vehicles to emit red light "plainly visible" from 500 feet to the rear. One deputy testified at trial that McBride's car emitted "some white light" to the rear, while another said the lamps "were emitting white light." They did not state, however, whether there was also red light in addition to the white. A jury convicted McBride of all but the drug charge, prompting McBride to appeal. In July 2020, a three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals reversed most of McBride's remaining convictions, but affirmed the tail lamp violation. "(W)hen the Legislature says 'red' it means only 'red,'" wrote Judge Christina F. Gomez for the panel. During oral arguments to the Supreme Court in May, attorneys raised the specter of kaleidoscope-colored tail lamps or lights that could reflect the Denver Broncos' colors as long as the tail lamps still emitted at least some visible red. "Say I pay someone $25,000 to paint my house gray. I leave. I come back expecting my house to be gray," said First Assistant Attorney General John T. Lee. "I drive by and the front is white. The side is white. I get to my front door and theres one strip painted bright gray with the note: You didnt say all gray.'" But the court's majority disagreed with Lee and the Court of Appeals, believing the literal reading of the law does not preclude colors other than red. "It does not say that 'only' red light must be visible. Nor does it say that a violation occurs if a tail lamp emits any white light, no matter how small and no matter the distance at which such white light may be visible," wrote Gabriel. "It requires only that a red light be plainly visible from 500 feet to the rear." He dismissed the safety concerns the government had raised, stating that as long as a red light is plainly visible, the infiltration of white light would not confuse drivers about which direction a car is traveling. Because the testimony from the deputies at trial and the photos of McBride's car did not establish that no red light was plainly visible from 500 feet, the court reversed McBride's tail lamp conviction based on insufficient evidence. Gabriel added that the question of kaleidoscope-colored tail lamps may be an issue the Supreme Court will have to address in the future, "but that question is not before us in this case." Justice William W. Hood III, writing in dissent for himself and Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright, believed the majority's decision was naive for overlooking the threat that multicolored tail lamps present to driver safety. "After all, nothing in the statutory scheme (after today) would prevent someone from festooning the back of a vehicle with a rainbow of tail lamps if the lamps are legally spaced," Hood wrote. "I fear that the majoritys holding invites the use of multiple colors that could confuse and endanger other drivers and would undermine the Legislatures stated intent." By Trend U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Security Council on Monday to extend its approval of aid deliveries from Turkey to millions of people in need in northwest Syria, telling the body: "We cannot give up on the people of Syria," Trend reports citing Reuters. Guterres said that in the past year the United Nations had carried out five such deliveries - known as cross-line - into the opposition controlled northwest, but it was not "at the scale needed to replace the massive cross-border response." "I strongly appeal to the members of the council to maintain consensus on allowing cross-border operations," he said. "It is a moral imperative to address the suffering and vulnerability of 4.1 million people in the area who need aid and protection." Guterres said 80% of those in need in northwest Syria are women and children. Some 800 trucks a month deliver aid from Turkey under the U.N. operation, which Guterres asked be extended for another year. A federal program that gave students free breakfast and lunch at school will expire next week, and a North Carolina congresswoman is warning her peers millions of children will go hungry if they fail to act. U.S. Rep. Alma Adams told members of the U.S. House last week that communities across the country will experience a hunger crisis in schools and pleaded with leadership to bring a bill to the floor extending the federal program that ends June 30. Even as the pandemic continues and food prices are on the rise, these waivers are set to expire, she said during a special hour held last week on the House floor. As a 40-year educator, I know hunger has been a crisis in our schools and our communities since long before the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Agricultures universally free school meals, which were provided to K-12 students, including in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, arose out of pandemic-era waivers that allowed all students to get school breakfast and lunch at no cost regardless of their familys income. The program began in March 2020. School nutrition advocates have urged Congress for an extension in the federal 2022 spending bill. In letters dated June 10 to federal lawmakers, State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis and the Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the waivers need to be extended for another year to ensure children have access to nutritious school meals, to support program sustainability and to prevent substantial financial losses for schools in our state. In 2019, 92,010 students statewide participated in the Summer Food Service Program an initiative that ensures children from low-income families are provided free meals and snacks during the summer. Adams said almost 100,000 students needed help from their schools so they didnt go hungry and emphasized the numbers were amassed pre-pandemic. In Charlotte, Adams said, the hunger crisis led at least 24 elementary, middle, and high schools to open food pantries to be able to serve students in need. Now, without an extension of the COVID-prompted program, school meal programs will return to pre-pandemic procedures for the 2022-23 school year, which means free breakfast continues. Lunch may not. Cassie Fambro, a media relations specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, has previously said breakfast will continue to be provided in all of the districts schools at no charge for the 2022-23 school year. For each of the districts summer camps and programs, free breakfast and lunch also will be provided. The district also has 68 schools that fall into the community eligibility provision, an option for schools and districts in low-income areas. The program allows schools to serve meals at no charge to all enrolled students, and families do not have to fill out an application. Approximately 114 of our districts schools are not eligible for that provision, meaning that access to summer nutrition will become a patchwork, and when students return at the end of summer, fewer students will get the meals they need, Adams said. Our choice is clear: we can choose to act, or we can let millions of children go hungry. Sam Spencer, the communications director for Adams office, said extending the waivers has bipartisan support among North Carolina leaders, including Davis, who is unaffiliated, and Truitt, who is Republican. A father and son who operated a Helena Valley Quarter Horse breeding operation were sentenced Wednesday for felony aggravated animal cruelty and ordered to pay the county $323,292.36 in restitution for caring for the 58 horses taken from their property more than a year ago. The three-hour sentencing hearing for Robert and Alan Erickson, which sometimes turned caustic, was before Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeley, who dismissed the prosecutions request to sentence the men to 180 days in jail. There will be no early discharge from supervision. However, they received a six-year deferred sentence in which the Ericksons could not own or care for horses. The horses removed from their property will not be returned and will be given new homes. And there would not be any early release from the six-year deferred sentence. This was not a livelihood, this is some sort of odd hobby these fellows had, Seeley said. Lewis and Clark Deputy County Attorney Fallon Stanton was pleased with the judges decision. I am glad we finally have them moving on to a better place, she said of the horses. Robert Ericksons attorney, Carl Jensen, said his client plans to appeal. During the sentencing it was revealed the Ericksons now had a goat on their property, prompting the judge to say during sentencing, Im not going to deal with the goat, Im sorry. The Ericksons ran a quarter-horse breeding operation that was raided by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office on June 1, 2021. Nearly 60 horses were seized by sheriff's deputies, a U.S. Forest Service ranger and a Department of Livestock employee and relocated to the Lewis and Clark County Fairground. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said earlier the horses are now at various locations. County-contracted veterinarians determined many of the horses exhibited signs of neglect. One of the horses had to be euthanized while in Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office custody as a result of the neglect. Equine veterinarian Jamie Clark, who had cared for the horses on behalf of the county, testified Wednesday that her practice discounted the bill 25% for its services. She said $6000 in vaccines and $2000 in supplements were donated by companies to help the horses. Clark also said volunteers donated thousands of dollars worth of their time. She did not think some of the horses would be of high value if sold. She described some as being "geriatric, unlikely to be useful in any capacity besides a pasture ornament that can be petted and loved." Clark said many of the horses would likely be sold for about $1,000. Alan Erickson previously took a deal in exchange for his guilty plea and a jury found Robert Erickson guilty in April. Robert Erickson, who said his trial "was a whole bunch of lies," told officials he had substantial assets, but would not disclose a total. But on Wednesday he estimated the value of the horses taken from his property by the county to be $3 million, noting one of the horses was a prized stud. Attorney Ellie Boldman, who represented Alan Erickson, said the horses should have remained on the property with the Ericksons and had supervised care. Boldman, a Democratic state representative, said as Montana changes, it is losing its common sense. "The government did not have the right to do what it did in this case," she said, adding her client was a man who loves horses. Another of Robert Ericksons sons, Clayton, was arrested outside the county courthouse in April on a warrant for a previous DUI. He entered into a deferred prosecution agreement filed April 8. As long as he does not violate the terms of the agreement, the animal cruelty charge will be dismissed in five years. In 2018, an animal control officer responded to a call about an injured horse caught in barbed wire at an address on Fantasy Road, from which the Ericksons were later evicted, officials said. The officer reported observing pasture areas that "were poorly maintained with sections of wire and a vast amount of debris strewn on the ground. The pasture was nothing but rock, dirt, and debris with no vegetation anywhere," the affidavit states. The court documents go on to detail the ongoing monitoring of the operation by the animal control officer. Horses were found with lacerations, hernias, lower back injuries, cracked hooves and extensive matting. Seeley said the evidence was presented at the trial and the jury reached its decision. She said she has not heard from one veterinarian supporting the self-serving statements of the defendants. Seeley said she did not think the Ericksons were bad people at their core, but they were not equipped to care for horses. Dutton said Wednesday he was happy about the judge's decision. "We are pleased this is over," he said, adding the sheriff's department had submitted a plan for her consideration. He also thanked all the people who have helped take care of the horses. "I'm thankful for the support of volunteers and citizens of this county," Dutton said. Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Trend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay a visit to Iran on Wednesday, June 22, Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said in a Twitter post, Trend reports citing TASS. "Tomorrow S. Lavrov will pay a visit to Iran," he wrote, without giving any further details. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a press conference on June 13 that the Russian top diplomat would travel to his country soon. However, he gave no timeframes of the visit, saying that details will be known later. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier in the day that that the dates of the minister's visit were being worked out. Republican congressional candidate Ryan Zinke remains a consultant for a gold exploration company but dropped his work for several other private firms, according to a disclosure report filed Tuesday. The former congressmans latest financial disclosure included few other changes from his prior report, filed in November. He reported income between $370,000 and $486,000 so far for 2022, most of which came from consulting work and rental income. Congressional candidates report their incomes, assets and liabilities in broad ranges. Zinke faces Democrat Monica Tranel, a Missoula attorney, in his bid to represent Montanas new western congressional district. Tranel filed her 2022 disclosure on the May 16 deadline. Zinkes campaign previously said it lost track of the deadline to file this year. Zinke has continued to work for U.S. Gold Corp. this year, according to the report. The firm describes itself as a U.S.-focused gold exploration and development company active in Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho. He is being paid $68,000 per year for that work. Campaign spokesperson Heather Swift said via text message Wednesday that Zinke ended his consulting work for several other companies, including oil giant ConocoPhillips, at the end of 2021. He continues to earn a $100,000 salary through his consulting company. Zinke previously served as the Secretary of the Interior under the Trump administration. In that position he earned praise from the natural resources industry for pursuing rollbacks of restrictions on oil and gas drilling and loosening rules meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The value of Zinkes assets increased slightly from his prior report, and amount to between $8.7 million and $35.6 million. Most of that is in the form of rental properties in Santa Barbara and Whitefish. Zinkes opponents have honed in on his familys out-of-state property holdings to suggest he isnt actually a Montana resident. The Whitefish native has maintained that his primary residence remains in the Flathead despite his wife claiming California residency for tax purposes. The range of his liabilities also grew slightly, with his total debts reported at between $1.8 million and $6.6 million. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 16 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Montanas Districting and Apportionment Commission is asking for citizens to submit ideas and maps with proposed new legislative district boundaries by July 15, so commissioners can incorporate suggested boundaries from the public into the maps commissioners will put out for hearings in August and September. The boundaries the commission finally adopts will define Montanas House of Representatives and Senate districts for the next 10 years, beginning with the 2024 elections. This is an opportunity to revitalize our democracy by drawing districts that are responsive to constituent representation. The commission has two discretionary goals that have the potential to be responsive to constituent representation: communities of interest and competitive districts. A community of interest (COI) is a geographic area in which people share common concerns better addressed if the area was not divided between districts. A COI should not be defined by any relationship between a community and a political party, incumbent or candidate. A COI can be based on: urban, suburban, or rural interests, including school districts; tribal interests; neighborhoods; geographic location; demographics; communication and transportation networks; social, cultural, historic, and economic interests; or occupations and lifestyles. Keeping a community of interest intact within one district allows the community the opportunity to have a representative responsive to their concerns. Competitive districts have an even balance of voters from the two major political parties such that candidates from either party can win in general elections. Districts that are not competitive are those that have an overwhelming majority of voters from one political party and regularly elect candidates only from that one party. When a district is not competitive, the primary election usually determines the general election results. Primary elections have lower voter turnout than general elections and the voters who vote in the primary are the most ardent party loyalists. Primary candidates play to their base and largely ignore other voters and constituents, because they need only a majority of the ardent partisan loyalists to be elected. More partisan extremists get elected, then go to the Legislature to work toward the more extreme agenda their base demands. These politically safe districts are safe for political parties but they are unsafe for minority constituents and for the willingness to compromise that is the democratic process. When a district is competitive, primary voters in both political parties know their candidate will need to appeal to a variety of constituents and politically diverse voters in the general election. Competitive district primaries elect more moderate candidates from both parties who remain responsive to a broad range of constituents and are willing to compromise on legislation. Competitive districts have the potential to mitigate the partisan extremism that has led to the inability of lawmakers to work together and pass legislation favored by the majority of citizens. Redistricting offers opportunity for public to submit maps There are several free map-drawing software programs available on the internet that are user-friendly. The software programs display the characteristics of each district as it is drawn, including total population and partisan lean. Links to these programs as well as the criteria maps must meet, including how to measure competitiveness, can be found on the commissions website: https://mtredistricting.gov/ The Montana League of Women Voters website also has information and links to these software programs: https://my.lwv.org/montana Now is the time for the pubic to weigh in with maps and ideas that reflect our concerns and priorities. Communities of interest and competitive districts offer the opportunity to create districts in which voters can elect representatives that more closely reflect constituent concerns not just at election time but throughout the time they serve. Nancy Leifer is president of the League of Women Voters of Montana. Sue Hoell and Becky Piske, co-presidents, League of Women Voters of the Helena Area. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR Christian Johnson has worked a lot of different jobs and what he really wants is a career. When he heard about the Youth to Career Pathways program, he knew that was his chance to make the leap. He's spending the summer in a pre-apprenticeship program for King-Lar, working in the sheet metal side of the business and doing a little bit of everything to get a wide exposure to the trade. I felt like this was a nice trade to get into, Johnson said. I had a lot of jobs in my life and I needed a career and this was an opportunity to get my career started. It's hard work sometimes, but he doesn't mind. A little sweat never killed anybody, he said with a chuckle. The Youth To Career Pathways Pre-Apprenticeship program was designed to provide opportunities for trainees from diverse backgrounds to enter building trades apprenticeships and create opportunities for youth in Macon and DeWitt Counties, said Rocki Wilkerson, executive director of Workforce Investment Solutions. The program is a collaboration of Workforce Investment Solutions, One Level Corporation, Decatur Building and Construction Trades Council, local businesses, and social service agencies. The training is a nationally recognized program through the North America Building Trades Unions, Multi-craft Curriculum. Trainees will earn a MC3 industry recognized credential after successful completion of the program. The goal is to get young workers into the pipeline and on the path to apprenticeships that lead to good jobs for the young men and women in the program and employees for the building trades, which are watching their workforce age and move toward retirement without adequate younger workers available to fill those positions. A Makers Index study released in April by Stanley/Black & Decker asked high school students aged 14-19, parents of high school students, and skilled trade workers about their view of the skilled trades, and the findings revealed that young people are not seriously considering careers in trades. While 85% of young people and 94% of parents think that skilled trade work is a good quality career option in general, less than half (49%) of youth have ever considered a skilled trade career and far fewer (16%) are very likely to consider a skilled trade career. "The skilled labor shortage is one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. economy, with 650,000 open jobs in the construction industry alone," said Stanley/Black & Decker CEO Jim Loree. "This problem existed long before the pandemic but has certainly been exacerbated by it. Like Johnson, Zachya Hill, also in the pre-apprenticeship program and working at King-Lar, has had a variety of jobs he described as dead end. You feel like you're part of a team, you're a family here, Hill said. I just feel like trades is the right way to go, especially for someone who doesn't want to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for school. You're getting paid to work here and you're learning something you can give to your children. King-Lar is a plumbing, pipefitting, sheet metal, heat/ventilation/air-conditioning and roofing company, said Ryan Kreke, who oversees the three young men in the pre-apprenticeship program. These three gentlemen have spent the last four or five weeks just learning, job-shadowing, doing some of the tasks, learning what the trade's all about, Kreke said. They're kind of figuring out if this is something they can do the rest of their lives as a career. If they want to pursue it, once they finish the pre-apprenticeship, they can apply to become union apprentices, a four-year process during which they work and get paid during the day and take classes two or three evenings a week. It's such a diverse field, said Cameron Yoder of Maroa, who has been helping make ductwork during his pre-apprenticeship. I get to work on a lot of projects. Right now we're doing ductwork for Eastern Illinois University. It's all over the place. It feels good seeing your work go all around Decatur and the area. I'm learning so much. Every day, I'm learning something new. Bodine Electric has two working full time at Mueller Co., helping with the construction of a new brass foundry going up on Jasper Street, said construction manager Bill Brooks. Workforce Investment Solutions built the program to expose individuals to the construction trades, Brooks said. We think it's important to have meaningful careers, substantial careers and interest in the construction trades. Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DECATUR In principle, Decatur police and the citys NAACP Branch both say city officers were already way ahead of the curve in following best practices for building community relations and treating people fairly. But now an approach to doing policing the right way has been formally codified with Police Chief Shane Brandel signing the Ten Shared Principles agreement adopted by the Illinois NAACP State Conference and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The principles cover everything from basic human rights to covering areas like building mutual trust, operating with transparency and developing strong relationships between cops and communities of color. Brandel points to Decatur initiatives like the ALERT system created with the local NAACP branch to keep the community informed in times of rising tension, such as an officer-involved shooting. That started in 2015 to build relationships in our community so if there were events where we needed to get the proper information out, we had the mechanism to do it, said Brandel. But he said it never hurts to fly the flag and make sure the community knows and understands the principles the cops use to guide the business of protecting and serving, and the chief said he was more than happy to sign the Ten Shared Principles document. We already have performance expectations that apply these principles, and this is just a public affirmation of them, he added. That public affirmation is another step in trying to build relationships in our community. Michael Diggs, president of the NAACP Decatur Branch, agreed that his hometown police department has already made great strides to conduct itself in the way the shared principles call for. Its something the Decatur Police Department has been doing over the past few years and theyve really pushed hard for a lot of these things already, he said. I think now (with the signing) they are basically formalizing what they have actually been doing and it makes it so people can see exactly what these principles are and how much they cover. The principles are also a two-way street, requiring citizens to devote some time to being better citizens as well. Principle eight, for example, says: We believe that law enforcement and community leaders have a mutual responsibility to encourage all citizens to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the law to assist them in their interactions with law enforcement officers. And principle five says everybody has to listen to everybody else if justice is to prevail: We endorse the four pillars of procedural justice, which are fairness, voice (i.e. an opportunity for citizens and police to believe they are heard), transparency and impartiality. Principle 10, the final one, calls for de-escalation training, designed to head off violence in volatile situations, to be required to help ensure the safety of both cops and those they police. Brandel said, again, his department had already taken the lead on that one. We had actually put our entire department through de-escalation training in 2020 and that was before the time when de-escalation training was even readily available, he said. As with all these principles, weve been doing them and weve been living them. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Conservatives who want an economic policy that supports parents have long been a minority faction within the Republican Party. In 2017, when Republicans were in the process of passing a tax reform, Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah proposed that the bill cut corporate tax rates a bit less and expand the tax credit for children a bit more. The Donald Trump administration came out against the move, and most Republican senators voted it down. (Most Democrats voted no, too, because they disliked the bill overall and wanted to make it as unattractive to voters as possible.) But the tide among Republicans may be turning. Three senators Mitt Romney of Utah, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Steve Daines of Montana have just proposed a new child benefit. It would give parents $700 per month starting halfway through pregnancy, $350 per month for children aged zero to 5 and $250 a month for children ages 6 to 17. Its a new version of a Romney proposal from last year, and one that is well-timed for the expected reversal of the federal right to abortion. Like the previous version, the proposal would also reform the earned-income tax credit. Thats a subsidy to low-wage workers that encourages them to join and stay in the labor force. The proposal would change it in various ways. Most notably, recipients would no longer receive a smaller benefit if they get married. The proposal calls for paying for all these changes by eliminating the tax deduction for state and local taxes. Many taxpayers who currently claim that itemized deduction would, however, either come out ahead or at least cut their losses because they have children, even if they live in high-tax states. In addition to helping parents, the new benefit would cut child poverty rates. It would also reduce something else: the longstanding gap between the number of children that Americans say they want and the number they have. This proposal is not going to become law soon. But there are reasons to think it is going to get a better reception from Republicans than similar ideas have in the past. The first is that Romney and his staff addressed conservatives strongest objections to the previous version of the plan. Those critics worried that Romneys proposal would reduce the incentive to work among low-income people. The new plan requires that households make $10,000 in income to receive the full benefit. It also keeps the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, which includes a work requirement, instead of getting rid of it as the old one did. The new plan is pro-work as well as pro-parent and pro-marriage. The Republican Party is changing. It sees itself as a working-class party more than a party of professionals. The old orthodoxies of the party are up for grabs, including the notion that economic policy should aim first and foremost at liberating entrepreneurs and reducing the tax burden on high earners. Social conservatives have decided to get involved in policy disputes beyond the old portfolio of abortion, same-sex marriage, school prayer and school choice. Fifteen years ago, I made the case for pro-family tax reform to a group of them. The audience was polite, even enthusiastic, but afterward the groups leaders suggested they would stay in their accustomed lane. The Romney-Burr-Daines idea has the endorsement of every social-conservative organization you can think of. That includes groups that work primarily to stop abortion, such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the National Right to Life Committee. Which brings us to another development: the impending demise of Roe v. Wade, which is likely to happen in the coming days. For years, supporters of legal abortion have accused opponents of favoring life only until birth, and then doing nothing to help mothers and children afterward. Now that legislators are going to have the power to set policy on abortion, what had been a debaters point is becoming a real political and moral challenge. The new Republican bill is a partial response. Parents would be eligible for the benefit halfway through a pregnancy. And its no coincidence that co-sponsor Daines is the head of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus. Republicans may be starting to realize that a practical anti-abortion agenda has to include policies that make raising children a viable proposition for more people, and to develop an agenda that addresses the economic, and not just the moral, dimensions of family life. Not a moment too soon. Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I would like to give my support to Judge Rodney Forbes for Macon County Circuit Judge on the Republican ticket. I have personally known Judge Forbes for many years. His wife has been a very close family friend since she was a child. My late wife babysat their children while Mrs. Forbes worked as a school teacher and as Judge Forbes worked his way through law school. I always had an interest in the law and enjoyed my conversations with Judge Forbes as he was studying the law. Judge Forbes is perfectly suited for the judge position. He is very intelligent and has the right temperament needed. He has already proven in his work as an associate judge for the past five years that he does the work needed to ensure the law is followed. The Illinois State Bar Association Judicial Advisory Poll is evidence that he has done a good job. The poll is completed by local attorneys who know all of the candidates and ranked Forbes as the only qualified candidate for the position. I also believe how Judge Forbes has handled himself during this contentious campaign by standing on his experience and his ethical values speaks volumes. Judge Rodney Forbes is the clear and only choice for Macon County Circuit Judge. Larry Solomon, Cerro Gordo Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Judge Mike McHaney for 5th District Appellate Court Following the 2020 census the Illinois legislature gerrymandered the congressional and legislative districts in Illinois. They also gerrymandered the Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court districts for the first time since 1964. Now Champaign, Vermillion, Piatt, Macon, Moultrie, Douglas, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar and Clark Counties, formerly in the 4th Appellate District, which meets in Springfield, are now in the 5th Appellate District, which meets in Mount Vernon. One of my classmates from the SIU Law School, Class of 1982 Judge Mike McHaney from Clay County is running for the 5th District Appellate Court. Mike has been a Judge since 2006, starting as an associate judge before being elected circuit judge. For three years he served as chief judge of the 4th Judicial Circuit. Judge McHaney has a conservative, originalist judicial philosophy he rules according to the law and not according to politics. When State Senator Darren Bailey sued Governor J. B. Pritzker in 2020 over the extension of the governors stay at home orders in Illinois, that case went before Judge Mike McHaney, who ruled the governor had no authority under the law to extend the stay-at-home orders. I would respectfully request that you consider a vote for Judge Mike McHaney in the Republican primary on June 28. For more information got to McHaney 2022.com J.R. Deuel, Champaign Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Thunderstorms likely, especially this evening. Low 72F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely, especially this evening. Low 72F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. New Peoples Bank says mobile banking is now available for its customers as the regional bank continues its efforts to recover from what they have termed a network incident that occurred last week. The bank has, so far, provided limited details regarding what exactly happened last Wednesday when all of its banking services temporarily became unavailable. On Tuesday morning, the bank posted to Facebook that restoration efforts were ongoing and that all transactions, except for ATM and debit card transactions from June 15-17 were processed. They later shared that transactions from June 15 to the current were being posted Tuesday afternoon. According to the banks post, account balances are viewable at their ATMs or through mobile banking. We are working around the clock alongside third-party technical experts to address and investigate this incident as well as resolve service interruptions, the bank stated in a Systems Update and FAQs document addressing the matter. Our advisors have informed us that efforts of this nature take time; however, we continue to make progress. According to the document, New Peoples Bank is unable to execute fund transfers, although its ATMs are operable. New Peoples branches are open for drive-thru services for limited transactions like withdrawals, deposits, check cashing and loan payments. If customers need in-person support, they are encouraged to contact their local branch office. The service disruption, prompted by what the bank called a technological issue, also temporarily disabled the banks phone services, although they say phone lines at most branch locations have been restored. Additionally, the banks corporate emails were disabled. According to the banks latest update as of Tuesday evening, scheduled bill pay items will post and be paid, and written checks are being paid. New Peoples Bank did not return the Herald Couriers calls for additional details Tuesday afternoon. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Trend Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 3,058 over the past day to 18,406,485, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Wednesday, Trend reports with reference to TASS. As many as 1,282 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 14.6% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 28 regions, while in 47 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in ten regions. A day earlier, 1,501 people were rushed to hospitals. Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 256 over the past day versus 146 cases a day earlier, reaching 2,775,497, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 225 over the past day versus 214 a day earlier, reaching 1,534,624. Museum officials unveiled the famous guitar of Bristol Session artist and the Father of Country Music Jimmie Rodgers on Tuesday morning. Known as the Blue Yodel, the custom Martin 000-45 guitar is easily recognizable with the name Jimmie Rodgers in pearl inlay on the neck and the word Thanks engraved in large capital letters on the back. Although the guitar was not with Rodgers during the 1927 Bristol Sessions, it is one of the guitars most commonly associated with the artist. Few guitars that were owned by Jimmie Rodgers have been authenticated, Rene Rodgers, head curator of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, said. He was known for buying them and selling them regularly when dealing with financial hardships, but this is one he performed with regularly and kept throughout his career. The guitar was given to Rodgers in 1928 by the companys founder, C. Frederick Martin. Premier Guitar magazine has listed the Blue Yodel guitar as the most important guitar in American music history, Rogers said. After the unveiling, Rodgers talked about how the guitar made its way to the museum. She said the Blue Yodel has been on display at the Jimmie Rodgers Museum in Meridian Museum for some time. Its been our dream to be able to have this one on display at some point at the museum, Rodgers said explaining the museum reached out to all the family members in preparation for the 95th anniversary of the Bristol Sessions asking if they would be willing to contribute anything for a display. The Jimmie Rodgers family got in touch with us in the spring. It was a wonderful surprise, Rodgers said. We didnt realize this was a possibility, but they were very kind and generous enough to facilitate that with the museum down in Meridian and bring it up to us. The guitar was originally intended to display Rodgers nickname of the Blue Yodeler, but there was not room for the last two letters, so the instrument took on the name. This is the one (guitar) that he regularly performed with, Rodgers said. Rodgers explained the reason the guitar was engraved with large letters on the back spelling out, THANKS. He would flip it over so it would say thanks to his audience when he was done, Rodgers said. A handwritten note to Rodgers from guitar maker C.F. Martin can still be seen through the sound hole of the instrument. After Rodgers died, his widow loaned the guitar to Ernest Tubbs who played it for more than 40 years before the guitar was put on in Mississippi. The guitar will be on display on the second floor of the 24,000-square-foot museum on the corner of Moore and Cumberland streets until March 2023. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The three remaining commissioners of a Bristol, Tennessee water district will have to wait even longer to see if theyll be removed from their positions. A contested case hearing for the South Fork Utility District (SFUD) was scheduled to be held in front of the states Utility Management Review Board (UMRB) in Nashville Thursday, July 14, but has been postponed due to a health issue involving a Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (COT) staff member. A new date has not been set for the proceedings, which will serve as the formal process of potentially removing South Forks commissioners. The hearing will also be held in front of an administrative law judge; however, the UMRB will rule on whether or not SFUDs commissioners will be removed after hearing testimony. UMRB staff supports the removals. The removal of South Forks board members is being sought after an investigative report published by the COT April 7 found that the district and its previous two entities paid their district manager, or companies in which he had ownership interest, more than $1.6 million in questionable payments from May 2018 to June 2021. The report also outlined potential conflict of interest violations as well as internal control and compliance deficiencies like a lack of purchasing and personnel policies. Two South Fork commissioners subsequently resigned from the board. In April, the UMRB ordered the district to conduct a rate study for current operations and feasibility studies into potential mergers with neighboring districts by December, if they would not voluntarily merge with another district. At this months board meeting, South Fork commissioners agreed to sign an engagement letter for a feasibility study. A rate study was already underway. UMRB staff members have said they are not confident that SFUD remaining a sole entity is in the best interest of its roughly 3,400 customers. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched a new campaign on Tuesday to get everything he wanted but didn't get in the new state budget he just signed. In a campaign-style event at a produce market in western Henrico County Youngkin ceremonially signed the first budget of his term as governor, although the real budget bills for the current fiscal year and two-year spending cycle that begins on July 1 haven't yet landed on his desk. The Republican governor signaled a "day two" agenda to get the political concessions he sought on "day one," especially temporary relief from the state gas tax. He pointedly blamed Senate Democrats for rejecting the temporary gas tax relief three times, including twice in a special legislative session that produced a $165 billion two-year budget that includes $4 billion in tax cuts he had sought. "Oh, by the way, it's not everything I wanted, so we are going back in January to get the rest!" he said in a budget-signing rally at Tom Leonard Farmer's Market in Short Pump, where he had filmed political commercials during his successful campaign for governor last fall. "Virginians deserve a better answer from Senate Democrats than 'no,' " he said. Youngkin was working the Tom Leonard's cash register for the cameras on Tuesday, but the governor and his staff were coy about how the commercial film footage would be used for a political outsider who has drawn national attention for defeating former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a state that Democrats had declared blue. He asserted that "the movement" his campaign had sparked is reaching beyond Virginia, especially on the signature issue of parents regaining control of what their children are taught in public schools and whether they must wear face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19. "We are reminding the country every day - every single day - that parents matter," he said to a supportive audience that crowded the aisles of the produce market, which closed temporarily for the event. Youngkin chose the market during his campaign last year for an anti-tax message that focused on the sales tax on groceries. The General Assembly agreed to reduce the tax from 2.5% to 1%, leaving only the portion of the tax that goes directly to local governments for their budgets. In this appearance, he touted what he called the largest package of tax cuts in state history - four times the $1 billion trimmed in 2019 in response to the federal tax reforms enacted under then-President Donald Trump. The package includes a one-time rebate of $250 to individual taxpayers and $500 for families. Youngkin also celebrated a record investment in public education, including a pair of 5% raises for teachers, while emphasizing his push to create laboratory schools to deliver K-12 education outside of traditional public schools. He made clear that he thinks the $100 million in the new budget for laboratory schools is not enough. He did win a concession from the assembly last week to allow private colleges and universities to partner with local school divisions to create lab schools, not just public institutions with education schools. "A hundred million I think is not sufficient, so we'll go back and ask for more," Youngkin said during a news conference after the event. Health commissioner The governor again expressed disappointment in Virginia Health Commissioner Colin Greene for failing to publicly communicating the Youngkin administration's commitment to ending racial disparities in access to health care services, especially for pregnant mothers. "It has been an issue that makes me angry and continues to make me angry," he said in response to a recent story in the Washington Post in which the health commissioner was dismissive of concerns over racial inequities in health care. "This has been a topic at the head of our agenda." "We're going to go to work to close the gap because it is not right," the governor said Youngkin said he "has not made a decision" about whether to keep Greene as commissioner, but said he would give him another chance to better execute and communicate the governor's health care agenda. "He's got to prove that he can get that done." #4827 RE: CD / 23-06-2022 19:21 Jean Michel Jarre-2002 Sessions 2000 Digipack 1-st Press France by MPO @@ 01 , . : Electro, Future Jazz, Experimental-- - . 20 , , - , , - , , , . . - , ...Jean Michel Jarre-2002 Sessions 2000 Digipack 1-st Press France by MPO @@ 01 , .: Electro, Future Jazz, Experimental-- - . 20 , , - , , - , , , . . " " This 1876 map describes the "12 varieties of men" from Lemuria Library of Congress/Wikipedia The mythical lost island of Atlantis isn't the only once-great civilization to have allegedly sunk beneath the waves. In the 19th century, serious scientists entertained the idea that a "lost continent" must have once existed in the Indian Ocean. The sunken continent was called Lemuria, and what started as a strait-laced scientific theory ended up attracting all sorts of "true believers," from Victorian occultists to Indian nationalists. Advertisement The Lost Land of the Lemurs The story of Lemuria begins with a British zoologist named Philip Sclater who wrote an essay in 1864 called "The Mammals of Madagascar." In it, Sclater wondered how Madagascar, an island off the eastern coast of Africa, could be home to dozens of species of lemurs small, cat-like primates while the entire continents of Africa and India had what Sclater believed to be only a few species of lemurs. (In fact, Africa and India had no true lemurs at all, but Sclater grouped some other big-eyed primates as lemurs, including loris and galagos.) This was long before plate tectonics and "continental drift" were household words plate tectonics didn't gain traction until the 1920s so Sclater's best guess was that lemurs originated on Madagascar and migrated to Africa and India over a vast land bridge the size of a "great continent." "I should propose the name Lemuria!" wrote Sclater, naming the hypothetical continent after his furry friends. During the Victorian Era, land bridges were "popping up everywhere," says Sumathi Ramaswamy, a history professor at Duke University and author of "The Lost Land of Lemuria: Fabulous Geographies, Catastrophic Histories." "Geologists, geographers and biologists were trying to account for similarities in rock formations, and similarities in all manner of flora and fauna [around the world], by arguing that there used to be these kinds of land bridges or sunken continents." Advertisement Lemuria as the Birthplace of Mankind Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species" in 1859 and for those who accepted his controversial theory of "natural selection," there was one burning question: Where and when did the human race first emerge? In a popular book titled "History of Creation," an influential German biologist named Ernst Haeckel peddled his own theories of evolution, naming Sclater's lost continent of Lemuria as the likely cradle of humanity. According to Haeckel, there were "12 varieties of men," and the first humans to evolve from ancient primates did so on Lemuria and spread from there around the globe. "The probable primeval home or 'Paradise' is here assumed to be Lemuria," wrote Haeckel in 1870, "a tropical continent at present lying below the level of the Indian Ocean, the former existence of which in the tertiary period seems very probable from numerous facts in animal and vegetable geography." Darwin, it should be noted, wasn't exactly a fan of land bridges and sunken continents. He once wrote a letter to Charles Lyell, a prominent geologist who promoted the idea that continents routinely sunk and resurfaced, saying, "If there be a lower region for the punishment of geologists, I believe, my great master, you will go there." " " British zoologist Philip Sclater named Lemuria after the lemur. Justin Lo/Getty Images Advertisement How Lemuria Became Part of Spiritualism Something that fascinates Ramaswamy about Lemuria was how this theoretical lost continent entered the popular imagination of the late 19th century and began to take on a life of its own. "What happens when scientific knowledge leaves the realm of science and disseminates into broader society?" says Ramaswamy. "How is that knowledge taken up and reworked?" Sclater, the geologist, probably never imagined that his hypothetical land of the lemurs would be adopted by Helena Blavatsky, a 19th-century Russian occultist and co-founder of the Theosophical Society. Theosophists believe that neither science nor religion have captured the full truth about the origins of Earth and mankind, but through psychic gifts, people like Blavatsky can access lost wisdom. In her 1888 book, "The Secret Doctrine," Blavatsky explained that modern humans are the latest in an ancient evolutionary line of seven "root races." Lemuria, said Blavatsky, was the home of the "third root race," gigantic humans who were once hermaphroditic and laid eggs, before eventually evolving distinct sexual organs. Oh, and dinosaurs lived there, too. From there, says Ramaswamy, Lemuria got wrapped up in new-agey ideas of lost civilizations (another one is called Mu) where highly evolved spiritual beings once lived in peace and harmony. Those ideas persist today. "When you Google the word Lemuria, the majority of the hits are New Age sites talking about writing retreats and meditation centers," says Ramaswamy. For $25, you can even buy a Lemurian quartz crystal for "removing all types of energy blockages." Advertisement Lemuria and Tamil Nationalism The legend of Lemuria takes one last unexpected twist. Back when India was a British colony, British ethnologists became fascinated with trying to trace the ancestry of India's diverse racial and ethnic groups, especially the Dravidian-speaking peoples of Southern India. One 19th-century theory was that Dravidians, an ancient language family that includes Tamil, first emerged from Lemuria. "The Tamil people picked up on the colonial speculation that the Dravidians came from Lemuria, and they combined it with ancestral Tamil myths about Kumari Kandam, a lost Tamil civilization that used to exist in the Indian Ocean," says Ramaswamy. "This fed into Tamil nationalism, in which Tamils see their language as the most ancient, and Tamils are the oldest and most civilized people on Earth." Even today, many ethnic Tamils talk about Lemuria as a "Wakanda"-like lost civilization on a vast continent that now sits at the bottom of the sea. Ramaswamy says that Lemuria provides a way for a colonized people to look back with nostalgia for a time when they were "the biggest and greatest civilization on Earth." Now That's Cool The existence of Lemuria has been dismissed by scientists ever since plate tectonics explained the movement of the continents that now form Africa, India and Asia. But recent evidence from the island of Mauritius points to the possibility of an ancient "lost" continental rock bed in the Indian Ocean. Secretary Vilsack wants consensus ; the dairy industry will have a chance to create consensus. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is planning a gathering for farmers and industry leaders to discuss desired changes to the federal milk marketing systems and work on a plan that could be presented to USDA, shared AFBF chief Economist Roger Cryan on the June 15 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream. Although the hotel contract and other details are still being finalized, he said it will take place in mid-October in the central part of the country. Our aim is to put the farmers vision out there for everybody to see and to build consensus around that as much as we can, Cryan said. The federal order conversation is an ongoing one that includes voices from the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), and many others. Cryan said he expects that those groups will be involved as well as dairy farmers. The need for consensus, as Vilsack shared, will help cut through the variety of opinions about necessary edits to a system that saw tremendous upheaval during the volatile times of the pandemic and has not been updated in two decades. The dairy industry differs greatly around the country, and producers and processors in those areas have varied ideas about what would work best. However, there is certainly momentum and optimism that an agreement can be developed. Were taking the secretarys ask very seriously, realizing if we dont work together, we probably wont get anything done, said Mike Brown, who is the dairy supply chain director for grocery giant Kroger. And I think we all would agree that adjustments need to be made. Brown also chairs the Economic Policy Committee for IDFA, and he noted that the collaboration between organizations on this topic is very encouraging. The collaborative talking has been a huge help, probably the best its ever been across groups, he shared. We as an industry have our work cut out for us, Brown added, in developing frameworks that can help all dairy producers move forward successfully. But the right steps are being taken, and as we continue to come together, improvement will be possible. To watch the recording of the June 15 DairyLivestream, go to the link above. The program recording is also available as an audio-only podcast on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and downloadable from the Hoards Dairyman website. Register to continue receiving updates The next broadcast of DairyLivestream will be on Wednesday, July 20 at 11 a.m. (Central time). As of January 2022, we moved to a new system. If you have not yet, you will need to re-register to continue receiving email updates and links to the webcasts. You can sign up here now. Registering once will sign you up you for all future events. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2022 June 16, 2022 A federal program that gave students free breakfast and lunch at school will expire next week, and a North Carolina congresswoman is warning her peers millions of children will go hungry if they fail to act. U.S. Rep. Alma Adams told members of the U.S. House last week that communities across the country will experience a hunger crisis in schools and pleaded with leadership to bring a bill to the floor extending the federal program that ends June 30. Even as the pandemic continues and food prices are on the rise, these waivers are set to expire, she said during a special order hour held last week on the House floor. As a 40-year educator, I know hunger has been a crisis in our schools and our communities since long before the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Agricultures universally free school meals, which were provided to K-12 students, including in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, arose out of pandemic-era waivers that allowed all students to get school breakfast and lunch at no cost regardless of their familys income. The program began in March 2020. School nutrition advocates have urged Congress for an extension in the federal 2022 spending bill. In letters dated June 10 to federal lawmakers, State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis and the Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the waivers need to be extended for another year to ensure children have access to nutritious school meals, to support program sustainability and to prevent substantial financial losses for schools in our state. Free breakfast, but not necessarily free lunch In 2019, 92,010 students statewide participated in the Summer Food Service Program, an initiative that ensures children from low-income families are provided free meals and snacks during the summer. Adams said almost 100,000 students needed help from their schools so they didnt go hungry and emphasized the numbers were amassed pre-pandemic. In Charlotte, Adams said, the hunger crisis led at least 24 elementary, middle, and high schools in CMS to open food pantries to be able to serve students in need during breaks and during summer vacation. Now, without an extension of the COVID-prompted program, school meal programs will return to pre-pandemic procedures for the 2022-23 school year, which means free breakfast continues. Lunch may not. CMS already has announced it will not raise the prices of lunch. For pre-K students, the lunch meal price is $2.50; K-8 students pay $2.75 and 9-12 students pay $3. The reduced price lunch meal is 40 cents. Cassie Fambro, a media relations specialist for CMS, previously told the Observer breakfast will continue to be provided in all of the districts schools at no charge for the 2022-23 school year. For each of CMS summer camps and programs, free breakfast and lunch also will be provided. CMS also has 68 schools that fall into the community eligibility provision, an option for schools and districts in low-income areas. The program allows schools to serve meals at no charge to all enrolled students, and families do not have to fill out an application. Approximately 114 of our districts schools are not eligible for that provision, meaning that access to summer nutrition will become a patchwork, and when students return at the end of summer, fewer students will get the meals they need, Adams said. Our choice is clear: we can choose to act, or we can let millions of children go hungry. Politico reported in March that Congress was expected to extend the waivers for another year until Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans opposed the extension, making passage of a bill now an uphill battle. Sam Spencer, the communications director for Adams office, said extending the waivers has bipartisan support among North Carolina leaders, including Davis, who is unaffiliated, and Truitt, who is Republican. In their letters sent to Republican Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, Davis and Truitt wrote: Rising costs, coupled with the fractured K-12 food supply chain, are posing challenges that may be difficult for local districts to overcome next school year. They said food costs in North Carolinas school nutrition programs have risen by 25% to 40% over the past 18 to 24 months, and costs of frequently used food preparation supplies have doubled. Recent surges in fuel prices have not only contributed to the rising cost of food, they also have increased delivery costs to more than double,and sometimes triple, the cost of deliveries, Davis and Truitt wrote. Families urged to apply School leaders continue to push families to make sure they fill out paperwork to help with meals. Students attending some CMS schools will have to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch through direct certification, which could include families receiving food stamps, students who are homeless or foster children. Students can also receive free meals from an approved free or reduced-price meal benefit application. Applications will be available online or on paper beginning Aug. 1. Ann Street United Methodist Church335 Ann St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Randy L. Wall. In-person and Facebook Live worship 11 a.m. at Ann Street Church. Sermon: Over the Rainbow. Scripture: Genesis 9:1-16. Bethpage United Methodist Church 109 Fellowship Ave. at West C St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Gary MacDonald. Christian education at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. As an act of caring for yourselves and others, you may choose to wear a mask during indoor worship. However, at this time, mask wearing is not required. Bogers Chapel United Methodist Church1775 Flowes Store Road E., Concord. Pastor: Pastor Eric Shaver. Adult Bible study at 9 a.m. Worship in-person or Facebook at 10 a.m. Childrens reading: I Love God by unknown author. Opening Scripture: Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20. Video: https://www.youtube.com/wathc?v=GpvDPOhhuuU. Sermon: The Who, What, and Why of being a Christian. Scripture Galatians 5:1, 13-25. Calvary Lutheran Church950 Bradley St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Debbie Frye. In-person worship at 8:30 a.m. (casual worship) and 11 a.m. (traditional worship). Masking optional. Childrens area and nursery available. All services livestreamed and available anytime on the Calvary Lutheran YouTube channel access easily through our website http://www.clconcord.org. Also on Sundays, 10 a.m. Sunday school. All are welcome. Center United Methodist Church1119 Union St. S., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Tony Allen. Sunday school for in betweens and young adults at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. Nursery is provided during the worship service. Masks are optional. Website is www.centerumcconcord.org. Look forward to you joining us for our service! Sermon: Following Jesus. Scripture: Luke 9:51-62. Crossroads Church220 George W. Liles Parkway, Concord. Pastor: Lowell McNaney. Live worship streamed on Facebook, Crossroads Concord Church app or mycrossroads.co website at 9:30 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. Crown Pointe Baptist Church703 Tennessee St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Doug Crawley. Sunday school at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary, or view online at our Facebook page. Sermon series: God Stories. Sermon: Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch: The Case of the Hitch-Hiking Deacon. Scripture: Acts 8:26-40. Eastside Missionary Baptist Church199 Elgin Drive, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Stephen Burrow. In-person services: Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Worship services 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Recorded worship services and other information at EastsideMissionaryBaptist.org. You will be welcomed. Practice social distancing. Epworth United Methodist Church1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Bill Roberts. Guest speaker: Chris Hughes. Church has reopened its 10 a.m. worship service for attendance. Epworth UMC continues to follow the appropriate COVID-19 social distancing guidelines as outlined by the N.C. governor and the CDC. We welcome you to join us in worship! Sermon: Wash and Be Clean. Scripture: II Kings 5:1-14. Forest Hill United Methodist Church265 Union St. N., Concord. Senior Pastor: Rev. Mandy Jones. Associate Pastor: Rev. Wes Judy. We are open for in-person worship. Contemporary worship, 9 a.m. Sunday school/small groups10 a.m. Traditional worship11 a.m. Both the contemporary and the traditional worship services will also be livestreamed at foresthillumc.org or facebook.com/foresthillumc, in case you dont feel like being here in person. Harmony United Methodist Church101 White St., NW, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Thad Brown. Please join us for Sunday school at 10 a.m. followed by our worship service in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. Sermon: Revelation: A Book of Promise; Jesus Will Return. Scripture: Revelation 1:3, 22:7, 22:16, 1:1-3. 1:5c-8. We welcome all to join us in worship! Service is live on Facebook.com/HarmonyUnitedMethodistChurch. We welcome all who are unable to join us in person to worship with us online. For more information, you can call the pastors phone 704-791-2883 or the churchs phone 704-782-8237. Jackson Park United Methodist Church715 Mable Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor Laurie Knoespel. Guest speaker: Larry Farmer. Adult Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Worship at 10:30 a.m. Nursery will be provided during worship service. Kirkwood Presbyterian Church900 Klondale Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Dennis B. Craft. Worship at 11 a.m. in church sanctuary on Sundays. No mask restrictions. Sermon: The Need for Grace. McGill Baptist Church5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, in-person services. Pastor: Rev. Steve Ayers. If you have not taken the COVID-19 vaccine, please wear a mask. McGill will stream a worship service Sunday at 10 a.m. on www.facebook.com/mcgillbaptistchurch/ and on YouTube. The services will be live and also available on recording afterwards. Sermon: Following Jesus. Scripture: Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62. Midway United Methodist Church108 Bethpage Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Craig Allen. Come join us on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:30 a.m. for worship. Our service is also livestreamed on the web at midwayunitedmethodistchurch.org or facebook.com/midwayUMC. Sermon: Sometimes, One Verse Says It All. Scripture: Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62. Suggested Hymns: UMH 159, Lift High the Cross; TFWS 2130, The Summons. Mt. Mitchell United Methodist Church6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Joel Locklear. Sunday school at 10 a.m. (adult and children classes.) Worship at 11 a.m. in person or Facebook. Masks are optional and social distance. If you have not taken the COVID vaccine, wear a mask. Sermon: Are We Willing To Pay The Cost. Scripture: Luke 9:51-62. Multiply Church Concord150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Douglas Witherup. 8:30 a.m. service held at 280 Concord Parkway S., Suite 15, Concord. Services at 150 Warren C Coleman Blvd. N., are worship and sermon at 9:30 a.m. and worship and sermon at 11:15 a.m. New Gilead Reformed Church2400 Old Salisbury-Concord Road. 9:40 a.m. Bible study. Childrens Bible school at 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Inside worship, Facebook worship, drive-in worship at 1600 AM radio. Oak Grove Baptist Church200 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. Pastor: Rev. Franklin D. Watkins. 10 a.m. in-person worship service and Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Youth message by Min. Brehon Williams. Second Presbyterian Church1578 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. Guest Speaker: Dulce Castillo. Pastor Sue Black, Minister. Rev. Aaron Price. Worship 11 a.m. in Sanctuary and on Facebook Live. Sermon: The Righteous Anger of Christ. Scripture: John 2:13-16; Matthew 17:14-17. St. Johns Reformed Church901 N. Main St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Chris King. 9:30 a.m.Sunday school for all ages. 10:30 a.m.Worship service (in-person or online at www.ourstjohns.org). 4 p.m.Adult Bible study. Sermon: Treasures and Trust. Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34. Information for sermon topics must be submitted by 10 a.m. Wednesday. Email your topic to jstamey@independenttribune.com American Idol winner and North Carolina native Scotty McCreerys family is expanding. McCreery and his wife, Gabi, are expecting a new addition to their family in November. The couple are having a baby boy, as first reported by People magazine Tuesday morning. They took to Instagram to announce the exciting news with photos of the ultrasound and their yellow lab dog, Moose, a puppy they adopted two years ago. McCreery, 28, is a native of Garner and the 2011 winner of American Idol. He and his wife married in 2018 at the Twickenham House & Hall in Jefferson. The couple now lives in Raleigh. Gabi McCreery has a background in pediatric nursing, according to People. The couple told the magazine they always planned to have children. They were surprised they were having a boy, McCreery told People. McCreery, who attended N.C. State University, is the only boy on both sides of his family. McCreerys latest single Damn Strait climbed the charts to No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay and No. 6 on the Hot Country Songs. He has released five studio albums with his latest, Same Truck, released in 2021. Two of the albums songs are inspired by Gabi, Why You Gotta Be Like That, and You Time, The News & Observer previously reported. Un terremoto di magnitudo 5.9 ha colpito ieri sera il sud-est dell'Afghanistan: la scossa, secondo l'Istituto geofisico statunitense (USGS), e stata registrata a 44 km a sudovest di Khost, vicino al confine con il Pakistan. La zona dove e avvenuto il terremoto. - Grafica Euronews L'ipocentro e stato localizzato ad una profondita di 10 km. Secondo l'agenzia di stampa afghana Bakhtar, ci sono almeno 250 morti nella provincia di Paktika, nella zona frontaliera - prevalentemente rurale - con il Pakistan. Un funzionario del governo locale ha dichiarato che i feriti sono oltre 150. Si temono molte vittime anche sul versante pachistano. Il totale, secondo alcune fonti, e gia oltre i 1.000 morti. I soccorritori, arrivati con gli elicotteri, sono al lavoro per salvare i superstiti. L'agenzia sismologica europea (EMSC) ha dichiarato che le scosse del terremoto sono state avvertite per oltre 500 chilometri da 119 milioni di persone in Afghanistan, Pakistan e India. Il Direttore generale dell'agenzia di stampa afghana, Abdul Wahid Rayan, ha scritto su Twitter che 90 case sono state distrutte a Paktika e si ritiene che decine di persone siano rimaste intrappolate sotto le macerie. Le riprese-video dalla provincia di Paktika mostrano le vittime trasportate in elicottero per essere portate via dall'area del cratere. Le immagini diffuse in rete mostrano case di pietra distrutte, con i residenti che raccolgono mattoni di argilla e altre macerie. "Un forte terremoto ha scosso quattro distretti della provincia di Paktika, uccidendo e ferendo centinaia di nostri connazionali e distruggendo decine di case. Esortiamo tutte le agenzie di soccorso a inviare immediatamente squadre nell'area per prevenire ulteriori catastrofi". Anche nella vicina provincia di Khost, le autorita ritengono che ci siano decine di feriti e morti a causa del terremoto. Il Dipartimento meteorologico del Pakistan ha stimato il terremoto di magnitudo 6,1. Le scosse sono state avvertite nella capitale pachistana, Islamabad, e in altre zone della provincia orientale del Punjab. In alcune aree remote del Pakistan sono stati segnalati danni alle abitazioni vicino al confine con l'Afghanistan, ma non e stato subito chiaro se cio fosse dovuto alla pioggia di questi giorni o al terremoto, ha dichiarato Taimoor Khan, un portavoce della gestione dei disastri nell'area. Il primo ministro pakistano Shahbaz Sharif, in una dichiarazione, ha espresso le sue condoglianze per il terremoto, affermando che il suo Paese fornira aiuto al popolo afghano. L'Afghanistan, regione montuosa, e la piu ampia regione dell'Asia meridionale lungo le montagne dell'Hindu Kush, dove la placca tettonica indiana si scontra con quella eurasiatica a nord e, gia da tempo, e vulnerabile a terremoti devastanti. By Trend Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. According to the statement made by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, bilateral relations, regional issues including the events in Ukraine and cooperation in the defense industry were discussed between the leaders. During the call, Erdogan stated that there must be a solution for the safe transportation of grain from Ukraine. Later, Erdogan and the Estonian prime minister discussed bilateral relations, the ongoing events in Ukraine, and regional issues during a telephone call Tuesday. Erdogan told Kaja Kallas that Turkey encourages Ukraine and Russia to return to the negotiating table and initiatives are underway to decrease the negative humanitarian aspects. The Turkish president stressed that Turkey and the United Nations are making joint efforts for the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, which would be effective to prevent a global food crisis. ChenMed LLC, a primary-care provider specializing in senior adult care, confirmed plans Tuesday to open two clinics in Winston-Salem and five overall in the Triad. ChenMed, based in Miami, said it serves adults ages 55 and older with a particular focus on those who participate in the Medicare Advantage insurance plan and reside in poor or underserved communities. The Winston-Salem facilities will be at 3409 Thomasville Road, which is projected to debut by July 25, and 3415-3601 N. Patterson Ave, Suites 26 & 27, which is projected to open in September. The Thomasville Road site contains an 8,000-square-foot building that had Family Dollar as a tenant. The North Patterson site is in Northside Shopping Center. ChenMed offers concierge-style medical services to many of the most health-vulnerable, low-income and underserved patients, said E.W. Tibbs, the companys regional vice president for dedicated medical centers in the Carolinas and Georgia. Each facility is expected to have up to 30 employees, including one or two primary-care physicians, along with a team of three or four caregivers. Specialists are available to patients. The primary-care physician can range from a doctor recently out of their residency to someone with decades of experience, Tibbs said. He said most of the Thomasville clinics care team has been hired. The clinics are part of an overall market entrance in North Carolina that also includes opening facilities in Burlington (at 378 Harden St. by Oct. 3), Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro (2703 W. Gate City Blvd., Suite J. in first quarter of 2023) and High Point (143 N. Greensboro Road, Suite 131, in October). We select markets to enter based on need, Tibbs said. We tend to attract the forgotten, or feel forgotten, and the underserved. We use advance analytics that showed us that the Triad demonstrated that need. ChenMed said its healthcare business model includes seeing patients at least once monthly. It allows no more than 450 patients per physician, compared with what Tibbs said is the 1,000 to 2,000 average for a primary-care physician operating on a fee-for-service model. Tibbs said each practice is expected to take 12 to 18 months to reach the maximum number of patients per physician. Some senior adults, if they have had access to healthcare, it hasnt been a consistent basis with the quality of care we provide, Tibbs said. We believe we have shown we can make a positive impact on their healthcare and their lives by offering a very-personalized, high-touch, high-frequency, relationship-based experience. We will see them every day if needed. That model focuses on prevention that has proven successful in reducing serious illness and hospital admissions. Tibbs said its clinics typically gain patients by referral from Medicare Advantage insurers in each market, as well as from marketing campaigns that are underway in person and online. Were not here to compete with the major healthcare systems in the Triad, but to complement what they offer, Tibbs said. The insurance companies have recognized that we can help to reduce their costs while increasing patient satisfaction. In April, ChenMed received three $300,000 grants from the the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority toward reuse of existing buildings in Burlington, Greensboro and High Point. The Greensboro grant supports the reuse of an 8,200-square-foot building. That project is expected to create 30 jobs with a capital investment of $1.04 million. The High Point grant supports the reuse of a 13,219-square-foot building. That project is expected to create 30 jobs with a capital investment of $1.68 million. The Burlington grant supports the reuse of a vacant, 10,000-square-foot building at 378 Harden St. That project is expected to create 30 jobs with a capital investment of $1.25 million. ChenMed said it has more than 4,700 employees serving patients in nearly 100 centers in 12 states. ChenMed is particularly interested in hiring separating military-service members, veterans and military spouses for its open positions. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Eight Triad and Northwest North Carolina communities have been selected for Main Street America honors for 2022, the N.C. Commerce Department said Monday. The communities are Asheboro, Boone, Burlington, Eden, Elkin, Lexington, Mount Airy and Reidsville. Selection signifies that the communities achieved accreditation status in the economic revitalization program during 2021. To be considered for accreditation, communities have to demonstrate a commitment to comprehensive commercial district revitalization, a proven track record of successfully developing an asset-based economic development strategy, and implementation through the Main Street Four-Point Approach. North Carolinas economy depends on the thriving downtowns that support the overall vitality of their Main Street communities, state Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in a statement. This achievement is the result of the diligent work of these programs that help fuel prosperity across the entire state. Evaluation criteria determine the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as: fostering strong public-private partnerships; documenting programmatic progress; and actively preserving historic buildings. Each designated community is evaluated annually by the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet national performance standards. Those standards include: fostering strong public-private partnerships; supporting small and locally owned businesses; and actively preserving historic places, spaces and cultural assets. Main Street America is the leading voice for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the country. In 2021, Main Street America programs generated nationally $5.76 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,601 net new businesses, generated 30,402 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,427,729 volunteer hours. According to the program, on average for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support its operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Food and Drug Administration formally rolled out Tuesday its proposal to reduce nicotine content in traditional cigarettes to minimal and potentially non-addictive levels by as early as May 2023. Nicotine is powerfully addictive, FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement. Making cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products minimally addictive or non-addictive would help save lives. However, the proposal is expected to draw legal challenges from tobacco manufacturers that could take several years to address, similar to projections about the FDAs recent strategy to prohibit or severely limit menthol flavoring in traditional cigarettes. Barclays analyst Jain Gaurav has said that any rulemaking process could take two years. Potential litigation from the industry could lead to another two years of delay, and implementation at retail may add another year. The FDA notice posted to the federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs website included a brief synopsis and justification for the proposal regulation. After noting that more than 480,000 Americans die prematurely from a smoking-attributed disease, nearly all these adverse health effects are ultimately the result of addiction to the nicotine in combusted tobacco products. This proposed rule is a tobacco product standard that would establish a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and certain finished tobacco products. FDA would take this action to reduce addictiveness to certain tobacco products, thus giving addicted users a greater ability to quit. This product standard would also help to prevent experimenters (mainly youth) from initiating regular use, and, therefore, from becoming regular smokers. 22nd Century angle In December, the FDA approved the designation of the VLN King and VLN Menthol King brands of 22nd Century Group Inc. as modified-risk options to traditional cigarettes. It is conducting a test market for the brands in the Chicagoland area. 22nd Century has its manufacturing plant in Mocksville with 56 employees. If very-low-nicotine traditional cigarettes prove attractive to tobacco consumers, the end result could be 22nd Century having a sharp increase in revenue and a potential buyout by a global tobacco manufacturer. The FDA has placed limitations on how the two brands can be marketed. It allows 22nd Century to make the following claims: 95% less nicotine than most traditional cigarettes; helps reduce your nicotine consumption; and greatly reduces your nicotine consumption. When using any of the reduced exposure claims in the product label, labeling or advertising, the company must include helps you smoke less, according to the FDA news release. The FDA also recommends that the labeling and advertising include the statement: Nicotine is addictive. Less nicotine does NOT mean safer. All cigarettes can cause disease and death. Its a controversial authorization for the FDA, given a modified-risk tobacco product designation allows for the advertising of products as reduced harm or reduced risk compared with traditional cigarettes. 22nd Century can now market the two products as having the capability to help reduce exposure to and consumption of nicotine for smokers who use them products that the company touts that smokes, tastes and smells like a conventional cigarette. James Mish, the companys chief executive, said in December that the authorization places the FDA and 22nd Century together at the vanguard of transforming the tobacco industry. With 60% of adult smokers in our U.S. market research telling us they are likely to try VLN, this is a complete game-changer for 22nd Century, the tobacco industry, public health and adult smokers looking to change their relationship with nicotine the addictive chemical found in all tobacco products, Mish said. Controversial The FDA proposal on nicotine level is controversial in part because the burning of tobacco leaves is the cause of most carcinogens associated with traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, while addictive and potentially harmful to the brain, heart and lungs, is not considered as a carcinogen. Some anti-smoking advocates are concerned that smokers will consume more of the very-low-nicotine cigarettes in order to gain the same nicotine levels as they are accustomed to now. There is a grave danger that this will reinforce inaccurate beliefs that it is the nicotine, rather than the inhalation of smoke, that is the cause of the harm from cigarette smoking, said David Sweanor, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa and the author of several e-cigarette and health studies. Science has shown for decades that people smoke to get nicotine, but die from the smoke. Other anti-smoking advocates say an FDA emphasis on very-low-nicotine traditional cigarettes could steer tobacco consumers away from potentially less harmful products, such as electronic cigarettes, heat-not-burn cigarettes and moist snuff. I have taken the position for many years that VLN products are only truly effective as a harm-reduction strategy if there are lower-risk harm-reduction tobacco and nicotine products on the market, said Scott Ballin, past chairman of the anti-smoking alliance Coalition of Science or Health. Ballin said that strategy needs to be accompanied by an aggressive educational campaign that would give consumers truthful accurate and non-misleading information about the risks and relative risk of the spectrum of products. Approval of the 22nd Century product comes up way short in accomplishing that goal. Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said the FDAs very-low-nicotine proposal is a truly game-changing proposal that would accelerate declines in smoking and save millions of lives from cancer and other tobacco-related diseases. No other action would do more to help achieve the goals of the Biden administrations Cancer Moonshot project to end cancer as we know it, as smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths and causes more than a dozen types of cancer throughout the body. Myers said the FDA should extend the very-low-nicotine strategy to all tobacco products to prevent switching to other harmful products. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Local writer Rebecca Hills story My Mondays has been published in the recent Chicken Soup for the Soul book Your 10 Keys to Happiness. It explores how important it is for each of us to find time to connect with activities we truly enjoy doing, Hill said of her story. A book signing will be held June 25 at Be Kind Coffee in Clemmons. In a news release, Amy Newmark, editor-in-chief and publisher for Chicken Soup for the Soul, said, Happiness is not an elusive lottery ticket meant for only a lucky few. It is a jackpot within everyones grasp, and winning it is no mystery. Ive read tens of thousands of real-life, enlightening stories from our contributors, and Ive developed an understanding of what makes people tick ... and what makes them happy. Newmark has chosen 101 stories from the library of Chicken Soup for the Soul stories that illustrate the 10 keys to happiness that work best for the writers. Ive tried these out in my own life, and I can report that I am a happier, more grateful, more grounded and more relaxed person as a result. This is not the first time Hill has had stories published in this popular series of books. My Mondays, which she wrote about 10 years ago, was originally published in Time to Thrive, a 2015 Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I am incredibly pleased that Chicken Soup for the Soul chose my story from their library and republished it as part of this new anthology, Hill said. Back then, Monday was the day she set aside in her schedule to do whatever she wanted to do the entire day. Right now, I cant have a whole day to myself, but I do try to find an hour to do exactly what I want to do, she said. Hill has had stories published in more than a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She is the author of the childrens book, Dont You Worry, Dont You Cry, and has made small contributions to Oprahs O Magazine and Redbook. Her various day jobs have ranged from post-production coordinator on television shows such as American Idol to event coordinator at The Comedy & Magic Club to circuit trainer at Curves and innkeeper at sister-bed-and breakfast hotels, Channel Road Inn and the Inn at Playa del Rey in Los Angeles. She has lived in Tallahassee, Fla., Atlanta and Los Angeles, where she met her husband, Tom Caufield, a composer and instrumental guitarist. The couple moved to Clemmons from California in November 2020. With all thats happened in our world, Ive been suffering from a bit of writers block for the past year or two, but Ive found North Carolina, specifically long walks in Tanglewood Park, to be cathartic, Hill said in a press release. Im feeling my focus return. Im also finding healing and awakening through new experiences, such as interesting culinary classes Ive taken in the Triad area. I dont have much experience in the kitchen, so the sights, smells, and tastes of fresh herbs, homemade sauces, delicious cheeses and scrumptious treats have piqued my interest. She agrees with Newmark who says that the most essential key to happiness is gratitude. 336-727-7366 @fdanielWSJ Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The N.C. Court of Appeals upheld on Tuesday the conviction of a Winston-Salem man serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of 2-year-old Jaxson Swain. Charles Edward Stacks, 36, was convicted by a Forsyth County jury in April 2019 of first-degree murder; felony child abuse, inflicting serious bodily injury; and possession of heroin. Stacks faced a potential death sentence, but the jury recommended Stacks serve a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, the only other sentence available for a defendant convicted of first-degree murder. Stacks appealed his conviction, claiming that the trial judge, Stuart Albright, should have declared a mistrial after a juror started applying for a volunteer position with a child-advocacy group. Stacks also argued that Albright should have made clear that a prosecutor misstated the law when she said in closing arguments that the presumption of innocence for Stacks disappeared once a prosecution witness finished testifying. In a unanimous decision Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the N.C. Court of Appeals rejected those arguments and ruled that there was no error in Stacks 2019 trial. Lisa Miles, Stacks appellate attorney, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. During the trial, Forsyth County prosecutors alleged that on Aug. 16, 2015, Charles Stacks was alone at 5450 Grubbs St., a house they described as a drug den, taking care of Jaxson. Jaxson, his 7-year-old sister, Bella Swain, and their mother, Candace Swain, had been staying at the house the first two weeks of August 2015. Charles Stacks and Candace Swain were friends, and prosecutors said she was hooked on heroin and working as a prostitute to support her drug habit. Charles Stacks, they said, was her drug dealer and her pimp. Charles Stacks lived at the house with his wife, Megin Stacks, and their four children. Prosecutors said Charles Stacks had abused Jaxson during the childs time at the house, including whipping him with a belt, burning him with cigarettes on his back and biting him. They also said Stacks placed a rubber band on Jaxsons penis, causing it to swell and become red, to prevent Jaxson from urinating on himself. During the trial, Joshua Justice, a convicted felon whose cell was next to Stacks in 2015 in the Forsyth County Jail, testified that Stacks confessed to grabbing Jaxson by the waist and slamming the boy, who weighed a little more than 30 pounds, several times on a surface. Charles Stacks told Justice that he had become demon-possessed. Stacks also admitted to biting the childs arm in a jail phone call to Megin Stacks, who is still facing pending charges of accessory after the fact to felony child abuse. She is accused of cleaning up the crime scene, putting a diaper on Jaxson and telling her children not to cooperate with law-enforcement officers and investigators with the Forsyth County Department of Social Services. Jaxson had to have emergency surgery to remove part of his skull to relieve brain swelling and he died three days later on Aug. 19, 2015, at Brenners Childrens Hospital. An autopsy report said Jaxson died from bleeding on the brain caused by blunt-force trauma. Chief Judge Lisa Stroud, who wrote the majority opinion, said that Albright properly inquired into a question regarding a juror raised after the guilty verdict and did not err by not declaring a mistrial. Stroud said there would have been no argument for a mistrial, even if his trial attorneys had raised it, because Stacks has not demonstrated error on the part of the trial court or his counsel, and he has not demonstrated prejudice. Stroud also rejected arguments that the prosecutors closing argument was improper or that the trial judge failed to appropriately instruct the jury. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Martin said in closing arguments that Stacks presumption of innocence disappeared the minute Dr. (Daniel) Couture stepped off that witness stand... Couture, a neurosurgeon at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, testified that he had to remove part of Jaxson brain and that if Jaxson had lived, he would have had significant cognitive damage. Stroud said it was clear from the context of Martins closing argument that prosecutors had proven Stacks guilt, not that Stacks never had a presumption of innocence. She also said that Albright appropriately instructed the jury about the presumption of innocence. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Joycelyn Johnson, who represented Winston-Salems East Ward for 16 years, first on the board of aldermen and then the city council, died Tuesday of natural causes, a family member said. Johnson was 73. Joycelyn was a kind and loving person who was concerned about the needs of other people, said her sister, Deltra Bonner of Winston-Salem. She will really be missed in this community. Johnson served four terms, from 1993 to 2009. On behalf of the citizens of Winston-Salem, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of former council member Joycelyn Johnson, Mayor Allen Joines said. Joycelyn Johnson was a dedicated public servant who worked hard for not only the citizens of the East Ward, but also for the good of the entire community. As chairman of the Public Works Committee, she pushed for improved working conditions for the citys Sanitation Division and other service functions, Joines said. In recognition of her support for city employees and her advocacy for quality service to our citizens, the building that houses the citys public works functions was named in her honor in 2018. Johnson was committed to her constituents, Joines said. On a personal level, I was able to work with Ms. Johnson as a member of the city staff and then as a fellow elected official, Joines said. I was always appreciative of her kind and gentle manner, while respectful of her fierce advocacy for programs she felt were needed. In 2002, Johnson proposed changing the name of the Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen to the Winston-Salem City Council, Joines said. Johnson believed that alderman was an old-fashioned way to describe the city council, Joines said. In December 2002, the council voted 5-4 to change its name, Joines broke a tie to vote in favor of the name change. A graduate of Atkins High School, Johnson graduated from Bennett College in Greensboro with a bachelors degree in sociology in 1971, Bonner said. Johnson worked as a social worker at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for most of her career. At the time of her death, Johnson served as a community outreach coordinator for Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, according to her LinkedIn page. She also served as a vice president of the NCHF Enclave II Inc., which develops affordable housing in the state, and the NCHF ParcStone Inc., which leases residential buildings and dwellings statewide. A Democrat, Johnson was first elected to the Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen in November 1993. At that time, Virginia Newell, the incumbent, decided not to run for a fifth term representing the East Ward. When Johnson was running for re-election in 1997, she said she viewed her job at Baptist as similar to her role as an alderman. I walk out the door and just switch the hat, Johnson told the Winston-Salem Journal. Both of her jobs required her to find solutions and resources for peoples problems, she said. To that end, Johnson said, she would fight to solve her constituents problems, regardless of opposition from other elected officials. The problems in East Ward affected the entire city, Johnson said. As goes East Winston, so goes the city of Winston-Salem, Johnson said. Johnson was re-elected to four-year terms in 1997, 2001 and 2005. She lost her re-election bid in the 2009 primary against Democrat Derwin Montgomery, who was elected in November 2009 to represent the East Ward on the council. Nelson Malloy, a former council member who represented the North Ward, described Johnson was a conscientious public servant who was kind, sweet and compassionate. She always put the concerns and desires of the people of her ward foremost in her work, Malloy said. She kept her eye on why people entered public service. She wanted to make the community a better place. Johnson dedicated her life to making a difference in Winston-Salem, Malloy said. Her death is a tremendous blow to the entire city, Malloy said. Dan Besse, a former council member who represented the Southwest Ward, said he will value the eight years that Johnson and he served together on the city council. She will be missed in our community, Besse said of Johnson. She was active and concerned for the people of Winston-Salem for a long time. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As the weather warms up in North Carolina, snakes become a larger concern, especially copperheads, according to extension wildlife biologist Falyn Owens of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Chad Griffin, a herpetologist who owns Kernersville Reptile Zoo and Medical Center, explained that snake season is mostly a myth. He said that snakes can be out all year long, although they may be more active during the spring, early summer, and late summer. In the middle of summer, they tend to be most active in the early morning and at dusk when it is not so hot. Owens and Griffin said snakes are more active in warmer weather because they are heating their bodies in the sun, hunting food, or seeking a mate. As Griffin said, they may choose to sunbathe in someones yard or on their window, which is how people may come across snakes near their homes. Griffin said people rarely see cottonmouth or timber rattlesnakes, two types of venomous snakes, in the Triad, but they can be found in the forests and outskirts of the Triad. The venomous copperheads, however, can be found in Winston-Salem, Owens said. Copperheads have a distinctive Hershey Kiss pattern of upright, brown triangles in a line on a lighter tan/pink background, Owens said, explaining that this distinguishes copperheads from other species of snakes. Griffin elaborated that copperheads can range from an off gray-brown color to a heavy copper. He agreed that their pattern tends to look like a Hershey Kiss from the side, but added that from above, it can look like an hourglass. People are advised to leave snakes alone if they see then, and not to catch or kill one if they are bitten, Owens said. Instead, they should seek immediate medical assistance or call Poison Control. Griffin explained that snakes dont go out of their way to attack someone. Instead, people are bitten most often when they touch or attack the snake first. He said that a snake attacking a human would be like a person going to a zoo and punching a rhino. When given the option to escape, snakes will avoid close encounters with people, Owens said. Owens stressed that people should be aware of their surroundings and not get too close to a snake if they come across one. Unless the situation requires it, like a snake being inside a house, Griffin said that people should not confront them. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As the World Health Organization convenes its emergency committee to consider if the spiraling outbreak of monkeypox warrants being declared a global emergency, some experts say WHOs decision to act only after the disease spilled into the West could entrench the inequities that arose between rich and poor countries during the coronavirus pandemic. Many scientists also doubt any declaration would help to curb the epidemic, since the developed countries recording the most recent cases are already moving to shut it down. Monkeypox has sickened people for decades in central and west Africa. To date, no deaths have been seen outside Africa. The WHO said Thursday it did not expect to announce any decisions by its emergency committee before Friday. A lawyer in the city attorney's office was acquitted Tuesday of a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge stemming from a May 2021 incident that his attorney cast as a landlord-tenant issue. Rick Tast, 49, entered a northeast Lincoln rental home May 21, 2021, where he awoke a napping family and briefly argued with the occupants before leaving with the property owner, his longtime friend, Jeremy Hosek, according to court testimony. Tast's presence in the house was undisputed throughout a bench trial last month, which centered on the alleged criminality of Tast's entry into the home. At Tast's trial May 19, nearly a year after the incident, Hosek said that Tast was acting as his agent and attorney when the two arrived at 3143 N. 56th St., where Hosek was preparing to evict his tenant, who he said was months behind on rent and had stopped responding to texts. Special prosecutors with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office disputed that rationale, noting that Tast was not an employee of Hosek's business venture, and his status as a lawyer or friend didn't grant him permission to enter the home. "My lawyer doesn't just come into my house whenever he wants," Assistant Attorney General Gail VerMaas told Otoe County Judge David Partsch, who heard the case because of Tast's ties within the Lincoln legal community. At trial, Hosek provided several reasons for entering the home that day. He and Tast initially thought the home may have been abandoned and had gone in to look for violations for an eviction notice, said Hosek, a city firefighter who also mentioned smelling smoke and observing a haze through the window. They did not encounter smoke or fire upon entry. The state focused much of its case on what happened inside the house, where Tast encountered a 14-year-old boy asleep in a bedroom, who he jostled awake, according to the teen's testimony. "(I felt) someone touching my leg, so I woke up," the boy said. "It wasn't too hard or nothing, they grabbed it and I realized it and I woke up and I freaked out." Tast, a registered nurse and former medic, later told Lincoln Police he thought the teen was dead or suffering a medical emergency, said former Officer Laura Stokey, the lead officer in the investigation who was terminated in January for mishandling evidence in an unrelated case. The teen, his sister and mom all testified that Tast then grabbed a black hoodie from the boy's room and walked to the kitchen, where he confronted the family and repeatedly asked "What is this?," referring to the sweatshirt. Korey Reiman, Tast's attorney, maintained that Tast removed a marijuana bong from the bedroom, not a sweatshirt. VerMaas also pointed to Tast's actions in the days after the incident as attempts to cover up his involvement in the case. "While you were talking to the defendant on the phone, did he ever make any requests of you at this time?" VerMass asked Stokey. "He requested to have his name left out of all police reports," Stokey said. But Reiman repeatedly cast doubt on the credibility of Stokey and other Lincoln Police officers involved in the case, including former Sgt. Angela Sands, Stokey's supervisor who was fired in December. And the defense attorney argued Stokey's testimony along with the other five witnesses called by the state did not prove that Tast had knowingly acted with criminal intent when he walked into the house, failing to clear the statutory hurdle required to prove first-degree criminal trespass. "The state failed to call the owner of the house," Reiman said, referring to Hosek, the only witness called by the defense. "They've left that hanging open, of whether Mr. Tast was given permission or told he could go in there. "That's what they have to prove. And they didn't do it. They didn't even try to do it." In the end, Partsch agreed with Reiman, pointing to the same argument in his six-page verdict issued Tuesday. "The state must prove in this case, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Tast entered this rental home knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so," Partsch said. "It has not met its burden." The verdict brought an end to a legal battle that had stretched on for more than a year a rarity for misdemeanor cases and brought vindication for Tast, according to his attorney. "From jump street, I didn't think this case should have been charged," Reiman said Tuesday. "And the verdict today supports that." Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A man who had walked away from the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln about one week ago returned on his own Wednesday. He had failed to return from his off-site work assignment on June 14, according to authorities. Gary Filip, 47, removed his electronic monitoring device and left it near North First Street and Cornhusker Highway, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said. He was serving a 21- to 37-year sentence on theft, drug, gun and robbery charges from Buffalo and Sarpy counties, the department said. Filip was scheduled for parole eligibility in January 2023. The facility Filip is accused of fleeing is a community custody center, the least restrictive prison in the state. Inmates are allowed to participate in off-site work opportunities, religious services and school without direct supervision. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Trend A senior airline industry official criticised a decision by Airbus to revoke a plane order from Qatar Airways, saying the move would encourage airlines to take their own decisions to cancel deals whenever unhappy with planemaker performance, Trend reports with reference to Reuters. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, issued the warning as the head of Qatar Airways told the same news conference that manufacturers should not take advantage of "market dominance" to bully airlines. Airbus and Qatar Airways are locked in a dispute over the A350 that spilled over to the A321neo earlier this year when Airbus revoked a deal for the smaller plane on the grounds that the two deals were contractually linked. Pat Sangimino Night editor Pat Sangimino is a San Francisco native who has been the Journal Stars night news editor since April 2018. Follow Pat Sangimino 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 How many times can a scab be ripped away before the wound goes numb, leaving an angry scar as a constant reminder or worse, gets badly infected, causing pain and discomfort to the rest of the body? The scab in Beatrice, Nebraska population 12,669 has been torn off too many times to count since February 1985, when 68-year-old Helen Wilson was raped, tortured and killed in her apartment. What's left is a small American town that could serve as the landscape for a Stephen King novel, a "nice enough town," as one person said in the opening of HBO's six-part series, "Mind Over Murder," which premiered with its first episode on Monday, but make no mistake, a town "with a weird undercurrent." Where else would the community playhouse turn perhaps the town's most divisive and devastating tragedy ever into an on-stage production? Too soon or not, there's no denying the truth is often stranger than fiction even in the theater business. There are some things that can't be made up. Beatrice's "weird undercurrent" stems from a confluence of investigatory mishaps that have been well-documented by the media, a case that has been litigated by the highest courts in the land and, ultimately, a reversal of the verdict against a group now known as the Beatrice Six that nearly bankrupted a county and has torn apart a population about what really happened, about whether justice was really served from the start. "There's a mixed reaction," said Lincoln attorney Richard Schmeling, who represented James Dean, one of the Beatrice Six, and will be featured later in the documentary. " I think the people who went through it here would be split in their opinion." And the play, an attempt by the Beatrice Community Players to heal the town, plays an integral role a prevailing theme to the documentary. The story is compelling. It's captivating. It's heart-wrenching and teeth-gnashing. It's a gut punch and a cold slap of reality that our justice system is rigged against those without the intelligence or financial means to fight it. Schmeling said he thought he was doing his part to ensure that his client would receive the best counsel afforded him by his constitutional rights. He handled Dean's case through the plea agreement and sentencing, and appealed the case before the Nebraska Supreme Court. And when it was determined several years later that the police investigation was a sham, and that five confessions were coerced by the threat of the death penalty, Schmeling took on a new role: witness in the civil trial against the government. And that made him a good source for the folks at HBO. "A lot of the questions they asked me about were if the county attorney played straight with me or did he withhold information," Schmeling said Monday, just hours before the show aired for the first time. "Unfortunately, he withheld information that could have helped me in the defense of the case." Schmeling didn't know it in real time. He only learned of how deep the corruption was when he was preparing to testify in the civil suit. "There was a lot of information that I was not aware of at the time I was doing the criminal end of things," he said. For example, psychologist Wayne Price was acting under the theory that the crime was horrific enough to cause everyone involved to have repressed memories of the details. Meanwhile, Schmeling said that Burt Searcey, the former Beatrice cop who started investigating the case privately before joining the Gage County Sheriff's office, was feeding his client information about the case. "My guy suddenly miraculously started remembering," Schmeling said. "They did that with all six defendants essentially." But how? How does a man with no ties to a crime cop to it? James Dean was "marginally" mentally disabled, Schmeling said. "He kind of floated around with the scum down there in Beatrice and he wasnt very sophisticated at all." Investigators feasted on that. More important, they scared each defendant with threats of the death penalty, Schmeling said. "They hammered everybody in the case with the death penalty," he said. "You better tell us what you know, you better come clean, or youre going to end up in the electric chair. "That was frightening to my guy." Eventually, they started playing the six against each other. When one guy agreed to testify, they all caved all but Joseph White, who went to trial and was found guilty. In 2008, DNA evidence proved that Bruce Allen Smith, a suspect at the start, had actually done the crime. The documentary is worth a watch. It leaves no stone unturned in its delivery. And yet, there's something that makes it cringeworthy. Maybe it just hits too close to home. Reach the writer at 402-473-7391 or psangimino@journalstar.com. On Twitter @psangimino Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon will leave Nebraska on Friday for an extended trip into and across battle-torn Ukraine, where he will assess conditions and humanitarian needs. The trip replaces an earlier plan to travel to Poland, where he had intended to stay and assist in logistical and humanitarian activities for refugees who fled after the Russian military invaded Ukraine and initiated relentless bombardment of its cities, turning many of them into rubble. Brewer will fly to Krakow, Poland, where he will meet with Noah Philson, a young Nebraskan who is already there providing humanitarian assistance, and they will travel to Lviv in western Ukraine. Then, it's on to the capital of Kyiv with a driver and interpreter who will take Brewer through the country, with the final destination of Odessa, a deep-water port on the Black Sea. That journey would transport them into war-torn country in the Donbas, where Russian forces have virtually destroyed the port city of Mariupol. Brewer's mission is to assess humanitarian needs and "figure out a way to break up the logjam" of equipment and resources that is currently "stacked along runways in Poland." "Ukrainians are busy fighting the war," he said, "and can't bring it in." Brewer said "it's hard to judge how the war is going a world away," and this will help him assess challenges and needs. A retired U.S. Army colonel, Brewer is familiar with war zones; he was severely wounded in combat with the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2003 and wounded again in 2011 on his sixth combat tour. While he is in Kyiv, he said, he hopes to talk with Ukrainian soldiers about "what they're experiencing and what works and what doesn't work." After recently talking with military officials at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Brewer said he was cautioned to make sure "not to message in real time" while he is there, delaying any reports he may make a week or so when his location will have changed. "The Russians are monitoring messaging constantly," he said. His approach in Ukraine will be to "see and learn," Brewer said, while gathering information. "The Ukrainians have shown us they really do want to remain free," he said. "They have fought like tigers." Brewer said his intent is to stay several months, but he would return to Lincoln for a special session of the Legislature if Gov. Pete Ricketts decides to call one in the wake of an anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning its previous abortion rights ruling in Roe v. Wade. But if he's called back to Lincoln in a month or so, he'll "probably go back" to Ukraine. His decision to go into Ukraine in the midst of war was prompted by a strong sense of duty and urgency, Brewer said. In the end, he said, he simply decided that "you gotta go do it." Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska said an environmental impact study should be completed before any permits are granted to a pair of carbon dioxide pipelines in several Great Plains states. In a May 27 letter to the Dakota County Board of Commissioners, the tribe said it had concerns the projects the Midwest Carbon Express by Summit Carbon Solutions and the Heartland Greenway by Navigator Ventures may negatively impact reservation lands. Any pipeline project is a risk, Jennifer Bear Eagle, an attorney from Winnebago representing the tribe, wrote in the letter. As a permit-issuing body, neither you nor the general public can make an informed decision without (knowing) the potential environmental impacts. Until that is done, the Winnebago Tribe which approved calling for an environmental study in a March 24 resolution opposes any permit that could negatively impact its lands or water or that of its neighbors. Similar letters were sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Omaha, the Woodbury County Board of Commissioners in Iowa, as well as the Iowa Utilities Board, to be included as part of the consideration of Summit Carbon Solutions permit application. Announced last year, the projects by Summit and Navigator would build thousands of miles of new pipelines across the region, transporting carbon dioxide captured from ethanol plants to sequestration sites deep underground in North Dakota and Illinois. By sequestering carbon dioxide, Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator Ventures could take advantage of the 45Q tax credit, which will provide $50 for every ton of carbon stored for up to 12 years. Ethanol plants have been eager to sign up for the project, too, because it will reduce their carbon-intensity scores, maintaining access in consumer markets with strict standards for fuel producers. Plus, they said it will help Nebraska corn farmers, who supply ethanol plants with roughly 280 million bushels of corn each year. Critics of the pipelines have said the technology of burying carbon dioxide deep underground hasnt been proven and will not do enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and have characterized the projects as a cash grab. According to project maps, neither project would enter the Winnebago Reservation in Thurston County, instead tracking across Dakota County. A representative of Summit said the pipeline avoids more than 60 reservations across its footprint. But in a news release Tuesday, Winnebago Tribal Secretary Lorelei DeCora said members of the tribe had concerns about being downstream from the planned route. The pipeline construction path is placed on the ancestral lands of the Nebraska tribes, DeCora said. What happens when they disturb our ancestors burial sites? There is just too much unknown for these pipelines. Thats why its important for this study be conducted. Its our duty to protect Mother Earth, she said. Both Summit and Navigator have yet to obtain permission to begin construction, but Summit has started to obtain easements from landowners in several Nebraska counties as it advances the project through various regulatory processes across several states. In an interview earlier this month, Summit officials touted the outreach the Iowa-based company had done with tribes and local governments before the review of its permit applications had finished. Ive worked on a lot of pipeline and transmission line projects over the last 30 years or so, said Troy Eid, outside counsel on tribal matters for Summit. This is a project where, more than any other Ive worked on, we got out very early in the process. Eid, a former U.S. Attorney under President George W. Bush and chairman of the Indian Law and Order Commission under President Barack Obama, said federal approval required for the carbon dioxide pipelines is not currently required. But the nature of the projects will trigger requirements that governmental agencies and tribal entities consult with one another on the project, he said. Summit has attempted to get ahead of that trigger by engaging with the tribes in the five states where the pipeline will operate, Eid added, in order to share what it sees as the benefits to the environment, and economy, as well as how the tribes may benefit. We want them to be involved, so that when that consultation does occur, youll have your own information and you can ask your own questions and draw your own conclusions, he said. Chris Hill, a senior project adviser, said Summit has also pledged to do a cultural survey across its proposed route, which he said goes beyond what previous projects have done. This is one of the first times when a pipeline project has started that dialogue before a preconstruction notice was sent out, Hill said. Still, the Winnebago Tribes resolution and letter come as the projects have hit resistance in several states and counties, particularly from landowners concerned that eminent domain could be used to secure land needed to complete the route. No counties in Nebraska have followed the lead of those in Iowa and South Dakota that have voiced wholesale opposition to the pipelines, but there have been some discussions at the county level about enacting new zoning rules governing the projects. Dakota County held a hearing on proposed regulations for pipelines May 16, according to minutes of the board of commissioners. Those regulations would have required the pipeline to be installed no less than 1,320 feet from a residence and at least 6 feet below ground, and 8 feet below ground in county road rights of way. Several people who testified at the May 16 commissioners meeting including representatives from both Summit and Navigator, as well as natural gas companies opposed the proposed regulations as too onerous and pledged to work with the county on revisions. In March, the same day the Winnebago Tribe said it would oppose any pipeline projects without an environmental impact study, officials in Holt County which enacted pipeline regulations during the proposed Keystone XL tar sands project rejected a proposed moratorium on new pipelines. Holt County supervisors, echoing several people who spoke during a public meeting, said the moratorium sent the wrong message that the county was closed for business. Tribal leaders, on the other hand, said that the projects could wait until it was demonstrated the pipelines would not have an adverse effect on the environment. The Winnebago Tribe stands in solidarity with area farmers who oppose these pipelines and the use of eminent domain to acquire access to lands without landowner consent, Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan said. The health, well-being, and rights of everyone is important to us all. Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RACINE Two more teenagers have been charged in Feb. 27 drive-by shooting at Park Avenue. Emonjae James Kinney, 16, of the 1100 block of Park Ave. and Micah T. Lminggio, 15, of the 3200 block of Kinzie Ave., were each charged with three felony counts of first-degree recklessly, one felony count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle and felony intimidation of a victim. Previously, Davon Lminggio, 16, was charged in the shooting. According to a criminal complaint: At 11:55 p.m. on Feb. 27, officers were sent to the area of 11th Street and Park Avenue for a report of shots fired. Officers reported that they learned three people were followed and shot at by people in a Ford Edge SUV. Through surveillance footage from the BP gas station at 1130 Washington Ave., an investigator was able to identify Kinney and Micah Lminggio as the two other passengers in the Ford. The investigator reviewed Facebook pages and saw Kinney associating with D. Lminggio and M. Lminggio frequently. The Ford was registered to a relative of the Lminggio brothers. On March 15, the Ford was located at the residence of D. Lminggio in the 3200 block of Kinzie Avenue. A search warrant led to the discovery of the clothing worn by both Lminggio brothers during the shooting. It is believed the three of them targeted the occupants of the Ford because M. Lminggio claimed he would "air this (expletive) out" during his court case where he was charged with pointing a gun at one of the victims earlier. The Lminggio brothers and Kinney are associated with the Dirty P gang. Both Kinney and Lminggio were given $25,000 cash bonds in Racine County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Both have a preliminary hearing on June 29 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 RACINE Rogelio Moreno had a phrase he told himself while studying: I got it. After 20 months of learning about the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and many aspects of American history, that belief paid off. On May 2, Moreno passed the United States citizenship test. After finding out he passed, he was filled with joy. I jumped in my seat and said, Yeah! Moreno said. Moreno, 61, was born in Mexico and said he came to the U.S. in 1990 in search of a better life. Moreno has lived in Racine for almost 20 years and said becoming a citizen has long been a priority. Its nice, because its my dream, Moreno said. Citizenship is, for me, the top (goal) in my life. The road to citizenship started about five years ago. Its a long process, Rogelio said. (I was) nervous every day, nervous, nervous. Moreno said he hopes to be an example for all who would like to go forward and become a citizen You can reach any dream or goal that you have in your life if you just apply yourself. In addition to daily studying on his own, Moreno received help from colleagues at St. Catherines High School, 1200 Park Ave., where he has worked as a custodian for a year. Custodian Gerald Olley often quizzed Moreno for 15-20 minutes during breaks and occasionally offered tips. For example, one question was who the U.S. president was during World War I. It was Woodrow Wilson, and Olley suggested Moreno remember that there were two Ws in the question and answer. Olley said he was happy to help Moreno study, and he believed his coworker would pass the test. Sandy Moreno, who married Rogelio in 2012, also felt confident her husband would succeed. I knew he was going to pass, Sandy said. He was very dedicated. Using audio recordings and flashcards, Moreno went over potential test questions every day. He listened to questions in his headphones while making meals at home and while working at the high school. Once while at work, the question What is the Constitution? was asked in his headphones. Forgetting himself for a moment, Moreno said aloud, The supreme law of the land. A nearby teacher heard him talking and said, What? Oh sorry, Im studying, Rogelio replied with a laugh. The day he passed the test, Rogelio and Sandy had a nice dinner to celebrate, and the high school had a small party in May. Rogelio said the school has embraced him, saying it feels like a family atmosphere. Olley called Rogelio an excellent, hard-working colleague. Were glad to have him, Olley said. Sandy is glad to have him as well. She grew up in Racine and works as a lunch lady at St. Catherines. She and Rogelio met when he had a job remodeling her home. Sandy is fluent in Spanish and occasionally translated for Rogelio during an interview. Rogelio lived in California and Texas before moving to Racine in 2004. He said it was a big adjustment moving to the Midwest from much warmer climates. Sandy helped show him winter activities like sledding and building a snowman. In mid-May, Rogelio received the official citizenship paperwork. His passport arrived last week. Receiving both of those were massive reliefs. If youre a citizen, its more security, Rogelio said. I love the United States. Its opportunity. Leading up to the test, there was nervous anticipation, but Rogelio felt prepared because of all his studying. After passing the test, his motto came true: I got it. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One person died Tuesday afternoon in a two-vehicle motor vehicle accident involving a dump truck at Sweet Road and County Hwy. K in the Town of Darien, in rural Walworth County. Walworth County Sheriff's Office Patrol Capt. Robert Hall said the 12:28 p.m. incident involved a crash between a dump truck and a passenger vehicle. "The dump truck driver was uninjured," Hall said. "The driver and sole occupant of the automobile was pronounced deceased at the scene by a doctor from MD-1 Mercy Hospital. The Medical Examiner's Office was called to the scene." The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of family. Hall said responding agencies to the incident scene included the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, City of Delavan Police Department, Darien Fire Department, Shared Paramedics, MD-1 from Mercy Hospital, and Wisconsin State Patrol Motor Carrier Enforcement. Hall reported that the Walworth County Highway Department set up barricades to close the accident scene to traffic. Roads reopened shortly after 3 p.m. Hall said the cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Walworth County Sheriff's Office Crash Investigation Team. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson tried to hand then-Vice President Mike Pence official-looking documents falsely affirming former President Donald Trump won Wisconsin and Michigan as Pence prepared to affirm Joe Bidens electoral victory on Jan. 6, 2021, according to text messages revealed at a U.S. House hearing Tuesday. The Wisconsin document, signed by 10 Republicans who convened in the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, was filled out on the same day the Democratic slate of Wisconsin electors met in the same building to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to Biden. The meeting of Republicans occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Biden had won the election. Johnson needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advise, Johnson aide Sean Riley texted Pence staff member Chris Hodgson at 12:37 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. What is it? Hodgson replied. Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didnt receive them, Riley wrote back. Hodgson responded: Do not give that to him. The text messages were produced Tuesday by the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The senator had no involvement in the creation of an alternate slate of electors and had no foreknowledge that it was going to be delivered to our office, Johnson spokesperson Alexa Henning said in a statement after the revelation. This was a staff to staff exchange. His new Chief of Staff contacted the Vice Presidents office. The Vice Presidents office said not to give it to him and we did not. There was no further action taken. After being asked follow-up questions about whether Johnson was informed about the fake document being provided to his office, who provided it or whether Johnson was involved in the decision to contact Pences office, as the text implies, Henning said, I sent you my statement. Later on Tuesday, Johnson told a CNN reporter, I was aware that we got this package and that somebody wanted us to deliver it to the vice president. We reached out. They didnt want it, we didnt deliver it. In the interview, Johnson said he didnt know who delivered the documents to his office. In the run-up to the vote certification on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnson indicated he would object to the certification of electors in key states Biden won. But he changed course after the assault on the Capitol and voted to certify key swing states whose results Republicans were trying to discredit. He later told a liberal activist in comments that were secretly recorded, theres nothing obviously skewed about the results of the 2020 presidential election. Even so, the senator has consistently supported former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gablemans effort to review the 2020 election. Wisconsin, we deserve better, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin stated on Twitter. Two days before the text exchange between Johnsons office and that of the vice president, according to another text the House committee disclosed Tuesday, Wisconsin Republican Party executive director Mark Jefferson texted an unidentified person saying, Freaking trump idiots want someone to fly original elector papers to the senate President. Theyre gonna call one of us to tell us just what the hell is going on. Wisconsin Republican Party spokesperson Anna Kelly did not respond to a request for comment. Fake electors Republicans have said the meeting to sign the document was to preserve their legal options amid litigation surrounding the election. Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro sent a memo to fellow Trump attorney and former Dane County Circuit Court Judge James Troupis on Nov. 18, 2020, detailing the Republicans eventual plan to pose as electors. One of those fake electors, former Wisconsin Republican Party chair Andrew Hitt, told the U.S. House committee in a video presented Tuesday that he was told the fake Trump electors would only count if a court ruled in the former presidents favor. Official-looking certificates were submitted by Republicans claiming to be electors in Wisconsin and six other states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. In a Dec. 9, 2020, memo obtained by The Washington Post and revealed this week, Chesebro called the plan to sign official-looking documents in Wisconsin and Arizona unproblematic but said the plan was slightly problematic in Michigan, somewhat dicey in Georgia and Pennsylvania and extremely problematic in Nevada all states where local laws made producing such documents difficult. The article didnt explain why Wisconsin was unproblematic, but explained that the slight problem in Michigan was state law requiring the electors to convene at a specific time in the Senate chambers, which is where the Democratic electors were already convening. Wisconsin law specifies a time, but not a room in the state Capitol where the meeting should be held. In court Chesebro, Troupis and the 10 Republicans who signed the paperwork are now subject to a lawsuit in Wisconsin the first of its kind nationwide alleging they played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The lawsuit seeks more than $2.4 million in damages, including $2,000 in 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. 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 Hitt. The U.S. Department of Justice is also looking into the matter. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A federal audit has uncovered what researchers into Wisconsins unemployment insurance system have long suspected: People of color are less likely to receive jobless compensation than their white counterparts. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development previously told Wisconsin Watch that it lacked data to know whether its systems might favor some groups over others, such as producing different outcomes around racial lines. But a June report by the Government Accountability Office a nonpartisan watchdog that reports to Congress found that Wisconsin was among the slowest to begin paying federal pandemic unemployment relief, and whites received compensation at twice the rate of black claimants. Native American and Hispanic applicants were also less likely than white claimants to receive help. The report examined how Wisconsin and four other states Arizona, Louisiana, New York and North Dakota implemented Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Congress created the program in 2020 to aid self-employed and part-time workers who lost work but wouldnt otherwise qualify for regular compensation. It has paid out at least $131 billion nationwide. The Wisconsin data covered January 2020 through April 2021, when the states unemployment insurance system buckled under a pandemic stress test, leaving many jobless residents to miss bill payments, rack up credit card debt, and face eviction and even homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic struck after Wisconsins Republican-led Legislature spent years toughening rules for accessing unemployment benefits in the name of reducing fraud and leaders in both parties failed to upgrade antiquated computer systems that cannot answer phones and print compensation checks at the same time. It took Wisconsin two months to begin distributing PUA following Congressional approval. DWD reported making its first payments on May 21, 2020, but paid fewer than 1,000 claimants by the months end, according to the GAO.Only North Dakota (34.8%) granted a lower percentage of overall claims compared with Wisconsin (38.1%). The two states also saw the most severe racial disparities in payouts, the audit found. In Wisconsin, 43.3% of white claimants received PUA payments, compared to 21.9% of black claimants, 24.8% of Hispanic claimants, 27.2% of Native American claimants and 41.8% of Asian claimants. The figures add to a lengthy list of racial disparities in Wisconsin, which has some of the countrys starkest inequities in education, public health, housing, criminal justice and income. People should receive unemployment benefits based on need and not because of the color of their skin, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh told Wisconsin Watch. We have to be equal across the board. He says the Labor Department welcomes the audit and is looking into its recommendations. One of the things that were doing, quite honestly, is acknowledging and identifying the challenges that we see in the system, Walsh added. One of those recommendations is for President Joe Bidens administration to study what happened in the early months of the pandemic to help states avoid future difficulties. The Labor Department agreed with a GAO recommendation to advise Congress on future options to help unemployed freelancers and other contingent workers. It partially agreed with the audits call to examine the reasons for racial disparities in pandemic aid, but expressed concern that doing so would distract from other efforts to improve equity. DWD officials told auditors that they could not explain Wisconsins racial inequities in disbursing federal pandemic relief. Officials stated that their IT system does not capture the reason for denial of claims, and that they would need to examine each PUA application manually, the report said. But the GAO identified language barriers in Wisconsin and other states for claimants who dont speak English. The PUA online application was only available in English, forcing those needing translation help to phone call centers that were overwhelmed early in the pandemic. New navigator Late last week, DWD announced a $3 million UI Navigator partnership with United Migrant Opportunity Services to boost aid access to migrant and seasonal farmworkers workers, non-English speakers and other workers who face persistent poverty and inequality. The federal Labor Department is funding the partnership, along with similar new programs in six other states. The Department of Workforce Development strives to make Wisconsin a fair and just place for all people to live and work. This includes eliminating racial and ethnic disparities while advancing equity and economic opportunity through workforce development, Jennifer Sereno, a DWD spokesperson, said in a statement that called PUA a new federal program with entirely distinct eligibility criteria. Sereno added: Disparate access to information, technology, documentation, and challenges with validating applicant information can affect the implementation and outcomes of support programs. Critics of Wisconsins approach to unemployment insurance have warned of such barriers for years. Madison attorney Victor Forberger has represented dozens of jobless clients struggling to receive unemployment aid even before the pandemic. He said Wisconsins complex claims filing process might explain some inequities. The claim filing process in Wisconsin is incredibly difficult, he told Wisconsin Watch. Its set up as a bunch of hoops and obstacles that people have to jump through. DWD in late 2020 announced a plan to simplify application language, which Forberger says falls short. And it recently updated its online claimant portal that allows people to submit documents online instead of mailing or faxing them. The agency says it also aims to ease filing for people without internet access. DWD has also taken initial steps to update its 1970s-era IT system, but doing so is expected to take years and cost about $90 million. Forberger said the federal government requires state unemployment systems to avoid discriminating against people with disabilities, people of color and those who dont speak English. And the feds need to start enforcing those requirements, and theyve not been enforcing those requirements nearly to the extent that they need to, he said. Wisconsin Watch collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates. This article first appeared on WisconsinWatch.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on government integrity and quality of life issues. Sign up for its newsletter at wisconsinwatch.org/subscribe for more stories straight to your inbox. Go to wisconsinwatch.org/donate to support Wisconsin Watch. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Trend A regional conference on the "Turkmenistan OSCE: Regional cooperation in the field of transport and logistics development" topic was held, Trend reports citing the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Turkmenistan. According to the ministry, the conference was organized by the delegation of Turkmenistan to the OSCE together with the Office of the Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities and the organization's Center in Ashgabat. It was attended by delegations of OSCE member states, experts, representatives of the private sector, as well as representatives of the UN and other international and regional organizations. The event was dedicated to current economic issues in Central Asia with a special focus on regional cooperation in the field of transport and logistics development. During the meeting, the Turkmen side acquainted the participants with the programs and initiatives of their country in the field of sustainable transport and logistics. Furthermore, the delegation of Turkmenistan also informed the participants about the preparations for the International Transport Conference for Landlocked Developing Countries to be held in the country in August this year. 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 Provis, a full-service real estate company fully owned by Aldar Estates, has won the Property Management Company of the Year award during the 15th edition of Facilities Management Middle East (FMME) Awards 2022 held recently in Dubai. The recognition was for delivering on its operational and geographical expansion strategies, utilising technology to enhance customer experiences, making the business and communities under its management more sustainable and maximising shareholder value, said a statement from Provis. The FMME Awards have become one of the most respected platforms that recognise excellence in the real-estate services sector across the GCC. In its 15th edition, the awards this year received a record number of nearly 200 nominations across different categories and brought together all major players in the industry. On the top honour, CEO HP Aengaar said: "Through strategic acquisitions and growing our in-house capabilities, Provis offers the property market a one-stop-shop for all their real-estate needs. What started off as a specialised estate management company three years ago, is today the largest real-estate services company in the Middle East." "This recognition is a testament to the teams hard work and commitment to transforming the real-estate sector with innovation and unique customer experiences and journeys, and always finding ways to add value to our customers and wider stakeholders," he added. According to him, Provis was set up in 2019 as a professional estate management company by Aldar Properties to become a leading estate management player that offers distinctive, technology powered, innovative customer experiences and journeys. In January last year, it assumed the responsibility of managing Aldar Properties' retail operations and acquired Asteco Property Management, thus expanding its offering to include retail operations, valuation and advisory, and franchising and becoming the largest full-service real-estate services company in the Middle East. In 2021, the revenues and profitability of Provis grew by 125% compared to 2020, which enabled Provis to deliver greater returns to its shareholders. Aengaar said Provis also plays a key role as the FM managing agent in charge of procurement to pay off nearly AED1 billion in FM contracts per year. The company earlier this year acquired Dubai-based Mace Macro Group's Owners Association (OA) business, adding approximately 4,000 new units to its already growing OA portfolio.-TradeArabia News Service KEARNEY A Gibbon man has been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a minor. Elijah Harper, 19, of Gibbon, is charged in Buffalo County District Court with felony first-degree sexual assault of a minor at least 12 years old, but less than 16, and contributing to the delinquency of a child, a misdemeanor. The alleged crimes took place in March and allege sexual penetration. He was arrested on a Buffalo County warrant in April, and is free on bond. If convicted, and he isnt placed on probation, Harper faces a maximum of 50 years in prison and registration as a sex offender if found guilty. Court records detailing the case have been sealed. A hearing is set for July 12 in district court. Malcolm, the son of a couple I knew years ago, once told me he planned on a career as a dog lawyer. As a 10-year-old, he predicted that by the time he became an adult, dogs would basically have the same rights as the rest of us. Scientists might develop a machine that would let dogs communicate through writing or barking and canines would definitely need lawyers. While this might sound like second-rate science fiction, Malcolm saw a possibility of a meaningful career, a career that would help everyone in the world get along better. Unfortunately for Malcolm, the last I heard of him 30 years ago he ran afoul of drugs and ended up on the wrong side of the law. When I heard of a recent court hearing involving animal rights, I wondered if Malcolm had anything to do with it. New Yorks top court ruled last week that Happy, an elephant so famous she uses only one name, cannot be considered a person and therefore cannot be freed from her habitat at the Bronx Zoo. Advocates for the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a lawsuit suggesting that Happy should be released through a habeas corpus proceeding. Habeas corpus protects individuals from unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. State Court Chief Judge Janet DiFiore wrote a decision that said, while no one disputes the elephants are intelligent beings deserving of proper care and compassion, a writ of habeas corpus does not apply to a nonhuman animal like Happy. When I first heard about this ruling, my irony radar immediately kicked in. Can an elephant be cited for not wearing pants in public? Do elephants have the same rights to carry and use a firearm like the rest of us? If we classify elephants as persons, can they run for school board? Instead, I decided to explore a more noble path and to avoid harassing emails from real people who love animals as well as real people who see them as animals. In 50 or 100 years will we look back at this ruling, bang our collective heads against the wall and wail, How could we have been so blind? In coming to this conclusion, I considered the Dred Scott decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857. It basically said that the U.S. Constitution did not apply to people of African descent, whether enslaved or not. Most scholars look at the ruling as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions. The case proves that not all decisions work out in the long run. Perhaps in 50 to 100 years we will have a device that allows elephants as well as rabbits, possums, dogs and all other animals to express themselves in an intelligent manner. I can just imagine an email I might get: Dear Mr. Brown, As a groundhog I wish to confront your illegal and immoral removal of my great-great-great-great grandfather from your yard in 2022 via a live trap. Shame on you, etc. And how about that squirrel I accidentally ran over and killed with my bicycle five years ago? Undoubtedly I will have more than a few questions regarding manslaughter (squirrelslaughter?) to account for someday in the future. Obviously an elephant is not a human being, but what does it mean to have compassion for animals in such a complex world? As a youngster, I remember hearing in church Thou shall not kill, and yet understanding that merely washing my hands kills bacteria by the millions. Drawing the line on morality gets more complicated as we look deeper into our actions. As I often tell my children, I rejoice at living as close to the top of the food chain as possible. Right now I will kick the can down the road on this personhood question for Happy (no last name) and adopt a wait-and-see attitude regarding my collective guilt. THE AUTHOR Rick Brown lives and writes in central Nebraska where he covers the arts, and other topics, as a journalist and columnist. Contact him at Rick@YardLightMedia.com As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting now on the generosity of blood and platelet donors, especially around the Fourth of July. The Red Cross sees about a 21% decline in blood and platelet donations during holiday weeks, including Independence Day. When blood donations drop, so does the blood supply, making it extremely challenging to ensure blood is available when hospitals need it. By scheduling and keeping appointments in July, donors can help provide for those in immediate need of lifesaving care. To schedule an appointment to donate, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you for helping, all those who come to give June 30-July 10 will receive an exclusive Red Cross recycled cotton tote bag, while supplies last. Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 1-15: Vernon County Chaseburg, July 7: 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., Village Hall, 400 Depot St. Stoddard, June 27: 12 to 5 p.m., St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church, 303 N. Main St. Monroe County Fort McCoy, June 24: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Bldg. 50, Bldg. 50 South O Street; July 15: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Bldg 50, Bldg. 50 South O Street Sparta, July 14: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., American Legion, 1116 Angelo Rd. Health insights for donors At a time when health information has never been more important, the Red Cross is screening all blood, platelet and plasma donations from self-identified African American donors for the sickle cell trait. This additional screening will provide Black donors with an additional health insight and help the Red Cross identify compatible blood types more quickly to help patients with sickle cell disease. Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for those with sickle cell disease, and blood donations from individuals of the same race, ethnicity and blood type have a unique ability to help patients fighting sickle cell disease. Donors can expect to receive sickle cell trait screening results, if applicable, within one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. Blood drive safety The Red Cross follows a high standard of safety and infection control. The Red Cross will continue to socially distance wherever possible at blood drives, donation centers and facilities. While donors are no longer required to wear a face mask, individuals may choose to continue to wear a mask for any reason. The Red Cross will also adhere to more stringent face mask requirements per state and/or local guidance, or at the request of blood drive sponsors. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at a drive. How to donate blood Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Many dream of a Hawaiian vacation. But for a UW-La Crosse professor and her students it was more than a dream and more than a vacation. It was an inspiring opportunity to do research while learning about Hawaiian ecosystems, medicine and culture. Biology professor Jennifer Klein and 16 biology students traveled to the big island in May to take part in a variety of undergraduate research projects. The student teams assembled in February to begin designing their research proposals. They focused on topics that emerged from their own curiosity about Hawaiian ecosystems, the impacts of humans on the ocean environment, the use of plants in traditional Hawaiian medicine, and the converging of modern healthcare and traditional healing. During the trip, students did their field research in Volcanoes National Park, the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and beaches at multiple Hawaii state parks. Plant specimens, medicinal herbs and ocean microplastic samples were collected and are being analyzed by returning students in ongoing research. Klein says the expedition was designed to mimic course-embedded undergraduate research, a strategy used to engage entire groups of students in mentored research experiences. Undergraduate research experiences are invaluable for building skillsets and developing aptitudes required for science-related careers, she explains. Klein says COVID prevented students from pursuing research in faculty labs. She says most seniors who went on the expedition participated to experience authentic, independent research for the first time. For many students, a major takeaway was simply being able to develop and pursue their own project, she says. Not only did students experience the scientific process firsthand, but they grasped knowledge of a new environment and culture. One senior says the experience of Hawaii apart from the science was critical. Interacting with a variety of locals at farmers markets and around Kona gave me some insight into local Hawaiian culture, says Tristan Pittman. Listening to locals playing music, jamming with them, and speaking with them between songs also showed me some contrast between the Hawaiian mindset toward music and that of mainland culture. Another student said she benefited from meeting new people who shared their personal and career stories. Hearing others stories about how they got to where they are and how they have adapted over the years really put my wants and needs into perspective, says senior Madelyn Kruser. Coming into this experience, I was unsure about what I wanted to do post-college, but now I have realized that there is more out there for me that I would enjoy and be willing to pursue. The students also saw the expedition improve their sense of self-efficacy, confidence and self-reliance areas of personal growth rarely experienced in a traditional classroom, but ones that easily occur when studying abroad. Klein says many students had never navigated airline travel, swam or snorkeled in the ocean, or hiked across the crater of a volcano or in a rainforest. None had eaten the legendary Hawaiian noni fruit until the visit. With encouragement and support from those around them, everyone was able to adopt the right amount of challenge to experience growth, she says. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bank ABC, a leading international bank in Mena region, is inviting autonomous financial advisory solution providers to take part in its innovation challenge hosted as part of Bahrain Open Banking Supernova 2022, led by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB). The challenge, which closes on June 26, is aimed at scouting unique technological solutions to power the banks AI-driven, emotionally intelligent, digital human assistant, Fatema to serve as an autonomous financial advisor for corporates and individuals, said a statement from ABC. This initiative comes as part of Bank ABCs comprehensive multi-year Group Digital Transformation Programme aimed at building a client-centric bank of the future, driving digital transformation in financial services in the Mena region and beyond. Bank ABC said the innovation challenge is open to regional and global solution providers, leveraging open banking ecosystems. The proposed solution will be utilized to enable the Banks digital human avatar Fatema to serve as a smart Digital Financial Advisor and further augment her existing intuitive customer support capabilities. On the innovation challenge, Group Chief Innovation Officer Dr Yousif Almas said: "At Bank ABC, we envisage the future of banking to be very different from the current way of banking. We endeavor to be at the forefront of shaping the future of banking as we make it more intuitive, integrated and flexible for our clients." "The winning solution will be considered for integration with our Digital Assistants human-like conversational AI capabilities to offer corporates and individuals instant contextual financial advisory services, at their convenience," he stated. "It may also enable the Bank to effectively communicate in sign language and ultimately spur financial inclusion in the region," he added. The proposed solution must connect the banks Digital Assistant to an open banking infrastructure to enable it to provide holistic financial advisory services through a frictionless, secure and effortless experience. Furthermore, it should provide the digital assistant with the appropriate use cases and data visualisation capabilities through APIs. According to Bank ABC, the full challenge criteria, technical requirements and terms and conditions are available on Finhub973s website. The winner will be declared on July 5, following two shortlisting rounds on June 30 and July 7, and if ready, will be given the opportunity to develop a proof-of-concept (POC) by integrating the proposed solution with the Banks Digital Assistant (Fatema).-TradeArabia News Service Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the largest utility company in the Middle East and North Africa, has secured two ISO certificates from Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, for complying with international standards of ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 for Information Technology Service Management and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for Information Security Management. SEC had initially been granted two ISO certifications from Intertek two years ago. These were awarded for continuing to uphold the global standards and expanding its scope across 68 different services within the companys Information Technology & Digital Transformation. Using the ISO/IEC 27000 family of standards helps organisations manage the security of assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee details or information entrusted to the company by third parties. According to Intertek, an information security management system is a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information so that it remains secure. ISO/IEC 20000-1 promotes the adoption of a service management system to provide value and consistency for both the customer and the service provider. These certifications validate SECs focus on its customers through establishing international communication centers supported by new technologies that comply with global standards, it stated. The certifications were presented by Waqas Ahmed, Area Manager for the Eastern Region at Intertek, to Zaid A. Al-Jendel, the Executive Director of SEC and the senior management team during a special ceremony held at SEC headquarters in Riyadh. Speaking at the event, Al Jendel said: "Information Technology & Digital Transformation are at the heart of many core activities that businesses and individuals conduct every day, and it is crucial for an industry leader like SEC to implement and maintain the highest international standards and to continue to enhance them." "Our customers trust us for this continuous commitment and drive. Having these two certifications from Intertek demonstrate that we are steadfast about ensuring that we always implement best-in-class management system practices and provide high-quality services," he added. Sandeep Vig, the SEC Director for Business Assurance (MENAP and India), said: "We are committed to providing high-quality IT and communication services across Saudi Arabia based on the highest international standards." "Getting certified for 68 services enables the company to manage its IT systems more efficiently while further mitigating any security risk to the business," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A Japanese court has ruled that the countrys ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the constitution. The decision this week by a district court in Osaka disagreed with a ruling last year by a Sapporo court that found the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Activists had hoped the Osaka court would agree with the Sapporo courts decision. That could have raised pressure on Japans central government to consider the issue further. Japan is the only Group of Seven nation that does not permit people of the same gender to marry. Three same-sex couples brought the case in Osaka. In addition to rejecting their claim that the ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, the court denied their demand for about $7,400 in damages for each couple. "I actually wonder if the legal system in this country is really working," said one of the plaintiffs, Machi Sakata. She married her American partner in the United States. The two are expecting a baby in August. "I think there's the possibility this ruling may really corner us," Sakata added. Japan's constitution defines marriage as being based on "the mutual consent of both sexes." But gay rights activists were hopeful in the Osaka case. Tokyo introduced partnerships for gay couples last week, and public support for same-sex marriage is rising in Japan. The Osaka court ruled that marriage was defined as being only between opposite genders. The court also said there has not been enough debate on same-sex marriage in Japanese society. The lawyer representing the plaintiffs, Akiyoshi Miwa, told Reuters his legal argument centered on the idea that "we wanted same-sex couples to have access to the same things as regular couples." He said an appeal of the ruling was planned. Taiwan is the only Asian country that has legalized same-sex marriage. Under current rules in Japan, members of same-sex couples are not permitted to legally marry. They also cannot inherit each other's belongings or property, like a house they may have shared. They also have no parental rights over each other's children. Partnership registrations issued by local governments help same-sex couples rent property together and have hospital visitation rights. But they do not give them the full legal rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples. Last week, the Tokyo government passed a bill to recognize same-sex partnership agreements. That means local governments covering more than half of Japan's population now offer such recognition. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said the issue needs to be carefully considered in Japan. But his ruling Liberal Democratic Party has signaled that it has no plans to closely examine the matter or propose legislation. Some senior party members, however, have expressed support for reforms on the issue. A public opinion study by Tokyos local government late last year found that about 70 percent of people were in favor of same-sex marriage. Activists say legalizing same-sex marriage would have far-reaching effects, both socially and economically. They say it could help bring foreign companies to the world's third-largest economy. Masa Yanagisawa is with investment banking company Goldman Sachs. He is also a board member of the activist group Marriage for all Japan. Yanagisawa told Reuters that some international companies consider a nations position on same-sex marriage when deciding on future business plans in Asia. "International businesses don't want to invest in a (place) that isn't LGBTQ-friendly," he said. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting from Reuters. ________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story gender n. a person's own sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female plaintiff n. a person who sues another person or accuses another person of a crime in a court of law corner v. to force into a place or position from which escape is very difficult or impossible consent n. permission for something to happen or be done gay adj. sexually or romantically attracted to someone who is the same sex access n. permission or the right to enter, get near, or make use of something or to have contact with someone inherit v. to receive from someone when that person dies heterosexual adj. sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex LGBTQ adj. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (one's sexual or gender identity) A team of lawyers recently renewed calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into the treatment of Uyghurs and others in Chinas Xinjiang area. The group presented an evidence report to the ICC. Activists and lawyers accuse China of crimes against humanity and genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups. Chinas ruling Communist Party has denied all reports of human rights violations and genocide in Xinjiang. The filing is the latest attempt to have the international court open an investigation into widespread claims of abuse against Uyghurs by Chinese officials. The legal team said it provided evidence that includes statements from a witness who escaped from an internment camp in 2018. The witness claims that he and others were tortured and forced to undergo medical treatments. One treatment included being injected with unknown substances. In recent years, China has carried out a severe crackdown on the Uyghurs, which it has described as a war on terror. The governments campaign has sent one million or more people to internment camps and prisons. The latest filing seeks to support the legal teams claim that ICC prosecutors have jurisdiction, even though China is not a member of the court. The lawyers argue that Uyghurs and others are being gathered on the territory of an ICC member state and sent to China. The courts judges previously ruled that the ICC has jurisdiction to investigate abuses against Myanmars Rohingya minority group. Myanmar is also not a member of the court. But thousands of Rohingya were forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, which is an ICC member. British lawyer Rodney Dixon said evidence presented to the courts prosecutors office uncovers a plan to round up Uyghurs in neighboring countriesand elsewhere, to force them back into China. The legal team said in a statement, The ICC has jurisdiction over these crimes that commence on ICC territory and continue into China and is urged to act immediately to open an investigation. The filing comes one year after lawyers first called on the ICC to open an investigation. Im Jonathan Evans. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English based on a report from the Associated Press. _____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story internment n. the state of being confined as a prisoner, especially for political or military reasons. crackdown n. severe measures to restrict or discourage undesirable or illegal people or behavior. prosecutor n. a lawyer in a criminal case who tries to prove that the accused person is guilty jurisdiction n. the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law commence v. to begin Multinationals still full of confidence in China's economy Xinhua) 08:20, June 22, 2022 * China remains the world's most appealing investment destination despite the near-term headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic. * A total of 99 key foreign investment projects with a combined investment of 15.6 billion U.S. dollars were signed at the third Qingdao Multinationals Summit. * The investment fields mainly involve high-end equipment, new energy and new materials, new-generation information technology, as well as modern finance, agriculture, and service. Participants attend the opening ceremony of the third Qingdao Multinationals Summit in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, June 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) JINAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China remains the world's most appealing investment destination despite the near-term headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic, noted representatives from multinational corporate giants and industry insiders at the third Qingdao Multinationals Summit in the coastal city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Themed "Multinationals and China," this year's summit focused on topics including global industrial and supply chain reconstruction in the post-pandemic era, implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and promotion of institutional opening up, multinationals' role in enhancing economic and social development, and the Yellow River Basin ecological protection and high-quality development. More than 5,600 industry leaders, company delegates, ambassadors, scholars, and government officials participated in the summit online and offline. A total of 99 key foreign investment projects with a combined investment of 15.6 billion U.S. dollars were signed at the three-day summit that opened on Sunday. The investment fields mainly involve high-end equipment, new energy and new materials, new-generation information technology, as well as modern finance, agriculture, and service. Visitors view the Exhibition on Multinationals and China during the third Qingdao Multinationals Summit in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, June 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) SUSTAINED CONFIDENCE Companies at the summit expressed their persistent confidence in the prospects of the Chinese market. "We had a great performance in the first two quarters, especially in May," noted Ai Zhouping, president of Heraues (China) Investment Co., Ltd. Ai noted that thanks to the effective control of the pandemic and the smooth work resumption progress, the logistics and related industries are recovering. "Our gross sales and margin indicators in May met expectations, and were better than those from the same period last year," Ai said, adding that with a total investment of about 200 million U.S. dollars, the company is making great progress on nearly 10 projects in China. Nicolas Poirot, Air Liquide China President &CEO, said at the summit that over the past three decades, Air Liquide has made solid achievements in China, operating more than 120 plants in over 40 Chinese cities with around 5,000 employees across the country. Air Liquide is a multinational industrial gas supplier based in France. "China is the world's largest manufacturing country and will become the largest high-quality consumer market, and we have confidence in the Chinese market," said Poirot. J.P. Morgan is also a witness of the remarkable achievements of China's fast development. "We've participated in the development of China's financial markets for a very long time, and witnessed the market growing and opening up. We believe the impact of the pandemic will be temporary, and the promising prospect of this market is still a key attraction to multinationals," said Yu Bing, general manager of the Shanghai branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank (China) Company Limited. AstraZeneca, a leading global pharmaceutical company, has been deeply devoted to the Chinese market for nearly 30 years. The Chinese government has, in recent years, unveiled and adopted a series of policies, demonstrating its commitment to creating a world-class business environment, promoting a higher level of opening up in the long term, and enhancing confidence for multinational enterprises to develop and step up investment in China, according to Leon Wang, executive vice president, international and China president of AstraZeneca. 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 U.S. dollars in the first five months of the year. In the January-April period, China saw 185 newly-added major projects, each with a foreign investment of over 100 million U.S. dollars. An employee works at a base of Dow Chemical Company in Zhangjiagang, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 8, 2020. (Xinhua) PROMISING PROSPECT "Air Liquide will increase its investment and recruitment and enhance innovation in hydrogen, electronics, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, and other fields, deepen exchanges with Chinese partners, and contribute to the high-quality innovative development of China's economy," said Poirot. The America Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) said in a recently published white paper that AmCham China's member companies stand committed to the Chinese market. About two-thirds of the companies surveyed listed China as the world's top three investment destinations, the report said, adding that about 83 percent of the companies surveyed said that they did not consider moving production or procurement outside China. During the Summit, AstraZeneca and the Qingdao municipal government signed a memorandum of understanding, announcing the establishment of AstraZeneca China's regional headquarters in Qingdao. "With complete industrial supporting facilities, a huge market potential, and high labor productivity, China's core competitiveness in the global supply chain is still obvious," noted Lin Meng with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. According to Lin, the implementation of a series of reforms, opening up, transformation, and development policies and measures will give China further momentum in innovation and raising comprehensive efficiency of the supply chain. This is the third time Dow, a global materials science leader with 125 years of history, participated in the summit. Jon Penrice, president of Dow Asia Pacific, joined the summit online this time. China is one of Dow's most important markets and currently the largest one outside of the United States, Penrice said. "We believe the Chinese market will continue to play a big role in our business." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu) Shuaa Capital, a leading asset management and investment banking platform in the region, has announced that its subsidiary Northacre has joined forces with the globally-renowned St. Regis hotel brand at No 1 Palace Street. Located at one of Londons most coveted addresses, No 1 Palace Street, adjacent to Her Majestys official London residence, Buckingham Palace, the building comprises 72 apartments, each individual in design and layout, said a statement from Shuaaa. Scheduled for completion later this year, this luxury development will allow its residents to live exquisite by offering an array of extraordinary services, exclusive to No.1 Palace Street, The Residences, it added. This truly unrivalled location, combined with the glamorous spirit, high design, and celebrated heritage of St. Regis, will create an unmatched offering for Northacres first branded residence, said a top official. "As part of our successful investment strategy in the UK property market, we are ecstatic to have Northacre partner with St. Regis, one of the worlds most celebrated hotel brands, as we take our landmark residence through completion over the coming months," remarked Jassim Alseddiqi, Board Member and Managing Director of Shuaa Capital. "The bespoke service St. Regis is known for, combined with our passion for creating extraordinary buildings that are environmentally and architecturally exceptional, will enable us to deliver the ultimate London address whilst enhancing the health and wellbeing of our residents," he noted. CEO Fawad Tariq Khan said: "An address that carries a prestigious name will always have high value and serve as an excellent investment for investors who are increasingly seeking quality properties with the prestige, comfort and services that a hotel brand and operator can provide." "Northacre's collaboration with a renowned brand like St. Regis will elevate No. 1 Palace Street's appeal among real estate investors," noted Khan. On the strategic tieup, Satya Anand, the President of Marriott International (Europe, Middle East & Africa) said: "The signing of No.1 Palace Street, The St. Regis Residences London, marks a pivotal moment in the growth of Marriott Internationals portfolio of branded residences." "Situated at Londons finest address, The St. Regis Residences, mark the first standalone branded residential property for St. Regis in Europe, and is set to deliver a new level of bespoke luxury living in the heart of the city," he stated. "This licence and management agreement is a testament to Northacres faith in the storied St. Regis brand, and we look forward to working with them to bring the sophisticated style and exquisite experience, for which St. Regis is renowned, to Londons residential property market," explained Anand. A range of apartments from one- to five-bedrooms and penthouses are available for purchase immediately and residents can expect to receive the full St. Regis experience from October 2022, he added.-TradeArabia News Service About 100 meters from the coast of Dakar, Senegal are eight sculptures rising from the ocean floor, five meters below. The pieces of art are part of Oceanium, an ocean diving center and environmental organization in the capital of the West African nation. Dutch and Italian artists Mischa Sanders and Philipp Putzer created the sculptures while training in Dakar. VOA and other media were not able to visit the sculptures during a planned visit recently because of poor weather. The works were first shown at Dakars art event which ended this week. The goal is to bring more attention to the pollution that surrounds the sculptures in the hopes of creating a discussion about the environment. Charlotte Thomas is Oceaniums head of communications. Thomas said, You see, here in Senegal, the pollution is everywhere. She added, You go into Dakar and you see waste all around you. And with the rainy season coming, its going to go into the sea. So, if we are not protecting our land, we cannot protect our sea. Besides Senegals high plastic pollution, development projects over the last ten years have greatly changed the coastline and hurt the easily damaged environment. Fish stocks have greatly dropped as commercial and local fishing boats continue to use unsustainable fishing methods. In 2015, the government passed a law banning single-use plastic, but it was never enforced. Since then, other similar laws have passed, but those never went into effect either. Senegal-born Rodwan El Ali, the diving director of Oceanium, oversees the underwater art project. El Ali said in French, I live underwater, and I can see that the areas that were so beautiful when I was young, today not only are there no fish left, but theyve been replaced by plastic bottles, cans and all sorts of things. Its painful for me. El Ali said he used to see large ocean animals like dolphins, whales and sharks. He said he also caught fish that were his size. Now, he said, there is hardly anything left. Were in a country where the environment is not a priority. He added, Maybe [politicians] mention it in speeches, but in reality, they do nothing. No one is monitoring, no one is doing anything. You could go out to sea and do whatever you want and no one will stop you. Since the sculptures were placed underwater in December, they have given rise to their own ecosystem. The sculptures are made of a material called clay. They are covered in sea life like barnacles, shellfish and urchins. Fish visit often to find shelter and feed on plants. Organizers say they plan to take on local artists to create new sculptures that will be added to the pieces over time. Im Gregory Stachel. Annika Hammerschlag reported this story for Voice of America. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sculpture n. a piece of art that is made by carving or molding clay, stone, or metal sustainable adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources priority n. something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first mention v. to talk about, write about, or refer to (something or someone) especially in a brief way monitor v. to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time ecosystem n. everything that exists in a particular environment We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Linn County voters will have the chance this November to vote on whether they support a proposed ban on psilocybin production, manufacturing and service centers in the county under the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act. The Linn County Board of Commissioners decided unanimously during a meeting on Tuesday, June 21 to put the matter on the general election ballot. My fear is of young people taking mushrooms and going out and doing things that may cost them their life, Commissioner Roger Nyquist said. I just think its appropriate to refer this measure to the voters in Linn County and allow them to have a say in this, particularly because they did not vote to support this measure in the first place, he added. Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as psychedelic mushrooms, have been shown in some U.S. Food and Drug Administration studies to be an effective treatment for mental health conditions including addiction, depression, anxiety and end-of-life distress. However, the psychedelic nature of psilocybin has made it a controversial topic in Linn County. Oregon voters approved in November 2020 Measure 109, the psilocybin program, which directed the Oregon Health Authority to license and regulate everything to do with psilocybin products for individuals 21 and over. The vote was fairly split, with 56% of all Oregonians voting yes and 44% voting no. In Linn County, however, those numbers were flipped, with 55% voting no and 45% voting yes. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. Counties are automatically opted into the psilocybin program, which is set to begin Jan. 2, 2023, unless a governing body adopts ordinances that allow its constituents to decide if theyd rather not have these facilities in their area. Commissioners have three options when it comes to psilocybin in Linn County: allow the program to proceed automatically; refer the matter to voters in November; or adopt time, place and manner regulations for the program. A ban on psilocybin production, manufacturing and service centers would impact only the areas in Linn County outside of the incorporated city limits. Commissioner Will Tucker said he wishes voters had the same opportunity to vote for a ban on Measure 110, which made Oregon the first state to decriminalize the possession of hard drugs and use money saved from enforcing criminal drug possession penalties to fund a new drug addiction treatment and recovery program. Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger said it was naive and ill-informed to think legalizing marijuana would eliminate the black market for weed, and she thinks the same argument will continue around psilocybin. The situation many rural folks in Oregon find themselves in frequently is this idea that our voice wasnt heard and our voice wasnt taken into consideration, Sprenger said. Sometimes we feel like the metropolitan areas, i.e. Portland and Eugene, make decisions for the rest of us. Local voters need to have a say in their own community. Joanna Mann (she/her) covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Former Lebanon library director Denice Lee remembers when overdue book fines were a penny a day. That penny was motivation enough in the 1950s for children to get their books turned in at the library in Walla Walla, Washington, where she grew up. Fines were the unquestioned deterrent to public book hogs as she worked at, then directed, Lebanon Public Library for 23 years, 1989 to 2012. But Lebanons suspended fines for overdue childrens reading material June 1, becoming the latest in the mid-Willamette Valley to join a national movement to expand youth access to public books. Times change. Peoples access to information changes, and I see this as a move toward a more modern perspective, Lee said. Equal not equitable A universal fine assumes universal means across all patrons to return books or else risk penalties. And thats not fair in Lebanon where most children qualify for subsidized lunches and nearly one in four households pay more than half their income to landlords, current Library Director Kendra Antila said. They dont hit everyone the same way, she said. Ostensibly enacted to keep library materials on library shelves, patrons in some districts accepted fines for more than a century as a sensible deterrent to hoarding books. Everyone meets with the same financial risk, levied equally across all tardy returns. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Lebanon Express. The citys library enacted a 25-cent fee to reserve a book in Lebanon and the reserve list shrunk from the length of an arm, Lee said, to just a dozen names. Books otherwise locked up on the reserve shelves went back into circulation a win for payment as deterrent. It is a public library, and you need to make materials available to the public, she said. But whats equal isnt always equitable, Antila said. Fines of even a few dollars deeply impact the budgets of some patrons. One family is told they have a $10 late fee, and they whip out a $10 bill and pay the fine, no big deal, she said. But another family is now making the decision between 2 gallons of gas in their car or milk and bread. Lee said the Library Advisory Committee agreed and sent its recommendation to Lebanon City Council which in turn voted unanimously in May to update the librarys policy book, effectively ending fines on childrens materials. Materials including books in the librarys easy, junior, and young adult collections are immune from overdue fees. The library waived outstanding fines. Feeling the pinch An estimated 19,122 people live in the librarys service area. State data shows nearly 65% of students in Lebanon Community School District qualified for free or reduced lunches in 2021. Oregons housing finance department estimates 26% of Lebanon homes are rent-burdened, down from near 36% in 2019 according to Housing and Community Services Department figures. I cannot tell you how many times people have come up to the counter to check out books, and I have to tell them youre over $5 and blocked from checking out books, Antila said. The library intimidates some of those would-be book-borrowers. They never come in, Antila said, scared off by the threat of potential fines. Or they dont return when they know they owe the library money. They dont come back. The book doesnt come back, Antila said. Lebanons library system collected $12,000 in fines during 2019, the last year before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. That money doesnt stay in the library, Antila said, going instead to the citys general fund where it likely wont be missed. The city budgeted $15.78 million of revenue in its 2022 to 2023 fiscal year. That didnt have any impact in our bottom line, so to speak, Antila said. With no impact to the librarys finances and possibly serving as a deterrent to some of the citys most in-need children, Antila advocated with the librarys advisory committee to seek abolishing fines. It's really the children who pay the price, she said. A persisting trend Mid-Willamette Valley libraries have seen books and patrons return after suspending fines. Covallis-Benton County Public Library eliminated late fees for childrens material in 2017 and expanded the fine waiver system-wide in 2020. Sweet Home started a three-month trial in November, then permanently eliminated all overdue fees in February, Library Director Megan Dazey told Mid-Valley Media in April. We received a lot of books that had been overdue for years, and we had a lot of people who came back who were afraid of their fines, Dazey said. Eric Ikenouye, director of Albany Public Library, said the library saw a book missing for nine years return after suspending fines for all borrowable materials. We certainly have seen materials that were many, many years overdue show back up in the building, he said. Ikenouye said there are still due dates and the library still bills patrons for materials that go missing beyond a few months. But Albany is meeting its goal to remove the threat of payment as a barrier. Simple mistakes dont become financial disasters. This helps the people with a book that slid under the car seat, or whose child maybe misplaced a book, he said. The library chose April 15 tax day to abolish fines. Like other local library directors, Ikenouye said early results show suspending fines is more of an incentive for patrons to bring books back than it is a deterrent for theft. Libraries are not in place to teach personal responsibility or to mete out punishment, he said. What weve seen is if someone really truly wants the book and has zero intentions of returning it, theyre going to find a way to take the book, regardless of the fine we charge them, Ikenouye added. Alex Powers (he/him) covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Call 541-812-6116 or email Alex.Powers@lee.net. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating emancipation of enslaved African Americans, is observed Monday, June 20. Here is a list of schedules and closures for the weekend: LEXINGTON If you glanced up toward the sky or observed a sunset recently and thought the sky looked rather hazy, you would be correct. The culprit: the Sahara Desert in Africa. The Sahara Desert is by far Earth's largest source of airborne dust, and the storms can arise at any time of year. In winter and spring storms, Saharan dust often ends up fertilizing the nutrient-poor soils of the Amazon rainforest, according to the NASA Earth Observatory. NASA satellite sensors that track aerosol optical depth observed substantial increases in sunlight-reflecting particles over the region starting on May 29 and continuing to June 6. Natural-color satellite imagery from May 30 to June 6 showed the storms progression across the water, NASA stated. The dust overspread the local area and contributed to the hazy skies and red tinged sunsets over the past week. The last time the United States experienced a large Sahara Dust plume event was in June 2020. Strong thunderstorms and convective systems over Africa can create massive dust storms. The pressure patterns and winds in the Atlantic are currently very favorable, carrying these massive dust storms across the ocean toward the United States. These large dust clouds are also called SAL (Saharan Air Layer). This is a mass of very dry air, filled with desert dust that forms over the Sahara during late spring, summer, and early autumn. The Saharan Air Layer is warm, stable, and very dry. It has about 50 percent less moisture than the typical tropical atmosphere. The warmth, dryness, and strong winds associated with these events have been shown to suppress tropical cyclone formation and intensification. Some larger dust storm events can also form in early spring. These dust storms move over the tropical North Atlantic. They can pulse every few days, sending new waves of dust. Some events during the warm season can reach very high volumes of dust and can reach far to the west, according to Severe Weather Europe. The desert regions of northern Africa are estimated to release about 800 million tons of dust each year. That is 70 percent of the total global dust emissions, and six times more than the next largest source, Asia. A large portion of these emissions is carried to the west over the Atlantic Ocean. So how can these large dust storms travel so far to the west that they reach parts of the United States? The answer is the tropical trade winds. Trade winds are the prevailing easterly winds that circle the Earth near the equator. They are stronger and more consistent over the oceans. These easterly winds at low and higher levels act as a natural steering mechanism for dust storms and also for tropical storms during the hurricane season, per Severe Weather Europe. The trade winds are not really that strong. Their average speed is 11 to 13 miles per hour, reaching up to 30 miles per hour or more. But the true power of the trade winds is in their persistence. Large dust clouds can cause a change in weather, as they typically bring drier and more stable air, which means less precipitation. Fine dust particles can also act as a natural fertilizer, so it is beneficial for the soil. After launching a pair of true wireless earbuds last year with a decent feature set, unique design, and reasonably affordable price tag, Nothing plans to launch its first smartphone next month. The company, which was founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has been building buzz for the upcoming Nothing Phone (1) ahead of launch but one thing the company hasnt publicly confirmed until now? The phone isnt meant for use in North America. This week the company began auctioning off the first 100 Nothing Phone (1) units to the highest bidders, and the auction page includes the following disclaimer: Nothing phone (1) is not fully supported in North America. Functionality may be impacted depending on your carrier, coverage, speed and/or reliability; or it may not function at all. Purchase is not available for customers living in Mexico and South Korea. For a full Nothing phone (1) carrier list, please see the country and carrier list at: www.stockx.com/lp/nothing/ As Evan Blass pointed out on Twitter, its difficult for startup phone makers to break into Noth American phone markets which are dominated by a handful of wireless carriers. But there was a chance that the limited network support in the US and Canada was only limited to the phones that Nothing was auctioning off, so the folks at PCMag reached out for clarification and got it. Nothing released a statement noting that the company is focusing first on the UK and Europe, but Nothing does have big plans to launch a US supported smartphone in the future and plans to make a limited quantity of Nothing Phone (1) units available to enthusiasts in the US through a closed beta program, but it will likely have limited support for US cellular networks. PCMag says coverage on T-Mobile will be unpredictable. AT&T users wont be able to make use of voice-over-4G technology. And the phone wont work on Verizon at all. Pure Health, the UAEs largest integrated healthcare group, has committed AED10 billion ($2.72 billion) over the next 10 years in local procurement as part of its decision to join the National In-Country Value Programme. Pure Health has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) to join the programme, one of the key pillars of the country's industrial strategy. As part of the agreement, which supports the localisation of supply chains by redirecting higher portions of public spending into the local economy, Pure Health and MoIAT will collaborate on initiatives to stimulate local industrial content, capitalise on opportunities within the healthcare sector and conduct training programmes to upskill the national workforce. Huge boost The signing, on the second day of the Make it in the Emirates Forum, was witnessed by Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. The agreement was signed by Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Farhan Malik, Managing Director of Pure Health Group. The two-day forum, organised by MoIAT, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added), convenes major local and global industrial companies, government entities and financial institutions to discuss partnerships and opportunities to enhance the UAEs industrial sector. Al Suwaidi said: The agreement with Pure Health is a huge boost to the National ICV Programme, which aims to redirect expenditure from leading national companies and government entities into the local economy by prioritising local suppliers. Pumps AED40 billion to the economy Currently, 45 government entities, six leading national companies, and 5,500 local industrial companies are participating in the programme. And in the first year of its implementation at the federal level, the National ICV Programme succeeded in redirecting more than AED40 billion into the national economy. Our leaderships vision was the starting point of the national industrial strategy and to contribute to a diversified and sustainable economy that leverages the UAEs competitive advantages. Part of the strategy includes localising supply chains to ensure continued business growth in priority sectors, including the healthcare sector. Covid has proven to us the importance of building resilient supply chains in healthcare and F&B. Elevating healthcare Commenting on the agreement, Farhan Malik, Managing Director of Pure Health, said: Pure Health is committed to elevating the healthcare landscape in the UAE and the region. Our purpose is clear to support the industrial and manufacturing ecosystem in the UAE with an innovative model to realise the vision of our wise leadership, ensuring it keeps pace with future industry demands, trends, and innovation. In line with this, our agreement with MoIAT is a pivotal step in our long-term plan to localise knowledge, as we are already a part of the 4th Industrial Revolution. We are future-proofing our healthcare system for a world of Technological Singularity, enhancing the self-sufficiency of domestic products, and establishing an infrastructure through the adoption of advanced technologies to enable the UAE to lead the way in futuristic industries and global competitiveness. Farhan added: Our vision at Pure Health is to make the UAE the health capital of the world through our Science of Longevity platform to enable people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. In parallel with it, initiatives such as this commitment with MoIAT are aimed at supporting local industries and community as part of our roadmap to future proof our healthcare systems as well as our local businesses in line with our countrys vision. Growth of national industries The forum, which includes panels and exhibitions, aims to promote the growth of national industries and discuss opportunities for partnership and cooperation in the industrial sector, in addition to presenting opportunities for product localisation, redirect the value of purchases into the national economy, and benefit from local purchasing power to develop the industrial sector. The eleven sectors include metals, petrochemicals, chemical industries, plastics, machinery and equipment, defense industries, pharmaceutical industries, technology and medical equipment, communications, and agricultural technology. The over 300 new products introduced for local production will contribute over AED6 billion annually to the national GDP. Localising these products is also expected to attract investments, promote the industrial sector and advanced technology, diversify the economy, enhance economic growth and sustainability, create new job opportunities and fortify supply chains. The agreement emphasises the importance of coordination and cooperation between government institutions and the private sector in the UAE to develop constructive solutions and improve the countrys global competitiveness.-- TradeArabia News Service WASHINGTON (AP) A steady stream of protesters has turned the street in front of the Supreme Court building into an open-air forum encapsulating the fierce national debate over abortion after the leak of a draft opinion suggesting the justices would overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Both supporters and foes of abortion rights have gathered during large, organized weekend marches and on weekdays when the court is scheduled to release its opinion. They march and chant; sometimes they attempt to shout the other side down. For each, the reasons for protesting are deeply personal. Here's what some had to say: Benita Lubic of Washington A widow, Lubic was joined by her daughter Wendie Lubic, sitting in a black canvas camping chair between the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, holding a handwritten sign saying, I dont regret my abortion. In 1968, and with three children already, Benita Lubics IUD birth control device failed. She was allowed a medical abortion in Washington, D.C., but doctors also performed a partial hysterectomy, she believes, to ensure she would have no further pregnancies. Im a senior citizen so I am way past having another child, but I do want to help younger people, particularly those who have been raped and abused, that they will be able to get an abortion, said Lubic, 86. Wendie Lubic, 60, also had an abortion, in 1986, although she didn't tell her mother about it until years later. We just werent ready to get married at that time, says Wendie Lubic, who later did marry the man and they have two daughters. Benita Lubic blames Senate Republicans for blocking the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland during the final months of President Barack Obamas last term, but then fast-tracking the nomination of the newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020, less than two months before the election. "Im just sorry that Ruth Bader Ginsburg isnt alive to support us, she said. Grace Rykaczewski of Morristown, New Jersey With a hot pink bullhorn, matching lipstick, and pink eyeshadow, Grace Rykaczewski, 21, was in a triumphant mood at the thought of Roe v. Wades potential demise. Once its overturned, for the pro-life movement this is only the beginning, said Rykaczewski, who goes by the handle, Pro Life Barbie on social media. I think the next goal is twofold. On one hand we will want to enact laws on a state level to make abortions as rare as possible. On the other hand, a goal is to make women feel like they dont need abortions anymore, to make help for women in difficult situations so there isnt even a demand for abortion anymore. Rykaczewski is already making plans to return to the Supreme Court to celebrate if the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is released. Rob Zaidel and Danny Drees, both of Washington The pair joined abortion rights protesters on Saturday, May 14, outside the White House on their way to the National Mall during protests across the country. Its important for me, identifying as a man, to have that presence here," said Zaidel, 28. Its important for all of us to come together, its not just a womens issue. He said he feared that the court wouldn't stop at abortion and that gay marriage could be one of the things that's next. Drees, 27, said, Its important for a democracy to have equal rights for all, and this makes women and all people with uteruses less equal and have less power. Julia Bradley-Cook of Washington Seven months pregnant, Bradley-Cook marched by the court with the words No Forced Pregnancy written across her bare belly. I think there is a dichotomy set up on abortion and pregnancy, she said. Its important to show that just because we support the right to choose, doesnt mean we cant also be pregnant. She and another pregnant friend represented the group 500 Women Scientists. KVone Cropp, and Kayla Cropp of Richmond, Virginia The 26-year-old twin sisters came to the Supreme Court with the group Students for Life on a recent day when court rulings were announced, hoping to be there when the Roe v. Wade ruling came down. The group wore light blue T-shirts with the phrase, We are the pro-life generation, emblazoned on the front. We arent big talkers, said Kayla Cropp. We are just here supporting the cause and abolishing abortion. Lauren McKillip and her wife Marissa McKillip of Crofton, Maryland Marissa McKillip held their son Lincoln, 4, on her shoulders as her wife, Lauren, cradled their 2-year-old daughter, Thea, in a soft blue wrap. Its important for us to come here for our daughter, for our marriage, for all the things now established so that our daughter doesnt have to fight for it, said Marissa McKillip, 28. I think Roe was a foundational court case that paved the way for a lot of other things we saw happen after that like interracial marriage, and gay marriage the government not having so much overreach into our personal lives, said Lauren McKillip, 29. If its overturned, we will come out again for sure, to just keep fighting, fight for what comes next." Sonia Glenn of Fairfax, Virginia A green foam crown, flowing green silk dress and sash proclaiming Abortion Liberty transformed Sofia Glenn into the abortion rights-themed Lady Liberty. I cant believe somebody else is going to make decisions about my body, said the 37-year-old, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico 15 years ago. I was raised as a Catholic. But I always thought it was so unfair, that religion and men, priests, have the rights to tell you what you can and cannot do with your body. It doesnt make any sense to me. Glenn said she refers to her birth control pills as Liberty Pills and plans to help make the abortion pill option available for those who can't access them if Roe v. Wade is overturned.. Noah Slayter of Manassas, Virginia Slayter, 20, decided to demonstrate against abortion after being part of a family that fostered 10 children. Those on the abortion side like to purport that those in foster care could have a terrible life. Who is to say that theyll have a terrible life? The kids sleeping in the room across from me, theres people that think they should have been killed, he said. Slayter said opponents of abortion rights are primed for a state-by-state battle to both restrict the procedure and promote adoption and foster care options. Previously the movement had one battle, a national one. And now we will have 50, he said. Abby Thomas of Los Angeles Wearing green and white face paint smeared on her cheeks and forehead, Thomas, 27, spent five days protesting outside the court. A lot of organizations are at the point where they are planning for a post-Roe world. But its easier to fight for our rights while we still have them, she said. Thomas said the abortion rights community was hoping for a massive backlash at the voting booth if the court rules to lift federal abortion protections. If it is overturned, the majority of the country supports abortion access, she said, and I hope the majority of the country would come out, to show the Supreme Court and the Republican Party the extent theyve wronged the American people. Tanya Ditty of Alexandria, Virginia Ditty, 62, wore a black T-shirt with the phrase, She prays, she votes. A teenager when Roe v. Wade came down, she said the abortion issue should be decided not by the federal government, but by the states, "where the people closest to local government can influence their state legislators. We will continue to go to those statehouses, year after year, and attempt and attempt and attempt," she said. "We will stand side by side with pregnancy centers and churches that provide services. Its so not true that we wont support women, we will provide avenues. Ekerin Shopshire of Silver Spring, Maryland A kindergarten teacher in Montgomery County, Shopshire, 47, and a friend demonstrated outside the Supreme Court in May and later joined a small protest outside the home of one of the justices. "We arent being heard and thats scary, she said. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Shopshire saw the battle over abortion moving to the states. I foresee a lot of traveling, crossing of state lines to get the medical attention people may want or need. I see an increase in deaths, for women who arent able to easily cross those state lines for the medical help they need, she said. The back-alley abortions are going to make a comeback, thats just whats going to happen. Beila Kraus of Chappaqua, New York Though still a teenager and unable to vote, Kraus convinced her parents to let her take a bus to Washington to protest for several days while staying with fellow members of the activist group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights. Kraus, 15, said shes deeply frustrated by her own inability to cast a vote on the issue, and fears it could take years of struggle to reverse a rollback of Roe v. Wades abortion protections. Being outside the Supreme Court, for me its representation as the people making this decision are in there. Its this image of the power that these justices hold, she said. Alexandra McPhee of Arlington, Virginia McPhee came to the Supreme Court with the anti-abortion advocacy group Concerned Women for America, where she is director of government relations. I want to be out here to show that this is an issue that I care about that I believe is helpful for all women, all families, to have more protections for life than there are now. And this decision will make that possible, said McPhee, 29. Christal Surowicz of Cheverly, Maryland Surowicz, 58, wore a black judges robe covered with red plastic coat hangers. I am a strong supporter of womens rights and I feel like abortion is a necessary evil. We dont think lets go out and promote abortion, but we feel it needs to be available, she said. The ramifications for it not being available are just too much. Part of it is controlling women but it also impacts womens health. An audiologist, Surowicz acknowledged that defenders of abortion rights face an uphill battle. We need to elect more officials who will be supportive." Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. After two long days of paddling, Demetria Abangan-Browneagle said her legs felt like Jell-O. Demetria is one of several Ho-Chunk youth participating in a canoe trip down the Yahara River, the nations ancestral path, in a dugout canoe they carved themselves. Im proud to be Ho-Chunk, Demetria said. This is what my ancestors did. I feel really important being able to do what my ancestors did. The Ho-Chunk Nation Dugout Canoe Journey began Monday and runs until Friday, when paddlers are expected to reach the Rock River in Beloit. Along the way, they will follow a series of landmarks and areas significant to Ho-Chunk history and culture. The journey began in Lake Mendota, where a team of divers last year found a 1,200-year-old dugout canoe. The canoe is the oldest intact boat ever found in Wisconsin. Teams of divers watched and celebrated as the Wisconsin Historical Society raised the boat from the lake in November. Dug Out Canoe Visitors take the dugout canoe carved by Ho-Chunk Nation members for a demonstration paddle from Lunney Lake Farm Park Tuesday. Canoeing Tuesday ended around 1 p.m. when participants reached Lunney Lake Farm County Park. Nation members, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and members of the Friends of Capital Springs, among others, greeted paddlers in a celebration that featured traditional food, cultural music and guest speakers. Bill Quackenbush, cultural resources division manager for the Ho-Chunk, opened Tuesdays celebration. He has been guiding Ho-Chunk young people through the canoe journey, and worked with the kids to carve the dugout canoe from a cottonwood tree that grew in Lunney Park and was set to be thrown aside. It was important to us to initiate the use of that dugout as an educational tool, Quackenbush said. We have history in this area that we talk about in our oral stories, for example, that takes us back many thousands of years. We talk about the creation of those lakes and the recession of that last glacial episode. Dug Out Canoe Jovan Usanga, 9, and other members of the Ho-Chunk Nation are paddling this dugout canoe, carved from a cottonwood tree harvested from Lunney To create a dugout canoe, carvers hollow out the top of a log with a stone tool or in this case, a chainsaw. They then shape the boat and coat it in a waterproof material, usually animal fat. (They said) theres no value in a cottonwood, he said. Well, theres a lot of value in cottonwoods We used cottonwoods during removal periods to bring our elders and youth back to our ancestral homelands. The dugout canoe has a direct cultural connection to who we are and our heritage. Its why were still around in Wisconsin. Educating youth Quackenbush said Ho-Chunk leaders involved young people in their work because it is important to reconnect children with the history of their nation and the land. The nation furthers that work through a number of educational initiatives, including historical educational programming, youth programming and language programming. Quackenbush said the programs have grown consistently since 1963, when the Ho-Chunk Nations government was established. Dug Out Canoe Members of the Madtown Singers, a drum circle affiliated with UW-Madison, perform during an event marking the arrival of the dugout canoe at L The youth is our driving force. As a tribe, we take care of our elders and we take care of our youth, he said. Thats our history. Thats our knowledge. These are our youth. This is our future. You sustain your culture through the process thats perpetuated there. Canoer Jovan Usanga, 9, said he has been able to learn about his native language, participate in activities unique to his culture and meet Ho-Chunk youth. It makes me feel great and smart that I get to learn about all this stuff, he said. Especially my language. More collaboration Parisi said he looks forward to increased collaboration and respect between the Ho-Chunk Nation and Dane County. Dane County collaborated with the nation in 2017 when the county discovered historical artifacts belonging to the nation while paving the Lower Yahara River Trail. Were so honored to be included in today, Parisi said. And were so honored for the partnership that we have and the partnerships that we will have moving forward to acknowledge Ho-Chunk ancestry and history. Members of other Native American tribes from across the country attended Tuesdays event, in addition to officials and park employees. Quackenbush said that collaboration was necessary to make the event and canoe trip possible. Our tribe was removed from this land 200 years ago, he said. We dont have the ability to say this land is our own anymore. The only way we can take advantage of utilizing these places of culture is working in collaboration. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Madison police on Tuesday identified three of the four teens arrested last week in a series of Downtown Madison attacks two of which some in the Asian community have called racially motivated. Abdoulah C. Traore-Flores, 17; Alijah C. Johnson, 19; Cashius E. Carter, 18, and an unidentified 15-year-old have all been referred to prosecutors for potential charges of disorderly conduct and battery. Madison police have said theres no evidence the attacks over the last two weeks were racially motivated, and the Asian victim in one of them has said his attackers didnt say anything to him before beating him June 14 in the 400 block of West Gilman Street. A group of about 150 to 200 people, including many Asian UW-Madison students, were skeptical of that conclusion and spoke out against anti-Asian racism during a rally Friday at the state Capitol. Two of the victims, attacked June 14, were Chinese UW-Madison students, according to a statement Tuesday by the universitys interim chancellor, John Karl Scholz. Scholz also said Madison police told the university over the weekend that another incident of battery occurred Downtown on June 12 that involved a white male with no connection to campus and a Hispanic male undergraduate student who went to the hospital for his injuries. Another person not associated with the university was also attacked, Scholz said. Johnson is Black, according to online court records. The races of the other suspects was unknown. UW-Madison spokesperson Kelly Tyrrell said that three of the incidents involving four victims were handled by Madison police, and one involving one of the June 14 attacks on a Chinese student was handled by UW-Madison Police. The suspects that Madison Police arrested over the weekend are believed to be connected to each of these incidents, Tyrrell said. Madison police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer on Friday released a statement saying the attacks reported to city police appeared to be random but committed by the same group of people. The next day, police announced they had arrested four people in the cases but didnt provide their names until Tuesday. Police typically do not provide the names of people they arrest who are under 17 because they are considered juveniles under Wisconsin criminal law. Police said that in the most recent attack, the victim reported being knocked to the ground, kicked and punched. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Madison family reported missing on Monday was found safe in Illinois, police reported Wednesday. Police were contacted on Monday to check on Samella Robinson, 33, and her four children at their West Side residence, but could not find her or 12-year-old Kierra, 8-year-old Yafa, 5-year-old Phillip and 9-month-old Samella, police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said in a statement Tuesday night. The investigation did not identify any signs of foul play associated with their disappearance, Fryer said. Robinson has ties to Chicago and may have recently spent time in central Illinois, Fryer said Tuesday, adding that detectives have reached out to law enforcement in Illinois for help. Police said at 1:36 p.m. Wednesday that the family had been found safe in Illinois. They provided no other details. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Rockwell Automation, a world leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, is helping Edison implement Vuforia Expert Capture, the augmented reality (AR) solution powered by PTC. Using the Vuforia Expert Capture AR solution, Edison will empower its workforce, reduce training costs, and digitalise daily technical operating procedures. This is done by creating step-by-step AR-powered instructions, best practices, and training materials for frontline workers. Contextual instructions inform the operator through devices such as mobile phones, tablets, text documents, and eyewear, enhancing worker safety with immersive, hands-free guidance. Oldest energy company Edison is the oldest energy company in Europe, an industry leader in Italy and across the continent. Together Rockwell and Edison have signed an agreement for the software licence and technical support of Vuforia Expert Capture. Edison is an industry leader based in Milan, Italy, with 5,000 employees and $9 billion revenue. Focusing on renewable sources, high efficiency thermo generation, gas and green gas business and services, it produces, distributes, and sells sustainable electricity across Europe while also providing energy services to third parties. Cecilia Scaffidi, head of digital demand at Edison, said: In just one day, with the support of the Rockwell Automation team, and eyewear running Vuforia Expert Capture, we were able to record a technical procedure executed by one of our expert operators, edit it step-by-step, and publish the AR content for new operators. The ability to capture, document and deliver technical knowledge in this way will greatly enhance productivity and safety throughout our facilities. Digital transformation Malte Dieckelmann, regional vice president, EMEA software, Rockwell Automation, said: Through Vuforia Expert Capture, Edison has taken the next step on its digital transformation journey. And, since the digital content captured can be used offline, this software also allows Edison to digitalise O&M procedures, reduce training costs and improve worker security in the renewable sector, where internet connection is often not available.-- TradeArabia News Service A Middleton man who fled to China after he was charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison. The sentence handed down by Circuit Judge Ellen Berz could keep Larry A. Yunker, 69, in prison for the rest of his life, but it will certainly keep him under state Department of Corrections control. The incidents happened in 2018 and 2019 in both Dane and Langlade counties, which consolidated the cases in March, when Yunker pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child. For the Dane County conviction, Berz sentenced Yunker to 12 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision. For the Langlade County conviction, she also ordered prison, but stayed that sentence and placed Yunker on 10 years of probation, to begin once he finishes his sentence for the Dane County conviction. Yunker was first charged in Langlade County in February 2019, after it came to light that Yunker had been involved in what a criminal complaint called a sexual relationship with the girl. Evidence of the relationship was found in text messages from Yunker that the girls mother found on the girls phone. Yunker was arrested shortly after he arrived at the Antigo Public Library to pick up the girl, according to the complaint. About four months later, Yunker was charged in Dane County for an assault involving the same girl that had happened at Yunkers home in Middleton in 2018. Yunker, an Air Force veteran and retired postal worker, was a hard worker, good to his friends and family and pleaded guilty rather than force the girl to testify at a trial, Berz said. Those factors were in his favor, she said. But when Yunker was caught, Berz said, he first denied the allegations, then minimized the number and extent of the assaults, then admitted to them but blamed the victim. Then he claimed not to be sexually attracted to teenagers. If that was not the motivation, then you wouldnt have engaged in these behaviors to humiliate, to harm, to traumatize, and that shows a not-great character, Berz said. The victim, Berz said, had already been the victim of sexual assault before Yunker repeatedly assaulted her, so this was a re-victimization of someone who already had the label of victim on her. In October 2019, after Yunker was charged, he left the U.S. and went to China, where he claimed he had gone to get medical treatment not available in the U.S. He overstayed his visa and was arrested by the Chinese government in November 2020. He was kept locked up there until arrangements could be made to send him back to the U.S. in August 2021. China and the U.S. do not have an extradition treaty, Deputy District Attorney William Brown said. And once back on American soil, in a jail in Virginia, Berz said, Yunker fought extradition back to Wisconsin. Again, I understand the impulse, but even when the writing is on the wall, your character leads you to say, Im not going to face up. Im not going to man up. Im not going to take responsibility. Im going to do everything I can to run away. To not be held accountable. Yunker asked for leniency, sobbing at times as he did, telling Berz that he is not a bad person, that never in my mind was my action premeditated or intended. This was my first and only offense in life. But Berz said this wasnt just one stumble, it was a long series of many, which Yunker could have ended at any point, but didnt. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday rejected Democratic Gov. Tony Evers call to repeal the states anti-abortion law, which allows abortions only to save a mothers life a determination doctors say could be risky to make. If doctors break the law, which could go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, they risk a felony conviction punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This law was not written by physicians, and the language is incredibly vague and lacking medical specificity, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin spokesperson Lisa Boyce said, adding that the law was written before our modern medical understanding and technology. Therefore, we are forced to try to interpret the law through both a medical lens and a modern lens, and those interpretations can vary depending on who you are talking to one of the many reasons this ban is so concerning for both providers and patients, Boyce continued. Anticipating a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin isnt scheduling abortions after Saturday. Wisconsins law, first passed in 1849, states abortions are only permissible when its necessary, or is advised by 2 other physicians as necessary, to save the mothers life. The abortion must also be performed by a physician and take place in a licensed maternity hospital unless an emergency makes that an impossibility. Wisconsin's near-complete abortion ban (1) Any person, other than the mother, who intentionally destroys the life of an unborn child is guilty of a Class H felony. (2) Any person, other than the mother, who does either of the following is guilty of a Class E felony: (a) Intentionally destroys the life of an unborn quick child; or (b) Causes the death of the mother by an act done with intent to destroy the life of an unborn child. It is unnecessary to prove that the fetus was alive when the act so causing the mother's death was committed. (5) This section does not apply to a therapeutic abortion which: (a) Is performed by a physician; and (b) Is necessary, or is advised by 2 other physicians as necessary, to save the life of the mother; and (c) Unless an emergency prevents, is performed in a licensed maternity hospital. (6) In this section unborn child" means a human being from the time of conception until it is born alive. Some instances in which a woman could require an abortion to save her life include ectopic pregnancies, preterm premature rupture of membranes and preeclampsia, said Dr. Kristin Lyerly, a Green Bay general obstetrics and gynecology doctor who serves as District 6 legislative chair for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Lyerly, an abortion care provider who previously ran for the Assembly as a Democrat, said she sometimes deals with high-risk pregnancies. The preterm premature rupture of membranes is when a womans water breaks early in the pregnancy, which could cause a severe and potentially fatal infection. With preeclampsia, women can develop high blood pressure and organ damage, also potentially leading to death. Likewise, ectopic pregnancies when a fertilized egg grows outside the main cavity of the uterus can be fatal. Im really worried about it, Lyerly said about the risk behind making the determination that an abortion is necessary to save a womans life. And so are all of my colleagues who talk about it. Gray issue Part of the concern is that decisions typically made by the patient and her doctor would now be scrutinized by people in the legal realm without medical training, Lyerly said. The political and social world like to see this as a black-and-white issue, but it is an entirely patient-focused gray issue that can really only be well managed when there are no politicians in the exam room, and the conversation is all about what is the best thing for my patients, Lyerly said. Gracie Skogman, legislative director at the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Right to Life, said under the states law pregnant women facing life-threatening conditions will be able to receive the medical care they need. A lifesaving medical procedure or treatment for the mother, that may indirectly result in the loss of life for the preborn child, is not considered an abortion and is not classified as such under the law, Skogman said. Skogman clarified she was not referring to abortion as a lifesaving procedure. Her intent, she said, was to draw a distinction between medical procedures to save the mother that may inadvertently result in the loss of life for the child and an elective abortion. But abortions are sometimes the only procedure that can save a patients life, according to a 2019 joint statement by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Physicians for Reproductive Health. Pro-Life Wisconsin legislative director Matt Sande said he dislikes the provision allowing exceptions for when a womans life is in danger because we want to remove the broad and undefined life-of-the-mother exception and replace it with language requiring equal care for mother and child and granting the physician immunity if he or she follows the requirement. Dan Lennington, deputy counsel at the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said traditional legal defenses such as the defense of others or necessity may, in some circumstances, justify a medical procedure that results in fetal demise. Lennington said that would still be true even if Wisconsin didnt have an exception for the mothers life. While a legal case against an abortion provider could involve difficult questions at the margins, Lennington said, thats not unique to abortion. The law of homicide can also present hard questions, but they do not render us incapable of having a law of homicide. So it is with abortion. The law is not clear, said Dr. Douglas Laube, who does abortions at Planned Parenthood in Madison and is the former chair of obstetrics and gynecology at UW-Madison. I believe that a well-stated, evidence-based reason for pregnancy termination would still prevail, and minimize, if not eliminate risk of criminal prosecution. A Legislative Reference Bureau attorney who declined to be identified by name said abortion and necessary to save the life of the mother are undefined under the criminal abortion statute. The decision of whether an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother falls within the professional discretion of the physician, limited only by the physicians scope of practice and the standard of care applicable to their medical practice, the attorney said. The physicians decision must be reasonable considering the circumstances, but it is otherwise not limited by law. Special session On Wednesday, the Legislature rejected an effort Evers made, as the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe, to repeal Wisconsins criminal abortion ban passed in 1849. The Senate session lasted less than 30 seconds before Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, gaveled out of it. Referring to the imminent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Evers said, Republicans balked, leaving women and families across the state behind and providing no certainty or security for accessing the reproductive healthcare every person deserves. Republicans slammed Evers call to convene them in a special session when the governor announced it June 8, calling it a blatant political move. While Evers required lawmakers to gavel into the session, he could not require them to hold debate or advance the measures. I agree with the will of the majority of Wisconsinites that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, D-Mason, said in a news conference Wednesday morning. Statewide Marquette Law School polls conducted between September 2012 and last October found that, on average, 25% of respondents said abortion should be legal in all cases and almost 35% said it should be legal in most cases, while 23% said it should be illegal in most cases and 12% said it should be illegal in all cases. An average of 4% of respondents over the 11 polls said they did not know enough to have an opinion. In Wednesdays Marquette Law School Poll, 27% of respondents said abortion should be legal in all cases, 31% said it should be legal in most cases, 24% said it should be illegal in most cases and 11% said it should be illegal in all cases. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, supports rape and incest exceptions, which dont currently exist in the abortion ban, spokesperson Angela Joyce said in a statement. Joyce did not respond to a question asking if Vos would try to add exceptions for rape and incest into Wisconsins abortion ban if Roe is overturned. If the legislature fails to act today, access to safe and legal abortion in Wisconsin will very likely be lost at least temporarily, and possibly for much longer, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Madison officials want to save businesses money on energy costs while reducing one of the largest and most difficult sources of greenhouse gases. City leaders said last week they are developing an ordinance requiring energy measurement and reduction measures for commercial buildings, which account for about a third of community-wide carbon emissions. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the city must do its part to help cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half in the next seven years, which scientists have warned is necessary to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our stability, our economy and to our health, Rhodes-Conway said. Rhodes-Conway and City Council leaders said the plan, developed over the past year through ongoing talks with building owners and other stakeholders, is a key piece of the citys goal to eliminate community-wide carbon emissions by 2050. We cannot achieve 2050 targets if we dont take action, said Ald. Syed Abbas, 12th District. The city has not calculated the potential greenhouse gas reductions, but Abigail Corso, a building energy consultant who worked with the city, said those practices can reduce energy use by up to 16%. While no ordinance has been introduced, Rhodes-Conway said the building energy savings program will require benchmarking a way to measure and track energy use within a building and regular tune-ups to energy systems. Abbas said simple, low-cost measures such as occupancy sensors or even software updates on building controls could yield significant savings while also improving air quality and reducing planet-warming gases. Ald. Tag Evers, 13th District, said the ordinance will be crafted to focus on the roughly 300 largest buildings that account for the bulk of commercial sector energy consumption. Abbas said he hopes to introduce an ordinance by the end of the year with additional input from building owners and managers, as well as the public. The city will hold an online informational meeting on July 13, followed by a series of workshops later this summer. The city has been benchmarking energy use in its own buildings since 2015 and posts its energy use on a public dashboard. Some pushback The City Council considered a benchmarking ordinance in 2013, but the proposal was shelved after the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and other business groups opposed it. The council voted down a proposal to establish a voluntary benchmarking program in 2016. Chamber president Zach Brandon said the latest proposal is the same mandatory approach that failed in the past and faulted the city for not first pursuing a voluntary approach. Energy efficiency and use should not be a place of disagreement, Brandon said. We look forward to a process that makes that a reality. Bill Connors, executive director of Smart Growth Madison, said members of the developers group have been involved in discussions. We have a great many questions and concerns that still need to be sorted out, Connors said. We want it to be something that actually adds value. They want it to be something that actually adds value. Theres hope we can get on the same page. Amid efforts to reduce carbon emissions, Tony Evers' administration eyes Wisconsin building codes Once ranked among the top states for energy efficiency standards, Wisconsin has fallen to No. 26 in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economys 2020 rankings, in large part because of residential building codes that are more than a decade old and significantly weakened commercial codes. Previous steps Madison adopted a sustainability plan in 2011 calling for an 80% community-wide reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, a target that has since been upped to 100%. In 2019, the council approved a $95 million plan to make local government operations carbon neutral by 2030. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy said last year that Madison is not yet on track to meet that goal. But the city was the most improved in the groups annual scorecard, rising to 39th among the nations 100 largest cities, thanks to investments in clean energy and green infrastructure, as well as an ordinance requiring new commercial buildings be wired for electric vehicle chargers. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After a year of negotiations, setbacks and revisions, the Madison City Council on Tuesday approved a 12-story redevelopment with housing, commercial space and parking that would demolish the Coliseum Bar but preserve the historic Wonder Bar next door on a site near the Alliant Energy Center. The proposal by McGrath Property Group, which will provide 192 apartments, 13,500 square feet of commercial space and more than 200 parking spaces in a three-floor garage, is the fourth iteration of a project for the site at the corner of East Olin Avenue and John Nolen Drive on the South Side. The council voted unanimously to approve a required rezoning, the last main nod needed. Also Tuesday, the council unanimously approved the placement of new streets and rezonings as part of the ambitious Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan on the North Side, a move that will allow a developer to offer a $150 million roughly 550-unit low-cost housing project near a prized wetland thats the first private proposal under the citys plan. The council also approved a required rezoning for Threshold Developments five-story housing and commercial redevelopment that will replace four smaller structures at the corner of Cottage Grove Road and Monona Drive, and passed a plan to move to hybrid, in-person and online council meetings starting on July 12. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the council hasnt met in person since March 17, 2020. Wonder Bar saved In April 2021, McGrath offered a controversial, 18-story project with 291 apartments, 12,500 square feet of commercial space and parking that would have razed the Coliseum Bar, 232 E. Olin Ave., and the Wonder Bar, 222 E. Olin Ave. The building would likely have been the citys third-tallest and the tallest with a residential component. But the Plan Commission blocked it and McGrath in mid-November offered a 12-story plan with the Wonder Bar moved elsewhere on the 1.5-acre site. In December, McGrath cited rising costs and informally described a much smaller project likely four or five stories over two levels of parking that would have allowed the Wonder Bar to stay put. But McGrath returned to the 12-story project, a height that complies with a recently approved South Madison Plan. The new proposal calls for demolishing the Coliseum Bar for the 12-story building with 192 apartments with a range from studios to three-bedroom units, 13,500 square feet of commercial space, many amenities, and 202 covered and 23 surface parking stalls and bicycle parking. The Wonder Bar, emblematic of the outposts Chicago gangsters established as roadhouses along highways on the outskirts of cities or in rural areas in the 1930s for bootlegging, will be preserved in its present location and eventually updated as needed when a new tenant is found for the building, Lance McGrath said. It always feels great to get a project approved, McGrath said Tuesday. This one was especially challenging and it took several design iterations to get to this point but we are very pleased with this outstanding project that seems to satisfy most concerns. McGrath hopes to start construction in September with occupancy in the spring of 2024. Maximizes housing, open space Meanwhile, the council opened the door to the first big private development under the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan. Lincoln Avenue Capital of Santa Monica, California, is proposing two six-story buildings, one with 250 apartments for seniors and the other with 300 units for families, on the former Hartmeyer property near a large natural area with wetlands, trees and open space adjacent to Roth Street and west of the former Oscar Mayer meat processing plant. City staff had disagreed with the developer, Ald. Syed Abbas, 12th District, neighborhood groups, and environmentalists over where the city should place new streets in the area, which could influence the number of housing units and how much open space near the development site is preserved. An original location supported by four city agencies and the Transportation Policy and Planning Board, would have extended Roth Street toward Coolidge Street to create an east-west connection between Packers and Sherman avenues, and merged Huxley and Ruskin streets to create a north-south connection between Aberg and Commercial avenues. The new streets would cross like an X near the redevelopment site. An alternative, endorsed by the Plan Commission, eliminates the X and makes the connections with two T intersections and is backed by Abbas, the Sherman Neighborhood Association, Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area, and the Four Lakes Group of the Sierra Club. The alternative placement would maximize the amount of housing in the proposed development, preserve more open space and trees sooner and place the road slightly further from open space, while still allowing the Roth Street railroad crossing to be relocated to the south on the new east-west street connection a key move to creating better access across the larger Oscar Mayer planning area, they said. The council voted unanimously for the alternative street placement and related rezoning of property, including land for a conservation district, consistent with the land use recommendations in the special area plan. Lincoln Avenue Capital is expected to submit a land use application based on the decisions. Its a win-win for everybody, said consultant Melissa Huggins, speaking for Lincoln Avenue Capital. $20 million redevelopment The council also voted unanimously to approve Threshold Development Groups stalled, roughly $20 million housing project at the busy corner of Monona Drive and Cottage Grove Road on the citys East Side. Threshold intends to demolish the former Jade Monkey bar building and Exhaust Pros muffler shop, a tattoo shop, all vacant, and the popular Java Cat Coffee shop to make way for a five-story structure offering 69 apartments, a UW Credit Union branch, Java Cat in a new space and underground parking. In late 2020, the developer won city permission to raze the roughly 26,300-square-foot Lakeside Shopping Center, the Jade Monkey which relocated nearby and muffler shop to make way for a $40 million redevelopment with two, four-story buildings that would have delivered 188 apartments, 20,350 square feet of commercial space and parking. But the project stalled when Threshold was unable to secure the shopping center because the lone remaining tenant at the time, Nerdhaven Arcade, has a long-term lease with the current shopping center owner and the tenant declined a buyout. Since then, the shopping center on the 200 block of Cottage Grove Road has been refilling with tenants, including the return of an Ace Hardware. Hybrid council meetings After more than two years of online meetings, the council voted unanimously to approve hybrid, in-person and online meetings at the City-County Building starting on July 12 and continuing at least through Sept. 6. Among the guidelines: Follow CDC and Public Health Madison and Dane County recommendations. The mayor, council president and vice president, clerks, council chief of staff and city attorney should be in-person. Staff should be able to participate online at discretion of the mayor. The public can be in-person or online. Keep the council quorum the same, 14 members, and count it from alders in room and joining online, with a strong desire to have members in-person with mask wearing an option. Some seats wouldnt be available to the public in the council chambers but there would be an overflow room. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wisconsins top elections official said she isnt worried about increased voter intimidation or partisan observers at the polls this fall, when the Democratic governor and a Republican U.S. senator are up for reelection in the presidential battleground state. Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said at a news conference Tuesday she has no reason to believe the states Aug. 9 primary will be any different than the states two elections this spring, which featured mostly local races that were far less high-profile than the November midterm elections. Wolfe and Rock County Clerk Lisa Tollefson spoke in advance of the states Thursday deadline for clerks to send out requested absentee ballots for the upcoming primary. My top concerns continue to be election confidence, confidence in the election process, ensuring that people have the information they need to understand elections, Wolfe said. She said that concern is not new to this election, but we are working on a lot of things to get information out to the public. Among those efforts are social media tools for clerks, news releases and informational videos about the voting process. Elections administration has been the target of much misinformation in Wisconsin since President Joe Biden won the state in 2020, defeating Donald Trump by nearly 21,000 votes. Some Republicans have repeatedly refused to accept the results, despite recounts, multiple court rulings, a nonpartisan audit and a conservative review that have all upheld Bidens win. A GOP-led investigation has also failed to uncover evidence that Trump won. Wisconsins Aug. 9 primary will most notably determine the GOP candidate for governor and Democratic opponent to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson. The leading Republican candidates in the governors race are Trump-backed multimillionaire and construction company co-owner Tim Michels; former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who fell just short of receiving the Wisconsin Republican Partys endorsement at the partys convention in May; business consultant and former Marine Kevin Nicholson; and state Rep. Timothy Ramthun. The winner will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Milwaukee Bucks executive-on-leave Alex Lasry and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson are atop the eight Democrats vying for a shot at Johnson. Numerous other races will be determined in the August primary. In the states eight congressional districts, there are six primary races. Notably, Democrats did not field any candidates in either the 6th or 8th districts, which are held by Republican Reps. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, and Mike Gallagher, R-Allouez. Three Republicans are running for attorney general. The winner of that primary will face Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. Secretary of State Doug La Follette, who is on safari in Africa, will face Democrat Alexia Sabor. Three Republicans and one Libertarian are also running for secretary of state. Two Democrats and eight Republicans are in the running for lieutenant governor. In the Legislature, 116 of 132 seats are up, including all 99 Assembly seats and 17 of 33 Senate seats. There are seven Senate races and 29 in the Assembly where two or more candidates will face off in the primary. Republicans go into election season with a 21-12 majority in the Senate and a 58-38 advantage in the Assembly, where there are three vacancies. Monday mornings crash on Williamson Street felt familiar to Jon Hain. A driver, suffering a medical event according to authorities, crashed into two buildings, including the Willy Street Treasure Shop at 1012 Williamson St. The thrift store joined a list of Williamson Street businesses that have been struck by cars, including Mother Fools Coffeehouse, where Hain is a co-owner. My first thought is, Oh no, not again, Hain said. But while some Marquette neighborhood residents and merchants are asking the city to do something, Madisons Traffic Engineering division says few easy solutions exist for making Williamson Street safer. Not including Mondays crash, five cars have struck buildings on Williamson Street since 2018, Madison police said. Before Monday, the most recent crash came last August, when a driver swerved into Change Boutique at the corner of South Baldwin Street. In May 2018, an SUV hit Ha Long Bay, a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant at the corner of Williamson and Dickinson streets. And in 2016, the Mother Fools crash closed the coffee shop for nearly a month. The record of crashes stretches back even further, including an office in 2006 and the now-closed Radio Specialty Co. in 2001. When Hain bought the Mother Fools building, the property records included a newspaper clipping from the late 1960s or early 1970s with a photo of a semi truck impaled in the storefront, he said. Marquette residents are relieved that nobody was seriously injured, but their frustration is beginning to boil over, said Jatinder Cheema, the former president of the Greater Williamson Area Business Association and director of A Place to Be, a meeting space on Williamson Street. Why cant something be done? she said. Why does this keep happening? Its such a pattern now, said Lance Lattimer, secretary of the Marquette Neighborhood Association and chair of its transportation and safety committee. The residents of the Near East Side have gotten far too accustomed to this kind of thing. A closer look Cheema, Hain and other area residents and business owners have suggestions, such as slowing traffic and asking for an in-depth study of the street. The threat of crashes works against efforts to make the street a vibrant area for small businesses, Cheema said. In my opinion, the cars are going too fast, she said. Even if there is a speed limit, people are texting. Hain said he planned to contact his alderman, Brian Benford, with suggestions and ask for the city to implement a combination of solutions: protective barriers, such as planters and other structures, and working to slow speeds on Williamson. Benford did not respond to multiple requests for comment. East Wash factor Nikki Anderson, owner of Change Boutique, said she didnt know where the problem stemmed from. Im not a civil engineer, she said, but noted that construction cutting off access to East Washington Avenue might also temporarily be contributing to the problem. East Washington is built to withstand that level of traffic and Willy Street isnt, she said. You cant make it what its not. The common neighborhood view was that when East Washington was reconstructed in the early 2000s, drivers discovered Willy Street as an alternative and never gave it up, said former 6th District Ald. Marsha Rummel. But traffic volumes on Williamson have still not reached pre-pandemic levels, according to Thomas Mohr, a Madison traffic engineer. The city has set the speed limit on Williamson to 25 mph, but only residential streets are eligible for a program that lowers speed limits to 20 mph. And Wisconsin law does not permit speeding cameras and red light cameras, Mohr said. City analysis Last year, Traffic Engineering analyzed the previous crashes on Williamson and found few commonalities between each. The crashes all occurred at different intersections, and some were due to drunken driving or medical incidents at the wheel. It seems like an overall trend, but theres no specific thing you can point at, Mohr said. The one commonality: In five recent car crashes into buildings on Williamson, including a 2012 crash at Batch Bakehouses old location, every building stood at an intersection. A parking lane creates a buffer between the street and buildings, Mohr said, except at street corners and at rush hour. Even then, the heavier traffic prevents speeding; high-speed crashes mostly take place when traffic is lighter, he said. Most notably, the distance between buildings and the street on Williamson is smaller than on other streets, with just 5 feet of sidewalk separating the road from many of the buildings, Mohr said. Theres more opportunity on Willy Street, Mohr said. If theres a crash and the vehicle goes off the street, its pretty much guaranteed to hit a building. The tight dimensions make adding physical barriers, like bollards, a challenge, he said. And the roads position on the Isthmus makes it difficult to add lanes, while eliminating lanes would just add new problems by creating more congestion, which would lead to increased rear-end crashes, he said. Lattimer said he had heard similar caveats about the width of Williamson from Traffic Engineering. Comparisons But he pointed to other streets with similar widths and building positioning, such as Johnson and Regent streets, and Atwood Avenue noting that all see fewer car-building crashes, he said. It cant all be chalked up to bad luck, he said. There has to be a difference somewhere. Atwood offers the closest comparison, Mohr said, as its buildings stand close to the street. But those buildings are still further back than those on Williamson. And the cross-street traffic on Atwood and Monroe doesnt match the levels on Williamson, where the commercial activity stretches for longer and occupies more street corners. But Lattimer also said that Traffic Engineering had previously cited Williamsons role as a conduit through the Isthmus as a reason to keep speeds relatively high. Their primary concern is to move traffic as quickly and efficiently as possible, he said. But the city could take measures that allow cars to move through the area while improving safety, Lattimer said, such as turning the parking lanes into turning lanes. Options wither But merchants have opposed removing parking lanes in the past, Mohr said adding that removing the lanes would likely result in increased speeds. And most of the car-versus-building crashes on Williamson have happened at off-peak hours, Mohr said, noting that there isnt a tradeoff between safety and moving traffic through the Isthmus. I am hoping that Williamson Street is able to contribute its fair share of traffic flow on the Isthmus, but to do that in balance with the needs of the community, pedestrians and bicyclists, said Marlisa Kopenski Condon, a Marquette Neighborhood Association board member. The association has advocated for other measures in the past, such as moving power lines on Williamson underground and planting full-size trees that studies show lead to reduced speeds, Lattimer said. That idea failed to gain traction: Undergrounding costs around $500,000 a block on average and less directly provides traffic calming benefits, Rummel said. The association also proposed adding raised intersections, Lattimer said, which did not come into existence either. They havent been as receptive as we would like in addressing those concerns, Lattimer said. This is one more serious crash to add to the list. I hope it changes their mind. Meetings planned Traffic Engineering has made changes to Williamson in the past. In 2011, the division narrowed the street width by four feet between Blount Street and Baldwin Street, added pedestrian islands and colored crosswalks and installed yield to pedestrians signs, Mohr said. Other pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly renovations have followed since 2018, he said. The Marquette Neighborhood Association is working to schedule a meeting including the business association, Madison police and Traffic Engineering, Lattimer said. Unlike Haim and Lattimer, Anderson has no plans to engage with the city on Williamsons traffic patterns: She said she remains focused on rebuilding her business. It shouldnt be something that I have to advocate for, she said. Its pretty clear that theres an issue. I dont need to remind anybody that its self-evident. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A devastating earthquake in Afghanistan has killed at least 250 people and left hundreds injured, reports quoting local officials said. Pictures shared on social media showed people on stretchers, rubble and ruined homes in Paktika province, said a BBC report. A local government official told the BBC the death toll of more than 250 was likely to rise, and that more than 150 others had been injured. The quake struck about 44km (27 miles) from the south-eastern city of Khost. "Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses," government spokesman Bilal Karimi tweeted. "We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe." Tremors were felt across more than 500 km of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, quoted by Reuters. The centre said that witnesses had reported feeling the quake in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, as well as Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. 8:45 p.m. Update: A weak thunderstorm continues in southeastern Dane County, but most of the activity has pushed off to the east. While some stray showers and weak storms are still possible for the next couple of hours, no additional severe thunderstorms are expected. Now that the cold front has cleared us, we can look forward to quiet and much cooler weather for a couple of days. Low temperatures tonight will reach around 65. Wednesday looks very nice with high temperatures around 82 and much lower humidity than Tuesday. It will be a breezy afternoon with wind gusts around 20 mph. Lows will reach around 59 degrees Wednesday night. Dry conditions are still expected on Thursday with highs around 85 degrees and still comfortable humidity. Isolated showers and storms are forecast to return to the area late Thursday night and continue through Friday. 8:00 p.m. Update: The severe thunderstorm warning for northern Dane County has expired as the storm that prompted it has weakened some. It and another storm that popped up to the south continue to slide to the east across Dane County, away from Madison. Heavy rain and lightning are still occurring and wind gusts around 40 mph and pea size hail cannot be ruled out. If you're in the southeastern part of Dane County, remain indoors until these storms pass. 7:40 p.m. Update: The severe thunderstorm warning continues with the storm currently over Sun Prairie. This storm now has a history of causing wind damage with tree limbs reported down in Windsor. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and up to nickel size hail are still possible. Continue to remain indoors until this storm passes. 7:25 p.m. Update: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for northern Dane County until 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to heavy rain and lightning, wind gusts up to 60 mph and up to quarter size hail are expected as the storm moves east. Remain indoors until this storm passes. Matt Holiner covers weather and climate across the Midwest. Matt has eight years of professional meteorology experience and has forecast every type of weather for cities across the country. He holds the National Weather Association's Seal of Approval. Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TWIN FALLS The College of Southern Idaho announced Tuesday that Michelle Schutt, president of Learner and Community Services, will be leaving the college in early July. Schutt, who has been at CSI since 2015, is leaving to take over as president of Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts. CSI President L. Dean Fisher recognized Schutts contributions to the college. On behalf of CSI, I want to thank Michelle for her work over the past seven years to advocate for and support our students, Fisher said. I wish her the best of luck in her new position. I am confident that her student-focused advocacy will benefit her new institution. During her time at CSI, Schutt has overseen a broad range of student services including academic advising, student admissions and orientation, student affairs, campus housing, and campus safety, among others. She was instrumental in the creation of Gilberts Pantry, which provides CSI students with access to food and to other basic supplies. Schutt led the efforts to partner with the Idaho Food Bank to augment the resources available to Gilberts Pantry in an effort to serve increased numbers of students experiencing food insecurity. She also helped to oversee the recent remodel of Eagle Hall, the colleges main dormitory building and has been part of a core team working on the CSIs Hispanic Serving Institution efforts. Dr. Schutt has been a strong source of expertise for the College in critical areas such as Title IX, CSI Provost Dr. Todd Schwarz said. She was solely responsible for the development and deployment of our Campus Assessment Resource Education (CARE) Team which has worked tirelessly in the background for years to ensure that campus concerns for students were consistently and fully addressed. Im proud of what we have accomplished at CSI during my time here, Schutt said. I appreciate the opportunities that have been afforded to me and I want to thank all of the wonderful people I have gotten to know and to work with at the college and across the Magic Valley. At the same time, I am very excited to begin this new leadership adventure at Greenfield Community College. Schutts departure leaves a hole in the CSI leadership structure and plans for filling that void will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information about Dr. Schutts appointment at Greenfield Community College, please visit www.gcc.mass.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An event by the Melungeon Heritage Association this week will feature an author signing event on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Parish House as well as a series of lectures that will be held on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. The beginnings of the Melungeon people, and other mixed ancestries people, is in the 1600s, 1700s with those early intersections between Europeans, Africans and Native Americans, Melungeon Heritage Association President Heather Andolina said. It is certainly a lesser known history in America, and I think some of it is because they were non-white people. The Melungeon people originated through the very beginnings of colonization in America, writer Darlene Nixon said. The mixture of European, African and indigenous people began to face discrimination and self-isolated to shield themselves from threats. Many of these communities were located in very isolated places, for example, Appalachian mountains, Andolina added. I think thats also why theyre not as well known, because these communities really kept to themselves. Andolina said that one of the ways to know whether someone is of Melungeon ancestry is by surnames. You can see where these groups of peoples, through their surnames, migrated and they kept migrating through Virginia, North Carolina, even from South Carolina eventually into the Appalachia region, she added. Melungeon peoples characteristics varied because of their mixed descent, Nixon said, ranging from dark to blonde hair, lighter to darker skin and a wide variety of eye colors. Many people dont find out that they have Melungeon ancestry until adulthood, she said. The term Melungeon is said to come from the French word for mixed, which is melange. The term is loosely associated with Appalachia, Andolina, Southeastern Kentucky, northeastern Tennessee, parts of North Carolina and of course parts of western Virginia, she said. The Melungeon Heritage Association is a non-profit organization that documents and preserves the history and cultural legacy of mixed ancestry peoples of the southern and eastern United States, Andolina said. Our organization does mostly focus on the Melungeon people, but we do expand out to other peoples of mixed ancestries in the southeast because the Melungeon people are tied to other mixed ancestries like the Lumbees, the Red Bones and the Brass Ankles. The main goal of the event in Martinsville is to bring people together who have this unique ancestry, whether it is Melungeon or just mixed ancestry in general We bring in authors, historians, researchers, people who make it educational, Andolina said. Nixon is one of the authors who will be at the author event at the Parish House on Friday. Her book is called Our Side of the Mountain: A Pocahontas to Melungeon Revolution and it tells the story of what her mother remembers about growing up Melungeon. Writing has always been her passion, Nixon said, and through conversation with her mother and grandmother she was able to put together a fascinating story recounting their stories following day-to-day life as her mother remembers it. Some of the cultural distinction of Melungeons are living off of the land, being superstitious, not bathing every day but washing their feet every night and the way and reasons that they kept animals, she said. Nixon added that the cultural habits that she listed will vary depending on who is asked, probably having similarities but differences deepening on the region they are discussing. The idea is to tell a little bit of a story about these people that are coming to Martinsville and why you might want to go and learn a little bit more about it, Nixon said. We want to benefit our authors and shine a light on the Melungeon heritage That we exist and that we are proud people of our culture and heritage. Monique Holland is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at monique.holland@martinsvillebulletin.com or at 276-734-9603. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GREENVILLE, S.C. A man with a history of preying on women and suspected in at least four deaths will spend the rest of his life behind prison walls, authorities said on Wednesday. Daniel Glen Printz, 59, of Bostic, North Carolina, was sentenced to life without parole in federal prison after pleading guilty to killing a South Carolina woman after kidnapping her and crossing state lines. Printz is a monster who has a long history of targeting, kidnapping and killing women causing unimaginable loss to his victims and their families, said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis for the District of South Carolina. He has earned every day of his life sentence, and our communities are safer with him in a prison cell. We are grateful that the Court delivered justice today and we hope it provides some measure of comfort for the victims families. Printzs day of reckoning arrived in a federal courtroom, said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, whose office participated in the prosecution of this case. This man is responsible for the deaths of multiple women and has caused inconceivable pain to their loved ones. A life behind bars is a just outcome. Printzs violence against women is reprehensible, and he earned the Courts severe penalty for his crimes, said Susan Ferensic, the FBI Columbia field offices Special Agent in Charge. The sentence will never bring back the victims, but its our hope that the victims friends and families find peace in the memories of their loved ones. This case is the model for how local, state and federal agencies should continuously work together for the purpose of bringing forth justice, said Greenville County South Carolina Sheriff Hobart Lewis. I firmly believe that if it werent for the collaborative efforts that this narcissistic man would have continued targeting and preying on innocent woman before taking them from their loved ones. I am so thankful for the men and women who worked tirelessly to get Mr. Printz out of society and behind bars for the rest of his life. We are glad to see justice served today for these horrible crimes, said Rutherford County North Carolina Sheriff Chris Francis, whose office also investigated this matter. We are honored to have worked jointly with the FBI, Greenville County Sheriffs Office and the U.S. Attorneys Office during this investigation. I am proud of the work my Investigators did in seeking justice for the families of the victims. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. Evidence presented in court showed that on the morning of Aug. 27, 2021, Printz traveled from his North Carolina home to Travelers Rest, South Carolina, where he met 80-year-old Travelers Rest resident Edna Suttles. Printz met Suttles at the Food Lion grocery store located off of U.S. 25, where Printz purchased a four-pack of yogurt before the two traveled back to Suttless residence. Later that afternoon, Printz and Suttles returned to the Food Lion parking lot, where Printz was captured on surveillance video moving a visibly sedated Suttles from her vehicle and into his. Printz then drove her vehicle a short distance to a nearby hotel parking lot, where he was seen on surveillance video wiping down the inside and outside of the vehicle. Printz then drove Suttles across state lines back to his residence in Bostic, North Carolina. After Suttles did not show up to work the following day, concerned coworkers called the Greenville County Sheriffs Office and reported her missing. During a search of Printzs residence, investigators found several personal items belonging to Suttles, including her keys, bank card, jewelry and pocketbook, most of which were concealed in a box used for raising bees on a remote part of Printzs property. Investigators also found a yogurt cup opened and a forensic lab analysis determined the interior of the cup contained Lorazepam, Tramadol and Cyclobenzaprine. After being charged in federal court in the District of South Carolina, Printz cooperated with law enforcement. On May 16, 2022, he took authorities to Suttless body, which he had buried on a nearby property in Rutherford County, North Carolina. During the investigation, agents also recovered evidence connecting Printz to the disappearance or death of three other women Nancy Rego, Delores Sellers and Leigh Goodman. Printz admitted in court that he had some responsibility for, or role in, their deaths or disappearances. Printzs criminal history includes a 1997 conviction from Michigan for kidnapping another woman, and he was sentenced to 13 to 30 years in state prison for that crime. He was released in 2009 and his parole was terminated in 2011. He also has prior convictions for firearm possession and assault and battery. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins Jr. sentenced Printz to life imprisonment after accepting his guilty plea the same day. There is no parole in the federal system. Through his plea agreement, Printz waived any right to challenge his conviction or his sentence. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justices violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the FBI, the Greenville County, South Carolina Sheriffs Office, the Rutherford County, North Carolina Sheriffs Office, and the United States Attorneys Offices for the Western District of North Carolina and the District of South Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin W. Holloway and Elliott B Daniels of the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast of the Western District of North Carolina. The Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman Tuesday gave greenlight to the Bank of Jordan to open branches in the Kingdom to practice banking activities. Listed on the Amman Stock Exchange, the Bank of Jordan was founded in 1960 and operates over 100 branches in the country. The green light comes as Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman visited Jordan the same day as part of a regional tour that took him to Egypt and Turkey. Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is looking into investing billions of dollars in mega-infrastructure projects in Jordan, including an estimated $2.5 billion railway project, a senior Jordanian official said. Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports, has over $12 billion worth of investments in Jordan and once rescued the country with cash injections, but has held off direct budget support. The Saudi Council of Ministers, meeting Tuesday under the chairmanship of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, welcomed the results of the 13th session of the Moroccan-Saudi Joint Commission, held last week in Rabat. The council welcomed the results of this session which reflect a common will to develop relations between the two countries and raise them to the level of desired aspirations, as well as the concordance of views regarding regional and international issues. During the commissions proceedings, the Moroccan and Saudi Foreign Ministers, Nasser Bourita and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, had expressed their satisfaction with the excellent level of cooperation between the two countries. They had welcomed the momentum of this cooperation in its various political, economic, cultural and social fields under the enlightened leadership of the leaders of the two countries, King Mohammed VI, and his brother, the Custodian of the Holy Places of Islam, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The holding of this Commission reflects the high level of solid fraternal relations that unite the Kingdoms of Morocco and Saudi Arabia, and the bonds of sincere affection that bind the two Heads of State. This meeting also illustrated the common will of the two sisterly countries to upgrade bilateral cooperation in order to meet the aspirations of the two peoples to a strengthened partnership. Kuwaits Crown Prince has dissolved the parliament and called for new elections over the coming months. The decision was announced in a televised speech he delivered this Wednesday. Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said: We have decided to dissolve the National Assembly constitutionally and resort to elections, Arab News reports. We will not interfere in the elections nor in the selection of the next Speaker of the parliament, he added. The crown prince noted that the next phase requires a solid and renewed approach amid the turbulent regional political scene. Our citizens are not satisfied with the work of the legislative and executive institutions, he said, citing growing tensions between both parties that hamper the countrys development and the nations unity. The current domestic political scene was torn apart by disagreements and personal interests at the expense of the nation, at a time of regional instability and crises and dangers surrounding the country from all sides, the crown prince was quoted as saying in his speech. The last lifeless body of one of the eight miners trapped underground since 16 April in a zinc mine in Burkina Faso was found on Monday, after more than two months of searching, the Burkina Faso government announced. The continuation of search operations in the underground zinc mine of Perkoa has made it possible to find the last body, said a government statement, adding that the mines activities are still suspended. Seven bodies had already been found in the mines underground galleries, the first four on 24 May, then two on 28 May and another on 8 June. The eight miners six Burkinabe, one Zambian and one Tanzanian were trapped on 16 April at the bottom of the mine west of Ouagadougou, operated by the Canadian company Trevali Mining, after heavy rains flooded the underground galleries where they were working 700 metres below ground. Since their disappearance, no contact had been made with them, but rescuers had long hoped that they had taken shelter in a refuge chamber 580 metres below the surface, where survival kits containing water, food and medicine are usually stored. Rescuers discovered the chamber empty on 17 May, making hopes of finding the miners alive almost nil. On 1 May, the government announced the opening of an enquiry to establish all responsibilities and took precautionary measures to prevent the mines managers from leaving Burkina Faso. Sweden is recommending a fifth COVID-19 vaccine dose for people with an increased risk of becoming seriously ill, including pregnant women and anyone aged 65 and over, authorities said Tuesday, adding that the country must "be prepared for an increased spread during the upcoming autumn and winter season." "The vaccine is our strongest tool for preventing serious illness and death," Swedish Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren said, adding the pandemic is not over. As of Sept. 1, Sweden recommends that another booster shot is given to people aged 65 and older and people over 18 in the risk groups. The Swedish Public Health Agency said the latter includes pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and people with heart and lung disease. "In general, the risk of serious illness is assessed as low for adults under the age of 65 who have been vaccinated with three doses, but the risk increases with age and varies within the group," agency chief Karin Tegmark Wisell said. For most of the pandemic, Sweden stood out among European nations for its comparatively hands-off response. It never went into lockdown or closed businesses, largely relying instead on individual responsibility. Explore further Sweden to give 4th COVID-19 shot to people over 65 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The inclination to travel in the next 12 months is at its highest among 1824-year-olds - the Gen Z, says a YouGov study. After more than two years of pandemic life, global Gen Zs are eager to return to their pre-pandemic activities and experiences, after missing out on many of the things they loved before Covid-19. Across 17 international markets, YouGovs Custom Research looked at the outgoing activities that 1824-year-olds were hoping to do more of in the next 12 months. Reconnecting with friends and family was top of the activities that more than half of 1824-year-olds globally were eager to do more of in the next 12 months. In addition, they are keen to return to in-person events and vacations either at home or abroad for more than a third of Gen Zs globally eager to embrace new experiences, the study said. This generation will form its attitudes towards travel in the next few years, and it is incredibly important for travel brands and marketers to get to know, and monitor their travel preferences as they build a winning strategy, said the report. The report sets out to understand Gen Zs globally, explore whats important to them and what makes them tick, reveal what Gen Zs want from travel, and identify the best way to connect and engage with this future generation of travellers. The study combines living data from multiple YouGov solutions, including YouGov Global Profiles the worlds largest globally consistent audience dataset, across 43 major markets and YouGov Global Travel Profiles travel-specific data from 25 markets and 130 destinations. The appetite for returning to travel is also reflected in the Gen Zs plans to spend more on travel in the next 12 months, said the study. "In fact, if we compare all global adults who are intending to spend more on travel products and services in the next 12 months, Gen Zs lead the way. A fifth of global adults intend to spend more on travel products and services in the next 12 months (21%) compared to the previous year, rising to just over one in four amongst Gen Zs (26%) with millennials following closely (25%). Whereas in the older 55+ age groups we see a lower intention to spend more on travel in the next year, slightly more reticent than the other age groups," the study said. What are the top spend categories? YouGovs Custom Research across 17 international markets explored the core categories that adults were intending to spend more on this year compared to last year. For Gen Z, apparel and eating out appear as the top two future spend categories. But the intention to spend more on travel products and services ranks very closely behind with more than a quarter of 1824-year-olds (26%) intending to spend more on travel products and services in the next 12 months. YouGov Global Travel Profiles data across 25 major markets found that three quarters of Gen Zs plan to take some form of travel in the next 12 months (75%). In terms of the number of trips Gen Zs are planning to take in the next 12 months, whilst 46% are planning on taking between one or two trips in the next 12 months, compared to the older 25+ age groups they are more likely to want to take three trips or more (30% plan to take 3+ trips vs 27% of over 25s). Domestic or International Four in ten 1824-year-olds are planning on taking domestic vacations in the next 12 months compared to 16% who are planning on taking international vacations. More than half of Gen Zs in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are intending to take domestic vacations in the next 12 months. Other countries that over index against the average for Gen Zs interest in domestic travel are Finland, Mexico, and Italy. Whilst Spain, China and France are more likely than the global total to take domestic vacations, they fall just slightly below the halfway mark of 50%. Gen Zs in European markets are more likely to want to take an international vacation in the next 12 months. For instance, German and Danish Gen Zs are more likely to want to travel abroad than vacation in their own country, with 50% of German Gen Zs wanting to take an international trip compared to 36% who want to take a domestic trip. However, whilst domestic travel outweighs international travel intention, Gen Zs have a greater desire than other age groups to travel far and wide once the pandemic has ended, said the study. YouGov Global Travel Profiles found that across the 25 markets surveyed, almost four in ten respondents globally agreed they couldnt wait to go on a vacation overseas, growing to nearly half amongst Gen Zs (47%), who had the highest agreement with the statement, indicating a strong desire to travel worldwide. Whereas, in comparison, the over 55s are more wary about overseas travel with only a quarter of those aged 55+ (26%) agreeing with the statement. Gen Z sensitive to price Naturally, health risks rank as the top concern globally for all age cohorts and in particular in the older generations. But for the Gen Zs who are finding their way in the world, the price of travel and the price of accommodation is a higher obstacle, suggesting increased sensitivities to price in this younger age group. Over a third of Gen Zs (37%) cite the price of travel as a barrier compared to the global total of 32% and a quarter of Gen Zs state the cost of accommodation as a barrier to travel. Budget as an influence on travel-making decisions seems to decrease the higher the age, this may be due to more financial stability with career progression, the report said. Gen Zs have a heightened awareness of the cost of accommodation, this may strongly influence their consideration for more budget-friendly alternatives offering unique experiences. Whilst standard 3-star hotels and 5-star hotels rank in the top three types of accommodation types that Gen Z frequent on vacation, they are slightly more likely to opt for staying in hostels, renting rooms in other peoples homes, campervans, and couch surfing. Staying with family/friends is the second most common accommodation type for almost a quarter of Gen Zs (24%) offering them the chance to both connect with friends and loved ones without breaking the budget. Preference for authentic experiences Across the globe, visiting family and friends is the most popular type of vacation for just under a third of global adults (31%), closely followed by beach (30%) and a combination of relaxing, sightseeing and activity vacations (27%). Whilst Gen Zs also state these as their top three favourite types of vacation, their results are lower than all other age groups. Gen Z have a stronger desire to seek out authentic experiences that represent the local culture compared to their older counterparts, and they also want to financially support the local communities albeit within more constrained budgets. Just over a third of global Gen Zs prioritise spending money with local businesses or on local produce when on vacation (37%) on a par with global over 25-year-olds (38%). Social media is so important Social media has transformed the way consumers not only communicate with each other, but also how they interact with brands and advertising across the globe. The Gen Z cohort has never known a world without social media, and it has become an integral part of their everyday lives. The appetite for social media among Gen Z consumers continues to grow. YouGov Custom Research data shows that globally, almost four in ten (39%) of 1824-year-olds intend to interact more with social media in the next 12 months. Social media consumption is least likely to increase among those aged 55+, with only 12% reporting an intention to increase their social media use. Social media is hugely important to Gen Zs. YouGovs GB Profiles data reveals that social media is the top source for accessing news among 40% of 18-24s, compared to 24% of adults aged 25+. Similarly, when planning a vacation, YouGov Global Travel Profiles data reveals that social media is the primary source accessed for information among almost 4 in 10 (39%) 1824-year-olds (compared to only 29% among those aged 25+), and even higher than recommendations from family and friends. Attitudes to advertising Global consumers aged 18-24 have high expectations from advertising, with over half (53%) agreeing that they expect advertising to entertain them, compared to 50% of those aged 25+. In addition, they value personalization, with 38% of global Gen Zs more likely to engage with advertisements that are tailored to them, compared to a lower proportion (36%) among adults aged 25+. Gen Z consumers are more likely to engage with brands and advertising that is relevant and entertaining, and if consumers enjoy the content and communications, they are more likely to respond to it positively, the study said. - TradeArabia News Service Evusheld is an antibody therapy developed by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the prevention of Covid-19 in immunocompromised patients. Antibody therapies are offering promising treatment breakthroughs for cancer and other illnesses, generating greater investor interest more than 20 years after they were first commercialized. Antibodies are proteins that recognize foreign substances, known as antigens, attaching themselves to them to alert the rest of the human immune system. In 1975, scientists Georges Koehler and Cesar Milstein discovered how to produce them in a laboratory, which later earned them a Nobel Prize for medicine. Dozens of synthetic antibodies have since been developed. New antibody treatments to be used with chemotherapy have arrived on the scene in recent years. Most recently, a clinical trial of an antibody developed by pharmaceutical groups Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca caught the attention of leading cancer specialists gathered at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual congress in Chicago this month. The treatment, Enhertu, was already authorized for breast cancer patients who had large amounts of a protein called HER2. The antibody also performed well in patients with smaller quantities of the proteinincreasing the number of people who could benefit. The antibody latches onto the surface of a cancer cell whose receptors no longer work and the cell then "digests" the receptors to recycle them, activating the chemotherapy, explained cancer specialist William Jacot. "We hadn't seen such progress, in terms of survival, with a chemotherapy treatment for dozens of years," said Jacot, a professor at the Montpellier Cancer Institute in southern France. Although antibody therapy technology has a complex production process, it is less difficult to implement than new treatments using cellular therapy. Antibodies can be used in different ways to fight cancer. They can target and destroy the proteins necessary to produce cancer cells or act to regulate the immune response. French biotech firm Inatherys is in the first stage of clinical trials of an antibody treatment for leukemia, its boss Pierre Launay said. He said the company's antibody will be designed act as a "guided missile" and target a receptor that lets iron enter cancer cells, which need the substance. The antibody will then release a poison within the cell to destroy it. Some antibody treatments are being used preventively while others are treatments. For example, AstraZeneca's Evusheld antibody treatment is used preventively to ward off COVID-19, while Xevudy by British company GSK is used as a treatment. Treatments are also being developed for inflammatory diseases, which are also a major killer. Booming market The promising announcements have triggered interest beyond the scientific community and a flood of investment. French biotech firm ImCheck Therapeutics recently raised almost 100 million euros ($106 million) for an antibody treatment in development. Pharmaceutical giants are also prepared to spend big to ensure they do not miss out. French company Sanofi bought Belgian biotech firm Ablynx and its mini antibodies, nanobodies, for almost four billion euros in 2018. Dupixent, Sanofi's flagship immunotherapy antibody medication, earned more than five billion euros for the pharma giant last year, and Keytruda, an oncological treatment by US firm MSD, generated more than $17 billion in 2021. According to predictions by research firm Market Data Forecast, the market could grow to reach $249 billion in three years' time. Explore further Sanofi to buy US biotech firm Amunix for $1 bn 2022 AFP Subjects with detectable omicron neutralization titres. Indicates the percentage of subjects in each clinical group with detectable neutralization titres above LLD for Wuhan (vaccine) vs omicron strains. Credit: eBioMedicine (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104066 The pandemic has hit nursing home residents especially hard, with a disproportionately large share of COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But new research from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in partnership with Brown University shows that high levels of omicron-specific immunity can be achieved in nursing home residents and their caregivers with a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, also known as the booster shot. The findings were published this month in the journal eBioMedicine. Researchers examined blood samples from 85 nursing home residents and 48 health care workers in Ohio who received the COVID-19 vaccine booster to determine the level of neutralizing antibodies present. Neutralizing antibodies are protective proteins produced by the immune system in response to vaccination and can be analyzed to determine the length of time it takes for immunity to diminish. The study found that omicron-specific antibodies reached detectable levels in 86% of nursing home residents and 93% of health care workers after receiving the booster shot, compared to just 28% of nursing home residents and health care workers after the initial two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series. This high neutralization level occurred two weeks after the booster. Despite nursing homes acting as an epicenter of infections and deaths throughout the pandemic, one in eight nursing home residents and one in nine staff members have not been fully vaccinated, according to the AARP. David Canaday, lead study author and professor at the School of Medicine, said the results highlight the importance of booster vaccinationsnot only for nursing home residents, but also for the general population. "There are tens of millions of community-dwelling older adults similar to the nursing home population but are living at home," he said. "This data shows this group of frail, older adults with similar clinical and functional limitations would benefit immensely from a booster vaccination. The data also shows that health care workers achieved a significant elevation in antibody levels after receiving a booster. Many of these workers are healthy, middle-aged adults similar to the general population." The research builds on a previous study that showed nursing home residents and health care workers lose more than 80% of their COVID-19 immunity six months after the initial vaccine series. Those results were presented to the CDC and published last fall. The CDC recommends a first booster dose for people age five and older after completing their primary COVID-19 series. A second booster shot is recommended for people at least 50 years old and for those at least age 12 who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. Canaday's research team has ongoing studies examining the responses to the second booster including nursing home residents. Explore further US nursing home deaths reach lowest levels reported since pandemic began More information: David H. Canaday et al, COVID-19 vaccine booster dose needed to achieve Omicron-specific neutralisation in nursing home residents, eBioMedicine (2022). Journal information: EBioMedicine David H. Canaday et al, COVID-19 vaccine booster dose needed to achieve Omicron-specific neutralisation in nursing home residents,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104066 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain After decades when millions of Americans who were at risk for cardiovascular trouble were told a daily low-dose aspirin would guard against strokes and heart attacks, new guidelines issued this spring recommend that the strategy is not worth the bleeding risks in those over 60. That's been plenty confusing for patients who aren't sure what is the safest course forward. Diane Manzella, a Southern California resident, is among them. Manzella, now 80, had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a "mini stroke," about 20 years ago. These attacks can be a harbinger of a future major stroke. Then she had a second TIA last monthafter stopping her daily dose of aspirin several months ago. Experts at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles have heard from other confused stroke patients about the new guidelines. "Both in the hospital setting as well as our clinic spaces, our patients are hearing, seeing the news and they are having family members telling them, 'You need to stop your aspirin. Hey, it causes harm,' because the general public does not know the difference between primary and secondary prevention," said Dr. Shlee Song, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Cedars-Sinai. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made its final recommendations tightening the use of low-dose aspirin usage in late April. Soon after, the American Heart Association (AHA) noted that those changes aligned with its 2019 guidelines. For now, the recommendations are that people with a history of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, stroke or stenting should continue to take their low-dose aspirin. But for people with no history of heart disease or stroke, taking low-dose aspirin is not recommended for preventing heart attack or stroke ("primary prevention"), especially in adults who have a higher risk for bleeding. Certain middle-aged adults may benefit from low-dose aspirin therapy, the AHA noted, if they are at high risk for heart attack or stroke due to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or a significant family history of heart disease. Those individuals should get specific treatment advice from their doctors. Aspirin still an option for some "The task force recommends a discussion with the doctor to see if the benefits outweigh the risk. There is a marginal risk reduction with aspirin in the 40- to 59-year age range and the physician or the clinical team member needs to really make sure that the bleeding risk does not outweigh the potential benefit here," Song said. Aspirin can harm people with stomach ulcers or bleeding issues in the gut, which is among the reasons it shouldn't be taken unless there is another reason to do so, Song explained. Doctors may screen for symptoms such as heartburn or changes in stool before making a decision to use aspirin for primary prevention, she said. "If a patient's doctor has recommended low-dose aspirinor any preventive medicationthe patient shouldn't discontinue taking it without discussing it with their physician," Song said in a question-and-answer session Cedars-Sinai posted recently to help patients understand the guidelines. Since the 1950s, doctors have been prescribing daily aspirin to help prevent recurring heart attacks. Many studies have shown that daily low-dose aspirin or similar medications can reduce the risk of major vascular events like heart attacks and strokes by up to 25% compared to patients who do not take aspirin or aspirin-like medicines, said Dr. Lee Schwamm, executive vice chair of neurology and director of the Center for TeleHealth at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The aspirin strategy works by inhibiting activation of platelets, which play a role in clotting, Schwamm said. Though that clotting action is useful after injury to a blood vessel causes bleeding, platelets can also cause a clot to form that can block blood flow or break off and travel to the brain or heart and cause a stroke or heart attack, Schwamm explained. Occasional aspirin for pain relief is still a safe alternative, and many patients with arthritis take aspirin regularly for their pain symptoms, Schwamm noted. "Many people have been confused by this message, especially if they only read the headlines of articles or hear the opening part of a news story," Schwamm said. "This is a very subtle message, and we need to do a better job of explaining the risks and benefits of over-the-counter treatments that can save lives for some people, but put others at risk." Talk to your doctor first For those who've had a past stroke or heart attack, that medical history doesn't just go away, even if it's been a number of years, Song said. "Some patients think they're in the same primary prevention group because the stroke or TIA or the heart attack happened years ago. [They think] 'So I'm with the general public, right?' No, you're not," Song said. "It's because you've had this relevant history that we need to continue the aspirin." Such was the case with Manzella. Her original TIA back in 2002 consisted of blurry vision, with temporary blackened vision on the lower half of her left eye. Her training as a speech pathologist made her think it could be a clot. Afterwards, she was prescribed low-dose aspirin. Last fall, after reading a newspaper story and talking with her new cardiologist, Manzella stopped taking aspirin. "There was a huge article in the L.A. Times and elsewhere in news media about the idea that the low-dose aspirin, taking it to prevent a stroke, wasn't all that effective unless you had had a prior problem," said Manzella, who thinks her cardiologist hadn't remembered her history of TIA. Last month, she had another TIA, which featured tingling on her left side, impaired balance and slurred speech. An ambulance brought her to a Cedars-Sinai hospital. "In hindsight, I shouldn't have" stopped taking the aspirin, Manzella said. After her recent episode, Manzella's medical team gave her some updated guidance. "This was their advice: Keep myself healthy, stay in touch with my doctors, and continue on the aspirin and start a statin drug," Manzella said. Now, "I'm feeling pretty good," she said. Explore further Should you take aspirin to prevent heart attacks? More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on stroke Copyright 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved. A woman sleeping in bed. Credit: Ketut Subiyanto, Pexels, CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) Middle-aged women with low levels of estrogen and progesterone are more likely to snore and to report symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a new study published this week in PLoS ONE by Kai Triebner of University of Bergen, Norway, and colleagues. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apneain which breathing stops and starts during sleepis known to be higher in women after menopause. However no population-based study has previously examined whether this is the result of altered sex hormone levels. In the new study, the researchers analyzed data from 774 women aged 40 to 67 in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, conducted in seven countries between 2010 and 2012. Women in the study participated in questionnaires on their respiratory health, women's health factors, lifestyle and sleep, and gave blood samples for hormone analysis. Five-hundred fifty-one of the women in the study (71.2%) had been told they snored, and 411 of those women also reported other symptoms of sleep apnea. Among all women, a doubling of serum concentrations of estrone was associated with 19% decreased odds of snoring. A doubling of progesterone levels was associated with 9% decreased odds of snoring. Among snorers, a doubling of the concentrations of three estrogens (17-estradiol, estrone and estrone 3-sulfate) was associated with 17% to 23% decreased odds of women having been told they breathe irregularly during sleep. A doubling of progesterone concentration, among snorers, was associated with 12% decreased odds of having woken with a choking sensation in the previous year. The authors conclude that adjusting female sex hormones might be a strategy to decrease the high prevalence and associated morbidity of obstructive sleep apnea, but say that further longitudinal studies are required to confirm the findings. The authors add that "female sex hormones are crucial for health and disease, and especially after menopause the hormone status should be considered to develop holistic treatment strategies." Explore further Sleep apnea may lead to increased joint pain in postmenopausal women More information: Female sex hormones and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in European women of a population-based cohort, PLoS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE Female sex hormones and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in European women of a population-based cohort,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269569 Visualization of Art v 1 peptides P1 to P4 in ribbon and surface representations of the 3-dimensional Art v 1 structure. Peptides P1 to P4 were modeled onto the 3D-structure of Art v 1 (according to the PDB sequence 2KPY). Views from the front and back side, rotated around the vertical axis by 180 , are displayed. Peptides are marked by different colors and are displayed as ribbon (left- and right-most panels) or surface representation (2 middle panels). Credit: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.04.031 A research team at MedUni Vienna has discovered key mechanisms of allergy to pollen from the common weed mugwort, thereby also laying the foundation for the development of the world's first vaccine. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) poses a serious problem for allergic individuals in our latitudes from July through to September. Currently, the symptoms, which often lead to asthma, can only be treated symptomatically. The recent findings are an essential first step toward causal therapy and the prevention of mugwort pollen allergy. The landmark study has now been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In their preclinical research, the scientists started at the point of origin of mugwort pollen allergy. They discovered where and how the immunoglobulin E (IgE) type antibodies detect the major mugwort pollen allergen (Art v 1) and trigger the exaggerated immune response. They also found that distinct protein building blocks of the main mugwort pollen allergen are in such a configuration that they can be blocked by IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies. These findings by the research team led by Maja Zabel and Winfried Pickl, in collaboration with Rudolf Valenta's research team (all from MedUni Vienna's Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology), created the basis for the development of a vaccine against mugwort allergy: "Our study shows how fragments of the major mugwort pollen allergen can be used for effective and safe therapy," says study leader Winfried Pickl. "Our observations of the mode of action of the vaccine show that one of the ends of the main mugwort pollen allergen provides important docking sites for the pathogenic IgE antibodies of allergic individuals, which can be used for creating a novel vaccine," Winfried Pickl elaborates. The first author of the study is Maja Zabel, who conducted the work during her Ph.D. studies at the MedUni Vienna as part of the FWF-funded doctoral program "Molecular, Cellular and Clinical Allergology, MCCA." This program is now part of the Danube Allergy Research Cluster (Danube ARC). Widespread in the Northern Hemisphere Mugwort is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, where its pollen causes discomfort and even asthma in sensitized individuals from July through to September. The only treatments available to the approximately 10% of the population who are sensitive to mugwort are limited to symptomatic relief. The current MedUni Vienna study is a first step towards causal therapy and prevention. "Next, we will use our research results to produce a synthetic vaccine that can be evaluated in a clinical trial," explains Rudolf Valenta, outlining the next step on the path to developing an effective vaccine. Explore further Our genes dictate who develops an allergy More information: Maja Zabel et al, Art v 1 IgE epitopes of patients and humanized mice are conformational, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2022). Journal information: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Maja Zabel et al, Art v 1 IgE epitopes of patients and humanized mice are conformational,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.04.031 BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a bill that would make doctors who perform abortions subject to prison terms of one to 10 years a measure that would take effect when and if the 1973 Supreme Court decision establishing abortion rights is overturned. The bill passed during the recently ended 2022 regular legislative session was described by supporters as a means of clarifying and eliminating any conflicts in anti-abortion laws already in state statutes. Edwards, a Democrat who goes against his party on the issue, has long expressed opposition to legal abortion. Abortion rights activists had pressed for a veto of the bill by Sen. Katrina Jackson of Monroe another anti-abortion Democrat noting its lack of an exception for rape or incest victims. Edwards on Tuesday reiterated that he would like to see such exceptions, but said vetoing Jackson's bill would do nothing to accomplish that. The governor's office also noted exceptions in the bill allowing abortions when fetuses are deemed medically futile suffering conditions making them unable to live after birth and in cases of ectopic pregnancy. Other measures signed by Edwards on Tuesday included one striking Robert E. Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day from the list of state holidays. Edwards also signed a measure overhauling the regulation of medical marijuana in the state. Among other things, the bill switches regulation duties from the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. And, Edwards signed a bill outlawing discrimination in education, employment, public accommodations or housing based on a persons natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle. The bill mentions afros, dreadlocks, twists, locs, braids, cornrow braids, Bantu knots as examples. State Rep. Candace Newell's bill addressed controversies such as the one that arose in the New Orleans area in 2018 after a girl was sent home from a Catholic school that banned hair extensions. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology was held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago and attracted more than 40,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in oncology. The conference featured the latest advances in clinical cancer research, including oral abstract presentations and poster presentations in disease-based and specialty tracks. Presentations focused on novel targeted therapies as well as improvements in chemotherapy and radiation therapy approaches. In the TROPiCS-02 phase 3 clinical trial, Hope S. Rugo, M.D., of the University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues found that the use of sacituzumab govitecan improves median progression-free survival (PFS) compared with standard chemotherapy in patients with heavily pretreated endocrine-resistant hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2) metastatic breast cancer. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of sacituzumab govitecan compared to the physician's choice of chemotherapy for advanced HR+/HER2 breast cancer. At 113 international locations, 543 patients with HR+/HER2 metastatic breast cancer who had been treated with endocrine therapy, CDK4/6 inhibitors, and two to four chemotherapy regimens were enrolled. The researchers found that sacituzumab govitecan improved median PFS by 34 percent compared with standard chemotherapy; there was also a nonsignificant trend seen in overall survival. The overall response rate was 21 percent for those who received sacituzumab govitecan compared with 14 percent for those who received standard chemotherapy. Furthermore, the investigators found that the clinical benefit rate and median duration of response both favored sacituzumab govitecan. "In TROPiCS-02, sacituzumab was studied in patients who had very heavily pretreated hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer, with very limited options, and offers a potential for another effective therapy for these patients," Rugo said. "Overall, it is important to have new treatment options, extend quality of life, and provide disease control for patients with heavily pretreated hormone receptor-positive advanced cancer." The study was funded by Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of sacituzumab govitecan. In the single-arm prospective phase 3 LUMINA trial, Timothy Joseph Whelan, M.D., of McMaster University and the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues found that the rate of recurrence is very low among women 55 years or older with luminal A breast cancer not treated with radiation. The authors enrolled 500 patients from 26 centers in Canada who had node-negative, grade 1 or 2 tumors smaller than 2 cm that had been removed by breast-conserving surgery and were luminal A tumors with a Ki67 tumor cell count of 13.25 percent or less. The patients underwent breast-conserving surgery, followed by endocrine therapy, but did not receive radiation therapy. At five years, the researchers found a 2.3 percent chance of local recurrence and a 1.9 percent chance of a new breast cancer developing in the breast not originally impacted by the cancer. The rate of recurrence-free survival was 97.3 percent and the disease-free survival rate was 89.9 percent. The overall survival rate was 97.2 percent. "We tested a biomarker, which allows women, 55 years and older, with low-grade luminal type A breast cancer to avoid radiation therapy, which can be costly, time consuming, and associated with significant side effects," Whelan said. "We found that in woman 55 years or older with luminal A breast cancer and treated without radiation, the rate of recurrence remains very low. As such, practicing clinicians may want to omit radiation therapy for this type of patient." Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Eric Bouffet, M.D., of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and colleagues found that the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib significantly increases the overall response rate in pediatric patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive low-grade gliomas compared with the standard chemotherapy combination of carboplatin plus vincristine. In a double-blind clinical trial, the authors randomly assigned 110 patients (ages 1 to 17 years) who had BRAF V600 mutation-positive low-grade gliomas to either dabrafenib twice daily plus trametinib once daily or to standard-of-care doses of carboplatin plus vincristine. The researchers found that the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib resulted in an overall response rate of 47 percent compared with 11 percent seen for the standard chemotherapy combination of carboplatin plus vincristine. The investigators also observed significant improvements in clinical benefit rate, duration of response, time to response, PFS, and overall survival in those who received dabrafenib and trametinib. "For pediatric patients with BRAF V600-mutant low-grade glioma, dabrafenib plus trametinib may offer an improved standard of care," Bouffet said in a statement. "This represents an important advance for the youngest patients with brain cancer, as this is the first combination of targeted therapies developed for patients as young as [age 1 year]." The study was funded by Novartis, the manufacturer of dabrafenib and trametinib. ASCO: Ramucirumab Plus Pembrolizumab Promising in NSCLC THURSDAY, June 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Early research shows that overall survival is longer with ramucirumab and pembrolizumab compared with an investigator's choice standard-of-care in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Risk for Suicide Elevated in Cancer Patients in the U.S. WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Patients diagnosed with cancer have elevated suicide risk, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Ancestry-Specific Genetic Risk Examined for TNBC WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Women of African ancestry more often have a personal history of triple-negative breast cancer, but the magnitudes of gene-specific risks for triple-negative breast cancer are similar across different racial/ethnic groups, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Black Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer Willing to Consider Clinical Trials TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients with metastatic breast cancer are willing to consider participating in clinical trials, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Disparities Seen in Telehealth Use for Cancer Care During Pandemic TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Racial, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities were seen in telehealth use among patients initiating cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Desmoplastic Melanoma Responds to Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with resectable desmoplastic melanoma, pembrolizumab treatment prior to resection results in a high pathological complete response rate, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: ACA Medicaid Expansion Has Increased Access to Cancer Trials TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion was associated with an increase in the proportion of patients using Medicaid in cancer clinical trials, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Parental Cancer Tied to Risk for Unmet Social Needs in Children TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Parental cancer is associated with a greater likelihood of family-level food insecurity, financial worry about housing costs and other monthly bills, and transportation barriers to medical care for U.S. children, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: ctDNA Analysis Guides Treatment of Stage II Colon Cancer MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A circulating tumor DNA-guided approach to treatment of stage II colon cancer reduces adjuvant chemotherapy use without affecting recurrence-free survival, according to a study published online June 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Increase in Cancer-Related Death Seen During Pandemic MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- From 2019 to 2020, there was an increase of 3.2 percent in cancer-related deaths, which was higher than the number of projected deaths, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. ASCO: Add-On Ibrutinib Slows Mantle-Cell Lymphoma in Older Adults FRIDAY, June 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients with untreated mantle-cell lymphoma, the addition of ibrutinib to standard chemoimmunotherapy significantly prolongs progression-free survival, according to a study published online June 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. TUESDAY, June 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A new rule that would require tobacco companies to slash nicotine levels in cigarettes could be issued Tuesday by the Biden administration. The rule, which would have an unprecedented effect in lowering smoking-related deaths, would be unveiled as part of a compilation of planned federal regulatory actions released twice a year, an individual with knowledge of the rule who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Washington Post. The policy, which would lower nicotine in cigarettes to minimally or nonaddictive levels, would dovetail nicely with a major goal of the White House to cut cancer deaths. As part of the retooled cancer moonshot announced in February, President Joe Biden promised to cut cancer death rates by 50 percent over the next quarter century. About 480,000 Americans die of smoking-related causes each year, and tobacco use remains the top cause of preventable death in the United States. Announcing the new rule would just be the first step in a lengthy process, the Post reported. It could take at least a year for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco products, to actually issue a proposed rule. After that, the FDA would have to sift through public comments before issuing a final rule. Any opposition could delay or derail the effort especially if the regulation was not completed before Biden left office. The tobacco industry, which is sure to fight the new measure, could also legally challenge any final regulation. The Trump administration's first FDA commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, once said he wanted to lower nicotine levels as part of a broader tobacco policy, and the agency took a first step in 2018 by publishing an information-gathering notice. But the idea was shelved after Gottlieb left the administration in spring 2019, the Post reported. "There's a long arc to major policymaking, and the Biden administration's commitment to advance that effort will mean it gets done," Gottlieb told the Post. Mitch Zeller, who recently retired as director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, acknowledged it could take years for such a rule to take effect. "The most important, game-changing policies take a long time, but it is worth the wait because, at the end of the day, the only cigarettes that will be available won't be capable of addicting future generations of kids," Zeller told the Post. Pat Folan directs the Northwell Center for Tobacco Control in Lake Success, NY. She believes that "this measure will have its most significant impact on young people trying cigarettes for the first time. With less nicotine, teens may not become addicted so quickly." On the other hand, the move to lower nicotine levels could backfire among older smokers, Folan said. They may simply up their intake by consuming more cigarettes per day. Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told the Post that cutting nicotine levels "would produce the greatest drop in cancer rates and make the biggest difference" of any public health measure under discussion. Nicotine, a chemical that occurs naturally in the tobacco plant, does not cause cancer. But its highly addictive properties make it hard for people to quit using cigarettes, whose smoke contains harmful ingredients that can cause lung cancer and heart disease. Reynolds American, one of the nation's biggest tobacco companies, did not respond immediately to requests for comment, the Post said. Altria said it would comment after the administration formally announces any nicotine-reduction plans. An FDA-funded study, published in 2018 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that lowering nicotine levels in cigarettes could save more than 8 million lives by the end of the century. More information Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on smoking. SOURCE: Washington Post; Pat Folan, director, Northwell Center for Tobacco Control, Lake Success, NY You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Breathing in air pollution can lead to toxic particles entering the brain -- and not just through the nose. New research suggests they have a direct pathway through the bloodstream, potentially contributing to brain disorders and neurological damage. "There are gaps in our knowledge around the harmful effects of airborne fine particles on the central nervous system. This work sheds new light on the link between inhaling particles and how they subsequently move around the body," said study co-author Iseult Lynch, a professor at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. "The data suggests that up to eight times the number of fine particles may reach the brain by traveling, via the bloodstream, from the lungs than pass directly via the nose -- adding new evidence on the relationship between air pollution and detrimental effects of such particles on the brain," she said in a university news release. The inhaled particles can enter the bloodstream after crossing the air-blood barrier. They eventually reach the brain. This can lead to damage of the brain-blood barrier and surrounding tissues as they do. Once these particles reach the brain, they stay there longer than in other main metabolic organs, Lynch and her colleagues said. In this study, the international researchers found various fine particles in human cerebrospinal fluids taken from patients who had experienced brain disorders. The team noted that recent evidence has shown a strong link between high levels of air pollution and marked neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's-like changes and cognitive problems in older people and even in children. Air pollution is filled with toxic components, but experts are most concerned about particulate matter (PM), especially ambient fine particles such as PM2.5 and PM0.1 because of their impact on health. Ultra-fine particles can escape the body's protective systems, including sentinel immune cells and biological barriers. The researchers said the findings offer new evidence in proving the risks from particulate pollution to the central nervous system. They recommended more investigation into the mechanics of how inhaled ambient fine particles reach the brain. More information The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more on particulate matter. SOURCE: University of Birmingham, news release, June 20, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Keeping your bedroom dark not only helps you get a good night's sleep, but may significantly lower your odds of developing three major health problems, a new study suggests. Older men and women who used night lights, or left their TV, smartphone or tablet on in the room were more likely to be obese, and have high blood pressure and diabetes, compared with adults who were not exposed to any light during the night. "Maybe even a small amount of light at night is not so benign, it can be harmful," said lead author Dr. Minjee Kim, an assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine in Chicago. She cautioned, however, that the new study doesn't prove that exposure to light during sleep causes any of these health conditions, only that there may be a link. And, Kim said, there may be a biological explanation beyond disrupted sleep that ties light to an increased risk for obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. "It's not natural to see those lights at night," Kim said. "Light actually turns off some of the parts in the brain that tell our body it's the daytime versus nighttime. So those signals are messed up in a way, because the circadian signal is weakened, and over time, that has implications for our health." So, she said, over time light may cause metabolic and heart diseases. Kim and her colleagues looked at more than 550 participants in the Chicago Healthy Aging Study. The 63- to 84-year-olds wore devices that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms over a week. Fewer than half had five hours in complete darkness as they slept, the study found. The others were exposed to some light even during the darkest five hours of the day -- usually in the middle of their sleep at night. The researchers said they didn't know if obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure prompt people to sleep with a light on or if the light led to development of the conditions. But, they added, some people with foot numbness due to diabetes may want to use a night light to help prevent falls when they have to use the bathroom at night. Emerson Wickwire, professor and section head of sleep medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was not part of the study, but reviewed the findings. He said the results add to a growing body of scientific evidence showing the importance of the body's circadian clock and sleep to overall health, particularly among older adults. "What these data show is that exposure to light at nighttime increases risks for two of the most common and costly chronic medical conditions in the U.S. and worldwide -- obesity and diabetes -- as well as hypertension, a major cardiovascular risk factor," Wickwire said. "Even though this study warrants careful follow-up in future studies, these are exciting findings." Several factors may account for the worsening health effects of overnight exposure to light, Wickwire said. "First, light at night could worsen health by dysregulating the circadian clock," he said. "In addition to sleep, circadian health is vital for the prevention of disease and optimal performance." Second, Wickwire noted, light is a powerful melatonin suppressant. "Melatonin, also called the darkness hormone, is associated with multiple health properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Light at night reduces melatonin," Wickwire said. In addition to increasing physiologic stress, he said, light at night can also be a marker for overall poor health, as people awake at night may be engaged in other risky behaviors. To get all the benefits sleep provides, Wickwire has this advice: "Create a sacred space for sleep," he said. "Your bedroom environment should be cool, dark, quiet and uncluttered." Kim's team also has tips about keeping bedroom light to a minimum: Don't turn lights on. If you need to have a light on for safety, make it a dim one that's close to the floor. The color of the light is important. Amber or red/orange light is less stimulating to the brain. Don't use white or blue light, and keep it far away from the bed. If you can't control outdoor light, use blackout shades or wear an eye mask. Place your bed so outdoor light doesn't shine in your face. The findings were published June 22 in the journal Sleep. More information For more on getting a good night's sleep, see the U.S. National Institute on Aging. SOURCES: Minjee Kim, MD, assistant professor, neurology, Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Emerson Wickwire, PhD, professor and section head, sleep medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Sleep, June 22, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. Al Qana, a top waterfront destination in Abu Dhabi, celebrated International Yoga Day at The National Aquarium on June 21, in partnership with The Bridge Lifestyle Hub, a leading fitness and wellness facility. The participants experienced this ancient practice in a completely new environment, surrounded by captivating aquatic colours and mesmerizing marine life. The Bridge operates with the objective of improving community members lifestyles, through a holistic approach to wellness. Located within Al Qana in Abu Dhabi, The Bridge comprises of a gym, spa, restaurant, juice bar, nutrition corner, concept store, outdoor activities, arts & culture spaces, as well as social and learning program. The Hub has been launched as a community brand for multiple lifestyle interests ranging from the physical to the intellectual with elevated moments at every corner and program. TradeArabia News Service WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- After decades where millions of Americans who were at risk for cardiovascular trouble were told a daily low-dose aspirin would guard against strokes and heart attacks, new guidelines issued this spring recommend that the strategy is not worth the bleeding risks in those over 60. That's been plenty confusing for patients who aren't sure what is the safest course forward. Diane Manzella, a Southern California resident, is among them. Manzella, now 80, had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a "mini stroke," about 20 years ago. These attacks can be a harbinger of a future major stroke. Then she had a second TIA last month -- after stopping her daily dose of aspirin several months ago. Experts at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles have heard from other confused stroke patients about the new guidelines. "Both in the hospital setting as well as our clinic spaces, our patients are hearing, seeing the news and they are having family members telling them, 'You need to stop your aspirin. Hey, it causes harm,' because the general public does not know the difference between primary and secondary prevention," said Dr. Shlee Song, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Cedars-Sinai. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made its final recommendations tightening the use of low-dose aspirin usage in late April. Soon after, the American Heart Association (AHA) noted that those changes aligned with its 2019 guidelines. For now, the recommendations are that people with a history of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, stroke or stenting should continue to take their low-dose aspirin. But for people with no history of heart disease or stroke, taking low-dose aspirin is not recommended for preventing heart attack or stroke ("primary prevention"), especially in adults who have a higher risk for bleeding. Certain middle-aged adults may benefit from low-dose aspirin therapy, the AHA noted, if they are at high risk for heart attack or stroke due to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or a significant family history of heart disease. Those individuals should get specific treatment advice from their doctors. Aspirin still an option for some "The task force recommends a discussion with the doctor to see if the benefits outweigh the risk. There is a marginal risk reduction with aspirin in the 40- to 59-year age range and the physician or the clinical team member needs to really make sure that the bleeding risk does not outweigh the potential benefit here," Song said. Aspirin can harm people with stomach ulcers or bleeding issues in the gut, which is among the reasons it shouldn't be taken unless there is another reason to do so, Song explained. Doctors may screen for symptoms such as heartburn or changes in stool before making a decision to use aspirin for primary prevention, she said. "If a patient's doctor has recommended low-dose aspirin -- or any preventive medication -- the patient shouldn't discontinue taking it without discussing it with their physician," Song said in a question-and-answer session Cedars-Sinai posted recently to help patients understand the guidelines. Since the 1950s, doctors have been prescribing daily aspirin to help prevent recurring heart attacks. Many studies have shown that daily low-dose aspirin or similar medications can reduce the risk of major vascular events like heart attacks and strokes by up to 25% compared to patients who do not take aspirin or aspirin-like medicines, said Dr. Lee Schwamm, executive vice chair of neurology and director of the Center for TeleHealth at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The aspirin strategy works by inhibiting activation of platelets, which play a role in clotting, Schwamm said. Though that clotting action is useful after injury to a blood vessel causes bleeding, platelets can also cause a clot to form that can block blood flow or break off and travel to the brain or heart and cause a stroke or heart attack, Schwamm explained. Occasional aspirin for pain relief is still a safe alternative, and many patients with arthritis take aspirin regularly for their pain symptoms, Schwamm noted. "Many people have been confused by this message, especially if they only read the headlines of articles or hear the opening part of a news story," Schwamm said. "This is a very subtle message, and we need to do a better job of explaining the risks and benefits of over-the-counter treatments that can save lives for some people, but put others at risk." Talk to your doctor first For those who've had a past stroke or heart attack, that medical history doesn't just go away, even if it's been a number of years, Song said. "Some patients think they're in the same primary prevention group because the stroke or TIA or the heart attack happened years ago. [They think] 'So I'm with the general public, right?' No, you're not," Song said. "It's because you've had this relevant history that we need to continue the aspirin." Such was the case with Manzella. Her original TIA back in 2002 consisted of blurry vision, with temporary blackened vision on the lower half of her left eye. Her training as a speech pathologist made her think it could be a clot. Afterwards, she was prescribed low-dose aspirin. Last fall, after reading a newspaper story and talking with her new cardiologist, Manzella stopped taking aspirin. "There was a huge article in the L.A. Times and elsewhere in news media about the idea that the low-dose aspirin, taking it to prevent a stroke, wasn't all that effective unless you had had a prior problem," said Manzella, who thinks her cardiologist hadn't remembered her history of TIA. Last month, she had another TIA, which featured tingling on her left side, impaired balance and slurred speech. An ambulance brought her to a Cedars-Sinai hospital. "In hindsight, I shouldn't have" stopped taking the aspirin, Manzella said. After her recent episode, Manzella's medical team gave her some updated guidance. "This was their advice: Keep myself healthy, stay in touch with my doctors, and continue on the aspirin and start a statin drug," Manzella said. Now, "I'm feeling pretty good," she said. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on stroke. SOURCES: Diane Manzella, Marina Del Rey, Calif.; Shlee Song, MD, director, Comprehensive Stroke Center, vice chair, Neurology System Integration, and professor, neurology, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles; Lee Schwamm, MD, executive vice chair, neurology, director, Center for TeleHealth, and vice president, virtual care and digital health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Cedars-Sinai, news release, June 16, 2022; American Heart Association, statement, April 26, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. Sixteen-year-old Gabriel Myo-Grant, who had been missing for more than two weeks, has been found, according to his family. Myo-Grant, who is Blackfeet, walked away from his group home in Billings on June 5 and was among several Native Americans reported missing in southeast Montana in recent weeks. His aunt, Rhonda Grant-Connelly of Browning, said Myo-Grant wasnt happy at his group home. She said he sought shelter under a pine tree outside a Walmart in Billings, where another homeless person had been sleeping. According to Grant-Connelly, a formerly homeless man saw Myo-Grant dumpster diving in the parking lot for food and asked him if he was OK. The man later told his friend that he'd seen a young boy living unsheltered. The friend showed him Myo-Grant's missing person poster. When the man confirmed that it was Myo-Grant hed seen, his friend called Grant-Connelly, whose number was listed on the poster. The man then asked Myo-Grant to meet him at McDonald's. When Myo-Grant showed up, his sister and aunt greeted him. I think we all cried, Grant-Connelly said. And then I told him, you never do that again! Grant-Connelly said finding her nephew was a "big relief." Now, I can finally sleep, she said. I thought for sure something bad had happened to him. Though Native Americans comprise about 6.7% of Montanas population, they account for about 26% of the states active missing persons cases. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HAUGAN Mary Devine remembers the exact location of her familys past home in the town of Haugan right where the Exxon gas station now stands next to the Silver Dollar Saloon off of I-90. That's where her brother Jeff "Ozzy" Otzwirk parked his red 1983 Chevrolet Scottsdale pickup in the driveway. For as long as she can remember, that was Otzwirks favorite possession. Now its legacy, along with her brothers, lives on to this day even after Otzwirks passing by suicide in 1999. Devine came back to western Montana to attend an escort and procession at Haugans Silver Dollar Saloon honoring her late brother, who was a U.S. Navy sailor. Dressed in her own uniform as a Nevada National Guard officer, Devine remembers her childhood growing up with her brother and other siblings where their home used to be. He was my little brother," Devine said. "My sister Lynn and I used to babysit Jeff (at that house) when he was six weeks old. We were a blended family after our parents remarried, but we always treated each other like family." On Tuesday, Ozzy's family, friends and fellow military veterans gathered to memorialize him by sending his restored pickup on a mission of support for other military service members struggling with mental distress. Born in Missoula on Sept. 20, 1976, and raised in Haugan, Otzwirk served as a machinist mate in the United States Navy after leaving Haugan back in 1996. Most of that was aboard the USS Independence, stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. After the Navy decommissioned the ship in 1998, Otzwirk and his crew transferred to the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. Throughout his time with the Navy, Otzwirk made what appeared to be lifelong friendships with the rest of his shipmates, particularly sailor Jared Ashley. Otzwirk died by suicide on Sept. 18, 1999, after serving with the Navy for more than three years. He left behind his family and that red Chevy pickup back in Haugan. Jeff was an all-in kind of a guy, Devine said. "He was an athlete, an outdoorsman, and a friend. He was a big and loving soul. He loved his family, and we didnt see this coming. The loss of Jeff was and is devastating. According to numbers from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, suicide rates among active military members and veterans have been on a steady rise since 9/11. In 2019, more than 6,000 veterans died by suicide. Across an 18-year period, the average number of veteran suicides per day rose 4.5%, from 16.4 in 2001 to 17.2 in 2019. In Montana, veteran suicide deaths in 2019 stood at 53. Devine will always remember his brother back when they were kids and as younger adults. She said Otzwirk was very active at a young age. He participated in Montanas regional Junior Olympics in the early '90s. At the time, college wasnt necessarily his passion, Devine said, which is why he decided to enroll in the Navy to see something else. He knew he wanted to get some skills and see the world, and so he chose military service and I applaud him for it, Devine said. Ashley, Otzwirks close friend while serving in the Navy, helped co-organize Ozzys Truck tour in partnership with NASCAR and Pettys Garage, a North Carolina speed shop founded by racing legend Richard Petty in 2008. Petty's Garage helped fully restore Otzwirk's truck to tell his story. The tour highlights suicide awareness and acts as a microphone for other service members across the country who struggle or have struggled with mental health serving their country. Ashley, of Evans, Georgia, first reached out to Otzwirk's sister and other family members back in 2018 interested in telling his story and highlighting the hardships veterans face after leaving the military. He wanted to get Otzwirk's truck restored to honor her brother and the rest of his shipmates. The military has a unique way of pulling different types of folks together as a unit, and with that mentality I think thats why this (tour) will be successful, Ashley said. In the end, the truck is just a truck, but when you pull all the resources and people together who played a major role in Ozzys life, thats when it can make a difference. The project wasnt all about restoring a truck and making it pretty, but its about telling the story, Jeffs story, he said. Ashley partnered with Pettys Garage because of their passion and affiliation with veterans' causes, and it just made sense for him. This restoration is about telling the story and educating the public about the trials and tribulations that our veterans and service members deal with everyday, Ashley said. Being here at the Haugan Silver Dollar Saloon where (he and his) family grew up is also what makes this special 23 years later. The whole community still suffers from his loss. Anton Johnson stood next to a mobile Vet Center parked behind the black semi-truck carrying Otzwirk's red Chevy pickup. Johnson, who served as a combat engineer in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2005, is the outreach specialist through Missoulas Vet Center. He made the drive up to Haugan in the mobile vet center to offer veterans and the general public information about how to address suicide awareness. Through his work, Johnson has helped Montana veterans get connected with readjustment counseling services as they immerse themselves back in society after years of serving in the armed forces. Vet centers were created to help Vietnam veterans as they returned home in the late '70s, Johnson said. A lot of times Vietnam veterans didnt want to (get help) from the government that sent them over in the first place, so when they formed this program it was just veterans helping veterans. Johnson said these centers have expanded their services throughout all 50 states and opened up eligibility for all eras of veterans. He said eligibility is broad and takes in anybody who served in a combat or hostility zone, experienced military sexual trauma, loss of a family member while in the service and other mental health services. Weve expanded these services because weve seen the need and the benefit it brings to our veterans, Johnson said. As Otzwirk's truck hit the road atop a semi-truck escorted by the Mineral County Sheriffs Department, Ashley and Devine got into their respective cars to follow the trucks escort making its way to Missoula as a beacon for other veterans in need. If this project can save and change lives, then its worth it, Devine said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Years of data-combing and traveling to Americas most beloved national parks has paid off for Will Rice. The assistant professor of outdoor recreation and wildland management at the University of Montana has inked several deals to run assessments of access to federal, state and local parks, and was recently featured in the New York Times. But for the first time, Rice will present a virtual talk to the National Academy of Sciences Distinctive Voices lecture series on Wednesday. The lecture focuses on his specialty of finding equitable access in the outdoors. I just got incredibly lucky, Rice said. "We are really sought out." Rice specializes in research on wilderness and recreation spaces. His job helps find a balance between park managers who see a high demand for recreation and the growing number of people interested in the outdoors. He most recently published a study unearthing the exclusionary effects reservation systems have in highly sought-after camping spots in national parks. The study found white, higher-income ZIP codes are more likely to secure reservations to places like Glacier National Park and the Grand Canyon. Rice attributed the inequity to the amount of effort and planning a reservation takes, requiring someone to book up to six months in advance often competing against thousands of others for the chance of one spot. The pandemic was a catalyst for a boom in recreation, not just nationwide but around the world, Rice said, citing that more than 67% of Americans now occasionally camp. If you cant take time off that far ahead or you dont have fast internet, you can get left behind. The professor first found his love for the outdoors when clearing trails along Yellowstone National Park and Wind Cave National Park. When he wasnt studying at Clemson University, he worked as a park ranger. During a fellowship in Alaska, it clicked that he also enjoyed learning and applying his own research. He got his bachelor's degree from Clemson in 2016, his master's from Penn State in recreation, parks and tourism in 2018, and a Ph.D. in human dimensions of natural resources in 2020. When he saw an open job position at UM, he jumped right into the opportunity. I found that I had a strong interest in research and a passion for the outdoors, and I wanted to explore those, Rice said. I discovered there were some major outdoor management needs, and no research on it. Rice has now published a flurry of recreation research papers, many centering on Americas most visited parks. When he first started, some of his projects came with no grant backing or financial support. It wasnt until a 2019 conference in Australia that he started getting the ball rolling. The interest there was so high I had to do more of this work," he said. Laurie Yung, chair for the outdoor recreation and wildland management department at the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, said while Rice is a junior faculty member at UM, he is one of the leading scholars in his field worldwide. I've been very impressed with Will's ability to focus his research on some of the most pressing issues in outdoor recreation, Yung said. He's already building local partnerships that connect students to community projects to benefit Missoula. Rice is currently working with the city of Missoula to put together a visitor-use study on the Rattlesnake Recreation Area. He tracks volunteers using GPS signals, followed by a survey that asks what improvements people would like to see in the open space. Peter Whitney, a first-year graduate student at the school of forestry, has worked on several projects with Rice since he enrolled at the university last fall. He worked alongside Rice and professors Jaclyn Rushing and Jennifer Thomson on the camping equity study published last year. He wanted to learn more about humans' relation with nature to complement his restoration ecology degree, and thats when he found Rices website. Hes just a generally approachable, nice guy, Whitney said. I feel really lucky to get to be a part of all these projects through him. His passion really shows through in his work. To Rice, park managers need to diversify their recreation opportunities to keep up with the unprecedented demand from interest in the outdoors. Rice called back to a framework recreational theory by George H. Stankey, who in 1979 wrote, The recreation opportunity spectrum: a framework for planning, management, and research. Essentially, Stankey believes the more diverse experiences for different users, the better access you can give an entire population. Take Grand Canyon National Park, Rice explained. One campsite there has campgrounds, equestrian spaces and other spots for trailers or RV sites. We need to go back to diversity on how we allocate things. Rice takes the idea one step further, arguing that park reservation systems should have several different times to access an entry ticket instead of six months in advance. By adding one or two separate months of ticket allotments, a week prior or same-day lottery chance style, more people would have a shot at getting a spot. Until then, Rice will continue to study the data, hoping to add more to his growing highlight reel. This is where I want to be, Rice said. A place with a rich history around outdoor research. Rices lecture, When the Last Campsite Fills: Allocation of Outdoor Recreation in an Age of Extreme Scarcity, will be streamed online at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. To watch, visit livestream.com/nasem/0622rice. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 7 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has run into a roadblock in trying to deliver relief for Louisville-area motorists forced to pay more at the pump for reformulated gas. Federal regulators denied his request for a waiver to temporarily remove the requirement that costlier but cleaner-burning reformulated fuel be sold in Metro Louisville, the Democratic governor said Tuesday. Reformulated fuel costs 20-30 cents more per gallon than other kinds of gas, according to Beshear. During a time of skyrocketing gas prices, that has added to the financial strain for motorists in Kentucky's largest city and some of its suburbs. Beshear asked federal regulators to allow conventional, less costly gas to be sold in Jefferson County which includes Louisville and parts of neighboring Oldham and Bullitt counties. The governor cant unilaterally suspend the reformulated gas requirement, but instead had to petition the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for such a suspension. The answer weve gotten is a no, but a no for now, Beshear told reporters Tuesday. The EPA in the 1990s started requiring cities with high smog levels to sell reformulated gasoline known as RFG which is blended to burn cleaner than regular gasoline and reduce smog-forming pollutants. I get why it is in place, but our families are suffering in paying for gas, Beshear said. The EPA has verbally denied the request but will continue monitoring the situation, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said in a statement Tuesday. EPA officials did not immediately provide comments when reached by email Tuesday. Several Republican lawmakers from the Louisville area also called for the suspension of the reformulated fuel requirement. GOP state Rep. Kevin Bratcher has referred to the requirement as a tax that people in my district and most districts around here are tired of paying. Meanwhile, Beshear said Tuesday hes among governors urging President Joe Biden to suspend the federal gas tax. Biden has said he will decide by the end of the week whether he would support a federal gasoline tax holiday, possibly saving U.S. consumers as much as 18.4 cents a gallon. That would make, we believe, a significant, immediate impact on the price of gas," Beshear said. The governor, who has touted the state's economic development gains during his term, has taken other steps to try to help Kentuckians battered by rising prices for consumer goods. He doesn't face reelection until next year, but the campaign has already gotten underway, and politicians from both parties have moved forcefully to respond to voters' anger about what they're being forced to pay at the pump. Beshear recently took action to freeze Kentucky's gas tax, an emergency step to prevent a 2-cent-per-gallon increase that would have taken effect July 1. The action is expected to save Kentuckians an estimated $35.4 million. In February, the governor took executive action to grant relief to Kentucky taxpayers hit with pandemic-related increases in their vehicle property tax bills. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Weeks of rain and snow in northwest Montana have kept the region's rivers and streams in flood stage, but experts say the worst has passed as more seasonal, sunny weather enters the radar. Both the Flathead and Swan rivers were in minor flood stage midday Wednesday, with several nearby creeks and tributaries spilling out of their banks. The Flathead River, which has been in minor flood stage for 10 days, triggered several pre-evacuation notices earlier this week. The 700 block of Wagner Lane near Kalispell, South River Road and the Evergreen area remain on notice of potential low-lying flooding. We are pretty much waiting in the status quo, said Flathead County Undersheriff Wayne Dubois. Were hoping it should peak today or tomorrow and drop from there. Provisional data at the river gauge near Columbia Falls detected the Flathead rising to about 14.5 feet Wednesday. Minor flood stage is 13 feet. The river peaked just under 15 feet on June 16, and has hovered in the 14-foot range since. One man died on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River Tuesday after the raft he and two others were riding on flipped. The Sheriffs office said despite warm weather, rivers are unsafe and could change. The office encouraged all people to stay out of the river for now. State agencies also warned on Wednesday that there are hazards and debris in rivers following flooding events and advised recreators to avoid affected rivers and follow fishing site closures. Its likely more floating and boating hazards will emerge as waters recede, said Hope Stockwell, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division administrator, in a press release. Were opening sites as quickly as possible, but boaters and other recreators should still use an abundance of caution when on the water. Rivers may also contain chemicals and bacteria from damaged or overwhelmed wastewater treatment facilities and flooded homes, businesses and agricultural fields, the release said. Even during moderate rain events, its common to find high levels of E. coli bacteria in rivers and creeks, said Darrin Kron, DEQ Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Section supervisor. With historic rain and flood events occurring in parts of Montana, people should take extra precautions and avoid drinking, fishing and swimming in rivers after flooding. Ray Nickless, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service, said the rivers will be running fast as the last high-elevation rain and snow washes through the Flathead Valley, but said many places of concern will start improving soon. The good news is we are seeing that the Middle Fork of the Flathead crested on Tuesday, and is now dropping, Nickless said, adding that discharge levels of the North Fork of the Flathead have been declining for a few days. There is a flood advisory for the Swan River from Condon to Flathead Lake after hotter weather began melting above-average snow pack. The Swan passed a minor flood stage at 6.5 feet near Bigfork Wednesday morning. Nickless explained that the slow-moving nature of the Swan River, which meanders the valley floors, has delayed discharging some rainfall as fast as other places. The National Weather Service warned that docks could be temporarily flooded near Bigfork Bay, and urged caution when near the riverbanks. Much of the flooding came from warm and wet Pacific storms that drenched Montana in June. One sensor above the Hungry Horse Dam estimated there has been 10 inches of precipitation for the month of June, which is much higher than average. Nickless said to be cautious around the rivers right now, as they are running fast and cold enough to cause hypothermia. The rivers will likely run above average for the next few weeks, partially fueled by high-elevation snow. We have certainly moved out of any drought here, Nickless said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, is preparing for a record-breaking summer in its history, building on the surge in demand for travel and expects up to welcome three million passengers across its network. An average of 8,500 departures per month are scheduled during the summer across flydubais network of 102 destinations, which exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: While the global aviation sector has been slowly recovering from the repercussions of the pandemic, we have seen Dubai steadfast in its approach to enable the return to free flows of trade and tourism. The decisions made early on in the pandemic have enabled us to ramp up our operations to cater to the pent-up demand in record time. This would not have been possible without the hard work of our people, the collaborative approach taken by the key stakeholders in the UAE and the confidence our passengers have in our operations. Our agility and preparedness, strong business model and the scheduled aircraft deliveries this year, will see that we are well placed to overcome the challenges through which we as an industry continue to navigate. We look forward to an exceptional summer of connecting people, opening up underserved markets and providing our customers with more options to travel, added Al Ghaith. Returning to a single hub operation flydubais flights to more than 30 destinations, which were temporarily operating out of Dubai World Central (DWC), return to operate from Dubai International (DXB) from June 23. This follows the successful completion of the 45-day period Northern Runway Rehabilitation programme at DXB. Between May 9 and June 22, the carrier has minimised disruption to its passengers by operating out of both airports. Expanding network and added frequency An average of 8,500 departures per month are scheduled across flydubais network from July to September, this represents an anticipated 43% growth in ASKM (available seat kilometre) compared to the same period in 2019. Up to three million passengers are expected to fly with the airline across a growing network of 102 destinations. From 23 June onwards, the airline will start flights to 11 destinations including: Abha in Saudi Arabia, Batumi in Georgia, Bodrum, Izmir and Trabzon in Turkey, Catania and Pisa in Italy, Dubrovnik in Croatia, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece and Tivat in Montenegro. To cater to the increasing demand flydubai will also add frequency on some of its popular routes including Baku, Belgrade, Budapest, Ljubljana, Maldives, Prague, Salzburg, Sarajevo, Tbilisi and Zanzibar. Growing fleet and workforce flydubai will take delivery of four new aircraft by August 2022, growing its fleet of Boeing 737s to 68 aircraft, an increase of 73% compared to the number of aircraft the carrier operated in the same period in 2019. To support this growth trajectory, flydubai has grown its workforce over the past 12 months by 20% which includes pilots, cabin crew and talented professionals from 135 different nationalities. TradeArabia News Service " " Wildland firefighting requires a huge amount of manpower, and you'll see a lot of action. Geri Lavrov/Getty Images A huge threat to our national forests, wildfires cost U.S. federal agencies more than $2 billion per year on average [source: NIFC]. It makes sense, then, that wildland firefighting requires a huge amount of manpower, especially during wildfire season, when forests are dry and ripe for burning. These seasonal jobs take you right into the belly of the beast fighting fires as well as aiding in preventing them. In addition to specialized firefighter training, you must also be extremely physically fit for this job. You can take many different jobs in this field. A forestry aide works in fire prevention, thinning brush, digging ditches (to stop fires from moving forward) and conducting controlled burns. "Hotshot crews" set up fire control lines, suppress ground fires, implement fire prevention techniques and may assist in search and rescue operations. Smokejumpers have one of the more dangerous firefighter jobs. They typically travel to specific fires, rather than work in one place. They provide the initial response and jump from aircraft right into forest fires to fight them from within. If you're looking for adventure, you've found it here. Advertisement Candidates for wildland firefighter jobs must be in excellent physical condition, under 37 years of age and carry certifications from an organization called the National Wildfire Coordinating Group [source: USDA]. The job outlook for wildland firefighters is very positive, with more than 44,000 vacancies expected by 2029 [source: Recruiter.com]. Entry-level smokejumpers earn about $16 an hour while more experienced "forestry technicians" can earn up to $40 an hour managing helicopter firefighting crews [sources: USDA; USA Jobs]. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) It's only been a month since North Korea acknowledged having a COVID-19 outbreak, after steadfastly denying any cases for more than two years. But already it may be preparing to declare victory. According to state media, North Korea has avoided the mass deaths many expected in a nation with one of the world's worst health care systems, little or no access to vaccines, and what outsiders see as a long record of ignoring the suffering of its people. North Korea's official virus numbers, experts believe, have as much to do with propaganda to boost leader Kim Jong Un as with a true picture of what's happening in the country, and there's widespread doubt about their accuracy. What's clear, though, is that the daily updates from state media make it appear inevitable that the nation will completely defeat a virus that has killed more than 6 million people around the world. According to the official tally, cases are plummeting, and, while 18% of the nation of 26 million people reportedly have had symptoms that outsiders strongly suspect were from COVID-19, less than 100 have died. The South Korean government as well as some experts believe that North Korea may soon declare that it has beaten the virus. This will be linked, of course, to Kim's strong and clever guidance. A victory lap, however, isnt a foregone conclusion. Doing so, according to some experts, would deprive Kim of a useful tool to control the public and could open the government up to humiliation if cases continue. There are two sides to such a declaration, said Moon Seong Mook, an analyst with the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. If North Korea says that COVID-19 has gone, it can emphasize that Kim Jong Un is a great leader who has overcome the pandemic. But in doing so, it cant maintain the powerful restrictions that it uses to control its people in the name of containing COVID-19. Outsiders suspect that Kim is using the outbreak to boost internal unity at a time when many of his people are tired of 2 years of draconian curbs that have hurt their livelihoods. However North Korea deals with its description of the pandemic, many signs, at least in public statements, point to a declaration of success in dealing with a virus that has confounded the richest countries in the world. In the initial stage of the outbreak, Kim described a great upheaval as daily fever cases North Korea rarely calls them COVID-19, presumably because it lacks test kits reached about 400,000. Now, however, the leader is suggesting that the outbreak has peaked, with his health officials maintaining a widely disputed fatality rate of 0.002%, the lowest in the world. The question many outside experts are wrestling with is: What is the true state of misery in North Korea, which has banned nearly all outside journalists, aid workers and diplomats since early 2020? North Korea is widely believed to be manipulating its true death toll to prevent any harm to Kim. It might also have exaggerated the number of earlier fever cases to boost vigilance against the virus and draw stronger public support for authorities' anti-virus controls. North Korea has recently reported about 17,000 to 30,000 new fever cases each day, for a total of 4.7 million. It says to widespread outside disbelief that only 73 have died. Whatever the real situation is, outside monitoring groups say they havent detected signs of anything catastrophic in North Korea. If a large number of people had died, there would have been some pieces of evidence, but there hasn't been any, said Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea. During a huge famine in the 1990s, for instance, rumors of widespread death and of people abandoning bodies spread outside of the country, into China and South Korea. Kang Mi-jin, a North Korean defector in Seoul who runs a company analyzing the Norths economy, said three of her contacts in the northern North Korean city of Hyesan told her during phone calls that most of their family members have suffered suspected COVID-19 symptoms. But she said they told her that none of their relatives, neighbors and acquaintances have died of COVID-19, though theyve heard rumors of such deaths in other towns. During an earlier phone conversation, one of my sources cried a little bit when she said she was worried that some bad things could happen in her family (because of COVID-19). But now she and others have become stable and sometimes laugh when we talk on the phone, Kang said. During a recent ruling party meeting, Kim said the country's pandemic fight has passed the stage of unexpected serious crisis. State media have urged the public to rally behind Kim in a firmer way to overcome the pandemic completely. Cho Joonghoon, a spokesperson for South Koreas Unification Ministry, which oversees relations with North Korea, told reporters last week that the North may announce its COVID-19 crisis has been resolved this month. Nam, the South Korean professor, said the outbreak appears to have eased in Pyongyang, North Koreas capital, but will likely continue in rural areas, where some people with symptoms are venturing out of doors because they rely on market activities for a living and have no access to public rations. I think North Korea will declare a victory over the pandemic a bit later. It would lose face if it proclaimed victory too soon and new patients cropped up afterwards, Nam said. Kang, the defector, said that North Korean residents in Hyesan abide by the government's anti-pandemic orders and that few fever patients go outside during quarantine periods. Because North Korea believes that the pandemic, U.N. sanctions and other economic difficulties will continue, there's little chance it will lift major restrictions soon, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam Universitys Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. The United States and other countries with advanced health care and medical systems havent declared an end to COVID-19. So North Korea will also find it much more difficult to do so, Lim said. The global vaccine alliance GAVI said earlier this month that it understands that North Korea has accepted an offer of vaccines from China. But North Korea has ignored South Korean and U.S. offers of medical support. Despite its COVID-19 outbreak, North Korea has continued test-firing missiles this year. But it hasn't yet carried out a widely expected nuclear test, possibly because of worries about a potential backlash from people still struggling with the virus. North Korea may officially declare victory over the virus when its daily fever cases and the pandemic situation in neighboring China ease significantly, said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. But he said such a declaration doesnt mean much because North Korea likely only acknowledged the outbreak last month because it had determined that it was manageable. According to North Korea, it defeats everything. It doesnt acknowledge things that it cant overcome. It always wins absolutely, no matter whether it faces military, economic or pandemic difficulties, Ahn said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Burke County is getting some help with sewer lines to its business park to make way for its first tenant. The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority announced late last week a $377,497 grant award for the county to provide sewer extension at Burke Business Park on Kathy Road. The sewer extension will be for a new 500,000-square-foot facility operated by Unix Packaging LLC, according to a release from Gov. Roy Coopers office. Employers are locating and expanding every day in resilient rural North Carolina, demonstrating their commitment to bolstering our competitive economy, N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in the release. These infrastructure grants allow us to welcome manufacturers and other businesses to our state, creating a mutually-beneficial relationship between our local communities and a number of innovative companies. Burke Development Inc., which typically uses code names for projects until it is ready to be announced, is still referring to the project as Its About Time. Unix will be the first company to break ground in the business park, which has sat empty for nearly 20 years. The business park is a joint effort with Burke County, the city of Morganton and towns of Valdese, Rutherford College and Drexel. With its newest location, the company plans to create at least 65 jobs and invest $25.9 million in the overall project, according to the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority. Sewer lines are installed to the park but not to the area where Unix will be located, Wood said. A contractor will install the new sewer lines and the city of Morganton will provide sewer service to the facility, said Morganton City Manager Sally Sandy. The state grant requires a 25% local match, said Alan Wood, president and CEO of BDI. The first taxes that are generated by the new investment from Unix at the park will cover the local match, as it will the local match for a grant that mostly paid for a water tank at the business park that was installed two years ago, he said. After the local matches on the two grants are retired, the local government partners will then start sharing in the property tax revenue, Wood said. Unix, a beverage manufacturing company based in Montebello, California, announced in May 2020 that it was locating a facility in Burke County. It moved into the former Ice River Springs building on Ceramic Tile Drive in Morganton. The company will keep its manufacturing at the Ceramic Tile Drive location and the business park location will be a distribution facility for Unix, Wood said. When the company announced it was opening the location on Ceramic Tile Drive, it received a performance-based grant of $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund, which required a 50% local match. The $377,497 grant for Burke County was one of three grants the authority approved under the states Industrial Development FundUtility Account program, along with the town of Holly Ridge and Warren County. The town of Holly Ridge received a $730,000 grant to help with the development of an industrial park and Warren County received a $176,332 grant to extend its water system to serve Heritage Mulch Company, according to the release from Coopers office. The Industrial Development FundUtility Account provides grants to local governments located in the 80 most economically distressed counties of the state, which are classified as either Tier 1 or Tier 2. Funds can be used for publicly owned infrastructure projects that are expected to result in new job creation, according to the release. A Butte man accused of slipping a hand from handcuffs and bolting from a Butte police car pleaded not guilty to felony escape Wednesday. Jesse Ray Ketelsen, 32, also pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor resisting arrest during an arraignment before District Judge Robert Whelan, who set the next hearing for July 27. The felony charge carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence, the misdemeanor up to six months in jail. Prosecutors say Ketelsen was already in jail when a detective working a burglary case involving a Butte real estate office determined Ketelsen was a suspect. He was interviewed and agreed to show detectives where the stolen property was. Ketelsen claimed to be dope sick due to withdrawal from narcotics and while being transported to locate the property, he became sick. The officer opened a back door of the car so he could continue to vomit and when done, he was re-secured in the car. He then complained about needing some air so the officer lowered the back window. While the officer was talking with a detective, Ketelsen reached out the open window, opened the door from the outside and took off, prosecutors say. One hand was still cuffed but he ran down a street, into an alley and disappeared. It wasnt long before an officer spotted a deck and knew the underside would be an easy place to hide. Ketelsen was there, was dragged out and was resisting arrest when his free hand was re-cuffed and he was taken back to jail. He appeared for Wednesdays hearing via video from the jail and remains there with bond set at $111,020. Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Commissioners from four counties filled the District 39 Montana Senate seat left vacant with the recent death of Democrat Mark Sweeney of Philipsburg, appointing Teamsters business agent Jessica Wicks of Anaconda on Tuesday. Wicks will serve the district for the next several months but fellow Democrat Jesse Mullen of Deer Lodge, a newspaper owner and manager, will be the partys nominee in the November election. Republicans plan to gather soon to choose their nominee. The next legislative session wont be until early next year but committees meet in the interim and Wicks plans to be involved in them and be accessible to constituents. Mark served on the Business and Labor Committee, on Energy and on Education, so my focus will probably be on those areas, she told The Montana Standard after her appointment. If theres something else I can to do help with Montana State Hospital and the prison I will definitely try to turn my focus there. Sweeney was elected to the seat in 2020 but died unexpectedly at his home in Philipsburg on May 6. He was running for the Democratic nomination to the eastern U.S. House seat now held by Republican Matt Rosendale. Penny Ronning won the Democratic nomination in the June 7 primary. Sweeneys state Senate seat wasnt up again until late 2024 but voters will decide in the Nov. 8 election who holds it in 2023 and 2024. Democrats from across the district met recently and nominated Mullen to be the partys candidate on the ballot in the November election, but under state law, it took commissioners to fill the seat until the end of the year. Party precinct officials gave them three people to choose from, including Mullen, Wicks and Anaconda Fire Department Captain Scott DeMarois. Commissioners from Granite, Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Powell and Butte-Silver Bow counties met via Zoom on Tuesday to choose Sweeneys immediate replacement. The commissioner votes were weighted based on the number of votes cast from each county in the district in the last election and how many commissioners each county has. Under that formula, votes from each of the commissioners in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County counted a little more than 12 percent and all voted for Wicks. She is a business agent at the Teamsters Local 2 in Anaconda and commander of Anaconda Pinter Search and Rescue. All but one commissioner from the other three counties chose Mullen but the five votes from Anaconda-Deer Lodge equaled more than 60 percent alone, giving Wicks the appointment. The votes for Mullen equaled just over 19 percent. The district covers all of Granite County and parts of Powell, Butte-Silver Bow and Anaconda-Deer Lodge counties, the latter a Democrat stronghold that includes the city of Anaconda and a big chunk of the districts voters. Republicans came close to flipping control of the seat in 2020, with Sweeney winning 50.8 percent of 8,756 total votes cast to 49.2 percent for Suzzann Nordwick of Walkerville. Republicans control the state Senate 31-19 and have a 67-33 majority in the House. Republicans from the four counties will meet soon to choose their nominee, said Kerry Graybeal, a Republican Party official from Granite County organizing the meeting. Libertarians and the Green Party can also place someone on the ballot and must complete that process by Aug. 24, according to state election officials. Mullen is the owner and CEO of the Mullen Newspaper Company based in Deer Lodge. The company owns and manages the Philipsburg Mail, Silver State Post in Deer Lodge and newspapers in Browning, Shelby, Stevensville, Cut Bank, Valier and Browning. It also owns two newspapers in Nebraska, one in Colorado and one in Idaho. Mullen and his wife, Sasha, also own Browsing Bison Books in Deer Lodge and Philipsburg. Mullen said he knew and admired Sweeney and he always responded to constituents. I have quite a bit of respect for him so when I heard about his death a number of people in this community were devastated and some of them approached me and I decided to throw my hat in the ring, he said. Mullen said one of his primary campaign issues is keeping the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge and the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. He noted recent comments from a Montana Department of Corrections official saying it might time to look at moving the prison to a city with a larger workforce pool. If we dont start advocating for those people immediately we are at risk of losing a number of jobs and I cant think of any issue more important to the economy of the region, he said. It would have a cascading effect. Mullen has been a reporter and editor in the past, he said, and believes politicians need to be transparent and accountable. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The southern half of Yellowstone National Park reopened to the public as planned at 8 a.m. today, a week and a half after it closed due to severe flooding. Cars were backed up half a mile from the East Gate, outside Cody, an hour before the park opened. The first RV to arrive driven from Michigan by a family of six had been parked in front of the gate since 10 the night before. It was barely above freezing near the entrance, and many of the tourists meandering near the line wore winter coats or clutched blankets around their shoulders. Others huddled in their cars, turning them off to conserve gas and on again when it got too cold. Rangers surveyed the line, checking in with people who had odd-numbered license plates (which are only allowed inside the park on odd-numbered days, as part of an effort to prevent overcrowding until a reservation system is in place) to make sure they had reservations inside the park. When the barriers lifted, right on time, the hundreds of ranger-vetted cars and RVs the first tourists to enter the park since the flooding crept inside. Progress was slow, but steady. Many people had waited for more than a week to drive, at last, toward the snow-capped mountains and glassy lakes of the first U.S. national park. Right now, there is a sense of excitement to let people in, and have them enjoy the park and see what they came to see, said Rebecca Roland, the Tower Lamar subdistrict ranger for resource education and youth programs, one of the rangers stationed at the East Gate this morning. The National Park Service closed all five entrances to Yellowstone on June 13 as floodwaters washed out roads, damaged bridges and turned gateway communities near the northern edges of the park into temporary islands. Tourists who'd driven across the country to visit America's first national park were stranded at its gates. On Saturday, park officials announced they would reopen three of the park's five entrances the East, South and West gates while implementing a system that used visitor's license plates to limit access to the park. That step was necessary because only the southern loop is open to tourists again. The northern portion of the park, which suffered the worst damage, will take longer to reopen. I would like people to know not to cancel their reservations, Roland said. We're so excited to welcome them into the southern loop. They can still see everything that makes Yellowstone Yellowstone. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Are you serious? Juneteenth is a federal holiday and there is a question about whether it can be taught in Iowa public schools? In the United States there are five states that have passed laws prohibiting the teaching of structural racism in schools. Iowa is one of them. Teachers in Iowa schools are wary about teaching the history of Juneteenth, as this may violate that law. The law itself is really a response to the call to teach so-called Critical Race Theory in schools, which is seen by many as a push to add more inclusion in schools and by many others as simply a way of indoctrinating the next generation of political activists. A quick word here the so-called culture war going on in this country, in my opinion, really has more to do with money changing hands than with any kind of cultural awareness or betterment of society. Both the anti-communist and anti-fascist movements are a multi-billion dollar a year business. Yes, I am referring to both sides of the argument. Both sides seem to be attempting to control access to information through censorship, alleging disinformation. The sides of this war are a thought police where no one is able to make up their own minds or possibly disagree with the stance of the whole. Messages from both sides are usually very easy to pick out as any message usually ends with people in the community either buying something or voting a certain way. I am not currently employed by a public school, so lets learn about Juneteenth. I remember when I was in high school and we learned about the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. There was no concern that it would cause division or that the teachers were trying to influence how we would vote in coming years. It was a study of the history of the United States. As we are learning from the culture war, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. While Juneteenth was only named a federal holiday last year, it has long been observed in the black community as the day when slavery ended in the United States. On June 17, 2021, (Although Juneteenth is really celebrated on June 19) President Joe Biden signed the order making it a federal holiday. In doing research for this column, I am learning that despite the fact Juneteenth happens when most schools are out for the summer, educators believe teaching about the holiday is an important part of American history. On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the United States. Yes, there was slavery in the United States. Serfdom too, until 1925, but that is another story. Only, the news was kept from slaves in Confederate states and it wasnt until June 19, 1865 that Union soldiers were finally able to notify slaves in the final location in the former Confederacy, Galveston, Texas, that they were, in fact, free. So, Juneteenth is a day of celebration that slaves were freed. Of course, officially this is not considered a feel good story and not to be taught in schools. I seem to recall the United States as a whole has some kind of celebration of freedom sometime in July. Its the reason I keep getting woken up to sounds of fireworks this time of year. These are things that need to be taught, but we should also teach each other that we dont have to use it to promote hate or that they should be exploited to further a political agenda or to line an executives pockets. If nothing else, it is a good day to talk with people in the community celebrating the holiday and learn their feelings about what is going on. Communication is how we learn about each other. So, an elderly Israeli woman, a former illegal alien from Mexico, a black man from Africa and a white man who grew up in Moline and earlier had assisted teaching a citizenship training class walk into a bar whats the punchline? There is none, but by the end of the night we were all beaming as we learned more about each other. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 FRUITLAND As she stood on the Adler Theatre stage, 17-year-old Emily Lerch of Fruitland can recall the disbelief she felt in that moment when the judges called her name. My jaw completely dropped, she said. I dont think I completely realized what happened, to be honest. I just heard my name, didnt quite realize what was happening, and the former Miss Iowas Outstanding Teen had to kind of push me forward because I was just kind of standing there. And the excitement of the moment hasn't worn off. Lerch said she is still thrilled with her new title. Earlier this month on June 11, Lerch competed in this years Miss Iowas Outstanding Teen pageant. She represented the states capital as Miss Greater Des Moines Outstanding Teen, having won that title during a competition in August 2021. Previously, Lerch competed in the Outstanding Teen pageant as Miss Burlingtons Outstanding Teen, placing third runner-up. These are far from the only competitions shes done, however. When I was 10 months old, my mom entered me in this little beauty pageant where she literally just carried me across the stage, Lerch said, amused at the memory. It was kind of just a fun little thing that she could do for me to kind of get me introduced to pageants and everything that they were involved with. As she grew older, Lerch not only found her own interest in pageants but also found an interest in various community service programs. With so many pageants being connected to service organizations, she was able to combine her two loves into something both enjoyable and meaningful to her. That was what really sparked my interest, being able to wear a shiny crown but also being able to serve my community, Lerch said. In order to compete in the Outstanding Teen series of competitions, each participant must have their own community service platform. For hers, Lerch chose feeding America, having a desire to help feed not only those in her community or even state, but the entire nation. Leading up to the competition, Lerch was able to raise over $5,000 for the Food Bank of Iowa as well as collecting over 250 pounds of non-perishable food, which was sent out to various food pantries across the state including Muscatine Countys Salvation Army and Fruitlands Light House Pantry. In addition to having a platform, Lerch also had to compete in several other competition phases, including a private 8-minute interview with the judges regarding her resume, an on-stage fitness portion, an on-stage question, an evening gown portion and a talent portion where she had the chance to show off her baton twirling. With the Miss Iowas Outstanding Teen title now in hand, Lerchs next competition will take place Aug. 1012 in Dallas, where she will compete at the national level in Miss Americas Outstanding Teen pageant. Im extremely excited, Lerch said. Ive already met a bunch of the girls that are going to be competing and all of them are super friendly. Theyre all really excited to meet everyone, and I think that its going to be a really amazing experience for me to meet people from all across America. Lerch added that to those thinking about competing in pageants, she would wholeheartedly recommend them. Just from the Miss Iowas Outstanding Teen program Ive won thousands of dollars in scholarships, and its just been a huge life-changer for me. Ive met so many friends and Ive had so many different experiences that I truly dont think I would have had without competing in that program. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Transcript of the interview given by student activist Afreen Fatima to Maktoob Media on June 16. Fatimas house was demolished by Prayagraj (Allahabad) authorities on June 12 as part of the governments clampdown against protestors alleged to have stoked the violence in the city on June 10. As per the authorities, Fatimas father Javed Mohammad, a Muslim activist and Welfare Party of India leader from Prayagraj, is the mastermind behind the violence. He was arrested along with 60 others in connection with the violence on June 10, which saw stone pelting, the torching of vehicles and a subsequent lathi charge by the police. Transcribed by Muhammad Nihad PV | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles Everyone is talking about how my father was in touch with the administration and he would work with them a lot. And that is true. But at the same time, I think there was some sense of hostility towards him, which goes unnoticed and people often shrug it off and say that its nothing. I think that hostility has translated into this incarceration. He was one of the people who were active during the anti-CAA protests in Allahabad. Apart from that, I can think of a specific incident. There was a Dharam Sansad (religious congregation) organised in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) and my father was the only person who tried to file a complaint against it in the relevant police station. Although the complaint was never registered, he took it up with every official of the administration to get it registered. I think that is something that made him a part of the hit list. He is not just concerned about the Qabristan (graveyard), the slaughterhouse or other social works. He is also concerned about the safety of his community. He recognized that there was rising intolerance in the town. He was trying to address it in the ways he thought he could. I think that is what irked the administration the most because he just didnt only give speeches or write long posts saying that it is wrong. He tried to do something about it by filing complaints or petitions. My father has been a part of several peace committees that the police made to ensure that there is peace and stability in the city. Ever since the last Friday of Ramadan, the police would always be super active a day before Friday, i.e. on Thursday. They would call people and warn them. Especially before the tenth of June, the police had been in touch with my father. He usually talks to people in front of us without any hesitation. He doesnt go to a different room to talk to someone. We could hear that the police were constantly asking him if there was something that was going to happen on Friday. He said that he had no information about what they were talking about. There was no call from Jamaat that My father is a part of. Neither any Muslim organisation nor the Shahi Imam called for a protest. But the administration was adamant that something was going to happen on Friday. And in fact, they even suggested to my father in a very intimidating way that if something does happen, you will be held accountable. My father politely replied that he didnt know what was going to happen. Listening to the conversation we could sense that he was being targeted. We were getting to know that someone in our family is not in the good books of the state anymore. We had this sense that My father might be incriminated in something or the other. I mean, earlier there were incidents of that kind, when the CAA protests were happening, the police filed a fake complaint against him saying that he stole a tree from the graveyard just to harass him. We were expecting something but not to the extent of calling him a mastermind. We knew that they would do something even before the protests happened and he might even be picked up for something. We did not expect the police action to be this fabricated, this violent, this humiliating. The way things are now in India. We can expect way worse than this. Initially, we did not expect that they would target our house or they would detain Ammi and Sumayya (my younger sister). We were not expecting all of this, especially because my father had a very clean record and everyone in the town knew him. His entire life has been an open book. In that sense, we thought that it would be difficult for them to fabricate cases against him. Also, as you know, of course, the house is not under his name, which means its primarily not his house. We didnt really expect this. But at the same time, as a family, we also knew that it has less to do with what we were expecting and more to do with what they planned and what has happened. In any way, we are not going to let it break us. To be quite honest, I didnt really like my house, in the sense that I did not like the architecture of my house. Several times, I had told my father that we should make some changes. But its not about the building, right? Its not about the structure. Its about the people living in it. Its about how we spend our lives in it. My father made that house with a lot of love. My father always used to do more than what he could afford. Even the police were saying that our house was worth five crores. I dont know if thats true, but he had always wanted the best of the furniture, beds, floorings, lights, switchboards and everything in the house. He would carefully pick everything. I imagine what he would think when he comes to know that everything that he had handpicked is no more. We also had a massive library with lots of books. My youngest sister was born in that house and it was almost as old as my younger sister. It was like a space where we could be ourselves, where we could have a lot of fun with each other and we could fight with each other. My mother is very fond of plants. When they were demolishing the house, you might have seen lots of plants crumbling down. I think we had more than 500 pots of plants in our house. I imagine that the plants might have cursed them and it gives me relief. It was bizarre and I felt a lot of shame when our pictures and personal belongings were displayed on cameras. Those were personal objects and each object in the house has a massive story behind it. Our mother used to say that our home was a kabaadkhaana (junkyard). As a family, we found it hard to let go of things. There is a broken cycle that my brother used to ride when he was a kid. Till date, we have kept that in the house. We had this large box of wedding invitation cards collected by me and Sumayya thinking we would make some craft out of them and we would not let anyone throw them out. The first things we moved from the house were the copies of the Quran and the Islamic books that we had. We wanted them to be safe because when they demolish the house we did not want the copies of the Quran to be affected at all. We had a lot of Quran copies. Apart from that, I or even my sister-in-law, all the relatives who had come to the house, none of us were trying to save things. It was just a weird feeling of choosing what to save and what not to save. Everything, including even the structure, felt like it needed to be saved. As I have said earlier, we as a family always struggled to let go of even physical objects. Now, we have let go of the biggest physical object that was associated with our lives, and we are fine! Our first priority is to get my father out and establish the fact that he is being unjustly incriminated with fabricated charges. We are legally moving forward with that. There are also these father-daughter duo stories doing rounds in which I plot things in my fathers head and ask him to do them. To a certain extent, its quite refreshing for me to see people think that way. Its contrary to the general media perception about Muslim fathers that they shut their daughters down without listening to them and keep them caged in the house. My father and I used to have a lot of discussions and we differed from each other. Our arguments would always end up saying lets agree to disagree. Alhamdulillah (Thanks to God), he never stopped me from anything. He just told me what is right and what is wrong, and let me be myself. He trusted me enough to let me do the things that I am doing now. We are two different individuals with different opinions. But he respected my views with so much grace. I have seen a lot of elders, among the activist circles, who would just patronise me saying I am too young to have this conversation with them. But my father never did that. He would have all sorts of conversations with me even though he might disagree with what I have to say. About the conspiracy allegation, I dont think my father and I could ever plot the same conspiracy. My plan would be very different from what he might plan. Among the stories they have fabricated, there is not even a single thing that is true as of now. In some of the reports, even his name has been written wrong as Javed Ahmed whereas his actual name is Javed Mohammed. It is fabricated to the extent that they cannot even get his name right. I have come across some headlines of right-wing media reports like Nafrat ka pump pe bulldozer bhaari. Basically, my fathers business was that of submersible pumps and he has got a lot of borings done in the city. People would save his contact as Javed Pump, just like many people might have saved my name as Afreen JNU, Afreen Delhi or Afreen AMU. Thats how the name came. Even on the true caller, it says Javed Pump when you search my fathers contact number. We always used to ask him to download the app and change the name. Now, it has become some cool gangster name. Although I am laughing it off, its absolutely bizarre and disturbing that anything can be used to dehumanise us. His business has become a punch line and people are writing sensational headlines using it. This is not just happening to my family, there are a lot of others as well across India. Also, it is not just happening in UP, but in states even with so-called secular-progressive governments. People are being martyred. I think that is the price that the Muslim community is paying for nothing. These are reactions where there are no actions in the first place. The current situation in India is in fact defying the laws of physics which state that you need to do something and then you will have to face the reaction or you will be punished. Also, the nature of the reaction is not proportionate; it would be a massive blow from the state. As Muslims, we dont have to do anything. Even if there were no protests in Allahabad, I am quite sure my father would have been incriminated for one reason or another. Given the fact that he is someone who was acknowledging the rising intolerance in Allahabad city, especially at Dharam Sansads where genocidal calls were made. This punishment or this idea of deriving pleasure by punishing Muslims is very prevalent right now. For Hindu supremacists, it is a fetish to see Muslim houses crumbling, and Muslims going to jail, and Muslims getting demonised and dehumanised on national television daily. That is their idea of fun. I think we are not willing to give that to them. We are not going to shed a single tear. As far as the entire Muslim community is concerned, we are strong and we will survive whatever will come. Islamic history shows that we have survived situations way worse than this. Muhammad Nihad PV is a sociology student at the University of Hyderabad. He tweets at @nihadbinnisar A breezy January morning made the mid-30 temperatures feel even chillier. But it was an important day for the young man pushing 30 himself . He was about to face his entire family to ask for a loan to seed his new business idea. He had contributed to the familys savings circle, but he was asking for a withdrawal this time. WHAT IS A SAVINGS CIRCLE? A savings circle is a group of family members or friends who regularly contribute to a collective fund. Members gain access to a share of the proceeds on a rotating basis or as needs arise. A savings circle can also be called a money pool. Or flip the benefit, and its known as a lending circle. The practice carries many names worldwide and among American immigrant communities, including tanda, sou-sou or tontine. It can be an informal gathering with regular monthly contributions and one disbursement or one individuals request for funding approved by the group. Some savings circles predetermine automatic withdrawals for each member in a particular order. THE SAVINGS CIRCLE THAT ROCKED THE WORLD Berry Gordy was 29 that cold Detroit day in 1959 when he faced the familys pointed questions regarding a $1,000 loan from the Ber-Berry Co-op named after his parents, Bertha and Berry. After a lengthy discussion, the group voted to give him $800. And with that seed money, Motown Records was born. David Ellis, a digital media curator at the Motown Museum in Detroit , says Gordys parents created the savings effort to help seed family business ideas. Each family member, including spouses, contributed $10 monthly to the fund. The funniest part is the interest that Berry Gordy had to pay. They were family, but they were still very professional people, Ellis adds. Unlike many traditional family and friends savings circles, Gordy had to repay the loan and would be charged 6% interest if he didnt pay off the note within one year. However, repayment wasnt a problem. Motown Records became a music institution, and Gordy sold the label for $61 million in 1988 . A 50% share of the Motown song catalog garnered an additional $132 million for Gordy in 1997. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER Right out of grad school, Fonta Gilliam was working as a U.S. foreign service officer in South Korea, stamping visas at the consulate. This lady walks up to my window wanting to immigrate to the United States to start a business. She was going to start a dry cleaner if I remember correctly. The woman, a street vendor, had six figures of cash in a savings account. I remember thinking, OK, this is fraud, Gilliam says. But the woman related how she had participated for years in a savings circle with friends in her neighborhood, and it was finally her turn to make a withdrawal. I learned how a lot of people around the world are using informal saving and lending traditions sou-sous, tandas as a way to build wealth outside of the banking system, she adds. Gilliam discovered that the social savings circles in these underbanked and underserved communities often have a low default rate . The social factor is key. People are more likely to keep strong financial habits when their peers keep them accountable, she says. HOW TO START A SAVINGS CIRCLE OF YOUR OWN If you are looking to start your own savings circle, enlist trusted friends and family. Emphasis on trusted. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer alert about pyramid schemes tied to sou-sous. Your group will need to determine the amount and frequency of deposits and the order of individual withdrawals. For example, if 12 members put in $100 per month and distributions occur monthly on a rotating basis for one year, who gets the first $1,200? Its an important consideration because early withdrawals are essentially zero-interest loans, while later distributions are effectively interest-free savings plans. A few savings circle apps have been developed in recent years, such as Esusu Savings and MyMAF, which manages lending circles set up through Mission Asset Fund. And later this month, Gilliam and a team of fintech developers in Washington, D.C., are set to release a savings circle and social banking mobile app called Wellthi. While group savings goals will be shared, funds in Wellthi will be tied to individual digital wallets, linked to a payment card and never commingled. And it all began with that chance encounter when the Korean woman was looking to start a business in America. It really kind of changed my life, to be honest. And I had almost denied that woman a visa, Gilliam says. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Hal M. Bundrick is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: hal@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @halmbundrick. RELATED LINKS: NerdWallet: How to Save Money: 22 Proven Ways https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-how-to-save-money-22-proven-ways Federal Trade Commission: A real or fake savings club? https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2020/08/real-or-fake-savings-club Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. MTN has over 1,000 active 5G sites located in 38 towns and metropolitans across South Africa, and it wants its 5G network to cover at least 25% of the population by the end of 2022. MTN South Africa told MyBroadband that it would focus its 5G rollout on covering main metros, peri-urban areas, and larger townships. MTN currently has over 1000 active 5G sites across the country, and in order to bring the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to more people in an efficient and cost-effective way, the target is to have at least 25% of the population covered by 2022, with a strong focus on main metros, peri-urban areas, and larger townships, it said. MyBroadband recently asked MTN whether it believed the new spectrum it acquired in the Independent Communications Authority of South Africas auction in March 2022 would improve its 5G network speeds and latency. The companys executive for corporate affairs, Jacqui OSullivan, said that it didnt expect the new spectrum to affect its 5G network as the spectrum it acquired is in the same bands it is already using. MTN acquired spectrum in the same frequency bands it has been using as part of the temporary spectrum assignments, namely in 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz bands, she said. 5G speeds and latency will be the same as the current experience since we are deploying with the same frequency bands and same bandwidth as deployed with the temporary spectrum. She added that MTN expects more spectrum to be re-farmed to 5G over time as device support for 5G grows. The mobile operators 5G network went live in South Africa in June 2020 and only covered limited areas in Gauteng, Western Cape, and the Free State upon launch. It made 5G data plans, ranging from 75GB to 500GB, available to its customers and promised average speeds of 50Mbps for its 5G mobile products and 100Mbps for 5G home Wi-Fi subscribers. The company announced that it had rolled out 5G coverage to large areas of Witbank and Polokwane in July 2021 as part of its R350-million network investment to upgrade and build new sites and transmission links in the 2021 financial year. The upgrades were focused on the northern regions of South Africa, including the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces. MTN South Africa provided a list of towns and metropolitan areas with 5G coverage. They are listed in the table below. Electric vehicle market share in South Africa showed significant improvement in 2021, with sales rising to 218 from 92 in 2020. Citing EV-volumes.com, BusinessDay reported that the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) in South Africa in 2021 was the Mini Cooper SE, which made up 31% of total EV sales in the country. It was followed closely by the BMW iX, contributing 29% of EV sales. The best-selling EVs in South Africa in 2021, and the number of units sold, are listed below: Mini Cooper SE 68 BMW iX 63 Porsche Taycan 33 BMW i3 20 Jaguar i-Pace 19 Audi e-tron 15 Pricing is a significant contributing factor to the uptake of EVs in South Africa. GreenCape revealed in its 2022 Electric Vehicles Market Intelligence report that 74% of those who responded to its EV price survey were only willing to pay between R200,000 and R500,000 for an electric car. This presents a challenge as pricing for the Mini Cooper SE the cheapest EV you can buy in South Africa starts at R658,000. All EV models currently in the SA market cost more than R450,000, which is out of reach of most SA vehicle buyers, GreenCape noted. GreenCape further explained that the existing range of EVs available in South Africa does not cater to the emerging middle-class and middle-income groups. These individuals purchase vehicles that cost between R150,000 and R350,000 and constitute a larger portion of the market than the high-income group, it said. Therefore, there is a need for carmakers to introduce EVs at a lower-price point to increase uptake in South Africa. The six best-selling electric vehicles available in South Africa, and their specifications, are listed below. Mini Cooper SE Engine power/torque: 135kW/270Nm 135kW/270Nm 0-100km/h: 7.3 seconds 7.3 seconds Range: 215km 215km Price: R658,000 BMW iX xDrive40 Engine power/torque: 240kW/630Nm 240kW/630Nm 0-100km/h: 6.1 seconds 6.1 seconds Range: 390km 390km Price: R1,700,000 Porsche Taycan Engine power/torque: 240kW/345Nm 240kW/345Nm 0-100km/h: 5.1 seconds 5.1 seconds Range: 360km 360km Price: R2,303,000 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Engine power/torque: 460kW/1,050Nm 460kW/1,050Nm 0-100km/h: 2.8 seconds 2.8 seconds Range: 360km 360km Price: R4,134,000 BMW i3 Engine power/torque: 125kW/250Nm 125kW/250Nm 0-100km/h: 7.3 seconds 7.3 seconds Range: 285307km 285307km Price: R754,200 Jaguar i-Pace Engine power/torque: 294kW/696Nm 294kW/696Nm 0-100km/h: 4.8 seconds 4.8 seconds Range: 446km 446km Price: From 2,029,800 Audi e-tron 55 quattro Engine power/torque: 300kW/664Nm 300kW/664Nm 0-100km/h: 5.7 seconds 5.7 seconds Range: 417km 417km Price: R1,745,000 Now read: Toyota reveals home battery system your car can charge Finland is ready for a possible attack by Russia, because the army worked systematically. This was stated by the Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces, General Timo Kivinen in an interview with Reuters. " Ukraine has proved to be a strong nut, so it will be the same with Finland ," said the commander of the Finnish Defense Forces. He noted that since the Second World War, the country has developed a military sphere in order to resist the enemy, which uses massive firepower, armored vehicles and aircraft. Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces, General Timo Kivinen Photo: Reuters He also noted that Finnish troops, as well as Ukrainian, have a high motivation to fight, which ensures their superiority. The most important line of defense is located between our ears (in my head - ed.), Which is now proved by the war in Ukraine aviation , "Kivinen said. The Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces supported the decision to apply for NATO membership. The Finnish Defense Forces has 280,000 troops and 870,000 reservists. It will be recalled that at the end of June, at the summit of NATO member states in Madrid, the application of Finland and Sweden to join the Alliance will be considered. They decided to apply against the background of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO On June 10, Finland approved another aid package to Ukraine. What exactly and in what terms will be delivered do not disclose on security issues. It is emphasized that the additional military-technical assistance to Finland took into account both the current needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the resource situation of the country's Defense Forces. Read also: Kraken special unit defeats occupiers' headquarters in Kharkiv region (VIDEO) Poltava region: as a result of rocket fire, a shopping center in Kremenchuk was occupied Ukrainian paratroopers from Martlet MANPADS hit an enemy helicopter PzH 2000 is already at the front - BILD showed the first video with howitzers in Ukraine Unique footage of UAF strikes on the captured Snake Island has appeared (VIDEO) During the 124 days of the war, the Armed Forces eliminated 35,000 Russian invaders The United States plans to purchase air defense systems for Ukraine - CNN Two IL-76MDs arrived in Gomel, they brought the Pantsir-C1 SAM. They were recorded in Mozyr. The Belarusian monitoring group "Belarusian Guyun" recorded the night arrival of Russian IL-76MD aircraft of the Russian Air Force, probably from Pskov, to the Gomel airport. On June 22, at 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., two aircraft with registration numbers RF-76650 and RA-78845 arrived. On board were at least 16 missiles for S-400 SAMs, as well as probably the Pantsir SAM. BAZ-6402 tractors arrived at the airport for further transportation of missiles yesterday, June 21, at about 11:30 p.m. After loading the missiles, the tractors moved in the direction of Rechytsa. In total, 28 missiles for S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems have already been transported through Mozyr in the direction of Prudok. The following was recorded in Mozyr: two Urals with S-400 missiles; 5 launchers from the S-400 warehouse on the MAZ chassis; "Pantsir-C1" based on KamAZ and Kung. Read also: Kraken special unit defeats occupiers' headquarters in Kharkiv region (VIDEO) Poltava region: as a result of rocket fire, a shopping center in Kremenchuk was occupied Ukrainian paratroopers from Martlet MANPADS hit an enemy helicopter PzH 2000 is already at the front - BILD showed the first video with howitzers in Ukraine Unique footage of UAF strikes on the captured Snake Island has appeared (VIDEO) During the 124 days of the war, the Armed Forces eliminated 35,000 Russian invaders The United States plans to purchase air defense systems for Ukraine - CNN St. Helenans are catching up on missed travels. Right now, I know of locals in France, Germany, Greece, Turkey and elsewhere. I just returned from Sicily. The trip home, door to door, took 27 1/2 hours, and thats with everything going smoothly. This is the penalty that comes with the blessings of living here; were far away from foreign shores. I expect little sympathy. In Sicilys main city of Palermo and well as hillside towns like Taormina, we joined residents enjoying their streets in ways currently unknown in St. Helena. We can learn from them. Sicilians practice the tradition of passeggiata, a gentle and slow stroll through the main streets of the city or town (from a travel website). Or, as Wine Spectator called it, a stroll to catch up with friends, admire strangers and maybe have a drink. What makes this work are streets closed to vehicles and shops and restaurants open through the evening. Wine Spectator named the passeggiata the final item in its recent list of 101 things we love about Italy. Last decade, St. Helena made an attempt to adopt our own version, with Friday night Cheers! on Main Street. That effort failed after a couple of years. Shop owners concluded it wasnt financially productive, having to pay staff for extended hours. What should happen now? Our Chamber of Commerce should come up with new ideas to bring walkers, shoppers and imbibers back to Main Street in the evenings. City government should do its part by hurrying up the repair of undulating and dangerous sidewalks. We dont have the advantage of Healdsburg and Sonoma, with their downtown city squares. But we can hope for linear ideas, instead of rectangular. If Palermo and Taormina can enliven their streets, why not St. Helena? Both the chamber and the city should move with some urgency, because the quality of daily life here is equally important as the financial challenges facing us. We need progress on both. Councilman Eric Hall has been doing some impressive digging into our financial situation. His conclusion is stark: we have huge, underfunded and unavoidable capital projects ahead of us. This is the quantity of life here, versus the quality of enjoying St. Helena. This dilemma wont be solved overnight, but attention must be paid to it now. We may have to face difficult decisions involving the future of our police and fire departments, plus our beloved library. All three might have to be merged into countywide systems. Thats just one set of painful challenges ahead of us. Part of the future quality of life here involves keeping St. Helenans in St. Helena. That means retaining our senior citizens. It seems that every month I hear of longtime residents packing up and buying into luxury retirement complexes downvalley. Every such departure reduces our quality of life. Everyone I talk to would like to be able to age in place and not give up living here. Our big advantage is that if you live near downtown, you can walk everywhere. Thats priceless. Whats needed is progress on the whole range of support services that older folks need. Were fortunate to have Rianda House; its services needed to be boosted and expanded. Six years ago this column urged St. Helena to engage with the Age-Friendly Cities program, initiated by the World Health Organization. Nothing happened. Time to bring it up again. Lets join the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities. By doing so, we can join with colleagues worldwide to facilitate the exchange of information and experience and find solutions through innovative and evidence-based technical guidance. The WHO has succinctly defined an age-friendly world. Its a world in which you would want to grow older. That means autonomy, health and dignity. These are worthy goals; any incremental movement towards them would benefit St. Helena. Our Main Street is dark and empty on too many evenings. Older residents, with all the money they need, find themselves moving elsewhere. We need a re-enlivened downtown, enjoyed by all generations of St. Helenans. We need to focus on both the quality and quantity of life here. We need our own passeggiata. Mark G. Epstein moved to St. Helena from the East Coast early this century after a career in international business. Youtube has removed the channel Wargonzo of the Russian journalist Semyon Pegov. All videos and information were deleted from the channel. The administration of Youtube stated that the rules of the community were violated. "Yes, by the way. In the kaleidoscope of events, we completely forgot to inform you that YouTube has finally deleted our channel on its platform for about a month now. We, the @wargonzo team, certainly expected this decision, and we're even a little surprised why we've been tolerated for so long. We did not and do not have any lost illusions towards YouTube," special correspondent and one of the authors of the project Dmitry Seleznev noted in the Telegram channel of Wargonzo. According to him, after the activation of military actions in Ukraine, the administration of the video hosting constantly blocked the channel. "Nevertheless, the number of our subscribers on this platform was steadily approaching one million, and we became the largest Russian channel about the war," he said. My conclusion from the analysis of different conflicts, and especially from the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] conflict, is that the key to global security peace is democracy. Arusyak Julhakyan, a member of Armenias delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said this at the PACE plenary session debate on Recent challenges to security in Europe: what role for the Council of Europe? The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has arisen as a human rights issue. At this stage it is still a human rights issue which is being considered, which is being negotiated from one side by a society that is on the path of democracy, which is open, where it is very difficult to dictate false agendas, where all issues are discussed relationally; and on the other side by an authoritarian regime - a system where it is very easy to mislead society, to impose false agendas, to overestimate the external threat. In the context of all of this, it becomes obvious that these types of conflicts must be resolved in favour of democracy because democratic societies do not generate conflicts - they solve conflicts. Among democracies even the most difficult issues can be easily resolved if the goal of both sides is peace. If both sides really strive for peace, then the most pressing issues will find solutions. But when we oppose these two systems - democracy and autocracy - it becomes clear that on the one hand we are dealing with a real desire for peace, and on the other hand we only have an imitation of its aspirations for peace, which are only attempts to please the international community. That is why it is so difficult for democratic societies to achieve peace in a conflict with an authoritarian state. Categories that have long been rejected by modern Europe such as historical justice, historical lands - they are just a means to mislead people, to create opportunities for foreign interference in the policy-making of a given state, a given society. That is why the Council of Europe must stand by the newly established developing young democracies as opposed to authoritarianism. The Council of Europe must prove to the societies that have taken the path of democracy that the pursuit of peace is right. We must not allow authoritarian regimes to achieve their goal, the Armenian MP added, in particular. YEREVAN. Zhoghovurd newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: The shots fired on June 19 in Aparan have caused serious concern in the law enforcement system. In particular, the law enforcement system has established strict control in the city of Aparan, as well as in the [Aragatsotn] provincewith the aim of keeping the situation under control. Moreover, according to the information received by Zhoghovurd daily, a decision has been made to establish police control both at the residences of those killed as a result of the shooting and at the residences of the other participants of the incident, in order to avoid cases of possible revenge. It means that the law enforcement agencies have fears of a possible vendetta, and have resorted to concrete steps to resolve the situation. Let us recall that on June 19, 2022, shots were fired in the city of Aparan, as a result of which two people were killed, for which one citizen is in custody. According to press reports, the reason was cursing at the RA Prime Minister, whereas the law enforcement system claims that the reason is domestic. Shots were fired from various weapons on the aforementioned day, and the 32-year-old man detained at the moment is not the only one who fired in the direction of the participants in the dispute. According to the information we received, one of the shooters is a [ruling] CC [(Civil Contract Party)] supporter, whom RA Police Chief Vahe Ghazaryan and RA Investigative Committee Chairman Argishti Kyaramyan are doing everything to clear from the criminal case. The Orion Summit 2022 technological summit, which focuses on financial topics important for the development of startups, kicked off Wednesday at the Matenadaran in Yerevan (PHOTOS). Orion Summit 2022 is attended by companies from technology, financial and other sectors, prominent businessmen and founders of internationally recognized startups, investors, consultants and experts. Visitors and guests have the opportunity to listen to speakers from leading international companies, including Adobe, SADA, Embodied, cognaize, Scylla, Grand Thornton, Startup Lithuania, and others. The keynote speaker of the summit is Mark Chenian, a renowned expert in investment banking and financial advisory. The event was opened by Emma Arakelyan, founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations, and Diana Arzumanyan, Co-Founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations Armenia. They presented the goals of this summit to the sponsors. The Summit will cover trending topics in technology and business, which are essential also for Armenian startups. Orion Summit is turning into a platform for deals. We start with Yerevan, next year it will take place in New York and then in Frankfurt. The goal is to give Armenian startups an opportunity to network and cooperate with the largest global companies, said Diana Arzumanyan, Co-Founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations Armenia. Then the Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia, Robert Khachatryan, delivered opening remarks. He thanked the organizers for the event and welcomed all the participants of Orion. "Holding such events is of key importance for the development and establishment of technology companies as well as the sector. Well-known representatives of technology and business will speak on one platform today to discuss current topics, share their experience and success stories. This is also a good opportunity for us to record developments and successes in the sector. We should not avoid talking about problems either. Moreover, bringing them up and discussing them, developing solutions to problems allows us not to repeat mistakes, to avoid making mistakes. The development of the startup ecosystem is on the agenda of our ministry, and we are working consistently for the establishment and progress of the startups. The experience of companies that have paved their way to success and achieved success can be a great incentive and impetus for startups taking their first steps. Armenia has a great technological potential, and that potential is partly gathered here. I am convinced that the results of this summit will not take long. I wish all of us new success, and I am confident that the event will be effective and will help us find new ways of progress together," said the minister. In her turn, Emma Arakelyan, founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations, noted that it is very important that the person in charge of Armenias high-tech sector supports such an event. "All we are trying to do is founding technological innovation because we live in a digital age. What we are doing is digital; even the name of our new initiative is Digital Julfa," she said. The summit will last one full day, and there will be five panel discussions. Panel 1 One of the directions of the Summit is to present ecosystem solutions and encourage their implementation in Armenian companies. Ecosystem solutions enable businesses and individuals, regardless of industry, to access a wider range of services. Panel 2 Orion Summit 2022 will bring together on one platform the founders of the upcoming unicorn companies, who will present their success stories and motivate young startup founders. The BAJ Accelerator program will support the journey of 10 Armenian unicorn companies in 5-6 years. Panel 3 For the first time, Orion Summit will present an initiative to consolidate the Armenian startup ecosystem through mergers and acquisitions. Possible incentives for the rapid growth of startups will also be discussed. Panel 4 One of the main topics of the summit is the promotion of the growth of startups, the welfare of the society, and the "creation" of future millionaires, and the ESOP-employee share programs. They are one of the best solutions to encourage, inspire, and reward employees. Successful technology startups, at an early stage of their development, share with employeesnurturing and accelerating their growth and development rates. ESOP, as a tool, can play a key role in retaining and encouraging talent in Armenia. Employees, being in Armenia, can have shares of the "parent" company or their options, later becoming millionaires as a result of the company's achievements and acquisitions (M&A) or initial public offering (IPO). Panel 5 During the summit, it is planned to announce the Digital Julfa Networkan initiative uniting the Pan-Armenian commercial, intellectual, technological, and cultural forces. The goal is to re-establish a strong network of economic and intellectual positioning of Armenia and the Armenians on a global scale. A strong 300+-year-old network of Armenian merchants from New Julfa traded from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Digital Julfa is its evolution at the global level, the main driving force of which is innovation. The BAJ Accelerator portfolio companies will share their rapid growth strategy and market penetration. Davit Sargsyan, Legal Affairs Director of Ameriabank, Armenia's leading financial and technological institution, will speak at the discussion. Ameria is one of the first to introduce the ESOP program in Armeniaback in 2016. Davit Sargsyan will present the successful experience of the company. Vahe Andonians, the founder of cognaize, Ashot Tonoyan, the head of Service Titan Armenia, and the representatives of BDO-Armenia will take part in the discussion. The event will feature the graduation ceremony and partners awards ceremony of the BAJ Unicorn Academy. And at the end, Joel A. Martin will deliver musical performances, presenting the jazz arrangements of Komitas' works. The works of contemporary Armenian artists will also be exhibited. Orion (Orion Worldwide Innovations) is a hub for the growth of startups and the development of an interconnected ecosystem, which offers a full range of services. Orion creates opportunities for companies subject to investment to enter the United States, improves their customer acquisition strategies, helps them stay competitive, and supports their innovations. Orion was founded in 2017 in the USA. The company has offices in New York and Yerevan, cooperates with companies and investor networks operating in various countries. Armenian analytical news agency NEWS.am is the information sponsor of Orion Summit 2022. Sona Ghazaryan, a member of Armenias delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), delivered remarks at the PACE Plenary Session. I highly appreciate the report, well-penned and very much on time. Political parties, among other actors, are responsible for combating hate speech, racism, and xenophobia. However, what we often see today is that political parties, instead, build their election campaigns, rhetoric, sometimes even actions on hatred, racism, and xenophobia. This happens in Europe, and this happens beyond Europe. And then sometimes, these political parties and their leaders find themselves in their own trap. They build up and build on hate so much that they then do not know how to control and deal with the amount of hatred they have created themselves. This is especially dangerous when hatred is proliferated towards a society living in close proximity, towards a neighbor. And even more dangerous when there is an unresolved conflict in need of a robust peace process. This is the case in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the systemic Armenophobia in Azerbaijan. You know too well the case of the trophy park in Baku that glorifies war and that depicted Armenian soldiers in captivity degrading human dignity and dehumanizing Armenians. Schoolchildren were taken to this park. This was an outrageous case of state-sponsored hatred and racism. The mannequins of Armenian soldiers were taken down only after Armenia filed a case at the International Court of Justice based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The International Court of Justice has already produced an interim decision in which it calls on Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination, including by its officials and public institutions, targeted at persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the International Court of Justice has stated that it is the officials and public institutions in Azerbaijan that incite and promote hatred against Armenians. I believe that the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly should also be very vocal and direct calling state-level hate speech, racism and xenophobia by name, and we should together combat this because hatred is a poison similar to mercury; it is very hard to collect once it spills over, Sona Ghazaryan said in her speech. Our ministry is called the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, not the Ministry of IT. This is noteworthy for the fact that the ministry directs all its activities to the sector of high technologies, not only in the IT sector. Davit Sahakyan, Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia, stated this Wednesday during the Orion Summit 2022 (PHOTOS). He recalled that there is a law in Armenia to assist the countrys IT sector, this law provides for benefits, but the law is in force until the end of the year. "Currently, a new law is being drafted, which will be aimed at assisting high-tech companies. Today there is a government decision to assist companies, but no restriction was placed here. Along with IT companies, high-tech companies are mentioned which can make use of the opportunity for cashback of 50% of salaries. There is another ministry program, which shows that we are moving from IT to high tech; and that is the training program. In the past two years, the ministry has conducted programming courses in about 18 domains, and this year we have selected some target areas: cybersecurity, engineering, blockchain, artificial intelligence. This year, for the first time, we have added technology entrepreneurship courses because life shows that despite the fact that we have wonderful minds that provide great solutions in the technology sector, we have a gap in terms of entrepreneurship. That is why we considered it important to provide skills and knowledge to our sectoral companies in order to make their work more efficient," said the deputy minister. According to Sahakyan, it is important that the identification of needs and the provision of appropriate solutions to them be on a synchronous platform, and the ministry is currently taking over the function of that platform. "We offer solutions existing in our industry. It is very important that we lead this chain a little differently. We take our Armenian startups which are global companies, provide services at the international level, and we bring those companies to Armenia so that they introduce their solution so that Armenia can use those services meeting with international standards, and not that we take our needs and provide a solution in accordance with those needs because it will be very local, only for Armenia," he stressed. At the Orion Summit 2022, we will have discussions on the topic of "Acquisitions and Mergers," introduce the five fastest growing startups in Armenia, and conclude the panels with the Digital Julfa program whose founder is Mark Chenian, who has arrived in Armenia especially to present this program. Diana Arzumanyan, Director and Co-founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations Armenia, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am on Wednesdayand within the framework of the aforesaid summit (PHOTOS). "The task of this program is to bring backthrough digitalizationour former positions in the IT sector, in accordance with modern requirementsinvolving art, music. Komitas' performances will be presented in jazz performance," she said. When asked how much investment is envisioned this year, taking into account that last time that amount was $27 million, Arzumanyan said. "The investment of money has already started this year, and we hope to double the number by the end of the year. We are working toward $50 million. Our vision is to have ten unicorns in the next five years, which will increase the country's GDP. The five companies being presented today are not being presented as unicorns. It's just that their growth rates are very fast, they are candidates for the future. And in about a month we will introduce the fourth unicorn. The goal is to present the main driving force of the country's economy through technology companies. Citizens of the country can become shareholders of large companies, which will lead to their prosperity and the countrys growth." In her turn, Emma Arakelyan, Founding Director of Orion Worldwide Innovations, noted that very important topics will be presented at the Orion Summit 2022. "We have companies that will present their extraordinary growth and success in the global market. We will also present Lets Consolidate the Armenian Startup Ecosystem, which will assist in the rapid development of Armenia's economy and take it to the world market. The next topic we are happily presenting is the beginning of a very important movement called Digital Julfa. This means that we [i.e., Armenians] are restoring the great power we had 300 years agofrom Amsterdam to Manila. We have interesting speakers. All these events are just the beginning. We will continue to create global partnerships with reputable companies of various countries. We are seeking and finding fast growing companies, especially paying attention to Armenian companies. We show companies that it is possible to have great growth and development even in the local market in Armenia," she said. According to Arakelyan, the goal of this whole movement is to change the mindset and to correctly present the capabilities of Armenia. "We need to change the mindset a little bit so that they are better prepared to enter the world arena and have more courage, knowing that Armenian innovation is at a very high leveland various programs have shown that. For eight years now, Armenia has a quite huge place at the level of our startups. We are seeking especially Armenian startups in Armenia and other countries, and after selecting the best ones, we present such programs. We also introduce them at various competitions in New York, Europe. And one of the great successes is that in just 15 months we have been able to raise 27 million [dollars of] foreign funds for three Armenian companies; this means we can represent value and have an impact on innovation. French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the possibility of creating a national unity government with both Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally faction, and Fabienne Roussel, leader of the Communists, BFM TV reported. Thus, Le Pen confirmed that she had discussed with Macron on Tuesday the creation of a government, but refused to disclose details. Before that, Roussel, who was a member of Jean-Luc Melenchon's left-wing coalition in the elections, spoke about his talks with the president. According to him, Macron asked the communist's opinion about Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and his willingness to work in a national unity government. "I told him that it was not about the person, but about the direction he would set," Roussel commented on the meeting. On Monday, the pro-presidential coalition Together! won France's parliamentary elections, but lost its majority in the legislature for the first time since the Fifth Republic, in 1958. Melenchon's New Ecologic and Social People's Union came in second, while the National Rally came in third. Christian Jacob, leader of the French center-right Republican Party, which came fourth, refused to negotiate with Macron.